> My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 15
>  by SuperPinkBrony12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> S1 E11: Winter Wrap Up (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ever since moving to Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle had come to learn that there were many things done differently in the small town compared to the city of Canterlot. A town primarily populated by earth ponies even with a sizable population of pegasi and unicorns, and even non-pony creatures like donkeys and mules was inevitably going to be different from Canterlot (which was almost exclusively populated by unicorns).

One of the things that Ponyville did differently was the way in which it handled the four seasons. As Twilight and her baby dragon Spike had come to learn, Ponyville didn't handle the seasons or the changing of them like the unicorns in Canterlot did. Ponyville opted for a more "traditional" approach. And that approach even applied to the most difficult transition of them all: The changeover from winter to spring.

Although the unicorn had picked up a few things here and there on how this process would be done, she was still very excited at the prospect of getting to witness (and more importantly take part in) such a process for herself. So it was that, on the day winter was slated to end to make way for spring, Twilight made sure to wake up bright and early. So early, in fact, that Celestia's sun had not yet risen. It was still dark out.

But when Twilight's alarm clock went off at its scheduled time, the studious unicorn woke up with a start! She could barely contain her excitement as she gasped! "It's time!" She then jumped out of her bed, turning her attention to the small basket in which Spike was still slumbering. "Spike, wake up. Wake up, wake up, it's Winter Wrap Up day!" She giddly proclaimed!

Spike slumbly and sleepily stumbled awake as he muttered. "Mommy?"

Twilight giggled. "No, Spike. Winter Wrap Up!"

"You're not mommy," Spike grumbled. "Why'd you have to wake me up so early? Couldn't this wait?"

Alas, the unicorn with a light purple coat was far too excited to listen to a word her baby dragon was saying as she turned on the lights in the downstairs portion of The Golden Oak Library. She then jumped into the air and landed on a set of yellow boots to cover all four of her hooves. "I told you before, Spike. I even marked it on the calendar and everything. The first day of spring is tomorrow, so that means everypony in Ponyville needs to clean up winter today. Now come on, help me get ready."

The little dragon was not pleased to be flooded with light when he'd been trying to go back to sleep. And perhaps because of that he grumpily replied. "No. I want to sleep," Then he snorted. "Who in their right mind just cleans up winter? Why don't they just use magic to change the seasons? You know, like they always did in Canterlot. No mess, no wait, no fuss."

Twilight was quick to offer up the explanation. "Spike, you know and I know that Ponyville was founded by earth ponies and not unicorns. Every city and town in Equestria does things differently, and this is no exception. Since earth ponies were the ones who lived here for the longest time, changing the seasons by magic was impossible. It's always been a tradition to clean up winter the old fashioned way. That means no magic. Or at least, no unicorn magic." As she spoke, she struggled to use her hooves to put on a light blue saddle with white fur all around it.

Spike watched the display of Twilight's uncoordinated hooves trying to slip a saddle on the old fashioned way. It was like a foal trying to learn how to walk all by themselves. "It's ridiculous. Asking unicorns not to use their magic is like asking a dragon not to breathe fire. So what if it's tradition? That doesn't mean it's a good tradition. It sounds like a rather silly one if you ask me." Then he sighed and rolled over in his basket, closing his eyes as he went back to sleep.

Twilight Sparkle didn't reply. She just used her mouth to grab a silk scarf colored two shades of pink, and wrapped it around her neck nice and tight. She then smiled as she admired her form in the mirror, before turning her attention to a small checklist she had made for herself for just this occasion. "Okay, let's see here:" She said to herself as her eyes scanned the list from top to bottom. "Scarf, check. Saddle, check. Boots, check. Spike refusing to get up and going back to sleep, check," She then rubbed her hooves together in delight. "Good thing I'm so organized."

Swelling up with confidence and pride, the unicorn mare's smile grew so wide it looked like it could fall off her face at any second. "Okay, I'm ready!" She told herself! "Bright and early!" But as soon as she stepped out into the cold, early morning of winter, she realized a mistake that she'd made. She'd started her preparations too soon, the sun wouldn't be up for at least another hour and there was nopony else around. Blushing, she commented. "Oh... maybe a little too early."

All the same, Twilight was looking forward to her first ever Winter Wrap Up. She wasn't sure what exactly she'd end up doing, but whatever she was going to do she was determined to do it to the best of her ability. She had no way to know that the role she would come to play in this particular Winter Wrap Up would be extremely important, and uniquely suited to her.



When at last the sun did come up, Twilight roused Spike from bed and placed him on her back. Then she set off for the middle of town, right in front of town hall. For that was where everypony in Ponyville was gathering.

As Twilight drew near, she could see ponies wearing different colored vests: One a sort of icy blue, another a forest green and another a light brown. And each vest had a different symbol on it: The blue one had a cloud, the green one had a plant and the brown one had a bunny. She could now remember having learned about these vests before. "Ah yes, those must be the team vests Rarity designed," The unicorn said with a smile. "Blue for the weather team, green for the plant team and tan for the animal team. Ooh! I wonder which team vest I'll be wearing?"

"You haven't figured that out yet?" Spike asked.

Twilight quickly shook her head as the studious unicorn confirmed. "You can't just pick which team you want to be on, Spike. This isn't a volunteer sort of thing. It's mandatory. Everypony in Ponyville has to help out. You get placed on a team based on what you're good at," Then she glumly admitted. "I didn't get a whole lot of time to research what each team is supposed to do. I have only a few vague ideas."

Spike let out a yawn. "Well, I'm sure you'll find what team you're supposed to on before long. And knowing you, you'll be the best member that team's ever seen. Still don't see why you had to wake me up so early."

The unicorn brought up a hoof to shush the baby dragon on her back. "Mayor Mare is speaking." She whispered.

And indeed, Mayor Mare was giving a speech. She wasn't wearing a vest herself, but she still smiled as she adjusted her glasses and spoke to the gathered crowd of vest wearing ponies big and small alike. "Thank you, everypony, for being here bright and early. We need every single pony's help to wrap up winter, and bring in spring," She paused as the crowd cheered, waiting for the applause to die down. "Now, all of you have your vests, and have been assigned to your appropriate teams. So let's do even better than last year, and have the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!"

Twilight could hardly believe her eyes as she saw how enthusiastic everypony seemed to be. "This is so exciting! I can't wait to take part!" She told Spike while taking great care not to be overheard (she didn't want to interrupt Mayor Mare).

Mayor Mare then gave the only instructions she felt were needed, telling the crowd. "All right everypony, find your team leader, and let's get galloping!"

The crowd obeyed, everypony splitting off into their assigned groups to carry out their designated tasks. However, Twilight was watching the whole thing not with enthusiasm, but the slightest bit of anxiety. Her lack of prior knowledge aboue this day was now a problem. She had to resist the urge to bite her lip as she told Spike. "Oh gosh, where should I go?" Then she pondered as she brought a hoof to her chin. "What does everypony do?"





Twilight Sparkle was really regretting not having learned about Winter Wrap Up sooner (or doing more research on it after she had found out about it). She paced back and forth near the town square. She hadn't moved an inch from that spot even after everypony else had dispersed to carry out their assigned tasks.

Spike was fast growing impatient with the unicorn's indecision. "Come on, Twilight! Just pick a team already! I'm sure you'll fit in no matter which team you join. You're gonna look silly just standing there while everypony else is working hard."

Twilight started to chew on her mane a little bit, that's how nervous and anxious she was. "I just can't decide, Spike. How do I know what I'm good at if I've never tried it before? I've never dealt with weather, crops or animal hibernations. And I can't just poof back to my library and waste time looking for books. That's not gonna help anypony."

The little dragon all but put a claw to his face and groaned in frustration. "If you're really that unsure, why not just go up to Mayor Mare and ask her what she thinks you should do? She's probably already figured it out for you. After all, we've been living in her town for months now. No way she hasn't thought about what role you'd play."

Twilight paused in her pacing as the realization of the obvious solution hit her square in the muzzle. A blush formed on her cheeks. "Gosh, Spike. That was so obvious, I never even thought of it. Of course Mayor Mare will know! I should've just asked her in the first place," She then flashed a sincere smile at him. "What would I ever do without you, Spike? Sometimes, I feel like you're the only one who really understands me."

"Hard not to when I've been by your side for almost as long as I can remember," Spike pointed out. "Now go on, go ask Mayor Mare and figure out just what she wants you to do. And something tells me she'll be okay with you using your magic, it's who you are."

But Twilight didn't hear that last part. She was already on her way to see Mayor Mare. And was it her imagination, or was the mayor all but waiting for her? Had the old mare been expecting Twilight to be conflicted and unsure? Was she perhaps pyschic or something?

Mayor Mare turned to face Twilight with a smile on her face, briefly adjusting her yellow glasses and the collar around her neck before she spoke. "Ah, Twilight. You're just the pony I've been waiting for."

"I am?" Twilight blinked in confusion. "But I haven't been assigned a team yet. I don't even know what team I should be on. Spike seems to think you could tell me that, and he's probably right."

Mayor Mare chuckled. "Twilight, I have a special job just for you. I've heard about how well organized you are. And don't tell anypony I told you this, but I think your talent for organization and leadership surpasses that of anypony's I've ever known, even mine."

The studious unicorn still found herself confused by what the mayor was saying. "I am pretty well organized. But I don't see how that can be a job for Winter Wrap Up. Are you saying you want me to be a team captain?"

The earth pony mayor shook her head from side to side. "I've already got trusted ponies leading the three teams. Each of them have proven they're highly qualified for the job and quite competent at it," Then she explained. "What I need your help with is overseeing the teams."

"Why is that?" Twilight pondered.

Mayor Mare frowned and unhappily confessed to the unicorn. "Because Winter Wrap Up is a disorganized mess. It's been like that for as long as I've been mayor, and even before then. I've been trying again and again to sort things out and get winter wrapped up on time. But no matter what I try and no matter how early I set the starting time, things always get out of control and winter ends up lasting longer than it needs to. That's why I need your help. I need somepony I can trust to take an honest, in-depth look at every part of Winter Wrap Up and tell me what we're doing wrong."

Twilight blinked slowly in uncertainty. "How am I supposed to do that, exactly?"

Mayor Mare explained further. "Just spend a little time with each of the three teams. See if you can find any problems that they're having trouble dealing with it, or anything they seem to not be doing a good job of. There's got to be areas where they can improve. But I don't want to make it seem like I don't trust them to do what I ask them to do," She blushed a bit as she admitted. "I know we don't really have a vest for this kind of position. I'm sure I could get Rarity to make one just for you for next Winter Wrap Up. But you're really the only pony I can think of who can carry out this task. Will you help me, please?"

The studious unicorn was never one to turn down a request for help, especially when she knew what it was she was supposed to be doing. So she extended a hoof to Mayor Mare, smiling. "I'll do whatever I can to help, Mayor Mare. Just tell me where to go and what you want me to do. I am yours to command."

The earth pony mare with a light brown coat happily shook Twilight's hoof as she said in response! "Oh thank you, Twilight! I know you won't let me down!" Then she cleared her throat and instructed. "Why don't you start by observing the weather team? It seems like they're always the first ones to complain to me about a problem during Winter Wrap Up."

Twilight brought her hoof up in a salute and vowed. "Will do, Mayor Mare!" And she raced off towards the first pony she could spot who was wearing a blue colored vest: Rainbow Dash!





Rainbow Dash was unaware that Twilight was approaching her as she just went on barking out orders to various pegasi also wearing the blue vests. "All right team, you're clear for takeoff." She told them, watching as the other pegasi unfolded their wings in preparation for their ascent into the skies.

It was at this moment that Twilight chose to make herself known, opting to call out to the rainbow maned pegasus mare. "Hey, Rainbow Dash! You got a minute?"

Rainbow spun around and locked eyes with Twilight, suspecting nothing. "For you, Twilight, always. Just make it quick, I gotta make sure everypony stays on task. Let's just say that last year a certain feather brained pegasus who shall not be named decided to fly north to get the southern birds. They're called the southern birds for a reason."

"I said 'My bad'!" An unfamiliar voice called out from afar, sounding sincerely apologetic for the mishap.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "See what I'm dealing with?" She told Twilight. "Little mistakes like that can really add up. Bad enough I have ponies getting on my case for taking too long to move clouds, or melting snow too soon."

"I don't suppose there's anything I could do to help?" Twilight offered. "Maybe I could clear some of the clouds, or even direct the pegasi on which way to go?"

Rainbow chuckled and snickered. "Think you're overlooking something pretty obvious, Twi."

A quick glance to her side was all the unicorn needed to realize the mistake she'd just made, and she struggled to keep from blushing. "Oh, right. No wings," She then added. "I mean, I've been reading about spells that can temporarily grant wings. I think. I know I saw something about them briefly once, but I can't remember where."

The rainbow maned pegasus shook her head from side to side. "Even if you could give yourself wings, Twilight, I don't think you'd be much of a help. Having wings and knowing how to use 'em are two different things. It's not like you can just jump off the first cloud you see and expect them to work."

The studious unicorn reluctantly nodded. She knew nothing about flying, so she was going to take the word of somepony well versed in it. It would be no different than if Rainbow Dash were asking her about how unicorn magic, concentrated into a horn for spell casting, was supposed to work. Still, she all but pleaded. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help you out? Not even just a little bit?"

At that, Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chin as she contemplated something for about a second or two. Then she told her friend. "Well, we do have spots on the weather team for non-pegasi. But if you want to know more, you should talk to Pinkie Pie. Those spots are practically a team all by themselves, a team within a team or something like that," Then she declared. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get up there with the other pegasi and start trying to supervise. Catch ya later, Twi!" And with a flap of her wings, she took to the skies and was soon out of sight.





A short time later, Twilight (with Spike in tow) happened to spot Pinkie Pie down by a frozen lake. She was all alone, yet she wore a blue vest that clearly indicated she was part of the weather team.

Curious to know more about this placement and what exactly the pink party pony was supposed to do, Twilight made her way down to the lake's edge to have a chat with her energetic friend. As she did so, she could see that Pinkie was wearing ice skates on each of her hooves. The earth pony skated one way and then another with the greatest of ease, almost as if she'd done it all before.

When Pinkie's beautiful blue eyes caught sight of Twilight, however, she ceased in her glorious skating and carefully made her way over to the unicorn. "Hi, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie called, flashing a bright smile like she always did. "Did Rainbow Dash send you here to help me?"

"Help you with what?" Twilight questioned. "Practicing your ice skating moves? You seem to be doing pretty well all by yourself."

Pinkie Pie giggled. "Of course I am, Twilight. I've been doing this since I was an itty-bitty little-wittle Twinkie-Pinkie. Helps that I had a really good teacher, but then again we Pies have always had a knack for ice skating. Seems to run in the family," Then she explained. "It's because I'm such a good ice skater that they designated me a lake scorer. That means I cut up the ice with my skates, leaving lines for the rest of the weather team to follow. And that way, when other ponies come here to break up the ice, it'll be easy as pie."

Twilight's dark voilet-purple eyes quickly saw the lines Pinkie had just mentioned. They seemed a bit "sloppy" for lack of a better term, but they did seem to roughly follow a pattern of some sort. "So I can see. How very clever," She commented. "But there's a lot of lakes and ponds to cut lines in. It must be very demanding work."

Pinkie nodded and shook her head up and down a few times. "Don't I know it? It may be fun, but it seems to take me all day just to get the job done. And then I always end up having to re-do it anyway for some reason," Then she gasped as an idea struck her! "Hey, I know! You could help me, Twilight! Things'll be much easier with two of us skating on the ice."

Spike nervously sought to add his own two bits to the idea. "I don't know about that. Twilight's never really ice skated before."

But Twilight brushed off the concern with a hoof. "I'm sure I can learn, Spike. If Pinkie Pie can do it, how hard can it really be?"

"Famous last words." Spike commented even though he knew Twilight had already made up her mind.

Luckily for Twilight, a spare pair of ice skates had been left by the frozen lakeside for her to put on. And although it was hard for her to do so without her magic, she managed to find a way. Brimming with confidence, she slowly stepped out onto the frozen lake itself to join her friend. However, it was at precisely that moment that the unicorn was made aware of her lack of experience. "Uh-oh, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." She commented as she froze right on the spot, terrified that the slightest movement would cause her to fall.

Spike wasn't about to let Twilight back out so easily. He slowly came up behind her and gave her a push. "You said you wanted to be helpful. Now get out there!"

Pinkie Pie tried desperately to bark out instructions to Twilight to get the unicorn to gain control! "Twilight, steer! Steer!"

Twilight tried to follow, but her lack of experience and lack of knowledge about how ice skating worked caused her to lose control. She crashed straight into Pinkie Pie while screaming at the top of her lungs! And the two slid across the ice until they crashed into a snow bank! Fortunately, neither was hurt (aside from a wounded pride on Twilight's end).

The studious unicorn immediately kneeled down to take off her ice skates with her teeth. "I think I'll leave the ice skating to the professionals, Pinkie." She glumly replied.

"Ah, cheer up, Twilight," Pinkie sympathetically spoke up. "You did a great job for your first time around. I'm sure my first time was just as wobbly and bobbly and crasheriffic as yours."

"Really?" Twilight Sparkle hopefully asked.

But Pinkie then truthfully admitted. "Actually, no. But did it make you feel better when I told you otherwise?"

A long sigh escaped Twilight's lips as she admitted. "A little bit, I guess. Still, I did learn a thing or two from this. But it seems you have everything well in hoof here, Pinkie. So I'll just leave you to it."

"Hey, if you're looking for something to do, why not help Fluttershy with the animals?" Pinkie Pie pointed out. "She's not far from here. And she's always saying she could use a few extra hooves. Hard to believe she doesn't wanna be captain of the animal team. Can't think of anypony who's more qualified about critters than her."

The unicorn mare's face lit up with joy upon hearing that suggestion! "Of course, that's a great idea! I do need to observe the animal team, after all." And she set off to do just that.





Fluttershy wasn't too far from Pinkie Pie's location. She was on a hilltop where it was possible to see a whole bunch of animal nests that were not fully covered up by the snow. "Wake up, my little sleepy heads," She called as she poked her head into one such burrow, leaving her back exposed to Twilight and Spike. "Hope you all had some wonderful dreams and restful hibernation, but it's time to get up now. Spring is coming. You don't wanna miss that."

And then Fluttershy backed out of the burrow as a family of hedgehogs emerged, all of them yawning and rubbing their eyes.

"Aww, how cute." Twilight commented as she made her presence known to Fluttershy.

The animal loving pegasus wasn't startled or surprised in the least to see Twilight and Spike, despite the fact that she'd had no way of knowing that they would be coming to see her. "It is, isn't it?" She smiled. "This is just one thing the animal team does for all the little critters around Ponyville. And that's why I'm part of it. It means I get to see all my little critter friends again after their long, winter naps."

"So, is there a reason why you don't lead the animal team?" Spike questioned the pegasus. "Sounds like you know more about critters than anypony else around these parts. Heck, it seems like you always have animals hanging around your cottage."

Fluttershy just smiled. "I know my limits. I'm not much of a leader, not with my shyness. I'm much more at home with critters than I am with ponies. And ordering other ponies around, even just when it comes to helping animals, it's not something I like to do. It's okay, though. I know Sparkler makes a great leader: Not just for the animal team but in general. She's pretty well organized and knows how to make ponies listen to what she has to say."

Twilight couldn't help but comment. "Sounds kind of like me, actually. In fact, organizing and listening are kind of what I'm supposed to be doing right now."

Fluttershy nodded. "I already know. Everypony knows by now. Word travels pretty quickly when Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie know things. You're here to see how things are coming along with the animal team and if I need any help," She then let out a sigh. "And I could most certainly use some help," She waved a hoof out over the hillside. "There's so many warrens and dens. But I have to wake up the animals before spring gets here. It always seems like it takes forever to do that, and I have to keep telling the weather team that I'm not ready for them to melt the snow."

The studious unicorn mare then proposed. "Well why don't I help you out, just a little? Maybe things will go faster with two of us."

The animal loving pegasus smiled at her friend. "Could you? That would be grealty appreciated, if you're sure you're up to it. Let's just say that not all of my animal friends who hibernate are as friendly and cuddly as those hedgehogs I just woke up."

Suspecting nothing, Twilight let out a slight laugh and then grabbed a bell with her teeth. "Nonsense," She said as she brought the bell into her hoof. "It can't be any harder than ice skating. And who doesn't love cute little animals?" She promptly rang the bell and called out. "Wake up little friends, wherever you are. Spring is coming."

Twilight didn't have to wait long to find out what animal she'd woken up. Emerging from the den in front of her was a trio of snakes, all of them hissing quite audibly. Immediately, the unicorn jumped back in fright! "Snakes!" She cried as she all but jumped into the air! "Fluttershy, why didn't you warn me?!"

"I tried to!" Fluttershy called as she watched Twilight quickly back away from the snakes, bumping up against a tree and causing a beehive to fall on the unicorn. And to make matters worse, the unicorn then backed right into a den of skunks and was promptly sprayed by them.

It was only after all these unfortunate events occurred that Fluttershy was able to approach Twilight. The smell didn't bother her like it probably might have bothered somepony else. She quickly removed the beehive, relieved to see that Twilight wasn't hurt. "Don't worry, Twilight," She gently reassured her friend. "I have just the thing to get rid of that skunk spray. I always carry some in case of an emergency." Then she trotted over to a small pack she had left lying on the ground, opened it up, and took out a strange colored bottle of some sort.

A few sprays of the bottle's contents worked like a charm in getting rid of the foul odor that had clung to Twilight. "I think I'll leave the waking of the animals to you, Fluttershy," She remarked. "Only you could not be bothered by snakes, and skunks and Celestia knows what else!"

The animal loving pegasus simply trotted over, patting Twilight with a hoof to reassure her. "It's okay, Twilight. You did your best," And then she suggested. "If you're looking for something to do while you're helping Mayor Mare, why not go see Rarity? She's got a task that should be right up your alley. And you won't even need to use magic."





As it turned out, Rarity was also part of the animal team. But her task didn't involve working with animals directly. Instead, she had set up a not so small stand outside her boutique. Said stand being filled to the brim with twigs, branches and even some ribbons for decoration.

Twilight and Spike slowly approached her, Twilight being concerned that some of the skunk spray might not have been removed after all. Fortunately, when she heard no remarks from Rarity about a bad smell, Twilight knew she had nothing to fear in regards to a lingering odor.

Rarity looked up as she briefly paused in her work. It was clear to pony and dragon that the fashionista was using the twigs and branches to make nests for birds. She smiled upon seeing her friends. "Twilight, Spike. What a nice surprise. No doubt, you're here to see how things are coming along on my end."

Twilight firmly nodded her head. "Yes, Rarity. After what I've been through with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, I could use something less... well... exciting."

The young fashionista just smiled again and motioned a hoof to Twilight. "Well, why not join me for a bit in creating Ponyville's finest birds' nests?"

"What for?" The studious unicorn pondered.

Rarity was delighted to explain. "It's simple. When the weather team guides the birds back north for the spring, they'll need a place to live and lay their eggs. Hence the nests. Naturally, I see fit to give each nest a little extra charm. Ribbons are quite safe for the birds."

Twilight trotted over and sat next to Rarity as Spike watched. "Sounds easy enough," But Twilight then frowned upon noticing the clutter before her. "Although, it looks like things are quite... messy here."

"Unfortunately, it can't be helped," Rarity admitted. "As much as I detest such clutter except for when it's in my workshop, it's like this every year. And trying to sort it out takes too long. The nests are what's important, not the materials used to make them."

Reluctantly, Twilight let out a sigh as she had to resist her urge to sort out the assortment of twigs, branches and ribbons before her. "Alright. Just tell me how to make a nest."

The unicorn with a coat the same white as the still yet to be melted snow around her was happy to oblige. She tried her best to walk her fellow unicorn through the nest making process to the best of her ability. "Okay. Now... uh, take some of that straw and hay over there, and a little bit of branch," When she saw that Twilight could do without any trouble, she instructed further. "Now, weave them through there, yes."

But it wasn't long before Twilight found it difficult to weave everything together into a suitable nest. A few beads of sweat worked their way down her face by the time she was done. And when she looked at what her hooves had led her to create, she and Rarity both had to agree that it didn't look anything like a proper nest. It was a mess of straw, hay, twigs, branches and ribbons.

Spike couldn't resist making the remark. "That nest needs to be condemned!"

"Spike!" Rarity scolded the little dragon. "It's fine for a first attempt. It's not that bad, really," She then let out a nervous chuckle as she declared. "Maybe the birds could use it as a..."

But Spike interrupted and grumpily remarked. "-An outhouse? Otherwise, the only place that nest is going is right into the trash."

Twilight sighed again as she stood up, trying not to look ashamed. "Sorry, Rarity. I guess I just don't have the hang of it like you do. I guess you never realize how much you depend on your magic until you can't use it."

Rarity tried her best to speak sympathetically to Twilight. "Oh come now, Twilight. I secretly use a little bit of my magic from time to time while making the nests. I'm not ashamed to admit my hoof-to-eye coordination isn't what it could be. There's a reason why I wear those glasses while I sew, you know. It's not merely a fashion statement."

The studious unicorn only shook her head. "It seems like I can't do anything if I'm not using my magic, Rarity. And I don't wanna ruin a Ponyville tradition just because I'm not used to not relying on my magic. It's probably for the best I kick that habbit now before it really becomes a problem," Her mood improved somewhat as she then added. "Besides, Mayor Mare still needs me to check on the plant team. I'm sure Applejack will have something she'll need my help with."





Twilight and Spike soon found their way over to Applejack, who was overseeing a bunch of earth ponies on a patch of land near Sweet Apple Acres. And the farm mare was currently busy barking out orders to the various ponies working on her team. "Keep pushin', Bon Bon. That's it, Berry Punch. And you too, Carrot Top. I know it's hard work, but you gals are doin' great. Yee-haw!" All the while, she was standing next to a cart that contained various seeds, with each seed type labeled accordingly with a small picture on top of the soil.

"Hey, Applejack," Twilight greeted. "How's everything going? Anything you need help with?"

Applejack turned and smiled as she spoke to Twilight. "Well, things are goin' about as well as they could be given what I've got to work with. We were a little slow to start, but now everythin's just peachy more or less," She then gestured a hoof to the ground in front of her as she explained. "There's a lot of ground to clear, ya hear? We can't even start the plantin' and the waterin' until we get all these heaps a' snow hightailed outta here."

Twilight's eyes scanned the ground. She was surprised to see how little progress was being made despite how many earth ponies there seemed to be pushing plows to and fro. Considering she had up to this point only seen ponies working alone on their assigned tasks, the fact that one team had multiple ponies working on one task and had little to show for it was concerning to say the least. "Is there a reason why you haven't cleared more land by now?"

Applejack frowned ever so slightly as she confessed. "Guess there's no use tryin' to hide it. Fact is, Big Mac was supposed to help us out. But I sent him to help Caramel and make sure he doesn't lose the grass seeds again, like he always seems to do," She then pointed a hoof to an unused plow sitting all by itself on top of a hill. It seemed a bit bigger than the other plows, though. "Unfortunately, my brother always ends up doin' the lion's share of the work when it comes to clearin' the ground. And I reckon it'll be a while still before he and Caramel get back."

Immediately, the gears in the unicorn's head began to turn as an idea came to her. "How 'bout I take your brother's place on that plow? I'm pretty sure I can get it moving," Under her breath, however, she uncertainly added. "I think."

Applejack wasn't so convinced. "Well, I... I dunno Twilight. I'm never one to turn down a hard worker, but..."

Twilight didn't bother to wait for Applejack to finish her sentence. Instead, the studious unicorn mare carefully trotted up to the massive plow and tried to push it. She pushed, and pushed and pushed. But it didn't seem like the plow wanted to move even an inch. It was as if its wheels were glued to the ground or something. Yet Twilight didn't want to give up. "Come on, stubborn thing!" She grunted as she pushed even harder, her face turning red from the effort.

Applejack was alarmed by what she was seeing! So alarmed, in fact, that she started running up to Twilight's location while she tried to shout! "Twilight, stop!"

Alas, the warning came too late for Twilight to heed it. She made one more big effort, and finally managed to get the plow to move. "Yeah!" She cheered for all of a second, before she saw that the plow was moving down the hill at an alarmingly fast rate! And try as she might, she couldn't get it to slow down!

"TWILIGHT!" Applejack and Spike both shouted with concern!

"I... can't... stop!" Twilight screamed in horror as she found herself rolling down the hill with the runaway plow! "Out of my way!" She shouted as she just barely swept past the other plow working ponies! She didn't stop until the plow hit a huge snow drift at the base of another hill, the snow promptly falling on both plow and pony with an audible thump.

Fortunately, by the time Applejack and Spike reached Twilight's location, the unicorn had long since poked her head up from the pile of snow that she'd been buried in. She wasn't hurt, but she was upset if the tears in her eyes were any indication. "I just wanted to... " She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Applejack was on the scene in a heartbeat, pulling her friend free. "Twilight, what in tarnation were you thinkin' tryin' to move that big plow all by yourself?!" She scolded! "I know you wanted to be helpful, but you could've gotten hurt. Then you'd be of no help to anypony!" In a more gentle tone of voice she then added. "If you really wanna be on the plow team, that's fine. I reckon there's a spare plow around here somewhere that you can borrow. We always seem to be short a pony or two."

But Twilight was in no mood to hear her farm friend's proposal. She just trotted off, trying in vain to fight off the tears.





Spike soon caught up with Twilight as the unicorn sat on a hilltop, overlooking Ponyville from afar and how everypony down there seemed to be having no trouble at all carrying out their assigned tasks. "Twilight, come on!" He pleaded with her. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Twilight just sniffled. "I'm a winter mess up, Spike. It seems like I can't do anything right: Ice-skating, animal-waking, nest-making, snow-clearing, you name it."

Spike immediately came over and put a claw around Twilight's neck to comfort her. "That's just crazy talk, Twilight. You're good at a lot of things. Nopony becomes an expert at something the first time they try it. Besides, Mayor Mare gave you that special job for a reason."

"Yeah, she did it just to get me out of the way so I can't mess everything up for everypony else!" Twilight bitterly remarked. "I wanted to prove that I could do things without using my magic. But all I proved is that without my magic, I'm no help to anypony at anything. Even Rarity is helpful without her magic, I'm not. What would happen if magic just disappeared all together? I'd be nothing! I'd be a nopony!"

Spike snorted and rolled his eyes! "You're not a nopony, Twilight! And Mayor Mare didn't give you that job because she thought you were useless! Everypony has their own role to play in helping Ponyville clean up winter. We just haven't found your exact role yet," He then gently reassured her. "Take it from someone who knows who you are and what you're like. You can do so many wonderful things, magic or no magic. You're still helpful in your own way. Don't focus on what you can't do, focus on what you can do."

The dragon's words were slow to sink in for the studious unicorn. But once she had time to think over them, she realized that it was no use feeling sorry for herself. She still had a job to do. So, with a renewed vigor flashing in her eyes, Twilight stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I guess I at least owe it to Mayor Mare to report back to her and tell her what I've managed to find out," She told Spike. "Thanks for making me feel better. It's weird to have you comfort me after all the times I did it for you."

Spike just smiled and played it off like it was no big deal. "That's what I'm here for, sister. Glad to see you're back to being the confident Twilight I know and love," He then hopped onto Twilight's back. "Now come on! We've wasted enough time here. Mayor Mare's sure to be expecting us."

And indeed, Mayor Mare was. In fact, given the anxious and troubled look on her face, it seemed like she had been ready to start pacing the floor. So it was of great relief to the aged earth pony when she saw Twilight and Spike fast approaching. "Oh, Twilight. Thank goodness. I didn't expect you to be gone for so long."

"Well, you would not believe the kind of day I've been having, Mayor Mare," Twilight explained to the best of her ability. "Despite the... mishaps, however, I managed to obtain a lot of data that I'm sure you'll find useful. And with your permission, I'd like to discuss my suggestions on how all three teams can improve their operations."

"Really?!" Mayor Mare asked as her eyes went wide! "And here I was worried spring would be late again, as it was last year, and the year before that and the year before that. I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year. But it seems that it takes more than just a speech or changing the start time."

Twilight nodded. "It's a start. But if winter's going to be wrapped up properly and on time, everypony will need to be better organized."

Mayor Mare smiled sincerely. "Whatever your suggestions are, Twilight, I'm sure they'll be just what the town needs. It seems I made the right choice in appointing you to be team overseer. We might just have to make that role official."

"Let's get winter wrapped up before we talk about things like that," Twilight insisted as she then told Spike. "Spike? I trust you've been keeping notes about what we saw today?"

Spike nodded back. "Had a feeling you'd need notes." And he unfolded a long scroll.

Twilight smiled and then looked to Mayor Mare. "Okay. Let's get down to business!"





Thanks to Twilight's detailed observations, it was a simple process to get the weather, plant and animal teams to streamline their operations and avoid costly mistakes. Before the sun had set on Ponyville that day, winter had officially been wrapped up and spring had arrived.

Everypony was relieved and proud of this development, but none moreso than Mayor Mare who all but found herself at a loss for words! "I can't believe it. Spring is here! On time!" She said to Twilight when the work had ended. "And we have you to thank for it, Twilight."

Twilight only modestly replied. "Don't thank me. It was a team effort."

Mayor Mare nodded. "True. But you helped every team. And that's why I'm proud to officially give you the title of 'All Team Organizer'!" As she spoke, Mayor Mare saw Rarity float over a special vest that was a blending of the three different teams' vests.

The vest was fitted onto Twilight, and she beamed with pride as she proudly wore it for all to see. "Gosh, I don't even know what to say. Thank you, everypony."

Mayor Mare smiled. "It's the least we can do, Twilight. And if you ever want a permanent job working for me and helping me sort out the clutter in things, you have only to ask," Then she cleared her throat. "But for now, it is with great pleasure that I officially declare that winter is... wrapped up on time." And with that, everypony cheered! And Twilight and Spike cheered the loudest of all!

Twilight especially had reason to feel proud of herself. She'd found a way to contribute to Winter Wrap Up and without needing to use her magic to do so.

That evening, when Twilight and Spike returned to the Golden Oak Library to rest after their busy day, Twilight quickly instructed. "Spike, take a letter, please. I know what I want to write to Princess Celestia for this week's friendship lesson."

Spike immediately retrieved a quill and a scroll. "I'm ready when you are, Twilight."

Clearing her throat, the unicorn dictated the letter she wanted sent. And it went like this:

Dear Princess Celestia,

It's natural to feel proud of your talents and your gifts. But sometimes, you can feel like those aren't enough or that they're not what others are looking for. It can be hard to see what you're good at when you focus on what you're not good at.

Nopony's meant to do everything, however. There will always be things you can do that others can't, and things others can do that you can't. It's nothing to be ashamed of, and it shouldn't cause you to doubt yourself. You may be surprised by what you can contribute to the world just by being you, by just doing what you do best.

There's nothing wrong with learning new things, but it's important not to expect perfection right away. It often takes time to truly master something, and patience can be just as important as hard work.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Then, with a puff of fire breath from Spike, the letter was sent on its way.

As for Twilight, she was already looking forward to next year's Winter Wrap Up. Now that she knew what she could do to help, she was certain she could get winter wrapped up even quicker next time.
> S2 E17: Hearts and Hooves Day (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was just before the beginning of class at the Ponyville Schoolhouse. Normally, everypony would've already made it to class and taken their assigned seats by now. But today was different. Today was a special day. A holiday that only came once a year.

Today was Hearts and Hooves Day. And it was because of that holiday that three fillies collectively known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were hard at work in their clubhouse. Said clubhouse being on Sweet Apple Acres, a ways away from the school house.

Class was due to begin soon, and the Crusaders knew they'd probably be late for school if they didn't leave soon. But that wasn't what was on their minds right now. No, the three fillies were working on a special gift that they wanted to give to their teacher, Miss. Cheerilee: A huge, pink heart.

"Hmm..." Apple Bloom seemed to frown as she looked over the huge heart that had been made out of paper. It had been painted a lovely shade of pink. "I just don't feel like it's quite finished, girls." She said aloud.

Sweetie Belle nodded her head in agreement. "I know what you mean. I don't think it's quite finished yet, either."

"Same here." Scootaloo agreed.

Sweetie Belle then declared. "Well, it is for Miss. Cheerilee, after all. And Hearts and Hooves Day only comes once a year. That means it needs to be perfect. Any ideas?"

Scootaloo held up a roll of pink ribbons as she proposed. "I say we add a little more ribbon to make it shine!" She proceeded to leap over the heart ever so delicately, adding ribbons to any place she felt was lacking in them.

Sweetie Belle smiled and nodded. "Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah. And just a tiny bit more lace too." Since she wasn't that skilled at using her horn, she used her hooves to put some pink lace on the heart wherever possible.

Apple Bloom, meanwhile, dabbed her hooves into pink paint as she saw fit to add her own contribution. "A few more hoof-prints won't hurt." And she trotted over the heart with her paint covered hooves.

After Apple Bloom got off the heart and washed the paint off her hooves, Scootaloo then held up a bucket that sparkled and said to the others. "Glitter! It could definitely use just a little more glitter!" But she ended up dumping the entire bucket worth of glitter onto the heart before she was satisfied.

Only then did the three fillies step back to admire their hard work. The paper heart looked absolutely beautiful in their eyes, making it the perfect Hearts and Hooves Day gift for their favorite teacher.

"Now that'll show Miss Cheerilee how much we care about her," Apple Bloom proudly proclaimed. "Just have to get it to the Hearts and Hooves Day party at school."

However, it was now that the Crusaders became aware of a problem that had apparently not crossed their minds before. Namely, the size of their paper heart compared to the size of the envelope they would have to fit it in. Needless to say, the heart was far too big to fit into a regular envelope.

"I think we're gonna need a bigger envelope." Was all Scootaloo could say, and it was all that anypony needed to say.

The Crusaders had no way to know that before the day was over, delivering a massive present to their teacher would be the least of their problems.



Somehow, the three fillies found a way to get their rather large paper heart to the schoolhouse, although that made them late for class as a result. Fortunately, Cheerilee was more than understanding when she saw the heart for herself. It easily dwarfed all the other paper hearts her students had given her on this day. "It's so lovely," She'd said upon laying eyes on it. "And so... big!"

Apple Bloom proudly took the lead in explaining the intention behind the big heart, even though part of it kept folding over and threatened to make the whole thing fall onto the Crusaders. "We just wanted to let you know that we think you're the best teacher in the whole wide world! And that we think you're super! And that we love you so so much! And that we want you to have the best Hearts and Hooves Day–"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle joined Apple Bloom in shouting all at the same time! "Ever!" But they'd no sooner said this than the heart finally fell on top of them as it folded over.

Cheerilee smiled. "Thank you so much, girls. I love it. I really do. You really shouldn't have."

Sweetie Belle just poked her head up from the heart as she innocently remarked. "Well, I'm sure it's nothing compared to the gifts you've gotten from your..." She paused and made sure to emphasize the next point. "Very special somepony, whoever they may be."

But the teacher simply responded. "Oh, I don't have a special somepony. Never have."

That statement came as quite the shock to the three fillies, even if they'd never given their teacher's love life much thought before. "What? Really?" Apple Bloom questioned.

Cheerilee nodded with an innocent smile. "Yes, really. Sure, I've had the odd date, but never anything serious. And I'm in no rush to put myself out there."

Sweetie Belle saw fit to question. "But how could somepony as amazing as you not have a special somepony, Miss. Cheerilee? I think anypony would consider themselves lucky to be with you."

At that, the earth pony with a pinkish-purple coat frowned. Whether it was because of the inquries she was getting into her past, or because there was something about her past dates that she didn't like to recall was hard to tell. "Girls, I appreciate the concern. But who I love or who I date is none of your business," She tried to innocently and sweetly steer them away from the subject. "I already have lots of good friends and wonderful students who care about me very much. So I know I'm gonna have an absolutely terrific Hearts and Hooves Day with or without a special somepony."

"But Miss. Cheerilee-" Scootaloo began, trying to add her own two bits to the conversation.

Cheerilee immediately moved to shut down any further discussion of the subject. "-But nothing, Scootaloo. There's a time and place for discussions such as this, and this is not one of them. Right now, I am your teacher. And as your teacher, I'm asking you nicely to please leave the subject alone. You see me around town all the time. You would know in a heartbeat if I was seeing somepony. If someday I do find a special somepony, you will know. Until then, however, you shouldn't worry yourselves about my personal life," Then she clapped her hooves as she turned her attention to the class as a whole. "Okay, everypony. Who's ready to play 'Pin the Heart on the Pony'?"

Countless students eagerly raised their hooves and shouted their intentions to volunteer. Twist ended up being the first to be allowed to, being blindfolded after being given a small paper heart to stick onto a poster of a pony hanging on one of the classroom walls.

However, in spite of Cheerilee's attempts to get the CMC to let go of their concern about her lack of a special somepony, the three fillies could think of little else. Apple Bloom even remarked aloud while looking to the teacher. "If anypony deserves a special somepony, it's her. I know for a fact there's lots of single stallions out there, and I bet any one of 'em would be honored to be Miss. Cheerilee's special somepony if she asked them."

It was then that Sweetie Belle got the most unusual expression on her face as she gasped. It looked like a smile that could rival anything you'd see on Pinkie Pie's face on any given day. And she continued to wear that smile for several seconds.

"Uh, you all right there, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom questioned.

The unicorn filly sweetly replied. "Oh, I'm more than all right. I've just come up with the best idea ever. And it doesn't even involve cutie marks."

"Not involving cutie marks?" Scootaloo pondered. "What could it be?"

Sweetie happily explained. "It's simple. We're gonna find Miss. Cheerilee a special somepony. The very best there ever was."

Apple Bloom was quickly swayed to the idea. "That is the best idea ever. It'll be nice to do somethin' for somepony else, especially somepony we really appreciate."

And Scootaloo added. "And we won't even have to worry about getting our cutie marks in it."

"Told you so!" Sweetie Belle declared in a singsong tone of voice.

"So what are we waitin' for, then?" Apple Bloom questioned. "Hearts and Hooves Day won't last forever! Let's get out there and find somepony special for Miss. Cheerilee already."

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle agreed.

"Let's do it!" Scootaloo chimed in, and all three fillies brought their hooves together! As they spoke, they were unaware of Twist pinning the heart to Cheerilee rather than the poster on the wall.





When the Crusaders arrived in town, they found Ponyville right in the midst of Hearts and Hooves Day celebrations. The streets were teeming with ponies big and small alike from all three races.

Sweetie Belle opted to more or less take the lead in the search for that special somepony. "Now remember, girls, it can't be just anypony. Miss Cheerilee is one of the best mares in Ponyville, after all. So she deserves to have one of the best stallions as her very special somepony," Then, as if to drive the point home, she began to sing. "Cheerile is sweet and kind. She's the best teacher we could hope for," Briefly, she thought of the teacher in her mind, before singing further. "The perfect stallion you and I must find. One to really make her heart so-o-oar."

After pausing for a moment, the filly began leading her felllow fillies in considering various stallions that might be suitable as a special somepony. "But... This one's too young," She briefly stood next to a pegasus colt with a dark brown coat and a green and white hat with a propeller, said colt playing an arcade game. "This one's too old," She next stood on top of a wrinkly old earth pony stallion with a bow tie and black glasses. "He clearly has a terrible cold." As she sang that last line, the white coated stallion she had in mind let out a sneeze.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo started conducting searches of their own. Apple Bloom was just as picky as Sweetie Belle when considering possible stallions for Cheerilee: Eliminating a stallion dressed up as a clown and another that sported a top hat. "This guy's too silly. He's way too uptight." And the latter stallion seemed to prove her right when he made a rude remark.

"Well nothing's wrong with this one. He seems alright..." Sweetie Belle pointed out as her eyes fell upon a chestnut brown coated earth pony with a dark brown mane and tail.

Unfortunately, Scootaloo took notice of a troubling fact regarding said stallion. Namely, that he was nuzzling a pegasus mare with a bluish-green coat and a blonde mane and tail. "Yeah. His girlfriend sure thinks so."

"How 'bout this one?" Sweetie proposed as she spotted a finely dressed stallion.

Perhaps the stallion was too finely dressed since his clothes sparkled to a blinding degree, prompting Apple Bloom to complain. "He's much too flashy."

Scootaloo then pointed to a brown colored earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie mark that was rushing past. "He might do-"

But the stallion was in such a rush that he didn't pay attention to where he was going, running straight through a mud puddle and accidentally showering Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with mud. They then both grumbled. "If he weren't so splashy."

The Crusaders soon crossed off several other stallions, saying and singing things such as. "Too short. Too tall. Too clean. Too smelly!" And even. "Strangely obessed with tubs of jelly."

All three fillies unhappily sighed as Apple Bloom then looked around, taking notice of what seemed to her like a troubling fact. "Girls, I don't think that we're mistakin'. It seems all the good ones are taken."

Sweetie wasn't about to give up so easily, even though she was singing. "I really feel that at this rate, we'll never find the perfect date," And Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined her in singing. "Don't wanna quit and give up hope."

Then, on a whim, Scootaloo spotted Big Macintosh by all himself and decided to ask him straight. "You doing anything special for Hearts and Hooves Day?"

Silently, Sweetie Belle pleaded. "Oh please, oh please, oh please say-"

"Eenope." Big Macintosh replied with a straight face.

That simple statement was enough to lift Sweetie's spirits and lead her fellow fillies in a bit of a dance as she excitedly proclaimed! "We did it, girls! We found the one, to set our teacher's heart aflutter!"

But then the singing came to an abrupt end as Apple Bloom realized what was being proposed. And she asked. "Wait, let me get this straight. Are you talkin' 'bout my brother?"

Sheepishly, Sweetie answered. "Um... eeyup?" And she gave a nervous laugh.

Apple Bloom then sighed as the farm filly replied. "I was afraid you'd say that," But she found herself unable to argue against her fellow filly's point. "But you're right, he is the perfect stallion for the job. Even if I wish he wasn't."

And so it was agreed, more or less: Big Macintosh was going to be Cheerilee's special somepony.





After having made their decision, the Cutie Mark Crusaders quietly and secretively watched as Big Macintosh carried out his chores at Sweet Apple Acres. What Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo saw was enough to convince them that he was indeed a good choice.

"Sweetie Belle's right, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo pointed out. "Big Macintosh is the perfect stallion to be Miss. Cheerilee's special somepony. Any mare would consider herself lucky to be with him. He's really nice, super hard-working, and of course he rarely speaks unless he has to. I hear ponies go crazy for that!"

Apple Bloom was, understandably, more hesitant. After all, it was her brother who was being proposed as a potential mate for Cheerilee. "Well, yeah... But," She cautiously pointed out. "He's also pretty shy. He's never gonna ask Miss. Cheerilee to be his very special somepony. Never in a million years."

Sweetie then proposed. "Well, maybe he doesn't have to."

"Huh?" The farm filly blinked in uncertainty.

The unicorn filly just smiled as she explained. "It's simple: If we can get Big Mac and Miss. Cheerilee in a really romantic setting together, I bet she'll ask him. It's not like it matters who asks who, as long as they end up together."

And the tomboyish pegasus filly added. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Guess I'm outvoted on this one," Apple Bloom realized and then proclaimed. "What are we waitin' for? Let's get out there and create the perfect date!" And she joined her fellow Crusaders in high hoofing each other, before they set off to put their plan into action.





A short time later, the three fillies had managed to set up a rather romantic looking scene (at least in their young minds). They'd set out a picnic blanket in alternating squares of black and white, they had a record player set to play romantic music, and they had a basket full of delicious foods to enjoy along with paper plates. There was only one thing missing to complete the scene.

Sweetie Belle noticed that missing thing when her sap green eyes spotted an empty golden flower vase. "Flowers," She cried. "Don't forget the flowers. It's not romantic without flowers."

"Oops. I'll get right on it!" Apple Bloom promised and rushed away to retrieve some flowers from nearby. She quickly scooped them up and placed them in the flower vase. Everything was now ready.

Scootaloo then looked out into the distance, and her eyes saw a sight she and her fellow Crusaders had been hoping to see! "They're coming!" She called out as she noticed both Cheerilee and Big Macintosh approaching the spot from opposite directions, neither aware of the other's presence yet (or of the Crusaders' presence for that matter). "Everything's going according to plan. Miss. Cheerilee is gonna have the best Hearts and Hooves Day ever."

"With her new very special somepony of course," Sweetie pointed out as she and the other fillies giggled. "Now come on, let's hide before they see us! They can't know we're here or they'll see through the whole thing in an instant!" And she led her fellow fillies over to a nearby bush so they could maintain the role of silent observers.

Cheerilee was the first to approach the romantic picnic setting, calling out to the distance. "Hello? Girls? You said you needed my help with something?" She looked all around, yet could find no trace of either Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo anywhere.

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh made his way to the spot with a toolkit. But he took one look at his surroundings and saw that the building he'd been sent to repair had already been fixed up without him. That struck him as odd. Who could've fixed up the old gazebo when that was supposed to have been his job?

The two earth ponies looked all around for a bit. And when they did they eventually laid eyes upon each other as the romantic music slowly filled the air. For a moment, neither could speak. They stood there and gazed at each other, their expressions proving difficult to read. It seemed as if both wanted the other to say something or do something first.

From the safety of their bush, the Crusaders looked out on the scene with hope and anticipation. So far, everything was working as they had hoped it would.

"You really think this will work?" Scootaloo asked the others in a whisper.

Sweetie Belle whispered back. "Of course it will work. They're perfect for each other. We all agreed," Then she shushed Scootaloo. "I think they're finally going to speak."

And indeed, Cheerilee opted to break the unofficial spell as silence. But all she could bring herself to say to Big Macintosh was. "Beautiful day we're having."

And all Big Macintosh could say in reply was. "Eeyup."

In a somewhat nervous tone of voice, Cheerilee asked the red coated stallion. "Uh, any big plans for tonight? Or any plans at all?"

Big Macintosh just replied with. "Eenope."

Apple Bloom was fast growing impatient at watching the two full grown earth ponies just stare at each other and make small talk. "Come on, Miss. Cheerilee," She whispered. "What are you waitin' for? Ask him to be your special somepony already."

Sweetie then gasped as she excitedly exclaimed! "Ohmigosh, look. I think she's going for it!"

The currently off-duty teacher seemed to look deep into Big Mac's eyes as she appeared to ask in a sweet and innocent tone of voice. "Big Mac?"

The stallion appeared to blush ever so faintly, though it was hard to see through his natural red coat. "Uh, eeyup?" He replied, sounding a tad bit flustered all of a sudden.

But instead of asking what the Crusaders thought she was going to ask, Cheerilee instead told Big Mac. "You have something stuck in your teeth, there." And after she'd spoken this, the record stopped playing with an abrupt scratch.

Furious at seeing the moment go to waste, Sweetie Belle forgot all about her need to be silent! She angrily poked her up from the bush and shouted! "Oh come on!" It was only Scootaloo quickly forcing the filly back down into the bushes that kept her cover from being blown.

The earth pony mare with a lovely magenta coat then gave off a nervous laugh as she told the stallion. "Well, this has been... strange."

