> My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Life in Canterlot"
>  by SaburoDaimando
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Arc 1(Wanda's Origins)-1: Meet Darling Wanda the Man's Cub
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 1: Wanda’s Origins


Meet Darling Wanda the Man’s Cub




It was the mid-afternoon at the marketplace in the vast city of Canterlot.  Ponies from all over this vast kingdom were wandering about and shopping for food to put on the table, clothing for a future event, or practical objects for decorating their abodes.  In a nearby corner of the marketplace were bins full of delicious apples be it the usual red delicious, granny smiths, braeburns, jazz, ambrosias, or the ever popular honeycrisps.  The owner of the apple booth was Bright Macintosh, a farmer not far from the capital.  He had sold a bag full of jazz apples to a nearby customer and was given some bits for the sale.  
“Boy oh boy,” Bright Mac said.  “Today must be a busy day.  Already sold nearly seventy five percent of my crop.  In about a half hour, I’m ready to head back to Sweet Apple Acres.”
But just then, someone from out of nowhere said “Hello Unca Bright Mac.”  That caught Bright Mac’s attention.
“Well ah be a mustang’s uncle,”  Bright Mac chuckled.  “I recognize that voice of one of those cute little varmints.”
As Bright Mac turned his head down, he smiled at the sight of two younglings.  One was a young unicorn filly named Sunset Shimmer.  She had a light amber coat, moderate cyan eyes, and a red and bright yellow mane and tail.  Her cutie mark was that of the sun.  But the other kid wasn’t a unicorn.  In fact, she wasn’t even a pony, but rather a man’s cub. She was slightly taller than the unicorn, with light skin, shoulder-length yellow hair and an eye color nearly similar to the unicorn.  But she also wore a denim blue overalls, a pink shirt, and black shoes.  For one who was not a pony, she was unlike anything in Equestria.
“Good afternoon, Sunset Shimmer,”  Bright Mac said with a smile before turning his head towards the man’s cub.  “Howdy Wanda.  What can I get from both of you?”
“Oh.  We just came here to get some apples for our mom,”  Sunset said, presenting a bag of bits for Bright Mac.  “Especially the honeycrisps.”
“I take it you’re both doing a usual errand,”  Bright Mac said as he accepted the bits and began to load some honeycrisp apples into his bag.
“Actually, it’s for our big sister’s birthday,”  Wanda said as the little man’s cub jumped up and down in excitement.
“Wanda, you know that’s supposed to be our secret,”  Sunset said as she gave Wanda a hoof noogie..
“A birthday?”  Bright Mac said as he walked out of the booth and gave the bag of apples to Wanda.  “Well what’s the occasion for your big sister and all those delicious apples from our family farm?”
Wanda accepted the apples from Bright Mac and said “Well.  We’re making an Apple Cake for the birthday of our big sister.” 
“Cake baking?  Or rather mischief making?”  That deep voice that came out of nowhere was enough to cause Wanda to hide behind Sunset Shimmer, shaking in fear.
“Get her away.  I’m scared,”  Wanda said as she hid behind Sunset.  
“Wanda, it’s just the prime chancellor of Equestria,”  Sunset said to Wanda.
“I don’t care,”  Wanda cried.  “She’s a big meanie.”
“That’s no way to treat your elders, man’s cub.”  That voice caused Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young to turn their heads upwards.  They came face-to-face with an older unicorn with a light opalish gray coat, a mane with a variety of purples, and grayish fuchsia eyes.  She wore a blue overcoat over a light blue turtleneck shirt, and a long navy blue skirt.  A small set of glasses were set firmly on her muzzle.  She looked down at Wanda with a distinct scowl.
“Prime Chancellor Abacus Cinch,”  Bright Mac said with a low tone. “What can I get you today?”
“I will not require anything today,” Chancellor Cinch said as she turned her head towards Wanda, who was still hiding behind Sunset.  “But a reminder to the man’s cub to behave herself and to not cause any mischief.”
All Wanda could do was stare at Chancellor Cinch, unable to move a muscle aside for the constant shaking in fear.  What could cause the young human girl to fear someone like Cinch?
“Well you see,”  Wanda said as she stood there behind Sunset.  “We were just getting some apples for our big sister’s birthday.  Nothing more.”
“A birthday you say?” Chancellor Cinch said as she glanced at Wanda.  
“Y...yeah,”  Wanda said as she swallowed hard.  “I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“For your sake, I certainly hope so,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she continued to stare into Wanda’s eyes.  “That being said, let me remind you that you are still under the scorn of caution.  You may be welcomed under the open wings of Princess Celestia.  But I still consider you and your magic to be a danger to Equestria.”
Wanda tried to speak.  But nothing came out of her mouth as she stood still, staring at Chancellor Cinch.  Sunset looked at Wanda with great concern, and was about to open her mouth when Bright Mac got out of her apple stand.
“Now hold up just one moment, Chancellor,”  Bright Mac said in protest.  “She may not be a pony like you and me, but she’s still part of the Equestrian family.  What matters is not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside.”
“Hmph. Very well, son of the matriarch of Sweet Apple Acres.”  Chancellor Cinch turned her glance from a scared Wanda all the way up to Bright Mac, who was about to step in between the man’s cub and the prime chancellor.  “But everyone in Equestria is entitled to their own words.  Even I know not to lock up ponies for speaking their minds.  After all, even Equestrians are entitled to freedom of speech”
Without a second word, Chancellor Cinch walks away from Sunset, Wanda and Bright Mac.  Wanda looked at the Chancellor walking away and breathed a sigh of relief.  At least for her, the danger was over, for now. 
 Bright Mac turned to Wanda and said “Don’t you worry about the Chancellor.  She doesn’t know a thing or two about other species.” 
“I….I’ll try,”  Wanda said as she continued to watch Chancellor Cinch walk away from her.
Bright Mac then loaded the bag of honeycrisps into Sunset Shimmer’s saddle bags, and said to her “Now you get those apples to your mom, and bake up a great cake for your big sister.”
“You bet,”  Sunset said to Bright Mac as she turned her head to Wanda. “Come on, little sis.  Mommy’s waiting for us to bake that cake.”
“Oh….okay,”  Wanda said as she began to walk off, still unsettled by the mere presence of Chancellor Abacus Cinch.  
Bright Mac let out a big sigh as he moved behind the counter of the Apple Booth.  As he was about ready to accept another customer, he noticed Wanda wasn’t paying attention and her foot was near a broom handle, looking like it could trip her over.
“Wanda,”  Bright Mac yelled.   “Watch out for that…”
Wanda turned her head towards Bright Mac, but it only distracted her long enough for her to trip over the broom handle.  She yelled loud and fell onto a nearby stand that was holding a basket full of apples.  The momentum of her fall was enough to catapult the apples into the air and send them flying towards Chancellor Cinch.
“Broom.”  Bright Mac could do nothing, but watch as the apples flew right into Chancellor Cinch.  The resulting impact smashed the apples into bits and juicy pieces, covering her mane and outfit in this soggy mess.  She was not happy about what just happened.
“Oh no,”  Bright Mac said as he started to cower towards the sight of Chancellor Cinch being covered in smashed apples.  “That ain’t good.”
Chancellor Cinch turned her attention towards Wanda with a scowl on her face.  Wanda and Sunset were trying to sneak off, hoping to get away.  But that Chancellor would not have any of it.
“MAN’S CUB!”  The voice of Chancellor Cinch echoed throughout the marketplace, catching the attention of Wanda and Sunset.  “YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!”
Without a second thought, Wanda and Sunset ran off from Chancellor Cinch.  But in all the commotion, the saddlebags on Sunset’s back fell off onto the ground as the young unicorn filly bolted from the Apple Booth.  Chancellor Cinch ran after the two, hoping to catch up and punish them for an unintended prank.
Bright Mac walked up, seeing Cinch chase after Wanda and Sunset.  He looked down and saw Sunset’s saddle bag.
“In their haste, they forgot the apples for their big sister’s birthday,”  Bright Mac said as he picked up the saddle bag.  “If only the Chancellor wasn’t harsh on Wanda because of who she is.”
As Wanda and Sunset were running past various ponies and trade goods, Chancellor Cinch chased them with fire in her eyes.  It was one thing to look down at Wanda because she wasn’t a pony.  It was another to be humiliated by the young human girl.
“When your mother finds out what you did, you both are going to be in big trouble,” Chancellor Cinch yelled as she continued to chase Wanda and Sunset.
“It was an accident,”  Wanda yelled in her plea of innocence.  “I didn’t mean to.”
“Excuses, excuses.”  Chancellor Cinch wasn’t having any of Wanda’s pleas.  She ran faster and started to catch up to Wanda and Sunset.
As Wanda saw Chancellor Cinch catch up regardless of the ponies surrounding them, the young man’s cub jumped into the air.  Suddenly, clear pink, insect-like flutter wings sprouted from her back and flapped wildly.  Wanda was now flying.  Without a second thought, she grabbed Sunset Shimmer and began to fly off.
“Wanda.  What are you doing?”  Sunset yelled, holding on to dear life as Wanda was now carrying her in mid-air.
“Getting us away from the big bad meanie,” Wanda said as she carried Sunset and flew up towards the rooftop of the buildings.  Chancellor Cinch slowed down and watched Wanda and Sunset fly off to safety.
“Princess Celestia will hear of this,”  Chancellor Abacus Cinch said to herself as she turned around and began to walk off.  “You think you’re so smart, Man’s Cub.  But you will rue the day you besmirched the Prime Chancellor of Equestria.”
Nearby, Wanda lowered Sunset on a nearby rooftop.  She then landed nearby as her flutter wings retracted into her back.  She breathed a sigh of relief, finally out of sight from Prime Chancellor Abacus Cinch.
“Wanda, are you okay?”  Sunset said as she tried to comfort her little human sister.
“Yes,”  Wanda said as she sat down.  “But I feel like I always cause her trouble.”
“It’s not your fault, Wanda,”  Sunset said as she reassured Wanda.  “Chancellor Cinch doesn’t think kindly of you and sees you as a mere outcast who doesn’t belong.”
“Well if I wasn’t stuck in Canterlot, I would have been far away from her,”  Wanda cried as she stomped her foot on the roof shingle.  “It’s not fair.  Why couldn’t I be living somewhere else?”
“It’s the condition to why you are allowed to live in Equestria,”  Sunset explained to Wanda.  “Without it, you could have been the first child to be locked away in Tartarus.”
“But it’s not right,” Wanda cried as a tear fell from her eye.  “I don’t want to be an outcast.  Why couldn’t mom let me live somewhere else?  And besides, we lost the apples.”
“I know we lost the apples,”  Sunset said as she gave Wanda a hug.  “But what matters is that you’re safe.  And I don’t want anything to happen to you.”  
Wanda’s frown turned into a bit of a smile as she hugged Sunset Shimmer back.  She closed her eyes as a few more tears fell down her cheek.
“Thanks,”  Wanda said as she continued to shed tears of joy.  “You’re the best friend I could ever have as a sister.”
“I couldn’t have it any other way,”  Sunset whispered as she also cried tears of joy.

Later that day, as the sun was starting to set, Wanda and Sunset returned back to the Apple Stand, hoping to find the saddle bags full of apples they left behind.  But there was no sign of a saddle bag on the ground.  All those apples were gone, as was the bag that carried them.
“We’d only just bought them,”  Wanda said as she frantically tried to search for sunset’s missing saddle bag.  “And that was also your favorite bag.”
“Don’t worry, Wanda,”  Sunset said as she assured Wanda.  “We can ask Bright Mac if he can replace our apples.”
But as Sunset Shimmer turned her head towards the stand, there were no apples left.  It was empty, with the exception of a sign that said “Closed.  Please come back next weekend.”
“Oh no,”  Sunset cried as she was surprised by how empty the apple stand was.  “He’s already gone.”
“I can’t believe we don’t have any apples for big sister’s birthday cake,”  Wanda cried as she just sat there.  “I blew it big time.”
Many ponies gathered around as Wanda dropped down on her knees, crying her eyes out.  Sunset went up to Wanda and said to her “Don’t worry.  We’ll think of another thing to give to her.” She then pulled Wanda back on her feet and began to walk her home.
Just then, a random unicorn mare walked up to Wanda and said “Excuse me.  I was told that Chancellor Cinch has decided to tell your mom about what happened.”
Both Wanda and Sunset’s faces turned to shock, and dread.  Early ago, Wanda had caused an accident that wasn’t her fault  And yet, the burden of guilt was on them because of how upset Chancellor Cinch was to them.
“Come on.  We’ll hide out until Cinch is done with mom,”  Sunset said as she placed her arm around Wanda’s shoulders.  “Then we’ll explain everything to her.”
“But I don’t want Cinch to drag me to Tartarus,” Wanda cried, fearing that she may be forced to face the mean Chancellor of Equestria.
“But what else can we do?”  Sunset said to Wanda.  
Wanda could do nothing else.  She wanted to bake that cake for her elder sister’s birthday. But she had no apples.  They were lost through the unintended accident she caused Chancellor Cinch, along with Sunset’s saddle bag.  Even more so, the apple stand had been closed for the weekend.  She would have to wait another week before Bright Mac would open up again, which means by the time that happened, her Elder Sister’s birthday was over with.  Even though it wasn’t her fault, she felt like the blame was all on her.
“Come on.”  Sunset nudged Wanda as they began to walk away from the closed apple stand.  “Mom will understand.”
Wanda snapped out of her depression and said “But what about Mean Cinch?  She’ll be expecting me when I get home.”
“We’ll do the same thing we did last time,”  Sunset explained. 
Wanda let out a sigh and said “Okay.”

A bit later into the evening sunset at Canterlot Castle, Prime Chancellor Abacus Cinch was speaking to Princess Celestia in her throne room.  Celestia had a concerned look on her face all while Chancellor Cinch paced back and forth, troubled about the events that transpired on her recently.  And the Chancellor wasn’t happy.
“I can assure you, Chancellor,” Celestia said.  “Wanda didn’t mean any harm.”
“I am not here to listen to your excuses,”  Chancellor Cinch fired back.  “That Man’s Cub is as much of a danger to Equestria as she is to me.  In fact, this is the third time this month that she had humiliated me in public.”
“To correct you,”  Celestia replied.  “I was the one who accidentally knocked you into that seven-layer cake last week.”
“You’re only making up excuses for that monkey, Princess Celestia,” Chancellor Cinch roared back, as she stood firm on Celestia’s defense of Wanda.
“She at least has been controlling her magic,”  Celestia said.
“That may be true,”  Chancellor Cinch replied.  “But who knows how long until she goes maverick.”  Those words began to pierce Celestia’s mind as she looked like she was about to lose her temper.
“You’re not giving her a chance,”  Celestia yelled. “The reason why she’s been afraid of you is because you haven’t been giving her a chance, especially after you gave me the chance to raise her as my own.”
“Then explain why she’s been giving me a hard time.”  Chancellor Cinch stood firm on her stance against Wanda, even as Princess Celestia went on the verbal offensive.  “Explain why I end up being humiliated in front of nearly every citizen in Canterlot.”
“That’s because she speaks the truth, Chancellor.”  That voice came from Bright Mac.  He had just stepped through the front doors of the throne room halls, pulling a wagon containing the very same apples he was selling early ago this morning, along with jars of Zap Apple Jam, and a saddle bag that belonged to Sunset Shimmer.
“Bright Macintosh,”  Princess Celestia said towards Bright Mac in a calm and cheerful tone, calming down from her aggressive temper.  “I take it you came with the delivery of Zap Apple Jam.”
“I have,”  Bright Mac said as he opened the back of his wagon.  “Plus the saddle bag full of apples that Sunset Shimmer left behind after the accident.”
“Oh dear,”  Celestia replied, putting her hoof on her chin.  “Did that happen around the same time that Cinch got angry at Wanda?”
Cinch was about to say something, only for Bright Mac to cut her off and say “Eeyup.  Wanda tripped over a stray broom that I left on the ground.  As a result, she fell and sent a basket full of apples right at the Chancellor.”  Bright Mac took off his hat and held it towards his chest.  “If anyone is at fault, it’s me.  I should have been more careful.”
Chancellor Cinch was at a loss for words.  “You actually take responsibility towards the Man’s Cub’s incompetence?”  She snarled.
“One hundred percent,”  Bright Mac responded.  “You can put me on trial, take my children away, or lock me in Tartarus.  But leave the kid alone.  It wasn’t her fault.”
“Hmph.  Very well.”  Chancellor Cinch did not take kindly to what Bright Mac said.  But for now, it seems there was nothing she could do with Bright Mac taking responsibility for Wanda’s accident.  “I will let this off the hook for now.  Besides, I am not one who imprisons other ponies, or even man-cubs, in Tartarus.  That is, unless they decide to drain magic from all of Equestria for their own personal gain.”  She turned towards Celestia and said “Besides, I think your daughters have a wild imagination, your majesty.”
Without a second thought, Chancellor Abacus Cinch walked down the halls of the throne room and out the door.  Celestia and Bright Mac breathed a sigh of relief.  The worst part was over.
Princess Celestia turned to a nearby open window and said “You can come out, now.”  Emerging from behind the drapes are Wanda and Sunset.  The two were still nervous from seeing Chancellor Cinch scold Princess Celestia.  But the mere presence of Bright Mac allowed them to walk towards the two older ponies.
“Mommy,”  Wanda asked.  “Is that Mean Cinch gone?”
“She’s gone, my dear,”  Princess Celestia replied.  It is clear that Princess Celestia is the mother of Wanda and Sunset Shimmer.  But how could anyone, much less a prime princess of Equestria, adopt a human girl like Wanda, much less one with these mysterious, insect-like wings?
“When you two ran off without your saddle bag, I became really worried about you,”  Bright Mac said as he picked up the saddle bag full of honeycrisp apples and gave it to Sunset Shimmer.  The young filly was excited to see not just her bag, but also the merchandise she dropped by accident.
“I swear mommy,”  Wanda pleaded to Princess Celestia.  “I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s alright,”  Princess Celestia said as she comforted her adopted daughter.  “Bright Mac told me about what happened.   You’re not in any trouble.”
Sunset rubbed the side of her head against Wanda and said “You have a family with us, Wanda.  Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and myself.  We’re here for you.”
“And besides,”  Bright Mac said.  “You happen to be a princess by adoption.”
“If I’m a princess,”  Wanda said out of frustration.   “Then why do I feel like a prisoner?”
“It’s because of that stupid agreement Cinch put on Celestia,”  Bright Mac said as he gently put his hoof on Wanda’s cheek.  “If it weren’t for that, I would have adopted you. Let you live the life on Sweet Apple Acres.  Even allow you to become friends with my children Applejack, Apple Bloom, and especially my eldest son Big Macintosh.”
“I wish that stupid agreement didn’t exist,”  Wanda cried as tears fell from her eyes. “It’s not fair that I can’t leave Canterlot unless mommy is at my side.” 
Bright Mac brushed a tear from her eye and said “Now, Wanda.  Don’t let that get you.  I believe some cheering up is in order.”
“Perhaps it’s time I told you the story of how I met you,”  Princess Celestia said as she walked towards Wanda.  “It’s time you knew how I found you, and why the agreement was in place, Wanda.”
“Not to mention the time she met me,”  Sunset said, reassuring Wanda as the young human girl smiled once more towards her mother and sister.
“Looks like it’s gonna be awhile before I return back to Sweet Apple Acres,” Bright Mac said as he sat right next to Wanda.  “But they’ll understand I was only trying to help you.”
“Wanda my beloved daughter,”  Princess Celestia said with a voice like the heavens.  “Let me tell you the tale on how I became your mother.”

Outside, Chancellor Cinch took a few steps outside and looked up at the castle.  Even in the cold dark of the evening, the lights that came from the inside shined bright and beautifully for every pony to see.  The middle-aged mare looked up and let out a sigh.
“It’s been many years since I allowed that man’s cub to be a part of Equestria,” Cinch said to herself as she took off her glasses and wiped them down with a handkerchief.  “Maybe I have been a bit harsh on her.  But at the same time, I do fear not just for what she may become, but also what kind of danger she is in.  Especially of Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild.  I hope what moth….I mean Princess Celestia has for her will make her a part of our culture.”


To Be Continued in


Three Alicorns and a Baby.

> Arc 1-2: Three Alicorns and a Baby.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Three Alicorns and a Baby.




Many years ago in Canterlot, night fell on the vast city, especially at Canterlot Castle located deep in the center.  A strong rain poured from the heavens onto the streets and rooftops, leaving behind small puddles.  Every pony was tucked away in bed as the noise of the storm lured them to sleep.  
But there was one that was not asleep, nor was it a pony.  She was navigating her way through the city, covering her with a hood, and carrying a basket of some sorts.  The basket had a blanket so that the contents inside would be protected from the harsh rain.  The only thing the figure had to worry about was the storm, as the guards had taken shelter so that they would not catch a cold from the nighttime weather.
It didn’t take long for her to arrive at the front gate of Canterlot Castle.  Not a single soldier was guarding the front gate because of the rain.  There was also a dry spot at the entrance of the castle, protected from the rain thanks to a shade setup above.  Without a second thought, the figure ran over to the dry spot of the entrance and placed the basket down.  She opened the basket, revealing it to be a female human baby.
The figure took off her hood, revealing to be a young human woman with flowing yellow hair and a purple regal dress.  She looked down at her baby as a tear fell from her cheek.  Judging by the look on her face, she may not be seeing her child ever again.
“To my little Apricot, my Darling Wanda,”  The figure said to her child in a somber tone.  “I wish I could raise you like a proper daughter.  But thanks to the war at home, I’m afraid you are in much danger. And had I not discovered this mysterious land, I would have lost you to the cruelty of the invaders.  I can only hope the warm heart of this ruler will accept you with open arms, and treat you like I wanted to.  But know this.  Your mother Eleanor will always remember you, even as we struggle through this horrible war. With love, forever more.”
Eleanor, the humanoid figure who has been carrying baby Wanda, left a note on the basket before kissing her baby daughter on the forehead.  She then reached for the knocker on the door, ready to catch the attention of the residents of the castle.

Inside, we find three alicorns relaxing by the fireplace.  The eldest, Princess Celestia, is a white-coat pony with a mane flowing with four colors: light cerulean, light turquoise, very light cobalt blue and a pale heliotrope.  The second oldest is Princess Luna, who is graced with a dark blue coat and a Moderate Sapphire Blue mane, outlined with a white streak.  The youngest, resembling a filly, is Princess Cadance.  Her coat is a pale, light grayish cerise while her mane consists of various streaks of moderate violet, moderate rose and pale gold.
They were all relaxing when they heard a knock at their front door.  Princess Celestia was alerted the most by the knock and realized there was someone at her front door.
“I got this,”  Princess Celestia said to Luna and Cadance as the eldest of the alicorns got up and walked to the front door of the castle.  Princess Luna and Princess Cadance watched out of curiosity, wondering what could be here at this time of night, especially in the rain.
As Princess Celestia opened the front door, she noticed a figure sprinting off in the distance.  She tried to say something, but the figure was completely unrecognizable.  As she could barely make out who that was, she heard the crying of what sounded like a baby.  She turned down and saw Baby Wanda in the basket crying her eyes.
“I don’t believe it,”  Princess Celestia said as she was surprised by the presence of Baby Wanda.  “A man’s cub.  But it’s impossible to see one in Equestria.  Any man who steps foot becomes a pony or another creature.”  She looked up as the figure disappeared into the night before she said  “But this is rather odd to see two humans in the world without becoming a pony.”
Celestia looked back down, looking at Baby Wanda, who looked up to the alicorn princess and giggled with delight.  But as Celestia was curious about the bambino, she saw the note that was next to her basket.  Celestia used her magic to lift the note up and unfolded it before reading the note.
“To the occupant of this castle,”  Princess Celestia said as she read the note.  “Please take care of my darling Wanda Young...my precious Apricot.  I want her to be safe from war, and to grow up in a land that knows peace.  I can only hope that your pure heart can teach her what is right and wrong, and what you can offer that I cannot.  Signed, Eleanor Young.”
Celestia sets the note down and looks at Baby Wanda.  She gently lifted Baby Wanda as the youngling giggled at the mere sight of the alicorn princess.  As Celestia lowered the baby to her chest area, Wanda rubbed her face around it, cooing with a gentle tone.
“There there, my darling Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said with a soothing voice.  “I will be your mommy from here on out.”
Back inside, Princess Luna and Princess Cadance were waiting patiently for Princess Celestia to come back and report on who was at the door.  But it didn’t take long for Princess Celestia to walk on in, holding with her magic Baby Wanda.  Luna and Cadance took a look at the baby man’s cub, and were surprised by her presence.
“Dear sister, what is that?”  Princess Luna asked, still shocked after looking at Baby Wanda’s face.
“It’s a man’s cub,”  Princess Celestia replied.
“A man’s cub?”  Princess Cadance asked, curious about Baby Wanda.
“Normally, when a man from Earth wanders into Equestria, they become ponies or other creatures.”  Celestia said.   “But for some reason, this one maintained her form.”
“Aww,”  Luna said as she thought Baby Wanda was adorable.  “He looks so cute.”
“Not a boy,” Princess Celestia said, correcting Princess Luna.  “But a girl.  And she will be Cadance’s younger sister.”
“Neat,”  Princess Cadance says as she gently rubs Baby Wanda’s head.  The young child just cooed herself to sleep.  “I always wanted a sister,”  Cadance added.
“But what about the rest of the kingdom?”  Princess Luna asked in caution.  “What would they say if they saw a man’s cub?”
“Then for now, she will stay within the castle,”  Celestia responded.  “As her new mother, I will raise her to be a part of Equestria.  But her presence will have to be kept a secret.  I heard the newly appointed Chancellor Abacus Cinch isn’t fond of non-pony creatures.”
Princess Luna let out a sigh and said “I was afraid of that.  The moment Cinch sees the man’s cub, she’s going to freak out.  Especially after what happened to her husband.”
“It’s something I wish would never happen to poor Wanda,”  Celestia replied, as she showed concern for the child.
“Wanda?”  Luna said, confused by Celestia’s choice of words.  “Is that the name you gave her?
“No,”  Celestia responded. “It’s the name her original mother Elenaor gave her.”
“I think it’s a darling name,”  Cadance replied.  “A human mare named Wanda. I bet the many ponies of Canterlot would adore that name.”
Celestia chuckled for a bit and said “Well that may be a nice idea.  But it’s time for little fillies to head for bed.”
“Aww, do I have to mom?”  Cadance whined.
“You don’t want to be late for school,”  Celestia responded with a smile on her face as she kissed Cadance on the forehead.  Cadance slowly walked out of the room, disappointed that she couldn’t play with Baby Wanda.  But regardless, she will be playing the man’s cub soon.
Luna turns to Celestia and says “I hope you are right, dear sister.  One day, they will find out.”
“They may not understand her,”  Celestia said as she gently rocked Baby Wanda with her magic.  “But one day, she will be a fitting member of the Equestrian family, as a very fine princess like the rest of us.”


Months have passed since Princess Celestia adopted Baby Wanda as her child.  It was a bright sunny afternoon as Princess Luna was attempting to make funny faces at Baby Wanda.  But the little tot could do nothing but cry, as if she missed her mother.  This has frustrated Princess Luna to say the least.
Luna let out a sigh and said “How in my sister’s name was she able to keep her content?  I feel like an amateur.”
“Aunt Luna, I’m home.”  That sound came from Princess Cadance, as she wasted no time running up the stairs and into the nursery where Luna was still struggling to entertain Baby Wanda.  Princess Luna let out a sigh of relief as she turned to see her niece, who is excited to also play with the man’s cub.
“Glad you could make it, Cadance,”  Luna smiled as she carried the still crying Baby Wanda over to Princess Cadance.
“Aww,”  Princess Cadance said as she accepted Baby Wanda from Princess Luna.  “I missed you so much, little sister.”  Her playful presence was enough to lighten up Baby Wanda’s mood.
“For someone who’s far younger than I am, you sure know how to turn off the waterworks,”  Princess Luna said as she yawned from a long day of looking after Baby Wanda.  “You really need to tell me your secret.”
“Even I don’t understand why little sister is afraid of you, Aunt Luna,”  Cadance said as she was confused by Luna’s predicament.  “Why is that?”
“I have no idea,”  Luna said as she let out a good laugh.  “Maybe my coat and mane are too edgy for her.”
Cadance let out a giggle before saying “By the way, mommy is coming upstairs.”
“Actually, she’s already here.”  That voice came from Princess Celestia, who was right behind Princess Cadance.  But the princess of the sun looked exhausted from her day serving as the prime princess of Equestria.  Her eyes were baggy, her mane frazzled up, and she looked like she was going to collapse.
“Another day at the Senate, I take it,”  Princess Luna asked, knowing what kind of problems Princess Celestia was living through.
“I thought becoming a monster a thousand years ago was horrible,”  Celestia joked as she walked towards Cadance and Baby Wanda.  “But now, I’d wish you banished me to the moon.  I cannot stand these pointless debates over a stupid wall.”
Cadance hands Baby Wanda to Princess Celestia.  In a mere instant, Baby Wanda cheered at the sight of her adopted mother as Celestia rocked her daughter.
Luna smiled at Celestia and said “With you by her side, Wanda’s day has already lightened up.”
“I think you got it wrong, dear sister,”  Celestia joked as she cuddled Baby Wanda.  “It’s like she was sent to me just to calm my nerves after a long day of ruling Equestria.  I feel like without Wanda, I would have gone completely mad.”
“You always hated politics, dear sister,”  Luna joked.  “But when it comes to children, they always brighten your mood.”
“No kidding,”  Princess Celestia replied with a chuckle.  “Why must I be the Prime Princess of Equestria?  Why couldn’t I have started a babysitting service?  Or an orphanage?”
“You know,”  Luna said to Celestia.  “If you want, I can rule Equestria for you, and you can raise Wanda as your daughter.”
Celestia only chuckled as she said “I wish.  But too many ponies approve of me as Princess of Equestria.  As much as I want to retire, I have to at least give them hope.”
“Well that’s a shame,” Princess Cadance said.  “Guess there’s no rest for the best of the best, mother.”
Celestia giggled and said “You’re absolutely right, Princess Cadance.”
Luna then pulled out a newspaper and showed the front page article to Princess Celestia.  “By the way, dear sister,”  Princess Luna exclaimed.  “You heard about what happened to the Canterlot Orphanage last night.”
“Oh dear, I forgot all about that,”  Princess Celestia said, as she was still exhausted from today’s royal duties.  “I heard a demon ravaged the whole place, forcing matrons and orphans to evacuate the building.  They say one filly has gone missing.”
“If you wish,”  Princess Luna said.  “I can find the missing filly for you.”
“That won’t be necessary,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I can locate the missing filly once I’m rested up.”
“Excuse me, your majesty, but you’re wanted at the front door of the palace.”  That voice came from Kibitz, the Majordomo of Canterlot Castle. He was standing in front of the door, allowing passage out of the nursery.
Celestia lets out a sigh and says “Wait right here, sister.  I have some unfinished business to attend to.”  
But as Celestia was about to hand Baby Wanda back to Princess Luna, Kibitz says “That also means Princess Luna as well.”
“You have got to be kidding me,”  Luna complained.  “Who’s going to watch over the baby while we’re occupied?”
“I’ll do it,”  Princess Cadance says as she begs her mother and aunt to give her Baby Wanda.
“Okay,”  Princess Celestia said to Princess Cadance. “But promise you’ll keep her out of trouble.”
“No problem,”  Princess Cadance says as Princess Celestia hands Baby Wanda over to the young filly.  It didn’t take long for Cadance and Baby Wanda to snuggle together as Celestia and Luna departed the room.
Kibitz looked at the young filly playing with Baby Wanda and chuckled.  “If only they assigned me to look after the tyke,”  He said to himself.  “After all, my grandfather once taught me how to raise a foal.”  Kibitz chuckled a bit to himself as he walked out of the room, following Princess Celestia and Luna from behind.
As the adults left the room, Princess Cadance was all alone with Baby Wanda.  She was making funny faces at the little bambina, causing the tot to giggle at the filly’s silliness.  But as Baby Wanda was cheering and clapping at Cadance’s silly show, insect wings sprouted on her back.  This caused Princess Cadance to stop and gaze at them.
“Woah,”  Princess Cadance said as she was amazed by Baby Wanda’s wings.  “I didn’t know you had wings.  Much less flutter wings.”
Baby Wanda turned on her back and began to flap her new wings.  In almost an instant, she began to levitate off the ground, laughing as she was almost as high as the ceiling.  Princess Cadance was amazed by Baby Wanda’s use of her wings.  As Baby Wanda was hovering in the afternoon of the nursery, sunlight poured through her wings, emitting a rainbow towards the wall.
“They’re so beautiful,”  Cadance said as she was mesmerized by the colors.
But as Cadance observed Baby Wanda, the little tyke saw the open window of the nursery, and flew off.  Cadance’s face went from happy to scared.  Her own younger sister flew out the window, exposing her presence to all of Canterlot.
“That’s not good,” Cadance said to herself.  “The ponies of Canterlot are going to freak out.


To Be Continued in….


 Baby’s Day Out

> Arc 1-3: Baby's day out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Baby’s Day Out




“What do you mean they’re going ahead with the vote on the Border Wall?”  Princess Celestia was startled by the words of Prime Chancellor Abacus Cinch, who had a look of concern on her face.  .
“Senator Twinkle Wish was able to convince most of the Senate to fund that ridiculous wall,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “I may have a stern stance on outsiders.  But even I think that’s a lousy idea.”
“And you require me and my sister to veto this bill, correct?”  Princess Luna asked, doubting that her actions would mean anything.
“Precisely,”  Cinch responded.  “A changeling can easily fit in with the guards to sneak past the wall and invade our land.  Magic has a better chance of warding them off.”
“And just where are you going to find unicorns willing to put their magic on the line?”  That voice caught the attention of Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch.  They turned their heads to the staircase to find a yellow unicorn mare with a twin-tailed orange mane, a curly tail and a cutie mark of a shooting star.
“Senator Twinkle Wish,”  Cinch said to the slightly younger mare with a scowl.  “You do realize that this border wall is nothing more than a waste of taxpayer’s bits.”
“And yet, you would be willing to sacrifice the well-being of our Unicorns to protect us from outsiders,”  Senator Twinkle Wish replied.  “We need solutions that don’t require exhausting fellow ponies.”
“Then maybe I should pitch in if you’re so concerned with outsiders,”  Princess Celestia said as stepped forward.
“No.  You’re a national treasure,”  Twinkle Wish protested.  “If anything bad happened to you, Equestria would fall into complete chaos.”
“I appreciate your concern, Mrs. Wish,”  Chancellor Cinch replied.  “But she is mainly a public figure and one of the many heads of Equestria.  Her younger sister Luna is another, as am I.  Even if something happened to them, we can still manage the Equestrian Government.”
“It’s not just that,”  Twinkle Wish said with a bit of fear in her eyes.  “Celestia and Luna are the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria.  Without them, I fear we may be lost.”
Celestia just let out a playful raspberry and said “Oh please.  Just what would be the worst thing ever to kidnap me and leave Equestria in total chaos?”
Suddenly, Senator Twinkle Wish’s eyes shrunk down as if she saw a ghost.  She struggled to lift her hoof into the air and said with her teeth chattering “Does that demonic flying monkey answer your question?”
“What demonic flying monkey?”  Chancellor Cinch said as she, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turned their head to where Senator Wish was pointing.  Flying in the air was Baby Wanda, now sporting her clear flutter wings.
“A MONSTER!”  Chancellor Cinch was startled by the presence of Wanda before she fainted on the front mat of the royal palace.  Celestia’s eyes shrunk down as she saw the sight of Wanda’s wings as they flittered in the air.
“What in your name is going on with Wanda?”  Princess Luna asked, confused by the fact that Baby Wanda was now capable of flight.
“I don’t know,”  Celestia replied.  “But I have a horrible feeling about this.  Luna, go check up on Princess Cadence.  She has a lot of explaining to do.  I’ll go get Wanda.”
“Right,”  Luna said as Princess Celestia took off.  But before she could go in, Princess Luna saw Senator Twinkle Wish still shaking.  Just seeing Baby Wanda in person was enough to make her a bit paranoid.
“Demonic….flying...monkey,”  Senator Wish said as she struggled to get the words out.  “Gonna...eat...my brains.”
“You have a vivid imagination,”  Princess Luna joked as she rushed past the still unconscious Chancellor Cinch to check up on Princess Cadence.
Meanwhile, Princess Celestia was able to fly up  to where Baby Wanda was hovering.  Down below, the crowds of Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies were freaking out over the infant’s innocent presence, like she was some kind of harbinger of doom.  Some were grabbing their little colts and fillies and making a run for it.  Others were trying to hide out in nearby buildings.  The entire city of Canterlot was at edge.  But not Princess Celestia.  She was determined to get her baby and calm her down.
But before she could approach Baby Wanda, she heard one of the guards yell out “Your majesty, is there anything we can do to stop the monster?”
Celestia let out a sly chuckle, and said to the guard “That won’t be necessary.  It’s just a man’s cub.”  But as Celestia turns her head and approaches Baby Wanda, the little bambino flew off, giggling as she darts past paranoid ponies, in fear of their own lives.
“Oh no you don’t,”  Princess Celestia said as she took off in pursuit of Baby Wanda. 
But as Celestia was in pursuit of Baby Wanda, Chancellor Cinch woke up, groggy from having seen the face of Baby Wanda.  It seems her sour mood has turned worse from the events that transpired.
“Is that monster...gone?”  Cinch said as she barely got up on her four legs.
Cinch looked around and noticed that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were gone.  All that was left was Senator Twinkle Wish, still shaking from her encounter with the Man’s Cub.
“Forget that last question,” Chancellor Cinch said to herself.  “Why am I left with an incompetent idiot?”

Meanwhile, Baby Wanda continues to fly as if she were free as a bird.  Princess Celestia was in pursuit, hoping to stop Wanda from causing any more ruckus.  But at that point, it might as well be impossible, with the ponies of Canterlot freaking out over a flying man’s cub.  Still, that didn’t stop Princess Celestia from moving close towards Baby Wanda.
“Wanda, my darling,”  Princess Celestia urged.  “Come back.  I don’t want you to get hurt.”  This was all while Celestia was dodging buildings, clotheslines, signs, and even other Pegasi that were trying to fly away from the little winged tyke.  But despite the obstacles, Celestia was able to inch closer to Baby Wanda and was about to grab her.
“I gotcha,”  Celestia said as she grabbed.  But as soon as she did, she slammed right into a nearby wall, losing her grip on Baby Wanda as the infant flew off.  
Celestia slid down from the wall and collapsed onto the pavement of the alleyway.  She shook her head and slowly got up, still shaken up from that mid-air collision.  Thankfully, the wall only suffered some minor cracks.  But it seems the situation has been made worse.
“This has not been my day,”  Celestia sighed.  “It feels as if I need a miracle to get my baby back.”

Meanwhile, at another alleyway, we find a younger unicorn filly with a light amber coat, moderate cyan eyes, and a red and bright yellow mane and tail.  She was hiding out in a tipped over garbage can, as if she feared the outside world.  Her eyes shined red as if something demonic was buried within her soul.  A tear flowed from her eye, as if she did something horrible, like she was some kind of monster.
As the little filly hid in the garbage can, she noticed something coming and hid inside, covering herself with an old rag of a blanket.  When she looked from the inside of the blanket, she saw Baby Wanda flying down and got onto her hands and knees, and her flutter wings disappeared.  For a man’s cub who stood out like a sore thumb, Baby Wanda was happy to be on the pavement of the dark alley.
But instead of fear, the little filly was curious.  She had never seen a creature like that before.  Intrigued, the little filly came slowly out and approached Baby Wanda, who turned to the little filly and giggled.
“Wow,”  The filly said as her heart was warmed by the presence of the baby.  “I have never seen a creature like you.”  She reached out with her right arm and slowly stroked the baby’s head.  Baby Wanda cooed by the little filly’s warm touch.  The filly picked up Wanda, despite how heavy she was.  For the first time in awhile, it seems the filly had lost all her fear, and was instead replaced by pure happiness.
“Wanda.  Wanda, I’m here.”  That voice came from someone familiar to Wanda, who giggled loudly.  But it was enough for the little filly to place the baby down and dart straight back into the trash can, hiding in case someone was coming for her.  But as she looked out, she saw Princess Celestia, relieved to finally see her daughter.  Wanda looked at Princess Celestia and let out a giggle as Princess Celestia picked her up.
“You’ve had quite the adventure,”  Princess Celestia said as she cuddled Baby Wanda.  “And I was worried about you.”  But when she looked at Baby Wanda, the young infant’s face was gazed at the trash can the Little Filly was hiding in.  Celestia turned to the trash can and could easily make out the outline of the filly, who chose to bury herself under the old rag.
“Go away,” the filly said.  “I’m a monster.”
“It’s alright,”  Celestia said as she walked over to the trash can and reached out.  “I won’t hurt you.  And you’re no monster.”
“But….I’ll hurt you,”  the filly cried as she continued to hide.  “Like I hurt….everyone.”
“Oh that’s nonsense,”  Celestia laughed.  “Even if you could, I would be unfazed.  After all, you sound a lot like me back when I was younger.”
Nervously and reluctant, the Little Filly crawled out of the trash can, covered in some of the garbage in there.  She had a scared look on her face, and her eyes shined red like rubies.
“Oh dear,”  Celestia said as her face turned to worry.  “I think I know why you said you would hurt me.  You have a heart of gold, but an evil demon of destruction in you.”  Celestia put her right arm on the little filly face, who proceeded to cry on it.  Celestia then said “What is your name?”
“Sunset,”  The Little Filly said as she cried on Celestia’s arm.  “Sunset Shimmer.  And I destroyed the orphanage.  But I didn’t mean to.  All I wanted was to have a friend.  But now I’m too afraid to even show my face after what I did.  I’m a monster, and I’ll wind up in Tatarus.”
“You’re not a monster, sweetie,”  Celestia replied as she handed Baby Wanda over to child Sunset Shimmer.  “You’re a pony who has the soul of a demon in you.  But I can help you.”
Sunset wiped the tear of her face as Baby Wanda cuddled with Sunset.  “You….can?”  Sunset said as she looked up at Celestia.
“How would you like to be my third daughter?”  Celestia asked.  “You will have two sisters to call your own, and a chance to help rehabilitate you.  You will be a part of a loving family.  And don’t worry.  I’ll help cleanse you from the evil within you.  You have my word.”
Sunset’s tears turned to joy as she and Baby Wanda hugged each other.  “I will.  I’ll take it, if it means I can have friends again.”
Celestia grabbed both Baby Wanda and Sunset Shimmer and cuddled them both together.  The alicorn shed a tear of joy, not only by being reunited with Wanda, but also by accepting Sunset Shimmer as her third daughter.
“There she is.  There’s the monster who terrorized Canterlot.”  That voice came from Senator Twinkle Wish, who was with Chancellor Abacus Cinch, and a few of the guards.  Their eyes were gazed at Baby Wanda, who began to hide behind Princess Celestia.
“What is going on?”  Celestia said as she protected Baby Wanda.
“Princess Celestia, that monster nearly brought chaos to all of Canterlot,”  Senator Twinkle Wish complained.  “It must be sent to Tatarus for the sake of all ponies.”
“Calm yourself down, Senator,” Chancellor Cinch snapped.  She turned to Celestia and said “But you do have a lot to explain about this...thing.  Why weren’t we informed of this so-called monster, or whatever it is?” 
“It is not a monster,”  Celestia replied with a stern stance.  “It is a man’s cub.  It is a she.  And she…..is my daughter.”
“Your….your what?”  Senator Twinkle Wish was shocked by the words of Princess Celestia, so much so that she fainted.  Abacus Cinch was also surprised, but kept a stern stance and a calm tone.
“You better have a good excuse for why you have this man’s cub.”  Chancellor Cinch said as she stared into Princess Celestia’s eyes.
“Last night, a human left behind this baby in Canterlot, asking me to care for her away from a land ravaged by war,”  Celestia said as she stood by Baby Wanda.  “Her name is Wanda, daughter of Eleanor.  And as the mother of all ponies, I couldn’t say no.  So I took her in to raise as my second daughter, with Sunset Shimmer as my third.”
“There was another human in Equestria?”  Senator Wish said as she got up and overheard everything Princess Celestia said.  She looked like she was about to freak out..  “This is why we need that wall.”
“Wall or not, she’s my daughter now,”  Celestia cried.  “And if you want her, you’ll have to get by me.  I made a promise to raise Wanda as my own, and a promise is a promise.”  Judging by Celestia’s body language, she was not going to surrender Wanda peacefully.
Reluctant, Chancellor Cinch said “Very well.  I will allow you to raise this man’s cub as your own daughter.  But she is your responsibility, one hundred percent.  Furthermore, she must be kept in Canterlot for her own sake, unless you accompany her outside the city.”
“I will do exactly that,” Princess Celestia said as she held Baby Wanda close to her.  “If it means Wanda gets to be my daughter, so be it.”
The words of Chancellor Cinch caused Senator Twinkle Wish to freak out more, who said “Are you kidding me?  Allowing a man’s cub to be raised by Princess Celestia?”
“It is a test to see if she can be a part of pony culture,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “And I expect no less from the very pony who raised me when I was a filly.”  And with that, Chancellor Cinch turned around and marched off, but not before saying “And by the way Princess, you and your sister are still due for that veto.”
As Chancellor Cinch marches off, Senator Twinkle Wish got up, still panicking over the fact that Princess Celestia would look over Baby Wanda.  She turned to Princess Celestia and said “This isn’t over yet, Princess Celestia. My wall will still prevail.”
But as Twinkle Wish ran off in frustration, Princess Luna and Princess Cadence flew in with Kibitz galloping behind.  All three are just glad to see Princess Celestia and Baby Wanda, but were surprised to see Sunset Shimmer right next to her.
“Don’t worry sister,”  Celestia said with a smile on her face.  “Everything has been taken care of.  Wanda is safe.”
“Thank goodness,”  Princess Luna said as she was relieved to see Celestia with Baby Wanda once more.  “And don’t worry.  I wasn’t harsh on Cadence.”
“When I saw Wanda fly off with those wings of hers, I nearly freaked out,” Cadence said as she was glad to see Wanda’s face again.  “It was as if I almost lost my little sister.”
“Well you’re not gonna just have one sister,”  Celestia said as she rubbed Cadence on her head.  “You’re going to have two.  Say hello to Sunset Shimmer.”
As Celestia turned her arm to Sunset Shimmer, the little filly let out a meek “Hi” to Cadence.  The young, pink alicorn’s eyes lit up as she went to Sunset and cuddled her.
“Ohhh, I’m going to have two sisters now,”  The young alicorn said as she rubbed her muzzle to Sunset’s.  “Isn’t this exciting?”
“Urrgh,”  Sunset said as she struggled to get loose.  “Yes.”
“Is there something I can do, your majesty?”  Majordomo Kibitz said to Princess Celestia as he walked up to her.
“Take Cadence, Wanda and Sunset back to the castle.  And give both Wanda and Sunset a bath.”  Celestia hands Baby Wanda over to Kibitz as Cadence puts Sunset Shimmer down and walks off.
“At once your majesty,”  Kibitz said as he started to walk off in the opposite direction, holding Baby Wanda with his magic.  Cadence followed behind, but not Sunset, who was still afraid.
“It’s okay, Sunset,”  Princess Celestia said as she comforted Sunset.  “He’ll look after you while I’m gone.  Now run along now.”
Those words are enough to lift Sunset’s spirit, as she ran towards Kibitz, Cadence and Baby Wanda.
Luna walked towards Princess Celestia and said “So.  Are you ready to surprise Twinkle Wish with that wall veto?”
Celestia's face turns into a smirk as she says “Bring it on, sister.  I can’t wait to see the look on her face.  I’d say one humiliation deserves another.”
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked off from the alleyway, the duo let out a hysterical laugh that could be heard throughout all of Canterlot.

Down the street, as Chancellor Cinch, Senator Wish and a few guards walked down the path, the echo of Celestia and Luna’s laughter filled the air.  This caused Senator Wish to scream like a maniac and faint completely.  The guards laughed while Chancellor Cinch placed her hoof to her face.
“This is going to be one of those days,” Chancellor Cinch said.


To be continued in...


 A Mother’s responsibility

> Arc 1-4: A Mother’s responsibility
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Mother’s responsibility




“Wow.  So I did all that?”
Those words came from the young man’s cub, Wanda.  It has been many years since Princess Celestia adopted her, and she has grown from a baby to a young girl.  Surrounding the young lady was Princess Celestia, Sunset Shimmer and Bright Mac.
“It wasn’t your fault, Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said she gave her daughter a warm hug.  “You didn’t know the true potential of your powers, and you were still a baby.”
“And besides,”  Bright Mac said.  “When I found out that Celestia had you as a daughter, I was actually jealous.  I kinda wish she would be a part of the Apple Family.  Big Mac and Applejack would appreciate her.”
“I wish it were so,”  Princess Celestia said to Bright Mac.  “But apparently, Wanda is not allowed to leave Canterlot as part of my agreement to raise her.”
“Well that’s just a load of hogwash,”  Bright Mac said as he threw his hat onto the ground and stomped on it in frustration.  “That’s just treating this city as a prison for her.  She deserves far better.”
“Still, there was one bright spot out of all this,”  Celestia said as her frown turned into a smirk.  “The wall was vetoed, and there weren’t enough votes to override it.”
“Mommy, what’s a wall?”  Wanda asked as she tugged on Celestia’s mane, which barely bothered her at all.
“Wanda,”  Celestia replied.  “Senator Twinkle Wish wanted to build a wall out of Equestria to keep the most dangerous elements of this world away.  But I believe we need to reach out to other nations, not keep ourselves isolated.  After all, Friendship should be shared to every creature across the planet, including you.”
“Yeah,”  Bright Mac said as he playfully put his hat on Wanda’s head.  “You’re a bright example of why Friendship shouldn’t just be limited to ponies.  You’re a part of the pony family, even though you’re not even a part of this world.”
Wanda playfully giggled as she gave Bright Mac a big hug.  “You’re like a big daddy to me, Unca Bright Mac.”  She said with a laugh.
“Tell you what, sugar cube,”  Bright Mac said.  “Let’s go bake that cake together for your big sister’s birthday.”
Wanda turns her head to Princess Celestia, who nods in approval.  The only thing that came out of Wanda’s mouth was an “ALRIGHT,” before she ran to the kitchen doorway with Bright Mac following behind.
“She always has a bright smile on her face,”  Sunset Shimmer said as she ran to catch up to Wanda and Bright Mac.

Later that night, Princess Cadence came downstairs with a blindfold on her face.  Behind her, was Princess Luna.
“I can’t wait for the surprise,”  Princess Cadence says in excitement.  “I hope they made my favorite Apple Cake.”
“It’s a bigger surprise than you may realize, little Cadence,”  Princess Luna laughed as she guided Princess Cadence to the dining room.
Inside the dining room, Princess Luna removes Cadence’s blindfold with her magic.  And as soon as Cadence opens her eyes, a loud “SURPRISE” echoes through the room.  Cadence looks forward and sees Princess Celestia, Bright Mac, Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young with an Apple Cake that took up half the table, towering at over six feet tall.
Princess Cadence looked at the size of that cake, and her face beamed in excitement.  She looks down and notices that a slice of that Apple Cake was served right next to a number of presents. 
“Happy Birthday Cadenza Mi Amore,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Dig in.”
Princess Cadence rushed up to the slice of cake left for her.  She cut off a piece of her cake slice and took a bite.  With one taste, her eyes lit up in joy.  It was the best apple cake she had ever tasted, like a taste of pure heaven.
“Thank you mother,”  Princess Cadence said as she cried tears of joy.  “This is the best birthday that you threw for me.”
“Don’t thank me,”  Princess Celestia laughed.  “Thank your sisters and Bright Mac.  They put all of this together for you.”
Wanda walked up to Princess Cadence and said “Big sis, I went through all that trouble to make sure you got that apple cake.”
Right behind the man’s cub, Sunset said “We’re just glad you got your birthday gift.”
Princess Cadence shed a tear of joy and said to both Sunset and Wanda “Thank you.  You’re the best sisters I’ve ever had.”  And with that, she picked up both Wanda and Sunset with her magic and gave them both a hug.  Wanda and Sunset could do nothing, but hug their big sister back.
“You raise a fine family,”  Bright Mac said to Princess Celestia.  “But Granny Smith is gonna be upset when she finds out I was gone for too long.”
Princess Celestia hands Bright Mac a bag of gold and says “Tell her that’s a little extra because you helped me with Princess Cadence’s birthday.  You’ve earned it.”
Bright Mac looked inside the bag of gold, and his face beamed at the contents.  Inside, it was filled to the brim with plenty of gold bits.  That was enough to surprise Bright Mac, as his face lit up like a firework show.
“Princess,”  He said, struggling to get the words out of his mouth.  “I...I...I dunno what to say.  I can’t accept this.”
“I know,”  Princess Celestia said.  “But I would rather my subjects be well-off instead of having to struggle to put food on the table.”
Bright Mac tied up the gold bag and said to Princess Celestia “Thank you, your majesty.  I will not forget this night….ever.

It was the middle of the night.  Wanda had changed into her pajamas .  Early that day, she came close to crying over losing those apples.  But everything turned out perfect.  Cadence got her cake, and she got to spend time with her sisters.  It was a moment that Wanda felt pleased with how everything turned out.
“Wanda?  Are you here?”  That voice came from Princess Cadence as she opened the door.  Wanda turned her head and saw Cadence alongside Sunset Shimmer, and another slice of cake resting on a plate.  
“Big sis, Sunset,”  Wanda said as she saw her two sisters walking towards her.  “Why are you here?”
“After what you went through today,”  Sunset said to Wanda. “You deserve some tender loving care.”
“I heard about what happened to you early ago,”  Princess Cadence said as she handed the slice of cake to Wanda.  “It’s not your fault that Chancellor Cinch was angry at you.”
“I know,”  Wanda said as she accepted the cake slice.  “But she always scares me, and it’s like everything I do makes her mad.”
“We’re here for you, Wanda,”  Sunset said as she jumped onto the bed and put her right arm around Wanda.  “I don’t care if you’re not a pony.  You’re our sister, and that’s all that matters.”
“And if you can’t find Princess Celestia or Princess Luna,”  Cadence said to comfort Wanda.  “Find me or Sunset.  We’ll help you in any way possible.”
“Thank you,”  Wanda said as tears rolled through her eyes.  “Both of you.”  She then picked up the cake and took a bite, chewing with delight.
“Looks like you need to work more on your table manners,”  Cadence laughed as Wanda swallowed the cake in her mouth.  Sunset couldn’t resist laughing as well.  And it didn’t take long before Wanda laughed as well.

Outside Wanda’s room, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Majordomo Kibitz were watching from the doorway, seeing the three sisters interact with each other.
“All she wants is a chance to finally be free,”  Celestia said as she worried for Wanda.  “But what Chancellor Cinch puts her through is tough.”
“Wanda needs to learn how to survive when we’re gone,”  Princess Luna said to her sister.
“She’s right,”  Kibitz agreed.  “Chancellor or not, Wanda has to learn to survive in our world, through the magic of friendship.
“That’s why I have signed her up to attend my School for Gifted Unicorns,”  Celestia replied.  “She’ll be the first non-pony student of the class.”
“Is she capable of such a capacity?”  Princess Luna asked, showing concern for Wanda.
“She may not be a pony,”  Princess Celestia replied.  “But she has a magic that is not of this world.  Through her learning at my school, Wanda will be able to achieve her inner harmony.”
“Not to mention that the Equestria Education Association has made a rare exception to their rule,”  Kibitz added.  “Mainly because of who you are, my lady.”
“Thank you, both of you,”  Celestia said.  “I hope that Wanda will be able to become friends with my other classmates.  She understands the importance of the Family.  For as a Family, we are united together.  But she will learn that beyond family, Friendship is Magic.”
“That’s my sister, always joking about ‘Friendship is Magic’ like we’re some magical land of friendship and harmony,”  Luna joked as she couldn’t hold in her laughter.
Celestia could only chuckle, as she said “Luna, there is more to this mysterious magic of friendship, than meets the eye.



To Be Continued in


Arc 2: The School for Gifted Unicorns


The Twilight of the Exam

> Arc 2(The School for Gifted Unicorns)-1: The Twilight of the Exam
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The  Twilight of the Exam



It was a bright and beautiful morning in Canterlot.  At the northwest edge of the city is an ancient-style white-colored castle, located right next to a  calm riverbed.  Inside the castle within an auditorium, Wanda stood nervously on stage, waiting to showcase the extent of her magic. On the side, Sunset Shimmer and Princess Cadence waited patiently to see what their young sister would do.   In the seats of the auditorium was Princess Celestia, along with three individual teachers.  These teachers had their notebooks and pens ready to judge Wanda by her skills in magic.
The teacher with a grey coat and black shoulder-length hair said “Wanda is it?”
“Y….Yes ma’am,”  Wanda said as he swallowed anxiously. 
“We have a special exam for you,”  the same teacher said as another pony rolled in a table.  Atop was a pot full of soil, and right next to it was a mere seed.  “I want you to use your magic, and give that seed life,”  The teacher continued.
“It’s alright, my dear,”  Princess Celestia said to assure her daughter.  “Go ahead and show them your magic.”
“Okay mommy,”  Wanda said as she turned her attention towards the table with the pot and the seed.  She stepped forward to the table and picked the seed up.  She then proceeds to bury the seed into the pot full of soil.
Wanda then closed her eyes and extended her hands towards the pot.  For a moment, it looked like nothing happened as sweat poured from her head..  But in only ten seconds, her body began to glow as bright as the morning sun.  Her eyes opened up, but her irides and pupils were gone.  Only a bright light shined in her eyes.  
Then, the pot of soil shook violently as a green vine popped out of the dirt, and began to grow.  The very light that surrounded Wanda would also surround the pot.  It was providing nutrients to the newly born plant.  It grew, and grew, small in size, but significant nonetheless. The three teachers were amazed by Wanda’s use of magic.  Celestia just sat there, watching the plant grow while a smirk remained on her face.
“She has a real talent for this,”  Celestia said to herself.
And then, as the plant bloomed a flower from the top, it stopped.  No movement, no growth.  Wanda released herself from her use of magic as the glow around her and in her eyes disappeared.  She appeared exhausted from her use of magic as she tried to catch her breath.  Cadence and Sunset were amazed by Wanda’s use of magic.  Even the teachers were awe-struck by the youngling’s performance.
“I have never seen any non-pony creature with that type of magic,”  The grey teacher said.
“I believe we have made a decision on the man’s cub,”  Another teacher said as she couldn’t believe what she saw.
“Yes,”  the third teacher said.  “Her magic is indeed real.  From this moment on, Wanda Young, adopted daughter of Princess Celestia, will be the first non-pony to attend the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
Those words were enough to make Wanda excited.  She jumped up and down, cheering as if it was the best thing to happen to her.  But in the midst of her excitement, she accidentally recast her magic and some of the drapery from the wall went flying.  That did scare the teachers a bit.  But Princess Celestia just walked up to Wanda and put her hoof on the little girl’s shoulder.
“I think you’re overdoing it,”  Celestia said as her words calmed Wanda down, causing the drapery to fall to the floor.
“Sorry mommy,”  Wanda said, blushing in excitement.  “But I couldn't contain myself.”
Without warning, Sunset ran up to Wanda and tackled her to the ground, giving her a big hug.  The two laughed it out.
“Now we can both be in the School together,”  Sunset said to Wanda.  “I can hardly wait till that big day.”
“Yeah.  Isn’t this great?”  Wanda said as she hugged Sunset.
Princess Cadence wiped a tear from her eyes and said “The first non-pony to be a part of the School for Gifted Unicorns.  And she happens to be my youngest sister.”
“I do believe a congratulations is in order, Man’s Cub!”  That voice came from Chancellor Abacus Cinch, who was walking down from the back of the auditorium all the way to the stage.  Wanda took one quick look and quickly hid behind Sunset.  Princess Cadence was quick to rush to Wanda’s defense.
“I thought you were going to leave her alone,”  Cadence said in protest, standing right by Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer.  
But Celestia came to Princess Cadence and said “It’s alright, Cadence.  I asked the Chancellor to explain some ground rules to Wanda, and a bit of good news.  She promised that she won’t be rough.”
Reluctant, Cadence calmed down and said “Alright.  I’ll trust you.”  She then steps aside, much to Wanda’s own fear, as Chancellor Cinch walks down with a stern look on her face, looking down at the young man’s cub.
“Come,”  Cinch said to Wanda.  “I wish to discuss some things with you outside.”
A part of Wanda doesn’t want to go with the Chancellor, still deeply afraid.  But not wanting to endure her wrath, Wanda had no other choice.  As Cinch began walking towards the back, Wanda swallowed her pride and walked with her, all the way up the stairs of the auditorium.
Princess Cadence walks towards her adoptive mother Princess Celestia and said “Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“I know she’ll be okay,”  Celestia responded.  “Chancellor Cinch promised not to be too harsh, but to remind her what she will be getting in the compromise we’ve set up for her.”
As Wanda and Chancellor Cinch walked through the doorway with the former having a worried look on her face, they both pass a filly unicorn with a pale, light-grayish mulberry coat, with moderate violet eyes and a dark sapphire blue man with moderate purple and brilliant raspberry-colored streaks.  She looked like she was eager to go along with her exam.
“Twilight Sparkle,”  One of the teachers said.  “You’re next.”
“That’s my cue,”  The little filly known as Twilight Sparkle said.

Outside of the auditorium, within the courtyard of this castle, Chancellor Cinch walked with Wanda as they left the entrance of the auditorium.  Wanda looked scared as she glanced nervously at Chancellor Cinch.  Cinch, on the other hoof, was not deterred by her stern stance.
“Young lady,”  The Chancellor said.  “I will go over some ground rules over your time here at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
Wanda nervously looked at the Chancellor as she prepared for the worse.     She didn't want to do anything to upset the older unicorn.  All she could do was to pay attention to her words
"As you are aware,"  Chancellor Cinch continued.  "You are the first non-pony to be accepted into the School for Gifted Unicorns.  The only reason why I approved of your acceptance is to help you control the very magic within you.  I expect you to be on your best behavior while attending this school."
Wanda let out a "Yes ma'am" from her mouth, nervous at the sight of the Chancellor.
“That being said,” Chancellor Cinch said as her tone changed to a bit more positive.  “I was informed by Princess Celestia about your desire to see the world, to be free like a bird.”
“Y...yes ma’am,”  Wanda said.  “I don’t like being cooped up in Canterlot.”
“The reason why you are restricted in Canterlot is for two reasons,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she adjusted her glasses.  “One, it was to ensure that you are well-behaved. And two, it was for your protection.  But it seems your curiosity will get the best of you.  So I am changing the rules for your 
”
Those words were enough for Wanda’s face to become more enthusiastic.
“As long as you are accompanied by Princess Celestia or Princess Luna,” Chancellor Cinch continued.  “You will have free access beyond the walls of Canterlot City.”
Wanda was excited to hear something like that.  She wasted no time bowing down to Chancellor Cinch before saying “Oh thank you, thank you.”
“But….” Cinch said, getting the attention of Wanda.  “This is a rare privilege given to you, and I expect you to be on your best behavior.  I don’t want to hear of any reports that you are causing mayhem in other cities, I don’t want you terrorizing others, and I especially expect you to be on your best behavior.  Furthermore, I also expect you to be safe while traveling beyond the gates.  What is given to you, can be taken away.  Is that understood, young lady?”
“Y...yes ma’am,”  Wanda said, bowing down to Chancellor Cinch while appreciating the gift she was given.
“Very well, child,”  Cinch replied.  “You are dismissed. Your mother expects you back inside.”
“Oh I won’t forget this,”  Wanda said, with tears of joy in her eyes.
But as Cinch looked upwards, she noticed a rainbow shooting through the sky.
“Well that’s strange,”  Cinch said.  “I haven’t seen a Sonic Rainboom in a long time.”
But before anyone could react, the Sonic Rainboom jet through the stratosphere, causing a minor earthquake across the School for Gifted Unicorns.  It was enough to cause Chancellor Cinch to lose her balance and fall onto her side.
As she shook her head, Cinch said to herself.  “Rainbooms are normally powerful, but never on this level.” 
But as she got up, Chancellor Cinch saw Wanda also on the ground, holding her head as if she had a migraine.  The young lady could do nothing, but cry as she suffered in agony.  Normally, Cinch was stern in her stance on Wanda.  But in what is an exception, her scowl turned into shock.
“Young Lady,”  Cinch said as she freaked out.  She picked up Wanda and tried to hold her gently.  “Are you okay?”
“It hurts,”  Wanda yelled as she couldn’t let go of her head.
As Cinch turned around and began to run towards the auditorium, Princess Celestia ran outside and saw Cinch holding Wanda.  The look on her face was of total shock.
“Chancellor,”  Celestia said as she ran towards Chancellor Cinch.  “What happened?  There was a quake that scared everyone in the auditorium.
“A Sonic Rainboom,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she handed Wanda to Princess Celestia.  “It caused the earthquake and gave the man’s cub a migraine.  Never have I seen a rainboom this violent.”
Celestia looked down at Wanda and placed her hoof on her forehead.  But as she began to ease Wanda's pain
, the roof of the auditorium splits open, as the head of a giant purple dragon emerges.  
“What in the world?” Cinch said as she was shocked by the presence of the dragon.
“It’s a long story,”  Princess Celestia said as she held Wanda with her magic.  “But right now, we need to get back inside.”
“Understood your majesty,”  Cinch said as Princess Celestia ran back inside.  Cinch picked up Wanda with her magic and placed the youngling on her back as she ran after Princess Celestia.

Inside, the auditorium was a complete mess as both younglings, teachers and parents hid under the chairs for protection.  The giant dragon who emerged from the roof of the auditorium was sitting there, unaware of its surroundings.  Celestia and Cinch looked on and saw little Twilight Sparkle casting magic randomly, being unable to control her spell.
“Chancellor,”  Princess Celestia said to Cinch as she gave Wanda back.  “Keep Wanda and the others safe.  I’ll handle this.”
“Do be careful, Princess,”  Cinch said as she hid behind some nearby chairs, holding onto Wanda as the little child still suffered from a major headache.
As Cinch watched on, she could only do so much, even with Wanda holding on her back.  Her own face was full of fear.  Chancellor Cinch lifted Wanda off her back and placed her by her side.
“Be careful, Man’s cub,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
As Cinch patted Wanda on the head, she felt a tug on her dress.  When she turned around, she saw a little filly staring at her.  She had a pale, light grayish heliotrope coat, moderate persian blue eyes, and a twin-tailed, moderate purple mane wit pale light, grayish aquamarine and lighter purple stripes, which also applied to her tail.  Her face was scared from the disaster inside the auditorium.
“Where are mommy and daddy?”  The little filly cried.
“Stay put child,”  Cinch said as she struggled to comfort Wanda.  “We’ll find them soon.”
The little filly saw Wanda trying to hold her head from the migraine as she cried.  She goes up to Wanda and puts her hoof on Wanda’s head. 
“Are,” the little filly.  “Are you okay?”
Cinch looked at the little filly.  It seems the child is concerned for Wanda’s well-being.  But as she turned her attention to Wanda, the young man’s cub began to stop suffering from her headache.  It was starting to go away.  But despite that, Cinch was still worried about her, and about the filly who was next to her.
“Is she...going to be alright?”  The filly said to Cinch.
“She will,”  Cinch said as she placed her hoof on Wanda’s forehead.  Wanda looked up and took a glance at the twin-tailed filly.
“Who….who are you?”  Wanda asked as her headache went away.
“Starlight Glimmer.”  The filly said.
But as Wanda reached out to Starlight, a blast of magic flew right towards the back of the filly, catching Wanda’s eyes.  Without a second thought, Wanda flew herself in front of Starlight and took the shot of magic in the back.  This shocked both Starlight and Cinch, as they both watched Wanda scream from the impact of the spell.
“AHHHHHH!”  Wanda screamed as she fell onto Starlight.
“Man’s cub,”  Cinch screamed in horror.  She looked at Wanda’s back.  Sure enough, a bit of her shirt and overalls had a burn mark on them.  Even in spite of the pain, Wanda was able to slowly get back up.
“My name,”  Wanda said to Starlight.  “Is Wanda.  Daughter….of Princess Celestia.”
“What were you thinking?”  Cinch said as she turned her gaze towards Wanda.  “You could have gotten yourself seriously hurt.  Or worse.”
“I know,”  Wanda said to Chancellor Cinch.  “But...I didn’t want her to be hurt at all.”
Starlight looked at Wanda as the man’s cub sat down.  She reached out and gave the young human girl a hug, crying from the near shock that went through her mind.
“Sometimes you can be very naive,”  Chancellor Cinch sighed as she began to calm down.  “But at least I know you have best interests in helping others out.”

Back on the stage, Princess Celestia was finally able to get up close to Twilight Sparkle.  Without a second thought, she fires off a burst of magic from her horn, spreading out throughout the auditorium.  Twilight Sparkle finally regained control and was exhausted from the magic she fired off.  The giant dragon shrunk down until it was nothing more than a baby dragon.
“Whew,”  Princess Celestia said to herself.  “That was more difficult than I realized.”
Celestia looked around and saw the auditorium was nearly empty, except for a few fillies hiding behind the chairs with the Chancellor, along with Twilight Sparkle and the baby dragon.  She then said “It’s okay.  Everything has been taken care of.”
Princess Cadence was the first to emerge from behind the back of the stage.  She was with Sunset Shimmer, who was shaken up from the experience.
“What just happened?”  Sunset Shimmer asked as she was a bit traumatized from the events that transpired.  “Is Wanda okay?”
“I think she is,”  Princess Cadence said as she comforts her younger sister.  “Hopefully, nothing bad has happened to her.”
Cadence flew with Sunset Shimmer towards the back of the auditorium and shreaked at what she saw.  Wanda still had the burn mark on her back as Starlight Glimmer hugged the man’s cub.  Chancellor Cinch looked at Princess Cadence’s face and recognized her concern for her younger sister.
“She suffered a burn on her back,”  Cinch said to Princess Cadence.  “But other than that, she’ll be fine.”
Princess Cadence breathed a sigh of relief as Sunset Shimmer ran up to little human sister. “That’s good to hear,” Cadence said.
Starlight looks at Sunset, then turns her head to Wanda and says “Is that your close friend?”
“That’s actually my sister,”  Wanda said to Starlight.  “I’ve known her since I was a baby.”
Sunset reached her right arm out to Starlight and said “My name is Sunset Shimmer.  What’s yours?”
“Starlight….Starlight Glimmer.”  The pink-purple pony said to Sunset.  “And your sister saved me from that blast.”
“I think you both are gonna be good friends,”  Sunset said as she extended her arm towards Starlight.
As Starlight reached out to Sunset, Wanda was able to get up.  Despite the headache she suffered from the Sonic Rainboom and getting blasted in the back by pure magic, she was alright.  She may be human, but she was a tough girl.  Even if she is scared.
Chancellor Cinch walks up to Wanda and says to her “Your mother is waiting for you.  And remember your promise.  You are only given this privilege because of her request.  And do be careful in the future.”
“I...I will,”  Wanda said as she climbed the chair in front of her and began to head down to the stage of the auditorium.

At the center of the stage, Princess Celestia had calmed down Twilight Sparkle as her parents Night Light and Twilight Velvet approached.  No doubt, everyone was shaken by Twilight’s surge of magic. And yet, Celestia knew that there was potential within little Twilight Sparkle.  
“I have not seen a filly with this much raw magic,”  Celestia said as approached Twilight.  “Twilight Sparkle, is it?”
“Y...yes,”  Twilight said as she looked at Celestia.
“You possess a rare talent unlike any I have seen in my lifetime,”  Celestia said to Twilight as she put her hoof on the young filly’s head.  “But you’ll need to learn a lot to control this magic.  Therefore, I wish to take you up as my own personal apprentice.”
“Say what?”  Twilight said as she was shocked by Princess Celestia’s choice of words.  
“You will learn a lot on how to control your own magic,” Celestia said to Twilight.  “And no doubt, you will make some wonderful friends who will guide through on your quest.  Speaking of which, I believe there is one coming down.”
As Celestia finished her speech, Wanda had tumbled down from the chairs and slid towards Twilight.  She wasted no time picking herself up and saw the young unicorn.
“I know you,”  Wanda said to Twilight.  “I saw you when Cinch took me out to talk.”
“Wow,”  Twilight said enthusiastically as she looked at Wanda.  “I have not seen a creature like you before.  Where are you from?”
“This is Wanda Young,”  Celestia said to Twilight as she walked up to the young human.  “She’s a man’s cub, said to have been from another world.  And she’s my daughter.”
“Your daughter?”  Twilight asked.
“It’s a long story,”  Celestia responded.  “But today, it appears you have made a new friend.”
“A new friend?”  Twilight said as she looked at Wanda.  Judging by the look on her face, Twilight was more than happy to be with the young man’s cub.  “I never thought I would be friends with you.”
“Wanda here will help you out on your path,” Celestia said to Twilight as she also turned her head towards the baby dragon, who was sucking on its own tail. “And you’ve also gained another friend.  The birth of this little dragon is the result of your achievement.”
But as Twilight approached the baby dragon, Wanda noticed something glowing on the side of the young unicorn’s flank.
“Hey Twilight,” Wanda said as she covered her eyes.  “What’s that glowy thing on your flank?
Twilight looked at her sides as the glow disappeared.  On her flank was a cutie mark: one that resembles a star surrounded by five sparkles.  Twilight’s face beamed with excitement.
“I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!”  Twilight danced around the room in excitement, all because of the sheer joy of getting a cutie mark.  She continued to yell “YES YES YES YES YES” as she danced in excitement.  Wanda smiled at Twilight’s celebration as Princess Celestia walked next to her.
“Do you think I’ll get my cutie mark mommy?”  Wanda asked.
“I’m afraid not,”  Celestia replied.  “But your magic is what’s unique about you.  You don’t need a cutie mark.  It’s within your soul that matters.”

Later that day, Wanda and Sunset Shimmer were walking through the courtyard of the School.  Both were excited to attend the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Both were eager to learn what they wish to know.  As they do, two adult ponies walk up to Wanda and Sunset, with Starlight Glimmer beside them.
Wanda looked up to Starlight and said “Are those your parents?”
“Of course we are,” Starlight’s Father said to Wanda.  “My name is Firelight and this is my wife Starseeker.  I take it you saved my Pumpky-Wumpkin from danger.”  The mere use of the word Pumpky-Wumpkin is enough to make Starlight stick her tongue out in disgust.
“Yes, I am sir.”  Wanda said, confessing to her actions.
“There’s no reason to be ashamed,”  Starseeker said to Wanda.  “You protected our daughter from danger.”
“Well I Got the burnt mark in the back to prove it,”  Wanda said as she turned her back towards Starlight’s parents, showing a black spot where she was hit.  Sunset lets out a silent giggle at Wanda’s carefree attitude.
Firelight laughed it off and said “There’s no need to show off.  Wanda, is it?”
“Yes,”  Wanda said as she turned to bow to Firelight and Starseeker.  “My name is Wanda.”
“You’re blessed to have such an amazing family,”  Starseeker said to Wanda.  “A great mother, and two great sisters.  One day, you should come and visit us at Sire’s Hollow.  Perhaps, we can give you a tour of our town.”
As Wanda was curious about what Starseeker said to her, she noticed Starlight Glimmer was approaching her and Sunset Shimmer.
“Seems our little Starlight has taken an interest in the both of you,”  Starseeker said to Wanda and Sunset.
Sunset approached the somewhat shy Starlight Glimmer.  The twin-tailed filly turned her head a bit, nervous about meeting both Sunset Shimmer and her younger sister Wanda Young.  The only thing Starlight is able to do was hold out her hoof in friendship.
Sunset smiled and said “You know, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  But instead of shaking Starlight’s hoof, Sunset gave Starlight a big hug.  Starlight was frightened by Sunset’s hug and began to squirm.  But as she struggled, she slowed down, realizing that Sunset doesn’t mean any harm before hugging back.
“Aww come on.” Wanda joked.  “Don’t leave me hanging, sis.”  Wanda then proceeded to give both Starlight and Sunset a hug.

In the distance, Princess Celestia and Chancellor Abacus Cinch watched from the entrance of the auditorium.  Celestia seems confident in Wanda’s skills, but Abacus Cinch has her own doubts.
“Are you sure she’ll be alright here?”  Chancellor Cinch asks, still as stern as ever.
“She’s got to learn how to make friends here in Equestria,”  Princess Celestia said.  “That’s the only way she can break out of her own shell.”
“My only fear is that she loses control of her magic,”  Cinch said with a concern in her throat.  “I can only hope that the teachings of this school and the friends she’ll make will keep her soul pure.”
“That might be true,”  Celestia said.  “But by learning the ways of Equestria, she can be tamed.  I can assure you.”
“For your sake, I can only hope so,”  Cinch added. “And at the same time, she must be weary of the many dangers of this planet.”
“Such as the Storm King,”  Celestia said.
“Even though she is a Man’s Cub,”  Cinch said to Celestia.  “She is still your responsibility.  And I expect you to be by her side one hundred percent.”
“I know,”  Celestia said as she looked down.  “Besides, I’ve known what it’s like to lose control of myself and become a God of Destruction.”
Chancellor Cinch turned to Celestia and said “For one who raised me when I was a filly, you have a habit of reliving that horrible, horrible moment.”


To Be Continued in


First Day at School

> Arc 2-2: First Day at School
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


First Day at School



Wanda, Sunset Shimmer and Princess Cadence wasted no time running out of the castle and into the very streets of Canterlot City.  Judging by their packs full of books, they were in a hurry to get to School for Gifted Unicorns.  For Wanda, it was a new experience as she is the first non-pony to be accepted into the academy.  But Sunset, she was also looking forward to attending school with her sisters.  But for Princess Cadence, she’s been going there since she was a filly.
“Race you to the School, Wanda,”  Sunset said as she ran faster than her sisters.
“Oh no you don’t,”  Wanda yelled as she started to catch up.  “Two legs will outrun four legs.”
“Hey wait up,”  Cadence yelled as she started to flap her wings.  “Don’t leave your big sister hanging.
“And I expected much more maturity from the eldest daughter of Princess Celestia.”  That voice caused Princess Cadence, Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young to stop dead in their tracks.  They turned their heads and saw Chancellor Abacus Cinch glancing down at all three of them.
“Chancellor, would you give her a break?”  Princess Cadence said in protest.  “We’re just in a hurry to attend the School.”
Naturally, Chancellor Cinch ignored Cadence’s plea and said “I expected the Man’s Cub to be on her best behavior.  Though you sometimes tend to slip into a status of juvenile delinquent.  Not fitting for a future ruler of Equestria.”
Chancellor Cinch turned her head to Wanda, who was hiding behind Sunset Shimmer.
“As for you Man’s Cub,”  Cinch said to Wanda, raising her voice.  “Step out here, this instant!”  Cinch’s stern voice was enough to startle Wanda into racing out and standing in front of Sunset Shimmer.  The little filly was concerned for Wanda’s sake, but she couldn’t speak up against Chancellor Cinch, for her presence alone makes her scared on the inside.
“You remember everything I told you yesterday,”  Cinch said in a stern, yet subtle tone, “No mayhem, no chaos, be on your best behavior, and stay safe.”
“Y...yes ma’am,”  Wanda said very nervously.
“Then there is nothing more that I need from you three,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she turned her back on Princess Cadence, Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.  “I’m due for my flight to Manehattan to attend a delegation from Saddle Arabia.  Be glad you won’t see me for most of the day.  Now off to school for you three.  You don’t want to keep the teachers waiting.”
Without a second thought, Chancellor Cinch walks off in the opposite direction.  Wanda looks at her and breathes a sigh of relief, finally glad she doesn’t have to put up with the Chancellor for the next few days.
“Don’t let her keep you down, sis,”  Princess Cadence said to Wanda.  “You’re the kindest non-pony I’ve known so far.”
“Yeah, you’re not a monster,”  Sunset said to reassure Wanda.  “I’ve known you since you were a baby, and you’re the best thing to happen to me in my lifetime.”
“Thank you,” Wanda said with a smile on her face.  “I’m glad to have sisters like you both.”
“It’s what we’re here for,”  Princess Cadence said as she playfully rubbed Wanda’s hair.  “Now come on.  We got to get to school.”
And without a second thought, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Princess Cadence ran off towards the School for Gifted Unicorns.

Mere minutes later, all three sisters arrived at the castle entrance of the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Many young unicorn colts and fillies were gathered around, getting ready to go inside.  But there were some unicorns who were in their teenage years.  One that stood out had a light gray coat, a scruffy mane with a mix of Moderate sapphire blue, moderate cerulean and dark phthalo blue streaks.  He also had a cutie mark that represented a shield with a twinkling star in the middle and three stars above.  This was Shining Armor, the older brother of Twilight Sparkle.
“I can’t wait for my first day.”  That voice came from Twilight Sparkle, who was prancing in excitement.
“Calm down, Twili,”  Shining Armor said as he approached his younger sister.  “I’m excited as well, but even I know I gotta learn to be patient.”
“But aren’t you excited to learn more about the art of defense class?”  Twilight said to her big brother. “After all, you want to be a part of the royal guards.”
“Heh,”  Shining Armor laughed.  “Guilty as charged.”
“Sorry we’re late.”  That voice came from Princess Cadence as she, Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young ran up to Shining Armor.
“Cadence,”  Shining Armor said as Princess Cadence finally caught up to him.  “I was wondering when you would arrive.”
“Had a run in with Chancellor Cinch,”  Cadence said.  “But not much else.”
“Don’t worry about it Cadey,”  Shining Armor said to Cadence. 
“Princess Cadence,” Twilight said as she approached Cadence.
The two walked up to each other and did a little dance.  As they did, they sang the song of a hoof shake that went like this.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake.”
Wanda and Sunset looked at both Twilight and Cadence.  Sunset was amused by Cadence and Twilight’s little dance.  But Wanda was a bit confused.
“I don’t get it,”  Wanda said. 
“It’s a dance that reminds you of your special bond,”  Sunset said to Wanda.  “But it’s totally cheesy and cringe-worthy.”
Princess Cadence then walked up to Shining Armor and said to him “So, want to discuss anything before school starts?”
“Sure,”  Shining Armor said.  “I’ve got some time to spare before the semester starts.”
As Princess Cadence and Shining Armor spoke to each other, Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer turned their eyes towards Twilight.
“Hey.  You’re that Twilight Twinkle I met yesterday,”  Wanda said to Twilight.
Twilight only giggled and said “It’s Twilight Sparkle.  And I was hoping you would make it.”
“And I’m Sunset Shimmer,”  Sunset said to Twilight. 
“I heard you’re also the daughter of Princess Celestia,”  Twilight said, super curious about Sunset’s own personal life.  “How is life in the royal castle?  What does Celestia cook for you and Wanda?  Is it true that she’s an angel from the heavens?”  Sunset and Wanda could do nothing, but laugh at Twilight’s ridiculous questions.
“No.  It’s just like anyone else’s life,”  Sunset replied as she couldn’t contain her laughter.  
“But you’re both princesses,”  Twilight said.
“Personally, I don’t see myself as one,”  Sunset replied.  “Even if I am the adopted daughter of a Princess, therefore I have to be one.  The life of a Princess would sound boring.”
“But it would be so awesome,”  Twilight said as she fawned over Sunset’s life.  “Imagine meeting ponies or creatures from other nations.  Taking part in deciding the future of our people.  Protecting them from evil.  Eating all that cake.”
“Oh please,”  Sunset said.  “I’d rather have a normal life than an exquisite one.  Same with Wanda.”
Wanda giggled as she said “I’m with her on that.  In fact, when I grow up, I just want to see the world and just be free.”
“Guess being cooped up in that castle isn’t your cup of tea,” Twilight laughed.
But before Wanda could say anything else, she heard Shining Armor say to her “So you must be the little monkey girl Cadey told me about.”  And without a warning, Shining Armor gave Wanda a big hoof noogie on her head.
“Hey, get off me,”  Wanda yelled.  She then tried to bite Shining Armor’s hoof.  But Shining Armor was able to pull his hoof back before Wanda could lay her teeth on it.
“Too slow you little feisty monkey,”  Shining Armor said, taunting Wanda.
“Come on, Shining,”  Cadence said to Shining Armor.  “Give her a break.  She’s my little sister, you know.”
“You know I’m only playing along, Cadey,”  Shining Armor said.  “Anyone who’s a sister of yours is a friend of mine.  Isn’t that right, Wanda-Wubby?”  Wanda could only look at Shining Armor, and stick her tongue out at the big stallion.
Suddenly, the bell for the School rang, as the gates opened up.  Princess Celestia walked out and approached the students, eager to start the school year.
“Welcome students,”  Princess Celestia said with a smile.  “For many of you, I’m excited to see you return for your latest year at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  For some of you, I’m happy to see you join us for your first year.  But for the first time, we have a special student joining us today.  But for now, let’s go inside and have fun.”
With a smile and a laugh, Celestia led the students into the school gates.  The students ran inside, ready to embrace a new school day.  Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young all saw the crowd get smaller and smaller as more students ran in to attend the School for Gifted Unicorns.
“Guess that’s my cue,”  Shining Armor said as he began to take off.  “You girls take care of yourself.  Especially you Twili.”
“I will big brother,”  Twilight said as she waved good-bye to Shining Armor.
“And that also counts for you, little monkey,”  Shining Armor said to Wanda as he takes off into the gates of the school.  Wanda just looked at Shining Armor and was looking really upset.
“I don’t like that show off,”  Wanda said as her skin turned red.
“I’m going to marry that stallion,”  Cadence said as her eyes turned heart-shaped.
Wanda turned her attention to Cadence, waved her left hand at her older sister’s face, and said “Hello.  Equestria to Big Sister.  Open your eyes.”  
“That’s like her to be twitterpated,”  Sunset said to Wanda. 
“What does that mean?”  Wanda asked.
“She’s in love with Shining Armor,”  Sunset said.  That was enough to make Wanda gag.
“Wanda.  Sunset.  Cadence.  Come in.  It’s almost time for class.”  That came from Princess Celestia, who was signalling to all three sisters.  It was enough to snap Cadence out of her love-filled trance.
“Coming mommy,”  Wanda said as she, Sunset and Cadence ran through the gates and into the school grounds for their first day.

Later that day, Wanda was inside a medium-sized classroom with at least 16 other classmates, sitting at a desk at the front end of the class.  Sunset Shimmer was sitting on the desk on her left.  For Wanda, having a familiar face right next to her was enough to keep her mood happy.  But on her right was Twilight Sparkle, who was eager to start learning.  
Wanda turned around and saw another familiar face: Starlight Glimmer.  But while Twilight and Sunset were optimistic, something was bothering Starlight.  She looked worried, as if she wasn’t going to pass the class.  Or something else was on the mind.  To her right was a young colt around her age.  He has a brilliant gamboge coat with light apple greenish gray spot on his nose and hooves.  His mane was a vivid and brilliant vermillion, while his eyes were a gradient of dark cornflower blue to moderate cyan.  This colt looked concerned for Starlight’s well-being, as he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
“Is there something wrong with her?”  Wanda asked this colt.  “I thought she would be excited for school.”
“That’s not the case,”  The colt said.  “She lost a relative last night.”
Those words brought down Wanda’s mood a bit.  
“I’m….sorry,”  Wanda said.  “Can she get this relative back?”
“No,”  The colt said to Wanda.  “When they’re gone for good, they can’t come back.”
Wanda looked at Starlight.  The younger filly looked depressed.  But there would be some way she could cheer her up later today.
“By the way,” the colt said to Wanda as the man’s cub turned her attention back to him.  “My name is Sunburst.  I’m Starlight Glimmer’s close friend.  I heard your name is Wanda, and I heard you and Sunset are the daughters of Princess Celestia.”
“Wow,”  Wanda replied, surprised by how Sunburst figured her out.  This also caught the attention of Sunset Shimmer, who turned to face Sunburst.
“You’re both big celebrities here,”  Sunburst said.  “I never thought I would meet royalty in this very room.”
“Did you hear that?”  Sunset to Wanda as she was very excited.  “We’re famous, and we’ve only stepped a hoof in this school.”
“That is awesome,”  Wanda said back to Sunset.
“You think you’re so special?  Don’t make me laugh?”  That voice came from the back of the room.  Wanda, Sunset and Sunburst turned to the back, and saw an arrogant looking unicorn colt.  He has a light yellow-orangish-colored coat, with a red and orange mane and tail.  His eyes are brown, and he has no cutie mark.
“Who’s that jerk?”  Sunset asked, unimpressed by the arrogant colt.
“That’s Danged Spell,”  Sunburst said.  “He’s got a talent for magic, but he’s also a bit of a show off.”
“You got that right, egghead,”  Danged Spell said to Sunburst as he rubbed his nose with his right hoof.  “So just because you’re the envy of that old hag Cinch, doesn’t mean you’re the cream of the crop.  What makes you so great you special little snowflake?”
“I have hands,” Wanda said as she waved her hands up and down.
Danged Spell just laughed and said “Real cute.  You may be Celestia’s daughter, but that doesn’t make you any special.”
As Danged Spell chuckled, Wanda stuck her tongue out at the colt and turned her back to him.  Sunset looked at Danged Spell and just simply shook her head.
“Someday, that colt is gonna get it,”  Sunset said to herself.
Right next to Wanda, Twilight was patiently awaiting her lesson for the day when she felt a tap on her shoulder.  She turned around and saw a unicorn that looked almost like her.  The main difference is that she had a light yellowish gray coat, she had no cutie mark, her eyes were dark purple, her mane was a mix of brilliant amaranth, moderate purple and grayish violet, and the back of her mane was tied up in a ponytail.
“Excuse me,” this filly asked Twilight.  “Do you know when the teacher will be here?”
“No,”  Twilight said as she was still nervous and excited for her first lesson.  “By the way, my name is Twilight Sparkle.  What’s your name?”
“Moondancer,”  The filly said as she extended her hoof out.  “Nice to meet you.”
“That’s a nice name,”  Twilight said.  “Where are you from?”
“Cape Coltnaveral,”  Moondancer replied, blushing with embarrassment.  “But...let’s just say I want to put that place in the past.  And...I hope you’re not as mean-spirited as my last set of classmates.
“Oh don’t you worry,”Twilight said to Moondancer. “I think we’re going to be the best of friends.  Besides, why would I want to be a mean-spirited unicorn?”
“Okay children.  Class is about to start, and I could use your attention.”  Every student turned their heads to the front as Princess Celestia walked in levitating a book.  She was excited as the rest of the students, as she was eager to teach them the ways of unicorn magic.  But what she was more excited about, was also teaching these skills to her two adopted children.  Especially Wanda.
“Good morning class,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I am your teacher, Princess Celestia Del Sol.  And this is our first day at school.  Oh I can’t wait to get started on our first lesson.”  Celestia’s attitude had gone from calm to excitement.  But she had to slow down and breathe, as she was ready to face the day.
“Anyway,”  Celestia said as she has fully calmed down.  “Before we begin, I’d like to know your names.  To the three students in the front of our class, would you kindly come on up and introduce yourselves?”
That was the signal from Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.  The three got out from their desks and walked towards Princess Celestia before turning to face the rest of the class.
“Who wants to go first?”  Celestia asked Twilight, Sunset and Wanda.
“I will,”  Twilight said as she raised her hoof.
“Very well then,” Celestia said.  “Go ahead my faithful student.”
“Ahem,” Twilight said as she cleared her throat.  “My name is Twilight Sparkle.  I am attending this school to study more on pony magic.  But truth be told, I’m a real book nerd.  Ask me anything about books, and I will answer it for you.”
“Welcome to the school, Twilight,”  Celestia said to Twilight before turning her attention to Sunset Shimmer.  “Are you ready?”
“Am I ever?”  Sunset said as she walked up to the other students.  “My name is Sunset Shimmer, adopted daughter of Princess Celestia.  I wanted to attend this school to show my mom what I can do.”
“And I promise I’ll make sure it’s extra tough for you, my daughter,”  Celestia said to Sunset Shimmer.  She turns her head towards Wanda and says “Now Wanda. It’s your turn.”
“My name is Wanda...Wanda Young,”  Wanda said to the class.  “I’m the only human of this school, and Princess Celestia is my mommy.  I am attending this school, to prove that I am in control of my magic.  And I know I will.”  As Wanda continued to speak, tears flowed from her eyes.  She then said “If I do really well, then I want to explore the world when I grow up, hoping I can depart from Canterlot.”
“Wanda,”  Celestia said as she put her hoof on Wanda’s shoulder to comfort her.  “It’s okay.  I’m sure you’ll do great.  As long as you remember these words...Friendship is Magic.”
Wanda let her tears flow as she smiled towards Princess Celestia.  All she could do is give her mother a hug.
“This is why I’m glad to be her sister,”  Sunset Shimmer said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.  “She needs someone to help her out.”
“You sound like you’ll be a greater friend,”  Twilight said as she nuzzles Sunset with a smile on her face.
As Wanda let go of Celestia, the Alicorn Princess said “Okay you three. You may return to your seats.  I'll address the rest of the class.”
Wanda, Sunset and Twilight returned to their seats as Celestia pulled up a list, which contains the names of many students in her class.
“Okay,”  Celestia says as she reads her list.  “When I say your name, introduce yourself and why you are attending this school.”  She clears her throat before saying the name “Moondancer.”
Moondancer gets up and says “My name is Moondancer.  I am here at the School for Gifted Unicorns because I want to study the cosmos and the universe beyond.”
“A dream of astronomy,”  Celestia said.  “I like that.”  She then looks at the list and said “Starlight Glimmer.  Please introduce yourself.”
But Starlight looks nervous.  All she can say is “I’m….I’m Starlight...Glimmer.”
Celestia looked at Starlight and said “Is there something wrong Miss Glimmer?”
Sunburst got up and said “Starlight lost a relative recently.  That’s why she’s depressed.”
“Oh...I see,”  Celestia said as her voice becomes somber.  “I will speak with her after class is over.  Thank you for bringing this up to me, Sunburst.”
Sunburst nods his head to Princess Celestia.  “You’re welcome, your majesty.  Anyway, I am Sunburst, I came here to study more about magic.  But I also came here to be with my best friend, Starlight Glimmer.”  
Sunburst then walked up to Starlight and gave her a comforting hug.  Starlight looked at Sunburst and was barely able to crack a smile, all while shedding a few more tears.
“Thank you, Sunburst,”  Celestia said as her tone returned to being more optimistic.  “You showcase what makes a true friend magical.”  She then turns to her list and says the name “Danged Spell.”
With a smug look on her face, Danged Spell leaped onto his table and said “My name is Danged Spell.  I came to this school, because one day, I want to be the captain of THE ROYAL GUARDS!”  He yelled out at the top of his lungs, acting as if he was the most powerful unicorn around.  Celestia only had a smug look on her face.
“Oh really?”  Celestia said to Danged Spell.  “With an attitude like that, you look like you would be more fitting as the future King of Equestria.”
Those words got to Danged Spell.  It was one thing for him to be arrogant.  But to be called a King?  That really boiled his blood.  He squinted his eyes and gnashed his teeth at that remark.
“Nobody….calls me…..A KING!”  Danged Spell yelled as steam spouted from his nose.
“Now now,”  Celestia said as her smirk continued.  “How do you expect to be the future ruler of Equestria with that kind of attitude, your majesty?”
“I told you not to call me that, CAKE FLANK!”  Danged Spell yelled back.  The choice of his words was enough to cause the class a lot of shock.  But not Princess Celestia.  Her smug smile never left her face.
“Well that’s the problem,”  Celestia said further as she started to giggle.  “You haven’t been eating enough cake, oh great Prince.”
“OH real funny, tubby,”  Danged Spell yelled.
“Don’t you need more cake to grow, sire?”  Celestia said as she stuck her tongue out at Danged Spell.
“No way.  I ain’t eating cake like you.”  Danged Spell screamed as Celestia and the other students laughed.
On the sides, Twilight, Sunset and Wanda couldn’t help, but laugh at Danged Spell’s misfortunes.  One moment, he was smug and highly confident.  Now he’s gone off the deep end and has become a joke.  That being said, these three girls tried to hold in their laughter, but couldn’t.
“I never knew someone hated being associated with royalty,”  Twilight giggled.
“Danged Spell may be arrogant,”  Sunset said as she couldn’t hold in her laughter.  “But he hates the idea of ruling Equestria.  That didn’t stop his parents from joking about that in his face.”
“But why wouldn’t he want that?”  Wanda asked as she struggled to stop laughing.
“It’s his nature,”  Sunset said as her laughter continued.  “Thinks of himself as the reincarnation of a legendary hero.  Nothing more….nothing less.”
“Well that’s something to be worthy about,”  Twilight said as she got her laughter under control.  But the same can’t be said for Sunset, Wanda and most of the students as Celestia continues to taunt Danged Spell, all while the naive colt fires back.

To be continued in…


Cry of the Cat

> Arc 2-3: Cry of the Cat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Cry of the Cat



Danged Spell was in the head mare’s office.  There was a look of disappointment on Princess Celestia’s face, and yet, the face of guilt as well.  As for Danged Spell, all he had was a look of impatience.  
Celestia took a seat and said “You know why you’re here, correct?”
“You basically wanted to humiliate me more?”  Danged Spell said in a deadpan tone.
“No,”  Celestia said as her voice led to disappointment.  “I’m aware that you’ve been giving Wanda a hard time in class.”
“What’s so great about that monkey?”  Danged Spell replied.
“That monkey is an individual with magic unlike anything you’ve seen,”  Celestia replied as her tone was cold.  “And she’s also my daughter.  I’ve chosen to raise her so that she will realize her place here in Equestria.  But that being said, you really need to choose your words carefully around her.”
“Why so?”  Danged Spell asked, still unappreciative of Celestia scolding.  “She’s just a little snowflake.”
“Everyone in Equestria is a snowflake, Danged Spell,”  Celestia replied.  “There are ponies and other creatures who are easily hurt by a poor choice of words.  Even though your attitude shows that you don’t care for it, I expect you to be on your best behavior and to not use those kinds of words around Wanda.  Understood?”
Reluctant, Danged Spell lets out a sigh before saying “Yeah.  I will.”
But as Danged Spell got out of his seat and was about to walk off, Celestia said to him “I’m not done with you yet, young stallion.”
Danged Spell turned to face Celestia and said “And why is that?”
Celestia walks towards him and says “To give you an apology.”
Danged Spell’s attitude turned to both confusion and shock.  He stared at Princess Celestia and said  “Why are you apologizing to me?” 	
“As I stated, There are ponies and other creatures who are easily hurt by a poor choice of words,”  Celestia stated as her face turned to self-shame.   “Sadly, I stand as an example of one doing the hurting early in class.  When I heard you mocking Wanda, I wanted to teach you a lesson by utilizing those same words that your parents used to rile you up.  But...as you can tell...I overdid it.”
“I know you did,”  Danged Spell said.  “My mom and dad only tease me about it, even though I hate being called that.”
“I unintentionally humiliated you in class, and that was not a way to teach you a lesson,”  Celestia continued.  “As you proved a poor student in your first class, I proved a poor teacher.  I’m terribly sorry.”  
“Apology...accepted.”  Danged Spell said, as his mood started to become a bit optimistic.
“Let’s just call this even, okay?”  Celestia said as she rubbed on Danged Spell’s head.  “Now run along.  I have to talk to another student.”
Danged Spell’s mood had brightened up a bit.  He shook his head to fix up his mane before walking towards the door.  As he was about to walk out, Starlight Glimmer walks in with a somber look on her face.
“You alright?”  Danged Spell asked Starlight.  But the little filly could do nothing but walk past Danged Spell.
“It’s a long story,”  Celestia said to Danged Spell before the latter walked out the door with a slight sigh.
Starlight Glimmer got up on the chair and looked at Princess Celestia.  She was afraid, as if she got in trouble.  But for some reason, Celestia wasn’t upset.  But she was also concerned about the look on her face.  And she knew exactly what to say.
“Starlight Glimmer,”  Princess Celestia said to Starlight.  “I was made aware of your depression early ago in class.”
“Y..yes your majesty,”  Starlight said as she turned her head away in shame.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,”  Princess Celestia said as she brushed her wing on Starlight’s cheek to remove a tear.  “In fact, as soon as I got into this room, I got a letter from your parents, and I just learned of a tragic fate.  You lost your uncle, didn’t you?”
Starlight eyes started to water up.  She tried to hold it in.  But all she could do was cry.  Her tears flowed like waterfalls as she cried.  Celestia got out of her seat and walked up to Starlight Glimmer before comforting her with a hug.
“It’s okay,”  Princess Celestia said as she continued to comfort Starlight, allowing her to cry, even as some of those tears got into her mane.  
“I,” Starlight said as she could barely get the words out of her mouth.  “I just miss him so much.  He was my favorite...uncle.  Mommy’s gonna...miss him.”
As Starlight wiped the tears from her eyes, she looked up at Celestia, who was also shedding some tears.
“Tell you what,”  Celestia said as a few tear drops dropped from her eyes.  “I’ve asked a couple of your classmates to help cheer you up.  I’m also gonna let you skip the next class so you can take some time to grieve.  I’ll let the other teachers know about this.”
“Thank you….Princess,”  Starlight said as she got out of her chair.

Outside, as Starlight opened the door, she noticed Danged Spell was waiting for her.  But the look on his face had changed.  Instead of having a disgruntled look that he had early ago, his face has changed to a more sombering tone.  As Starlight walked off, Danged Spell walked with her.
“I heard what Celestia said to you,”  Danged Spell said.  “And I’m sorry for your loss.”
Starlight just looked down, tears flowing from her eyes.  The fact that her own uncle was dead left her depressed.  While she did cry her eyes out in Celestia’s office, it was not enough to help her out.
Danged Spell looked at Starlight with concern in his face.  He thought to himself “It must be really hard to lose a family member.  What would happen to me if I lost my mom?  My dad?  My baby sister?  Or all of them?  I would be totally devastated.”
As Danged Spell walked with Starlight down the hall, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Sunburst and Moondancer watched from a distance.  Early ago, they saw an arrogant Danged Spell taunt Wanda in class, only to be given a taste of his own medicine by Princess Celestia.  But his mood had changed after overhearing Starlight’s meeting with Celestia, and Sunset Shimmer was the first to notice.
“Danged Spell...is it?”  Sunset asked as Danged Spell was walking on by.
“Yes?”  Danged Spell asked as he and Starlight paused.
“I take it my mommy was…” Sunset asked before being interrupted.
“No,” Danged Spell replied.  “But that’s not why my mood’s gone south.”
Danged Spell stepped aside as Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Sunburst and Moondancer saw the tears in Starlight’s eyes.  Starlight tried to hold it in, but she couldn’t hold back her tears.
“MY UNCLE DIED!”  Starlight yelled as she ran off crying.
Danged Spell turned his head back towards the gang and said “That’s why.”
Moondancer walked up to Danged Spell, still untrusting of the colt.  She said to him “Please tell me you’re serious.   Especially after the stunt you pulled on Wanda.”
“I am serious,”  Danged Spell said.  “I know you don’t trust me after my stunt, and you’re right that I may pull it again.  But right now, overhearing the fact that Starlight lost her uncle was more than enough to bring down my mood.  More than anything Celestia said to me.”
“And why is that?”  Moondancer asked.
“Because I’ve been to too many funerals in my life,”  Danged Spell replied as tears flowed from his eyes.  “Both of my grandpas, my uncle on my mom’s side, and an aunt on her side as well.  Do you need more proof of that?”
Sunset ran up to Danged Spell and said “It’s okay, Danged Spell.  You don’t need to get worked up.” 
Danged Spell breathed heavily as tears continued to flow through his eyes.  He set his head down and said “Sorry.  Too many bad memories.  Having lost three relatives before coming to this school, I don’t want to lose anymore.  Not even my own parents.”
As Danged Spell turned and started to walk off, Sunset turned towards Moondancer.  Sunset was concerned for both Danged Spell and Starlight.  But Moondancer wasn’t trusting the hot-headed colt.
“He can be real stubborn at times,”  Moondancer said to Sunset.
“Yeah,”  Sunset replied.  “But at the same time, he sounds like he needs something to fill the gap in his heart.  Perhaps a friend would be needed to keep him in check.”
“I’ll do it,”  Wanda cheered as she skipped towards Sunset and Moondancer.
“Are you crazy, Wanda?”  Moondancer asked as she was concerned for her well-being.  “Did you see what he said to you?”
“But mommy told me that I need to make friends,”  Wanda replied.  “And even if he was a big bully, I should be his friend.”  Both Moondancer and Sunset could not believe a word that Wanda just said.
“I dunno who’s more naive,”  Moondancer said.  “Danged Spell, or your sister.”
“Let’s not be judgemental,”  Sunset said to Moondancer.
As Danged Spell was slumping down towards the exit, he noticed Starlight was running frantically towards him before tripping and falling onto her face, slipping slowly towards the older colt before coming to a stop.  Judging by the look on her face, something has completely spooked the twin-tailed filly.
“What happened to you?”  Danged Spell asked as his tone was of concern.
“Crows….”  Starlight cried as she covered her head.  “Some wanted to eat me.  I also heard a cat cry as crows were attacking it.”
“A cat?” The words of Starlight Glimmer got the attention of Danged Spell.  But it also got the attention of Wanda, Sunset SHimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Moondancer, and Sunburst.  
“We gotta do something,”  Wanda yelled as she ran down the hallway, past Danged Spell and Starlight Glimmer.”
“Wanda,”  Sunset yelled as she ran towards Wanda.  “Wait up.  You don’t wanna get seriously hurt.”
Danged Spell turned towards the rest of the group and said “I don’t care if you trust me or not.  We gotta do something about those crows, for the sake of that cat that Starlight was talking about.”

Wanda and Sunset were able to run outside the building, where they saw a baby cat, one with light blue/white fur, a blue mane, and magenta eyes, run for her life.  Behind her, was a flock of crows, chasing her like she was an appetizer.
“That baby cat is gonna get killed,”  Sunset said with fear in her eyes.
“Not on my watch,”  Wanda yelled.  Without a second thought, her insect wings sprouted on her back, and she took off flying.
“Wanda, get back here,”  Sunset said.  But it was too late.  
Wanda flew up to the crows as they were pecking at the baby cat.  The birds were relentless as the Baby Cat struggled to keep running from those crazed ravens.  The Baby Cat suddenly tripped and fell onto her belly.  She turned around and saw those crows flying towards her.  She let out a shrieking meow as those crows continued to peck at her.
“GET AWAY FROM THAT CAT,”  Wanda yelled as a pulse of magic emits from her body.  The pulse hits the crows and startled them.  They turned towards Wanda and began to dive right to the young girl.  Normally, this is where one would run away.  But Wanda was already fired up from the mere sight of a Baby Cat being picked on, and she was more than ready to cut loose.
Back at the entrance of the building, Sunset was still shocked by Wanda’s recklessness as Danged Spell, Twilight, Moondancer and Sunburst ran outside with Starlight hiding behind the doorway.
“What happened?”  Moondancer asked.
“It’s Wanda,”  Sunset said to Moondancer.  “She went after the crows that were picking on a Baby Cat.”
Sunburst turned to Starlight and said “Guess you weren’t kidding when you said that there were crows picking on a Baby Cat.”  But all Starlight could do was hide behind the doorway, hoping not to be spotted by the crows.  Twilight stood by the twin-tailed filly as Starlight hid underneath.
“It’s okay, Starlight,”  Twilight said as she reached her hoof out.  I’m here to protect you from those bad birds.”
Starlight looked at Twilight’s hoof and Sunburst as well, who was giving her an assuring nod.  Starlight reached out to grab Twilight’s hoof, 
Suddenly, Starlight hears what sounds like the call of crows directly behind her.  She turns her head and sees a flock of crows flying towards her.  Somehow, they got through an open window and were flying into the school.  They were in a dead aim towards Starlight and the group. 
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”  Starlight screamed as she made a run for it, bolting out the doorway and into the open field of the school.
“Starlight, come back,”  Twilight yelled.  She turned her head and saw the crows flying towards them.
“I got this,”  Danged Spell said as he ran up in front of the crows that were flying towards the group.
Danged Spell stared at the crows as they inched closer and closer.  Moondancer, Sunburst, Twilight and Sunset couldn’t do anything, but stare in fear as those crows came closer and closer to them.  But Danged Spell was undeterred.  He instead closed his eyes and charged up the magic in his horn.
“Spell, are you crazy?”  Sunburst said.  “You’ll get yourself pecked, badly.”
“Well that’s the thing,”  Danged Spell said as he opened his eyes.  “I’ve been pecked before and I’m not gonna let it happen again.”
As the crows homed in on the group, Danged Spell unleashed a magical pulse from his horn.  The pulse was enough to addle the crows, causing them to fly in the opposite direction and back out the window from where they came from.  Everyone else was shocked at what Danged Spell just did.
“Did you just see that?”  Twilight said as she was amazed by Danged Spell’s magic.
“No time to explain,”  Danged Spell said as he turned his head towards a scared Starlight Glimmer, who was hiding behind a nearby tree.  Everyone else did the same thing, watching as Starlight was shaking with fear.
“Starlight,”  Sunburst yelled. “It’s okay.  Danged Spell drove off the crows.”
But as Starlight continued to hide behind the tree, still shaken from nearly being pecked by a flock of crows, something startled her.  Wanda flew past her, holding the Baby Cat in her arms.  Right behind Wanda was a flock of crows chasing her.  Those crows were enough to cause Starlight to hide behind the tree.
“Get away you mean ol magpies,”  Wanda yelled as she struggled to hang onto the Baby Cat.  Those crows were catching up to the man’s cub, willing to peck at both her and the little tabby.  One of them pulled on Wanda’s wings, causing her to scream and lose control of her flight.
“WANDA!”  Sunset yelled as she was helpless to watch Wanda fall down and crash nearby.  She shrieked as those crows were flying towards Wanda, ready to peck at her.  Nearby, Starlight could do nothing, but hide behind the tree.  
But suddenly, Starlight felt a painful tap on her back.  She turned around and saw a crow squawking mad at her and continued to peck at her backside.  Freaking out, Starlight ran from the tree and towards the group, crying her eyes out.
Sunburst saw Starlight running towards them and yelled out “Starlight, over here.”  He wasted no time raising his hooves into the air as Starlight tackled Sunburst to the ground and held onto him for dear safety.
“She’s alright,”  Danged Spell said to Sunset Shimmer.  “Let’s do this.”
Danged Spell and Sunset Shimmer both cast a barrier spell, blocking out the crows from getting inside with the intent to peck at them.
“Is she alright?”  Sunset said as Starlight held onto Sunburst for dear life.
“She’s been hurt,”  Twilight said as she looked at the peck wounds on Starlight’s backside.
Sunset turns back to focusing on the barrier and said to herself “Wanda, please be okay.”
Wanda was still trying to recover from losing her flight.  She looked down and saw the baby cat crying in pain.  She had suffered badly from the fall.  Wanda then looked up and saw the crows were flying towards her, with the intent on pecking her with their razor sharp beaks.
Wanda's eyes turned into determination when she yelled out "GET AWAY FROM US!"  Without a second thought, a burst of a mystical green magic emits from her like a powerful barrier.  The crows who got  caught in the radius of the magic barrier were knocked back by the force.  The flash of the barrier caught the attention of the unicorns.
“What in the world?”  Sunburst said as he saw the flash of magic nearby.  But as this flash dissipated, the crows that were on the verge of pecking Wanda were flying off.  The magic that Wanda let loose was enough to drive them away.
“I think she’s got things under control,”  Sunset said as she and Danged Spell began to lower the magic barrier.
As Wanda was getting up, she saw the crows flying away, scared off by her use of magic.  It was a relief to her, as she was nearly pecked by those ravenous birds.  She got up onto her two feet, all while holding onto the Baby Cat.  It was good that she made it unscathed.  But as she looked at the Baby Cat, it appears the tabby was not only scared, but seriously hurt.  The fall that Wanda suffered also bruised the kitten, and all she could do was cry in pain.
“Oh no,”  Wanda said as the Baby Cat cried in pain.  “What am I going to do?”
As Wanda looked at the Baby Cat with worry on her face, the unicorns ran up to Wanda, surprised by her use of magic.  Even Sunset Shimmer, who knew Wanda since she was a baby, was surprised by her skill.
“That….was….AWESOME!”  Danged Spell said to Wanda, impressed by her skills in magic. “I never knew you to be skilled in that level of magic.”
“Wait,”  Sunset said to Danged Spell as her focus is on the Baby Cat that Wanda was holding onto.  “Something’s wrong with the kitty Wanda rescued.”
Starlight, still in pain from the peck she got from a random crow, slowly walked up to the Baby Cat in Wanda’s arms.  As she reached out to check the kitten’s health, Moondancer walked up to Starlight and touched her hoof.
“Careful,”  Moondancer said to Starlight.  “You’ve already suffered from those crows.”
“I know,”  Starlight said.  “But I feel sad for this cat.”
“What is going on here?”  That voice came from Princess Celestia as everyone turned their heads towards her.  She had come out from the school building, concerned about the safety of the students.
Wanda approached Princess Celestia holding the Baby Cat.  She said “Mommy, something’s wrong with this kitten.   It was hurt by a bunch of bad crows.”
Celestia looked at the Baby Cat, and noticed that she was in bad shape.  Not only was the Baby Cat bruised badly, but she was crying her eyes out from the bad experience.  And that was enough to trouble the Prime Princess of Equestria.
“Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I want you and the others to come with me to the nursing facility.  We’re going to fix her up and make her better.”
“Will she be alright?”  Twilight said to Princess Celestia.
“I hope so,”  Celestia said to Twilight.  “And I’m glad you all were able to come to its defense.  Now come, there is no time to waste.”
Without a second thought, Wanda held onto the Baby Cat and she followed Celestia back into the school building.  Following her was Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Sunburst and a badly injured Starlight Glimmer.  Moondancer walked alongside Starlight as she was still in pain from that attack by a crow.  
No doubt about it.  All six unicorn kids, the man’s cub, and even Princess Celestia now had their focus on the fate of the Baby Cat.


To be continued in…


Heal the Wounded

> Arc 2-4: Heal the Wounded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Heal the Wounded




“AHHHHHHHH!”  That scream came from Starlight Glimmer in the nurse’s office.  Inside, Starlight winced in pain as Princess Luna applied some rubbing alcohol on her back.  
“It’s alright, young one,”  Princess Luna said as she treated the wound on Starlight’s back.  “We’re going to have you fixed up in no time.”
“But it stings,”  Starlight cried as Luna continued to fix up the wound on her back.
“Still can’t believe that crows would go around like this,”  Princess Luna said as she applied some topical ointment on Starlight’s back.  “Normally, they would be docile.  But the way they attacked was very unusual.”
“Unusual is an understatement.”  That came from Danged Spell, who was alongside Moondancer, Sunburst, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.  They were all worried for Starlight’s well-being, considering the stings that were on her back.  
“What were all those crows doing in the school grounds?”  Moondancer asked.
“Even I have no idea youngling,”  Princess Luna said as she wrapped Starlight’s back in a bandage.  “I am familiar with the crow species, but I have never seen them as hostile as what you all told me.”
Luna's words were enough to worry Sunburst.  He jumps up to the bed that Starlight was lying down on and put his arm around her neck.
"Starlight,"   Sunburst said as Starlight hugged him tight.  "I don't want anything bad to happen to you.  What would have happened if those crows got the best of you?  What would our folks say?"  Starlight could do nothing, but cry tears of joy as she continued to hug Sunburst.
As Sunset, Twilight,  Moondancer and Danged Spell watched on, the young brash colt said "Considering what we went through, that's nothing to crow about."
Princess Luna stared at Danged Spell and said "I appreciate your sense of humor.  But right now, I don't think now is the time for that."
           "I wasn't trying to be funny," Danged Spell said.  "Right now, I am a bit shaken up from what those crows tried to do to Starlight and this Wanda character."
           "We all are," Twilight said as she gave Danged Spell a noogie to cheer him up.
           "I wonder how she's doing," Sunset said as she was concerned for Wanda's well-being.
           "She's alright." Princess Luna said to Sunset.  "She's more concerned about that kitten she rescued."

           In another nurse's office that is separated from where Luna and the unicorn juveniles are, Wanda, Princess Celestia and a young mare named Nurse Redheart are monitoring the conditions of the Baby Cat.  The kitten was breathing slowly as she continued to suffer through the wounds she got from the crows.
           "How is she, nurse?" Wanda asked as she worries for the kitten's survival.
           "I don't know if she will make it," Nurse Redheart said.  "This one's been badly hurt by those crows.  It would be a miracle if she survived."
“But….I don’t want her to die,”  Wanda cried as she looked at the Baby Cat, who was still in a lot of pain.
“Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I know you want to save her.  But I don’t know if there is anything we can do about it.”
“She’s right,”  Nurse Redheart said.  “We’re doing the best we can to save this kitten.  But even our best may not be enough.”
“I don’t care,”  Wanda cried as she held out the palm of her right hand.  “She didn’t deserve it.”
“Wanda, don’t,”  Celestia yelled as she knew what Wanda was gonna do.  
“I’m sorry mommy,”  Wanda cried as bright green magic drifted from the palm of her hand towards the Baby Cat.  
Princess Celestia attempted to grab Wanda, trying to hold her back.  But the moment she touched Wanda with her hooves, the Alicorn Princess screamed out in pain as she was forced to let go.
“Princess, you mustn't,”  Nurse Redheart said as she took off the slippers from her front hooves.  There were slight burn marks on the flat surface of the hooves, obviously from her attempt at grabbing Wanda.
“But that’s my daughter,”  Celestia cried as she watched Wanda continue to feed her magic into the injured Baby Cat.  “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”
“There’s nothing you can do, your majesty,”  Nurse Redheart protested. “This is also for your sake.”
“To Tatarus with my sake,”  Celestia said as she reached out for Wanda again, and once again she screamed in pain as she touched Wanda.  But this time, she wouldn’t let go.
“Princess,”  Nurse Redheart screamed.  “LET GO, THIS INSTANT!”
As Celestia suffered in pain from trying to stop Wanda, the young girl’s magic flowed into the Baby Cat.  The wounds around the kitten’s body began to shrink and disappear, and she began to regain some of her strength.
“Oh my,”  Nurse Redheart said as she was amazed by how the Baby Cat was being healed.   “I have never seen magic like that before.”
And with that, the magic dissipated as the Baby Cat came to, as if nothing had happened to her.  She looked around, confused at where she was at, before looking down at Wanda, who was now lying on the floor.  The young girl looked completely exhausted as she was sweating at the forehead.  Princess Celestia was wincing in pain as she held onto Wanda, crying out for her.
“Wanda...Wake up,”  Celestia said as she looked into Wanda’s face, still hurting from touching her daughter.  “Please wake up, Wanda…..WANDAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Later that day, Wanda was laying down on the bed in the same office.   Her eyes began to open, and she turned to see Princess Celestia with bandages covering her front hooves.
“Wanda,”  Celestia said as she was finally relieved.  “You’re alright.”
Wanda slowly got up and said “Mommy, I knew I could.”
Suddenly, the Baby Cat leaped onto bed and began to cuddle around Wanda.  A show of appreciation for everything she did to her?  Wanda couldn’t help, but smile.
As Wanda picked up the kitten and cuddled her, Celestia got up, still relieved from knowing that her daughter was alright.  She then said “You gave me quite a scare, Wanda.  I thought you were done for.”
“Done for?”  Wanda asked.
“You exhausted yourself with all that magic,”  Celestia explained as a tear fell from her eye, still shocked from the experience.  “I know you wanted to save the kitten you rescued.  But you pushed yourself too hard.  And I was really worried.”
“I…”  Wanda said as she began to cry.  “I didn’t want it to die.” 
“And I didn’t want to lose you either,”  Celestia said as she put her hoof around Wanda, only to let go after she felt a sting in her hoof.
“And I didn’t want to have a sister who can’t rule.”  That voice came from Princess Luna, who had been watching all this time.  Next to here was Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell.  
“She’s got a point, your majesty,”  Nurse Redheart said as she gave Wanda a special electrolyte drink.  “I know you were concerned for your daughter.  But you gave your sister and the younglings quite a scare.”
“I guess it runs in the family,”  Celestia said as Wanda drank her drink.  “Even after more than a thousand years of ruling, there are some things I still need to learn.  Like how to be a parent without overdoing it.”
“You’re not the only one who still has things to learn, sis,”  Princess Luna said as she walked up to Celestia.  “Even I have problems figuring out what new inventions come out.”
As Celestia and Luna began to talk with each other, Sunset Shimmer jumped onto the Nurse Bed and sat right next to Wanda, all while the Baby Cat rubbed her side against Wanda’s arm.
“Can’t believe you saved her like that,”  Sunset said.
“If I could make plants grow from a seed,”  Wanda said to Sunset.  “Then I could heal the wounds from anything.”
“But it’s like what mommy said,”  Sunset replied.  “You don’t need to overdo it.  I don’t want to lose a great sister like you.”
“Oh Sunset,”  Wanda giggled.  But suddenly, she felt a slight scratch at her arm.  Wanda turns around and sees the Baby Cat rubbing her paw on her arm.  It seems she wants attention.
“I think she’s attracted to you,”  Sunset said to Wanda as she looked at the Baby Cat.
“You’re telling me,”  Wanda said, before noticing a locket pendant on the Baby’s Cat’s collar.  Engraved on the pendant was a pentagram carving.  This caught Wanda’s attention.
“What in the world is this?”  Wanda said as she pressed the button on the side of the Baby Cat’s locket.  The locket opens up and inside, was a message of some sort.  Despite the size of the text, Wanda could make out what it said.
“Please look after my cat, Abigail Albright.”  Wanda said as she read the message.  She said to Sunset.  “Abigail?”  That’s her name?”
Wanda turns to the Baby Cat Abigail Albright, who meows to her with enthusiasm.  Seems she enjoys that name.
“But who would be the owner of Abigail?”  Sunset asked.
Wanda looked at the message engraved on the locket.  On the bottom part, there is a name that says ‘Amadeus.’  
“Amadeus?” Wanda said as she was curious about the name.  “Who’s Amadeus?”
As Wanda looked away from Abigail, she noticed that everyone else that wasn’t on the bed was looking at her and Sunset.  This was true for Celestia, who’s mood had changed since observing Wanda being attracted by Abigail.
“Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Since you are responsible for saving this cat’s life...or rather Abigail’s life,  how would you like to have her as a companion?”
“Would I?”  Wanda said as her face beamed with excitement.
“Why not?”  Sunset said to Wanda.  “We could always use one more in the castle.”
“I”LL DO IT!”  Wanda yelled as she places Abigail aside before jumping onto Celestia and giving her a big hug.  Celestia placed her hooves around Wanda, only to remove them due to how painful it was.
“You know what, sis?”  Luna told Celestia.  “I think I should fill in while you recover.”
“Fine,”  Celestia laughed as Wanda lets go of her.  “But you do realize that I heal fast as an Alicorn.”
As Wanda landed her feet on the floor, Sunset and Abigail jumped off the bed and landed right next to her.  They were eager to finish off their first day at school with their new friends.
“Come on, Children,”  Luna said to Wanda and the other unicorns.  “I’ll be subbing in for Princess Celestia for the rest of this day.”

Later on, Princess Luna is leading Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Moondancer, Sunburst and Danged Spell down the hallway and towards the classroom.  However, Danged Spell is pretty excited, as he can’t stop walking right next to Wanda.
“I can’t believe you did that,”  Danged Spell said to Wanda.  “You must be way past cool.”
“And here I thought you had a problem with Wanda,”  Moondancer joked at Danged Spell.
“Give him a rest,”  Sunburst said to Moondancer.  “He’s learned his lesson.  Besides, with those crows, we went through a whole lot worse.”
“Yeah,”  Starlight said, who’s mood has become a bit optimistic.  “I think we do make great friends.”
“Well,”  Twilight said as she marched behind Luna.  “As my mother use to say, Friendship is Magic.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,”  Sunset said to Twilight.  “Mommy and Auntie Luna use to tell me and Wanda this.  As a Family, we are one together.”
“That’s a really interesting quote, Sunset.”  Twilight said to Sunset Shimmer.
“Friends, family, all that matters is that we’re close together,”  Wanda said as Abigail leaped into her arms.
“I think she’s right,”  Danged Spell said as he looked at Wanda.  “After all, when it comes to being friends or family, we’re not here to horse around.”
“Danged Spell,” Wanda and the other unicorn children said in a collective groan.
“Aww come on,”  Danged Spell said.  “At least I’m trying to keep us all happy.”
“You know,”  Moondancer joked.  “I think I liked you better when you were mean spirited.”
“Real funny, Moondancer,”  Danged Spell said in a sarcastic tone.
“Now now, children,”  Princess Luna said as they were approaching the classroom.  “Let’s save our behavior for when class is over.”
Yes Miss Luna,”  The younglings all said.

But outside of the school grounds, the crows that attacked Abigail were flying off in one direction, towards a bell tower.  Atop in the belfry of the tower, a stallion in dark arctic-blue robes observed the crows coming towards him.  He lets out an arm for one to perch on, as he grinned with a sinister smile.
“So that’s the bloody power of the man’s cub,” The mysterious stallion said.  “For one who is foreign to this world, she has raw power unlike anything.  Her sacrifice would be a perfect toast to bring in the age of the Windigos.  And when that day comes, no warmth, not even friendship, will protect any from the harsh cold that will blanket Equestria.  And that goes double for the Royal Sisters.”
The mysterious stallion lets out a chuckle as he turns around and walks deeper into the belfry, waiting for the right moment to strike.


To be continued in….


Arc 3: The Windigo’s Guild 


Prepare for Trouble and Make it Double.

> Arc 3(The Windigo's Guild)-1: Prepare for Trouble and Make it Double
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 3: The Windigo’s Guild


Prepare for Trouble and Make it Double



It was a bit into the afternoon at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Inside one of the classes, Princess Luna was teaching the students, taking over for Princess Celestia as she healed up.  The seats were similar, except Danged Spell had switched seats with another to be closer to Wanda and the other unicorns.
“Now class,”  Princess Luna said.  “I’ll be filling in for Princess Celestia for the time being.  That being said, I will have my own lessons to teach you.  One example is the world of dreams that I take on while Equestria sleeps at night.  The other subject I’ll talk about is Outer Space.  The very area beyond our planet is a mystery to us.”
Luna then noticed Danged Spell raising his left arm in the air.  She says to him “Yes, Danged Spell?”
Danged Spell puts his hoof down and says “Is it true that space is very gassy?”
Most of the students let out a collective groan and say “Danged Spell.”  Except for Moondancer, who was covering her head in embarrassment.
“Uggh,”  Moondancer said to herself.  “Space puns.  I hate space puns.”
Luna kept a smile on her face and said “Well….you could say that.”  She then uses her magic to create the illusion of a star.  This caught everyone’s attention, especially Moondancer.
“Wow,”  Moondancer said as she was awe struck by the illusion.
“Stars are orbs of plasma held together by their own gravity,”  Luna said.  “What keeps them shining is a mix of hydrogen into helium at the core.  The sun that lights our way, is also considered a star.  Some stars are said to be even bigger, like the Giant and the Supergiant.”
“I am enjoying this moment,”  Moondancer said as she continued to hear Luna’s lecture on stars.  “Everything about stars is so fascinating.”
“That’s just a small sample of what I plan on teaching,”  Luna said.  “But I’m glad Danged Spell brought this subject up.  After all, when it comes to stars, I am very...sirius.”
That left the class in another collective groan as they all yelled “Princess Luna.”  Once again, Moondancer was covering her head in embarrassment.
“And I had such high hopes for this,”  Moondancer said.  “I really hate space puns.”
“Well I think that rocked your world,”  Danged Spell whispered to Moondancer.
“Oh shut up,”  Moondancer said as she continued to cover her face.
Luna looked at the class and said “What?  Just because I’m a teacher doesn’t mean I can’t be a class clown like my sister.”  Luna then zaps the illusion, causing it to disappear without a trace.  She then says  “And that is a small sample of what I will teach, ether in my sister’s absence, or when I’m freely available.  Is there any other questions you wish to ask?”
Twilight Sparkle raised her left arm into the air, eager to ask a question.
“Yes, Twilight?”  Luna said.
“What is life like being the sister of Princess Celestia?”  Twilight said as she was excited to ask her questions.  “Also, what is the dream realm like?  Do you both enjoy hanging out together?  Also, what’s it like to be an aunt to two of my friends?  Do you foalsit them often?”
Most of the students laughed really hard.  Princess Luna, Wanda and Sunset turned beet red in embarrassment.  Wanda could do nothing, but hide under the desk and covered her face behind a sleeping Abigail.  Sunset covered her own face with her hooves.  As for Princess Luna, she had to maintain her composure over that embarrassing reaction.
“Okay,”  Princess Luna said as she let out a raspberry.  “That was too much for me to handle.”
Underneath her desk, Wanda stuck her head out from behind Abigail and glared coldly at Twilight Sparkle, who only blushed with embarrassment.  Sunset continued to hide her face behind her hooves, barely peeking her eyes out.

Later that day, we see Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Moondancer and Sunburst walking out of the school and into the streets of Canterlot City.  Their first day of school was over and they were happy to have the rest of the day to themselves.  But Wanda and Sunset were a little upset at Twilight over the debacle they had early ago in class.  
“You know,”  Wanda said to Twilight.  “You could have just asked us about mommy and Auntie Luna after class.”
“Yeah,”  Sunset said to Twilight.  “We felt like the laughing stock of the school.”
“I couldn’t help it,”  Twilight said to both Wanda and Sunset.  “I wanted to know more about everything related to your mommy and auntie.”
“Give her a break, guys,”  Sunburst said to Sunset and Wanda.  “Besides, we’re out in the open and we have time to relax.”
“You’re right, Sunburst,”  Wanda said as Abigail leaped into her open arms.  Wanda stroked Abigail on the back as she said “At least I don’t have to worry about that meanie Cinch for now.”
“I heard she may be coming back from her Manehattan delegation,”  Sunset set to Wanda, causing her to be a bit nervous.  “In fact, I think she might be back by now.”
“What’s with her?”  Twilight asked Sunset.
“She’s afraid of the Chancellor,”  Sunset replied. 
Starlight looked at Wanda, who was continuing to shake nervously.  Abigail was becoming bothered by Wanda’s shaking that she leaped off her arms.
“Uhh, Wanda,”  Starlight said as she poked her on the shoulder.  “I think Abigail doesn’t like that.”
“I’m sorry,”  Wanda said nervously.  “But that name just gives me chills.  She’s a big meanie to me.”
Sunset goes up to Starlight and says “Wanda is afraid of Cinch because of how she treats her.  It’s like she’s completely foreign to her.”
“Ohhhhh,”  Starlight said, understanding what Sunset said to her.  “I’d be afraid if someone looked down at me like that.”
Moondancer walked up to Sunset and said “By the way.  Where is that class clown Danged Spell?”
“I don’t know,”  Sunset said.  “He’d said he would meet us outside.”
“Well I don’t know what that joker is up to,”  Moondancer said as she turned her head upwards.  “In fact, I bet he’s waiting to lure us into a trap and…”
But before Moondancer could finish, a water balloon flies out of nowhere and hits her in the face, splashing water all over her.  Moondancer was drenched in water and shocked by that ambush.
“DANGED SPELL,”  Moondancer yelled as she heard laughing in the distance.
Wanda, Abigail and the other unicorns turned their heads to see Danged Spell nearby.  He had two buckets filled with Water Balloons, looking like he wanted to play with them.
“What was that for?” Sunset yelled.
“Relax, Sunset,”  Danged Spell said.  “I’m only here to play.”
Danged Spell lifts one of the water balloon buckets to the group and lowers it down right next to Wanda.  He took two steps with a smug look on his face.
“Hello there, Wanda,”  Danged Spell said.  “Wanna play water balloon fight with me?”
“Oh you bet,”  Wanda said with a smug look on her face.
“Don’t do it, Wanda,”  Sunset said out of caution.  “For all I know, he’s gonna lure you into a trap.”
“A trap?”  Danged Spell laughed.  “Oh no no no no no. I’m not here for any kind of trap.  I’m just here for a simple game of water balloons.  In fact, I’ll let Wanda here throw her first balloon at my face, and I won’t dodge it at all.  Promise.”
Wanda looked down at the water balloons in the bucket and proceeds to pick one up.  She looks at the smug face of Danged Spell, all while he stands there, doing nothing at all.
“I’d think twice before throwing that, Wanda,”  Moondancer whispered at Wanda.  “He could dodge it and retaliate with water balloons of his own.”
“I’ll take that chance,”  Wanda said as she wound up her arm, ready to throw the balloon at Danged Spell’s face.
Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Moondancer and Sunburst could do nothing, but watch as Wanda prepared to throw the water balloon.  Abigail, realizing what was about to happen, ran up to a nearby grocery stand and hid behind it, hoping to not get hit.
Wanda proceeded to throw the water balloon at Danged Spell.  Everyone gasped, fearing for the worse as the balloon flew right towards the smug colt’s face.
KA-SPLASH!
The Water Balloon hit Danged Spell right in the face, breaking apart and drenching him completely.  He also lost his footing and fell to the ground.  Everyone looked in complete surprise while Abigail peeked out from behind the cart.
“HAH!”  Wanda yelled.  “I did it.  I nailed him.”
“I don’t believe it,”  Moondancer said as she was surprised that Danged Spell didn’t dodge the balloon.  “He actually took it head on?”
Danged Spell laughed it off as he got up.  He flicked the water out of his mane and looked at Wanda with a smug grin.
“I told you I’d let her first water balloon at my face,”  Danged Spell said.  “And a promise, is a promise.  I just wanted to show her how much fun it is to play this game.”  Danged Spell picked up another water balloon, looking ready to throw it at her face. 
“So,”  Danged Spell continued.  “You up for a round or two?”
“Bring it, buckeroo,”  Wanda said.
Danged Spell proceeded to throw the water balloon at Wanda.  This time, Wanda ducked and the water balloon flew right past her, and hit Sunset Shimmer in the face, soaking her completely in water.
“You did that on purpose you big palooka,”  Sunset yelled.
“I wasn’t aiming at you, toots,”  Danged Spell said.  “I was aiming at your sister.  She can dodge better than you can.”
“Okay,”  Sunset said as she grabbed a water balloon with her magic.  “You asked for it.”
Sunset Shimmer threw the water balloon at Danged Spell.  But unlike the last one, Danged Spell just sidestepped, dodging the balloon as it hits an empty part of the street.
“Nice try,”  Danged Spell said as he threw two water balloons at Sunset and Wanda.
Without warning, Twilight and Moondancer grabbed water balloons and fired it at Danged Spell.  Wanda and Sunset continued to fire off water balloons, hoping to peg Danged Spell.  Some of the balloons were hitting the colt.  Others not so much.
Meanwhile, Starlight and Sunburst were hiding behind the bushes, hoping not to get hit.
“Is this their idea of a fun time?”  Starlight said as she nervously hid from the volley of water balloons.
“The ponies of Canterlot are definitely on the wild side,”  Sunburst said as he held Starlight tight.
Nearby, Abigail was hiding behind the grocery stand, still trying to protect herself from the water balloons.  Suddenly, a stray water balloon hits Abigail in the rear area, causing her to freak out and run into the direction of bush where Starlight and Sunburst are hiding.
As Abigail leaped into the bush, she leaped into Starlight’s chest and hid her face.
“Looks like Abigail doesn’t like water balloons,”  Sunburst said to Starlight.
“Tell me about it,”  Starlight said as she held onto Abigail.
As Wanda, Sunset, Twilight and Moondancer were pelting Danged Spell with water balloons, the brash colt leaped out of the water balloon volley and landed nearby.  He pointed a water balloon at Wanda and pulled back on the stopper.
“You’re all washed up, kid,”  Danged Spell said as he snapped the stopper, sending the water balloon flying at Wanda.
Realizing that the Water Balloon was coming towards her face, Wanda ducked as the balloon flew overhead.  She looked up, then began to freak out.
“Oh no,”  Wanda yelled.
Nearby, Chancellor Abacus Cinch was walking down, having returned from Manehattan.  She overheard Wanda freaking out and turned her head towards the younglings.
KA-SPLASH!
The stray water balloon hit Chancellor Cinch square in the face, leaving her drenched in water.  Everyone looked at Chancellor Cinch in complete shock.  Especially Danged Spell, who was about to freak out.
“Pony feathers,”  Danged Spell said as he was completely nervous.  “I just hit the old hag with a water balloon.  Mom and Dad are going to ground me for this.”  Danged Spell proceeded to hide behind his hooves, waiting for the worse to come out.
“MAN’S CUB!”  Chancellor Cinch yelled, causing Danged Spell to peek out in confusion.   He looked up and saw Chancellor Cinch march up to Wanda, much to the troublemaker’s confusion.
“What the heck is going on?” Danged Spell said as he got up in confusion. 
Chancellor Cinch stared directly at Wanda, looking just as upset as ever. Wanda looked like she wanted to hide, but was scared to even move.
“What is the meaning of this?”  Chancellor Cinch yelled at Wanda.  “I told you to be on your best behavior during my time away at Manehattan this morning, and you had the gall to throw a water balloon at my face.”
“But I…”  Wanda said, trying to explain herself.  
“No buts.”  Cinch interrupted as she grabbed Wanda’s hand with her magic.  “We are going straight to the palace and explain this to your mother.”
With that, Cinch pulled Wanda with her magic and they walked off in the opposite direction.  Sunburst, Starlight and Abigail came out, watching as Chancellor Cinch took Wanda away.  Sunset looked very concerned for her younger sister.  Twilight and Moondancer were horrified at what Wanda was going through.  Even Danged Spell was in shock, with his jaw hanging down at what had happened.
“Wha...wha?”  Danged Spell said as he had problems getting the words out of his mouth.  “What just happened?  That was supposed to be me.  Can anyone explain what’s going on?”
“It’s how the Chancellor thinks,”  Sunset said to Danged Spell.  “She’s harsh on Wanda because of the fact that she’s not even of this world, and out of fear of what she could do.”
“Well I don’t care,”  Danged Spell said as he marched towards the direction of Cinch and Wanda.  “I’m going to go up to that old hag and set the record straight.  Even if it means being grounded for life.”
“Spell, wait,”  Sunset said.  But Danged Spell wasn’t listening.  He continued to march as Sunset, Twilight, Sunburst, Starlight, Moondancer and Abigail watched.
“Come on,”  Sunset said to the others.  “Let’s make sure he doesn’t get them into even more trouble.”

Meanwhile, Cinch continued to take Wanda towards the palace.  She was still upset at Wanda over the water balloon she got in her face.  Cinch stared at Wanda as the latter tried to cover her face with her arm.
“You have a lot to think about, Man’s cub,”  Cinch said to Wanda.  “I had high hopes for you, and you had to go and throw that in my face.”
“But I didn’t do it,”  Wanda cried.  “I swear.”
“You can explain that to your mother when we reach the palace,” Cinch said.
As they continued to walk, an eerie fog began to cover the streets of Canterlot City.  It wasn’t even the evening time, and there was no cloud in the sky.
“That’s strange,”  Cinch said as she took her eyes off Wanda and towards the fog.  “I don’t recall fog in today’s forecast.”
“Of course you didn't, governor.”  That voice came from inside the fog.  Cinch became a bit nervous as Wanda started to freak out.
“Get under me,”  Cinch said to Wanda.  “I’m not going to let any harm come to you.”
With no objection, Wanda hid underneath Cinch as the Chancellor stood her ground.  Emerging from the fog was a group of seven ponies wearing artic blue robes.  They walked slowly towards Chancellor Cinch and Wanda, surrounding them both so that they couldn't get away.
“The Windigos Guild,” Cinch said.  “You always cause trouble here in Canterlot.”
“You’re only half-right, Governor,”  One of the cultists said as he approached Cinch and proceeded to take the hood off of his robes.  He had an Ice Blue Coat, with a spiked white mane.  His eyes are the very colors of winter.
“Coldnelius Snap,”  Cinch said to the Windigos Guild cultist. “What do you want?”
“I came here because you have something that’s precious,”  Coldnelius Snap said to Cinch.  “Something like a man’s cub.  One that isn’t even….natural..”
“I will not give you the man’s cub,”  Cinch said as she kept a hoof on Wanda.  “All I know is that you want to bring the Windigos back to Equestria, and freeze us all to death.”
“That’s right,”  Coldnelius Snap said.  “And that girl’s magic will help our cause. So for your own sake, and for her sake, give us the man’s cub.”
“You will not take her,”  Cinch said, defiant to Coldnelius Snap’s demands.
“You have no choice,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Unless you want to experience an early winter in Canterlot, Governor.”
“What does he mean by an early winter?” Wanda said as she hid under Chancellor Cinch.
“It’s worse than you can imagine, child,” Chancellor Cinch said. “He wants to freeze me and all of Canterlot unless I turn you over.  And I have no intention of negotiating with ice cold zealots.”

Nearby behind a corner of a building, Danged Spell was observing the Windigos Guild cultists that surrounded Wanda and Chancellor Cinch.  He feared for what may happen to Wanda and Cinch.  But at the same time, he was also scared of the Windigos Guild.  Behind him, Sunset Shimmer was walking up to him.
“Danged Spell,”  Sunset said before Danged Spell silenced her and pointed to Cinch and Wanda being surrounded by the Windigos.
“I don’t like this,”  Danged Spell whispered to Sunset.  “Those ponies are bad news.”
Behind Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Abigail walked on up.  Sunset turned around and placed her hoof up, signaling them to be quiet, then pointed to the direction of Cinch, Wanda and the Windigos Guild.
“Who are those creeps?”  Starlight whispered as she looked from the corner.
“They’re called the Windigos Guild,”  Twilight said.  
“I’ve heard of those guys,”  Sunburst said.  “They’re goal is to bring back the Windigos and freeze the entire planet to sub-zero temperatures.”
“I wouldn’t call these villains cool.”  Danged Spell said as he was laser focused on the Windigos Guild.
“For an ice pun, I actually agree with you,”  Moondancer said as she was concerned for the sake of Cinch and Wanda.
Sunset turned to Twilight and said “Twilight, find my mommy Princess Celestia. She’ll know what to do.”
Twilight said “You got it.”  She ran off in the opposite direction, but quietly as to not attract the attention of the Windigos Guild.

Meanwhile, Coldnelius Snap continued to circle around Abacus Cinch, eyeing Wanda underneath the Chancellor.  Wanda was afraid, but the Chancellor was not deterred by Coldnelius Snap.
“We can do this all afternoon and into the blooming night, Governor,”  Coldnelius Snap said as the rest of the Windigos Guild laughed.
“Laugh all you want you hooligans,”  Cinch said.  “But you’re not getting your icy-cold hooves on the Man’s Cub.”
“Oh we already did,” Coldnelius Snap replied with a smirk on his face.
But before Cinch could reach, she heard a scream below her and a tug at her hoof.  She looked down and saw Wanda holding onto her right arm as one of the cult members was pulling her away.
“GET YOUR STINKIN HOOF OFF OF HER YOU DIRTY HOOLIGAN!”  Cinch yelled as she blasted the cult member aside with her magic, causing him to let go of Wanda.
As Wanda crawled back underneath Cinch, she gets pulled out by Coldnelius Snap’s ice-cold magic.  Cinch turns around and is helpless to watch as Coldnelius Snap holds Wanda up with his magic.
“Lookin’ for your granddaughter, Governor?”  Coldnelius Snap said as Wanda struggled to even move, no thanks to Coldnelius Snap’s magic.
“Let her go you monster,”  Cinch yelled as she looked poised to hit Coldnelius Snap with a magic spell.
“So,”  Coldnelius Snap said to Cinch.  “Yo actually care for the safety of the man’s cub? And to think, you act like some sort of racist towards this brat.”
“I may be harsh on her,”  Cinch said.  “But that is what I call tough love.  You would rather torment her for your own pleasure.”
“Ya know what?”  Coldnelius Snap said.  “That’s not a bad idea.”
And without a second thought, Coldnelius Snap gets out a riding crop and proceeds to whack the pavement of the street really hard, scaring Wanda.  Cinch’s jaw dropped in complete shock.
Tears flowed from Wanda’s eyes.  She tried to hold it in, but she cried really loud.  The loud noise of that riding crop, combined with being held captive by Coldnelius Snap, was enough to cause that child to cry really loud, as she was overwhelmed by the torment of the cultist leader.
“Hahahahahahaha,”  Coldnelius Snap laughed.  “See how the tears of a little man’s cub tremble with delight.”
“You’ll pay for this, monster,”  Cinch snarled. “Making her cry just for your own cold, twisted fantasy.”

Behind the building, Sunset, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Abigail’s jaws dropped to the ground, having witnessed what Coldnelius Snap did to Wanda that caused her to cry.
“That’s my sister,”  Sunset said as steam spouted out of her nose.
Starlight turned to Sunset and said “No.  You’ll get their attention.”
“I don’t care,”  Sunset said.  “No one hits my sister and gets away with it.”
But as Sunset was about to leap into the fray, she heard the sound of a growling, snarling dog.  She turned to Danged Spell and noticed something was odd with him.
“Danged Spell?”  Sunset said.
Danged Spell’s tone had changed completely.  Besides his voice, his eyes were completely white with a yellow glow around it.  His teeth were bare for everyone to see, and his pose indicates a wolf about to strike his prey.
“Spell?”  Starlight said.  “What’s gotten into you?”
“I’ve never seen him like this,”  Moondancer said, looking nervous at Danged Spell’s attitude
“Spell, snap out of it,”  Sunburst whispered.  Even Abigail tried to scratch at Danged Spell’s left hoof, hoping to knock some sense into him.
But Danged Spell ignored their cry.  His focus was on Coldnelius Snap and what he did to Wanda.  And his growls were becoming deeper and scarier.
“I don’t like this,” Starlight said as she hid behind Sunburst, fearing for both the cultists and Danged Spells’ change of attitude.

Meanwhile, outside of the entrance to the School of Gifted Unicorns, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had locked the front door, finally done with the day.
“Thanks for filling in for me, sister,”  Princess Celestia said to Princess Luna.
“Anytime,”  Princess Luna said.  “Though Twilight was a bit too much, considering her curiosity with your entire family.”
“Well that’s Twilight,” Princess Celestia laughed.  “She’s always a curious child.”
Luna looked to her right and then said “Well speaking of which, that must be her coming this way.  She looks troubled.”
Luna was right.  Twilight Sparkle was running as fast as she could towards Celestia and Luna, eager to tell them of the danger head.
“Princess Celestia,”  Twilight yelled as she was running short of breath.
“Twilight,”  Celestia said.  “You looked troubled, my faithful student.”
“It’s Wanda and the Chancellor,”  Twilight said as she regained her breath.  “A group of ponies called the Windigos Guild have them captured.”  Those words were enough to worry Celestia and Luna.
“We have a problem on our hooves,”  Celestia said to Luna as she picked up Twilight and placed her on her royal back.
“If what Twilight said is true,”  Luna replied.  “Then Wanda and Chancellor Cinch need our help.”
“Twilight,”  Celestia said.  “Could you direct us where to go?”
“I will,”  Twilight replied as she held onto Celestia.  “For your sake and for Wanda’s.”
Without hesitation, Celestia and Luna ran off in the direction that Twilight came from.  They knew they had to rescue Wanda and Cinch from the Windigos Guild, before anything horrible would happen to them.


To be continued in….


The Wolf’s Breath

> Arc 3-2: The Wolf's Breath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Wolf’s Breath



“You won’t get away with this,”  Chancellor Cinch said to Coldnelius Snap in defiance.  “Once word gets out of your act of terror, every guard in Equestria will hunt you down.”
Chancellor Cinch was still locking eyes with Coldnelius Snap, who was holding Wanda captive.  The little girl was crying her eyes out at the presence of the Windigo’s Guild Leader
“A bold choice of words, Governor,”  Coldnelius Snap said.  “But I'm afraid you know too much. Therefore, I have instructed my cultists to take ya captive and serve as a part of our sacrifice.”
Cinch stood her ground and said “I will never go with you.”
“Cultists,”  Coldnelius Snap commanded.  “Seize that witch.”
The Windigos Guild marched closer to Chancellor Cinch, who was quick to hold Wanda next to her.
“I dare you to try, monster,”  Cinch said as her horn lights up, ready to unleash a counterattack of her own.
Suddenly, everyone hears the sound of a dog growling.  They all turn their heads and see Danged Spell in a hunched posture, growling and baring his teeth.  He looked ready to pounce.
“’Well what do you know,”  Coldnelius Snap laughed. “This juvenile delinquent thinks he’s a mongrel.”
The members of the Windigos Guild laughed at Danged Spell, finding his presence completely ridiculous.  But Danged Spell did not flinch.  Instead, he took a couple of steps forward, continuing to growl and bare his teeth.
“I got this brat,”  one member of the WIndigos Guild said to Coldnelius Snap as he approached Danged Spell.  “I mean look.  What harm can one mutt do to us?”
As the lone member took out one hoof and pretended to pet Danged Spell like he were a dog, the young proceeded to bite the cultist in the hoof, digging his teeth into his skin.
“AHHHHHH!”  The cultist yelled as he shook Danged Spell off his hoof.  “That kid bit me.”
“Quit messing around and collar that mutt of a brat”  Coldnelius Snap yelled as Wanda looked on at Danged Spell.
“Oh, I will,”  The cultist yelled as he took out a whip with the intent on smacking Danged Spell with it. “This is what happens to kids who oppose us.”
But without warning, Danged Spell grabs the cultist by the bottom seams of his robes and pulled him, yanking the cultist and sending him flying through a window.  Everyone was shocked to see how Danged Spell dispatched that cultist.
“What kind of devil dog is he?”  Another Windigos Guild cultist said, freaking out.
“Forget the blooming Governor for now.,”  Coldnelius Snap yelled.  “Get that beast of a colt.”
The Windigos Guild charged at Danged Spell, looking to get their ice cold hooves on him.  But Danged Spell darted right past them, aiming to leap at Coldnelius Snap.
“Get away you flea-bitten bogey,”  Coldnelius Snap yelled as Danged Spell leaped onto the cultist leader and pinned him down, barking like mad in his face.  The force of Danged Spell’s knock down was enough to release Coldnelius Snap’s hold on Wanda.
“Let’s get out of here,”  Chancellor Cinch yelled before grabbing Wanda by the shirt with her teeth and made a run towards the direction Danged Spell came from.
“AFTER THEM,”  Coldnelius Snap yelled before tossing Danged Spell aside with his magic. He then said  “Don’t let those two get away,” as he got up and chased after Wanda and Chancellor Cinch with his own cultists following right behind him.
But Danged Spell wasn’t knocked out.  He got up from being knocked aside, shook himself off, and chased after the Windigos Guild, barking wildly and growling with his teeth laid bare.
Nearby, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Moondancer, Sunburst and Abigail were in complete shock, seeing what Danged Spell did and the fact that he’s pursuing the Windigos Guild.
“What...just happened?” Starlight said.
“If that was Danged Spell,”  Moondancer said in confusion.  “Why did he just behave like a dog?”
“Nevermind that,”  Sunset yelled.  “We need to make sure he’s alright.  Come.”
Without warning, Sunset, Starlight, Moondancer, Sunburst and Abigail ran off in the direction that Danged Spell went down, determined to keep up with the colt who now thinks he’s a dog.

Up in front, Chancellor Cinch continued to run like her life depended on it.  She still held Wanda up with her teeth, hoping not to drop her.  Looking back was not an option for the Chancellor.  All she could do was focus on staying ahead and not looking back.
“What was up with Danged Spell?”  Wanda asked.
Chancellor Cinch threw Wanda upwards before leaping up and catching her with her back.  She then lands on the ground and runs again, with Wanda holding on tight.
“That is the Wolf’s Breath Curse,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she ran as fast as she could.  “A Unicorn who is born with it will always behave like a wolf when a loved one is threatened.  They lose all access to their magic, and in some cases, their control.  But they gain an increase in physical strength, as well as an increase in instinct.”
“Isn’t there some cure for this...Wolf’s Breath?”  Wanda said as she held on.
“No,”  Chancellor Cinch replied.  “There is no known cure, nor a way to prevent it.  Furthermore, no amount of science or magic can understand why it happens.”
“I hope he doesn’t do anything reckless,”  Wanda said as she became worried for Danged Spell’s well-being.
“I’d worry more about how those hooligans are going to fare against a Wolf’s Breath Colt,”  Cinch said with a smirk.  “It’s a shame there isn’t an Alicorn who was born with Wolf’s Breath.  Imagine what they would go through if that existed.”
As Cinch rode on with Wanda on her back, the man’s cub said to herself “An alicorn with this….Wolf’s Breath Curse?  What if sister Cadance or Aunt Luna had this curse?  What if mommy did?  But...they’re too nice to have something like that.”

Meanwhile, Sunset, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Abigail were running as fast as they could, trying to catch up to Danged Spell as that colt was chasing down the Windigos Cultists.  Starlight struggled to stay with the pack.
“Starlight,”  Sunset said as she noticed Starlight was slowing down.  “Are you alright?
“I don’t think….I can keep up,”  Starlight said as she began to slow down.  “Go without me.”	
“No,”  Sunset said to Starlight.  “I’m not letting you go.”
“Just keep up,”  Starlight said as she fell behind the pack.  “I’ll try to find Twilight and Princess Celestia.”
Starlight came to a stop as Sunset, Abigail, Sunburst and Moondancer continued to chase Danged Spell.  Sunset looked behind and  was about to call off her pursuit to check up on Starlight.  Sure she was concerned for her sister Wanda.  But she was also willing to help a friend in need.
Suddenly, Abigail turned around and ran in the opposite direction, running straight towards Starlight.  Sunset breathed a sigh of relief, all while Abigail ran up to Starlight and gave her a hug.  
“Abigail,”  Sunset thought to herself.  “You take care of Starlight Glimmer.”
Starlight gave a wink to Sunset as the latter and her companions ran off into the distance.

Not far behind, Abigail was licking Starlight’s face to at least keep her content as the twin-tailed unicorn filly was resting up.  As she cuddled Abigail, she noticed a shadow flying nearby.  She looked up and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna fly down towards her.  Twilight Sparkle was still holding onto Celestia by the time both princesses touched down.
“Starlight Glimmer,”  Celestia said as she landed near Starlight.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,”  Starlight said as she got back up on her four hooves.  “But those Windigo baddies ran off that way in pursuit of Wanda and the meanie hag.  Also, Danged Spell is in pursuit, but…”
“Danged Spell?”  Celestia interrupted as she was freaking out over Danged Spell’s actions..  “Why would he do something like that?”
“Well, you see,”  Starlight said as she put her left arm over the back of her head. “Danged Spell started to snarl and bark like a dog when those bad Windigos scared Wanda.  Next thing I knew, he bit one of them and threw him through a window.”
“A dog?”  Princess Luna asked, confused by Starlight’s choice of words.  “Why in your name would Danged Spell bark like a dog, sister?”
“I think I know what’s going on,”  Celestia said as she figured it out.  She turned to Twilight and said “Have you ever heard of the Wolf’s Breath?”
“Wolf’s breath?” Twilight said in confusion.  “Is that like Shining Armor breathing down my neck?”
“I don’t know what this Wolf’s Breath is,”  Starlight said as she and Abigail walked up to Celestia and Luna.
“Wolf’s breath is a curse,”  Celestia replied.  “It affects Unicorns at birth.  When triggered by the sight of someone close to them being threatened, they become a wolf in mind.  They lose the use of their magic, and in some cases their control.  But what they lose in magic, they gain in physical strength and instinct.  Some say unicorns with the Wolf’s Breath are more dangerous than a regular unicorn.”
“Now how do you know about that?”  Luna asked with a smirk on her face.
“You’ll find out,”  Celestia said before reaching her arm out to Starlight.  “Now Starlight.  I need you to hop on board.  We’ll fly to rescue Wanda and Cinch, along with Danged Spell.”
“And the other unicorns,” Twilight said.  “I believe they’re still with Danged Spell, correct?”
“Yes,”  Starlight said to Twilight.  “They are.”
“Then we have no time to lose,”  Celestia said as she lifted Starlight with her magic and placed her next to Twilight. Luna sat down and allowed Abigail to climb up her back and all the way to the top of her horn.
“I’ve felt worse,”  Luna said to Celestia.
With a flap of their wings, Celestia took off with Twilight and Starlight holding on.  Luna also followed behind with Abigail holding onto her horn.  They flew across the evening sky, looking for any signs of Wanda, Chancellor Cinch, the Windigos Guild, Danged Spell, and the other Unicorns.

Back on the ground, the Windigos Guild continued to chase after Wanda and Chancellor Cinch, inching closer to the duo in distress.  Coldnelius Snap was smug that he would finally capture the two, all in the name of the Windigos.
“I got you troublemakers right where I want ya,”  Coldnelius Snap said.  “You will make a fine prize for what the Windigos will bring to Equestria”
Suddenly, Coldnelius Snap heard the sound of a wolf’s bite.  One Cultist yelled loud enough for him to fly past Coldnelius Snap, all while this cultist was holding his butt in pain.  Coldnelius Snap looked behind him to see Danged Spell running towards them, barking and snapping his teeth.
“Keep going after that blasted Governor and the Man’s Cub,”  Coldnelius Snap commanded the cultists.  “I got a bone to pick with this mongrel of a kid.”
As the Windigos Guild Cultists continue to go after Wanda and Chancellor Cinch, Coldnelius Snap turns around and faces Danged Spell, who proceeds to stop in his tracks and growls loudly, ready to pounce.
“Come here ya mutt,”  Coldnelius Snap said to Danged Spell as he cracked his riding crop.  “I’ll smack the mongrel right out of your mouth.”
Danged Spell growled deeply as he stood his ground.  The look on his face could tell that he was about to sink his teeth into Coldnelius Snap’s back legs. 

 Not far behind, Sunset, Sunburst and Moondancer watched from afar, nervous on what Danged Spell was about to do.
“What do you think he’s gonna do?”  Sunburst asked.
“Whatever it is,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I think he might be crazy.”
Danged Spell and Coldnelius Snap stared at each other, looking like they’re about ready to attack.  Neither pony looked like they were willing to flinch, as they waited for the other to make that big mistake.
“You’ve made a big mistake, you flea-bitten animal,”  Coldnelius Snap said as he charged up the ice magic in his horn.
Suddenly, Coldnelius Snap looked up and jumped out of the way as a blast of magic from above tried to hit him, only to disappear upon hitting the pavement.  That blast came from Princess Luna, who flew down and attempted to dive bomb Coldnelius Snap.  Abigail was no longer hanging onto her horn.  Instead, she held onto Luna by the back of her mane.
“Begone foul creature,”  Luna yelled as she fired off another blast.  “You will not harm these innocent souls.”
“Meddling crow bait ,”  Coldnelius Snap said as he dodged another shot.  “I’ll blast ya to the ice age.”
As Coldnelius Snap was about to fire off a blast of ice, he felt something sharp at the back of his leg.  He turned around and saw Danged Spell had taken a bite right into his leg.
“YEEOUCH!”  Coldnelius Snap yelled as he shook Danged Spell off his leg and made a run for it.  Danged Spell looked eager to run after him, only to be blocked off by Princess Luna and Abigail.  Danged Spell barked at Luna, but the Princess of the Night placed her hoof on the colt’s forehead, causing the youngling to snap out of his trance.
“What did you do that for?” Danged Spell protested  “He’s going after Wanda and big mean Cinch.”
“I’m sorry I had to do that,” Princess Luna said.  “But you’ll understand why.”
Sunset, Sunburst and Moondancer ran up to Danged Spell, who despite being back to normal, was in a bad mood.
“I’m afraid he has a point, Auntie,”  Sunset said.  “Who knows what that cultist is up to.”
“Oh don’t you worry, darlings,”  Luna said to the unicorn younglings.  “Knowing my sister, she’s a far worse animal than you all realize.”
“Far worse animal?”  Sunburst said as he was confused by Princess Luna’s choice of words.  “What does that even mean?”
Luna gave a chuckle, and said “Oh, you’ll find out.”

Down the road, Cinch was running as fast as she could with Wanda hanging on for dear life.  Until Cinch had to skid and come to a complete stop.  In front of them was a dead end.  They were trapped.   Wanda and Cinch turned around, and there were three cultists, ready to grab them both and haul them off.
“Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide,”  One of the Windigos Guild members said.  “You’re both property of the Windigos.”
“I hope you know how to fight, Man’s Cub,”  Cinch said to Wanda.  “Now is a good time to show off your antics.”
Though Wanda was afraid, she knew what had to be done.  Without a second thought, Wanda leaped off Cinch and held firmly on the ground.  Both Wanda and Cinch looked ready to fight back.
“Oh, so the two want to fight?”  Another Cultist said.  “Come on.  Give me your worst.”
And with that, Cinch fired a blast of magic and it hit the cultist right in the face, sending him flying right towards the ground.
“I dare you to try that again,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she charged up for another spell.  The Cultist got up, scarred by Cinch’s magic blast.
“You’ll pay for that,”  The cultist said as he and his companions began to march towards Wanda and Cinch.
Suddenly the sound of a wolf growling echoes through the streets of Canterlot.  Both Cinch and Wanda began to relax as the cultists became confused.
“Is that the dog colt again?”  One cultist said.
“I’d like to see him try to bite us,”  Another cultist said.  “I’ll rip his teeth out.”
“Oh that is no dog colt,”  Cinch told the cultists as she let out a smug smirk.  “Instead, your worst nightmare is right behind you.”
The Windigos Cultists turned around and they saw Princess Celestia approach them.  But something was off.  She was hunched over, showing her teeth and growling like a wolf.  The Cultists began to quiver in fear.
“That’s Princess Celestia,”  One cultist said.
“But what’s she doing in that position?”  Another said.
“Oh horse apples,”  The third said.  “I think she’s taken a cue from that mongrel.”
Princess Celestia immediately leaped at the center cultist and pinned him down, barking at him like mad and causing the cult member to freak out yelling.
“GET OFF ME YOU RABID CUR!”  The cultist yelled out as he struggled to move.
The other cultists began to fire off blasts of ice magic at Princess Celestia with the intent on freezing her.  But Celestia leaped out of the way as the ice hit the cultist, pinning him to the ground with cold ice.
“Run for your lives,”  One of the other cultists said.  “She’s after us.”
Princess Celestia sprinted towards the other cultists, barking wildly as the cult members ran for their own lives.  As they ran off, Celestia stopped in her tracks and blew a puff of air from her nostrils before turning around to face Wanda and Cinch.  The cultist next to them ripped a portion of his cloak from the ice before getting up and running off.
“I thought there was no Alicorn that could have this Wolf’s Breath,”  Wanda said to Cinch.
“I lied,”  Cinch said to Wanda.  “Princess Celestia is the only Alicorn who bears the Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
Princess Celestai walks up to Wanda and Cinch.  Her Wolf’s Breath trance had disappeared, and what was once a vicious wolf had returned to being a kind, gentle soul.
“Are you both alright,”  Princess Celestia said to Wanda and Cinch.
“Thanks to you,”  Cinch replied.  “And ironically, thanks to that young colt who came to our aid.”
Celestia turned her head towards the back corner behind her and said “You can come out now.”  Without warning, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer came running up to Princess Celestia.
“Mommy,”  Wanda asked Celestia.  “Why do you have this Wolf’s Breath Curse?”
“My darling Wanda,”  Celestia replied.  “I was born with it.  My mommy and daddy knew I had this curse.  But they also knew that there was a responsibility to my gift.”
“Am...Am I in trouble?”  Wanda asked Celestia.
“No,”  Celestia said as she kissed Wanda on the forehead.  “You’re not.” 
“Considering what happened,”  Cinch said to Wanda. “I think you’re off the hook, Man’s Cub.”
“Cinch,”  Celestia said. “Thanks for keeping Wanda safe.”
“It’s just another day in the office,”  Cinch joked.  “If it’s not a bunch of crazed fans obsessed with Ogres and Oubliettes or having to put up with the morons in the Senate, it’s a bunch of no-good Windigos Guild cultists.”
Right next to Celestia, Twilight and Starlight looked at each other and smiled.  
“Well now we know Wanda and Cinch were safe thanks to Princess Celestia,” Twilight said.
 “And with her at our side,” Starlight said,  “We don’t have anything to worry about.
Suddenly, both Twilight and Starlight were violently yanked away by an ice cold aura.  They yelled loud enough to get Celestia, Wanda and Cinch’s attention, where they saw Coldnelius Snap hold up both fillies with a grin on his face.
“Twilight, Starlight,”  Celestia yelled as her iris in her eyes began to fade.
“Okay ya rotten queen,”  Coldnelius Snap said to Celestia. “Give me that Man’s Cub, or these two will get the tip of the iceberg.”
Celestia hunched back into a defensive stance as she growled at Coldnelius Snap.
“So,”  Coldnelius Snap said.  “You’re a mongrel as well, eh? Won’t do ya any good if your daughters got cold plates of meat.”
“You’re as low as they come,”  Cinch yelled at Coldnelius Snap.  “When this is over, I will stuff you in a cell at summer temperature.”
“You’re a big meanie,”  Wanda yelled as she looked ready to cast a spell.
“Aww,”  Coldnelius Snap said, amused by Wanda looking to fight back.  “The lil' tyke wants a fight.  I wonder if it meant losing your close friends, Man’s Cub”  With that, Coldnelius Snap held Twilight and Starlight close to his head, and began to charge up his horn with cold magic.
“TWILIGHT! STARLIGHT!” Wanda yelled as she stood there helpless.  “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Suddenly, he felt a bite at his hind leg again.  Coldnelius Snap looked down and he saw Danged Spell sink his teeth into that leg.  
“YEEOUCH!”  Coldnelius Snap shook his leg violently, focing Danged Spell to let go as the Cultist leader made a run for it, dropping Twilight and Starlight to the side.  Danged Spell retaliated by simply barking at the coward of a cultist as Twilight and Starlight jumped towards Wanda, who gave the two unicorns a hug
“You’re both alright,” Wanda said as she embraced Twilight and Starlight.
“Don’t think that this is over, Governor,”  Coldnelius Snap yelled as he made a run for it.  “The next time that we meet, I’ll bring you the coldest nightmare you will ever experience.”
Danged Spell and Princess Celestia proceeded to bark at Coldnelius Snap as he ran off in the distance.  As the Cult leader had disappeared, Princess Luna walked up behind them, smiling as she had watched these two drive off the cultist leader.
“Okay you two,”  Princess Luna joke.  “Enough of these dog gone shenanigans.”
Danged Spell and Princess Celestia shook their heads, snapping out of their wolf-ish trance, just as Sunset Shimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Abigail ran on in.  Sunset, Sunburst and Moondancer stopped and approached Princess Celestia while Abigail ran up to Wanda and jumped up to give Wanda a hug.
“What just happened, mommy?”  Sunset Shimmer asked Celestia.
“That is a story I must tell all of you,”  Princess Celestia said to Sunset, Sunburst and Moondancer.
As Celestia gathered the other unicorn younglings together, Danged Spell looked at both Wanda and Cinch, and looked shameful.  He walked up to both individuals, who were having a conversation together.
“Where did you find that cat?”  Cinch asked.
“I….”  Wanda said.  “It was being attacked at the school grounds.  I couldn’t let some mad crows peck at it.”
“You at least have a knack for cats,”  Cinch replied.  “And I happen to be a fan of them.”
As Cinch and Wanda turned their head, Danged Spell walked up to them as if he were in trouble.
“What is wrong with you, young stallion?”  Cinch asked.  “You saved us from those hooligans.  You should be thankful.”
“No,”  Danged Spell said.  “I originally came to tell you...I’m the one who threw that water balloon at you.  By accident.”  Those words were enough to surprise Chancellor Cinch.
“It was you?”  Cinch said, confused by Danged Spell’s confession.
“And I never intended to hit you.”  Danged Spell replied.  “I was just having a fun time with Wanda, especially after she proved to be a great friend, and one who is willing to save the life of anyone, even if it wore her out.  If anyone deserves the scorn, it’s me.”  Danged Spell proceeded to turn his head in shame.
“No child,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she put her hoof on Danged Spell’s head.  “If anyone needs to apologize, it’s me.”
Cinch turned to Wanda and looked at her with a solemn face.
“Early ago,” Cinch said to Wanda.  “I accused you of hitting me with a water balloon.  It was my own natural reaction as I had little trust in you.  But because of my own intolerance, I did not see the full picture until your friend confessed to being the one responsible.  But that is not the only apology you’re getting from me.  I was also unaware of those hooligans that were in our path.  And as a result, I put you in grave danger.  I am terribly sorry.”
Wanda looked at Cinch in confusion as the Chancellor put her hoof around her cheek and removed a small tear from her eye.  The man’s cub has been through alot today.  Nearly losing Abigail to savage crows, wearing herself out from saving the cat’s life, getting in unintended trouble with the Chancellor, and nearly taken captive by a group of cultists.  The only thing Wanda could do was give Cinch a hug.
“I…”  Wanda said as she cried.  “I accept your apology.”
As Wanda continued to hug Cinch, Sunset walked up to Danged Spell.  She was a little shaken by Danged Spell’s actions.  But at least the situation had finally been taken care of.
“You gave us all a scare,”  Sunset said to Danged Spell. “But you’re officially the coolest cat in the books.”
“Thanks,”  Danged Spell said.  “But it was more canine, not feline.”
Celestia walked up to Danged Spell and says “I think we better tell your parents the heroic deed you pulled.”
“Am I going to be in trouble?”  Danged Spell asked.
“No,”  Celestia replied.  “But I’m thinking of enrolling you in a special program in my school for your curse.”
“She has a point, young one,”  Cinch said as Wanda let go of her and the Chancellor walked up to him.  “Though I would have been a bit harsh on you with that water balloon, you at least proved to be willing to help those in need.  Even if it was reckless.”

Later, as the sun began to set on the horizon, Celestia, Luna, Cinch, Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell were walking down the streets of Canterlot.  It had been a long day since Wanda began her first day at school.  But for everyone, a lot has been accomplished.
Wanda walked up to Danged Spell and said “You know, for a pony with an attitude problem, you were a real help.”
“Yeah,”  Starlight said to Danged Spell.  “The way you bit that meanie was funny.”
“I had my doubts about you,”  Moondancer said to Danged Spell.  “But you’re actually 20% cooler than I realize.
“Never thought I would have a colt friend who can stand his ground,”  Sunburst said to Danged Spell.
“Thanks for saving my sister,” Sunset said to Danged Spell.  “In the end, you are a part of our friendship, and Friendship is Magic.”
Danged Spell just smiled and said “Well hey.  I can definitely say that our friendship has gone to the dogs.”
Everyone else let out a collective groan and said “Danged Spell” before laughing.
“Aww come on,”  Danged Spell joked.  “At least I was trying to be optimistic.”

To be continued in….


The Wolf’s Promise

> Arc 3-3: The Wolf's Promise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Wolf’s Promise



At the front door of a house in Canterlot, Princess Celestia puts her hoof to the doorbell.  The door opens as a male Earth Pony peeks his head out.
“Princess Celestia,”  The Earth pony said. “What brings you here?”
“Hello Fortwright,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I came to talk about your son, Danged Spell.”
“Danged Spell?”  Fortwright said, assuming that his son was in trouble.  “Did he do something horrible?”
“No,”  Celestia said.  “Far from it.  He helped save my daughter and the Chancellor from some cultists.  But with a special condition.”
“It’s the Wolf’s breath curse,is it?”  Fortwright asked.
“Yes,”  Celestia replied.  “And while you’re at it, you may want to bring your wife Shanoa down to hear my plea.”
“Well come on in, your majesty,”  Fortwright said as he opened the door to Princess Celestia.  
“Oh,”  Celestia added.  “I hope you don’t mind bringing in his friends at school, plus my sister and the Chancellor.”
Fortwright looked outside and he saw his son Danged Spell alongside Princess Luna, Chancellor Cinch, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Wanda and Abigail.
Fortwright shook his head and said “I was hoping he would make some friends at school.  But this is saying alot.”

Inside, Fortwright and his wife Shanoa were sitting together on the couch while Princess Celestia sat in a nearby chair.  While the parents looked a bit nervous, Celestia looked calm and collective.
“So I understand this about Danged Spell,”  Shanoa asked.  “He started by taunting this...daughter of yours.”
“Only a minor infraction”  Celestia replied.  “Which was made worse thanks to my attempt at humbling.  He did make up by becoming her friend.  But that’s not why I came to talk to you.”
“It’s not?”  Fortwright asked.
Cinch stepped out from the hallway and cleared her throat.  She said “The Man’s Cub and I were involved in an unintended scuffle with the Windigo’s Guild, a group of cultist hoodlums who want nothing more than to cover Equestria in a blanket of ice and snow.  Your son, under the effects of the Wolf’s Breath, came to our rescue.”
Both Fortwright and Shanoa were shocked by the words of Chancellor Cinch.  
“You’re kidding, right?”  Shanoa said, baffled by the words of the Chancellor.
“She’s  not,”  Celestia replied.
“We’ve known our son since the day he came to this planet,”  Fortwright said to Princess Celestia.  “We also knew about the Wolf’s Breath, and feared that it would cause him to lose control of himself.”
“You have nothing to fear, Fortwright,”  Celestia said.  “I understand what the Wolf’s Breath is all about, and I know how to help Danged Spell cope with his.”
“But how can I be so sure that you’ll be able to help him?”  Shanoa asked, cautious of Celestia's promise.  “I know you are the Princess of us all, but even I fear for my son’s well-being.”
“That’s because like Danged Spell,”  Celestia said.  “I too, possess the Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
Both Fortwright and Shanoa were shocked by Princess Celestia’s words.  Their own princess, a bearer of the Wolf’s Breath Curse.
“You possess the Wolf’s Breath Curse?”  Shanoa said, still in complete shock.
“And I can assure you both that she is in control of it,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’ve known her since I was once her prime student long ago.  I have seen her in action using this curse as a defense mechanism.  By teaching your son, we can help him control his feral urges, and use it for good.  Besides, I heard he wants to become apart of the royal guards.”
“Well that is something that has to be decided by him,”  Fortwright said.

Upstairs, we find Danged Spell in a nursery with Princess Luna, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Abigail.  Inside the crib is a baby filly, with a coat and mane almost similar to Princess Luna, but lighter.
“Your sister reminds me of myself when I was younger,”  Princess Luna said to Danged Spell.
“And the name Dream Seeker sounds appropriate,”  Danged Spell said to Princess Luna.
“Why do I have the feeling that she would be an ideal candidate for a Dream Walker?”  Luna joked.
“It’s amazing that you have a sister of your own,”  Wanda said to Danged Spell.  “Just like how I have two sisters.”
“Thanks,”  Danged spell said to Wanda as he picked baby Dream Seeker from the crib and rocked her slowly with his magic.  Dream Seeker giggled at the sight of her big brother.
“Reminds me of when I was the baby sister,”  Twilight said.  “Shining Armor use to rock me during the night.  Always use to call me his precious Twily.”
Everyone in the room laughed at Twilight’s comment, being unable to contain themselves.
“I wish I had a brother,”  Starlight Glimmer said.  “Or a sister.
“You have me, Starlight,”  Sunburst said as he put his arm around Starlight’s back.  “I know I’m not related to you.  But I’m here if you need me.”
“Hey Moondancer,”  Sunset asked.  “What about your relatives?  Or even your own siblings?”
“Oh,”  Moondancer replied as she blushed.  “That’s something I don’t want to talk about at the moment.  But I promise I’ll introduce my folks to you.”
As Sunset smiled at Moondancer, understanding of her plight, she heard a voice from downstairs.
“Danged Spell,” Shanoa yelled.  “Celestia wishes to speak to you about a special training.”
Danged Spell was about to step out of his room, carrying baby Dream Seeker, only for Princess Luna to put her hoof on his shoulder.
“We’re going down together,”  Princess Luna said, assuring Danged Spell.  “I would like to see about this special program you plan on attending.”
Danged Spell handed Baby Dream Seeker to Princess Luna as he stepped outside the nursery.  Princess Luna followed Danged Spell as she held Dream Seeker close to her.
“This sounds exciting for Danged Spell,” Wanda said to Sunset.
“No kidding,”  Sunset replied.  “I wonder what it’s all about.”

Downstairs, Danged Spell approached Princess Celestia, Chancellor Cinch, and his parents Fortwright and Shanoa.  While Spell was eager to know of the special program he is to partake in, he is also nervous.  But he isn’t alone.  Behind him, Princess Luna sat down, holding Baby Dream Seeker with her magic.  Next to her were Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer, excited to see what will be of their friend.
“So Princess Celestia told me what happened today,”  Fortwright said to Danged Spell. “On the one hand, you did say a few nasty things to one of your friends.”	
“I know dad,”  Danged Spell said.  “But we made up and became friends.”
“But I also heard you saved her and the Chancellor while under the influence of the Wolf’s Breath,” Fortwright continued.  “I’ve known you and your curse for a long time.  I never thought you would use it to protect those who need it.”
“I couldn’t let anything bad happen to her,”  Danged Spell replied.  “Or the Chancellor.”
“We were told of this program by Princess Celestia,”  Shanoa said.  “One that can help you with the Wolf’s Breath.  I was hoping that the School for Gifted Unicorns would have something like that, and I am glad they do.  But this is something you must choose.”	
“Really?” Danged spell said.
“But…”  Shanoa replied.  “You must listen to what they say to you.  They’re here to help and make sure you don’t get into trouble with that curse.”
“Besides,”  Fortwright said to Danged Spell.  “You said you wanted to become Royal Guard material.  So this is a good opportunity to learn how to control yourself.  But this is your choice.  What do you say?”
Hearing what his parents said, Danged Spell knew it would be his responsibility to take up this new task.  But the fires of determination burned within him, and he felt like he was ready to take on the task.
“Of course I will,” Danged Spell replied.  “I made a promise that I want to become a member of the Royal Guard.  And I will do this to help protect those in need.  Especially you both.  I accept this special training for my Wolf’s Breath.”
“Then it’s done,”  Celestia said.  “Following our trip to Sire’s Hollow tomorrow to attend a funeral for Starlight’s Uncle, I’ll begin training Danged Spell under the ways of the Wolf’s Breath Curse.  I recommend that his friends help motivate him for his training.”
Both Fortwright and Shanoa smiled after hearing Celestia’s message.  Though they looked at the twin-tailed filly near Princess Luna, who looked depressed.
“I’m terribly sorry for her loss,”  Shanoa said to Celestia.  “We had gone to at least four funerals for my brother, my sister, my father, and Fortwright’s father.  And every time, Spell was saddened by their death as he knew them personally.  He even enjoyed hanging out with grandpa Kidwell.”
“Losing a relative always hits the heart of every one that loved him or her,”  Celestia said.  “I’ve known that for a long time.”
Celestia got up and approached Danged Spell as the colt was excited, and yet firm on the special program that he’s going to go through for his Wolf’s Breath Curse.
“Danged Spell,“ Celestia said.  “This will not be an easy challenge.  But I assure you will learn how to control your curse, and become one with your wolf side.  Are you really up for it?”
“I have to be up for it,”  Danged Spell replied.  “If I can’t conquer my inner wolf, I won’t be up for defending my parents, or my sister, or all of Equestria.  In fact, I vow to pass this with flying colors, to prove that I, Danged Spell, son of Fortwright, son of Shanoa, will pass this test with every inch of my magic.”
The words of Danged Spell has caused his hips to light up, blinding the entire room with a resonating magic.
“What’s going on?”  Starlight yelled as she covered her eyes.
“Remember what I went through?” Twilight replied.  “I think he’s going through it as well.”
“A cutie mark?”  Starlight said.
“Yes,”  Twilight said.
When the light went away, Danged Spell opened his eyes and looked on his hip.  A picture of a Sun in the shape of a flaming sword was embedded.  Danged Spell looked at his new Cutie Mark, and smiled ecstatically.
“I got my Cutie Mark,”  Danged Spell said. “I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!  I ACTUALLY GOT MY CUTIE MARK!”
“And it’s something I have never seen before,”  Celestia replied, impressed by Danged Spell’s Cutie Mark.
“I never thought I would see a unique Cutie Mark like what you have,” Chancellor Cinch said to Danged Spell.  “It seems destiny has intertwined with you, youngling.”
As Danged Spell jumped for joy over his new cutie mark, Fortwright picked up his song with his hooves and held him up.  Spell went from happy to annoyed in a split second.
“Let go dad,”  Danged Spell complained.  “You ruined the moment.”
“Come on, son,”  Fortwright laughed.  “This is your moment.  Your friend, family and royalty have witnessed you getting your cutie mark.”
“Imagine what would happen when your sister gets her cutie mark,”  Princess Luna said as she rocked Baby Dream Seeker.  “I am looking forward to that day.”
Near Luna, Wanda smiled at the fact that her new friend gained a Cutie Mark.  She looked at Moondancer, Sunburst, Twilight, Sunset and Starlight as they were happy for Danged Spell.  
“One day,”  Starlight said.  “I hope I get my cutie mark.”
“Don’t we all, Starlight?”  Sunburst replied.  “I hope mine involves the knowledge I gained through studies.”
“I hope mine is in astronomy,”  Moondancer said.  “I enjoy watching the stars in the sky at night.  Especially with my favorite telescope.”
“Well I hope you three get great cutie marks,”  Twilight said.  “After all, we don’t want you three to feel left out.”
“Yeah,”  Sunset said.  “I bet your cutie marks will intertwine with your own destinies.  Like we’re six ponies who will save the world from evil.”
“Sunset,”  Twilight laughed.  “That is so cliche.”
As Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer laughed, Wanda laid back as Abigail jumped onto her lap and lied down.  Wanda stroked Abigail on the back of her right ear, reflecting on the events of the day.  She had an adventure both in the school and out.  But she ended up mostly unscathed, and with friends that will help boost her confidence.
“It’s great to have friends like them,”  Wanda said to herself.  “After all, Friendship is Magic.”

Later that night, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail were back home in the castle in their bedroom.  Wanda had changed into her pajamas while Sunset was lying down in her bed.  Abigail was taking a nap on Wanda’s bed.
“What a day sis,”  Sunset said.  “We befriend five other ponies, got you a companion, eluded the Windigos Guild, and Danged Spell got his Cutie Mark.”
“You got that right,” Wanda said as she climbed onto the bed.
“That’s quite an adventure you had.”  That voice came from outside the room.  Wanda and Sunset turned their heads to find Princess Cadence stepping on in.
“Big sister,”  Wanda and Sunset said to Cadence.
“Mother told me about what happened to you both,”  Cadence said.  “Can’t believe you went on a wild ride while me and Shining Armor were bored.  I also heard that there’s going to be a Cute-Ceanera tomorrow after the funeral you’re going to.”
“Yeah,”  Wanda replied.  “The Funeral is for Starlight’s Uncle.  But the Cute-Ceanera is going to be for Danged Spell.  You should have seen him when he got his Cutie Mark.”
“Well I’ve got good news for you both,”  Princess Cadence said.  “I’ll be coming with you tomorrow with Shining Armor to the Funeral and the Cute-Ceanera.  It was mother’s wish.”
“Great,”  Sunset said to Cadence.  “I actually missed your company.”
“Well I miss being around you both,”  Cadence said to Sunset and Wanda.  “By the way, have you ever heard of this stallion named Buck Withers?”
Both Wanda and Sunset were confused by the name.  Cadence assumed that none of her sisters are aware of him.
“Let’s just say…”  Cadence said.  “He’s obsessed with me.”
This lead to both Wanda and Sunset laughing.  
“Why would some nobody want to date you?”  Sunset said as she couldn’t stop laughing.
“He’s supposed to be some big adventurer,”  Cadence replied.  “But I’m perfectly fine with Shining Armor.  Anyway, good night.  I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
As Princess Cadence walked out the room, Wanda and Sunset finally got their laughter under control.  The sight of some random nobody dating their big sister.  That was enough for a big chuckle.
“I wouldn’t want to date someone who was full of himself,”  Sunset said to Wanda as the Man’s Cub got herself tucked in.
“I’ll be lucky to find someone of my type here in Equestria,”  Wanda said as Abigail cuddled up to her.  “Maybe this Amadeus person happens to be that guy.”
“But what matters, is that tomorrow, we have another big day,”  Sunset said to Wanda.
“A funeral for Starlight’s Uncle, and a Cute-Ceanera for Danged Spell,”  Wanda repled.
“I sure hope we get more of these important days,”  Sunset said as she looked up at the ceiling.
“You and me both,”  Wanda replied as she yawned.  “But something tells me I’ll be worn out by the time we’re done with our first year at the school.”
“I’m glad to have you as a sister,”  Sunset said as she’s about to fall asleep.  “If it weren’t for you, I would have been some mean-spirited bully, or a she-demon.”
‘Now don’t say that,”  Wanda said.  “As long as you have me and your friends by your side, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Thanks Wanda,”  Sunset Said with one last yawn.  “And goodnight.” 
And in an instant, Sunset Shimmer fell asleep on her bed.  She was finally worn out from the day.  Wanda yawned before also falling asleep, with Abigail sleeping right next to her.

Outside the palace, Princess Celestia and Chancellor Abacus Cinch looked up at the window leading to Wanda and Sunset’s room.  Though both are relieved after the events of today, they also carry a face of concern for Wanda’s well-being.
“You had quite the adventure, Chancellor,”  Celestia said.
“Indeed,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Early ago, I had a disdain towards the Man’s Cub.  And even though I am still harsh on her, it’s so that she can grow to be apart of this world.  And yet, after today, I may have become a bit fond of her.”
“Is that a confession I’m hearing?”  Celestia said with a chuckle.
“Partially,”  Chancellor Cinch replied.  “But part of the reason why I’m becoming fond of the Man’s Cub was because of those hooligans who tried to kidnap her.”
“And you wonder why Tatarus is a bad place to put her,”  Celestia joked.
“Still,”  Cinch said.  “Tomorrow’s field trip to Sire’s Hollow will be of a difficult lesson for her.  She will learn about the harsh realities of death.”
“It’s about Starlight’s Uncle,”  Celestia said.  “I’ve already gotten the approval from all of the parents well in advance.  I’ll be taking the entire class down there to help Starlight grieve for her loss.  Danged Spell has been down this path many times.”
“As have I,”  Cinch said.  
“You’ve lost a good number of family and friends during your time growing up,”  Celestia said.  “Especially with that horrible fire from many years ago.  I had to take you in as my student to help you cope with the loss of your parents.”
Cinch looked down after listening to Celestia’s words.  The thought of losing her parents was a painful memory for Abacus Cinch.  And to think, she once had a carefree life until that tragic day.  
“Princess,”  Cinch said with a tear in her eyes.  “If the Man’s Cub is traumatized by the mere sight of death, do not be afraid to comfort her, like you did with me.  It’s a harsh lesson that needs a mother’s voice to get through.”
“Believe me,”  Celestia said as she put her wing around Cinch.  “You’re not the only one who dealt with loss.”


To be Continued in….


Arc 4: The Funeral of Meteor Flare


Through Life and Death

> Arc 4(The Funeral of Meteor Flare)-1: Through Life and Death
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 4: The Funeral of Meteor Flare


Through Life and Death



In the skies of a beautiful morning in Equestria, pegasi members of the Royal Guards were sailing through the heavens, pulling a chariot with Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail.  Wanda looked anxious to jump out and fly on her own.  Abigail was clinging onto Wanda so that she wouldn’t fall.
“But mommy,”  Wanda complained.  “I want to fly alongside you.”
“I know you do, my darling,”  Celestia said.  “But I promised the Chancellor that you have to be with me for this journey to Sire’s Hollow.”
“Aww,”  Wanda pouted as Abigail continued to hold onto her.
“Look on the bright side,”  Sunset said.  “You finally get to go outside of Canterlot and explore the world like a bird.”
“But it’s not fair,”  Wanda said.
“Relax Wanda,”  Twilight giggled.  “Besides, it won’t be long until we arrive at Sire’s Hollow.  I’ve been dying to see that place.”
Those words made everyone look at Twilight with an odd stare.  Twilight looked at them, completely embarrassed
“Oops,”  Twilight said.  “Bad choice of words.”

It wasn’t long before the chariot arrived at Sire’s Hollow and came to a complete stop on the ground.  Wanda finally jumped out and landed on the grass.  She took one good look at the area around her.  Trees, plains, mountains and lakes as far as the eye can see, amazing the little girl
“Enjoying the view, Wanda?”  Celestia said as she looked around this amazing world.
“Yes mommy,”  Wanda said as she took in the view.
“One day,”  Celestia said.  “I’m thinking about taking you, your sisters, and your friends camping through the great outdoors.  Or maybe I might take you all to Mount Aris to reunite with my old friend Queen Novo and the Hippogriffs.”
“Would I?”  Wanda said as she was excited by that prospect.  “I would love to see Aunt Novo again.”
“They’re here,”  Twilight said, interrupting the moment between Wanda and Celestia.
Celestia turned her head, and there was Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, waiting for Celestia to arrive.  But they were also happy that Wanda, Sunset and Twilight were with them.
“It’s about time you arrived,” Princess Cadance said.  “Aunt Luna’s been waiting so you can prepare for the eulogy.”
Celestia turns to Wanda and says “I’m going to speak to Luna for a bit.  Your big sister Cadance and Shining Armor will be in charge of you.  Don’t get into trouble while I’m away.  The last thing we need is for the Chancellor to hear that you broke something by accident.”
Wanda gives a salute to Princess Celestia with Abigail also doing the same.  Celestia just laughed at Wanda’s little confirmation.
“Okay Darling Wanda,”  Celestia laughed.  “I get it.”
As Princess Celestia walked away to meet with her sister, Cadance walked up to Wanda, Abigail, Sunset and Twilight, all who looked prepared for the day.  Though Wanda did look a little anxious.
“Nervous about today?”  Cadance asked.
“A bit,”  Wanda replied.  “This is the first time I’m going to a funeral.”
“Same here,”  Sunset said.
“A whole lot,”  Twilight said nervously.  “I have never seen a dead pony before.”
“Well,”  Cadance says to Twilight.  “I know how to fix that.”
Twilight and Cadance walked up to each other, performing their little dance to the same tune as before.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake.”  Twilight and Cadance sang.
Wanda and Sunset looked at Cadance and Twilight’s dance and just gag as a reaction.
“Do they have to keep doing that?”  Wanda asked.
Seems to be that way,”  Sunset replied.  “No way am I doing a silly friendship dance.”
“Nor am I,”  Wanda laughed.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of angry complaints.  Wanda and Sunset turned around to see an upset Moondancer walking alongside a smug Danged Spell.
“I told you before,”  Moondancer yelled at Danged Spell.  “Enough with the space puns.  I’ve had to put up with them since our stupid ride to Sire’s Hollow.”
“Why not?” Danged Spell laughed.  “After all, they are out of this world.”
“Arrgh.”  Moondancer could not put up with Danged Spell.  So she stormed away from the smug colt and towards Princess Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright.
“Your friend is a real nutcase,”  Moondancer whispered to Sunset.  “Him and his stupid space puns.”
Danged Spell walked up to Sunset as Moondancer walked off towards Princess Cadance.  Sunset looked at Danged Spell with a bit of a bitter look on her face.
“Space puns?”  Sunset said to Danged Spell.  “Seriously?”
“Had to,”  Danged Spell replied as his tore turned from silly to serious.  “It’s my fifth funeral that I’m going to, and it’s starting to become a bit too routine for me.”
“Have you ever thought about looking at your new cutie mark?”  Twilight replied to Danged Spell. “After all, you now possess one.”
“That’s the least of my worries,”  Danged Spell replied.  “I promised Starlight and Sunburst that I would sit next to them during the ceremony.  And my only means of keeping myself from getting depressed was those space puns. They were the only thing that I could get out of my head.”
“Well I have a better idea,”  Princess Cadance said.  “Why not go over to Starlight’s place and go pay her and Sunburst a visit?
“You mean…”  Danged Spell replied, shocked by Cadance’s choice of words.  “At their place?  I don’t even know where it is.”
“I think I might know where that is,”  Princess Cadance said.  “After all, I once met Starlight when I was asked to visit Sire’s Hollow.”
“Really?”  Danged Spell asked.
“Yeah,”  Cadance replied.  “All you have to do is follow me, and I’ll take you to Starlight.  After all, I know this place by the back of my head.”
With that, Cadance walks in one direction through the town of Sire’s Hollow with Danged Spell right behind, heading straight for Starlight’s house.  Wanda looked at Cadance and Danged Spell from a distance, and a hint of confidence fills her lungs.
“Something tells me this funeral will be a piece of cake,”  Wanda said.  
But out of nowhere, a white hoof lands on Wanda and rubs it, noogie-style, messing up her hair.  Wanda looks up and sees Shining Armor looking down at her.
“Well if it ain’t my favorite monkey,”  Shining Armor joked.  “How have you been?”
“Hey, get off,”  Wanda yelled as she flung her arms in multiple directions.  Despite not being deterred by Wanda’s arm flailing, Shining decided to lift his arm off of Wanda’s forehead.
“You know I’m just messing with you,”  Shining Armor replied.  “By the way, Cadance asked me to help look after you kids just in case.”
“Yeah,”  Twilight replied.  “She took Danged Spell down to go see Starlight and Sunburst.”
“Well what are we waiting for?”  Shining Armor replied.  “Let’s go follow her.”
With that, Shining Armor marched into the direction where Cadance and Danged Spell went down.  Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda, Abigail and Moondancer followed from behind.  Wanda stood by Sunset Shimmer while Twilight Sparkle stood by Moondancer.
“For a pony who’s a bit of a jerk,”  Moondancer whispered to Twilight.  “Danged Spell just has this odd fascination with death.”
“It can’t be helped,”  Twilight whispered back.  “He once referred to himself as the angel of death.”
“That’s an odd name,”  Moondancer whispered.  “The angel of death.  Is there such a thing?”
“I’ve heard colts who call themselves that over bragging rights,”  Twilight replied.  “But Danged Spell uses it as a sign that he pays attention to those who passed away.”
‘Sheesh,”  Moondancer said.  “If I had to go to that many funerals, I would be downright depressed to the point where I may end up alone in the future.”
“Don’t be,”  Twilight said.
As Twilight and Moondancer continued to whisper to each other, Wanda and Sunset were in the middle of their own conversation, all while Abigail was walking alongside Wanda.
“So did you tell him about that guy?”  Sunset whispered to Wanda.
“Who are you talking about?”  Wanda whispered back.
“Buck Withers,”  Sunset whispered.  “The guy who has a crush on big sister.”
“No,”  Wanda replied. “My lips are sealed on whoever he is.”
“Good,”  Sunset said.  “As long as Shining Armor doesn’t have to worry about this Buck Withers, we have nothing to worry about.”

Not far down the road inside a house. Starlight Glimmer takes a look at a photo of her with an older stallion, and a tear flows down her cheek.  She could do nothing but take the picture and place it close to her heart.
"“Uncle Meteor,”  Starlight cried.  “I wish you didn’t have to die.”
“I know how you feel,”  Sunburst said, sitting right next to her.  “He was one of dad’s favorite pals to chat with.”
“And I’ve tried going with the flow to get that off my mind,”  Starlight said.
“Going with the flow?”  Sunburst asked.
“It means I tried enjoying my time with our new friends in hope I could get that off my mind,”  Starlight replied.  “But I don’t think anything will do that.”
“And I think I know who felt that way,”  Sunburst said as he looked up.  Right in front of him was Danged Spell.  
“He’s right,”  Danged Spell said as he approached Starlight and Sunburst.  “I’ve lost my fair share of relatives.  More than I should.”
“So how were you able to cope?”  Starlight said as Danged Spell sat next to her.
“I had a problem coping with the first loss,”  Danged Spell replied.  “In fact, when I saw my grandfather lying dead in that casket, I was scared.  I didn’t want to approach him, and I didn’t know why.”
“I’ve heard similar stories about colts and fillies being afraid to approach their deceased loved ones,”  Sunburst said. "But even I can't understand why."
"It's really hard to explain," Danged Spell said.  "Because after going to many funerals, I still didn't have the courage to walk up to the casket."
"But," Starlight said as she was more unsure about herself.  "What if I become afraid?  What if I am scared of my Uncle when I see him?"
"Tell you what," Danged Spell said to Starlight.  "We'll both go up with you to pay our respects.  That way, you can say good-bye to  your uncle, and I can help get over a nagging fear of mine."
"Sounds like a good idea,"   Sunburst said to Danged Spell as he turned his head to Starlight.  "What do you think, Starlight?  Want us to accompany you?"
"That would be great,"  Starlight replied.  
"Then it's settled,"    Sunburst said.  "After all, aren't you glad you got friends to help you out?"
Starlight wiped a tear from her eye as Danged Spell and Sunburst gave her a hug.  All she could say was "Thanks you guys.  I'm glad to have friends like you."
As Danged Spell continued to hug Starlight, he then asked “By the way.  What was the one thing you really liked about your Uncle?”
Starlight just said “He used to play Ogres and Oubliettes with me.”
Funny,”  Danged Spell said.  “I happen to play Ogres and Oubliettes, and I hope to one day play that game with Dream Seeker when she’s older.”

Later that day in the Funeral Home of Sire’s Hollow, everyone had taken their seats to observe the memorial of Meteor Flare.  At the front row are Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young, a sleeping Abigail Albright, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Danged Spell, Moondancer, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadance.  Right behind them are Starlight’s parents Firelight Glimmer and Starseeker.  But next to them are Stellar Flare, Sunspot and Princess Luna.  The inside of the Funeral Home was packed as the open coffin of Meteor Flare laid bare for everyone to see.  
Danged Spell looked up and noticed the deceased Meteor Flare in the coffin.  There was a sense of nervousness within the colt.  But at the same time, he sat next to Starlight to keep her comfy.  Spell looked across from Starlight and noticed Wanda was also shaking, nervous from seeing a deceased pony in her sight.
“Is this your first time?” Danged Spell asked Wanda.
“Yes,”  Wanda replied as she was alarmed by the sight of the dead.  “I have never seen a dead person before.  Let alone a dead pony.”
“You’re not the only one,” Sunset said as she too was nervous at the sight of Meteor Flare’s body.  “I never thought I would even see a dead pony up close.”
“You’re telling me,”  Twilight said as she was covering her eyes.  “Even I’m afraid of looking.”
Danged Spell looked to his side and also saw Moondancer covering her eyes.  He placed his hoof on Moondancer’s shoulder and said “I know what that’s like.”
Moondancer looked up at Danged Spell and saw a smile on his face.  That was enough to get her to calm down and look away from the body.
It didn’t take long for Princess Celestia to come on stage and approach the lectern.  She placed a set of papers on the slanted top and looked at the audience.  She took notice at Starseeker crying on Firelight’s shoulder, mourning the loss of a brother.  She looked down and saw her students looking on, with Sunburst comforting Starlight and Danged Spell distracting Moondancer.  Twilight was covering her eyes while Sunset was calming Wanda.  Without a second thought, Princess Celestia clears her throat and approaches the microphone.
“Citizens of Sire’s Hollow,”  Princess Celestia said on the microphone.  “We are gathered here today, to mourn the loss of its greatest miner: Meteor Flare.”  Her words were enough to gather the attention of everyone in the Funeral Home, even going as far as to wake up Abigail.
“Born to a legendary Crystal miner and a specialist in Sire’s Hollow tradition,”  Celestia continued.  “Meteor Flare wanted to step into the shoes of his father and become a miner unlike any the land has ever seen.  His dedication to mining at a young age has made him a protege for the Sire’s Hollow Mining Community.  He was the youngest to become an official miner after passing the exam at the age of 10.”
Celestia continued to clear her throat as she continued to look at the text.
“But it wasn’t just his dedication to mining that made him admired by those in Sire’s Hollow,”  Celestia said.  “He loved each and every resident like they were his extended family.  And when he became the Forestallion of the Crystal Mines, he treated his fellow miners like they were his sons and daughters.  He cared for each and every one.  He taught them what was right and what was wrong when it came to safety in the mines.  Especially when it comes to cave-ins.”
Those words caught the attention of every Pony, along with Wanda and Abigail, in the room.  They were dead center on Celestia’s voice as she continued to talk.
“The Crystal Mines are a dangerous place,”  Celestia said.  “Meteor knew the area from the back of his head, and he knew when the cavern trapped his fellow miners in, he figured a way to dig them out and free them from the rubble.  In his mind, no one is to be left behind.  And he had been through many cave-ins since he first laid his pick ax to the very rock of the cavern.”
The audience was in awe from Celestia’s speech, as the Princess clears her throat and looks down at her notes.
“But one day, “  Princess Celestia said.  “Meteor Flare had to close down the mine as it was rendered unsafe.  He vowed to never lose a soul to that mine, and he didn’t want anyone to meet their end under an unstable cave-in.  And I don’t blame him.  What he did stood as a testament of mine safety across Equestria.  No jewel is worth the life of any pony, or anyone else in mind.”
“Or anyone else in mind,”  The crowd, especially Starlight and Sunburst, repeated.
“But a couple of nights ago,”  Princess Celestia said.  “A few kids from Sire’s Hollow were taken from their homes and placed into the Crystal Mines.  These kids are the sons and daughters of miners. When Meteor Flare found out, he wasted no time rushing to the mines to rescue them.”
Celestia looked down at her notes, and a tear fell from her eye. She knew what must be said, even though it would break her heart.
Celestia then said “He ran in there without a second thought, grabbing every kid and getting them to safety.  For he knew their welfare was his duty.  But as he got the last kid to safety, a cave-in collapsed on him.  His last moments was the knowledge that every last child was rescued, and he passed away with a smile on his face.”
Everyone looked down with tears flowing from their eyes.  Starlight’s was the worst as she could barely control her crying.  Everyone sat there, reflecting on the memory of Meteor Flare.
“But let his sacrifice not be in vain,”  Celestia said.  “Had it not been for Meteor Flare’s courage, we would have lost a generation of ponies to a traversity.  Meteor Flare was more than a friendly miner.  He’s a hero.  And with his surviving family including his sister Starseeker and his niece Starlight Glimmer, he only wishes for them to endure with hope and optimism.  And his last wish is for his niece to grow up big and strong, and to become the best that this world can offer.”
The crowd looked up, as their tears were a mix of sorrow and joy.  They were going to miss Meteor Flare.  But at the same time, they were proud of him.
“Let us not forget Meteor Flare.” Princess Celestia continue.   “In life, he stood by us, providing for Sire’s Hollow, and protecting those in need.  But in death, he will remain with us, watching over as our lives continue on.  Amen.”
“Amen,” The crowd said.


	To be continued in


	Tears of the children

> Arc 4-2: Tears of the Children
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Tears of the Children




It was later that day in the Funeral Home of Sire’s Hollow.  Celestia had completed her eulogy and everyone was paying their respects to Meteor Flare, who lay dead in the coffin up front.  As the crowd lined up and gave their blessing to Meteor Flare, Wanda and the unicorns were a bit nervous, especially Danged Spell.  But unlike the others, Starlight Glimmer was too depressed to be shaken up by the very sight of Meteor Flare.
“You okay, Starlight?”  Sunburst asked.
“I’ll…,”  Starlight said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. “I’ll do my best for him.  I don’t think I’ll need you for this.”
“Whatever happens,”  Sunburst said to Starlight.  “I’ll be here to comfort you if necessary.  Promise.”
As Starlight looked on, the path between her and Meteor Flare was clear.  She walked up to the coffin with Sunburst behind her.  Celestia helped Starlight up and placed her on a platform.  She looked down at her deceased uncle as tears flowed from her eyes, allowing her to take in one last look.
“Uncle Meteor,”  Starlight said as she could barely contain herself.  “I wished this didn’t have to happen.  It’s not fair.  Why did that stupid mine have to take your life?  I don’t want you to go.  But….I have no other choice.”
Starlight cried really hard as she signaled for Celestia to put her down.   As she got down onto the floor, Sunburst went by her side and walked her away from the coffin.  Danged Spell looked on and was still nervous.
“I’ll be with you,”  Moondancer said to Danged Spell.
“Thanks,”  Danged Spell replied.
As the two walk up to the coffin, Celestia picks them up and places them on the platform.  Danged Spell looked down as Moondancer was nearby.  But instead of dread, something within Spell made him calm as he looked at Meteor Flare’s body.
“I…”  Danged Spell said.  “I have never met you at all, Meteor Flare.  Nor have I heard your name where I grew up.  But from what I’ve heard, you sound like a great inspiration, and a well-deserved hero.  I would have been happy if I could become the pony you turned out to be.  Maybe being brave also means knowing that you have to swallow your own fear, and do what is right.  Now I wish I had met you in person, when you were alive.”
Moondancer looked at Danged Spell and smiled.  She signaled to Princess Celestia, who picked up both foals and placed them down onto the ground.  Danged Spell and Moondancer walked away from the coffin, with the colt walking away a bit braver than he was when he stepped in.
Sunset and Twilight walked up to the coffin as Princess Celestia picked them both up and placed them on the platform.  The two looked down at Meteor Flare as he lied in that coffin.
"I can't believe he sacrificed so much for the colts and fillies."  Sunset said to Twilight.  "But what kind of monster would kidnap and leave them in the mine?"
"I have no idea,"  Twilight said to Sunset.  "If that happened to me, I would be completely scared.  And I would be really sad if big brother ended up like what happened with Meteor Flare."
Both Sunset and Twilight nodded to Celestia, who picked them up with her magic and set them on the floor.  Both fillies walked off, still wondering who could have staged the kidnapping?
It was Wanda's turn to approach the coffin, and she was carrying Abigail in her arms.  But the look of the Man's Cub was of fear.  She barely took a couple of steps forward before putting Abigail to the side next to Princess Celestia.  
"Now Wanda," Celestia said to her adopted daughter.  "I know you want to fly up and see Meteor Flare.  But let me pick you up so you can see him"
Wanda was in no mood to disagree.  She reluctantly nodded her head, prompting Princess Celestia to pick up Wanda and place her on the platform.  Wanda looked down, and had a sense of dread.  
"Wanda my darling," Celestia said with concern.  "Are you alright?"
Wanda could do nothing, but stare at the deceased Meteor Flare, her face becoming pale while.  She shook and tried to hold in her fear.  But it was too much for her.
"I DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE HIM!" Wanda yelled as she jumped off the platform and landed on her feet.  She ran off crying as everyone else watched her run off.
"Cinch warned me about this," Celestia said as she picked up Abigail.  "I better give her some comfort, especially after what she just saw."

Outside, Wanda was all alone near the fountain, crying in her own arms.  The very sight of a dead pony was enough to traumatize her.  As she continued to cry, Princess Celestia walked out of the funeral home and up to her adopted daughter with Abigail waking next to her.
"Are you alright, my darling Wanda?" Princess Celestia asked as Abigail leaped onto the edge of the fountain, right next to Wanda.  The little Man's Cub looked up with tears flowing from her eyes.
"I don't want to die mommy," Wanda cried as she looked at Celestia.
"Death is a natural part of all life," Celestia explained as she placed her wing on Wanda's back.  "We are all connected through birth and death."
"But it's not fair," Wanda said with a sniffle.  "Why do we all have to die?  What about those we care for?"
"I have been down that road many times," Princess Celestia said as her voice began to crack.  "And I have seen loved ones die.  For many that have passed on, I couldn't hold my own emotions in.  And I fear it could happen to my own sister.  Or to you."
As Wanda wiped the tears from her face, she saw a tear fall from Celestia.  "You're sad like me?"  Wanda said.
"Yes," Princess Celestia said as she wiped the tear from her eye.  "I have seen way too many ponies pass away in my lifetime.  Friends, family and total strangers.  Even though I have been aware about the importance of death, it still breaks my heart to see them go."
As Abigail rubs her head around Wanda’s left hand, the young girl asks “Mommy, do you promise to keep me safe from death?”
“I promise, my darling,”  Celestia says.  “Of all those who I have looked after, you are as precious as they were before.”
Wanda cried again, but this time with joy.  She leaps towards Celestia and gives her a hug.  Celestia could only respond by hugging her daughter back.  Abigail leaped down and walked towards Wanda.
“I’m proud of you, my darling,”  Celestia said as she looked Wanda in the eye with a smile on her face.  “And as long as you have a family and friends, you will never be alone.  Even little Abigail counts as both.”
Wanda looks down and sees Abigail meow to her.  She lets go of Princess Celestia and opens her arms up to Abigail.  The baby kitten leaps into Wanda’s arms and they both snuggle together.
“As long as you have your family and friends beside you,”  Celestia said.  “You have nothing to fear my darling.”

Later that day at Starlight’s house, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Sunburst were gathered in Starlight’s room to help cheer her up, which helped brighten her mood.  As the younglings were right by each other’s side, they overheard voices in the other room.  It sounded like shock and anger, like something horrible had happened.
“What are mommy and daddy doing?” Starlight asked.
“I’ve never heard them or my parents this angry before,”  Sunburst replied.
Starlight jumped off her bed and walked towards the doorway leading to the hall.  The others looked on with some form of concern.
“We should follow her,”  Moondancer said as she climbed off the bed, eager to follow Starlight.  “See what all the commotion is all about.”
“No argument there,”  Danged Spell said as he and Sunburst followed from behind.
At the end of the hallway was the living room where Starseeker, Firelight, and two other ponies named Stellar Flare and Sunspot were in a bit of a heated discussion.  On the coffee table was the will of the late Meteor Flare.  And it appears all four adults in the room are outraged over what they just read.
“I can’t believe those monsters would do something like that,”  Starseeker said as she picked up the will with her horn’s magic.  
“Why would they want to sabotage mine and kidnap the younglings of the miners?”  Stellar Flare yelled.  “And it cost you your brother.”
“It’s still horrible that these cultists would be the ones responsible for the damage to our mine,”  Sunspot said as he was horrified.  “Meteor Flare’s will is proof that there were intruders in our mines.”
“Imagine what would happen if my 
 saw the symbol of what he found in that mine,”  Firelight complained as he pulled up a black and blue cloth and unrolls it.  Right on the cloth was the image of a Windigo looking posed to attack.
“I don’t blame you, Firelight,”  Stellar Flare said.  “Imagine what would happen if Sunburst saw those cretins.”
“WINDIGOS!  BAD WINDIGOS!”  That voice came from Starlight Glimmer, who was observing her parents from the hallway.  The very look of the Windigos on the cloth was enough to scare the young filly.
“Starlight dear,”  Starseeker said as she noticed her daughter.  “Are you alright?”
“I saw that before,”  Starlight said as she pointed to the cloth.  “Bad ponies with that cloth attacked us all back in Canterlot.”  The adults in the room gasped at what she heard as Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell came from behind.
“She’s right,”  Moondancer said as she came up next to Starlight.  “But they were targeting both her new friend and Chancellor Cinch.  They call themselves the Windigos Guild.”
“And I had a lot to worry about with the mine itself,”  Firelight said.  “I think we should pull Starlight out from the school.”
“Are you crazy?”  Starseeker said to her husband.  “We promised to Starlight that she can be a big girl and handle herself in Canterlot, especially with Princess Celestia watching over her.  Besides, you knew what happened here in Sire’s Hollow.  What would you have done if those goons kidnapped her here in our town?”
The words from his wife were enough to make Firelight pause for a minute.  “There was no way to tell where these goons would have been,” he thought to himself.  I could have taken my little Starlight away from all of Equestria, and they’d still follow us to the end of the world.  What am I going to do?”
“Excuse me?”  Danged Spell said as he approached Firelight.  “I was the one who protected Starlight.”  The words of the young colt were enough to snap Firelight out, as he looked at Danged Spell, who had a stern look on his face.
“I was the one who kept her safe from harm’s way,”  Danged Spell continued.  “Mainly because she's my friend, and so are all these others who are with me.”  Right behind him, Sunburst and Moondancer walked up to stand by the side of Starlight and Danged Spell.
“Mom, Dad,”  Sunburst said to Stellar Flare and Sunspot.  “I don’t want to lose Starlight.  She’s been the best friend I ever had in this town.”
“And Spell is right,”  Moondancer said, standing by Starlight.  “She’s a part of us, and we don’t want her to stay here.  We can look after her.  Besides, we’re not just friends.  We’re a family.”
Firelight let out a sigh of relief.  “Alright,”  He said.  “I’ll let Starlight return to Canterlot to continue her studies.”
Those words were enough to cheer up Starlight, as she gave a group hug to Sunburst, Danged Spell and Moondancer.
“On one condition,”  Firelight said as he interrupted Starlight’s group hug. 
“Aww,”  Starlight said as she let go of her friends and stared at her dad.  Firelight reaches down beneath the coffee table.
“Your uncle wanted you to have this,”  Firelight said as he began to pull out a book.  “It was one of his final requests from his will.  You and he liked to play Ogres and Oubliettes together, and it would warm his soul if you could take it with you back to Canterlot.”  As he finished speaking, Firelight pulled out a huge book with the words ‘Ogres and Oubliettes’ on the cover.  Starlight’s face shined with excitement.
“Thank you daddy,”  Starlight said as she gave a big hug to Firelight.  “I’ll take good care of it for Uncle Meteor.”
“I still can’t believe he was into those things,”  Stellar Flare said as she couldn’t contain herself.  “And I used to be a big fan of that when I was younger.”
“I could convince you to get back into the game, my sunshine,”  Sunspot said to Stellar Flare.
Danged Spell, Sunburst and Moondancer looked on as Starlight continued to hug her daddy.  At least one problem was solved and they were ready to show themselves out the door.
“Danged Spell, is it?”  Firelight said as he turned his attention towards the young colt.
Danged Spell stopped and looked at Firelight. “Yes?”  He said.
“I appreciate what you did to protect my daughter,”  Firelight said.  “But I must ask you this.  Do you promise to keep her safe while she’s up in Canterlot?”
“Of course I will,”  Danged Spell said with a determined look on his face.  “She’s my friend, and she’s also Sunburst’s friend, and Moondancer’s friend.  Any friend would protect one another from danger.”
“I’ve known Starlight for a while Mr Glimmer,”  Sunburst said as he stood next to Danged Spell, all while looking at Starlight with optimism.  “So I’m with Danged Spell on this.”
“And I will as well,”  Moondancer says as she stands next to Danged Spell.
“Very well,”  Firelight said to the younglings as he turned his face to Starlight.  “You enjoy your time back in Canterlot.  And remember to write.  Promise?”
“Promise,”  Starlight said as he kissed his father on the cheek before leaping off.  She uses her magic to pull the Ogres and Oubliettes book towards her.
As the other younglings look at Starlight with pride, Danged Spell says “I’m glad Starlight’s gonna stick around for a long time.  She could use some friends to keep her company.”
“I’m glad you decided to help keep her on board,”  Sunburst said.  “Your dad would be proud of you.”
“Sure you may be obnoxious with your puns,”  Moondancer said.  “But at least you have the heart of loyalty within you.”
“Aww,”  Danged Spell said as he blushed. “Thanks guys.”
“You’re welcome, Your Majesty,”  Moondancer said with a smug look on her face.
“What did you just call me?” Danged Spell said as he was starting to become agitated.
“Come on Spell,”  Sunburst chuckled.  “You’d make a handsome king for Equestria.”
“No way, egghead,”  Danged Spell yelled as he started to grow angry.  The adults couldn’t help but try to contain their laughter.
“You know, my son is right,”  Sunspot said.  “If I was his father, I would train him to be our future King of Equestria.”
“I bet he would be perfect in marrying little Starlight,”  Firelight said, which caused Starlight to hide behind her book in embarrassment.
Soon, the whole room sans Danged Spell and Starlight were laughing out loud, all while Danged Spell was pretty steamed.
“THAT’S NOT FUNNY YOU CHOWDERHEADS!”  Danged Spell yelled.  “I AM NOT ONE WHO WANTS TO BE ROYALTY!”
“Well I’m sorry to disappoint your highness,”  Stellar Flare laughed.  “But you would make a fine monarch.”
“STOP WITH THE ROYAL COMPARISONS YOU SMART ALECKS!”  Danged Spell yelled.  “I’M NO ARISTOCRAT!”  Unfortunately, the rest of the ponies, sans Starlight, couldn’t help but laugh as Danged Spell lets out a huge arrgh before burying his head underneath his hooves.

It was later that afternoon.  Princess Luna has loaded Moondancer, Starlight, Sunburst and a calmed down Danged Spell into one chariot.  Princess Cadance and Shining Armor have already boarded another chariot while Princess Celestia is in a third with Wanda, Abigail, Sunset and Twilight.  They were ready to leave for Canterlot City.
“So,”  Princess Celestia said to Wanda, Sunset and Twilight.  “Are you three ready to head home?”
“Am I ever?”  Wanda said, having enjoyed her time at Sire’s Hollow.
“Sire’s Hollow is a place I’d like to come back to,”  Twilight said.  “But I’m sorry you had to endure what you saw at the funeral.”
“It’s okay,”  Wanda replied.  “And thanks to both of you for coming to help me with mommy.”
“What are friends for, Wanda?”  Sunset said as she rubbed the top of Abigail’s head.
“You know Sunset,”  Twilight said.  “I always wonder if there will ever be more friends to discover?  Maybe in a distant town that shares the same traits as you and the others?”
“Twilight,”  Sunset said.  “We’ll never know what secrets the rest of the world will hold.”
“I want to explore the world when I grow up,”  Wanda says as Abigail leaps into her arms.  “It would be like a bird flying through the wind.”
And with one last call, Celestia’s chariot takes off for Canterlot, as the other two were almost ready for departure.
“So,”  Luna said to Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell.  “How are you all since today?”
“I’m feeling better now that I have friends by my side,”  Starlight said as she held tightly onto the Ogres and Oubliettes book.  “Maybe I should show them how I use to play with my uncle.”
“I’m eager to play some of that with you, Starlight,”  Danged Spell said.
But before the chariot could take off, Firelight comes running towards her daughter Starlight.
“Starlight,”  Firelight says with a tear on his face.  “You be careful from here on out.”
“I will daddy,”  Starlight says as he kisses Firelight on the cheek.  “I will.”
“And you promise to look after her, correct?”  Firelight says to Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell.
“She’s like a sister to me Mr Glimmer,”  Sunburst said to Firelight.  “You can count on me.”
“Keeping her happy is what we do best,”  Moondancer said.  “We won’t let you down.”
“I’ll be happy to lay down my life for her,”  Danged Spell said as everyone looked at him with an awkward look.  “Okay,”  He continued.  “That was overboard.”
Everyone laughed as Luna’s Chariot took off.  Starlight waved good-bye to his father as Firelight waved back, knowing that he would miss his daughter.
“It’s alright,”  Princess Cadance says to Firelight.  “We’ll take good care of her.”
Princess Cadance’s chariot was about to take off, with Shining Armor riding shotgun.  Firelight looks at Cadance and gives a nod to the younger Princess and her boyfriend.
“So,” Shining Armor says to Princess Cadance.  “What do you want to do when we get back to Canterlot?”
“Danged Spell has his Cute-Ceanera when we get back,”  Princess Cadance says.  “We should crash the party and give him our blessings.”
“Why not?”  Shining Armor says.  “Maybe I could give him some advice on how to be royal guard material.”
And with that, Cadance’s chariot takes off for Canterlot, following Celestia and Luna’s chariot from behind.  Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Princess Wanda, Princess Sunset Shimmer, Abigail, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell were returning home to Canterlot after a field trip to Sire’s Hollow.  The day was far from over, but they had quite the experience.

But far from Sire’s Hollow, Coldnelius Snap looked in the distance with a smile on his face. Though he showed no sign of confronting Celestia for the moment, he stood there with a few of his guild members by his side.
“A shame that the fool of a miner sabotaged my plan for those kids.”  Coldnelius Snap said as he began to turn around.  “They would have made great members of the Windigo’s Guild. Too bad, it was only a minor setback. But make no mistake. We’ll find a way to make Equestria freeze in the cold of winter. Glory to the Windigos.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 5:Lovely and the Adventurous Beast or Neigh Anything.


	Buck Withers: Adventurer

> Arc 5(Lovely and the Adventurous Beast or Neigh Anything)-1: Buck Withers: Adventurer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Arc 5: Lovely and the Adventurous Beast or Neigh Anything


	Buck Withers: Adventurer


It was in the middle of the White Tail Woods.  A giant dragon-like rock monster with a large jewel eye was rampaging out of control, flailing his arms up and down as if it were trying to smash something.  In front of him was a light violet male Earth Pony Stallion with a yellow man and tail.  He wore a white shirt with a regal red and black vest.  A black belt was wrapped around his waist.  His Cutie Mark was a yellow shield with a B on it.  He carried a chain whip of some kind on his belt.  
“So,”  The stallion said to the Rock Monster as he stood his ground.  “You dare to challenge the might of the legendary adventurer Buck Withers?  Hah.  I eat monsters like you for breakfast.”
The Rock Monster lets out an ear-piercing roar as it lands its giant fist right down on Buck Withers.  The stallion leaps out of the way and grabs his chain whip with his teeth.  He lashes out with the chain whip, hoping to hit his foe right in the eye, only to miss and leave himself open.
In retaliation, the Rock Monster let’s out an ear-piercing roar as it breathes fire on Buck Withers.  Buck was able to jump out of the way as the fire burned a couple of nearby trees.  As Buck got behind the monstrosity, he briefly spat out the handle of his whip and looked at the beast with a smug look on his face.
“Quite clever you sacks of pebbles,” Buck Withers said.  “But you’re still no match for me.”
And with that, Buck picked up the whip with his teeth and leaped into the air.  He flung the sharp metal tip of his whip at the Rock Monster, and it landed just above the jeweled eye, digging right in.  The monster screamed in pain as it struggled to get the tip out.
Buck Withers then leaped over the Rock Monster and ran underneath, keeping his teeth held firmly on the whip.  He pulled tightly, with the intent of pulling the jeweled eye of the Rock Monster loose.  The monster continued to scream as it tried to pull back.  Buck continued to pull with all his might, not willing to let go as long as his teeth were locked firmly on the handle of the whip.
And then, with a violent tug, Buck was able to pry loose the jeweled eye from the Rock Monster.  The monster let loose one huge agonizing scream before falling apart.  It's body became nothing but stones and boulders, as it's jeweled eye lands clear from the monster's remains.  
Buck Withers spat out his whip and looked at what's left of the Rock Monster.  He runs towards the other end of his whip and picks up the jeweled eye.  It sparkled like a sapphire, and was as big as his head.  
"For a bunch of mindless savages," Buck said to himself.  "I envy the beauty of their eyes, as gorgeous as the lakes of Equestria, or the stars in the sky.  This would make for a fine engagement ring for my future wife."
"No doubt about it, Mr Withers."  That came from behind the adventurer.  Buck turns around and sees a slightly smaller Pegasus pony.  He had a light blue coat, and a short, shaggy black mane and tail.  He wore a light brown jacket that covered all the way to his rear end.
"Gad Zookes you magnificent pony," Bucks says as he approached the slightly smaller pegasus.  "I was wondering when you would catch up, old friend"
“I was just watching you take out that monstrosity from afar,”  Gad Zookes said.  “Age hasn’t slowed you down.”
“And the same can be said for my taste of adventure,”  Buck said as he placed the jeweled eye into a pocket on his vest.  “Reminds me of my early days of facing the fiercest creatures of Equestria.”
“Like that time you faced a hungry hydra,”  Gad Zookes said.
“That was my favorite one ever,”  Buck laughed as he brushed his hair with his hoof.  “I’ll never forget being swallowed alive by that brute.  And that was his biggest mistake.  Gave that thunder lizard heartburn he would never forget.”  Buck then proceeded to wind up his whip and place it on his belt.
“No one forgets that,”  Gad Zookes said.  “There was a whole village who saw you in action.  Some thought you were brave.  Some thought you were crazy.  I just saw it as another day on the job for you.”
“Yes,”  Buck Withers said.  “And it’s not the first time I’ve been in the stomach of a beast.  But there is one challenge I plan on achieving.”
“You don’t mean,”  Gad Zookes said, curious by Buck’s desire for a new challenge.
“Yes,”  Buck replied.  “My biggest goal is to win the heart of the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia.”
“You mean Princess Cadance?”  Gad Zookes replied.  
“The Princess of Love herself,”  Buck Withers said as he polished his hoof.  “Mi Amore Cadenza.  They say love is the most fearsome creature ever in Equestria.  I intend on conquering the legend of the love beast, and make her mine.  A challenge for one who truly enjoys the quest of the adventure, don’t you say so Gad Zookes?”
As Buck looks at Gad, he notices a strange look on Gad’s face, with his jaw dropped to the floor.
“Let me guess with that face,”  Buck Withers said.  “There is a bigger rock monster behind me, and she’s upset that I slayed his child.”
The only thing Gad Zookes could do is nod yes.   Buck turns around and sees an even bigger rock monster, who roars over the death of its child.
“Would you kindly step back for a moment my loyal friend?” Buck Withers said as he prepared to grab his chain whip.  “Here comes a new challenger.”
As Gad Zookes backed off and hid behind the trees, Buck Withers grabbed the handle of his whip with his teeth and unraveled his trusty weapon, ready to do battle with an even bigger cyclops of a rock monster.
“You want a piece of me?”  Buck Withers said as his teeth held firmly on the whip.  “Come and get it.”

Later that day on the streets of Canterlot, a party was being thrown for Danged Spell’s Cute Ceanera.  It was only yesterday that the small colt earned his cutie mark due to his dedication to defending others.  And now, everyone was celebrating, including his parents Fortwright and Shanoa, his unicorn friends Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Moondancer, the three PRincesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance, and especially Wanda.  And they were all having the time of their lives.
Around the party, there were plenty of decorations and bright colors to lift the party mood.  Right on the tables are cheese and pineapple pizza, mugs of frosty root beer, and even chocolate cake.  Wanda was enjoying a nice drink of root beer while feeding Abigail bits of her pizza under the table.
“Who knew Danged Spell was into pineapple on his pizza?”  Sunset said as she took a bite.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a nice slice of pineapple pizza,”  Starlight said as scarfed down a whole slice of pineapple pizza.  “They are so good.”
“Starlight,”  Sunset said.  “You know better than to wolf down the food.  You’ll get a tummy ache.”
“But it’s so good,”  Starlight said before letting out a huge belch.
“SPEWWWWW!”  Moondancer said, disgusted by Starlight’s belch.
“Aww,”  Starlight whined.  “Belching is actually pretty fun.”
“No way are you gonna catch me belching,”  Moondancer said before turning to Wanda.  “Isn’t that right, Wanda?” She continued.
The only thing that came out of Wanda’s mouth was an even bigger belch.  That disgusted Moondancer a bit and made Starlight embarrassed.
“Oh spew and a half,”  Moondancer said as she stuck her tongue out.
“Come on Moonie,”  Twilight said as she put her left arm on Moondancer’s shoulder.  “We should all be having fun.”
“You mean with the fact that we have two gross belchers in our midst?”  Moondancer said with a chuckle.  “I’m surprised that their mommy’s aren’t scolding them for their gassy behavior.”
Suddenly, an even louder belch echoed through Canterlot.  Everyone turned around and they saw Princess Celestia cover her mouth while she let out a small burp.
“Sorry,”  Celestia said as she blushed with embarrassment.  “Too much root beer.”
“Sister,”  Luna said as she gave her older sister a noogie.  “Are you trying to outgross me when it comes to belches?”  That comment was enough to cause everyone to laugh.
Nearby, Princess Cadance was with Danged Spell.  The young colt was already feeling on top of the world since he got his cutie mark yesterday.  But he also felt a bit more special because of how he helped save Wanda, Chancellor Cinch, Twilight and Starlight from the Windigos Guild.  Cadance was there just to congratulate the youngling.
“So how does it feel to have a cutie mark,”  Princess Cadence asked Danged Spell.
“Feels great,”  Danged Spell replied.  “But it felt even greater when I gave those Windigos something they won’t forget.  After all, no one messes with my friends.”
“Glad you’re enjoying it,”  Princess Cadance replies.
“By the way,”  Danged Spell said.  “What happened to that stallion who was with you?”
“Oh you mean Shining Armor?”  Princess Cadance said as she looked a bit nervous.  “He’s...busy for the moment.”
“Well that’s too bad,” Danged Spell said as he too a sip of root beer.  “He would have enjoyed this moment.”
“Yeah,”  Princess Cadance said as she looked around and saw no sight of Shining Armor. “He would have.” She sighed as she took a bite of pineapple pizza.  Where was Shining Armor?  Why would her knight in literal shining armor be keeping her?  As Cadence looked onward, Danged Spell and Sunset Shimmer took notice.
“She’s not herself,”  Danged Spell whispered to Sunset.
“Big sis enjoys the presence of Shining Armor,”  Sunset whispered.  “They’ve known each other since she first foalsat for Twilight Sparkle.”
"What can we do to cheer her up?" Danged whispered as his eyes are still on Cadance.
"All we can do is hope for the best," Sunset said.  "And assure that nothing bad will happen"
But as the two look at Princess Cadance, a loud voice echoed through Canterlot.  The words that came out were "Well Hello citizens of Canterlot on a pony's Cute-Ceanera."  Everyone turned their heads to a corner and there was Buck Withers alongside his close friend Gad Zookes.  Buck was carrying a small jeweled eye on his hoof while Gad leaned on a larger eye.
"Everyone, look,"  A yellow and aqua pony named Lemony Gems.  "It's the legendary adventurer Buck Withers.  He's so dreamy."
"Why thank you kind citizen,"  Buck said as he placed the smaller jeweled eye into his pocket and began to walk up.  "I have been out in the world, and I have conquered the great rock monsters that date to threaten our way of life.  And each one was more vicious than the last."
Danged Spell was already looking at Buck Withers with an opened smile on his face and a clean in his eyes.  Sunset Shimmer tried to have her hoof in his face, trying to get his attention.
"Equestria to Danged Spell," Sunset said.  "Come in Danged Spell."
"The legendary Buck Withers," Danged Spell said as he was too mesmerized by Buck Wither's storytelling.  "I can't believe he's here.  During my Cute-Ceanera."
Danged Spell wasted no time as he dashed from his table towards Buck Withers.  Sunset looked mortified as she saw her friend make his way towards the adventurer.  She turns her head towards Fortwright and Shanoa, who were observing in the background, all while Shanoa rocked foal Dream Seeker in her stroller.
"You invited him to his Cute-Ceanera, Mr and Mrs Sagara?"  Sunset said to Fortwright and Shanoa.
"He needed some inspiration for his future," Fortwright said as Shanoa shook her head with a smirk on her face.
"I will never understand you two," Sunset said as she put her hoof to her face.
"It was Spell's idea for pineapple pizza," Shanoa said as she continued to rock foal Dream Seeker.  "But he should have went with pepper-oatni pizza.  Seriously, who eats pineapple topped on a pizza?"
As Buck Withers and Gad Zookes show off their prize, Danged Spell ran up to the duo, excited to see the two.
“Well,”  Buck Withers said as he noticed Danged Spell.  “If it ain’t the boy with his new cutie mark.”
“That’s me,”  Danged Spell said.  “And I thank my friends and family for helping me get to this moment.”
“Well,” Buck Withers said.  “I came by to give you my Cute-Ceanera greetings.”  And with that, Buck Withers pulls out a gold medallion necklace with a B engraved on it.  
“A custom-made Buck Withers Medallion?”  Danged Spell said as he stared at it.
“Just for you,”  Buck Withers said as he wrapped the necklace around Spell’s neck.  “And not for anyone who wants to be a king or a prince.”
“Oh thank you,”  Danged Spell said as bowed towards Buck.  “You can count on me.  I’m no pony who wants to even be royalty.”
“Now will you excuse me young adventure?”  Buck says.  “I’m here to give this place the party of its life.”
As Buck Withers walked towards Princess Cadance, Danged Spell just stared with a smile on his face, and his mind almost blank.
“I can’t believe I met my idol,”  Danged Spell thought.  “If this is a dream, someone pinch me.”

As Buck Withers walked towards Princess Cadence, he accidentally bumped into Wanda’s chair, startling her a little bit.
“Whoops,”  Buck said as he bowed to Wanda.  “Sorry there little lady.  I didn’t mean to.”
Wanda just stared at Buck, a bit confused by his presence.  But as Buck began to walk away, he unintentionally stepped on Abigail’s tail.  The kitten yelled really loud before leaping into the air.
“I really need to watch myself,”  Buck said as he saw Abigail holding onto a wooden beam for dear life.
Wanda just looked at Buck Withers with a bit of a scowl.  It was one thing to bump into her.  But to step on the tail of her cat?  That wasn’t gonna go well for this man’s cub.
“I don’t like this guy,”  Wanda said as she looked at her poor Abigail, still stuck on the wooden beam.
Buck Withers approached Princess Cadance with a brush of his hair and a tightening of his vest.  He got a good look at the princess, who was still worried.
“Well hello there my fine flower,”  Buck Withers said. “Why the glum and despair?”
“What do you want, Buck?”  Cadance says as she turns her head away.
“Why, I’m here to cheer you up,”  Buck replied as he picks Princess Cadance up and places her upright in her chair.  “After all, you’re the Princess of Love, not the Damsel of Despair.”
Princess Cadance lets out a sigh as she said “Whatever.”
Buck Withers looks towards Gad Zookes, who signals to his older friend by putting his left arm into the air and his right arm to his heart.  Buck looks and had a confident grin on his face.
“There’s no need for the doom and gloom,”  Buck said as he places his arm around Cadance’s shoulders.  “What you need is a pony who will show you the entire world.  A gem waiting to be discovered, and a monster that will put you up to the challenge.”
“Oh please,”  Princess Cadance says with a slight grin on her face.  “I could never be like you, Buck.”
“Then why not take the colts and fillies with us?”  Buck said.  “They could use some inspiration into becoming future adventurers.”

Meanwhile, around the corner, Shining Armor has dressed up in a tuxedo and is carrying a box of chocolates and a bouquet of zinnias.  He looked at his reflection in the window and brushed his mane, looking as suave as ever.
“Cadenza Mi Amore,”  Shining Armor.  “Your knight in shining armor is about to arrive.”
Shining Armor took one turn towards the corner and began to skip his way down the street.  He looked eager to meet up with Princess Cadance at Danged spell’s Cute-Ceanera. 
It didn’t take long for him to make his way to the party, where every pony was enjoying themselves.  As Shining Armor waltz his way up, he closed his eyes and held out the bouquet.
“Here I am you gorgeous rose,”  Shining Armor said.  But when he opened his eyes, he saw Buck Withers trying to swoon Princess Cadance.  Cadance looked up and saw Shining Armor carrying the zinnias and the box of chocolates, who unfortunately had a shocking look on her face.
“Cadance….doesn’t care for me anymore?”  Shining Armor thought to himself as his heart shattered to pieces.  
“Oh horse apples,”  Princess Cadance thought to herself as she saw the look on Shining Armor’s face.
Heartbroken, Shining Armor throws the chocolates and the zinnias to the side and runs off in the opposite direction, crying.  Wanda, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and Danged Spell were quick to take notice.
“Big Brother,”  Twilight said as she became concerned for Shining Armor’s well-being.
“What just happened?”  Danged Spell asked Sunset.
“We should go check up,”  Sunset said as she, Twilight Sparkle and Danged Spell ran after Shining Armor.
Wanda looks down as Shining Armor runs off crying.  She looks at Princess Celestia, who nods towards her adopted daughter.  Wanda nods back and goes after Shining Armor.
“Please cheer him up,”  Celestia said as she used her magic to carefully pull Abigail from the wooden beam and bring her down.  As the kitten reached ground level,  Celestia gave Abigail a little rub on the ears to calm her down.

Nearby in an alley, Shining Armor was crying his eyes out.  The mere look of seeing Princess Cadance with another stallion, Buck Withers of all characters, was enough to make this younger stallion depressed.  As Shining Armor was in tears, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Danged Spell and Wanda Young show up right behind him.
“Go cheer up your big brother, Twilight,”  Sunset said.  “He needs it now.”
Twilight nodded and walked up to Shining Armor.  She saw her big brother bawling his eyes out, and felt sorry for the big guy.  The only thing she did was leap onto the same level as Shining Armor and give him a big hug.  
“Big brother,”  Twilight said to Shining Armor.  “I’m sorry.”
Shining Armor was able to snap out of his crying for a bit to see his little sister hug him.  He at least was able to crack a smile as he looked down at Twilight.
“Thanks Twili,”  he said as he hugged Twilight back.
Wanda, Sunset Shimmer and Danged Spell looked on as they saw Twilight embrace her older brother.  There was a small glance of guilt within the colt.
“Poor Shining armor,”  Wanda said.  “He didn’t deserve to be separated from big sister.”
“We need to figure a way to get them back together,”  Sunset said to Wanda before turning her head towards Danged Spell, who was staring at the medallion that Buck Withers gave him.  
“Spell,” Sunset said.  “Are you alright?”
“I feel like I just made a mistake in accepting this,”  Danged Spell said as he looks to take off the medallion.  “I think I need to give it back.”
But before Danged Spell could take off the necklace, Wanda placed her hand on the medallion.  She gave the colt a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry,”  Wanda said.  “We’ll find a way.”
“Thanks Wanda,”  Danged Spell said as he gave the man’s cub a hug.
Sunset could only look at her sister hugging Danged Spell and smiled.
“If we can figure out how to make everyone happy,”  Sunset thought.  “I’m all up for it.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Trapped in a Love Triangle

> Arc 5-2: Trapped in a Love Triangle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Trapped in a Love Triangle



At a nearby house in Canterlot, Shining Armor was playing a game of Ogres and Oubliettes with three other friends.  They were 8-Bit the Pegasus, Gaffer the Unicorn and Poindexter the nerdy Earth Pony.  Right next to Shining Armor was his sister Twilight Sparkle.  Though his friends were enjoying the game, Shining Armor was distracted from playing.  And that concerned not just Twilight, but his own friends.
“Hey big guy,”  Gaffer said to Shining Armor.  “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Shining Armor said as he let out a depressing huff.  “Nothing bad.”
“He has girl problems,”  Twilight said to Gaffer.
“Girl problems?”  Poindexter gasped.  “What happened?”
“Princess Cadance is dating someone else,”  Shining Armor said.
“Woah, woah woah,”  8-Bit said.  “I thought you and Cadance were foalhood friends.  That doesn’t sound right.”
“It’s a misunderstanding,”  Twilight said.  “Cadance doesn’t have eyes on anyone except my big brother.”
“How can you be sure of that?”  Gaffer asked.  “Not that many ponies know about the life of the princesses.”
“Are you kidding?”  Twilight laughed.  “I have friends who are younger sisters of Princess Cadance.”   And with that, all three of Shining Armor’s friends gasped at Twilight’s response.  
“Wait,”  Poindexter said, shocked by Twilight’s comment.  “Are you saying that you’re friends with….two princesses?”
“Yeah,”  Twilight replied.  “One’s a unicorn like me.  The other is actually a human.  But I’ve never seen a human before.”
“So what’s it like to be friends with a pair of princesses?”  8-Bit asks Twilight.
“What do they like to do on their day off from the limelight?”  Gaffer asks Twilight.
“And how close are they to Princess Celestia?”  Poindexter asks Twilight.
At this point, Twilight was starting to freak out over three older colts asking her random questions about her friends from school.  And it was causing enough stress to the young filly.
“That’s about enough questions from you three,”  Shining Armor says as he grabs Twilight with his magic and pulls her away.  Twilight wiped the sweat off of her forehead in relief.
“But we’re rather curious,”  Poindexter says.
“Look,”  Shining Armor replies as he sets Twilight right next to him.  “I know you are super geeky about the lives of the princesses.  But this is not the way to do it.  Besides, I’m still upset.”  Twilight just looked up at her big brother and snuggles right next to him.
“Sorry about that,”  Gaffer said.  “I guess when you’re close to royalty, you become some kind of big shot celebrity.”
“Me?  A Celebrity?”  Twilight said as she let out one big raspberry.  “No way.  Do I look like the kind of pony who would be big in Canterlot?  What next?  Becoming an alicorn?”
“That would be silly,”  8-Bit said.  “Besides, you’re too good for that role.”
“But I think your brother deserves to be with Princess Cadance,” Poindexter said.  “Not with some guy who tackles monsters in real life.”  Upon hearing Poindexter’s words, Shining Armor felt a bit more confident.
“You know what?”  Shining Armor said.  “You’re right.  Me and Cadance deserve to be together, and I won’t let that celebrity one-up me.”
“That’s the spirit old friend,”  Gaffer said.  “Don’t let a big guy like Buck Withers get the best of you.  By the way, is there any chance we can help?”
“Right now, not at the moment,”  Shining Armor said as he stood up.  “But if I have a plan, I’ll let you all know.”
But as Shining Armor’s attitude started to come back, Twilight became a bit nervous.
“I hope I didn’t overdo it,”  Twilight said to herself.

Later that day, Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle stepped out of the house and into the streets of Canterlot.  While Shining Armor’s mood has gotten a bit lighter, Twilight was a bit concerned for herself.
“Uhh, big brother,”  Twilight said to Shining Armor.  “I’d like to apologize for butting into your conversation about Princess Cadance.”
“You don’t need to apologize Twili,”  Shining Armor said.  “Actually, I should thank you for helping me find the courage I lost.”
“Really?”  Twilight said as her tone changed.  
“Yeah,”  Shining Armor said.  “Early ago, I let loose the waterworks because I saw Buck with Cadance.  But now, I believe I can get Cadance back on my side.”
“I think that might be easier than you think,”  Twilight said.  “After all, you both knew each other for a long time.  Especially when she started out as my foalsitter.”
“Oh thanks for reminding me, Twili,”  Shining Armor said.  “You have another foalsitter meeting with Cadance tonight.  Ask about anything, and see if she still loves me.”
“Oh believe me,”  Twilight said.  “She’ll most likely ask me about you.”

Meanwhile, inside a local jewelry shop that is located on the northern side of Canterlot, Buck Wither had entered the shop with the smaller jewelled eye that he gained from bringing down the giant rock monster.  Behind him was Gad Zookes carrying a heavy saddle bag with an obviously round object.  They approached the front desk where a local Jeweller was putting the finishing touches on a necklace.  
“Jeweler,”  Buck Withers said.  “I have a special project that I wish for you to perform.”
The Jeweler turns to face Buck Withers, who showed him the jewelled eye.
“Ahh Buck Withers,”  The Jeweller said.  “It’s good to see you again.”   The Jeweller turned his attention towards the jewelled eye and had a bit of a sparkle in his own eyes.  
“And it seems you have a real rare prize on our hoof,”  he said.  “I have not seen one of those in a long, long, time.”
“He took out a Rock Monster in the White Tail Woods not long ago,”  Gad Zookes said.  "Actually, I stand corrected.  He took out two of them and secured their eyes as a prize."

“And we already know how difficult those monstrosities are to take down,”  The Jeweler said.  “Normally I have a number of orders to take care of.  But in your case, I’ll be happy to get started on it.”
“That’s simply perfect,”  Buck Withers said as he places the jewelled eye on the table of shop.  The Jeweler attaches an eye glass to his eye and takes a careful look at the large gemstone, which sparkled with a magnificent gleam in the sunlight.  
“Oh it’s the real thing alright,”  The Jeweler said as he was bedazzled by the gem’s clarity.  “There’s no mistaking the quality of the eye of the Cyclops Golems.  The emerald green in this one represents that it comes from the forest, as it is more connected to nature.”
“And there happens to be other variations as well,”  Buck Withers replied.  “Like some near a volcano, or in the cold continent of Winterra.”
“Indeed,”  The Jeweler replied as he continued to study the jewel. “But this one came from a rather smaller variation.  A bambino of some sort.”
“Not much of a concern,”  Buck Withers said.  “And on a side note, I took out its father to boot.  Gad Zookes, show em.”
“You got it,”  Gad Zookes said as he unloaded the larger Emerald Jeweled Eye from his saddlebag.  The Jeweler’s jaw drops at the mere sight of the bigger emerald.
“Sweet Amethyst,”  The Jeweler replied, shocked by the emerald size.  “Any bigger and I don’t think it will fit through the doorway.”
“You can say that again,” Buck Withers replied.  But The Jeweler could only let out a smug smile on his face as he looked at the smaller, yet nice-sized, emerald that came from a Cyclops Golem.
“Anyway, you do realize that this stone is too big to fit onto any form of jewelry,”  The Jeweler said.  “Furthermore, breaking this Golem Eye into a number of pieces requires special tools.  The pick at the end of your whip couldn’t even create a hairline crack.  Luckily for you, I happen to have some of those tools.  For a moderate price, of course.”
WIthout a second word, Buck Withers throws a bag of gold bits onto the table.
“That should cover the cost of the labor and the supplies,”  Buck Withers said.  “You can keep any leftover precious stones that you managed to chip open.  Shape that into a ring, and I’ll be all set.”
“Oh that is just what I need,”  The Jeweler said as he accepted the bag of gold.  “Give me at least two hours, and I will have your ring ready.”
As Buck began to walk out, he overheard a scream coming from outside.  He looked out and his jaw dropped down.  Something had disturbed this stallion, and he wasn’t going to take it.
“Gad, come with me,”  Buck said as he ran out the door.  “We got a squabble going on.”
“On my way,”  Gad Zookes said as he stuffs the bigger Golem Eye into his saddle bag before running after Buck Withers.

Outside, two stallions were yelling at each other as a crowd of onlookers watched on.  Near these two are two baskets that have spilled over.  One with dates and one with pistachios.  Nearby, Lemony Gem watched in horror as the two stallions looked to tear each other apart.
“You tipped over my dates,”  One stallion yelled.
“Well you tipped over my pistachios,”  The other stallion yelled.
“At least I didn’t have the gall to be near those disgusting cashews,” The first stallion yelled.
“Disgusting?”  The second stallion yelled. “If anything’s disgusting, it’s those rancid excuse for fruits.”
That angered the first stallion.  He grabbed his basket with his teeth and flung it at the second stallion, who ducked underneathe the flying basket.  Lemony Gem watched at the basket was heading towards her face, and she could do nothing but scream in agony.
Suddenly, the ends of a chain whip flies out of nowhere and collides with the basket, shattering it to pieces. Lemony Gem stopped screaming as she just stared at the broken basket.  The two stallions looked nearby and they say Buck Withers, holding his whip with his teeth.  He spat out the whip and glanced coldly at the duo.
“That’s about enough, you two,”  Buck Withers yelled.  “There will be no bickering over food.”
“But he started it,”  The first stallion said.
“Nuh uh.  You started it,”  The second stallion said.  
But Buck Withers was not having any of it.  He stomped his hoof into the ground, scaring both stallions like they had seen a ghost.  
“What kind of example are we giving to our kids with this mindless bickering?”  Buck Withers said.  “Short tempers and scattered foods won’t solve anything in Equestria.  Now I suggest you both clean up the mess you made.”
Buck then turns towards a basket stand next to him and places a couple of bits next to the owner, who gives him a basket.  Buck then takes the basket over to the very stallion who threw his at the other.
“This is the only thing I’m giving you,”  Buck said as he placed the basket down near the stallion.  “But the next time this happens, you’re on your own.”
Buck walks over to Lemony Gem, who was still shaking a bit over almost being smashed in the face by a flying basket.  It was as if her life nearly flashed before her very eyes.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” Buck Withers asked.
“I’m….I’m fine,”  Lemony Gem said.  “Thank you.”
Gad Zookes walks up to Lemony Gem and says to her “It’s good that you have Buck Withers on your side.  If there is one thing he can’t tolerate, it’s personal feuds between ponies.”
“I have no argument on that,” Lemony Gem replied.
“Well,”  Buck Withers said.  “We best be on our way, ma’am.  Do be careful.  Even the streets of Canterlot can be dangerous.”
And with that, Buck Withers and Gad Zookes walks off, heading straight in the direction of the setting sun.  Lemony Gem looks at the duo, and a smile cracked on her face.
“I was rescued by Buck Withers,” Lemony Gem said as her heart grew.  “I can’t believe it. Wait till I tell Princess Cadance about this.”

Later on at a nearby house, Princess Cadance was hanging out with two other friends of hers: A slender unicorn named Fleur De Lis, and a pegasus named Diamond Rose.  But they weren’t the only ones there.  Wanda Young was sitting on a nearby bed with Abigail Albright sleeping on her lap, and Sunset Shimmer relaxing in the warm sunlight.  There was a look on Diamond’s face that was of concern.
“Lemony Gem sure is late,”  Diamond Rose said.
“Oh don’t worry,”  Princess Cadance replied.  “It’s probably the middle of a busy shopping day at the markets.
“And besides,”  Fleur De Lis said.  “Isn’t it pretty typical of Lemony?  She likes to go down there and check out the newest video games at the nearby shops.  Especially games for her Neightendo Swap.  She buys them like they were hot cakes.”
“Are you really sure about that?”  Diamond Rose said, still with a concern in her voice.”
“Trust me,”  Fleur De Lis replied.  “When it comes to video games, Lemony loves to dive deep into one for who knows how long.  I’ve seen it a million times.”
But as Fleur De Lis stopped talking, the door opens and in emerges Lemony Gem.  Her heart was floating like a boat in the water as she was amazed by early ago.  
“Well that was unexpected,” Princess Cadance says as Lemony Gem walked up to her. “So,”  she continued.  “What happened down there?  Did you get the game you were looking for?”
“Even better,”  Lemony Gem continued.  “Buck Withers saved me.”
“Wait,” Diamond Rose said as she walked up to Lemony Gem.  “The Buck Withers?  The greatest adventurer to ever lived in Equestria?”
“Yes,”  Lemony Gem replied.  “A basket flew right towards my face and Buck managed to deflect it with his whip.  He’s so dreamy.”
“Then why don’t you marry him?”  Princess Cadance asks.
“But...I can’t,”  Lemony Gem replied.  “I’m not a princess like you.  And besides, I don’t want to steal the spotlight from you.”
“Woah woah,” Princess Cadance replies.  “I don’t want to marry Buck Withers.  My eyes are set on Shining Armor, despite the incident from early ago.  You sound like you were made for him.”
“Princess, you’re passing up on an opportunity,”  Fleur De Lis said.  “This is Buck Withers.  The greatest adventurer that Equestria has.  You deserve a guy like him.”
“This is your future you’re deciding about when you become Prime Princess of Equestria,” Diamond Rose replies.  “Do you want a husband that can bring a positive influence on our future children?”
“Girls,”  Princess Cadance replies as she starts to become nervous.  “This is my own life.  And who said I wanted to be the Prime Princess of Equestria?  Besides, my adopted mom hates politics.”
As Cadance struggled to defend herself, Wanda and Sunset watched with concern for their bigger sister, all while thinking long and hard about their own future.
“You know,” Sunset said to Wanda.  “I’m beginning to wonder why I wasn’t adopted by a humble family instead of Princess Celestia.”
“Nevermind that,”  Wanda said.  “I’m concerned for Big Sis.”
“We all are concerned for her,”  Sunset said.  “No one should have to marry who they don’t care for.  And Big Sis sounds like she doesn’t care for Buck Withers.  Like I’d want to have him for a brother-in-law.”
“We better cheer her up when we get the chance,”  Wanda said as he continued to pet Abigail.  “And fast.”

Later that day, Princess Cadance was slumping down the streets of Canterlot City with Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright right behind her, who all shared a cause for concern.
“Hey Caddey,”  Sunset says.  “You alright?”
Cadance lets out a sigh and says “No.”
“It’s about that guy, isn’t it?”  Wanda asks.
“No doubt about it,” Princess Cadance says.  “I don’t want to marry Buck Withers.  My heart goes out to Shining Armor.  If only there was some way to convince him that I’m not interested.”
Sunset inches towards Wanda and whispers “She really needs our help.  Maybe we should join her when she goes to foalsit Twilight and Starlight.”
“Roger,”  Wanda whispers back.
“Well if it ain’t the Pink Rose of Canterlot.”  That voice came from Buck Withers, who was walking down the street with Gad Zookes.  Abigail ran behind Wanda and began hissing at Buck Withers.
“Hi Buck,”  Cadance sighed.  “Don’t mind me, I’m just heading for home.”
“You seem to be down in the dumps, my lady,”  Buck Withers says as he approaches Princess Cadance.
“Look, I know you’re all handsome and all,” Princess Cadance says.  “But truth be told, I…”
“Am I looking forward to the Fall Formal Festival?” Buck Withers interrupted.  “It’s only two weeks away, and that would be the best date to go on.”
“No, that’s not what I…”  Princess Cadance replies before Buck interrupts her again.
“My lady,”  Buck Withers said.  “I’m here for you, and I’m here for your people.  You need a brave soul to guide us all to the bright light.”
“For your information, buster,”  Wanda said as she stomped towards Buck Withers.  “She’s not the mare for you, and I recommend you find someone else.”
“Ahh, you must be the Man’s Cub Princess,”  Buck Withers said as he picks up Wanda.  “I always wanted a cute little sister-in-law.”
“Hey, let me go,”  Wanda yelled as she struggled to get out of Buck’s hooves.
Buck Withers proceeded to toss Wanda up and down as if he were playing with her.  Wanda screamed really loud as she flew up and down.
“Sisters,”  Wanda yelled at Sunset and Cadance.  “Get me down.”
But before Cadance could look up, Buck flung Wanda up really high.  The sisters looked up and saw Wanda clinging onto a wooden beam that was connected to a building.  The Man’s Cub was chattering her teeth and holding on for dear life.
“That wasn’t very nice,”  Sunset said.  “What if she got hurt?”
“Buck Withers would never dare to hurt a little one like yourself,”  Buck Withers said as he gave Sunset a hoof noogie.
“That’s about enough Buck,”  Princess Cadance said as she walked towards the stallion.  “They’re my sisters, and they’re also my responsibility.”
“But of course,”  Buck Withers said.  “I mean no harm to them.  After all, aren’t they just the littlest bundles of joy.”
And with that, Buck Withers reaches his arms out and catches a falling Wanda into his arms.  He then proceeded to cradle and rock the young Man’s Cub.
“Aren’t you just the little cutie of Equestria?”  Buck Wither says as he rubbed Wanda’s nose with his hoof.  Wanda tries to bite back, but Buck was quick to pull back his hoof.
“Now now now,”  Buck says to Wanda.  “You don’t want to ruin your teeth, young lady.”  He then proceeds to set Wanda down, who then runs towards Princess Cadance.
“Now will you excuse me my lady?”  Buck Withers said to Princess Cadance.  “I must be on my way.  Come along, Gad Zookes.”  But as Buck Withers began to walk off, he steps on Abigail’s tail by accident.  The kitten screams and flies upwards up onto the same wooden beam, clinging for dear life all while shaking her fur like crazy.
“Oh dear,”  Buck Withers said. “I think my hoof is a magnet for cat tails.  I best be careful from here on out.”
With that, Buck Withers made his way out with Gad Zookes following right behind him.  Gad, however, turned his head towards Princess Cadance.
“Don’t mind me,”  Gad Zookes said to Princess Cadance.  “I’m just a simple nobody who hides in the shadows.”
Princess Cadance looks down at Wanda and Sunset Shimmer.  Her two sisters were concerned for her well-being, and they didn’t want her to marry Buck Withers.  Something about him rubbed them both the wrong way, especially Wanda.  The little Man’s Cub was upset, but also had a couple of tears in her eyes.
“Having boyfriend problems, Princess Cadance?”  That voice came from Chancellor Abacus Cinch.  She stepped out from behind the shadows and approached the eldest of three sisters.
“An understatement if you ask me Chancellor,”  Cadance says as she watches Buck Withers and Gad Zookes disappear into the distance. “Buck wants me to marry him, claiming that it’s for the good of Equestria.  I don’t want to marry him, and I don’t want to be the Prime Princess of Equestria.  But what can I do considering that he won’t let me say no?”
“I’ve been through this before,”  Chancellor Cinch says.  “I once had this aristocrat from Manehattan wanting to marry me, claiming that it will help boost the economy and make his trillion bit business number one in Equestria.  I told him he can go jump into a river.  Next thing you know, he did exactly that, and his business tanked.  My advice?  Ditch him the first chance you get.”
Princess Cadance could only help but laugh at Cinch’s statement as the Chancellor walked up to Wanda and Sunset.
“Normally, I would have you be on your best behavior,”  Chancellor Cinch said to Wanda. “But this is a rare circumstance.  Your sisters need you, Man’s Cub.  Don’t disappoint them.”
As Abacus Cinch walks off in the distance, Wanda could do nothing, but think about the very words the Chancellor said to her.  Sunset looked at Wanda and saw a slightly different human than what she was used to.”
“You’re not scared of the Chancellor?”  Sunset asks.
“After what Buck Withers put me through,”  Wanda replies.  “Not right now.”
“By the way,”  Sunset replies.  “How are you going to get Abigail down?”
Sunset, Wanda and Cadance looks up to see Abigail continuing to cling onto the wooden beam, still scared from having her tail stepped on.  Wanda could do nothing but let out a sigh.
“I’ll get her,”  Wanda said as her insect wings sprouted from her back.
“That’s okay,”  Cadance said as she put her hoof on Wanda’s head.  “I got this.”
Without a second thought, Princess Cadance flies up and gently grabs Abigail from the wooden beam.  She strokes the kitten on the head, calming her down as flies downwards towards her sisters.  Once she touches the ground, Princess Cadance hands Abigail over to Wanda, who was happy to see her companion.
“Aww,”  Wanda says as Abigail snuggles into her arm. “I’m glad you’re back, Abigail.”
“Come on you two,”  Princess Cadance says as she begins to walk towards the palace.  “Let’s fill mommy in on our plan.”
“Coming,”  Wanda yells as she runs after Princess Cadance with Abigail in her arms.  “And thanks for helping me.”
“Hey wait up,”  Sunset Shimmer says as she catches up to her sisters.  “I want in on what you’re both planning.”
“Here’s a hint,”  Cadance says to Sunset Shimmer.  “It involves tonight’s foal sitting with Twilight and Starlight.”