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied, still sounding nervous.

Cheerilee seemed to regain her composure as she smiled, telling Big Mac. "Well, I need to get going. But it's always nice running into a friend. Guess I'll see you around."

Big Mac said nothing, he just nodded his head in silent agreement. And just like that, the two earth ponies went their separate ways. They didn't even bother to help themselves to the food in the picnic basket.





The Cutie Mark Crusaders promptly wandered around town afterward, wondering where it was that they'd gone wrong in their attempts to get Big Macintosh and Cheerilee together.

"Told ya he wasn't gonna ask her," Apple Bloom pointed out. "Ya think it wasn't romantic enough for Miss. Cheerilee?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Maybe it was too romantic. The record player was too much."

Sweetie Belle unhappily remarked. "Well, whatever it was, we failed," And she then wondered. "Where did we go so wrong?"

Apple Bloom shrugged her hooves. "I don't know. But there's gotta be somethin' else we can do. Somethin' we ain't thought of yet," She unhappily sighed. "If only there were some kind of expert we could consult. Somepony who knows a thing or two 'bout romance. Maybe they could help us figure it out."

Upon hearing the words "Expert" and "Romance", a lightbulb went off inside Sweetie's head as an idea came to her! "Wait a minute, Apple Bloom!" She proclaimed as she suddenly stopped right in her tracks. "I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner, it was so obvious!"

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" Apple Bloom pondered as she didn't seem to understand what her fellow filly was suggesting.

Swishing her tail, Sweetie explained. "If it's an expert we need, then there's nopony in town more qualified on the subject than my big sister, Rarity. We should've just come to her for advice in the first place. I'm sure she'll know how to help us get Big Mac and Miss. Cheerilee together."

Scootaloo was not so sure. "You think she'll want us to help? Or that she'll even be around? What if she's already busy getting ready for a date or something?"

The unicorn filly just chiperly replied. "We won't know unless we try. Come on! I know where we can find her!" And she rushed off as fast as her little hooves could carry her, prompting Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to chase after her.

Sweetie didn't stop until she came to Carousel Boutique, and when she did so she knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

Sure enough, the door swung open as the familiar form of Rarity appeared. "Oh, hello girls." She greeted the Crusaders.

"Hi, Rarity," Sweetie Belle sincerely smiled. "We've got a bit of a problem, and I was hoping you could help us out. It's right up your alley, whatever that means."

"Oh? Whatever would that be?" Rarity curiously pondered even as she invited the three fillies into her boutique.

Sweetie sweetly explained. "We're trying to get Big Macintosh and Miss. Cheerilee to be together. We all agreed that Miss. Cheerilee deserves a special somepony, and that Big Mac is the perfect stallion for the job."

"We even sang a song about it." Scootaloo pointed out.

And Apple Bloom added. "Much as I ain't exactly thrilled with the idea involvin' my brother, I can't deny that he would make for an excellent special somepony, especially for Miss. Cheerilee."

Then Sweetie concluded. "We tried to get them together on our own. We set up a nice, romantic picnic in the park near the old gazebo," She then frowned and hung her head in shame. "But it didn't work. Either it wasn't romantic enough, or it was too romantic. That's why we need your help. There's nopony in town who knows anywhere near as much about romance as you do."

The fashionista was all too happy to reply. "Oh, I'm flattered that you girls have come to me for advice. Hearts and Hooves Day is my favorite holiday of all time, after all! Usually, I spend the day trying to find a date. But after an experience with a certain prince who shall not be named," She seemed to briefly glare before reverting to her happy and cheerful expression. "I've decided to take a bit of a break. Besides, most of the ponies I had considered already have dates and I hate to intrude."

"So, can you help us or not?" Scootaloo questioned. "Hearts and Hooves Day is already half over. We don't have much time left."

Rarity just smiled, patting the tomboyish filly gently on the forehead. "Patience, Scootaloo. All in good time. After all, Canterlot wasn't built in a day," Then she lit up her horn, pulling forth an old, somewhat worn looking book as she explained. "It just so happens that I rented a book from the library just recently that details the origins of Hearts and Hooves Day in detail. Did you know that this holiday got its start because of a love potion?"

At that, Sweetie Belle blinked and inquired. "Did you just say... a love potion?" She was hoping she had heard right.

Rarity confirmed that her little sister had indeed heard correctly. "I most certainly did. And believe it or not, the book actually contains the recipe for that love potion. Apparently, it was made by some prince long ago to win the heart of a princess he loved more than anything."

It was then that the gears in Sweetie's mind began to turn. "I'll bet if we whipped up that potion and gave it to Miss. Cheerilee and Big Mac, they'd fall head over hooves for each other!"

Apple Bloom was a bit hesitant. "I don't know, girls. It was one thing when we were just tryin' to get them to be together on their own. Now we're gonna trick them into drinkin' a love potion?"

"What's the problem?" Sweetie Belle innocently replied. "We all agreed those two are perfect for one another."

And Scootaloo added. "Yeah, they just need a little nudge, that's all. I'm sure the potion will wear off. And they'll thank us for it when they realize they were meant to be together. If it worked for a prince, it can work for us."

Sweetie then saw fit to chime in. "Besides, what could make them happier than being together?"

The farm filly found herself reluctantly agreeing with her friends once again. "Well, when ya put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad. Count me in," Then she added. "I still have some of that potion makin' stuff from Zecora. We can use that to mix up that potion no problem."

"But how will we ever get Miss. Cheerilee and Big Mac to drink it, without telling them it's a love potion?" The unicorn filly pondered with concern.

Rarity flashed a knowing wink to the Crusaders. "Leave that detail to me. You girls just gather the ingredients and make the potion." She then gave them the book, having already turned the page to the exact one that listed the ingredients for the love potion and the instructions on how they were to be added.





The Crusaders thus went about gathering the necessary ingredients for the love potion: A tuft of cloud (taken from a lone cloud that had apparently gotten away unnoticed) and a bright rainbow's glow (which proved tricky to extract).

Then, a feather was plucked from one of Scootaloo's wings in accordance with the book's instructions to: "Stir with a pegasus feather. Fast, not slow."

And the last words that the Crusaders read specifically mentioned: "Serve to two ponies who aren't in the know."

After a little bit of stirring and mixing, an innocent looking pinkish-purple liquid appeared in one of the vials from Apple Bloom's potion kit. Said liquid was carefully brought back to Carousel Boutique where Rarity was waiting.

The fashionista unicorn carefully eyed the concotion that occasionally bubbled. Nothing seemed at all off about it. "Did you girls remember to follow the instructions to the letter?" She asked the Crusaders.

All three fillies nodded as Sweetie confidently proclaimed. "Of course we did, Rarity. Now we just need Miss. Cheerilee and Big Mac to drink it."

Rarity smiled. "I know just the thing. You girls simply follow my lead." And she whispered her plan to the Crusaders.

Sometime later, Cheerilee and Big Macintosh were quite surprised to be called back to the old gazebo in the park. All the earlier romantic stuff had been cleared, and Rarity was waiting for them along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders with just a pinkish-purple liquid in two small glasses.

The fashionista quickly took the liberty of explaining what the reason behind the summons was. "Sweetie Belle and her friends were hoping you two could taste test this punch for them. They were thinking of opening up a stand to make a little money, but they want to make sure that ponies will buy their punch. And they trust the both of you to be honest with them."

"Yeah, what Rarity said." Sweetie Belle innocently chimed in as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo seemed to be holding back grins for some reason.

Cheerilee and Big Macintosh exchanged curious and suspicious glances for a moment, before they both took up the glasses of what they believed to be punch.

Once she and her friends had retreated to the safety of the nearby bush, Sweetie whispered to Rarity. "Thanks a bunch, sis. We never could've pulled this off without you."

Rarity just winked as she whispered back. "Don't thank me yet. There's no guarantee the potion will work until after they've drunk it," And she brought up a hoof. "We mustn't let them suspect anything."

Meanwhile, with Cheerilee and Big Macintosh alone, the two earth ponies had very little to do besides look at each other. And as they did so, Cheerilee sincerely apologized to the stallion. "I'm really sorry about this, Big Mac. I know this can't be comfortable for you. It's really my fault. I told the girls that I don't have a special somepony, and it seems they took it upon themselves to 'correct' that problem."

All that Big Mac had to say was. "Eeyup."

The off-duty teacher then added. "Seems like they more or less volunteered you to be my special somepony. And I think they keep putting us in these awkward situations because they think it'll magically make us want to be together."

At that, Big Macintosh snickered and even chuckled a bit even as he still only said. "Eeyup."

But Cheerilee then proposed. "Still, I suppose there's no harm in humoring them, just for a minute. Whatever this 'punch' is, I suspect it's nothing harmful. And it would be a shame to let it go to waste. So let's drink, to good friends." And the two brought their glasses together, making them clink. Then they brought the drinks within to their lips.

From the bush, Scootaloo watched with excitement as she exclaimed! "They're drinking it! They're drinking it! Our plan's working!"

Within seconds, both fully grown earth ponies had downed the "punch". They let out content hiccups, and then they seemed to gaze at each other as if suddenly both found the other to be the most beautiful thing they had ever seen before.

"They're lookin' into each other's eyes," Apple Bloom whispered with a smile. Then she and the other CMC all said together. "They're about to be in for a big surprise!"

As if to confirm that statement, Cheerilee looked at Big Macintosh and asked him point blank. "Big Mac? Can I ask you something?"

Big Mac nodded and happily responded. "Eeyup."

Right then and there, Cheerilee made her declaration. "Will you be my special somepony?"

The stallion with a beautiful red coat was all too happy to agree. "Eeyup! And you can be my special somepony, Cheerilee!"

"Oh Big Mac," Cheerilee dreamily sighed, looking ready to faint right then and there. "I thought you'd never ask!"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then burst out of the bush, satisfied that their plan had worked. "We did it! We did it!" They chanted while happily prancing around the new couple. "She's his special somepony! He's her special somepony!"

But suddenly and without any prompting, the new couple leaned in close and started to kiss one another. And they did so several times over, prompting Cheerilee to fondly exclaim! "Oh Big Mac, you're a dream come true! You're my kissy little snuggle bear!"

"And you're my sweetie honey pie!" Big Macintosh exclaimed in a goofy tone of voice, before he and Cheerilee started giggling more like giddy school children rather than full grown adults.

Apple Bloom immediately became concerned as she witnessed the troubling behavior, especially from her big brother who had never acted this goofy in front of anypony before. "Big Mac! Hey! Hello! What's goin' on?" She demanded of him. "Ya feelin' alright?" But she got no reply, it seemed that her brother couldn't hear a word she was saying.

And Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were beginning to notice similar signs of concerning behavior from Cheerilee. "Uh, Miss. Cheerilee?" Scootaloo nervously asked while waving a hoof in front of the mare.

Sweetie added. "Are you alright? Is anypony home?" But she and Scootaloo both went unacknowledged. It seemed like all either Big Mac or Cheerilee could think about was each other. That prompted Sweetie to gulp and look at her fellow Crusaders. "I think we may have given them too big of a nudge."

"Ya think?" Scootaloo retorted, before she, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle all recoiled in disgust from the vastlty overdone display of affection they were witnessing.





With the book safely in tow, the CMC retreated to their clubhouse in order to try to figure out what was going on with Big Macintosh and Cheerilee. As well as (hopefully) a way to reverse it. "What have we done?!" Apple Bloom exclaimed with worry. "My brother's actin' like a grade-A goofball!"

"Maybe we added too much rainbow?" Scootaloo pondered. "Or maybe not enough cloud? Or maybe we didn't stir it right or something?"

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, was frantically scanning through the book for an answer. "Or maybe we didn't..." Then, after looking at the page that had the recipe for the love potion, something caught her attention and made her say. "Uh-oh."

Apple Bloom flinched and spun around upon hearing those words! "Whaddya mean 'Uh-oh'?! Is it 'Uh-oh' funny or 'Uh-oh' we're all doomed?!"

Sweetie gulped and swallowed hard. "I can't believe we didn't see this sooner. It was right underneath the ingredients. It was a warning!"

"A warning about what?!" Scootaloo nervously asked.

The unicorn filly with the same white coat as her big sister nervously explained. "That wasn't a love potion we brewed, it was a love poison! Although, in our defense, they really should've put that in bold print or something. It's easy to overlook. But it even said 'Do not try this at home'."

The farm filly groaned in annoyance! "Great! So we accidentally poisoned both our teacher and my big brother! Why did I ever let you girls talk me into this?! Even when it's not cutie marks, it seems like things always go wrong for us whe when we do stuff like this!"

The tomboyish pegasus filly, meanwhile, was nervously asking. "Does it say why that prince would create a love poison? Can't imagine why anypony would want to do such a thing."

Sweetie scanned the pages. "It looks like it wasn't intentional. The prince really did intend for it to be a love potion, not a love poison. Says he was a nice pony, he just wasn't good at making potions. If he was, he would've realized the ingredients and the way they were combined were turning it into a poison, not a potion."

"Does it say what happened to him and his princess, or how they broke the spell?" Apple Bloom hesitantly questioned. "Please tell me there's a cure! If there isn't, I don't know how I'll ever explain this to Applejack and Granny Smith!"

Gulping anew, Sweetie Belle read on. "Well, from what I'm reading, things didn't exactly end well for the prince or the princess."

Against her better judgement, Apple Bloom asked. "How bad did it get?"

Sweetie Belle answered in a somewhat ominous tone. "Well, there's something here about a dragon, the kingdom falling, chaos reigning... Okay, apparently it was all because the prince and princess were so lost in each other's eyes that they couldn't perform their royal duties. And nopony ever managed to brew up a cure."

At that, the farm filly trotted over and banged her head down on a small desk. "Great! So not only did we poison Big Mac and Miss. Cheerilee, but now we might have put all of Ponyville in jeopardy!"

"Why?" Scootaloo sincerely wondered. "They don't have royal duties."

"No, but they do have important jobs they have to do," Apple Bloom pointed out. "If we don't find a way to undo what we did: Big Mac won't be able to work in the fields, and Miss. Cheerilee won't be able to teach. Without my brother, Sweet Apple Acres won't be able to stay in business. And without Miss. Cheerilee, there'll be nopony left to teach at the schoolhouse. It'll be chaos! It'll be chaos!" She frantically waved her hooves in the air to emphasize her point.

Fortunately, it was at that point that Sweetie Belle spoke up. "Well, the good news is there is an antidote. But it's not a potion."

Apple Bloom breathed a small sigh of relief. "Why didn't you say so earlier? What do we gotta do?"

The unicorn filly explained. "Well, that's kind of the bad news. If we can keep Big Mac and Miss. Cheerilee from looking into each other's eyes for one hour, the spell will be broken."

Scootaloo waved a hoof as she replied. "Only an hour? Pft, that's easy! We could pull that off in a second! Come on, let's go find them and get them away from each other!"

Yet when the three fillies returned to the park, they found that Big Macintosh and Cheerilee were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, there you girls are," Rarity spoke up in what sounded like sincere surprise. "Where did you fillies scamper off to?"

"No time to explain!" Apple Bloom frantically replied. "Did you see where my brother and Miss. Cheerilee went?!"

Rarity nodded. "I most certainly did. They headed off to Sugarcube Corner just after you fillies left. But..."

Rather than wait for Rarity to finish her sentence, the CMC took off as fast as their hooves would let them!





Just as Rarity had said, the love sick couple was indeed at Sugarcube Corner. They occupied a table all to themselves as a milkshake with a cherry on top rested between them. The shake had two straws, but it seemed like neither pony was interested in drinking it. "You take the first sip, snuggle-wuggles." Cheerilee encouraged as she nudged the shake closer to Big Macintosh.

Big Macintosh just nudged the shake back towards Cheerilee as he sweetly replied. "No, you take it, schnoodle-dumplin'."

Mrs. Cake had been watching the whole scene. And if the expression on her face was any indication, even she was a bit unsettled by what she was seeing. "I've seen a lot of couples in my time, some young and some old," She confessed to the Crusaders as they entered the bakery. "But this is ridiculous. They've been acting like this since they came in here, they won't stop," And she saw fit to ask. "What exactly happened to those two? I know they weren't like this the last time I saw them."

Sweetie Belle gave a nervous chuckle as she shrugged her hooves. "Who knows?"

Mrs. Cake appeared to be satisfied with the answer as she sighed. "Well, they're the only customers I have right now. And customers are customers, no matter who they might be," Then she added. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if those two lovebirds started planning a wedding soon. As I'm sure Carrot would say if he was here right now, we could always use the catering business. I just hope those two finish soon. I wanted to close up early so Carrot and I could enjoy a nice Hearts and Hooves Day dinner together." Then she trotted over to the counter.

Just as soon as Mrs. Cake had finished giving her two bits, Sweetie got an idea! "That's it! Mrs. Cake is a genius! Big Mac and Miss. Cheerilee should get married!"

Apple Bloom was, understandably, confused at such an idea. "How the hay is gettin' hitched supposed to keep those two apart for an hour?"

Sweetie Belle promptly explained. "They aren't really gonna get married. They're just gonna get ready to get married. Rarity always says weddings take a long time to plan. So we just need them to go through the preparations for an hour, and everything will be back to normal," Then she winked. "And as it happens, I already know the perfect place for Miss. Cheerilee to pick out her wedding dress. Someplace where I know she'll be occupied for a long time."

"And what about Big Mac?" Scootaloo questioned.

The unicorn filly just winked as she whispered. "Just follow my lead," Then she trotted up to the two grown-up earth ponies and placed herself between them as she told them. "Gosh, you two are so in love, the next thing you know, you'll be getting married."

Cheerilee and Big Macintosh both paused and blinked a bit in confusion. "Married?" They asked at the same time.

Sweetie nodded. "That's right. Married," Then she turned to Cheerilee and said in as sweet a tone as possible. "Miss. Cheerilee, you should go to Carousel Boutique and pick out a wedding dress. After all, you'll wanna look your best for your very special somepony."

Once the seed of an idea was planted, it was only a matter of seconds until it firmly took root in Cheerilee's mind. And the love struck off-duty teacher happily exclaimed! "Ooh! Dress!" She promptly raced out of Sugarcube Corner at a speed that could've rivaled Pinkie Pie when she was on one of her sugar rushes!

"Sweetie!" Big Macintosh gasped as he was momentarily separated from Cheerilee.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed to block him as Scootaloo quickly got an idea. "Big Mac, don't you wanna go pick out a diamond for the engagement ring? Miss. Cheerilee deserves only the very best, doesn't she?"

"Ooh! Diamond!" Big Mac happily exclaimed as he bolted out the door as fast as he could!

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo followed the stallion as Apple Bloom quickly realized what her fellow filly and Crusader was trying to do. "I see what you're doin', Scootaloo. We just keep Big Mac busy diamond shoppin' until the hour's up. Sweetie Belle takes care of Miss. Cheerilee. And soon, this will be just a memory."

Scootaloo nodded. "Yup. Now come on, we gotta to the diamond store before Big Mac makes a purchase! Oh, if only I had my scooter!"





Rarity was most surprised to find a frantic Cheerilee at Carousel Boutique as the off-duty teacher raced into one of the dressing rooms with the first wedding dress she'd laid eyes upon. Said dressing room was quickly being blocked off by Sweetie Belle as the filly desperately placed as many heavy objects as she could in front of the door.

"Just try on that dress, Miss. Cheerilee," Sweetie Belle instructed. "When Big Mac comes here, he can free you and you two can get married."

"What's all this about getting married?" Rarity questioned. "And why are you keeping Miss. Cheerile prisoner in that dressing room, Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie gulped, realizing she couldn't possibly hope to get away with not telling her big sister what was going on. "Don't be mad, Rarity. We didn't know this was going to happen."

Rarity was more confused than angry. "Sweetie Belle, whatever are you talking about? You're acting awfully strange."

"Not as strange as Big Mac and Miss. Cheerilee," The younger unicorn argued. "We accidentally gave them a love poison instead of a love potion. And we have to keep them from looking into each other's eyes for an hour in order to cure them. Having them get ready to get married was the only thing I could think of that would work. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are busy with Big Mac, so I have to keep Miss. Cheerilee here until everything goes back to normal. And I could really use your help."

The fashionista's response to her little sister's confession was most unexpected. She threw back her head and started to laugh. "Oh, Sweetie Belle, there's no need to resort to such dramatics. Big Mac and Cheerilee are perfectly fine."

"But... but... the love poison!" Sweetie stammered in disbelief.

Rarity reached out a hoof and explained to her younger sister. "I apologize for the dramatics, Sweetie Belle. But you and your friends didn't posion Cheerilee or Big Macintosh. I saw that warning about the love poison while you girls were gathering the ingredients. I then swapped out the poison for actual punch while you three weren't looking."

"Then, why are Miss. Cheerilee and Big Mac acting so funny? And talking so funny?" Sweetie Belle questioned with concern.

At that, Cheerilee spoke up from within the dressing room. "I'm sure Big Macintosh is already on his way here with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. When he does, let me out of here and we'll both explain what's really been going on."

Sure enough, a short time later, Big Macintosh arrived at the boutique with the other Crusaders by his side. Cheerilee was soon set free, and once outside and by Big Mac, it was time for the Crusaders to be told what had happened.

"Rarity informed us about the love poison and about her plan to swap it out," Cheerilee told the three fillies. "Big Mac and I then decided that you girls needed to learn a little lesson about meddling in other ponies' personal lives. So we merely pretended to be afflicted by the love poison," She then sheepishly confessed. "However, it seems we got a little too into the act. We're sorry if we made you girls worry, that wasn't our intention."

Big Macintosh then began to speak, or rather tried to. "Cheerilee and I think it's sweet that you think we ought to be together, but..."

"But we shouldn't have meddled in your relationship, even if our hearts and hooves were in the right place." Scootaloo realized.

Apple Bloom added. "Nopony can force two ponies to be together. That's not what love is about."

And Sweetie Belle concluded. "It's up to everypony to choose that special somepony for themselves, regardless of who it may be."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then said all the same time. "We're sorry."

"Well, it's good that you girls have learned your lesson," Cheerilee told them in a sincere and sympathetic tone. "But even so, interfering in other ponies love lives is not something that can just be overlooked. You girls still did something wrong."

Big Macintosh then cleared his throat. "Apple Bloom," He looked at his little sister. "I promise I won't tell Applejack or Granny Smith, as long as you promise to take care of some of my chores for the rest of the week."

Apple Bloom reluctantly agreed. "Okay, Big Mac."

Sweetie Belle then spoke up. "Hey, it's not fair that Apple Bloom has to do the chores alone. She was the most hesitant about the whole thing."

Scootaloo added. "Yeah. So if you're gonna punish her, you should punish us as well. We'll help her do the chores."

Cheerilee smiled. "That's very thoughtful of you, girls. It's good to see you owning up to your mistakes and admitting when you've done wrong," She then looked to Big Macintosh and to Rarity. "What do you think? Does that sound like a fair punishment to you? In exchange for keeping this between all of us, the girls have to do Big Mac's chores for the rest of the week?"

Rarity nodded her head in encouragement. "I'll pass word along to Mother and Father, and to Scootaloo's parents as well. But I'm sure they'll all agree."

"Great," Cheerilee agreed, and then cleared her throat. "And seeing as Big Mac will have some free time because of that, I don't think there's any harm in asking if he'd like to spend some of it with me."

"What?!" The Crusaders all gasped at once!

Cheerilee quickly explained. "I must admit, this experience has certainly gotten me interested in Big Mac," Then she warned her students. "But just because we're going on one date doesn't mean we're a couple. That's a decision Big Mac and I will make for ourselves on our time."

Big Macintosh simply smiled as he then took Cheerilee's hoof, leading her away.
> S2 E25: A Canterlot Wedding, Part 1 (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a beautiful spring day in Ponyville, just like so many others that had come before it. And because it was so nice and nothing seemed to be going on, Twilight and her friends had opted to get together for a small picnic. Aside from Rarity wearing a small hat to protect her head from the sun, nopony was wearing anything at all.

The sun was shining and birds were singing, and nopony had any reason to suspect that the day would be at all different from any other. But they were unknowingly about to be proven wrong.

Unknown to the ponies, Spike was rushing out to their location with important news that he had just received! He ran faster and faster, trying to get to them as soon as possible! The news he had to share with them was incredibly urgent and very concerning!

At last, the little dragon came upon the gathering of the six mares. He was all but out of breath as he panted. " Twi... light! ...I... have... Lemme just..." He paused for a moment to catch his breath. And as he did so, he belched up a scroll right in front of everyone.

Twilight picked up the scroll with her magic, unfolded it and began to read it aloud. It read as follows: 

Dear Twilight, I am sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot.

Twilight paused momentarily in her reading as she blinked in confusion. "Wedding? First I'm hearing of this." But she still kept reading:

I will be presiding over the ceremony along with Luna, but would very much like you and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion. I'm sure you'll all find your assigned roles to be to your liking. Fluttershy, I would like you and your songbird choir to provide the music, especially when the bride walks down the aisle.

"Oh my goodness! What an honor!" Fluttershy happily declared! "I'm flattered!"

Twilight continued reading as she listed off the roles her friends were to play in the wedding:

Pinkie Pie, I can think of no one more qualified than you to host the reception. I know you'll give it your special Pinkie Pie touch.

Pinkie Pie beamed from ear to ear. "Hip, hip, hooray! I've always wanted to host a wedding reception on a major stage, and now's my chance!"

Applejack was the next to be informed of her assigned role as Twilight told her via the scroll:

Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception.

Applejack adjusted her trusty stetson and replied. "Well, color me pleased as punch! It'll be my pleasure to serve the bride, the groom and everypony else. I'll give 'em a taste of genuine Apple family cookin'."

Rainbow Dash yawned, uninterested in anything she might be asked to do for a wedding. That is, until she was told by Twilight:

Rainbow Dash, I would very much appreciate it if you could perform a sonic rainboom as the bride and groom complete their "I do"'s.

That was enough to get the brash speedster all fired up as she happily shouted! "Yes!" And did so at the top of her lungs to boot!

Next it was Rarity's turn to be informed of her assigned task for the wedding:

Rarity, you will be responsible for designing the dresses for both the bride and her bridesmaids. I'm certain you'll bring your very best.

The news came as such a shock to Rarity that she all but fainted right on the spot! "A Canterlot wedding! And Princess Celestia wants me, me to design the dresses! I... I..." And after stumbling around a little bit, she finally collapsed onto the grass. It would be a minute or two before she would come to, and the shock would wear off.

Twilight just smiled and ignored Rarity's dramatic outburst as she read further:

And as for you, Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all: Making sure that everything goes as planned. See you all very soon. 

Yours, 

Princess Celestia.

Yet upon concluding her reading, the studious unicorn was still left with a nagging question that concerned her. " But... I don't understand. Who's getting married? Who could possibly be so important that Princess Celestia would ask us to oversee the preparations and the reception?"

"Oh," Spike realized all of a sudden. "My bad. I meant to give you this scroll first, Twilight. It's why I came all the way out here. Wanted to get it to you as soon as possible." And he gave her another scroll, one that he'd been holding onto for some time now.

Twilight took this other scroll, unfurled it and read aloud:

Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and...

Then Twilight gasped as she saw the name of the groom on the invitation: Shining Armor. "Wait, my brother's getting married?!" She all but dropped the scroll in shock! Needless to say, she hadn't been expecting this news out of the blue.

What nopony at the time knew was that the wedding in Canterlot would be far more important than any of them might have anticipated. And it would all have to do with a little "secret" the bride-to-be was hiding. 



Twilight was still grumbling evn after the shock had worn. "I know Shining Armor and I haven't seen each other a lot recently, but we have had some encounters since I moved to Ponyville. He couldn't tell me at any of those times?: My birthday party in Canterlot? Last Hearth's Warming? Or heck, even when he caught me sneaking into the Canterlot Archives? Is this his idea of a joke or something?!"

"A joke? What's the punchline?" Pinkie Pie pondered.

Twilight snorted. "You tell me, I'm as clueless as you are. I don't see how this is funny," She all but rolled her eyes. "I get it, he has an important job and it's not like he could just up and come to Ponyville at the drop of a hat. But for something as important as him getting married, I think I'm entitled to a heads up! Could he really not tell me personally?" She levitated over a sandwich, throwing her voice to try to sound like her brother as best she could. "Hey, Twilight, just thought you should know I'm making a really big decision that changes everything. Oh, never mind, I'm sure you'll hear all about it when you get the invitation."

"I'm sure your brother had his reasons, whatever they might be," Rarity pointed out. "Perhaps he sent letters and they got lost in the mail or something? It happens more than you might think."

Twilight wasn't convinced. "I didn't even know he was seeing somepony, let alone that he was thinking of proposing marriage to this 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza', whoever the hoof that is!"

Fluttershy became concerned when she saw Twilight's eyes start to narrow in what seemed like anger. "Um, Twilight? Are you feeling okay?"

The unicorn mare with a light purple coat let out a sigh, taking a deep breath (and a moment to compose herself). Then she apologized. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't be so upset. My brother has his own life, and so do I. He doesn't need my approval to marry anypony. But we were always so close growing up: He's my B.B.B.F.F. for crying out loud!" When all her friends blinked in confusion, she had to explain. "Big Brother Best Friend Forever."

"Oh." Was all the other mares could bring themselves to say.

A sigh escaped the unicorn's lips as she started to recall what fond memories she had of her brother, and there were plenty. "Before I came here and learned the importance of friendship, Shining Armor was the only pony I ever really accepted as a friend, even if back then I had little idea of what a 'friend' really was." Then, with the memories welling up inside her, Twilight started to sing. And it went something like this:

When I was just a filly, I found it rather silly.

To see how many other ponies I could meet.

I had my books to read, never thought that I would ever need.

Other ponies to make my life complete.

But there was one colt that I cared for.

And I knew he would be there for me.

My big brother, best friend forever!

Like two peas in a pod, we did everything together!

Closing her eyes, Twilight could picture the memories playing in her mind as if they'd all happened yesterday. Memories that she cherished to this day. And she sang about them in great detail:

He taught me how to fly a kite.

We never had a single fight.

We shared our hopes, we shared our dreams.

I miss him more than I realized, it seems.

So catchy was the singing that the others couldn't help but join in, even if it was just repeating what they'd heard Twilight sing earlier:

Your big brother, best friend forever.

Like two peas in a pod, you did everything together!

The last memory to come to Twilight's mind, however, was in sharp contrast to all the happy ones she'd willingly recalled before. This one was of her big brother seeing her off before she left Canterlot for Ponyville on the day before that fateful Summer Sun Celebration. And as she recalled this memory, she concluded her singing with tears in her eyes:

And though he's oh so far away.

I'd hoped that he would stay.

My big brother best friend.

Forever...

When at last Twilight's singing had ended, Applejack took it upon herself to comfort her friend who seemed to be on the verge of crying. "Listen, sugarcube, As one of your P.F.F.'s: You know, pony friends forever, I mean it when I say that your brother sounds like a really nice stallion. I know what it's like to have an older brother, even if Big Mac and I ain't as close as you and your brother used to be."

Twilight nodded. "Well, your brother isn't captain of the Royal Guard, for one thing. It was always his dream to be a member of the royal guard. But I never would've expected him to become their youngest captain ever."

That off the cuff statement came as a shock to all of Twilight's friends, but to Rarity it was an especially powerful shock. "So let me get this straight. We're helping out with the wedding of not only a princess, but a captain of the Royal Guard?" She asked her fellow unicorn, and upon receiving confirmation she again fainted.

Meanwhile, Spike had noticed something that he had originally believed it was just an illusion or his eyes playing tricks on him. But now he knew that what he was seeing was all too real, and he wanted the ponies to notice it too. "Not that I mean to change the subject, but does anypony know why Canterlot looks like it's encased in a bubble?"

All eyes now fell upon the city of Canterlot off in the distance. And they could see that indeed it did appear as though Equestria's capitol city was surrounded by a huge, pink bubble.

"Wait, I know that spell!" Twilight realized in an instant! "It's my brother's signature shield spell. He spent years perfecting it. It's pretty much what he owed his promotion to captain to," And now a feeling of dread began to overtake her. "He wouldn't just cast that spell to show off. Something must be going on!" She let out a gasp! "What if he's in danger?! Or what if Canterlot is danger?!"

"Wouldn't we have received a summons from the princess if that was the case?" Rarity pondered. "Even with Discord, we at least had that to let us know things were indeed bad."

But Spike protested. "I never received any other scrolls from Princess Celestia aside from the wedding invitation, and the assignments related to the royal wedding. And I haven't heard anything from Princess Luna either despite her being my designated dragonsitter."

The studious unicorn wasn't so convinced. "Something must be wrong if his brother's casting his shield spell, it just has to be," And she looked to her friends. "I have a feeling things may not be what they seem with this wedding."

"You think maybe it's all a coverup to let us sneek into the city without attracting attention?" Rainbow Dash pondered with what sounded like excitement. "After all, we're kind of a big deal now, at least in Canterlot. And honestly, even with the whole 'Sonic Rainboom' thing, a royal wedding isn't exactly my idea of a good time."

Twilight immediately vowed. "Well there's only one way we'll know for sure. We need to get to Canterlot as soon as possible! And one way or another, I'll find out what my brother knows even if he doesn't want to tell me. He's always been there for me, so now it's my turn to be there for him when he needs me most!"





The train ride up to Canterlot passed uneventfully for all involved, even as Twilight Sparkle worried herself about what was happening in Canterlot. More specifically, about what kind of circumstances could've possibly required her brother to cast his shield spell over an entire city. Was he perhaps not actually getting married after all? If so, why go through all the trouble of having Princess Celestia assign Twilight and her friends to tasks they wouldn't actually be performing?

When the train reached the edge of the protective bubble, however, the reality of the situation started to slowly sink in for all involved. The train was halted right on the tracks as two royal guards performed an unannounced inspection of the train from locomotive all the way through the cars coupled on. Only once the entire train had been inspected inside and out did the guards return to their posts, raise their spears and allow the train to pass into Canterlot proper.

The royal guard presence only increased as the train slowed to a stop at the station. It seemed like the whole city was being heavily guarded, making it feel more like a reinforced prison than the shining capital city of Equestria.

"Okay, seriously, what's with all the guards?" Rainbow Dash openly questioned as the six mares and dragon departed the train. "It's starting to freak me out. And I don't freak easily!"

Rarity tried to shrug it off as best she could. "It could just be a precaution because the wedding is involving royalty, especially a royalty we've never heard of before," She concluded. "It would make sense to go the extra mile to protect the bride and groom if their positions are important. And royal weddings do tend to bring out the strangest of ponies."

As if to prove Rarity's point, Pinkie Pie promptly let out a sneeze. But instead of mucus, she shot out some confetti from her nose. The guards seemed to react with puzzled expressions upon witnessing such a display.

The fashionsita decided not to draw attention to the unusual display, least the guards have any reason to hold anypony for questioning. "What matters is we're here now, and we have work to do. I'm sure all will be explained before long."

"Great, you girls get to it," Twilight instructed as she began to trot off. "Me personally, I've got a certain big brother that I need to give a piece of my mind."

"Twilight," Applejack cautioned. "I'm not sayin' you don't have a right to be upset with your brother for all of this, but please don't let your anger get the best of you. Give him an honest chance to explain himself. You're family, and family shouldn't stay mad at each other."

Twilight just replied. "I'll decide for myself how long I should stay mad at him. He'd better have a very good answer for his sake." And then she left her friends as she went to go find her brother.





Twilight didn't have long to wait before she spotted her brother. He was out near the barracks, overseeing several of the royal guards while wearing that light purple armor he always wore while officially on duty. Without bothering for formalities, Twilight firmly called out to him from afar. "I've got something to say to you, mister. You've got a lot of nerve keeping me in the dark like this. If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny."

Shining Armor immediately motioned to the guards to lower their spears. "Stand down, men," He instructed to them in a calm and friendly tone of voice. "I'll handle this myself: Family to family," Then he took off his helmet and ran out to greet his little sister, all but wrapping his hooves around her as he excitedly greeted! "Twily! Ah, I've missed so much you, kid."

Twilight groaned and snorted. "It hasn't been that long since we've seen each other," Then she immediately launched in the reason behind her unannounced confrontation. "How dare you not tell me in pony that you're getting married! I'm your sister, for pony's sake! In all the times we saw each other after I moved to Ponyville, you couldn't once have mentioned you were seeing somepony?!"

Shining Armor did his best not to look too guilty. "It's not like I didn't try, Twily. I kept meaning to tell you, but something always came up," Then he let out an unhappy sigh. "And I apologize for the increased security and lack of a formal invitation from me personally. But recently, a threat was made against Canterlot."

At that, any anger and resentment Twilight might have felt towards her older brother faded away. Now it was replaced by concern and worry. "What kind of threat? It must be a big deal if you have to cast your shield spell over an entire city. You've never done that before!"

The stallion with a majestic white coat firmly nodded, and even winced a bit from what seemed like pain. "Yeah, it's a pretty big deal, alright. We don't know who sent it, but they threatened an invasion of Canterlot and said they would not be denied. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were both convinced the threat was serious, and that it's out there, somewhere. Hence, the increased security measures," He then apologized. "Sorry you had to find out this way. I can only imagine how much of a shock it'll be for Mom and Dad when they see all of this."

The unicorn mare found herself moved to sympathy for her older brother. He could easily be forgiven now for not having found the time to notify her personally about his impending marriage. "Okay, I suppose I can understand. You've been busy since the threat was made, so busy that you forgot to tell me you were getting married. And here I was worried that you didn't think I was important anymore." 

Shining smiled and put a hoof around his little sister as he walked alongside her out to a bridge. "Hey. You're my little sister. Of course you're important to me," With a wink and a grin he then added. "But I'd understand if you didn't want to be my best mare now." 

"What? That's nonsense!" Twilight protested. "Of course I'll be your best mare, if you want me to."

Shining nodded. "I can think of nopony more qualified than you, Twily."

Twilight blushed. But then another nagging thought came into her mind. "I'm still pretty ticked you're marrying somepony I don't know, though. You never even told me you were seeing somepony, let alone that it was royalty."

Shining Armor chuckled. "I'm surprised you haven't already figured it out, Twilight. You always prided yourself on knowing everything."

"So just who is this 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza'?" The studious unicorn inquried with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Have I met them before?"

Shining nodded once again. "You most certainly have. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is none other than Cadence, your old foalsitter."

At that, an image came into Twilight's mind of a pony she'd had fond memories of as a child: Memories of a certain pony she'd later come to learn was called an alicorn. "No, not the Princess Cadence!" She gasped as she turned to face her brother! "The greatest foalsitter in all the history of foalsitters?!"

The stallion chuckled. "You tell me. She was your foalsitter, after all. Her services were in high demand throughout Canterlot, yet she always told me she had a special attachment to you. A bond she never had with any other colt or filly under her care."

Twilight was practically beside herself as the memories flashed in her mind! She could still well remember what Princess Cadence looked like: A tall (though not as tall as Princess Celestia) alicorn with a candy pink coat. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of light purple, always full of love and warmth. Her cutie mark depicted a heart made entirely of crystal, surrounded by yellow ribbons on either side. Her mane and tail consisted of moderate violet and rose locks always styled so straight, but not enough to cover up the light yellow streaks in the back of her head and tail. Freuqently when foalsitting, the princess would wear her mane and tail in buns, held up by beautiful blue bows.

Even though it had been years since Twilight last remembered being foalsat by Princess Cadence, she still fondly recalled her interactions with the alicorn. She'd only somewhat known that Cadence was in fact royalty, let alone the adopted niece of Princess Celestia (Cadence had always deflected the subject to somewhere else whenever she was asked about her parents or where she'd come from). It didn't change what the filly had thought of her favorite foalsitter. "I am so lucky to have you as my foalsitter!" She once told the candy colored alicorn.

Cadence had sweetly replied in that sweet tone of hers. "I'm the one who's lucky, Twilight."

A young Twilight had dismissively remarked. "But you're a princess. I'm just a regular old unicorn."

Cadence had immediately moved to dispel any such notions in her charge. "You are anything but a regular old unicorn, Twilight. Don't ever think otherwise. You're special just the way you are, and I wouldn't have you any other way."

Twilight could also remember the occasions where she had seen Princess Cadence demonstrate her unique abilities, such as on one occassion where the alicorn had managed to get a married couple to stop arguing about whether the mare should get a hooficure. But whenever she did so, Cadence was always quick to warn Twilight. "My powers are not to be taken lightly. I can only rekindle love where it already exists. I cannot compel any ponies to be in love if they don't want to be in love."

And best of all, the two ponies had developed their own secret hoofshake that was complete with its own set of special gestures. And whenever they did it they would always chant together: "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

The flashbacks and fond memories ended as Twilight looked to her big brother with a smile. Any of her earlier complaints or concerns had now left her. Now everything made sense. "How many ponies can spread love wherever they go? I only know of one, and you're marrying her, B.B.B.F.F.!" She began to happily prance and bounce around not unlike you'd expect Pinkie Pie to do, all the while she chanted happily in a singsong tone of voice! "You're marrying Cadence! You're marrying Cadence!"

Suddenly, a voice that was very familiar to Twilight called out in a rather rude tone. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything important." It was an instantly recognizable pink coated alicorn. The only thing different about her appearance compared to what Twilight remembered was that the bows and the bun style were gone. Now Cadence's multi-colored mane and tail flowed naturally, to the point where one side of her mane hung lower than the other.

Overcome with joy, Twilight ran right up to the princess. "Hi, Cadence!" She greeted and then began to chant. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" She made sure to repeat the gestures she'd always performed in the past when doing the chant.

Instead of joining in or even repeating the chant and the gestures, however, Princess Cadence's response was to bat an eye at Twilight. In particular, she seemed to be confused about why Twilight had brought her tail and her rump to face towards the princess without being prompted to. "Uh, what are you doing?" She asked with a quirked brow.

The studious unicorn found that response to be most odd. "Our secret hoofshake, Cadence. Don't you remember? We used to do it all the time when I was a filly."

"Did we now?" Cadence inquired in a confused tone of voice. "I'm sorry, guess it's been a long time since we've seen each other." And she trotted past Twilight without even acknowledging the unicorn's presence any further. She instead made her way over to Shining Armor and stood by him almost as if she were becoming possessive of him.

Shining Armor apologized to his sister. "Sorry, Twily, I guess Cadence doesn't remember foalsitting you as well as you did. But to be fair, we've had a lot on our mind since we agreed to get married. And the threat certainly hasn't helped matters."

"Oh yes, that," Princess Cadence commented with what sounded like concern. "It's a nasty bit of business, isn't it?"

Shining firmly vowed. "It can't be helped. We already made all the arrangements before the threat was issued. And we can't let whoever made it feel like they can just intimidate us. The wedding will go on as planned, and the extra security will make sure it goes off without a hitch," Then he told Twilight. "I need to get back to my post, and I know you've got your official overseer duties to take care of. But don't worry, Cadence will be coming by to check up on the preparations as well. I think I speak for both of us when I say we couldn't be more excited to have you here. Right, dear?"

Princess Cadence nodded and flashed a suspicious smiled as she replied in what sounded like a sinister tone of voice. "Absolutely."

Suspecting nothing, Shining then replied. "Well then, we'll let you get to it."





Twilight tried her best to throw herself whole heartedly into her role as the official overseer for the wedding, even now that she had her responsibilities as the best mare to consider. Yet everywhere she went and everything she checked on, she was ultimately reminded of what (or rather who) she was trying not to think about.

It started with the very first thing Twilight tasked herself with overseeing: Applejack's work on the catering for the wedding. Naturally, Applejack took it upon herself to give every single treat a genuine Sweet Apple Acres touch. And that extended to the cake itself, even though it was lavishly decorated.

Applejack herself was rushing all about the castle's kitchens (which she had been given full access to), checking and re-checking that everything was as it should be. "Cake, check. Ice sculpture, check. Best darn bite-size apple fritter you ever tasted..." She proceeded to shove one of the fritters into Twilight's mouth.

Twilight found the fritter to be absolutely tasty, Applejack's cooking more than spoke for itself. "Check." She licked her lips to clear away the crumbs, and found herself unable to resist laughing at the fact that Spike was busy playing with the plastic stand figures of both Shining Armor and Cadence.

Just then, who should come trotting into the kitchen unannounced but Princess Cadence herself? The way she carried herself was really telling, as if she seemed to be more concerned about herself than about anything else even though she had no reason to do so.

Applejack immediately rushed to greet the alicorn, bowing her head and even taking off her hat as a show of respect. "Well hiya, Princess Cadence!"

In a snooty and almost condescending tone of voice, Cadence coldly replied. "Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

Applejack was quick to correct herself. "Hiya, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. You come to check out what's on the menu for your big day? I hope you'll find it to your likin'."

"Oh no, that's okay. I don't need a taste test," Princess Cadence somewhat nervously replied. "I'm sure your cooking will be... adequate."

The farm mare wasn't one to take no for an answer, not even from royalty. "Oh, but I insist. I ain't settlin' for just 'adequate'. I want the food to be the best it can possibly be. It's your weddin', you deserve nothin' but the best," And she shoved a tray of freshly baked apple fritters in front of the candy colored alicorn. "Go ahead, it's on the house."

Twilight watched as she saw the princess light up her horn. And Twilight had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Instead of the soft blue glow she remembered Cadence's magic always having, the aura coming off of Cadence's horn was a sickly shade of green. That struck her as odd, even though Twilight herself had had her own magic change color.

As for Princess Cadence, she carefully and cautiously took a bite of one of the apple fritters and after swallowing she said with a smile. "Delicious! I love-love-love them. Really." But then she gave off a nervous laugh.

The freckled earth pony proceeded to present the princess with a brown paper bag. "In that case, why don't you take a free sample of 'em to go? I know how you brides can be. So busy, you forget to get a little somethin' in your belly. This ain't my first rodeo, or weddin' as the case may be," She chuckled a bit at her joke. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Fortunately, it seemed Princess Cadence had no intention of saying anything mean or rude to Applejack in reply. Instead, she simply said. "Thanks, I think." Then she went on her way. Yet just before she left the kitchen, she looked all around to make sure nopony was watching, and then she tossed the paper bag into a trash can.

Twilight gasped upon witnessing such a display! Cadence had just lied, to Applejack of all ponies!





When Twilight went to see how Rarity was doing with designing the dress for the bride and her bridesmaids a short time later, she couldn't resist grumbling about what she'd witnessed. It didn't matter to her that Rarity was too busy to really pay attention, Twilight had to get this off her chest one way or another. "Oh, you should have seen how she acted back there, Rarity. I don't know when she changed, but she sure changed alright!" In a mocking tone of voice she then repeated what she'd heard Cadence say earlier. "'Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.'"

"Did I hear somepony mention my name?" Princess Cadence asked, almost as if she knew she was being put on the spot.

Rarity, however, had more immediate concerns. She still had her ruby red sewing glasses on as well as her trusty tape measurer that hung around her neck. Immediately, she bowed to her unannounced visitor. "Your highness! Let me just start by saying what an honor it is to play a role in such a momentous occasion. Please, forgive my..." She briefly paused as if to think of the right word to say, finally settling for. "Frazzled state of appearance."

The princess just coldly replied in an uninterested tone of voice. "Uh-huh. Is my dress ready?"

The fashionista eagerly yet also nervously replied. "Yes, of course," And she couldn't keep herself from stammering as she continued to speak. "I've been working on it ever since I was given the assignment, and I think you'll be pleased with the results! Mmm!" It was a surprisingly simple and modest dress, even though it had yellow trim all around it.

Cadence immediately saw fit to register her discontent with the dress. "I was hoping for something with more beading and a longer train. Please tell me this is not your best!"

"Oh no no no, your highness!" Rarity protested and apologized! "As they say in the business: The customer is always right."

Cadence then looked over the bridesmaid dresses, which coincidentally matched the coats of the three unicorns currently serving as her bridesmaids: A cornflower blue coated unicorn with a bushy blue and bluish-white mane and tail that looked like toothpaste, eyes a sparkling shade of blue and a cutie mark depicting an hourglass. A whitish-gray coated unicorn with a somewhat curly pink mane and tail, arctic blue eyes and a cutie mark depicting three light blue stars. And a mint green coated unicorn with a curly pale grayish blue-green and white mane and tail and eyes the same gold color as the gold lyre depicted on her cutie mark. "And those should be a different color."

The whitish-gray coated unicorn registered her own objection almost immediately. "I think they're lovely."

"Me too! They're fine as they are!" The cornflower blue coated unicorn added.

And the mint green coated unicorn chimed in with her own thoughts. "I love them. Don't change a thing."

Yet all three unicorns were almost immediately intimidated into silence when Princess Cadence shot them a most harsh glare, something that did not go unnoticed by Twilight. Still, the princess reiterated her earlier demand. "Make them a different color, or you're fired. Understand?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, your highness. I'll get right on it." And she set to work as the alicorn departed the room.

Twilight snorted. "Gee, maybe her name should be 'Princess Demandy-pants.'" She sarcastically quipped and went to go see how another aspect of the wedding was coming along: The reception.





Sure enough, when Twilight was checking on the wedding reception, who else but Princess Cadence should show up? And if the expression on her face was any indication, the princess was not pleased in the least by what Pinkie Pie had to offer. The entire hallway where the reception would take place looked rather... childish for lack of a better term.

But Pinkie Pie either didn't notice or didn't care about the bribe-to-be's unhappy expression and overall posture. "Okay,let me see. We've been over the games..." She briefly showed off a board game and rolled some dice that came with it. "And the dances..." She then stood next to a record player that was playing polka music. When the music stopped she gasped! "I think this reception is gonna be perfect! Don't you?"

"Yes, perfect," Princess Cadence declared before she began trotting off. And as she did so she added. "If we were celebrating a six-year-old's birthday party, that is."

Pinkie let out another gasp, apparently blind to the insult! "Why thank you! I knew birthday parties and wedding receptions were a lot alike, but I never knew they were this alike!"

The princess said nothing further, she just grinned, and then rolled her eyes when she was certain she was alone once more.

But unknown to either Cadence or Pinkie, Twilight had seen the whole thing. And she was anything but pleased. "Okay, that settles it," She unhappily thought to herself. "This is not the Princess Cadence I knew! There's no way she could've changed this much since I last saw her! Whoever this pony is, she is not Princess Cadence! So why would she want to marry my brother?"





That evening, Princess Luna came into take over the task of keeping watch over all of Canterlot. "Rest, dear sister," She told Princess Celestia. "As always, I will guard the night. I shall notify you if you're needed."

As Princess Celestia left to get some much needed rest, Twilight was calling an abrupt meeting of her friends along with Spike.

"What's this all about, Twilight?" Applejack questioned. "You've been actin' weird ever since you started overseein' the weddin' preparations."

Twilight immediately took the liberty of explaining her intentions. "It's about Cadence. She is the absolute worst bride-to-be ever! And I know she didn't always act so high and mighty, like she knew better than anypony else."

Rarity wasn't so sure. "Now Twilight, it's been years since you've seen her. Ponies can change. Besides, I'm sure Cadence is just under a lot of stress because of the wedding. Why shouldn't she demand the best? It's her wedding, after all."

"Well, she did yell at one of my songbirds during rehearsal." Fluttershy began.

Convinced that was an incriminating point, Twilight shouted out! "Aha! See? Rude!"

However, Fluttershy then explained. "But that's because he was singing way off key."

Twilight next tried to point out. "Well, Pinkie Pie, what do you have to say about the fact that she mocked your reception preparations as being for a 'six year old's birthday party'?"

Pinkie Pie pondered and put a hoof to her chin. "Maybe she could've put it in a bit nicer way. But then again, I guess the preparations are a bit childish. It's my first wedding reception I've ever planned, though."

Rainbow Dash then added. "I'm afraid I've been too busy working on my sonic rainboom to take any notice of Cadence's behavior, Twilight. But it sounds like Cadence is acting just like any other bride the night before her big day."

And so it was that all eyes fell upon Applejack as the studious unicorn questioned her. "Applejack, did you know that after Cadence said she, and I quote: 'Love love loved' your applefritters, she threw them in the trash?!"

Applejack's eyes went wide and she nearly fell off her chair in surprise! "No, I didn't, Twilight. I mean, she was probably just tryin' to spare my feelin''s and all, but she could've just said that. I worked darn hard on those fritters, no reason at all why she had to go and throw 'em out."

Twilight Sparkle nodded her head. "So you see, it's not just me. Cadence is acting like a total jerk. Or rather, somepony pretending to be Cadence is."

Applejack swallowed hard. "Sugarcube, don't take this the wrong way or anythin', but are you sure you're not just bein' possessive of your brother? You've been pretty darn mad ever since the weddin' invitation was brought to ya."

Twilight swished her tail as she protested. "I am not possessive of my brother! He doesn't need my permission to marry anypony," She then snorted. "But I get it, it's my word against all of yours. You think I don't have proof. This is starting to remind me more and more of Nightmare Moon: How I hoped I was wrong but every instinct told me I was right." And with that, she began to trot away from the table where the others were gathered.

"Twilight, wait!" Spike nervously called as he ran after her. "Don't do something you'll regret later. Please, let me help you! I'm part of your family too, you know."

But the studious unicorn only protested with an unhappy sigh. "No, Spike. I have to do this alone. I won't drag you into this when I'm the only one who thinks this isn't really Princess Cadence," Then she declared. "But I know somepony who will still listen to me. And one way or another, I will find out the truth."





Twilight made her way across town to the barracks, more specifically to the captain's quarters. Sure enough, she found her big brother there. He had changed out of his royal guard attire and had dawned a bright red suit with three yellow buttons on the collar. Attached to the front was a small iron shield similar to the one depicted on Shining Armor's cutie mark.

The finely dressed stallion smiled as he saw his sister appear before him. "Twily! Your big brother's looking pretty good, don't you think?" He asked her as he struck a pose. When he didn't hear a response or even a joke from her, he knew immediately that something was wrong. And he knew from experience that this probably involved him. "Hey, everything okay, sis?" He questioned.

"No," Twilight unhappily sighed. "I wish there was an easier way for me to say it, or better yet, that somepony else were here to break the news to you," She swallowed hard and plucked up couarge, these next few words would be very important. "We need to talk, B.B.B.F.F. It's about Cadence."

"Huh, what about her?" Shining Armor pondered in an unsuspecting tone.

But before Twilight could say anything further on the matter, Princess Cadence announced her arrival with a sharp and abrupt clearing of her throat.

Shining was very surprised to see the love of his life show up unannounced, especially when it was late. "Oh, uh, hi, sweetie. Is something wrong?" He greeted as he hoped he didn't come across as nervous.

Under her breath, Twilight mumbled and grumbled. "She sure has a way of sneaking up on ponies."

"Could I speak to you for a moment, dear?" Cadence questioned her soon to be husband. "Alone if you wouldn't mind?"

Reluctantly, the suited stallion agreed as he told Twilight. "Better see what she wants." And he and Cadence went into another room to talk in private. Unknown to either of them, however, Twilight was able to peer into the room through a keyhole on the door.

"Look, we need to talk," Princess Cadence firmly insisted. "It's about your sister."

"Twily?" Shining Armor gulped as he stepped back a bit. "What about her?"

Princess Cadence replied in an ominous tone of voice. "You won't like it. But you have to know what she's been like today."

Shining immediately protested as he started to argue with his bride. "L–look, look, she's okay. She's worried about you, and about me."

The candy colored princesss argued back. "Will you just listen to me? You don't know what I know!"

"I'm listening, I'm listening," Shining protested again. "What is it you want to tell me? What's going on between you and Twily? I thought you two got along?"

Rather than explain herself, however, the princess frowned as she fixed her gaze upon the suit Shining Armor was wearing. "I thought I made it perfectly clear I didn't want you to wear that stupid old thing."

Shining simply tugged on the buttons of his suit as he simply replied. "I told you, this was my favorite uncle's. He wore it to his wedding when he was my age. He said so himself.

"Yeah? So?" Cadence questioned with a roll of her eyes.

Shining Armor refused to be intimidated as he calmly asserted himself in defense of his decision. "So, I think I should wear it. It is my wedding after all."

Unknown to either pony, Twilight was now sticking her head through the door as she watched the argument unfold.

Cadence scoffed. "Are you disagreeing with me? Me?!"

The suited stallion firmly but calmly replied. "I guess I am," But then he winced and groaned as he put a hoof to his forehead, letting out a sharp cry of pain! "Ah!"

"Oh dear," Princess Cadence remarked with sounded more like malice than genuine concern. "Are you getting another of your headaches? I can fix that!"

"What are you-?!" Shining began but was quickly cut off as the pain from his headache forced him to his knees! Before he had a chance to react, he was struck head on by a beam of sickly green colored magic from Cadence's horn! He stood up very slowly, his eyes now glowing the same sickly green shade.

The princess smirked and smiled as she replied in a sickingly sweet tone of voice. "Feeling better now, hon?" And her smile only grew when she saw Shining Armor nod his head in agreement.

Twilight had seen everything, and she was immediately stricken with quite a rightful fright! She had been more right than she might have suspected about Princess Cadence's behavior! "She isn't just unpleasant and rude. She's downright evil!" And she ran away as fast as her hooves could carry her!

The screaming drew the attention of Shining Armor, who seemed to briefly snap out of whatever it was that Princess Cadence had done to him as he desperately called out to the distance! "Twilight!"

But Princess Cadence only coldly replied. "Just let her go."

"But she had something she was going to tell me," Shining remarked with worry. "You know how she gets when she starts one of her freakouts!"

Cadence shook her head from side to side. "Forget her. She's just trying to ruin my big day, our big day!"





Twilight ran all the way back to the castle, hoping to find her friends and inform them of what she'd just witnessed! "Girls, you're not gonna believe this!" She frantically exclaimed as she pushed open a door to one of the private rooms.

But the unicorn's dark violet-purple eyes could hardly believe the sight she saw before her upon entering! All of her friends were now wearing lavish dresses that were just like the ones Rarity had designed for the bridesmaids! That could only mean one thing.

Fluttershy confirmed the obvious all of a second later, when she flew up to Twilight and proudly showed off her new dress while exclaiming! "Can you believe it? We're gonna be Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's new bridesmaids! She asked us specifically!"

"New bridesmaids? What happened to her old bridesmaids?" Twilight questioned with concern, skepticism and most of all worry.

At that, Pinkie Pie pointed out. "You know, it was the strangest thing. She didn't say exactly, she just said her old bridesmaids had to step down. And she said she'd love-love-love it if we filled in for them."

Rarity added. "Seeing as we've been working so hard and everything."

"And you had your doubts about her," Applejack pointed out. "So maybe Cadence isn't who you remember bein'? She was more than willin' to make up for her bad behavior by askin' us to help out on short notice. Heck, she's even arranged for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to be the flower fillies. They're comin' here to spend the night with us!"

Rainbow Dash, however, complained about her dress as she said aloud. "You sure this is what I should wear? Doesn't seem all that aerodynamic. How can I perform a sonic rainboom in something so frilly?"

At that, Rarity eyed the dress and told her speedster friend. "I'll see what I can do. I'm sure the princess won't mind if I make a few last minute adjustments."

Then as the rest of her friends all giggled and chattered in excitement, Twilight left the room and sighed to herself. "Looks like I'm on my own again. Maybe forever," Tears started to form in her eyes. "Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see," And then she began to sob audibly. "Have I truly lost my brother forever?"

And with this unhappy thought, Twilight sat down on one of the castle courtyard's steps and began to sing to herself:

He was my big brother, best friend

Forever...

And now, we'll never do anything

Together...





Suddenly, however, the stillness of the moon lit night was abruptly dispelled by the flapping of wings. Twilight Sparkle slowly looked up, and saw the familiar form of Princess Luna appear before her.

The moon princess spoke in a calm and concerned tone. "What's the matter, Twilight Sparkle? You seem... troubled."

Twilight sniffled as she tried to dry her eyes. "It's nothing, Princess Luna. Just me being a silly pony."

Princess Luna was anything but convinced by that statement. "Twilight, I know what it's like to keep things bottled up inside because you feel like no one else understands your feelings. And you know what happened to me as a result of that."

"But what if I'm wrong? What if everypony else is right?" Twilight questioned as she sniffled some more. "Maybe I'm just the only one who has a problem with Princess Cadence. Maybe I didn't know her as well as I thought I did. And maybe I'm just doing all of this because I don't want my brother to get married, even though I told myself I was fine with it."

The princess of the night gently drapped a wing over the upset unicorn, pulling her close and speaking in a soothing tone of voice. "Twilight, if you have concerns about Princess Celestia and I's adopted niece, you shouldn't hesitate to speak about them. I promise, I'll listen to whatever it is you have to say. I'll decide whether my sister needs to get involved," And after giving the unicorn a moment to compose herself, she inquired. "Now tell me, what is it about Cadence that has you worried?"

The studious young unicorn paused and took a deep breath in order to collect her thoughts. "Cadence has been acting cruel, stuck up and just plain rude all day. And I know she wasn't always like this. I know she used to be a lot nicer and sweeter. But all she's done today is boss my friends around, tried to turn my own brother against me, and I even saw her cast a spell of some kind that made my brother's eyes go all..." She decided it best to imitate the motion she had seen rather than try to explain it with words.

"I see." Was all Princess Luna had to say in reply. She removed her wing from around Twilight and unfolded both her wings very slowly.

Twilight looked up with hesitation. "That's it? You believe me?"

"Enough to know that you aren't lying, that it's not your own feelings that are making you project things that aren't there," Princess Luna explained. "Come. We must inform my sister at once of your suspicions."





Princess Celestia was surprised to be woken from her sleep so abruptly. But once she saw Twilight and Luna on the other side of her bedroom door, she was wide awake and ready to listen.

Twilight told Princess Celestia what she had already told Princess Luna, all the while the sun princess listened carefully even as she maintained a neutral expression. And she continued to do so after Twilight had finished explaining everything.

At last, however, Celestia spoke up. She did so very slowly. "Well, Twilight... you've been right before about such things. And as I've learned from when Discord broke free, even I cannot see every possible threat to Equestria that might exist."

"So you believe that an impostor has taken Princess Cadence's place?" Twilight questioned her mentor.

Celestia nodded quite slowly. "Much as I wish I wasn't so, it would seem that is the case," Then she firmly declared. "We must postpone the royal wedding. We cannot allow this impostor to carry out whatever sinister plans they are plotting."

But Twilight interrupted and said quite firmly. "No! We don't know who this impostor is or where she's hidden the real Princess Cadence! She thinks she's already fooled everypony, but she hasn't fooled me!" She immediately vowed! "I'll make her talk! I'll find out what she knows and what's she up to!"

Princess Celestia immediately objected. "Twilight, I can't let you do that! I won't risk your safety like I reluctantly did with Nightmare Moon and Discord!"

The studious unicorn would not be persuaded otherwise. "The impostor obviously sees me as a threat. That's why she wanted to get my brother to turn on me. So if it's me she wants, it's me she'll get! Once I know where the real Princess Cadence is, then we can worry about the wedding. There's no need to make everypony worry."

Reluctantly, the two alicorns found themselves agreeing even as Princess Celestia replied. "Very well, Twilight. But please be careful," A lone tear came into her left eye as she openly expressed her concerns. "I don't want to lose you. You're very much like family to me. If anything happens to you because of this..."

Twilight shook her head firmly from side to side. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself. My brother and the real Princess Cadence are counting on me, depending on me to save them from whatever this impostor plans to do with them. And I won't let them down!" And so the matter was more or less settled.





Princess Cadence suspected nothing when she was called to the throne room of the castle, which was in the process of being converted into an alter for the wedding. She had every reason to believe that everything was going exactly the way she wanted it to.

It was only when the throne room doors suddenly closed that Princess Cadence began to suspect something was up. And her suspicions were proven correct when a very angry looking Twilight Sparkle stepped forward to greet her.

Still, the princess of love tried her best not to look intimidated. "Oh, Twilight," She greeted with a nervous smile as she tried to compose herself. "I was just about to come looking for you, actually. I know you must have a lot of questions about my recent behavior. But I assure you, I didn't mean any harm."

Twilight wasn't convinced for a second as she maintained the narrow slant on her eyebrows and glared at the pony before her. "You can't fool me, Princess Cadence. In fact, you're not even Princess Cadence. It's clear you don't know anything about her, let alone what she's like. You may have been able to fool everypony else by using this wedding as a cover, but you don't fool me!"

Despite being backed into a corner, Princess Cadence tried to remain calm. "T-Twilight, you're not making sense. Please, just leave me alone!" She started to cry and sob even though no one but her and Twilight were around to hear it. "Why do you have to ruin my big day?!"

"Because you're evil! Evil, with a capital E!" Twilight snarled as she trotted ever closer to the impostor, her horn ominously sparkling and crackling with energy. "So, where are you hiding the real Princess Cadence?! And what are you planning to do with my brother?!"

Cadence's reaction was not what Twilight was expecting. Rather than break down and confess, the alicorn merely stood up and knocked the unicorn back with a sudden blast from her horn! "You want to know that badly?" She questioned in an ominous and sadistic tone. "I think that can be arranged! After all, I can't have you trying to spoil my plans!"

Suddenly, a circle of green flames surrounded Twilight! She tried to teleport out, only to be teleported right back by the impostor alicorn! "You... you won't get away with this!" She vowed even as her tone of voice betrayed the confidence she was trying to project. "My friends will know I'm missing. They'll come after you. You won't be able to hide the truth from them!"

Cadence coldly laughed. "And where are those 'friends' of yours now? Why did you come alone to face me? Is it because you think your friends don't trust you? Don't believe in you?"

The studious unicorn nervously stammered even as she was hit by a pang of guilt. Why hadn't she gone to her friends before doing? Why had she ignored Spike's warning not to do anything rash? "Y-you... you..."

Cadence just trotted forward, her eyes glaring down at Twilight. "You were a fool to think you could stop me. Your friends abandoned you, and your brother is now under my control. You have nopony left to depend on. Which means nopony's going to miss you when you're gone."

Now it was Twilight's turn to look frightened and intimidated as she pleaded. "Please, just let me go! I'm sorry!"

But Princess Cadence only retorted as her eyes narrowed. "You will be!" And then she watched as the flames enveloped Twilight, dragging her down through the throne room floor until she had disappeared from sight completely.

Satisfied, the princess departed the throne room as she smirked with triumph. She had just eliminated the last obstacle to her plans. Her wedding would go off without a hitch.
> S2 E26: A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2 (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When last we left Twilight Sparkle, she had made a rather rash decision when confronted with what she thought was an evil pony. And although she did turn out to be right, the unicorn's decision to confront said evil alone had resulted in her being defeated and captured, sent to who knows where.

It had all started when Spike had delivered two scrolls to Twilight, one of which was a wedding invitation. And Twilight was most shocked upon learning who the wedding was for: Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and..., then she gasped! "Wait, my brother's getting married?!"

And indeed it was true. Twilight's big brother, Shining Armor, was getting married. In Canterlot no less. And all of her friends had been officially given jobs to help out with the wedding and its reception.

Upon arriving in Canterlot (and finding it heavily fortified with extra guards and a protective bubble covering the whole city), Twilight had seen fit to confront her brother for keeping her out of the loop. But Shining suspected nothing as he had cheerfully greeted. "Twily! Ah, I've missed so much you, kid."

Twilight had quickly scolded her brother by telling him. "How dare you not tell me in pony that you're getting married! I'm your sister, for pony's sake!"

Shining had been quick to apologize for not telling his sister sooner. And he soon revealed something that explained why all of Canterlot was on heightened alert. "A threat was made against Canterlot," He had explained to his sister, revealing that the shield spell was his handiwork. "We don't know who sent it, but they threatened an invasion of Canterlot and said they would not be denied. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were both convinced the threat was serious, and that it's out there, somewhere."

Twilight quickly found herself feeling sympathetic for her brother's plight. Though there was still one aspect about the wedding that she had seen fit to criticize. "I'm still pretty ticked you're marrying somepony I don't know."

But Shining Armor had then revealed that his soon to be wife was somepony very familiar to Twilight. An alicorn princess with a lovely pink coat. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is none other than Cadence, your old foalsitter."

Yet upon meeting Cadence for the first time in years, Twilight found that the alicorn didn't seem to recognize her or the secret hoofshake they'd shared when Twilight was a filly. "I'm sorry, guess it's been a long time since we've seen each other." The princess had apologized.

Twilight found this behavior most suspicious. Yet it wasn't until she ended up evasedropping on a conversation between Shining and Cadence that night that she saw something that truly convinced her that Cadence wasn't who she said she was.

"Are you disagreeing with me?" Cadence had asked when Shining Armor insisted on wearing a red suit over his soon-to-be wife's objections.

"I guess I am." Shining had replied, only to suddenly suffer a headache and be forced to his knees from the pain. That gave his fiance the opening she needed to cast a sickeningly green colored beam of magic at him, which appeared to have the effect of brainwashing him.

Horrified at this, Twilight tried to tell her friends only to find that they already been won over when Cadence offered to make them her new bridesmaids.

"And you had your doubts about her." Applejack had replied to Twilight, making it clear that the studious unicorn was the only one in her circle of friends who at all didn't trust Cadence.

Fortunately, there were someponies still willing to listen to Twilight: Namely Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. "We must inform my sister at once of your suspicions." Princess Luna had told Twilight upon comforting and reassuring the unicorn about her concerns.

But in the end, Twilight decided to confront the impostor that had taken Princess Cadence's place on her own. "If it's me she wants, it's me she'll get!"

Yet that decision backfired big time on Twilight when she was easily overpowered and trapped by the impostor, surrounded by a circle of green flames. "You were a fool to think you could stop me. Your friends abandoned you, and your brother is now under my control." The impostor had taunted Twilight.

Depserately, the unicorn tried to beg for mercy. "Please, just let me go! I'm sorry!"

The impostor Cadence had shut down any such attempts by coldly replying. "You will be!" And that was the last thing Twilight heard before the flames dragged her down through the floor of the throne room.

Now, a royal wedding in Canterlot was about to take place. And the only pony who knew the truth about the bride had been taken prisoner, sent to an unknown location. It seemed that the impostor, whoever they were, had won.



Twilight's friends didn't think anything was out of the ordinary when they didn't see Twilight before they all went to bed that night. None of them were aware of what had transpired in the throne room, and thought very little of Twilight not appearing at the wedding rehearsal.

It wasn't until the next day dawned and all were making the final preparations before the wedding, that the circle of friends would be made aware of the reason behind Twilight's absence. It all started with a knock on the door in the section of the castle where the five mares and one dragon were all gathered.

When the door was opened, in trotted Princess Celestia and Princess Luna with the most mournful expressions upon their faces: Their eyes seemed to be filled with sorrow and their heads hung so low it looked like they could fall to the floor.

"Is something wrong, your majesties?" Rarity asked the royal sisters upon being the first to notice the looks upon their faces.

Princess Celestia spoke up, her voice sound low, mournful and most of all regretful. "I'm afraid not. I'm afraid that Luna and I have some very bad news."

"About what?" Fluttershy asked with concern. "Is the wedding being called off? Wouldn't Twilight have told us if that was the case?"

Meanwhile, Spike put a claw to his chin. "Come to think of it, she didn't come back to the castle suites after she went to go see her brother. Did she spend the night with him or something?"

Princess Luna spoke next, and what she said came as a shock to all gathered. "No. Twilight is gone. She's been captured."

"Captured?!" Spike gasped in disbelief! "By who?!"

Looking across to her sister, Princess Celestia explained to the best of her ability. "Twilight came to Luna and I late last night, expressing her concerns about Princess Cadence. She suspected that the Cadence we've all known since yesterday is an impostor, the real Princess Cadence is missing."

Then Princess Luna explained. "But she insisted on going alone to confront the impostor, to find out where she'd hidden the real Princess Cadence and what her plans were," Her lips quivered as she concluded. "That was the last time we saw her. Nopony has seen hide or hair of her since."

All at once, the five mares and one dragon all collectively gasped together! "What?!"

"You're kiddin' me!" Applejack exclaimed with disbelief as her trusty stetson fell off her head. "Why in the wide world of Equestria would Twilight go and do a thing like that?! Why wouldn't she come to us first?!"

But Fluttershy gulped as a horrible realization struck her. "Maybe because she didn't think we'd believe her. And she would've been right. We were all won over by Cadence even before she made us her new bridesmaids. We all thought she was just acting off because of the stress of the wedding."

"She did say she was sorry for the way she treated us," Pinkie Pie spoke up, and then gasped! "But she wasn't really sorry! She was just trying to trick us!" And she kicked at the ground! "And we fell for it!"

At that, Rainbow Dash grit her teeth as her eyes narrowed! "Well nopony makes fools of us and kidnaps our friend, and gets away with it! Whoever that phoney Princess Cadence is, she's gonna regret ever laying a hoof on Twilight!" She immediately threw off her dress as she declared! "I was bored anyway, a royal wedding didn't sound like my cup of tea. Good thing I'm always itching for action! This will just take ten seconds!" And before anyone could stop her, she flew out of the room in a rainbow blur!

Applejack immediately ran after her fellow athlete, all the while shouting at the top of her lungs! "Rainbow! Wait!"

Alas, Rainbow Dash was in no mood to listen to reason. Especially not once she spotted the Princess Cadence she now knew to be an evil impostor all by herself near the barracks. It seemed like she'd just come back from a visit with Shining Armor.

Suddenly, Princess Cadence found herself face to face with none other than Rainbow Dash. The pegasus quickly glaring at the alicorn. "Okay you, whoever you are, spill it! We're onto your plot!"

Princess Cadence seemed to feign ignorance as she blinked and nervously replied. "Plot? What plot? What are you talking about? And where's Twilight? Isn't she supposed to be with you girls?"

Rainbow spat at the ground and hissed. "You know where Twilight is, you impostor! You did something to her, just like you did something to the real Princess Cadence! Now talk, where are you hiding them?! Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be!"

Yet it was then that the tomboyish flyer felt a sharp and abrupt tug on her tail. She turned to see that she was being held back by none other than Applejack, who spoke through gritted teeth. "Rainbow, this is no time to be reckless! We don't know what we're dealin' with!"

At that, Cadence laughed as her entire attitude seemed to change. "You should listen to your friend, you know," She remarked to Rainbow in an ominous, almost creepy like tone of voice. "You don't know what I'm capable of. I already managed to capture an alicorn princess and Twilight Sparkle. Do you really think your threats scare me?"

"You! You!" Rainbow growled and groaned even though Applejack prevented her from moving.

Cadence smirked. "Relax, I haven't hurt Twilight. I just needed to get her out of the way. And I'm more than willing to do the same to anypony who stands in my way!" After issuing that threat she then added in a sickeningly sweet tone. "Tell your friends and anypony who will listen: The wedding will go on as planned. And if anyone tries to stop me, I can't guarantee my prisoners will remain unharmed. But don't worry, you'll see your friend again soon enough."

Rainbow Dash roared in fury even as Applejack dragged her away. "You monster! You'll pay for what you did to Twilight! I swear it!"

"Promises, promises." Cadence taunted with indifference while shaking her head back and forth. Then once the two athletes had left her sight, she trotted off. It was time to get ready. Everything was falling into place.





It seemed like it had been an eternity to Twilight by the time she finally opened her eyes again. She didn't know where she was, and she couldn't see anything at all. Darkness surrounded her on every side, even as she lit up her horn to provide the faintest hint of light. Nervously, she called out to the darkness, hoping for a reply. "Hello? Is anypony out there? Can you tell me where I am?"

Suddenly, the unicorn felt herself brush up against something cold and sharp with a thud. And as she turned around to inspect, she could hear laughter echoing all around her. It seemed like she was in some kind of cave or cavern, albeit one she didn't recognize in the slightest.

"Ah, you're finally awake," A familiar voice cruelly taunted, before suddenly a projection of a very familiar looking alicorn appeared everywhere. "And how is my little prisoner doing?"

"You!" Twilight hissed as she jumped back, horn at the ready! "What have you done to me?!"

"Nothing, compared to what I'm going to do to you and to the rest of Equestria," The impostor Cadence remarked. "It's no surprise you don't know where you are, hardly anypony remembers this place. It was a mere stroke of luck that I found these caves, but they make the perfect hiding place for ponies who try to interfere in my plans!"

Twilight Sparkle snapped in fury! "Plans?! What plans?! Does that explain why you've been pretending to be somepony you're not?!"

The impostor Cadence nodded. "Correct. I've got big plans, and your brother is the key. Taking the place of the pony he loves more than anything is just the beginning. And the best part is, he has no clue! I had him fooled from the start!"

At that, Twilight roared and shouted at the projection! "Don't you dare do anything to my brother! If you do, I won't stop until I've made you regret it!"

The impostor Cadence just laughed, even as one of the crystals projecting her image was shattered. "The only way to stop me is to catch me! So come get me, if you dare! I'll be waiting."

Seething with rage, Twilight shattered as many of the crystals as she could, even though sometimes she had to dodge the beams of her own magic when they were reflected off the crystals.

Suddenly, when one of the crystals was shattered, Twilight's eyes beheld a sight she had not been expecting to see: It looked like Princess Cadence, except this pony was covered in dirt and bruises and her mane and tail looked incredibly messy.

Cadence looked at Twilight and quickly realized that the unicorn saw her as a threat. "No! Wait! Don't!" She desperately pleaded, only to be immediately tackled by the unicorn and pinned down! "Please!" She shouted as she tried to hold back tears. "It's me, Twilight! The real Princess Cadence! I've been trapped down here just like you."

Twilight rolled her eyes and scoffed at the plea. "Likely story. You don't fool me! You were trying to make me destroy myself, but now it's you who's about to be destroyed! Nopony puts my big brother in danger and gets away with it!" She raised up a hoof, preparing to deliver a powerful blow to the defenseless alicorn underneath her.

However, Princess Cadence managed to wiggle her way free of the embrace and began to chant. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves..."

"-And do a little shake?" Twilight replied as she watched the alicorn repeat the gestures that went along with the chant. Remembering how the other Princess Cadence had not recognized the chant or the dance that went along with it, Twilight realized at once that this Princess Cadence was indeed the real one. She'd found her at last! With tears in her eyes, Twilight rushed to her old foalsitter and embraced her in a big hug! "You remember me!"

Princess Cadence smiled as she stroked Twilight's mane to calm her down. "Of course I do. How could I forget the filly I loved to sit for the most?" And she added. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you, Twilight. You've grown into a fine young mare, and I'm glad you finally came to accept friendship."

Twilight nodded before drying her eyes. "There'll be time for happy reunions later, Cadence. We need to get you out of here before it's too late."

At that, Cadence gasped as a realization struck her! "The wedding! Of course!" She unfolded her wings! "Come on, Twilight! We've got a wedding to crash! This impostor's not going to ruin my happily ever after, not on my watch!"

As the two ponies raced along through the crystal caves, up above they could hear music beginning to play.





Nopony who had gathered for the wedding was any the wiser as to what had transpired the night before, or of the two ponies currently held captive below.

Organ music played as Princess Cadence (or rather, what all but a select few believed to be Princess Cadence) strolled down the asile and right up to the altar in her lavish dress. She smirked with satisfaction, convinced that her deception would stand until it was too late for anypony to do anything to stop her.

Princess Celestia cleared her throat and began the proceedings. "Mares and gentlestallions, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor Sparkle, captain of the royal guard."

Down below in the crystal caves, Twilight and the real Princess Cadence could hear everything. The wedding was proceeding right on schedule. And they realized that if they didn't escape soon, they would be too late to thwart the impostor's plans.

"We're never going to save him," Princess Cadence lamented. "Seems like I can't save anypony, not even myself!"

"No, Cadence, you can't think that way!" Twilight firmly protested. "We will save him, together!" And she began to look around for any hint of natural light that might indicate a way out. At last, her dark violet-purple eyes spotted what looked like an exit on the other side of a crevice. "There!" She shouted and pointed a hoof!

Yet when the two mares teleported over to what they thought was the exit, they found their way blocked by the three unicorns had been the impostor Cadence's first bridesmaids. All three of them now had a sickly green glow over their eyes, indicating that they too had fallen victim to the impostor's brainwashing. All three unicorns said at once. "You're not going anywhere."

Meanwhile, up above, Princess Celestia had just finished asking the bride and groom to say "I do" to one another, a process that had only been interrupted when "Cadence" insisted on being called by her full name. Still, the process was completed and it was time for the union to be declared official. "Princess Cadence and Shining Armor," The sun princess declared. "By the power invested in me, it is my great pleasure to say: I now pronounce you-"

Just then, however, the throne room doors swung open! In trotted a very furious and determined looking Twilight Sparkle, her eyes locked firmly on the alter and on the mare standing beside her big brother. She said only one word, and that one word spoke volumes! "Stop!" She demanded as all eyes became fixed on her, prompting several ponies to gasp (including her parents, who had not been any the wiser to their daughter's unexplained absence up to this point).

"You again!" "Cadence" hissed and rolled her eyes. "Why are you so possessive of your brother? He's mine now, not yours!" But as she realized that her statements were attracting unwanted attention, she sniffled, sobbed and began to weep openly. "Why do you have to ruin my special day?"

"Because it's not your special day! It's mine!" Said a voice. And then, emerging from behind Twilight was a battered looking candy colored alicorn princess. Now there were two Princess Cadences in the throne room, which only further increased the dramatic confusion that was filling the air.

The Cadence at the alter was quick to demand of the Cadence standing by Twilight. "How did you escape my bridesmaids?! I specifically put them there to keep you from getting out!"

The battered looking Cadence grinned as she tried to hold back the urge to chuckle. "I'm just as surprised as you are there that I defeated them so easily. Never expected them to fall for the oldest trick in the book." She then recalled how she had thought to hastily make a fake bouquet down in the caves, and then had tossed it a ways behind her after getting the attention of the trio of brainwashed unicorns.

Surprisingly, all three had immediately jumped and ran after the fake bouquet while shouting! "I want it!"

As the memory faded, the battered looking Cadence looked to her apparent duplicate at the alter. "I know what you're thinking," She commented in what sounded like a mocking tone of voice. "'Which one of us is real and which one of us is an impostor?' I know you'll claim you're the real me, but we both know that's a lie."

The Cadence at the alter just coldly replied. "You can't prove anything!"

"Well I can," Twilight firmly insisted. "I know something only the real Princess Cadence would know," And she immediately asked. "What was the school I attended as a filly after I got my cutie mark?"

The battered looking Princess Cadence immediately replied. "That's easy: Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. My Aunt Celestia always spoke fondly of your talents, Twilight. And once I started foalsitting you, I could easily see why. No other unicorn I'd ever met was as magically gifted as you were."

The Cadence at the alter snarled. "Why couldn't you just be a good little prisoner and stay in those caves?!"

"Because I love Shining Armor, and I refuse to let you take him away from me!" The battered looking Cadence replied, before demanding. "Now why you don't show everypony who you really are, impostor?!"

Snarling and growling, the impostor Cadence began to glow a sickly shade of green as she remarked! "You had to spoil everything, didn't you?! So be it! I have no use for this disguise anymore!" And her voice began to take on an echoy tone! "Witness my true form, and my true power!" Then, a pillar of green flame surrounded her completely, as she began to undertake a most startling transformation!

"What the hay's goin' on here?!" Applejack demanded in a concern and confused tone! "How can there be two Princess Cadences?"

The real Princess Cadence explained. "The impostor me is a changeling: A pony/insect hybrid. She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them."

Meanwhile, the impostor Cadence slowly but surely transformed into a massive pony/insect like creature. Every part of her was completely black, except for a bit of a dark moss green that made up her mane and tail. All across her body there were little holes on her legs and even across her back. Her eyes were dark green, she had two wings the same color as her mane and tail, and she sported a long, crooked horn. She was truly a terrifying sight to behold!





Now revealed to all, the changeling let out a wicked laugh as she gazed at the pony she'd been impersonating until just recently. "Right you are, princess. I see you learned a lot about me in the time you spent down in that cave. But you should know," She smirked and boasted. "You're not dealing with any ordinary changeling, you're dealing with their all powerful leader: Queen Chrysalis."

Cadence scoffed in indifference to the queen. "So you finally decided to show yourself in all your glory."

Queen Chrysalis nodded. "You forced my hoof. Still, you're far too late to stop me! My plans are already in motion! After all, as queen of the changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects," With a smile she fondly proclaimed. "Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered before. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of! Power that will belong to us, and us alone! And I will be the one to rule all!"

Princess Cadence boldly retorted. "They'll never get the chance! And you won't either! Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us! It was really foolish of you to announce your intentions through a threat. As soon as you made that threat, Shining put up the most powerful shield spell he could conjure up! You may have been able to slip in, but your subjects won't be as lucky!"

The changeling queen gave off another wicked laugh as she lit up her horn. "Oh, I doubt that. Did you really think I came unprepared? That threat was all a part of my plan, I knew Shining Armor would cast that shield spell of his. And while he worried about a threat from outside, he never suspected a threat from the inside! Now he's all mine, he'll do whatever I say. Isn't that right, dear?"

Using her magic, Chrysalis forced Shining to give off a nod as his eyes glowed green.

Cadence gasped, before plucking up courage as she tried to rush forward!

Chrysalis immediately stepped forward to block the princess' way, her horn charged and at the ready as she taunted. "Ah, ah, ah. Don't want to go back to the caves, now do you? You know you won't escape a second time, I'll personally see to that."

"But... but..." Princess Cadence stuttered in disbelief.

Queen Chrysalis laughed anew! "Ever since I took your place, princess, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it. And of course, if that doesn't work, I can always ask him to just lower the shield." It was now that ponies became aware of a series of loud cracking sounds.

Sure enough, several changelings were pounding away on the bubble and trying to break it. They hadn't succeeded, yet. But that didn't mean they were going to stop trying.

Swelling with pride and confidence, the evil changeling queen began to boast. "Soon, my changeling army will break through. First, we take Canterlot. And then, all of Equestria! And after that, the world!"

However, to the surprise of all, Princess Celestia stepped forward with her eyes narrowed. She was solely focused on the would be invader and conquerer before her. "No. You won't," She calmly but firmly replied as she locked horns with the queen. "You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self, I can protect my subjects from you!"

"Strike me down if you can, princess!" Chrysalis taunted! "I'm not afraid of you!"

Princess Celestia just replied as she unfolded her wings. "Had you come to me and asked nicely, maybe we could've worked out an agreement for your subjects. But now, whatever happens next is on you!" Then she shot off a beam of golden yellow energy from her horn!

Chrysalis countered with a beam of her own, only to find herself quickly being overpowered! She groaned, squinted and shut her eyes as she tried to concentrate! Her hooves dug into the ground! "No!" She winced in a defiant tone of voice!

Suddenly, something most unexpected happened! Chrysalis' beam managed to overpower Princess Celestia's beam! Before the alicorn with a majestic white coat had a chance to react, the beam knocked off her crown and sent her plummeting to the ground, a black singe mark appearing around her horn! Gasps filled the air anew!

Even Queen Chrysalis seemed to be surprised by the display of power she had just performed, looking to her own hooves in amazement. "I did it?" She quickly recovered. "Er, I mean, of course I did it! I knew Shining Armor's love made me strong, but it seems I may have underestimated just how strong it's made me. Consuming it has made me stronger than even you, Princess Celestia! Too bad I'm no longer in a negotiating mood," Then with an ominous laugh she added. "And don't think I've forgotten about your sister, Luna."

"You stay away from her, you fiend!" Celestia valiantly hissed even though she knew was in no position to fight back. She tried to rise to her hooves, only to stumble and fall to the ground again as her body betrayed her.

The evil queen just cackled with glee. "Oh, don't worry. I'll visit her soon enough. I could use a new playmate to test my limits. Perhaps she will be more of a challenge than you were."

Meanwhile, Twilight rushed to her fallen mentor's side as panic filled every ounce of her being! "Princess Celestia!"

Despite her weakened state, Princess Celestia immediately forced out. "Never mind me, Twilight. It's all up to you, now. You and your friends must retrieve the Elements of Harmony and use their power to defeat this evil queen! Go, while there's still a city left to save!"

Twilight firmly nodded even as she promised. "We'll be back for you, Princess Celestia. Queen Chrysalis won't know what hit her!" Then she gave a whistle, instructing all her friends to rush to her side! "Come on, girls! It's hero time!"

"Now we're talking!" Rainbow Dash cheered at the top of her lungs, and one by one the mares all ditched their wedding dresses (though Rarity made it a habit to catch each one and carefully preserve it, not wanting her hard work to go to waste).

But Queen Chrysalis only laughed as she flapped her wings! "You can run, but you can't hide!" Taking to the skies, she taunted. "You ponies dont scare me. I'll let my best soldiers deal with you defiant ponies. Princess Luna is mine!" And she set off to find her next "victim".





Twilight and her friends ran through the streets of Canterlot, rushing as fast as they could towards the vault where the Elements of Harmony had been moved following Discord's defeat! Meanwhile, they could hear the changelings pounding away at the protective bubble covering Canterlot. And to make matters worse, they could see visible cracks forming in it, indicating that the shield spell was beginning to fail.

Sure enough, the cracks widened until the entire bubble shattered not unlike glass! With the bubble destroyed, changelings began to rain down from the sky, swarming every street corner and alleyway! Canterlot was now under attack!

One changeling crashed into a crater right in front of Twilight and the others, hissing audibly as it bore its fangs! "You will go no further!"

But Twilight blasted the changeling aside with her magic and urged her friends onward! "Go! Go!"

When at last the six mares reached the building that housed the vault, they were confronted by a huge army of changelings that stood ready and waiting to intercept them.

Rainbow Dash put her hooves together. "Looks like we're gonna have do this the hard way! They won't know what hit 'em!" She flew forward, ready to fight any number of changelings. But she stopped right in her tracks when one of the changelings transformed into her and imitated her moves. The confusion gave the changeling the opening it needed to kick  Rainbow and knock her back.

"They're changelings, remember?" Twilight pointed out, only to be immediately imitated by several changelings all at once. The unicorn shook her head and grit her teeth as she stood by her friends, warning them. "Don't let them distract you. We have to get to the Elements of Harmony. They're our only hope. Stay sharp!" And so a fight began!

It wasn't long until the mares found themselves separated in the confusion of the fight, which kicked up a huge cloud of dust. Fluttershy was terrified when she found herself all alone against a series of changelings that looked just like her. Yet she quickly summoned what courage she had and threw her voice, hoping to fool them. "They went that way!" She gestured a hoof, and was surprised when all her look-alikes trotted right past her, heading for the direction she had just pointed out.

Fluttershy was relieved, but not for long when she suddenly found herself facing down several Rainbow Dashes. That is, until one of them knocked the others aside and pulled Fluttershy close. "It's really you, right?" Rainbow asked in a hopeful tone of voice.

"Uh, I think I'm me." Fluttershy gulped.

Rainbow smiled as she hugged her fellow pegasus. "Of course it's you!" Then she instructed! "Come on! Stay close and do what I do! We won't let them get the best of us!"

Meanwhile, Applejack was easily holding her own as she stood next to what she assumed was Twilight. But she was proven wrong when "Twilight" suddenly transformed and hissed, pouncing on the unsuspecting farm mare! "Okay, this is gettin' weird!" She quickly threw all her strength into her back hooves, flipping the changeling and tossing it over the horizon! Soon afterward, Applejack was pulled close in a violet-red glow. "Twilight, it's the real me!" She insisted!

"Prove it!" Twilight replied.

Gulping, Applejack confessed. "You remember the 'Applebuck Season' incident?"

The studious unicorn nodded, releasing her hold on Applejack. "I do. That's good enough. Let's not separate again, Applejack. We need to find the others!" And then she began to pull various changelings close, using her horn's magic to remove their disguises one by one.

As for Pinkie Pie, she seemed to be having the time of her life as she watched one changeling rapidly change forms several times: Going from Rarity to Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy in the blink of an eye. "Do me! Do me!" She laughed and giggled.

The changeling rolled its eyes, but obeyed. "Tada." It weakely exclaimed as it transformed into Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie was silent for a moment, before she replied. "Meh, I've seen better." And then she grabbed Twilight, pulling the unicorn close and treating her as if she were a magical gattling gun! Beams of magic shot off from Twilight's horn in rapid succession, blasting away changeling after changeling!

At last, after several punches, kickes, cannon blasts and various other means of combat, the six mares managed to defeat the last of the changelings. For a moment, they stood in triumph, before the rush of combat wore off and they remembered their goal.

"Quick, before they come back!" Twilight Spkarle shouted and led her friends into the building in front of them.

Upon entering the building, however, the mares found that several more changelings were already there and were waiting for them. The path ahead was blocked.

To make matters worse, when the mares turned to leave they found other changelings blocking the exit. The changelings quickly encircled the ponies, preventing them from escaping.

"There's just no end to these guys!" Rainbow Dash groaned and panted! "I don't know if I can keep fighting them for much longer!"

"What's the point?" Rarity unhappily remarked. "If we have to fight them to the elements and back, we'll be too exhausted to do anything. We're outnumbered."

Reluctantly, Twilight declared. "We're finished. There's no point fighting back anymore." And just like that, the heroic resistance crumbled.





Back in the throne room, Queen Chrysalis finally managed to overpower Princess Luna and knock the alicorn to the floor! "Well, that was fun," She sadistically remarked. "But did you really think you stood a chance against me, princess? If even your big sister couldn't stop me, what made you think you'd be any different?"

"Forgive me, sister," Princess Luna weakly replied as she was surrounded by changelings. "I failed."

Princess Celestia couldn't reply. She'd been imprisoned within a cocoon that hung over the altar. Moving around was impossible for the alicorn, let alone speaking.

Despite knowing it was a futile gesture, Spike plucked up courage and bravely ran forward to try and attack Chrysalis with his fire breath! But he was easily knocked down and tossed aside.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Child. You really thought you could do anything to me? Guess I'll have to teach you some manners."

But Princess Cadence, despite having her hooves bounded to the floor by a green colored goo, glared at the changeling queen and defiantly shouted. "You think you're so smart?! Twilight and her friends are out there! You'll see! You won't have anything to smile about when they get back with the elements and kick your sorry butt!"

Just then, however, the throne room doors burst open. Twilight and the others were ushered in by changelings, all of them bearing the look of defeat as it was possible to notice they weren't wearing the necklaces and tiara that made up the Elements of Harmony.

Queen Chrysalis can't help but look back at the princess of love, gleefully rubbing in her victory as she taunted. "You were saying?" Then she turned to the changelings as the throne room doors closed. "Go! Feed, my subjects! Bring this city to its knees!" Once she was alone in the throne room with her captives, she couldn't resist rubbing in her victory! "With how long I took your place, Cadence, I of course learned about the Elements of Harmony. A lot of good they'll do anypony when their bearers are my prisoners! I'm taking over, don't bother trying to stop me!"

"You... you heartless monster!" Cadence defiantly roared!

Chrysalis only laughed. "Flattery won't save you, princess," Then she turned her full attention to Twilight. "Isn't it funny? You were skeptical of me the whole time, but nopony believed you. Maybe if they had, they could've stopped me. But I had them all fooled from the start!"

Applejack hung her head in shame as she glumly looked in Twilight's direction and apologized. "Sorry, Twi. We should've listened to you when you were tryin' to warn us. It's our fault this all happened."

"Some friends we turned out to be in the end, huh?" Rainbow Dash bitterly remarked in shame.

But Twilight shook her head from side to side. "Now's not the time for feeling sorry for ourselves," And she added. "Even I didn't know we were up against something like this. It's really my fault for thinking I could handle things on my own."

"Exactly!" Chrysalis gleefully pointed out as she rubbed her hooves together. "But then again, you never could've known about us changelings. Princess Celestia is the only one who did, and even she believed us to have been defeated. Her first mistake, perhaps her greatest. But certainly not her last."

The studious unicorn then took notice of something that Queen Chrysalis apparently wasn't aware of. Princess Cadence was using what magic she still had to try to free her hooves from the goo. Sensing an opportunity for a distraction, Twilight spoke up. "You know something, your majesty?" The last part of the sentence was practically dripping with sarcasm.

Queen Chrysalis decided to humor the pony she'd come to despise the most. "Do I know what?"

With a grin, Twilight Sparkle declared. "You talk too much. Are you that in love with the sound of your own voice? Or do you think somehow it imitidates your enemies? Because I can tell you, all your rambling and prattling doesn't scare me. You're just an overgrown bug with a big mouth, and an ego to match!"

"BUG?!" Chrysalis snarled and seethed with rage! "You dare to mock me even now?! Even after seeing me defeat every single threat that's come my way?!" Her horn began to sparkle and crackle ominously! "Perhaps I need to make an example out of you!" Yet it was then that she became aware of something, of a link being severed. She turned around in time to see Shining Armor's eyes revert to their original moderate cerulean color.

Princess Cadence shed a single tear as she threw her hooves around Shining Armor and hugged him tightly! "Oh, thank goodness! I feared I'd lost you forever, Shining! That I'd failed to save you!"

"Wha...?" Shining stumbled as he tried to shake the mental cobwebs from his mind. "I... is the wedding over?"

"There's no time to explain!" Twilight called! "Quick, cast your shield spell! Canterlot is under attack!"

Queen Chrysalis laughed as she slowly trotted forward. "Go ahead and try. I took more than your love, after all."

And indeed, Shining Armor soon found that he could barely get his horn to spark. "My power is useless now. I don't have the strength left to repel them anymore."

Princess Cadence simply replied by touching her horn to Shining's. "My love will give you strength! Together, our love will defeat Chrysalis and her changeling army!"

The changeling queen laughed as she rolled her eyes and began to light up her horn. "What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment. It's all over: For you, for Canterlot, for everyone and everything you care about!"

"We'll see about that!" Cadence defiantly replied as she and Shining started to fly into the air, their horns all but joining together. Soon, there was a spark. And then, before everyone's eyes, a bubble formed between the two horns. It started small, but with each passing second it began to grow. And grow, and grow, and grow!

Chrysalis stomped a hoof down as her horn was now fully charged! "Enough of this madness! I'm putting you both down! Then after I drain all of your combined love, I will destroy your entire world piece by piece!" She fired off a powerful burst of sickly green magic, only to find it effortlessly deflected by the growing bubble! "W-what?!" She stuttered in disbelief!

Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's eyes glowed bright white as the bubble grew to truly massive size! Then it began to expand outward, beyond the reaches of the throne room and all the way to the horizon!

Queen Chrysalis tried to run, but it was no use! The bubble overtook her and blasted her away, along with every single changeling that had been a part of her invasion army! "I'll remember this!" She shouted, before she disappeared over the horizon with a twinkle (as did all of the changelings).





It didn't take long after the changeling threat had been repelled for Princess Luna to stumble to her hooves. She quickly flew up, using what magic she had to free her sister from her cocoon prison. "Did you know Cadence was truly that capable of enhancing another's magical power, sister?" Luna questioned as she helped guide the still weakened Princess Celestia down.

"No," Princess Celestia replied in what sounded like a sincere tone of voice. "I knew Cadence had potential from the moment she became an alicorn. But I never imagined she would be the one to save us all," Upon hearing a throat clearing she corrected. "With a little help from her soon-to-be husband, of course."

Spike then saw fit to ask. "So, is the wedding cancelled, then? Are we gonna have to wait and do the whole thing all over again?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head and bounced over to Twilight, giving the unicorn a big hug while proclaiming! "If there's anypony who can put together an entirely new wedding in less than a day, it's Twilight! She can organize just as about anything!"

Twilight couldn't help but blush. "Well, if it's okay with the bride and groom."

"We'd be honored, Twily," Shining Armor nodded while looking across to Cadence. "Just give us a little time to get cleaned up." Then he took his fiance's hoof into his own and led her down the asile as the two departed the throne room together.

With only the royal sisters in the throne room along with Twilight's friends, the mood quickly became far less celebratory as five very guilty looking mares (and one guilty looking dragon) all came forward to confront the studious unicorn. "We really are sorry about everything that happened yesterday," Rarity took the lead in apologizing this time. "It's not like we didn't think your concerns weren't valid. But we let ourselves get distracted with the wedding preparations."

Fluttershy then apologized. "We understand if you can't forgive us right away. If we'd just listened to you, you never would've gone off on your own and gotten captured."

Spike practically threw himself at Twilight's hooves, trying to hold back the tears. "When you didn't return this morning and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told me about last night, I feared the worst. I thought I'd never see you again! Please, don't ever leave me like that again, Mom!"

Twilight stroked Spike's scales, calming him down. "I promise, Spike. The next time I get the idea to play the hero, I'll talk it over with you and our friends first."

The word "friends" came as a shock to Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarity! "You... still wanna be friends with us after all of this?" Rainbow Dash questioned with concern. "You're not just pulling our legs?"

The studious young unicorn nodded her head quite firmly. "Of course I do. I can tell that you're all sincere in your apologies. And it's not like I'm completely innocent, I should've talked things over with you girls before running off on my own," She blushed a bit as she added. "Even if it did ultimately work out for the best."

Princess Celestia appeared to nod, even as she cautioned Twilight. "Even so, I hope you understand the dangers of putting yourself before others, Twilight. Next time, you may not be so lucky."

Twilight Sparkle nodded back. "Believe me, I know that now more than ever," Then she looked towards the throne room doors. "Now, I think there's a certain other pony I need to have a little talk with."





As it turned out, Twilight had no need to track down her brother. He came to her as soon as she had left the throne room. "None of this would be possible if it wasn't for you, Twily," He began, before he tried to hold back a tear. "Sorry I couldn't be there for you like I promised. If only I'd noticed sooner, maybe we could've rescued Cadence together and you wouldn't have had to get yourself captured."

Twilight embraced her big brother in a hug. "It's okay, B.B.B.F.F., I forgive you. Even I began to think I'd been wrong about Cadence at one point. Chrysalis knew how to fool everypony, even the princesses."

"Still, whether we knew it or not, we had been growing apart before all of this," Shining Armor confessed. "It wasn't intentional, we had our lives and they kept us busy. But if we'd really wanted to we could've seen each other any time we'd have liked. So let's agree that we'll at least keep in touch as best we can from now, sis."