	To Be continued in….


	The Foalsitter’s Club

> Arc 5-3: The Foalsitter's Club
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Foalsitter’s Club


It is the early part of the evening.  Princess Celestia was walking down the street with Princess Cadance by her side. Right behind them were Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright.  While Cadance had a smile on her face, there was a bit of concern from her adopted mother.
"Are you really sure you want to go through this?" Princess Celestia asks.  "Pranking someone like Buck Withers"
"He won't listen to me when I want to say no," Princess Cadance says.  "It's like he wants to insert himself into my life.  Plus I am upset at what he did to Wanda."
Princess Celestia turned around and saw Wanda with a bit of a scowl on her face, still upset over Buck Withers tossing her up and down like some kind of play thing.
"Bad pony gonna pay," Wanda said as that scowl failed to escape her face.
"It's that bad, my darling?" Celestia said.
"It is," Wanda said.  "Promise you won't let Bad Pony treat me like a toy."
"Don't worry," Celestia said in hopes of assuring Wanda.  "If he does that again, I'll give him the Celestia Special."  Those words were enough to cause Wanda to giggle.
"Guess that brightened her mood Mommy," Sunset said as Abigail leaped onto Wanda’s shoulder.
“Wanda,”  Princess Cadance said.  “You don’t need to worry.  When this is all over, I’ll make sure your brother-in-law will be Shining Armor.  Besides, he’s not as rowdy as Buck Withers.”
“Your older sister is right,”  Sunset said to Wanda.  “Compared to Big Bag Buck, Shining Armor’s like a cuddly teddy bear.”
“And speaking of which,”  Princess Celestia said as she came to a stop.  “We’re here.”
Princess Cadance, Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer comes to a stop as they had arrived at a house in the middle of Canterlot.  Cadance had a smile on her face as she approached the door.
“Wait till Twilight realizes that we’ve arrived for tonight,”  Princess Cadance says as she knocks on the door.  Princess Celestia walks up alongside her adopted daughter and waits in anticipation.
“I’ve put up with the nonsense in the Senate,” Celestia said.  “At least mingling with the citizens feels far more relaxing.”  
Celestia’s words only caused Cadance to laugh.  But as she laughed, the door opens and we see two adult individuals at the door: Night Light and Twilight Velvet, the parents of Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor.
“Your majesty,”  Night Light said.  “I was hoping for Princess Cadance to show up.  I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Well we are going to attend a theatrical play,”  Princess Celestia said.  “And you know Cadance doesn’t like to look at that kind of stuff.”
“I’m looking forward to tonight,”  Twilight Velvet said as she looked down at Sunset and Wanda.  “And it looks like you brought your sisters with you..”
“Hello,”  Wanda said as she waved at Twilight Velvet.
“Aren’t you the cutest widdle thing ever,”  Twilight Velvet said as she tickles Wanda’s tummy with her hoof.  Wanda rolls backwards and starts to laugh really loud.
“Cut that out,” Wanda laughed.  “That tickles.”
Sunset Shimmer could only watch her younger sister endure the tickle torture as she casually blows the front tuft of her mane upwards.  
“Reminds me of when mommy kept surprising me with a tummy buzz,”  Sunset said.
It didn’t take long for Twilight Velvet to stop tickling Wanda.  The Man’s Cub was able to sit right back up as Twilight Sparkle emerged from behind the doorway.
“Twilight,”  Wanda waved.  “We made it.”
“Wanda, Sunset, Cadance,”  Twilight said as she ran out to greet her friends.
“That’s the pony I was looking forward to seeing,”  Princess Cadance said as she ran up to Twilight Sparkle.  As soon as they were close, they both did their ladybug dance together.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake,” Twilight and Cadance sang as they danced.
Once again, Wanda and Sunset looked at Twilight and Cadance and they gagged as usual.
“No way are you getting me to do a friendship dance, sister,”  Wanda said.
“Don’t worry, Wanda,” Sunset joked.  “I’m with you on that.”
Suddenly, Sunset was tackled from right out of nowhere, startling Wanda a bit.  When Sunset looked up, she saw the friendly face of Starlight Glimmer, who was happy to see her.
“Sunset,”  Starlight said as she gave Sunset Shimmer a big hug.  “I missed you so much.,”
“Hi there Starlight,”  Sunset said.  “You really didn’t have to tackle me like that.”
Starlight got off of Sunset and blushed with embarrassment.  Sunset was able to pick herself up and dust herself off while Wanda approached Starlight.
“How come you’re at Twilight’s place?”  Wanda asked.
“Well my parents and Twilight’s were able to meet after I was accepted into the School for Gifted Unicorns,”  Starlight said.  “Mommy and Daddy wanted me to attend, but they also wanted to show support for Sire’s Hollow.  So they let me stay at Twilight’s during my stay here.”
“Nice,”  Sunset said.  “That means we can see each other more, provided you don’t tackle me like you’re a cat.”
But as Sunset said those words, she heard the growling of a cat.  She turns her head downwards to her right and sees Abigail snarling at her, offended by Sunset’s choice of words..
“Whoops,”  Sunset said.  “Didn’t mean to offend you, Abigail.”

A bit later on, everyone was inside the house.  Princess Celestia was alongside Twilight Velvet and Night Light, while Princess Cadance was right next to Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright.  Celestia was about ready to leave the house with Night Light and Twilight Velvet.
“Now if anything horrible happens,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Let us know about it.  After all, you are capable of transmitting any message to me through your magic.”
“No problem, Mom,”  Princess Cadance said.  “Besides, I’ve known these tykes for a long time.    You’d think they would go and swipe all of the candy from the house?”  Wanda, Sunset, Starlight and Twilight couldn’t help, but giggle at Cadance’s comment.
“Now you two,”  Celestia said to Wanda and Sunset.  “Promise you’ll be on your best behavior for your big sister.”
“Oh I promise,”  Wanda said as she put her right hand in the air.  
“No argument with her,”  Sunset said.
Celestia just giggled and said “And with that, we are on our way.”  But as they were about to step out, Shining Armor came running down the stairs in a hurry.
"Sorry," Shining Armor yelled. "But I am late for my Ogres and Oubliettes meeting "  As he approached the door, Shining Armor took notice of Princess Cadance, who only giggled at how much of a mess the young stallion was, especially in the mane.
"Hello Shining Darling," Cadance giggled.
"HELLLLLO!" Shining Armor yelled in the most obnoxious and cheesy voice, before prancing out of the house.  Cadance could barely contain her laughter while Twilight and the other kids were not amused.
"Real smooth, brother," Twilight said to herself.
"And I thought the ladybug dance was annoying," Wanda said to herself.
Celestia, Twilight Velvet and Night Light let out a chuckle before they walked out the door.  But as she was about to step outside, Celestia turned her head towards Cadance.
“I know what you’re thinking about Buck Withers,”  Celestia said.  “You don’t have to marry him.  But you have to convince him that he ain’t your type.  Besides, I’ve known you and Shining Armor for a long time.”
And with that, Celestia steps out the door with Night Light and Twilight Velvet behind her before Cadance shuts the door.  Her usually optimistic smile was replaced by a mere smug grin.
“Sunset,”  Cadance said.  “Could you take Starlight upstairs for a bit?”
“Uhhh Sure,”  Sunset said as she turned towards Starlight.  “Come on.  I think our big sister is on a train of thought.”
“Err, okay,”  Starlight said as she and Sunset walked towards the staircase.  Nearby, Abigail looked on in curiosity as Sunset and Starlight went upstairs.  She turned towards Twilight, Wanda and Cadance as the trio were in discussion.
“Twilight,”  Cadance said.  “Did you get any info on Buck Withers?  Or on your brother?”
“I know a lot about my brother,”  Twilight said.  “As for Buck Withers, I had to talk to Sunburst about it.  He’s got some information on the adventurer.” 
“Sweet,”  Cadance replied.  “What can you tell me about him?”
“Well there is one catch,”  Twilight said with a smirk on her face.  “You’re going to need a lot of note taking.  His strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, fears, popularity, and everything else but the kitchen sink, and we haven’t gotten into Buck Withers yet.  I hope you brought along proper label markers, and a binder to keep those notes intact.”
“Oh please,”  Cadance replies.  “I always keep a spare set of that handy.”
“If that’s the case,”  Twilight said.  “Where did you put it?”
“Ask and you shall receive,”  Princess Cadance said as she flicks her horn with a spark of magic.  In a flash, a bag full of notebooks popped out in front of her.  Twilight was awed at the sigh of the contents of the bag.
“So, what should we use to arrange every one of our notes?”  Twilight asked. “Should we use wide-ruled paper or academy paper?”
“Oh no no no no,”  Cadance replied.  “These notebooks go beyond even academy-based paper.  I also brought pencils that were made perfectly for this kind of paper.  And I know what you’re gonna ask: What about label markers?  Well I brought 37 different colored sheets of paper for my label markers.  Beat that.”
“That’s my big sister,”  Wanda said with a smile.
Cadance turns towards Wanda and says “Okay Wanda.  Are you ready for an assignment?”
Wanda salutes Cadance and says “Aye aye, Captain.”
Cadance turns back to Twilight and says “Give her the details.”
“Wanda,”  Twilight said.  “There is a book upstairs in my room that goes into detail about Buck Withers.  It would be great if you brought it down to us.”
“Roger roger,” Wanda yelled.  Soon, that man’s cub ran up the stairs like she was in a hurry.  Abigail wasted no time following her human companion up the flight of stairs as well.

Upstairs, Wanda entered Twilight’s room with the intent on getting that book on Buck Withers.  Inside, Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer were staring at a crib.  Wanda paused to look at Sunset and Starlight as Abigail ran up to the trio.
“What are you three doing?”  Wanda asked.
“Oh hey Wanda,”  Starlight said.  “Do you remember that baby dragon that came out of the egg?”
“The one that Twilight was able to hatch?”  Wanda replied.
“Well Twilight’s been looking after it,”  Sunset replied.  “Much like how you’re looking after Abigail.”
“Isn’t he such a cutie?”  Starlight said as she and Sunset moved aside.  Inside the crib was baby Spike, sucking on his own tail.  Wanda stepped up and stared at the baby dragon.
“Wow,”  Wanda said.  “I didn’t know mommy let Twilight raise a baby dragon.”
“Well she’s not the only one who’s taking care of him,”  Starlight said.  “Twilight’s big brother’s been helping out, and so am I.  But I really like to look after him.  Isn’t he so precious?”
Sunset only laughed a bit and said “When it comes to that baby dragon, Starlight seems to be attracted to him. I think this is the reason why she was eager to bring me upstairs.”  She then turns her eyes towards Spike and says to Wanda “Go ahead.  It’s okay.  He won’t bite.”
Wanda approached Spike’s crib and reached out with her right hand.  Spike lets go of his tail and looks at Wanda’s hand before looking back at Wanda.  The Man’s cub look hesitant on wanting to touch Spike, but she swallowed hard and places the tip of her fingers on Spike’s head.
“His skin is soft,”  Wanda said.
“They’re called scales,”  Sunset said.  “Dragons, unlike the rest of us, have scales as a means of protecting themselves from the harsh elements.  Especially hot lava.”
Wanda wasn’t paying attention as she rubbed behind Spike’s ear.  The baby dragon cooed as Wanda stroked him slowly and calmly.
“He seems to be attracted to you.”  Starlight says.
“I never thought I would live in a world where dragons exist,”  Wanda said.  “I wonder what my life would have been like if I wasn’t raised here in Equestria.”
Just then, the voice of Princess Cadance yells out “Hey Wanda.  Do you have that book yet?”
Wanda yelled out “Hang on.  I’m trying to find it.”  She lifts her hand off of Spike before turning to Sunset and said “The book on Buck Withers.  Do you have it?”
“Right here,”  Sunset said as she lifted a book in the air with her magic and handed it over to Wanda.  “Sunburst was able to acquire this book at the library.  He said something about Buck Withers having some sort of fear of rocs.”
“Thanks,”  Wanda said as she took the book and left the room.  Abigail looked like she was going to go after Wanda, only to turn her head towards Spike.
“Poor Spikey,” Starlight said.  “He was bonding well with Wanda, and now he’s all alone.”
“Not quite,”  Sunset said as Abigail leaped into the crib and landed next to Spike.  “Seems Abigail has taken an interest in Spike.”
Abigail looks at Spike as the baby dragon looks back at the kitten.  She sniffed Spike’s forehead and let out a curious meow.  Spike does nothing but stare at Abigail.
“Do you think they’ll get along?”  Starlight said.
“Watch,”  Sunset said.  “It’s rare to see a cat alongside a dragon.  Much less these two.”
To the surprise of the unicorn fillies, Spike and Abigail were able to stand on their two feet.  Abigail looked like she was about to lose her balance, but Spike was able to catch her with her arms.  Abigail looked up and saw Spike’s face.  The two looked at each other like they had an attachment to each other.
“Awww,”  Starlight said.  “I think these two are in love.”
“Not really,”  Sunset said.  “I think it’s more that they’re good friends.  And that’s what counts the most, Starlight.”

Later that night, the living room was a bit of a mess.  Papers were scattered around.  Two charts are on full display.  And there were at least five plates with bits of spaghetti on them.  Wanda, Cadance, Twilight, Sunset and Starlight were overlooking the two charts, one with Shining Armor on it, and the other with Buck Withers on it.  Nearby, Spike and Abigail were observing Cadance, Wanda and the other fillies from afar.  
“You sure know how to take research seriously,”  Sunset said to Twilight.
“What did you expect?”  Twilight replied.  “It’s one of my quirks.”
“So uhhh,”  Starlight said.  “What exactly is all this about?”
“Glad you asked,”  Princess Cadance replied.  “It’s how I can win Shining Armor’s heart for good.  Twilight and I have done some research on getting our stallion and beating back Buck Withers.”
“I helped,”  Wanda said with a grin on her face.
“Anyway,”  Cadance says as she gives off a devious smile.  “Thanks to the book that Sunburst delivered to Twilight, it seems we have discovered a weakness in Buck Withers.  Turns out, the brave adventurer is afraid of one creature: a roc.”
“He’s afraid of rocks?”  Starlight said.  “I thought he took down one of those Cyclops Golems.”
“Not rocks, Starlight,”  Sunset giggled.  “Rocs.  They’re giant birds that are said to be the apex predators of the skies.”
“And some say Buck nearly got eaten by one when he was a kid,”  Princess Cadance said.  “His father was fortunate enough to have rescued him from that giant maw of a beak.”
“And since then,”  Twilight said as she read through the book on Buck Withers.  “Buck cowers at the mere sight of a roc.  And not just the real thing.  He freaks out at even an illusion, or a paper mache variation of those giant chickens.”
“So on the night of the Fall Formal Festival,”  Cadance said.  “We’re going to create a roc illusion with our magic, and use that to scare him silly.  Once he flees for his life, I’ll be able to sweep Shining Armor off his hooves, and we will be the Fall Formal Princess and Prince.  It will be GLORIOUS!”  And with that, Princess Cadance laughed hard like a maniac, all while everyone else looked at her like she had gone crazy.
“Okay,”  Wanda said as a drop of sweat rolled down her head.  “That was embarrassing, even by big sister’s standards.”
“Sorry,”  Cadance replies as she blushed with embarrassment.  “Force of habit.”
“For a moment,”  Twilight laughed.  “I thought you were some big changeling in disguise.  Like the evil Queen Chrysalis.”
“Or maybe I am,”  Princess Cadance said with a devilish smile.  “And maybe I’ll take you away to become my newest changeling subject, if you tell Shining Armor about tonight.”  She turned to the other girls and said “And that goes for the rest of you.”
Wanda, Sunset and Starlight swallowed hard as they all said  “Yes ma’am.”
“Good”  Cadance said as she turns her head back to Twilight.  “Do you solemnly swear not to tell Shining Armor about tonight, until we arrive at the Fall Formal Festival?”
“I swear to keep my mouth shut about tonight,”  Twilight said as she holds her left hoof in the air.
“Very good,”  Cadance replies.  “To ensure that your vow of secrecy is sincere, we must perform the one thing that guarantees our friendship.”
“Yes,”  Twilight replied with a smile.  “We must perform...OUR LADYBUG DANCE!”
Those words were enough to cause Wanda to freak out.
“Oh no,”  Wanda yelled.  “I’ve already heard you do that silly dance early ago.  No way am I going to listen to that agan.”  Wanda was about to run off, only to be pinned down by Sunset and Starlight.
“Not tonight, sis,”  Sunset said as she held down Wanda’s arms.  
“Let me go you big palooka,”  Wanda yelled as she struggled to get loose.
“Starlight, I think you should cheer her up on this,”  Sunset said.
“With pleasure,”  Starlight said as she removed Wanda’s shoes and socks.
“Don’t you dare do it,” Wanda yelled as Sunset pinned her down. “Don’t you dare tickle me.”
“Tough luck,”  Starlight said as she pulled out a tickling feather and began to tickle Wanda’s feet with it.  The young man’s cub could barely contain herself.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”  Wanda giggled as she was being tormented by Starlight’s tickling feather.  “I GIVE UP!  I SURRENDER! PLEASE KNOCK IT OFF.   HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Princess Cadance and Twilight Sparkle watch Sunset and Starlight torment Wanda.  They turned to each other and laughed.
“You know the drill, Twilight,”  Cadance said.
“Just like we’ve done many times before,”  Twilight replied.
The duo then turned towards each other, and once again did their ladybug dance.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake,”  Twilight and Cadance sung.  “If I do lie and spill the beans, you can stuff my mouth full of sardines.”
“NOOOOOOO!”  Wanda giggled as Starlight continued to tickle her.  “NOT THAT! HAHAHAHAHA!  ANYTHING BUT THAT!”
“I’m sorry I had to do this to you sis,”  Sunset said as she kept Wanda held to the ground.  “But you promise not to tell Shining Armor of our plan.  Promise?”
“I PROMISE,”  Wanda giggled.  “I PROMISE!  NOW GET OFF OF ME!”
Nearby, Spike and Abigail look onwards as Sunset and Starlight finally got off of Wanda and got her up.  The two babies then looked at each other and began to cuddle a bit.  Abigail purred while Spike let out a gentle coo.  Compared to the chaos going on in the room, these two seem to be calm and content.
Freed from being pinned down, Wanda runs up to Abigail.  And for some reason, she seems excited.
“Did you hear, Abigail?” Wanda said.  “We’re going to scare that Buck Withers to Tatarus.  But it’s going to be our little secret.”
Suddenly, Wanda paused for a moment and her face frowned at a revelation, all while Abigail looked at her with a hint of concern..
“But, I don’t think Danged Spell will be able to join us,”  She said.  “Well with his obsession of Buck Withers.  What am I to do?”
“It’s going to be alright,”  Sunset said as she walked up to Wanda. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask, but if he declines, I understand.  After all, it’s his idol we’re talking about.”
“Aww, thanks sis,”  Wanda said as she rubbed the back of Abigail’s ear.
“Anytime,”  Sunset said.  “And I’m sorry for pinning you down and tormenting you to that silly dance.  Just wanted to give you a hard time.”
And with that, Sunset gave Wanda a bit of a hoof noogie.  The Man’s Cub giggled as she took her hand away from Abigail.  Spike came closer to the kitten and cooed gently at her. This caused Wanda and Sunset to pause for a moment.
“I think Spike and Abigail just became best of friends,”  Sunset said.
“Wow,”  Wanda replied.  “I never thought that Abigail would be pals with a baby dragon.”


	To be Continued in…


	Gathering of the Shrews

> Arc 5-4: Gathering of the Shrews
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Gathering of the Shrews


It was a beautiful afternoon in Canterlot.  At a nearby house, Shining Armor was nervously pacing back and forth.  It was as if he were waiting for someone.
“Can’t you guys hurry it up?”  Shining Armor said. “The Fall Formal is tonight, and I’m hoping to win back Princess Cadance’s heart.”
“We’re almost done,” 8-Bit yelled from another room.  “It shouldn’t take long.”
“Well it’s about time,”  Shining Armor replied.  “The sooner this is all behind us, the better.”
The door to another room opens and Shining Armor gasps in horror.  Poindexter walks out of the door wearing a green dress with a fuchsia ribbon wrapped around his waist, dark blue stockings, green high heels, a brown, beautiful and shaggy wig, and a green ribbon on his head.  Shining Armor looked like he was going to puke.
“You,”  Shining Armor replied.  “You really didn’t need to do this.  What about your dignity?”
“It’s more about your dedication to Princess Cadance than it is about our dignity,”  Poindexter replied as 8-Bit and Gaffe came up behind him.
“Yeah,” 8-Bit said as he stood by Poindexter.  “You care for Princess Cadance that much, and we want to make sure you earn your happy ending with her.”
“Your sister cares deeply for your well-being,”  Gaffe said.  “And as someone with a little brother, I can relate to that.  Your sister needs you.  Your girl needs you.  Do this for her.”
“Thanks you guys,”  Shining Armor said as he wiped a tear from his eye.  “If I didn’t have friends like you or a sister like Twilight, I would be the loneliest pony of Equestria.”
But as Shining Armor regained his confidence, there was a knock on the front door.
“Will you three excuse me for a moment?”  Shining Armor said as he walked to the front door.  
“Now what was that all about?”  8-Bit said to Gaffe.
“Beats me?”  Gaffe said.
Shining Armor approached the front door and opened it.  As the door slowly opened, Shining Armor caught the eyes of Lemony Gem, a pony that he’s barely crossed paths with..  Why was she here at the front door?  And why were her eyes fixated on Shining Armor?
“Shining Armor, is it?”  Lemony Gem asked.
“That would be me,”  Shining Armor replied. 
“I was wondering if…”  Lemony Gem said.  “You could go to the Fall Formal with me?”
Shining Armor’s jaw dropped to the floor.  It was one thing for some random mare to knock at his door.  But to ask him to the Fall Formal Festival?  That was something that never even crossed his mind.  
“Are you sure about this?”  Shining Armor asked.  
“Yes,”  Lemony Gem replied.
This had put Shining Armor into an odd predicament.  But as he pondered on what to do next, he noticed a familiar face waving behind the corner of a building.  It was Princess Cadance, who gave Shining Armor a wink.  Something within Shining Armor knew that maybe he should go along with this.  He turned his gaze to Lemony Gem and cleared his throat.
“Sure,”  Shining Armor said.  “What time would you like to be picked up?”
“Around 5PM,”  Lemony Gem said.  “And don’t worry.  I’m pretty fast.”
“Great,”  Shining Armor said.  “I’ll see you then.”
As Lemony Gem walked away, singing like she’s had the best day ever, Shining Armor closed the door, wiping the sweat off his forehead.  He looks up and sees 8-Bit, Gaffe and Poindexter looking from behind the corner.  Poindexter was still dressed up in drag, and he had a disappointing look on his face.
“Let me guess,”  Shining Armor said.  “You’re not going to be using that for the Fall Formal Festival?”
“Yes,”  Poindexter sighed.  “And I was looking forward to this.”
“Actually,” Gaffe said.  “I have an idea.  We’ll go along with your new plan, and one of us can go with Poindexter to help out in any way possible.”
“Sounds like a good idea,”  8-Bit said as he turned his attention to Gaffe.  “So, best two out of three in All-Star Warriors?”
“You’re on,”  Gaffe said.

Outside, Lemony Gem walked up to Princess Cadance, who was still hiding behind the building corner.  Right next to her are Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright.  All three sisters looked excited over the course of events, all while Abigail rubbed her head on Wanda’s leg.
“It’s done,”  Lemony Gem said to Princess Cadance.  “But, I’m not so sure why you want to scare Buck Withers.”
“That’s easy,”  Princess Cadance said.  “Since he won’t listen to reason, I figured making his hair ghostly white will change his mind.  Besides, you stated that you were rescued by him.”
“Well that’s true,”  Lemony Gem replied.
“And you also stated that he is dreamy.”  Princess Cadance said.  “Does that mean that you’re...in love with him?”
Wanda and Sunset couldn’t help, but giggle at that vision, or what they’re gonna do to Buck Withers.
“Well yes,”  Lemony Gem.  “But I don’t see the idea of scaring him as right.”
“Trust me,”  Princess Cadance said.  “I get my own boy, you get your own boy, and everyone will be happy in the end.”
“I hope this works,” Lemony Gem said.  “Because I have a very bad feeling about this.”
As Lemony Gem and Princess Cadance continued to speak to each other, Wanda and Sunset began to have a conversation of their own.
“So how do you think Twilight is recruiting the others for this prank?”  Wanda asked.
“Starlight and Moondancer are already on board with this plan,”  Sunset replied.  “But there is one who I think might not make it.”
“That’s right,”  Wanda said.  “Danged Spell.”
“He’s a big fan of Buck Withers, and he’s the least likely to join us on our plan to humiliate the adventurer.”  Sunset said.  “It would take a miracle to get him on our side.”
“I hope you’re wrong,”  Wanda said.  
“Well if I was wrong,”  Sunset said as she blew up a small tuff of her hair.  “Then our chances of beating this guy have gone up.  But hey, anything is possible.”

“I’M IN!”  
It was down the street at the house of Fortwright and Shanoa.  Danged Spell was at the front door with Twilight, Starlight and Moondancer outside.  
“I should have known you were still in your fantasy about Buck Wit...WHA?”  Twilight said before becoming dumbfounded by Danged Spell’s decision.
“I know I’m a fan of Buck Withers,”  Danged Spell said.  “But this is also Wanda and Sunset’s big sister we’re talking about.  If it means betraying the big guy for you all, count me in.  Besides, my parents suggested that I don’t rely on him too much for inspiration.”
“I…”  Moondancer said.  “I don’t believe it.  We came here, assuming you weren’t going to help us on our plan, and here you are all willing to jump in.  You are full of surprises.”
“Well anyway,”  Danged Spell said.  “I hope you have everything ready for tonight, cuz me and Sunburst are ready to...SHUTTLE UP!”  Danged Spell let out a laugh while Moondancer began to groan at the young colt’s cheesy space pun.
“Uggh,”  Moondancer said, completely disgusted.  “We convince him to join our cause and he lets out a space pun.”
“Well,”  Starlight said.  “I’m willing to risk that if it means our plan is a success.”
Danged Spell walked outside the doorway as Sunburst emerged with a book.  The cover said ‘Illusions for a new age of Unicorns.’
“According to this,”  Sunburst said.  “To create a nearly realistic roc illusion, it would take a lot of Unicorn magic, and not just in creation, but also in maintenance.”
“No sweat,”  Twilight said.  “Princess Cadance is an alicorn.  She’s got more magic than all six of us combined.”
“Well I’ve got some bad news,”  Sunburst said as he showed the pages of the book to Twilight.  “Even with Princess Cadances’ magic, this nearly realistic illusion might not be enough to maintain.”
Twilight Sparkle looked at the content of the book, and looked like she was about to freak out.
“Are you crazy?”  Twilight yelled.  “Do we need a ton of magic to maintain an illusion like that?”
“Sounds like that might take up alot of our magic,”  Starlight said.  “And Wanda gets really exhausted when she uses her magic.”
“No sweat,”  Danged Spell said.  “I’d said I was game, and I’d say we ride it out for now.”
“You sound real competent despite our odds,”  Moondancer said to Danged Spell.
“Well hey,”  Danged Spell replied with a smug face.  “Our ideas are way more than fantasy.  Besides, when the going gets tough, imagine it as an optical illusion.”
“A what?”  Starlight asked.
“A mirage,”  Danged Spell said.  “Besides, there’s more than one way to...ROC OUT.”
“Danged Spell,”  the others went as they all laughed at that pun.

Later that night at Princess Celestia’s castle deep within its halls, Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright were all waiting with excitement.  Princess Cadance was decked out in a gorgeous lavender dress.  Sunset was wearing a light blue dress and Wanda was wearing a dark purple sleeveless dress.  As the three sisters waited with anticipation, Princess Celestia walked in, taking notice of her daughter’s excitement.
“I take it you're on some plan,”  Princess Celestia said.
“How’d you know, mom?”  Princess Cadance replied.
“Well the look on your faces say a lot,”  Princess Celestia replied, keeping a smirk on her face.
“Okay,”  Princess Cadance said.  “We’re gonna try to scare Buck Withers tonight at the Fall Formal.  Turns out, the big guy is afraid of rocs.  And if we conjure one in the middle of the dance, it will cause him to freak out and run for his life.”
“Are you really sure about that?”  Princess Celestia said. “I know he won’t listen to reason.  But that doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“Aww come on, mommy,”  Wanda said with tears in her eyes.  “Besides, bad pony embarrassed me.”
“She still hasn’t gotten over it,”  Sunset said as she put her hoof around her younger sister.
Celestia could not put any word to it.  On the one hoof, she is hesitant about the idea of pranking someone she doesn’t know of.  But on the other hoof, she’s also concerned for Wanda’s safety, especially after the tale her daughter told about being tossed up in the air like that.
“Your majesties,”  Majordomo Kibitz said as he entered the ballroom.  “Buck Withers the adventurer and his sidekick Gad Zookes have arrived.”
Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance turn their attention to the front as Majordomo Kibitz steps to the side.  Buck Withers walked on in with Gad Zookes at his side.  Both stallions were wearing a fancy tuxedo, with Buck spotting a rose on his jacket.  Wanda takes one good look at Buck and hides behind Princess Celestia, with Abigail hiding behind the Man’s Cub.
“Princess Celestia, is it?”  Buck Withers says as he approaches the royal family.  “I’ve been dying to meet the legendary monarch of Equestria.”
“Uhh, legendary?”  Princess Celestia said as she was embarrassed by that title.
“I was also hoping you would have a fine son-in-law like myself.”  Buck Withers said.  “Imagine a future king to inspire a whole new generation of adventurers.  After all, we can’t be laying on back, playing video games and watching the Whinny channel.”
“That...happens to be my sister’s favorite hobby,”  Princess Celestia said as a part of her was cringing on the inside.
Buck Withers looks to the side and sees Wanda hiding behind Princess Celestia.  Wanda got one good look at the stallion and is about to freak.
“Well here there, little precious,”  Buck Withers said as he approached Wanda.  “Do you miss your future brother-in-law?”  
Wanda attempted to make a run for it, only for Buck Withers to pick her up like last time.  The Man’s Cub could do nothing, but shake in fear as she looked into the eyes of the enthusiastic adventurer.
“Please be careful,”  Celestia said.
“Oh nonsense,”  Buck Withers said.  “Younglings need to have a spirit of excitement in them.”
And with that, Buck Withers began to toss Wanda upwards in the air, just like last time.  Wanda could do nothing but scream as loud as possible, all the while Buck continued to play with her.  
“I think that’s enough of that,”  Princess Celestia said as she grabbed Wanda with her magic, stopping her in mid-air.  The Man’s Cub looked downwards and breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t like it when anyone treats my daughter like that.”
“My apologies,”  Buck Withers.  “But it’s a habit of mine, and not that many colts and fillies object to it.”
Buck Withers brushes himself off and begins to walk towards the doorway.
“Come on, my darling,”  Buck Withers said to Princess Cadance.  “Our royal chariot awaits, as is the future of our kingdom.”
But as Buck was about to step out, he once again stepped on Abigail’s tail, causing the kitten to scream real loud and fly upwards to the ceiling.
“Oops,”  Buck Withers said as everyone looked up at Abigail.  The baby cat was hanging on for dear life on the ceiling, shaking like she had seen a ghost.  Sunset Shimmer put her hoof to her face in complete shame.
“Please don’t let this guy become my brother-in-law.  Please don’t let this guy become my brother-in-law.  Please don’t let this guy become my brother-in-law.”  Sunset chanted to herself.
“I really need to be more careful,”  Buck Withers said as he checked the bottom of his hoof.  “The last thing I need is to make stepping on a cat's tail a habit.”  He turned his attention to Princess Cadance and said “Come on, my darling.  We have a night at the formal to attend.”
“Err wait,”  Princess Cadance said.  “My mom has some important rules for me to talk about.  After all, I...uhhh….have a set curfew.”
“Err yes,”  Princess Celestia said as she lowered Wanda down to the floor.  “No later than 10PM.  I don’t want her to get in trouble, and get locked up in jail.”
“Very well, your majesties,”  Buck Withers said.  “I will wait for you outside.”  He turns to Gad and says “Come along Gad.  We shall make do with the waiting.”
As Buck Withers makes his way out the doorway, Gad Zookes walks along right behind the guy.  He turns to Celestia and Cadance and bows.
“I can assure you both,”  Gad Zookes said.  “When the night is over, you both will be the happiest of monarchs of all the lands.”
As Gad Zookes makes his way outside the doorway, Celestia turns her head towards her daughter Cadance.  And judging by the look on her face, Celestia was disgusted.
“I'll take it back,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I want in on your grand prank.”
“I was gonna ask for your blessing,”  Princess Cadance said with a chuckle.  “But if you want in, I don’t mind.”
Celestia turns to Wanda and says “My darling, could you go fetch your dear Abigail from the ceiling?”
“Right away, mommy,”  Wanda said as she sprouted her flutter wings and flew up to the ceiling to fetch Abigail.
“I never expected someone like you to be like this, mommy,”  Sunset Shimmer said to Celestia.
“My dear Sunset Shimmer,”  Celestia said as she put her hoof on Sunset’s shoulder.  “I may be the Prime Princess of Equestria.  But I happen to have a rebel’s spirit, and I’m willing to go rogue in some cases, be it for the homeless, or any child who gets that level of humiliation.”
“So you’re going to help us?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Without a doubt,”  Princess Celestia replied.  “Though I am going to wind up upsetting Chancellor Cinch.  She’s more of a by-the-book ruler.”
“And why’s that?”  Sunset Shimmer asked.
“If she found out about the little prank I helped your older sister with,”  Princess Celestia said.  “She would be upset at me.”
“I see,” Sunset said looking disappointed.  “I was hoping she would be on board with our plan.”
Suddenly, Majordomo Kibitz yelled “Chancellor Abacus Cinch has entered the castle, and she is looking really peeved.”  As the Majordomo steps aside, Chancellor Cinch comes marching on in, completely drenched in water, and looking like she’s about to blow her stack.
“Chancellor,”  Princess Celestia said, stunned by Cinch’s appearance.  “What happened to you?”
“I’ll tell you what happened,”  Chancellor Cinch replied.  “Some big shot hero decided to play ‘Ring around the rosie” with me, thinking he’ll be King of Equestria.  The next thing I knew, I went flying right into a bucket full of water.  I’ve seen my fair share of juvenile delinquents.  But this showoff takes the cake.”
“I think we know who’s behind it,”  Princess Celestia said.  “And he has a crush on my daughter Princess Cadance.”  All Cadance could do was smile.
“Oh I will not have that delinquent as my king,”  Cinch protested.  “The moment that crown goes over his head, I am submitting my resignation papers.  I will never be Prime Chancellor of that braggart. And of all the times the Man’s Cub has proven to be a headache, this is the one time I could use her help.  Where is she, anyway?”
By the time Cinch got done talking, Wanda Young flew right on down, carrying Abigail in her arms.  She was quick to notice the Chancellor, but was once again too shaken up by Buck Withers to be afraid.
“Well there you are, Man’s Cub,”  Cinch said as Wanda looked at her.  “I hope you have an idea on how to handle that simpleton.”
“You mean that bad stallion Buck Withers?”  Wanda said.  “Actually, we are.”
“Oh you are?”  Cinch said, surprised by Wanda’s words.  
“She’s actually right,”  Princess Celestia said.  “We’re going to give Buck Withers the scare of his life.”
And with that, Celestia whispered into Chancellor Cinch’s ear about the plan to scare Buck Withers.  The Chancellor got a devilish grin on her face as if she enjoyed everything the Prime Princess told her.
“What a devious idea, your majesty,”  Cinch said.  “While I can’t help you out in case this winds up being a scandal, I can assure you that I will be requesting a front row seat when this plays out..”
“Your wish,”  Princess Celestia said with a wink.  “Is my command.”
Nearby, Wanda continued to watch Celestia and Cinch talk with each other, all while holding Abigail in her arms.  The kitten looked up at Wanda with a confused look.
“Oh don’t worry Abi,”  Wanda said as she gave Abigail a rub on her forehead.  “We’ll give that meanie Buck Withers his just desserts.”
“You can say that again,”  Sunset Shimmer said as she walked right next to Wanda.  “Once this plays out, big sis will be with Shining Armor again.  And we don’t have to worry about Buck Withers anymore.”

It was later that night at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  The Fall Formal Festival had started and groups of ponies were walking into the dance hall, ready to party the night away.  Shining Armor had brought along Lemony Gem.  The two looked gorgeous in their attire.
“So,”  Shining Armor said.  “What do you want to do?  Dance the night away?  Enjoy the fine cuisine?  Or do you have something else in mine?”
“I think I know what to do,”  Lemony Gem said as she’s about to open the door.  “Come on.  What are you waiting for?”
Shining Armor followed Lemony Gem through the doorway and into the dance hall.  Inside, ponies from across Canterlot mingled and chat with each other, enjoying the night as a disco ball lit up the room.  There were plenty of food nearby for hungry bellies, and punch for parched throats.  The very atmosphere was enough to give Shining Armor a good chuckle.
“For a school that is focused on unicorns,”  Shining Armor said.  “It’s amazing that it invites pegasi and earth ponies to its Fall Formal Festival.”
“Shining, look,”  Lemony Gem yelled as she pointed in another direction.  Shining Armor looked in that direction and saw Princess Cadance waving to him.  For Shining Armor, it was a good sign.
“Why don’t we pay her a visit?”  Shining Armor said.
Shining Armor and Lemony Gem walk up to Princess Cadance.  The young alicorn was excited to see the teen stallion, and Lemony Gem seems to have a bit of excitement in her heart.  But for Shining Armor, he is in the dark.
“Well I was wondering when you would both show up,”  Princess Cadance said.  “Buck Withers is busy using the stallion’s room with that Gad Zookes guy.”
“So what’s the purpose of tonight?”  Shining Armor asks.
“Follow me.  It’s going to be a great surprise,”  Princess Cadance said.
Princess Cadance trots down the dance hall, excited for the plan she was going to cook up.  Shining Armor just looked at Lemony Gem with an awkward stare.
“It was her idea,”  Lemony Gem said as she trotted down, following Princess Cadance.
“Well, if in Canterlot,”  Shining Armor said.  “Do what they do.”  Shining Armor proceeds to trot down the dance hall, following both Princess Cadance and Lemony Gem from behind.
While everyone else was mingling with each other, Princess Cadance, Lemony Gem and Shining Armor were able to leap onto the stage of the dance hall and quietly sneak behind the curtain.  Princess Cadance was able to stick her head out to ensure that no one was looking before diving right behind.
Behind the curtain, Princess Cadance waited with anticipation with Shining Armor and Lemony Gem.  
“So,” Shining Armor said to Cadance. “What’s this you’re planning on doing?”
“Turn around my darling,”  Princess Cadance said.  “I think you’re in for a surprise.”
Shining Armor turns around and sees Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell.  None of them were wearing anything fancy, but they looked like they were primed and ready.  Well most of them.
“You decided to babysit during the Fall Formal?”  Shining Armor asked, confused by the presence of the children.
“No you silly,”  Princess Cadance said as she turned her head towards her younger sisters.  “Sunset.  Wanda.  Go ahead and tell them of our plan.”
“What we’re going to do is create an illusion of a Roc to scare up Buck Withers,”  Sunset said to Shining Armor.
“A roc?”  Shining Armor said.
“Yeah,”  Wanda said.  “A big bird that Buck Withers is afraid of.  He can’t stand those monsters.”
“That sounds like a tall order to scare that guy,”  Shining Armor.
“Well,”  Princess Cadance said.  “We found out that Buck Withers is afraid of Rocs.  So our plan involves scaring Buck Withers out of the School.”
“It does sound a bit cruel,” Lemony Gem said.  “But I still owe him for saving me from that fight long ago.  So I’m hoping you folks go easy on him.”
“Oh, we’re not going to do anything horrible,”  Sunset said as she smiled with a big grin on her face.  “Just scare him till he’s pale as a ghost.”
“Actually,”  Twilight said as she walked up to Princess Cadance.  “We ran into a big problem.”
“A big problem?”  Princess Cadance asked.
Sunburst walked up to Princess Cadance and said “According to ‘Illusions for a new age of Unicorns,’  we would need a lot of magic to maintain the illusion.  And despite the fact that you’re an alicorn, it may not be enough.”
“So even with you at our side,”  Twilight said.  “It may not be enough, and we may end up wearing out Wanda.   I’m sorry.”
Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer had the look of disappointment on their faces.  Danged Spell was more confused by Twilight’s words, despite his promise to help out.  But Sunset, Wanda and Princess Cadance couldn’t hold their laughter in.  All three sisters laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing ever.  
“What’s so funny?”  Twilight said.
“I think they find our problems ridiculous,”  Danged Spell said to Twilight.  “Or they have a backup plan.”
Princess Cadance was able to get a hold of herself as she wiped a tear from her eye.  Wanda and Sunset had problems controlling their laughter, but they were able to get under control.
“I’m sorry, Twilight,”  Princess Cadance said.  “But I believe Danged Spell is right.  And as a matter of fact, you’ll never guess who wanted in on our prank.”
As Princess Cadance finished speaking, a nearby door opened and Princess Celestia emerged.  Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, and Danged Spell were surprised by her presence.  But it was Twilight who ran towards her mentor, excited to see her again.
“Princess Celestia,”  Twilight said as she gave the Princess of the Sun a big hug.
“It’s great to see you again, Twilight,”  Celestia said.  “Normally, I would have been against scaring Buck Withers.  But nobody messes with my family.  And as a family, we are one together.”
Twilight lets go of Celestia, and looks up to her.  She said “I take it Buck Withers did something to Sunset or Wanda.  Does that explain why you came to help out?”
“I’m afraid Buck decided to toss Wanda in the air like a play thing.”  Celestia said.  “And it wasn’t the first time he did that.”
Wanda and Abigail walked up to Twilight, still a bit startled by Buck Wither’s recklessness.  “Not only that,”  Wanda said as she picked up Abigail and held onto her.  “He stepped on my precious kitty’s tail three times.  He’s a bad pony.”
"Wow," Twilight said, shocked by this new revelation.  "I knew you would have an issue with Buck as your brother-in-law.  But the way he treated you.  Now that's taking it too far."
"Even Chancellor Cinch had a problem with Buck Withers,"  Princess Celestia said.  "So she's coming here to observe our….not-so-little prank."
"And just to make sure this goes off without a hitch,"  Moondancer said as she  pulled out two bushels full of red raspberries.  The other kids giggled at what she was planning.
"Really clever,"  Sunset said to Moondancer.  "Making it look like we were attacked by the Roc.  What would all of our parents think?"
"Funny you should say that," Moondancer giggled.  "It was my parent's idea.  They're not as fond of Buck Withers compared to their studies of astronomy.  And I don't blame them."
"Then I believe we should be all set for tonight,"  Princess Celestia said as she waited in anticipation.  "All we need is for the so-called adventurer to show his face."
"Well guess what,"  Princess Cadance said as she pulled her head back from the curtain.  "He's here.  And he's been waiting for me to come back out of the little girl's room."
"Then we'll need a distraction,"  Princess Celestia said as she began to ponder her next plan.
Shining Armor raised his hoof as he said "I'll do it.  I'll distract him."
"Shining,"  Princess Cadance said with a look of concern on her face.  "Are you sure about that?"
"Don't worry,"  Shining Armor said.  "I've waited a long time to confront him.  And I'm not afraid to do so.."
"Be careful my darling,"  Princess Cadance said as she gave Shining Armor a kiss on the cheek.
Shining Armor bowed down to Princess Cadance before turning around and walking through the curtains.  The children, the princesses and Lemony Gem could do nothing, but wait in anticipation as Shining Armor began to make his move.
"Please give that bad stallion a good whooping,"  Wanda said.
But as everyone waited, they heard what sounded like laughter in the dance hall.  Soon, everyone looked really embarrassed.
"Is that...everyone laughing at my darling?" Princess Cadance said as she looked real nervous
"Even worse…."  Lemony Gem said as she looked out.  "I see two of his friends.  One of which is wearing a dress,"
Princess Cadance let out a chuckle and said "Bring them here.  We'll get them caught up on our plan."


To Be Continued in


The Telltale Roc

> Arc 5-5: The Telltale Roc
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	The Telltale Roc


Gaffe and Poindexter were wandering the Dance Hall with every pony staring at them like they were weird.  Poindexter was still wearing that green dress and shaggy wig from early ago, while Gaffe was in a tuxedo.  Judging by the look of Gaffe’s face, he looks pretty embarrassed with everyone staring at him.
“I’m beginning to think 8-Bit lost that wager on purpose,”  Gaffe said as he blushed beet-red.
“It’s alright,”  Poindexter whispered to Gaffe.  “We’re just keeping our eyes out on Shining Armor to see if he wins the girl.”
“Yeah,”  Gaffe said as he covered his face with his hoof.  “But I hope I don’t live this scenario down.”
As Poindexter walked alongside Gaffe, they noticed Lemony Gem walking towards them.  She seems to have an interest in them both.
“Hey Gaffe,”  Poindexter said as he poked his bud on the side.  “Remember that lady that Shining Armor went out with?”
Gaffe looked up and saw that Lemony Gem was right in front of them.  It seems she was trying to get their attention by calling for them.
“Excuse me,”  Lemony Gem said to Gaffe and Poindexter.  “Could you two come with me?”
“Are we in trouble with the local Headmistress?”  Gaffe said as he continued to cover his face with his arm.
“No silly,”  Lemony Gem said as she giggled.  “Princess Cadance has called for you both to the side.  We’re going to help get her together with Shining Armor.”
Those words were enough to get the attention of Poindexter and Gaffe.  They had to go out in this ridiculous getup.  But the words of Lemony Gem were enough to make them breathe a sigh of relief.  
“Lead the way,”  Gaffe said.
“Try to keep up you two,”  Lemony Gem said as she turned around and pranced towards the curtains.  Gaffe and Poindexter followed behind, walking behind Lemony Gem.
“Once we get through those curtains, you can take off that silly dress,”  Gaffe said to Poindexter.
“I think I’ll keep this on,”  Poindexter said.  “It does look cute on me.”
That was enough to cause Gaffe to cover his face again with his arm.

Nearby, Shining Armor chuckled at the sigh of Gaffe and Poindexter.  His path to Princess Cadance is a rather easy one.  But at the very least, it’s nice to have friends who are willing to stick up for him.  If not his friends, it’s also his kid sister and her friends.  For Shining Armor, he might as well be the luckiest stallion in Equestria.
“Shining Armor, isn’t it?”  That voice came from the very stallion that had a crush on PRincess Cadance.  Shining Armor turned his head and saw Buck Withers walking up to him with Gad Zookes right behind.  Buck still looked as handsome as ever, wearing the same tuxedo from early ago.
”That would be me,”  Shining Armor said as Buck Withers walked up to him.  
“I was hoping I would meet someone like you,”  Buck said.  “I heard you wanted to be a soldier in the Royal Guard.”
“No doubt about it,”  Shining Armor said with pride.  “I dream of joining the Royal Guard so that I may protect Equestria from those who would attempt to conquer us.”
“Bold words of a bold visionary,”  Buck Withers said as he put his arm around Shining.  “But have you ever thought about going down a different path?”
“A different path?”  Shining Armor asked.
“Why go down the path of a soldier,”  Buck Withers said.  “When you can go down the path of freedom?  Of adventure?  Of exploration?”
“It’s not a bad life, my friend,” Gad Zookes said as he walked towards Shining Armor.  “It’s peaceful, it’s energetic, and there’s no worries.  In fact, I’ve done this gig with ol Buck since I got done with High School.”
“Well no offense,”  Shining Armor said as he was confused by Buck and Gad’s suggestions.  “But that’s not my kind of thing.  Besides, I’m more than willing to lay down my life for the safety of this country.”

Nearby, Princess Cadance was watching from behind the curtain with anticipation.  She waited for this whole moment to finally scare off Buck Withers.  She turned her head towards Princess Celestia, who was just about ready to cast her spell.  Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail and Lemony Gem were also nearby, ready to carry out whatever task they need for this prank.  Celestia looked more like she wanted to cast the spell.
“Can we get this party started?”  Princess Celestia said.  “I’m itching to cast this spell and teach that juvenile delinquent a lesson he won’t forget.”
“Not yet mother,”  Princess Cadance.replied as she looked out the curtain.  “We need to wait for the signal from Abacus Cinch.”
“Still upset over what he did with Wanda?”  Twilight asks Princess Celestia.
“Yes,”  Celestia said anxiously.  “It’s one thing to hold my child.  But traumatizing her?  Even I won’t stand for it.”
“I sure hope this turns out for the best,”  Twilight said.  “If that happened to my little Spikey, I’d pretty much flip out.”
“Hey speaking of which, guess who followed you here.”  That voice came from Poindexter, as he and Gaffe were carrying Baby Spike with them.  Twilight was a bit shocked by Spike’s presence.  
“Spike,”  Twilight said as she approached the baby dragon.  “How did you get here?  I thought you were with mom and dad.”
“You wouldn’t believe who asked us to bring this bambino to you,” Gaffe said as Twilight levitated Spike with her magic.  
“Wait a minute,”  Twilight said as she placed Spike on her back.  “By any chance, did mom and dad come by with him?”
“I believe their names were Twilight Velvet and Night Light,”  Poindexter said.  “They also told me to pass this message to you.”  And with that, Poindexter gives Twilight a written note, who proceeds to read it.

“To my daughter Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said as she read the note.  “I know we’ve taught you that it’s wrong to hold a grudge.  But I couldn’t bare to see my son cry.  Shining Armor knew Princess Cadance back when she was a young filly, and we’ve known Princess Celestia since then.  To see Buck Withers come between your brother and your foalsitter is disheartening.   Besides, it reminds us back when another mare tried to get between your dad and mom.  What you do tonight, we will not hold it against you.  And we hope it does turn into a happy ending.  From your faithful parents Night Light and Twilight Velvet.”

Twilight Sparkle wiped a tear from her eye and said “Don’t worry mom.  Don’t worry dad.  When this night is over, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance will be together.” 
But as Twilight was crying tears of joy, Danged Spell approached Gaffe and Poindexter, still with a question on his mind.
“How were you able to get him in here?”  Danged Spell asked Gaffe and Poindexter.  “That dress is too small to hide that baby, and you had no bags.  It would have taken a real smart pony to get him through.”
“You’re right,”  Poindexter said as he approached Danged Spell.  “It was impossible for us to do any of the two tasks, as it would cause too much of a distraction.”
“Luckily,” Gaffe said as he pointed to a nearby exit.  “There was more than one entrance.  And didn't you kids sneak through that door?"
In an instant, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer all laughed at Danged Spell, who looked real embarrassed over the fact that he forgot about the very back door he came from early ago.
"Someone needs to start paying attention,"  Moondancer said as she playfully nudged Danged Spell on the side.
"Oh real cute you chowderhead," Danged Spell said as he lets out a disgruntled snort.
“Besides,”  Poindexter said as he makes a little curtsy.  “We were hoping that 8-bit would show up at the back entrance. But I think he’s spending his time at home on that new Trotlight game.”
“A new Trotlight game?”  Sunset Shimmer asked.  “I thought Reining games were done with 60 bit games.”
“I didn’t know you were into gaming,”  Moondancer said.
“You did introduce me to the Neightendo Swap,”  Sunset said.  “Besides, you happen to be an avid gamer.”
“It does come with a love of outer space,”  Moondancer said as she takes out a toy rocket from her mane and observes it.  “Then again, anyone can be a nerd.  But it takes a lot of dedication to enjoy the very nerdy or geeky cultures.”
“You know,”  Lemony Gem asked.  “It does make me wonder what really makes geeks all that fascinating.  Then again, I wonder if Bucky is a geek on the inside.”
“Hey, speaking of geeks,”  Princess Cadance said as she looked out the curtains.  “Seems Shining Armor is arguing with Buck Withers about me.  This is so exciting.”
Everyone looked at Princess Cadance as if she were stating some kind of joke.
“That was awkward,”  Princess Celestia said as she shrugged.  “Even for you, Cadenza.”
Princess Cadance blew up a tuff of her hair and said “Oh and Chancellor Cinch has arrived.”
The moment that Princess Cadance said those words, everyone got into position.  Wanda, Abigail, the Unicorn Six and Spike were right next to Cadance and Lemony Gem watching from behind the curtains.  Gaffe and Poindexter watched as Princess Celestia was primed to create a Roc illusion with her magic.
"Do you really know how to do an illusion spell?" Poindexter asked Celestia.
"Compared to raising the sun," Princess Celestia said as she got ready to cast an illusion spell.  "This is a piece of chocolate cake."

Meanwhile, in the dance hall, a group of attendees were surrounding Shining Armor and Buck Withers, as the two got into an arguing match.  Gad Zookes was watching from the stands, rooting for Buck to outdebate the older brother of Twilight Sparkle.
"Look," Shining Armor yelled.  "I have known Princess Cadance since I was a colt.  You can't just march in here and declare yourself her future husband."
"And what makes you think you can be her future husband?"  Buck Withers said with fire in his eyes.  "When all you do is stay indoors and play those silly games with your dorky friends?"
"At least I am dedicated to my friends," Shining said, undeterred by Buck's choice of words.
"So you admit to being a dork?" Buck said, snorting out steam from his nose.
"Better to be a dork than to be a jerk like you," Shining said as his eyes are fixated on Buck.
"And here I thought the zoo was full of monkeys."  That voice came from Chancellor Abacus Cinch, who appeared to the side of both stallions, startling the crowd surrounding them.  
"Chancellor Cinch?" Shining Armor said as he started to calm down.  "What are you doing here?"
"Relax young one," Chancellor Cinch said.  "I just came here for the entertainment."
And with that, Chancellor Cinch walked by a confuses Shining Armor and Buck Withers, pausing only to give out a cold glance at Buck, before making her way to the bleachers.
Shining Armor and Buck Withers continued to look at Cinch with an awkward look.  Nether pony, nor the other attendees could make out why the Chancellor was in the Fall Formal Festival.
"That came right out of nowhere," Shining Armor whispered to Buck Withers.
"For once," Buck said.  "I agree with you.  I can not fathom what is in her head, coming by when she had no plans for this evening."
“It’s like sometimes,” Shining Armor said.  “She appears right out of nowhere and hovers over your shoulder to make sure you’re not acting like a juvenile delinquent.”
“And she really needs to lighten up,”  Buck said as he snorts with a disgruntled puff.  “All over a game of Ring around the Rosie?  Has she ever considered getting out into nature for once?”
“I heard that,”  Abacus Cinch said as she took her seat in the auditorium benches, glairing cold daggers at both Shining Armor and Buck Withers.  Buck and Shining looked at each other with a bit of a nervous look on their faces.
“I think we better go back to arguing like we did,”  Shining Armor said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
“You go first,”  Buck Withers said as his eyes shrunk a bit.
Shining Armor cleared his throat and took in a breath of fresh air.  He looked like he was about to yell when he noticed Buck standing there dead silent, like something was coming to get him.  
“Hey Buck,”  Shining said as he waved his hoof in front of him.  “Are you okay?”
“R...r..r….r...r...r,”  Buck said as he shook nervously, his eyes were wide open, and his teeth chattered.
“You’re making with the R sounds,”  Shining Armor said.  “But for some reason, I can’t make out what it is.”  As Shining Armor continued to show concern for Buck Withers, a large shadow towered over both Stallions.  Shining realized something was odd as he noticed the shadow and Buck pointing right behind him.
“ROC!”  Buck Withers yelled as he freaked out.  “A GIANT ROC!”
Shining Armor turned around and looked up.  A giant Roc was staring down at him and Buck Withers, looking like he was going to eat both ponies.   Shining Armor’s eyes shrunk as his ears drooped down in fear.
“That’s what you meant,”  Shining Armor said to Buck before screaming through the top of his lungs.  The moment he does that, the Roc opens its mouth and lets loose an ear-piercing screech.  Every student turned their heads towards the Roc and also began to shake in fear.
“THAT’S IT!”  Buck Withers yelled.  “EVERY PONY FOR THEMSELVES!”
And without warning, Buck Withers ran off in the opposite direction, running towards the back door and hoping to get away from that Roc.
“Don’t let the Roc eat you,” Buck Withers chanted as he ran towards the door.  But as he was about to reach the exit, the giant Roc flies on in, and lands right in front of the door.  It glances down at Buck Withers, looking ready to strike.
“H...Hello there Mr Roc,”  Buck Withers said as he was shaking in his hooves.  “I take it you want to….eat me.”
Without a second thought, the Roc screeches at Buck Withers again.  Scared of the giant bird, Buck Withers turns tail and makes a run for as the Roc chases him around the dance hall.  Every student watches in horror as that giant bird chased Buck.  All except Shining Armor, who was sitting next to Chancellor Cinch as the duo watched Buck get chased down.
“So you were in on this plot,”  Shining Armor said as he watched Buck run for his dear life from the Roc.
“I may be a lady of traditions and rules,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “But when a juvenile delinquent decides to horse around and treat me like a ragdoll, I’m more than willing to bite back.”
“By the way,” Shining Armor said. “Apologies for the comments I made to you.  I was just surprised by your presence.”
“Apology accepted,” Cinch said as she took a sip of earl grey tea.  “But next time, I’d be careful with your choice of words.”  She then lets out a chuckle and said “A Windigo Cultist paid with humiliation when he called me a Weak and Useless leader.”  Those words were enough to make Shining Armor wince a bit.
Down in the main floor of the dance hall, Buck Withers continued to run as fast as he could while the giant Roc was chasing him.  Gad Zookes was running up towards his friend, trying to catch up while staying clear of the bird.
“Bucky,”  Gad Zookes yells.  “Try playing dead.  It won’t harm ya.”
“Play dead at this moment?”  Buck Withers yells back.  “ARE YOU CRAZY?”
“Trust me,”  Gad Zookes yells.  “I’ve been in this situation before and it works.”
But before Buck could say anything, the Roc picks up Buck by the collar and throws him across the dance hall.  The scared stallion could only yell before crashing into a nearby table with refreshments.
“Oh dear,”  Gad said as he watched Buck pick himself up and shake some of the punch off his coat.
But as Buck Withers looked around, hoping not to see that Roc, he noticed Baby Spike sitting on the ground, playing with what appears to be his Emerald Engagement Ring that he was going to give to Princess Cadance.  Without a second moment, Buck Withers ran up to Spike.
“Now now little one,”  Buck Withers said as he quickly plucked the ring from Spike’s hands before the bambino could eat it.  “That is not a plaything.” 
Buck Withers proceeded to pocket the ring.  But as he looked forward, he saw Spike with tears in his eyes, as if his toy was taken away.
“Aww,” Buck Withers said as he picked up Spike.  “Do you need a reason to smile?”
But as Buck Withers raised Spike into the air, the baby dragon breathed fire in the stallion’s face, leaving him badly burnt and black-faced.  Buck Withers looked dumbfounded as Spike jumped out of his arms.
“Real cute,”  Buck Withers said as he shook his head back and forth, removing the black dust from his face and restoring it to normal.  But as he was about to take a step, he heard the sound of a cat growling and a bite.  This caused Buck’s eye to shrink down as he yelled real loud and jumped into the air, holding onto his butt in pain, before grabbing onto a light post.
The one responsible for that bite was little Abigail, who snickered with glee before giving Baby Spike a high five.  Buck Withers looked down and saw both Spike and Abigail, as he was shaking in fear from being up high on that light post.
Without a warning, a burst of magic surrounded Spike and Abigail, pulling the both away from the center of the hall and right behind the curtains.

“You two are a bunch of sneaky little brats,”  Princess Cadance said with a smirk as she pulled Abigail and Spike back behind the curtain.  “Didn’t anyone tell you not to mess with the jerks that we grown ups are messing with?”  Wanda was able to grab onto Abigail while Spike landed safely on Twilight’s back.
“That was a close one,” Wanda said as she and Abigail cuddled each other.  “I thought that mean ol Buck Withers might have stepped on your tail again.”  The little cat said nothing, but purred as she rubbed her cheek on Wanda’s hand.
“I’ll say,” Twilight said as Spike gave her a big hug.  “But didn’t you teach that Buck Withers a wittle wesson.”
“You know Cadance,”  Lemony Gem said as she looked out the curtains.  “I think Buck Withers suffered enough.  That bird will have him scared for days.”
“You’re right,”  Cadance said as she turns her head towards Celestia.  “Mother.  Please disable your illusion.”
“And I was having so much fun,”  Princess Celestia said with a chuckle as the glow on her horn faded.  She was reluctant in wanting to cause the illusion to disappear, mainly because she’s still bitter about what Buck did to Wanda.  But at the same time, she had to show some class just to set a proper example for her daughters.  
“Aww,”  Sunset said, disappointed.  “Why’d you do that mommy?”
“As much as I wanted to scare Buck even more,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I think there comes a point where they’ve learned their lesson.  And I’m hoping that Buck Withers has learned his.  Thankfully, that was only an illusion, and not real.”
As Celestia finished her speech, they heard a loud crash outside.  Princess Cadance, Lemony Gem, Wanda and Twilight looked outside to see the Giant Roc standing there in the middle of the dance hall.  Everyone in the crowd was hiding under the tables, fearing for their lives.  Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch dove right under the seats, hoping not to be noticed.
“Mom,”  Cadance yelled.  “I thought you got rid of the illusion.”
“I did,” Celestria replied as she looked out.  There, she saw the very Roc that stood over every Pony in the Dance Hall.  Above the big bird was a giant hole in the ceiling.
“Uhh Princess Cadance?”  Celestia said as she became real nervous.  “I think that’s a real Roc.”

Up in the ceiling, Buck Withers was hanging on for dear life as he stared at the mere sight of the real Giant Roc.  The bird glanced at Buck, looking like he’s ready for his next meal.  Buck shook as if his entire life flashed before his very eyes.
“Uhh,”  Buck Said as he held on, preparing for the worst to happen. “Nice birdy.  You don’t want to eat me, do you?”
The Giant Roc screeched as Buck Withers screamed.  But before the Roc could bite down on his next supper, Buck Withers lets go and goes falling downward, crashing into some of the tables below.  A couple of the students emerged from below, looking upwards at the ravenous Roc, ready for dinner.
“I don’t want to be a bird’s breakfast.”  One of the students said as she cowered behind Buck Withers.  “Save us, oh great Bucky.”
“I wish I could,”  Buck Withers said as he stared death in the face.  “But I have this long fear of Rocs since I was a child.”
Up above, the Roc lets out an ear-piercing screech as it flapped its wings, causing enough force for the tables to flip over and for Buck to go flying into a nearby wall, crashing his back there.  But it wasn’t hard enough to knock him out.  Just give him a bit of pain in his back.
“Uggh,”  Buck said as he rubbed his back.  “This is part of the reason why I’m afraid of Rocs.  Mommy, I wish you were still here.”

But as the Roc continued to flap its wings, the curtains that hid Wanda, the Unicorn Six, Abigail, Spike, Lemony Gem, the Princesses and Shining Armor’s friends broke off as powerful winds blasted through the Dance Hall.  Everyone was at the mercy of the Roc.
“Hang on,”  Princess Celestia said as she rushed to grab Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Danged Spell and Moondancer.  Both Gaffe and Poindexter were able to get ahold of Abigail and Spike respectively.  
Meanwhile, Wanda and Twilight were holding onto Princess Cadance and Lemony Gem, struggled to hang on as the winds were pushing them as hard as possible.
“Don’t let go,”  Princess Cadance said.  “We have you.”
“I can’t sis,”  Wanda yelled as her grip began to loosen.
“I don’t want to die,”  Twilight yelled as she struggled to hang onto Lemony Gem.
“I’ve got you,”  Lemony said as she held onto Twilight as strong as she could.
With another blast of wind, Cadance and Lemony lost their grips as Wanda and Twilight flew out of their hooves and into the middle of the dance hall.  They both collided with a table as it fell on them both, pinning them down.  Twilight and Wanda let out an ear-piercing scream, catching the attention of the Roc.
“Oh no,”  Princess Cadance said as she watched that big bird stare closely at Wanda and Twilight.  “Mother.  They need our help.”
“On it,”  Princess Celestia yelled as she let loose a blast of magic at the Roc, hitting the beast right in the face.  Princess Cadance was able to find an opening between her and the girls who are still trapped under the table.
“Quickly,”  Princess Cadance said to Lemony Gem.  “We gotta help them.”
“Right,”  Lemony Gem said.  And without warning, the two girls ran up to Wanda and Twilight, hoping to free them from the table.
Suddenly, the Roc was able to duck underneath the magic blast.  It glanced down at Cadance and Lemony Gem before flapping its giant wings again.  The powerful gusts were enough to send both ponies flying backwards before colliding with Princess Celestia.  The impact caused Celestia to halt the use of her magic as she, Cadance and Lemony Gem land in a pile of coiled up ropes, getting tangled up by the mess..
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,”  Princess Celestia said as she struggled to break free.
“I can’t get loose,”  Princess Cadance yelled as she tried desperately to get out.
“Somepony….HELP THEM!”  Lemony Gem yelled as she could do nothing.

Back on the dance floor, Buck Withers was able to pick himself up from being pushed into the wall.  He looked around and saw ponies running for their lives as the Roc faced away from the stallion of adventure.  It looked like it was his time to leave, until Gad Zookes ran up to him.
“Bucky,”  Gad said as he approached Buck Withers.  “We need your help, badly.”
“In the presence of that beast?”  Buck Withers said as he was still afraid of one big bad Roc.  “No way.”
“But it’s a crisis,”  Gad said as he pointed his hoof towards Wanda and Twilight, still trapped under the table, and completely helpless.  “Those kids need our help.  If we don’t get to them soon, they’ll be a Roc’s supper.”
Something within Buck’s eyes changed.  Fear had left his sight, and pure determination filled his pupils.  His teeth clenched with anger as he took a tough stance.
“Gad old friend,”  Buck said as he was about to grab his whip.  “If I don’t make it out of this one, it’s been an honor to have you by my side.”

Up ahead, the Giant Roc looked down at Wanda and Twilight.  The two kids were shaking nervously as the bird looked at them with a cold stare.
“Uhh, you don’t think he’ll eat us, do you?”  Wanda asked as she looked into the eyes of the bird.
“I’m afraid so,”  Twilight said as she couldn’t take her eyes away from the Roc’s gaze.  “Just imagine a giant owl and we’re mice.”
“That’s not really reassuring,” Wanda said before she and Twilight yelled really loud as the Roc flew towards the duo, ready to grab them with its talons.
“HEY, BEAST!  LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE!”  That voice came from Buck Withers, whose teeth are tightly gripped onto his whip as he ran towards the bird.  
Buck proceeded to swing his whip to his left, grabbing onto a hard piece of fallen debris from the ceiling.  With a twirl of his whip and a mighty swing, Buck hurled the debris chunk as hard as he could.  
The chunk connected right on the head of the Roc.  The bird let out a painful screech as it collapsed onto the floor, right near Wanda and Twilight.  The duo could only watch as the bird slid to a complete stop before the debris chunk landed nearby.  But as the Roc was finally put out of commission, the duo could do nothing, but continue to shake nervously by what they had seen.
Buck Withers emerged from the dust generated by the beast’s fall.  A hint of surprise had filled his eyes.
“I...I did it,”  Buck said as he began to tear up.  “I beat the Roc.  I won.   YES!”
And with that, Buck Withers jumped into the air, cheering at his victory over the real Roc.  Fellow students joined in the cheer, chanting “Hero” and “You did it.”  
“Bucky baby,” Buck Withers said to himself.  “This will be a night for me to remember.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Confronting the Hero

> Arc 5-6: Confronting the Hero
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Confronting the Hero


“Are you kids alright,”  Buck Withers said as he lifted the table that pinned Wanda and Twilight down.  “Don’t worry.  That bad beast won’t harm you again.”
Wanda and Twilight looked at Buck Withers, still scared by the experience they went through.  Without a second thought, they both cried their eyes out, emitting waterfall tears from their eyes.
“Oh dear,”  Buck Withers said as he placed his arms around Wanda and Twilight, comforting them from the horrible experience.  “They’re not going to live that nightmare down.”
“I’m afraid none of us will live that down.”  That voice came from Chancellor Abacus Cinch.  She, along with Shining Armor, walked up to Buck Withers, a bit somber from the events that occured.
“I’ll have to be honest here,”  Shining Armor said as tears filled his eyes.  “If it weren’t for you, my sister would have been bird food.  Thank you.”
“It was nothing,”  Buck said as he rubbed the back of his head.  “After all, protecting kids has been my specialty.  Well that and adventures.”
“And I believe after what happened,”  Shining said, looking like he’s about to choke up.  “I believe you deserve Cadance more than I do.”
“Shining Armor,”  Cinch said, surprised by Shining Armor’s choice of words.
“I’m afraid he’s wrong.”  That voice came from Princess Cadance.  She was able to get the rope off of her body as she walked up to Buck Withers.  “I don’t deserve you.”
“Cadance,”  Shining Armor said.
“Buck,”  Princess Cadance said.  “Early today, we wanted to scare you with an illusion of a Roc, conjured up by my mother.  The reason we did that was because you wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to me being your wife.”
“But Cadance,”  Buck said.  “I don’t get it.  I thought we would be the perfect royal couple of Equestria.  To help inspire the young ones into getting out more.”
“No,”  Princess Cadance replied.  “Not especially after the prank.  And I’m not the only one ashamed by it.”
Right behind Princess Cadance walked Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail Albright, Spike the dragon, Gaffe, Poindexter, Lemony Gem and Princess Celestia.  They had the look of shame on their faces.
“Buck Withers,”  Celestia said.  “The reason why I joined in on this prank was simple.  I’m very protective of my children, and I took offense to the way you treated my darling Wanda.  But after nearly losing her to a real Roc, I can safely say that I went a bit too far.”
“And I only joined in hopes that we could be together,”  Lemony Gem said.  “I admit, the fake Roc was funny.  But the real one was way too scary.”
As Buck Withers places Wanda and Twilight down, they are greeted by Abigail and Spike, who waste no time jumping towards their respective companions.  Wanda cuddled Abigail while Twilight placed Spike on her back.
“As for me,”  Wanda said as she held onto Abigail.  “I didn’t like how you tossed me in the air.  I felt really scared, and I didn’t know what to do.  Plus, you stepped on Abigail’s tail three times.”
“She’s right,”  Twilight said as Spike rubbed his cheek on the back of her neck.  “In fact, if you did that to me, my parents would have really been steamed.”
“But truth be told,”  Princess Cadance said.  “I was going to tell you that I wasn’t interested in marrying you.  But every time, you kept blocking me off as if you wouldn’t accept no for an answer.  I had to resort to this desperate tactic to get you off my back.  If only you had sad no, none of this would have happened.”
Buck Withers had a lot to ponder about.  “On the one hoof, what Cadance, the kids and her friends did was in poor taste,” he thought to himself.  “But on the other hand, they may be right.  My obsession with marrying Princess Cadance may have gone too far.”
With that, Buck Withers gathered himself and cleared his throat.
“Princess Cadance,”  Buck said.  “You’re right.  It’s my fault that it went nuts over my obsession with you.  I’ve...been a fool.  Can you ever forgive me?”
Princess Cadance giggled and said “I think I owe you one as well, considering that we’re both in a bit of hot water.”
“I’d say, all of us are in hot water,”  Princess Celestia said as she gave Cadance and Buck a bit of a hug.  “Reminds  me of when me, Luna, and our parents used to get in a lot of trouble during our childhoods.”
Buck Withers smiled and crawled out from underneath Celestia’s hoof.  He then turned his gaze towards Lemony Gem, who was still ashamed at helping Cadance out.
“I remember you,”  Buck said.  “I saved you long ago when two stallions were fighting over food.  Nuts I believed.  I don’t know what they were thinking.  I think that was why I preferred to explore the open woods.”
“Aww Bucky,”  Lemony Gem said as she blushed.
“By the way,”  Buck Withers said as he pulled out the Emerald Ring.  “I know you’re not a princess.  But as I look into your eyes, they shine like sapphires. Like the beautiful lakes that are spread through our land.  How would you like to be the gem of my adventures?”
Lemony Gem was starstruck.  She said “I would love to, Bucky deary.”  And without a second thought, she lowered her head down and allowed Buck Withers to place the ring on her horn.
As Buck Withers looked at Lemony Gem with a smile on his face, he felt a tug at his coat.  He looked down and there was Danged Spell, holding that same gold medallion necklace from long ago.  The look on his face was of guilt.
“Buck Withers,”  Danged Spell said.  “I appreciated the gift you gave me during my cute ceanera.  But after what I did, I don’t deserve it.”  He then proceeded to extend his hoof to Buck Withers, still carrying the medallion.  But all Buck could do was close his hoof.
“Keep it, young one,”  Buck said.  “Let it remind you of the loyalty you have towards your friends..”  That changed Danged Spell’s tone to a more optimistic one.
Really?”  Danged Spell yelled as he gave Buck Withers a hug.  “Thank you very much.”
“And by the way,”  Buck said to Danged Spell.  “Tell your friends thank you for helping me get over my fear of Rocs.  I’ve had them when I was younger than you were.  But it was for all the wrong reasons.”
“You  bet,”  Danged Spell said as he jumped off Buck Withers and ran off to his friends.  Buck Withers and Lemony Gem watched on as Danged Spell talked to Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, Moondancer and Wanda Young.
“The pure wonder of a child,”  Buck Withers said.  “They do represent our future.”
“Kinda made me wish you had a fun childhood, Bucky,”  Lemony Gem said as she gave Buck Withers a noogie.  Buck could do nothing but laugh.

Later that night, everyone was enjoying the time at the Dance Hall of the School for Gifted Unicorns, and that’s despite the damage done to the roof, and the fact that a real Roc nearly ate Wanda and Twilight.  As Buck Withers and Lemony Gem danced the night away, so was Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.  They wanted to forget all of their troubles and enjoy every moment of it.
“We’ve had a fun week or so,”  Princess Cadance said to Shining Armor.  “All that trouble we get ourselves into just to keep together.”
“That’s true,”  Shining Armor said.  “Maybe if we do get married in the future, do you think our wedding would be even crazier?”
“Crazy would be an understatement,”  Princess Cadance said.  “Maybe a changeling queen would kidnap me and take my place, all while you don’t even suspect it.”  Those very words were enough to give Shining Armor a good chuckle.
“Twili could end up figuring that witch out,” Shining Armor said.  "But I don't think we would take her side.  It's a dangerous world with this kind of thinking."
"You said it," Cadance replied as the duo continued to dance the night away.
Nearby, Wanda was enjoying some of the as she watched Cadance and Shining Armor dance.  Abigail was right nearby as the Man's Cub rubbed the kitty's forehead.  Next to her, Twilight fed Baby Spike some apples as Sunset, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell were chatting with each other about the events that had happened.
"I can't believe that attempt at scaring Buck got him to overcome his fears." Moondancer said as she took a sip of fruit punch.
"I'll say," Sunburst said.  "This is going to be in his future book.  Most likely, It's going to be titled 'Embracing my fears.'  Or something like that."
"But at the same time," Sunset said as she watches Buck Withers and Lemony Gem dance gracefully.  "We did get him the happy ending he needed.  And I'd say he is better off as an adventurer.  Imagine him having to put up with politics.  He would go mad."
"You happen to be a princess, Sunset," Sunburst said as he took a bite of an apple slice.  "Is it true that your mother hates politics?"
"If I said yes," Sunset said with a smile.  "That would be an understatement."
And with that, Wanda and the Unicorn Six let out a playful laugh as they imagined how painful it would be as a Chancellor, Senator or Prime Princess.
"You know," Danged Spell chuckled.  "With all those ghouls and creeps running the Senate, I believe it's a real House of Horrors."
Wanda and the rest of the Unicorn Six shouted "Danged Spell" before laughing really hard.
"You really should have seen Mommy after spending a whole day in those debates," Wanda said as she couldn't contain herself. "When she got home to the palace that evening, she looked like a creepy zombie."
"I know that because I've seen it."  Sunset said as she continued to laugh.  "And now I can't get that horrible image out of my head.  Thanks a lot, sis."
"Well I am terribly sorry," Wanda joked.  "But you know how Mommy hates politics.  It's enough to drive anyone mad."
"I'd watch what you say, Man's Cub.  Unless you want to end up as a Senator representing Canterlot."  Those words came from Chancellor Cinch, who startled Wanda and made her scream.  The Unicorn Six looked to Wanda’s right and saw the Chancellor standing there with a bit of a scowl on her face.  However, it seems Sunset Shimmer has a bit of an assurance in her.
“Relax Wanda,”  Sunset said as she held onto her younger sister.  “She’s going easy on you.”
Wanda looked up and saw Chancellor Cinch staring down at her.  As the young Man’s Cub looked upwards, the Chancellor’s scown turned into a bit of a smirk.
“You really need to start relaxing, young lady,”  Cinch said.  “After all, you and Twilight Sparkle nearly became bird food that night.”
Wanda started to calm down as Sunset slowly lets go of her.  She let out a deep sigh as she looked up.
“So uhh,”  Wanda said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. 
“I believe you’re talking about who won the Fall Formal Festival,”  Cinch said.  “Sadly, your big sister and Shining Armor did not win the title of Princess and Prince.  Nether did Lemony Gem and Buck Withers.”
“Wait,”  Twilight said as she was shocked by the Chancellor’s words.  “Shining Armor is not Prince of the Fall Formal Festival?”
“I’m afraid not,”  Cinch turned around and took a couple of steps forward.  “You may find this surprising, but an odd pair won the title.  And personally, odd may be an understatement.”
As Chancellor Cinch turned towards Wanda and the Unicorn Six, Gaffe and Poindexter walked towards the Chancellor with crowns on their head.  It appears that, despite being the same gender, the two best buds of Shining Armor had been crowned Prince and Princess of the Fall Formal Festival.  Danged Spell could barely hold in his laughter.
“These two won the Fall Formal Festival?”  Danged Spell chuckled as he lost control of himself and started laughing.  “Oh man.  That’s a real crack-up.”
“Mind your manners, young stallion,”  Cinch said.  “Last year, we had a lesbian pair that won the Festival.”
“Truth be told,”  Poindexter said as he adjusted the ribbon in his hair.  “I never expected to be crowned Princess of the festival.  I only came here to support Shining Armor because we’re friends.  And friends always help friends out.”
“He’s right,”  Gaffe said as he placed his arm around Poindexter.  “We own Shining Armor a whole lot tonight.  Wish 8-Bit was here to see it all.  He missed out, big time.”
"Well," Sunset said as she approached Poindexter.  "Congrats on becoming Fall Formal Princess."
"Well truth be told," Poindexter said as he took off his crown and placed it on Sunset's head.  "I think this crown looks perfect on you.  After all, you are the daughter of Princess Celesta."
As her friends looked in awe at the crown on top of Sunset's head, the young filly looked at her reflection off of a shard of a broken window before gagging a bit.  Judging by the look on her face, she looks a bit silly with that crown on her head.
"Thanks," Sunset said as she took the crown off her head and held it out in front of Poindexter. "But this looks ridiculous on me.  You keep it.  Besides, me as a Fall Formal Princess?  Sooner or later, I'll be obsessed with getting that title every year and becoming some sort of she-demon."
"I can understand that," Poindexter said as he placed the crown back on his head.  "Tis better to be humble than to be selfish."
"It appears Princess Celestia taught you well, young one," Chancellor Cinch said to Sunset as she turns her gaze to Wanda.  "And I take it she taught you well, Man's Cub."
"Y...y...yes ma'am," Wanda said as she swallowed her pride and picked up little Abigail.
"Be warned that things will be harder from here on out,"  Chancellor Cinch said as she turns away from Wanda.  "You're still being tested to see if you are worthy of being apart of Equestria.  But despite what happened with that Roc, You're not in any trouble.  For now."
As Chancellor Cinch walked off, Wanda wiped the sweat off her forehead as Abigail snuggled on her chest.
"Stressed out by her?" Danged Spell said with a smirk on his face.
"Sometimes," Wanda said.  "She really gets to me."
"Don't worry about it," Danged Spell said as he brushed his mane.  "I've put up with far worse.  And besides, I don't think that wicked witch takes the cake."
But just as Danged Spell finished speaking, a piece of chocolate cake flew right into his face.  The arrogant colt was covered in cake bits and frosting.
"Oh for crying out loud," Danged Spell yelled as his friends looked like they were about to laugh.
"Oops," Chancellor Cinch said near a cake table with a smirk on her face.  "That was very uncouth of me."
And without hesitation, Wanda, Twilight, Sunset, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer were all laughing at Danged Spell's misfortune.   The colt just stood there, angry and covered in chocolate cake.
"THAT AIN'T FUNNY YOU CHOWDERHEADS," Danged Spell yelled."DO I LOOK LIKE SOME SORT OF CIRCUS CLOWN?"
"You sure do," Twilight said as she and Spike burst out laughing.
As Danged Spell growled at his friends, he noticed everyone else also joining in the laughter, including Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Gaffe, Poindexter, Lemony Gem and Buck Withers.  Danged Spell took one good look at Buck's laughter, and dropped his jaw.
"NOT YOU TOO, BUCKY" Danged Spell yelled.
"Sorry but," Buck Withers chuckled. "You really need to lighten up.  Enjoy life.”
“I’d do what he says, kid,”  Lemony Gem said.  “You only get one shot at life.”
As everyone else in the auditorium laughed, Danged Spell cracked a smile on his face.  He proceeded to grab a piece of cake from atop a table, and chucked it right at Buck Wither’s face.  Soon, the whole auditorium stopped laughing as Danged Spell couldn’t control his own laughter.
“Gotcha there, Bucko,”  Danged Spell said as he laughed.
Buck Withers only smirked as he grabbed a nearby sandwich off the table.
“Young stallion,” Buck said with a smirk on his face.  “You’re about to be schooled by the legend.” 
And with that, Buck Withers threw the sandwich at Danged Spell.  The young colt was quick to dodge as it hit Sunset Shimmer in the face.  Everyone looked at Sunset as she shook off the mustard and ketchup on her face.
“Okay,”  Sunset said as she grabbed a banana from the table.  “It...is...ON!”
Suddenly, someone in the audience yelled out “FOOD FIGHT” as everyone in the hallway threw food at each other, cheering and chanting.  The whole auditorium was getting completely covered in bits of cake, sandwich, fruit, pie, and other goodies.  It was a mess.
Wanda, Abigail and Spike hid under the table as they are covered in chocolate sauce.  But for some reason, they were enjoying themselves.
“What a night,”  Wanda said as she pointed to a Ketchup bottle nearby, ready to squirt any nearby intruders.  “I thought it was going to be horrible with that bad Roc.  But I never thought I would have a lot of fun.”
Suddenly, Wanda gets hit by a glob of whipped cream, scaring Abigail and Spike. She shook off the cream and looked back outside.  There was Princess Celestia, holding a cream pie with her magic, staring at her daughter with a hint of joy in her face.
“So my darling,”  Celestia said, clutching the pie towards her.  “You think you can outwitt the might of Princess Celestia?”  She lets out a cackling laugh as random food is chucked above her.  Wanda looked at her mother and twirled her ketchup bottle.
“I’m up for anything,”  Wanda said as she dashed out from underneath the table covers.  
As the covers went down, Abigail and Spike held onto each other as the sound of festival goers cheered the night away.  Food being tossed, punch splashing into one’s face, everyone acting rowdy.  But for a baby kitten and a baby dragon, they had shelter as the chaos erupted in the auditorium of the School for Gifted Unicorns.
It was a night that went from bad, to tons of fun.

Later that night, at the castle, Wanda was tucked in her bed with Abigail sleeping at the end of her mattress, having also changed into her pajamas.  She had been given a good bath to clean off the gunk from that party she and everyone else had been through.  But as she gazed at the stars outside, she felt the presence of another individual climbing into her bed.  She turned around and saw Sunset Shimmer snuggle up to her.
“Sunset?”  Wanda said, confused by her sister’s presence.
“Wild night, was it?”  Sunset asked.
“Yeah,”  Wanda said.  “It was.  Especially with that food fight we had with mommy.”
Sunset looked at the stars outside, reflecting at the events that had transpired.  Her older sister Princess Cadance nearly ended up with someone she barely knew.  While she is glad that Cadance is once again paired with Shining Armor, there was something eating away at Sunset Shimmer.  And she had to get it off her chest.
“Wanda,”  Sunset said as she placed her arm around her younger sister’s shoulder.  “I was actually scared early ago.”
“Why’s that?” Wanda asked.
“You and Twilight nearly became dinner for a crazed Roc,”  Sunset said as a tear fell from her eye.  “You’re my sister, and I don’t know what I’ll do if you were lost.  And I also care for Twilight as a friend.  I can’t even imagine losing ether of you.”
Wanda looked at Sunset and realized what her words meant.  Early ago, she, along with Twilight Sparkle, were almost eaten alive by a Roc.  And not just an illusion.  A real one.  She knows even more that life in Equestria isn’t all fun and games.
“I think I understand what you mean,”  Wanda said as she wiped the tear from Sunset’s eye.
“You do?”  Sunset said.
“With the words you said,”  Wanda said.  “I did imagine that play out.  Except...I also wonder what would happen if I lost you, or everyone else I know.  Guess sometimes, I do fear that I might end up alone.”
“You won’t end up alone,”  Sunset said.  “You’re my sister, and as long as we remain together, we will always burn brighter than the mighty sun.  Never forget that.”
Wanda said nothing as she hugged Sunset Shimmer, crying tears of joy.  The two held each other as they drifted to dreamland.

Outside, Princess Celestia looked up at her daughter’s bedroom.  She had a wild night involving pranking a high-class adventurer, nearly lost Wanda to a Roc, and wound up joining in on a food fight in her school.  As Celestia looked on at her daughters, Princess Luna showed up from behind.
“You didn’t invite me to your party, sis?”  Princess Luna said.  “I’m beginning to think you don’t want me as a party animal.”
“You had your own tasks to deal with, Luna,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Besides, I tried contacting you many times.  And you didn’t respond.”
As Luna walked up beside her older sister, her tone changed a bit as she was concerned by the events that transpired.
“I heard about the Roc that flew into the city,”  Princess Luna said.  “I take it Wanda came close to becoming a meal for the bird?”
“I’m afraid so,”  Celestia said as she put her hoof to her forehead.  “But I have Buck Withers to thank for saving her.”
“This revelation will have a lot of questions to be answered,”  Luna said as she looked up at the top of the Castle.  “The important thing is why it flew into Canterlot this evening.
“And I’m afraid I have your answer.”  Celestia and Luna turned to see Chancellor Cinch walk in, holding a flag of some sort with her magic.
“Chancellor,”  Celestia said, noticing the familiar flag.  “I’m afraid to ask but...was the Windigo’s Guild responsible for this?”
“Unfortunately, yes,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she unveiled the banner, revealing the familiar Windigo symbol.  “The very same group that was responsible for Meteor Flare’s death back in Sire’s Hollow.  And I’m afraid that Roc didn’t make it.  Buck Wither’s attack on the bird was enough to kill it.”
“It seems these monsters have been interfering in our lives,”  Princess Luna said, now with a concerned look on her face.
“It’s one thing to have to put up with politics,”  Celestia said, glancing coldly at the flag.  “But the Windigo’s Guild?  When will we find peace from these bullies?”
“The only thing we can do is educate every pony in Equestria about this,”  Cinch said as she rolled up the cloth.  “I will address everyone tomorrow at the Town’s Square.  Buck Withers has volunteered to testify about the incident.  All we can do is grant assurance to everyone.”
“Then let me assist with the meeting,”  Princess Celestia said.
“That will not be necessary,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “You have your duties to attend to, and the Man’s Cub to look after.  Leave the hard part to me.”
“Speaking of which,”  Princess Luna asked.  “Do you think that Wanda is no longer safe in Canterlot?
“Your majesty,”  Chancellor Cinch said to Princess Luna.  “She wouldn’t be safe anywhere.  But you both have to keep on trying to keep her safe, while I do what I can to keep her in line.  After all, if she expects to be apart of Equestrian society, her teaching must continue.  For her sake, and for all of us.  Even if I have to be a bit rough on her.”
As Chancellor Cinch walked off, Princess Luna placed her hoof around her older sister.  She saw a sense of urgency in Celestia, and knew she could use all the help she could get.
“Don’t worry,”  Princess Luna said.  “You have me, your daughters, and her friends to help you.  They’ll be her guide in becoming a true Equestrian.”
“Thanks sister,”  Princess Celestia said as hugged Princess Luna.  “I’ll remember those words in the coming years.

But outside Canterlot in the midnight sky, Coldnelius Snap watched on from atop a tree branch gazing into the now empty streets of the city.  A sense of satisfaction filled his eyes, and a spark of pride filled his teeth.  Though the danger has passed, he was still biding his time for the next moment to strike.
“A shame that the roc I used has met its end.,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “'Had that wannabe hero not intervened, I would have had that’s Man’s Cub.  But I assure you, I have more tricks up my sleeve, Governor.  Once I have the magic of that kid, Equestria will suffer its coldest winter in ages, and I assure you, all those simple-minded ponies will get what’s coming to them”
And with that, Coldnelius Snap lets out a terrifying laugh as he leaps from the tree branch and gallops off into the distance, as the cold aura of winter emits from his body, covering the trees in pure ice.


	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 6: Song of the Birds


	Sorrow of the Birds

> Arc 6(The Song of the Birds)-1: Sorrow of the Birds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 6: The Song of the Birds


Sorrow of the Birds


“What happened last night at the auditorium of the School for Gifted Unicorns was the work of the Windigos Guild.  They sent a real-life Roc to cause harm to our children.”

It was the morning of a new day.  Chancellor Cinch was on stage in front of a podium alongside Buck Withers, addressing the citizens of Canterlot.  Many were in horror, not just for themselves, but also for their loved ones.
“While what Princess Celestia did was more or less a prank, I can assure you she would never resort to what Coldnelius Snap and his cult would do to our children.”  Chancellor Cinch said as everyone watched on.  “But had it not been for this brave adventurer, I’m afraid this situation would have turned into a horrible tragedy.”
As Chancellor Cinch stepped back from the podium, Buck Withers approached, clearing his throat and being ready to speak.
“I can confirm that what Princess Celestia did was not as mean-spirited as the real thing,”  Buck said as he addressed Equestria.  “Truth be told, I blamed my own arrogance for her stunt.  But at the same time, I also thank her for at least helping me get over my fear of Rocs, as I was able to muster the courage to save two students from the gaping maw of one.  And yet, as I have stood victorious, I admit I felt sorry for the bird.  I wish it never had to resort to attacking our fair city.  What this Coldnelius Snap did, he will pay dearly for endangering our children.”
Many members of the crowd clapped for Buck Withers as he stepped back and allowed Chancellor Cinch to return to the podium.
“Know that if Coldnelius Snap is listening,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I have this message to you.  You have brought great harm to our loved ones.  You tried to ambush me and the Princess’s daughter, you devastated a mining community in Sire’s Hollow, and you sent a majestic bird into our vicinity.  Justice will come down on you, and you will pay dearly for what you have done to our community.”
As the crowd cheered on Cinch’s message of justice, the Chancellor approached Buck Withers, both with concern on their face, especially with what happened last night.
“I appreciate helping me with this speech, Buck,”  Chancellor Cinch said with a sigh of relief.  “Thank you.”
“After what we all went through,”  Buck Wither said.  “It was the least I could do.”  As Buck Withers was done talking, Gad Zookes approached his old friend and the Chancellor.
“Hey Bucky,”  Gad said.  “Are you ready to hit the road and go on another adventure?”
“No Gad,”  Buck said.  “After what happened last night, I’m going to stay put in Canterlot for a while longer.”
“Stay put?”  Gad said, shocked by Buck’s words.
“Yes,” Buck said.  “One of my inspirations come from the children of Equestria, even those who live here in Canterlot.  As two children were attacked by a Roc last night, I want to make sure they’re all going to be safe before we set out.”
“I understand,”  Gad said, disappointed.  “But I hope we do depart.  What’s the use of staying put if we don’t give the children a story to share with each other?”
“One day, we will, old friend,”  Buck said.  “But for now, we rest.”
As Buck and Gad give each other a high five for luck, Chancellor Cinch takes off with another pony speaking behind the microphone.  Buck and Gad looked as the Chancellor was stepping down from the platform. 
“Chancellor,”  Buck said.  “Where are you heading to?”
“To keep my eye out on a certain Man’s Cub of Celestia’s daughter,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Partially to keep her out of trouble, and partially to oversee her growth.”

Meanwhile, class has ended at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Every student, tall and small, ran out from the front door, waiting to enjoy a nice afternoon in the streets of Canterlot City.  But a familiar group came out, also ready to enjoy some time: Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Twilight, Spike, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell.  All of them came out to breathe in the afternoon air.
“What a beautiful day,”  Sunset said.  “Feels like I just want to run around and enjoy myself.  In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve done so.”
“You’re telling me,”  Twilight said.  “Ever since we’ve all met, we’ve all been on a rollercoaster of danger.”
“Well that’s what we get for being on a wild ride, Twilight,”  Danged Spell said as he laughed it off.
“Danged Spell,”  Everyone else yelled as they also erupted into laughter.  Danged Spell looked at his friends and cracked a smile.
“Sometimes,” Danged Spell said to himself.  “It feels great to at least give everyone a good laugh.”
“You know,” Wanda said as she finally got her laughter under control.  “We should spend some time together.  Maybe go to the park and play some ball. Or see if Uncle Bright Mac is in town.”
“Sorry Wanda,”  Twilight said as she placed Spike on her back.  “But I’d promise big brother I’d help him and Princess Cadance with a project together.”
“I wish I could join you,”  Moondancer said.  “But daddy’s taking me down to the Canterlot Aerospace Museum.  I always wanted to go there.”
“Yeah,”  Starlight said, looking disappointed.  “I promised I would go with Sunburst to the local library.”
“I’m afraid she’s right,”  Sunburst said.  “I’d promise her mom and dad to at least check out books on Equestrian History.”
“And as much as I want to enjoy the sun out here,”  Danged Spell said.  “Your mommy Princess Celestia was going to help me with my Wolf’s Breath curse even more.  Sorry, kid.”
“Speaking of Celestia,”  Sunset said.  “I was asked to do some errands for her.  I wish we could all be together.”
Wanda looked disappointed.  She wanted to hang out with her friends, but it appeared everyone was busy.  Even more so, she barely had time to do so since meeting them.  What could she do?
“I see,” Wanda said as she slumped down.  “I’ll just go find some way to have fun.”
As Wanda looked like she was going to walk off, Danged Spell approached the young girl with something in his saddlebags.
“Hey kid,”  Danged Spell said.  “There’s something I wanted to give you since we became friends, and since that nasty Windigo’s Guild decided to give you and that old hag a hard time.”  
With that, Danged Spell pulled out what appeared to be a Y-shaped wooden frame with a super strong rubber band attached to it.
“A slingshot?”  Wanda said as Danged Spell gave her the object.  “Why would I need something like that?”
“Well,”  Danged Spell replied.  “Princess Celestia told me that you end up exhausted when you use your magic.  So I figured why not give you something to defend yourself with.”
“You know that’s not a bad idea,”  Sunset said.  “She’s too new to her magic, and she needs something to fight back with.”
“I don’t know,”  Twilight said.  “What if you beaned someone badly with that?”
“Oh not to worry,”  Danged Spell said as he pulled out a small bag.  “I brought a bag of pumpkin seeds for ammo.  They won’t hit as hard.”
“Gee thanks,”  Wanda said as Danged Spell gave her the bag of pumpkin seeds.  “I always wonder how I could fight back without being so tired.”
Wanda held the slingshot tight and pulled back on the rubber band.  She aimed with her new tool, looking around the vicinity.
“Wow.” Starlight said as Wanda showed off her new slingshot.  “Daddy showed me his slingshot before I came to Canterlot.  He said it came from my grandfather.”
“And just where do you think you’re aiming that weapon, Man’s cub?”  The voice of Chancellor Cinch was enough to cause Wanda to drop her slingshot and freak out.  The Unicorn Six watched as Chancellor Cinch walked on in.
“Hey, give her a break already,” Danged Spell said in protest.  “After all, I just gave her that slingshot.”
“Then do you realize how dangerous it would be in the wrong hooves?”  Chancellor Cinch said as she stared down Danged Spell.  The colt looked like he was scared to half-death.
“Hey, go easy on him,” Sunset said as she stood by Danged Spell.  “Besides, what’s wrong with Wanda using a slingshot?”
“My concern with your sister, Sunset Shimmer,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Is that she could hurt someone with that slingshot!  Especially unintentionally.”
“But I won’t hurt any pony with this,”  Wanda said as she nervously held the slingshot and the seed pouch to her chest.  “I promise I won’t.”
“If you’re going to play around with that,”  Chancellor Cinch said. “Then at least go over to the park with it.  At least you won’t be hurting any pony like you promised.  Understood?”
Wanda swallowed with a huge gulp and said “Y...yes ma’am.”  She then turned the other way and ran off with Abigail running after her.
As the Unicorn Six watched Wanda run off through the city, they turned their attention towards Chancellor Cinch, upset by the way she treated Wanda.
“You can’t just treat her like that,” Twilight said in protest.  “After all, she’s a friend of mine.”
“I am aware of your plea, Twilight Sparkle,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Especially after what happened last night.  But she needs a reminder that she has to behave in this town.  After all, not every pony will see her in a positive light.  Not even the Banks.”
“The Banks?”  Starlight asked.
“Silver and Gold Banks,”  Sunset said.  “They’re the richest ponies of all of Equestria.  They’re also the major backers of every political group in Canterlot.  If they saw one good look at Wanda, they’ll treat her far worse than the Chancellor does.”
“I’m afraid you’re right, young Princess,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’m only harsh on her to keep her well-behaved.  The Banks, on the other hand, are the definition of cruelty.”
“But that’s still no reason to be harsh to Wanda,”  Moondancer said in protest.  “After all, she’s just a little girl, like most of us.”
“That may be a fact,”  Chancellor Cinch.  “But I still fear that something bad will happen to her.  In fact, there’s a part of me that thinks she may have to live through a major mistake on her part.  Like what happened to me when I was a filly.”
“And I assume that slingshot had something to do with your recent tone with Wanda?”  Sunburst said.
“If it's because I was concerned about what she could do with it, you’re wrong,”  Cinch said.  “It was what I once did with a slingshot like that, and what I believe the Man’s Cub could do unintentionally.”

Meanwhile, at the park, Wanda had felt exhausted from all that running.  She stood there and caught her breath, with Abigail right by her side.
“That was a close one,”  Wanda said as she looked at her slingshot.  “All this over a silly slingshot?  What’s so bad about it?”
Wanda reached into her pocket and pulled out the bag of pumpkin seeds that Danged Spell gave to her.  She pulled out a seed and placed it on the pad of the slingshot.
“Well,”  Wanda said as she looked at Abigail.  “Time to give this baby a go.”
As Wanda looked around, she saw a white mushroom, growing from the grass of the park.  An ideal target.  Wanda aimed her slingshot at the mushroom, then pulled back on the padded rubber band, keeping her eye on the target.
“Here goes,”  Wanda said as she released her grip on the rubber band of the slingshot.  The pumpkin seed went flying and connected straight with the mushroom, ripping it off from the ground and sending it flying into a nearby stone, splitting from the top before falling to the ground.  Wanda looked at her slingshot and was amazed.
“Wow,”  Wanda said as she looked at Abigail.  “Think of what I can do with this, Abby.  Maybe I can defend Equestria with my trusty Slingshot.”
Abigail gave a confident meow as Wanda danced around, celebrating the use of her slingshot.  She was excited to put her new tool to use again, hoping to perfect her aim.  As she got done dancing, she saw more mushrooms on the ground, giving her a bit of a confident grin.
“Aww yeah,”  Wanda said as she placed a pumpkin seed on the pad of the slingshot and pulled back.  “I’ve got this.  Cover me, Abbi.”
Abigail cheered from the sideline as Wanda fired off the pumpkin seed, sending it flying right into one of the mushrooms, blasting it from the ground.

Meanwhile, up in the trees, a Mother Bird flies towards her nest, where her baby was eager to learn how to fly.  The Mother Bird chipped at her son, flapping her wings as to demonstrate the basis of flying.  The Younger Bird looked up at her mother and began to flap his wings, hoping to fly.  He hovered a bit off the branch, hoping to be airborne as her mother. 
But the little birdie began to tire, and started to fall to the ground.  The Mother Bird was able to catch him with his tail and place him back on the safety of the branch.  The Younger Bird was discouraged, as he was afraid that he could fall to the ground.  But the mother knew he had to try again.  
So the Mother Bird reassured her son to try again.  She flapped her wings with the intent on encouraging him to fly, before flying into the air.  The Younger BIrd looked up at her mother, and attempted to flap his wings again.
This time, he was able to get off the branch and fly into the air.  The Younger Bird flew as high as he could, flapping his wings as he remained airborne.  But only for a short while. He became tired again, as he was not used to flying.  So he landed a perch on another tree branch to rest up, while his mother came by to check up on him.
The Mother Bird was proud of her son’s progress.  She gave her son a kiss on the forehead before turning around and bending down so that her son could jump onto her back.  The Younger Bird does so, eager to fly higher than any bird in the park.  With a swift flap, the Mother Bird takes off into the sky with her son on her back.
As the mother was fully airborne, she chirped  to her son to fly even further than he did.  The Younger Bird, picked up by her mother’s encouragement, flapped his wings, jumped off and flew alongside his mother.  The duo were now flying together at last.  Though the Younger Bird did show signs of exhaustion, the Mother Bird flew right next to her, just to be right next to her son.

Back down on the ground, Wanda continued to practice with her slingshot, having uprooted the last poisonous mushroom from the ground.  She cheered along with her kitten companion Abigail.  They looked up and saw some acorns dangling from the tree, ideal target practice for Wanda’s slingshot.
“Hey Abby,”  Wanda said as she primed another pumpkin seed into her slingshot.  “Do you think I can take them down?”
Abigail lets out a confident meow to encourage Wanda to go further with the slingshot.  Wanda looked at her slingshot and pulled back.
“Alright,” Wanda said as she was about to let loose.  “Here goes nothing.”
And so, Wanda fired off another pumpkin seed, barely missing one acorn in the trees.  Wanda looked discouraged.  But she wasn’t about to give up.
“Ahh fiddlesticks,”  Wanda said as she pulled out another pumpkin seed.  “But I’m not going to let something like that get in the way.”
Wanda primed her pumpkin seeds and fired off another few shots.  The first three missed their targets, but the last one was able to knock down an acorn from the tree.  Wanda and Abigail cheered as the lone nut hit the ground.
“Yes,”  Wanda said as she leaped in excitement.  “I finally hit a target.  I finally hit a target.”
Abigail clapped her paws for Wanda, meowing for her human companion.  But as she did, she noticed two bird shadows gliding on the ground.  She looked up and hissed directly at the sky, catching Wanda’s attention.
“Abby,” Wanda said. “What’s wrong, kitty?”
Wanda looked up and saw two silhouettes of birds in the sky.  But as she watched, her eyes shrunk down in fear, as she stood there helpless.  The man’s cub shook horrible as the shadows of the birds circled around the sun,  
“R..R..R...Ro...Ro,”  Wanda said as she could barely get the words out of her mouth before yelling out “ROC!”  Wanda immediately jumped right behind a tree with Abigail leaping in afterwards.  They looked out and saw the contours of the two birds circling the park.  Wanda looked at her slingshot, then looked at Abigail.
“Don’t worry Abby,”  Wanda said as she gave Abigail a rub on her head.  “I won’t let them eat you.”
Wanda quickly jumped out from behind the tree and took aim at the Bird shadows.

Back in the sky, the Mother Bird continued to fly with her son at her side, with not a care in the world.  She was proud that the Younger Bird was now full of energy and was flying without her help.  But as they flew together, a hail of pumpkin seeds shot their way, causing them to freak out and separate.  
The Younger Bird flew away as he dodged out of the way of incoming pumpkin seeds.  The Mother Bird tried to get close, only to be blocked off by another pumpkin seed that almost hit her.  She could do nothing, but stay out of the way of the incoming pumpkin seeds, and watch as her son flew as fast as he could, trying to dodge out of the way of the seeds.

Back on the ground, Wanda continued to fling pumpkin seeds at the bird silhouettes, fearing that a Roc would come close to her and gobble her up.  She pulled out another seed and primed her Slingshot, aiming at the smaller shadow in the sky.  She continued to shake, but kept her focus on the shadow.
“I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU EAT ME,”  Wanda said, as she prepared to fire off the seed.

Back in the sky, the Younger Bird flew as fast as he could, trying to get to the safety of his tree, fearing for its own life.  He chirped as loud as he could, calling for his mother and flying as fast as he could.  He saw the tree branch nearby, and looked to finally be home safe.
But just before he could land on the branch, he was hit on the head by a flying pumpkin seed.  The impact was enough to knock him out cold and send him falling down to the ground.  The Mother Bird could only watch as her son went flying downwards before he hit the ground below.

Down below, Wanda breathed a sigh of relief, believing that she finally shot down the Roc.  
“That was a close one, Abby,” Wanda said.
Wanda and Abigail walked up to the shadow of the bird as it landed on the ground.  But as they got a good look at them, they realized something was off.
“That….that’s not a Roc,”  Wanda said as she saw what appeared to be a baby bird, having been shot out of the sky by a stray pumpkin seed.  Abigail was also horrified by the fact that it wasn’t a Roc, but a small common bird.
The Mother Flew flew down and saw her son lying there, unconscious.  She looked down at her son, calling for him to wake up.  But to no avail.  She proceeded to dangle a worm above her son’s face, hoping he would wake up.  But not even the scent of food could lure her son out of his trance.  
It was at that moment that the Mother Bird realized something horrible had happened to her son.  He was dead.  Shot out of the sky by a stray pumpkin seed.  Tears fell from her eyes as she picked up her son, limp as a rag doll.  She could do nothing but hold her son in her wings.

Wanda and Abigail watched from behind the tree.  
“I…I don’t believe it,” Wanda said in shock.  “I thought I was going to be eaten by a Roc.  And it…it turned out to be a baby bird.”
Wanda just stood there, gripping the slingshot with her right hand and the seed bag with her left hand.  Abigail looked up at her companion as tears began to fall.
“I...I didn’t mean to do it,”  Wanda said as she started to cry.  “I didn’t mean to kill a baby bird.  I’m the mean Roc.  I’M THE MEAN ROC!”
Spotting an open knothole in the tree next to her, Wanda threw her Slingshot and pumpkin seeds in before covering it with a layer of dirt.  She broke down crying as she thought about what she did.
“I didn’t want this to happen,”  Wanda cried.  “I didn’t mean to kill him.  I DIDN’T MEAN TO!”
Shocked at what she did, Wanda turned tail and ran off from the park with Abigail running off after her.  

Wanda ran as fast as she could, ignoring everyone in the streets, crying her eyes out as Abigail chased after her.  She ran hard, tripping every once in a while before picking herself back up.  As she saw the faces of citizens concerned for her well-being, she ran off, keeping her head turned in shame.
She ran all the way through the gates of Canterlot Castle, ignoring the guards that stood firm for any intruders.  She ran inside the castle, ignoring everyone as she ran up the stairs and into her room.  Though her speed caught the attention of Princess Luna and Majordomo Kibitz, she was too heartbroken to have paid any attention.
“What in the world just happened?”  Princess Luna said.
“Honestly my dear Luna,”  Kibitz said as he became concerned for Wanda’s well-being.  “I believe it may have been a broken heart.  It may be because Chancellor Cinch went too harsh on her, or maybe something else.  Something horrible.”
“Something tells me she really needs some help,”  Princess Luna said, looking upstairs as the door to Wanda and Sunset’s room was locked tight. 
“What should we say to Princess Celestia?”  Kibitz said.
“Honestly,”  Princess Luna said.  “I am not so sure.”

Later that night, Celestia, Luna, Sunset and Cadance were in the living room, talking with each other.  
“So she just locked herself up in our room and won’t come out?”  Sunset asked.
“I’m afraid so,”  Princess Luna said.  “I’ve seen Wanda this troubled before.  But not like this.”
“I’m beginning to wonder if Chancellor Cinch went a bit too far with scolding Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said.
“No,”  Princess Cadance said as she shook her head.  “I’ve seen how harsh Cinch can be towards Wanda.  And every time, she comes to us for comfort.  This is the first time that she pulled something like that.”
“”I believe I may have an idea,”  Princess Luna said.  “When she’s asleep, I will go into her dream and figure out what’s wrong.”
“That’s right,”  Princess Celestia said.  “You’re a dream walker.  If anyone can figure out why Wanda acted like that, it’s you.”
“It won’t be long until she falls asleep,”  Princess Luna said.  “Then I can tap into her mind, and we can figure out a way to help her.”
Princess Celestia turned her head to Sunset and said “Sunset, until this ordeal is resolved, I’m going to let you sleep with me tonight.  Are you okay with it?”
“I’m fine, mommy,”  Sunset said.  “But I’m still concerned for my baby sister.  I hope she makes it out okay.”
“She will,”  Celestia said as she placed her wing around Sunset.  “She will.”
“And if you guys need any help,”  Princess Cadance said. “I’m ready.”

Upstairs, Wanda had changed into pajamas and hid underneath her blanket, still crying her eyes out.  Abigail was right next to her, placing her paw on Wanda’s face as she cried out for her.
“Abby,”  Wanda said as she couldn’t stop crying.  “I don’t think I’ll forgive myself for what I did.  It’s all my fault.  It’s all my fault.”
Wanda continued to cry as the moon in the nighttime sky rose upwards to mark the end of a long, stressful day in Canterlot.  But for Wanda, her nightmare had just begun.


	To Be Continued in…


	A Song of Remorse

> Arc 6-2: A Song of Remorse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	A Song of Remorse


It was a bright and beautiful day in Canterlot.  Wanda was skipping down town without a care in the world.  She looked ready to face the day as she made her way to the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Nothing could hold her down as she skipped towards the school.
As she arrived, she saw Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell chatting with each other.  They all looked like they were in some sort of conversation with each other.
“Hey guys,”  Wanda yelled as she waved to the Unicorn Six.  “Who’s up for another day at school?”
Suddenly, Sunset Shimmer turned to Wanda with an evil glare on her face.  She stared down at her younger sister like she was upset with her.
“Wanda,”  Sunset said in a cold tone.  “You killed him, didn’t you?”  Wanda’s face turned from happy to scared.
“What are you talking about?”  Wanda said as she started to back off from her friends.
“It’s your fault that you killed a baby bird,”  Twilight said as she and the other unicorns glanced at Wanda.  “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“You have no right to be our friend anymore,”  Starlight said as she marched towards Wanda.
“I would never be friends with a monster like you,”  Moondancer said, joining Starlight in marching towards Wanda as she clenched her teeth.
“None of us wants to be friends with you anymore,” Sunburst said as he gave one of the coldest glances at Wanda.
“You should have been eaten alive by that Roc, you stupid money,”  Danged Spell said as he marched alongside his unicorn friends.
“No wait,”  Wanda said.  “I didn’t mean it.”
Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell all marched towards Wanda as the sky glowed red.  Wanda could do nothing but run in the opposite direction as her now former friends chased after her.

As Wanda ran as fast as she could, everything around her went black as her friends faded in the distance.  She stopped to catch her breath as she was no longer being chased.
“With friends like those,”  Wanda said as she continued to catch her breath.  “Who needs enemies?”
Suddenly, a podium formed underneath her as she was lifted into the air.  A flash of light went off and she appeared to be in a dark courtroom of some sort.  Every pony in the courtroom looked at her as if they were upset by what she did.  Wanda was too scared to even move from her spot.
“What’s going on?”  Wanda said as she sat there, nervously.
“MAN’S CUB!”  That voice came from Chancellor Cinch, who was sitting in the Judge’s Bench above her.  “You are charged with the crime of killing an innocent baby bird.  How do you plead?”
“Innocent,”  Wanda said.  “I didn’t mean to do it.”
“A likely story,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “But it won’t save you.”  She turned to the jury box and said  “Ponies of the Jury, have you made a verdict?”
The ponies in the Jury Box all stood up and said “GUILTY!”
Wanda could only freak out and said.  “NO!  I DIDN’T MEAN TO DO IT!”
“You had your chance and you blew it,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she pointed her gavel at Wanda.  “I hereby sentence you to a lifetime in Tartarus.”  
And with that, Chancellor Cinch slams her gavel on the desk of her bench.  The podium underneath Wanda disappeared and she fell down a hole, screaming over her ultimate fate.
She fell far and far, until she landed in an open cage.  The cage closed on itself, sealing Wanda away.  All around here, she was inside a dark and dreary cavern, with a number of monsters surrounding her, also inside their respective cages.
“Mommy,”  Wanda said as she looked like she was going to cry.  “Where are you?”
“Aww,”  One of the monsters said.  “Do you miss your wittle mommy?”
“Tough luck kid,”  Another monster said.  “This is your new home.  Deal with it.”
And with that, every monster in the cavern laughed at Wanda’s predicament.  Wanda could do nothing, but hold onto the bars and scream really loud.

And then Wanda woke up in her own bedroom in the middle of the night, breathing really hard.  Abigail woke up and saw Wanda breathing really hard and leaped onto the bed
“A dream,” Wanda said.  “It was all a dream of being in Tartarus.”
As she caught her breath, she looked down at her hands and looked like she was going to cry.
“I can’t take this anymore,”  Wanda said to herself.   “I killed that bird, and now I’ll be going to Tartarus.  What am I going to do?”
As Wanda looked down at her hands, she felt the brushing of a paw on her arm.  She turned to her right and saw Abigail looking at her.  
“Abby,” Wanda said as she rubbed the kitten on her forehead.  “I don’t know what I’ll do.  I wish I never accepted that slingshot from Danged Spell.  Now I feel like I’m a horrible person.”
As Wanda continued to rub her cat’s head, she heard the sound of birds outside.  She got out of bed and looked out the window.  In the distance, there looked like a small flickering light at the park, all while the rest of Canterlot was completely dark.
“That looks like it’s coming from the park,”  Wanda said as she signaled to Abigail.  “Come on Abby.  Let’s go check it out.”
Abigail jumped onto Wanda’s shoulder as the Man’s Cub’s flutter wings sprouted.  Without a second thought, Wanda jumped out the window and flew off towards the light.

As she landed in the park area, Wanda and Abigail were right next to the very tree where she hid her slingshot.  They both hid behind the tree, not wanting to be in the light. From behind the tree, they saw a small candle lit up.  Nearby, a flock of birds were all in mourning as the Mother Bird had placed her son atop a leaf.
“Oh no,”  Wanda said as she watched from behind.  “I really did kill that bird.”
The song emitting from the birds surrounding the mother and child was sad.  They knew that a part of their family was gone, and they mourn the loss of their beloved fledgling   Nearby animals like the squirrels, the owls, the woodpeckers and the rabbits all cried at its death.  A mother rabbit looked at her child and cuddled her, fearing that the same could happen to him.
Nearby, a couple of birds had dug up a plot to bury the Young Bird.  Two of the other birds picked up the leaf that the Young Bird lay on, and carried him over to the plot.  The Mother Bird flew alongside him, wanting to get one last good look at her son.
As the leaf was lowered nearby, bouquets of white flowers were placed around the Young Bird by other birds. The Mother Bird flew right down, and took one good look at her son.  She cried as she held onto her son, as if she were begging for him not to go.
Wanda looked from behind the tree with Abigail.  She couldn’t hold back her tears.  Abigail tried desperately to cheer up Wanda by licking her hand.  But Wanda was too depressed to notice.
“I…” Wanda cried.  “I didn’t mean to do it.  I was scared.  Honest.  I thought I was gonna be eaten by a Roc.  I swear.  I didn’t want him to die.”
Wanda sat down and cried in her own hands.  She didn’t know what to do.  She had unintentionally taken the life of a baby bird, out of fear that her own life would be taken.  The trauma she went through from the Fall Formal Festival had taken a toll on her overall well-being.  She cried really hard as Abigail snuggled up to her companion.
“Abby,”  Wanda said as she struggled to stop crying.  “If I had one wish, I wish I’d never hurt that little birdie.  I only wish I’d never hurt that birdie.”
Wanda broke back down into tears as she mourned the death of the Young Bird.  Abigail watched helplessly as Wanda Cried, unable to know what to do.  As she did, she felt a drop of water fall onto her forehead.  But it’s not a tear that came from Wanda.  She looked up and noticed it was starting to rain.
Abigail pawed at Wanda in an attempt to alert her in the rain.  But the Man’s Cub was still crying her eyes out to notice.  Soon, it started to rain all over the park.   Despite the raindrops soaking Abigail’s fur, she stood by Wanda, hoping to keep her comfortable through this hard time.
Nearby, as the Mother Bird was about to let go of her son, the rain poured all over her and the other birds. But suddenly, a miracle occured.  The Young Bird opened his eyes.  He got up a bit, and there was a bruise on the back of his head.  The pumpkin seed did not kill him.  It only knocked him out. 
The Mother Bird’s tears of sorrow turned to joy as she embraced her son.  Every bird and creature celebrated as the Young Bird was alive.  The sounds of happiness filled the air of the park as they were glad of his well-being.
The sounds of the birds were enough to get Wanda’s attention.  She looked from behind the tree and saw the Mother Bird embracing her son with happiness.  And with that, she stopped crying.  But she still had a few tears left.
“He’s alive,”  Wanda said as she wiped away her tears, all while not minding the rain pouring on her head. “He’s actually alive.  Thank Celestia.”
Wanda turned to Abigail as the little kitten jumped on her companion’s arms and they both hugged together, all while the rain drenched the duo and got them completely wet.  After what Wanda had gone through, it was a relief that the Younger Bird was alive and well.
But Wanda paused for a moment.  She turned to the dirt that covered up the knothole where her slingshot was buried and she dug in up, not minding the mud that got on her hands.  With all of her strength, she was able to pull out the slingshot and the pumpkin seeds.  Then she took one good look at the slingshot.
“I should have never accepted this weapon,”  Wanda said before ripping the rubber band off the slingshot and tossing it aside.  She even threw the pumpkin seeds aside.
Afterwards, Wanda and Abigail looked up as the rain disappeared, and the clouds cleared up.  The morning sun began to shine once more across Canterlot, and a new day was dawning.  But even spite of the morning sun, Wanda’s joy turned back into sorrow.
“Mommy’s not going to like what we did,”  Wanda said to Abigail.  “But at least, I’m not a murderer.”
“And it’s a lesson I’d hope you learn my darling.”  That voice came from Princess Celestia.  Wanda looked up to see her mother approaching her.  Right next to her were Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch.  Wanda looked like she was about to burst out crying.
“I confess,”  Wanda said as she started crying again.  “I came close to killing a little birdie because I thought it to be a Roc that was going to eat me.  I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again, and I’ll accept any grounding you give me.  Please don’t send me to Tartarus”
Wanda proceeded to cry on Princess Celestia’s hooves. Celestia looked at both Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch, and knew something had to be done.
“Wanda my darling,”  Princess Celestia said.  “You’re not in trouble.  We know what happened.”
Wanda looked up at Princess Celestia and said “How did you know?”
Princess Luna walked up to Wanda and said “Wanda.  I happen to be a Dream Walker.  I can look into the dreams of any one, be it pony, griffin, hippogriff, yak, dragon, or even a human.  And I saw your nightmare, your own fear of being sent to Tartarus because of what you thought you did.”
Wanda looked at Princess Luna as she was surprised by what she said.  “You saw my dreams?”  She said as she wiped the tear from her eye.
“Yes,”  Princess Luna said.  “But the night before, you also had a nightmare about being eaten alive by the Roc.  It had a lot to do with that Roc from the Fall Formal Festival.”
“Once I learned about what was going on with you,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I had to contact Chancellor Cinch about the incident.  About your little accident at the park.  It’s important to be careful about the little ones around us, even as we have to be careful about the big creatures around us as well.”
Chancellor Cinch walked up to Wanda.  But instead of a face of scorn, it was a face of sorrow.  It seems guilt filled her eyes as she looked at the Man’s Cub.
“I’ll have to be honest here, Man’s Cub,”  Cinch said as a tear fell from her eye.  “I only sent you to use that slingshot at the park because I didn’t want you to hurt any other Pony.  And I assumed you wouldn’t hurt a little bird.  But I should have been more careful with my choice of words.  I should have also paid attention to the fact that you nearly got eaten by a Roc two days ago.  As a result of my foolishness, this is the second time that I nearly ended the life of a young fledgling.”
“What do you mean?”  Wanda asked, curious by Cinch’s words.
“Back when I was your age,”  Cinch said.  “I too had a slingshot of my own.  I loved playing with that toy.  Enjoyed firing it at every target nearby.  And just like you, I took aim at a baby bird.  But unlike you, I enjoyed the thrill of firing that toy.  And then, I actually took it down.  I thought I had killed it.”
“Oh no,”  Wanda said.  “What happened?”
“I thought I would have lived with that same guilt like you, young lady,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Because of my foolishness, I too came close to taking a life.  But thankfully, that was not the case.  The little birdie was alive and well, and I was glad for it.  It was a lesson that my mother taught me.”
“And of course,”  Princess Celestia said as she pointed to herself.  “You should know who mothered Chancellor Cinch when she was a filly.”
“Now don’t you go bragging about your status, sister,”  Luna said as she gave her elder sister a playful noogie.
“So,”  Wanda said to Cinch.  “Mommy raised you like she’s doing with me?”
“Yes,”  Chancellor Cinch.  “I was supposed to have taken in her teachings with respect.  But after what happened yesterday, it seems even I need a reminder of my own wrongdoings.  I do not deserve sympathy for my foolishness, and you have every right not to forgive me, Man’s Cub.”
Wanda looked at Chancellor Cinch and did nothing but give her a hug, all while crying on her chest.  Cinch could do nothing, but embrace the child of Princess Celestia, who she now considers more of a sister.
As Wanda and Cinch embraced each other, Abigail noticed the Younger Bird flying towards Wanda.  She pawed at Wanda on her foot to get her attention.  Wanda looked up and saw the Young Bird fly onto her shoulder.
“It appears you made a new friend,”  Princess Celestia said as the Young Bird chirped at her.
“But,” Wanda said.  “After all I did to you.”
Cinch got up and picked up the bag of pumpkin seeds.  She gave it to Wanda with her magic.
“I believe the little one is hungry,”  Cinch said as Wanda accepted the bag.
Wanda opened the bag and poured out some pumpkin seeds.  She held it out as the bird happily ate the seeds.  Wanda and Abigail smiled at that prospect.
“I’m glad you have learned your lesson, Wanda,”  Princess Celestia said as she approached her daughter. 
Wanda looked down and saw the broken pieces of her slingshot.  Though she was glad the ordeal was now behind her, she felt like a sense of guilt was buried in what was left of that weapon.
“Mommy,”  Wanda said as she looked at her broken slingshot.  “I don’t deserve what Danged Spell gave to me.”
Princess Celestia picked up the broken slingshot and casted a spell on it.  WIth a flash of light, the slingshot was made new again.  Wanda couldn’t believe it as Princess Celestia placed it down.  The Young Bird, despite having been shot by a pumpkin seed, snuggled up to Wanda as if he didn’t fear her.
“But mommy,”  Wanda said, afraid to pick up the slingshot.
“It’s okay,”  Princess Celestia.  “As long as you promise never to hurt a small creature again, it’s yours.”
As the birdie ate the last of the pumpkin seed and flew onto Wanda’s shoulder, Wanda picked up the slingshot and held onto it.  She turned her attention to Princess Celestia.
“Mommy,”  Wanda said.  “I promise I will never harm a small creature with this again.”
“Then come along,”  Princess Celestia said.  “It’s time to get ready for school.”
Wanda placed the slingshot in the pocket of her pajama shirt.  But as she was about to walk, she paused for a moment, felt something tingling in her nose, and began to breathe in.
“Oh dear,”  Princess Luna said as she noticed something was odd with Wanda.
Wanda let out a big sneeze that echoed through the park.  The sneeze was so powerful, she flew backwards and slammed right into the tree behind her.  Acorns rained on her and Wanda could do nothing, but laugh.  The Young Bird and Abigail went up to Wanda to see if she was alright.
“I’m fine mommy,”  Wanda said before sneezing many times.
“Well it appears you’ve come down with a cold,”  Princess Celestia said.  “And you’re soaking wet.”
Princess Celestia levitated Wanda with her magic and placed her on her back.  Abigail jumped up and landed next to Wanda.
“Come,”  Princess Celestia.  “I’ll let Princess Luna inform your friends that you will be out sick.  And she’ll be subbing in for me till you get better.”
“And it’s a darn shame.”  Princess Luna said.  “They were going to go on a field trip today.”
“A field trip?”  Wanda said.  “Where to?”
“Why, the Canterlot Castle of course,”  Princess Luna said.  “Just to see you get better.”
“I hope that you do get better, Man’s Cub,”  Chancellor Cinch said. “The last thing you need is to be cooped up in that castle with a head cold.”
Wanda giggled at Chancellor Cinch’s little joke as everyone burst out in laughter.  As Celestia, Luna, Cinch, Wanda and Abigail left the park, the Young Bird flew up to his Mother and embraced her.  The nightmare was over for them both.  And the bond they have has never been stronger than it was.  A reminder to look after those we care for the most, be it a bird, a pony, or a human.


	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 7: A Space Geek’s Lament


	Telescope Tragedy

> Arc 7(A Space Geek's Lament)-1: Telescope Tragedy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Arc 7: A Space Geek’s Lament


	Telescope Tragedy



It was nighttime at the City of Canterlot.  Inside the house of Crescent Eclipse, in a small bedroom, Moondancer was looking through her telescope, observing the stars in the night sky.  She turned to a journal and dipped a feather quill into a jar of ink before writing down some notes.  Then she turned back to the telescope.
"The night sky has so many wonders," Moondancer said as she continued to observe the sky through her telescope.  "Daddy always toId me that one day, we will be able to reach for the stars and touch them with our hooves."
As Moondancer continued to observe, she saw a shooting star dart through the night sky.  Her jaw dropped in awe as she witnessed the event unfold.
"Wow," Moondancer said.  "Imagine what my friends would say if I told them of that,"
But as Moondancer continued to observe, she heard the sound of a baseball being hit by a bat.  She turned to her right and saw a baseball fly towards her face.  
"YIKES," Moondancer yelled as she ducked under her desk and covered.
"KERSMASH!"
The baseball went flying through the window and hit the telescope hard.  Moondancer could only watch as her instrument fell to the floor with a loud thud.  The impact caused both lenses of the telescope to pop open and fall to the ground.  The outer frame of the scope was bent.
"My telescope," Moondancer cried as she crawled out to observe the damage.  She was devastated.
"Daddy bought that for me on my last birthday," Moondancer said as she was going to break out in tears.  "And now...it's….SMASHED!"
And with that, Moondancer ran out of her room, crying for her father as she lamented the loss of her favorite telescope.

It was a beautiful morning at the School for Gifted Unicorns.ns.  Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Danged Spell were all talking with each other in the hallway.  Spike was on Twilight’s back, looking around when he saw two familiar faces running to them: Wanda Young and Abigail Albright.
“Hey guys,”  Wanda yelled as she waved to her friends.  “Guess who’s back?”
Spike immediately taps Twilight on the head.  But Wanda’s words were enough to catch her attention.  She immediately turned around to see Wanda running down the hallway, with Spike nearly falling off her back.
“Wanda,”  Twilight said as she waved back.  “I was wondering when you were going to get better.”
The other ponies turned their attention to the Man’s Cub, who were also glad to see their best friend back.
“Told you a simple cold couldn’t keep her down,” Sunset said.  “That’s my sister, the toughest kid in all of Canterlot.”
“No doubt about it,” Danged Spell said as he grinned at Sunset.  “Not even that ol hag of a Chancellor can bring her down.”
But as Wanda approached the group, she noticed something was odd.
“Hey guys,”  Wanda said.  “Have you seen Moondancer?”
The five ponies looked at each other with a concerned face, then turned their attention back to Wanda.
“Something horrible happened to Moondancer last night,”  Twilight said as she approached Wanda.  Spike jumped off Twilight’s back and approached Abigail.
“How so?” Wanda asked.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Sunburst said as he approached Wanda.  “But she’s been sulking by herself, muttering about losing her telescope.”
“What happened to her telescope?”  Wanda asked.
“We’ve been trying to figure that out since this morning,”  Twilight said.  “We’ve tried talking to her, but she ignored us.  It’s like she’s in her own world.”
“We’ve tried talking to her,” Starlight said as she put her arms on Wanda’s shoulders.  “But nothing we said could help her.  Is there anything you can do about it?”
“I’ll try,”  Wanda said as she moved Starlight’s arms off her.  “If there is a friend that she needs, I’m willing to give it a hand.”  With that, she picked up Abigail and placed the little tabby on her shoulders.
“I believe that is where she ran into,”  Twilight said as she pointed to the entrance of a study hall.  “See what you can do to help her.”
“Thank you,”  Wanda said as she walked towards the entrance of the study hall with Abigail on her shoulders.
“Isn’t there anything we can do,”  Starlight asked.  “I’m worried about Moondancer’s well-being.”
“I’m afraid not,”  Twilight said.  “Not at the moment.  But I believe we can think of something.”

Inside the Study Hall, Moondancer sat there, staring at a book called “The Wonders of the Galaxy.”  She looked depressed as she let out a long sigh, not bothering to take her eyes off the book, or even turning the page.  Wanda came by and noticed Moondancer’s tone.  She walked up to Moondancer, pulled out a chair that was next to the depressed unicorn, and sat right next to her.
“Hey Moonie,” Wanda said as Abigail leaped off her shoulders and sat on the table.  “It’s me, Wanda.  I’m all better now.”
“Hey Wanda,”  Moondancer said in a depressing tone as she let out another sigh.
“Are you okay?”  Wanda asked as she was concerned for her friend.
“I’m fine,”  Moondancer said as she continued to stare at the pages of the book.  This was not enough to sway Wanda’s concern.
“I heard something bad happened to your telescope,” Wanda said as she put her hand on Moondancer’s shoulder.
“It’s nothing,”  Moondancer said, still staring at her book.
“It’s more than nothing,”  Wanda said.  “You enjoyed using that telescope every night.  You once showed me the wonders of outer space with it.”
Moondancer sighed and continued to stare at her book.  Wanda looked discouraged, but also determined.
“Why do you sound like you stopped caring about the stars?”  Wanda asked.  “I’ve known you since our first day in school, and you’re always obsessed with outer space.  And you loved telling us the wonders of what’s beyond our planet.  To you, the stars beyond our planet are your whole Universe.  And to me, that whole idea is just Outer this world.”
The moment Wanda stopped talking, Moondancer’s eyes popped up and became watery.  She looked at Wanda and looked like she was about to cry.  Wanda looked at her friend and realized she did something wrong.
“Oh dear,”  Wanda said as she took her hand off Moondancer’s shoulder.  “I made a space pun, didn’t I?  I’m terribly sorry.  Please don’t cry.”
But it was too late.  Moondancer cried so hard that tears flowed from her eyes like twin waterfalls.  The splashing of water from her tears were enough to cause Abigail to freak out and jump underneath the table, hiding herself from getting wet.  Wanda stepped back from Moondancer as she cried her eyes out.
“Oh no,”  Wanda said as she realized what she had done.  “And I already had my own problems not long ago.  I’m terribly sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Wanda,”  Moondancer cried.  “It’s just that the Telescope my daddy gave me was destroyed.  And now I won’t be able to go into the wonders of the universe.”
And with that, Moondancer cried some more, bursting into waterfall tears once again.  Wanda looked at her close friend, and saw a troubled soul.  She had to find a way to let her know that everything will be alright.
“I’ve known what it’s like to be in your situation,” Wanda said as she gave Moondancer a hug, all while being drenched in the filly’s waterfall tears.  “You remember when I told you days ago while I was sick in bed?”
Moondancer stopped crying and looked at Wanda.  The young filly said “The fact that you nearly killed a baby bird by mistake?”
“Yes,”  Wanda said as she looked at Moondancer.  “I’ve known what it’s like to be in that situation.  I nearly brought that bird down because I mistook him for a giant Roc.  And it nearly broke my own spirit.  At least he’s alive and well.  I couldn’t forgive myself if I had killed that baby bird.”
Moondancer wiped away a tear from her eyes and looked at Wanda.  A smile cracked on her face.  She was still sad.  But hearing Wanda’s story did ease her frustration.
“Wanda,” Moondancer said before grabbing onto the Man’s Cub and crying into her chest.  “I’m glad to have a friend like you.”
Wanda could only smile and pat her friend Moondancer on her head.  Abigail jumped up from under the table and rubbed her head on Wanda’s hip.  Moondancer was able to take notice of Abigail’s presence and proceeded to rub the tabby on the back of her ear.  Abigail purred as Wanda giggled at Moondancer.

Outside the doorway, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Danged Spell were observing both Moondancer and Wanda.  And for now, they feel relieved that Wanda was able to at least cheer up Moondancer for the moment.
“Never thought Wanda would be the one to brighten Moondancer’s day,”  Sunset said as she turned her head towards her friends.
“Thank Celestia,”  Twilight said.  “Imagine someone breaking her heart like not showing up at a party for her birthday.”
"I'll say," Danged Spell said.  "If Wanda didn't bring out the courage to help, Moondancer would have been all washed up."
"Well it's about time you let loose one of your lame puns," Sunset said as she proceeded to give Danged Spell a hoof noogie on his head.  That did not amuse the troublesome colt.
"Hey lay off," Danged Spell said as he pushed Sunset's hoof off his head.  "What are you trying to do, mess up my mane?"
“You know I’m just playing with you,”  Sunset said as she tried to hold back her giggles.
“But what should we do about Moondancer?”  Starlight asked.  “Her favorite telescope has been smashed, and she looks like she could use some major cheering up.”
“You’re right, Starlight,” Sunset said.  “Moondancer really loved that Telescope.  Her dad, Crescent Eclipse, is a renowned scientist at the Equestrian Space Operation.  ESO for short.”
“I’ve heard about them,” Sunburst said.  “Before I enrolled in this school, I always popped over to the Sire’s Hollow Library just to check out some new books.  One of them talked about the ESO, how they formed to help push the idea of Outer Space exploration, and their own achievements, like landing a pony on the moon.”
“Isn’t there supposed to be some evil entity on the moon?”  Danged Spell asked.  “Like some kind of stone-hard dumpster keeping at bay a monster who once terrorized Equestria thousands of years ago?”  Those words only caused the other ponies to laugh.
“Spell,”  Twilight said as she gave Danged Spell a hoof noogie.  “You read too many comic books for your own good.”
“Well not to take Spell’s side,”  Sunset said.  “But this is a world full of magic and monsters.  One of which happens to be the Windigos Guild, remember?”  This caused Starlight and Danged Spell to giggle while Sunburst just rolled his eyes a bit.
“As I was saying,”  Sunburst said.  “The ESO has expanded its core mission since the successful moon landing, such as the shuttle program and the Equestria Space Station located more than sixty-four miles above the surface of the planet.  Crescent Eclipse is the head of the ESO located at Cape Coltnaveral.  He and other top aerospace scientists are working to further advancements into exploration beyond our planet.”
“Which begs the question,” Danged Spell asked.  “How the hay does he get from Canterlot to Cape Coltnaveral in less than a day?”
“Well here’s the thing,”  Sunburst said.  “Right now, he’s on shore leave and he’s spending his time with his wife Artemis Light and Moondancer.  But he’s usually gone for weeks.  Sometimes an entire month.”
“Wow,”  Starlight said, shocked by Sunburst’s words. “If my parents were gone for a long time like that while I was living in Sire’s Hollow, I would have been driven to boredom.”
“You’re not the only one, squeaker,”  Danged Spell said.  “Even I would die of boredom.”
“But since Sunburst mentioned how Moondancer’s father is on shore leave,”  Sunset said.  “I suggest we pay him a visit after school.  Maybe help figure out a way to get that telescope fixed up for Moondancer.”
“I’m down with that,”  Danged Spell said as he looked eager to jump in on the action.  “Anything to cheer up the space gal and get that frown turned upside down.”
“I’m up for helping out a friend,”  Twilight said.  “Besides, it’s not like we have to throw her a party to cheer her up.”
“I don’t think it would work like that,”  Sunburst said. “But I’m up for helping her out in getting that telescope repaired.”
“Same here,”  Starlight said as she raised her right arm into the air.  “After all, it is Moondancer that needs us to help out.”
“Then it’s agreed,”  Sunset Shimmer said.  “When school is out, we’ll all make a beeline to Moondancer’s house, introduce ourselves, and figure out a plan on repairing Moondancer’s telescope.  Any questions?”
Sunset then noticed Danged Spell with his right arm raised in the air.  She then said “Yes Spell?”
“If we’re making a beeline to Moondancer’s house,”  Danged Spell asked.  “Would that make her place a real honeypot?”
The others yelled out “Danged Spell” before erupting into laughter.  
“It was worth it,”  Danged Spell said to himself.

It was later in the day after school, outside of Moondancer’s house.  Sunset Shimmer rang the doorbell as she waited with anticipation.  Right next to her were Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Danged Spell, and a very timid Moondancer.  It seems the idea of introducing her friends to her parents had made the young Space Nerd nervous.
“I don’t know about this,”  Moondancer said as her arms and legs were shaking.  “What if my parents don’t approve of all of you?  Even if it’s the daughters of Princess Celestia?”
“Relax Moondancer,” Sunset said as she waited with anticipation.  “We’re here for you.  That’s what matters the most.”
“Yeah,”  Wanda said as she patted Moondancer on the back.  “You’re our friend, and friends stand up for each other.”
“I..guess so,”  Moondancer said nervously.
“It’s okay, Moondancer,” Twilight said as she put her arm around Moondancer.  “We’re here for you, no matter what happens.”
“Yeah,”  Starlight said.  “It’s what mommy always told me.”
But before Sunset could open her mouth, the front door of Moondancer’s house opened up.  A tall, well-built unicorn stallion walked out the door and looked down at the group of youngsters.  Moondancer turned her head in shame.
“Daddy,”  Moondancer said as she closed her eyes.  “I would like for you to meet a few friends of mine.”
Sunset walked up to Moondancer’s father and asked “I take it you’re Crescent Eclipse, the famous scientist from the ESO.”
“That would be me,” Crescent Eclipse said.  “And you must be Princess Sunset Shimmer.  Moondancer told me about you, your sisters and your friends.”
“Well,” Sunset said as she blushed in embarrassment.  “I’m not really that kind of princess.”
As Crescent Eclipse looks on, he notices his daughter Moondancer turning her head in shame.  This made Crescent Eclipse worried.
“Are you okay, Moonie?”  Crescent Eclipse said as he reached out to Moondancer.
“I’m...fine...dad,” Moondancer said awkwardly as she continued to turn her head and close her eyes.  But it’s clear that Crescent’s concern for his daughter wasn’t deterred by her choice of words.
“How about you all come inside?”  Crescent said to the kids.  “I would be happy to get to know you all.”
“That would be a great idea, Mr Eclipse,”  Twilight said as she was about to take one step forward, only to be stopped by Moondancer.
“No please,”  Moondancer said as she blocked Twilight from going forward. 
“It’s alright,”  Crescent said as he picked up Moondancer with his teeth and placed her aside.  “I can trust them like I can trust you, Moonie.”
Moondancer let out a sigh and said “Alright.  I’ll do it..”
“That’s the spirit, Moondancer,”  Danged Spell said as he approached the scared filly.  “Besides, we’re your friends.  We wouldn’t do anything to make you feel bad.”
“Spell’s got a point here,”  Sunset said as she walked next to Danged Spell. “We all formed a friendship since our first day at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Besides, you could say we’re all molded together like clay.”
“Way to steal my thunder, Sunny,”  Danged Spell said with a bit of a disgusted look on his face.
“Sorry,” Sunset laughed.  “Couldn’t resist.”

Later on in the living room of Moondancer’s house, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Danged Spell were bunched up together on the big couch, with Moondancer sitting next to her mother Artemis Light on the smaller couch.  Sitting on the big chair was Crescent Eclipse, who was enjoying a spot of tea.  On the floor next to the big couch was Abigail and Spike, bunched up together.
“So how long has Moondancer enjoyed her dreams of outer space?”  Sunset asked.
“Since she was a foal,”  Crescent said as he took a sip of tea.  “She’s always been fascinated by the outer reaches of space.  And when fascination gets into the mind, the only thing I could do was feed it.  And considering my level of expertise, that wouldn’t be a problem.”
“There is something else that seems to bug me,” Sunburst said.  “If Moondancer is fascinated with outer space, why doesn’t she have her cutie mark, especially in relation to the subject?”
“Good observation, young one,” Crescent Eclipse said.  “Though she was the most fascinated with the stars, Moondancer was often considered a social outcast, often mocked by her classmates at her old school at Cape Coltnaveral.”
“Even though the Equestrian Space Operation was located there?”  Twilight said, shocked by Crescent’s words.
“I’m afraid so,”  Crescent Eclipse said.  “Though the Space Operation was popular among the adults at Cape Coltnaveral, even earning the praise of Princess Celestia, the kids scoffed at the idea of outer space travel, calling it a silly fantasy dream.  They often picked on Moondancer, calling her names like ‘Silly Alien,’ ‘Rocket Dumb,’ and even a ‘Bubble-Headed Booby,’  She once broke down crying after her science project was destroyed  by a couple of the mean-spirited students.”
“And this is why Moondancer hates space puns,” Twilight whispered to Danged Spell.
“I’m beginning to understand why,”  Danged Spell whispered back.  “These jerks sound more brain-dead than a horror flick.”
“So I take it that was the reason why you chose to move to Canterlot,” Sunset said to Crescent Eclipse.
“Actually,”  Crescent Eclipse said.  “It was your mother Princess Celestia who approached us after a previous field trip to the ESO Center in Cape Coltnaveral.  She noticed that Moondancer was talented in her use of magic, but also suffered torment from her fellow students.  It led up to the point where she didn’t want to be inside the station, out of fear that she would be ridiculed.”
“Oh dear,”  Starlight said as she looked at Moondancer from the distance of her couch.  “If I was in that situation, I would have cried my eyes out.”
“Well young lady,”  Crescent Eclipse said.  “Princess Celestia had a proposal to me, Artemis and to Moondancer.  A new school to try out in Canterlot for talented unicorns, and to make some new friends that she could relate to.  Those that will appreciate her talents and interests.  The moment I told Moonie that, she was excited.”
“To be going to a new school?”  Starlight asked.
“Well that,” Crescent Eclipse said.  “And it sounded like she really wanted to leave Cape Coltnaveral and all that nastiness behind.”
“That explains why Moondancer was willing to be friends with me,”  Twilight said.  “It’s because she thought I was going to be different from those bullies back at Cape Coltnaveral, that I would at least prove to be friendly and not antagonizing.  And I proved her right.”
‘I guess Mommy knew even Moondancer needed some help,”  Sunset said to Twilight.  “Had she not made the decision, we wouldn’t have been great friends with Moondancer.  And who knows what would have happened to her.”
But as Sunset continued to talk to Twilight, she felt a tap on her shoulder.  Sunset turned around and saw Wanda with a concerned look on her face.
“Uhh Sunny?”  Wanda said as she pointed to the other couch.  “I think there is something wrong with Moondancer.”
Sunset looked towards the smaller couch and saw Moondancer burying her face in a pillow.  It seemed the stories that her father told her friends embarrassed her.
“Hey Moondancer,”  Sunset said.  “You alright?”  But Moondancer did not budge as she kept her face flat on the pillow.
“This is worse than I thought,”  Artemis Light said as she grew more concerned with Moondancer.  “Perhaps a breath of fresh air would be ideal for her.”
“I’ll do it,”  Wanda said as she jumped off the couch and approached Moondancer.
“Young princess,”  Artemis said to Wanda.  “You’re willing to do this for our daughter?”
“She’s my friend,”  Wanda said.  “And friends always look out for one another.”
“She’s right,”  Sunset said as she steps off the couch and takes sides with her human sister.  “We’re all friends with Moondancer, and we do what we can to stick together.”
“Hear that Moondancer?”  Artemis said as she pulled the pillow away from her daughter.  “You should go with Wanda and get your mind off being worried.”
“Are you sure mommy?”  Moondancer said as she wanted to cover her face with her arms. “I’m scared.”
“I’m here for you,”  Wanda said as she put her hand on Moondancer’s arm.  “And I always will be.”
Those words were enough for Moondancer to look at Wanda in the eyes before stepping down from the couch.  She approached Wanda as the young man’s cub looked eager to take her close friend out to explore the city.
“Go with her, Moondancer,”  Artemis said with a wink.  “You’ll be alright.”
“I’ll do it,”  Moondancer said reluctantly.
Wanda then turned towards Abigail and said “Come on.  We’re heading out.”  Abigail got up and leaped onto Wanda’s shoulder, holding on without digging in with her claws.  Moondancer looked up and was a bit concerned.
“Are you sure about that?”  Moondancer asked.  “What if she scratched you by accident?”
“I’ve done this many times before” Wanda sad as she and Moondancer walked out of the room.  “Besides, you and the others helped me save Abigail.”
As Wanda, Moondancer and Abigail left the house, Baby Spike looked onwards and felt lonesome. Twilight stepped down from the couch and rubbed Spike’s forehead.
“She’ll be back, Spike,”  Twilight said.  “Trust me.”
Crescent Eclipse got up from his seat and said “Now the next thing may involve having to fix up Moondancer’s telescope.  I’ve been wanting to do so since this morning.  But I’ve been busy writing up the report for Equestria’s return trip to the Moon.  And I’m not even done yet.”
“How about we do it, Mr Eclipse?”  Sunset said as she raised her hoof.
“You really sure about that, young princess?”  Crescent said.
“If it’s worth it to you,”  Sunset said.  “We can give it a try. Besides, she loved that telescope and we’re here to help her out.”
Danged Spell jumped from the couch and said “Yeah.  Besides, it’s not like we’re in a space against time.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,”  The other four youngsters said as Crescent Eclipse and Artemis Light chuckled at the pun.
Crescent Eclipse wipes a tear from his eye from the laughter as Twilight, Sunset, Danged Spell and Sunburst stepped off the couch and onto the floor.
“You know,” Sunburst said.  “We should consider looking up any manuals involving Telescope Repair.”
“Not to worry,”  Crescent Eclipse said as he levitates a book to Sunburst.  “I always carry one of these in these kinds of events.”  This did surprise Sunburst in a way.  But he felt grateful.
“Thank you very much, Mr Eclipse,”  Sunburst said as he accepted the book on Telescope Repairs.
“Now if you kids need my help,” Crescent said.  “I’ll be in my quarters typing up what I can about that return trip to the Moon.”
As Crescent Eclipse walked out of the living halls into another doorway, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst and Danged Spell made their way upstairs to where Moondancer’s room was located.  
“Do you suppose we’ll get Moondancer’s telescope repaired?”  Danged Spell asked.
“Well considering that there’s a chance there may be a cracked lens,”  Twilight said.  “I’d say it should be a piece of cake.  After all, I think I know a spell that can fix cracks in glass.”
“That’s one way to make a spectacle of ourselves,”  Sunset said with a giggle.  That got Danged Spell a bit riled up.
“Hey no fair stealing my act,”  Danged Spell yelled as the other kids laughed.
But where was Starlight Glimmer?  She was still sitting on the couch as she saw her friends go up to Moondancer’s room.  There was a bit of a feeling of anxiety as Artemis Light took notice of her.
“Are you okay, youngling?”  Artemis asked.
“Well you see,”  Starlight said as she rubbed the back of her head.  “I’m not really comfortable handling other pony’s personal things. Even if it was already broken.”
“I understand,” Artemis said.  “How about you help me make sandwiches for my husband and your friends?”  Those words made Starlight a bit excited.
“Would I?”  Starlight said.  “My mommy always asked me to help out with food preparation.”
“Well come with me to the kitchen,”  Artemis said.  “I have some ideas on a mixture of oats and black beans for every pony.”


	To Be Continued in…


	A Spectacle of a Telescope

> Arc 7-2: A Spectacle of a Telescope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	A Spectacle of a Telescope



It was a beautiful afternoon at Moondancer’s house.  Artemis Light was busy mixing up a mixture of oats and black beans in a bowl.  She proceeds to add some spices to the mixture before stirring it up again.  Nearby at another counter, Starlight Glimmer was spreading mustard sauce on the bread with a butter knife.  She looked content in doing so.
“So I take it you enjoyed this kind of task with your mother, Starlight?”  Artemis asked.
“Not just my mommy,”  Starlight said.  “But also my daddy.  He used to make these great salads for the big meals back at Sire’s Hollow.  Carrots, peppers, and a garlic and onion sauce.”
“Sounds like your mom and dad have a passion for food,” Artemis Light said as she placed the mixture onto the frying pan and drizzled some olive oil on it.
“I miss them both,”  Starlight said.  “I promised them I would do great at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  And while I’m glad to have Sunburst by my side, I do miss being back at home in Sire’s Hollow.”
“Do not worry little one,”  Artemis Light said.  “I’m sure they’ll be proud of what you’re doing, and what you’ll accomplish.”
“Thanks Mrs Light,”  Starlight said as she spread mustard on the last bread.
“I’m sure your friends also appreciate your presence,” Artemis said as she pan fried the oat and bean mixture.  “Especially with helping out in the kitchen.”
Starlight blushed for a bit and closed her eyes.  And yet, she also smiled a bit, knowing that those words mean a lot to her.  But she also looked up at the ceiling where her friends were up in Moondancer’s room in their attempt to fix the telescope.
“I wonder if they are having any luck in repairing that telescope,”  Starlight wondered.
“I’m sure they’ve figured it out by now,”  Artemis Light said.

Upstairs in Moondancer’s room, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst and Danged Spell looked at the broken telescope.  The main tubel was bent in one direction, the objective lens popped out and cracked.  And the back portion that kept the focus lens intact was opened.  
“Thankfully, the focus lens is okay,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “but replacing the cover would take a miracle.  The Finderscope is on the floor, separate from the main scope.  And the tripod looked crooked.”
“So,” Danged Spell asked.  “What the hay are we supposed to do?  It looks like a mess.”
Sunburst opened the repair manual and looked through the pages.  He said “Well first we have to remove any lens before we repair the tube casing.”
“Leave that to me,”  Sunset said as she picked up the telescope tube with her magic.  She looked inside, taking a good look at the focusing lens before carefully pulling her head upwards.  With a careful and gentle tug, she was able to remove the focus lens from the telescope.  And not a single scratch was on the glass.
“Well that was easy,”  Sunset said as she placed the lens on a piece of cloth on the table.
“So now how do we place it back once the frame is fixed?” Twilight said.
“We’ll worry about that later,” Sunset said.  “Right now, we need someone to help rebend that back into shape.”
Sunset then turned to Danged Spell and said “Spell, are you up for bending this telescope frame back into place?”
Danged Spell picked up the broken telescope frame with his magic and said “Should be as easy as smashing clay with my hooves.”
Danged Spell placed the bent telescope frame on the floor.  He then raised his hooves in the air before delivering a repeated flurry of punches on the telescope frame.  His howl echoed throughout the room as everyone else looked at him like he was some kind of mad stallion.
“I’m beginning to regret asking him to do this task,” Sunset whispered to Twilight.
“I think that makes two of us,” Twilight whispered back.
In almost an instant, Danged Spell halted and pulled his arms back to reveal the telescope.  The dent that bent the whole thing was gone.  But at the same time, it looked a bit crooked as if it were in a zig zag shape.  Twilight, Sunset and Sunburst looked at Danged Spell like he was a bit crazy.
“I don’t think that was the right way to fix a telescope dent,” Sunburst said as he read the manual.
“I think you might be right,” Danged Spell said as he raised his arms into the air.  “Lemme try that again.”  But before he unleashed another flurry, Sunset Shimmer pulled the telescope away with her magic.
“Uhh,” Sunset said.  “Let’s refrain from your kung fu flurry.  I think I may ask Crescent to fix this up when he gets the chance.”
“But what about the objective lens?”  Twilight asked as she held up the cracked telescope lens.
Sunburst flipped through a few pages of the book to find answers for Twilight Sparkle. Once he found the exact page, he flipped the book over to show Twilight a picture of the objective lens, along with some numbers right next to it.
“That looks like the exact frequency needed to fix up the lens,” Twilight said as she looked at the book.
“Set your magic to that frequency and you should be set,” Sunburst said.
WIthout a second thought, Twilight charged up her magic and focused on the objective lens.  .She fired off a beam of magic from her horn and into the lens.  Slowly, the cracks in the lens faded as the surface was restored to its former luster.  Sunset and Danged Spell’s jaw dropped to the floor as they observed Twilight working her magic.
“How...what in the?”  Danged Spell said as he was at a loss of words.
“Sunburst ain’t the only bookworm on the team,” Twilight said.
“Though personally, I think you read way too many comic books,” Sunset joked as Sunburst and Twilight laughed.
“Ha ha, really funny, bacon mane,”  Danged Spell snorted.
“But there’s still the frame of the telescope that needs to be taken care of,” Sunburst said.  Even with the lens fixed, it would take a miracle to get it back on.  And that’s regardless of Danged Spell’s skills with his hooves.”
Sunset placed the telescope frame in front of Sunburst as the young colt placed the book down on the table.  He looked down at the telescope and observed the frame.
“So, what can be done about it?”  Sunset said.
“I believed Danged Spell may have applied too much pressure on the frame with his attempt, considering that the material is made from aluminium.  But if I gave a lighter tap, it would pop out just right.”
“It’s worth a shot,”  Twilight said.
Sunburst closed his eyes and placed his hooves together.  He takes one breath, pulls his right arm back, thrusts forward and delivers a light tap to the bump in the Telescope frame, emitting a small ding that echoes through the room.
Sunburst pulled his arm back and said “Well if my calculations are correct, it should…”  But before Sunburst could finish, the Telescope frame splits into two smaller shells and scatters on the floor.  Everyone’s jaw dropped to the floor.
“Break apart into two pieces,” Sunburst said, dumbfounded by his results.
“I don’t believe it,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “That wasn’t even enough pressure to do that.”
“Moondancer will not be happy by this result,” Twilight said as she started to freak out.
But as Sunburst began to sweat, thinking of what he had done, he overheard the sound of Danged Spell saying “I am not worthy.  I am not worthy.”  Sunburst turned around and saw Danged Spell bowing to the nerd, continuing his chant of “I am not worthy.”
“Spell,”  Sunburst said.  “That disturbs me more than the idea of you mocking me for my failure.”
“Sorry,”  Danged Spell said as he got back on his four hooves.
Twilight and Sunset stared at the now split telescope frame.  They tried their best to fix it up.  But even with the manual, they couldn’t even fix up the frame, and instead made it worse.
Twilight let out a sigh and said “Well we tried.  But it feels like our friendship with Moondancer is fading away.”
“We did our best, Twilight,”  Sunset said as she placed her arm on Twilight’s back.  “But it wasn’t enough.”
“I heard someone say their best isn’t enough.”  Twilight, Sunset, Danged Spell and Sunburst turned their heads to see Crescent Eclipse.  They all had the look of despair on their faces.
“Mr Eclipse,”  Sunburst said.  “We tried to fix up the telescope.  But even with your how-to-repair book, we only made things worse.  Please forgive us.”
As Sunburst bowed down, awaiting the worst to come out of the older stallion, Crescent Eclipse just let out a chuckle, much to the surprise of everyone.
“Did he just...laugh?”  Danged Spell said, confused.
“You’re not the only one who could barely figure out how to fix that thing.” Crescent Eclipse said.  “I’ve actually had a hard time assembling that telescope together, even after reading the instructions manual.  And the irony is that it actually split apart when I accidentally touched a part of the Telescope and it broke just like that.”
“But,” Twilight said.  “Doesn’t that make it defective?”
“Oh no,”  Crescent said.  “It was made for a quick and easy disassembly.  You must have hit a part that allowed it to disassemble into two.  Look on page 65.”
Sunburst picked up the book and turned to the exact page Crescent Eclipsed stated.  He looked at the page and his jaw dropped completely.
“Oh dear,”  Sunburst said.  “I did not see that page.”
“I’ve had that same problem when I first put this telescope together,” Crescent Eclipse said as he approached the pieces of the telescope.  “And it took me two days to figure this out.  I was even in a rush to get this done for Moondancer’s birthday.  But now that I know how this baby works, let me show you how it’s done.”
Twilight, Sunset, Sunburst and Danged Spell watched as Crescent Eclipse picked up the pieces of the telescope.  With quick hooves, he assembled the pieces of the telescope together, working as fast as possible.  The younglings were at a loss for words as the telescope was completely assembled back to the way it was, without any of the dents on the frame, and back on its tripod mount.
“How….” Danged Spell said as he couldn’t believe his eyes.  “How did you do that?”
“Well shortly after I finally figured out this one,” Crescent said. “I was asked to help a neighbor build his telescope for his son here in Canterlot.  It almost felt like it was an easy task.”
“But I thought you were willing to let us give it a try,”  Twilight said.
“That’s true,”  Crescent said.  “But as I wrapped up my report, I had a feeling you kids could use my help.  So I had to jump in.  Maybe I’m too used to assembling these kinds of telescopes.”
“So this isn’t the first time this happened?” Twilight said.
“Not exactly,” Crescent said.  “Though I do appreciate the fact that you fixed up the lens of the scope.”
“Err, thanks,”  Twilight said as she rubbed the back of her head.  “But you can thank Sunburst for finding those coordinates for the lens.”
“Well what matters is that the telescope is now fixed up,”  Sunset said as she felt relieved.  “Wait till Moondancer gets a load of this.  At least she has one less thing to worry about.”
But as Sunset finished speaking, another baseball went flying into the window and ricocheted off the walls, startling everyone in the vicinity.  
“What in the world?”  Twilight said as she freaked out.
Suddenly, the ball bounced off a nearby wall and smacked Danged Spell square in the forehead.  The young colt went tumbling down to the ground completely dazed as the baseball bounced off and rammed right into the inside of the telescope, smashing the objective lens completely before dropping to the ground.
Sunset Shimmer looked at the once again broken telescope. Only this time, she was completely dumbfounded.  Everyone else who was conscious was also shocked by the baseball that bounced around in Moondancer’s Bedroom and the telescope now with a completely shattered objective lens.
“After all that was done to fix up that telescope,”  Twilight said as she was pulling her mane done.  “And now this happened.”
“Oh dear,”  Crescent Eclipse said as he picked up the baseball. “Guess I’m going to have to get a new lens for the telescope.”
“Excuse me.  Did I knock the baseball into your house?”  Everyone turned towards the window as a gray filly pegasus with yellow hair and crossed eyes flew through the window and landed on the floor.  Her cutie mark was a bunch of bubbles.  She looked at the telescope and looked ashamed at it.
“Oh no,”  The filly Pegasus said.  “What have I done?  Now I’ve gone and broke it.”
“Who are you?”  Sunset said as she approached the pegasus.
The Pegasus turned her attention to Sunset and said “My...my name is Ditzy Doo.”
“You broke the telescope with that baseball?”  Twilight asked, startled by Ditzy’s actions.
“Yes,”  Ditzy said as tears filled her eyes.  “I did it.  AND I AM SO SORRY!”
With that, Ditzy broke down crying as twin waterfall tears gushed out from her eyes.  Twilight, Sunset and Sunburst looked like they took pity on Ditzy Doo.
“She looks troubled,” Sunburst said to Twilight.  “Do you suppose something happened to Ditzy?”
“Judging by her tears,”  Twilight said.  “I’d have to say yes.”
Crescent Eclipse walked up to Ditzy Doo, who tried to hide her face with her wings.
“Ditzy, is it?” Crescent said.
“Please don’t be mean to me,” Ditzy said.  “I didn’t mean it.”
“Actually,” Crescent said.  “I was wondering if you could do me a favor and accompany me to the telescope shop.  You would be a big help in getting the damage undone.”
Ditzy pulled one of her wings back and said “You mean it?
Crescent extended his arm out and said “Do not worry.  I’m not mean-spirited.”
Ditzy extended her arm out as Crescent got her up.  Crescent then walked out the doorway as Ditzy followed from behind.  Sunset, Twilight and Sunburst watched as the two walked out the door and went downstairs.
“Wow,”  Sunset said.  “Guess we all are one as a family, even if we’re not related.”
“You got that from Princess Celestia, didn’t ya?”  Twilight asked.
“You mean mother?”  Sunset said.  “Well when you’re dealing with an altruistic society, you know we’re supposed to help each other out.  No one has to pull themselves up by the bootstrap.”
“Hey by the way,”  Sunburst said as he pointed to a still knocked out Danged Spell.  “We still have a problem.”
“Oh dear,”  Sunset said as she approached Danged Spell lying on the ground completely dazed.  “And he got on the receiving end of a bean ball.”
“I think he’ll be alright,” Sunburst said.  “Though I’d better get some ice to help with his accident, just in case.”
As Sunburst walked out the room and Sunset looked after Danged Spell, Twilight looked under Moondancer’s bed.  There was Baby Spike, cradling himself underneath as tears flowed from his eyes.
“You okay Spikey?”  Twilight said as she reached out to Spike.  “It’s about Abigail, right?”
Baby Spike looked at Twilight and nodded his head yes.  Twilight knew that Spike was missing little Abigail, Wanda’s companion.  She reached out and rubbed Spike on the forehead.
“Don’t worry, Spikey,” Twilight said as Spike rubbed his head on Twilight’s hoof.  “Like I said, she’ll be back with Wanda and Moondancer.  So you don’t need to worry.”

Meanwhile, Wanda, Abigail and Moondancer were out and about on the streets of Canterlot City.  There were earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns wandering about, taking care of the events of the day.  While Wanda and Abigail were content, Moondancer felt depressed, slouch about alongside the Man’s Cub and her kitten.
“You okay, Moondancer?” Wanda asked.
Moondancer let out a sigh and said “Yes.”  That didn’t assure Wanda.
“You do have good friends here in Canterlot,” Wanda said.  “None of those types of bullies who would want to put you down because of what you like.”
“Easy for you to say,” Moondancer said.
“You were willing to accept Twilight’s friendship because you saw something in her,” Wanda said.  “And any friend of Twilight Sparkle is a friend of mine.”
“I guess you’re right,” Moondancer said as she let out another sigh.
As the trio came to a stop, they were in the middle of the park where the trees surrounded them with their  majesty beauty.  Up in one of the trees, the mother bird and the baby bird flies towards the nest.  Wanda looked up and cracked a bit of a smile while shedding a small tear.
“Moondancer,” Wanda said as Abigail rubbed her body on her leg.  “Do you recall that day when Danged Spell gave me his slingshot?”
“Y...yes,”  Moondancer said.
“Well I told you while I was sick that I once accidentally shot down a baby bird,”  Wanda said.  “And you knew why I did that.”
“You mistook it for a roc?”  Moondancer asked.
“Yes,”  Wanda said.  “Once I realized what happened, I broke down crying, had a nightmare, and believed that I would live with this mark for the rest of my life.  I was relieved after realizing that it was alive and well.”
“So it seems we both have something in common,” Moondancer said.
“Yes,” Wanda said as she picked up Abigail.  “But my problem was a whole lot worse.  At least you have something to look forward to with what you’re going through.  That being said, my story doesn’t end there.”
“What happened?”  Moondancer said.
“Yesterday,”  Wanda said. “As I was starting to feel better, I came down to this park to feed the mother and baby bird.  As I was doing so, I noticed a gray pegasus filly around my age crying her eyes out.  She looked like something bad happened to her and I wanted to provide some comfort.”
“Oh dear,”  Moondancer said.  “Sounds like I wasn’t the only one with problems.”
“I wanted to do something to cheer her up,” Wanda said.  “But all I had was some bits that I carried with me.  I gave her some coins and said to her ‘Use that to find whatever will make you happy.’  She actually gave me a hug, thanking me for being a kind friend.”
Moondancer let out a small chuckle and said “Looks like you want to be friends with everyone.”
Wanda placed Abigail down and pulled out her coin sack. She shook it up and said to Moondancer. “Hey, I’ve got some bits left.  How about I buy you an ice cream?”
“Sounds fine to me,”  Moondancer said.
WIth that, Wanda, Moondancer and Abigail walked in another direction, away from the park.
Not that later in the day, Wanda, Abigail and Moondancer arrived inside the Canterlot Ice Cream Parlor.  Ponies of all sorts of ages were enjoying their ice cream, milkshakes and other delicious desserts.  There was no line, so Wanda and Moondancer were all set to order.
“Come on,” Wanda said to Moondancer.  “What sounds really good to you?”
“Well,”  Moondancer said.  “I was always a fan of chocolate grape milkshakes.”
“Sounds good to me,” Wanda said as she, Abigail and Moondancer approached the front counter.
The cashier turned to the three, and took notice of Wanda.  He said “Wanda.  I heard you got sick a week ago.  How are you feeling?”
“Better,” Wanda said.  “Anyway, I’d like to order two chocolate grape milkshakes.  One is for my friend.”
“Two chocolate grape milkshakes, eh?”  The cashier said.  “You got it.  That will be four bits.”
“Okie dokie,” Wanda said as she reached into her bag.  “Lemme pull them out.”
But before Wanda pulled out the coins she needed to pay for the shake, a familiar hoof placed down four bits before she said “That will be on me.”  Wanda looked up and saw Chancellor Abacus Cinch.
“Uhhh,”  Wanda said as she was a bit confused and scared by Chancellor Cinch’s presence.  The cashier was also startled as he saw the face of the Chancellor.
“I know what you’re going to say, man’s cub,”  Chancellor Cinch said with a smile.  “But this one will be on me for now.”
Cinch raised her hoof as the Cashier accepted the four bits on the table.  He wasted no time mixing up the milkshakes, adding in the grapes and chocolate before placing them on the counter.  Cinch lifted the shakes with her magic and gave them to Wanda.
“Err, thanks,”  Wanda said as she accepted the milkshakes.
“Don’t mention it,”  Cinch said as she turned towards the exit.  “Besides, I wanted to at least make up for the tone from your previous day at school, princess.”
As Chancellor Cinch walked out of the creamery, Wanda handed Moondancer her milkshake and took a sip of her own.
“You know,” Moondancer said as she accepted her milkshake.  “I think you and Sunset may be gifted with being the adopted daughters of Princess Celestia.”
“Even if that is true,” Wanda said. “I’m beginning to prefer the nickname man’s cub.”

Later that day, Wanda and Moondancer were sitting on a nearby bench, observing the city and sipping on their milkshakes.  Abigail was sitting next to Wanda, feeling confident by the warm sun and the cool breeze.
“Hey Moondancer,” Wanda said as she took a sip from her milk shake.
“Yes Wanda?” Moondancer said.
“Have you ever been to the Ponyville Providence?” Wanda asked.
“I don’t think so,”  Moondancer said.  “It was just here and Cape Coltnaveral.  And Sire’s Hollow for the funeral of Starlight’s uncle Meteor Flare.”
“Mommy told me about the Ponyville Providence,”  Wanda said.  “There are a number of towns like La Maresa and Del Mare.  But the main city of San D’NeighGo is said to be a place of beauty.”
“San DiNeighGo, eh?”  Moondancer said.  “I heard they have two iconic landmarks that I want to check out one day: The BalBronco Park and their World’s famous Zoo.”
“Mommy also mentioned that the fair is coming up in Del Mare,” Wanda said as she took another sip of milkshake before opening the cover.  
“I believed I used to go to a fair in Cape Coltnaveral,” Moondancer said as she continued to sip on her milkshake.
“The fair has a lot of cool things there,”  Wanda said as she took out a dab of milkshake on her finger and held it out for Abigail, who proceeded to lick her finger.
“Do they have rides, good food, fun music and great exhibits?” Moondancer said.
“And a whole lot more,” Wanda said.  “Mommy once brought home some Cinnamon roll mix.  Sunset and I had a lot of fun baking those goodies, even if we messed up on what it looked like.”
“Baking cinnamon rolls?”  Moondancer said.  “That I got to do.”
“Believe it,” Wanda said as Abigail lapped up the last of the milkshake dab from her finger. “The best part about baking is how much fun you have, all the way to the end.”
“Do you think she’ll invite us to the Ponyville Providence Fair?”  Moondancer asked.
“That might be possible,” Wanda said as she rubbed Abigail’s right ear.
Wanda and Moondancer continued to stare at the bustling city of Canterlot as they enjoyed the milkshakes.  Abigail rubbed her head against Wanda’s fingers, purring without a care in the world.  For that time, things were content with the duo and they couldn’t think of a better way to relax.


	To be continued in…


The Derpy Hooves From Ponyville

> Arc 7-3: The Derpy Hooves From Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Derpy Hooves From Ponyville



Somewhere in another portion of Canterlot, Ditzy Doo and Crescent Eclipse were inside a telescope shop, browsing the lens cabinet that was lined up.  A shopkeeper approached Crescent as if he recognized him.
“Crescent,” The shopkeeper said in a pleasant tone.  “What brings you here today?”
“Well I’m afraid it’s bad news,”  Crescent said.  “The objective lens on my daughter’s telescope is broken, and I’m going to need a replacement.”
“Luckily for you,” The shopkeeper said.  “I still have plenty.  Let me go back and get you one.”
As the shopkeeper walked to the storage room in the back, Crescent Eclipse noticed Ditzy Doo was sulking in a corner nearby.  Crescent walked up to her, feeling concerned with the young filly.
“Are you okay?”  Crescent asked.
“No,” Ditzy said.  “Not after what I did with your daughter’s telescope.
“It’s not your fault,” Crescent said.  “It was only a mere accident.”  
But Ditzy did nothing but turn her head, showing nothing, but a depressed sigh.
“You told me that you’re from the Ponyville Providence,”  Crescent said.  “What’s it like?”
“Beautiful, I guess,”  Ditzy said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.
“Do you know who your parents are?”  Crescent asked.  “Or if they are concerned about your disappearance?”
Ditzy didn’t speak at all.  She continued to sulk in the corner, as if something was on her mind.
“This is worse than I thought,” Crescent said as he pondered Ditzy’s situation.  “Reminds me of what my daughter went through.  If there was some way of helping her.”
“Crescent.”  That voice came from the shopkeeper, who had returned from the back with a new lens for the telescope.  “I believe I have what you’re looking for.”
“Excellent,” Crescent Eclipse said as he placed a few bits on the table.  “See if you can wrap it up real tight.  I don’t want it to crash out.”
As the shopkeeper prepared the lens for transport, he took an interest in Ditzy Doo, who continued to sulk at the nearby counter.
“Is there something wrong with that filly?”  The shopkeeper asked.
“She accidentally broke my daughter’s telescope,”  Crescent said.  “And yet, I felt as if the problem is far deeper than that.  Like there was something chasing after her.”
“That’s saying a whole lot,”  The shopkeeper said.  “Do you know where she came from?”
“You’re not going to believe this,” Crescent said.  “But she came from the Ponyville Providence.”
“Ponyville providence?”  The shopkeeper said.  “That’s way far from Canterlot.”
“Tell me about it,” Crescent Eclipse said.  “And the county fair is supposed to be in a week, at least.  But the one thing is that I can’t seem to figure out what’s going on with the little one.  It’s like something is truly troubling the kid.”
“I hope she reunites with her parents soon,”  The shopkeeper said as he placed the lens in a tightly-sealed package.  “And I hope you do figure out what’s going on with her.”
“Thanks,”  Crescent said.  “She needs all the help she can get.”

Later that day, Crescent Eclipse was walking down the streets of Canterlot with the packed objective lens in his saddle bag.  Walking next to him was Ditzy Doo, who still looked down in the dumps.  That gave Crescent even more cause for concern.  Something must be digging into Ditzy.  Something even deeper than a mere accident.
“Is something eating at you, Ditz?”  Crescent asked.  “You’ve been this way since we stepped out into the city.”
Ditzy continued to turn her head.  Crescent looked discouraged.  But he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
“You know,”  Crescent said.  “You remind me of my daughter Moondancer.  She had similar anxieties like you do.”
“She does?”  Ditzy said as she turned to face Crescent.
“Yes,”  Crescent said.  “Back when she used to live in Cape Coltnaveral, Moondancer was always fascinated with outer space.  But there were bullies who often gave her a bad time.”
“B...bullies?”  Ditzy said, shaking a bit nervously.
“They use to call her names like ‘Silly Alien,’ ‘Rocket Dumb’ and a ‘Bubble-headed Booby,’”  Crescent said.  “But the last straw was when they wrecked her science project at her last school.  Moondancer broke down crying and was depressed.”
“Oh dear,”  Ditzy said.  “That sounds almost like what I’ve been going through.”
Those words finally dawned on Crescent Eclipse.  
“So it sounds like you’re also experiencing a bully problem,”  Crescent said.
“Yeah,” Ditzy said.  “Three mean bullies who always gave me a hard time.  Calling me words like ‘Bubble-brained,’ ‘Moron,’ “Imbecile,’  ‘Stupid,’ and ‘Defective.”  I’ll never forget what they looked like, or their names.  Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score.”
“Where were your parents in dealing with those delinquents?”  Crescent asked.
But before Ditzy could open her mouth, the sounds of creepy laughter echoed through the empty streets of Canterlot.  Ditzy freaked out and hid behind Crescent Eclipse, who turned his head towards the horizon.
“I don’t know who you are down there,”  Crescent said.  “But you better leave us alone.”
“Oh,” the voice said.  “But we have no intention of doing so.”
From out of the shadows emerged three younger pegasus colts.  One with a light gamboge coat and a grayish tangelo mane, one with a dark grayish brown coat with a light amberish gray mane, and one with a persian bluish gray coat with a reddish brown gray mane.  Ditzy looked at the three and hid behind Crescent, looking really scared.
“That’s them,” Ditzy said.  “Those are the mean bullies who picked on me: Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score.”
Crescent turned his attention towards the three colts approaching him and Ditzy.  Crescent turned towards Ditzy Doo, who looked scared to half-death
“I’ve been told that you’ve been picking on this little filly back in Ponyville,” Crescent said.
“Oh that’s an understatement,” The one known as Hoops said.  “It’s not just her that’s hiding in her little safe space with snowflakes for parents.”
“Yeah,” Dumb-bell said.  “And to think she could run away to Canterlot because she can’t take the pressure.”
“Like what happened on her birthday two days ago,” Score said as he and his buds approached Ditzy and Crescent.
Crescent turned to Ditzy and said “You had a birthday days ago?”
“Yes,” Ditzy said as she kept behind Crescent.  “But I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t need to talk about it, you defective air-head,”  Hoops said as Dumb-bell and Score laughed.  “Especially to the fact that you think you’re so special because of your derped-up condition.”
“Yeah,” Dumb-bell said.  “You had that stupid party that a few of those losers went to.  Especially your so-called best friend Rainbow Crash.”
“THAT’S RAINBOW DASH!”  Ditzy yelled as she stomped her hooves in anger.
“Oh look boys,”  Hoops said.  “We made her mad.”
With that, Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score all laughed in a sickening tone, causing tears to come out of Ditzy’s eyes.
“Leave me alone you big meanies,” Ditzy cried.  “I didn’t do anything to you.”
“Now where’s the fun in that?”  Hoops said as he, Dumb-bell and Score marched towards Crescent Eclipse and Ditzy Doo.
“You three better not harm her in any way,” Crescent said in a harsh tone as he stood in between Ditzy Doo and the three bullies.  Those three don’t look deterred in any way.
“Oh my,”  Hoops said in a mocking tone.  “This adult stallion is getting between us and that poor little defective filly.  What shall we do?”
Hoops gave a wink to Score, who turned towards a nearby alleyway and dashed off. This confused Crescent Eclipse and Ditzy Doo.
“Where….” Ditzy said.  “Where did he go?”
But before anyone could answer, Ditzy was yanked by the end of her tail and was pulled away from Crescent Eclipse.  She turned her head and saw Score dragging her across the pavement of the street.  Ditzy looked like she was going to scream.
“HEEEEEEEELP!”  Ditzy yelled as Score pulled her by the tail.
Crescent turned around and stomped his hooves on the ground.  The noise caused Score to drop Ditzy’s tail and fly off in the opposite direction.  Crescent approached Ditzy, who looked as if she were ready to burst into tears.
“Are you okay?”  Crescent asked as he placed his hoof on Ditzy’s cheek.
Suddenly, Crescent Eclipse felt something move in his saddle bag.  He turned around and saw Hoops with the lens meant for Moondancer’s telescope.
“That belongs to my daughter,”  Crescent said as he began to pull the lens from Hoops with his magic.  “Give it back.”
“Okay,” Hoops said with a smirk.  “You can have it.”
And with that, Hoops lets go of the lens and it snaps back, hitting Crescent on the head and knocking him to the ground.  As the lens bounced off, Crescent got up momentarily and saw it land right in Dumb-bell’s hooves.
“Oh you want this back?”  Dumb-bell said as he held out the objective lens.  “Well too bad.”
And with that, Dumb-bell raised the lens into the air before slamming it into the ground. The full impact caused the lens to shatter to pieces.  Crescent Eclipse was helpless to watch the lens break completely as his jaw dropped down in complete shock.  An entire lens meant of a telescope, shattered to pieces.
“NOOOOO!” Crescent yelled as he got up and ran towards what was left of the lens.  He looked down and picked up the broken pieces.  Tears flowed from his cheek as he looked at the broken pieces of the lens.  Ditzy walked up to Crescent and put her hoof on his back.
“I’m sorry,” Ditzy said.
“You three should be ashamed at what you just did,” Crescent said towards the three bullies.  “When your parents find out, they’ll…”
“Parents?” Hoops interrupted as Dumb-bell and Score flew to his side. “We don’t got none.”
“Yeah,” Score said.  “In fact, we used to have parents, till they threw us out.”
“It was the best decision those snowflakes made,” Dumb-bell said.  “Now we can cause as much mayhem as possible without a stupid grown up telling us what to do.”
“So we returned the favor by setting fire to their house,” Hoops said.  “Now they share the same fate as we do as they no longer have a home of their own.”
Crescent was horrified at what these three colts just said.  He held Ditzy right behind her as the boy bully trio laughed at their general expense.
“I thought you three were nothing more than mere bullies,” Crescent said as tears continued to flow from his eyes.  “Nothing more than a trio of juvenile delinquents.  But now I know, you’re far too cruel, cold-blooded and pitiless.  And you enjoy angering others for your own sadistic amusement.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, snowflake,” Dumb-bell said as he, Hoops and Score laugh at Crescent and Ditzy’s misery.

Meanwhile, down the street, Wanda, Abigail and Moondancer were enjoying a lovely afternoon walk together.  Moondancer’s mood had lightened up since early ago this morning, even after all she’s been through.
“Wanda, I always wondered where I would be without you,” Moondancer asked as she looked at her human friend.
“I could ask the same thing,” Wanda replied.
“I bet you say that to our other friends,” Moondancer chuckled.  “Especially your sister Sunset.”
As Wanda and Moondancer laughed at that revelation, they noticed Abigail had her back hunched up, hissing madly in the direction they’re walking down.
“Abby?”  Wanda said as she was alarmed by Abigail’s tone.  “What’s gotten into you?”
But before anyone could say anything, a scream echoed in the distance.  Wanda’s ears picked up the voice, and she became nervous.
“Remember when I told you about Ditzy?”  Wanda said to Moondancer.
“Yes, why?”  Moondancer asked.
“I think that’s her, and she’s in trouble,”  Wanda said as she picked up Abigail and placed the kitty on top of her head.
“I’m coming with you,” Moondancer said.
“Glad to have you by my side,” Wanda said as she and Moondancer ran off through town, hoping to get to where Ditzy was yelling.

Meanwhile, Crescent Eclipse ran through the streets with Ditzy riding on top of him, and the shards of what was the objective lens in his satchel.  Right on their tail was Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score, chasing them as they had a smirk on their face.  
“Hurry Mr Eclipse,” Ditzy said as she held onto Cresent’s neck without squeezing hard.
“I’m doing my best, Ditzy,” Crescent said as he ran as hard as he could.
Suddenly, Crescent tripped and lost his footing, causing Ditzy to lose her grip and fly upwards.  Before she could regain control, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.  Ditzy looked behind her and saw Dumb-bell holding her in place.
“Let me go,” Ditzy said as she struggled to break free from Dumb-bell’s grip.
“Tough luck, defect,” Dumb-bell said as he squeezed Ditzy harder, causing her to yell.
Back on the ground, Crescent was able to get up when he saw Ditzy being held in a tight grip by Dumb-bell.  The poor filly was crying her eyes out and Crescent felt helpless to reach her.  Score and Hoops flew up to where Dumb-bell was bear hugging Ditzy, laughing at her misery.
“You three should be ashamed of yourselves,” Crescent said.  “Attacking an innocent filly, all while claiming your parents threw you out.  Whoever they were, they made a big mistake in doing this.”
“Mistake?”  Hoops said.  “You don’t get it.  Besides, you’re too much of a wuss to spank your own child for misbehaving.”
“I would never resort to that behavior,” Crescent said.  “I’m willing to scold my daughter if she stepped out of line.  But I would never spank her.”
“Well that’s too bad,” Score said.  “Whoever your daughter is, she wouldn’t have been as broken as this stupid filly for sparing the rod.”
“Hey old man,” Hoops said as he turned towards Dumb-bell continuing to Bear-hug Ditzy Doo.  “Catch.”
And with that, Dumb-bell let go of Ditzy Doo, causing her to fall towards the ground.  She was too afraid to get her wings out to fly, all while she was free falling and screaming.
“Gotcha.”  Crescent Eclipse was quick enough to grab Ditzy with his arms, before twisting his body and landing on his back.  The little filly looked at Crescent in the eyes before crying right into his chest.
Back in the air, the three bullies laughed as Ditzy continued to cry in Crescent’s chest. 
 "They seem to take no remorse for what they did," Crescent thought to himself.  "And judging by their attitudes, they take their own hate in like it was a compliment."

But not far from DItzy and Crescent, Wanda, Abigail and Moondancer arrived to see the action unfold in front of them.  One look at her own father caused Moondancer to cover her mouth in shock.
“That’s my daddy,” Moondancer said as she continued to stare at Crescent Eclipse from afar.  “And he’s holding onto another filly.”
“That filly is Ditzy Doo,” Wanda said as she also shared a similar concern.
Moondancer looked up and saw Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score from above in the sky.  The trio looked like they were going to dive bomb her pops and Ditzy.
“I’ve got to do something,” Moondancer said.  “Wait right here.”  And with that, Moondancer took off towards her father.
“Moonie, wait,”  Wanda said as she was about to take off after her, only to be stopped by a hoof placed on her shoulder.
“She’s got this, man’s cub.”  That voice came from a familiar tone.  Wanda turned around and saw Chancellor Cinch looking towards Moondancer.
“Miss Cinch?”  Wanda said as she was a little startled by the Chancellor’s appearance.
“I’ve seen those kinds of juvenile delinquents when I first taught at the School for Gifted Unicorns,”  Cinch said.  “They can dish it out, but they can’t take it.  Observe.”

Nearby, Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score flew right towards Crescent and Ditzy, attempting to dive bomb the duo.  Crescent held onto Ditzy as he awaited what was going to happen to him, all while that little filly was scared stiff, staring right at what was coming to them.
“I won’t let anyone harm you, Ditzy,” Crescent said.  
Suddenly, a splash of water hit all three colts, knocking them off their dive bomb and causing them to hit the ground hard.  Ditzy and Crescent were surprised by the trio getting knocked out of the sky.  Hoops got his head up and shook off the water that sprayed him.
“Okay,”  Hoops yelled.  “WHO SPLASHED US?”
Hoops turned to his right and saw Moondancer carrying a pole attached to two buckets in her mouth.  Moondancer spat out the pole and growled at the trio.
“I don’t know who you are,” Moondancer snarled.  “But you have a lot of nerve attacking my daddy.  Not to mention picking on a little filly who is a friend of my friend.”
Hoops got up and cracked a smirk, facing Moondancer with a degree of confidence.
“So you must be the daughter of that snowflake,”  Hoops said.  “Never thought I would witness a nerd in front of me.”
“A nerd who has better standards than you ever will,” Moondancer said as she too grew a smirk on her face.  “I may have my own issues, but I would never tolerate seeing bullies pick on my friends, or my family.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”  Hoops said.  “Go cry in your safe space?”
“No,”  Moondancer said.  “I’m not.”  Those words surprised Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score.
“You’re not afraid of us?”  Hoops said as Score and Dumb-bell got up.
“I’ve dealt with jerks like you when I lived in Cape Coltnaveral,”  Moondancer said.  “I’ve taken a lot of pressure over what I love.  But I at least have parents who cared for me, cared for what I enjoyed, and allowed me to grow with what I loved, unlike you three.”
“So what?”  Hoops said.  “Love is nothing more than a meaningless term.”
“It’s way more than what you said,”  Moondancer said.  “The love and passion we put in our hobbies, our interests.  That is what makes us stronger.  You have no love and passion for anything.  All you three care about is picking on others who aren’t like you.”
“That’s what life is supposed to be about,” Hoops said.  “The weak must submit to the strong.”
“I wouldn’t even call you strong,”  Moondancer said.  “I would call you a monster, but even a monster is not that cowardly.”
“What...did you just say?” Those words just got under Hoops’ skin, and he started to look agitated.
“That’s right,”  Moondancer said.  “You think picking on others will make you strong, but all it does is make you a total coward.  Deep on the inside, you’re afraid of seeing ponies who are emotionally and mentally stronger than you are.  In fact, I’ll say that a friend who kept making space puns is a far better pony than you three ever will be.”
“You keep your mouth to yourself,” Hoops said as he squinted his eyes like he'd gone completely mad.  “I am no coward.”
“What’s wrong?  Moondancer said.  “Touched a nerve?  Is that a….cosmos for concern?”
“SHUT UP!”  And with that, Hoops charged at Moondancer, looking to get a hold of the space geek.  Moondancer just smiled and ducked under Hoops as the crazed colt crashed nearby.  Score and Dumb-bell’s jaws just dropped out of disbelief.
“Big Hoops,” Score said in shock.
Nearby, Hoops had just crashed right into one of the buckets attached to the pole that Moondancer used.  Hoops struggled to get the bucket off his head.  But it was stuck.  There was no way he could get it off, no matter how hard he tried.  And no one could understand a word coming out of his mouth, with the bucket stuck on his head.
Dumb-bell and Score ran up to Hoops and attempted to pull the bucket off of his head.  But that bucket was stuck tight.  The two look at Moondancer, who glances off a smirk in their face.
“I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU THREE PICKING ON DITZY DOO AGAIN,” Moondancer yelled.  “YOU HEAR ME?”
“You’ll pay for this you snake,” Score said as he and Dumb-bell ran off, taking Hoops with them.
“And good riddance to bad rubbish,” Moondancer said.

Down the street, Dumb-bell and Score ran with Hoops as fast as they could, with that bucket still stuck on Hoops’ head.
“When we get that bucket off your head, Hoops,” Dumb-bell said with a snarl.  “We’re gonna make that brat pay for your humiliation.”
But as they continued, they ran smack into a magic barrier, causing all three colts to collapse on the ground.  The bucket on Hoops’ head somehow popped off and rolled to the side.  Hoops felt like he was finally relieved of having that bucket off his head.  But Score and Dumb-bell looked really peeved off.
“Okay,” Dumb-bell yelled.  “Who’s the wise guy who put this barrier in front of us?
The barrier cleared away as Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score looked up to see the scowling face of Chancellor Abacus Cinch.  She glared at all three colts as they cowered in fear.
“I don’t ever want to see you causing harm to that filly,” Cinch yelled with anger in her eyes and scorn in her voice.  “UNDERSTAND?”
“MONSTER!”  Hoops, Score and Dumb-bell yelled as the trio ran off in a different direction into the horizon.  Cinch looked as the three colts ran off and cracked a smirk.  
“So that’s what she did,” Wanda said as she and Abigail came out from behind Cinch.
“Yes, Man’s Cub,”  Cinch said.  “It seems that in this day and age, there are some who fall through the cracks and wind up as nasty as those three juvenile delinquents.  They aren’t the first I’ve seen in the last few years, and I’m afraid they may not be the last.”
“What about me?”  Wanda asked as she picked up Abigail.  “Am I as nasty as those bullies?”
“Despite some issues you have,” Cinch said.  “You don’t showcase any malice towards anyone, not even me.  A part of me does regret doubting Princess Celestia’s skills as a parent.”
A slight smile forms on Wanda’s face.  A sign that Chancellor Cinch is starting to see that the young human meant no harm at all.
“Now come,” Cinch said.  “We must check up on Moondancer’s father, and the filly that those miserable brats were picking on.”

Up ahead, Ditzy was still in the arms of Crescent Eclipse, covering her eyes out of fear of being mistreated by the three bullies.  Only she felt a soft brush on her hair with a hoof.
“It’s okay,” Crescent said in a soft voice.  “They’re gone.  You can thank my daughter Moondancer for scaring them off.”
Ditzy opened her eyes and turned her head to the side.  There she saw Moondancer waving to her and Crescent with a smile on her face.  
“Are you….the Moondancer?” Ditzy said.
“Yes,” Moondancer replied.  “And I believe you must be Ditzy Doo.  Wanda told me about you.”
Ditzy’s eyes watered up.  She tried to hold it back in, but she couldn.  She immediately jumped out of Crescent’s arms and landed near Moondancer.  The filly pegasus then crouched down and began to cry.
“I did it,” Ditzy cried.  “I was the one who accidentally broke your telescope.  I bought a pair of baseballs to play with after a new friend I made gave me some money.  I just wanted something to at least make me happy and I ended up breaking your happiness.  And when your dad wanted to take me down to get you a replacement lens, those mean bullies broke it out of spite.  I’m terribly sorry. I just don’t know what went wrong.”
But as Ditzy cried, Moondancer looked at the young pegasus.  She was not angry, nor was she disappointed.  Instead, Moondancer smiled and placed her hoof on Ditzy’s head.
“I’ve already forgiven you,” Moondancer said.  “My friend Wanda told me about you and how she wanted to at least make you happy.  But judging what I just saw, you needed more help than what she gave you.”
“Wait.” Ditzy said.  “You know Wanda?”
“Yes,”  Moondancer said as she wiped the tear from Ditzy’s eye.  “She’s been my friend since we saw each other at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
With that, Moondancer helped Ditzy up.  The young pegasus filly could smile again, finally feeling relieved from what she went through.  But as she felt better about herself, Wanda and Abigail came on in, approaching Moondancer and Ditzy.
“Ditzy,” Wanda said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine Wanda,” Ditzy said.  “All thanks to your friend.”
“What a relief,” Wanda said as she placed Abigail down.
“On a side note,” Moondancer whispered.  “When you met Ditzy yesterday, did she mention those three morons?”
“I’m afraid not,” Wanda replied.  “I guess she was too scared of bringing up why she ran away.”
“Live and learn, my mom always said,” Moondancer said.  “But now, she needs some help really badly, now that we know what happened.”
As Moondancer and Wanda began to help out Ditzy Doo with Abigail hopping on the pegasus filly’s back, Crescent Eclipse looked on and a tear flowed from his cheek.  But it was not of sorrow, it was of joy. 
“I’m proud to have Moondancer as a daughter,” Crescent said.  "Especially one who was willing to help out a filly in need."
“And you should be, considering what those delinquents turned out to be.”  Crescent turned his head and saw Chancellor Cinch walking up to him.  There was a bit of tension within Crescent as he gazed on the Chancellor’s eyes.
“Chancellor Cinch,” Crescent said with a nervous tone.
“At ease,”  Cinch said in a soft tone.  “I saw the whole thing happen, and the fact that your daughter stood up to those brats.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Crescent said as he breathed a sigh of relief.
“And on a side note, Mr Eclipse,”  Cinch said.  “Did those hooligans do anything else besides giving you and that youngling a hard time?”
“I’m afraid so,” Crescent said as he pulled out a shard of what was once an objective lens that he bought early ago.  “This was supposed to be a replacement part for my daughter’s telescope.  And they smashed it up for their own crazy amusement.”
“Then we should return to the store and get a new replacement,” Cinch said.  “I’ll cover the charge.”
A smile formed on Crescent Eclipse upon hearing the words that came out of the Chancellor.  She turned toward Moondancer.
“Honey,” Crescent Eclipse said as Moondancer turned towards her father.  “Take Wanda and Ditzy back home.  I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of.”
“I understand, father,” Moondancer said.  She turned towards Wanda, Ditzy and Abigail and said “Let’s go home.”

Later that day at the telescope shop, the shopkeeper was cleaning up the stand of the store, when he heard the sound of a door opening.  He turned up and saw Crescent Eclipse and Chancellor Cinch.
“Crescent,” The shopkeeper said.  “Back so soon? How did Moondancer enjoy the new lens?”
“I’m afraid she didn’t even get to see it,” Crescent said as he poured out what’s left of the objective lens.  The shopkeeper was shocked by what he said.
“What just happened?” The shopkeeper responded as he looked at the shards of the lens.
“A trio of miscreants were responsible for the vandalism,” Chancellor Cinch said as she placed a few bits on the table.  “I’ll cover the cost for his replacement.”
“That won’t be necessary,” The shopkeeper said as he ran into the backroom.  “I’ve known Crescent for a long time, and his love for the stars is why I enjoyed this business.  So I’ll give him another lens.  No charge.”
As the shopkeeper ran into the backroom to find another objective lens, Chancellor Cinch was a bit surprised by the shopkeeper’s decision.
“It appears that in a world where selfishness is rising, there are still some souls that strife for honesty, kindness, generosity, loyalty and laughter.”
“I’ve seen that the moment I first stepped a hoof in Canterlot, Chancellor,” Crescent Eclipse said. “And personally, I’m glad to have brought Moondancer here.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Chancellor Cinch said.


	To Be Continued in…..


	Where no Cutie Mark has gone before

> Arc 7-4: Where No Cutie Mark has Gone Before
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Where No Cutie Mark Has Gone Before



The sun was starting to set in the evening sky of Canterlot.  Inside Moondancer’s house, Moondancer, Artemis Light and Starlight Glimmer was giving Ditzy Doo a bath.  The little pegasus filly relaxed as Starlight poured some shampoo on Ditzy’s head and gave her a good rub.  Ditzy felt relaxed and calm.
“I can’t believe that three meanies were picking on you,” Starlight said.  “At least you have someone to turn to.”
“Thanks,” Ditzy said as Moondancer levitated a small pail over Ditzy’s head and gently poured water to wash away the shampoo.  “But I still couldn’t understand why I was picked on.”
“Actually, I’ve been down that path before,” Moondancer said.  “When I lived in Cape Coltnaveral, I was always picked on for what I enjoyed, and that’s the curiosity of what’s beyond our sky.
“You mean those stars in the evening sky?” Ditzy said.
“They’ve always been something Moondancer has been interested in since she was young,” Artemis Light said.  “It’s carried over from her father.”
“That’s right,” Starlight said.  “In fact, at this moment, he’s already repairing Moondancer’s telescope.”
“Aww, don’t spoil the fun for us, Starlight,” Moondancer chuckled.  “Besides, I’d like to give some care to Ditzy here, especially after what she’s been through.”
“My bad,” Starlight said.

A bit later on in Moondancer’s Bedroom, Sunset Shimmer sets the new objective lens into Moondancer’s telescope while Crescent Eclipse screws the top in, securing the lens in place.  Everything was all set as the sun was about to disappear into the night sky.  
Nearby, Baby Spike cuddled with Abigail while Wanda, Twilight and Sunburst watched with anticipation while Danged Spell sat nearby with an ice pack on his head.  But even with that bump, it wasn’t enough to bring down his spirit.
“Wish I could have done more to help out,” Danged Spell said.
“Spell,” Twilight said.  “You were knocked unconscious by a flying baseball.  Tending to your injury was high on our list.  Besides, you’ve done more than your fill to help out Moondancer.”
“How so?”  Danged Spell asked.
“You said you wanted to cheer up the space gal and turn that frown upside down,” Sunset said as Crescent Eclipse set the telescope on the tripod.  “Even though you were unable to do much, you still wanted to do this for her.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “In fact, I think you’re better than those three meanies that Moondancer drove off.  You may have been a bit bad when we first met.  But deep on the inside, you’re a nice guy.”
“Aww thanks you guys,” Danged Spell said as he blushed.
Just then, a knock was heard at the door.  Everyone turned their heads to see the door open.  Emerging was Moondancer, who looked excited in some way, but also calm.
“”Moondancer,” Crescent said as he completed the setup of the telescope.  “How’s Ditzy Doo doing?”
“See for yourself,” Moondancer said as she stepped aside for a refreshed Ditzy Doo to walk on in.  She looked clean and well-groomed.  Behind here was Starlight Glimmer and Artemis Light, eager to show Ditzy off to her friends.
“So how do you feel, Ditzy?”  Sunset asked.
“Better, I suppose,” Ditzy said, still unsure of herself.
“In some ways, you do remind me of myself,” Twilight said as she helped Ditzy come inside.  “Like I’m unsure about my own future.”
“How so?” Ditzy asked, confused by Twilight’s words.
“I once believed that I was doomed to fail the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns, even as I prepared.” Twilight said.   “And I nearly came close to.  But I realized that there is something special within me.  It takes a whole lot to get it out.  And I think there is something special in you, Ditzy.”
“I…” Ditzy said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.  “Don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to,” Twilight said.  “Any friend of Moondancer or Wanda is a friend of mine, as well as everyone else.  After all, we aren’t just friends, we’re a family together.”
“The egghead’s got a point,” Danged Spell said as he held the ice pack on his forehead.  “Early ago, I used to be the most obnoxious member of the class, even disregarding Wanda as a nobody.  But these others convinced me that there is more to all of us than meets the eye.”
“I’m sorry about your forehead,” Ditzy said as she flew towards the young colt.
“Don’t worry about it,” Danged Spell said.  “Besides, I’ve whipped the Windigo’s Guild once.”
“And that’s something he can brag about,” Sunset whispered to Ditzy.  “Especially when you see his Wolf’s Breath curse.”
“Well you know what they say,” Danged Spell said.  “My bite is far worse than my bark.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” The younglings said before they laughed.
“Oh that reminds me,” Ditzy said as she let out a few chuckles.  “Mr Eclipse, wasn’t there a reason why we went out to the shop today?”
“You’re absolutely right,” Crescent Eclipse said as he stepped aside.  Right in front of Moondancer was her repaired telescope, looking like new.  But Moondancer was indifferent.
“I…” Moondancer said. “Don’t think I deserve it.  Especially after what you both went through.”
“It’s okay,” Ditzy said.  “We did this for you, especially after what I did.  You loved that telescope so much.”
“She’s right,” Starlight said.  “We’ve known you since our first day at school.  You’ve always geeked out over space and science.  And we want you to be happy.”
“So go ahead,” Ditzy said as she pointed to the telescope.  “It’s the least we could do for you.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Moondancer said.  “But I’ll do it for you, Ditzy.”
Slowly, Moondancer walked up to her newly repaired telescope and placed her eye on the eyepiece.  She looked and saw the stars shining bright in the evening sky.
“Wow,” Moondancer said.  “I was so busy moping over how broken it was, I’ve forgotten how beautiful the sky was.”
“And that’s what we like about you, Moondancer,” Sunset said.  “You love the stars, the moon, and everything beyond the atmosphere of Equestria.  We couldn’t ask for a better friend than you.”
“I can’t thank any of you enough for bringing my gift back,” Moondancer said.
But as she looked through the telescope, something caught her eye.  It was a comet.  It flew past the night sky and glowed with a bright white hue.  Moondancer’s jaw dropped to the ground as she saw the comet with her own eye.
“Moondancer?” Twilight said.  “Are you okay?”
But Moondancer said nothing as she stared at the comet.  Her eye was fixed completely on its presence.  She didn’t move a muscle.  And yet, she was still amazed at her finding.
“Not to point out the obvious,” Sunburst said.  “But I think Moondancer just saw something that she never saw before.”
“If I was in her place,” Wanda said.  “I would have done the same.”
Suddenly, Moondancer glowed completely white.  Everyone covered their eyes as Moondancer raised her head and looked down at her hip.  When the bright light disappeared, a symbol formed on Moondancer’s hip.  It was a purple moon and three stars.  Moondancer looked at the symbol on her hip and felt real ecstatic.
“It’s my….my,” Moondancer said.
“Yes,” Sunset said.  “It’s your cutie mark.”
“I ACTUALLY GOT MY CUTIE MARK!”  Moondancer screamed.   “I GOT MY CUTIE MARK! WOOOOOOO!”
Moondancer danced all around the room in celebration while Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Danged Spell, Ditzy Doo, Crescent Eclipse and Artemis Light cheered for her.
“I was wondering when you would finally get your cutie mark,” Crescent said.  “Guess all you needed was some friends to help you with what you enjoy.”
Artemis Light wiped a tear from her eye and said “Our little astronaut is growing up.  I can’t be any more proud than this.”

That night, everyone celebrated in the backyard of Moondancer’s house.  Food and punch lined the tables while the decorations reflected the moon and stars, and the various planets that make up the solar system.  For Moondancer, she felt the happiest in her life.
“So how does it feel to no longer be a blank flank?” Sunset said.
“Like a weight has been dropped off my back,” Moondancer replied.  “Feels great to finally show to the world who I am.”
“Now this is how friends party together,” Twilight said as she let out an embarrassing dance.  Sunset and Moondancer looked at Twilight’s dance and struggled to hold in their laughter.
“I’m glad you’re at this fun party, Twilight,”  Moondancer said.  “At least Princess Celestia didn’t give you an assignment that required you to leave Canterlot.”
“Now come on, Moonie,” Sunset said.  “Let her have her fun.”  But as the words left Sunset’s mouth, Twilight grabbed Sunset by the arm and pulled her in.  
“Come on Sunset,” Twilight yelled as she held Sunset’s arms.  “Let’s party the night away.”
“Oh no,” Sunset said.  But it was too late.  Twilight began dancing again, causing Sunset to move uncontrollably with her.  Sunset looked like she was going to scream in agony.
As Moondancer giggled at the sight, Danged Spell walked up to the space geek with a smile on his face.
“To think, long ago I got my cutie mark,” Danged Spell said.  “And now it’s your turn.  I wonder how long till we all get our cutie marks?”
“I’d say not for long,” Moondancer said.  “At the rate we’re going, all six of us will bear a cutie mark that will allow us to stand out.”
“”Well if anything,” Danged Spell said.  “I’d say our friendship was about to…”
“Reach for the stars?”  Moondancer interrupted with a chuckle.   That caught Danged Spell off guard.
“Hey,”  Danged Spell yelled. “You stole my act.  And you’re no longer angered by space puns?”
“Well that’s the case of putting up with you, Danged Spell,” Moondancer said.  “I could say that your act has..”
“Rubbed off?” Danged Spell interrupted with a smirk on his face, causing Moondancer to giggle.
“Okay, you got me,” Moondancer said as she and Danged Spell laughed.
Nearby, Starlight and Sunburst watched on and enjoyed some cake while everyone partied the night away.
“Can’t believe Moondancer now has a cutie mark,” Sunburst said as he took a sip of root beer.
“Do you suppose we’ll get our cutie marks?”  Starlight asked.
“We will, Starlight,” Sunburst said.  “I overheard them say that it may not be long until we both get our cutie marks.”
“I sure hope I get mine,” Starlight said as she looked at her flank.  “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a blank flank.”
“You won’t Starlight,” Sunburst said.  “That’s a promise.”
Starlight blushed a bit as she said “Aww thanks Sunburst,” before kissing him on the cheer.  That caused Sunburst to blush a bit before steam vented from his ears.  Starlight looked at Sunburst and laughed a bit.  

Nearby, as the children were enjoying the night, Crescent Eclipse and Artemis Light were observing from the patio deck of their house.  Right next to them was Chancellor Abacus Cinch, who was also observing the children cheering the night away.
“You should be proud of your daughter, Mr and Mrs Eclipse.” Cinch said.
“Thanks, Chancellor,” Crescent Eclipse.
“You can just call me Abacus,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Titles these days are starting to become overrated.”
“So I was aware that a trio of boys picked on my husband and Ditzy Doo,” Artemis Light said. 
“It’s more like three juvenile delinquents,” Chancellor Cinch said. 
“They gave Ditzy a hard time, smashed up the intended replacement lens, and they even bragged about being kicked out of their parents’ house like it was a medal of honor,” Crescent Eclipse said.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that last comment,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I just looked up some information on those three, and it didn’t point to parents being fed up with them.”
“It didn’t?” Crescent and Artemis said.
“No,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Almost a year ago, someone set their house on fire burning everything down.  Everyone who lived in that house evacuated, including those three boys.  But it appears their parents had gone missing.”
“You don’t suppose,” Artemis Light said.
“No,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’ve read up more on those three.  They actually used to be well-behaved until that stunt was pulled.  But even with their false claims, there was no evidence that pointed to them as the culprits.”
“So what turned those three into cruel monsters?” Crescent Eclipse said.
“Right now,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’m looking into that file.”
“By the way,” Artemis Light said.  “I take it you’re Wanda and Sunset’s guardian for tonight.”
“Until they return to the castle,” Chancellor Cinch explained.  “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are in Manehattan till tomorrow morning, and Princess Cadance agreed to look after them after the party.  But I will say this about the man’s cub.”
“And what would that be?”  Crescent Eclipse said.
“For someone who’s foreign to our planet,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “She’s at least got more heart than even I realized.  And I hope to make sure she doesn’t go in that wrong direction.”

As Chancellor Cinch continued to chat with Crescent Eclipse and Artemis Light, Wanda sat with Ditzy Doo, observing the night sky.  Abigail and Spike were nearby, cuddling together.
“I wish this could last all night,” Ditzy said.
“I know how you feel,” Wanda said.  “But after this, I have to be back home with Sunset Shimmer.”
“What’s life like at the castle?” Ditzy asked.
“Sometimes, it feels like a prison,” Wanda said.  “But sometimes it also feels like home.  Especially when mommy is around.”
But as Wanda and Ditzy continued to chat, someone said “There you are Ditzy.  I’ve been looking all over for you.”  Wanda and Ditzy turned around and saw a light blue filly pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail.  On her hip was a cutie mark with a cloud and a rainbow lightning bolt.
“Rainbow Dash?”  Ditzy said.
“Still can’t believe those good-for-nothings scared you here,” Rainbow Dash said as she landed right in front of Ditzy.  “But I’m glad you’re safe.”
Rainbow Dash turned her head and saw Wanda’s face.  She ran up to Wanda with curiosity on her face.
“I’ve never seen anyone like you in my lifetime,” Rainbow Dash said.  “What’s your name?”
“My name is Wanda Young,” Wanda replied.  “And I’m the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia.
“For someone who isn’t a pony,” Rainbow Dash chuckled.  “You’re a really curious creature to be living in Canterlot, not to mention you’re a Princess.  I take it you know the Wonderbolts.”
“Mommy often takes me and my sisters to see the Wonderbolts,” Wanda replied.
“Oh that is so cool,” Rainbow Dash said.  She turned to Ditzy and said.  “I can’t believe you are best friends with her.  I can’t wait to tell the gang back in the Ponyville Providence.
But Ditzy turned her head.  Something was bothering her.
“I don’t want to go back,” Ditzy said.  “If I do, those three will heckle me again.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Ditzy Doo and saw a tear fall from her eye.  The rainbow-maned filly went right next to the gray pegasus and put her arm around her.
“Tell you what,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’ll let them know that it’s going to be a while before you come home.  In fact, after that, I think I might be here to watch over you till then.”
“Thanks, Arr Dee,” Ditzy said.  “But you should thank Wanda for sticking up to me.  And her friends.”
Rainbow Dash turned her head to Wanda and said “Right now, you’re the coolest gal I have met in Canterlot.”
“Aww thanks,” Wanda said as she put her arm around Ditzy.  “But why the Wonderbolts?”
“One day,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I want to be a Wonderbolt.  It has been my dream since I got my cutie mark many weeks ago when I unleashed that Sonic Rainboom.”
“Wait,” Wanda said.  “You were the one who caused that rainbow in the sky?”
“Guilty as charged,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “That’s awesome.  You really gotta show me when you get the chance.”
“For you,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’m game.”
As Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo and Wanda Young observed the night sky, Spike and Abigail cuddled close together.  Fireworks lit up the sky with a barrage of colors, the stars twinkled in the night sky as the moon, which had the shape of a stallion on it, stood out in the sky for everyone in Equestria to see.


	To Be Continued in….


	Arc 8: The Wrath of Golden Lace


	Visitors from Ponyville

> Arc 8(The Wrath of Golden Lace)-1: Visitors from Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Arc 8: The Wrath of Golden Lace


	Visitors from Ponyville




It was a beautiful morning in Canterlot City.  Above the School for Gifted Unicorns deep in the clouds, Rainbow Dash signaled to Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo sitting on the staircase.  Rainbow Dash looked like she was ready to pull off a trick.
“So do you think Rainbow Dash will pull off a Sonic Rainboom?” Wanda asked.
“I’ve seen her do this since she first pulled it off at least weeks ago, when she defended Fluttershy in a race,” Ditzy said.
“This I gotta see,” Sunset said as she pulled out a bucket full of popcorn.
Up in the clouds, Rainbow Dash jumped off and began to free fall.  She pointed towards the ground and held her wings back, accelerating her fall.  As she sped up, a wind cone formed around her body, starting off wide before narrowing down.  The faster she dived, the more narrow and the brighter her cone formed.  She dived faster and faster, reaching mach five speeds as the cone narrowed down even further.
And then….BLAM!  Rainbow Dash broke through and a rainbow-colored shockwave echoed through Canterlot, shaking the city a bit.  Rainbow Dash then flew at mach ten speeds with a rainbow trail at the end throughout the skies of Canterlot.   She cheered as the rainbow trail created a dazzling display for every pony to see.
Back on the school grounds, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail and Spike cheered as Rainbow Dash pulled off the Sonic Rainboom in the sky.
“I thought seeing that comet last night was amazing,” Moondancer said.  “I never realized there was a pony who was capable of pulling off such feets.”
“I’ve read up on the Sonic Rainboom,”  Sunburst said.  “Not that many pegasi are capable of pulling that feat off.  In fact, before Rainbow Dash, no colt or filly pulled it off.”
“I’ll say,” Danged Spell said.  “In fact, I’d say that stunt she pulled just...BLUE me away.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” Most of the other colts and fillies said in a disgruntled tone.
“I don’t get it,” Ditzy said, confused by Danged Spell’s pun.
“You don’t have to, Dizty,” Twilight said as she gave Ditzy a rub on her head.
But suddenly, they overheard a cry of agony.  Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail and Spike turned to their right and saw Wanda Young scream out in pain as she held her head.
“Wanda?” Sunset said as she slid close to her human sister.  “Are you alright?”
“The pain…” Wanda yelled.  “It hurts.”
Rainbow Dash flew in, looking ready to take a bow when she saw Wanda wincing in pain.  She flew up to the man’s cub to take a look.
“Hey Wanda,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You alright?”
Sunset picked up Wanda and held her as Wanda cried, hurting from the pain in her head.
“I dunno what happened,” Sunset said.  “But I’ve never seen Wanda like this before. Mommy told me about this.  But I thought it was a one-time thing.”
“I think it might have activated when the Sonic Rainboom went off,” Twilight said.
“Wait,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “You’re telling me that my Sonic Rainboom is what caused her pain?”
“I’m afraid so,” Sunset said.  “I’ve seen the miracle of the Sonic Rainboom.  But I’ve never realized how it could affect anyone in a negative way, especially my sister Wanda.  Why it’s affecting her, not even mommy knows.”
Rainbow Dash put her hoof on Wanda’s forehead.  She said in a somber tone “I’m sorry, Wanda.  If I had known that my Rainboom would cause you to suffer, I would have refrained from performing the trick.”
“It’s alright,” Starlight said.  “None of us knew that this would happen.”
Ditzy flew up towards Wanda, still being coddled by her sister Sunset Shimmer.
“Is she going to be alright?” Ditzy asked.
“I’d say she’s far more defective than just her looks,” Someone said in a cruel tone.  This caused Ditzy to freak out and fly right behind Moondancer.
“I know that tone very well,” Sunset Shimmer said as she looked up.  In front of her walking up the stairs was a young unicorn filly with a cream-colored coat and a golden mane.  On her hip was a golden lace cutie mark in the shape of a heart, encrusted with pearls.
“What do you want, Golden Lace?”  Twilight said to the young filly.
“Oh nothing,” Golden Lace said with a smile.  “Though I pity that dirty animal and what she’s going through.”
“Dirty Animal?”  Sunset said as she looked like she was going to strike Golden Lace in the face,  “You better take that back.”
“You know what?”  Golden Lace said with a smirk.  “I do take it back, because she looks more like a weakened animal.”
Those words made Sunset’s eyes turn red.  She was about to swing back when Twilight Sparkle held her down.
“No,”  Twilight said.  “Do you want to upset Princess Celestia for resorting to violence?”
“But the thing she said to Wanda,” Sunset said.
“Not worth it,” Twilight replied.
“I’d do what she says, Sunset Shimmer,” Golden Lace said as she flicked her mane with her hoof.  “The last thing you need is to be expelled from the school and banished from Canterlot for such unnecessary violence.  Oh and by the way, tell that feather brain Roadkill Trash that her Sonic Rainboom was amateurish.”
“Amateurish?”  Rainbow Dash said as she grind her teeth.
“That’s right,” Golden Lace said as she points at Rainbow Dash.  “All those oversaturated colors and the fact that you let one animal wince in pain.  If I were you, I’d take up bird watching.  Oh wait, even the birds would turn tail on the sight of you, Roadkill Trash.”
With that, Golden Lace lets out a cruel chuckle before passing the group by and walking up the stairs.  Sunset looked at her with a snarl on her face.
“I don’t like her attitude,” Moondancer said.
“I don’t blame ya,” Danged Spell replied.  
“Calling me Roadkill Trash is one thing,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But no pony insults the Sonic Rainboom.”
“Chill it, Arr Dee,” Ditzy said.  “We don’t want to do anything to really upset her.”
As Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, Abigail and Spike looked on at Golden Lace, Wanda got up a bit and stopped screaming in pain.  Her migraine seemed to have disappeared.
“My head,”  Wanda said as she recovered.
“Wanda,”  Sunset said.  “You’re alright.”
Wanda looked around and saw everyone else except for Sunset Shimmer glancing at the entrance to the School for Gifted Unicorns.
“What just happened?”  Wanda asked.
“We had to deal with that creep Golden Lace,”  Sunset said.  “Especially after what she said about you and Rainbow Dash.”
“I thought Ponyville had its share of jerks,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But it seems Canterlot isn’t that far behind.”  
“Tell me about it,”  Wanda replied as she rubbed her head.  “She had the nerve to call me Mary Sue.  And I am NOT A MARY SUE!”
“Careful Wanda,” Sunset said as she put her arms around Wanda.  “We don’t want her to get under your skin.  You’re better than this.”
Wanda took a deep breath and said “Sorry sis.  But she’s the worst.  Even more so than Mean Cinch.”
“I don’t blame you.”  Sunset said  “We’ve had to put up with her since day one at this school.  Remember when she once made you cry by calling you a wild animal that belongs in a zoo?“
“Uggh,”  Wanda sighed.  “I don’t even want to think about it.”
Okay,” Rainbow Dash said.  “That brat is twenty percent lamer.”

Later that day in class, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, Starlight Glimmer, Moondancer and Danged Spell are in their seats with Abigail Albright and Spike sitting underneath the desks.  Every other student in that class was ready for the day as Princess Celestia walked on in.
“Good morning class,” Princess Celestia said with a smile.
“Good morning Princess Celestia,” All of the kids said.
Princess Celestia walked up to her desk and sat down.  She looked ready for the day, and she was also excited.
“Today,” Princess Celestia said.  “We have two guests from the Ponyville Providence that will be joining us.  Both are pegasi, but they have formed a friendship with seven of our classmates, and helped Moondancer earn her cutie mark.  May I present to you, Ditzy Doo and Rainbow Dash.
Once Princess Celestia presented her right hoof to the doorway, Ditzy Doo and Rainbow Dash trotted on inside as the students clapped for the pegasi duo.  This was especially true of Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell, who cheered on their new friends.
“Wow,” Ditzy Doo said as she hid her face.  “This looks really overwhelming.  I dunno if I can talk on stage.”
“No sweat, Ditz,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I got this.”
Rainbow Dash walked up to the students and took a good look at them.  But her eyes were mostly on her new friends here in Canterlot.  And they were excited to see them on stage.
“In case you’re all wondering,” Rainbow Dash.  “I’m Rainbow Dash, and this is my buddy Ditzy Doo.  We both come from the Ponyville Providence located in the western part of the Equestrian Nation.  And we’re not a big city like Canterlot.  In the town of La Maresa, which we call our little Ponyville, we’re more of a humble little village that any pony can enjoy.  Though Ditzy and I were both born in Cloudsdale.”
Suddenly, Twilight Sparkle rose her hoof into the air, catching the attention of Rainbow Dash.
“I have a question for you, Rainbow Dash,”  Twilight said.  “Does the Ponyville Providence have an impressive library?”
Rainbow Dash chuckled for a bit and said “Silly Egghead.  Of course there is a library.  But if you’re looking for a big one, you can find it in downtown San DiNeighgo.  And what a city.  You could do a lot of things down there.  In fact, that’s usually where the Wonderbolts usually like to hangout outside of Cloudsdale and here in Canterlot.”
As Rainbow Dash got done talking, she noticed Sunset Shimmer raise her hoof in the air.
“You’re talking about the Wonderbolts, correct?”  Sunset said.  “Me, Wanda, Princess Cadance, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna often go to these events and watch them perform for the audience.”
“Wait,”  Rainbow Dash replied with a shocked look on her face.  “You and Wanda are fans of the Wonderbolts?”
“Well yeah,” Wanda said.  “Why is that?”
“Oh that’s easy,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk on her face. “One day, I want to become  a part of the Wonderbolts.  To prove to Equestria that I am the best of the best.”
“Is that so?” Danged Spell said as he got up.  “Well I want to be a part of the royal guards.  I too want to prove that I am the best of the best.”
“Well that makes two of us,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.  “How about a little contest later today, tough colt?”
“Uhh, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset said as she started to look a bit nervous.  
“What’s your call, speedster?”  Danged Spell said as he smirked.
“Danged Spell, I wouldn’t go there,” Sunset said as her pupils shrunk down in fear.
“Whoever is the most physical, athletic, and charismatic pony of the group, wins,”  Rainbow Dash replied.  “We’ll do this at your sports field.”
“No Rainbow Dash,” Sunset replied.  “Princess Celestia would never approve of it.”
But as Sunset tried desperately to calm the situation down, Princess Celestia looked a bit excited by Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell willing to partake in a competition.  She tried to hold it in as much as she could.  But deep on the inside, she had to let it out.
“Then, as headmare of the School for Gifted Unicorns, it’s official,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “Later this afternoon, there will be an iron mare contest between Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell.  All students are invited to partake in the competition.  May the best youngster win.”
Those words caught Sunset Shimmer off guard, as she fainted from the revelation.  Wanda, Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and the rest of the students looked over the unconscious Sunset Shimmer.
“I think you broke big sis, mommy,” Wanda said as she put her right hand on Sunset’s forehead.
“Wow,”  Twilight said.  “Had I been in her horseshoes, I would have done the same.”
Princess Celestia walked over and looked down at Sunset Shimmer.  She blushed at the fact that one of her daughters fainted.
“Oops,”  Celestia said.  “My bad.”

“What in your name were you thinking?”   Those words came from Sunset Shimmer later that morning in the classroom. The little filly was angry at Princess Celestia, who looked a bit confused.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with a little competition,” Princess Celestia said.  “After all, besides that roc attack on the Fall Formal Festival, there hasn’t been much excitement at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“But the way you just announced it right out of nowhere,”  Sunset said, still steaming. “Why did you have to encourage that behavior?  I thought you told us that ponies don’t provoke each other?”
“It’s just something to help pump some excitement into the school,” Celestia said as she put her hoof on Sunset’s shoulder.  “But, I am aware that you’re concerned about my decision.  That being said, I think you’re overreacting a bit.”
“I wha?”  Sunset said, completely dumbfounded by Celestia’s words.
“I think every once in a while,” Princess Celestia said.  “It’s okay to let loose a bit of steam.  And I decided to do so just so it doesn’t escalate into something more serious.  And besides, you’re beginning to sound a bit like Chancellor Cinch my daughter.”
As Celestia took her hoof on Sunset’s shoulder, the little filly looked down and let out a sigh.
“Maybe you’re right,” Sunset said.  “When both Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell had this heated moment between each other, I thought things were going to go crazy.”
“It happens, my dear Sunset,” Celestia said.  “Now run along.  I think you have some friends to catch up to.”
As Sunset stepped out of Celestia’s office, she looked a bit discouraged, as if she had some guilt building up.  She walked down the hallway, ignoring the other students of the school.
“Maybe I am overreacting,” Sunset said to herself.  “Maybe I should give this a chance instead of holding it in.  Man, I feel more like a fool with my concern of trying to quell things down.”
As Sunset continued walking with her head slunked low, she heard someone say “Hey, you okay?”  Sunset looked up and saw Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash   They both looked as if they were concerned with Sunset.
“You look like you’re down in the dumps.”  Rainbow Dash asked.
“I’m...fine,” Sunset replied.  
“Are you sure about that, Sunny?”  Danged Spell said.  
“Let’s just say I had a disagreement with mother,” Sunset said. “On the idea of you two having a competition here at this school.”
“Wait,”  Rainbow Dash said. “Did you say you opposed the idea of me showing off to everyone here in Canterlot?”
“No,” Sunset said. “It’s just that I..”
But before she could answer, someone interrupted her by saying “Am afraid of being injured by a measly little rainboom?”  Those words made Rainbow Dash mad.
“Who called the Sonic Rainboom measly?”  Rainbow Dash said as she stomped her hoof on the ground.
Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Sunset Shimmer turned towards the hall to see a smug Golden Lace.  She walked down towards the group, keeping her eye on Rainbow Dash.
“You again?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “What is it with you?”
“Oh I’m terribly sorry,” Golden Lace said with a chuckle. “I didn’t know this was a secret meeting for losers.”
“Back off lady,”  Danged Spell said.  We’re not in the mood to listen to your hog wash.”  That wound up getting Golden Lace a bit agitated.
“Such foul language,” Golden Lace said with a scoff.  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to speak that language?”
Amused, Danged Spell just laughed and said “Oh she told me not to use the words hog wash.  But I didn’t listen.”  That caused Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer to laugh, all while Golden Lance scrunched her nose in disgust.
“Hmph,” Golden Lace said.  “I believe that you learned that kind of immaturity from your own father.  My daddy always said that delinquency flows throughout all of Equestria, and Canterlot is the exception.”
And with that, Golden Lace turned tail and walked away, holding her nose up.  Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash were finally able to catch their breath just as Golden Lace walked off.
“Man,” Rainbow Dash said.  “That’s a prime example of a golden snowflake.”
“I’ll say,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I think her presence alone just got me in a good mood.  In fact, I lost the reason why I was upset.”
.”Well you know what they say, “Danged Spell chuckled.  “That’s one way to snub the dumps.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer said as they both continued to laugh.
“Well someone had to put a smile on your face,” Danged Spell said.  “But I believe we have that competition to take care of.”
“That’s right,” Rainbow Dash said as she finally slowed down her laughing.  “If we don’t get out to that field soon, we’re going to disappoint the crowd.”
“And to think,”  Sunset said.  “I was actually against the idea.  Now, I don’t seem to mind it at all.”
“Well there are times where you have to come out of your shell,” Rainbow Dash said as she, Sunset and Danged Spell began to walk down the hallway.  “But I can’t say the same for that Golden Lace brat.
“Sadly, that’s not the only one who’s completely stuck up,” Sunset said.
“I’m afraid to ask,” Danged Spell said. “But who?”
“Let me tell you both about my cousin Prince Blueblood,” Sunset said as she, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell continued to walk down the hall.
“You mean that pony Rarity is obsessed over?” Rainbow Dash said.
“I’ve heard about Prince Blueblood,” Danged Spell said.  “Never thought you would be related to him.”
“I wish I weren’t,” Sunset said. “Even though I am adopted.  But I’ve had to put up with him coming over to the castle every month.  He obsessed about himself, how great he is, and how he wants to Make Equestria Great Again.  Even Wanda scowls at that narcissist.”
“And you wonder why I wouldn’t be caught dead as royalty,” Danged Spell said.  “Well that and I prefer to explore the world, be it a free pony, or a soldier fighting for his country.”
“Danged Spell,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I think this may be the beginning of an awesome friendship.”


	To Be Continued in…


	The Iron Stallion Competition

> Arc 8-2: The Iron Stallion Competition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Iron Stallion Competition



It was the middle of the day in the School for Gifted Unicorns.  At the middle of the field, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were stretching in preparation for the competition.  They both looked like they were ready to face each other off in what may be the battle of a lifetime.  Their eyes were as sharp as nails.  Their ambition is as hot as fire.  And their hooves were raring to go.  Later that day, they would compete to see who is the best of the two.
 Nearby in the bleachers, Twilight Sparkle, with Spike by her side, watched the duo from afar.  There was a sense of excitement in the little filly.  But also a sense of nervousness.  Perhaps it was Sunset’s own worry for if they got out of control.  Or an outsider could sabotage the competition for their own amusement.   It was a silly fear, but she still had her concerns.
“Awaiting how the duo will come out, my student?”  That voice came from Princess Celestia, as she approached Twilight Sparkle.  Next to her were Wanda Young, Abigail Albright and Sunset Shimmer.  
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight said as she reached out and gave her mentor a hug.
“Sounds like someone’s excited to see mommy,” Sunset said.
“At times, I wish she was our sister,” Wanda chuckled.
As Twilight let go of Celestia, the alicorn took a seat next to her young pupil, while her daughters Wanda and Sunset sat right next to Twilight.  Abigail ran towards a nearby tree, lied down and went to sleep.
“Seems Abigail isn’t in the mood for competition,” Twilight said.
“That’s not the first time I’ve seen her nap like that,” Wanda said.
“She has a tendency to do that, Twilight,” Sunset said.  “It’s how cats think.”
“You know,”  Twilight said.  “There’s a part of me that wants to run down to the School Library, pull out as many books on cats and read them all day for an essay on their behavior.  It would make for a fascinating case.”
“Uhh,”  Sunset said.  “Let’s not resort to that.  The last time you checked out a book, your big brother had to drag you out of the house after spending twenty four hours on it.”
“Oh come on,” Twilight said.  “It’s just one little book.”
“More like a whole boatload of books, Twilight,” Wanda giggled.

Nearby, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell had finished up on their stretching.  They turned towards each other and let out a grin of confidence.  They look like they’re ready for the competition.
“So,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You know what the purpose of this competition is, right?”
“Have I ever,” Danged Spell replied.  “I’ve seen mares and stallions partake in this competition before I moved to Canterlot.  I know how it goes, and I’ve seen it up close and personal, even when colts and fillies partake.”
“I also heard you have some sort of secret power,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Care to give a demonstration?”
“If I did that, that would be totally unfair for you,” Danged Spell said.  “This power is so secret, even I don’t know how to activate it on command.”
“Is that a fact, eh?”  Rainbow Dash said as she let out a chuckle.  “I bet you don’t even have this secret power.”
“I wish I didn’t,” Danged Spell said.  “But I’m stuck with it.”
“Stuck with it?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Personally, I think…”
But before she could finish trash talking, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell heard the sound of a branch breaking.  They turned their heads and saw the tree that Abigail was sleeping under.  They looked up and saw a branch about to loosen and fall on the kitten.  Abigail was unaware that her life was in danger.
“Oh no,” Rainbow Dash said as she saw the branch start to loosen.  “I’m not letting that cat lose one of her nine lives.”
But before Rainbow Dash could get ready, she overheard the sound of a wolf growling.  She turned her head and saw Danged Spell hunkered down.  His eyes completely white with a yellow aura around them, his teeth laid bare and his voice snarling like he’s about to take off.
“Spell?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Is that your secret power?”
But instead of responding to Rainbow Dash’s question, Danged Spell took off in a flash.  He ran faster than lightning, darting all the way to the tree as he grabbed Abigail by the scruff of her neck.  The quick movement woke the kitten up, causing her to freak out as Danged Spell quickly darted out of the way.  Up in the tree, the branch finally came off and fell, hitting the ground with a thundering boom, and shattering to pieces.  That caught everyone’s attention as Danged Spell slowed down his running and walked up to Wanda.
“Woah,” Rainbow Dash said as her wings flapped upwards.  “I thought I saw everything, but that was way past cool.”
Danged Spell approached Wanda, all while holding Abigail at the scruff of her neck with his teeth.  He stopped right next to Wanda and sat Abigail down.  The scared kitten ran up to Wanda and clinged right onto her chest, sinking her claws right in her.
“YEEOUCH!”  Wanda yelled as Abigail unintentionally dug her claws into her chest.
Princess Celestia looked down at Danged Spell.  The young stallion whimpered for a bit before shaking his head out of his Wolf’s Breath trance, returning to normal.  He looked up and saw Abigail, still clung onto Wanda’s chest.
“You know,”  Danged Spell said. “She really needs to be careful with little Abigail.”
Wanda was able to free Abigail from her chest before she said “I think Abigail needs to be more careful with me.”  Abigail jumped out of Wanda’s arms and snuggled right next to her, as if she were ashamed at what she did, even though it was unintentional.  Wanda could do nothing, but rub the little kitten on the back of her ears.
Rainbow Dash flew over to Danged Spell, still shocked by what the young stallion demonstrated.
“What the hay was that all about?”  Rainbow Dash asked.  “I have never seen a unicorn act like that.”
“It’s called the Wolf’s Breath curse,” Princess Celestia explained.  “It makes a unicorn pretend he or she is a wolf and locks them out of their magic.  But what they lack in spells, they make up for it in brute strength, agility, and instinct.”
“So,” Rainbow Dash asked.  “Is he the only one affected by this curse?  Because I have never seen a pony with that before.”
“No,”  Princess Celestia said as she pointed to herself.  “He may not be the only unicorn with the Wolf’s Breath Curse.  But I’m the only Alicorn with it.”
“You have this curse?”  Rainbow Dash.
“Yes,”  Princess Celestia said.  “But I have a better control over it due to years of experience.  I’ve been training Danged Spell on how to control his curse, and how to activate it on command.”
“On command?”  Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said.  “But this process isn’t easy.  What I went through was long and stressful, back when Starswirl the Bearded helped get my curse under control.”
“Starswirl taught you how to control the Wolf’s Breath curse?”  Twilight said, geeking out on the inside.  She jumped onto Celestia’s head and said.  “No way.  That has got to be the most awesomest thing I have ever heard.  You’ve got to tell me more.”
“Awesomest?”  Rainbow Dash chuckled.  “I’ve never heard an egghead say that.”
“She and Sunburst are the biggest geeks of the group,”  Danged Spell replied.  “I’m a distant third.”
Celestia giggled as she levitated Twilight off her head and right next to her. She got up and said “That’s a story for another time, my faithful pupil.  But for now, I think it’s time we prepared for the big event.”
“That’s right,”  Danged Spell said as he turned to Rainbow Dash.  “So, you think you can beat me, eh Rainbow Crash?”
“Oh two will play at that game, Danged Smash,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk on her face.
“It’s game on,” Danged Spell said as he and Rainbow Dash glanced at each other.

Later that afternoon, the entire track and field had been transformed into a triathlon.  Students were gathered in the bleachers, cheering as they anticipated the event.  Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were on the field, eager to go at each other.  Stepping onto the field was Princess Celestia, ready to make her announcements and eager to see how it will all turn out.
“Fillies and gentlecolts,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “The Iron Stallion competition will now take place between two lucky individuals, who will compete to see who will become the Iron Stallion.  Now let’s meet our challengers.”
Celestia turned to face Danged Spell as she said “First off, you know him as the class clown of the School.  But on the inside, he’s got a heart of gold, and a soul of a wolf.  I give to you, DANGED SPELL!”  The audience cheered as Danged Spell showed off, flicking his mane and winking towards his friends in the stands. 
“Wow,” Sunset said as she cheered.  “You suppose Danged Spell will win the competition?”
“By the way Rainbow Dash sounds,”  Twilight Sparkle said as she turned her head towards Sunset Shimmer.  “I’d say she might give Spell a run for his bits.”
“Hey by the way,” Ditzy Doo said as she emerged from behind Starlight and Wanda.  “Didn’t you object to them competing against each other?”
“Well I did,” Sunset said. “But these two convinced me otherwise.”
“Oh,” Ditzy said.
Back on the field, Princess Celestia yelled “And his opponent.  Hailing straight from the Ponyville Providence, a future Wonderbolt in training who’s known for recreating the famous Sonic Rainboom.  I present to you...our guest star...RAINBOW DASH!”
As the audience cheered for Rainbow Dash, the young pegasi took off towards the air and performed a number of stunts, from loop de loops to twists and turns.  Her moves wow the audience as they were glued towards the young speedster.
Deep in the audience, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Moondancer, Spike and Abigail watched as Rainbow Dash unleashed a flurry of moves that resulted in a bolt of lightning scattering across the sky.  The man’s cub, her unicorn friends, the kitten and baby dragon’s jaw dropped at the sight of the very move Rainbow Dash pulled off.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “What in the name of mommy is that?”
“Oh that?”  Ditzy said.  “That’s the Buccaneer Blaze.  One of Rainbow Dash’s signature moves, right behind the Sonic Rainboom.”
“I noticed you’re not getting a massive headache from that,”  Twilight said.
“Oh?”  Wanda said.
“I think it might have something to do with the way this move is pulled off,” Sunburst replied as he pulled a book from his bag.  “I have a book on Pegasi tricks and techniques that talk about the types of magic from these unique skills.  And I heard there is a difference between the Buccaneer Blaze and the Sonic Rainboom that’s based on the type of magic that emits from both moves.”
“Excellent find, Sunburst,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Maybe we’ll figure out why the Rainboom always makes Wanda wince in pain.”
Meanwhile, as Sunburst opened the book up for the gang, Golden Lace watched nearby from the far end of the stands.  She glanced coldly at Wanda and her friends with a cold stare.  Something about her glimpse signaled a sign of jealousy towards the other unicorns.
“These geeks think they’re so special,” Golden Lace said to herself.  “Just because two of them are the daughters of Princess Celestia doesn’t mean anything.  They need to learn their place in society, and realize that a childish princess ain’t going to baby all of those fragile snowflakes.”

It was the first event of the Iron Stallion Competition.  Eight barrels were lined up in a zigzag pattern.  At one end, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were primed and ready to dash through the course.  Princess Celestia walked up to the podium and cleared her throat, ready to make her announcement.
“For the first event, I present to you the Barrel Weave,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Each contestant will take a turn to run through a zigzag pattern around the barrels without touching them, for a single touch will result in a five second penalty.  The fastest time wins.  Danged Spell, you’re up.”
Spell looked at Rainbow Dash and let out a smug look on his face.
“This is as easy as it gets,”  Danged Spell said.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, Spell,”  Rainbow Dash said.
Danged Spell braced down and took off.  He ran around each of the barrels, being careful not to tap into them, all while dashing as fast as possible.  Sweat ran down his forehead as he ran as fast as possible.  He made it out of there with little trouble and stopped at the very end, picking his right arm up and wiping the sweat off his brow.
“The time on that run is 19 seconds,”  Princess Celestia announced.  “No barrels have been tapped.”  That was enough to give Danged Spell a grin on his face all while he faced Rainbow Dash.
“Beat that, Rainbow Crash,”  Danged Spell said.
Rainbow Dash looked at Danged Spell, crunched her eyes down and said “Oh it is on.”  And with that, Rainbow Dash ducked down and opened her wings right up.  She let out a smirky grin on her face before taking off.  She flew right between the barrels in a flash, weaving back and forth, all while keeping that grin on her face.  It didn’t take long for her to make it to the end before the rainbow-mane filly struck a pose.
“How’s that for twenty percent cool?”  Rainbow Dash said.
“May I have your attention?”  Princess Celestia announced.  “Rainbow Dash’s time is eight seconds.  However, her wings bumped into two barrels, thus resulting in a ten second penalty.”
“How now, Brown cow?”  Danged Spell said as he grinned at Rainbow Dash.  But the rainbow-maned filly didn’t lose her grin.
“Maybe you should ask me what eight plus ten equals?”  Rainbow Dash replied.  It didn’t take long for Danged Spell to realize what that answer was.
“Eight...een?”  Danged Spell replied.
“That is correct,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Despite that penalty, Rainbow Dash beats Danged Spell by one second in the event.”
The crowd cheered as Rainbow Dash flew into the air, celebrating her win.  Danged Spell looked at himself and was a bit dumbfounded.
“I’ll get that showoff on the next event, I swear to that,”  Danged Spell said as fire burned in his eyes.

A bit later on, the barrels have been replaced with a giant target placed in the middle of the field.  On the opposite side was Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell, each holding a javelin with their hooves.  Princess Celestia walked up to the podium, eager to announce the next event.
“For our next event the Javelin Throw,”  Princess Celestia announced.  “Each contestant will throw their javelin right into the target with all their strength.  The one that is directly or the closest to the bullseye wins.  Rainbow Dash will go first.”
“No sweat,”  Rainbow Dash said as she twirled her javelin with the hoof on her right arm.  “I’ll show you all what an athletic pony is capable of, especially one that is totally awesome.”
Rainbow Dash gripped the javelin in her right arm and flew upwards towards the sky, at least a hundred feet off the ground.  She looped around and dove towards the school field, still clutching that javelin real tight.  
“Remember,” Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she fell downwards.  “As fast as possible, but not too fast where I activate my Sonic Rainboom, and give Wanda a major headache.”
As soon as Rainbow Dash was only six feet above ground, she threw the javelin real hard before flying back up.  The spear darted through the air and rammed right into the target’s bullseye.  The impact was so powerful, it sent the target flying backwards and crashing into the wall.  Everyone was shocked to see that kind of throw as Rainbow Dash flew downwards and landed on her four hooves.
“Wow,”  Sunset said as her mind was blown away.  “How the hay is Danged Spell going to beat that?”
“I think he’s got an uphill battle,” Twilight said as she closed her jaw from the spectacle Rainbow Dash pulled.
Rainbow Dash walked up to Danged Spell and said to him “Beat that, Wolf Colt.”  Danged Spell looked at Rainbow Dash and let out a loud yawn.
“How very amateurish,”  Danged Spell said as he picked up his javelin and twirled it around.his arms.  Rainbow Dash flew to a nearby spot and sat down, ready to see how it would all unfold.
“Oh this is going to be twenty percent lamer,” Rainbow Dash said with a smug grin on her face.
Danged Spell continued to twirl his javelin faster and faster until he threw it into the air.  The iris and pupils on his eyes disappeared as he made an impressive leap into the air.  Rainbow Dash looked up, and continued to smirk at Danged Spell’s own stunt.
“You couldn’t pull off what I did,” Rainbow Dash said to herself.  “I’m way cooler and stronger than you are.”
The javelin reached up as high as the roof of the school before it fell down towards the ground.  Danged Spell pulled his leg back as the javelin came down towards his level, before swinging forward with a powerful kick.
“Yep,”  Rainbow Dash said to herself.  “I got this event in the bag.  There’s no way he can pull that off.”
But with a powerful kick, Danged Spell sent that javelin flying at mach 1 speed, slamming right into the target board.  The impact was so great, it smashed the target to a number of pieces, with Rainbow Dash’s javelin shattering to mere splinters.  Rainbow Dash looked at the results of Spell’s kick and her jaw dropped.
“What?”  Rainbow Dash said, completely dumbfounded.  “How did he?”  As Rainbow Dash watched on, Danged Spell slammed into the ground and raised his head up.  Now he had a smirk on his face as the crowd went nuts.
“The target has been obliterated,”  Princess Celestia announced.  “Danged Spell wins the event.”
Danged Spell walked up to Rainbow Dash, who was still in disbelief over what she saw.
“So Rainbow Crash,”  Danged Spell yelled.  “How’s that for a smashing impression?  Get it?”
“DANGED SPELL,” Everyone in the crowd yelled as they laughed at his pun.  All except Golden Lace, who let out a meek groan.  She did not enjoy the show one bit.
“That showoff really needs to be taught a lesson,”  Golden Lace said to herself.  “Him and that Wonderbolt wannabe.  I hate it when these indigents act like they’re so special.”

It was a bit later in the day.  Two hay bales were set up with ropes attached to each of them.  Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were already set in their spots while Princess Celestia approached the podium.
“Our next event is the Hay Bale throw,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Each competitor will pick up the hay bale by the rope and toss it as far as possible.  The farthest throw wins.  Danged Spell, you go first.”
Danged Spell smiled as he approached one of the hay bales, grabbed the end of the rope with his teeth, and began swinging the bale around and around.  He spun his entire body around and around, speeding up along with the hay bale, until he let go. The hay bale went flying out of his teeth, and flew into the air.  The crowd watched in awe as the hay bale zipped past.
“Wow,” Starlight said as she ate some chunks of pineapple from a can.  “I knew Danged Spell to be strong, but not that strong.”
“There’s more to that colt than meets the eye,” Sunburst said.  “But then again, he acts more like an earth pony than a unicorn.”
The hay bale finally descended, and landed around thirty yards from Danged Spell’s position.  Danged Spell ran up to the hay bale, got up on his two legs, and planted his fore hooves on the bale.
“Hah,”  Danged Spell said with a complacent look on his face.  “I’d like to see that pegasi beat that.”
“Spell,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I’d move out of the way if I were you.”
“Why’s that, cake flank?”  Danged Spell said.  “Don’t tell me she threw her hay bale.  I bet it wouldn’t even smack me in the face.”
But as Danged Spell finished his sentence, another hay bale slammed right into him.  He was caught in the mangled cube of hay as it went tumbling further before coming to a complete stop.
“That’s...why,” Princess Celestia said as she put her hoof over her face.  “And with that, Rainbow Dash won the round.”
Danged Spell stuck his head out of the hay bale with a clump of hay stuck in his mouth, all while Rainbow Dash cheered and yelled.  She then flew over to Danged Spell, who still looked upset.
“What are you trying to do, show off?” Danged Spell said after he spat out the hay.
“So what if I was?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Besides, I think you really said a mouthful.”
As Rainbow Dash walked off laughing, Danged Spell’s face grew bright red with anger.

Later on, both Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell were sitting down around a small square table.  Their right arms were on the table, with their elbows touching the surface. They were eager to get into an arm wrestling match.
“For this event,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell will compete in an Arm Wrestling Match.  Whoever pins the other’s arm down, wins the round.”  She turned her head to the two younglings and said “Contestants, START NOW!”
WIthout a second thought, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell gripped their rival’s arm and began to press back against each other.  They both struggled a bit, trying to push down on the opposing arm.  But it appeared Rainbow Dash was starting to get the advantage as she held down Danged Spell’s arm.
“So Danged Stunk,” Rainbow Dash said as she was on the verge of pinning Danged Spell’s arm.  “How does it feel to mess with the best?”
“The best?” Danged Spell said.  “You’re so full of it.”
Suddenly, Danged Spell thrust his right arm hard enough to regain his momentum and slam Rainbow Dash’s arm hard on the table.  The impact caused Rainbow Dash’s eyes to pop out, forcing her to pull her arm out and scream as she held the back of her hoof.
“Danged Spell has pinned Rainbow Dash,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Danged Spell won the round.”
As Rainbow Dash continued to hold the back of her hoof in pain, Danged Spell casually got off his seat and walked up to Rainbow Dash.
“Need some ice, Rainbow Crash?”  Danged Spell said.
Rainbow Dash looked at Danged Spell, still holding her hoof and said “Not cool, Danged Spell.  Not cool.”

Not long afterwards, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash found themselves on the track, preparing to run the distance.  Rainbow Dash has her wings tied up to prevent her from flying, as she and Danged Spell stretched for the next event.
“For the next event,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash will run three laps around the course.  The first one across the finish line, wins.”
Rainbow Dash edged towards Danged Spell and said “Hey Spell.  I’ll give you a one lap head start.  How does that sound?”
Danged Spell smiled and said “Oh you just made a big mistake.”
Suddenly, Princess Celestia yelled out “On your marks, get set, GO!”  WIth the cue of Celestia’s voice, Danged Spell took off while Rainbow Dash just stood there, minding her own business.
As Danged Spell raced across the track, he said “Rainbow Dash just made a big mistake, giving me the head start.  It won’t be long until I reach my three laps and win this round one hundred percent.”  Danged Spell continued to dart across the track, sprinting forward like a bolt of lightning.
Soon, Danged Spell was nearing the finish line, where Rainbow Dash continued to stay put like she wasn’t interested in the race. Danged Spell raced forward, inching closer and closer to the finish line.
“Only one lap down,” Danged Spell said to himself.  “Only two more laps and I win this round.”
But as Danged Spell crossed the finish line, Rainbow Dash took off in a flash.  She raced down the track in almost an instant, much to Danged Spell’s shock.
“WOOOO HOOO!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she crossed the finish line almost instantly.  Before Danged Spell could even move, Rainbow Dash ran faster and faster, completing two laps around the course, all while the rope held down her wings.  Danged Spell was at a complete lost of words as Rainbow Dash crossed the finish line for the third time, before coming to a complete stop.
“Rainbow Dash has completed three laps around the course without the use of her wings,”  Princess Celestia announced.  “RAINBOW DASH WINS!”
As Danged Spell looked on with a shock of disbelief in his eyes and his jaw dropped to the floor, Rainbow Dash waltzed up to Danged Spell with a smug look on her face.
“You were so focused on my wing speed,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You forgot that I am also the fastest thing alive on four hooves.  How’s that for an impressive performance?”
Danged Spell could do nothing, but faint at that revelation.  Rainbow Dash walked up to Danged Spell and looked down.
“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I think you’re at a loss for words.”

Sometime later, a high striker was set up on the field, with the target set up vertically.  Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were ready to prepare for their next competition as Princess Celestia took to the field.
“For this next event,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Each player will take a turn to see who can strike the target and send the puck all the way up to ring the bell.  The one who hits the highest wins the round.  Rainbow Dash, you will go first.”
Rainbow Dash walked up to the high striker with a devilish grin on her face.  She turned to Danged Spell and said “Watch the master work her magic.” 
But Danged Spell said nothing, as he had a cold look on his face.
“Boy,” Rainbow Dash said.  “That look is colder than the far north.”
Rainbow Dash faced her rear end towards the target, pulled her legs back and kicked the target really hard.  The puck flew all the way up, striking the bell at the top, before falling back to the bottom.  Rainbow Dash looked at the bell before turning back and walked towards Danged Spell.
“Good luck beating that,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You would be lucky to make it halfway.”
Danged Spell walked up to the high striker, still maintaining the cold look on his face.  He got up on his hind legs, pulled his right arm back, and thrust forward, smashing the target with his hoof.  The puck flew up so fast, it smashed the bell off the top on impact, and flew all the way out.  Rainbow Dash saw the puck fly out and her jaw dropped to the ground.
“Danged Spell has knocked the bell off the high strike,” Princess Celestia announced.  “He wins this round.”
As Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe what she saw, Danged Spell walked up to Rainbow Dash, now with a smug look on his face.
“How?”  Rainbow Dash said, completely blindsided by that simple punch.  “What did you do?  Did I just…”
“Oh I forgot to tell you this,” Danged Spell said. “I was born in the Liolani archipelago, where my grandma’s traditions taught me how to function more like an earth pony and less like a unicorn.”
Rainbow Dash let out a disgruntled snort as she turned to face Danged Spell.
“Oh just you wait,” Rainbow Dash said.  “When I beat you in the final round, you’re going to wish you never crossed paths with Rainbow Dash.”
“Whatever you say, Rainbow Crash,” Danged Spell said with a grin on his face.

Later that day, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were paired up together as Princess Celestia approached the podium.  The crowd was eager to hear what she was going to say.
“After a total of twelve events, we have reached a tie,” Princess Celestia said.  “Both Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell have six points apiece.  This means a tie breaker is necessary.”
As the crowd cheered, Rainbow Dash turned towards Danged Spell and said “I still can’t believe you bested me in a bronco busting contest.”
“You’re telling me?”  Danged Spell replied.  “You seem to have skills in a lasso contest.”
“Oh I happen to be a natural,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“That won’t save you when we complete the final round,” Danged Spell said.
“Oh ho ho ho ho,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “That’s what you think.”
“Well it seems our two contestants are eager to face each other in the final round,” Princess Celestia said.  “But don’t go away.  We’re going to set up the final event to determine who wins the Iron Stallion competition.

Back in the stands, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Ditzy Doo continued to cheer for both Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash.  They looked eager to see how the event would end.
“Wow,” Sunset said.  “Now I really regret not wanting to see this play out.”
“I think this is why ponies love competition,” Wanda said.  “Mommy told me that the Wonderbolts enjoy a little friendly rivalry once in a while.”
“Well she ain’t wrong on that,” Sunburst said as he flipped through his book.  “It’s a common practice to see two Wonderbolt performers compete for glory in the skies, pulling off a number of stunts to impress the crowds.  Ponies pay tons of money to attend these Wonderbolt gatherings.  Some even record footage to show their friends and family online.”
“You know,” Ditzy Doo said.  “This is what we pegasi enjoy doing.”
“Well you’re not wrong on that, Ditzy,” Twilight said.  “Earth ponies go into brick breaking competitions, while unicorns love to test their skills with magic.  But when it comes to putting on a show, the pegasi are the best at pulling that off with their aerial stunts and performances.”
“Too bad I can’t qualify to be a Wonderbolt,” Ditzy Doo said. 
“Well why’s that?”  Starlight asked.
“I have a tendency to crash a lot,” Ditzy replied.  “And as you can tell, I am cross eyed.”
“Oh dear,” Moondancer said.  “You have the capacity of a Wonderbolt, and you have that holding you back.”
“Yeah,”  Ditzy said as she looked down. “I tried out for the Junior Wonderbolts camp last summer, and I wound up failing on an epic scale.  They say I get too distracted.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Starlight said as she put her arm around Ditzy Doo’s shoulder.  
“Thanks,” Ditzy said.
“Hey just a question,” Wanda said.  “Would I be cut out to be a Wonderbolt?”
“I don’t know,” Ditzy replied.  “You don’t have wings on your back.”
Wanda let out a playful raspberry as she got up.  Her insect wings formed on her back, much to the surprise of Ditzy Doo.
“Wait,” Ditzy said.  “You have wings?”
“Yep,” Wanda replied.  “You may not know this, but I’m the only one of this group of friends who can fly.”
“That might be true,” Sunset said.  “But you would most likely break down crying if you tried out to be a Wonderbolt.”
“Oh yeah?”  Wanda said as she glanced at Sunset. “I bet I could be the first human Wonderbolt ever.”
“I heard the drill sergeants would chew you up and spit you out,” Sunset said to Wanda as she had a smug look on her face.  “Besides, I don’t truly take you as a big Wonderbolt fan.”
“I bet they’re not as bad as Chancellor Cinch,” Wanda replied.
“Oh please,” Sunset replied.  “They make Cinch look like mommy.”
“Okay you two,” Twilight laughed.  “Let’s not resort to being like Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash.
As the crowd of kids laughed, Golden Lace was in the distance, glancing over at the group.  Her eyes were fixated on Ditzy Doo and a smirk formed on her mouth.
“Easily distracted, eh?”  Golden Lace said to herself.  “A failure to the Wonderbolts, eh?”  I just found myself a pegasi snowflake.  Once the time is right, I’ll turn on the waterworks on that pathetic pegasi.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Sins of the Parents

> Arc 8-3: Sins of the Parents
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Sins of the Parents



It was later in the afternoon with everyone in the audience anticipating the final event.  The scoreboard is tied between Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash with six points each.  Both competitors were set at the end of a long, thick rope.  In the stands, Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Moondancer and Ditzy Doo were cheering as the two competitors stared down at each other.  Nearby, Golden Lace glanced at Ditzy with a smirk on her face.
“Once the final competition starts,” Golden Lace thought to herself.  “I’ll give that pegasi brat a taste of humiliation, and then sneak off.  Dumb snowflake thinks she’s so special.”
As Golden Lace kept her eye between the event down below and Ditzy Doo in the stands, Wanda and Sunset continued to cheer as Princess Celestia began to take the stage.
“So who do you think will win?” Sunset said.
“I think Rainbow Dash might have what it takes,” Wanda replied.
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said.  “For someone who’s close to Danged Spell, you’re eager to embrace his opponent.”
“But isn’t she so cool?”  Wanda replied.  “The way she flies into the air is amazing.  I hope I get to race her in the air one day.”
“Wanda,” Sunset said with a giggle.  “You may be the only one of us all who can fly, but Rainbow Dash would fly rings around you in the air.”
“She’s right,” Ditzy said as she stuck her head towards the three girls.  “I’ve seen Rainbow Dash pull off the near impossible when it comes to flying.  And that includes the Sonic Rainboom.”
Wanda let out a sigh as she said “If only I could see the Rainboom without hurting on the inside.”