Twilight nodded again. "Only if you agree to let me still be your best mare for the wedding. I know how much it means to you and to Cadence."

Shining smiled as he told his sister. "It's a deal!"

And so the wedding commenced just a few hours after the invasion had been defeated. The throne room had been cleaned, and both Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had signed off on every aspect of the wedding and its reception.

As Princess Cadence strolled down the asile to the alter, ready to stand alongside Shining Armor and exchange vows with him, Twilight adjusted the badge on Shining's suit. Then she whispered to him. "Seriously, though. I get why the queen of the changelings wanted to be with you, but how did you ever get someone as amazing as Cadence to marry you? You struggled just to work up the nerve to ask her out for a date."

Shining Armor grinned as he explained in a soft and quiet tone of voice. "It's simple. I told her she wouldn't just be gaining a husband. She'd be getting a pretty great sister-in-law, too. And I know it was still her when I proposed, those emotions couldn't have been faked by an impostor."

When Princess Cadence reached the altar all but a few seconds later, Princess Celestia cleared her throat. "Mares and gentlestallions, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza–"

But Cadence corrected. "Just Princess Cadence is fine."

Celestia smiled as she continued. "Princess Cadence and Shining Armor Sparkle. The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love, undeniable. May we have the rings please?" She watched Spike bring them forward, wearing a finally pressed tuxedo. Using her magic, she took the rings off the pillow and placed them on the horns of both Shining and Cadence as she declared. "By the power invested in me, I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Shining Armor needed no further encouragement. He leaned in and happily kissed his wife as she kissed him back.

The sun princess then whispered to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash, that's your cue. You know what to do."

Rainbow Dash needed no further encouragement. She immediately took to the skies, and any hesitation she might have had disappeared. With what looked like the greatest of ease, she performed a sonic rainboom all the while proclaiming! "Best... wedding... ever!" And indeed, all believed that it was. It would be a wedding to remember.





That evening, with the reception for the young couple in full bloom and all the traditional dances started, Twilight Sparkle took hold of a microphone as she announced to all. "I'd like to dedicate this next song to my big brother, best friend forever and his new wife. May they live happily ever after together for many, many years to come."

Pinkie Pie then happily shouted! "Alright! Let's get this party started!" She then rushed over to a nearby turntable where a unicorn mare with a white coat and an electric blue colored mane and tail was waiting.

And soon, music began to drift through the air. Amidst a chorus of cheers and whistles, Twilight began to sing:

Love is in bloom.

A beautiful bride, a handsome groom.

Two hearts becoming one.

A bond that cannot be undone because...

Love is in bloom.

A beautiful bride, a handsome groom.

I said love is in bloom!

You're starting a life and making room...

For us.

The song continued as the newly married couple headed down to a waiting carriage with a "Just Married" sign attached to the back of it.

"Ready to go, hon?" Shining Armor asked his wife when they were seated in the carriage.

Princess Cadence nodded, before she suddenly remembered. "Oh! Almost forgot." She proceeded to lean out of the carriage, tossing her bouquet high into the air!

"IT'S MINE!" Rarity shouted at the top of her lungs as she pushed the original trio of bridesmaids aside and caught the bouquet with her magic. But when all eyes fell upon her, she blushed as she shamefully gave up the bouquet.

As the carriage then sped away into the night, Twilight Sparkle smiled as she finished her song. "Now this was a great wedding." She thought to herself.
> S3 E9: Spike at Your Service (What If?) - Redo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity was humming a delightful little tune to herself within Carousel Boutique. She was looking forward to a relaxing day with nothing major on her schedule. A day to maybe catch up on her reading or just start a small side project. A day where she wouldn't have to go gem hunting or worry about sewing dresses in order to fill an order. It helped that Sweetie Belle was staying with their parents, so the chances of the filly dropping by the boutique were almost zero.

The fashionista unicorn eyed her calendar a second time, just to be sure she hadn't somehow forgotten something or had misremembered the day. She had not, there was indeed nothing on her schedule for today.

But just as Rarity was about to make herself some breakfast, she heard a faint knock on her front door. That struck her as most odd. It wasn't a grooming day for Opal, so it couldn't be Fluttershy stopping by to drop off the cat. Well, whoever it was, Rarity had plenty of time for them. So she trotted over to the door to answer it.

Imagine the unicorn mare's surprise when the familiar face of Spike greeted her upon the door being opened. "Hi, Rarity," He greeted as he seemed to blush ever so faintly, his scales turning a kind of adorable shade of pink in the process. "Lovely day, isn't it?" It seemed like he was unsure of what to say given the way he spoke and carried herself.

Rarity politely nodded back as she remembered Spike's confession about his crush on her. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, and not just because she was worried about what Twilight might think. Despite that, she still greeted her visitor like he was any other. "It is indeed quite lovely out, today. Seems like Rainbow Dash actually got up on time for a change."

"Yeah," Spike nodded and then asked completely unprompted. "Uh, would it be okay if I stayed with you? Just for a little while? Maybe I could help you with some things?"

That struck the unicorn as quite odd even as she invited Spike into her boutique. "Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, Spike, but why have you come to see me?" She questioned the little dragon. "Did something happen between you and Twilight? Did you have a falling out?"

The little dragon immediately protested with a shake of his head. "No no no. Everything's fine between Twilight and I. She's just busy today, that's all."

The fashionista inquired further. "Busy how, exactly?"

Spike put a claw to his chin as he tried to recall. "Well, it all started just a little while ago, actually. And it's all a part of Twilight's advanced studies, apparently." The memory started to flash in his mind as the details slowly came flooding back to him:

"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve." Spike had counted off a stack of books that had just been delivered. And they all seemed rather thick and full of pages.

Twilight had replied. "Huh. Odd. That's not that many, actually."

The little dragon had been quick to remark. "'Not that many'? Are you kidding? How are you even supposed to read twelve books in one weekend? Even for a pony like you, Twilight, that's a lot!"

The studious unicorn had just chuckled. "Well, Princess Celestia obviously thinks I can do it or she would never have assigned them to me. I'm not planning on letting her down. Obviously, I will be taking breaks as needed for food, drink and the bathroom."

"Just hope you weren't planning on sleeping at all," Spike had teased. "I can tell you're gonna be busy with those books all weekend long. And we both know you can never put down a good book."

Twilight had nodded back without shame. "Guilty as charged, Spike," Then an idea had come to her as she had proposed. "Actually, Spike, why don't you take the day off? I don't think I've given you a full day off in a long time."

The little dragon had been taken by surprise by the sudden decision from the unicorn. "You actually want me to take a day off? Are you sure?"

Twilight had simply replied in a sincere and friendly tone. "Why not? After all, these books are going to keep me very busy for a while."

"But... what am I supposed to do?" Spike had pondered. "Just wander around town until sundown and then come back? Are you sure there aren't any errands I can run for you, Twilight? I didn't exactly have time to prepare for this."

Twilight had then proposed. "Well, why not see if one of our other friends need help? I'm sure at least one of them will have something they'd appreciate a helping claw with."

"Okay, sounds good to me," Spike had agreed. "Guess I'll see you at sundown, Twilight. This time, I promise I won't stay out late." And with that, he had left the Golden Oak Library, having already settled on a destination.

"So I immediately thought of you, Rarity," Spike explained as the flashback ended. "I know I've helped you a couple of times before. And this time, you don't even have to ask me. I'd be happy to help you with just about anything: Even just getting some of your chores done."

Rarity hesitantly replied. "Well... I don't know..." She remembered the one time Spike had been kind enough to take out the trash for her, that had been most appreciated. But not only did she not have a full trash can that needed to be taken out, but a part of her was feeling guilty about making Spike do any kind of work for her that she could easily take care of herself. Even Sweetie Belle had been getting on her case about being lazy.

Spike then reached up towards his head and pulled out a small card of some sort. "If it helps," He proposed. "I can officially offer my services to you as a part of my 'Noble Dragon Code'." And he presented the card to Rarity without hesitation.

The fashionita took the card into the glow of her horn and looked at it. She had never heard of any such code before. What should she do? What should she say?

But it seemed that Spike didn't want to wait for an answer. Or rather, he took the silence from Rarity as approval to officially serve her. "Great!" He cheered and took back the card! "I'll get started right away, Rarity! Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it!" And he raced away before the unicorn could say a single word in protest.

Little did Rarity anticipate that this overeagerness on Spike's part would become a very big problem for her. One that was going to cause her to do something she was going to regret.



Rarity was still in something of a state of shock. Spike had just agreed to basically serve her and tend to her every need, regardless of whether she wanted him to or not. What would her friends think if they found out about this (Twilight especially)?

Well, the fashionista couldn't think on an empty stomach. So she immediately proposed to Spike. "Spike, darling, why don't I fix us up some breakfast before you get started? I was just about to make it for myself, actually."

"Want a helping claw?" Spike offered as he strolled right on up to Rarity. "I make breakfast for Twilight all the time, even though she's perfectly capable of cooking herself. I don't mind, though. That's just what Twilight is, family's family after all."

But the unicorn with a snow white objected! "N-no, I wouldn't want to take advantage of your... er... generosity when you're already promising to do so much for me. Really, this is the least I can do for you in return. My treat, if you will."

That seemed to satisfy the little dragon as he looked at Rarity and told her with a cheerful smile on his face. "Okay then. I'll just have a look around the boutique and see if there's anything else I can do for you. Just call me when breakfast is ready."

"It won't take long, Spike," Rarity insisted as she not so secretly pushed him away from her. "Just have a seat at the table. And after breakfast is over," She then got an idea. "You can help me with the dishes. It'll be over much quicker with two."

"Heh, dishes it is," Spike replied. "I could do those in my sleep." But with a satisfied smile on his face, he walked away to take a spot at the kitchen table to wait for breakfast to be served.

Rarity immediately threw herself whole heartedly into making breakfast for her and her unexpected guest. As she did so, however, her mind started to wander ever so slightly. It turned to the subject of that little card, that little code Spike had mentioned. Was it just something he'd made up so as to have an excuse to serve her? If so, it was odd that he'd choose to do it now when he'd never needed an excuse to serve her before or even just hang out with her.

Then again, Rarity remembered that Spike hadn't been quite the same since he'd returned from his trip outside of Equestria. He hadn't talked about it much, only mentioning that he'd spent time in a dragon colony. Had something on that trip inspired or encouraged Spike somehow?

Well, those were thoughts for another time and place. But the fashionista unicorn silently vowed that she would get to the bottom of that little mystery before long. If Spike really was intent on serving her all day long, she at least wanted to know why.

Breakfast wasn't anything fancy, but Rarity was no slouch in the kitchen. She'd practically been forced from a young age to learn how to cook given that her mother's cooking skills were... less than ideal (to say nothing of the disasters that unfolded the few times her father tried to cook). Soon, she had made a lovely plate of pancakes, and some eggs to go along with it. For drink, fresh squeezed orange juice was on the menu.

Spike happily dug into his plate of pancakes and eggs as soon as he was presented with them. His table manners weren't ideal, but Rarity had seen far worse displays. She still wanted to say something about it, but decided to hold her tongue for fear that she might come across as rude or ungrateful.





When at last breakfast was over, Rarity took up the places within the soft glow of her horn and carried them to the kitchen sink to be washed.

Spike was at the unicorn's side in a heartbeat. "I'm ready when you are, Rarity!" He gave a salute! "You did promise to let me help you with the dishes."

"Oh, yes," Rarity sheepishly blushed as a nervous grin formed on her face. "Forgive me, I'd... forgotten."

The little dragon chuckled. "At least it wasn't anything important. I'll bet there's probably other things you've forgotten. But I can help you remember them. After all my time spent with Twilight, I've learned a thing or two about organization and memorization."

The fashionista chuckled back. "Forgive me for saying this, Spike, but you're a real momma's boy. Twilight has raised you well."

"Not entirely by herself," Spike confessed. "Don't forget, she was just a child when she hatched me. You couldn't expect one child to take care of another. She had her parents, and she had all kinds of castle maids to help her take care of me."

"Ah yes, that would indeed make sense," Rarity agreed as she filled up a huge container with dish soap and water. "Although, it seems like I practically had to raise Sweetie Belle on my own from the day Mother and Father brought her home from the hospital. I didn't like it, but somepony had to do it."

The little dragon just nodded as he then grabbed a dirty plate and started to wash it. "I'm sure your parents have their reasons for raising Sweetie Belle the way they did. And she seems to be doing well for herself these days."

"Whenever she and her friends aren't tearing up the town trying to get their cutie marks," Rarity remarked. "All the same, I can remember what it was like not to have a cutie mark and to be worried about such a thing. Such is youth, I suppose."

"Hey, you're not that old!" Spike pointed out as he allowed himself to become momentarily distracted looking at the unicorn. And it was because he was so distracted that the plate he'd been cleaning slipped from his grip. Before the little dragon had a chance to react, the plate fell to the floor in front of him and shattered into pieces with a loud crash! "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Rarity! Really!" He sincerely apologized as his face flushed with embarrassment.

The fashionista unicorn did her best to hide her worry. It wasn't like she'd never experienced this sort of slip up before, after all. Besides, it was an honest mistake that could've happened to anyone. No need to get upset. "It's nothing to worry about, Spike. Accidents happen, as they say," Levitating her horn, she prepared to summon a broom and a dustpan. "Nothing to do but to sweep up the broken pieces."

Spike, however, was quite insistent. "Let me do it, Rarity! I'm the one who dropped the dish, I should be the one to clean up the mess."

Rarity gently tried to lead Spike away from such an idea. "Oh, it's no trouble to me. You're already doing enough just helping me wash the other dishes. Besides, magic will it make much eaiser and much quicker."

"I know I'm a baby dragon but I'm not an actual baby," Spike snorted as a bit of smoke escaped his nostrils. "I can take care of myself, Rarity. Please, let me help you!" And he tried to grab the broom, practically jumping up to do so.

Rarity reluctantly relented, sensing that Spike wasn't going to let the situation go. "Oh, I suppose there's no harm. Just please be careful, Spike."

The little dragon took up the broom and the dustpan as he replied. "Like you said, it was an accident. You can just use your magic to put the pieces wherever they're suppsed to go, and then we can get back to washing the rest of the dishes." And he managed to sweep up the broken pieces without further incident, then allowing Rarity to float the dustpan over to a place where the pieces could be safely disposed of.





After that, the dish washing proceeded without further fanfare. And Rarity was right, things went a lot faster when there were two doing them as opposed to only one. However, Spike's constant insistence on being helpful was troubling to the fashionista. Was it just because of his crush on her?

Hoping to find out, the unicorn asked the little dragon afterwards. "Spike, just what is with you today? Not that I don't appreciate the extra help or anything, but you're practically insisitng on helping me with everything and anything."

"I told you, Rarity," Spike protested. "It's all a part of my 'Noble Dragon Code', I'm honor bound to serve you. It's what the code says."

The fashionista skeptically replied with a quirked brow. "Forgive me, Spike, but from what I saw of it it sure looked like you were making it up. You don't need to invent an excuse to see me, or any of our other friends for that matter. I'm sure any of them would love to have you help them out from time to time. You don't need to make up a 'code' for that."

But Spike snorted, groaned and rolled his eyes. "I'm not making it up, Rarity! I'm serious! That code means a lot to me!" And he explained. "Look, after I came back from my journey to see those other dragons, Twilight and I did some more research. We went to Canterlot together," He started to recall the entire day the two had spent combing Canterlot's libraries and archives. "We looked up any information we could find about dragons. And that's when we discovered this 'Noble Dragon Code'."

Rarity was surprised if the expression upon her face was any indication. "Really?"

"Yes, really," The little dragon firmly nodded. "Dragons used to live by it all the time, until some dragons started complaining about other creatures taking advantage of it. Basically, dragons agreed to do all kinds of things to prove their nobility. Some would even serve another creature for life if said creature saved their life."

"But I haven't saved your life, Spike. And I don't recall your life ever really being in danger either," Rarity pointed out, before an unfortunate memory came flooding back into her mind in an instant. "Except for that time you accidentally turned into a rampaging monster and took me prisoner."

At that, a look of shame and guilt came into Spike's green eyes as he confessed. "That's pretty much the whole reason why I knew I had to adopt that code. It's the only way I can be sure I'll never become that greed induced monster I was on my last birthday! So that's why I have to serve you, Rarity. It may not be for life, but a code is a code and I can't go back on it. Not if I want to be a noble dragon."

In response, the fashionista smiled even as she bit her lip. Any attempt she might now feel tempted to make to gently send Spike away would only make her feel guilty. "Well, I... do want you to feel like a noble dragon, Spike."

Taking that as a sign that his offers to help were accepted, Spike happily replied. "So I'm just gonna keep on serving you, at least for the rest of today. After all, I was a big help with the dishes, wasn't I?"

Rarity nodded ever so slowly. "Yes you were. I never actually noticed how long it usually took me to do them by all myself, but with you helping me it definitely took less time than it usually does."

"Great!" Spike cheered. "So, what else can I help you with? You name it, I'll do it: I can sweep floors, do laundry, organize anything you need help organizing, even dust off some shelves or just take out the trash. Whatever you need, Rarity. Your wish is my command."

Bitting her lip again, Rarity managed to force out. "Well, I guess sweeping the floors is a good place to start. I haven't done that since... I can't even remember. Just try not to get carried away."

Spike waved a claw. "Relax, Rarity. I won't make a mess. And if I do, I'll be sure to clean it up. You'll see: By the time I'm done, your floors will have never looked better!"





As Spike set to work sweeping the floors of Carousel Boutique, Rarity decided to occupy herself with some light sewing and knitting. She hoped it would be enough to take her mind off her troubles. Spike was only helping her out for today, after all. Once today he was over he was sure to go back to helping Twilight like he always did. And even if not, he would surely seek out one of their other friends, having exhausted everything he could possibly do to be of service to Rarity (hopefully).

However, when Rarity was in the midst of some private knitting, she heard a screach and a loud meow, followed by what sounded like a desperate scream! Fearing the worst, the fashionista unicorn dropped what she had been doing and ran downstairs to the source of the disturbance, afraid of a disaster!

Opal was standing next to Spike, apparently covered in dust and a bit of soot. Her tail swished back and forth as the cat looked as if she'd just seen a ghost.

As for Spike, he had a few scratch marks on his face and the broom he'd been using appeared to be all but burnt to ash given its charred appearance. Aside from that, though, he was unharmed.

"Spike, what did you do to my precious little Opal?!" Rarity demanded in a tone more furious than she had originally intended.

"I'm sorry, Rarity!" Spike sincerely apologized as he all but threw himself at her feet. "I just got a little bit distracted, and then the next thing I knew, there was Opal right in front of me! She got mad when I blew a bit of dust onto her, and she clawed at me! I panicked and shot off a flame! I didn't hit Opal though, she got off me before then. But I burnt your broom, and some of the soot got onto Opal's coat."

"That's twice now he's gotten distracted while doing a chore I've seen him do no problem with Twilight," The unicorn with a snow white coat thought to herself. "Just what is it that's occupying his mind? Is it me? Or is it something or somepony else?"

But all Spike could think about was that Rarity wasn't accepting his apology or his explanation, and that worried him. "Please, Rarity. I know you must be mad with me, but it was an accident, I swear! I can make it up to you, I promise! Just please don't be mad with me! I'm just trying to be a noble dragon."

Immediately, Rarity moved to reassure Spike. "Oh, Spike, darling. I'm not mad with you," If one looked closely they could see her lips struggling to form a smile. "Really, I'm not. It's an honest mistake, no one got hurt. Besides," Looking down at Opal and picking up the cat with her magic she declared. "Opal was due for a bath anyway." She did her best to ignore Opal's meows and hisses in protest.

"But what about the broom?" Spike nervously asked.

The fashionista unicorn waved a hoof and tried to play it off. "It's just a broom, Spike. I have plenty of them. I know how much you want to be a noble dragon. A few small mistakes aren't enough for me to get mad with you. Celestia knows I've endured far worse from Sweetie Belle's attempts to 'help'."

The little dragon then insisted. "Well, why don't I help you clean up? Or help you give Opal a bath?"

Immediately, Rarity objected! "No!" A bit too loudly since she saw Spike begin to whimper, and she felt guilty. "Er, I mean, no thank you. I can manage both tasks just fine on my own, Spike. Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment behind it, because I do."

"Okay," Spike reluctantly agreed. "Well, if there's anything I can do for you, you just let me know."

"Actually, Spike," The fashionista proposed as she thought of something that would hopefully be doable for Spike. "Why don't you go out and do a little bit of grocery shopping for me?"

The little dragon smiled. "Sure thing, Rarity! Just tell me what to get."

Rarity smiled and floated over a small list that had been hastily written down on a sketchpad, placing it in Spike's claws. "These are just a few basic necessities. I was going to go get them myself, but now I'm going to be rather busy with Opal," She also gave the dragon some bits. "This should be enough to cover everything, and even have some left over. Run along now, Spike."

Spike eagerly accepted his new responsibility as he gave a salute and promised. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Rarity! Noble dragon's honor!" And in the blink of an eye he was rushing off to go do what Rarity had asked him to do. His eagerness hadn't been curbed at all by his mistakes.

The fashionista unicorn felt greatly relieved when Spike left. Hopefully, grocery shopping would be just the thing to help him clear his mind. Plus, it gave her time to clean up after Spike's mistakes, even if it wouldn't really take her long to do so.





A short time later, Spike returned to Carousel Boutique with two bags full of groceries being carried in his arms. He was used to carrying such heavy loads, though. After all, Twilight often made him hold stacks worth of heavy books.

As he thought about Twilight, Spike began to think to himself. "Maybe I should get Twilight to give me days off more often. I really do like being helpful, especially for Rarity's sake." And soon, his thoughts began to wander once again. Try as he might, he couldn't get the beautiful unicorn out of his head or his mind.

The little dragon entered through the front door of the boutique, and because his thoughts were on Rarity and how helpful he wanted to be towards her, he forgot all about calling out to her to let the unicorn know he'd come back. In fact, he decided then and there to not only bring the groceries to where they were needed, but also put everything from the paper bags in wherever they were supposed to go.

Unfortunately, the bags were heavier than Spike realized. And he'd been holding them for quite a while. So his arms ached and began to sag under the weight. To make matters worse, he had forgotten that the floors had been recently scrubbed. When he took one step into the kitchen, his legs gave way and he began to slide!

There soon came a crash, and the bags fell out of Spike's arms and spilled open some of their contents while the little dragon was still dazed. "Oh no." He groaned as he realized he'd somehow managed to mess up again. And this time he was sure it wasn't his fault.

As expected, the crash drew Rarity to the scene. And when she saw the bags and their spilled out contents, she was anything but pleased. Briefly, she frowned while sighing. "Oh, Spike, what am I going to do with you?"

Immediately, a look of horror flashed in Spike's eyes as he got up, shook off his injury and desperately pleaded in protest! "No, Rarity! I'm sorry! I swear, I don't why I'm being so clumsy today! I'm not usually like this! Just ask Twilight, she'll vouch for me!"

The fashionista tried to ease her frown, not wanting Spike to be upset. "Spike, you've already done so much for me today. Why not take a break? Maybe you're just so used to helping Twilight that you're not able to focus on helping me?"

"But I want to be helpful, Rarity! I do!" Spike insisted! "I want to be a noble dragon, and a noble dragon must serve the pony he chooses to serve! I'm honor bound, that code is binding! I can't just take it back!" By now he was wrapping himself around Rarity's hooves and shooting her the best pair of puppy dog eyes he could muster up. "Let me help you, Rarity!"

"Spike, please!" Rarity tried to argue back. "I think you've already proven yourself to be quite noble just helping me as it is. In fact, the most noble thing you could do for me now is to stop trying to help me. You're no help to anypony when you're like this." Why oh why was he making this so difficult for her?

Alas, it seemed Spike wasn't in a mood to take no for an answer. "But what if there are things you need help with that you don't even know you need help with?" He frantically insisted as he let go of Rarity's hooves and turned to his own claws. "Maybe your back is sore? I could give you a nice claw massage. You wouldn't have to waste a trip to the spa."

As tempting as the offer was, Rarity declined it. "My back is quite fine, Spike. You don't need to massage it."

"Or... or you might need help with breathing!" Spike responded as he then ran off to fetch something!

"Spike, don't be ridiculous!" Rarity all but rolled her eyes. "I don't need help-" But before she could finish her sentence, she was cut off as Spike inserted the tip of a bellows into her mouth and started to pump furiously, filling her up with air. Eventually, however, all the extra air was let out as Rarity deflated not unlike a balloon.

The little dragon seemed to ignore the look Rarity was giving him as he just went on saying. "See? There's all kinds of things I can do for you, and you don't even need to think of them!"

The unicorn mare just shook her head from side to side. "Spike, I most certainly don't need your help thinking of things I need help with. If you really want to be helpful..." She bit her lip, deep in thought for a moment. But then an idea seemed to come to her all of a sudden. Why hadn't she just thought of it in the first place? Taking a deep breath and composing herself, she told the little dragon. "You could fetch me some brickleberries."

The term caused Spike to blink, wondering if he'd misheard Rarity somehow. "Brickleberries?"

"Y-yes, brickleberries," Rarity explained as she seemed to swallow hard. "They're a very rare kind of berry that only bloom at this time of year. They're quite tasty, actually," She licked her lips to emphasize that point. "However, you can't simply go to a store and buy them. You have to harvest them yourself. And they only grow deep in the Everfree Forest," Fluttering her eyelids, she sweetly proposed. "Why not be a dear and go and fetch some for me?"

Spike happily gave a salute again. "Of course, Rarity! That'll be just the thing to show you I can be helpful."

Rarity smiled. "Indeed it will be. Now get going, those brickleberries won't pick themselves you know!"

The little dragon nodded back. "You got it, Rarity! I'll pick every last brickleberry I can find!" And with this new task in mind, he made for the front door and exited it, bound for the Everfree Forest.





Satisfied that she would now have some peace and quiet, a part of Rarity still couldn't help but feel guilty for what she'd just said to Spike. But how else could she have gotten him to leave her alone when he was insistent on enforcing that code of his? He just wouldn't take no for an answer.

However, just after Spike had left, the bell above the door rang. Expecting a customer, Rarity trotted to the front entrance of the boutique to greet whoever it was. But to her surprise, it was Applejack who was now standing near the display stand.

"Rarity, what was that all about just then?" Applejack questioned as soon as she saw her fashion friend.

"Whatever are you talking about, Applejack?" Rarity innocently inquired, suspecting nothing.

Applejack immediately explained. "Why's Spike with you? And how come you just sent him away? You know how he feels about 'ya. You don't have to take advantage of that!" She immediately pressed her snout up against Rarity's to emphasize her point, ensuring the fashionista couldn't ignore her.

Waving a hoof and giving a slightly nervous laugh, Rarity responded. "It's all a part of this 'Noble Dragon Code' Spike discovered. Apparently, he decided to help me out today since Twilight gave him the day off," She sweetly added. "Oh, I'm sure he means will. I really do appreciate that he wants to serve me. But he's just so... well... clumsy, today. It seems like he's always getting distracted, and that always results in more messes for me to clean up."

The farm mare then questioned. "So why did he look so happy when you sent him away? Did you tell him how you were feelin' about his attempts to help you?"

The fashionista mare was quick with the retort. "Don't be so silly, Applejack. I'm not as blunt as you or Rainbow Dash! I simply 'Let him down gently' as the phrase were."

"Ya mean you lied to him?!" Applejack glared at her fellow mare!

"Not lied, just sent him off to do something else," Rarity answered in a sincere tone of voice. "I told him I wanted him to fetch some brickleberries for me from the Everfree Forest."

At that Applejack all but shouted at the top of her lungs! "You did WHAT?!" With steam blowing of her nostrils she immediately demanded! "Rarity, how could you do such a thing to Spike?! There's no such thing as brickleberries!"

Trying her hardest not to look guilty, the unicorn mare slowly replied. "..Well... yes. You know that and I know that, but what Spikey-Wikey doesn't know won't hurt him. He's bound to give up sooner or later when he can't find the berries. Besides, he's made of tough stuff. A trip into the Everfree Forest should be no trouble at all for him."

Upon hearing the words "Everfree Forest" Applejack's eyes immediately went wide! "Rarity, how could you do such a thing to Spike?! Don't you know it's timberwolf season?"

Rarity gasped in reply as a look of horror flashed across her face! "Oh my stars, I completely forgot!" And then she realized! "I've just spent Spike into danger! Oh, Twilight is gonna kill me for this when she finds out!"

The farm mare just adjusted her trusty stetson as she vowed. "Not if we get to him before the timberwolves do! Come on!" And she took her fellow mare by the hoof! "And when this is over, you and Spike need to have an honest heart to heart about the way you're feelin'. You can't keep stringin' him along like that!"





The two mares raced as fast as their hooves would carry them, until they were deep into the Everfree Forest to the point where the tall trees all but blocked out the sunlight.

Rarity immediately became filled with dread and concern. "What was I thinking sending Spike out into this ghastly place?!" She shuddered. "Even for a dragon like him, this place is far too dangerous to just wander into all alone."

"You've got that right," Applejack firmly replied. "It's a good thing for both of us I know how to find my way around here, more or less. It's easy to get lost in this here forest even when you know the way."

Just then, a faint but powerful smell began to tickle at the nostrils of both ponies. It had the faintest hint of brimstone to it.

Both mares looked across to each other and realized in an instant what the smell meant! Something was burning in the forest! And they had a pretty good idea what it was! "Spike!" They both said at once and rushed ahead as their eyes could see a faint, firey glow in the distance!

When Rarity and Applejack reached a small clearing in the forest a short time later, they saw a sight that almost stopped their hearts!

Spike was directly beneath them, at the bottom of a steep slope. He was frantically breathing fire, trying to protect himself while timberwolves growled. The enchanted wooden beasts growled in a low tone as their eyes remained fixated on their prey.

"S-stay back, timberwolves!" Spike insisted as he tried not to let them see how scared he was. "D-don't come any closer, I'm warning you! You... you don't want me! Just... g-go away, please!"

But the timberwolves wouldn't listen, even though the flames coming from Spike's mouth temporarily prevented them from getting near him. It was clear from the way Spke was speaking and breathing, however, that his fire breath wouldn't last long. And when it ran out, he'd have no means of protecting himself.

"We've gotta do something!" Rarity desperately said to Applejack. "Oh, if only I were as magically gifted as Twilight! I could lift Spike out of danger no problem."

"We ain't got time for magic!" Applejack snorted as she picked up some rocks! "Help me aim for those timberwolves! We gotta clear an openin' if we're gonna rescue Spike!"

Seconds later, as Spike shut his eyes and feared the worst, he suddenly heard the sound of rocks whizzing through the air and of solid wood being shattered. Looking up, he saw Applejack and Rarity next to a pile of rocks, firing them off one after the other to pelt the timberwolves! Soon, all the timberwolves were reduced to nothing but sticks scattered all over the ground.

Applejack then gave a whistle and threw down a rope. "Grab hold, Spike!" She shouted. "Quickly! Those timberwolves will be back for more!"

Spike was about to ask Applejack what she meant, when he happened to see the sticks and branches that made up the timberwolves begin to ominously glow with a strange, green, magical glow. It didn't take a genius to realize that they were putting themselves back together, or at least trying to!

So the little dragon quickly took hold of the rope and held tightly to it as he was hoisted up! "Applejack, you saved my life!" He exclaimed as the shock slowly wore off, briefly throwing himself onto the farm mare. "Oh, thank you! You and Rarity both! If you hadn't shown up when you did I... well, I don't even wanna think about it!"

But Applejack only replied. "It's not over yet! Timberwolves don't give up that easy!"

"But we shattered them into pieces!" Rarity protested. "Surely, that should be enough to make them back off while they put themselves back together."

The farm mare frowned as she looked down into the clearing. "Granny Smith's told me all about timberwolves. There's a reason why they're so feared. If they can't take down their prey through numbers, they'll try to overwhelm with pure strength." And as she spoke, she saw the timberwolves starting to assemble into one massive timberwolf that was slowly but surely climbing up the cliffside!

"Run!" Rarity shrieked, and she, Applejack and Spike did just that! They ran as fast as they could back into the forest, hoping beyond hope to get far enough away from the massive timberwolf to make it give up the chase.

Alas, the giant timberwolf was surprisingly fast for a creature of its size. And the smell of its breath was enough to let the ponies and dragon know that it was onto them, and slowly but surely closing the gap.

"We're almost there!" Rarity shouted at last as she could see the forest edge and daylight coming into view! "If we can get out of this forest, we'll be safe! Timberwolves never leave the forest!"

But just as Rarity had said that, Spike failed to notice a tree branch sticking out into the path. By the time he did it was too late! He tripped over it and stumbled to the ground. He wasn't hurt, but that brief stumble brought the timberwolf right on top of him!

Thinking quickly, the fashionista lit up her horn and fired off a single shot of magic from it, drawing the timberwolf's attention! "You leave my Spikey Wikey alone, you horrible beast!" She all but roared! "If you want to lay a claw on him, you'll have to go through me first!" Then she rushed in front of Spike to protect him.

"Rarity, what are you doing?!" Spike screamed in disbelief! "Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you, Spike!" Rarity firmly insisted! "It's my fault you're in this mess to begin with."

Despite the roar of the giant timberwolf, Spike had heard Rarity clearly. "What?!" He exclaimed in disbelief!

All Rarity had to say in response as she stood with her horn at the ready was. "If we make it out of this, I'll tell you everything! I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you sooner, Spike."

Yet before either Rarity or Spike could do anything else, Applejack gave a whistle all the while she was pulling back a large tree branch as if it were a sling. "Leave my friends alone!" She bellowed and let the tree branch swing back as hard as she could! The branch immediately swung into the large timberwolf before it could react, smashing it into several pieces in front of a disbelieving Rarity and Spike!

The farm mare wiped the sweat from her brows and adjusted her stetson. "Cut that one mighty close, I reckon," She said to herself, before turning to her companions. "Well? You gonna just stand there, or are we gettin' out of this forest?"

Rarity and Spike both nodded, and followed Applejack until they were well past the clearing and safely back in Ponyville, free from the timberwolf threat.





Now that the three friends were alone, Applejack immediately pushed Rarity forward with a knowing look and encouraged. "Go on. It's time."

Feeling the guilt well up inside of her, the fashionista gulped and swallowed hard. "Spike, I... must apologize. I lied to you. There are no brickleberries. I just made them up."

The words were slow to sink in for Spike, but he nevertheless managed to process them as he blinked. "You did? But why? Why would you lie to me, Rarity? I was just trying to be helpful and be a noble dragon, just like that code."

"But you kept making messes because you were distracted," Rarity pointed out. "And I think I know why. It's because of your crush on me, isn't it?"

Spike said nothing, he just blushed hard.

The fashionista unicorn sighed deeply. "I figured as much," She struggled to find the words to say next. "Look, Spike. I'm... flattered you think so highly of me. Really, I do. It warms my heart to know that you think I'm beautiful. But you can't let your feelings for me keep you distracted, especially when they're making you careless."

"You... don't love me?" Spike questioned.

"I never said that, Spike!" Rarity firmly protested as she shook her head from side to side. "There's a time and a place for us to figure out what we wanna do. Maybe it'll work out and maybe it won't. But I can't do that if I'm the only thing you ever think about, other than code of yours. In fact, I think fixating on it was doing you even more harm than you getting distracted by your crush on me."

The little dragon could hardly believe the words coming out of Rarity's mouth. "What do you mean? That code is everything to me! I wasn't making it up, Rarity! You know that!"

Applejack just snorted. "Spike, with all due respect, that code of yours is silly! You don't need some code to be a noble dragon or do good things. And just because ya don't have one doesn't mean you're gonna turn into that monster you turned into on your last birthday. You feel bad about it, you don't want it to ever happen again. That alone is enough to guarantee you'll never get to that point," Then, in a more sympathetic tone of voice she added. "Besides, there's somepony you've been completely neglectin' in your eagerness to serve Rarity."

"Who could that be?" Spike sincerely wondered as he blinked anew.

With a warm, gentle smile, Applejack explained. "Why, it's somepony who's given you a home. Somepony who's always tried to be there for you no matter what. Somepony who considers you family, even if it's not by blood."

Rarity added to the sentiment by saying. "I know she gave you the day off. But I imagine if you let yourself go on worrying about that code without telling her, she'd be concerned about your belief that you have to have a code to do nice things. There's nothing wrong with helping out a friend, and you don't need a code to do that."

Slowly but surely, Spike realized what Applejack and Rarity were telling him. Somepony he hadn't even really consulted before any of this. "You're talking about Twilight, aren't you?"

Both mares nodded as Rarity then encouraged with a wink. "It's getting kind of late, Spike. Besides, there isn't anything I can think of that I'd need your help with. Right now, I only want you to help yourself by getting over that code of yours," She smiled and sweetly told him. "Far as I'm concerned, you're already a noble dragon in my heart, Spikey Wikey."

Despite his face flushing anew, Spike replied. "Thanks, Rarity. I never really thought I'd need to hear that. But from you especially it means a lot," And with a sigh he added. "And you're right. I can't forget about Twilight. With her for a mother, I don't have to worry about not being a noble dragon."





Spike returned home to the Golden Oak Library a short time later. Upon opening the door he called out. "I'm back, Twilight." But there was no reply.

Again, Spike called out. "I'm back, Twilight." And again, he didn't hear anything in reply. The little dragon just smiled as he realized that the studious unicorn was probably too busy with those books to hear him. That was okay though, that was just what he liked about her. Twilight was Twilight, and he wouldn't have her any other way.

Still, the little dragon decided to go upstairs and check to make sure Twilight was where she should be. He did so, taking care not to make too much noise and disturb her in case she was trying to concentrate.

To the surprise of Spike, when he finally made his way up the last steps, Twilight did not seem to be emersed in the books Princess Celestia had assigned her. "Twilight?" He called as he reached out a claw to touch her, worried that something might be wrong.

Twilight spun around to greet him. "Oh, Spike, you're back earlier than I expected," She somewhat nervously replied. "I thought you were helping our friends. Especially with that noble dragon code I know you made."

"You mean, you knew about it? I thought it was a secret." Spike commented in surprise.

Twilight giggled. "Oh Spike, you know you can never keep secrets from me. I'm your mother, for pony's sake," Then she explained. "And now I have a surprise for you. And I think you're going to like it a lot!"

His curiosity now piqued, Spike asked the unicorn mare. "What is it, Twilight?"

With a bright smile on her face, Twilight informed Spike. "Seeing as I've pretty much completed all but a few of those books I was assigned, I figured I can take a little time off tomorrow," She floated over a scroll. "I'm making it official. Tomorrow, I'm going down to town hall to file the paperwork. You'll finally truly be my adopted son!"

Spike was amazed, he couldn't believe what he had just heard! "You really mean it?!" And when he received a confirming nod, he lept up and hugged Twilight as he happily exclaimed with tears in his eyes! "Oh, Twilight, you shouldn't have! Really!"

Twilight just smiled as she returned the hug full force. "It's alright, Spike. Just doing what I can to make you happy."
> S6 E7: A Hearth's Warming Tail, Part 1 (What If?) - Redo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The town of Ponyville was all aglow as winter had already come. And with its arrival came the arrival of a holiday that all of ponykind looked forward to be, be they young or old. Heck, even some non-ponies who lived in Ponyville were swept up in the holiday spirit. The spirit of the holiday that was Hearth's Warming.

This year especially promised to be a Hearth's Warming to remember, because word had gotten out that Princess Twilight Sparkle was hosting a huge party on Hearth's Warming Eve and on into Hearth's Warming Day. A party that was to take place at her castle, seeing as it had room enough to accomodate all who wanted to come.

When at last the big day (or night, rather) had come, ponies and non-ponies were flocking to the castle in droves to partake in the festivities. The crystal tree castle had been re-decorated inside and out for the occasion. And as the guests made their way to the castle for the party, many could be heard singing a merry little tune that quickly became a chorus. It was a song that went something like this:

Pony voices fill the night.

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Happy hearts so full and bright.

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Oh, what a sight.

Look at the light.

All for tonight.

'Cause Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Of course, it wouldn't be Hearth's Warming without snow. And the local pegasi were happy to oblige, with Rainbow Dash leading the weather team in gathering as many dark clouds full of snow as possible. All the while, all the pegasi were singing to themselves (with Rainbow leading the chorus):

Clouds arranged 'til they're just so.

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Gonna make some awesome snow!

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

The chill wind blows.

Making a show!

Snowflakes aglow.

'Cause Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

The earth ponies, particularly Pinkie Pie and Applejack, also had reasons to be especially cheerful. And they too could be heard singing as presents were brought in and food and drink aplenty was provided for all who wanted it:

A day that's filled with songs to sing,

Ding-dong, ding-dong-ding!

Cakes and pastries we shall bring.

Ding-dong, ding-dong-ding!

We're so busy making merry,

The windigos should all be wary!

And as our mighty voices carry!

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Even Rarity found reason to be even more cheerful than usual. And even she was singing her own part while assisting with last minute decorating for the castle interior (a task easier said than done when someponies were causing problems, albeit accidentally):

Decorations we shall make.

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Perfection you just cannot fake.

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Not one mistake.

No, don't let that break!

Oh, for goodness' sake!

As the party got underway, everypony from the youngest to the oldest all gathered 'round. And together the chorus echoed through the hallways for all to hear:

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once a—

Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve

Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!





It was indeed a splendid and joyous celebration that was unfolding in the castle. And from a second floor balcony, the castle's three primary occupants: Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Starlight Glimmer were all watching the festivities. For Starlight, this was her first taste of Hearth's Warming in Ponyville and her first taste of the holiday since she couldn't remember when.

For Twilight and Spike, however, such activity and joy were nothing new to them. And they were eagerly looking forward to joining the party, celebrating well into the night. It was with this eager anticipation that Twilight turned to Starlight, innocently asking the unicorn. "So, Starlight, you ready to celebrate your first ever Hearth's Warming here in Ponyville? You'll get to celebrate it with friends and even family. After all, you're part of Spike and I's family now."

"Come on, big sis!" Spike teased! "Hearth's Warming only comes once a year! You must be excited, right? Right?!"

But to the surprise of both alicorn and dragon, Starlight slouched her shoulders, sighed and shrugged her hooves. "I don't know. I was thinking maybe I could just skip the whole thing."

Both Twilight and Spike were shocked to hear such a statement from anypony! Neither of them had ever suspected Starlight Glimmer to be a pony who didn't like the holiday of Hearth's Warming! Such ponies were rare and in the minority. What reason could somepony like Starlight have for not liking the holiday?

Well, Twilight was going to make it her goal to find out. She already had an idea in mind about how she might be able to convince her relatively new student to reconsider her view about Hearth's Warming. The young alicorn princess just had no idea whether it would be successful or not.



Spike was the first to speak up once the shock of Starlight's sudden statement had worn off. "Skip Hearth's Warming?! Are you crazy?!" He demanded of Starlight, practically getting up in her face in the process. "I mean, the holiday only comes once a year. Who in their right mind would want to skip it?"

"Well I do, apparently," Starlight willingly admitted. "I'm sorry. The holiday just doesn't do anything for me anymore, the magic's gone away. I never celebrated it back in my village. In fact, I had it outlawed. After all, isn't it mostly just a day for candy and presents?"

The little dragon still couldn't believe what he was hearing as he replied. "And why would you want to deny yourself candy and presents? Besides, isn't there more to Hearth's Warming than that?"

Twilight then spoke up. "I think what Spike is trying to say, Starlight, is that Hearth's Warming is a holiday worth celebrating. What's most important is spending Hearth's Warming Eve and Hearth's Warming Day with friends and family. That's why I hosted this big party after all," She pointed a hoof down to the foyer below as ponies of all ages and species trotted to and fro. "Look. See how many came? How many showed up for tonight?"

Starlight reluctantly did so. But what she saw only further convinced her she wasn't missing much: Ponies stuffing their faces full of treats, drinking cider and eggnog by the fire, wrapping or tossing presents or even just running about while singing songs. "Well, if you ask me, it seems like most ponies just see it as an excuse for silly songs and fun, not a day to remember things like friends and family," Then she let out a sigh as she began to turn away. "If you and Spike wanna celebrate, that's fine. I won't get in your way."

However, Twilight wasn't about to let her student just walk away and turn her back on the most important holiday of them all. She teleported in front of the unicorn mare and said to her face. "Well, maybe you just haven't heard the right Hearth's Warming Eve story yet!"

The unicorn mare scoffed as she replied. "Please, everypony knows that old story: The one about the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies coming together to drive off the windigos, averting eternal winter. They teach it in schools, and I remember hearing it all the time as a filly."

The alicorn princess shook her head from side to side. "No, not that one, silly. I don't think you've heard this story before. But it's Sparkle family tradition to read it every Hearth's Warming Eve. It's called: A Hearth's Warming Tail! My mom used to read it to Shining Armor and I every year when we were growing up. And ever since Spike and I moved to Ponyville and I adopted him, we've read it together every Hearth's Warming Eve. This will be no exception."

Spike practically encouraged Twilight! "Ooh, can you do the voices again?! You know, like you did the first time you read me the story and like you say your mom used to do?! Pretty please?!"

"We'll see," Twilight insisted while lightly patting the baby dragon on the forehead. "After all, I want to make sure the lesson sinks in for Starlight and that she understands why the story is important," Then she proposed. "That is, if you're interested, Starlight. I have a copy in the library, away from anything related to the party."

Sensing that her mentor wasn't going to be satisfied unless she agreed, the unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat reluctantly relented. "What the heck? I have a feeling you'd read it to me even if I said no. But I'll decide for myself just how 'important' it is, thank you."

Twilight Sparkle smiled. "Excellent!" And she took Starlight by the hoof! "Come on! Let's get everything set up! My copy's actually the same one my mom used. I did have my own copy, but it got destroyed when the Golden Oak Library was destroyed."





So it was that the ponies and dragon adjourned to the castle's library. Twilight even lighting a small fire with her magic to add to the mood. Then once everypony was sitting comfortably, she flew up to a shelf and retrieved a well worn, heavy book that she brought down with her magic. After sitting down next to Spike and making sure she had Starlight's attention, the alicorn princess carefully opened the heavy book. Clearing her throat, she began to read aloud: "This is the story of a unicorn. Not just any unicorn, but a very powerful unicorn named Snowfall Frost. It was said that she hated not just Hearth's Warming but the whole Hearth's Warming season, though no one knew the reason why."

Starlight did her best to listen with intent. But the first few sentences of the book already made her feel like she was being silently judged, even if Twilight assured her she was not.

Without looking up from the book, Twilight continued to read. But not before explaining: "It might help if you picture the characters in your mind, Starlight. Spike and I always did it, and when Shining Armor and I were growing up we'd do that too."

"And your point is?" Starlight Glimmer questioned.

Twilight pointed out with a bit of a blush. "Well, ever since I first met you, I've always pictured Snowfall Frost as looking like you: Except she had a top hat, a fine jacket and glasses," After taking a moment to compose herself, she read further. "Our story begins in Canterlot, a long time ago, on Hearth's Warming Eve. Every home in Canterlot was filled with the holiday spirit. Every home, that is... except one. That of Snowfall Frost. It was said of Snowfall that she was almost as studied as Starswirl the Bearded. Almost being the key word, since everypony knows that Starswirl was an expert at everything from transfiguration, dimensional calibration, teleportation—"

Spike interrupted as he had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Twilight, we've been over this. Starswirl is awesome, we all know that. You admire him almost as much as you do Princess Celestia. Can we move on with the story, please?"

The young alicorn blushed anew as she admitted. "Right, right, I'm getting ahead of myself," Then she cleared her throat. "Anyway, the point is is that Snowfall was so powerful that she wanted to be perfect. And anything that got in the way of that was a waste of time. Thus, she came to despise Hearth's Warming, but especially Hearth's Warming Eve. Little did she know that on this particular Hearth's Warming, some very special guests would teach her a lesson she would not soon forget."

As Twilight continued to read on, the story slowly but surely took shape in the minds of all who were hearing it. And this is how the story unfolded:

Snowfall Frost had the same coat, mane and tail, and eye colors as Starlight Glimmer. And indeed, she wore a top hat and glasses. The coat she wore over her body to match her top hat was red with a white collar, and her glasses were also the same shade of red as her top hat and coat. With the same magical glow associated with Starlight, Snowfall was hard at work within the workspace she had created for herself within her own home. True to form, she was hard at working attempting to use her magic to turn a piece of coal into a beautiful bulb.

Unfortunately for Snowfall, the sudden ringing and jingling of bells on the street below interrupted her focus for but a moment. And that moment was enough to cause the bulb she'd created to shatter and break into tiny pieces! Groaning, she rudely remarked to herself. "Great, another batch ruined," Without taking the time to compose herself she then shouted. "Ash Hatchet!" Ash Hatchet being short for Ashley Hatchet, her assistant.

Ash Hatchet was just like Mrs. Cake: A plump earth pony mare with a frosting blue coat, and a pink mane and tail made to look like cupcake icing. She wore a pink sweater with multiple exposed pockets, and seemed to be shivering a tiny bit as she came trotting in. "Yes, Snowfall?" She asked her employer. "You called?"

The spectacled unicorn nodded, pushing her glasses into place before pointing a hoof and floating over a dustpan and broom. "I did, Ash. Get this mess cleaned up, now if you please. Those foolish ponies were ringing those blasted bells outside the window again and I lost my concentration! I swear, they do it on purpose!"

"Or maybe they just like celebrating the holiday like everypony else." Ash Hatchet grumbled to herself as she nevertheless carried out the task assigned to her. Soon, she had swept up the broken pieces and discarded them in a wastebasket.

The plump earth pony was just about to leave when Snowfall Frost noticed something sticking out of one of the sweater pockets. "Hey, what is this?" She demanded, then used her magic to pull the object out for a closer inspection. It was a lump of coal just like the one she'd been trying to transform. "Stealing my coal, huh?" She chided Ashley Hatchet. "Next I suppose you'll try to pick my pockets or something."

"Oh n-n-no, boss!" Ash shivered anew. "I-I-I wasn't s-s-stealing it! It's just so," Her teeth began to chatter. "C-c-cold in here! I just w-w-wanted a piece to keep me w-w-warm."

In an unsympathetic tone of voice Snowfall just scolded and shook a hoof. "I already gave you a piece last week. It's not my fault if you used it up already. And you know coal is expensive! I keep the heat down in here on purpose so that we don't waste it! Especially since I need the lion's share for my work," Then she added. "Now get back to work, unless you wish to find yourself unemployed."

Ash gasped in disbelief! "You wouldn't discharge me, would you, Snowfall?!" She asked with concern! "Not on Hearth's Warming Eve of all days!"

"Then you know what I expect. It's what I was taught as a child," Snowfall lectured. "Work hard, learn and use your skills to better Equestria. Don't forget, I was nice enough to take you in as a partner after my previous one disappeared under mysterious circumstances. I could very easily work alone if I wanted to. So don't waste my time lecturing me about Hearth's Warming."





Just then, however, the door to the room was suddenly swung open. In trotted a finely dressed unicorn mare with a snow white coat, and blue eyes that shone like diamonds. The ruby red winter jacket with ivory colored trim stood out even compared to the wardrobe of the other ponies in the room.