On the field, Princess Celestia walked up to the podium and cleared her throat, ready to make the announcement.
“May I have your attention, fillies and gentlecolts?”  Princess Celestia said into the mic.  “For our final tiebreaker event, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash will partake in a tug-o-war competition.  Both competitors will pull at opposite ends of their rope, using every punch of strength within.  That includes Rainbow Dash’s wings and Danged Spell’s magic.  Whoever pulls the opponent into the mud, wins the tiebreaker, and is declared winner of the Iron Stallion Competition.  Anything you two would like to say to each other?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said as she turned her head towards Danged Spell. “Eat my dust.”
“I’ll make you eat the mud, Rainbow Crash,” Danged Spell said with a grin on his face as he bit into his end of the rope..
“Oh it’s on,” Rainbow Dash said as she bit into her end of the rope.
“Looks like everyone is set,” Princess Celestia said as she turned to face Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell.
Tension filled the atmosphere as Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash stared down at each other, each with opposite ends of the rope in their mouth.  The crowd looked on, getting ready for the final event to play out.  Princess Celestia had her eyes completely locked onto the duo, as a small drop of sweat fell from her brow.
“Contestants ready,” Princess Celestia said.  “GO!”
And with that, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell pulled back on the rope, hoping to pull the opponent into the mud and claim the final victory.  The crowd, sans Golden Lace, kept changing “GO” repeatedly as the duo held on to each end of the rope, holding down tight with their teeth as Rainbow Dash pulled back with her wings, all while Danged Spell held tight with some of his magic.
Quickly, Rainbow Dash grabbed a piece of the rope with her arms and spits her end out of her mouth.  She pulled back as much as possible, hoping to bring Danged Spell to a dirty end. 
But Danged Spell took notice of Rainbow Dash’s tactic, and grabbed his end of the rope with his arms.  His horn glowed as the section of the rope was embedded with magic.  He spat out part of the  rope and began to pull back with his arms and magic.  The two looked like they were still dead even.
“Still think you’re a match for me, Dirty Spell?”  Rainbow Dash said as she held firm on the rope.  “You’re about to be all washed up.”
“My dear Rainbow Crash,” Danged Spell said as he held on.  “I’ve only just begun.”

Back in the stands, the crowds continued to chant “GO” towards Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell. All except Golden Lace, who has shifted her eyes towards Ditzy Doo.
“Now’s my chance,” Golden Lace said to herself.  “Time to chop the onions.”
While everyone had their eyes focused on the field, Golden Lace slowly scooted over to Ditzy Doo.  Her devilish smirk melted away, replaced with a jolly smile.
“Great competition, eh?”  Golden Lace said to Ditzy Doo.
“Oh is it,” Ditzy said, not paying attention to Golden Lace.  “I hope Rainbow Dash comes out the winner.  She’s my hero.”
Golden Lace’s smirk began to form a bit on her cheek as she inched her mouth towards Ditzy’s ear.
“So tell me,” Golden Lace whispered.  “What makes you think you’re best friends with this….Rainbow Dash.”
Those words caused Ditzy Doo to pause as she turned her head towards Golden Lace.
“That’s easy,” Ditzy Doo said.  “I’ve known her since she moved from Cloudsdale to the Ponyville Providence.”
“And why would Rainbow Dash want to remain best friends with a simple-minded crow-bait like you?”  Golden Lace whispered.  Those words caused Ditzy’s face to go into a bit of a shock, all while everyone else’s attention was still on Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell.
“What do you mean by that?” Ditzy said, still startled by Golden Lace’s words.
“Why would someone like Rainbow Dash want to remain friends with a total subnormal dimwit like you?”  Golden Lace whispered to Ditzy Doo as the pegasi filly began to shed a tear.
“Because we’ve known each other before I even came to Canterlot,” Ditzy said as she wiped away the tears from her eyes.
“She might be lying to you,”  Golden Lace said.  “She only pretends to be your friend.  But I heard while you’re not looking, she says some horrible things to you.”
“She what?”  Ditzy Doo said, as her voice doesn’t even catch the attention of the other fillies?”
“I saw her when she was chilling all by herself,” Golden Lace said.  “She was livid about you, calling you a liability behind your back, and a worthless imbecil.  She also mentioned that she didn’t come by to take you home to Ponyville.”
“She didn’t?”  Ditzy said as tears continued to flow from her eyes.
“Oh no,”  Golden Lace said.  “I heard she was going to fly you to the ends of the planet and leave you in a lifeless wasteland, where you’ll be all alone.  And to make sure you don’t escape, she’s going to put cuffs on your wings.”
Tears flowed even faster from Ditzy Doo as she struggled to hold it in.  Golden Lace got up and turned towards the high end of the bleachers.
“It’s not true,” Ditzy said, as she looked like she was on the verge of crying.
“Oh believe me,” Golden Lace said.  “It’s all true.”  She then jumped over the railing and landed on the grass before hiding underneath the bleachers.
Ditzy tried her hardest not to hold it in.  But those nasty words that Golden Lace said to her, she looked like she could burst.
“Rainbow Dash...is not….my friend?”  Ditzy said before she let out a loud scream, crying as loud as possible as two waterfalls of tears flowed from her eyes.  That caught the attention of Wanda, the fillies and the companions.
“Ditzy Doo?”  Moondancer said.  “What happened?”

Back on the field, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell continued to pull at their respective ends of the rope, when they overheard Ditzy Doo cry.  But as the two turned their heads towards the bleachers, the rope snapped and sent them both flying right into each other.  The moment Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell collided, the crowd let out a loud gasp as the duo fell right into the mud.  Even Princess Celestia was speechless as the event that transpired.
“What in the name of my mother?” Princess Celestia said, shocked at seeing both Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell knee-deep in the mud.
“That sounded like Ditzy Doo,” Rainbow Dash said as she got up, still dirty from the mud.
“What in the hay would cause her to bawl her eyes out?”  Danged Spell said as he got up, not minding the mud still covering his fur.
“Come on,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Let’s see what’s going on.”
As Rainbow Dash flew up to check on Ditzy Doo, Danged Spell was about to take off when Princess Celestia approached him.  The look on her face is of total concern.
“Young stallion,” Princess Celestia said as Danged Spell looked up to her.  “I think I know who’s behind it, and I know where she is.”

Back on the bleachers, Ditzy continued to cry out loud as everyone else was in complete shock.  Especially with Moondancer and Wanda, who did their best to comfort Ditzy Doo..
“Ditzy,” Moondancer said as she struggled to get close to the pegasi. “What’s wrong?”
But Ditzy continued to cry her eyes out, ignoring the plea from Moondancer.
“This is hopeless,”  Wanda said, as she stood helpless watching Ditzy cry.  “What would mom do to comfort her?”
As Starlight watched Ditzy cry, small particles of tears began to form on her cheek as well.  Starlight struggled to hold it as she continued to watch Ditzy bawl her eyes out.
“Poor Ditzy,” Starlight said.  “Seeing her cry makes me want to...to..”
“No, Don’t do it,”  Sunburst yelled as he begged Starlight not to cry.  But it was not enough.  Starlight started crying out loud as she felt sorry for Ditzy Doo.  Her tears flowed like twin waterfalls as one of them splashed all over Sunburst, drenching him completely.  Sunburst just sat right down and leaned onto his left arm as the waterfall tears spilled all over him.
“Oh Starlight,” Sunburst said as he put his hoof on his face.  “What would you do without the rest of us?”
As Ditzy continued her waterworks, Rainbow Dash flew on in and approached her close friend.  Ditzy opened her eyes and saw Rainbow Dash approaching her.
“Hey Ditzy,” Rainbow Dash said. “You okay?”  But one look at Rainbow Dash was enough to cause Ditzy to freak out.
“You’re a big meanie, Rainbow Dash,” Ditzy Doo yelled.  “You think I’m some sort of subnormal dimwit.”
“A subnormal what?” Rainbow Dash said, confused.  “I don’t get it.
“You also think I’m some sort of liability,” Ditzy yelled as her eyes continued to water.  “And you want to cuff my wings down, send me to the ends of the planet, and leave me in some random wasteland, all alone by myself.”
“Woah woah, easy there,”  Rainbow Dash said as she began to understand what Ditzy was saying.  “Why would I want to do something as horrible as that?  And a liability?  I’ve known you since I moved to La Maresa in the Ponyville Providence.  All I see in you is a lost soul that needs a good friend, not some liability or a subnormal whatchamacallit.”   Rainbow Dash’s words began to take hold on Ditzy’s psyche as her crying began to ease down.
“You…” Ditzy Doo said as she wiped away the tears.  “You never meant any of that?”
“Do I look like those three bullies who kept picking on you?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “I may be smug and arrogant, but I’m not mean-spirited and cruel like Hoops, Dumbbell and Score.  Those three are the reasons why I chose to be your friend.  I didn’t want you to feel bad.”
And with that, Rainbow Dash brushed Ditzy Doo’s mane with her hoof.  Ditzy giggled as she reached out and hugged Rainbow Dash.
“I shouldn’t have doubted you, Rainbow,”  Ditzy said.  “Especially after what that mean filly said about you.”
“Mean filly, eh?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “I think I know who you’re talking about.”
“Unfortunately, she took off while we weren’t looking,” Sunset Shimmer said as she comforted Starlight Glimmer.  “All during the final event between you and Danged Spell.”
“Speaking of which,” Moondancer said. “Where is that clown?  One moment he hit the mudpack with you, and the next minute he disappeared while we were helping Ditzy.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Twilight said with a smirk on her face.  “Something tells me Princess Celestia may have something to do with it.”

Underneath the bleachers, Golden Lace looked upward at the group as they gave comfort to Ditzy Doo.  Her smug look tells a disturbing sign that she had done her part in giving some grief to that cross-eyed pegasus. 
“Snowflakes like that impaired horse are so easy to upset,” Golden Lace said to herself.  “And her tears are like a delicious chocolate milkshake.”
“For someone who lives the high life, you sure act like a dirty rat.”  That voice startled Golden Lace.  She turned around and saw Danged Spell from one end of the bleacher’s understructure.  He shook off some of the mud from his head before delivering an agitated snort from his nose.
“You don’t know when to give up,” Golden Lace said as she turned tail.  “Maybe when you learn your place, you’ll realize that you and Roadkill Trash were never that important.”
Before Danged Spell could move an inch, Golden Lace took off in the opposite direction.  That being said, Spell’s anger turned into a smirk as he just stood there.
“Gotcha,” Danged Spell said with a low voice as he took a few steps back. “She bit it hook, line and sinker.”
Golden Lace ran out from underneath the bleachers and into the open field.  But as she took off, a small quake shook underneath.  She lost her balance and fell onto the grass.  
“Wha?”  Golden Lace said, completely caught off guard.  “Who’s responsible for this madness?”
But as Golden Lace looked up, she saw the familiar white alicorn that is Princess Celestia.  Lace’s face was in complete shock as Princess Celestia stared down at the young filly in complete disgust.  
“Golden Lace,” Princess Celestia yelled as her tone grew frightening.  “My office, this instant.  MARCH, YOUNG LADY!”
All Golden Lace could do was swallow a bit of saliva as she walked down with Princess Celestia walking right behind her.  If there was one thing on her mind, it was the fact that she got caught red hooved.

Later that day, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Spike, and Ditzy Doo waited outside Princess Celestia’s office.  While a sense of relief filled the room, there was a bit of anxiety over both Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell.
“Are you both alright?”  Twilight said.
“No we’re not,” Rainbow Dash said.  “What Golden Lace did to Ditzy Doo is completely despicable.”
“No doubt about it,” Danged Spell said.  “No self-centered brat goes around making Ditzy cry and getting away with it.”  The mere look on Danged Spell’s face was enough to worry Moondancer.
“I haven’t seen Danged Spell that fired up before,” Moondancer whispered to Twilight.  “And that’s not counting his Wolf’s Breath curse.”
“Danged Spell may be naive,”  Twilight whispered back.  “But he has a sense of loyalty towards anyone he calls his friend.  And I can see that same energy within Rainbow Dash.”
“No kidding,”  Moondancer whispered.  “It’s almost as if these two were tied to some sort of destiny.”
“I doubt it,” Twilight whispered.  “Equestria hasn’t had any form of evil in a long time.  Not since Daybreaker, and not since the invasion of Queen Icelina.”
As Moondancer and Twilight continued to whisper towards each other, Starlight sat right next to Ditzy Doo with Spike and Sunburst right next to her.
“You okay?”  Starlight asked while she had her hoof on Ditzy’s back.
“No,” Ditzy said.  “Not after what that bad filly said to me.”
“Don’t you worry,” Sunburst said.  “Whatever Celestia will do, she’ll make sure Golden Lace doesn’t give you any trouble again.”
“Yeah,” Starlight said.  “It’s not the first time she got in trouble for being a cruel and mean-spirited filly.”
“I hope you’re right,” Ditzy said.  “She’s not the first jerk to bully me.  I hope she’s the last.”
Nearby, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell were watching Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst.  The presence of those three were enough to calm the nerves of the two rivals.
“Is Golden Lace the only bull you have to put up with?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Yes, thankfully,” Danged Spell replied.  “In fact, I used to think like that.  Didn’t see much in Wanda.”
“What made you change your tune?”  Rainbow Dash asked.
“Princess Celestia at least set me straight,” Danged Spell said.  “But what really changed my mind was how impressive Wanda was in rescuing little Abigail.  I never saw anyone as remarkable as Wanda do what she had to, even if she was a little reckless in her own well-being.”
But as Rainbow Dash watched the three from afar, something caught her eye.  Two adult ponies, one a stallion, another a mare, were walking down the hallway towards them.  Their mood is of complete disgust.
“Uhh Danged Spell,” Rainbow Dash said as she tapped the colt by the shoulder.  “I think we’ve got company.”
Danged Spell turned his head and saw the two older ponies walking towards them.  The pupils in his eyes shrank as his ears flopped downwards.  His jaw dropped a bit at the mere sight. 
“The Banks family,” Danged Spell said to himself.  “They’ve come for their daughter.”

Inside the office, Golden Lace sat in a chair, looking completely afraid.  Princess Celestia marched back and forth while Wanda, Sunset and Abigail glanced at her from the side.  Fear fed into Golden Lace’s eyes as she awaited her fate.  And yet, she looked as if she were about to throw a fit.
“This is the fifth incident you have pulled at this school, young lady,” Princess Celestia said with a stern tone.  “Do you have any idea why you chose to torment Ditzy Doo?  She is one of our special guests at the school.  Our goal was to make her comfortable during her time here, and you went and gave her a hard time.  And not to mention from what I heard, you also tried to sever the friendship between her and our other guest: Rainbow Dash.”
“What about the fact that one of your students pulled that kind of stunt?”  Golden Lace yelled.  That response was only met with a loud hiss.  Golden Lace turned her head to see Abigail growl at her.
“I’m afraid that whataboutism isn’t going to work,” Wanda said, glancing at Golden Lace.  “Danged Spell may be naive, but he understands the true meaning of friendship.”
“She’s right,” Sunset said.  “If I ever pulled a stunt like that, I would have faced the same consequences as what you’re going through.”
“That’s because you and that monkey live a sheltered life,” Golden Lace snapped as she turned her head towards Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.  “All the way up there in that big castle, thinking you’re both some sort of princesses.  Reality check: You’re nothing special you simple-minded pair of Mary Sues.”
“That’s enough, Golden Lace,” Princess Celestia yelled.  The high volume of her voice was enough to cause the room to shake a bit, shocking Golden Lace, but also startling Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer.  Abigail let out a loud meow before hiding behind Wanda’s legs.
“This is why I don’t anger Princess Celestia,” Sunset said towards Wanda.
“Tell me about it,” Wanda replied.  “I did it once unintentionally.”
Princess Celestia walked around the desk and towards Golden Lace.  To say she was disappointed in one of her students was a massive understatement.  Her once calm tone has become completely abrasive.  The smile she once had early this morning was gone, and only a frown remained.  Golden Lace could do nothing but look up in fear.
“I gave you many chances to change your attitude, young lady,” Princess Celestia said with a stern tone.  “But time after time, you chose to repeat the same actions that got you in trouble in the first place.  Your actions have consequences, and I don’t see suspension as an appropriate punishment.  Effective immediately, you will be serving detention for the next two months.”
“Detention?” Golden Lace yelled.
“That’s right,”  Princess Celestia said.  “So unless you want to push your luck, you march over to the detention room this instant.”
“That will be enough, Princess Celestia.”  The sound of that voice caught the attention of everyone in the room.  Princess Celestia looked up and saw an older stallion and a younger mare.  The duo took a few steps towards the Princess.  The stallion with a cold look on his face, and the mare with a face of confidence.  Wanda and Sunset looked up and felt a scary presence from these two.
“I don’t like the looks of them,” Wanda whispered to Sunset.
“That’s Silver and Gold Banks,” Sunset Shimmer whispered back.  “Those two are the richest ponies in Equestria and the parents of Golden Lace.  They’re also the biggest financial backers of Equestrian Politics.  They make even Chancellor Cinch quiver in fear.”
As Silver and Gold Banks approach Princess Celestia, they place themselves right next to their daughter Golden Lace.  The self-centered brat’s face went from fear to calm in almost an instant.
“Silver and Gold Banks,” Princess Celestia said as she cleared her throat.  “We were discussing your daughter’s recent incident at the school.”
“We are completely aware of this Princess,” Silver Banks snapped.  “That is why we came here.”
“Then you both do know that your daughter will be facing the consequences of her actions,” Princess Celestia replied.  “Even though you’re the most influential ponies of Equestria, your daughter still has to atone for what she did.”
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” Gold Banks said as she flicked her mane.  “As the biggest financial backers of every political party in Equestria, third parties included, we wanted what’s best for the interests of this nation.  And unfortunately, you’ve proven time and time again, not to showcase that.”
“What does that have to do with your daughter Golden Lace?” Princess Celestia asked as her patience began to grow thin.
“Why...everything,” Gold Banks said.  “We want what’s best for our daughter, and what’s best for Equestria.  And by denying her what she deserves, you only set Equestria back a thousand years.”
“So we are going to make this very clear to you,” Silver Banks said.  “You will refrain from giving our daughter detention, and ensure that you will not mistreat her like that again.”
“With all due respect Mr Banks,” Princess Celestia said.  “I cannot do that.  If I did so, I’d have to do the same thing for every student in this school.”
“Then you leave us no other choice,” Silver Banks said as he slammed his hoof on the desk.  “If you do not retract Golden Lace’s detention service, not only will I order this school to be shut down, but I will push out a propaganda piece that will have you made a pariah in public, turning your people against you, leading to your own resignation.”
“My what?”  Princess Celestia shreked.  Wanda, Sunset and Abigail looked on in complete shock from what Silver Banks said to Princess Celestia, completely at a loss of words.
“The ultimate punishment for mistreating my daughter will result in the loss of your crown, and your own banishment from Canterlot.”  Silver Banks yelled.  “DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?
Princess Celestia was at a loss of words.  Early ago, she had a stern and disappointing look that showcased a sign of discipline.  Now all that is left is a face of fear and despair.  She hung her head down and let out a long sigh.
“Fine,”  Princess Celestia said, looking defeated.  “Golden Lace will not serve detention in this school.”  
“Very good,” Silver Banks said as his tone went from abrasive to satisfied.  Golden Lace turned her head towards Wanda and Sunset and let out a devilish grin.
“This is why you always lose, you entitled pigs,” Golden Lace said to the two girls as she got down.
“Come my daughter,” Silver Banks said.  “Let us leave Princess Celestia to think about what she did.”
Golden Lace and Silver Banks began to walk out of Celestia’s Office.  As Gold Banks began to do the same, she turned her head towards Wanda.
“You’re such a foolish child, pretending to be something you don’t deserve to be,” Gold Banks said to the Man’s Cub.  “A filthy animal who’s pretending to be a Princess when you’re nothing more than Celestia’s little pet.  You’re better off caged off in a zoo where ponies pelt your face with peanuts...MARY SUE!”  
With a sinister laugh, Gold Banks walked out of the room.  Tears began to form on Wanda’s face.

Outside, Golden Lace, Silver Banks and Gold Banks walked outside with everyone around them in total shock.  Especially Ditzy Doo, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell.  Golden Lace turned her attention towards Danged Spell and stared right into that stallion’s soul.
“You and that stupid princess should have let me be,”  Golden Lace said.  “Had you done so, we wouldn’t be in this mess.  Oh well, this is why I keep winning and you keep losing.  And speaking of which, that Iron Stallion Competition was a complete snoozefest.  Your Pegasi friend wouldn’t be suited to be a Wonderbolt.  But who’d want to be a part of those losers, anyway?”
Golden Lace laughed as she walked down the hallway with Silver and Gold Banks right next to her.  Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo were still in complete disbelief.  But Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.
“Losers?”  Rainbow Dash said as she stomped the ground.  “No pony calls the Wonderbolts losers.”
But as Rainbow Dash was about to take off after Golden Lace, Twilight Sparkle held Rainbow Dash back with her magic.  The young pegasi struggled to break free.
“Leggo Egghead,” Rainbow Dash yelled.  “I’ll make that brat pay for what she said about the Wonderbolts.”
“It’s not worth it, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.  “Do you want your name to be eviscerated across Equestria?  You may not even get into the Wonderbolts at all.”
Upon hearing those words, Rainbow Dash let herself go and sank back down.  Her look was completely dejected, considering the fact that Golden Lace not only hurt Ditzy’s feelings, but also spoiled the Iron Stallion event.
“Darnit,” Rainbow Dash said.  “It just isn’t fair.  How in the hay do we have to put up with those sets of crab apples?”
Ditzy looked down at the hallway and saw Golden Lace walk off with her parents Silver and Gold Banks.  As she looked down at herself and pondered what to do at this moment, she overheard the sound of sniffling.  She turned and ran into Celestia’s office. 
 Inside, Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer  looked down at Wanda Young, with Abigail looking back up at her human companion. 
“Wanda?”  Ditzy said.
Wanda Young looked like she was on the verge of crying. Tears poured down her cheek.  The sight of seeing Golden Lace get away with breaking the rules, and the mean words that Gold Banks said to her brought her spirits completely down.
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia said with a depressed tone.  “I didn’t mean for this to happen my darling.”
“IT’S NOT FAIR!” Wanda cried as she ran out the doorway, dashing past Ditzy Doo.  She made her way down the opposite hall, bawling her eyes out as everyone else watched her run.
“Oh no,” Ditzy said as she saw Wanda run in the opposite direction.  Without a second thought, she ran after Wanda.
Starlight Glimmer walked inside and saw Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright and Princess Celestia.  All three individuals were in complete despair.  
“Princess Celestia,” Starlight said as she noticed the tone of her office had a sense of dread.  “What happened?”
Sunset Shimmer placed her hoof on her face as Abigail cowered right next to the sun filly.  Princess Celestia completely collapsed on her desk, exhausted and emotionally drained.
“My dear Starlight,” Celestia said with a depressed voice.  “I have a lot to think about.”



	To Be Continued in…


	A Mother’s Soothing Touch

> Arc 8-4: A Mother's soothing touch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	A Mother’s Soothing Touch




It was the afternoon at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were outside Princess Celestia’s office, with Spike and Abigail sitting right next to each other.  All seven youngsters were still in complete disbelief.
“I still don’t get it,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “How is it that these two have complete and total sway over everything to do with Equestrian politics?
 “It’s something that even I can’t figure out,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “There’s no books on how Silver and Gold Banks rose to power.  Not even a news article that tells how they did it.”
“Yeah,” Sunburst said.  “I did some extra research on the Banks even before I came to Canterlot to attend this school.  The only thing it pointed out was that Silver’s father, the famous Green Banks, made a lot of money on the real estate market.”
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Rainbow Dash said and she stomped her front hooves in anger.  “How can making money on real estate, or whatever the hay it is, make you the richest pony in Equestria?”
“I’ve got no argument on that,” Danged Spell replied as he approached Rainbow Dash.  “In fact, I find it really sickening that this Green Banks character was able to make bank on accommodations for ponies.  Not to mention that he delivered the whole bank towards his son Silver Banks”
“Wow,”  Moondancer said with a bit of shock on her face.  “That’s a bit too serious by your standards of puns.”
“I know,” Danged Spell replied.  “Even I’m not clowning around when the mood’s gone south.”
“The only thing I’m hoping for is how mommy is doing since that fallout she suffered,” Sunset Shimmer said as she sat next to Abigail and Spike.
“We saw the Chancellor and Princess Luna enter the office,” Moondancer said to Sunset as she approached Spike and gently stroked the baby dragon on the forehead.  “I assure they should be there to at least cheer her up.”
“I hope you’re right, Moondancer,” Sunset said. “After what we all went through, we could use a bit of enthusiasm.”

Inside the office, Princess Celestia sat in her chair as Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch stood on the opposite side of her desk.  Both of them had a share of concern for the Sun Princess.
“And they threatened to shut down the school unless you refrained from putting Golden Lace in detention?”  Chancellor Cinch said.
“Yes,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Even threatening to put out a propaganda piece to goad me into surrendering the crown.  Even going as far as banishment.”  Those words troubled Chancellor Cinch and Princess Luna deeply.
“This is exactly as I feared,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “The Banks are completely out of control.  But at the same time, they share some political immunity due to the amount of influence they have over Equestrian politics.”
“These events are making my fight with Daybreaker look like an easy task,” Princess Luna said.  “Sometimes I wonder if I freed my sister from the Shade of Hate’s control, only to push her into this mess.”
“Now why would you want to say that, your majesty?”  Chancellor Cinch said to Princess Luna.  “That’s no reason to get upset over the Banks pulling this stunt on us.”
“I’m afraid she’s right,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’ve felt defeated before. But never on this level.  The Shade of Hate felt too merciful compared to the Banks.”
“Now you listen here, Princess,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Or should I say..Mother.  Just because you had to go through what the Banks brought to you, doesn’t mean you should give up.  Especially when it comes to the Man’s Cub.”
“Wanda,” Princess Luna said.  “I had totally forgotten about her.  Where is she?”
“I saw her outside, crying on the fountain,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “There was a pegasi right next to her, looking helpless at the lass.”  
“Oh dear,”  Princess Celestia.  “I don’t know what to say to her right now. I failed her as a parent, because I couldn’t protect her friends.”
“You didn’t fail Wanda as a parent, sis,”  Princess Luna said as she got up and put her arm around Princess Celestia..  “You only believed you did because of one incident.  Even I tend to question my own worth in this world.  Do you remember long ago why I originally saved you from the Shade of Hate?”
Princess Celestia looked up at her sister, but struggled to say anything.  SHe was at a loss of words right now and looked like she was about to cry.
“It was because I believed in you,” Princess Luna said.  “I believed that you were a kind-hearted soul who wanted to inspire all of Equestria, and losing you completely would have devastated me.  That was why I saved you from the Shade of Hate, from being Daybreaker.”
Celestia looked up to her sister and smiled, as a tear flowed from her cheek.  Chancellor Cinch got up and approached Princess Celestia.  But instead of her usual scowl, she bore a smirk of hope. 
“Princess Celestia,” Chancellor Cinch said as she placed her hoof on Celestia’s shoulder.  “Go to the Man’s Cub.  Go to your daughter.  Comfort her.  She needs it the most.”
Celestia’s tone changed into one showcasing a bit of optimism.  She got up without hesitation and said “I will,” before stepping towards the doorway.
Outside, as the seven youngers, Spike and Abigail talked with each other, the door opened and out emerged Princess Celestia.  Sunset saw her mother and approached her.
“Mommy?” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine my daughter,”  Princess Celestia said as she turned her head to Sunset.  “That being said, it’s time I cheered your sister up.  I’ve disappointed her today, and I’m going to make it up.  Now come.”
“That’s the spirit, mommy,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I’m with you.”
And with that, Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer walked down the hallway.  Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondanceer, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash looked on as the mother and daughter went down the same hallway that Wanda ran down.
“Wow,”  Twilight said.  “Guess something finally snapped Princess Celestia back to her old self.”
“You’re absolutely right, young lady.”  Twilight and the others turned their heads as they saw Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch walk out of the doorway.  
“We did,”  Princess Luna said.  “Princess Celestia is my sister.  Because of that, she is family.  And as a family, we are one together.”
Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash cheered as Abigail and Spike danced around on the bench.
“Come children,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “The Man’s Cub is waiting for us.”

Outside in the courtyard of the school, Wanda was crying on the edge of a fountain, still devastated by Silver Banks’ threat to her mother, and Gold Banks’ cruel words.  Nearby, Ditzy Doo watched on, concerned for the well-being of the young man’s cub.  She felt helpless in wanting to cheer her up.
“Poor Wanda,” Ditzy said.  “I know she did what she could to stand up for my behalf.  But I wish she didn’t have to go through that kind of trauma.”
As Ditzy was about to approach Wanda, a hoof tapped her on the rear end.  She freaked out and jumped into the air before landing on her belly.
“Who did that?  Ditzy said, still a bit freaked out.  She turned her head to the back and saw Princess Celestia alongside Princess Sunset Shimmer.
“Sorry,”  Sunset said.  “I wanted to get your attention.”
“It’s alright,” Ditzy said as she got up and pointed to Wanda.  “She’s been upset since those two mean grown ups stepped outside, and I couldn’t figure out how to cheer her up.”
“I’ve got this, young one,”  Princess Celestia said as she and Sunset walked towards Wanda.  “Being a mother for many orphans for a thousand years, I know how to comfort those who need it.”
“One thousand years?” Ditzy yelled.  “Are you a goddess?”
Princess Celestia laughed as she said “That might be possible.  But I don’t really consider myself one.”
Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer walked up to Wanda Young.  The Man’s Cub continued to cry on the edge of the fountain, as if all hope was sucked away from her.  Celestia gave a gentle tap on Wanda’s back to get her attention.
“My darling Wanda,” Celestia said.  “Do not worry.  I’m here for you.”
Wanda turned her head towards her mother and sister.  Her eyes were still water from crying, and her mood was still sour.
“Sister” Sunset said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m not alright,” Wanda cried.  “A mean bully got away with picking on Ditzy Doo thanks to her parents, and I get called a filthy animal to be caged in a zoo?  Those are a bunch of big, mean, nasty ponies.”
And with that, Wanda turned her head away from her mother and sister and cried once more on the edge of the fountain.  Princess Celestia was concerned for her daughter’s sake.  Would she have to suffer some serious trauma?   Not on her watch.  She walked to the left side of Wanda and placed her arm on the Man’s Cub’s back.
“I think I should tell you a tale on how I almost gave up on myself,”  Princess Celestia said.  As Wanda raised her head up towards her mother, the Alicorn Princess turned to Sunset and yelled “To me, my daughter.  You must hear this as well.”  
And without warning, Sunset Shimmer trotted her way towards Princess Celestia.  As she approached Wanda on her right side, Abigail dashed from a nearby doorway and jumped up onto the edge of the fountain.  She approached Wanda and touched her face with her paw, all while she gave out a soothing meow.
“It appears everyone is here,” Princess Celestia said as she turned her head towards Princess Luna, who gave a wink to her older sister.
Wanda wiped the tears from her eyes and sat up on the edge.  She held her hand out for Abigail, who licked it in comfort.  Sunset also jumped onto the edge of the fountain and sat down as well.
“I’m ready mommy,” Wanda said as her tone was still depressed.
Princess Celestia sat down in front of Wanda and Sunset and said “You both don’t realize this, but me and your aunt Princess Luna are more than a thousand years old.”
“Really?” Wanda said, completely surprised.
“Are you some kind of goddess?” Sunset asked.
Princess Celestia just giggled and said “No my dear.  No matter what anyone says, I never consider myself a goddess.  But way before your time, Princess Luna and I ruled over a smaller Equestria.  One that was only a fledgling nation that was limited to what is now Canterlot City.”
“That’s right,”  Sunset said.  “I recall seeing some of the remnants of the old world while going through this city.”
“And believe it or not,” Princess Celestia said. “This school used to be the original castle that Princess Luna and I ruled under, long after we left the old kingdom behind.  Back when it went under a different name: Zacherle Palace.  During that time, Princess Luna and I were the fifth rulers of the three tribes after our mother Queen Eternia.  We kept the ponies of the Equestrian Kingdom joyous and content.  Until that fateful night.”
“What night are you talking about mommy?”  Wanda asked.
“From out of nowhere,” Princess Celestia said.  “A mysterious shadowy entity that resembled a demonic alicorn came out of nowhere and attacked me.  I was totally unprepared for the being that referred to itself as the Shade of Hate.”
“Shade of hate?” Wanda and Sunset said.
“Yes,”  Princess Celestia replied.  “And the moment that beast dove into my mind, my body underwent a horrible shape shift, changing me from the princess you know, to a tyrant of pure malice: Daybreaker.”
“Daybreaker?” Wanda yelled.
“But didn’t you have control of this Daybreaker when the Shade of Hate attacked your mind?”
“No,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Once the Shade got into me, I lost control of my body, and he used his identity as Daybreaker to attack my own people.  Though I saw what he was doing to every Earth Pony, Pegasi and Unicorn in Equestria, I was helpless in retaking control of my body.  I started to lose hope for myself and for my people.”
“But how did you break free?”  Wanda asked.
“It was my sister Princess Luna,” Princess Celestia said.  “And a unique individual who carried six unique gemstones that were tied to the essence of Equestria itself: The Elements of Harmony.”
“I’ve read about the Elements,” Sunset said.  “Some say their powers don’t even originate from any part of Equestria.”
“Even if that was true,” Princess Celestia said.  “They were the key to saving me from the Shade of Hate. Using the power of these elements, Princess Luna fired off a rainbow of pure light in an attempt to free me from the Shade.”
“Wow,”  Wanda said.  “That sounded like some kind of magic.”
“The Shade tried to resist as hard as it could as Daybreaker.  But in the end, the magic that came from the Elements was too much for it to bear.  The shade was knocked out of my body, and I felt it being purified by the magic, restoring me to my original form.”
“So what happened to the Shade of Hate?”  Sunset Shimmer said.
“The Shade of Hate was dazed and confused by the Rainbow of Light that came from the Elements.  Princess Luna knew of a place where it could be sealed away.  Using the magic of the Elements, my sister sealed away the Shade in a place where it could never harm me again: The surface of the moon.  The nightmare was finally over.”
“Was everything back to normal, mommy?”  Wanda asked.
“No,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I was traumatized by what I did as Daybreaker, even though the Shade took control of my body.  I didn’t want to face my own people, because I attempted to do harm.  There was a part of me that wanted to hide away in the castle, or confine myself to Tatarus.  But then this same individual approached me.”
“What did she do?”  Sunset asked.
“She told me this.  ‘Don’t give up on your life.  The very ponies who look up to you are only here to help you.  They know what you went through.  They are your family.  And as a family, you are one together.”
“That’s the same line you always said to us,” Wanda said.
“That’s right,”  Princess Celestia.  “Though I accepted my family with open wings once again, I was traumatized during my time as Daybreaker.  Princess Luna came up with an idea to help heal my mental wounds.  She created the Summer Sun Celebration as a reminder to why I belong to this world and belong to Equestria.  Since then, I look forward to the Summer Sun Celebration for one reason: There are others who are looking out for me, and that is the very essence that keeps me going.”
“Wow,”  Sunset said.  “I didn’t know that you suffered from this..trauma.”
“Is that what I’m going through,” Wanda said.
“Yes,”  Princess Celestia said.  “We may be of different species, but we both suffer the same.  The soothing touch of a friend, or a parental figure, is what helps us get through our hard times.  Even if your own mother also has the curse of a wolf inside.”
“She’s right,” Sunset said to Wanda.  “You’re a part of this family, Wanda.  I know you’re upset, but we’re here for you.”  She placed her hoof on Wanda’s right cheek and gently stroked it.  Wanda smiled as a few tears flowed from her eyes before giving her sister a hug.
“I don’t know what I would be without you two,”  Wanda said.
“I promise you this, my daughters,” Princess Celestia said as she placed her wings on Wanda and Sunset. “No matter what happens, I will not let anything, or anyone, harm you.”
Both Wanda and Sunset smiled as they gave Princess Celestia a big hug.  Wanda cried a bit on Celestia’s chest.  But it was not of sorrow, it was of joy.  Though she is the only human of some sort to exist in Equestria, she felt as if she were not alone.
“Thank you mommy,” Wanda cried as she wiped her face on Celestia’s chest.  Celestia just giggled and rubbed her daughter’s head.
Sunset Shimmer let herself go from Celestia’s hug.  But as she got up, she lost her footing and took a dive into the fountain.  This caught Wanda’s attention, causing her to freak out.  A bit of the water splashed up and nearly drenched Abigail, causing the kitten to jump down from the edge of the fountain and onto the grass.
“Sunset?”  Wanda said as she got out of Celestia’s arms.  “Are you okay?”
But before Wanda could react, Sunset Shimmer emerged from the water, splashing her foster sister in the face.  She shook the water from her main and placed her hooves on the edge of the fountain.
“Sorry,” Sunset said.  “I couldn’t control myself.”
Wanda wiped the water from her face and glanced at Sunset Shimmer with a smirk on her face.
“Oh you’re going to be sorry,” Wanda said.  And with that, she jumped into the fountain water and caused a huge splash.  Celestia covered herself with her wing before the water splashed onto her face.   And in almost an instant, Wanda emerged from the water, splashing Abigail by accident.
“MEOW!” Abigail yelled as she ran behind Celestia’s leg.  She was completely drenched in water, and her fur looked a bit shaggy.  She glared at Wanda as the Man’s Cub’s focus was on Sunset Shimmer.
“Now you asked for it,” Wanda said before she splashed water in Sunset’s face.  Sunset splashed water back in Wanda’s face as the two giggled in delight.  Celestia just stood back and watched her daughters having fun in the water fountain.
“And to think,” Princess Celestia said.  “I used to do that in this same fountain with Princess Luna.”
But as Celestia observed Wanda and Sunset playing in the fountain, she overheard Abigail hissing at her.  Celestia turned her head and saw the completely soaked Abigail growling at her, right next to her hind leg.
“Now don’t be a sour puss, Abigail,” Celestia said with a giggle.  “They didn’t mean to get you drenched.”

Nearby at the doorway leading inside the school, Princess Luna observed her sister enjoying herself as she also saw Wanda and Sunset playing in the fountain.  Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash emerged from behind Princess Luna, watching the two sisters enjoy their time in the pool.
“Wow,”  Rainbow Dash laughed.  “That’s one way to cheer up that tough kid.”
“Well you could say that Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer gave Wanda a reason to..MAKE A SPLASH!”  Danged Spell said with a smirk.
“DANGED SPELL!”  That voice came from behind Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash.  The duo turned their heads to Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Sunburst, Moondancer and Ditzy Doo, who were laughing hard at the pun.
“You sure have this thing for puns, Danged Spell,” Rainbow Dash chuckled.
“Cheesy or not,” Danged Spell replied.  “I tend to hit the punch line on these.”
“I’ll be the judge if you’re punny or not,” Rainbow Dash said.  That caused everyone in the room to laugh even louder.  Even Danged Spell couldn’t hold back with his chuckles as Princess Luna wiped a tear from her eye.
“Well there is one thing I should tell you kids,” Princess Luna said as she finally slowed her laughing down.  “Next week, you all get a field trip.”
“A field trip?” Twilight Sparkle said as she approached Princess Luna.
“I was able to get in contact with Mayor Mare of the Ponyville Providence,” Princess Luna said.  “Around that time, there will be a county fair set up for everyone to check out.  You have all been invited and will be going there.”
“So where is the County Fair in Ponyville?”  Starlight asked.
“Located around an area known as La Maresa.”  That voice came from Chancellor Cinch, who walked towards the group from the hallway.  “I know because I’ve been there to address a crisis when I first became Chancellor.”
“Too bad I can’t go with you kids,” Princess Luna said.  “I still have princess work to do tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid your presence will not be needed tomorrow,” Chancellor Cinch said as she walked towards Princess Luna.  “You’ll be going down to La Maresa tomorrow for your assigned vacation.”
“Wait, wha?”  Princess Luna said as her jaw dropped to the ground.
“I know you’re been too busy to interact with these younglings,” Chancellor Cinch said with a subtle smirk.  “So I’m giving you a break from all that bureaucratic headache of yours.  Trust me.  It’s for your own good”
Luna was completely speechless.  She didn’t know how to respond to that, nor was she prepared to take a break.  Maybe the fact that she doesn’t get as much attention in this fanfic as every other character is saying a lot.  But she just nodded off as she looked outside at her sister playing with her nieces.
“I think she just lost her mind,” Sunburst said.
“But why would a pony like her be reluctant in wanting to take a break?”  Moondancer asked.  “For one who’s cutie mark is tied to the moon, she sure is that mysterious.”
“Now that’s something worthy of concern,” Twilight said.  “I’ve always wondered what Princess Luna does apart from her sister, what her tasks are.”
“What she does,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Even I have no clue.  Her life is a mystery to me.”
“Oh boy,” Twilight said as she placed her arm on her forehead.  “Just thinking about it makes my head spin.”
As Twilight and the other younglings looked on at Princess Luna, the alicorn continued to glance outside at her sister with a bit of worry on her face, as if she wasn’t ready.
“I’ve always seen myself as one who takes her work seriously,”  Princess Luna thought to herself.  “Back when Wanda was only a baby, I used to be laid back.   Just thinking about caring for the youngster was the only thing on my mind.  Now?  I’m tied up in my work, and I feel like I don’t have time to play.  What am I to do next week?  What if I fall behind?   The life of a princess is so exhausting.  Maybe this trip down to La Maresa will be the thing I need”


To Be Continued in


Arc 9: The Ponyville Providence Fair


Journey through Everfree

> Arc 9(The Ponyville Providence Fair)-1: Journey through Everfree
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 9: The Ponyville Providence Fair


Journey through Everfree



It was a bright and beautiful morning at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Wanda and Sunset ran through the town as fast as they could, darting towards the School for Gifted Unicorns, all with Abigail clinged onto Sunset’s tail.  Wanda was looking different.  Instead of wearing her pink shirt and light blue overalls, she was now wearing a paled turquoise dress. 
“Hurry,” Wanda yelled.  “We’re going to be late for our field trip to the Ponyville Providence.”
“I’m running as fast as I can, sis,” Sunset yelled.  “If it weren’t for our busted alarm clock, we wouldn’t have had to skip breakfast.”
They made their way down the streets, running past the various ponies that lived in the city.  Soon, the duo was closing in on the archway leading into the School for Gifted Unicorns.  The gates were already wide open, ready to begin another day.
“There it is,” Sunset yelled as she ran as fast as possible.  “We’re going to make it.”
“I can’t wait for our field trip,” Wanda said.
“Hold it right there you two.”  Those words and the tone of that voice were enough to cause Wanda and Sunset to trip over and fall flat on their face.  Sunset’s tail flung fast enough to send Abigail flying forward, crashing into the pavement of the road outside the school entrance. 
“Oww,” Sunset said as she rubbed her nose. “That came right out of nowhere.”
“And I think I know who said that,” Wanda said as she turned to her right.  In front of her face was Chancellor Cinch, staring down at the two juveniles.  It looked like they were both in trouble.
“Just to be clear,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Running is absolutely dangerous on the streets of Canterlot.  You two could have collided with another pony and got them hurt.”
“Aww come on, Chancellor,” Sunset said as she got up.  “It’s nine o’clock.  We’re running late for our field trip.”
“First off,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “That’s no excuse to sprint down the streets.  And second off, you’re off by an hour.  It’s eight o’clock.  Not nine.”
“Eight o’clock?” Wanda said as she got up and dusted herself off.  “That’s impossible.  The clock said nine o’clock.”
“Then it appears you two have a case of a misguided clock,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’ll let you both off the hook.  But don’t let it happen again.”
Wanda swallowed hard and said “Yes ma’am.”
Suddenly, Wanda, Sunset and Cinch overheard a loud crash nearby.  They turned around and saw Princess Celestia.  She had crashed into a nearby wheelbarrow, spilling grapefruit into the street.  The owner of the wheelbarrow was horrified as she saw her produce scatter across the streets.
“Mommy?” Wanda said as she and Sunset approached Princess Celestia.  The princess of the sun got herself up and shook off the grapefruit bits.  She looked a bit shaken, but she was alright.
“I’m fine,” Princess Celestia said.  “I was wondering why you two were in a hurry that I decided to go after you.  And then, this happened.”
“And this is why you don’t sprint in the streets,” Chancellor Cinch said as she approached Princess Celestia.  “Honestly, you’re becoming a bad influence on your own adopted children.”
Princess Celestia let out a smirk and said “Real cute for someone who ran down the streets before as a filly.”
“Well I.” Chancellor Cinch said, embarrassed by Celestia’s critique.  “I was naive back then.”
Cinch turned her head towards Wanda and Sunset, who were glancing at her with a smirk on their faces.
“Can’t win with a smug princess, a smug juvenile and a smug man’s cub,” Cinch said to herself.
Celestia walked up to Wanda and Sunset, still with small bits of grapefruit in her mane.
“Now you two were in such a hurry,” Celestia said.  “You forgot the most important meal of the day: Breakfast.”
The moment Celestia said those words, Wanda and Sunset’s tummies began to growl.  The two kids blushed with embarrassment.
“Oops,”  Wanda said.  “Guess we forgot about food, mommy..”
“Not to worry,” Princess Celestia said.  “I had a feeling something like this would happen, and I’ve got a kitchen ready for this kind of emergency in the school.”
Princess Celestia turned towards the grapefruit owner.  She used her magic to pick up all the grapefruit from the ground and placed it into a separate wheelbarrow.  She then proceeded to place a medium-sized sack full of bits right next to the owner.
“Here’s some money to compensate for the damage I caused to your produce,” Princess Celestia said.  “Plus a bit more.”
Princess Celestia took the wheelbarrow full of grapefruit and walked towards the entrance of the School for Gifted Unicorn.  Wanda and Sunset watched on, breathing a sigh of relief from early ago.
“You ready to get this day going, sis?”  Sunset said.  “I bet you’ll be enjoying cotton candy and lemonade at the fair.”
“Oh I will,” Wanda said. 
But before the two took off, they heard an “AHEM.”  Wanda and Sunset turned their heads to see Chancellor Cinch, who said to them “Walk.  Don’t run you two.”
“Yes, ma’am,”  Wanda and Sunset said as they reluctantly walked towards the school.  
As the duo approached, Abigail got up and jumped into Wanda’s waiting arms.  And without a second thought, they made their step into the school for a big day.
Chancellor Cinch watched from afar as the two kids walked into school.  Her scowl turned into a warm smile as she saw them disappear through the gates.
“Compared to the hog wash that I have to put up with in the senate,” Chancellor Cinch said. “These two, especially the man’s cub, seem more like decent individuals.”
The grapefruit owner, having placed the bag of bits into her shirt, said “Princess Celestia should be proud to have those two angels.  Even if she is a bit careless.”
“Careless might be too accurate of a word, citizen,” Chancellor Cinch whispered.

It had been one hour since Wanda and Sunset arrived at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Every student at the school was gathered in a crowd, outside a royal carriage.  Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were right next to the carriage, ready to load the students up.  Atop the carriage was Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo.
“Attention students,” Princess Celestia said.  “In a bit, you will all be joining us on a trip to the Ponyville Providence town of La Maresa.  The local Ponyville Fair is in town, and you are all invited to have fun there.”
“Also, six of you have been given an assignment at the fair,” Princess Cadance said.  “You will be accompanied by six locals who live in La Maresa.  We are joined by two of the locals: Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo.”
The crowd of kids cheered as Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo took a bow.   Rainbow Dash looked up to see Danged Spell waving to her.  Right next to him was Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, Moondancer, Abigail and Spike.  They were excited to get down to La Maresa, at the Ponyville Providence.
“You know,” Rainbow Dash said.  “There is one particular unicorn who has become twenty percent cooler for allowing us to stay at his folks’ home till now.  One I consider a rival on the track and field, but is also a good friend.  Come on up, Danged Spell.”
Danged Spell emerged from the crowd and jumped up onto the carriage, climbing up without any trouble.  He gave a hoof bump to Rainbow Dash as the two did a wild dance to the cheering crowd.  They paused to face each other.
“You know Spell,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I gotta give thanks to your parents Fortwright and Shanoa for allowing me and Ditzy to stay at your place for a week.  Even if you did have another joining in, and that tasty passion fruit jam.  That was delicious.”
“Anytime Rainbow,” Danged Spell said.  “But then again, with you two and Sunburst sleeping at my house, you could say it was...JAM PACKED!”
The whole crowd let out a huge “DANGED SPELL” before laughing really hard.  Even Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo couldn’t hold in their laughter.  
“Man,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I gotta remember that one when I see my buddies back at La Maresa.”
“I think that’s enough clownin around from you two,” Princess Cadance said as she approached the carriage.  “We better get inside and get ready.”
Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo and Danged Spell jumped off the carriage and jumped inside.  Right behind them, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Moondancer and Sunburst walked on in before the rest of the students entered.  The only ones who didn’t go in were Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright.  Rainbow Dash stuck her head out to see the trio just standing.
“Don’t tell me you eggheads decided you want to stay behind,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Did you both get a trip to detention?”
“Not exactly,” Wanda said as she picked up Abigail.  “Mommy’s going to fly us to La Maresa.”
“And besides,” Sunset said.  “I thought you were going to fly back instead of just jining with the group.”
“Well I was,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But I think for once, I want to kick back and relax, and just see the sights.  Maybe check out what I was missing when I got here.”
“By the way,” Sunset said.  “Have you all seen what happened to Golden Lace?”
Twilight Sparkle stuck her head out and said “I heard she was back in Manehattan with her parents, attending some kind of big event.”
“After what she did last week,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’m glad she ain’t trying to upstage the La Maresa fair.”
“I’d worry more about her parents,”  Princess Cadance said as she prepared to enter the carriage.  “Even compared to Chancellor Cinch, they’re the meanest ponies of all of Equestria.  Not even Tatarus could contain them.”
Princess Cadance stepped into the carriage with Shining Armor following right behind.  But as he turned around, he noticed Princess Luna was right next to her big sister.  Something was odd.
“Hey Cadey,” Shining Armor said.  “Seems your aunt is hesitant on stepping inside the carriage.”
“Aunt Luna,” Princess Cadance yelled.  “Aren’t you going to come inside?”
“No thanks,”  Princess Luna said.  “I’ll...uhhh….be on carriage pulling duties.”
“Luna,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “Are you kidding?”
“I’ve got this, sister,” Princess Luna said as she ran up to the front of the carriage and slipped herself into the harness.  “Besides, aren’t you going to take Wanda and Sunset on a separate flight?  Don’t want to keep you waiting.”
“There is something wrong with Princess Luna,” Princess Celestia said to herself as she took a glance at her younger sister.  “On the one hand, I do worry for her well being,  But at the same time, I shouldn’t let it distract me from enjoying a good time at the Ponyville Fair.  Besides, I’m doing this for them.” 
Without a second thought, Princess Celestia  turned towards Wanda, Sunset and Abigail and kneeled down.
“Okay you two,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Come on up.”
Despite a slight hesitation, Wanda placed Abigail on top of Princess Celestia’s back before climbing on top.  She turned to Sunset and pulled her up.  Once Sunset Shimmer was on Celestia’s back, Wanda allowed Abigail to jump on her chest before she held her tight.
“Are you both secure?”  Princess Celestia asked.
“I’m ready, mommy,” Sunset said.
“I got Abby ready,” Wanda said as she held Abigail close.
“Great,” Princess Celestia said.  She turned to Princess Luna and said “We’ll meet you at the fair.  I’ve got a little something to show Wanda and Sunset, like I did with Cadance years ago.”
“I’ll see you then,” Princess Luna said as she extended her wings out.
As the carriage doors were shut tight, Rainbow Dash stuck her head back in as Princess Cadance stuck her head out.
“Don’t worry,” Princess Cadance said. “If anything happens, I’ll be there to look after the kids, mother.”
“I don’t think Luna will need all that help,” Princess Celestia said.
And with that, Princess Luna galloped across the runway and flew off, pulling the carriage full of school children with her as they flew into the atmosphere.  Princess Celestia, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail watched as the students slowly, but surely disappeared.
“So,” Wanda said.  “Aren’t you going to take off like Aunt Luna?”
“Oh not this time,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I’m taking a little detour across Equestria on hoof.  But I’m not going to do so as your mother.  I’m going to do so….under my own Wolf’s Breath curse.”
“Wait wha?” Sunset said as she freaked out a bit.
“And don’t worry,” Princess Celestia said.  “I have total control of my curse.  So everything will be alright.  With that being said….HANG ON TIGHT MY DAUGHTERS!”
Sunset grabbed onto Wanda as tight as possible and said “That’s mommy.  Always willing to go beyond the rainbow for us.”
“Tell me about it,” Wanda said as she held onto Abigail.
Celestia glanced at the gate leading outside the School.  Her eyes turned completely white as a glow emitted from them.  She let out a ghastly howl before running off, dashing past the gate and running through town.  Sunset, Wanda and Abigail held on as tight as possible.
“Didn’t mommy get in trouble for running through town like we did?”  Wanda said as Abigail held tightly onto her chest.
“Yeah,” Sunset said.  “But this is her wolf form that we’re talking about.  And when she thinks she’s a wolf, she relies more on her instincts.”
As Wanda, Sunset and Abigail held on, Princess Celestia rushed through the streets of Canterlot City.  The ponies who were going about their lives watched as their beloved leader sprinted through the streets as fast as possible.
Up ahead at the game, a couple of the royal guards were on duty when they took notice of Princess Celestia running towards them in a hurry.
“Princess approaching the gates,”  one of the guards said.  “Open the gates, unless we want to saddle Canterlot with a high repair bill.”
Immediately, another guard pulled a lever.  This caused  the gate to open up and the drawbridge to lower outside the city limits.  The moment the bridge touched the surface, Princess Celestia ran past the guards and across the bridge, running as fast as she could away from the city.  
The guards looked outside as Princess Celestia ran as fast as possible with Wanda, Sunset and Abigail still hanging on.
“Never seen the princess pull that off before,” one guard said as he saw Princess Celestia disappear into the forest.
“It’s like she has the essence of a mustang in her soul,” another guard said.

Further upwards, Princess Celestia ran through the forest as fast as she could, panting as loud as a wolf.  Wanda, Sunset and Abigail held on as tight as possible.
“I knew she was fast,” Sunset said.  “But I never expected her to be this fast.”
“You’re not kidding,”  Wanda said as she held Abigail tightly.  “I wish I had a harness for Abigail.  I can barely hang on to her.”
“Don’t worry,” Sunset yelled.  “I got ya, and I’m not letting go.”
Princess Celestia continued to race through the forest, rushing through on the dirt path as the tree blaze past them.  She continued to gallop towards the light at the end of the forest, edging closer and closer until she reached the very end.  
With a mighty leap, Princess Celestia emerged from the forest and into the open grassy field of Equestria.  As Wanda, Abigail and Sunset held on tightly, Princess Celestia ran forth towards the open plains.  The entire area looked like it would be perfect for an ambush.  But the peaceful sound of the wind and birds indicated no threat on the horizon.
“Wow,” Wanda said as she took a peak outside.  “I’ve never seen Equestria like this up close and personal.”
“You’re not the only one, sis,” Sunset said as she took a peak.  “It’s so beautiful.”
Princess Celestia came to a stop before leaping upwards on to the top of a rocky hill.  She reached the very peak before extending her head upwards and howlings into the sky.  The vibrations of the howl were enough to startle Wanda, Sunset and Abigail.
“YIKES,” Wanda screamed as she tumbled off of Celestia’s back and onto the grass, still holding Abigail to her chest.  Sunset fell afterwards, landing right next to Wanda.  Princess Celestia snapped out of her trance and turned towards her daughters, who were rubbing their head and hip areas.
“That hurts,” Sunset and Wanda said.
“Oops” Princess Celestia said as she felt a bit embarrassed.  “My bad.”
Princess Celestia lowered herself down, allowing Wanda and Sunset to climb back on board with Abigail still clinging onto the Man’s Cub.  The alicorn then got up and looked into the sky.
“Do you see that up there?”  Celestia said.
“That small spec in the sky?”  Wanda said as she and Sunset looked upwards.
“Up there is Princess Luna,” Celestia said.  “And she’s carrying the other students with her.”
“Do you think they can see us?”  Sunset asked.
“Barely,” Celestia replied.  “We’re also like a small spec to them.  Not even Luna can make us out from up there.”
“So when do you suppose we’ll see them again?  Wanda asked.
“Once we get to La Maresa,”  Princess Celestia replied.  “But first, there is a little something I wish to show you both.  It’s located inside the Everfree Forest.”
“The Everfree Forest?” Sunset Shimmer said.
“Yes,” Celestia said as she turned her body towards the west.  “Some say the Everfree Forest is filled with magic and plants that aren’t even native to Equestria.  But what’s really strange is that the flora does not spread outside its boundaries.”
“It doesn’t?”  Wanda said.
“Not at all,” Celestia said as she prepared to take off.  “Now hold on tight.  The ride to Everfree may take awhile.”
Wanda, Abigail and Sunset held on as tight as possible as Celestia’s eyes glowed once more.  She howled into the air as she took off on four hooves, sprinting through the field towards the west once more.
Nearby in a canyon, a mysterious cloaked figure observed Princess Celestia as she took off with Wanda, Sunset and Abigail holding on tightly.  He took off his hood, revealing to be Coldnelius Snap.  He grinned at the sight of Princess Celestia as an aura of cold surrounded his unicorn horn.
“Playin' horsey with the kids, eh Princess Celestia?”  Coldnelius Snap said.  “I would freeze ya cold right now. But I want to save that pleasure for your time  in La Maresa. I’ll be waiting.”
And with that, Coldnelius Snap turned tail and ran off in another direction, with ambition in his cold heart and determination in his eyes.

Later that day, Princess Celestia had traversed the open field of Equestria, passing through meadows of grass and flowers, and various towns that occupied them.  She blazed through a waterfall, getting herself, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail drenched in water, only pausing to dry themselves off.  She ran through a canyon, and dashed alongside a mighty river.  It wasn’t long until they were nearing their destination, as a beautiful town was spotted in the distance.
“Hey,” Wanda said as she saw the town in front of her.  “That’s La Maresa.”
“And there’s a fair in town,” Sunset said.  “That’s where we’re supposed to go.
“Not exactly,” Celestia said as the glow in her eyes disappeared.  “I said I would take you on a detour.  And we’re not done yet.  See that forest to the right?”
Wanda and Sunset turned their heads to the right to see a forest unlike anything they had ever seen in their life.  The trees were different not just in shape, but also in a variety of colors. There was also a strange essence flowing out of the forest, as if the magic there was different than what the two youngsters had felt before.
“Hold on tight you two,” Celestia said as her eyes began to glow again.  “We’re going on a wild ride.”
WIth a mighty howl, Princess Celestia turned towards the forest and sprints forward, all while Wanda, Sunset and Abigail held on tight.  The Alicorn, under the Wolf’s Breath curse, ran as fast as possible as she entered the mysterious forest.

Inside this odd forest, Wanda, Abigail and Sunset held on tight as Celestia ran through the path.  The trees towered over them, frightening the young unicorn filly as she hid behind Wanda’s back.  Wanda observed the trees with curiosity.
“Wow,”  Wanda said.  “I’ve never been here before.  But for some reason, it feels...familiar.”
“Familiar?”  Sunset said as she stuck her head out.  “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s as if I recognize this place,” Wanda said.
“Do you think this is where you were born?”  Sunset asked.
“I don’t know to be honest,”  Wanda replied.  “But it feels all warm and fuzzy.”
But without warning, a voice echoed through the forest, calling out “Wanda.  Wanda.”  That caught Wanda, Sunset and Abigail’s attention.
“Did you hear that?”  Sunset said.
“Yeah,” Wanda replied.  “Even Abigail was alerted to the voice.”
“Where do you think it’s coming from?”  Sunset asked as the voice continued to echo through the forest.
“I have no idea,”  Wanda replied.  “I’ll ask mommy when we get the chance.”

As Wanda, Sunset and Abigail held on, Princess Celestia continued to sprint through the woods, running as fast as possible until she emerged from the other side, to the ruins of a castle.  Wanda, Sunset and Abigail looked at the castle as the Princess came slowly to a stop outside the entrance.
“What is this place?”  Wanda said as she was awe struck by the size of the castle.  “Even the castle we live in pales in comparison to this castle.”
“This is Castle Everfree,”  Princess Celestia said as the glow in her eyes disappeared.  “It’s where Luna and I used to live when we were fillies.”
“Must be amazing to live in a castle like this,” Sunset said as she leaped down from Celestia’s back onto the ground.
“It was,”  Celestia said as Wanda and Abigail also leaped off her back.
“What was it like to live in this castle?”  Wanda asked.
“It’s just like how you two live in mine,”  Celestia replied.  “Back then, me and Luna played together while my mother, Queen Eternia, ruled with a kind heart.”
“Queen?”  Sunset and Wanda said.
“Yes,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Back when I was a filly, my mother and my aunt Icelina both shared the title of Queen as they ruled a kingdom that once was the central capital of Equestria.  And the forest that we ran through?  It used to be a city of its own: Everfree City.  It was bigger than Canterlot is, and was home to a variety of ponies who lived life as it was.”
“What happened to it?”  Wanda asked.
“For some reason,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Aunt Icelina turned against my mother Eternia and began attacking her.  Eternia reluctantly fought back, hoping to knock some sense into her sister.  But each fight felt like a struggle, and our mother was losing.  In a last desperate plea, Queen Eternia ordered Starswirl the Bearded to take me and my sister and flee from the kingdom.  We never saw them again.”  Those words were enough to cause Wanda and Sunset to drop their jaws in shock.
“Do you think they’re...dead?”  Sunset asked.
“I don’t know,” Princess Celestia replied.  “But I assume that to be true.  I only hope that they’re both alive out there.”
Wanda stared at Princess Celestia and her eyes began to water.  She did her best to try to hold it in.  Sunset Shimmer saw her sister’s eyes tear up, and knew something was wrong.  So the filly got up on her hind legs and tapped Wanda’s shoulder, causing the man’s cub to turn towards her older sister.
“It’s okay,” Sunset said.  “I got ya, sister.”
Wanda cracked a weak smile and cried right into Sunset’s chest.  Her tears caught the attention of Princess Celestia, who grew concerned with Wanda.
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia said as she placed her hoof on her human daughter’s shoulder.  “I didn’t mean to make you cry like that.”
As Wanda looked up at Princess Celestia, Sunset said “Don’t worry, mom.  It happens to all of us.”
“Thanks Sunset,” Princess Celestia said.  “Compared to me, you’re the bigger hope for Wanda’s future.”
“Are you sure about that?”  Sunset asked.
“I’m sure of it,” Princess Celestia replied.  “If I was ever gone, you’re the one who can keep Wanda’s hope alive.”
Wanda wiped the tear from her face and turned towards Princess Celestia.  Something was on her mind despite the sad story she heard.  Celestia took notice and placed her hoof on Wanda’s head.
“Is something the matter, dear?”  Princess Celestia asked.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “When we were traveling through the Everfree Forest, I overheard a voice call out my name, as if it knew me.  Why is that?”  
Wanda’s question puzzled Princess Celestia, who was nearly at a loss for words.
“That’s something I have never thought about,”  Princess Celestia said.  “A voice that called your name in the forest.”
“Yeah,”  Wanda said as she picked up Abigail.  “Even Abby heard the voice of the forest.”
“Wanda also mentioned that the forest felt familiar to her, as if it may have been her home,”  Sunset said.  “Why do you suppose that is?”
“If I had the answers, I would have told you both,” Princess Celestia said, still puzzled by Wanda and Sunset’s discoveries.  “This is a mystery that both Princess Luna and I will have to look into when we get the chance.  But I promise, I will get to the bottom of this mystery.”
“Thanks mommy,” Wanda said as Abigail gave a friendly meow.  “I hope you do.”
Celestia took a few steps forward and knelt down.  “But for now, I believe we are due for a trip to the fair.”  She said,
Wanda placed Abigail on Princess Celestia’s back before jumping on.  Sunset followed suit and got up right behind Wanda.  Princess Celestia stood and looked ready to take off.
“Hold on tight you two,” Princess Celestia said.
“Oh I’m holding on tight,” Sunset said as she held Wanda from being.  Wanda looked like she was struggling from Sunset’s tight hug.
“I think that might be too tight, sis,”  Wanda said as she held onto Princess Celestia’s neck, all while Abigail held onto Wanda’s check.
With a scrape on the ground with her hoof, Princess Celestia said “Then I have nothing left to say except...TAKE OFF.”  Her eyes turned white and glowed once more as she ran off from Castle Everfree with Wanda, Abigail and Sunset holding on as tight as possible.  They ran deep into the forest as fast as possible, hoping to catch up with Princess Luna and the other students at La Maresa.



	To Be Continued in…


	La Maresa: Jewel of Ponyville

> Arc 9-2: La Maresa: Jewel of Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	La Maresa: Jewel of Ponyville




Princess Celestia emerged from the Everfree Forest with Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright riding on her back.  The Alicorn Princess ran as fast as she could, blazing through like a cheetah in the savannah.  Her eyes left an impressive glow, while she snarled like a wolf.  But for Wanda, Sunset and Abigail, they didn’t seem to mind as their mother made their way down to the village up ahead.
This was La Maresa.  Some refer to it as the prime Ponyville of Equestria.  Compared to the grand city of Canterlot, La Maresa was a humble village.  The buildings are not as tall, but were still amazing to the eye.  A single street paved through the middle of town, specifically the commerce sector, for ponies to walk through.  Individual houses decorated the exterior of this beautiful Ponyville.  Some of the commercial buildings were themed off what they were providing, like one that was shaped like a giant cupcake.  Though there weren’t as many ponies in La Maresa as there was in Canterlot, they still considered this village their home.
“Wow,”  Wanda said as she and Sunset observed the entire village from the back of Princess Celestia.  “What a beautiful place.  I want to live here when I grow up.”
“You and me both, sis,” Sunset said as she was awestruck by the sights of La Maresa.
As the two siblings looked around La Maresa, some of the ponies were quick to spot Princess Celestia running through their village.  Their faces turned to joy as they saw alicorn princess blaze through town.
“Everyone,” one villager yelled.  “It’s Princess Celestia.  She’s arrived in town.”
“Princess Celestia?”  another villager said.  “I heard she was coming down for the Ponyville Fair.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” a third villager said.
Suddenly, a whole flock of villagers began to crowd around the path that Princess Celestia was on, cheering for her and bidding her welcome.  But as Princess Celestia ran as fast as she could, she realized that the crowd was blocking her way forward, and they didn’t look like they were going to move.  
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “I think we need to slow down.”  But Celestia wasn’t paying attention.  She continued to run as fast as possible before making a great leap.  The villagers looked in awe as Princess Celestia jumped over them.
“Woah,” The crowd said as they watched Celestia pass above them.
Princess Celestia was able to clear the jump and descended downward towards the ground.  But as she landed, her hoof caught onto a stray pebble, and she tripped over it, causing her to tumble and fall to the ground.  The act caused Wanda, Sunset and Abigail to lose their grip on Princess Celestia, sending them flying off their back.
“HEEEEEELP,” Wanda and Sunset yelled as Abigail screamed off the top of her lungs.
By the time Princess Celestia snapped out of her trace, she looked up and saw Wanda, Sunset and Abigail tumbling in the air.  With a loud splash, Sunset had wound up in a nearby fountain while Wanda and Abigail tumbled nearby on the ground.  Sunset stuck her head out and spewed water from her mouth while Wanda and Abigail looked dazed.
“Oh dear,” Princess Celestia said as she approached Wanda, Sunset and Abigail.  “I’m terribly sorry, my daughters.  I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
But as Princess Celestia walked up to Wanda, Sunset and Abigail, so did the rest of the village, as their eyes were solely on Wanda. They had never seen anyone like her before, not even in any part of Equestria.  Considering that Wanda isn’t even a pony, or another familiar creature of Equestria, that would be an understatement.
“What is this creature?”  One villager said, curious by Wanda’s presence.
“I’ve never seen such an adorable child,” Another villager said as she was awed by Wanda’s looks, despite looking a bit dizzy. 
“She looked like she’s been hurt.,” a third villager said.
“She’s my daughter,” Princess Celestia said as she placed her hoof on Wanda’s head for assurance.  
“She’s your daughter, your majesty?”  that same villager asked.
“Yes,”  Princess Celestia replied.  “She was left at the doorstep of the castle when she was a baby.  Since then, I’ve taken her in as my daughter to at least give her a life worth living.  Right now, she’s a bit roughed up by that accident. My fault, actually.”
As Wanda shook her head and recovered, she saw all those ponies looking at her.  While there were some unicorns, there were also pegasi, but also plenty of earth ponies.
“Oh,” one villager said.  “Doesn’t she look cute?
“I’ll say,” another villager said.  “If she’s Princess Celestia’s daughter, she’s welcome in our village.”
Wanda felt a bit nervous hearing all those ponies talk about her.  She turned her head towards Sunset and whispered “I would prefer it if you were the center of attention.”
“You’re telling me?”  Sunset whispered back.
But as many of the ponies of La Maresa looked at Wanda with curiosity and how adorable the man’s cub is, a familiar voice echoed in the background.
“Wanda?  Is that you?” The voice said.
“Unca Bright Mac?” Wanda said as her tone changed to excitement.  She turned her head to see Bright Mac walk up to her, Sunset, Abigail and Princess Celestia.  But he wasn’t alone.  Right next to him was another mare.  Her coat was a Pale gamboge color.  Her mane was curly and long with a brilliant gamboge hue.  Her eyes were pure turquoise, and her cutie mark, the representation of delicious jam in a jar.
“Hey Wanda,” Bright Mac said as he and the other mare walked up to the younglings.  “Been awhile since we last saw each other.  How’s life in Canterlot?  Has that chancellor been giving you a hard time.”
“Every once in a while,” Wanda said as she began to dwell.  “But now these Banks fellows gave me and mommy an even harder time.  Especially after they threatened to shut down the school if anything happened to that mean bully who picked on Ditzy Doo.”
“Oh that is horrible,” Bright Mac said.  “Filthy Rich told me about the Banks.  They’re bad news.”
As Sunset looked at the mare next to Bright Mac, the young filly asked “By the way, who’s she?”
“Oh her?”  Bright Mac said as he presented his mate.  “Dis here’s my wife, Buttercup.  I’ve known her since before you were born, and since then, we’ve kept Sweet Apple Acres running with my ma Granny Smith.”
“Nice to meet y’all,” Buttercup said as she took a bow.  “Bright Mac told me about you young’uns, and how Princess Celestia raised you both.”
As Buttercup spoke, Abigail tried to get up and take a few steps, only to fall right back down..  She shook her head and got up again as Bright Mac, Buttercup and Princess Celestia laughed.
“Don’t worry Abby,” Wanda said as she picked the kitten up.  “I’m here for you.”
“Abby?”  Buttercup said.  
“Her real name is Abigail Albright,” Wanda said. “But I call her Abby for short.”
As Sunset got out of the fountain,  Princess Celestia walked beside her and placed her hoof atop her head.
“Sorry about that,” Princess Celestia.  “Guess even I still have a lot to learn about my curse.”
“Don’t worry, mommy,” Sunset said with a smile.  “I’ve been through worse.”
“A curse you say?”  Bright Mac said.  “Now that’s something I’ve never heard from you, your majesty.”
“It’s a long story that we can discuss at Sweet Apple Acres,”  Princess Celestia said.
“Why not?”  Bright Mac said.  “Besides,your young’uns are welcomed at Sweet Apple Acres.  There’s a couple of mah kin who want to meet you.”
“Don’t you worry, Princess,” Buttercup said.  “I can look after them while you have a chat together.”
“That would be great,” Princess Celestia replied.  She turned towards Wanda and Sunset and said “Now you two be nice to Buttercup.”
Wanda and Sunset nodded to their alicorn mother as the Man’s Cub held onto Abigail.  They turned towards Buttercup, who signaled to the two younglings.
“So,” Buttercup said to Wanda and Sunset.  “Is this your first time here in La Maresa?”
“I’ve barely been outside of Canterlot,” Sunset replied.  “Sire’s Hollow was one thing.  But La Maresa already blew my mind away.”
“I have never been here myself,” Wanda replied.  “But it sure looks pretty.”
As Buttercup turned around and walked in the opposite direction, Wanda, Abigail and Sunset followed right behind her.  The two kids and the kitten have had a long trip from Canterlot.  But they knew that the day had only begun, and they have yet to even step a foot, paw or hoof into the Ponyville Fair of La Maresa.

A little later at Sweet Apple Acres, Buttercup placed a basket onto the ground and proceeded to kick a nearby tree.  Apples fell from the tree and most of them landed into the basket.  Sunset pulled some of the apples from the tree with her magic, while Wanda flew up and pulled some of her own.  Abigail had climbed up a tree and was taking a nap.
“This looks like a lot of hard work,” Wanda said as she pulled a few apples from the trees and flew down with them.  
“It sure is,”  Buttercup said. She looked at Wanda’s wings and said.  “But I didn’t know you could fly.  Are you some kind of fairy?”
“A fairy?”  Wanda asked.
“Ma used to tell me all about fairies when I was your age,” Buttercup said as she scooped up some of the apples and placed them into the basket.  “They’re like...guardians who protect ponies during the long summer nights.  Their magic has this warm feeling, like being next to a fireplace during the winter nights.”
“I don’t think Wanda is what you’re describing,” Sunset laughed.  “She may have those flutter wings, but I don’t see her as what you call a fairy.”
“Guess you’re right,” Buttercup giggled.  “But then again, miracles seem to happen while down here in La Maresa.  I wonder if it’s related to the Everfree Forest nearby.”
As Buttercup continued to shake up the trees for more apples, Wanda flew downward with apples on her arms.  She placed the apples into the bucket and took a step onto the ground.  Sunset placed two more apples into the bin as she reflected on the entire apple orchard.
“Hey sis,” Wanda asked.  “Do you think the others are enjoying the fair without us?”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,”  Sunset said with a smirk. “I would say they are, but mommy said that the fair doesn’t open for another hour.”
“Maybe they’re checking out what La Maresa is like,”  Wanda replied.  “I heard that an old train called the Banana Express sits here for everyone to check out.”
“The Banana Express, eh?”  Sunset replied.  “Now that’s the most bizarre name for a train I’ve ever heard.”
“And since when do bananas dominate over apples?” Someone said, which caught the attention of Buttercup, Wanda and Sunset.  The trio turned their heads to see two earth pony younglings.  The slightly older colt had a brilliant amaranth coat, a short, brilliant orange mane and tail, moderate sap green eyes, a yoke around his neck, and a cutie mark representing a green apple half.  The young filly had a brilliant gamboge coat, a pale, light grayish olive mane, moderate sap green eyes, and a cutie mark representing three apples.
“Applejack, Big Mac,” Buttercup said.  “Glad you two could make it.”
“Well we ain’t letting those two hog the spotlight in apple pickin,” the younger filly named Applejack said. “Ain’t that right, Big Mac?”
“Eeyup,” the older one known as Big Mac said.
“Well we’re just helping out to pass the time,” Wanda said.  
“And I take it your name is Applejack, right?”  Sunset asked as she extended her hoof out.
“It sure is,” Applejack said as she grabbed Sunset’s extended hoof and shook it wildly, causing Sunset to shake.  Wanda looked at Sunset’s predicament and giggled.
“Okay,”  Sunset said, pulling her hoof back as she felt her whole world shaking.  “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Sorry,” Applejack said.  “Sometimes, I don’t know my own strength.”
“Applejack dear,” Buttercup said.  “Would you kindly demonstrate to our guests on how you buck apples?”
“You got it, ma,”  Applejack said as she lowered her body and scratched the surface. As Wanda and Sunset looked on, Big Mac came up behind them.
“I’d stay back if I were you both,” Big Mac said.  
Applejack ran towards a nearby apple.  She took a giant leap and swung her left leg forward.  With a mighty kick, the tree shook violently as apples began to pour from the tree.   But on that tree, Abigail held on for dear life as the tree shook and the apples fell, screaming loud from her lungs.  The kitten looked up, and moved back a bit as an apple missed and bounced off the thick tree branch.  She looked down and let out a hiss at Applejack.
“Whoops,” Applejack said as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.  “Sorry about that, little kitty cat.”
As Abigail growled at Applejack, Wanda flew up to the tree branch and gently picked up Abigail before proceeding to pet her.  The kitty cat’s anger melted away as she allowed Wanda to rub beside her ear.  Applejack looked up at Wanda’s flutter wings and was awestruck.
“Well I’ll be,” Applejack said before turning her head towards Sunset.  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say your sister is some kind of fairy.”
“Funny,”  Sunset said.  “But she’s no fairy.  Wanda is a man’s cub.  Mommy told me that she came from the world of humans.  But judging by her abilities, I think she might not truly be a...human.”
As Wanda flew down holding Abigail in her arms, Applejack and Big Mac ran up to the duo.  Abigail was still scared by Applejack’s mighty kick, while Wanda was calm and collective.
“Still can’t believe that a human like you could have that gift,” Applejack said.  But as she looked at Abigail, the cat growled directly at that apple filly’s face.
“Abigail,” Wanda said as she rubbed Abigail on the ear, calming the kitten down.  “It was an accident.  She didn’t mean to do so.”
“Sorry bout that, little kitty cat,” Applejack said.  “But sometimes, I don’t know mah own strength.”
“You think that’s crazy,” Sunset said.  “You should see Danged Spell in action, especially when he’s affected by the Wolf’s Breath curse.”
“The wha?”  Applejack said as she was totally confused by Sunset’s words.
“Maybe I should tell you all about it when we arrive at the fair today,” Sunset giggled.
“Speaking of which,” Buttercup said as she lifted the basket full of apples with her hooves and got up onto her two legs.  “I think we have enough apples for Granny Smith’s famous apple fritters at the fair today.  So we best be getting ready.”
“Yay,”  Wanda said as she flew to the ground and set Abigail down.  “I can’t wait.”
“I’ve already worked up an appetite,” Sunset said.  “And I can’t wait to get into the fair today.  It’s going to be so awesome.”
“By the way, ma,” Applejack said.  “Is Apple Bloom going to be with us?”
“Grandma Granny Smith is looking after her,” Buttercup said.  
“Who’s Apple Bloom?”  Sunset asked out of curiosity.
“My youngest bundle of joy,” Buttercup said.  “I can’t wait for you both to meet her.”
“By the way,” Wanda said.  “Where is mommy at the moment?”
“She’s having a discussion with Bright Mac,”  Buttercup said.  “She’ll join us later today at the entrance to the fair.  So don’t worry about it, Wanda darling.”
Wanda and Sunset both felt excited.  They have never been to La Maresa, nor have they checked out the Ponyville Faire.  Then again, they have barely been outside of Canterlot throughout their lives.  So it’s not just a big event they get to check out, but also the fact that they get to know the world a bit more, and the lessons they’ll learn from their experience.  But for Applejack and Big Macintosh, it’s just another year at the fair with new faces that show up, and all those yummy snacks to try out.  Some are familiar to them while others are all new flavors.

Later that day, Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Applejack, Big Mac and Buttercup were lined up at the entrance to the Ponyville Faire.  Wanda waited patiently for the fair to open up, alongside Applejack and Big Mac.  But Sunset Shimmer was excited because she couldn’t contain herself, mainly because she was waiting for the gates to open up.
“I can’t wait to go in,” Sunset said as she paced back and forth with excitement.  “All those rides, the food, the exhibits there.  It’s going to be the best thing ever.”
“Now settle down, Sunset,” Applejack said.  “Ah been to this fair many times, and ah know how it always turns out.  Especially the food there.  Granny Smith makes a nice apple bake for the event.  Topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbles.  It’s been mah favorite alongside apple fritters.  Now that’s something to look forward to.”  Unfortunately, Applejack’s wisdom did not do enough to calm Sunset’s nerves.
“Okay,” Sunset said as she licked her lip  “Now I’m really excited to try that out.”  Applejack just looked at Sunset and began to roll her eyes a bit.
“Oh for cryin out loud,” Applejack said as she turned to face Big Macintosh.  “Can you believe this?  Becoming more impatient to enter the fair because of one’s obsession with food?”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied.  That only caused Applejack’s eyes to widen a bit.
“Okay,” Applejack replied.  “Even I didn’t see that coming.”
But Wanda wasn’t waiting for the entrance to the fair to open up.  She was looking around and looked a bit worried.
“Hey Buttercup,” Wanda asked.  “What happened to our friends?  And to mommy?”
“Oh them?”  Buttercup replied.  “Princess Celestia said she’ll be showing up anytime, mah dear, with the rest of your friends from Canterlot.”
“Sounds like you’re more patient than the rest of us,” Applejack said.
“Well I don’t just want to rush into the fair to enjoy the food,” Wanda replied as Abigail rubbed herself on Wanda’s leg.  “I just want to enjoy this moment with my friends.”
“You know,” Applejack said.  “You remind me of a mix between two other friends: Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.”
“How so?” Wanda said, confused by what Applejack said.
“You have the urge to want to be with your own friends,”  Applejack replied.  “And yet, at the same time, you also have this sense of being shy.”
“Applejack has a knack for friendship,” Buttercup said.  “I’m sure you’ll get to enjoy the time at the fair with your friends, Wanda.”
“Well I sure hope so,” Wanda replied.  “I also hope that there aren’t any nasty surprises to expect.”
But as she finished talking, Wanda was immediately startled by the sound of a deep, loud horn.  She jumped upwards and landed downward on the ground.  Right behind her was Rainbow Dash holding a horn in her hoof.
“Hahahahaha,”  Rainbow Dash laughed as she pointed at Wanda.  “Gotcha.”  Her little prank just caught the attention of Sunset Shimmer and Applejack, who aren’t thrilled with that prankster’s stunt.
“Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said with a harsh tone.  “You know better than to pull that horned toad of a stunt.”
“Yeah,”  Sunset said as she snarled at Rainbow Dash.  “What if she got hurt?”
“Oh please,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “What is she, Fluttershy?  It’s not like she’s afraid of her own shadow.”
“She might,” Sunset said as she glanced at Rainbow Dash.  Wanda got herself up and dusted herself off, with Applejack standing right by her.
“Don’t you worry about Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said to Wanda.  “If anyone tries to give you a hard time, she answers to me.”
“Well no wonder I could hear some pony tootin her own horn.”  That voice came from Danged Spell, followed by the sound of colts and fillies laughing.   Wanda looked behind Rainbow Dash and saw that young colt walk towards them with Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Moondancer, Sunburst and Ditzy Doo coming in right behind them.  Baby Spike was riding on Twilight’s back.
“You two missed out on the tour at Ponyville,” Twilight yelled as she ran up to Wanda and Sunset.  “There were so many interesting places there.  Did you know that they have a library that looks like a tree?  An actual Tree House Library?”
“Well that’s not something we see everyday,” Sunset replied.
“Maybe once I graduate from the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Twilight replied.  “I should move here to La Maresa.  It looks like a nice place to live.”
“Well if you did that,” Sunset giggled.  “You’d have to send letters to our mommy on what lessons you learned today.  And you’d have to do it weekly.”
“Oh, I can do that,” Twilight said with a smirk on her face. “What do you say to that, Sunset?”
Sunset only laughed and said “I was only messing with you.  And it wasn’t about scaring you to half-death.  At least I have standards.”  Sunset’s reply only made Twilight laugh.
“Hey by the way,” Wanda said as Abigail rubbed up against her leg.  “Where is mommy?  And Aunt Luna?  And big sister Cadance?”
“Did somebody call my name?”  That voice came from Princess Cadance as she and Shining Armor came up right behind the younglings.
“BIG SISTER!”  Wanda yelled as she ran up to Princess Cadance, who scooped up the man’s cub and gave her a hug.
“How did you enjoy the ride with mother?”  Princess Cadance said.
“It was an adventure,” Wanda replied.  “You should have seen what we saw.”
As Princess Cadance placed Wanda down, Shining Armor walked up and gave Wanda a friendly little noogie.
“I bet it was on a grand scale, little monkey,” Shining Armor said.
Sunset walked up to Princess Cadance and said to her “Glad we can all enjoy the fair as a family, sis.  Even though we’re supposed to be on some assignment.”
“It’s about building a friendship here in La Maresa, Sunset,” Princess Cadance replied.  “Mother assigned you, Wanda and the others to a random youngling here in this beautiful Ponyville.  Though judging by who we have, it seems you and Wanda have become acquainted with Applejack, daughter of Bright Mac and Buttercup.”
“I’d say Applejack is a horse of a different color,” Sunset said.  “At least we don’t have to do some friendship dance together.”  Those words caused something in Princess Cadance to snap.
“Oh thanks for reminding me, sis,”  Princess Cadance said as she ran up to Twilight Sparkle.  Both Wanda and Sunset looked on and they had a look of total dread.
“Oh no,”  Sunset said to herself as she covered her face with her arm.  “Not again.”
Princess Cadance approached Twilight Sparkle as the duo chanted “Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake.”  Wanda just looked on there and looked like she was going to be sick.
“Thanks a lot, Sunset,”  Wanda said in a sarcastic tone.  “I don’t know anything that’s worse than that.”
“I wouldn’t bet on jinxing yourself, Man’s Cub.” That harsh tone caused Wanda to jump a bit in fear.  She turned around and saw Chancellor Cinch walking towards her.  
“What do you want, Chancellor?”  Sunset said as she stood her ground beside Wanda.
“I’m here for this event to ensure that your sister is well-behaved during her time at the Ponyville Fair,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “After all, this is a test to see if she can truly be a part of the ponies of Equestria.”
“That’s a big lie.  You’re only here just to sample the delicacy of this place.”  That voice came from Bright Mac of all ponies.  He walked up behind Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.  The former looked excited to finally join in on the fun at the fair.  The latter, not so much.
“Well, we can’t all be….modest,” Chancellor Cinch said as she felt embarrassed by Bright Mac calling her.
“It’s okay,” Princess Celestia replied.  “I wanted Chancellor Cinch to get away from her job to enjoy the time here.  And like she stated, it’s also a test for Wanda.”
As Bright Mac approached the ground, Buttercup came out of the line and approached her husband.  The two embraced each other by rubbing their muzzles together before facing each other.
“Princess Celestia raised those two like we raised our own,” Buttercup said.  “She must be blessed to have those angels.”
“What’d I tell ya?”  Bright Mac said.  “I’ve known those two since the human was a baby.  Anyone who’s an adopted daughter of Princess Celestia is welcomed to Equestria in my book.”
As Bright Mac and Buttercup embraced each other, the colts and fillies lined up outside the entrance to the fair, with Wanda and Sunset positioned at the far edge of the ground.  Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch walked in front of the group, ready to make the announcement.  As the younglings seemed eager to enter the fair, they had to learn to be patient.  Celestia, judging by her posteur, felt more eager to just jump over the fence and have the time of her life.
“Okay students,” Princess Celestia said. “While you’re here to enjoy your time at the Ponyville Fair, you are also on assignment.  Each of you will locate one friend that you will be assigned to: a local from La Maresa.  Chancellor Cinch will give you the details.”
As Princess Celestia took a few steps back, Chancellor Cinch took a few steps forward, looking as calm and collective as possible, all while maintaining a strict, disciplined stance.
“As I am aware,” Chancellor Cinch said as she checked her glasses.  “A few of you have already met your respected friends from Ponyville.  They include Danged Spell with Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo, and Sunset and the Man’s Cub Wanda with Applejack and Big Macintosh.  Step forward.”
With that, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer stepped forward all while Abigail positioned herself right next to Wanda.
“And now for the rest of you,” Chancellor Cinch said as she pulled out a list.  “Sunburst, you will be assigned to a pegasi filly named Fluttershy.  Moondancer, you will meet a unicorn youngling named Rarity.  Starlight Glimmer, you will find the one known as Trixie.  And Twilight Sparkle, an earth pony by the name of Pinkie Pie will be your assignment.”
With those words, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Twilight Sparkle cheered, ready to get down to the fair.  But when Chancellor Cinch raised her hoof, the younglings stopped.
“That being said,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I expect all of you to be on your best behavior.  Unless at the designated spots of the fair, there will be no rough housing, no cutting in line, and no use of magic unless otherwise.”
Cinch then directed her head at Wanda and said “Do I make myself clear?”
Wanda swallowed nervously and said “Y..yy….yes ma’am.  You won’t see me pull a stunt like that.”  
Suddenly, a loud horn goes off, scaring Wanda and causing her to jump even higher into the air.  That noise also caught Chancellor Cinch off guard.  She looked up and saw Wanda clinging onto a tree branch for dear life, chattering her teeth like she was completely scared.
“That scared me,” Wanda yelled as she held on tight to the tree branch.
As Chancellor Cinch looked up, she overheard the sound of laughter.  She looked down and saw Rainbow Dash laughing on her back, all while she clutched a horn in her hooves.  The Chancellor did not look pleased by Rainbow Dash’s prank as she glanced coldly at the pegasi.
“You pull a stunt like that again,” Chancellor Cinch said in a stern tone. “And I’m going to make you wear a tutu and recite nursery rhymes for two hours.  Do I make myself clear?”
Rainbow Dash swallowed hard and said “Y...yy...yes ma’am” before dashing back in line, right next to a giggling Danged Spell.  Chancellor Cinch looked at the now humbled rainbow filly and her frown changed to a smirk.  Next to her, Abigail looked at Rainbow Dash and gave her a menacing glare.
“What are you looking at?”  Rainbow Dash said before turning her head away from Abigail.
“Oh the fact that you toot your own horn too loud,” Danged Spell said with a chuckle.
“Oh hah hah,” Rainbow Dash said as she turned her head towards Danged Spell.  “Real funny.”
As Chancellor Cinch took a few steps from the group, she turned around and cleared her throat.  She then said “Now that you all have your assignments, you are now free to explore the fair, and locate the very youngling you’ve been assigned to.  But as I said, be on your best behavior, or I will call you out for it.  Now that everything is clear, you are dismissed.”
WIth that, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, Danged Spell, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Moondancer cheered as they ran past Chancellor Cinch and through the entrance of the fair.  But as Cinch turned her head towards the back, she noticed Applejack, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail looking upwards.  Wanda was still stuck there, shaking in fear from Rainbow Dash’s senseless prank.
“Man’s cub,” Chancellor Cinch sighed.  “It’s time for you to come down.  That hooligan who scared you has been dealt with.”
“But…” Wanda said as she held tight.  “What if I get scared again?  What if I…”
But before she could speak further, Wanda’s grip on the tree trunk went loose and she fell from the tree, screaming really loud.  She stopped only at a few inches from the ground, and was levitating, surrounded by an aura of magic.  She looked up and saw Chancellor Cinch’s horn glow bright as she was set gently down on the grass.
“You’re already safe you silly child,” Cinch said with an eyeroll. “Now go inside the fair and enjoy yourself.  That last thing we need from you is all that senseless drama.”
Wanda got up and bowed to Chancellor Cinch as she said “Thank you, Miss Cinch.”  And without hesitation, Wanda ran past Cinch and through the entrance gate.  Sunset, Applejack and Abigail ran after her.
“Wait up, sis,”  Sunset said as she ran after Wanda.  “You forgot about us.”
“And we’re due to introduce you to the rest of our family,”  Applejack yelled as she ran past the gate.
Nearby, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Bright Mac and Buttercup all walked up to Chancellor Cinch.  Despite the drama that came out of Wanda and Rainbow Dash, Celestia was rather amused.  
“I’m surprised that you turned down that offer to be the headmare of the School for Gifted Unicorns,”  Celestia said with a chuckle.
“I would have,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But my late husband introduced me to the world of Equestria politics.  Ruthless, untamed, chaotic, and treacherous.”
“Well he was the previous chancellor of Equestria,”  Princess Luna.  “Until that fatal incident.”
“I heard about that,”  Bright Mac said.  “Who was that strange, fox-like creature who took his life?”
“It’s a name even I do not dare to speak,” Cinch said as she lowered her head in shame. 
“I’m afraid she’s right,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Thankfully, it has been locked away in Tartarus.  But for now, I think it’s time we enjoyed some time at the fair.”
“I’ll say,”  Princess Cadance said.  “After the last few months, I could use a swell time, especially with my knight in shining armor.”
With that, Princess Cadance kissed Shining Armor on the cheek, causing his ears to spew out steam as his eyes and ears went completely nuts.
“Your wish is my command,” Shining Armor said as he and Princess Cadance took a stroll through the gates.  Celestia looked on and let out another chuckle.
“Well then,”  Princess Celestia said.  “What do you say we all have a good time?”
“I’m up for that,”  Princess Luna replied.  “I’ve waited a long time for this break.”
“When we get in, “ Bright Mac said.  “I can’t wait to reintroduce you to my ma.  I heard she’s been making something special for the Princesses of Equestria.”
“Oh she didn’t have to go out of her way for it,” Princess Celestia said.  “But if she insists, I may check it out.”
With that, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Bright Mac and Buttercup took a stroll through the gates of Ponyville Fair.  Nearby, Chancellor Cinch watched on, and had a thought of her own.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to kick back and relax for once,”  Chancellor Cinch said as she made her way to the gate.  “Besides, all that time as the Chancellor of Equestria, and I could use some time to freshen up till the next session in the Senate.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo: The Rematch

> Arc 9-3: Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo: The Rematch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo: The Rematch




Deep within the Ponyville Providence Fair, Rainbow Dash was walking along with Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo.  The trio were observing the sights, the sounds and the aroma of the fair, having separated from the rest of the group.  The sight of the delicious grub caught Danged Spell’s attention.  He took a glance at a Grand Oat Burger booth.  The oat burgers sizzled on the grill as the smell drifted to his nose.  He couldn’t resist it.
“You look like you want a taste of that,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “It happens to be one of my favorite treats.”
“I sure want a taste of that burger,”  Danged Spell said as he was mesmerized by the aroma of the oat burger, licking his lips.  
“Stand back,”  Rainbow Dash said as she pulled out a sack of bits.  “I’ll treat you and Ditzy.”
With a flash, Rainbow Dash flew towards the booth, thankfully free of any lines.  She placed a few bits onto the counter and said “Three orders of your Barbecue Oat Burger, with three bottles of sparkling apple juice.”
The Attendant at the counter accepted the bits before he turned around to the interior of the booth and yelled “You heard her.  Three Barbecue Oat Burgers.”
Inside the booth, a chef flipped three oat burger patties from the grill into the air.  He dashed towards the other end and pulled out three buns.  Then he caught each of the patties with those buns and placed them on the counter.  Without a second thought, he topped each finely cooked patty with soy cheese, hay bacon strips, onion rings and barbecue sauce before topping each sandwich with an onion bun.
“Served to perfection,” The chef said with a smile as he proceeded to wrap each of the three burgers in a special serving paper.
Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo and Danged Spell were amazed by the chef’s work in putting the burger together.  Danged Spell’s jaw dropped to the floor in complete shock.
“I take it he really enjoys his job,” Rainbow Dash said to the Attendant with a satisfied smirk on her face.
“You have no idea,” The Attendant said with a smirk.

Later that day, Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo were in the stands of an empty circular stage, enjoying their oat burgers.  Spell couldn’t resist the taste as he took a huge chomp out of the burger and chewed with delight.  Ditzy took a sip from the apple juice before taking another bite.
“Wow,”  Danged Spell said, having swallowed that bite.  “I thought it was going to be good.  But that’s an understatement.”
“And he doesn’t just do it to show off,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “That chef cooks those delicious oat burgers because of how good they are.”
“I’m actually surprised that he doesn’t have his own restaurant,”  Danged Spell said.
“Well that’s just it,” Ditzy Doo said.  “He prefers to operate like this and he definitely doesn’t want his own fancy restaurant or fast food chain.”
“Oh tell me about it,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I tried out this place called the Golden Arches.  It’s supposed to be the biggest fast food chain in Equestria.  Blandsville is more like it.  The oat burgers taste like someone put sawdust in the mix, and don’t get me started with the so-called milkshakes.  And what is up with the mascots of that place?  A rejected circus clown?  An overeager hippogriff?  Whatever the heck that pink thing is?  Yeah.  I’ll stick with the local oat burger stands over the big, mainstream ones.”
“No kidding,”  Danged Spell said.  “I once tried their oat burgers.  Bleach.  It’s like they didn’t put any heart or soul into their cooking.”
Rainbow Dash let out a friendly chuckle and said “Despite our differences, we seem to have some things in common.  Oat burgers are one of them.”
“Speaking of which,” Danged Spell said as he took a sip of apple juice.  “Didn’t we have a tug-o-war match back in Canterlot?  Only for Golden Lace’s antics to ruin the mood?”
“Oh yeah,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked down and took notice of the stage.  “As a matter of fact, I think we have an arena to finish with what we started.”
“That sounds great,” Danged Spell said.  “But first, I’m not done with lunch yet.”
“Danged Spell is right,” Ditzy said.  “I barely get to eat lunch with you guys, and I’d say this is the best moment for us all.
“Oh...right,”  Rainbow Dash said with a blush on her face.  “Guess I get too carried away with the thought of competition.”
“It happens to all of us,”  Danged Spell said.  “Sometimes, I get so worked up of the thought of being a part of the Canterlot Royal Guard, that I also get carried away.”
“And sometimes,” Ditzy replied.  “I usually let my mind wander and think of nothing.  Because I once heard that doing nothing can sometimes be the best thing..” 
Both Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash were surprised by Ditzy’s comment and just stared at her with amused smiles.
“Wow,”  Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle.  “That’s something to think about.”
“Well look on the bright side,” Ditzy said.  “At least it helps me relax.”
“Point taken,” Danged Spell replied. 
And with that, Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Ditzy Doo continued to enjoy their oat burgers as ponies walked around the arena.

Later, after they had finished lunch, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell were on opposite ends of a long rope in the middle of the arena, similar to the one back in Canterlot.  Ditzy Doo stood on a platform on two legs, holding up a pair of blue flags.  The two youngsters in the middle of the arena stared down at each other as if they were ready for a major duel.
“So,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk on her face.  “This is how we end it.  You, me and one more round of tug-o-war.”
“Don’t think I’ll go down that easy this time,”  Danged Spell replied with a grin.  “We’ve got no audience to cheer us on at the moment.  But I’m hoping the ponies of La Maresa will see that I am the prime pony.”
“Oh now you’re asking for it,” Rainbow Dash laughed.  “Better say your blessings to Princess Celestia, because you’ll be crying back to her when this is over.”
As Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell stared at each other and at their respective ends of the rope, Ditzy Doo yelled “This tug-o-war contest will determine who is truly the iron stallion.  The first pony to pull the other to the end wins.  Are you two ready?”
“Oh I am,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Bring it,” Danged Spell yelled.
And with that, Ditzy Doo yelled “GO!”
Without a second thought, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash picked up their own ends of the big rope and pulled as hard as they could.  Rainbow Dash used her wings in an attempt to pull the rope away.  But Danged Spell held firm, digging his hooves into the ground while also using his magic to pull his end.
“You still got that spark of competition in you,”  Rainbow Dash said as she held tight.  “I can respect that.”
“The feeling’s mutual,”  Danged Spell grinned as he held down the rope.
Both Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash continued to pull as hard as they could on their own ends of the rope.  Neither pony looked like they were going to tire as they pulled as hard as possible, and there was barely any sweat pouring from their heads.  They pulled as hard as they could, and they barely budged from their spot.  Rainbow Dash kept flapping her wings while Danged Spell kept his magic going strong..
Suddenly, a caramel-colored flash of light darted towards the center of the rope and grabbed it.  The rope went flying into the air, pulling Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell upwards, flying out of control.
“WHAT IN THE?”  Rainbow Dash yelled as she lost control and was yanked from her position.
The two competitors yelled really loud as the bolt of light threw the rope into a nearby pole. The rope twirled around the pole, causing Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell to spin around and around, until they bumped right into each other.  With a loud “OWW,”  Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash fell to the ground.
“OH MY GOSH!”  Ditzy Doo yelled.  “ARE YOU BOTH ALRIGHT?”
But before she could make a move, the bolt of light landed on the ground and took the shape of one familiar colt.  Ditzy looked at the colt and began to freak out.  The colt turned out to be Hoops.
“OH NO!”  Ditzy yelled.  “NOT YOU AGAIN!”
Hoops got himself up and glanced at Ditzy with a devilish grin.  He turned to Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell and laughed at their misfortune.  
“So nice to see you again, Rainbow Crash,”  Hoops said.  “I hope you didn’t mind us spoiling your sense of competition with that….Royal Pain.”  
“HEY!”  Danged Spell yelled as he got up onto his four hooves and puffed steam from his nose.  “WHO ARE YOU CALLING A KING YOU JERK?”  That only made Hoops slightly confused.
“Wow,”  Hoops said.  “Guess I need to come up with better insults with this hot head.”
With a chuckle, Hoops turned his back on Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash, and glanced right at Ditzy Doo.  The cross-eyed pegasus filly looked as if she was about to cry.
“You stay away from me you big meanie,”  Ditzy Doo cried.  “You’re the reason why I ran away from La Maresa.”
But as Ditzy Doo began to take a few steps back, she felt something blocking her way.  She turned around and saw Dumb-Bell and Score standing right behind her.  The two colt pegasi laughed at her in a cruel tone.
“Where’d ya been, defect?”  Dumb-Bell said with a snort.
“And to think, we would have chased you to the ends of Equestria after you tried to hide in Canterlot,” Score crowed.
Ditzy Doo began to step backwards from Dumb-Bell and Score, afraid of the duo.  But as she did, Hoops grabbed her from behind with a powerful bear hug, causing the cross-eyed filly to freak out.
“LET ME GO,” Ditzy cried as she struggled to get out.  
“Sorry squirt,” Hoops chuckled.  “But you’re going to have to endure this for being a defect.”
As Hoops held onto Ditzy Doo with Dumb-Bell and Score laughing at her misfortune, Rainbow Dash was already on her four hooves.  She and Danged Spell observed the trio harassing Ditzy and giving her a hard time.
“The nerve of those cowards,” Rainbow Dash said, gritting her teeth.  “We gotta teach those jerks a lesson that they should never pick on someone that innocent.”
As Danged Spell had his eyes on the three boy bullies, he glanced to the left for a moment and saw a spray bottle full of seltzer.  His angry attitude turned into a smug smile as he levitated the bottle close to him with his magic.
“Hey Rainbows,”  Danged Spell said as the spray bottle floated towards him.  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Rainbow Dash took notice of the seltzer bottle and said “If it involves humiliating those bullies, I’m game.  What’s the plan?”
“It involves the rope on the pole,” Danged Spell said back.
“I’m on it,” Rainbow Dash said as she extended her wings.

As Hoops continued to hold down Ditzy in that vice-grip of a bear hug, Ditzy continued to struggle to break loose as Dumb-Bell and Score continued to laugh at her misfortune.  Tears flowed from Ditzy’s eyes as she endured her torment.
“Let me go this instant,” Ditzy cried.  “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Oh you’re not causing any trouble,” Hoops said as he held Ditzy tight.  “It’s just that trouble wants to come to you, Klutzy.”  And with that, Hoops squeezed Ditzy tighter as Dumb-Bell and Score laughed harder.  Ditzy looked as if she was about to scream really loud.
“HEY BOZOS!”  Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score turned their heads to the end of the arena where they saw Danged Spell stared down at the trio.
“Well if it ain’t the King of Equestria himself,” Hoops said as he, Dumb-Bell and Score laughed at Danged Spell.  The unicorn colt struggled to contain his anger as he let out a smug grin on his face.
“Well I’d say you three need a KING-SIZE COOLING OFF!”  Danged Spell yelled as he pulled out the seltzer bottle from the corner, aimed right at Hoops and pulled the trigger.  A powerful stream of seltzer water bursted out from the nozzle, and knocked Hoops out of the air, causing him to let go of Ditzy Doo.  The pegasus floated in the air, breathing heavily from that bear hug.
Danged Spell looked at the seltzer bottle and said “Wow.  This is some strong stuff.”
Hoops got himself up and shook off the excess seltzer water.  He clenched his teeth and took a good look at Danged Spell.  Dumb-Bell and Score walked beside their fellow bully.
“Forget the defect,” Hoops said.  “Let’s get that unicorn.”
And with that, Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score marched towards Danged Spell.  They stared down at the unicorn colt with complete malice.
“Any last words before you get the beat down of a lifetime?”  Hoops snarled.
“Yeah,”  Danged Spell said with a smirk on his face.  “Checkmate.”
As Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score looked at Danged Spell with a confused look on their face, Rainbow Dash flies on in, tying up the Boy Bully Trio with the same rope used in the failed tug-o-war duel.  The trio was completely dumbstruck by Rainbow Dash’s stunt.
“HEY,”  Hoops yelled as he is squeezed in the binding of the rope with Dumb-Bell and Score.  “YOU TRICKED US YOU DOUBLE-CROSSING RHINO!”
“A rhino has a bigger brain than the three of you combined,”  Danged Spell said as Rainbow Dash tightened the rope binding the Boy Bully Trio together.
“LET US GO,”  Hoops yelled as he struggled to get out of the rope bindings.  “YOU CAN’T HOLD US DOWN LIKE THIS!”
Rainbow Dash landed right in front of the trio and said “Pretty poor choice of words coming from three cowards who thought holding Ditzy Doo in a bear hug was amusing.”
“YOU DOUBLE-CROSSING SNOWFLAKE!”  Hoops yelled as he seethed uncontrollably.  “WHEN I GET OUT OF THESE BINDINGS, YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU EVER MESSED WITH THE THREE OF US!”
“Maybe if you three weren’t attacking innocent fillies,” Danged Spell replied.  “You wouldn’t be in this mess.  Oh well, have a nice flight.”
As Danged Spell winked at Rainbow Dash, the tomboyish pegasi filly grabbed the loose end of the rope and flew into the air with it, pulling Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score with her.  The trio screamed as Rainbow Dash hoisted them off the ground.
“NOOOOO!”  Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score cried.  “DON’T DROP US!”
“Maybe if you three weren’t so much of a jerk,”  Rainbow Dash said and she began to swing the trio around in the air.  “You wouldn’t be going for a ride.”
And with that, Rainbow Dash swung the three bullies faster and faster, until she let go of the rope.  The momentum generated by Rainbow Dash caused Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score to go flying off into the atmosphere.
“WE’LL GET YOU FOR THIS RAINBOW DAAAAAAAAAAASH!”  Hoops yelled as, Dumb-Bell and Score helplessly fly out of the vicinity of the fairgrounds and crash right into a nearby set of trees. 
“Good riddance,”  Rainbow Dash said as she flew down from the sky and landed right next to Danged Spell, who was tending to Ditzy Doo.  Rainbow Dash put her arm around Ditzy Doo, who only let out a smile towards the brash filly.	
“Thanks Rainbow Dash,” Ditzy Doo said.  “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
“No worries, Ditzy,”  Rainbow Dash said with a grin on her face.  “And besides.  There’s no way I’m letting those creeps harass you.”
“You know Rainbows,” Danged Spell said.  “We’re most likely going to get kicked out of the fair for that stunt.”
“Yeah, I’m aware of that,” Rainbow Dash said as she put her arm around Danged Spell.  “But I wasn’t going to let those creeps get away with Ditzy Doo.”  She and Danged Spell then turned their head towards Ditzy Doo, who waved right back at them.
“That’s actually true,” Danged Spell replied as he looked at Ditzy Doo.
“And besides,”  Rainbow Dash added.  “I care alot about the well-being of my friends.  Despite her shortcomings, Ditzy is my friend.  And so are you.”
“I am?”  Danged Spell asked, surprised by Rainbow Dash’s response.
“Yeah,”  Rainbow Dash replied.  “In fact, you have that spark of loyalty within you.  You’re willing to stand by your friends, especially if trouble chooses to follow them.   That’s what I truly like about you.  So, I’m going to say this: I hope we’re best friends for life.”
Danged Spell was at a loss for words.  He looked at Rainbow Dash and the words that came out of her mouth.  He also glanced at Ditzy Doo, who was in a cheerful mood.  Danged Spell was about to open his mouth when he heard two adult ponies yell out “GO RAINBOW DASH!”
“Uggh,”  Rainbow Dash said as she put her hoof on her face.  “They had to go and ruin the moment.”
“Your fanbase?”  Danged Spell asked.
“No, my folks,”  Rainbow Dash replied.  “Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles.”
Danged Spell turned his head towards the bleachers and saw an adult pegasi couple wearing Rainbow Dash memorabilia.  The stallion, Bow Hothoof,  had a color scheme similar to Rainbow Dash, except with a slightly darker fur color while the mare, Windy Whistles, had a similar color coat, but with a light scarlet and orange mane.
“Those are your parents?” Danged Spell said. 
“Yeah,”  Rainbow Dash said as she hung her head in shame.  “They can be a real pain in the flank.”
Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles walked up to the trio, bursting with excitement.  Rainbow Dash turned her head away from her parents while Danged Spell looked confused.  Ditzy just stood there, waving to the older couple.
“So you must be one of the students from Canterlot City,”  Bow Hothoof said as he shook Danged Spell’s harm, causing the young unicorn colt to shake up and down.
“Yyyyyyyyeah,” Danged Spell said, shaking up and down before Bow Hothoof let go of his arm.  “And you’re Rainbow Dash’s parents.”
“Uggh,” Rainbow Dash groaned.  “Hi mom.  Hi dad.”
“Now honey,”  Windy said as she put her wing around Rainbow Dash.  “I heard that you were helping out Ditzy Doo in Canterlot and that you made a friend up there.  But I didn’t know that you had a boyfriend.”  Those words shocked Danged Spell’s own core.
“I’M NOT HER COLTFRIEND,” Danged Spell yelled.
“Now don’t be silly, young stallion,” Bow Hothoof said as he hoisted Danged Spell into the air.  “I can tell that when you both get older, you’ll want to get married.”
“Aww heck no,”  Danged Spell said as she struggled to get out of Bow Hothoof’s arms.  “Marriage?  Not in my lifetime.”  Rainbow Dash looked up at Danged Spell and blushed red.
“Marry him?” Rainbow Dash replied.  “But we’re only friends.  We’re not like that.”
“Now come my, my little Rainbow Wainbow,”  Windy Whistles said as she picked up Rainbow Dash.  “I can see a bright future for you and your new coltfriend.”
“Mom,”  Rainbow Dash said as she struggled to get out.  “You’re embarrassing me.”
“But don’t you want to be happy when you grow up?”  Windy Whistles said.  “After all, who’s going to be by your side after you become a Wonderbolt?”
“You said it, honey,”  Bow Hothoof said as he and Windy Whistles held Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash high into the air.  “Here’s to a future Wonderbolt, and to her future husband.”
As Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles cheered, Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, completely disgusted.
“What you described about them is an understatement,” Danged Spell whispered to Rainbow Dash.  “They’re not parents.  They’re stalkers.”
“Right now,”  Rainbow Dash whispered back.  “I would rather be kicked out of the fair than to put up with this moment.”
As Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof held Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell in the air cheering, Ditzy Doo looked on from nearby, smiling at her close friends.
“You know,”  Ditzy Doo said to herself.  “I think they do make a cute couple.”


To be continued in.,..


Moondancer and Rarity: A Dress for the Occasion

> Arc 9-4: Moondancer and Rarity: A Dress for the Occasion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Moondancer and Rarity: A Dress for the Occasion



Food was cooking in the various stands scattered across the vicinity.  Balloons were inflated for the colts and fillies to hold onto.  Animals were making a lot of noise, craving attention.  Stallions, mares, colts and fillies were enjoying the sights that was the Ponyville Fair.  It was a busy day with this massive agricultural event surrounded by lush, green trees.  And everyone was enjoying themselves.
But as the crowds were busy enjoying every moment of the fair, we see Twilight Sparkle walking through with Spike on her back.  Behind her were Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Moondancer.  The group was lost in the atmosphere of the fair, distracted by the sights, sounds and aroma all around them.
“Wow,”  Twilight said as she saw everything around her.  “I never knew the fair would be this grand.”
“No kidding,”  Starlight said as she stared at the whole place in disbelief.  “Where Sunburst and I came from, the fairs we went to were smaller in size.”
“Sire’s Hollow is not the biggest town in Equestria,”  Sunburst said.  “So our county fair is much smaller compared to this.”  Sunburst continued to look around at the sight of the fair and added “But this is massive.  I’ve never seen a fair this big.”
“No kidding,” Starlight said.  
Twilight giggled and said “You can say that again for the third time.”
Moondancer let out a snort and said “Well you could say that’s not really...FAIR!  Get it?”
As Moondancer laughed, Twilight, Starlight and Sunburst let out a groan and said “Moondancer.”  Moondancer looked at the others and blushed in embarrassment.  
“I think I caught Danged Spell’s overuse of puns,” Moondancer said to herself.
Twilight, Spike, Sunburst, Starlight and Moondancer continued to wander around the vicinity of the fair, overwhelmed by the number of booths lined up, and the various ponies enjoying their time.  Twilight looked around, salivating at nearly every food booth.
“Wow,”  Twilight said.  “I know we’re supposed to look for our assigned friend.  But I feel like I just want to eat everything up.”
“You and me both, Twilight,”  Moondancer said as she licked her lips.
“Thanks for reminding us, Twilight,”  Sunburst said as he began to freak out.  “I was supposed to look for this Fluttershy pony, Starlight was supposed to look for Trixie, Moondancer was supposed to look for Rarity and you were supposed to find Pinkie Pie.”
Twilight shook her head violently and said “Sorry.  But I can’t seem to think on an empty stomach.”
“By the chance,”  Starlight asked as she pointed to a Quesadilla booth.  “Would something like that be perfect?”
Twilight stared at the Quesadilla booth and looked like she was going to be sick.  Spike was sitting on her back, quietly sucking his thumb.
“Yuck,”  Twilight said as she stuck her tongue out in disgust.  “I tried that before.  Too cheesy for my tastes.”
But as Twilight turned her head away from the Quesadilla booth, something caught Moondancer’s attention.  She perked her ears up and heard a voice singing in the atmosphere.
“That’s strange,”  Moondancer said.  “Why do I hear something that’s subtle and yet, beautiful?”
Moondancer looked around, trying to pinpoint the location of the singing.  Her eyes caught the attention of a unicorn filly walking through the fair.  She had a white coat, and a moderate indigo mane shaped like it came from Canterlot.  On the side of her rear was a cutie mark shaped like three diamonds.  In front of the filly was a medium-sized lavender bag being levitated by a light blue aura.
“Hey guys,”  Moondancer said as she eyed the unknown filly.  “Do Ponyville ponies have their manes styled like some of the elite ponies of Canterlot?”
“I don’t recall any who have that kind of description,”  Sunburst said.  “Why’s that?
“Because I just spied a filly who looks like she came from there,”  Moondancer replied.
Twilight looked at the out-of-place unicorn filly and said.  “You’re absolutely right.  And I think she might be one of the friends we’re supposed to meet.  Come on.”
With that, Twilight with Spike on her back, along with Moondancer and Sunburst took off after the unicorn filly.  Starlight yelled out “Wait.”  But none of the others paid attention to her voice.
Starlight let out a sigh and said “This just doesn’t feel right.”  Without a second thought, she took off after her friends.

Further down in the fair, the unicorn filly continued to sing to herself as she pranced passed various fairgoers, carrying the bag with her magic, completely unaware of the four youngsters following her.  She continued to prance forward, singing to herself before coming to a stop.  She looked up and saw a fancy booth to the left of her, painted in a lovely light blue.  A sign hung on the top of the booth labeled “Rarity’s.”
“Ahh here we are,”  The young unicorn filly said as she jumped up to the booth’s platform.  She looked at her bag and said “I’ve got to hand it to daddy.  He sure knows how to find the best Sunstone in the Ponyville Providence.”
The Unicorn filly opened the bag and poured out numerous gemstones.  All of them were of various sizes and shapes, but they all shared a color, similar to the sun that shines across the land.  She placed the bag down before using her magic to pick up one of the gemstones and took a good look at it.
“This is exactly what I need for my Ponyville Fair lineup,”  The filly said.  “What better way to celebrate the fair than with the very gem that is as magnificent as the sun?  Oh they are all going to be gorgeous with this beaut.”
As the Unicorn Filly observed the sunstones in her collection, Twilight, Spike, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer watched from afar, with Spike just staring at her, awed at her presence.  Moondancer took a good look at the sign, seeing the word Rarity’s on there.
“If I didn’t know better,” Moondancer said.  “I believe that must be the Rarity I was supposed to look for.”
“That’s Rarity?”  Starlight said, confused.
“Judging by her mane and coat, and the cutie mark on her side,” Twilight said.  “That has got to be the Rarity you’re looking for.”  But as Twilight turned her head, she saw Spike continue to glance at the unicorn filly who may be Rarity.
Sunburst looked at Spike and said “I think he’s got a crush on Rarity.”
Twilight just giggled and said “I dunno.  I think Spike may be too young for a lady like her.”
Meanwhile, the Unicorn filly continued to observe the sunstones in her collection, one at a time.  As she picked one up to look at, the stone slipped out of her magic spell and bounced out of the booth.  The filly’s eyes were completely wide as the stone bounced away from the booth.
“NOOOOOO!”  The filly yelled.  “Some pony STOP THAT STONE!”
The filly jumped out of the booth and chased after the bouncing sunstone.  But as the stone bounced away, it landed on top of a light yellowish-gray hoof.  The filly looked up and saw Moondancer staring at her, all while holding the escaped sunstone in her hoof.
“Did you drop this?”  Moondancer asked as she held the sunstone out to the filly. The young filly picked up the sunstone with her magic and breathed a sigh of relief.
“My goodness I did,”  the filly said as she moved the Sunstone right next to her.  “Thank you for helping me retrieve it.”
“It was the least I could do,”  Moondancer replied.  She cleared her throat and then said.  “By the way.  I am looking for someone called Rarity.  And judging by the sign above the fancy booth you’re in, I take it you’re Rarity, correct?”
The unicorn filly was surprised by Moondancer’s question.  She flicked the back of her mane with her right hoof before she said “Yes.  I happen to be Rarity.”
“Then you are the pony I was assigned to,”  Moondancer said as she held her hoof out to Rarity.  “My name is Moondancer.”
“Wait a minute,” Rarity said as she stared at Moondancer in disbelief.  “I was told that I would meet another from a city called...Canterlot.”  Rarity moved the stray sunstone back to the pile in her booth and said “ By any chance, are you from Canterlot?”
Moondancer let out a chuckle and said “Originally, I am from Cape Coltnaveral.  But yes.  I do live in Canterlot now with my friends.”
Rarity’s face beamed with excitement.  Her jaw dropped with a studded smile as she looked at Moondancer, Sunburst, Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle, with Baby Spike on Twilight’s back waving to Rarity.
“You’re all from Canterlot?”  Rarity said as she couldn’t contain herself.  “Oh I always wanted to set up a shop in Canterlot for every pony who lived there.  The lifestyle must be so divine, especially for a place where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna live.”
Sunburst let out a chuckle and said “Actually, Starlight and I originate from Sire’s Hollow.  Twilight’s been a resident there for a lot longer than any of us.”
“Oh dear,”  Twilight said as she looked a bit nervous.  “I don’t think telling her that was a good idea.”
Rarity zipped towards Twilight, eager to hear of any knowledge coming from the purple filly from Canterlot.  Twilight was clearly sweating from the top of her head as Rarity’s face beamed with excitement.  That’s one way to cause a filly from Canterlot to freak out.
“By any chance,”  Rarity asked.  “Are you one of Princess Celestia’s adopted daughters?”
“Oh no no no,” Twilight replied as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.  “I’m actually Celestia’s protege.  Sunset Shimmer is one of her daughters, as is another named Wanda.”
“Oh my,”  Rarity said as she placed her hoof on her chin.  “By any chance.  Who is this Wanda? Is she another divine pony?  Or maybe a princess that we don’t even know of?”
“Actually,” Starlight replied with a smile.  “Wanda’s a human.”  That answer got Rarity puzzled.
“What’s a human?” Rarity asked, confused by what Starlight meant.  Starlight just looked at Rarity and giggled a bit.
“I think if you met her,” Starlight said.  “You’ll understand who she is and why Celestia adopted her.  Besides, she’s also a great friend.”
“A great friend you say?”  Rarity replied.  “Well any friend of you all would most likely be a friend of mine.”
But as Rarity focused her attention on Twilight Sparkle, something else caught her eye.  Spike the Dragon was nesting comfortably on Twilight’s back, staring at Rarity.  He giggled at the mere sight of the Unicorn filly as he reached his arms out.  Rarity looked back and her face beamed with excitement.
“Oh my,” Rarity said as she approached Spike.  “Is that a baby dragon?”
“He sure is,”  Twilight replied.  “He’s more like a younger brother to me ever since he hatched from the egg at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  I call him Spike.”
“Now that’s a cute name for such a cute creature,”  Rarity said as she put her hoof on Spike’s forehead and rubbed it.  “Aren’t you a little cutie Spikey Wikey?  Yes you are.  Yes you are.”  Spike just stood there, cooing as Rarity stroked his head.
“I think some dragon has a crush on a certain filly,” Moondancer whispered to Sunburst. “You don’t suppose you have a crush on a certain someone?”  That statement caused Sunburst to freak out.
“Oh dear, look at the time,”  Sunburst said as he looked down on his right arm.  “We have to locate our other assigned friends here at the fair.”
“Oh come on,”  Twilight complained.  “And I was starting to get used to our new friend.”
“I’m afraid he’s got a point,” Rarity said as she took her hoof off Spike’s forehead.  The baby dragon looked like it was about to cry.  Rarity looked at the dragon and said “Oh don’t you worry.  We’ll see each other again soon,” before proceeding to wipe a tear from his face.  Spike let out a giggle as Rarity booped the bambino on the snout.
“I hope your friendship with Moondancer turns out well, Rarity,”  Twilight said.
“Same for yours if you get a chance to meet her,”  Rarity replied.  “Anyway, you three best be on your way.”
Starlight waved at Rarity as she ran off in the opposite direction.  Sunburst and Twilight followed behind with Spike riding on Twilight’s back.  Moondancer watched as her friends ran off into the crowd of fairgoers, until they were out of sight.
“You sure seem to have a bond towards baby dragons,” Moondancer giggled.
“What can I say?”  Rarity said.  “I consider them to be fascinating creatures.  In fact, I once encountered one when I was a foal.  But that’s a story for another day.”
Rarity walked back towards her booth with Moondancer behind her.  She looked at the gemstones before turning her attention towards a yellow dress near her.  It looked like it captured the yellow colors of the summer sun.  Moondancer looked at the dress, observing the fabric that was used and the way it was stitched up.
“This is an interesting dress to say the least,”  Moondancer said as she looked closer at the dress.  “I take it you based it off the summer sun itself?”
Rarity walked up to Moondancer and said “You just read my mind, darling.”  She then pulled out a few small pieces of sunstone with her magic and placed them on the table.
“And I also assume that those sunstones are for the dress,” Moonstone asked as she glanced at the gems and at the dress.
“That is correct,” Rarity replied.  “Seems with this year’s fair, the sun has become a popular theme among the crowd.  To them, the sun represents the light that shines among Equestria, the energy that grows the crops in the land, and a way to show off its divine colors.”
“Is that a fact?” Moondancer replied with a smirk.
“Oh no doubt about it,”  Rarity said as she pulled out some fabric glue.  “What gets ponies about the colors of the sun is how warm it feels, and not to mention the bright and beauty of the day we all wake up to.” 
Rarity walked up to the dress and placed a few dabs of fabric glue on the flat ends of each sunstone.  She then placed each stone neatly around the neckline in a pattern.  After placing around sixteen small sunstones on the dress, she took a few steps back to allow the gems to gleam in the light.
“Wow,”  Moondancer said as she was amazed by the small glimmer of the sunstones.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”  Rarity replied.  “This piece is to be a showcase for the Ponyville Fair’s Summer Sun days.  Something to help capture the eyes of the stallions and mares who enjoy the sights and sounds of wonderful La Maresa.”
As Moondancer observed the dress from afar, her eyes were able to make out another dress in the background.  It was a dark shade of purple and it’s shape was different, as if it weren’t meant for a filly.  But even with the bright lights emitting from the sunstones, she was still able to see the dress with her eyes.
“Uhh Rarity,” Moondancer said as she pointed to the dress in the back of the booth.  “What’s that dress all about?”
Rarity turned her head towards the purple dress at the back of her booth, and said “Oh that?  That was a project I was going to work on.  It’s supposed to represent the evening night.”  Those words caught Moondancer’s attention, as she shifted her eyes more towards the dress.
“Now that’s something I can resonate with,”  Moondancer said as she took a few steps towards the dress.  “Just so you know, I happen to observe the night sky with a telescope, fascinated by the wonders beyond our planet.”
“I like to observe the night sky as inspiration for my designs,”  Rarity replied as she glanced at the bright yellow dress..  “But so far, it feels like too much of my focus is on the summertime dress.   I know I got these sunstones just to help it shine. And I do admire the colors I’ve chosen.   But at the same time, it feels as if I was holding myself back with popular themes.”
“Like you want to do your own thing?”  Moondancer replied.
“Of course, darling,”  Rarity said as she looked at the purple dress.  “I actually want to have a major influence across all of Equestria, not just follow the trends like every pony else does.  Sure I may be a little filly.  But even I know to look beyond what’s popular.  Especially ever since I found that cache of gems hidden within a giant rock that was exposed by a powerful rainbow.”
Moondancer reflected on the words that came out of Rarity’s mouth.  She looked more at the bright yellow dress as Rarity glued sunstones around the waste.  Then she glanced at the purple dress and its lack of gemstones.
“Rarity,”  Moondancer asked.  “Do you have any diamonds?”
“I’m afraid not,”  Rarity replied.  “There’s been a huge demand for diamonds for jewelry.  And sadly, the same can be said of white sapphires.”
“What about White Quartz?””  Moondancer asked.
Rarity turned towards Moodancer and pointed down towards the nerd’s hooves.  Moondancer looked down to her left and saw a light blue bag.  She picked up the bad with her magic and opened it up.  Inside were gemstones made of white quartz.  Though they did not shine as bright as diamonds, their luster was still impressive.  But as she pulled one gemstone out, a container of fabric glue was levitated right next to her, with Rarity right nearby.
“You might need this,”  Rarity replied.  “I have a feeling you have big plans for the dress.”
“You read my mind,”  Moondancer chuckled as she used her magic to accept the glue from Rarity.
Moondancer walked up to the purple dress with the bag of white quartz gemstones and fabric glue.  Without a second thought, she began to apply glue to the back of each gem and set it onto the skirt area.  Rarity watched on from the sidelines, fascinated by the patter Moondancer was creating with the gems.
“Oh my,”  Rarity said.  “I haven’t had this much inspiration since I discovered my cutie mark.”
When Moondancer was done, she stepped back from the dress, with its skirt now decorated with white quartz gems, decorated in a random pattern.  Their glow awed Rarity.
“My dear,”  Rarity said as she approached the gem-laden purple dress.  “This looks like it came off the night sky.”
“It is,”  Moondancer said as she sat the bag and glue bottle down on the stand.  “I’ve gazed up at the stars every night, bedazzled by where they are all spread out.”
Rarity looked at the pattern of the quartz gems on the dress and said “By the way it looks, it’s as if you studied the night sky very well.”
“Let’s just say when you gaze up at the stars every night,” Moondancer replied.  “It becomes second nature to know where they are scattered.”
Rarity sets the purple dress, now bedazzled with white quartz gemstones, right next to her summer dress.  She turned around and said “Since you did me a huge favor, I’m letting you have one piece of my attire, no strings attached.”
Moondancer was surprised by what Rarity said.  The young star-gazing unicorn said “Wow.  Are you really sure about that?”
“Why of course, darling,” Rarity replied.  “Not only did you figure out the design for the dress, but you also gave me a new inspiration.  After all, you deserve something nice for your troubles.”
Moondancer looked around Rarity’s mini-boutique and glanced at all the fancy dresses.  She peered into a corner and saw a dark lavender scarf in the back, wrapped around the neck of a dress mannequin.  
“I’ll take that scarf back there,”  Moondancer said as she pointed at the scarf.  That wound up catching Rarity by surprise.
“Are you sure about that?”  Rarity asked.  “Surely you want something to shine during your time in La Maresa, or when you return to Canterlot.”
“I’m more of a minimalist kind of pony,”  Moondancer said.  “Besides, the last thing I need is to ruin a perfectly good dress by some kind of mean jerk.”
“Point taken,” Rarity said with a giggle.
Rarity removed the scarf from the mannequin and wrapped it around Moondancer’s neck.  She looked down at her bag of white quartz gems and pulled a few out.
“You don’t suppose you would want a few gems on your scarf,” Rarity asked.
“Go for it,” Moondancer replied. 
With that, Rarity took the fabric glue and dabbed a bit of it on no less than ten white quartz gems.  She proceeded to place them in a random pattern, similar to the purple dress that Moondancer created.  Once she was done, Rarity stepped back and saw the gems shine on Moondancer’s new scarf.
“Darling,”  Rarity said as she sat the gem bag and the fabric glue on the stand.  “You look gorgeous.”
“You think so?”  Moondancer asked as she felt the quartz gems on her new scarf.
“Oh believe me,” Rarity said.  “It’s like a new galaxy shining in the eyes of every pony.”
Moondancer laughed as she took a few steps towards Rarity, and said “You know, I think I might stick around for a bit.  After all, I think our minds intertwine even when we have different interests.”
“Darling,”  Rarity said as she put her arm around Moondancer.  “I think this might be the start of a beautiful friendship.”
The two give out a laugh as they looked up at the noon sun, shining down on the Ponyville Fair.


	To Be Continued in…


Sunburst, Spike and Fluttershy: Expanding moo horizons

> Arc 9-5: Sunburst, Spike and Fluttershy: Expanding moo horizons
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sunburst, Spike and Fluttershy: Expanding moo horizons



Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst were exploring the animal pens of the Ponyville Fair.  Spike was perched on Twilight’s back, looking at the many animals around them.  Some were separated from the other ponies in giant pens like giraffes, lions, elephants, antelopes, hippos and rhinos.  Others were free for ponies to touch or to interact with like cows, sheep, pigs and llamas.  All of them looked content, lounging around in the beautiful sunlight, or just observing the crowd of ponies enjoying their time at the fair.
“Sunburst,” Twilight said.  “Are you sure this is where Fluttershy is supposed to be?
“Of course,”  Sunburst said as he pulled out his notes.  “I did my research on Fluttershy.  She’s said to be an animal enthusiast.  But she’s also really shy and bashful, and often avoids crowds as much as possible.”
“That sounds alot like me,”  Starlight Glimmer said.  “I wonder why I didn’t get to pair up with her?”
“That’s a really good question,”  Twilight said.  “In fact, I’m curious as to why my pony partner is Pinkie Pie of all ponies?”
“Honesty,” Sunburst said as he placed his hoof over his eyes.  “I think Princess Celestia really doesn’t know us well.”
“Well what about the fact that Moondancer was paired up with Rarity?”  Starlight asked.  “Or the fact that Danged Spell got along well with Rainbow Dash, or that Wanda and Sunset are paired up with Applejack?”
“That’s true,”  Sunburst said.  “But I wonder why we all got paired up?  It does feel as if it was favoritism.”
“I’m not so sure about that,”  Twilight said as she put her hoof on her head.  “I think it has to do with our personalities and what she thinks would be perfect for us.”
“How so?”  Starlight asked.
“Well you see,” Twilight replied.  “I think Wanda and Sunset were paired with Applejack and the Apple family in order to get them to be more connected to common folks.  Moondancer with Rarity because of their fascination with beauty in different ways, and Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell because of how tough those two can be.  Maybe there’s a connection between us and our assigned friends here in La Maresa.”
Both Sunburst and Starlight stared at Twilight with a confused look.  Twilight just looked at them both and grinned in embarrassment while Spike looked at the animals around them.
“Okay,”  Twilight said as sweat fell from her head.  “Maybe it could be favoritism.”
But as Twilight began to regain herself, a scream echoed through the air.  Everyone turned their heads as they looked down the inside of a barn.
“Whatever’s going down over there,”  Twilight said as she prepared to run with Spike holding on.  “It’s not going to be pretty.”
With that, Twilight, Starlight and Sunburst ran into the barn with Spike holding on tight.

As the trio reached the inside, they saw Hoops, Dumbbell and Score laughing at a young pegasus filly with a pale, light grayish gold fur coat, and a pale, light grayish rose mane and tail.  The scared filly was covering her head crying in fear as some nearby animals watched in horror.
“Awww,”  Hoops said as Dumbbell and Score laughed at her face.  “Does the little baby want to cuddle in the mud with these varmints?”
“You’re nothing like that Rainbow Crash,”  Score said as he let out a chuckle.  “Or that hot headed unicorn friend of hers.”
“Yeah,”  Dumbbell said.  “After the humiliation we got from those two, you’ll do just fine, Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy?”  Hoops said with a grin.  “More like Puttercry.”
As the pegasi bully trio laugh at Fluttershy’s misery, Twilight and Sunburst witnessed everything from the entrance, enraged by the action of the trio.  Starlight hid behind Twilight as she was completely scared, all while Spike turned around and rubbed Starlight on the head for assurance.
“That’s the pony you were assigned to,”  Twilight said with a snort.  “And those three are making her life miserable.”
“No doubt about it,”  Sunburst said in complete disgust.  “They were also the trio who gave Ditzy Doo a hard time when she came up to Canterlot to hide.  I heard they ruined her birthday.”	
“I was told to be on my best behavior,”  Twilight said as she lowered her head and was about ready to charge.  “But I’m not going to let those creeps get away with that stunt.   If it meant getting banned from the fair, so be it.”
But as Twilight was prepared to charge at the trio, Sunburst noticed a red tarp draped over some boxes.  He turned to the left and saw a bull looking at the trio from the pen with concern.  His eyes lit up as he turned his head to Twilight Sparkle.
“Twilight,” Sunburst said. “I have an idea.”

“Please leave me alone,”  Fluttershy cried as she covered her face with her hooves.  “I don’t want any trouble like you did with Ditzy Doo’s birthday.”
“Oh but you don’t get a choice, snowflake,”  Hoops said.  “Even if you don’t look for trouble, it will always find you and give you hell.  There’s no escaping us.”
“Hey boss,” Score said as he flew in holding onto a whip.  “Here’s something to really scare that snowflake.”
“Sweet,” Dumbbell said, glancing at the whip.  “Let’s scare her really good.”
Hoops got his hooves around the whip and said “Oh believe me.  This will make that shrinking violet scream out.”
Hoops wrapped the end of the whip around his left hoof and tugged on it.  He flew up above Fluttershy and glanced down with a smile.  Fluttershy could only look up in horror as Hoops allowed the whip to unwind from his hoof and allowed it to dangle above the ground.
“P..p...p..ppp...please,”  Fluttershy cried as she stared helplessly at Hoops.  “Leave me alone.”
“Oh I’m terribly sorry,”  Hoops said as he swung the whip back.  “But I’m afraid that’s going to cost you dearly.”
“Well here’s your PAYMENT!”  someone shouted as a red tarp flew right into Hoop’s face, covering him completely.  He fell to the ground and lost his grip on the whip.  Dumbbell and Score were stunned to see their companion struggling in the red tarp.
“WHO DID THAT?”  Hoops yelled under the tarp.  “THAT BETTER NOT BE YOU, ROADKILL TRASH!”
As Hoops finally pulled his head out from the tarp, he looked up and saw Sunburst hovering over him.
“Leave her alone you big bully,” Sunburst said as he stared down at Hoops.
“You’re the snowflake who caused this?”  Hoops yelled as he glared at Sunburst.  “Stay out of this if you know what’s good for you.”
Without blinking, Sunburst said “Then you leave me no choice. “  He turned to Twilight and added “Open the bull pen.”
Twilight Sparkle, hiding behind a hay bale with Spike and Starlight Glimmer, used her magic to pick the lock of the bull pen, and opened the gate.  The bull marched out and took a look at Hoops as Sunburst stepped to the side.  Hoops, Dumbbell and Score looked at the bull and their anger turned into fear.
“They actually had a bull in this barn?” Dumbbell said as his knees shook violently.
“I hate bulls,” Score said as he hid behind Dumbbell.  “One of them poked me last summer.”
The bull glanced at the red tarp covering Hoops.  His eyes squinted hard as the horned heifer let out an aggressive snort.  Hoops wasted little time pulling himself from the tarp and gripped the whip hard.
“Stay back you beast,” Hoops said as he looked like he was about to swing the whip.  “I have a whip and I’m not afraid to use it.”
The bull looked undeterred as he glanced at Hoops.  The giant steer let loose a bellowing roar of a moo that sounded almost like a monster.  Hoops froze in place as his eyes shrunk down and he lost his grip on the whip, causing it to limp down on the floor.  He turned to his right and saw an opening through another doorway.
“RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”  Hoops yelled as he, Dumbbell and Score ran out the back door with the bull chasing them down.  Sunburst approached the doorway with a smug smile on his face.
“That will teach them not to harass innocent fillies,”  Sunburst said as he turned towards Fluttershy, who’s fear had disappeared, but instead had a face of concern.  Twilight, Starlight and Spike came out from behind the hay bales as they approached Fluttershy.
“You okay?”  Sunburst asked as he extended his hoof towards Fluttershy.  But the pegasi filly just flew out the doorway.
“Wait up, Mr Bovine,”  Fluttershy said as she flew after the bull.  “You don’t want to overdo it.”  
Sunburst just stood there, dumbfounded by Fluttershy choosing to pursue the bull.
“What just happened?”  Sunburst asked as Twilight, Starlight and Spike walked up to him.
“You did mention that Fluttershy is an animal lover,”  Twilight said.  “I think she has a concern for that bull you released.”
“Mr Bovine?”  Starlight said with a giggle.  “Now that’s a silly name.”

Outside, the bull chased after Hoops, Dumbbell and Score as they ran for their lives, all while Fluttershy was flying right after the bull.  The bully trio were screaming like mad.
“HELP!”  Dumbbell yelled. “MAD COW WANTS TO EAT US!”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran as far as they could to a nearby fence.  They saw a gap underneath that was small enough to fit them.  Dumbbell and Score ran as fast as they could and slid under the gap, making it onto the other side.
“Whew,”  Score said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.  “That was a close one.”
“Wait,”  Dumbbell said.  “What about Hoops?”
But before they could turn their heads, they heard a loud SMASH!  They looked at a fence post and saw Hoops sitting on the ground with a large bump on his head, with the side of the fence post bent.  
“Owww,”  Hoops groaned as he held his head in pain.
Hoops opened his eyes, looked up and saw the bull breathing in his face.  His face turned into a complete shock as he sat helpless at the giant behemoth.  The bull let out a bellowing moo as he towered over the helpless colt.
“PLEASE DON’T EAT ME!”  Hoops said as he cried in terror.  “I’M TOO YOUNG TO BE SOME STEER’S DINNER!”
Suddenly, the bull yelled out in pain as it sat down and placed his right upper hoof on his side.  He whined and groaned, holding carefully at his side and ignoring Hoop’s presence.  Hoops looked up and saw the bull suffering.
“I’M GETTING OUT OF HERE!” Hoops yelled as he quickly crawled under the fence and out on the other side. 
“You’re finally out,” Dumbbell yelled as he and Score got Hoops back up.
“Come on, boys,”  Hoops said.  “Let’s scram.”
And with that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran off away from the fence and into the crowd of fairgoers, who paid no attention to the bull screaming in pain.

As the bull held his side carefully and cried, Fluttershy flew and approached the suffering cow.  
“Mr Bovine,”  Fluttershy said.  “You pushed yourself again.”
“Sorry Fluttershy,”  The bull known as Mr Bovine said.  “But I didn’t want to let those bullies treat you like that.”
“I know you were concerned about me,” Fluttershy said.  “But at the same time, you didn’t need to overdo it.  After all, I’ve been concerned for your health since the fair started.”
As Fluttershy looked after Mr Bovine, Sunburst, Starlight and Twilight ran up to the duo with Spike riding on top of Twilight’s back.  Looking at Fluttershy alongside Mr Bovine gave all three unicorn youngsters a confused look.
“Wow,”  Twilight said.  “First the bull we released has a physical problem, and now Fluttershy is tending to him?  Pretty surprising world this is.”
“I think it’s time I introduced myself,”  Sunburst said.  
Sunburst approached Fluttershy as the little pegasi filly looked after Mr Bovine.  But when Fluttershy saw Sunburst, she squeaked in fear and hid behind the giant bull.  
“Please,”  Fluttershy said as she hid behind Mr Bovine.  “Go away.  I don’t want any trouble.”
“I don’t think they’re related to those bullies,”  Mr Bovine said to Fluttershy as Sunburst looked discouraged.  “In fact, I believe they were the ones who helped me chase them off.”  But Fluttershy only hid deeper behind Mr Bovine.
“I don’t think she’s in any mood to speak to us,”  Sunburst said as he looked at Fluttershy shaking behind the big cow.
“Well that’s just it,”  Mr Bovine said.  “Fluttershy has always been known to shy away from other ponies.  She thinks of us as her protectors, and in some ways, we did prove that right.”
“Just so you know,”  Sunburst said.  “We were the ones who released you from your pen because we didn’t want those creeps picking on that filly.”
“And I actually appreciate it,”  Mr Bovine said.  “I know Fluttershy wants me to look after my health.  But it’s as I said to her, I didn’t want to see those bullies get the best of her.  And by the way, as much as I appreciated the red tarp to trap them, it’s not the red that caused me to go nuts.”
“It wasn’t?”  Sunburst said.
“No,”  Mr Bovine replied with a chuckle.  “But a good distraction is what’s needed to teach those juvenile delinquents a lesson.  Sadly, those three keep picking on her.  Poor kid.  Princess Celestia was wise to send you kids to meet her.”
“Yeah, but there’s one problem,”  Twilight said as she approached Mr Bovine.  “She’s clearly afraid of us.  But she’s friendly to you.”
As Mr Bovine looked at Twilight, he saw Spike riding on her back, waving at the big bull.
“I take it, that's a baby dragon, correct?”  Mr Bovine asked.
“Yeah,” Twilight said.  “Spike here is like a little brother to me.”
Mr Bovine slowly leaned down and whispered into Sunburst’s ear.  The little colt’s face turned and approached Twilight.
“Twilight,”  Sunburst said.  “Would it be alright if I borrowed Spike for a bit?”
Twilight thought for a second, then said “Sure.  I’ll let you under one condition.”
“Name it,”  Sunburst said.
“Make sure he stays out of trouble and keep a close eye on him,” Twilight said.  “Promise?”
“Promise,”  Sunburst said.  
With that, Twilight levitated Spike from her back and onto Sunburst’s back.  The baby dragon looked at Twilight and looked like he was about to cry.
“Don’t worry,”  Twilight said as she booped Spike on the nose.  “We’ll be back for you.  Just be on your best behavior.  Promise?”  The little dragon’s cry turned into a cheer as Twilight rubbed Spike on the forehead.
With that, Mr Bovine turned towards Fluttershy and tapped her shoulder with his hoof.
“Fluttershy,”  Mr Bovine said.  “Those unicorn kids have a friend with them.”
As Fluttershy peeped out from behind the big bull, she noticed Sunburst walking up to him with Spike on his back.  The little pegasi filly’s emotions turned upwards as she flew right towards the young unicorn colt.
“A baby dragon?” Fluttershy said as she approached Sunburst with glee.  “You actually have a baby dragon?”
“Actually,”  Sunburst said.  “He’s from a close friend.  But we consider him a part of our team.”
“I have never seen a baby dragon before in my life,”  Fluttershy said.  “I heard they’re so cute and rare around Equestria.”
“Well this one is called Spike,”  Sunburst said.  “Twilight hatched her from his egg when she went for her entrance exam.  She’s letting me look after him during our time here in La Maresa.”
“Twilight?”  Fluttershy said as she looked up at Sunburst.  
“Yeah,” Sunburst said as he pointed to Twilight and Starlight, with the latter waving at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy flew up to Twilight and Starlight and pulled out a letter from the back of her mane.
“Uhh Twilight,”  Fluttershy said as she slowly held out the letter.  “I heard you’re looking for a Pinkie Pie….and uhh...she wanted me to give this to you.”
“For me?”  Twilight said as she accepted the letter and opened it.
“What does it say?”  Starlight said.
“To the one know as Twilight Sparkle,”  Twilight read.  “I’ve been waiting for you, for I am the party pony committed to fun.  I’ll be expecting you as I bounce around the La Maresa sun.  You’ll find this pink pony trotting along the grounds of the fair.  So seek me out, and be there or be square.  Signed, Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie for short.”
“That must be your La Maresa friend that you’re supposed to look for,”  Starlight said as Twilight folded up the letter and placed it in her male.
“Are you sure you can handle this without me?”  Sunburst asked.
“I’m sure of it,” Twilight said with a flick of her tail.  “And I trust Spike won’t be in any danger.”
“Considering who he’s with,”  Sunburst said as Fluttershy rubbed Spike on the forehead.  “I’d say Spike’s in good hooves.”
“Thanks Sunburst,”  Twilight said.
Fluttershy turned to face Twilight and said “I hope you two find Pinkie Pie.  I heard she’s a really elusive pony, even compared to me.  Some ponies say she’ll lead you on a wild goose chase to something….spooky.”  With that, Fluttershy curled up in a ball and shook like crazy while Spike looked on from the perch of Sunburst’s back.
“Oh please,”  Twilight smirked as she placed her hoof on Fluttershy.  “I’ve faced far worse than that.  And unfortunately, I still get nightmares just thinking about it.”
Starlight walked up to Fluttershy, lowered her head down to the timid pegasi filly’s level, and whispered “It’s best not to ponder what we went through.  Don’t want you to be there all day.”  Fluttershy nodded as she slowly got up with Starlight helping her back on her four hooves.
“Well, I think we’re good to go,” Sunburst said.   “I hope you two figure out where this Pinkie Pie character is.”
“Don’t worry,”  Twilight said with a smirk.  “All those mystery novels I read will be my guide through this one.”
Starlight waved to Fluttershy, Sunburst, Spike and Mr Bovine as she and Twilight took off and jumped the fence.  They ran into another direction, disappearing into the crowd of fairgoers.
“Wow,” Sunburst said with a chuckle as he watched Twilight and Starlight gallop off.  “This better not be a running gag.”
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said as she was looking into a satchel.  “I thought I brought some gemstones with me just in case I ran into a baby dragon.   But it appears I don’t have any.  Now how am I going to feed Spike?”
“I don’t think that would be a problem,” Sunburst said as Spike giggled.  “This little bambino will eat almost anything.”
“But I insist on gemstones for the little one,”  Fluttershy said as her speech sounded faster and more nervous.  “After all, if he’s going to grow up to be a mighty dragon, he has to eat his weight in gemstones.”
“You really don’t have to do that, young lady,” Mr Bovine said.  “I know you have a kind heart, but you don’t need to burden yourself with that.”
“But I must, Mr Bovine,”  Fluttershy said as she pulled out another satchel.  “I will use the bits in this satchel and acquire some gemstones for Spike.”
But before Mr Bovine could speak, Fluttershy took off in an instant, jumping over the fence and galloping off into the crowd.  Sunburst looked as Fluttershy disappeared and his jaw dropped in disbelief.
“I need to quit jinxing myself,” Sunburst said as Mr Bovine looked at Baby Spike, who was on the verge of crying.
“Sunburst, is it?”  Mr Bovine said.  “I think your baby dragon is about to turn on the water works.”
But before Sunburst could react, Spike started to cry his eyes out.  Sunburst used his magic to lift the baby dragon off his back as he got on his two legs.  He lowered the dragon into his arms and began to rock him slowly.
`It’s okay, Spike,”  Sunburst said as the baby dragon’s crying began to slow down.  “I’m here for you.”  Spike looked up at Sunburst with a few tears in his eyes.
“You have a thing for that little bambino,”  Mr Bovine said as he approached and reached his hoof out to gently rub Baby Spike on the forehead.
“Twilight Sparkle hatched Spike when she applied to the school for gifted unicorns,”  Sunburst said.  “Since then, Spike’s been more like a little brother to Twilight.  And since becoming friends with Twilight, I’ve also gained a bond with the baby dragon.”
“Reminds me of when I first met Fluttershy,”  Mr Bovine said.  “The poor child fell out of the sky only months ago, following an attempt at starting a race between two other pegasi younglings.  At that time, I injured my sides after an unintended accident.”
“That explained why you were in pain,”  Sunburst said.
“Yes,” Mr Bovine replied as he cleared his throat.  “Though she could fly, something within her stopped her from flying. A fear of some sort.  Thankfully for her, she was saved at the last moment by a swarm of butterflies.”
“A swarm of butterflies?”  Sunburst said in disbelief.  “Excuse me.  But how the hay can butterflies save a filly?”
Mr Bovine let out a friendly chuckle and said “Butterflies, in a swarm, can hold more than their own weight.  They caught that filly as if she were as light as a feather.  When she looked around, she saw her inspiration through many creatures that gathered in the meadow nearby.  It was like a place of healing for her.”
“I take it that’s where Fluttershy earned her cutie mark,” Sunburst said.
“Well she did,”  Mr Bovine said.  “Around that time, a Sonic Rainboom echoed through the land, scaring the critters.  She took it among herself to calm them down and gain their trust.  That achievement was the very spark that led to her cutie mark.”
“Wow,”  Sunburst said.  “All it took was a Sonic Rainboom to ignite the spark of inspiration for Fluttershy.  Sunset and Starlight told me that something like that happened with Twilight Sparkle.  You don’t suppose there was a coincidence with that scenario, do ya?”
But before Mr Bovine could speak, Fluttershy rushed on in, holding a bag of gemstones in her hoof.  
“Sorry I’m late,”  Fluttershy said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.  “I had to make sure there were plenty of gems for Spike to try.”
Fluttershy reached her hoof into the bag and pulled out a few gemstones.  She held them in front of Spike.  The baby dragon smelled the gems on Fluttershy’s hoof before picking them up one by and by and eating the stones up.  The baby dragon cooed in delight.
“Was that delicious?” Fluttershy said before Spike let out a huge belch.
“I’ll take that as a yes,”  Sunburst said as he and Mr Bovine let out a huge laugh.
Fluttershy turned to Sunburst and said “So Sunburst.  Is it true about Twilight?”
“What do you mean, Fluttershy?”  Sunburst replied.
“I heard Princess Celestia is taking up orphans, and I want to know if both Twilight and Starlight are her adopted daughters?”
“I believe you have that all wrong,”  Sunburst said as he placed his hoof behind his head and let out an embarrassing chuckle.  “Twilight is the student of Princess Celestia.  Starlight and I hail from Sire’s Hollow.  But Celestia does have three adopted daughters.”
“Really?”  Fluttershy replied.  “Then the rumors were true.”
“But here’s the juicy bits,”  Sunburst replied.  “The oldest is an alicorn teenager named Cadance.  The second oldest is a filly friend of ours named Sunset Shimmer.  And last, Celestia has a human daughter named Wanda Young.”
“A human?”  Fluttershy said with a confused look on her face.  “What is a human?”
“Oh just you wait,”  Sunburst said.  “I think you might end up being fascinated with this close friend of ours.”
As Sunburst and Fluttershy walked off with Spike still on Sunburst’s back, Mr Bovine looked at the younglings, and let out a warm smile.
“I made a promise to her parents that I’d look after Fluttershy while they had other business elsewhere,”  Mr Bovine said to himself.  “It’s true that she's overprotective of me when it should be the other way around.  But she’s got a strong heart.  And that’s what matters to her the most.  Though I do have to question their son Zephyr Breeze.”
Mr Bovine cringed and shook a bit as he added “That brother of Fluttershy’s got a few screws loose and can be a lazy bum.  Sometimes I question his approach to greatness that Zephyr Breeze.  And not to mention his obsession with Rainbow Dash.  That juvenile delinquent definitely needs some discipline.”


To Be Continued in…


Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie: The journey to the party

> Arc 9-6: Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie: The journey to the party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie: The journey to the party




“So how are we to find this Pinkie Pie character?” Starlight asked as she and Twilight scouted around the Ponyville Fair.
“Don’t look at me,”  Twilight said as she shifted her eyes towards the note.  “She did say ‘She was trotting around the grounds of the fair.’  If only I can figure out how to find her.”
Starlight looked around the fairgrounds, trying to locate the pink pony.  But all she could see were fairgoers walking around the fair, not minding their business.
“This is like finding a needle in a haystack,”  Starlight said as she kicked some dust off the ground in anger.  “What is with this wild goose chase?”
“Don’t give up, Starlight,”  Twilight said as she continued to scout the area out.  “This Pinkie Pie is a rather crafty figure.  It’s as if she were the reincarnation of the ancient being of chaos: Discord.”
“Discord?”  Starlight asked as she looked scared.  “I don’t like the sound of it.”
“That’s right, Discord,”  Twilight said as she turned to face Starlight.  “A draconequus creature who is considered the being of pure disharmony.”
“Is….”  Starlight said as she stuttered.  “Is he the snake-like monster...with a head of a pony, with a deer antler, a blue goat horn, a long snaggletooth, two different sized pupils, a snake tongue, a goat beard, and a white bushy eyebrow?”
“Guess you studied the creatures of Equestria well,”  Twilight said.  “And judging by how this Pinkie Pie thinks, I believe she may be the reincarnation of…..Discord.”  This caused Starlight Glimmer to scream real loud and hide behind a booth.
“I don’t like this Pinkie Pie,”  Starlight said as she hid safely behind the booth, shaking in pure fear.
“Well don’t you worry,”  Twilight said as she patted Starlight on the head.  “I’m not afraid of Discord, and I’m definitely not afraid of this Pinkie Pie.”
Twilight raised her hoof off of Starlight’s head, causing the timid light pink unicorn to peak up.  As she did, she noticed a pale, light grayish raspberry pony with a brilliant raspberry puffy mane walking towards them.  Starlight ducked back down a bit, keeping her eyes on the approaching pink pony.
“Wait a minute,”  Twilight said.  “Judging by the look on your face, you seem to have found a pink pony.  Perhaps it’s this Pinkie Pie, is it?”  Twilight then picked up Starlight by the cheeks and said “Don’t worry.  I got this.”
As the pink pony approached Twilight and Starlight, the lavender unicorn cleared her throat and turned towards the little earth filly, who came to a stop.  Twilight Sparkle took a couple of steps towards the pink pony.
“Uhh, hi?”  Twilight said as she extended her right arm towards the pink pony.
The pink pony let out a huge GASP and dashed off in the opposite direction, leaving behind a sheet of paper.  Twilight and Starlight just looked on as the pink pony ran off.
“Wow,” Twilight said.  “Was it something I said?”
Starlight looked down and saw the sheet of paper.  She tapped on Twilight’s rear and said “Twilight, I think she dropped that.”
Twilight Sparkle took a good look at the sheet of paper on the ground.  She used her magic to pick it up and unfold it.
“Let’s see what we got here,”  Twilight said as she put the letter to her face.  She then read “Nice to meet you, I’m Pinkie Pie.  I’m as quick and clever as the ancient pony samurai.  Take your friend over to get some ice cream, and enjoy some time together as if you were in a dream.”  Those words caused Starlight to jump out from behind the booth and bounce like crazy.
“Ice cream?”  Starlight said as she licked her lips.  “That’s my favorite.”
“That’s really interesting for this Pinkie Pie to make us get some ice cream,”  Twilight said as took her eyes off the paper.  “Maybe one nearby.”
Twilight scouted her eyes through the entire fair, looking at every food booth in the vicinity.  She caught sight of shops like funnel cake, corn on the cob, carrot dogs and oat burgers.  But as she glanced to the left, she saw a booth shaped like a cupcake.  And on the side right next to it said “Ice Cream.”  Twilight let out a grin as she poked at Starlight’s head.
“Starlight,”  Twilight said.  “We found our ice cream.  Let’s go.”
Twilight waltzed over to the cupcake-shaped booth with Starlight bouncing on right behind her.  The window to order food had no ponies lined up,
“Guess this must be our lucky day,”  Twilight said as she pulled out a bag full of coin bits.  “Come on Starlight.  I’ll treat ya.”
Starlight cheered with excitement as Twilight trotted over to the open window.  As they approached, an adult mare with a very light cerulean coat and a light crimson with pale light grayish crimson mane popped her head out of the window.
“Hello there you two,” the mare said.  “What can I get you today?”
“Yes,”  Twilight replied as she pulled out a few bits.  “I’d like to order….”
“One Blueberry sorbet ice cream and a fudge caramel swirl,”  the mare replied.  Those words caused Twilight Sparkle’s jaw to drop.
“Wait a minute,”  Twilight replied.  “How did you know what we were going to order?”
“Pinkie Pie told me about you both,” the mare replied.  “And she did her homework on each of your interests, from what you read to what you enjoy.”
“Wow,”  Starlight replied.  “Maybe Pinkie Pie must be the reincarnation of…”
“Discord?”  The mare said as she let out a humorous chuckle.  “Oh that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard of.  She once told me that someone called her a being from another dimension.”
“Wait,”  Twilight Sparkle replied.  “How do you know Pinkie Pie?”
“Oh I happen to be her mentor,”  The mare said.  “And my name is Chiffon Swirl.  But you can call me Cup Cake.  I run the Sugar Cube Corner alongside my equal Carrot Cake.”
“Cup Cake,”  Starlight said.  “That sounds like a name I can remember.”
“But I can tell you a little story about Pinkie Pie,”  Cup Cake said as she got out two ice cream cones.  “Believe it or not, Pinkie Pie is the daughter of Igneous Rock Pie and Cloudy Quartz Pie, a pair of rock farmers from far out west.”
“Rock farmers?”  Twilight said.  “Since when does a party pony come from a rock farm?”
“Well,” Cup Cake said as she got out the ice cream scoop.  “Pinkie Pie was more like her sisters when she was on that rock farm, harvesting rocks and rare earth gems in the mineral fields.  But one day, a rainbow in the form of a sonic boom erupted right in front of her.”
“A rainbow in the shape of a sonic boom?”  Twilight said.  “That was the same thing that happened to me and Starlight when we went for our entrance exam at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“And I have yet to get a cutie mark,”  Starlight said as tears began to flow from her eyes.
“Don’t worry,”  Twilight said as she put her arm around Starlight.  “You’ll get one.  I’ll bet it will be the best cutie mark ever.”
“Now that’s what I call encouragement,”  Cup Cake said as she put a scoop of blueberry sorbet on one cone and a scoop of fudge caramel swirl on the other.  “But it seems I have to pause this story.  Your ice cream is ready.”
“Great,”  Twilight said as she used her magic to place a few bits on the window still.  “I believe I owe you for the creamy confections.”  But all Mrs Cup Cake did, was place the ice cream in the holder on the still as she proceeded to push the bits back to Twilight.
“Pinkie insisted on paying for your ice creams,”  Cup Cake said.
“Are you really sure about that?”  Twilight said.  “I insist.”
“Don’t worry,”  Cup Cake said.  “Now you two go enjoy your ice cream while I get Pinkie Pie’s next message.”

A bit later on, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer were observing the warm sun while enjoying their ice cream.  Starlight feels far more content and happy, while Twilight’s mind wandered off into the distance.
“Hey Twilight,” Starlight said.  “Something up?”
“It’s about Pinkie Pie and the Sonic Rainboom,”  Twilight said.  “What Mrs Cake told us was that she saw the same thing that affected me.  Do think it’s a coincidence that I would earn my cutie mark alongside this mysterious friend of ours?”
“What do you mean?”  Starlight said as she took a few more licks of ice cream.
“I earned my cutie mark from passing the entrance exam at the School for Gifted Unicorns because of that rainboom,”  Twilight said.  “And somehow, I believe that Pinkie Pie also earned her cutie mark sometime after she saw the rainboom.”
“The same one Rainbow Dash made?”  Starlight replied.
“Yes,”  Twilight said.  “It’s as if I was connected to those two.  Somehow, I also have this feeling that there are others here in Ponyville that may have witnessed Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom, like Pinkie Pie and I did.”
“So far,”  Starlight said.  “We know that Wanda was in deep pain when the rainboom passed over her.  Remember when Rainbow Dash demonstrated it, and the poor human suffered from it?”
“No kidding,”  Twilight said.  “But that will lead to more questions than answers if I keep thinking about that part.  Besides, not even Princess Celestia can figure out why Wanda was hurting from the rainboom.”
As the duo continued to enjoy their ice cream, Cup Cake walks on buy with a note in her mane.
“So how is the ice cream?”  Cup Cake asked.
“Delicious,”  Twilight said.  “I don’t think I get any of this in Canterlot.”
“I’m with Twilight on this,” Starlight said.  “But that being said, how did you wind up being Pinkie Pie’s mentor?”
“Well sometime after Pinkie Pie earned her cutie mark by impressing her family with a party to boost their morale, they all arrived in La Maresa to sell off some of their gemstones.  Once they came by the Sugar Cube Corner to rest, Pinkie Pie was amazed by the entire store.  The colors, the food, the attitude, everything.  And she wanted to learn more about becoming a party pony.”
“What about Pinkie’s parents?”  Twilight replied.  “Did they have any objections to that?”
“In some way, they did,”  Cup Cake replied.  “They were really attached to Pinkie Pie and wanted what was best for her.  But at the same time, they also realized that their daughter was happy and content with this place, like it was her true calling.  I was hesitant about wanting to look after Pinkie Pie as a personal student.  But we wound up reaching an agreement to let her stay in La Maresa to study the ways of party planning.”
“Wow,”  Starlight said.  “Do they come to visit Pinkie Pie?”
“Oh yes,”  Cup Cake said.  “Sometimes they do come by along with her sisters and brother to check up on her.  Other times, she travels back to her rock farm to throw them a party.”
“The more we hear of this Pinkie Pie,”  Twilight said as she grinned with excitement.  “The more I really want to meet her.”
“Oh that reminds me,”  Cup Cake said as she pulled out the note from her mane and placed it next to Twilight..  “Pinkie Pie wanted you to read this.”
Twilight picked up the note with her magic and unfolded it.  She took a lick of ice cream before reading what was on the letter.
“I hope you are enjoying your ice cream,”  Twilight said as she read the note.  “It’s a special treat courtesy of me.  When you are done, head towards the pink photo booth, and have your picture taken with glee.”
“A pink photo booth?”  Starlight said.  “Where would it be?”
“Oh that easy,”  Cup Cake said as she pointed to a pink photo booth that was on the other side of the fair’s walkway.  “She wanted you to go there.  That’s where your next clue will be.”
“Thanks Mrs Cake,”  Twilight said.  “I won’t forget everything you did for us.”
“Anytime, my dear,”  Cup Cake said as she waved at the two fillies before turning tail and walking back to the cupcake-themed booth.
“Wow,”  Starlight said.  “Imagine all the friends we’ll find here in La Maresa.”
“I’ll say,”  Twilight said.
As Starlight took another lick of ice cream, the creamy confession came loose and began to fall off the cone.  Starlight looked in shock as she helplessly watched her ice cream fall.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!”  Starlight yelled.
But before the ice cream could hit the ground, a magic aura emitted and stopped it in mid-air.  The ice cream then lifted upwards and landed on Starlight’s cone.
“Thanks Twilight,” Starlight said as she breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s what friends do,”  Twilight said as she and Starlight giggled.

With their bellies full of ice cream, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer stepped into the pink photo booth that was near the cupcake-themed food stand.  As they both took a seat, Twilight pulled back the curtain and sat right next to Starlight.
“So,”  Twilight said as she pulled out a bit from her purse.  “Ready to begin our quest to find Pinkie Pie?”
“You bet,”  Starlight said.
WIth that, Twilight placed the bit into the coin slot and tapped on the screen.  The lavender unicorn and Starlight both made a funny face before the machine let out a white flash.  The two giggled once the flash disappeared.  When they looked down, the two girls saw a set of photos emerge from another slot.
“I wonder if it got my weird side,”  Starlight said as she clapped her hooves together.
“Only one way to find out,”  Twilight said.
Twilight used her magic to levitate the photos out of the slot.  But as she did, a piece of paper also emerged from that same slot, catching Twilight’s attention.
“Why do I have the feeling Pinkie knew we would be here?”  Twilight said.
“Allow me”  Starlight said as she used her magic to pull the paper out and unfold it.
“What does it say?”  Twilight asked.
Starlight looked at the paper and read “I hope you put your best face forward, because it’s time for a game.  Win a prize at the water blaster race booth, and don’t be lame.”
“That sounds like some kind of ridiculous, rigged fair game to me,”  Twilight said with a raspberry.
“Is it as ridiculous as the faces we made?  Starlight said.
“Not really,”  Twilight replied as she held up the pictures of her and Starlight with those funny faces.  Starlight took a look at the photos and giggled loud.
“I think those look really ridiculous,”  Starlight laughed.
“Oh you ain’t seen nothing yet,”  Twilight said.

Later that day, Twilight and Starlight were seated at a game booth in the middle of the fair.  Six water cannons were set up with six balloons each fitted atop of their respective targets.  The only other individual who was there was the attendant of the game.  He took a glance at both Twilight and Starlight as the two fillies looked ready.
“On your marks,” The attendant said.  “Get set….GO!”
With those words, Twilight and Starlight held down the trigger on their cannons as high-powered streams of water blasted out, hitting the targets.  The water balloons filled up as fast as possible, with neither side letting up on the pressure.  It didn’t take long for the one on the right to explode and burst out all the water it had.
“YES!”  Starlight yelled as Twilight cheered for her.
“Congratulations,” The attendant said as he offered Starlight Glimmer a huge plushie in the shape of a dog-like creature.
“That’s a furbob,”  Twilight said.  “They’re a rare species in Equestria and it’s unknown where they came from.”
“A furbob?”  Starlight said.  “That sounds like a cute name.”
“By the way young lady,” The attendant said to Twilight as he held out a piece of paper.  “I believe this is for you.”
“That must be our next message,”  Twilight said as she accepted the paper and opened it.
“What does it say?”  Starlight asked.
“The furbob points to you, another path to take.  The funhouse is your next destination, and this will be a piece of cake.”
“The fun house?”  Starlight said as she held the furbob plush close.
“Oh they’re full of random twists and turns,”  Twilight said.  “So I know what to expect.”
“But where will we find the funhouse?”  Starlight asked.
“Perhaps I can be of some help,”  The attendant said as he pointed his hoof towards his right.  Twilight and Starlight looked in the direction of the attendant’s arm to find a medium sized tent that said ‘La Maresa Funhouse.’
“Err,”  Twilight said in an embarrassing tone.  “Thanks for the direction.”
“Anytime, young one,” The attendant said as he took a bow.  “Pinkie Pie sends you her regards.”
The two fillies looked at each other and giggled with delight.

Within the funhouse, the entire interior looked to be themed off of a birthday party.  The soft, spinning vertical spinners were in the shape of root beer floats.  Mirrors decorated the walls so that ponies could see their reflection, only they were warped in ways that altered their size in many ways.  Sections of the floor would move when touched by the participant.  Candy swirl discs rotated on the floor to confuse anyone who would dare to step on them.  There was even a moving floor that rocked back and forth, one on each side to disorient the user. 
Atop of what appears to be a cake, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer emerged from a barrel-shaped cylinder that slowly rotated, with Twilight hanging onto Starlight’s furbob plushie.  Starlight took a few steps and shook off the dizziness as she struggled to regain her footing.
“Wow,”  Starlight said as she pulled herself onto the guard rail.  “First mirrors that made us look like grown mares.  Now that barrel of laughs.”
“I think Pinkie Pie is making us enjoy our time at the fair,”  Twilight giggled as she handed the plushie over to Starlight.  “But we’re not done with this part yet.”
Right near Starlight Glimmer was a slide, which extended all the way down into a ball pit, right next to the exit.  Starlight looked down and shook her head.
“Okay,”  Starlight said as she picked up her furbob plushie.  “I think we’re game.”
“Race ya,”  Twilight said as she took off.
“Oh no you don’t,”  Starlight said as she went after Twilight with the plushie in her arms.
Twilight took one leap and slid down the slide as Starlight followed after.  They both cheered with excitement as they dove right into the ball pit.  The duo emerged as they started splashing the soft toy balls at each other, laughing in delight.
“I’ve forgotten how much fun I had,”  Twilight said as she deflected a few balls.
“Same here,”  Starlight said as she clutched her plushie and splashed a few more balls.  “I don’t think Sunburst and I ever had this much fun.”
But as Twilight pulled up one of the balls, she noticed a scrap of paper in her hoof.  Starlight took notice as well.
“Aww,”  Starlight said.  “Well there goes our fun.”
Twilight Sparkle unfolded the paper and began to read.
“I hope you’re having fun,”  Twilight read.  “But our meeting is almost due.  Enjoy some time at the water coaster, and claim your final clue.”
“So we’re going to finally meet Pinkie Pie?”  Starlight asked.
“We are,”  Twilight replied.  “But first, let’s get soaked to the coat.”

Later that day, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer were riding in the front car of a water coaster, reaching the near top of the ride.  Starlight looked a bit nervous while Twilight hugged her friend.  The furbob plushie was tucked away in a waterproof cork compartment.
“I wanna get off, I wanna get off, I wanna get off,”  Starlight said as the coaster was nearing the top.
“Don’t worry,”  Twilight said as she kept her hoof around Starlight.  “I won’t let you go.”
Starlight looked like she was on the verge of tears as the coaster was just about to hit the peak.  She swallowed hard and buried her face into Twilight’s chest.
“Wake me up when this is over,”  Starlight cried.
“Whatever you do,”  Twilight said.  “Just hang on tight.  It’s going to be a doozy.”
Starlight hugged Twilight tightly as the coaster was about to begin its descent.  Twilight looked downwards with little fear in her eyes.  She glanced down and held onto the front rail of the car.
“THIS IS IT!”  Twilight yelled.
The coaster suddenly took off from its peak, speeding towards as Starlight screamed really loud.  With her right arm around the rail, Twilight had her left arm around Starlight as the twin tailed filly let out a few tears.  
“DON’T WORRY!”  Twilight yelled.  “NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I’M NOT LETTING GO!”
It wasn’t long before the coaster reached the bottom of the slide dashed through the pond, spraying water upwards.  Some of it landed on Twilight and Starlight, drenching them both.  Starlight looked up and saw the world around her.  She was no longer high in the sky, but down on the bottom.  She couldn’t help, but laugh.
“Told ya I wouldn’t let go,”  Twilight said as she let out a few chuckles.
“Thanks Twilight,”  Starlight said.  “You’re the best friend I ever had.”
It didn’t take long for the car to come to the end of the ride and to a complete stop.  Once the ride grinded to a halt, the attendant of the ride reached over and pulled up the guard rails.  Despite being soaked in water, Starlight reached in and pulled out her furbob plushie as she and Twilight got off the coaster.
“I think I need to do these things more often,”  Starlight said.
“That’s the spirit,”  Twilight said.  “At least you got over your fears, compared to me and rocs.”
“I only wish you didn’t have to go through that nightmare,”  Starlight said.  “You and Wanda didn’t deserve to be attacked by that creature.”	
“Excuse me,”  The attendant said as he extended his arm with a scrap of paper on it to Twilight Sparkle.  “A young filly named Pinkie Pie wanted you to have this.”
“That must be our final clue,”  Twilight said as she accepted the note.  “Thank you.”
“Anytime young lady,”  The attendant said as she tipped his hat to Twilight and Starlight.
Twilight and Starlight took a few steps away from the coaster as other attendants got off.  Twilight unfolded the paper and took a look at it.
“Your journey is almost over,”  Twilight read.  “So I think it’s finally time.  Follow me to a distant location, so says this final rhyme.”
“Follow her?”  Starlight said.
Twilight and Starlight looked up and saw the pink earth pony waving at them.  She turned around and bounced off in the opposite direction.
“Let’s go,”  Twilight said.  “I think she’s leading us to our final destination.”
Starlight nodded as she clutched the furbob plushie in her arm.  Without a second thought, she and Twilight took off after the pink pony.

A few moments later, the pink pony bounced into the entrance of a small tent in the middle of the fair.  Twilight and Starlight looked into the tent, but saw only pitch black, causing Starlight to shiver.
“Do you suppose,”  Starlight said as she hid behind Twilight.  “She’s got something nasty for us?  I mean...she is the reincarnation of Discord.”
“Oh please,”  Twilight said with a raspberry.  “If Pinkie Pie were Discord reincarnated, she would have altered the entire landscape to something wacky.  But don’t worry.  I have your back.”
Twilight brushed her hoof on the pavement before she marched right towards the entrance of the tent.  Starlight cautiously tiptoed right behind Twilight, holding the furbob plushie close to her.  The duo went inside, not knowing the surprises within that tent.
Inside, it was pitch black to the point where only the eyes were visible.  Twilight and Starlight went further in.  They turned around and only saw the light from the entrance.
“Do you think it was okay to come in here?”  Starlight said as she stood there shaking.
“And miss out on meeting Pinkie Pie?” Twilight said.  “It’s not like she’s planning some big surprise for us.”
Suddenly, the lights inside the tent turned on, revealing a room full of party favors like punch, cake, and all other goodies from the fair.  Streamers decorated the ceiling as confetti fell from above onto Twilight and Starlight.  The duo shook off some of the confetti as they observed the room.
“What is this room?”  Twilight said.
“SURPRISE!”  Someone yelled in an excited tone.
Twilight and Starlight turned their heads towards the front to see the pink earth pony, now wearing a party hat on her head, bounce right to them.
“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie,”  The pink pony said.  “And I threw this party for the both of you.  Aren’t you surprised?  Are ya?”
“Party?”  Twilight said.  “This feels more like an adventure.”
“Well when I heard that some pony named Twilight Sparkle would be coming down to La Maresa,”  Pinkie said.  “I knew I had to plan something big for you, especially after I found out that I was assigned to you.  And so I gave you that adventure for you to experience.  Didn’t expect a friend to join in as well.”
Pinkie Pie looked at Starlight Glimmer, who was still shaking behind Twilight.
“Did I scare you?”  Pinkie said as she reached her arm out to Starlight.  “I didn’t mean it.  I wanted you to have a fun time.”
Starlight looked up and saw Pinkie’s arm.  She reached out and allowed Pinkie Pie to get her up.  
“Starlight Glimmer, is it?”  Pinkie Pie asked.  “I heard you’re one of Twilight’s close friends.”
“Y...yes ma’am,”  Starlight said.
“She is,”  Twilight said. “And she’s not the only friend who was with me.”
“Oh I know,”  Pinkie replied.  “Besides Starlight, you also have other unicorn friends like Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell.”  Those words that came out of Pinkie’s mouth caused Twilight’s jaw to drop to the floor.
“Wait a minute,”  Twilight said.  “You actually know all of that?”
“Oh you have no idea,”  Pinkie Pie said as she dipped a ladle into the bowl and poured some punch into a cup.  “I also know you’re the apprentice of Princess Celestia.  And you also have a big friend named Sunset Shimmer.”
As Pinkie Pie placed the cup onto the table,  Twilight grabbed it and took a drink.  She slammed the cup onto the table and let out a huge gasp.
“And you know about all of us?”  Twilight replied.
“Oh yes,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “I saw all of you at the fair early this morning.  But I also know one thing that I didn’t bring up.  You also have a human friend named Wanda Young, and she and Sunset are the adopted daughters of Princess Celestia.”
Twilight’s eyes shrunk in total disbelief.  Her jaw dropped again as it hit the table hard.  Starlight stepped in and closed Twilight’s mouth shut.
“Wait,”  Twilight said as she shook her head.  “If you know everything about all of us, then that means you’re…”
“The reincarnation of Discord?”  Pinkie giggled.  “That’s silly.  I’m not the reincarnation of the spirit of chaos.  I’m just a pony with a special kind of pinkie sense.”
“A what now?”  Twilight replied.
“The pinkie sense,”  Pinkie replied.  “It’s what allows me to tap into a fourth dimension and learn what I need to know.  No powers of chaos like what Discord has.  It’s been with the entire Pie family for generations, including my sisters Maud, Limestone and Marble.”  She then groaned a bit and continued “And my runt of a brother Octavio.”
Twilight rushed up to Pinkie Pie and said “That sounded like a bit of nonsense.  But at the same time, I got a lot of questions to ask.”
“Oh don’t worry,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “I’m the girl to ask.  And before you ask about Wanda, my lips are sealed on that.  Don’t want some juicy secrets to be leaked out to the reader.”
As Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle continued to talk, Starlight looked at the duo and smiled a bit.  But a tear slowly fell from her right eye.
“I’m glad Twilight was able to meet her friend Pinkie Pie,”  Starlight said to herself.  “But at the same time, I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t have her new friend with her.  It’s like I could just….just…”
And with that, Starlight Glimmer cried really loud, causing tears shaped like twin waterfalls to gush out of her eyes.  This caught the attention of both Twilight and Pinkie Pie.
“Hey,”  Pinkie Pie said as she walked back up to Starlight.  “Are you alright?  No need for the waterworks.”
Pinkie Pie put her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder, causing the unicorn filly to stop crying and look at the party pony.
“What’s wrong?”  Pinkie said.  “You look like you’re having a hard time.”
“Well I’m the only one without a friend from La Maresa,”  Starlight cried.  “And I fear I won’t meet her.”
“Are you talking about Trixie?”  Pinkie Pie replied.
“Yeah,”  Starlight said.  “You know her?”
“Oh I know everyone who lives in La Maresa,”  Pinkie Pie replied as she wiped the tear off of Starlight’s cheek.  “Once we get done partying, I’ll direct you straight to her.  She’s running a magic show of her own at a nearby wagon.”
“You think so?”  Starlight asked.
“Sure,”  Pinkie Pie said as she gave Starlight Glimmer a hug.  “After all, that’s what friends are for.”
As Pinkie hugged Starlight,  Twilight came on by and gave both ponies a hug.
“As long as we’re together,”  Twilight said.  “We can solve anything in our path.  We’re truly friends, and friendship is magic.”
Twilight and Pinkie Pie let go of Starlight and took a few steps back.  Starlight’s frown turned into a smile as she wiped the last tear from her cheek.
“But for the moment,”  Pinkie said.  “LET’S PARTY!”
Pinkie Pie bounced around the room with excitement as she landed next to the table with a cookies n cream cake in the middle.  She takes out a cake knife and cut into the cake, pulling out two slices and placing them on separate plates.  Twilight and Starlight walked up with STarlight placing her furbob plushie right next to her.  They both sat down and took a bite of the cake.
“I think we’re having the time of our life, Starlight,”  Twilight said as she took another drink of punch.
“If this gets us close to Trixie,”  Starlight said.  “I’m game.”
With that, Starlight and Trixie laughed as Pinkie Pie threw confetti in the air, cheering for both ponies.  Though it was only noon, they felt as if their day had just begun.



To be continued in…


Starlight and Trixie: The greatest show in La Maresa

> Arc 9-7: The Greatest Show in La Maresa
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Starlight and Trixie: The greatest show in La Maresa




“Are you sure this is where Trixie is at?”  Starlight said as she was walking behind Pinkie PIe.
“Oh I know where Trixie is at,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “In fact, she was there this morning before the fair opened up.
Pinkie Pie was hopping away from the tent through a semi-crowded fair.  Right behind her was Starlight Glimmer, who was still holding onto her furbob plushie, and Twilight Sparkle.  Lined up right next to them were some souvenir stands from wooden trinkets to coffee mugs, and even promotions to a place called “BalBronco Park.”  While Starlight looked worried, Twilight Sparkle looked calm and collective while Pinkie Pie was excited.
“You look pretty nervous, Starlight,”  Twilight said.
“I’m just worried that I won’t get to meet my new friend,”  Starlight said.  “What if night falls in an instant and we have to go home?”
“Oh please,”  Twilight laughs with a silly snort.  “We have a better chance of buying that Neighstation 9 than to let you go friendless.  And those things are almost impossible to buy.”
“Wait,”  Starlight said as she was about to freak out.  “Are you saying that scalpers are going to buy out my friend?”
“No Starlight,”  Twilight giggled.  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”
“But what if it’s true?”  Starlight said as her eyes shrunk down.  “What if some greedy pony wanted to buy out my friend and sell her for a truckload of bits?  What if I…”
“We’re here,” Pinkie Pie said as everyone came to a complete stop.  They looked forward and saw a yellow wagon with a red roof on top.  Starlight felt a bit puzzled as she stared at the wagon.
“This is where he’s at?”  Starlight said as she stared at the wagon.  “This doesn’t look like much.”
“Oh believe me,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “She may not be much, but she knows her way around magic.”
“But how does this Trixie character show her face?”  Twilight asked.
But after she spoke, the wagon began to vibrate.  Somewhere within the wagon, a voice said “Come one, come all, to the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie.”  
Soon, the side of the wagon came down and unfolded into a mini-stage of some sort, as a cloth shade popped out from the roof.  A light blue curtain draped the interior of the wagon as a small unicorn filly popped out of nowhere.  She had a light brilliant azure coat, and a swirly pale cornflower blue with very pale cerulean stripes.  She wore a light lavender magic hat and cape, decorated with a variety of stars.
“Wow,”  Twilight said.  “So that’s Trixie?”
“Yep,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “She’s been a small wonder ever since she and her parents moved to La Maresa.”
Starlight took a closer look at Trixie and said “Something about this pony looks familiar.  But I can’t put my hoof on it.”
“Wait,”  Twilight said.  “You actually saw this pony before?”
“I recall seeing someone like her after passing the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns,”  Starlight said.  “But that was it.”
“Well, this is an interesting plot twist,” Pinkie said as she pulled out three chairs from the side and placed them down.  Pinkie sat down in one seat as Twilight and Starlight sat in their respective chairs, all while Trixie took a good look at the trio.
“I humbly welcome you three to the most Great and Powerful amazing show of all time,”  Trixie said as her cape flapped in the wind.  “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will show you the true art of magic, with a number of spectacular stunts that will amaze every pony in all of La Maresa.”
With the sound of her voice, fireworks went off behind Trixie’s wagon.  Starlight and Pinkie Pie looked up and they both let out an “oooooh.”  Twilight only looked on with a smug look.
“Not bad,”  Twilight said quietly.  “But let’s see what you got.”
Trixie pulled her hat off her head and showed Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle that there was nothing in it.  She then pulled the hat to her face, and with a simple spark of her magic, pulled a mere rope out of it.  Starlight and Pinkie PIe clapped as Trixie held the rope above her head with her magic.
“Interesting,”  Twilight whispered.  “But I wonder why to start off with something like that.”
Trixie then lassoed the rope and threw it into the curtain behind her.  WIth a yank of her head, she pulled the rope out, which was attached to a box that was slightly taller than her.
“And now my fine fillies,”  Trixie said as she opened the box with her magic.  “I will make myself...DISAPPEAR!”
Starlight and Pinkie Pie gasped as Trixie stepped into the box, laying upwards as she shut the door.  The rope held up by Trixie’s magic wrapped around the now closed box.  With a flash, the rope unraveled itself and fell onto the floor.  When the box opened, it was empty.  Trixie was gone.
“Oh my goodness,”  Starlight said.  “Where did she go?”
“Wait for it,”  Pinkie Pie said.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke emitted from the center, blanketing the stage in its purple clouds.  In the midst of the smoke, Trixie leaps from out of the smoke and lands on her four hooves.  Starlight and Pinkie Pie cheered for Trixie.  But Twilight seemed puzzled.
“She’s talented,”  Twilight whispered.  “So why isn’t she a student like me and Starlight at the School for Gifted Unicorns?”
Back on stage, Trixie once again pulls her hat off her head and pulls out a deck of cards.  She shuffles them before pulling out the first five cards from the top of the deck, then presents them to the audience face down.
“Now,”  Trixie said.  “Who will be the one to pick any one card?”  
“I want to,”  Starlight said as she raised her arm high into the air. 
“Very well,”  Trixie said.  “Pick a card.  Any card.  And do not show it to me.”
Starlight pulled one card at random from the hand of cards being presented to.  Trixie shuffled the remaining cards back into her deck and closed her eyes.
“I am predicting that the card you have is the six of hearts,”  Trixie said.  “Is it?”
Starlight looked at the card that she was given and she had a worrisome look on face.
“Uhhhh, yeah,”  Starlight said.   “About that.”  Those words made Trixie a bit nervous.
“Is it the card?”  Trixie said as her voice became less confident.  “Did the Great and Powerful Trixie give you a dirty card?”
Starlight raised her card into the air and turned it around.  On the face, it was the six of hearts.  Trixie breathed a sigh of relief as Starlight and Pinkie Pie cheered.
“Oh it was the Six of hearts,”  Trixie said.  “Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself….to BE THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN ALL OF EQUESTRIA!  Was there ever any doubt?”
As Starlight and Pinkie PIe cheered with Trixie taking a bow, Twilight just looked on and stood there with a smirk on her face.  “Really cute there, Trixie,” she said.  “Really cute.”
Suddenly, a tomato flies from out of nowhere and hits Trixie square in the face, causing her to fall flat on her back.  This caused Starlight, Pinkie Pie and Twilight to gasp in horror as Trixie got up and wiped the bit of tomato off her face.
“Who dares to deface the visage of the Great and Powerful Trixie with rotten produce?” Trixie snarled.
“Great and Powerful?  More like Weak and Pitiful.”  Twilight, Starlight and Pinkie Pie turned around.  Right behind them was Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, standing there as they each held a tomato in their hoof.  RIght next to them was a bag full of tomatoes.
“Those creeps again,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “The nerves that have to show their faces after they wreck Ditzy Doo’s birthday.”
“Wanda and Moondancer told me about those three,” Twilight said.  “No doubt they’re as horrible as Golden Lace is.”
Trixie took one good look at the trio, and her face went from anger to horror.  
“Now look here,”  Trixie said as she took a few steps back.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not want any kind of trouble.”
“Oh who said you were looking for trouble?”  Hoops said as he gripped the tomato.  “The thing about trouble is, you don’t go looking for it.  It comes looking for you.”  He turned his head towards Dumbbell and Score and said “Pelt her till she’s red.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score proceeded to throw tomatoes right at Trixie’s face.  The young unicorn magician attempted to flee, only for the tomatoes to hit her really hard.  Soon, he was being bombarded by flying tomatoes, covering her coat and mane in a bright red hue, and staining her hat and cape.  When the tomatoes stopped flying at her, Trixie looked extremely depressed as Starlight’s jaw dropped in complete shock.
“Well aren’t you looking a little red today, snowflake?” Dumbbell said as he gave Hoops a high five.
“Yeah,”  Score said.  “Why don’t you stuff yourself in a ketchup bottle?  It’s far more fitting than that pathetic excuse for a stage.
Trixie got up as tears flowed from her.  She looked down at Starlight, Twilight and Pinkie, who’s eyes were fixated on the three bullies.  
“I...I…” Trixie said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.  “I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”
With that, Trixie turned tail and ran behind the curtain, crying her eyes out.  Starlight watched as Trixie ran offstage, looking fully concerned for the young street magician.  Twilight also turned her attention towards the stage, and then to Starlight.
“Go comfort Trixie,”  Twilight said as she put her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder.  “We’ve got a date with three party crashers.”
Starlight nodded to Twilight as she ran towards the stage.  Twilight turned to Pinkie Pie.
“What’s the plan?”  Twilight asked.
“Leave that to me,”  Pinkie said as she dove down.

Hoops, Dumbbell and Score continued to laugh as they each held up a tomato in their hoof.  They turned their faces towards Twilight Sparkle, who glanced back at the trio with a hostile stare.
“Aww,” Hoops said.  “The little snowflake is mad we triggered her.”
“Yeah,”  Dumbbell said.  “Why she’s defending that talentless, cringy hack is beyond me.”
“And to think,”  Score said.  “She dropped out of the School for Gifted Unicorns to be some dumb street magician.”
“Tell me about it,”  Hoops said.  “That brat should have curled up into a ball and cried like the little baby she deserved to be.  After all, it’s the destiny of all little snowflakes.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score pointed their tomatoes at Twilight Sparkle and began to swing back.  Twilight stood there, about ready to make her move.
“Bring it on, cowards,”  Twilight said as she kept her stare on the three bullies.
Suddenly, water balloons flew out from the side and pelted all three bullies, leaving them completely soaked.  They also lost their grips on their tomatoes, causing them to fall off and splat on the ground.  
“WHO DID THAT?”  Hoops yelled.  “WHO’S THE LITTLE SNOWFLAKE WHO DARES TO AMBUSH THE THREE OF US?”
“I DID!”  Hoops, Dumbbell and Score turned to their right and saw Pinkie Pie armed with some kind of light blue cannon with a flower on the hubcap of each wheel.  The faces of the three bullies were of complete shock.
“How?”  Hoops said completely dumbfounded.  “How in the hay did you…”
“Get out my party cannon?”  Pinkie said with a smirk on her face.  “You might as well ask yourself how I know about what you three did today.  Like how you decided to interrupt the contest between Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash with the intent of making Ditzy Doo cry.  Or how you picked on Fluttershy, only to be chased off by Mr Bovine.”
“THIS BRAT REALLY IS THE INCARNATION OF DISCORD!”  Dumbbell yelled.
“Oh that rumor?”  Pinkie Pie said with a low brow giggle.  “I get that all the time since becoming a party pony.  Oh and on a side note, do you notice something odd about your surroundings?”
“What are you talking about?”  Hoops said.
“Boss,”  Score said as his tone turned into complete fear.  “It’s gone.  Our tomatoes are gone.”
Hoops looked to his side and noticed that the bag of tomatoes were gone.  His face went from anger to horror.
“You took our tomatoes?”  Hoops said.
“Oh I didn’t take your tomatoes,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “I just borrowed them.  And now, I think it’s time I returned what I borrowed.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score stood there scared stiff as Pinkie Pie pressed a button on her party cannon.  Tomatoes flew right out and pelted all three bullies, covering them in bits and pieces of tomato as more flew right into their face,  causing them to slip and fall.  Twilight Sparkle stood on the sidelines and looked like she was about to laugh.
“Now that’s funny,”  Twilight giggled.
“We’re getting pounded into ketchup,”  Hoops yelled as he got up and began to turn tail.  “RUN AWAY!”
With that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran off in the opposite direction as the party cannon fired its last tomato.  Pinkie Pie turned the cannon towards her face and blew off the smoke that came out of it.
“Never mess with a good friend, jerks,”  Pinkie Pie said with a smirk on her face.

Meanwhile, behind the curtain, Trixie was backed into a corner, crying her eyes out, still covered in tomato paste.  Starlight stood there, staring at the young, depressed, stage magician.
“She reminds me of myself,”  Starlight said. “I’ve got to cheer her up.”
Starlight took a few steps towards the weeping Trixie and put her hoof on her shoulder.  Trixie raised her head up and turned towards Starlight.
“Are you alright?”  Starlight said with a warm smile.  
“No,”  Trixie said with a sniffle.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie can’t stand those meanies.”
“You’re not the only one with problems,”  Starlight said.  “Sometimes I have to put up with a big meanie where I come from.  But as long as I have friends, like you do, I know I’m not going to be alone.”
“Friends?”  Trixie said, puzzled by Starlight’s words.
“Yeah,”  Starlight replied.  “Besides.  I think I saw you at the School for Gifted Unicorns during the entry exam.”
Trixie let out a sigh as she got up.  Starlight lowered her hoof and sat down, ready to hear from Trixie.
“Truth be told,”  Trixie said.  “I failed my exam.”
“You what?”  Starlight said.
“I was given a simple assignment of growing life from a mere seed,” Trixie said.  “I thought it would be easy.  I thought it would be a piece of cake.  But I could get the seed to sprout.  Feeling rejected, I fled from the school, vowing never to step hoof in Canterlot again.”
“Oh dear,”  Starlight said.  “So that’s why I didn’t see you after the exam.”
“When my daddy heard about this,”  Trixie said. “He offered to teach me the arts of magic the way he does it.  I was eager to learn from my Great and Powerful Pop.  If I couldn’t be a pony at the School for Gifted Unicorns, then perhaps I could learn what made my daddy great.”
“And it sounds so great,”  Starlight said.  “Whatever you did, I’m impressed with what you can do with your magic.  But it’s a shame that those creeps did that to you.”
“But I wonder why I keep doing this,”  Trixie said.  “Especially if those jerks keep egging on me just for their own amusement.”
“As long as someone like me enjoys what you did,” Starlight said.  “Then you should keep doing what you do.  I want to see more of your tricks, Trixie.  I want you to keep going.”
Trixie wiped a tear from her eye and said “You think so?”
“Yeah,”  Starlight said as she extended her arm towards Trixie.  “I know some friends who would enjoy your tricks.”  Trixie just smiled and reached out with her arm, allowing Starlight to grab her arm and pulled her up.
“You already performed for me and my friend Twilight Sparkle.” Starlight said.  “I’d like to introduce you to many of my other friends, including Danged Spell, Moondancer, Sunburst, Sunset Shimmer, and an even closer friend of mine, Wanda Young.”
“Wanda Young eh?”  Trixie said.  “Is this pony friend of yours a Great and Powerful friend?”
“Oh she is,”  Starlight said.  “But she’s no pony.  She’s a human.”
“A human?”  Trixie said, looking puzzled.  “I have never heard of a human before.”
“Oh when you get to meet her,”  Starlight said.  “I think you’ll enjoy her.  After all, she and Sunset are the adopted daughters of Princess Celestia.”  Those words surprised Trixie, causing her to cheer with glee.
“You’re best friends with the daughters of Princess Celestia?”  Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to meet with these two.”
“Well I’ll be happy to bring them in to meet you.”  Trixie and Starlight turned towards the curtains to see Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie emerge.
“Twilight,”  Starlight said.  “What happened?”
“I made those fools taste bad ketchup,”  Pinkie Pie said as she pulled in her party cannon and gave it a good pat.
“And I think I know why Princess Celestia assigned Trixie to Starlight,”  Twilight said.  “You both have a thing in common, much like how I was paired with Pinkie Pie.  And knowing that there is someone who shares your own concerns and worries, it’s safe to say that you’re not alone in this world.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said as she hugged her party cannon.  “Besides, if ever those three creeps decide to crash your show again, you always got me and my party cannon to watch your back.”
Trixie wipes a tear from her eye and takes off her hat.  “It’s friends like you that give the Great and Powerful Trixie purpose,”  she said as she took a bow.
Twilight walked up to Starlight and said “What do you say we have Trixie here to prepare a show for all of our friends?  I bet even Wanda might enjoy it.”
Starlight turned to Twilight and said “I’m game.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Wanda, Sunset, Abigail and Applejack: The Apple Core of La Maresa

> Arc 9-8: Wanda, Sunset, Abigail and Applejack: The Apple Core of La Maresa
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Wanda, Sunset, Abigail and Applejack: The Apple Core of La Maresa




The Ponyville Faire was in full bloom as crowds of ponies enjoyed the sights, sounds and aromas that filled the air.  Though there were plenty of fairgoers wandering the place, they looked as if they wanted to take their sweet time savoring every moment, without a care in the world.  For Wanda, Sunset, Abigail and Applejack, they looked around, looking at everything around them.  Sunset’s mouth was beginning to water while Abigail looked around like an innocent child.
“Man,”  Sunset said.  “All that food looks so good, I feel like wanting to buy some.  But I can’t decide what I want to sink my teeth into.”
“You’re telling me,”  Wanda said.  “I can’t seem to decide what I want to eat.  Especially after all those rides we’ve been on, together.”
“That’s the worst part of the fair, sugarcube,”  Applejack said.  “You don’t even know what you want to eat, or drink.  So many options, and it’s a doozy.  Then again, I’ve been there and done that.”
“Do you suppose all our friends had the same problem?”  Wanda asked.  “I mean finding food and stuff to do.”
“See for yourself, Wanda,”  Applejack said as she pointed to a portion of the fair.
Wanda turned around and saw Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell, sitting at a large table with plenty of food.  Ditzy Doo was there drinking some punch while Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles were cheering the two.  But judging by the looks on their faces, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell were extremely grump.
“Wow,”  Wanda said.  “I never thought those two would be in a sourpuss mood.”
“Tell me about it,”  Sunset said.  “That’s not like Danged Spell to have too much attention.  It ruins his mood.”
“But they aren’t the only ones who are having a good time,” Applejack said.  “Even if it did get spoiled by Rainbow’s parents.  That being said, I bet you that your friends are also enjoying the moment of their lives.  Like take a look at that clothing booth”
Sunset and Wanda turned to their left to see the clothing boutique where Rarity and Moondancer are stationed.  Rarity was gluing gemstones to a newly-stitched dress while Moondancer was going through the bag and observing each gem she pulled out.  But judging by the look of the dress, it isn’t shaped like a pony.
“Wonder what they’re up to?”  Wanda said as she took one close up look  “That dress they’re making looks nice.  But it doesn’t look like anything a filly would wear.”
“Darling,” Applejack replied.  “That’s something even I don’t know about.”
“I sure didn’t know Moondancer would be into dresses,” Sunset said.  “But I take it that the filly next to her is Rarity, correct?”
“She may have a sense of fashion and shine,” Applejack replied.  “But Rarity is dedicated to her work like my pa is to the apple farm.”
“I wonder how Sunburst, Starlight and Twilight are doing with their friends?”  Sunset said as she looked around.
“See for yourself,”  Applejack said as she pointed in another direction.
Sunset and Wanda looked to their right and saw Fluttershy and Sunburst cheering with Mr Bovine prancing around in his pen.  On top of his back is Baby Spike the dragon, who looked happy and excited as Mr Bovine took him around the pen.  Abigail looked at Spike and looked like she was about to take a few steps forward.
“Oh no you don’t,”  Wanda said as she picked up Abigail.  “The last thing we need is to get in trouble at the fair.”  Abigail just reached out and let out a faint cry.
“At least Spike is having a good time with Sunburst and what I think is Fluttershy,” Sunset said.  “Maybe we can give Abigail her best time.”
“Yeah,”  Wanda said as she rubbed Abigail on the forehead.  She turned to Applejack and said “I’m surprised that the bull is not presenting any danger to those two.”
“Mr Bovine, despite his appearance, is a rather chill character,” Applejack replied.  “Fluttershy’s known her since getting her cutie mark.  And believe it or not, he’s been Fluttershy’s second guardian when her parents have other errands to take care of.  Though if you ask me, I think it’s Fluttershy who looks after Mr Bovine.”
“I’d hate to be in his horseshoes,” Sunset said.  “Despite the fact that he’s a bull.”
“By the way,” Applejack said as she pointed in another direction.  “Get a load of that magic show.”
Sunset and Wanda turned towards another corner to see Trixie on stage performing her routine.  She reached her hoof into her empty hat and pulled out a bouquet of flowers.  She tossed them to a small-time crowd, which included Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle.  Starlight reached up and was able to catch the bouquet of flowers with her arms.  She placed them right next to her furbob plushie as Pinkie and Twilight gave her a big hug.
“So I assume that the pink one next to Twilight and Starlight is Pinkie Pie,”  Sunset said.  “While the pony on stage is supposed to be Trixie.”
“Correct,” Applejack said.  “Pinkie Pie’s a sweet, energetic filly, and she likes to throw parties to cheer up ponies.  But mess with her friends, and you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of her party cannon.  And to think some ponies call her the reincarnation of Discord.”
“Discord?”  Wanda asked.
“I think it has to do with that statue of that snake-like character in our backyard,”  Sunset said.  “I’ll show you when we get back.”
“As for Trixie,” Applejack said.  “The poor kid ran away from Canterlot after failing the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Her father Jackpot taught her the basics on how to be a magician.  But she couldn’t catch a break with those three bullies treating her”
“Are you talking about Hoops, Dumbbell and Score?”  Sunset said.
“I sure am,”  Applejack said before pausing.  She then said,  “I take it you saw those creeps.”
“Moondancer caught them picking on Ditzy Doo and her father back in Canterlot, when we all decided to look after her,”  Wanda said.  “She stood up against all three and sent them running.  But not before Ms Cinch scared them.”
“The nerve of those cowards,”  Applejack said as she stomped her hoof on the ground.  “No wonder they were gone for a while like Ditzy was.  They wanted to pick on her even more since she ran away from her own birthday party.  And we owe her a second one to cheer her up.”
:”And to think,” Sunset said.  “We have Golden Lace to put up with.”
“Yeah,”  Wanda said as she sat Abigail down and scratched her ear gently.  “What gives them any right to pick on those who did nothing wrong?”
“The worst part about those three,”  Applejack said.  “Is that they got themselves banned for life from the fair.  And yet, they like to sneak in when everyone least expects it and they steal or vandalize whatever they want from the vendors.  It’s like the lifetime ban didn’t teach them anything.”
“Well at least we don’t have to put up with those morons,”  Sunset said.  “I’d hate to have to come face to face with them after what they did to Ditzy.”
Suddenly, they heard what sounded like a filly screaming “GET OUT OF OUR BOOTH YOU GADFLIES!”  Sunset, Wanda, Abigail and Applejack turned around and they saw Hoops, Dumbbell and Score get kicked out of Rarity’s mini boutique.  Rarity and Moondancer stuck their heads out, furious and enraged.
“This dress is for a special someone you creep,” Rarity yelled.  “IT’S NOT FOR HOODLUMS TO SPRAY MUSTARD ON!”
“AND I’M STILL UPSET AT WHAT YOU THREE DID TO DITZY DOO BACK IN CANTERLOT,” Moondancer yelled.
“NOW GET LOST,” Rarity yelled as she and Moondancer flung rocks right at the trio. 
Watching from a distance, Applejack looked like she was about to pop a vein looking at Hoops, Dumbbell and Score.  Wanda and Abigail hid behind Sunset Shimmer, who got a good look at the trio.
“Those are the three goons who picked on Ditzy Doo?”  Sunset asked.
“Yeah,”  Wanda said as Abigail covered her head behind the child.
“Someone’s gotta show these chumps the door,”  Applejack said as she took a hard step.  “And that someone’s gotta be me.”
Applejack marched towards Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, with a lot of scorn in her eyes.  Not once does she take her sight off those three.  The trio got up and saw Applejack marching right towards them.
“You hooligans are gonna wish you never snuck back into the fair,” Applejack said as she took another stomp towards the three.  
Hoops took one good look at Applejack.  Then he let off an arrogant smirk as he, Dumbbell and Score took off into the air.  Applejack just watched as the three bullies zoomed off faster than she could keep up.
“Ahhh horse apples,” Applejack said to herself as she threw her hat onto the ground.

A bit far behind Applejack, Wanda and Abigail hid behind Sunset.  The bright yellow unicorn tried to keep her eyes on the three bullies.  But they zipped off faster than her sight could keep up.  
“Whoever these creeps are,” Sunset said.  “They sure know when to give us the slip.”
Wanda pulled her head out from behind Sunset Shimmer, shaking violently as she slowly got up.
“Are they gone?” Wanda said, still nervous from seeing those three bullies take off.
Suddenly, Dumbbell appeared right behind Wanda and got her in a nelson hold, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.  Before Wanda could yell, Dumbbell flew up, carrying Wanda in tow.  As Sunset turned around, Hoops quickly flew down and grabbed Abigail by the tail.  The kitten screamed loudly as Hoops lifted her into the sky.
“WANDA!”  Sunset yelled.
Dumbbell and Hoops were twenty feet off the ground, holding poor Wanda up and dangling Abigail by the tail.  Wanda tried desperately to break free, but Dumbbell held tightly.  Abigail continued to scream as Hoops held onto her tail.
“LET ME GO YOU BIG BULLY,” Wanda yelled as Dumbbell laughed at her.
“What do you suppose this animal is?” Dumbbell said.
“Must be one of those escaped monsters from Tatarus,” Hoops said as he swung Abigail around.  “Especially this cat.”
“YOU LET GO OF MY SISTER!”  Hoops and Dumbbell looked down to see Sunset Shimmer charging up her horn.  Hoops looked down and gave off a devilish grin.
“Oh please,” Hoops said as he held Abigail up by the tail.  “You wouldn’t want to damage your precious pet….do ya?” 
“Abigail,”  Sunset said as she looked helplessly at the scary kitty cat.
“Here’s the deal, snowflake,”  Hoops said.  “Either you back off, or I shave off one of this cat’s nine lives.”
Sunset’s horn went blank as Applejack ran up to her.  The earth pony looked up to see Hoops with his hoof around Abigail’s tail.  The poor cat was meowing frantically as she dangled helplessly from above.  Next to them, tears flowed from Wanda’s eyes as Dumbbell held her up.
“Dagnabit,” Applejack said.  “That’s the most cowardly trick these goons pulled on us.”
Suddenly, A pair of heavy bags flew right from above and hit both SUnset Shimmer AND Applejack in the face, covering them in flour.  As the two tried to shake off the flour dust from their face, a bucket of water splashed down right on them.  This caused the flour to turn into a doughy substance, leaving both ponies struggling to get this stuff off of their face.
“That was a dirty trick,”  Sunset said as she struggled to get the roux-like substance off her face.
“Where’s pa when you need him?” Applejack said.
Back in the air, Wanda watched helplessly as Sunset and Applejack tried desperately to get the doughy substance off of their faces, all while Hoops and Dumbbell watched on with glee.  Score flew up to the others, holding an empty bucket.  Abigail looked at Score and gave off a threatening growl.
“Now that’s how you make cookie dough with those sour cookies,” Score said as Hoops and Dumbbell laughed.  Wanda turned her head as Dumbbell held her up.
“Hey boss,”  Dumbbell said.  “What do you suppose we do with that cat?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Hoops said.  “What do you say we make a pancake out of this cat?”
Hoops swung Abigail by the tail right back behind him and took a glance at both Sunset and Applejack.   Abigail screamed as Hoops looked like he was ready to throw the kitten.
“Time you joined all those critters you ate in the sky,” Hoops said, looking ready to throw Abigail.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!” Wanda yelled as she watched helplessly.
Suddenly, a lasso darted out of nowhere and wrapped around all three bullies, plus Wanda and Abigail.  This caught all three bullies by surprise as they had no time to react before the rope binded around them.
“Hey what the?” Score said, surprised by the lasso.
But before they could move, the rope pulled all five individuals down until they hit the ground, creating a dust cloud around them.  Wanda coughed in the middle of the dust cloud as she could see a thing.  Abigail, despite struggling in the rope, was able to break free and run up to Wanda.
“Hello,” Wanda coughed.  “Anyone out there?”
Abigail jumped up onto Wanda and licked her face.  Wanda looked and saw the kitten smile on her face.  But as the dust cleared, she saw who was holding the end of the rope.
“Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda cheered.
“Were these troublemakers giving you a hard time?” Bright Mac said as he loosen the rope slightly so Wanda could slip under, all while Abigail jumped down from Wanda’s foot and walked up to the big stallion.  The moment she got out, she jumped up and gave Bright Mac a hug, letting out a huge cry in the process.
“I was scared,” Wanda said as she cried on Bright Mac’s chest.  “I thought those meanies were going to kill Abigail.”
“It’s alright dear,” Bright Mac said as he turned his attention towards Hoops, Dumbbell and Score.  “At least you and Abigail are safe from those juvenile delinquents.”
“Bright Mac my son, that was my line.”  Wanda and Bright Mac looked on to see an older pony with a light lime green coat, a light semi-yellowish gray mane, and a pie for a cutie mark.
“Who’s that?”  Wanda said, looking at the older pony.
“That’s my ma,” Bright Mac said. “Granny Smith.”
Granny Smith walked up to Hoops, Dumbbell and Score as the trio recovered from the unexpected grab by Bright Mac’s lasso, unable to get out of the rope’s binding.  Her eyes squinted in fury as she took one good look at the three bullies.
“Well horse hockey,” Hoops said as he stared helpless at Granny Smith.
“I know what you three have been doing today,” Granny Smith said with a scowl.  “You harassed Ditzy Doo like you did with her birthday party, you gave Fluttershy a hard time at the petting zoo, you ruined a magic show and now I catch you three trying to cause trauma to Celestia’s daughter.”  
The only thing Hoops, Dumbbell and Score could do was to swallow really hard as both Bright Mac and Granny Smith stared down at those three.
“Last year, you three were banned from the fair for that stunt you pulled involving the cotton candy machine in the amphitheater,” Granny Smith said.
“Now come on,” Hoops said as he could barely move a muscle.  “It was all in good fun.  No need to be triggered about it?”
“Triggered?”  Granny Smith yelled.  “Oh I’m more than triggered about it.  And the fact that you three keep defying the ban by sneaking on in and causing even more trouble.  Ever since your parents died in that horrible fire, you’ve been acting like a bunch of trouble-making misfits.  And don’t give me the excuse that you set the fire for your own amusement.”
“What do you mean by that?” Hoops snapped back before Granny Smith took a hard glance at him, causing him to back off.
“I knew you three when you were younger lads, and your parents used to be proud of ya,” Granny Smith said as she turned her back on the trio.  “You weren’t the monsters you were once until long after that tragic incident that cost the lives of your folks.  You three could have accepted being part of the apple family and earned a new life.  But instead you threw it all away trying to be a pair of tough punks, and rejected my offer of hospitality.”
Granny Smith then turned to Bright Mac and said “You know what to do, my son.  I’ll look after Wanda and the gals.”
“You got it, ma,” Bright Mac said as he sunk his teeth into one end of the rope and began to drag Hoops, Dumbbell and Score away.  The trio could do nothing but cower in fear as they were being dragged off.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish.”  That voice came from Applejack as she and Sunset Shimmer walked by, still covered in the gooey mix of flour and water.   Only now their faces were uncovered and they were able to see again.  The duo walked up to Wanda and Abigail, relieved that no harm had come to ether.
“Thank mommy you’re both alright,” Sunset said.  “I thought those creeps were going to traumatize you.”
“You can thank my son for stepping in to stop those juvenile delinquents.”  Wanda, Sunset and Applejack turned their heads to see Granny Smith approaching them.  Her cold scowl has turned into a warm smile as she walked towards Wanda and Abigail.
“Wanda,” Sunset said.  “May I introduce to you the matriarch of the Apple Family: Granny Smith.”
“Nice to meet you,” Wanda said as she took a curtsy bow to Granny Smith.  Abigail got on her two feet and mimicked the same bow Wanda did.”
Granny Smith only laughed and said “There’s no need for that kind of royal courtesy, my dear.  You may be Princess Celestia’s youngest daughter so far, but you have more the eyes of one who wants to experience the world beyond Canterlot.”
“What do you mean by that?”  Wanda asked, curious by Granny Smith’s statement.
“Bright Mac told me alot about you and your sister,” Granny Smith said as she pointed to SUnset Shimmer.
“Me as well?””  Sunset asked as she took Wanda’s side.
“Oh yes,”  Granny Smith said.  “Even though you both are princesses by adoption, deep on the inside you both dream of wanting to be free from the palace life.  And judging by how your tone has been, Princess Celestia raised you well..
Granny Smith placed her hoof on Wanda’s chest and added “Though for you little lady, you seemed troubled with your own conflicts with the Chancellor and with the Windigo’s Guild.”
“Me?”  Wanda asked.
“Though I did hear that you’re starting to get along better with Chancellor Cinch,” Granny Smith said.  “But at the same time, you do have problems with those no good Banks family.  I’d figure with that kind of chaos, you could use some fresh air and sunshine to get away from the madness.”
“I think this might be why mommy planned the trip to La Maresa,” Sunset whispered to Wanda.
Granny Smith turned tail and said “But I think I better show you why La Maresa is the finest place in this part of Equestria.  Follow me.  I have some friends I want you to meet.”
Wanda’s face beamed with excitement.  She yelled “Yes ma’am.” as she and Abigail ran up behind Granny Smith.
Granny Smith turned to Applejack and said “And I reckoned you and Sunset Shimmer could use a bath.”
“After what those creeps did to us,” Applejack said.  “I could use one big time.”

Later that day, outside a Sweet Apple Acres-themed wagon, Sunset Shimmer and Applejack were splashing around in a wooden tub filled with soapy water.  Abigail was eating some food on a plate while Wanda gently rubbed the kitty cat on the ear.  
“So Applejack, “ Wanda said as she continued to pet Abigail.  “Did you ever experience life outside of La Maresa?”  This caused Applejack and Sunset to pause as they looked at Wanda.
“As a matter of fact I once did,” Applejack replied.  “I once wanted to find my place outside of Sweet Apple Acres.  So with the blessing of Granny Smith, I went to live with the Oranges in Manehattan, hoping I would find my place there.  But boy oh boy.  I felt like a fish out of water.”
“How so?”  Sunset asked as she scrubbed the flour out of her hair.
“It was almost like how you and Wanda were like,” Applejack said.  “Like I was some kind of royalty.  It felt very unrewarding to be in a place like that.  But I felt as if that was my calling in life, even though I was home sick.  But the next morning, as the sun went up, I saw a mythical sonic boom that echoed through the land, like a rainbow.”
“A rainbow?”  Sunset said.  “That was the thing that occurred the day Wanda and I applied for the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“No kidding,” Applejack replied.  “But that rainboom pointed the way back to the home I grew up in: La Maresa and Sweet Apple Acres.  So I made my way back and reunited with my folks.  My new passion for the farm gave me my cutie mark.”
“This makes me wonder if we are all connected to the Sonic Rainboom?”  Wanda said. 
“Even if it gives you a migraine?”  Wanda turned her head and saw Granny Smith wearing a saddle bag with a pale, light grayish olive foal with a brilliant amaranth mane tucked in.  
“Granny Smith,” Applejack said.  “And you brought little Apple Bloom with you.”
“Dang tootin I did,” Granny Smith said as she walked up to .  “After all, as a family, we are one together.”
“That sounds like something mommy would say,” Wanda said as she approached Apple Bloom.
“Oh I’ve known your mommy before Bright Mac was born” Granny Smith said.  “And that was back when I was a filly.”
Wanda approached Apple Bloom on the side of Granny Smith, who looked at Wanda curiously.  Wanda reached out with her hand and allowed Apple Bloom to grab it with her hooves.  The little foal giggled in delight as Wanda just stood there with a smile on her face.
“I never saw a foal before,”  Wanda said.  “She’s so cute.”
“You must be proud to have grandkids like Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom,” Sunset said as she observed Granny Smith from the tub.  “Uncle Bright Mac keeps telling us about them and what we saw says a whole lot.”
“Well there is more to the Apple Family than meets the eye,” Granny Smith said as she and Wanda walked up to Sunset Shimmer.  “I heard your mother has had a problem with the Banks family, especially a week ago when they stopped her from punishing Golden Lace for a stunt she pulled on Ditzy Doo.”
“You know about the Banks?” Sunset asked.
“I know someone who’s related to those nasty polecat Banks,” Granny Smith replied.  “And as a matter of fact, I have one of them right now with her husband.”
Granny Smith turned around and placed her hoof on two individuals who were approaching the group.  The stallion had a grayish amber coat with a dark gray, slick mane.  The mare had a pale, grayish coat, with a mane consisting of two shades of moderate magenta and dark heliotrope.  On her back was a saddlebag with a foal sticking her head out.  She had a pale magenta coat with a pale, light grayish violet with white streaks mane.  Wanda took a look at the two older ponies and hid behind Granny Smith.
“Now you don’t have nothing to worry about, mah dear,” Granny Smith said as she put her hoof on Wanda’s shoulder.  “Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich are not as mean-spirited as those despicable Banks.”
“Granny Smith here has a point, young lady,” Filthy Rich said as Wanda barely popped her head out from behind Granny Smith.  “Unlike that cranky Silver Banks, I’m more of a down-to-Equestria kind of business stallion, with a strong partnership with the Apple family to improve La Maresa’s well-being, and I don’t associate myself with strong-arm politics.”
“And I have a lot to say about my sister Gold Banks,” Spoiled Rich said as Wanda slowly stepped out.  
“What...happened between you and your sister?” Wanda asked hesitantly.
“Back when me and my older sister were fillies,” Spoiled Rich replied.  “When I was called ‘Sweet Milk,’ we were more like best friends, and she was more of a pure hearted pony that I could look up to.  We had the fondest of memories during those good old days when we grew up in Baltimare.”
“So what happened between you and Gold Banks?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Back when she was once called Gold Milk?” Spoiled Rich replied.  “As we grew older, my sister’s attitude began to change for the worse.  She started treating me as if I was nothing more than unnecessary luggage.  She went from a kind filly to a mean-spirited mare.  I don’t know why, nor could my parents do anything to help me get over it.  Because of that, I changed my name from Sweet Milk to Spoiled Milk.”
Wanda took a few more steps out from behind Granny Smith and slowly approached Filthy and Spoiled Rich before she said “That sounds really horrible.”
Spoiled Rich let out a sigh and said “I never really figured out why she turned on me.  But between that and my parent’s apathy, I didn’t want to stick around in Baltimare. So I moved away and came here to La Maresa to find a new life.  That’s where I met the Apple Family, and especially him.”  She turned her head to Filthy Rich and nodded to him.
“I’ve known her since Filthy Rich took over the family business here,” Granny Smith said.  “And the poor dame looked more broken than a glass window that was smashed by a flying rock.  We all did what we could to look after Spoiled Milk.  Especially Filthy here.  He saw something in that poor soul.”
“While I did inherit the business from my ma and pa,” Filthy Rich said.  “I couldn’t go at it alone.  I had to show her what life was life in La Maresa, what she could accomplish here.  It took some time, but we got married, and now, she has a healthy baby filly.”
“Being a business partner and a parent is something I never thought I would look forward to,” Spoiled Rich said as she turned to her side where her foal daughter was tucked in her saddlebag. “But what Diamond Tiara offers me is a chance to at least start anew, especially after my life with my sister and parents disappeared from me.”
Wanda walked up to baby Diamond Tiara as Sunset picked up baby Apple Bloom with her magic.  Diamond Tiara looked at Wanda with a curious face.
“Hello there,” Wanda said to Diamond Tiara as she held out her hand.  “I’m Wanda.  Nice to meet you.”  The foal looked at Wanda and touched her hand as she let out a tiny giggle.  Wanda giggled as Diamond Tiara kept her hoof on the man-cub’s palm.
“It’s okay,” Spoiled Rich said.  “I’ll let you pick her up.”
“Are you sure?”  Wanda asked.
“You’re Princess Celestia’s adopted daughter,” Filthy Rich said.  “Anyone who’s a daughter of Princess Celestia has our trust.  You and your sister Sunset Shimmer.”
“Go for it, Wanda,” Sunset said as she cradled Apple Bloom in her arms, all while Abigail said right beside the young unicorn filly.
Wanda let out a huge deep breath and slowly pulled Diamond Tiara out from the saddlebag.  She looked down at the filly, who continued to stare at Wanda with delight.
“Seems you’ve made a new friend, Wanda,” Granny Smith said as Filthy and Spoiled Rich laughed.
“She’s cute,” Wanda said as Diamond Tiara stared at her with joy.  
“Then why not look after her for a bit?” Spoiled Rich said.
“Me?”  Wanda said as she looked at Spoiled Rich a bit surprised.
“Why not?”  Sunset said as she held Apple Bloom in her arms.  “Besides, I think she’s fond of you.”  
Wanda looked at Diamond Tiara, who stared at her in the face.  While the foal had no care in the world and saw Wanda with glee, the older man’s cub had a bit of a sense of dread on her face.  “Look after a foal when you’re just a child yourself?” she thought to herself.  “What would I do?”  But at the same time, the look on Diamond Tiara’s face did seem to ease Wanda’s tension, as she rubbed Diamond Tiara’s face with her hand.
“Wanda, Sunset, Applejack.”  Wanda and Sunset Shimmer turned around to see Bright Mac and Buttercup approaching them.  Applejack jumped out of the tub and took a few steps away from the group before shaking all the water off her fur.  
“Ma, Pa,” Applejack said as she approached her parents.
“What’d you do to those meanies?” Wanda asked.
“Don’t you worry,” Bright Mac said.  “They won’t be bothering you again.  Not after what they did.”
Sunset inched her head close to Wanda and said “Sounds like we’ve got nothing to worry about, sis.  And if they come back, I’ll be by your side.” 
“I also see you got to meet the Rich family,” Buttercup said as she noticed Wanda holding Diamond Tiara in her arms.  “Courtesy of Granny Smith.”
“Like I said,” Granny Smith said.  “Anyone who’s an adopted daughter of Princess Celestia is a friend of the Apples.
“Well how about a nice apple fritter prize for your help in the apple fields,” Buttercup said.  “And don’t worry.  This one’s on us.”  This caused Sunset’s mouth to salivate.
“Now that’s my kind of prize,” Sunset said as she walked towards Buttercup and Bright Mac with Apple Bloom in her arms.  She turned to Wanda and yelled “Come on.”
Wanda only stood there as she looked at Diamond Tiara in her arms.  But as she looked at Sunset, Filthy Rich put his hoof on her arm and said “Go on.  You’ll do fine.  Besides, my little pumpkin loves apple fritters.”
“You sure?” Wanda asked.
“The apple family aren’t just the best family of La Maresa,”  Spoiled Rich said.  “They’re also the toughest.  So we trust you as we trust them.”
“Thanks,” Wanda said as she turned towards Sunset Shimmer, who now had Applejack by her side.
“You don’t want to miss out on the Apple Fritters,” Applejack yelled.
Wanda turned to Abigail and said “Come on.  Let’s go get something really good.”
Abigail let out an excited meow as she and Wanda, who still had Diamond Tiara in her arms, walked towards Applejack, Sunset, Apple Bloom, Bright Mac and Buttercup.  But as the children walked away, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich looked on with the eldest of the pony’s face turned from assured to concerned.
“If only she knew what life was like beyond the gates of Canterlot at an earlier age,” Granny Smith said.
“She had it both so easy and so hard,” Spoiled Rich said.  “A lot more back when I grew up.   Here’s hoping those two sisters don’t end up like what happened to me and Gold Banks.”
“Relax,” Filthy Rich said.  “If I know Princess Celestia, she knows how to raise sisters into shining examples of society.”
“That being said,” Granny Smith replied.  “She did tell us that she only did this field trip in hopes of moving Wanda to La Maresa.”
“She’s actually going to do it?”  Filthy Rich said, shocked by Granny Smith’s words.
“That’s right,”  Granny Smith replied.  “She’s beginning to realize that the capitol city may not be appropriate for that little tyke.  In fact, Wanda deserves a community that will treat her more like family, and with less of a threat from mean-spirited elders.  Bright Mac told me alot about what Wanda has gone through, and I’d figure what the Banks did was the last straw.  She deserves a better life than the one she’s going through, and I vow to make sure she gets that.”


	To Be Continued in…


	The Burden of the Elders

> Arc 9-9: Burden of the Elders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Burden of the Elders





“So you really think you can topple those milk bottles,” Shining Armor said as Princess Cadance held the ball up with her magic.  
“Watch and learn, honey,” Princess Cadance said as she had her eye on a tower of tin milk bottles in front of her face.
Princess Cadance winds the ball up, swings back and throws the ball at a high speed.  The ball zooms past, only to bounce off the tower of milk bottles.  As the ball landed near the counter and came to a complete stop, Cadence looked at the milk bottle tower and her jaw just dropped.
“What kind of tower is that?”  Cadence argued as she began to freak out.  “What kind of alicorn am I?”
“Oh you had the right power,” Shining Armor said.  “But you need to know how to really best this.”
Cadence picks up her last ball and hands it over to Shining Armor.  “Fine then, you do it,” she said.
Shining Armor took the ball with his magic and he let out a smug look on his face.  He then shifted his sight towards a small gap on the lower part in between the bottles.
“Very well then.  Know thy enemy,”  Shining Armor said as he took a swing back, winds up and lets the ball fly.  Before anyone could react, the ball flew right into the gap between the bottles.  The collision was enough to knock all three bottles off the platform.  Princess Cadance looked at the bottles and her jaw dropped even further.
“Wait….but….how?”  Princess Cadance said as she was totally stunned.  But before she could say anything else, a hippogriff plushie was placed right next to her.
“Go on,” Shining Armor said.  “This one is on me.”
Princess Cadance slowly shifted her head towards the plushie.  And with a quick snap, she snatched it up with her arms and held it tightly.
“Guess she appreciates it,” Shining Armor said as he and a confused Cadance walked off.  The owner of the game looked at the two and let out a bit of a sigh.
“Something tells me that kid has played this game before,” The owner said.

A bit later into the day, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were feasting on corn on the cob at a nearby table, with the plushie set right next to the alicorn.  While Shining Armor took his time and savored his corn, Cadence was tearing right through it.
“Are you that upset that I won the game for you?”  Shining Armor said.
“Only partially,”  Princess Cadance said as she swallowed a mouthful of corn in one gulp.  “We alicorns have a massive appetite.”
“Massive appetite?” Shining Armor replied.  “I’d hate to see how your mother Celestia and Aunt Luna eat.”
“Believe me,” Princess Cadance replied as she tossed a bare corn cob into the wastebin before pulling out another corn on the cob.  “They make me look like a light eater.”
“So how upset are you with that milk bottle game?”  Shining Armor said before Princess Cadance was about to take a bite.
“Very,” Princess Cadance said as she set the corn down.  “I don’t get how my magic couldn’t know those bottles down.”
“I’ve seen this trick before when I took Twili to a local fair in Baltimare,” Shining Armor said.  “At first, I thought it was rigged when Twili tried to hit the bottles and couldn’t knock them down.  But when I saw a younger player win by hitting the bottles in the right spot, I figured out how to beat the game.  And I tried that stunt that the youngster pulled.  It took me three tries.  But I pulled it off and won a prize for Twili.”
“Wow,” Cadence said after she swallowed a whole bite of corn.  “The more I hear about these carnival games, the more I wonder if they rig it just to rake in the bits.”
“I bet they do,” Shining Armor said.  “In fact, I think the reason why some don’t sink to that kind of low is that they have a moral code that they follow.  Others don’t follow that code and will do anything for money.”
“This makes me wonder why mother doesn’t address these kinds of issues to discourage this practice,”  Princess Cadance said as she observed the games from the comfort of a seat at the table.  “Then again, the Banks have more political power than even the chancellor.”
“Speaking of the Princess and the Chancellor, take a look at the seating nearby,” Shining Armor said as he pointed to a table nearby.  
Princess Cadance looked in the direction that Shining Armor was pointing and saw Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch enjoying lunch.  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were pigging out on a variety of foods while Cinch was sitting there eating a small salad.  PRincess Cadance couldn’t help, but giggle.
“That’s mommy and Aunt Luna,” Cadance said as she couldn’t hold in her laughter.  “Told you they’d make me look like a light eater.”
“You know,” Shining Armor said.  “For someone who’s critical of that cute monkey Wanda, Cinch is rather chill when she sees those two eat like a pair of hogs.”
“She’s been through worse despite my objections with her treatment of Wanda,” Princess Cadance said.  “Least of all the political rift raft in Canterlot.”
“You really think so?”  Shining Armor replied.
“Yeah,”  Princess Cadance said with a smile on her face.  “In fact, why not go talk to her?  And don’t worry.  I’ll be fine.”
“Might as well,” Shining Armor said as he got up and tossed an empty corn cob into a nearby trash can before walking towards the Princesses and Chancellor Cinch.

As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were shoveling food in their face, Chancellor Cinch just stood there with her eyes closed as she took small bites of her salad.  Even with the sound of the two princesses eating, Cinch was completely undeterred.
“This beats another session in the Senate,” Chancellor Cinch said to herself.
“Believe me,” Shining Armor said as he approached the Chancellor.  “Even I think the politics in Equestria are too much of a mane-puller.”
Chancellor Cinch let out a sigh and said “What do you want, young squire?”
Shining Armor walked over to the side of Chancellor Cinch and said “It’s about that cute monkey Wanda.”
“You mean the Man’s Cub?”  Chancellor Cinch replied.
“Yeah,” Shining Armor replied.  “What I want to know is…”  But before Shining Armor could finish his sentence, Chancellor Cinch put her hoof on Shining ARmor’s mouth, silencing him.
“I know exactly what you’re going to talk about,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “Why I’m harsh to her.  Many believe I discriminate against the child because she is different from other ponies.  That’s only partially true.”
As Cinch lowered her hoof, Shining Armor replied “Partially?  What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve always had a fear that the young child would one day lose control of her magic and become a goddess of destruction,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “And if something like that were to happen, I also fear that no force in Equestria, not even the dreaded windigos, would be able to stop her.”
“But that’s still not an excuse to be that harsh,” Shining Armor replied.  “Even if it were true, you should at least give her a chance.”
Cinch took a sip of tea and said “I know of your concern with her.  That is why I have another part to tell.”
Shining Armor let out a sigh and said “Okay.  Let’s hear it.”
“Since the incident involving the Windigos Guild back in Canterlot,,” Cinch said.  “I began to become concerned for the child’s safety.  Coldnelius Snap, the monster who’s in charge of that cult, will do whatever it takes to take her away and use her in some kind of sick experiment.  Though I am still harsh from time to time, I have softened a bit on the Man’s Cub.  Not just for her sake, but also for Celestia’s sake.”
“Sounds like you’re starting to warm up to the widdle monkey,” Shining Armor said in a mocking tone.
Cinch only cracked a slight smile and said “You have no idea.”  Shining Armor’s jaw dropped upon hearing the words come out of Cinch’s lips.
“Say what?”  Shining Armor replied.
“Like Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Cinch said.  “I have become sickened by Equestria Politics in the Senate.  Random shouting matches, pork barrel spending, and Twinkle Wish’s obsession with building a border wall around Equestria.  Not to mention the Bank’s obsession with pushing ideology over common sense.  There are times where I would rather put up with the young lady’s antics than the chaos on the political floor.”
“I heard that the Banks gave Celestia a hard time,” Shining Armor replied.  “And Wanda as well.”
“All because Princess Celestia was not allowed to punish their daughter Golden Lace,” Cinch said.  “And truth be told, I was the one who suggested the trip to the fair in the first place so she, the students, myself, and especially the Man’s Cub could get away from that madness in Canterlot.”
Shining ARmor took a long thought to himself.  But before he could say anything, he overheard someone yell out “GET YOUR GREASY HOOVES OFF MY PLUSHIE!” in the distance, which also caught the attention of Chancellor Cinch, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
“That sounded like Princess Cadance,” Shining Armor said as he turned his head to see Princess Cadance surrounded by three punk, one of which had his arms around Cadance’s plushie.
“And here I thought it was going to be peaceful,” Princess Luna said as she rolled her eyes.
As Shining Armor was about to race towards Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch put her hoof on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
“Let her handle this,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “She’s more than capable of ruffling a few ruffians.”
“But Cadance…” Shining Armor said before Cinch put her hoof on the teen stallion’s lips again.
“Believe me,” Cinch said with a smirk.  “Tatarus has no fury like an Alicorn scorned.”
“I’m afraid she’s got a point,” Princess Celestia said as she observed Cadance from afar.  “Besides, this ain’t the first time she got this feisty.”


Princess Cadance glanced coldly at the three punks as one of them held her hippogriff plushie in the air and the other two laughed at her.  One of them said “Aww.  Does the wittle girlie miss her dolly?”
“Aren’t you too old to be playing with toys?” Another said.
“That’s the problem with princesses,” the one who held up the hippogriff plushie said.  “They don’t know if they’re living in a fairy tale and not real life.”
As the three punks laugh at Princess Cadance, the young alicorn’s scowl turned into a smirk as she scratched her hoof on the dirt ground.
“A fairy tale, eh?” Princess Cadance replied.  “Can a fairy tale do THIS?”
Immediately, Princess Cadance grabs one of her corn on the cobs and shoves it down the mouth of the punk holding up her hippogriff plushie.  The punk lost his footing and fell, losing his grip on the plushie.  Cadance proceeded to leap into the air and grab the doll with her arms before landing on the ground as the other two punks watched in complete disbelief.
“Never underestimate a fairy tale,” Princess Cadance said as the punk spat out the corn cob and got up right next to his companions.  He looked as if he was about to pop a blood vessel.
“Nobody punks me out and gets away with it,” The punk said as his companions dug their hooves into the ground.  “Not even the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia.  GET HER, BOYS!”
The three older punks run straight towards Princess Cadance, looking as if they were about to tackle her down.  But Cadance doesn’t take her eyes on the trio.  She instead turned towards the trio and sparked off a bit of her magic.
“That’s too bad,” Princess Cadance said.  “Because you just underestimated what an Alicorn can do.”
The three punks leaped at Princess Cadance with the intent of tackling the teen alicorn.  But before they could collide, they froze in mid-air, surrounded by a light blue magic aura.  The looks on their face was total disbelief.
“What the hoof?” One of the punks said.  “I can’t move.”
“This is unnatural,” Another said.  “She must be some kind of witch.”
“Oh no witch,” Princess Cadance said.  “Just your typical run of the mill alicorn who you thought would be a good idea to tick off.  Maybe your parents should have taught you three some better manners.  In the meantime, have a nice flight.”
Princess Cadance spun her head a bit, causing the trio to go spinning around and around.  She flicked her head upwards, sending the three punks flying into the air and towards a nearby flagpole.  The moment the teen delinquents hit the flagpole, their tails wrapped around, tying them up high.
“What just happened?” One of the punks said.
“Don’t look down,” Another said as he looked at the fairgrounds from above.  “But I think that crazed alicorn decided to hoist us up like we’re a national symbol.”
The trio screamed in complete horror as they remained tied atop the flagpole.

Down below on the ground, Princess Cadance smirked at the misfortune of the three bullies who picked on her as she held onto her hippogriff plushie.  Shining Armor walked up behind her, staring at the three punks who not long ago tried to swipe her plushie.
“So I take it, that's payback for letting me win that milk bottle game?” Shining Armor joked.
“Not exactly,” Princess Cadance said.  “I wasn’t going to let you one-up me over those creeps.”
“Fair enough,” Shining Armor replied as he used his magic to bring over what’s left of the corn on the cobs to his side.
As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance walked off, Chancellor Cinch, along with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked up at the three hooligans who are still tied up on the flagpole by their tails.
“What do you suppose I do with those three?”  Chancellor Cinch replied.
“Ehh leave them up there,” Princess Celestia replied.
“Normally I would be against that,” Princess Luna said.  “But after the stunt they pulled, being kicked out of the fair would be too good a punishment for them.”
“Yeah,” Princess Celestia said.  “Besides, if they had picked on my other daughters, being hung up a flagpole would have been the least of their worries.”
As Celestia and Luna walked away, Cinch looked at the three hooligans still tied up on the flagpole and thought to herself “I don’t know what’s scary: The fact that the Princesses see this as an ideal punishment, or the fact that I would have done the same thing.”

Later that day, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were riding in a passenger car of the ferris wheel, with Cadance’s hippogriff plushie right next to her.  They could see the vicinity of the fair as they sat comfortably in their seats.
“Hey Shining,” Cadance asked.  
“What’s up, honey pumpkin?”  Shining Armor replied.
“Do you suppose this is an ideal place to live in?”  Princess Cadance said.  “Sure it’s far from Canterlot.  But it feels so warm and beautiful.”
“You mean La Maresa?” Shining Armor said.  “Come to think of it, I also think so as well.  But there’s also the providence capital of San Di’NeighGo as well.”
“San Di’NeighGo?” Cadance replied out of curiosity.
“Yeah,” Shining Armor said. “There’s a lot to do down in San Di’NeighGo.  They have their own world famous Zoo, the iconic Balbronco Park, Old Town and the Gaslamp Quarter, and even the infamous San Di’NeighGo Comic Convention that comes down during the summer.”
“This makes me wonder what I’ve been missing out on by living just in Canterlot,” Princess Cadance said as she laid back on the chair and looked upwards at the sky.  “All that time I spent with my sisters up in Canterlot like I’m some high-profile celebrity.  At least down here I can be a normal pony despite being an alicorn.”
“Really?” Shining Armor asked.
“I’m not kidding,” Princess Cadance replied.  “As someone who was adopted into royalty, it feels more like a personal prison and less like the high life many ponies would prefer.  Too much attention in the limelight, all that politics and bureaucratic nonsense, and the fact that you have to stay at the Castle to ensure your own safety.  Sometimes, I do yearn for a simple life, and the same can be said of my two younger sisters.”
“Sounds a lot like it would run in the family,” Shining Armor said.  “I heard that your mother and aunt also dreamt of that simple life.”
“They’ve been trying to find a successor to take over,” Princess Cadance said.  “But so far, they came up zip.  In fact, there’s a chance they may just abandon the idea of a monarch republic and just straight out convert Equestria into a straight up republic.”
“Give the fate of the government to the ponies,” Shining Armor said.  “Have them partake more in the democratic process.  Sounds ambitious.  You sure you’re up for that?”
“Anything just to get away from the royal life,” Princess Cadance said.  “Wanda and Sunset also have that feeling as well.  Being stuck in that high castle most of their life had made them a bit cautious.  So that's why mother had them attend the School for Gifted Unicorns.  So they could make some friends.  But there’s also a sign that there could be more friends to meet beyond the walls of Canterlot.  And frankly, I’d like that life as well.”
“For someone who is of a royal heritage,” Shining Armor replied.  “You sure want the life of a commoner.”
“No kidding,” Princess Cadance said as she looked at the sky.  “I do envy you and Twilight because you have this freedom.  You can go out and about without all these responsibilities weighing you down.  Meanwhile, I feel as if I need to keep a positive tone as the so-called future ruler of Equestria like I’m some high-time celebrity, with little time to myself.  Thank goodness no one here cares if I am a princess or not.”
“Yeah,” Shining Armor said.  “If I wind up as some kind of prince, I wouldn’t have a day to myself to rest and relax.  At least we have a means of relaxing on this ride with no worries in the world.”
Suddenly, the ride comes to a complete stop, catching the attention of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.  They looked down and they noticed that no car in the ferris wheel had reached the very bottom.
“We’re stuck,” Shining Armor said.  “Aren’t we?”
“Don’t worry,” Princess Cadance said as she got off the seat.  “I’ll check to see what’s up.”
Princess Cadance jumped off the car, opened her wings and flew downwards to the bottom of the ferris wheel with Shining Armor looking from above.
“If there is one thing I am truly jealous of,” Shining Armor said to himself.  “It’s the fact that Princess Cadance is an alicorn, and I’m only a unicorn.  Imagine if my sister became one like my sweetheart.”

Meanwhile, some distance away from the ferris wheel, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch were wandering around the garden show of the fair.  Many exotic plants lined the walkways, showcasing their lush textures and wonderful colors.  Some exhibits were arranged in a pattern of various landscapes.  Celestia leaned her nose into one of the flowers and smelled it, allowing her mind to be calmed by its beautiful scent.
“I wish we had flowers like this beauty in Canterlot,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Wanda and Sunset would have enjoyed these.”
“Beauty?  That’s nothing.” Chancellor Cinch laughed as she glanced at a few other flowers near her face.  “Now these are gorgeous plants worthy of gracing the walls of our kingdom.”
“Touche there,” Princess Celestia said as she turned her head towards another plant and smelled its fragrance.  “Now these are….”  she continued before having to pause and cough downwards towards the ground.  “Allergy enhancing blossoms.”
Chancellor Cinch laughed as she wiped her glasses with a handkerchief.  She then said “Oh please.  I dealt with that kind of nonsense when I was a teenager.  Besides, this beats the bureaucratic nightmare that is the Senate.”
“Speaking of nightmare,” Princess Celestia said as she noticed Princess Luna sitting by herself with her arms on the table.  “Something’s up with Luna.”
Chancellor Cinch walked up to Celestia, took a glance at Luna and said “I’ve seen this before from her in the last few weeks.  A sign of burnout.  And I’ve been down this path many times.”
Celestia and Cinch walked up to Princess Luna, who ignored the duo all while she sighed up at the sky like there was nothing around her.  Celestia poked her younger sister in the shoulder, with no sign of the moon princess budging.
“Luna,” Princess Celestia said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, dear sister,”  Luna said as she rolled her eyes.
“I don’t know,” Princess Celestia said.  “Early ago, you chose to pull the carriage from Canterlot to La Maresa without a second thought.  This usually isn’t like you.”
“I said I’m fine,” Luna groaned as she turned her head away from Princess Celestia, leaving her older sister confused.
“I’ve got this,” Chancellor Cinch said to Princess Celestia.  The slender unicorn walked up to Luna and added “Princess Luna, you are suffering from work-related stress, as I have.”
Luna got up in a flash and said “What do you know about work-related stress?”
Calm as the summer wind, Chancellor Cinch adjusted the neckline of her dress and said “A whole lot.  And as much as I want to complain about some of the incidents of the Man’s Cub, they pale in comparison to the incompetence and sheer stupidity of the Senate, especially with Senators pushing their own pet projects to the front line all just to score some simple political points.”
“Wow,” Luna said as she sat back down.  “Guess we share a thing in common.”
“Except you don’t take your anger out on a young child, which I happen to do unfairly,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “So you have one advantage over me.”
“You take your anger out on Wanda?”  Luna said, surprised.
“Mainly because I have some trust issues with her,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “I do fear that she would become too much of a danger to Equestria with the magic she has.  But even against my own judgment, she has proven to be a far better creature than most of us, included myself.”
“Maybe you should have put more faith in your former mother, Chancellor,” Princess Celestia said with a giggle.  “Besides, you have lost a lot of trust in non-ponies since that incident a few years back.”
Cinch turned her head to the side and said “That is something even I don’t want to talk about, Your Majesty.”
“Oh right,” Princess Celestia replied.  “Changing the subject to something else.  Like with Wanda and La Maresa.”
“You did say you wanted to move Wanda to La Maresa,” Luna said.  “Is that right?”
“Yes,” Princess Celestia replied as a tear fell down her cheek.  “I originally planned this field trip for the students to get to know the ponies of La Maresa.  Of the entire Ponyville Providence.  But ever since the Banks humiliated me in front of Wanda, and traumatized her, I began to wonder if she would be better off living in La Maresa.”
“Originally,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “I was against the idea since I also feared that the Man’s Cub would be in danger to the monsters of the land.  But the incident involving the banks made me realize that she would be better off here than in Canterlot.  Even she deserves her freedom.”
“That does sound like a great idea,” Princess Luna replied.  “But what about her sisters?  Or her classmates?”
“That is a good question, my dear sister,” Princess Celestia said as she took a seat next to Princess Luna.  “I intend on moving the School for Gifted Unicorns to La Maresa as well.”
“You what?”  Luna yelled as she jumped out of the chair.  “Tell me you’re kidding.”
“She isn’t,” Chancellor Cinch said as she approached Princess Luna.  “To ensure that the Man’s Cub grows up with both her old and new friends, your sister is also going to set up a new building for the School for Gifted Unicorns.  That way, they can interact more with the local folks.”
“But how exactly are you going to fly from Canterlot to La Maresa to hold a school and be Princess of Equestria?”
“That’s easy,” Celestia replied.  “I will be resigning my position as ruler of Equestria.”  Those words made Luna’s jaw drop down.
“Wait a minute,”  Luna replied.  “You’re going to abandon your position?”
Princess Celestia got up and put her arm on Luna’s shoulder before she said “The more I dig myself into Equestria politics, the more torturous it has become on my soul.  Far more than when I was Daybreaker.  In fact, you remember when I once took my anger out on Wanda and Sunset, correct?”
“That’s right,”  Luna replied.  “You got pushed around mentally with all that talk about enforcing the police, that you got angry at Wanda and scared her.”
“It was one of those rare cases where I had to apologize to her for my behavior,” Princess Celestia replied as a tear fell down her cheek.  “And there is a part of me that is coming close to pulling that stunt again on Wanda.  For her sake, for Sunset’s sake and for Cadance’s sake, I will step down from my role as Princess of Equestria and just be a normal citizen.  And I don’t expect a replacement to take over my role.”
As Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch stepped away from Princess Luna, the moon princess looked downward and closed her eyes.  “So it’s not just me that’s suffering from burnout.  Dear sister has been suffering day and night thanks to the mindless bog that is Equestrian Politics.  Sometimes I do wonder if freeing her from being Daybreaker only pushed her into that kind of senseless torture.”
Princess Luna immediately stood up and ran up to Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch.  She placed her arm around her older sister’s back and cuddled up to her.
“Sister,”  Luna said.  “If you decide to leave your status as Princess, I wish to join you in this exile as well.  That way, we find our freedom together, and look after the younglings.  They are, after all, the future of this planet.”
Princess Celestia rubbed her head alongside Princess Luna and said “Thank you.  For being close to me, and for saving me from myself, Dear Sister.”
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rubbed their heads together, Chancellor Cinch tapped on Princess Celestia’s shoulder, attracting the attention of the older sister.
“Just so you know,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I will be holding down the fort in Canterlot once you both have finalized your retirement.  And I intend on staying there until I decide that enough is enough, or if I get ousted from my position as Chancellor.”
Celestia and Luna smiled at Chancellor Cinch as the older sister said “Thank you, Chancellor.  I’m glad I raised you to be a tough pony in the eyes of Equestria.”
“It’s been an honor…..mother,” Chancellor Cinch replied.

But as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch had been speaking together, Coldnelius Snap had been observing them from a nearby mountain top with a foresight spell.  He took his eyes from the three adults all the way to another part of the fair, where Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Applejack and Abigail Albright were enjoying some apple fritters with Buttercup cooking some more at an outdoor oven.  The cultist leader smiled as he turned his head towards his cult members.
“It seems the younglings are separated from the Princesses and the Governor,” Coldnelis Snap said with a smile.  “We’re going to get the jump on them, and smuggle them out, especially the Man’s Cub.  This will be like stealing candy from a filly.”  He then got up and yelled “ONWARD, WINDIGO’S GUILD!”
Without a second thought, Coldnelius Snap and the members of the Windigos Guild galloped towards the La Maresa Fair with a grin on his face and ambition in his eyes.
“Those fools in La Maresa won’t know what hit themm=” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Either we freeze all of Equestria today, or we make sure they’re too afraid to know what joy and happiness are supposed to feel like.  Regardless, we will win.”




		To Be continued 


Arc 10: Revenge of the Guild


Crashing the Ponyville Fair.

> Arc 10(Revenge of the Guild)-1: Crashing the Ponyville Fair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Arc 10: Revenge of the Guild


	Crashing the Ponyville Fair




Buttercup pulled a new batch of apple fritters out of the mini-oven and placed them on a table.  She used a spatula to gently lift the fritters off the pan and into a basket lined with a red checkered cloth.  After placing the spatula down, Buttercup lifted the basket by the handle and took it over to a fritter stand, where ponies were lined up for some of that delicious pastry. 
“Apple fritters,” Buttercup yelled.  “Come and get your hot and delicious apple fritters.”
Nearby, Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Applejack and Abigail were feasting on some hot apple fritters, all while the afternoon sun shined on them.  Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara were right next to Wanda, enjoying small bites of the tasty pastry.  They appear not to have a care in the world as the Ponyville Fair was as busy as it could be, with various ponies wandering about.
“Wow,” Wanda said after eating a piece of fritter.  “I was hoping these things would be good.  But not this good.”
“And to think,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We mainly eat the apples from Sweet Apple Acres when uncle Bright Mac comes to Canterlot.”
“Well that’s one of the many wonders of La Maresa,” Applejack said after swallowing a huge chunk of apple fritter.  “Along with the rest of the Ponyville Providence.  There’s a lot we can give you that Canterlot doesn’t.  In fact, have you ever heard of San Di’Neighgo?”
“I’ve heard of the city,” Wanda said as she took a sip of apple juice.  “Mommy told me that San Di’Neighgo is referred to as the heart of Ponyville.”
“Not just the heart of Ponyville,”  Sunset Shimmer replied.  “They say that the city was once a small village where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were born, near where the castle ruins are.”  Wanda’s jaw dropped from hearing what her sister just said.
“Is that true?” Wanda said bursting with excitement.
“I’ve read a lot about it,” Sunset said.  “And besides, mommy told us about it before.”
Wanda leaped out of her seat and landed on the ground nearby.  She jumped up and down with excitement as Sunset Shimmer and Applejack looked on with amusement.  Sunset tried to hold back her laughter.  But she let out a loud chuckle that even caused Applejack to burst out laughing.  Even the two babies giggled in delight.
“And your mother actually told you about her being born in San Di’Neighgo?”  Applejack said as she struggled to control her guffaw.
“Oh believe me,” Sunset said as she wiped a tear from her eye.  “Wanda does have a thing for forgetting every once in a while.  Someone’s gotta remind her.”
“And I take it you’re all having a good time.” Sunset and Applejack turned around to see Bright Mac walking in from the corner, pulling a wagon full of apples, flour, brown sugar, eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder and salt.
“Pa,” Applejack said as she leaped out of her seat and gave Bright Mac a big hug.
“Oh we are Uncle Bright Mac,” Sunset said.  “I just wish the others were here with us to enjoy this feast.”
“That reminds me,” Bright Mac said.  “Granny Smith is out looking for the other young'uns.  She mentioned wanting to have you all enjoy our family’s apple fritters together.”
“You mean the rest of our friends and those they’re with?” Wanda asked as her eyes lit up with excitement.  “I hope they get to taste that apple goodness.”
“Settle down there, sugar cube,” Applejack said as she got out of her seat and approached Wanda.  “I know you’re excited to be with your friends.  But you have all day.  This is the best moment for you to relax and unwind from all that stress up in Canterlot.”
“Applejack’s right,” Bright Mac said. “Whatever happens from here on out. I can guarantee we’re doing what’s best for you and your sisters.”
“Sounds like we’re in for a big surprise,” Sunset said as she got up, leaving Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara to reach out to the older filly.  “Boy I can’t wait.”
But as Sunset began to take a few steps away, her ears began to shake as she overheard the sounds of ponies screaming.  As her eyes shrunk down in fear, Wanda, Applejack, Bright Mac, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara looked to the side and saw ponies fleeing for their lives as pillars of cold, cold ice formed around the fair.  The peace that La Maresa brought was about to be brought down.
“WANDA!  SUNSET!  APPLEJACK!” Bright Mac yelled.  “Grab the babies and let’s hide.”
With fear running through her eyes, Wanda rushed back to the table and picked up baby Diamond Tiara, as the filly began to cry.  Sunset rushed back to the table and lifted Apple Bloom off with her magic, with Abigail jumping off the table and running right next to Wanda.  The unicorn went to Applejack’s side as Buttercup emerged from the booth and approached Bright Mac.
“Honey,” Buttercup said with a hint of fear in her voice.  “What’s going on?”
“It’s the Windigo’s Guild,” Bright Mac said.  “I never thought they would resort to trashing the Ponyville Faire.”  Hearing that made Wanda freak out, catching the attention of Bright Mac and Buttercup, still holding onto Diamond Tiara.
“Wanda dear,” Buttercup said, seeing Wanda’s eyes water up.  “Did something happen between you and this Windigo’s Guild?”
“Yeah,” Sunset said as she lowered Apple Bloom down to her side and gave her sister a hug.  “A lot.  They tried to capture her and Chancellor Cinch back in Canterlot.  Mommy was only able to save them when she and Danged Spell were under this...Wolf’s Breath curse.”
“Then we need to get you all to safety,” Bright Mac said as he turned tail.  “Come on, and don’t look back.”
Without a second thought, Sunset Shimmer picked up Apple Bloom with her magic and ran towards Bright Mac, while Wanda held onto Diamond Tiara and stood next to Buttercup, Applejack and Abigail.
“Never thought we’d be seeing this kind of madness in La Maresa,” Applejack said as she saw pillars of ice shoot up throughout the fair.
In a single dash, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Wanda, Diamond Tiara, Sunset SHimmer, Apple Bloom, Applejack and Abigail took off, leaving behind the picnic table, the wagon full of ingredients, the food booth, and tons of delicious apple fritters.  It didn’t take long for a tower of ice to materialize underneath and cover the spot in a frozen tower of despair.

Further down in the fair, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie were walking down with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh.  Pinkie Pie was just bouncing around.
“You sound pretty excited to have another batch of Buttercup’s apple fritters, aren’t ya?” Granny Smith said with delight.
“But of course,” Pinkie Pie said.  “The apple family always makes the best apple fritters in all of the Ponyville Providence.”
“If it sounds that good,” Twilight said.  “Then I can’t wait.”
“Oh believe me” Trixie said as she and Starlight walked beside Twilight.  “The Apple Family makes the great and most delicious apple fritters in all of Equestria.  Nothing ever comes close.”
“If it sounds that good,” Starlight said as she licked her lips. “Then count me in.”
Twilight turned her head towards Starlight and asked “By the way, Starlight.  That furbob plushie you won.  Where’d you put it?”
Starlight just smiled and said “Trixie said it’s okay for me to leave it at her wagon.  I believe she can keep it safe.”
“But of course,” Trixie said.  “Nothing has penetrated the wagon of the Great and Powerful TRIXIE!”
Twilight just rolled her eyes and said “Surrrrrrre.”
But as Granny Smith, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie were walking without a care, they noticed a cloud of dust picking up in front of them.  Granny Smith took a glance and saw a crowd of ponies running towards them as if they were in constant fear.
“Take cover, young’uns,”  Granny Smith said.  “We got a stampede of ponies heading our way.”
Granny Smith, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Trixie dove out of the way and hid behind a booth as the crowd ran closer to them.  
“Everyone alright?” Granny Smith asked.  “No filly is going to be roadkill on my watch.”
“Wait,” Trixie said in a complete panic.  “Where’s Starlight?”
Granny Smith turned her head and saw Starlight Glimmer standing there helplessly, as the crowd of ponies raced towards her.  
“STARLIGHT!”  Trixie yelled.  “GET OUT OF THE WAY!”
But Starlight could not move an inch.  She stood by with fear in her eyes and her ears flopping downward as the crowd moved closer and closer to her.
“COME ON, STARLIGHT!” Twilight yelled.  “WHAT WOULD SUNBURST SAY WE LOST YOU?”
Nothing seemed to be moving Starlight.  She continued to stand there as the crowd came closer and closer.  Starlight’s ears dropped downward as her eyes shrunk down.
“Oh no,” Pinkie Pie said as she bit in her hooves.  “Starlight’s going to be street pizza.”
“Not on my watch,” Granny Smith said as she hunkered down.
In a split second, Granny Smith jumped out from behind the booth and raced towards Starlight Glimmer as the crowd moved closer and closer to the scared, little filly.  With a swift bite, Granny Smith picked up Starlight by the scruff of her neck and jumped out of the way as the crowd ran past, screaming in complete horror.  
“What happened?”  Twilight said as she panicked.  “Where’s Starlight?  Where’s Granny Smith?”
When the stampede of scared ponies ran off in another direction, Twilight Sparkle was able to spot Granny Smith, still holding a scared Starlight by the scruff of her neck.  Granny Smith gently placed Starlight down, who was still scared stiff.
“Starlight?”  Granny Smith said as she placed her hoof on the unicorn’s forehead.  “Youngling?  You alright?”
Starlight Glimmer looked up at Granny Smith before turning her head towards the stampede of ponies running off.  But as she looked in the distance, Starlight’s eyes began to water up.  Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Trixie came out from behind the booth, approaching Granny Smith and Starlight Glimmer.
“Oh dear,” Granny Smith said before Starlight Glimmer cried her eyes out.  “A traumatic experience.”
As Starlight cried, Granny Smith picked up Starlight with her arms and gave her a gentle hug, allowing the young unicorn to cry onto her chest.
“It’s alright, youngling,” Granny Smith said as she patted Starlight’s back.  “The danger is over.  You’re safe with Granny Smith.”
“I’m glad she’s alright,”  Twilight said.  “But sadly, this is a part of who Starlight is.  She doesn’t do well with these kinds of scenarios.”
“Reminds me of what I used to be when I was a filly,” Granny Smith said.  
“Really?”  Twilight said. 
“It’s a long story,” Granny Smith said.  “But when we arrive at the apple fritter cart, I’ll talk to you about it.”
“I’m afraid there will be no apple fritters for the time being.”  Granny Smith, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Trixie turned their heads to see Filthy and Spoiled Rich running up to them with a concerned look on their faces.  Next to them were Rarity, Moondancer, Fluttershy, Spike, Sunburst, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell, who all shared Filthy and Spoiled Rich’s concerns.  But right next to Fluttershy was a concerned Mr Bovine.
“What are you talking about, Filthy?” Granny Smith asked.
“It’s the Windigo’s Guild,” Filthy Rich said.  “They’re causing more trouble than those three juvenile delinquents did to Wanda.”
“Say what?”  Twilight said, completely shocked.
“It’s a long story, young lady,” Mr Bovine said.  “Filthy Rich filled me in on the details the moment we were called for apple fritters.  But it appears these punks planned on ruining the fair.”  Granny Smith’s face dropped in pure shock as she began to worry.
“I left my son and Buttercup with Applejack, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, along with Celestia’s kids,” Granny Smith said.  “Oh dear.  We better find them before it’s too late.”
“I was hoping this wouldn’t be the case,” Spoiled RIch said.  “I fear the worst for my daughter.”
“Then I suggest I go find them and bring them here,” Rainbow Dash said, looking like she’s raring to go.  But Granny Smith looked stern.
“No young lady,” Granny Smith said as Starlight poked her head out.  “We’re doing this, together.  No pony left behind.”
No sooner does Granny Smith finish speaking, a tower of ice sprouts from right beside her, destroying a nearby booth and scaring Starlight Glimmer.
“And I mean it,” Granny Smith said as she picked up Starlight Glimmer by the scruff of her neck. “We need to get you all out.”
“Allow me, my lady,” Mr Bovine said as he sat down.  “I’ll escort the fillies and colts out of here.”
Granny Smith walked behind Mr Bovine and placed Starlight on his back.  Twilight Sparkle, Trixie and Pinkie Pie jumped on board.  Right behind them was Sunburst, Moondancer and Rarity.  Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy hovered over Mr Bovine, with the latter handing Spike over to Twilight.  Though the little pegasi had a deep concern on her face.
“Are you sure you can handle that many, Mr Bovine?”  Flutttershy asked.
“Like I have a choice?” Mr Bovine replied.  “I’m not letting any youngster fall to the Windigo’s guild, even if I have to die to save them.”
“He’s one tough bull,” Rarity said as she held on.
As Mr Bovine got himself up on his four hooves, Granny Smith noticed Danged Spell standing right behind the big bull, looking prepared to make his move.
“Young stallion,” Granny Smith said to Danged Spell.  “You do realize what situation you’re in?”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell said.  “I’ve been down this path before when the guild tried to capture Wanda and mean Cinch.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Granny Smith replied.
“I kid you not,” Rainbow Dash said as she put her hoof on Danged Spell’s shoulder.  “I’ve seen him in action with his Wolf’s Breath Curse.  We’re basically equals.”
“She’s actually got a point about Danged Spell,” Moondancer said. “As much as I have to tolerate his corny puns, he’s far more dangerous when he goes from bronco to beast.”
But before anyone else could speak, another pillar of ice jumped up from the ground nearby, scaring everyone.  Granny Smith looked at a corner and saw a few Windigo’s Guild cultists freezing parts of the fair.
“No time to argue,” Granny Smith said.  “We better get out of here.”
With a scratch on the ground, Mr Bovine took off with Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, Moondancer and Sunburst riding on top of him.  Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Danged Spell, Granny Smith, Filthy and Spoiled Rich followed right behind them as more ice pillars popped up from where they stood.  Starlight looked back and her heart dropped as more ice pillars popped.  She buried her head into the fur of Mr Bovine.
“I’m scared,” Starlight cried.
Sunburst put his arm around Starlight and said “Don’t worry.  Whatever happens, I’ll be by your side.”
Though most of the group were scared, Spike showed no form of any fear.  Twilight looked down as the baby dragon just giggled.
“Oh Spike,” Twilight said with a concerned look on her face.  “If only you knew what danger we were all in.”

Somewhere in the now ice-covered fair, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna scour the fairgrounds, looking for any sign of life.  But the tower of ice made searching rather difficult. 
“Any sign of the kids?” Princess Luna yelled.
“That’s a negative, sister,” Princess Celestia replied.  “Whatever the Windigo’s Guild did, they sure messed us up, big time.”
The atmosphere around Celestia and Luna began to thicken up with a bone-chilling cold fog.  Celestia and Luna continued to search around, but visibility had begun to dissipate, and ice began to form on their wings.
“We can’t search for the kids in this condition,” Princess Luna said as her wings began to freeze.  “The last thing we need is to lose our ability to fly and to crash into something dangerous.”
“Agreed,” Princess Celestia replied.  “We’ll have to search on the ground.”
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna descended and landed straight onto the ground, folding their wings back.  As their hooves touched the dirt, Chancellor Cinch ran up to the duo.  A bit of frostbite formed on her mane.
“No sign of the Man’s Cub,” Chancellor Cinch yelled  “Or any of the other younglings.  Unfortunately, it’s getting hard with cultists marching about.”
“That’s my bigger worry,” Princess Luna said.  “And as a matter of fact, there’s also no sign of Princess Cadance or Shining Armor.  I fear they may have been put in the deep freeze.”
“We need to find them, and fast,” Princess Celestia said with a nervous tone.  “If those monsters managed to get their hooves on those kids…”
But before Princess Celestia could speak, she was hit on the head by a flying ice spell, freezing her horn in place.  She fell to the ground and screamed in pain as Luna and Cinch turned their heads to see Coldnelius Snap and a couple of members of the Windigo’s Guild right next to him.
“SNAP!”  Chancellor Cinch yelled with a snarl as she turned to face the cult leader.  “I still remember what you did back in Canterlot to me and the Man’s Cub.”
“Flattery will get ya nowhere, Governor,” Coldnelius Snap said as he took a few steps towards Cinch.  “And it’s a shame your precious princess’s horn went south for the winter.”
Luna took a massive stomp toward Coldnelius Snap, putting herself in front of Princess Celestia, and said “What do you want, monster?”
“Why you must be the second banana of the alicorn sisters,” Coldnelius Snap said as he pointed his hoof at Princess Celestia, still suffering from the ice covering her horn. “And don’t bother with your magic.  The cold of the Windigos will nullify it.”
“You may have brought down our beloved Princess Celestia,” Chancellor Cinch said as she stood her ground alongside Princess Luna.  “But you will never get your hooves on the Man’s Cub or her friends.”
“Oh I beg to differ, side kick,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “As I speak, my cultists are going after the little tykes and them country folk. We will drain the Man’s Cub of her magic and put Equestria in an eternal winter.  Furthermore, with your precious Princess Celestia’s  magic experiencing frostbite, there’s nuffin' she can do to save them. Your days of sunshine and lollipops are over.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Princess Celestia said as she slowly got up.  “You may have blocked out my magic with that cold spell of yours, Snap.  But I at least still have the power of the Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
“So,” Coldnelius Snap said as he pointed his horn at Princess Celestia and charged it up. “Yoou have the mongrel’s spirit like that brat did. Won’t save ya if you’re frozen solid, baked bean.”
Coldnelius Snap fired off a spark of cold ice from his horn, and it went flying right towards Celestia.  But before it could hit her, Princess Luna jumped in the way and used her magic to swat it away, sending it flying into a nearby stand, freezing it in place.
“Don’t you dare hurt my sister,” Princess Luna snarled.
“LUNA!” Celestia yelled.
“Oh I like ya, Princess Luna.,” Coldnelius Snap said with a grin.  “But there is nuffin' ya can do ter save that whale that ya call a sister. My cultists are ready to take her out.”
“Not while I draw breath,” Princess Luna said as she stared closely at Coldnelius Snap.  She barely glanced her head towards her older sister and said “You’re our only hope, dear sister.  Find Wanda and make sure she’s safe.”
“We’ll do what we can to hold off Coldnelius Snap and his cultists,” Chancellor Cinch said as she took Luna’s side.  “It’s up to you to find the Man’s Cub and her friends..”
“But you’ll lose,” Princess Celestia said.
“I know,” Princess Luna replied as a tear fell from her eye.  “But if anyone can keep them safe, it’s you, big sister.”
“I...I understand,” Princess Celestia said as she turned away from Luna and Cinch.  “Best of luck to you both.”
Without a second thought, Celestia’s eyes turned completely white and glowed with a warm light.  She growled as she leaped from the ground and onto the various booths, running as fast as possible.
“Blast her,” Coldnelius Snap yelled.  “Make sure she doesn’t get to those kids.”
One by one, the Windigo’s Guild fired off blasts of pure cold right at Princess Celestia.  But Celestia jumped over many of the shots, freezing only parts of the roof of each booth.  One shot looked as if it were about to hit Princess Celestia, only to be deflected off by a burst of magic that flew right out of Princess Luna’s horn.  Celestia jumped off the roof of one of the booths and ran off into the distance while Luna and Cinch had their eyes focused on Coldnelius Snap and his cultists.
“I warned you,” Princess Luna said as she charged up a magic spell.  “You do NOT….MESS WITH MY SISTER!”  She squatted down on all fours and pointed her horn at Coldnelius Snap, charging up her magic.
“So.  You wanna protect your precious sister,” Coldnelius Snap said with a laugh.  “Oh this is rich, comin' from one who sulks in the blooming shadows.”
“I may be one who sulks in the blooming shadows,” Princess Luna replied.  “But if there is anything you don’t know of me, it’s that I care a lot for my sister.   And anyone who messes with my sister, messes with ME!”
 “And anyone who messes with my former mother,” Chancellor Cinch said as she stood by Princess Luna.  “Will feel my wrath.”
“No, Cinch,”  Princess Luna said as she kept her sight on Coldnelius Snap.  “Follow my sister.  Make sure you find Wanda and the others.  I’ll be alright.  And besides, I got your back.”
Cinch’s tone lightened.  Reluctantly, she said “Understood,” before turning tail and running off in the opposite direction.
“Give the Governor something…..cool,” Coldnelius Snap as he and his cultists fire off bolts of ice at Chancellor Cinch.  
As the ice flew towards Cinch, Princess Luna jumped in the way and drew up a magic shield, absorbing the blows of cold magic.  She lowered the shield and took a glance at Coldnelius Snap.
“You’re not freezing any of my family,” Princess Luna said with a stern tone.  “And as a family, we are one together.”
“Then it’s time you got sent to the cooler, you over ripe second banana,” Coldnelius Snap said.
With a flick of his neck, Coldnelius Snap sent a beam of pure cold right at Princess Luna, who wastes no time firing off a beam of arcane magic right back at it.  The two beams deadlocked in the middle, pushing back against each other as Luna and Coldnelius kept their focus.”
“You’re about to experience the ice age of your life,” Coldnelius Snap said as he held his ground with his magic. “And there is nothing….nothing that can save ya.”
“Then it’s time I turned up the heat,” Princess Luna said as her horn glowed bright from the tip of her arcane beam.
 “Two can play that game,” Coldnelius Snap said as the magic on top of his own glowed brighter.
Coldnelius Snap and Princess Luna’s horns glowed brighter as the two beams remained deadlocked, growing bigger and bigger with each passing second.  Neither Luna nor Snap looked like they were ready to flinch as they each held their ground.  
“Master,” one cultist said before Coldnelius Snap held his arm out.
“Stand down,” Coldnelius said.  “I’m going to give 'er a winter she won’t forget.”
As the spark of both horns glowed bright, they sent a surge of energy channeling through the respective magic beams, flying through until they hit the dead center of both beams.  The collision of both sparks triggered a white ball of pure energy that grew fast and negated the beams of arcane and ice.  Coldnelius Snap looked up and only smiled with delight.
“I’m beginning to like you, Princess Luna,” Coldnelius Snap said as the ball of energy consumed him.  “All just to keep your own humanoid niece safe.  Too bad it means she will lose an aunt when the day is over.”
Princess Luna, exhausted from her use of magic, looked up and saw the energy ball fly towards her.  She tried to move, but her legs were wobbly, and she collapsed onto the ground.  She lied there, looking at the energy ball as it inched towards her.
“Dear sister,” Princess Luna said as she let out a tear from her eye.  “Please keep our darlings safe.”
With one last smile, Princess Luna closed her eyes as the energy ball consumed her.

Meanwhile, further down in the fair, Princess Celestia dashed through the fair as fast as she could, all while a white aura covered her eyes.  She panted as hard as possible, not once turning her head.  Neither the cold atmosphere that surrounded her fur, nor the ice surrounding her horn, could stop her from running as fast as possible..
But without a warning, the sound of a magic explosion rocked the fair, causing Celestia to come to a stop.  She looked behind her and saw a white aura blast through the fair, causing Celestia to lose her footing and fall to the ground.  The white aura around her eyes disappeared as she slowly got up.
“What in my mother’s name just happened?”  Celestia said as she looked upwards.  The white magic aura was gone as snow fell from the sky.  Celestia looked puzzled as small snowflakes landed on her muzzle, melting into droplets of water.
“Your majesty.  This is no time to rest.” Princess Celestia turned her head to see Chancellor Cinch run up to her.  The middle-aged unicorn looked distressed as she came to a stop.
“Chancellor,” Princess Celestia said.  “What happened to Princess Luna?”
Chancellor Cinch lowered her head down and said “I’m afraid she decided to hold the line while we made our escape.  I’m sorry.”
Celestia turned her head away in agony.  A tear fell from her eye, freezing into pure ice and shattering completely on the ground.
“This is my fault,” Princess Celestia cried.  “If I wasn’t careless, I would have gotten you and Luna away..  Now she’s dead.”
“Don’t let this go to vain, Princess,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Don’t let Luna’s sacrifice become pointless.  We still have to find the other children and get them out safely.”
Princess Celestia got up and said.  “But she saved me long ago from being Daybreaker.  What am I to do?”
Chancellor Cinch replied by saying “Honor her memory.  Find the children and get them to safety.  Princess Luna would have wanted it that way as well.”
Princess Celestia’s depressed tone changed into a more serious stance.  She stood firm and said “You’re right.  Come on, Chancellor.  Let’s find those kids.”
With a kick of dust into the air, Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch took off, with the former’s eyes glowing bright again and her sharp teeth shined in the cold atmosphere.


	To be continued in….


	Double Trouble for everyone.

> Arc 10-2: Double Trouble for Everyone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Double Trouble for Everyone





It was a cold afternoon at the Ponville fair.  Mr Bovine crashed through a nearby booth as pillars of ice surrounded it.  Atop his back was Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, Moondancer, Pinkie Pie, Trixie, Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer.  Starlight was covering her face on Mr Bovine’s back while Sunburst held onto her.  Twilgiht Sparkle held onto Spike, who showed no sign of any danger.   Right behind them was Granny Smith, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell, running as fast as they could.  Danged Spell’s eyes were already glowing and his sharp teeth were visible.
“Is she going to be alright?” Trixie yelled.
“She’s been scared half-to-death many times,” Sunburst yelled.  “We’re always here to help out a friend.”
“I know Fluttershy happens to be afraid of the outside world every once in a while,” Rarity said.  “But it seems your close friend happens to be even more afraid.”
“It’s a long story,” Sunburst said.  “And I’d like to wait till we get to safety.”
“No argument there,” Rarity replied.
Granny Smith looked at Mr Bovine and noticed that he was starting to slow down a bit.
“Bovine,” Granny Smith said as she ran up to the side of the big bull.  “Are you sure you can handle yourself?
“Right now,” Mr Bovine replied.  “The pain means nothing compared to the peril we’re all in.”
Filthy Rich ran up to the right side of Mr Bovine and said “The one thing I’m worried about is my daughter Diamond Tiara.”
“We’ll find your child, Mr Rich,” Mr Bovine said as he began to pant.  “I swear to you by my own horns.”
But as Bovine ran as fast as possible with the children atop of him, a blast of cold ice hit him on the lower right arm.  The bull yelled out in pain as he went flying, causing the fillies and colt to hold on tight, with Twilight holding down Spike with her magic.
“BOVINE!” Fluttershy yelled as she flew towards the big bull.
Mr Bovine flew right into a nearby tent and crash landed right in the middle of some pillows.  The impact caused Pinkie Pie and Moondancer to lose their grip on Bovine’s back as they went flying out of the tent and crashed into a nearby bush.  Fluttershy flew into the tent as her jaw dropped at Bovine’s pain.
“Mr Bovine,” Fluttershy said in despair as Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Rarity, Sunburst and Trixie got off his back.  “Are you alright?”
“No,” Mr Bovine yelled as he pulled up his right arm, now covered in ice.  “Something froze my arm, and it hurts badly.”
“Oh no,” Twilight Sparkle said as she held onto Spike. “Just when we were about to exit the fair.”
Outside, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich stared in horror as they saw Mr Bovine wincing in agony.  
“We’ve pushed him too far,” Granny Smith said.  “Poor bull.”
“That wasn’t just that,” Filthy Rich said.  “Someone knew we were coming this way and laid out a trap for us.”
“And we’re not out of the woods just yet,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Who knows what those cultists are up to?”
“And I still worry for my own daughter,” Spoiled Rich said.  “I just hope those cretins haven’t gotten their hooves on her.”
“Oh you’ll get to reunite with your daughter, once we froze all of Equestria.”  Spoiled Rich, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell turned around and saw a group of Windigo’s Guild Cultist surround them.  Danged Spell growled at the cult group as he stood by Granny Smith.
“You have a lot of nerve to wreck our beloved Ponyville Fair,” Granny Smith yelled.
One of the cultists took a step forward and said. “You have no idea.”
The lone cultist charged up his magic and pointed it directly at Granny Smith, who watched in horror before covering her face as the cultist fired off a blast of ice, covering the environment in a blanket of pure white.  
When the white cloud disappeared, Granny Smith opened her eyes and looked downwards.  Nothing appeared to have affected her.
“I’m….alright?” Granny Smith said as she saw nothing wrong with her body.
“SWEET MILK!” Granny Smith turned to her right and saw Filthy Rich shreking in complete horror.  Right next to her was Spoiled Rich, completely frozen in ice.  It was enough to cause Danged Spell to snap out of his Wolf’s Breath Curse and stare down in complete fear.  
Granny Smith turned to the cultists and said “What in Celestia’s name did you do?”
The cultist just smiled and said “The same thing we did to her sister Princess Luna.  A taste of what you will become, you old hag.”
Without a second thought, the cultist fired off another beam of pure ice at Granny Smith.  The senior pony could do nothing, but cover her face as the beam came close and enveloped her in a bright light.
When the light cleared, Granny Smith had been knocked inside the tent near Mr Bovine and the younglings  But like with the last blast, nothing had affected her.  She looked up and saw Filthy Rich, now frozen completely like Spoiled Rich.  The pose he made indicated that he pushed Granny Smith aside before taking the blow from the blast.
“Oh dear,” Granny Smith said.  “What would Diamond Tiara say if she saw her parents like that?”
Twilight Sparkle placed Spike to her side as she jumped down from Mr Bovine and walked up to Granny Smith.  She approached her and said “I think we’re all in for a world of hurt.”
Fluttershy flew up to Spike and picked him up before placing him next to Mr Bovine.
“Don’t you worry little Spike.” Fluttershy said.  “You’ll be okay.”
Rarity walked up to Spike and said “Awww.  Did you miss me?” Spike reached out to Rarity with a soothing coo.
“You seem to have a thing with Baby Dragons, Rarity,” Fluttershy said.
“Not really,” Rarity said.  “This one seems to have a crush on me.”

Outside, Danged Spell’s eyes had returned to his yellow-white glow as he madly barked at the cultists, who only laughed at him.
“Look here,” Another cultist laughed.  “It’s that colt who thinks he’s a dog.”
“What do you say we fix him up?” A third cultist said.
As Danged Spell barked at the cultists, one of them pointed his horn at the young colt and fired off a blast of pure ice at him.  Before the ice collided with Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash swooped out from the sky and grabbed the wolfish unicorn colt out.  The ice collided with the ground and formed a set of frozen spikes in his place.
“Well nuts,” the cultist said as he kicked up dirt.
In the air, Danged Spell barked downwards at the cult as Rainbow Dash held onto him tightly.
“Hold still, fido,” Rainbow Dash said as she held Danged Spell tightly.  “We need to think of a plan to get the others out.
Rainbow Dash looked around the tent.  But all she could see were Windigo’s Guild cultists surrounding it, with all the exits blocked off. 
“This ain’t good,” Rainbow Dash said as Danged Spell continued to bark.  “The moment they try to escape, they’ll become a pony popsicle.”

Inside, Granny Smith stood her ground alongside Twilight Sparkle as the cult members inched closer to them.  Nearby on the pile of pillows, Mr Bovine laid there, tending to his arm with Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Fluttershy, and Trixie  looking after him, all while Rarity was occupied with Spike.  
“You mongrels have a lot of nerve to invade our fair and put our friends in the deep freeze,” Granny Smith yelled.  “You wanna freeze me?  Do your worst.”
“Gladly,” one of the cultists said.
Without a second thought, Granny Smith picked up Twilight by the scruff of her neck and threw her towards a set of pillows as she was hit by a blast of pure ice.  When the white cloud cleared, Twilight Sparkle moved her head, and saw that Granny Smith was frozen in place.  The unicorn filly’s face turned to complete fear.
“NO!” Twilight yelled.
“MY GOODNESS!” Rarity yelled as she covered Spike’s face.
“Granny Smith,” Mr Bovine said as he began to tear up.  “She was always there for us since becoming the matriarch of the Apple family.  She will not be forgotten.”
“If we can get through all this,” Sunburst said.
Suddenly, ice began to form at the doorway of the tent, forming as fast as possible until the entire entrance was blocked off by the frozen sheet.  
“What happened?” Rarity yelled as she kept Spike’s eyes covered.  “Are we trapped?”
Trixie walked up to one of the tent’s sides and lifted the tarp.  Outside, the entire tent was completely covered in a dome of pure ice.  Trixie looked outwards and saw what looked like the cultists walked away from the dome of ice.
“I’m afraid so,” Trixie said.  “They froze us all inside a prison.”
“WHAT?” Twilight yelled.  “First our adult supervisors get frozen in ice and now this?”
Starlight looked like she was about to cry as she let out a few sniffles.  She tried desperately to hold it in.
“I can’t believe this,” Starlight said.  “We’re all going to die.”
And with that, Starlight Glimmer cried her eyes out, pouring mountains of tears from her eyes.  
“WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ALL OF US?” Starlight cried. “IT’S NOT FAIR!”
Fluttershy looked at Starlight Glimmer, and a few tears began to fall from the pegasus filly.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said.  “Seeing you cry makes me wanna...wanna…”
Fluttershy gave Starlight a big hug as she began to cry as well.  The two held onto each other as tears flowed from her eyes.
“I’m afraid we’ve all reached a low point,” Rarity said as she gently rubbed Spike on the forehead.  “If only there was some way to get help.”
Suddenly, they all heard a sound of what appears to be some light taps.  Twilight Sparkle got up and ran to Trixie as the stage performer lifted up the tarp to see Rainbow Dash tapping on the ice with Danged Spell next to her.  The colt’s eyes were back to normal as his face of anger is now of despair.
“You guys alright?”  Rainbow Dash said as she saw Twilight and Trixie’s faces.
“We’re fine,” Twilight said.  “But Granny Smith’s been frozen in ice.”
“I can’t believe those cultists pulled that stunt,” Danged Spell said.  “It’s like they planned for this ambush.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Twilight said.  “And on a side note, Pinkie Pie and Moondancer are missing.”
“No.  We’re not.”  Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell turned towards the bushes to see Pinkie Pie and Moondancer emerge.
“You could say we went for the ride of our lives,” Pinkie Pie said as Danged Spell  smiled and gave Moondancer a big hug.
“Wow,” Moondancer said in an awkward tone.  “You really missed me.”
“Now’s not the time for reunions,” Twilight said as she and Trixie remained inside the ice dome.  “Find Princess Celestia.  She’s our only hope.”
“Will do,” Rainbow Dash said as she gave a salute.  She turned to Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie and Moondancer and said “As for you three, find Wanda and the others.  Make sure they’re out safe.”
Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Danged Spell saluted Rainbow Dash as the rainbow-maned pegasus flew up into the air and took off.
“At times,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I wish I was truly the reincarnation of Discord.”
“Discord?” Danged Spell said.
“It’s a long story,” Pinkie Pie replied before she, Moondancer and Danged Spell turned tail and ran off, leaving Twilight and Trixie to watch as their friends went off in the distance.
“I can only hope that it’s not too late for them,” Twilight said.
“That I can agree on,” Trixie replied as she gave Twilight a hug.

Meanwhile, at another part of the fair, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor wandered around a now empty exposition, with Cadance carrying her hippogriff plushie.  Not a single soul was anywhere near them.  They were all alone.
“What do you suppose happened?” Princess Cadance asked.
“I have no idea,” Shining Armor said as he looked at the empty booths.  “One moment it was busy.  The next moment, there’s nothing left.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Princess Cadance said.  “I hope nothing bad happened to Wanda, Sunset and the others.”
As Shining Armor stood by Princess Cadance, he noticed two figures running towards them in the distance.
“Hey Cadance,” Shining Armor said as he poked at Princess Cadance’s shoulder.  “What’s that in front of us?”
Princess Cadance took a closer look at the two figures coming towards them.  One looked taller than the other, and it looked like it had some kind of ice on its horn.  Cadence raised her head as her eyes opened wide.
“It’s mother and Chancellor Cinch,”  Princess Cadance said.  “And they’re in distress.  Something terrible has happened.”
Princess Cadance and Shining Armor watched as Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch ran up.  The former still had a white and yellow glow in her eyes and her horn covered in ice.  Celestia and Cinch continued to run towards Cadance and Shining Armor before they slowed down and came to a stop, with Celestia’s eyes returning to normal.
“Mother,” Princess Cadance said.  “Is it true?  Did the Windigo’s Guild follow us here?”
“They have,” Princess Celestia replied, pointing her hoof to her frozen horn.  “While we were all enjoying our time at the fair, the Windigo’s Guild decided to crash the party and sent everyone running for their lives.”
“That’s despicable,” Shining Armor said.  “We all earned this time off from Canterlot, and this is what they chose to pull?”
“Wait a minute,” Princess Cadance said.  “Where’s Aunt Luna?”  Those words caused Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch to turn their heads in shame.
“Princess Cadance,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “Princess Luna didn’t make it.  She stayed behind and held off Coldnelius Snap while we went to look for you and the others.”
“Oh no,” Princess Cadance said as she held her hoof to her mouth.  “Not Princess Luna.”
“Well we shouldn’t let her fall go to waste,” Shining Armor said as he slammed his hoof down.
“Shining,” Princess Cadance said as her attention shifted from Celestia and Cinch towards Shining Armor.
“Whoever these Windigo’s Cultists are, they have a lot of nerve to attack us while we’re just enjoying our time here.” Shining Armor said.   “We’re not going to let them get away with it.  Not after what they did to Princess Luna.”
“I know you want to avenge Princess Luna for what they did to her,” Chancellor Cinch said. “But that’s not really a good idea, considering how powerful they are and how they crippled Princess Celestia.”
“I am aware of that,” Shining Armor replied.  “But my main concern is making sure the kids are alright.  Now the first thing…”
But before Shining Armor could speak, his ears began to twitch.  He looked to his side and saw a few Windigo’s Guild cultists aiming their horn at Princess Cadance.  
“CADANCE!” Shining Armor yelled as he charged up his horn.  “DUCK!”
Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch and Princess Celestia turned towards the cultist as Shining Armor fired a blast of magic at him.  But as the spell approached the lone attacker, the ice cold magic of the cult member nullified Shining Armor’s magic.  The stallion shrieked in fear.
“A grave mistake,” The cultist said as he fired off a blast of ice cold magic, leaving Princess Cadance paralyzed in fear.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Shining Armor said as he jumped in front of Princess Cadance and unleashed a torrent of magic from his horn, right at the ice blast.
“SHINING, NOOOO!”  Princess Cadance yelled.
The blast of ice collided with Shining Armor’s magic, creating a powerful explosion that knocked Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch and Princess Celestia into a nearby booth.  All three mares screamed before hitting the inside of the booth.
“What...just...happened?” Princess Celestia said, lying there in confusion.
As Princess Cadance got up, a wall of ice built up around the booth they were trapped in, moving faster and faster until it covered the entire booth.
“We’re trapped,” Princess Cadance said as she pounded on the ice, trying to look outside. “SHINING!” She yelled.  “SHINING, CAN YOU HEAR ME?”
Outside, the white fog cleared up to show Shining Armor, frozen completely in ice, as if he was trying to hold the line.  Princess Cadance’s heart sank completely.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Princess Cadance yelled as she pounded the ice wall frantically to no avail.  She fired off blasts of magic at the ice, only for her spells to disappear upon contact.  Tears flowed from Cadance’s eyes as she stood there helpless alongside Celestia and Cinch.
“Cadance,” Cinch said as she slowly got up and held out the hippogriff plushie.  “I’m sorry.”
Princess Cadance turned her attention towards the plushie before grabbing and crying right into the soft doll.  Princess Celestia looked at her adopted daughter, feeling helpless with her horn still frozen.
“First we lose Princess Luna,” Princess Celestia said.  “Then Shining Armor is lost, and now we’re trapped like rats.”
Chancellor Cinch looked outside from within the frozen booth.  Other than a frozen Shining Armor, a few cultists were walking off in the distance, appearing to be laughing in joy.
“If only someone would find out where we are.” Chancellor Cinch said as she looked down and pounded the ground with her hoof.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a tap on the ice.  Chancellor Cinch looked up and saw Rainbow Dash hovering outside.
“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Are you alright in there?”
Celestia slowly got up and walked towards the ice wall.  She reached up and said “We got ambushed by the Windigo’s guild in more ways than one.  I can’t use my magic, and it’s worthless to take out this ice.  Is there anyone else out there?”
“Negative,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Granny Smith, Filthy and Spoiled Rich were frozen solid, and most of our friends were trapped under a tent with Mr Bovine.  Pinkie Pie, Moondancer, Danged Spell and I were the only ones that escaped.”
“Where’s the man’s cub?” Chancellor Cinch replied.
“Man’s cub?” Rainbow Dash asked in confusion.
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia replied.
“We haven’t been with her since entering the fair,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I assume Princess Luna is with her, Sunset and Applejack.”
“No,” Princess Celestia said.  “She was frozen as well.”
“DARNIT!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she pounded the ice in frustration.  “Now how am I to get any form of help?”
“Young lady, listen,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “I don’t think they have gotten to Bright Mac and Buttercup: Applejack’s parents.  That’s where the Man’s Cub and her sister are.  Find them and make sure they’re safe.  You’re our last hope.”
“You got it,” Rainbow Dash said as she flew off.
Princess Celestia looked up as Rainbow Dash disappeared into the atmosphere and towards the frozen Shining Armor.  She turned to Princess Cadance, still crying into her plushie, and Chancellor Cinch, who had her hoof around Cadance’s shoulder.
“I always believed we would be in a heap of trouble one day,” Chancellor Cinch said as she comforted the teen alicorn.
“All I’m thinking of right now is if Wanda will be able to escape,” Princess Celestia said.  “I wanted her to be happy here.  But I never realized how much of a price she’ll pay when this is over.”
“I’m not so sure if the Man’s Cub will be able to escape,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Not after what those monsters did to us.”
“She has to,” Princess Celestia replied.  “Otherwise, mother help us all.”



	To Be Continued in….


	The Cold Mist of Despair

> Arc 10-3: The Cold Mist of Despair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	The Cold Mist of Despair




A cold fog surrounds the atmosphere of the Ponyville Fair.  What was once a thriving event has become a barren ghost town.  Shining Armor stood frozen in place in the middle of the street.  Inside a frozen booth nearby, Princess Cadance cried in her hippogriff plush as Chancellor Cinch comforted her.  Princess Celestia looked outside, anxious and worried about the rest of her children.
“You’re still worried about them?” Chancellor Cinch said.
“I don’t think I can get my focus off.” Princess Celestia replied.  “I’ve been through tons of dark moments in my lifetime.  Being Daybreaker was the one that stung for me.”
“What matters is that the youngling who found us is racing to find them,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “Their safety is more important.”
“I know,” Princess Celestia said.  “But now I wonder if La Maresa will be a safe place for Wanda.  If the guild can chase her down here, then...I don’t know what to think.”
“Don’t you dare let that negative thought into your mind,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Hope that they escape before we reconsider the Man’s Cub living in La Maresa.
“Ohh, I beg to differ, governor.” Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch turned towards the ice wall, where they saw Coldnelius Snap staring down at the trapped trio.  Snap grinned at the two older ponies, all while Celestia growled at the cult leader.  “My loyalists report that we managed to give your second banana-of-a-sister the deep freeze, along with the adults guarding those little tykes.”
“You monster,” Princess Celestia snapped.  “First you froze my sister, then my adopted daughter’s boyfriend, and now good friends of ours?”
“Oh, I’m glad you share some concern for your sister,” Coldnelis Snap said in a sarcastic tone.  “Because it must be ice to see her.”
Coldnelius Snap stepped aside as three cult members levitated Princess Luna, now trapped inside a mound of ice, right in front of her.  Princess Celestia shreked in horror.
“SISTER!” Princess Celestia yelled.
“Ya kow what’s funny?” Coldnelius Snap said.  “One of my loyal cult members told me that they caught you and the governor.  I was rather skeptical.  So I had to come by, and low and behold.  You three are trapped in the cooler.”
“You will never get your hooves on my darling Wanda,” Princess Celestia said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh I beg to differ,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “We know where the Man’s Cub is heading for, and we’re going to catch her, and her guardians by surprise. Once we have her in our grasps, it won’t be long before Equestria is blessed with its eternal winter. In the meantime, you all can chill in here.
Coldnelius Snap let out a cackle as he and his cult members walked off from the frozen booth.  Celestia just stood there, helpless while Cinch kept her arm around Princess Cadance.
“Wanda my darling,” Princess Celestia said to herself.  “You’re our only hope.”

Deeper into the fair, cult members surrounded a nearby entrance.  A few individuals are frozen in place, showing complete horror in their cold prisons.  Nearby, Bright Mac looked out the bottom window from inside a building.  His face was of despair.
“There’s no way we can escape through that route,” Bright Mac said as he ducked his head back down the window.
Inside the building, Bright Mac jumped down from a step stool and landed on the ground, deep within a basement.  Nearby, Buttercup rocked Apple Bloom to sleep as Sunset Shimmer and Applejack snuggled up to the motherly mare.  Wanda stood there nearby, holding Diamond Tiara while Abigail rested right next to her.
“What’s the situation, hon?” Buttercup asked.
“It’s worse than I thought,” Bright Mac said.  “Every exit has been blocked off.  Those cultists were planning this all along.  We were all caught unprepared.”
“I sure hope mother’s alright,” Sunset Shimmer said as she lay there on her belly.  “Her and all our friends.  I’ve never felt this hopeless in my life.”
“I’ve never seen varmints like those hooligans,” Applejack said.  “What the hay do they want?”
“It’s me,” Wanda said as she rocked Diamond Tiara in her arms.  “I first ran into those bad, scary ponies back in Canterlot with Chancellor Cinch.  I recall them saying that they want to use my magic to bring the windigos back to Equestria.”
“For a group that calls itself the Windigo’s Guild,” Applejack said.  “That sure is saying a lot.  But what the hay is a Windigo?”
“Spirits of pure cold,” Bright Mac said. 
“It is said that the Windigos are fueled by pure hate and evil that flows within every pony in Equestria,” Buttercup said as she slowly rocked Apple Bloom to sleep.  “When they arrive, these spirits of pure cold will bring about an eternal winter that will freeze all of Equestria.”
“Mother told us about these stories many times,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “A reminder on why we have to be friendly, and not to sink to the levels of hate.”
“But what would the Windigo’s guild want with Wanda’s magic to bring back the actual Windigos?”  Applejack asked.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” Wanda said as Abigail rubbed her head against the human child’s leg.  “Not even mommy figured out why they want me.  She was only fortunate enough to drive them off from Canterlot.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have the answers, either,” Bright Mac said. “All this talk about magic, and Windigos.  All we know a lot of are apples.”
Suddenly, Diamond Tiara woke up and started to cry.  Wanda looked down and began to freak out.
“It’s okay,”  Wnada said as she tried to gently rock Diamond Tiara.  “We’ll get you back to your mommy.”
“She’s been separated from Spoiled Rich for a long time,” Buttercup said as held Apple Bloom.  “And I already have my hooves full with Apple Bloom.”
“I’ll pitch in, mom,” Applejack said as she got up.  “I’ll look after Apple Bloom while you ease Diamond Tiara.”
Buttercup nodded to her daughter Applejack, and held Apple BLoom out.  Applejack walked up to her mother, got on her hind legs and gently accepted Apple Bloom into her arms.  The little foal looked at Applejack, not minding the crying that Diamond Tiara was making.
Buttercup walked over to Wanda Young and held her arms out.  Wanda gently placed Diamond Tiara on her hooves as the older mare picked up the pale magenta foal and slowly rocked her.  The little bambino continued to cry as Buttercup sang a lullaby to her.
“Has she done this before to Diamond Tiara?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she got up.
“One time Filthy and Spoiled Rich had to go to Manehattan to sell some of our apples,” Bright Mac said.  “So Buttercup was more than happy to look after Diamond Tiara.  My darling’s like a second mother to that angel.”
Wanda looked down at the floor and said with a sigh “I wish I saw mommy again.”
Bright Mac walked up to the child and said “Wanda, there is something I wanted to tell you when the day was over.  But I think it’s time I told you right now.”
Wanda looked up to Bright Mac and asked “What do you mean, uncle Bright Mac?”
Bright Mac let out a sigh and said “Your mother, Princess Celestia, wanted you and your sister to come down here not just to visit La Maresa, but she was also thinking about moving you down here.”
Wanda’s eyes lit up as she said “Really?”
“She realized that life in Canterlot is too much for you,” Bright Mac said.  “Especially after what the Banks put you through.  So she wanted you and Sunset Shimmer to move down to La Maresa.”
“To move down here and to live among the country folk,” Sunset Shimmer said. 
“Not just the country folk,” Bright Mac said.  “But also with others various ponies here in the Ponyville Providence.  And best of all, Princess Celestia was going to move the School for Gifted Unicorns down here so your friends could join in as well.”
Wanda turned to Sunset Shimmer as her face beamed with excitement.  “Did you hear?  We may live down here in La Maresa.”
“But why tell us now?” Sunset Shimmer said.
“Because I fear that we may not make it out of here,” Bright Mac said.  “But if we do escape, I promise to take you away from La Maresa and hide you three in a safe place.  You have my word.”
Wanda smiled as she jumped at Bright Mac and gave him a big hug.  Sunset followed suit, making sure to cuddle both Wanda and Bright Mac.
“I’m glad to have known you, Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda said as she held onto the big stallion.
“You and I both, Wanda,” Sunset said.
As Wanda and Sunset embraced Bright Mac, Buttercup observed her husband and the two kids while gently rocking Diamond Tiara.  Right next to her, Applejack held onto Apple Bloom while the baby pony reached out to her.  Abigail walked up to Applejack and curled up right next to the filly.
“Do you suppose we’ll get out of this mess, ma?” Applejack said as Apple Bloom played with the back of her older sister’s ponytail.
“We will, my sweetie,” Buttercup said as she stroked the forehead of Diamond Tiara.  “We will.”
Everyone in the room, despite the danger presented outside, looked well relaxed and calm as the cold air filled the outside.  But slowly, bits of that air began to drift into the room.  Wanda let go of Bright Mac and began to walk around, before she began to shiver.
“Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda said as her teeth began to chatter.  “I don’t feel so good.”
Sunset Shimmer released her grip on Bright Mac as the older stallion got up.
“This is rather unusual for cold air to get into this building,” Bright Mac said. “Just last week, we insulated the whole building in preparation of the fair to keep the guests cool.”
Bright Mac looked up at the ceiling and his eyes got a glimpse of the ventilation system.  Cold air was pouring in from the fans.
“Everyone,” Bright Mac said.  “They’re trying to flush us out with a cold breeze.  We might be able to hold out with our fur coats.”
“Not all of us,” Sunset said as she pointed her hoof at her sister, who continued to quiver.  “Wanda doesn’t have any fur.”
Suddenly, Buttercup began to shiver along with Diamond Tiara, who woke up crying again.  Abigail got up and ran towards Wanda.
“I don’t think any of us can stay here,” Buttercup said.  “Trap or not, we have to get out of here.”
“Right,” Bright Mac said.  “Hand Diamond Tiara over to Wanda.  Applejack, give Apple Bloom to Sunset Shimmer.”
Buttercup got up on her four hooves all while holding Diamond Tiara in her right arm.  She walked over to Wanda and said “Here.  She’ll keep you warm.”
Even in spite of shaking, Wanda slowly reached her arms out and grabbed Diamond Tiara, pulling the crying baby close to her.
“It’s...okay….Diamond,” Wanda said as she shook in the cold air, holding Diamond Tiara close to her.  “I’ve….got ya.”
Sunset Shimmer walked up to Applejack as the earth pony filly held out Apple Bloom.  Sunset used her magic to levitate Apple Bloom away from Applejack and close to her.  The little foal reached out to Applejack, frustrated.
“It’s okay little one,” Sunset said as she held Apple Bloom close to her.  “We’ll get  you out.”
“Everyone ready?” Bright Mac said as Buttercup, Applejack, Wanda, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail lined up, with Wanda holding onto Diamond Tiara and Sunset keeping Apple Bloom close to her.
“We’re ready, hon,” Buttercup said.
“We’re most likely to run into a trap,” Bright Mac said.  “So we need to find an alternative path out of here before the cold freezes us all.
With that, Wanda held onto Diamond Tiara and Sunset held onto Apple Bloom as both sisters, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Applejack and Abigail ran towards the staircase and up the stairs, darting outside the doorway.

Meanwhile, inside one of the frozen tents, Granny Smith still stood there frozen solid, while Mr Bovine glanced at his frozen arm.  Fluttershy wrapped one of the pillows around Bovine’s arm, only for the pillow to freeze.
“It’s no use,” Fluttershy said as a few tears fell from her eyes.  “We can’t seem to melt this ice.”
“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Mr Bovine said.  “Don’t worry about me.  Worry about yourself and your friends.”
Rarity walked up to Fluttershy, all while she held Spike in her right arm.  She said “He’s right, my dear.  You don’t want to push yourself into helping out Bovine.  You need to save your strength.”
“No way,” Fluttershy cried.  “I don’t care if that advice came from you or Mr Bovine.  I’m not going to step away from him, no matter what.”
Fluttershy buried her head on Mr Bovine’s back and cried right into it.  The only thing Mr Bovine could do is watch as Fluttershy bawled into his coarse fur.  
Rarity let out a sigh and said “I’ve become worried about her well-being.  Especially Spikey-Wikey here.  Dragons do not like cold places.”  She gave a small hug to Spike, who only laughed in excitement.
“No argument on that,” Mr Bovine said.  “If only there was a way to melt this ice.  The air in here is too cold to start a fire, and I do worry about the little drake.”
“Not to mention morale here is low,” Rarity said as she pointed to Trixie comforting a crying Starlight. “If only Princess Celestia was here, she would bail us out of this mess.”
“Speaking of which,” Sunburst said.  “We haven’t heard from Rainbow Dash.  I wonder if she’s okay.”
“We’ll find out soon,” Rarity said as she gently rubbed Spike on the forehead. “If I know Rainbow Dash, she’s a fast flyer.”
“No kidding,” Twilight said.  “The way she dashed in Canterlot, that’s saying a lot.”
Suddenly they heard a loud tap coming from outside.  Twilight ran up to the frozen entrance and saw Rainbow Dash tapping on the ice.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.  “Did you find Princess Celestia?”
“I did,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But she’s trapped in an ice prison similar to yours.  And I found out Princess Luna was frozen solid.”
Twilight stood there, shocked from Rainbow Dash’s words.  “I don’t believe it,” she thought to herself.  “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are unable to help us?  Now what?”
“Hey you forgot one thing,” Rainbow Dash said.  “There’s still Bright Mac and Buttercup, Applejack’s parents.”
Twilight snapped out of her trance and reached out from behind the ice wall.  She said to Rainbow Dash “Find them.  Make sure Wanda and Sunset are alright.”
Rainbow Dash gave a salute to Twilight and said “Roger that.  Rainbow Dash, over and out.”  She turned around and took off without a trace.
“Good luck Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.
As Twilight watched Rainbow Dash disappear, Mr Bovine laid there with Fluttershy crying into his coat.  Trixie held Starlight as she cried into the magician’s chest.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie never expected to be in this kind of mess,” Trixie said.  “Not even a disappearing trick can get us out.”
“We’ll think of something,” Mr Bovine said.  “But the only thing keeping Fluttershy motivated is me.  It’s like I’m the only thing she cares about.”
“I’ll admit one thing,” Rarity said as she looked at Spike.  “I do miss my own folks.  Them and my baby sister Sweetie Belle.  And Spikey here reminds me of how warm they are to me.  I wonder what they are thinking without me?”
Mr Bovine turned his face towards Fluttershy, who had fallen asleep on his fur.  He said to himself “Poor kid.  If only there was something I could do to help.  But not in this condition.”
Mr Bovine lifted his right arm and noticed something on the ice.  A drop of water formed from below the cold surface and fell right onto the ground.
“What’s this?” Mr Bovine said. “Even in this cold weather, the ice seems to have its limits.”

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the building, Bright Mac took a look outside the window.  A tarp shade was lined up underneath the window, and there was an open exit out of the fair.  Not a single soul was nearby.
“This is our chance to escape,” Bright Mac said.  “We’ll jump out the window, bounce off the tarp, and land on the ground.  Once you’re down there, run as fast as you can to the exit, and don’t look back.”
Abigail jumped onto the sill of the window and took a jump.  She lightly landed on the tarp, bounced off and landed on the ground before running to a nearby corner to hide.
“Okay Wanda,” Bright Mac said.  “You’re up.”
Wanda placed DIamond Tiara on the Window sill and climbed up on it.  She grabbed the baby and held her tight.
“This is going to be a bumpy ride,” Wanda said. 
“Remember,” Buttercup said.  “When you’re on the ground, run for it.  Get to the exit and do not look back.”
Wanda held her breath and slid herself off the sill of the window, falling down and bouncing off the tarp.  As she was airborne, her wings sprouted out.  She used them to descend her fall and land on her two legs before they disappeared.
Wanda signed to Abigail and said.  “Come on.  Let’s go.”  She took off towards the exit, holding onto Diamond Tiara while Abigail ran up to her human companion.
Bright Mac looked inside before turning to Sunset and said “You’re up.”
Sunset took a few steps back, holding Apple Bloom nearby with her magic.  She ran and took a mighty leap, jumping out of the window and landing on the tarp, bouncing off of it while holding Apple Bloom up in the air.  Sunset landed on her four hooves on the ground, all while keeping Apple Bloom held up.
“Come on,” Sunset said to Apple Bloom as she ran after Wanda and Abigail.  “Let’s get you out.”
As Bright Mac turned towards Applejack and Buttercup, the little filly wasted no time running towards the window and jumping out.
“That’s my girl,” Bright Mac said as Applejack bounced off the tarp and landed on the ground.
“Stay safe, pa,” Applejack said as she ran after Sunset.
Back inside, Bright Mac lowered himself down as Buttercup stepped onto his back and onto the window sill.
“Are you going to be alright?” Buttercup said as she was about to leap out of the window.
“Go on ahead,” Bright Mac said.  “I’ll catch up.”
Buttercup leaped out of the window and fell right onto the tarp.  She bounced off and landed on the ground before she began to run off.
Back inside, as Bright Mac looked at the window, he overheard a knock at the door.
“I know you’re in there,” the voice behind the door said.  “Hand over the girl and no one will get hurt.”
“I don’t think so,” Bright Mac said to himself as he leaped into the Window and pulled himself through.
The door busted open as three Windigo’s Guild members walked on it.  They saw Bright Mac struggle to pull himself through the window.
“He’s getting away,” One cultist member yelled.  “Freeze him cold.”
The three cult members charged up their horns and fired off a blast of cold ice.  But before the cold spell connected, Bright Mac pulled himself through and fell downwards towards the tarp, as the ice hit the window and froze it shut.
“Shoot,” the cultist said.  “We got to go after him.”  But before that cult member took off, another one grabbed him by the shoulder.
“Not to worry,” the other cultist said.  “Our lord will catch them in the trap.”

Outside, Bright Mac had landed on the ground as he began to take off towards the exit, with Buttercup right in front of him.  Up ahead, Applejack, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright ran straight for the exit with Sunset levitating Apple Bloom right next to her and Wanda holding right onto Diamond Tiara.
“We’re almost out,” Wanda said. 
“Just keep running and don’t look back,” Applejack said.  “We’ll be out of this mess faster than you can say…”
But before Applejack could finish her speech, a small blast of ice came out of nowhere and hit Wanda square in the chest.  She screamed in pain as she fell onto back.  A small patch of ice formed around her and Diamond Tiara, binding them down.  Diamond Tiara cried as her head and shoulders were sticking out of the ice.
“WANDA!” Sunset yelled before another blast of ice hit her on her hooves.   Ice formed around her legs, binding the unicorn to the ground and forcing her to let go of Apple Bloom.
“Oh no,” Applejack said as she jumped down and grabbed Apple Bloom before the young tike hit the ground.  Another blast of ice came out of nowhere and hit Applejack in the legs, freezing them in place.  The apple filly shreked in pain.
“What’s going on?”  Wanda said as she shivered, all while Abigail ran up to Wanda and placed her paw on her forehead. 
Behind them, Bright Mac and Buttercup’s jaws dropped as they came to a stop, watching horribly as the younglings were helpless.
“NO!” Bright Mac yelled.  “THIS WON’T HAPPEN TO MY DAUGHTERS!”
Bright Mac ran as fast as possible towards Wanda, Sunset, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara and Abigail.  But as he approached the younglings, a blast of ice came right out of nowhere and hit Bright Mac dead on, enveloping the apple stallion in a white cloud.
“PA!” Applejack yelled.  
When the cloud settled, Bright Mac was frozen solid with a shocked look on his face.  Buttercup’s face turned into complete horror.
“HONEY!” Buttercup yelled as she ran up to Bright Back.
“GET BACK!” Sunset yelled.  ‘IT’S A TRAP!”
But before Buttercup could respond, she was hit by another blast of ice, enveloping her in a white cloud.  Once that cloud settled, Buttercup was frozen completely.  A prison of pure cold.  Applejack could do nothing but watch as her folks were frozen solid.
“Ma….pa….” Applejack cried as tears fell from her eyes.
“'Hehehehehe.  Seems this task was easier done than said. Now all the adults are like ice cubes in the freezer.”  Wanda, Sunset and Applejack turned towards the side to see Coldnelius Snap walk up to them.  He had a smug grin on a face, and frost in his eyes.
“COLDNELIUS SNAP!” Sunset yelled.  “HOW DARE YOU RUIN OUR TIME AT THE FAIR!”
“Oh but I didn’t just do that to make the ponies of La Maresa fear us,” Coldnelius Snap laugh.  “I did that because I was after your human sister.  But you will serve as a nice….bonus.”
“You won’t get away with this you big meanie,” Wanda cried.  “When mommy finds out…”
“Oh not this time,” Coldnelius Snap interrupted.  “We placed your mother, your older sister and the Governor into an ice cold prison, we froze the big alicorn’s horn so she can’t use magic, and we even froze her second banana of a sister for good measure.  Face it, kids.  No one is here to save you”
Wanda’s face turned to shock as tears fell from her eyes, and Diamond Tiara bawled out in pain.  Sunset watched as her sister cried before turning her attention to the frozen Bright Mac and Buttercup.  As she turned her head, she noticed a wagon pulling up from the exit.
“You won’t get away with this, you monster,” Sunset Shimmer said as she was held there by the ice, struggling to hold back her tears. “I swear someone will come to save us.”
“Like I said.  Nobody will, my dear,” Coldnelius Snap said as he turned his head towards the wagon approaching him.  “We’re going to take you away to a place of pure despair.  And when this is all over, Equestria will sleep forevermore in eternal winter. Isn’t that so delightful, you precious child?”
The wagon came to a complete stop as the back opened up.  Two cultists got out and grabbed Wanda, Abigail and Diamond Tiara before throwing them into the wagon.
“Careful now,” Coldnelius Snap said with a grin.  “We don’t want to harm those kids, nor the babies they were stuck with.”
“Yes my lord,” the cultist said as he turned towards Sunset Shimmer.
“Do your worse,” Sunset said in defiance.
The cultist just smiled as he pulled Sunset from the ground with the ice still stuck to her hooves before shoving her into the wagon.  Another pulled Applejack up, with her legs still frozen, and placed her into the wagon.
“That should be all of them,” the cultist said.
“Not quite,” Coldnelius said as he used his magic to pick up Apple Bloom, causing the little foal to cry.  “I did say...babies.”
Coldnelius Snap placed Apple Bloom into the wagon with Wanda, Abigail, Diamond Tiara, Sunset Shimmer and Applejack.  The two cultists jumped into the wagon as Coldnelius closed the door.
“What about you, my lord?” one of the cultists said.
“More wagons will come by to pick up the rest of the blokes,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “That includes those other kids, their superiors, and the Alicorn sisters. I will remain behind to make sure they don’t get away.  Now go, deliver them away from this boring town.”
“Yes. my lord,” The cultist said as the wagon took off with the younglings in them.

At a nearby alley in the fair, Pinkie PIe, Danged Spell and Moondancer watched helplessly as the wagon containing Wanda, Sunset, Applejack, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara took off.  They turned to see Bright Mac and Buttercup frozen in place.
“We’re too late,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Those meanies got their hooves on Wanda, Sunset and Applejack, and turned Bright Mac and Buttercup into a pair of popsicles.”
Danged Spell hit his hoof onto the dirt and said “Curse it.  If only I was faster, I would have saved them from that kind of fate.”
Moondancer picked up Danged Spell and said “Right now, our only hope lies with Princess Celestia.  If Rainbow Dash got ahold of her, then there’s a chance we can turn this around and save everyone.”
“Unfortunately, that option’s off the table.”  Pinkie Pie, Danged Spell and Moondancer turned to their backside and saw a distressed Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow,” Pinkie Pie said as she ran up to the rainbow-maned pegasi.  “What do you mean by that?”
“Coldnelius Snap trapped Celestia, Cinch and Cadance into an ice prison,” Rainbow Dash said.  “And he froze Luna in place.  We’re on our own.”
“Oh no,” Moondancer said.  “Does that mean these cutists actually...won?”
“I don’t believe it,” Danged Spell said.  “I’m not one to let those cold freaks get the best of us.”
“Danged Spell,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Is right. We may not have a single adult with us.  But we aren’t going down without a fight.  We’re what’s left of this resistance.  I suggest we do something about that cart and free them from their prison.”
“I’m with you on that,” Danged Spell said.  “After all, if those creeps are going to bully us, then I’d rather go down fighting.”
Moondancer nodded and said “Since we don’t have much of a choice, I’m in.”
Pinkie Pie turned her attention towards the exit, with her eyes fixated on the wagon driving off into the distance.
“Tell us what to do, Rainbow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I’m game.”
Rainbow Dash landed on the ground and scratched her hoof on the dirt.  Danged Spell, Moondancer and Pinkie Pie lined up to the Pegasi, eager to take off.
“Let’s do it to it,” Rainbow Dash said.



	To Be Continued in….


	Part 42: The Warm Flame of Friendship.

> Arc 10-4: The Warm Flame of Friendship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	The Warm Flame of Friendship.




The town of La Maresa, though normally bustling with activity, has become quiet and cold.  Many ponies have locked themselves up in their houses, afraid of the unknown.  Not a single soul was present, except for a familiar cross-eyed pegasus filly who hid in a nearby barrel.  Ditzy Doo stuck her head out to look around.
In an instant, two members of the Windigo’s cult went roaring through the streets of La Maresa, pulling a wagon with them.  The sound the wagon riding down was noisy enough to have Ditzy Doo hide back in.
“One moment I was about to enjoy some pancakes by Rainbow Dash’s parents,” Ditzy said.  “The next moment, these bad guys arrive.”
Suddenly, without warning, a rainbow flash zipped through the street, chasing after the wagon.  Ditzy stuck her head out and saw the figure fly off towards the giant vehicle.  Right behind was Danged Spell, running in pursuit as his eyes glowed with a yellow and white hue and his teeth bare.  Alongside the Wolf’s Breath infused Danged Spell were Pinkie Pie and Moondancer, who were sprinting down the same street.
“That was Rainbow Dash,” Ditzy Doo said.  “And her friends.”
Ditzy Doo jumped out of the barrel and hovered over the ground with her wings.
“I’ve got to catch up to them,” Ditzy said as she flew after Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Danged Spell.

Meanwhile, the wagon was rolling away from La Maresa and towards a spooky forest.  The cultists that were pulling the cart were completely focused on the road, paying no attention to the surroundings.
Inside the wagon, Wanda Young struggled to break free of her ice bindings, all while Diamond Tiara remained stuck to her crying her eyes out.  Sunset and Applejack stood together with Apple Bloom right next to them.  Sunset’s hooves were frozen while Applejack was unable to break her legs free from the ice.  Abigail was right next to Wanda, struggling to bite the ice off. The cultist just sat there, glaring at the younglings with a grin on his face.
“Struggle all you like,” the cultist laughed.  “But you ain’t breaking out of those ice cold cuffs.”
“When my mother breaks out of her prison,” Wanda said as Diamond Tiara continued to cry. “You’re going to wish you never kidnapped all of us.”
The cultist laughed as he said “Keep dreaming, kid.  Your tears, as well as that brat’s tears, are so delicious.”
Sunset Shimmer growled directed at the cultist as she said “Don’t you even think about making my sister cry.”
“Think about it,” The cultist laughed.  “The Windigo’s Guild enjoys the salty tears of traumatized children.  What can you do to stop us?  I’ll tell you what….NOTHING!”
In furious anger, Sunset Shimmer fires off a blast of arcane energy from her horn right at the cultist.  But as the spell hits the cultist, it dissipates completely.  The cultist looked down and simply brushed his coat off.
“Was that supposed to hurt?” The cultist replied as Sunset Shimmer’s jaw dropped.
“I...I don’t believe it,” Sunset Shimmer said in total disbelief.
“Just what kind of flim flam are you pulling on us you big meanie?” Applejack said as she curled her hoof into a fist and shook it at the cultist.
“Think about it,” the cultist replied.  “What we possess is pure windigo magic, channelled completely by hate, malice and fear.  None of your spells can do a thing to harm us, for as long as you hate us.”
The cultist took a glance at baby Apple Bloom, who just stood there reaching out like she wasn’t in any danger, ignoring the constant crying of Diamond Tiara.
“I don’t like the look on your face, kid,” The cultist said as he pointed his horn at the baby.  “I think it’s time you had a lesson in trauma.”
Applejack watched in horror as the cultist charged up its horn as it remained pointed towards Apple Bloom.  The apple filly struggled to drag herself towards her baby sister, with the weight of the ice covering her legs holding her down.  
“Aww,” The cultist said as he kept his horn aimed at Apple Bloom.  “Does the big sister want to protect her little sister?  Well it’s a darn shame.  Your tears will only make me stronger.”
The cultist continued to charge up his cold horn, still pointed at Baby Apple Bloom.  The young foal was unaware of the danger presented as the cultist was about ready to fire off a blast of ice cold magic.
“What’s going on?”  Wanda said as she could barely move her head.
“That cultist is going to freeze Apple Bloom,” Sunset said.  “And we’re helpless to even save her.”
“NOOOOOOOO!” Applejack yelled as she could barely reach out to Apple Bloom.
Suddenly, the wagon rocked violently, causing the cultist to lose his focus and his magic to dissipate.  He fell to the ground as the wagon landed back in its place.
“WHO DID THAT?” The cultist yelled as he got up. “WHO’S THE SPOILED ROTTEN BRAT WHO ROCKED OUR CA….”
But before the cultist could finish his speech, the cart rocked again, causing the cultist to fall and hit his head against the side.  The motion of the cart caused Apple Bloom to slide right up to Applejack, who wasted no time grabbing and hugging the baby pony.
“You’re alright, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as she snuggled her baby sister.  “I won’t let that monster harm you.”
As the cultist got up, he pointed his horn at Applejack and Apple Bloom, now with his teeth shown in complete fury.
“I’LL FREEZE YOU BOTH FOR THIS,” The cultist yelled.
But before the cultist could charge up, the cart rocked in the other direction.  The impact on the cart was so great, it sent the cultist flying through the tarp and out of the wagon.  The weight of the ice holding down Wanda, Diamond Tiara, Applejack and Sunset Shimmer only moved them slightly.  Abigail dug her claws deep into the cart’s wood while Applejack held tight onto Apple Bloom.
“What the hoof’s going on?” Sunset said.
In an instant, Rainbow Dash zipped on from behind the wagon, landing down on the wooden bed.
“Now that was way past cool,” Rainbow Dash said as she struck a pose.
“Rainbow Dash,” Wanda said as Diamond Tiara cheered.  “You made it.”
“And I’m not the only one,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Observe.”
Rainbow Dash ducked down and zoomed up at the top of the tarp, pulling as hard as possible until the tarp came off on the tarp.
“What’s going on?” Applejack said as she looked up while holding Apple Bloom.
In front of them, the two cultists who were trying to pull the cart were being attacked by Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Danged Spell.  Spell was already in his Wolf’s Breath trance, snapping at the legs of the cultists.  Moondancer was firing blasts of magic energy at the branches of the trees, dropping them on the cult members.  All while Pinkie Pie is throwing cakes, cookies and other pastries at the zealots.
“Blasted brats,” one of the cultists said.  “Get out of my face.”
Suddenly, the other cultist screamed loudly and jumped out of his harness.  Danged Spell looked upwards all while carrying a piece of navy blue fabric in his teeth.  He lets loose a sinister laugh while running alongside the other cult member, who was horrified at .
“You vicious animal, The cultist said, shivering while he struggled to pull the cart.  “I still remember the fact that you sent me flying into that window.”
“Well, do you remember me?”  The cult member turned his head to see Pinkie Pie sitting behind him on the cart.  The cult member began to freak out.
“IT’S THE REINCARNATION OF DISCORD!” The zealot yelled.  “I’M GETTING OUT OF HERE!”
The cult member jumped out its own harness and ran off to the side, running as fast as possible, until a falling tree branch knocked him out.  The cart slowed down before coming to a stop.
“I get that every time,” Pinkie Pie giggled.
As the cart came to a complete stop. Rainbow Dash attempted to break the ice that stuck Wanda and Diamond Tiara together.  Abigail also joined in, trying to scratch at the ice with her claws.
“Blasted ice,” Rainbow Dash said as she struck the ice many times.  “How the hay do you break something like this?”
“Careful,” Wanda said.  “You don’t want to hurt Diamond Tiara.”
Those words caused Rainbow Dash to pause as she looked at Baby Diamond Tiara.  The baby looked at Rainbow Dash and was on the verge of crying.
“Oh no,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to…”
But before Rainbow Dash could finish speaking, Diamond Tiara cried her eyes out.
“Oh boy,” Rainbow Dash said.  “What the hay have I done?”
“It’s not your fault, Rainbow,” Danged Spell said as he jumped up onto the wagon.  “We’re all in this situation because of the Windigo’s Guild.  The fact that they put Wanda, Sunset and Applejack in this mess is saying a lot.”
“Danged Spell’s right,” Moondancer said as she jumped up next to the unicorn colt.  “We never saw these monsters coming while we were enjoying ourselves at the fair.  We now stand as the last hope for our family and friends.  And as a family, we are one together.”
“That’s actually a nice battle cry you got there, Moondancer,” Pinkie PIe said as she jumped into the bed of the wagon.  “But if you ask me, the best phrase I can think of is a simple one: Friendship is Magic.”
“For someone who’s got the reputation of being called Discord’s Reincarnation,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “You sure got a way of being the pure opposite of him.”
:”Well it’s not just any ol phrase,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Sunset.  Did you remember reading about the founding of Equestria?  About how the magic of friendship held back the Windigos and kept us all warm?”
“That’s right,” Sunset said.  “And the Windigo’s Guild claimed to use Windigo magic.
“He did mention that hate, anger and fear are what strengthens their cold magic,” Applejack said.  “That explains why the ice could stay frozen and Sunset’s Magic had no effect.”
“Exactly,” Pinkie Pie said as she sat on the edge of the wagon.  “If you want to fight against this kind of dark, cold and cruel magic, all you need is that warm, fuzzy feeling that can melt the ice.”
“But how the hay are we to find that kind of magic?” Danged Spell said.  “We don’t even know where the Elements of Harmony are.”
“We don’t need them for that kind of magic,” Wanda said as Diamond Tiara continued to cry.  “Mommy told me that the hugs we give contribute to this kind of magic.”
“Like a warm, fuzzy feeling,” Sunset said. “I know where you’re going, Wanda.”
Wanda turned her face towards Pinkie Pie and said.  “Pinkie Pie, is it?”  By any chance, can you give me a hug?”
“I thought you would never ask,” Pinkie Pie said with a grin, as she jumped off the front of the wagon and gave Wanda and Diamond Tiara a big hug.  The man’s cub started to giggle when her cheek rubbed up to Pinkie Pie’s cheek.
“Aww Knock it off,” Wanda chuckled.  “That tickles.”
“But you should be giggling, not crying,” Pinkie Pie said.
“Okay,” Wanda said.  “Keep at it.”
As Pinkie Pie gave Wanda a hug, Abigail jumped right next to her human companion and rubbed her head against her frozen upper torso.  Diamond Tiara stopped crying and started to giggle.
“Doesn’t that feel warm?” Pinkie Pie said.
“It does,” Wanda said.  “Reminds me of when Sunset, Cadence, Aunt Luna and mommy gave me hugs.”
Sunset looked closer at the ice surrounding Wanda and Diamond Tiara, and saw droplets of water falling from the pure cold.
“Hey guys,” Sunset said.  “It’s working.  The ice is starting to melt.”
Sunset slowly got up and walked towards Wanda, Abigail, Diamond Tiara and Pinkie Pie.  She reached out and wrapped her arms around the pink party pony, giving her a warm hug as the ice around Wanda and Diamond Tiara, along with Sunset’s hooves, was melting away.
“Wow,” Applejack said.  “So that’s how you beat back those varmit’s magic.”  She looked at Apple Bloom and said “If only I could reach out and hug my sister.”
Suddenly, an aura of magic surrounded Apple Bloom, levitating her towards Applejack, who reached out and gave her a hug.  As the young filly embraced her foal sister, the ice around her legs began to melt.  
“It feels great to be hugging my sister,” Applejack said as a tear fell from her eye.  “Especially after all we’ve gone through.”
As Applejack looked up, Moondancer walked up to the young cowgirl with a warm smile on her face.
“Just wanted to make sure you had family next to you,” Moondancer said.
“Thanks,” Applejack replied. “I owe you one.”
A warm light emitted from everyone as Danged Spell hugged Sunset Shimmer, whie Rainbow Dash gave one to Moondancer.  The ice melted faster and faster, shrinking down in size, until it no longer held down Wanda, Diamond Tiara, Sunset Shimmer and Applejack. 
“Can’t believe something this sappy would be effective,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Maybe I should do this more often.”
As Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell, Moondancer, Pinkie Pie and Abigail stepped back,  Sunset Shimmer got up with her hooves now freed from the ice.  Wanda got up, carrying Diamond Tiara in her arms, while Applejack got up, holding Apple Bloom.  The two young foals giggled as Wanda, Sunset, Pinkie, Applejack, Moondancer and Rainbow Dash cheered, with Abigail letting out an excited meow.
“I can’t believe I’m free,” Wanda giggled along with Diamond Tiara.  “I guess the magic of friendship did come through without the Elements of Harmony.”
Danged Spell walked up to Wanda and said “Well you could say that this moment was….HEART WARMING!  GET IT?”
“DANGED SPELL!” Everyone else yelled as they burst into laughter.
“Well hey,” Danged Spell said.  “Someone’s gonna keep the mood up.”
Rainbow Dash tapped on Danged Spell’s shoulder and said “Well I gotta thank you for helping us out in rescuing your friends.  You were a real help, especially with knocking that cultist off the wagon.”
“No sweat,” Danged Spell replied.  “After all.  Wanda’s a good friend of ours.  But that being said, I didn’t strike the wagon.”
“Wait,”  Rainbow Dash said in confusion.  “You mean to tell me that you didn’t hit the wagon.”
“None of us did,” Moondancer replied.  “We were more focused on the front than the sides.”
“But if you guys didn’t,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Then…..who did?”
Suddenly, the bushes nearby began to rustle.  Applejack, Wanda, Sunset, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Rainbow Dash turned to see Big Macintosh jump out to the right of the wagon.
“Big Mac?” Applejack said.  “You knocked the cultist off the wagon?”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Who knows what other ponies will show up unexpectedly?”
Suddenly, they heard someone yell out “Wait up.”  Rainbow Dash turned her head to see Ditzy Doo fly up to her.
“Ditzy,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Where have you been?”
“Your parents wanted to take me to a nice veggie salad booth at the fair,” Ditzy Doo said.  “But when the Windigo’s Guild showed up, they were able to get me out in the middle of the huge crowd.”
“Wow,” Danged Spell said.  “For a pair of overoptimistic parents, they sure are protective of younglings who need it.”
“But what about the fact that they left Rainbow Dash behind?” Moondancer said as she turned towards the rainbow-maned pegasus.  “Aren’t you worried about that?
“Me?” Rainbow Dash laughed.  “On don’t you worry.  I’m the kind of pony who loves to live on the wild side, and they said they were willing to look after Ditzy.  Besides, they can really be a pain with the constant and unnecessary praising.”
“Tell me about it,” Danged Spell said.  “And they had the nerve to call me your boyfriend, Rainbow.”  
But it didn’t take long for most of the younglings to break out laughing, with Rainbow Dash looking at them a bit stunned.
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash said to Danged Spell.  “Maybe that wasn’t a good subject to bring up.”
Danged Spell thought for a bit before he said “Wait.  What about the others?  I assume they may have figured out how to break their icy prisons.”
“Oh shoot,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Thanks for reminding me about that.”
With a swift thrust of her hoof, Rainbow Dash hit the bed of the wagon, causing everyone to stop laughing, all just to turn their attention towards the athletic filly.
“Okay, listen up,” Rainbow Dash said.  “We still have plenty of friends back at the fair who are trapped under the ice made by those Windigo jerks.  And what we do know is that the magic of friendship will melt the ice and free them from their cold prisons.”
“Does that mean mommy is safe?”  Wanda said as Abigail jumped into the girl’s arms.
“Oh you better believe it, sister,” Rainbow Dash said.  “She wanted to make sure you were safe.  And thanks to all of us, I think we fulfilled that promise.  But now we have to return the favor.”
“Rainbow’s right,” Sunset explained.  “All of our friends are held at the fair thanks to the Windigo’s guild.  But thanks to the discovery of what can counter their magic, we have a fighting chance to save them.  And it’s going to take all of us to do it.”
Sunset got up and walked to Rainbow Dash, who looked eager to jump into action.
“Rainbow Dash,” Sunset said.  “You’re the fastest of all of us.  Head back to the fair and check up on the others.  Let mother know that we’re all safe and accounted for.”
“Roger that, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said with a salute as she turned tail and flew off in the opposite direction.
Sunset turned towards the crew and said “We’re going to need a second crew to back up Rainbow Dash.  Pinkie Pie, Danged Spell, Moondancer, and Applejack, you four will advance to free the others from their prison on my cue.”
“You got it,” Applejack said as Moondancer, Danged Spell and Pinkie Pie saluted Sunset Shimmer.
Sunset turned to Wanda and said “Wanda, you will go with Applejack’s crew to find mother.  Get her out, by any means necessary.  The same thing goes for Uncle Bright Mac and Aunt Buttercup.”
“I’ll do it, sis,” Wanda said as her wings popped out.  “I’ll do it for mommy.”
But as Wanda was about to fly upwards, Moondancer yelled out “WAIT!  What about the babies?”  This caused Wanda to come to a stop as she looked at Diamond Tiara, still in the cradle of her arms.
“Whoops,” Wanda said as Diamond Tiara giggled at her.
“That reminds me,” Applejack said as she looked down at Apple Bloom, still resting in her arms.  “If none of us are capable of watching over the young’uns, then who is?”
But once Applejack finished her sentence, Big Macintosh took one step forward without speaking a single word, catching his younger sister’s attention.
“Big Mac?”  Applejack said with her jaw dropped down.  “You’re willing to take up the task of watching Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara?”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said, standing tall and proud.
“But what about a saddle bag to carry both tykes?” Sunset asked.
It didn’t take long for Pinkie Pie to step forward as she said “Leave that to me.”  She reached her hoof into her mane and pulled out a saddlebag, before leaping into the air and placing the straps of the bag right atop Big Macintosh, before locking it all together.  The young earth stallion stood tall with the saddlebag connected to his waste.
“Are you really sure she’s not the reincarnation of Discord?” Danged Spell whispered to Applejack. “Because she sure acts like it.”
“Reincarnation or not,” Applejack replies.  “She’s pretty handy in these kinds of tough situations.”
Applejack and Wanda approached the side of Big Macintosh, with Applejack holding Apple Bloom and Wanda holding Diamond Tiara.  Sunset used her magic to open the saddlebag before Wanda and Applejack placed the respective foal they were holding inside the bag.  The two foals stuck their heads out before giggling at the earth filly and the man’s cub.
“Now you two be safe out there,” Applejack said as she gave Apple Bloom a head rub while Wanda did the same for Diamond Tiara.  “Big Mac here will watch over ya.”
As Applejack and Wanda stepped away from Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara, they turned towards Sunset Shimmer, who looked like she was ready to take action.
“Now that the foal situation is taken care of,” Sunset said to Wanda and Applejack. “You two know what to do, along with Danged Spell, Moondancer and Pinkie Pie.
“You got it sis,” Wanda said with a salute.
“I’ll do it for the family,” Applejack replied.
Wanda turns towards Moondancer, Danged Spell and Pinkie Pie and waves towards them as Abigail leaped onto the child’s shoulder.  Moondancer and Pinkie Pie signaled back while Danged Spell lowered himself down, ready to get going.
“Come on,” Wanda said.  “We’re going to rescue mommy, Aunt Woona, Big Sis and everyone else.”
“You got it,” Pinkie Pie said as she got on her two hooves and swung her arm around with enthusiasm.  “I’m raring to save the fair with hugs.”
“I’m ready as I’ll ever be,” Moondancer said.  “Just lead the way.”
“Bring it,” Danged Spell said.  “Payback is overdue.”
“Guess it’s time,” Applejack said.  “Ma, pa and Granny Smith.  Hang on.  Help’s a coming.”
Wanda’s wings fluttered about as Abigail held onto her back.  The man’s cub lifted into the air and took off in the opposite direction, with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Danged Spell following in pursuit.  Sunset Shimmer, Ditzy Doo and Big Mac looked onward as her sister and her companions disappeared into the forest as they headed towards the fair.
“What can we do?” DItzy Doo asked.
“We make sure no one is left behind,” Sunset said.  “Remember.  We may not possess the Elements of Harmony.  But as long as we have the Magic of Friendship at our side, we have a way of fighting back against the Guild.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.
With Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom sitting snug in Big Mac’s saddlebag, the big stallion, along with Sunset Shimmer and Ditzy Doo, took off from the abandoned cart, following Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Moondancer and Danged Spell into the forest.

Meanwhile, back at the fair, Coldnelius Snap stood looking down atop a tower of ice.  Though the fair has been covered in a dark and cold winter, his face was that of a scowl..  As the towering, cold stallion loomed over the fair, a cultist member ran up the ice stairs, all the way up to the top.
“My lord,” The cultist said as he reached the top.  “The man’s cub and the fillies have escaped.”
“Escaped?” Coldnelius Snap roared.  “‘How did those kids escape?”
“There were others,” the cultist replied with fear in his voice.  “Four of the younglings we tried to capture.  And then one of them came right out of nowhere and…”
“SILENCE!”  Coldnelius Snap yelled as his voice echoed through the land.  “Find those blasted kids and freeze them in place.  But be careful of the Man’s Cub.  I want her alive.  I want her magic.”
“Y...yes my lord,” The cultist said.”
And do not fail me again,” Coldnelius Snap said. “Unless you wish to be a Windigo’s popsicle.”
“Oh not at all, my lord,” The cultist said as he turned tail and ran down the stairs.
As Coldnelius Snap watched his minion make his exit, the taller cold stallion turned around and looked downwards at the ice-covered fair, his mind still worried, his face telling of anxiety.
“Something ain’t right,” Coldnelius Snap said to himself.  “Even in spite of our success, I feel as if our magic is weakening for some unknown reason, like we forgot something. Perhaps we didn’t freeze the kids, the Governor, and the remaining Princesses in the deep cold.  But regardless.  Once the Man’s Cub is ours again, Equestria will face the deadliest cold of its lifetime.”
As Coldnelius Snap looked downwards at the fair, snow fell downwards towards the tents and the rides, looking as if it were to coat the place in the cold of winter.  But as some of the snowflakes hit the surface, they melted into small droplets of water and slid downwards towards the ground.


	To Be Continued in…


	Breaking the Ice

> Arc 10-5: Breaking the Ice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Breaking the Ice




Princess Celestia laid low, trapped within a lone food booth that is surrounded by a mound of ice, with her horn still frozen.  She stared at Princess Luna, who was outside the ice dome, still frozen in ice.  Celestia let out a deep sigh as she stared helplessly at her chilled sister.
“Luna,” Celestia said as a tear fell down her cheek.  “I’ve relied on you so much since you freed me from being Daybreaker.  And since then, I’ve been wanting to repay what you did for me.  But now, I sit here helplessly, seeing you frozen in form as if you have accepted your fate.  My only wish is to see you free.”
“It will be alright, your majesty,” Chancellor Cinch said as she put her hoof on Celestia’s shoulder.  “We will find a way to break out of this ice prison.  And when we do, we will make Coldnelius Snap and his Windigo’s Guild pay dearly for this. You have my word.”
“I can only hope that Wanda and Sunset are alright,” Princess Cadance said as she clutched her Hippogriff doll.  “I swear I would slug any of those cultists if anything bad happened to my sisters.”
“Have faith, Cadance,” Princess Celestia said.  “If they have escaped, then at least they will have a better life outside what we’re going through.”
But as Celestia lowered her head, she heard a knock on the ice.  The Princess looked up and saw Rainbow Dash outside.
“Hey you guys,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’ve got tons of good news.”
As Celestia got up, Chancellor Cinch and Princess Cadance walked up right next to the great alicorn with their eyes focused on the rainbow-maned filly.
“Did you find Wanda?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Are both my sister’s safe?” Princess Cadance said.
“Are they hurt at all?” Chancellor Cinch said.
“Oh we managed to save them,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But that’s not the only thing we found out.  Turns out their ice is weakened by the one thing they didn’t expect.  And here’s a hint: It’s tied to the Windigos.”
Those words caused Princess Celestia’s face to burst with excitement.  “That’s it,” The Princess of the Sun said.  She turned to Cinch and Cadance and announced “It’s the magic of friendship.”
“The what?” Chancellor Cinch said, confused.
“Long ago,” Princess Celestia said.  “Our ancestors realized that the warm flame of friendship was the one thing that kept the cold magic of the windigos away.  The Windigo’s Guild base their magic off the cold hearts of the winter spirits.  If we can channel the very flame of friendship, we can melt the ice and even save Princess Luna.”
“But how can we do so?” Chancellor Cinch asked. “We don’t have anyone but ourselves to hug.”
“It’s not just that.” Princess Celestia said as she closed her eyes.  “Focus your mind on who your close friend really is.  Be it family, or someone close to your heart.  For me, it’s Princess Luna, and everything she’s done for me.”
As Celestia sat there with her frown turning into a smile, Chancellor Cinch and Princess Cadance watched on with confusion on their faces.  But right next to Celestia, they noticed small droplets of water forming right next to the ice barrier.  Atop Celestia’s horn, the ice surrounding it was starting to shrink.
“It does sound like a silly thing to be doing,” Chancellor Cinch said in a hesitant tone.  “But it appears the ice is beginning to melt, and that filly may be right.  So I guess it’s worth a shot.”
“Actually,” Princess Cadance said as she hugged her plushie tight.  “I still dream of hanging out with my sisters Wanda and Sunset again, maybe to help them feed their cat Abigail, or another date with Shining Armor, and foal sitting Twilight again.  She’s like a third sister to me.”
As Celestia and Cadance were in a warm trance, Cinch just looked at the two before turning her head towards the droplets of water that were forming on the ice at a faster rate.
“I’ve been more harsh since having a rough fillyhood,” Chancellor Cinch said to herself.  “And I’ve buried this in my head since losing her as a youngling.  But I still remember the fun times I’ve had with my sister.  Back when Princess Celestia raised us together.  I still remember the good times I’ve had with the one I truly called friend: Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”
As Chancellor Cinch closed her eyes and her scowl turned into a beam, the ice wall began to melt away as the solid surface shrank, and water poured out from the cold.  Rainbow Dash watched as a hole formed in the ice surrounding the booth, growing bigger and bigger as the ice shrank down.  Furthermore, the ice surrounding Celestia’s horn also shrank further and further till it completely dissipated.  
“It’s working,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Now all we need is to….”
“Get me free?” Rainbow Dash turned around and saw Princess Luna, now only half-frozen by the ice.  Her upper-torso and head, despite being soaked, was freed completely.
“Princess Luna?” Rainbow Dash said, completely surprised.
“I’ll help out my sister,” Princess Luna said as the ice around her lower half was melting away.  “Find the others and give them the news.  And don’t worry.  We’ll be okay.”
Rainbow Dash gave a salute to Princess Luna before turning to her side and taking off into the air. Princess Luna turned towards the ice dome, seeing her older sister’s face as the hole grew bigger.
“Sister,” Princess Luna waved.  “Out here.”
Princess Celestia opened her eyes to see Princess Luna still half-frozen in ice.  The elder sister’s face beamed with excitement as she jumped out of the hole and ran up to the moon pony before giving her a hug.
“Princess Luna,” Celestia cried.  “I thought you were a goner.”
“I said the same thing when you became Daybreaker,” Princess Luna replied.  “But we never lost hope, and now we’re together again.”
“I hope nothing like this ever happens to us again,” Princess Celestia said as she and Luna snuggled together.
“And I’m glad to have you back as well, Aunt Luna,” Princess Cadance said as she and Chancellor Cinch stepped out of the melting ice dome, looking a bit wet, but in good spirits.
“I suggest we find the other younglings for their sake,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Especially the man’s cub and her sister.”
“No problem,” Princess Luna said as she turned her face to Princess Celestia.  “Big sis, you may want to stand back.”
Princess Celestia took a few steps back as Princess Luna bent down a bit.  With a lift of her legs, the ice surrounding her lower half shattered to pieces.  She shook off the excess water and stood tall.
“There,” Princess Luna said.  “That’s much better.”
But as Princess Cadance breathed a sigh of relief, she turned to her side and saw Shining Armor, now with only his legs frozen.  The young alicorn teen bursted out with delight.
“Shining,” Cadance yelled as she leaped onto Shining Armor and gave him a big hug, all while still holding her Hippogriff plushie in her right arm.
“What happened?” Shining Armor said, confused.  “Did we beat 'em?”
“We’re about to,” Princess Cadance said as she faced Shining Armor.  “We know their weakness.  We can turn the tables on those cultists.”
“First things first,” Shining Armor said as he looked down at his frozen arms.
“Whoops,” Princess Cadance said as she stepped back.  “Go right ahead, Romeo.”
Shining Armor pulled back on his arms as hard as possible, breaking them free from the ice that held it down.  He landed his arms on the ground before pulling on his hind legs, freeing them from the ice as well.
“Shining Armor is back and better than ever,” Shining Armor said.
Chancellor Cinch took a few steps forward and said “That is fine and dandy.  But if we don’t find the younglings soon, that delinquent is going to take them all away.”
“Then we better find Wanda, Sunset and the others,” Princess Celestia said.  “Before the Windigo’s Guild recaptures them.”

Meanwhile, inside the frozen tent, Spike, still being held onto by Rarity, looked at the ice surrounding Mr Bovine’s right arm as it began to melt.  Right next to the baby dragon was Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, Starlight and Trixie.  Mr Bovine looked at his arm as more and more water fell from the icy cast.
“This is a rather interesting scenario,” Rarity said as Spike reached out to the ice that was melting from Bovine’s arm.
“If this place is as cold as the winter north,” Twilight said. “Then why is the ice melting this fast?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” Mr Bovine said.  “I have never seen this phenomenon before in my life.  Ice melting in the freezing cold.”
“Once you told me about this,” Fluttershy said.  “I began to worry less about you.  I never thought this was possible.”
“It’s okay to worry about these things, Fluttershy,” Mr Bovine said.  “That’s why you were sad.  
“I think I might be able to explain this,” Sunburst said.  “I did some reading about Equestria’s founding before.”
“It’s about the Windigos and their cold magic, correct?” Twilight asked.
“Exactly,” Sunburst replied.  “And the fact that its weakness is the warm flame of friendship.”
“So if we gave out hugs to each other,” Starlight said.  “Does that mean the bad ice will go away?”
“Worry not for the ice, my friend,” Trixie said as she gave Starlight a big hug.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie will keep you warm with my epic snuggles of great power.”
“Trixie,” Starlight giggled.  “You’re very ticklish.”
As Starlight and Trixie hugged each other, Mr Bovine looked down at his right arm, watching as the ice melted and shrank down until it disappeared completely, leaving his arm drenched, but freed up.
“That’s it,” Mr Bovine said as he turned to Fluttershy.  “This is why the ice was melting.  You cared a lot about my well being that somehow, it helped out more than it hurt.  It’s something that even I can’t explain.”
“I don’t think explaining is needed, Mr Bovine,” Rarity said.  “Perhaps if we all gathered around and embraced each other like we’re the best of friends, then maybe it will break the ice.”
“Well if the founders of Equestria relied on that idea to keep the windigos away,” Sunburst said.  “Then I’m fine with that.  Besides, even if it doesn’t work, then at least we’ll keep warm by being together.”
But before Sunburst could react, Starlight reached out and pulled Sunburst in, giving him a big hug while Trixie joined in as well.  The nerdy colt struggled to break free.
“Hey come on you two,” Sunburst yelled.  “Not like that.”
“But he said embrace each other,” Starlight said with a coo.
“Yeah,” Trixie said.  “Besides, better to cuddle together than to freeze in the cold air.”
Sunburst let out a sigh and said “Alright.  Guess it’s better than the worst case scenario after all.”
As Sunburst allowed Starlight and Trixie to hug him, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Fluttery giggled at the hugging trio, with Spike cheering.  Mr Bovine was right next to them, lying down, but still in good spirits.
“Has La Maresa been like this?” Twilight said.
“Oh we’ve known each other since before you all came down here,” Rarity said.  “I never knew the ponies of Canterlot were similar to us.”
“Not everyone,” Twilight said as she pointed to Sunburst and Starlight.  “But when you two meet Wanda, I bet you’ll make a friend in her as well.”
“I hope Wanda has a cute animal companion like Spike,” Fluttershy said.  “Whoever she is.”
“Let’s just say there’s truly more to her,” Twilight giggled.  “Than meets the eye.”
And with that, Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity turned around and gave Mr Bovine a big hug.  Spike jumped out of Rarity’s arms and landed on Bovine’s bag, snuggling up to the thin fur of the big bull.
“Already ahead of the game plan, are you younglings?”
“Mr Bovine,” Fluttershy said.  “You’re already part of the family regardless if you like it or not.”
Mr Bovine let out a jolly laugh and said “This is why your parents entrusted me with you, Fluttershy.”
“Well you’re not the only grown up here, lad.”  Mr Bovine, Fluttershy, Twilight and Rarity turned their heads to see Granny Smith only partially frozen at the legs.  She was soaked in the water that came from the melted ice.  But was active and aware of her surroundings.
“Granny Smith,” Mr Bovine said.  “You’re alright.”
“All except for one part,” Granny Smith said as she looked down at her legs.  “I’m still stuck in this icy trap.”
“Allow me,” Twilight said as she jumped out of Bovine’s fur and walked up to Granny Smith.  The filly closed her eyes and fired off a small blast of magic, shattering the ice surrounding Granny Smith’s arms and legs.  Granny Smith got on her hind legs and cheered into the air.
“WAAAHOOOO!” Granny Smith yelled, attracting the attention of everyone in the cold tent as she danced around.  “Bout time I’m freed from that horrible prison.”
“Well we’re not out of the woods just yet,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “We still have that ice dome that’s surrounding us.  All it will take will be a bit more snuggles and…”
But before Twilight could finish talking, the ice surrounding the entrance shattered open completely.  Outside, Rainbow Dash lowered her legs and turned towards Granny Smith and Twilight Sparkle.  Right next to the pegasi filly was Filthy and Spoiled Rich.
“Filthy, Spoiled,” Granny Smith said as she gave the couple a big hug.  “You’re both alright.”
“The same can be said of you, oh matriarch of the Apple family,” Filthy Rich said.
“Whoever those jerks are,” Spoiled Rich said.  “They have a lot of nerve to ruin our fun time.”
Rainbow Dash landed right next to Twilight Sparkle.  Behind her, Starlight Glimmer, Fluttershy, Sunburst, Rarity and Trixie walked towards the duo, with Spike riding atop of Fluttershy.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.  “Did you find Wanda and the others?”
“Did we?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Thanks to a little help from Moondancer, Pinkie Pie and Danged Spell, we were able to rescue them all.”
“That’s great,” Starlight cheered.  “Now we can all be one big happy family.”
Suddenly, Granny Smith let go of Filthy and Spoiled Rich and said “Did those varmints do anything horrible to my son?”
“Unfortunately yes,” Rainbow Dash said.  “That’s why we had to give chase and save Wanda, Sunset and Applejack.”
“MY BABY!” Spoiled Rich yelled.  “Did they take away my baby?”
“Relax ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said.  “They’re safe.  We even got Applejack’s big brother to pitch in.”
Granny Smith breathed a sigh of relief and said “Good ol Big Macintosh.  He’s always the most reliable when it comes to these tight spots.”
As Granny Smith took a few steps forward, a blast of ice landed right next to her, startling the senior pony.  She, along with Filthy and Spoiled Rich looked up and saw cultists run right towards them.
“Those hooligans again?” Granny Smith snorted as she stared down the cold fanatics.  “I’m not going to let the likes of them ruin the spirit of La Maresa, or all of Ponyville.”
“Hold it,” Filthy Rich said as he pulled Granny Smith back by the tail.  “We can’t just face them head on.”
“No way,” Granny Smith said as she tugged forward, trying to pull her tail out of Filthy Rich’s hoof, all while the cult members laughed at her.  “Not after what they did to the fair and my son.”
But as Filthy Rich pulled Granny Smith backwards, the elderly pony turned to her left and saw the inside of the tent.  Her frown turned upside down into a devilish grin.
“Filthy Rich,” Granny Smith said as she stood up.  “You’re right.  As a matter of fact, why don’t we let these hoodlums come up close and personal if they want to laugh in our face.”
“Wait, what exactly do you mea…” Filthy Rich said before turning to his left and saw the inside of the tent.  He then added “Ohhhh.  I see.”
The Windigo’s Cult members marched forward towards Granny Smith, Filthy and Spoiled Rich as the three adult ponies took many steps back, slowly inching away from the entrance of the tent.
“Look at you,” One of the approaching cultists said.  “Nothing more than a bunch of inferior weaklings who deserved to be frozen solid.  We can feel the fear in your bones.  The only way out is to return to your frozen coffins.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Granny Smith said as she, Filthy and Spoiled Rich stood right in front of the cold zealots.  “Compared to us, you’re about to be on the receiving end of a bull in a porcelain shop.”
“A what?” One of the cultists said in confusion.  But before they could react, Mr Bovine ran out of the entrance of the tent, knocking over two cult members and sending another one flying.  Riding on his back were Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Sunburst, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Spike.  Flying right behind them were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
“Don’t you EVER, mess with little kids again,” Mr Bovine said as he came to a stop.
Fluttershy flew up to the big bull and said “I hope you didn’t overdo it, Mr Bovine.  Remember what happened early ago?”
“Don’t you worry, little lady,” Mr Bovine said.  “I can do these stunts in short bursts.  That way, the pain won’t be as dreadful.”
Granny Smith, Filthy and Spoiled Rich ran up next to Mr Bovine, with Rainbow Dash flying right beside them. The cult members were knocked out from Mr Bovine’s charge.  But there was a sense of dread in Filthy and Spoiled Rich’s eyes.
“Young Lady,” Filthy Rich said to Rainbow Dash.  “Do you know where we may find our child Diamond Tiara?”
“Do I?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “I was sent to scout out what those jerks did to this fair.  But since we got all you freed, I know where to find the others, which includes the foals.”
“Take us there,” Spoiled Rich said.  “I just want to see my baby again.”
“Your wish is my command, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said as she took a bow before pointing in the direction of an open pathway.  “And if any cultists get in our way,” she added.  “We’ll knock them flat.”
“Better than standing around all day and making ourselves a sitting target,” Granny Smith said.
Mr Bovine looked up at the fillies, colt and baby dragon on his back and said “You kids ready to ride out?”
Starlight said “Yes.  Just get us away from here.”
Mr Bovine dug his hoof into the dirt before taking off down towards the open path, with Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Rarity, Sunburst and Spike holding on.  Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Filthy and Spoiled Rich and Granny Smith followed suit from behind the big bull, running as fast as possible away from the melting ice dome.
As they ran as fast as possible, Twilight Sparkle caught something to her left.  It was a glimpse of Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch running forward as fast as possible.
“They’re alright,” Twilight yelled.  “Princess Celestia and most of the others are alright.”
“Princess Celestia?”  Rarity said as she looked to her left side.  Her eyes caught the elder alicorn princess running as fast as possible, alongside Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor and Cinch. 
“She’s my mentor,” Twilight said.  “And like I said, she’s also Wanda and Sunset’s adopted mother.  And apparently, she’s also with my big brother Shining Armor.”
Rarity glanced over at Celestia and said “She is so divine.  It’s everything I can imagine in royalty.”
“You think that’s impressive?”  Granny Smith yelled.   “Well you ain’t seen nuttin yet, little lady.  There’s way more to the Princess of the Sun, than meets the eye.”

Meanwhile, near the back entrance of the fair, Wanda, Abigail, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Danged Spell walked up to Bright Mac and Buttercup, still frozen in place.  Applejack looked at her parents and a tear fell from her eyes.
“I...can’t bear to see this,” Applejack said.  “It’s like they were taken away from me too soon.”
“Don’t say that,” Wanda said as Abigail jumped down from the child’s shoulder.  “We broke free from the ice.  We can do the same for them.”
“She’s right, Applejack,” Pinkie Pie said as she walked up to the apple filly.  “I bet Rainbow Dash told them that the magic of friendship would free them from their icy cold windigo prison.  In fact, look at what’s forming off the ice.”
Applejack took a close look at her parents, still frozen in ice.  Water was trickling down from the frigid cold and falling down onto the ground.  That gave Applejack a reason to smile.
“I get it,”  Applejack said.  “If the magic of friendship freed us from our icy bonds, then maybe it will help save mah folks from their cold doom.”
Moondancer put her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder and said “You care a lot about your parents as much as you care about us.  I’d say, go for it.  Do it for them.”
“No argument there,” Danged Spell said.  “If that was my folks in the cooler, I would have done the same thing.  And it’s all because of those blasted windigo’s guild creeps.”
“And I have no argument against that,” Moondancer said.  “In fact, I would have done the same thing if that was my parents.”
“I thank you all for your support,” Applejack replied.  “But this is my gig.  I should be the one to free them.”
“But your daddy’s also been a part of my life as well,” Wanda said as she stood by Applejack.  “Sunset and I refer to him as uncle because of the warmth and comfort he brings to the both of us, to Big Sister Cadance, Aunt Luna, and Mommy.  To see him in that state is just...sad.  And I don’t want you to be without a mommy, or a daddy.  Or even your granny.  Please let me help you free them.”
Applejack wiped a tear from her eye.  She turned towards Wanda and said.  “Alright.  Do this not just for mah pa, but also for your two sisters, your aunt and your ma.”
“Thank you,” Wanda said as she and Applejack looked at the frozen state of Bright Mac and Buttercup.
Applejack walked up to her mother Buttercup and glanced at the horrible look on her face.  She struggled to look away, but she couldn’t keep her eyes away at the horrible image.  She faced upwards and looked at her mother in the eyes.
“Ma,” Applejack said.  “If you can hear me, I just want to let you know, you and pa are the best parents I’ve ever known.”
With tears flowing out of her eyes, Applejack got on her hind legs and gave Buttercup a big hug, not minding how cold her mother felt to her fur.  Nearby, Wanda looked up at Bright Mac, still frozen solid.
“Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda said.  “I just want to see you alive again, like you were when you came up to Canterlot to deliver apples for me and Sunset to get for mommy.  In fact, I hope you, Aunt Buttercup and mommy see me grow up into what she calls a woman.”
Wanda wasted no time grabbing onto Bright Mac and giving him a big hug.  Even though the surface of the ice was slippery, Wanda held on tight and wouldn’t let go.  
“Please,” Wanda said.  “For Mommy’s sake, wake up.”
But as she held herself close to Bright Mac, someone came up behind her and gave her a hug.  Wanda opened her eyes and looked behind her.  It was Sunset Shimmer. 
“Sunset,” Wanda said.  “How come you decided to join me in hugging Uncle Bright Mac?” 
“No one’s being left behind, sis,” Sunset said.  “Not on my watch, and especially not as long as I’m your older sister.”
“But what about Big Mac?” Wanda asked.
Sunset pointed to Applejack and the frozen Buttercup, who was showing signs of thawing out of the ice.  But right next to them, Big Macintosh was also giving Applejack and Buttercup a big hug, all while carrying Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara in the saddlebag’s pouch.  The two foals were giggling as the ice around Buttercup melted away.
“Guess we’re all in this together,” Wanda said.  But as she watched on, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and Sunset Shimmer.  They both looked up to see Bright Mac staring down at them with a warm smile.  Though his lower half was still frozen, Bright Mac was at least free to move his arms, torso and head.
“How long has I been a frozen popsicle?” Bright Mac said.
“Far too long, uncle,” Wanda said as she and Sunset embraced the apple stallion.  Abigail jumped on top of Bright Mac and rubbed her head against the stallion’s neck, purring gently.
“Guess little Abigail really loves the affection,” Bright Mac said.
Right next to Bright Mac, Applejack looked up to her mother Buttercup, who was now only half-frozen.  She could now move her head, torso and arms.  But barely her rear end and legs.  She looked at Big Mac, still carrying the two foals.
“Ma,” Applejack said as she looked up at Buttercup.  “I don’t wanna lose you.  Not at this age.”
“Don’t you worry my sweetie,” Buttercup said as she kissed Applejack on the forehead.  “I’m not ready to leave this world yet.” 
“Not only that,” Applejack said as she pointed to Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara.  “But we kept the foals safe.  Big Mac pitched in to protect his younger sister and her close friend.”
Big Mac blushed as he said “Eeyup.”
Buttercup looked at Applejack and Big Mac and said “You two are still growing up.  And at the same time, you’ve both proven to be capable of handling yourselves.  I’m proud of both of you.”

Pinkie Pie. Moondancer and Danged Spell watched as Wanda, Sunset, Bright Mac, Abigail, Buttercup, Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara embraced each other.  Ditzy Doo was right next to him, smiling at the group, but at the same time shedding a tear.
“It’s great to see them reunite after all they’ve been through,” Ditzy Doo said.
“What’d I tell ya?”  Pinkie Pie said.  “That’s the beauty of the magic of friendship.  It can keep you warm, even in the coldest of scenarios.”
“And we’ve all been friends for a long time,” Moondancer said.  “It was only yesterday that I introduced myself to Twilight Sparkle.  Can’t believe that I’m feeling that kind of warmth again.”
“Well you could say that when it comes to friendship, we’re like…..pigs in a blanket,” Danged Spell joked, causing Moondancer, Pinkie Pie, and Ditzy Doo to laugh.
“You know,” Pinkie chortled.  “You have the makings of a future comedian.”
“Thanks,” Danged Spell replied.  “But I’d rather work to become a future soldier of Equestria.”
As Moondancer recovered from the laughing, she turned to her right and saw Rainbow Dash flying towards them.  She reached out and waved to the filly pegasus flying towards them.  Right behind Rainbow Dash was Fluttershy, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich and Mr Bovine riding on in.  Riding atop Mr Bovine was Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, Trixie, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst.
“Hey guys,” Moondancer yelled towards Wanda, Bright Mac, Abigail, Sunset Shimmer, Buttercup, Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara.  “The cavalry's arrived.”
Rainbow Dash flew on in, landing right next to Ditzy Doo and a still laughing Pinkie Pie.  Granny Smith ran on up towards Bright Mac and Buttercup as Wanda, Abigail, Sunset, Applejack and Big Mac let go of the two adults.  Filthy and Spoiled Rich spotted Diamond Tiara in the saddlebag and wasted no time running up to the little foal.  
“MY BABY!” Spoiled Rich yelled as she approached the saddlebag and pulled Diamond Tiara out.  She held the foal into the air with a smile on her face and a tear falling from her cheek as she gave her baby a hug.  Diamond Tiara giggled as she hugged her mommy back.
Granny Smith approached her son Bright Mac and said “Thank Celestia you’re alive. I’d fear you were put in an early grave.”
“I’m not one who’s ready for that, Ma,” Bright Mac said as he pushed back against the ice covering his flank until he freed himself with a kick into the air.  “Besides, I’m one to put others before me.”
Granny Smith and Bright Mac walked up to Buttercup as the ice surrounding her flank was melting away.  Bright Mac gently tapped on the ice, causing it to shatter completely.  Buttercup turned to her husband and gave him a hug, with Granny Smith joining in.
“It feels like the whole family is back together,” Buttercup said.
“After all we’ve been through, honey,” Bright Mac said.  “I’m glad of that.”
“And it’s a miracle we didn’t lose a single soul,” Granny Smith said.  “Even the kiddies are alright.”
“Especially the kiddies, lady Smith,” Mr Bovine said as he walked up to Granny Smith, Bright Mac and Buttercup before lowering his back down, allowing Twilight, Spike, Starlight, Sunburst, Rarity and Trixie to slide off to the ground.  The younglings ran around the big bull and towards the other youngsters.
“Twilight,” Sunset said as the lavender unicorn approached her.  “You’re alright.”
As Twilight gave Sunset a hug, she said “Oh what we’ve been through was a nightmare onto itself.  But ironically, the ice melted when we embraced our friendship with each other.”
Pinkie Pie hopped up to Twilight and said “That ice was done by pure windigo magic, which was beaten down by the magic of friendship.”
Sunset faced Twilight and said “It’s true.  In fact, it was what freed Wanda, Applejack and myself from our icy bonds.”
Twilight giggled and said “I think I need to make a note of that.”
As Sunset and Twilight bonded, Starlight and Sunburst ran past the two unicorns as they embraced Moondancer, who waited with open arms.
“You guys are alright,” Moondancer said as she hugged Starlight and Sunburst.
“It was hard out there being trapped in a prison of ice,” Sunburst said. 
“And there was a part where we almost lost hope,” Starlight cried.
“What matters is that you’re both safe,” Moondancer said.  “I’m glad of that.”
As Moondancer, Starlight and Sunburst hugged each other, Trixie walked up to Danged Spell, who only smiled at his friends embracing each other.
“So how hard was it out there?”  Trixie asked.
“In some cases,” Danged Spell replied.  “It was as if we were the last ponies in Equestria, especially after seeing Wanda, Sunset and Applejack get taken captive by those goons.”
“Sounds like something out of a horror film,” Trixie replied.  She paused for a moment before saying “By the way, you’re not much of a hugger, are ya?”
“Not really,” Danged Spell replied.
“Well then,” Trixie said with a smirk.  “Maybe what you need is a GREAT AND POWERFUL HUG!”
Danged Spell yelled out “NO NO NO” as Trixie tackles the arrogant colt and gives him a big hug.  Spell struggled to break free, but Trixie held him down tight as Fluttershy and Rarity walked past them and approached Rainbow Dash.
“Can’t believe we’re all back together,” Rarity said.
“Tell me about it,” Rainbow Dash said.  “It was like we were living some kind of nightmare to see family and friends get taken away.”
“Well at least that part is behind us,” Rarity said. 
Fluttershy looked to her left and said “Speaking of which, it looks like Princess Celestia is coming up to us.  And she’s got company.”
Fluttershy pointed to her left as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch ran up to the group.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and approached the three alicorns and two unicorns.  Granny Smith walked up to the front of the pack, as humble as she could be.
“Princess Celestia,” Granny Smith said as she breathed a sigh of relief.  “I can’t believe you made it.”
“You can actually thank Rainbow Dash for helping us out on this one,” Princess Celestia said.  “But it looks like everyone is here.”
“I still can’t believe they attacked us while we were enjoying ourselves at the fair,” Princess Luna said.  “How did they even know we were going to be here?”
“The Windigo’s Guild has been pulling some of the nastiest stunts since that incident back in Canterlot,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’ll never forget what they tried to do to me and the man’s cub.”
“”But what matters is that we’re all together again,” Filthy Rich said as Spoiled Rich gently rocked Diamond Tiara.  “The Windigo’s Guild tried to break us.  But our bonds were what kept our spirits alive.”
“That’s true. Mr Rich,” Princess Celestia said.  “And I think there is a certain someone that misses her mother.”
No sooner does Princess Celestia finish talking than Wanda and Sunset both yelled out “MOMMY!” as they ran up to the big alicorn and gave her a big hug. 
“Don’t you worry,” Celesetia said as she snuggled her adopted daughters.  “I won’t be lost to you again.  That’s a promise.”
As Celestia cuddled with Wanda and Sunset, Twilight Sparkle ran past them as she yelled out “Princess Cadance.  Big Brother.”  Princess Cadance ran up to the lavender unicorn as they both did a dance together.
“SUNSHINE SUNSHINE, LADYBUGS AWAKE!  CLAP YOUR HOOVES AND DO A LITTLE SHAKE!” Cadance and Twilight chanted in their dance as Shining Armor ran up to his little sister.
“No nasty little cult member is going to keep your brother on ice, Twili,” Shining Armor said as he scooped up Twilight Sparkle and held her in the air as they both laughed together.
“It’s good to see you again, big brother,” Twilight said as Shining Armor pulled her close and they hugged each other.  Princess Cadance walked right next to Shining Armor, got on her hind legs and cuddled the teen stallion.
“We’re one big happy family,” Princess Cadance said.  “And I hope it stays that way.”
As Wanda and Sunset hugged their mother Celestia, Wanda looked up and saw a somber tone on her adopted mother’s face, like she was depressed.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “What’s wrong?”
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia said as she looked down at Wanda and Sunset.  “There is something I have to talk to you about.  Especially after all we’ve been through today.”
“Is it about La Maresa?” Wanda asked.
“Yes,” Celestia replied.  “But I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
But before anyone could speak, ice began to form around the group in a big dome, covering faster and faster until they were sealed in.  Everyone began to freak out as the ice dome sealed them up.
“The Windigo’s Guild,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “They lured us into a trap.”
“Correct you are, Governor.” Everyone turned around to see Coldnelius Snap at the far end of the dome.  Circling around the group were nothing but zealots, outnumbering them three to one.  Many of the younglings began to panic, with the exception of Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell, Moondancer, Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie.  Danged Spell was hunched over, growling like a wolf with his eyes glowing white.
“You,” Princess Celestia said as she held Wanda and Sunset close to her.  “First you attack us in Canterlot, then the mining group in Sire’s Hollow that cost the life of Meteor Flare, then you siced a Roc on us, and now this?  You’re nothing more than a sick little monster.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Princess,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Besides, you owe me for weakening our Windigo magic.”  He slammed his hoof on the ground and said “Do you know how hard it was to get that kind of power?”
“None of us care how you got that kind of power,” Granny Smith yelled.  “What matters is that you had the audacity to attack us while we were having a good time at the fair.”
“Like I care about your happiness, you rotten apple?” Coldnelius Snap said as Granny Smith snorted in a huff.  “What matters is seeing you all frozen in eternal winter, and that Man’s Cub in our possession. Equestria will freeze and you all know it.”
Coldnelius Snap looked downwards and saw Pinkie Pie, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, Abigail, Spike, Sunburst and Trixie look upwards at him.  Some were afraid.  Others were undeterred.  
“Ahh, precious kids,” Coldnelius Snap joked.  “So precious. so innocent. so full of hope and promise. They’re so adorable when they cry.  Especially the foals that accompany them.”
“You better back off, bucko,” Moondancer snarled.
“What a smart mouth you have, young lydy.,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “But you ain’t worthy of freezing over.”
Coldnelius Snap glanced over and saw Buttercup holding Apple Bloom close,  Right next to her was Spoiled Rich, who was holding Diamond Tiara close.
“Maybe being careful with those babies was too much,” Coldnelius Snap said as he charged up his horn and aimed it at Buttercup and Spoiled Rich.  “How about I freeze them along with their mothers.”
Buttercup and Spoiled Rich stared in horror as Coldnelius Snap charged up the cold ice surrounding his horn, aiming to fire right at them.
“Spoiled,” Buttercup said as she put one arm around Spoiled Rich.  “Whatever happens, I’ll be by your side.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” Spoiled Rich said as she and Buttercup watched helplessly as Coldnelius Snap charged up his horn.
Suddenly, Danged Spell leaped out of the crowd and sunk his teeth right into Coldnelius Snap’s arm, causing the big stallion to yell into the air and shoot his magic upwards.  The cold magic collided with the roof of the ice dome, creating an ice stalactite.  Coldnelius Snap looked downwards at his arm, watching as Danged Spell kept his teeth sunk into the cult leader’s arm.
“YOU FLEA RIDDEN MONGREL!” Coldnelius Snap yelled as he violently shook Danged Spell off his arm.
“SPELL!” Moondancer yelled as the Wolf’s Breath-addled unicorn colt landed on his side.
Danged Spell quickly got up and jumped out of the way as Coldnelius Snap tried to blast him down with ice magic.  The colt quickly grabbed the back cloth of Coldnelius’ coat and pulled back on it.
“Let go, you filthy mutt!”  Coldnelius Snap yelled.  “You’re ruining my gown.”
Coldnelius Snap swung Danged Spell as hard as he could, attempting to shake the young colt off his coat.  Spell hung on as tightly as possible as Coldnelius Snap spun as fast as possible, creating a whirlwind of pure cold.
“SPELL, NO!”  Sunset said as she attempted to run up towards Coldnelius Snap and Danged Spell, only for Princess Luna to grab her.
“It’s too dangerous,” Princess Luna yelled.
“But Danged Spell is in there,” Sunset yelled.
“We’ll try to catch him if he lets go,” Princess Luna said as she looked down at Sunset Shimmer.  “You have my word.”
As Coldnelius Snap spun faster and faster, Danged Spell held onto the coat really tight.  WIth a loud rip, nearly all of the coat was torn away as Danged Spell flew backwards towards the ground, with most of the coat still in his mouth.
Bright Mac leaped out of the group and grabbed Danged Spell with his arms.  The unicorn colt spat out the cult and barked madly at Coldnelius Snap as Bright Mac held him back.
“Princess Celestia told me how feisty you are,” Bright Mac said.  “I didn’t know it was the Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
“Honey….” Buttercup said as she tapped Bright Mac’s shoulder.  “Look at the cult leader.”
Bright Mac looked up at Coldnelius Snap, whose coat was now reduced to a mere hood attached to the neckline.  On his sides were two icy-cold wings that flapped with a winter’s chill.  And his cutie mark resembled that of a windigo.  Princess Celestia looked at Coldnelius Snap’s wings and her face turned to complete shock.
“You….you’re an alicorn?” Princess Celestia said.
“But that’s impossible,” Princess Luna said.  “There aren't supposed to be other alicorns besides myself, my sister, Princess Cadance, Magistrate Creme Dream and her daughter Majesty."
Coldnelius Snap turned to the group and said.  “It seems the cat’s out of the bag.  But I can assure you, Princess.  What you see is only a portion of what you get.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Bedlam at the Fair.

> Arc 10-6: Bedlam at the Fair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bedlam at the Fair




“So the leader of the Windigo’s Guild is a renegade alicorn,” Chancellor Cinch said as she couldn’t believe her eyes.  “How did we not see this?”
“I’ve seen plenty of things in my lifetime,” Mr Bovine said.  “But the cult leader turned out to be an alicorn?  That’s new to me.”
Coldnelius Snap rips off what’s left of his coat and throws it to the ground as he extends his wings outward.  He lets out a sinister laugh as he said “And you know what else is funny? Compared to those so-called Alicorn Sisters, I’m the real deal.”
“Mommy,” Wanda said as she held onto Princess Celestia. “What is that bad pony talking about?”
“It’s nothing to worry about, my darling,” Princess Celestia said as she held Wanda close to her.  “Just a sadist spouting lies to confuse and addle you.”
Coldnelius Snap took a few steps forward and said “That’s right you precious little Man’s Cub.  Keep eating the drivel that your mommy gives you.  Not only am I more of a real alicorn, but I’m also far older and wiser. In fact, i’ve lived on this planet for far longer than those two fake alicorns, and their mother that they called Queen Eternia.  Which is a shame, considering that Queen Icelina was a real alicorn compared to her older sister.    
Princess Luna’s eyes shrunk down deeply as she held Sunset Shimmer close to her.  The moon alicorn yelled out “DON’T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT OUR MOTHER OR AUNT AGAIN!” before firing off a powerful beam of magic right at Coldnelius Snap.  The alicorn cult  leader laughed as he absorbed the impact of the magic beam.
“Was that supposed to hurt me?” Coldnelius Snap said, completely unphased.  “Oh I beg to differ, because this ain’t nothing more than a lump of gravy.  In fact, it does a whole lot for the ice above you.”
Princess Luna stopped firing as she looked up.  The ice stalactite above the group grew bigger and bigger, and even formed smaller stalactites right next to each other.  Everyone minus Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild grew scared as the stalactite took up much of the ceiling.
“He’s using our emotions in an attempt to skewer all of us with that ice,” Princess Luna said as she cowered in fear.
“Keep yourself calm and remember who you’re fighting for,” Princess Celestia said.  “We have to do it for the younglings who are trapped with us, sister.”
“I’m sorry,” Princess Luna said as she let go of Sunset Shimmer.  “But I took personal offense when he insulted our mother and aunt like that.”
“It’s okay,” Celestia said as Wanda let her arms go and dropped to the ground.  “Truth be told, I would have done the same thing.”
Wanda looked up at the ice stalactites that pointed directly and her and everyone around as Abigail ran behind the man’s cub and hid in fear.  They were twice the size of a roc, with smaller icicles forming.  The tips of the icicles looked like they could pierce through them like a shish-ka-bob.  They gleamed in the dome despite the sky being covered in dark clouds.
“Mommy,” Wanda said as she looked up in fear.  “How are we going to get out of this mess?”
“Leave that to me,” Princess Celestia said as she pulled out a familiar slingshot and gave it to Wanda.  “When the ice goes down, jump on Chancellor Cinch and ride off.  Use that to defend yourself with.”
“Is this my slingshot?”  Wanda said as she accepted her wooden ballista.
“I was going to let you use it in a game,” Princess Celestia said as she pulled out a bag full of seeds attached to a belt.  “But considering the fact that you can easily exhaust yourself with your magic, you’ll need that plus some ammo.”  Wanda took the belt with the seeds attached to it and wrapped it around her waist.
Chancellor Cinch walked up to Wanda and turned to her side before she said “Now hop on, Man’s Cub.  I actually trust what your mother plans to do.”  Without a second thought, Wanda leaps upwards onto Chancellor Cinch’s back with Abigail jumping up right behind her human companion.
Sunset walked up to Chancellor Cinch and said “Will she be alright?”
“I’ll make sure she is,” Chancellor Cinch said.
As Wanda and Abigail held on tight, Princess Celestia approached Coldnelius Snap with a smirk on her face.
“So the fake alicorn has come to surrender?” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Well I was wondering if you do care for those kids and their grown ups.”
“Oh I do care for them,” Celestia said as she stepped forward.  “Even if they weren’t my own children, I will still treat them as if they were.”  She drew a smirk on her face and added  “The same can’t be said of you and your cult, like the sad little stallion children you turned out to be.”
“What did…..you say?” Coldnelius Snap said as his teeth clenched down tightly and his eyes squinted with immense tension.
“You heard me,” Celestia said.  “I know exactly what true love is about.  A mother’s love.  Sometimes mothers have to be gentle and kind, and sometimes they have to be harsh.   But a mother’s love is what gives our children hope.  You. on the other hand, are nothing more than a spoiled, rotten little brat in an Alicorn disguise.”
“I am more of a real alicorn than you’ll ever be,” Coldnelius Snap snarled as he slammed his hoof down onto the ground.
“A real alicorn?” Celestia said with a smile on her face.  “Oh I would call you a fake pony.  But I don’t want to make my daughter cry.  In fact, even a fake pony is a far better character than the likes of you.  Freezing Equestria in an eternal winter.  You are, without a doubt, the most pathetic being I have ever met in my entire life.”
Coldnelius Snap looked tense.  His eyes shrunk down to a mere dot.  His hooves dug into the ground.  His teeth held tightly.  The magic on his horn glowed brightly as Celestia verbally tormented him.
“So you decided more than a thousand years ago that you wanted to freeze all of Equestria,”  Celestia smirked.  “Did you fail to take over the kingdom?  Or did you think that was too easy a task.”
“I’LL FREEZE YOUR HEART FOR THIS, WITCH!” Coldnelius Snap yelled as he fired off a beam of pure ice.  Celestia just stood there with a smug look on her face.
“Touched a nerve, didn’t I?” Celestia said with a deep grin.
With a flick of her neck, Celestia generated a magical force field, deflecting the beam of pure ice upwards.  The beam hit the ceiling with enough force to shatter that and the ice stalactite hanging from it into numerous pieces.  Celestia’s force field extended outward to surround the entire group as the shards of ice rain down on them.  Some like Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Fluttershy, Spoiled Rich, Buttercup, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Ditzy Doo and even Wanda screamed as the ice shards bounced off the barrier.
“Well played,” Coldnelius Snap said as he raised his head, creating his own ice barrier to protect his own cultists against the falling ice shards.  “Using my own emotions against me.  I never thought for you to sink to my level.”
“You have no idea,” Princess Celestia said as the last ice shard bounced off the barrier before it disappeared.
With a kick of dust into the air, Chancellor Cinch ran as fast as possible with Wanda and Abigail holding on tight, dashing away from the group and from the Windigo’s Guild. 
Becoming aware of Cinch taking Wanda away, Coldnelius Snap lowered his magic barrier as he yelled “DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY!”  WIth their loyalty held high, many cultists from behind the group turned tail and ran towards the fleeing Chancellor Cinch, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright, firing off blasts of pure cold right at them.
Suddenly, Mr Bovine emerged from the group and charged at the fleeing cultists, knocking some of them to the ground, or right into various tents.  The big bull held his side as he glanced at the fallen cultists and cracked a smile.
“Delinquents these days don’t have any respect for the innocent,” Mr Bovine chuckled.
But as Mr Bovine laughed at the misfortune of the fallen cult members, one zealot snuck up behind the big bull, with his horn glowing bright, ready to ambush the heffer, only to be knocked back by Rainbow Dash delivering a roundhouse punch to his face.  Mr Bovine turned towards the rainbow pegasus and also saw Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Spike grouped up with her.
“What are you all doing?” Mr Bovine said in complete shock.
“We’ve got a friend to protect,” Pinkie Pie said.  “And that friend is Wanda.”
“You do realize how dangerous this is,” Mr Bovine said.
“I know, Bovine,” Fluttershy said.  “But Wanda is Twilight’s close friend, and we’re already in great danger.”
“And besides,” Rarity said as she stomped the ground in a huff.  “No creep vandalizes the beauty of our fair and gets away with it.”
“Come on,” Twilight said.  “We got a friend to protect.”
With a swift kick into the air, Twilight Sparkle ran off with Spike riding on her back.  Right behind, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy ran off after the unicorn filly.  Mr Bovine watched on as the six fillies ran off.
“How exactly did that unicorn become friends with Fluttershy and the others so far?” Mr Bovine said with a confused look on his face.

Meanwhile, the chaos created by the falling ice has caused a commotion into the crowd.  Adults and fillies were defending themselves from the various members of the Windigo’s Guild.  The madness within the crowd caused Starlight Glimmer to flee from the group, with Princess Luna and Trixie chasing after her.  
“Come back, Starlight,” Luna yelled as she and Trixie continued their pursuit.  “You’re in great danger.”
But as Starlight ran, a group of Windigo’s cultists surrounded the filly, with a few getting in the path of the Alicorn Princess and the young magician.  
“Not another step,” The cultist said.  “Or the filly’s a popsicle.”
Princess Luna glanced at the cultist, looking ready to blast him.
“You as much as to harm her,” Princess Luna snarled.  “And I will blast you to oblivion.”
Within the cultist group, the various zealots laughed and taunted at the filly as she looked around in desperation, struggling to find an opening to run through.
“There’s nowhere to run, little princess,” One cultist said with a laugh.
“You have a cold future ahead of you,” Another one said as he and two others next to him approached Starlight, as tears fell from the youngling’s eyes and fear shook in her mouth.
“GET AWAY FROM  ME!” Starlight Glimmer yelled as her horn glowed bright.
As the three cultists looked at Starlight’s horn, the unicorn filly jumped upwards and fired off a beam of arcane energy right at the trio.  The impact was powerful enough to knock the trio backwards, sending them flying into the fence before knocking them down.  The other cultists stood there, shocked and mortified.
“What kind of monster is she?” One of the cultists still standing said.
“It’s unnatural,” Another Cultist said.  “She must be some kind of witch.”
Starlight Glimmer turned her attention towards the cultists that were right behind her, causing the remaining zealots to back up slowly.  But as they took a few steps back, Princess Luna hovered over the four cult members, with her eyes glowing bright as the moon’s surface.
“LEAVE THE LITTLE ONE ALONE,” Princess Luna yelled with a voice that reverberated in the atmosphere.  “OTHERWISE, YOU WILL FACE MY WRATH!”
The cult group screamed loudly as their eyes were focused on Luna’s face.  They turned to their right and bolted towards a nearby pathway.  Luna’s eyes returned to normal as she looked at the zealots running away from her, grinning with a hint of satisfaction.
“Starlight,” Trixie yelled as she ran up and gave Starlight Glimmer a hug.  “Don’t scare me like that.”
Starlight stood there and hugged Trixie and said “I’m sorry I scared you like that.”
As Starlight and Trixe hugged each other, Princess Luna walked up to the duo before turning her attention towards Coldnelius Snap, who has his eyes set on the younger of the two alicorn sisters.
“So,” Coldnelius Snap said, glancing at Princess Luna with a sharp grin on his face.  “How did you enjoy your winter’s nap?”
“I’m not impressed,” Princess Luna said as Coldnelius Snap fired an ice beam at her face.  She added “The same goes for your hospitality,” as she raised a shield right in front of her, Starlight and Trixie.  Luna stared down with a smile on her face as the ice beam bounced off her shield and into the sky before disappearing completely.
“You really don’t know when to give up,” Coldnelius Snap said as she began to sweat.  “Do ya?”
“Let me make one thing clear,” Princess Luna said as she took a few steps towards the Windigo’s Guild leader. “Insulting my mother is one thing.  But threatening the life of the younglings of Equestria?  That makes you nothing more than a sick monster in an alicorn’s clothing.”
“That’s about the nicest thing anyone’s said to me, Princess Luna,” Coldnelius Snap replied, bearing the smuggest grin on his face.
“Don’t you dare take that as a complement,” Princess Luna snapped as she smashed her hoof on the ground.  “Younglings are the future of Equestria.  They represent the hope and dreams that keep our society going.  They are the brothers, the sisters, the sons and daughters that lift our spirits.”  She pointed her hoof directly at Coldnelius Snap and yelled “You, on the other hoof, would take pleasure in harming our younglings all just for your sick fantasy of freezing Equestria in eternal cold.”
“And you can’t beat that, you second banana,” Coldnelius Snap said as he stood his ground, with his grin not escaping his visage.
“If you’re trying to anger me with that insult,” Princess Luna yelled.  “It’s nothing compared to what you did to the younglings.  And you just brought out the nightmare within me.”
“Oh what do you plan on doing...Nightmare Moon?” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Are you going to blast me with your magic?”
Suddenly, a blast of magic hits Coldnelius Snap on the side, knocking him into a nearby tent.  Luna smiled as she saw Princess Celestia walk on in with smoke emitting from the tip of her horn.
“That’s exactly what I would do,” Princess Celestia said as walked over Coldnelius Snap, glaring down at the fiend as he looked up at her visage.  “You have threatened Equestria for far longer than I could remember.  There is no punishment worthy of what you have done.”
“My dear Celestia,” Coldnelius Snap said as he got up and brushed the dust off his fur coat.  “I never thought I would actually agree with you.  Maybe that’s just proof of how worthless your laws truly ARE!”
With that, Coldnelius Snap charged up his horn and fired off a blast of pure cold magic right at Celestia and Luna, who retaliated by firing off their own magic from their horns.  Coldnelius Snap broke a sweat as he held his ground.
“How is it that you haven’t become a mongrel?” Coldnelius Snap said as his horn’s magic grew in size.  “Like one of those other younglings of yours?”
“Oh I have had plenty of experience with my use of the Wolf’s Breath Curse,” Celestia said as magic poured from her horn into the energy blast.  “It took a lot of sweat and tears to learn how to control this power, and in the end, it became my ally.  And I will teach that to anyone, be it a stranger or a friend of my daughters, on how to control their curse.”
“That’s what I like about you and your sister,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Of all the nobility of Equestria, you’re both the wildest of them all.”
“Oh we were born to be wild, fiend,” Princess Luna said, pushing back against Coldnelius Snap’s cold magic as her grin remained on her face.
As Celestia and Luna stood their ground and held off against Coldnelius Snap, Trixie held onto Starlight as the latter cried into the former’s chest.
“Don’t worry, Starlight,” Trixie said as she held onto Starlight.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie will be with you.”
“I know,” Starlight cried.  “Just wake me up when this nightmare is over.”

Meanwhile, deep within the crowd, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are backed up right next to each other as they ward off members of the Windigo’s Guild, blasting them one by one.  Despite the presence of these zealots, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance seemed to be in a positive mood.
“You know,” Shining Armor said as he zapped one of the cultists out of the way.  “I actually wished we invited Buck Withers and Lemony Gems down to the fair with us.”
“Tell me about it,” Princess Cadance said as she blasted down another cult member.  “Just the other day, we found out that he saved a nearby village from an army of undead skeleton ponies.”
“Who in their right mind would disturb the dead for that sick ritual?” Shining Armor asked.
“If it’s anyone,” Princess Cadance replied.  “It’s most likely to be those sick monsters considering the stunts they pulled at Sire’s Hollow and the Fall Formal Festival.”
Suddenly, Princess Cadance let out a screech as she was yanked away from Shining Armor.  The young stallion turned to see Princess Cadance being dragged along the dirt by a magic aura pulling on her tail.
“CADANCE!”  Shining Armor yelled as he blasted two cultists that were in his way.
“Don’t worry,” Princess Cadance said.  “I’ve got this.”
As Princess Cadance came to a full stop, she looked up and saw as many as four Windigo’s Cultists staring down at her.  They looked like they were about to freeze her in her spot.
“So my darling,” one cult member said as their horns glowed bright.  “Are you ready to cool off?”
Princess Cadance yawned before she said “I’m not impressed”
Without moving her torso, Princess Cadance flicked her horn, creating a force field that pushed back all of the Windigo’s Cultists away from her and sent them flying in multiple directions.  One crashed into a window, shattering the glass into pieces and sending him inside. One landed into a nearby booth.  One hit a nearby pole, knocking him out, and one went flying right at Shining Armor, who swatted the zealot aside with his magic.
“Now I wish I was the one who got his tail tugged,” Shining Armor joked as he looked at the very cultist he knocked aside.  “They don’t make villains the way they used to,” He added with a laugh.
At the nearby tent, the cult member was back up against what appeared to be an assortment of broken dishes and other bent utensils.  He slowly woke up and shook his head before looking upwards.
“What in the world?” The cultist said as he saw Princess Cadance approach him on two legs, holding a folded-up steel chair in her arms. “You’re completely mad for a princess.”
“Oh that’s rich coming from a cultist,” Princess Cadance said as she swung the chair back.  “In fact, I’d blame this situation on your poor life choices.”
WIth that, Princess Cadance swung the chair right at the cultist’s face, knocking him out cold.  She looked down at the unconscious sap and threw the chair down to her side.
“Thank you mother for teaching me that skill,” Princess Cadance smirked.

Meanwhile, Starlight had her head buried into Trixie’s chest as the fight between ponies and cultists continued.  Trixie looked around, seeing no end to the fighting going on.  She turned to her left and saw a cult member hovering over her.
“Aww,” The cult member said.  “Are the little girls lost?  Maybe I can lead you home.”
Trixie pointed her horn right at the cult member and said “Don’t you dare hurt me, or the best friend of the Angry and Vengeful Trixle.”
“Oh, what are you going to do with that?” The cultist laughed.  “Poke me with that little pin?”
Suddenly, the cult member felt what appeared to be an animal bite.  He jumped into the air while screaming really loud.  Where the cult member was, Danged Spell held a piece of the cloak, all while his eyes glowed a bright yellow white.  This caught the attention of Starlight Glimmer, who looked at the unicorn colt.
“Danged Spell?” Starlight said.
“Wait,” Trixie said.  “He’s acting a lot like a dog like he did earlier, and you consider him a friend?”
“They’re all our friends.”  Trixie turned around to see Sunset Shimmer, Sunburst and Moondancer approach her.  “No one, be it a pony, dragon, cat or human, shouldn’t be left behind.”
“Well unless you prefer to work with a pony who wants to freeze the whole planet,” Moondancer said. 
“No way,” Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie would never align herself with these certified nutcases.  Especially the ones that are sneaking up behind out.”
Sunset, Moondancer and Sunburst turned around as Starlight buried her head into Trixie’s chest and Danged Spell jumped to the front, barking and growling as four more cult members marched towards the younglings. 
“You don’t belong here, or anywhere you cute little tykes,” One of the cultists said.  “It’s time we take you to a place that’s twenty percent cooler.”
As Danged Spell barked at the cult members, Sunset Shimmer stood her ground and said “Bring it.  I’m not letting you party crashers mess with my friends, nor my little sister.”
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners?” The cultist said as he hovered over Sunset Shimmer.  “It’s time I teach you what she failed to teach.”
Suddenly, a random cart flew right out of nowhere, colliding with the four cult members and sent them flying into the fence, knocking them out as the cart broke into many pieces.
“What in the world?” Sunburst said as he stood there dumbfounded.
“That was completely random,” Moondancer said.
Sunset Shimmer turned to her right and saw Bright Mac, Buttercup with Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich with Diamond Tiara.  Bright Mac had retracted his legs from a powerful kick, while the rest of the adults stood there with a smirk on their faces.
“That’s what you get for messing with the family of La Maresa,” Filthy Rich said.  
Sunset Shimmer, Moondancer and Sunburst ran up to Bright Mac and gave him a big hug.  The big stallion just looked down and his scowl turned into a smile.
“Glad you all are alright,” Bright Mac said, embracing the three younglings.  
“There’s one thing that Sunset is right about when it comes to you,” Moondancer said.
“And what would that be?” Bright Mac asked with a smirk on his face.
“You really are like a big uncle,” Moondancer said, causing Bright Mac to let out a big laugh.
Trixie walked on her two hind legs towards the big pony, all while holding onto Starlight, who just looked up at the big guy with a curious look on her face.  Bright Mac looked down and saw Starlight just staring at him.
“Hey don’t you cry any longer, little one,” Bright Mac said as Sunset, Moondancer and Sunburst let go of Bright Mac.  “I won’t let those monsters take you away.”
Bright Mac walked up to Starlight Glimmer and wiped a tear away from her eye.  The little filly just laughed as she jumped out of Trxie’s arms, and gave Bright Mac a big hug.
“You really are like a big uncle,” Starlight said.  “Almost like how Meteor Flare used to be.”
As Starlight cuddled her face into Bright Mac’s chest, Sunset tapped on Bright Mac’s hoof.  The stallion inched his head down to Sunset Shimmer, who put her muzzle right near Bright Mac’s ear.
“She lost her uncle in a mining incident thanks to the Windigo’s Guild,” Sunset whispered.  “We were at her funeral not long ago.”
Bright Mac raised his head, shocked by Sunset’s words.  He looked down at Starlight Glimmer, still snuggling up to Bright Mac.
“Poor kid,” Bright Mac said as he gave Starlight a big hug.  “To lose a relative to someone that despicable, she definitely deserves a lot of sympathy.”
As Starlight Glimmer cuddled with Bright Mac, BIg Mac and Ditzy Doo ran up to Granny Smith, Buttercup, Filthy and Spoiled Rich.
“We have a problem here,” Ditzy Doo said.  “The cultists are moving towards Wanda and Chancellor Cinch.”
“Oh dear,” Granny Smith said.  She approached Big Mac and said “Are we able to catch up and help them out?”
Big Mac shook his head as he said “Nnnope.”
“It seems like they’re on their own,” Spoiled Rich said as she held Diamond Tiara close to her.  “If only those cretins didn’t decide to ruin our beloved fair.”
“Have faith, Spoiled,” Buttercup said as she held onto Apple Bloom.  “They’re sure to have some guardian angels to help them out.”
“I hope you’re right,” Spoiled Rich said.  “After all that’s happened today, I hope we all make it out alive.”
As Sunset, Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, Moondancer, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Apple Bloom, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich and Diamond Tiara all stood by next to each other, Danged Spell looked forward and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna holding their own against Coldnelius Snap, who showed no sign of tiring.  The young colt growled at the mere sight of that despicable cult leader before he dashed off, looking like he’s ready to bite.

Meanwhile, Wanda and Abigail held onto Chancellor Cinch as tight as possible,  all while the older pony ran as fast as she could.  Wanda took out her slingshot and fired off shots at cult members advancing onto their position.  
“Man’s cub,” Chancellor Cinch yelled.  “Are you okay back there?”
“I AM,” Wanda yelled as Abigail held onto her.  “Just keep running.”
As Chancellor Cinch ran as fast as she could, Wanda opened her eyes and looked behind her, where she saw Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, running up to the group with Spike riding on Twilight’s back. 
“Cinch,” Wanda yelled.  “Look behind you.”
 Cinch took a glance at the fillies and baby dragon and her jaw dropped down as Twilight ran up the chancellor with Spike still on her back.
“What in the name of Princess Celestia are you doing?” Chancellor Cinch said.
“We’re here to help you escape,” Twilight yelled.
“All by putting your own lives at risk?” Chancellor Cinch yelled.  “You six must be crazy.”
“I’ve been through what she’s been through,” Applejack yelled as she ran up next to the Chancellor.  “In fact, all of us have.  And when they go around messing with tradition, then it’s personal.”
“You said it,” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced along right next to Applejack.  “Those party crashers think they can sabotage our beloved fair and get away with it?”
“Their madness is like a splash of mud on a gorgeous gown,” Rarity yelled as she ran alongside Twilight.  “This cannot be forgiven.”
“We had to go through a lot to get back together,” Rainbow Dash said as she flew right next to Applejack and Pinkie Pie.  “There’s no way we’re letting those cold-hearted jerks get the best of us.”
“Even if we’re not up to snuff,” Fluttershy said as she flew in next to Rarity and Twilight, all while looking at Abigail.  “We’re doing this for those who need it.  Even someone as cute and cuddly as that kitty cat.”
Wanda looked up at Fluttershy as she held onto Abigail.  “Thanks,” Wanda said.  “Her name is Abigail.  We rescued her from a flock of crows on our first day at school.”
“I appreciate all of you accompanying the three of us,” Chancellor Cinch yelled.  “But we are still in grave danger with the rest of those monsters following us.”
But as Chancellor Cinch ran with Wanda and Abigail holding on and the six fillies right next to her, they had to slide to a stop as a blast of ice hit a nearby booth, causing it to shatter to pieces.  A purple dress went flying out of the booth and landed nearby as diamond fell off of it.
“The dress,” Rarity yelled in distress as she ran up to it.  She picked up the dress and saw a few more diamonds fall off.  “It’s...ruined.”
“Rarity,” Applejack said as she placed her arm around Rarity’s shoulders.  “I’m terribly sorry.”
“What exactly just happened?” Chancellor Cinch said, confused.
“Rarity takes a lot of pride in her work,” Fluttershy said. 
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “She may have a bit of an ego.  But her best joy is surrounding friends and family in something that makes them gorgeous.”
As Rarity looked down at the wrecked dress with tears flowing down from her eyes, Windigo’s Guild cult members walked up towards her, laughing right at her face.  Applejack looked up and her eyes shrunk down.
“Rarity,” Applejack said with a nervous tone.  “It’s okay.  We can make a new dress for whoever you made it for.  You’ve put a lot of hard work into that.”
“It wasn’t just me who put in hard work in that dress,” Rarity snarled as she placed the dress into Applejack’s hooves and stood up.  “A new friend named Moondancer gave me the inspiration to finish that dress and to breathe life into it.  The very same dress that Princess Celestia paid me to make for her human daughter.  And I will never forget the generosity of that friend, and how she helped me finish that dress.  It was supposed to be a surprise for her human daughter.  The fact that you hoodlums decided to destroy the dress just for your sick fantasy is unforgivable.  You not only ruined a dress, but you choose to mock the real magic of what a FRIEND….TRULY….IS!
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie backed up as the ground around Rarity shook violently.  The young filly’s teeth gnashed as her eyes shrunk down completely.  Chancellor Cinch, Twilight Sparkle, Wanda, Abigail and Spike watched as a powerful aura surrounded Rarity.
“What in the name of Princess Celestia is going on?” Chancellor Cinch said as she stood there.
“Miss Cinch,” Fluttershy said.  “This is normally what would happen if someone decided to ruin the hard work she put into any piece of fashion she made for her clients.”
“Actually,” Applejack said.  “She’s not normally this destructive.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Twilight said.
“The last three creeps who ruined her dresses got off easy compared to what I think might happen,” Applejack replied.
As the ground around Rarity continued to shake, the Windigo’s Guild continued to advance towards the young filly, completely undeterred.
“All this over a stupid piece of cloth?” One cultist laughed.  “You and whoever your friend is, must be completely deranged.”
“Now you’ve done it,” Rarity yelled as the ground shook even more.  “Deranged?  A Stupid piece of cloth?  Towards my friend?  And you think that’s FUNNY?  WELL LAUGH THIS OFF, PUNKS!”
Rarity’s horn glowed with a bright light as a large chunk of ground beneath the cultists broke apart and lifted upwards, carrying the zealots with them.
“Woah,” Twilight Sparkle said as she watched Rarity pull a portion of the earth right off.  “I didn’t realize how powerful Rarity truly is.”
“Believe me sister,” Pinkie Pie said as she put her arm around Twilight.  “Compared to all of us, Rarity is one pony that no one should ever cross.”
As the solid chunk of the earth lifted off the surface, the cultists hung on for dear life, freaking out and yelling like crazy.
“Have mercy little child,” another cultist begged.  “Spare us from a cruel fate.”
“After what you did to our fair, and towards the mark of  friendship?” Rarity yelled as her horn glowed even brighter. “Here’s a fate you REALLY DESERVE!”
Rarity flicks her head to the right, causing the chunk of earth to fly off into the distance, taking the cult members with them.  The cult group screamed in unison as they disappeared into the atmosphere.  Twilight, visibly shaken by Rarity’s stunt, walks up to her while Rainbow Dash zips off in the direction of the earth chunk.
“Rarity,” Twilight said as her eyes were completely shrunken down.  “What the hey did you….how in the….ARE THEY EVEN GOING TO BE ALRIGHT?”
“Relax, Twilight,” Rarity said as she brushed her mane with her hoof.  “I sent them to someplace really wet.”
In an instant, Rainbow Dash flew back to the group from afar, looking like she was about to laugh.
“I’m afraid she’s got a point,” Rainbow Dash said as she couldn’t contain herself. “In fact, I wish I had a camera for that moment.  They were soaking wet and embarrassed.”
“Oh you two,” Twilight chuckled.  “To think, I thought you were going to do...that.”
“Twilight darling,” Rarity said as she hugged Twilight Sparkle.  “I may be vengeful.  But I won’t sink to that kind of low.”
As Twilight and Rarity hugged each other, Pinkie Pie poked at Twilight’s shoulder and said “Hey Twilight Sparkle.  We got company.”
Twilight let go of Rarity as the lavender unicorn filly turned around.  There was an entire group of Windigo’s Cult members facing the entire group.  Chancellor Cinch faced the entire group of zealots with fury in her eyes, while Wanda and Abigail hung on for dear life.
“You younglings realize what you’re facing down?” Chancellor Cinch said as her eyes kept focused on the Windigo’s Guild.
“After what these varmints did to all of us?” Applejack said as she scraped her hoof among the ground.  “I’d say payback is overdue.”
WIth a mad dash, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle ran right towards the group of Windigo’s Guild cultists, dodging the incoming blasts of pure ice that fired out of the group, all while Spike rode on top of Twilight.  Many cult members charged at the six fillies, with ambition in their smile and eyes
One cult member broke from the group and charged right at the six fillies, aiming straight for Fluttershy.
“OH NO!” Fluttershy yelled as she came to a stop and ducked down, covering her eyes at the horror of the cultist.
But before the cult member could reach Fluttershy, Applejack jumped out from the rest of the younglings and delivered a swift kick to the face, sending the cultist flying into a bale of hay.  Applejack looked down at Fluttershy and gave a gentle tap to her arms.
“Fluttershy,” Applejack said.  “What were you thinking?  A moment ago, you were willing to fight against those despicable creeps.”
“I can’t do it,” Fluttershy cried as she covered her face.
“But Fluttershy,” Pinkie Pie said.  “If we don’t stop them now, imagine what they would do to all those wonderful animals.  Especially to Mr Bovine and to Wanda’s cat companion.”
Those words were enough for Fluttershy to get up on her four hooves.  She grit her teeth as the fear in her eyes disappeared.
“Nobody HARMS ANIMALS IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS!” Fluttershy yelled.
Fluttershy’s eyes shifted to a nearby stall, where she caught the attention of a bundle of rope.  She dashed over and grabbed the rope with her teeth, before swinging it into the air in the form of a lasso.  As the cultists approached Fluttershy, the filly pegasus swung the rope violently as the lasso grew bigger and bigger.
“You want to harm animals in La Maresa?” Fluttershy said as she kept her teeth held tight on the rope.  “You’re not a friend.  YOU’RE A BIG MEANIE!”
With a powerful amount of fury within her, Fluttershy swung the rope right at the incoming zealots.  THe moment the lasso was around, Fluttershy pulled back, wrapping the lasso end of the rope around the cult group tightly.  
“Good going, Fluttershy,” Applejack said as she gave a wink to the angry pegasus filly. “You want me to send these creeps packing?”
“Be my guest,” Fluttershy said as she tossed her end of the rope to Applejack, who proceeded to grab it with her teeth.
Applejack pulled back on the rope and began swinging the group, still tied up at the end of the lasso.  The cultists were screaming as loud as possible as Applejack swung faster and faster.  
“LET US GO!” One of the cultists yelled.
“Okay,” Applejack replied.
Applejacked opened her mouth as the rope slipped away from her teeth, sending the small cult group flying into a nearby tent, which collapsed the moment the group crashed right into it.
Fluttershy flew down and landed right next to Applejack, who did nothing but wipe the sweat off her brow.
“That’s how it’s done, Shy,” Applejack said.
“Thanks Applejack,” Fluttershy replied.
As the two fillies let out a good chuckle, they heard the sound of an explosion.  Fluttershy and Applejack turned around to see Pinkie Pie holding her cannon as a few cult members were knocked out into another tent.  Smoke poured out of Pinkie’s cannon as the party filly looked at Fluttershy and Applejack.
“What?”  Pinkie Pie said as she turned her cannon towards another group of cultists, who freak out at the mere sight of it.  “I couldn’t let you have all the fun.”
  As the cultists ran as fast as possible, Pinkie Pie pressed the button on her cannon, firing off a barrel right at the fleeing zealots.  The barrel collided with cult members, pinning them down under its weight.
“SHE REALLY IS DISCORD,” One of the cultists yelled as he struggled to break free.
“EVERY WINDIGO RUN!” Another pinned zealot yelled.  “DON’T LET DISCORD GET THE BEST OF YOU!”
Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity watched as the three cult members tried to break free from the barrel as Pinkie Pie stood next to the party cannon, blowing a bit of her mane upwards.
“By any chance,” Rarity asked.  “Did you put cement in that barrel?”
“Oh no,” Pinkie joked. “There was already water filled in that.  No need for cement.”
“By the way,” Fluttershy said.  “Where’s Twilight?”
“Oh dear,” Rarity said.  “Don’t tell me those cretins got ahold of her.”
Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie turned their heads to see Twilight Sparkle and Spike, who were surrounded by cult members.  The cultists sneered as they inched closer to the filly and her dragon companion.
“TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie yelled.  “WE’LL SAVE YOU!”
“Don’t worry about me,” Twilight said as the zealots moved closer to the filly.  “I know how to get out of this.”
Twilight Sparkle stood her ground as the Windigos Fanatics inched closer to the filly and Spike.
“So little pony,” one zealot said.  “Do you feel the chill coming downwards?”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said as she lowered her head, allowing Spike to jump onto her head.  Twilight raised her head as she said “As a matter of fact, say hello to my LITTLE FRIEND!”
As Twilight’s head reached the highest point possible, Spike belched out a giant ball of green fire into the air.  The guild members looked at the rising flame and began to freak out.
“FIRE!” One guild member yelled in a panic.
“EVERY WINDIGO FOR HIMSELF!” Another yelled.
Soon, the members of the Windigo’s Guild turned tail and made a run for it as Spike continued to belch fire into the air.  The spectacle caught the attention of Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity.
“The color of that flame,” Rarity said, awe struck by the fire coming out of Spike’s mouth.  “I think I may have something to consider when this mess is over.”
“Rarity,” Applejack said as she walked next to the filly fashionista.  “You always seem to have an eye for things.”
As Spike covered his mouth, the flame dissipated into the sky.  Spike jumped off Twilight’s back as the filly giggled.
“Well,” Twilight said as the baby dragon gave the filly a hug.  “That took care of those cultists, little brother.”
Suddenly, a cult member lands with a thud right near Twilight and Spike.  The duo looked as Chancellor Cinch was defending herself, Wanda and Abigail from a bigger group of Windigo’s Guild members.  Cinch fired blasts of magical energy from her horn, smacking down the sick fanatics that tried to approach them.  Rainbow Dash was nearby, knocking some of the stray zealots that managed to bypass the cult members while Wanda fired off nuts from her slingshot, in hopes of pegging a few of the cult members.  Abigail held onto Wanda, covering her face right in her dress.
“Insolent fools,” Chancellor Cinch yelled as she knocked down another cult member.  “I will not have these adult delinquents disturb the peace of this town.”
“Just tell me when it’s over,” Wanda yelled as she covered her eyes and held onto Abigail.  “I can’t bear to look.”
But as Chancellor Cinch knocked down another cultist, she looked into the distance and saw more coming her way, coming in what looked almost like an army of zealots.  Rainbow Dash landed as she saw the giant crowd of cult members advancing towards the group. 
“Rainbow,” Applejack yelled as Rainbow Dash stood there watching the cultists march towards her.  “You have to knock them out with the Sonic Rainboom.  It’s the only way to drive them off.”
“Wait,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You want me to use that ability?”
“What’s wrong?” Pinkie pie yelled.  “You think it won’t be powerful enough?”
“I can’t,” Rainbow Dash said as she pointed to Wanda.  “If I did the Rainboom, Wanda will scream out in pain.  I can’t do the Sonic Rainboom.
“I’m afraid she’s right,” Twilight said as Spike got back on her back.  “Wanda is extremely sensitive to the Sonic Rainboom.  If Rainbow Dash pulled that off, there’s no thinking what will happen to her.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Chancellor Cinch yelled.  “If they keep coming, then sooner or later, then they will take the Man’s Cub away, and will bring about eternal winter in return.”
Those words caused Wanda’s eyes to squint in determination.  She and Abigail jumped off of Chancellor Cinch’s back and ran up to Rainbow Dash.
“Do it, Rainbow Dash,” Wanda yelled.  “Unleash the Sonic Rainboom.”
“But Wanda,” Rainbow Dash protested.  “If I did that, I would hurt you unintentionally.”
“I would rather suffer the effects of the Rainboom than to be taken away from my mommy,” Wanda said as she put her hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder.  “Even if I have to cry out because of it, just do it.  Do it to at least keep me safe from those meanies.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Wanda as she struggled to keep the tears in her eyes.  She looked down at Abigail, who gave her a confident meow.  The pegasus filly cracked a smile and wiped a tear from her eyes before flapping her wings.
“Alright then,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’ll do it...for you.”
Rainbow Dash took off towards the sky, flying as fast as she could.  As Wanda looked up, Chancellor Cinch approached her from behind.
“What were you thinking, Man’s Cub?” Chancellor Cinch said in a harsh tone.
“What I believe is the only way out of this nightmare,” Wanda said as tears began to flow from her eyes as she dropped her slingshot to the ground.
“For your sake,” Chancellor Cinch said as she held Wanda tight.  “I hope you make it through.”

In the air, Rainbow Dash sped upwards as fast as possible, reaching the highest point of the atmosphere where the sun shined bright.  She looked downwards at the fairgrounds and began to descend, folding her wings back as she dived faster and faster right through the clouds.
“Wanda,” Rainbow Dash said to herself.  “This is for you.  This is your wish.  So that we may all be safe from those cold-hearted jerks.”
A cone formed around Rainbow Dash as she sped up.  Her face barely changed as the speed increased ten folds.  The cone shrank more and more as she came closer to the ground.  Before Rainbow Dash hit the ground, a rainbow-colored shockwave emitted from the cone as she sped off, expanding through the atmosphere at breakneck speed.
Nearby, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna held their own against Coldnelius Snap, holding back against his magic while the cult leader stood his ground.
“Starting to tire you selfish little girls?” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I can tell you’re about to give up.
“I don’t think so,” Princess Luna said.  “Not in a million years.”
Suddenly, Coldnelius’s eyes began to bulge as his ice beam disappeared, and he yelled really loud.  Celestia and Luna’s magic beams hit Coldnelius in the face, knocking him back down.  The cult leader struggled to get up as he groaned.
“Who’s the wise guy who bit me?” Coldnelius Snap yelled.  “I’ll freeze em to the bone.”
Coldnelius Snap looked up and saw Danged Spell barking madly at him, all while hovering in the air.  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna pulled the Wolf’s Breath-addled colt back with their magic as he continued to snarl at Snap.
“You miserable little brat,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I’ll put you to sleep for that.”
But as Coldnelius Snap finished his words, he saw a Sonic Rainboom advancing towards him.  His jaw dropped and his eyes shrunk down.  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turned to see the rainboom before turning back with the biggest grins on their face, all while Danged Spell growled at the cult leader.
“This can’t be,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “The Sonic Rainboom. But that’s impossible.”
“Oh nothing’s impossible, Snap,” Princess Luna said.
“Especially to the fact that it has the same energy that drove off the Windigos long ago,” Princess Celestia said as she pulled Danged Spell back and tapped him on the forehead.  His eyes turned back to normal as his mouth calmed down.
“No,” Coldnelius Snap yelled.  “I will not submit to the rainbow.  NEVER!”
“Tough luck, Coldnelius Snap,” Princess Celestia said as the Sonic Rainboom covered the fair in a blinding light.  “For the Rainboom will send the Windigos away, and will bring about peace, life, and harmony.”
Coldnelius Snap yelled as the Sonic Rainboom covered the entire fair in a blinding light.


	To Be Continued in….


	A tearful conclusion

> Arc 10-7: A Tearful Conclusion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Tearful Conclusion




The bright light that came from the Sonic Rainboom has dissipated.  The sky was clear once more as the sun shined downwards at the wrecked Ponyville Providence Fair.  Any signs of the Windigo’s Guild were gone.  Not a single cult member was on the fairgrounds.  
Deep in the middle, Wanda Young held onto Chancellor Cinch as she cried in deep pain.  While tears fell from her eyes, she held on, as if she were trying to resist the pain.
“I can do this,” Wanda cried.  “I’m strong.”
Chancellor Cinch looked down at the human child as she held her tight.  “She’s suffered through a lot today,” the elder pony said to herself.  “To think, she was supposed to be on her best behavior, only for those wicked cultists to pull that stunt and put her in danger.  And I was about to allow her to move down to La Maresa.”
As Wanda cried into Cinch’s chest, Rainbow Dash flew downwards right near the Man’s Cub.  Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy walked up to Wanda as the little girl continued to suffer in pain.
“You were right, Twilight,” Applejack said.  “But why does she suffer from that kind of pain from a Rainboom?”
“Even Princess Celestia couldn’t figure her out,” Twilight said.  “She’s more of a mystery not just to us, but also to herself.”
“If only those despicable cultists hadn’t interrupted the peace of the fair,” Rarity said.  “None of us would have been in this situation.”
“Sometimes, we have to be prepared for the worse,” Applejack said.  “But at the same time, hope for the best.  Ma always told me about this when I was younger.”
“I’d say it’s advice worth keeping,” Twilight said.
As the group watched over Wanda, who was still crying in pain, Pinkie Pie turned to her left and saw a big group in the distance.
“Hey guys,” Pinkie Pie said as she tapped Twilight’s shoulder.  “The cavalry's arrived.”
Chancellor Cinch looked up and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna approach the group with Danged Spell riding on Celestia’s back.  Right next to the duo was Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Moondancer.
“Thank harmony,” Cinch said as she put her hoof to her chest in relief.  “We’re truly back together.”
Fluttershy looked nearby and saw Mr Bovine limping up towards the group.  Even in spite of that, he was still in good spirits.
“MR BOVINE!” Fluttershy yelled as she zoomed towards the big heffer and gave him a big hug.  “You’re alright.”
“It will take a lot more than those goons to take me out,” Mr Bovine said with a laugh as Fluttershy giggled.
Right near Mr Bovine was Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Filthy and Spoiled Rich, who were walking up to the ground.  Buttercup held Apple Bloom in her left arm while Spoiled Rich held Diamond Tiara in her right arm.  Next to them were Big Macintosh, Ditzy Doo, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.  The entire group cheered as they approached Chancellor Cinch.
Applejack ran up to Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith and Big Mac as the entire family embraced each other.
“You’re alright,” Applejack said.  “I don’t know what would have happened if something bad happened to all of you.”
“It won’t happen today,” Bright Mac said.  “And it won’t happen for a very long time, my daughter.”
“As long as we’re a family,” Buttercup said.  “Nothing will separate us.”
“Eeyup” Big Mac said as he gave his little sister a big hug.
As Bright Mac, Buttercup, Applejack and BIg Mac embraced each other, Granny Smith lets go of her family and walked towards Wanda and Chancellor Cinch.
“Ma,” Bright Mac said.  “What’s going on?”
“Gotta give the kid the bad news,” Granny Smith said with a shamed look on her face.  “And I won’t be the only one to do so.”
As Granny Smith approached Wanda and Cinch, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance ran up Twilight Sparkle and Spike, excited and happy to see the lavender filly.
“TWILI,” Shining Armor yelled as he grabbed Twilight and pulled her close.  “You’re alright.”  Twilight only giggled as Shining Armor gave her little sister a noogie.
“Well I can see you’re in high spirits,” Princess Cadance said as she approached Twilight, Spike and Shining Armor. 
“Go right ahead,” Shining said as he let go of Twilight.  The little filly ran up to Princess Cadance with plenty of energy, looking like she was about to dance.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake,” Twilight and Cadance chanted as they danced together before laughing.  Sunset Shimmer walked by the duo and only let out a playful raspberry.
“You’re not getting me to pull that stunt, sis” Sunset joked.
“Oh come on,” Cadence said in a playful tone.  “Someday, you and Wanda will pull off a friendship dance of your own.”
“Speaking of which,” Twilight said.  “You might want to check up on her.”
Cadence’s tone went down as she looked at Wanda in the distance.  The little man’s cub was still crying, but her face started to see the sight of those who approached her.
“Right,” Princess Cadance said as she faced her younger sister.  “Come on Sunset.  Let’s check up on Wanda.”
“Roger that, Big sis,” Sunset Shimmer said as she and Cadance ran up to Wanda and Cinch.
As the entire group approached Cinch, Wanda, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Abigail, Danged Spell jumped off Celestia’s back and ran up to Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, Moondancer and Ditzy Doo.  Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity approached the small group of unicorn younglings as they all giggled.
“So many friends,” Pinkie Pie said.  “And we all made it through that bad moment.”
“Bad moment indeed,” Starlight said.  “If Trixie wasn’t helping me out, I don’t think I would see mommy or daddy again.”
Rainbow Dash flew up to Trixie and said “You’re still the same Trixie we’ve known since long ago.  But at least you’re not as mean-spirited as the Windigo’s jerks.”
“Well what is there to expect from the GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE?” Trixie boasted, causing all of the younglings to laugh.
Danged Spell walked up to Trixie and said “Well I’d say that voice of yours is really built like a horse.  Get it?”
“DANGED SPELL” The younglings said as they all laughed at him.
“It was worth it,” Danged Spell said to himself.

As most of the younglings laughed at Danged Spell, Sunset Shimmer, Princess Cadance, Granny Smith, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Bright Mac and Buttercup approached Chancellor Cinch and Wanda.  The man’s cub looked up and her face beamed with excitement as Cinch released her hold on Wanda.
“MOMMY!” Wanda yelled as she jumped right into Princess Celestia and gave her a big hug.
“It’s alright,” Princess Celestia said as she patted her adopted daughter on the back.  “That nightmare is now behind us.”
As Wanda embraced her mother, she opened her eyes and noticed Granny Smith approaching her with a somber look.  Wanda’s excitement disappeared as she let go of Celestia and dropped to the ground.
“Mommy?” Wanda said as Abigail approached her human companion.
“Wanda my darling,” Princess Celestia said as her voice became saddened.  “One week ago, when the Banks traumatized you by scolding me for punishing Golden Lace, I believed that life in Canterlot was too much for you.  So I worked with Granny Smith, Chancellor Cinch, her son Bright Mac, Buttercup, and even the Rich family for something even more than just going to the fair.
“What exactly do you mean?” Sunset Shimmer said as she approached Celestia.  “Are you saying that you were going to move Wanda here?”
“Yes,” Princess Celestia replied.  “I wanted to move Wanda to La Maresa so that she could grow up without all that mess up in Canterlot.
“And not her, young lady,” Granny Smith said as she placed her hoof on Sunset’s forehead.  “You as well, along with your big sister Cadance.”
“Actually, that was an understatement,” Princess Celestia replied.  “I wasn’t just going to move my own daughters down to La Maresa.  I was also going to move the entire school down there, which meant friends like Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell were going to go with you.  All so you wouldn’t miss them.”
“You all were?” Wanda said.  “You mean, I could live here in La Maresa and be close to our old and new friends.”
“And it wasn’t just that,” Bright Mac said.  “We were going to adopt you and your sister Sunset Shimmer.  Raise you both as if you were bonafide Apples to the core.”
“And even more so,” Princess Luna said as she looked like she was about to tear up.  “Princess Celestia and I were thinking about retiring from our royal duties and moving down here.  With all the chaos and commotion up in Canterlot, this would have been the perfect time to live down here.”
“I would have been the only one to remain up there to lead the country,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But it was a sacrifice I was willing to take.”
Wanda looked up at Celestia and saw tears falling from her mother’s eyes.  The young child said “But why are you sad?  Did I do something wrong?”
“No my darling Wanda,” Celestia said.  “It’s just that...after what we’ve all been through, I’m afraid we can’t move you down here to La Maresa.”
“What?” Wanda and Sunset yelled.
“I’m sorry,” Granny Smith said.  “As much as I wanted you both to come down here and live a life worth living, those varmints at the Windigo’s Guild would have snatched you up far easier than they would up in Canterlot.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Sunset said in protest.
“I’m afraid she’s right,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “As much as I want you both to at least be free of the madness in Canterlot, I’m afraid you’ll both have to return there...for your own safety.”
Tears began to flow from Wanda’s eyes right down to her cheek.  She tried desperately to hold it in.
“But,” Wanda cried.  “I like it down here.  I don’t want to go back.”
“I know you do Wanda,” Celestia said.  “But I don’t want to risk losing you again.  Not after what they did to you, Sunset and Applejack.”
Wanda’s cheeks were flowing with her tears.  She struggled to hold it in before she cried her eyes out, yelling into the atmosphere.
“IT’S NOT FAIR!” Wanda cried.  “I LIKED BEING DOWN HERE IN LA MARESA!  I DON’T WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE BEING STUCK IN CANTERLOT!  I DON’T WANT TO!”
“I’m terribly sorry, Man’s Cub,” Cinch said with a somber tone.  “But I’m going to have to side with your mother on this one.”
“Wanda,” Celestia said.  “When we get back, I think you’ll understand why it’s for your own good.”
Suddenly, Wanda was yanked violently by an aura of cold magic.  She screamed loudly as Coldnelius Snap emerged from a broken booth and grabbed the Man’s Cub.  Wanda stood there, scared half-to-death while Coldnelius Snap laughed.
“LET HER GO!” Celestia yelled. 
“Now where’s the fun in that, faker?” Coldnelius Snap said as he held a scared Wanda tight.  “And I overheard you saying that you wanted to keep this Man’s Cub locked up in Canterlot.  Well what good is that going to do if we keep our focus up there?”
“You sick little puppy,” Princess Luna said as she pointed her horn at Coldnelius Snap.
“Ahh ahh ahh,” Coldnelius Snap said as he pointed to a frightened Wanda.  “You don’t want to hurt the precious baby.”
Princess Luna raised her head as she took a few steps back.  The entire group stared down at Coldnelius Snap as the cult leader held Wanda tight and let loose a sinister grin.
“Even if you locked this child up in the deepest part of the castle,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I would have dived right in and took her away.  There’s nothing you can do to protect her.  So give it up already and embrace the eternal winter that will forever blanket Equestria.”  He let out a sadistic laugh that caused Wanda to cry even more.
“LET ME GO YOU BIG MEANIE,” Wanda cried. 
“Deal with it you Mary Sue wannabe,” Coldnelius Snap said as he pulled Wanda to his face.  “You think you’re so special?  That you have these so-called others as your friends?  You’re nothing special to these weaklings.  Why don’t you learn to deal with it before you die?”
As everyone watched Coldnelius Snap hold Wanda in his grasp, Princess Celestia walked up to Chancellor Cinch, who could do nothing, but stare in disbelief.  The Princess of the Sun placed her muzzle up to Chancellor Cinch’s ear and whispered “Chancellor.  Now would be a time to yell at Wanda.”
Chancellor Cinch’s eyes widened.  She turned to Princess Celestia and said “Are you crazy?  Not while your daughter is in peril.”
“Trust me,” Princess Celesita said quietly as she gave Cinch a wink.  “If anyone knows how to keep my daughter in line, it’s you.”
Chancellor Cinch smiled as she slammed her hoof on the ground and  got up.  She approached Coldnelius Snap and said “I’m afraid you haven’t gotten away with it, you monster.”
“Oh,” Snap said as he held Wanda tight.  “What exactly do you plan to do, Governor?”
“I’ll tell you,” Cinch said before turning her head towards Wanda and adding “Man’s Cub.  I command you to use your magic.”
“But,” Wanda cried.  “I’m not supposed to or I’ll get in trouble.”
“DO IT!” Cinch yelled.  “IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU!”
Wanda swallowed hard and said “Yes ma’am,” before closing her eyes.
“Oh please,” Coldnelius Snap said, looking down at his hostage before letting out a bellowing laugh.  “Threatening the captive when I have her in my grasp?  You’re really losing your touch, Governor.”
But as Coldnelius Snap laughed at Chancellor Cinch, he noticed a bright green aura emitting from his arm.  He looked down and saw Wanda glowing brightly.  Smoke drifted from the arm as Coldnelius Snap yelled loudly and lost his grip on the Man’s Cub.  
“What in blazes is going on with this kid?”  Coldnelius Snap said as he clutched his arm.
“The reason why we don’t have her use magic, out of fear she would lose control of it,” Chancellor Cinch said with a smirk on her face.  “And now she’s about to cut loose.”
Coldnelius Snap’s face turned pale as Wanda’s eyes glowed brightly.  She fires off a beam of green magic right at the leader of the Windigo’s Guild.  The impact was powerful enough to send the cult leader flying out of control.
“JUST YOU WAIT YOU MEDDLESOME KIDS,” Coldnelius Snap yelled as he flew out of the fair.  “THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, I’LL TEAR DOWN THAT CASTLE OF YOURS AND LEAVE YOU ALL HOMELESS.  DO YOU HEAR ME?”  With the last of his words, Coldnelius Snap disappeared into the atmosphere.
As Wanda’s magic disappeared, she looked very dizzy and tired.  Princess Celestia ran up to Wanda and scooped her arm out as Wanda fell backwards.
“WANDA!”  Celestia yelled as the Man’s Cub passed out on Celestia’s arm.

Moments later, Wanda awoke on Celestia’s arm as Sunset Shimmer fed her a cup of water.  The Man’s Cub groaned as she slowly got up.
“Wanda,” Celestia said.  “You’re alright.”
“Mommy,” Wanda said as struggled to get on her two feet.  “I think I...understand why you want me safe in Canterlot.”
“There’s no stopping that monster,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “After what he said, I dunno if we will be safe in the castle.”
“We will,” Princess Celestia said as she lifted Wanda into her arms and held her gently.  “I won’t let that monster anywhere near Canterlot, as long as I am still your mother.”
“She’s right,” Chancellor Cinch said, approaching Wanda, Celestia and Sunset with a somber tone.  “I may be harsh on the Man’s Cub.  But it’s because I want her to be on her best behavior.  But I sure as hell won't let any cretin like Coldnelius Snap take her away, even if he is an Alicorn.”
“Besides,” Princess Cadance said as she cuddled Sunset.  “Even if you lost Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, you still got your big sis as an Alicorn to protect you both.”
Wanda let out a big sigh as she looked up at her adopted mother.  
“I guess I understand why I can’t live here,” Wanda said with a depressed tone.  “But does that mean I have to remain there for the rest of my life?”
“Not exactly,” Princess Celestia said.  “We still have other field trips for you, your sisters and your best friends.  So you won’t have to spend your childhood up in Canterlot.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said as she waltzed over to Wanda.  “Even if you can’t come back down to La Maresa, it doesn’t mean we can’t go up to Canterlot and pay a visit there.”
“Besides,” Applejack said.  “Pa always told me about you, your struggles up in that big city, the mother, aunt and sisters that care for you, and even the friends that you have.  That’s why I wanted to go up there.  To at least get a chance to meet you and your sister.”  
“You,” Wanda said.  “You actually wanted to meet us?”
“It’s amazing we can find such interesting friends, even in a place like La Maresa,” Sunset said,
“Indeed,” Applejack said as she scratched the back of her head.  “And when pa told me that the both of you were coming on down, I was excited.  I wanted this to be the best day of my life to meet the daughters of Princess Celestia, even though the Windigo’s Guild ruined it for everyone.”
“Guess that’s saying a lot,” Sunset said.  “Funny thing is, I really wanted to meet you, your big brother and your little sister.”
“Sunset,” Applejack said as she wrapped her arm around Sunset’s back.  “I think there’s far more to the both of us than meets the eye.  You’re strong, tough, and you have a soft spot for relatives.  And that’s your biggest strength, like it’s mine.  Whatever you do, never lose sight of that, and never let anyone tell you otherwise, no matter how stupid and cliche they think it is.  Promise?”
“Promise,”  Sunset said.
As Applejack and Sunset laugh, Wanda looked upwards at Princess Celestia and said “So because of what those bad Windigos did, does that mean...we have to leave now?”
“Not yet,” Celestia said.  “Sure you can’t move down here to La Maresa.  But we’re not done with the Ponyville Providence Fair yet.  Besides, after all we’ve been through, I think a little celebration is in order.”
Wanda looked up at her adopted mother as tears flowed in her eyes.  She jumped right at Princess Celestia and gave her a big hug, yelling out “THANK YOU MOMMY” as she cried right into her chest.
Princess Celestia gently hugged Wanda as she whispered “You’re welcome, my daughter.”

Sometime that day, Rarity, Moondancer and Sunset Shimmer were going over the wreckage of the mini-boutique booth.  Rarity held the purple dress up in the air, watching as the small diamonds fell off it, and some of the stitching was starting to come loose.
“All that hard work torn apart by those hooligans,” Rarity said with a somber tone  “Well, I’ll have to fix it up and make it better.”
“I can salvage anything you need from your boutique,” Moondancer said.  “We shouldn’t let something like that go to waste.”
“Thanks darling,” Rarity said.  “Of all the ponies from Canterlot, you have a lot of passion in your eyes.”
Sunset looked at the form of the wrecked dress.  She turned to Rarity and said “I’m surprised you wound up making a dress for my sister Wanda.”
“Of course I did,” Rarity said as she placed the dress down on a makeshift table.  “It was your mother who put in an order for two dresses.  One for each of her daughters.”
“Wait a minute,” Sunset said.  “Did you say...two dresses?”
Rarity smiled and lit up the magic on her horn.  A magical aura surrounded the debris from her mini-boutique wreckage, pushing it out of the way to reveal a metal chest that only had a few bumps on the side, but remained intact.
“Princess Sunset Shimmer,” Rarity said as she used her magic to open the chest and pulled out a bright orange dress, holding it up to shine in the afternoon sun.  “I present to you a gown made for royalty.”
Sunset Shimmer reached out and touched the fabric of the dress.  She turned to Rarity and said “I’m not worthy of this dress.”
“But why not?” Rarity asked.
“It’s a lot to get off my chest,” Sunset said.  “You put a lot of time and effort into this frock, I can give you that.  But at the same time, I don’t know if I am truly worthy of even wearing this dress, even as a Princess.  It looks too good for me.”
Rarity’s ears drooped down as she said “Oh….I see.  Guess it was all for nothing.”
Sunset turned her head towards Rarity and said “But I didn’t say I wouldn’t try the dress out.  After all, if mother had you make this dress, then I’m all for it.”
Those words perked Rarity right up as she ran up and gave Sunset Shimmer a big hug. 
“Oh thank you thank you,” Rarity said as she snuggled up to the sun unicorn.  “You will not be disappointed by it.”
As Rarity continued to embrace Sunset, Moondancer walked up to the sun-themed unicorn filly and whispered “You might want to be careful with the kind of words you say to your friends.”
“Duly noted,” Sunset whispered back. 
Moondancer walked to the side of Rarity and Sunset, and said “So what should we do next?”
Sunset and Rarity released their hold on each other as Rarity pulled out a sewing needle from her mane.  She approached Moondancer and said “Let’s get the work, my dear.”

At another part of the fair, a wagon that once stood next to the bleachers was totally wrecked, with broken shards of ice scattered among the wreckage.  Trixie looked at what remained of her wagon.  Her back slumped down, her eyes closed as tears dropped, and her ears drooped down.  Starlight stood right next to Trixie and placed her arm around the broken filly.
“I’m sorry about your wagon, Trixie,” Starlight said.
“Thanks Starlight,” Trixie said with a huge sigh.  “Daddy gave me this after I dropped out of the School for Gifted Unicorns.  It was my inspiration for my tricks and performances.  And now it’s gone.”
“Cheer up,” Starlight said.  “We’ll find a way to get you a new wagon.  One that’s even better than the last one.”
Trixie raised her head, opened her eyes and said “I’m glad I got to know you, Starlight.”
But before Trixie was about to reach out, she noticed a handle stuck to what appeared to be a giant chest.  Trixie’s mood lit up as she jumped on her four hooves and ran up there.
“I know that chest,” Trixie yelled as she tossed aside the debris surrounding the chest before pulling it out.
“What is that?” Starlight asked.
“A piece of me that still stands,” Trixie said before she pulled a key from her cape and placed it into the keyhole before turning it.  She turned to Starlight and added “And something that I kept safe for you.”
Trixie lifted the chest open and dove right inside, causing Starlight to walk over to the chest.  The moment the twin-tailed filly approached, Trixie emerged from the chest, holding up the furbob plushie.
“My plushie,” Starlight cheered.  “I forgot that you put it there.”
Trixie smiled as she held out the plushie, allowing Starlight to grab and cuddle the soft doll.
“I may have lost my wagon,” Trixie said.  “But at least you still have that plushie of yours.”
Starlight dived into the chest, emerging from the contents as Trixie tackles her and gives the twin-tailed filly a big hug.
“Friends forever?” Starlight asked.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie sees you as a Great and Powerful friend,” Trixie replied.
“Thanks Trixie,” Starlight said as she and Trixie embraced each other.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell were hard at work constructing a set made from the wood pieces.  Shining Armor and Big Mac were hammering the nails in while Princess Cadance held the wood beams up.  Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash came in, holding various pieces of wood.
“So what exactly are you guys building?” Danged Spell asked as he placed the wood into the pile.
“Something special for a certain filly who’s birthday was interrupted,” Shining Armor said as he pounded the nail deep into the wood beam.
Rainbow Dash gave an excited look towards Danged Spell as she said “That has to be Ditzy Doo.  She ran away from La Maresa during her birthday celebration when Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ruined it.”
“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said in a stern tone as he smashed his hoof right on the nail, smashing it through the wood beam, but leaving it intact.
“Wow,” Shining Armor said.  “That was deep, even by my standards.”
“That’s saying a lot,” Big Macintosh replied as he picked up a nail, placed it on a piece of wood and slammed it in.  “Those three are nothing more than sadistic troublemakers, looking to make the lives of colts and fillies miserable.  Furthermore, everytime we punish them, they always seem to come back in full force.  That’s why they haven’t changed at all.”
“That’s really dark,” Danged Spell replied as he pulled some wood out from a nearby wreckage.  “Where were their parents?”
“That’s the thing,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Their house was set on fire a year ago, and their parents have been missing since.  But they claimed to have been responsible for the act.  And to think, they actually used to be such nice guys.”
“And unfortunately, I can confirm it as well,” Princess Cadance replied as she held up another wood beam.  “Chancellor Cinch told me about those three after they harassed Ditzy Doo and Crescent Eclipse, even going as far as to break a lens meant for Moondancer’s telescope.  They bragged about being the ones responsible for burning down their house, claiming they wanted to be tough ponies.”
“From sweet to rotten in just one tragic incident,” Danged Spell said with a somber tone.  “That really burns my mood.”
Big Mac just nodded and said “Eeyup.”
Rainbow Dash turned to Danged Spell and said “Wow.  For a pun, that was really dark.”
“I know,” Danged Spell said.  “When I hear something that disturbing, being funny is the last thing I’d want to be.”
“But there isn’t anything to worry about,” Shining Armor said as he hammered a nail into a separate wood beam.  “When this is ready, we got a lot to celebrate.”
Rainbow Dash flew into the air with excitement.  She spread her wings and cheered right into the air.  “Aww yeah,” she said. “Tonight will be the best night ever.”
As Danged Spell got up onto the platform and pulled a few boards of wood up with his horn, Shining Armor walked by the young colt and gave him a noogie.
“Hey knock it off, ya big palooka,” Danged Spell complained as Shining Armor lifted his hoof off from the youngster’s head.
“Chill out, Spell,” Shining Armor said.  “I just wanted you to loosen up and relax, even after what those punks did.”
Danged Spell brushed his mane with his bare hooves before shaking his head a bit.  He turned towards Shining Armor and said “Well next time, give me a warning before you do that.  What are you trying to do, give me a hair-raising experience?”
Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor, Big Macintosh and Princess Cadance could barely hold back their laughter as Danged Spell leaped down onto the ground and ran off towards a wood pile.  
“Somehow,” Rainbow Dash said as she let out a few chuckles.  “That reminds me of myself.  And I can be a bit cranky at times.”
“Is that a fact?” Shining Armor said.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I may be a nice gal, but I really hate it when some ponies get under my fur.”
“Well allow me to be one of those ponies,” Shining Armor said as he reached out towards Rainbow Dash, only for the filly to move out of the way.
“Oh no,” Rainbow Dash said as she glanced down at Shining Armor.  “I ain’t letting you take a cue from my dad.”
Princess Cadance took notice of Rainbow Dash just hovering in the air.  She zoomed out of position and flew up behind the filly before trapping her in a hug.  The rainbow-maned pegasi began to squirm and freak out.
“HEY, LET GO!” Rainbow Dash yelled.as she struggled to break free.
“So my boyfriend reminds me of your daddy, eh?” Princess Cadance said.  “Well let me be a reminder of your mommy.”
Princess Cadance turned towards a nearby crowd and yelled out “HEY EVERY PONY!  LET’S GIVE THREE CHEERS FOR RAINBOW DASH!”  The crowd ran up to Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash and started cheering.  Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to scream
“Urrgh,” Rainbow Dash groaned.  “Now you really remind me of mommy.”
Meanwhile, as the crowd cheered, Danged Spell watched from afar, bearing a sinister sneer on his face.
“Well I guess Rainbow Dash isn’t in a cheering mood,” Danged Spell said as he threw himself to the ground and burst out in laughter.


	To Be Continued in….


	Unforgettable memories

> Arc 10-8: Unforgettable Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unforgettable Memories



Evening had fallen among La Maresa.  A stage had been set up in the middle of the Ponyville Providence Fair, built from the remains of various booths, and yet it was sturdier than a typical house.  Rarity and Moondancer were on stage as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Abigail, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Danged Spell, Mr Bovine, Chancellor Cinch, Big Macintosh, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich and Diamond Tiara was waiting patiently.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts, Princesses and Chancellor,” Rarity said.  “It is the honor of Moondancer and myself to bring to you all a special showcase of our recent work.”
“What we’re showing off is a representation of the day and night,” Moondancer said.  “And we put a lot of care into making sure these dresses are in full form.”
“So let us bring out our subjects, who’s dress we made to represent the theme of this evening,” Rarity said.  “The sun and the moon.”
Rarity and Moondancer stepped aside as the curtain came up.  Wanda and Sunset stepped out from behind the curtain.  Wanda was wearing the gown-like purple dress, with a new batch of diamonds sewn onto the skirt.  Sunset was wearing the bright orange dress that Rarity showed her early ago.  The two siblings turned around, showcasing the details of their dresses as the crowd oohed and ahhed.
“I’ve never been on stage before,” Wanda said to Sunset nervously.
“Don’t worry,” Sunset said.  “As long as you’re by my side, you’ll be alright.
Rarity and Moondancer walked back to the center of the stage as Wanda and Sunset stopped turning.  Rarity approached Sunset as the sun filly got on her hind legs.
“As you can tell with Sunset Shimmer,” Rarity said “She represents the morning sky when we wake from our wonderful dreams.  The colors match that of the beautiful sun, shining across when ponies face the morning day.”
“And with Wanda,” Moondancer said.  “She represents the evening night that dazzles our eyes.  The diamonds represent the stars that fill the skies and dot the universe, with her hair being the beautiful moon.”
The audience cheered as Wanda, Sunset, Rarity and Moondancer took a bow.
“That looks amazing,” Starlight said as she clapped her hooves in excitement.
“That reminds me,” Sunburst said as he looked around in the crowd.  “Where is Ditzy Doo?  We haven’t seen her since we drove off the Windigo’s Guild?”
Fluttershy tapped on Sunburst’s shoulder and said “Look behind you.”   Sunburst turned around and saw Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles leading a blindfolded Ditzy Doo towards the group.
“Are you sure I can take the blindfold off, Mr Dash?” Ditzy Doo said
“Patience, little one,” Bow Hothoof said.  We’re almost there.
“I think you’re going to be happy to see this,” Windy Whistles said as approached the group.
Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles approached the group and turned towards their left as they escorted Ditzy Doo.  Rainbow Dash flew on down and approached her parents and Ditzy.
“Okay Ditzy,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You can go ahead and take off the blindfold.”
Ditzy Doo grabbed the blindfold and took it off.  She looked forward and saw a huge table, decorated with party streamers, balloons, presents, and a big cake in the middle.
“Wait a minute,” Ditzy Doo said.  “Is this...a new party?”
The crowd turned towards Ditzy Doo and yelled out “HAPPY BELATED MAKE UP BIRTHDAY, DITZY!”
Pinkie bounced out of the crowd and approached Ditzy Doo as Wanda and Sunset jumped off stage, siding with the pink party pony.
“Not long ago,” Pinkie Pie said. “Your birthday party was ruined by three nasty colts who used to be nice, and then you ran off hoping to get away.  So to make it up, we built you a belated birthday party so you can really have something to celebrate.”
“You’re very special to your friends here in Ponyville,” Wanda said.  “And you’re also very special to us because of who you are.”
“You should never forget that,” Sunset said as she approached Ditzy and gave her a hug.  “After all, you’re now our friend.  And now matter how far we are away from you, we will remain friends forever more.”
Ditzy looked like she was going to cry.  She snuggled up to Sunset and said “Thank you, friend.”
The two embraced each other in a warm hug as the crowd cheered.  Deep in the crowd, Bright Mac, Buttercup and Granny Smith teared up just watching Sunset and Ditzy from afar.
“This is what life is worth living for,” Bright Mac said as he wiped a tear from his eye.
“It’s what life is supposed to be living for,” Granny Smith replied.  “All that hard work paid off for her in the end.  This is why Princess Celestia raised her this way.”
Buttercup looked up at Bright Mac’s face as she saw the tears flow down his cheek.”
“Are you crying, honey?” Buttercup said.
“No,” Bright Mac said as he couldn’t hold back.  “It’s just liquid pride.”
Shining Armor had been watching Bright Mac and Buttercup from the side, seeing the big stallion cry his eyes out.
“Liquid pride, eh?:  Shining Armor said.  “I’ll have to remember that.”
Bright Mac let out a big chuckle after he heard Shining Armor.
“Well that just made my day,” Bright Mac laughed.

Later that evening, the group was gathered at the big table with Ditzy Doo at the far end.  Songs were sung in the evening sky as Ditzy blew out the candles on her cake.  Danged Spell cheered before chugging down a cup full of punch while Rainbow Dash took a bite of cake.
“You know,” Danged Spell said.  “It’s too bad we have to head back to Canterlot after this is over.  We’ve known each other since you arrived during Moondancer’s Cute Ceanera.  And you’ve been one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
“Hey don’t worry,” Rainbow Dash said after swallowing the cake.  “I’ll come back to visit every once in a while just to check in with my new best bud.  Maybe we can go see the Wonderbolts in action.”
Looking forward to it,” Danged Spell said as he and Rainbow Dash gave themselves a hoof bump.
Nearby, Moondancer and Rarity stared at the stars as fireworks filled the skies.
“It’s too bad I can’t stick around,” Moondancer said.  “I still have my own studies at the School for Gifted Unicorns to take care of.”
“And you have a bright future ahead of you, Moondancer,” Rarity said.  “And don’t you worry.  When I get the time to do so, I’ll visit you up in Canterlot.  Always wanted to see what the place was like.”
‘Thank you Rarity,” Moondancer said.  “I hope we remain friends for a very long time.”
“Believe me, darling,” Rarity replied.  “We will.”
As Rarity and Moondancer continued to stare at the fireworks, Starlight and Trixie were also nearby looking up at the pyrotechnics, all while Starlight held onto her furbob plushie.
“I really wish we could have this last forever,” Starlight said.  “It’s a shame I have to return to Canterlot when this is over.”
“It really is,” Trixie said.  “Maybe one day, I can put on my show for you in Canterlot.  Or maybe at this Sire’s Hollow place you go to.”
“Well nothing can truly bring down the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Starlight said.  “Is that right?”
“Oh you better believe it,” Trixie giggled.
But nearby, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle clanged their cups in harmony before drinking the punch.  They botn set their cup down and breathe a sigh of relief.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Pinkie Pie said.  “That you have to return to Canterlot and continue your studies as Princess Celestia’s number one student.”
“You really are the reincarnation of Discord,” Twilight joked.
“But don’t you worry,” Pinkie Pie said before winking at Twilight.  “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again really soon.”
Twilight whistled innocently and said “Oh I know.  And I think Princess Celestia knows as well.”
Nearby, Sunset was enjoying her piece of cake while Wanda held baby Diamond Tiara in her arms, feeding her small bits of cake.  Applejack and Apple Bloom were giggling as they smeared cake on each other.  Down near Wanda’s legs, Abigail and Spike sat next to each other as they enjoyed their slice of cake.
“You know,” Applejack said as Apple Bloom bit into a piece of cake.  “It’s too bad you can’t stay here in La Maresa, or in any part of Ponyville.”
“I know,” Wanda said as she let out a sigh.
“But cheer up,” Applejack said.  “You have a loving mother and aunt who will look after you, and you have some great friends who will be by your side.”
“She’s right,” Sunset said.  “And they will come up to visit you.  In fact, Rarity was hoping that we wear our dresses at the Grand Gallopin Gala later on.”
“I’ve heard alot about the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Applejack said.  “And I bet that when that event comes, all your friends will join you for what could end up being the best night ever.”
“You really think so?” Wanda said.
“No doubt about it,” Sunset replied.
As Applejack, Sunset and Wanda laughed, Baby Diamond Tiara looked up at the Man’s Cub and said “Wanda.”  This caused Wanda, Sunset and Applejack to look down at her as Filthy and Spoiled Rich ran up to the trio.
“She said her first word,” Filthy Rich said in excitement
“This has got to be the best moment in our lives,” Spoiled Rich said as she and Filthy Rich cheered while Wanda looked down at Diamond.
“And not to mention you made a friend in Diamond Tiara,” Applejack said as Diamond Tiara giggled in Wanda’s face.
“Yeah,” Wanda said as she let Diamond Tiara grab onto her finger.  “Who knew I had a soft spot for babies?”
But right next to them, Sunburst and Fluttershy just looked at each other awkwardly.
“So,” Fluttershy said.  “What’s going to be like when you return?”
“Not as exciting,” Sunburst said.  “Plus, I still have to get over what those monsters did to us.”
“Don’t you worry,” Fluttershy said.  “I believe you and Starlight will have some fun times up there.  And I believe I could come on by, all just to check on both of you.  In fact, I think you’re cute together.
“Aww,” Sunburst said before he turned his head.  He turned back and said “By the way, where is Mr Bovine?”
“Don’t you worry,” Fluttershy said.  “He said he had an important task to take care of.”

But nearby in the bushes, Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score lay hidden, looking like they were ready to pounce.
“So that special snowflake decided to have another birthday party?” Hoops said.
“Especially after we ruined her last one,” Dumb-Bell said, rubbing his hooves together.
“Wadda say we ruin this one and leave her in a crying mess?” Score said.
“Why not?” Hoops said, looking like he’s ready to emerge.  “Maybe she’ll run far away to Manehattan and hide there for the rest of her life.”
But as the trio laughed within the bushes, they felt a hot steam blow down from above.
“Hey quit steaming on me,” Hoops said as he smacked Score upside the face.
“I didn’t do no steaming,” Score said as Dumb-Bell looked up and looked like he was about to freak out.
“Uhh, guys,” Dumb-Bell said.  “ I think we got company.”
Hoops and Score looked upwards and saw Mr Bovine looking down at the trio, angry as ever.
“What do you think you trouble makers are up to?” Mr Bovine roared.
“MONSTER!”  Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score yelled as they ran off from the bushes.  Mr Bovine just stood there and smiled.
“The trap has been set,” Mr Bovine said to himself.

Nearby, Hoops, Dumb-bell and Score ran as fast as possible, running away from the big bull.
“How the hay did that cow know where we were?” Score yelled.
“Shut up and keep running,” Hoops said as he ran really fast.
Suddenly, they bumped into a large object and fell on their backs, partially dazed.  Hoops shook his head as he began to open his eyes.
“Who did that?”  Hoops yelled as his eyes were wide open.
But when Hoops looked upwards, he saw the face of Chancellor Cinch, who glared down at the three boys with extreme scorn.
“I thought I told you three not to cause harm to that filly,” Chancellor Cinch yelled.
Hoops Dumb-Bell and Score looked up at Cinch and their jaws dropped down.  They tried to inch backwards, only to bump into another hoof.  Their faces turned south faster than a cheetah on the prairie lands.
“I don’t like what’s behind us,” Dumb-Bell said as she shook in fear.
The trio of boys looked upwards and saw Granny Smith and Princess Luna stare right down at them.  The trio stood there helplessly as they cowered in fear.
“And I told you three not to come back to the fair,” Granny Smith said.  “But it seems you troublemakers enjoy this kind of juvenile delinquency.”
“I believe I have a far more suitable punishment for you three,” Princess Luna yelled as her voice echoed into the night.  “Because what you’ll get will be the biggest nightmare of your lives.”

Later on, Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score were dressed up as waiters as they reluctantly passed out cups full of punch and plates full of cake to the guests.  Hoops only growled as Ditzy accepted another slice of cake.
“Maybe if you kids didn’t act like total jerks,” Bright Mac said.  “You wouldn’t be in this situation, regardless of that accident or not.”
“Yeah,” Ditzy said. “Just because you had one tragedy occur in your life doesn’t give you three permission to act like that.”
As Ditzy Doo ate her piece of cake, Hoops stood there, growling to himself.
“Just you wait,” Hoops said to himself.  “When this humiliation is over, I’ll make you wish you were never born.”  
But as Hoops finished speaking to himself, a large piece of cake flew right at Hoops’ face.  He turned around and saw Apple Bloom giggling as she took another bite of cake.  The crowd laughed at Hoops stood there, grumbling to himself before turning his head to see Dumb-bell and Score looking like they were about to giggle.
“What are you morons laughing at?” Hoops said to Dumb-Bell and Score, causing them to cower down.
As Ditzy enjoyed some more cake, Wanda and Sunset approached the cross-eyes pegasus filly.
“It’s too bad you have to return to Canterlot,” Ditzy said.  “Maybe I’ll come back there one day.”
“It was great to meet you, Ditzy,” Sunset said.  “And don’t worry.  If you have another problem like that again, you know who to turn to.”
“After all, it’s two things that mommy said to us,” Wanda said.  “As a family, we are one together, and friendship is magic.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard,” Ditzy Doo said as Wanda and Sunset gave the pegasus a big hug.
Nearly everyone enjoyed the night as they sipped on punch and ate cake.  As for Hoops, Dumb-Bell and Score, they just stood there, reluctantly serving cake to the guests all while being pelted by pieces of the dessert for misbehaving.

Later that night, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail were back in Canterlot, in their own bedroom.  Wanda and Sunset sat on their beds and looked up at the night sky while Abigail slept right next to her.They looked exhausted.  But at the same time, they felt happy.
“What a day,” Wanda said as she looked up, just admiring the beauty, even though the moon had the image of a devil-like pony on the surface.  “We had a blast at the fair, had to endure the Windigo’s Guild, and we got to give Ditzy Doo a real birthday party.”
“And we made some good friends down there in La Maresa,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “It’s a shame it all came to an end so soon.”
“Do you suppose they will be coming down to Canterlot?” Wanda asked.
“Oh believe me,” Sunset replied.  “I think they’ll be here sooner than you think.”
Suddenly, a knock echoed from their door.  Wanda turned to the door and yelled out “Come in.”  The door opened and Kibitz came on it.
“There’s a guest for you, Miss Glimmer and Ms Young,” Kibitz said.
“A guest?” Wanda replied.  “Now who could be here at this time?”
“Oh you’ll find out,” Sunset said with a wink. 
Wanda jumped off the bed and approached Kibitz.  She said “Who is this guest?”
“Why,” Kibitz said as he opened the door.  “It’s a friend from La Maresa.”
As the door opened wide up, Pinkie Pie emerged from behind with a loud “SURPRISE!”
“Pinkie Pie,” Wanda cheered.  “How did you get here?”
“It was actually a request from Princess Celestia,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Since you couldn’t stay down in La Maresa, I decided to come on up and pay a visit for you all.  It’s only until the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“That’s right,” Wanda said.  “The Grand Gallopin Gala is coming right up.  That’s why Princess Celestia made an order for those dresses.”
“We’re going to have a great time for the next few weeks,” Pinkie Pie cheered.  “In fact, I think you’re both due for your trip to Mount Aris.”
Wanda and Pinkie Pie cheered as they hugged each other.  Sunset Shimmer got off the bed and walked over to Kibitz, as Abigail woke up and saw Wanda and Pinkie from the comfort of the bed.
“You know,” Sunset said to Kibitz.  “You did miss out on the fun at La Maresa, even if it did get populated by the Windigo’s Guild.”
“I know,” Kibitz replied.  “But someone had to hold down the fort in case someone tried to break in.  A shame I didn’t get to experience the wonders of the fair.  But at least Princess Celestia brought back some Apple Fritters to try out.  Best food I’ve ever had.”
“I’m glad you’re the majordomo of this castle,” Sunset laughed.

Back outside, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch looked up at the room where Sunset, Wanda, Abigail and Pinkie Pie were.  Though Celestia breathed a sigh of relief, she also felt a gust of worry flow through her mane.
“We came this close to losing Wanda and Sunset,” Celestia said.  “And it was away from the comfort of Canterlot.  Imagine what would happen if the Windigo’s Guild breached the castle.”
“Do not worry,” Princess Luna said.  “We’ll be there to protect Wanda and Sunset, should the time come.”
“But that’s just it,” Princess Celestia said.  “I couldn’t protect myself, so I couldn’t protect Wanda.  That cost her a lot, because I wanted her to live a happy, simple life in La Maresa.”
“It happens to all of us, Princess,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “But what matters the most is that we’re all safe.  At least Mount Aris is the one place the Windigo’s Guild is afraid of going to when you depart on your next field trip.”
“I hope you’re both right,” Princess Celestia said.  “If I lost either or both of my children, I dunno what I would do.”

But as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch looked up at the castle, Coldnelius Snap and his guild members watched from a distance.  Snap sneered as he got a good look at the castle.
“If those brats think they’ll be safe at that fortress, they’re in for a big surprise,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Once we’re in, we’ll turn it into a Citadel of Pure Cold.  And then, we’ll launch the full power of the Windigos across all of Equestria, bringing Eternal Winter to every little pony.
One guild member ran up to Coldnelius and held up a flyer saying “Master.  We have an opportunity.”  Coldnelius Snap snatched the flyer and looked at it.
“Come one, come all, to the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Coldnelius Snap read.  “Tickets are being sent out to every pony in Equestria.  It will be the best night ever.”  His eyes sparked as he pulled down the flyer.
“That would be a perfect opportunity to sneak in and take over the place, master,” the cultist said.
“So it is,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Come Windigos.  We prepare for the Grand Gallopin Gala, and make it the coldest night ever.
Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild turned tail and ran off, deep into the woods, with the exception of the very cult member.  The lone cult member smiled as he transformed into a bug-like pony.  He pulled out an orb and looked down right at it.
“Queen Chrysalis,” the bug-like pony said into the orb.  “He’s taken the bait.”
The orb formed the image of Queen Chrysalis, a large Changeling with a dark gray chitin, a dark cerulean carapace, and a green-blue mane.  She had large, insect-like wings and a spiked crown on her head.
“Excellent, Locust, “Queen Chrysalis said.  “Coldnelius Snap is our key to breaking into Canterlot Castle and taking over so that my hive will become superior to every pony in Equestria.  Even those blasted Windigos.”
“Shall I continue to spy on Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild, my queen?” Locust asked.
“Make it so,” Queen Chrysalis replied.  “Keep Coldnelius Snap focused on the Grand Gallopin Gala.  He is our ticket to getting in and turning all of Canterlot into the rallying point for all the Changelings of the world.  This day is going to be perfect, a day we’ve all been dreaming of in a long time.  Now go.”
“At once, your majesty,” Locust said as Queen Chrysalis disappeared on the orb.  He put the orb away and transformed back into a Windigo’s Guild cult member before galloping into the woods.
“It won’t be long,” the fake cultist said to himself.  “When the guild members are in place on that day, my queen will make her move and show them who’s really in charge.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 11: Sunburst’s burden


	The nervous sun

> Arc 11(Sunburst's Burden)-1: The Nervous Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 11: Sunburst’s burden


The Nervous Sun




“What’s this about you wanting to step down from your duties as Princess of Equestria?”
Those words came from Silver Banks as he and Gold Banks glanced down coldly at Princess Celestia in the principal’s office of the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Celestia just sat there, nervously as Silver Banks stared down at her while Gold Banks looked at her from the side.
“I’d explain yourself if I were you, Princess,” Gold Banks said.  “After all, even the depths of Tatarus pale in comparison to what my husband is capable of.”
“Well you did say that if I did something stupid like disciplining your daughter,” Celestia said as she stood there.  “I would be stripped of my crown and banished from Canterlot.  So I wanted to get that out of the way and simply step down and retire.”
“I did say exactly that,” Silver Banks said as he turned away from Celestia and took a few steps.  He quickly turned around and yelled “But that doesn’t mean you get to quit on your own terms.”
“My….own terms?” Princess Celestia said.
“Don’t you get it?” Gold Banks said as she leaned down on the desk.  “You’re our employee, our main celebrity.  The senators who work up in that stupid building?  Same thing.”  She giggled as she placed her hoof under Celestia’s chin.  “And as long as we’re in charge, you are not allowed to quit on your own terms, nor impose a self-exile from Canterlot.”
“My wife is right,” Silver Banks yelled as he slammed his hoof on Celestia’s desk, scaring the alicorn princess.  “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’ll take your kids away and form a labor camp for them to spend the rest of their miserable lives in.  I’ll even put you in and make sure you can never fly or use your magic again.  DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
Princess Celestia swallowed hard before saying “Y….yes.  Mr Banks.”
“Very good,” Silver Banks said as he lifted his arm off the desk and placed it back down on the ground.  “And while you’re at it, my daughter is required to go on your next field trip to Mt. Aris.  Make sure that she does.”
As Silver Banks walked towards the door, Gold Banks turned towards Princess Celestia and said “And tell dear sister Sweet Milk, or was it Spoiled Rich, that I said hi.”
Silver Banks slammed the door open and walked out of the principal’s office with Gold Banks walking right behind him.  They turned and noticed Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch standing out there, looking coldly at the duo.
“Tell your dog of a princess that she needs to keep her collar on, Chancellor,” Silver Banks snarled.
“And do tell your sister she really needs to stop getting kidnapped by that Windigo’s Guild,” Gold Banks said.  “It’s not good for her reputation.”
Gold and Silver Banks turned around and walked off in the opposite direction, leaving Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch staring down at the couple with complete scorn.
“Duly noted,” Chancellor Cinch said as she brushed her dress.  “And ignored.”
“And how in the hay did they find out she was being held captive by Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild?” Princess Luna said.
Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch walked into the principal’s office, where Princess Celestia just sat there with her arms covering her head.  The alicorn just looked completely nervous.
“Maybe that field trip to La Maresa may have been a horrible idea,” Celestia said as she just sat there shaking nervously.  “In fact, I think I would have been better off as Daybreaker.”
“Don’t let their words get in you, sister,” Princess Luna said.  “You’re better than this, and you’re far more humble.”
“She’s right,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Besides, I overheard everything, and I wouldn’t say those despicable words to your daughters.”
“But what am I supposed to do?” Princess Celestia said as she hunkered down nervously.  “It feels like the Banks are breathing down my neck, and I’m at my wits end.  A part of me is just itching to explode and go all out.”
“Then my suggestion is to relax,” Princess Luna said.
“Relax?” Princess Celestia said.  “How am I to relax?  I have kids to teach.”
“I’ll do that in your place,” Princess Luna said.  “You stay here and wind down for a bit.”
“Are you sure you can handle all those kids?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Oh please,” Princess Luna said.  “I handled this before when you looked after a bedridden Wanda.  And besides, this is for your mental sake.”
“You’re right,” Princess Celestia said as she reclined back in her chair.  “I think you can handle teaching class and preparing for their test about one of the greatest travesties of Equestria.”
Princess Luna nodded and took a few steps towards the entrance.  She only paused to turn around and said “Do you need any lavender to calm your nerves?”
“Not really,” Princess Celestia said as she looked up at the ceiling.  “I think the silence of this room will be enough.”
As Princess Luna walked out of the room, Chancellor Cinch followed from behind, only pausing to look back at Princess Celestia.
“Whatever happens, don’t forget,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “You’re a better leader than what those goons say.”
As Chancellor Cinch walked out of the room, Princess Celestia continued to look up at the ceiling.  Even in spite of the advice from Luna and Cinch, Celestia still felt stressed out.
“What am I doing?” Princess Celestia said to herself.  “All this silence, and I can still hear Silver and Gold Banks yell at me for no reason.”

Meanwhile, in class, the students sat in their assigned seats, patiently waiting for a teacher to arrive.  Some of them looked anxious as the clock ticked down.  Pinkie Pie stood there on the side next to the doorway, waiting patiently.
“She’s late,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “This isn’t like our mother to be like this.”
“Not to mention,” Wanda said.  “Mommy was going to introduce Pinkie Pie to the group before our preparation for our test.”
“You’re telling me,” Twilight said.  “It’s not like Princess Celestia to be this late.  What could have happened to her?”
“Actually,” Moondancer said.  “I recall seeing Gold and Silver Banks wander into the school again.  I believe they went after Princess Celestia again.”
“Oh no,” Twilight said as she covered her face.  “Not those two again.  They caused Celestia to break down because she wanted to punish Golden Lace for that stunt she pulled.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell said as he hid under the desk.  “One look at their face, and you can tell they’re the prime example of banking on it.”
“Danged Spell,” Most of the students yelled as Spell continued to hide under his desk.
“What?”  Danged Spell said as he poked his head out.  “I’m not kidding.  Even the Windigo’s Guild aren’t as horrifying as those two.”
“Not only that,” Sunset Shimmer siad.  “But Gold and Silver Banks hold a lot of political power, even though the ponies of Equestria don’t elect them into power.”
“Uhh, hey guys,” Starlight said.  “I think there’s something wrong with Sunburst.”
Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Moondancer and Danged Spell got up and looked at Sunburst.  The colt was sitting at his desk as he looked depressed, like something was bothering him.  Pinkie Pie, who was stationed next to the doorway, noticed Sunburst’s mood and walked up to Sunburst.
“Hey,” Pinkie Pie said as she waved at Sunburst’s face. “You alright?”
Sunburst let out a sigh and turned his head away from Pinkie Pie.  The pink one just stood there as Sunburst faced away.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I can tell this is the prime example of something bugging him.  Reminds me of when Applejack was like this.”
“What do you suppose is bugging him?” Wanda asked as Abigail jumped up from below the desk and onto Wanda’s lap.
“Well I’d say he must be suffering from snowflakeitis.”  Everyone turned their attention towards the doorway as Golden Lace walked on in, flicking her hair and eyeing Sunburst.  Sunset Shimmer looked at Golden Lace with a disgusting scorn on her face.
“Not this spoilsport again,” Danged Spell said.
Golden Lace turned her attention towards Danged Spell and said “Aww.  Do you miss being the victim of those Windigo bullies?”
Danged Spell turned his head and said “Personally, I’d rather suffer under the Windigo’s Guild than to have to put up with your parents.”
Golden Lace scowled at Danged Spell and said “Well that’s not a nice thing to say to my parents.  Be glad I’m not a tattletale.”
As Golden Lace stepped away from Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie jumped right in front of her, staring at her face with utmost suspicion.
“I’ve got my eyes on you,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo told me all about you.”
“Did they also tell me that I was never punished for my own...crimes?” Golden Lace said with a subtle laugh.
“Big whoop,” Pinkie Pie replied.  “I already know that.  Besides, some ponies call me the reincarnation of Discord.”
“Well if you’re the reincarnation of Discord,” Golden Lace said.  “Then explain why there’s a statue of a draconequus in the castle gardens.”
“That’s my body double,” Pinkie Pie replied with a smile.  “I created a clone of myself before I disappeared for a thousand years.”
“That’s a likely story, sister,” Golden Lace said as she walked around Pinkie Pie.  “Either that or you're trying to get into my head.”
Pinkie Pie let out a raspberry and said “If I wanted to do that, I would have done so already.”
As Pinkie Pie turned tailed with her butt in the air and walked off, Golden Lace walked up to Sunburst, who just stared into the blank space.
“Well well well,” Golden Lace said.  “That looks like the sign of a potential failure.  Doesn’t it?”
Sunburst just sat there breathing out a heavy sigh as his mind drifted off.  Golden Lace looked down at him with an awkward look.
“How rude,” Golden Lace said.  “You should learn to respect your elders, like me.”
But Sunburst just sat there, ignoring Golden Lace all while staring up at the ceiling.  Lace looked like she was about to flip out.
“Now you see here,” Golden Lace yelled as she slammed her hoof on Sunburst’s desk.  “When I demand attention, then you face me and say ‘I am very thankful for Golden Lace.’  Do you understand?”
Sunburst just sighed and said “Whatever.”
Golden Lace looked offended.  She took her hoof off the desk, turned around and walked off in the opposite direction.
“Hmph,” Golden Lace said as she walked towards her desk.  “Be that way.  You were such a bore, anyway.”
As Golden Lace sat at her desk, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and Moondancer all approached Sunburst, each with an eager look on her face.
“I can’t believe it,” Twilight said, excited.  “You actually got Golden Lace to leave you alone.”
“No pony in this school has ever done that before,” Starlight said as she gave Sunburst a hug.
“Tell me,” Moondancer said as she slammed her hooves on the front of Sunburst’s desk.  “Tell me oh great Sunburst the art of ignoring your foes.”
Sunburst just sighed and looked at the wall, ignoring everyone around her.  Twilight’s tone turned sour, Moondancer got her hooves off Sunburst’s desk and Starlight let go of Sunburst.
“This is more serious than I thought,” Sunset whispered to Twilight.
“You’re telling me?”  Twilight said.  “She ignored Golden Lace and threw away our complement.  
“Well you could say,” Danged Spell said as he got up onto his seat.  “She got a nasty sunburst.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” The class yelled, while Golden Lace just snubbed her nose upwards and Sunburst kept staring at the ceiling.
“Wow,” Danged Spell said to himself.  “Tough crowd.”
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie looked outside the classroom, hoping to spot an adult.  As she turned to her far right, she noticed Princess Luna walking towards the entrance.  
“Don’t you worry dear sister,” Princess Luna sang to herself.  “Princess Luna will look after your students.”
Pinkie Pie looked like she was about to freak out.  She pulled her head in and turned her attention to the class.
“Hey guys,” Pinkie Pie yelled.  “I think there’s a teacher on her way, and it looks like Princess Luna.”  Immediately, Pinkie Pie moved to the side of the doorway, tapping her hooves patiently.
“Princess Luna?”  Twilight said.  “That’s strange.  Now why would she want to take over Princess Celestia’s teaching duties at this moment?”
“Didn’t she subbed in for mommy while I was out sick?” Wanda asked.
“She did,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “And while it was her first time, she did pull it off well.  So I have a lot of faith in her.”
As every student was in their assigned seating with Pinkie Pie standing right next to the doorway, Princess Luna entered the classroom and approached the teacher’s desk, looking eager to start the day.
“Good morning class,” Princess Luna said.
“Good morning Princess Luna,” the students replied.
“As you all know,” Princess Luna said.  “I will be subbing in for Princess Celestia today.  She’s undergoing a lot of stress lately due to the previous field trip to La Maresa.  Anyway, we have a guest from the beautiful town who will be here for the next few months.”  She turned her head towards Pinkie Pie and said.  “Pinkie Pie, would you be so kind as to…”
“Introduce myself?” Pinkie Pie interrupted as she jumped right in front of the desk, much to Luna’s surprise.  “Don’t mind if I do.”
Pinkie Pie reached into her mane and pulled out a clipboard with a pencil attached to it.  She took a good look at the paper on the clipboard, studying the words carefully before stuffing the entire object back into her mane.  Then she cleared her throat.
“For those of you who didn’t partake in the field trip,” Pinkie Pie said.  “My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie.  But you may call me Pinkie Pie.  I hail from La Maresa, the beautiful town located in the Ponyville Providence, as the apprentice of one Chiffon Swirl, AKA Mrs Cup Cake.  But believe it or not, my real origins are from a rock farm located outside of La Maresa.”
“You actually were born on a rock farm?” Golden Lace laughed.  “That’s one way to hit rock bottom.”
Most of the class groaned as Danged Spell turned his face towards Golden Lace and said “Hey.  No fair stealing my act, you mean-spirited siren.”
“Why?”  Golden Lace said.  “Are you afraid you’ll hit a rocky situation?”
But before Danged Spell could speak to Golden Lace, Pinkie Pie jumped right in front and said “Better to be on a rock farm than atop a skyscraper.  It must feel really lonely to look down at the world from atop that monolith of isolation.”
The entire classroom burst into laughter as Golden Lace was left with her jaw hanging wide open.  Even Princess Luna couldn’t hold her in hysterics as she joined in the chuckling.  The only individual who wasn’t laughing was Sunburst, as he continued to stare into the distance.
“How?  What?” Golden Lace said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.
“Oh that?”  Pinkie Pie said as she bounced back towards Princess Luna.  “Some say I’m the reincarnation of Discord.”  Most of the class ooooed in a creepy tone as Golden Lace gagged.
“You wouldn’t like it if I sicced mom and dad on your discorded butt,” Golden Lace said to herself.
As the classroom calmed down, Princess Luna cleared her throat and glanced over at her notes before turning her attention to the class.
“Anyway,”  Princess Luna announced.  “You all have a test coming up involving La Maresa and its ties to Old Equestria.  Before we begin, I’d like to see how knowledgeable you are in this subject.”  
“Old Equestria,” Twilight said to herself.  “I’ve been dying to want to take a test on this.”
Luna placed her hoof on one portion of the notes before she said.  “First off, what is the name of the forest that is located near La Maresa?”
Without a second thought, Twilight Sparkle raised her arm into the air.  Luna catched it and pointed towards the young unicorn by calling out her name.
“The Everfree Forest,” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“Correct,” Princess Luna replied.  She looked down at her notes before looking upwards and said “Now what was the name of the very castle that is located near the forest?”  It didn’t take long before Twilight raised her arm into the air, catching Luna’s attention.
“Twilight,” Luna said.
“Castle Everfree,” Twilight announced.
“That is correct,” Luna said with a surprised tone.
Sunset leaned over to Wanda and whispered.  “And to think, we were at that location before we made it into La Maresa.”
“Well I ain’t going to let Twilight one-up the both of us,” Wanda whispered back.
Luna looked down in her notes before looking upwards and said “Now this one’s a toughie.  Who are the names of the original occupants of the castle?”
But before Twilight could raise her arm, Wanda raised hers in the air, catching Luna’s attention.
“Miss Wanda,” Luna said as she pointed towards the Man’s Cub.
“Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina,” Wanda replied.
“Correct,” Princess Luna said. 
As Wanda sat down with a smile on her face, Twilight looked at her with an annoyed glare.
“I’m onto you,” Twilight said as she stared at Wanda, who only smirked back at the unicorn.
Luna continued to look at her notes before looking upwards and said “Okay.  Who can tell me what the forest used to be?”
In an instant, Sunset Shimmer raised her arm into the air, catching Princess Luna’s attention.
“Sunset,” Luna said as she pointed to the sun-themed filly.
“It was once a majestic city known as Everfree City,” Sunset replied.
“Correct,” Luna said.  She rolled her eyes a bit before she said to herself “I think dear sister gave Wanda and Sunset the VIP treatment.”
As Sunset Shimmer sat down, Twilight glanced over at Sunset with a threatening frown on her face.
“You’ll pay for this, you scene-stealing aristocrat,” Twilight said as Sunset whistled innocently.
Luna looked down on her notes before looking upwards and said “Okay.  This one’s a real toughie.  What year was Everfree City abandoned and why?”
Without looking at Princess Luna, Sunburst raised his hand into the air, catching Luna’s attention.
“Sunburst,” Luna said.
Sunburst let out a sigh and said “50 B.D.  It was because of the fight between Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina with nether alicorn emerging as the victor.  And some say they both perished in the fight.”
“Err...correct,” Luna said hesitantly.  “Are you alright, Mr Sunburst?”
“I’m fine, Princess Luna,” Sunburst sighed.
Princess Luna just sat there with an odd look on her face for a bit as Sunburst rolled his eyes and drifted off.  Though the Alicorn knew something was up with the unicorn colt, she had no idea on what to do about him.
“Well anyway,” Princess Luna said with an awkward tone.  “While that covers a lot of the topic at hoof, there are other subjects of Equestria’s past that can also be covered with a short cartoon.”
Luna’s horn glowed as a video projector atop a cart was wheeled out from the back corner of the room and positioned so that the projector faces the front of the class.  Luna turned her head towards the chalkboard and pointed upwards at the top as her horn glowed again.  She used her magic to pull down a projection screen from its retractor.  Afterwards, she reached into her mane and pulled out a crystal.
“So anyway,” Princess Luna said as she gazed into the crystal.  “Let us watch what will be covered on the test.”
Luna hovered the crystal into the air with her magic, levitating it towards the projector and inserting it into the slot.  The projector turns on and fires off a moving image onto the projection screen as Pinkie Pie turned off the lights from a nearby switch..  The students gazed at the screen as the images displayed a title that said “The Rise and Fall of Queen Eternia.”  Sunburst just stood there, gazing at the screen in disinterest.
“The wonders of Magitek,” Moondancer said.  “Amazing what Equestria would have been like without it.”
“Whatever,” Sunburst said.
Moondancer turned her attention towards Sunburst and said “You’re not sounding like the Sunburst I knew.”
Sunburst just sat there, looking at the screen and ignoring Moondancer, much to the stargazing unicorn’s annoyance.
“Well excuse me for being rude,” Moondancer said as she directed her gaze at the screen.
On the projection screen, a vast ancient city is displayed for everyone to gaze at.  The land covered by the city eclipsed that of Canterlot.  And while the buildings were ancient, they were vast and beautiful in their size, shape and color, representing a harmonic blend of nature and marble.  Water poured through the aqueducts and into the lakes and streams within the city where ponies would either drink from, or gather.  Various equines mingled together, be it earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi.
“Everfree city,” the announcer of the video said.  “Once the capital of Old Equestria.  Founded by six individuals that represent the three pony tribes: Chancellor Puddinghead, Smart Cookie, Commander Hurricane, Private Pansy, Princess Platinum and Clover the Clever.  This city represents the harmony between the three tribes, as their rituals, traditions, and understandings of the magic of friendship are what keep the wrath of the windigos at bay.  But it was said that Everfree City was the place where the Alicorn species was born.”
“Alicorn species?” Twilight said as her eyes were glued to the image.  “Now we’re talking.”
The moving picture displayed two alicorns in a static, yet majestic pose.  One was themed off of fire, the other was themed off of ice.
“These two miracle alicorns are referred to as Eternia and Icelina,” The announcer said.  “No one knows who their parents were, or where they came from.  But some foretold that alicorns would keep the spirit of the three tribes alive as rulers of Everfree City.  Since they came into power, Eternia and Icelina brought upon a golden age to the ponies of Equestria, allowing them to expand beyond the majestic city.   It was also said that Eternia gave birth to two beautiful daughters: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”
“It’s so beautiful,” Wanda said as she stared at the screen with delight.
“No kidding,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I never realized what the origins of Equestria were truly like.
“But one day,” The announcer said as the skies filled to an icy dark blue.  “Queen Icelina turned against her sister in jealousy, and a civil war broke out.”
Everyone stood and watched as the picture showcased ponies fighting other ponies, while Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina clashed at each other, both filled with hate and bile towards each other.  Wanda and Starlight sat there, watching the footage with their eyes wide open.
“For many moons,” The announcer said.  “Everfree City was under a hostile war, with neither side letting up.  What was surprising was that the Windigos took side with Queen Icelina while Queen Eternia summoned Fire Nags to aid her, engulfing the whole metropolis in fire and ice.”
On the screen, the entire city was on fire as towers of ice sprung from the ground.  Ponies engaged against each other, aligned with either fire or ice.  Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina clashed at each other in the air with all their power.
Off the screen, everyone sans Sunburst stared in disbelief on the action on screen.  Wanda and Starlight stared closer at the screen as tears began to form from their eyes.
“After so many months,'' the announcer said.  “The fighting finally ended, and peace returned to Equestria.  But the entire city was destroyed and rendered uninhabitable.  What’s more, there was no sign of Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina.  They had disappeared without a trace.  Many ponies believed that the two queens died in the months-long war, leaving Equestria leaderless.  Queen Eternia was survived by her two daughters Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, while Queen Icelina had no offspring of her own.”
As the entire class witnessed the whole tragedy unfold on the screen, Wanda and Starlight’s tears filled their eyes as their faces scrunched in sadness.  Their tears slowly poured down their cheeks as they struggled to hold it in.  Sunset took her eyes off the screen, only to watch Wanda look like she was about to cry.
“Oh no,” Sunset said to herself.  “Not in class.
But before Sunset Shimmer could react, both Wanda and Starlight burst out in tears, crying loud enough to catch the attention of everyone in class.  Except for Sunburst, who continued to stare at the screen.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE GONE!” Starlight cried.
“I KNOW!” Wanda replied.  “IT’S LIKE A TOTAL NIGHTMARE!”
Princess Luna immediately turned off the projector with her magic as the lights came back on.  Nearly every student looked at Wanda and Starlight with complete concern.  The only ones who weren’t were Golden Lace, who only smirked in amusement, and Sunburst, who just stared at the blank projection screen.
“Class,” Princess Luna said, embarrassed.  “We will dismiss for the time being.  Remember, your test is due in a few days.  So remember to study up.”
As most of the class got up and walked towards the doorway, Wanda and Starlight continued to cry as Sunburst just sat there, staring off into space.  Sunset looked at the sun-colored nerd-of-a-colt with an awkward tone on her face.
“I don’t know what’s off with him,” Sunset said to herself.  “That empty tone of his, or the fact that he’s ignoring both my little sister and his fillyhood friend.”
“Well now,” Golden Lace said as she got in Sunset’s face.  “Maybe you shouldn’t be friends with a bunch of crybabies.  Or maybe they need to go back to wearing diapers.”
“Out of my face you brat,” Sunset yelled, causing Golden Lace to back up a bit.  “And don’t you EVER mock my sister like that again.”
“Oh I’m so sorry,” Golden Lace said in a sarcastic tone.  “I didn’t mean to offend a wild animal who scares her sister every day.”
But as Golden Lace finished her sentence, she heard the sound of a dog ground.  Golden Lace turned around to see Danged Spell growling at the selfish filly.  Next to him, Moondancer glanced coldly at Golden Lace, looking like she’s not about to hold back.
“Hmph,” Golden Lace said as she turned her head upwards.  “Even I know when I’m not wanted.”
With that, Golden Lace walked out of the classroom with her nose held up.  Sunset just looked at Golden Lace and gagged in disgust.  Moondancer glared at Golden Lace while Danged Spell shook his head.
“I still can’t believe that Golden Lace is allowed to act like this,” Sunset said.  “Someone needs to hold her parents accountable.”
“You’re telling me?” Danged Spell said.  “And as I said, I’d rather put up with the Windigo’s Guild than those two selfish pricks.
“I’m with you on that,” Moondancer said.

Later that day, Sunburst was sitting outside in the field, doing nothing but observing the sky.  Nearby at the entrance to the main school building, Princess Luna kept her eye out on Sunburst all while holding Wanda and Starlight close to her while the two kept crying.  Twilight Sparkle was next to Luna with Spike and Abigail perched on her back.
“I haven’t seen him that depressed before,” Twilight said.  “I wonder what’s bugging him?”
“I looked into his dream last night,” Princess Luna said as Wanda and Starlight continued to cry into her chest.  “And yet, it provided me with little to no answers.  Go with him.  See if you can cheer him up.”
“Believe me,” Twilight said.  “I’m not going to give up on him.”  She looked back on Spike and Abigail and said.  “Okay you two. Hold on.”
Rearing as high as she could with Spike and Abigail hanging on, Twilight Sparkle ran off towards Sunburst, in hopes of figuring out what’s wrong with the young colt.  Nearby, Pinkie Pie walked up to Princess Luna, who’s eyes were focused on the depressed Sunburst.
“I had a feeling he needs my help,” Pinkie Pie said as her eyes were focused on Sunburst.
“I sent Twilight to help him out,” Princess Luna said.  “But I would appreciate it if you gave her a hoof in this.  Something tells me she can’t do this by myself.”
“Leave that to me,” Pinkie Pie said as she ran off after Twilight, leaving Luna to watch on as she kept Wanda and Starlight close to her.
“Motherspeed, Twilight and Pinkie,” Luna said.  “Sunburst needs all the help he can get.  The same can be said of my sister, her daughter and Sunburst’s close friend.”


	To Be Continued in…


	The Unfortunate One

> Arc 11-2: The Unfortunate One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Unfortunate One




“I know you mean well, Twilight.  But I’ve got this test under my hoof.”  Those words came from Sunburst as he slumped down through Canterlot City.  Behind him were Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, who kept up with the sluggish colt.  Spike and Abigail rode on Twilight’s back, paying little attention to the troubled student.
“That’s the least of my worries, Sunburst,” Twilight said.  “You’ve been like this since this morning.  What’s gotten into you?”
Sunburst let out a sigh and said “It’s nothing you can help me with.  And personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Sunburst just slumped forward through the city’s streets as he kept his eyes focused on the road. Twilight just walked right behind him, confused on what to do, while Pinkie Pie bounced on right beside Twilight.
“Yeesh,” Pinkie said in a cringy tone.  “It’s like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“Doubt it,” Twilight said.
“Well why not?” Pinkie asked.
“Well when he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed,” Twilight replied as she looked at Sunburst.  “It’s not in that depressed tone.  This is more serious than I thought.”
“Well allow me,” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced towards Sunburst.
Twilight Sparkle stood there and said “Well, better than doing nothing at all.”  Abigail and Spike looked at Sunburst from atop Twilight’s back, feeling a bit of concern for the unicorn colt who slowly walked through the city.
Pinkie Pie bounced on over to Sunburst, whose eyesight was directed towards the ground.  She jumped right in front of the depressed colt, who came to a stop and slowly looked up at the bright pony.
“Hey there Sunburst,” Pinkie Pie said.  “What makes you think it’s not a good idea to help you out?”
Sunburst just slowly walked around Pinkie Pie, paying no attention to the pink pony.  Pinkie just stood there with an awkward look on her face.
“Tough colt,” Pinkie Pie said to herself.  “Even tougher than Rainbow Dash on a bad day.  Well I won’t let that get the best of me.”
As Sunburst moped down the streets of Canterlot, Pinkie Pie ran right in front of him, determined as ever to cheer up the little colt, all while keeping her eyes on a random building.
“Say,” Pinkie Pie said as she shifted her eyes back onto Sunburst.  “I heard from Danged Spell that you like comics.  Wanna go check out the comic shop for inspiration?”  
Pinkie Pie pointed to a nearby shop that said ‘Pony Life Comic Shop.’  Sunburst just looked on, standing there as he let out a big sigh.
“Not interested,” Sunburst said.
Pinkie Pie glanced over the entire city block and spied another building before turning her attention back to Sunburst.
“Well check that spot out.  Doesn’t that look awesome?”  Pinkie Pie said as she pointed to a building that said ‘The Equestrian Museum of Natural History.’
“To you, maybe,” Sunburst said as he turned his head away.  “But not for me.”
Pinkie took her eyes away from the museum and spied something nearby.  Her eyes popped out in excitement as she turned towards Sunburst.
“Hey Sunburst,” Pinkie said.  “How about a nice cool bowl of ice cream?”
Pinkie Pie pointed towards the nearby building, where it said ‘The Canterlot Creamery Ice Cream Shop.’  
“Don’t you just want to have a nice sundae and enjoy every bite?” Pinkie said as she licked her lips.
“I’m not hungry,” Sunburst said.
Pinkie Pie’s face looked discouraged.  But she didn’t look like she was about to give up.  She took a few glances into the city block before turning back to Sunburst.
“I got it,” Pinkie Pie said as she pointed to a nearby building.  “How about a relaxing time at the local library?”
The moment Pinkie Pie said those words, Twilight Sparkle ran up to Sunburst with Abigail and Spike still perched on her back.  Twilight’s face beamed with excitement as she grabbed Sunburst and pulled him close to her.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Twilight said as Abigail and Spike jumped off her back.  “You could focus on your studies and use the silence to drift off and figure out your own problems.”
Sunburst let out a sigh and said “No thanks.  Too many ponies go there.”  He pulled Twilight’s arm off his back and walked away.
Pinkie Pie and Twilight stood in confusion as Abigail and Spike ran up to the duo.  They were dumbstruck by Sunburst’s stubbornness and especially his depression.
“Well,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Even as the so-called reincarnation of Discord, I’m at a loss for words.”
“I’m with you on that,” Twilight said.  “Even if I do find that title to be questionable.”
But as Twilight and Pinkie watched Sunburst walk off, they noticed two adults walking towards the little colt.  Twilight glanced closer and looked like she was about to freak out.
“Oh no,” Twilight said.  “It’s them.  The ones who gave Princess Celestia a hard time.”
“Who?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Gold and Silver Banks,” Twilight replied.  “They’re the richest ponies of all of Equestria.  And they always have a hold in everything related to politics.”
As Sunburst moped down the street, Gold and Silver Banks walked up to the young colt.  But even in spite of looking down at the ground, Sunburst came to a stop and looked up at the two adults.  Silver Banks looked a bit peeved.  But Gold seems delighted.
“So this must be the juvenile delinquent who snubbed our daughter,” Silver Banks said.  “Perhaps this one needs to be taught some manners.”
“Oh you’re overthinking it, honey,” Gold Banks said as she approached Sunburst.  “The only reason why he snubbed our daughter is because he’s feeling...depressed.”  She looked down at Sunburst and said “Isn’t that right?”
Sunburst just sighed and said “Yes, ma’am.”
Gold Banks placed her hoof under Sunburst’s chin and slowly lifted his head up so that he was facing the older pony.  She looked down at Sunburst with a smile and said “Is something the matter darling?  Do you miss your mommy and daddy?”
Sunburst closed his eyes and said “Every once in a while.  But that’s not why I’m not in the mood.”
“Aww,” Gold Banks said.  “You poor little thing.  What you need is real parents to look after you, teach you the real ways of right and wrong, and to look down at all the peasants of Equestria.  After all, we are the real kings and queens of this land.”
Sunburst turned his head slowly and said “That’s not something I’d be interested in.”
As Sunburst turned his back on Gold Banks, the older mare thought to herself before an idea popped in her head.  She walked towards the young colts with a smirk on her face.
“I heard about what happened in La Maresa, with those Windigo thugs,” Gold Banks said, catching Sunburst’s attention.
“You mean Windigo’s Guild,” Sunburst said.
“Guild, thugs, whatever,” Gold Banks said.  “After all, I think that’s why you’re upset.  It’s because of that horrible field trip Princess Celestia signed you up for.  If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have been that depressed in the first place.  Maybe you should take our offer, become part of our family, and throw away your past life with those other delinquents and that rogue of a princess.” 
 Those words caused Sunburst to cower as Twilight and Pinkie looked on in total shock.  The two fillies ran up to Gold Banks with Spike and Abigail right behind them.
“No offense, Mrs Banks,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “But we’ve experienced what those cultists did at the fair.  And we were fortunate enough to drive them off and save the town.”
“Is that a fact, Miss Sparkle?” Gold Banks said, not once letting her smile disappear.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said as she jumped in between Twilight and Gold Banks.  “You mess with the best of La Maresa, you mess with the entire town.  And that’s something those party crashers would never forget.”
Silver Banks marched up to Pinkie Pie and yelled “And just who do you think you are, country bumpkin?”
Pinkie Pie turned her face towards Silver Banks and said “Pinkie Pie.  The happiest, luckiest, merry-go-roundest party pony of all of Equestria.  And I’m the reincarnation of Discord.”  Those words caused Silver and Gold Banks to laugh really hard.
“You?”  Silver Banks chortled.  “The reincarnation of Discord?  What a joke.”
“What’s so bad about that?” Pinkie Pie said.  “I mean, the ponies of La Maresa often think that I am the reincarnation of Discord.”
“You don’t get it, darling,” Gold Banks said as she wiped a tear from her eye in delight.  “Discord was a fictional character, created by the mind of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.   Their goal was to create a monster of pure fear just to scare the minds of little colts and fillies.”
“Say what?” Pinkie Pie yelled as steam poured from her ears and her eyes shrunk down.
“Oh she didn’t tell you that?” Gold Banks said, pretending to be surprised.  “No one at your home town of La Maresa told you that?  My my.  They sure have a vivid imagination.”
As Pinkie Pie looked like she was having a meltdown, Twilight Sparkle stood by the filly and stared down at Gold Banks.
“That’s about as cruel as it comes, Miss Banks,” Twilight Sparkle said as she stood her ground.
“Oh please Miss Sparkle,” Gold Banks laughed as she patted Twilight on the cheeks.  “You really need to learn how to not be so pessimistic and more realistic.  But in the meantime, I’ll let you juvenile delinquents off the hook just for making me laugh.”
With that, Gold Banks turns around and walks off laughing while Silver Banks follows behind, glaring down at Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie.
“If only I had the powers of Discord,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I’d show those creeps the power of chaos.”
“Pay no attention to them, Pinkie,” Twilight said.  “Even at that age and with all that wealth, they’re nothing more than a pair of trouble-making sadists.”
Pinkie Pie let out a disgusted snort and said “I bet they get their money through grifting.”
As Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Abigail turned their heads towards Sunburst, he just sat there, looking as Gold and Silver Banks walked off into the distance.  Pinkie, Twilight, Spike and Abigail approached Sunburst, who paid no attention to the group.
“Are you alright in there?”  Pinkie Pie said as she waved her hoof in front of Sunburst’s face.  “You know you have friends who are concerned for you.”
Sunburst just sighed and said “Whatever.”
“Then how about we head over to Danged Spell’s place and study there?” Twilight said. 
“Why not?” Sunburst said with a huge sigh.  “Besides, that’s where I get to stay while I’m here in Canterlot.”
As Sunburst walked off, Pinkie Pie and Twilight looked on with Spike and Abigail right next to them.
“This is going to be one of those days, eh?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“In the longest time I’ve known Sunburst since he came here, he never acted like this,” Twilight said.

Later that day, Sunburst knocked on the front door of Danged Spell’s house.  The door opened as Shanoa stuck her head out.  She looked down at Sunburst and saw his depressed face before stepping outside.
“Sunburst?” Shanoa said.  “You’re home already?”
“Hi there Mrs Sagara,” Sunburst said in a somber tone.  “We came here to study for the upcoming test.”
Shanoa looked upwards to see Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Abigail and Pinkie Pie standing right nearby.  Pinkie Pie just waved to Shanoa in a happy tone.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Shanoa said.  “And it seems you brought a new friend with you.”
Pinkie Pie bounced nearby next to Sunburst and landed on her two hind legs.  Compared to the depressed colt, Pinkie Pie was super energetic and optimistic.
“Hi there,” Pinkie Pie said.  “My family calls me Pinkamena Diane Pie.  But you can call me Pinkie Pie.  I come from the city of La Maresa of the Ponyville Providence.”
“Nice to meet you Pinkie Pie,” Shanoa said.  “Do come in.”
Shanoa opened the door even further and took a few steps back as Pinkie Pie bounced on in with Sunburst following slowly behind.  Twilight, Spike and Abigail walked right behind the sun colt, all while keeping close attention to him.
“Mrs Sagara,” Twilight said as she took a few steps inside.  “Is there a reason why Sunburst has been acting like this?”
“No,” Shanoa said.  “Fortwright and I have been confused on why he’s been like this.  I believe it might have started since coming back from the Ponyville Providence Fair, especially when the Windigo’s Guild decided to crash the party.”
“Oh party crashing is an understatement,” Pinkie Pie said.  “They wanted to lock us all up, take little Wanda’s powers and use it to freeze all of Equestria.”
“Well that’s pretty typical of those monsters, considering they tried to kidnap her and the Chancellor here in Canterlot.”  Shanoa turned her head to see Fortwright walking in from the living room area.  Despite his size, his warm smile has not disappeared from his face.
“I take it you’re the head of this household. Correct?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“You got that right,” Fortwright said as he stood tall.  “Fortwright Sagara.  I’m Danged Spell’s father and the one looking after Sunburst for his folks down at Sire’s Hollow.  A shame they lost a good family member down there.  No one deserved that horrific event.”
“Honey,” Shanoa said as she stepped aside.  “This is Twilight, Sunburst and Danged Spell’s newest friend from La Maresa, Pinkie Pie.”
“Is that so?”  Fortwright said as he pulled up a seat and sat down.  “Sunburst and my son Danged Spell told me about La Maresa, and the beautiful sights of the Ponyville Providence.  Funny thing is, I wanted to take a trip down there.  Well, until Spell told me about what happened.  To think, the Windigo’s Guild had the nerve to attack Princess Wanda and Chancellor Cinch months ago.”
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said as she slapped her hoof right up to her forehead.  “I had a feeling the Windigo’s Guild were the ultimate party crashers.  But by this much?  Hoo boy.”
Twilight inched over to Pinkie Pie and said “I’m going to take Sunburst upstairs to help him out with studying.”
“Roger that,” Pinkie Pie said.
As Pinkie Pie jumped onto a nearby couch, Twilight walked up the staircase with Sunburst slowly walking behind her, and Abigail and Spike walking right beside the unicorn filly.  Fortwright watched as the sun pony lingered from right behind.
“If only there was a way to reach out and help him?” Fortwright said.

A bit later, Twilight Sparkle placed her books on the table while Abigail and Spike jumped onto the bed.  Sunburst just walked on in and sat right next to a chair as Twilight approached.
“Okay,” Twilight said as she opened one of the books.  “We still have that test coming up, and I wanted to make sure you know everything, correct?”
Sunburst just slouched onto the table and said “Whatever.”  Twilight looked down at Sunburst and stared at him awkwardly.
“Okay,” Twilight said as she directed her face back towards her book.  “Now.  What are the Fire Nags?”
Sunburst just let out a big sigh and said “The spirits of order and just?”
Twilight just looked at him and said in an uncomfortable tone “Err, correct.”
Twilight looked over her book a bit more while Sunburst just laid his head down, staring upwards at the ceiling.  
“Sunburst,” Twilight asked.  “What started the Everfree Civil War?”
Sunburst just rolled his eyes and said “When Queen Icelina turned against her sister because her husband King Glaceius died unexpectedly?”
Twilight just looked down and thought to herself “Wow.  For someone who knows his stuff, he isn’t very excited about it.”
Twilight looked even further into the book as Abigail and Spike jumped off the bed and walked towards Sunburst.  Abigail reached out and rubbed her paw on Sunburst’s blank hip, meowing as loud as possible.
“Hey Abby,” Sunburst said in a low tone as his hoof came down, barely touching the kitten’s forehead.  The look on Abigail’s face was of nothing, but confusion.
 Spike looked up at Sunburst’s hoof and tried to rub his head against it.  But it only moved slightly as it limped from above, much to Spike’s confusion.
Back on the table, Twilight turned the page of her book and looked down at the words.  She turned her head back towards Sunburst, who just laid there, paying attention to the ceiling.
“Sunburst,” Twilight said.  “Before the Windigos were known for aligning with Queen Icelina, what were they also known for?”
“They feed off the warring and hatred among individuals and use this power to freeze Equestria?”  Sunburst just said as he stared into the ceiling.
“Are you sure you want to keep going on?”  Twilight asked.
“Yes,” Sunburst said.  “I don’t mind it.”
Twilight looked at Sunburst with a greatly concerned look.  She quickly turned her eyes back to the book and took a quick glance at it before turning her head back towards Sunburst.
“Here’s an interesting one,” Twilight said.  “Who’s the name of the very wizard who looked after Princess Celestia and Luna after Queen Eternia and Icelina disappeared?”
“Starswirl the Bearded,” Sunburst said as he barely moved an inch.  “He was also responsible for the blueprints for the new Canterlot City sometime after Everfree City fell.”
Twilight’s face went into complete shock as her jaw dropped to the desk.  She struggled to close her mouth as Sunburst just stood there, looking up at the ceiling.
“I don’t know about this,” Twilight said.  “For one who knows his stuff all so well, you don’t seem to be excited about the test.”
“Sure I am,” Sunburst said in a monotone.  “We get up every day, we take care of our tasks, then we return and rest.”
“If Starlight saw what was going on with you,” Twilight said.  “What would she say? What would she think about seeing you like this?”
“Like what everyone would think about,” Sunburst said.  “And then I would just ignore it.”
“It’s about what happened at the Ponyville Providence Fair, right?” Twilight asked.  “I’m still thinking about what the Windigo’s Guild did to sabotage that place.  But at the same time, I know there are good ponies like Princess Celestia who help keep us safe.”
Sunburst just breathed a heavy sigh and just looked upwards at the ceiling.  Twilight stared right at Sunburst before landing her face on her hoof.  Abigail and Spike look up at Sunburst before turning to face each other, concerned for the colt’s unending depression.

Back downstairs, Pinkie Pie was glued to her seat, ready to listen to what Fortwright was going to say, all while Shanoa placed a mug of hot cocoa with whipped cream right on a small stand next to her.
“So it’s as I was saying,” Fortwright said.  “The Windigo’s Guild did a lot of damage here in Canterlot before they took aim at La Maresa.  First they tried to kidnap Princess Wanda and Chancellor Cinch, and then they let loose a giant roc at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said as she took a sip of cocoa.  “And this is before they attacked all of us at the Ponyville Providence Fair?”
“To be honest,”  Fortwright said.  “I actually came this close to wanting to move the family away from Canterlot.  But I heard about the mining incident they pulled at Sire’s Hollow that resulted in Meteor Flare’s death.  It feels like there isn’t any place we can run to.  At least my son is willing to fight back against those monsters, even in spite of the Wolf’s Breath Curse he has.”
“I’ll say,” Pinkie said as she took a gulp of cocoa.  “That son of yours knows how to fight.”
“But that’s not the only thing you now know of Spell,” Fortwright said.  “Believe it or not, we hail from the Lio Lani Islands due west of the Equestrian continent.”
“Lio Lani?”  Pinkie Pie said in an excited tone.  “I’ve heard of that place.  It’s near where Mount Aris is supposed to be.”
“Believe it or not,” Fortwright said.  “We Lio Lanians are the closest any pony is towards the Hippogriffs of Mount Aris.  We respect our islands just like how they respect theirs.  We often trade between the two tribes, and we have friendly competitions.  Well, we did, before the Storm King arrived.”
“The Storm King?”  Pinkie asked as she frantically bit in her hooves.”
“A sinister tyrant whose goal is to conquer everything with his massive armies,” Fortwright said.  “He tried to conquer both Lio Lani and Mount Aris.  We fought back against the brutes, thanks to our dedication to our Ohana, and thanks to our chieftess Pele.  It was also where we discovered that Danged Spell had the Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “But what happened to the Hippogriffs?”
“No one knows,” Fortwright said.  “They disappeared after the Storm King’s invasion, and we haven’t heard from them since.  Even more so, we chose to move to Canterlot partially because Princess Celestia became aware of our son’s curse, and partially because of what the Storm King did to traumatize us all.”
“That is just cruel,” Pinkie Pie said. “And to think, we already have our problems with the Windigo’s Guild.”
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, catching everyone’s attention.  Shanoa ran towards the front door and opened it to see Danged Spell waiting outside.
“Son,” Shanoa said.  “Aren’t you playing with your friends?”
“Actually mom,” Danged Spell said.  “We need to speak to Twilight right now.”
“We?”  Shanoa asked.  “What do you mean by we?”

Danged Spell walked on inside as Princess Luna followed from behind.  Shanoa took a few steps back and was surprised by the presence of the younger alicorn sister.
“Shanoa Sagara,” Luna said.  “I believe Twilight Sparkle is here, correct?”
“Why yes,” Shanoa said.
“It’s important that I speak with her this instant,” Luna said.  “I believe I may have found out how to fix what’s wrong with Sunburst.  Would you kindly fetch her for me?”
“At once, your majesty,” Shanoa said as she took a bow before turning tail and walking up the stairs.  Luna just looked there and gave off a bit of a chuckle.
“I don’t know why I wanted to stay as a princess,” Luna said with a playful raspberry.
As Luna walked in further, Fortwright and Pinkie Pie approached the Moon Princess.  While Fortwright looked calm, Pinkie PIe was very excited.
“So your majesty,” Fortwright said.
“Please,” Princess Luna said.  “Just call me Luna.”
“What exactly did you figure out?”  Fortwright asked.
“Well it’s not just about Sunburst,” Luna said.  “It’s also about my sister.  She’s been depressed since the Banks yelled at her this morning.  It was because they found out that we planned on moving Wanda down to La Maresa, and we also considered stepping down from the throne.”
“Vacating the throne?” Fortwright said.  “But you’re the ones we look for inspiration.”
“Dad,” Danged Spell said.  “It’s because of how mean-spirited our political system in Equestria is.  Especially with the Banks becoming more involved in the actions of the Senates.”
“Now I’m beginning to wonder if staying here is really a good idea,” Fortwright said as he pondered to himself.  “But between the Storm King, the Windigo’s Guild and this, it makes me think that we may be no better off than we were with the Everfree Civil War from more than a millennium ago.”
“Aww, you don’t need to worry about that,” Pinkie Pie said.  “What matters to us is who our friends and family are.  And besides, friendship is magic.  And that’s something that the Banks can’t take away.”
“That’s absolutely correct, young lady,” Fortwright said as he rubbed Pinkie Pie on the head.  “Your parents taught you well about the norms of all ponies.”
“Well when it comes to Pinkie Pie,” Danged Spell said with a playful snort.  “That’s what I call a real rocky friendship.” 
The moment she heard that joke, Pinkie Pie bursts out laughing as she falls down on her back.
“Rocky friendship,” Pinkie Pie said as she laughed really hard.  “It’s funny because it’s true, because my parents are rock farmers.”
As Luna smiled at Pinkie’s laughter, she heard the sound of a filly running down the stairs.  Luna looked up and saw Twilight Sparkle run down in a hurry.
“I heard you needed to speak with me, Princess Luna,” Twilight said.
“I do,” Luna said.  “I know how to fix this.  But I need you to come with me to convince my sister, and your mentor, Princess Celestia.”
“Tell me what to do,” Twilight said.
But before speaking, Princess Luna stepped aside as Danged Spell stepped towards Twilight.
“You go on ahead,” Danged Spell said.  “I’ll look after Sunburst.  Maybe I’ll have Spike and Abigail interact with Dream Seeker while I’m at it.”
“Thanks Spell,” Twilight said.  She turned to Princess Luna and said.  “Lead the way, Princess.”
Princess Luna turned to Fortwright and said “Don’t worry.  We’ll be back to pick up Sunburst to help him out with his problem.”
“Knowing you and your sister,” Fortwright said. “That’s saying a whole lot.”
Luna just chuckled before turning around and stepping outside the house, with Twilight following right behind her.  Pinkie Pie turned her head to face the viewer of this fanfiction and cracked a subtle smile.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Pinkie Pie said as she inched closer to the viewer.  “Why oh why is Pinkie Pie staying behind?  But you better stay tuned.  I’ll be in the next part, one hundred percent.  You can’t get rid of me that easily, says the reincarnation of Discord.”
Danged Spell glanced at Pinkie Pie and said to himself “That is, without a doubt, the scariest thing I’ve seen on any pony in my lifetime.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Misery Loves Company

> Act 11-3: Misery Loves Company
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Misery Loves Company



Princess Celestia just sat there in her office at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Despite the fact that sunlight poured through her blinds, the entire room was nearly pitch dark.  Celestia’s eyes shifted downwards as anxiety coursed through her fur.  She looked as if she were impatient despite having all the free time in the world.
Without warning, there is a knock at the front door.  Celestia barely raised her head as she said “Come in,” in a bit of a meek voice.  The door opened as Twilight Sparkle stepped inside.
“Princess,” Twilight said as she took a few steps in before looking up at her mentor and gasping at what she saw.
“Twilight?”  Celestia said.  “What are you doing here?”
“I heard from Princess Luna that you were suffering badly,” Twilight said as she stared at Celestia’s frazzled mane.  “But I didn’t expect you to suffer this badly.  What happened?”
“Mr and Mrs Banks,” Celestia said.  “Early ago, they chewed me out for wanting to step down from being the Princess of Equestria and….”
“Wait,” Twilight said, completely shocked by her mentor’s words.  “You wanted to step down from your position?”
Celestia let out a sigh and said “Yes.  Ever since the Banks were able to excuse Golden Lace from that incident with Ditzy Doo during the Iron Stallion competition between Rainbow Dash and Danged Spell, I felt like that was the tipping point, and I wanted to move all of you down to La Maresa, plus step down from being the Princess so I can continue to be your mentor.”
“But it’s because of what Coldnelius Snap did,” Twilight said.  “You had no choice but to abort your plans to do that.”
“Yes,” Celestia said.  “And once the Banks found out, they chewed me out, threatening to throw myself, Wanda and Sunset into a labor camp and even preventing me from flying and disabling my magic.”
“I imagined how horrible it was when Luna told me about it,” Twilight said.  “And not only that, we ran into them while walking towards Danged Spell’s house.”
“You actually did?”  Celestia said as she jumped out of her seat and landed her front hooves onto the desk.
“Oh that’s an understatement,” Twilight said.  “They acted like they wanted to adopt Sunburst as their own son, claiming they can give him more than a rogue princess and juvenile delinquents like myself, even going as far as to call your field trip to La Maresa ‘Horrible.’  Oh, and they referred to Discord as a fictional character that you and Luna created to scare little colts and fillies like myself.”
Princess Celestia’s jaw dropped.  The pupils on her eyes have shrunk down as she was appalled by the words coming out of Twilight Sparkle’s mouth.  She slowly got up and approached Twilight.
“Twilight,” Princess Celestia said.  “You did the right thing to approach me, as did Luna.  She knew I was suffering from the fallout at the fair.  But it seems I may not be the only one to suffer from that.”
“So what can we do about Sunburst?”  Twilight asked.
“Bring him here,” Celestia replied.  “I believe if I can open up to him my problems, then maybe he can find a way to heal, and to prove that he’s not alone.”
“Thank you Princess,” Twilight said as she bows to Princess Celestia before turning around walking towards the door.  
But as Twilight approached the door, Celestia got up and said “Twilight,” prompting Twilight to turn towards her mentor.
“Is there anything else?” Twilight asked.
“There’s no need to be formal with me,” Celestia laughed.  “After all, you are my apprentice, and a good friend of my daughters Wanda and Sunset.”
The words of Princess Celestia caused Twilight’s face to beam with excitement. She jumped in the air and yelled out “YES,” only to realize that Princess Celestia was watching and giggling at Twilight’s burst of energy.  Twilight slowly lowered herself to the ground and said “Sorry Princess.  Something I have to get used to.”
“No need to apologize,” Celestia said.  “Besides, at least you’re a sight for sore eyes, compared to the Banks.”
Twilight bowed to Princess Celestia before turning around and stepping outside the door.  Celestia watched as Twilight exited the door and out of her sight.
“Twilight just reminded me how I’m fortunate to have so many who look up to me,” Celestia said to herself.  “She’s my apprentice, and nothing is going to take that away from me.  But I also have so many students, including my adopted children.  Sometimes, I need to remind myself not to let the bad outweigh the good.  But sometimes, it can be hard from the Windigo’s Guild to the Bank Family.”
As Celestia just looked up at the ceiling, she heard a knock at the door.  Celestia got up and said “Enter.”  Princess Luna walked on in, seemingly in good spirits
“I take it that your student Twilight Sparkle convinced you to talk with Sunburst,” Princess Luna.
“I believe she did,” Celestia said.  “But I take it that’s not why you’re here.”
“You got that right, sis,” Luna joked.  “I was going to let Sunset walk Wanda and Starlight home.  But they were more aware of what Sunburst was going through.  They wanted to pitch in and make sure that he does get better.”
“Is that so?” Celestia replied.
“As a matter of fact,” Luna said as she stepped aside to allow Wanda and Starlight to walk through the doorway.  “They wish to speak with you.”
Celestia got out of her chair as Wanda and Starlight approached the Princess of the Sun.  The two younglings looked really worried, like something horrible happened.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “I overheard from Aunt Woona about Sunburst’s own troubles.  And yours.”
“I’m afraid she’s right,” Celestia said as she gently put her hoof on Wanda’s cheek.  “Your mommy has gone through a hard time because of the Banks.  And it seems Sunburst’s problems were made worse by those two.”
Wanda looked up at Princess Celestia’s face as the alicorn of the sun spoke.  It looked like tears were about to fall from Wanda’s eyes before Starlight got up on her hind legs and gave her a big hug.
“It’s okay, Wanda,” Starlight said as she cuddled the little man’s cub.  “I know Sunburst is having a hard time, and if talking with Celestia won’t help, I’ll give him what I’m giving you.”
Though tears continued to flow from Wanda’s eyes, she cracked a smile on her face as she hugged Starlight back.  Starlight just held onto Wanda and patted the man’s cub on the back.
“Thank you,” Wanda whispered.
Celestia just stood there, watching Starlight and Wanda hug while Luna walked over to her big sister.
“So,” Luna said to Celestia.  “You think you’re ready to help out Sunburst?”
“I’ve got to,” Celestia said, feeling a little more confident and serious.  “For my sake, and for his sake as well.”
“Then come,” Princess Luna said.  “I know a good place where you and Sunburst can talk together.”