Snowfall eyed the unicorn and immediately frowned, recognizing at once who it was. "Cousin Glow," She snarled with a sneer. "My only living relative. Figures, this is the one time of the year where ponies like you choose to pay unwanted welcomes on hard working ponies like myself," Sighing a bit, she questioned. "What do you want from me?"

"Only to wish you a happy Hearth's Warming, Aunt Snowfall!" Glow happily proclaimed!

"Bah humbug!" Snowfall coldly retorted without changing the expression upon her face, one of discontent.

If Glow was at all startled or intimidated by such harsh language, she didn't show it outwardly as she replied. "Hearth's Warming a humbug?" She somewhat nervously chuckled. "Come now, Auntie. You don't mean that, I'm sure."

Snowfall rolled her eyes as she replied with a snort. "Oh, I do," In a mocking tone of voice she added. "'Happy Hearth's Warming' indeed! What reason have you to be happy? You're poor enough."

And Glow playfully retorted. "Then what reason have you to be so grumpy? After all, you're rich enough."

The glasses wearing unicorn only frowned and folded her hooves. "Humbug." She muttered.

Now it was Glow's turn to look impatient and unhappy. "Oh please, Auntie Snowfall. Don't be cross."

"Well what else can I be when I live in a world of fools like this? Out upon a happy Hearth's Warming," Snowfall bitterly remarked and retorted. "What's Hearth's Warming to you but a time for paying bills without money? A time for finding yourself a year older and not a bit richer? If I could only work my will, everypony who goes about with 'Happy Hearth's Warming' on their lips would be boiled in their own pudding! Buried with a stake of holly through their heart!"

"Auntie!" Glow sharply rapped.

And Snowfall only snapped back. "Cousin. You keep Hearth's Warming in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."

At that the finely dressed unicorn mare could only blink and complain. "'Keep it'? But you don't keep it, Auntie! You never have!"

Snowfall Frost then replied. "You're right, I don't. So let me leave it alone, then."

But rather than let that be the last word, Glow only declared with a smile. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Auntie. And here I was hoping to invite you to my big Hearth's Warming party. Come, dine with us and make merry, and all will be forgiven."

Snowfall's response was to simply say. "Let me think: Did I come last year? Or the year before that? Or the year before that?"

"W-well, no, but..." Glow began as she bit her lip.

"Then why did you think I'd be interested this year?" Snowfall snapped. "I'll be busy, I'm afraid," Then she saw fit to ask. "But tell me one thing: I hear you're getting married. But I don't understand. Why did you decide to get married?"

Glow immediately responded with a scoff. "'Why'? Well that's a silly question. Because I fell in love, that's why!"

Her eyebrows arching upward ever so slowly, Snowfall then asked her cousin. "And you regard that as enough of a reason to make such an important decision? Love?"

"Yes," Glow retorted as she stood her ground against her fellow unicorn. "And you know what else? Regardless of what you think, I believe that Hearth's Warming is a truly wonderful time of year. It's the one time of the year where it seems like everypony opens their shut up hearts freely. And even if it hasn't made me a day younger or a bit richer, I believe it has done me good and will do me good. So I say Faust bless it!" When she finished speaking, she was surprised to see Ash Hatchet clapping her hooves in approval.

But Snowfall was not amused in the slightest by this display. "Well, I let you speak your mind, Cousin Glow," And she gestured a hoof to the door. "Now get out of here and let me be!"

"Goodness, you are truly a miser, Auntie Snowfall," Glow scoffed and swished her tail. "I only hope you'll be happy spending yet another Hearth's Warming all by yourself: No family, no friends, no companions of any sort! Good day!" And with that she departed, loudly slamming the door behind her!





A short time later, however, the door swung open again as two ponies: One a pegasus mare and the other an earth pony stallion trotted in. The pegasus mare had a gray coat, a blonde mane and tail, greenish-yellow eyes and a cutie mark depicting bubbles. The earth pony stallion, meanwhile, had a light brown coat. His mane and tail were a much darker shade of brown. He had blue eyes and a cutie mark depicting an hourglass.

Snowfall Frost reluctantly turned to face the new visitors: Seeing the stallion was wearing a long, flowing, multicolored scarf and a green suit. And the pegasus wore a matching suit as well as a purple puffball hat and matching earmuffs. "May I be of assistance?" She questioned the visitors.

The wall eyed pegasus mare spoke up first. "Um, this is the residence of Snowfall Frost and Mr. D and Co., is it not?"

"It is, yes," Snowfall explained. "But you should know that Mr. D hasn't been around for many years now. In fact, it will be ten years to the day tonight when he left this realm unannounced. I would change the sign, but that costs too much money. I'll just paint over Mr. D's name when I find the time."

"O-okay, sorry about the mixup," The wall eyed pegasus apologized. "Anyway, Ms. Snowfall Frost..."

Snowfall corrected. "Just Snowfall will do, thank you."

The pegasus mare again apologized. "Right, Snowfall. A-anyway. We're uh... well we're... I mean we're..." But she suddenly found herself tongue tied in Snowfall's presence.

The earth pony stallion quickly took the lead and explained things. "What my partner is trying to tell you, Snowfall, is that we're running a charity. We're collecting donations for the poorest among us."

"Why?" Snowfall coldly questioned. "Are there no poorhouses? Are there no prisons?"

The stallion slowly replied. "Well... no... but..."

At that the unicorn appeared to breath a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. For a momet there, I was afraid something had happened to them."

The earth pony stallion just fiddled with his scarf a bit as he then said. "Well, that aside, Snowfall, we've been going door to door. We haven't gotten much yet, but we were hoping you wouldn't mind sparing some of your considerable fortune for donation," He then picked up a quill and a piece of paper and asked. "What shall we put you down for?"

Snowfall Frost immediately replied. "Nothing." And then turned her head.

"Oh, you wish to remain anonymous?" The wall eyed pegasus mare chirped. "That's okay! How much do you wish to give?"

But Snowfall coldly corrected. "I said 'Nothing'! I wish to be left alone! There's far too many poor ponies in the world as it is, why should I concern myself with their well being?!"

"But, you don't understand!" The stallion retorted. "Even the best of charities are stretched thin as it is. And some ponies are far too stubborn to accept help."

Snowfall only continued to display indifference. "Well if that's the case then what good will my money do? I don't tell you two how to do your job, do I? So why are you telling me what to do with mine? I prefer to use my bits for far more productive measures, thank you," And she pointed to the door. "Go waste your time elsewhere! Goodness knows you've wasted enough of my time already!"

"Oh, don't be like that, boss," Ash Hatchet spoke up as she trotted over to the pegasus and earth pony, forking over a single bit coin. "Here. It's not much, but every bit helps."

The earth pony stallion smiled. "Thank you for your generous donation, ma'am," Then he bowed. "You and your partner have a very happy Hearth's Warming," Motioning to his parter he then declared. "Come along, assistant. Let us be on our way. We've still lots of houses to visit and donations to obtain." And soon, the two charity ponies had also departed, leaving Snowfall and Ash alone.

Ash was worried that Snowfall might have something harsh or negative to say about giving money to other ponies, but to the plump earth pony mare's surprise her boss said nothing at all. And so, work continued without further interruption.





At last, however, the day's work was done. There was nothing left to do but to close up shop before the two partner ponies would have to part for the time being.

"Well then," Snowfall declared to Ash when all the closing up was done. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow at seven o'clock sharp for work."

But Ashley gulped as she nervously replied. "Um, about that, boss? Tomorrow is Hearth's Warming Day, you know."

"Fine. Seven thirty, then, and not a minute later." Snowfall replied as she seemed to concede that point.

However, Ashley plucked up courage as she asked. "Well, could I have the day off? Not many other places are open for business tomorrow. And it would save a lot of expensive coal for the fire."

The glasses wearing unicorn snorted and humphed as her shoulders tensed up briefly. "It's a poor excuse to pick my pockets every year, even if I'm the only one who thinks so. But, by all means, if you want to just stay at home, ignore all of the work you have, and spend the rest of the holiday-"

"Oh, thank you, Snowfall!" Ashley Hatchet smiled as she hugged her boss. "I promise, I won't ever ask for another day off as long as I live!" And then she trotted off as fast as her hooves could carry her.

The finely dressed unicorn mare found herself at a loss for words. She thought to herself. "Did I just say yes?" Oh well, that was the least of her worries. Looking down at her hooves, she saw a discarded and broken stuffed toy that a child had carelessly discarded without a second thought. Using her magic, she picked it up and carried it inside. Perhaps it would burn better than the coal she was using.

Well, that would have to wait until tomorrow, when there was work to be done. In the meantime, Snowfall trotted back into her house and shut the front door behind her. The whole place was dark, lit only by Snowfall's horn until she was able to find a candle and a match, and the flickering flame provided a somewhat better source of illumination.

Seeing as it was still kind of early, the unicorn saw fit to fix herself a small meal. She would then pass the rest of the evening with some silent reading and book keeping, making sure that all business records were as they should be and that the balance was not negative.

Yet soon after eating, the unicorn mare could've sworn she heard a faint and distant moan. It sounded almost as if someone was crying out in agony, suffering greatly from something. But after her eyes quickly glanced around her surroundings, she could see nothing. She dismissed it out of hoof. "Must be hearing things." She muttered to herself, hoping to convince her mind of that fact.

But instead of going away, the moan only grew louder. Soon, it was a wail that could not be ignored. Accompanying the wail was what sounded like the rattling of chains and the thumping of heavy boxes. And suddenly, amidst the noise, a voice that sounded vaguely familiar began to call out. "Snowfall? Snowfall Frost?"

A cold sweat began to work its way down the unicorn's face as Snowfall called out to the distance. "Who's there?"

The voice called in reply. "Aren't you going to open the door and let me enter? I mean, not that I have a need for doors or anything."

"Whoever you are," Snowfall demanded as she tried not to let her nervousness show outwardly. "I'm not scared of you! Come out and show yourself if you're not afraid!"





Without warning, a cold wind swept into the bedroom Snowfall had been dining in. It blew out the candle on her nightstand, casting the whole room into darkness anew! 

And then suddenly, a glowing, pale blue colored figure appeared, standing in the doorway as if it had just walked right through it. The figure wore a finely tailored suit and tie, complete with a top hat and a cane, but its entire body looked to be a mismatch of various creatures with not a single part matching another. For some reason, he also appeared to be surrounded by a long chain that ran down his entire body. And attached to the chain were several heavy blocks that seemed to weigh him down.

The creature took one look at Snowfall and immediately gasped! "As I figured, you'd forgotten all about me! Oh, Snowfall, I'm crushed! Really!" He pretended to faint. "How soon the high and mighty forget."

"Just who and what are you?!" Snowfall bitterly demanded! "And why do you look so familiar?!"

The creature tipped its glowing, hallow hat as it then identified itself by name. "You really don't recognize me, Snowfall? I was once your partner, Mr. D."

Yet even as she eyed the creature in all its mismatched glory, Snowfall could only scoff. "It looks like you, but I don't believe it."

"You don't believe in me?" Mr. D replied in what sounded like a heartbroken tone, only to receive a confirming nod. "Why do you doubt your senses, Snowfall?"

The unicorn was quick with the retort and counter-argument. "You should know, if you really are Mr. D, that even the smallest thing can affect them. A slight disorder of the stomach can make them cheat. You could be something I ate: A blob of mustard... or... a fragment of an undercooked potato. Dare I say it: There's more of gravy than of grave about you!"

Mr. D let out a low, painful groan. "Oh, Snowfall, you really should lay off the jokes. You were never a pony with a sense of humor, and jokes were my department," But then he composed himself before asking again. "You don't believe in me?" And when he again received a confirming nod he went on to add. "Still, you must admit that you see me."

"I do, but-" Snowfall began, only to be cut off without warning as Mr. D reared back his head and let out a roar that almost made the unicorn jump right out of her fur!

"Do you believe in me or not?!" Mr. D firmly and furiously demanded!

Whimpering and cowering in fright, the powerful unicorn reluctantly relented. "I do! I must! But... why have you come to see me, old friend? Why do you again roam this realm? Why come back to me in such a ghostly state?"

Mr. D could only reply. "I hadn't planned to leave you unannounced, Snowfall. But my time in this realm as you knew it was shorter than I thought. Now, I come back only to warn you, friend. You are headed down a dark path, one from which there is no escape. But it's not too late. Fate is on your side. You still have time to repent."

"What do you mean by that?" Snowfall all but demanded of the creature. "And what's with that wretched and horrible chain around your body?! Is that your idea of a fashion statement?"

In response, the chain seemed to tighten itself as if trying to pull Mr. D back! He groaned and moaned as he struggled against the pull, his neck tightening and his face looking like it was about to pop right off! "Oh, the chain! I was wondering when'd you ask," Gasping and struggling to catch his breath, he managed to explain. "You see, Snowfall... it is required of every creature that their inner spirit be set free upon their departure from this realm of existence: Be it voluntary or otherwise. Yet everything we say and do, everything we failed to do, is counted against us. And should our inner spirit not go forward, we're condemend to this fate: To witness that which we ourselves cannot change, yet hope to inspire a change in others."

"Are you saying you were forced to wear that chain?!" Snowfall questioned with concern as her eyes started to go wide!

"No, Snowfall," Mr. D explained. "I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link and yard by yard. I forged it of my own free will through my acts of greed and heartlessness. And now," He looked down at himself as his eyes seemed to fill up with regret. Slowly and mournfully he added. "Now I must wear it as proof of my foolishness. Why did I let myself walk through life with my eyes cast down? I spared not a day, an hour, a minute even for others. I kept to myself, wasting my days."

Snowfall sympathetically replied. "Oh come now, Mr. D. You mustn't be so hard on yourself. After all, you were always a good creature of business."

But Mr. D bitterly hissed in reply! "Business?! Snowfall, don't you get it?! Ponykind was my business! The common welfare was my business! Charity, mercy, forberence and benevolence were all my business! And I tell you, I am not the only one who has learned this lesson the hard way. You wear such a chain yourself, you just don't realize it. Can you imagine the weight and length of the strong coil you must bear?" Holding up his own chain he added in an ominous tone. "It was as long and heavy as this when I left you. You should see it now. It is a truly ponderous chain. For captive bound and double ironed!" And he began to wail and flail about in distress!

Snowfall was frightened and felt she had seen quite enough of this ghoulish, ghostly display! "Humbug!" She whimpered in fright! "Speak comfort to me, old friend!"

"Comfort?!" Mr. D replied as the chain around him seemed to tighten! "Hear me, Snowfall! And hear me well, for soon I must leave you! But I tell you: Tonight, you will be haunted by three spirits."

The glasses wearing unicorn gulped. "Haunted? I've already had enough of that!"

Mr. D simply went on to say. "Without these spirits you cannot hope to escape my fate, you will suffer what I've suffered. Expect the first ghost tonight when the bell tolls one. Expect the second ghost when the clock chimes two, and the third at the stroke of three!"

"Can't I just meet them all at once and get it over with?" Snowfall pleaded.

Mr. D only shook his head in reply. Then, as he began to retreat towards the door (almost as if he were being dragged by some invisible force) he still found time to call out. "Hope to see me nomore, Snowfall! But for your own sake, remember what I have told you! Care, grow, reform, change!" And then, just as quickly as he had arrived, he disappeared into thin air!





The lone candle that had previously been blown out flickered back to life a moment later, almost as if by magic. There seemed to be no trace of Mr. D anywhere, no sign that he had ever been there. Had he truly been just a figment of Snowfall's imagination? Had he really just been nothing more than a projection stirred up by an overactive imagination? It had felt so real, but had it really been real?

Snowfall Frost didn't know. And she had very little time to reflect on this before she could hear the sounds of children laughing and ponies singing carols on the street corner below her. The ringing of bells only added to the growing noise that assaulted her ears, reminding her of why she so despised the holiday of Hearth's Warming in the first place. "I've said once, and I'll say it a hundred times if I must," She snorted even though no one but her was around to hear her. "I HATE Hearth's Warming! I hate it all! Everypony would be much better off if we just skipped the day entirely."

And as she spoke those very words, an idea came to Snowfall. A truly awful idea. A wonderfully awful idea. A smile slowly spread across her face as she grinned. "In fact, I might be just the pony to make it happen." And then she started singing to herself:

'Happy Hearth's Warming!', they say in the street.

'Happy Hearth's Warming!', oh they think they're so sweet.

Words said so often that they lack any real meaning.

So why should I join in when I could be intervening?

Everypony loves this cursed holiday.

But would they be better off with it out of the way?

The unicorn quickly flipped open a page in a spellbook, placed a cauldron over a burning fire and poured some chemicals in to create a thick, green mist. And as the mist rose she continued to sing.

Well, okaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!

Say goodbye to the holiday.

With my magic, I'll erase it!

The greatest gift that I give today.

And everypony will have to face it!

No more little games for you to play.

After you say goodbye to the holiday!

Using her magic, Snowfall started depositing various items into the cauldron in preparation for the spell she was to cast. These included the discarded toy she had picked up earlier, a Hearth's Warming reef left above her front door and even some empty presents all wrapped up with nopony to be given to. And as she tossed them in she sang in fiendish glee:

Goodbye, Hearth's Warming. You had a good run.

Goodbye, Hearth's Warming. It's over, you're done!

Finally set free from your forced celebrations.

Now's there no need to reply to your trite invitations.

The calendar shorter by a single day.

But is my magic up to the test?

Time to see, I can't delay!

Snowfall's voice rose into a triumphant chorus as she found the page she wanted, and started mixing chemicals into the cauldron's brew. All the while she was boasting and singing:

Say goodbye to the holiday!

Prepare the spell, no hesitation!

All memory shall fade away!

See Equestria's new transformation!

And no more shall anypony say:

'Happy Hearth's Warming'...  after today!

As she sang, Snowfall briefly thought she saw what looked like a horse made purely of ice and snow. But when she turned to look she couldn't see it anywhere, and so she shook it off as just another figment of her imagination.

When the singing had ended, the cauldron was bubbling fiercely. Snowfall stood over it and inspected her hard work, grinning and rubbing her hooves together with delight. "Yes! Once this spell is cast, all of Equestria will be better off, and they'll have me to thank for it! Congratulations, Snowfall Frost! You're a genius!"





"Wait a minute!" Starlight suddenly spoke up, interrupting the story to give her own thoughts on it. "So, let me get this straight: Snowfall doesn't like Hearth's Warming Eve so she decides to just cast a spell to get rid of it altogether? That seems a little extreme, even for me."

Spike only muttered to himself while enjoying some hot chocolate he'd been drinking from a mug. "Says the pony who tried to make everypony the same by replacing their cutie marks with equal signs, among other things."

But it seems the little dragon's commentary was overheard by Starlight, as she narrowed her eyes and snapped! "I heard that, you little brat! For the record, I'm just saying there's a difference between me not liking the holiday of Hearth's Warming, and Snowfall Frost hating it so much she wants to erase it from existence. Even I never went that far."

"But you did try to rewrite history just because Twilight and her friends exposed you as a fraud," Spike pointed out. "I was there, I saw it."

"Oh yeah?" Starlight retorted. "And you think you're this goody two horseshoes? Mr. Perfect? 'Cause you're not! I heard about the time you got greedy because you got a lot of presents for your birthday, and you turned into a giant monster because of it! And for the record, not everyone's lucky enough to have a family who lets them open presents early. If I'd tried to do that with my family growing up, I'd have been punished."

Twilight immediately moved to break up the argument that was brewing between the two. "That's enough, both of you! You've both done things in the past that you clearly regret, and you have no right to judge others over such things. It's Hearth's Warming Eve for Celestia's sake! There shouldn't be any fighting, especially among family!" Then after drapping a wing towards Spike to shush him, she looked to Starlight and said. "Everypony has their reasons for doing things we can't understand, even Snowfall. And if I could continue without being interrupted, we might just see what they are."

Spike and Starlight said nothing further. They just looked across to each other and seemed to briefly cast daggers at one another with their eyes when they thought Twilight wasn't looking. But they soon stopped as the story continued and they once again became immersed in it completely.

Clearing her throat, Twilight Sparkle looked to the book and started to read again from where she had left off in order to stop the dispute. "Snowfall was all set to cast her spell that would erase Hearth's Warming for all time. When a voice from the hearth suddenly caught her attention."





"So, you're really going through with this after all, huh? Even though you were warned what fate awaits you, you still wish to pursue this path of folly?" An unfamiliar, almost childlike voice called out from the blue. "Well, I don't suppose I could change your mind? Or at least, shed some light on your motivations?"

Snowfall spun around as she eyed the bubbling cauldron, ceasing in her endeavor to call out. "W-who said that?! Who is it now?!" As she spoke she suddenly heard bells in the distance. But these were not like the bells of earlier, these bells were much louder, much sharper in tone. They were the ringing of bells from a clock tower.

Immediately, Mr. D's words from earlier echoed in Snowfall's mind: "Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls one." And mere seconds later, the entire room was bathed in a blinding, brilliant light of pure white!

Slowly but surely, the light faded to reveal a young and slender looking pony with the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. She was coated completely in white and wore a white robe that shone brightly. Atop her head was a small reef of holly that circled around her like a halo. In one hoof she held what looked like some kind of long cap, like the kind one would put on before bed.

Snowfall Frost eyed this mysterious pony before a sudden realization flashed in her mind! "Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" She asked the glowing pony.

"Indeed I am," The glowing pony responded as her voice seemed to echo in a soft, soothing and warm tone. "I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past."

"As in 'long past'?" Snowfall questioned. "Because I don't need a history lesson on Hearth's Warming, thank you very much. I know the story by heart, they insist on teaching it to all young ponies!"

But the spirit retorted. "No, Snowfall. Not 'long past', your past."

The unicorn only humphed. "And what business has brought you here, spirit? I didn't cast a spirit summoning spell."

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past simply explained. "And you pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know. It's really simple, you don't think a spell like yours could get by without some powerful forces noticing. You've certainly gotten our attention, Snowfall Frost. And what brings us here tonight is your welfare."

"How is interrupting my life's work good for my welfare?!" Snowfall retorted with a roll of her eyes as she adjusted her top hat.

"Your salvation, then," The spirit pony replied as she approached Snowfall. "And in case you were wondering about the 'We' I spoke of, I refer to my relatives: The other spirits. They'll be along when the time comes, just as Mr. D explained to you earlier. Now rise, and trot with me! There is much we have to see, and very little time with which to see it!" As she spoke, the window at the other end of the room was suddenly opened. A cold gust of wind blew past, though it was not enough to snuff out the flames on the hearth.

Eyeing the window, Snowfall nervously questioned. "You want me to go with you, spirit? As in, out the window?"

"Yes." Was all the spirit had to say in reply.

The glasses wearing unicorn gulped and began to shake and shiver. "But spirit, I'm not like you! I'm just a pony! If I go out the window, I will fall!"

"Not to worry. You will not fall, Snowfall Frost. I shall personally see to it," The spirit explained as she slowly brought one of her other hooves towards the unicorn. "Bare but a touch of my hoof there, and you shall be upheld in more than this."

Hesitantly, Snowfall reached out one of her grayish-purple hooves to touch the pure white hoof of the spirit. When she did so, she felt a faint tingling sensation inside of her. And then, suddenly, without need for her horn, she began to lift off the floor! She felt weightless, a sensation she was not used to feeling! Yet she continued to clutch the spirit's hoof tightly, and together they took off, through the window and out into the cold night beyond!

Suddenly, before Snowfall Frost's very eyes, things began to change! Buildings flashed by in the blink of an eye, and it seemed as if everything was de-aging around her even as she herself remained the same.

But the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past wasn't afraid or surprised in the slightest. She just began to sing as she led Snowfall along.

As a young thing, life sure is something.

You go 'bout making choices large and small.

Always growing like a young thing.

And playing is like dreaming.

And then before you know it, big and tall.

Yet every little bitty choice you make.

Sends you down a path to who you are today.

So let's take a little trip down memory lane.

And see just what the past has to say.

When the singing stopped, Snowfall felt her bout of weightlessness end as her hooves touched down and felt the soft crunch of snow beneath them. All around her were trees, their branches bare and covered with snow. Just ahead of her was  a small stone bridge. And if she squinted her eyes just right, she swore she could see a one story brick building in the distance.

"Do you know this place?" The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past questioned.

Looking ahead and concentrating deeply, Snowfall began to make out more details of the building. And then, like a snowball, it hit her hard as she gasped! "I do! But I don't believe it! It's just like when I was a filly! That must be..."

The spirit nodded. "Indeed. It is your old boarding school," Then she noticed something dripping down the side of Snowfall's face. "Say, what's that upon your cheek, Snowfall? And why do yours lips appear to be quivering?"

"It's... nothing, spirit!" Snowfall insisted as the unicorn quickly wiped away the tear that had leaked out from her left eye!

Rather than press Snowfall on her obvious denial, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past simply pointed one of her hooves a ways down the road as she asked. "Do you know the way?"

"Yes, spirit," Snowfall agreed. "I haven't forgotten," Still, she was surprised when, in an instant, she found herself in the school yard proper. Then, to her surprise, she saw a familiar looking purplish-grey coated filly with the most innocent looking eyes of moderate persian blue, a two toned purple mane and tail with light grayish-aqua colored highlights, with the mane styled into two short pigtails. The filly wore a white ten gallon hat and matching boots, as well as a cute little light purple colored shirt with a red bow. "That's... me!" She realized.

Then, the present Snowfall watched as her past self was chased along by four other ponies: A snow white coated earth pony colt with blue eyes, a light blue coated unicorn colt also with blue eyes, a pinkish-purple coated unicorn mare with purple eyes, and a midnight blue coated pegasus mare with light blue eyes, all darted past (each dressed for the cold weather around them with matching hats, boots, and scarves). "Brian! Sam! Rebecca! Tabitha!" She called out, only to watch them run right through her as if she were nothing.

"These are but shadows of the things that have been," The spirit whispered. "They are not aware of us, even though we can see them," She then smiled. "Seems like your past self is quite happy that it's Hearth's Warming Eve," But then her tone took on a mocking voice as she began to imitate the present Snowfall Frost. "Happy Hearth's Warming indeed. What reason have you to be so happy? What good has it ever done you?"

"But... Hearth's Warming was always such a joyful time of year," The present Snowfall Frost protested. "Always merry, and bright, and cheerful and..."

But the spirit interrupted in a hushed whisper. "-Not quite. It is not all merry and cheerful. Let us go inside. There you will see that one filly is left at the school: Abandoned by her father and neglected by her friends."

As Snowfall found herself being brought inside the old schoolhouse, she swore she could hear the spirit singing:

Seeds of the past.

They grow pretty fast.

Just look at who you were back then.

These seeds, as they grow.

Look what they can show.

Reveal the truth time and time again.

Just as the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past had said, the filly Snowfall Frost was indeed all alone inside the one room school house. Judging by the clock on the wall, it was past time for all the ponies to have been dismissed and sent home. But young Snowfall Frost had not left. She seemed to be occupying herself hanging decorations and ornaments.

All of a sudden, she hung an ornament on a unicorn stallion who had a rather pronounced frown, and who seemed to have little space between his nose and his mouth. He was a greenish-grey in color, wore a dark black coat with two buttons, had eyes a disapproving black in color, and a grayish-green mane and tail that hung limp against his body. "Just what do you think you're doing, Snowfall?" He demanded in a bitter and cold tone.

The filly with her mane in pigtails innocently replied. "Decorating the classroom for Hearth's Warming Eve, Professor Flintheart."

Professor Flintheart rolled his eyes. "So it has come again, has it? And I see you've chosen to hang around instead of going home like your classmates. Haven't you spent enough time in your world of make believe? Didn't you say you wished to become a powerful unicorn like Starswirl the Bearded himself?"

Young Snowfall nodded and beamed a bright smile at the professor. "I did. I even remember what you taught me about how one becomes a powerful unicorn:" Clearing her throat, she recited from memory. "Work hard, learn and use your skills to better Equestria."

The present Snowfall Frost did her best to ignore the glare the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past was showing.

Professor Flintheart didn't smile or change his tone even as he replied. "Ah, I see you aren't big a dunderhead as the foals I usually have to teach. You are the only one who's ever payed attention to my lessons. But let me ask you this, Snowfall," He took the ornament off his horn. "How do these silly things help you learn magic?"

"Duh, I wanna be strong enough to stop windigos and help ponies!" Young Snowfall boasted.

The older unicorn just snorted. "Oh Snowfall, I'm so disappointed in you. I suppose your father never told you."

Young Snowfall gulped. "Told me what? That Santa Hooves isn't real?"

"Of course he isn't real!" The professor sharply rapped as he glared down at Snowfall! "But that's not the only thing you're too old to still be believing in! That story about the windigos? It's just that, a story we tell little ponies to make them behave. I've never met a windigo and neither has anypony else. The true history of Equestria's founding is far too complicated for a child like you to understand."

"But... but..." Young Snowfall began to whimper.

Professor Flintheart promptly shattered the ornament into a million tiny little pieces with his magic while telling the filly. "Real magic takes time to learn, it's not some fairytale. But the choice is yours, young Snowfall. Either spend your time learning to become a powerful unicorn," He then kicked the box of decorations towards her as he turned his back to her. "Or play with your toys and make nothing of yourself." And with that he departed the classroom, leaving young Snowfall alone with her broken heart.

The present Snowfall turned to the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past as she tried to defend herself. "I... I tried to tune him out, spirit! Really, I did! But..."

"-But in the absence of your own father, you latched onto him as if he were your father," The spirit coldly pointed out. "And that was what led you to turn your back on the holiday. Although, it seems that is not the only reason why you so despise it. I have gazed into your heart, and I know this is not the only time it has been broken. Let us see another Hearth's Warming memory."

As the years began to perform their terrible dance, and everything and everyone around her began to age in the blink of an eye, the present Snowfall Frost shed a single tear as she unhappily sang:

Just seeds of the past.

We grow up so fast.

But some hurts, they never go away.

The glowing winged unicorn/horned pegasus (whatever she was called) then sang:

The seeds, as they grow.

But this we can't let go.

All tied to this one holiday.





Suddenly, the scene changed! No longer was Snowfall gazing into the aging facade of a single room schoolhouse, watching her young self pass year after year with her nose in the books while ignoring everything and everyone else. Now, there was a rush of wind, and pony and spirit found themselves on a street corner that Snowfall Frost hadn't seen in years.

And nestled among the crowd of buildings in this street corner was a modest, hastily converted shack that had smokestacks sticking out of it. Night was falling as lamp lighters lit the lamps that bathed every street and street corner in a warm and friendly glow of lamplight.

"Tell me, Snowfall Frost," The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past said at last. "Do you know this place?"

As the present Snowfall pressed her snout up to the windows of the building right in front of her, she smiled anew as memories started to come flooding back to her! "Know it?! This was practically my home for years! It's where I got my first job: Bookkeeper for Furrywig's Factory," Then, she heard a door be swung open and out stepped a light brown coated earth pony stallion. He wore a powdered wig over his head that clashed horribly with his smoothly styled black tail, sported blue eyes that looked playful, joyful and full of life and had a cutie mark depicting three money bags. He was wearing a finely pressed red jacket with snow white fur for an accent. "And there's old Furrywig himself!"

"Ah," Furrywig smiled as he looked out upon the snow covered scene that greeted his eyes. "Tis dusk and the lamp lighters are hard at work once again. A picture perfect Hearth's Warmin' Eve," Then he closed the door and stepped back into the factory, clapping his hooves as he declared. "Alright, everypony, that's enough work for the evenin'! Now come on and help me decorate, the guests will be here any minute now for the party!"

The present Snowfall watched along with the spirit as the past Snowfall, who wore nothing but a worn red jacket to go along with her new glasses, was joined by several ponies and even by a creature best described as a mismash of other creatures. And all of them worked together to convert the factory floor into a banquet hall and string up decorations left and right.

Soon afterward, the scene changed to show a nervous looking Snowfall Frost of the past dancing with an earth pony stallion with a reddish coat, and a brilliant orange mane and tail styled to absolute perfection. He had moderate sap green eyes, and had on a fine red dress suit with yellow trim, and even wore a matching top hat.

The present Snowfall gasped as she looked at the stallion dancing with her younger self! "That's... Peter! This is the night I first met him!" And she watched as the young couple danced the night away, undeterred by anything or anypony else. They truly were a sight to behold.

Yet just as it seemed like the happy memories would never end, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past tapped the present Snowfall on the shoulder and whispered to the unicorn. "My time grows short. Come. There is still one scene we must see."

"No!" Snowfall gasped as a look of horror and realization flashed in her eyes! "Please, spirit! I don't wish to see!" But her plea was ignored as she was whisked away.

Now, the past Snowfall and Peter were in a snow covered field. Peter had swapped out his dress suit and top hat for a simple black jacket and matching bowtie. The past Snowfall hadn't changed a bit, although she had now styled her mane and tail to shed the pigtails look of her youth, changing it into what she now was.

"You're delayin' our marriage for another year?!" Peter all but gasped as he sat beside his fiancee.

The past Snowfall just nodded as she replied. "Business continues to be poor, Peter. You deserve only the best I can give. And there is no greater foe than poverty."

Peter could only retort. "You seem to fear it far more than anypony else. I don't want some fancy weddin', Snowfall! I just want us to be together, to be happy!"

"And we will be, I promise!" The past Snowfall protested. "A year from now, things will be better. My business will have taken off and we'll have more bits than we know what to do with! Please, Peter, just hold off until then! I love you!"

But Peter just stood up as he looked his fiance deep in the eyes and said to her. "You did once. But now, I fear an idol has replaced me in your heart. A golden idol." He began to trot off.

The past Snowfall tried to run after him as she shouted over the sudden roar of the wind! "Wait, Peter!"

Peter only replied. "It's over, Snowfall. I release you." And soon he was out of sight, disappearing into the cold.

The present Snowfall now shed tears without bothering to hide them, and she bitterly glared at the one subjecting her to this unwanted revisitation of a memory she had tried to block. "Spirit," She sniffled. "Why do you insist on torturing me so? Haven't I suffered enough?"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past only shook her head and retorted. "I have told you already, Snowfall: These are but shadows of the things that have been. That they are what they are. Do not blame me," She then proposed in a sincere tone of voice. "You really think erasing the holiday of Hearth's Warming will erase all the pain and suffering you associate with it? You fashioned these memories yourself. They will always be with you."

That was enough to make the present Snowfall Frost snap as she turned to the spirit and demanded of it! "Please, spirit, show me no more! I can't bare to see any more! Leave my sight at once!"

"Very well, if that is what you wish," The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past replied. "But there are still two spirits you've yet to meet. Learn from them as you have learned from me."

Snowfall only proceeded to pick up the cap being held by the spirit and threw it over the glowing pony's head as she shouted at the top of her lungs! "Haunt me no longer, spirit!" And when she had thrown the cap over the head, there was a blinding flash and the unicorn shut her eyes!





All of a sudden, the peace and quiet of the Crystal Castle's library was disturbed by the sound of a loud crash! A crash that seemed to have originated downstairs. And a voice could be heard saying. "Oops, my bad!"

With a sigh, Twilight Sparkle paused in her reading and set the book down as she told her student. "Sorry, Starlight. Looks like the rest of the story will have to wait. I'd better go see what all the fuss is about and make sure nopony's hurt."

"Besides, I needed a break anyway," Spike declared as he stood up. "All that hot chocolate goes right through you."

But Starlight didn't want the story to end! "Wait!" She pleaded in desparation to Twilight! "What happens next?! How does the story end?! You can't just end it midway through!"

Twilight smiled, sensing that she had begun to get through to the unicorn. "Tell you what, Starlight? If I go down there and see that my help isn't needed, I'll come back and we can finish the story together. It shouldn't be long, and the night is still young. Deal?"

Reluctantly, Starlight Glimmer agreed. "Deal." And then she watched as Twilight and Spike left to carry out their tasks, leaving the unicorn all alone again. It seemed like that was how a lot of her Hearth's Warmings were as far as she could recall.
> S6 E8: A Hearth's Warming Tail, Part 2 (What If?) - Redo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight Glimmer was currently pacing the floor in the library of the crystal tree castle that she lived in, waiting impatiently for Twilight Sparkle and Spike to come back. The reason for this was because, when last we had left Starlight, she had been in the middle of being read a story about the holiday of Hearth's Warming.

It had all started when Twilight had asked Starlight if she was looking forward to celebrating the holiday of Hearth's Warming Eve, especially since a huge party was going on in the castle and Twilight was hosting it. "You ready to celebrate your first ever Hearth's Warming here in Ponyville?" Twilight had asked her student.

Starlight had been quick to answer. "I was thinking maybe I could just skip the whole thing."

"Skip Hearth's Warming?! Are you crazy?!" Spike had demanded upon hearing the unicorn's declaration.

In response, Starlight had replied. "The holiday just doesn't do anything for me anymore, the magic's gone away."

Not one to give up at the first sign of adversity, however, Twilight had proposed to her student. "Maybe you just haven't heard the right Hearth's Warming Eve story yet!" And she quickly revealed what story it was that she had in mind. "A Hearth's Warming Tail!"

Twilight and Spike had then adjourned with Starlight to the castle library, allowing for the alicorn to retrieve the aforementioned story, which took the form of a well worn, heavy book. And when everyone was comfortable, Twilight had begun to read. "This is the story of a unicorn. Not just any unicorn, but a very powerful unicorn named Snowfall Frost."

It wasn't long before the story began to take shape in the minds of all who heard it. In particular, Snowfall Frost was imagined to look a lot like Starlight Glimmer herself. "Bah humbug!" Snowfall had snapped in response to just about anything to do with the holiday, soon it making clear how she felt about it. "Work hard, learn and use your skills to better Equestria. I prefer to use my bits for far more productive measures."

Yet after sending her assistant Ash (short for Ashley) Hatchet home, Snowfall had greeted by none other than her old partner, a creature who was a missmash of other creatures. "I was once your partner, Mr. D," And he soon explained the reason behind his visit, and his state of appearance: Namely his ghostly form and the chain he wore around his whole body. "I come back only to warn you, friend. You are headed down a dark path, one from which there is no escape."

"What's with that wretched and horrible chain around your body?!" Snowfall had demanded of Mr. D.

With a groan and a moan Mr. D had explained. "I wear the chain I forged in life. You wear such a chain yourself, you just don't realize it."

"Speak comfort to me, old friend!" Snowfall had pleaded upon hearing such a statement.

And Mr. D had replied. "Tonight, you will be haunted by three spirits."

The first of the spirits arrived soon afterward, just as Mr. D had said. But not before Snowfall Frost had taken it upon herself to do something drastic. "I HATE Hearth's Warming! I hate it all! Everypony would be much better off if we just skipped the day entirely."

But before the spell to erase the holiday could be cast, the first spirit arrived. It took the form of a young and slender looking pony with the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn, coated completely in white. "I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past," It had introduced itself, before explaining. "You don't think a spell like yours could get by without some powerful forces noticing? You've certainly gotten our attention, Snowfall Frost."

And before Snowfall knew it or even had a chance to react or protest, she was led along by the spirit into her past. Soon, she was seeing her past self attending a boarding school in a one room schoolhouse. All the while, she was told. "These are but shadows of the things that have been."

Yet that did nothing to prepare the unicorn for the memories she was forced to relieve. The painful memory of her favorite teacher and father figure in Professor Flintheart coldly telling her. "That story about the windigos? It's just that, a story we tell little ponies to make them behave. I've never met a windigo and neither has anypony else. Real magic takes time to learn, it's not some fairytale."

Things only got worse when Snowfall had to watch her past self fall in love with a red coated earth pony stallion named Peter, only for Peter to break off the engagement on Hearth's Warming Eve. "I fear an idol has replaced me in your heart. A golden idol," He had told her, and then left her after saying. "It's over, Snowfall. I release you."

And then the present Snowfall had demanded of the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past! "Show me no more."

The spirit had obeyed, though not without telling Snowfall. "There are still two spirits you've yet to meet. Learn from them as you have learned from me." And it was the last thing she did before Snowfall placed a covering cap over the spirit's head, bathing her surroundings in blinding light!

It was then that the story had been abruptly interrupted by a crash from downstairs and a voice calling out. "Oops, my bad!"

Starlight had practically all but begged to hear the rest of the story. "What happens next?! How does the story end?!"

And Twilight had reassured her student by making a deal with her. "If I go down there and see that my help isn't needed, I'll come back and we can finish the story together."

So now, all Starlight Glimmer could do was to just stand around and wait. Wait for what felt like an eternity. But she had to know how the story ended, what supposedly would cause Snowfall Frost to change her mind. Little did the unicorn suspect how the story would progress.



Just as Starlight had given up hope of ever hearing the rest of the story and had resigned herself to having to read the book herself, she was greatly relieved when her moderate blue persian eyes beheld the sight she'd been hoping to see: Twilight and Spike both returning to the castle library. And in Spike's case, he had a freshly filled mug of hot chocolate complete with two marshmallows floating at the top.

"So, you really wanna hear the rest of the story, Starlight?" Twilight eagerly asked her student with a smile.

Starlight Glimmer firmly nodded. "It was a slow start, but I'm definitely hooked now! I just have to know how it ends! Who are the other spirits?! What is it that makes Snowfall Frost change her mind?!"

Twilight grinned as she motioned to both Spike and Starlight. "Well, everyone get comfortable, and I'll pick up where we left off. Trust me when I say, the best is yet to come!"

Spike briefly sipped hot chocolate from his mug as he nuzzled close to Twilight. "I'm ready when you are! This is just like old times!"

The young alicorn chuckled. "It certainly is."

The unicorn mare couldn't help but comment. "I just can't believe I've never heard of this story until now."

Twilight somewhat sheepishly admitted. "It is hard to find, admittedly. Not many copies of it still exist. I'm just lucky enough to have a copy that's been in the Sparkle family for generations," Then she cleared her throat and began to read aloud as the story resumed. "The flash of light eventually faded. And when it did, Snowfall Frost found herself back in her study, as if she'd never left in the first place." And the story began to again take shape in the minds of all who heard it.





Snowfall had to take a moment to gather her senses. Everything she'd just witnessed, everything she'd been told. There was no way it could've been a dream, it all felt so real. But nothing had deterred her. "If that spirit thinks she can just persuade me not to cast this spell, she has another thing coming!" She vowed, readying her horn for the task at hoof.

But just then, a clock inside of Snowfall's house struck the hour, chiming twice in the process. And when the clanging chimes fell silent, there came the sound of loud booms not unlike thunder. But these booms sounded more like the hoofsteps of something, of someone. Yet Snowfall Frost couldn't see anything or anyone.

The booms grew louder, shaking the ground and giving the unicorn quite the fright as she dove to the floor and covered her ears!

At last, however, the booming stopped. Snowfall slowly rose to her hooves. In the distance, a door magically appeared where it had not been a second ago. And there was a strange, warm glow surrounding it, like a fire or a brightly lit interior.

"Enter, Snowfall Frost. Do not be afraid," A booming, jolly voice echoed from the other side of the door. "Come in. Come in and know me better, mare."

Now remembering what Mr. D and the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past had told her, Snowfall concluded that this was the calling card of the second spirit. This one sounded far more inviting. So she trotted over to the door, opened it and stepped through into the other side as the door swung shut behind her.

Now Snowfall found herself in a room that sported a huge tree decorated with lights and with a shining star hanging on the top. There was a large fireplace with a splendid fire crackling away, giving the whole room a warm and comfortable feel to it.

And when Snowfall looked up, she gasped at the sight that her eyes beheld! There stood a truly massive pony, this one having wings and a horn just like the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past. But although this pony had a beautiful white coat, she did not appear to be transparent or see through. Her coat looked all too real, even though she had it drapped in a long, flowing, dark green robe. Atop the spirit's head was a reef, and in one hoof she held a torch.

The winged unicorn/horned pegasus looked down, locking eyes with her visitor through her pale, light grayish pink eyes. She gave a hearty laugh and flashed a bright smile as she spoke in a jolly, cheerful tone. "I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present! Look upon me, for you have never seen the likes of me before!"

Snowfall Frost could not look away from the spirit. In fact, she found herself admitting. "Forgive me, spirit. I was not expecting you to be so... big."

The spirit laughed again as she replied. "It's okay, I get that a lot," But then she commented. "You truly haven't seen the likes of me before. And therefore, I'll bet you've never walked forth with any of my elder sisters."

Snowfall gasped in amazement! "I didn't know spirits could have siblings! How many older sisters do you have?"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present giggled. "Oh, far more than I can remember off the top of my head. But I know it's been almost a thousand. But I'm the lucky one, because I get to meet you. And I have so much to show you!"

"You too wish to teach me something, spirit?" The glasses wearing unicorn inquired.

"You bet your brass bells I do!" The spirit declared before unfurling her robe. "Here, touch my robe! Come on, I haven't got all night."

Hesitantly and reluctantly, Snowfall reached out one of her hooves to touch the exposed rope. And as soon as she did so, she felt something take hold of her and then she was whisked away!





When Snowfall Frost opened her eyes again, she found herself standing beside the Spirit of Hearth Warming's Present on a street corner just as the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. "Welcome, Snowfall Frost, to Hearth's Warming Day!" The spirit proclaimed! And within seconds, the street corner was teaming with life from ponies of all ages and species. They trotted to and fro, chattering either amongst themselves or to and with others.

But there was something Snowfall couldn't help but notice about the ponies she was seeing, particularly due to their choice of wardrobe. "You've brought me to the poorest district in the entire city, spirit. Why?" She questioned.

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present retorted. "You misunderstand, Snowfall. This is the richest district! Rich in spirit, for they keep Hearth's Warming close to their hearts. They are the ones all my elder sisters have always been with since the beginning. They include the blind and the crippled, the ones deemed 'outcasts' by society."

"But... how can there be so many of them here in Canterlot, Equestria's capital city?" Snowfall pondered. "How is it that the most affluent place in all of Equestria could be so full of those with nothing? Is there no help available to them?"

"Are there no poor houses? Are there no prisons?" The spirit retorted, echoing Snowfall Frost's earlier statements, much to the unicorn's shock. "It is true that Canterlot is home to the richest of ponies in wealth and material things. But there are still those who struggle to make ends meet, those who have fallen behind through no fault of their own. They are always there whether other ponies see them or not. And yet, it is often those who have nothing who find the most reason to be thankful at this time of year."

The unicorn could only scratch her head with a hoof. "I don't understand, spirit."

The spirit only replied. "You may not understand it yet, Snowfall, but I tell you that before the night ends you will understand all too well. To be rich in wealth is not the same as to be rich in spirit. To live is not to be able to be truly alive," Then, suddenly, she noticed a pink coated earth pony filly whose coat was stained by dust and scratch marks. Despite this, the filly's innocent blue eyes were filled with wonder. "Ah, here comes a truly gifted pony. Watch her, Snowfall. And you will see what I mean," She smiled. "I think a song is coming on!"

And sure enough, the filly began to sing as she bounced and trotted along, even if nopony but her was singing along. It was a performance for an audience of one, and a performance she was happy to sing loud and proud:

Just take a look at everything around you.

All the smells that surely will astound you.

Open up your heart, and it will surround you.

In the magic of Hearth's Warming!

It's the little things that make it better.

Little ponies spreading cheer.

Give a toy, a hug, or a sweater.

Memories will last all year!

The present's always filled with presents!

Large, medium and small!

And sometimes the most important things.

Aren't very big at all!

As the filly sang, however, it was possible to see her joyous attitude spread to other ponies left and right. Before long, everypony on the street corner was singing and dancing to the imaginary beat, as the filly did a tap dancing solo.

Then, the filly's eyes lit up with wonder as she passed a house and gazed into its brightly light window, observing a Hearth's Warming party that was ongoing! She fondly sang to herself!

What a party, there's so much to see here.

Who wouldn't want to be here?

You'd have a blast, that I guarantee here.

For this is the spirit of Hearth's Warming.

Cider's flowing, this is living.

Come on, feel the beat!

Life is better when you're giving.

And each time you do it feels sweet.

The present's always filled with presents!

Come on, open up your eyes!

Spend time with ponies just like you.

And watch as your spirits rise!

The present's always filled with presents!

Take a look around!

The reason for the holiday.

Is quite easily found!

Yes, the real reason for the holiday.

Is quite easily found!

And the reason is to be with your friends!

As she finished singing, the filly put her hooves together and made a shower of confetti appear between them where that hadn't been any confetti just a minute ago!





"And the reason is to be with your friends!" Twilight sang out, her tone of voice making it sound like she was trying to imitate Pinkie Pie. However, she stopped upon noticing that Starlight was giving her an odd look. "What? Was it something I said?"

Starlight shot her teacher a funny look as she seemed to be trying hard not to grin. "When Spike said you did voices, I didn't think he meant it like this. You were doing a Pinkie Pie voice just now. You did know that, didn't you?"

"What?! No I wasn't!" Twilight insisted even as her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. But she knew it was a futile gesture when even Spike was laughing hard. So she instead coughed into a hoof. "A-anyway, let's get back to the story, shall we?" And she began to read again. "It was indeed a Hearth's Warming party that the little filly saw. And before Snowfall had a chance to react, she found herself not just looking at the party but actually witnessing it in its entirety."

What surprised Snowfall Frost the most about the party was who the host was. It was a familiar unicorn mare with a snow white coat and sapphire blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds! It was her Cousin Glow, her only living relative! This was the Hearth's Warming party she'd invited Snowfall to the day prior.

"Yes, yes, it's true, I tell you," Glow giggled while chattering with some party guests. "Auntie Snowfall really did declare the holiday a humbug. And she found it silly that I'd fallen in love and am going to get married. Can you believe it?"

And several of the party guests broke into fits of laughter.

However, Glow then commented. "I only wish Aunt Snowfall could be here to see this party. I think she'd agree that her vision of a perfect Equestria looks a lot like this party. We've all worked hard over the year, learned a lot, and used our skills to host this party and just gather here," Then she added. "And upon my wedding, I am going to establish my very own boutique right here in the city! There are so many ponies who can scarcely afford a good meal, let alone clothes to protect them from the elements. I truly believe I could make a difference in their lives. Far more of a difference than Aunt Snowfall hoarding her bits all to herself."

Snowfall felt a pang of guilt hit her square in the muzzle. Was this how other ponies saw her? As somepony to be made fun of? To speak ill of behind her back or when she was not there?

"It's funny," The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present spoke up, snapping Snowfall out of her mental ponderings. "For a pony who wears glasses, it seems there's much you can't see."

"I... never knew others felt this way," Snowfall confessed as she struggled to find the words. "But, I thought my work could make a difference. If I could learn how to cast spells, I could unlock the secrets of life. I could transform anything into whatever I wanted. Have I been throwing away my talents all these years?"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present just replied. "Nopony is an island, Snowfall Frost. Nopony is meant to do everything by themselves. One little pony all by themselves cannot change the world. It is only when their actions inspire others, that one little pony can make a difference in the lives of their fellow ponies," Then she gestured to the window. "You must be curious about that filly. About who she belongs to."

Snowfall nodded her head. "The thought had crossed my mind."