Later that day in the park, the mother bird is seen flying alongside the baby bird as Princess Celestia sat on a nearby bench.  Even with her presence, there was barely a soul nearby, with the exception of Wanda, Abigail, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Spike and Pinkie PIe.  The younglings watched Princess Celestia from afar as the Alicorn Princess just looked around.
“You think this is a good idea?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“I’m sure of it,” Twilight said.  “Celestia’s had some problems with the Banks, and so has Sunburst.  I think there’s more to their problems than they realized, and that’s why Princess Celestia is willing to go along with it.”
“It was bad enough that they tormented Princess Celestia over Golden Lace and the field trip to La Maresa,” Moondancer said.  “But they had the nerve to get in Sunburst’s face.”
“You said it,” Danged Spell said.  “When it comes to our thoughts on the sour puss Banks, I don’t think we’re a loan on it.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” the other younglings yelled before they burst out into laughter.  Even Wanda and Starlight couldn’t hold it in as they both fell to the ground and rolled onto their backs laughing.
“Guess that’s one way to cheer my classmates up,” Danged Spell smiled.
As Pinkie Pie laughed real hard, she looked up and saw Princess Luna walking alongside Sunburst.  Pinkie Pie got up and cheered really loud into the air.
“HE’S COMING” Pinkie Yelled before Twilight reached up and pulled her down.
“Shhhh,” Twilight said as she ran up to Pinkie Pie and pulled her down.  “Not so loud.  You want to announce it to everyone in Canterlot?”
“Oops,” Pinkie Pie whispered.  “My bad.”
Nearby, Sunburst walked with Princess Luna as the two approached PRincess Celestia.  Sunburst looked nervous as he swallowed hard.
“You look tense, Sunburst,” Princess Luna said as the young colt walked beside her.
“Yes ma’am,” Sunburst said with a jittery tone coming from him.
“It’s okay,” Luna replied.  “Take a deep breath and slow yourself down.  I know you got this.”
“I hope so,” Sunburst said.  “Considering all we’ve been through at the Ponyville Providence Fair.”
As Luna and Sunburst were ten feet away from Princess Celestia, Luna looked down and bowed to the young colt before taking a few steps aside.  Sunburst swallowed hard and walked towards Princess Celestia, who moved to the side and tapped her hoof on the seat.  Once Sunburst approached the bench, he jumped up and sat down on the empty spot before looking up at Princess Celestia.
“So I heard you’ve been going through a bit of depression,” Princess Celestia said.  “And it’s okay if you want to sigh about it.  I’m not here to judge you.”
Sunburst released all of the tension in his head with a big sigh and said “Yes.”
“Luna also told me why,” Princess Celestis said.  “You’re still worried after what happened at the Ponyville Fair.”
“You got that right,” Sunburst replied.
“And I’ve been made aware that the Banks gave you a hard time,” Celestia said.
Sunburst’s ears drooped downwards as he lowered his face.  He barely glanced up to Celestia as he said “Yes.  It’s true.  They wanted to take me away from Canterlot and treat me like I’m one of their own children, claiming that they’re the real kings and queens of Equestria to look down at the peasants..”
Celestia’s face went into complete shock.  She reached out and put her arm around Sunburst, who looked a bit uncomfortable.  Celestia looked down and said “Sunburst, you’re not alone when it comes to the Banks, nor the fallout at the Ponyville Providence Fair because of the Windigo’s Guild.  I still think about what happened that day, and I still worry for the sake of the children I unintentionally put in danger.”
“You do?”  Sunburst said as he looked up at Celestia.
“Yes,” Celestia replied.  “As I stated, I wanted to move everyone down to La Maresa of the Ponyville Providence.  Partially because it was an ideal place to raise children, and partially because of the harassment I’ve been getting from the Banks.  And unfortunately, they carry the financial power of every political party in Equestria.  Even third parties are under the financial burden of the Banks.”
“They are?” Sunburst asked.
“But it gets even worse,” Celestia replied.  “After they found out that I wanted to resign from my post and move all of you to La Maresa, they got in my face, threatening to take away my children and put them in a labor camp, even going as far as to take away my ability to fly or use magic.”
“That’s horrible,” Sunburst said in complete shock.
“And there’s a part of me that wants to go all out and attack them,” Celestia said.  “It feels so easy to want to take that path, to sink to the level I was when I became Daybreaker.  But it would be a horrible idea because it would paint me as a power-hungry tyrant, and it would ruin my reputation in the eyes of every pony in Equestria.  Ever since Princess Luna freed me from being Daybreaker, I made a promise to never sink to that kind of low again.”
“So we both have to put up with the Banks?” Sunburst said.
“I’m afraid so,” Celestia replied as she lifted her hoof off Sunburst’s shoulders and placed it on his head.  “But we’re not going to be alone on this.  As long as we have loved ones at our side, be it family or friends, then we can get through this.  I promise you this.” 
Sunburst cracked a smile and looked up to Princess Celestia before he said “I actually believe you.  Because I still recall you fighting Coldnelius Snap at the fair.  You’re willing to protect younglings like me, Danged Spell, Moondancer, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, and even your own daughters Sunset and Wanda.”
“It’s a trait that I never take for granted, Sunburst,” Princess Celestia replied.  “And don’t you worry  I’ve fought to save Wanda and Chancellor Cinch when the Windigo’s Guild came to Canterlot.  And there are others like Buck Withers who are willing to fight for every youngling in Equestria.  As long as there are good ponies out there who have a heart of gold and nerves of steel, they will be your guardians.  Never forget that, my student.”
Sunburst breathed a sigh of relief as he looked up at Princess Celestia with a smile and said “I won’t.  In fact, I think you may have given me a bit of motivation.”
Princess Celestia laughed as she took her hoof off of Sunburst and said “Did I?”
“Well you may have motivated me not just into studying for the test, but also to do some research into our political system,” Sunburst said as he jumped out of his seat, fully motivated.  “And I think I feel in the mood to get to work.”
Celestia giggled as she got up from the bench.  She landed on her four hooves and said “Well I can’t wait to see the completed project.”
“And I know someone who might be curious about this project,” Sunburst said as he looked at Twilight Sparkle and waved out to her.  The lavender unicorn just blushed in excitement as she ran up to Sunburst, much to the surprise of the others.
“Wow,”  Sunset Shimmer said.  “I didn’t expect Twilight to have full support of Sunburst.”
But suddenly, Twilight ran back up to Starlight and reached out for her, much to the twin-tailed filly’s surprise.
“Come on,” Twilight said.  “I think you should motivate Sunburst in this project.”
Starlight smiled as she grabbed onto Twilight’s hoof before the duo ran off towards Sunburst.  Sunset, Pinkie Pie, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Wanda, Abigail and Spike just stood there cheering for Sunburst, Twilight and Starlight.
“A project about the politics in Equestria?”  Danged Spell.  “That sounds like something interesting.”
“When it comes to Sunburst,” Sunset said.  “He enjoys putting his mind into research far more than Twilight does.”
“More than any of us do,” Moondancer said.  “I know I have a thing for studying the stars in the sky.  But when it comes to research, he has me beat in that category.”
“What’s a political party?” Wanda asked.
“A political party is supposed to be a group that organizes candidates into running for elections,” Sunset said.  “After all, Equestria is supposed to be a Monarch Democracy.”
“Is it where there is a ruler like mommy is?” Wanda asked.  “And yet, the ponies select who gets to represent them?”
“Well it’s something like that,” Sunset said as she, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie and Moondancer laughed.
“Personally,” Pinkie Pie giggled.  “I’m not one who wants to be involved with politics in any kind.  They’re far more dangerous than they make themselves out to be.”
Nearby, Princess Luna watched as Twilight, Starlight and Sunburst ran off in the distance, all while her smile never left her face.  Princess Celestia walked up to her younger sister with a renewed sense in her body.
“You were right,” Princess Celestia said.  “It was one thing for me to be troubled by the Ponyville Fair and the Banks.  But it was another to realize that one of my students suffered the same thing.”
“My dear sister,” Princess Luna said.  “Deep on the inside, we’re far more connected than we all realize.”
Celestia giggled as she said “Is that why you chose to save me when I was forced into becoming Daybreaker?”
“That was only part of the reason why,” Princess Luna said.  “I care for you as a sister.  But the sad thing was that I was once jealous of you, because of the potential you had.  After seeing you become the nightmare that was Daybreaker, I had to free you just to atone for my own sins of jealousy.”
“But I still wonder who the child that helped us in the past was,” Princess Celestia said.  “I have only a vague memory of her.”
“Don’t you worry, sister,” Princess Luna said.  “We’ll find out.”

Later the next day in the afternoon, every youngling was seated in class in anticipation while Pinkie Pie sat in a seat right next to the doorway.  Golden Lace had a smug look on her face.  But it didn’t concern any of the others, especially Sunburst, who was more optimistic.
“Well,” Golden Lace said as she grinned at Sunburst.  “You look like you’re in a better mood.”
“Far better than you are at, right now,” Sunburst replied, causing Golden Lace’s tone to change.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Golden Lace said.  “Don’t tell me you got the highest score on the history test.”
“Wait and see,” Sunburst said.  “It’s far bigger than a mere test.”
Golden Lace turned away from Sunburst as she glanced at Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer, who had almost as big of a smug look on their faces as Sunburst.  
“What exactly does he mean by bigger than a mere test?”  Golden Lace said to herself.
As Golden Lace pondered what Sunburst said, Pinkie Pie’s ears popped up.  She got up and looked outside the doorway before turning her head towards the students.
“Hey guys,” Pinkie Pie yelled.  “I think Princess Celestia is on her way.”
Those words caught the attention of every student as they rose to face the front.  Princess Celestia walked inside, holding in her hooves a stack of written papers.  She approached the front desk and placed the papers on top.
“Class,” Princess Celestia announced.  “May I have your attention?  I have the results of the Equestrian early history test.  And you all passed.”
Celestia took a seat and used her magic to pass the graded test papers to every student in the room.  Wanda grabbed hers and smiled at the A grade.  Right next to her, Sunset Shimmer grabbed hers that had an A+.
“We both did it, sis,” Sunset said.
“Yeah,” Wanda said as Abigail rubbed up underneath her leg.
Twilight was able to grab her paper with a big A+ on top.  Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell also got their respective papers.  Each with an A and an A+ on them.  Golden Lace grabbed her paper, and there was an A+ on there.  But the look on her face hasn’t changed.
“What does he mean by bigger than a test?”  Golden Lace said.  “I must know.”
“Now that you have your graded test,” Princess Celestia said.  “There is another bit of credit I have to award to Sunburst, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer.”
“Say what?”  Golden Lace said as she freaked out.
“As you are all aware,” Princess Celestia said.  “Sunburst, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer did an extra assignment that talked about the political system of both ancient Equestria and modern day Equestria, written into an entire essay.  As a result, I am awarding bonus points to all three who did this special assignment.”
With that, Celestia levitated her magic and passed the essay down to Sunburst, who grabbed the paper with glee.  Twilight and Starlight got out of their seats and walked up to Sunburst with Spike and Abigail right next to them.
“Congrats Sunburst,” Starlight said.  “We all did it together.”
“But it was mostly you,” Twilight said.  “The moment we began on our special project, you wasted no time grabbing as many books about politics in Equestria and diving right in.  I never knew a pony with a bigger obsession over books than I did.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said as she walked up to Sunburst.  “I was able to get a glimpse at your style, and you are as organized as I am when it comes to planning parties.”
“I think you girls give me way too much credit,” Sunburst said as he blushed with an embarrassed tone.
“But you deserve it,” Twilight said.  “You’re dedicated to the art of research.”
“I’ve known you since we came into this world at Sire’s Hollow,” Starlight said as she put her arm around Sunburst.  “You always enjoyed showing me what’s in the book, and that essay we put together was proof that you were the heart behind us all.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Sunburst said.  “I’ve enjoyed my research so much that I feel like I want to dive in even further.  It’s always fascinating to see what we can study, and what we know about, or may have missed.  Expanding my mind is always something that I take for granted, until now.”
Suddenly, Sunburst’s flank glowed brightly, catching the attention of nearly everyone in class.  Golden Lace looked at Sunburst with a hint of disgruntlement as the flash of light disappeared.  
“I...I don’t believe it,” Sunburst said as he looked down on his flank.  No longer was it blank.  Instead, there was an image of a sun with three rays projecting towards the right with blue stars decorating it.
“Is that your cutie mark?”  Sunset Shimmer said as she ran up to Sunburst.
“It is,” Sunburst said.  “I got my cutie mark.  I ACTUALLY GOT MY CUTIE MARK!”
“Congratulations, Sunburst,” Princess Celestia said as she walked up to the young colt.  “You’ve realized your own place in Equestria, and your own destiny.  And with that, the class will get an early dismissal today.”
Nearly everyone in the class cheered really loud, except for Golden Lace, who jumped out of her chair and marched towards the doorway.  Sunburst caught Golden Lace marching out the doorway.
“Hey Lace,” Sunburst said.  “Don’t you have a reason to celebrate?  After all, you did pass the test.”
“I know that I should never rely on my parents when it comes to tests and research,” Golden Lace said.  “After all, I find it more satisfying to pass a test on my own merits to prove how great I am.  But make no mistake.  I will come up with a special project of my own, and I will prove to be the greatest student in this establishment.”
With that, Golden Lace turned tail and marched out the doorway, completely angry.  Everyone just watched her march off.
“That was unexpected,” Wanda said.
“Don’t worry about that,” Princess Celestia said.  “Golden Lace may be spoiled.  But even she doesn’t cheat on a test.  Guess that’s the one trait her parents forced onto her.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell replied.  “Besides, I think Golden Lace just got...SUNBURNED!”
“Danged Spell,” Everyone yelled as they burst out into laughter.



	To Be Continued in


	A Cute Ceanera to reflect

> Arc 11-4: A Cute Ceanera to reflect
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	A Cute Ceanera to reflect



It was evening in the backyard at Danged Spell’s house in Canterlot.  Many young students along with a handful of adults gathered, celebrating into the evening sky as fireworks went off.  Stellar Flare and Sunspot had arrived with Firelight Glimmer and Starseeker, enjoying the entertainment while celebrating Sunburst.  The young colt cheered as his cutie mark lit up for everyone to see.
“I still can’t believe Sunburst finally got his cutie mark,” Stellar Flare said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.  “I’m so proud of him.”
“We should all be proud,” Sunspot said.  “We didn’t enroll Sunburst into the School for Gifted Unicorns for nothing.”
“Well I don’t think it will be long before Starlight gets her cutie mark,” Firelight Glimmer said.  “After all, she and Sunburst are good friends.”
“Indeed,” Starseeker said.  “They represent what Sire’s Hollow is capable of.”
“Now that’s a place I want to visit one day.”  Firelight, Starseeker, Sunspot and Stellar turned their heads to see Fortwright and Shanoa approach them with a platter of food.
“Fortwright and Shanoa,” Stellar Flare said as she approached the couple.  “I must thank you for allowing Sunburst to live in your household while he attends the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“It wasn’t easy to allow another youngling into our household,” Shanoa said.  “But Fortwright insisted, claiming he wanted Danged Spell to have a special friend to chat with.”
“I also heard he helped save Sunburst from the Windigo’s Guild,” Sunspot said.  “And he used this curse to ward off those monsters.  What was it, Wolf’s Breath?”
“It was one of the reasons why we brought Danged Spell to Canterlot,” Fortwright said.  “He had a lot of potential, but he also bore a curse since he came into this world.  We couldn’t figure out why his curse went off.  So we figured that moving to Canterlot would help.  Though Spell was upset that he had to move away from Lio Lani.”
“Lio Lani?”  Firelight said.  “Now that’s a place I always wanted to visit.  I can’t believe you came from Lio Lani.”
“It’s mainly a set of islands populated by local earth ponies,” Shanoa said.  “But Fortwright here was the lone unicorn born on the islands till Danged Spell and Dream Seeker came around.”
“I was born in another part of Equestria,” Shanoa said.  “I moved to Lio Lani at the request of my own father.”
“Guess we’re all more connected in this world than we realize,” Stellar Flare said as she raised her glass of apple cider into the air.
“Here’s to all of us,” Fortwright said.  “For our younglings who made their greatest progress, and for how proud we are.”
Stellar Flare, Sunspot, Firelight, Starseeker, Fortwright and Shanoa clanged their glasses together before taking a sip of apple cider.
Nearby, Sunburst was already in full celebration at the nearby table with his friends seated next to him.  He was stuffing his face full of cake while Twilight, Sunset and Wanda giggled.  Seated next to Sunburst was Pinkie Pie, who looked as cheerful as ever.
“When it comes to planning a party,” Sunburst said after gulping down a good chunk of cake.  “You sure went all out.”
“What did I tell ya?”  Pinkie Pie replied after chugging down some punch.  “I’m a master of the art of partying.  I’ve done research on what every pony in La Maresa likes.”
“I heard mommy gave you information on what we all like when it comes to parties,” Wanda said.
“Your mommy did just that, Wanda,” Pinkie Pie said.  “One example is that Twilight Sparkle has a thing for vanilla ice cream, red balloons and dancing.”
“That’s exactly right,” Twilight said.  “I prefer the simple things when it comes to ice cream.”
Pinkie turned her attention to Twilight and said “But let’s just say you’re afraid of quesadillas, mainly because they’re just so cheesy.”
Twilight Sparkle’s tone turned sour as she lowered herself under the table with only her head popping out.  She barely reached out to Pinkie before she said “I had a nightmare about quesadillas becoming sentient and devouring every pony in Canterlot, which unfortunately included Wanda and Sunset.”
Wanda looked like she was shaking in fear.  She turned around and grabbed onto Sunset as she said “Save me from the Quesadilla monsters.”
Sunset just looked up at Twilight and said “Quesadilla monsters.  That’s one nightmare Wanda’s going to have.”
“Another one I have is Moondancer,” Pinkie Pie said as she pulled out a list.  “As she happens to enjoy the colors of space, Moondancer is very fond of grape soda and galaxy light projectors.”
“Oh my,” Moondancer said as she blushed.  “That’s totally true.”
“And as for Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said as she turned to face Starlight, who looked like she was spacing out in a bad way.  “Starlight?”  Pinkie added.
“Starlight,” Sunburst said as she tapped Starlight on the shoulder.  “Is something wrong?”
Starlight let out a big sigh and said “Well that’s just it.  You all have your own destinies, and you all have your own cutie marks.  I’m now the only pony without a cutie mark.”
Wanda rose up and ran towards Starlight.  She got down on one knee and said “Well look on the bright side.  I don’t have a cutie mark.”
Starlight just sighed and said “Well it’s because you’re a man’s cub.  I’m just a pony.  We’re supposed to have our cutie marks.  But now I feel like I’m the one left out because I’m still a blank flank.  What if I don’t get my cutie mark?”
“Pumpkin, I’m assured you will get a cutie mark.”  Starlight turned around and saw Firelight hovering right behind her.  
“Daddy?” Starlight said.
“It took me a while to get my cutie mark,” Firelight said.  “There were times where I wanted to give up on getting my cutie mark, and I wanted to just give up and be a blank flank.”
“You did?” Starlight said as she rose up a bit. 
“Yes,” Firelight said.  “I believe that getting a cutie mark will come naturally.  It’s hard to describe it.  But I know you’ll get your cutie mark.  And it will be a sight for you to believe, my daughter.”
“Oh daddy,” Starlight said as she jumped out of her seat and gave Firelight a big hug.
Sunburst and Danged Spell watched from their seats as Starlight embraced her father.  The duo turned to each other with a smile.
“Do you think Starlight will get her cutie mark?” Danged Spell asked.
“It’s going to happen,” Sunburst said.  “But she’s going to go through a hard time to get it.  Envy will drive her mad.”
Danged Spell sighed as he took a drink of punch before slamming his cup onto the table.  “Something tells me she’ll need all the help she can get so that all of us will have a cutie mark.”
“Except me,” Wanda said as she kneeled right beside Danged Spell.  “I’m the only one who can’t get a cutie mark because of who I am.”
“That’s right,” Danged Spell said.  “And not only that, you’re not even from around this planet.”
“I can’t believe you got that right,” Sunburst said as he pulled out a book and opened it.  “Some say you’re from the planet Earth where humans exist.  It’s supposed to be a place that long ago lost its unique form of magic.”
“That does bring up one question,” Twilight said as she reached across the table.  “If Wanda’s supposed to be from Earth, then where did she get that kind of magic?  It doesn’t even look to be of Earth origin since the magic they had was far different.”
“And not to mention that Wanda was supposed to transform into a pony when she came here,” Sunset said.  “It still baffles my mind that a human from Earth would be able to maintain her form here in Equestria.  But that doesn’t mean she isn’t my sister.  In fact, I’m lucky to have her as my sister.”
“Oh Sunset,” Wanda blushed.  “I’m glad you’re my sister as well.”
But before Wanda could move, Starlight jumped off of Firelight and glomped onto Wanda, pinning her down with a great big hug.
“Starlight,” Wanda giggled.  “You’re tickling me with your fur.”
“I know,” Starlight said.  “But promise me this.  Will you still consider me a friend once I get my cutie mark?  After all, you’ll be the only one without a cutie mark.”
“I will always consider you a friend, with or without a cutie mark,” Wanda said.  “After all, mommy taught me to always be respectful towards those who need it.”
“Thanks Wanda,” Starlight said as she and Wanda embraced each other.  “You and Sunburst are some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
As Starlight and Wanda continued to hug on the grass, Firelight walked over to Sunset Shimmer and Twilight, whose focus was on Sunset’s human sister.
“I was wondering if you both could continue to look after Starlight,” Firelight asked.
“That you can count on, Mr Glimmer,” Sunset said.  “I can assure you that we will get Starlight her cutie mark before the first year is over.”
“She’s been like a sister I never had,” Twilight said. “Even Shining Armor and Spike enjoy her company.”
“That’s great,” Firelight said.  “I’ll come back to check on her in a couple of months to assure her that she will get her cutie mark.  Well, unless she gets it before then.”
“Mr Glimmer,” Twilight said.  “If we get that before then, that would be a great accomplishment.”
Firelight let out a laugh as he said “Well, once the sun shines in Equestria, we’re going back home to Sire’s Hollow.  But it sure was fun to come up to Canterlot, and to meet Danged Spell’s parents.”  Firelight turned around and began to walk away, but not before saying “I never realized that Danged Spell was from a beautiful place called Lio Lani.”
As Firelight walked away, Moondancer turned her head towards Danged Spell, who had a big grin on her face.
“You didn’t tell us that you were from Lio Lani,” Moondancer said.
“What?”  Danged Spell replied.  “I didn’t know if you were going to feel Fine-Apple about it.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” Everyone yelled before erupting into laughter.
Meanwhile, as the younglings laughed really loud, Abigail and Spike were sitting underneath the table, sharing a small slice of the cake together.  As Abigail ate the bite off her paw, Spike pulled a piece out and held it out in front of the kitty.  Abigail meowed with delight and accepted the cake piece before taking a bite from it.  Spike giggled as the two baby creatures continued to eat the cake.

The next day, at the School for Gifted Unicorns, every youngling is already in their assigned seating with Abigail and Spike underneath Wanda and Twilight.  Pinkie Pie once again stood next to the doorway as everyone awaited Princess Celestia.
“So did you hear the rumors?” Sunset asked Twilight.
“Yeah,” Twilight replied.  “We’re supposed to be going to Mount Aris in a few days.”
“Another field trip?” Moondancer said.  “After what happened in La Maresa?”
“And unlike the last time,” Golden Lace said with a smirk on her face. “I get to go with you.  Daddy’s orders.”
“You really want to put yourself in danger like that?”  Danged Spell said.  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Golden Lace held her nose high and said “Hmph.  If those Windigo delinquents get in my way, I’ll just brush them off with my magic.”
Wanda stared at Golden Lace and said “You can’t live with her, and you can’t live without her.”  This caused most of the class to laugh really hard while Golden Lace just held her nose up even higher.
As every student laughed, Pinkie Pie turned her head outside the doorway and saw two figures walk towards the classroom.  She got her head in and yelled “HEY EVERYONE!  PRINCESS CELESTIA AND PRINCESS LUNA ARE ON THEIR WAY!”
Everyone stopped laughing as they sat up at full attention.  Golden Lace, despite her lack of laughter, lowered her head down towards the front as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked on in.  Celestia approached the front and cleared her throat.
“As you are aware,” Princess Celestia said.  “We’re going to have another field trip in a few days to Mount Aris. There, we will get to visit the Hippogriff kingdom and meet with Queen Novo and Princess Skystar.”  Celestia shifted her tone as she added “And yes.  Golden Lace will be coming with us to Mount Aris.”
Golden Lace jumped out of her seat as she yelled out “YES!”  Danged Spell, Moondancer and Sunset Shimmer just hid their faces in total embarrassment.
“Well, that being said,” Princess Luna said.  “I believe we do have a bit of entertainment due to how well you all did on the test.”
Princess Luna pulled out a crystal from her mane and used her magic to levitate it towards the projector in the back, placing it right into the slot.  The projector turns on and emits the image onto the screen.
“At least it can’t be worse than that film about Queen Eternia and Icelina,” Moondancer said as her attention was glued on the screen.
The image portrayed what appears to be a pair of cute foxes running through the forest, smiling for each other as the daylight beamed across the woods.
“This doesn’t look too bad,” Starlight said as she paid attention to the footage.
“Something tells me I’ve seen this before,” Sunburst said.  “But I can’t exactly put my hoof on it.”
As the two foxes on the screen wandered happily, a pair of vicious shadows armed with torches grinned as they hovered over the two vulpes.  The two foxes looked up in terror as one of the figures flung the lit torch upwards into the air before it landed into a patch of dry grass, setting it ablaze.  The foxes turned their attention from the figures to the fire, watching as it grew bigger before turning tail and running.
In the classroom, the students watched as the foxes ran for their life as they were chased by the two figures.  Wanda and Starlight stood there, staring at the screen while their eyes began to water.
“No,” Wanda said to herself as she looked like she was about to cry.  “Leave the fox alone.”
On the screen, the foxes ran as fast as they could, trying to outrun the fire and the two figures.  The bigger one tripped over a rock and fell on its side while the smaller one ran as fast as possible.  The bigger one tried to get up, only for a flaming tree to fall right in front of it.  The big fox turned around to see the two figures inch their way towards the fox.
Wanda and Starlight could do nothing but stare at the screen as everyone else began to take notice at the two.
“Oh no,” Sunset said as she watched her sister’s tears build up.  “Not again.”
Suddenly, the sound of a loud bang echoes through the room.  Sunset turned her head and was shocked in horror as the smaller fox stood there, looking like it was about to cry.  Sunset covered her ears, preparing for the worse.
“This is going to hurt,” Sunset said to herself.
With a loud whine, Wanda and Starlight burst into waterfall tears.  Everyone in the classroom, even Golden Lace, were completely focused on Wanda and Starlight’s crying.
“Oh for crying out loud,” Golden Lace said to herself as she covered her head in embarrassment.  “What were my parents thinking in making me attend this school?”
As Golden Lace slammed her face down, Sunset, Twilight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell stood there, watching Starlight and Wanda cry their eyes out.  Abigail and Spike watched from underneath as the tears from the two kids splashed onto the ground.
“What kind of sick joke is this?” Moondancer said.
“Whatever it is,” Danged Spell said in disgust.  “I’m not laughing.”
“I’m with you on that,” Sunburst said.  “Besides, I think I know where I saw this flick.”
Twilight and Sunset turned towards Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, glaring at the two alicorns with a cold stare.  Celestia and Luna blushed with embarrassment as the bigger alicorn turned towards her sister.
“Where did you get that video?” Celestia said in a stern tone.
“It was the only one I could find,” Luna replied.  “The others were being checked out from the library.”
Celestia let out a sigh and said “This is going to look bad on our reputation.”
Luna used her magic to shut off the projector before walking up to Wanda and Starlight.  She used her magic to lift both crybabies towards her before proceeding to hug them both at the same time.  Wanda and Starlight proceeded to cry into Luna’s chest.
“It’s alright there,” Luna said.  “I didn’t mean to show you that horrible cartoon.”
As Wanda and Starlight continued to cry into Luna’s chest, Sunset walked up Golden Lace with a scorned look on her face.
“I hope you’re happy,” Sunset said.  “You’re most likely going to tattle tale on your folks over this.”
“Are you kidding me?” Golden Lace replied as she got up.  “I enjoy seeing these kinds of movies.  In fact, this isn’t the first time that an incident like this has happened.  At least the school that I originally came from is still in existence.”
As Golden Lace slammed her face on the table, Twilight Sparkle walked up to Sunset Shimmer and merely shrugged her shoulders.  All Sunset could do was let out a sigh and walked back to her desk.  Pinkie Pie just looked at Wanda and Starlight and just shook her head.
Underneath the tables as Wanda and Starlight cried their eyes out, Abigail and Spike stood there huddled together, watching the two younglings cry.  Both creatures worried for the Man’s Cub and the blank flank unicorn as they held each other, side by side.


	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 12: The Trip to Mt. Aris


	Where have all the Hippogriffs Gone?

> Arc 12(The Trip to Mt. Aris)-1: Where have all the Hippogriffs Gone?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Arc 12: The Trip to Mt. Aris


	Where have all the Hippogriffs Gone?



Sunset Shimmer was pacing back and forth impatiently as she stood by the carriage located outside the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Twilight Sparkle stuck her head out as did Pinkie Pie.
“You’re looking a bit anxious,” Twilight said.
“It’s one thing for Wanda to be late,” Sunset said.  “But mother as well?
“Come on, Sunset,” Pinkie Pie said.  “We’re all anxious to get down to Mount Aris.  But you gotta learn to play it cool and take a breather.”
“But that’s just it,” Sunset said.  “What if the Windigo’s Guild decided to kidnap Wanda and mommy when we least expect it?  What if the Banks decided to accost them for that incident involving that fox movie?”
“If it makes you feel better,” Golden Lace said as she stuck her head out.  “I did not bring up that incident with my parents.”
Sunset came to a stop before turning her body towards Golden Lace.  She raised her head up and said “What makes you think they won’t?”
“Well,” Golden Lace said with a smile.  “My mother always told me “The sign of crying is often a sign of weakness.  If you complain about one who cries, you’re no better than the crier.’  And I didn’t want to disappoint my mother.”
“Well,” Sunset said in a sarcastic tone.  “That’s very reassuring, considering what you did with Ditzy Doo.”
“Hmph,” Golden Lace said as she held her nose high.  “But with that out of the way, it seems your blank flank friend is having some issues lately.”
Golden Lace stuck her head back in as Sunset jumped up and took a peek inside.  Starlight Glimmer just sat there, staring down at the floor while Abigail and Spike desperately tried to get her attention by tugging at her tail.
“Starlight?”  Sunset said.  “Are you alright?”
Starlight just let out a sigh as she ignored Sunset.
“She’s been like this since early this morning,” Sunburst said.
“We did promise we would get her cutie mark before her parents returned” Sunset said.
“I know,” Sunburst replied as he patted Starlight on the back.  “But she’s acting as if her desire to get a cutie mark is out of reach for her.”
“Oh don’t be that upset,” Pinkie Pie said as she jumped down from the window to the floor and approached Starlight.  “We’ve all had our ups and downs in finding our destiny.  I’m sure you’ll find yours.”
“Yeah,” Moondancer said as she cuddled next to Starlight.  “You’re our friend.  And once you get your cutie mark, you’ll be brighter than the stars in the sky.”
“Actually,” Danged Spell said.  “I hope your cutie mark has something to do with a star, considering your name and all.”
“You really think so?”  Starlight said as she looked up at Danged Spell.
“No kidding,” Spell replied.  “When you have friends like Twilight Sparkle and Moondancer, you feel like you’re as huge as the galaxy that surrounds us.”
Starlight just looked down and said in a very subtle tone “Yeah.  I guess.”
Pinkie Pie placed her mouth towards Danged Spell’s ear and whispered “Maybe you should have gone for a pun.”
“I know,” Danged Spell whispered back.  “But I’m too eager to get down to Mount Aris.”
As Sunset Shimmer looked at Starlight, she heard the sound of galloping in the distance.  Sunset got down and looked in the distance.  Princess Celestia and PRincess Luna were running as fast as possible towards the carriage.  Atop was Wanda Young, but something was different about her.
“What happened?”  Sunset said as Celestia and Luna came to a stop.
“We had a hard time picking out a swimsuit for Wanda,” Celestia said.
“Swimsuit?”  Sunset Shimmer said.
When Wanda Young jumped down from Celestia’s back and onto the grass, she was no longer wearing her light blue dress, nor was she wearing her overalls and pink shirt.  Instead, she was wearing a pink tank swimsuit.  Twilight looked at Wanda from the carriage as Pinkie Pie and Moondancer stuck their heads out.
“Yeah,”  Wanda said.  “I just wanted something that would look awesome at Mount Aris.”
“Didn’t you read the brochure about Mount Aris?”  Luna said to Sunset.  “The field trip also involves swimming at the local beach and pool areas.  It would be perfect to teach Wanda how to swim.”
“But why does Wanda need a swimsuit?”  Twilight asked.
“Well I can answer that, my dearest apprentice,” Princess Celestia said as she opened the carriage door.  “Unlike ponies, Wanda does not have fur to protect her from the extreme heat or cold of this world.  She needs some form of protection so that she can resist the harsh elements, especially water.  And luckily for her, the swimsuit that she needed will grant her that protection.
“It’s as if we gave her fur like the rest of us,” Princess Luna explained.
“Well that makes a lot of sense,” Sunset replied as she jumped into the carriage.  “Don’t want Wanda to catch a cold while swimming in the pools of Mount Aris.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell replied.   “You don’t want her to have a chilly reception.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” The younglings, sans Golden Lace, yelled before they burst into laughter.  Even Starlight’s mood went up as she giggled.
Golden Lace let out a sigh as she said “How immature.”
As Wanda jumped up into the carriage right next to Sunset, Twilight got down and landed right next to the two.
“By the way,” Twilight asked.  “Where’s Shining Armor?  Princess Cadance?”
“They’re not coming with us this time,” Wanda said.
“After the incident at La Maresa,” Sunset said.  “They decided they want to stay behind and look after the kingdom while Mommy and Aunt Luna are with us.”
“You got that right,” Princess Celestia said as she stuck her head in.  “Chancellor Cinch is helping out the two as they take over as acting rulers.”
“All while we’re giving you younglings a better field trip,” Princess Luna said as she stuck her head in.  “Besides, the last thing I need is to be frozen solid by the Windigo’s Guild.”
“At least if something did happen to us,” Twilight Sparkle said. “We still got Cadance and Shining Armor as rulers of Equestria.”
“Anyway,” Sunset said.  “I think we’ve talked enough.  Don’t you suppose we get a move on?”
“Well,” Luna said with a playful raspberry before pulling her head out.  “Someone’s mighty anxious.”
“That’s Princess Luna in a nutshell,” Princess Celestia said before pulling her head out.  “But I did promise to be the one to pull the carriage this time.”
As Princess Celestia walked over to the front of the carriage, Wanda Young sat down in a seat right next to Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.
“So,” Wanda said.  “What is Mount Aris supposed to be like?”
“It’s supposed to be the home of the Hippogriffs,”  Twilight replied.  “Part pony, part eagle.  Their leader is Queen Novo, who has watched over her kind since way before our time.”
“So she’s as old as mommy?” Wanda asked.  “That’s odd.  Aunt Novo never told me that.”
“Maybe older than that,” Sunset said as she gave Wanda a noogie on her head.
“Some say that her daughter is really fond of throwing parties like I do,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Well if it sounds that good,” Wanda said as she fastened her seat belt around her waist.  “Now I’m feeling really excited for our field trip.”
Outside, a couple of winged guards were able to fasten the carriage harness around Princess Celestia.  Though judging by the looks on their face, they felt disappointed.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to fly the carriage?” One of the guards said.
“No worries,” Princess Celestia replied.  “You watch over Canterlot in case the Windigo’s Guild are up to no good.  Luna and I will keep the younglings entertained.”
“Then may the skies guide you safely to your destination, your majesty,” Another guard said as they bowed to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
“Oh please,” Luna said with a second playful raspberry.  “No need to be formal.”
The guards took a few steps back as Princess Celestia extended her wings outward.  Princess Luna jumped to her sister’s side and extended her own wings out, all while squatting down like she’s about ready to run.
“So,” Princess Celestia said as she took a glance at the runway.  “You think you can beat your sister to Mount Aris while she’s pulling a carriage?”
“Bring it,” Princess Luna said.
Scrapping the dirt from the ground, Princess Celestia made a mad dash forward, pulling the carriage as fast as possible.  Luna was quick to follow in pursuit of her sister.  WIth a mighty flap of their wings, Celestia took off with the carriage hooked up to her side with Luna flying right after.  They all took to the skies above Canterlot, heading westbound once more.

Some time later, Princess Celestia flew above the various lands of Equestria all while pulling the carriage like a kite in the air.  Princess Luna flew by her sister’s side, not once looking like she was going to tire.
Inside the carriage, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Danged Spell and Moondancer looked outside as they fly over the country.  Starlight just sat there, still looking a bit depressed while Sunburst kept her by his side.  Abigail and Spike just sat there, holding onto each other, while Golden Lace just laid back, paying no attention to everyone around her.
“Every time,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I’m given a reminder of how beautiful Equestria is from above the clouds.”
“It’s hard not to forget these scenes when you’re in the air all the time,” Twilight said as she couldn’t keep her eyes from looking downwards.
“A part of me wants to jump out of the carriage, flap my wings and fly,” Wanda said as she looked at the forests from above.
“Now Wanda,” Sunset said.  “You promised mommy and Chancellor Cinch not to fly while we’re traveling.”
“I know,” Wanda giggled.  “But I think when we arrive at Mount Aris, I want to at least fly with some of the Hippogriffs.”
As most of the youngsters looked down at the land from above, Pinkie Pie’s eyes caught something familiar from afar.
“Hey look,” Pinkie Pie said as she pointed downwards.  “I can see La Maresa from here.”
Everyone looked downward to see the town of La Maresa from above.  Even though it looked small, it was still a sight to behold.
“To think,” Moondancer said.  “Not long ago, we came down here to the Ponyville Providence Fair, only for it to be ruined by Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild.”
“You said it,” Pinkie Pie said in a huff.  “The nerve of those party crashers, thinking they can wreck our fair and get away with it.”
“Well at least we were able to drive those ice heads off.”  That familiar voice caught the attention of Pinkie Pie.  She turned to her left and saw Rainbow Dash flying right behind the carriage.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.  “What are you doing in the air?”
“What am I doing?”  Rainbow Dash replied.  “I heard word that you were flying towards Mount Aris.”
“You’re not kidding,” Danged Spell replied.  “We’re going to see the Hippogriffs and Queen Novo.”
“Hippogriffs, eh?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Mind if I stuck around?”
“Why not?”  Wanda said.  “After all, we do miss your company since you returned to La Maresa.”
“But only if it’s okay with mommy,” Sunset said.  But the moment Sunset finished speaking, Princess Luna flew back right next to the carriage.
“Actually,” Princess Luna responded.  “We were the ones who approached Rainbow Dash with joining us today, considering that she’s been fascinated with the Hippogriffs.”  Rainbow Dash just smiled, much to Sunset’s surprise.
“Well that cleared everything up,” Sunset said with a chuckle.
“Glad you could make it on board, Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie Pie said as she grabbed Rainbow Dash and gave her a big hug, much unfortunate for her lungs.
“Too…..tight,” Rainbow Dash said as she struggled to breathe.  Pinkie Pie took notice and let go of Rainbow Dash.  The pegasi filly breathed real hard, having got out of that tight squeeze of a hug.
“Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said.  “When it comes to you and hugs, you’d put a bear to shame.”
“Well maybe you need to develop better lungs.”  Rainbow Dash stuck her head in one of the windows of the carriage.  Inside, her eyes caught Golden Lace just lounging around in her seat.
“Who exactly are you?”  Rainbow Dash said.  Golden Lace got up and glanced at the rainbow filly.
“YOU DON’T REMEMBER WHO I AM?”  Golden Lace yelled.  “For someone who came by Canterlot for your silly competition, you sure have a lot of faulty memory.”
Wanda looked at Golden Lace with a bit of scorn on her face and said “That’s the mare who made Ditzy Doo cry.”
“I’m aware of that,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But I have no recollection of her name.”
“It’s Golden Lace,” Golden Lace yelled.  “And I hope you got it memorized.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Golden Lace as the stubborn unicorn filly turned her head away.  Wanda looked at Rainbow Dash and a smirk formed on her face.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”  Wanda said.
“You could say that,” Rainbow Dash said before noticing that Wanda was wearing a swimsuit.  “By the way, what’s with the tortoise shell?”
“It’s my swimsuit,” Wanda said.
“Now why the hay do you need a swimsuit just to swim?”  Rainbow Dash said.
“It’s because Wanda doesn’t have fur like the rest of us ponies,” Twilight said.  “So they were able to get a swimsuit that could protect her in cold temperatures.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “We don’t want Wanda to catch a cold.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Rainbow Dash replied as she pulled herself into the carriage.  “I don’t recall that many creatures that lack fur, feathers or even scales.”
“None of us do,” Moondancer said.  “The only other one we have that has scales is Spike.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Baby Spike, who was sitting there right next to Abigail.  The baby dragon looked at Rainbow Dash and playfully waved at her.
“Heh,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “It’s too bad Fluttershy chose to decline this trip to Mount Aris.”
“Well why’s that?” Wanda asked with curiosity in her eyes.
Rainbow Dash took a seat right next to Wanda and said “She promised to help out with the animals at the San Di’Neighgo Zoo.  Rarity’s working on a top secret project.  Applejack’s got apples to pick, and Trixie’s testing out her new stage wagon.”
Starlight looked up at Rainbow Dash before staring downwards and said “I wish Trixie was here.  Maybe she could cheer me up with one of her performances.”
“She’s having one of those depressing moments, eh?” Rainbow Dash asked Sunburst.
“Yeah,” Sunburst said.  “She’s now the only pony of the group to not have a cutie mark.  I only hope she gets her cutie mark before her parents come back.”
“There’s no rush in getting a cutie mark,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You will get one, and it will come naturally.  So don’t worry about it.”
Sunburst looked at Starlight, who barely nodded at Rainbow Dash’s words.  He turned back to Rainbow Dash and said “I’ve had a problem like this before ever since our trip to La Maresa.”
“It was that bad, huh?”  Rainbow Dash said. “Because of what the Windigo’s Guild did?”
“Yeah,” Sunburst said as he wrapped his arm around Starlight and hugged her.  “But as long as there are others who share my concern, I know I’m not alone.”
“Good,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Because we’re all in this together.”

Later that morning, the carriage was flying above the beautiful city of San Di’Neighgo.  In the distance near the beach was a pathway that led to a giant mountain suspended over an island.  The mountain resembled a pair of bird wings covering a large hill that led up to a village and a castle in the peak.  Rainbow Dash jumped right out of the carriage and flew right next to Princess Luna.
“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I heard legends of the Hippogriff’s land.  But that looks awesome.”
“It is,” Princess Luna said.  “Believe it or not, Queen Novo came to visit Canterlot, long before Wanda and Sunset joined the School for Gifted Unicorns.  So it’s not the first time they saw an actual hippogriff.”
“They actually did?” Pinkie Pie said as she stuck her head out of the carriage’s window.  “Did they meet Novo’s daughter Princess Skystar?”
“No,” Princess Celestia said as she pulled the carriage closer to Mount Aris.  “But Queen Novo told me that she’s eager to introduce Princess Skystar, her niece Silverstream and the rest of the Hippogriffs to Wanda and Sunset.”
“I can’t hold it any longer,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’ve got to go ahead and greet them.”
“Rainbow, wait,” Princess Luna said before Rainbow Dash took off towards Mount Aris.  Sunset stuck her head out as Rainbow Dash disappeared towards the island.
“She just had to go and pull that stunt,” Sunset Shimmer said.
Wanda stuck her head out and said “I hope Rainbow Dash brings back a representative from the island to greet us.”
“Oh don’t you worry,” Pinkie Pie said as she stuck her head out right next to Wanda.  “Rainbow Dash is the kind of pony who can dish it out and take it ten folds.”
“Considering that she saved us from the meanie windigos back in La Maresa, “ Wanda said. “I have a lot of faith in her.”
“Even though she gave you that migraine with her Sonic Rainboom?” Sunset said.
“If it meant getting rid of those meanies,” Wanda said.  “I’d say it was worth it.”
But as Wanda completed her sentence, Rainbow Dash dashed right next to the carriage.  But her face read not of joy or excitement, but of shock and despair.
“Rainbow Dash,” Princess Celestia said.  “What happened?”
“They’re gone,” Rainbow Dash said.  “There are no more hippogriffs left.”
“WHAT?”  Princess Luna yelled.  “That can’t be right.  Queen Novo said she was expecting us.”
“I’d like to see this for myself,” Princess Celestia said.  “Onward.”
With a flap of her wings, Princess Celestia pulled the carriage really hard and dashed towards Mount Aris with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna flying right behind her.  Wanda looked at Mount Aris from the safety of her carriage and held her hands close to her chest.
“Aunt Novo,” Wanda said.  “Please be safe.”

A misty fog covered the meadow atop Mount Aris as Princess Celestia flew downwards and came to a complete stop, still pulling the carriage.  Princess Luna flew right next to her older sister and loosened the harness while Rainbow Dash opened the carriage door.  Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Moondancer and Danged Spell were quick to jump out of the wagon as Princess Celestia approached the younglings.  Golden Lace jumped down from the carriage and landed right next to Sunset Shimmer, who just glared at her.
“What?”  Golden Lace said as she caught Sunset’s cold stare.  “Just because you’re a princess doesn’t mean you should act so uncouth.”
Sunburst emerged from the carriage as he helped Starlight Glimmer take a few steps down towards the ground.  The moment the duo were on the soft grass, Abigail and Spike climbed down from the carriage and landed nearby.
“It looks like everyone is accounted for,” Princess Luna said.
Princess Celestia walked up to Wanda and said “My Darling Wanda.  Stay by my side.  I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
Wanda nodded as she walked up to Princess Celestia and stood by her side.  Abigail ran up to Princess Celestia and hid underneath the elder alicorn.
“Now listen up,” Princess Luna said.  “I want you all to remain together.  The last thing we need is to lose any of you, especially after what happened in La Maresa.”
“You can count on us, Aunt Luna,” Sunset Shimmer said as she gave a salute.
Princess Luna gave a wink to Sunset before turning to face Rainbow Dash and said “Rainbow, since you are the fastest flyer of the group, I want you to scout ahead and locate any hippogriffs remaining.”
Rainbow Dash gave a salute and said “AYE AYE, PRINCESS LUNA!”  She turned tail and flew towards the castle at the peak of the mountain.
“Everyone else,” Princess Celestia said.  “We head towards the village to find out what happened.”
“Princess,” Twilight Sparkle said as she approached Princess Celestia.  “What do you supposed happened here?  I know the hippogriffs enjoy the peace and tranquility of Mount Aris.  But it feels alot like what happened in La Maresa.”
“My faithful student,” Princess Celestia replied as she let out a disgruntled snort.  “If the Windigo’s Guild did something to the hippogriffs of Mount Aris, I will make them pay for it.”
“Sometimes,” Twilight said as she began to worry.  “I wonder if the Windigo’s Guild really wants to make all of Equestria feel unsafe.”
“Not on my watch,” Princess Celestia said.
As the group began to walk away from the carriage, a mysterious figure watched everyone from a nearby cliffside.  Her eyes were shifted towards Wanda Young as she stood directly next to Princess Celestia.
“So this is the human girl that mommy told me about,” the figure said. 

The nearby village looked like it was torn to pieces as debris from the houses were scattered across the land.  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s jaws dropped in complete horror upon seeing the damaged town with their very eyes as the rest of the students were right behind them.
“What in Queen Eternia’s name happened here?” Princess Celestia yelled as Wanda and Abigail stood by, completely scared.
“Whoever did this,” Princess Luna said as she observed the ruined village.  “They wasted no time scaring the hippogriffs away.”
“Mommy,” Wanda said as she tapped on Celestia’s arm.  “Did the bad Windigo’s Guild do this?”
“No,” Princess Celestia replied. “Knowing the Windigo’s Guild, they would have filled this valley full of ice towers just to prove to be the most dangerous group across the world.”
“There’s something else that disturbs me,” Sunburst said as Starlight Glimmer held onto the bookworm.  “Whoever did this, I’m surprised that they didn’t go after San Di’NeighGo.”
“Very good observation, Sunburst,” Princess Luna said.  “I’m beginning to wonder why we didn’t get any warnings about Mount Aris being invaded.”
“Man those party poopers,” Pinkie Pie said as she slammed her two front hooves into the ground.  “I ought to give them a piece of my mind.”
But as Pinkie Pie was about to take off, Twilight grabbed Pinkie’s tail with her magic and pinned her down, causing Pinkie to slam her body onto the grass.
“Pinkie no,” Twilight said.  “What would Mrs Cake or your parents say about that?”
“Twilight’s right,” Moondancer said.  “You can’t just go on out like you’re some sort of scrappy fighter.”
Pinkie Pie sat up and crossed her arms in a huff as she glared at Twilight and Moondancer.  Golden Lace walked up, completely disturbed by the village’s destruction, with no sign of any hippogriffs.
“I’d never thought I would say this,” Golden Lace said.  “But when I get back home, I am chewing my mother out for making me go on this horrible field trip.”
“And I’d never thought I would agree with you, Lace,” Sunset said.  
“Well let’s not make it a common habit,” Golden Lace replied.
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash comes flying towards the group.  She looked completely frustrated as her hooves hit the ground.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.  “What happened?   Did you find Queen Novo?”
“No,” Rainbow Dash said.  “There wasn’t a single soul in that castle.  Everyone was gone.”
“Gone?”  Danged Spell yelled.  “You mean we came all the way to Mount Aris for nothing?”
“Well don’t look at me,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I wasn’t the one who insisted on this field trip.”
As Danged Spell put his hoof over his face, Princess Luna noticed a tarp that was placed nearby.  Eyeing the color of the flag, Luna began to sweat a bit from her forehead.
“Please don’t tell me he’s involved,” Princess Luna said to herself as she used her magic to levitate the flag and unveil it. 
Embedded on the flag were two lightning bolts, aligned perpendicular to each other, each in a small curve located at the bottommost part of the two bolts.  Looking at the flag, Princess Luna’s jaw dropped to the ground.
“SISTER!” Princess Luna yelled as she turned towards her big sister.  “IT’S WORSE THAN I EXPECTED.”
Princess Celestia ran up to Princess Luna as the latter showed the flag to her older sister.  Celestia went into complete shock as she stared at the flag.  She regained some of her composure before turning towards the students.
“May I have your attention?”  Princess Celestia said as the younglings faced the elder alicorn.  “Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, I’m afraid we’re going to have to cancel the Mount Aris field trip, and return to Canterlot.  This is for your own safety.”
Nearly every youngling groaned in disappointment as they turned around and slowly walked away from the village.  Twilight lowered herself down as Spike jumped on her back.
“Man, this stinks to high horse,” Danged Spell said.  “What kind of jerk ruins the lives of so many hippogriffs and ruins our vacation at the same time?”
“Well it ain’t the Windigo’s Guild,” Sunburst said as Starlight stood next to him.  “Whoever it was, they held nothing back.
Starlight just walked right beside Sunburst and said “This truly is the worst day ever.”
“Now don’t say that,” Sunburst said.  “We’ll find a way to enjoy the rest of our day.”
As the younglings walked back to the carriage, Sunset Shimmer walked alongside Golden Lace, who looked even more upset.
“Lace,” Sunset said.  “Are you alright?”
Golden Lace turned her head towards Sunset and yelled “No I’m NOT okay.  I thought if my mother and father could convince Princess Celestia to invite me on one of your field trips, I would feel like I would belong.  But the moment we landed on this island, it was nothing more than a disaster.  When I get back to Canterlot, I am going to have a word with them about agreeing to this.”
As Golden Lace marched off, Sunset stared at Golden Lace with an odd look on her face.
“Wow,”  Sunset said to herself.  “When I wind up agreeing with Golden Lace, that’s saying a lot.”
Pinkie Pie walked towards the carriage with Twilight, Spike and Moondancer following right behind her.  The party pony looked real grumpy.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said.  “Are you alright?”
“No,” Pinkie said in a stern tone.  “What I just saw was nothing more than a total party crashing.  If only I had the full powers of Discord, I could find the hippogriffs and give them the party of a lifetime.”
“But you don’t have Discord’s magic, Pinkie,” Moondancer said.  “You’re just like the rest of us.  You can’t change what you can’t control.”
“That’s what makes this party stink,” Pinkie Pie said.
Twilight just stood by Pinkie Pie as Spike rode on top of her.  The young dragon scratched at Twilight’s mane, getting her attention.
“I know what you mean Spike,” Twilight said.  “But right now, I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it.”
Spike just let out a big sigh as Twilight walked towards the carriage.

Right behind the ground, Wanda walked beside Princess Celestia and Abigail.  The man’s cub’s tone had gone down south, since there was no sign of any hippogriffs.
“It’s going to be alright, Wanda,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’m sure the hippogriffs are safe and sound.”
“But I wanted to see the hippogriffs up close,” Wanda whined.  “It’s not fair.  Why does life have to be this cruel?”
“Well look on the bright side, Wanda,” Rainbow Dash said as she landed near the Man’s Cub.  “At least none of us had to experience who those creeps were.  Even if they were the Windigo’s League.”
“First La Maresa, and now Mount Aris?” Wanda said as she looked like she was going to cry.
“Well don’t you worry,” Princess Celestia said.  “When we get back home, I’ll make you and Sunset the best ice cream sundae ever.
But before Wanda could react, a shadow flew right out of nowhere and grabbed the Man’s Cub in a flash.  Celestia’s tone shifted in a hurry once Wanda disappeared in a snap.
“WANDA!”  Celestia yelled.
Princess Luna and Rainbow Dash looked upwards and saw a Light gambogeish gray hippogriff with a feathery light arctic blue mane.  She held tight onto Wanda, who was kicking and screaming.
“MOMMY!”  Wanda yelled.  “HELP ME!”
Without a second thought, Rainbow Dash took off and flew after the hippogriff, who wasted no time turning tail and flying off.
“GET BACK HERE!”  Rainbow Dash yelled.  “AND BRING BACK WANDA!”
As Rainbow Dash flew after the hippogriff who grabbed Wanda, Princess Celestia extended her wings as Abigail jumped off.  The Alicorn Princess took off after Rainbow Dash and the hippogriff while Princess Luna landed next to Sunset.
“Aunt Luna,” Sunset said in an anxious tone.  “Where are they taking little sis?”
“Get back to the carriage with the other ponies,” Luna said.  “We’ll get Wanda back and find out what happened to the hippogriffs.”

In the airspace of Mount Aris, the hippogriff flew as fast as she could, holding onto Wanda very tight.  Wanda struggled to break free as she screamed really loud.
“LET ME GO YOU BIG PALOOKA,” Wanda yelled.  “I’M NOT FOOD!”
Right behind Wanda and the hippogriff were Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash.  The two ponies were catching up to the lone hippogriff, hoping to pry Wanda free.
“YOU HEARD WHAT OUR FRIEND SAID,” Rainbow Dash yelled.  “GIVE HER BACK!”
As the two were only inches away, the Hippogriff held Wanda really tight and immediately dived downwards into the ocean.
“Oh no,” Rainbow Dash said as she began to descend.  “Not on my watch, kidnapper.”
Rainbow Dash’s wings pointed backwards as she dove towards the ocean, aiming her sight at the hippogriff and Wanda.
“I’m giving you a count of three to let go of Wanda,” Rainbow Dash yelled. “And I mean let her go.”
Rainbow Dash dove faster and faster as she inched closer to the hippogriff, still clutching onto Wanda, just as they were nearing the ocean’s surface.
“One,” Rainbow Dash yelled.
The hippogriff paid no attention to Rainbow Dash as she dove down towards the ocean.  Wanda looked down at the ocean and inhaled deeply.
“Two,” Rainbow Dash yelled.
But before Rainbow Dash could touch the hippogriff, the creature landed into the ocean with a mighty splash, taking Wanda down with her.  Rainbow Dash and Celestia came to a stop as the hippogriff and Wanda disappeared into the ocean completely.
“Three?” Rainbow Dash said as she looked like she was about to freak out.
Princess Celestia nervously watched as the ocean roared around her.  She reached out to no avail, having lost her daughter Wanda to the waves.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Princess Celestia yelled as she helplessly held her hoof out.


	To Be Continued in…


	A guest of Seaquestria

> Arc 12-2: A guest in Seaquestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	A guest of Seaquestria



Wanda Young opened her eyes as she was at the bottom of the ocean.  She exhaled and noticed something odd.  A bubble had formed around her head.  She took a breath and exhaled slowly, like she was above water.
“Mommy?”  Wanda said.  “Where are you?”
“No time to explain.”  Wanda turned her head to her right to see the hippogriff who kidnapped her.  Only she was no longer a hippogriff.  Her legs have transformed into a fish’s tail.  Her old tail had become the end of her new tail.  Her mane’s texture turned from feathers into a beautiful scale.  And her beak was replaced with a pony’s muzzle.
Wanda swam backwards before the transformed hippogriff grabbed the man’s cub by the wrist.
“We need to get you safe to my mommy Queen Novo,” the hippogriff said.
“Wait,” Wanda said as she paused.  “Did you say...Queen Novo?”
“Yes,” The transformed hippogriff said.  “Now we need to get going.”
The hippogriff pulled Wanda by the wrist and swam towards a nearby cave entrance.  Wanda looked upwards at the ocean’s surface as she was being pulled by the hippogriff.
“But what about mommy?” Wanda said.
“Right now, your protection is needed from him,” The Hippogriff said.
“But I want mommy and the rest of my friends to be with us,” Wanda yelled as she watched helplessly at the ocean’s surface. 
As Wanda was pulled into the cavern, she watched a stone door begin to close from behind her.  Wanda could do nothing but watch the doorway behind her closed up as she was being pulled away.
“MOMMY!” Wanda yelled as the doorway behind her was shut tight.

Back on dry land, Princess Luna paced back and forth as the other youngs watched helplessly.  Sunset looked anxious as Abigail meowed into the air.
“Poor Wanda,” Twilight said as she walked up to Sunset.  “And we were about to depart from Mount Aris when this disaster happened.”
“Wanda’s my sister,” Sunset said.  “I’d be damned if we leave Wanda behind.  If I know mother, she’ll fight to get her back.”
“And considering that Rainbow Dash was on her side,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I’d say getting her back will be a piece of cake.”
Danged Spell looked upwards and saw Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash flying towards them.  But as he looked, he noticed that Wanda was not with them.
“Uhh guys,” Danged Spell yelled.  “I think we have a big problem on our hooves.”
The moment Princess Celestia landed on the ground, she ran up to a large, thick tree and started pounding it in anger.  Princess Luna ran up to Celestia as the elder sister kept hitting her hoof on the tree’s trunk.
“Sister,” Luna yelled.  “What happened?”
Celestia stopped pounding the tree as she lowered her head down.  Tears formed on her eyes as she struggled to contain herself.
“They took her,” Celestia cried.  “That hippogriff dove underwater with Wanda still in her grasp.  This is my fault that I let this happen.”
“It’s not your fault,” Princess Luna said as she raised Celestia’s head up.  “We were all caught off guard by that hippogriff.  None of us saw it coming.”
“At least she’s safe,” Rainbow Dash said as she planted her hooves on the ground.
“What exactly do you mean safe?” Moondancer said as she walked up to Rainbow Dash.
“I could clearly make out a bubble forming around Wanda’s head in the ocean,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Plus I recall seeing that hippogriff undergoing a metamorphosis of some sort, becoming some like a half-pony, half-fish creature.”
“Half-pony half-fish?”  Sunburst said.  “If I recall, that happens to be a Sea Pony.”
“A what?” Sunset asked.
“Just imagine a pony if she could swim in the water instead of running on land,” Sunburst explained.  “Sometimes they’re referred to as the hippocampus.”
“But something does bother me,” Twilight said as Spike looked at her with a sad look on his face.  “How did she transform that fast into a sea pony?”
“Now that’s something to think about,” Sunset said.
Princess Celestia raised her head.  Though tears flowed from her eyes, she looked far more determined than ever.
“Everyone,” Princess Celestia said.  “Our task has changed from departing Mount Aris to a rescue operation.  Though we know that Wanda is safe, I will not leave this area until we get her back.  I’m sorry to have to put this burden on you all, but I need you all to find a way into where that sea pony took her.”
Luna stepped forward and said “Make no mistake.  We are under two crises here in Mount Aris.  One involves Wanda’s kidnapping, and the other involves the disappearance of the hippogriffs.  I believe that once we find Wanda, we’ll find the truth to what happened to the hippogriffs.  If we find a secret entrance, we should be able to locate Princess Wanda and get her freed.   Now let us begin.”
Princess Luna and Princess Celestia turned around and walked towards the ruined village as Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Abigail, Moondancer and Danged Spell followed from behind.  Sunburst grabbed Starlight Glimmer and walked with her behind the group.  Golden Lace stood there, watching the group walk away. 
“Is this what these snowflakes have been through since the La Maresa incident?” Golden Lace said to herself.  “To think, I actually enjoyed lashing out at them for my own amusement.”
Golden Lace ran right behind the group as they went back towards the ruined village, hoping to find any clues to the fate of the hippogriffs.

Meanwhile, deep within the underwater cave, Wanda could only stare backwards as the hippogriff-turned-seapony dragged her towards a light that lay ahead of her. 
“Don’t you worry there,” the seapony said.  “Mama’s going to be so excited to see you.  A real life human girl like she described.”
“But I want to see my mommy again,”  Wanda said.  “And all my friends.”
“But you’ll make more friends down here in Seaquestria,” the sea pony said as she dragged Wanda even further.  “Maybe I could keep you as a sister to me.”
But as the sea pony dragged Wanda down even further, she overheard a loud voice call out “PRINCESS SKYSTAR!  YOU COME HERE THIS INSTANT, YOUNG LADY!”  Wanda looked at the seapony called Princess Skystar before looking downwards at the light, which appears to take the form of a village.
“Oh no,” Princess Skystar said to herself.  “What did I do now?”
Princess Skystar’s tone went from excitement to horror as she pulled Wanda towards the village up ahead.  Wanda could do nothing as Skystar pulled her close towards the light up ahead.

At the base of an underwater village, many sea ponies gather around a larger sea pony as they watch Princess Skystar drag Wanda towards their village.  This larger sea pony, with a light fuchsia-ish grey coat, a gradient of brilliant fuchsia and strong mulberry mane and strong magenta eyes, scowled at Skystar as a pair of guards swam towards the young princess.
“Princess Skystar,” one of the guards said as he approached the young princess.  “Your mother, Queen Novo, awaits your presence.”
“Oh dear,” Skystar said.  “Mama’s really going to give it to me now.”
Skystar slowly swam towards Queen Novo and the other sea ponies, holding Wanda right behind her.  Wanda looked up at Queen Novo as her face changed from fear to curiosity.
“Aunt Novo?” Wanda said quietly.
As Princess Skystar swam up to the group, Queen Novo glared at her, upset and angry.  Skystar just stood there as she swallowed hard.
“Young lady,” Queen Novo said.  “First off, what did I tell you about going back up to the surface?  You know very well that it’s dangerous because of what the Storm King did to us.”
“But I wanted to see if there was anyone out there,” Skystar said in a scared tone.
“And second off, why did you have to separate Wanda from her mother?” Queen Novo said in a harsher tone.
“Wait,” Skystar said as she released her grip on Wanda’s arm.  The little man’s cub swam a distance away as Queen Novo drifted towards her daughter.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Queen Novo said in a harsh tone.  “You’re in big trouble for separating Wanda from Princess Celestia.  Do you understand what kind of trauma you put Princess Celestia and little Wanda in?”
As Skystar stood by watching Queen Novo scold her, Wanda watched from afar.  Hearing Queen Novo’s tone of voice scared the little man’s cub, as tears flowed even faster from her eyes.
“Aunt Novo...why are you so scary?” Wanda said before she burst out crying.  Her bawling caught Queen Novo’s attention.
“I’ll deal with you later,” Queen Novo said to Princess Skystar as she turned her attention towards Wanda.
Wanda just stood floating under the water, crying her eyes out as Queen Novo swam up to the little man’s cub.  She reached out and pulled Wanda close to her, all while paying close attention to the air bubble that surrounds the Man’s Cub’s head.
“There there,” Queen Novo said in a soothing tone.  “I didn’t mean to make you cry, little Wanda.  In fact, I was just upset at Princess Skystar for what she did to you.”
Wanda looked up as her tears began to reside.  She saw Queen Novo look down at her with a warm, gentle smile.  Wanda smiled back as she gave Novo a big hug, even while her air bubble prevented her from touching her chest with her face.
“I’m terribly sorry for what my daughter did to you, smallfry,” Queen Novo said.  “She’s optimistic, but tends to get overly excited for the small things that happen.”
Wanda looked up at Queen Novo and said “Aunt Novo.  What happened outside?  Why is your village a complete wreck?”
Queen Novo’s tone turned from calm to shame.  She looked down at Wanda and said “It was the work of the Storm King, a tyrant who will do what it takes to conquer the whole world.”
“Storm King?” Wanda asked as she shivered in fear.
“But this isn’t a story I can just tell you,” Queen Novo said as she slowly let go of Wanda.  “I know that your mother is here, and so is your Aunt Luna, your sister Sunset, and your new friends.  And while you are a welcomed guest here, I’m afraid you’ll have a problem navigating underwater without a little gift.”
Queen Novo swam upwards and extended her hoof towards a magnificent, chandelier-looking castle.  Inside, a series of magical orbs glow brightly before emitting a powerful pulse of magic, spreading far away from the source and towards the exterior of the palace.
“Wow,” Wanda said as she was amazed by the glow of the shockwave of magic energy.
The magical burst spread through the interior of Seaquestria, passing through the sea ponies without affecting them.  The burst landed right on Wanda, surrounding her in a warm light.
When the light disappeared, Wanda’s appearance had changed.  Instead of legs, she now had a light cerise fish tail.  And instead of her tank swimsuit, she now had a tube top around the upper part of her torso.  Her air bubble had also disappeared as a flower formed in her hair around her left ear.  Wanda looked at her new form and face beamed with excitement.
“Wow,” Wanda said as she looked at her new tail.  “I look almost like a sea pony.”
“Actually,” Queen Novo said as she swam down towards Wanda.  “You resemble more of a mermaid.”
“A mermaid?” Wanda said.
“Yes,” Queen Novo said. “A  mermaid is an ancient creature with the upper torso of a human girl, and a fish tail like the rest of us.  Some say they came from another world through a form of trickery.  But not that many ponies, not even hippogriffs or sea ponies, have discovered mermaids.”
“This is amazing,” Wanda said as she swam around giggling.  “I’m a mermaid now.”
As Wanda swam freely with her new form, Queen Novo turned her attention to Princess Skystar, who still looked troubled.
“Young lady,” Queen Novo said as her tone shifted to a calmer, yet stern, tone.  “You will accommodate Wanda through her time here in Seaquestria.”
“But,” Princess Skystar said.  “How do I do that?”
“Start by apologizing to her for what you did,” Queen Novo said.
Princess Skystar swallowed hard as she swam up to Wanda.  But as she approached, the Man’s Cub-turned-mermaid gasped at Skystar and swam behind a large rock, hiding in complete fear.
“It’s okay, smallfry,” Queen Novo said.  “Princess Skystar didn’t mean to put you in grave danger.” 
Wanda emerged from the rock and saw Skystar reach out for her.  The mermaid slowly stuck her head out.
“I’m sorry that I separated you from your mama,” Skystar said.  “I really didn’t mean it.  I just wanted to show you to my mama because of what she told me about you.”
Wanda reluctantly reached out and placed her index finger on top of Skystar’s hoof.  Princess Skystar stood there as Wanda took her finger off before placing her hand on top of the sea pony’s hoof.
“See?”  Skystar said.  “I didn’t mean to scare you.  I just thought you looked cool.”
Wanda smiled as she grabbed onto Skystar.  The two swam together through the village as Queen Novo watched with a smile on her face.
“You keep her entertained,” Queen Novo said.  “And I’ll forgo grounding you.  Promise?”
“Promise,” Princess Skystar said as she came to a stop with Wanda behind her.
“Now will you excuse me?”  Queen Novo said.  “I need to open the way for Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and their students.”
As Queen Novo swims towards the palace, Wanda watches as many baby sea ponies rush around her.  She giggles as one with a light, magenta-grayish coat, pale, light grayish orchid fins and a mane consisting of two shades of light cornflower blue swims up to her.
“You look like a real cutie,” Wanda said as the small seapony boops her on the nose.  “What’s your name?”
“That’s Silverstream,” Princess Skystar said.  “She’s my cousin.”
“Your cousin?” Wanda asked.
“Yeah,” Skystar said as Silverstream swam up to Wanda’s head and laid on top of it.  “Her mother and my aunt’s name is Ocean Flow, while her father is Sky Beak.  Aunt Ocean Flow was one of the first to discover the secret of the pearls of transformation.  That way, if something horrible happened, like with what the Storm King did, we could hide away and keep everyone safe.”
“But what did the Storm King do?” Wanda asked.
“I’m afraid that’s something I’m a bit scared to talk about,” Skystar said as she looked downwards with a sad look on her face.  “It’s too traumatizing.”
Wanda looked at Princess Skystar with Silverstream still resting atop Wanda’s head.  Skystar slowly drifted away as Wanda just stood there.
“Early ago,” Wanda said to herself.  “I was scared of Princess Skystar as she took me down here.  But now, I think something is truly up.  If only mommy was here, she could get to the bottom of this.”

Back in the ruined village above the water, everyone was searching all over, trying to locate anything that would uncover a secret entrance of some sort.  Even though they were determined to rescue Wanda, they looked exhausted from all that digging and moving debris out of the way.  The only ones who weren’t present were Princess Luna and Pinkie Pie.
“I know finding a way into this secret location is hard,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But man, it feels like my hooves are about to fall apart.”
“We’ve got to keep searching,” Sunset said as she dug faster and faster through the rubble.  The faster we find Wanda, the better everything will turn out.  And I mean it.”
Sunset SHimmer continued to dig through the pile of debris like she had gone mad.  One of them came close to hitting Twilight, catching her and Baby Spike off guard.
“Sunset,” Twilight yelled.  “Have you lost your marbles?”
“No time to talk,” Sunset said as she jumped into a wrecked house and began to search.  “I need to get my sister back.”
Twilight let out a sigh as she and Spike began to walk towards the house that Sunset jumped into.  Danged Spell walked up to Twilight and wiped the sweat off his brow.
“Ever know what it feels like to lose a sibling in this kind of mess?” Danged Spell asked.
“I don’t think I’ve had that happen yet,” Twilight said as she looked down at Spike, who only looked up at his big sister.  “But I can only imagine what would happen if someone were to take Spike away from me.”
“Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I lost my baby sister Dream Seeker to the Windigo’s Guild, or a group of hoodlums,”  Danged Spell replied.  “And for what Sunset’s going through, I’d say she has every right to be upset, considering that Wanda is her special sister, and our best friend.”
“You’re right,” Twilight said as she used her magic to move some of the debris out of the way.  “If something bad happened to me, my big brother wouldn’t waste a sweat to find me, even if he wanted to exhaust himself.”
“That’s the spirit, Twilight,” Danged Spell said as he ran up to Twilight and Spike and helped move the debris out of the way.  “Let’s find Wanda and get her to safety.”
Nearly every pony was busy digging through the debris and ruined houses in the meadow area of Mount Aris.  Even Golden Lace pitched in.  The only one who didn’t was Starlight Glimmer, who just sat there looking downward at the grass.  Princess Celestia took notice and flew over to the young unicorn filly with Abigail running right behind the princess of the sun.
“Are you alright?” Princess Celestia said as she placed her hoof on Starlight’s cheek.  “You’ve barely moved from your spot since we began searching for that secret entrance.”
Starlight shifted her eyes away from Princess Celestia and looked to the side.  Abigail ran up to Starlight and rubbed her paw on the filly’s leg.  But Starlight paid no attention and let out a sigh.
“She’s not taking it very well,” Sunburst said as he walked up to Princess Celestia, Starlight Glimmer and Abigail.  “And I don’t just mean the lack of a cutie mark.”
“She’s worried about Wanda as well,” Princess Celestia said.  “I knew she was feeling depressed since we began our field trip.  But I didn’t expect her to be this depressed.”
“Starlight really liked to hang out with Wanda,” Sunburst said.  “She was there to at least cheer her up when Twilight and I weren’t available.  But now she thinks that she’s...well...I really don’t want to say it.”
“Personally,” Princess Celestia said.  “I don’t believe it.  And as long as I believe that Wanda is alive, I know that I’ll keep fighting till I wear myself out.  I’m not going to let something like this get the best of me.”
As Abigail continued to rub her paw on Starlight’s hoof and meow at the same time, she overheard a voice yell out “HEY GUYS!  LUNA AND I FOUND SOMETHING IN THE PALACE!”  Abigail turned her head towards the stairway, and saw Pinkie PIe and Princess Luna at the bottom of the stairs.  Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer took notice as they both soared right towards the party pony without a second thought.
“What did you find, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Please tell us,” Sunset said as she grabbed Pinkie by arms and pulled the party pony towards her.
“We found a secret doorway that may lead to where Wanda and that hippogriff went to,” Pinkie Pie replied.  Those words caused Sunset to drop Pinkie Pie before jumping into the air with excitement.
“YES!”  Sunset yelled.  “WE’RE COMING FOR YOU, WANDA!”
“There is one slight problem,” Princess Luna said, causing Sunset to freeze in the air and land on her four hooves.  “We’re trying to find the switch that leads down to this secret area.”  Luna added.
“Oh come on,” Sunset said.  “What kind of sick joke is this?  I want to see Wanda again.”
Celestia flew over to Sunset Shimmer and placed her arm around the young sun filly before she said “It’s alright.  We were able to find this secret entrance.  Now all we have to do is to open it.  And if we can’t find the switch, then I promise you, I’ll pry it open with my magic.”
Sunset’s eyes began to run.  She got on her hind legs and gave her adopted mother a big hug before she cried.  Twilight, Danged Spell and Moondancer walked up right behind Princess Celestia with Spike riding atop of Twilight Sparkle.
“Looks like the family spirit is strong with Princess Celestia,” Twilight said.  “Just like with my family.”
“What did you expect?:  Danged Spell said.  “A real family sticks together.  No one is left behind.  It’s what my dad always told me.”
“I bet he also taught you all those cheesy puns,” Moondancer said with a smirk on her face.
“Yeah, he taught me how…” Danged Spell said before he paused at that last minute.  He turned his face towards Moondancer and yelled “THAT AIN’T FUNNY, MCGEE!”
Moondancer just laughed really hard as Danged Spell seethe in anger.

A bit later, inside the hippogriff palace atop Mount Aris, the entire place looked like it was ransacked as there were only a few objects scattered across the room alongside more of the lightning-bolt flags decorating the place.  Everyone was in front of a large doorway, still completely shut tight.  Princess Celestia looked around, trying to make sense of the mess.
“Wow,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “I know I make my room a mess.  But this is something else.”
“I bet those hippogriffs must have had a swell place,” Golden Lace said as she observed the throne room.  “Well before whoever did this happened.”
“As much as I would be disgusted by that quote,” Twilight said as she and Spike looked around.  “I actually do agree on some part.  Even more so, I still don’t believe that the Windigo’s Guild weren’t involved this time.”  Golden Lace just looked at Twilight following that statement.
“That’s something I’m not going to get used to,” Golden Lace replied.
“It’s still fascinating that Queen Novo figured out a way to get her people away from danger with this kind of secret entrance,” Sunburst said as Starlight looked up at the doorway, completely awestruck.
“You’ll never know when you need to make a grand exit,” Celestia said.  “A wise ruler would install one of these in their castle, either as an emergency exit, or as a hidden sanctuary.”
“And I still can’t believe that Luna and I found the secret entrance,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “Imagine if we find a lair full of Hippogriffs who were hiding in plain sight just after the invasion of the big meanies hit.”
“There’s just one problem,” Rainbow Dash said.  “How the hay are we going to open this up?”
“Rainbow Dash is right,” Danged Spell said.  “I mean, what are we supposed to do, yell out open sesame?”
The moment Danged Spell finished talking, the door began to slide open, surprising everyone in the room.
“Spell,” Sunset said in excitement as she grabbed onto Danged Spell.  “You figured it out.  How did you do it?”
“Beats me,” Danged Spell replied.  “But when it comes to these stone doors, I always have a granite approach.  Get it?”
Celestia and Luna chuckled as everyone else around Danged Spell groaned before they yelled “Danged Spell.”
As the doorway opened up, Princess Celestia looked onward and her jaw completely dropped.  Queen Novo appeared, stepping outside from the secret entrance.  But she was no longer a sea pony.  Instead, she had transformed into a hippogriff.  Celestia and Luna stood in shock as Queen Novo walked out and approached everyone.
“Hello Princess Celestia,” Queen Novo said.  “It’s been awhile.  And I wish to apologize on behalf of my daughter for taking your darling Wanda away.”
Celestia and Luna just stood there before they both fell backwards and fainted, causing every youngling around them to panic.
“PRINCESSES DOWN,” Pinkie Pie yelled.  “I REPEAT!  PRINCESSES DOWN!”
Queen Novo walked up to the fainted Princesses as Sunset struggled to fan them both with her hooves.
“I think they’re both speechless,” Novo giggled.


	To Be Continued in…


	A reunion under the sea

> Arc 12-3: A reunion under the sea
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 A Reunion under the sea



“Mother.  Hey Mother.  Are you alright?”
Princess Celestia awoke to find Sunset Shimmer right on top of her.  The elder alicorn sister slowly got up as Sunset leaped off her chest.  Celestia turned her body around and saw Queen Novo holding her paw out for her.
“Queen Novo,” Celestia said as she grabbed onto Novo’s paw.  “You’re alive?”
“I am, old friend,” Queen Novo said as she pulled Princess Celestia up.  “I’m not going to let a tyrant like the Storm King get the best of me or my people.”
“The Storm King?” Princess Celestia said as she got up on her four hooves.  “Here in Equestria?  And we already have our own problems with the Windigo’s Guild.”
“Mother,” Sunset said as she tapped on Celestia’s hoof.  “What’s the Storm King?”
Celesta looked down at Sunset and felt at a loss for words.  Queen Novo walked towards Sunset Shimmer and placed her paw on the filly’s cheek.
“That is something I will explain in further, little sunflower,” Queen Novo said.  “For now, I’ll take you to Wanda.”
Queen Novo turned around and walked towards the doorway, with Celestia and Luna following right behind her.  Sunset Shimmer and Abigail quickly ran up to Princess Celestia, following Queen Novo through the doorway.  But as they went through, Sunset turned towards the other younglings and waved.
“Come on,” Sunset yelled.  “Wanda might be worried about us.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded as she, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Golden Lace ran up behind her through the doorway.  
“Don’t you worry, Wanda,” Sunset said.  “We’re coming.”
The moment every pony ran through the doorway, Sunset ran in behind the group as the stone door slowly closed shut.

Inside, the entire room looked dark.  But a small patch of light shined at a small pool of water.  Celestia and Luna watched as Queen Novo walked towards the pool.
“Just so you know,” Queen Novo said as she touched her claw on the pool. “I’ve enhanced the water to allow you and your class to explore underwater without fear of drowning.”
“Oooh, let me try,” Pinkie Pie yelled as she ran towards the pool at breakneck speed.
:”PINKIE,” Sunset yelled.  “WAIT!”
But Pinkie Pie paid no attention to Sunset Shimmer.  The party pony jumped into the air and dove right into the pool.  The other students watched in shock as Pinkie Pie disappeared into the pool.
“Wha?”  Twilight said, completely spooked.  “What just happened?”
A few moments later, Pinkie Pie emerged from the pool, looking even more excited than when she jumped in.
“You guys have got to see this,” Pinkie Pie yelled.   “Not only can you breathe underwater, but you also transform into a sea pony.”
“A sea pony?” Sunset said.
Pinkie Pie bent backwards and raised what appeared to be a fishtail into the air.  The younglings were mesmerized by Pinkie’s metamorphosis as Queen Novo walked towards Princess Celestia.
“I almost forgot to mention,” Queen Novo said.  “When I said explore, I mean with the agility of a fish, like what we hippogriffs now resort to.”
“I am not so sure about this,” Celestia said as she slowly inched towards the pool.  “But if it means reuniting with Wanda then…”
“I WANNA TRY IT OUT,” Princess Luna yelled as she flew towards the pool before diving right in, causing a splash that poured right onto Twilight, Starlight, Rainbow Dash, Sunset, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Abigail and Spike.  Most of the younglings looked really annoyed as they were drenched in water.
“Aww come on, you big palooka,” Danged Spell yelled.  “What do I look like, a sponge?”
Princess Luna emerged from the pool before proceeding to flick her mane, splashing more water on the younglings.  She looked down and saw that her legs had been transformed into a fish tail.   
“Wow,” Luna said as she gazed in awe.  “I really am a sea pony.”
“Guess that makes the two of us,” Pinkie Pie giggled.
Still drenched from the last two splashes, Golden Lace slogged towards the pool and just looked down at it.
“I’m supposed to dive into this?” Golden Lace said as she just stood there while Sunset Shimmer walked up behind her.
“We’re already completely wet,” Sunset said with a smug.  “So what do you have to lose?  Or are you chicken?”
Sunset took a few steps back before dashing forward and jumping into the pool.  When she emerged, she looked down at her new fish tail that took the place of her legs.
“I’ll show you who’s chicken,” Golden Lace yelled before she took a few steps back.  She dashed forward before slipping on a wet surface, causing her to slide right into the pool, splashing water in Pinkie Pie, Princess Luna and Sunset Shimmer’s faces.
“Now that was a total wipeout,” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“You said it,” Sunset said as she couldn’t contain her laughter.
Golden Lace emerged from the pool before she shook off the water from her mane.  She looked down and saw that her legs turned into a fish tail.  But instead of being angry, she was mesmerized by her transformation.
“Wow,” Golden Lace said to herself.  “Is this what I have been missing throughout my entire life?”
As Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer splashed around in the pool, Princess Celestia looked down and had a smug look on her face.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Queen Novo said to Celestia.  “You’re eager to jump in there and reunite with Wanda.”
“And to think,” Celestia said.  “We were about to cancel our trip here when this incident happened.  I know Princess Skystar owes me an apology for taking Wanda.  But she did do one thing right.”
“And what would that be, Princess?” Twilight said as she walked up to Princess Celestia.
“Learned on  what happened to the hippogriffs,” Princess Celestia said.

Back underwater, Wanda swam alongside Princess Skystar with Silverstreak riding atop the Man’s Cub’s mermaid tail.  Though the two kids were having a great time, Wanda felt sad on the inside, like something wrong happened.  Princess Skystar stopped and took notice of Wanda's face.
“Is….something alright?”  Princess Skystar asked.
“It’s nothing,” Wanda said.
“Are you sure?”  Skystar asked as she swam up to Wanda.  “Because I could tell something’s up with that face of yours.”
Wanda let out a sigh and said “It’s because of what happened early ago.”
Skystar’s ears drooped down as her smile turned into a frown.  She turned around and said,  “I know.  It’s my fault that I got you in this.  It was one thing to face the wrath of my mama Queen Novo.  But I also fear what Princess Celestia would say to me.  What if she’s as harsh as mamas?  What if it's worse?”
“It will be alright,” Wanda said.  “Even after what happened.”
“But how can you be so sure?”  Princess Skystar asked.  “Even after I took you from Princess Celestia?”
“I’ve been through a worst situation back in La Maresa when the Windigo’s Guild struck,” Wanda said.  “Plus, I’ve met your mama back in Canterlot.”
Princess Skystar turned her head away in shame. Wanda tried to swim up to the young sea pony, but Skystar kept turning her head away.  Baby Silverstream tried to swim up to Skystar, but the young princess turned away from her cousin.
“I know what she did was wrong,” Wanda said to Silverstream.  “But I feel sorry for her. It’s like she doesn’t want to be forgiven for what happened.”
“It’s not the first time she’s been through this kind of trouble, smallfry.”  Wanda turned around to see Queen Novo, now transformed back into a sea pony, hovering over her.
“Aunt Novo,” Wanda asked.  “What can be done about Princess Skystar?”
Queen Novo just smiled and said “I believe your mother may have the answer.”  She then moved to the side as Princess Celestia, now transformed into a sea pony, entered the room.  Wanda looked at the transformed princess of the sun and her face beamed with excitement.
“MOMMY!” Wanda cheered as she swam up to Princess Celestia and gave her a big hug, crying right into her chest.
“My darling Wanda,” Princess Celestia said as she gently rubbed Wanda on the head.  “I thought I lost you.”
As Wanda cried into Celestia’s chest, she felt two hugs right behind her.  Wanda lifted her head and turned around to see Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer with their arms wrapped around the Man’s Cub-turned Mermaid.  The two fillies had transformed into sea ponies, now bearing fish tails instead of pony legs.  Wanda giggled as Sunset and Starlight glomped onto her.
“I was worried about you, little sis,” Sunset said as she snuggled Wanda.  “I thought you were a goner.”
“You’ve been a great friend to me and to everyone else,” Starlight said as she cried on Wanda’s left dimple.  “If something really bad happened, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Wanda let go of Princess Celestia as she turned to embrace Sunset and Starlight.  Though tears flowed from Wanda’s eyes, she cracked a smile at both her older sister and her close, twin-tailed friend.  
“I don’t know what I would have done if I lost everyone,” Wanda said as she snuggled with Sunset and Starlight.
Princess Celestia smiled as Wanda, Sunset and Starlight hugged each other before turning her attention towards Princess Skystar.  The Sea Pony Alicorn’s face turned to disappointment as she swam up to Princess Skystar, as the young sea pony looked up to Princess Celestia in shame.
“I’m sorry I took your daughter without your permission, Princess,” Princess Skystar said as she bowed towards Princess Celestia.  “She looked so cool to have as a friend, and I wanted to show her Seaquestria.  Please don’t banish me to the moon.”
Princess Celestia looked down at Princess Skystar with a cold scowl on her face as Skystar looked like she was about to cry.
“What you did was wrong,” Princess Celestia said with a stern tone.  “You took my daughter away from me without any warning whatsoever and dove into the ocean with her.  I thought I was going to lose one of my daughters, and Sunset Shimmer would lose a good sister.  Yes, I am disappointed in you, young lady.”
Skystar looked down in shame as she kept her tear-filled eyes closed.  “I know.  Mama had to give me a harsh reminder of my foolishness.”
“But regardless of your recklessness,” Celestia said as her scowl turned into a smile.  “You at least did something that did bring a bit of hope in my eyes.”
“I did?”  Skystar said as she looked up at Princess Celestia.
“You at least confirmed that the hippogriff kingdom is alright,” Princess Celestia said.  “When I came here, I thought your kind was wiped out by an invasion of some sorts.  And I feared it was the Windigo’s Guild who did this.  At least with the events that played out today, I can rest easily knowing that your mother, your own people and you are safe and sound.  So I forgive you.”
Skystar’s face beamed as she reached out and gave Princess Celestia a big hug.
“Thank you,” Princess Skystar said.  “I won’t forget this.”
“But,” Princess Celestia said.  “Promise me you won’t do that again.  Do you understand?”
Skystar raised her head and said “Yes.  I promise I won’t kidnap any of your children again.”
“Good,” Princess Celestia said as she rubbed Skystar on the head.  “You’re off the hook for that incident.  And besides, I don’t banish delinquents to the moon.”  Celestia let out a giggle before Skystar lets go of her.
As Celestia and Skystar laughed with Wanda, Sunset and Starlight hugging each other, Queen Novo smiled at the sight of joy coming from all five individuals.  Princess Luna, having been turned into a sea pony, swam up beside Queen Novo.
“It’s moments like this that I wish I brought a camera with me,” Princess Luna said.
“Sometimes, you don’t need a picture of some sort to remember these fond memories,” Queen Novo said.  “All it takes is a warm moment to make it unforgettable.”
Right beside Queen Novo and Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, Golden Lace, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Spike and Abigail swam up right next to the two adults.  Everyone’s legs had been transformed into their own unique fish tail, making most of them sea ponies.  Spike had become a sea dragon of some sort, and Abigail was transformed into a catfish.  Abigail rubbed her paw on her face as Spike sucked on his own thumb.
“I guess in the end,” Twilight said.  “Everything turned out okay.”
“Even after what that sea pony did to your friend?” Golden Lace said in a bit of a stern tone.
“Not to compliment you, Lace,” Moondancer said with a smirk.  “But you should have been in La Maresa when the Windigo’s Guild attacked.  That makes this incident look tame in comparison.”
Lace let out a sigh and said “I’m beginning to wonder what I have been missing out.”
Danged Spell let out a chuckle before he said “You’re telling me?  We’re already in a really fishy situation.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” Every sea colt and filly said before bursting out in laughter.  Even Golden Lace was giggling, causing Danged Spell to take notice.
“Lace?”  Danged Spell said.  “You’re not one who laughs at my puns.”
Lace just looked at everyone and blushed in embarrassment.
“You uhhh, didn’t hear nothing,” Lace said as she covered her mouth.
As most of the students laughed it off, Queen Novo swam up to the top of Seaquestria.  She cleared her throat and threw her hoof up high.
“Now that everyone is together at last,” Queen Novo announced.  “I believe it’s time to tell you all why we took the form of the sea ponies.”  
The words of Queen Novo caught the attention of Wanda, Abigail, Spike, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Golden Lace, as they grouped up together, looking upwards at Queen Novo.  Princess Skystar swam up beside Wanda as the Man’s Cub-turned-Mermaid cuddled up, all while Silverstream sat atop Wanda’s head.
“This is something that made us afraid of the outside world,” Princess Skystar whispered.
“And it wasn’t because of the Windigo’s Guild?” Wanda asked.
“We never heard of them,” Skystar replied.
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna swam up behind the younglings, Queen Novo waved her arms up higher as images formed around the walls of Seaquestria, consisting of Hippogriffs, Mount Aris, and what looked like giant yetis.  Queen Novo swam up to an image of the Hippogriffs flying around Mount Aris.
“Not long ago,” Queen Novo announced in a booming voice.  “We were once the mighty Hippogriffs who resided in Mount Aris.  Allies to your kingdom of Equetria, we’ve bartered together for a least a millennium.”
The younglings ooohed as the hippogriffs in the image flew around the illustration of Mount Aris.  
“Man,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Wouldn’t it have been cool if those Hippogriffs paid a visit to La Maresa every once in a while?”
“You’re telling me,” Pinkie Pie said.  “They might be great party animals.”
Queen Novo swam away from the drawing of the hippogriffs flying around Mount Aris to an image of a slender yeti-like creature with a sinister scowl on his face.
“But one day,” Queen Novo said.  “A dark ruler known as the Storm King invaded the land.  He brought along his army to invade Mount Aris, all for our magic.”
“I don’t like the look of that meanie,” Starlight said as she hid behind Sunburst.
“It’s okay,” Sunburst said as he rubbed Starlight on the head.  “He won’t come for any of us.”
Queen Novo swam up to an image of her holding what appears to be giant orbs in the air, all while Mount Aris was burning.
“As much as I wanted to stand and fight,” Queen Novo said.  “I didn’t want to risk the lives of my people, nor did I want the Storm King and his minions to take the magic of the Hippogriffs.”
Danged Spell looked steamed.  He pounded the sand underneath him and swam up a bit.
“That rotten Storm King,” Danged Spell seethed.  “Let me at em.  I’ll make him go SPLAT!”
But before Danged Spell could swim even further, Moondancer grabbed him from behind and held him up.
“LET ME GO!”  Danged Spell yelled.  “I GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH THE STORM KING LIKE I DO WITH THE WINDIGO’S GUILD!”
“Calm yourself you little Scrappy,” Moondancer said as Danged Spell struggled to break free.  “The Windigo’s Guild pale in comparison to the Storm King and his minions.”
As Queen Novo watched Danged Spell struggle to break free from Moondancer’s grasp, she swam up to an image of Seaquestria and the Sea Ponies who danced around.
“But we have survived thanks to our quick thinking,” Queen Novo said.  “We sealed ourselves away from the Storm King and hid out under the sea, taking on the form of Sea Ponies.  Since then, we vowed to keep the sacred magic safe from his grasp, and we hope that one day, we could emerge from our exile to enjoy life once more.”
As the younglings continued to observe Queen Novo, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watched on with a hint of worry in their faces.  They turned to each other, disturbed by the story of the Hippogriffs and the Storm King.
“Why didn’t we know about this?” Princess Luna asked.
“That’s what I want to know,” Princess Celestia said.  “Had we known that the Storm King attacked Mount Aris, I would have cancelled the field trip right off the bat and sent our soldiers to drive them off.”
“When this field trip is over,” Princess Luna said.  “I am going straight to the San Di’Neighgo base and have a word with the one in charge.”
“Good idea,” Princess Celestia said. “And I think I have a lot to explain to Queen Novo on why our soldiers failed to act on the Storm King.”
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna swam up to Queen Novo and whispered something in her ear.  Novo’s face lit up as she turned towards the younglings.
“Will you excuse me for a sec, little ones?” Queen Novo said.  “Princess Celestia wants to have a word with me.”
“She does?” Wanda said, surprised by Novo’s words.  “What does mommy want with you, Aunt Novo?”
“Don’t you worry, small fry,” Queen Novo said as she swam up to Wanda and rubbed her on the head, all while Silverstream swam off.  “Whatever it is, we’ll get this settled.”
As Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Queen Novo swam out of the room, the classmates just stood there, completely anxious.  Even Golden Lace, who stood out as a snob, felt bothered by Novo’s statement.
“Mother always told me that we shouldn’t be involved in the non-pony races,” Golden Lace said.  “But something like this doesn’t add up.”
“That’s a rather surprising statement coming from you,” Twilight said.
“Well you all did have an encounter with the Windigo’s Guild at La Maresa,” Golden Lace said.
“And I hate to say this as a complement,” Sunset said.  “But I’m glad you didn’t come with us on our last field trip.  Imagine the look on your parents' faces when they found out what happened.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said as she swam up to Golden Lace.  “You may be a big meanie.  But even I think you don’t deserve to be terrified by the bad Windigos.”
“Well that’s reassuring,” Golden Lace said in a sarcastic tone.
“You know what?”  Danged Spell said as Moondancer lets him go.  “This whole thing stinks.  First the Windigo’s Guild attacked us at La Maresa, and now this Storm King laid waste to Mount Aris?  What next?  Discord appearing out of nowhere?  A Civil War in Equestria?”
“Oh please,” Pinkie Pie said as she swam right up in Danged Spell’s face.  “I don’t think you have a lot to worry about.  You basically live in the safest place in Equestria, and I know you kept bragging about driving the Windigo’s Guild out of Canterlot.  Besides, I’m the reincarnation of Discord.”
As Pinkie Pie swam off, Danged Spell just stood there completely dumbfounded as Rainbow Dash swam up behind him.
“Was that supposed to reassure me?” Danged Spell said.
“That’s how Pinkie Pie rolls,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Besides, if you had wings instead of a horn, you would have been a great Wonderbolt by now.”
“I appreciate that kind of comment,” Danged Spell said.  “But right now, I’m still disturbed at the fact that we have this...Storm King to worry about.”
Princess Skystar swam up to Danged Spell and said “Well I know a way for all of you to relax and unwind.”
“You actually do?”  Starlight said as she swam up to Skystar.
“Yeah,” Skystar replied.  “I’ve got some musical instruments nearby.  You all want to try them out?”
“Oooooh,” Pinkie Pie said, swimming around in excitement.  “I wanna see what you got.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “After all we’ve been through, I’m ready to have some fun.”
Princess Skystar swam out of the room as Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Spike the Dragon, Silverstream, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie followed from behind.  Golden Lace just stood there as she watched the others swim out of the room.
“All the danger that the Hippogriffs and my so-called classmates went through,” Golden Lace said to herself.  “And all they want to do is have fun?  What are they thinking?  In fact, what were my parents thinking in putting me in this kind of privileged life, sheltering me from this outside world?  But as much as I want to call them out for this, I will be at risk of being grounded if I do.”
As Golden Lace pondered for a bit, she noticed a bright light shine from another doorway.  Lace turned her attention in that direction, attracted by the warm glow.
“What is that?” Golden Lace said as she swam towards the light.  “It feels so...cozy.”

Meanwhile, in another, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sat at a table across from Queen Novo.  The two alicorns-turned-seaponies looked uneasy, as if they felt responsible.  But Novo seemed calm.
“We should have known that the Storm King would invade your lands,” Princess Celestia said.  “Why we didn’t get the alarm from one of our own disturbs the both of us.”
“Princesses,” Novo said as she raised her hoof up.  “I know you wanted to protect us, but we preferred to stand and fight.  We were raised this way.  But that being said, we also foresaw the Storm King’s invasion, and we had to prepare to dive underwater to ensure that they don’t take our magic.”
“Unfortunately,” Princess Luna said.  “It’s how my sister acts.  She's been the worry wart of the both of us ever since she became Daybreaker.”
“I know, but let me explain,” Queen Novo said as she put her hoof on Luna’s snoot.  “I think the one mistake I made was that I forgot to inform you all of our intent to hide just to keep safe from the Storm King.  Because of that, I put all of you in grave danger.”
“I appreciate your concern, Queen Novo,” Princess Celestia said.  “But it was still my fault that we didn’t get the warning about the Storm King.  What if he invaded San Di’Neighgo or any other part of the Ponyville Providence?”
“It is rather surprising,” Princess Luna said.  “Considering that the Storm King was after the Magical Orbs of the Hippogriffs, that’s saying a lot.”
Queen Novo’s eyes lit up.  She swam off as she said “Thanks for reminding me.  I just remembered that there is a certain someone you told me about before you came here.”
As Queen Novo swam off, Princess Luna stood there, completely dumbfounded.
“Sister,” Princess Luna asked.  “What exactly did you mean by that?”
“In the event that we had to bring along Golden Lace to Mount Aris,” Princess Celestia said.  “I was hoping that she could talk some sense into her.  Even if it meant putting the magical orbs at risk.  And don’t worry.  It was her idea.”
Princess Luna just smiled as she said “This won’t end well with the Banks.  But if she can see the error of her ways, then there might be hope for Golden Lace


	To Be Continued in…


	One Small Thing

> Arc 12-4: One Small Thing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


One Small Thing




It is dark and quiet in the throne room of Seaquestria.  A number of orbs are held up by a jellyfish as the main source of light.  Golden Lace swam up, entranced by the light of the orbs.
“Wow,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ve never seen anything like it. Is this really the source of their magic?”
Golden Lace slowly swam up to the bright orbs hanging underneath the jellyfish, reaching out, all before coming to a stop.
“Wait,” Lace said to herself.  “This isn’t right.  It’s their magic.”
Golden Lace looked at the orbs as they glowed brighter, completely mesmerizing the young filly again.
“But I must have them,” Golden Lace said.  “If it means making mother and father jealous, so be it.”
Golden Lace swam up towards the orb as she reached out to them, completely entranced by the glow of these magical pearls.
“So much power,” Lace said to herself.  “And it’s all mine.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, YOUNG LADY?” Those loud words scared Golden Lace as she swam away, screaming in fear.  Queen Novo appeared right out of nowhere as she looked at the young filly swimming behind the throne.  Lace popped her head out and saw Queen Novo looking down at her.
“It’s….it’s not what you think it is,” Golden Lace said, completely terrified.
“I saw exactly what you did, young lady,” Queen Novo said in a stern tone.  “And I am far more disappointed in you than I am with my own daughter.  Do you know what would happen if those orbs disappeared?”
“I….” Golden Lace said as she stood behind the throne, shaking nervously.  “I don’t know.”
“The magic of Mount Aris and Seaquestria would be gone,” Queen Novo said in a stern tone.  “Many ponies from your land would blame you for your misdeeds.  Even your own parents would label you an outcast.”  
“What do you mean by my parents?”  Golden Lace yelled as she swam up from the throne.  “If they overheard what you said to me, they would be upset with you.”
“But I did overhear you say that your parents put you in this sheltered life,” Queen Novo said as her tone began to soften.  “And you did mention that you did want to explore the outside world.”
“You overheard what I said?”  Golden Lace said, completely flabbergasted. 
“Not just that,” Queen Novo said.  “I used to know you when you were a sweet little foal, Golden Lace.”
Golden Lace’s jaw dropped down.  She was at a total loss for words as Queen Novo swam to her side.
“Back then, your parents used to stroll you around in Canterlot when I paid my visit there,” Queen Novo said.  “You used to be completely innocent, much like the small fry Wanda.  But over the years, you’ve changed into a selfish monster, no thanks to your parents Gold and Silver Banks.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Golden Lace yelled.
“I know your parents very well,” Queen Novo replied.  “Though I questioned their attitudes, they are reliable trading partners.  We tend to trade some of our fruits for the various vegetables grown in Equestria.  The last time we met, you were nowhere by their side.  They said that you had transferred to the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
Golden Lace swam down and sat on the armrest of the throne.  She looked both shocked and worried as she looked up at Queen Novo.
“So,” Golden Lace said.  “How exactly do you know what happened to me?”
“Princess Celestia told me about how spoiled you’ve been,” Queen Novo said.  “How you’ve become the reflection of your own parents.  From boasting about how great you are, to picking on your own kind.  You once referred to Starlight Glimmer as nothing more than a Mary Sue, to lying to a young pegasi filly about Rainbow Dash.  What happened to that sweet kid that I remembered?”
“Wait,” Golden Lace paused.  “I thought you were upset at me for trying to take your orbs.”
“Well I was,” Queen Novo said as she looked at the magic orbs.  “After all, they are the source of Hippogriff’s magic, and why you and the others have transformed into Sea Ponies, mermaids and other aquatic creatures.  But what you didn’t realize was that I had to trick you into grabbing them.”
“You what?” Golden Lace yelled.
“It was to set you up for this intervention,” Queen Novo replied as she swam up to Golden Lace.  “It was to save you from yourself.”  Golden Lace just sat there, glowing beet red.
“When my parents find out about this,” Golden Lace yelled.  “YOU WILL BE IN BIG TROUBLE!”
“Sounds more like a cowardly defense, young lady,” Queen Novo said.  “But tell me.  Do you really respect them?  Or do you fear them?”
Golden Lace paused for a second before slowly looking up to Queen Novo, resting her hooves right next to her.
“Well,” Golden Lace said, hesitantly.  “I do look up to them as an example...to...be superior and all.”
“That doesn’t sound reassuring, Miss Lace,” Queen Novo said.  “By the tone of your voice, it seems you do have issues with your own parents.”
“I uhhh, guess,” Golden Lace said reluctantly.
“I’ve raised Princess Skystar since she came into this world,” Queen Novo said as she said right next to Golden Lace.  “When she gave me that kind of hesitant tone, I could tell she was hiding something from me.  I tend to be harsh on Skystar, because I want to set her on the right path.”
“You actually do?” Golden Lace replied.
“Yes,” Queen Novo said as she put her hoof on Lace’s shoulder.  “Tell me young lady.  What does your mother expect you to be?”
Golden Lace thought about it for a moment.  She looked up at Queen Novo and opened her mouth, but no words came out of it.  She had no idea what to say.  
“At a loss for words I take it,” Queen Novo said.  “I also believe that you didn’t like how I tricked you into grabbing the orbs of magic that made us who we are.  If you wish to object to everything I’ve done, you may speak your mind.”
As Queen Novo began to swim away, Golden Lace looked agitated, like she was about to blow up.  She opened her mouth again, but no words came out.  She tried again, struggling to speak a word.  Queen Novo turned around and swam back towards Golden Lace.
“Are you alright?” Queen Novo asked. “I did say speak your mind, and you’re free to do so, little lady.  I won’t hold any grudge against you.”
As Golden Lace scowled at Queen Novos, tears formed around her eyes.  Her face shook violently as she could barely move a muscle.
“Is something the matter, young lady?” Queen Novo said.
Golden Lace’s face turned from a scowl to one of shame.  She struggled to hold it in as the tears around her eyes grew larger and larger.  Hints of crying came from her voice as she shook even more.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Golden Lace cried as she put her hooves around her eyes.  Queen Novo swam behind her Golden Lace and hugged her close.
“It’s okay,” Queen Novo said.  “I didn’t mean to yell at you young lady, nor did I mean to trick you.  I just wanted you to let it all out.”
“No, you’re right,” Golden Lace cried.  “I’ve been wanting to be alot like my mother.  I wanted to look down at other ponies because I saw myself as being superior to them.  I am so sorry.”
“There there now,” Queen Novo said.  “You have a lot of fences to mend, young lady.  But to admit your problems is a great start for you.”
As Queen Novo comforted Golden Lace, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Wanda Young and Silverstream watched from the doorway of the throne room.  While Celestia and Luna had a warm smile on their face, Wanda was rather surprised.
“So,” Wanda said.  “All this time, Golden Lace was trying to be like her mother?”
“When you think about it,” Celestia said.  “It makes a lot of sense, my darling Wanda.  We tend to imitate our elders out of respect.”
“And I hate to tell this to you,” Luna said as she booped Wanda on the nose.  “But sometime after the Banks chewed out your mother for scolding Golden Lace, they went and did the scolding themselves to her.  Said that she wasn’t harsh enough on Ditzy Doo, that she did a poor job at it.”
“That’s horrible,” Wanda said as Silverstream hid behind the Man’s Cub-turned-Mermaid.
“And we found out about it from Chancellor Cinch,” Princess Celestia said.  “After I cheered you up from the trauma you experienced.”
“I guess I owe her a thanks,” Wanda said.
Luna reached down to Wanda’s ear and whispered “Why not show Golden Lace what it means to be a true friend.”
Wanda nodded to Princess Luna before she swam away from the alicorns and towards Novo and Golden Lace.   Queen Novo looked up and saw Wanda swam up to them.
“Young lady,” Queen Novo said as Golden Lace raised her head.  “There is someone to see you.”
Golden Lace watched as Wanda swam up to her, with Silverstream right beside her.  The Man’s Cub-turned-Mermaid reached out and extended her hand towards Golden Lace.
“Lace,” Wanda said.  “As much as I didn’t appreciate the mean words you said, I would prefer if you could accept my friendship. After all, if we’re friends, then it means you don’t have to be a big meanie.”
“Are you really sure about that?” Golden Lace said as a tear fell from her right eye.  “After all I’ve done?”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “Besides, I’ve encountered worse meanies at the Ponyville Faire, and I’m not just talking about the Windigo’s Guild.  They would make you look well behaved.”
Golden Lace smiled as she and Wanda gave each other a big hug, all while twirling around in the open water.  Golden Lace tried on Wanda’s shoulder as the mermaid embraced her.  Silverstream just looked at the duo and giggled.
Queen Novo swam up beside Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who smiled as Wanda and Golden Lace cuddled each other.
“It’s really a shame that Golden Lace grew up into a mean-spirited pony,” Queen Novo said. “If only her parents were warm and loving.”
“Well that’s the Banks in a nutshell,” Princess Luna said.  
“So what will the Banks say when they find out about the field trip?” Queen Novo asked.
“I’ll be ready this time,” Princess Celestia said.  “Knowing the Banks, they’re willing to make my life miserable.”
“Compared to the Windigo’s Guild and the Storm King,” Princess Luna said.  “The Banks are the most horrible creatures to ever exist in Equestria.”
Suddenly, Queen Novo felt a tap on her shoulder.  She turned around and saw Princess Skystar standing right behind her with a huge burst of excitement.
“Mama,” Princess Skystar said.  “I need to speak with Wanda.  She’s got to see what we’ve done for her and her friends.”
“Alright Skystar,” Queen Novo said as she moved to the side.  “But you better not get in trouble again.  You hear me?”
“Oh I won’t,” Princess Skystar replied.  “Promise.”
As Queen Novo, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna swam to the side, Princess Skystar bolted towards Wanda and Golden Lace.  The golden filly opened her eyes and saw Skystar moving towards her before she tapped Wanda on the shoulder.
“Hey Wanda,” Golden Lace said.  “I think someone wants to speak to you.”
Wanda let go of Golden Lace as she turned to Princess Skystar.  The young seapony looked completely anxious, like she had a big surprise.
“Wanda,” Princess Skystar said.  “You’ve got to check this out.  We’re having a dance-a-thon outside where everyone’s dancing.  Come on, and bring your friend.”
“Dancing?”  Wanda said.  “How can I dance while I’m a mermaid?”
“It’s so easy,” Princess Skystar said.  “Come on, both of you.”
As Princess Skystar swam off, Wanda and Golden Lace looked at each other and smiled.
“Come on,” Wanda said.  “I’ll race ya.”
“Bring it on,” Golden Lace said with a smirk on her face.
With a push of their fish tails, Wanda and Golden Lace darted through the throne room and swam past Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Queen Novo, all while following Princess Skystar.  Silverstream swam right behind the duo before coming to a stop right next to PRincess Luna.  Queen Novo smiled as the two younglings swam towards the group in front of them.  
“It appears my work here is done,” Queen Novo said.
“I got to hand it to you,” Princess Celestia said.  “You sure know how to put troubled fillies on the right path.”
“But I’ll also admit,” Queen Novo said.  “Had it not been for my daughter’s foolishness, we would have not seen each other today.  And Golden Lace would have still been a spoiled brat.”
“Let’s just hope her new attitude will stick,” Princess Luna said.  
“Relax Luna,” Princess Celestia said.  “If anything happens between Lace and her parents, we’ll be there to help her up.”
As the adults laughed, Silverstream just stood there as Wanda and Golden Lace disappeared into the crowd.  Queen Novo looked down and saw the sea pony youngling look like she was about to cry.
“Come on, Silverstream,” Queen Novo said.  “I’ll take you to the small fry and her friends.”
Silverstream squealed with joy as she followed Queen Novo towards the group.

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Abigail and Spike were dancing alongside the sea ponies of Seaquestria. The lights flashed in the undersea kingdom as the various sea ponies jammed to the aquatic musical instruments like clam drums, bells and a guitar shaped like the skeleton of a fish.  Many aquatic creatures swam around the group in harmony.
“Now this is a dance that I can get behind,” Sunset said.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “When they know how to party, they know how to par-tay.”
“No kidding,” Rainbow Dash said as she did a groovy dance.  “Now I wish that Trixie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Ditzy Doo joined us in Seaquestria.  Imagine how they would have reacted if they saw all this.”
“Or if they became sea ponies like the rest of us,” Twilight said as she danced alongside Starlight.
“Yeah,” Starlight said.  “Trixie would have enjoyed this festival.”
“It was a shame that her old wagon was trashed by the Windigo’s Guild,” Sunburst said.  “It just goes to show how cruel and vicious the Windigo’s Guild really are.”
“At least she has a new stage wagon,” Starlight said.  “She deserves a bit of happiness, considering what she went through with those three meanies.”
“Yeah,” Twilight said.  “After what I saw, Golden Lace looked more like a sweet pony compared to those three jerks.”
As Moondancer turned her head, she saw Princess Skystar swimming up to the group.  Right next to the sea pony was Wanda Young and Golden Lace swimming right next to them, with Queen Novo and Silverstream swimming right behind them.
“Hey guys,” Moondancer said.  “Speaking of which, guess who’s coming, and it’s not just Golden Lace.”   All of the younglings turned their heads as Wanda, Golden Lace and Skystar swam up to them.
“Sorry I’m late,” Wanda said.  “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope,” Pinkie Pie said.  “In fact, we were hoping you both would join us in this par-tay.”
“Both?” Golden Lace asked.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Compared to a trio of bullies who've been making life hard for everyone in La Maresa, you’re not so bad yourself.”  
“Wow,” Golden Lace said, surprised by Pinkie Pie’s comment.  “I never really thought about that.”
“That being said,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You do owe Ditzy Doo a major apology for that harsh comment you made to her.”
“Point taken,” Golden Lace replied.  “In fact, I owe you all an apology for all the horrible things I’ve said to you.”  Nearly every colt and filly’s jaws dropped down hanging from Lace’s apology.
“Say what?” Danged Spell said, completely dumbfounded.
“I’ve said some horrible things to you all,” Golden Lace said as she swam to the center of the group.  “And I did that because I wanted to make myself look superior to you all.  Because I wanted to be the most important pony ever.  I don’t know if the new me will stick around because I still have to deal with my parents.  But I will try to change.”
“And if you’re willing to change,” Sunset said as she swam up to Golden Lace.  “Then I’m willing to give you a chance.”
“Thanks,” Golden Lace said.  “But that being said, my parents are going to be really angry at me the moment they find out about this.”
“And if that happens,” Twilight said.  “Then we’ll be here for you.”
Golden Lace smiled as she allowed Twilight to give her a big hug.  Sunset gave Golden Lace a rub on the head, causing the rich filly to giggle.  Everyone paused to gather around the three fillies, watching as the trio chortled at their playful romp.  Starlight had a warm smile on her face as she unintentionally grabbed Sunburst and squeezed him tight.
“Ain’t friendship grand?”  Starlight said.
“Yeah,” Sunburst said as he could barely breathe.  “Too grand if you ask me.”
Skystar, Wanda and Pinkie Pie watched on as Silverstream perched herself on Wanda’s head.  Queen Novo swam up to the trio with a sense of satisfaction on her face.
“You know, Aunt Novo,” Wanda said.  “We came this close to not being able to visit you.”
“Of course, small fry,” Queen Novo said.  “Regardless if we have the Storm King or this Windigo’s Guild that you told me about, we have to be weary of the danger of the world.  But at the same time, I do believe we have to have some time for fun and relaxation.  Without it, we would be distrusting of the outside world.”
“That sounds horrible,” Wanda said.
“And that’s the last thing we need the hippogriffs, I mean the sea ponies to be,” Pinkie Pie said.
“Actually, even if we are sea ponies,” Skystar said.  “We’re still hippogriffs deep on the inside.”
“My daughter has a point here,” Queen Novo said.  “And no doubt we will be back in Canterlot.  Besides, you and your sister Sunset are part of the reasons why.”
“Really?” Wanda said as she swam up in excitement.
“That means we have to have a huge hippogriff party when you return,” Pinkie Pie said.  “That would be a great thing.”
“No need to get over excited,” Queen Novo said.  But there is one small thing you can do.”
“Ooooh,” Pinkie Pie said.  “What’s that?”
“I think I know what you mean, Aunt Novo,” Wanda said.  “Even in spite of what happened, Skystar and I started something great.  And there is a lot we can create.  And when I look around, I am amazed by the sights and sounds.”
“That’s right, small fry,” Queen Novo said as she pulled Wanda close to her.  “It may have been a small thing, but it was big and that’s true.  You helped unite all of us, after what we’ve been through.  In fact, I think there was an extra small thing that I did for you.”
Queen Novo, Wanda, Skystar and Pinkie Pie giggled as Spike and Abigail watched from afar.  The two looked at each other and held hands together as they respectively let out a gentle coo and purr.

Later that day, back outside and above water on the grassy plains of Mount Aris, Rainbow Dash, Abigail, Spike, Twilight Sparkle, Golden Lace, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell were already inside the carriage, looking outside as Wanda and Pinkie Pie shook Skystar’s talons.  Everyone had returned to being on four legs, especially Wanda who was back on two legs and was once again wearing her one-piece swimsuit.
“It’s too bad you have to go back to Canterlot,” Skystar said.
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “Maybe being kidnapped by you was a better feeling compared to what the Banks put me through.”
“And I still dread what they will do to me,” Golden Lace said.
“Don’t worry,” Twilight said.  “Like I said, if anything happens, I’m here for you.”
“All of us will be here for you, Lace,” Moondancer said.  “As long as you don’t go back to being a bully, we’ll be there to back you up.”
Golden Lace let out a small sigh and said “Thanks.  I’ll do what I can to make up for what I did, even at the wrath of my own folks.”
“Sounds a lot like these Banks are terrible ponies,” Skystar said as she let go of Wanda’s hand.
“I thought Chancellor Cinch was a big meanie,” Wanda said.  “But I think she’s alright, which is saying a lot compared to the Banks.”
“Now I’m really nervous about going up to Canterlot in the future,” Skystar said.  “What if the Banks pick on me and call me...ugly?”
“Maybe we can kidnap you and whisk you away to a party together?” Pinkie Pie said.
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “And we can all have fun together.”
“That sounds great,” Skystar said.  “Sign me up.   Maybe you can have Rainbow Dash do the honors.”
“Well I wish I could,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But I’ve got to head back to La Maresa to tell everyone about my adventures.  But if anything, I think we’ll be seeing each other again soon.”
“Really?” Skystar said.
Rainbow Dash extended her hoof outside the wagon and said “A promise is a promise.”
Princess Skystar made her claw into a fist and proceeded to bump it on Rainbow Dash’s hoof.  The pegasi filly gave a wink and a salute to the young hippogriff.
“You stay way past cool, you hear?”  Rainbow Dash said.
“And don’t let any sour puss like this Storm King get the best of you,” Danged Spell said.
As the younglings laughed, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were talking with Queen Novo.  The three looked calm, but excited as the sound of laughter filled the air.
“So you’re up for the Grand Galloping Gala,” Princess Celestia said.
“We had intended to stay underwater and remain safe,” Queen Novo said.  “But after what your daughters and your students brought to me, and what I brought to one of yours that needed it, I think it wouldn’t hurt to come back to Canterlot for that event.”
“And are you sure you don’t need any help in defending your land,” Princess Luna asked.  “I could send the Wonderbolts to help out.”
“We’re tough warriors,” Queen Novo said.  “Besides, we foresaw the Storm King invading our land, and took drastic action to ensure that no hippogriff would be lost to that monster.”
“That’s good enough to hear,” Princess Celestia said.  “But if you need any help, let me know and I’ll come by.”
But as Celestia and Luna were about to turn around to take off, Queen Novo walked on by and shouted “WAIT!”  Celestia and Luna stopped and turned back towards Queen Novo.
“Is there anything else we forgot?” Princess Luna asked.
“That spell you got so you could become a sea pony,” Queen Novo said.  “Come here, I wish to tell you both something.”
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked up and put their ears facing out as Queen Novo reached over with her claw cupped next to her beak.
“From here on out,” Queen Novo whispered.  “All of your students can now transform into sea ponies, mermaids or any other aquatic creature when they like.  It is, but a small thing for all of you.”
“I’ll let them know when we return to Canterlot,” Princess Celestia said with a giggle.
“And to think,” Princess Luna said with glee.  “I actually planned on having a bubble bath tonight.  Never thought I would be able to enjoy this moment as a sea pony.

And in a short while, Princess Luna hooked herself up to the carriage with Wanda and Pinkie Pie having gone inside with the rest of the classmates.  Princess Celestia waved good-bye as she, Princess Luna and the carriage full of younglings took off from Mount Aris.  Queen Novo and Princess Skystar waved goodbye as baby Silverstream, now transformed into a hippogriff, looked like she was about to cry.  Skystar grabbed Silverstream and cuddled the baby next to her.
“It’s too bad they’re gone,” Skystar said.  “I really liked all of them.  Even Golden Lace.  It’s going to be awhile before we see them again.”
“Not quite, my darling,” Queen Novo said with a smile on her beak.  “Have you ever heard of the Grand Galloping Gala?”



	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 13: A Cutie Mark for Starlight


	 A Burden too hard to bear

> Arc 13(A Cutie Mark for Starlight)-1: A Burden too hard to bear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Arc 13: A Cutie Mark for Starlight


 A Burden too hard to bear




It was a lovely day outside at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail, Spike and Golden Lace were gathered together, talking together like they had no care in the world.  Starlight Glimmer walked up and saw all of her friends chatting.
“Everyone’s here,” Starlight said to herself, cheerfully.  “I can’t wait to see what we have planned for today.”
Starlight Glimmer ran up to the group, yelled out “Good morning” as she approached them.  Sunset Shimmer and Wanda turned around and looked at Starlight with a cold look on their faces.  Everyone else turned and faced Starlight with that same cold look.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Starlight asked in a hesitant tone.
Sunset pointed to Starlight Glimmer and said "Your cutie mark….is unacceptable."
Starlight Glimmer looked at her hip and gasped as what she saw as it bore an equal sign.
"This is my cutie mark?" Starlight said in a surprised tone.
"Yes, Wanda said in a creepy tone.  "And we don't want ponies with that abomination in our group."
The sky grew dark as the group glanced over at Starlight and chanted "Disgusting, disgusting.". Starlight backed up, frightened by her friend's tones.
"But I thought we were friends," Starlight said.
"Not anymore," Twilight said.
“What did you say?”  Starlight said as she took a few steps back.
“You heard what Twilight said,” Moondancer yelled.  “We don’t want you anymore.”
“But we’ve been friends since I first joined this school,” Starlight said as she began to tear up.  “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you’re worthless with that pathetic excuse for a cutie mark,” Sunburst yelled as he thrusted his face right in front of Starlight.  “And personally, I should have left you behind to weep in Sire’s Hollow.  In fact, I wish you never lived in Sire’s Hollow at all”
“Sunburst,” Starlight cried.  “How could you?”
“You think you’re so special you little snowflake?” Golden Lace laughed as she got in Stalright’s face.  “Your parents spoiled you into a worthless Mary Sue.  And now all your friends agree with me.”
“It….” Starlight said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.  “It’s not true.”
“We don’t want a party crasher like you bringing down our mood,” Pinkie Pie said.  “After all, with that cutie mark, you might as well be a blank flank.”
“A Blank flank?”  Starlight said as her jaw dropped to the floor.
“Yeah,”  Danged Spell said in a mean tone.  “You think you can get around with that stain on your flank?  I’d say your reputation just got...SMEARED!”
Every one of Starlight’s friends laughed at her in a cruel tone as Starlight Glimmer stood there, frightened.   Abigail hissed at the little filly while Spike snapped right at her.
“No,”  Starlight cried.  “I don’t want this to happen.”
“Well tough luck, outsider,” Wanda said as she appeared psychotic.  “Because you get what you deserve.” Wanda let out a sickening laugh that caused Starlight Glimmer to scream really loud as every pony and creature laughed at her.

Starlight Glimmer gasped as she woke up in bed.  It was the middle of the night as Twilight Sparkle slept in a bed next to hers.  Starlight caught her breath as she slumped back and breathed a sigh of relief.
“It was all just a dream,” Starlight said.  “No one is going to unfriend me because of some stupid cutie mark.”
Suddenly, Starlight’s left hip began to glow.  She looked down and saw what appeared to be an equal sign materialize on the surface of the hip.  Starlight’s jaw dropped down as she stared at the equal sign.
“Now,” Starlight said as she began to cry.  “Everyone is going to reject me.”
WIth that, Starlight covered her entire body with her blanket and cried throughout the night.  Twilight Sparkle slept on her bed, unaware of Starlight’s emotional condition.

The next day, Twilight Sparkle emerged from her house, looking as peppy as ever, as she carried saddlebags full of books.  Spike was perched atop her back, looking forward to the big day.
“Are you ready for another day at the school for gifted unicorns, Spike?” Twilight said.
Spike only responded with a playful garble.
“You and me both, Spike,” Twilight giggled.
But as Twilight took a few steps forward, she came to a quick stop and turned around to the open door.  The look on her face has changed from content to concerned.
“Wait a minute,” Twilight said as Spike looked inside from atop Twilight’s back.  “Starlight hasn’t come out of bed this morning.”
With a mad rush, Twilight ran through the doorway, up the staircase and into her room.  She looked at the spare bed right next to hers and saw Starlight’s tail sticking out from the blanket.
“Starlight,” Twilight said as she walked up to the timid filly and nudged her.  “You’re going to be late to class.”
“I don’t want to go to class,” Starlight said.  “I’m hideous.”
“No you’re not,” Twilight said.  “Who would want to call you that?”
“Everyone,” Starlight said as she lifted the blanket and pulled her tail inside.
Twilight put her hoof on her face.  She cast a magic spell around the blanket and pulled it off.  Starlight was quick to react by covering her hip area with her tail.
“Starlight,” Twilight said.  “What’s gotten into you?  This is even worse than when we first went to Mount Aris.”
“I don’t care,” Starlight groaned.  “I don’t want to go.  I’m hideous.”
“You’re not hideous,” Twilight said.  “Now come on.   We don’t want to be late.”
Twilight used her magic to lift Starlight’s tail, causing the twin-tailed filly to struggle to pull it back with her own spells.  Twilight looked frustrated as she tried her best to pull Starlight’s tail off her hip.
“Spike,” Twilight said as she turned her attention towards the baby dragon on her back.  “Tickle her.”
Spike gives a salute to Twilight before he jumps off Twilight’s back and lands next to Starlight. He then pulled a feather from a pillow right next to him and proceeded to tickle Stalright with it.  Starlight’s face bursted as she struggled to hold it in.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”  Starlight snorted.  “Knock it off.  That tickles.”
Starlight rolled onto her back as Baby Spike tickled her on the tummy area.  Her tail slid downwards and landed right in front of her as she continued to laugh.  Twilight looked at Starlight’s hip area and her jaw dropped down.
“Starlight,” Twilight said as she saw the equal sign on Starlight’s hip.  “Is that….a cutie mark.”
“Yeah,” Starlight said as Spike continued to tickle her.  “And I hate it.”
“What do you mean you hate it?”  Twilight said as she walked up to Spike and tapped him on his shoulder, causing the baby dragon to stop tickling her.  
Starlight sat up and said “I had this nightmare that you all rejected me as a friend because I got this equal sign on my hip area.  You, Sunset, Wanda, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail, Spike, Pinkie Pie, even Golden Lace.  And I wound up being some kind of outcast because of it.”
“Oh dear,” Twilight said as she jumped on the bed and put her arm around Starlight.  “Perhaps Princess Celestia may have the answer to our problem.  Besides, we would never declare you an outcast because of a cutie mark.”
Starlight looked down at little Spike, who only waved to her.  She looked up at Twilight and reluctantly said “Okay, I guess.”
“Then it’s settled,” Twilight said.  “Once we get to the School, we’ll explain to Princess Celestia on how to fix your cutie mark problem.”
As Twilight held Starlight close to her, Shining Armor walked into the room.  Twilight looked up at him and noticed his face looked down.
“Big brother?”  Twilight said.  “What happened?”
“It’s Princess Celestia,” Shining Armor said.  “The Banks are furious at her, and now they’re going to set up a meeting to address another commotion.”
“Again?” Twilight said.  “It’s about the field trip, right?”
“I’m afraid so,” Shining Armor replied.  “I heard they were angry because she put Golden Lace in danger.  They found out about the Storm King’s attack on the Hippogriff community in Mount Aris.”
“Of all the…” Twilight said as she jumped off the bed.  “We’ve got to get to school and fast.  The sooner we do so, the better.”
Spike jumped onto Twilight’s back as Starlight jumped off the bed.  Shining Armor took notice at the equal sign on Starlight’s hip.
“That’s….an interesting cutie mark,” Shining Armor said.
“It was why we’re supposed to go to Princess Celestia until you told us the news,” Twilight said.  “If the Banks decide to give Celestia a hard time, I dunno what we can do.”
“All I can say is,”  Shining Armor said as he gave Twilight a playful noogie.  “Best of luck to you, and may the spirit of Queen Eternia be at your side.”
“Thanks big brother,” Twilight said.  “We’ll do just that.”

Later that day, Twilight and Starlight ran through the streets of Canterlot with Spike riding atop of Twilight.  
“You think we can make it in time before the Banks decide to banish her from Canterlot?” Starlight asked.
“That’s ridiculous,” Twilight said.  “If the Banks pulled that stunt, they would be caught in a nationwide backlash.”
“Princess Celestia is that popular, correct?” Starlight said.
“Without a doubt,” Twilight replied.  “I’ve known my mentor and her two adopted daughters since joining the school.  To say she’s the big star is an understatement.  ANd the same thing goes for her sister Princess Luna.” 
As the two fillies ran through the streets, they noticed Golden Lace running nearby.  Twilight took a glance and noticed that Lace was dismayed.
“Lace?”  Twilight said.  “Why are you running through Canterlot?”
Golden Lace ran beside Twilight and Starlight and said “It’s my parents.  They said they were going to make Princess Celestia pay for putting me in danger.”
“That’s what Shining Armor told us,” Starlight said.
“Then it appears we all share a similar objective,” Golden Lace replied.
“You got that right,” Twilight said.  “In fact, we’re going there to address Starlight’s cutie mark.”
“Starlight’s what?” Golden Lace asked.
“It’s just a hideous smear on my flank,” Starlight said.  “I want it gone.”
But as the trio ran through with Spike riding atop Twilight’s back, they came to a complete stop as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score stood there, blocking their way through.
“Oh no,” Twilight said.  “Not these creeps again.”
Twilight turned her head and nodded towards Starlight, causing the little filly to hide behind her.  Twilight turned around as she and Golden Lace faced down Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, who walked towards the three fillies.
“Well well well,” Hoops said as he approached Twilight Sparkle.  “If it ain’t Celestia’s special snowflake.”
“Back off,” Twilight said in a snarling tone.  “I don’t want anything to do with you three punks.”
“But we have a lot to do with you,” Dumbbell said.  “Especially after the humiliation that we had to endure during the Ponyville Providence Fair.”
“That was on you,” Twilight said.  “After what you did to ruin Trixie’s magic show, you deserved every bit of punishment.”
“Oh please,” Score said as he flew to the side and yanked Starlight out by the tail, causing the little filly to scream.  “This is why pony society is falling apart.”
“Let me go you big meanie,” Starlight cried.
“Oh no,”  Hoops said.  “You need to be taught a real lesson you little brat.”
“Yeah,” Score said as he took notice of Starlight’s equal sign on her hip.  “Especially when you have that pathetic excuse for a cutie mark.”
“That looks more like a painting accident gone wrong,” Dumbbell laughed.  “Or maybe she’s trying to become good at math.”
“Math’s for foals,” Score said.  “A real pony doesn’t need math to survive in this world.”
“You two got it all wrong,” Hoops said as he stood over Starlight.  “I heard that the cutie mark on her flank is a sign of a cult leader.   One who will replace all cutie marks with that abomination in the name of equality.”
“That’s not true,” Starlight cried.  “I would never go down that path.”
“Don’t lie to yourself,” Score said as he pulled Starlight up by the tail, leaving her hanging in the air.  “You have the looks of a future cult leader and you know it.”
As Starlight Glimmer swung in the open air, crying her eyes out, Golden Lace fired a blast of magic right at Score’s face, causing him to drop Starlight.  Lace jumped up and grabbed Starlight Glimmer with her hooves before landing safely on the pavement.
“WHO DID THAT?”  Score yelled.  “I’LL TEACH THAT TRIGGERED SNOWFLAKE NOT TO MESS WITH THE REAL PONIES OF EQUESTRIA!”
“You leave her alone,” Golden Lace said as she sat Starlight down.  “I won’t let you harm my friend.”
“I know you,” Hoops said as he let out a psychotic laugh.  “You’re Golden Lace, the daughter of Gold and Silver Banks.”
“So what if I am?” Golden Lace said. 
“And aren’t you supposed to be like the three of us?” Dumbbell said as he inched closer to Golden Lace.
“Nothing like you three,” Golden Lace said.  “.  I once used horrible words to make ponies feel like they’re not important just to have a sense of satisfaction, and I used to do that in my old school in Manehattan.  I continued to do so when I came to Canterlot, guarded only by my parents until Queen Novo convinced me that it wasn’t the right path.  Compared to what I used to be, I would be disgusted by you three monsters.”
“Monsters?” Hoops said.  “Now that’s a compliment that I didn’t expect.”
“Hey boss,” Dumbbell said.  “Wadda say we teach this fake-toughie a lesson in bad mouthing us?”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Hoops said as he, Dumbbell and Score took to the skies.
Twilight watched as the three bullies flew upwards into the clouds.  She stood by Starlight Glimmer and watched as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score disappeared.
“Stand back,” Golden Lace said as she stood in front of Twilight.  “And cover your eyes.  I got this.”
“Lace?”  Twilight said.  
“I promised that I would make up for what I did since joining the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Golden Lace said with a hint of confidence.  “This is one prime example.”
Twilight and Starlight took a few steps back as Spike jumped off of Twilight’s back.  The three covered their eyes as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score descended downwards towards Golden Lace at Mach speed.
“Here we come you disgrace to the pony race,” Hoops laughed as he, Dumbbell and Score edged closer towards Golden Lace.
Golden Lace closed her eyes and pointed her horn upwards.  A flash of light emitted from the horn as the trio neared the ground level. 
“What in the?” Hoops yelled as he covered his eyes.
“I can’t see,” Dumbbell screamed.
“What kind of trick is this?” Score screech.
Golden Lace stood by as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score veered off course and crashed into nearby vending stalls.  Hoops wound up face first into the opening of a vase, Dumbbell crashed into a bell pepper basket, and Score smacked right into a vendor umbrella.  Twilight, Starlight and Spike opened their eyes to see the damage done to the trio.
“Wow,” Twilight said.  “I did not expect that.”
“You can thank me later,” Golden Lace said.  “We have to get to school and fast.”
Twilight and Starlight nodded as Spike jumped onto Twilight’s back.  WIth a kick of dust into the air, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace ran off towards the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Hoops pulled his head out of the vase and watched as Twilight, Starlight, Golden Lace and Spike ran off in the distance.
“Curse you weaklings,” Hoops yelled.  “We’ll get you for this if it's the last thing we ever do.”
As all three pegasi bullies got onto their four hooves, they overheard someone shouting “HEY!  WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA MESSING UP MY GROCERY STAND?”  The trio looked to their right to see an older earth pony stallion charging at them holding a push broom in his mouth.
“Come on, boys,” Hoops said.  “We’ll deal with those snowflakes another time.”
With a flap of their wings, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score took off into the air as the stallion came to a stop and just shook his hoof right at the three troublemakers.

At the School for Gifted Unicorns, Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell waited outside anxiously as Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Spike and Golden Lace ran up to the group.
“Twilight,” Sunset said as she ran up to the violet filly.  “You  made it.”
“Are….” Twilight said as she caught her breath.  “Are we late?”
“It’s even worse than that,” Sunset said.  “School is canceled for the day.”
“WHAT?” Starlight yelled before she fainted on her back.
“Those mean Banks just stormed in here and shoved us aside, stating that we’re not welcomed here anymore,” Wanda said.  “I think they’re going to close down the school.”
“Oh for the love of,” Golden Lace said as she put her own hoof to her forehead.  “I knew my parents were going after Celestia.  But the idea of closing down the School?  Sometimes I wish I was born in Vanhoover instead of Manehattan.”
“You think that’s bad, sister?” Danged Spell said.  “I heard they dragged Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch in that office over the field trip to Mount Aris, and the fact that the Storm King invaded them one day prior to that trip.”
“Yeah,” Moondancer said.  “If it weren’t for the fact that they have financial power across Equestria politics, they wouldn’t have been a big problem.”
“Well something’s gotta be done about this,” Twilight said.
“Uhh, hey guys,” Sunburst said as he approached Starlight Glimmer and glanced down at her equal sign on her hip.  “I think Starlight has her cutie mark.”
“Say what?” Sunset said.
“It’s a long story,” Twilight replied.  “That was why Starlight and I rushed down to the School for Gifted Unicorns with Golden Lace tagging along.”
Sunset, Wanda, Abigail, Moondancer and Danged Spell looked down at the equal sign on Starlight’s hip as the twin-tailed filly woke up.  Starlight noticed the others looking at her hip and began to cover it with her tail.
“Don’t look,” Starlight cried.  “It’s an abomination.”
“But what’s wrong with an equal sign?”  Moondancer asked.  “That looks like a pretty fun cutie mark.”
“I’ll say,” Sunset said.  “That sounds like you’re really good at math.”
“Math wasn’t really Starlight’s best subject,” Sunburst said.  “Though I’m not so sure how an equal sign would represent Starlight’s cutie mark.”
“Well I’d say her cutie mark just put her on an equilibrium.  Get it?”  Danged Spell chuckled.
“Uggh, Danged Spell,” Everyone else sans Starlight groaned.  
“What?”  Danged Spell said.  “I wanted to at least keep the symmetry of this moment.”
“Please shut up already,” Moondancer said as she covered her ears with her hooves.
Danged Spell shrugged as Sunset Shimmer turned her attention towards Starlight Glimmer, who continued to cover up the equal sign on her hip.
“So what exactly is wrong with your cutie mark?” Sunset asked.  “I don’t see anything bad about it.”
“It’s horrible,” Starlight cried.  “It’s an abomination.  It’s a horrible stain that would get my reputation...SMEARED!”
“Woah woah woah,” Danged Spell said.  “Horrible stain?  Smeared?  I know I’m the king of puns.  But that’s taking it too far.  Why would something that you call a horrible stain leave your reputation smeared like that?”
“If I had a good guess,” Twilight said.  “I think it’s because Starlight had a nightmare last night where we all rejected her because of her new cutie mark.”
“That sounds even worse,” Moondancer said.  “Getting a cutie mark is one thing.  But to lose your own friends because of a cutie mark?”
Wanda approached Starlight as she laid there on her back, hiding her hip with her tail.  Abigail walked up to the little filly, rubbed her paw on her side, and meowed.
“Are you going to be okay, Starlight?” Wanda asked.
“I don’t know,” Starlight said.  “If Princess Celestia can’t help me, then I don’t know what else to do.”
“It will be alright, Starlight,” Sunburst said.  “We’ll get this settled the moment we hear from Princess Celestia..”
Suddenly, they heard a tapping on the front door.  Everyone turned around to see Pinkie Pie from behind the glass pane of the front door.  Twilight rushed forward and opened the door with her magic
“Pinkie,” Twilight said.  “What happened to Princess Celestia?
“It’s horrible,” Pinkie Pie yelled.  “The Banks are considering shutting down the School for Gifted Unicorns, placing Princess Celestia under arrest, and shipping Wanda and Sunset off to a labor camp.”
“WHAAAAAAT?”  Wanda and Sunset yelled.
“Not on my watch,” Golden Lace said as she marched forward.  “They may be my parents, but I will not let them ruin my time here in Canterlot.”
Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie moved out of the way as Golden Lace marched through the doorway.  She stopped and turned her head towards Starlight.
“Starlight, is it?”  Golden Lace said.  “You want Princess Celestia’s help?  Then you have to come with me.”  Immediately, Starlight Glimmer immediately jumped onto her four hooves and ran up behind Golden Lace.  
“I’m ready,” Starlight said.
“Good,” Golden Lace said before she turned her head towards the others.  “I know what I’m getting myself into.  So wish me luck.”
Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace marched down the hallway of the School for Gifted Unicorns as Wanda, Abigail, Twilight, Sunset, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Spike and Pinkie Pie watched from the entrance.  Twilight immediately turned her head towards Pinkie Pie.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said.  “Go with them.  Find out if Golden Lace is successful at convincing her parents otherwise.”
“Aye aye,” Pinkie Pie saluted before she stared down the hallway where Golden Lace and Starlight are walking down.  “And if she fails.”
“Then it’s been fun knowing you all,” Twilight said.
Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight’s face as a tear flowed down the unicorn’s face.  She goes up and gives Twilight a big hug before she turns around and runs after Starlight and Lace.  
“Twilight,” Wanda said.  “Is it true?  What will happen to Sunset and me?”
“I’m not letting anything happen to you and Sunset,”  Twilight said.  “If they resort to that, I may ask Pinkie Pie to smuggle the both of you to either La Maresa or Mount Aris.”
“I’m willing to give up my own freedom if it means my sister gets to get away, safely,” Sunset said.  
“Sunset,” Twilight said.
“We’ve been through alot together,” Sunset said.  “The funeral for Starlight’s uncle, the Fall Formal Festival, Wanda’s experience with a baby bird, Danged Spell, Moondancer and Sunburst getting cutie marks, our field trips to La Maresa and Mount Aris, and befriending Golden Lace.  I know this feels like the end of our adventures together.  But no matter what, we will all be friends to the end.  And if anything, Friendship will always be magical.”
Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell all embraced each other with a warm hug and tears flowing from their eyes as Spike and Abigail held hands, looking at each other with sadness and uncertainty.


	To Be Continued in…


	Banking on friendship

> Arc 13-2: Banking on friendship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Banking on Friendship



“You had your chance, Princess Celestia!”
Those words came from an extremely agitated Silver Banks.  He stood there, staring closely at Princess Celestia, who swallowed hard.  Gold Banks pondered back and forth as she took a swiping glance at the elder alicorn.  Nearby, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch waited patiently as the Banks blocked their view.
“If I do recall,” Princess Celestia said.  “It was you who required that I have your daughter join us on the trip to Mount Aris.”
“And you put her in danger thanks to those filthy hippogriffs,” Gold Banks said as she nodded her head in disagreement.  “Not to mention rumors of the Storm King attacking that place.”
“I beg to differ,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “None of us knew that the Storm King was going to attack Mount Aris.  So you can’t hold her accountable.”
“SILENCE!” Silver Banks yelled at Cinch.  “You will not speak back to me or my wife.  Do you understand?”
Chancellor Cinch let out a sigh and reluctantly said “As you wish.”
Gold Banks placed a parchment paper on Celestia’s desk as the alicorn looked down at it.
“What exactly is this?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Your termination,” Gold Banks said.  “You will announce at the Canterlot Square that you will be permanently closing down the School for Gifted Unicorns and will force every student to return to their family.  In addition, you will announce your resignation and banishment from Canterlot, and your surrender of all three of your children to the Banks.  That includes your eldest daughter Princess Cadance.”
“What?” Princess Celestia yelled.
“If you fail to do just that,” Gold Banks said.  “I will plaster a propaganda piece across all of Equestria, accusing you, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch of a conspiracy to misplace every pony across Equestria with filthy creatures like Hippogriffs, Dragons, or even simple monkeys like your daughter.”
“Do we make ourselves clear?”  Silver Banks yelled.  “Those are your terms of surrender.  And you will sign them unless you wish to be made a pariah.”
Princess Celestia swallowed hard as she looked down at the paper.  She turned to Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch, who both signaled to the elder alicorn.
“It’s not worth it,” Princess Luna said.  “We’ll find another way.”
“I’m sorry,” Princess Celestia said.  “I can’t.”
Gold Banks turned to Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch and laughed as she said “Don’t you see?  You’re nothing more than puppets to the real king and queen of Equestria.  And as long as we have an iron grip on the Equestrian Political system, then there is nothing you can do about it.”
Princess Celestia let out a sigh as she dipped a feather pen into a bottle of ink and lifted it out.
“MOM!  DAD!  STOP NOW!”  Everyone turned their heads to see Golden Lace outside the doorway, seething in anger.  Right next to her, Starlight hid her face behind the door frame with Pinkie Pie wrapping her arm around Starlight’s torso.
“Golden Lace,” Princess Celestia said.
“My precious daughter,” Gold Banks said.  “You’re just in time to witness the end of Princess Celestia’s rule.  Why should we stop now when we’re doing this for you?”
“Because it’s not right,” Golden Lace said.  “I only agreed to this field trip because it made me feel better about not attending the trip to La Maresa.  But what I learned on that field trip was that I was too selfish for my own good.”
“Goodness gracious,” Gold Banks said.  “Don’t tell me you’re becoming a snowflake too?  After all, we've cared for you since you were born on this planet.”
“No,” Golden Lace said.  “I was only an asset to you.  In fact, I imitated you just so you would be proud of me.  I came by to stop you because I realized how important this school is to me.  After overhearing about what you were going to do with Princess Celestia, I’m not only disgusted with you, I’m more disgusted that I went along with you.”
“How dare you speak back to your parents that way, young lady,” Silver Banks said.  “You’re asking to be grounded with that tongue.”
“Do what you want,” Golden Lace said.  “I’m standing my ground.”
“Then maybe you wish to share your fate with your principal?”  Gold Banks said.  “After all, she yelled at you because of your mistreatment of a certain guest.”
“And I deserved it,” Golden Lace said.  “In fact, I would sooner be yelled at by Princess Celestia one thousand times over than to watch you tear her life and her daughter’s lives away.”
“Lace,” Celestia said.  “You don’t have to do this.”
“I’m afraid I have to,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ve been a bully since I attended school in Manehattan.  I did that to make my own parents proud.  Not anymore.”
“Now you see here young lady,” Silver Banks said.  “You either stand down with these shenanigans, or…”
“Or what?”  Golden Lace said.  “Are you going to make me a pariah with Princess Celestia?  An outcast?  A wanted criminal?  Do it, anyway.  I’ll be happy to take that role and make you wish you never did that.”
Silver Banks puffed out steam out of his nose as he grabbed the parchment and rolled it up.  He raised it into the air as Golden Lace closed her eyes and stood there.
“Wait,” Gold Banks said.  “I’m afraid she’s right.  The last thing we need is to cause a civil war in Equestria.”
“Come on, honey,” Silver Banks said.  “What am I going to do with this?”
“Tear it up,” Gold Banks said.  “It’s no use if we cause chaos on the level of Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina.”
Reluctantly, Silver Banks tore up the parchment and threw the pieces into the air.  Gold Banks’ smile turned into a frown as she faced Princess Celestia.
“You won this round, Princess,” Gold Banks said.  “But you better watch yourself.  Next false move you make, and you’re gone.  Are we perfectly clear?”
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said.  “We’re clear.”
“Good,” Gold Banks said.  “Now will you excuse me?  I wish to teach my daughter a lesson that’s far harsher than what you taught her.”
Gold and Silver Banks walked out of the room as Starlight Glimmer and Pinkie Pie moved to the side.  Golden Lace looked at Princess Celestia and saw a tear fall from the alicorn’s eye.
“I don’t have any regrets with what I said,” Golden Lace said.  “I may end up being grounded for my actions.  But I’m proud of what I did.”
“I know,” Princess Celestia said as she cracked a smile.  “And I’m proud of how you changed for the better.”
“I’m just hoping that I do stay this way,” Golden Lace said.  “And by the way, Starlight Glimmer wished to see you.  She’s outside.”
With that, Golden Lace walked out the doorway as Princess Celestia wiped the tear from her face.  She got up and walked to see Starlight peek her head from the frame.
“Come on in, Starlight,” Celestia said with a sweet voice.
Starlight walked on in as Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch got up.  Starlight hid her right flank with her tail as Pinkie Pie walked up behind the filly.
“So Starlight,” Celestia said.  “I was told you have this problem.”
But before Starlight could answer, Princess Luna stepped forward.
“I believe I know what’s troubling her,” Princess Luna said.  “She has what I call a Nightmare Mark.”
“Nightmare Mark?”  Starlight said.
“Yes,” Princess Luna said.  “When a filly or colt with a blank flank has doubts on his or herself, they will develop a Nightmare Mark, an Anti-Cutie Mark to be precise.  For a thousand years, I have helped younglings shed their Nightmare Mark and earn their Cutie Mark, which represents their true self.”
“So,” Starlight said.  “This isn’t my true self?”
“It is not,” Princess Luna said.  “It represents the fear, uncertainty and sorrow that forms in the minds of younglings.  But as I said, by conquering that fear and uncertainty, you will be free from your Nightmare Mark.”
“That’s the first that I’ve heard of that,” Pinkie Pie said.  “A Nightmare Mark.”
“And I do recall helping your mother Cloudy Quartz when she had her Nightmare Mark,” Princess Luna said.  
“I once had a Nightmare Mark of my own, young lady,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “It involved losing my sister long ago, and the fear that I would share her fate.”
“So,” Starlight said.  “If I conquered my fear, does that mean I can get my Cutie Mark for real?”
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said. “You will.”
“And I believe I can help Starlight conquer her fear and get her Cutie Mark,” Princess Luna said.  She approached Starlight and said “I believe you wish to be rid of this Nightmare Mark, is that correct?”
“That’s right, Miss Woona,” Starlight said.  “I don’t want this stain to be on my flank anymore.”
Princess Luna giggled as she said “Then let’s get to a place where I can help out.”
But as Princess Luna took a step forward, Wanda Young walked in and approached Princess Celestia.  Right next to the Man’s Cub was little Abigail.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “I just saw the Banks walk out with Golden Lace right behind them.  What happened?”
“I believe I owe Golden Lace for her act of gratitude,” Princess Celestia said as she got out of her chair and walked up to Wanda.  “She took my side and was able to prevent the Banks from shutting down this school and taking you and your sisters away from me.  I’m sorry I had to  worry you.”
Wanda’s eyes became watery, and yet a smile formed on her face.  She jumped up to Princess Celestia and gave her a big hug.  Princess Luna, Chancellor Cinch, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie and Abigail watched on as Wanda embraced her adopted mother.
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said as her eyes watered up.  “These are the kind of moments that make me want to...to.”
And with that, Pinkie Pie cried so loud that tears formed from her eyes like twin waterfalls.  One of them splashed on top of Abigail, causing the kitten to meow loudly at Pinkie Pie.  
As Wanda continued to embrace Celestia, she felt a tap on the shoulder.  Wanda turned around and saw Chancellor Cinch hovering over her.
“I have a request for you, young lady,” Cinch said.  “It’s about your friend.”
“Starlight?” Wanda said.
“Princess Luna had assigned herself to help out Starlight Glimmer and her Nightmare Mark.  I was wondering if you could help her with that.”
Wanda looked up at Princess Celestia, who nodded back at the human youngling.
“I may consider extra credit for you if you help her get a cutie mark,” Princess Celestia said.
Wanda leaped out of Celestia’s arms and jumped down on her two feet before bowing down to Chancellor Cinch.
“I’ll do it,” Wanda said.  “I’ll help out Starlight Glimmer in any way possible.”
“At ease, Man’s Cub,” Chancellor Cinch laughed as Wanda raised her head.  “You may have the grace of a lady.  But right now, it will take a lot more than grace to help your friend out.”
“She’s right,” Princess Luna said as Starlight Glimmer walked towards her side.  “This is going to take the both of us to help Starlight get her real cutie mark.  To help reinvigorate the spark within her.  Are you ready?”
Wanda ran up to Princess Luna and said “I’m ready.  Even if I end up being the only one of the group without a cutie mark, I’ll do this for Starlight, Aunt Woona.”
“That’s the spirit,” Princess Luna said.  “Now come.  We have work to do.”
Abigail jumped onto Wanda’s shoulder as the Man’s Cub followed Princess Luna and Starlight Glimmer out the door, with Pinkie Pie watching from within.  
“To replace a Nightmare Mark with a real Cutie Mark,” Pinkie Pie said.  “This sounds really exciting.”
“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Wanda said as she stuck her head out from behind the door frame.  “You want to help provide some comfort for Starlight?”
“Coming,” Pinkie Pie yelled as she ran out the door after Wanda. 
As Pinkie Pie and Wanda disappeared through the doorway, Princess Celestia and Abacus Cinch stood there as the light of the sun shined through the office.
“Those kids have come a long way since they attended their first day at school,” Princess Celestia said.
“Not to mention that with each passing day,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I gain a newfound respect for your adopted daughter.  And far less for the morons in the Senate.”
“Tell me about it,” Princess Celestia said as she hung her head.  “Even after all I’ve been through, she along with Sunset Shimmer and Princess Cadance continue to give me the hope I need to get through the day.”
“With that being said,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I do worry for the daughter of Gold and Silver Banks.  Especially after all she did for you.”
“On the one hoof, it was a surprise to see her come to my defense,” Princess Celestia said.  “On the other hoof, I dread to think about what will happen to her.”

“How dare you besmirch us in front of our servant!”  Those words came from Silver Banks in the Banks Mansion across Canterlot City.  Golden Lace stood down her father as Gold Banks paced back and forth, staring at her daughter.
“For your information, father,” Golden Lace said.  “She’s the princess of Equestria, and she’s been around for more than a thousand years.”
“Do I look like I care about that detail?” Silver Banks yelled.  “What matters is that you ruined a good chance at banishing Princess Celestia without causing a scene.  Now we have to wait till she screws up again.”
“I am deeply disappointed in you,” Gold Banks said.  “After all, your goal as our daughter is to show every peasant child in Equestria who’s the boss.  Including the daughters of Princess Celestia.  What you just demonstrated was the total opposite.”
“That was the old me,” Golden Lace protested.  “I used to think that way.  Never again.”
Gold Banks let out a sigh as she walked up to her daughter and said “Then you leave me no choice.”
“Ground me all you want,” Golden Lace said.  “I won’t change back for you at all.”
“Oh you are mistaken,” Gold Banks said.  “I have a different punishment in mind for your defiance.”
In an instant, Golden Lace is thrown out of the mansion as she lands on her belly.  She turned around and saw both Silver and Gold Banks standing in the doorway, staring down their daughter in shame.
“Until you learn your lesson that friendship is nothing more than a disgusting conspiracy,” Gold Banks said.  “You will have to live like a street rat for as long as possible.”
“Good night, daughter,” Silver Banks said as he and Gold Banks shut the front door and locked it tight.
Golden Lace got up on her two legs and dusted herself off.  She planted her front hooves on the pavement before looking back at the mansion.
“Well,” Golden Lace said.  “That was unexpected.  At least I don’t have to put up with those two for a long time.”
Golden Lace looked forward and ran off in the distance, running as far as possible away from the Banks Mansion.

Later that day, Golden Lace was waltzing through the streets of Canterlot, minding her own business as ponies gathered around.  The smell of various foods got to her nose.  But she kept to herself as she looked up at the sky.
“You know,” Golden Lace said to herself.  “I never observed what the commoners do on their time off.  Mother and Father always told me that they’re nothing more than a bunch of slackers who don’t deserve anything.  But it seems they’re more than just that.”
As Golden Lace walked through, she heard a growl beneath her belly.  She got on her two legs and saw her tummy rumbling.
“Guess I haven’t had any lunch yet,” Golden Lace said as she pulled out a purse from her mane.  “At least my parents didn’t take my wallet away.”
Golden Lace opened her purse.  Inside were a good amount of gold bits shining in her face.
“Only enough for a few days of food,” Golden Lace said.  “But what would sound good?”
Golden Lace looked around the city, eyeing many stands full of scrumptious food.  She turned to her right and saw an ice cream parlor nearby.
“Oh right,” Golden Lace said as she walked up to the ice cream parlor.  “I’m a sucker for ice cream.  Maybe I can have one milk shake before I press on with my day.”

Inside, Golden Lace walked through the doorway and eyed an empty parlor seat.  She walked on over and climbed to the top of the seat.  The cashier turned his attention towards Golden Lace with a warm smile.
“Lace,” the cashier said.  “Didn’t expect you to be without your parents.”
“Well let’s just say I needed a break from them,” Golden Lace said.
“No argument there,” the cashier replied.  “So what can I get ya?”
“I’ll take your world famous chocolate milkshake,” Golden Lace said.
“No problem,” the cashier said.  “That will be two bits.”
Golden Lace pulled out her purse and opened it.  But before she could dig into her purse, a pinkish gray filly pegasus with a pale, light grayish arctic blue and light arctic bluish gray curly mane, and a chess piece cutie mark, placed two bits on the counter.
“That’s on me,” the filly pegasus.
“Cozy Glow,” the cashier said as he accepted the bits and began to mix up the milkshake.  “Didn’t expect you to pay the tab for someone else.”
“Well when it comes to Equestria these days,” Cozy Glow said.  “We fillies have to stick together.”
“Err, thanks, I guess,” Golden Lace said.
“Don’t mention it,” Cozy Glow said as she took a sip of her milkshake.
The cashier finished up the chocolate milkshake before he slid it down to Golden Lace.  The golden filly took a sip of the milkshake as she looked at Cozy Glow.
“So,” Cozy Glow said.  “Friendship problems I take it.”
“More like family problems,” Golden Lace replied.  “They want me to be a nasty and wicked as possible.  And not long ago, I used to enjoy it.  When I changed my ways, they threw me out as punishment.”
“Some punishment,” Cozy Glow said.  “Especially when your own folks forgot to take your own money away.”
“Yeah,” Golden Lace laughed as she took a sip of her milkshake.  “I know.  They may be mean spirited.  But they’re not that bright.”
“This is why we have to stick together,” Cozy Glow said.  “Much like your new friends.”
“My new friends?” Golden Lace said, surprised by Cozy Glow’s choice of words.
“Word came out that you gave up being a bully towards your fellow co-students from the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Cozy Glow said.  “Why the change of heart?”
“Well it’s true,” Golden Lace said.  “I changed because of my field trip to Mount Aris, and to what Queen Novo told me about.  How I don’t need to live in the shadows of my parents and to basically be my own pony.  So far, I think I might be off to a good start.”
“I think that might be saying a lot,” Cozy Glow replied.
“Well,” Golden Lace said.  “Considering that my own parents were foolish enough not to lock me in my own room, I’d say that was a big mistake.”
“And you should prove to them how foolish they were,” Cozy Glow replied.  “Be a closer friend to your classmates.  If they chose to accept you as one of their own, then accept it.  I bet you have a much stronger heart than your own folks realize.”
“You really think so?” Golden Lace asked as she took a sip of milkshake.
“Golly yes,” Cozy Glow replied as she reached her arm out towards Golden Lace.
Lace smiled as she touched her hoof towards Cozy Glow’s hoof and said “I think this might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
The two fillies laughed as they enjoyed their milkshake inside the ice cream parlor.

Meanwhile, back at the field within the School for Gifted Unicorns, Starlight Glimmer and Wanda were talking with Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Spike as Princess Luna, Abigail and Pinkie Pie watched on.
“Are you really sure you don’t need our help?” Twilight asked.
“I’m sure of it,” Starlight replied.  “If it means getting my cutie mark, then I’m all up for it.”
“Starlight,” Sunburst said as he and Starlight gave each other a hug.  “I hope whatever cutie mark you get, it makes you feel proud of yourself.”
“Oh I will, old friend,” Starlight said as she and Sunburst let go.  “I will.”
Sunset walked up to Wanda as Twilight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Spike began to walk off.  
“Are you really sure you don’t need my help?” Sunset said.  “I’m here for you if you don’t know what to do.”
“I got this,” Wanda said.  “Besides, as long as Aunt Woona is with me, I think this might be a piece of cake.”
“Well,” Sunset said. “Best of luck to you, sis.”
“Thanks,” Wanda said as she stuck her tongue out..  “Cuz I’ll definitely need it.”
Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young waved good-bye to each other as the sun filly ran off towards Twilight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Spike.  Wanda turned around as she and Starlight ran up to Princess Luna, Abigail and Pinkie PIe.
“Are you ready for your lesson, Starlight?” Princess Luna asked.
“I’m ready, Princess,” Starlight said as she bowed to Princess Luna.
“At ease with the courtesy,” Princess Luna giggled as Starlight looked up.  “You can just address me as Luna.”
“Oh right,” Starlight said as she blushed.  “Luna.”
“Anyway, Princess Luna said as she cleared her throat.  “It’s time we talked about conquering your Nightmare Mark.”
Starlight Glimmer looked down at her Equal sign on her hip, and her mood went down south.  She turned to Princess Luna and said “Oh yeah.  It’s because of this disgusting thing.”
“At first,” Princess Luna said.  “I thought your Nightmare Mark was tied to your own fear of being the only pony in the group without a cutie mark.  That you desired one so badly, it just showed up in the wrong way possible.”
“Is that so?” Starlight asked.
“Not exactly,” Princess Luna said.  “After taking a closer glance at your cutie mark, I know exactly what it means.”
“Oooh,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Does it mean that you fear someone close to you might feel left out?”
Wanda, Starlight and Princess Luna stared at Pinkie Pie with an awkward look on their faces.
“That is….correct,” Princess Luna said. “But I wanted to give some detail about her Nightmare Mark to Starlight.”
“Oops, sorry,” Pinkie Pie said embarrassingly as she zipped her lips up.
Princess Luna turned to Starlight and said “What Pinkie Pie said is true.  You don’t just fear being the only pony without a cutie mark.  You also fear that you will be with another without a cutie mark.”
“What do you mean by that?”  Starlight asked.
“I believe your close friend can answer that,” Princess Luna replied as she took a few steps aside for Wanda to walk towards the timid filly.
“Starlight,” Wanda said.  “We’ve been friends since we both passed our entrance exam.  But while you look forward to your cutie mark like the rest of our friends, I’m the only one who can’t get a cutie mark.”
“Oh no,” Starlight said.  “I forgot about that.”
“And it’s because of who I am,”  Wanda said.  “I’m not a pony, nor am I of your world.  As a result, I cannot get a cutie mark at all.  But just because I don’t have a cutie mark doesn’t mean we won’t be friends anymore.”
“So that’s what this Nightmare Mark means,” Starlight said.  “It’s because I want all of us to be equal together, even those who are different from the rest of us.”
“That is correct,” Princess Luna said. “Wanda may not be from this world.  But she’s as special as the rest of us.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “It doesn’t matter if they are pony, dragon, kitty, griffon, hippogriff, yak, or even a human.  They’re still that special kind of friend that will be by your side till the end of time.”
“Guess that’s something I have to keep learning from here on out,” Starlight said as she blushed.
“With that out of the way,” Princess Luna said as she took a few steps towards Starlight Glimmer.  “There is one last question I must ask.  What is it that you like?”
Starlight rubbed her temple and said “You know, that’s a good question.  I rarely think about that kind of thing.”
Wanda’s eyes brightened up as she said “I think I know what you like.  You enjoy casting magic from your horn.”
“Magic?” Starlight asked.
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “Not long ago before our first field trip, you showed me how to light up the sky using your own magic.  As a result, I learned how to craft something with my own spells.”
“Oh I remember,” Starlight said as her eyes brightened up.  “Since you couldn’t stand the pressure of a Sonic Rainboom, I decided to create an imitation that you can look at.  And since then, you figured out how to create something of your own after you saw my spell.”
Wanda held out her hand in a cup shape as a small orb of magic formed on it.
“The one thing I like about this spell,” Wanda said.  “It doesn’t exhaust me like most of my uses of magic do.”
Wanda wound up and tossed the orb of magic into the air.  The moment it reached a peak of thirty feet, it exploded into stardust particles of various colors.  Starlight and Pinkie Pie looked up and were awed by the lights.
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Like I said,” Wanda replied.  “It’s one of the few spells I have that doesn’t wear me out.  I often use this just to put some smiles on my friend’s faces.”
“It was a simple spell that my sister taught her,” Princess Luna said as she walked next to Wanda.  “Wanda often exhausts herself when using magic.  Low-powered spells help out since it allows Wanda to be used to using magic.”
Starlight looked up as the magical stardust sprinkled all over her.  She giggled as the cosmic dust brushed up around her fur.  Then her eyes lid up as she looked at the small bits of magic on her arm.
“That gives me an idea,” Starlight said.  “What if I could create something amazing with this magic?”
“Something amazing, I take it?” Luna asked.
“Yeah,” Starlight said.  “And I think I might have an idea on what I want to create with magic.  But I’ve got to look at one of the books at Twilight’s house for some guidance.”
“Well then,” Luna said.  “Why don’t we head over to Twilight’s house to see if we have your answer.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Maybe I could help Twilight Velvet with baking some delicious cupcakes.”
Starlight giggled as Luna said “No Pinkie you silly.  We’re only going there to find some reading material to help Starlight out.”
“Well maybe once Starlight earns her real cutie mark,” Pinkie Pie replied as she stood on her two legs.  “Then maybe I could bake the biggest cake to celebrate.  Won’t that be something?”
Starlight Glimmer cheered as Princess Luna and Pinkie Pie began to walk towards the open gate leading out of the school.  Wanda and Abigail stood behind for a bit, watching as the trio walked off in the distance.
“Must be really good to have friends, Abigail,” Wanda said.  She glanced over at Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark and said “But it will feel sad to be the only one who will never get a cutie mark.”
Abigail looked up at Wanda and let out a faint meow.  Wanda reached down and gave Abigail a rub on her hair.
“I know, Abby,” Wanda said.  “But I know it will work out for Starlight Glimmer.  She wants a real cutie mark that badly, and I want to at least make her happy.”
As Wanda and Abigail were about to take off, the man’s cub noticed something glowing on her shoulder.  A faint image appeared directly on the flat surface of her upper arm, glowing brightly.
“What is that?” Wanda said.  
But before she could say anything, the faint image and the bright light disappeared.
“That was rather odd,” Wanda said, as she stared at her shoulder.
“Wanda,” Luna yelled.  “We’re heading over to Starlight’s place.”
“I’m coming, Aunt Woona,” Wanda said as she picked up Abigail and ran after Princess Luna, Starlight Glimmer and Pinkie Pie.


	To Be Continued in....


	The Magic of a friend

> Arc 13-3: The Magic of a Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Magic of a Friend



Wanda held onto Abigail as she, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie and Princess Luna walked through downtown Canterlot City.  The streets were bustling with activity as ponies traded their bits for various goods such as produce, cleaning supplies, decorations, and even toys for the kiddies.  But even in spite of the crowd, they stepped aside to allow Princess Luna and the younglings to walk on through.
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “The markets in La Maresa pale in comparison to these.”
“Normally, we don’t get this kind of traffic,” Princess Luna said.  “But we have a boatload of vendors coming up to Canterlot to peddle their wares.”
“How come?” Wanda asked.
“Well it’s not a certain event coming up that has anything to do with it,” Princess Luna said as she followed her speech with an innocent whistle.
“Event?”  Starlight asked as her eyes beamed with excitement.
“Starlight,” Wanda giggled as she gave a playful wink.  “You already know what that is.”
“Ohhhhh,” Starlight said, putting her hoof under her chin.  “Now I get it.”
“But while it is tempting to just observe the crowd and buy a trinket or two,” Luna said.  “We still have that trip to Twilight’s house to take care of just for that book.”
“That’s right,” Starlight said.  “I must not get distracted by the sights and smells of everything around me.”
Starlight Glimmer closed her eyes as she walked forward with Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Princess Luna and Abigail following right behind her.
“Are you sure you’re going to be alright, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Oh I’ll be just fine,” Starlight said as she kept her eyes closed.
Suddenly, Starlight tripped over a bit of the pavement and fell right on her belly.  She sat right up and started to cry.
“THAT REALLY HURTS!”  Starlight cried.  “NOW I GOT A BOO BOO!”
Princess Luna trotted up to Starlight and said “It’s ok, Starlight.  We all have an accident.”
“But it hurts so badly,” Starlight cried as tears flowed from her eyes.
Princess Luna looked down at Starlight’s front torso area.  Despite her tummy appearing to be a bit dirty, there were no serious bumps or bruises.
“It may hurt,” Luna said.  “But it will heal quickly.  Like I said, it was an accident.”
Princess Luna pulled out a handkerchief from her collar and proceeded to wipe the tears off of Starlight Glimmer’s cheek.  Despite the fall, Starlight seems to be a bit optimistic.
“Now,” Luna said in a cheerful tone.  “Promise me you’ll be careful, like keeping your eyes out for anything.”
“I guess so,” Starlight said.
“Seems more like she needs to keep her eyes out on her own path.”  Princess Luna raised her head to the left of her and saw Gold and Silver Banks walking towards her.  The Moon Princess’s smile turned into a scowl as the two adults approached her.  Wanda and Pinkie PIe gave both Gold and Silver a cold stare while Abigail hunched her back up and hissed.
“What do you two want?” Princess Luna said.
“We overheard the sound of a little girl crying and we came to check,” Gold Banks said.  “Seems a little Mary Sue didn’t know her own strength.”
Starlight Glimmer gasped as she ran behind Princess Luna.  She shook as both Gold and Silver merely glanced at the scared filly.
“Oh what’s wrong?” Gold Banks asked.  “Are you afraid of the outside world?”
“Go away,” Starlight cried.  “You scare me.”
“Seems like with the last one,” Silver Banks laughed.  “This one wants to return to the arms of her parents.  Not like that will do her any good.”
“Excuse me?”  Princess Luna said as her temper started to show.. 
“Oh I question the idea of having her parents abandon their child in Canterlot just like that other colt,” Gold Banks said.  “How exactly can you raise a child if you let them run amok in a city like a wild animal?”
“Well it’s better than being locked up in a house all day you big meanie,” Pinkie Pie said.  “And I still remembered what you said about Sunburst.”
“That he needed a better home and parents who know what’s good for him?” Gold Banks said.  “You remember well, oh little street rat from La Maresa.”
“At least I have loving parents who let me become Mrs Cake’s apprentice,” Pinkie Pie screamed.
“Oh come now,” Gold Banks laughed.  “No need to get worked up over a second rate fast food clerk.”
“A second rate fast food clerk?” Pinkie Pie growled as she stared down Gold Banks and her teeth began to show.
“Don’t listen to her, Pinkie,” Wanda said as she got in front of Pinkie Pie’s sight.  “You’re far better than her.”
“Well well well,” Gold Banks said as her attention turned towards Wanda.  “What do we have here?  It’s Princess Celestia’s little pet.”
Wanda turned around, gazing coldly at Gold Banks as she and Silver Banks walked up to the little Man’s Cub.  Gold Banks’s horn lights up as strains of Wanda’s hair lifted from the back.  Even in spite of this, Wanda kept her eye on Gold Banks.
“I am not a pet,” Wanda snarled.  “I am the daughter of Princess Celestia, and one of the many Princesses of Equestria.”
Gold Banks laughed as she said “Is that so?  Well then, little lost lamb.  Where’s your cutie mark?”
“I don’t need a cutie mark just to be a part of this world,” Wanda said.  “As long as I have friends, I’m already as much of a citizen as you are.”
“It’s a known fact that anyone who doesn’t get their cutie mark is nothing more than a second class citizen,” Silver Banks said.  “And it’s not just ponies, but other creatures who don’t even belong.  Even if one were to...trade with them.”
“My dear husband has a point, you little princess wannabe,” Gold Banks laughed.  “So tell me.  Are you really a princess without a cutie mark?  Or are you truly just a mere pet?”
As Wanda stared closely at Gold Banks, Princess Luna ran up and got in between the Man’s Cub and the rich aristocrat.
“I think that will be enough for now, Mrs. Banks,” Princess Luna said.  “We have an important appointment to take care of.”
Nearby, Starlight Glimmer watched as Princess Luna continued to argue with Gold and Silver Banks.  She jumped behind a crate and watched the adults argue.  But right in an alley behind her, three shadows stare right at her, looking like they’re ready to pounce.
“Oh Princess Luna,” Gold Banks said.  “Don’t be such a whiny snowflake.  We’re only stating the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
“So we recommend you stand aside and allow us to dispense with the truth bombs to the lone animal of your group,” Silver Banks said.  “Maybe we should take it in and raise her as our own.”
“No, I’d rather you not do that,” Princess Luna said as she kept her sight on the Banks  “I care alot for the children of Equestria, be it a pony or any creature.”
“Is that a fact?”  Gold Banks chuckled as she pointed to Starlight Glimmer hiding behind the crate and the three shadows inching closer to her.  “Then maybe you want to keep that Mary Sue of yours close to you.”
Princess Luna’s face turned to horror as she turned around.  But before she could reach, the three shadows reveal themselves to be Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, as they dash out and nab Starlight Glimmer from behind.  Starlight screamed really loud as Dumbbell held onto her and flew off with Hoops and Score right behind him.
“STARLIGHT,” Luna yelled as she opened her wings.   She turned to Wanda and Pinkie PIe and said “Get on.  We’ve got to get Starlight back.”
Wanda and Pinkie Pie nodded as they and Abigail climbed up onto Luna’s back.  Abigail jumped into Wanda’s arms as Princess Luna took to the skies in pursuit.  Gold and Silver Banks just looked up as Luna flew into the skies.
“Well,” Gold Banks said.  “That was rather amusing.”
“Seems the so-called royalty of Equestria are nothing more than a bunch of bumbling buffoons,” Silver Banks laughed.

In the skies, Dumbbell held onto Starlight tightly as she screamed really loud.  Hoops and Score flew right by Dumbbell, laughing right in Starlight’s face.
“So little snowflake,” Hoops laughed.  “How do you enjoy the flight?”
“LET ME GO YOU BIG MEANIE,” Starlight cried. 
“Aww,” Dumbbell said.  “She’s so afraid of heights.”
“Keep her close,” Hoops said.  “We don’t want her to free fall without a parachute.”
“YOU GIVE HER BACK THIS INSTANT!”  Hoops, Dumbbell and Score turned around to see Princess Luna flying closer to the trio.  On her back,  Pinkie Pie, Wanda Young and Abigail glanced right at the three bullies with a cold glare in their eyes.
“Gee whizz it, the big mean princess,” Score yelled.
“Let’s amscray,” Hoops yelled.
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score extended their wings and dove down into the city all while Dumbbell held onto Starlight Glimmer,  causing the little filly to scream.  Luna’s face lit up in fear as the trio dove towards the citizens.
“Hang on,” Princess Luna yelled.  “This is going to be a bumpy ride.”
Wanda, Pinkie Pie and Abigail held on tight as Princess Luna dove right after Hoops, Dumbbell and Score.  Score looked up and gasped as Princess Luna dove closer to their location.
“How the hay do we ditch this wicked witch?” Score wailed.
“Blend in with the crowd,” Hoops yelled.  “That way, she’ll find it hard to follow us.”
Dumbbell and Score nodded their head as the duo, with Dumbbell still holding tight onto Starlight, flew right into the crowd.  Hoops dove in after the two as they dashed right on through, causing various ponies to freak out and either move out of the way, or fall flat on their backs.
“Aunt Woona,” Wanda said.  “Why couldn’t you use your magic back then?”
“I didn’t want to risk dropping Starlight,” Princess Luna said.  “The last thing I need is to cause an accident and hurt Starlight in the process.”
“That is just despicable,” Pinkie Pie said.
Princess Luna flew above the crowd as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score pushed groups of ponies out of the way.  Starlight screamed from the top of her lungs as Dumbbell held her tight.
“She’s still coming this way,” Score said.  “How the hay do we ditch her for good?”
Hoops looked to his right and saw something that caught his eye.  He flew over and said  “I know just how.”
Hoops picked up a blanket that was laid bare on a merchant’s table.  As Luna flew close to Dumbbell and Score, Hoops threw the blanket at her, covering her face with the fabric.  Luna began to lose control.
“I CAN’T SEE!”  Luna yelled.  
Luna lifted the blanket so that her face was exposed.  But as she did so, she crashed right into a merchant’s stall, sending fruit flying everywhere.  Wanda, Pinkie and Abigail held on tightly as Princess Luna took the blanket off and observed the damage done to the stall.
“Looks like someone’s going to get extra compensation because of this,” Princess Luna said.  But as she got up, she screamed in pain.  She looked to her left and saw her wing limping downward.
“Oh no,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Now you can’t fly after those three.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score flew in front of Princess Luna, holding up Starlight Glimmer and laughing at her.
“Looking for this little brat?”  Hoops said with a despicable laugh.  “Well tough luck, because her trip’s not over.  And by that way, that’s for the humiliation we got back in La Maresa.  So deal with it, loser.”
And with that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score flew off all while they held onto a screaming Starlight Glimmer.
Princess Luna turned to Wanda and said “Wanda.  Go after those three.  But make sure Starlight is safe.  Got it?”
Wanda saluted Princess Luna and said “Aye aye, Aunt Woona.”  She jumped off of Luna’s back and her insect-like wings formed on her back before flying off after the three bullies and Starlight.  
Back on the ground, Pinkie Pie, Abigail and Luna watched as Wanda flew after the trio.
“You think she’ll be able to catch up to those meanies?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“She’s all we got for the moment,” Princess Luna said.
“Princess Luna,” a merchant said as he approached the injured moon princess.  “Are you alright?  Do you need any help?”
Princess Luna slowly got up and turned towards the merchant and said “Are you the owner of this fruit stand?”
“Why yes I am,” the merchant said.
“I believe I owe you a good amount of bits for the unintended damage caused,” Princess Luna said.

Down the street, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score continued to fly away as they held on tight to a crying Starlight.  Hoops turned around and saw Wanda fly towards them with a dirty look on her face. 
“What kind of freak of nature is she?” Hoops said as he freaked out.  “No way is she natural to any world.”
“Who cares,” Score said.  “If we can ditch her like that ugly granny, then we should be in the clear.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score flew down closer to the crowd as Wanda flew after them, all while Dumbbell held tightly onto Starlight.  Wanda hovered above the crowd all while Hoops, Dumbbell and Score once again caused ponies to either move out of the way or to be knocked out of the wall, all while Dumbbell held onto Starlight.
“Get back here,” Wanda yelled.  “That’s my friend you’re hurting.”
Hoops turned around and let out a big raspberry as he said  “Go grace a filly’s doll you overpowered Mary Sue.”
As Hoops turned around, he noticed a familiar bright golden unicorn filly right in front him.  His smile grew deeper as he flew right towards Golden Lace.
“I know you,” Hoops said.  “You humiliated us last time.  How about you join us on the same flight as this little girly girl?”
Dumbbell and Score laughed as Hoops flew at top speed towards Golden Lace.  The unicorn filly stood her ground as Hoops inched closer and closer.
“I don’t think so,” Golden Lace said.
Suddenly, Golden Lace picked up a vase with her magic and splashed some cold water right in Hoops’ face, causing the troublemaking colt to scream and cover his eyes.
“I CAN’T SEE!”  Hoops yelled.
Flying out of control, Hoops flew too low and tumbled right into the pavement before smashing his face into a building wall.  Dumbbell and Score stood there, jaws dropped in shock as Dumbbell held onto Starlight.
“B….Boss,” Dumbbell yelled.
Starlight looked up and saw Dumbbell’s face frozen right at Hoops.  Her horn glowed brightly, catching the attention of the mischief making colt who held her tightly.  But before he could respond, Starlight’s Horn gives off a flash, blinding him and causing him to lose his grip on Starlight.  The filly landed on her four legs as Wanda flew up right beside Starlight Glimmer.
“You leave little Starlight alone, you big meanies,” Wanda said as Starlight and Golden Lace took her side.
“This isn’t over you little girls,” Score yelled.  He turned to Dumbbell and said “Get the boss and let’s book it.”
Dumbbell opened his eyes and flew up to the unconscious Hoops before he picked up his comrade and flew off with him.  Score flew right behind Dumbbell.  But not before he turned around and shook his fist at the three younglings.
“This isn’t over yet,” Score yelled.  “You three will pay for what you did to the boss.”
As Score flew off into the distance, Starlight looked at Wanda before jumping up to the Man’s Cub and held onto her, bawling her eyes out.
“I don’t want to see those meanies again,” Starlight cried.  “They wanted to hurt me.”
“It’s alright,” Wanda said.  “They won’t bother you again.”
As Wanda patted Starlight’s back, she looked down at Golden Lace, who looked up on awe at the man’s cub’s wings.
“Wow,” Golden Lace said.  “Had I known you were this great, I wouldn’t have been so much of a bully to you both.”
Wanda flew down to the ground as she held onto Starlight Glimmer.  Her wings disappeared as she approached Golden Lace.
“Thanks Lace,” Wanda said with a warm smile.  “Had you not been here, who knows what those three would have done to Starlight.”
“And it’s not the first time they picked on her,” Golden Lace said.  “They tried that stunt early ago when Twilight and Spike were with us.”
“By the way,” Wanda asked.  “Why aren’t you at home?  Weren’t your parents going to ground you?”
“Well funny thing happened,” Golden Lace said as she rubbed the back of her head.  “They threw me out as punishment until I learned my lesson.”
Those words caught Starlight’s attention, as she jumped out of Wanda’s arms and approached Golden Lace.
“That’s horrible,” Starlight said.  “I knew your parents were meanies.  But this is just disturbing.”
Golden Lace let out a sigh and said “Truth be told, I was expecting them to lock me in my room for a month.  But this was rather surprising.  Even more so, I think this attempt at shaming me felt more like it backfired, as it felt like a weight dropped off my shoulders.”
“So your parents were telling you to be that much of a bad pony,” Wanda said.
“Yep,” Golden Lace said.  “Even though what I did to you all was wrong, I did it just to appease them.  And you all know how that turned out.”
“I said that sounded horrible,” Starlight said.  “But that’s just even worse.”
“What matters now is that you’re safe,” Golden Lace said. 
“And I appreciate it,” Wanda said.  “Now we can get that book of magic that Starlight needed from Twilight’s house.”
“That won’t be needed.  I already got it.”  Wanda and Starlight looked up and saw Cozy Glow fly towards them, holding a red book in her arms.
“Who, who is that?” Starlight said.
“Oh that’s Cozy Glow,” Golden Lace said.  “I met her at the ice cream parlor and she paid for my milkshake.”
“Wow,”  Wanda said with a smile.  “Who knew there were friends when you least expect them.”
Cozy Glow flew down to the ground and held out the red book in her arms.  Starlight used her magic to lift the book out of Cozy’s arms and held it close to her.
“That’s it,” Starlight said.  “That’s the book I wanted to get.  Thanks a lot.”
“Anytime” Cozy Glow said.  “Golden Lace told me about you all and I’d figured I’d do something for her.”
“Wanda.  Starlight.”  Wanda, Starlight, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow turned around and saw Princess Luna, Pinkie Pie and Abigail walk up to them.  Luna’s torso and wings were wrapped up in a large bandage as she slowly approached the other younglings.
“She’s alright, Aunt Wonna,” Wanda said as she waved to Princess Luna.  “Golden Lace saved her.”
“What happened to Princess Luna?” Golden Lace asked.
“Long story short,” Wanda said.  “Those meanies caused Aunt Woona to crash into a nearby merchant stand, and she hurt her wing in the process.”
Starlight cheered with glee as Princess Luna walked up to her.  The broken alicorn princess reached out and hugged Starlight, ignoring the pain from her wing.
“I’m glad you’re alright, Starlight,” Luna said.  “It’s my fault for not paying attention to your well-being.”
“I was scared,” Starlight said.  “I didn’t know what was going to happen to me.”
Luna looked up at Golden Lace, who only rubbed her hoof on the ground with a blush on her face.
“I only did that because I didn’t like how those three were treating her,” Golden Lace said.   “But it doesn’t excuse what I did long ago.”
“Even if you think it doesn,” Luna said.  “It shows that you are truly changing for the better.  Thank you.”
Golden Lace looked at Princess Luna and said “I am not worthy of this appreciation.  But I will accept it out of respect.”
As Golden Lace and Luna laughed, Pinkie Pie saw the red book right in Starlight’s arms as the twin-tailed filly held onto Luna.
“You got the book already?” Pinkie Pie said.
“Well you can thank our new friend up there,” Starlight said as she pointed to Cozy Glow, who only waved back at the other ponies.
“Hmm,” Pinkie Pie said.  “That’s a curious significant other.  Never saw her before.”
“I believe that’s Magistrate Creme Dream’s daughter, Cozy Glow,” Luna said.  “She always had a habit of being by her mother’s side.  But it’s rather surprising to see her help us out.”
“Really?” Wanda asked.
“I think that’s a discussion for another time,” Luna said.  “For now, I think we should return to the school and help Starlight cast that spell.”
Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace and Abigail nodded as Luna let go of Starlight.  She turned around and walked off with Starlight, Wanda, Abigail, and Pinkie Pie following right behind.  Golden Lace waved at Cozy Glow before turning around and ran off after the group.
“By the way,” Wanda said.  “How did Cozy Glow figure out what book Starlight was looking for?”
“I don’t know,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Had I known she was nearby, my Pinkie Sense would have gone off.  Either that, or it somehow decided to take a day off.”
As Pinkie Pie, Wanda, Abigail, Starlight and Golden Lace walked off behind Princess Luna, Cozy Glow watched them disappear into the crowd and let out a slight chuckle.
“Who knew spying on them while they were in the crowd would allow me to figure out how to help them out?”  Cozy Glow said.  “And to think, I told this Twilight Velvet that I’m a friend of Starlight Glimmer.  This might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Later that evening at the School for Gifted Unicorns, Wanda, Golden Lance, Pinkie Pie, Abigail and Princess Luna looked up at the sky as Starlight Glimmer read the contents of the book of magic.  Her eyes brightened up as she turned to face the group.
“Everyone,” Starlight said as she ran up to Wanda, Princess Luna, Pinkie pie, Golden Lace and Abigail.  “I think I know what I want to show you all.”
“That’s great,” Wanda said as she clapped for Starlight.
“Are you going to do that same stardust spell that Wanda demonstrated?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Stardust spell?” Golden Lace said with a curious tone.  She turned to Wanda and said “I didn’t know you could cast magic like that.”
“Oh you should have seen it,” Pinkie Pie said.  “It was like glitter falling from the galaxy.”
“Oh I’m not going to cast that,” Starlight Glimmer said as her horn lit up.  “I’ve got something in mind that’s inspired a bit by Moondancer.”
Starlight pointed her horn upwards into the darker sky and fired off a pulse of magic from her horn.  The magic rose higher and higher into the sky as Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Abigail and Princess Luna watched from the ground.
“Now this should be something to watch,” Princess Luna said as she waited in anticipation.
At the peak of its height, the magic pulse exploded into what looks like billions of stars scattered across the sky.  The star-filled radius rotated slowly as everyone looked up in awe.  Some areas of this space were filled with other magical elements, like planets, asteroids and even comets.  Wanda, Luna, Pinkie Pie and Golden Lace ooohed and awwed while Abigail let out a long meow, staring at the galaxy-filled velocity.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “I didn’t know you were capable of this kind of magic.”
“Amazing what a youngling can be capable of,” Princess Luna said.
“Wait till everyone back in La Maresa sees this,” Pinkie Pie cheered.
“If only I wasn’t such a bully to begin with,” Golden Lace said.  “Because this is what I’ve been missing out on.”
As the group looked up at the stars, Starlight looked at her hip area, and her smile turned out into a frown.  The equal sign was still there, sticking out like a sore thumb.  Starlight’s ears drooped downward as she slowly walked towards the ground.  Wanda turned to her right and took notice of Starlight’s change of mood.
“Starlight,” Wanda said as she got up and walked towards the twin-tailed filly.  “You gave us something that is amazing.  What’s wrong?”
“That’s just it,” Starlight said.  “I showed off what is said to be magic full of pure heart.  And yet, I still have the same Nightmare Mark.”
“Wanda’s right,” Princess Luna said as she, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Abigail got up.  “You did all that just to at least make us happy.  You at least proved that you are capable of magic like this.”
“But I don’t get it,” Starlight said.  “I showed off what I loved and I felt like I haven’t changed.
“But you have,” Pinkie Pie said.  “You’re more willing to show off more than what you can do, and you’re willing to open yourself up.”
“Yeah,” Golden Lace said.  “It takes a while for any of us to change.  But when we do, we feel like a whole new pony.”
“Actually,” Wanda said as she held her hand up before turning towards Starlight.  “I know what’s wrong with you.  You don’t want to change because I’m going to be the only one of this group without a Cutie Mark.”
Starlight nodded her head and said “Yes.”
“It’s okay,” Wanda said.  “It doesn’t matter if I have a Cutie Mark or not.  We’re still friends.  In fact, I had to put aside my fear of those big meanies just to help get you back.  Starlight, as long as I’m your friend, that’s all that matters, even if we are different.”
“She’s right,” Luna said.  “It’s not just about what you’re capable of, it’s also about the friends who help you out.  Never forget that.”
Starlight’s frown disappeared as she felt a sense of determination in her soul.
“I never realized that,” Starlight said as a flame of inspiration flowed in her veins.  “I may still be as timid, but I’m not going to let that get the best of me.  Tonight was only the beginning.  I’m going to dedicate myself to learning as much magic as possible.  If it means that my friends are happy, then that is my goal.  For even though we are different, we are still equal in the end.”
And with that, Starlight Glimmer’s hip glowed brightly as everyone observed.  The equal sign on her hip disappeared completely as a new symbol formed.  The shape was that of a star glimmering with a trail of two aquamarine colors flowing right behind it.  Starlight looked at her new Cutie Mark and her face beamed with excitement.
“YES!”  Starlight cheered as she jumped up and down in the air.   “I FINALLY GOT MY CUTIE MARK!”
“Congratulations, Starlight Glimmer,” Princess Luna said.  “A celebration will be in order tomorrow.  Your friends and your family will be proud of your accomplishment.”
“And I think I can prepare the biggest cake to celebrate,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Maybe one stuffed with chocolate frosting with a layer of strawberries in between.”
“Starlight,” Golden Lace said.  “What you just showed me was something I truly missed out on living with my parents.  I’ll be at your Cute Ceanera tomorrow.  Promise.”
“I’m glad I met you back during my entry exam not so long ago,” Wanda said.  “Since then, we’ve been very good friends, and I hope our friendship goes beyond that.”
“Thank you, everyone,” Starlight said as she wiped a tear from her eyes with a smile on her face.  “I never would have made it this far without you all.”
“Come,” Princess Luna said.  “We must give the good news to everyone.”
Princess Luna, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie and Golden Lace got up and walked towards the gate of the school as the night sky shined down on the city.  Wanda and Abigail just watched the group head out.  Despite shedding a few tears, Wanda felt happy.
“It’s going to feel odd to be the only one without a cutie mark, Abby,“ Wanda said as Abigail rubbed against her leg.  “But I think I can make it work out.”
Abigail looked up at Wanda and meowed right at her.
“I know,”  Wanda replied.  “I never realized just how many friends I can have since mommy let me into the school.  Sunset’s been by my side before we attended,  Twilight’s been a reliable friend,  Danged Spell showed that even he can have a second chance,  Moondancer’s dedicated towards observing the stars,  Sunburst has a lot of fun with his research, and Starlight realized what she could truly pull off.  I guess in the end, Friendship truly is magic.”
As Wanda reached down to pet Abigail, she noticed her shoulder was glowing.  She looked at it and saw two faint images attempt to form.  
“What is going on?”  Wanda said as she saw the light form on her upper arm.  “This is the second time this has happened.  What does it all mean?”
But as Wanda looked at the faint image and the light, they both vanished from her arm without a trace, leaving the Man’s Cub confused.  Abigail rubbed her paw on Wanda’s leg, meowing loudly.
“That’s rather strange, Abby,” Wanda said.  “What does this all mean?  Why is this happening to me?”
“Wanda,” Princess Luna yelled.  “We’re heading over to Twilight Sparkle’s place.  Are you alright?”
“It’s nothing, Aunt Woona.  I’m coming,” Wanda yelled as she and Abigail ran off after Princess Luna, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace.



	To Be Continued in…


	The Magic Never Ends

> Arc 13-4: The Magic Never Ends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Magic Never Ends



It was a beautiful afternoon in the city of Canterlot.  Ponies were gathered around the shopping square with streamers, balloons, confetti and bright colors filling the vicinity, while a big banner that said ‘Happy Cute Ceanera, Starlight Glimmer’ was hung in between two buildings.  A giant cake was placed in the middle of the square as Pinkie Pie, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked up.  Next to them were Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Firelight Glimmer, Starseeker, Sunspot, Stellar Flare and Chancellor Cinch.  Princess Luna still had her wings wrapped up from yesterday’s injury.  But her spirits were still high.
“I heard about what happened yesterday with those three bullies,” Princess Celestia said.
“It’s nothing,” Princess Luna replied as her smile never left her face.  “But surprisingly, every pony wanted to help me out even in spite of that accident.”
“Aunt Luna, it wasn’t your fault,” Princess Cadance said.  “Those three jerks wanted to give us a hard time since the Ponyville Providence Fair.  Besides, the ponies of Canterlot felt sorry for you.”
“But that doesn’t matter,” Princess Luna said.  “Starlight Glimmer has finally conquered her Nightmare Mark and has earned her Cutie Mark.  This is a celebration for her accomplishment.”
“I still can’t believe it,” Moondancer said.  “She finally went and got her Cutie Mark.”
“To think,” Sunburst said.  “Before we went through the School’s entrance exam, only Sunset Shimmer got her Cutie Mark.  Now every one of us now has a Cutie Mark.”
“Well, except Wanda,” Princess Celestia said.  “Unfortunately, because she isn’t a pony, I don’t know how she can truly earn a Cutie Mark to call her own.”
“Well that’s just hog wash,” Danged Spell said as he stomped his hoof on the ground.  “Everyone deserves a Cutie Mark regardless if they’re a pony, a dragon, a human or anything else.”
“Sometimes it’s best not to overdo our expectations, young stallion,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But then again, the Man’s Cub has exceeded my expectations since she was enrolled in the School for Gifted Unicorns.  The fact that she helped Starlight Glimmer earn her Cutie Mark says a lot.”
“Now had you not given Wanda a chance,” Princess Celestia said as she edged closer to Chancellor Cinch, “You would have still been harsh on her.”
“Maybe,” Cinch said.  “But then again, the incidents in the Senate are also increasing my sympathy for the young lady.”
“Uggh,” Celestia groaned as she covered her eyes with her arm.  “Don’t remind me about it.  I still have nightmares about Senator Twinkle Wish demanding funding for her border wall.”
“Now why would you want to talk about politics when my daughter’s about to celebrate her greatest achievement of her life?” Starseeker said.
“Yeah,” Firelight replied, standing by Starseeker.  “To think, we hoped that our Pumpky-Wumpkin would earn her cutie mark before our next visit.  But to our surprise, it came sooner than we expected.”
“That’s right,” Stellar Flare said.  “The last time we were here, we were celebrating Sunburst’s Cute Ceanera.  My, how time flies.”
“And I also heard that this Golden Lace girl had a change of heart since the last time we were here,” Sunspot said.  “I have my doubts since she does take after her parents.”
“You are not going to believe this,” Celestia said.  “But as it turned out, she took my side when the Banks threatened to have me banished from Canterlot.”
“Wait,” Stellar Flare said with a shock on her face. “She actually did?”
“She became more shameful of her actions since our field trip to Mount Aris,” Princess Luna said.  “Unfortunately, Gold and Silver Banks weren’t thrilled and proceeded to kick her out of the house until she learned her lesson.”
“Why that’s despicable,” Firelight yelled.  “Treating their own pride and joy like that.”
“It’s already proving to be a bad idea,” Princess Celestia said.  “The moment Twilight Sparkle told her parents about this, they offered to let Lace stay with them until the issue is taken care of.”
“Well that’s great,” Starseeker said.  “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Speaking of which,” Firelight said.  “Where is Starlight?  And where is Twilight, Sunset, Golden Lace and Wanda?”
“Starlight Glimmer is on her way as I speak,” Princess Celestia said.
“And Wanda went to fetch Twilight, Sunset and Golden Lace,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I can’t wait for this party to start.”
“Well she is going to have the best party she will never forget,” Firelight laughed.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Starlight Glimmer was hopping through the street, excited as ever.  Her new Cutie Mark shined like a radiant light as she skipped through without a care in the world.
“I can’t believe it,” Starlight said to herself, giggling.  “I finally got my Cutie Mark.  Now I feel like a very important pony.  I can’t wait to stuff my face full of cake and soda once more.”
“Is that it, you little hypocritical snowflake?”  Those words caused Starlight to pause as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score emerged from an alleyway towards the twin-tailed filly.  Starlight’s face turned to fear as she took a few steps back.
“Get back,” Starlight yelled.  “I don’t want anything to do with you three big meanies.”
“Oh please,” Hoops said as he, Dumbbell and Score took a few steps towards Starlight.  “We didn’t come here to sweep you off your feet.”
“Oh no no no,” Dumbbell said.  “We just came to tell you some bad news.
“Bad news?”  Starlight said as she took a few more steps back.
“We heard that your friends really don’t care for your new Cutie Mark,” Score said, smiling with a sickening grin.
“What are you talking about?” Starlight said as she backed herself into a corner.
“Oh didn’t you hear the news?” Hoops said.  “They aren’t throwing a party to celebrate your new Cutie Mark.  Rumour has it that they’re throwing a going-away party for you.”
“What?” Starlight yelled.
“They only wanted for you to have a Cutie Mark so they could ditch you like the unnecessary baggage that you really are,” Dumbbell laughed.
“I heard they’re going to ship you to a deserted town after this party is over,” Hoops said.  “And leave you there to be some kind of cult leader.”
“No,” Starlight said.  “That’s not true.  Besides, my Nightmare Mark is gone and I now have a Cutie Mark.”
“Is it really?” Hoops said as Dumbbell and Score laughed.  “They see your Cutie Mark as pathetic as that dumb equal sign you use to have.”
“That’s not true,” Starlight yelled as tears flowed from her eyes.  “My Cutie Mark made Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Princess Luna and even Golden Lace happy.”
“They were only faking it,” Hoops said.  “I heard that they think your cutie mark is nothing more than a fake, and that you’re better off leading some kind of sickening cult that claims everyone is equal.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score laughed at Starlight Glimmer as the filly was backed in that corner, looking like she was about to cry.
“I don’t believe any of this,” Starlight cried.  “I don’t believe you.”
“Face it, snowflake,” Hoops said.  “Once a loser, always a loser.”
And with that, the three boy bullies laughed hard enough for Starlight to run past the trio, all the way down the alley, crying her eyes out.  Hoops watched as Starlight disappeared into the alley.
“Our work here is done,” Hoops said as he, Dumbbell and Score gave each other a high five.
But high atop a nearby building, Cozy Glow looked down as the three bullies ran off in another direction.  She looked up at the spot Starlight ran off before turning her head to the right.
“I better warn someone about this,” Cozy Glow said before she jumped into the air and flew off to her right.

Back at the party location, everyone present awaited Starlight’s presence, unaware of the incident that occured in another part of town.  Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Spike and Golden Lace were not in the vicinity, either..  
“I wonder what’s taking Starlight so long?” Danged Spell said.  “She should have been here by now.”
“That’s not like her,” Sunburst said.  “She’s not one who is late for an important date.”
“So where could she be?”  Moondancer said.
“You’ve got to have faith,” Pinkie Pie said as she emerged from behind the giant cake.  “Starlight found out how to have faith in herself and that’s how she got her Cutie Mark.  I think she might have gotten lost.”
“That doesn’t explain her lack of an appearance,” Danged Spell said.
Suddenly, Cozy Glow flew in from the sky and landed near the cake.  This caught everyone’s attention, including Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch, who were talking with each other.  Celestia looked at Cozy Glow and approached the filly.
“You’re Magistrate Creme Dream’s daughter,” Princess Celestia said.  “What brings you here on such short notice?”
“I’m sorry to have to break the bad news,” Cozy Glow said.  “But I think I may have seen Starlight Glimmer being accosted by those three bullies before she ran off crying.”
“Oh no,” Princess Luna said as her face turned to horror.  “In the excitement of this celebration, I forgot about those three troublemakers.”
“That explains why Starlight is late for her important date,” Moondancer said.
“The nerve of those juvenile delinquents,” Firelight said.  “What gives them the right to give our pumky-wumpkin a hard time, especially after I heard they tried to give her a chaotic ride.”
Princess Celestia ran towards the edge of the shopping square and extended her wings.  Princess Luna ran up to Celestia’s side.
“Where are you going, sister?”  Princess Luna asked.
“I’m going to find Starlight,” Princess Celestia said.  “And I’m going to cheer her up.”
With that, Princess Celestia took off from the square into the open skies.

Meanwhile, Wanda, Abigail, Twilight, Sunset, Spike and Golden Lace were walking through another part of town.  All six individuals were excited as they made their way through, anticipating Starlight’s Cute Ceanera.
“When Starlight showed me her Cutie Mark last night,” Twilight said.  “I couldn’t believe it.  Even Shining Armor’s jaw dropped to the floor when he saw it.”
“What did I tell you?” Wanda said.  “Now you ponies are complete as friends.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I’m really proud that you helped her out, Wanda.”
“It was the least I could do,” Wanda said.  “After all, if she’s your friend, then she’s my friend.”
“But there’s also the fact that you’re now the only one of the group without a Cutie Mark,” Golden Lace said.  “Are you worried about that?”
“No,” Wanda said with a smile.  “I’m not.  I knew all this time that I would be the only one without a Cutie Mark.  But even so, that doesn’t make us all less as friends.
“She’s right,” Sunset said.  “Wanda is as important to our friendship as….”
But before Sunset could finish, everyone overheard the sound of a filly crying, causing them to stop.
“That sounds like Starlight,” Lace said. 
As the sound of crying got louder, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Golden Lace, Abigail and Spike looked down an alley to see Starlight Glimmer crying in the corner.  The younglings who saw Starlight were stunned by the twin-tailed filly’s predicament. 
“What in the name of our mother happened?”  Sunset said as she ran towards Starlight.
“Wait,” Twilight said as she and Spike chased after Sunset Shimmer, leaving Wanda and Golden Lace worried.
“What happened to Starlight?”  Golden Lace said.  “She was happy yesterday when she got her Cutie Mark.  Now she’s in this mess.”
“Something tells me a certain pair of no-good bullies were responsible,” Wanda said.  “Remember when they gave Starlight the scare of her life?”
“And I stopped them in their tracks,” Golden Lace said.  “So I think this must have been their payback.”
Wanda nodded as she, Golden Lace and Abigail ran after Twilight, Sunset and Spike.

At the end of the alley, Starlight Glimmer was alone in the corner, crying her eyes out as a mere street lamp shined over her.  Sunset, Twilight and Spike approached the filly from behind.
“Starlight,” Sunset said  “Are you alright?”
“Get away from me,” Starlight cried.  “You just want to send me away.”
“Send you away?”  Twilight asked.  “Why would we want to do that?”
“Because you don’t want to be my friend anymore,”  Starlight said as she turned her head towards Sunset and Twilight.  “Because I have a Cutie Mark and you don’t need me anymore.”
“That’s not true,” Sunset said.  “Why would we want to do that?”
“Because those three told me that you think my Cutie Mark is a fake, a nothing, a fraud,” Starlight cried as tears spilled from her eyes.
“This time,” Twilight said as fire burned in her eyes.  “Those three have gone too far.”
Sunset looked down at Starlight and saw her Cutie Mark.  She smiled as she walked up to the crying filly.
“I don’t think it’s a fake,” Sunset said.  “I think that Cutie Mark of yours is the real deal.”
“You’re just saying that just to lure me into a false sense of security,” Starlight said.
“But it’s true,” Sunset said.  “I never saw your Cutie Mark until now.  Why would you disbelieve me when we’ve known each other far longer than those meanies?”
“Say what?” Starlight said as she looked back at Sunset, Spike and Twilight, just as Wanda, Golden Lace and Abigail ran in.
“We don’t want to ship you off to whatever those bullies said,” Twilight said.  “They were messing with you because they’re a pair of sick-twisted sadists.”
Starlight turned around and looked at Sunset, Twilight, Spike, Wanda, Abigail and Golden Lace.  The Man’s Cub and the golden filly approached Starlight Glimmer with a concerned look on their face.
“Starlight,” Wanda said.  “You remember the fun time we all had last night because of your magic trick.”
“It was the most amazing thing we saw,” Golden Lace said.  “Why throw it all away?   It’s not worth it.”
Starlight wiped the tears from her face and her frown began to turn upside down.  Wanda approached Starlight and gave the little filly a big hug.
“She’s right,” Wanda said as she and Starlight embraced each other with a warm snuggle.  “You loved magic as much as you loved us as your friends.  We will always be with you, no matter what.”
“Wanda,” Starlight said.  “I was a fool for believing those three big meanies.  I’m sorry for doubting you and everyone else.”
“It’s alright,” Wanda said.  “Besides, I overheard you yelling about being sent away because we don’t like your Cutie Mark.  We not only think your Cutie Mark is great, but we think you’re great.”
Starlight said nothing as she smiled, hugging Wanda.  But as Twilight, Sunset, Spike, Golden Lace and Abigail breathed a sigh of relief, they felt a rush of wind from above.  Princess Celestia flew on in and landed right next to the group.
“Mother,” Sunset said.  “I didn’t expect you to be here so soon.”
“A pegasi filly named Cozy Glow told me about what happened with Starlight,” Princess Celestia said.
“My faithful teacher,” Twilight said as she approached Princess Celestia.  “Starlight told us that she ran off crying because Hoops, Dumbbell and Score told her that we were going to ship her off somewhere because we thought her Cutie Mark was disgusting.  That we didn’t want to be her friend anymore.”
Princess Celestia’s jaw dropped to the ground after overhearing what Twilight said.  She regained her composure before she walked towards Starlight and Wanda.
“When I find those three,” Celestia said with a scowl. “I am going to give them a serious discipline they will never forget.”  Her scowl turned into a smile as she approached Starlight.
“Miss Celestia,” Starlight said.  “Am I in trouble for believing those three?”
“No,” Celestia said.  “You’re not.  They just wanted to make you cry for their own senseless amusement.  But no matter what, you are always a part of our family, and as a family, we are indeed one together.”
Starlight looked at Wanda as the Man’s Cub nodded right back.  The two stood there as Princess Celestia approached and gave Wanda and Starlight a hug.  Starlight’s smile brightened up as Twilight, Sunset, Abigail, Spike and Golden Lace laughed together.
“Guess when it comes to friendships,” Golden Lace laughed.  “We always have a way to make it…..sparkle.”
Twilight, Sunset, Abigail, Spike, Wanda, Starlight and even Princess Celestia laughed really hard as Golden Lace covered her mouth in embarrassment.
“I think some of Danged Spell’s taste for puns must have gotten into you,” Starlight laughed.
“Oh dear,” Golden Lace said as she blushed.  “What have I done?”
Princess Celestia let go of Starlight and Wanda as she approached Golden Lace.
“Nothing horrible,” Princess Celestia said.  “Just a sign that you are growing into something far better than what you were once.  I’m proud of you, Golden Lace.  But at the same time, I am sorry that you had to put up with your parents Gold and Silver Banks kicking you out.”
“And don’t worry,” Twilight said as she put her arm around Golden Lace.  “We’re here for you, as are our parents.  We’ll make sure you get the care you need for as long as you want.”
“Thanks Twilight,” Golden Lace said.  “I owe you, big time, for this hospitality.”
Wanda and Starlight walked up to the rest of the group, looking like they’re ready to embrace the day with full pride.  Wanda wiped the last tear from Starlight’s face, who only looked up to the Man’s Cub.
“So once this Cute Ceanera is over,” Starlight said.  “You’ll be the only one without a Cutie Mark.  And in fact, you’ll never get one.”
“I’m afraid so,” Wanda said.  “But like I said, I’m not worried.  I am unique.”
“So what’s it going to be like?” Golden Lace asked.
“Well nothing’s going to change for her,” Princess Celestia said.  “Wanda is going to remain the same daughter, sister and friend for us all.  Even though she’s a human, she’s still a part of this family.”
“And you know what?”  Sunset said.  “I don’t care what anyone says.  She’s my sister, I love her with all my heart, and nothing is going to change that.”
Sunset turned towards Wanda, who looked prouder than ever.
“Wanda,” Sunset said.  “Even though you will be the only Cutie Mark-less companion of ours, do you promise to be our friend to the very end?”
“Oh I will,” Wanda said.  “My only wish was that Starlight Glimmer would get her Cutie Mark.  And since last night, my wish for her has been fulfilled.  So it doesn’t matter if I get a Cutie Mark or not.  We’re all together as friends. As long as all of our destinies are one together, the magic will never end.  I promise that.”
Suddenly, Wanda’s shoulders began to glow, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity.  Abigail ran up to Wanda and rubbed her paw on the Man’s Cub’s leg.
“Wanda,” Starlight said.  “What’s going on?”
“I’m not so sure,” Wanda said.  “I’ve never seen this before.”
“What do you suppose it is?” Twilight said.  
“I have never seen it before,” Sunset said.  
“Nor have I,” Golden Lace said.  
“This is something that even I didn’t expect since I took little Wanda in,” Princess Celestia said.  “A miracle of some sort?”
When the lights on Wanda’s shoulders disappeared, two perpendicular images formed on the upper arms.  They consisted of two magenta plumeria flowers, lined up together.  Wanda looked down at the image on her arms and her face beamed with surprise.
“Is this?”  Wanda said.  “A Cutie Mark?”
“But that’s impossible,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ve never heard of a human with a Cutie Mark, much less on the shoulder.” 
“I don’t believe it,” Twilight said.  “We just witnessed a first in Equestrian history.
“And this happened one day after I got my Cutie Mark,” Starlight said as her face beamed with excitement.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I see a human bear a Cutie Mark of her own,” Princess Celestia said with great pride.  “But it appears we have fully underestimated the magic of Equestria, and of friendship.  Congratulations, my daughter.  You have achieved the unthinkable by becoming the first human to earn a Cutie Mark.”
Wanda and Starlight jumped around in the air as their cheers filled the streets of Canterlot City.
“I GOT A CUTIE MARK!”  Wanda yelled.  “I ACTUALLY GOT A CUTIE MARK!  THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!”
Suddenly, Wanda paused in the middle of her cheer, landing back on her two feet as her face turned to concern.
“But we just got this on the day of Starlight’s Cute Ceaneara,” Wanda said.  “What are we going to do?”
“I have an idea,” Starlight said.  “Why don’t we make the Cute Ceanera a celebration of the both of us earning our Cutie Marks?  Won’t that sound great?”
“That does sound great,” Wanda said.  “Wait till everyone else hears the good news.”
“Then let us return,” Princess Celestia said.  “And make this the best Cute Ceanera ever.”
As Wanda, Celestia, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Golden Lace, Abigail, and Spike celebrated, Cozy Glow peaked into the alley from behind a corner.  Her face smiled as she saw the group cheering.
“Can’t believe a non-pony like her would get a Cutie Mark,” Cozy Glow giggled.  “Maybe there is more to Wanda Young than meets the eye.”

Sometime later, as the entire group waited patiently, Princess Celestia walked on in with Wanda riding on her back.  Walking next to Celestia were Sunset Shimmer, Golden Lace, Abigail, Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Starlight Glimmer.  The crowd cheered as Starlight approached the party.
“Wow,” Starlight said.  “You did all of this?”
“Surprised,” Twilight said.  “Aren’t ya?”
Princess Celestia approached the entire group as they continued to cheer.
“May I have your attention?”  Princess Celestia said as the group calmed down.  “It is with great pleasure that I present the star of this Cute Ceanera: Starlight Glimmer.  Ever since last night, she had conquered the Nightmare Mark that formed on her flank, and was given a Cutie Mark for her dedication to her friends.”
The crowd cheered as Starlight jumped into Sunburst’s arms.  The two embraced each other as Pinkie Pie, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, Abacus Cinch, Sunspot, Stellar Flare, Starseeker and Firelight cheered.
“I’m so proud of our Pumpky-Wumpkin,” Firelight said as he wiped a tear from his eyes.  “I never thought she would get her Cutie Mark.”
“We’re both proud of her,” Starseeker said.
Sunburst looked up at Starlight and said “Told ya we would get through this, together.”
“And I kept doubting myself,” Starlight said.  “Thanks for being with me to this very day.”
As the crowd cheered, Princess Celestia lifted her hoof into the air, silencing everyone.
“Now that being said,” Princess Celestia announced.  “Another miracle had just occurred.  Just recently, something unexpected happened to my youngest daughter, Wanda Young.”
Celestia faced Wanda and gave her a nod.  Wanda jumped off Princess Celestia’s back and landed on her feet before baring her upper arm.  Everyone was surprised to see the image of the two flowers on her upper arm.
“Is that?”  Princess Cadance said.  “A Cutie Mark on my youngest sister’s arm?”
“I would have never imagined the Man’s Cub to get one,” Chancellor Cinch said, completely surprised.  “To think, I was harsh on her the moment I first laid my eyes on her.”
“The Magic of Friendship is a rather surprising figure,” Princess Luna said.  “The more we think we know about, the more it keeps proving otherwise.  You’ll never know what will pop up.”
Wanda, Twilight, Sunset, Golden Lace, Abigail and Spike ran up to Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell. The younglings looked as excited as ever.
“So Wanda,” Pinkie Pie said.  “How does it feel to have a Cutie Mark with Starlight?”
“It does feel weird,” Wanda said.  “At first, I thought I was going to be the only one to have this.  But now, it does feel like we’re closer together.”
“Well you could say we really made our marks,” Danged Spell said with a chuckle.  “Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” The younglings said as they burst out into laughter.
“Best pun ever,” Danged Spell said to himself.
Princess Celestia walked up to the ground as they all looked like they were about to celebrate.
“Well everyone,” Princess Celestia said.  “This celebration is now about two individuals who earned their Cutie Marks.  Starlight Glimmer for overcoming her Nightmare and revealing the true self within, and Wanda Young for being a great friend to everyone.”
The crowds cheered as everyone picked up Wanda and Starlight, holding them up in the air as they chanted “Hip Hip Hooray.”
“I hope this magical feeling never ends,” Wanda said to Starlight.
“You and I both, Wanda,” Starlight said.  “Friends forever?”
“Friends forever,” Wanda laughed.
As the two celebrated atop the group, Wanda noticed Chancellor Cinch looking up at her with a beaming smile on her face.
“I’m proud of you, Man’s Cub,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Or rather, Princess Wanda Young.”
Wanda let off a smile of her own as the group cheered.

But near the sides, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score watched on with disgust as the crowd celebrated the Cute Ceaneara of two younglings.  Hoop’s face scowled just looking at the group.
“I have never seen something this pathetic in my entire lifetime,” Hoops said.
“So how should we crash the party?”  Dumbbell asked.  “Should we tip over the cake?  Unleash a thunderstorm?  Sick a party of dogs in the group?”
“I got a better idea,” Score said.  “Let’s find a nearby hose, hook it up to a pipe and spray them down.  Ain’t that a real wash up?”
But before Hoops could respond, he looked behind him and noticed Cozy Glow pointing a hose right at their face.
“What in the?”  Hoops said.
“This is for making Starlight Glimmer cry,” Cozy Glow said.
And with that, Cozy Glow squeezed the tip of the hose hard enough, causing water to gush out and hit the three boy bullies, causing them to fly out and hit the pavement.  The trio got up as Cozy Glow shut off the water.
“Our position has been compromised,” Hoops said.  “Let’s get out of here.”
And with that, Hoops. Dumbbell and Score flew out of Canterlot as Cozy Glow dropped the hose, looked up at the three bullies flying off, and smiled.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Cozy Glow said.
Cozy Glow directed her gaze at the group as they celebrated Wanda and Starlight’s Cute Ceanera.  Though she looked like she was about to approach the group, she just stood there with an innocent smile on her face as Wanda and Starlight continued to cheer while the crowd held them up high.
“I think those two earn their victory,” Cozy Glow said to herself.  “After what they went through, it was well deserved.”


	To Be Continued in


	Arc 14: Sunset’s Troubled Past


	The Stolen Royal Crest

> Arc 14(Sunset's Troubled Past): The Stolen Royal Crest)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 14: Sunset’s Troubled Past


The Stolen Royal Crest



It was a beautiful day in the city of Canterlot.  As the crowds walk along, minding their own business, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail waltzed through without a care in the world.  As the ponies of Equestria travel along with their cutie marks on their hip, Wanda’s cutie mark shone on her shoulders.
“Man,” Wanda said.  “It was only yesterday that Starlight and I celebrated our Cute Ceanera.”
“It was,” Sunset said.  “Never thought we would all have the time of our lives as friends.”
“It’s too bad that moment couldn’t last forever,” Wanda said.  “Especially for Starlight.  She deserved to celebrate after she got her cutie mark.”
“You should have seen Danged Spell after he ate too much cake,” Sunset laughed.  “He got sick and threw up right into a nearby garbage can.”  Those words caused Wanda and Sunset to laugh together.
“Oh yeah,” Wanda said.  “That was just priceless.”
Sunset wiped a tear from her eyes as she looked on at the far end of the city.
“Hey sis,” Sunset said.  “How does it feel to know that all of us now have our cutie marks?”
“At first,” Wanda said.  “It felt really surprising to have one just like you do.  But after the excitement died down, I didn't feel much different than I did when I had a bare shoulder.  It was as if nothing did change.”
“But something did change, Wanda,” Sunset said.  “We’re all growing up together as friends.  Soon, we’ll reach adulthood and we’ll have our own lives to live out.”
“When I grow up,” Wanda said.  “I want to live in La Maresa as a farmer.  Maybe move in with the Apple family and help out with the harvest.  Their apple fritters were delicious.”
“Truth be told, I don’t exactly know what I want to be when I grow up,” Sunset said.  “I think when I live too much in the now, it makes planning for the future feel more like a second thought.  You feel like you’re on top of things.”
“Oh?” Wanda asked.
As the two youngsters were talking together, a young earth pony filly with an arctic bluish white coat and a light arctic blue with moderate persian blue stripes mane stood in the shadows of the alley.  Her cutie mark represented a heart with a musical note on it.  She looked at a necklace around Wanda’s collar and crouched down.
“So like I said,” Sunset said.  “I’m more into the now because anything can possibly happen.  Sometimes, preparing for the future isn’t in the cards for me.”
“What do you mean, sis?” Wanda asked.
“Imagine if someone came out of nowhere and took something away from you,” Sunset said.  “What would you do?”
But before Wanda could answer, the earth pony filly leaped out of the shadows and right onto Wanda, causing the Man’s Cub to scream in horror and Sunset to freak out.  The young earth pony filly nibbed into Wanda’s collar and pulled out the necklace with an alicorn emblem on it before taking off.  Sunset watched as the filly ran off with the necklace in her mouth.
“Guess I spoke too soon,” Sunset said.  “She just took the symbol of your status as royalty.”
Wanda got up on her two feet and yelled out “STOP!  THIEF!” before running in pursuit of the filly.  Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright followed right behind her.
The earth pony filly turned around and saw Wanda running right at her with Sunset and Abigail right behind.  She turned to face the front and ran even faster.
“Who in Equestria is that pony?” Wanda asked.
“I don’t know why,” Sunset said.  “But I think I know her during my time at the orphanage.”
“You do? Wanda asked.
“I used to know three earth ponies when I lived at the orphanage,” Sunset said.  “Long before I met you and Princess Celestia.  But that being said, now’s not the time to reflect.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “We gotta get my necklace back.”
“We won’t be able to catch up with her speed,” Sunset said as she turned to Wanda.  “Fly up and chase after her.”
Wanda nodded as she jumped into the air and her insect wings formed on her back.  She took off, getting in closer to the little filly who took her necklace.  The filly turned around and she was completely astounded to see Wanda fly in the air.
“What is that strange creature?” the filly said as she continued to run.  “Why does she have those wings on her back?  And why does she have a cutie mark like the rest of us?”
Wanda flew in closer as the filly ran as fast as possible.  Sunset ran behind Wanda, hoping to catch up as fast as possible.
“No pony messes with my sister and gets away with it,” Sunset Shimmer said.
The earth pony filly ran through town as Wanda, Sunset and Abigail chased after her.  Crowds of ponies backed up as they saw the little thief run off.  She only turned her head to see Wanda and Sunset catching up.
“Sorry to have to do this,” the filly said to herself.  “But we need the money from this to survive.”
With quick legwork, the filly jumped high into the air and grabbed a nearby sheet of cloth before throwing it at Wanda and Sunset.  The cloth hits the sisters directly, knocking them to the ground and covering them completely.  The filly jumped off the table and ran off with onlookers watching her escape.
“I can’t see,” Sunset yelled as she took the cloth off her face.
As Wanda got the cloth off her face, she saw the earth pony filly run off into the distance.  Abigail came to a stop beside Wanda and Sunset and rubbed her paw on Wanda’s dress.
“Wanda,” Sunset said.  “Fly up and find out where she’s going.”
“Roger that,” Wanda said as she threw the cloth off her, jumped into the air and flew off into the skies above Canterlot.  The crowd gathered around Sunset and Abigail as the little unicorn filly took the cloth off of her.
“Princess Sunset,” one of the citizens said.  “What happened?”
“Let’s just say, “Sunset said.  “My sister had something of hers stolen.”

Meanwhile, in the skies above Canterlot, Wanda flew above with her insect-like wings, keeping her eye out on the earth pony filly who took her necklace.  Even though no one was chasing after the youngster, the aquamarine filly still dashed as fast as possible, dodging out of various other citizens.  For Wanda, her face went from panic to curiosity.
“That’s strange,” Wanda said to herself.  “Why would she keep running even though we’re not in pursuit?”
Wanda watched as the earth pony filly took a sharp turn and went straight through what appears to be a broken-down game.  The Man’s Cub’s gaze went from the gate all the way to what appears to be a building in disarray as she saw the filly run inside.
“What is that place?” Wanda said to herself. 
Wanda flew downwards and landed right outside the gate as her wings disappeared.  She looked up and saw the walls surrounding the gate.  They looked like they were falling apart from the top down.  Even more so, there appeared to be an opening, like something had smashed its way through from above. 
“Curiouser and curiouser,” Wanda said to herself.  “What exactly happened?”
Wanda looked around and saw what appeared to be a rusty old sign with the top part broken off.  The words on the sign said “Approved for Demolition.”  Wanda looked at the sign and the damage done to it before turning her attention to the ruined building.
“If this place was approved for demolition,” Wanda said.  “Then why is it still standing?”
Wanda took a good look at the ruins of the building in front of her.  The left part of the building had its upper floors and roof torn completely off.  Debris from the building was scattered around the ground nearby.  Wanda looked at a nearby brick that came from the building.
“Just what happened here?” Wanda said as she took a long look at the brick.
“Wanda.”  Wanda turned her head to see Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright run up to her.  
“Sunset,” Wanda said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Sunset replied as Abigail jumped into Wanda’s arms.  “Didn’t take long for me to catch up.  Did you see where the thief went?”
“Yeah,” Wanda said as she pointed to the ruined building.  Sunset took a look at it and her face went into complete shock.
“I don’t believe it,” Sunset said.  “I know this place.”
“You do?” Wanda asked.
“It was the Canterlot Orphanage,” Sunset said.  “Back when I was a foal, I was dropped off here by what I think were my original parents.  They looked after me for a few years during that time. I actually did make some friends while I was there.”
“Who were they?”
“Three earth ponies who also had been left without parents of their own,” Sunset replied.  “Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk.  We used to enjoy those times together in the orphanage.  Until that day.”
“What day?” Wanda asked.
“Well the day I somehow ran off because of a demon attack on the orphanage,” Sunset replied as she rubbed her forehead.  “I don’t recall what really happened that day.  But I did become really afraid afterwards, like I felt like some kind of monster. And that’s where I met you.”
“Oh yeah,” Wanda said.  “Back when I was a baby.  It’s amazing that I can still remember when we met.”
“Since then,” Sunset said.  “We’ve both been taken in by Princess Celestia and we became a part of the royal family.  But as a result of the damage done, the old orphanage had to be closed down and demolished to make way for a new building.”
“If that was the case,” Wanda said as she rubbed the back of Abigail’s head.  “Then why is it still standing?”
“Well I don’t recall much since I became your sister,” Sunset said.  “But mother told us that sometime after the demolition was set to begin, someone kept sabotaging the project, from splashing water on the dynamite, to stealing blueprints and so much more.  They got fed up and decided to use magic to tear the building down, brick-by-brick.
“And then what happened?  Wanda asked as Abigail purred in the Man’s Cub’s arms.
“See for yourself,” Sunset said as she pointed to a wide hole in the ground with a wooden plank for a bridge positioned above it.
“How in mommy’s name did that happen?” Wanda asked.
“I don’t know to be honest,” Sunset said.  “Whoever did that did a really good job at keeping up the sabotage.  But in the end, they realized it wasn’t worth the effort and abandoned the project, thus giving up on having an orphanage in Canterlot, period.  Since then, some ponies say the ruins of the old building are haunted by ghosts.”
“Ghost?” Wanda said as she shook nervously.
“That’s what they believe,” Sunset said.  “But judging by who took your necklace and where she went, I don’t believe it.”
Sunset Shimmer ran up to the broken gate and jumped straight through the bars and onto the other side.  Wanda held onto Abigail and extended her insect wings out, flying over the gate and right onto the other side.
“Sis?”  Wanda said as she landed on her two feet and her wings disappeared.   “Are you sure we should be in this area?  We could get in trouble if someone found out.”
“That’s your necklace that the thief took,” Sunset said.  “We have every right to get it back.  Besides, we were both caught off guard by her.”
Wanda let out a sigh and said “Okay.  Let’s do this.”
Sunset Shimmer looked at the wide cliff in front of her.  She bent down, cast an aura around herself and dug her hoof into the dirt before she ran at top speed towards the cliff.  Before she reached the edge, she jumped right into the air and went flying over the giant chasm below her.  Her front hooves touched the opposite edge of the chasm as she landed on the other side and turned towards Wanda.
“Come on,” Sunset said.  “What are you waiting for?”
Wanda held onto Abigail as her wings formed once more.  She flew up before she soared over the giant hole.  Wanda looked downwards at the size of the chasm as her jaw dropped down.  Abigail just stared right downwards, not moving her head at all.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “This is bigger than I imagined.  How in mommy’s name did that occur?”
As Wanda observed the chasm beneath her, she turned around and landed right next to Sunset Shimmer before her wings disappeared.  Abigail leaped out of Wanda’s arms and sat right next to her.
“Come on, Wanda,” Sunset said.  “Let’s get your crest back.”
Wanda nodded as she, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail ran up the stairs and through a rickety old door frame, with the doors barely hanging on.

Inside, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail looked around inside the mansion.  The interior looked exquisite, but there was a dusty texture on the walls, ceiling, floors, and on the furniture.  The carpets on the floor looked faded and the chalkboard to Sunset’s left was completely on the floor.  Some words were written into it in chalk that said “Abandoned.”
“I remember this place really well,” Sunset said.  “Even after I became part of the royal family, there is no way I could forget the memories of this place.  Especially with Adagio, Aria and Sonata. They were my family before that incident.”
“Do you know what happened?” Wanda asked.
“I….don’t truly recall,” Sunset said.  “But I felt really afraid as if it were my fault.”
“Were there any matrons that you fondly remembered?”
“There were,” Sunset said.  “I had forgotten their names.  But they looked after me after I first came here.  They were harsh, but they were also caring.  Almost as much as Princess Celestia.”
“Do you miss them?” Wanda asked.
“Despite having lived with you for far longer than here, yes,” Sunset said as her ears drooped down.  Abigail walked up to Sunset and placed her paw on the sun filly’s arm.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “There sure were a lot of memories in this place for you.”
Sunset looked at Wanda, only for the filly to turn her own head away with the feeling of shame within her.  She looked down, not once turning her sight back at Wanda.
“Sister?” Wanda asked.  “Are you okay?”
Sunset let out a sigh and said “Wanda.  I think it’s time I told you the truth about what happened.”
But before Sunset could go on, the sound of a loud crash echoed through the room, startling the unicorn filly, the man’s cub and little Abigail.  They turned to their left and saw what appeared to be a toy ball bounce out from a door that’s on the left side of a hallway.
“What was that all about?” Wanda asked.
“I think that’s where our thief is,” Sunset responded.  “Let’s do this.”
Wanda, Sunset and Abigail walked up to the hallway and peaked through the door on the left side of the hallway.  Inside the room were toys stacked up neatly on various shelves either mounted up on the wall or atop dressers. However, the shelves directly in front of them looked like they were busted down.  Much of the toys that were once one the shelves were now in a pile on the floor. 
“I thought the thief was in this room,” Wanda said.
Sunset looked at the toys,  and then directed her gaze at one of the dressers.  Each and every one of the dressers were on wooden legs instead of standing up flat.  But glancing down at the one on the right, Sunset Shimmer could make out a filly’s tail with light arctic blue with moderate persian blue stripes. 
“Stay right there,” Sunset whispered to Wanda.  “And don’t make a sound.”
Wanda nodded as Sunset Shimmer snuck into the room as quietly as possible.  She slowly crept up onto the filly’s tail, inching closer and closer.  Wanda stood there, blocking the doorway with Abigail right next to her.
But as Sunset was only mere inches away from the tail, the earth pony filly ran out from beneath the dresser and ran towards Wanda at top speed.
“Wanda,” Sunset yelled.  “Stop her.”
Before the filly could reach Wanda, the man’s cub raised her hands into the air and unleashed a small pulse of magic.  The earth pony filly covered her eyes from the blinding light of magic.
“I CAN’T SEE!” the earth pony yelled.
Sunset Shimmer ran up to the earth pony and used her magic to hold the thief down to the floor.  She looked down at the burglar, and her face went into shock.
“Sonata Dusk?”  Sunset said.  “Is that you?”
Sonata Dusk opened her eyes and looked at Sunset Shimmer.  She turned her face away from the unicorn and scrunched her face.
“Yeah,” Sonata said.  “Surprised to see me?”
“I thought you and the other two sisters moved out of Canterlot after the orphanage closed down for good,” Sunset said as she took a few steps away and released her magic from Sonata.
“No,” Sonata replied as she got up and backed herself into a corner. “We didn’t.”
“We?”  Wanda asked.  “Who is this we?”
“Well, I’m glad you asked, my furless friend.”  Wanda turned around to see another earth filly approach her.  This one had a coat and mane similar to Starlight Glimmer, but her coat was a more pale, light grayish fuchsia and her mane had brilliant aquamarine streaks instead of pale, light grayish aquamarine.  She also had bigger twin ponytails on her head compared to Starlight.
“Aria Blaze?”  Sunset said.  “You’re still here as well.”
“We never got on the bandwagon to wherever our old orphanage was going to,” Aria said.  “That being said, I’m surprised that you’re living the high life up at the palace with Princess Celestia.”
“It’s a long story,” Sunset said before turning her head to Sonata Dusk.  “That being said, you have something that belongs to my sister.”
Sonata Dusk looked up at the top of one of the dressers where a necklace with an alicorn on it lay bare.  She grabbed it with her hoof and held it out as Wanda walked up.
“Look,” Sonata said as she held the necklace in the air.  “I’m terribly sorry I took that.  I wanted to sell it for some bits to survive.  Can you please don’t send me to Tatarus for this?”
Wanda held her hand out as Sonata Dusk dropped the necklace on her palm.  Wanda pulled her hand back and looked at the necklace before turning her attention to Sonata.
“What you did was wrong,” Wanda said as she put her necklace back around her neck.  “But why would I want to send you to Tatarus for stealing my necklace?”
“Oh didn’t you hear the news?”  Aria Blaze laughed.  “They say if you break the law here in Canterlot, they will send you straight to Tatarus without a trial.”
“Are you really sure about that?”  Sunset said.  “I don’t recall my mother wanting to do that.”
“Oh come on, Sunset,” Aria Blaze said. “I heard it from a pair of rich aristocrats.”  Sunset’s face popped up as she was flabbergasted by Aria’s speech.
“You’re talking about Gold and Silver Banks,” Sunset said.  “Not only do we know them, but we’re also friends with her daughter Golden Lace.”
“You are?” Sonata Dusk said.  “What’s she like?  Is she really nice or nasty.”
“She was nasty,” Sunset said.  “Until Queen Novo convinced her to be nice.”
“And then the Banks threw her out as punishment for not being nasty,” Wanda said as Abigail jumped into Wanda’s arms.
“That’s awful,” Sonata Dusk said.  “Why would anyone do something like that?”
“That’s totally unexpected,” Aria Blaze said.  “To throw out your own daughter because she wasn’t nasty enough.  I heard that those two you mentioned were supposed to be horrible.  But not this horrible.”
“I wish this were a lie,” Sunset said.  “But when mother found out, she was disgusted by it that she let a friend of hers look after Golden Lace.”
“Too bad if mommy tried to call out the two,” Wanda said with a sad look on her face.  “They’ll banish her from Equestria and ship the both of us to a labor camp of some sort.”
“That is horrible,” Sonata Dusk said as she placed her hoof on Wanda’s shoulder, with Abigail looking at her with curiosity.  “Imagine what would happen if they shipped us off to something like that.”
“Well what matters is that we’re together again,” Aria Blaze said.  
“Well speaking of which,” Sunset said.  “Where is Adagio Dazzle?”
But before Aria could speak, she overheard a pony yell out “I’m already here, Sunset Shimmer.”  Sunset, Wanda and Abigail turned their head towards the doorway as a third earth pony filly stepped through.  She had a pale apple green coat with a puffy luminous vivid orange with brilliant yellow streaks mane. 
“Adagio Dazzle?” Sunset said.
“Surprised to see me here?” Adagio Dazzle said.
“Big time,” Sunset replied.  “I don’t know what to say.”
Adagio flicked the front part of her mane and said “Well why don’t you come with us?  I think I should set up a more comfortable spot to tell you what has happened since you became princess of Equestria, old friend?”
Adagio Dazzle turned around and walked back out the doorway with Aria Blaze following right behind her.  Sunset Shimmer swallowed her pride and followed right behind the two earth ponies.  
“Why is sis so nervous?” Wanda asked.
“Because it’s been a long time since we saw each other,” Sonata Dusk said.  “Now come.  I think we should treat you to our hospitality.  Or what’s left of it.”
Still holding Abigail in her arms, Wanda walked out the room with Sonata Dusk following right behind her.

Adagio Dazzle was leading Aria Blaze and Sunset Shimmer through the hallway as Wanda and Sonata began to catch up.  Abigail jumped out of Wanda’s arms and walked right behind Sunset Shimmer.  Wanda reached down next to Sunset and put her cupped hand and mouth to Sunset’s ear.
“What’s going on?”  Wanda whispered.
“Sister,” Sunset whispered back.  “I think I better come clean with you.”
“What do you mean by that?”  Wanda whispered back.
“Do you recall the tale of a demon that trashed this orphanage?” Sunset whispered.  “The one that Princess Celestia kept in a newspaper that she hid from us until I found it?”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “I recall you telling me about how you separated from the orphanage because of that attack, and that you wound up meeting me when I was a baby.  Why’s that?”
Sunset Shimmer turned her head back from Wanda with her eyes closed.  She swallowed again and turned her head towards Wanda.
“Wanda,” Sunset said.  “I was the demon who trashed the orphanage.”
Wanda’s jaw dropped downward upon hearing Sunset’s speech.
“What did you say?”  Wanda said.
“I’m afraid she has a point,” Sonata said.  “And it’s a doozy of a story.”



	To Be Continued in….


	The Broken Friendship of the Sirens

> Arc 14-2: The Broken Friendship of the Sirens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Broken Friendship of the Sirens



“What do you mean you were the demon who trashed the orphanage?”  Those words came from a confused Wanda, all while Sunset Shimmer turned her head in shame.  The human could only stare at her unicorn sister while the two and Abigail walked down the hallway with Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk.
“I was hoping I would never have to tell you this story, Wanda,” Sunset whispered.  “But...I did it.  I don’t know how it happened.  But I know I was the one who trashed this place.”
Wanda looked at Sunset with a confused look on her face as Sonata took notice.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Sonata said.  “You don’t believe her.  Unfortunately, it’s true.  I saw it with my very eyes.”
“I uhh, will judge with my own eyes,” Wanda said with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
At the far end of the hallway, everyone came to a stop as Adagio opened the door.  Inside, the roof and the ceiling were torn right off.  From the ground floor, one could see parts of the second and third floors.  Wanda looked up from the torn remains of the room with Sonata taking her side and Abigail right next to her right leg.
“You really want to check that place out, I'll take it,” Sonata said.  “Would you like for me to give you a tour?”
“Nah,” Wanda said as her insect wings sprouted, surprising both Adagio and Aria.  “I got this.”
Wanda jumped into the air and flew upwards towards the second floor while Adagio and Aria just stood there, staring at Wanda’s insect wings.
“What kind of strange creature is that?” Aria Blaze said.
“That’s my sister,” Sunset said.  “She’s supposed to be a human.”
“That’s a human?” Adagio Dazzle said.  “I heard they were supposed to be like shaved apes.  But nothing like this.”

On the second floor, Wanda peaked inside one of the many rooms that was exposed to the outside.  The walls looked like they were falling apart.  Some of the furniture looked like it was starting to rot or form a bit of rust.  The cloth in the bedding and the drapes had formed holes and was discolored.  Wanda picked up a blanket and looked directly at it.  She saw cotton coming loose from one of the ends of the blanket.  Looking at the bed, a spring was exposed to the elements.
“How could anyone live in a place like this?”  Wanda said to herself.  “Even more so, how could those three live here at all?”
Wanda flew to the dresser and pulled open one of the shelves.  The clothing inside looked worn out despite a lack of use.  Wanda pulled up one of the shirts and stared close at it.  THe fabric looked raggedy and a bit of the collar area was starting to tear off.
“This is a horrible place,” Wanda said as she placed the shirt back inside before closing the dresser.  “I can not understand the purpose of being here at all when there are better places to live in.”
Wanda looked out of the exposed balcony and jumped off, flying away from the room and towards another.  She landed her feet on the tile as she looked around what used to be a working bathroom.
“How many years was it before this orphanage went to ruins?” Wanda said to herself.
The floors and walls, despite being decorated in polished concrete, looked worn out and faded as its shine had lost its luster.  The toilet looked disgusting, even from the outside.  The sink looked like a part of the main base was chipped away.  And while the bathtub was still intact, it was overflowing with murky water.  Wanda looked right at it and backed off.
“I think I’ve seen enough of this place,” Wanda said as she looked like she was going to be sick.

Back downstairs, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk looked up from the wreck of a room.
“So that’s the trait of your sister?” Aria asked.
“Somewhat,” Sunset said.  “Turns out, she can’t overuse her magic.  She’s done this many times and she lost consciousness every time.  It takes water to help her back up, everytime it happens.”
“Wow,” Sonata said.  “A human who becomes weak when using magic.”
“Well Sunset Shimmer,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “Since you’re here, I bet you want to know what happened since your little incident.”
Sunset Shimmer swallowed hard and approached Adagio Dazzle.  Nearby, Wanda flew down from the upper floors and saw Sunset and Adagio looking like they were about to talk.
“Now what’s going on here?” Wanda said as she just stood there while Abigail Albright and Sonata Dusk approached Wanda.
“Something that isn’t going to be pretty,” Sonata said.
As Sunset Shimmer approached Adagio Dazzle, the pale apple green filly’s smile turned into a scowl as her eyes squinted hard.
“I take it because I became a she-devil,” Sunset said.
“It’s worse than that, Sunset Shimmer,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “Back when we lived in the orphanage, we promised we would be the best of friends for a long, long time.  I remember those words you said to me.”
“That no matter what happens,” Sunset said.  “Our friendship will never break.”
“That was back when we grew out of being a foal,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “I still remember those words, Sunset Shimmer.  And I still recall the good old days of when we grew up together. A vow that we made, long before the incident.”
“What happened back then was an accident,” Sunset said.  “I never meant to transform into that beast and tear the whole place apart.”
“That’s not the reason why I’m angry at you, Princess,” Adagio Dazzle yelled. 
Aria Blaze slowly crept up behind Sunset and whispered “Truth be told, I did not see that coming.”
“Wait,” Sunset said.  “Are you saying that you’re angry with me because I chose my new family over our friendship?”
“Yes,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “At first, I was horrified when you disappeared after that rampage.  I thought the Equestrian Royal Guard threw you in Tatarus, or put you out of your misery.  When the matrons of the orphanage announced that they were leaving for a new town, I chose to stay behind with my sisters.  Why?”
“Why would you?” Sunset said.
“Because I still believed in that vow,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “Because I wanted to see you again because of the promise we made.”
“But then,” Sunset said as her voice started to sound a bit scared.  “They were going to tear down what’s left of this orphanage.  What were you thinking?”
“This orphanage is as much of my home as it is your home,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “I didn’t want this home to be torn down because of our promise.  So when the building was condemned to demolition, and they sent construction workers to tear it down, we had to interfere.”
“Wait a minute,” Sunset said, freaking out.  “You three were the ones who sabotaged the demolition.”
“Yes,” Adagio said as she turned away from Sunset.  “We were.  We took buckets of water from the sink to sabotage the dynamite.  We stole or shredded their plans.  We even attempted to scare them by turning their construction equipment against them.  Then they decided to use magic to tear the whole building down.  And do you know what happened?”
Sunset’s face was completely frozen.  She struggled to speak for a bit before she said “You were the ones who dug that trench?”
“Yes,” Adagio yelled as she turned her head back to Sunset.  “We did that.  When we learned of the spellcasters, we discovered a hole in the back of our orphanage.  So we dug underneath and right where the spellcasters were going to destroy our beloved orphanage.  We made the ground weak enough for them to fall for our trap.  And once we got done, we patched up the hole with mud and a bit of concrete to hide the evidence.”
“I don’t believe it,” Sunset yelled as tears began to fall from her cheeks.  “All those rumors about ghosts inhabiting the orphanage….were you three.”
Adagio Dazzle let out a sigh and said “We scared them off to the point where they would never come back.  And we did it just because of the promise we made to you.  Because we vowed that our friendship will last forever.  But it was those months ago that made us realize that our friendship truly was broken.”
“What do you mean by that?” Sunset said.
“You abandoned us,” Adagio Dazzle cried.  “I saw you walk down to your new school with your sisters.  That was one thing.  But as the days went on, we saw you with other youngsters who have it easy.  You who call them your new friends.  And I know the names you called them: Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, and now the spoiled daughter of the Banks Golden Lace.”
“It doesn’t mean we’re not friends anymore,” Sunset said as more tears fell from her eyes.”
“I beg to differ,” Adagio Dazzle said as she walked towards Sunset Shimmer and got into that unicorn’s face.  “You made us realize that you preferred your new friends to your old friends.  That you enjoyed your new royal life with Princess Celestia.  That you enjoy those field trips to places like Sire’s Hollow, La Maresa and Mount Aris, from what I heard.”
“And we still had our own problems to deal with,” Sunset said. “Like the Windigo’s Guild.”
“Excuses, excuses,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “I’m through with you, Sunset Shimmer.  As of now, I no longer consider you a friend.  You broke our promise, and you broke our hearts.  I don’t ever want to see your face again, even if you became the new prime Princess of Equestria.  DO YOU HEAR ME?”
Sunset’s eyes watered down to her cheek and dripped down to the floor.  She struggled to speak before she ran through the rubble and towards the big hole in the ground, crying.  She cast a spell on her body and jumped up into the air before landing on the ground.  Wanda looked at Sunset running off into the distance before she turned around and faced Adagio Dazzle.
“That was the most insensitive speech I ever heard,” Wanda snapped, causing Abigail to freak out and hide behind a nearby chair.  
“What do you know about insensitivity?” Adagio Dazzle said.  “You don’t even know what I’ve been through.”
“I’ve known far enough,” Wanda snarled as her eyes filled with fire.  “The reason why your fellow orphans left was because of your sabotage of demolishing this orphanage.  They wanted to live here again in a new building.  But they can’t because you chose to be selfish about Sunset Shimmer.”
“Now you listen here, you shaved monkey,” Adagio Dazzle said.
“NO YOU LISTEN HERE!” Wanda yelled, causing Adagio Dazzle to back up and lower her head down.  “You threw away your own life because you allowed your own selfishness to get in the way of the needs for the other orphans.  And now you want to take your anger out on Sunset Shimmer?  She didn’t break the promise.  You smashed it open the moment you pulled that stunt and sabotaged the demolition.  And because of that, the orphans will not return to Canterlot again.”
Adagio Dazzle tried to open her mouth.  But Wanda glared right at the youngling.
“It’s true that she forgot all about you,” Wanda said.  “But to even consider the fact that you went and lashed out because my sister was living a new life?  Had my mommy knew about your plight, we could have given you a new home to live in, beyond this dumb.  But instead, you would rather things go back the way they were, without realizing that you were causing more harm than good.”
Wanda turned around and started to walk off as Abigail ran out from behind the chair and right by the side of the Man’s Cub.  Wanda bent her knees down and picked up Abigail before standing right up.
“You have a lot to think about,” Wanda said as her wings formed and she flew off with Abigail in her arms.
Adagio Dazzle was at a loss for words as she just stood there with her jaw hanging down.  Aria Blaze walked over to Sonata Dusk, who stood there looking like she was about to cry.
“Go to Sunset Shimmer, Sonata,” Aria whispered.  “Something tells me this will be the last we’ll see of her.”
Sonata nodded at Aria Blaze before she ran through the rubble and towards the gate.  She leaped over the giant pit and ran off.

Down the street from the abandoned orphanage, Sunset Shimmer was crying her eyes on the base of a fountain.  Tears flowed from her eyes and dripped down onto the pavement of the street.
“This is my fault,” Sunset cried.  “I never should have left that orphanage.  I never should have become Princess Celestia’s adopted daughter.”
“No sister.  It’s not your fault.”  Sunset Shimmer got up and looked to her right as Wanda Young flew down from above with Abigail in her arms.  The man’s cub touched the ground and allowed Abigail to leap from her arms as her wings disappeared.
“Wanda?”  Sunset cried.  “But you overheard everything Adagio said.”
“And I know she’s wrong,” Wanda said.  “I never truly knew about your friends from the orphanage until you told me about them.  But at the same time, you’re not at fault.”
Sunset wiped the tears from her eyes and said “How so?”
“Adagio Dazzle’s biggest flaw was her own selfishness,” Wanda said.  “She prevented a new orphanage from being built, even though she was waiting for you.  The orphans and the matrons moved away and resulted in the mess she and her sisters are in.  They could have had a new orphanage or a new home to live in.  But instead, they chose this route.”
“You really mean it?” Sunset said.
“Yes,” Wanda said.  “I wish I didn’t have to yell at Adagio Dazzle.  But I didn’t like how she treated you.  I rarely get angry because I wanted to set an example for mommy.”
“And for a little sister of yours, she put on quite a show.”  Wanda, Sunset and Abigail turned their heads to see Sonata Dusk walk up to them.
“Sonata?”   Sunset said.  “What are you doing here?”
“I came here to apologize to you for what my sister said,” Sonata Dusk said as she approached Wanda and Sunset.  “Also, your sister is right.  We have been selfish for staying behind when all the other orphans were waiting for a new orphanage.”
Sunset got up on her four hooves as she cracked a smile.
“Apology accepted, Sonata,” Sunset said.
Sonata smiled back as she reached out and gave Sunset a hug.
“It’s too bad we can’t be friends anymore,” Sonata Dusk said.  “I am going to miss you, now that you and your sister are now princesses.”
“Are you kidding me?” Sunset joked as she raised her head to Sonata’s face.  “Of course you’ll always be my friend as long as you want.  And if necessary, I may ask my mother to let you live with me for a while.”
“I appreciate the offer,” Sonata Dusk said.  “But I don’t think I’m ready to live with Princess Celestia, or in a royal palace.”
“Why not?” Wanda asked.  “At least you’ll have a roof over your head and you’ll never have to go hungry again.”
“It’s not that,” Sonata said as she turned her head and closed her eyes.  “I don’t think I can forgive myself because I helped my sisters scare off the demolition teams.  Because of that, I won’t be seeing any of the other orphans again.”
“I see,” Sunset said.  “If you ever change your mind, you know where to look.”
“I will,” Sonata said as she bowed before Sunset Shimmer.  “And know this.  Even if my sister has sworn off of you, I will always be your friend.  But for now, I guess this is good-bye.”
“May we meet each other again in the future,” Sunset replied.
Sunset Shimmer and Sonata Dusk raised their hooves up and bumped them together before Sonata Dusk turned around and ran off in the opposite direction.  Wanda and Abigail stood next to Sunset Shimmer as she looked proud.
“Are you alright, sis?” Wanda asked.
“I think I know they’re at least alright,” Sunset said.  “Come.  Let’s head home.”
Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright turned around and ran off in the opposite direction.  As she was running, Wanda looked at her necklace and at the alicorn symbol hanging from it.
“No matter what happens,” Wanda said as she looked at her necklace.  “Our friendship will never break.
As Wanda, Sunset and Abigail ran off in the distance, Adagio Dazzle stood atop the roof of the orphanage ruins.  But her face was not of scorn.  It was sorrowful.  As she looked down, a tear fell from Adagio’s eyes as she closed them shut.
“You were right, little human princess,” Adagio cried.  “Sunset didn’t break our friendship.  I did.  It’s all my fault.”



	To Be Continued in….


	Arc 15: The Hay Fever Virus


	The pressure of being a Princess

> Arc 15(The Hay Fever Virus)-1: The pressure of being a Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 15: The Hay Fever Virus


The pressure of being a Princess




“Princess Celestia, this matter is far more important than your trip down to Saddle Arabia.”  Those words came from an angry Silver Banks as Princess Celestia sat in a nearby office at the Equestrian Senate hall.  Silver Banks slammed down a set of papers as Gold Banks and Senator Twinkle Wish stood near the door.
“I appreciate you trying to bring this to my attention,” Princess Celestia said.  “But the vote for this vanity wall has been held to address other issues, like the homeless crisis and our negotiations with King Myrrh of Saddle Arabia.”
“Making up excuses, I take it?” Gold Banks said with a laugh.  “You do realize that because of the attack on Mount Aris, demand for a new border wall has gone up.  The ponies of Equestria demand protection.”
“I did not see any polls regarding a border wall this morning,” Celestia said.  “How do I know my people demand a border wall?”
“Do you question the integrity of the ponies of Equestria?” Senator Twinkle Wish yelled.  “I’ve already had to put up with that little monster of yours.  The last thing I need is more disgusting creatures roaming through the streets.”
“We do have a trade with the Hippogriffs of Mount Aris,” Princess Celestia replied.
“All the more reason why we need that wall up,” Senator Twinkle Wish said.
“Actually,” Gold Banks said as her smile lit up.  “Princess Celestia has a point.  We do have a trade with those seadogs in Mount Aris.  And what good is the economy if we choose to put a border wall that prevents them from coming in?”
“But even if we have foreign invaders,” Princess Celestia said.  “What good will that do if they turn out to be in disguise?  Like a changeling?”
“Hogwash,” Silver Banks yelled as he slammed his hoof on the table.  “Now you will sign that emergency order before you even think about stepping hoof outside this room.”
“But I have to prepare for tomorrow’s flight to Saddle Arabia with my sister,” Celestia said. “I don’t have time for these shenanigans.”
“Tough,” Silver Banks snorted as he slammed an ink bottle and a feather onto the table.  “You don’t get to leave this office until you sign that emergency order.  Do I make myself clear?”
Princess Celestia was sweating from Silver Banks’s tone of voice.  She was about to pick up the quill with her magic when Silver Banks slammed his hoof on the desk again, scaring the elder alicorn.
“I SAID, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”  Silver Banks yelled.
“Alright, alright,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’ll do it.”
Princess Celestia picked up the pen with her magic and dipped it into the ink bottle.  She moved the ink-covered quill and signed her name onto the parchment.  Once she lifted the feather pen off the paper, Silver Banks swiped the paper off of the desk and took a good look at it.
“That will do,” Silver Banks said as he rolled up the paper with his magic and placed it into a saddlebag on Senator Wish’s back.
“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Gold Banks said with a smile.  “Maybe you and your sister should learn not to be so impatient.”
“It’s about time the wall can now become a reality,” Senator Wish said.  “No more creatures crossing the border and doing what they want with our land.”
Senator Twinkle Wish opened the door and walked outside with Silver Banks following behind.  But not before he turned his attention to Princess Celestia.
“As a reminder,” Silver Banks said.  “Your work here in this nation comes above those brats you look after, even while you’re away to negotiate with King Myrrh.  Never forget that, your majesty.”
As Silver Banks walked out the door, Gold Banks walked towards the doorway and turned to face Princess Celestia, who’s mane looked extremely frazzled.
“By the way,” Gold Banks said as her smile never left her cheek.  “If you see my disgrace of a daughter, tell her to come home, this instant.  Fraternizing herself with commoners is ridiculously uncouth.”
As Gold Banks walked out the door, Princess Celestia got up from her chair and jumped out a nearby window, flying away from the office in frustration.
“The nerve of those Banks,” Princess Celestia said to herself.  “All I have to do is to prepare for our trip to Saddle Arabia tomorrow.  But they had to use this opportunity to force me to sign a document that I strongly disagree with, especially after coming off that painfully long speech in the Senate about the Storm King’s invasion.  What I wouldn’t do to just get away from this place?”
Princess Celestia flew off towards the castle as the sun began to set on Equestria.

Meanwhile, at the castle, Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer were playing ring around the rosie with a cheerful tone in the main hall.  Abigail danced on the couch, meowing really loud.
“I can’t believe it,” Wanda said.  “We’re going to have a slumber party with our friends at Twilight’s house.”
“Well while mother is away,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We all get to play.”
“Everyone is going to be there,” Wanda said.  “Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie and even Golden Lace will be there.”
“And so will big sister,” Sunset said as the two girls continued to spin around in a playful dance.
“Yay, Big sister,” Wanda said.
But as the two continued to play ring around the rosie with Abigail bouncing on the couch, Princess Celestia came emerging from the front, slamming both doors to the side with her magic.  
“AHHHH!”  The sound of both doors slamming onto the wall caused Sunset Shimmer to lose her grip on Wanda while Abigail screamed and hid under the sofa.  The man’s cub went flying right into a nearby table, knocking over a vase onto the floor, which only bounced a bit before lying down on the side.  Princess Celestia looked at the mess Wanda made and her face went into complete shock.  She marched over to Wanda, who picked herself up.
“WANDA YOUNG!”  Princess Celestia yelled.  “What exactly are you thinking?”
Wanda’s eyes shrunk down as she looked up at Princess Celestia.
“Mommy,” Wanda said, shaking heavily.  “We were waiting for you to come home and….”
“That is no excuse for you to be that reckless,” Princess Celestia snarled.  “You should be ashamed of what you did.”
Wanda’s eyes began to fill up.  She cried really loud and ran off in the opposite direction.  Sunset Shimmer and Abigail ran up to Celestia as she saw Wanda into a nearby room.
“Mother,” Sunset said.  “What were you thinking?  This isn’t like you to lash out at Wanda.”
Celestia’s face turned south as she saw Wanda run off into the room.  She looked down at Sunset Shimmer, who glared at her adopted mother.
“Oh dear,” Princess Celestia said in a somber tone.  “I overdid it again.”
“Yes you did,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We were startled by you when you opened the door like that.  You’re letting your time as Princess get the best of you.”  Abigail looked at Celestia and nodded her head no.
Princess Celestia’s eyes filled a bit with tears.  She looked at the room Wanda ran into and took a few steps towards there.
“You’re right, Sunset,” Celestia said.  “I overdid it.  I allowed the Banks to get into my head and I took it out on my Darling Wanda.  I should be ashamed of what I did.”
Princess Celestia slumped towards the doorway where Wanda ran in and tapped the door frame with her hoof.
“GO AWAY!”  Wanda yelled.
Sunset looked at Princess Celestia and nodded to her.  The elder alicorn walked through the doorway, where Wanda was crying on a nearby table.
“Wanda,” Celestia said as her tone remained somber.  “I think I owe you an explanation for my attitude.”
“I don’t care,” Wanda cried.  “You scared me.”
“What I said to you was no excuse for what I did,” Celestia said.  “I went rough on you because the Banks forced me to sign a document, and they pressured me into doing so.”
Wanda just ignored Celestia’s plea as she cried on the table.
“I know it won’t make you feel better, my darling,” Celestia said.  “But there was a part of me that wanted to cry on the table because of what I had to go through.  Even so, that was no excuse for what I did.”
Princess Celestia turned around and started to walk towards the doorway as Wanda began to raise her head up.
“When you’re ready to accept an apology from me,” Celestia said.  “I’ll be waiting.”
As Princess Celestia stepped outside the doorway, Wanda looked outside from the dining room she’s in.  Everything felt lonely and cold as she wiped a tear from her cheek.  
Outside, Princess Celestia walked out as Sunset Shimmer saw the look on her face.
“What happened?” Sunset asked.
“It will take some time before she wishes to accept my apology,” Princess Celestia said.  “Until there, there’s nothing more I can do.”
“Mommy.” Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer turned around to see Wanda standing outside the doorway.  The little human child stood there before she ran up to Princess Celestia and jumped into the air before proceeding to give the big alicorn a big hug.
“Wanda,” Celestia said as she allowed Wanda to land in her arms.
“Please don’t leave me,” Wanda cried.  “I’ll be good.”
“No Wanda,” Celestia said as she comforted her daughter.  “Like  I said, it’s my fault that I scared you like that.  I’m sorry for doing that.”
“Apology accepted,” Wanda said as she continued to cry right into Celestia’s chest.
Sunset Shimmer and Abigail watched on as mother and daughter embraced each other.
“Mother’s really going to need a vacation from all this madness,”  Sunset said to Abigail.  “But both La Maresa and Mount Aris had their tragedies.”
Abigail said nothing but a simple meow as Sunset Shimmer patted her on the head.

“Seems the Banks are getting under your fun, sister.”
Those words came from Princess Luna as she was packing a suitcase with some clothes.  Princess Celestia just placed one piece of clothing at a time into her suitcase as she let out a sigh.
“Even so,” Princess Celestia said.  “That was no excuse for me to yell at my own daughter.  I could have traumatized her for life.  Imagine what would have happened if she got the Hay Fever Virus while we were gone.”
“Sister,” Princess Luna said.  “It will be alright.  Twilight Velvet, Night Light and Princess Cadance have agreed to watch over Wanda and Sunset whine we’re away for a few days.  And she will have her friends by her side while we negotiate a treaty with King Myrrh.”
Princess Celestia let out a sigh and said “Okay.  I’ll take your word for it.  Besides, if Wanda did come down with the Hay Fever Virus, our doctors at the Canterlot Hospital will be able to take care of her.”
“What did I tell ya?” Princess Luna said.  “Canterlot was meant to accommodate Wanda, her sisters and her friends.  No matter what happens, they will be there when we are not.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Princess Celestia said as her optimism jumped.  “Let’s pack up and get ready for the big day in Saddle Arabia.”
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna continued to pack, they heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Princess Celestia said.
The door opened as Majordomo Kibitz stepped in.
“My ladies,” Kibitz said “The wagons are almost primed for tomorrow’s trip to Saddle Arabia.  And we have selected two wingmen to accommodate you both.”
“Excellent,” Princess Celestia said.  “We’ll be ready when the time is right.”
“I’ll go ahead and let them know,” Majordomo Kibitz said.  “It’s too bad I can’t watch over the younglings.”
“I know,” Princess Celestia said as she shut her suitcase tight.  “But we need you to ensure that the negotiations are going smoothly.  Besides, who knows how to write great speeches better than you?”
“Your majesty,” Majordomo Kibitiz said with a chuckle.  “Let’s not overdo it on the complements.  Remember to be humble.”
“Yes yes,” Princess Celestia said. “I will.”
“Then I will leave you both to your packing,” Majordomo said as he stepped outside the door frame.
“Oh hold on,” Princess Luna said as she ran after Kibitz.  “I think I forgot to pack a spare toothbrush and other toiletries.”
But as Princess Luna stepped out of the room, Princess Celestia’s beaming face turned back into sorrow and worry.  She stared down at the floor, looking at if she were staring straight into the void.
“What if Wanda does get the Hay Fever Virus?”  Princess Celestia said to herself.  “I remember when they gave her the vaccine when she was young.  But she developed a nasty case of hives and only got fifteen percent of the immunity.  What will I do if Wanda does truly come down with the Hay Fever Virus?  All I can do is wait and hope for the best.”
Princess Celestia looked out the door and saw Wanda looking at her.  The man’s cub just waved playfully at Princess Celestia as she cracked a smile on her face.
“No,” Princess Celestia said.  “Luna’s right.  I know Princess Cadance and Twilight Velvet will do a great job at looking after Wanda, Sunset and the other kids.  I have faith in them.”

The next day in the afternoon, class at the School for Gifted Unicorns had ended as Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright came running out the door, jumping into the air and landing on the ground, fully excited.  Right behind them were Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace, who just casually walked right behind them.
“Seems those three are excited for our slumber party tonight while Princess Celestia is gone,” Starlight said.
“You have no idea,” Twilight replied. “Mom’s been anticipating the day where she gets to look after the three daughters of Princess Celestia.”
“And I have to thank her for allowing me a place to stay after what my parents did,”  Golden Lace said.  
“Lace,” Twilight said.  “What the Banks did to you was just plain cruel.  I know you consider it a sign of freedom.  But even you deserve far more than what you had to put up with.”
“I know,” Golden Lace said.  “But at the same time, I don’t know if I deserve it, considering what I’ve done to you all in the past.”
“What’s past is past,” Starlight said. “The fact that you chose to atone for what you did says a whole lot.”
“I...I don’t know what to say,” Golden Lace said as she cracked a smile.
“Hey you chumps,” Sunset Shimmer yelled.  “Come on.  We don’t want to be late for our important date.”
“Coming,” Twilight yelled as she, Starlight and Golden Lace ran down the steps and towards Sunset, Wanda and Abigail.

Later that day, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright were walking down the streets of Canterlot.  Despite the calm environment, there was a hint of excitement within all six individuals.  Wanda however, turned her head towards Twilight.
“Hey Twilight,” Wanda asked.  “Where’s Spike?”
“Moondancer wanted to look after him for a bit,” Twilight said.  “She along with Sunburst and Pinkie Pie will be at the house when we get there.”
“Aww,” Wanda said.  “Abigail wanted to play with him.”
Abigail let out a silly meow as the group continued to walk down the street.
Suddenly, a water balloon flies out of nowhere and pegs Sunset Shimmer on the side.  Everyone turned around to see Danged Spell levitating another balloon with his magic.
“Hello there, ladies,” Danged Spell said with a grin on his face.  “Up for a bout?”
Before anyone could answer, Danged Spell levitated one of the buckets full of water balloons and placed it in front of Twilight, Sunset, Starlight, Golden Lace, Abigail and Wanda.  Sunset shook the water off of her body before turning her face towards Danged Spell.
“Okay Spell,” Sunset said as she picked up one of the balloons with her magic.  “You asked for it.”
WIth a flick of her horn, Sunset sent the water balloon flying right at Danged Spell’s face.  The smug colt raised a magic shield and watched as the balloon splashed right over it.
“My turn,” Danged Spell said as he picked up a water balloon with his magic.
But before he could toss the balloon, Twilight and Starlight were quick to grab their own balloons and proceeded to hit Spell with them.  Danged Spell was soaking wet as he aimed his water balloon right at Golden Lace.
“Come on,” Danged Spell said.  “You think you’re so tough?”
Danged Spell flung the water balloon right at Golden Lace at a high speed.  Lace saw the water balloon flying right towards her and immediately grabbed it with a levitation spell, stopping it in place.
“Clever,” Danged Spell said as he pulled out another water balloon.  “Quite clever.”
Danged Spell looked at Twilight, Sunset, Starlight and Golden Lace, who all held their stance as they kept their eyes on the arrogant colt.  Spell turns his head and eyes Wanda Young, who just stood there scared stiff.  Abigail growled at Danged Spell, who’s smile grew deeper.
“Hehehehe,” Danged Spell said as he held the balloon close.  “You’ll be fit to be soaked, Wanda.”
Danged Spell winds up and shoots the water balloon right at Wanda, sending it flying towards her face.  Wanda looked at the balloon as her frightened face turned into a clever grin before she ducked under,  causing the balloon to fly over her.
“What the?” Danged Spell said.  “That’s not fair.”
Danged Spell watched as he saw the water balloon fly away from Wanda.  He looked further down and saw Chancellor Cinch walking down the street.  His face turned into sheer horror.
“Oh no,” Danged Spell said. “Not again.”
But before anyone could react, the water balloon stopped in mid-air, suspended over the ground by magic.  Chancellor Cinch turned towards Danged Spell as her usual stern look turned into a sinister smile.
“You really need to watch where you’re throwing that balloon, young stallion,” Chancellor Cinch said as she pointed the balloon at Danged Spell, who could do nothing but stand there in horror.  “You’ll never know who you might hit.”
Chancellor Cinch pulls back the tail end of the balloon with her magic and releases, sending the balloon zipping past Wanda at high speeds, and smacks a helpless Danged Spell right in the face, splashing him with water.  Chancellor Cinch’s smile never left her face as she readjusted her glasses.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” Chancellor Cinch said as she let out a subtle chuckle .  “The next time you pull that stunt, I may consider buying a Super Soaker just to drench you real good.”
As Chancellor Cinch walked away, Twilight, Starlight, Sunset, Golden Lace and Wanda all laughed at Danged Spell.  The young colt just glared at Chancellor Cinch all while steam shot out from his ears.
“COME BACK HERE YOU WICKED WITCH!”  Danged Spell yelled.  “I WON’T LET ANYONE MAKE A MONKEY OUT OF ME!”
Suddenly, Danged Spell was pelted by a few more water balloons.  He turned to his right and saw Wanda and Starlight chucking water balloons in his face.  Danged Spell could do nothing but run away in the opposite direction.
“CURSE YOU SNEAKY LITTLE GIRLS,” Danged Spell yelled as he ran for it.  “YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!”
As Danged Spell ran off in the opposite direction, Wanda and Starlight laughed really hard as they gave each other a high five.  Twilight, Sunset, Golden Lace and Abigail just watched the two enjoy themselves and smiled.
“I have never seen my little sister have this much fun in her life,” Sunset said.
“Well when you have friends,” Twilight said.  “They can really lift your spirits.”
“Is that the reason why Friendship is full of magic?” Sunset said.
As Wanda and Starlight danced around, Golden Lace just looked at the duo.  Though her smile remained on her face, there was a bit of unease within her soul.  Sunset and Twilight turned their attention towards Golden Lace, whose smile was starting to fracture.
“Lace?”  Twilight said.  “Are you alright?”
“I know what’s going on with you,” Sunset said.  “You’re still worried about your past when you were a mean-spirited brat.”
“Yes,” Golden Lace said.  “I remember when I said those horrible words towards you all.  Especially towards Starlight and Ditzy.  But that’s not the only thing.”
“It’s because of your parents,” Twilight said.  “By choosing kindness over cruelty, you wound up getting kicked out of the house.”
“And that resulted in me distancing myself from them,” Golden Lace said.  “If it means I end up having to live with you, your big brother and Starlight, then I’d rather take what I have now over what I used to have.”
“What matters is that you chose to change for the better, Golden Lace,” Sunset said.  “You proved that you were willing to atone for what you did and we were willing to let you.  Most importantly, Aunt Novo was able to make you realize the error of your ways.”
“And that’s saying a lot compared to three bullies that you had to encounter,” Twilight said.
“Twilight and Sunset are right, Golden Lace.”  The moment those words came out from out of nowhere, everyone turned around to see Princess Celestia hovering over them with a warm smile on her face.  
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight said as she took a bow.
“Mother,” Sunset said as she ran up to Princess Celestia.
“Mommy,” Wanda yelled as she ran up to Princess Celestia and gave her a big hug.
“I wasn’t gone for so long, my dear,” Princess Celestia said as she cuddled Wanda.
Sunset turned to Starlight and said “That’s my sister.  She’s too attached to mother.”
Starlight Glimmer walked up to Princess Celestia and Wanda Young, and tapped Celestia lightly on the hoof.  Celestia and Wanda looked down at little Starlight.
“Aren’t you supposed to be heading towards your carriage so you can fly to Saddle Arabia?” Starlight Glimmer asked.
“Oh that is true, little Starlight,” Princess Celestia said.  “But I asked the guards to park it in front of Twilight’s house.  You see, I promised I’d walk you over there.  Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are already waiting for you all.”
“Ohhhh,” Starlight said.  “Now I get it.”
“It was something that mother promised all of us, Starlight,” Sunset said as she reached over and rubbed Starlight on the top of her head.
Wanda jumped off of Princess Celestia as the elder alicorn walked up to Golden Lace.  Lace just turned her head in shame, prompting Celestia to place her hoof under the youngling’s chin.
“Lace,” Celestia said.  “I heard about what happened between you and your parents.  I’m terribly sorry that it had to come to this.  Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it for the moment.  But what matters is that there are others who are willing to look after you, to at least care for you.”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, even after all I’ve done,” Golden Lace said.  “But at the same time, I wish I could stay with them permanently.”
“I wish for that as well,” Princess Celestia said.  “But the Banks are still registered as your parents.  In fact, I did try to push to adopt you, or allow another to take you up.  But even with the fact that the Banks kicked you out, they managed to block any court in Equestria from taking the case.”
“That’s pretty typical of them,” Golden Lace said as she slumped away from Princess Celestia.  
Sunset tapped on Princess Celestia’s arm, causing the alicorn to reach down towards her adopted daughter’s place, where Sunset raised her muzzle towards Celestia’s ear.
“I have a feeling this has been going on since before she came to Equestria,” Sunset whispered. 
“Considering that the Banks hold more political power than anyone,” Princess Celestia said.  “It’s not a surprise that they can get away with this.”
As Golden Lace began to walk away, Twilight, Starlight, Wanda and Abigail ran up to the golden filly and walked alongside her.  Lace looked at Wanda’s face and struggled to turn her head away.
“Hey it’s going to be okay,” Wanda said.  “You have us now, and we look after one another.”
“Are you really sure about that?” Golden Lace asked.  “What would happen if my parents decided to pull me out of Canterlot and put me in some private school?”
“No matter what,” Twilight said.  “We will always be friends to the very end.  And nothing is going to change that.  Promise?”
Golden Lace let out a sigh, took a deep breath and let out her hoof before she said “Promise.”  Twilight Sparkle smiled and grabbed onto Lace’s hoof.
Starlight looked at the two and let out a smile of relief, while Abigail leaped onto her back.
“I sure hope that our friendship doesn’t shatter completely,” Starlight Glimmer siad.
“It won’t,” Wanda said.  “As long as we have each other, then that’s what matters the most.  Not just Twilight, Sunset, Lace, and the both of us, but also Danged Spell, Sunburst, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Unca Bright Mac’s daughter Applejack.”
“Especially Trixie,” Starlight said.  “I can’t wait to show her my cutie mark.  And maybe your cutie mark as well.”
Wanda blushed and said “Well, let’s not get too carried away.”
As the four younglings walked down the street, Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer just watched on with smiles on their faces.
“You’re fortunate to have great friends, including your sisters, Sunset,” Princess Celestia said.
“Yeah,” Sunset said. “But we’re all going to miss you while you’re gone.  I sure hope nothing bad will happen to you.”
“Nothing will,” Princess Celestia said.  “This is going to be a short trip to Saddle Arabia between me and Princess Luna.  Afterwards, we’ll come back and bring you all home.  You have my word on that.” 
Sunset leaped into the air and cheered really loud, attracting the attention of Wanda, Abigail, Twilight, Starlight and Golden Lace.  Sunset looked at her friends in front and just blushed in embarrassment.
“Now now, Sunset,” Celestia laughed.  “Let’s take you and the others to Twilight’s place so you all can spend some time with Princess Cadance and the others.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Saddle Arabia Blues

> Arc 15-2: Saddle Arabia Blues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Saddle Arabia Blues



It was a wonderful afternoon in the city of Canterlot.  Just outside Twilight Sparkle’s house, the royal carriage was parked there with Princess Luna and a couple of guards waiting patiently.  Sunburst, Moondancer and Pinkie Pie waited with anticipation while Moondancer rocked Spike in her arms.  
“I can’t wait,” Pinkie Pie said.  “A whole weekend of doing nothing but having fun.  This is going to be the best couple of days ever.”
“Well we still gotta wait for everyone else to arrive,” Sunburst said.  “Besides, we got here before Twilight, Starlight and the others did.”
“Speaking of which,” Moondancer said.  “Where’s Danged Spell?  Normally he would be here by now.”
Just as Moondancer finished her sentence, a sound of hooves slowly walking the pavement echoed through the street.  Sunburst, Moondancer and Pinkie Pie turned their heads to see Danged Spell walk on up, still soaking wet.
“Spell,” Moondancer said.  “What the hay happened to you?”
Danged Spell shook the water off his fur coat and said “You can thank that witch Cinch for the humiliation I’ve been through.  I’ll pay her back ten folds.”
Princess Luna laughed as she stepped away from the carriage and walked up to Danged Spell.  The stubborn colt looked up at her as the moon princess rubbed him on his mane.
“Knock it off,” Danged Spell said in a low and stern voice.  That ain’t funny ya big palooka.”
“Oh relax already, young colt,” Princess Luna said with a chuckle.  “Maybe you should learn to just have a bit of fun, like Chancellor Cinch.”
“A bit of fun, my behind,” Danged Spell snorted.  
“Is that any way for a young hero who bested the Windigo’s Guild in Canterlot to act?” Luna said with a smirk on her face.   “Come on now.  You’re better than this.”
“Uggh, fine,” Danged Spell said as he gently nudged Luna’s hoof off his head. 
“Hey, that reminds me,” Pinkie Pie said. “Princess Cadance was supposed to watch over us.  Where is she?”
But as soon as Pinkie Pie finished talking, a magical aura surrounded her as she floated up in the air.  Pinkie Pie turned around and saw Princess Cadance and Shining Armor walking up to the youngsters.
“Did that answer your question?” Princess Cadance asked as she pulled a cheerful Pinkie Pie closer.
“That sure did,” Pinkie Pie giggled.
Shining Armor laughed as he said “Well since our parents are out till later tonight, we’ll open up the house to everyone once Princess Celestia and the others arrive.”
“So that means we’re all going to be having a fun time together?”  Moondancer asked as Spike sucked on the tip of his tail.
.”That’s right,” Princess Cadance said.  “Sunset, Starlight, Twilight, Golden Lace and Wanda will all be here.”
“It’s too bad we can’t have it at the castle,” Danged Spell said.  “It would have been a fun time.”
“It would,” Princess Cadance said.  “But mother had to hire cleaning experts to deep clean the interior of the castle.  So we will have to remain here until everything is done.”
“Look on the bright side, Spell,” Moondancer said.  “We are preparing it for a big event in the future.  And you know what that means.” 
Moondancer gave a wink towards Danged Spell, who’s scowl turned into a devilish grin.
“I think I know what you’re talking about,” Danged Spell said.
As Moondancer and Danged Spell let out a jolly laugh, Sunburst turned his head and his face beamed with excitement.
“Hey guys,” Sunburst yelled.  “I think they’re here.”
Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Spike and Princess Luna turned their heads to see Princess Celestia, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace run up to them.  The younglings next to Luna cheered as the rest of the group approached.
“Sorry we’re late,” Wanda said.  “We were having a bonding time together.”
“So,” Sunset said.  “Are we about ready to par-tay?”
“You want to par-tay?” Pinkie Pie said as she slunked to Sunset Shimmer’s side.  “Oh when that comes, we will par-tay.”
As Sunset and Pinkie stood together, an excited Twilight Sparkle ran up to Princess Cadance.  The two proceeded to dance together.
“Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake.  Clap your hooves and do a little shake,” Twilight and Cadance chanted as they danced together.  Wanda walked up beside Sunset and Pinkie with a disgusted look on her face.
“Do they have to do this, everytime?”  Wanda asked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Sunset replied.
“Aww, what’s wrong with a friendship dance?” Pinkie Pie asked.  “You two should try it.”
Wanda and Sunset rolled their eyes as the man’s cub said “Ehhh probably not.”
Pinkie Pie just looked at them awkwardly and said to the reader “Wow.  Talk about being pessimistic, considering that Wanda is a rather cheerful child.”
Suddenly, Starlight ran up to Sunburst and leaped onto the colt in a big surprise.  Sunburst struggled a bit as Starlight cuddled him
“Sunburst-sama,” Starlight said.
“Uggh,” Sunburst said.  “Glad to see you as well, Starlight.”
Danged Spell just walked up to the two and looked down at them with a smile on his face.
“I guess Sunburst is in a….tight squeeze,” Danged Spell laughed.   “Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” the other younglings sans Starlight and Sunburst yelled as they all burst into laughter.
Golden Lace giggled a bit as she walked up to Wanda and Sunset.
“No wonder you guys are full of optimism,” Golden Lace said as she struggled to hold in her laughter.  
“That’s how we roll, Lace,” Sunset said.  “We’re a bunch of friends who look out for each other.  And sometimes give each other a hard time.  But we don’t go too far.”
“I think you’ll fit in well with the rest of us,” Wanda said as she placed her hand on Lace’s cheek.  “Sure you were horrible back then.  But you’re a much better pony now, and I do feel sorry for what you had to go through.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “We’re like a family.  And as a family, we are one together.”
“And not just that,”  Moondancer said as she sat Spike right next to Abigail.  “We’re also friends.  And friendship is magic.”  As Moondancer spoke, Abigail and Spike looked at each other and cuddled together.
Princess Celestia looked at the younglings interacting with each other.  She gave a wink to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor as the elder alicorn and her sister Princess Luna walked towards the carriage.  Cadence only looked on with a smile on her face as the two older alicorns walked away.
“I can’t believe this is our first trip out of the Equestrian nation in a long time,” Princess Luna said.
“Nether can I,” Princess Celestia said.  “But I can tell by your tone that you’re nervous.”
“Me? Nervous?” Princess Luna said with a fake laugh.  “No way.”
“Come on sister,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’m as nervous about this trip as you are.”
“You’re nervous?” Princess Luna said as she came to a stop.  “What is the one thing that makes you nervous?”
Princess Celestia came to a full stop as she felt something holding down her leg.  She looked down and saw Wanda Young hold onto the alicorn’s leg.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “I’m scared that you’re going to be going away.”
“I’m scared that I won’t be with you, my darling,” Princess Celestia said as she used her magic to pry Wanda off her leg and place her right to the side.  “But promise me you’ll be strong for your sisters and your friends.”
“Strong?” Wanda asked.
“Yes,” Princess Celestia replied.  “You demonstrated that with your dedication to your friends not long ago.  And as a result, you became the first non-pony to earn her cutie mark.  That’s the kind of strength that even I didn’t expect.  And I’m proud that you demonstrated that.  So promise me that you will be strong for them like you did that day.”
Wanda looked up at Princess Celestia as she slowly released her grip from her adopted mother’s leg.  Princess Celestia turned around and rubbed Wanda on the top of her head, causing the little man’s cub to giggle.
“So my darling,” Princess Celestia said.  “Do you promise to be strong for your sisters and your friends while I’m gone?”
“I promise,” Wanda giggled.
Princess Celestia lifted her hoof from Wanda’s head.  Wanda turned her around and ran towards Sunset Shimmer, who proceeded to hug the little man’s cub.  Celestia giggled as she saw her two daughters embrace each other.
“Mommy,” Wanda said as she turned to face Celestia.  “Promise that you’ll be back.”
“I will, my darling,”  Celestia said.  “And Sunset, make sure you and Cadance look after her.”
“That’s a one hundred percent promise, mother,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“And with that,” Celestia said as Princess Luna jumped into the carriage.  “We’ll be on our way.”
Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Spike the Dragon, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor all waved as Princess Celestia jumped into the carriage.  She stuck her head out and waved good-bye as the guards extended their wings and pulled the carriage faster and faster until it flew off from Canterlot.

Inside, Princess Celestia waved outside as she saw the younglings become far more distant.  She looked as Wanda disappeared into a small speck.  Celestia’s smile faded into a frown as she closed her eyes and sat right next to Princess Luna.
“This is going to be a long trip,” Princess Celestia said.  “I wish we didn’t have to leave Wanda and Sunset back in Canterlot.”
“That may be true, my lady.  But she’s gotta learn how to survive without you.”  Princess Celestia opened her eyes to see Majordomo Kibitz sitting across from her. 
“Kibitz,” Celestia said.  “I didn’t expect you to be joining us on this journey.”
“Well someone’s gotta keep an eye on you both while the Castle is being prepared for the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Kibitz said.  “King Myrrh is hoping we can get that treaty done so that the trade route between the Equestrian Mainland and Saddle Arabia is opened up.”
Princess Luna put her muzzle right next to Celestia’s ear and whispered “It was his idea.  I couldn’t stop him.”
Princess Celestia merely rolled her eyes as Princess Luna and Majordomo Kibitz giggled in delight.

Back down on the streets of Canterlot, right outside Twilight Sparkle’s house, everyone lowered their arms from waving as the carriage disappeared into the atmosphere.  Princess Cadance walked up to the door and turned to face the younglings.
“Okay,” Princess Cadance said.  “Who’s ready for a whole weekend of fun?”
Every youngling cheered in unison as Cadance used her magic on the doorknob.  But when she tried to turn, the knob stood there, stuck in place.
“Well,” Princess Cadance said as she began to sweat.  “This might be coming off to a bad start.”
As Cadance struggled to turn the doorknob, Shining Armor walked up right next to her holding a key in the air with his magic.
“Allow me,” Shining Armor said.  “Mom and dad entrusted me with this.”
“Oh, right,” Princess Cadance said as she blushed with embarrassment and walked away from the door.
Shining Armor inserted the key into the lock and turned it before turning the doorknob and opening the door.  He goes inside with Princess Cadance following from behind.
“Okay you two,” Pinkie Pie said as she pulled Danged Spell and Moondancer close to her.  “Are you ready to par-tay?”
“I’m up for the best weekend of my life,” Moondancer said.
“Bring it on, you wild animal,” Danged Spell replied with a smirk on his face.
With that, Pinkie Pie lets go of Moondancer and Danged Spell as the two walk in through the doorway.  Pinkie Pie followed behind with a clownish cartwheel.  Starlight and Sunburst looked at each other with a warm smile as Pinkie Pie disappeared through the doorway. 
“I haven’t been this excited since our last slumber party in Sire’s Hollow,” Starlight said as she clapped her hooves.
“You and I both,” Sunburst said.  “What do you say we go have some fun with our friends?”
“YAAAAAAY!” Starlight cheered as she ran through the doorway.  Sunburst just laughed before he followed Starlight through the door.  Golden Lace watched Sunburst go inside as Twilight and Sunset walked up to her with Spike riding on Twilight’s back.
“Truth be told,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ve never had a…”
“Slumber party?” Twilight interrupted.
“I’ve never had one with friends, either,” Sunset laughed.  “It does make two of us.”
“Or maybe three.” Twilight giggled.
“Well,” Golden Lace said with a smile.  “Let’s see what this slumber party is made of.”
Spike held onto Twilight’s back as the lavender filly walked through the doorway, with Sunset and Golden Lace right behind them.  Wanda looked outside with Abigail right beside her.
“My first slumber party,” Wanda said.  “I can’t wait to see what kind of fun I’ll have.”
But before Wanda could make a move, she unexpectedly coughed right into her hand.  She looked down and saw a few droplet particles.
“Oh dear,” Wanda said.  “I’m getting sick again?  Let’s hope I don’t miss out on all the fun.”
Abigail meowed as she and Wanda walked up to the doorway and through it.  But on a roof nearby, Cozy Glow had been looking down at the entrance to Twilight’s house.  Her face showed not of joy, but of concern.
“Something tells me I need to keep an eye out on little Wanda,” Cozy Glow said.  “This might be bad news.”

Later that evening, the carriage was flying above the desert sands as the sun began to set.  Inside, Princess Celestia just stared out the window, paying no attention to Princess Luna or Majordomo Kibitz, who were in the middle of talking with each other.
“King Myrrh has a son?” Princess Luna asked.
“I wonder where you have been in the last eight years,” Kibitz said with a humble chuckle.  “His son’s name is Hoofar and he considers him his pride and joy.  The two are inseparable.”
“Is that so?”  Luna said. 
“Oh I’m not kidding,” Kibitz replied.  “Everywhere the king goes, the young prince follows, learning a lot from his father.  They say parents can be the best teachers.
“Best teachers,” Princess Celestia muttered to herself, catching the attention of Luna and Kibitz.
“Sister,” Luna said.  “Are you alright?”
Princess Celestia snapped out of her trance and said “Yeah.  I’m fine.”
Kibitz took off his glasses and wiped off the smudge with a cloth before he said “I take it Princess Celestia feels homesick without Wanda or Sunset.”
“I’m afraid so,” Princess Luna said.  “It’s mainly Sunset and Wanda’s first time being without their mother.  But for my dear sister, it feels like she was more reluctant in letting them go.”
“And I assume it had to do with what happened in the past before Sunset and Wanda,” Kibitz said.
“Kibitz,” Luna said.  “You don’t even know half of it.”

Later that night, as the sun disappeared into the desert sky, the carriage landed in the north east wing of Saddle Arabia’s grand palace.  A semi-buff, unicorn male, dressed in royal garb, stood by as the carriage opened and Celestia, Luna and Kibitz came out.  Right next to him were members of his royal guard, and a young colt who stood by his side.  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked up to the unicorn king and bowed down.
“King Myrrh I presume,” Celestia said.
“Indeed,” King Myrrh said.  “I bid the Princesses of Equestria welcome to Saddle Arabia.”
“It is an honor to be here, your majesty,” Princess Celestia said with a bit of a somber tone.
“Though I do admit,” King Myrrh said.  “I didn’t expect Princess Celestia to be depressed.”
“My sister’s been going through alot since we departed Canterlot,” Princess Luna said.  “She had to leave her daughters behind after the Windigo’s Guild attacked La Maresa and the Storm King invaded Mount Aris.”
“Oh dear,” King Myrrh said.  “That is a shame.  My son, Prince Hoofar, would have been honored to have met the ones called Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.”
“Guess in the end,” Princess Celestia said.  “We tend to be more protective for their own good.”
“Indeed we do,” King Myrrh said.  “Anyway, our treaty negotiations will begin tomorrow.  For now, you both should get some rest.”
“Rest,” Celestia said.  “Yes.  That does sound like a good idea.”
Princess Celestia walked past King Myrrh and Prince Hoofar as she slowly made her way towards the castle.  Princess Luna walked up to King Myrrh, who looked more concerned 
"You know," King Myrrh said.  "We could always put this off for another day."
"It was my sister's insistence in wanting to get this completed," Princess Luna said.  "For your people's sake and for ours."
"Point taken," King Myrrh said.  "Perhaps I shall show you and your sister to your rooms."
King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar, Princess Luna and Majordomo Kibitz followed Princess Celestia as they approached the entrance to the Saddle Arabia palace.  Prince Hoofar looked at Princess Celestia and ran up closer to King Myrrh.
"Father," Prince Hoofar said.  "I know that Wanda and Sunset didn't come down to visit.  But I never saw Princess Celestia like that."
"It's because she fears for her daughter's safety and well-being," King Myrrh said to his son.  "Both her younger daughters."
"Just like how you cared for me?"
"Yes," King Myrrh said as he turned his head away.  "Ever since your mother's death, I have been watching over you, in hopes that I can make you the shining star of Saddle Arabia.  Like with Princess Celestia towards her daughters, I do share some concern for your well being.  Sometimes I do worry if you will live to see another day.”
“Dad,” Prince Hoofar said.  “I miss my mother as well.  But I promise I won’t let you down.”
“I know, my son,” King Myrrh said.  “That’s why I’m proud to have you by my side.  You serve as a shining example to our people, and to the hope that you bring them.  Never forget that.”
As the night began to shine down on Saddle Arabia, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Majordomo Kibitz, King Myrrh and Prince Hoofar walked into the palace, where the interior lit up like a warm flame that led the lost individual to their way forward.

Later that night, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were relaxing in a royal suite, with Majordomo Kibitz sleeping on a nearby bed.  Princess Celestia looked out at the moon shining in the distance with the image of a pony-like demon imprinted on it.  Princess Luna turned to her sister and placed her arm around her shoulder.
“Still thinking about Wanda and Sunset?”  Luna asked.
“You guessed right,” Princess Celestia said.  “Sometimes I do wonder if it was a good idea to leave them both in the care of others.”
“It’s like what Majordomo Kibitz said,” Luna replied.  “Wanda and Sunset will have to learn how to adapt without us.  What would happen if we both disappeared and they couldn’t figure out how to handle themselves?”
“There is still the concern that I could lose Wanda like I lost….her,” Celestia said as she lowered her head and closed her eyes.
“I know what you mean, sister,” Princess Luna said.  “You fear what happened to your other daughter from long ago will happen to Wanda or Sunset.”
“And it still bugs me to this day,” Princess Celestia replied.
Luna got off the bed and walked up to the balcony.  She looked up at the moon, reflecting deep on the inside.
“You’re not the only one who worries about losing a loved one,” Princess Luna said.  “Sometimes, I still fear that I could lose you as well.”
“Like when I became Daybreaker and nearly became lost to you,” Princess Celestia said. 
“I didn’t want to lose you to whoever that shade was,” Princess Luna said as she turned to face Princess Celestia.  “But at the same time, I didn’t want to hurt you either.  You’re my sister, and I have always cared for you since that incident.   And truth be told, I still get nightmares thinking about that fateful day.”
`I can understand what you mean, dear sister,” Princess Celestia said.  “I worry a lot because of the well-being of Wanda and Sunset.  You worry a lot because of my well-being.”
“I do,” Princess Luna said as she approached Princess Celestia.  “And I do fear that I may lose you one day, even if you don’t become Daybreaker again.”
“As if I were to die?” Princess Celestia said in a bit of shock.
“That….may be accurate,” Princess Luna said.  “But it’s also something I hope I don’t have to think about.”
Princess Celestia looked down as she placed her hoof over her heart.  She opened her hoof to her face and just stared right at it.
“Guess we both have a lot in common,” Princess Celestia said.  “Our own worries, our fears, our own doubts.  They can weigh us down even in the best of times.”
“Every one of us has our own worries,” Princess Luna said as she jumped onto the bed.  “King Myrrh has his concerns not just for his son, but also for his own people.  Likewise, the people of Saddle Arabia can worry about the well-being of their king and the prince.  It’s how we all think, and it’s how we all react.”
Celestia rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling before she said “Luna.  What would happen if Wanda was in major distress, but the same thing happened to me as well?”
“That is something I cannot answer,” Luna replied.  “For I do not know what the future may bring. But I can say this: Don’t worry about the future.   Worry more about the present..  We’ll get through this, one hundred percent.”
“I hope you’re right, Luna,” Princess Celestia said as the moon shone down on the Saddle Arabia night.


	To Be Continued in...


	Disaster strikes

> Arc 15-3: Disaster Strikes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Disaster Strikes



It was a lovely weekend morning in the city of Canterlot.  Wanda Young emerged from the house of Twilight Sparkle and breathed the fresh air.  Abigail ran up to the man’s cub from right behind her.
“Wanda.”  Wanda turned around to see Twilight Velvet emerging from the doorway.  “Remember to pick up some apples from Bright Mac today.”
“I will, Miss Velvet,” Wanda said.  “That was the plan today.  Besides, I’m looking forward to enjoying some delicious apple pie.”
Twilight Velvet smiled as Wanda and Abigail ran off in the distance of the quiet city.  Night Light emerged from behind Twilight Velvet and watched as Wanda disappeared into the city.
“I can’t believe we’ve been entrusted to look after the princesses of Equestria,” Night Light said.  
“Princess Wanda and Sunset are as precious to Princess Celestia as our little Twilight is,” Twilight Velvet said.  “They also mean a whole lot to us.”
“We’ve taken up a lot of responsibilities in looking after not just our own younglings,” Night Light said.  “But also Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace.  And now we have all of their friends as well.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Shining Armor and Princess Cadance have chosen to pitch in to help us out with the kids.  So that’s less to worry about.”
“I hope you’re right, honey,” Night Light said as he adjusted his glasses.
“But what’s also surprising is how Little Wanda became the first non-pony to earn her cutie mark,” Twilight Velvet said.  “It felt like history in the making the moment she showed it to us.”
“No kidding,” Night Light said.  “Never in my wildest dreams would I see a human from another world become a part of this equine family.  Especially one who now carries a cutie mark of her own.”
As Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked out the window, Princess Cadance stuck her head out from behind the doorway.
“Mr and Mrs Sparkle,” Princess Cadance asked.  “Where did Wanda go off to?”
“We sent her to pick up some apples,” Night Light said.  “For the apple pie for later today, remember?”
“Ohhhhh.” Princess Cadance replied.  “I almost forgot about that.  Better get ready for that.”

Down the street of Canterlot, Bright Mac has already set up his apple stand for various ponies to purchase his delicious, juicy apples.  A couple had just walked away from Bright Mac with a bag of apples in their saddlebag, and Bright Mac began to look over his merchandise.
“Uncle Bright Mac.”  Bright Mac looked downward to see Wanda and Abigail staring up at him, carrying some bits in her hands.
“Wanda,” Bright Mac said.  “I heard you and Sunset are staying at Twilight Velvet and Night Light’s house for the time being.  But I also heard rumors about you earning a cutie mark.”
“It’s true, Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda said as she turned around a bit and held up her shoulder. The big stallion laughed with joy as he looked at Wanda’s Cutie Mark: The two plumeria flowers.
“Wow,” Bright Mac laughed.  “I can’t believe it with my own eyes.  The first non-pony to earn her cutie mark.  That’s history in the making.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “Even I couldn’t believe I got one.”
“Well I also take it you came here for some apples for Light and Velvet,” Bright Mac said.
“Yeah,” Wanda replied as she held up the bits in her hand.  “It’s for making apple pie”
Bright Mac held out his hoof and Wanda placed the bits on top.  Bright Mac drops the bits into a small bag before pulling out a cloth bag.
“Well I know some good ones for that apple pie,” Bright Mac says as placed a good amount of Honeycrisp apples into the bag.  
“Been obsessing over pie at this time, Princess Wanda?”  Wanda looked to her left and saw Chancellor Cinch hovering over her, causing the young lady to freak out.  
“Miss Cinch,” Bright Mac said in a deep tone as he raised his head while carrying the bag of apples in his hoof.
“No need for hostilities, Bright Macintosh,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I only came here to check up on the man’s cub since Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are out of town.”
“I’m aware of that,” Bright Mac said as he lowered the bag down so that Wanda could grab it. 
“Then there isn’t much that I have to say,” Chancellor Cinch said.  
“Well I am trying to be careful, Miss Cinch,” Wanda said as she held up the bag of apples.  “And I’m trying to be a responsible lady like what Aunt Woona said to me.”
Suddenly, Wanda lost her footing, screamed and tumbled backwards, falling down on her rear as the apples spilled over.  Cinch, Abigail and Bright Mac ran up to the young lady as she struggled to get up.
“Are you alright, dear?” Cinch said as she reached her hoof out.  Wanda grabbed onto it and pulled herself up as Bright Mac gathered up all the apples.
“I’m fine,” Wanda said as Abigail ran up next to the human.  “I don’t want you to worry about me.”
“Believe me,” Cinch said.  “Ever since the Windigo’s Guild decided to invade La Maresa during the fair, I have been more worried about your well-being.  And unfortunately, the travesty at Mount Aris by the Storm King only made things worse.”
“The Storm King?” Bright Mac said as he placed the last apple in the bag.  “I heard legends of that horrible monster.  But not in this day and age.”
“It was fortunate that they didn’t run into that brute,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But I can only imagine what would happen if the Storm King did invade Canterlot.”
“I’m not afraid of the Storm King,” Wanda said.  “If we could take on the Windigo’s Guild and win, then the Storm King would be a piece of cake.”
“The Storm King is not as foolish as Coldnelius Snap or his Windigo’s Guild,” Cinch said as Bright Mac handed the chancellor the bag of apples.  “He’s a master of deception and a cold calculated chess master who stays one step ahead of all of us.  The last thing I need is for that monster to kidnap you or your sister.  Do you promise to never face that brute?”
Wanda looked up at Cinch square in the eyes and reluctantly said “Yeah.  I guess.”
Cinch hands the bag of apples to Wanda, who held onto it as tightly as possible.  The chancellor said “This isn’t just for your sake.  But for all of Equestria.  You’re a princess. It’s time to show the nation what you are capable of.”
Wanda bowed before Chancellor Cinch before she held onto the apples and walked off in the opposite direction with Abigail following behind.  But before Wanda could take a few steps further, Bright Mac yelled out “Wait,” causing Wanda to freeze in place.
“Uncle Mac?”  Wanda said.  “Why?”
“Because I’ll be back as soon as tomorrow,” Bright Mac said.  “And I’ll be bringing some friends from La Maresa to visit you and the rest of your friends.  Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie and Ditzy Doo will all be in the city tomorrow.”
“Really?” Wanda said.
“That’s right,” Bright Mac said.  “So you better be on your best behavior, because they are excited to see you and your friends again.”
Wanda bowed before Bright Mac with an excited look on her face.  She turned around and ran off, holding the bag of apples in her hand and with Abigail running right behind them.  Bright Mac and Chancellor Cinch watched as Wanda disappeared into the crowd.
“You think the Grand Galloping Gala will go off without a hitch?” Bright Mac asked.
“After the problems in La Maresa and Mount Aris,” Cinch replied.  “This is the one thing that will at least keep the spirits of Equestria alive.”

Sometime later, Wanda was slowly moving through the streets of Canterlot City with Abigail walking right behind her.  Her usual perky tone has slowed down a bit as she looked up at the sun.  Sweat was pouring from her forehead as Wanda panted for a bit.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “Where the hay did this heat wave come from?”
Abigail meowed at Wanda, causing the Man’s Cub to face her cat companion.
“I know Abby,” Wanda said.  “But we’re almost there.   I can taste that apple pie that will come out of the oven.”
“Almost might be an understatement.”  Overheard those words, Wanda looked left and right and saw nothing.  She looked up and saw Cozy Glow sitting atop a roof.
“I know you,” Wanda said.  “You're that new friend of Golden Lace.  What was your name again?  I….forgot.”
“Cozy Glow,” The curly-haired pegasus mare said as she flew down to Wanda’s level.  “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you as well,” Wanda said as she held out her hand.
“I don’t do hoof or hand shakes,” Cozy Glow replied.  
“Oh sorry,” Wanda said as she lowered her hand back down to her side.  It’s just that it felt like a long walk, and I’m about to make it home.”
“A long walk, am I right?”  Cozy Glow said as she pointed down the street.  Wanda turned around and saw Twilight Sparkle’s house only a block away.
“Oh, right,” Wanda said as she blushed.  “My bad.”
Wanda slowly held the apples up and walked towards the house with Abigail following right behind her..  The man’s cub coughed to the side and let out a mild sniffle.  Cozy Glow took notice and flew closer to Wanda.
“Here,” Cozy said as she grabbed the bag of apples from Wanda’s hands.  “Let me do the hard task for you.”
“Wait,”  Wanda said.  “I got this.”
Cozy Glow flew the bag of apples over the street and placed them on the steps of Twilight’s house.  Wanda and Abigail walked up to the house as Wanda felt short of breath.
“Wow,” Wanda said as she was catching her breath.  “What has gotten….into me?”
“You don’t look so good,” Cozy Glow said.  “Are you getting sick?”
“I’m not so sure,” Wanda replied as Abigail sat right next to her.  “I’ve been sick before.  But I don’t know if it was like this.”
“You might want to rest up and take it easy,” Cozy Glow said as she knocked on the front door.  “Trust me.  You don’t want to overdo it.”
“Thanks,” Wanda said as she wiped the sweat from her brow.  “I appreciate it.”
Cozy Glow flew off as the front door opened.  Wanda faced the opened door to see Princess Cadance, who approached her younger sister with a smile on her face.
“You got the apples, sis,” Cadance said.
Wanda giggled as Princess Cadance rubbed her younger sister on the head, before Cadance suddenly lifted her hoof off of Wanda’s head. 
“Err,” Princess Cadance said.  “How long have you been in the sun?  You’re feeling hotter than usual.”
“Only for a short while just to get the apples,” Wanda said as Princess Cadance lifted the apple bag off the ground with  her magic.
“Well come on in,” Princess Cadance said.  “All I need are these apples for the apple pie.
Wanda cheered as she and Abigail followed Princess Cadance into the house.

Meanwhile, in Saddle Arabia, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Majordomo Kibitz are following King Myrrh and Prince Hoofar through the city streets.  Many ponies who make up the citizens of the capital of the desert, cheered on the royal group who walked through.
“You seem to have a lot of ponies praising your rule,” Princess Celestia said.
“As king of Saddle Arabia,” King Myrrh explained.  “I am bound by a creed to watch over the well-being of my people.  It has been this way even before my grandfather came to be.”
“Sounds alot like how our mother used to watch over our people before we breathed our first breath,” Princess Luna replied.
“But as the King of Saddle Arabia,” King Myrrh said.  “I am also responsible for the injustices that occur within this sacred city.  From the petty thieves who steal from the humble villagers, to the monsters who take every bit from the ordinary.  We share a lot in common, Princess Celestia.”
“That’s only partially true,” Princess Celestia said. “The one thing I’m envious of you not having, is a corrupt political system that chains me and my sister down.”
“I’ve actually been hearing reports about Senator Twinkle Wish getting the approval of a new border wall without a majority vote,” King Myrrh said.
“It’s something I was forced to do,” Princess Celestia said as she turned her head away in shame, causing Princess Luna, Majordomo Kibitz and Prince Hoofar to look at her with a deep sense of concern.  “It’s only one of the many reasons why Equestria has corrupt political system.”
“I do question your senators back in Equestria,” King Myrrh said.  “But at the same time, even I can’t rule a nation by myself.  We do have our own political system to keep track of the needs of our people.  But we ensure that money is not used to poison real justice.”
“It’s a real shame what our political system has to put up with compared to Saddle Arabia’s,” Majordomo Kibitz whispered to Celestia.  “And right now, I do point my hoof at the Banks for their corruption.”
Suddenly, a little filly in the crowd loses control and tumbles in front of Celestia and Myrrh, causing the entire group to stop.  Celestia looks down at the earth pony filly, who seemed confused by the loss of her balance.
“Are you okay, little one?” Princess Celestia asked as she extended her hoof out.
The filly looked up at Princess Celestia and began to back up in fear.  King Myrrh approached the youngling and placed his hoof around the girl’s head.
“It’s alright,” King Myrrh said.  “She’s a friend from Canterlot.”
The little filly got up and looked at Princess Celestia.  She turned to King Myrrh, who nodded his head in assurance.  The filly turned back to Celestia who once again reached her hoof out.  The little one slowly, but surely, tapped Celestia’s hoof with her own.
“What is your name, little one?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Jasmine,” The filly replied.  “Jasmine Bloom.”
“Little Jasmine,” King Myrrh replied.  “Where are you parents?”
Jasmine Bloom turned her head away and said “They’re….they’re gone.”  Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, King Myrrh, Majordomo Kibitz and Prince Hoofar gasped as Jasmine’s words.
“This isn’t what I think this is,” Princess Celestia asked.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident here in Saddle Arabia,” King Myrrh said.  “We’ve been getting reports of younglings losing their parents and becoming orphans.  Even worse, we have yet to locate any whereabouts of the older ponies.”
“Just seeing something this horrible breaks my heart,” Prince Hoofar said.  “And it has been going on for the past month.”
Princess Celestia looked down at Jasmine Bloom and placed her hoof around the youngling’s face.  The child’s face beamed a bit as she rubbed her cheek around Celestia’s hoof.
“Tell you what, Jasmine,” Celestia said.  “How would you like to accompany us down our own journey?”
“That would be a splendid idea,” King Myrrh said.  “After what she went through, a little kindness will lift her spirits.”
Jasmine Bloom got up and went alongside Princess Celestia as the older alicorn, along with King Myrrh, Princess Luna, Prince Hoofar and Majordomo Kibitz walked down the path with the crowd watching in awe.  Majordomo Kibitz approached Luna and paced his muzzle around the moon princess’s ear.
“Call me crazy,” Majordomo Kibitz whispered.  “But there’s a part of me that thinks the Banks might have some slight involvement.”
“I don’t think you're crazy,” Luna whispered back.  “In fact, I think that theory might hold some water.  But in a scary way possible.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kibitz whispered.

Back in Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Abigail, Spike, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Golden Lace were at the table, stuffing their face full of apple pie as Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were enjoying both each other’s company and their respective slice.  Wanda just sat there as she barely took small bites of the pie.
“Boy is this good or what?” Pinkie Pie said.  “The cakes would be jealous of your cooking skills, Princess Cadance.”
“Yeah,” Starlight said as she gulped down what’s left of her pie slice.  “I haven’t had this great food since our time in La Maresa.”
“Well don’t thank me,” Princess Cadance replied.  “Twilight Velvet helped out.”
“Well you gotta hand it to my mother,” Twilight said.  “She sure knows how to….”
“Bake a mean apple pie?” Shining Armor replied as he gave Twilight a noogie on the head.
“Hey, knock it off, brother,” Twilight giggled.  “That tickles.”
“You know,” Golden Lace said.  “Most of the stuff I’ve had were boring hor d'oeuvres.  This feels like something I’ve been missing out on.”
“That’s what life is all about,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “It’s about trying out new things, and seeing if you enjoy them or not.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell said.  “When it comes to life, it’s as easy as pie.”
“Uggh, Danged  Spell,” Most of the younglings said in a collective groan as Danged Spell laughed.  
But Wanda paid no attention as she slowly ate another small piece of pie.  Twilight  Velvet arrived from the kitchen and saw the way Wanda was eating her pie.
“Wanda darling,” Twilight Velvet said as she approached the man’s cub.  “Are you alright dear?”
“I...I’m fine,” Wanda said as she paid little attention to Twilight Velvet.
“You don’t look like you’re enjoying the pie,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Twilight Velvet put her hoof on Wanda’s forehead.  Then she immediately removed her hoof as her face turned to shock.
“Oh dear,” Twilight Velvet said.  “You’re getting sick.”
Those words caused Sunset Shimmer, Princess Cadance and Twilight Sparkle to jump out of their seats and look at little Wanda, who eyes started to look a little watery.
“Wanda’s getting sick again?” Sunset said.
“I’m afraid so,” Twilight Velvet said as she got onto her two legs and lifted Wanda out of her seat with her hooves.  “Come on dear.  We’ll let you rest up and hope you feel better.”
“Mom,” Twilight Sparkle asked.  “How bad is it?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight Velvet replied.  “But if things get worse, we may have to take her to the hospital to get her checked out.”  Before she walked off, Twilight Velvet asked.  “I was wondering if she could use your bed to nap in so she could recover.”
“I planned on camping out down here,” Twilight Sparkle replied.  “So yes.  Make it so.”
Twilight Velvet carried Wanda out of the dining room and up the stairs, carrying Wanda in her arms while Abigail ran off after them.  Sunset Shimmer, Princess Cadance, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Shining ARmor, Pinkie Pie, Moondancer, Sunburst, Danged Spell, Spike and Golden Lace watched as Twilight Velvet took Wanda out of the room.
“That doesn’t sound real good for Wanda,” Moondancer said.
“It’s not the first time she’s gotten sick,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“That’s right,” Sunburst replied.  “She got a cold not long ago from being in the rain over concerns for a baby bird.”
“But this is far more serious,” Sunset Shimmer replied.  “Mother stated that Wanda is not protected from the hay fever virus.”
“The hay fever virus?” Golden Lace said.  “But aren’t we all protected from that?”
“We should be,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “But from what mother told us, they tried to inject Wanda with the vaccine when she was a baby.  She got a nasty case of the hives, and only a small portion of the protection.”
“Was it an allergy to the vaccine?” Starlight asked.
“We don’t know,” Princess Cadance replied.  “But we can only hope that if it is the virus, that it’s not doing any grave harm to Wanda.”
The younglings began to mutter with each other with a bit of nervousness in their tone.  Shining Armor looked at the ground and clapped his hooves in the air, attracting their attention.
“I think right now,” Shining Armor said.  “We shouldn’t let this drift in our mind for a while.  Perhaps a few shows on television will help out.
“I think Shining’s right,” Princess Cadance said.  “Worrying won’t help out.  I think we should take it easy.”

Later as the evening turned to night, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie and Golden Lace were watching some shows on the television with Shining Armor and Princess Cadance snuggled together on the couch.  Twilight Velvet and Night Light stood in the hallway entrance.  Though the group seemed content, Night Light and Twilight Velvet felt nervous.
“Do you think it’s okay for them to worry about Wanda that much?”  Night Light said.
“They chose to not think too much about Wanda’s illness,”  Twilight Velvet replied.  “Wanda is sick.  But I have hopes that she’ll make a recovery.  I even have some medicine ready for her, just in case.”
“We’re already under pressure to make sure the princesses will do fine,” Night Light said.  “What would happen if one of them perished?”
“Honey,” Twilight Velvet replied.  “It’s going to be okay.  Wanda may not be a pony.  But she’s as important to this kingdom as the rest of us.”
Suddenly, they heard meowing from the floor.  Twilight Velvet turned to her lower left and saw Abigail meowing and rubbing her paw on Velvet’s hoof.
“Is that Wanda’s cat?”  Twilight Velvet said.  
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Night Light said.
Abigail turned and ran up the steps with Night Light and Twilight Velvet running up after the little one, catching the attention of Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and the kids.
“Oh no,” Princess Cadance said.  “Little sister.”
“You think she’s gotten worse?” Sunset asked.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Princess Cadance said as she jumped off the couch. “Come on.  Let’s check up on her.”
Upstairs in Twilight Sparkle’s room, Twilight Velvet opened the door and turned on the light, gasping at what she saw.  Wanda Young sat next to one of the beds, looking even worse than before as Abigail came up, meowing desperately.  The cutie mark on her shoulder flashed brightly, catching the eyes of Twilight Velvet.
“Wanda,” Twilight Velvet said as she ran up to the sickened man’s cub.  “You’ve gotten worse than before.
“Where’s mommy?” Wanda said as she struggled to lift her arm into the air.

Outside, Cozy Glow looked inside the window as she saw Wanda laying there, helpless.  She turned away from the window and closed her eyes.
“I’ve got to get someone over there,”  Cozy said.   “And fast.”
Cozy Glow opened her eyes and saw Chancellor Abacus Cinch walking down the street.  An idea floated in her head.
“I recognize her,” Cozy Glow said.  “That’s the one who usually keeps an eye out on Wanda.  Cinch was it?  I’ve got to tell her.”
Cozy Glow flew down towards Chancellor Cinch, alerting the older mane in the process.
“Young lady,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “What is the meaning of this?”
“There’s a problem at one of the houses,” Cozy Glow said as she pointed to Twilight Sparkle’s house.  “The one you call a man’s cub isn’t feeling very well.”
“Princess Wanda,” Cinch said to herself.  She looked at Twilight’s house, then directed her attention towards Cozy Glow and said “Thank you for alerting me to this warning, young lady.  I’m afraid the worst case scenario is playing out.”
As Chancellor Cinch ran towards the house, Cozy Glow said to herself “I sure hope Wanda will be alright.”

Inside on the second floor, Twilight Velvet held the sick Wanda in her arms as she sat on the bed with Abigail right by her side.  Sitting across on the other bed was Night Light, Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Spike and Starlight Glimmer, watching helplessly as Twilight Velvet cradled Wanda in her arms.  Near the entrance to the room were Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, holding hooves as they could do nothing but watch with worry on their face.  Next to them were Sunburst, Golden Lace, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Pinkie Pie, watching helplessly.
“Miss Velvet,” Sunset said.  “Is my sister going to be okay?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight Velvet replied.  “I remember Twilight Sparkle being sick like this.  But I don’t think it was this serious.”
“Please don’t tell me this is the worst case scenario for Wanda,” Princess Cadance said.  “Even though she’s not a pony, she’s still my sister.”
“The kid’s gotta make it,” Shining Armor said.  “She’s got to be strong.  She’s got to be tough.”
“Is she….”  Starlight said as her eyes became watery.  “Is she going to die?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight Velvet said.
“I finally accepted you in friendship,” Golden Lace said.  “And now one of you may end up...dying?”  Golden Lace sighed as she added “Why does life have to be this cruel?”
Suddenly, they heard the sound of hoofsteps running through the hallway.  Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie moved out of the way as Chancellor Cinch ran into the room.
“What’s going on here?”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “A pegasi filly told me about what happened and..”
Chancellor Ciinch looked at Wanda resting in Velvet’s arms and she gasped in shock.  She ran up to Wanda and placed her hoof on the man’s cub’s head.  Immediately she removed it as the fear in her face was made even worse before turning her heads towards the rest of the group.
“GET HER TO A HOSPITAL,” Chancellor Cinch yelled.  “THIS INSTANT!”
“Oh no,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Don’t tell me this is what I think this is.”
“I fear it might be true,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’m afraid your sister might have the hay fever virus.”



	To Be Continued in….


	Fading Life

> Arc 15-4: Fading Life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Fading Life



It was near midnight at the Canterlot Hospital.  Wanda was rolled in on a wheeled stretcher with Abigail and Spike sitting next to her as two paramedics wheeled her in.  Sunset Shimmer, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Night Light, Twilight Velvet and Chancellor Cinch ran right next to the stretcher as they looked at Wanda laying there, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Mom...my,” Wanda said as the stretcher she was on continued down the halls of the hospital.
“Wanda, you don’t need to say anything,” Princess Cadance said.  “You’ll be alright.  Trust me.”
Everyone continued to rush down as they made their way through the hospital’s first floor.

Later that evening, in the royal suite of the hospital, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Chancellor Cinch, Abigail and Spike waited patiently outside in the lounge area.
“This is my fault,” Twilight Velvet said.  “If I had been fast enough, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“It’s not your fault,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “We all feared that this day would come for the man’s cub.  And I believe it may be the hay fever virus.”
“All we can hope is for the doctors to make sure Wanda is alright,” Sunset said.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.  Night Light got up and opened it.  Immediately, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow ran into the room and grouped around the door on the other side.
“Kids,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Weren’t you supposed to stay at home?”
“Mom,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “This is Wanda Young who’s in there.  She’s our friend, and I hope for her to survive what she’s going through.”
“That’s why we all had to come in,” Pinkie Pie replied.  “You’re not the only ones who’s concerned for Wanda.  We all are.”
“Besides,” Cozy Glow said.  “I was the one who alerted the chancellor to Wanda’s condition.  If she’s Golden Lace’s friend, then she’s my friend as well.”
“Cozy,” Golden Lace said.  “Thanks.”
“You don’t need to think about it,” Cozy Glow said.  “All we can do now is wait.”
“For someone who’s a friend of Lace,” Danged Spell said.  “You sure are resourceful.  Are you sure you’re not some kind of spy?”
“Me?  A spy?”  Cozy Glow said as she let out a raspberry.  “I was just doing what I thought was right.”
As Cozy Glow stood watching the doorway, Moondancer approached Spell with a cold look on her face.
“That was rather tone deaf of you, Spell,” Moondancer said.
“Well excuse me, Moondancer,” Danged Spell said.  “But even I have my concerns, and not just with Wanda.”
“Right now,”  Moondancer replied.  “We need to keep our focus on Wanda and less on everything else.”
Suddenly, the door opens and a middle aged stallion in a lab coat walked out of the office.  The younglings moved out of the way as Princess Cadance, Twilight Velvet and Chancellor Cinch approached the doctor.
“Chancellor,” the doctor said.  “I’m Doctor Trotdale, director of this hospital and the head of the royal suite medical staff.”
“Doctor Trotdale,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I regret asking you about Princess Wanda.  But I fear that she may have the hay fever virus.”
“I’m afraid you’re right,” Dr Trotdale said.  “ Princess Wanda Young has come down with the hay fever virus.  Her antibodies won’t be able to hold up much longer.  But we have attached a iv to her that contains a special drug.  It should be able to help ward off the infection.  But with a catch.”
“I take it that this wasn’t done for a filly,” Princess Cadance asked.
“It was performed on various fillies and colts across Equestria,” Trotdale replied.  “And it was also used on a hippogriff chick when she had the hay fever virus.  But this has never been done on a human, much less her.  We’re doing all we can to monitor her activities.”
Dr Trotdale opened the door and walked everyone inside the suite’s many hospital rooms.  Inside as Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Abigail, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie and Cozy Glow approached the bed, there was Wanda lying in there, wearing a medical gown instead of her dress.  An IV tube was inserted into her arm, connected to a bag of a medical liquid.  A transparent oxygen mask was attached to her mouth as she breathed in and breathed out.  Wanda looked at the group that approached her and lied there, helplessly.
“Friends,” Wanda said as she struggled to speak.  “Where’s….mommy?”
“This is worse than I can imagine,” Princess Cadance said.
“As I stated,” Dr Trotdale said.  “All we can do now is wait as the cocktail takes effect and helps out with her antibodies and t-cells in fighting off this virus.  And we’ll be monitoring her condition twenty four seven.
Trotdale felt a tug on his coat.  He looked to his left and saw Starlight Glimmer looking up at him.
“Will she...die?”  Starlight said.
“I don’t know, young lady,” Dr Trotdale said.  “This is the first time we’ve administered this treatment on a human child.  But we’ll do what we can to make sure she lives through this.”
“She better,” Danged Spell said.  “Out of all of us, she’s really special.”
“She sure is,” Moondancer said as she put her arm around Danged Spell.  “And I do hope that she can survive the hay fever virus in her.”
“Right now,” Dr Trotdale said.  “The best thing we can do is to let her rest.  That way, the cocktail can take effect and allow her to fight off this virus.”
“I understand what you mean,” Sunset said.  “But at the same time, I don’t want to leave her side.  I at least want to let her know that we’re with her.”
As Sunset Shimmer stood up on her two legs, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Abigail, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow stood right next to her, cuddling together.
“Very well,” Dr Trotdale said.  “As long as you don’t disturb her, it will be alright.”
As Dr Trotdale approached Wanda and wrote down some notes on a pad, Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch walked out of the room and into the lounge.  Cadance had a sad look on her face as she struggled to hold in her tears.
“This has been going on so fast,” Princess Cadance said.  “And now, I don’t know what we can do to help Wanda in this time of need.”
“Princess Celestia needs to be alerted of this development,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “She has every right to know about Wanda’s condition, even though she’s supposed to be negotiating with King Myrrh in Saddle Arabia.”
“You’re not suggesting….”  Princess Cadance said.
“Yes,” Chancellor Cinch said as she got out a piece of parchment paper and a feather pen.  “And don’t you worry.  You won’t be in trouble.”
Princess Cadance swallowed hard and said “Okay.  Let’s do this.”

Later at Saddle Arabia, dishes once filled with food lie on one end of the table as King Myrrh had a large parchment laid out on another table.  Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and MAjordomo Kibitz looked down and read the contents while Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom watched from another table.
“So what you’re going with, is that it’s far worse than a drought?”  Princess Celestia said.
“Someone’s been diverting water from our rivers,” King Myrrh said.  “More and more ponies will succumb to thirst if this is not stopped.”
“That sounds alot like the Windigo’s Guild,” Princess Luna said.  “But why your water out of all places.”
“That even I can’t seem to figure out,” King Myrrh said.  “Also, once the situation has been dealt with, we can trade some of our fresh produce with your kingdom.”
“I believe our friends at Mount Aris also have some goods to trade as well,” Princess Celestia said.
“Ahh yes,” King Myrrh said.  “Queen Novo and her hippogriffs.  I heard what happened with the Storm King invading their kingdom.”
Suddenly, a stream of magic came into the room and floated towards the group before transforming into a parchment letter, surprising everyone.  Majordomo Kibitz looked down and saw the royal seal of Canterlot.
“My lady,” Majordomo Kibitz said.  “It’s from Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch.”
Princess Celestia picked up the parchment and unraveled it.  She read the contents and proceeded to freak out.
“Sister,” Princess Luna said.  “What happened?”
“It’s Wanda,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “The hay fever virus has infected her and she’s been hospitalized.”
Princess Celestia got out of her seat, unfolded her wings and ran towards the doorway.
“Princess,” King Myrrh yelled.  “Where are you going?”
“Back home,” Princess Celestia said.  “My daughter needs me.”
As Princess Celestia ran out the door, King Myrrh yelled “Wait.  There’s a sandstorm approaching the desert.  You won’t make it.”
“A sandstorm?”  Princess Luna said as she got out of her seat.
“Something I should have warned you both about if you were going to step a hoof outside this city,” King Myrrh said.  “I got a report from my guards this morning that there is a good chance of a sandstorm this evening.  The city has a special mechanism so that we can weather this horrible event.  But your sister is putting herself in grave danger by flying out of the city’s limits.”
“Then we have to follow her and make sure she’s alright,” Princess Luna said.
“Oh dear,” King Myrrh said.  “I was afraid of this.”
“Dad,” Prince Hoofar said.  “What can we do?”
“For their sake,” King Myrrh said.  “We have to go after Princess Celestia and make sure the sandstorm doesn’t take her life.  Like it took...her.”

Outside in the desert night, Princess Celestia flies off from Saddle Arabia as she heads northbound to Canterlot.  Sweat poured down the side of her cheek as she zoomed far away from the desert capitol.
“Hang in there Wanda,” Princess Celestia said to herself.  “Mommy’s coming.”
As Celestia flew as fast as possible, she saw what looked like a dust storm kicking in from the east.  She watched in horror as it inched closer to her.
“Say this isn’t so,” Princess Celestia said as she paused to watch the storm of sand fly in closer to her.  “A sandstorm.”
Celestia turned tail and flew westbound.  But the sandstorm came closer and closer to the Princess.  It didn’t take long for the cloud of sand particles to engulf the princess.
Inside the sandstorm, Princess Celestia struggled to fly through as she kept her eyes shut.  She began to descend downwards as the sand weighed her down.
“No,” Celestia thought to herself.  “I’m losing the fight.”
Suddenly, a stone flew out of nowhere and hit Celestia on the side.  She lost control and spun downward until she hit the sand on the ground.  Celestia got her head up and covered her face as the sand began to cover her.
“This,”  Celestia thought to herself.  “This can’t end like this.  I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to lose Wanda either.”
Princess Celestia attempted to get up and struggled to walk through the sand before collapsing down on the ground.  As she laid there, she noticed a carriage with a pair of pegasi guards flying in towards her.  
“Sister,” Celestia thought to herself.  “Is that….you?”
Celestia began to reach out to the carriage before she collapsed completely.

“SISTER!”

Later that night, Princess Celestia woke up in a cave.  Standing over her was King Myrrh, who looked down at the broken princess.
“I was afraid the sandstorm would claim another life,” King Myrrh said.  “But it appears you’re alright.  Well, except for your wing.”
As Princess Celestia struggled to get up, she saw one of her wings limping out on her side.  When she tried to lift her wing, she felt a crack and screamed really loud.
“Sister, take it easy,” Princess Luna said as she came to Princess Celestia’s side.  “That was pretty reckless to fly out of there.”
“I know,” Princess Celestia said.  “But Wanda…”
“You need to take it easy,” Majordomo Kibitz said as he placed a wooden splint under Celestia’s wing and began to wrap it in a medical cloth.
“How….how did you find me?” Princess Celestia asked.
“When you flew off towards Canterlot,” King Myrrh replied.  “We were quick to return to the palace and board your carriage to take off in pursuit.  Your sister was quick to find you in the sandstorm thanks to her magic.  Even more so, this nearby cave was the only place that could shelter us.  Including my son and the filly you ran into.”
Princess Celestia turned her head to see Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom approach the injured alicorn.
“Are you going to be alright, Princess?” Jasmine Bloom asked.
“I don’t know,” Princess Celestia said.
But before Princess Celestia could get up, King Myrrh placed his hoof gently on Celestia’s side, causing her to lie back down.
“Easy there,” King Myrrh said.  “Even if your injuries were not serious, we are all stuck here for quite a while.”
“King Myrrh’s right,” Princess Luna said.  “The sandstorm is still covering the desert, and it would be reckless to depart at all.”
“So what can I do?”  Princess Celestia asked as she laid there with a broken wing.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to relay the bad news back to Princess Cadance,” Princess Luna said.
“I was afraid fate would force her onto the throne,” Princess Celestia replied.  “But it has to be done.”
Princess Luna pulled a piece of parchment paper from a knapsack and placed it on the rock.  She took out a feather quill, dipped it in ink and wrote some words down.  While Luna was writing down her message, Jasmine Bloom and Prince Hoofar jumped up near Princess Celestia.
“I feel like I’ve been down this path before, Princess,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But at the same time, I’m afraid I don’t want to talk much about it.”
“Why is that, little prince?”  Celestia asked.
Prince Hoofar looked down and said “I still get nightmares, thinking about it.”
Jasmine Bloom placed her arm around Hoofar and said “If you’re worrying about me, then I’ll be fine.  I promise.”
Prince Hoofar looked at Jasmine Bloom and barely cracked a smile.

Back in Canterlot, nightfall still covered the majestic city as the royal suite of the Canterlot Hospital remained quiet.  Sunset Shimmer was in the very room where Wanda Young slept in her hospital bed.  Her eyes, while tired, kept her focus straight on Wanda.  Next to Sunset was little Abigail, who also stood there looking at her companion.
“You can’t seem to sleep, Sunset?”  Sunset stood there, keeping her eyes on Wanda, while Twilight Sparkle walked into the room.
“Afraid so,” Sunset said.  “I still can’t believe Wanda’s life is in danger because of this virus.  All I can do is wait until mother gets here.”
“It’s going to be okay, Sunset,” Twilight said.  “I believe Wanda will pull through and recover from the virus.   She’s gotten through a whole lot worse.”
“Like with that roc and what happened in La Maresa?” Sunset said as she finally turned to face Twilight.
“And when Princess Skystar took her from us on Mount Aris,” Twilight said.  “She’s been through alot.  But she hung on because she remembers that her family and friends are always there for her.  And she was there for us.”
“But I’m also worried,” Sunset said.  “What if Wanda doesn’t make it?  What if the virus kills her in the end?”
“It won’t happen,” Twilight replied.  “Wanda’s got the best medical staff in Equestria.  And I can assure that once Princess Celestia arrives, she’ll be there for you, for Wanda, for Cadance and for everyone in this suite.”
“Thanks Twilight,” Sunset said as she put her arm around the purple unicorn filly.
As Twilight, Sunset and Abigail stare at Wanda, who was still sleeping in bed, they overheard a voice yell out “SUNSET!  TWILIGHT! COME HERE THIS INSTANT!”  This caused the trio to jump onto their four legs and run out the doorway.

In the lounge, Princess Cadance was reading a letter in her hooves as her face turned into complete horror.  Next to her was Chancellor Cinch, Shining Armor, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, with Starlight, Sunburst, Spike, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie PIe, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow watching from the various sofas.  Twilight, Sunset and Abigail ran right next to Princess Cadance as the alicorn could barely catch her breath.
“Sister,” Sunset said.  “What happened?
“It’s worse than I thought,” Princess Cadance said.  “This letter is from Princess Luna and it just came in immediately.”
“What does it say?”  Twilight Sparkle said.
Princess Cadance held the letter up close and said “To Princess Cadance.  We regret to inform you that we are marooned in a cave in the middle of the desert, with a powerful sandstorm trapping us inside.  Even more so, Princess Celestia has been badly hurt, trying to get back to Canterlot after getting your last message.  Until further notice, you are now the acting ruler of Equestria.  Signed, Princess Luna.”
“WHAT?”  Twilight and Sunset yelled.
“This is Luna’s writing without a doubt,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “And unfortunately, even I didn’t expect this worse case scenario to play out.”
“So you mean to tell me that mother is…..in trouble?” Sunset said as her eyes shrunk down.
Chancellor Cinch got up and said “I’m afraid so.  And unlike with the man’s cub, there is nothing we can do about it.  It’s too dangerous to plan a rescue mission with a sandstorm like that.”
Sunset’s eyes began to water.  She closed her eyes and ran into another room, crying loudly before shutting the door.  Abigail just walked up to the door and scratched at it, desperately meowing for attention.
“Poor Sunset,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “First her sister gets hospitalized.  Now the report says that the princesses are stranded with Celestia badly hurt.”
“And we were already worried about Wanda’s sake,” Twilight Velvet said.  “To think we may lose the Princesses as well.”
“You still have me,” Princess Cadance said.  “And as much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m afraid I’m going to have to assume the title of ruler until further notice.”
“And you have my assistance, Princess Cadance,” Chancellor Cinch said as she stood firm.
As Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch began to walk out, Shining Armor got up and yelled out “Wait.”  Cadence and Cinch turned around to see Shining Armor approach the two.
“I’m coming with you,” Shining Armor said.  “If anything, I’ll be by your side until this nightmare ends.”
“Thanks Shining,” Cadance said as she kissed Shining Armor on the cheek.
“Come Princess,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “We must inform the press and discuss the events that transpired.  The first being Princess Wanda catching the hay fever virus, and the second being Princess Celestia and Princess Luna caught in a sandstorm.”
Princess Cadance nodded as she, Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch walked out of the royal suite of the hospital.  But as they disappeared, the remaining younglings began to worry.
“First Wanda comes down with a disease that could kill her,” Danged Spell said as he grit his teeth.  “Now Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are marooned in the desert and they could die?  ARRRRRGHH!  I FEEL SO HELPLESS!”
With that, Danged Spell ran up to a nearby wall and pounded it in frustration.  Everyone watched as Danged Spell continued to take his anger out on that wall.
“I’ve never seen every pony on edge in my life,” Twilight said.  “This makes the incident in La Maresa pale in comparison.”
“Tell me about it,” Pinkie Pie said.  “And speaking of which, I just learned that the rest of our friends from La Maresa will be paying a visit later today.”
Twilight just let out a sigh and said “I don’t know how you figured that out.  But once they do arrive, we’ll have to inform them about Wanda’s condition.”
“Do you think…” Starlight said as she began to sniffle.  “Wanda is going to...to?”
Before she could speak, Starlight turned around and cried into Sunburst’s chest.  Sunburst could do nothing but comfort the little filly.
“I’m hoping that’s not the case,” Sunburst said.  “But to worry about Wanda’s life is now an understatement.”
“We all know,” Golden Lace said.  “With all that chaos going around here in Canterlot and in the desert of Saddle Arabia, who knows what my parents will do once they learn of this.”
“It’ll be okay,” Cozy Glow said as she put her arm around Lace’s back.  “We can get through this.  Even in these times.”
“Cozy,” Golden Lace said.  “I hope you’re right.”
As Cozy Glow and Golden Lace embraced each other, Moondancer looked at Danged Spell, who went from pounding the wall to crying directly on the wall.
“We all gotta get through this,” Moondancer said as she approached Danged Spell and placed her hoof on Spell’s back.  “For Wanda’s sake and for Celestia and Luna’s sake.”

It was the early morning outside the Canterlot Hospital.  The crowd of ponies were gathered outside the entrance as Dr Trotdale approached the podium.  Right behind them, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch sat nearby.
“Well this is it,” Princess Cadance said to herself.  “This is where Equestria will learn the truth.”
“We’ll get through this,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “No matter what, I have your back.”
As Dr Trotdale approaches the microphone, he taps it a bit and puts his mouth nearby.  Everyone in the group, along with the video cameras, draw their attention to the doctor.
“As you all know,” Dr Trotdale said.  “Wanda Young, daughter of Princess Celestia, has been hospitalized with a serious case of the hay fever virus.  Long ago, we injected her with a vaccine to protect her against the virus.  But it caused serious complications with hives and a sharply reduced antibody and t-cell count.  As a result, we had to prepare for this worst case scenario.  As I speak, she is resting comfortably and we are monitoring her conditions in case the virus does fight back.”
The crowd began to mutter as Dr Trotdale loosened the collar around his coat.  He put his mouth near the mic and began to speak.
“WIth that being said,” Dr Trotdale announced. “Princess Cadance will speak on behalf of the royal family, as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are not available in this fine city.”
Dr Trotdale stepped down from the podium as Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch stepped forward.  Princess Cadance approached the microphone and cleared her throat.
“While I am waiting for the day where my younger sister Wanda Young will be cured of this virus, I’m afraid I have some horrible news to report,” Princess Cadance said with a heavy heart.  “I just learned that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are trapped in a sandstorm north of Saddle Arabia.”
The crowd gasped at Princess Cadance’s words as they turned towards each other.  The sound of fear and uncertainty filled the air from the ponies gathered around the hospital.
“To make matters worse,” Princess Cadance said.  “I also learned that my mother Princess Celestia has been badly hurt when she tried to return home.  So until further notice, I will assume command as acting leader of Equestria.”
As the crowd continued to talk to each other, a reporter from ENN came out of the crowd, levitating a magical tablet and a stylus.
“But how will you, a youngling, be able to serve the people of Equestria?”  The reporter asked.  Princess Cadance stepped aside as Chancellor Cinch positioned herself in front of the microphone.
“I’ll answer that question,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Though Princess Cadance will be acting ruler, I will be advising her through these difficult times.  So in a way, I will still call the shots.  Furthermore, we have agreed to rule from the royal suite in Canterlot Hospital until Princess Wanda recovers.  Should that event play out, we will most likely return to the palace.”
As Cinch moved away from the mic, the reporter asked “But what about the Grand Gallopin Gala?”
Princess Cadance placed her face near the mic and said “Right now, we will continue with the Gala as planned.  Even if we lose Celestia and Luna, the show must still go on for the moment.”
As Cadance moved her head away, the reporter asked.  “And what if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were to die?”
Princess Cadance moved her head back to the microphone and said “Then I will ascend the throne in their memory, and carry out their wishes.  That will be all.”
The crowd muttered as Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch and Shining Armor moved away from the podium and walked back towards the hospital entrance with Dr Trotdale beside them.  The reporter asked “What about the Banks?  Aren’t you beholden to them?”  But Cadance just ignored it and walked through the entrance.
Inside, Princess Cadance breathed a sigh of relief as she walked through the halls alongside Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch and Dr Trotdale.
“You did what Celestia would have done, Princess Cadance,” Chancellor Cinch said.  
“I know,” Princess Cadance said.  “Now all we can do is wait and watch until further notice.”
“If there’s anything you need help with,” Shining Armor said.  “I’m here.”
Cadence turned to Shining Armor and said “Is there anyone you can contact to entertain the children during this period.”
“I think I might know a couple of ponies,” Shining Armor said.  “Do you remember Buck Withers?”
“You mean that hunter who had a crush on me and was considered an inspiration to the younglings?” Cadance replied.  “Do it.”
“Understood, my lady,” Shining Armor said.  “And by the way, he and Lemony Gem got married.”
“Congrats to him,” Cadance said.  “Now go.  They need as much morale as possible.”
Shining Armor saluted Princess Cadance and went in the opposite direction.  Cadance turned to Dr Trotdale.
“Doctor,” Princess Cadance said.  “Continue to monitor Wanda’s health.  If her condition worsens, do what you can to keep her alive.”
“You need not say another word, your majesty,” Dr Trotdate said.  “I’m already on it.”
As Dr Trotdale walked away from the group down the halls, Princess Cadance turned towards Chancellor Cinch.
“Chancellor,” Princess Cadance said.  “Are there any plans that were to happen today?”
“I just found out that Queen Novo and Princess Skystar will be arriving this afternoon,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Days earlier than expected.”
“No doubt it’s for the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Princess Cadance replied.  “I better prepare to go down there and give them the bad news.”
Chancellor Cinch put her hoof on Cadance’s shoulder and said “We’ll go down together.  I’ll have the guards keep watch in case someone tries to break in and endanger the guests in the suite.”
“Thanks Chancellor,” Princess Cadance said.  “Guess it’s time to carry out our tasks.”

Meanwhile, in the streets of Canterlot, the news was airing on a flat screen television, right behind the glass window of a nearby store.  Many ponies were crowded up, watching Dr Trotdale, Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch’s speeches.  But directly in front of the crowd was Bright Macintosh, who had Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie and Ditzy Doo right next to him.
“Wanda is sick?” Rainbow Dash said. 
“To think,” Bright Mac said.  “He was feeling fine just yesterday before I came back down to get you younglings.”
“What do you suppose will happen to her?”  Ditzy Doo asked.  “Or to Princess Celestia and Luna?”
“I don’t know,” Rarity said.  “But I still remember that dress I made for her and Sunset.  It was for their trot through the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“It’s not fair,” Applejack said.  “How is it that the hay fever virus was able to bring down Wanda that fast?”
“I heard it’s because she had a horrible reaction to the vaccine,” Fluttershy said.  “Poor kid.  Trying to get protected from a serious virus and this had to happen.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie will not accept this,” Trixie said.  “I came up here with you all to see Wanda, and I want her to be as Great and Powerful.”
“Younglings,” Bright Mac said.  “We better head to the hospital and pay Wanda a visit.  And let’s hope this isn’t good-bye, for good.”
Bright Mac moved his hat downward as he got up and out of the crowd while Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie and Ditzy Doo followed Bright Mac through the streets of Canterlot



	To Be Continued in….


	Friends from all places

> Arc 15-5: Friends from All Places
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Friends from All Places



Silver Banks sat in the middle of a dark, empty bedroom within the mansion.  He looked down at the lone bed next to a window still, which had a number of luxurious plushies sitting on top of it.  A table with a mirror sat nearby, looking like it was starting to collect dust.  The dresser on the opposite end was barely opened from the top shelf.  
Silver Banks looked down at one of the plushies before picking it up with his magic.  He placed his hoof on the plushie’s chestpiece before holding it tight.
“Have I been too tough on you, my precious?” Silver Banks said in silent.  “I wanted to discipline you for your rebellious attitude.  But now, I feel like your punishment has only drifted me from you.   If only I haven’t attempted to swat you back at that school.”
“Still taking pity on that traitor, darling?” Silver Banks turned around to see Gold Banks standing in the doorway.
“I do,” Silver Banks said.  “We raised Golden Lace to be exactly like us: cruel, harsh, and stern.  Whatever Princess Celestia did to change our daughter, it worked too well.”
Gold Banks just laughed and said “We’ll deal with her when we get the chance.  But right now, have you heard the news?”
Gold Banks threw the newspaper next to Silver Banks, who proceeded to pick it up and read it.
“Princess Celestia and Luna trapped in a sandstorm,” Silver Banks read.  “Princess Cadance assumes leadership till further notice.”
“That’s right,” Gold Banks said with a smile on her face.  “We forgot to bring up a little detail to Princess Celestia when it comes to….oh let’s say…detention camps for illegal immigrants.”
Gold Banks pulls a rolled up parchment out from her dress and unrolls it before placing it on the bed.  Silver Banks looks down and reads it.
“Interesting,” Silver Banks said as his frown turned into a smirk.  “And to think, we actually forgot all about it.”
Gold Banks lets out a slight chuckle as she adjusts her mane with her hoof.  She turned to Silver Banks and said “Princess Cadance is far younger, and far less experienced than her adopted mother and aunt.  She’ll break easily the moment we force her to sign the document.”
“One small problem,” Silver Banks said as he got up and turned towards Gold Banks.  “She’s focused more on the well-being of her man’s cub sister.  So she’s held up in that hospital until further notice.”
Gold Banks laughed before she said “That’s why we have to wait until she makes another speech towards the ponies of Equestria.  Then when she’s distracted, we’ll force her to sign the document.  She’ll break even faster than Princess Celestia, and our legacy will expand beyond a simple border wall.”
Silver Banks’ mood lifted up as a diabolical smirk formed on his face.  He faced Gold Banks and said “I like how you’re thinking, my precious.  When should we start?”
Gold Banks fanned her face with her hoof and said “Wait until they are about to make a speech towards the ponies of Equestria.  Then we’ll make our move.  And make sure you’re as vicious as you were towards Celestia.”
Silver Banks lets out a loud, angry scream into the air before he said  “How’s that?”
“Perfect,” Gold Banks said.  “Just perfect.”


Later that afternoon in the middle of the desert, the blistering sandstorm continued to blanket the land in a harsh environment.  Deep inside the cave, Princess Celestia laid on her backside atop a rock with her wing wrapped in a splint.  Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom watched over the injured princess while Princess Luna, King Myrrh and Majordomo Kibitz looked over some notes right between Princess Celestia and their carriage.  A few winged guards stood in front of the entrance as sand continued to blow through the desert.
“So we can consider sending some of our troops down to find the ones responsible for taking Saddle Arabia’s waters,” Princess Luna said.  “And if it is the Windigo’s Guild, we will deal with them.”
“And I heard that some of the trade goods from the hippogriff tribe involve fish,” King Myrrh said.  “I have never eaten another living being in my lifetime.”
“I was that same way as well,” Princess Luna said.  “But I heard fish is actually pretty tasty.  Besides, the winter ponies who live up in the great north are known for eating fish.”
“Is that so?”  King Myrrh asked.  “Maybe a bit of coriander, turmeric or allspice will be able to help me mask the flavor.”
“Those sound like exquisite spices, King Myrrh,” Majordomo Kibitz said.
“Indeed,” King Myrrh said.  “In fact, that last meal you had was topped with those spices.  And I even packed some away just in case of this kind of emergency.”
“Well now you think of everything,” Kibitz chuckled.
As Princess Celestia watched Luna, Kibitz and Myrrh talk over the plans, she struggled to get up and let out a low toned groan, catching the trio’s attention.
“Sister,” Princess Luna said as she got up and approached Princess Celestia.  “Take it easy.  It’s going to be awhile before we can depart the cave.”
“This is all my fault,” Princess Celestia said.  “Had I not departed the city and recklessly flew towards Canterlot by myself, we wouldn’t have been  in this mess.”
“It happens to all of us,” Princess Luna said.  “Besides, had I been in your spot, I would have done the same thing.”
“Your sister is right, Princess Celestia,” King Myrrh said.  “The parent’s love towards his or her child is said to be the strongest bond ever.  It can bring us joy when we are together, and help us through our tough times.  But when one side of the bond is broken off…”
“The other side greaves for him or her,” Princess Celestia replied.
“That is why you were desperate to return to Canterlot,” King Myrrh said.  “You wanted to make sure your daughter was alright.  While the parent can feel pain when losing the child, the same is said for the reverse.”  
King Myrrh looked up at the ceiling of the cavern as his smiling face turned into a frown.
“I never told you this,” King Myrrh said.  “But back when Prince Hoofar was a baby, I traveled the desert sea with my beloved wife, exploring new places and seeing new faces.  But one day on our way back, a sandstorm like this popped up, bringing our ride down.  It served as our only form of shelter as we had to hunker down.”
“What happened?” Princess Celestia asked.
King Myrrh sighed and said “A portion of what was left of our ride broke off.  Prince Hoofar was exposed to the elements and his life was in danger.  My wife took the initiative and shielded baby Hoofar with her body.  I remember the last words she said to me: ‘Do not worry about me.  As long as our boy survives, that’s what matters the most.’  Those were the words I remembered her yelling.”
“Did you try to get her to stop?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I couldn’t,” King Myrrh said.  “When I tried to reach out to her just to pull her in, she slapped my hoof away.  It was the last moment I saw of her alive.  When the sandstorm was gone, Prince Hoofar survived the incident and is with us today.  My wife….did not make it.”
“Oh dear,” Princess Celestia said.  ‘She saved your son, at the cost of her life.”
“In a way, you do remind me of my wife,” King Myrrh said.  “Even despite trading her life for her son, she cared a whole lot for him.  She wanted to see him grow up in a world where hope and light can shine in the darkness and apathy that has been spreading everywhere.  And even after everything you go through in your land with your political financers, you still hold your head high for your people, and for your children.”
As Princess Celestia’s face turned into a subtle smile, she looked at both Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom, who looked down at the alicorn with a bit of hope in their heart.
“Princess,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Ever since I learned about my mother’s death, I have vowed to uphold her memory of treating others with respect.  In a way, you do remind me of what little memory I have of her.”
“Ponies once talked about the queen long before I even stepped a single hoof on the sands of this desert,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “Is it true that you share many of those values with her?”
“I don’t just share those values,” Princess Celestia said.  “I taught her those values when she was a student at my school.  She did so much for the people here, that when she died, I wasted no time coming down here to pay my respects.”
“Then you do share the same aura that my mother used to have,” Prince Hoofar said.
“Young Prince Hoofar,” Princess Celestia said as she barely put her hoof on Hoofar’s cheek.  “Sometimes I do let apathy get the best of me.  The reason rings true from the words of your father: The political system is corrupt.  But to remove dark money from the system is a challenge onto itself.  Promise me that when you become king, you’ll never let the same thing happen to your people.”
“I won’t Princess,” Prince Hoofar said.  “I won’t.”
As Princess Celestia smiled, Majordomo Kibitz walked up to the alicorn and placed his hoof on her shoulder.
“You should rest for a bit,” Majordomo Kibitz.  “We’ll be able to ride out this sandstorm for quite awhile.”
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said as she laid her head back down on the surface of the rock.  “Maybe I should.”

Meanwhile at Canterlot, Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch have arrived at the outer gates of the city.  They looked up and saw a number of figures fly in from the west.  A number of hippogriff soldiers were descending towards the two figures, escorting Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, who were flying on their own.  
“What will I tell Queen Novo about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s fate?” Princess Cadance asked.
“Tell them the whole truth,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “They deserve the right to know.”
As Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and the hippogriff guards landed on the ground, Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch approached the group and bowed to them in respect.
“Princess Cadenza Mi Amore,” Queen Novo said, surprised by Cadance’s presence.  “You and the Chancellor are here by yourselves?”
“I’m afraid so,” Princess Cadance said.  “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are marooned in the middle of a sandstorm while they were on their way back from Saddle Arabia.”
“I understand,” Queen Novo said.  “If needed, I will send my troops to rescue them from their predicament.”
“I appreciate any help to rescue my mother and aunt, Queen Novo,” Princess Cadance said.  “Anything to get all of us through this nightmare we’ve been going through.”
As Princess Cadance began to turn around, Queen Novo noticed the sad emotions on Cadance’s face.  She walked up to Cadance with Princess Skystar right behind her.
“You seem more troubled thank I imagined, young lady,” Queen Novo said.  “Is there something wrong?”
“Yes,” Princess Cadance said as she closed her eyes.  “My sister Princess Wanda Young has come down with the Hay Fever Virus.  She’s in the hospital under intensive care.”  Those words caused Queen Novo and Princess Skystar to gasp in horror.
“Not little Wanda,” Princess Skystar said.  “Not after we kissed and made up.”
“When did this happen?” Queen Novo asked.  Princess Cadance nodded to Chancellor Cinch, who walked up to the Hippogriff Queen.
“Your majesty,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “The incident started last night when a little filly told me about Princess Wanda’s condition.  We all had to get her to the hospital so that the medical staff could look after Wanda and cure her of the virus.”
“Then take us to Wanda,” Queen Novo said.  “You need not explain anymore.  I understand what’s going on with her.”
“I must warn you that it will be a somber moment,” Princess Cadance said.  “Are you ready?”
Queen Novo and Princess Skystar nodded as Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch led them and the other hippogriffs towards the opened front gate.
“I sure hope Wanda will live through this ordeal,” Princess Skystar said as her ears drooped down.
“It will be okay, my daughter,” Queen Novo said.  “And besides, you did bring Silverstream with you as I stated.”
The moment Queen Novo finished her sentence, baby Silverstream emerged from Skystar’s feathery mane and flew up right next to Skystar.  Queen Novo saw the baby hippogriff and cracked a smile.
“That answers my question at least,” Queen Novo said.  “Now to at least let her see the small fry.”
“Small fry?” Chancellor Cinch said.  “That is a rather odd nickname.”
Novo let out a small chuckle and said “And yet you call her man’s cub.”
“Oh please,” Chancellor Cinch replied with a smirk on her face.  “It’s what Princess Celestia originally identified her as.”

Meanwhile, back inside the royal suite of the Canterlot Hospital, Sunset Shimmer sat in a chair next to Wanda Young, with Abigail lying right next to her companion.  The man’s cub’s eyes were shut as she was sleeping peacefully in her bed, still breathing through her oxygen mask.  Sunset just watched her sister, not keeping her eyes off.
“Dear sister,” Sunset said as she stared at Wanda.  “If there was anything I could tell you about mother and Aunt Luna, I would tell it to you with a heavy heart.  I only wish you could at least wake up and move again like normal.”
As Sunset lowered her head and closed her eyes, she felt a hoof reach out and touch her hoof.  Sunset woke up and saw Twilight Sparkle alongside Golden Lace.
“How are you feeling?” Twilight asked.
“Not so good,” Sunset said as she kept her eyes on Wanda.  “My sister is in this mess.  Mother and Aunt Luna are stuck in the desert.  It feels like my whole life is falling apart.”
“I know how you feel about both,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “I’m worried about Wanda and Princess Celestia.  Wanda is our friend, and Celestia is both your mother and my mentor. We’re connected together through those two, and that’s what strengthens us through these hard times.”
“Seeing what has been going on in the past twelve hours is just heartbreaking,” Golden Lace said.  “I led too much of a privileged life to care about those around me.  And now that I’m seeing two individuals suffer for no reason, well, I don’t know what else to say.”
“You don’t have to, Lace,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We all suffer in this world, be it from the Windigo’s Guild, the Storm King, political apathy or just plain fate.  Equestria may be our home, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.” 
Sunset then jumped down to the lower floor and put her hoof on Lace’s shoulder.  The young princess then said “But know this.  As long as we have each other, that’s what matters the most.  Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Golden Lace said.  “I do.”
As Golden Lace finished speaking, they overheard Danged Spell yell out “Hey girls.  Come out here.  It’s urgent.”  With that, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle and Golden Lace walked out of the room and away from Wanda.  Abigail woke up and saw Sunset walk out before letting out a sad meow.

Outside in the lounge, Sunset Shimmer, TWilight Sparkle and Golden Lace came out and saw Twilight Velvet and Night Light looking at a monitor involving the guards facing the camera and yelling out “IS there any royal representation in there?  A stallion and a group of younglings are trying to get into the royal suite.”  Right next to Night Light and Twilight Velvet, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie and Cozy Glow were watching the event unfold.
“Not at the moment,” Twilight Velvet said.  “But we’re trying to get someone here.”
“Hurry,” the guard said.  “We don’t want to intrude on Princess Wanda’s recovery.”
“Princess Wanda,” Sunset muttered to herself before she ran towards the monitor.
“What in the world is she doing?” Golden Lace asked.
“Because Sunset Shimmer is the daughter of Princess Celestia,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “She is named second in command of the nation until further notice, right behind Princess Cadance.”
“At our age?” Golden Lace asked. 
“Yes,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “It’s a hard job, but someone’s gotta do it.”
Sunset Shimmer ran up to the screen and raised her head to the level of the guard on the other side.
“Guard,” Sunset said.  “This is Princess Sunset Shimmer, younger sister of Princess Cadance.”
“Princess Sunset,” The guard replied.  “We were instructed not to let anyone through for the time being.  But a stallion and the younglings he’s looking after want inside to see Princess Wanda.”
The guard moved to the side as the camera was aimed right at Bright Mac.  Next to him was Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie and Ditzy Doo.  They were calling out Wanda’s name in desperation. 
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said as she began to tear up.  “I think they found out about Wanda’s condition and they want to come and give her full support.”
 Sunset looked at their faces and her eyes began to water, and yet a smile formed on her face.
“Soldier,” Sunset said.  “Let them through.  They’re our friends.”
“Are you sure about that?” The guard asked.
“Yes.  That’s an order,” Sunset replied.  “Besides, one of the other La Maresa friends is with us.”
“Understood, Princess,” The guard replied before he turned to his companions and said “Let them through.  They’re friends of Princess Sunset Shimmer.”
The other guards nodded and proceeded to tap a panel nearby.  Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Golden Lace watch as the doors begin to open up.
“I think I recall seeing the one known as Ditzy Doo among the group,” Golden Lace said.
“I know what you’re thinking, Lace,” Twilight Sparkle replied.  “You owe her an apology, I take it.”
“And an explanation to my behavior,” Golden Lace replied.  “But at the same time, I am scared because I broke her heart long ago.”
“It will be alright,” Twilight Sparkle replied.  “We’ve got your back.  And I think Rainbow Dash does as well, after seeing what you have grown out of.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Helping you make amends is what we’re here for.”
As soon as the door opened up, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie and Ditzy Doo ran in with Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer running  towards the group, giggling at their presence.  Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer and Danged Spell moved away from the couch and ran towards the rest of the youngsters as they all gathered together.
“Twilight, Sunset,” Rainbow Dash said as she grabbed onto both unicorns and gave them a hug.  “How’s it been since Mount Aris?”
“Horrible since Wanda fell sick and the princesses were stranded in that sandstorm,” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“I’ve gone through a lot of hell since then,” Sunset Shimmer replied.  “And my biggest fear is losing not just my sister, but also my mother and aunt.”
“Darling,” Rarity said.  “It’s going to be okay.  Wanda went through a whole lot in La Maresa during the fair, along with Celestia and Luna.”
“Darn tootin,” Applejack said.  “If we can survive that polecat Coldnelius Snap and his Windigo jerks, we can endure this pain together.”
“That’s the way to say it, Applejack,” Pinkie Pie said.  “You always know how to round up your encouragement and deliver something that great.”
“Thanks Pinkie,” Applejack said.  “And truth be told, we’ve missed you so much since you came up to Canterlot.”
“We’re not kidding,” Fluttershy replied.  “Ever since you came up here to cheer up Wanda and Sunset, the party has felt bland and boring.”
“I also bet that mom, dad, and even Mr and Mrs Cake miss me,” Pinkie Pie said.
“I can’t believe that Pinkie Pie’s the life of the town when it comes to parties,” Moondancer said.
“Yeah,” Danged Spell replied.  “If anything, she’s a real party animal.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” the younglings yelled before bursting out in laughter.
As every colt and filly laughed, Trixie spotted Starlight Glimmer in the crowd laughing her back off.  The great and powerful filly leaped from the crowd and glomped onto the twin-tailed filly.
“Starlight,” Trixie said as she held onto Starlight Glimmer.
“How’s it been?” Starlight said.  “I haven’t seen you since La Maresa.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie missed you and wanted to see your face again,” Trixie said.  She looked down at Starlight’s hip and saw her cutie mark before she added.  “And you have your own great and powerful cutie mark.  Now we are truly great and powerful best friends.”
“Yeah,” Starlight said.  “Thanks for coming up.”
“Great and powerful?”  Sunburst said as he walked towards the group.  “Where did you get that from?”
“My daddy Jackpot, the Great and Powerful magician of all of Equestria,” Trixie yelled.
“Woah,” Sunburst said.  “Talk about a hoof full.”
As most of the group laughed, Golden Lace spotted Ditzy Doo in the crowd.  She approached the cross-eyed pegasi filly.
“Uhh, Ditzy Doo,” Golden Lace said as she approached the filly.  Ditzy got a good glance at Lace and began to back off in fear, catching Rainbow Dash’s attention.
“Lace,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Lemme give you a hoof.”
Rainbow Dash walked up to Ditzy Doo, who was covering her face with her arms.
“Tell her to go away,” Ditzy said.  “She’s scary.”
“Not anymore,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Queen Novo scared her into changing her ways.  And now she’s here to apologize to you for those mean things she said.”
“But I don’t wanna see her,” Ditzy said as she continued to cover her face.
“Trust me.” Rainbow Dash said.  “If she weren’t sincere in her words, I would be defending you, one hundred percent.  You have my word.”
Ditzy Doo raised her eyes and saw Golden Lace reach out with a humble smile on her face.
“What I said to you long ago, the lies about Rainbow Dash abandoning you,” Golden Lace said.  “What I said was completely horrible and it hurt your feelings, and made you cry.  I didn’t understand the consequences of my actions until Queen Novo straightened me up and made me own my past mistakes.  You don’t have to accept my apology, but I am sorry for what I said to you.  And I do mean it.”
Ditzy Doo stared at Golden Lace before she extended her hoof and touched it.  The two looked at each other as Ditzy approached Golden Lace and gave her a hug, crying right into her chest.
“I accept your apology,” Ditzy cried.  “Just promise not to be that mean-spirited again.”
“For you,” Golden Lace said.  “You have my promise.”
As Lace embraced Ditzy Doo, Cozy Glow approached the young unicorn filly and rubbed her on the head.
“You should be lucky to have been given a second chance,” Cozy Glow said. “Not that many who fall are lost.”
“Say,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked at Cozy Glow.  “I’ve never seen you before.”
“Oh that’s Cozy Glow.” Golden Lace said.  “She and I became friends sometime after I got back from Mount Aris.”
“Well,” Rainbow Dash said as she and Cozy Glow shook each other’s hooves.  “Nice to meet a fellow pegasi of the group.”
“Oh no,” Cozy Glow said.  “It’s more in reverse.”
As the colts and fillies laughed and celebrated, Bright Mac walked into the royal suite and approached Night Light and Twilight Velvet.   The couple got up and approached the apple farmer.
“I take it you’re both the parents of Twilight Sparkle,” Bright Mac said.  “Names Bright Mac.  I’m the father of Applejack and the current guardian of the ponies from La Maresa.  I’m also a close friend of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Twilight Velvet said.  
“I heard about what happened during the Ponyville Providence Fair,” Night Light said.  “But I’m also glad you all survived.”
“Being a pony popsicle was one of the worst experiences I had ever imagined,” Bright Mac said.  “Until I heard about Wanda’s condition when we arrived in Canterlot.”
“Right now,” Night Light said.  “Wanda is resting up in the other room.  We’re hoping that she can make a full recovery.”
As the kids enjoyed themselves, they overheard the voice of Shining Armor sayingg“Hey guys.  Guess who’s here to cheer you up?”  Everyone looked up to see Buck Withers approach the entrance.  Right next to him are Lemony Gems, Gad Zookes and Shining Armor.
“Buck Withers?”  Danged Spell said as he and Rainbow Dash jumped out and in front of the big guy.
“I can’t believe it,” Rainbow Dash said. “The infamous monster hunter and one of the many heroes of Equestria.”
“Shining Armor told me that you’re all going through a hard time with little Wanda,” Buck Withers said.  “So I agreed to take Gad Zookes and my wife down here to at least cheer you all up.”
“After what happened during the Formal Festival,” Gad Zookes said.  “It was the least we could do.”
“Formal Festival?” Applejack asked.
“It’s a long story,” Twilight said.  “And as a result, Wanda and I became afraid of giant bird-like rocs.”
As the younglings all gazed at Buck Withers, he along with Gad Zookes and Lemony Gems approached Bright Mac, Night Light and Twilight Velvet.  
“Buck Withers,” Twilight Velvet said as she began to geek out a bit.  “I’ve heard stories about you and your legacy fighting against the vicious monsters of Equestria.”  She held out a book and said.  “May I have your autograph?”
“For a fan, I shall do just that,” Buck Withers said as he accepted the book, opened it, and signed it with an ink-tipped quill.  “And by the way, long ago, I saved your daughter and Princess Wanda from the roc that attacked Canterlot.”
“It’s true, mom,” Twilight Sparkle said.
As Buck Withers finished signing the book, he gave it back to Twilight Velvet, who held it in her heart.
“You sure got some wild fans,” Lemony Gems said to Buck Withers
“But it is for a good cause, darling,” Buck Withers said.  “Even I think a child in terrible danger is an atrocity.”
As the kids gathered around Buck Withers, they heard the sound of hooves marching in the distance.  Shining Armor turned his head to see Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch walk in with Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, baby Silverstream and a good number of hippogriff guards right behind her.
“Cadance,” Shining Armor said as he embraced the young alicorn.  “You’re back.”
“Well fancy seeing you ahead of me, Shining,” Princess Cadance said.  “But it seems we have nearly everyone coming to throw in their support for Wanda.”
“We already informed Queen Novo of both Princess Wanda’s condition and the whereabouts of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Chancellor Cinch said as Queen Novo walked past her.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen most of you,” Queen Novo said.  “Especially one I recall shaping up to be a better pony.  Golden Lace, was it?”
Golden Lace ran up to Queen Novo and Princess Skystar and bowed before the two hippogriffs.
“It’s been awhile, Queen Novo,” Golden Lace said.
“So how have you been since we last saw each other?”  Queen Novo asked.  “Have you been staying out of trouble?”
“Well yes,” Golden Lace said as she began to shift her head away.
“Sounds like you have experienced even more trouble than it appears to be,” Queen Novo said.
“It’s worse than that,” Golden Lace said.  “Not long after I got back, I defended Princess Celestia over her decision to have me join them on the field trip, against my own parents.  As a result, they kicked me out of the house until I returned to my old ways.”  Those words caused Queen Novo to gasp in horror.  She turned to face Twilight Velvet and Night Light, who nodded in agreement.
“Kicking a child out because they’re not a spoiled rotten brat?” Buck Withers said as he stomped his hoof in anger.  “That is despicable.”
“I’ll say,” Lemony Gem said.  “The nerve of those Banks, not truly caring for their own child.”
“Once we heard the news,” Twilight Velvet said.  “We were willing to take in Golden Lace for the time being, to allow her to cope from the fallout between her and her parents Gold and Silver Banks.”
“This is an outrage,” Queen Novo said.  “I should sever my connection to those heartless fools for this kind of abuse.”
“And we would back you on that decision,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“So would I,” Princess Cadance said.  “I know my mother had to put up with their abuse for a long time.  But ever since I found out about what they did to Golden Lace, I have harbored a total resentment towards them.”
“Yeah,” Princess Skystar said.  “Mother may be tough on me, but even that idea would be going too far.”
As everyone in the room muttered towards each other, Ditzy Doo flew over to Golden Lace and stood beside her.
“I didn’t know your own parents kicked you out,” Ditzy Doo said.  “All because you wanted to change for the better.”
“Judging by how it all turned out,” Golden Lace said.  “I’d say it’s their loss that they chose this route.”
Everyone continued to talk over each other until they heard a knock on the wall.  They turned to face Dr Trotdale, who held in his hoof some paper.
“Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch,” Dr Trotdale said.  “I’d like to speak with you both in the royal suite conference room about Wanda’s condition.
Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch walked up to Dr Trotdale as the rest of group watched on in silence.
“Everyone,” Princess Cadance said.  “Feel free to check up on Wanda in her room.  We have some business to take care of.”
As Dr Trotdale, Chancellor Cinch and Princess Cadance moved into a separate room of the royal suite, Shining Armor, Buck Withers, Lemony Gems, Gad Zookes, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Bright Mac, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, baby Silverstream, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow walked towards Princess Wanda’s room and opened the door.


	To Be Continued in…


	The comfort of friends

> Arc 15-6: The Comfort of Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Comfort of Friends



In a meeting room in the royal suite of the Canterlot Hospital, Chancellor Cinch, Princess Cadance and Dr Trotdale sat next to each other as the good doctor placed some notes on the table.  Princess Cadance gathered the notes into a pile and read them.
“So Wanda is starting to show some signs of progress?” Princess Cadance said as she continued to read the notes.
“Yes,” Dr Trotdale said.  “In fact, I was rather surprised that her body was taking it very well, considering that the vaccine we gave her wound up being problematic.  Never in my entire life as a doctor would I find this strange contradiction.”
“This is rather strange,” Princess Cadance said as she continued to go over the notes.  “But at the same time, she might end up getting better thanks to the quick work of the Canterlot Hospital physicians.”
“But at the same time,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I believe foul play may have been involved with Princess Wanda’s life.”
“I’m afraid you might be right, Chancellor,” Dr Trotdale said.  “Since discovering that Wanda may be slowly recovering from the hay fever virus, there’s been a theory going on that someone might have tainted her vaccine back when she was a baby.”
“Were you able to find and question the one who gave her the shot?” Princess Cadance asked.  “Or any unintendedly added ingredients that gave Wanda those hives in the first place?”
“We have information on when the shot was taken and who applied the shot,” Dr Trotdale said.  “Furthermore, when incidents like this happen, we immediately draw out some of the patient’s blood and determine what went wrong.  However, we did draw up Wanda’s blood after the hives.”
“I take it there was nothing wrong when you studied the sample,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“Unfortunately, you’re right,” Dr Trotdale said as Princess Cadance went over the notes.  “There was nothing in there that pointed to anything foreign in her bloodstream.  That was why I believed we blamed the vaccine in the first place.  But if we find anything, we will let you know.”
“I hope so,” Princess Cadance said.  “Because if the rumors are true that someone sabotaged Wanda’s hay fever vaccine, then that would be the scandal of the century.”
“What do you plan on doing, your majesty?” Dr Trotdale asked.
“First thing tomorrow,” Princess Cadance said.  “We’re going to address the ponies of Equestria with this finding.  And when we find out who’s responsible, we’ll hold him or her accountable.”
“I will let Queen Novo and Shining Armor know about this,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“Thanks Chancellor,” Princess Cadance said.  “We’ll need all the voices we can get.

Meanwhile, Wanda rested peacefully in bed as Spike the dragon climbed up and sat right next to Abigail.  The kitty cat got up and gave the dragon a hug.
“Wanda,” A gentle voice said.  “Little Wanda.  There are some friends to see you.”
Wanda’s eyes opened up as she saw Twilight Velvet and Night Light to her left.  Right in front of her bed were Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie PIe, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Baby Silverstream, Princess Skystar, Queen Novo, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem, Gad Zooks, Shining Armor and Bright Mac.
“You’re….,” Wanda said as she struggled to speak.  “You’re all….here.”
“Yes Wanda,  “ Bright Mac said.  “The moment we saw the news this morning about you getting sick, we had to rush down here and check up on you.”
Wanda pulled her arm out from her blanket and reached out with her hand.  Bright Mac placed his hoof underneath and watched as Wanda’s hand gently dropped on top.
“It’s okay, young’un,” Bright Mac said.  “We’re going to be by your side until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna return.  In fact, there are plenty of your friends and folks who want to make sure you come out alright.”
Bright Mac gently lowered Wanda’s hand to the bed before stepping aside as Buck Withers, Gad Zooke and Lemony Gem approached Wanda’s right side.
“I heard from Shining Armor that you became the first non-pony to earn her cutie mark,” Buck Withers said as he looked down at Wanda’s shoulder, seeing her cutie mark shine.  “You’re a tough kid, without a doubt.”
“Just so you know,” Lemony Gem said.  “We’re thinking about getting hitched one day and we’ve been traveling the world in search of new adventures.”
“One day,” Buck Withers said.  “When we bring our child into the world, we would like to introduce her or him to you.”
Buck Withers and Lemony Gem stepped aside to allow Gad Zookes to approach the little child.
“Are you hanging in there, Wanda?” Gad Zookes said.  “There’s a story I’d like to tell of Buck Withers.  One week ago, there was a giant spider with a huge eye on its face that terrorized the ponies of Trottingham village.  Buck was able to slay the beast before it could devour a single citizen.”
With that, Gad Zookes placed his hoof into his pocket and placed what appeared to be an amber-shaped jewel on a small table next to Wanda’s bed.
“Buck wanted you to have it,” Gad Zookes said.  “It was a piece of that monster’s eye that fell out once we vanquished it.  If you do get better, we’d like to invite you and your sisters on one of our adventures.”
Gad Zookes bowed before Wanda as the man’s cub smiled from behind the mask.  Immediately Gad Zookes stepped back and allowed Queen Novo and Princess Skystar to approach the young kid.  Baby Silverstream flew onto Wanda’s bed and laid next to Abigail and Spike, who proceeded to snuggle up to baby hippogriff.
“Smallfry,” Queen Novo said as she stroked Wanda’s hair gently with her claws.  “I heard rumors that you have earned your cutie mark.  And it appears this was one party I didn’t get a chance to attend.  You’ve been apart of this family since you first came to this world, and we’re proud of your accomplishment.”
“That flower on your shoulder reminds me of the plumeria of Mount Aris,” Skystar said as she shed a single tear from her eye.  “It first came from the Lio Lani Islands as a gift for all of us.”
“The hippogriff tribe’s only wish for you,” Queen Novo said.  “Is for you to get better and get back to being that cheerful little girl that became one of us.”
Wanda let out a faint “Thank you” as Queen Novo and Princess Skystar stepped aside.  Shining Armor approached the bed and gave Wanda a gentle noogie, causing Wanda to let out a faint giggle.
“How’re you doing, champ?” Shining Armor said.  “Cadance and I are taking up a big responsibility in looking after you and the people of Equestria.  But I can assure you this.”
“What’s...that?”  Wanda asked with a faint voice.
“I’m going to make sure that when you get better,” Shining Armor said.  “That I want to at least give you and your sisters the best time of your life, one day.  Beyond the castle and beyond the city limits.  We may have had some fun at La Maresa despite the attack by the Windgo’s Guild.  But one thing we can count on is how we continue to be friends to the very end.  You have my promise, you silly little monkey.”
Wanda giggled in a weak voice as Shining Armor gave her another gentle noogie before backing off.  Wanda looked out as Ditzy Doo walked up to the man’s cub, still stuck in bed.
“How are you doing, Wanda?” Ditzy asked.
“Not...so good,” Wanda said as she let out a slight cough.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ditzy said.  “You need to rest up and get better.”
Ditzy looked down and saw Wanda’s cutie mark on her upper arm.  She lowered her head down and took a good look at it.
“Also, I’m proud that you got a cutie mark.” Ditzy Doo said.  “This one shows that you are going to be a gentle person.”
“I...am?” Wanda asked.
“Mom told me that our cutie marks represent who we truly are,” Ditzy said.  “And she recalls the flower representing a pure soul.  You represent that status, Wanda.  It’s something to be proud of.”
“T..thanks,” Wanda said as she and Ditzy hugged each other.
The moment Ditzy and Wanda let go, Ditzy Doo flew right next to Shining Armor as Trixie walked up to Wanda’s side.  Trixie looked down at Wanda’s cutie mark and smiled.
“I never imagined that the human girl from Canterlot would have a cutie mark like the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie said in a humble, yet sad tone.  “In a way, you are like all of us.  Wanting to grow up and see what one can bring to the world.”
“Yes,”  Wanda said.  “You...and your acts.”
“Once you get better,” Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to bring you a magic act unlike anything you have ever seen in your life.  You have my promise.”
Wanda giggled before letting out another slight cough as Trixie moved to the side and sat right next to Ditzy Doo.  Fluttershy flew up to Wanda and sat right next to her.
“I’m sorry you are unwell, Wanda,” Fluttershy said.  “It’s sometimes like what Mr Bovine goes through.”
“How...is he?”  Wanda asked.
“He’s doing fine so far,” Fluttershy said.  “I wanted to look after him while everyone else came up to Canterlot.  But he insisted that I go on, stating that he’ll be fine.”
“You...worried?” Wanda asked.
“I am,” Fluttershy replied.  “Sometimes I wonder if he will push himself too far at this kind of age.  But he told me not to hold myself back.  That I need to go out and see the world.  I hope that you get to see the world when you get better.  Maybe beyond Canterlot, La Maresa and Mount Aris.  Perhaps you get to check out San Di’Neighgo, Maretime Bay, the Bridlewood Forest, or even Zephyr Heights.  I know you’ll love it there.  And yes, I am proud that you now have a cutie mark like the rest of us”
Fluttershy reached over and kiseed Wanda on the forehead before she backed away and stood next to Trixie.  Rainbow Dash flew over to Wanda and rested her arms on the bed.
“The last time we saw each other,” Rainbow Dash said.  “It was at our awesome trip to Mount Aris.  And that was before you got an awesome cutie mark.  The first human to be blessed with a cutie mark?  That’s an achievement that would make a Wonderbolt blush.”
“Wonderbolts….eh?” Wanda said.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Once you get better, I want to take you down to a Wonderbolt game.  In fact, one day I want to become a Wonderbolt.  I want to fly into the skies with the elite pegasi, and show off what I’m capable of.  You would want to see that, right?”
“I...do,” Wanda said before letting out a slight cough.
“I’ll save you a reserved seat for ya,”  Rainbow Dash replied.  “And since you are skilled as a flyer, maybe you should try out for the Wonderbolts.  What do you think?”
Wanda let out a slight laugh as Rainbow Dash rubbed her on the head.  The pegasi backed off and sat next to Fluttershy as Rarity approached Wanda.
“I remember making that dress with Moondancer for you,” Rarity said.  “It was our best work ever.  A reflection of where two minds could create a perfect work of art.  And to see you wear it brought a smile to my face.”
“I...remember that,” Wanda said.
“You and Sunset were the stars when you both put on those outfits,” Rarity said.  “It was our collaboration that made it happen.  In fact, I think your close friend wants to tell you how much she appreciates it.”
Rarity turned around and signaled towards Moondancer, who walked right next to the fashionista filly.
“She’s right,” Moondancer said.  “Our minds made your dress a reality.  One day, I hope you get to show that off to the ponies of Canterlot, be it at the Gala, at another event or during a day off.”
“Maybe… I will.” Wanda said.
“We hope you do,” Moondancer said.  “We hope you do.”
Moondancer and Rarity held each other by the hoof as they got off the bed and went right next to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.  Applejack walked up to Wanda and just put her hoof on the bed.
“Hey….Applejack,” Wanda said. 
“Hey Wanda,” Applejack said as she looked down at Wanda’s cutie mark.  “Ever since I met you and Sunset back in La Maresa when you came down to Sweet Apple Acres, you both felt like a pair of sisters I never knew I had.  In the best of times and in the worst of times, we were together like we were apples to the core.  
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “We...were.”
“The worst part about it was when those creeps at the Windigo’s Guild kidnapped all three of us, plus Applebloom and Diamond Tiara,” Applejack said.  “And your companion as well.  I thought we would be goners had it not been for our friends.  You’re a tough gal like your sister.  And your cutie mark is that prime example of how far you’ve come.  Never forget that.”
“I...won’t,” Wanda said as Applejack took her hoof off the bed and walked away, sitting next to Rarity and Moondancer.  Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle came to Wanda as Spike got on his two legs and cheered the two.
“When I came up here to Canterlot,” Pinkie said.  “It was to cheer you up when you couldn’t stay in La Maresa.”
“And I’ve known you since I passed the entrance exam to the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Twilight said.  “And got my cutie mark.  Now look how it all came together.”
“A bunch of friends who can hang out together,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I hope that when you get better, we can throw the biggest party in all of Equestria.  A party that celebrates the fact that we all got through together.”
“And I also want to share with you the books I’ve read before joining this school.” Twilight Sparkle said.  “There is a lot for you to discover through the books you read.  And I guarantee that you have a great imagination waiting to put it to good use.”
“We’re waiting once you get better, Wanda,” Pinkie Pie said.  “And we’ll be happy when we can have fun together.”
“Don’t...worry,” Wanda said.  “I’ll….be okay.”
Spike jumped off the bed and climbed onto Twilight’s back as the unicorn and Pinkie Pie moved out of the way and stood next to Applejack.  Starlight and Sunburst walked up to Wanda, who reached and rubbed Starlight on the cheek.
“Wanda,” Starlight said as she placed her hoof on Wanda’s cutie mark.  “When we both got our cutie marks, it was the best day ever.  There was a time where I wanted to relive that day again and again.”
“Getting a cutie mark is an achievement for any pony,” Sunburst said.  “The fact that you got your cutie mark as well means a whole lot.”
“You both….think so?” Wanda said as she looked at the cutie mark on her shoulder.
“Yes,” Sunburst said.  “As everyone said, you should be proud of earning your cutie mark.  But even if you didn’t get one, it doesn’t mean we’re not friends anymore.  We will always be your friend to the very end.  You have our word.”
“And besides,” Starlight said.  “You and I have a lot in common.  We both do get afraid, but we look at each other for comfort.  I’m hoping that once you get better, we can be alongside each other once again.  And maybe we can have fun.”
“She’s right,” Sunburst said.  “We all hope you can get better, so we can have great times together.  Maybe you can come back down to Sire’s Hollow and get a tour of the place.”
“I….will,” Wanda said. “I...promise.”
Wanda let go of Starlight as the twin-tailed filly and Sunburst got off the bed and stood by Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle.  Golden Lace went up to Wanda and jumped onto the chair while Cozy Glow flew right next to the gold filly.
“I’ll be honest here,” Golden Lace said.  “I’m not exactly the best example of a friend to you.  I was smug, selfish, and so full of it.  But I was also jealous of you and your sister.  Not because you both were princesses of Equestria, but you both also got to do things I couldn’t do.  Like your field trip to La Maresa, even despite the fact that it turned into a disaster.”
“Oh?” Wanda said as she reached out to Lace.
“Yeah,” Lace said.  “I was glad to have gotten that field trip to Mount Aris.  And truth be told, had I not joined you all there, I would have still been that same selfish girl that picked on you and your friends.”
“And you know,” Cozy Glow said.  “We have barely met each other since I first befriended Golden Lace.  She and I are a bit like outcasts towards our own parents.”
“Wait,” Golden Lace said.  “You are?”
“You guessed it,” Cozy Glow said.  “Like you aren’t eye to eye to your folks, I’m not eye to eye with my mother.  With Lace here, at least I have someone who I can be with just to get out of the darkness of my own family.”
“Wow,” Golden Lace said as she turned to face Cozy Glow.  “I never knew.”
“Neither...did I,” Wanda said before letting out a slight cough.
“Well now you all know,” Cozy Glow said. “And I’m just hoping we can be friends for as long as possible.  And we will stay by your side until you get better.”
Wanda smiled behind her transparent oxygen mask before Cozy Glow and Golden  Lace moved to the side.  Sunset turned to Danged Spell and nodded to the scruffy colt, who walked up to Wanda’s bedside and got up on his hind legs, placing his arms on the bed.
“When I first met you, Wanda,” Danged Spell said. “I thought you were nothing special.  Like you were coddled too much by Princess Celestia.  After seeing what you were capable of, I realized that I judged a book by its cover too quickly.  Since then, I have become a loyal friend to you, despite sometimes giving you a hard time.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “Especially your….wolf’s breath.”
“Oh yeah,” Danged Spell said.  “Like that time I saved you and the chancellor from Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild when they tried to kidnap you both in Canterlot.  Then I found out your own mother also bears the same curse as I do.  Quite ironic, isn’t it?”
Wanda let out a weak laugh before coughing a bit.  Danged Spell let out a chuckle as he wiped a tear from his eye.
“But you better do me a favor, Wanda,” Danged Spell said.  “I wanna see you get better.  I want to see you become strong again.  I want to see you smile with the rest of us.  You’re the strongest of all of us younglings.  Promise that you’ll get better?”
“I….promise,” Wanda said.
“Good,” Danged Spell said.  “Because what friendship and honey have in common is that we’re stuck together.  Get it?”
Wanda giggled a bit as Danged Spell got off the bed and stood next  to Golden Lace and Cozy Glow.  Sunset Shimmer walked up to Wanda and stood by her bedside.
“Sister,” Sunset said.  “We’ve had the best of times and the worst of times together.  I’ve known you since you approached me as a baby. I never knew that you were the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia until she approached me and offered me a chance in life.  I’m glad I accepted that offer.  I don’t know where I would have gone had I said no.”
“Neither...could I,” Wanda said.
“But even if you didn’t get your cutie mark,” Sunset said. “You will never be alone.  You may be a human, but you’re still a part of this family.  And as a family, we are one together.”
“We...are...sister,” Wanda said.
“I want to see you get better,” Sunset said.  “And I want mother and Aunt Luna back at our side.  I want all of us to be a happy family.  You, me, big sister Cadance, Aunt Luna, mother.  They have been at our side since they took us in.  And I want to see this story to the happy end we deserve.  So get better for all of us.  You are my sister, and I care for you with all my heart.”
“Thanks...Sunset,” Wanda said as Sunset Shimmer jumped on the bed and the two sisters hugged each other.
Twilight Velvet got up and looked at Wanda and Sunset hugging each other.  She smiled as Night Light took her side.  
“If I had one wish,” Night Light said.  “I wish Wanda and Princess Celestia were never in this dire situation.  They didn’t deserve any of it.”
“It happens to all of us, my dear,” Twilight Velvet said.  “But as long as Wanda needs all of us, we will never leave her side.  She may be human, but she is as a part of Equestria as you and I are.
Everyone gathered around the bed as Wanda and Sunset continued to hug each other, and as the sun began to set in the west.

Meanwhile, in the desert, Princess Celestia lay on the flat surface of the boulder, her wing still laying flat in a splint.  Next to her were Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom, curled up and laying next to the princess.  Princess Luna, Majordomo Kibitz and King Myrrh surrounded the princess, fast asleep.
“Are you okay, Princess Celestia?” Jasmine Bloom asked.
“I’m still worried about Wanda,” Celestia said.  “But at the same time, it is my fault that I endangered everyone with my recklessness.  Including myself.”
“Don’t worry yourself with that, Princess,” Prince Hoofar said.  “We all make mistakes from time to time.  I’ve done so myself.”
“Oh?” Princess Celestia said.
“I once disappointed my father when I accidentally misplaced one of his scrolls,” Prince Hoofar said.  “He told me that I need to be extra careful when it comes to documents that can help the people of Saddle Arabia.”
“Were you able to find it?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I was,” Prince Hoofar said.  “I made it up to my father when I found that scroll.  They contained plans to build a new aqueduct to help provide the flow of water into the city.  Father was relieved that I found the scroll.  But I made a vow to better myself so I wouldn’t make that same mistake again.”
“Your father must be proud of you,” Princess Celestia said.
“He is,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But even my pops can also make a mistake that almost cost him his life.”
“How so?” Princess Celestia asked.
“It’s something I am not ready to talk about,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But when it happened, it scared the heebee jeebees out of me.”
“Oh dear,” Princess Celestia replied.
“You sound like you’ve been in that scenario, yourself,” Jasmine Bloom asked.
“I have,” Princess Celestia said.  “I once made the mistake not long ago by yelling at my own daughter.”
“You actually did?” Jasmine Bloom asked.
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said.  “Gold and Silver Banks pressured me into signing an emergency order involving a border wall for Senator Twinkle Wish.  The tone they gave me got into my nerves and I wound up taking it out on little Wanda.  I later apologized for what I said, knowing that what I did was wrong.  She accepted my apology.”
“I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that,” Prince Hoofar said.  “And I’m also sorry that these Banks put you through a lot of emotional pain.”
“I know,” Princess Celestia said as she started to yawn.  “But with you two at my side.  At least I can rest easily.”
With that, Celestia lowered her head and closed her eyes, drifting off into dreamland.
“Princess Celestia does go through a whole lot,” Jasmine Bloom said.
“Reminds me of what my dad goes through,” Princes Hoofar said.

Deep within dreamland, Princess Celestia walked through the garden of pure night.  Her wings looked good as new, and there was not a single wound on her body.  She wandered around this peaceful world, looking left and right.
“Hello?” Princess Celestia yelled.  “Anyone here?”
“Mommy?”  That voice caught Princess Celestia’s attention.  She turned to her left and saw Princess Wanda Young waving her hand in the air.  She didn’t have an oxygen mask around her face and was wearing her dress.
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia said as she and Wanda ran up to each other.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “You’re alive.”
Wanda and Celestia ran up and gave each other a big hug.  Tears flowed from their eyes as they embraced each other.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Celestia said.  “You don’t know what I have been going through since I made that mistake.”
“What mistake, mommy?” Wanda said as she and Celestia faced each other.
“When I found out that you were hospitalized with the hay fever virus,” Princess Celestia said.  “I rushed back home, hoping to see your face again.  I made a mistake of going in through a sandstorm, and injuring myself in the process.  And even worse, I endangered your Aunt Luna, Majordomo Kibitz, King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar and an orphan named Jasmine Bloom.
“Oh no,” Wanda said.  “Will you be okay?  Will they be okay?”
“They will,” Princess Celestia said.  “But I don’t know how long this sandstorm will last.  I fear it will last for who knows how long, and we may perish.”
“No,” Wanda said.  “I don’t want you to die.”
“Neither do I,” Princess Celestia said.  “But promise me this.  If you make it and we don’t, be strong for you, your sisters and your friends.”
“But I want to see you face to face again,” Wanda cried.
“And I want to as well,” Princess Celestia said.  “But you have to promise me that you’ll be strong for me, for your sisters, for your friends and for all of Equestria.  Do you promise?”
Wanda wiped a tear from her face and said “Yeah.  I guess so.”
“Good,” Princess Celestia said.  “Never forget that, my darling Wanda.  For as long as you have friends by your side, you will never be alone.  It’s a wonderful magic that will keep you strong.”
“I just hope...that we will see each other again,” Wanda said.
“Even though I do have my doubts,” Celestia said.  “We will see each other again.  You have my world.”
Wanda and Princess Celestia stared at each other before giving each other a big hug as a bright flash of light enveloped them.

Wanda’s eyes opened up as she appeared in the bedroom of Canterlot Hospital’s royal suite.  Her oxygen mask was still around her mouth, and she was still wearing a hospital gown.  She barely moved her head and saw Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Spike, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor, Buck Withers, Gad Zookes, Lemony Gems, Queen Novo, PRincess Skystar and Baby Silverstream all fast asleep around her.
Wanda barely lifted her head as she stared out at the night sky with the moon shining down on her.  The image of a pony-like monster stared down at her.  But she just looked out and ignored its visage.  She raised her hand and reached out towards the peaceful night sky.
“Mom...my,” Wanda said as a tear fell from her eye.

Back at the Banks manor, Silver looked out the window and let out a sigh.  He sat on the end of the bed that was close to the window.  A door opened, barely catching the stallion’s attention.
“What is it?” Silver Banks asked.
“Still pouting over the lost traitor?” Gold Banks said in an amusing tone.
“She may be a traitor,” Silver Banks said as he turned towards Gold Banks.  “But she’s our daughter.”
Gold Banks just brushed it off before she threw down a rolled up newspaper.  Silver Banks picked it up as Gold said “Seems there’s word that Princess Cadance will hold another address to the ponies of Equestria.”
“Seems that rookie wants to hog the spotlight,” Silver Banks said as he read the newspaper.
“Exactly,” Gold Banks said.  “She can’t resist her pity speeches about her sister.  We’ll wait until Princess Cadance is done with her speech.  Then when they least expect it…”
“We make her sign the bill for the new detention camps,” Gold Banks said with a sinister laugh.  “She’ll be crushed easier than Princess Celestia was.”
“Brilliant,” Silver Banks said.  “Your proposal just lifted my heart.”
Gold Banks flicked her hair with a twist of her neck.  She turned towards Silver Banks and said “Then rest up, my darling.  Tomorrow is a big day.  I’ll let you have the bed to yourself.”
Gold Banks stepped out of the room with a smile on her face, leaving Silver by himself.  But as Silver Banks turned back towards the window, his smile faded away and his eyes slumped down in depression.
“She may be a traitor,” Silver Banks whispered to himself.  “But she is still our daughter, and the most precious thing in the whole world.  My only regret was allowing her on that silly field trip to Mt. Aris in the first place.”




	To Be Continued in…


	Cruelty of the Bank

> Arc 15-7: Cruelty of the Bank
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Cruelty of the Bank



It was the middle of the night as the volcano in the distance went off.  A young Mare in a blue dress had her Son on her back.  She took a good look at her Husband, who looked like he was going to go down fighting.
“The Storm King has set off Mount Veshoovis and is coming to PomPoni,”  The Husband said as he grabbed a trident.  “Take our son and go.  I’ll hold these goons off.”
“Darling, please,”  The Mare said as she placed her hoof on her husband, begging him not to leave her.
“What matters is that our son must survive,”  The Husband said as he braced for the front door to come crashing down, ready for whatever brute will come through.  “The Storm King must not get to our son.  Is that understood?”
“Yes,”  The Mare said as her son took one good look at his father.
“Daddy,”  The Son said.  “Don’t leave me.”
“I’m sorry,”  The older stallion said to his Son.  “But know this.  Even when we are apart, I will always be with you in your heart.  Never forget that.”
The mare shed one final tear for her beloved before turning around and jumping out the window, with her son holding on for dear life.  The husband braced himself as the front door was smashed wide open and a number of Storm Guards looked ready to pounce.
“Come and get some you abominations,”  The husband said as he prepared to attack.
Outside, the mane ran as fast as she could while her son held on for dear life.  The whole town was ablaze.  Many ponies were fighting back against the Storm Creatures who invaded their village.  Some ponies were locked away in cages, nervously awaiting their cruel fate.  But all this mare could do was to run as fast as she could with her son in tow.  Thankfully, not a single Storm Creature took notice of her.
Right in front of the Mare and the Son, there was the back gateway of the village.  Judging by the twisted pieces of metal on the ground, the back gate was forced open by a battering ram of some sort.  But it didn’t matter.  Not a single Storm Creature was paying attention to her as they were more focused on other ponies in their sight.
“We’re almost at the far end of the village,”  The Mare said to her son.  “Hang on.”
“I am, mommy,”  The son said as he held on for dear life.
Without a second thought, the Mare darted for the gateway and ran through it.  She crossed the bridge, running as fast as she could to get away from the madness in her village.  
“Are we safe?” The Son said as he looked up.
“We should be,”  The Mare said.  “The Storm King wouldn’t dare to look for any stragglers out here.”
But as the duo were near the end of the bridge, a giant bird landed in front of them, blocking their escape.  It looked at the Mare and the Son with a growl in its voice, and pure malice in its eyes.
“A ROC,”  The Mare yelled as she stopped dead in her tracks.  The Son could do nothing, but look in fear.
As the Roc glanced at the duo, a figure emerged from on top its head.  It was the Storm King.  He towered over the Mare and Son with a devilish grin.
“You thought you could escape the Monsoon of Madness?”  The Storm King gloated.  “Doom will be your only comfort, My Little Pony.”
The Storm King lets out an ear-piercing laugh as the Roc he’s on screeches in front of the Mare and the Son.  The duo could do nothing, but stare at the mere sight of the giant bird.

Buck Withers woke up in the middle of the night.  He breathed really fast before he slowed down his breathing and came to a stop.  He breathed a sigh of relief as he looked around and saw everyone sleeping around Wanda Young, who was fast asleep.
“That dream,” Buck Withers said.  “I can’t seem to get over losing them.”
“Honey,” Lemony Gem said as she opened her eyes.  “Did you get that same nightmare about the Storm King?”
“Yes dear,” Buck Withers said.  “I know I conquered my fears of the roc.  But at the same time, I can’t get over the fact that the Storm King took the life of my parents.  I’m still afraid of him.”
“We all are afraid of the Storm King,” Lemony Gem said as she raised her head and kissed Buck Withers on the cheek.  “Both him and the Windigo’s Guild.  Every pony fears them the most.”
“But I still wonder,” Buck Withers said.  “Will the Storm King try to come up to Equestria and conquer us all?  After I lost my parents and the village of PomPoni when he decided to set off Mount Veshoovis and sicced his own troops on all of us?”
“If we can hold back the Windigo’s Guild,” Lemony Gem said.  “We can hold back that brute.  I know we’re all afraid, but it’s natural to be afraid..”
“You’re right,” Buck WIthers said.  “It is natural to be afraid.
Buck Withers and Lemony Gem scooted in closer and hugged each other as tears fell from their eyes.  The light of the night shone down in the room, illuminating it with a cool beauty.

The morning sun shone down on the desert, still being covered in a sandstorm.  But inside the cave, Princess Luna and King Myrrh looked outside with worry on their faces.
“In all my years of watching over my people,” King Myrrh said.  “I have never seen a sandstorm this long.  And we’re beginning to run low on supplies.”
“Do you think magic is causing this sandstorm to endure?” Princess Luna asked.
“I don’t know,” King Myrrh said.  “But if the storm does not weaken or disappear, I’m afraid we will all meet our end.”
“Did the sandstorm that you were in last this long?” Princess Luna asked.
“No,” King Myrrh said.  “The one I was in only lasted a few hours.  But I still remembered it.”
“Because of what happened to your wife,” Princess Luna said.
“Yes,” King Myrrh said.  “Fate can be extremely cruel, Princess Luna.”
“Now I’m beginning to wonder if coming down here was a bad idea in the first place,” Princess Luna said to herself.  “Had I known that the sandstorm would appear, I would have recommended my sister cancel the trip.”
“It’s not your fault, Princess Luna,” King Myrrh said.  “These things happen when we least expect it.  All we can do now is to care for your sister and ride out the storm, no matter how bad it gets.”
Luna looked down at the sand that held her up as a tear slid off her eye and down her cheek.  She looked up and said “At least I was able to reunite my sister with darling Wanda in the dreamworld.  In case we don’t make it, I wanted to make sure they would see each other again.”
“Then you have done the right thing, Princess Luna,” King Myrrh said.  “We must not let tragedy bog us down.  I nearly did and it almost cost me my life.  But no matter how bad things are, we mustn't lose hope.”
The moment King Myrrh stopped speaking, the sound of what appeared to be boulders being ripped off echoed through the cave, followed by a loud scream.  Princess Luna and King Myrrh turned to the interior of the cave.
“That sounded like dear sister,” Princess Luna said as her heart began to beat fast.
“This way,” King Myrrh said.  “She sounds like she’s in danger.”
King Myrrh and Princess Luna ran all the way from the mouth of the cave to the very back.  When they arrived, they saw Princess Celestia struggling to pull herself out as sand poured atop her.  Majordomo Kibitz, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom struggled to pull Princess Celestia out from the sand fall.  Princess Luna looked up and saw that the very roof of the cave had been torn open, revealing the sandstorm-covered sky to everyone’s eyes
“Princess Luna,” Majordomo Kibitz said.  “Help us get your sister out.”
“Leave that to me,” Princess Luna said as she ran over and cast a spell from her horn.
Luna used her magic to surround Celestia in a cool aura.  She tugged away as Kibitz, Hoofar and Jasmine continued to pull Celestia away from the sand.  King Myrrh looked at Princess Celestia’s situation and a spark from within lit up.
“Princess Luna,” King Myrrh yelled.  “You won’t be able to move her out of the way with the sand pouring all over her.”
“What else can I do?”  Princess Luna yelled.  “I won’t let her die on me like this.”
“Watch and observe,” King Myrrh said.
King Myrrh’s horn glowed brightly as an aura formed in the shape of a bowl above Celestia.  The sand poured into this magic bowl, blocking any from hitting the princess of the sun.
“Now,” King Myrrh yelled.  “I can’t hold this up forever.”
Princess Luna nodded.  With a mighty pull, she, Majordomo Kibitz, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom were able to pull Princess Celestia away from below the bowl-shaped aura.  As King Myrrh held the sand up, he began to tire.
“King Myrrh,” Princess Luna said.  “I’ll take it from here.”
The moment Princess Celestia laid right next to Princess Luna, the moon princess fired a blast of energy into the aura bowl that contained the sand, trapping it in a ball.  She lifted the sand into the air and all the way out through the gap in the ceiling, before thrusting her neck forward, sending the sand flying off in the distance.
King Myrrh caught his breath as Majordomo Kibitz walked up right next to him.
“You saved Princess Celestia’s life,” Majordomo Kibitz said.  “How can I possibly thank you, King Myrrh?”
“It’s the least I could, Majordomo,” King Myrrh said.  “After what happened to my wife, I couldn’t let Princess Celestia die.”
Princess Celestia looked around as she saw sand continue to pour through the top.  She looked to her right and saw a written piece of parchment paper half-buried in sand.
“Our treaty,” Princess Celestia said.  “The sand must have gotten to it.”
“It’s okay,” King Myrrh said as he walked up to the parchment and pulled it out.  “Even if it was destroyed, I still have the information about it in my head.  You have nothing to worry about, old friend.  So at least, let us be cheerful that we are still together.”
As Celestia giggled for the first time, Prince Hoofar looked up at the hole in the cavern’s ceiling.  The sand being blown by the wind was beginning to fade.
“Everyone,” Prince Hoofar said.  “I think luck is finally beginning to shine on us all.”
Everyone looked up as the sandstorm began to fade and the sun shined down in the cavern.
“Praise be to lady Faust,” King Myrrh said.  “Now we can leave this place and be on our way to Canterlot.”
“But what about Saddle Arabia?” Princess Celestia said.
“No,” King Myrrh said. “What matters is that we need to get you home safely so that your doctors can nurse you back to health.  And so you can also see your daughter again.”
“Did you hear that?”  Jasmine Bloom said as she rubbed her face on Celestia’s muzzle.  “You’re going to see your daughter again.  You’re going to be alright.”
As Celestia embraced the little orphan, she heard the sound of wings flapping.  She looked up and saw a group of pegasi and hippogriff guards fly in from the opened ceiling of the cave.  King Myrrh looked to his left and saw more guards fly in.
“It appears our luck has finally begun to shine,” King Myrrh said.  
“Pegasi and Hippogriff guards,” Majordomo Kibitz said.  “I take it Queen Novo is in Canterlot.”
The guards landed right next to the group as a single pegasus soldier approached Princess Celestia.
“Thank Eternia we were able to locate you,” the guard said.  “When we saw a portion of the mountain rip open, we came to investigate and found you all.”
“As you can tell,” Princess Luna said.  “Princess Celestia is in bad shape.  We need to get back to Canterlot and head straight to the hospital.”
“Not only that,” Princess Celestia said as she slowly raised her head.  “King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar and this little one named Jasmine Bloom will come with us.  I owe them for saving my life.”
“At once, your majesty,” The guard said as he saluted the group.

Back in Canterlot out in front of the Canterlot Hospital, Dr Trotdale was positioned in front of the podium as a crowd of media personnel surrounded the front.  Next to him were Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch and Queen Novo.
“In our recent check up on Princess Wanda,” Dr Trotdale said.  “Her health is beginning to improve and she is able to breathe without the need of pure oxygen.  So we will be taking her off the mask today.  But that being said, she will remain in the hospital until her condition improves.”
One reporter raised his hoof into the air, causing Trotdale to point at him.
“Doctor,” the reporter said.  “Long ago, Princess Wanda came down with a serious illness when she took the vaccine.  But with the antibody cocktail, she was able to recover without any problems.  Is there an explanation why?”
Dr Trotdale turned his head to Cadance and Cinch, who both nodded at the doctor.  Dr Trotdale turned back to the mic and cleared his throat.
“Since her condition began to improve,” Dr Trotdale said.  “I began to suspect if there was any foul play involving her original vaccine, as if someone may have tried to taint it.”
The crowd gasped at the words of Dr Trotdale and began to mutter to each other.  Dr Trotdale raised his hooves into the air, catching their attention.
“Now that being said,” Dr Trotdale said.  “I take the safety and well-being of my patients seriously.  So I have begun an investigation to see if Wanda’s original vaccine was tainted.  And if this is the case, then we will locate the one responsible, and bring him or her to justice.  The medical community does not tolerate sabotage of any form of medical treatment, period.”
“And when you do catch the one responsible,” the reporter said.  “Do you intend on prosecuting him or her to the fullest extent of the law?”
Dr Trotdale stepped aside to allow Princess Cadance to come up to the podium and place her lips near the mic.
“I will answer that question on behalf of Dr Trotdale,” Princess Cadance said as her tone became a bit aggressive.  “Yes.  We will.  Even if it wasn’t my sister who was the target of this horrible malpractice, the fact that this individual, whoever he or she is, chose to tarnish their vaccine is a reckless and dangerous stunt.  There is no tolerance for this kind of sadistic endangerment.”
The crowd talked among themselves as Princess Cadance left the podium.  Chancellor Cinch and Queen Novo got up and approached the mic while Princess Cadance sat next to Shining Armor.
“You did what you thought was right, Cadence,” Shining Armor said.
“I know,” Princess Cadance said.  “But still, the idea of my sister’s life being put in danger by someone else just got on my nerves.”
As the crowd continued to talk, Chancellor Cinch tapped the microphone, catching their attention.
“On the subject of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,:” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I have received a report this morning that the sandstorm has begun to weaken.  Queen Novo, Princess Cadance and I have dispatched some of our guards to locate them and bring them home.  Queen Novo will speak more on these details.”
Chancellor Cinch stepped aside as Queen Novo took to the podium and placed her beak near the mic.
“As Queen of the Hippogriff clan,” Queen Novo said. “I was informed about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s whereabouts.  We chose to organize a rescue mission to get them out and back into Equestria so that they may recover.  Once the report that the sandstorm was weakening, we wasted no time dispatching both pegasi and hippogriff guards to the Arabian Desert to locate any sign of Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and any of their companions.”
“Do you believe that they may be able to locate Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” the reporter asked.
“I have total faith in them,” Queen Novo said.  “Princess Celestia has reminded me that despite how cruel and cynical the world may be, there will always be a means of optimism to keep the light glowing bright.  I have faith in her principles, even after what the Storm King tried to do.  Now I wish to prove her right by bringing her and her sister home.”
As the crowd began to ask more questions, Queen Novo stepped away as Chancellor Cinch approached the mic.
“That will be all for today,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “Should Princess Celestia and Princess Luna return, I ask that you all give them some space to recover.”

Later, as the crowd disappeared from in front of the hospital, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch and Queen Novo began to walk away from the building.  Cadence wiped the sweat off her forehead as she let out a big sigh.
“Do you think I was a little harsh during my speech?” Princess Cadance asked.
“Not at all,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Princess Celestia sometimes goes into these kinds of aggressive talks during her speeches.  And besides, you share her concern for the little ones.”
“Had I been in your horse shoes,” Shining Armor said.  “I would have said the same thing.  After what Wanda was going through, I’d have the right to be upset.”
“I still can’t imagine what the little smallfry went through,” Queen Novo said.  “Her own vaccine for the hay fever...tainted.  What kind of sick monster would resort to that tactic?”
“I know,” Princess Cadance said.  “But at the same time, I wonder if I can truly be the ruler of Equestria, in case both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna succumb to the desert.”
“It’s not easy to be in that position, Princess Cadance,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Princess Celestia often goes through that same kind of pressure.  Maybe even more than that.  Do you remember when she came back to the palace the day before she and Luna left for Saddle Arabia?”
“That’s right,” Princess Cadance said as everyone came to a stop. “The Banks made her sign an executive order to construct a gigantic border wall around Equestria.  She got upset and took her anger out on Wanda.”
“I know you have a deep responsibility to look after the people of Equestria should the worst case scenario play out,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “But I don’t want you to overdo it.  If anything, I will be by your side should you have to ascend the throne.”
Shining Armor turned his head to the side and said “Speaking of Banks, guess who’s coming up to the four of us.”
Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch and Queen Novo turned their heads to the right to see Silver Banks march up to the group with Gold Banks right behind him.
“Hold it right there, young lady,” Silver Banks said in an abrasive tone.  “We need to talk.”
“If it’s about another border wall,” Princess Cadance said  “It will have to wait until Wanda recovers and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are safe.”
“Oh you don’t seem to understand,” Gold Banks said.  “It’s not just about the border wall, but a little something that we forgot to present to Princess Celestia.”
“Can’t this wait until all of these disasters have been dealt with?” Shining Armor said.  “Right now, we don’t need another one weighing down on all of us.”
“Watch your tone young stallion,” Silver Banks said as he glared down at Shining Armor.  “Unless you want to see yourself banished from Canterlot.”
Shining Armor swallowed hard as he took a few steps back.
“Whatever the case may be,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “It will have to wait.”
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” Gold Banks said as she took out a parchment and unraveled it.  “You see, we forgot to set up detention camps for illegal immigrants when we got our border wall approved.  We wouldn’t want any disgusting vermin to sneak through the borders.” 
“Now you see here,” Queen Novo snarled as she glared down at Gold Banks.  “I’m willing to put up with your trade deals and your daughter to a greater extent.  But not to your bigotry.”
“Oh please, Queen Novo,” Gold Banks said.  “None of the hippogriffs will be labeled like that.  You have my word.”  Queen Novo reluctantly raised her head away from Gold Banks.  But the hippogriff kept her eye out on the rich mare.
“Now then,” Silver Banks said.  “This executive order requires a signature from a head of state.  And since you’re the only one left, that means you have to sign it.”
“And you didn’t give me time to read it?” Princess Cadance said.
“Imagine what would have happened if you didn’t sign it,” Gold Banks said.  “Ponies would cast you out immediately as a pariah, one not worthy of being a princess.  You don’t want that, don’t you?”
Princess Cadance looked at Gold Banks, before turning her head to Chancellor Cinch, who shook her head no to the young alicorn.
“I am deeply sorry to say this,” Princess Cadance said as she turned her head back towards Gold Banks.  “But until these crises are dealt with, then you’re going to have to wait patiently before any of us are willing to sign that document, or even read it.”
“Are you willing to risk being a disgrace to your people?” Gold Banks said as a vein began to pop in her forehead.
“Not just to the fact that I want to see mother, aunt Luna and Wanda safe,” Princess Cadance said.  “But the idea of locking creatures up just for crossing the border sounds tyrannical and unjust.  That is not the ideal that Princess Celestia would want.  I would sooner be a pariah than to even sign that document in the first place.”
As soon as Cadance finished speaking, Dr Trotdale came running out and approached the group, catching Princess Cadance’s attention.
“Your majesty,” Dr Trotdale said as he approached Princess Cadance.  “It’s your sisters.”
“Did anything happen to them?” Princess Cadance asked.
“No,” Dr Trotdale said.  “They feel scared without you.  Without their mother and aunt.”
As Princess Cadance turned her head to Chancellor Cinch, the senior pony said to her “Then we must return to the royal suite of the hospital.  They need you right now.”
Princess Cadance nodded.  She turned to face Gold Banks and said “We’ll deal with this another time.”  Afterwards, Princess Cadance ran back to the hospital with Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch, Queen Novo and Dr Trotdale running right behind her.  
Gold Banks just stood there with her teeth clenched and the parchment still in her hooves.  She aggressively rolled it back up and stuffed it back in her dress before grabbing Silver Banks by the ear and yanking it.
“Oww.  Goldie,” Silver Banks said as Gold Banks held his ear.
“Come honey,” Gold Banks said.  “We’re going back home to discuss this outrage.”

Later in the mid morning, Gold Banks busted through the front doors of the mansion all while she dragged Silver Banks by the ear.  She slammed Silver down and stomped towards an exquisite looking seat before sitting down.  Silver Banks got up and rubbed his ear a bit.
“Next time,” Silver Banks said as he rubbed his ear.  “Give me a heads up.”
“How dare that brat try to talk back to me,” Gold Banks yelled.  “I am Gold Banks, the richest pony in the world.  I should be the empress of this entire planet.”
“I’d say we should give it time,” Silver Banks said.  “Turns out, Princess Cadance is not so easy to break compared to her mother.”
“Oh I will break her by any means possible,” Gold Banks said as she jumped out of the chair and glared at Silver.  “And I know just how.”
“H...how?” Silver Banks asked as he began to stutter.
“It’s that sister of hers,” Gold Banks said.  “She’s always distracted by that filthy animal of a sister.”
“So what do we do?” Silver Banks said.  “Should we force her to give both that man’s cub and the other sister up?”
“No,” Gold Banks said as she walked a few steps away from Silver Banks.  “I may have mused the idea of taking her as my own.  But in reality, I never did want to.  I suggest we….euthanize her.”
“Say what?” Silver Banks yelled as his eyes shrunk down.
“You heard me,” Gold Banks said.  “They’re obviously lying about how their precious Princess is recovering.  I believe the opposite to be true.  She’s dying and we know it.  We’re going to march into that hospital and put her out of her misery.”
“Are you kidding?” Silver Banks said.  “I may be a harsh stallion, even to little Golden Lace.  But to end the man’s cub’s life?  That’s taking things too far.”
Gold Banks was furious.  She stomped her hoof down and turned towards Silver Banks, who backed off completely scared.  Gold Banks marched towards her husband with grit in her teeth.
“Now you see here you miserable excuse for a husband,” Gold Banks said.  “You either agree to my idea and help me euthanize that monkey, or you will spend the rest of your life outside with our disgrace of a daughter.  DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”
Silver Banks swallowed hard as he said “Yes.”
“Good,” Gold Banks said as she calmed down and a smile returned to her face.  “Now I need you to find our private military group: The Debt Collector Squad.  Tell them that we’re needed at the Canterlot Hospital.  And don’t disappoint me.”
“I was afraid to have to use them for this purpose,” Silver Banks said.  “But for you, I’ll….do it.”
“Good boy,” Gold Banks said.
Silver Banks nodded as he got up and ran out of the mansion, looking scared stiff.  Gold Banks looked outside as a devilish grin formed on her face.
“Little does anyone realize,” Gold Banks said to herself. “I was the one who ordered that animal’s hay fever vaccine to be tainted with a special drug.  I blackmailed one of their own to do the job.  And just to make sure that no one will suspect anything, this drug diluted itself should it fail, and let’s just say the physician who did the deed had an….accident.”
Gold Banks laughed to herself as she walked up the staircase.


	To Be Continued in….


	Protect the child

> Arc 15-8: Protect the Child
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Protect the Child



It was near the afternoon in the desert.  A carriage was flying through the sky with pegasus and hippogriff soldiers pulling it.  Inside the carriage, Princess Celestia lay down on one of the seats with Jasmine Bloom lying next to her.  Celestia’s wing was still in a splint, but she was in high spirits.  On the opposite side, Princess Luna, King Myrrh, Majordomo KIbitz, Prince Hoofar and a couple of pegasus guards stood by the elder alicorn’s side.
“Are you doing alright, sis?” Princess Luna asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Princess Celestia said. “Now that we’re out of harm’s way.”
“It won’t be long until we reach the Equestrian mainland,” King Myrrh said.  “Just hang in there.”
“Don’t worry,” Princess Celestia said.  “I think I might.  Besides, what will you do when this is over?”
“Right now,” King Myrrh said.  “That is the least of my concern.”
“He’s right,” Majordomo Kibitz said. “Our concern right now is for your well-being.  Even if King Myrrh has to remain in Canterlot, he’s willing to go out of his way to make sure you survive.”  
Princess Celestia smiled as she looked at King Myrrh’s face.  But as she did, she felt the carriage shake violently, causing everyone to fall onto the floor.  Princess Luna looked up looked outside the window.
“Sister,” Princess Celestia said.  “What’s going on?”
Suddenly, one of the pegasus guards flies from the front to the window with a terrible look on his face.
“Some unknown guards are denying us entry into Equestria,” The member of the Royal Guard said.  “Banks’ orders.”
“What?” Princess Celestia yelled.  “But we have to be in Equestria so I can get better.”
“This sounds a lot like the Banks’ private military group known as the Debt Collectors,” Princess Luna said as she placed her hoof on the handle.  “No way am I letting this injustice get in our way.”
Princess Luna opened the door of the carriage and quickly flew out to the guard’s side.  She flew to the front with the guard to see the rest of the pact halted in place with a private military group blocking their path.
“But this is a royal emergency,” the pegasus guard in the front said.  “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are in this carriage.”
“No means no,” The private military soldier said.  “We’re under strict orders from the Banks not to let anyone through these borders.”
Immediately, Princess Luna flew up to the private military group and stared down at them.
“Stand down this instance,” Princess Luna said.  “That’s an order from Equestria’s second-in-command.”
“Are you hard of hearing?” The private soldier commander said to Luna.  “Banks’ orders are not to let ANYONE into Equestria.  And that means you.”
Princess Luna stared down the private commander with a leer that could scare a bear half-to-death.
“You will do exactly as I say if you know what’s good for you,” Princess Luna said as she projected her voice into a powerful reverb.  “Do I make myself clear?”
“Y...yes your majesty,” The commander said as he turned to his troops and said “You heard Princess Luna.  Clear the way.”
The private military group moved out of the way as Princess Luna’s scowl turned into a smile.  She flew back into the carriage as the lone guard stood by the others connected to the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Princess Luna took a seat as her smile never left her face.  Princess Celestia, King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar, Majordomo Kibitz and Jasmine Bloom all looked at Luna, who just grinned at the group.
“I take it you had to put that Royal Canterlot Voice to good use,” Princess Celestia said with a slight chuckle.
“Well why not?” Princess Luna said with a smirk.  “After all, you taught me how to best use it in cases like this.”
As Celestia and Luna laughed, Prince Hoofar tapped his hoof on Princess Luna’s arm, catching her attention.
“Is there any way you could teach me that Royal Canterlot voice?” Prince Hoofar asked.
Princess Luna giggled and said “That will take a lot of practice.  Are you sure about that?  You don’t want to wear out your vocal cords.”
“Princess Luna is right, my son,” King Myrrh said.  “I hope you are prepared for strained throats and plenty of herbal cough drops.”

Meanwhile, at the royal suite of the Canterlot Hospital, Dr Trotdale removed Wanda’s oxygen mask, much to the subtle delight of the young man’s cub.  The younglings and Princess Cadance were around the bed as Abigail jumped onto Wanda’s lap and licked her hand.
“So how do you feel, little Wanda?” Dr Trotdale said with a warm smile.
“I’m okay,” Wanda said.  “A little dizzy, but I think I’m alright.”
“Well if your breathing starts to get worse,” Dr Trotdale said.  “Then feel free to put this mask back on.  I want to see how you do without it.”
“Don’t you worry little sister,” Princess Cadance said as she reached over and rubbed Wanda on the head.  “It won’t be long until you feel one hundred percent better.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said when she flew up to Wanda’s face.  “Once that happens, you’ll be twenty percent cooler towards your family and friends.   The Princess of cool.”
“Princess of cool?” Wanda asked, confused by Rainbow Dash’s words.
“It’s a positive composure, Wanda,” Danged Spell said.  “Like it’s intensely good.  Though Princess of Cool has an ice ring to it.”
“Danged Spell,” The other younglings said before bursting out into laughter.
“Never fail,” Twilight said as she laughed hard.  “Danged Spell is one to let out a pun when we least expect it.”
“Well that’s just him,” Moondancer laughed.  “He’s the kind of pony who knows how to roll with the puns.”
Sunset Shimmer wiped a tear from her cheek as she jumped onto the chair next to Wanda’s bed.
“Well, once you’re all better,” Sunset said.  “You should be ready for the Grand Gallopin Gala.  And unlike the last number of times you had to attend, you will have plenty of friends to join you.”
“Yay,” Wanda said as she clapped her hands.
“Oooh,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Maybe I can throw a big ‘Prepare for the Gala’ party of some sort.  Or maybe…”
But before Pinkie Pie could finish, Chancellor Cinch ran into the room, looking completely scared.
“Chancellor,” Princess Cadance said as she turned her attention to Chancellor Cinch.  “What happened?”
“It’s the Banks,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “They’ve brought their Debt Collector squad to the front door of the royal suite.  Our guards are trying to hold them off, but it won’t last.  They’re coming after Princess Wanda.”
“Oh no,” Princess Cadance said. “Why are they doing this?”
“I’m not so sure,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But it’s starting to get ugly.”
Princess Cadance turned to Sunset Shimmer and said “Keep close to our sister, Sunset.  Don’t let them lay a hoof on her.”
Sunset Shimmer jumped onto the bed and hugged Wanda close before she said “Don’t worry.  We’ll keep her safe.”
“What exactly are the Banks up to?” Dr Trotdale asked.
“I don’t know,” Princess Cadance said as she’s about to run out of the room.  “But it doesn’t sound pretty.”
But before Cadance could run out, she was held down by something.  Cadence turned around and saw Golden Lace, Danged Spell and Applejack holding her down.
“Let us help you out,” Danged Spell said.
“I can’t,” Princess Cadance said.  “I don’t want to put you all in danger.”
“We already are thanks to my mom and dad,” Golden Lace said. “At least give us the chance to defend Wanda.”
Princess Cadance turned to Chancellor Cinch, who only shook her head in disagreement.
“I don’t like the idea of using kids in our defense,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“Neither do I,” Princess Cadance said.  “But at the same time, their lives are in danger.”
Suddenly, Cadance felt a tap on her shoulder.  She turned and faced Queen Novo, who had a look of fear on her face.
“They’re starting to bust through the front door,” Queen Novo said.  “What should we all do?”
“Hold the line,” Princess Cadance said.  “We’re not letting them in.”

At the lounge area, the couches are lined up like a barricade as a number of pegasus and hippogriff guards stood in front, holding shields in their arms.  Right behind the couches are Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Bright Mac, Princess Skystar, Shining Armor, Buck Withers, Gad Zookes and Lemony Gems stood their ground as the front doors were beginning to come open.
“So,” Shining Armor said to Buck.  “Ever had a scenario like this before?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Buck Withers said.  “I lost my parents long ago to the Storm King on PomPony through many tragedies.  This was one example.”
“You lost your parents to the Storm King?” Night Light said. 
“That’s awful to hear,” Shining Armor said.
“It was also the main reason why he was originally afraid of rocs, Gad Zookes said.  “The Storm King sicced them on his village, like he did to mine when I was young.”
“That’s just horrible,” Princess Skystar said.  “To think we had tragedies because of that monster.”
“I thought our family had our own set of problems,” Twilight Velvet.  “But those pale in comparison to what you had to go through.  Losing a mother and a father to that despicable monster.”
“As much as I sympathize with you all on the Storm King,” Bright Mac said.  “We have bigger problems.”
As the door was starting to open, Princess Cadance ran out from one of the rooms with Chancellor Cinch and Queen Novo right behind her.  She goes up to a monitor panel and pressed her hoof on the screen, showing Gold and Silver Banks along with a number of Debt Collector soldiers trying to knock the door down with a barricade.
“Gold Banks,” Princess Cadance said.  “What in my mother’s name are you doing?”
“You’re lying about Princess Wanda’s condition,” Gold Banks said.  “We demand that you show proof that she is doing well or else.”
In an instant, Princess Cadance pressed a few buttons on the monitor, showing Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer hugging in the other room with Abigail and Spike right next to them.  Gold Banks looked at the monitor on her end with Silver right beside her.
“There’s your proof,” Princess Cadance said.  “Now do you believe me?”
“She’s right,” Silver Banks said.  “The little girl appears to be fine.  We should go home and forget about this.”
“We will not,” Gold Banks screamed.  “They are obviously lying, making it look like she’s alright when she’s really sicker than she appeared to be.  Now get this door open.  That’s an order.”
Gold Banks smashed the screen of the monitor on her end, causing the feed to disappear.  Chancellor Cinch walked up to Cadance and placed her hoof on the youngling’s shoulder.
“What should we do, Princess Cadance?” Chancellor Cinch asked.
Princess Cadance was full of fury.  Her eyes squinted down with a burning fire unlike anything she’s experienced.  She raised her head and said “Push them back.”
The moment Princess Cadance finished her speech, the front doors busted open as Gold Banks and the Debt Collector group pushed forward, armed with shock batons.  The pegasus and hippogriff guards pushed forward, holding them back as much as possible.  Behind Gold Banks, Silver just stood there, completely ashamed.
“What have I done?”  Silver whispered to himself.
As the pegasus and hippogriff guards held the private soldiers back, a couple of them jumped over the group and landed right behind the couch barricade, running all the way towards the back rooms.  Queen Novo was quick to knock one of them down to the ground as Buck Withers tripped the other down with his whip before pinning the soldier down.
“You will not disturb the peace of the younglings, monster,” Buck Withers said as his tone became deeper and scarier.
As the guards continued to hold back the private troops, another jumped out of the pack and above the barricade.  But instead of landing nearby, he rammed right into Princess Cadance, causing the young alicorn to scream as she was knocked down on her side.  
“Oww,” Cadence said.  “I didn’t see that coming.”
Princess Cadance looked up to see the troop standing over her.  He pointed his shock baton out at Princess Cadance’s face.
“Time you learned your place, Princess,” the troop said.
Suddenly, he felt something bite his leg, causing him to scream into the air and bonk his head on the ceiling, knocking him out.  Princess Cadance got up and saw Danged Spell with his eyes glowing a bright yellow and his teeth shown.
“Spell,” Princess Cadance said.  “That’s your Wolf’s Breath curse.  Then that means…”
“We’re here to help out, Princess.”  Princess Cadance turned as Rainbow Dash flew past her and rammed her head into another incoming troop, knocking them back to the doorway.  Princess Cadance turned to the back and saw Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow standing tall outside Wanda’s room.
“What are you doing out here?” Princess Cadance yelled.  “You’ll get yourself hurt.”
“We’ve been in this situation before when the Windigo’s Guild attacked us during the Ponyville Providence Fair,” Applejack said.  “No way are we letting those goons get the best of you.”
“But the Banks…” Princess Cadance yelled.
“I’m afraid my daughter’s right, your majesty,” Bright Mac said.  “This is no different from what those despicable varmits did to us.  Besides, we were all held captive by that monster Coldnelius Snap.  Besides, they’re already trapped, and there’s no way most of them can get out.”
“I’m afraid you’re right,” Gold Banks yelled.  “If any of them were to escape, I would easily tarnish their names to the point they could never show their faces in any part of Equestria again.”
Princess Cadance turned towards Gold Banks as she became really agitated.  But as she did, Golden Lace ran from the group towards Gold Banks.
“Lace,” Princess Cadance yelled.  “It’s too dangerous.”
“I know,” Golden Lace said.  “But something has to be done.”
Golden Lace ran past the guards and the troops fighting each other as she ran up to Gold Banks.  Silver only looked at her before turning his face away in shame.
“Mother,” Golden Lace said.  “You have to stop this madness.”
“You dare to show your face towards me, you disgrace of a daughter,” Gold Banks yelled.
“I do,” Golden Lace said.  “I realized just how much I had been missing after you threw me out of the house.  Ever since then, I realized how much I had missed out on thanks to your selfish attitude.  Even my new friends treat me better than how you treat me.”
“Don’t you DARE speak to me like that,” Gold Banks yelled as she slapped Golden Lace on the face, shocking everyone in the room sans the Debt Collector squad.  “I am your mother, and you will obey everything I say if you ever want any respect again.”
Golden Lace cried on the floor as she felt the sting on her cheek.  Princess Cadance levitated Golden Lace to her side and hugged her before glaring at Gold Banks.  Chancellor Cinch took Cadance’s side, also glaring at Gold Banks.  Silver Banks continued to turn his head in shame, refusing to even look at anyone’s face.
“You have made a grave mistake,” Cinch said with a cold tone.   “Especially towards your own daughter, monster.”
“She made her stupid decision,” Gold Banks said.  “Now she will pay the price like the rest of those filthy brats.”
Princess Cadance turned towards the younglings and said “Let them have it.”
Without warning, Gold Banks felt something bite her leg.  She raised it and saw Danged Spell sink his teeth into Gold’s leg as he growled.  Gold Banks yelled as she shook her leg until Danged Spell let go and landed near Princess Cadance, barking madly at Gold Banks.
“Forget the royal guards,” Gold Banks yelled.  “GET THOSE BRATS!”
The Debt Collector Squad dodged out of the way of the pegasus and hippogriff guards as they charged towards the younglings.  Twilight Sparkle looked at the incoming soldiers and smiled.
“FIRE!”  Twilight yelled as she, Starlight Glimmer, Rarity, Trixie, Moondancer and Sunburst fired off bursts of magic from their horns, hitting the incoming soldiers and knocking them down.
“Don’t just stand there you fools,” Gold Banks yelled.  “Make them pay for this.”
“Would you morons like cash or credit?” Trixie yelled, causing Gold Banks to stomp her hoof down in complete disgust.
“SEIZE THAT SMART ALECK,” Gold Banks yelled as she pointed to Trixie.
A couple more soldiers of the Debt Collector Squad charged forward at Trixie, aiming to grab the little filly as she began to back into a corner.
“No,” Trixie said as her ears drooped down.  “Get away from me.”
Suddenly, the troops that advanced on Trixie were hit by flying apples.  They turned to their right to see Applejack and Bright Mac kicking a bushel full of apples in their face.
“How the hay did they sneak in apples into the hospital?” One of the troops said.
“Oh we’d want to keep it a secret,” Applejack said.  “But it’s more amusing to let you know that they’re food to keep our spirits up.”
Bright Mac gave a noogie towards Applejack as he said “That’s my girl.”
As Applejack and Bright Mac kicked more apples at the members of the Debt Collectors, a couple of them are seen approaching Fluttershy, who was backed into a corner.  The little pegasus filly could do nothing but stare as the two troopers approached her.
“There’s nowhere for you to go, little lady,” one of the approaching troops said.  
“That’s right,” The other said.  “So you better get use to the fact that you’re going to a labor camp.”
“No,” Fluttershy said as she covered her face. “I don’t want to go there.  Leave me alone.”
But as the two private troops approached the timid filly, they each felt a bang on their heads before they collapsed onto the ground.  Fluttershy looked up and saw Cozy Glow wielding a frying pan in her hooves.
“Someone had to do it,” Cozy Glow said as she held the frying pan behind her back with an innocent blush on her face.  “Besides, they were dumb enough to not wear helmets.”
“Thanks,” Fluttershy said.  “I appreciated the help.”
“Anytime,” Cozy Glow said.
As the Debt Collector troops began to bypass the guards and approach the younglings, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar had been using their wings to blow them back, hoping to push them out of the room.  
“Keep flapping as hard as you can, Skystar,” Queen Novo yelled.  “We can’t allow them to get to smallfry.”
“I know, momma,” Princess Skystar said.  “These guys remind me of what the Storm King tried to do, and I won’t let these monsters do the same thing to Wanda.”
“That’s the spirit,” Queen Novo said as she flapped her wings harder.
As Novo and Skystar continued to push some of the Debt Collector Squad troops back, Twilight, Rarity, Trixie, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer continued to fire at any of the strays that came their way.  But the fillies started to tire as their horns were smoking hot.
“They keep coming in,” Rarity said.  “And I’m starting to wear out my horn.”
‘How are we going to keep those meanies at bay?” Starlight said.
“Only one answer,” Twilight said.  “Bring in the big boy.”
Twilight Sparkle turned towards Pinkie Pie and gave the earth pony filly a wink.  As a couple more troops approached Pinkie Pie, the pink filly dug her hooves into a nearby corner and pulled out her party cannon.
“You wanna play rough?” Pinkie Pie said.  “Okay.”
The two troopers began to laugh at the sight of Pinkie Pie’s party cannon.
“That’s going to take us out?” One of the troopers chuckled..
“Give me a break,” the other said as he couldn't stop laughing.
Pinkie Pie just looked at the guards as her grin grew deeper.  She eyed the button on her cannon and positioned her hoof above it.
“SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND,” Pinkie Pie said as she slammed her hoof on the cannon button.
Suddenly, waves of cream pies flew right out of the cannon, hitting the two troopers in the face and blinding them.  They ran frantically away from Pinkie Pie as she continued to fire more cream pies at the retreating cowards.
“Where the hay did she learn how to speak like that?”  Moondancer asked.
Twilight Sparkle just stood there smirking as she said “Whatever’s in that filly’s mind is something you don’t want to know.”
The Debt Collector Squad were being pushed back by the pegasus and hippogriff guards who defended the suite.  As many of them were beginning to back off, Gold Banks just stood there, completely dumbfounded while Silver Banks barely glanced from a nearby corner.
“I knew I should have paid extra on supplies and extensive training,” Gold Banks said.  She pulled one of her own soldiers to her and yelled out.  “Don’t just stand there.  Let loose a smoke grenade.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the soldier said as he removed a grenade from his vest, pulled the tab off the grenade and threw it into the room.  
As Princess Cadance held Golden Lace, she looked up and saw the grenade fly her way.  Her eyes shrunk before she pointed her horn at the incoming object.
“Get away from us,” Princess Cadance yelled before she fired a blast of magical energy at the grenade.
The moment the magical blast hit the smoke grenade, it exploded and unleashed a cloud of smoke into the air.  The blast knocked Princess Cadance out, causing her to lose her grip on Golden Lace and sent the young filly flying backwards across the room.  Shining Armor watched in horror as he saw Princess Cadance get knocked to the ground.
“CADANCE!”  Shining Armor yelled as he reached out to Princess Cadance.
The smoke started to fill the entire royal suite.  The guards, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem, Gad Zookes, Bright Mac, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar all got down on their knees and started to cough as they closed their eyes.  
“What in the name of Queen Eternia is this?” Twilight yelled as she coughed up the smoke.
“Smoke grenade,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “They’re forbidden from being used in the Equestrian Military.  But the Banks have figured out how to bypass that rule through lobbying.”
Starlight coughed up a storm as she cried “I can’t see.  Mom.  Dad.  Sunburst.  Help me.”
“I’m right here,” Sunburst said as he was barely able to see Starlight Glimmer before grabbing her and holding her tight.  “I won’t let those bullies get the best of you.”
Golden Lace got up and saw the room fill with smoke.  She backed up near one of the doors, scared stiff.
“Get away from me,” Golden Lace said.  “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Lace?” That sound came from Rainbow Dash, who was still trapped in the smoke.  “Is that you?”
“Yeah,” Golden Lace said.  “What can I do?”
“Flee to Wanda’s room,” Rainbow Dash yelled from within the smoke.  “Stay with her.  And be safe.”
“I’ll try,” Golden Lace yelled as she ran into Wanda’s hospital room before the smoke began to inch closer to her.
As the group struggled with the smoke, more smoke grenades were lobbed into the room, expelling more smoke and reducing the visibility.  Nearly everyone in there struggled to get up as they continued to cough out the smoke from their lungs.
“Dad,” Applejack said as her eyes began to water.  “Are we...gonna die?”
“We’ve been...through worse,” Bright Mac said as he coughed.  “This is nothing….compared to the Windigo’s Guild.”
“Even that roc….,” Buck Withers said as he coughed hard.  “Makes this...look weak.”
“Buck,” Gad Zookes said.  “Don’t...over do it.”
“I can’t see...anything,” Fluttershy yelled.
“Mom...dad...Mrs Cake,” Pinkie Pie said as she stretched her arms out.  “Where are you?”
“I knew...the Banks...were despicable,” Cozy Glow said.  “But not….like this.”
As the smoke fills the room and everyone in there is helpless, Gold Banks looks inside and smiles with a sense of satisfaction.
“This,” Gold Banks said as she put on a gas mask.  “Is how you get things done, Banks-style.”  She turned to her husband Silver and said “Now you come with me.  We have a little girl to meet with.”
Before Silver could speak, Gold Banks pulled on Silver’s ear and leads him through the smoke-filled room as members of the Debt Collector Squad followed from behind.
“Honey,” Silver Banks said.  “I haven’t raised an objection.”
“Well your objection is overruled,” Gold Banks said as she dragged Silver through.  “We have an objective to take care of, and we’ll make sure it’s done.”
Gold Banks marched through the smoke-filled lounge area.  She looked down at Danged Spell, who’s eyes were closed shut all while he just sat there, coughing.
This is for biting me, animal,” Gold Banks said before she swatted Danged Spell aside, sending the little colt flying towards a couch and landing near Moondancer, scaring the little filly.
“Spell,” Moondancer said.  “Is that….you?”
“It...is,” Danged Spell said as he groaned in pain.
“What..happened?” Moondancer said.
“Something...knocked me...aside,” Danged Spell said.  “Couldn’t tell...who it was.”
As Gold Banks dragged Silver Banks through the room, Princess Cadance started to open her eyes and make out the two as the Debt Collector Squad marched past her.
“Oh no you don’t,” Princess Cadance said to herself as she slowly got up and extended her wings.  “You want to mess with my sisters?  Then you’ve messed with me.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Reunion of mother and daughters

> Arc 15-9: Reunion of mother and daughters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Reunion of mother and daughters




Gold Banks marched into Wanda’s hospital room all while pulling Silver Banks by the ear.  She ripped off her gas mask and threw it to the ground before glancing at Dr Trotdale, who stood in front of Wanda, Sunset, Golden Lace, Ditzy Doo, Spike, Abigail and baby Silverstream .
“Mrs Banks,” Dr Trotdale said.  “Princess Wanda needs her rest.  Please do not disturb her.”
“Out of my way, quack,” Gold Banks said as she shoved Dr Trotdale to the side, causing him to fall to the ground.  Trotdale looked up as Gold Banks marched further into the room.
“You’re really going to do this?” Dr Trotdale said.  “You’re really going to disturb a patient who needs her rest from the hay fever virus?  What kind of a horrible pony are you?”
Gold Banks looked down at Dr Trotdale before turning towards one of her own Debt Collector Squad members and nodding to him.  
“Will do, Mrs Banks,” the soldier said as he pulled out a shock baton and rammed it into Trotdale’s side, shocking and causing the doctor to scream.  After the soldier pulled his baton back, Gold Banks marched up to Dr Trotdale and pulled him up by his coat.
“Don’t you ever,” Gold Banks yelled.  “EVER speak to me like that again.”  She threw Trotdale back on the ground before turning to face Silver Banks.
“Are you really sure we need to do this?” Silver Banks said as he took a look at Wanda, who looked horrified.  “She looks as healthy as a horse.”
Gold Banks got into Silver’s face and said “You are going to stay right there unless you want to be disgraced by the very media that controls all of Equestria.  Understand?”
Silver Banks stood there and said “Y...yes.”
Gold Banks’s frown turned back into a smile as she said “Good boy.”  
Gold Banks turns her head to the corner where Wanda, Abigail, Spike, Silverstream, Sunset Shimmer, Ditzy Doo and Golden Lace were holding onto each other, all while staring down at the despicable diva of a money mare.
“She scares me,” Wanda said as Sunset held her tight.  “Keep her away.”
“No matter what happens sis,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Gold Banks walked over to the group of youngsters and glanced down at all of them.
“Mother,” Golden Lace said as she glared at Gold Banks.  “You’re making a big mistake.”
“I beg to differ,” Gold Banks said.  “I’m doing what’s right for Equestria.  They want to know the real truth about Princess Wanda.  About how her infection was nothing more than a lie.  When they know about it, her reputation will be over.”
Ditzy Doo looked at Gold Banks face before she eyed an open window.  Her wings extended out as she began to let go of Wanda and Sunset, catching Gold Bank’s attention.
“Go ahead,” Gold Banks said with a devilish smile on her face.  “Fly out the window and watch as you get classified as a public enemy of Equestria.  You’ll never be able to travel anywhere without my squad hunting you down and locking you up.  Once you step outside, I’ll relay to the news networks of Equestria to do just that.  You’ve lost.”
Ditzy’s wings folded back up as she held onto Wanda and Sunset before she began to cry.
“You’re a coward, Banks,” Sunset said.  “Picking on all of us just because Wanda is sick.  When mother finds out she...”
“You don’t know your place, peasant,”  Gold Banks interrupted, causing Sunset to back up.  “It doesn’t matter who your mother is, be it Princess Celestia or Chancellor Cinch.  As long as I exist, I am in charge. And that makes me….QUEEN!”
With that, Gold Banks reached out and grabbed Wanda by the wrist as she pulled her away.  Wanda cried out loud as Sunset, Abigail, Ditzy, Spike, Silverstream and Golden Lace held on.
“SHE’S HURTING ME!” Wanda cried.  “I DON'T WANT TO BE TAKEN AWAY!”
“Let go you filthy brats,” Gold Banks yelled as she tried to pull Wanda away.  “She’s coming with me, unless you all want to be taken away.”
“Not on your life,” Sunset yelled.
As Gold Banks continued to pull Wanda by the wrist, Abigail, Spike and Silverstream let go of Sunset, Lace and Ditzy before running up to Gold Banks arm and bit right into it.  
“YARRRGH!” Gold Banks yelled as she flung Abigail, Spike and Silverstream to the side before she lost her grip on Wanda’s wrist.
Sunset Shimmer, Ditzy Doo and Golden Lace pulled Wanda back to their side as the little man’s cub held her wrist and cried.  The three fillies surrounded Wanda and glared right up at Gold Banks.
“She hurt me,” Wanda cried as she held her wrist.  “She hurt me badly.”
“She won’t hurt you anymore,” Sunset Shimmer said as she stood by her human sister.  “I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”
“Yeah,” Ditzy said as she scratched the hospital floor with her hoof.  “You’re our friend, Wanda.  And friends protect one another.”
Gold Banks looked down at Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Golden Lace and Ditzy Doo.  She looked to her left and saw Abigail, Spike and Silverstream glance at her.  Spike blew smoke from his nose, Silverstream jerked her head out in a pecking motion while Abigail growled at Gold Banks.
“Mother,” Golden Lace said.  “You’re making a big mistake here.  We didn’t want this.  We want to see Wanda get better.”
“You should have done as I said,” Gold Banks said.  “Had you done so, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“No,” Golden Lace said as she looked at Gold Banks, who only looked at her daughter in disgust.
“What...did you say?” Gold Banks said.
“You heard me,” Golden Lace said.  “I’m not going to take your side on this.  I had doubts about myself after I returned from Mount Aris, and I took Celestia’s side because the field trip taught me something.  But the moment you threw me out of the house, I realized just how truly wrong I was.  I’m not going to move.”
“Lace,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I understand what you mean.”
“Thanks,” Golden Lace said as she turned her head towards Sunset Shimmer.  “Because the bully who looked down at you like a self-centered entitled pony is gone for good.”
Gold Banks grit her teeth.  She stared down at Golden Lace, who turned her head back at her mother in shame and fury.
“If you won’t do as I say,” Gold Banks said as she raised her arm back.  “Then I will teach you a harsher lesson.”
Golden Lace just stood there and turned her head away.  She muttered  “Do your worst” as a tear fell from her eye.
But just as Gold Banks was about to slap her daughter on the face, she felt something hold her back and noticed a whip that was now wrapped around her wrist.  Gold Banks turned around and saw Buck Withers holding her back.  Next to him were Gad Zookes and Lemony Gem.
“Get away from the children you monster,” Buck Withers said as he held the whip with his teeth.
“You have the excuse to want to hurt a child, especially your own daughter?” Gad Zookes said as he stood by Buck Withers.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Lemony Gem said, glaring at Gold Banks.
As Gold Banks struggled to get the whip off of her wrist, she turned to face Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Ditzy Doo and Golden Lace, only to find Princess Cadance standing in defense of the younglings.  Princess Cadance glared at Gold Banks, not once keeping her eyes off the rich mare.
“How?”  Gold Banks said.  “How did you bypass that smoke?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Princess Cadance snarled. “I don’t want to see you anywhere near my sisters, her friends, or your own daughter.  Do I make myself clear?”
Gold Banks turned around and saw Chancellor Cinch and Shining Armor standing right behind her with Silver Banks backed into a corner.  Shining Armor pointed his glowing horn at Gold Banks.
“Don’t even think about it,” Shining Armor said in a low tone.
Gold Banks brushed her mane and said “Fine.  I’ll back off.  But this won’t be the last you’ll hear of me.”
With that, Shining Armor nodded to Buck Withers, who loosened his whip from Gold’s wrist and pulled it back.  Gold Banks turned around as her own squad followed right behind him out the door.
“Good riddance,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “After the stunt she pulled, I’d rather have the man’s cub Princess Wanda by my side than her.
As Gold Banks and the Debt Collector Squad walked out, Silver Banks only looked on from inside the room.  Golden Lace looked at Silver Banks and ran under Princess Cadance, catching Silver’s attention.
“Daddy?” Golden Lace said as she approached Silver, who only turned his head in shame.
“What I did, and what your mother did, is inexcusable,” Silver Banks said.  “I also regret throwing you out of the house and that attempt at punishing you with a rolled up piece of paper.  I do not deserve your forgiveness.  I’m sorry, my daughter.”
WIth that, Silver Banks ran out the door, leaving Golden Lace standing there with her jaw dropped to the ground.  Not long after, Queen Novo stepped in.
“Princess Cadance,” Queen Novo said.  “You did well in shooing out Gold Banks.  Your mother would be proud of you.”
But as Queen Novo turned to face Princess Cadance, she saw Golden Lace standing there, looking like she’s about to cry.
“Oh dear,” Queen Novo said.  “Golden Lace.  Are you okay?”
Immediately, Golden Lace started to cry as she ran towards Queen Novo, who picked her up and hugged the filly close.  Golden Lace cried on Novo’s chest as she held her close.
“I didn’t want this to happen,” Golden Lace said.  “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize about, young lady,” Queen Novo said.  “You did the right thing in defending Wanda.  I’m proud of you.”  Novo’s smile turned into a frown as she said “But I’m also sorry for what you had to go through.  Do not forget.  You will always have friends by your side to help lift your spirits.
As Queen Novo allowed Golden Lace to cry into her chest, Wanda, Sunset, Ditzy and Cadance watched from the corner.  Princess Cadance picked up Wanda and held her in her arms.
“I feel sorry for Golden Lace,” Wanda said.  “She didn’t deserve to be in this mess.”
“So do I,” Princess Cadance said.  “We’ve helped her out after her own mother threw her out.  We will continue to fix what was broken.”
“It’s why we’re a family and we’re the best of friends,” Sunset said.  “We help one another and we care for each other.  After all, as a family, we are one together.”
“She’s right,” Chancellor Cinch said as she approached Wanda and Princess Cadance.  “Long ago, I used to distrust you because you were different from the rest of us.  But overtime, I learned to never judge a book by its cover. And after what happened to you, I believe that statement rang far more true than I realized, Princess Wanda.”
“I uhh, appreciate it,” Wanda said. “But I don’t mind being called Man’s Cub.”
Chancellor Cinch giggled and said “Whatever makes you feel better, young one.”

Outside the hospital, the carriage being pulled by the pegasus and hippogriff guards has landed in the front.  As the door began to open, Gold Banks and the Debt Collector Squad ran out from the hospital entrance and past the carriage.  This caught Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Majordomo Kibitz and King Myrrh’s attention.
“What in the world is going on here?” Princess Celestia said.
“I don’t know why Gold Banks and her private military group were running out of the Canterlot Hospital,” Princess Luna said.  
“I have a funny feeling something horrible happened in there,” Majordomo Kibitz said.
But as they watched Gold Banks and the Debt Collector Squad run off, King Myrrh noticed Silver Banks walking behind her as if he were depressed.
“Say,” King Myrrh said.  “What is with that pony?”
“That’s Silver Banks,” Princess Celestia said.  “But something about his posteur seems off.”
Princess Celestia opened the door to the carriage and slowly walked out as she minded her broken wing.  Once she stepped onto the surface, she limped a bit towards Silver Banks, catching his attention.
“Mr Banks,” Princess Celestia said as she limped towards Silver.  “What happened?”
Silver Banks turned away from Princess Celestia and said “A horrible thing that I can not forgive myself for.  But if anything, your daughters are safe.”  Those words caused Princess Celestia’s face to turn to complete shock.
Silver Banks walked away from Princess Celestia as Princess Luna, King Myrrh and Majordomo Kibitz stepped out of the carriage and approached the elder alicorn.  Right behind them were Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom. 
“Princess Celestia,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “What happened?”
“It’s Wanda and the others,” Princess Celestia said as she began to limp towards the hospital.  “I need to get to them.”
Princess Luna and Majordomo Kibitz walked to separate sides of Princess Celestia as she limped towards the hospital, doing what they could to hold her up.
“Oh no you don’t,” Princess Luna said.  “Not in that condition.”
“But Wanda,” Princess Celestia said.  “She might be hurt.”
Prince Hoofar looked around the perimeter of the hospital.  To his left, he spotted a giant stretcher on wheels just outside the entrance with a nurse cleaning it up.
“Father,” Prince Hoofar said as he tugged on King Myrrh’s outfit before pointing to the stretcher.  “I have an idea.”
King Myrrh looked to where Prince Hoofar was pointing and got a good look at the stretcher.  He looked down at his son and said “Good eye, my son.”  He turned towards Princess Luna and said  “Check to your left.  We’ll need that stretcher to get Princess Celestia inside.”
Princess Luna turned to her left and saw the stretcher.  She turned to King Myrrh and said “We owe you a whole lot for getting us back to Canterlot.”
“My dear,” King Myrrh said. “After what happened to my wife, I don’t want to see anyone else succumb to the cruelty of the desert.”

Back inside the royal suite of the Canterlot Hospital, Dr Trotdale finished wrapping Wanda’s right wrist in a cast made of plaster.  Wanda looked at her arm as she held it up.
“How do you feel now, Princess Wanda?” Dr Trotdale said.
“A bit better,” Wanda said.  “But that really hurt.”
“It’s really horrible what that party pooper Gold Banks did to you,” Pinkie Pie said as she placed her arm around Wanda’s back. 
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said.  “The nerve of that old hag busting in there, smoking us with her despicable shock troopers and trying to yank you away.”  Rainbow Dash then turned to Chancellor Cinch and said “No offense, Miss Cinch.”
“None taken,” Chancellor Cinch said with a smile.  “Besides, I think old hag is too good for her after what she did.”
“But I think what she really means,” Sunset Shimmer said as she jumped onto the bed next to Wanda “Is that she came close to taking you away from us, and doing who knows what to everyone in this suite.”
“I’m glad that we’re alright,” Wanda said as she and Sunset hugged each other.  “I don’t know what would have happened if that meant Banks did succeed in taking me away.”
“That’s saying a lot,” Danged Spell said as he walked in with his side bandaged up.  “It’s one thing for Gold Banks to make that kind of move.  But with that...military group of hers?  Just what kind of threat does she take us for?”
“Spell’s right,” Applejack said.  “We’ve gotten used to dealing with the Windigo’s Guild.  But this was something new.  In fact, what I want to know is how the hay was she able to afford a military group like that?”
“First the Windigo’s Guild makes trouble across Equestria,” Bright Mac said.  “Then they attacked us at the Ponyville Providence Faire.  Then the Storm King attacked the hippogriffs, and now this?”
“It’s not the first time that we’ve had this level of madness, Bright Mac,” Princess Cadance said.  “I saw this kind of stuff when Princess Celestia adopted me, long before I met Wanda and Sunset.  And yet at the same time, this feels too familiar.”
“Big sis,” Wanda said.  “Do you think we’ll come to a day where we can all enjoy ourselves without big bullies picking on us?”
“I’m sure we will,” Princess Cadance said as she kissed Wanda on the forehead.
“Big sis’s right, Wanda,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “As long as we have one another, we’ll get through this.”
“But I still miss mommy,” Wanda said as she looked down and allowed Abigail to rub up against her arm cast.  “I wonder when she’s going to be coming home.”
Just as Wanda completed her sentence, Queen Novo and Golden Lace walked into the room.  The two had a bright smile on their face as their presence caught the attention of everyone.
“Queen Novo,” Princess Cadance said.  “It looks like you have good news for all of us.”
“Good news is a massive understatement, Princess Cadance,” Queen Novo said.  “Princess Celestia has returned, despite the injuries she suffered.”
Those words caused Wanda’s face to brighten up with joy.  She jumped off the bed and ran out of the room past Queen Novo with Sunset Shimmer and Abigail running after her.
“Come on you two,” Princess Cadance laughed as she got up and chased after Wanda and Sunset.  “Don’t leave me hanging.”
As Princess Cadance ran after Wanda and Sunset, Golden Lace looked outside and cracked a bright, warm smile on her face.
“At least Wanda will be happy again,” Golden Lace said.  “Especially after all she’s been through.”

In the lounge of the royal suite, Princess Celestia was wheeled through the front door by Princess Luna, with King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar, Jasmine Bloom and Majordomo Kibitz by her side.  As they entered, everyone in the room got up and cheered loudly for Princess Celestia, who got up on her front arms.
“They,” Princess Celestia said.  “They miss me?”
“They miss us all, sister,” Princess Luna said.
“I believe my daughters miss me as well,” Princess Celestia said as she noticed Wanda, Sunset and Abigail right in front of her.
Wanda and Sunset looked at Princess Celestia as their eyes began to water up.  They both ran up to Princess Celestia and jumped into the air.  Celestia immediately used her magic to levitate the two close to her before they gave their mother a big hug.  Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Twilight Velet, Night Light, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Cozy Glow, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Spike, Silverstream, Skystar, Buck Withers, Lemony Gems and Gad Zookes all cheered as Chancellor Cinch, Dr Trotdale, Queen Novo, Golden Lace, Bright Mac, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie came out from the hospital room cheering as well.
“I missed you so much, mommy,” Wanda said as she cried into Celestia’s chest.
“We all thought you were a goner,” Sunset said, looking at Celestia’s face.
“I almost thought I was gone as well,” Princess Celestia said.  “You see, your mother made a terrible mistake that was almost fatal.”
“It was?” Wanda said as she looked up.
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said.  “When I got word that you were sick with the hay fever virus, I rushed back to Canterlot, only to be caught in a dangerous sandstorm.  Had it not been for King Myrrh, I wouldn’t be here.”  
Princess Celestia pointed to King Myrrh, who bowed before Wanda and Sunset.
“An honor to meet the young princesses of Equestria,” King Myrrh said as his son Prince Hoofar stepped forward.  “And this is my son, Prince Hoofar.”
Prince Hoofar bowed to Wanda and Sunset and said “Pleased to meet the both of you.”
Wanda and Sunset were quick to catch Jasmine Bloom hiding behind Prince Hoofar, who only peeked her head out and took a glance at the two daughters of Princess Celestia.  Wanda turned her head and looked up at Princess Celestia.
“Mommy,” Wanda said as she pointed to Jasmine.  “Who’s she?”
“Oh that little one?”  Princess Celestia said.  “That’s Jasmine Bloom.  A citizen from Saddle Arabia who lost her parents.”
“Why is she hiding like that?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“I believe the reason why is because she never met either of you,” Prince Hoofar said as he turned to face Jasmine.  “Do not worry.  They’re Princess Celestia’s daughters.
Prince Hoofar walked to the side as Jasmine Bloom walked forward towards the stretcher, keeping her eye on Wanda and Sunset before tripping and falling down on the floor.
“Little one,” King Myrrh said as he helped Jasmine Bloom up.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “But I’m rather surprised that one of Princess Celestia’s daughters is...is…”
“A human?” King Myrrh laughed.  “I never believed that she would raise a human in this world, nor had I seen one with my eyes.  But judging by Princess Wanda, humans are rather curious creatures and I am glad that Princess Celestia is looking after her so that she may fit in with all of us ponies.”
“Well,” Jasmine Bloom said as she looked up at Wanda and Sunset.  “I would like to meet with them up close.
“Your wish, is my command,” King Myrrh joked as he used his magic to levitate Jasmine Bloom up and place her on a part of the stretcher next to Wanda and Sunset.  Jasmine Bloom looked at the two younglings with curiosity.
“The name Jasmine Bloom sounds beautiful,” Sunset Shimmer said.  
“It does?” Jasmine Bloom said.
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “The Jasmine flower sounds like a beautiful flower.  I would love to see one in person.”
“You really think so?” Jasmine Bloom asked.
“We have never seen a jasmine flower in person,” Sunset said.
Wanda placed her hand and allowed Jasmine to place her hooves out.  But as she did, Princess Celestia noticed the plaster cast around Wanda’s wrist.
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia said.  “What happened to your arm?”
But before Wanda could answer that, Queen Novo walked down the lounge with Golden Lace by her side and said “I believe this troubled girl has the answer to your question.”  Lace looked up at Wanda with distress on her face as she reached up for the stretcher.   Princess Celestia used her magic to pick her up and place her next to Wanda, Sunset and Jasmine Bloom.  She was quick to notice a small bandage on Golden Lace’s cheek.
“It was my mother who did this,” Golden Lace said.  “She broke into this royal suite with her own private military group called the Debt Collectors Squad.  She even tried to grab Wanda and slapped me on the side of the cheek.”
“Oh dear,” Princess Celestia said as she placed her hoof on Lace’s bandaged cheek.  “That explains why I saw Gold Banks and those troopers run out of the hospital.”
“Unfortunately, what she said is true,” Chancellor Cinch said as she walked up to Princess Celestia.  “We all suffered from Gold Banks’ recklessness when she broke into the royal suite with her Debt Collectors Squad.  On the flip side, Princess Cadance showed great bravery in wanting to protect her sisters.  She proved to be a great leader in this time of crisis.”
“Is that so?” Princess Celestia said as she cracked a bit of a smile.
Princess Cadance walked up to Princess Celestia and said “Yes.  I did what I could to ensure you, Aunt Luna and the Majordomo’s safe return, plus Wanda’s recovery.  But when Gold Banks tried to take Wanda away from all of us, we all had to take the initiative at the very end.  I couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen if she did take Wanda away.  And truth be told, I got in between Gold Banks and my sisters at the last moment to keep them safe from that mean mare.”
Princess Celestia reached out with her hoof, allowing Princess Cadance to grab onto it.  Celestia looked into Cadance’s eyes and said “You did well in our absence, Cadenza Mi Amore.  And I’m sorry I had to put you and your friends through this unexpected turn of events.  Truth be told, I was deeply afraid of the Banks because of the political power they hold in Equestria over me, over the Chancellor and over every senator, governor, and state representative.  I can only imagine what you had to go through in protecting your sisters.”
“We went through a lot, mother,” Princess Cadance said.  “But one thing is clear.  I will not let anyone harm my sisters Wanda or Sunset.  I know Gold Banks will retaliate against me.  But anyone who tries to harm my sisters will answer to me.”
“She’s right,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I had some gripes with Princess Wanda back then.  But even then, seeing harm done to her was a thing I would never have.”
“And I wish I had the courage that you have,” Princess Celestia said.  “I hope that in the future, you’re up for leading in our place should we both disappear.”
“Believe me,” Princess Cadance said.  “I’m up for it.”
“So that means….” Wanda asked as she paused to try to get the words out of her mouth.
“I will do what I can to lead my nation,” Princess Cadance said.  “But I will also be here for you both.  You have my word.”
“You hear that, sis?” Sunset Shimmer said as she gave Wanda a big hug.  “We have a guardian for a big sis.”
“Yay.” Wanda cheered.  “Big sis is the best sis for all of us.”
As Wanda and Sunset embraced each other, Jasmine Bloom and Golden Lace looked at each other and giggled a bit.
“So,” Golden Lace said as she held out her hoof.  “I’m Golden Lace.  Nice to meet you.”
Jasmine Bloom looked at Lace’s hoof and held onto it gently, but slightly tight.
“Jasmine Bloom,” Jasmine said as she shook Golden Lace’s hoof.  “Are you a friend of Princess Wanda?”
“I used to be her bully,” Golden Lace said.  “But to answer your question, yes.  I am.”
As Golden Lace and Jasmine Bloom shook hooves, Princess Celestia reached and gave the two, plus Wanda and Sunset a big hug.  The four younglings giggled while Abigail rubbed up against Wanda’s left hand.  Everyone awwed as Princess Celestia embraced Wanda, Sunset, Lace and Jasmine.
“It appears fate has led us all to this moment,” King Myrrh said as he wiped a tear from his eye.
“And sometimes fate can be good or bad,” Prince Hoofar said.
“Yes my son,” King Myrrh said.  “But this is an example to where fate’s good side has shined for all of us.”
As King Myrrh and Prince Hoofar embraced each other, Pinkie Pie watched on in the group, looking like she’s about to cry with Starlight Glimmer and Cozy Glow right next to her.
“This moment is so beautiful,” Pinkie Pie said as she began to tear up.  “It makes me want to just….just….”
And like that, Pinkie Pie cried so loud, twin waterfalls formed from her eyes and splashed all over Starlight Glimmer and Cozy Glow.
“Aww come on,” Cozy Glow said.  “Watch the tears already.”
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Starlight giggled.  “Besides, after all we’ve been through, I think we deserve this moment.”
Nearby, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Ditzy Doo looked on as Celestia embraced her sisters.
“Wanda and Sunset are lucky to have Princess Celestia as a mother,” Ditzy Doo said.
“Lucky?” Rainbow Dash said.  “I’d say destiny gave them a chance to shine with the most awesome pony in the world.
“Oh?” Ditzy asked.
“I think it’s more like she agrees with you, Ditzy,” Fluttershy said.  “And besides, Princess Celestia is the shining example for all in Equestria.”
“Ahhh,” Ditzy Doo replied.
Close by, Applejack and Rarity watched on with Bright Mac next to them.  Applejack looked up at her father with full pride.
“Dad,” Applejack said.  “What are the folks going to say back home about what happened?”
“We’ll tell them that we all have our work cut out for us,” Bright Mac said.  “Be it with the Windigo’s Guild that ruined our fair, or the fact that we all had to hold off Gold Bank’s private squad.”
“No doubt that’s twice in a row that we had to encounter hooligans,” Rarity said as she held her right arm in the air.  “But as long as they keep coming, we’ll keep smacking them down.”  She immediately swung her arm like a karate chop towards the ground.
“Rarity,” Applejack laughed.  “I think your dad makes you watch too many martial arts films.”
As Applejack and Rarity laughed, Buck Withers stood proud as he clapped for Princess Celestia as Lemony Gems and Gad Zookes stood by him.
“You know what’s one of my biggest dreams, darling?” Buck Withers asked.
“That you want a child to call your own?” Lemony Gem said.
“Yes my dear,” Buck Withers said.  “Be it through birth or adoption, I dream of having a child to call our own.”
Lemony Gem giggled and said “And you never fail to bring that up.”
“But if you two decide to have a child,” Gad Zookes said.  “I will be dedicated to help you raise that child to be the finest mare or stallion of Equestria.  You have my word.”
“Gad,” Buck Withers said.  “Thanks for being my side for a long time.”
“Anytime, old friend,” Gad Zookes said.
As Buck Withers, Gad Zookes and Lemony Gem all laughed, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar stood by smiling for Princess Celestia, Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer.
“Mother,” Princess Skystar said.  “Is this the example of what happens when miracles occur?”
“Yes my dear,” Queen Novo said.  “We’ve put up with the Storm King and with Gold Banks.  And this moment is when we deserve the miracle that at least gives hope to the people who need it.”
“Do you think that,” Princess Skystar said.  “We’ll find a permanent miracle?”
“We will,” Queen Novo said.  “Have faith, my daughter.”
Queen Novo and Princess Skystar closed their eyes and snuggled together.  Nearby, Princess Cadance walked towards Shining Armor who looked like he was crying.
“Is that tears I see, Shining?” Princess Cadance said.
“No,” Shining Armor said.  “It’s just liquid pride.”
Princess Cadance laughed as she said “Liquid Pride.  Now that’s a new thing.”
As Princess Cadance and Shining Armor laughed, Night Light and Twilight Velvet held hooves together as they sat on the couch.
“We’ve been through a lot since Princess Celestia went away,” Night Light said.
“First Wanda gets sick, then the Princesses got stranded, and then Gold Banks attacked all of us,” Twilight Velvet said.
“We first worried when Wanda got sick,” Night Light said.  “When we feared what would be for her sake and for us.  Imagine everything else piling on.”
“But what matters is that we got through all of it,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Wanda is feeling well, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are back, and we’re all safe and sound.  Not to mention how proud we are of our children.”
As Night Light and Twilight Velvet held each other, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch watched Princess Celestia from afar, each with a smirk on their faces.
“After everything we’ve been through,” Princess Luna said.  “I could go for a bubble bath when I get the chance.  The sandstorm did a number on me.”
“I may not have been in that sandstorm,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But I can assure you I am not arguing on that.  In fact, I could use one myself.”
“Would you like for me to prepare a special one for the both of you?” Majordomo Kibitz said.  “It’s like a second art to me.”
The moment Majordomo Kibitz finished speaking, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch burst out laughing.  Majorodomo raised his eyebrow at the two with a smirk on his face.
But nearby, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, Moondancer, Sunburst and Danged Spell looked on with Spike riding on Twilight’s back.
“I can’t believe we all got through that nightmare,” Twilight Sparkle said.  
“Considering that long ago, we went through something horrible with the Ponyville Providence Faire,” Sunburst said.   “I’d say we’ve become too use to danger.”
“You’re telling me?” Twilight said.  “I’d hate to see more of these events pop up in the future.”
“You and me both, Twilight,” Moondancer said.  “After those two events, I just want to relax at the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“Thanks for reminding us about that,” Trixie said as she struck a pose.  “After all, the Great and Powerful Trixie plans on putting on a Great and Powerful show for the ages.”
Twilight Sparkle, Moondancer and Sunburst looked at Trixie and they started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Trixie asked.
“Oh no,” Sunburst said.  “But the statement you made about wanting to be the star of the show.”
“Oh please,” Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie will be the center of attention at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  For it will be the grand stage of a lifetime.”
“Center of attention, eh?” Danged Spell said with a smug smirk on his face.  “Sounds like you wanna upstage the gala.  Get it?”
Everyone in the room yelled out “Danged Spell” Before they all burst out into laughter.
“Oh Danged Spell,” Moondancer said.  “You never fail to make us laugh.”
As everyone burst out into laughter, Dr Trotdale stood by watching everyone from the back of the room.
“It’s moments like this that remind me why I love being a doctor,” Dr Trotdale said.  “As long as there are bright, warm hearts that need healing, I’m always up to the task of making sure they stay healthy.  Besides, there is more to a healthy being, than meets the eye.”


To Be Continued in


Arc 16: Strength from Friendship


A Royal Preparation

> Arc 16(Strength Through Friendship)-1:A Royal Preparation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 16: Strength Through Friendship


A Royal Preparation



“I can’t believe it’s been a week since we got back from that horrible sandstorm in Saddle Arabia,” Princess Luna said as she walked down the castle hallway with Princess Celestia, King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom by her side. “Never imagined myself trapped like a rat in that cavern.”
“Well what matters the most is that the treaty is completed,” Princess Celestia said.  “Even if we had these unexpected situations.”
“This makes me wonder why we didn’t consider negotiating the treaty here in Canterlot?” Princess Luna said.  
“My dear Princess Luna,” King Myrrh said.  “The goal was to at least get you to know our people down in Saddle Arabia.  It was short lived, but at least everyone appreciated going out of your way to see them.  Besides, I tried to come up a few days ago, and I was denied entry thanks to the guards.”
“That’s really strange,” Princess Celestia said.  “We didn’t order the guards to prevent entry into Equestria.”
“That was the work of Gold Banks and her Debt Collector Squad,” Princess Luna said.  “Remember when on our way back, they tried to prevent us from entering?”
“I should have seen the look on your face when you drove them off from the border,” Princess Celestia laughed.  “This makes me wonder what Gold Banks was thinking when she hired those untrained baboons.”
“You mean untrained buffoons,” King Myrrh laughed.  “After all, baboons have a higher level of intelligence compared to those fools.”
WIth that, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna burst out into laughter as they walked alongside King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom.
“You know,” Princess Luna said as her tone changed.  “When I get the chance, I am going to have a word with the Banks not just for that stunt they pulled a week ago at the Canterlot Hospital, but also on why they didn’t want to let outsiders in.”
“That’s going to be a problem on both,” Princess Celestia said as she pulled out a newspaper and presented it to Princess Luna.
Princess Luna used her magic to pick up the newspaper and looked at it.
“It says here.” Princess Luna read.  “Gold Banks’ stunt was just to confirm if Wanda was really sick in the first place.”  She placed down the newspaper with a disgusted look on her face and said “That’s pretty typical of that diva.”
“The fact that she can get away with whatever she wants is appalling,” Prince Hoofar said.
“Well we’re actually lucky Princess Cadance was not made a pariah after what Gold Banks did last week,” Princess Celestia said.  “Then again, I would have done the same thing if Gold Banks did try to seize Wanda from me.”
“It’s appalling that she can get away with it,” King Myrrh said.  “She is neither royalty, nor is she a representative of your people.”
“It’s not just that,” Princess Luna said.   “She alone controls the media across Equestria.  Newspaper, television, the internet.  Though like Celestia said, we’re lucky that Princess Cadance did not get made a pariah.”
As the group continued to talk with each other, they walked through the foyer of the grand castle and towards the front door.
“As much as I want to stick around for your Grand Gallopin Gala,” King Myrrh said as the group approached the front door.  “I’m afraid I cannot.”
“Are you sure about that?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I know why you want me here,” King Myrrh laughed.  “But I’m afraid I’ve been away from my people in Saddle Arabia for so long.”
“Well I wish you the best of your journey back home, King Myrrh,” Princess Celestia said.
As King Myrrh spoke, he along with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom stepped outside where a carriage stood outside with two pegasus guards ready to pull.
“Now that being said,” King Myrrh said as he stopped and turned to face Princess Celestia.  “I know a certain someone who wished to attend your Grand Gallopin Gala.  And who I have granted permission with my blessing.  Step forward.”
Once King Myrrh stopped speaking, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom each took a step forward.  Celestia and Luna were pleasantly surprised by the two younglings.
“I see you’re allowing your son and little Jasmine to attend our gala,” Princess Celestia said.
“Correct,” King Myrrh said.  “Though I won’t be attending your Gala, I have granted my son permission to attend, along with little Jasmine just to help boost her spirits.”
“We will look after both of them,” Princess Luna said.  “You have our word.”
“Father,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Are you sure you’re going to be alright back at Saddle Arabia?”
“I will,” King Myrrh said.  “But don’t you worry, my son.  I will be back once the Gala is over.”
King Myrrh and Prince Hoofar gave each other a big hug before the king turned tail and walked towards the carriage.  He came to a stop and turned his head back to the Prince.
“And be sure to take care of little Jasmine,” King Myrrh said.  “We’re still trying to find her parents.”
With that, King Myrrh stepped inside the carriage and closed the door behind him as the pegasi guards pulled the gorgeous wagon and flew into the air with it.  Prince Hoofar, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waved goodbye while Jasmine Bloom just stared as the carriage disappeared into the clouds.
“Mommy, daddy,” Jasmine Bloom said as she reached out to the sky.
“It’s going to be alright, dear,” Princess Celestia said as she placed her hoof around Jasmine’s side.  “As long as you have me, Lyna and friends by your side, you’re going to be okay.”
As Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom turned around and walked back the other way, they noticed Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch, Shining Armor, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar walking towards them.  Baby Silverstream was laying atop Skystar’s back, giggling 
“I was wondering where you both went,” Queen Novo said.  “Did King Myrrh decide to stick around?”
“I’m afraid not,” Princess Celestia said.  “He’s got his people to worry about.”
“Well that’s a shame,” Queen Novo said, sounding a bit disappointed.  “I was hoping to chat with him during this year’s Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“You’ll get your chance,” Princess Luna said.  “After he addresses his people, he’ll come back to pick up Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom.”
“With that out of the way,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I think it’s time we prepare for the big event: The Grand Gallopin Gala.  Thousands of guests from across Equestria will be gathered together, just like the many events you’ve held.”
“The one event that Wanda hates to attend,” Princess Celestia said.  “Every time, she always freaks out because there are so many guests and so little to do with younglings.”
“I don’t blame her for once,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Last year, I remember the emotional breakdown she went through while she tried to make her way through the castle.  We were fortunate enough that she didn’t lash out with her magic.”
“But it still made the news,” Princess Celestia said as she pulled out a roll of newspaper and unrolled it.  “Grand Gallopin Temper Tantrum.  It took a month to get every pony to calm down on that incident.”
“I remember that,” Princess Luna said.  “And we pushed her so hard to be on her best behavior at last year’s Gala.  No wonder she doesn’t look forward to these events.”
“That was one of the reasons why I had Wanda attend the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Princess Celestia said.  “It was so that she could get adjusted towards society here in Equestria, so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed.”
“I only hope that your theory does work,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Because after what we all went through in La Maresa and just recently at the Canterlot Hospital, I’m not so sure if she is safe among all of us.”
“Even so,” Princess Luna said.  “We don’t even know where she truly came from, or where her mother Eleanor Young lives.”
“I think it would be best to talk more about this inside,” Princess Celestia said.
“Agreed, “Chancellor Cinch said.
With that, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Chancellor Cinch, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom all turned towards the castle doors and walked in that direction.  Princess Skystar took notice at Jasmine Bloom and walked alongside the little filly, who only covered her eyes and turned her head.
“Hey,” Princess Skystar said as Baby Silverstream raised her head from behind the older hippogriff filly.  “Are you alright?”
“I...don’t want to talk about it,” Jasmine said.
“But it’s going to be okay,” Prince Hoofar said as he walked right beside Jasmine.  “You’re one of us and you’re also in better hooves.”
“Are you really sure about that?” Jasmine asked.
“We’re as sure as a school of fish in the sea,” Princess Skystar said.
“Fish in the sea?” Shining Armor laughed.  “Sounds like you’ve got too much salt water in your ears.  Maybe next time, instead of being a sea pony, you should try being a bat.”
But as Shining Armor laughed, a sudden splash of water sprays all over his face.  As the stallion’s tone went from amused to annoyed while water dripped from his mane, he turned his face to see Queen Novo, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Princess Cadance laughing at him.  Even Chancellor Cinch could hardly contain her composure.
“Oh hah hah,” Shining Armor said as he shook the excess water off his fur, causing the others to back off. “Really funny you chowderheads.”
“Maybe if you learned how to respect the sea,” Queen Novo said with a grin on her face.  “Then you wouldn’t be all wet.”
As Shining Armor glanced coldly at Queen Novo, his ears began to pick up a faint sound in the distance.  He looked to his right and saw another carriage fly towards the castle.
“Hey guys,” Shining Armor said.  “Were we expecting guests this early?”
Princess Celestia looked up at the carriage as it flew in closer and closer.  She turned to Shining Armor and said “Now that you mentioned it, yes I did.”
Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom all turned to face the carriage as it landed on the pavement of the courtyard.
“By any chance mother,” Princess Cadance asked.  “Who did you invite over?”
“Some friends from La Maresa that Bright Mac was expecting,” Princess Celestia said.
The guard unhooked himself from the carriage as he walked over to the door and opened it.  From out the carriage emerged Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich, the latter who was holding Diamond Tiara in a saddlebag on her back.  Right behind them were Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Buttercup as they emerged from the carriage.  Like with Spoiled Rich, Buttercup had a saddlebag on her back as well.  But riding in the saddlebag was baby Apple Bloom, alongside two other little foals.  One was a unicorn with a light gray coat with grayish mulberry and pale light grayish rose mane.  The other was a pegasi with a light brilliant gamboge coat with a moderate cerise mane.
“Bout time we landed,” Granny Smith said with a snort.  “I really should have gone with Bright Mac instead of flying.”
“Now now, Mrs Smith,” Filthy Rich said.  “It was Bright Mac who insisted on going up here with the younglings.”
“Nonsense,” Granny Smith said.  “My son’s gonna get an earful over leaving me to ride on this wretched contraption.”
“Look on the bright side, Granny,” Buttercup said.  “We’re here in Canterlot, and the Grand Gallopin Gala should be something to celebrate.”
“Good point there,” Granny Smith said.  “Besides, if I ever see those Windigo delinquents again, I’ll make em pay for what they did to the Ponyville Providence Fair.”
As Granny Smith landed her four hooves onto the pavement, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Princess Cadance approached the group with smiles on their faces.
“It’s been awhile, Granny Smith,” Princess Celestia said.  “How have things been?”
“Stressful,” Granny Smith said.  “Ever since that no good varmit made a mess of La Maresa, less travelers have been paying a visit.  If I ever get my hooves on that cold-hearted snake, I’ll give him a spanking he won’t forget.”
“Don’t we all?” Princess Luna laughed before her tone got cold.  “But you wouldn’t believe what happened since we got back from La Maresa.”
“Actually, I can,” Spoiled Rich said as she stepped forward with Diamond Tiara riding in her saddlebag. “We all got the letter from Bright Mac about what my sister did to Wanda, after she got sick from the Hay Fever.”  Those caused Granny Smith’s tone to go from outraged to depressed.
“When Bright Mac told all of us about this through the letter,” Granny Smith said.  “My heart sank.  I can’t believe someone as heartless as Gold Banks would abuse Wanda like that, even when she was recovering from a serious illness.  Poor kid.  It’s like fate chose to rattle her emotions up like a ragdoll.”
Princess Cadance stepped forward and said “It was I who saved both of my sisters from Gold Banks.  Alongside the others who wanted to protect Wanda like your son Bright Mac, and others like Chancellor Cinch, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Buck Withers, Lemony Gems, Gad Zookes and even the kids joined in.  In fact, even your own niece Golden Lace took our side.”
“I...I don’t believe it,” Spoiled Rich said as she put her hoof to her mouth.  “Golden Lace did that?  How did she turn a new leaf?”
“I am responsible for setting your niece on the right path, Mrs Rich,” Queen Novo said as she stood by Princess Cadance.  “I was upset when she tried to take one of our orbs of transformation back at Seaquestria.  But at the same time, I knew she needed to be taught a lesson that her parents failed to teach her.  That being said, I was saddened to learn that they threw her out after she defended Princess Celestia at the school.”
“That is absurd with what they did,” Filthy Rich said as he slammed his hoof on the pavement.  “No one should be treated like that for doing a good deed.”
“Because of what Gold Banks did a week ago to my sisters and to Golden Lace,” Princess Cadance said.  “I have filed a restraining order against her so that she can not harm Wanda, Sunset or even her own daughter.  She’s trying to file an appeal.  But for now, they’re safe from her.”
Spoiled Rich stepped forward to Princess Celestia and said “If there is any way that we can adopt Golden Lace, let me know.  I will not let my sister treat her daughter like a mere prop to be thrown out.”
“We will try,” Princess Celestia said.  “But it is not guaranteed.  Gold Banks controls not just the politicians, but also the news media.  She will use that to pressure the courts into walking back on that restraining order.  After that, who knows what she will do to keep her child.”
“That is some seriously messed up hogwash,” Granny Smith said.  “The fact that Gold Banks can get away with this nonsense makes her even worse than the Windigo’s Guild, or any other hoodlum on this planet.”
“Perhaps we should all go inside and discuss this over tea,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “After all, the Grand Gallopin Gala is coming up and we’re all anxious for the big event.”
“Well, after the flight from little old La Maresa to this here big city,” Buttercup said.  “I’m all for it.”
“Then it is settled,” Princess Celestia said as she began to turn around.  “Come.  Let us prepare for the gala.”
With that, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Chancellor Cinch, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich, Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom all walked back towards the entrance of the castle.  But as they did, Jasmine Bloom walked up to Buttercup, taking notice of the three baby fillies that she’s carrying around.
“Excuse me, miss,” Jasmine said.  “But who are those?”
“These little foals?” Buttercup replied.  She pointed to Apple Bloom and said “This is my little darling, Apple Bloom.”
“Apple...Bloom,” Jasmine said.
Buttercup proceeded to point to the other two foals and said “The orange pegasi is named Scootaloo.  Two kind-hearted aunts asked me to look after her so that she could gain some friends.  And the white unicorn’s name is Sweetie Belle.  She’s Rarity’s younger sister.”
“Wow,” Jasmine said.  “Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.  They look like cute names.”
“By the way,” Buttercup said.  “I never properly introduced myself.  My name is Buttercup.  What’s yours?”
Jasmine looked a bit hesitant, but she responded by saying “Jasmine.  Jasmine Bloom.”
“It’s nice to meet you, little Jasmine,” Buttercup said.  
As the group walked towards the front door, Baby Silverstream flew up from Skystar’s back and landed right in front of Jasmine, giggling at her.
“I think someone likes you,” Princess Skystar said as she walked alongside Buttercup and Jasmine Bloom.  The little filly just giggled as the group walked towards the door.
But right behind them, Prince Hoofar came to a complete stop with his eye on little Jasmine.  Right next to him was Big Macintosh, who only stood glancing at Jasmine.
“Curious,” Prince Hoofar said with a smile.  “Even though she came from our land, there is something rather odd about little Jasmine Bloom.  Don’t you think we should keep a careful eye on her?”
Big Mac nodded and said “Eeyup.”
“That’s what I thought,” Prince Hoofar said as he and Big Mac walked towards the group.

Back in Saddle Arabia, the royal carriage from Canterlot was flying towards the royal palace, with King Myrrh looking at it from the safety of the vehicle.  Even despite the dangers being behind him, King Myrrh looked both puzzled and concerned.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” King Myrrh said to himself.  “Should I have stayed back in Canterlot?  Because it feels like the danger is about to get far worse.”
As King Myrrh pondered to himself, he noticed a few figures wandering in the garden below.  Though he could see a few of his guards right by their side, he couldn’t make out who they were.
“What in the name of my wife?” King Myrrh said to himself.  “Something’s not right here.”
The carriage flew around the palace before landing at the north east wing.  The guard got out of his harness before he walked towards the carriage door and opened it.  King Myrrh jumped out and walked towards the figures in the garden.
“From one puzzling problem to another,” King Myrrh thought to himself.  “Well let’s see what’s going on and go from here.”
As King Myrrh approached the figures, they take the form of two changelings, startling the king.  One male changeling had a bit of a bluish tint on his carapace with green all over his shell, orange eyes and a horn on his head.  The female had a more blueish green color on her carapace with a magenta and yellow color on her shell, and dark magenta eyes.
“What is going on here?” King Myrrh said.  “Why are there changelings in my kingdom?”
“King Myrrh,” One of the guards said.  “We rescued these two changelings from a slave labor camp to the west, alongside a good number of our people.”
“Slave labor?” King Myrrh said, completely startled.  “So that explains why our own citizens were disappearing.”
“But it doesn’t explain why a pair of changelings were among the slaves,” The guard replies.
“Very well,” King Myrrh said.  He pointed to the two changelings and said “Step forward and explain yourselves.”
The male changeling took a step forward and said “It’s true.  We were once changelings who served under the wing of Queen Chrysalis.  But we chose to leave because we wanted independence from her rule.
“That’s why we chose to hide out here in Saddle Arabia,” The female changeling said.  “But we believed that every pony in Equestria had a bias towards Changelings because of who we are.  So we disguise ourselves as citizens to blend in.”
“How do I know that this isn’t a trick?” King Myrrh said.
“We have no intention of tricking you,” the male said. “Because we are now classified as traitors to Queen Chrysalis and the Changeling kingdom.  All we want is peace from the madness.”
“And we want our daughter back,” the female said.
“Your daughter?” King Myrrh said.
“Our baby Ocellus,” the male said.  “As a matter of fact, I believe she’s disguised as one of your own.”
“Then tell me,” King Myrrh said.  “Do you know who your Ocellus is disguised as?”
The male changeling placed his muzzle around King Myrrh’s ear and whispered into it.  King Myrrh’s face turned into complete shock.
“Oh dear,” King Myrrh said as he turned to face the north.  “I’m afraid your daughter may be in Equestria.  Not here.”  Those words caused both changelings’ faces to drop down in shock.
“But what if Queen Chrysalis gets to her?” the female screamed.
“It’s alright,” King Myrrh said. “If anything, I believe she’s in good hooves with Princess Celestia and my son Prince Hoofar.”



	To Be Continued in…


	Tales of the Beast Wars

> Arc 16-2: Tales of the Beast Wars
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Tales of the Beast Wars



“Are you both going to be alright?” Twilight Velvet said as Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie stepped out of the house with Spike riding on Twilight’s back.
“We’ll both be alright,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “It’s just a day with our friends from La Maresa.”
“Yeah, Miss Velvet,” Pinkie Pie said.  “We got this day at the back of our hooves.”
“Well I hope you be back by evening time,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Besides, you have the big Grand Gallopin Gala event coming up.”
“I know, mom,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “In fact, this is why we’re excited.  We need something to distract our minds.”
Twilight Velvet just laughed and said “Well you better get going soon.  You don’t want to let your excitement ruin your big night.”
With that, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie ran off with Spike riding on Twilight’s back.  The two fillies were gone in a flash as Twilight Velvet looked out the window.
“I used to be young and innocent like that,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Maybe that’s the price we pay for growing older.”
“Now don’t you worry about growing old, my dear,” Night Light said as he gave Twilight Velvet a kiss on the cheek.  “We have all the time in the world.”
Twilight Velvet just giggled and said “Night Light, dear.  You said that yesterday.”

Down the streets of Canterlot City, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie ran through the crowds that gathered while Spike rode on Twilight’s back.  Even with so many ponies gathered around, none of them took notice of Twilight or Pinkie’s presence.  
“Can’t you believe it, Pinkie?”  Twilight said.  “The Grand Gallopin Gala is almost here.”
“Oh I’m ready for it,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Ready to join in the biggest par-tay in all of Equestria.”
“Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said.  “Sunset and Wanda told us how boring that place is, and how they don’t normally enjoy the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“Well why not?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“To them,” Twilight said.  “It’s more like adults doing adult things.  And besides, Wanda gets claustrophobic when around that many ponies who tower over her.  I heard she had an emotional meltdown at the last Gala.”
“Oh I’m aware of that,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Poor kid.  Even with Princess Celestia by her side, it’s like all of Equestria is out to get her.”
“But don’t you worry,” Twilight said.  “As long as she has friends by her side, she can make it through this.  Even our friends from La Maresa.”
“Did someone mention La Maresa?”  Twilight and Pinkie Pie came to a stop as they saw Applejack waving right by.  Right next to the country bumpkin were Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy.
“Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity,” Pinkie Pie yelled as she waved at the group of four fillies.
“I was wondering when you two would show up,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I was about to get anxious and go off on my own.”
“Rainbow,” Rarity yelled.  “Just because you’ve been here before doesn’t mean you get to goof off without the rest of us.”
“Oh come on, Rarity,” Rainbow Dash said as she flew down to the ground level and put her arm around Rarity’s back.  “It’s our time to relax until the big Grand Gallopin Gala.  So quit being such a sourpuss.”
With that, Rarity raised her hoof into the air and slammed it right on top of Rainbow Dash’s head, causing the rainbow filly to scream while holding the top of her head in pain.
“Never call me a sourpuss,” Rarity said in a cold tone.
“Noted,” Rainbow Dash said as she held her head.
Twilight and Pinkie walked up to Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy while Rainbow Dash got up, still holding the top of her head with one hoof.  
“I take it you’re as excited as a cow in the meadow, Twilight,” Applejack said.
“Of course I am,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “This is going to be my first ever Grand Gallopin Gala.  Of course, Wanda and Sunset have been to the Gala before, and they’re not fans of it.”
“I actually heard that from Princess Luna,” Fluttershy said.  “Sunset Shimmer always winds up bored to death by every year she helps Princess Celestia greet ponies.  And as for Wanda, oh dear.  I heard she freaked out at last year’s Gala.”
“Freak out is an understatement,” Pinkie Pie said.  “You should have seen what the tabloids were talking about.  Rude princess ruined a Gala for real adults.  Or Monkeys should be in bed, not at the gala.  That was the worst garbage I have ever seen.”
“The nerve of who wrote that,” Fluttershy said as her eyes squinted in frustration.  “Everyone knows monkeys are docile creatures who only mean no harm.  What right do they have to talk like that about an innocent creature of the wild?”
“Whatever Gold Banks paid them to,” Applejack said.  “This is why Granny Smith doesn’t pay attention to those gosh darn, twenty four hour news stations like PNN, KSNeighBC, and especially the Hog News Network.”
“You mean the Horse News Network,” Twilight giggled.
“They don’t deserve to be called the Horse News Network,” Applejack said.  “I haven’t heard that much garbage coming out of one news station in my life, much less three.”
“But I’m glad you’re all here for the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Twilight said.  “And I’m hoping you could help Wanda out while she’s attending.”
Applejack pulled her hat down and said “I wish I could, Twilight.  But I promised Ma, Pa and Granny Smith to help out with selling Sweet Apple Acres goodies there.  It’s to help drum up business.”
Twilight turned her head towards Fluttershy and said “Well what about you, Fluttershy?  You want to make sure Wanda’s night is alright?”
“Well truth be told,” Fluttershy said.  “I’m not really good with crowds that hover over me.”
“You did handle it well at the Fair,” Twilight Sparkle said.
“Well that was because the fair was set outside, and I could fly if necessary,” Fluttershy replied.  “With the whole Gala, it’s set inside, and I can also get claustrophobic.  Besides, I heard Princess Celestia has a garden complete with a number of exotic animals.”  Fluttershy started to get excited as she added “Oooooh.  I can’t wait to see them all.”
Twilight started to get discouraged.  She said “Okay.  Duly noted,” before turning her head to Rainbow Dash.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But I’m no babysitter.  I don’t think I can keep an eye out on Wanda all the time.  Besides, this is my big chance to meet the Wonderbolts.”
“Say what?” Twilight said.
“They’re going to be at the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Rainbow Dash said.  “And that means I get a chance to strut my stuff.  I’m going to pull off all those sick moves in my wing, and show them what it takes to be Wonderbolt material.”
“Except you forgot one thing,” Twilight said in a cold tone.  “Wanda always breaks out in pain when you use the Sonic Rainboom.”
Rainbow Dash’s face turned nervous as she said “Well.  That’s going to put a bit of a damper on my plans.   But I’ll improvise.”
As Twilight Sparkle sighed, she turned to Rarity and said “I take it you also have big plans for the Gala.”
“Oh as a matter of fact, I do,” Rarity said.  “There is a certain pony I have always wanted to meet.  A certain nephew of Princess Celestia.  I heard that he’s a handsome little colt who sets a high standard for Equestrian Royalty.”
“You...you’re kidding me, right?” Twilight said with a surprised look on her face.
“”Well what’s the matter, dearie?” Rarity said.  “You’re not jealous, are you?”
“No, not really,” Twilight said with a fake smile on her face and sweat pouring from her forehead.
As Rarity moved away from Twilight and began to drift into dreamland, Rainbow Dash inched towards the lavender unicorn.
“I take it she means Prince Blueblood,” Rainbow Dash whispered.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Twilight whispered back as Rarity appeared twitterpated.  “Sunset Shimmer told me about him.  Let’s just say Rarity’s bitten off more than she could chew.”
As Rainbow Dash turned her head around and gagged, Twilight just looked down with a depressed look on her face.
“Aww come on,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Why the sad face?”
“Well I just want Wanda to at least have a few friends by her side,” Twilight said.  “Golden Lace and Cozy Glow all promised to look after Wanda during her time at the Gala.  But I was hoping someone else would also pitch in.”
“Oh leave that to me,” Pinkie PIe said.  “I came to par-tay, and I’m not going to do it without a few friends by my side.  And if it means Wanda gets to par-tay as well, then so be it.”
Twilight’s face beamed with excitement.  She jumped around Pinkie Pie as she yelled “YES YES YES YES YES!” as Spike rode on her back, cheering. Pinkie Pie just looked at Twilight and giggled a bit.
“Silly,” Pinkie Pie laughed.  “You remind me of myself when I got my cutie mark.”
Twilight Sparkle just stood in the air as Spike sat on her back.  Twilight slowly stepped down till her hooves touched the pavement and blushed in embarrassment. 
“Reminds me of when I first went to the Ponyville Providence Fair,” Applejack chuckled.  “I’ll never forget that day.”
 “Well yeah,” Twilight said as she turned her head, positioned her right arm behind her left arm and grinned.  “It happens to all of us.”  
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie tapped Twilight on the shoulder, causing the unicorn to turn her head towards the party pony.
“Hey Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Didn’t you say that you wanted to show us a little something?”
“Oh right,” Twilight said.  “As you all know, there is a comic book shop here in Canterlot that is one of the best ever.  It’s like a miniature comic book convention exhibit hall.”
“A comic book convention exhibit hall?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Now you’re talking.”
“Sounds like you’ve been to a lot of comic conventions, Twilight,” Rarity said.
“The only one I’ve been to was the one in San DiNeighGo,” Twilight replied.  “But I can assure you that this one is for those who want a small taste of that comic convention goodness.”
“That sounds really fun,” Fluttershy said.  “I would not handle going to a comic convention.”
“Which does lead to one last question,” Applejack said as she approached Twilight.  “Where would this comic book store be?”
Twilight’s smile grew deeper as she pointed behind Applejack and said “Easy.  You’re standing in front of it.”
Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash look up at the building behind them.  The words atop the building said “Canterlot Comic Emporium.”  The four ponies look at Twilight and blush a bit.
“Wow,” Applejack said.  “Didn’t realize we were already at the location.”
Rainbow Dash flew up to the logo of the comic book store and said “And to think, I didn’t pay attention to this.  Silly me.”
As the fillies all laughed together, Twilight walked up to the entrance and said “Come on, girls.  Let’s check out this fun place.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I heard they have comic books for all sorts of fans, plus games, toys, and all other goodies.”
“Oh, I hope they have IT there,” Fluttershy said as she squealed in excitement. 
“What exactly is...it?” Twilight asked as she looked a bit puzzled.
“You’ll find out,” Fluttershy said.  “Besides, it’s a favorite among fillies and colts across Equestria.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and said “Okay.  Let’s go inside and figure out what Fluttershy’s favorite series is.”
With that, Twilight Sparkle walked up to the entrance with Spike on her back and entered through the automatic doors.  Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash followed from behind.

Inside, the whole store was filled to the brim with creative content.  Comic books filled the shelves that lined the middle.  Atop some of the shelves were toys based on various properties based on superheroes, cartoon characters, mythical beasts, ponies in various armors, and even cute mares and fillies.  Some figures even take the form of other species like dragons, yaks, griffins, hippogriffs, changelings, kirins, felines, canines, and even monkeys.  Along the walls lined up various board games and video games.  A few customers browse the shelves full of goods while one cashier rings up a customer’s order.
“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said as she stared at the layout of the comic book store.  “What a place.  I never saw anything like that in Zephyr Heights or even in Cloudsdale.  Even La Maresa never had this.”
“Zephyr Heights never had anything like this?” Twilight asked as Spike looked around.
“Only smaller comic book stores,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “They’re not as impressive as this one.  But they had their fair share of comics and stuff.”
“Rainbow’s got a point there,” Applejack said as she stood by the rainbow-maned pegasus.  “Back in La Maresa, we never had a store that was filled to the brim with all of these comic books and other fun stuff.  This place is only dwarfed by the legendary San Di’Neighgo Comic-Con.”
“Wow,” Twilight said.  “I wonder if, besides San Di’Neighgo and Canterlot, there isn’t much of a following when it comes to comic books.”
“I’d say,” Pinkie Pie replied as she rubbed her head around Twilight’s head.  “Some ponies don’t appreciate a good story when they see one.”  Her words caused Twilight and her friends to laugh.
“That’s actually a good point there,” Rarity replied.  “Sometimes, I wonder if we really don’t appreciate a good story, like the adventures of Shadow Spade novels that often caught my interest.”
As the girls continued to laugh, Fluttershy looked to her right and her eyes beamed with excitement.
“Girls,” Fluttershy said.  “They have it.  They actually have it.”
Before Twilight and the others could turn to Fluttershy, the timid pegasi filly ran off from the group and towards a stand full of action figures that resembled animal-themed robots.
“What’s gotten into her?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I think I know why she did that,” Pinkie Pie said before she bounced towards Fluttershy’s direction.  “Come on.  It’s something that Fluttershy’s been dying to get.”
Twilight shrugged her shoulders as she, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack followed Pinkie Pie with Spike riding on Twilight’s back.  They all walked up to, or in Pinkie’s case, bounced, to Fluttershy’s location, who continued to stare at the robotic figures, each with a respective animal, insect or reptile theme. 
“They actually have them,” Fluttershy said.  “I’ve been a fan of this series since the very start.”
“No offense Fluttershy,” Applejack said.   “But what are these figures?”
“I think I know what they are,” Twilight replied.  “Have you girls ever heard of the Beast Wars?”
“Oh yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “A toy series about a group of robots in disguise who take these kinds of organic forms.  I heard Hasbro came up with the idea.”
“Not really,” Twilight replied with a smirk.  “Some say the Beast Wars actually happened long before we ponies took root in Equestria.”
“Say what?” The others said as they turned to face Twilight.
“Are you saying that this form of fiction actually happened here in Equestria?” Applejack said.
Twilight tapped her hoof on the floor, causing Spike to reach into Twilight’s mane and pull out a smartphone.  Twilight levitated the smartphone and tapped it with her hoof before turning it towards Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy.
“Recognize this?”  Twilight said as she held up images of cave paintings that resemble animal-themed humanoids, including those that resemble the robots on the shelf.
“I remember that,” Rarity replied.  “Those are the mysterious cave paintings that are located near Farasi.”
“And not only that,” Twilight said. “There were even some artifacts that the excavation team discovered that gave clues about these Maximals and Predacons that existed here in Equestria.”
“Like Optimus Primal and Megatron?” Fluttershy said as she put her hoof near her mouth.
“So this whole Beast Wars thing isn’t just a cultural phenomenon,” Applejack said.  “It actually happened?”
“Come to think of it,” Rarity said as she pulled a newspaper out of her mane and unraveled it.  “I do recall talking about the discovery of a wrecked spaceship that they pulled out of the river.  Surprisingly, its data tracks were still intact.”
Rarity presented the newspaper to Twilight Sparkle, who looked right at the pages.  Her eyes popped with a eureka moment.
“That’s what helps connect the lore of the Beast Wars to these toys,” Twilight said as she walked over to the set of Beast Wars toys .  “And there is a lot more to the Beast Wars than meets the eye.”
“And since I am a fan of the Beast Wars toys,” Fluttershy said.  “I’d be happy to explain the characters in general.”
Fluttershy walked up to the two mega figures on the shelf.  One had the motif of a gorilla while the other had the motif of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
“Now,” Fluttershy said as she pointed to the gorilla-themed robot figure.  “This little guy is named Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals group that came to this planet long ago before our time.  He ordered his crew to follow the rogue Predacons in order to stop them from stealing the energon to restart the great war.”
“And I assume that the T-Rex-themed character is named Megatron,” Rainbow Dash asked.
“That’s correct,” Fluttershy said as she pointed to the T-rex robot called Megatron.  “He’s named after another warlord with that same name.  But his discovery of this planet wasn’t just for this energon.  It was also what he claims was to rewrite history and end the war in favor of his ancestors.”
“That’s a lot of lore to cover about these Beast Wars,” Applejack said.  “Especially if it did happen here in Equestria.”
“Maybe there was a group of aliens who was responsible for laying the energon around this planet and they simply observed the Maximals and Predacons,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Maybe once they realized that the robots were far more dangerous, they decided to detonate the energon supply to destroy them.”
“That….might be a possibility,” Twilight said.
“Well that being said,” Rarity said as she looked at the smaller Beast Wars figures.  “What about all those other Maximals and Predacons besides Optimus and Megatron?”
“Well I’m glad you asked,” Fluttershy said as she pointed hoof at the cheetah-themed Maximal figure.  “Now this scout here is named Cheetor.  He’s naive, but very enthusiastic, and often looks up to Optimus Primal as a father figure.”  She then pointed to a rat-themed Maximal and said “This one is called Rattrap.  Despite his sarcasm and cynical attitude, he really doesn’t have a thing for Predacons.”
“Something about that rat just looks so adorable,” Rarity said.  “Then again, you’re talking to someone who’s often afraid of rats.”
“Now wait just a darn pickin minute, Rarity,” Applejack said.  “I once saw you dressing up a rat in a sky blue dress before the Ponyville Fair.  I think your claims of musophobia are all horse hockey.”
“Oh come on now,” Rarity said with a flick of her hair.  “I do get scared of rats from time to time.”  She proceeded to aim her head down at the Rattrap figure in the package and yelled “BUT THIS IS THE MOST ADORABLE RAT I HAVE EVER SEEN!  I MUST HAVE IT!”
As Rarity snatched a Rattrap figure in a package off the shelf and held it close, the other fillies laughed really hard at her behavior.
“I have never seen anyone obsess over a rat like that,” Pinkie Pie chuckled. “What a hoot.  What an amusing sight.”
Rarity just looked at the others and blushed with a bright red hue.
“Ahahahahaha,” Rarity laughed with an embarrassed tone.  “We all have our tastes, girls.”
As the other girls laughed, Rainbow Dash’s eye caught a Maximal figure in the motif of a hawk.
“Hey Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said as she stopped laughing.
“Oh this?” Fluttershy said as she pointed to the Maximal.  “Well this is Airazor.  She’s a flier, just like Optimus Primal.  She has a calm and confident tone, but she’s also brave and adventurous.”
“Now you’re talking,” Rainbow Dash said as she swiped a package containing one of the many Airazor figures.  “This is one Maximal that I will never part with.”
“Wow,” Fluttershy said.  “You sure know how to make up your mind.”
“Of course I do,” Rainbow Dash said.  “If Airazor was a pony, she’d be the leader of the Wonderbolts.”
“Funny you should say that,” Twilight said.  “Did you know that a certain leader of the Wonderbolts is named Airazor?  And she considers those kinds of figures flattering.”
Rainbow Dash held the figure close to her, blushed and said "Yeah.  I uhhh, kinda knew that."
As the girls chuckle a bit, Applejack took a glance at a velociraptor-themed figure, which appeared to be holding a kind of sword.
"Something about this figure just screamed dedicated," Applejack said as she picked up the package containing the raptor-themed robot and looked at the packaging.  "Just who is this...Dinobot?"
"Good question," Fluttershy said.  "Dinobot was a predacon who was on the side of Megatron.  But his honor and Megatron's ambition caused Dinobot to defect to the Maximals.  He has been said to be one of the most popular characters of all time."
"He is?" Applejack asked.
Fluttershy moved her muzzle to Applejack's ear and whispered "Some say he sacrificed his life to save a primitive tribe from extinction."
"Well now that I think about it," Applejack said.  "Something about this chopperface warrior works for me."
"Well that and he happens to have a rigid.." Pinkie Pie said before her mouth was covered by Applejack's hoof.
"That's enough of that, Pinkie," Applejack said in a stern tone.  "Kids could be reading this.  Do you want to set a bad example?"
Pinkie Pie moved Applejack's hoof off her mouth and said "Since when could you break the fourth wall?"
Applejack just looked at Pinkie with a smug look on her face and said “Since I was a little foal.”  She turned to face the reader and added “Apple sense.  Runs in the family.”
As Applejack continued to face the reader of this fiction, by right now you should really be disturbed by that, Twilight Sparkle’s eyes caught a White Tiger-themed Maximal figure.
“I know who this is,” Twilight said.  “Tigatron.  A maximall who prefers the natural beauty of this planet over the war between Maximal and Predacon.”
“That’s correct, Twilight,” Fluttershy said.  “But how did you know that?”
“I do my research,” Twilight said as she looked down at the package containing the Tigatron figure.  “Though Tigatron was considered a pacifist as he cared for the planet, he was willing to fight against any Predacon who threatened it.  He even knew how to master the true potential of his beast mode.  Thus, Tigatron became an essential member of the Maximals.”
“And I assume that’s the figure you want,” Fluttershy asked.
“Of course,” Twilight said as she pulled the Tigatron figure from the shelf. “By the way, I might ask mom to watch over all of your figures once you purchase them.  That way once the Gala is over, you can all take your respective figures home.”
Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash cheered towards Twilight as Pinkie Pie takes a good look at a black widow spider-themed Predacon.
“Oooh,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I like this figure.  Hot, poisonous and deadly.”
“Pinkie,” Fluttershy said with a confused look on her face.  “That’s not like you to want a figure like that.”
“Oh come on,” Pinkie Pie replied as she pulled the spider Predacon figure from the shelf,  “Why wouldn’t I want a Blackarachnia figure?  After all, she was a Maximal protoform that was reprogrammed into a Predacon by this big meanie named Tarantulas.  Also to the fact that she was a scheming spider who was always looking out for herself, until she met a Maximal Fuzor named Silverbolt.  She fell in love with the fuzor, and when Megatron’s ambition threatened her own existence, she switched sides and became a Maximal.”
The words that came out of Pinkie Pie’s mouth caused Fluttershy’s jaw to drop to the floor.  The pegasi filly shook her head and stared at Pinkie.
“How,” Fluttershy said, completely flabbergasted.  “How did you know all that?”
“Just a hunch,” Pinkie Pie said as she smiled and pulled the Blackarachnia figure from the shelf.
“Well, in spite of Pinkie Pie’s unexpected knowledge of the Beast Wars,” Twilight said.  “It appears five of us have decided on what to purchase.  What about you, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy looked at the shelf full of Beast Wars toys and saw a wasp-themed Predacon before pulling it off the shelf.
“I’ll pick up this Waspinator figure,” Fluttershy said.  “He’s said to have taken a lot of abuse from the war, mainly being blown up by the Maximals, or friendly fire from the Predacons.  I felt really sorry for the poor bug.  Besides, I think he’s cute.”
“Well as long as you have an ideal Beast Wars bot to pick up,” Applejack said.  “That’s what matters the most.  Though if you ask me, it’s rather surprising that the Beast Wars actually existed here in Equestria.”
“Oh you ain’t heard half of it,” Twilight replied.  She turned to the rest of the ponies and said.  “Everyone got your wallets?”
Without a second thought, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy pulled out their wallets full of bits.  Pinkie PIe pulled out a large sack full of bits, causing all the other youngsters to drop their jaws in shock.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said.  “You actually had that much money?”
“Why not?”  Pinkie Pie replied.  “Besides, being a big help to Mrs Cake does pay off in the end.”
“Well let’s not be a big show off,” Rarity chuckled.  “Let’s go pay for our Beast Wars figures, for there is more to our friendship than meets the eye.”
With that, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walked towards the checkout counter, each with their respective Beast Wars figures in their hooves.  But as she walked towards the counter, her eyes caught a comic book with a masked pony vigilante wearing a hat and costume.  On the top of the cover, it said “Mysterious Mare Do Well.”
“Blecch,” Rainbow Dash groaned as she flipped the comic book, facing the cover away from her eyes.  “That’s too dark and depressing of a series.  Besides, who rambles about how other superheroes’ mothers have the same name?”
As Rainbow Dash walked away from the shelf and towards the checkout counter, Twilight Sparkle and Spike looked on next to the Beast Wars figures.
“You know Spike,” Twilight said.  “Maybe there is more to this friendship than meets the eye.  But then again, maybe that could be the same about all of us ponies.”
Spike let out a playful giggle as he rode atop Twilight’s back, all while the lavender filly walked up to the checkout counter.

But outside, a lone changeling with a green, yellow and black carapace in the theme of a wasp peeked from behind the doorway.  The changeling looked at the figures and tears began to fall from his eyes.
“Hey Waspinator,” someone yelled out.  “Are you obsessing over those Beast Wars figures?”
Waspinator turned around and saw two other changelings approaching, all while no one else was around.  The changeling to the left had a green/blueish and gold carapace, while the one on the right had a light blue and bright red carapace.
“Waspinator thinks Beast Wars figures bring out something within, Quickstrike and Inferno,” Waspinator said.  “But Waspinator can’t seem to figure out why.”
“Our job isn’t to obsess over silly action figures, Waspinator,” Inferno said.  “Our job is to observe the ponies of Canterlot, and prepare for our queen’s rise to power.  After all, the royalty commands it.”
“Yeah,” Quickstrike said.   “I can’t wait to open a can of kick-plot right all over those stupid ponies.  Especially those traitors who abandoned us.”
“But those figures may mean something to Waspinator,” Waspinator said.  “May mean sometime to us Predacon brothers.”
“Tell you what, brother,” Inferno said.  “When we conquer Canterlot for our queen, then you may take your fill of toy figures.”
“Aww yeah,” Quickstrike said.  “Maybe we can take the figures that resemble the most hideous creatures to ever walk this planet.”
“Oooooh,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator like that idea.  Waspinator is down with serving the Queen.”
“Then let us press on,” Inferno said.  “For the glory of the ROYALTY!”
With that, Inferno and Quickstrike turned around, transformed into a pair of pegasi and flew off into the sky.  Waspinator looked back inside the store and took a good look at the Beast Wars figures from outside.
“Waspinator will be back for you, my precious,” Waspinator said as he stared down at his namesake figure.  “Then Waspinator will be happy at last.”



	To Be Continued in…


	The Unfriendly Upstagers

> Arc 16-3: The Unfriendly Upstagers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	The Unfriendly Upstagers



Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright were running through downtown Canterlot as fast as possible.  Judging by the look on their faces, it appears they’re running late.
“Hurry sis,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We don’t want to miss out on Trixie’s big performance.”
“I’m running as fast as possible,” Wanda said.  “And I apologize for sleeping in.”
“It’s okay,” Sunset said.  “You’re still feeling the effects of recovering from the Hay Fever virus.”
As the girls ran as fast as possible, the two ran right into the leg of a random mare, knocking them down to the ground all while they both shut their eyes.  Wanda and Sunset shook their heads and began to open their eyes while Abigail stopped right next to the duo.
“What in mother’s name just happened?” Sunset said as she rubbed the horn on her forehead.
As the two looked up, they saw that the hip they ran into was none other than Senator Twinkle Wish, who glanced down at them both.  Wanda looked at Twinkle Wish’s face and immediately hid behind Sunset.
“Bad pony,” Wanda said as she shook behind Sunset.
“Oh look,” Twinkle Wish said in a sarcastic tone.  “It’s Princess Celestia’s favorite pets.”
“Excuse me?”  Sunset said.  “We’re not pets.  We’re adopted daughters.”
“I don’t see any difference whatsoever,” Twinkle Wish said with a scoff.  “Especially with your so-called sister.”
Those words caused Wanda to hide her face even further behind Sunset, as the sun-themed filly got up on her four legs and glared at the Senator.
“What did you call her?” Sunset Shimmer said as she showed her teeth.
“I know exactly what I called her, you entitled brat,” Twinkle Wish said as she used her magic to move Sunset Shimmer out of the way and look down at little Wanda.  “And as for you.”
“Stay away from me,” Wanda said as she covered her face.  “You’re a bad pony.”
“Am I?” Senator Twinkle Wish said with a scorn as she used her magic to move Wanda’s hands away from her face.  “I’m only doing this to protect Equestria from foreign invaders, such as you.”
“No,” Wanda said as she turned away from Twinkle Wish and closed her eyes.  “I am not what you just say.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me,” Twinkle Wish said as she used her magic to turn Wanda’s head back towards her and opened her eyes. “Ever since you humiliated me back when you were a kid, I had to put up with your antics no thanks to Princess Celestia.  Sure you may have won the heart of Chancellor Cinch.  But don’t think you’ll ever win mine.  You’re not wanted here in this land, and if I were Chancellor, I would banish you to the deadlands, FOREVER!”
Senator Twinkle Wish released Wanda from her magical grip.  The man’s cub stared at the senator while tears poured from her eyes.  Sunset Shimmer ran up to her sister as the human looked like she was about to cry.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”  Wanda cried before burying her face into Sunset’s chest.  “I DON’T WANT TO BE BANISHED TO THE DEADLANDS!”
As Sunset Shimmer hugged Wanda close, she glared even more so at Senator Wish.
“That was a low blow,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “First you tormented my mother into signing that horrible bill.  And now this?”
“Maybe if your mother wasn’t such a total idiot into believing the so-called ‘Magic of Friendship,’ then maybe Equestria could be made great again,” Senator Twinkle Wish said as Sunset Shimmer kept her eyes on her face.
“Don’t you ever talk that way about my sister, or my mother, ever again,” Sunset Shimmer replied in a cold tone.
“Fine, suit yourself,” Senator Wish scoffed.  “But don’t think that animal can be let off easy, especially if she shows up at the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
Senator Twinkle Wish held her nose up and walked away from Sunset Shimmer, all while the mare held onto Wanda, allowing the young lady to cry into the sun filly’s chest.
“This is pretty typical of jerks who side with my mother.”  Sunset Shimmer turned her head to the right and saw Golden Lace walk up to them.  Lace looked at Senator Twinkle Wish walking away from the group and the little filly’s eyes burned bright red.
“Lace,” Sunset said.  “What are you doing here?”
“I came here to get you guys to Trixie’s play,” Golden Lace said.  “But it seems one of my mom’s hench senators decided to give you both a hard time.”
“That’s an understatement,” Sunset replied.  “She had the audacity to tell Wanda that she’s not wanted here, and that she would be banished to the deadlands forever if it were up to her.”
Golden Lace looked down at Wanda, still crying into Sunset’s chest.  She placed her hoof around Wanda’s shoulders, catching the Man’s Cub’s attention.
“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” Golden Lace said in a soothing tone.  “Don’t let that snob get under your skin.  As long as you have friends, that’s what matters the most.”
Wanda looked up at Golden Lace, who gave off a warm and comforting smile.  The human girl’s frown turned upside down as she wiped a tear from her eye and gave Lace a big hug.  Sunset Shimmer walked up to the two and wrapped her arms around them.  Abigail walked up and rubbed her head around Wanda’s hand before the Man’s Cub rubbed her on the head.
“Now doesn’t that feel better, sis?” Sunset Shimmer asked as the three embraced each other.
“Yeah,” Wanda said as she let go of Golden Lace.  “It does.”
As Sunset and Lace got onto their four hooves, Golden Lace waved to Sunset and Wanda and said “Trixie’s been waiting for you guys to show up.  She’s doing a rehearsal for her big show at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  Come on.”
With that, Golden Lace takes off with Wanda, Abigail and Sunset following from behind.

Later that day, in the middle of Canterlot, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Ditzy Doo and Cozy Glow were seated in front of a large, purple wagon with a light blue, star-themed roof.  The wagon had converted into a stage with Trixie setting everything up.  As she applied the finishing touches to her stage, her eyes caught Wanda, Sunset, Abigail and Golden Lace running towards the audience.
“Well I was wondering when you all would show up,” Trixie said as Sunset, Wanda, and Lace arrived and took their seats, with Abigail jumping into Wanda's lap.  “I wasn’t going to put on the show without the rest of our audience.
“I couldn’t miss it for the world,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Besides, I heard you can do some really fine work with your magic spells.”
“Oh please,” Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie is an expert at this, especially when she learned her skills from her Great and Powerful Father.”
As the younglings cheered for Trixie, Wanda took a glance at Trixie’s wagon and raised her hand.
“You there, Princess Wanda,” Trixie said.  “What do you ask of the Great and Powerful Trixie?”
“Where did you get that wagon, Trixie?” Wanda asked.  “I thought your daddy was going to repair your old one.”
“Well that’s what I thought,” Trixie replied.  “But when my daddy heard about what happened with the Windigo’s Guild, instead of repairing my old one, he gave me a new one.  And it looks even Greater and more Powerful.”
“Windigo’s Guild?” Lace whispered to Sunset.
“It’s a long story,” Sunset whispered back.  “And it involved them attacking us at the Ponyville Fair.”
"But enough talk about recent events," Trixie yelled.  "I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will perform a series of illusions to dazzle your minds."  Her words caused the crowd to ooooh in excitement.
" I am so excited," Starlight said as she grabbed onto Sunburst and held him right. "I can't wait to see what Trixie has in that magic hat of hers."
"Starlight," Sunburst said as he struggled to breathe.  "That's...too...tight."
Starlight looked at Sunburst and proceeded to let go of him.  The young colt was gasping for air as Starlight blushed with embarrassment.
"Oops, sorry," Starlight said.
"You can sometimes be a silly pony when it comes to magicians," Moondancer laughed. 
"How so?" Starlight asked.
"Well their goal is to put on a show," Moondancer replied.  "And win the respect of the audience.  It's not like Trixie's going to take out an Ursa Major unless she were an alicorn like Princess Celestia."
"Yeah," Danged Spell said with a smug grin on his face.  "If she were to do that, she would put on a spell of a show.  Get it?"
All of the younglings, especially Trixie, groaned as they yelled out "Danged Spell."  Danged Spell just sat back in his chair with that smug grin still on his face.
"It was worth it," Danged Spell said to himself as he laid back in his seat.
“You really enjoy being a smug little pony, do ya?”  Cozy Glow said as she glared at Danged Spell.
“Why not?”  Danged Spell replied.  “You should truly learn from yours truly.”
But as Danged Spell reclined back, his seat tipped back and fell down, sending him crashing to the ground.  This caused everyone to laugh at him, much to his displeasure.
“Actually,” Cozy Glow said as she laughed with a sinister grin.  “I already did.”
“Oh hah hah hah,” Danged Spell said as he got on his four hooves and lifted his chair straight up.  “Really funny you chowderheads.”
Danged Spell reached up and sat back down in his seat, crossing his arms in disgust.  Cozy Glow just stared at Danged Spell, still maintaining that grin on her face.
“What are you looking at?” Danged Spell said.
“Oh,” Cozy Glow said as she shifted her eyes away with an innocent tone  “Nothing.”
  Back on stage, Trixie takes off her wizard-like hat and places it on top of a table.  The crowd ooohs as the hat balances on top of the tip.
“For my first trick,” Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie will pull a rabbit out of her hat.”
Trixie raised her arms into the air before reaching into her hat.  She dug through, trying to find something before she felt a snap at the tip of her hoof, causing her to scream and pull her hoof out.  At the tip of her hoof was a mousetrap, having somehow trapped Trixie’s hoof in its jaw.  Everyone started laughing as Trixie blushed in embarrassment.
“Okay,” Trixie said as she pulled the mousetrap off her hoof and tossed it aside.  “That was not what the Great and Powerful Trixie expected.”  Trixie breathed in and regained her composure before pointing to the audience and said “But there is more to the magic of the majestic hat of the Great and Powerful Trixie….than meets the eye.”
Once again, Trixie thrust her hoof deep into her hat and dug right through, searching for whatever she could pull out.  She felt a slight tug and her face beamed with excitement.  With a mighty pull, she pulled what appeared to be Abigail Albright out of the hat by her tail.  
“What in the?”  Trixie said as she took notice of Abigail.  “How did you get in there?”
Wanda saw Trixie holding Abigail by the tail and looked down at her lap to notice that her cat was no longer on her lap.  She looked up and saw Abigail yelling and hissing at Trixie as she attempted to swipe at Trixie’s face.
“Uhhh,” Trixie said as she dodged a few claw swipes.  “Will the owner of this feral beast please come up on stage and retrieve it?”
Without warning, Wanda jumped out of her seat and ran up onto the stage.  Trixie lowered Abigail down onto the stage and let go of the cat’s tail before hiding behind the stage table.  As Abigail growled at Trixie, Wanda went up behind the kitten and picked her up.
“No Abby,” Wanda said as she walked off stage with Abigail in her arms.  “She didn’t mean to do that.”
Trixie came out from behind the stage table and breathed a sigh of relief as the audience continued to laugh.  
“Well we can all appreciate a good joke and all,” Trixie said.  “But the Great and Powerful Trixie still has a winning hand to show.”
Trixie tapped the side of the stage table and her hat pointed to her face.  Suddenly, playing cards spewed out of the hat and peppered that magical filly, sending her flying down to the ground.  The crowd laughed it up even further.
“If this is a magic show,” Sunset said as she laughed really hard.  “Then this might as well be my favorite ever.”
“I’d say this is the best performance I have ever seen in my life,” Starlight replied.
Trixie got up and stared closely at her hat, growling as the hat belched out a puff of smoke.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not want any more funny business,” Trixie scowled.  “You better behave this instant or I will spank you good.  Do you hear me?”
The hat responded by holding up a white flag and waving it before pulling it back in.  Trixie looked down and smiled.
“Very good,” Trixie said as the hat held itself back up.  She turned to the audience and said “And now, the Great and Powerful Trixie will continue from where we left off.  At least this hat won’t belch a rotten tomato in my face.”
Suddenly, a tomato flew from out of nowhere and hit Trixie square in the face, sending her flying to the ground.  She got back up and glanced coldly at her hat.
“I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT,” Trixie yelled.
“Uhh Trixie,” Sunburst said as he held his hoof into the air.  “I don’t think it was your hat that did that.”
Trixie turned to Sunburst and said “Well if that’s the case, then where did this tomato come from?  The sky?”
But before anyone can answer, another rotten tomato hit Ditzy Doo on the back of her head, catching everyone off guard.  Ditzy Doo reached behind with her hoof and pulled out some of the tomato bits, causing her to freak out.
“I’M BLEEDING!” Ditzy yelled as she got out of her seat and ran off. 
“DITZY,” Sunset yelled as she ran after Ditzy Doo.  “Come back here.”
As Trixie and the rest of the audience saw Sunset run after Ditzy, they looked up and saw Hoops, Dumbbell and Score flying in the air holding tons of tomatoes in their hooves.
“Did you losers miss us?”  Hoops said as he juggled a few tomatoes with his hooves.
“You three again,” Golden Lace yelled.  “Why can’t you just leave us alone?”
But as soon as Golden Lace stopped speaking, Score lobbed a tomato, hitting her right in the face and sending her to the floor.  Lace barely got up before shaking the tomato bits off her face.
“That was a low blow,” Danged Spell said as he got up on his two legs.  “Picking a food fight with us while we’re watching a magic show.  You three are completely nuts.”
As Danged Spell finished speaking, a stray tomato flew right from the hoof of Hoops and hit Danged Spell right in the crotch with a loud ding.  Spell’s eyes shrunk down completely as he yelped loudly and collapsed onto the ground, holding his crotch with his hooves..
“THAT REALLY HURTS!”  Danged Spell said in a high pitched voice.  “You meanies have gone too far.”
“Yeah,” Moondancer said as she reached out and pulled Danged Spell up, holding him to his side. “We’re just trying to enjoy a good show and you had to upstage all of it.  Get yourselves lost.”
“Oh we’ve only begun to upstage it,” Hoops said.  He turned to Dumbbell and Score and said “Let em have it, whirlwind-style.”
With that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score tossed their tomatoes into the air before they flew up and started to spin their arms forward.  The moment the tomatoes hit their hooves, they spin around before launching off and diving towards the stage.   Trixie and the audience looked up and started panic as tomatoes rain atop everyone.  
“IT’S AN ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES!”  Starlight yelled as she hid under a chair.  “EVERY PONY HIDE!”
But as Starlight finished yelled, the tomatoes landed at brutal speed, hitting everyone in the audience either on the head, on the back, or on the butt.  Wanda got hit in the face by a stray tomato while Abigail got buried under another.  Trixie freaked out and hid underneath a chair before another tomato pegs her on the rear end.
“Enjoy the marinara, paisanos,” Dumbbell said with a chuckle.  “We have-a date with-a cross-eyed trash pony.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score laughed as they flew off from the now tomato-stained stage.  As everyone got up and began to brush the bits of tomato off their hide,  Wanda wiped the tomato off her face and dusted herself off before picking up Abigail and cleaning her off with a handkerchief.
“Normally,” Wanda said in a calm voice.  “I would go hide somewhere and cry.”  Immediately, her face turned bright red as her teeth showed as Abigail growled loudly.  “BUT THOSE THREE REALLY GET UNDER MY SKIN!”  Wanda yelled.
“Wow,” Starlight said as she hid behind Sunburst.  “Is this a new look for Wanda?”
“I have never seen her act like that,” Sunburst said.
“I have,” Golden Lace replied as she stepped forward.  “When those three took you, Starlight, something within Wanda got really angry.  I think it’s because no one messes with her friends and gets away with it.”
“That’s definitely a scary sight, that’s for sure,” Danged Spell said as he kept his eyes on Wanda. 
Wanda stomped towards Trixie, still holding an angry Abigail in her arms.  Trixie looked at Wanda and her face turned into a smirk
“What is thy wish, oh Great and Royal Princess Wanda?” Trixie said.
“No jerk messes with my friends and GETS AWAY WITH IT!” Wanda yelled.  She regained her composure, brushed off her dress and added  “What do I do, Trixie?”
Trixie smiled as she tapped on the stage board.  A part of the Stage extended out, revealing a whole set of Super Soaker water blasters.
“Take your pick,” Trixie said.  “No charge.”