"Well, come along, then," The spirit instructed as she held out her robe again. "There is one more stop we have to make. But be warned, you may not like what you see."

Still a bit hesitant, Snowfall Frost nevertheless touched the spirit's green robe and felt herself flying along through the city skyline. But the journey soon ended as pony and spirit touched down outside an inconscipicuous house far away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Canterlot. It was very much on the city's outer limits, and was the only house at this odd hour with lights still on.

"Wait!" Spike called out as he interrupted the story again! "Could we take a quick break? I need to refill my cocoa."

"Again?" Twilight questioned. "Didn't you refill your mug during our last break?"

Spike willingly admitted. "Yeah, but I already drank it all. I promise, I won't chug it all down this time!" He jumped down from the sofa and ran off while shouting! "I'll be right back!"

Reluctantly, the alicorn agreed even as she groaned. "Fine, but hurry up. You know we're getting to the best part of the story! And the most important part, I might add."

Luckily for the ponies, Spike was indeed back quick as a flash and with a fresh mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate. He got back into his earlier position, got comfortable and nodded to Twilight. "Okay, I'm ready. Proceed."

"Okay then," Twilight Sparkle agreed and cleared her throat. "Snowfall eyed the humbe little brick building with curiosity. Something about it nagged at her, refusing to leave her alone."





Snowfall Frost was deep in thought as she looked into a first floor window, pressing her face up against the glass. She could see what appeared to be a kitchen, and in it stood a tall and lanky earth pony stallion with an orange coat. His mane and tail were also orange, though not the same shade of orange as his coat. He had eyes an unusual shade of green and a cutie mark depicting three cut carrot cakes. He was wearing a brown jacket that looked torn in many places, and offered very little protection against the cold.

To either stand of the stallion stood two foals: One was a pegasus colt with a light goldish gray coat, dark grayish-brown eyes and a brown mane and tail. And the other was a unicorn filly with a light yellow coat, brilliant blue eyes and a light orange mane and tail. Their cutie marks depicted some type of cakes or treats.

"Father?" The pegasus colt asked out of the blue. "When will Mother be coming home? I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah!" The unicorn filly chimed in. "Me too!" And she licked her lips and sniffed the air. "Oh, the food smells so good!"

The stallion looked up and lightly laughed as he playfully scolded. "Now Tim, Tilly, you know the rules: We must wait for the whole family before we eat. Your little sister especially needs as much nutrition and energy as she can get," In a more serious tone of voice he added. "Maker knows she has enough trouble as it is with her condition, especially when she gets excited."

Just then, Tim looked out the very same window Snowfall was looking into. He couldn't see her or the spirit, but he could see the faint outline of two earth ponies in the distance. He buzzed his wings in excitement as he shouted! "I see her! I see Mother! And she's got Tiny Timantha with her!"

Tilly ran to the same window, and sure enough she could see a plump earth pony mare with a frosting blue coat and a pink mane and tail made to look like cupcake frosting. Atop her mane was resting a pink coated filly with a mane and tail also pink that looked like cotton candy. Said filly was holding onto a crutch as she bounced up and down on the elder earth pony's mane with every step.

It was then that Tim got an idea! "Quick!" He shouted to his sister and his father! "Let's hide! Oh, it'll be the perfect surprise!"

"What a great idea, Tim!" Tilly agreed! "Come on, Father, I know the perfect hiding place!" And all three earth ponies quickly ducked under the table in the room adjacent to the kitchen.

As all this was unfolding, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present was looking to Snowfall with the most unusual expression upon her face. It was one that seemed to convey a look of "I know something you don't know". But all she said in reply was the following question. "Have you visited this dwelling before?"

"No, spirit, not once." Snowfall truthfully confessed.

The spirit seemed to snort a bit even as her overall cheerful attitude did not fade. "Just as I thought," And then she said to Snowfall Frost. "Do you not know the home of the family of the pony who has worked so hard for you these many long years?"

At that, the unicorn gasped! "You mean... this is Ash Hatchet's place?! She has a family?!"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present nodded. "Indeed it is, though few would ever know. Yet is it here you will see what the true spirit of Hearth's Warming is like," And she brought up a hoof in a shushing motion. "Now, let us watch and observe."

Ashley Hatchet and the filly Snowfall assumed was the "Tiny Timantha" the colt had spoken of approached the Hatchet house. When they were close enough, Ash let Timantha down gently and trotted alongside the little filly as the two made their way to the front door.

The door swung open slowly, and a light flickered on. That was when Tim and Tilly emerged from their hiding place, shouting together! "Surprise!"

And Ash Hatchet's husband trotted up a moment later, nuzzling his wife and kissing her on the cheek. "Welcome home, my dear," Then he asked. "How was little Timantha today?"

"Oh, she was as good as gold, really!" Ash Hatchet said with a sincere smile while patting the little filly gently on the forehead. "I wish you could've seen it, Bob. The way she carried herself while we were coming back from seeing her relatives, it was enough to make the blind see and the crippled trot."

"And I saw the biggest, bestest, most awesomest Hearth's Warming party ever!" Tiny Timantha excitedly exclaimed, only to start coughing consistently as a result.

Ash Hatchet quickly spoke up to settle the filly down. "Now now, Tiny Timantha. That's quite enough. You know what happens when you get excited. It's not good for you. You must let your lungs rest, doctor's orders."

The pink coated filly seemed to reluctantly agree, ceasing in her excited prancing and taking a few deep breaths. "I know, Mommy. I know. But that party was just so... incredible! I wish I could throw a party like that for all of us! It would be so much fun."

"As much fun as a big Hearth's Warming Day feast with your whole family?" Bob Hatchet inquired. "I made all your favorites, including the desserts."

At that, Tiny Timantha's eyes went wide! The same look she had displayed when seeing that Hearth's Warming Party earlier were now displayed in her innocent blue eyes. They sparkled and shone so brightly they could've lit up the entire sky at any time of day or night. "Oh, Daddy, you shouldn't have!" She lept up and immediately gave the stallion as big a hug as her little body was capable of.

Bob Hatchet smiled as he gently set the fily back down on the ground. "I figured you'd say that. You and your siblings go wash up, then join your mother and I at the dining room table and we'll all feast together."

The pink coated little earth pony gave a salute. "Yes sir!" Then, with the aid of her crutch she walked away as best she could, leaving the Hatchets alone to get lost in each others' gaze.

Snowfall had seen the whole thing unfold, realizing that much like with the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past she could see but not touch or speak when viewing the lives of other ponies. She and the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present were silent, invisible observers.

And there was something that kept nagging at the back of Snowfall Frost's mind as she watched the Hatchet family get ready for their big feast, especially since she could see they had very little in the way of food and that their "feast" was void of many of the usual menu items served for such an occasion. "I don't understand it, spirit," She willingly admitted. "They have so little. They're not like my Cousin Glow who lives in luxury. They couldn't even pass for middle class. How can they be so cheerful and full of life?"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present looked to Snowfall and said bluntly to her. "Their happiness lies in something apparently quite foreign to you, Snowfall."

"And what would that be?" Snowfall pondered.

"Love." Was all the spirit said in reply, and it was all she needed to say. That single, simple word spoke volumes. It was visible for all to see throughout the household.





It wasn't long before the entire Hatchet household was reclining at table, settling in to sample their portions of food and drink.

Yet before anypony could think of digging in, Ash Hatchet tapped a spoon against her glass and cleared her throat. "Everypony, before we enjoy this delicious meal together, I'd like to propose a toast."

"A toast?" Tim, Tilly and Tiny Timantha all wondered. "To who?"

Ash Hatchet smiled as she answered. "To the founder of this feast: My employer, Miss. Snowfall Frost."

Yet Bob Hatchet immediately snorted and rolled his eyes. "Ashley, darling, must you joke on a day like this? You don't really believe Snowfall Frost could be considered in such a light."

Ash Hatchet nodded back. "I most certainly do. After all, she was kind enough to give me the day off. The first day off she's ever given me in the long years I've worked for her. Anypony who could do that can't be all bad."

Bob Hatchet's mood didn't change as he bitterly remarked. "'The founder of this feast' indeed! If she were here right now, I'd certainly give her a piece of my mind to feast upon! And I'd hope she would choke on it!"

The plump earth pony mare quickly pleaded. "But my dear, 'tis Hearth's Warming Day."

The stallion only replied. "Indeed. Only on a day such as Hearth's Warming Day could one possibly raise a toast and lift a glass to a pony like Snowfall Frost," And without being prompted to he laid bare his contempt for the rich mare. "She is selfish, stuck-up, self-centered, why there aren't enough in the dictionary to describe the kind of pony she is," Then he sighed deeply and sank back in his chair, perhaps resigning himself to the fact that he was the only pony in the room who thought the way he did. "All the same, I suppose you have a point, my darling Ashley."

Ash Hatchet smiled. "Thank you, Bob. I'd rather not have to argue with you on Hearth's Warming Day."

Bob nodded, though he still saw fit to give his two bits. "I'll toast to her health for your sake, and for the sake of the holiday, but certainly not for her sake," He reluctantly raised his glass, instructing the children to do the same. "Everypony, a toast: To Miss Snowfall Frost, who I'm certain will be very, very happy on this Hearth's Warming Day!"

"To Snowfall Frost!" Ash Hatchet and the children all said in unison as they lifted their glasses, lightly tapping them against each other. Then they set them back down, and everypony began to eat their fill of the food on their plates and on the table.





Unknown to the family of five, Snowfall had seen and heard everything. She hadn't expected the words to sting so much, yet like a barb they had pierced her icy heart. Looking down at her own hooves, she seemed to be thinking to herself. "Is this what it's like to care for others? To care what other ponies think of me? Have I truly convinced everypony that I'm a monster?"

Suddenly, however, as if she knew what Snowfall was thinking (even though such a thing should be impossible), Tiny Timantha ceased in her eating. She swallowed her food and spoke up. "Miss. Snowfall Frost can't truly be an awful pony. It must be pretty lonely for her not to have anypony to call her friend, and to have only one cousin for family. Nopony should ever be alone, especially on Hearth's Warming Day," She then declared. "I think we should all get her a Hearth's Warming present, or at least a card. That way she'll know that she's not all alone."

Ash Hatchet couldn't stop herself from tearing up a bit. "Bless your big heart, Tiny Timantha. Always thinking of others, even when nopony would blame you for thinking of yourself. Oh, Bob and I don't deserve to be blessed with a pony as pure and innocent as you."

"Oh, there there, Mommy," Tiny Timantha spoke up as her smile grew wider and brighter. "There's no need to get upset. After all, it's Hearth's Warming Day, the most wonderful day of the year. Nopony in their right mind should be sad," Yet as she finished speaking, she began coughing once again. And in between fits she apologized. "Sorry. I promised to rest my lungs. I'll be quiet now."

Now filled with a sense of dread, Snowfall Frost nervously turned towards the Spirit of Hearth's Warming present. Hesitantly, nervously and reluctantly she asked. "Spirit, tell me... and be honest. What's going to happen to that child? Will she be alright?"

The spirit simply looked upon the little filly and then replied in an ominous, slow tone of voice. "The future is... clouded. It is impossible for me to say for sure. But I do know this, Snowfall," She looked towards the child and answered. "I see a vacant seat in the poor chimney corner. And a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child will not get better. The family will resort to desperature measures to try to save her, but they may not be enough."

"No!" Snowfall gasped to herself, reacting as if she'd just been stabbed!

The spirit then coldly went on to say. "But then, why should that concern you? Why should it concern anypony? What difference could your bits make? There's too many poor ponies in the world as it is," She spun around and fixed her gaze on Snowfall Frost as she concluded. "Or so I've heard."

The glasses wearing unicorn realized in an instant what the spirit was doing. "You... use you my own words against me, spirit."

The winged unicorn/horned pegasus pointed out. "Well, that's what you believe, is it not?"

"Was what I believed, spirit, but now I know!" Snowfall admitted as the tears began to well up inside her! "She's not a broken toy or some face in the crowd! She's a child!" Desperately, she turned to the spirit and pleaded! "If she were yours, you would want to see her grow! You would want her to get better! Please, tell me that these things may yet be changed! That the child's future is not set in stone!"

However, before the spirit could reply, the clanging chimes and the ringing bells of the local clock tower rang out! The clock was slowly but steadily moving towards the midnight hour! Had time moved that fast?!

As the chimes echoed across the land, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present began to age and began fade as an ominous mist began to set in around her. "I cannot say any further. It seems my time has come at last."

"W-what do you mean?! Please, spirit, don't leave me!" Snowfall Frost desperately pleaded! "I have to know about Tiny Timantha!"

"It is out of my hooves, Snowfall," The spirit weakly replied as her long and flowing, rainbow colored mane and tail began to turn a dull shade of gray. "My time in this realm is very short. It will end upon the stroke of midnight. And so, I leave you in the company of the final spirit: The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come. Her lesson will be the hardest of all to bare. But bare it you must, if only for your own sake."

"W-wait!" Snowfall pleaded as she tried to stop the spirit from leaving. But then her eyes noticed something. It looked like hooves sticking out from under the spirit's robe. "What's that underneath you?"

"Oh, you notice them?" The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present commented in a raspy tone of voice. "Not many do, even though they are always among us," She pulled back her robe, and out crawled a scrawny looking earth pony colt and filly. "The colt is ignorance and the filly is want. Fear them both, but especially fear the filly."

Gulping, the unicorn nervously asked. "Are they yours, spirit?"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present could only reply. "They are pony kind's. Born of pony kind's inactions and neglect, willful or otherwise." And as she spoke, the colt and the filly underwent startling transformations, all the while the clock continued to chime and the bells continued to toll!

Then, as quickly and mysteriously as they had arrived, the colt and the filly vanished. And when the last chime for the midnight hour had expired, so too did The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present, who faded away in a glowing shower of sparkles.





Snowfall was surprised when she was not brought back to her house and to her study as she had when the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past had left her. Yet now she could hear the clock chiming again, this time it chimed and the bells rang out only three times. It struck Snowfall that the entire display she had just witnessed had taken only an hour, despite witnessing a full day's worth of Hearth's Warming festitivies.

Now, however, she could see nothing at all except snow. Snow fell all around her, blown around by strong, bitting winter winds that stung at the exposed parts of her body. Fog lay everywhere.

Suddenly, as Snowfall Frost took a step back, she felt something brush up against her. She turned around, finding herself facing a tall, dark figure whose entire body was obscured by a long, black cloak. And this mysterious figure spoke not a word despite how much it towered over the unicorn.

Still, the glasses wearing unicorn gulped and plucked up courage. "Am I to assume that I am in the presence of the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come?" She asked, and received what appeared to be a nod even as the figure didn't say a word. "Spirit," She willingly confessed. "Know that I fear you more than I fear any other specter I've met tonight. But like the others, I know your aim is to teach me a lesson. I will not run from it, I will hear what you have to say. Your will be done. Lead me where you will. But... tell me one thing," Hesitantly, she inquired of her guest. "Are these the shadows of things that will be, or the shadows of things that may yet be?"

The spirit merely pointed a hoof as the blinding snow and fog lifted a little, showing a very familiar looking facade in the middle of the city.

Snowfall at once recognized the place as her own home. Except now it seemed that all light had been snuffed out. Looking back to the spirit, she realized that it wanted her to enter. "I would if I could, spirit," She admitted as she stood frozen on the spot. "But I've not the courage. I am afraid."

Still, the spirit said nothing as it merely urged Snowfall Frost onwards. Soon, she was standing outside the door to her workshop. Instantly, a thousand horrible images flashed through her mind as the unicorn thought about what gastly sight might await her on the other side. And because of those images, she turned back to the spirit and pleaded with it. "Spirit, please, I do not wish to see what's on the other side. I know already that such a fate is what awaits me should I continue to neglect the holiday," Shuddering with fright she then insisted. "Show me some tenderness connected with a life, any life."

Yet even though the spirit brought Snowfall back outside, it didn't show her anything further.

"W-well?" Snowfall questioned as she looked up a the spirit. "Aren't you going to show me some happiness? Even if my own future is bleak, or," She gulped. "I have no future, surely others are not the same," An idea came to her then and there. "S-show me the Hatchet family! Show me that Tiny Timantha is okay!"

However, it was then that the spirit chose to reveal its face, revealing itself as a dark blue coated winged unicorn/horned pegasus. Its gaze fell upon Snowfall as it spoke in an echoy, cold tone. "I cannot do that, Snowfall Frost. It is too late. The future has already been changed."

"W-why? What do you mean?" Snowfall demanded. "And why is it so cold and snowy?"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come only coldly replied. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already for yourself. Why else do you think I was leading you towards that door? There are no Hearth's Warmings left for me to show. You will succeed in erasing the holiday for all time, as you wished."

The glasses wearing unicorn gulped. "Then, what happens to everypony else?"

But rather than reply with words, The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come sang in a dark and ominous voice:

I see a cold wind blowing through.

And I see days neither fun nor free.

I see a future caused by you!

Yet I also see a path not meant to be!

But the days ahead are only dark and tragic.

There's no time for hope when all is strife!

Whatever there might have been.

All the dreams that ponies share.

Now, because of you, Snowfall Frost!

The future is only a cold nightmare!

As the spirit finished singing, Snowfall's eyes beheld a most eerie sight that almost made her drop dead from fright! Horses made of clouds, snow and ice. She knew at once what they were! "What?! Windigos?!" She gasped in disbelief, watching as the mythical creatures and the blizzards they created lay waste to everything and everypony in their path. "But... they aren't real! They're just a fairytale, a little filly's story!"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come could only shake her head and firmly scold. "They are all too real, Snowfall, and your actions will allow them to return. The future of Equestria shall be bathed in a blanket of eternal snow and ice! That is the fate you've brought upon it. That is the future that awaits you and all of ponykind! I cannot change it or stop it!"

Snowfall had heard enough! She immediately lept up and grasped the edge of the spirit's cloak, locking eyes with it as she desperately pleaded! "No! I never meant for any of this to happen! I didn't know! But I see now! I understand! I didn't see how important Hearth's Warming really was until now!"

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come said nothing.

Snowfall continued to drastically and desperately plead! "Please, spirit! I can change! I will live in the past, the present and the funture! Let me go back! I haven't cast the spell yet! Is there still time?! Tell me there's still time to make things right! I'm sorry! I won't try to erase the holiday ever again! Whatever wrongs I've done in the past, it doesn't have to define my future or Equestria's future! Please, send me back!" And then she fell to the ground with tears in her eyes. Then everything went dark.





Slowly but surely, Snowfall Frost opened her eyes. She found herself back in her workshop in her own home once again. Looking down at herself, she saw that her hooves were solid. She was alive and well.

Had it all been just a dream? A terrible nightmare brought about from stress? No, it had all been real. Snowfall was sure of it. And she knew immediately what she had to do! "What was I thinking?!" She said to herself as she used her magic to take the cauldron containing her spell off the burning hearth. She rushed out and into the kitchen, immediately pouring the concotion down the kitchen sink as she vowed! "Never again!"

Snowfall was briefly terrified when she thought she saw a windigo emerge from the drain, giving off a faint whiny before it disappeared into thin air!

With that little detail satisfied, Snowfall then ran to her bedroom and threw open the bedroom window as she looked down on the streets below! "You there!" She called out to a passing by earth pony colt with brown patches on his fur.

The colt looked up at Snowfall. "Me, ma'am?" He asked with uncertainty.

"Yes, you," Snowfall nodded. "What day is today?"

"Today? Why, today is Hearth's Warming Day of course!" The little earth pony declared.

Upon hearing this confirmation, Snowfall Frost became overjoyed as she whispered to herself! "They did it?! All in one night?! What am I saying?! Of course they did it! They're spirits, they can do whatever they like!" Then she appeared again at the window and called down to the colt. "Thank you, young stallion." And then, donning her top hat and straightening her scarf, she collected a huge sack of bits and set off to be on her merry way. There was lots she wanted to do!

The unicorn's first stop was to greet the wall eyed pegasus mare, and the earth pony stallion accompanying her. "Excuse me, my fellow ponies." She cheerfully greeted as she found them on a street corner not far from her house.

The wall eyed pegasus jumped back in surprise. "Ah, M-Miss Snowfall Frost. W-what a... nice surprise."

"Indeed it is," Snowfall replied as she then declared. "I wish to make an adjustment to my earlier statement about donation." And she pulled the two ponies close and whispered into their ears.

The earth pony stallion's eyes went wide! "Great whickering stallions! Are you sure, Miss. Snowfall Frost?! You wish to be put down for that?!"

"Oh, you drive a hard bargain," Snowfall Frost laughed as she opened up the sack of bits. "Very well. I had planned on giving just half of this large sum, but take the whole thing if you insist. Spend it wisely, for I'm sure the poor will greatly appreciate it!" And then she trotted off with a spring in her step, all the while humming a merry little tune to herself.

Soon afterward, Snowfall had the good fortune to bump into her Cousin Glow as the mare with a pristine white coat was on her way back to her house. "Aunt Snowfall?" Glow blinked in surprise.

Snowfall smiled. "Indeed, it's me, cousin. And I want you to know, you can count on me for that big Hearth's Warming party you're throwing. I mean it."

Glow could hardly believe her eyes and ears! "You... you wish to come and dine with me after all these years?! Oh, Auntie!" She exclaimed as she had to resist the urge to faint! "Whatever it is that has brought about this change in you, I like it! I hope this is permanent!"

"Indeed it is," The glasses wearing unicorn admitted. "In fact, here. I got you a little something. It's the best I could I do on short notice." She sheepishly admitted.

Glow ripped open a large package presented to her, and in her magic she took hold of a bottle of a strange, pinkish-purple colored liquid. She read the label: "Dragon Toenail", and blinked slowly.

Snowfall Frost blushed. "Sorry. I promise I'll do better next time."

Glow only chuckled. "Nonsense, Auntie. It's the thought that counts after all," And then she questioned. "When shall I expect you for the party?"

"Not for a while still," The unicorn mare with the top hat and glasses replied. "There's something I need to take care of first. Something long overdue." And off she trotted again.





Eventually, Snowfall Frost's journey brought her to the house of the Hatchets. This was the most important stop she had to make today. She took a moment to compose herself, adjusting her glasses and her top hat so that she looked her best. Then, hesitantly, she brought up a hoof and knocked on the door.

The door was answered by Bob Hatchet, who took one look at Snowfall Frost and frowned. "Oh, it's you," He bitterly remarked with narrowed eyebrows. "Have you come here to force my darling Ashley back to work?! Well if so, you've got another thing coming! I've had it up to here with your treatment of her!"

But the familiar voice of Ashley Hatchet insisted. "Bob, sweetie, it's okay. I can handle this," She slowly trotted up to the front door and locked eyes with her employer. "Uh, hello, boss. Is something the matter?"

Snowfall only replied by asking. "What are you doing here on a day like this?"

Ashley gulped and plucked up courage. "You gave me the day off, boss. Remember?"

"Really?" Snowfall slowly blinked as she seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure. "I, Snowfall Frost, gave you a day off from work?"

"Um, yes?" Ash gulped anew as she tried not to shrink from her boss' gaze.

Snowfall Frost humphed and swished her tail! "Well, I won't stand for it, Ashley! Not a chance! I've had it up to here with the way you've been working! And therefore..." She paused, realizing she was sounding perhaps a tad bit more forceful than she wanted to sound. "Therefore, I am about to raise your salary!"

"Oh, is that so?" Ashley remarked. "Well you can't fire me, I..." But then the words slowly sank in. "Wait? You're... giving me a raise?"

The glasses wearing unicorn firmly nodded as she embraced Ash in a hug. "Indeed I am. And officially making you my parter: Snowfall Frost and Ashley Hatchet. I'll come up with a better company name eventually," Then she added. "By the way, I know about that child you and Bob are taking care of: Tiny Timantha."

"Her?" Bob and Ashley blinked in unison.

Snowfall Frost smiled. "I'll see to it that she has access to only the finest doctors in the land, the best medicine known to pony kind. And if that's not enough, I'll personally arrange for her to accompany me to the seaside. Baltimare's sea air should do wonders for her lungs."

With tears in her eyes, Ashley had to pause for a moment to blow her nose. "Oh, Snowfall! You really shouldn't have! But I'm glad you did!" And it wasn't long before the entire Hatchet family knew of the happy news.





"And from then on, it was always said that of all the Hearth's Warming Eve celebrations, Snowfall's was the Hearth's Warmingest." Twilight concluded as she finished reading the story, preparing to close the book and put it back where she had found it.

But Starlight saw fit to ask. "Wait? What about Tiny Timantha?"

Twilight smiled as she read a little bit further. "And to Tiny Timantha, who did indeed get better, Snowfall Frost became like an aunt to her. In fact, the filly was heard to say on that joyful day 'May Faust bless us, everyone!' The end." Then she closed up the book, and used her magic to carefully return it to the shelf from which she had retrieved it.

"Wow!" Starlight Glimmer exclaimed as she slowly rose from her seat. "That was actually a really good story, Twilight. I wish I'd have heard it years ago."

The young alicorn smiled. "Well, better late than never. And I hope you'll look forward to hearing it every year on Hearth's Warming Eve. You're part of the family now, Starlight."

Spike nodded while playfully ribbing the unicorn in the side a little. "Yup. You'll make a great big sister."

Then Twilight told her student. "Well, Starlight, you're welcome to come and join the fun downstairs if you wish. Or you can call it a night and go to bed. Spike and I will try to keep the noise down a little, no promises though."

The unicorn mare then watched as alicorn and dragon left the library and headed back downstairs to join the gathered crowd in celebrating the holiday of Hearth's Warming. For a while, she just stood there. Then, she trotted over to a balcony overlooking the main foyer, content to be an observer for a little bit while she contemplated her options.

Try as she might, Starlight found that she couldn't push her thoughts about the holiday away. And now, memories long suppressed began flooding back to her in an instant. Memories of Hearth's Warmings spent with Sunburst and his family, waiting long into the night and finding it hard to sleep as she waited for the coming day. Or memories with her own family, with her father coming home from work to spend it with her no matter what.

Starlight soon realized that she longed for those joyful memories of yesteryear, to once again be part of the fun. It seemed the magic of the holiday hadn't truly left her after all. It had always been there, waiting for her to come back. And now she had.

With her mind made up, Starlight Glimmer trotted downstairs as she was soon noticed by none other than Twilight Sparkle.

With a smile on her face, Twilight extended a friendly greeting towards the unicorn. "Welcome to the party! Glad you could make it! Happy Hearth's Warming, Starlight."

And Starlight replied. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight." Then, with joy in her heart just like Snowfall Frost in the story, Starlight began to sing:

Hearth's Warming Eve is filled with presents.

And some take you by surprise.

A story shared by your good friends.

That makes your spirits rise.

Sometimes you just let go of the past.

And enjoy the present while it lasts.

And really it's not that much to ask.

With good friends by your side.

Oh, now it's time to celebrate!

"Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!" The chorus chimed in!

All together, feeling great! Starlight happily sang back, and joined the choir in singing! Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Then Starlight took the lead in singing her own part:

Can hardly wait!

We'll party 'til late!

It's our favorite date!

And then, joining hooves with Twilight, Spike and countless others, Starlight joined the crowd in singing triumphantly all at once!:

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once a—

Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve!

Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve!

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Thus, Starlight Glimmer found herself expericing true happiness on Hearth's Warming Eve for the first time since she couldn't remember when.
> S6 E9: Gliders and Griffons (The Fault in Our Cutie Marks) (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ever since they had decided to turn their club into a professional business, more or less making a career out of helping other ponies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had become no strangers to solving unusual problems when it came to cutie marks.

And this particular client was no exception, an earth pony filly by the name of Petunia Paleo who had a skull and crossbones for a cutie mark. She had a pale, light grayish-blue coat, light persian blue eyes and a mane and tail consisting of grayish-blue and cornflower blue locks cut short.

Scootaloo was now in the sandbox in the backyard of Petunia's house, using a bucket to catch sand as Petunia tossed it aside by the shovel full without saying a word. It was a task that was easier said than done when Petunia refused to slow down or stop in her digging. It wasn't long before Scootaloo was getting sand all over her body.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were having a conversation with Petunia's parents: Mr. and Mrs. Paleo. Mr. Paleo had a pale, light grayish-gold coat, moderate sapphire blue eyes, a two shades of light grayish-blue mane and tail styled like shaggy curls, and a cutie mark depicting two swords crossed over each other in the shape of an x. And Mrs. Paleo had a light opal coat, grayish emerald green eyes, a grayish sapphire blue and cobalt blue mane and tail styled smoothly, and a cutie mark depicting a pearl inside of an oyster.

The parents were quite concerned about their daughter and her cutie mark, and they had made that fact clear in no uncertain terms as they began to talk with two of the three Crusaders. Sweetie Belle being the one to ask the question. "What did you two want to talk about?"

"Is Scootaloo keeping Petunia busy like we asked?" Mrs. Paleo commented with concern.

Apple Bloom nodded as she briefly looked out the window to the backyard. "Yup. Everythin''s just fine on her end."

Mrs. Paleo breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good," Then she sheepishly and nervously replied. "I'm... sure you fillies get these questions all the time. Oh, this is so awkward. We should be the ones helping our daughter figure out what her cutie mark means, not you fillies."

Mr. Paleo then added. "You're the experts, so we thought you'd have some insight into our daughter's new, uh, cutie mark. We know she got it on a recent class field trip to some old ruins, but we can't hold a cute-ceañera until we know what it means exactly."

"Is that all?" Apple Bloom questioned as she again turned her attention to the backyard and to the client in question. "Sounds like she has a good idea of what her cutie mark means if she's diggin' up a storm like that. What exactly's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, really," Mrs. Paleo admitted. "Obviously, we're both very proud of Petunia and her cutie mark."

But Mr. Paleo went on to say. "Despite its, um... unsettling nature. I mean, a skull and crossbones for a cutie mark, especially with our cutie marks," He pointed to his and his wife's flanks briefly. "Well, let's just say ponies might be starting to get the wrong idea about us. But if it's not pirate related, then what exactly does Petunia's cutie mark mean?"

"You couldn't just ask her what she was doin' when she got her mark?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"We thought about it, but the mark was such a shock to us that we figured we should call in an expert," Mr. Paleo explained. "And we've been told that you three fillies are the ponies to go to in this town if it's a cutie mark related problem."

Sweetie Belle then commented while looking at Petunia and her cutie mark. "I'm pretty sure we can tell you what it is. You're getting all worked up over nothing."

But just then, Scootaloo excitedly shouted from the backyard! "Hey, come check out what we found! You're never gonna believe it!"

Mr, and Mrs. Paleo, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed outside and to the sandbox as fast as they could! And to their surprise, they found Petunia at the bottom of a deep hole she had dug, surrounded by the bones of what had to be a long extinct creature.

Despite being covered in dirt from the bottom of her hooves to the tip of her mane, Petunia happily exclaimed! "Look, Mom and Dad! It's a spiny-backed ponysaurus! In our own backyard, can you believe it?! I found it on my very own!" When she heard Scootaloo clear her throat she then sheepishly confessed. "Er, with a little help, of course."

At that, Mr. and Mrs. Paleo both breathed sighs of collective relief as they now realized what their daughter's cutie mark represented and what her special talent was. "She's a palentologist." They said together.

"Of course she is!" Scootaloo pointed out. "That's why she likes to dig so much," And then she couldn't help but tease. "What did you think she was? A pirate?"

Mr. and Mrs. Paleo hastily tossed away a pirate costume as Mrs. Paleo waved a hoof and replied. "Pirate? Why would we ever think that?" Then she and her husband began to laugh rather nervously.

Scootaloo, meanwhile, turned to her fellow Crusaders and told them. "Well, girls. Looks like another job well done for the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We're gettin' pretty good at this! I don't think there's any cutie mark related problem that we can't solve!" But she had no idea that her statement was soon going to be put to the test. And the tomboyish filly in particular was going to recall a similar trial with another, someone chasing after something that was just out of reach.



In order to get back to their clubhouse and officially hang up a picture of Petunia (thus signifying that they had helped the client), the Cutie Mark Crusaders had to travel through Ponyville proper. They didn't mind, though, especially since it meant they got to see many of the ponies they'd helped since getting their cutie marks. And Scootaloo made sure to drive her scooter slowly enough for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to keep up with her, since she wasn't towing them along in a wagon this time.

Scootaloo was swelling with pride as she led her fellow Crusaders along. Their recent success with Petunia was only the latest in what felt like a string of victories for them. And the tomboyish pegasus couldn't help but point it out. "You know something, Crusaders? I don't wanna toot our own horn or anything, but we've sure helped a lot of ponies figure out their purpose in life," Just then she passed by a blue coated earth pony stallion wearing a dark blue jacket and playing on a saxaphone. "Hey, nice saxaphone, Bluenote!" She told him, and watched as the stallion happily blurted out a few notes.

Apple Bloom was next to smile, as she spotted a familiar tap dancing earth pony colt that she had helped personally. "Reckon you're right, Scootaloo. Everywhere you look, there's a pony we've helped find a purpose: Young and old, cutie mark or no cutie mark," She couldn't help but agree with Scootaloo. "We've had a pretty good effect on everypony since we've discovered our destiny. Though, we can't take all the credit: We owe Diamond Tiara pretty big for her suggestion we turn our club into an official business, even if we ain't exactly gettin' paid for it."

"Smiles and thanks are the only payment we need," Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Even Twilight said she was impressed by us, and the fact that we all got our cutie marks at the same time. She obviously thinks that makes us even more of a big deal than we already were," However, she then hesitantly pointed out to Scootaloo. "But, Scootaloo, you do know that there's always going to be challenges, right? Someday, somepony might even come to us with a problem that even we can't handle."

The farm filly couldn't help but agree. "Sweetie Belle makes a fair point. We ain't miracle workers. If we were, Dimaond Tiara's mother would've changed her ways by now. But she's still as stuck up and selfish as she always has been."

Scootaloo nodded. "I know, I know. Don't forget, I once had to deal with a client who was so stubborn in clinging to what she wanted to achieve, even if it was out of reach. And I actually found myself tempted to support her in continuing to chip away at it without success. But we didn't get to where we were by giving up when the going gets tough. We've never met a problem yet that we couldn't solve in the end! And I know that as long as we keep up the can do attitude, we can do just about anything!"

Just then, a very familiar looking magenta coated earth pony filly came into the Crusaders' view. She was easily identifible by the diamond tiara she wore atop her head, which was exactly like the one depicted on her flanks for a cutie mark.

The CMC halted in their tracks as the headgear wearing filly approached them. "Oh, there you are, Crusaders. Back from helping another client, I see." She greeted the three.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yup. You can add Petunia Paleo to the list of ponies we've helped. Thanks again for your suggestion about what we could do with our club, Diamond Tiara. You seemed to know even before we did what we could do with our special talents."

Diamond Tiara tried not to blush. "Well, business practically runs through my veins, especially considering who my father, grandfather and great grandfather were. And it was the least I could do for you three after what you did for me. If you hadn't believed I could change, well..." She struggled for a bit before finding the words. "We wouldn't be having this conversation, and I wouldn't have even Silver Spoon for a friend."

"Well, we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And solvin' problems is what we do best!" Apple Bloom proudly proclaimed, before questioning her fellow filly. "There somethin' you wanted to tell us, though? Somethin' that couldn't wait until we were back at the clubhouse?"

The magenta coated young earth pony gasped as she suddenly remembered! "I almost forgot, actually. There's someone who's been looking all over town for you girls. And they're not even a pony, they're a griffon."

Now it was Scootaloo's turn to gasp! "No way! A griffon?! Here in Ponyville?! That hasn't happened since that one griffon Rainbow Dash used to be friends with came here. But I hear she didn't leave town in a very good way."

"Well, I don't know if it's the same griffon," Diamond admitted. "But this griffon came to me and asked me if I knew you girls, although they wouldn't say why. The griffon just said it was a problem only you girls could help them with."

Scootaloo then asked. "Does the griffon have a name?"

Tiara put a hoof to her chin. "I think she said her name was Gabby, but don't quote me on that. It was kind of hard to make out what she was saying, she talked so fast."

The tomboyish pegasus' eyes lit up! "Oh boy! It's our lucky day, Crusaders! We get to help a griffon! This could be our biggest breakthrough since we got our cutie marks!" And she began to buzz her wings! "Come on! We'd better get back to the clubhouse! It's rude to keep a potential client waiting!"





Sure enough, waiting for the CMC when they drew near their clubhouse was a griffon. Said griffon had multiple layers of gray feathers and a gray coat, not to mention moderate turquoise eyes that looked innocent and playful. Was this the "Gabby" Diamond Tiara had mentioned earlier?

The griffon was perched atop a tree near the clubhouse, and had put a claw over her eyes to function as a sort of make-shift telescope. Yet upon spotting the three fillies down below, she immediately let out a happy shriek and swooped down to greet them! In fact, she went on to, completely unprompted, pull the Crusaders into a very tight body hug! "The Cutie Mark Crusaders! I can't believe it's really, really you!" She all but shouted while laughing!

Once the hug had ended and the Crusaders had time to recover from the abrupt crush, Apple Bloom questioned. "Are you Gabby?"

"The one and only! Well, actually, my's name Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby since we're friends now!" Gabby happily chirped! "Oh, I'm so glad I finally found you, Cutie Mark Crusaders! I've been all over town trying to find you fantastic fillies!"

The farm filly was still puzzled. "Just how in the hay do you know about us? Are we really that famous?"

"Why, I've heard about you from everypony in Ponyville!" Gabby explained as she recalled her encounters with the various townsfolk from earlier in the day. "Everypony in town tells me of your amazing assistance! How you help ponies find their place in the world!"

Scootaloo nodded. "It's a calling and kind of a business, even if we don't charge money for it. But..."

Gabby didn't bother waiting for Scootaloo to finish as she excitedly exclaimed! "That's why I'm here. Because I need your help, too. I want you to give me a cutie mark! Any cutie mark, I don't mind which one as long as I have one! And when it comes to cutie marks, there's nopony more qualified on the subject than you wonderful, wonderful Crusaders!"

"Eh, hold on just a hoofstep there, Gabby," Apple Bloom cautioned. "There's somethin' we need to clear up. We can definitely help you find your purpose, but that mark's probably not gonna happen. Besides, why would you even want a cutie mark? I mean, not that there's anythin' wrong with wantin' one, but why exactly do you want one?"

And Sweetie Belle couldn't help but agree. "Apple Bloom's right, Gabby. Why would a griffon like you want a cutie mark? It doesn't sound like a... well... griffon-y thing to want."

The gray feathered griffon just excitedly chirped as she flew all around, unable to keep her enthusiasm inward any longer! "That's exactly the point! I've always felt like I'm not like other griffons! And what better way to prove it than with a cutie mark?! I don't know if you've heard, but griffons can be a little bit... unfriendly. Griffonstone," She paused in her flying and seemed to frown. "It's not exactly a friendly place. It's kind of a mess right now, to be honest."

"Like when I don't clean my room for a week kind of mess?" Scootaloo pondered as she tried to get a picture in her mind of what this easily excitceable griffon was trying to say.

Gabby shook her head. "Oh no, it's a lot more of a mess than that. Griffonstone hasn't been a partiuclarly nice or even safe place to live for a long time now. At least, as far back as I can remember," She started recalling her own memories of growing up there. "Most griffons don't pay much attention to each other. And if they do, it's not, y'know, the good kind of attention. We mostly just mind our own business. But even when I was a child, it always felt like I was different somehow. It always bothered me that no griffon ever wanted to be my friend, even just for a little while."

"I know what that can feel like." Apple Bloom admitted as she briefly recalled how alone she'd felt when she had believed she was the last pony in her class without a cutie mark, and how difficult that it had been.

Gabby smiled a bit. "Exactly! You understand!" And she went on recalling her memories of Griffonstone, including what had led her to take interest in ponies and in cutie marks. "They made me the mail carrier for Griffonstone since it seems I can find anygriffon in a flash if I want to! I tried my best to spread that sunshiney goodness to others, but they never seemed to care. It wasn't until your friends came to Griffonstone that I realized some creatures actually like helping each other, and I saw something so awesomely awesome: How helping spreads from pony to pony and griffon to griffon! And when your friends did that, those marks on their flanks glowed!"

Scootaloo was still puzzled. "Rainbow Dash visited Griffonstone quite a while ago. If you found out about cutie marks then, why did you only come to Ponyville now to seek us out?"

The gray feathered griffon explained. "I had to basically bug Gilda for answers, she was the only one who knew what you ponies were like and what those marks on your flanks were," Then she put her claws together and tapped the fingers on the ends of them as she sheepishly added with a blush. "I admit, hehe, I became, um, maybe a little obsessed. So first chance I had to deliver a letter from Gilda, I took it, so I could find the perfect pony to help me understand what those marks are. And that's what led me to you ponies," Then she asked. "So, lay it on me, Crusaders! What do I gotta do to get a cutie mark on these here haunches?!"

That put the Crusaders in a bit of a bind. They did not know what to say. Gabby seemed to be asking the impossible of them.

Hesitantly, Apple Bloom spoke up. "Uh, Gabby, do you mind if we talk this over among ourselves for a little bit? Alone?"

Gabby smiled, suspecting nothing. "Sure thing, Crusaders! I have to deliver Gilda's letter to Rainbow Dash anyway. So I'll take care of that. And when I come back, you can tell me what you've decided!" She took off with a flap of her wings, though not before promising. "I won't be long! Oh, just thinking about my cutie mark has got me all excited! I know I'll love it, whatever it is!"





The three fillies retreated to their clubhouse just seconds after Gabby departed. And they quickly huddled together, trying to think about the seemingly impossible situation they'd found themselves in. It was made especially difficult by the fact that Gabby didn't seem like she was in a mood to take no for an answer.

"Maybe we should ask Twilight or Miss. Starlight if they have any ideas?" Sweetie Belle suggested. "I hear Miss. Starlight is just as skilled at magic as Twilight is, and she's only a unicorn. Plus, I hear she has some experience in dealing with cutie marks."

Apple Bloom didn't seem to think that was a good idea as she nervously replied. "You really think they can just make a mark appear on somecreature? Don't you girls remember what happened the time I tried to give myself a cutie mark?" She shuddered at the memory. "That didn't go so well. If it hadn't been for Zecora... I don't even wanna think about what might've happened."

Scootaloo, however, commented with concern. "But Gabby came all this way just to see us. She's counting on us. We can't disappoint her. We've never disappointed a client before, no matter who they were," And she added while looking to her wings. "Besides, I know what it's like to want something that's just out of reach. Something that everypony says probably won't happen. But just because it's never happened before doesn't mean it can't happen, right?"

Sweetie replied back. "Actually, Scootaloo, this is sounding a lot like that one filly you helped. You remember, the one with the gliders?"

The tomboyish pegasus slowly nodded as the memory came back to her in an instant. "I do! Can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!" And immediately, a light bulb went off inside the filly's head as she seemed to get an idea and knew at once what to do. "You girls let me handle Gabby when she comes back. I have a feeling I know just what she needs to hear."

The farm filly hesitantly responded. "Okay. Just don't get ahead of yourself. And make sure to be extra clear with her, like crystal clear."

Scootaloo firmly nodded. "Don't worry, I will be."

Just then, a loud and energetic shriek split the air! In the blink of an eye, Gabby appeared by one of the clubhouse windows, hanging upside down not unlike a bat. "Hiya, Crusaders! I'm back!" She eagerly declared! "Now don't keep me waiting! I wanna know how I get my very own cutie mark! Everypony says you have to find your special talent, but I've already done so many things just trying to find you girls. So, what am I still missing?"

Plucking up courage, Scootaloo slowly trotted forward and locked eyes with the gray feathered griffon. "Well, Gabby, I actually have a story to tell you. Because what you're asking of us right now is reminding me a lot of another client we once helped. And this client had a very specific problem, not unlike yours. Well, not exactly the same, but you get the idea."

Gabby immediately became excited again! "Ooh! Color me intrigued! Just a minute," She flew back, righted herself and then touched down and entered the clubhouse proper. "If you're gonna tell me a story, I want to make sure I can hear everything you're trying to tell me. I always love to hear stories!"

The tomboyish pegasus smiled, convinced that she'd already begun to forge a genuine bond with this griffon. But she had to temper her enthusiasm, what was most important was that Gabby understand what the point of the story was. "Okay, Gabby," And she began to recall the memory as if it were yesterday. "It actually started while I was trying out bungee jumping one day. Or rather, right as I was getting done doing it."





Indeed, Scootaloo had just finished another session of bungee jumping. For obvious reasons, she couldn't do it very high off the ground. But she made do with what she had. Just the falling and the speed experienced during the fall was enough to satisfy the filly.

The tomboyish pegasus filly stowed her equipment back in her saddle bags and smiled as she trotted away from the bridge. "Guess that's enough for one day," She said to herself before thinking of her friends. "Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, you girls don't know what you're missing out on. Oh well."

As the pegasus with an orange coat began the long trot back to the clubhouse to check in with her fellow Crusaders, she didn't realize until too late that another filly was in her path. "Ow!" The filly exclaimed upon Scootaloo bumping into her.

Scootaloo sincerely apologized. "Sorry, sorry, didn't see you there. Totally my fault." Then she took notice of who this filly was. It was a unicorn filly about the same size as Sweetie Belle. She had a sky blue coat, a white mane and tail that looked like whisps of clouds, and eyes a shade of light brown. Her cutie mark appeared to depict some kind of triangle shaped object roughly in the form of the letter V. Scattered around the filly were a couple of what looked like blueprints of some kind.

"Oh no, it's my fault," The unicorn filly insisted. "The name's Olivia Winden," Then she gasped as she looked down on the ground! "Oh no, my blueprints!" She hastily lit up her horn, casting a light brown glow as she hastily scooped up the blueprints. "Sorry," She blushed afterward. "But I didn't want them to get blown away again. If I lose them I'd have to start all over again! I can't afford another setback! I'm having enough trouble as it is!"

Scootaloo's ears perked up upon hearing the word "Trouble". And she immediately asked the filly she'd just met. "What sort of trouble? Is it cutie mark related?"

Olivia blushed as she confessed. "Actually, yes, sort of," And she explained. "My cutie mark is all about flying, or rather how to achieve it without the aid of wings. I got it from studying airships and zeppelins. I'm trying to make something on a smaller scale. Something that could be used by anypony."

The tomboyish pegasus immediately became intrigued. "Hey, that sounds pretty cool, actually! I've never been able to fly for more than a few seconds if I try really hard. And even then I can't really get myself off the ground all that much. I've actually thought about trying to make my own glider, but I'm not all that great at building stuff. I mostly just make small repairs on my scooter. I tried to build my own glider once," She frowned. "It didn't work. It fell apart the first time I tried it."

Olivia nodded. "It can be hard if you don't use the right materials and don't get the calculations just right. You need something that's aerodynamic so it doesn't drag, but it has to be able to sustain itself while being sturdy enough to survive a crash landing," That's when she frowned. "Seems like every glider I make lately crashes and falls apart. I wish I knew what I was doing wrong. I keep tweaking the design, making small changes here and there. But every time I think I've figured it out, I end up discovering a new problem after another crash landing," And she unhappily sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if I've been looking at my cutie mark all wrong."

Scootaloo wouldn't hear of such an idea, not even for a second! She immediately extended a hoof and pulled Olivia close. "You're not, Olivia! I can tell you that much! And I can also tell you that today's your lucky day! If it's your cutie mark that's bothering you, you've come to the right place!"

The unicorn filly couldn't help but playfully laugh. "What? Are you some kind of cutie mark counselor or something?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Not that I mean to brag, but I am. I'm a Cutie Mark Crusader! I'm sure you've heard of me, and of my fellow Crusaders! We solve problems, especially cutie mark problems. If it's trouble with a cutie mark, either a lack of one or not understanding what it really means, we're the ponies for the job!" And she quickly added. "I'm sure Apple Bloom could help you build some more gliders: She's way better at building things than I am. Heck, maybe Sweetie Belle will help you out, she's good at gathering supplies."

Olivia could hardly believe her ears! "Really?! You'd help me, even though we just met?!"

"Of course I would," The pegasus member of the CMC proudly replied. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders always help a pony in need, no matter what. And I promise you, Olivia, we'll do everything we can to help you solve this cutie mark problem of yours and get your gliders soaring again!" She promptly led the unicorn away. "Come on! I was just on my way to see my fellow Crusaders anyway. Wait 'til they hear we've got another client already. Diamond Tiara was right, turning our club into a business was an excellent idea!"





Olivia was soon brought to the clubhouse at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres and led inside by a giddy Scootaloo! "Hey Crusaders, guess what?! I've found our next client!" She promptly pushed Olivia forward while introducing her. "This is Olivia Winden, and she's got a cutie mark problem."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle (who had just met up with each other a short time ago) both turned to look at the newcomer. "She does?" They asked in unison.

With a nod, Scootaloo confirmed it. "Yup," Then she nudged the unicorn slightly in the side with a hoof. "Go on, tell them what you told me."

Olivia somewhat nervously swallowed a lump in her throat. "Well, it's related to what I'm working on, actually. I've been having a lot of problems lately, and it's making me wonder if I've been looking at my cutie mark all wrong this whole time. But Scootaloo says that's not true," She then opened up her saddle bags and took out the blueprints she had gathered earlier. "This is what I've been dedicating myself to making since before I got my cutie mark. You could say it's my life's purpose."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle eyed the blueprints with looks of wonder and amazement! These weren't your average, run of the mill blueprints. These were highly detailed and well thought out sketches that had all kinds of numbers written all over them. The hoof work was on an unbelievable level of quality, no detail had been too small to overlook. In fact, there were lots of hasty scribbles where old notes had been replaced by new notes, or new calculations had replaced old ones. "Whoa!" Was all they could say.

"So, do you girls think you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong?" Olivia asked as she plucked up courage. "Every glider I build keeps crashing and breaking. I can't seem to get a single one to stay in the air for more than a few seconds. It's so frustrating!" She pulled on her mane with her hooves to emphasize her point!

Scootaloo then practically encouraged with excitement! "Come on, girls! I know we're just the ponies to help her with this problem! And when her gliders are soaring high in the sky, she'll know for sure that her cutie mark is just fine and that this is what she's meant to do with her life," She buzzed her tiny wings. "Just think of the possibilities if we help her pull this off! Ponies' lives will be changed forever!"

"Well, I don't know..." Sweetie Belle hesitantly replied.

Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin as she pondered and contemplated. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try. It's been a while since I've done any kind of buildin'. I'll have to ask Big Mac if I can borrow his tools, though. And no power tools!"

The tomboyish pegasus buzzed her wings again as she lept off the ground and shouted! "Awesome!" When her hooves again touched solid ground, she turned to Olivia and said to her. "Olivia, I guarantee you we'll have your gliders better than ever in no time! And don't worry, this won't cost you a thing. We don't charge money for this, the only payment we need are the smiles of satisfied clients."

And so the three fillies set to work helping their latest client. Apple Bloom gathered the tools, Sweetie Belle fetched the materials to build the gliders out of and Scootaloo helped Olivia by looking over the blueprints with the unicorn.