Meanwhile, at a nearby alleyway, Ditzy Doo was crying in a corner as tomato juice slowly dripped from her mane.  Behind her, Sunset Shimmer walked up to the crying filly and placed her arm around the grey pegasus youngster.
“You okay?” Sunset asked.
“No,” Ditzy cried.  “Those big meanies won’t leave me alone, even after they were banished from La Maresa for an even bigger prank they pulled.”
“Wait,” Sunset said, surprised by Ditzy’s reply.  “They were….banished?”
Ditzy raised her head, turned to face Sunset and said “Yeah.  Sometime after you guys left for Canterlot, they decided to pull an even bigger prank on the last day of the fair by throwing tomatoes at every pony’s face.  As a result, the mayor decided to kick all three of them out, stating that they’re never allowed there again.”
“That was the dumbest punishment ever applied to any colt,” Sunset replied as she put her hoof on her face.  “In fact, they gave Starlight a hard time when we last saw them here in Canterlot.  If anything, that only emboldened them into pulling even bigger stunts than ever.”
“So what are we going to do?” Ditzy asked.
“I’ll tell you what I will do when I get that chance,” Sunset said.  “I’m going to let Granny Smith and Bright Mac know about this.  Maybe they know what to do.”
“Oh you snowflakes won’t do anything.” Those words alerted Sunset Shimmer and Ditzy Doo.  But before either pony could respond, they were snatched out from the ground by Dumbbell and Score and flown upwards.  Dumbbell held Ditzy in a bear hug while Score did the same thing for Sunset Shimmer.
“Hey,” Sunset said.  “Let us go you big palooka.”
“Make us,” Score said with a devious laugh.  
“Now you’re asking for it,” Sunset said as her horn began to glow brightly.
Suddenly, a tomato hits Sunset Shimmer right in the face, causing her to lose her magical focus in her horn.  As Sunset shook the tomato puree off her face, Hoops came right out of nowhere and shoved a tennis ball right on top of Sunset’s horn.
“What the hay did you do, you big dumb meanie?” Sunset yelled.
“Go ahead,” Hoops said.  “Test your horn out.”
Sunset pointed her tennis ball-addled horn right at Hoops.  But to her surprise, only a few sparks shot out, and nothing more.
“What?”  Sunset yelled.  “What did you do to me?”
“Oh we discovered a plant that is capable of blocking out a unicorn’s magic,” Hoops said.  “Can’t believe someone never thought about cultivating that.”
“Yeah,” Score said.  “Unicorn’s Bane.  Just like Wolfsbane.”
“Unicorn’s Bane?” Sunset said.
“Oh yeah,” Score said as he held Sunset tight.  “Ever since we got banished from La Maresa, we decided to take our heckling on tour across Equestria.  During our search for more snowflakes to ruin, we found a rare plant in the middle of the Everfree forest called Unicorn’s Bane.”
“And now there’s nothing you can do to break free,” Dumbbell said while he held onto Ditzy Doo.  “And we’re going to teach you snowflakes a lesson you’ll never forget.”
“Let me go,” Ditzy cried as she struggled to break free.  “I don’t want to be taught a lesson from you meanies.”
“Oh here’s the thing,” Hoops said as he flew to Ditzy and lifted her head up by her chin.  “You have no other choice.  It’s part of our agenda to melt the snowflake’s emotions and make them tougher.”
“But I don’t wanna be tougher,” Ditzy cried as she started kicking around, causing Hoops to back off.
“Feisty aren’t you?” Hoops said with a laugh.
Suddenly, a blast of water jets from below and hits Hoops, sending him flying upwards before free falling out of control.  Dumbbell and Score looked helplessly as Hoops fell downwards.
“Big bro,” Score yelled as he watched Hoops fall towards the city.
In an instant, more powerful streams of water hit Dumbbell and Score, sending them both falling out of the sky and causing them to lose their grips respectively of Ditzy Doo and Sunset Shimmer.  While Ditzy was able to regain control and flap her wings, Sunset fell from her height as well.
“SOMEONE HEEEEEEEELP,” Sunset yelled. 
Immediately, Ditzy saw Sunset Shimmer and flew as fast as possible before grabbing her with her arms.  
“Don’t worry,” Ditzy said.  “I got you.”
Ditzy came to a stop and began to descend slowly with Sunset Shimmer resting in her arms.  The unicorn filly smiled as she pulled the tennis ball off her horn and tossed it aside.
“Note to self,” Sunset said.  “Ask mother for a bath.  And tell her that it’s because those three jerks infected my horn with Unicorn’s Bane.”

Back on the ground in the nearby alley, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score continued to free fall until they landed on some nearby trash bags.  The three pegasus colts groaned as they slowly got up.
“That is disgusting,” Hoops said as he jumped off the bags.  “Now my fur is going to smell like rotten eggs.”
“WHo did that?”  Score said as he got up from the bags.  “Nobody sprays us out of the sky and gets away with it?”
As soon as Dumbbell got up from the bags and landed next to Hoops and Score, he noticed Wanda, Abigail, Golden Lace, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie standing at the entrance to the alley.  The Man’s Cub and her pony friends were armed with Super Soaker blasters and had war paint on their faces.  Wanda growled at the trio, looking unnerved.
“What’s gotten in with that monkey?” Dumbbell asked.
“This monkey is teed off that you had to ruin her friend’s magic act preparation for the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Wanda snarled as Abigail hissed at the three bullies.  “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
“Yeah,” Starlight said.  “We were enjoying all of that, and you had to upstage us.”
“I may be one who’s put her past behind,” Golden Lace said as she brushed her mane before pointing the Super Soaker at the three.  “But you three had to go and remind me what a horrible monster I was.”
“You, a monster?”  Hoops laughed as Dumbbell and Score took his side.  “I’ve seen what you once were.  You didn’t have what it takes to be as mean as we are.”
“Doesn’t give you bullies the excuse to pull what you did,” Wanda said as she struck a pose.  “I am the champion of love and justice: Wanda Young, daughter of Princess Celestia and niece of Princess Luna.  And  in the name of the sun and moon, WE WILL PUNISH YOU!”
Trixie aimed her Super Soaker at the three bullies, smiling as the pegasi colts began to freak out.
“Ready, Aim, FIRE!” Trixie yelled before she pulled the trigger on her Super Soaker, sending a powerful stream of water right in Hoops, Dumbbell and Score’s faces.  Wanda, Starlight and Golden Lace followed suit, blasting the three pegasi with enough aquatic force to send them flying out of the alleyway.
“Let’s fly outta here,” Hoops said as he struggled to run out of the alleyway.
“Can’t,” Score said.  “Our wings are too wet.
“Then run for your lives,” Dumbbell yelled as the three ran away from Wanda, Abigail, Starlight, Golden Lace and Trixie.
But as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran to the opposite end of the alleyway, they saw Sunburst and Moondancer to the side of the street, both holding Super Soakers of their own.
“I don’t like the looks of this,” Score said as he began to quiver in fear.
Moondancer pointed her Super Soaker at the three bullies and said “If I was Danged Spell right now, I think the best pun would be this.  You three are WASHED UP!”
With that, Moondancer and Sunburst fired off streams of water from their Super Soakers, drenching Hoops, Dumbbell and Score once again.
“We’re under attack,” Dumbbell yelled.
“Run you fools,” Hoops yelled.  “Get away from them.”
Without a second thought, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score turned around and quickly ran off as Moondancer and Sunburst shut off their Super Soakers.
“Think that taught them a lesson?” Sunburst asked.
“Not just yet,” Moondancer replied.
Down the street, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran as fast as they could, pushing and shoving through the citizens of Canterlot.
“Those kids are completely crazy,” Dumbbell said.
“Who cares,” Hoops said.  “At least we don’t have to put up with them no more.”
But as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran up to the fountain, they saw Cozy Glow and Danged Spell pointing Super Soakers at them.  The three held onto each other as they cower helplessly.
“Please,” Score said.  “Spare us, already.  We’re just three helpless colts.”
“Oh no no no,” Cozy Glow replied with a smirk on her face.  “You three decided to pull a mean-spirited prank on us.  So you get what you three deserve.”
Danged Spell smiled at the three colts and said “Hasta la vista, babies.”
With a pull of the trigger, Cozy Glow and Danged Spell fired off streams of water right at Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, drenching the three even further.  The trio jumped out of the stream and began to run off.
“Come on boys,” Hoops yelled.  “Let’s get out of here.”
With that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran off into the distance as Danged Spell and Cozy Glow looked at them.  The unicorn and pegasus duo then faced each other before delivering a hoofbump as Sunburst, Moondancer, Wanda, Abigail, Starlight, Golden Lace and Trixie all arrived.
“That will teach those jerks not to mess with the magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie said as she held her Super Soaker in the air.
Just then, Ditzy Doo hovered down onto the ground as she held Sunset Shimmer in her arms.  Sunset jumped out of Ditzy’s arms and landed on the ground next to Wanda before getting on her two legs and giving her sister a hug.
“Sister,” Wanda said as she hugged Sunset back.  “What happened?”
“Those three decided they wanted to give me skydiving lessons,” Sunset said as she let go of Wanda.  “But thanks to you guys, you showed them who was the boss.”
“IT was scary to see them again,” Ditzy said.  “I guess their banishment wasn’t that much of a deterrent.”
“Which reminds me,” Wanda said.  “If I see Uncle Bright Mac again, he owes us all an explanation about their banishment.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense,” Danged Spell replied.  “I don’t even call that a punishment, but more of a permission to give the whole world an even harder time.”
“But hey, look on the bright side,” Trixie said.  “My great and powerful Super Soakers worked wonders in driving those bullies away for that horrible stunt they pulled.”
“Yeah, that was great,” Golden Lace said to Trixie before turning to Wanda and added “That being said, you might want to cool it down on your anger.”
“Her what?” Sunset asked.  Wanda looked at Sunset and blushed bright red.
“Okay, I admit it,” Wanda said.  “I haven’t forgiven those three bullies for that stunt they pulled on me in La Maresa.  In fact, just seeing those three just makes me really mad.”
Sunset Shimmer just stared at Wanda with a stern look on her face.  Everyone else just looked at Sunset while sweating deeply.
“I think she might be in big trouble,” Cozy Glow whispered to Danged Spell, who only nodded in agreement.
Wanda just looked at Sunset Shimmer and continued to grin with embarrassment while Sunset walked up to her human sister, still keeping her eyes on her.
“Actually, that does make sense in a way,” Sunset replied.   “Considering that mother and I have been a bit of a bad influence on you.  And truth be told, we tend to be protective of you when big meanies like the Windigo’s Guild.  So I will let that slide.  But promise me you will never flip out like that again.”
Wanda smiled and said “Promise sis.”
“Good,” Sunset said.  “Besides, I don’t want to see it turn into a habit.  Now that being said, there is one more issue I have to address.”
“Really?” Wanda said as she started to sweat nervously.  “And….what would that be?”
Sunset Shimmer's frown turned into a smirk as she grabbed a Super Soaker that was sitting next to Trixie before pointing it at Wanda and pulling the trigger, sending a blast of water at the Man’s Cub and soaking her good.  As soon as the water pressure was reduced to nothing, Wanda shook off the access water from her hair and picked up her Super Soaker.
“What was that for?” Wanda said.
“That was for not letting me on your little Super Soaker fun time,” Sunset said.  “Now let’s see if you really are the master of the Super Soaker.”
“Okay,” Wanda said as she pointed her Super Soaker at Sunset.   “You asked for it.”
And with that, Wanda, Sunset, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow began to spray each other with jets of water from their respective Super Soakers, all while they laughed and giggled.  Nearby, Trixie was just watching on while Ditzy Doo parked right next to her while Abigail runs up and sits next to Ditzy..
“You sure know how to give a fun time, Trixie” Ditzy said.
“Of course,” Trixie replied as she thrusted her arms into the air.  “After all, my daddy bought those Great and Powerful Super Soakers so that we may all have a Great and Powerful fun time.”  She landed on her four hooves and turned to Ditzy before she added “Wanna join in?”
“Nah,” Ditzy said.  “I’m fine.”
“That’s cool,” Trixie replied while Abigail lets out a playful meow.

But as the younglings were having fun with the Super Soakers in the streets below, Quickstrike was watching them from above with great interest.  Behind him, Inferno and Waspinator walked up to their changeling brother.
“Come on, bro,” Quickstrike said.  “Can’t I just grab one of those youngsters and make off with em?”
“No,” Inferno replied.  “The Royalty assigned us to spy on those little ponies.  Besides, you get in their way, they’ll drench you good with those weapons.”
“Aww man,” Quickstrike said as he smacked his hoof on the pavement.  “But I’m too anxious to get one of them.”
“You’ll get your chance soon, Quickstrike,” Inferno replied.  “It is the duty of the Royalty to prepare the ambush at the Grand Gallopin Gala,:
“Oooh, Waspinator likes ambush,” Waspinator said as he rubbed his hooves together and grinned evilly.  “So when will Waspinator ambush little ponies?”
“That will be decided by our queen, Waspinator,” Inferno replied.  “For now, we must make haste to the sub-colony.  She will be expecting us.”
“Alright,” Quickstrike replied as he slapped Inferno on the back.  “I can’t wait to crash the Grand Gallopin Gala and swipe candy from little fillies.”  Quickstrike turned to Waspinator and said “Come on, Waspy.  Let’s get ready for the best night ever.”
With that, Inferno and Quickstrike transformed into a pair of pegasus and flew off from the rooftop with Waspinator looking at them from below.
“Wait for Waspinator,” Waspinator said as he transformed into a pegasus and flew after Inferno and Quickstrike.


	To Be Continued in….


	Evil lurking

> Arc 16-4: Evil Lurking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Evil Lurking



“Are you absolutely crazy?”  Silver Banks paced back and forth inside his mansion as Gold Banks sat in a fancy chair, sipping some earl grey tea.
“Crazy is not a strong enough term, Silver dear,” Gold Banks said.  “After all, we still have our trip to the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“But we were banned from the Gala because of that stunt you tried to pull at the Canterlot Hospital,” Silver Banks said.  “Not to mention Princess Cadance placed a restraining order between us and our daughter and that Man’s Cub.”
“Oh please,” Gold Banks said as she set her teacup and saucer down on a table and pulled up a newspaper with her magic.  “You haven’t got caught up on the recent news.”
Silver Banks yanks the newspaper away from Gold Banks and takes a glimpse at it.  His jaw dropped down and his eyes popped out at the very center cover.
“You actually went and got our ban reversed?” Silver Banks said as he turned the newspaper and faced the front cover at Gold Banks.
“Oh it wasn’t just me,” Gold Banks replied.  “Magistrate Creme Dream had a lot of help in making sure the ban was reversed.  You should have seen the looks on Princess Celestia’s face when she found out.”  Gold Banks’ tone turned sour as she added “ A shame that her daughter Cozy Glow is a rebellious little brat like Golden Lace.”
Silver Banks paused for a moment before sulking down and rolling his eyes away from Gold Banks.
“Lace my precious flower,” Silver Banks said.  “Had we not thrown her out, she wouldn’t have had the courage to stand up against us.  And I loved her with all my might.”
“Oh please,” Gold Banks replied. “Love and friendship are nothing more than an illusion in Equestria.  Money and power are the real deal here.  Besides, Magistrate Creme Dream has big plans to reverse the restraining order.  But give it time.”
“Give it time?”  Silver Banks said as he turned around and faced Gold Banks.  “I don’t know what you’re planning.  But having to go without my daughter really got under my fur.”
“Oh Silver,” Gold Banks laughed.  “Equestrian politics is a big joke.  You have all these political parties at each other’s throats with their so-called ideals.  While ponies whine about the top political parties, you bribe third parties into going against them, stating that they go against what makes Equestria great.  Then you bribe the ballots by crushing these minor parties into a humiliating defeat.”
“So in other words,” Silver Banks said as his attitude began to tone down.  “Play with the nation at the ends of our strings.”
“Exactly,” Gold Banks said as she got up, approached Silver Banks and placed her hoof around his face.  “We also control the mass media.  We have our message pushed out to gaslight the ponies into thinking our way.  There is nothing that we can’t do.”
Silver Banks looked at Gold Banks and placed his hoof on hers, before brushing her hoof off and turning away..
“I’m still upset about what happened at the hospital,” Silver Banks said.  “Besides, I recall that you tried to euthanize that man’s cub of a princess.”
“And I still plan on doing so,” Gold Banks said. “But this time, not directly.  If necessary, I may consider riling up a mob into storming the castle and doing our dirty work for us.  Make her an instant pariah to justify the….accident.”
“You really think you’re willing to pull that stunt off and get away scot free?” Silver Banks asked as Gold Banks approached him.
“Of course,” Gold Banks said.  “After all, I got away with that stunt thanks to a little bribe for the newscasters.  And I will make you a pariah as well unless you do as I say.”
Silver Banks’s eyes popped out a bit.  He turned his head a bit and thought to himself before turning back.
“Fine,” Silver Banks said.  “I’ll do it.  But only because I can’t bear the thought of being an outcast while you sit on a throne of gold.”
“Good husband,” Gold Banks said as she put her hoof on his forehead.  “Now let’s prepare for the Grand Gallopin Gala.  We don’t want to keep our pet princess waiting.”
As Gold Banks was about to walk off, Silver Banks stopped her and said “So how come we don’t oust Princess Celestia from her throne?”
“Because my dear,” Gold Banks said.  “It would make her a martyr in the eyes of her people.  And we don’t want that.”
Silver Banks lets go of Gold Banks as the rich golden mare dances off, singing a haunting tone.  Silver just stood there, staring at her wife with a hint of regret in his soul.
“Was it a mistake to marry her in the first place?” Silver Banks said to himself.
Outside, a pair of Windigo’s Guild cultists looked through a nearby window of the Banks Mansion.  They turned to each other with a serious tone on their faces.
“We should report to Lord Snap about our findings,” one of the cultists said.
“Indeed we shall,” the other cultist replied.
With a kick of dust in the air, the two cult members turned tail and ran off from the Banks Manor and into the alleyways.

Meanwhile, in an underground lair, Coldnelius Snap observed his minions reciting their rites and practicing their ice magic.  He walked through the crowds of cultists, smiling with total satisfaction, when he heard the sound of hoofsteps running through.
“Ahhh,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “That must be the scouts.”
Coldnelius Snap slammed his hoof onto the floor, bringing everyone in the room to his attention as the two scouts run in from the doorway.
“Scouts, report,” Coldnelius Snap said as the two cultist scouts stood at attention.
“The ponies of Canterlot are completely unaware of our presence, my lord,” one of the scouts said.  “Especially after the stunt we pulled back in La Maresa.”
“Excellent,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “And I take it you got a peek at the aristocrats.”
“We did,” the other scout said.  “The Banks as they call themselves plan on showing up at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  One of them mentioned turning that Man’s Cub into a pariah with the use of the news media.”
“Interesting,” Coldnelius Snap said as he rubbed his chin with his hoof.  “It seems Gold Banks has a thing for the mainstream media, and social media in general.  Her use of gaslighting the ponies into a fury is a rather curious phenomenon.”
Coldnelius Snap turned away from the two scouts and began to ponder for a bit as the rest of the cult kept their eyes on their leader.
“In case this plan does fail,” Coldnelius Snap said to himself.  “We can always take advantage of the mob mentality to swipe the Man’s Cub away while they least expect it.   It is a brilliant plan if I say so myself.”
Coldnelius Snap turned to the scouts, who proceeded to bow before their mighty leader.
“When the Grand Gallopin Gala does go underway,” Coldnelius Snap said. “We will disguise ourselves and blend into the audience.  Once everyone is distracted, we will strike and freeze all those ponies to the bone.  Then, we will take Canterlot Castle and use it as the peak for which all of Equestria will face an eternal winter.”
“My lord,” one of the scouts said.  “With what disguise shall we use?”
Coldnelius Snap’s grin widened as he pulled out a dark green orb before he said “With this.”
“What is that?” the other scoult asked.
“A changeling orb,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Another scout was able to steal this from Queen Chrysalis.  With it, we can transform into just about anything and blend in with the crowd.”
“So pretend to be the common folk just to lure Princess Celestia into a false sense of security?”  One of the scouts asked.
“An ideal use,” Coldnelius Snap said as he looked into the orb.  “But I have a better idea.  Pretend to be the guards.”
“That is a brilliant idea, my lord,” the other scout replied as he bowed before Coldnelius Snap.
“It is, isn’t it?”  Coldnelius Snap said before pointing to the two scouts.  “Now go.  Find as much intel as possible.  The more we know, the better our chances at victory.”
The two scouts got up and saluted as they said “Yes my lord.  For the Windigos.”  Immediately, they turned tail and ran off in the opposite direction as Coldnelius Snap turned to the rest of the cult.
“Windigos,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Our time of victory is about to be as cool as ice.  When we ambush the ponies at the Grand Gallopin Gala and freeze their very hearts, we will claim Canterlot as our new frozen throne, and bring about the eternal winter to the ponies of Equestria.  After all, who are we?”
“We are the Windigo’s Guild,” the cult yelled.
“And who is this for?” Coldnelius Snap yelled.
“For Queen Icelina,” the cult yelled.
“A little louder, perhaps?” Coldnelius Snap said.
“For Queen Icelina,” the cult yelled at a higher voice.
“Once more for good luck,” Coldnelius Snap said.
“For Queen Icelina,” the cult yelled as loud as possible.
“Excellent,” Coldnelius Snap said in a pleasant tone as he raised his hoof into the air before he yelled out “The powers of the Windigos that the cold sends, now begins the eternal winter that NEVER ENDS!”
The crowd of cultists cheered as Coldnelius Snap took a bow.
Outside as the two cult scouts exit a nearby secret passage, one of them shifted his head to the other.
“Listen,” the cultist said to his companion.  “I think I can find a floor plan for the castle.  But it’s going to take some time to swipe it.  You go on ahead and report anything you can find.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” the other cultist asked.
“Of course I am,” the first cultist said.  “As long as I have Queen Icelina’s blessing with me, there’s no way I can lose.”
“Very well,” the second cultist said.  “For Queen Icelina and for the Windigos.”
The second cult kicked dust into the air as he ran down the alleyway.  As soon as that cultist disappeared, the first one walked down another alley path and smiled deeply.
“I think it’s time I reported to Queen Chrysalis,” the cultist said as he transformed into a changeling and flew off.

Meanwhile, a huge number of changelings populated an underground cavern.  Queen Chrysalis walked down the path with a younger filly that resembled her, but with her carapace and mane with reversed colors.
“Mommy,” the young changeling said.  “When are we going to invade those mean ponies and take their love?”
“Patience, Princess Chrysalis the Second,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “It won’t be long until we hide into the crowd and wait for the chance to strike.”
As the mother and daughter duo walked through the changeling-themed cavern, a lone changeling flew in from a nearby hole and landed right next to the adult queen.
“Ahh, Locust my loyal subject,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Do you have anything to report?”
“I do your majesty,” Locust said.  “The rich elite will be among the guests at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  Especially the Banks who were rumored to have been banned.”
“Banned?” Queen Chrysalis said with a subtle laugh.  “Well, guess fake news travels faster than the real thing.  Ponies and their propaganda are so amusing.”
“I also report that Coldnelius Snap and his Windigo’s Guild have the changeling orb,” Locust said.
“Exactly as planned,” Queen Chrysalis said. 
“Tell me my queen,” Locust asked.  “Was it necessary to let them take our orb?”
“A small price to pay for the victory we will feast upon,” Queen Chrysalis replied  “Coldnelius Snap will be our unintended guide to sneak our own troops through.  They are not affected by the orb’s magic, so blending in will be easy for them.  Then as soon as Coldnelius Snap reveals his own cult to those pitiful ponies, we’ll make our move.”
“I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when we surprise all of them,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “Especially the Man’s Cub that Princess Celestia clings onto.”
“I also can’t wait, my daughter,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “But preparing for the plan is as fun as exciting it.”
As Queen Chrysalis spoke, a changeling soldier flew in holding a rolled-up parchment in his hooves.  He held it out as Queen Chrysalis took it from his arms and unrolled it.
“Locust,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “You said you needed the floor plans to convince Coldnelius Snap.”
“I did, my queen,” Locust said.
Queen Chrysalis turned the parchment around, showing what appears to be the layout of Canterlot Castle.  Locust looked up and his eyes shined like sapphires.
“Take this to Coldnelius Snap,” Queen Chrysalis said as she rolled the parchment back up.  “Let him know that a bunch of dumb ponies allowed the plans to get stolen.  And don’t worry.  We made a copy to be safe.”
Queen Chrysalis handed the plans over to Locust as the changeling scout took the plans and said “Yes my Queen.  It will be done.”
With that, Locust transformed into a Windigo’s Guild scout before he tucked the plans into his fake cloak.  He turned tail and ran off in the opposite direction.
As Queen Chrysalis watched her own disguised soldier run off, she felt a tap on her hoof and looked down at Princess Chrysalis II.
“Mommy,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Are we going to call on the Predacon Brothers to help us out?”
Queen Chrysalis laughed and said “Of course, my dear.”  She turned to the caverns and yelled out “Predacon Brothers.   To me at once.”
With a buzz of insect wings, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator flew down from the top of the caverns, towards Queen Chrysalis and Princess Chrysalis II.  The moment their hooves touched the floor of the cavern, the three predacons bowed before Queen Chrysalis
“My queen,” Inferno said.  “What is thy bidding?”
“Inferno,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “It won’t be long until we make our move at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  How has the spying gone on those miserable ponies?”
“Oh let me tell ya, Queenie,” Quickstrike said.  “Those fools don’t even know we were there.  It was like we were invincible.”
“And you were,” Queen Chrysalis said. “A spell that I cast that allows Changelings to be invisible to a pony or cultist’s eye.  This made spying on them so satisfying.”
“Waspinator liked spying on ponies,” Waspinator said.  “Makes stupid wall look like a mere joke.”
“Of course it was,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “To think that a mere wall could stop us at all.”
Queen Chrysalis and Princess Chrysalis II circled the three Predacons with ambition in their eyes.  Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator all stood up tall and proud with a hint of loyalty in their eyes.
“It won’t be long until your big day will come,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I want you three to rest up and prepare for it.  Drink as much fire water as possible.  This is in case Coldnelius Snap and his Windigos decide to attack us.  Is that understood?”
“Of course my Queen,” Inferno said as he bowed before Queen Chrysalis.  “The Windigos will burn if they cross all of us.”  He turned towards Quickstrike and Waspinator before he yelled out “FOR THE GLORY OF THE ROYALTY!”
With that, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator turned tail and flew off from Queen Chrysalis and into the shadows of the cavern.
“I could get used to hearing that every day,” Queen Chrysalis said.
“As much as we get used to hearing ponies scream in constant fear?” Princess Chrysalis II asked.
“Of course my dear,” Queen Chrysalis replied.  “After all, their love is what nourishes us, gives us strength, and makes us superior to the rest of Equestria.”
The mother and daughter duo laughed with a sinister tone as the changelings around them cheered.

Meanwhile, at a nearby changeling-themed bar, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator had already taken their seats and their mugs were full of frothy fire water.  The three predacons were anxious, and yet satisfied.
“Can’t believe we’re doing a big one, bro,” Quickstrike said.  “The Grand Gallopin Gala.  I can’t wait to kick some kiester down there.”
“Waspinator also excited, “Waspinator said.  “Waspinator going to do evil things like kidnap fillies and tip over chocolate milk.”
“Now come on here,” Quickstrike protested.  “Kidnapping fillies I’m down with.  But tipping over chocolate milk?  That’s way too devilish, even for me.”
“Now where’s the fun in that, Quickstrike?” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator thinks you not evil enough.”
“Why does it matter how evil we have to be?”  Inferno said before drinking his fire water.  “All that matters is winning over those wretched ponies and taking over Canterlot.  This will be our new colony for our Queen.”
“I see you’re really excited to give those ponies a whoopin,” Quickstrike said.
“The excitement comes at fulfilling our mission,” Inferno said as he turned his seat around and faced away from the bar.  “And if any Windigo tries to mess with us, this will happen.”
With that, Inferno belched out a stream of fire that lasted for a mere second before disappearing.  Quickstrike and Waspinator clapped their hooves together as Inferno faced his brothers and bowed down.
“That was impressive,” Quickstrike said.  “Imagine the look on those softies when we bring the fire down on them.”
“Waspinator likes burning things,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator once set a colt’s favorite tree on fire and made him cry.”
“Now that’s what I call a real monster,” Quickstrike said as he gave Waspinator a big hug.  
“Then this calls for a celebration,” Inferno said as he lifted his mug.  “Mugs in the air, brothers.”
Immediately, Quickstrike lets go of Waspinator before both changelings grabbed their mugs and thrust them into the air
“For the day that will come and the fall of Equestria,” Inferno said.  “A day that will be perfect.
“A day that we dreamt when we were small,” Quickstrike said.
“To all those ponies that will freak at our superior physique,” Waspinator said.
“Who says we changelings can’t have it all?” The three brothers yelled in harmony as they clanged their mugs together before downing the fire water within.  They all slammed their mugs on the table and laughed really hard.
“Oh I cannot wait to see those ponies fall,” Inferno chuckled.  “Especially the Windigo’s Guild.”
“Oh you said it, brother,” Quickstrike said.  “All those colts and fillies are going to be crying.  Especially that little Man’s Cub.”
“Waspinator agreed,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator will help rule this nation, and Queen Chrysalis will be pleased.”
The three brothers laughed really hard as the changeling barkeep poured more fire water into their mugs



	To Be Continued in…..


	Arc 17: The Grand Gallopin Gala


	Preparing for the Gala

> Arc 17(The Grand Gallopin Gala)-1: Preparing for the Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Arc 17: The Grand Gallopin Gala


Preparing for the Gala



It was a lovely evening at the castle.  Inside a bedroom, Wanda Young and Sunset Shimmer were already dressed up in the gowns Rarity made for them, while Abigail lay on the bed yawning.  Wanda and Sunset felt really excited, for they felt it would be their best night ever.
“I’ve never been so excited to attend a gala before,” Wanda said.
“I know,” Sunset replied.  “The last few times you had to attend the gala, you kept causing a scene because there were too many adults and it drove you into tears.”
“But this year,” Wanda said as she put on her high heels.  “Our friends are going to attend and we’re going to have the best night ever.”
“You’re right,” Sunset said as she dug her hooves into a pair of shoes.  “After all….”
“Friendship is magic,” both girls said before bursting out into laughter.
As the girls laughed, they heard a knock on the door.  Wanda yelled out “Come in.” before the door opened and in came Princess Cadance, wearing a beautiful gown of her own.
“Are you sisters really excited for the gala?” Princess Cadance asked as she walked in.
“Of course we are, big sis,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We’re going to have friends join us this time around.”
“Well I still remember the last time we had a gala,” Princess Cadance said.  “Poor Wanda here freaked out and caused a scene because she was trapped between other ponies.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said with a fake laugh.  “That’s a night I won’t forget.”
Princess Cadance put her arm around Wanda’s shoulders and said.  “Well as long as we’re all together for this big night, we won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“You can say that again.” Wanda, Sunset and Cadance turned their heads towards the door as Shining Armor walked in through the doorway, wearing a very fine tuxedo.
“Shining Armor,” Wanda said as she jumped up and gave Shining Armor a big hug.
“How are you feeling, you little monkey?” Shining Armor said as he gave Wanda a playful noogie, making the young human giggle.
“I’m feeling fine,” Wanda said with a smile before her tone shifted downwards.  “I’m sorry I got really sick that long ago.  I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“It’s alright,” Shining Armor said as he set Wanda down.  “Sometimes, bad things happen.  And we have to endure those bad things that do happen.  But what matters is that you’re all better and you’re ready to party down at the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“And it’s not her first rodeo down there,” Princess Cadance said.
“Oh yeah,” Shining Armor replied as he turned his head towards Princess Cadance.  “You told me about what happened last year with Wanda.   Poor kid.  She didn’t deserve the media backlash over something that traumatic.”
“Don’t worry,” Sunset Shimmer said as she walked next to Wanda.  “As long as her friends are by her side, she’ll be fine.”
As Wanda cuddled next to Sunset Shimmer, Abigail jumped off the bed and rubbed her face on the long skirt of Wanda’s dress.  The Man’s Cub reached down and picked up Abigail before stroking the kitten on the back of her ears.
“That’s good to hear,” Shining Armor said.  He turned to Wanda and said “By the way.  Some of the guests have arrived before the rest of the gala.  I think you may know some of them, including one who calls himself Bright Mac.”
“Uncle Bright Mac is here?” Wanda said as her face beamed with excitement.
“Come on,” Sunset said to Wanda.  “Let’s go check it out.”
WIth a small burst of speed, Wanda and Sunset ran out of the room with Abigail still in Wanda’s arms.  Princess Cadance and Shining Armor looked on as the two girls ran off and smiled.  And yet, Princess Cadance began to frown.
“What’s wrong?” Shining Armor asked.
“It’s the Banks,” Princess Cadance said.  “My restraining order against them has been ruled null and void.”
“Oh no,” Shining Armor replied.  “That means they can do whatever they can please with Wanda, Sunset and even their daughter.”
“I did all that I can do to protect my two sisters,” Princess Cadance replied.  “But, it just feels all so tiring.”
“It’s not your fault,” Shining Armor replied as he lifted Princess Cadance’s chin.  “Gold and Silver Banks have all the political power in the world that would make the Storm King blush.  But what matters is that you’re there for your sisters, to ensure that they remain safe, just like I am with my sister.  Never forget that.  That is why they look up to you.”
Princess Cadance looked up at Shining Armor, smiled and said “You’re right, Shining.  Let’s make sure tonight is the best night ever,” 
“Lead the way, my dear,” Shining Armor replied, much to Cadance’s amusement as she stepped out of the doorway.

Downstairs in the ballroom, Wanda and Sunset  entered through a cased opening, with Abigail jumping off Wanda’s arms and landing right next to her.  The entire room was filled to the brim with tables, chairs, and a variety of food.  On the stage, a lone piano player, a violin player and a cello player prepared themselves to soothe guest’s ears with wonderful music.  Wanda and Sunset’s eyes filled with excitement as they got a good look at Bright Mac and Buttercup, both wearing formal attire made for a ball.
“Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda said as she waved to the adult ponies.  “Aunt Buttercup.”
“Wanda, Sunset,” Bright Mac said as he waved back to the two younglings.  “Come here.  We were expecting you.”
With a burst of speed, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail ran up to Bright Mac and gave him a big hug, while Buttercup walked up to the youngsters.
"We wanted to prepare this year's Grand Gallopin Gala," Buttercup said.  "So Princess Celestia invited us to do just that."
"That's awesome," Sunset Shimmer said before she noticed something was missing. "But where's Apple Bloom?"
"Oh leave that to the head pony of the household." Wanda, Sunset and Abigail turned their heads to see Granny Smith nearby, holding the saddlebag with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo inside.
Wanda and Sunset let go of Bright Mac and ran up to the three foals with Abigail following behind.  As they approached the tykes, Granny Smith sat down and allowed Wanda to pick up Apple Bloom from the saddlebag.  The little foal giggled at the sight of Wanda and Sunset.
"Looks like little Apple Bloom missed you gals," Granny Smith said as she pointed to the other two foals.  "And she's got some friends of her own.  The unicorn's name is Sweetie Belle, and the Pegasus is named Scootaloo."
"Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo," Sunset Shimmer said as she held her hoof in front of Sweetie Belle's face, allowing the baby to grab onto it. "I like the sound of that."
“We’ve already volunteered to look after the little ones so they can be alongside Apple Bloom up here in Canterlot,” Granny Smith said.  “Their parents were rather jealous that only Apple Bloom was able to see Wanda back during the fair.”
“Hey speaking of which,” Bright Mac said.  “Wanda, I believe you should show ma and Buttercup your new cutie mark.”
“Wait,” Granny Smith said.  “You have a cutie mark?”
Wanda turned to the side and Sunset Shimmer pointed to the plumeria symbols on the man’s cub’s shoulder.  Granny Smith and Buttercup looked at it as Wanda’s Cutie Mark glowed brightly.
“Well I’ll be,” Granny Smith said.  “You’re slowly becoming more like every pony in Equestria, even despite the fact that you’re only human.”
“Even I didn’t expect to get a cutie mark, Granny,” Wanda said.  “But even if I didn’t get one, it would still make me a part of this giant family.”
"And we wouldn’t have it any other way." Wanda and Sunset turned their heads to see Golden Lace, dressed up in a fine gown of cashmere and silk.  Next to her we're Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich, also dressed the way.  Spoiled Rich was also wearing her saddlebag with Diamond Tiara in it.
"Lace," Wanda said as Golden Lace walked on over.  "You made it.  But with your uncle and aunt?"
"I never thought that these two La Maresa aristocrats were my distant relatives on my mom's side," Lace said.  "And I am surprised that you knew about this."
"We told her about that during her time at the fair," Spoiled Rich said.  "Especially with what my sister had done to Lace."
“And we learned that you now have a cutie mark, little Wanda,” Filthy Rich said.  “A big congratulations is in order for taking that big step in becoming more like every pony in Equestria.”
The adults all cheered for Wanda, as the little child took a bow.  Golden Lace walked up to Wanda and signaled to the youngling.
“As for Uncle Filthy and Aunt Spoiled, they want to claim custody for me from my parents,” Golden Lace said.  “If that is true, then maybe I can get away and finally be happy.”
“That’s great news,” Sunset said as her tone turned from happy to somber. “But this may also mean this is….good-bye.”
“Yeah,” Golden Lace said as she turned her head away.  “I know.  It means I’ll most likely move to La Maresa, and I’ll miss you all.”
“But at least,” Wanda said.  “You’ll have some new friends to cheer you up, like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.”
“That may be true,” Golden Lace replied.  “But I will also miss you both.  You two gave me a second chance along with Queen Novo, and I went with it.  To leave Canterlot and you both behind, even if it means I no longer have to see my parents again, is going to emotionally hurt me.”
Wanda walked up to Golden Lace and gave her a big hug.  Lace wrapped her arms around Wanda and cried a single tear from her eye.   As the two embraced each other, Spoiled Rich walked up to Sunset.
“There is some bad news,” Spoiled Rich said.
“What kind of bad news?”  Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Gold and Silver Banks were able to reverse the restraining order that was put against them,” Spoiled Rich replied.  “Not just with Lace, but with the both of you.”
“They did what?” Sunset Shimmer yelled, catching the attention of Wanda, Golden Lace and Abigail.
“And you can thank my mother for that.” Sunset Shimmer turned her head to the left and saw Cozy Glow fly up to the group.  “If anyone asks, I’m the daughter of Magistrate Creme Dream,” she added.  “/and she was able to override the restraining order that Princess Cadance filed against Gold and Silver Banks.”
“Wait,” Wanda said. “Does that mean they get to bother us as much as they want and get away with it?”
“Not just that,” Cozy Glow said.  “My mother also overrode the Banks’ ban from the Grand Gallopin Gala.  They will be here tonight.”
“That’s not fair,” Sunset Shimmer said as she slammed her hoof on the floor.  “How are we going to survive being in Canterlot if we have to put up with those bullies?”
“Well as long as you have friends by your side, we will provide comfort for when you both need it.”  Wanda and Sunset looked down the ballroom and saw Queen Novo and Princess Skystar approach them with Silverstream riding atop the Queen’s head.
“Aunt Novo, Cousin Skystar,” Wanda said as she and Sunset bowed before the two hippogriffs.
“There will be no need for formalities, smallfry,” Queen Novo said.  
“Yeah,” Princess Skystar replied.  “Besides, we’re all here to have fun at the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“It feels great that so many of our friends have come down for this year’s Gala,” Sunset said.  “Normally, we don’t do so well at these grand events, considering there are too many individuals that we don’t even know.”
“That was part of the reason why we came here for the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Queen Novo said.  “The other part was that we needed to represent the Hippogriff Kingdom, even after what the Storm King did to Mount Aris.”
Filthy Rich walked by Wanda and whispered.  “They’re not the only ones representing another faction outside of the Equestrian Mainland.”
Filthy Rich pointed Wanda towards another archway where Prince Hoofar walked on in.  Right behind him was Jasmine Bloom, who was cowering behind the young prince.
“Prince Hoofar,” Wanda said as she was about to walk towards the Prince, only to be stopped by Apple Bloom giggling in her face.
“Where’s your father King Myrrh?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“He had some royal business to take care of back in Saddle Arabia,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But that being said, he’s allowed us to remain here for the Gala.”
As Prince Hoofar bowed before Wanda and Sunset, Golden Lace took notice of Jasmine Bloom, who’s still hiding behind Prince Hoofar.  Lace walked up to Jasmine and reached out.
“Are you alright?” Golden Lace said as she kept her hoof held out.  The only thing Jasmine did was keep her head hidden.
“There is something seriously wrong with her,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Ever since this morning, Jasmine has become extremely anxious and scared, like something was out to get her.”
Golden Lace turned back to Jasmine Bloom and placed her hoof on the youngling’s cheek.
“It’s okay,” Golden Lace said.  “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“You don’t get it, do you?”  Jasmine Bloom cried.  “She’s out to get you, to get me, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop her.”
With a flash of light, Jasmine Bloom ran away from Prince Hoofar and ran through the ballroom, all the way through the archway.  Golden Lace just stood there, dumbfounded.
“Who’s out to get us?” Golden Lace asked.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Lately, I’ve become suspicious of Jasmine Bloom, considering her behavior in recent days.”
“Oh that’s nothing,” Cozy Glow said as she flew right next to Prince Hoofar.  “You want suspicion? Try putting it on me for having the worst mother in Equestria to hold judicial power over the land.”
“I know you mean well, young on,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But my concern is Jasmine.  Who were her parents?  Why is she acting so scared?  And why did faith choose for her to run into us back in Saddle Arabia?”
“Ooooh, a mystery,” Princess Skystar said as she slid right next to Prince Hoofar.  “Maybe the butler made her do it.”
“I don’t think that’s what I meant,” Prince Hoofar said.  “In fact, I believe there is something suspicious about Jasmine Bloom that she isn’t telling me.  I know I’m here to enjoy my time at the Gala.  But I think my attention will be on that filly who accompanied me and my father to Canterlot.”
“You know,” Cozy Glow said as she flew over to Prince Hoofar.  “WIth all the suspicion around little Jasmine, I’m surprised that none of you have any towards me because...well...why my mother is.”
“Young lady,” Prince Hoofar replied with a chuckle.  “We all know who your mother is.  But at least you have a different mindset to her.”
Buttercup inched towards Bright Mac and said “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Jasmine Bloom.  She looks like a nice girl.”
“No kidding,” Bright Mac said.  “How would an innocent filly like her be something so dangerous?”
As Wanda looked down the hallway that Jasmine Bloom ran down, she had a quick thought in her head before she turned and ran towards Bright Mac, all while she held Apple Bloom in her arms.
“Uncle Bright Mac,” Wanda said.  “There was something I needed to ask you.”
“I take it you wish to talk to me about Hoops, Dumbbell and Score,” Bright Mac said.  “And the damage those three did to your friend’s magic show.  My apologies, little Wanda.”
“That’s it,” Wanda replied.  “But how did you know?”
“I was made aware of it through the gossip of Canterlot ponies,” Bright Mac replied.  “That and Big Mac told me that those three troublemakers were in Canterlot.”
Wanda and Sunset turned towards Big Mac, who had placed a giant cake onto a separate table.  He turned towards Wanda and said “Eeyup.”
Wanda turned back towards Bright Mac and said “I also heard that those three were banished from La Maresa.  Is that true?”
Bright Mac tipped his hat forward as a tear fell from his eyes.  He looked at Wanda and said “Yes.  It’s true.  Shortly after you left back for Canterlot, those three decided to pull an even bigger prank at the Ponyville Providence Fair.  They did so by taking the cleaning supplies they were supposed to use as their punishment, dumped it into an exhaust valve of an antique car, and decided to go for a joyride.
“How bad was it?”  Wanda asked.
“Horrible,” Bright Mac replied.  “They caused even more mischief with that stunt they pulled with soap bubbles foaming out of the exhaust valves, drenching every pony in suds and water.  What was left of the fair was ruined completely.  All of the food, crafts, rides, animals, exhibits, everything was trashed completely.  We only caught them when that car ran out of gas and we grabbed them before they could fly away.”
“And after that stunt,” Wanda said.  “You decided to banish those three from La Maresa?”
“It was a hard decision that we all had to make,” Granny Smith said.  “We tried everything to get those boys to change, and they kept doing the same thing over, and over.  It was decided that those three were never allowed to be in La Maresa ever again and we kicked them out.  But now, after the stunts they pulled here in Canterlot, I wonder if banishment was the worst mistake we ever made.”
“They used to have loving parents,” Buttercup said as Wanda walked over to the mare and placed Apple Bloom in the pouch with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.  “But ever since that incident where their whole place was set ablaze, their behavior changed completely.  I was the only one who opposed their banishment because I believed that was only rewarding their bad behavior.  Even banning them from the fair didn’t change them.”
“Those three are even more trouble than I was,” Golden Lace said as she rubbed Diamond Tiara on the head next to Spoiled RIch. “I knew I was bad news.  But that takes the whole cake.
“You may have had your own selfish desires back then,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “But you were never as mean-spirited as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score.  The fact that these three seem to blow off their own punishments as nothing says alot about thoes three.”
“Well what can be done to change them?” Golden Lace asked.
“Well one thing’s for certain,” Bright Mac said.  “Once we catch these troublemakers, we’ll be hauling them back to La Maresa and make them stand trial for the stunts they pulled.  They may even have to go to juvenile hall or go under strict community service supervision to change them for the better.  That being said. if that doesn't change them, then I dunno what will.”
Wanda turned her head away from Bright Mac and let out a big sigh, catching the attention of the farmer.
“Is something the matter, Wanda?” Bright Mac asked.
“Well that’s just it,” Wanda said.  “I was always told to be on my best behavior, to ensure that I should never act like a juvenile delinquent.  But it’s getting really hard to be the one behaving when ponies in Equestria, be it those my age or older, are misbehaving and getting away with it.  I wonder if behaving is worth it in Equestria when it makes you feel weak.”
Queen Novo chuckled for a bit and said “Do not worry, Smallfry.  Not every pony shares that kind of mean-spirited tone.  You and your sister share a lot of traits from Princess Celestia, reflecting the kindness, honesty, loyalty, generosity and laughter in your heart.  Never forget that.”
“She’s right.  I’ve always told you to behave, Princess.  But these days, despite some flaws, you set an example that is better than I imagined.”  Wanda and Sunset turned their heads to see Chancellor Cinch walk down from the cased opened.  Wanda appeared nervous, but she was able to regain her composure.
“Nothing horrible that would make an innocent cry,” Wanda said.
“Then I believe you will be on your best behavior tonight, Princess Wanda,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“I will, Miss Cinch.”  Wanda said with a grin on her face.  “But I don’t mind being called Man’s Cub.”
Cinch let out a slight chuckle and said “Very well.  It’s your choice after all.  Besides, after what happened last year,  I know that the friends you bring to this Gala will at least prevent you from making a scene.”
Sunset Shimmer tapped Wanda on the shoulder and said “Speaking of which, guess the jerk who decided to show up.”
Wanda, Sunset and Cinch turned their heads to see Prince Blueblood, a light grey unicorn colt with a suave light amber mane walk down the aisle.  Wanda and Cinch glanced coldly at the prince.
“Good evening cousins,” Prince Blueblood said as he walked down the aisle.  “I assume tonight will be the best night ever.  Maybe if you weren’t stuck in those castles like a pair of damsels in distress, you would be as much of a success as I am.”
As Prince Blueblood walked down the aisle, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow inched towards Wanda, Sunset and Cinch bearing the same cold look as the two sisters and the chancellor.  Lace and Cozy just looked at Prince Blueblood walking through like he had no care in the world.
“That’s Prince Blueblood?” Golden Lace said in a cold tone.  “He’s way more selfish than I was.”
“And we have to put up with that stubborn mule, every time,” Sunset Shimmer said as she just stared at Prince Blueblood.
Chancellor Cinch turned to Wanda and said “I am this tempted to let you do something nasty to that self-centered juvenile delinquent and not even bat an eye.”
“Mommy would yell at us both if that happened,” Wanda said as she coldly looked at Prince Blueblood.
“Point taken, Man’s Cub,” Chancellor Cinch said.
The moment Prince Blueblood stepped out of the room, Wanda, Sunset and Cinch regained their composure and began to fix up their attire.  Abigail jumped off the table and walked right next to Wanda.
“Come, Princesses,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Your mother and aunt are waiting at the front gate.”
As Chancellor Cinch walked down towards the archway, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail followed from behind as Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich, Spoiled, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, little Silverstream, and Prince Hoofar watched from the tables.
“Tonight will be an important night for the smallfry and her sister,” Queen Novo said as her tone shifted from pleased to concerned.  “But something tells us that there is more to this night than meets the eye.”
“That’s a curious use of words, Queen Novo,” Prince Hoofar said. 
“No doubt about it,” Granny Smith said.  “Something tells us that tonight is going to be far worse than what happened at the Ponyville Providence Fair.”
“Like with the Windigo’s Guild?” Golden Lace asked.
“Maybe,” Granny Smith said.  “But I fear it could be far worse than that.”

At the foyer of the castle, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, dressed in the finest gowns fit for royalty, stood at the top looking calm, and yet anxious.  At the bottom near the front door, Buck Withers, Lemony Gems and Gad Zookes were also dressed up and were about ready to open the door.
“I can hardly contain myself,” Princess Luna said.  “It’s almost time for the Grand Gallopin Gala and I can’t wait to see every pony walk through these doors.”
Princess Celestia laughed and said “You’ve said that for the past five hundred galas, sis.”
“I know,” Luna said with a playful raspberry.  “But there’s always someone new who comes to the Gala every year.  Some new pony to meet.  Some new experience from a land, far far away.  It’s like every Gala is like the best night ever.”
Princess Celestia placed her wing around Luna’s back and said  “Oh Luna.  What would I do if I couldn’t celebrate these events without you.”
“The feeling’s mutual, sister,” Princess Luna giggled.
As the two laughed together, they overheard the voice of Chancellor Cinch as she said “Princess Celestia.  Your younger daughters have arrived.”  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turned their heads to see Chancellor Cinch alongside Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young, with Abigail meowing at the princesses.
“Wanda, Sunset,” Princess Celestia said in a cheerful tone as the two younglings walked up to their mother and bowed.
“I think those pleasantries are not needed,” Princess Luna said.  “After all, you’re part of our family.”
“I know,” Wanda said.  “But we have to be on our best behavior.”
“It’s because of what happened last year, correct?” Princess Celestia said as Wanda turned her head away.
“Yes mommy,” Wanda replied.
“What’s past is in the past, Wanda,” Princess Luna said.  “We want you to have a good time this year.  That was the reason why we had to invite your friends from the School for Gifted Unicorns and La Maresa.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Sunset said as she placed her arm around Wanda’s arm.  “We’re all here for you, and we want you and them to have a good time.”
Wanda looked up at Princess Celestia, who politely nodded to her adopted daughter.
“I hope tonight is the best night ever,” Wanda said.  “And I don’t want to relive that horrible year.”
“Don’t worry,” Princess Celestis said.  “You won’t.”
Wanda walked up to Princess Celestia and gave her a big hug.  As Celestia hugged her adopted daughter back, she took notice of Buck Withers signaling to her.
“Your majesty,” Buck Withers said.  “The guests are arriving.  Get ready.”
Princess Celestia turned her head towards Chancellor Cinch and said “Get the special guests out here for this event.  It’s time.”
Chancellor Cinch bowed to Princess Celestia and said “At once, your majesty.”
As Chancellor Cinch turned around and walked towards the path to the ballroom, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Wanda and Sunset looked on with anticipation as Buck Withers, Lemony Gems and Gad Zookes prepared to open the door.
“So Bucky,” Lemony Gems said.  “Is this your first Grand Gallopin Gala?”
Buck Withers smiled and said “Yes.  I normally don’t have time for these events. But for you and the younglings, I’ll make an exception.”
WIth a mighty pull, Buck Withers, Lemony Gems and Gad Zookes, along with a number of guards, opened the front door of the castle, as a crowd of Gala guests marched down towards the front gate, singing in perfect harmony


	To Be Continued in…


	The Beginning of the Best Night Ever

> Arc 17-2: The Beginning of the Best Night Ever
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Beginning of the Best Night Ever





At the Gala, At the Gala


We’ve waited for this night


It’s a royal ball to be merry and enjoy this wondrous delight



At the Gala, At the Gala


It felt like it’s been forever


Let us go on in and enjoy the best night ever.



To the Gala, now is the time


A place that is so divine


Let us go and make our wish come true


To meet with friends both old and new.


Let us be cheerful and not so blue


And now our night is in full view


At the Gala



A crowd of ponies were descending onto the Castle Grounds from the main streets of Canterlot.  Their singing filled the evening skies with a warm and harmonious tune as they pranced down the walkway.  Many were dressed up in the fanciest of clothing, and the finest of jewelry.  Their manes were stylized to reflect their grace and beauty.  But nonetheless, it was that night to enjoy their time at the finest ball in all of Equestria.
Deep within the crowds, Twilight Velvet and Night Light were leading both the Canterlot unicorns as well as the La Maresa ponies through the crowd.  Like with the rest of the crowd, they were also dressed up for the occasion.  The little fillies were all in the finest dresses while Danged Spell and Sunburst were wearing tuxedos.
“I can’t wait for this big night,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I get to meet the Wonderbolts.   Just wait till they get a load of my flying skills.”
Rainbow Dash began to fly up from the ground before she was pulled back down by Applejack, grabbing her tail with her teeth.
“Show some patience, Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said.  “I know you’re excited to go into the castle and meet the Wonderbolts.  But we’re not here to rush every pony.”
“Applejack’s right, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.  “I can assure that you will get your chance to show off to Wonderbolt Captain Airazor and her apprentice Spitfire.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell replied with that joke of a grin of his.  “Besides, I heard that when it comes to the Gala, time flies when you’re having fun.”
The younglings all laughed really hard as Rainbow Dash scratched her head in embarrassment.
“Okay okay,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You’ve proved your point.”
As Rainbow Dash walked alongside the others, Starlight and Sunburst looked up at the evening sky and gazed at the stars.
“Hey Starlight,” Sunburst said as he pointed to the brightest star in the sky.  “Make a wish.”
Starlight looked up at the star before closing her eyes.  She whispered to herself before opening them up.
“So what did you wish for?” Sunburst said.
“I can’t tell you,” Starlight said.  “If I did, it wouldn’t come true.”
“Same here,” Ditzy Doo Said.  “It’s far more exciting for wishes to come true when you keep them a surprise.”
“Quite fascinating,” Sunburst replied.  “I’ll have to remember that.”
As the group walked closer to the castle, Danged Spell eyed one of the many towers connected to the palace.  He proceeded to nudge Moondancer with his elbow.
“Hey Moonie,” Danged Spell whispered.  “That looks like a good place to dunk unaware ponies with water balloons.  What do you think?”
Moondancer glared at Danged Spell and said “Don’t even think about it.”
“Aww come on,” Danged Spell said.  “It will be loads of fun.”
“The last thing I need is to get in trouble with Princess Celestia because some pony decided to play bombs away from the tower,” Moondancer said before turning her head away from Danged Spell.
“Sheesh,” Danged Spell said.  “Some ponies don’t appreciate a good joke.”
But as Danged Spell finished his speech, a random water balloon hit him on the back of his head, drenching him completely.  The other younglings laughed at Danged Spell as Pinkie Pie hid a second water balloon in her dress.
“Oh hah hah, really funny,” Danged Spell said in a sarcastic tone.
“Maybe next time,”  Moondancer said with a grin.  “Don’t be so mean-spirited.”
As Danged Spell snorted in disgust, Trixie walked up beside the soaked unicorn colt, levitating a deck of cards with her magic.
“Tell me oh wild and wet Danged Spell,” Trixie said as she shuffled the cards into the deck.  “What card do you suppose is at the top?”
Danged Spell groaned as he said “The six of spades?”
Trixie pulled the top card from the deck and looked closely at it.  She looked at Danged Spell with a somber tone.
“About that,” Trixie said before she turned the card over, revealing it to be the six of spades.
“Lucky guess,” Danged Spell replied.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy had her eyes out on the group of hedges near the castle, keeping a close sight on them while walking closer to the castle.
“Fluttershy, dearie,” Rarity said.  “You are so fixated on those hedges.  Whatever is catching your attention?”
“It’s what’s over the hedge that interests me,” Fluttershy replied.  “All those animals that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna look after.  I can’t wait to see them.”
“All that over Celestia’s private zoo?” Rarity replied. 
“A zoo?” Fluttershy replied as she turned her head towards Rarity.  “My uncle heads the famous San Di’Neighgo Zoo.  That makes whatever Celestia and Luna have look small in comparison.”
Rarity let out a chuckle and said “Oh please.  That would pale in comparison when I get to meet….HIM!  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s divine nephew.  He must be the one I’m looking for.”
“Ooooh,” Pinkie Pie said. “Are you going to find your true prince and get your fairy tale dream come true?”
“But of course, darling,” Rarity said.  “For it is my destiny to meet him.  The prince of my dreams, the love of my life.  And I bet that he will be starstrucked by my appearance, that he wants to take my hoof in marriage.”
“At that age?” Starlight asked.  “Aren’t you a little too young to be married?”
“Oh please,” Rarity said.  “I heard that a princess from far off Fancia married at around our age.”
Danged Spell just laughed and said “I heard whoever married that filly turned into a henpecked husband.”  In an instant, Rarity glanced at Danged Spell and growled at him, prompting the young colt to say with a scared tone “What?  It was just a rumor.”
As the night grew bright and the crowd sang down the path, the younglings following Night Light and Twilight Velvet until they got towards the castle gates.

Inside, Wanda, Sunset, Abigail, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Buck Withers, Lemony Gems and Gad Zookes waited with anticipation as one by one, the ponies poured into the castle.  Princess Celestia greeted each pony while Princess Luna bowed before the respected guest.
“So Shining,” Princess Cadance said as she snuggled up to Shining Armor.  “Is this your first Gala?”
Shining Armor swallowed hard and said “Y..yeah.  Big time.”
Princess Cadance rubbed her head around Shining Armor’s neck and said “Want me to show you the ropes to this magical place?”
Shining Armor swallowed again as he looked down at Princess Cadance and began to sweat.  Buck Withers looked at Shining Armor with a smug grin on his face.
“You know,” Buck Withers said to Lemony Gems.  “After what happened at the fall formal, I think you were the biggest blessing in my life.”
“Bucky,” Lemony Gem said as she gave Buck Withers a noogie.  “Let’s not tease Shining Armor’s unfortunate fate.”
“You’re right,” Buck Withers said.  “For we do have a night together at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  A night that we will not forget.”
Lemony Gem laughed as the couple embraced each other.  Nearby, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail waited in anticipation for their companions.
“For once,” Sunset said.  “I can’t wait for tonight’s Gala.”
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “Normally, I would freak out over these kinds of events.  But as long as I have friends who can stand by my side, then I don’t think anything can go wrong.”
“Wanda,” Sunset said as she turned towards her human sister.  “Let’s make sure this is the best night ever.”
“I know someone who is anticipating this night.”  Sunset, Wanda and Abigail turned to their left to see a group of Wonderbolts approach the group.  Every one of them was suited up in daredevil costumes with a blue and yellow theme.   Next to them were two ponies.  One was slightly older with a vivid-orange coat and dark gray mane.  The younger filly next to her had a brilliant gold coat with a a vivid-orange and light-brilliant amber mane.
“I know you,” Sunset said.  “You’re Airazor, the leader of the Wonderbolts.”
“Correct,” Airazor said as she bowed before Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.  The younger filly walked up to the princess duo with a smirk on her face.  
“And I take it you’re Airazor’s apprentice: Spitfire,” Wanda said as she pointed to the filly.
“That’s correct,” the pegasus filly named Spitfire said as she held out her hoof.  “And I heard you’re one of Princess Celestia’s daughters.”
“Err, yeah,” Wanda said as she held out her hand.  Spitfire grabbed onto Wanda’s hand and shook it.
“I also heard rumors that you’re actually a flier,” Spitfire replied.  “That you’re an ace in the air.  Ever considered being the first human Wonderbolt?”
Wanda just smiled with embarrassment and said “Thanks.  But I’ll pass.  I’d rather fly more like a butterfly than a Wonderbolt.”
“It’s your choice,” Spitfire said as she and Wanda let go.  “But if you ever change your mind….”
“Now now, Spitfire,” Airazor said with a chuckle.  “We are here to meet with the guests of the Grand Gallopin Gala.  Especially a certain pony who helped drive off the Windigo’s Guild at the Ponyville Fair.”
“Sorry about that,” Spitfire said.  “I’m just too excited for tonight.”
“Normally, I would say otherwise,” Sunset Shimmer said as she inched closer to Spitfire.  “But tonight’s an exception.”
“Princess Sunset,” Spitfire said.  “How’s life going so far?”
“Been looking after my sister,” Sunset replied.  “Got some friends who can help her when needed.  And we all had the adventure of our lives.”
“Wait,” Wanda said with a confused look on her face.  “How come you never told me you were friends with Spitfire?”
Sunset just giggled and said “Wanda, I offered to invite you over to our secret meetings with the Wonderbolts.  But you kept on declining, stating that you weren’t as interested in the Wonderbolts as I was.  And this was before you became the first human to attend the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“You know, that’s actually an impressive status for one who’s form is different from ours,” Airazor said.  “You shouldn’t take these things for granted.”
As Wanda pondered to herself from the words of both Sunset Shimmer and Airazor, she felt a tap on the shoulder and looked behind her to see Princess Celestia smile and point to the direction of the entrance.
“They’re here?” Wanda said.
“Yes,” Princess Celestia replied.  “They are here.”
Wanda turned to face the entrance, where Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejacck, Fluttershy, Trixie and Ditzy Doo stood at the bottom of the stairs, with Spike perched on Twilight’s back.  Wanda’s face beamed as she, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail ran up to the group.
“You all made it,” Wanda said as approached the group.
“We couldn’t miss it for the entire world,” Twilight said.  “In fact, we’re all here for what may be the best night ever.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said as she got up on her hind legs and gave Wanda a hug.  “Besides, I know why I’m here.”
Sunset turned to Wanda and said “She’s here to help keep you entertained, and to prevent you from having another meltdown.”
Wanda looked at Pinkie Pie and cried a bit before hugging the pink pony back and said “Thanks.  I could really use your laughter to keep me alive in the Gala.”  Wanda turned to the other younglings and said “So what are you all up to tonight?”
“Oh that’s easy,” Rainbow Dash said as she posed and extended her wings.  “I’ve got a date with the Wonderbolts.”
“And apparently, we’re here to meet the pony who helped take out the Windigo’s Guild with the legendary sonic rainboom,” Airazor said as she stepped down the staircase with Spitfire by her side.  Rainbow Dash took a look at both ponies and her jaw dropped to the floor.
“You’re….you’re Wonderbolt Captain Airazor,” Rainbow Dash said.  “And you’re...you’re Junior Wonderbolt Apprentice Spitfire.”
“In the flesh, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said.
“But how?” Rainbow Dash said as she stood there, completely surprised.  “You were expecting me?”
Princess Celestia laughed and said “Oh I pulled a few strings to convince Airazor to meet the one who’s Sonic Rainboom drove off a good portion of the Windigo’s Guild.  Enough to save the fair and much of our lives.”
Rainbow Dash just laughed and said “Well excuuuuuuse me, Princess.”  Airazor and Spitfire laughed really hard as Rainbow Dash walked up to the duo.
“I believe there may be a lot to talk about,” Airazor said as she, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire began to walk off while the others looked on  But as they began to walk off, Airazor turned towards the group and spotted Danged Spell alongside the other younglings.
“You there, one who calls himself Danged Spell,” Airazor said, catching the colt’s attention.
“Me?” Danged Spell asked.
“Like with Rainbow Dash,” Airazor said.  “I heard about your story of heroism when you saved Princess Wanda and Chancellor Cinch from the Windigo’s Guild here in Canterlot.  You may not realize it, but you’re a hero in the books of many ponies.  Even the Wonderbolts acknowledge your courageous act.  Never forget that.”
As Airazor, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash walked off, Danged Spell stood there, stunned by the words of Airazor.  He floated in the air with his horn glowing brightly as his mood began to turn bright.
“A hero in the eyes of the Wonderbolts,” Danged Spell said to himself.  “I think I was born the wrong species of pony.”
As Danged Spell floated in the air, Moondancer reached up and pulled him down before she said “Now now, knight in shining armor.  We got a best night ever to focus on.”
Danged Spell shook his head as he landed his hooves on the ground.  He turned to Moondancer and said “Right.  Grand Gallopin Gala.”  He looked to the left and right before turning back to Moondancer and said “So uhhh, what do you want to do?”
Moondancer giggled for a bit before she said “Follow me.  There’s a telescope here in the castle that I want to lay my eyes on.”
“A telescope?” Danged Spell said.
“Yeah,” Moondancer said as she grabbed Spell by the hoof and pulled him.  “It’s supposed to be the most powerful telescope ever.”
As Danged Spell yelled “Wait wait wait,” Moondancer pulled the young colt away and took him through the grand foyer and towards another room.  The other younglings watch on as Danged Spell and Moondancer disappear through the doorway.
“Wow,” Sunburst said.  “I know Moondancer is obsessed with space.  But even on a grand night like the gala, she sure is eager to check out that telescope.”
“And there’s a lot of reason to that,” Sunset Shimmer replied.  “That is the infamous Zacharle Telescope that Princess Luna built long ago.”
“Wait,” Starlight said.  “Luna built a telescope?”
The younglings looked up at Princess Luna, who only turned her head and whistled innocently.
“Well,” Sunburst said.  “That was awkward for one of royalty.”
“Hey, speaking of royalty, I think I spot a pair of royal hippogriffs,” Twilight Sparkle said as she spotted Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and baby Silverstream approaching the group.  Twilight Sparkle waved to Queen Novo, catching the royal’s attention.
“Twilight Sparkle,” Queen Novo said as she approached the lavender unicorn.  “It’s so good for you all to make it.”
“We couldn’t miss it for the whole world, your majesty,” Twilight said as she bowed before the hippogriff queen.
Queen Novo laughed and said “There won’t be any need for any formalities.  After all, any friend of smallfry Wanda Young is a friend of mine.”
“Speaking of which, mother,” Princess Skystar said.  “I noticed that a few of your friends have gone missing.”
“Oh you mean Rainbow Dash, Danged Spell and Moondancer?” Pinkie Pie said.  “Rainbow Dash is hanging out with Airazor and Spitfire of the Wonderbolts, while Moondancer dragged Danged Spell to the infamous Zacharle Telescope.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Skystar said.  “That explains.”
As Wanda looked at Skystar and Novo with Silverstream flying right beside her, she overheard the sound of hooves walking through.  Wanda turned to her left and saw Prince Blueblood walk on through.  The mere presence of this young colt catches the eye of Rarity.
“Oh my,” Rarity said as her jaw dropped down.  “It’s him.  The prince of my dreams.”
Wanda slumped up to Rarity with a cold look on her face and said “Are you serious?  That’s my no-good cousin.”
“Oh please, Wanda,” Rarity said as she grabbed Wanda by her face and pulled her close.  “You clearly judge a book by its cover.  After all, I can assume that he is as proper a gentlecolt as you are a lady.”
“But,” Wanda said before Rarity let her go and walked off towards Prince Blueblood.  Sunset Shimmer walked up to Wanda and glared coldly at the white-coated prince.
“She’s really going to do it,” Sunset said.
“I’m afraid so,” Wanda replied.
As Rarity approached Prince Blueblood, she felt a chill down her spine and began to shake a bit.  The young unicorn filly shook off beads of sweat and took a breather as Prince Blueblood approached.
“Oh my,” Rarity said as she opened her eyes.  “It’s you, isn’t it?”
“Well hello there.  I am Prince Blueblood,” The young colt prince said in a sweet voice.  
“I knew you were such a handsome gentlecolt,” Rarity said with a nervous tone in her voice. “But I never expected you to be like this.”
“You appear to be needing some company,” Prince Blueblood replied  “Shall I?  I can teach you the ways of being a true lady.”
“A true lady?” Rarity said as tugged on the collar of her dress and steam poured out.  “Well, I always wanted to be like that.”
“Then come with me, “Prince Blueblood said as he extended his hoof out.
As Rarity gently placed her hoof on Prince Blueblood’s, Wanda and Sunset continued to stare right at the young unicorn colt as if they had daggers in their eyes.  Abigail sat next to Wanda, also glancing coldly at Prince Blueblood.
“Here he goes again with that convincing attitude,” Sunset said.
“Tell me about it,” Wanda replied.  “That was the first thing he said to me when I first met him.  And to think, I almost looked up to that horse’s rear end.”
As Rarity and Prince Blueblood disappeared through a nearby doorway, Wanda, Sunset and Abigail continued to stare at the two with utter disdain before Wanda felt a tap on her shoulder.  She turned around and saw Pinkie PIe stare at her.
“I think it would be a good time to go explore the Gala together,” Pinkie Pie said with a cheerful smile.  “Besides, you don’t want your...cousin to live in your head, rent-free.”
Wanda turned to Sunset Shimmer, who turned towards Wanda and gave her a wink of her eye.
“You go have fun with Pinkie Pie,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “I’ll stay with mother and Twilight Sparkle.  It will be okay.”
Wanda nodded with a smile on her face as she, Pinkie Pie and Abigail ran off towards the doorway.  Princess Celestia looked on as she saw her younger daughter disappear.
“Are you worried about Wanda, mother?”  Princess Cadance asked.
“A part of me still worries for your sister, Cadence,” Princess Celestia replied.  “It’s her first gala with friends by her side.  But at the same time, I feel as if history is going to repeat itself.”
“You don’t need to worry, Princess,” Shining Armor said.  “We’ll keep an eye out on Wanda while we dance the night away.”
“Are you sure about that?” Princess Celestia said as her face shows a sign of concern.
“We are,” Princess Cadance replied. “As sure as the cutie mark on my rump.”
Princess Celestia smiled as she said “Then the night awaits the both of you.”
Princess Cadance and Shining Armor smiled as the duo bowed before Princess Celestia.  They walked down the path Wanda went to, heading towards the ball room where the gala would take place.  Princess Luna and Princess Celestia watched on as the two lovebirds disappeared into the entrance to the ballroom.
“Maybe next time,” Princess Luna whispered.  “You might want to do a comic convention here in Canterlot.  To rival the infamous one in San Di’Neightgo.”
As Princess Celestia nodded, something caught her eye in the crowd.  She glanced over and saw Gold and Silver Banks make their way through.  Celestia’s tone turned sour as she looked at the Banks couple, who’s presence also caught Princess Luna’s eyes.
“If you’re going to ask me why the Banks are here,” Princess Luna said.  “You can thank Magistrate Creme Dream for reversing the gala ban Princess Cadance placed on them.”
“It’s not the first time this had happened,” Princess Celestis said.  “And I doubt it will be the last.”
As Princess Celestia began to descend the staircase, Queen Novo raised her claw in the air, halting the alicorn princess’s movement.
“Queen Novo,” Princess Celestia said.  “I take it you have a bone to pick with the Banks.”
“In more ways than one,” Queen Novo replied.  “Especially after the stunt they pulled back at the Canterlot Hospital while you were away.  Besides, there’s no way to drive those two off.”
“Alright,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’ll entrust you and the others to those two.”
Princess Luna nodded to Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes, who nodded back and descended the staircase, taking to the side of Queen Novo as Gold and Silver Banks entered the palace.  Gold Banks was quick to catch Queen Novo’s sight and came to a complete stop.
“I see that you’re disappointed that our ban was overturned,” Gold Banks said with a smirk on her face.
“That’s the least of my worries,” Queen Novo said in a stern tone as she eyed a nearby room in the palace.  “We will discuss this in a separate room, Banks.”
Queen Novo, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes walked towards the doorway with Gold and Silver Banks following from behind, looking oddly at each other.  Princess Skystar and baby Silverstream wasted no time catching up to the hippogriff queen.
“Go enjoy yourselves at the gala,” Queen Novo said as she looked at Skystar and Silverstream with a warm tone.  “You do not need to trouble yourselves with adult business.
Princess Skystar nodded as she and Silverstream turned tail and walked towards the ballroom entrance.  Queen Novo turned towards the other doorway and walked through as Buck Withers, Lemony Gem, Gad Zookes and the Banks followed behind.  The other younglings looked on as the group of adults disappeared into the nearby room.
“What do you suppose is going on in there?” Fluttershy asked.
“Something that we don’t need to stick our noses in,” Applejack replied.
“Applejack’s right,” Sunset said.  “You guys should go have some fun at the Gala.  Twilight and I will keep Princess Celestia and Princess Luna happy.”
Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Starlight, and Sunburst nodded as they walked away from the group, while Twilight, Sunset and Spike watched them depart.
“You think we’ll have the best night ever?” Twilight asked while Spike sat on her back.
“Twilight,” Sunset said.  “WIth friends like you around, this might as well be the best night ever.”
As Sunset and Twilight snuggled together, Twilight Velvet and Night Light stood nearby, observing the two fillies.
“I still remember the first time we came to the gala together, honey,” Twilight Velvet said.
“It felt almost like our first date,” Night Light said.
“It was our first date,” Twilight Velvet laughed.

Inside the nearby room,  Queen Novo walked to the end of the room and turned around to face Gold and Silver Banks.  Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes took to Queen Novo’s side as the hippogriff glared at the two billionaires.
“Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?” Gold Banks scoffed.  “You waste our time with these pleasantries, Queen Novo.”
“There is nothing pleasant about what I plan to say to you both,” Queen Novo replied as her tone became more aggressive.  “I still remember what you did on that day, when you and that Debt Collector Squad invaded the royal suite of the Canterlot Hospital.”
“Still unable to let go of the past?” Gold Banks said with a chuckle.  “All we wanted was to check up on the little monkey pet of Princess Celestia.”
“That monkey you describe is a Princess of Equestria,” Buck Withers said as he slammed his hoof into the ground.  “The fact that you tried to harm her contradicts your statement.”
Gold Banks just laughed as she said  “So who’s going to believe a foreigner or three misguided delinquents?  The ponies of Equestria won’t.  None of them will.”
“Oh that’s what you think.”  Gold Banks turned around to see Filthy and Spoiled Rich enter the room with daggers in their eyes.  Spoiled Rich took a harsh gaze at Gold Banks, not once keeping her eye off the older mare.
“Sweet Milk my sister,” Gold Banks said. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here.”
“Don’t you sister me,” Spoiled Rich said as her tone flared up.  “I stopped going under that name ever since you married that corrupt financial lobbyist.”
“But we’re not just here because of past misdeeds towards my wife,” Filthy RIch said.  “It’s also about your daughter, Golden Lace.”
“Whatever do you mean by that?” Gold Banks said as she laughed it off.
“Don’t play coy with us, Gold Milk,” Spoiled Rich said.  “I heard from your daughter about your recent mistreatments of her.  About how you threw her out on the streets for standing up against you.  You don’t care for her.  You’re only using her for your own purpose.”
Gold Banks laughed loudly and said “You must be misguided by her delinquency since she went on that mistake of a field trip to Mount Aris.”
“There is no mistake in her coming to my kingdom,” Queen Novo snarled.  “It was obvious from the start that she was trying to copy your behavior and treachery.  I wanted to at least show her that her way was wrong, and that there was a better way.”
“Through this foolishness called the magic of friendship?” Gold Banks laughed.  “Get real.  It’s an illusion by the royal family.”
“Illusion or not,” Spoiled Rich said as she unrolled a parchment paper with some wording on it.  “Your mistreatment of Golden Lace has left us no choice.  We are filing a motion to adopt Golden Lace, and to put a permanent restraining order against you for abuse.”
“Your daughter deserved better than what you’re giving her,” Filthy Rich said.  “You should be ashamed of yourself.  At least she’ll grow up to be a kind-hearted mare and not a mean spirited monster like you.”
With that, Filthy and Spoiled Rich turned tail and walked out of the room.  Spoiled Rich paused for a moment and glared at Gold Banks once more before disappearing.  Gold Banks just smiled as she turned back towards Queen Novo.
“Well that was amusing,” Gold Banks said.  “And I suppose you have some form of comedy towards me.”
“Not comedy,” Queen Novo said as she pulled out her own parchment from her wing.  “Originally, we had a trade deal so that you could sell our goods in Canterlot.
“And that deal still stands,” Gold Banks replied, causing Novo to hold up the parchment and rip it up into small pieces.
“Not anymore,” Queen Novo said as she threw the scraps of paper into the air, causing it to scatter across the room.  “Effective immediately, I have terminated our partnership in trade goods.  In addition, we will talk with the Rich family about getting a new trade deal.  One that doesn’t have the stench of conspiracy attached to it.  You both don’t deserve to be near my kind.”
With that, Queen Novo walked by Gold and Silver Banks and walked out the door.  Buck Withers and Lemony Gem held onto each other’s arms as they walked out, keeping their eyes away from Gold and Silver Banks.  Gad Zookes just stood there, looking at the two aristocrats.
“If there was a major difference between my pal Buck Withers and you two,” Gad Zookes said.  “It’s that he has a heart of gold, while you both have no heart.  Even the most vile monster he faced was more pure compared to your malice.”
Gad Zookes turned away from Gold and Silver Banks as he followed Buck Withers and Lemony Gem outside the doorway.  Gold Banks just stood there smiling and laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Silver Banks said. “We lost our contract with Queen Novo and the Hippogriffs because you decided you wanted to go after Wanda when she was sick.”
“That’s just it,” Gold Banks said.  “We’ll convince Magistrate Creme Dream not only to overrule the Rich family from taking Golden Lace away, but we’ll force the hippogriffs to re-honor their contract.  Those fools are even more foolish than they realized.”
“What good is that supposed to do?” Silver Banks asked.
“Well that’s just it,” Gold Banks said with a devilish grin.  “In case they defy the magistrate, we’ll put some hit pieces up on the local news to make them a pariah and render the hippogriffs ‘Enemy of the ponies.’  That will mess up their morale and allow us to keep a tight hold on their lives.”
“And what do you plan on doing to little Wanda?” Silver Banks asked.
“Right now,” Gold Banks replied.  “No need to do anything.  But in the future, I will do what it takes to put that man’s cub out of her misery.  Princess Celestia should know better than to turn pets into one of us.”
As Gold Banks began to walk out of the room, Silver Banks just stood here and placed his hoof on his face.
“At times, I regret our marriage,” Silver Banks said to himself.


	To Be Continued in…


	A Troubling Night

> Arc 17-3: A troubling night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Troubling Night




Applejack wandered into the ballroom by herself, looking around as there was a small trickle of guests wandering the large, open room full of delicious food, and musicians serenading the company.  
“Where are ma and pa?” Applejack said as she scanned the vicinity.  “They told me they would be here.”
As Applejack looked around, she saw the sight of Bright Mac waving his hoof into the air.  Applejack got on her hind legs and waved back at them.
“Pa,” Applejack said.  “I’m coming your way.”
Applejack walked through the ballroom, carefully paying attention to the guests around her as she inched closer to Bright Mac.  But as she made her way, something tripped her over, causing the apple filly to fall to the ground.
“What in tarnation just happened?” Applejack said as she got up.  She looked to her left and saw one of the more fancy guests looked down at her.
“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” the snobby guest said as she turned her nose away from Applejack.  “Some fillies need to be put in their place.”
Applejack slowly got up and walked away as she looked at that guest.  Bright Mac took notice at Applejack and walked up to the little filly with a smile on his face.
“You don’t need to pay attention to some of the guests,” Bright Mac said as he helped Applejack up.  “We Apple farmers have been called a load of names throughout the years.  Some were silly and we laughed at it.  Others were harmful.  But the best thing we can do is to turn to each other for support.  That’s what families do, and as a family, we are one together.”
“I know,” Applejack said as she got on her four hooves with a smile.  “You, Ma, and Granny Smith always told me and Big Mac those worlds.  And we’ve stuck by them since.”
“And you’ve always held onto that belief for a long time,” Bright Mac said as he gave Applejack a noogie on the head, causing the filly to giggle.  “I’m proud of you.  Now come.  The rest of the family is waiting for you.”
Bright Mac walked Applejack to a nearby table full of apple-themed goodies, where Granny Smith, Big Mac and Buttercup waited.  On another table nearby, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara waved to Applejack.
“So this is our big night, eh?” Applejack asked.  “Do you suppose they’ll appreciate our apple desserts?”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with a flick of his mane.
“It was great that Princess Celestia paid us to prepare food for the guests,” Buttercup said.  “We’ve put our heart and soul into these delectables.  I only hope they enjoy the taste of La Maresa like our fellow town folks do.”
 “Folks have turned away from La Maresa after what the Windigo’s Guild did at the Ponyville Faire,”  Granny Smith said.  “We need to remind them of the good that La Maresa and the rest of the Ponyville Providence can bring to them.”
“And I bet that will be the case,” Applejack said as she walked over and gave Apple Bloom a boop on the nose, causing the baby filly to giggle.
“As Celestia as my witness,” Granny Smith said.  “I want to at least provide the comfort food that many ponies could be missing from La Maresa.  Our town will never fade away because of fear.”
As Granny Smith walked up to Applejack and gave her granddaughter a hug, Filthy and Spoiled Rich walked up from nearby, catching the attention of Bright Mac and Buttercup.
“Filthy, Spoiled,” Bright Mac said.  “I take it you ran into...those two clowns.”
“If you’re talking about Gold and Silver Banks, yes,” Filthy Rich said.  “Queen Novo, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes were with us.”
“I intend on taking my sister to court when this gala is over,” Spoiled Rich said.  “After what she did to Golden Lace, she does not deserve to be her mother.”
“That won’t be an easy task,” Granny Smith said.  “I heard the reason why they arrived at the Gala is because they got Magistrate Creme Dream to override Princess Cadance’s ban.  Something tells me that sneaky crowbait is going to pull off a serious stunt to deny you custody of little Lace.”
“Speaking of which,” Spoiled Rich said.  “Where is Lace?”  But the moment she stopped speaking, Golden Lace ran up to the mare with Cozy Glow behind her.
“Aunt Spoiled,” Golden Lace said in a cheerful tone.  “I was wondering where you went.”
“Lace, honey,” Filthy Rich said.  “How are you enjoying your time at the Gala?”
“Right now,” Golden Lace said.  “Princess Wanda and one of her friends will be accompanying us throughout the Gala.  I hope this will be my final memory here before I depart from Canterlot.”
Filthy Rich looked up and saw Wanda Young, Abigail Albright and Pinkie Pie standing in front.  Wanda picked up the sides of her skirt and made a curtsy bow.
“Alright,” Filthy Rich said.  “You go have some fun.  And if your parents give you any grief, we’ll be here for ya.”
As Golden Lace cheered gracefully, Applejack walked up to Pinkie Pie, who was in her usual cheerful mood.
“Seems you might be the life of the party, Pinkie,” Applejack said.  “Considering you’re entertaining Princess Wanda and Golden Lace.”
“Hey, it’s what I do best,” Pinkie Pie said as she pointed to Cozy Glow.  “And besides, we do have others joining us.”
Cozy Glow just looked at Applejack and waved right back.  Applejack, feeling something odd in her fur, approached the pegasi filly.
“Hey, I also heard you’re the daughter of Magistrate Creme Dream,” Applejack said.
Cozy Glow’s sweet face turned blue as she slumped down a bit.  She looked up at Applejack and said “Yes. It’s true.”
“Then is there any way you could convince your mother to allow Golden Lace to live with Filthy and Spoiled Rich?”
Cozy Glow turned around and said “I’m afraid that’s unthinkable.  I haven’t seen eye to eye with my own mother for a lot longer than Golden Lace.  Sure she’s one of the most powerful judges of Equestria.  But what good is that when you’re not the favorite of her children?”
Applejack just looked at Cozy Glow with a shocked look on her face and said “I didn’t know.”
“Well, you do now,” Cozy Glow said.  “And I only wish you didn’t.”
“Come on, Cozy,” Wanda said as Abigail meowed at Cozy Glow.  “Don’t let that get you down.  We’re here together, and we’re best of friends.  Now why don’t we party the night away?”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “We’re friends now, and that’s what matters the most.”
“You’re right,” Cozy Glow replied.  “Besides, I wanted to at least make Golden Lace comfortable because we share similar problems.”
Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Pinkie Pie and Cozy Glow ran off from Applejack with Golden Lace following right behind them.  Applejack watched on while Big Macintosh walked up right next to her.
“Isn’t it great that friends help keep others up?”  Applejack said.   “Sure as a family, we are one together.  But also at the same time, friendship is magic.  Wouldn’t you agree?”
Big Mac just smiled and said “Eeyup.”

Meanwhile, outside in the garden area, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst walk up to a nearby weeping willow tree that was positioned right near the pond.  They sat right next to each other and just looked up at the sky.
“The night sky just looks gorgeous,” Sunburst said.  “You’re right to have chosen this spot.”
“What’d I tell ya?” Starlight said as she stared at the stars.  “Wanda and Sunset told me about this place.  They sometimes stared at the stars when they had the night to themselves.”
“Is that so?” Sunset said.  “Seems I owe them a big thank you for this.”
“They also said to be mindful of the critters here,” Starlight replied.  “They’re often shy and bashful.”
“Considering that we’re not big animal fans,” Sunburst said.  “I’d say that’s a no brainer.  Besides, all we want is peace and quiet.  Nothing more and nothing less.”
Starlight giggled as she lay on her back and gazed up at the stars with Sunburst by her side.  As she just sighed at the stars, a squirrel ran up her dress, all the way up to her head.  The movements of the squirrel caused Starlight to giggle, catching Sunburst’s attention.
“What’s a squirrel doing running over here?” Sunburst said as he kept his eyes on the squirrel while he got up.
“I have no idea,” Starlight said as she regained her composure.
Starlight got up and watched as the squirrel hid behind her.  Nearby, Fluttershy ran up to the two unicorn younglings, looking eager and excited.
“Excuse me,” Fluttershy said.  “Have you seen a squirrel around these parts?”
Starlight looked behind her and saw the squirrel look straight at Fluttershy.  Without a second thought, the squirrel ran up the tree, diving through the leaves until it was out of sight.  Fluttershy just looked up the tree and sighed.
“I don’t get it,” Fluttershy said.  “I’m a lover of animals.  Why are they so afraid of me?”
Fluttershy flew up towards the tree and peeked right inside.  Immediately, the squirrel jumped right out and ran off in the distance, much to the disappointment of the timid pegasus filly.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said.  “And not just the squirrel, but also the toucans, the flamingos, and even the little monkeys that populate this garden.”
Without a second thought, Fluttershy flew off after the squirrel, leaving Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst confused.
“Toucans?” Starlight asked.
“Flamingos?” Sunburst said.
“Monkeys?” Both younglings responded with complete confusion.
“I don’t know what Fluttershy meant by those three,” Sunburst said.
“I know,” Starlight replied.  “That sounds ridiculous to have all those kinds of animals right here.”
But the moment Starlight finished talking, a number of animals appeared out of nowhere and began taking shelter near Sunburst and Starlight, many of which included toucans, flamingos, monkeys, and even a few kangaroos.  Starlight and Sunburst looked at the scared animals surrounding them and then looked back at each other.
“Toucans,” Starlight said.
“Flamingos,” Sunburst replied.
“Monkeys,” Starlight replied.
“And even a kangaroo for good measure,” Sunburst replied.
“Wanda and Sunset will have to explain to us why Princess Celestia carries a zoo-full of animals in her garden,” Starlight said with a scowl on her face.

Meanwhile, at a nearby tower, Danged Spell and Moondancer arrived outside an opened doorway.  The duo peeked inside and saw what appears to be the eye-piece end of a giant telescope.
“So that's the big contraption that you wanted to see,” Danged Spell said.
“Oh you bet,” Moondancer said as she giggled with excitement.  “This is Princess Celestia’s personal telescope.  But Princess Luna uses it more than she does to observe the stars beyond our planet.”
“Well I’d say that’s a real way to scope out your dreams,” Danged Spell laughed, causing Moondancer to glance at him.
“Oh real funny you class clown,” Moondancer said in a sarcastic tone, causing Danged Spell to look at her funny.
“What?”  Danged Spell said.  “I wanted to at least keep the mood bright.”
Moondancer looked left and right before pulling Danged Spell close to her.
“Shhh,” Moondancer said.  “There’s no pony in the vicinity, and there’s no line to this telescope.  Now’s our chance to go inside and check out what’s in the stars.  Do you read me?”
Danged Spell just nodded yes, much to Moondancer’s delight.
“Good,” Moondancer said as she let go of Danged Spell.  “Now let’s get in there before it’s too late.”
Moondancer and Danged Spell immediately made a dash towards the doorway, running as fast as possible.  But the moment they reached the entrance to the telescope room, a slightly overweight adult pony ran through the halls and bumped the duo out of the way with the side of his butt.
“Out of my way you juvenile delinquents,” the older pony said as his rear end sent Danged Spell and Moondancer flying.  “I got dibs on the telescope.”
Danged Spell and Moondancer hit the nearby side of the wall and bounced off, landing on the floor.  They got up and watched as the adult pony walked through the entrance and shut the door behind him.  Moondancer and Danged Spell both got up and began to pout.
“What does that big palooka think he is?”  Moondancer said as steam poured out of her nose. “We were here first.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell said as he stomped his hooves on the floor.  “If anything, his cutie mark should be his own butt because of how he decided to butt in.”
“Gotta agree with you on that one,” Moondancer replied.  “It’s like someone did this on purpose just to make us look miserable.”
“No kidding,” Danged Spell said as he dusted himself off. “To think, it must be a fear of us being some kind of Mary Sue or Gary Stu pony.”
“A Mary Sue or a Gary Stu? You both must be joking.”  Danged Spell and Moondancer turned to their right to see Prince Blueblood walk in from another doorway with Rarity by his side.
“Hey,” Danged Spell said.  “Aren’t you that Prince Blueblood character that Sunset Shimmer told me about?”
Prince Blueblood walked up to Danged Spell and said “It seems my reputation precedes me.  Though I can’t say the same for my entitled cousin.”
“Excuse me?” Danged Spell said in a confused look as Rarity blushed with embarrassment.
“I think the problem with Sunset Shimmer and her so-called younger sister is that they truly don’t know how to address the ponies of Equestria,” Prince Blueblood said.  “They spend way too much time being coddled and not shown the true realities of this world.  They could do more by interacting with ponies beyond Canterlot.”
Moondancer, taken aback by Prince Blueblood’s comments, glares coldly at Rarity.
“He’s a real nice colt once you get to know him more,” Rarity said with a nervous tone as she ducked a bit behind Blueblood.
Moondancer turned her head to face Prince Blueblood.  She turned back towards Rarity and said with a sarcastic tone “Yeah.  Surrrre.”
Prince Blueblood turns his head away from Danged Spell and Moondancer before turning towards Rarity.  He said to the filly “Come.  You don’t need to be around those ruffians.”
Prince Blueblood trotted himself out of the room with his nose held high in the air.  Rarity turned towards Danged Spell and Moondancer and just blushed embarrassingly.
“Don’t worry,” Rarity said.  “I’ll uhhh, get used to him.”
WIth that, Rarity followed Prince Blueblood out as Danged Spell and Moondancer just glanced at that stubborn royal colt.
“Man if anything,” Danged Spell said with a snort from his nose.  “That Blueblood sure has the personality of a horse’s rear end.”
“I think that’s an understatement,” Moondancer said.  “If anything, he has the personality and the smell of an elephant’s butt.”
“An elephant’s butt?” Danged Spell said as he let out a small chuckle.  “Now you’re talking.”
Danged Spell and Moondancer rolled onto their backs and started laughing loudly.  As they did, the doorway leading to the telescope opened up with that same adult pony coming out.
“Wow,” the adult pony said with a disappointed look on his face.  “They don’t make telescopes the way they used to.”
Those words caught the attention of Danged Spell and Moondancer as the duo got back on their hooves and ran up to the entrance.
“What are you talking about?” Danged Spell said. “Isn’t that thing made of titanium?”
“Felt more like it was made of aluminum,” The adult pony said before he walked off in a different direction.
Moondancer took a peek inside the room and her jaw dropped down.  Inside, the eye port of the telescope had been smashed to pieces, with a good portion of the telescope body appearing to have been crushed.  Danged Spell looked inside and his jaw also dropped down at the sight of the destroyed scope.
“What in the name of my grandmother?” Danged Spell said.
“I….I was going to look through that telescope,” Moondancer said before she fainted.
Danged Spell looked down at Moondancer before looking back at the telescope and said “If anything, this has been nothing short of being a crushing gala.”

Meanwhile, at the foyer, Princess Celestia continued to shake the hooves of many guests that came through the entrance, though she looked like she was starting to tire.  Princess Luna, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle and Spike looked at Princess Celestia and began to worry.
“Is this what Princess Celestia goes through every gala?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “This was one of the reasons why Wanda doesn’t like the Grand Gallopin Gala.”
“To many,” Princess Luna said.  “The Grand Gallopin Gala is the de facto event that every pony wants to attend.  To Wanda, she felt more like an outcast, surrounded by ponies that she doesn’t know, plus the fact that they tower over her.  It was the reason why she had that meltdown last year.”
Twilight Sparkle looked at Princess Celestia, who was still shaking the hooves of the guests who arrived.  Though the prime princess had the look of a cheerful royal, it did concern the young unicorn, who just sighed and said “I wish there was something we can do.”
“I think I know what you both can do,” Princess Luna said.  “Go find Princess Wanda, and go cheer her up.”
“Are you really sure about that, Aunt Luna?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Trust me,” Princess Luna said.  “I can look at my sister and relieve her of her duty if needed.”
Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer nodded.  With Spike on her back, Twilight stepped away from Princess Celestia while Sunset Shimmer followed.  Luna watched the two fillies walk off while turning her attention back to her older sister.
“Queen Eternia,” Princess Luna said.  “Mother.  Please keep us all safe.”

Back in the ballroom, Airazor walked alongside Spitfire and Rainbow Dash, going through the various crowds as they chatted together.
“Like I said,” Rainbow Dash said.  “It was a group effort.  All I did was to use the Sonic Rainboom to drive those Windigo goons off.”
“That sounds like the kind of story I heard when the rumors flew in to our base,” Airazor said.
“I was wondering if you could give us a demonstration,” Spitfire asked.
Rainbow Dash turned her head as her ears flopped down.  She turned back and said.  “Well that’s just it.  I can’t do it without harming Princess Wanda.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Airazor said.
“It’s more than that,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Every time I use the Sonic Rainboom, Princess Wanda collapses to the ground and holds her head in extreme pain.  That’s why I have to refrain from using it.  I only performed the move back in La Maresa because Wanda begged me to, even in spite of the pain she suffered.”
“And this is Princess Wanda we’re talking about,” Spitfire said.  “As much as I don’t see her face when we perform for the crowds, even I have respect for her, considering that she can fly with those wings of her.”
“Well I’ll have to make an alternative to the Sonic Rainboom if I want to impress you all,” Rainbow Dash said.  “At least I have a few tricks in my mane.”
But before Airazor could say anything, she felt a tug on her wonderbolt uniform.  Airazor turned to her left and saw a few fans gather up in front of her.
“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Airazor said.  “But it seems my presence towards the Wonderbolt fans is needed.   Spitfire, you’re in charge of looking after our special guest.”  
As Airazor turned her attention towards the group of fans, Rainbow Dash looked on with her jaw dropped to the floor, all while Spitfire looked on with a hint of anxiety.
“Great,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I was about to show her that I’m Wonderbolt material, and this happened.”
“It happens all the time, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said as she looked a bit nervous.  “Everytime we come out to get a break from the air, the hardcore Wonderbolts fans always knows when to ambush her.  I’ve barely had enough time to learn a lot from Lady Airzaor.”
“Is it that bad?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Far more than you think,” Spitfire said.  “As a junior Wonderbolt, I’ve been under serious training to become the best of the best.  But we’ve been distracted lately because of these events.”  Spitfire let out a sigh and added “For once, I just wish she could focus more on us.”
Rainbow Dash pondered for a bit and said “Maybe there might be a way I could get her attention.  But without the Sonic Rainboom.”
“Right,” Spitfire said.  “Don’t want to upset Princess Wanda.”
Spitfire looked outside and noticed something in the garden.  She turned to Rainbow Dash and waved her hoof, pointing to the outside.
“Come on,” Spitfire said.  “I think I may have an idea and you might like it.”
With that, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire made a beeline towards the opened back exit of the ballroom, departing out into the opening of the field.

At another part of the ballroom, Trixie stood on stage, holding her wizard’s hat in her hoof, showing the lack of content within the hat.  Off the stage, Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Ditzy Doo were cheering as Trixie pulled a rabbit doll out of her hat.
“Walla,” Trixie said.  “The old rabbit in the hat trick.”
“Now this is what I call entertainment,” Wanda said as she cheered Trixie on.
“What’d I tell ya?” Pinkie Pie said.  “When it comes to entertainment, Trixie knows how to put on a show.”
Ditzy Doo looked around the entire ballroom, watching as the adult guests danced around and not minding Trixie on stage.
“I can’t say the same for the rest of the party,” Ditzy said.
“Pay no attention to them,” Golden Lace said.  “As long as we’re together, nothing’s going to break our spirit.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Cozy Glow said.  “These are mainly the elite class of Equestria.  Sure the commoners do arrive.  But these guys always hog the spotlight.”
Trixie looked at the guests continuing to dance and enjoy themselves.  She looked discouraged, but she didn’t look like she was about ready to give up.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie will put on a show unlike ANY OTHER!” Trixie said.  “And that will require a volunteer.”
Ditzy Doo raised her hoof into the air and yelled out “ME,” catching Trixie’s attention.
“Then come on up,” Trixie said as she pulled out a wooden box and opened it up.
Ditzy jumped onto the stage as Trixie set the box in front of her.  The pegasi filly laid right into the box with her head and hooves sticking out on each end.  Trixie closed the box and spun it around once.
“And now fillies and gentlecolts,” Trixie said as she pulled out a saw.  “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will perform the saw the pony in half trick.
Trixie placed the saw in the middle, top part of the box and began to saw it in half.  Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow watched in horror while Ditzy just looked there, completely calm and collective.
“This is so exciting,” Ditzy said as Trixie sawed the box in half.  “I can’t wait to be split into two pieces.
As Trixie completely sawed the box in two, she split the box in two, revealing Ditzy Doo to be split into two halves, much to the shock of Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace.  Ditzy stuck her arm out and waved to the group.
“Look, every pony,” Ditzy said.   “I’m now split into two pieces.”
Trixie looked at Ditzy with an awkward stare before slamming the two pieces together.  The box opens and Ditzy emerges as if nothing happened at all.  Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow cheered for Trixie.
“That was amazing,” Wanda said.  
“Too bad Starlight didn’t get to see that,” Pinkie Pie said.  “She would have been amazed.”
“That’s all you kids obsess about?  Cheap parlor tricks?” Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Trixie and Ditzy Doo turned to the side to see Senator Twinkle Wish hovering over all of them.  Wanda hid behind Cozy Glow while Abigail hissed at the senator.
“What do you want?” Golden Lace said as she stared at the senator.  “We’re just having a good time.”
“Not by the standards of Equestrian Royalty,” Twinkle Wish said as she climbed on stage.  “In fact, I don’t think these are appropriate for little children.”
Ditzy Doo inches away from Senator Twinkle Wish as the older mare tips over the box and smashes it into pieces, shocking the younglings all around her.  Trixie just looked at the Senator with a cold glare.
“That was a gift given to me by my daddy,” Trixie said.  “You’ll pay for that.”
“Maybe you need to learn to grow up and stop playing with these toys,” Twinkle Wish said as she grabbed Trixie’s hat and placed it on her head, causing water to pour right all over the unicorn.
“Hey,” Pinkie Pie said.  “You can’t do that.  We’re just having fun here.”
“Fun?  FUN?”  Twinkle Wish said as she stared down Pinkie Pie, causing the pink pony to back off.  “Here in Equestria, fun is poison to a little filly’s mind.”
Senator Twinkle Wish turned towards Cozy Glow before walking towards her and pushing her aside.  She glared down at Wanda, who looked visibly shaken.
“And as for you, illegal immigrant,” Twinkle Wish said.  “Just because you’re the daughter of Princess Celestia doesn’t mean you can do as you please.  The fact that Celestia and Chancellor Cinch allowed you to come back to the Gala after last year’s debacle is a disgrace.”
As Wanda stood there, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow came in to block off Senator Wish’s presence to the man’s cub.  The two fillies stared at Senator Twinkle Wish with a devious scowl.
“Wanda is our friend,” Golden Lace said.  “And in fact, she’s far better a pony than you’ll ever be.”
“So you leave her alone,” Cozy Glow said.
“Strong words coming from two juvenile delinquents,” Senator Wish said as she pushed Cozy Glow and Golden Lace aside. “Especially those who disappoint their own parents.”
Senator Wish stared down Wanda Young as the man’s cub shook in fear, struggling to turn her head away from the mare.  Twinkle Wish then grabbed Wanda by the chin and pulled her forward.
“Now you listen here, brat,” Senator Twinkle Wish said.  “You may be under the protection of Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch, but don’t think you’ll get away with it.  One day, you will make a big mistake, and you will wind up in the place you deserve to belong: Tatarus, or especially the deadlands.  Never forget that.”
Senator Wish lets go of Wanda before she turns tail and walks away.  Pinkie Pie, Abigail, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow all stared at the senator with complete disdain.
“That sadistic witch,” Cozy Glow said as she slammed her hoof onto the floor.  “They’re all like this. If I had the capabilities, I would drain the magic of Equestria and hide it away in another dimension.”
“Between her and my parents,” Golden Lace said.  “I’d do that in a heartbeat.”
“So would I,” Pinkie Pie said as steam snorted out of her nostrils.  “In fact, I think I can locate six artifacts just to pull it off.”
But as they watched Senator Wish walk off, they overheard the faint sound of crying.  Pinkie Pie, Abigail, Cozy Glow, Golden Lace, Trixie and Ditzy Doo turned their heads as Wanda struggled not to cry.
“Oh no,” Golden Lace said.  “Not again.”
Wanda ran off in the other direction and through the door leading outside, crying her eyes out.  Pinkie Pie, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Abigail, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace watch on as they see Wanda run out the doorway.
“Poor Wanda,” Trixie said.  “She didn’t deserve that.  None of us did.”
“We should cheer her up,” Ditzy Doo said.
“Leave that to me,” Pinkie Pie said as she got up on her two legs and pounded her chest.
Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow all nodded as Abigail meowed with pride.  With that, Pinkie Pie, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Abigail, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow all followed Wanda through the doorway leading to the garden.
But nearby, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle and Spike looked on as they saw their friends run after Wanda.  Sunset looked worried.
“I can’t believe Senator Wish pulled that horrible stunt,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Something’s got to be done about this.”
“Go comfort Wanda,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “I’ll inform Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about this debacle.”
“Right,” Sunset said before she ran off after Wanda through the same doorway.
Twilight looked at Spike and said “This is becoming too much of a nightmare for all of us.  I wonder what Chancellor Cinch would say about this.

Meanwhile, at another part of the castle, there is a pounding at a nearby door as a voice yelled out “GET ME OUT OF HERE!  WHOEVER DID THIS WILL PAY DEARLY!”  Outside, Chancellor Cinch smiled as she began to walk away from the doorway.
“Enjoy your time there,” Cinch said as her eyes glowed green.  “You won’t be needed at tonight’s gala...Chancellor.”
The supposed Chancellor Cinch walked away from the doorway as she smirked with an evil leer on her face



	To Be Continued in….


	Princess Wanda’s despair

> Arc 17-4: Princess Wanda's Despair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Princess Wanda’s Despair



It was outside in the garden of the castle.  Wanda was all alone, crying atop a nearby bench.  Nearby, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Trixie, Ditzy Doo and Abigail watched on, feeling sad for their friend.
“Still can’t believe Senator Twinkle Wish pulled that stunt again,” Golden Lace said.
“This wasn’t the first time?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“No it wasn't,” Golden Lace said.  “Days before this big event, I took notice of Senator Wish berating Wanda, telling her that if she were Chancellor, she would banish her to the Deadlands.”
“That is just utterly and disturbingly despicable,” Trixie said as she smashed her hoof into the dirt.  “Why is it that the elite have to be this selfish?”
“They’re all like that,” Cozy Glow said.  “The Banks, the Senator, and even my own mother Magistrate Creme Dream.  And the worst part about it is that they can get away with it.”
“That’s just sad,” Ditzy Doo said.  “How come Princess Celestia doesn’t do anything about this?”
“It’s because she’s as helpless as Wanda is.  Maybe worse.”  Pinkie Pie, Abigail, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace turned to the right to see Sunset Shimmer emerge from the doorway leading from the ballroom.  She approached the group, looking as concerned as ever.
“Sunset Shimmer,” Golden Lace said as she jumped out of the group and approached the sun-themed unicorn.  “I thought you were with Princess Celestia.”
“Well I was,” Sunset said.  “But Aunt Luna insisted on having fun.  So Twilight and I came out to the ballroom and we saw the whole thing unfold.”
“And not only did that witch make Wanda cry,” Trixie said as she stepped forward.  “But she had the nerve to wreck the act of the Great and Powerful Trixie.  One of these days….POW!  Right in the kisser.”
“Trixie,” Sunset said as she placed her hoof on Trixie’s shaky hoof.  “Let’s not resort to violence.  After all, we’re Wanda’s close friends.  We need to set an example here.”
“But what am I supposed to do with that jerk of a witch?” Trixie said as she was still steaming.
“I’ve sent Twilight Sparkle to tell Princess Celestia about this,” Sunset said.  “Either she or Princess Luna will know what to do.”
Trixie started to calm down after hearing Sunset Shimmer.  She turned towards Wanda and began to walk to the crying man’s cub.  Sunset followed from behind, approaching her adopted sister all while she pulled out a handkerchief.
“Here,” Sunset said as she held out the handkerchief with her magic.  “This will help dry your eyes.”
Wanda got up and looked at Sunset Shimmer, who still held out the handkerchief.  She took it from her and blew her nose right into the cloth.
“Thank you,” Wanda said as she sniffled a bit.
“I saw what happened back inside,” Sunset said.  “It’s not your fault that Senator Wish decided to take her anger out on you.  Once Princess Celestia and Princess Luna learn about this, they will discipline her for the heartless act.”
“You really think so?” Wanda asked.
“I know so,” Sunset said.  “This isn’t the first or the second time that the senator took her anger out on you.  But at least you can take comfort that we’ll have your back, one hundred percent.”
Wanda slowly got up and looked Sunset in the eye.  She wiped the last tear from her eye and looked like she was about to give her filly sister a hug.
“Make way for the future king of Equestria.”  Those words caught Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Abigail Albright, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow off guard as Prince Blueblood and Rarity marched through the garden.  Prince Blueblood held his nose up high while Rarity just walked by his side, blushing with embarrassment.  Wanda and Sunset looked at Prince Blueblood and immediately, their tones went down south.
“Him again,” Wanda said as she stared coldly at Prince Blueblood.  
“That narcissist never fails to anger me,” Sunset Shimmer said.
Rarity slowly approached Wanda and Sunset as she stood by Prince Blueblood.  The two sisters stare at Wanda as Rarity brushed the back of her mane.
“Please don’t be that rude,” Rarity said with a fake grin on her face.  “After all, she is the nephew of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”
“He’s also our rude cousin,” Wanda whispered to Rarity.
“And he snubs us as pretenders to the throne,” Sunset whispered.
“Oh please,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Don’t be such a pair of snowflakes.”  Those words made Rarity blush a bit more.
“Rarity,” Wanda whispered.  “Why do you want to be with that guy?”
“Because he’s the ideal pony of my dreams, the destiny I was meant to be,” Rarity whispered back.
“More like a stallion of your nightmares,” Sunset said. “He’s self-centered and full of it.”
“Relax already,” Rarity said.  “I’ve got this.  He’s nothing more than a windigo who needs his cold, cold heart melted.”
As Prince Blueblood began to walk off with Rarity right beside him, they take alook at Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie.
“So you’re the infamous Prince Blueblood,” Golden Lace said.
“And I heard you earned a reputation in not honoring thy mother and thy father,” Prince Blueblood said.
“That sounded too much like a complement,” Golden Lace said with a smile on her face.
“Young lady,” Prince Blueblood said as he glared at Golden Lace.  “The fact that Princess Celestia chose to forgive you for that stunt is disgraceful.  Then again, I’d say the same thing because of the friends you made.  The ponies of Manehattan would have made you a pariah.”
Prince Blueblood gently shoved Golden Lace aside as the golden unicorn looked like she was about to seethe in anger.  But as Blueblood stepped forward, Pinkie Pie got in his way, staring right at his visage.
“I don’t trust you one bit,” Pinkie Pie said.
“Says who?” Prince Blueblood said.
“Says the reincarnation of Discord,” Pinkie Pie replied.
“Discord?  You?”  Prince Blueblood said as he let out a huge laugh.  “Foolish child.  Discord was a fictional character.”
Pinkie Pie slammed her hoof on the ground as Prince Blueblood and Rarity walked past her.  Rarity looked at Pinkie Pie and began to sweat a bit.
“Okay, take it easy,” Rarity said to herself.  “I’d say I would melt Prince Blueblood’s heart, and I will do it.”
As Prince Blueblood walked off with Rarity, Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie all stood there, teeth clenched and eyes squinting with anger.  Abigail got on all fours and hissed loudly at Prince Blueblood.
“This is why I can’t stand that stench of a horse’s rear-end,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“I thought I was a self-centered jerk,” Golden Lace said.  “That narcissist made my worst days look pleasant.”
“A fictional character?” Pinkie Pie said.  “What am I?  A joke to him?”
Cozy Glow looked at the group and said “You know, I think we’d be better off heading inside.  Get our minds off that stubborn mule.”
Wanda, Sunset, Pinkie and Lace all snapped out of their mood and began to regain their composure.
“You’re right,” Wanda said as she brushed off her dress.  “Come on.  We have some partying to take care of.”
Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow all turned tail and walked towards the entrance back into the ballroom.   Somewhere nearby, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst were seen hiding under a bench.
“This really looks like a better place to watch the stars,” Sunburst said. 
“Yeah,” Starlight said.  “At least we don’t have any animals to worry about.”
The moment Starlight finished her sentence, a group of animals began to gather around her and Sunburst, looking like they are trying to hide nearby.  The two youngsters just groaned stubbornly as the animals continued to pile up.
“Me and my big mouth,” Starlight said.
As the two are blocked off from the light of the evening sky by the various animals, Fluttershy is seen looking around the garden area, trying to locate any animals.  One by one, they run away from her and towards the pile area.
“This just isn’t my night,” Fluttershy said.

Meanwhile, at the grand foyer of the castle, Princess Celestia continued to greet the guests that came in by the dozens, while Princess Luna looked at her sister with great distress.
“She’s been at this since the gala started,” Luna said to herself.  “She needs a break this badly, because I don’t know how long she can take this.”
As Luna looked at her sister closely, she felt a tap on her leg.  Luna looked down to the back and saw Twilight Sparkle and Spike looking up at her.
“Twilight,” Princess Luna said.  “I thought you were going to enjoy your time at the Gala.”
“I was,” Twilight said. “But I need to bring this to Princess Celestia’s attention.”
Princess Luna raised her head and directed her eyes at Princess Celestia.  Twilight looked up and saw Princess Celestia continuing to greet ponies coming in, all while she showed signs that she’s starting to crack a bit.
“Oh dear,” Twilight said as Spike looked up at Celestia and the guests pouring in.  “Now what am I to do?”
“Twilight,” Princess Luna said as she turned towards Twilight and lowered her head down to the filly’s level.  “Whatever you have that troubles you, tell it to me.  I think I’ll be able to solve it.”
“It’s Senator Twinkle Wish,” Twilight said.  “She went up to the group and said some horrible words to them, especially towards Wanda.”
“Towards Wanda?” Princess Luna said, shocked.
“She told Wanda that just because she’s under Celestia, Cinch and your protection, doesn’t mean she’ll get away with it.  And that one day, she’ll pull a big mistake, and wind up either in Tatarus, or the Deadlands.”
Luna’s face dropped from the revelation.  Her eyes began to twitch up as Twilight and Spike began to back off.
“Twilight,” Princess Luna said as she began to walk off.  “Stay with Princess Celestia.  I will deal with Senator Twinkle Wish about the comments she made towards Wanda.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded and stood by Princess Celestia while Princess Luna made her way towards the ballroom.  Twilight and Spike watched as Luna disappeared through the doorway before turning their attention towards Princess Celestia.
“Trying to interrupt Princess Celestia is going to be a miracle unto itself,” Twilight said as Spike nodded to her.  “I’d be lucky if the crowd dies out before then.”

Meanwhile back in the ballroom, every pony began to dance around as if they didn’t have a care in the world.  Shining Armor danced alongside Princess Cadance as the two began to get lost in the melody filling the atmosphere.
“I wish this moment could last all night,” Princess Cadance whispered.
“A part of me wishes I could,” Shining Armor said.  “But for some reason, it doesn’t feel right.”
Princess Cadance opened her eyes and asked “Why’s that, Shining darling?”
But before Shining Armor could open his mouth, he felt a bump that pushed him upwards before coming back down.  Princess Cadance looked behind Shining Armor to see another couple bumping into them unexpectedly.
“I think I know what you’re talking about,” Princess Cadance said.  “Come, we should dance somewhere else.”
“Right,” Shining Armor said.
But as Shining Armor and Princess Cadance began to dance away from the other couple, the teenage alicorn felt a bump in her rear end.  Shining Armor looked behind her and saw that another dancing duo had intentionally kicked them both, glaring at both teenagers with a sour attitude.
“That was rude,” Shining Armor said.
“I know,” Princess Cadance said as she rubbed her butt.  “That kick felt intended.  But why?”
“I think we should refrain from dancing if the other guests are going to be mean to us,” Shining Armor replied.
Princess Cadance nodded as she and Shining Armor let go of each other and began to walk away from the crowd.  As they emerged from the other dancers, they noticed Wanda and some of the other younglings walk in through the doorway from the garden.  Immediately, the two teen ponies approached the younglings.
“Wanda,” Princess Cadance said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Wanda said.  “Just had a brush with Senator Twinkle Wish.”
“It’s not actually fine,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Senator Wish said those awful words to Wanda to cause her to run out crying.”
Princess Cadance and Shining Armor lowered their heads in shame, much to Wanda and Sunset’s surprise.
“This is our fault,” Shining Armor said.  “We should have been paying attention to Wanda and her well being.  Not dancing around like a pair of fools.”
“It’s not your fault,” Sunset said.  “You just wanted to enjoy the night while it’s still young.  Wanda and her friends wanted to enjoy the night themselves.”
“Easy for you to say,” Princess Cadance said.  “Even after all the work I did when I was acting prime princess of Equestria, it felt like neither me nor Shining Armor got any respect in this ball.  The Fall Formal Festival was a far more enjoyable event, even in spite of the Roc that attacked all of us.”
“Wow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Sounds like the Grand Gallopin Gala ain’t what it’s cracked up to be.”
“Back before I met you all,” Golden Lace said.  “I always wanted to attend the Grand Gallopin Gala.  Dad used to tell me all those stories about how glamorous the Gala was.  But after seeing what the Gala truly is, there’s a part of me that wished I never stepped a single hoof into this wretched event.”
“It may be an early night for you all, but you have a point.” The group all turned to the side to see Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and baby Silverstream approach them.
“Aunt Novo,” Wanda cheered.
“I take it you had your problems here at the Gala, Queen Novo,” Princess Cadance said as she bowed before the queen of the hippogriffs.
“First off, you don’t need to be that formal,” Queen Novo laughed before her tone changed to a more somber one.  “Second off, I’m afraid so.  Some of the guests here were rather rude and unpleasant, and I’m not just talking about the Banks.”
“That’s saying alot,” Sunset said.  “Senator Twinkle Wish decided to say such nasty language to my sister while Prince Blueblood decided to snub all of us.”
“Why does every pony here have to be so rude?” Princess Skystar asked.
“To think,” Queen Novo said.  “They used to be so pleasant.  Times have changed for the far worse.”
“You’re not kidding,” Ditzy Doo said as she flew up to Queen Novo.  “I’ve had three bullies pick on me for no reason.  What’s worse, is that they constantly caused trouble in La Maresa until they were banished.  But even then, they only continue to spread mischief where we all go.”
“I’ve heard all about what’s going on, little one,” Queen Novo said.  “Even though they are only three of many self-centered ponies, they need to be taught a lesson so that they will never pull those stunts again.”
“And no doubt I agree with that,” Golden Lace said.  “After encountering those bulliles a couple of times, I can understand why.”
“At least you saw the mistakes you made were willing to change for the better, Ms Lace,” Queen Novo said.  “As I stated, I am proud of you for changing for the better, and sorry that you had to put up with your own parents.”
“Well one thing’s for sure,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ll be with my uncle and aunt once this is over.”
“But at the same time,” Wanda said as she gave Lace a hug.  “I will miss you once the Gala does come to an end.”
“Thanks Wanda,” Lace said.  “If anything, I hope you pay a visit if you do come back down to La Maresa.”
As Wanda and Lace hugged each other, Sunset Shimmer spotted Princess Luna walking through the doorway leading from the grand foyer.  
“Something’s not right,” Sunset Shimmer said. 
“What’s wrong, sis?” Wanda asked.
“If Princess Luna is here,” Sunset said.  “Then it seems Princess Celestia is still caught up in greeting guests.  So it looks like I’ll have to accompany her to Senator Twinkle Wish.”
“Be careful,” Wanda said as Sunset ran towards Princess Luna.
Trixie and Ditzy looked at Sunset as the sun-themed unicorn ran towards Luna.  
“Ditzy,” Trixie said as she turned towards the cross-eyed filly.  “Let’s deliver some Great and Powerful Justice towards that jerk senator.”
“Aye aye,” Ditzy said as she saluted Trixie.
Immediately, Trixie and Ditzy Doo ran off towards Sunset Shimmer as the young unicorn was about to approach Princess Luna.
“Here’s hoping they teach that meanie a lesson not to be mean to younglings,” Pinkie Pie said.
“I do have my doubts, Pinkie,” Skystar said.
“Relax,” Pinkie Pie said. “By the end of the night, that Senator is going to be humbled to Tatarus and back.”
Skystar and Pinkie Pie laughed as Queen Novo, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and Wanda watched on.  Cozy Glow flew up to Wanda and gave the little man’s cub a noogie atop her hair, causing the human girl to giggle.
“Tell you what, sis,” Princess Cadance said.  “You can stay with me and Shining Armor for the rest of the Gala.”
“Really?” Wanda asked.
“Yeah,” Shining Armor replied.  “After that stint Senator Wish pulled, I think it would be best if we accompanied you.”
Wanda looked at both Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, and felt as if she were about to cry tears of joy, when she heard the sounds of hooves approaching her.  Wanda looked to her right and saw Chancellor Cinch approach the group.
“That won’t be necessary,” Chancellor Cinch said with a smile on her face.  “I’ll look after the younglings.”
“Chancellor Cinch?” Queen Novo said with an unexpected look on her face.  “That’s pretty unexpected of you to show up at this time.”
“I dunno,” Princess Cadance said.  “After what’s going on with the Gala, I was hoping to use this time left to look after my sister and her friends.”
“Nonsense,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “You two go enjoy yourselves.  I’ll ensure the little ones will be safe and sound.”
Chancellor Cinch approached Wanda and said “Now come along, Princess.  I’ll escort you all to somewhere fun.”
Wanda looked at Pinkie Pie, completely confused.  She looked back at Chancellor Cinch and couldn’t put anything into words.
“I take it that’s not how Chancellor Cinch acts,” Pinkie Pie said.
“I know,” Wanda whispered.  “But let’s play along, just in case.”
Chancellor Cinch tapped her hoof on the floor and walked off with Wanda Young, Abigail Albright, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow following right behind her.  Queen Novo looked at the Chancellor with a cold stare.
“Something tells me there’s more trouble brewing,” Queen Novo said.  She turned to baby Silverstream and said “Stay close to them.  If anything happens, you might be able to fly out of there and return to me.”
Baby Silverstream squawked as she flew towards the younglings and landed right behind Wanda.  Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Abigail took notice of Baby Silverstream and giggled a bit as they followed Chancellor Cinch out of the ballroom.
“Why send your own baby to help out Wanda and her friends?” Princess Cadance asked.
“I need to know if that really is the Chancellor,” Queen Novo said.  “Because something tells me that’s not how she acts.”

Outside the Ballroom, Chancellor Cinch led Wanda, Abigail, Silverstream, Pinkie Pie, Cozy Glow and Golden Lace through a nearby hallway.  Though the Grand Foyer nearby was lit up, the hall was darkened with a cold essence in the air.  Cozy Glow looked through the castle and flew right next to Golden Lace.
“I’m scared,” Cozy Glow said.  “It reminds me of my mother.”
“You’re not the only one,” Golden Lace said.  “I don’t like this, one bit.”
At the end of the hallway, Chancellor Cinch opened up a nearby door.  Inside was nearly pitch black, except for a small open window lit up by the moonlight.
“Miss Cinch,” Wanda said as she looked inside.  “Are you sure this is a safe place to be?”
Chancellor Cinch smiled with an evil grin and said “Yes.  It is.”  
With a glow of green magic, Cinch picked up Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Silverstream, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow and threw them into the room before shutting and locking the door.  Wanda ran up to the door and tried to turn the knob, only for it to be stuck
“We’re trapped,” Wanda said.
“Are you kidding me?” Pinkie Pie said as she got up and banged on the doorway.  “What kind of a sick joke is this?”
Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Abigail ran up to the door and began pounding on it as they all yelled out “LET US OUT!  OPEN THIS DOOR!”  They kept pounding and pounding until they collapsed due to being worn out.  Tears began to fill Wanda’s eyes as she looked up at the door.
“What’s going on?” Wanda cried.  “Why would Miss Cinch do that?”
“That’s not like her to pull a stunt like that,” Golden Lace said.  “Especially after all she did to protect you from my parents.”
Cozy Glow got up and began to pound the floor with her hoof in a fit of anger.  
“I thought she was on our side,” Cozy Glow yelled.  “But she’s no better than my own mother.”
“That’s because she’s not the Chancellor.”  Everyone snapped out of their own trance as Prince Hoofar and Jasmine Bloom emerged from behind some furniture.  
“Prince Hoofar?  Jasmine Bloom?” Wanda said as tears continued to fall from her eyes.
“I’m afraid that what you just encountered,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “Was a Changeling.”
“A changeling?” Golden Lace said.
“Wait,” Cozy Glow said.  “Time out already.  There are Changelings in the Gala?”
“Oooh, I’ve heard of those,” Pinkie Pie said.  “They’re said to be bug-like pony creatures who can transform into just about anything.”
“You’re exactly right on that,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “And unfortunately, I haven’t been truthful to any of you since I met Prince Hoofar back in Saddle Arabit.”
“Wait,” Wanda said.  “Why would you say that?”
Prince Hoofar nodded to Jasmine Bloom and walked up to Wanda Young.
“That’s because Jasmine Bloom is a Changeling,” Prince Hoofar said.  “And her real name...is Ocellus.”
“Say what?” Wanda replied in total shock.
Jasmine Bloom levitated into the air and a flash of light surrounded her body.  When that light disappeared, she was now Ocelllus, a baby changeling with a pale, light grayish arctic blue carapace, a ladybug themed back, and a light amaranth fin on her head and neck.
“I’m sorry to have lied to you all,” Ocellus said.  “I only took the disguise of a pony filly because of the prejudice against Changelings, and because of Queen Chrysalis.”
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “I didn’t know I wasn’t the only one who felt like that.”
“At least you have the safety and comfort from Princess Celestia,” Pinkie Pie said.  “But at the same time, I do feel sorry for this little gal because of our attitudes towards Changelings.”
Baby Silverstream flew up to Baby Ocellus and gave the little changeling a hug.  Ocellus only giggled due to the hippogriff’s feathers rubbing up against her chest.
“Cut that out,” Ocellus giggled.  “That tickles.”
Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Abigail, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow watched as Silverstream interacted with Ocellus.  Prince Hoofar walked up to the group, attracting their attention.
“Not every Changeling agreed with Queen Chrysalis’ agenda,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Some, like little Baby Ocellus, want to live in a world where Ponies and Changelings can interact in harmony.  But the prejudices we have towards the species causes them to disguise themselves as ponies.”
“And my own mother, Magistrate Creme Dream, has persecuted Changelings before,” Cozy Glow said.  “She always bragged about how they are nothing more than disgusting little bugs that need to be turned into slaves.”
“It’s horrible what my own kind is going through,” Baby Ocellus said as Silverstream let her go.  “But at the same time, we should not underestimate Queen Chrysalis.  She is currently disguised as your Chancellor, and she is planning an ambush for the guests at the Gala.”
“Well we have to do something,” Wanda said.  “We have to get those doors unlocked.”
“Not exactly,” Prince Hoofar said as he pointed to the open window in the room.  “One of us can fly up there and escape.”
Cozy Glow flies up to the open window at the top of the room.  Looking at it, the window is slightly smaller than her.
“I’m afraid not,” Cozy Glow yelled.  “If I tried to go through, I would be stuck.”
“So would I,” Wanda said.  “Even my wings would get crushed under that small size.
Pinkie Pie looks down at Silverstream, and something goes off in her head.
“Wait,” Pinkie Pie said.  “What about Silverstream?  She’s smaller than the rest of us.”
“Good idea, Pinkie,” Golden Lace said.  “Let’s give it a shot.”
Wanda nodded and approached Baby Silverstream, who looked eager to go.
“Silverstream,” Wanda said.  “Fly out of that window and find Queen Novo.  Let her know where we are.”
Silverstream nodded.  She then flew upwards and out the window as Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Hoofar and Ocellus watched on from the floor area.
“Good luck, Silverstream,” Wanda said.



	To Be Continued in….


	Even more Trouble at the Gala

> Arc 17-5: Even More Trouble at the Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	Even More Trouble at the Gala




Outside in the garden, Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst ran as fast as possible while the animals were running right behind them in fear of their lives.  The duo ran underneath a hollow tree stump and hid while the animals ran off around the stump.
“What’s gotten in with Fluttershy?” Starlight said.  “I know she’s an animal lover.  But this is ridiculous.”
Sunburst looked outside and said “What’s even more ridiculous are all these animals.  Who would they want to be near us?  Aren’t they supposed to be afraid of us ponies?”
As the animals ran from the tree stump, Fluttershy ran through the garden, marching her hoof through the dirt beneath her.  Starlight and Sunburst hid deeper in the stump while Fluttershy makes her way through.
“Come back here my little cuddly-wuddlies,” Fluttershy said with a hint of insanity in her voice.  “I wanna hug you and squeeze you and love you to itty pieces.”
As Fluttershy ran off, Starlight and Sunburst stuck their heads out, watching as the filly pegasus ran off towards the animals.
“Wow,” Starlight said.  “That is something out of my own nightmares, and that’s saying a lot.”
“Your own what?” Sunburst said.
“Believe me,” Starlight replied.  “I once had a nightmare involving encountering something like that, except she’s a  human like Wanda without the wings or magic and she had strength that could rival a bear.”
Sunburst gulped hard.  He turned to Starlight and said “That is something I don’t want to see at all in my dreams.”
As Starlight and Sunburst hid in the tree stump, a few squirrels popped out nearby, shaking really hard as they looked outside.

Nearby, in the garden, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire walked through.  Their mood was still sour and they stared at the grass.
“I can’t believe Airazor is still held up by fans,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Doesn’t she have the time for La Maresa’s savior?”
“She hasn't had the time for me, either,” Spitfire said.  
“You as well?” Rainbow Dash said as she came to a stop.
“Yeah,” Spitfire said as she sat down at a nearby bench.  “Ever since I was accepted into Airazor’s junior Wonderbolt academy, I always dreamed of leading the Wonderbolts.  To be the very pony Airazor’s been.  But lately, too much dedication towards the fans has dug into schedule.  She’s barely had the time to be on the field as a Wonderbolt, let alone pay any attention to me.”
Rainbow Dash got up on the bench and sat right next to Spitfire.  She approached the junior Wonderbolt and said “Wow.  I didn’t know about that.”
“It’s been like that for more than six months,” Spitfire said as she kicked her legs into the air.  “There’s a part of me that wants to quit this program and go start up some random independent stunt group.  Maybe call it the Washouts or something like that.”
Rainbow Dash put her arm around Spitfire’s back, causing the junior Wonderbolt to look up at her.
“Hey, we get frustrated by these kinds of things,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I bet you’re not alone in this world, considering that I still have to show my skills to Airazor.  In fact, I have a feeling our friends aren’t having the best of times in that Gala.”
“How so?” Spitfire asked.
“I’ve been hearing word about what’s going on throughout the Gala,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Word has it that Princess Celestia’s telescope was busted down by a crazed fan.  Rarity is having a hard time with Prince Blueblood.  And there is word going on about Senator Twinkle Wish’s mistreatment towards Wanda.  Gossip flies faster than I can fly.”
“Wow,” Spitfire said.  “I guess we all feel neglected in this day and age.”
Rainbow Dash got up on her four hooves and said “Tell ya what.  If you want, I can show you the true power of Rainbow Dash.  Without resorting to a Sonic Rainboom.”
“Yeah, I know,” Spitfire said.  “Princess Wanda breaks down in pain when that happens.”
As Spitfire got back up on her four hooves, she noticed Baby Silverstream flying towards her and Rainbow Dash.
“Hey Rainbow,” Spitfire said.  “Is that a baby hippogriff flying towards us?”
Rainbow Dash looked up and saw Silverstream.  She turned towards Spitfire and said “That’s Queen Novo’s niece Silverstream.  I think she has a message.”
But before Silverstream could fly closer, three blurs flew out of nowhere and grabbed the little hippogriff before flying off with a menacing laugh.  Rainbow Dash and Spitfire jumped off the bench and landed on the ground.
“What just happened?” Spitfire said.
“I know what happened,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Hoops, Dumbbell and Score.  Three of the nastiest bullies who were banished from La Maresa for their pranks.  They took Silverstream away.”
“Then come on,” Spitfire said as she scratched her hoof on the dirt.  “Let’s send those goons into a tailspin.”
Spitfire and Rainbow Dash extended their wings and flew upwards as Hoops, Dumbbell and Score looked down at the duo.  Hoops held Baby Silverstream with his arms, causing the hippogriff to cry out.
“Hey boss,” Score said.  “What do you suppose we should do with this chicken?”
“Well this chicken is capable of flight,” Hoops said.  “Why don’t we show her how real ponies fly?”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score laughed really hard as they extended their wings and descended downwards towards the castle.  Rainbow Dash and Spitfire chased after the two in hot pursuit.
“Give back the niece of Queen Novo,” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“You want the bird back?” Dumbbell yelled.  “Come and get us, Rainbow Crash.”
“Ooooh,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Those jerks always peeve me off.”
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire zoomed as fast as possible, inching closer towards the three boys.  Hoops looked behind and nodded to his group as they turned upwards and flew towards the sky.
“Oh no you don’t,” Rainbow Dash said as she and Spitfire followed the group upwards.
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score flew as high as possible, all while Hoops kept a tight grip on Silverstream.  The baby hippogriff cried out loud as Hoops laughed really hard.
“So you want to stick by your principles and not perform a Sonic Rainboom,” Hoops said.  “Well fate says you have to.”
The moment Hoops, Dumbbell and Score reached above the clouds, then began to descend downwards towards the castle, falling as fast as possible.  Rainbow Dash caught the trio diving downward.
“They’re getting away,” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“After them,” Spitfire said.
Immediately, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash made a hard u-turn and dove after Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, flying downwards faster and faster.
“You give back Queen Novo’s niece you jerks,” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“You want the chicken?” Hoops yelled.  “You gotta catch us.”
With that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score laughed really hard as they dove in faster and faster.  Rainbow Dash folded her wings back and began to dive faster towards the group.
“I’m not going to repeat myself again,” Rainbow Dash yelled.  “Give her back.”
“You can’t make us,” Score yelled.
“Yeah,” Dumbbell replied.  “Why don’t you get lost, ya pair of snowflakes.”
“No pony calls us snowflakes and GETS AWAY WITH IT!” Spitfire yelled.
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire dove faster and faster as they inched closer towards the group.  But unbeknownst to Rainbow Dash, a cone began to form around her and it began to close faster and faster.  Spitfire took notice and began to freak out.
“Uhh Dash,” Spitfire said.  
“Not now,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “There’s a life at stake.”
Immediately, Spitfire opened her wings up and began to slow her descent.  Rainbow Dash looked at Spitfire and was rather surprised.
“Now why would she want to bail?” Rainbow Dash said.
But as she turned around, she noticed the cone around her was almost completely small.  Her eyes shrunk down at the revelation.
“Oh horse apples,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Wanda’s not going to like this.”
In an immediate burst, a rainbow shockwave emitted from Rainbow Dash as she took off with a rainbow stream around her legs.

Meanwhile, inside the locked room, Wanda landed on the ground, holding her head in pain and screamed really loud as the entire interior shook violently.
“What’s going on?” Prince Hoofar said.
“Wanda has a weakness,” Golden Lace said.  “When the Sonic Rainboom goes off, she breaks down in immense pain.”
“Somehow,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I have a funny feeling Rainbow Dash just pulled off a Sonic Rainboom while we weren’t looking.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Cozy Glow said as she looked out the window, seeing the Rainboom go off.  “It looked like Rainbow Dash and another pegasi just went after three individuals.  I think they might have grabbed Silverstream.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Golden Lace said as she walked up to Wanda and held her tight while Abigail stood by the group.
“I think it’s those three bullies again,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Something tells me they tricked Rainbow Dash into pulling off the Sonic Rainboom.”
Prince Hoofar looked up at the window and saw the rainboom go off.  Ocellus took Hoofar’s side as they saw the rainboom together.
“I’m scared, Hoofar,” Baby Ocellus said.
“Mother help us all,” Prince Hoofar said.

Back in the ballroom, everyone held down as the room shook for a bit from the rainboom going off.  Danged Spell and Moondancer, who had just walked through the doorway, quickly held onto the arch for dear life until the shaking stopped.  The two let go and landed on their butts.
“Did Rainbow Dash just….pull off a Sonic Rainboom?” Moondancer asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Danged Spell said.  “Even after she knew that would harm Wanda.”
“She’s got a lot to explain about,” Moondancer replied.  “A whole lot.”

Outside, Rainbow Dash flew as fast as possible while being surrounded by a rainbow trail.  Hoops looked behind her and began to freak out.
“Boys,” Hoops said.  “We got an angry pegasus about to approach us.  Let’s dump the chicken.”
Dumbbell and Score nodded as Hoops let Silverstream go.  The baby hippogriff flew away from the three bullies and towards Rainbow Dash, who came to a complete stop.
“Silverstream,” Rainbow Dash said as the baby grabbed onto her.  “Are you alright?”
Hoops glanced coldly at Rainbow Dash as Dumbbell and Score stood right next to him.
“This ain’t over, Rainbow Smashed,” Score said.  “We may have succeeded in tricking you into pulling off the Rainboom.  But mark our words.  We will make sure you never set your sights on the Wonderbolts, or any organization, EVER!”
“You bet on it,” Score and Dumbell yelled.
But as they finished talking, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score overheard someone yell out “SPITFIRE KICK!”  The three bullies turned to their left as Spitfire delivered a powerful flaming kick, sending the three flying off into the distance.
“That,” Spitfire said.  “Was for endangering a hippogriff baby, and tricking Rainbow Dash into pulling off a Sonic Rainboom when she’s not supposed to.”
Spitfire turned towards Rainbow Dash, who held Silverstream in a warm hug.  The bright yellow pegasi flew over to the rainbow-maned youngling, who looked up at the junior Wonderbolt.
“I’m sorry I pulled off the Sonic Rainboom,” Rainbow Dash said.  “I can only imagine the pain Wanda must be going through, and how critical everyone is going to be because of that stunt.”
“I know how you feel,” Spitfire said.  “But one thing is that we have Silverstream safe with us.  We have to get back to the castle and let Queen Novo know about this.  We’ll worry about your consequences later.”
“You’re right,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Let’s do this.”
Rainbow Dash held Silverstream right as she and Spitfire flew back towards the castle.

Meanwhile, inside the ballroom, Princess Luna, Trixie, Ditzy Doo and Sunset Shimmer approached Senator Twinkle Wish, who was merely taking a bite out of some hor d’oeuvres.
“Senator Twinkle Wish,” Princess Luna said. “What is the meaning of this?”
Senator Wish swallowed the food she put in her mouth, wiped her muzzle clean and said “What exactly do you mean?”
“It’s about Princess Wanda,” Princess Luna said.
“You said some nasty stuff to her, stating that she belongs in Tatarus, or the Deadlands,” Sunset said.
“And you had the gall to wreck my magic act,” Trixie yelled.
Senator Wish just smiled and said “Oh please.  You’re going to believe a pair of juvenile delinquents.”
“I believe them far more than I believe scum like you,” Princess Luna said.  “So why don’t you explain to me why you did all that?”
“For my own amusement, I shall.” Senator Wish said as she cleared her throat and adjusted the collar on her dress.  “It’s true.  I did smash up that box that the brats were using for their juvenile magic.  And I yelled at that so-called niece of yours.”
Princess Luna and Sunset Shimmer’s jaws dropped to the floor from that revelation.  Trixie just fainted with Ditzy Doo proceeding to fan the magician with her hoof.
“Why exactly are you confessing to this?” Princess Luna said.  “Do you know what would happen if Princess Celestia found out?”
“Oh I know what will happen,” Senator Twinkle Wish said with a smug look on her face.  “She’s going to do nothing.  And you want to know why?”
“I’m all ears,” Luna said with a cold tone.  “So why don’t you tell me.”
“Oh I shall,” Twinkle Wish said with a laugh.  “As a close friend of the Banks, I am also aligned with the number of news networks across Equestria.  In fact, you can say we have every news station you can think of.  The moment your sister lashes out at me, we’ll humiliate her and her daughter with an attack piece.  She’ll be reined in like the good little puppy she is.”
Princess Luna was in total shock.  Senator Twinkle Wish just looked at the younger princess with a smirk on her face and began to walk off.
“Oh and by the way,” Senator Wish said.  “That was why I confessed to my crime.  To rub it in your face that your status as princess means nothing to you.  Never forget that.”
As Senator Twinkle Wish walked off, Princess Luna just stood there with her jaw dropped to the floor.  Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and Ditzy Doo approached the alicorn and began tapping on her.
“Equestria to Aunt Luna,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Aunt Luna.  Are you there?”
Luna shook her head and looked down at Sunset Shimmer,  Trixie and Ditzy Doo.
“Sorry about that,” Princess Luna said.  “But what that Senator said to me just got under my fur.”
“So there’s nothing we can do about Senator Twinkle Wish?” Trixie asked.
“Aside from a random miracle or a catastrophe, no,” Princess Luna replied.
“So what can we do about it?” Ditzy Doo asked.
As Princess Luna thought really hard on Ditzy’s words, she felt a tap on her shoulder.  Princess Luna turned to her left and saw Airazor standing right next to her.
“Airazor,” Princess Luna said.  “Where’s Spitfire and Rainbow Dash?”
“That’s what has been concerning me,” Airazor replied.  “Rainbow Dash told me that she doesn’t use the Sonic Rainboom because it causes Princess Wanda to collapse in pain.”
“I’m afraid what she said was true,” Sunset Shimmer replied.
“Well I’m afraid I found out Rainbow Dash did use the Sonic Rainboom,” Airazor replied.
“That explains the small quake we felt in the ballroom,” Princess Luna replied.
“That reminds me,” Sunset said.  “Where’s Wanda?  I thought she was with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.”
“I think Rainbow Dash owes us a big explanation,” Airazor replied.  “Spitfire as well.”
But as Airazor turned around, she was surrounded by a number of Wonderbolt fans, who held up their autograph books.  Airazor’s face went bleak as she pulled out a pen from her mane.
“On second thought,” Airazor said.  “It will have to wait till the Gala ends.”
As Airazor began signing autographs, Sunset Shimmer looked up at Princess Luna, who let out a depressed sigh.
“This night is getting worse and worse,” Luna said.
“Wanda and the others have gone missing,” Sunset replied.  “Rainbow Dash pulls off a Sonic Rainboom, Airazor’s pre-occupied with autographs, and Princess Celestia is pre-occupied with introducing herself to the guests.”
“At this point,” Princess Luna said.  “I wonder if it was a better idea to cancel the Gala this year instead of going through with it.”

Nearby at the entrance to the ballroom, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes came through to see every pony dancing the night away.
“A lovely night this is, my dear,” Buck WIthers said.
“IT sure is,” Lemony Gem said.  “But honestly, after seeing what Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle had been going through, I only wish they could just break out of that trance and enjoy themselves here.”
“It’s not that easy,” Gad Zookes said.  “Princess Celestia is responsible for greeting each guest at the Grand Gallopin Gala.  To convince her otherwise is to neglect her duties as Princess of Equestria.”
“So it looks like they’re going to miss out on the fun,” Buck Withers said.  “Honestly, I feel sorry for both of them just for having to go through that nightmare.”
“So how exactly can we convince Princess Celestia to just kick back and have fun?” Lemony Gem asked.
“I don’t know,” Buck Withers replied.  “The life of a royalty is starting to become more complicated to understand.”
“Well speaking of which,” Gad Zookes said as he tapped Buck Withers on the shoulder.  “Guess who decided to show up.”
Gad Zookes pointed Buck Withers to Prince Blueblood, who was walking through the ballroom with the guests stepping aside.  Right next to him was Rarity, who looked more and more anxious.  
“That’s Prince Blueblood,” Buck WIthers said.  “I heard about him.  Not the brightest colt in the family.”
“For a pony who’s Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s nephew,” Lemony Gem said.  “He’s certainly got the stench of the Banks.”
“I feel sorry for that little filly who’s hooked up to that self-centered narcissist,” Gad Zookes said.
“Do you think we should intervene?” Buck Withers asked.
“No,” Gad Zookes replied.  “Something tells me that filly is going to snap sooner or later.”
Buck Withers, Gad Zookes and Lemony Gem looked on as Rarity and Prince Blueblood walked over to one of the food tables with Applejack, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac and Granny Smith.
“Rarity,” Applejack said.  “It’s been getting quiet on our end since the Gala started.  Not that many ponies have been coming by our food stand.”
“Oh dear,” Rarity said as she looked at all the apple-themed food decorated and untouched on the table. “All that wonderful food, and barely any pony has eaten it.”
“Princess Celestia hired us just to cater to the ponies here at the Gala,” Bright Mac said.  “But what point is that if the guests barely take a piece, let alone a bite?”
“Well,” Rarity said.  “If it makes you feel better, I might as well have a taste of your delectables.”
“Rarity,” Granny Smith said.  “I’ve known you since you became friends with Applejack, and you have always enjoyed the apple fritters I’ve made.”
“But of course, Granny Smith,” Rarity said as she and Applejack took a separate apple fritter from the plate.
“At least good friends are still by your side, Rarity,” Applejack said.
“But of course, Applejack,” Rarity replied as the two tapped their apple fritter in a cheer before taking a bite.
Prince Blueblood looked at the food being offered on the table and picked up an apple crumb cake with his magic.
“How bad can these things be?” Prince Blueblood said to himself before he took a bite.
As Prince Blueblood sunk his teeth into the apple crumb cake, his face began to gag and he spat out the food into a nearby trash can, shocking Granny Smith, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Applejack and Rarity.
“What in my aunt’s name have I eaten?” Prince Blueblood yelled.  “This stuff tastes like it belongs at a carnival.”
“Now listen here you distasteful duke,” Granny Smith said.  “We poured our heart and soul into these goodies to remind ponies the tastes of La Maresa.  Especially after many are hesitant to return after the Windigo’s Guild terrorized our town.”
“Well whatever your soul is when it comes to this garbage,” Prince Blueblood said as he placed the bitten crumb cake on top of Granny Smith’s head.  “It pales in comparison to the Manehattan hor d'oeuvres that are being offered.”
Prince Blueblood began to walk off from the apple family as they all stared at that snobby prince.  Even Rarity’s face began to twitch in anger.
“Rarity,” Applejack said.  “I know you said you wanted to meet your dream prince.  But that guy sounds more like a real nightmare.”
“Oh tell me about it,” Rarity said in a cold tone.  “I’m about ready to tell this guy off for insulting fare La Maresa.”  
As Prince Blueblood walked away, he spied four baskets with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara giggling away.  He glanced over at Sweetie Belle and began to pick her up.
“You look like a little cutie,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Why hang around with these delinquents and live with a real stallion?”
But as Prince Blueblood held her up, Sweetie Belle began to cry really loud.  
“Aww,” Prince Blueblood said.  “She’s showing her true affection.”
The moment Rarity saw Prince Blueblood holding up Sweetie Belle, her teeth began to clench and she marched over to that stubborn colt.
“Listen, mister,” Rarity said as her voice began to grow.  “I’ve put up with your comments about my friends for a long time.  But the fact that you went and insulted the heritage of La Maresa, and have the gall to pick my baby sister up like he’s your child is taking things too far.”
“Why is this taking things too far?” Prince Blueblood said as he held the crying Baby Sweetie Belle “I’m just teaching her that she has a better place in the world compared to your hick town of La Maresa.
Rarity’s eyes shrunk down over what Prince Blueblood said.  Applejack, Bright Mac, Buttercup, and Big Mac watched from the table and became disgusted over PRince Blueblood’s choice of words.  Nearby, Buck Withers and Lemony Gem’s jaws dropped down while Gad Zookes got a glance at Prince Blueblood.
“So this is where the filly snaps at the charmless prince,” Buck Withers said.  “I’m glad I was never raised that way.”
“What do you suppose she’ll do to that spoiled brat?” Lemony Gem asked.
“Perhaps is the time to intervene before things get worse,” Gad Zookes replied.
Immediately, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes approached Rarity and stood right behind her.
“Little lady,” Buck Withers said as he stood firm behind Rarity.  “We’ll take it from here.”
Rarity held her hoof up at Buck Withers and said “I appreciate the help, Mr Withers.  But I’ll take it from here.  Not just for my sister’s sake, but for the pride of La Maresa.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Food Fight at the Gala

> Arc 17-6: Food Fight at the Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Food Fight at the Gala



Deep inside the room, Wanda, Abigail, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Prince Hoofar and Ocellus just sat there, looking as anxious as ever.  Abigail jumped next to Wanda and rubbed her head against the human’s arm.
“I don’t get it,” Wanda said.  “Silverstream should have met up with Aunt Novo by now.  What’s taking her so long?”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “This stinks like a rotten cake.”
“Well why don’t we send someone to figure out if Silverstream’s alright?” Ocellius asked.
“One small problem,” Golden Lace said as she pointed to the small, opened window.  “None of us are able to fit through that hole.”
“Then that’s out of the question.” Ocellus said. “If I tried to go through, some ponies would freak out in my presence.”
“Wait,” Cozy Glow said as she flew up to Wanda.  “What if Abigail could go through that hole and locate Silverstream?”
“That’s a bad idea, Cozy Glow,” Wanda said.  “Abigail may be agile, but she would freak out if she had to fall from that kind of height.”
Prince Hoofar let out a sigh and said “I’ve been in horrible situations before.  But it feels like this one is worse than being trapped inside a desert cave.”
“Look on the bright side,” Pinkie Pie said.  “At least you don’t have to worry about heat exhaustion.”
“I appreciate your compliment, Miss Pie,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But I’m afraid it won’t help our situation out.”
“He’s right,” Golden Lace said. “All we can do right now is to wait patiently and hope Silverstream reaches out to Queen Novo.”
Wanda looked at the locked down and let out a sigh.  She turned to the others and said “Let’s hope so.  I’m starting to get really anxious.”

Back in the ballroom, everyone gathered around Rarity and Prince Blueblood as the filly stared down the colt holding a crying Sweetie Belle in the air.
“I won’t ask again,” Rarity snarled.  “Place Sweetie Belle down and back off.  This is your final warning.”
“After all I taught you, young lady?” Prince Blueblood said as he held Sweetie Belle close to him despite the foal’s crying.  “I taught you your real place in Equestria, to be better than those beneath you, to be the pony you were truly meant to be.”
“And I don’t want it,” Rarity said.  “Now PUT MY SISTER DOWN YOU BRUTE!”
As Prince Blueblood began to back off while holding Sweetie Belle, he felt a bump from behind and turned around.  Filthy and Spoiled Rich stared down at him with a cold glare.
“Do what she says….Prince,” Filthy Rich said.
“And don’t you dare take my precious Diamond Tiara,” Spoiled Rich said.
Prince Blueblood slowly inched towards the basket full of foals and placed Sweetie Belle back in next to Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara.  The four foals embraced each other with innocent and happy giggles while Prince Blueblood wiped the sweat off his brow.
Rarity marched over to Prince Blueblood and gave off a cold stare, causing the spoiled prince to back off all while he looked scared.  Right behind her, Applejack, Bright Mac, Big Mac, Buttercup, Spoiled Rich, Filthy Rich, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes marched right behind Rarity keeping their eyes on Prince Blueblood.
“I thought I could melt that cold, cold heart of yours,” Rarity said.  “But time after time, you’ve proven to be the most selfish, uncaring horse’s rear that I have ever met in my entire life.  You’ve insulted my friends, you’ve insulted my heritage, and you had the nerve to lay a hoof on my baby sister.”
As Rarity backed Prince Blueblood into a corner and growled right at the helpless brat, he quickly got back up and began to catch his attitude.
“Now I realize the truth,” Prince Blueblood said as Rarity kept her eye on him.  “I thought I could convince you to see things my way.  But it seems you are nothing more than an ill-tempered, entitled, uncouth crow bait.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Rarity said as she kept her eye on Blueblood.
“To put it bluntly,” Prince Blueblood said.  “A sourpuss.” 
Immediately, Applejack, Big Mac, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Spoiled Rich, Filthy Rich, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes all gasped in horror as Rarity’s eyes began to twitch.
“A sourpuss?”  Rarity said as her eyes shrank down.  “A SOURPUSS?”
A dark aura glowed around Rarity as the very earth began to shake.  Prince Blueblood covered his face as Rarity began to scream really loud.
“Oh no,” Applejack said.  “I knew this was going to happen.”
“I advise you to get out of the way,” Bright Mac said.  “You don’t know what kind of box he’s opened.”
Big Mac let out a “Eeyup” before he jumped underneath a table and hid behind the cloth.  
Buck Withers turned his attention towards the audience and yelled out “EVERY PONY HIDE!  IT’S A BIG ONE!”  Those words caught the attention of Princess Luna, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Ditzy Doo and Airazor, who watched in horror as the air around Rarity pulsed with energy.
“What in my sister’s name is going on?” Princess Luna asked.
“It’s worse than you realize, Princess,” Trixie said.  “I have a feeling that someone decided to dig under Rarity’s fur and really get her riled up.”
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Sunset asked.
Trixie lowered her head to Sunset’s ear and whispered “Someone called her a sourpuss.”
Sunset’s eyes popped out a bit as she turned towards Trixie.
“She gets upset over that word?” Sunset whispered back.
“You can blame Hoops, Dumbbell and Score on this one,” Ditzy Doo whispered.  “They mocked her with that word one day after they pushed her into a mud puddle and laughed at her.”
Sunset’s eyes shrunk down in horror as she looked at the dark aura surrounding Rarity.  The young princess looked to her right and saw Queen Novo and Princess Skystar looking downward at the white-coated filly.
“Queen Novo?  Princess Skystar?” Sunset said, catching the attention of both hippogriffs”
Princess Luna walked over to Queen Novo and asked “You saw what just happened, right?”
Queen Novo turned her head towards Princess Luna and said “I sure did, especially on your nephew Prince Blueblood.”
“What do you think will happen?” Princess Skystar asked.
“Something that happened to me when I encountered my first love and he turned out to be a dude,” Queen Novo replied.  “And I must warn you, it won’t be pretty.”
Rarity marched forward towards Prince Blueblood, teeth clenched and eyes fixated on the royal pain.  Prince Blueblood backed up to the very table that had plenty of apple-themed goodies on there.  He looked up and saw a pastry right next to him.
“You want your stupid taste of La Maresa?” Prince Blueblood yelled as he held up the apple pastry.  “You can HAVE IT!”
With a fling of his wrist, Prince Blueblood threw the pastry right at Rarity, smacking her completely in the face.  Despite being covered in pieces of pastry and apple filling, Rarity was undeterred as she marched closer towards Prince Blueblood.  Panicking, Prince Blueblood grabbed another pastry and pointed it at Rarity.
“You spoiled ruffian,” Granny Smith yelled.  “You let go of that pastry.  We worked hard to satisfy the taste buds of other ponies.”
Prince Blueblood looked at Granny Smith before looking back at the pastry in his hoof.
“If you’re the foul creature who made this abomination,” Prince Blueblood said as he raised pastry back in the air.  “Then you shall PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!”
With another flick of his wrist, PRince Blueblood flung the pastry directly at Granny Smith.  The senior pony just stood there, keeping her eyes on the pastry as it flew in closer and closer.
Suddenly, the pastry came to a stop as it was surrounded by a magical barrier.  Danged Spell and Moondancer emerged from behind Granny Smith with Moondancer pulling the pastry closer to her.
“You despicable coward,” Danged Spell said. 
“You selfish womanizer,” Moondancer said.
“You disrespecter of delicious food,” Danged Spell said.
“You elephant’s butt,” Moondancer said.
Immediately, Moondancer used her magic to split the pastry in half and proceeded to give one piece to Danged Spell.  They both stuffed their respectful piece into their mouths, chewed with delight before swallowing whole.  Following that, they proceeded to lick their lips in delight.
“At least two ponies know where to find good eats,” Granny Smith said with a smirk on her face.
Danged Spell, Moondancer, Applejack and Rarity began to march towards Prince Blueblood, glaring at the coward.  Nearby as Princess Luna watched, she was approached by Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.
“What’s going on, Aunt Luna?” Princess Cadance asked.
“Nephew Blueblood decided to take advantage of Rarity,” Princess Luna replied.  “And now he’s going to get it.”
“What a horrible pony if he did something like that,” Shining Armor said.  “Glad I never turned out like that colt.”
Shining Armor and Princess Cadance watched as Rarity, Applejack, Danged Spell and Moondancer inched closer to Prince Blueblood.
“You had the gall to make me abandon my friends,” Rarity yelled.
“You besmirched the heritage of La Maresa,” Applejack yelled.
“And you were cruel and mean to each of us,” Danged Spell yelled.
As Prince Blueblood backed away, he began to get onto his four hooves and take off when he came to a stop.  In front of him was a plate of hor d'oeuvres, held up in an angle as if it were about to be tossed right in his face.
“Nooo,” Prince Blueblood yelled as he backed off.  “Get that away.  You know what it would do to my delicate mane?”
“What’s wrong?” Moondancer said as she walked over next to the plate of food, while her horn glowed. “Are you afraid to get dirty?”
With that, Moondancer fired the plate right in Prince Blueblood’s face, covering him with what’s left of the hor d'oeuvres.  He fell over backwards onto the table, catapulting the food on it into the air and causing every pony to look up.
“Oh no,” Luna said.  “Maybe I should have stopped them before it got this bad.
Before anyone could react, the food landed right in their faces, covering them completely.  Luna got the brunt of it as he got hit by flying chunks of pineapple.  Princess Skystar hid under Queen Novo’s wing as she took the brunt of the flying food.  Buck Withers, Gad Zookes, Lemony Gem, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were also hit by the flying food as was Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, DItzy Doo, Rarity, Applejack, Danged Spell and Moondancer.  Everyone in the group was a mess.
“Rarity,” Applejack said.  “Your dress.  It’s ruined.”
“I know,” Rarity said as she shook off the pastry from her face.  “But at least justice has been served on a hot platter.”
“Hey,” Danged Spell said as he marched towards Rarity.  “Only I deliver the corny jokes, sister.”
But as Danged Spell approached Rarity, he gets hit in the back of the head by a pie.  He turned around and saw Prince Blueblood holding another pie in his hoof.
“This is for the helplessness and humiliation I’ve been through,” Prince Blueblood said as he held the pie in his hoof.
WIth a swift throw, Prince Blueblood threw the pie right at Rarity and Danged Spell, causing the duo to duck in an instant.  The pie flew right over their heads and hit Princess Skystar right in the face.
“AHHH!”  Skystar yelled as she fell to the ground and started crying.  Queen Novo turned to Prince Blueblood, who held his back towards the wall behind him.
“Please.” Prince Blueblood begged.  “Have mercy.  I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Oh I believe you,” Queen Novo said as she picked up a chocolate pie and glanced at Prince Blueblood.  “But for what you tried to do to one filly, I’d say you just got your just desserts.”
Queen Novo flung the pie at such a high speed, Prince Blueblood could barely react before getting hit square in the face, covering him in chocolate filling and crumbs.  The moment he was hit by the pie, someone in the crowd yelled “FOOD FIGHT!”
Princess Luna immediately turned her head to Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and Ditzy Doo and yelled out “HIDE UNDER THE TABLES, THIS INSTANT!”  The three fillies wasted no time running through the crowd as they began to pick up the food on the table and flung it at each other.  
Trixie and Sunset were able to get under the table.  But as Ditzy Doo began to dive underneath, something hit her in the rear airea.  She pulled herself inside and saw what looked like a strawberry in a sugary glaze on her butt.  
“I don’t like it here at the Gala,” Ditzy cried.  “I want to go home.”
“You’ll be safe here,” Trixie said.  “If any of those snobs try to get in, we’ll drive them off.”
“One thing’s for certain,” Sunset said.  “We’re going to have a lot of explaining to do when this is over.”

Outside from underneath the table, everyone continued to fling food at each other at a wild pace.  Buck Withers hid behind two topped over tables, throwing food at random with Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes right by him.
“I’d figure the Gala was going to be boring,” Lemony Gem said as she threw a creme puff right at another pony’s face.  “But this really excites me.”
“Reminds me of the time we were surrounded by an army of goblins,” Buck Withers said.  “Except they weren’t armed with rocks and spears.”
“Oh I remember that,” Gad Zookes said.  “Feisty little cretins.”
Suddenly, pieces of food hit the trio right in their face.  They turned to their left to see Shining Armor and Princess Cadance holding food in their hooves with a smirk on their faces.
“So this is what it’s come to,” Buck Withers said. “A duo of who is the fastest hoof in Equestria.”
Shining Armor held up his food and said “Oh believe me.  It’s going to get wild.”
Without a second thought, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor flung food at Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes, who only laughed and flung food back at the duo.  

Near the entrance to the garden, Filthy and Spoiled Rich began to walk through the doorway, not minding the chaos going.
“So, what do you suppose we missed out on?” Spoiled Rich asked.
“My dear,” Filthy Rich said.  “I don’t think it’s anything worth tuning into.”
But as Filthy Rich stepped through the doorway, he gets hit in the cheek by what appeared to be gravy.  He turned to face the ballroom and saw everyone firing food at each other.
“What in La Maresa is going on?” Filthy Rich said.
Spoiled Rich turned to the four babies, still perched on the table.  Nearby, Bright Mac and Buttercup were about to reach the younglings when they get peppered by a rain of food, causing them both to fall.
“MY BABY!” Spoiled Rich said as she ran towards the table.
“Darling, NO!” Filthy Rich yelled out.  
But before Spoiled RIch could reach the table where Diamond Tiara was, she gets hit by carrot tacos, sending her flying to the ground.
Filthy Rich grabbed a nearby lid on the ground and held it up, deflecting the delectables from hitting him as he reached the table.  He reached down and picked up Spoiled Rich.
“Darling,” Filthy RIch said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’ve felt worse,” Spoiled Rich said.  “But we got to do something about the babies.”
Filthy RIch nodded as he held the lid out above Diamond Tiara.  Spoiled Rich reached up and grabbed the basket with Diamond Tiara in it and pulled her off the table.  She bent down and slid the basket under the table.

Back underneath the table, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie and Ditzy Doo looked down at Diamond Tiara, who only giggled at the older children.
“At least one baby’s going to be spared from that madness,” Trixie said.
“Wait,” Sunset said.  “What about the others?”
Sunset looked outside and saw Spoiled Rich reaching up.  Before Sunset could tap her leg, Spoiled Rich reached down with Baby Sweetie Belle in her back and placed her in.  Spoiled took notice of Sunset’s presence as she slid the basket under.
“Didn’t know you were here,” Spoiled Rich said.
“Well we didn’t want to be caught in this madness,” Sunset replied.
“Do you promise to keep them safe?” Spoiled asked.
“Oh we will, Mrs Rich,” Ditzy Doo said as she gave a salute to Spoiled Rich.
Spoiled Rich smiled as she pulled her head up and reached up to the table.  Before any pony could say anything, she was back down, holding two baskets in each hoof with Apple Bloom in one and Scootaloo in another.
“Don’t worry,” Spoiled Rich said as she slid both baskets underneath.  “I’ve done some weight lifting when I was a filly.”
“Oh I won’t,” Sunset said as Spoiled Rich pulled her head back.

Back outside the table, Filthy Rich got Bright Mac and Buttercup back up as Spoiled Rich got her head out from underneath the table.
“Are you two alright?” Filthy Rich asked.
“We are,” Bright Mac said.  “But where’s Apple Bloom and the other babies?”
“They’re safe,” Spoiled Rich said.  “Sunset Shimmer’s looking after them with her friends.”
“Thanks,” Buttercup said.  “We owe you big time.”
“Don’t mention it,” Filthy Rich said before a piece of cake hit him on the back, sending him flying to the ground.
“FILTHY!”  Spoiled Rich yelled as she grabbed her husband off from the ground.
“Uggh,” Filthy Rich said.  “I knew this was going to happen.”
As Spoiled Rich pulled up Filthy Rich and kissed him on the lips, Bright Mac and Buttercup stood in front of the couple, armed with apple pastries.
“You did us a big favor, Rich family,” Bright Mac said.
“It’s time we returned the favor,” Buttercup said.  “After all, as a family, we are one together.”
Bright Mac and Buttercup immediately flung food back at the guests, pelting them with fruit, vegetables and pastries.  Filthy and Spoiled Rich got up, staring at the duo.
“To think,” Filthy Rich said.  “They’re our partners back in La Maresa.”
Suddenly, Senator Twinkle Wish came out of nowhere and grabbed Spoiled Rich by the collar of her dress.
“What is the meaning of this?” Senator Wish yelled.  “Where’s Princess Celestia?  She’s got a lot to explain about this.”
“Let go of my wife you fiend,” Filthy Rich yelled.  “You have no right to do that.”
Senator Wish turned to Filthy Rich and yelled out “I’m the prime senator of Equestria.  I can do whatever I want.  So BUTT OFF!”
Before Senator Wish could turn back to Spoiled Rich, she was pelted by what appeared to be banana creme pies.  She turned to her left and saw Princess Luna, Airazor and a Guard Captain holding a few more.
“Let go of her and there won’t be any more trouble,” Princess Luna yelled as Airazor and the Guard Captain  looked at the senator.
Twinkle Wish lets go of Spoiled Rich and marches right towards Princess Luna.
“Oh I have a bone to pick with your sister,” Twinkle Wish said.  “But I’ll be happy to project my complaints to you.”
As Twinkle Wish took a step forward, Luna winked to the Guard Captain and to Airazor.
“Let her have it,” Luna said before Airazor and the Guard Captain fired their pies at Senator Wish.

Meanwhile, at the doorway leading to the garden, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire land nearby with Silverstream right behind them.  The two fillies wiped their heads with their wings before they began to step inside with the baby hippogriff.
“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Who knew those three goons would give us so much trouble?”
“At least we’re out of that madness,” Spitfire said.
The moment they stepped inside, Rainbow Dash got hit in the face by a flying pie as Senator Wish ran past the two.  Rainbow Dash wiped the pie off her face and looked steamed.
“This is why I hate pie,” Rainbow Dash snarled.
Airazor approached the younglings and her face turned bright red with embarrassment.  She looked at one of the pies she had in her hoof and threw it aside.
“Uhh,” Airazor said.  “This isn’t what it’s like.”
Spitfire glared at Airazor.  She stomped towards her mentor, beet-red in anger.
“I know exactly what this is, Commander,” Spitfire yelled.  “First you neglect us for your fans, and then you had the gall to play food fight and intentionally hit Rainbow Dash.”
“I can explain, Spitfire,” Airazor said.
“Oh I’ve heard enough,” Spitfire said as she took off her Junior Wonderbolt uniform and threw it on the floor.  “Effective immediately, I quit.”
Rainbow Dash’s face went into shock as Spitfire turned tall and walked back towards the garden entrance., leaving Airazor in a sad mood.  Spitfire turned to Rainbow Dash, and her scowl turned into a frown.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out like that, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said.  “I know I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, and I wanted you to join me as well.  But after tonight, I think it would be better if I left my dream in the dust.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Spitfire with a solemn face and said “It’s alright.  We can get through this.”  She held out her hoof towards Spitfire and added “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
Spitfire looked at Rainbow Dash’s hoof and reached out as if she were to shake it as a sign of good gesture.
Suddenly, the two pegasi fillies got knocked aside as Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst ran in for their life.
“RUN AWAY!”  Starlight yelled.
“MAD ANIMALS BEING CHASED BY A MADDER FILLY!”  Sunburst yelled.
As Starlight and Sunburst ran under a nearby table, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire looked outside, then began to freak out.
“It’s a stampede,” Rainbow Dash said as her body shook.
“Back the other way,” Spitfire said.  “Flee for your lives.”
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire ran as fast as they could from the ballroom entrance as they hid under the same table that Starlight and Sunburst ran under.  From the doorway, a number of animals ran inside, fleeing for their lives as Fluttershy emerged from behind.
“You...going to LOVE ME!” Fluttershy yelled at the top of her lungs.

Meanwhile, back in the Grand Foyer, Princess Celestia looked deeply tired as she stuck her arm out, appearing to be shaking a pony’s hoof while she kept saying “Good evening.  Welcome to the Grand Gallopin Gala.  Have a good time.”  Twilight and Spike looked up at Celestia with deep concern and began tapping Princess Celestia’s arm.
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight said as she kept tapping on Celestia’s arm.  “Are you alright?”
But Princess Celestia ignored Twilight’s call as she continued to shake  her arm in a greeting.  Twilight looked discouraged, but she was also determined.  Her horn glowed as the little breathed in.
“PRINCESS CELESTIA!”  Twilight yelled, causing the alicorn to snap out of her trance.
“Wha?”  Princess Celestia said.  “Is the Gala over?”
“You’ve been doing that for one hour since all the guests arrived,” Twilight said.  “And you don’t look right.  Maybe you need to get some sleep.”
“But my guests need me,” Princess Celestia said as she yawned.
“I’m not kidding,” Twilight said as Spike let out an angry growl.  “It’s time you head for bed.  You’re not well.”
“You’re right,” Princess Celestia said as she yawned again.  “Maybe I overdone it at this year’s Gala.”
Princess Celestia took a few steps away and began to walk away from the front toward and towards the staircase.  Twilight Sparkle followed from behind with Spike on her back all while breathing a sigh of relief.
“At least things can’t get any worse,” Twilight said to Spike.
Suddenly, a good amount of food flew from the entrance to the ballroom, catching Celestia, Twilight and Spike’s eye.  The two ponies were wide awake as they ran towards the ballroom.
“What’s going on?” Celestia said as she ran as fast as possible.
“I don’t know,” Twilight replied as Spike rode on top of her.  “But it doesn’t sound good.”
Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and Spike looked inside the ballroom to see everyone continue to fling food at each other in complete chaos.  
“What in the world?” Twilight said in complete shock.
Celestia looked around the chaotic ballroom.  To her left, she saw Danged Spell, Moondancer, Granny Smith, Rarity and Applejack defending themselves from the other guests.  Nearby, Shining Armor and PRincess Cadance were in a playful food fight with Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes.  She turned her head towards Princess Luna and the Guard Captain as a number of Wonderbolts and Soldiers pelted the guests with dessert.  
“Celestia,” Twilight said.  “What should we do?”
Celestia continued to look around, seeing Queen Novo ward off incoming food while protecting Princess Skystar.  She looked around and saw Fluttershy continue to chase the animals around in the ballroom.  She looked in another corner as Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich, Big Mac, Bright Mac and Buttercup were being pelted by produce while Airazor stood there sulking.  Then she spied what appeared to be Prince Blueblood, holding his hoof on a tablecloth as if he were trying to hide himself.
“Oh no,” Princess Celestia said.  “How did this happen?”
The moment Prince Blueblood pulled the tablecloth, wrapped himself with it and ducked under the table, Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were completely exposed.  The younglings grouped up together as they held the baskets with the babies in them while shaking really hard.  
“What should we do, Princess?”  Twilight screamed.  “This whole Gala has been trashed completely.”
Princess Celestia looked left and right as everyone continued to pelt each other with food.  Sweat poured from Celestia’s forehead as she just stood there helplessly.  
Suddenly, Celestia heard Twilight scream.  She looked down and saw Twilight and Spike covered in cake.  
“Princess,” Twilight cried.  “Do something.
Celelstia’s eyes squinted as she took in a deep breath.
“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!”  Princess Celestia yelled, causing everyone to come to a halt.
Princess Luna looked at Princess Celestia, and her eyes shrunk down completely.
“Oh dear,” Princess Luna said.  “I think we overdone it.”



	To Be Continued in….


	The Worst Night Ever

> Arc 17-7: The Worst Night Ever
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Worst Night Ever



Princess Celestia marched through the ruined ballroom, glaring down at everyone as Twilight Sparkle and Spike walked beside the princess.  Every guest, from the commoner to the elite, from Danged Spell to Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy, to Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, from Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, to Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes, from Granny Smith, Big Mac, Bright Mac and Buttercup, to Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, from Airazor and the Guard Captain, to Princess Luna, felt a wind of shame run down their spines as Princess Celestia walked through the ballroom.
“This place is a mess,” Celestia scowled.  “What exactly were you all thinking with this food fight?”
“Well your majesty,” One of the Elites said.  “It was getting boring here and….”
“I don’t want to hear your excuse,” Princess Celestia yelled, causing the elite pony to back off.
Celestia turned towards Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich as the Princess looked down at them.
“Princess,” Twilight said.  “I think you’re being too harsh.”
But Celestia ignored Twilight and said to the group “I thought your people would treat the guests, not give them ammo to fling at each other.”
“Princess,” Granny Smith said as she approached Bright Mac.  “IT all started when….”
“I don’t want to HEAR IT!”  Princess Celestia yelled, causing Granny Smith to back off.
She turned towards Airazor, who continued to sulk in the nearby corner.
“And what’s this about the Wonderbolts joining in on the fight, along with the guards?”  Celestia snarled.  But Airazor said nothing.
Twilight tapped on Celestia’s arm and said “Celestia, they’ve had enough.  Let’s get this place closed down.”
Celestia scoots Twilight aside and said to her “You and your Wonderbolts will have a lot to explain when I suspend all of you for an entire year.”
Airazor said nothing as Celestia turned her attention towards Queen Novo, who stood stern.
“Princess,” Queen Novo said.  “We’ve had our differences.  But…”
“No buts,” Celestia said in a cold tone.  “You should have known better than to join in on that fight.  Queen Novo of the Hippogriffs.”
As Celestia turned away, Twilight looked at Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, and let out an embarrassing grin.
Celestia marched towards Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem, and Gad Zookes.  Her eyes were fixated on Princess Cadance.
“Young lady,” Celestia snarled.  “You’ll have a lot to think about when I ground you for five months.”
“Five months?”  Princess Cadance screamed.
“Your majesty…” Shining Armor said.
“And you,” Celestia snarled.  “I don’t want to see you near my daughter again.”
Shining Armor’s eyes began to tear up.  He turned a corner and went off crying.  Buck Withers looked at Princess Celestia with scorn.
“At times like this,” Buck Withers said.  “I sometimes regret serving under you.”
Princess Celestia and Buck Withers stared down at each other, keeping their eyes close to each other.
“Princess,” Twilight said.  “Enough already.”
Suddenly, they heard a voice in the distance.  Celestia looked to her right and saw Night Light and Twilight Velvet hug their son.
“Princess,” Twilight said.  “This isn’t a good idea.”
Princess Celestia marched towards Night Light and Twilight Velvet with her teeth bare.  But as she made her way down, Gold Banks ran up in front of her.
“There you are,” Gold Banks snapped.  “You have a lot to explain about the mess that happened.  When the news stations of Equestria find out about this…”
But before Gold Banks could finish her sentence, Princess Celestia grabbed a bowl of punch from the nearby table and dunked it right on Gold Banks head.  Silver Banks looked at Celestia and just closed his eyes and swung his head back in shame.
“Princess,” Twilight said.  “That’s enough.  You’re making this worse than it has to be.”
But Celestia ignored Twilight.  She marched all the way to Twilight Velvet and NIght Light and glared down at the two as they held Shining Armor tight.
“Care to explain why your son was in this mess?”  Celestia said.
“Princess,” Night Light said.  “I had no idea this happened.”
“Honest,” Twilight Velvet said.  “We were just…”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Celestia yelled.  “I want you both and your son out of Canterlot by morning.  You’re not welcomed here again.”
“Sister,” Luna yelled as she approached Princess Celestia while Night Light and Twilight Velvet started to cry.  “You’ve gone too far with your anger.”
Celestia marched towards her sister and yelled out “Maybe if you hadn't started this food fight, none of this would have happened.”
“Well maybe if you had paid more attention to your guests instead of sticking outside greeting them,” Luna yelled.  “None of this would have happened.”
“Are you saying this is MY FAULT?” Celestia snarled.
“Yes,” Luna yelled.  “It is your fault that it went this far.  We came here because Senator Wish yelled at…”
“IT IS NOT MY FAULT!” Celestia yelled.
“DON’T YOU DARE LOOK AWAY AT ME AND ADMIT NO FAULT IN THIS!” Luna yelled.
Princess Luna and Princess Celestia continued to yell at each other, causing the guests to line up around the two quarrelling princesses.  Twilight looked at the two yelled at each other and the little filly started to get anxious with Spike looking down at her.
Behind a table, Prince Blueblood peeked out from the tablecloth and saw Celestia and Luna arguing at each other.  His hooves began to shake as he could barely get his eyes away.
“I…I don’t like where this is going,” Prince Blueblood said before he hid himself back under the table.
“AND ANOTHER THING!”  Princess Luna said.  “IF YOU HAD PAID MORE ATTENTION AND TAKEN A BREAK FROM GREETING THE GUESTS, WE WOULDN’T BE IN THIS DEBACLE!”
“IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GREET THE GUESTS,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY TO ATONE FOR WHAT I DID AS DAYBREAKER!”
“WELL MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE BANISHED YOU TO THE MOON!” Princess Luna yelled.  “OR MAYBE THE SUN!”
“WELL IT’S BETTER THAN TO STARE AT YOUR MUG,” Princess Celestia yelled.
At that moment, Twilight Sparkle inhaled and yelled out “ENOUGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!”  That caused Celestia and Luna to stop yelling and look down at Twilight Sparkle, who was steaming angry.
“Twilight,” Celestia said as she began to catch her breath.  “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you what happened,” Twilight said.  “This night has been a disaster because you neglected your real duties at watching over the Gala.  But instead, you took your status as greeter too seriously and let this night be the Worst Night Ever.  And instead of taking responsibility for your actions, you instead took it out on the guests, and even got into a fight with your sister.”
“Now Twilight,” Celestia said.  “I’m just upset with the guests and…”
“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!”  Twilight yelled.  She turned her tail with Spike on her back and said.  “Effective immediately, I am no longer your prime student at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  In fact, I no longer want to see you or anyone in this castle AGAIN!”
“Twilight,” Luna said as her tone became somber and nervous.  “I swear we didn’t mean to…”
“GOOD-BYE,” Twilight yelled as tears rolled down her eyes.
With that, Twilight Sparkle ran off with Spike holding onto her and ran past her parents as she ran out the doorway.  Princess Celestia looked on and tears flowed from her eyes.
“She’s right,”  Princess Celestia said as her voice began to crack up.  “Luna’s right.  This is all my fault, and I let it get worse.  What have I done?”
Princess Luna walked up to Princess Celestia and patted her on the back as Celestia began to cry into her own hooves.
“It happens to all of us,” Luna said.  “And I am sorry for those horrible words I said to you.”
Spitfire watched as Twilight Sparkle ran out the door.  She turned her head and looked at Airazor from a far.
"Maybe I was too harsh on Airazor," Spitfire said to herself. "Some Wonderbolt I turned out to be.  Now I regret quitting."
"Hey, we'll find a way through this," Rainbow Dash said as she pit her arm around Spitfire's back..  "I've been through this with my own folks."
"Thanks, Rainbow," Spitfire said.  "I could use a friend right now."
Celestia raised her head towards the guests as they began to back away.  She cleared her throat and said “I owe all of you an apology for what I said.  It was mean-spirited and not in my characterization, and it cost me a student.  It is my fault for making this Gala too serious for my own good.”
Queen Novo walked up to Princess Celestia and said “What you did was wrong.  But to admit your own mistakes is proof that you are still you, and that we all make mistakes.  Like I did tonight.  I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks Queen Novo,” Princess Celestia said.  “I guess this means our partnership is over.”
“No,” Queen Novo said.  “But I’ll admit. Seeing you yell reminded me of myself.”
Celestia and Novo laughed as the guests awed at the two.
Nearby, Night Light said to Twilight Velvet “Go find Twilight.  I’m afraid it might be the last time we’ll see her.”
Twilight Velvet nodded and ran off into the garden as Night Light hugged his son Shining Armor.  Princess Celestia walked over to Night Light, who only stared at Princess Celestia.
“You’re not going to be banished from Canterlot,” Princess Celestia said.  “Nor is your son forbidden from seeing my daughter.”
“So does that mean,” Princess Cadance said as she, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem, Gad Zookes, Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich approached Princess Celestia.
“Yes,” Princess Celestia said.  “If anyone deserves to be grounded, it’s me.  I can never take back those horrible things I said.”
“It happens to all of us,” Bright Mac said.  “I once yelled at my son Big Mac over a mistake he made.  And I lived to regret it.”
“Well at least someone knows their rightful place,” Gold Banks said as she stepped up to Princess Celestia  with a smirk on her face.  “Once the whole world knows about the Worst Night Ever, no one will ever respect you again.”
“Honey,” Silver Banks said.  “That’s enough.  She’s learned her lesson.”
“Silence,” Gold Banks yelled before she turned back towards Princess Celestia.  “The moment I leave this castle, I’m going to put out a propaganda campaign, painting you as a tyrant. No one will ever respect you again and…”
Before she could finish, another bowl full of punch splashed all over her. Silver Banks placed the bowl aside and glared at her wife.
“Like I said,” Silver Banks yelled.  “That is enough.  You put out that piece, and I will have an annulment, plus I will cut you out from every bit from my account and make you pay a total of one billion bits.  DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
Gold Banks nodded and backed off from Silver Banks.  Filthy Rich looked at Silver, completely surprised.
“For my brother-in-law,” Filthy Rich said.  “I never expected you to call out your wife like that.”
“Truth be told,” Silver Banks said.  “I married her because I felt lonesome, and she felt like the ideal wife to keep me comfy.”
Prince Blueblood had his head stuck out from the tablecloth, observing everything from the safety of beneath the table.  He looked at Princess Celestia for a moment, then down at himself in shame.
“Dear Aunt,” Prince Blueblood said.  “What have you become?  What have I become?  I’m such a fool for forcing my views on everyone else.”
As Princess Celestia walked away from the group with a smile on her face, she looked down and saw Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Spitfire looking up at her.
“Mother,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Please don’t scare us like that again.”
“I promise,” Princess Celestia said as she reached down and gave Sunset a hug.
“So with Twilight gone,” Danged Spell asked.  “What’s going to happen to us?”
“We’ll have to carry on without her,” Starlight said.  “It’s sad what she’s going through.  But I wish her the best.”
“Same here,” Moondancer said.  “She deserves a friend more than ever.”
Danged Spell, Moondancer, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Rarity, Applejack. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy Trixie, Ditzy Doo, and Spitfire all gave each other a big hug.  Nearby, Buttercup and Spoiled Rich looked on as they slowly rocked Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara to sleep.
“You know,” Buttercup said.  “This may have been the worst night ever.  But at least, we have each other.”
“I know it,” Spoiled Rich said as she picked up Diamond Tiara and rocked her in her arms.  “And I’m glad to have you as a friend.”
As the two began to hug each other, they heard what sounds like hooves marching through.  Everyone turned around to see Chancellor Cinch march in with a steamed look on her face.
“Okay,” Cinch yelled.  “Who was it that locked me in a nearby closet?”
Princess Cadance ran up to Chancellor Cinch and said “Chancellor. Where’s Wanda and the others?”
Cinch calmed down and said “What are you talking about?”
“I left you with Wanda, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Abigail when you’d say you would watch over them.” Princess Cadance replied.
“I was nowhere near the little ones,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “In fact, someone locked me up in a nearby closet and…”
“WANDA!”  Celestia yelled in desperation.  “WHERE’S WANDA?”
Celestia began to freak out as Luna placed her hoof on her sister’s shoulder and said “Easy, sister.  We’ll find Wanda and the others.”
As Celestia breathed heavily, Silverstream flew up to Queen Novo and whispered something in her ear.  Queen Novo’s ears perked up and she ran to Princess Celestia.
“Princess,” Queen Novo said.  “Silverstream knows what happened to them.  Come with me.”
Princess Celestia nodded.  She along with Chancellor Cinch, Queen Novo, Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer and Skystar followed Silverstream out the Ballroom entrance.  But before leaving, Princess Celestia turned to Princess Luna.
“If someone tries to break in and attack,” Celestia said.  “Start another food fight.”
Princess Luna nodded to Celestia and said “Roger that, sis.”

Back in the dark room, Wanda rocked her legs anxiously as she sat there with Pinkie Pie, Ocellus, Abigail, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Prince Hoofar looking at her.
“She’s never going to come back,” Wanda said as she was about to cry.  “Something must have happened to her.”
“Cheer up,” Pinkie Pie said.  “She’ll be here, one hundred percent.”
“I don’t think she will,” Wanda said as tears poured out even more.  “I think we’re going to be stuck in here forever.”
And with that, Wanda started to cry while everyone watched helplessly.
“Poor Wanda,” Golden Lace said.  “It feels like she’s been in too many of these messes and it gets worse for her.”
“IF there was some way we could cheer her up,” Cozy Glow said as she pondered.
Prince Hoofar turned to Ocellus and whispered something in her ear.  The baby changeling nodded at Hoofar and transformed back into Jasmine Bloom.
As Wanda cried on top of her seat, Jasmine Bloom got up and sat near Wanda.
“Wanda,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “I’ve been down this path many times since me and my parents ran away, even more so when I lost them.  But when I met you and your friends, I realized that there are others who want to take me in as a friend.  I’m sorry that I lied to you and that I’m really a changeling.  But what matters is that we are friends, and as long as we have each other, we’re not alone.”
Wanda looked at Jasmine Bloom and wiped the tears from her face.  She reached over and gave the changeling disguised as a filly a big hug.  Abigail leaped next to Wanda and rubbed her head on the Man Cub’s hand.
“It’s these moments that remind me why I’m glad to be here,” Cozy Glow said.  “And why I don’t pursue the path of a villain.”
“Well let’s hope you don’t,” Golden Lace giggled.
Suddenly, they heard a knocking on the door with someone yelling “Wanda.  Wanda, are you here?”  Wanda’s face beamed with excitement as she let go of Jasmine Bloom, jumped onto her two legs and ran towards the door.
“MOMMY!” Wanda cheered.  “She’s here.”
“Told you it would be alright,” Pinkie Pie said.  
As Wanda approached the door, it swung wide open where Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Princess Skystar, Queen Novo, Silverstream and Chancellor Cinch were happy to see the youngling.
“MOMMY!”  Wanda said as she leaped into Princess Celestia’s arms as Pinkie Pie, Jasmine Bloom, Abigail, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow and Prince Hoofar approached the group.
“I’m glad you’re alright my darling,” Princess Celestia said as she embraced her daughter.  She then looked Wanda in the eye and said “Your mother has done something bad tonight, and it cost you a good friend.”
“Mommy?” Wanda asked.
“But I promise you this,” Princess Celestia said.  “I will never do anything bad again.  For your sake, and for your sisters’ sake.”
Princess Celestia sets Wanda down as Sunset and Cadance embraced their younger sister.  Queen Novo reached down and gave Wanda a noogie.
“It’s great that you’re safe, Smallfry,” Queen Novo said as Wanda giggled.
“We’ve missed you so much,” Sunset said.  “I was horrified that I would lose my little sister.”
“We were both horrified,” Princess Cadance said.
Princess Skystar approached Pinkie Pie as the two gave each other a warm hug with a good laugh. 
“So what did we miss?” Pinkie Pie said.
“A big food fight,” Princess Skystar said.  “And some drama.”
“Awww,” Pinkie Pie said.  “We missed out on a good party.”
“More like a bad party,” Skystar replied.  “A worst night ever.”
Chancellor Cinch walked up to Wanda, who was still hugging Princess Cadance and Sunset Shimmer.  Wanda looked up at the chancellor, who looked down at the man’s cub with a somber tone.
“Tell me, Princess,” Chancellor Cinch.  “Did anyone who looked like me locked you up here?”
Wanda nodded at Chancellor Cinch, who’s eyes shrunk down.
“Then it appears my hunch is correct,” Chancellor Cinch said.  She turned to Princess Celestia and said “We have a changeling in these halls.”
“That’s worse than we realized,” Princess Celestia said.  “We have to warn everyone.”
But as Princess Celestia, Queen Novo and Chancellor Cinch were about to leave the room, Jasmine Bloom yelled out “WAIT!”  This caused the adults to turn back towards Jasmine Bloom.
“Young lady,” Princess Celestia said.  “What’s wrong?”
“It’s true that there is a changeling in these halls,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “But I fear it’s my former Queen Chrysalis.”
“Wait,” Queen Novo said.  “Are you saying you’re a changeling?”
“Yes,” Jasmine Bloom said.  “And one who went rogue.”
In a flash of light, Jasmine Bloom transformed back into Ocellus.  Princess Celestia, Chancellor Cinch, PRincess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer and Queen Novo began to freak out.  Skystar approached Ocellus with curiosity while Silverstream jumped on the baby changeling and played with her.
“It’s alright,” Wanda said.  “Ocellus is our friend.  And she’s a traitor to her kind.”
“Is this true,” Celestia said, causing Silverstream to stop while Ocellus looked up at the alicorn.
“It’s true,” Ocellus said.  “We fled the hive because we didn’t want Queen Chrysalis to rule over us.  During our time in Saddle Arabia, we disguise ourselves as ordinary ponies to blend in with the crowd.  But one day, my parents were taken away by slave traders, and I was left all alone.  But I swear, I won’t do you any harm.”
“And I believe you,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’ve heard reports of Changelings going rogue against Queen Chrysalis lately, and you confirmed my report.”
“Who you’re dealing with is the Queen of the Changelings: Queen Chrysalis,” Prince Hoofar said.  “You must warn everyone that Queen Chrysalis is in these halls.”
Princess Celestia nodded.  She lowered her back, allowing Wanda, Sunset, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Abigail to leap on.  Celestia got back on her four legs and ran out with Prince Hoofar, Cozy Glow, Silverstream, Skystar, Cadance and Novo following behind her.  Chancellor Cinch looked down at Ocellus, who just looked back at the chancellor.
“I recommend transforming back into a pony,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “The last thing we need is for the crowd to freak out.”
“I know,” Ocellus said as the baby changeling transformed back into Jasmine Bloom.  She then said “I hope it’s not too late.”

Back in the ballroom, everyone waited patiently for Princess Celestia, especially Princess Luna, who looked worried.
“Princess,” Shining Armor said.  “Will Wanda be alright?”
“She’s a tough champ,” Princess Luna said.  “After the attack on La Maresa and the Hay Fever Virus, she can get through this.”
Immediately, Princess Celestia ran in with Wanda, Sunset, Abigail, Pinkie Pie and Golden Lace riding on top of her.  Right behind her was Cozy Glow, Prince Hoofar, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch and Jasmine Bloom running right behind her.  Wanda, Sunset, Pinkie Pie, Abigail and Golden Lace jumped off Celestia’s back as Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Ditzy Doo and Spitfire embraced the youngsters.
“You’re back,” Rainbow Dash said.  “And we’re glad to have you back.”
“I heard about what happened,” Wanda said.  “And I’m sorry for Twilight.  I wish we could have done something to cheer her up.”
“It’s going to be alright,” Applejack said. “We’ll find Twilight, and convince her to come back.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell said.  “There’s no way she’ll abandon us.  When we get her back, she’ll be stuck to us like glue.”
“Danged Spell,” the other youngsters said before they laughed.  Even Spitfire laughed hard at Danged Spell’s joke.
“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Didn’t take you for one who enjoys jokes, Spitfire.”
“Well sometimes,” Spitfire said. “I can be a bit of a prankster.”
As the younglings embraced each other, Cozy Glow led Jasmine Bloom up to Princess Luna, who took notice of the two.
“Cozy Glow,” Princess Luna said.  “Why are you bringing Jasmine Bloom to me?”
“Because she has something to say,” Cozy Glow said.  “But only in your ear.”
Princess Luna reached down to Jasmine Bloom, who proceeded to whisper in Luna’s ear.  Luna’s eyes popped out for a bit as she turned to the youngster, who only nodded.
“Stay by me,” Luna said.  “You’ll be safe.”
The adults all gathered around as Princess Celestia approached them.  Her face was of fear, but also of determination.
“Everyone,” Princess Celestia said.  “We’ve all had a rough night, no thanks to yours truly.  But I’m afraid I have some bad news.  Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the Changelings, is in this castle.
Everyone gasped at the words of Princess Celestia.  Wanda looked up and let go of her friends.
“Mommy speaks the truth,” Wanda said.  “Queen Chrysalis disguised herself as Miss Cinch and locked me and some of my friends in a dark room.”
But as Wanda was speaking, the lights went out and everyone screamed.
“That must be Queen Chrysalis,” Princess Luna said.  “She’s here.”
“Not quite, princess.”  Everyone looked around to see members of the Windigo’s Guild jump into the room from both entrances and through the windows, scaring everyone.  Coldnelius Snap emerged from the ballroom entrance from the front and gave off a cackling laugh.
“Coldnelius Snap,” Chancellor Cinch snarled. “I thought devastating the Ponyville Providence Fair was bad enough.  Now you want to destroy the Gala?”
“That’s correct,” Coldnelius Snap said as he approached Princess Celestia and pulled out a green orb.  “Now, we did go into disguise with this.”
“A changeling orb,” Queen Novo said.  “So you were behind locking Princess Wanda in that room?”
“Right you are,” Coldnelius Snap said as he threw the orb towards one of his lackeys.  “We originally disguised ourselves as guests to ambush all of you.  But because of your little food fight, you made it easier for us to make our move.  And we did just that.”
Suddenly, they heard a scream in the back.  Night Light turned towards the back entrance and saw Twilight Velvet run back to her with three Windigo’s Guild members pushing her through.”
“What happened?” Night Light said.  “Where’s Twilight?”
“I spoke with her for a bit,” Twilight Velvet said.  “And then they showed up and scared her and Spike off.”
“Let’s hope she gets away, safely,” Night Light replied.
Coldnelius Snap circled around Princess Celestia and Wanda Young, glaring at the two with a grin on his face.
“You won’t get away with this, Snap,” Princess Celestia said as she held Wanda close to her.
“Oh I’m afraid I did,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “And I’m afraid it’s time you said bye-bye to your daughter.”
Suddenly, someone yelled out “IMPOSTER!”  Everyone turned their heads to see another Coldnelius Snap, and his face was red with anger.
“Another Coldnelius Snap?” Princess Celestia said.  “What’s going on here?”
“You took the orb away from me,” The other Coldnelius Snap said, pointing at the one next to Princess Celestia and Wanda Young.  “And you had the gall to pretend to be me and take control of my guild.  I’ll freeze your carapace for this.”
The fake Coldnelius Snap laughed and said “He figured me out.  I’m neither the Chancellor and I’m not Coldnelius Snap.  I’m Queen Chrysalis”
With a flash of light, the fake Coldnelius Snap transformed from an alicorn cult leader into Queen Chrysalis.  She stood over Celestia and Wanda and laughed at the two as the crowd gasped in horror.
“You,” Princess Celestia said.  “I never thought I would see your face again, Queen Chrysalis.  But you made the grave mistake of coming alone.”
“Have I?” Queen Chrysalis said.  With a vicious laugh, she watched as some of the guests, guards, Wonderbolts and even cultists transformed into Changelings, freaking the crowd out even more.  One transformed into Princess Chrysalis II, while three transformed into Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator.  The four approached Queen Chrysalis and bowed before her.
“We’ve done it, mother,” Chrysalis II said.  “We’ve got them right where we want them.
“Inferno and the Predacon reporting for duty, my Queen,” Inferno said.
“Oh I can’t wait to kick some pony butt,” Quickstrike said.
“Waspinator ready to serve you, great queen,” Waspinator said.
“Now that you’re all present, we can begin our final conquest for Canterlot, and then the world,” Queen Chrysalis laughed.
“After all this time,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I had changeling spies in my guild?  I’ll use your hide for decoration.”
“Oh don’t be such a snowflake,”  Queen Chrysalis laughed.  “After all, it was unwise to even trust members of your own guild when you didn’t even know who was your friend and who was your foe.”
As Chrysalis laughed hard, she noticed Jasmine Bloom near Princess Luna, and her laughter turned into anger.
“I smell a traitor in our midst,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “And traitors must be punished.”
Princess Luna held Jasmine Bloom close as Queen Chrysalis walked towards the duo.
“Stay away from her,” Princess Celestia said as she got in between Queen Chrysalis and Jasmine Bloom.  “You don’t deserve to be near her, you monster.”
Queen Chrysalis just laughed as she transformed into mist and went around Princess Celestia before transforming back into herself.  She looked down at Jasmine Bloom, who hid behind Princess Luna.
“Don’t even think about it,” Princess Luna said.
“Still trying to hide the truth from your own people,” Chrysalis said.  “Well let me do something that not even the Banks can do.”
Queen Chrysalis immediately dashed to the side and pointed her horn at Jasmine Bloom.  Before anyone could react, Queen Chrysalis fired a beam at Jasmine Bloom, transforming her back into Baby Ocellus and causing the crowd to gasp.
“Ocellus,” Wanda cried.
“You big meanie,” Cozy Glow cried.  “That was our friend.”
“Oh ho ho ho ho,” Queen Chrysalis laughed.  “Why be a friend to a changeling?  After all, you were meant to have a prejudice against us because not just of who we are, but what we can do.  It is in your blood, it is in your soul.  To not hate a changeling is hypocritical.  And your hate is what makes us strong, as your love towards each other.  Face it.  What you hate will now be your doom.”
With that, Queen Chrysalis laughed hard as Wanda and Sunset held each other tight and Ocellus hid behind Princess Luna, shaking hard at the presence of the changeling queen.



	To Be Continued in…


	The Final Arc: Queen Chrysalis and the Changeling Invasion


	Invasion and Consequences

> Arc 18(Queen Chrysalis and the Changeling Invasion)-1: Invasion and Consequences
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	The Final Arc: Queen Chrysalis and the Changeling Invasion


	Invasion and Consequences



Queen Chrysalis laughed hard as her changelings surrounded the guests, the princesses, the guards, the wonderbolts and even the Windigo Cultists.  Princess Celestia glared at the Queen as Wanda and Sunset hid behind their adopted mother.
“You won’t get away with this, Queen Chrysalis,” Princess Celestia said.  “As long as I still breathe, I will make sure I drive you off from Canterlot.”
“Oh but I already have,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Thanks to your stupidity, and thanks to the foolishness of the Windigo’s Guild, we’ve already won.  Canterlot will fall to the hive, and the first thing the news will air tomorrow, is the immediate surrender of Equestria.  It’s over.  We won.  You….lose.”
“You opportunistic witch,” Gold Banks yelled.  “When I report this on the news, I will pin this failure on Princess Celestia.”
“Oh please,” Queen Chrysalis said as she placed her hoof on Gold Banks’ mouth.  “The only thing those news stations will report is the immediate surrender of this nation, and every pony required to bow before me.  That’s the kind of bad news those weaklings deserve.”
Queen Chrysalis then shoved Gold Banks back, causing the entitled mare to stumble backwards into a pile of food.  Queen Chrysalis laughed as Gold Banks just growled.
“My Queen,” Inferno said.  “What should we do about the prisoners?”
“Round them all up,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I’ll open a portal to Tatarus and lock them away.”
“At once, my Queen,” Inferno said with a salute as he walked towards the rest of the guests.
“Oh what I wouldn’t do to have his voice as a means of lulling myself to sleep,” Chrysalis laughed. “Yesssssss.”
Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator walked over to the other younglings that are near Wanda and Sunset.  Cozy Glow looked up at the trio with a glare on her face while Danged Spell bent downwards, growing at them like a wolf.
“What do you want with us?” Cozy Glow said.
“Oh we just want you to come with us if you want to live,” Quickstrike said as he stared down Cozy Glow.
“You varmints have the nerve to ambush us like this,” Applejack said.  “When every pony of La Maresa finds out, they’ll..”
 “Weak ponies will do nothing,” Waspinator laughed.  “They now serve the Great Queen, and they also serve Waspinator.”
“I normally would be afraid,” Starlight Glimmer said.  “But you anger me more than you scare me.  You’re nothing more than a bunch of greedy cowards who won’t think for yourself instead of being a suck up for your queen.”
“Aww,” Quickstrike said.  “Does someone want a bottle?  Or maybe a nap?”
“Stay away from her,” Rarity yelled as she stood by Starlight Glimmer.  “You ruffians are far worse than that prince who made me look like a fool.”
“Well well well,” Inferno said.  “What do we have here?  A pony who thinks she’s brave.”
“She’s braver than you’ll ever be,” Golden Lace said.
“I don’t see a brave pony,” Inferno laughed.  “All I see is nothing more than a sourpuss who needs to learn her place.”
Rarity’s eyes shrunk down.  Her teeth clenched.  She stared at Inferno as the ground around her began to shake.
“A sourpuss?”  Rarity said.  “A SOURPUSS?”
The air around Rarity began to darken as the other youngsters began to back off.  Even Danged Spell snapped out of his Wolf’s Breath trance and began to back away from Rarity.   Inferno just looked down at the white filly and laughed.
“Uhh Inferno,” Waspinator said.  “Perhaps it was a bad idea to taunt the filly bug.”
“Nonsense,” Inferno replied.  “It is the duty of a changeling to trigger their prey, all to teach them their place.  And furthermore….”
But before Inferno could finish speaking, Rarity pointed her horn at Waspinator and let loose a blast of magic, sending that bug flying right into the upper wall of the ballroom.
“Owww.   Why did filly bug blast Waspinator?” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator didn’t call her sourpuss.”
Suddenly, Waspinator was hit a few more times from three blasts of magical energy.  The third blast sent Waspinator bouncing across the room, screaming like a maniac, until he crashed into a nearby table, collapsing under its weight.
“Oooooh,” Waspinator groaned.  “Waspinator not like filly bug.”
Inferno and Quickstrike looked down at Rarity, who growled right at the two predacons.
“Don’t you EVER CALL ME A SOURPUSS!” Rarity screamed.  “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
“Aww,” Quickstrike said. “Looks like this one is all upset.”
“Stand back, brother,” Inferno said as he held Quickstrike back.  “I’ll make her pay for what she did to Waspinator.  Perhaps a little fire will put her in her place.”
Inferno breathed fire into the air before looking down at Rarity, who continued to stare at the red and light blue changeling.
“It’s time for you to burn,” Inferno said.
Suddenly, Airazor flies out of nowhere and rams right into Inferno and Quickstrike, sending them flying across the room and landing near Waspinator.
“I may have lost the respect of my Ex-Junior Wonderbolt,” Airazor said.  “But I won’t let you three harm her or anyone else.”
Inferno shook his head as Airazor flew up to her and Quickstrike.  He snarled at the Wonderbolt Captain, who looked down at the predacon.
“Something about you feels familiar to me,” Inferno said.  “And it makes me want to BURN YOU!”
Inferno breathes fire right at Airazor’s face, only for the Wonderbolt Captain to dodge to the side of the flames.  She then grabs Inferno by the leg and tosses him around the room, causing the changeling to crash into a wall.
“Hey NO FAIR YOU CHEATER,” Quickstrike yelled as he got up on his four legs and snapped right at Airazor.  “We have the advantage on you.”
Airazor grabbed Quickstrike by the tail, swung him around in the air and threw the predacon out the window.  Quickstrike yelled really loud as he crashed into a nearby bush.
“You idiots,” Queen Chrysalis yelled.  “Don’t just stand there, get THEM!”
But as soon as Queen Chrysalis finished speaking, Coldnelius Snap blasted her with a blast of pure cold, sending her flying towards the scared guests and freezing her torso.
“I have you now,” Coldnelius Snap said as he looked down at Queen Chrysalis. 
Princess Celestia watched on as Coldnelius Snap looked over Queen Chrysalis.  He turned her head towards Chancellor Cinch and said “Take Wanda and run.  Get as far from the castle as you can.”
“Understood,” Chancellor Cinch said.
Wanda looked up at Chancellor Cinch as the older pony lowered her back down.  The Man’s Cub picked up Abigail and handed her to Sunset.
“Please look after Abby,” Wanda said.  “Don’t worry.  I’ll be safe.”
“Promise,” Sunset said as she pulled Abigail close.  The little kitty cried out to Wanda, but the Man’s Cub petted her on the head.
“I’ll be back, Abigail,” Wanda said as a tear fell from her eye.   “Once this is over, we’ll be together again.”
Abigail licked Wanda on the nose as she brought her hand away.  She pulled a bit of the velcro off her dress and pulled out her slingshot.
“Miss Cinch,” Wanda said.  “I’m ready.”
“Then hop on,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I’m getting you to safety.”
Wanda jumped on Chancellor Cinch and adjusted the chest piece of her royal gown.  She held on as Chancellor Cinch got up and ran out of the ballroom.
As Coldnelius Snap charged up his horn at Queen Chrysalis, one of the cult members tugged at his robe.
“Your greatness,” the cult member said.  “The Princess is getting away.”
“Go after her,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I’ll deal with this pest.”
“Yes sir,” The cultist said as he, along with his fellow guild members, chased after Wanda and Cinch.
But immediately, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna fired a blast of magic, knocking the guild members aside.  The two alicorns ran up and blocked the cult members from the exit from the ballroom.
“You won’t go after my daughter, cultists,” Princess Celestia said.
“You’ll have to get past us, first,” Princess Luna said.
The cultists got up and looked at the two alicorns.  They pointed their horns at Princess Celestia and Princess, charging up the very cold surrounding them.  Celestia and Luna stood their ground, remaining undeterred by the group.
Suddenly, one of them jumped in the air, yelling in pain.  The other cult members turned to their right to see a Wolf’s Breath-cursed Danged Spell growling at them.
“It’s that mutt again,” one of the cult members said.
“Let’s put him down,” another one said.
The cult members pointed their horns at Danged Spell, who just looked at them with his eyes glowing and his teeth bare.  But before any of them could charge their horns with cold magic, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire rammed right into two members of the group, Applejack kicked another member while Starlight and Sunburst blasts a couple more with their magic. 
“Every pony go after the cultists and the changelings,” Starlight yelled  “We gotta get the guests to safety.”
Cozy Glow flies towards Starlight Glimmer and picks her up.  She flew in the air holding the timid unicorn in her arms as she fired on cult members and changelings alike.
“Are you doing alright?”” Cozy Glow asked.
“I’m fine,” Starlight replied.  “But I’m surprised to see you use me as a flying turret.”
“What can I say?” Cozy Glow replied with a smirk.  “I always wanted to help save Canterlot, even through more nefarious means.”
“Wow,” Starlight laughed.  “That’s devious.”  She then regained her composure and said “I mean, I see.”
As Cozy Glow flew into the air with Starlight firing on cult members and changelings, Buck Withers was on the ground, whipping some of the cultists and changelings and flinging them around.  Shining Armor stood by Buck Withers as he blasted a few more changelings coming close to them.
“You’ve been in this situation before?” Shining Armor asked.
“This ain’t the first time I’ve had to fight changelings,” Buck Withers said.   “Especially those who served Queen Chrysalis and couldn’t think for themselves.”
“What do you see in them?” SHining Armor asked as he blasted one that was coming his way.
“Pity,” Buck Withers replied as he whipped another one out of the sky.  “They always talk about how great their queen is and how she will lead them to a new era of prosperity.  They don’t need a demagogue to lead them like sheep.  They need freedom for themselves.”
“It’s a shame we have to fight them,” Shining Armor replied as he repelled two more changelings.  “If we weren’t on such horrible terms, they would have made great friends.”
Buck Withers and Shining Armor continued to defend each other as they fought off the changelings and cultists that were coming after them.  Two of the cultists that were about to blast the two, were blasted out of the way by Lemony Gem and Princess Cadance.  Buck and Armor turned to face the two girls.
“What?” Lemony Gem said.  “We couldn’t let you two boys hold off against the attackers.”
“Yeah,” Princess Cadance said.  “This is our home.  And we won’t let them get the best of us.”
Shining Armor and Buck Withers nodded at the girls and they looked prime to fight back, when Gad Zookes pointed in another direction.
“Look,” Gad Zookes said.  “They’re fighting one another.”
Shining Armor, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Princess Cadance looked in the direction that Gad Zookes is pointing in.  The Windigo’s Guild members were suddenly fighting the changelings and vice versa.  It was total chaos.
“Now,” Shining Armor said as he turned towards Princess Celestia.  “While they’re distracted, let’s get everyone out.”
Princess Celestia nodded.  She turned towards the Guard Captain and said “Thompson.  Escort every guest out of the castle.  Do whatever you can to keep them safe.”
Guard Captain Thompson saluted Princess Celestia and said “At your command, my princess.”
As Thompson and the guards ran up to the guests, Princess Celestia turned to Airazor, who approached the alicorn, primed and ready.
“Airazor,” Celestia said.  “Have your Wonderbolts provide cover support for the guards and the guests.  Also, assign a couple of your squad to get Wanda and Cinch to safety. ”
“We’re on it,” Airazor said with a salute.  But before she could turn around, Celestia cleared her throat, catching the Wonderbolt leader’s attention even further.
“And on a side note, disregard the Wonderbolt’s suspension,” Princess Celestia added.   “In fact, I’ll let you put on a show next month in Canterlot to make up for what I said.”
Airazor smiled at Princess Celestia and said “Noted, your majesty.  And thanks.”
Airazor turned her head towards the other Wonderbolts and directed them towards the guards, who began to escort Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Buck Withers, Lemony Gem, Gad Zookes and the other guests from the ballroom.  Princess Celestia turned towards Sunset Shimmer.
“Sunset,” Princess Celestia said.  “Take the younglings and flee the castle.  I’ll have Princess Cadance and the others guide you.”
Sunset Shimmer saluted Princess Celestia and said “You got it, mother.”  She turned towards Abigail Albright, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer, Cozy Glow, Golden Lace, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Prince Hoofar and Ocellus.
“It’s time to go, is it?” Moondancer asked.
“Yes,” Sunset said.  “We’re getting out of here.”
With that, Abigail hopped on Sunset’s back as the unicorn filly ran off towards the entrance.  Behind them was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer, Cozy Glow, Golden Lace, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Prince Hoofar and Ocellus.  Spoiled Rich held Diamond Tiara tight as she and Filthy Rich watched Golden Lace run through the exit with the other younglings.
“I hope she’ll be alright,” Spoiled Rich said as Diamond Tiara covered her face in her mother’s chest.
“She will,” Filthy Rich said.  “We’ve been through this disaster before.  We can make it through again.”
Filthy and Spoiled Rich turned to Bright Mac, who was placing Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo into the knapsack that Buttercup had on her back.  Granny Smith gathered what was left of their food and placed it into Big Mac’s knapsack.
“Can you handle all that?” Granny Smith asked.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded.
Filthy Rich looked at Princess Celestia, who nodded back to the group.  Immediately and without warning, Filthy and Spoiled Rich ran through the crowd and out the ballroom entrance while Spoiled Rich still held onto Diamond Tiara.  Right behind them, Bright Mac and Buttercup ran behind while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo held on to the edge of the knapsack they were riding in.  Granny Smith and Big Mac ran to their side as they made their way out the doorway.
“Is that everyone?” Princess Luna asked.
“No,” Princess Celestia said.  “We’re still missing Night Light and Twilight Velvet.”
Princess Celestia ran through the ballroom, blasting down any changeling or cultist that got in her way.  She ran up to Night Light, who looked at a very worried Twilight Velvet.
“We need to leave this place, now,” Princess Celestia said.
“But it’s my baby,” Twilight Velvet said.  “I don’t know if she’s alive or not.”
“We’ll find her the moment everyone is out of the castle,” Princess Celestia said.  “Promise.”
Twilight Velvet stood up and said “Please find her.  If something bad happened to my Twilight Sparkle, I don’t know what I would do.”
“If anything happened to her,” Celestia said.  “I’ll make whoever did this go through hell.”
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna began to lead Night Light and Twilight Velvet through the ballroom, Prince Blueblood watched from behind the table.  His eyes turned from fear to determination as he jumped over the table and began to run.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Prince Blueblood turned his head to see Gold Banks stare down at him.
“Excuse me?”  Prince Blueblood said as he stared down Gold Banks.
“You’re not going to let those crow baits get away with it, are you?”  Gold Banks said.  “After all, you’re the infamous Prince Blueblood, the nephew of Princess Celestia and the head of the Horse News Network.  You better get back to Manehattan and air a piece involving Princess Celestia’s temper tantrum.”
“As a matter of fact, I am letting them get away with it,” Prince Blueblood said as he stomped his hoof on the ground.  “After seeing what my aunt was capable of, I realized one thing: I was too much of a jerk for my own good.  And not to mention we’re under attack by the Changelings and the Windigo’s Guild.  So good luck convincing me to approve that stupid story of yours.”
Prince Blueblood turned his head and ran out the doorway, leaving Gold Banks’s jaw dropped to the floor.
“The,” Gold Banks said in complete shock.  “The nerve of that traitor.”
“Honey,” Silver Banks said.  “We need to go.”
Silver Banks grabbed Gold Banks and led her down a clear path towards the entrance as the changelings and cultists fought each other.  The only thing Gold Banks could do is to clench her teeth with anger as Silver led her down.
As soon as Prince Blueblood, Gold and Silver Banks left the ballroom, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and Silverstream looked inside.  There were nothing but Changelings and Cult Members fighting each other.  Queen Chrysalis broke out of her ice entrapment and slid away from Coldnelius Snap, who fired off magical beams of pure cold at her.
“Everyone is accounted for, sis,” Princess Luna said.
“Except for Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia said.  “As soon as I reach the city limits, I will go look for her.”
“Princess Celestia,” Queen Novo said.  “You should be careful out there.  They won’t just aim for Twilight Sparkle, but also for you.”
“I know,” Princess Celestia said.  “And I’m expecting it after what I did.”
“Just be careful, okay?” Queen Novo replied.
Princess Celestia nodded as she ran down the hallway and away from the group.  Princess Luna nodded to Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and Silverstream.
“You ready to leave?” Princess Luna said.
“Lead on,” Queen Novo said with a smirk.
With that, Princess Luna, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar and Baby Silverstream made a run from the doorway and away from the ballroom.

Back inside, as the changelings and cultists continued to fight each other, Waspinator gets up from the table and began to shake himself off.
“Ooooh,” Waspinator said.  “Where are brothers?  Where are soft bugs?  Waspinator feel lonely.”
Once Waspinator finished speaking, Quickstrike jumped through a broken window and landed right next to Waspinator.  Inferno fell down from the wall and landed near his two Predacon brothers.
“That does it,” Quickstrike said. “When I get my hooves on those tin-horned idjits, I’ll kick their keister to Kookamanega!”
“Waspinator with brother Quickstrike,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator want revenge.”
Princess Chrysalis II flew over to the three Predacon Brothers, who lined up and bowed before her.
“Princess,” Inferno said.  “Tell the royalty we will pursue the ponies and get them back.  And tell her it’s personal.”
“I got a better idea,” Chrysalis II said.  “I’m coming with you three so I can scare the fear into Princess Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.”
“Then let us depart, Princess,” Inferno said.  “We shall do this for the glory of the royalty.”
Princess Chrysalis II ran towards the ballroom entrance with Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Queen Chrysalis did what she could to dodge Coldnelius Snap’s blasts of pure cold.  She fired back at the cult leader, who only responded by conjuring up a shield to block off the magic blasts.
“You’re strong,” Coldenlius Snap said with a laugh.  “But my magic is superior to yours.”
“You pompous fool,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “You don’t know the true power of the changeling hive.”
Queen Chrysalis closed her eyes as she transformed into a giant dragon.  Coldenlius Snap looked up at Dragon Chrysalis, who only glared down at the cult leader.
“So you’re here to roast me,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Do your worst.”
As a dragon, Queen Chrysalis breathed a powerful molten flame directly at Coldnelius snap, covering him completely in fire.  She breathed as hard as possible as the flame grew brighter and brighter, until it covered her completely.
“Give into despair,” Queen Chrysalis said as the fire covered Coldnelius Snap.  “You are nothing but ash in the wind.”
Suddenly, the fire disappeared in a burst of pure cold as Coldnelius Snap emerged without a single burn on his robe or his fur.  Dragon Chrysalis was in total shock as Coldnelius Snap dusted his coat off.
“I’m not impressed,” Coldnelius Snap said.
Coldnelius Snap pointed his horn at Queen Chrysalis and fired a powerful ice beam at her.  Before Chrysalis could turn back into her changeling form, she was hit badly and went flying to the ground.
“Impossible,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Dragons are the most powerful creatures in Equestria.”
“Even if it is true,” Coldnelius Snap said as he hovered over Queen Chrysalis.  “They pale in comparison to the chilling cold of the Windigo.”
Coldnelius Snap pointed his horn at Queen Chrysalis and began to charge up, causing the changeling queen to stare at the cult leader in complete fear.
“Any last words you wish to say?” Coldnelius Snap said.
But just as the magic on Coldnelius Snap’s horn began to grow bigger, Queen Chrysalis’s face turned from fear to calm.
“As a matter of fact I do,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “How about an alliance?”
“An alliance?” Coldnelius Snap said as the magic of his horn disappeared.
“Let me explain, “Queen Chrysalis said as she got up on her four legs.  “We may differ in ideals.  But we have one thing in common.  We both desire to make the ponies of Equestria suffer.”
“Is that a fact?” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Go on.”
“While we were all fighting amongs each other,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “The ponies of Equestria have escaped the castle and are now pouring into the city limits as I speak.  Here’s my proposal.  We form an alliance and unite our two groups into one.  Together, we can bring down Princess Celestia and the rest of those weak, pathetic fools.  And soon, the rest of Equestria will fall and we can divide this land, fifty fifty.  It sounds like a swell deal, does it not?  Yesssss.”
“I like how that sounds,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Best Princess Celestia with your changelings at our side.  Very well.”
With that, Queen Chrysalis and Coldnelius Snap held out their hooves and shook it together in a form of friendship.  They turned towards the changelings and cult members, who have stopped fighting and turned their attention towards the two leaders.
“Windigos and Changelings,” Queen Chrysalis and Coldnelius Snap said.  “We have a new objective.  You will work together, capture every pony, and bring down Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.  Only then, will the land belong to all of us.  Now GO!”
The changelings and cultists cheered in the ballroom before they turned towards the ballroom entrance and ran out in two separate files.  Queen Chrysalis and Coldnelius Snap looked at the groups and they both smiled with anticipation.
“This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Queen Chrysalis said.
“Oh it is,” Coldnelius Snap said.
The two leaders laughed loudly as their respective groups exited the ballroom until only they remained.  As Coldnelius Snap stopped laughing, he noticed Senator Twinkle Wish walk through the back entrance from the garden.
“What just happened?” Senator Wish said as she stepped through.
Queen Chrysalis and Coldnelius Snap looked at each other and grinned.  They turned towards Senator Wish and looked down at her.  Senator Twinkle Wish could do nothing but stare at them in fear.
“Oh no,” Senator Wish.  “The parasites have invaded Equestria.”
“And so they have, yessss,” Queen Chrysalis said.
“Despite the way you bragged about how you will keep the peace and Make Equestria  Great Again, you failed,” Coldnelius Snap said. “Soon, all ponies will bow before the Windigo-Changeling alliance.
“A shame that your silly border wall couldn’t keep us out,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “My babies are capable of taking the forms of your own kind to keep you from suspecting us.”
“And my cult is capable of overpowering your own troops and your wall,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “You call it the best prevention effort.  We call it a simple roadblock that can be navigated around.”
Senator Twinkle Wish could do nothing but stand there helplessly as Coldnelius Snap levitated her to a nearby wall.  Queen Chrysalis then spewed a bit of muck on the cowering senator’s body, gluing her to the wall with her head sticking out.  Snap followed by freezing her lower torso down.
“Thank you for amusing us with your stupid wall,” Coldnelius Snap said.
“Now why don’t you hang right there and think about how stupid of you to think that you could keep us out.  Yessss,” Queen Chrysalis said.
The two villains laughed really hard as they turned tail and walked out the front entrance of the ballroom.  Senator Wish just looked on, watching the changeling queen and the cult leader laugh it up until they were out of her sight.
“They’re right,” Senator Wish said as she hung her head in shame.  “I thought a wall could keep them out, but it was nothing to those two delinquents.  Some senator I turned out to be.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Celestia’s Burden

> Arc 18-2: Celestia's Burden
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Celestia’s Burden



It is a bit past midnight at Canterlot Castle.  At the front gates, Chancellor Abacus Cinch ran out as fast as possible with Princess Wanda Young riding atop her back.  Wanda looked back at the castle with a tear falling from her eye.
“Miss Cinch,” Wanda asked.  “Do you think we’ll see them again?”
“As your own mother as my witness,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “We will, princess.  Those invaders be damned.”
“I sure hope so,” Wanda said as she looked forward and held onto Cinch.  “It was one thing to have to stay here in Canterlot.  But to have to flee the very city I felt safe in?”
“We had thought you would be safe here in Canterlot,” Cinch said as she dashed past the castle gates.  “Especially in the castle with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.  But I fear  that the era of safety for you is over.”
“Where will I go now?”  Wanda asked.  “If I can’t be safe in La Maresa and I can’t be safe here, then where can I be safe?”
“I don’t know,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “I have never seen the Windigo’s Guild nor the changelings come this close to overthrowing our kingdom since I was a little lass.  All I can hope for is to see those mongrels kicked out and peace to return.”
As Chancellor Cinch rode through the streets of Canterlot City with Wanda holding onto her, they noticed three flying figures descend towards them.  Wanda covered her face into the back of Cinch’s neck and closed her eyes.
“What are they?” Wanda cried.  “Are they changelings?”
Cinch looked up at the figures and smiled a bit.  She turned to Wanda and said “No.  Wonderbolts.  We have some backup.”
Wanda looked up to see the three Wonderbolts fly down towards the group.  Her frown turned into a smile as she waved to them, all while the three fliers descended down to them.
“Chancellor,” one of the Wonderbolts said.  “Princess Celestia and Captain Airazor gave us the orders to get you three to a safe spot.”
“Well I was hoping we wouldn’t be alone,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“I think we know a good place where you two can hide,” another Wonderbolt said.  “Follow us.  You’ll be safe there.”
The three Wonderbolts took the lead and landed on the ground, galloping as fast as possible down the street.  Chancellor Cinch followed the trio with Wanda riding on top of her.
“Hang on, Princess,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “We’ll be safe with a little security.”
“Thanks,” Wanda said.  “And I don’t mind being called Man’s Cub.”
“Noted,” Cinch said with a smile as she followed the Wonderbolts with Wanda holding onto the Chancellor.

Back at the castle at a nearby hallway, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ran as fast as possible with Night Light and Twilight Velvet riding on top of Celestia’s back.  Right behind them were Queen Novo and Princess Skystar running as fast as possible with Silverstream holding onto Novo’s back.  Directly behind them was an army of changelings and cultists following them.
“These monsters are quick,” Princess Luna said.  “Never expected them to block our way to the Grand Foyer.”
“Not to mention they blocked our path towards the other younglings,” Princess Skystar said.
“We’ll rescue them,” Queen Novo replied.  “Promise.”
“How is it they knew where we were heading to?” Twilight Velvet asked.
“What matters more is getting you out through the back,” Princess Celestia said.
“And what would happen if they realized that we were heading that way?” Night Light asked.
“I’d say, bring it,” Princess Celestia.
As the group ran through the hallway, they noticed a pack of changelings guarding the exit in front of them.  Queen Novo’s face turned to pure determination as she ran up next to Princess Celestia.
“Princess,” Queen Novo said.  “I think it’s time you showed them that your bite is worse than your bark.”
“With pleasure,” Princess Celestia said with a grin.
With her horn glowing brightly, Princess Celestia fired off a magical sphere at the changeling group, who freaked out, turned tail and began to run away.  Celestia, Luna, Novo and Skystar stopped as the sphere hit the floor and exploded, knocking the retreating changelings to the side.
“That’s your bite, eh?” Queen Novo joke.
“That’s more of a nibble compared to my real bite,” Princess Celestia said with a smirk.
As the changelings and cultists flew up behind the group, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turned towards the invaders and charged up their horns.  The changelings and cultists looked at the two Princesses with fear before they turned around and ran back the way they came.  Celestia and Luna’s horns turned off as they looked at the retreating changelings and cultists with a smile on the alicorns’ faces.
“I really need to start biting back more,” Princess Celestia said.
“You said it, sis,” Princess Luna replied.
Queen Novo looked through the exit leading to the garden where the changelings that guarded it were scattered across the grass.  She turned towards Celestia and Luna and said “Now’s our chance.  Let’s escape before its too late.”
Celestia and Luna nodded.  They followed Queen Novo and Princess Skystar through the doorway and into the garden.  Once outside, they looked up to see swarms of changelings dominate the skies.  
Princess Luna turned towards Princess Celestia and said “Let me carry Night Light and Twilight Velvet with me.”
“Are you sure about that,” Princess Celestia asked.
“Between the both of us,” Princess Luna said.  “You have the stronger magic.  And we know that you’re not one to mess with.”
“Even after what we went through in La Maresa?” Princess Celestia asked.
Princess Luna looked at Princess Celestia square in the eyes and said “Yes.”
Celestia nodded as she turned to her side.  Night Light and Twilight Velvet jumped off of Celestia’s back and landed on Princess Luna’s back.  Queen Novo and Princess Skystar walked up to Princess Luna with Silverstream holding onto Queen Novo. 
“It’s time,” Queen Novo said as she extended her wings out. 
Princess Celestia smiled as she looked up at the changeling swarm.  She pointed her horn at the swarm and charged her horn up again before firing off a magical sphere at the unsuspecting invaders.
“This is one raid that they won’t like,” Princess Celestia said with a smile on her face.
The magical sphere hits the unsuspecting changeling swarm and explodes with a bigger radius.  The changelings hit by the radius were knocked out of the sky and they fell uncontrollably to the ground.
Princess Celestia turned her head towards the others and said “Now.  Fly off.  I've got your back.”
Princess Luna nodded as she extended her wings and flew off into the sky with Night Light and Twilight Velvet holding on for dear life.  Queen Novo and Princess Skystar followed from behind with baby Silverstream holding onto Queen Novo before Princess Celestia flew after them.
“Hang in there,” Princess Celestia said to herself as she flew after her sister and the rest of the group.  “We’re going to get out, no matter what.”
Princess Celestia looked to her right to see a pack of changelings fly after her.  The group began to fire on Princess Luna, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Silverstream, Night Light and Twilight Velvet.  Silverstream held onto Queen Novo and closed her eyes.  Twilight Velvet held onto Princess Luna while Night Light held Twilight Velvet close.
“Don’t worry,” Night Light said.  “No matter what happens, I will not let you go.”
“I know,” Twilight Velvet said as she closed her eyes.  “You’ve been at my side since we first met, and I don’t expect to lose you in a long time.”
As Princess Luna, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar flew with Night Light, Twilight Velvet and Silverstream hanging on, Princess Celestia turned her attention towards the changelings firing at the group as she fired some counter shots at the invaders.  One by one, each changeling fell from the sky and landed either on the roof of the building, or in the trees and bushes.  Some slipped through the shots and continued to charge at the group.
“Sister,” Princess Luna yelled.  “They’re still coming.”
“Now would be a good time to launch one of your magic blasts,” Queen Novo said.
“I got a better idea,” Princess Celestia yelled as she flew up in front of the group.
As the changeling swarm flew up to Princess Luna, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Silverstream, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, Princess Celestia flew up to the charging changeling group, remaining stationary in the air as they flew in closer and closer.  The moment they came up to her, Celestia lit her horn and emitted a shield in front of her.  The changelings barely had any time to react before they slammed right into the shield and got knocked off, falling down towards the roof of the castle.
“Clever,” Princess Luna said.  “Quite clever.”
Princess Celestia smiled as she lead Princess Luna, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar through the sky and away from the garden, all while Night Light, Twilight Velvet and Silverstream held on.
Down in the garden below, many changelings struggled to get up from the fall.  One was able to barely get on his legs and looked at the alicorns flying away from them.
“Curse those Mary Sues and their powers,” the lone changeling said.  He turned to the others and said “Get out the secret weapon to nullify their alicorn magic.”

At the garden in the front of the castle, the guests waited with anxiety while Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Buck Withers, Gad Zookes and Lemony Gem looked at the entrance, now guarded by changelings and cult members.
“Where is everyone else?” Princess Cadance said as she paced back and forth.  “Sunset Shimmer, mother and Aunt Luna are not out yet.”
“It’s going to be alright,” Shining Armor said.  “Princess Celestia will get out.  So will my mom and dad.”
“I know we’ve been in danger before back in La Maresa,” Princess Cadance said.  “But never like this.”
“I heard about what happened in La Maresa,” Buck Withers said.  “Personally, I wish I was there to help out in any way possible.”
“That makes two of us,” Lemony Gem said. 
“None of us knew that the Windigo’s Guild would strike in La Maresa,” Shining Armor said.  “They caught us off guard when we least expect it.”
“And they had to go and pull it off again here in Canterlot,” Princess Cadance said.  “Sometimes, I feel like there is no safe spot anywhere in Equestria.  Not even for mother and Aunt Luna.”
Gad Zookes turned his head to the sky and his eyes popped out a bit.  He turned to the others and said “Hey speaking of which, guess who’s managed to break loose?”
Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Buck Withers and Lemony Gem turned upward to see Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar fly down from the sky and land near them.  The crowd around them cheered loudly as Night Light and Twilight Velvet leaped off of Princess Luna’s back while Silverstream cuddled up to Queen Novo.
“Mother, Aunt Luna,” Princess Cadance said as she gave both Celestia and Luna a big hug.  “I thought you both were trapped in the castle.”
“We had a hard time trying to escape,” Princess Celestia said.  “But we got out, safe and sound.”
Nearby, Shining Armor ran up to Twilight Velvet and gave her a big hug while Night Light placed his arm around his son’s back.
“Mom, dad,” Shining Armor said.  “I thought I’d lost you both.”
“We’re still here, son,” Twilight Velvet said.  “There’s no way we would be lost to those monsters.”
“I take it that was what you encountered back in La Maresa,” Night Light said.
“If you’re talking about the Windigo’s Guild,” Shining Armor said. “Then yes.  But not the changelings.”
Buck Withers walked up to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and said “We were the only ones who got out safe.  Everyone else is still trapped inside the castle.”
Princess Celestia let go of Princess Cadance as she looked at the entrance of the castle.  A group of changelings guarded the front with extreme prejudice, glaring down at the evacuees.
“We gotta go back in and get everyone else out,” Princess Celestia said.
“Right,” Princess Luna replied as she kept her eyes on the changelings.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ran up to the changelings guarding the castle and charged up the magic in their horns as the changelings stood their ground.  But just as the two approached the castle, their magic disappeared without a trace, forcing them to come to a stop.
“What happened?” Princess Celestia said.
“Our magic,” Princess Luna said.  “It’s gone.”
Locust, one of the changelings guarding the entrance, approached boat princesses and said “It appears the rest of the hive was wise to activate our secret weapon: An ancient stone capable of blocking alicorn magic.”
“You what?” Princess Celestia yelled as Queen Novo ran up next to the princesses.
“That’s right,” Locust laughed.  “We knew you would try to come back in and rescue the other hostages.  But as long as we have the stone by our side, your magic is useless.”
“That means even I can’t get back in and rescue Sunset Shimmer and the other younglings,” Princess Cadance said.
“You are nothing more than a group of despicable beings,” Queen Novo said as she stomped towards the changelings.  “The fact that you pulled that stunt just to lock the princesses out is sadistic.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Queen Novo,” Locust said.  “But that being said, if you try to get up close and personal, we will overwhelm you and drag you back in the castle as our hostage.”
Queen Novo stared at Locust with total disgust, looking like she was about to leap at the changeling and to tear him apart.
“Mother, don’t,” Princess Skystar said as she gently puts her paw on Queen Novo’s shoulder.  “I don’t want to lose you that way.”
Queen Novo looked down at Princess Skystar, who stared at her.  The elder hippogriff hugged her daughter tight and said “Don’t worry.  I won’t make that mistake my daughter.”  Silverstream jumped off from Queen Novo’s back and snuggled up to Princess Skystar, cooing gently in the youngling’s chest.
Locust just laughed at the two hippogriffs and said “Do you now see?  It is useless for you to rescue the rest of the gala goers.  You are lost without the rest of the kids trapped inside and….”
But before Locust could finish speaking, he was hit by a blast of magic.  Locust got up and shook his head before he yelled “WHO HIT ME?  I THOUGHT ALICORNS COULDN’T FIGHT BACK!”
“Alicorns can’t fight back,” Shining Armor said as his horn was smoking hot.  “But Unicorns are still capable of striking back at you, coward.”
Locust just laughed and said “A treacherous sneak attack.  I knew I should have brought a more powerful stone.  But no matter.  As long as you can’t get past us, you cannot reach the others.  So give it up, already.”
As Locust laughed and rejoined the other changelings, Princess Celestia saw Airazor and a group of Wonderbolts descend from the sky and land near the alicorn princess.
“Captain Airazor,” Princess Celestia said.  “You made it.”
“We made it our mission to locate you and get you and the other royals out after we escorted Princess Cadance, Shining Armor and the other guests from the castle,” Airazor said.  “But it seems you managed to escape in time.”
“Sadly,” Princess Luna said.  “We can’t say the same for the others who are still trapped inside the castle.” 
“What about Wanda?” Queen Novo asked.  “And the chancellor?”
Airazor turned her head to Queen Novo and said “I’ve sent two fliers to escort them to a safe location deep within Canterlot City. They should be alright.  And I know you didn’t bring up Twilight Sparkle, ”  Those words gave Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet and Night Light a breath of reassurance.
“I hope that you do find Twili,” Shining Armor said.  “If anything happened to her, I don’t know what I would go through.”
Airazor put her hoof on Shining Aamor’s shoulder and said “Don’t worry.  She will be found and she will be safe.  You have my word.” 
Princess Celestia wiped the sweat off her forehead and said “Thanks Airazor.  I owe you a lot for what you did.”
“Anytime, Princess,” Airazor said as she took her hoof off Shining Armor’s shoulder before turning her attention to the castle.
“I take it you’re looking to rescue the others still trapped in the castle,” Princess Celestia said.
Airazor gave Celestia a smug look on her face and said “That’s the plan.  No one is staying there while they suffer under those fiends.”
Princess Celestia fired back with her smug look and said “Then go get em, tiger.  No one is left behind.”
Airazor laughed and said “Will do, Major.”
Airazor extended her wings and took off with the other Wonderbolts following from behind.  Princess Celestia just looked at the fliers take off while Princess Luna just sat right next to them.
“That’s Airazor, alright,” Princess Luna said.  “Still as arrogant as she was since she was a junior Wonderbolt.”
“And that’s what I like about her,” Princess Celestia replied.  “Had a changeling tried to come down pretending to be her, I would have caught that one hundred percent.”
“Very observant,” Queen Novo said.  “You sure know your subjects very well.”
“Well when you take the  magic of friendship to a creed,” Celestia said.  “Then you will know every one of your subjects like they are family.  It’s both a good thing, and a bad thing.”
“I see,” Queen Novo said.  “Sometimes, it is sad to lose the ones we love.  I just hope it’s not too late for the younglings who are still trapped in the castle or in the streets.”
“Knowing Airazor,” Princess Celestia said.  “She’s one of the most dedicated Wonderbolts, and I couldn’t have it any other way.”

Meanwhile, in another part of Canterlot City, Twilight Sparkle was walking all alone in the streets with Baby Spike on her back, shivering in fear as she looked around the corners of the city.  The skirt on her dress was covered in mud, and her face just looked tired.
“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Twilight said as she swallowed with a hard gulp.  “I know I was upset at Princess Celestia.  But maybe I shouldn’t have made a run for it when the Windigo’s Guild blocked me off from mom.  Man, I do miss everyone.”
Spike gave a reassuring coo to Twilight as she patted her on the neck area.
“You’re right, Spike,” Twilight said.  “Maybe if we head back to my place, we can hunker down there until the coast is clear.
With a kicking of her front legs in the air, Twilight Sparkle ran off down the alleyway with Spike holding onto her.  
“You know Spike,” Twilight said.  “I feel like I’ve disappointed everyone with what I said to Princess Celestia, that I never wanted to see everyone in the castle ever again.  I just hope that this doesn’t become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  I want to see my parents, my friends and Princess Celestia again, and apologize for what I said.”
Spike held on as tight as possible, all while giving a reassuring coo to Twilight.
“I know,” Twilight said.  “And I’m glad to have you by my side, Spike.  I don’t know what would happen if you were to separate from me.”
But as Twilight ran down the alley, she suddenly came to a stop as her face turned white.  Right in front of her were three changelings staring at her soul.
“Cha…..changelings,” Twilight said as Spike hid behind her.
“Welcome Twilight Sparkle,” one of the changelings said.  “To your doom.”
Twilight Sparkle let out a loud scream into the skies of Canterlot as the night grew darker and darker.




	To Be Continued in….


	The Children’s Plight

> Arc 18-3: The Children's Plight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


	The Children’s Plight



In the Grand Foyer, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright lead Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Prince Hoofar and Ocellus through from the ballroom.  Though the foyer was empty, it was also dark and dreary.
“Why are we running as fast as possible?” Trixie said.  “They should be busy fighting each other.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “The moment one of the two sides overpower each other, they are going to come by and thwart our escape.”
“Sounds like words to live by,” Moondancer said.  “Let’s hope we don’t have to run into either group.”
“Just as long as we exit through the castle entrance,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We should be alright.”
Sunset, Abigail and the other younglings run through the front gate, rushing through the archway and into the open night of Canterlot City.  But suddenly, Sunset Shimmer came to a complete stop, causing the others to stop as well.
“Hey,” Danged Spell said.  “What’s going on here?  Why’d you stop, Sunset?”
Sunset Shimmer pointed right in front of her.  Everyone looked to see an army of changelings and cultists standing firm at them with their magic charged up.  The younglings all stood there defenseless while Abigail hissed at the crowd in front of them.
“Cultists,” Starlight said.
“Changelings,” Sunburst replied.
“Working together,” Starlight said.
“Bad news,” Sunburst replied.
“Enough with the talk,” Sunset yelled.  “Back inside.”
Immediately, Sunset Shimmer turned tail and ran back inside as the others followed suit.  The changelings and cult members followed the colts and fillies back into the Grand Foyer of the castle.
Inside, the younglings all made a hard left as they followed Sunset Shimmer down the hallway with changelings and cultists chasing after them.
“We need a way to distract those monsters from all of us,” Fluttershy yelled.
“Yeah,” Golden Lace said.  “I know you’re familiar with the Windigo’s Guild, but I’m kinda new at this.”
Sunset turned her head towards her left side and said “Rainbow Dash.  Spitfire.  Could you two create a diversion?”
The two pegasi fillies salued Princess Sunset Shimmer as Spitfire said “Will do.”
Immediately, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire turned towards the group of changelings and windigos as they took off after them with blinding speed.  They connected and rammed a number of changelings and cultists out of the way, knocking them to the ground.  Some of the changelings and cultists went after Rainbow Dash and Spitfire while the rest continued their pursuit of the rest of the group.
“Sunset,” Danged Spell said.  “Let me aid them.”
“No Spell,” Sunset said.  “I need you in case of an emergency.”
But when Sunset looked away from Danged Spell, she and the rest of the group came to a stop.  Princess Chrysalis II stood there with Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator directly behind her.
“Going somewhere, Princess Sunset Shimmer?” Princess Chrysalis II said.
“You’re not leaving these parts, you snake in the boot varmints,” Quickstrike said as he lashed his tail like a whip.
Sunset turned towards Danged Spell and said “Lead them away.  I’ll handle the spoiled princess.”
“Right,” Danged Spell said.  He turned towards the group and said “Come with me if you want to live.”
With that, Danged Spell ran to the right and down another hallway with the group following right behind them sans Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright.  Princess Chrysalis II looked at the younglings running away before turning to the Predacon Brothers.
“Don’t let them get away,” Princess Chrysalis II said.
“At once, my princess,” Inferno said.
With that, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator flew after the youngling group.  Princess Chrysalis II stared down Sunset Shimmer and let out a few cackles.
“I’ve waited a long time to face one of the daughters of Princess Celestia,” Princess Chrysalis II said as Sunset stood her ground and Abigail hissed at her. 
“What you’re going to face is a kick to the rear area,” Sunset said.  “I may be Princess Celestia’s adopted daughter.  But I’m not one who holds back.”
Oh please,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “You against me?  You’re horribly outclassed.”
Sunset smirked before he charged up and fired a blast of magical energy at Princess Chrysalis II.  It was enough to knock her down and cause her to tumble around the floor.
“Outclassed, am I?”  Sunset said as Abigail growled at Chrysalis II.  “I don’t think so.”
Princess Chrysalis II got up and glanced over at Sunset Shimmer with her teeth shown to her.  She rubbed her hoof on the carpet and aimed her horn at Sunset Shimmer.
“I was going to go easy on you,” Chrysalis II said.  “But since you decided to play dirty, I’m going to return the favor.”
Sunset Shimmer smiled and said “Bring it, jabroni.”

Meanwhile, the group of younglings continued down the hall as they were chased by the cultists and the changelings with the Predacon Brothers leading the pack.  Danged Spell ran as hard as he could, leading the group through the halls of the castle.
“Are you sure you know your way through this grand palace?” Rarity asked.
“No, I’m afraid not,” Danged Spell said.  “But I think the goal is to keep ahead of those monsters and to keep you all safe.”
“This has got to be our worst nightmare ever,” Ditzy Doo cried.
“Relax,” Trixie said.  “We’ll get through this.”
As the group encountered a split hallway, a barrier of ice popped up from the middle, splitting the group into two.  Danged Spell, Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, Cozy Glow, Golden Lace, and Pinkie PIe ran towards the left side while Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Fluttershy, Prince Hoofar and Baby Ocellus ran towards the right side.  The two groups looked at each other helplessly as the army of changelings and cultists edged closer to them.
“Looks like we have to go our separate ways,” Danged Spell said as he held his hoof towards Prince Hoofar.  “Can you guide them to safety?”
“I will do just that,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Keep yourself and your group safe.”
“Best of luck to you, Prince of Saddle of Arabia,” Danged Spell said as he bowed to Prince Hoofar.
With that, Danged Spell and Prince Hoofar lead their respective groups away from the wall of ice as the giant group of changelings and cultists split down the ice with Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator flying after Danged Spell’s group.
“Come,” Inferno said.  “We’ll go after this group. The rest of our alliance will pursue the other.”
“Oooooh,” Waspinator said.  “Like blasting maggots in a barrel.  Waspinator like this plan.”
“Alright,” Quickstrike said as they flew towards Danged Spell’s group.  “I can’t wait to bring them back to the boss.”
Danged Spell, Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow ran as fast as they could as the group of changelings and cultists began to catch up.  Cozy Glow flew up to Danged Spell and tapped his shoulder.
“Spell,” Cozy Glow said.  “I don’t know if we can keep ahead of these turkeys.”
“We have no choice,” Danged Spell said.  “We need to keep ahead of those turkeys, or our goose is cooked.”
“Hey,” Pinkie Pie said.  “If Fluttershy heard that, she would flip out.”
“My apologies,” Danged Spell replied.  “But it was meant to be a warning to not get lazy.
As the group ran as fast as possible, Inferno, Quickstrike and Wapsinator flew in front of the younglings with their horns pointed at them.
“You’re finished, ponies,” Inferno yelled.  “Surrender, or you shall burn.”
The group of younglings continued to run as fast as possible, much to the annoyment of the Predacons.
“Beat it you bugs,” Applejack yelled.  “We don’t want your presence here.”
“Now that ain’t nice to talk to a real southern cowpoke around here you little rascal,” Quickstrike yelled.
“For your information,“ Rarity yelled as she kept her eye on Quickstrike.  “You don’t even qualify to be a fake cow pony with that attitude of yours.”
“A fake cow pony?” Quickstrike said.  “That’s some real sharp words you sour puss.”
Rarity came to a complete stop and her teeth began to clench again. Danged Spell and the others stopped to watch Rarity look up at Quickstrike and growled with anger.
“Oh no,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “Not again.”
“So a stupid word like sour puss is a trigger word for this little snowflake,” Quickstrike said as he charged up a shot at Rarity.  “Here.  Let me melt the ice for ya.”
But before he could fire, Rarity fired off a shot of magic right at Quickstrike, sending the changeling flying until he crashed rear-first into a wall.
“Quickstrike you fool,” Inferno yelled.  “Never call the beast that word.”
“You darn right you don’t call me a sour puss,” Rarity yelled.  “And that goes double for you insects.”
Waspinator flew up to Rarity, who looked really peeved at the unicorn filly.  He breathed really hard and foamed at the mouth.
“No pony hurts Waspinator’s brother and gets away with it,” Waspinator snarled.  “Waspinator will spank spoiled brat and teach her a lesson.”
“Do your worst,” Rarity said as Waspinator’s wings buzzed rapidly   
Danged Spell and the others stood there as Rarity stared down Waspinator.   Applejack and Pinkie Pie looked like they were about to approach the angry unicorn.
“No,” Danged Spell said.  “It’s too risky.”
“Are you saying that the bug is going to squash us?” Pinkie Pie said.
“That’s exactly why,” Danged Spell replied.  “I’m not going to get you hurt.”
“But what about Rarity?” Applejack said.  “She could get hurt.”
An anxious Cozy Glow just got up and yelled “To Tatarus with this.  I’m going to intervene.”
“Cozy, wait,” Danged Spell yelled.
But Cozy Glow ignored Danged Spell and flew off towards Rarity and Waspinator, who still stared at each other.
“Now pony bug,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator will prepare the punishment for pony bug.”
“You?” Rarity said.  “After what I did to you early ago, you’re nothing.”
“Waspinator is great changeling,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator is invincible.”
Suddenly, Cozy Glow flew up to Waspinator and kicked the bug right in the face, sending him flying uncontrolled through the hallway.
“NOOOOOOOO!” Waspinator yelled.  “WASPINATOR NEVER GOT HIS REVENGE!”
With a loud crash, Waspinator crash landed into a corner of the hallway, groaning in pain.  Cozy Glow flew down and reached out towards Rarity.
“Come on,” Cozy Glow said.  “We gotta get out of here.”
“Alright,” Rarity said as she grabbed Cozy Glow’s arm.  “But I’m disappointed that you stole my fun from me.”
“Your fun?”  Cozy laughed. “Oh please.  I’ve got issues bigger than yours, sister.”
Rarity and Cozy Glow ran up to the group, where Danged Spell just stood there tapping his hoof on the group.
“You both realize that we have our own pursuers just standing there waiting for us to run while we mess around just for some silly filler for the reader,” Pinkie Pie said.
“Pinkie,” Danged Spell said.  “Leave the fourth wall alone and let’s jet.”
“Oh.  Right,” Pinkie Pie said.
Danged Spell grabbed Pinkie Pie, Cozy Glow and Rarity and ran off with Applejack, Moondancer and Golden Lace following from behind.  Inferno looked down at the younglings as Quickstrike got himself unstuck from the wall and Waspinator limped down the pathway.  They fly up to Inferno, whose eye on the younglings remains fixed
“Brothers,” Inferno said.  “Pursue those brats.  I’ll go after the other set.”
“You got it, big brother,” Quickstrike said as he grabbed Waspinator and flew off in pursuit of the group of younglings with the rest of the changeling and windigo crowd going after them.
“If we can’t get one group,” Inferno said as he turned tail.  “Then another group will do fine for the royalty.”
With that, Inferno flew off in the opposite direction in hopes of catching up with the other crew.

Down the empty hallway, Danged Spell let his group through as the changelings and windigos were back in pursuit.  
“This is something I don't get,” Moondancer yelled.  “Why exactly did they stop when we stopped?”
“I think I can answer that,” Applejack said as she looked up at Quickstrike and Waspinator.  “Those changelings in front that are following us are the ones who lead the pack.”
“Figures they have a leader to control what to do,” Golden Lace said.  “Though something about them has a taste of incompetence.”
“That’s way too honest,” Applejack said.  “Even for my mouth.”
As the group ran as fast as possible, Quickstrike and Waspinator flew up to the front and landed right in front of the younglings, causing them to stop again.  The changelings and cultists stopped as well, blocking the path of the colt and fillies from going back the other way.
“Trapped like rats,” Danged Spell said.  “Not even my wolf’s breath curse can get us through.”
“Oh you ain’t getting out of here you sickly coyote,” Quickstrike said.  “We’re gonna wrangle you varmints and present you to our queen.”
“Waspinator likes wrangling,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator once wrangled a herd of cows in one go.”
“Ahh quit showing off and wrangle those pests, brother,” Quickstrike yelled.
“Oh, right,” Waspinator said.
With that, Waspinator approached Danged Spell, Moondancer, Applejack, Rarity, Cozy Glow, Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie.  The group of younglings held together in one pack while right behind them, the changelings and cultists walked up behind them, inching closer to the group.
“Can’t believe those goonies got the best of us,” Moondancer said.
“So where’s Princess Celestia when you need her the most?” Rarity asked.
“I’ll take anything,” Golden Lace said.  “I don’t care who saves us.  I want out of this nightmare.”
“That makes two of us,” Cozy Glow said as Waspinator inched closer to her.
“Waspinator will teach cutie bug a lesson for treating Waspinator like a football,” Waspinator said.
Suddenly, an aura of magic surrounded Waspinator and lifted him into the air.  The green changeling began to freak out as he shook her arms and legs in desperation.
“Who’s lifting Waspinator,” Waspinator said as he struggled to pull himself away.  “Waspinator is not a marionette without strings.  Waspinator is…”
But before Waspinator could finish speaking, he is suddenly crushed into the shape of a ball before being flicked downwards.  The changelings and cultists tried to back off, only to be hit by Waspinator and knocked to the side.
“Hey,” Quickstrike yelled.  “Who did that?”
Pinkie Pie, Cozy Glow and Applejack looked at Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Moondancer and Rarity, who’s horns were cold.
“Wasn’t us,” Danged Spell said.
“So who is responsible for that assistance?” Applejack asked.
“I think that guy is responsible,” Golden Lace said as she pointed down the hallway.
Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Cozy Glow looked down the hallway to see the figure of a colt walking towards the group.  Quickstrike looked down and his eyes began to twitch.
“Okay, stranger,” Quickstrike said.  “Who the heck are ya, and what did you do to my brother?”
The figure emerged from the darkness to reveal himself to be…
“Prince Blueblood?” Danged Spell, Moondancer, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow said.
“Him?” Rarity said with her jaw wide open.
Prince Blueblood stared down Quickstrike with his eyes fixated on the Predcaon.  Quickstrike took a few steps forward as he hissed at the colt prince.
“Okay you tin-horned idjit,” Quickstrike said.  “You think that’s funny to mess with my brother?  I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”
Quickstrike transformed into a giant scorpion and started lashing out at Prince Blueblood.  The young prince dodged the stinger of Quickstrike’s scorpion form as he fired back at the predacon.
“Oh,” Quickstrike said as he lashed out at Blueblood.  “You think you’re so cute with those moves?  You think you’re so special?”
“Oh I’m not special,” Prince Blueblood said, dodging the tail stinger of scorpion Quickstrike. “You on the other hoof, you remind me of who I once was.”
“Well ain’t that cute?”  Quickstrike said.  “BUT IT’S WRONG!”
Quickstrike raised his scorpion stinger tail high into the air.  Prince Blueblood stood there, waiting for the moment to strike.
“Okay tin horns,” Quickstrike said.  “Time to squeal.”
Suddenly, Quickstrike yelled out in pain.  He looked down and saw Danged Spell, whose eyes glowed bright, had bitten into one of his legs.  
“YOU SNEAKY POLECAT,” Quickstrike yelled as he struggled to shake Danged Spell off his leg.  “GET OFF MY LEG YOU RATTLESNAKE!”
Prince Blueblood looked at scorpion Quickstrike and smirked before firing off a blast of magic.  The spell connects to Quickstrike’s face, causing him to flying from the floor, all while Danged Spell lets go of Quickstrike’s leg and barks wildly at him.
“YOU BACKSTABBING, NO GOOD, VULTURE!” Quickstrike yelled as his scorpion form crashed into the group of changelings and cult members, even landing right on top of Waspinator.
As the changelings and cult members struggled to get out from under scorpion Quickstrike, Danged Spell continued to bark wildly at the group before Prince Blueblood walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder, causing the clown of a colt to snap out of his trance.
“That’s enough,” Prince Blueblood said.  “I think we taught them a lesson for now.”
“So now what do we do?” Danged Spell asked.
“Come with me,” Prince Blueblood said as he turned tail.  “I’m getting you all out of here.”
Prince Blueblood ran off in the opposite direction with Danged Spell, Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow following right behind him.
“I don’t believe it,” Rarity said, confused.  “After what he did to us, Prince Blueblood is helping us?”
“This is starting to confuse me as well,” Moondancer replied.

Meanwhile, in another hall, Prince Hoofar and Baby Ocellus lead Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst ,Ditzy Doo, Trixie and Fluttershy down another hallway with their group of changelings and cultists pursuing them.
“These bugs and ice cold ponies don’t know when to quit,” Trixie yelled.
“They’re going to catch up,” Ditzy Doo yelled.
“Stay calm,” Prince Hoofar said.  We’ll find a way to evade the invaders.”
The youngling group made a run around the nearby corner as the swarm of changelings and cultists ran towards them.  Down the corner, the swarm of changelings and cultists ran down in hopes of catching up to the youngling group.
But hidden in a nearby doorway, Prince Hoofar stuck his head out to see the swarm run far down the hall without noticing them.  
“The coast is clear,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Come this way.  And be quiet about it.”
Prince Hoofar and Baby Ocellus slowly made their way out the door and back up the same hallway they ran down early ago.  Right behind them, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie and Fluttershy followed from behind.  
“This is a very risky move,” Starlight said as she looked behind her.  “Who knows if those goons will figure us out and chase us back this way.”
“We’ve got no other choice, Starlight,” Sunburst said.  “If we don’t find a way out of the castle, someone will try to look for us and fall into a trap by the changelings and the Windigo’s Guild.”
“But I’m feeling really nervous here,” Starlight said.  “Have you ever had the feeling that you were being watched?”
"We all do," Trixie said.  "Between the Windigo's Guild that we thought was in the past with the disaster at the fair, and now the changelings, we are all on high alert."
"I just hope that all future events aren't canceled because of those meanies," Ditzy Doo said.
"They won't," Sunburst said.  "Equestria is too proud of its culture to abandon everything out of pure fear."
As the group continued down the hallway, Fluttershy's ears began to twitch.  Her eyes gaze down a nearby hallway of the castle.
"Guys," Fluttershy said. "I think I hear the sound of animals crying."
"Wait," Trixie said.  "In this castle?"
"I think it was the same animals that Fluttershy was obsessed with," Starlight said, causing Fluttershy to blush with embarrassment.
"Then it sounds like they may need our help," Baby Ocellus said. "If I know my former queen, she can use those cocoons to turn any being into a changeling version of its former self."
"What do you all say?" Prince Hoofar said.  "Should we rescue those animals?"
Fluttershy raised her hoof in the air and said "I may have been careless with those animals.  But as Celestia as my witness, I will never let them become changelings."
Prince Hoofar let out a small chuckle and said “Very well then.  Lead the way.”
Immediately, Fluttershy took off down the hallway with Starlight, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Baby Ocellus and Prince Hoofar following from behind.