Slowly but surely, a glider was built to the exact specifications Olivia had laid out in her blueprints. At first glance, nothing seemed to be wrong with it. It looked like it should fly pretty well once it was airborne, and it had even levers to either side of where the pony flying it would sit. Said levers could be used to adjust the wing flaps, moving them up or down as needed.

Olivia seemed rather excited! "I never could've gotten a glider built this quickly without your help, Crusaders!" She told them! "Now I just need to test it out and make sure everything works," But she bit her lip. "I don't see any good hills or anything to use here, though. And there's too many trees. If I tried to fly the glider here, I'd crash for sure."

Sweetie commented in uncertainty. "Well, there's a lot of hills just outside of town. But I don't think that's a good idea. It's too high! If anything happened up in the air, it'd be a long way to the ground. And, I don't think anything could survive a crash like that, let alone anypony."

Scootaloo smiled. "Good thing I know of plently of smaller hills we can use. There's one just across from the bridge where I usually bungee jump," And she encouraged. "Let's go test it out!"

But now Olivia seemed more concerned than she had been just a minute or so prior. "I don't know. Now that I think about it some more, I'm not sure if tree bark is durable enough to survive an impact while being flexible enough to move the flaps. Maybe it would've been better if I'd used cloth instead?" She thought aloud in a hesitant tone of voice.

Scootaloo, however, was far too excited to consider that possibility! "It'll work just fine! I know it! We all built it according to your blueprints. And after all the adjustments you've been making to your design, it's got to have all the bugs worked out by now, right?"

The unicorn filly with a sky blue coat hesitantly responded. "Well... I guess, but..."

Apple Bloom simply replied to the client. "It can't hurt to try. Especially since I think Scootaloo's all fired up to be your test pilot. If it doesn't work, at least we can say we gave it a shot," Though she couldn't help but add. "I'm not sure how this thing is supposed to get off the ground on its own power, though. Feels like you'd need to put a fan behind it or somethin'."

The four fillies set off for their destination even as Olivia couldn't help but comment to herself. "Maybe I should've added that too? But how would I fit it into the design? And how would that affect how much weight it would have?"





A short time later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Olivia had gotten set up on top of the small hill Scootaloo had mentioned. Olivia brought up the rear as she had to carefully transport her glider in the wagon the Crusaders usually attached to Scootaloo's scooter. It was a miracle the glider was small enough and light enough to fit into the wagon while allowing the wagon to still be towed.

Scootaloo had really thought ahead, and had brought out her bungee jump helmet and a pair of safety goggles. "Oh, this is gonna be so sweet!" She excitedly chirped as she couldn't contain her enthusiasm! "If only Rainbow Dash could see me now! This would totally blow her mind!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, however, couldn't help but exchange nervous glances and whisper to each other. "This is just like the last time she became obsessed with flying." They could well remember how their fellow filly had become so fixated on that that she had stayed out all night long, before giving up and becoming so depressed that she'd thrown away her scooter.

Olivia carefully removed the glider from the wagon with the soft brown glow of her magic. She looked it over once more and her light brown eyes seemed to find dozens of small problems. "Should I have adjusted this? What if that doesn't work? Will the flaps function properly?" She asked herself, growing more and more uncertain by the moment.

Scootaloo brushed off the concerns and waved a hoof. "Relax, everything will be just fine. This is only a test run. We can always make some changes later on. But I've got a good feeling about this!" She climbed up into the cockpit, strapped on her helmet and goggles, and sat down. Then she reached her hooves out to grab the levers that controlled the flaps. "So it's down to pull them up and up to pull them down, right?" She asked Olivia.

Olivia firmly nodded. "Yeah, something like that. The idea is that you can increase or decrease drag depending on how you move them. But they might take a few seconds to reply, so be careful."

The tomboyish filly beamed a bright smile as she made sure her helmet was secure. "Don't worry, I will be. Honestly, you're starting to sound like my mother," She briefly giggled at the mental image that brought up, before turning to Olivia and telling her. "Well, I'm ready when you are! Let's see what this thing can do!"

The three other fillies exchanged nervous and hesitant glances, but decided to press on anyway.

Olivia slowly came up behind the glider and gave it as firm a push as she could muster up, eventually bringing it to the edge of the hilltop. Then she stopped. The rest was out of her control, it was all up to fate and gravity.

The glider did manage to lift off the ground instead of immediately rolling down the hill. Scootaloo was practically beside herself with joy as she screamed in excitement at the top of her lungs! "YEAH! THIS IS AMAZING! OH, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'M FLYING! I'M ACTUALLY FLYING!"

For about a moment or so, all seemed well. The glider performed as it should have, and Scootaloo seemed to be enjoying the sensation of actually being in the air (even if not under her own power).

But the moment faded all too soon as the glider's brief bout of flight started to come to an abrupt end! It started to descend towards the ground at a frightening speed!

"Oh no, it's happening again!" Olivia gasped as she ran down the hill to keep the glider in sight!

Scootaloo, meanwhile, found her joy turn to terror! The ground was fast approaching, and the glider was losing altitude at an alarming rate! "What do I do?! What do I do?!" She exclaimed in horror as she started breathing rapidly, her heart pounding so hard and so fast it felt like it would jump right out of her chest!

With Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle following close behind her, Olivia shouted up to Scootaloo! "Pull back on the stick! Pull up the flaps!"

The tomboyish pegasus barely had time to react! She shut her eyes, gripping the levers to control the flaps tightly as she yanked them down as hard as she could!

The glider's flaps rose upward, its descent slowing a little. But not enough to stop it from impacting the ground with a thud, stirring up a cloud of dust!





The three frightened fillies frantically rushed to the scene of disaster! Even though it hadn't been that far off the ground, the crash of the glider had looked pretty serious in their eyes. All hoped that Scootaloo hadn't been hurt, or at least not hurt very badly.

When at last the three little ponies drew near, they could see quite clearly that Scootaloo was indeed unharmed. She coughed a bit from the dust that had been stirred up, but she didn't have a bruise or a bump anywhere on her. So Scootaloo was okay.

The same could not be said for the glider. Although it hadn't been completely destroyed, it was a badly battered mess of patchwork, timbers and string that had once all held together perfectly. But now it was all but falling apart.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran over to hug their fellow Crusader, relieved to see that she was alright! "Scootaloo!" They both said in unison as they threw their hooves around her, hugging her tightly.

Although normally one to detest such strong displays of affection, Scootaloo didn't protest in this particular instance even as she took off her safety goggles and her helmet (never was she more grateful for having it than she was now). "Sorry I made you worry, girls," She sincerely apologized, right before declaring. "But did you see that?! I was actually flying! If only I'd been higher up, I could've actually touched the clouds!"

Meanwhile, Olivia was looking at the wreckage of her glider with a frown. "Why did I think that would work?" She complained to herself. "I should've realized the extra weight of a pilot would have to be taken into account. I should've realized that it has to actually carry a pony, and that the flaps need to respond quicker."

"Hey, don't give up," Scootaloo encouraged as she turned to look at Olivia. "We actually got it in the air. And the flaps worked. I mean, isn't that what tests like these are for? I'm sure we can build it back up better than it was before! And now we can see if cloth works better."

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "I'm not stealing fabrics from Rarity's boutique, and I'm nowhere near skilled enough at knitting to know how to make enough fabric to fit something like that," She pointed a hoof to the glider. "I don't think it'll ever be perfect enough for Olivia at this point. She keeps finding things that she thinks she needs to fix."

And Apple Bloom added. "I don't think we should keep throwin' ourselves at this in the hope it works. Seems like we built that glider about as well as we possibly could've," She then concluded. "I think it's Olivia herself that's the problem. That glider and those blueprints of hers are all she cares about."

The tomboyish pegasus immediately protested. "Girls, come on! It's not our place to tell her that she's doing it all wrong! She just wants everything to be perfect! I'm sure we can get it to where she'll be satisfied. All we have to do is get it airborne again and make sure it can land safely. That doesn't seem that hard to do."

The farm filly groaned as she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "Scootaloo, quit bein' so stubborn! I know how much this must mean to you, finally gettin' a taste of what it's like to fly like a pegasus. I get it, this is a way for you to live that dream you've always had."

"But is it really worth constantly risking yourself?" Sweetie added with concern. "You weren't hurt this time, but next time it could be worse. What are you going to do if Olivia suggests trying it out on a bigger hill? Or what if something goes wrong while you're in the air?"

Gulping, Scootaloo's voice betrayed her intentions as she insisted. "I... I'd be fine. I'm sure I'd think of something," Yet upon seeing her fellow Crusaders glare at her, she realized in a heartbeat what they were trying to tell her. Unhappily, she sighed as if she were a balloon that just been deflated. "But you're right. This can't go on. Her dream is becoming a nightmare." She knew then and there what she had to do, and that she was the only pony who could do it.

Olivia was still fussing over her wrecked glider when Scootaloo trotted up to her. "Scootaloo!" She exclaimed in sudden realization! "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I forgot about you even though you were my test pilot!" She kicked at the ground! "This stupid glider! Why can't I make it work?! I keep getting close, only to have it always come crashing down in my face!"

The tomboyish pegasus sighed and steadied herself. "Olivia, look, there's no easy way for me to say this," Her lips quivered in uncertainty as the next words were slow to leave her mouth. "But I don't think we can help you anymore. It's not the glider that's the problem, it's you."

"W-what do you mean?" Olivia asked with concern.

Desperately holding back the tears, Scootaloo told the unicorn in no uncertain terms. "You can't stop thinking about that glider, about those designs on your blueprints. You're letting your cutie mark control your life. Face it, you've been at this since even before you got your cutie mark. You've come so far already, but you're not satisfied."

Olivia groaned. "Of course I'm not! If I can't even make a glider that can handle a filly, how can I ever build anything that's airworthy?! That can truly be just an airship or a zeppelin, but it's small enough so that anypony could use it? If I could just figure out the one thing that keeps throwing me off, keeps me from succeeding..."

Scootaloo could only shake her head. "You'll never find it at this rate. You'll destroy yourself and your dream. You're chasing after something that's just out of your reach, and it continues to be that way no matter how high you jump. Maybe it's time to step back from it all. Aren't there are other things you can do with your life?"

The unicorn filly slowly nodded as she started to cry. "Yeah, I guess so. Maybe it was silly of me to think I could build something out of nothing, to make something that had never existed before," Then she started to trot off. "Thanks for trying to help me, Scootaloo. You and the Cutie Mark Crusaders did your best. But you're right that it's me who's the problem. What I want is impossible."

"No, wait, that's not what I'm saying at all!" Scootaloo insisted as she tried to run after Olivia, only to trip and stumble to the ground.

Olivia let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "You don't have to keep trying for your sake, or for the sake of your 'business'. I know it's hard to be confronted with failure when you've only ever known success," And then she ran off, though not before saying. "Just forget about me, Crusaders. I'm sure you have plenty of other ponies you can help. I've wasted enough of your time as it is!"





"Wait! You just told Olivia to give up?!" Gabby gasped as she interrupted the story!

"No, not at all!" Scootaloo groaned in reply. "I just wanted her to take a step back from continuing to chase after something she could never find: Perfection."

The gray feathered griffon chirped in frustration. "But I don't want perfection! I just want a cutie mark, any cutie mark!"

The tomboyish pegasus took a deep breath and explained. "That's the thing, Gabby. Much like Olivia couldn't make the perfect glider to meet her high standards, I don't think there's any way we can do what you want. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but we're not miracle workers. We can't make the impossible possible.

Gabby stumbled back in disbelief upon hearing those words and realizing what they meant! "But, but... you're the world-famous Cutie Mark Crusaders! I can't believe it! I... I... I won't believe it!" She began to tear up! "I flew all this way just to see you! And now you're telling me you can't actually help me?!"

"No, Gabby!" Sweetie Belle tried to insist. "We can help you. We can help you find a purpose in your life if that's what you want. We can make a chart and help you decide what you wanna do, what you think you'll be good at."

Apple Bloom added. "We could even sing a song if that'll cheer you up. We're just sayin' that we can't give you a cutie mark, or make one magically appear. Nopony can do that, not even us."

Scootaloo then apologized. "I'm sorry, Gabby. It's great that you admire us and think so highly of us. I know how it feels when the thing you want is just out of reach, and nothing you do can make it come to you," She then sympathetically stated. "But I made my peace with not being able to fly. At least, not right now," She briefly looked to her wings. "Maybe someday they'll start working on their own, or maybe someday I'll find a way to fly without needing to use them."

Gabby could only reply as she unfurled her wings. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Crusaders. But if you can't help me, then I guess I'm beyond help. I wouldn't want you to waste your time on me if it's what I want that's the problem. Guess it was silly of me to think that griffons could get cutie marks in the first place. Every griffon tried to warn me, even Gilda, but I just wouldn't listen," Then she began to flap her wings as she said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna go see if the Ponyville post office needs me. At least I know I'm good at delivering mail."

"Gabby, wait!" Apple Bloom frantically called! But it was no use, Gabby took off and soon left the clubhouse with tears in her eyes.

Scootaloo then looked to her fellow Crusaders. "Come on, girls. Maybe Twilight will know how we can reach Gabby in a way she'll understand. We can't let Gabby give up on herself!"





The three fillies soon made a beeline for Twilight's crystal castle. And upon arriving and meeting with the alicorn, they told her everything.

Twilight was quick to dash any hope the fillies might have of a magical solution. "I don't think I need to remind any of you that using magic to get a cutie mark never really works out all that well. I can't say for certain that it's impossible for griffons to get a cutie mark, but everything that I've ever read tells me the odds are... pretty slim at best."

Scootaloo nodded. "We figured as much. And we weren't looking for a magical solution anyways, I don't think that's what Gabby wants."

The young alicorn then commented. "It's funny you should mention Gabby, though. She apparently stopped by the castle earlier completely unannounced. But all I know is, by the time I got here she'd left after dropping off this letter. It's probably for you girls."

Now filled with concern, the CMC grasped a finely decorated envelope that Twilight had given them. They ripped it open, and Scootaloo scanned over the letter as she read the message on it aloud: "Dear Cutie Mark Crusaders, I'll never forget you. You really are every bit as awesome as I'd heard. And don't feel bad, I found a way to get my cutie mark after all. You girls helped point me in the right direction. I'm heading home to tell all the griffons how you did the impossible by getting me my cutie mark. Toodles. Gabby."

Upon hearing the message, Twilight dropped the books she'd been carrying in her magic as her wings poofed outward and her eyes went wide as she exclaimed! "Wait a second! Cutie mark?! You actually managed to get a griffon a cutie mark?!"

"We did?" Apple Bloom blinked in confusion.

Twilight Sparkle nodded and smiled brightly! "You must've done something, or Gabby wouldn't have left that letter for you to find!" Then she asked the Crusaders. "You know what this calls for, right?!" She didn't bother to wait for a reply as she  proudly declared! "A full-scale research project! Oh, I hope I have enough ink and parchment to document everything!"

Sweetie Belle was just as confused as her fellow Crusaders as she openly questioned. "This makes no sense. Gabby didn't show you her mark?"

The young alicorn giddly exclaimed! "It must've slipped her mind! But you three have got to get Gabby back here right now! It could take days to get a reply with how slow Griffonstone's mail is, and I can't just drop everything to go to Griffonstone!" Then she ran out of the castle library while shouting! "Spike! Spike, come quick! You'll never guess what just happened!"

As soon as Twilight was out of sight, Apple Bloom turned to her fellow Crusaders as she said. "Weird. How could Gabby get her cutie mark without us or Twilight noticin'? And why wouldn't she come and show it off to us? Somethin' in this here applesauce smells kinda fishy."

Scootaloo then decided. "We'd better find her and find out what's going on. Come on, Crusaders. She couldn't have gotten far!" And they all dashed out of the castle library (and out of the castle) to find the supposedly cutie marked griffon!





As the three frantic frillies dashed all over Ponyville to look for Gabby, Scootaloo drew her attention skyward as she instructed! "Keep your eyes on the skies, ponies. Gabby's sure to be flying to somewhere."

But Apple Bloom suddenly noticed something up ahead. "She's not in the air. She's right there!" And she pointed a hoof to where Gabby was currently trying to push a mail cart that had gotten stuck in the mud. On her flanks, it was possible to see what looked like a painting of a black cauldron. Was that her cutie mark that she had gotten?

"Gabby, wait!" Sweetie Belle shouted as the Crusaders rushed to the gray feathered griffon! "Don't leave! You've got some explaining to do, and so do we!"

But Gabby let out a strangeled "Eep!" and began to nervously stutter. "Um... S-sorry, n-no time to chat. I-I just stopped to help this pony get out of the muck is all, and... and then I-I really gotta fly. Okay?" She gave a great heave, managing to free the stuck mail cart! In doing so, however, she slipped and fell into the mud! She quickly stood up and shook herself clean, and this delay allowed the Crusaders to close in on her.

Sweetie was the first to ask the griffon. "Gabby, why in Equestria are you running away from us? We want to help you."

The griffon protested. "Running away? Oh, don't be silly, I'm not running away! I'm just, uh, e-excited to show my lovely new cutie mark to everyone in Griffonstone is all!"

The farm filly immediately noticed something running down the griffon's flanks as she bluntly commented. "You mean the cutie mark that's runnin' right off your flanks there?"

Gabby unhappily sighed as her "cutie mark" disappeared into a splotch and stain of black ink. "Yup, that's the one," She confessed. "Should've known I couldn't fool you girls. You're the experts on cutie marks, after all. Guess it was silly of me to think borrowing this unicorn's cutie mark paints would be enough."

"Wow, Gabby. Painting on a fake cutie mark to make yourself feel better?" Scootaloo commented. "Guess you must've been more upset than we realized."

The usually cheerful griffon confessed. "Sure, I was disappointed. But I didn't do it to make myself feel better. I wanted to make you feel better. You've apparently never failed a client before," Then she realized. "Except for that one filly, obviously."

But that at the tomboyish pegasus shook her head from side to side as she told the girffon. "Gabby, you didn't let me finish my story. It's true that I had to tell Olivia to stop focusing on her gliders and blueprints. But that's not where the story ends. You won't believe what happened next." And already, her mind began to recall the memories.





It had only been a day since Scootaloo had met Olivia, and had roped her fellow Crusaders into helping design (and subsequently fly) one of the unicorn filly's gliders. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had hoped that by having Scootaloo talk some sense into Olivia, this obsession with flying and flying machines would be nipped in the bud.

However, when they met up at the clubhouse at the edge of the orchard at Sweet Apple Acres, the two fillies soon took notice of the fact that Scootaloo was not present. And although they waited a bit, the tomboyish pegasus failed to show up.

"Somethin' ain't right, here," Apple Bloom nervously commented. "It ain't like Scootaloo to be late for a Cutie Mark Crusaders meetin'."

Sweetie Belle nervously nodded back and gulped as she asked. "Why do I feel like she's off doing something crazy?"

The farm filly couldn't help but comment. "You know, it's weird. Scootaloo ain't the only thing missin', Big Mac's tools have gone missin' too."

Sweetie added. "And Rarity said that some of her fabrics vanished even though she swore she had them last night," Then, suddenly, something clicked in the filly's mind. "You don't think..."

But neither filly needed to have pondered the possibility. For at that very moment they could hear an energetic, excited scream split the air! They ran outside for a better look, and saw a shadow hanging over the orchard and fast approaching! Looking up, the Crusaders gasped at what they saw!

There was Scootaloo, flying a noticeably scaled down and heavily modified form of the glider from the day before. It still had the levers to control the flaps, but much of the wings on either side of it had been removed. And it stood out in colorful contrast thanks to the rolls of fabric that had been used as a covering.

As it just so happened, Olivia was seeing the same thing! She could hardly believe her eyes and ears! "How is this possible?!" She thought aloud!

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shouted together! More out of concern than of geunine amazement! But it seemed their friend was too high up to hear them. She just kept glidding along, slowly but surely drawing nearer and nearer to the ground.

Yet it seemed that the pegasus filly with an orange coat was enjoying every moment she was airborne. She still had on her helmet and safety goggles, but any concern about a crash seemed to have left her.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle joined Olivia as the three fillies chased after Scootaloo on the ground, running as fast as they could to keep her and the glider she was in in view!

Eventually, the glider descended low enough to where it could no longer stay airborne. It hit the ground at a low speed, but it was still a crash since it had clearly not been brought down as intended.

Scootaloo climbed out of the glider's cockpit, removing her helmet and safety goggles just in time for her to see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Olivia all run up to her! "Hey girls!" She greeted with enthusiasm. "What did you think of my beautiful flying back there? I can't believe I pulled that off!"

Olivia was speechless, her mouth hanging open in shock!

Apple Bloom was the first to find the words to speak. "Scootaloo, what the hay were you thinkin'?! And how did you manage to build that glider and get it off the ground all on your own?"

The tomboyish pegasus willingly confessed. "I had to make some adjustments, but I just followed the same blueprints Olivia was using. But I had to have Rainbow Dash generate a small breeze to get me going, so the take-off and landing still need some work."

The unicorn filly with a sky blue coat replied in confusion. "But, I thought you didn't want me to bother with my gliders anymore? I thought you told me to put away my blueprints and just give up."

Scootaloo shook her head from side to side. "I never meant you should just give up, Olivia. What I was trying to tell you was that you don't have to keep obsessing over trying to build the perfect glider all the time," And she explained. "You kept looking for any mistake, no matter how small. It stopped being something you enjoyed, it started being something you didn't like doing. So I'd hoped you would try some other things. Focus on what you could do instead of what you can't do."

"So, why use one of my gliders and prove that they work?" Olivia still pondered.

The tomboyish pegasus answered. "So you could see that there wasn't anything wrong with them. You can keep trying, and I'm sure eventually you'll solve all the problems with them that need to be solved. But there's more to you than those gliders and blueprints."

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom eagerly chimed in. "With your mechanical knowledge and know how, you could build just about anythin': Wagons, buggies, carts, you name it."

And Sweetie Belle added. "Cutie marks don't have to restrict you to doing one thing, Olivia. It's the pony that makes the mark, not the other way around. You say your cutie mark means you have to build those gliders? Well, I think we all agree that your mark means so much more than that!"

Scootaloo buzzed her tiny wings in agreement. "And I know that anything you build will be spectacular! But you should give the gliders a rest for a while. You'll never get anywhere if you keep trying and keep looking for perfection. Take a step back and try something else. Then you can use your experiences in other things to help you when you do eventually come back to your gliders."

Olivia seemed to slowly nod as she replied. "I understand that now. I've already made a lot of progress. But it obviously means nothing if I keep thinking I have to improve, and that nothing will ever be good enough. I should take pride in what I've managed to achieve. And if I fail, I should just use that as motivation to learn and to do better next time," She smiled as she trotted up and gave Scootaloo a hug. "Thanks, Scootaloo. You and your fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders were just the sort of help I needed most, even when I didn't realize it."





"So do you see now, Gabby?" Scootaloo asked the griffon as she concluded her story. "You've been focusing on what you can't do: Get a cutie mark. And you're ignoring all the things you can already do better than anyone else. I mean, after all, they didn't make you the mail carrier for Griffonstone just because they wanted to, right?"

The gray feathered griffon slowly replied. "Well, they always said I was the fastest griffon anygriff had ever seen. That's how I could always find a griffon in a hurry if I wanted to."

The tomboyish pegasus nodded. "Exactly. And you went to all this trouble of faking a cutie mark just to make us feel better. That took talent. Any griffon who could think of a way to fake a cutie mark and make it look convincing, is a griffon who doesn't need a cutie mark to be special. You're already special in your own way, Gabby."

Gabby slowly smiled. "Well, thanks. I guess I got so caught up in the idea of a cutie mark, I never stopped to consider whether or not I really needed one to stand out," Though she then longingly sighed. "Still, it would be nice to have one, even just for a little while. I feel so ashamed that I came all this way for nothing."

But it was then that Scootaloo got an idea. "Actually, Gabby, maybe there's still a way to give you what you want. We can't give you a cutie mark. But maybe we can make one for you."

At that the griffon's moderate turquoise eyes blinked slowly. "How are you gonna do that?"

Scootaloo smiled. "Get cleaned up, then meet us at the clubhouse. That should give the three of us time to put something together. And I think you'll like it."

A short time later, Gabby arrived at the clubhouse with uncertainty. She had no idea what the Crusaders might do.

When the griffon entered the clubhouse, the Crusaders smiled and presented her with a wooden box. Scootaloo took the lead in explaining. "Gabby, finding your special purpose doesn't have to be about being good at something. It's about feeling good about something inside."

Apple Bloom then added. "And it looks like your special purpose is a whole lot like ours: Helpin' others. And you don't need some symbol on your flank to know that."

Sweetie Belle smiled as she concluded. "However, since we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we put our heads together and made you a cutie mark of your very own anyway."

The box was then opened to reveal a wooden, carved shield similar to the ones the CMC had. But Gabby's shield had a picture of a trophy inside of it. Gabby could hardly believe her eyes! "Does this mean-" She asked with her heart all a flutter!

The three fillies nodded as Scootaloo proudly declared! "-You bet it does! Gabby, as of today, we proudly dub you:" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle then joined her in saying together! "The very first griffon member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

Gabby was absolutely speechless! Eventually, however, she found the words she wanted to say! "I am so grateful to you, Crusaders! I'm proud to be one of you! I won't let you down! I'm gonna go home and do my very, very best to bring Cutie Mark Crusader values to Griffonstone! I promise."

Scootaloo then asked. "Can you promise us one other thing?"

"What's that?" The gray feathered griffon asked.

The three Crusaders shouted together! "Come back soon!"

"Oh I will!" Gabby eagerly promised! "After all, I'm one of you now! And we Cutie Mark Crusaders gotta stick together, forever!"
> S7 E19: To Change a Changeling (What If?) (Bonus Chapter) - Redo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A faint poof of light turqoise colored magic announced the arrival of two creatures to the outskirts of the new changeling hive. And neither of them had been there before. The two creatures were a unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat, and a "baby" dragon with light purple scales and green spines.

"Well, here we are!" Starlight proudly declared while waving a hoof across the horizon.

Spike hopped down from Starlight's back and stood next to her, taking in the sights. He could hardly believe how much the hive had changed from when he and Starlight Glimmer had seen it last. "Wow! It's amazing how quickly things change. Everything's so much more beautiful around here now." He found himself commenting in amazement.

Starlight nodded. "Amazing what a new leader can do for an entire kingdom. Thorax has really turned the hive around."

Spike pointed out. "You mean King Thorax," He playfully ribbed Starlight in the side. "After all, he is basically the ruler of the hive whether he admits it or not. I just hope his 'highness' isn't so busy with royal issues that he can't take time to see us."

The unicorn mare giggled as she and Spike walked towards the hive proper. "Don't be silly, Spike. We're just friends visting another friend, is all. And it's not like we're strangers to dealing with royalty, we live with a princess who considers us part of her family, after all."

The little dragon nodded and smiled. "Yup. It's really too bad Twilight couldn't come with us. Ever since she got the idea for this festival of friendship, she's been so busy it seems she barely has time for anything else."

Starlight Glimmer just replied. "Hey, she insisted we come here. I'm sure she'll get around to visiting the hive soon enough," But then a thought struck her. "I just hope our little surprise visit doesn't cause any issues. Thorax did mention the last time I saw him that he was dealing with some changelings. Changelings that haven't quite gotten used to him being king. And if they have it out for him, they'll certainly have it out for us."

Spike scoffed and playfully laughed as he dismissed the danger. "Come on, Starlight! Have a little faith in us! Why would any changeling hate us? If it wasn't for us, Thorax never would've been able to stand up to Chrysalis and put that nasty queen in her place. Why, I think any changeling would be overjoyed to see us."

Yet just as soon as those words had left the little dragon's mouth, he and Starlight were startled to suddenly be confronted by a black skinned changeling with dark blue eyes. He didn't seem to have been affected by the transformation the other changelings had undergone, he looked like they had looked under Chrysalis.

The changeling narrowed his eyes and hissed! "Stay away, intruders!" He barked out in a gruff, authoritative voice.

Spike jumped back in surprise! "W-we're not intruders! I swear!" And he brandished his claws! "Please, don't hurt us! I'm a fire breathing dragon, you know!"

Starlight then stepped forward, hoping to defuse the tensions that were threatening to boil over. "Whoever you are," She kindly spoke to the changeling. "We come in peace. We don't want any trouble!"

"Well too bad, you just found it!" The changeling hissed again! "Those who threaten the hive must be stopped, and I'm just the changeling to do it!" Without warning, he lunged forward and quickly snatched up both pony and dragon in a large, brown sack!

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Starlight cried out, her voice muffled from inside of the sack! "You can't do this to us! We're friends of Thorax!"

The changeling only coldly replied. "Just be quiet, intruders. Where do you think I'm taking you? I'll let our king decide what to do with you. And you'd best hope he shows you mercy, 'cause I won't show you any! You'll get no sympathy from me."

Spike and Starlight could only wonder what the deal was with this changeling, and why he regarded them as intruders even though they were friends of Thorax. They had no way of knowing that this changeling not only had a personal connection to Thorax, but that he had a problem that Spike and Starlight were going to find themselves unofficially tasked with solving.



Pony and dragon fumbled and stumbled around inside the huge sack, trying in vain to break free.

"Ow!" Starlight groaned as she felt something sharp poke her in her side. "Watch where you point your claws, Spike!"

"I'm trying to rip open the sack so we can get out!" Spike replied! "Just hold still! Or would you rather I use my fire breath?!"

Starlight frantically shot back! "Don't do that! You'll set us on fire too! We'll never get out that way!"

The little dragon groaned. "Then use your magic or something!"

And the unicorn mare replied. "I'm trying to, but I can't get a clear shot because we keep moving! And it's hard to concentrate with you poking me all the time!"

Then, suddenly, pony and dragon felt the sack be dropped. A second later, light flooded their vision as they tumbled out and found themselves staring up at some kind of throne. Perched atop it was Thorax, who looked quite surprised to see them both if the expression upon his face was any indication.

"Your majesty," The changeling from before spoke up in a rather rude tone of voice. "I caught these intruders sneaking around on the outskirts of the hive. Do you want me to drain all their love for you? Or lock them up in cocoons so we can make copies of them?"

Thorax rose from his throne and shook his head in disapproval, quickly voicing his displeasure with any such suggestion. "No, Pharynx. There's no need for any of that. These are my friends: Starlight and Spike," Then he greeted the two. "Hi Starlight, Hi Spike. You didn't tell me you'd be stopping by."

Starlight couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You sure have a strange way of showing off your hospitality, Thorax. If this is the way you treat friends, it's no wonder you never had any before meeting Spike."

Thorax could only sigh and groan in frustration as he replied. "It wasn't my idea! Pharynx was the one who captured you two. And I've specifically told him to stop doing things like that! That's not how we do things around here anymore! We're nice now, we don't kidnap other creatures!"

Spike immediately inquired. "So Pharynx would be..."

But there needn't have been a need to ask. The black skinned changeling from earlier spoke up in a gruff and nasty sounding voice! "-Me! Obviously! What, Thorax never told you about me?! Me?!"

Both Spike and Starlight shook their heads.

Pharynx snarled. "Why am I not surprised? You'd think he would show a little more respect to his older brother. But no, he always leaves me out!" He folded his hooves across his chest in a pout. "But whether he likes it or not, I'm the head of security around here! It's my job to protect the hive from those would do it harm."

"It's true," Thorax willingly confessed. "Pharynx and I, we're broodmates. He was practically Chrysalis' right hoof changeling, even if he didn't participate in the invasion on Canterlot."

"Someone had to stay and hold down the fort while the queen was off launching her attack," Pharynx explained. "Who better than me, the head of patrols, to keep any would be trouble makers in line?"

The king could only groan. "But you're living in the past, brother. We're not those nasty creatures we once were! We don't launch invasions on other nations or kidnap ponies!" He frowned and sighed. "Everyone else around here has accepted the changes. Everyone else has embraced the love. Why do you continue to be the only hold out? I thought making you the head of security would satisfy you, not give you a license to just harrass others!"

The black skinned changeling could only roll his eyes! "You call it harrassment, but I call it looking out for the hive's well being! What if these guys were impostors pretending to be your friends?! You would've let them just waltz on in and have their way with you, and there wouldn't be anything any of us could do to stop it! You're no good to anyone if you get taken out. Far as I'm concerned, I'm the only one who gives a hootin' holler about making sure the hive is protected! We're vulnerable now and you know it!"

Thorax protested. "There's no reason to shut ourselves off from the world just because some creatures might try to do us harm. We have friends now, friends we can turn to for help."

"What good are friends if our leader is too afraid to take charge and do what's right?" Pharynx snarled, before turning to Spike and Starlight and telling them. "You're lucky. If this were the old days, I'd have already feasted upon your love," When he heard his brother clear his throat, he added. "But of course, I can't do that anymore. Not if I don't wanna get kicked out of the hive! Much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn't last long on my own," But then he turned back to Thorax. "But how does anyone expect me to raise an army if I can't paint the changelings back into black?!"

"I told you why!" Thorax argued back! "They don't like it! And if you keep this up, I swear I'm gonna paint you bright green and orange, and see how you like it!"

"No way! Never in a million years!" The black skinned changeling roared as he kicked a nearby stone in protest. Then, buzzing his wings he declared. "Do whatever you want, brother. I know where I'm not wanted. I won't stay here to be insulted. And you certainly don't need me making you 'look like a fool'. Maker only knows you do a good enough job of that on your own. I'm out of here!" And he soon buzzed away.





Thorax was now alone with the two friends to whom he owed so much. Normally, he would've been overjoyed to see them, especially when they had decided to surprise him by coming into the hive unannounced. However, in light of what they had been subjected to and had witnessed, it was obvious that any pleasent formalities would be useless.

Still, the king seemed to adopt a sincere look of guilt while he told his guests. "I'm really sorry about all of that. Especially about Pharynx," He put a hoof up to the side of one of his antlers as he lamented. "What am I gonna do with him? It feels like there's no place for him in the new hive. But I can't just kick him out and leave him at the mercy of some monster. He's my brother for goodness sake!"

"Was he always like this?" Spike questioned Thorax.

"Definitely not in the old days. If he ever had any complaints, he'd always keep them to himself," Thorax replied. "I'm sure he wants to do his part to help the new hive. He was always the more protective of the two between him and I. I guess I should've expected him to have a hard time with how close he was to Chrysalis, even if he insists he was never fully loyal to her like he is to me."

Starlight couldn't help but inquire. "Are you sure you two are brothers? Maybe Chrysalis just planted the memories in you both somehow to make you think you had a bond?"

"No, Chrysalis could never have done that. She can't manipulate memories like she can appearances," Thorax protested with a shake of his head. "Really, Pharynx wasn't always this grumpy and mean. I thought that after taking care of the changelings who still had doubts about my rule, that he'd come around. I've tried giving him some space to just be himself, but nothing sems to work. At this point, I really don't know what I'm gonna do with him. The other changelings won't stop complaining about him, about how he keeps trying to force them onto patrols."

"Haven't you tried talking to him? Maybe asked him what he wants?" Spike asked.

Thorax sighed. "Believe me, I have more times than I care to admit. In fact, I had a talk with him just after I came back from meeting Ember. I thought I knew what he was getting at now that I knew what it was like to have to defend yourself, to stand up to others to protect the ones you care you about. But I still couldn't get through to him. He still insists on doing what he's been doing since the hive changed," Then a raging blush started to form on his cheeks. "Oh, here I am blattering on about my problems. I haven't even asked why you two came here. Did Princess Twilight send you?"

Spike and Starlight both said at the same time. "Nope."

Spike even pointed out. "Trust me. With the way Twilight is, you would've known if she was sending us to meet with you. Really, Starlight and I just wanted to come here to see you. Twilight figured we could both use a bit of a change of scenery. You know, take some time off from what we're used to doing."

Starlight Glimmer then sheepishly and nervously declared. "Um, surprise?"

Thorax grinned. "Oh, you didn't have to do that. You don't need an excuse to come and see me just because I'm royalty," He pulled his friends close. "Thanks for coming all this way to visit me, though. It really means a lot," Then he got an idea. "Hey, how about I show the rest of the hive? You two will hardly believe how much this place has changed since you saw it last!"

Starlight and Spike looked across to each other and nodded, the little dragon telling the king. "Well, it's not like we've got anything better to do. We'd be honored to have you show us around, Thorax."

"Splendid!" The king excitedly declared! "Follow me!" And it wasn't long before he was showing off various parts of the hive to his visitors. This included a small stage for performing arts, a huge table housing all sorts of food, and a smaller table involving changelings working with paper and glue. He pointed a hoof to each to draw attention to them. "There's so much to see and do. Before, we used to just hunt and patrol. But now, now we've just about got everything! And don't worry, we've updated the bathrooms to better accomodate all sorts of creatures and not just changelings."

"Well, that's a relief if we ever need to make use of them." Starlight breathed a small sigh of relief.

Spike nodded before asking. "Did you do all of these things by yourself, Thorax?"

"Not that I mean to brag, but yes, I did!" Thorax happily confessed. "We have classic theatre, swing dancing and a once-a-week potluck lunch, all to boost our morale," Then he added. "Ooh! And who can change shape and organize arts and craft time?" He happily transformed into a pink flamingo and stepped onto a small podium as he boasted. "This guy!"

Both unicorn and dragon were amazed, and the unicorn mare couldn't help but comment. "Wow, Thorax! You were right, the hive's changed completely. If it weren't for seeing you, I don't know if Spike and I would believe we were in the right place," Then she added. "I might just have to tell Trixie about that stage. I have a feeling she'd all too happy to put on a performance here, with me as her great and powerful assistant of course."

"Did it take a lot of convincing for the other changelings to accept all of this?" Spike contemplated.

The king nodded as he transformed back into his changeling self. "Yup. But Ember's lessons on leadership really paid off! I'll have to write her a letter or something to thank her for all her support," However, he then let out a very unhappy sigh and hung his head. "Although, it may not matter. I don't know if we changelings will have much time to be doing any of these things. I hate to admit it, but Pharynx has a point about the hive being unprotected. Honestly, you two have come at a pretty bad time."

Spike nervously asked. "Why? Everything seems just fine... aside from Old tall, dark and rude." He gestured a claw off to the distance as he swore he could briefly see Pharynx spying on him and Starlight.

Thorax explained in a low and sorrowful tone. "Pharynx isn't the problem, despite what you might think. And I wouldn't wanna be a burden by dragging you guys into a sibling squabble, even if you're kind of siblings yourself now. The real problem is that we're dealing with a malwurf. Basically a giant mole that likes to feed on anything and everything in its path. And it gets worse," He gulped. "It's completely immune to magic. Nothing seems to hurt it. So far, the only thing that's been keeping it away from the hive are these plants I've had set out for it to snack on."

"Why not write to Twilight or Ember for help?" Spike proposed.

"That malwurf is tricky," Thorax explained again. "It can burrow underground, and then you'll never see it coming before it's too late. I don't know what I'll do if it pops up in the middle of the hive one day! The worst part is, Pharynx has to know this makes me look bad in the eyes of the changelings. And if word gets out that I can't even deal with something like this," He hung his head in shame. "Why should any changeling ever trust me?"

Spike immediately put a claw around the king. "Come on, now, Thorax! Don't start doubting yourself! I know what that's like, and trust me when I say it only makes things worse!" Then he got an idea. "Hey, I know! Maybe Starlight and I could talk to Pharynx, maybe talk a little sense into him?"

Starlight quickly warmed up to the idea as she realized what Spike was implying! "That's actually a good idea, Spike! The two of us know a thing or two about being outcasts. Besides, you were the first one to trust Thorax and believe that he could change. And you didn't give up on me even when I wanted to. You seem to be able to see things in others even before they can see it for themselves."

The little dragon giddly grinned. "Guess it just comes from having a mom like Twilight. Some of her magic has rubbed off on me."

Thorax wasn't so sure. "You two really think you can get through to him? I don't want you guys to solve all my problems for me. I'm the king now, I have to be able to solve things on my own every now and then!"

"But a good king knows when he needs help. It's not a sign of weakness to turn to others when you need it," Starlight pointed out. "The biggest mistake any leader can make is thinking they have to solve everything on their own. Just give Spike and I a chance. We haven't met a problem yet that we couldn't solve in the end!"

"Well, if you two are sure, I guess I'll leave you to it," The king replied as he unfolded his wings. "I'll take over patrolling the outside of the hive and give him a break. Best of luck, not that I think you'll need it or anything. You guys got this, right?" He nervously laughed. And then with a buzz of his wings, he was off.

Yet as soon as Thorax was out of sight, Spike and Starlight felt their earlier confidence start to leave them. Starlight Glimmer even found herself lamenting as she looked to Spike. "Just how do we always get into these situations, Spike? Seems like every time we're together, there's always some big problem or crisis we have to deal with."

The little dragon just did his best to pluck up courage as he declared. "Well, there's no turning back now! We gave Thorax our word! We have to at least try."





Pharynx was anything but pleased to see Spike and Starlight when he returned to the hive. He turned his head so as to not have to look at them. "Why are you idiots here?" He grumbled. "You expecting an apology or something? Well, fine, I'm sorry I mistook you two for intruders and took you prisoner. But honestly, it's your own fault for being so sneaky! Besides, how was I to know you two were friends with my brother? He never tells me anything anymore!"

Spike couldn't help but whisper to Starlight as they drew near to the changeling. "Looks like he's going to be difficult. Any ideas?"

Starlight whispered back. "Nope. Just gonna have to wing it, and hope for the best," Then she trotted up to the lone changeling and cleared her throat, pretending she hadn't heard him until now. "Uh, hey, um... Pharynx, was it?"

The black skinned changeling snarled, snorted and rolled his eyes. "Don't take me for a fool, you know who I am and what I'm like! Thorax put you up to this, didn't he? He thinks I'm going to overthrow him like he did Chrysalis."

"Well, you're certainly not helping your case acting like you hate change and just want things to go back to the way they were," Spike pointed out. "You're making it sound like you want Chrysalis back even though she was intentionally starving you and the other changelings."

Pharynx snorted anew. "Chrysalis got what was coming to her! She stopped caring about the hive! If I'd been in charge, that disaster of an invasion in Canterlot would've never happened! And we never would've had to stoop to kidnapping a baby princess, we used to be better than that. It doesn't matter, though, my brother's the king and I'm not. It's not my place to question his authority, especially not when all the other changelings look up to him now."

Starlight all but demanded as she used her magic to pull Pharynx close and force him to make eye contact with her and Spike. "Would you just listen for a moment or two?! We're trying to help you, here! Even Thorax is worried about you, about how you don't have any friends! And trust me when I say, not having friends with your attitude is just asking for trouble."

The little dragon nodded in agreement. "You really should listen to Starlight, Pharynx. You're starting to sound an awful lot like the kind of pony she used to be."

Pharynx only coldly replied. "How could you possibly know what it's like to be me? You're not me and you never will be! I'm a solider by nature! I'm not meant to be a leader!"

"I used to think the same after all I'd done. But Thorax and Spike helped me to see that I don't have to let my fears of who I was stop me from being the pony I need to be when the situation calls for it," Starlight explained to the best of her ability. "Once, I was a horrible pony who ruled over others with fear and lies. I was no better than Chrysalis."

"Is that why you made that big speech and tried to get her to change her ways?" Pharynx bitterly remarked. "Because it didn't work. I could've told you it was a useless effort! Chrysalis only ever cared about herself. A heart as black as hers is incapable of feeling love or knowing what it's like to do something for the good of others."

Starlight Gimmer swallowed hard as she tried her best not to look intimidated. "Unlike Chrysalis, I was given a second chance and I took it. I changed and became a better pony. You can do the same if you just open up your heart, Pharynx. Isn't it better than always complaining and burning bridges with those who just want to help you?"

Spike all but pleaded. "Come on, Pharynx. Just look around you. Isn't the new hive better than what you had before? Isn't it better that changelings don't have to live in fear anymore? I'm sure you can find a new role for yourself if you just tried."

But the black skinned changeling only turned his head as he angrily remarked. "You don't know me at all! Stop acting like you care! You're only doing this because my brother feels sorry for me! If it wasnt' for him, I'd probably already have been kicked out by the hive!" He then unhappily sighed. "I can read a room. The other changelings have made it perfectly clear by now, they don't want me. It's only a matter of time until they make it official and kick me out, with or without Thorax's permission. I'm the odd one out, and that's fine by me! I'll fend for myself if I have to!"

"But Pharynx-!" Starlight tried to plea.

Pharynx just kicked some dirt off his hooves. "-But nothing!" He hissed in a bitter tone of voice while trying in vain to hold back tears. "You losers don't need to concern yourselves with me! Forget about me and do whatever it is you came here to do! And if you see my brother, tell him I don't need his pity anymore! Whatever he really wants to do with me, he'd better do it now and get it over with! Or does he think I'm not even worth the effort of a formal dismissing?!" He proceeded to wander off somewhere, most likely to sulk and be alone with his thoughts.

Pharynx's abrupt departure left Starlight and Spike alone in the center of the hive. And the two didn't know what to do.

The unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat hung her head in shame. "Well, that could've gone better," She gulmly said to herself. "Between Pharynx and Chrysalis, I think it's clear I'm not cut out for motivational speeches of encouragement. Twilight's always better at that anyway, why do I let myself think I could ever outdo her in that department?"

Spike immediately reached out a claw to lift Starlight's head up. "Starlight, come on! Don't go there!" He firmly insisted as he locked eyes with her. "What matters is that we tried, right? Maybe Pharynx is right, maybe he's just a creature beyond help."

But Starlight frowned. "I'm tempted to think that. But after everything I've been through, who am I to judge others as a lost cause?" She then lamented aloud. "Either way, we failed. I think we just made things worse instead of better."

The little dragon then thought of an idea. "Well, why don't we talk to Thorax when he gets back? I mean, he's going to hear about this anyway, right? Best if he hears it from us instead of from someone else, right?"

"I guess so," The unicorn mare reluctantly agreed. "Honestly, though, I'm wondering why Thorax even sticks up for Pharynx. It doesn't seem like Pharynx appreciates Thorax's brotherly love and concern for him, he doesn't even seem to think Thorax can protect him from the other changelings," She put a hoof to her chin. "Come to think of it, he and Thorax barely seem to understand each other. Thorax admitted he was afraid Pharynx might try to overthrow him, even though we now know that's nonsense."

Spike shrugged his claws. "Well, I guess there really is only one thing to do: We'll have to talk with Thorax and ask some hard questions. Because otherwise, I don't know what we're supposed to do in this situation or even what we can do. Really feels like we're up the river without a paddle on this one."





Thorax was surprised anew when he returned to his throne and found Spike and Starlight already waiting for him there. "Oh, hey guys," He commented in an innocent and blissfully unaware tone of voice, even smiling brightly as he sat upon his throne and looked down upon them. Only then did he take notice of the pronounced frowns upon the two. "Why the long faces? How'd things go with my brother?"

Starlight and Spike exchanged nervous glances, as if daring the other to speak up first. But neither seemed willing to do so.

Thorax didn't need to be a mind reader to realize what this probably meant. "Don't tell me:" He glumly guessed. "You couldn't go through to him at all, could you?"

Starlight Glimmer reluctantly confessed. "Nope. I mean, it's not like we didn't try. But Pharynx is... well... stubborn."

Spike added. "In our defense, we're not exactly miracle workers. Guess it was kind of silly of us to think one talk could make all the difference."

Thorax shifted his hooves, resting his head on his right front hoof. "It's just as I feared, Pharynx and I have drifted apart forever. Nothing can fix our broken bond, not even you two," He sighed and lamented. "If only he'd been made the king instead of me. He always seemed like more of a leader. I thought if I let him keep his old position and train an army of his own, it'd make him happy. Seems like it only made things worse."

"Seems to me like he thinks he's a soldier without a kingdom or a ruler to protect," Starlight concluded. "He must be wondering what he's fighting for if he has nothing to hold dear, nothing worth protecting and defending."

The little dragon then spoke up. "Actually, Thorax, Pharynx did say he has no intention of trying to overthrow or replace you. If anything, he thinks you can't protect him from the other changelings," And he then pondered. "Why exactly do you do what you've done for him? I'm having a hard time believing you two could ever be brothers, or that you two could ever get along."

At that the king's mood seemed to change. "Pharynx has always been tough, but it's not like he's never cared. He was always there for me growing up, in his own brotherly way." And in his mind, he started flashing back to memories he had from when he had been just a hatchling:

A much younger Thorax was happily playing with miniature dolls, the only toys he'd been able to hold onto. And so play he did, playing to his heart's content without a care in the world. It was the closest he could ever come to happiness on his own.

The other changelings didn't think Thorax such was a happy sight, though. In fact, a trio of older changelings saw a chance to bully and belittle him. They walked right up to little Thorax, and sinisterly they laughed and teased. "Oh, look at little Thorax playing with his dollies." Then one of them snatched the dolls up, holding them out of reach of Thorax's tiny hooves.

"Hey, give those back!" Thorax protested to the bullies, jumping up to try and grab at his dolls. But to no avail!

"What's wrong?" The other two changelings taunted. "Don't you wanna have playmates?"

"Not the likes of you! Give me back my dolls already! Come on!" Thorax pleaded! "Why are you picking on me? I never did anything to you, did I?"

The changelings just laughed, cackling with glee. "You're an easy target, Thorax. You gotta learn to act like a proper changeling," They all added quite sternly. "And proper changelings don't have time for childish distractions. They growl and hiss, and feed on love. That's what we do, that's what our queen commands. And those who don't follow Chrysalis' orders, leave the hive!"

"But I don't wanna leave the hive!" Thorax whined, tears starting to form in his eyes. "And I don't wanna growl and hiss! Please, just give me back my dolls and let me be! Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?"

"Oh we do," Laughed the changeling who was still holding the dolls out of Thorax's reach. "But we've got a couple of minutes to spend tormenting you. And no way are we gonna miss out on our favorite pastime."

Thorax shut his eyes, trying in vain to hold back the tears that were now flowing freely down his face. Why did every single changeling he met have to be so mean to him? What was so wrong with being different?

All of a sudden however, the laughs, chortles and giggles coming from the bullies came to a halt. From out of the blue, a voice of fury cried out quite sternly. "Leave my little brother alone!"

The voice alone was enough to make the changelings stop dead in their tracks. Against their better judgement, they chose to turn towards the location in which they'd last heard the voice. A mistake on their part, for the sight that greeted their eyes, filled their very souls with terror! A massive bugbear stood before them, the creature letting out a roar so powerful and terrifying it could fill even the bravest of souls with fear!

The bullies didn't bother to stick around after that. They turned around and ran off deep into the hive, screaming at the top of their lungs! One of them even dropped the dolls he'd previously been holding. They landed on the ground in front of Thorax, unharmed.

Thorax himself wasn't frightened or intimidated by the bugbear, he just smiled as he approached it and pet it. "Thanks, big brother. You're the best!" He said with a goofy grin plastered firmly on his face. By now, his tears had dried up completely.

Pharynx transformed back to his original changeling state in a flash of sickely, lime-green colored magic. "No one takes away my brother's dolls but me," He insisted, and then scolded. "If any changeling is going to tell you to stop with the games, it's going to be me and me alone. That's what brothers do."