In another room, a number of animals from the garden, from a toucan to a kangaroo, and even some bunnies and raccoons were glued down to the floor as a small group of changelings surrounded them.  A set of cocoons were right next to them, sealed up with what appears to be various animals in a suspended state.  Nearby, a door opens a bit and Fluttershy takes a peak in, with her face becoming frightened by the presence of the animals.
“Oh no,” Fluttershy said.  “The changelings got their hooves on the animals.”
“Let me see,” Trixie said as she squeezed her head below Fluttershy and took a peak in.
Inside, one of the raccoons was grabbed by a changeling drone and ripped off from the changeling goop that held him down to the floor.  The changelings threw the raccoon into one of the many cocoons nearby and sealed it away by hacking up more goop to cover the opening.
“What exactly are they doing?” Trixie said as she couldn’t take her eyes off.
“Those cocoons aren’t just a prison pod,” Baby Ocellus said.  “They’re used to assimilate any and all creatures into a changeling-variation of their former selves.”
“A what?” Trixie asked.
“Watch and observe,” Baby Ocellus said as she pointed to another cocoon pod.
Inside the pod, another raccoon that appeared to be completely black with holes all around its limbs stood perfectly still in status.  Two of the changelings approached the pod, opened their mouths and sunk their teeth into the exterior of the cocoon’s shell.  With one tug, the cocoon pod came open as the now changelified raccoon pours out of the cocoon, covered in a sticky liquid.  The raccoon got up and looked at itself, horrified by the transformation.
At the doorway, Trixie’s jaw dropped down in horror as Fluttershy became enraged.  Prince Hoofar had stuck his head out, seeing the raccoon after it had transformed into a changeling variation, with Baby Ocellus frowning at the scene.
“This is what happens to every creature that gets thrown into those...cocoons?” Trixie said.
“Yes,” Ocellus said as Starlight, Sunburst and Ditzy Doo poked their head through the door.  “In Queen Chrysalis’s mind, she wants everyone to be more like her, even if their former self was not a pony.”
“So many of the changelings used to be...ponies?” Starlight said as she began to cower a bit behind the door.
“I don’t have all the details,” Baby Ocelus said.  “But yes.  And there are a few non-pony changelings in our hive.”
“The big question is,” Prince Hoofar said as he stuck his head in.  “What should be done about the changeling cocoon?”
Fluttershy stomped her hoof on the floor.  She stepped out of the doorway, much to the shock of her friends.
“Fluttershy,” Starlight said.  “What are you doing?”
But Fluttershy ignored Starlight’s plea as she marched down towards the changelings, who were unaware of her presence.
“Fluttershy,” Sunburst said.  “Come back here.”
But before Sunburst could run after her, Prince Hoofar held his arm up to stop the younger colt.
“As foolish as it is to do what she’s doing,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Stopping her is even more foolish.”
“Why do you say that?” Sunburst asked.
“A pony who is connected to the animals,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Is a far more dangerous pony.  Even one who is a filly or a colt.”
“Now why would you say that?” Starlight asked in an outraged tone.
“That’s easy,” Prince Hoofar said as he rolled up his sleeve and showed a bite mark on his upper arm.  “I made that mistake once back in Saddle Arabia by accident.”
Fluttershy marched towards the changeling group, who were still unaware of the filly’s presence.  She tapped on the shoulder of one of the changelings, causing him to turn his head towards Fluttershy.
“What in the?” The changeling said.
“No pony pushes those animals around,” Fluttershy yelled.  “NO PONY!”
But before any of the changelings could react, Fluttershy grabbed one of them by the tail with her teeth and flew up near the ceiling.  She spun 'em around and around before letting the insect go, sending him flying right into his comrades and knocking them to the ground.
“Now,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Let’s give her some assistance.”
Prince Hoofar and Baby Ocellus lead Starlight, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo and Trixie through the room.  The changelings were about to get up when they saw the youngling group approach them.
“What in the name of our queen?” One of the changelings said.
“It’s the escapees,” the other said.
But before they could move an inch, Starlight and Trixie blasted them out of the way with their magic, sending them rolling to the side.  
“Quick,” another changeling said.  “Contact the queen.”
Another changeling gave out a salute and was about to take off.  But before he could run, he noticed Ditzy Doo approaching him.
“Hah,” That changeling laughed.  “This one is no match for us.”
But as Ditzy Doo ran towards the changeling, she tripped and spun into a barrel roll, barrelling down towards the changeling in question.
“I spoke too soon,” the changeling said as he leaped into the air and began to fly off.
Ditzy Doo continued to roll down the room uncontrollably.  She bumped into a nearby table and went flying upwards, still curled up into a ball.  With a great amount of speed, she crashed into the flying changeling, sending the pest falling towards the ground.  Ditzy landed nearby, uncurled onto her tummy and looked dazed.
“That was way past cool,” Ditzy said as her head spun around.
Trixie ran up to Ditzy Doo and rubbed the filly’s forehead rapidly, causing the filly to snap out of her trance.
“You okay?” Trixie asked.
“I’m fine,” Ditzy Doo replied.  “Thanks.”
As Trixie got Ditzy Doo on her four legs, Prince Hoofar and Baby Ocelus along with Starlight, Sunburst and Fluttershy chased out the changelings as they trashed the cocoons and released the animals from inside.  A couple of the bunnies looked up to Fluttershy, who only stared down at the critters with a feeling of remorse.
“Little ones,” Fluttershy said.  “I know chasing you early ago was wrong, and I should have known better.  But seeing those changelings turn you into one of them was a bridge too far.  I didn’t want to see you suffer and that’s why I chose to help you out.  I know you don’t trust me, and you don’t have to.  It’s up to you if you wish to trust me or not.”
Fluttershy nodded to the animals and walked back towards her friends.  Prince Hoofar approached Fluttershy and placed his hoof on her shoulder.
“Though your initial approach was reckless,” Prince Hoofar said.  “You at least showed some courage to stand up for those animals and drive off the changelings.  We’re all proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Fluttershy said with a sigh of relief.  “It’s just that…”
But before Fluttershy could speak, Prince Hoofar put his hoof on Fluttershy’s nose and said “Seeing any animal get harmed is what causes you to lose it?  I know how that feels.  It’s something I’m not proud of, even though what I did was an accident.”
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said.  “I didn’t know.”
Starlight ran up to Fluttershy and Prince Hoofar and said “Well I think now may be the time to make a run for it before more changelings and the windigo meanies show up.”
“Point taken,” Fluttershy and Hoofar said.
With a kick into the air, Prince Hoofar and Fluttershy ran off towards the nearby doorway with Baby Ocellus, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo and Trixie following right behind them.  The animals, now freed from their captivity, noticed the younglings running through the doorway.  Without a second thought, they ran after the group, hoping to get away from their nightmare.
But as soon as they were gone without a trace, Inferno flew in through the opposite door, and noticed the cocoons were trashed, the animals were missing and not a single changeling was in sight.
“Blast it,” Inferno said.  “All of our hard work to convert all into loyal changelings have been sabotaged.  But it doesn't matter.  We will recapture the ponies and their animal friends, and convert them to our loyal changeling servants.  And we will deal with the traitor Ocellus.”
Inferno stood tall as he breathed out fire from his mouth.  He looked down towards an open door as his eyes shined brightly.
“Just you wait, you sniveling ponies,” Inferno said.  “I will recapture you and make you pay for your determination to survive.  No one outwits our Queen and gets away with it.  For the glory of the royalty,” 


With that, Inferno flew into the air and out the doorway, looking for the younglings and the animals that went with them.


	To Be Continued in…


	The Children’s Fight.

> Arc 18-4: The Children's Fight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Children’s Fight




At the Grand Foyer of the Castle, Sunset Shimmer dodged a number of magical blasts emitted from Chrysalis II’s horn.  Though she was quick on her hooves, sweat poured from Sunset’s head as the changeling filly continued to fire on her.
“Awww,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “It looks like you may be on the verge of collapse.  It’s typical that ponies like you can’t last long against a prodigy.”
“You?”  Sunset said as she panted while continuing to dodge magic blasts.  “I’ve been through a lot worse than you.  And you can thank the Windigo’s Guild for being a real challenge against me, considering that they actually kidnapped me, my sister, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara and even little Abigail.”
“Abigail?” Chrysalis II laughed.  “Where is this Abigail you keep talking about?”
Suddenly, Abigail leaped out of nowhere and jumped on Chrysalis II’s rear, digging her claws into the changeling’s behind while meowing loudly.  The changeling princess screamed in pain before Sunset blasted her in the face with magic of her own.
“There’s your answer, bug,” Sunset Shimmer said as Abigail leaped off Chrysalis II’s butt and landed near Sunset Shimmer.  “She’s as much of a companion of ours as Wanda is my sister.  And I stand by that, one hundred percent.”
Chrysalis II sucked in really hard as she directed her gaze at Abigail, who merely hissed at her. Sunset Shimmer wiped the sweat off her brow as her smile never left her face.
“You did that on purpose,” Chrysalis II said.  “You let that stupid cat claw into me just so you can pull a fast one.”  With that, Chrysalis II fired a blast at Sunset Shimmer, who merely dodged it.
“Just like how you and your mother decided to ambush us at our own Grand Gallopin Gala?” Sunset Shimmer replied with a grin on her face, angering Chrysalis II.
“You think you can one-up me with that tongue of yours?” Chrysalis II said.  “We have our justification to ambush you.  To turn you into one of our own.  In fact, I’m fully aware of a certain man’s cub that you call sister.”
“If you’re talking about Wanda,” Sunset said.  “She’s far away from you and your mother.  You’ll never get her.”
“We’ll see about that,” Chrysalis II said as she flew right at Sunset Shimmer.

Meanwhile, outside in the sky above the castle, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire flew as fast as possible, evading the changelings that were closing in on them.
“How are you doing, Spitfire?” Rainbow Dash said.
“I don’t know if I can stay ahead,” Spitfire said.  “These changelings are too much.”
“What are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked.  “You have the heart of a Wonderbolt in you.  You’re better than these chumps.”
“A Wonderbolt?” Spitfire said.  “I’m no Wonderbolt.  Never have been, never will be.”
“That’s not true,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Even after you quit, you still had a flying spirit in you.  The spirit of a daredevil.”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Spitfire said as she began to sweat from her forehead.  “But I told you, I’m no….”
But before she could finish, Spitfire was hit by a blast of cold magic, freezing her wings and torso in place.  She fell downwards towards the garden area, causing Rainbow Dash to freak out.
“SPITFIRE!”  Rainbow Dash yelled.  ‘I’LL GET YA!”
Rainbow Dash dove downwards, flying towards Spitfire, who continued to freefall uncontrollably. 
“HEEEEEEEELP!” Spitfire yelled.
“Wanda,” Rainbow Dash thought to herself.  “I know this is going to hurt you.  But I can’t let Spitfire die by not using the Sonic Rainboom.  Please forgive me for this.”
Rainbow Dash dove down faster and faster, inching closer towards Spitfire as the rainbow pegasi extended her arms.
“Rainbow,” Spitfire said.  “You’re at risk of pulling off the Sonic Rainboom again.”
“I know,” Rainbow Dash yelled.  “But I’d rather save you with this, even at Wanda’s own risk.”
Spitfire smiled as Rainbow Dash grabbed onto her.  The rainbow pegasus folded her wings back as a white cone began to surround her.
“Hang on,” Rainbow Dash said.  “We’re going Supersonic.”
But before the cone could shrink down completely, Rainbow Dash was shot in the back by changeling magic, causing the filly to scream.  The cone disappeared completely as Rainbow Dash and Spitfire free fell downwards.
“What happened?” Spitfire yelled.
“Someone decided to pull a fast one,” Rainbow Dash yelled.
Immediately, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire landed in some trees and tumbled downwards before landing on the ground of the Canterlot Castle Gardens.  The ice around Spitfire began to crack as Rainbow Dash landed near Spitfire.
“Damnit,” Spitfire said.  “If I hadn’t yelled at Airazor like that, we wouldn’t have been in this mess.”
Rainbow Dash slowly got up as the changelings surrounded them with two members of the Windigo’s Guild standing in front of the duo.  She turned to Spitfire and said “Look.  It’s not your fault that we’re in this mess.  It’s the fault of those party crashers who want to make our lives miserable for their own amusement.  Don’t let them live rent-free in your head.  You’re a better pony than this.”
Spitfire looked up at Rainbow Dash with a determined look on her face.  She struggled as hard as she could all while the ice surrounding her torso began to crack further.  Rainbow Dash stood by Spitfire as the changelings and two cultists inched closer to the duo.
“As long as I’m by your side,” Rainbow Dash said as Spitfire began to break through the ice.  “I will not let you suffer.”
As Rainbow Dash stood by Spitfire with the changelings and cult members approaching them, a blinding light knocked one of the two cultists to the side.  Suddenly, a number of blinding lights knocked the other cultist and the changelings aside.  Rainbow Dash and Spitfire looked up to see the Wonderbolts flying overhead as they knocked the changelings aside.
“Wonderbolts?” Rainbow Dash said.  “What are they doing here?”
“We saw you both fighting off the changeling swarm and we figured we’d give you a hoof.”  Rainbow Dash and Spitfire looked in front to see Airazor standing in front of them, dressed up in her Wonderbolts attire.
“Airazor,” Rainbow Dash said.  “You made it.”
As Airazor approached the two fillies, Spitfire broke out of her ice bindings and crawled up to Airazor’s arms, crying her eyes out.
“I’m sorry,” Spitfire cried.  “I shouldn’t have said those awful words to you.  I never should have left the Junior Wonderbolts program.  Will you forgive me?”
Airazor looked down at Spitfire and smiled.  She placed her hoof on her head and said “It is you who should ask for my forgiveness.  I’ve been neglecting you in your studies to become a Wonderbolt because of all those events that’s been going on.  As a result, you had every right to call me out.  And if you wish to be a Junior Wonderbolt again, I welcome you back with open wings.”
Spitfire looked up at Airazor’s smiling face before jumping up and giving the Wonderbolt Captain a big hug.  Rainbow Dash walked over to Airazor, rubbing the back of her head.
“And in case you’re wondering,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Three pegasi bullies named Hoops, Dumbbell and Score took a friend of ours, forcing us to chase them down and tricking me into pulling off the Sonic Rainboom.  My apologies.”
“I understand,” Airazor said before she handed out two Junior Wonderbolt uniforms.  “But now is not the time to cry over spilled milk.  We need all hooves on deck to locate any of the missing guests within the castle.  Are you both up for the task?”
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire stood firm together and said “YES MA’AM!”
“Then suit up,” Airazor said.  “Because it’s time to bring the bolt down.”

Meanwhile, inside the castle, a number of changelings and cultists are patrolling the upper floors for any escapees.  Near one of the rooms, Prince Hoofar looked out from a slightly closed door with Fluttershy peeking out.
“So how do we get past those?” Fluttershy asked.
“That’s going to be a little hard to do considering that there are changelings and the Windigo’s Guild to worry about,” Prince Hoofar said.  
Prince Hoofar and Fluttershy stuck their heads back in.  Behind them, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Baby Ocellus and a number of animals watch through the gap with anticipation.
“So what can we do?” Starlight asked.
“I don’t know,” Prince Hoofar said.  “That’s our only way out, and it’s heavily guarded.  And at the same time, there are still changelings and cult members in the hallways behind us.”
“So,” Ditzy Doo said as her eyes began to water.  “Are we going to be stuck here?”
Starlight Glimmer goes up to Ditzy and begins to comfort the cross-eyed pony, all while she cries on Starlight’s chest.
“It’s going to be alright,” Starlight said.  “We can get through this.  Just got to wait for an adult to rescue us.”
Trixie looked at Starlight comforting Ditzy Doo.  She turned towards Baby Ocellus and looked at her before something popped in her head.
“Wait a minute,” Trixie said.  “Ocellus is a good changeling.  Why not have her transform into something ferocious?”
“Wait,” Starlight said in objection.  “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not kidding,” Trixie replied.  
“But we’re putting her in danger,” Starlight replied.
“It’s okay,” Ocellus said.  “I’m up for just about anything to help drive my own kind off.”
Trixie smiled as she reached down to Baby Ocellus’ ear and whispered something.

Back in the other room, the changelings and cultists continued to patrol the hallway, keeping their eyes out for anything suspicious.  Suddenly, the door nearby began to quake, catching the attention of both groups.
“What in the name of Queen Icelina?” One of the cultists said.
“Everyone, brace yourselves,” Another cultist said.  “We got a big one.”
The group of changelings and cultists gathered around the door, armed to the teeth as the door shook violently.  With a mighty crash, the door flew open, sending both changelings and cultists flying backwards.
“Uggh,” One changeling said.  “What happened?
“Uhh guys,” Another changeling said.  “It’s worse than I thought.
Everyone looked up to see an Ursa Major, a giant astral bear, emerging from the doorway and stood up on its hind legs.  The ursa looked down at the changelings and cultists and let out a violent roar.
“EVERYONE FOR HIMSELF!” One cultist yelled as the other cult members and the changelings screamed in unison.
The giant Ursa Major roared loudly as changelings and cultists ran off, screaming in complete fear.  The moment there wasn’t a single cultist or changeling in the vicinity, the Ursa Major stopped roaring as Starlight, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Fluttershy and Prince Hoofar emerged from behind.
“Telling Ocellus to transform into an Ursa Major,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Very clever, Trixie.”
“Thank you very much,” Trixie said as she took a bow.  The Ursa Major walked up to Trixie and transformed back into Baby Ocellus.
“That was actually pretty fun,” Baby Ocellus said with a giggle.
“And thanks to that,” Sunburst said.  “The path back to the Grand Foyer is now clear.  We should be heading out.”
“Agreed,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Come.  I will lead you all out.”
Prince Hoofar began to run towards a nearby hallway with Baby Ocellus, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Fluttershy and the animals from the garden.  But as they were about to take off….
“You won’t be going anywhere.”  The younglings turn around to see Inferno flying towards the group with an army of changelings and cult members right behind him.
“It’s a changeling leader,” Ditzy Doo yelled as she hid behind Starlight Glimmer.
“Not just any changeling leader,” Prince Hoofar said.  “That’s Inferno, the eldest of the three Predacon brothers.  The other two that we ran into were Quickstrike and Waspinator.”
“So you do remember me, Prince Hoofar,” Inferno said.  “And I remember three months ago when we scared your little pony friends in Saddle Arabia, intimidated by the flame of fear.”  With that, Inferno belched out a fireball from his mouth before letting out a cackling laugh.
“You who had the audacity to endanger my father’s people,” Prince Hoofar said.  “All in the name of your Queen.  You are one sick predacon of a changeling, Inferno.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Prince,” Inferno replied.  “And the same can be said of your weak little pony companions, and the traitor who takes your side.”
Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Trixie, Fluttershy and Baby Ocellus took a step forward with Ditzy Doo continuing to hide behind Starlight.  But Prince Hoofar held up his right arm.
“Stand back,” Prince Hoofar said.  “I’ll deal with this joker.”
“But Prince,” Starlight said.
“It’s okay,” Prince Hoofar said.  “I’ve dealt with him before.”
Prince Hoofar stared at Inferno as Starlight, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Fluttershy and Baby Ocellus took a few steps back.  Inferno roared in the air as he breathed fire directly at Prince Hoofar.
“WOAH!” Trixie yelled.  “HOT STUFF!”
Immediately, Prince Hoofar noticed a metal shield hanging on a nearby wall.  He pried it loose with his magic and pulled it close to him as the fire inched closed.  Hoofar raised the shield in front of him, blocking the flames out.
“You won’t burn me, Predacon,” Prince Hoofar yelled as he held the Shield out.
“That's what you think," One of the changelings said as Inferno's flame burned brightly.  "This is the power of changeling fire water.  Inferno is the fiercest of us all when it comes to the flame of the changelings.  Your protection will melt before your very eyes."
Prince Hoofar watched as the shield he's using glows a bright red.  The flame from Inferno's mouth burned brighter as the shield started to melt.  Hoofar looked at Inferno's side and smiled.
"Maybe," Prince Hoofar said. "But you left yourself open."
Immediately, Prince Hoofar strafed to the left and flung the shield right at Inferno.  The Predacon barely had time to react before the shield smacked him on the side, causing the changeling to lose his balance and to halt his fire breath.
"A treacherous attack,” Inferno said as he regained his balance and shook his head.  “But it won’t matter.  For you will burn in the name of the royalty.  And furthermore…”
But before Inferno could finish speaking, Airazor flew from right out of nowhere, headbutting Inferno right in the back.  The Predacon changeling went flying out of control towards Prince Hoofar, screaming loudly and helplessly.
“Your fire has been snuffed out, Predacon,” Prince Hoofar said before he fired off a blast of magic from his horn, hitting Inferno and sending him crashing into his fellow changelings and other members of the Windigo’s Guild.
‘You will….pay for this,” Inferno said before he passed out.
As Prince Hoofar walked up to Inferno, a number of the remaining changelings and cultists charged the group, all while they paid no attention to Airazor.  Prince Hoofar just looked at the changelings and cultists with a smirk on his face.
“For two groups so determined to take me down,” Prince Hoofar said.  “You don’t pay attention to your own surroundings, nor do you take advantage of your own abilities.”
Prince Hoofar just stood there and smiled as one by one, the changelings and cultists were ambushed by heroic Wonderbolts.  Airazor joined in, knocking down a few stragglers in the two invading groups.  
Ditzy Doo stuck her head out from behind Starlight and looked up at the Wonderbolts attacking the changelings and the cultists.  She took notice of two familiar faces: Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, now dressed up in Junior Wonderbolt attire, joining in on attacking the invaders.
“GO RAINBOW DASH!” Ditzy Doo yelled as she jumped into the air, startling Starlight Glimmer.
“Shhhh,” Starlight said to Ditzy.  “You don’t want to attract unwanted attention.”
But no sooner does Starlight finish her speech, Ditzy pointed right behind the unicorn filly, where a changeling had them both dead-set in his sights.  He dive bombed the two fillies, who just stood there looking at the attacker.
“Too late,” Starlight said.  “What should we do?”
“DUCK!” Ditzy said as she shoved Starlight down to the ground.
The moment Ditzy Doo ducked alongside Starlight, the changeling flew past the two and crashed nearby.  Ditzy and Starlight looked up to see that the changeling had knocked itself out after colliding head-first into a ceramic pot, which was shattered to pieces.
Ditzy looked at Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, who flew down and landed near the cross-eyed pegasus and Starlight Glimmer.  Sunburst, Trixie, Fluttershy and Baby Ocellus ran up to the two Junior Wonderbolts as Prince Hoofar approached Airazor.
“Rainbow Dash?” Ditzy said.  “You’re a Wonderbolt now?”
“Not really,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “More like a volunteer Junior Wonderbolt.”
“And I’m glad to have her by our side,” Spitfire said.
“But didn’t you and Airazor had a falling out?” Starlight asked.
“We did,” Spitfire said.  “But I wound up regretting those words I said to her, especially after I saw Twilight having her own falling out with Princess Celestia.”
“And I should have paid more attention to my Junior Wonderbolt,” Airazor said.  “But what matters now is that we have to get everyone out of the castle and out of the reach of the changelings and the Windigo’s Guild.”
“Then it appears we share the same priorities, Captain Airazor,” Prince Hoofar said as he and Airazor took a bow towards each other.
“Then we must work together and locate anyone else who’s still trapped in the castle,” Airazor replied.
“So that means we’ll find our lost friends?” Ditzy Doo asked.  “And what about Wanda or Twilight Sparkle?”
“We have yet to locate Twilight Sparkle,” Airazor said.  “As for Wanda, she’s safe with Chancellor Cinch and a group of Wonderbolts in an undisclosed location.”
“For now,” Prince Hoofar said.  “We must make haste for the Grand Foyer.  Princess Chrysalis II is still guarding the place, and we’ll need to pry it loose so that everyone may escape.  Come.”
With that, Prince Hoofar and Captain Airazor took off in one direction with Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Fluttershy, Baby Ocellus, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, the Wonderbolts and the animals following the group.
“I sure hope we finally escape this castle,” Sunburst said.  “But I’m also worried about the others.”
“We’ll see them again,” Starlight said.  “Promise.”

Meanwhile, as a small group of changelings and cultists patrolled the nearby hallway, Prince Blueblood and Danged Spell stuck their heads out from Wanda and Sunset’s bedroom, observing the changeling and cultist patrols.  They pulled back into the bedroom where Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow waited.
“Security sure is tight out there,” Danged Spell said.  “Seems after our last encounter, they’ve wised up.”
“Looks like we may have to resort to stealth,” Prince Blueblood said.
“So how are we going to get through and make our way to the Grand Foyer and out the castle?” Moondancer asked.
Golden Lace looked at the nearby window next to Wanda and Sunset’s beds. She noticed that it was slightly opened and turned to Cozy Glow.
“Cozy,” Golden Lace said.  “You’re the only flier of the group. You think you can fly out and find someone to help us out?”
“And risk getting caught by the changelings?” Cozy Glow said.  “No way.  Besides, didn’t you see what happened outside?  Those beasts are not holding back.”
Golden Lace let out a sigh and said “Point taken.”
Prince Blueblood sat down near the beds where Rarity just looked up at the moon.  Rarity looked down at Prince Blueblood with a small bit of pity on the nephew of Celestia.
“So tell me,” Rarity said in a low tone.  “You always told me you lived a high life.  What was this life like?”
Prince Blueblood let out a sigh and said “Have you ever watched the Horse News Network?”
“Never,” Rarity replied.  “I’m not that fond of cable news.”
Prince Blueblood looked out at the midnight sky and said “My father was the previous head of the Horse News Network. He taught me everything.  How to look tall and mighty, and how to….”
“Look down at the undeserving ponies who belong in a lower class,” Rarity said with an interruption.
“Yes,” Prince Blueblood said.  “As biased and mean-spirited as it is, I had a lot of respect for my father.  He wanted me to lead the Horse News Network as its owners.”
“Wait,” Golden Lace said.  “You’re the owner of the Horse News Network?  As in one of the many news stations that my mother bribes into assuming her narrative is pushed towards the ponies of Equestria?”
“I don’t know if you know this,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But more than a year ago, my father passed away, and I wound up inheriting his Horse News Network.  I poured my heart and soul into that network since his death, making it one of the biggest propaganda networks in Equestria.”
“I’m actually surprised that you’re telling us this,” Moondancer said.  “Why is that?”
“Oooh oooh,” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced up to Prince Blueblood.  “Was it because Princess Celestia lashed out at everyone because of the food fight, and when you saw her get that angry with the fight between her and Twilight Sparkle resulting in you getting a realization that all that dangerous propaganda was a bad idea?”
Everyone just gave a blank stare at Pinkie Pie the moment she finished speaking.
“Pinkie Pie,” Applejack said.  “You were locked away in a separate room with Golden Lace and Cozy Glow.  How in the hay did you know about the food fight and the fallout between Celestia and Twilight?”
“Oh please,” Pinkie Pie said with a playful raspberry.  “I’m the reincarnation of Discord.”
Prince Blueblood laughed and said “And to think, I put out that propaganda that Discord was a fictional character.  Maybe the rumors of Discord are true.”
Rarity gently pulled Prince Blueblood towards her and said “That being said, we still have a problem with the Horse News Network and its involvement with fake news.”
“And not to mention that my mother had you air those horrible pieces,” Golden Lace said. 
“I had a run in with your mother Gold Banks early prior to the evacuation,” Prince Blueblood said.  “She wanted me to air a piece involving Princess Celestia’s temper tantrum.  I told her to shove that story down her throat because of the fact that we’re all in danger.”
“Wow,” Danged Spell said.  “I would have said the same thing had I been in your horse shoes.”
“And mother had you air all those awful stories on your channel,” Golden Lace said.
“It’s not just my channel,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Every news channel across Equestria airs the same stories that Gold Banks demands.  Every outlet, be it on the local news, cable, or streaming, to even the old school paper-based news.  The reason why ours tend to have a lasting impression is due to the fact that we put a lot of vigor into delivering these pieces.”
“Oh yeah,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I recall Mrs Cake switching over various channels that talked about last year’s Gala nightmare involving Wanda.  She was disgusted by the way ponies treated her by calling her a ‘Bratty Half-Pint.’  Though from what I understand, Horse News exaggerated it.”
“And back then,” Prince Blueblood said.  “I wasn’t fond of Princess Sunset Shimmer or her sister Wanda Young.  I was always jealous of the two, because I thought they acted like they were so special because they were Princess Celestia’s adopted daughters.  Even though I am referred to as the Duke of Manehattan, I chose to go down this path, to adopt my father’s control of Horse News.  Because I wanted what I thought my cousins had.”
“First I adored you, then I hated you,” Rarity said.  “And now, I do pity you through your own admittance and honesty.  But now, I think it’s time you started seeing the world through the lens of others.  The problems they faced, the hardships they went through.  Wanda, Sunset, Golden Lace, all of us.  Even Princess Celestia has had a hard time addressing her subjects while dealing with the problems of Equestria.”
“Rarity’s right,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ve been in your horse shoes as well, having looked down at all of these other ponies like they were not important.  My own parents spoiled me from Maretime Bay to Manehattan.  But even then, I did have my own issues with them before Queen Novo made me realize that my ways were the wrong ways.”
“Guess you and Lace may have some things in common,” Rarity said to Prince Blueblood.
Prince Blueblood looked at both Rarity and Golden Lace as a smile formed on his face.  He stood up on his four legs and said “I’ve always looked down at other ponies with scorn because they never fit my narrative.  After tonight, maybe I have been wrong all this time.”
“The fact that you came to save us meant one thing,” Applejack said.  “That even you are capable of changing for the better.  And that’s why we’re proud of you.”
Prince Blueblood looked at the group and smiled deeply.  But as he did, Cozy Glow looked out the doorway, and her face looked surprised.
“Hey guys,” Cozy Glow said.  “Looks like the changeling and cultist patrols are heading away from the hallway near this bedroom and down one way.”
Danged Spell and Moondancer quietly ran up to the doorway and looked down to the right.  Changelings and Windigo’s Guild cultists were running down away from the entrance and down the hallway.  Danged Spell’s mind lights up as he pulls his head in and turns towards the others.
“Cozy Glow’s right,” Danged Spell said.  “The coast is clear.”
“Come on,” Moondancer said.  “If we take a few alternative rounds, we can reach the Grand Foyer and rescue Sunset Shimmer at the same time.”
Cozy Glow slowly opened the door as she, Danged Spell and Moondancer slowly walked out.  Right behind them, Rarity, Applejack, Prince Blueblood, Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie snuck out behind them, keeping their eyes on the hallway.  But as they made their way to the opposite hallway, Applejack’s ears perked up.
“I know those voices,” Applejack said.  “Those are ma and pa.  And they’re in trouble.”
Without a second thought, Applejack jumped out of the group and ran down the hallway, following the changelings and cultists from behind.
“Applejack, wait,” Rarity yelled.  But the apple filly ignored Rarity’s plea and continued running down.
“We have to go after her,” Prince Blueblood said.  “If what she said is true, then there are others who are in trouble.”
“Agreed,” Danged Spell said.  “We may not have the numbers.  But we have to try.  No one gets left behind.”
Cozy Glow, Moondancer, Rarity, Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie nodded as they, along with Prince Blueblood and Danged Spell, ran down the hallway after Applejack.


	To Be Continued in….


	Prince Blueblood’s Resolve

> Arc 18-5: Prince Blueblood's Resolve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Prince Blueblood’s Resolve



Deep within the great halls of Canterlot Castle, Bright Mac, Big Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich were backed up right next to each other as the changelings and the Windigo’s Guild cultists surrounded them.  Next to them, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara were their respective saddlebags, bawling their eyes out in fear.  
“These monstrosities keep getting more and more clever,” Bright Mac said as he held a broomstick in front of him.  “The fact that they blocked off any way of exit is saying a lot.”
“This is like what happened in La Maresa,” Buttercup said as she helpless stared down the changelings.  “Except far worse.  We're in what was supposed to be one of the safest places in Equestria, and we have both Windigo’s cultists and changelings to deal with.”
“It’s like there’s no place safe for any of us to be in Equestria,” Granny Smith said. 
“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded.
“Where’s Princess Celestia when we need her the most?” Filthy Rich said as the changelings and cultists began to inch closer to the group.
“I heard word that there are changelings and cult members surrounding the entrance to the castle,” Spoiled Rich said.   “No one can get in, and no one can get out.”
“Everyone,” Bright Mac said.  “If we don’t make it out of here alive, I just want to let you all know that I’m glad to have had you all as the best of friends, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Buttercup held Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo close while Spoiled Rich held Diamond Tiara and quietly sang her a lullaby to try to calm the foal down.  Granny Smith, Bright Mac, Big Mac and Filthy Rich hunkered around the two mothers as the changelings and cultists inch closer to the group
Meanwhile, on a balcony in the great hall, Applejack stood there helplessly from above as she watched her family and the Rich family get boxed in by the Windigo’s Guild and the changeling swarm. 
“Applejack,” Danged Spell yelled as he, Prince Blueblood, Rarity, Moondancer, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow showed up in the hallway nearby.  “What are you doing?”
“My folks are in trouble,” Applejack said.  “I’m not going to stand by and let them suffer.”
But before Danged Spell could march forward, Applejack jumped off the rail and dove right towards one of the changelings.  The rest of the group could only stare in disbelief as Applejack landed her hooves right atop a changeling’s head, catching the other changelings and the cultists off guard.
“Oww,” the changeling said as Applejack jumped off his head.  The changeling looked up at Applejack and added “An intruder.  You’ll pay dearly for the sneak attack.”
Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich were shocked by Applejack’s presence as the little filly stood by her family and their friends.  
“Applejack,” Bright Mac said.  “How did you...”
“I’m not going to let you all suffer and leave me an orphan,” Applejack said.
“But you’re putting yourself in danger,” Buttercup said as Apple Bloom cried in her pouch.  “What were you thinking?”
Big Mac just nodded and said “Eeyup.”
“I would sooner go down with you than to live the rest of my life without you all,” Applejack said.
“I knew it,” Granny Smith said as the changelings and cultists inch closer.  “It’s that horrible nightmare she had nights ago.”
“Ma,” Bright Mac said.  “What do you mean by that?”
“Applejack had a nightmare where she lost all of us,” Granny Smith said.  “And she wound up having to live the rest of her life as an orphan.  I should have told you all about that, but I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Applejack,” Buttercup said.  “No matter what happens, I’m glad to have you as a daughter.  And I couldn’t have it any other way.”
Applejack looked up to Buttercup, smiled and said “Feelings mutual, ma.”

Back up on the balcony, as the changelings and cultists inch closer to Applejack and her family, Danged Spell and Prince Blueblood just stood there helpless with Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Moondancer, Golden Lace and Cozy Glow by their side.
"Just what was she thinking leaping into the fray like that?" Rarity said as she slammed her hooves on the guard rail.
"Maybe it's because she kept telling me of her nightmare about losing her family and winding up a silent survivor," Pinkie Pie said.
"Wait a minute, " Moondancer said.  "Why did she tell you that and not the rest of us?"
“It’s because she’s not comfortable enough to tell anyone else about this,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Except her Granny.”
“Well it doesn’t make any sense,” Moondancer said.  “We’re her friends.  We’re here to help out.”
“So how do we get her out of harm’s way?” Cozy Glow asked.
Prince Blueblood looked down at Applejack, the members of the Apple family and the Rich family as the changelings and cultists are on the verge of closing in.  
“Suicide missions is the one thing I would never do,” Prince Blueblood.
“Nor would I,” Rarity said.  “But I can’t just stand here and watch as Applejack gets taken captive.”
Rarity’s ears began to perk up when she heard what sounded like a wolf’s growl.  She turned towards Danged Spell.
“Spell, don’t growl,” Rarity yelled.  “What are you, a dog?”
“That wasn’t me,” Danged Spell replied.  “If it was, I would have been in my Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
“Actually,” Prince Blueblood said as he pointed behind Danged Spell.  “It’s your friend.”
Danged Spell said “Say what?” as he and Rarity turned to face Golden Lace.  The pupils on her eyes had disappeared as they glowed brightly.  She growled fiercely as her teeth shined.  Danged Spell’s jaw dropped as he looked at Golden Lace.
“Oh my,” Rarity said as she put her hoof to her chin.
“I don’t believe it,” Danged Spell said.  “Golden Lace has the Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
“So you’ve heard of the Wolf’s Breath Curse,” Prince Blueblood said.
“Oh more than that,” Danged Spell replied.  “I have it.  But right now would not be a good time to interrupt Golden Lace when she’s like that.”
Danged Spell and Prince Blueblood backed off a bit as Golden Lace climbed up onto the guard rail and leapt downwards towards the changelings and cultists.  She landed on one of the cult members and sunk her teeth into its rear, causing the cultist to scream in pain.
“NOT AGAIN!”  the cultist yelled as he struggled to kick Golden Lace off his back, catching the other cultists and the changelings off guard.
Back on the balcony, Prince Blueblood watched Golden Lace continue to bite into the cultist, distracting the other cult members and changelings.  He turned towards the others.
“Your friend just bought us an advantage,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Let’s do this.”
Without warning, Prince Blueblood jumped from the railing and fell downwards towards the cult group, firing on them with the magic of his horn. Danged Spell got on his two legs, looking eager to jump into the fray.
“Hey no fair stealing the spotlight you royal ruffian,” Danged Spell said before his eyes glowed brightly and his teeth lay bare.  He got up on the railing and jumped down towards the changelings and cultists, eager to bite into one of them.
Cozy Glow, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Moondancer watched as Danged Spell sunk his teeth into another cultist while Prince Blueblood began blasting a number of changelings and cult members, all while taking shots from the invading changelings.
“To think,” Rarity said.  “I actually had a crush on Prince Blueblood and a fallout with him.”
“Well I’m not going to stand here and let those guys hog all the fun,” Moondancer said. “Especially Danged Spell.”
“Well what are we waiting for?” Cozy Glow said.  “Normally I would avoid incidents like this.  But with you at my side, we should be able to teach them a lesson.  Let’s do this.”
Rarity and Moondancer nodded as they, along with Cozy Glow, leap from the railing and fall towards the changeling and cultist group, who seem more scattered than ever thanks to Danged Spell, Prince Blueblood and Golden Lace
Back on the balcony, Pinkie Pie just watched as her friends leaped down into the fray.  She held her tongue out and squinted her eyes.
“Guess I’m the last one off,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Time to dive into the danger zone.”
But just as Pinkie Pie was about to jump, she fell down and hit the floor as if her legs were held down by some weight.
“Hey what gives?” Pinkie Pie said.  “Who ruined my surprise?”
Pinkie Pie turned around to see Quickstrike hold down Pinkie Pie’s legs with Waspinator right next to him.
“Where do you think you’re going, sugar filly?” Quickstrike said as he pinned Pinkie’s legs to the ground.
“Waspinator got eye on little pony,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator hindered her escape.”
Pinkie Pie just smiled as she stretched her arms, grabbed her nearby party cannon and pulled it up to aim at the two changeling predacons.
“GARBAGE DAY!” Pinkie Pie said.
“Oh no,” Waspinator said as he shook with fear.
“Don’t just stand here,” Quickstrike said as he let go of Pinkie Pie’s legs and made a run for it.  “Let’s get out of here.”
Waspinator followed Quickstrike down the hallway, hoping to get away from Pinkie Pie.  But that pink menace pointed her cannon at the two predacons and pressed the button.  A glob of cake batter fired out and hit Quickstrike and Waspinator, sending them flying to the floor and trapping them there.  The two predacons struggled to break free as Pinkie Pie got on her four hooves.
“Thanks for the amusement, you two,” Pinkie Pie waved before she picked up her party cannon and jumped off the railing.
“Oh man, “Quickstrike said as he struggled to break free from the batter.  "That pink parasite put us in a real sticky situation"
"Waspinator hates garbage day," Waspinator whined.

Back down in the Great Hall, chaos broke loose among the crowd of ponies, cultists and changelings.  Danged Spell, already in his Wolf’s Breath form, barked wildly at a pair of cultists, who began to back off nervously.  Prince Blueblood and Rarity are back-to-back blasting down the changelings in the air.  Golden Lace still had her teeth sunk into the behind area of that other cultist.  Moondancer, Cozy Glow and Applejack stood Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich, Baby Applebloom, Baby Sweetie Belle, Baby Scootaloo and Baby Diamond Tiara, all while Pinkie Pie fired at the changelings and cultists from above with her party cannon.
“Applejack,” Moondancer said.  “What were you thinking?”
“Like I wasn’t going to let my family suffer under these hooligans,” Applejack said.
“Maybe you should have told us that you had these nightmares about losing your parents,” Rarity yelled as she and Blueblood continued to fire at the changelings and cultists.
“Did Pinkie tell you about that?” Applejack yelled.  “She promised me she would tell you about my nightmare.”
“Well I didn’t want to leave you suffering like that,” Pinkie Pie said as she landed next to Applejack.  “So I had to tell them.  After all, you’re our friend, and friends trust one another.  And truth be told, I felt anxious about wanting to keep a secret from the others just to help you out.  It’s the one time I had to break a Pinkie Promise.”
“She’s right,” Granny Smith said as she grabbed a nearby chair and smashed a changeling on the head with it.  “You told me about your nightmare.  But you didn’t tell the rest of the family because you didn’t feel comfortable.  Sometimes, you have to brave up and tell all of us.  We’re here for you, Applejack.”
“We’re not going to go away,” Bright Mac said.  “You’re our pride and joy alongside Big Mac and Apple Bloom.  There’s no way we will let you be an orphan, with Celestia and Luna by our side.”
Applejack looked at her folks and smiled.  As she did, a cultist ran up to her and stood on its hind legs, charging up ice magic in its horn.  Applejack quickly turned around and delivered a kick to the cultist's crotch area, causing his magic to disappear and for the poor fool to fall to the ground, wincing in pain.
“Thanks pa,” Applejack said as she scraped her back leg on the ground. “I hope we get to stay together until I grow up to be a fine apple farmer.”
“You may be a young filly,” Buttercup said.  “But in our eyes, you’re already a fine apple farmer.”
Big Mac kicks one of the changelings out of the sky before he lands on the ground and says “Eeyup.”
Prince Blueblood watched Applejack fend off the changelings and cultists all while staying close to his family.  The young prince fired off a few rounds of magic from his horn while he stood with his back next to Rarity’s, who was also watching the events unfold for her close friend..
“That, my dear prince, is what we call true family and friends,” Rarity replied.  “After all, as a family, we are one together, and friendship is magic.  You have a family of your own, right?”
“Only my father until he passed away,” Prince Blueblood said.  “I never knew my own mother after I was born in this world.”
“Wait,” Rarity said.  “You mean to tell me you never knew your own mother?”
“Dad told me that she was a beautiful flower that she adored,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But one day, she was gone from her life.”
“Oh dear,” Rarity said as she blasted a changeling out of the sky.  “What do you mean by gone?”
“That’s all dad told me,” Prince Blueblood said.  “So I assume that she’s….well…..”
“The more I hear about your story,” Rarity said.  “The more I pity you.  But that doesn’t make up for some of the mean-spirited things you said tonight.”
“I know,” Prince Blueblood said as he blasted a nearby cultist.
Meanwhile, near Rarity and Blueblood, Cozy Glow’s struggling to fight back as she dodged changelings and ice shots from the cult members.
“I thought these chumps would be a piece of cake,” Cozy Glow said as she dodged one of the changelings that dive bombed her.  “But the number of these jerks really takes the cake.”
Suddenly, Cozy Glow was hit in the backside by a blast of ice from a cult member, freezing her torso solid.  She fell and hit the ground while screaming in pain.
“ARRGH!” Cozy Glow said.  “So this is what a Windigo’s Guild magic feels like.”
A changeling jumped onto Cozy Glow’s frozen binds and stared down the eyes of the little filly.
“Going somewhere you little brat?” The changeling said.  “How would you like to be like us and serve our queen?”
Cozy Glow just said nothing before she swung her head back and head butt the changeling on its head.  The insect pony screamed in pain as it reared back.
“Your queen reminds me of my own mom,” Cozy Glow said as she winced in pain.
“That was a cheap shot,” the Changeling said as he shook his head before turning back to Cozy Glow.  “But no matter.  We’ll make sure your mother, as unimportant as she is, will serve us.”
As the changeling flew up and was about to land on Cozy Glow’s frozen torso with the little filly glaring down at the bug, Danged Spell jumped right out of nowhere and pinned the changeling down, barking madly at him.  Golden Lace jumped into the fray and landed next to Cozy Glow.
“Lace?” Cozy Glow said.  “I still can’t believe you have what he has.”
Golden Lace said nothing as she raised her hooves into the air and slammed it down on the ice that binded Cozy Glow down, shattering the cold subsistence to pieces.  Despite being cold, Cozy Glow got up and looked at Lace.
“Thanks Lace,” Cozy Glow said.  “Even though you’re now thinking you’re a….wolf.”
Suddenly, a cult member came up behind Golden Lace, charging up its horn.  Golden Lace turned towards the cultist, growling loudly with her teeth bare.  She inched closer towards the cultist, who began to hesitate.
“Get back you mongrel,” the zealot said with a hesitant tone.  “I’ll send you to the ice age with this.”
But as the cult member was backing up, Cozy Glow rammed right into its side, sending the cult member to the ground and causing his magic to disappear. 
“Oww,” The cultist said as he slowly got up.  “That was sharp.”
The cultist got up and began to limp off as Cozy Glow landed near Golden Lace.  Cozy brushed the top part of her mane as Lace growled at the changelings and cultists.  
Filthy and Spoiled Rich, who fought off the changelings and cultists all while defending baby Diamond Tiara, took notice of Golden Lace’s tone.
“Is that, Lace?” Spoiled Rich said.
“I believe it is,” Filthy Rich said.  “Except now she has what Danged Spell has: The Wolf’s Breath Curse.”
“I don’t believe it,” Spoiled Rich said as Golden Lace dove in front of her aunt, barking wildly at the changelings and cultists.  “Silver and Gold Banks’ own daughter has the same curse as Danged Spell and Princess Celestia.”
“I think Silver Banks owes us an explanation,” Filthy Rich said.
As the surrounded ponies continued to fight back against the changelings and the cult members, they started to tire and lose focus.  Rarity and Prince Blueblood became exhausted and sat right next to each other.  Applejack had some energy left.  But she was being overwhelmed by the invaders.  Danged Spell stood by Golden Lace as they barked wildly at the intruders.  Pinkie Pie’s party cannon began to go empty.  Buttercup felt dizzy as she collapsed backwards, forcing Bright Mac to grab his wife.  Big Mac stood by Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara as the four babies cried their eyes out.
“This is getting too much for all of us,” Granny Smith said.
“I’ll say,” Bright Mac said.  “There’s no way out of this mess.  We’re frozen bug chow for good.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said as he bats away a nearby changeling with his legs.
“And I’m about out of ammo,” Pinkie Pie said as she looked down her party cannon. 
The changelings and cultists surrounded the group once again.  This time, they were caught in a smaller group with little room to breathe.  Everyone backed up against each other as the changelings and cultists inch closer to them.
“Everyone,” Prince Blueblood said.  “If we don’t make it, then at least I’m glad I fought by your side.”
“Feelings’ mutual,” Rarity replied.
But just as the changelings and cultists inch closer, a wave of Wonderbolts fly out of nowhere and knock them off their feet, catching both groups by surprise.  The group of ponies cheered on as more Wonderbolts began to attack the changelings and cultists.
“We’re under attack,” One of the cultists yelled before being picked up by a Wonderbolt and slammed against the wall.
Nearby, Captain Airazor flew in with Rainbow Dash and Spitfire by her side.  She pointed to the group of ponies and said to them “Seems we found your friends as well as the rest of the missing guests.   You know what to do.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Rainbow Dash and Spitfire said before they took off and flew towards the group.  Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity took notice of Rainbow Dash’s uniform before the filly landed next to them.
“Well I’ll be,” Applejack said.  “Rainbow Dash just became a Wonderbolt.”
“Temporary Junior Wonderbolt,” Rainbow Dash said.  “But still does it feel awesome or what?”
“That means you can finally fulfill your dream of flying with the best of the best and become a true Wonderbolt,” Pinkie Pie cheered.  “Maybe you can become the new captain and…”
But it didn’t take long for Spitfire to put her hoof on Pinkie Pie’s mouth and said “Easy there.  One step at a time, kid.”
Rainbow Dash walked up to the babies that were placed in front of Big Mac.  She went over to Baby Scootaloo, who had stopped crying and looked up towards the older filly.
“Hey how are you doing, squirt?”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Sure we’re not technically sisters  But at least we share a bond together, and I want to make sure you stay strong while in La Maresa.  Besides, your aunts promised to keep you happy and content, like how I will do the same with you.”
Baby Scootaloo giggled as Rainbow Dash held her hoof above the little tyke’ face, who grabbed onto it and held it against her face.
“Don’t you worry,” Rainbow Dash said.  “When this is over, I’m giving you the time of your life, squirt.”
As Scootaloo continued to play with Rainbow Dash’s hoof, Rarity and Applejack approached the pegasi filly as they respectively picked up Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and held them close.  In the background, the Wonderbolts held their ground over the changelings and cultists, causing the two invading groups to back off.
“Hey guys,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Sorry we didn’t make it here sooner.  But we had others to rescue.”
“Lemme guess,” Applejack said as Baby Apple Bloom began to play with the ponytail attached to Applejack’s hair.  “The other friends of ours that separated?”
Rainbow Dash nodded as she pointed her free hoof towards the back end, where Prince Hoofar came down with Baby Ocellus, Fluttershy, Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo and a number of animals following from behind.
“Well I’ll be,” Granny Smith said.  “More survivors.  We’re beginning to turn the tide around.”
Granny Smith jumped into the air and started to cheer as Prince Hoofar led his group to Prince Blueblood’s group.  Danged Spell and Golden Lace had snapped out of their Wolf’s Breath Curse trance just in time to wave at the incoming group while Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie ran up to Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
“You guys finally made it,” Moondancer said as she waved to the group.
“Of course we did,” Fluttershy yelled.  “We weren’t going to let a bunch of meanies get the best of us.”
Prince Blueblood got up as he was approached by Prince Hoofar, who extended his arm out.
“Prince Blueblood of Manehattan I presume,” Prince Hoofar said as Prince Blueblood grabbed onto Hoofar’s hoof.
“Indeed,” Prince Blueblood said.  “I take it that not long ago, you saw me when I was a more stubborn and self-centered pony.”
“I have,” Prince Hoofar said.  “But looking at your eyes, you have changed.  And it’s because of the invasion.”
“You’re only half-correct,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Seeing my aunt lash out at all the guests made me question myself and my own self-esteem.  Besides, she actually scared me for once.”
“We all make mistakes, my dear Prince,” Prince Hoofar said. 
“Indeed we do,” Prince Blueblood said.
But nearby, Golden Lace was right next to Cozy Glow, Filthy and Spoiled Rich and Baby Diamond Tiara.  Lace picked up Diamond Tiara and looked right at her.  The little filly giggled at the sight of Golden Lace, who only smiled back.
“You’re so amazing and cute, Diamond Tiara,” Golden Lace said as she gently rubbed her nose on Diamond Tiara’s nose.
“It seems Diamond Tiara has gotten used to you, Lace,” Filthy Rich said.
“She sure has, Uncle Filthy,” Golden Lace said.
“Well once we get out of this mess,” Spoiled Rich said.  “We’ll make sure you get to live in La Maresa with us.”
Golden Lace sighed and said “As much as I do enjoy that idea, I will miss one element from Canterlot: The friends I made.”
“Don’t worry,” Cozy Glow said.  “If anything, I’ll be happy to sneak into La Maresa to give you some memories from here in Canterlot.  And we can hang out and enjoy the time there.”
Golden Lace smiled as Cozy Glow gave the unicorn a big hug.  She turned to Cozy and said “I’ll bet on it.”
As the group embraced each other and the Wonderbolts drove off the changelings and the cultists, Captain Airazor landed down on the floor of the great hall, attracting everyone’s attention.
“With the Windigo’s Guild and the changelings driven off,” Captain Airazor said.  “The path forward is now clear and we can take off.  I assume everyone is here.”
“No,” Prince Blueblood said as he walked towards Captain Airazor.  “Judging by who’s in both groups and the fact that one of my cousins is out in the streets of Canterlot, I believe another cousin is missing from the group.”
“That’s right,” Pinkie PIe said.  “Sunset Shimmer chose to hold off that nasty bug Queen Chrysalis II.”
“Then allow me to shoo that fly away from the castle, Prince,” Airazor said.
“I appreciate the assistance,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But this is my fight.  Get everyone rounded up and meet me at the Grand Foyer.  I will deal with Chrysalis II and save Sunset Shimmer.”
But as Prince Blueblood began to walk off, Rarity got in front of the Prince, causing his to stop in his place.
“Are you really sure about that?” Rarity said.  “The daughter of Queen Chrysalis is not to be trifled with.”
“I know,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But I’m doing this to make up for what I did and to show her not to mess with the royal family.”
Prince Blueblood went around Rarity and ran off down the Grand Hall, leaving Rarity standing there.
“Well he has changed for the better,” Rarity said.  “But he’s still stubborn.”
“He reminds me of myself,” Danged Spell said.  
“Wait,” Rarity said.  “You happen to be a self-centered  stubborn jerk?”
“Use to be,” Danged Spell said.  “I may not be as self-centered, but I can still be stubborn.”
Behind Rarity and Danged Spell, Rainbow Dash looked raring to go as Spitfire fastened a special harness on the Junior Wonderbolt’s back.  Ditzy Doo placed Scootaloo into the harness and fastened the seat belt together, keeping the baby secure in place.
“Everything’s ready, Rainbow Dash,” Ditzy Doo said.
“Are you sure you can handle a little baby on you back?”  Spitfire asked.
Rainbow Dash just laughed and said “Oh I’ve had Scootaloo ride on my back since a few months ago.  This is mere child’s play.”
Rainbow Dash scraped her hoof on the ground while Fluttershy guided the animals around the group.  Pinkie Pie loaded her cannon with more ammo while Rarity and Applejack placed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom back into their respective saddlebags attached to Buttercup.  Golden Lace followed suit by placing Diamond Tiara back in Spoiled Rich’s saddlebag while Bright Mac and Filthy Rich stood by their wifes.  Big Mac stomped his hoof to the ground while Danged Spell made a playful, yet intimidating growl.  Granny Smith stood ahead of both the Apple family and the Rich family, while Airazor signaled towards the Wonderbolts in her vicinity.  Starlight and Sunburst gave each other a hug while Trixie and Ditzy gave each other a high five.  Baby Ocellus flew right next to Moondancer with Cozy Glow flapping her wings hard.  Prince Hoofar signaled to the group, looking sharp as ever.
“Let’s do this,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Prince Blueblood may need our backs, and we’ll be happy to assist.”



	To Be Continued in….


	Crisis outside the Castle

> Arc 18-6: Crisis at the Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Crisis outside the Castle




Sunset Shimmer continued to hold her ground at the Grand Foyer of the Castle, dodging Princess Chrysalis’s blasts of energy.  Right near her was Abigail, trying to leap at Princess Chrysalis II’s face, missing every time due to the changeling’s quick movements.
“Give it up, already,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “At this moment, my mother’s horde and the Windigo’s Guild have captured your friends and are going to turn them into fellow changelings.”
“NEVER,” Sunset Shimmer yelled before she fired off a blast of magic from her horn.  Chrysalis II dodged the shot and returned fire with her own magic.  Sunset was quick to dodge the shot before she jumped behind the staircase.
“You’re getting far too predictable,” Chrysalis II said as Sunset hid behind the staircase.  “You’re using the same tactics over and over again.  What are you doing?  Stalling for time?”
Sunset barely looked up as she looked outside the front gate, with a number of changelings observing the outside.   Her eyes also caught Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who stood there watching and waiting.
“Oh and by the way,” Chrysalis II said.  “Our special stone blocks out Alicorn magic.  That way, your so-called mommy and aunt won’t be able to rescue you or your friends at all.  So deal with it.”
Sunset paid no attention to Chrysalis II’s words.  She stood there behind the staircase, waiting patiently for Chrysalis II to make the next move.  Though she had her eyes set on Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Sunset Shimmer never made another inch.
“Oh and by the way,” Chrysalis II said.  “I have your cat.”
“What?” Sunset Shimmer said as her eyes shrunk down.
“That’s right,” Chrysalis II said.  “Your feline friend made the mistake of attacking me when you abandoned her.  So you know what I’m going to do?  I’m going to point my horn right at her and roast her with my magic.  How do you like that?”
Sunset’s tone began to change from calm to angry.  She shook violently as she repeatedly tapped the side of the staircase and dug her back hooves into the carpet of the castle.
“It won’t be long,” Chrysalis II said with a laugh.  “In fact, it’s been a long time since I had  cat flambé.  My favorite dish.
“YOU LEAVE MY SISTER’S COMPANION ALONE!” Sunset Shimmer yelled as she jumped out from behind the staircase and fired right at Chrysalis II, who was holding Abigail by the scruff of her neck.  Chrysalis II dodged out of the way and immediately returned fire, hitting Sunset square in the face and knocked her to the floor.
“Hahahahaha,” Chrysalis II laughed as she flew over Sunset Shimmer, still holding a scared Abigail by the scruff of her neck.  “You were so easy to rile up.  And besides.  I don’t even like the taste of cat.”
With that, Chrysalis II dropped Abigail right on Sunset’s tummy.  Abigail’s claws dug right into Sunset’s fur, causing the filly to scream in pain.
“You double-crossing brat,” Sunset yelled as she winced in pain while Abigail held on.  “You did that on purpose so you could lure me out.”
“You’re correct on that,” Chrysalis II said as she pointed her horn at Sunset Shimmer.  “But unlike what your feline friend did, my strike won’t hurt much.  In fact, you can say that I’ll give you anesthesia before you both become changelings.”
Princess Chrysalis II pointed her horn at Sunset Shimmer and Abigail, glowing brightly with each passing second. Sunset Shimmer just lied there staring at Chrysalis II’s smug face while Abigail glared at the changeling, hissing wildly.
“Savor this moment,” Chrysalis II said. “For when this is over, you both will be reborn.”
Suddenly, Chrysalis II was blasted in the back by a blast of magic, sending her flying and dissipating her own magic.  Abigail jumped off Sunset’s tummy area, leaving some scratch wounds on the surface, while she looked up at Chrysalis II.  The changeling filly slammed right into a back wall and fell to the ground, losing consciousness upon impact.
“Wha?”  Sunset Shimmer said as she looked up at Chrysalis II after the bug princess fell to the ground.  “What just happened?”
Sunset Shimmer shifted her head in front of her to see Prince Blueblood walk up right next to his own cousin.  Sunset’s own face was in total disbelief.
“C….cousin Blueblood?” Sunset said as her jaw hung open.
Prince Blueblood reached his arm out and said “Here. Let me help you up.”
Sunset Shimmer did not know what to say.  She reached out with her hoof and Prince Blueblood grabbed it, slowly lifting Sunset up on her butt.  Sunset slowly got back onto her four hooves, paying close attention to the scratch marks on her tummy.  Abigail looked up at the scratch marks on Sunset’s tummy and let out a sad meow.
“I...I don’t know what to say,” Sunset said.  “Early ago….you were as arrogant as ever.  And now, you just saved my bacon from Chrysalis II.”
“Part of it was seeing your own mother lose her own temper in the ballroom,” Prince Blueblood.  “And part of it was seeing the changelings and Windigo’s Guild invade.”
“This is going to take some time to get into my head,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“But it won’t take long for any of us to escape.”  Sunset Shimmer and Prince Blueblood turned towards the northern hallway to see Prince Hoofar come running down with Captain Airazor by her side.  Right behind them were Rainbow Dash with Baby Scootaloo riding on her back along with Spitfire, Danged Spell, Moondancer, Rarity, Applejack, Cozy Glow, Golden Lace, Pinkie Pie, Baby Ocellus, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Bright Mac, Buttercup with Baby Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich with Baby Diamond Tiara and a number of Wonderbolts leading them through.
“You’re all here,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “That means we can break through.”  Those words caused the changelings and cultists outside the castle to become a bit nervous.
“Oh break through is an understatement,” Rainbow Dash said as Baby Scootaloo cheered in her seat.  “We’re going to knock those goons into next week.”
“And then we’re going to chew them up and spit them out,” Danged Spell said in a mocking tone.
“And then we’ll blast them into Cucamane-ga,” Pinkie Pie said as she pulled out her party cannon and gently rubbed it till confetti burst out of it.
“And we’re going to pulverize them into tiny, itty bitty little pieces,” Fluttershy yelled, causing the entire group to just stare at the little filly like she was completely psychotic.  Fluttershy just looked at everyone and said with embarrassment “Uhh, I mean we will escape.”
“Also,” Golden Lace said.  “We’re going to give their leaders a piece of our mind.  And then…”
Suddenly, Cozy Glow tapped Golden Lace on her shoulder and said “Uhh, not to break it to you.  But look outside.”
Everyone took a look outside, looking at the entrance.  The changelings and cultists were no longer guarding the front gate, and there was Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and Queen Novo waving to everyone.  
“They’re all waiting for us,” Starlight Glimmer said as she waved back.  “Come on.”
“Well I’ll be blessed,” Granny Smith said.  “We’re finally going to be out of this nightmare.”
Sunset Shimmer and Abigail ran off towards Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and Queen Novo as Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo on her back, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Spitfire, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Baby Ocellus, Bright Mac, Buttercup with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich with Diamond Tiara, Airazor, the Wonderbolts and the animals ran after the young princess.  But Prince Blueblood and Prince Hoofar looked down at the unconscious Princess Chrysalis II.
“Something’s not right,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Those changelings and cultists just disappeared without a trace.  It’s like we’re running head first into a trap.”
“Very observant,” Prince Hoofar said.  “We must keep close to them in case the trap is sprung.”
Prince Blueblood and Prince Hoofar turned their heads away from Princess Chrysalis II and ran outside towards the rest of the group.
Back inside, a splash of water lands on Princess Chrysalis II’s face as she gets up in a total shock.  She jumped up on her bottom area and shook the water off her face.
“Mother,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “What’d you do that for?”
Queen Chrysalis emerged from the shadows and said “My dear daughter.  I just wanted to let you know that we’ve lured the princesses and all their friends into a trap.”
“A trap, eh?” Princess Chrysalis II said.
Coldnelius Snap emerged from another part of the shadows with two cultists by his side.  He approached the two changeling royals and said “We had to hold back just slightly just to give all of them a false sense of security.  Once they unite, we strike.”
“Excellent,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “All that is left to deal with is the Man’s Cub, the Chancellor, and Princess Celestia’s Ex-Student.”
“Leave that to me,” Coldnelius Snap said with a devilish grin on his face.

Outside, Sunset Shimmer ran up to Princess Celestia and gave the alicorn a big hug as Abigail leaped atop Celestia’s head.  The younglings sans Ocellus, Blueblood and Hoofar ran up and embraced Princess Luna and Princess Cadance, while the adults mingled with the surviving guests.
“Mother,” Sunset Shimmer said as she gave Celestia a big hug.  “We all made it.”
“And I’m glad to see that you and your friends are safe, Sunset Shimmer,” Princess Celestia said as Abigail meowed on top of the alicorn’s head.
Baby Ocellus looked at the other younglings embrace Luna and Cadance when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.  She looked beside her and saw Baby Silverstream give her a hug while she cooed.
"Hey cut that out, Baby Ocellus giggled.  "That tickles."
Queen Novo and Princess Skystar chuckled as Baby Silverstream and Baby Ocellus embraced each other.
"It's amazing that Silverstream is quick to find a friend in that little pipsqueak," Queen Novo said.
"Yeah," Princess Skystar said.  "But it's a real shame that Queen Chrysalis considers her an outcast and a traitor.  I wonder what we can do?"
"That's a good point, my daughter," Queen Novo said.  "Perhaps we might consider adopting her in the event something horrible happened to her parents."
"You really think so?" Princess Skystar asked with excitement.
"But only if she can adapt to our world," Queen Novo said.  "And judging by her skills, I believe she is more than capable of doing so."
Danged Spell and Moondancer stepped away from Princess Luna as Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes approached the two younglings.  It didn’t take long for Danged Spell to wave towards the trio as they approached him and Moondancer.
“It’s great that you’re alright, Spell,” Buck Withers said.  “You’re a tough pony, through and through.”
“Of course we are,” Danged Spell said.  “But truth be told, even with my Wolf’s Breath Curse, I was still scared.”
“We were all scared,” Lemony Gem said.  “But I think we’ll all be safe for the time being.”
“Thank goodness,” Moondancer said.  “That means no more changelings and cultists to worry about.”
“By Celestia’s majestic mane,” Gad Zookes said.  “If any of them were to come around, Buck Withers would knock them to the ground and raze their homes.”
“Now now,” Buck Withers said.  “I may be a hero to the kids.  But I’m not a barbarian.”
“Whoops,” Gad Zookes said with an embarrassing blush.  “Sorry Mr Withers.  My bad.”
Rainbow Dash stopped right next to Princess Luna as Spitfire unfastened Scootaloo from her seat belt, picked her up and placed her in Buttercup’s saddlebag right next to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.  The three babies embraced each other as Spitfire flew up to Captain Airazor.
“Looks like we all did it, ma’am,” Spitfire said.  “Everyone is accounted for.”
“And you and Rainbow Dash did an excellent job in helping out,” Airazor said.  “The Wonderbolts would be proud of you both.”
“Well there is someone who does deserve more of the credit,” Spitfire said as she pointed her hoof at Rainbow Dash, who waved back at Airazor.
“And she does,” Airazor said.  “Come on.”
Airazor and Spitfire flew down towards Rainbow Dash, who proceeded to stand firm towards the duo.
“Rainbow Dash,” Airazor said.  “I wish to personally thank you for helping out tonight.  You proved to be more than an ally, but a candidate worthy of being a Wonderbolt.”
“You really mean it?” Rainbow Dash said.
“You bet,” Spitfire said.  “In fact, you might want to consider joining the Junior Wonderbolt program.”
“But should you do so,” Airazor said.  “I won’t go easy on you.  In fact, I will be pushing you to your limits if you join the program.  Are you perfectly clear with that?”
Rainbow Dash saluted Airazor and said “YES MA’AM!”
Applejack walked up to Rainbow Dash and said “Well what do you know.  Our close friend has become a one of a kind Wonderbolt.”
Pinkie Pie grabbed Rainbow Dash and gave her a big hug before saying “Oooh, I can’t wait to see you become a blue angel to us all, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash struggled to breathe from Pinkie’s hug as she said “Oh...you’ll bet.”
Nearby, Golden Lace looked around the entire group of ponies and noticed something was off.  She turned towards Filthy Rich.
“I don’t see my mom or dad anywhere,” Golden Lace said.  “Do you suppose they took off without warning?”
Filthy Rich couldn’t figure out what to say.  He turned towards the castle entrance to see Silver Banks walking out with Gold Banks right next to him.  The latter looked really upset as the former looked depressed.
“I think there’s your answer,” Filthy Rich said as he pointed to Gold and Silver Banks.
Gold and Silver Banks made it across the bridge and touched the soft grass of the front garden.  Gold Banks jumped away from Silver and started kissing the ground.
“Oh thank me,” Gold Banks said as she kissed the ground.  “I was hoping we would be out of that mess.”
“Honey,” Silver Banks said.  “You’re making a complete fool of yourself in front of everyone.”
Golden Lace and Filthy Rich watch as Silver Banks helps Gold Banks up onto her four legs.
“I’ll talk with your father about you moving down to La Maresa,” Filthy Rich said to Golden Lace. “You better go chat with your friends.”
Golden Lace nodded as Filthy RIch ran towards Silver and Gold Banks.  The little filly walked up to Spoiled Rich and looked down at Baby Diamond Tiara.
“Well hello there, cousin,” Golden Lace said as Diamond Tiara just giggled in her face.  “Looks like you’re going to have to get used to me from here on out when this day’s over.   But I don’t think I can get used to living in La Maresa once I say my final good-byes.”
“Well it’s not going to be forever.  Besides, you still have some friends by your side.”  Golden Lace turned her head to see Cozy Glow flying up to the sad unicorn filly.
“Cozy,” Golden Lace said.  “Are you still looking out for me?”
“As I have,” Cozy Glow said as she pointed to Rainbow Dash, Pinkie PIe, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Trixie. “And as I said, you have some friends by your side to at least keep you comfy.”
“I know,” Golden Lace said.  “But it’s more like I’m really going to miss Canterlot, no matter how chaotic it gets from my parents, or from these hooligans that gave us a hard time.”
“Like I said,” Cozy Glow said.  “I’ll be there for you if you need it.  In fact, I think I could convince Princess Celestia to allow Wanda and Sunset to visit you when you need it the most.  Maybe the others as well.”
“But what about your mother?” Golden Lace asked.
“You mean Magistrate Creme Dream?” Cozy Glow replied.  “I don’t intend on returning to her.  I left because I didn’t like how she treated me.  And I hope I never have to again.  If it means having to live with you in La Maresa, then so be it.”
“Then,” Golden Lace said. “I hope we do get to be true sisters.”
Cozy Glow said nothing as she and Golden Lace hugged each other under the moonlit sky.  Spoiled Rich turned her head towards the two youngsters as Diamond Tiara giggled at them.
“Yes my dear,“ Spoiled Rich said.  “Soon, this nightmare will be over and we can all return home to La Maresa.  Though I hope this doesn’t put a strain on future events.”
Nearby, Prince Blueblood looked up at the night sky, still troubled.  Princess Luna walked up to her nephew, noticing his difficult stance.
“I haven’t seen you like this before,” Princess Luna said.  “Is something the matter, Prince Blueblood?”
“I’m afraid so, Aunt Luna,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Do you recall seeing the changelings and the cultists retreat from the front entrance?”
“As a matter of fact I do,” Princess Luna said.  “Along with my sister, Queen Novo and everyone else who was waiting for you all.”
“We suspected that Queen Chrysalis was laying down a trap for all of us,” Prince Hoofar said as he approached Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood.  “That explained why they flew the coup when we all approached.
“This doesn’t sound good,” Princess Luna said.  “We brought all you out of the castle and now we’ve put you in grave danger.  Even worse, neither me nor my sister and Princess Cadance have access to our magic.”
“What matters is that we may have to fight back once the trap is sprung,” Prince Blueblood said. “And knowing how Queen Chrysalis and this Coldnelius Snap character ambushed us in the ballroom, it’s only a matter of time before they launch their next attack.”
“Then something must be done,” Princess Luna said.  “Alert everyone.  They need to be aware of Queen Chrysalis’s next move.”
Prince Blueblood and Prince Hoofar nodded.  The two pointed their horns into the air and fired off a blast of magic respectively.  The two blasts combined into one and reached the peak in the sky before igniting, creating a fireworks-like display that caught everyone’s attention.
“This is a warning to everyone,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Queen Chrysalis is about to launch another ambush.  Everyone, brace for impact.”
The moment Prince Hoofar’s words caught the attention of everyone in the vicinity, Queen Chrysalis’s wicked laugh echoed through the air.  The crowd of ponies and hippogriffs began to cower as a blue mist forms above the entrance to the castle.  Everyone watched as Queen Chrysalis, Coldnelius Snap and Princess Chrysalis II emerged from the blue mist.
“Queen Chrysalis,” Princess Celestia snarled. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?  I’m surprised you didn’t transform into any of our friends and family just to catch us off guard.”
“Now where’s the fun in that, Princess Celestia?” Queen Chrysalis chuckled.  “No.  I just wanted to see each and every one of you miserable little ponies gathered up like cattle.”
“Who knew collaborating with the queen of the changelings was an ice idea?” Coldnelius Snap said as he leaped from the roof and landed in front of the bridge, shocking the crowd.  “When this night is over, your nightmare will truly last forever.”
Buttercup held Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tight as Bright Mac glared down at Coldnelius Snap.
“Oh I remember you two,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I made your daughter cry when I froze you both back in La Maresa.  Nothing like a cold heart giving a filly a broken one.”
“Just who do you think you are, attempting to  upstage me?” Gold Banks yelled, catching Coldnelius Snap’s attention.  “Do you know who I am?”
Coldnelius Snap just smiled and said “Try me.”
“Oh you bet,” Gold Banks yelled.   “I am Gold Milk Banks, the most powerful pony of all of Equestria.  You mess with me, and my army of news warriors will make sure you never show your face anywhere again and…”
But before Gold Banks could finish, Coldnelius Snap blasted the entitled mare right in the mouth, freezing it shut.
“Why don’t you do yourself a favor and chill out,” Coldnelius Snap said before he let out a devilish laugh.  Gold Banks just stood there, struggling to speak with her lips frozen, all while Silver Banks grabbed her and dragged her out.
“Amusing, isn’t it?” Queen Chrysalis laughed.
“You have a lot of nerve to attack us during the Grand Gallopin Gala,” Queen Novo said.
Queen Chrysalis approached Queen Novo and said “And it’s all while you all had a serious meltdown due to Princess Celestia’s failure to keep the gala civil.  You ponies are so hypocritical of yourselves, thinking you’re high and mighty on Canterlot, and thinking you’re so better than the rest of us.”
“At least I’m not a brazen coward who lets her minions do the dirty work,” Queen Novo replied.  
“Touche,” Queen Chrysalis said with a sharp grin.  “But you know what? I justify this hypocrisy with prejudice.”
Coldnelius Snap turned his head towards Queen Chrysalis and said “The Man’s Cub is still out there, along with Princess Celestia’s ex-student.  I will look for them.”
“Very well,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I will keep the guests entertained.”
Coldnelius Snap kicked dust into the air as he ran past the captives, the changelings and his own guild members towards the front gate, all while three members of his own cult followed from behind.  Queen Chrysalis turned towards Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator, who emerged from the castle entrance.
“Predacons,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Coldnelius Snap made need some backup in finding the last of those meddlesome fools.  Pursue and take prisons.”
“At once, my queen,” Inferno laughed before he, Quickstrike and Waspinator flew off towards the city limits of Canterlot.
As Princess Celestia watched the Predacon brothers fly away from the castle, she walked up to Queen Novo and whispered “Get under her skin.  Say something that would anger her.  I’ll go rescue Wanda, Twilight and Chancellor Cinch.”
Queen Novo nodded.  She walked up to Queen Chrysalis as Princess Celestia began to back off.
“You know, for someone who claims to be queen of the changelings,” Queen Novo said.  “You’re unaware that some members of your hive may be plotting to overthrow you just to gain power for themselves.”
“What...did you say?” Queen Chrysalis said as her eye began to twitch.
“You heard me,” Queen Novo said.  “You may think your own hive is one hundred percent loyal to you.  But deep on the inside, they plan to overthrow you when you least expect it.  Maybe even your own daughter plans to upstage you and take over at such a young age.”
“Wait,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “I would never do that.”
“SILENCE!” Queen Chrysalis yelled to her daughter, causing the changeling filly to back off.
“That’s right,” Queen Novo said.  “Yell at your subjects like that.  Prove that you don’t care for their well-being.  Because you’re nothing more than a selfish royal brat who’s full of it.  You even treat your own daughter with total disdain.”
“Don’t you DARE BESMIRCH MY DAUGHTER!” Queen Chrysalis yelled as her eyes burned with hate and her horn glowing bright. “I care for my daughter compared to how you care for yours.”
“Do you?” Queen Novo said.  “As a mother, I let my own daughter know what is right and wrong, and correct her to make sure she doesn’t do it again.  You, on the other hand, see your own child as a means to an end, and when they fail, you resort to lashing out at them.  I’ve seen it happen before when you tried to invade Mount Aris months ago.  My own troops reported on what you did to your daughter and your Predacons, and you scolded them for not living up to your standards..”
“You STAY OUT OF THIS!” Queen Chrysalis said as she marched closer to Queen Novo.
“Face it, Queen Chrysalis,” Queen Novo said.  “For a leader who claims to know best for her own people, you would rather place yourself atop a pillar of gold and demand to be worshipped.  You are not a queen, but a sickening tyrant who demands fame and power.  The only thing you deserve is to be ridiculed and humiliated for your selfishness.”
“SHUT UPPPPPPP!” Queen Chrysalis yelled as she fired off a blast of magic from her horn at Queen Novo.
Queen Novo just smiled as she ducked the blast from Queen Chrysalis’s horn, watching as it darted over her head and flew right at Waspinator, who was already in the distance with Inferno and Quickstrike flying above Canterlot City.
“Oh no,” Waspinator said as he turned around and saw the blast flying right at him.
With a spark of light, the blast hits Waspinator directly, sending him spiraling downwards towards the city.  Inferno and Quickstrike looked back at Queen Chrysalis, who looked like she had gone psychotic.
“Not again,” Quickstrike said.  “That’s the fifth time this month.”
“Do not fret, brother,” Inferno said.  “We must pick Waspinator back up and continue our pursuit of the Man’s Cub and the filly.”
As Quickstrike and Inferno fly down towards Waspinator, Queen Chrysalis looks from afar with her jaw dropped to the ground.  Queen Novo did nothing but smirk at Queen Chrysalis.
“Well what do you know,” Queen Novo said with a smug look on her face.  “You really don’t care for your subjects.  You just care about yourself.”
Queen Chrysalis roared with anger.  She flew right at Queen Novo with the intent of tackling the hippogriff queen.  But before Chrysalis could get her hooves around Novo’s neck, Princess Luna flew in from the side and rammed right into Queen Chrysalis, knocking the changeling to the ground.
“We may lack our magic,” Princess Luna said.  “But we are no less dangerous than when we had it.  Especially my sister.”
Queen Chrysalis got up on her side.  She looked up at Queen Novo and Princess Luna, and her face of anger turned to amusement.
“You actually angered me,” Queen Chrysalis said with a laugh.  “I’m impressed.  Even without your magic, you managed to prove that you still have enough bite left in you.  But it’s time I defanged you.”
Princess Luna looked down at Queen Chrysalis and said “You and what army?”
Queen Chrysalis turned towards the changelings and Windigo’s cult members before she yelled out“GET THEM!”  She immediately flew away from Princess Luna and Queen Novo, who just stood there with a smirk on their face.
Before long, changelings and cultists descended upon the ponies within the garden, ready to pounce on them.  Buck Withers gets out his chain whip and cracks it in the air as ponies gathered to his side.
“To arms,” Buck Withers yelled.  “Tonight, we FIGHT FOR EQUESTRAI!”
The crowd cheered as they charged towards the cultists and changelings.  Adults and youngsters alike looked like they were about to fight back against the intruders.  Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Buttercup and Spoiled RIch hid in the nearby bushes with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara while Silverstream and Ocellus took cover in the moat of the castle.  
“Looks like we’re not going to stand around and just be their servants,” Shining Armor said.
“Come,” Princess Cadance said as she extended her wings.  “Let’s show them that we mean business.”
As Princess Cadance and Shining Armor ran with the crowd towards the changelings and the cultists, Princess Celestia approached Princess Luna and Queen Novo, who turned towards the elder alicorn. 
“We’ve bought you some time, sister,” Princess Luna said.  “Now your chance.”
“Find Wanda and Twilight and get them out of Canterlot,” Queen Novo said.  “We’ll hold them off.”
“Understood,” Princess Celestia said. “And be careful.”
Princess Celestia turned away from Princess Luna and Queen Novo, extending her wings as she ran out the gate’s broken doorway.  With a great amount of speed, Princess Celestia flew off towards the city limits of Canterlot, looking back as the fighting took place in the garden.
“We are putting everything at risk to defeat Queen Chrysalis,” Princess Celestia said to herself.  “But I wonder if, by regaining my own daughter and my ex-student, I would wind up losing far more than I realize.  Sister, please don’t die on me.”

	To Be Continued in….


	Lost in the chaos

> Arc 18-7: Lost in the Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Lost in the Chaos




It is midnight in Canterlot at Twilight Sparkle’s home.  Inside, a Wonderbolt looked out the slightly opened doorway, looking left and right from the streets.  Despite the dead silence of the night, uncertainty loomed in the hearts of ponies everywhere.
“Any sign of Princess Celestia, or any other pony?” Chancellor Cinch said.
“No, Chancellor,” The Wonderbolt said.  “I think they’ve met a terrible fate.”
“Don’t give up hope,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I know they’re still out there.  I’ve been in this situation before when I was a kid, and there was a time that I lost hope.”
“Yes, ma’am,” The Wonderbolt said as he turned his head back out the door.
Chancellor Cinch walked towards the living room area of Twilight’s house.  One Wonderbolt stood guard while another one watched over little Wanda, who was fast asleep on the couch, still wearing the gown she wore at the Gala.
“How is she?” Chancellor Cinch said in a soft voice.
“It didn’t take much for her to fall asleep,” the Wonderbolt next to Wanda said.  “She’s had a rough night thanks to everything that played out.”
“I’m only hoping that she awakens the next day and realizes that she’s safe and sound,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “After what she’s been through, the little Man’s Cub doesn’t deserve this.”
“I’m only hoping that Princess Celestia shows up and rescues us,” the Wonderbolt said.  “Who knows what those cultists and changelings will do to us if we try to escape.”
“Don’t lose hope,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “It will take more than two evils to bring down Princess Celestia.  Furthermore, considering the allies she has right now, I believe she’ll be on the verge of beating both Coldnelius Snap and Queen Chrysalis.”
“If only it was that easy,” the Wonderbolt said while her companion stood there firm.  “I joined the Wonderbolts in order to give the ponies of Equestria hope.  I was willing to show them what the Wonderbolts were capable of, either through the shows we perform across the nation, or when we have to defend our home from invaders.  Never thought they would overpower us and drive us on the brink.”
“I’ve known what it was like to be on that edge before,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “And believe me when I say it.  We’ve pushed through more dangerous situations before and we came out stronger.  We won’t let those bullies humble any and all of us.  You have my word.”
The Wonderbolt next to the sleeping Wanda looked up at Chancellor Cinch.  She took off the headpiece of her costume, and swayed her light purplish mane in the dark.  Her pink fur shined with a soft glow as she stared at the Chancellor.
“By the way,” The Wonderbolt said. “Call me, Firefly.”
“Firefly,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Named after the very commander who was responsible for founding the Wonderbolts?”
“My parents have always had a thing for the Wonderbolts,” Firefly said.  “In fact, my mother was a Wonderbolt in her prime and Airazor’s mentor before she retired.  I’m only here to follow in her hoofsteps and to make Airazor and the rest of the group proud.”
“I’d say you would make a proud Wonderbolt,” Chancellor Cinch said.
Suddenly, the sound of hooves running on the ground caught the attention of Chancellor Cinch and Firefly, with Wanda starting to wake up.  Cinch turned around and saw the other Wonderbolt guard holding Baby Spike, who was crying loudly.
“Chancellor,” The Wonderbolt said.  “This little baby dragon wandered near the house.”
“Spike?” Wanda said as she got up with her ears attuned to Spike’s crying.  “Is that you?  Where’s Twilight?”
“Shhh, it’s okay,” Firefly said to Wanda as the other Wonderbolt guard walked up to Wanda, still holding the crying Spike with his arms.  
“I believe you know about this little baby?” The Wonderbolt asked.
“Yes,” Wanda said.  “That’s Twilight’s companion.  Something must have happened to her.”
The Wonderbolt guard nodded and placed Spike right next to Twilight.  As the bambino dragon cried.  Wanda reached out and gave Spike a big hug, singing a lullaby to her.”
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word,” Wanda sang.  “Wanda’s gonna find you a mockingbird.  And when that mockingbird starts to sing, it will reveal to you a diamond ring.”
Spike began to calm down as Wanda continued to sing towards the baby dragon.  Firefly, Cinch and the guard watched as Spike fell asleep.
“She has the heart and soul of a mother,” The guard said.
“She gets that from Princess Celestia, “Chancellor Cinch said.
Firefly looked up and said “But this means Twilight Sparkle is in greater danger.  We have to find her.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But I can’t risk putting any of you in danger.”  
“Then we should all go together to find Twilight,” the Wonderbolt guard said.  “If we can find her, we can keep her safe until Princess Celestia drives off the cultists and changelings.”
“That’s a risky move,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “And I’m afraid of putting a lot of stress on Princess Wanda after what she’s been through.”
The three adults continued to talk with each other as Wanda comforted a sleeping Spike.  But nearby, the other Wonderbolt looked at the three before turning his head towards Wanda.
“Got you right in my tracks,” The supposed Wonderbolt said before he began to sneak over to Wanda.
As Wanda gently rubbed Spike on the forehead, the lone Wonderbolt reached over towards Wanda as its eyes turned green and its fangs lay bare.  The moment the shadow loomed over Wanda, the Man’s Cub looked up at the Wonderbolt, who looked feral and hungry.
“There is no escape for you,” The Wonderbolt said, causing Wanda to scream in fear, which attracted the attention of the other Wonderbolt guard, plus Firefly and Chancellor Cinch.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Chancellor Cinch yelled.  Spike woke up from his nap and started to cry again.
The ravenous guard laughed and said “I just wanted to give you a warning.  I’ve alerted my own swarm where you are all located.  And now you will all surrender to my queen.”
Instantly, the Wonderbolt turned into a changeling, causing Wanda and Spike to fall out of the couch and onto the floor.  Cinch chased after the changeling as it flew out of the window and into the night sky.
“Get back here you coward and fight,” Cinch yelled.
Firefly and her Wonderbolt companion walked up to Wanda and Spike, who were both crying loudly.  Firefly picked up Wanda and Spikeand started to rock them both.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Firefly said.  “That bad monster is gone.”
Wanda and Spike looked up and felt the calm and serene essence around the house.  They looked up at Firefly, who rocked them both.  Wanda calmed down as her crying began to dissipate.  
“He’s gone?” Wanda said with a faint cry.  “The bad monster is gone.”
“Yes,” Firefly said.  “The bad monster is gone.”
Firefly gently placed Wanda and Spike down on the floor.  Wanda picked up Spike and gently held onto the baby dragon.
As Firefly stood on her four hooves, Chancellor Cinch adjusted her dress and began to walk towards the front door.
“It appears we are not safe here,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “We must depart at once.”
Firefly and the other Wonderbolt troop nodded.  Cinch lowered her back down as Wanda set Spike to the side.  The Man’s Cub jumped onto Cinch’s back as she stood back up.  She lifted Spike up with her magic and placed him right next to Wanda, who held him close.
“Come on,” Cinch said.  “Let’s move out.”
Chancellor Cinch made her way through the front door and out into the streets of Canterlot with Firefly and her Wonderbolt ally by her side.

Meanwhile, in another part of Canterlot, a number of changelings patrolled the streets, as if they were on the hunt.  In a nearby corner, Twilight Sparkle peeked her head out in fear, keeping her eyes out on the changelings.  She stuck her head back behind the corner as tears fell from her eyes.  Her dress, once a star that shined in the night, now dirtied up and slightly torn.
“This is truly my fault,” Twilight said.  “I shouldn’t have ran off from the castle, and I shouldn’t have yelled at Princess Celestia.  Now I’m all alone, and I don’t even have Spike by my side.  What am I to do?”
Twilight turned her head away from the street as she snuck down the alleyway.  She slowly walked down, staying within the shadows.  She quickly hid behind a dumpster before some changelings looked down the alleyway, keeping their eyes out.
“I could have sworn she was around here,” one changeling said.
“Keep looking,” another said.  “We’ll find her and ransom that brat for their surrender.”
The two changelings turned their head away from the alleyway and walked off down the street.   Twilight Sparkle watched as the two drones disappeared before slowly stepping away from the dumpster.
“Oh please,” Twilight whispered to herself.  “Someone wake me up.   This has got to be my worst nightmare ever.”
Twilight took a few steps before she began to run off down the alleyway, turning her head forward and not looking back.

Moments later, Twilight Sparkle slumped through the empty streets of Canterlot.  Her head sunk low towards the ground as she bawled her eyes out.  Her fur glowed a depressing light blue in the moonlight.
“This really is my fault,” Twilight cried.  “I should have never left the castle.  I should have never said those awful words to Princess Celestia.  It feels like I threw everything away here.”
Twilight walked as far as she could before she tripped over a side of the walkway and fell down on her tummy.  She struggled to get up, only to fall down to the ground.
“I...I don’t know if I can go any further,” Twilight said as she just sobbed into her arms.  “Maybe this is it.  This is where my story ends.  Not with a bang, but with a whimper, to be taken captive by changelings.  At least it can’t get any worse than this.”
As Twilight continued to sob into her arms, two changelings approached, glaring down at the helpless filly. 
“Are you lost, little one?”  One of the changelings said.
“We can take you back to Queen Chrysalis,” another Changeling said.  “She’ll know what to do with you.”
Twilight paid no attention to the two changelings hovering over her as she continued to cry into her arms.
“Seems she’s lost all hope,” one changeling said.
“Indeed,” the other said.  “Let us take her to Queen Chrysalis.  Perhaps this may have been the easiest job tonight thus far.”
One of the two changelings approached Twilight and lifted her head towards them.  Her eyes flowed with tears all the way down to her cheek as she just stared at the two.
“Whatever you want to do with me,” Twilight said.  “Do it fast.  I don’t deserve to live.”
“Oh we’re not here to destroy you,” the changeling said as he held Twilight up to his face. “We’re here to convert you to be one of us.  To be truly free of your soft flesh form.  Now come with us.”
Twilight turned her head away and said nothing as the other changeling got her up on her four legs.
The two changelings began to walk Twilight Sparkle down the street as the young filly kept her eyes closed in pure shame.
“You should be lucky.” one of the changelings said.  “The queen is most generous to new subjects.  She’ll take good care of you and make you forget about your troubled past.”
“Oh indeed,” the other changeling said.  “Your life will be made better than the previous life you had.  In fact, there’s nothing better than to become a changeling like us.”
“Whatever,” Twilight said as she kept her eyes shut.
“The poor thing has become depressed,” one of the changelings said.
“But it won’t be long now,” the other changeling said.  “Nothing will stop this little one from getting the happiness she deserves.”
Suddenly, Princess Celestia flew in from out of nowhere and dive-bombed one of the changelings, pinning him down while barking at the bug pony like mad.  The other changeling began to freak out.
“That….that’s impossible,” the changeling next to Twilight said as the little filly’s eyes opened up to see Princess Celestia.
“SOMEONE HELP ME!” the trapped changeling yelled as Princess Celestia barked wildly at it.  “I’M BEING TRAPPED BY A MAD PRINCESS!”
The other changeling watched in horror as Princess Celestia barked at the one changeling she had trapped under her hooves.  He tried to slowly walk away, only for Celestia to turn her head towards the escaping insect. 
“Oh horse apples,” The second changeling said as he began to make a run for it.
But before the changeling could run off, Princess Celestia ran up to the changeling, grabbed it by the tail and swung him around before throwing him towards the sky.  The changeling shot through the atmosphere at mach one speed until it fell outside the city limits.  The changeling that was pinned down quickly got up and made a break for it.
Twilight Sparkle continued to stand there, completely speechless.  Princess Celestia shook her head, allowing her eyes to return to normal before gently walking up to the little lavender filly.
“Twilight,” Princess Celestia said in a soothing voice,  “Are you okay?”
Twilight looked up at Princess Celestia.  She tried to hold back her tears, only to break down crying into Celestia’s chest.
“I’m sorry,” Twilight cried.  “I shouldn’t have said all those awful words to you.  I shouldn’t have run off from the castle in a selfish manner.   Please forgive me.”
“Twilight, my forgiveness is not necessary,” Princess Celestia said as she hugged Twilight closely.  “You were right.  I took my status as a greeter too seriously, neglected my own duties of keeping the peace in the Gala, and I took it out on the guests.  Some princess I turned out to be.” Celestia let out a playful laugh that caused Twilight to giggle.
“So,” Twilight said. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“If you wish to no longer be my student and depart the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Princess Celestia said.  “That is your choice, and yours alone.  But right now, I noticed that you don’t have Spike with you.”
“That’s right,” Twilight said as she turned her head away.  “I was separated from Spike after I was ambushed by a couple of changelings.”
Celestia turned Twilight’s head towards hers and said with the gentlest of voice “Then we will find your Spike, and find Wanda Young.  She’s lost in the city with Chancellor Cinch.  If we can find them, then we can get Wanda, Spike and you out of the city and to safety.”
Twilight nodded.  She got back onto her four hooves as Celestia lowered her back down.  Twilight jumped up and held on as Princess Celestia got back on her four hooves.
“By the way,” Twilight said.  “I noticed you fought in your Wolf’s Breath curse form.  Did something happen to your magic?”
“Queen Chrysalis has a type of stone that blocks out alicorn magic,” Princess Celestia said.  “I believed they must have activated it within the castle walls.”
“Do you think your magic can work right now?” Twilight asked.
“Good question,” Princess Celestia replied as she pointed her horn into the night sky.
At first nothing appeared to happen.  But soon, Celestia’s horn began to light up brightly.  She aimed her horn upwards and fired off a blast of magic.  Twilight’s eyes sparkled with delight as the magic extended upwards until it disappeared through the clouds.
“Wow,” Twilight said.  “I bet we can find Wanda and Spike with little problem now.”
“You bet,” Celestia said with a smug laugh.  “Because nobody messes with Princess Celestia and gets away with it.”
WIth a flap of her wings, Princess Celestia took off from the small street of Canterlot with Twilight Sparkle riding on top.  Together, they flew above Canterlot City, beginning their search for Wanda and Spike.

Meanwhile, in another part of Canterlot, Chancellor Cinch rode through the streets as fast as possible with Wanda and Spike holding on top of her back, all while Firefly and her Wonderbolt companion flew from above and glided next to the chancellor.
“Any sign of Twilight Sparkle?” Chancellor Cinch said.
“Negative,” Firefly said.  “It’s too dangerous to fly in the air unless we want to get shot down by changelings.”
“That being said,” the unnamed Wonderbolt said.  “We caught a glance of Princess Celestia flying through the city.  She may be looking for us.”
“That’s the first bit of good news we’ve heard all night,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “If we see her, we’ll signal for her.”
“Mommy’s here?” Wanda said as Spike held onto the human girl.
“She is,” Cinch said.  “Once we find her, we’ll get you and Spike to safety.”
“But what about you?” Wanda asked.
“Don’t worry about me, Man’s Cub,” Cinch said.  “I can take care of myself.  What matters is that you get to safety.”
“But what if I’m surrounded by changelings or cultists?” Wanda asked with a nervous tone.
“That baby dragon that you have utilizes dragon fire,” Cinch said.  “When you’re in a bind, ask for his aid, and he’ll help you out.”
“Dragon fire,” Wanda said as she looked down at Spike.  Spike looked up at Wanda and nodded back at her.
Cinch continued to sprint down the streets of Canterlot with Firefly and the other Wonderbolt by her side, keeping an eye out for the danger that was in every corner of the city.  Wanda held onto Cinch while Spike continued to hold onto the Man’s Cub.  
“If Princess Celestia is nearby,” Chancellor Cinch said. “Then we need to make sure she gets our attention.  I will get the lady to the princess by any means possible.”
“As long as we are by your side, my lady,” the solo Wonderbolt said.  “We won’t let those fiends get the best of you.”
Suddenly, the Wonderbolt was hit by a blast of pure cold, freezing him completely.  His frozen body fell to the ground and slid across the streets, causing Cinch and Firefly to stop completely.
“MAGNUM!” Firefly yelled as the frozen body of the lone Wonderbolt came to a stop.
“We’re under attack.” Cinch yelled.  “Get to the side.”
But before anyone could make a move, Firefly was hit by a flying table, sending her flying to the corner as the table pinned her down.  A blast of ice covered the table, trapping Firefly inside.  Firefly was only able to peek her head from behind her ice prison, helpless.
“GET ME OUT OF HERE,” Firefly yelled.
Cinch froze in complete fear as Wanda and Spike hid behind her neck.  In front of them, Coldnelius Snap walked in with two cultists by his side.
“Hello there, Governor,” Coldnelius Snap said. “Do you recognize this place?”
“You have a lot of nerve to attack us like that, you coward,” Chancellor Cinch snarled.
“Then allow me to make you remember,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “We first met here, when I came for the Man’s Cub.  After all, she isn’t naturally of this planet, and she’s our key to freezing Equestria cold.  So let me repeat the very words that I said to you.  Give me the Man’s Cub.”
“Never,” Cinch said.  “You will not take her.  She’s more than a Man’s Cub.  She’s an individual, and a rightful citizen of Equestria.  Far more than you’ll ever be.”
“You realize that you have no choice,” Snap said as he pointed behind Chancellor Cinch.
Cinch, Wanda and Spike turned around to see a number of Windigo’s Guild cultists surrounding them.  Their faces were cold in their glance as the aura around them was deathly cold.
“There’s no way out, Governor,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “And there’s no one to save you.  Not Princess Celestia, nor any guards and the Wonderbolts.  Give it up.  You….lose.”
As Coldnelius Snap laughed into the night, Cinch inched her head towards Wanda.
“Take Spike and use the dragon fire to scare those cowards off,” Cinch whispered.  “Then run.”
“But Miss Cinch…” Wanda whispered.
“It’s your only chance out,” Cinch whispered.   “Trust me.  I’ll be fine.  Worry about yourself.”
Wanda nodded.  She held Spike tightly as she slid her legs to the side and jumped off Cinch’s back.  Wanda then began to sneak up towards one group of cultists, catching their attention.
“Where do you think you’re going, Man’s Cub?” One of the cultists said.
Wanda stared down the cult member.  She held up Spike and said “Where the dragon fire will lead me.”
Spike opened his mouth and belched out a plume of fire, blazing towards the cultists in front of Wanda.  One look at the flames caused the cult members to freak out.
“FIRE!” One of the cult members yelled.
“IT’S GOING TO BURN US!” another yelled.
The Windigo’s Guild cult ran around in complete panic as Spike continued to breathe fire in front of everyone.  Wanda held Spike close to her as the baby dragon held nothing back.
“A treacherous fire attack,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Impressive.  But it won’t be enough.”
Coldnelius Snap charged up his horn and fired off a blast of cold magic at Wanda and Spike.  But before it could reach the duo, Cinch fired off a blast of magic of her own, colliding with the cold magic and exploding into snow particles.
“RUN, MAN’S CUB,” Cinch yelled.  “RUN AND DON’T LOOK BACK!”
Wanda nodded at Cinch as she held Spike at her side and ran off down the alleyway.
“Come back here you little brat,” Coldnelius Snap said as he began to run towards the alleyway, only to be cut off by Chancellor Cinch.
“You want the Man’s Cub?” Cinch yelled.  “You'll have to get past me first.”
Coldnelius Snap’s eyes glowed a bright bluish-white like the cold of winter.  He pointed his horn at Cinch and said “Oh, I will.”

Meanwhile, in the skies above Canterlot, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator took notice of Wanda running through the alleyway all while she held Spike up close.  Inferno signaled to his two brothers.
“That’s her,” Inferno said.  “That’s the Man’s Cub that Queen Chrysalis wanted.”
“Tell me you want us to grab that girl?” Quickstrike yelled.  “That would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.”
“It is the duty to serve the royalty,” Inferno said.  “And if it means capturing her, then we shall do it.
Quickstrike grabbed onto Inferno and yelled “YEE HAW!  Now you’re talking.”  Quickstrike turned to Waspinator and said “How about it, bug boy?  You ready to rip?”
Waspinator looked at the two with a cold look on his face and said “Waspinator not ready to rip.  Waspinator ready to rock n roll.”
Quickstrike looked at Waspinator, released his grip from Inferno and said “Well I don’t know what that means.  But I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Then come, brothers,” Inferno said.  “We shall capture the girl and end this silly war of the soft ones.  For the glory of the Royalty.”
With that, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator fly off towards Wanda, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting princess.


	To Be Continued in…


	A heartbroken rescue

> Arc 18-8: A Heartbroken Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Heartbroken Rescue




Wanda ran as fast as she could down the streets of Canterlot City all while she held Spike closely.  Her heart was racing fast and her breaths were quick and short.  Sweat poured from her forehead as she slowed her running.
“I...I’m not so sure if I can keep going,” Wanda said as she came to a stop, breathing really hard.  “It’s as if...everything is weighing me down.”
Wanda held Spike upwards as she started to slow her breathing down.  The baby dragon just looked at her and cooed with a sad tone.
“I know Spike,” Wanda said.  “But what can I do?  I’ve got no one left but you, and I believe that the bad windigo pony is going to freeze Miss Cinch to death. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”
Spike’s sad look turned into a horrified gaze.  He pointed to behind Wanda, causing the Man’s Cub to turn around where she saw Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator flying in the air.
“Changelings,” Wanda said in fear.
“There you are, Man’s Cub,” Inferno said.  “Queen Chrysalis has been looking all over for you.”
“That’s right,” Quickstrike said. “She said something about turning you into the first human changeling ever.  Ain’t that a treat?”
“Waspinator suggests that you surrender to us,” Waspinator said.  “It is for your own good.”
“Now come with us,” Inferno said.  “And serve our Queen and the will of the Changelings.”
“NO,” Wanda yelled.  “I WON’T!”
Wanda screamed really loud as she ran off down the street.  The Predacon brothers wasted no time flying off after the human.
“Come back here you little varmint,” Quickstrike yelled.  “Don’t make me wrangle you down like a crazed bull.”
“Waspinator thinks girl bug is too cowardly,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator will convince the girl bug to align with Queen Chrysalis.”
Wanda ran as fast as she could, all while she held onto Spike.  The Predacon Brothers flew in closer towards the man’s cub, ready to pounce.
Spike looked up at Wanda and let out an intimidating roar, which caught Wanda’s attention.
“Are you serious, Spike?” Wanda asked.  “The dragon fire?”
Spike only responded by nodding.
“Then it’s worth a shot,” Wanda said.”
Wanda came to a stop and pointed Spike in the direction of the Predacon Brothers.  Spike opened his mouth and breathed out a fire ball at the three changelings.
“What in tarnations?” Quickstrike yelled.
But before anyone could react, the fireball smacked Waspinator, causing him to lose control and fall down into a nearby alley with a loud crash.  Quickstrike and Inferno turned their heads away before Waspinator crashed.
“Waspinator hates dragon fire,” Waspinator said from the alley.
Quickstrike and Inferno turned back towards Wanda, who only held Spike close to her.
“That was a cowardly move,” Quickstrike said in a cold tone.  “Dragon fire on my brother.  You’ll pay dearly for that.”
“What you need is strict discipline,” Inferno said.  “And it will be the Queen who will deliver that for your use of dragon fire.”
Inferno soared over Wanda and Spike, shadowing over the two younglings.  Wanda was quick to take notice and immediately turned towards the fiery-red changeling, holding Spike in her arms.  Spike immediately breathed fire in front of Inferno.  But the predacon dodged out of the way of the dragon fire and flew right next to Wanda.
“Fool,” Inferno said.  “You can’t hit us twice with the fire.  For you do not know how to control it.”
“Stay away from me,” Wanda yelled as she turned Spike over to Inferno.
Inferno flies out of the way as Spike breathed fire once more.  The predacon flies behind Wanda and laughs in her general direction.
“Fool,” Inferno said.  “Fire is my friend.  Allow me to demonstrate.”
Inferno points his head upwards as he belches fire from his mouth.  Wanda and Spike were startled by the flames coming out of the changeling’s mouth, causing the Man’s Cub to scream and fall on her behind.  Spike just stood there while Wanda held onto him, completely scared.
“You’re a bad bug,” Wanda said as she and Spike sat there, helplessly.  “I don’t want to deal with you.”
“You have no other choice,” Inferno said as he flew in front of Wanda and Spike.  “We will take you to our queen and she will  make you one of us.”
Quickstrike flew right next to Inferno and laughed at Wanda, who only sat there holding Spike in front of her.
“You stay away from me,” Wanda said as Spike growled at the two changelings.  “Otherwise Spike’s going to dragon fire you.”
“Oh ho ho ho ho ho,” Quickstrike chuckled.  “You think you can best us?  Give me a break.  We’re bigger than you and that dragon pet of yours, and there is no one who can save the both of you.”
The moment Quickstrike finished speaking, he was hit from the side by a blast of magic, sending him flying in an arch and falling right into a tree.  Inferno turned to his left side and saw the appearance of an alicorn-like figure.
“You who dare attack us,” Inferno yelled.  “Feel the wrath of fire water.”
Inferno breathed fire right at the unknown alicorn, who only dodged out of the way.  A figure jumped on top of the alicorn’s head and fired a blast of magic at Inferno, who only stepped to the side.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA,” Inferno laughed.  “You cannot beat me.  For the Predacons are the elite members of the queen’s squad, and furthermore…”
But before Inferno could finish, a fireball hit the bug, burning him to a crisp.  The predacon stood there before falling down on his face.  Nearby, Wanda held Spike closely, who belched out a bit of smoke.
“I was glad I was able to get to you on time,”  The alicorn figure said, who came out of the shadows, revealing herself to be Princess Celestia with Twilight Sparkle riding on top of her.  Wanda and Spike’s faces beamed with excitement.
“Mommy,” Wanda yelled as she ran up with Spike in her arms.  
“Spike,” Twilight said with pure joy.
As Wanda approached Celestia, Twilight jumped off the alicorn’s back and landed right next to her.  Wanda sat Spike down, allowing Twilight to run up and hug the baby dragon while Wanda jumped up and gave Princess Celestia a big hug.
“I was so worried about you,” Princess Celestia said.  “I take it Miss Cinch was able to get you to safety.”
“No mommy,” Wanda said.  “Miss Cinch was forced to fight the bad windigo pony.”
Celestia’s face turned to shock as she let out a depressed sigh.
“I was afraid it would come to this,” Celestia said as she set Wanda down.
“What’s going on, Princess?” Twilight asked.
“Cinch is forced to fight off Coldnelius Snap,” Princess Celestia said.  “And as much as I want to intervene in the fight and give Cinch the advantage, I would put the both of you in danger.  Come.  Onto my back.”
Wanda, Spike and Twilight nodded reluctantly as Princess Celestia used her magic to levitate the three off the ground and onto her back.  
“Where are we going, mommy?” Wanda asked.
“I’m going to take you three to a safe location outside Canterlot,” Princess Celestia said.  “Afterwards, I’ll try to get the other kids out of there.”
Princess Celestia flapped her wings as hard as possible.  She jumped into the air with Wanda, Twilight and Spike holding on tightly.  With a great push, Princess Celestia was airborne as she flew above the entire city of Canterlot.
“Mommy,” Wanda asked.  “Do you think we can beat back Queen Chrysalis and her changelings, along with the Windigo’s Guild?”
“I am not so sure,” Princess Celestia said.  “Everything feels far more overwhelming compared to even that incident in La Maresa.”
Princess Celestia turned her head to the far south as she flew away from the city limits.  One look in her eye caused her to crack a small smile before turning her head towards Wanda and Twilight.
“On the other hoof,” Princess Celestia said.  “I think they might be asking for it.”
Celestia winked at Wanda, Twilight and Spike as she began to fly eastward from the city.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Cinch has been dodging blasts of ice coming from Coldnelius Snap’s horn.  Though exhausted, Cinch continued to move as fast as possible while Snap kept a smug grin on his face.
“Give up, already?” Coldnelius Snap said as Cinch landed her hooves on the street.
“I’ve just begun to fight,” Cinch replied as she dodged another shot from Coldnelius Snap.
“Oh, but the fight is already over,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “As you can tell, our partners now have the castle and your friends.”
Cinch was undeterred.  She stood her ground, waiting for Coldnelius Snap to make a move.
“Even if we do fall, you will never get your hands on the Man’s Cub Wanda,” Cinch said.  “I only chose to make this fight so that you won’t get near her.  As I speak, she’s already out of your reach.”
“Never say never,” Coldnelius Snap said as she fired another blast, forcing Cinch to dodge out of the way.  “We can locate the Man’s Cub, no matter where she flees to.”
Chancellor Cinch stopped moving.  She looked at Coldnelius Snap, who just smiled right at her.
“We anticipated that Princess Celestia would try to rescue her,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “And at this moment, we figured out that you would allow her to find Princess Celestia so that she could rescue her.”
“What do you mean by that?” Cinch said, staring down at Coldnelius Snap.
“When Princess Celestia allowed you to escape,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “I had to think up a plan.  But when I wound up forging an alliance with Queen Chrysalis, the plan fell into place.  All we needed was to send only a small squad to scare the Man’s Cub so that Princess Celestia would be foolish to rescue her.”
“And why would Princess Celestia be foolish enough to rescue her?” Cinch asked, not once keeping her eyes off Coldnelius Snap’s face.
“Why Governor,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “We’re giving Princess Celestia the false illusion of safety and freedom.   Once she escapes, Queen Chrysalis will shoot her down and will go after her.”
Cinch tensed up.   She scratched her hoof on the pavement and aimed her horn at Coldnelius Snap.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Cinch snarled.  
Coldnelius Snap laughed and said “This whole incident was only a distraction to take her away from us.  And here’s the real truth: We never intended on sacrificing her to bring eternal winter among Equestria.  She is our key, but not as a sacrificial lamb.  More of a chosen one to freeze the planet by any means necessary.  You and Celestia were fools to even look after that brat in the first place.  So give it up and let us take the child.  You knew it would be inevitable, no matter how harsh you were towards her, and no matter how you protected that Man’s Cub. So give it up and face the music.”
Cinch was furious.  Without warning, she fired off a barrage of magic blasts right at Coldnelius Snap, who only jumped out of the way and ran off down the alleyway.  
“Come back here,” Cinch yelled.  “You’ll pay for what you’re going to do to the Man’s Cub.”
As Cinch chased off after Coldnelius Snap, Firefly remained trapped in the ice prison.  She pounded desperately on the ice as hard as possible.
“Celestia’s in big trouble,” Firefly yelled as she frantically pounded on the ice.  “I have to get out of there and warn her.”
Firefly continued to pound on the ice as hard as possible, slowing down a bit with each hit until she became exhausted.  She collapsed on the pavement, panting really hard.
“It’s no use,” Firefly said. “How am I going to warn Princess Celestia if I’m stuck here?”
Firefly looked outside and saw her fellow Wonderbolt Magnum, still frozen in place from Coldnelius Snap’s ambush.  She covered her eyes and cried.
“Some Wonderbolt I turned out to be,” Firefly said to herself.  “I can’t protect Celestia, I can't protect Chancellor Cinch.  And now I can’t even protect myself.”

Meanwhile, in the skies above Canterlot, Wanda, Twilight and Spike looked down at the chaos going on outside of the castle while Princess Celestia flapped her wings through the night.  The two younglings were able to get a glimpse at their friends, who were fighting back against the changelings and cutlists.
“This isn’t right,” Wanda said.  “They need to be rescued right now.”
“Wanda, there’s nothing we can do at the moment,” Princess Celestia said.  “It’s too dangerous for you to fly down there.”
“But I want to save them,” Wanda said with an anxious tone.  “Especially Sunset.  I don’t want to lose her.”
“Celestia’s right,” Twilight said as Spike held onto her.  “Even though I’m aware that they’re down there, going there is pure suicide. “
“Twilight,” Wanda said.  “I don’t want them to die.”
“They’re not going to,” Princess Celestia said.  “They’re in good hooves with both our military and Queen Novo’s military.  Plus I think the bad ponies are in for a big surprise.”
“What do you mean, mommy?” Wanda asked.
“Hang on tight,” Princess Celestia said.  “Because if my guess is correct, the changelings and the Windigo’s Guild are in for a big surprise.”
“Wanda,” Twilight said as Spike looked up at the human.  “I know I’ve had my differences with Princess Celestia.  But I know this is a good time to trust her.  And trust me.  We’re in this, together, and we won’t lose anyone.  Especially you.”
Wanda looked down at the fighting going on at the castle for a moment, reflecting on the chaos at the place she called home.  She turned back towards Princess Celestia and Twilight and said reluctantly “Fine.  I’ll do it.”
“That’s the spirit,” Princess Celestia said.  “We’ll hide out for a bit, and when the coast is clear, we’ll get you and Twilight back home.”

Back down on the Castle grounds, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and Queen Novo are back-to-back against the cultists and changelings.  Despite the three being physically more powerful than a typical pony, these three are exhausted from the fighting going as it shows no sign of diminishing.
“How are you holding up,” Luna said.
“Not so hot,” Princess Cadance replied.  “Without my magic, I can barely hold these goons back.”
“I take it this is the kind of madness that you both went through in La Maresa,” Queen Novo asked.
“What we went through in La Maresa was a cakewalk compared to what we’re now going through,” Princess Luna said.
Luna was quick to turn around and deliver a powerful kick to one of the changelings, sending them flying towards a bush where he crashed right into it.  
“I don’t suppose you have a spare folded chair with you,” Princess Cadance joked.
Queen Novo took notice of a nearby folded chair.  She ran past a couple of the changelings and cultists and grabbed it with her claws, folding the chair up in an instant.
“Princess Cadance,” Queen Novo shouted.  “Catch.”
With a swing of both arms, Queen Novo tossed the folded chair right at Princess Cadance, who proceeded to grab it with her hooves.  
“Thanks,” Cadence yelled before she swung the folded chair and hit a nearby cultist, sending it flying right into the castle wall before it fell into the moat.
Princess Luna looked around the front garden.  Danged Spell and Golden Lace were back-to-back, snarling, snapping with their teeth and swiping with their right hooves.  Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and Airazor were leading a group of Wonderbolts against a group of flying changelings.  Fluttershy lead a group of animals against the various zealots and changelings.  Cozy Glow, Ditzy Doo, Trixie and Starlight were holding their own against both groups, Applejack and her family, along with Filthy and Spoiled Rich, were knocking apples around, hitting both cultist and changeling alike all while defending Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara, Gold Banks was cowering behind Silver, who stood his ground and fired off blasts of magic from his horn.  Rarity, Moondancer and Sunburst were hitting changelings in the air alongside Shining Armor, Thompson and the guards who fought back against the cultists.  Pinkie Pie wasted no time firing shots from her party cannon, while Princess Skystar guarded Ocellus and Silverstream.
As Luna watched on, Buck Withers approached both princesses and the hippogriff queen, grabbing a changeling with his whip and knocking it aside.  Despite Cadance and Novo being aware of the stray insect, Princess Luna was dozing off.
“Something tells me it was a bad idea for Princess Celestia to find Wanda by herself,” Princess Luna said.
“Princess Luna,” Buck Withers said.  “Are you alright?”
Luna shook her head and said “Yes.  I’m sorry.”
“Is that fear I see in you?” Luna turned her head to see Queen Chrysalis approach her with glee on her jaw.  Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Prince Blueblood and Prince Hoofar approached Princess Luna, who held her arm up as a sign to stay put.
“What do you want, Chrysalis?” Princess Luna said with a stern tone.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “You believe that by distracting us, that you can get that precious little snowflake of a man’s cub out of harm’s way.  That once she’s out of the city, she’ll be in a safe spot.”
“Get on with it, Chrysalis,” Sunset yelled as Abigail hissed at the changeling queen.  “You know you won’t be getting my sister.”
“That’s what you think,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I was made aware that Princess Celestia will most likely rush to rescue her adopted daughter, along with her ex-student Twilight Sparkle.  And they are most likely to fly them out of Canterlot by any means necessary.  You can thank my new partner Coldnelius Snap for telling me about this.”
“You’re not going to do what I think you are,” Luna said.
Queen Chrysalis thrust her arm into the night sky and yelled out “BEHOLD!”  Luna, Cadence, Novo, Sunset, Abigail, Blueblood and Hoofar looked up to see Princess Celestia flying away from Canterlot City with Wanda, Twilight and Spike on her back.  They were almost a spec to the normal eye and they were unaware of Chrysalis taking notice of them.
“What are you going to do, you fiend?” Prince Hoofar said.
“Showing you all that hope is nothing more than a miserable little pile of secrets,” Chrysalis laughed.
With a great leap, Queen Chrysalis flew upwards into the air.  Blueblood and Hoofar fired off blasts of magic, only to miss the queen by mere inches.  Chrysalis ascended upwards until she was at the same level as Princess Celestia.
“And now,” Chrysalis yelled.  “This is where hope ends.”
Queen Chrysalis charged up the magic on her horn until it glowed brightly.  Then she fired off a blast of green magic that traveled at mach three speeds.  Before Princess Celestia, Wanda, Twilight and Spike were aware of it, they were hit directly by the blast, resulting in a powerful explosion..
Back on the ground, Princess Luna, Queen Novo, Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Prince Blueblood and Prince Hoofar’s jaws dropped down in horrid shock all while Queen Chrysalis flew downwards, laughing with excitement and satisfaction.
“Sister, mother,” Sunset said as a tear fell from her eye.
“Aunt Celestia, cousin,” Prince Blueblood said as he stood there, helplessly.
“This can’t be happening,” Princess Cadance said as she dropped the folded chair on the ground.
“By the call of the seaponies,” Novo said as she stood there.
“I don’t believe it,” Prince Hoofar said.
Luna stood there and said nothing as she saw the explosion consume Celestia, Wanda, Twilight and Spike.  Tears fell from her eyes as she could do nothing but yell out “NOOOOOOOOOO!”

Meanwhile, back within the middle of Canterlot, Chancellor Cinch was in horrid shock as she saw Celestia, Wanda, Twilight and Spike get caught up in the explosion by Chrysalis’s magic blast.  Coldnelius Snap walked up to Cinch with a hint of a sadistic delight.
“What have you done?” Chancellor Cinch said as she stood there.
“We just lured you all into a trap,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Now your precious princess has fallen, and soon, the man’s cub will be the one who will bring this planet to eternal winter.  You were a fool back then to even take her in.  You should have put her out of her misery.
“I would never,” Cinch said as she kept her head away from Snap.  “But what you and Chrysalis did, has gone too far.”
“And what did your princess say,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “That there isn’t a punishment worthy of what I did?  Or rather, what we did?  Honestly, I like how it rings, how nothing you can come up with can bring justice to the crimes we committed.  And she’s right.  There is no punishment that is worthy of what we did.  So deal with it.”
Chancellor Cinch stood there as tears leaked from her eyes and her glasses fogged up.  Coldnelius Snap pointed his horn at Cinch and began to charge up his magic.


	To Be Continued in…


	Beyond Hope

> Arc 18-9: Beyond Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Beyond Hope




Princess Celestia was struck on the side as the blast that was fired from Queen Chrysalis ignited into an explosion.  The propulsion of the blast was enough to knock Wanda, Spike and Twilight off the alicorn’s back and sent them falling out of control, descending fast towards the forests.  Princess Celestia lost control of herself and fell from the impact of the blast.
“Mommy,” Wanda cried as loud as possible.
Celestia’s ears perked up as she heard Wanda’s voice.  She shifted her weight and pointed downwards towards her adopted daughter, Twilight Sparkle and Spike.  But as the two youngsters fell, Twilight overheard the sound of crying.
“SPIKE!”  Twilight yelled.
Twilight turned and saw the baby dragon crying while free-falling downwards.  Without hesitation, she dove downwards and scooped up Spike with her arms, holding the bambino tight.
"Don't you worry Spike," Twilight said.  "I won't let you go."
Spike looked up at Twilight's face, who despite being in danger, looked calm and reassuring.  The baby dragon looked up to the filly and said "Twilight."
"Spike?" Twilight said. "You can talk?"
But before anyone could respond, Wanda quickly grabbed Twilight by the back as her wings materialized out of nowhere.  She flapped as hard as possible, slowing herself and her companions falling.
"I won't let go," Wanda said as she struggled to hold Twilight and Spike close to her.
"Where's Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked.
"What matters is you both are safe," Wanda yelled as her arms began to tire.
Princess Celestia saw Wanda holding Twilight and Spike with her arms, though the alicorn could tell that her adopted daughter was tiring.  Celestia tried to flap her wing, only for her to scream in pain.
"My wings," Celestia said. "I'll have to improvise."
Princess Celestia allowed her wings to slowly expand outwards, paying close attention to her sprained wing.  She glides forward as she sees an exhausted Wanda holding Twilight and Spike up and flying with her wings.  Inch by inch, Celestia extended her arms out as she reached closer to the three younglings.
“Wanda,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “Guide yourself here.  I’ll catch you.”
“I can’t,” Wanda said as her grip began to loosen.”
“Trust me,” Princess Celestia said.  “I won’t let you go again, no matter what.”
“But I’ll drop Twilight,” Wanda said.
“If you don’t,” Twilight said.  “You’ll drop me anyway.  You’re losing your strength.”
“Twilight,” Wanda said.  “I don’t want you to fall.”
“And neither do I,” Twilight replied.  “Fly over to Princess Celestia and let her grab you.  It will be okay.  Trust me.”
Wanda reluctantly nodded.  She tilted her body backwards and flew towards Celestia’s open arms, all while carrying Twilight and Spike.  Once Celestia was in range, she swooped in to grab Wanda, Twilight and Spike and held them close.
“You’re going to be okay,” Princess Celestia said.  “Just hang on.”
“I’ll try,” Wanda said as she closed her eyes.
Princess Celestia rolled onto her back as she held onto Wanda, Twilight and Spike, falling downward towards the forest.  She crashed into the trees below, breaking her fall on some of the branches.  Wanda and Twilight screamed in horror as Celestia’s back endured the branches of the trees, until she landed in a bush.
Wanda, Twilight and Spike looked up to see Princess Celestia.  Even though her wings were extended and one of them was broken, she was alright.  Celestia slowly moved her arms out, allowing Wanda, Twilight and Spike to slide off her tummy and onto the ground.
“We...we made it,” Wanda said. 
“Told you it would be okay,” Twilight said as she grabbed onto Wanda and gave her a hug.
Princess Celestia slowly rolled to her left side, being mindful of her broken wing on her right side.  Her legs touched the grass on the ground as she slowly got up.  The wing on her left side folded up while the wing on her right side limped to the ground.  Wanda and Twilight were quick to take notice.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “Your wing.”
Celestia looked at her broken wing and said “I know.  Queen Chrysalis did a banged up job on it.  Unfortunately, we’re far from Canterlot and there’s no city or town nearby that can fix it up.”
Twilight looked around the forest.  She noticed vines hanging on the trees and a few branches.  Using her magic, she pulled off some of the vines from the trees and snapped off a giant branch from the tree.
“I have an idea,” Twilight said.  “I can fix a splint for your wing, Princess.  That way, it will help with the pain.”
“Excellent idea, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said.  “Fetch the materials you need.”
“Wanda,” Twilight said.  “How’s your arms?”
“A little sore,” Wanda said.  “But they’re fine.”
“See if you can get the vines and branches from the trees so we can fashion a makeshift splint for Princess Celestia’s wing.”
Wanda nodded to Twilight.  She formed her insect-like wings again and flew up towards the tree.  Grabbing a three-foot branch, Wanda pulled back on it until it broke off completely.  Then she threw it down, where Twilight caught it with her magic and set it down next to Princess Celestia.  Wanda then flew over to the vines that covered parts of the tree.  She unraveled a couple of them from the branches, rolled them up into a coil, then threw them towards Twilight, who caught the vines with her magic and sat them next to the branch.
“This should be good,” Twilight said.
Wanda flew down next to Princess Celestia, who laid down on her tummy.  Twilight walked over and used her magic to levitate the branch on top of Celestia’s broken wing.
“Wanda, I’ll need you to hold the splint in place so I can wrap it with the vines,” Twilight said.
“Right,” Wanda said as she walked up to Princess Celestia and gently, but firmly, held the branch down on Celestia’s wing while Twilight turned to Princess Celestia.
“Now I must warn you,” Twilight said as Spike crawled right next to the filly.  “This might hurt a bit.”
Princess Celestia sucked in as Twilight levitated the vine around the branch and the wing.  Wanda held the branch down as Twilight wrapped the vine around the branch and wing.  She tied the branch up as Celestia felt a twitch of pain, holding it in as much as possible.
“There,” Twilight said.  “That should do it for now.”
Princess Celestia slowly got up as she folded her left wing.  She looked down at her right wing, now secured with a splint made from a tree branch and some vines.
“This will do for now,” Princess Celestia said.  “I think what we should do next is to find a nearby town that has a hospital.  I’m afraid we can’t go back to rescue the others for the moment.”
“I know,” Wanda said. “After what happened, I’m too afraid to return home.”
Princess Celestia put her hoof around Wanda and said “Don’t worry, my little darling.  They’re in safe hooves, one hundred percent.  And judging what we saw on the horizon, that may be an understatement.”
“Really?” Wanda asked.
“Whatever it is,” Twilight said.  “It will be a shame that we won’t get to see it.  But at least Chrysalis is going to get what she deserves.”
Princess Celestia let out a playful snort as she used her magic to levitate Wanda, Twilight and Spike on her back.
“Come,” Princess Celestia said.  “My wing may be broken, but I still have some energy left.  Let’s do this.”
Princess Celestia kicked dust into the air as she ran through the forest with Wanda, Twilight and Spike on her back.

Meanwhile, back in the garden of Canterlot Castle, every pony was in a total state of shock as Queen Chrysalis flew down to the group with a gleeful smirk on her face.  Shining Armor, Night Light and Twilight Velvet ran up to Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Queen Novo, Sunset Shimmer, Prince Hoofar and Prince Blueblood, having seen the cowardly attack by the changeling queen.
“MY BABY,” Twilight Velvet cried.
“TWILY!” Shining Armor said as he stood there, teary-eyed.  Princess Cadance walked up to Shining Armor and hugged him tightly.
“By Celestia’s will,” Night Light said as he held Twilight Velvet close.  “Please let Twilight be safe and sound.  And please help her return to us.”
Luna turned towards the changeling queen with daggers in her eyes.
“You monster,” Princess Luna scowled.  “What did you do to my sister?”
Queen Chrysalis laughed and said “Why, I sprung the trap.  Now it’s only a matter of time before we claim the Man’s Cub and make her one of us.”
“I was cruel towards my cousin before,” Prince Blueblood said as he turned to face Queen Chrysalis with seething anger in his eyes.  “But NEVER LIKE THIS!”
“You?  Cruel?”  Princess Chrysalis II said as she flew in and landed next to her mother.  “You never knew how to truly be cruel.  To be cruel requires one to go all out and make everyone miserable.”
“Oh you made us all miserable,” Sunset yelled as Abigail hissed at both Queen Chrysalis and Princess Chrysalis II.  “Ever since your changelings and the Windigo’s Guild decided to crash the party, you made us all miserable for your own amusement, you sick sociopaths.”
“Oh Sunset Shimmer,” Queen Chrysalis laughed.  “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Queen Chrysalis turned towards Locust, who flew down and bowed before her queen.  
“Gather all of them up and prepare them for transport to the hive,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “But make sure you punish Ocellus for treason and desertion.”
“Yes, my queen,” Locust said.
Queen Chrysalis turned to her daughter and said “Come.  We will pursue Princess Celestia along with her daughter and her ex-student.”
“Oh I can’t wait,” Princess Chrysalis II said with excitement.
Queen Chrysalis and Princess Chrysalis II flapped their wings and flew off towards the forest that surrounds the city.  As they fled away from the city, Locust turned towards the other changelings and the cultists.
“You heard our queen,” Locust commanded.  “Round them all up for transport.  And bring Ocellus here for her punishment.”
The changelings and cultists gathered around the ponies of the gala, pushing them into a big group.
As Filthy and Spoiled Rich were pushed towards the group, Baby Diamond Tiara spilled out from the saddlebag and onto the ground, bawling her eyes out.
“Silence,” one of the cultists said as he stared down Baby Diamond Tiara.
Cozy Glow immediately flew up to Baby Diamond Tiara, picked up the little tyke and held her close, staring down the zealot.
“I’ll silence this one, thank you very much,” Cozy Glow said as she held baby Diamond Tiara close to her.  The little baby started to calm down as Cozy Glow turned her head towards the tyke and rocked her carefully.
“Fine,” the cultist said.  “While that happens, get moving.”
“Alright, alright,” Cozy Glow said as she flew up to Filthy and Spoiled Rich, all while Golden Lace ran up to the older couple.
“Uncle Filthy, Aunt Spoiled,” Golden Lace said.  “What happened?”
“One of the guards tried to silence our baby,” Filthy Rich said.
“But your pegasus friend here was able to retrieve her,” Spoiled Rich replied.
Cozy Glow flew up to Golden Lace, Filthy and Spoiled Rich all while the pegasus filly rocked Diamond Tiara in her arms.  Golden Lace looked down at her baby cousin and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness,” Golden Lace said as she gently stroked Diamond Tiara on the forehead.
“Hey Lace,” Cozy Glow asked.  “What happened to your Wolf’s Breath Curse?”
“I can answer that.”  Golden Lace and Cozy Glow turned their heads to see Danged Spell approach them.
“Spell,” Golden Lace said. “Did it happen to you?”
“It did,” Danged Spell replied.  “After Queen Chrysalis blasted Princess Celestia out of the sky, I suddenly snapped out of my own curse as if I felt a cloud of hopelessness and despair.  I believed that it also applied to Lace.”
“It did,” Lace replied.  “Once I saw Queen Chrysalis attack Princess Celestia, I lost the will to remain in my cursed form.”
“So it seems the Wolf’s Breath Curse has its limits,” Cozy Glow said.
“I’m afraid so,” Danged Spell replied.  “Especially considering the fact that we’re all going to be taken away from Canterlot.”
Nearby, a few of the changeling mooks roughed up Prince Blueblood, separating him from Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Queen Novo and Prince Hoofar.  One of the changelings kicked Blueblood to the ground and kicked up dirt to his nose.
“That’s for the treatment we got early ago,” one of the changelings said.
“Yeah,” another said.  “So deal with it, loser.”
As Prince Blueblood struggled to get up, he noticed a white hoof extending down to him.  He looked up to see Rarity holding her hoof for the prince with Moondancer and Trixie right next to her.  Blueblood reached out and allowed Rarity to pull him up.
“I don’t suppose I deserved that for what I did to you?” Prince Blueblood said as the changelings behind him laughed.
“No,” Rarity responded.  “Even what they did was far cruel and unusual.  Besides, you at least showed that you were willing to change.”
“Yeah,” Moondancer said.  “We all have our jerk moments.  But when it comes to cruelty, those buffoons take the cake.”
Trixie looked at the two changeling grunts, who just did nothing but laugh at the four younglings.  She glares at the two for a moment before turning around and walking alongside Rarity, who took Prince Blueblood with her.  Moondancer was quick to catch up and walk alongside Trixie.
“Don’t pay any attention to them,” Trixie said. “Something about those clowns just screams invaders who do this for a good laugh.”
“Easy for you to say.” Rarity said.  “Especially now that we’re their prisoner.”
As more ponies gathered around the group, Applejack was close by with Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie.  The pink earth pony lost her grip on her party cannon, which was snatched away by the changelings.
“Aww nuts,” Pinkie Pie said as she looked down at the ground with her ears drooping down.  “Now what is mom and dad going to say when they find out my first party cannon was taken by those nimrods, and to the fact that I end up becoming one of them?”
“Look on the bright side,” Bright Mac said.  “At least your folks are safe where they are.”
“I appreciate the comment,” Pinkie Pie said.  “But I think the next time they see me, they will be having nightmares till their last breath.  Me, the reincarnation of Discord, becoming a changeling.”
“Look Pinkie,” Applejack said as she put her arm around Pinkie Pie’s back.  “We’ve been through some tough times back in La Maresa.  We’ll get through this together like we did two years ago.”
“She’s right,” Granny Smith said.  “Even if your folks and the cakes are far away in La Maresa or that little rock farm of yours, we’ll be by your side.  In fact, I’d say with my blessing, I’ll make you an honorary apple.”
“Aww thanks guys,” Pinkie Pie said as she and Applejack hugged each other.  “If only my sisters were here to see this.”
Meanwhile near the group, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Captain Airazor and a group of Wonderbolts stood there as the cultists placed chains around their necks.
“Guess I really won’t be using the Sonic Rainboom to save the day again,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Wanda or no Wanda.”
“Look on the bright side, Rainbow,” Spitfire said.  “You fought well alongside us Wonderbolts, helped out when we asked you to, and you proved that you’re as much of a Wonderbolt as I am, or as much as Airazor.”
“Spitfire has a point here,” Airazor replied.  “You have the true makings of a Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash.  And should we make it out of this mess, I want you to continue to become a Junior Wonderbolt.”
“Really?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Yeah,” Spitfire said.   “Besides.  I am starting to get a bit arrogant, and I wouldn’t mind some friendly competition.”
“Consider it done,” Rainbow Dash replied as she and Spitfire gave each other a hoof-bump.  “Even if we do become bug ponies, it would still be worth it.”
“I’m proud of you both,” Airazor said as she gave Rainbow Dash and Spitfire a hug.
Nearby, Fluttershy was bandaging up a flamingo’s leg with Starlight and Sunburst observing some of the exotic animals as they were bumped close to them by the changeling guards.
“Now how does that feel, Mr Flamingo?” Fluttershy asked as she completed one last wrap around the flamingo’s leg, who only smiled back at the little filly.
“You know Fluttershy,” Starlight said as she looked after an otter’s paw.  “I’m going to say this: I’d wish we were more with you.”
“Oh?” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah,” Sunburst said as a raccoon rubbed its head on his hoof.  “We originally came here to gaze up at the stars and just enjoy the moment.  We should have known that this was where Princess Celestia allows some of the more endangered animals to live here in harmony.”
“Maybe if we do make it out alive,” Fluttershy said.  “I’d...I’d like to invite you both to the San Di’Neighgo Zoo.”
“The famous San Di’Neighgho Zoo?” Starlight said.
“I’ve heard about that,” Sunburst replied. “The founder was a brilliant stallion by the name of Harry Neighforth.  He wanted to present the ponies of Equestria with a zoo that’s meant to look after some of the most exotic animals on the planet.”
“But there are two things you should know,” Fluttershy said.  “One, he’s still around to this day.  And two, he’s my uncle.”
Both Starlight and Sunburst’s jaws dropped down to the ground.
“Wow,” Starlight said.  “I did not know that.”
“Same here,” Sunburst replied.
As the changelings and cultists round everyone up, Buck Withers and Lemony Gem stood side-by-side with Gad Zookes right next to them.  The three were cramped up next to some of the guests with a worried look on their faces.
“So,” Lemony Gem said.  “Have you ever been taken captive by changelings?”
“I have faced many before me,” Buck Withers said.  “But I have never been taken captive by changelings or cult members, until now.”
“Guess there is a first for everything,” Lemony Gem replied, placing her hoof around Buck Withers’ face.
“I guess there is,” Buck Withers replied.  He turned to his faithful sidekick and friend before he added “Gad.  It’s been an honor having you by my side.”
“The feeling’s mutual, old friend,” Gad Zookes said with a tear falling down his cheek as he gave Buck Withers a big hug.
Outside of the group of changelings and cultists, Locust watched with glee as nearly everyone from the gala was rounded up completely.  Inferno flies from the city limits with Quickstrike and Waspinator by his side, landing near Locust.
“I take it the queen shot down Princess Celestia,” Inferno said.
“Not to mention the princess and the ex-student,” Locust replied.
Quickstrike jumped up and down in the air before he hollered out “YEE-HAW!  We showed that fat cow not to mess with the changeling swarm and our new partners.”
Locust glared at Ocellus within the crowd, who was holding onto Baby Silverstream.  He turned to Inferno and said “How would you like to punish Ocellus for abandoning the hive?”
“An interesting task to assign me,” Inferno said.  He turned his gaze towards Baby Ocellus and said “Very well.  I will do so.”
“Well then say the word, brother,” Quickstrike said.  “I’m ready to deliver predacon justice to that deserter.”
“Waspinator fine with predacon justice,” Waspinator said.  “After all, Waspinator is proud to be part of Queen Chrysalis’ elite squad.”
Inferno thrust his hoof towards Ocellus and yelled out “Make it so, brothers.”
Quickstrike and Waspinator cheered as they jumped into the air and flew right towards Ocellus. The baby changeling took notice of the two Predacon brothers and held onto Baby Silverstream, which also caught Princess Skystar’s attention.
“Ocellus, Silverstream,” Skystar yelled as she wasted no time grabbing both babies and holding them close to her.
“Hand the traitor over ya tin-horned iggit,” Quickstrike said as he and Waspinator flew down in front of Princess Skystar.
“No,” Princess Skystar cried as Ocellus and Silverstream hid behind the hippogriff’s chest.  “I won’t.”
“Well you left us no choice,” Quickstrike replied with a devilish grin on his face.  He turned to Waspinator and said “Let er have it.”
Waspinator walked right behind Skystar and transformed into a long-tailed raccoon.  He positioned his tail right up to Skystar’s sides and tickled it. 
“No wait, stop,” Skystar laughed uncontrollably.  “Not there.  Anything but that.”
Princess Skystar lost her grip on Baby Ocellus and Baby Silverstream as she rolled onto her back and laughed really hard.  While Waspinator pinned down Skystar with her tail, Quickstrike picked up Ocellus and flew off.
“That’s enough, brother,” Quickstrike yelled.  “We got the deserter.”
Waspinator moved his tail away as he leaped into the air and transformed back into his changeling form.  He flew alongside Quickstrike and Inferno, all while Skystar watched helplessly as Ocellus was taken towards Locust.  The changelings and cultists stood in front of Skystar, keeping an eye out on the hippogriff filly.  
Skystar lowered her claw down and let out a sigh of failure.  She felt a nudge on her hip and turned to her side to see Silverstream crying out for her.
“I’m sorry,” Skystar said as she picked up Baby Silverstream.  “I couldn’t stop them from taking her.”
As Skystar gave Baby Silverstream a hug, Quickstrike brought Ocellus up to Locust and Inferno with Waspinator right behind his own brother, all while the Predcaon procured  a special crystal with a form of dark magic coursing within.
“So traitor,” Locust said as Quickstrike placed Ocellus on a makeshift table, all while the baby changeling just stood there in total defiance.  “Is there anything you wish to say before you are...punished?”
Baby Ocellus turned her head and said “There is.  I’m aware of what you’re going to do to me.  And I’m proud of what my parents did to keep me safe and sound.  Furthermore, after what Queen Chrysalis has done to me and my parents, I would sooner live with the ponies than to live with my own kind.  Do your worst.”
“Ahhh, so this one is not afraid,” Inferno said as he held the crystal on his hoof.  “We’ve never had one so defiant of his own punishment.  Very well.  Those who defy the queen shall be punished.”
Inferno raised the crystal into the air as Ocellus stood there with her eyes closed.  The predacon yelled “Those who defy the queen will suffer the punishment of one thousand nightmares.”
But just as Inferno positioned the crystal towards Ocellus, Sunset Shimmer ran up to the table and right in front of the baby changeling.
“Leave her alone,” Sunset said.   “Let me take the punishment in her place.”
“Sunset,” Ocellus said as she opened her eyes and turned towards the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia.  “You don’t have to do this.”
“I am because one thing is clear,” Sunset replied.  “I am your friend, and good friends defend others, no matter what.  And I’m proud to be your friend.”
“You?”  Locust laughed.  “A friend of this traitor?”
“I am,” Sunset said.  “So if anyone deserves a punishment, it should be me.”
“Sunset, no,” Ocellus yelled before Waspinator grabbed her and pulled her away.
“What do you say, Locust?” Inferno said. “Shall this princess suffer the supposed fate of the traitor?”
“Curious,” Locust said as he rubbed his chin with his hoof.  “When we prepared to punish the traitor, she seemed brave and willing.  But when this princess decided she wanted to take the fall, suddenly the traitor loses it because she didn’t want others to suffer.  Very well.  The princess will suffer for the sake of the traitor.”
Sunset Shimmer turned around and closed her eyes as Inferno held the crystal high into the sky, watching as the dark magic flowed from within.  Nearby, Ocellus could only watch in horror as Waspinator held her.
“What are you thinking, Waspinator?” Baby Ocellus cried.  “Why would you want to go down this dark path?”
“Waspinator believes in the will of the Queen,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator proud of fighting for this cause, no matter how much pain Waspinator suffers.  In Waspinator’s eyes, Waspinator stand by queen, or become outcast.”
Ocellus closed her eyes as she said “This is why I’m ashamed of my own kind.”
As Inferno placed the crystal in front of Sunset Shimmer, he said “Any last words before you suffer what the traitor was going to taste?”
“As a matter of fact I do,” Sunset said with a smile on her face.  “Did you also order an armada of zeppelins with my punishment?”
“An armada of zeppelins?” Inferno said with a confused look on his face.  “What are you talking about?  What kind of trick are you showing me?”
“Look up you fool,” Sunset said as she covered her face with her hooves.
Locust, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator looked upwards to see zeppelins and airships as far as the eye could see.  Waspinator’s jaw dropped to the floor as his grip on Ocellus was loosened, allowing the changeling foal to escape his grip and fly off towards Silverstream and Skystar.
“Ocellus,” Skystar said as she opened her arms up.
Ocellus grabbed onto Skystar and gave her a big hug, with Silverstream cuddling up to the baby changeling.
The changelings and cultists stood clueless as the zeppelins advanced closer to the castle grounds.  Locust just stared at the advancing airships before he turned towards Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator.
“What is this?”  Locust said.  “Where did these ships come from?”
“I believe I can answer that.”  Locust, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator turned to the crowd, where Prince Hoofar emerged with Princess Luna by his side.
“Then explain yourself, softskin,” Locust shouted.  “Why are these airships directed at us?”
“Why that’s easy,” Prince Hoofar said.  “Those are my father’s ships.  It appears he may have been aware of your plan to conquer Equestria.  How, you may ask?”
Prince Hoofar laughed as he tapped the jewel on his turban.  Locust’s jaw dropped to the ground as Sunset Shimmer leaped off the table and stood by Princess Luna and Prince Hoofar.
“Now you figured it out,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “We were playing with you the whole time.”.
“You sent your own father an SOS through that magical gem of yours?” Locust roared.
“You figured it out,” Prince Hoofar replied.  “I had a feeling something like this was going to happen.  So I had to use the Eye of Saddle Arabia so that my father would know what to do.  And judging by his ships, I’d say he was right on time.”
“It’s almost as if we lured you all into a trap,” Princess Luna said with a smirk on her face.  “You were so focused on celebrating your win, that you forgot about the last move we made prior to our capture.  It’s a shame that my sister is not here to see this, because one we send your butts out of Canterlot, we’re coming for your Queen, and for Coldnelius Snap.”
With a slam of his hoof on the ground, Locust screamed into the night sky as the zeppelins came to a stop.


	To Be Continued in…


	The Gala fights back.

> Arc 18-10: The Gala Fights Back
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Gala Fights Back



Locust slammed his hooves atop the makeshift table.  He glared right up at the zeppelins, teeth bare and eyes as tight as possible.  He breathed deeply and with an aggressive tone, all while keeping his eyes on the airships.
“Who dares to attack the alliance of Queen Chrysalis and Coldnelius Snap?” Locust yelled.  “Show yourself, coward.”
A figure emerged from a zeppelin on the front, revealing himself to be King Myrrh.  Locust directed his gaze towards the Saddle Arabian ruler.
“I dare to attack your queen and your cult leader,” King Myrrh yelled. 
As Locust tapped the table a couple of times, Inferno pulled out a megaphone and handed it over to his fellow changeling, who aimed it at King Myrrh’s fleet and placed his lips to the mouthpiece.
“You have the audacity to attack us when we were on the verge of victory?” Locust said into the megaphone.  “Do you know who you are dealing with? I am Locust: Majordomo to Queen Chrysalis and general of the changeling armies.  We number in thousands.  You cannot beat us.  Do you understand you pompous fool?”
King Myrrh just yawned for a good three seconds. He signals to the cannoneer, who points the cannon right at Locust.
“If you think you can best the might of the changelings,” Locust yelled.  “Then give me your best shot.”
King Myrrh turned to the cannoneer and said “You heard the squawker.  Let him have it.”
With a push of a button, a cannon fires off its ammo straight at Locust at high speeds.  Locust stood there with his eyes wide open, all while Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator quickly moved out of the way.  But just as Locust jumps off the table, the cannonball hits right in front of him and detonates.  The resulting explosion sent the changeling flying backwards, and out of control, towards Gold Banks.
“Oh no,” Gold Banks said.  “I’m not sticking around here.”
Gold Banks got up and quickly ran back towards the entrance of the castle, with Silver Banks standing there and staring at his cowardly wife.  But before Gold Banks could make it to the doorway, she is hit by Locust and knocked to the floor.  
“Uggh,” Gold Banks said as she noticed an unconscious Locust pinning her to the ground.  “Someone get this abomination off me.”
Silver Banks just nodded his head in shame and turned his attention back to the other changelings, whose faces have dropped down at the sight of the zeppelin’s firepower.
“For once,” Silver said to himself.  “I actually appreciate these kinds of rescues.”
Back in the crowd, Inferno looked in horror as what’s left of the table is now nothing more than splinters and broken pieces of wood.  He turned his attention towards Sunset Shimmer, Prince Hoofar and Princess Luna.
“You….you tricked us,” Inferno said.
“Those are some mighty fine accusations,” Princess Luna said with a smile on her face. “We were at your mercy until King Myrrh decided to show up and help us out.”
“But that stupid gem of yours told everything to that pompous king about us,” Quickstrike yelled.  “You lured us all into a trap.”
“Did we?” Prince Hoofar said.  “It could have been too little, too late for them to arrive to save us.   Or I could have been rendered out of commission to make a difference.”
“Actually,” Cozy Glow said as she flew up to Prince Hoofar.  “He’s right on that last part.  After all, we spent most of the gala locked away in some closet, along with a few friends of ours, and Princess Wanda.”
“That is true,” Prince Hoofar said, facing Cozy Glow before turning his face back to Inferno.  “But if what you said is true, then your own queen and princess are at their most vulnerable.  Quite a shame they forgot to bring an escort of their own to ensure their own victory.”
“That does it,” Inferno yelled.  He pointed his hoof towards the zeppelins and yelled out “CHANGELINGS, CULTISTS, ATTACK!”
A number of changelings flew towards the zeppelins while members of the Windigo’s Guild fired at the various airships.  Quickstrike was about to take off when Inferno grabbed him, stopping his own predacon brother from departing.
“Our queen and the princess are in danger,” Inferno said.  “Find them.  Make sure they are safe.”
“At once, bro,” Quickstrike yelled before he turned tail and flew off towards the boundaries of the city.
Inferno turned towards the zeppelins and yelled out “Now do you see?  We prepared for this moments, and our Queen will bring you down.  Admit your defeat.”
But just as Quickstrike was outside the edge of the castle, he was blasted by a bolt of magic, causing him to fall uncontrollably to the ground.  His loud scream caught Inferno’s attention.
“WHO DID THAT?”  Inferno yelled.  “WHO DARES TO BLAST DOWN MY BROTHER?”
I dare.”  Inferno turned his head towards the crowd, where Prince Blueblood glared at the predacon.  The Duke of Manehattan’s horn has a small plume of smoke coming out of his horn.
“That was my brother you…,” Inferno yelled before Danged Spell and Golden Lace jumped out of nowhere and pinned the predacon down, barking wildly at him.
“Well maybe you shouldn’t have messed with us, you arrogant cur,” Prince Blueblood said with a smirk on his face.
Waspinator looked around as fellow changelings and Windigo’s Guild cultists fired upon King Myrrh’s airships.  He looked and saw some of the guests fighting back against both cultists and changelings.  He began to freak out.
“Waspinator not like this moment,” Waspinator yelled.  “Waspinator safer inside the castle.”
Waspinator turned tail and flew backwards, darting towards the castle entrance.  Buck WIthers got him in his sights and began to crack his whip.
“No sir,” Gad Zookes said, putting his hoof on Buck’s shoulder.  “That won’t be necessary.”
“Gad,” Buck Withers said.  “Are you crazy?  He’s going inside the castle.”
“Observe, my old friend,” Gad Zookes said, pointing to the castle entrance.
Buck Withers watched as Waspinator flew above the drawbridge and through the entrance.  But just as the predacon stepped a hoof onto the floor, he was smacked right on the face with a frying pan, knocking him out cold.  Emerging from the shadows was none other than Majordomo Kibitz, who held that frying pan with an iron grip.
“Hooligans,” Kibitz said.  “I spent all night doing some massive cleaning throughout the castle prior to them ruining it, and this is what they try to pull off?  At times like this, I wish I was more involved in thwarting these shenanigans.”
Buck Withers, who looked like he was about to laugh, turned to Gad Zookes and said “So that’s what you meant, Gad.  Guess that was definitely for a good chuckle.  My apologies for doubting you.”
Gad Zookes smiled and said “It happens.”
Nearby, a number of Grand Gallopin Gala guests, workers, guards and even Wonderbolts were overpowering the Windigo’s Guild and the changelings, all while soldiers from Saddle Arabia leaped from the airships and parachuted downwards towards the two invading groups.  One by one, the soldiers landed nearby, armed with shields and magical spears.  They used the shields to repel both changeling and cultist magic while they pointed their spears at the foes and fired off blasts of magic.
In the midst of the fighting, Moondancer, Rarity, Starlight and Sunburst were backed up next to each other as changelings and cultists surrounded them.  Despite the odds being against them, the four fillies had a sense of confidence in them.
“So,” Rarity said.  “You think you can catch up to me in driving these turkeys off?”
“Challenge accepted,” Moondancer said with a smirk on her face.
 With no time wasted, Rarity and Moondancer fired upon the encroaching changelings and cultists, with each shot connecting with the invaders.  Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst looked at Rarity and Moondancer before they fired back at the changelings and cultists.
“Wow,” Starlight said.  “This is actually fun.”
“Let’s not go overboard on this,” Sunburst said.  “We’ll wear ourselves out before we know it.”
The four younglings continued to fire upon the changelings and cultists, blasting them away as far as possible.  But they continued to gang up on the four kids, causing them to freak out a bit.
“Oh dear,” Rarity said.  “I think this is where I acknowledged that we overdid it.”
“So now what do we do?” Starlight asked.
Moondancer turned to Rarity with an evil smirk on her face and said “I got an idea.  Pretend one of them called you a you-know-what.”
“A sourpuss?” Rarity replied before her face turned into a devilish grin.  She turned to the changelings and cultists before she said “I knew I should have been angrier than I am right now.”
Rarity looked at the changelings and cultists as they grouped up towards them.  Her teeth showed with pure anger.  Her eyes glowed red with anger. Her horn glowed brightly as magic drew right in, growing bigger and bigger.  The changelings and cultists took a long stare at Rarity before their eyes popped out in fear.
“RUN FOR IT!”  One of the cultists yelled before they all turned tail and ran.
“THIS IS A WARNING FOR ANYONE WHO CALLS ME A SOURPUSS!”  Rarity yelled before she fires off a powerful blast of magic.  The changelings and cultist tried to run as fast as possible, only to be overpowered by the powerful blast, which transformed into a powerful explosion and sent them flying.
“Woah,” Starlight said.  “All that over emotional energies?”
“You should try it someday if you have those kinds of rude, uncouth jerks,” Rarity said.
“Noted,” Starlight replied with a wink.
Starlight, Sunburst, Rarity and Moondancer let out a playful laugh at each other.  As they did, a lone cult member snuck up behind them with his horn glowing a bright, icy blue.  But before he could cast any magic, he was hit on the side by a stray blast of magic, knocking him to the ground and catching the four younglings’ attention.  They turned to their left to see Prince Blueblood with his horn smoking from firing that magic shot.
“Tell me,” Prince Blueblood said.  “Was he afraid to get dirty?”
Moondancer laughed and said to Rarity “You know, I wish this was the Blueblood I got to meet back during the Gala, because that is an improvement.”
“Oh please,” Rarity giggled.

Meanwhile, Applejack, Pinkie PIe, Bright Mac, Big Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Filthy and Spoiled Rich were chasing the cultists and changelings away with the Saddle Arabian Guards and the Hippogriff soldiers by their side.  Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were riding along in Buttercup’s saddlebag while Diamond Tiara giggled with glee in Spoiled Rich’s saddlebag.
“First the Ponyville Providence Fair,” Granny Smith said with a huff.  “And now the Grand Gallopin Gala.  When will these misfits learn not to interrupt our cherished pastimes?”
“Knowing how they operate, ma,” Bright Mac said.  “I’d say they have a knack for doing this for their own amusement, like a trio of troublemaking boys.”
“Oh don’t remind me about them,” Filthy Rich said.  “Last I heard they were causing trouble since we kicked them out of La Maresa.”
“The only merit I could see with those three,” Buttercup yelled as she chased the changelings and cultists while wielding a frying pan in her right hoof.  “Is that they’re not tied to world-ending evil.”
“Ma, Pa,” Applejack said.  “Not to cut into the chatter, but we still got changelings and cultists to deal with.”
Big Mac turned to Bright Mac and Buttercup and said “Eeyup.”  This caused Bright Mac and Buttercup to blush with embarrassment.
“Sorry bout that,” Bright Mac said.  “We’ll keep focusing on those lunatics.”
Just as Applejack turned to face the retreating cultists and changelings, Pinkie Pie leaped back and bounced on her tail before jumping into the air, flying over the changelings and cultists.  She landed right in front of everyone, causing the La Maresa ponies, Saddle Arabia Guards, Hippogriff soldiers, changelings and cultists to stop without delay. 
“Pinkie,” Applejack yelled.  “What in tarnation are you up to?”
Pinkie stretched her arms out and pulled out her party cannon in front of everyone.  Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Filthy and Spoiled Rich, Applejack, the Saddle Aarabian Guards and the Hippogriff soldiers immediately ran to the side as the changelings and cultists just looked at Pinkie Pie and laughed.
“Oh look at this little pony,” a cultist said as he laughed hysterically.  “She thinks she can beat us all.”
“What a joke,” the changeling said.  “She couldn’t take us all down with that thing.”
As the changelings and cultists laughed hard, Pinkie Pie’s face turned into a menacing smirk as she had her left hoof hovering over the button.
“EAT DIRT, PARTY CRASHERS!”  Pinkie Pie yelled with a maniacal laughter before she slammed her hoof on the button.
The party cannon fires off a powerful blast that results in a mushroom cloud of an explosion.  The effect of the blast caused the changelings and cultists to go flying off into the distance.  When the dust cleared, Pinkie Pie just stood there with her arms on the cannon and a smirk on her face.
Applejack and her folks stuck their heads out from behind a bush and looked at Pinkie Pie.  The little apple filly jumped out and marched towards Pinkie Pie.
“Next time,” Applejack said.  “Warn us before pulling that stunt, Pinkie.”
“Oops,” Pinkie Pie said as she blushed bright red and rubbed the back of her head.  “Didn’t mean to overdo it.   My bad, Applejack.”

Within the midst of the chaos caused by the gala guests, the Saddle Arabian guards and the Hippogriff soldiers, Baby Ocellus had her back up to a tree with a number of changelings approaching the bambino.  One of them had the crystal levitated with his magic.
“Not even defeat will stop us from punishing you, little traitor,” The lead changeling said as he held the crystal out.  “You will face the consequences for abandoning the hive and our queen.”
Ocellus could barely make out a word from her mouth as she sat there helplessly.  The changelings continued to approach the baby with anger and spite in their eyes.
But just as the changeling with the crystal was one step closer to Baby Ocellus, Queen Novo came out of nowhere, grabbed the changeling with her beak and tossed him aside.  The other changelings attempted to turn towards Queen Novo, only for the Hippogriff queen to stare down the insect-themed equines.
“You will leave this little one alone, and you will NOT BUG HER AGAIN,” Queen Novo yelled.  “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
The changelings screamed loudly before they turned tail and ran.  Baby Ocellus looked up at Queen Novo, who approached the foal and held her claw out.
“Don’t you worry, little one,” Queen Novo said.  “I won’t let your former brethren bother you again.”
“You….you  mean it?” Baby Ocellus said.  “After all that I did?”
“Young lady,” Queen Novo replied.  “After what your so-called queen did, you deserve a better sanctuary.”
Princess Skystar ran up to Queen Novo, who picked up Baby Ocellus and gave the baby changeling a hug.  Skystar stood by Silverstream and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness,” Princess Skystar said as Silverstream leaped onto her back and cooed.  “For a moment, I thought Ocellus was going to be a goner.”
As Skystar, Silverstream, Ocellus and Novo embraced each other, many changelings and cultists were running as far as they could in the front of the garden.  Wonderbolts lead by Captain Airazor, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire chased the changelings out of the sky, while Fluttershy led the animals against the cult members with Ditzy Doo and Trixie joining in.  They were aided by troops from Saddle Arabia,  soldiers from Mount Ares, and the Equestrian Royal Guard led by Commander Thompson.  
“RETREAT!”  One of the changelings yelled.  “EVERYONE FALL BACK!”
The changelings and the cultists ran as fast as they could out of the castle gates and through the city of Canterlot as soldiers and citizens combined drove them away.

Meanwhile, deep within the city, Coldnelius Snap tossed Chancellor Cinch around like a ragdoll, smashing her through pillars of ice that he conjured.  She crashed into the ice mound that Firefly was trapped in, shattering part of the ice open.  Cinch laid there and looked up at Coldnelius Snap, badly bruised from being tossed around.
“Chancellor,” Firefly yelled.
“I’m alright,” Cinch said.  “Just a minor scratch.”
“A minor scratch you said?”  Coldnelius Snap said as he stood atop some crates.  “You have suffered for your incompetence.  My partner is on her way to pick up the Man’s Cub, and finish off your princess.  And you, you are in no position to fight back.  You have been beaten.”
“No,” Chancellor Cinch said as she laid there.  “We haven’t.”
“You haven’t?” Coldnelius Snap said with a loud chuckle.  “You must be fooling yourself, governor.  In mere moments, Queen Chrysalis will return with the Man’s Cub.  We will convert her to our side, and turn her wrath against every pegasi, earth pony and unicorn.  You will be cowering to us.  Is there anything else you wish to say, you disgrace of a chancellor?”
Cinch looked undeterred.  She sat there, looked down below Coldnelius Snap and said “Yeah.  You talk too much.”
Cinch fired off a blast of magic from her horn right at the crate near Coldnelius Snap.  The Windigo’s Guild leader looked down and just laughed it off.
“That was it?”  Coldnelius Snap laughed.  “How pathetic.”
“Yes,” Cinch said with a smile on her face.  “That was it you fool.”
Coldnelius Snap looked down and noticed the crate was on the verge of exploding.  He looked directly at the crate, seeing one word that was on it: “Fireworks.”
“Oh no,” Coldnelius Snap said.
But just before Coldnelius Snap could leap off, Chancellor Cinch covered her face as the crate full of fireworks exploded, sending Coldnelius Snap flying off into the stratosphere of the Canterlot skies.
Chancellor Cinch slowly got up as Coldnelius Snap fell downwards outside of the city boundaries.  Firefly jumped out from the ice dome and landed near the Chancellor.
"Are you okay, excellency?" Firefly asked.
"Despite a bruised ego," Chancellor Cinch said.  "I'm fine."
Firefly breathed a sigh of relief.  She turned to her left to see Magnum still frozen in ice with a shocked look on his face.
"Don't worry," Firefly said.  "I'm busting you out."
Firefly turned around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Magnum’s frozen form.  The resulting impact shattered the ice around Magnum, freeing the stallion Wonderbolt from his cold prison.
“What happened?” Magnum yelled.  “Are we all dead?”
Firefly just giggled and said “No Magnum.  The bad pony is gone thanks to the chancellor.”
“Say what?” Magnum said as he turned to face Chancellor Cinch, who just walked up to the two Wonderbolts and brushed off her dress as if nothing serious had happened, despite her injuries.
“Let’s say Coldnelius Snap had to take a trip out of Canterlot,” Chancellor Cinch said as she brushed her hair casually.
Firefly turned towards Chancellor Cinch and asked “But what about the rest of the cultists and changelings?  Don’t we have them to worry about?”
“Oh I’m sure of it,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “After all, they….”
But before Cinch could finish speaking, her ears began to perk up.  She, along with Firefly and Magnum, turned around to see cultists and changelings running through the streets in a panic.  Without a second thought, Chancellor Cinch, Firefly and Magnum jumped into a nearby alleyway as the cult members and the bug ponies ran as fast as possible.
“....are obviously on the run,” Chancellor Cinch said with an odd look on her face.
“Well at least that’s one less threat to worry about,” Magnum said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.  “What a relief.”
Cinch looked down the alley.  At the far end, there were no changelings or cultists running as fast as possible.  This gave Cinch an idea.
“Come,” Cinch said.  “If we hurry, we can arrive at the castle gardens in little time at all.”
Firefly and Magnum nodded as Chancellor Cinch took off with the two Wonderbolts following from behind.

Back at the front garden area of the castle, everyone brushed themselves off and started to pick each other up as the last of the changelings and cultists ran off into the distance.  Danged Spell and Golden Lace approached Filthy and Spoiled Rich to help get them up, all while Cozy Glow slowly rocked Diamond Tiara in her arms.  Moondancer, Rarity, Prince Blueblood and Prince Hoofar were checking up on Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Baby Silverstream and Baby Ocellus.  Applejack and Pinkie Pie were checking up on Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.  Fluttershy, Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst and Ditzy Doo were checking the health of all the animals while Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and Airazor were checking out each and every one of the Wonderbolts that were present.  Buck Withers along with Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes were addressing the needs of the guests who were injured because of the invasion.
King Myrrh’s flagship landed down on the castle gardens with the drawbridge extended downwards.  King Myrrh stepped down from the ship and onto the grass.  Prince Hoofar looked up at his father and he looked like he was about to cry.
“Father,” Prince Hoofar said.
Prince Hoofar ran up to King Myrrh, who extended his arms out.  The young prince leaped and embraced his father with a big hug.
“Seems I overstepped my promise,” King Myrrh said.  “But no matter.  The fact that you’re safe says a whole lot for me.”
“I’m just glad you came to rescue all of us,” Prince Hoofar said.
King Myrrh looked up and saw Baby Ocellus, who was right next to Queen Novo.  The baby changeling looked up and hid behind Novo’s arm.
“Son,” King Myrrh said.  “There is someone I need to talk to.”
Prince Hoofar let go of King Myrrh, who walked towards Queen Novo and Baby Ocellus.  The baby changeling had the sense of shame on her face.
“I…I’m in trouble, am I?” Baby Ocellus said.
“No you’re not,” King Myrrh said.  “I’m only disappointed that you lied about your identity.  But after discovering the reason why you did that, I can understand why.  You don’t deserve to live with that sociopath of a queen.  You deserve to live a free and full life.  And as a matter of fact, I brought in a pair of familiar faces with me that you may recognize.”
King Myrrh stepped aside as Baby Ocellus looked into the flagship.  Her eyes brightened up, for two shadows emerged from the ship.  When they stepped down on the grass, their form is none other than Ocellus’ parents.
“Mom, dad,” Baby Ocellus cried.
“Ocellus,” Ocellus’ mother said.  “We’ve missed you.”
Ocellus flew as fast as possible before she landed right into her mother’s arms.  Her father embraced the baby daughter with a hug of her own.
“I’m sorry we forced you to live the life of an orphan,” Ocellus’ dad said. 
“It’s okay,” Baby Ocellus said.  “I would still have preferred that life than to be at the mercy of a slave trader.”
“What matters more is that we’re together again,” Ocellus’ mother said.  “And that’s what matters the most.”
As Ocellus embraced her parents, Queen Novo walked up to King Myrrh, who looked like he was on the verge of crying.
“You seem to be full of surprises, King Myrrh,” Queen Novo said.
“What’s sad about this was that her own parents were held captive by slavers,” King Myrrh said.  “Something that I would not wish upon anyone.  But at the same time, they are still a target by whoever leads that despicable group.”
“Then allow me and my people to give them asylum,” Queen Novo said.  “Down in Seaquestria, they will be safe.”
King Myrrh turned to Queen Novo and said “Then it will be done.”
Queen Novo smiled as Baby Silverstream and Princess Skystar laughed with joy.

Nearby, Princess Luna helped up Twilight Velvet and Night Light with Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright nearby.
“How are you feeling?” Princess Luna asked.
“Not so well,” Twilight Velvet replied.
“It’s about Twilight, right?” Princess Cadance asked.
“It is,” Night Light said.  “After seeing what Queen Chrysalis did to Princess Celestia, Twilight, Spike and even little Wanda, I don’t know what to say.”
“We’re going to put the Wonderbolts on duty to locate Princess Celestia, Princess Wanda, Twilight Sparkle and Spike,” Princess Luna said.
“Oh thank all of us,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Please bring her home.  I don’t know what to do without her.”
“Mrs Velvet,” Sunset said with Abigail meowing in sorrow.  “Twilight is my friend, as is my sister Wanda.  I want them both back as soon as possible, alongside mother.  If something did happen, I ……I don’t know what to say.”
“We all don’t know what to say if that despicable queen did bring them down,” Shining Armor said.  “Twilight’s my sister, and I care alot for her.  And even though I’m not related to Wanda, I also care for her well-being.”
“You know,” Sunset said.  “You sound like an ideal big brother for all of us, with the way you share concern for our well-being.”
“I know,” Shining Armor replied.  “Twilight is my sister by blood.  But I consider you, your friends, and especially your sister, a part of my own family.  And as a family, we are one together.”
Sunset just laughed and said “If I had never met Twilight, I wouldn’t have met you.”
“Well now I wouldn’t say that,” Shining Armor chuckled.
Shining Armor reached down and gave Sunset Shimmer a noogie on the head, causing the little filly to giggle.  Twilight Velvet and Night Light looked down and smiled a bit.
“She’s been through a lot tonight,” Twilight Velvet said.  “With her own mother missing and all.”
“Well if something did happen to Princess Celestia,” Princess Luna said.  “Then I am capable of looking after Sunset Shimmer.”
“And you may not have to.”  Princess Luna, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright turned their heads towards the castle gate to see Chancellor Cinch, Firefly and Magnum walk through and approach the group.
“Chancellor,” Princess Luna said.  “Thank goodness you’re alright.”
“You should have seen the Chancellor send that cult leader flying,” Firefly said.
“Easy, Firefly,” Chancellor Cinch said as she held her hoof out.  Firefly just blushed with embarrassment.
“Sorry,” Firefly said.  “You prefer to be humble.”
As Chancellor Cinch walked up to Princess Luna, the moon-themed alicorn said “So with the changelings and cultists driven out of Canterlot, our next plan is to locate Princess Celestia, Princess Wanda, Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”
“Indeed,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “The only group I can think of that can take care of this are the Wonderbolts.”
“And speaking of which,” Magnum said as Captain Airazor, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and a group of Wonderbolts approached.
Captain Airazor approached Princess Luna and said.  “Princess.  Is there any unfinished business that you need to take care of?”
“There is,” Princess Luna said as she pointed to a nearby empty carriage.  “Princess Celestia, Princess Wanda, Twilight Sparkle and Spike are still out there, no doubt being chased by Queen Chrysalis.  We must find them and bring them home.”
Chancellor Cinch turned to Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright and said “Go with them.  Their return is what matters the most now.”
Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright nodded.  They walked up to the carriage and went inside, one at a time.  A group of Wonderbolts walked up to the front of the carriage as another group fastened the harness connected to the carriage onto their bodies.
Captain Airazor turned to Firefly and Magnum and said “Are you two still capable of flying?”
Magnum and Firefly flapped their wings as fast as possible, lifting off the ground and hovering in the air.
“Still capable, ma’am,” Firefly said.
“Good,” Captain Airazor said.  “You’re with me.”
Captain Airazor turned to Spitfire and Rainbow Dash, who looked primed and ready.
“Spitfire, Rainbow Dash,” Captain Airazor said.  “You’ll be with me as well.  This will take every Wonderbolt to locate Princess Celestia, Princess Wanda, Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”
Rainbow Dash and Spitfire saluted before yelling out “Yes Ma’am.”
Princess Luna walked up to the side of the carriage and extended her wings.  The Wonderbolts attached to the carriage also extended their wings as they looked prime and ready.   Captain Airazor, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Firefly and Magnum and the rest of the Wonderbolts landed near the carriage, looking like they’re about to take off.
“All Wonderbolts,” Princess Luna yelled.  “Let the search begin.”
With the flap of their wings, Princess Luna, Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, Captain Airrazor, Firefly, Magnum and the rest of the Wonderbolts run down the grass with the group pulling the carriage.  With a lift of their legs, the group takes off into the air.  Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer and Abigail Albright looked out the window and watched as everyone appeared to be a mere spec on the ground.
“Do you think we’ll be able to find mommy, Wanda, Twilight and Spike?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“We will,” Princess Cadance said.  “And if that witch did anything to my sister, I’ll make her pay dearly.”
Back on the ground, Chancellor Cinch watched as Princess Luna and the Wonderbolts disappeared into the night sky, pulling the carriage full of relative ponies.
“Dearest Queen Eternia,” Chancellor Cinch said to herself.  “Please bring them all home.  I beg of you.”


	To Be Continued in….


	Clash of the mothers and daughters

> Arc 18-11: Clash of the Mothers and Daughters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Clash of the Mothers and Daughters




It was late at night, deep in the middle of the forest.  A campfire had been built with Princess Celestia holding her hooves out.  Her wing laid on a log she sat next to, still wrapped up in a splint.  Nearby, Princess Wanda Young, Twilight Sparkle and Spike had fallen fast asleep.  Wanda’s gala dress looked a bit ragged, but she was alright.  Celestia looked down at the sleeping younglings and smiled a bit.
“They’ve been through so much tonight,” Princess Celestia said to herself.  “The mess of the gala I made, the attack by Queen Chrysalis and her changelings, plus Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild.”
Celestia turned her head and looked down at her hooves and her tattered dress.  She let out a sigh as she started into the campfire.
“It’s like what happened in La Maresa during the Ponyville Providence Fair,” Princess Celestia said.  “But far worse.  Unlike with La Maresa, it was directly in our own home.  What am I going to do if we make it out?  Should I send Wanda away to a place where she’ll be safe?  What if she’ll never be safe at all?  Was it really a good idea for Wanda to even be in this world at all, or to even exist?”
Celestia turned her head to Wanda, who was still fast asleep.  She scooted over towards her daughter and reached out with her other wing, wrapping it around the Man’s Cub.  The soft feathers around Celestia’s wing rubbed on Wanda’s face, causing her to wake up.
“Mommy,” Wanda said with a yawn.  “What’s going on?”
“Oh I’m sorry, my darling,” Princess Celestia said.  “But I’ve been worried about you since the attack.”
“But as long as I have you by my side,” Wanda said.  “I’ll be okay.”
Celestia tried to open her mouth.  But nothing came out.  She looked down at Wanda’s face, who looked calm and collective.
“You’re right,” Princess Celestia said.  “As long as you are by my side, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Mommy,” Wanda said as she looked at Twilight Sparkle and Spike sleeping.  “I wish we could see our friends again, along with my sisters.  I miss them.”
“I miss them too, and I miss my sister as well,” Princess Celestia said.  “But don’t you worry.  I’m not going to leave your side.”
Wanda smiled as she held onto Princess Celestia’s wing.  The alicorn smiled back at her adopted daughter as a tear fell down her cheek.
Suddenly, there was a sound of bushes rustling.  This caught the attention of Princess Celestia and Wanda Young, who both got up and looked down.  THe sound awakened Twilight Sparkle and Spike, who slowly got up.
“Princess,” Twilight said.  “What’s going on?”
“Stay calm,” Princess Celestia said.  “Whoever’s out there, I won’t let them get near you.”
The rustling of the bushes grew louder and louder as Twilight and Spike started to become nervous.  They inched towards Wanda and held onto her tight as Princess Celestia stared down the night.  Princess Celestia picked up a nearby bucket of water and splashed it onto the campfire, drenching it out as Wanda stirred the remains of the fire with the ground with a large stick before Celestia splashed it again with more water.
“Whoever you are,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “Show yourself.”
The bushes in front of Celestia rustled violently until Queen Chrysalis emerged.  The changeling grinned down at Wanda, Twilight and Spike before Celestia got in front of them.
“You,” Princess Celestia said.  “The very bane of the gala.  What do you want?”
“Oh I know what I’m here for,” Queen Chrysalis said as she looked over Princess Celestia and stared down at Wanda, who held onto Twilight as close as possible.
“Not my daughter, you witch,” Princess Celestia said in a cold tone.
“Oh ho ho ho, flattery will get you nowhere, Princess,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “But then again, you’re in no position to defend your daughter, or even your former student.”
“That’s returning student to you,” Twilight yelled as she slammed her hoof on the wood.
“My, what a naughty little hypocrite,” Queen Chrysalis laughed.
“I don’t care about my own injuries,” Princess Celestia said.  “What matters is that you don’t lay a hoof on Wanda or Twilight….or even Spike.”
“Like I said, you’re not in any position to defend your own daughter,” Queen Chrysalis said. “Just look at you.  Your own wing will only hold you back.”
Queen Chrysalis flew into the air and stared down Princess Celestia with a sinister laugh.
“It’s over, Princess.  I have the high ground,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Flight is now my advantage and your doom.  You won’t be able to shoot me down while you stay down there helpless and at a major disadvantage.  And furthermore…”
But before Chrysalis could finish speaking, Princess Celestia fired off two blasts of magic, ripping off both of Chrysalis’s insect wings.  The changeling queen paused for a sec and looked down at Princess Celestia, who had a smug look on her face.
“You backstabbing, double-crossing, no-good snake,” Queen Chrysalis said before she fell down and hit her body on the grass.
“Now we’re on even ground,” Princess Celestia said.
Queen Chrysalis got up on her four hooves and roared at Princess Celestia, who’s smug grin never left her face.  The changeling queen walked up to Celestia and yelled “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW PAINFUL IT IS TO REGROW MY WINGS?  THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME I LOST THEM YOU FOOL!”
“Oh really?”  Princess Celestia said.  “How’d you lose the last pair?  Did an Ursa Major tear them off?  Did one of my Wonderbolts take them by accident?  Did you unintentionally put them through a paper shredder?”
Queen Chrysalis roared even louder, causing Wanda, Twilight and Spike to hold onto each other closely.  Princess Celestia immediately turned her head back to the younglings.
“Wanda, Twilight,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “Take Spike and make a run for it.  I’ll hold her off.”
“But mommy,” Wanda said.  “You promised you would keep me safe.”
“And I will,” Princess Celestia said.  “As long as I have her at bay, you’ll be safe.  Now go.”
Wanda nodded to Princess Celestia as Spike jumped onto Twilight’s back.  With a kick of dust in the air, Twilight took off with Spike riding on top of her, all while Wanda ran after Twilight.  Queen Chrysalis took notice of Wanda and Twilight running as fast as possible.
“You won’t get away from me, Man’s Cub,” Queen Chrysalis yelled as she leaped forward, only for Princess Celestia to jump in her pathway, blocking her.
“You want my daughter?”  Princess Celestia said as she bared her teeth.  “You have to get past me first.”
“Whatever magical trick you plan on pulling on me,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “You can be sure that I will counter them with a trick of my own.”
“Oh I can be sure, this is no mere magic trick,” Princess Celestia said before her eyes glowed bright and she began to snarl like a wolf.
Queen Chrysalis took notice of Princess Celestia’s eyes, teeth and the snarl she was making.  She backed off a bit and said “What kind of stunt are you pulling?
Without a second thought, Princess Celestia lunged at Queen Chrysalis, who attempted to jump to the side.  Celestia instead bit down into Chrysalis’s tail, causing the changeling queen to scream in pain.  Celestia spun the changeling queen around and around before tossing her into a nearby tree.  Chrysalis bounced off and landed on the ground.
Chrysalis slowly got up as Princess Celestia approached her, eyes glowing bright, teeth bare and growling really deep.  Chrysalis stared down at the Princess, with not a shed of fear in her eyes.
“Now I understand,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “It’s the Wolf’s Breath curse.  I should have known better.”

Meanwhile, Wanda and Twilight ran through the woods as fast as possible with Spike riding on top of Twilight.  The pony and human were panting as fast as possible as sweat poured from their forehead.
“Twilight,” Wanda said.  “It’s not right to leave mommy behind.”
“Princess Celestia knows what’s going on,” Twilight said.  “Even despite our fallout, I knew she would protect us by any means necessary.  And you know how she thinks.”
“But,” Wanda said.  “I don’t think I’ll feel right without her by our side.”
“We’ll be fine,” Twilight said.  “Our only hope is to head to a nearby town and take shelter there until the coast is clear.”
Wanda’s mind began to drift as she turned to her backside while running as fast as possible.  She shifted her head back towards Twilight.
“Twilight,” Wanda said.  “Do you think I would have to move because of what happened in Canterlot?”
“No,” Twilight said.  “No matter what happens, Canterlot is the safest place for you to be.  Any other place, and you would stand a higher chance of being captured by Coldnelius Snap or Queen Chrysalis.”
“And what about you?” Wanda asked.  “I heard you were going to leave.”
“I changed my mind,” Twilight said.  “After what I did, I felt like I’ve disappointed myself far more than Celestia did.  Besides, I put little Spike here in danger.”
Spike playfully said “Twilight” as he gave her a hug.  Wanda’s face beamed with excitement.
“Wow,” Wanda said.  “I didn’t know Spike could talk.”
“You do now,” Twilight said as she and Wanda continued to run.  “At least once Queen Chrysalis is dealt with, we’ll be safe.”
Suddenly, Wanda’s face turned to concern.  She raised her head up and said “Wait.  You might not have seen this.  But Queen Chrysalis had a daughter.”
“A daughter?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah,” Wanda said.  “I saw her before Miss Cinch escorted me out of the castle.  She looked as mean as her mother.”
“Oh no,” Twilight said.  “If that’s the case, then where do you suppose she is?”
But before Wanda could answer, a black shadow grabbed her out of nowhere, causing the Man’s Cub to scream.  Twilight looked up and saw Princess Chrysalis II holding Wanda in the air by her arms.
“You,” Twilight yelled as she skidded to a stop.  “You’re Queen Chrysalis’s daughter.”
“And I know who you are,” Chrysalis II said.  “But you are of no concern.  This fight is between me and this selfish brat.”
Wanda could only yell out “HEEEEEELP” before Princess Chrysalis II threw her through the air.  She took off and slammed right into Wanda, jetting her through the atmosphere.  Twilight and Spike looked on with horror in their faces.
“Wanda,” Spike cried.
“Come on, Spike,” Twilight said.  “We’re going to get Wanda back.”
Spike held on tight as Twilight ran after Princess Chrysalis II and Wanda Young.

Meanwhile, Princess Chrysalis II held Wanda in front of her as she zoomed above the forest.  Wanda could barely move thanks to how fast the changeling filly was flying.
“What are you doing to me?”  Wanda yelled.
“I was given orders by my mother to keep you occupied until she bested your mother,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “So I’m just going to rough you up you little crybaby.”
Princess Chrysalis II stopped on a dime and released her arms as Wanda fell out of control and landed in the forest, tumbling through the dirt until she came to a stop.  Wanda barely got up and spat out bits of dirt and grass.
“Hahahaha,” Princess Chrysalis II laughed.  “How did you like that ride?”
“I don’t like it,” Wanda cried as she struggled to get up.  “You’re a bad pony.”
“Sticks and stones, Man’s Cub,” Princess Chrysalis II laughed.  “Now how about I give you another.”
With that, Princess Chrysalis II grabbed Wanda by the skirt of her dress and flung her towards a tree.  Wanda collided with the tree back-first and fell down to the ground.
“Owwww,” Wanda cried.  “That really hurts.”
“Get used to it, kid,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “You’ll be feeling this for a long time until my mother wins.”
As Wanda attempted to get up, Princess Chrysalis II sprinted and rammed right into her.  The impact caused Wanda to fly off and bounce around on the ground, kicking up dirt with each impact.  She came to a stop on top of a nearby slope, and could barely get up.
“Awww,” Chrysalis II said as she flew up and landed near Wanda.  “Did I make a boo boo?”
Wanda could barely speak as she tried to get up.  Chrysalis II walked up to Wanda and laughed.
“Oh you know I wouldn’t let you die by my hoof,” Chrysalis II said.  “I’m just here to rough you up and wake you up to the reality of this forsaken planet.  But since I took it too far…”
Chrysalis II held her horn out as a stream of magic poured out.  It surrounded Wanda in a mist, healing some of the wounds she got.  Wanda was surprised by how warm Chrysalis II’s magic felt.
“Why?”  Wanda asked.  “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Oh it’s simple,” Chrysalis II said.  “I don’t want you to die.  I just want to toughen you up.”
Chrysalis II laughed as she transformed from a filly changeling into a giant roc.  Wanda screamed really loud before she got up and ran down the hill with roc-form Chrysalis II chasing after her.
“That’s right, little lady,” Chrysalis II said as she flapped her wings.  “Run.  Run as fast as you can.  I know your weaknesses and I know how to exploit them.”
Chrysalis II opened her roc beak and let loose a powerful roar, causing Wanda to freak out, form her wings and begin to fly off.  Chrysalis II got her eyes on Wanda and grinned with anticipation.
“Gotcha, my little butterfly,” Chrysalis II said.
The moment Wanda was in the air, Chrysalis II flew as fast as possible towards the Man’s Cub.  Wanda tried to move out of the way, only for Chrysalis II to grab her with her roc beak and toss her.  Wanda spun out of control as her wings disappeared until she crashed in the meadow area.
“Ahahahahahaha,” Chrysalis II said as she transformed from a roc back into her filly changeling form before flying down towards Wanda.  “This was so much fun.”
Wanda got up and began to crawl away from Chrysalis II.  But the filly changeling landed her hooves on Wanda’s back, pinning her to the ground.
“Let me go you big palooka,” Wanda cried as she struggled to break free.
“Oh I’m not done with you yet,” Chrysalis II.  “We still have a lot more fun left.”
Chrysalis grabbed Wanda by the back of her dress and lifted her up.  She flung Wanda into the air before grabbing her with her arms and flying off with her.
Nearby, Twilight Sparkle arrived to see Chrysalis II fly off with Wanda.  Spike could do nothing but reach out towards the helpless Man’s Cub.
“Wanda,” Spike cried.
“I know, Spike,” Twilight said.  “We have to get Wanda safe from that changeling princesses.  She needs our help.”
“Help?” Spike asked.
“Help is what good friends do for each other,” Twilight said.  “Princess Celestia taught me this and I came close to abandoning those ideas.  Time I made up for what I did.”
Spike held on tight as Twilight Sparkle ran down the slope and through the forest, keeping her eye out on Wanda Young, who was still held by Princess Chrysalis II.
“Just you wait, Wanda,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “I will get you back if its the last thing I ever do.”

Back in the air, Princess Chrysalis II flew at mach speeds all while she had a firm grip on Wanda.  The Man’s Cub looked to her right to see Canterlot in the distance and a number of airships parked in the skies.
“Airships,” Wanda said to herself.  “They must have driven off the other changelings and the cultists.”
Wanda bonked Chrysalis II on the head with her fist, catching the attention of the changeling princess.
“Your own minions have been beaten,” Wanda said.  “You and your mother are all that’s left.  We will drive you and we will be free from you.”
Chrysalis II just laughed and said “You are such a fool.  They played their part in separating you from everyone else.  Now all we have to do is to keep it this way.”
“No,” Wanda yelled.  “That’s not true.  Mommy will beat your bad mommy.”
“Keep dreaming kid,” Chrysalis II laughed.  “We won and you lost. So deal with it.”
Chrysalis II came to a stop and let go of Wanda, causing her to lose her grip and fall towards the forest, screaming loudly as possible.
“Is that despair I see, little human?” Chrysalis II laughed.
But before Wanda could hit the trees, her insect wings formed on her back, and she immediately flapped them to slow down her fall.  Princess Chrysalis II looked down with a look of satisfaction on her face.
“So she still has some fight left,” Chrysalis II said.  “Very well.”
Wanda fell slower and slower until she was only a foot above the ground.  She stepped down as her wings disappeared.  Then she looked up and saw Chrysalis II fly towards her.
“Oh no,” Wanda said before she turned around and ran off with Chrysalis II pursuing her.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Princess Celestia pursued Queen Chrysalis on hoof, still under the effects of the Wolf’s Breath Curse.  Queen Chrysalis ran as fast as she could, glaring back at the enraged alicorn.
“So this pony wants to play a beast eh?”  Queen Chrysalis said.  “Well I’ll give her a beast she won’t forget.”
Immediately, Queen Chrysalis jumped into the air and began to transform.  She shapeshifted from a changeling queen into a bugbear, a creature that was as ferocious as a bear, with a stinger and wings of a wasp, four arms instead of two, and the colors of a grizzly bear.  She roared as she dove right at Princess Celestia.
“You want to take this beast?” Queen Chrysalis yelled.  “Well this one bites back.”
As a bugbear, Queen Chrysalis grabbed Princess Celestia and tossed her aside, causing the alicorn to crash into a nearby tree, breaking it and causing it to fall down behind her.  Celestia quickly got up and barked madly at Bugbear Chrysalis.
“You have a lot of spark, that’s for sure,” Bugbear Chrysalis said.
Bugbear Chrysalis dived down towards Princess Celestia, thrusting her stinger right out with the intent to jab her.  Celestia jumped out of the way before Chrysalis landed nearby, smashing the stinger through the ground and causing dirt to fly in all directions.
Bugbear Chrysalis got back up and glared at Celestia before swinging back and flying down towards the Wolf’s Breath-addled Princess.  Once again, Princess Celestia jumped right out of the way, only to bounce off the ground and leap towards one of Bugbear Chrysalis’ wings.
“No,” Chrysalis yelled.  “Not again.”
Princess Celestia sunk her teeth right into Bugbear Chrysalis’ wings and pulled her down to the ground, smashing her face into the dirt.  She pulled on Bugbear Chrysalis’ wing and swung her around and around, spinning her as fast as possible until the wing tore off, causing Chrysalis to yell loudly in pain.  The result of the torn wing caused Bugbear Chrysalis to be sent flying right into a pair of trees, knocking them down.
Queen Chrysalis transformed back into her wingless changeling form and laid there helplessly as Princess Celestia hovered over her, snarling in anger and with her eyes glowing bright as the moon.
“I should have pulled this off when I had the chance,” Queen Chrysalis yelled.
As Celestia glared down at Chrysalis, the changeling queen hit Celestia right in the face with a small blast of magic.  Celestia screamed as the glow in her eyes disappeared.
“What did you do to me?” Celestia yelled as she stumbled away from Chrysalis.
“You were hit by one of my hexes,” Queen Chrysalis said as she got up.  “This one is capable of disabling your Wolf’s Breath Curse.  Now you won’t be able to use the power of the wolf to best me.”
Celestia shook her face off and turned her head towards Queen Chrysalis, who casually walked up to the alicorn princess.
“You have a broken wing,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “And now your best skills have been locked away.  All you have is your stupid magic.  I, on the other hand, have more than just magic.  I can become anything I want.  I can become a beast far greater than what you can ever be.  In fact, I…”
But before Chrysalis could finish, Princess Celestia fired off a blast of magic from her horn, hitting Chrysalis and sending her flying back into a tree.
“My stupid magic you say?”  Princess Celestia said.  “I like to keep my options available.”
Queen Chrysalis got up on her four hooves and looked at Princess Celestia.  She laughed hysterically and said “That was your biggest mistake.  Now let me show you the real beast within.”
Queen Chrysalis leaped into the air and began to transform.  Her body grew large as she shape shifted from a thin, bug-like pony to what appeared to be a gigantic, bulky bear that towers the trees of the forest.  
The bear-like Chrysalis landed down on the floor of the forest and roared at Princess Celestia, who just looked up at Chrysalis’ face.
“How do you like me now?” Chrysalis yelled.  “I have taken the form of an Ursa Major, the most powerful beast of all of Equestria.  Even more powerful than a dragon, or even….YOU!”
Princess Celestia just looked up at Chrysalis and just yawned.  Chrysalis looked down at Celestia’s face and looked rather annoyed.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ursa Major Chrysalis yelled.  “I’m a powerful Ursa Major.  You’re just a simple Alicorn Princess.  You are no match for me.”
“Whatever,” Princess Celestia said as she turned her back and began to walk off.  “I’ve dealt with Ursa Majors before.  Just with calm and tenderness.”
“Calm….and TENDERNESS?” Ursa Major Chrysalis yelled.  “I’LL SHOW YOU CALM AND TENDERNESS!”
Chrysalis dug her bear claws right into the very earth and pulled out a huge chunk.  She took her aim at Princess Celestia and began to drive the chunk of soil right down towards Celestia’s face.
“Amateurish,” Princess Celestia said as she pointed her horn at the very earth chunk that was about to slam right into her face.
Princess Celestia charged up her horn and fired off a beam of magic that pierced right through the dirt, and hit Ursa Major Chrysalis RIGHT in the face.  The impact caused Chrysalis to fly out of control into the very forest.
“Uggh,” Chrysalis said as she transformed back into a changeling queen.
Princess Celestia walked up to Queen Chrysalis as the sun began to rise from the east.  The rays of the sun shone down behind the alicorn princess and hit Chrysalis right in the face.
“I am not defeated yet,” Queen Chrysalis yelled as she rolled to the side and got back on her hooves.  She stood twenty feel away from Princess Celestia and pointed her horn at the Princess of the Sun.
“It’s over, Chrysalis,” Princess Celestia said.  “The sun has risen once more, and a new day will dawn for the ponies of Equestria.  It will also dawn for my daughters, and for her friends.  And I know that your daughter is pursuing mine.”
“So you know how it’s playing out,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “You know that once I get my hooves on your daughter, I can turn her into a humanoid changeling, and make her the apex predator of my hive.”
“Not unless I stop you here and now,” Princess Celestia said as her horn began to charge up.  “Queen Chrysalis, you are under arrest for terrorism and attempted kidnapping.”
“Never,” Queen Chrysalis yelled as her horn began to charge up as well.
Immediately, the two adults fired off their respective beams of magic right at each other.  Both forms of magic push back at the other as the two continue their focus.
“You do realize that if you beat me,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Then my daughter will have your daughter.  You’ll have to let me go in exchange for her freedom.”
“I’m willing to take that bet,” Princess Celestia said as she began to sweat a bit.
“Then you are a bigger fool than you make yourself out to be,” Queen Chrysalis yelled.
“I’m no fool,” Princess Celestia yelled.  “As Prime Princess of Equestria, I made a vow to protect my people from any threats,  no matter where they came from.  That includes my daughter. And as long as I still have breath, you will not succeed.”
Queen Chrysalis continued to blast each other with beams of magic, with each end not holding back.  The magic ball at the end grew bigger and bigger, about twice the size of both Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis, until it shrunk down and exploded, consuming both leaders in one sweep through the forest.


	To Be Continued in….


	The Spark of Hope

> Arc 18-12: The Spark of Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Spark of Hope




As the sun continued to rise from the east into the sky, Wanda Young ran as fast as possible through the forest with Chrysalis II in pursuit.  The Man’s Cub began to tire as she started to slow down.
“What’s wrong?” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “Have you lost your spark?”
Immediately, Princess Chrysalis II grabbed Wanda and flew her right through the forest.  Wanda could barely speak, let alone scream, as she flew helplessly while being held by Chrysalis II.
“Don’t you worry,” Chrysalis II said.  “This will be over soon once my mother bests your mother.”
At the edge of the forest, Chrysalis II flung Wanda downward, causing the Man’s Cub to roll down the hill and land right into a mud puddle.  Her gala dress was covered in mud as Wanda shook it off her head and spat some out.
“Hahahahahahaha, I win I win,” Princess Chrysalis II yelled as she landed nearby.  “This was far more entertaining than I thought it would be.”
Wanda looked up at Princess Chrysalis II.  But there was no fear in the Man’s Cub’s eyes.  Only anger.  She smashed her fist into the mud as she glared at the changeling filly.
“You sociopath,” Wanda yelled.  “When my mommy finds out what you did, you’ll be very sorry you messed with me.”
“You still rely on your mommy?” Princess Chrysalis II laughed.  “She’s been holding you back since she took you in.  Babied you, coddled you with all that mushy stuff.  She never taught you to be a warrior like me.”
‘“Well I don’t want to be a warrior,” Wanda said.  “I’m fine the person that I am.  I would sooner enjoy life as it is than to sink down to your level.  I’m not a heartless barbarian like you are.  I’m Wanda Young, adopted daughter of Princess Celestia and a proud citizen of Equestria.  And nothing you say will change that.”
“This is why living with ponies has made you weak,” Chrysalis II said.  “You should have been roughed up from the very start the moment those ponies adopted you.  Even your so-called chancellor has been coddling you up like a little baby.  My mother will train you to be the apex predator that you were meant to be.”
As Princess Chrysalis II continued to talk, Wanda felt something by her hand.  The Man’s Cub looked down and saw her slingshot right next to her.  Without hesitation, Wanda gripped the slingshot in her right hand and scooped up some dirt in her left.
“And another thing,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “A failure to reach your true potential will be hazardous to your health.  You won’t be able to live anywhere without having myself, my mother, the rest of the hive and our new partners to continue to terrorize you unless you cave to our demands.  So what do you say?”
“I’d say,” Wanda said.  “You’re nothing more than a spoiled, rotten brat who always asked for love from your mommy, and you get denied, every time.”
“What….did you say?” Princess Chrysalis II said.
“You heard me,” Wanda yelled.  “I know what a mother’s love is about.  You, on the other hand, could never understand the true heart of a mother’s love.  You may think you do, but what you really experience is a desire for that.  You will remain hungry for that love, and you will even further should your mother force me to be one of your kind.  Face it, Princess.  She doesn’t love you at all.”
“DON’T YOU DARE SUGGEST THAT TO ME!” Princess Chrysalis II yelled before she flew right towards Wanda.
Wanda smiled as she got up, slingshot in her right hand and a mud ball in her left hand.  She placed the mud ball into the pad, pulled back and fired the mudball, hitting Chrysalis II right in the face.
“ARRRGH!” Princess Chrysalis II yelled.   “I CAN’T SEE!”
Princess Chrysalis II spiraled out of control as Wanda jumped out of the way.  The moment Chrysalis II reached ground level, she fell right into the mud and crashed into a nearby rock.  The changeling filly lost consciousness and landed the side of her head into the mud.
Wanda looked down at the knocked out Princess Chrysalis II and said “Hope I didn’t bug ya.”
Suddenly, she heard a voice calling her name out.  Wanda turned around to see Twilight Sparkle atop the hill with Spike on her back.  Twilight ran down the hill while Spike held on, running down all the way where she finally reached Wanda.
“Twilight,” Wanda said as she opened the flap on her dress skirt and placed her slingshot away.  “You made it.”
“I’ll say,” Twilight said as she turned her head towards the unconscious Princess Chrysalis II.  “And it looks like you took care of a pest problem.”
“It was hard,” Wanda said.  “For a moment, I thought I would have lost the fight.  But I somehow figured out how to get under her skin by suggesting she doesn’t have the same motherly love as mommy does for me and Sunset.  And oh boy.  She didn’t take it well.”
“That was a brilliant idea, Wanda,” Twilight said.  “At this point, Princess Celestia is almost done with Queen Chrysalis and we should be in the clear right now.”
“That is what you think.”  Wanda, Twilight and Spike turned their heads to see Queen Chrysalis approach them, holding Princess Celestia’s body in the air with her magic, who’s eyes were closed.  Queen Chrysalis threw Princess Celestia down into the mud, shocking Wanda, Twilight and Spike.
“No….” Wanda said.  “This….this can’t be.”
“That’s right,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Princess Celestia…is DEAD!”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Wanda yelled, helplessly.
“You monster,” Twilight yelled.  “How could you do this?”
Queen Chrysalis levitated Twilight and Spike into the air and tossed them aside.  She then walked up to Wanda and glared down at the young Man’s Cub.
“Princess Wanda Young,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “The Man’s Cub that the belated Princess tried to raise as a pony.  And what a price she paid.”
Wanda just stood there, staring at Princess Celestia, her now dead mother.  As tears began to fall from her eyes, she heard a voice in the distance.
“Wanda,” The voice called.  “Come here.  We’ll help you.”
Wanda turned to her side to see Princess Luna nearby with Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor, Captain Airrazor, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Firefly, Magnum, and a number of Wonderbolts nearby.
“Wanda,”  Princess Luna yelled.  “Over here.”
But as Luna called for Wanda, she noticed Princess Celestia laying there…dead.  Luna gasped in horror as she turned her attention towards Queen Chrysalis.
“You monster,” Luna said as she stomped towards Queen Chrysalis.  “THAT WAS MY SISTER YOU KILLED!”
Princess Luna fired off a blast of magic right at Queen Chrysalis, who only batted the spell away.  Luna stood in shock as Chrysalis grinned right back at her.
“You wish to join your sister in death?” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I can make it happen.”
Queen Chrysalis fired a blast of magic back at Luna, hitting her.  She went flying right back towards the group, who stared in complete shock.
“AUNT LUNA,” Sunset Shimmer yelled as she grabbed onto her aunt.
“I’m alright,” Princess Luna said as she slowly got up.  “But that packed a powerful punch.”
Suddenly, a barrier formed around Luna, Sunset, Cadence, Shining, Abigail, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Airazor, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Firefly, Magnum and the rest of the Wonderbolts.  They were trapped in and forced to watch Chrysalis walk back towards Wanda.
“LET US OUT OF HERE,” Rainbow Dash yelled.  “YOU BIG PALOOKA!”
“All in good time,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “But your time off this planet is not yet.  I wish to give you all the privilege of seeing the daughter of the late Princess Celestia become one of us.  And don’t bother to break through.  Celestia’s love of her daughter was the charge I needed to best her, and trap you all inside.  Enjoy it while you can.”
“Princess Celestia,” Princess Cadance said.  “Is…dead?”
“This can’t be right,” Airazor said.  “She’s stronger than the rest of us.  This can’t be happening.”
“First our own daughter is put in danger,” Twilight Velvet said.  “And now Princess Celestia is gone from this world.”
“Don’t worry,” Shining Armor said.  “We’ll get through this.”
Suddenly, they heard a tapping on the barrier.  Shining Armor looked down to see Twilight and Spike standing out there.
“I’m going to try to save Wanda from Chrysalis,” Twilight Sparkle said.
“Twilight, no,” Twilight Velvet protested.  “You’ll get yourself killed.”
“I know,” Twilight Sparkle replied.  “Even after losing her own mother, Wanda deserves to live in freedom rather than to have to serve Queen Chrysalis.”
“Twili,” Shining Armor said.  “You be careful.  Don’t overdo it.”
“I know,” Twilight said as she used her magic to place Spike next to the barrier.
“Twilight,” Spike said.
“I’m sorry Spike,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “But this is my fight, and I must do this alone.  I don’t want to put you in any danger.”

Nearby, as Wanda stood there emotionlessly, Queen Chrysalis walked around the little Man’s Cub.  The Changeling Queen looked down and noticed that Princess Chrysalis II was unconscious.
“You’ve bested my daughter,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Impressive.  I knew there was a fighting spirit within you.  A shame that your mother is no longer of this world.”
“I don’t care what you say,” Wanda said as tears began to roll down her eyes.  “I’m not joining you, and that’s that.”
“What if I told you that, for allowing your mother to die,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “You would become an…..outcast.”
“What?” Wanda said in total shock.
“Equestria is not really the friendliest place at all,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “The news media will report on your failure, that you alone allowed your mother to die at my hoof.”
“No, I didn’t mean to do it,” Wanda said as tears began to roll down her cheek.
“Even if you didn’t,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “The news media will chew you out for it.  They’ll blame you for allowing her to die, and you won’t be able to show your face in Equestria, ever again.  Your friends, your family, and even your own Chancellor will risk being a pariah unless they abandon you.”
“That is not true,” Wanda cried.  “As a family, we are one together, and friendship is magic.”
Queen Chrysalis just laughed as she looked down at Wanda. 
“Oh silly Man’s Cub,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Don’t waste your breath.  Equestria is quick to turn against its own kind, and they will to you.  But I can offer you something that they can’t: Real respect, real power, and a chance to preserve your own well-being.”
Wanda looked up at Queen Chrysalis as she looked like she was on the verge of crying.  Queen Chrysalis looked down and slowly raised Wanda’s face up to hers.
“I can give you more than what your mother failed to give you,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I can give you real power.  I can make sure you can use your magic without failure.  I can teach you how to survive and how to beat back at the propaganda machine.  Join with me, and you will never be ridiculed for who you are, ever again.  What do you say?”
Wanda looked up at Queen Chrysalis.  She looked down at her adopted mother’s dead body, staring down at it.  Then she turned towards the queen.
“I…” Wanda said.  “I accept.”
“Good girl,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “Now.  Let me unlock your true form, newest member of the hive.”
Queen Chrysalis raised her horn into the air.  A tuft of magic flowed and began to encircle Princess Wanda as it  began to take the form of a cocoon.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “Aunt Luna.  I’m sorry.”  
Wanda closed her eyes as the cocoon began to take shape.  Chrysalis looked down at the Man’s Cub with a smile on her face.
Suddenly, Queen Chrysalis was blasted in the face, sending her flying into the mud near Celestia’s body.  The magical cocoon disappeared, causing Wanda to open her eyes.
“Who did that?”  Queen Chrysalis said as she got up.
Queen Chrysalis looked around and saw Twilight Sparkle approach her.  Her frown turned into a devilish grin as she let the filly approach her.
“So you wish to be a changeling as well?” Queen Chrysalis said.  “I can make it happen.”
“I’m not here to be one of your own,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “I’m here to rescue Wanda.”
“You?”  Queen Chrysalis laughed.  “You wish to rescue a human who’s on the verge of being an outcast because she let her mother die?  What do you have with her that I don’t?  I can teach her how to wield power and make ponies respect her.  You only teach her nothing.”
A spark formed in Twilight’s eyes as she stared at Chrysalis and said “I don’t need to teach her anything.  She already knows, and so do I.  Wanda is loyal to us, she’s generous, she’s kind, she’s honest, and she gives us laughter.  Those are the elements of a good friend.”
The unicorn filly’s horn began to glow brightly.  Queen Chrysalis fired off a blast of magic at Twilight Sparkle, only for it to deflect off and fly into the sky.
Nearby, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Airazor, Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, the Wonderbolts, and even Spike were in shock as they saw Twilight deflect the shot without breaking a sweat.
“I…I don’t believe it,” Twilight Velvet said.  “Is that our daughter standing up against the big bad bug lady?”
“It sure is,” Night Light said.  “I never knew she had that kind of power.”
“Princess Celestia did,” Princess Luna said.  “:I believe this was the kind of power that was hidden deep within little Twilight Sparkle.  And now it’s starting to manifest.”
“Wow,”  Shining Armor said.  “I never knew Twilight had that much power in her.”
“Who knew that little egghead was an awesome powerhouse?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Guess there was more to her than meets the eye,” Sunset Shimmer said.

Queen Chrysalis fired blast upon blast on Twilight Sparkle, each deflecting off Twilight’s magical spark on her horn.  Twilight stood there, looking up at Chrysalis with a smile on her face as Wanda ran up behind the filly.
“Wanda is as part of our family as she is my friend,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “And as long as she has friends and family that will respect her, we will never abandon her and never make her a pariah, no matter what the media says.  And no matter what you do, you can never take away our friendship towards Wanda.  For there is more to how we stand together, than meets the eye.”
Twilight’s horn glowed bright. Queen Chrysalis only stood there as Twilight fired off a powerful beam of magic, right in her face.
“This can’t be,” Queen Chrysalis said.  “This day was going to be perfect.”
The beam connected with Queen Chrysalis and exploded, sending her flying uncontrollably into the atmosphere.
“CURSE YOU TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”  Queen Chrysalis yelled.  “THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE ON YOU!”
The moment Chrysalis finished her sentence, she disappeared into the morning sky.
Princess Chrysalis II woke up.  She looked around and saw Twilight Sparkle standing in front of Wanda Young.  Behind her, she saw the barrier fade away as Princess Luna and the rest of the group ran towards her.
“What is the meaning of this?”  Princess Chrysalis II yelled.
“Your mother has been beaten because of Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Luna said.  “If you value your freedom, you will depart this land immediately.”
“Urrrgh, fine,” Princess Chrysalis II said.  “But mark my words.  The next time we meet, we’ll make sure everyone feels our wrath.”
Princess Chrysalis II jumped into the air and flew off, disappearing into the morning sky.  Sunset Shimmer looked up as the changeling filly faded away into the atmosphere.
“That,” Sunset said.  “Was for messing with my family.”
Night Light, Twilight Velvet and Shining Armor ran up to Twilight Sparkle.  Shining picked her up and hugged her close.
“I can’t believe you did it,” Shining Armor said.  “You beat the big monster.  You’re the hero of Equestria.”
“Brother,” Twilight said with a laugh.  “Quit embarrassing me.”
“Sorry,” Shining Armor said.  “This is just sibling pride.”
“Twilight,” Night Light said.  “We’re proud of you for saving Princess Wanda from Queen Chrysalis.”
“Once all of Equestria finds out,” Twilight Velvet said.  “They’ll be singing praises of you.  You could even earn the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage for your act of heroism.”
“Mom, dad,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “That’s enough already.”
But as Twilight laughed with her family, she looked at Wanda.  The Man’s Cub barely walked towards Princess Celestia’s dead body without a single emotion on her face.
“Wanda,” Twilight said as she jumped out of Shining Armor’s arms.
As Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Spike, Abigail, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Airazor, Firefly, Magnum and the Wonderbolts all walked up to Night Light, Twilight Velvet and Princess Cadance, they watched as Wanda approached her mother’s dead body, who looked down and started to cry.
“Mommy…..” Wanda said as she stood there helplessly.
Wanda struggled to hold her tears in.  She tried as hard as possible before she bursts out crying, landing her face near Celestia’s broken wing.
Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor and Sunset Shimmer watched on as Wanda cried into the dead Celestia.
“Sister,” Luna said as a tear fell from her eye.  “I lost my mother long ago, and now I lost the one spark in my own life.”
Luna turned her head away from Celestia and Wanda as she cried into Cadance’s chest.  Princess Cadance could do nothing, but comfort her own aunt.
“What a shame,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Princess Celestia was a pony to look up to.  And now…she’s gone.”
“We all looked up to Princess Celestia as Wonderbolts,” Spitfire said.  “To carry on without her, doesn’t feel right.”
“I know,” Airrazor said.  “She was my own mother when I was adopted as a foal.  She raised many to grow up in a world that is cold and bitter.”
Sunset slowly walked up to Wanda, reaching out towards her sister and her dead mother.  Twilight came up to Sunset and gave her a big hug.
“Sunset,” Twilight said.  “I’m sorry.”
Abigail and Spike walked near Sunset and Twilight, looking at Wanda crying into her dead mother’s body.  Tears began to fall down the cheeks of both the kitty cat and the baby dragon.  Spike held Abigail close as the kitten cried into the baby dragon’s chest.
“Wanda,” Spike said as Abigail cried really loud.
Wanda continued to cry into Princess Celestia’s dead, motionless body, as her eyes were flowing with tears.
“Mommy,” Wanda cried.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to want to let Queen Chrysalis force me into becoming a changeling.  Please don’t leave me.  I ask for your forgiveness.”
“Be calm my child, don’t you be sad  Your mother is here and aren’t you all glad?  I will not depart from your precious side.  If you’re looking for comfort, then that is what I will provide.”
The voice of a soft and soothing song caused Wanda to look up.  Princess Celestia was awake, looking down at her daughter.  Wanda’s face beamed with excitement as she saw her mother’s face once more.
“MOMMY!”  Wanda cried before she gave her adopted mother a big hug.
“It’s okay,” Princess Celestia said as she wrapped her arm around Wanda and hugged her.  “I’m not going to leave you.  And I accept your apology.  But it is I who should apologize to you.”
“Why’s that, Mommy?” Wanda asked.
“I should have known that Queen Chrysalis and her changelings were going to invade during the gala, and I should have also figured out that they would team up with Coldnelius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild.  I’ve put you and your friends in terrible danger.  It is you who should accept my forgiveness.”
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “I forgive you.”
Suddenly, Celestia and Wanda heard the sound of Princess Luna yelling out “SISTER!”  Celestia looked up as Luna came to her side and rubbed her head with her sister’s head.  Sunset, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire ran up and gave Wanda a big hug.
“Aww come on you guys,” Wanda said.  “Let me cry a bit more.”
“You’ve cried enough for now, sister,” Sunset said.  “Just smile for us for now, okay?”
“Sister,” Wanda said.  “I will.”
Sunset turned to Princess Celestia, who looked down at her adopted daughter with a smile on her face.
“Mother,” Sunset said.  “I don’t know what would have happened if you did die.  I’m glad you did.”
With that, Sunset gave Celestia a big hug as the two embraced each other.
“Don’t you worry, Sunset,” Princess Celestia said. “I’ll be here for as long as possible.”
As Wanda smiled for both Sunset and Celestia, she looked down and saw Abigail meow at her.
“Abby,” Wanda said as she picked up Abigail.  “You’re here.”
Wanda cuddles with Abigail as the little kitty meows with pride.
Next to Wanda, Twilight noticed Spike walking up to her.  She reached out and picked Spike up.
“Spike,” Twilight said.  “We did it.”
“Twilight,” Spike said, shocking Sunset, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire.
“Wait,”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Did I hear that squirt speak?”
“You sure did,” Twilight replied.
Everyone laughed really hard as the morning sun shined down towards everyone.

Moments later, everyone was gathered around the carriage as Wanda, Sunset Shimmer, Cadance, Shining Armor, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Spike, Abigail and Princess Celestia got inside.  Princess Celestia has a new splint wrapped around her broken wing as she gets inside.
“ARe you sure you don’t want to join us, sis?”  Princess Celestia asked.
“There’s barely enough room for me,” Princess Luna said.  “And besides, your wing is busted.  So you gotta take it easy until it heals.”
“Point taken,” Princess Celestia laughed.  “But for now, let’s depart.”
Princess Luna closed the carriage door as Wanda and Sunset looked out.  Nearby, Airazor had fitted the Wonderbolts with the harness again with Firefly and Magnum ready to go.
“Aren’t you glad this madness is over?” Firefly asked.
“You said it,” Magnum replied.  “But knowing how these monsters act, I have a funny feeling that we’ll be seeing them again.”
“And we’ll be there to make sure they won’t try that stunt again,” Captain Airazor said.
“Wait till everyone back in Canterlot hears about this,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Yeah,” Spitfire replied.  “This will be a day that we won’t forget.”
Princess Luna lined up alongside Airazor, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Magnum, Firefly and the carriage alongside a number of Wonderbolts.  With a kick of dust into the wind, the group ran down and took off from the forest, pulling the carriage with the greatest of ease.  It wasn’t long until the carriage, Luna, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and the Wonderbolt brigade were airborne.

But nearby, Coldnelius Snap watched as the carriage flew off with the other ponies flying alongside.  He looked up as he placed his hood back on.
“This day is yours, Princess,” Coldnelius Snap said.  “But mark my words.  The next time we meet, it will be on a greater scale.  That being said, I believe our partnership with Queen Chrysalis and her changeling got us closer to defeating you.  So expect us to work together again.  Until time.
With that, Coldnelius Snap turned tail and ran off through the forest, leaving a trail of ice behind.


	To Be Continued in…


	The end of the danger.

> Arc 18-13: The End of the Danger
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The End of the Danger




Morning shines down on the grand city of Canterlot.  Deep within the garden of the castle, everyone waited with great patience, though most of the remaining younglings looked really anxious.
“They’ve been gone a long time,” Applejack said.  “I wonder if something bad happened to them?”
“Oh relax,” Pinkie Pie said.  “If that big bad changeling went up against those ponies, she would be no match for them.”
“I believe that tactic is referred to as strength in numbers,” Prince Hoofar said.
“Strength in numbers?” Golden Lace asked.
“It’s where there are more soldiers on one side compared to the other,” Moondancer replied.  “It’s simple math.”
“Yeah,” Danged Spell said.  “If Queen Chrysalis went up against Princess Luna and those Wonderbolts, that’s a problem she won’t be able to solve.  Get it?”
“Uggh, Danged Spell,” the other younglings said in disgust.
“Well someone had to at least keep our spirits high,” Danged Spell replied.
Cozy Glow turned her head away and looked upwards.  She noticed the Wonderbolts and the carriage flying towards them.
“Hey guys,” Cozy Glow said.  “I think they’re coming back.”
Everyone moved out of the way as the Wonderbolts, led by Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Firefly, Magnum and Captain Airazor, flew downward from the sky.  Once they landed on the ground, they moved to the side as the carriage landed down.  Chancellor Cinch and Queen Novo approached the carriage with anticipation.
“Are they back?” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Did they escape Queen Chrysalis?”
Princess Luna ran up to the carriage and opened the door.  Immediately, Princess Celestia emerged, still banged up but in high spirits.  Everyone around them cheered for the alicorn princess.
“Princess,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “You’ve made it back.   I thought you were a goner.”
“And I thought I was a goner as well,” Princess Celestia said.  “Queen Chrysalis figured out how to turn my maternal love towards Wanda against me.”
“The nerve of that despicable witch,” Queen Novo said in disgust.  “Using a mother’s love towards her child as a weapon.”
“And it almost cost me my life,” Princess Celestia said as she stepped to the side.  “Thankfully, it only knocked me out.  But it did leave an emotional scar on my daughters.”
Wanda emerged from the carriage, holding Abigail in her arms.  Everyone around the group cheered as Wanda finally landed her feet on the ground.  Right behind her, Sunset Shimmer came down and landed near her human sister.
“Wanda, Sunset, you’re back,” Pinkie Pie yelled as she, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace, Applejack, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Rarity, Fluttershy, Ditzy Doo, Trixie and Cozy Glow all ran up and gave both sisters a big hug.
“I also thought I lost my mommy,” Wanda said.  “In fact, Queen Chrysalis tried to manipulate me into becoming a changeling human by claiming that I would be cast out for allowing mommy to die.”
“That’s just horrible,” Starlight said.  “The nerve of that meanie, taking advantage of you.”
“Well at least you’re safe from that no-good insect,” Applejack said.  “But I sure believe she’s still searching for ya.”
“Well now I wouldn’t say that,” Princess Celestia said.
“What exactly do you mean by that, Princess?” Applejack asked.
Princess Luna walked up to Applejack and said “Your answer will come from your friend Twilight Sparkle.”
The younglings looked inside as Twilight Sparkle walked out of the carriage with Spike walking alongside her.  Right behind her were Night Light, Twilight Velvet, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.
“Twilight,” Pinkie Pie yelled as she jumped at her and gave the unicorn filly a hug.  “You’re back.”
“And I never felt better,” Twilight replied.
“Let me guess,” Pinkie Pie said as she let go of Twilight.  “You wanted to defend your best friend Wanda, and discovered a spark within you, blocked off all the magic that Queen Chrysalis fired, and countered with a powerful spell that sent her flying?”
Everyone sans Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Airazor, Firefly, Magnum, Wanda, Abigail, Spike and the Wonderbolts dropped their jaws down in total shock.
“Wait a minute,” Danged Spell said.  “You beat back the big bad bug?”
“Guilty as charged,” Twilight Sparkle laughed.
“And we were the ones who saw the whole thing play out,” Twilight Velvet said.
“To think,” Night Light said.  “Our little Twilight Sparkle became a hero today.”
“Yeah,” Shining Armor said as he gave his little sister a hoof noogie.  “Who’d thought my little squirt of a sister was some sort of guardian of harmony.”
“Shining,” Twilight Sparkle laughed.  “Cut it out already.  Besides, I fought back just to save Wanda from Queen Chrysalis.”
Rarity walked up to Twilight and said “But what you just did was beyond that.  You’ve become a hero to the eyes of all of us.”
“Rarity’s right,” Fluttershy said.  “Twilight, we’ve known you since you and your friends came down to La Maresa for the fair.  But to hear stories about you standing your ground against Queen Chrysalis means a whole lot.”
“Aww, thanks, you guys,” Twilight Sparkle said.
Princess Celestia turned her head towards the crowd and announced “Later today, we will be presenting an award to little Twilight Sparkle for her bravery and courage.”
The crowd cheered into the air as Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie held Twilight above and chanted her name.  Rainbow Dash flew over to Twilight and gave her a hoof bump.
“I can’t believe you actually became a hero,” Rainbow Dash said with a playful laugh.  “I’m so jealous of you.”
“Well I can’t believe you’re becoming a junior Wonderbolt,” Twilight replied.
“Well that makes two of us,” Rainbow Dash replied as she and Twilight laughed together.
Wanda and Sunset watched from right behind the carriage as Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash cheered Twilight’s name.  But as Wanda turned her head to the right, she saw a somber Senator Twinkle Wish approach her. 
“Oh no,” Wanda said as she hid behind Sunset. “It’s the bad pony.”
Sunset watched as Senator Twinkle Wish approached her and Wanda.  The Senator had a look of shame on her face as she approached the younglings.
“Princess Wanda Young,” Senator Wish said.
“Go away,” Wanda cried.  “You bother me.”
“I came here to apologize to you,” Senator Wish said.
Sunset tapped Wanda’s shoulder and said “I think she’s serious on this one.”
Wanda poked her head out and looked up at Senator Twinkle Wish, who looked down at her with a sad look on her face.
“When I first met you back when you were a baby, I only saw you as a monster that would destroy this land,” Senator Wish said.   “I fought to have that border wall built up just to keep foreigners from coming in and taking over.  But after what Queen Chrysalis said to me, and the fact that they can bypass any wall ever, I felt like a fool to approve of that ridiculous idea.  Furthermore, I have seen that you are not a monster.  Your mother taught you well, and that was something I overlooked in my paranoia.”
Wanda said nothing as Chancellor Cinch walked up and placed her hoof on the Man’s Cub’s shoulder.
“It’s alright,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Seems the Senator means you no harm, Princess.”
“My apology will not end with mere words, Princess Wanda,” Senator Wish said.  “Instead, my apology will conclude with my resignation from the Equestrian Congress.”
Chancellor Cinch was shocked by Senator Wish’s words.  She cleared her throat and said “That was a rather surprising announcement coming from you.”
“It sure is,” Senator Wish said.  “After what Queen Chrysalis and Coldenlius Snap did to torment me for my support of the border wall, and how useless it was, I felt ashamed of being a Senator.  So I will be stepping down from my position and retiring.  I’m terribly sorry for everything I’ve put you through.  And furthermore, you have every right not to forgive me for what I’ve done.”
Senator Wish bowed to Princess Wanda before turning around and walking off.  But before she could move, she felt something hugging her leg.  She looked behind and saw Wanda giving her a hug.
“I forgive you,” Wanda said, causing the now former senator to smile.
“Your forgiveness is accepted,” Senator Wish said as Wanda let go. “Good-bye Princess.  May you have a blessed life from here on out.”
Senator Wish nodded to Wanda before she walked away.  Sunset and Cinch walked up to Wanda, who just looked there with a smile on her face.
“It’s fascinating how we are all subject to change, Princess,” Chancellor Cinch said.
“That’s Man’s Cub, Miss Cinch,” Wanda said.
“Personally, you shouldn’t undercut yourself, cousin.”  Wanda, Sunset and Cinch turned around to see Prince Blueblood approach the group.
“Cousin?” Wanda said.  “I didn’t expect that from you.”
“It’s okay Wanda,” Sunset said.  “Blueblood helped us out when the changelings and cultists attacked us.”
“Wow,” Wanda said after hearing what her adopted sister said.  “I can’t believe it.  So does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yes it does,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But I will pay a horrible price for it.  Gold Banks is a member of the board of directors for Horse News Network, and I may get ousted for my new stance.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Wanda said as her tone turned to sorrow.  “In fact, I think some ponies just want to watch all of us suffer.”
“I believe that you’re right,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But one thing I can say to you is this: Stay true to yourself, cousin Wanda.  Even if Gold Banks and her massive media empire makes you a pariah, you will always have those who will support you to the very end.”
Wanda and Blueblood nodded to each other as Prince Blueblood turned around and walked off in the opposite direction.  Sunset reached up and hugged Wanda on the back.
“I’m glad you’re still with us, Wanda,” Sunset said.  “I don’t know what would have happened to me if Queen Chrysalis took you away, or if Gold Banks decides to make you a pariah.”
“The moment that witch pulls that stunt,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I will be at your side, one hundred percent.  I don’t care if they oust me from my position, because I refuse to take that kind of cowardly stance.”
“Thanks, you two,” Wanda said.  “I don’t know where I would be without a family or my friends.”
“Speaking of which,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I believe you two should freshen up.  We have a busy day despite the long night.”
“Are you sure about that?”  Sunset said with a yawn.  “The Gala really wore me out.”
“I know,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But once this event is over, then you can rest.  And don’t worry.  You may be excited for this as I am.”
Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Chancellor Cinch walked towards the opened drawbridge of Canterlot Castle as the morning sun shone down on the land.

Later that day, in the middle of town, every citizen gathered around in the town square.  Princess Celestia was on stage alongside Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Abigail Albright, Princess Cadance, Princess Luna, Chancellor Cinch, King Myrrh, Prince Hoofar, Prince Blueblood, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, Airazor, Firefly, Magnum, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash.  Opposite of them was Twilight Sparkle with Spike by her side.  Sitting nearby was Night Light, Twilight Velvet, and Shining Armor.   On the stage, Wanda, now wearing a long cerulean dress that replaced her worn out Gala Dress, held a pillow on her hands with a heart-shaped gold pendant with a pink jewel in the middle. 
 In the crowd, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Baby Ocellus and Baby Silverstream sat in the front row, while Bright Mac, Buttercup, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich, Lemony Gem, Buck Withers, and Gad Zookes  sat behind them.  In a far end corner, Silver Banks watched with anticipation while Gold Banks just sat there with her arms crossed.
“Citizens of Canterlot,” Princess Celestia said.  “Not long ago, Queen Chrysalis and her changeling hive joined forces with Coldenlius Snap and the Windigo’s Guild, and attacked us during the Grand Gallopin Gala.  WIth the help from King Myrrh’s forces from Saddle Arabia, combined with Queen Novo’s Hippogriff guards, and soldiers lead by Guard Captain Thompson and the Wonderbolts lead by Captain Airazor, we were able to beat back the changeling forces and the Windigo’s Guild, and we will make sure they never step a hoof in Canterlot again.”
The crowd cheered from Celestia’s speech before she raised her hooves into the air, calming them down.
“But we’re not here to just remind all of Equestria to remain vigilant,” Princess Celestia said.  “This morning, I came this close to losing my life to Queen Chrysalis when she used my maternal love for my daughters to power her own magic.  She also intended on turning Wanda into one of her own.  And she would have succeeded if not for my own student, Twilight Sparkle.”
With those words, the crowd cheered as Twilight Sparkle got up and took a few steps forward with Spike by her side.
“Not long ago,” Princess Celestia said.  “I had a falling out with my student because I failed in her eyes as a teacher. It was a harsh lesson that even I had to reflect on.  But I never lost hope for Twilight.  I chose to make up for what I did because she was right in the end.  And when Queen Chrysalis came close to turning my daughter into a humanoid changeling, Twilight Sparkle came to her rescue and drove Queen Chrysalis out with a magical power deep within her.  One that represents the hope that we call carry.”
  Twilight Sparkle and Spike stood by Princess Celestia as the crowd clapped for her.
“Because of her heroism,” Princess Celestia announced.  “For saving Wanda Young, and for defeating Queen Chrysalis, I hereby award Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Night Light and Twilight Velvet, young sister of SHining Armor, and best friend to Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer and Princess Cadance, with the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage.  The mark of a hero.”
The crowd cheered as Wanda Young approached Twilight Sparkle with the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage on the pillow.  Princess Celestia used her magic to levitate the pendant into the air and unhooked the strap open before placing it on Twilight’s neck and hooking it back up.  Twilight looked down at the heart and smiled with a tear rolling down her cheek as the crowd cheered for her.
“I can’t believe it,” Twilight said as she looked at the jewel.  “It’s been so long since I got my cutie mark and joined this school.  Now, I earned this for saving Wanda.”
Wanda placed the pillow on the stand next to the podium as Sunset walked right next to her adopted sister.
“So Twilight,” Sunset said.  “This feels alot like graduation for you.  What are you going to do now?”
Twilight let her Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage dangle from her neck as she looked up at Sunset and Wanda.  She cleared her throat and said “Actually, I’m not ready to leave Canterlot, or the school.  I’d like to stick around more not just because there is a lot to learn about friendship, but also because you all are fun to hang around with.”
“That’s great,” Wanda said.  “It wouldn’t be right if you were gone.”
“Friends forever?” Sunset asked as she held her hoof out.
Twilight placed her hoof on Sunset’s and said “Friends forever.”
Immediately, Twilight, Sunset and Wanda all gave each other a hug as Rainbow Dash and Spitfire jumped out from the Wonderbolt group and gave the trio hugs of their own.  It didn’t take long for Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, and Cozy Glow to get on stage and give Twilight, Sunset, Wanda, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire a big hug.
Golden Lace slowly walked up onto the stage.  She caught her breath and was about to walk over when she saw Silver Banks approach her.
“Daddy?” Golden Lace said as Silver Banks got up to her side.
“Lace my darling,” Silver Banks said.  “I was a horrible father to you, and I don’t deserve to have you by my side.  You have your own future to look forward to.  You should be with your uncle and aunt in La Maresa.”
“But,” Golden Lace said.
“No butts,” Silver Banks said as he booped Golden Lace on the nose.  “Now go embrace your friends.”
Golden Lace smiled at Silver Banks as a tear rolled down her cheek.  She turned towards the rest of the younglings as she ran up to Wanda and gave her a big hug.
“Lace,” Wanda giggled.  “I was wondering if you would join us.”
“Sorry,” Lace replied.  “I….uhh….felt hesitant.”
“It’s because you’re going to leave us, soon?” Twilight asked.
“Y…yeah,” Golden Lace said.
As the younglings embraced each other, Danged Spell saw Buck Withers, Lemony Gem and Gad Zookes walk up on stage.  The young colt let go of his friends and ran up to the three adults.
“How are you doing there, squirt?” Buck Withers asked.
“I feel like I could take on the whole world after what happened last night,” Danged Spell said.  “But it looks like you guys are going to head out.”
“We are,” Gad Zookes said.  “Sometime tomorrow, we’re going off on a new adventure through the land of Equestria.”
“Nice,” Danged Spell replied  “I wish I could go, but I still have my studies at the School for Gifted Unicorns to take care of.  Not to mention I’ll miss my friends if I do depart.”
“Well young stallion,” Lemony Gem said.  “I hope you keep your friends company.  After what happened, they need all the morale to keep their spirits high.”
“You bet,” Danged Spell replied.
WIth that, Buck Withers gaved Danged Spell a friendly noogie on the head as the little colt laughed.
“We won’t be gone till tomorrow,” Buck Withers said.  “So you’ll have plenty of time to say good-bye before we depart.”
Danged Spell smiled as Buck Withers held his hoof out.  Danged Spell reached out and bumped his hoof off Buck’s hoof.  During this time, Shining Armor walked up to Buck.
“Sure going to miss you,” Shining Armor said.  “After all that you’ve done for us with the Gala and with helping to look after Wanda, you’ve more than earned my respect.”
“You sure you don’t want to come with us, Shining?” Buck Withers asked.
“I wish I could,” Shining Armor replied.  “But one, I still have a hero of a sister to look after.  And two, I just found out I’ve been accepted into the Equestrian Royal Guard academy.”
“Well congratulations,” Lemony Gem said.  “I hope you come out as the best of the best.”
“Well knowing my Shining Armor,” Princess Cadance said.  “He’s bound to come out on top while looking after little Twilight and her friends.”
“You said it,” Shining Armor said.
Buck Withers stood tall and gave a salute to Shining Armor, who bowed back in respect.
Nearby, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire walked away from the group as the rainbow-colored filly looked up at the sky.  Spitfire took notice at Rainbow Dash gazing off and tapped her shoulder.
“Hey, you alright?” Spitfire asked.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said.  “It sure was fun to team up with you guys and send those changelings and cultists.”
“But you sound sad,” Spitfire said.  “Don’t you want to stick around and continue your path down to being a Wonderbolt?”
“Well I would,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked down at the goggles dangling from her neck.  “But it means I may have to move out of La Maresa, and away from the Ponyville Providence.  I know it means alot to be a Wonderbolt, and I dream of being one.  But I feel like I’ll pay a price to do so.”
“Well you don’t have to decide.”  Rainbow Dash and Spitfire looked up to see Airazor hovering over her.
“Captain Airazor,” Spitfire said.  “What’s up?”
“Early ago, I had a talk with Princess Celestia about moving the Wonderbolt Training Camp to the skies above La Maresa,” Airazor said.  “The reason is because the Junior Wonderbolt program isn’t working well in Canterlot.  So we’re hoping that a new generation of Wonderbolts can come out of La Maresa, and I want you to lead the way.”
“You really mean it?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“You bet,” Spitfire said.  “In fact, I think I’m falling a bit behind.  So I wouldn’t mind having you as a friendly rival to keep my edge in.”
Rainbow Dash tried to hold it in.  But she flew right into the air and screamed loudly with excitement, only to fly back down and stand upright.
“I mean, yes ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Great,” Airazor said.  “But don’t expect me to go easy on you.  I want to see the best of the best out of you, Rainbow Dash.  Are you a bad enough Wonderbolt to take the challenge?”
“YES MA’AM!”  Rainbow Dash yelled as she saluted Airazor.
“At ease, Rainbow Dash,” Airazor said.  “We’ll meet in one week at our new location in the skies above La Maresa.”
Rainbow Dash loosened up as she, Airazor, Spitfire, Magnum and Firefly laughed.  But nearby, Rarity emerged from the youngling group to approach Prince Blueblood.
“So,” Rarity said.  “It was a…wild night.”
“So it was,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But you’re right.  My behavior early last night was not appropriate.  I was, after all, the most selfish, un-caring horse’s rear that you’ve ever met.”
“Well until you helped out later that night in getting us out of that mess,” Rarity said. “So you’ve made up for those stunts you pulled.”
“Guess we are all willing to change for the better,” Prince Blueblood said.  “But I will pay a horrible price in Manehattan with the Horse News Network, considering that Gold Banks is a part of the board of directors there.”
“I’m terribly sorry to hear that,” Rarity replied. 
“Fate can be a cruel thing in the end,” Prince Blueblood replied.

But nearby in some bushes, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score emerged, focusing their sight on the younglings on stage, especially on Twilight Sparkle.
“Did you hear, boys?” Hoops said.  
“Yeah,” Dumbbell said.  “Twilight Sparkle thinks she’s some kind of hero.”
“What makes her think she’s so great because she claimed to have beaten some bug?” Score said.
“Let’s prove once and for all that she’s no hero, but a whiny little snowflake,” Hoops said as he kicked over a nearby bush, revealing a catapult with eggs and tomatoes in the bucket portion.
“This is one ceremony that they won’t forget in a million years,” Score said with a laugh.
Dumbbell and Score laughed as Hoops went up to the catapult and pulled the lever, launching the tomatoes and eggs into the air towards the younglings on stage.

Back at the stage area, Twilight was just enjoying the moment with her friends when she looked up and saw the eggs and tomatoes flying towards her.
“What in Celestia’s name?” Twilight yelled.
Twilight Sparkle stood there helplessly as the eggs and tomatoes flew towards her and the other younglings.  But before they could hit Twilight and the others, they froze in place.
“What’s going on?” Wanda asked as she looked at the food floating in the air.
Prince Blueblood stepped away from Rarity as his horn glowed brightly.  He plucked two tomatoes and three eggs out of the batch and placed them on a nearby table.  Then he turned to the floating food and used his horn to send them back.
“Miscreants,” Prince Blueblood said.
“What just…happened?” Twilight said with a confused look on her face.

Nearby, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score watched as the tomatoes and eggs launched back right at them.
“Why is this happening, boss?” Score said as he ran around in a circle.
“Who was that snobby prince who deflected that back at us?” Dumbbell said in a panic.
“Who cares,” Hoops said.  “Let’s run for it.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score turned tail and made a run away from the eggs and tomatoes and away from the catapult.  But as they ran past the trees, they tripped on a snare trap and went flying upwards.
“This isn’t happening,” Hoops yelled.  “THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!”
As the three pegasus colts were hoisted up the nearby tree, the eggs and tomatoes slammed right at them, covering them in egg yolk and tomato paste.  
“Aww yuck,” Dumbbell yelled.  “That’s disgusting.”
“Whoever that unicorn is,” Score yelled.  “He’ll pay for humiliating us.”
Suddenly, the snare trap comes loose, causing Hoops, Dumbbell and Score to fall to the ground.  Hoops stood atop his buds as he struggled to shake the bits and pieces of egg and tomato from his face.
“Who did that?” Hoops said.  “When I get my hooves on the snowflake who did that….”
Hoops was able to open his eyes as he looked up to see an agitated Bright Mac staring down at him, Dumbbell and Score.  Hoops’ ears flopped down as Dumbbell and Score looked up in horror.
“Uhhh,” Hoops said in a scared voice.  “Hey there.”
“I thought banishing you from La Maresa would teach you a harsh lesson,” Bright Mac said as Granny Smith and Big Mac walked up next to him.  “But I got reports of you three causing trouble across Equestria, especially here in Canterlot.  From tormenting little Starlight Glimmer, to causing a ruckus with a magic show and even the stunt you pulled at the Gala.”
“It’s time you three were hauled back to La Maresa to face the music,” Granny Smith said.  
Hoops yelled out “COME ON!  LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!” as he, Dumbbell and Score turned tail and began to run, only to be snared by a rope lasso and tied up.  The trio looked behind them to see Big Macintosh tightening the lasso by pulling his end of the rope.
“You’re not leaving that easily, Misters,” Bright Mac said.  “First thing tomorrow morning, you three are heading home.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said as he walked up to the three troublemakers and stared down at them.”
As Hoops, Dumbbell and Score complained as loud as possible, Twilight Sparkle watched from the stand as she just stood there, dumbfounded.
“Wow,” Twilight Sparkle said as she looked down at her Pink Heart of Courage.  “I was able to handle Queen Chrysalis, but not those three hooligans.  Some hero I turned out to be.”
“Don’t let them get under your skin, Twilight,” Night Light said.  “You’re still a hero to us, even if three bullies wanted to make life for you tough.”
“You’re our daughter,” Twilight Velvet said.  “And we’re proud of you.”
“They’re right,” Shining Armor said as he gave Twilight Sparkle a head noogie.  “You’re already an accomplished younger sister.  And I couldn’t be more proud than today.  Besides, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
Twilight Sparkle giggled as she leaped towards Shining Armor and gave him a big hug, with Spike yelled out “Twilight.”

But nearby, in another alley, Inferno, Quickstrile and Waspinator watched the crowd from afar.  The look on their faces shows a sign of defeat.  And yet, they still looked more determined than ever.
“The queen has suffered because of the filly known as Twilight Sparkle,” Inferno said.  “But mark my words, brothers.  She will have her revenge against her, and capture the little Man’s Cub for our hive.”
“You said it, big bro,” Quickstrike said.  “One day, we’ll give those tin-horned iggits the receiving end of our roundhouse.”
“Waspinator more determined to fight for Queen Chrysalis,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator will serve till the very end.”
“That’s what I’m talking about, Waspy,” Quickstrike said as he gave Waspinator a pat on the back. 
Quickstrike turned towards Inferno, who looked down at their Beast Wars namesakes in figure form.
“Hey big bro,” Quickstrike said.  “Where did you get those awesome-looking toys?”
Inferno looked up at Quickstrike and proceeded to toss two of the Beast Wars figures to him and Waspinator, each of which share the same colors as the two predacons.
“There’s something about these figures that just…ring to us,” Inferno said.  “Like we were made to be more than just mere changelings.”
“More than mere changelings?”  Waspinator said.
“Yes,” Inferno said.  “Perhaps I should take the form of this figure.  After all, it does strike me as…fascinating.”
“Then do it,” Quickstrike said.  “Show us the power of that figure.”
Inferno looked down at his namesake’s figures, observing the structure and the details.  He closed his eyes and shapeshifted into that very figure, becoming an Ant-themed robot on two legs.
“Well I’ll be,” Quickstrike said.  “Seems there is truly more to those figures than meets the eye.  Nice discovery, big bro.”
“Maybe we should become like these figures,” Waspinator said.  “Waspinator like that idea.”
“You betcha, brother,” Quickstrike said.  “Let’s transform and roll out.”
Quickstrike and Waspinator looked at their respective Beast Wars figures for a sec before they transformed into the very figures they had in their hand, with Quickstrike becoming a bipedal robotic fusion of a snake and a scorpion, and Waspinator becoming a bipedal wasp-themed robot.
“Wow,” Quickstrike said.  “I feel a lot stronger now than I’ve been.  Wait till Queen Chrysalis sees this.”
“Waspinator likes new form,” Waspinator said as he looked at his arms, torso and legs.  “Waspinator ready to rumble against pony bugs.”
“Then come,” Inferno said in a calm, yet satisfied tone.  “Let us return to the hive and tend to Queen Chrysalis.  For the glory of the royalty.”
Inferno’s new robot-like abdomen opened up to reveal a pair of boosters.  They turn on, allowing for Inferno to fly into the air, taking off into the stratosphere.
“Well,” Quickstrike said as he looked at his back.  “Doesn’t look like I can fly in this new form.  But I can improvise on that.”
Quickstrike’s changeling wings formed on his new back as he jumped into the air and flew off, following Inferno from behind.
Waspinator looked at his figure, then looked at his new body.  He looked up at his two brothers taking off in the distance before flapping his new wings.
“Waspinator happy at last,” Waspinator said.
Waspinator jumped into the air, holding his figure in his hand.  He flew off in pursuit of his two predacon brothers in the afternoon sky.


	To Be Continued in….


	Final part


	Friendship is Magic

> Arc 18-14(Finale): Friendship is Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Final Part: Friendship is Magic



It was a warm night in the city of Canterlot.  In the high parts of the castle within Wanda and Sunset’s room, we see Wanda and Sunset gathered on their bed alongside Abigail Albright and Spike the baby dragon.  Alongside the four were Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Trixie, Ditzy Doo, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Cozy Glow, Spitfire, Prince Hoofar, Prince Blueblood, Princess Skystar, Baby Silverstream and Baby Ocellus enjoying the night away as they all had slices of pineapple and spiced oat pizza with root beer and cake.
“So then I said to him,” Trixie said. “That’s not my rabbit you’re touching.  That’s my butt.”
“Trixie,” Twilight laughed.  “When it comes to jokes, you take them to a new level.”
“Well what did you expect from the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie said as he stood up and waved her cape in the air.
“Sounds more like dirty and foul-mouthed Trixie,” Prince Hoofar joked, causing Trixie to glare at him.
“So this is what you all consider fun?” Prince Blueblood asked.
“Yeah,” Starlight replied.  “It’s all about having a good time together, just kicking back and enjoying fun with friends.”
“Just out of curiosity,” Rarity asked.  “What did you do when it came to parties?”
Prince Blueblood turned his head and said “Well if anything, they’re not as exciting as what you all go through.”
“Then tell you what,” Rarity asked as she reached her hoof out.  “How about we just become friends?”
Prince Blueblood let out a single breath and placed his hoof on Rarity’s and said “Friends indeed.”
As Sunburst watched Rarity and Prince Blueblood hold hooves together, he is tackled by Starlight’s hug.  The unicorn colt struggled to break free.
“Starlight,” Sunburst yelled.  “You’re cutting off my oxygen supply.”
“But I wuv to be around you, Bursty,” Starlight said, causing everyone around to laugh hard.
“Well you know what they say,” Danged Spell said.  “When it comes to all of us, and the Magic of Friendship with this New Generation, we sure enjoy the Pony Life.  GET IT?”
“Danged Spell,” everyone else yelled before they burst out laughing.
Applejack took a swig of Root Beer as Baby Apple Bloom crawled out from under the bed and towards her big sister.  Applejack picked her up and cradled her in her arms.
“You know what’s the best thing about being around friends?” Applejack said as Apple Bloom giggled in her sister’s arms.
“What’s that?” Wanda asked.
“It’s about having the best time of your life together,” Applejack replied.  “Be with those you can relate to, or those who are your relatives.  I believe Wanda and Sunset said it best when they said ‘As a family, we are one together.’  It means we are stronger both in group and in heart.  When you have others who support you while you repay the favor. That’s what makes us one.”
“That makes a lot of sense,” Sunset said.  “I mean, without Wanda, mother and the rest of you, I would have remained either an orphan, or worse.”
Wanda looked around the room as her excitement turned to worry.  She noticed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo climbing on the bed and crawling up to her side.  Wanda reached out and petted both baby fillies on the head.
"Wanda?" Pinkie Pie asked.  "Are you alright?"
"Well that's just that." Wanda said. "Come tomorrow, most of you will be gone.  You and your friends will return to La Maresa, Spitfire will help train Rainbow Dash at the new Wonderbolt Academy, Ocellus is going to live with Skystar, Silverstream and Aunt Novo on Mount Aris, Prince Blueblood has to return to Manehattan, Prince Hoofar will head back to Saddle Arabia, and Golden Lace, you're also bound for La Maresa as well."
"That's right," Golden Lace said as she looked down at the floor.  "And I am going to miss the rest of the School for Gifted Unicorns co-students."
"We're going to miss you as well," Moondancer said as she put her hoof on Lace's face.  "Not long ago you were a big bully.  And now, you've changed for the better even in spite of what your mother did."
"But one thing is clear," Fluttershy said.  "We are going to help look after you alongside your uncle and aunt.  After all, Friendship is Magic and you deserve a piece of that magic."
"Thanks Fluttershy," Golden Lace said.  "If anything, I am now looking forward to living in La Maresa."
"But what about your pal Cozy Glow?" Rainbow Dash asked as she pointed to Cozy Glow, who looked like she was about to cry.
"Oh yeah," Golden Lace said as she got up and walked over to Cozy Glow.  "Your mother is the Alicorn Magistrate Creme Dream and she has control over you.  It doesn't look like you can join me in La Maresa."
"I know," Cozy Glow said.  "Once you are gone, I will have to put up with her and my mean sister Majesty."
"I've heard of her," Ditzy Doo said.  "And if she is anything to go by, she's a bigger meanie even compared to Gold Banks."
"Tell you what," Golden Lace said.  "I'll write to you every week to tell you how life is in La Maresa."
"And we can hold it for you until we can deliver it," Sunset said.  "In fact, we can make copies of the letter in case your mother decides to rip them up."
"You really mean it?" Cozy Glow asked.
“Of course,” Golden Lace said as she gave Cozy Glow a hug.  “After all, that’s what friends are truly for.”
Cozy Glow said nothing as she wrapped her arms around Golden Lace.  Unbeknownst to them both, Baby Diamond Tiara crawled up to the two, making a meek sound to attract them both.
“Oh right,” Cozy Glow said as she picked up the baby filly and held her in her arms.  “Didn’t want to forget about you.  Now do yourself a favor and don’t get into trouble.  You hear me?”
Baby Diamond Tiara nodded as she reached out and gave Cozy Glow a hug.  Golden Lace looked at them both and laughed.
Wanda turned her head towards Ocellus and asked “So I heard you’re going to live in Mount Aris from here on out.”
“That’s right,” Baby Ocellus said.  “Queen Novo has allowed me and my family to live there as asylum seekers.  That means we’ll be safe from Queen Chrysalis and from the slavers that took them away.”
“The idea that slavers exist in Equestria is just appalling,” Skystar said as Silverstream rests on her shoulder.  “I mean, why does slavery even exist here when Princess Celestia outright banned it?”
“That’s a really good question,” Sunset Shimmer pondered.  “When I asked mother about that, even she was shocked by the presence of slave labor.  Honestly, even just thinking about it just gives me a headache.”
“But what matters is that you’ll get to be happy and safe on Mount Aris,” Wanda said.  “And that’s what matters to you, right?”
“That is right,” Baby Ocellus said.  “And that’s what I want, real happiness.”
“Maybe we can come over to visit one day,” Sunset Shimmer said.”
“And they we can all go for a swim in the ocean of Seaquestria and even enjoy some fish,” Princess Skystar said.
“Wait,” Sunset said with a shocked look on her face.  “Eat….fish?  Like in a living being?”
“Ohhhh just you wait until you come back,” Princess Skystar said.  “You are going to enjoy it.”
“Come to think of it,” Pinkie Pie said.  “I’ve eaten fish before and it was delicious.”
Sunset looked at Pinkie Pie and said “Pinkie, you scare me sometimes.”  Pinkie said nothing, but laughed really loud.
“Well on the flip side,” Rainbow Dash said.  “It’s good that there will be a Wonderbolts training academy above the skies of La Maresa.  It means I can train to be the next Wonderbolt all while hanging out with you guys.”
“That may be true,” Spitfire said.  “But like what Captain Airazor said: She’s going to put you through some tough trials so you’ll have what it takes to be a real Wonderbolt.  And I’ve got to start catching up as a Wonderbolt to make sure you become a full fledged air flyer.”
“Oh you’ll bet,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Let’s make this the best tour ever.”
“Indeed,” Spitfire said as she and Rainbow Dash held hooves together in a muscle flex.
“That reminds me,” Ditzy Doo asked.  “Why is she called Captain Airrazor when she’s actually a Commander?”
Spitfire turned to Ditzy Doo and said “Oh that’s easy.  She likes the name Captain over Commander.  Gives her more of a sense of duty and adventure.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Fluttershy said.  “Sometimes you like that title over a more advanced title that you seem too powerful to be called Commander.  Captain sounds more like a humble name.”
“It may be, and Airazor is one humble Captain,” Spitfire said.  “But when it comes to Wonderbolt training, she holds nothing back.”
The younglings laughed out loud as they continued to eat pizza and cake and drink root beer.
“You know,” Twilight said.  “When we do meet again, I want to make sure we get a chance to hang out like we are now.”  She turned to Spike, rubbed his cheek and said “Isn’t that right, little Spike.”
Baby Spike giggled as he yelled out “Twilight,” catching most of the younglings off guard.
“Twilight,” Rarity said.  “I didn’t know Spiky-Wikey could talk.”
“Well he does now,” Twilight said.  
Suddenly, they heard the sound of someone saying “Wanda.”  The group turned to Wanda Young, who was rubbing Abigail on the back of her neck.
“Did I hear little Abigail talk?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Uhh no,” Wanda said with an embarrassing tone.  “You uhhh, didn’t hear Abigail spea….”
But before Wanda could finish speaking, Abigail got on her two legs and said “Wanda.”  The other younglings were in total shock.
“Woah,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Spike and Abigail know how to talk?  This is so…AWESOME!”
Rainbow Dash flew into the top of the room and cheered really loud before she flew back down, where everyone looked at her oddly.
“Well now my little Abby speaking her first word is not as strange as what I saw,” Wanda said with a chuckle.
“Well that reminds me,” Rarity said before she jumped behind the bed and went through a suitcase.
“What exactly is she doing?”  Cozy Glow asked.
“Shhh,” Prince Blueblood said.  “It’s a surprise.”
Rarity emerged from the suitcase, wearing a dark black and green dress with a gorgeous hat
“For some reason,” Rarity said.  “Queen Chrysalis’ color scheme just gave me inspiration for my new design, despite loathing the color green for a dress.  What do you all think?”
As most of the younglings looked in awe, Danged Spell looked like he was on the verge of laughing.
“Now you really look like a sourpuss,” Danged Spell said before he covered his mouth in embarrassment.
“WHAT?” Rarity yelled as she began to steam up and her face went all red.
“OH HORSE APPLES!”  Danged Spell yelled as he ran out the room.
Rarity chased Danged Spell out of the room in a fit of anger.  The moment both colt and filly were out, everyone could hear the sound of Danged Spell screaming in pain, followed by various clashes and clangs with objects flying around in the hall.  When the dust cleared, Danged Spell goes flying into the room and slammed right into the nearby wall, sliding down next to Cozy Glow and Golden Lace.
“Oww,” Danged Spell groaned.  “When it comes to making comments, no one’s going to look this gifted horse in the mouth.”
Everyone laughed as Rarity walked back into the room, chuckling alongside her friends.  Wanda placed her arm around Sunset Shimmer and giggled with her.
“We may be adopted sisters,” Sunset said.  “But deep on the inside, we’re the best with friends.”
“You said it,” Wanda said.  “I hope we stay together till the very end.”

Outside, as the younglings were having a blast in Wanda and Sunset’s room, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Chancellor Cinch, Captain Airazor, Buck Withers, Bright Mac, Queen Novo and King Myrrh observed from a nearby cliff.  Though most of them looked happy and content, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch looked worried.
“Still can’t believe we’ve been through a whole lot in a few months,” Bright Mac said.  “Especially with what happened in La Maresa, with Wanda being hospitalized for the Horse Fever virus, and with the Gala.”
“And not to mention the Fall Formal Festival,” Buck Withers said.  “Time can past faster than any of us can realize.”
“Not to mention how I helped Golden Lace see the better in other ponies,” Queen Novo said.  “It’s a shame that her folks aren’t seeing eye to eye.”
“And now,” Shining Armor said.  “Little Twili’s a hero in the eyes of all of Equestria.  It’s an accomplishment that I’m proud of as her big brother.”
Princess Cadance turned towards Princess Celestia, who unlike most of the group, looked depressed.
“Mother,” Princess Cadance asked.  “Are you alright?”
“No,” Princess Celestia said.  “I came close to dying early today because I underestimated Queen Chrysalis.  And had I lost my life, Wanda and Sunset, and even you, would have suffered emotionally.  Some mother I turned out to be.”
“That’s not true,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Even if you did die, Princess Luna and I will always look out for the Man’s Cub and her sister.  You have my word.”
“That’s not why we’re worried,” Princess Luna said.  “Because of the attack on Canterlot, it feels like we have no place for Wanda to feel safe, even though she has that comfort of being in her castle with her friends.  I don’t know where she can truly be.”
“That’s why I’m more worried about Wanda’s well-being,” Princess Celestia said.  “She’s no longer safe in Canterlot, not even in the castle.  If we can’t keep her safe here, then where can we keep her safe?  They will keep coming for her until they take her away and use her to end us all.”
“No choice is easy, Princess,” King Myrrh said.  “But at the same time, you must not let fear guide you.  You care for your daughters like I care for my son.  Even when I lost my beloved, I never gave up on Prince Hoofar.  I raised him to be as proud and humble towards my people as he is towards Wanda’s friends.”
“Are you sure, King Myrrh?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Yes,” King Myrrh said as he pointed to Celestia’s chest.  “The true value of a parent lies more within his or her heart.  You already know how to take care of Wanda and Sunset, like you have with Princess Cadance.  Do not forget that.”
“He’s right, Princess,” Queen Novo said.  “No matter the danger that you’re in, never lose sight of who you are.  After all, you are a dedicated mother towards the smallfry and her sister, and they care for you as you care for them.  The moment you stop being a caring mother is the moment you open the doors to a cold and bitter Equestria.”
Celestia’s frown cracked a bit of a smile.  She wiped a tear from her eyes and said “I’ll do what I can to keep Wanda and Sunset safe.  Even if it does cost me my life, I will do it.”
“That’s the spirit,” Bright Mac said.  “And if you need any help, Buttercup and I will look after them for a bit.”
“I appreciate your hospitality,” Princess Celestia said.  “But as a mother, I can handle this.”
“And sister,” Princess Luna said.  “If you can’t raise your children, I’ll be there to look after them.  I’ve been helping you since I saved you from that monstrosity that took you over.  And I will continue to help you until our dying breath.”
“Luna, I don’t know where I would be without you,” Princess Celestia said.  “Thanks for sticking by me for the past thousand years.”
“On the flip side, “Captain Airazor said. “If you need your daughter to toughen up, I would be willing to train her to be the first human Wonderbolt.  What do you say?”
“That does sound like a good idea,” Princess Celestia said. “But, let’s say Wanda’s not interested in being a Wonderbolt.  Still, I’ll keep that idea in mind.”
“Noted,” Airazor said with a nod.”
“And I promise this,” Buck Wither said.  “When I come back from the next adventure, I will tell the tales to little Wanda and her friends to keep her spirits high.  As an adventurer, that is my promise.”
“Well Mr Adventurer,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’m looking forward to your next tale.”
“We’ve all had a long journey,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But we’ve barely scratched the surface since Princess Wanda was enrolled in the School for Gifted Unicorns as the first human student.  We must be prepared for whatever will come in our path, no matter what.”
“That includes Alicorn Magistrate Creme Dream,” Princess Cadance asked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Shining Armor said.  “I’ve seen her before.  An alicorn like Celestia, Luna and you.  But much scarier, like she’s a piece of candy from a nightmare.”
Everyone laughed a bit as Princess Cadance reached up and gave Shining Armor a noogie.
“You call that a nightmare?” Princess Cadance joked as she playfully messed up Shining Armor’s mane.  “Here’s a nightmare for you, Shining Armor.”
“Now now, Cadence,” Princess Celestia joked.  “A real nightmare is one who will mess up your room and tip over your chocolate milk.”
Everyone laughed into the night as they continued to watch over Wanda and Sunset’s room from afar.

But somewhere else outside the city limits, an Alicorn with a light blue coat, a pinkish mane with white swirls and a royal-like scepter cutie mark looked down towards the city.  Next to her was an alicorn filly with a white coat, a blue mane and a flower pattern cutie mark.
“Look at the city, my daughter Majesty,” The older alicorn said.  “Do you see what I see?”
“Oh yes I do,” little Majesty said.  “A city that is no longer safe for any pony, mother Creme Dream.”
Creme Dream chuckled and said “That is right, Majesty.  But little do they know that it was I who allowed the changelings and the cultists to sneak into the city.  A shame that their operations were ruined by the King of Saddle Arabia.  But perhaps this will convince Equestrians to live in fear of these two.  And besides, Senator Twinkle Wish has outlived her usefulness.”
“So what else are we going to do, mother?” Majesty asked.
“There is so much we will do, my daughter,” Creme Dream said.  “We plan on working with my apprentice Gold Banks to scare Equestria into a state of panic and fear unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.  Furthermore, the Windigo’s Guild and the Changelings led by Coldnelius Snap and Queen Chrysalis were useful as our pawns, and they could be useful again.”
“And what about our rebellious sister Cozy Glow?” Majesty asked.
“Oh we will deal with that little alicorn rebel,” Creme Dream said.  “She had the nerve to hide her horn from her so-called friends.  In fact, why don’t we mess with her new friend Golden Lace and have her transferred to the Daisy Joy Tech academy in Manehattan instead.”
“Oh that will be so sweet,” Majesty said with a vicious, yet happy, tone.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch still have their usefulness to us, especially for the former since a thousand years ago,” Creme Dream said.  “But when the day comes, they will be overthrown, our new government will be installed, and I will rule as Empress.  As for the Man’s Cub Wanda, I believe ether a labor camp in the badlands or a cell in Tatarus will be a new home for the little brat.”
Majesty laughed loudly into the night sky as the moon with a demonic-like Pony of Shadows stood visible on its surface.


	End of Life in Canterlot



	Coming Soon: Trials of Friendship