"Big brother, can't you afford to lighten up every now and then?" Thorax cheerfully commented. "You're always so serious."

Pharynx remarked with a humph. "It's because I have to, it's how we changelings survive. You may not get it yet, brother of mine. But someday you'll understand that there's no time for childish games when our very survival is at stake," Then he added. "Be lucky I even bothered to hold onto those dolls for you, instead of destroying them like Queen Chrysalis insisted I do. I can't keep doing you favors, or we'll both be in trouble. And you know how the queen gets when she finds out anyone's disobeying her."

Thorax whimpered. "Oh, I really don't like her! She's so mean, and she stinks! Why can't she just leave us alone and let us do what we want?"

The elder changeling just snorted. "Look, I don't like her any more than you do, Thorax. But I know better than to say such things outloud. She is the queen, she is our leader. Orders are orders, and good soldiers follow orders without asking questions. She hatched us and cared for us, and we owe her our lives."

"But isn't there a better way to survive? One that doesn't involve stealing love from other creatures?" Thorax questioned. "It seems like we're always hungry for more love."

Pharynx only shook his head. "It's in our very nature to feed on love, Thorax. It's how we've always been. Chrysalis does what she must to look out for us, and we must do the same for her," With a sigh, he added. "Putting your personal feelings about our queen aside, you could stand to grow a backbone. I can't spend all my time being your guardian."

"B-but you're my big brother, Pharynx!" Thorax whined. "You're supposed to protect me!"

"I have to do nothing of the sort. I just don't like other changelings thinking my brother is such a weakling is all," Pharynx sternly lectured to his younger brother. "But the only way those bullies are gonna stop pestering you, is if you fight back against them. That's the only way you defeat bullies."

Thorax protested. "I can't do that. I'm not a fighter like you are, Pharynx."

"Then at least start acting like one," Pharynx insisted. "One of these days, I'm not gonna be there for you. And if you depend on me to bail you out all the time, you're going to get into real trouble. And when you don't have me to protect you, you'll wish you'd learned how to stand up for yourself and how to survive. Now come along, I'm going to be late for my patrols. And it's time you learned how to patrol like a changeling as well, Chrysalis says you're old enough. Maybe then she won't get on my case about always having to protect you."

As the flashback ended, the changeling king explained. "Pharynx protected me so much when I was younger. It's in his nature to defend others. I just wish I could get him to understand that doesn't mean putting on a tough guy act all the time and lashing out at others. Deep down, I'm sure he loves and cares about the hive. But I don't know how to get him to show that to the other changelings."

"Maybe you should have another talk with him, not as his king but as his brother," Spike reluctantly suggested. "Really talk to him, be honest with him. And if that fails... well..." He trailed off, unable to think of a good suggestion to add on.

Reluctantly, Thorax seemed to agree to what Spike had proposed just seconds ago. "I guess it can't hurt to try that. Maybe if I use some of that 'tough love' he always showed me, he'll start to listen? I just hope I can pull it off. This isn't like dealing with those other changelings. Pharynx is a real tough nut to crack." He then rose from his throne and walked away, hoping to find his brother and have one more chat with him: Not as a king to a disobedient subject, but as one brother to another.





Alone in the throne room, Starlight Glimmer and Spike were once again left to contemplate their next move. They weren't certain Thorax would have any more success at breaking through to Pharynx than they did.

But after moments of silent contemplation and pacing, the two had to admit that they were truly stumped. They couldn't think of anything else to try.

"Hey, Spike." Starlight spoke up at last.

"Yes?" The little dragon's ears perked up.

The unicorn mare then proposed the idea that had come into her mind. "Do you think you could send a letter?"

Spike was immediately confused by what Starlight was proposing. "You mean, to Princess Celestia? I don't see how that's going to help us here."

Starlight shook her head from side to side. "No, I meant to another princess. Like say, Princess Twilight."

"You really think Twilight will know what to do?" Spike questioned. "Just because she's used to solving the occasional friendship problem doesn't mean she has all the answers when it comes to friendship."

"But she is the expert on things like this," Starlight Glimmer explained to the best of her ability. "Maybe if we can get in touch with her and ask her for advice, she'll be able to help us like she's done so many times before? Because the only other option I can think of is trying to magically compel Thorax and Pharnyx to get along," She adopted a shameful look as she admitted. "And after that little 'cloning' incident, I don't wanna try using magic to solve a friendship problem. I even promised Twilight I wouldn't do that."

The little dragon nervously and hesitantly replied. "W-well... I could... try, I guess. I'd just need something to write a message on, seeing as I didn't bring any scrolls or anything like that."

At that the unicorn sheepishly blushed. "Oh, right, how silly of me to forget about that," She then frowned upon realizing that there wasn't really anything that could do as makeshift parchment (to say nothing of the fact that the only thing with which to write a message was the occasional stick lying on the ground). "Uh, this might be a problem. I might have to lift up an entire patch of dirt after you've written in it."

"Well, it's worth a shot," Spike insisted. "A message is a message, regardless of where it comes from, right?" He went to retrieve a stick, and then tried to look for a good patch of dirt to scribble a quick message into.

Yet before Starlight's plan could be put into action, a grayish-green coated changeling with moderate cyan eyes, a glossy light pink mane, and wings a beautiful two shaded red that were currently tucked to the sides appeared. The changeling appeared to be female and looked considerably younger than any other changeling either pony or dragon had seen up until now. "Oh, there you are," It spoke in an obviously feminine sounding tone of voice. "No time to explain: Thorax is calling an emergency meeting of the hive, and everyone is to be there!"

The young female changeling then led Spike and Starlight towards the very center of the hive, all the while the two wondered what could've prompted Thorax to call an emergency meeting on such short notice.

Upon reaching the center of the hive, it was possible to see all the other changelings had already gathered in a massive crowd. Some were even whispering to themselves about something, though it was impossible to make out what it was over the noise of the crowd itself.

Thorax quickly brought up a hoof to silence the crowd as he cleared his throat, trying his best to sound commanding and confident. "Quiet, please, everyone," He instructed. And when a hush finally befell the crowd, he spoke up. "That's better. Now listen, I have some bad news. Some very bad news," He then all but shouted at the top of his lungs! "Pharynx is gone!"

Starlight and Spike gasped, and Starlight even shouted! "What?! Gone?! What do you mean gone?!"

"I've looked all over the hive and I can't find him anywhere," Thorax explained. "I called this meeting specifically so I could ask if anyone's seen my brother recently. If so, where and when? And did he say anything about where he might be going or what he might be doing?"

But none of the changelings would say anything. Either because they didn't know, or because they just didn't care where Pharynx went or what might happen to him.

The silence only made Thorax even more desperate! "Please!" He frantically pleaded! "I need to know where he is! If I have to, I will have the whole hive locked down until Pharynx is found safe and sound!"

Starlight, meanwhile, was whispering to Spike. "Where could he have gone? If he's not here in the hive then where would he go except..." But then suddenly, an awful thought struck her and she reacted as if she'd just been stung right on the flank! "Wait, you don't think..."

"-No, he wouldn't..." Spike gulped even as his tone of voice betrayed his intentions.

Unfortunately for both pony and dragon, the changeling king overheard their "private conversation". "'Wouldn't' what, Spike?! Do you know where my brother is or what he might be up to?"

The little dragon reluctantly confessed. "He mentioned something about being a soldier by nature. And that he felt he didn't belong here."

Thorax gasped and his eyes widened in alarm! "So he went after the malwurf all by himself?! What's he thinking?! He's gonna get himself killed!"

The other changelings all exchanged various glances of concern, but none bothered to say a word.

Starlight immediately stepped forward and stood beside Thorax, as she called out to the changelings. "Look, I know you've all had your differences with him, but Pharynx is still one of your own. Think of this as your chance to be better changelings than him. A chance to show him that even though you're a peaceful race, you still know how to fight."

But a lime-green coated changeling argued back! "But we don't have an army! We'll never stand a chance against that monster!"

Thorax stomped a hoof down as he glared at the changelings! "Enough! As king, I have to take responsibility for all of my subjects, even those who disagree with me. Pharynx is out there because of me. I didn't try hard enough to help him or stand up for him like he used to do for me. But now it's time I finally payed back that outstanding debt! And I'll do it with or without the help of my hive! Now who's with me?!"

Spike immediately pushed Starlight forward as he insisted! "We're with you, Thorax! After all, this is what friends do for each other. They help each other out."

"You really don't have to come and fight with me," Thorax insisted. "The malwurf isn't interested in either of you. I know you two feel guilty about Pharynx being out there, but it's not your fault. I can't ask you two to always help me clean up my messes. I'm the king, and it's time I started acting like the king my subjects expect me to be!" And he unfolded his wings while telling his friends. "You're welcome to come with me if you'd like, but the malwurf is mine to deal with!"





A short time later, Thorax and the entire changeling hive were flying off to look for Pharynx, expecting to see him combating the malwurf.

Sure enough, that's where the lone un-changed changeling was. And as the other changelings flew low (with Starlight and Spike following on hoof and foot), they could easily see what the malwurf looked like. It was indeed like a gigantic mole: It had razor sharp fangs, sharp claws, and it constantly seemed to burrow its way under ground only to pop back up again. Every time it did so, the ground beneath it shook and crumbled!

Pharynx was fighting the monster as best he could, constantly throwing himself at it and even transforming into various other creatures. But it seemed like he was making no headway at all against the malwurf. And it was clear from the way he was carrying himself that he was fast wearing himself out. It looked like it was all he had just to dodge the creature's sharp claws whenever it brought them near him.

"Whoa!" The black skinned changeling remarked as he dodged yet another swipe of the claws. But he tried to save face and project confidence as he roared! "Is... that all you've got, monster?! I've still got a lot more left in the tank! If it takes everything I've got, I will bring you down! No one threatens the hive on my watch! NO ONE!"

Immediately upon seeing his brother, Thorax was filled with relief! And he swooped down to join his brother! "Pharynx, oh thank the stars you're okay!" He joyfully exclaimed as he grabbed his brother by the hoof, pulling his fellow changeling back a bit while other changelings took Pharynx's place.

Pharynx was too weak to swat away the hoof from his younger brother. Besides, he really didn't want to as he panted. "You... you came back for me. You didn't... leave me."

"I could never abandon you, brother!" The king insisted with a smile as he hugged his brotherly tightly. "I'm just glad you're okay! I thought for sure that monster would've torn you apart by now," Then he asked. "Just what do you think you're trying to prove taking on that thing all alone? I know you're a bold one. But this isn't being bold, this is being reckless and stupid."

Pharynx shook his head. "I'm not doing this to stroke my own ego. I'm just doing what any soldier in my position would do. And I don't need your help. Even if the hive no longer wants me, I'll do what I must to protect it."

"But don't you see, we still need you!" Thorax desperately pleaded with his brother! "You're the only one with any military experience! Without you, we'd have no army at all."

The older of the changeling brothers just glumly remarked. "Exactly why the new hive doesn't want or need me, despite what you say. I know you're the king, but you don't have to give me favorable treatment just because we're brothers. Treat me as you would treat any other disobedient subject. Get it over with and kick me to the curb! I know you want to!"

"No, brother, I won't abandon you again!" Thorax furiously insisted! "I left the hive once, and leaving you behind as a result was the worst feeling I'd ever experienced. I won't let that happen again! We'll defeat this monster together, because that's what brothers do!"

Starlight, meanwhile, spoke up. "Uh, now's maybe not the best time for a family reunion," She promptly fired off a blast from her horn, only to see it bounce off the malwurf's skin as if it were nothing. "Great, it really is impervious to magic!" She realized as she backed up! "What are we supposed to do now?!"

The black skinned changeling groaned. "I don't know! I've tried everything I can think of! Nothing seems to phase this monster! It's invincible!"

"Nothing's invincible!" Spike protested even as his tone of voice betrayed his intended projection of confidence. "Everything has a weak spot, even that... that... thing! There must be something we haven't thought of, yet. Something that'll help us defeat it, or at least drive it away," Then he suddenly remembered. "Wait, I'm a fire breathing dragon!" he stepped forward, shooting off a massive burst of flame from his mouth!

The malwurf stumbled back and yelped as it cried out in pain!

It was then that Pharynx gasped as his eyes went wide! "Of course, why didn't I think of it sooner?! Fire's just what we need!"

"But if we're not careful, we could burn everything to the ground!" Thorax replied with concern and alarm! "We could even destroy the hive itself!"

"Then we'll just have to be extra careful to make sure that won't happen!" Pharynx insisted as he flew up and shouted to the other changelings. "Everyone, we must turn into fire breathing creatures to defeat the malwurf! Quickly now, follow my lead!"

One by one, all the changelings transformed into large, fire breathing dragons (Thorax and Pharynx included)! And together, they let out roars and wooshes of flames that frightened the malwurf! In fact, it was so frightened that it forgot all about going near the hive. It turned around and ran off toward the horizon as fast as it could, soon disappearing completely from sight.





After the changelings reverted back to their original forms, Pharynx wiped the sweat from his brows as he declared. "Whew. That was some good thinking on your dragon friend's part there, Thorax."

Thorax nodded. "That's Spike for you. When he gets a good idea, he really gets a good idea! See? There are benefits to having other creatures as allies."

Pharynx reluctantly nodded back. "I can see that now. You don't need to rub it in," Then he looked his brother firmly in the eyes and said sincerely to him. "Thanks for not giving up on me, even when I was ready to give up on myself all together. A small part of me actually was hoping the malwurf would take me down with it. I was ready to throw away my own life because I thought I didn't belong anywhere."

"You'll always have a place in my heart, and as long as I'm king you'll always have a place in the hive," Thorax sweetly replied. "We just needed to spend more time figuring out what that place is and should be," But he then saw fit to ask. "So, does  this mean you finally accept love into your life instead of trying to feed on or off of it?"

The black skinned changeling was silent for a moment, before he slowly found the words he wanted to say. "I... guess I do," He confessed. "I mean, I always loved the hive even if it never loved me back. But I kept thinking that I had no need for the kind of love we embraced. I thought it made us weak. I see now that I was wrong, sharing love and embracing it among one another doesn't make us weak: It makes us strong. Stronger than we ever were when we hoarded it all to ourselves!"

Suddenly, a huge, bright and glowing ball of energy enveloped the one changeling who had yet to transform, who had retained his appearance from when all changelings looked like him! All the changelings gasped, except for Thorax who knew (along with Starlight and Spike) what was happening.

Sure enough, the bright glow faded. Pharynx had transformed, and his new self was now visible for all to see! He still had his black coat and purple eyes (though both were of lighter shades than they'd been before), but now he had light purple on his ears, two red horns on the top of his head, a red collar similar to Thorax's, red and purple butterfly wings, and red on his back with a light purple undersection. "Oh, thank goodness I'm not some sickly bright green color!" He exclaimed!

"Pharynx!" Thorax scolded his brother. His tone of voice making it clear it was more out of brotherly love than of any sincere concern.

The transformed changeling shrugged his hooves and buzzed his new wings as he confessed. "What? It may look good on you, brother, but I wouldn't be caught dead trying to rock it. You have your prefered colors and I have mine. But at least my new wings look good."

The king nodded. "Indeed they do, brother. And I hope you'll continue to serve me as the head of my new army. I think General Pharynx has a nice ring to it. Maker only knows how much we still need a standing army. This malwurf businesss has made that quite clear."

Pharynx smiled back at his brother and hugged him tightly. "I shall happily serve you as you see fit, oh brother of mine. I am yours to command."

All the other changelings couldn't help but let out an "Aw." at the sight of brotherly love they were seeing.

Spike, meanwhile, strolled casually up to Starlight and whispered to the unicorn. "You know something, Starlight? We make a pretty good team, you and I."

Starlight grinned as she whispered back. "Think we'll have to tell Twilight about all of this? I mean, she's bound to ask us how our trip was when we get back to Ponyville."

The little dragon just nodded and continued to whisper. "I'm sure she'll understand. After all, Thorax and Pharynx aren't the only ones whose sibling bond was strengthened by all of this."
> S8 E22: Love is Neigh (What Lies Beneath) (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shining Armor and Princess Cadence always looked forward to the increasingly rare opportunities when they could come to Ponyville, both to visit Twilight (who was on track to become Equestria's new ruler, though an exact date for the inevitable coronation hadn't been announced yet) and to get away from the stresses of ruling an entire empire.

Of course, being royalty meant that they couldn't exactly travel unannounced. It was required that they come to Ponyville in their own train with their own royal guard unit for protection. And on this occassion, the crystal couple were also traveling with their daughter: Flurry Heart. It was amazing to think how much time had passed. It seemed like only yesterday she'd been born, but now she had already spoken her first word and was slowly but surely getting the hang of trotting on her own four hooves.

Flurry, however, seemed more intent on using her wings and her horn. And was flying out of the embrace of her mother, excited about being on a train.

Cadence simply smiled, drapping a wing over her daughter and pulling her close. "Now Flurry, you promised to behave yourself. That means no flying off on your own."

Flurry Heart babbled, but appeared to understand what her mom was saying as she slowly settled into the elder alicorn's lap.

"You sure it was a good idea to bring her with us this time?" Shining Armor asked his wife as he looked up from the newspaper he'd been reading. "We have Sunburst for a reason, you know."

The princess of love just replied. "Sunburst deserves a break. Flurry Heart is our responsibility first and foremost, especially now that she's getting so big," She fondly sighed. "Pretty soon, she'll be old enough to leave her diapers."

Shining giggled. "Something tells me Flurry Heart won't make it easy for us. Celestia knows, Twily's potty training years were an experience I'll never forget. I just hope Flurry doesn't take after her favorite auntie too much in that regard," And that got him to thinking. "Speaking of Twilight, what do you think's going to happen to that school of friendship she built? I don't see how she's supposed to run it and rule Equestria at the same time."

Cadence smiled back. "Knowing Twilight, I'm sure she's already thought of a solution. And knowing how gifted and talented the students at that school are, I'm sure they'll adapt to whatever changes come their way."

Shining Armor nodded. "Hard to believe they saved Equestria once already. And to think, when I was but a school colt, all my friends and I worried about was making the grade. That and playing Ogres & Oubliettes of course."

Princess Cadence nuzzled close to her husband while commenting. "That is, until you joined the royal guard and met me. I can still remember our first encounter like it was yesterday. But if you had told me then that we'd not only get married, but go on to have our own empire to rule over together, I'd have thought you were crazy."

The prince couldn't help but laugh. "Well, we've had our fair share of crazy adventures together. Not everypony can say their wedding was crashed by none other than an evil queen, or that the birth of their first child almost caused their empire to become a frozen wasteland," He fondly sighed. "Really, though, I'm hoping for a nice, relaxing visit with Twily. No big disasters, no last minute surprises, just peace and quiet."

As Shining spoke those words, he had no reason to suspect that he and his wife would be called upon to recount the story of their love before an audience. Or that for the crystal couple, this would be their first big exposure to all the ins and outs of Twilight's School of Friendship.



Ponyville soon came into view, and the train carrying the royal crystal family slowly came to a halt as it pulled into the station. After the royal guards departed first and conducted a quick but thorough inspection of the platform, Shining, Cadence and Flurry were all given permission to leave.

Waiting on the platform for the family was a very familiar looking alicorn mare with a light purple coat. There was no mistaking her, especially not with that pink skunk stripe in her mane and tail. It was Twilight Sparkle!

Twilight immediately threw open her wings and ran to give all three ponies a big hug! "Oh, I'm so glad you guys could make it!" She happily exclaimed!

Princess Cadence smiled and nodded. "We always have time for you, Twilight. That's never going to change no matter where life takes us," Then she and Twilight repeated the chant and dance they always did whenever they met each other. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" And when it was done, the two alicorns giggled in delight (even though Flurry Heart had been watching the whole thing, and was embarrassed by it).

"So, what did you have in mind for us to do, Twily?" Shining Armor asked his sister. "Or would you rather let Cadence and I pick? Because I was thinking we could head over to that castle of yours and just relax. It's been a while since we had the ability to just stop and chat."

The princess of friendship adopted a sheepish blush upon her face as she tried hard not to look guilty. "Actually, I was kind of hoping you two could come to my school and, you know, give a lecture or something. It can be about anything you'd like, as long as it relates to the magic of friendship and the bond all creatures share with one another."

Shining looked across to his wife, and then to his daughter. "I don't know, Twily. Cadence and I don't really have anypony who could foalsit Flurry Heart on such short notice. I understand that Starlight is busy as your school's guidance counselor, and all of your friends are serving as teachers. Plus, I hear Flurry Heart didn't exactly play nice the last time she had other foals to play with."

But the princess of love protested. "We can certainly keep an eye on Flurry while we're helping Twilight at her school, Shining. We made sure to pack all of her supplies, just in case," She winked as she floated over an overstuffed saddlebag that was filled to the brim with foal supplies. "We'd be honored to come to your school as guest lectures, Twilight. I've already got the perfect story in mind to share with the young ones."

Twilight eagerly exclaimed! "Splendid!" Then she coughed into a hoof as she tried to play down her enthusiasm. "Er, I mean, that's great. Come along, then. My school isn't too far from here. You can't miss it." And she led the crystal couple and their charge away, with the royal guard following close behind for the sake of security.





After a short trot across town, Twilight led her brother and her sister-in-law (as well as her favorite and currently only niece) across a stone pathway that led to the front doors of her school. Once inside, she quickly led them through the school's many hallways, until at last she stopped outside one of the classrooms. "I'll just be a minute. You'll know when to come in." She told them, and trotted inside.

Shining Armor and Cadence waited patiently outside, Cadence taking the opportunity to pull out the foal pouch from the overstuffed saddlebag and strap it around her chest. Then she gently floated Flurry Heart into the pouch, making sure her daughter was secure and snug. "There we go, safe and sound," She cooed. "Now be a good little pony for Mommy and Daddy, Flurry. Or no dessert after dinner tonight."

Flurry babbled and winked in reply, appearing quite content.

Just then, the crystal couple overheard Twilight's voice calling out. "I now invite those guest lecturers to come and introduce themselves. Everycreature be on their best behavior."

The prince and princess held hooves as they trotted into Twilight's classroom together, soon taking notice of how big and spansive it was. All the students were seated on asiles in a roughly circular layout, and ponies of all different species and from all trots of life filled seats as far as the eye could see. Yet what truly commanded attention was an earth pony colt with a sandy yellow coat sitting in the front row, because he was surrounded by five other creatures: A blue feathered griffon, an orange scaled dragon, a grayish-green coated changeling, a pink coated hippogriff, and a brown furred yak.

It took a moment for Shining and Cadence to recall that these six students were the ones who had saved the school and all of Equestria. The ones Twilight specifically mentioned had been chosen by the Tree of Harmony to be the next generation to wield the Elements of Harmony. They even remembered the students' names, as Twilight had gone to great lengths to talk them up whenever she could.

"Everycreature," Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat as all eyes fell upon her. She gestured a hoof. "I'd like to introduce my big brother, best friend forever: Shining Armor, his wife: Princess Cadence, and their daughter: Flurry Heart. Please give them a warm welcome."

The entire classroom clapped. It kind of reminded the prince and princess of the crowds they had seen when their empire had been chosen to host the Equestria Games. Oh how long ago that seemed.

"So, what are they supposed to be lecturing us on?" Gallus bluntly questioned when the applause died down.

"Are we going to have to do an assignment or a report on their lecture?" Silverstream questioned with what sounded like equal parts excitement and concern.

"Is this all we're gonna do for class today?" Smolder inquired while briefly yawning.

Twilight grinned and giggled as she answered the questions one by one. "I'm leaving the lecture topic up to them. All my students are welcome to write a report on what they learned from it, and I'll count it as extra credit. And yes, I decided to do something different today. After all, I won't be your teacher or your headmare for much longer. So I want to make every class I get to spend with you all as memorable as possible," Then she turned to her brother and her sister-in-law, and told them in no uncertain terms. "Well, they're all yours."





Just like that, all eyes were on the crystal couple and on their daughter. Flurry, for her part, loved the attention she was getting. She bounced, wiggled and clapped her hooves while babbling and cooing happily. She hadn't seen this many creatures all together in one place since last Hearth's Warming, which she'd spent right here in Ponyville with her favorite aunt.

Princess Cadence was the first of the couple to speak up. "Greetings to you all, everycreature. Shining Armor, Flurry Heart and I are all very pleased to be here. And I hope you'll appreciate what we have to say today."

Yona stomped a hoof down. "Yona want to hear story! Lectures here to tell story, so tell story!"

"Yona," Sandbar shushed the yak as he not so subtly scooted next to her. "You gotta give them a moment. Remember how Headmare Twilight told us somecreatures fear public speaking?"

Ocellus spoke up. "I remember: She specifically mentioned how Professor Fluttershy used to have crippling stage fright, before she worked her way up to singing with the Ponytones," But then she nervously added. "I just hope this lecture isn't about the time they got attacked at their own wedding by Queen Chrysalis. It was because of that that we changelings were so feared for so long."

"Ooh, I hope it's the story about the time their empire almost got taken over by the Frozen North!" Silverstream excitedly chirped! "Because that's when they had their baby, and who doesn't love a baby?!"

Smolder rolled her eyes. "I do. They're way too noisy and way too smelly."

Gallus shrugged his claws. "Whatever, they say everycreature was a baby at some point. As long as I don't have to take notes or anything, I couldn't care less what these two wanna talk about," He leaned back and stretched. "Don't mind me if I happen to doze off. My grades are fine as they are, good enough to pass. I don't need extra credit."

Sandbar just replied. "Come on, everycreature! Just be quiet and let them speak! We promised Headmare Twilight we'd all be good, and we don't want to disappoint her," Then he told the crystal couple. "We're ready whenever you are."

Shining Armor looked across to his wife in uncertainty. But when his gaze met hers, he felt all his worries melt away like they always did whenever he looked at her the way he was looking at her now. And he summoned up the courage to clear his throat, attracting everyone's attention in the otherwise silent classroom. "Well, everycreature, have Cadence and I got a story for you. It's the story of how we met, and how we fell in love."

"Oh great, another one of those cheesy, mushy love stories!" Smolder gagged as she stuck out her tongue. "If you start singing a song, I am so out of here! If I wanted more of that, I'd... attend one of Ocellus' tea parties." A faint blush formed on her cheeks as she hoped no one noticed how softly she had deliver that last line.

"Aw, come on, Smolder!" Silverstream excitedly chirped! "These two fought off an evil queen at their own wedding! I'll bet the story of how they met and fell love is gonna be totally awesome!"

Shining smiled. "Well, it's certainly not as exciting as some of the other things that have happened to Cadence and I. But if it wasn't for what I'm about to tell you, we'd probably never have met in the first place. And I can't imagine where I'd be or who I'd be if I hadn't met Cadence."

Cadence teased and playfully ribbed. "Oh come on, you were already a big deal when you were in the royal guard. Not just anypony could get into them when he was still a colt. Me, on the other hoof, I barely even knew my way around Canterlot. Heck, I was still getting used to having a horn."

"Wait, pony princess not always have horn?" Yona questioned. "But wasn't pony princess born with wings and horn?"

The princess of love shook her head from side to side, and then explained. "No, Yona. Unlike my daughter, I wasn't born an alicorn. Flurry is the first alicorn to have ever been born naturally. Prior to her, alicorns could only come about if one accomplished a great, magical feat. I was born a pegasus, and it was only after I reversed a powerful love spell that I gained a horn and became an alicorn. After that, I met Princess Celestia, who took me in as her adopted niece."

"And then she brought you to Canterlot," Shining chimed in. "I still remember the day I met you. It's not every day that your life is completely changed in an instance." And he started flashing back to that particular day, the day when he had (unknowningly at the time, of course) met his future wife.





Shining Armor had indeed been just a colt when he'd been accepted into the royal guard. But his cutie mark depicting a shield pretty much signified that it was his calling in life to protect others no matter what. And he'd been all too eager to prove himself.

So it was the royal guard's youngest (and newest) recruit found himself standing at attention, clad in the bright yellow armor that all members of the royal guard were to wear at all times while on duty. He wasn't really guarding much of anything, he was just standing outside the barracks where the royal guards often hung out or where they would report to their captain.

In fact, there was word going around that the current captain of the guard was planning on retiring in the near future. Secretly, Shining found himself wishing. "I'd sure give my left hind hoof to be the next captain of the royal guard. My grandfather and my favorite uncle were both captain in their day. And they both said that mares love a stallion in armor."

"Hey, Cadet Shining Armor!" A familiar voice spoke up, snapping the colt out of his mental ponderings. It was a sturdy pegasus stallion with a coat a moderate tangelo in color and eyes the most brilliant shade of cyan. He had a light and moderate blue mane and tail styled almost like a mohawk, and his cutie mark depicted three spearheads. In fact, Spearhead was the pony's name.

"What is it, Spearhead, sir?" Shining asked as the sturdy stallion approached him.

Spearhead sharply rapped. "I know you were daydreaming just now! I saw it with my own eyes!"

The colt pouted. "It's not my fault there's nothing to do except stand around and keep a straight face," He complained. "That's all I've been doing since I was assigned guard duty. It's all the captain lets me do."

Spearhead replied. "Well sorry, rookie. But we all have to start somewhere," In a more sympathetic tone of voice he added. "It could be worse, you know. You could be stuck with mess hall duty, or latrine duty. Be thankful you actually get to guard something. You're young, you've got plenty of time to move up the ranks. But only if you attend to your job. Now stand up straight and keep your eyes focused straight ahead!"

So Shining Armor reluctantly obeyed, staring straight ahead even though there was nothing to see as far as the eye could see. Canterlot was always a peaceful city, he couldn't remember the last time anything had happened that had even come close to putting the princess' life in danger. It was times like this that made him envy the Wonderbolts, they had split off from the EUP and the protective pony platoons long ago to be performers first and foremost. At least they got to do fun things to pass the time.

Suddenly, the colt's moderate cerulean eyes spotted a sight he had never seen before! Princess Celestia was trotting past with a small, separate unit of the royal guard for company. But it was the pony trotting alongside the sun princess that caught Shining's attention. 

It was an alicorn, no mistake about it: The wings and horn were a dead giveaway. But this alicorn was a candy pink in color, with eyes a beautiful and dazzling shade of light purple. Her mane and tail consisted of moderate violet and rose locks with light yellow streaks in the back of her head and tail. The locks were styled into adorable little buns, held up by beautiful blue bows. And her cutie mark commanded attention unto itself: It was a heart made of pure crystal, surrounded by golden yellow swirls.

Shining felt himself growing warm as his whole face turned red. That smaller alicorn beside Princess Celestia was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen! She was drop dead gorgeous! He had to know who she was, so he turned to Spearhead and asked him. "Hey, Spearhead, who's that pony beside Princess Celestia? Is she new here?"

Spearhead firmly nodded. "You bet she is. She's Princess Cadence. Apparently, Princess Celestia officially adopted her as her niece: Something about Cadence not having a family of her own anymore."

"What is she the princess of, exactly?" Shining Armor questioned as his blush grew brighter.

Spearhead shrugged his hooves. "Hay if I know. All I know is, Princess Celestia brought her here to Canterlot. And since then, Cadence has never left her majesty's side."

Shining fondly sighed. "Ah, Cadence. That's such a lovely name," He quickly turned towards Spearhead as he asked the stallion. "Uh, how do I look? Do I have something stuck in my teeth? You think there's enough time for me to run into the barracks for a quick shower and be back out before she passes by here?"

The sturdy pegasus stallion ribbed the colt in the side with a hoof. "Get a hold of yourself, Romeo! If you even think you have a chance with the new princess, think again! I'm sure she's already got dozens upon dozens of possible suitors all chasing after her, all of them far more important than you. What makes you think that you, the newest member of the royal guard, could possibly win her heart the way more important ponies couldn't?" He then rapped again. "Now come on, focus! She's coming right this way, and so is Princess Celestia! I'll not have you making us look bad in front of her majesty!"

But it was Princess Cadence who attracted Shining Armor's attention. Princess Cadence was all he could think about as the sun princess and her niece trotted by. "And this is the barracks, where my royal guards can usually be found when they're not on duty," Princess Celestia explained to the candy colored alicorn. "Oh! And what luck, it seems their newest recruit is here. I think you'll very much like him, he's not much older than you are now. And he has a little sister too."

"You want me to be a foalsitter, Auntie Celestia?" Princess Cadence asked as she looked up at the taller and older alicorn. "I... I don't know. This is all so much to take in."

Princess Celestia nodded, drapping a wing over her adopted niece. "I know it is, Cadence. But that's why you have me. You are a princess now. And a princess must get to know her subjects, and make a good impression on the public. You project love and warmth, which makes you ideal for foalsitting duty."

Just then, Shining Armor plucked up courage and broke from protocol to wave a hoof at the candy colored alicorn as she passed by. Imagine his surprise when Princess Cadence not only noticed the wave, but actually waved back to him for all of a second or two.

Celestia seemed to grin ever so faintly at the display, before lightly poking at her niece and telling her. "Come on, Cadence. If there's time after the tour, you can come back here and chat with the royal guards as much as you like. After all, you'll have to get used to them accompanying you on occasion. Royalty cannot always trot about unprotected." And she led her fellow alicorn away ever so slowly. Her tone of voice the whole time sounded more like a teasing parent than the ruler of the land.

Even so, Shining was surprised when Cadence briefly looked to him and said. "It was nice to meet you, whoever you are. I hope we'll see each other more often." Then she trotted along to join her adopted aunt, and the two alicorns soon disappeared from sight.





Shining Armor could hardly believe what had just happened! He had actually been greeted by the newest alicorn, by the adopted niece of Princess Celestia no less! And to think, he was just a lowly recruit within the royal guard, currently wasting his time standing around outside the barracks.

"Did you see that, Spearhead?!" Shining exclaimed as he had to struggle to keep standing still! "She actually talked to me! She acknowledged me, me!" And he boasted! "And you thought I didn't have a chance with her! Shows what you know!"

Spearhead could only groan in annoyance. "Geez, kid, calm down! It's not like she kissed you or anything. She talks to lots of ponies. I'm sure she'll be talking to all of us royal guards eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already spoken to our captain."

It was then that Shining got an idea in his head! An idea about how he might be able to see that beautiful alicorn more often! "Princess Celestia said she'll need royal guards to go with her to places, didn't she?"

"Not all the time, but yes," Spearhead admitted, before realizing what the colt in front of him was proposing. "Oh no, don't you get any ideas, mister! Princess Celestia will never go for some newbie like you. She's bound to want only the best the royal guard has to offer to protect her newly adopted niece. Besides, it's up to the captain and her majesty herself to decide who should have the honor. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. Your chances are pretty slim of ever getting picked."

The unicorn colt just grinned. "You're forgetting that I'm the older brother of the princess' student. Heck, I owe my cutie mark to my little sister, to protecting her from some bullies. So I know a thing or two about keeping important ponies safe. I'll get an audience with Princess Celestia herself. I'll make my case. Then she'll have to pick me."

The sturdy pegasus stallion groaned anew. "Kid, you're seriously going to go through with that crazy plan of yours?" He wasn't surprised to receive a confirming nod in reply. He put a hoof to his face. "You're just going to embarass yourself, you know that? You just met the princess' niece not even ten minutes ago, and already you're trying to become her personal royal guard escort. But I suppose if you're determined to go through with it, there's nothing I or any of the other guards can do to stop you."

"Exactly!" Shining Armor proudly declared, then firmly vowed as his eyes twinkled like stars! "I felt something with Princess Cadence I've never felt before! It was like a spark, like something was telling me we're meant to be! And I have to follow that spark wherever it leads me. I don't care if I make a fool of myself in the process!"

Spearhead could only bring himself to say in reply. "Well, best of luck to you, then. You're certainly gonna need it, kid," Then he turned, sighed and shook his head as he quietly lamented. "Kids these days."





Shining Armor wasted no time in following that "spark" he had felt! As soon as his shift was over and he was dismissed for the day, he ran through the streets of Canterlot! He was a stallion on a mission! Nothing and nopony was going to keep him from it!

The more he thought about her, the more Shining found himself being drawn to Princess Cadence. The way she carried herself in uncertainty, those beautiful buns she'd styled her mane and tail into, the colors of her mane and tail, even the way she spoke in such a shy but sweet sounding tone. So who cared if she was royalty and he was not? Why should that get between them?

Upon reaching the castle, the colt's resolved was hardened and his mission clear in his mind. Still, he took a moment to compose himself. He wanted to look his best for Princess Celestia. After all, his family owed a lot to her when the sun princess had agreed to make Twilight her personal student. Shining only briefly recalled the one before, and had heard that that student had run away to another world, or so they said.

The colt with a snow white coat reached up a hoof to adjust his shaggy, three toned blue mane of his. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure of how he looked, but the unicorn hoped he was at least presentable to the princess. It'd hard for her to take him seriously if he looked like he'd been to Tartarus and back since she'd seen him last. To say nothing of what Cadence might think of him if she saw him like that.

Steadying himself and mustering up what courage he could on short notice, Shining trotted into the throne room. Sure enough, he found Princess Celestia sitting upon her throne and waiting for him.

The alicorn rose at once, setting aside the scrolls she had apparently been reading over. Shining hoped he hadn't interrupted her in the middle of something important.

Clearing his throat, Shining Armor bowed his head and introduced himself. "Um, hello, your majesty. It's me, Shining Armor. The newest member of your royal guard."

The sun princess flashed a warm smile. "Yes, of course, I've heard all about you from your sister. She tells me that being in the royal guard is a dream come true for you."

"Oh it is, it is!" Shining willingly confessed. "I'm honored to protect and serve you, princess." And he gave a salute to demonstrate his commitment.

Princess Celestia seemed to be struggling not to chuckle. It was almost like she was a mom, finding the display from the colt adorable and amusing. "What... business brings you here, young Shining Armor?" She questioned him in a gentle tone.

The unicorn colt swallowed hard. This was it, all or nothing! He immediately blurted out! "I want to be part of the royal guards protecting Princess Cadence!" Upon seeing that his words sounded more forceful than he intended, he recovered and said with a blush. "Uh, if that's okay with you, your majesty?"

Celestia paused and placed a hoof to her chin, appearing to be deep in thought. "Well, I'm not sure. You haven't been serving with my guards for very long. If my memory serves me correctly, today was the first time I saw you actually guarding something. You've never even had a chance to serve in the unit that accompanies and protects me."

"Please, princess?!" Shining Armor pleaded as he got down on his back hooves, raising his front hooves up as he shot the best pair of pleading puppy dog eyes he could muster up. "I promise I'll be extra careful with your niece. I'll make sure she's as safe as a baby. And wouldn't it be nice if Cadence had somepony around her age to talk to? Somepony to keep her company on long walks and make sure she knows how to find her way around Canterlot?"

Celestia seemed to be able to resist the puppy dog eyes look pretty well, probably due to having been exposed to it more times than she could remember. "Well, that would be up to Cadence's discretion and not mine. But all the same, you do make a good point. Cadence really does need to be around more ponies her own age, she's never really had anypony aside from her parents and aside from me. And I won't always be around, I'm very busy."

"Can you at least promise you'll put in a good word for me with her?" Shining insisted. "I promise, I won't ask you for any other favors as long as I'm in your royal guard. I'll do everything a good royal guard should do."

The sun princess just replied. "I'll think about it, Shining Armor. And you'll know if I decide to trust you."

The colt stood up and all but kissed the princess' hoof in delight! "Oh thank you, Princess Celestia! You really are the best! I see why Twily looks up to you. You're so much more amazing in pony!" And after kicking his back legs in delight, he ran off while happily giggling to himself. He didn't even care that he hadn't actually been given the assignment yet, that it wasn't a guarantee. He was just that delighted at the mere prospect of having a chance!

Princess Celestia smiled as she watched the colt depart from her presence. "Guess it runs in the family." She chuckled to herself as she observed the display of enthusiasm from Shining Armor, and how it reminded her of the enthusiasm Twilight had shown upon getting her cutie mark.





"Oh come now, dear," Princess Cadence spoke up, interrupting the flashback. "You know that's not exactly how it happened. I spoke to you a lot more than that."

Shining Armor playfully grinned. "Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a little bit. I was just trying to protect your reputation. After all, you talking to me got you in trouble with your aunt. You were a bit of a rebellious princess when I met you," He pointed a hoof to the foal pouch. "I see where Flurry Heart gets her mischevious streak from."

Princess Cadence playfully ribbed back. "Oh, you. We both know you're not so innocent. You got into your fair share of mischief as a colt. Sometimes, even though I was supposed to be foalsitting Twilight, it felt more like I was foalsitting you with how much of a kid you acted."

"But look how it brought us together," Shining declared with a dreamy smile. "Now here we are, sharing our love story with the next generation."

"Gross!" Smolder gagged anew. "Are you two ever gonna stop with the mushy lovetalk? It's so cliche!"

Ocellus just smiled. "I think it's nice. Even though I'm not feeding on love anymore, I can still appreciate how healthy the love shared between two creatures is. Heck, Flurry Heart's giving off a lot of love herself. Seems like a happy family all around."

Sandbar, meanwhile, was blushing. "So I'm not the only one who acted silly and tongue tied over a crush."

Yona playfully smiled back at Sandbar. "Sandbar big and goofy, but Yona love Sandbar in that way. Yona not care if Sandbar only pony in the world who act like that."

"Yona, come on! Not front in of the whole classroom!" Sandbar insisted even though his tone of voice made it clear he actually didn't mind the attention all that much.

Silverstream just chirped. "When are you gonna kiss me, Gallus, you big, silly goose? You know you love me!"

Gallus feigned ignorance as he puts his claws together. "I have no clue what you're talking about, Silverstream," And he quickly saw fit to change the subject as he asked the couple. "So, I'm guessing Shining Armor eventually got his wish and got to escort the princess around. But what happened next? That can't be all, can it?"

Princess Cadence was about to reply, when suddenly an all too familiar scent reached her nostrils. She didn't even need to look down at her daughter to know what the smell was and what it meant. "Oh, there's definitely more to it. But that'll have to wait until I get done changing Flurry Heart," And she sincerely apologized as she lit up her horn. "Terribly sorry, everycreature. I'll make it quick!" She then disappeared along with her daugther in a flash of light blue magic.

A short time later, the princess of love returned with her mane and tail looking slightly frazzled. She breathed a much needed sigh of relief. "Okay, now that I've taken care of that," She remarked, taking a moment to fix her mane and tail. "Allow me to pick up where my husband so generously left off. He did indeed get to be part of the royal guards that were to accompany me around Canterlot, helping me learn what was where. But it wasn't long before he got even bolder." And now it was her turn to experience a flashback, remembering how her first date with Shining had come about.





Princess Cadence had quickly taken a shine to Shining Armor as he served along with a couple of other royal guards, escorting her around Canterlot and making sure she returned to the castle every evening at sundown. It was nice to know that she had ponies she could turn to if she ever got lost.

But Shining in particular, he was just so much fun to be around. There was just something about the way he tried to compose himself and act all serious, when at heart he was just a big old goofball that warmed the princess' heart.

The more the candy colored alicorn saw Shining, the more she found she couldn't stop thinking about him. He was such a gentlecolt at heart. He really seemed to be genuinely interested in who she was and how she'd come to be Princess Celestia's adopted niece. It also helped that he was willing to give Cadence lessons on how to cast spells and do other magical things, something that Shining Armor insisted was practically second nature to him.

Then, suddenly, out of the blue one day, Shining Armor seemed to get an idea in his head as he looked up to the sky. Then he locked eyes with the candy colored alicorn and flat out asked her. "Wanna go on a date with me, Princess Cadence?"

"A date? With you?" Cadence all but found herself at a loss for words.

The unicorn colt firmly nodded his head. "Of course. We could just go out together, you and I, and see the sights. I promise we'd be back by sundown, just like when I'm accompanying you with the other royal guards in your unit."

The young alicorn gulped and swallowed hard. "Well... I don't know. What would my Aunt Celestia say?"

"We could always invent the cover story that I was giving you more personal magic lessons," Shining insisted with a wink. "She'd never be any the wiser. Trust me, I'm pretty good when it comes to keeping secrets. I'm not like Twily, she's a blabbermouth, nothing stays secret with her for long."

Reluctantly, Princess Cadence found herself agreeing. "A-alright, I guess. But if we get into trouble, I'm telling Auntie Celestia it was your idea!" She couldn't stop her face from flushing bright red. "Got it?"

The colt smiled, all but jumping up and down with delight! "Oh, Cadence, you've made me the happiest pony in all of Canterlot! No, all of Equestria!" He stopped upon realizing he was drawing unwanted attention to himself. "So, I'll see you tomorrow at the usual place," Then he whispered. "But I'll be alone."

The princess watched Shining disappear into the distance. She dreamily sighed, much to her surprise. "Shining Armor, how you amaze yet baffle me so," She said to herself. "What did I ever do to deserve a pony like you for a suitor?" And the alicorn found that the agreed upon first date was all she could think about as she trotted back into the castle. She even found herself adopting a goofy grin that wouldn't leave her face no matter what she did.





The next day came, and any belief Cadence might have had about her simply dreaming up Shining Armor's proposal was dashed in spectacular fashion when the colt showed up at the designated meeting place: The castle courtyard. When Cadence beheld Shining's appearance, her mouth dropped open in shock!

Shining had gone all out! He had polished his armor so that it shone like gold, it glistened brightly in the sunlight. His mane and tail had been trimmed and brushed so that they no longer stuck out in such obvious fashion. And he had opted for a finely pressed suit even though he was still wearing his guard armor. In short, he looked very much like a prince charming from a fairy tale.

The finely dressed colt bowed his head to his date as he spoke in a polished, elegant tone. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I, Sir Shining Armor Sparkle, do hereby announce my intent to spend today in courtship of you. If you will have me."

Cadence blushed bright red, suddenly feeling underdressed for the occasion since she hadn't styled herself a bit or even gotten a nice dress to wear. Still, she forced herself to giggle at Shining's antics. "Oh, Shining. You really don't have to do any of this. And you can just call me Cadence. It's just a date between two ponies, two friends who know each other."

"Ah, but you are royalty. And royalty deserves only the best," Shining declared as he kissed her hoof. "Now then, your highness, shall we be off?"

The candy colored alicorn managed to force out the words. "Y-yes. We... shall." She extended the hoof Shining had just kissed out to him, and soon felt him grasp it and gently pull him towards her. Her cheeks were already feeling like they were on fire, they were burning bright red, so red that she couldn't hope to hide it.

The armor wearing colt with a coat of white smiled. "Splendid. I know just where to go first. I reckon you could use a bite to eat."

"Now that I think about it, it has been a while since lunch time." Princess Cadence managed to reply.

Shining Armor smiled even more. "Good, then it's settled. Hope you like Donut Joe's."

Cadence was most surprised at the choice of venue. Donut Joe's hardly seemed like the kind of place you would expect to take royalty on a first date, not that she minded. Besides, it was Shining's decision to make and not hers. She most certainly didn't want to seem ungrateful.

When the young daters arrived at the location, Cadence finally got a good look at Donut Joe in pony. He was a unicorn stallion of slender but tall build, with a light amber coat. His mane and tail were short in style and a moderate organish-brown in color. His eyes were a modest sap green, and his cutie mark was a donut. He happened to be wearing a white button vest and a matching hat.

Donut Joe looked up and smiled. "Well well, Shining Armor. Haven't you seen in a hot minute, not like your sister. Just look at you: Mister Royal Guard," He paused and wiped a lone tear from his eye. "I can still remember when you were just a scrawny little colt, and your mom wouldn't let you out of her sight. You're growing up so fast, you and Twilight. And look at you now, you even snagged yourself a fine young mare for a date."

Shining nodded. "Not just any young mare, Donut Joe, but the adopted niece of Princess Celestia: Princess Mi'Amore Cadenza."

Cadence bowed as she sheepishly responded. "Please, just call me Cadence. Everypony does, even my aunt."

Donut Joe nodded back, tipping his hat in reply. "Very well, Cadence. I hope you know how lucky you are to have Shining Armor for a coltfriend. Guess it's true what they say, mares love a stallion in armor."

"W-well, he asked me out, not the other way around." Cadence replied as the blush returned with a vengeance. She said nothing further as she and Shining Armor were led to a table and sat down, two menus soon placed in front of them.

Of course, there was really only one thing to get: Donuts. And Shining ordered a lot of them (and paid for them too). It wasn't long after the order was placed before a huge plate of fresh, hot donuts was presented to the young couple.





After the donuts were devoured, Shining Armor took his date by the hoof and led her away ever so slowly. At times, it looked almost as if he were getting lost in those eyes of her.

Cadence was even more surprised when the armored colt decided to take her into the park, the park that was sure to be crawling with ponies. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Shining?" She nervously asked him.

Shining nodded back with a confident smile. "Of course. It's such an obvious place for a date, nopony will ever think anything of the two of us being there. Especially not when we've been here numerous times already when I was with other royal guards," He then teased. "Remember the time you asked me to push you on one of the swings? I thought you were crazy."

"Well, you still did what I asked of you, didn't you?" Princess Cadence replied with a giggle. "I just really wanted to feel young again. In the village I grew up in, we never had a playground or swings," But then she asked. "But still, what will other ponies think? They're sure to stare."

The colt with a coat of white confidently responded in an unconcerned tone of voice. "Let them stare. As long as nopony takes pictures, we'll be fine. You know how much ponies like to gossip about everything and anything. Most of the uppercrusts will just think it's all rumors. Besides, I heard that Fancy Pants of all ponies has recently been making headlines with a romantic partner of his own. Nopony knows for sure what's going on with him and the lucky mare though, he's yet to formally introduce her. And as they say: A gentlecolt never tells."

Cadence managed to force out. "R-right." Why was she so frequently finding herself at a loss for words with Shining? What was it about her that so attracted her? Made her feel drawn to him? She had only just gotten to know him over the span of a few weeks, maybe a month or two tops. And what would her Aunt Celestia think of her falling in love with a member of the royal guard? Would that even be allowed?

The walk through the park was a blur for the young princess. Just as she feared, countless ponies from all walks of life stopped and stared at her. Even a few unicorns from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns (who just happened to have come to the park today for one of their frequent get togethers) observed the scene and could be heard whispering to themselves. Yet through it all, Shining Armor was by her side. With his hoof holding hers, the alicorn never once thought of breaking away and making a run for it.

Shining Armor, for his part, just smiled and occasionally leaned into Cadence. He seemed unafraid to let other ponies see him with her. The confidence he projected despite his status was enough to make one forget he was the youngest and newest recruit within the royal guard's ranks.

All good things must come to an end eventually, however. And as the setting sun cast its orange glow across the landscape, Shining brought Cadence back to the castle just like he promised. "Your highness," He bowed anew. "It has been my pleasure to be your royal escort and to have courted you this day. I hope it was as magical for you as it was for me."

Princess Cadence didn't reply with words. She just pressed her face up against Shining Armor's and kissed him right on the spot!

Shining just returned the kiss as the two young ponies stood there, smooching each other for what felt like minutes even though it was really only seconds.

When the kiss was finally broken up, Cadence managed to say. "T-thank you, Shining Armor. It's been... nice getting to know you and just spend time with you."

"The pleasure was all mine, Cadence." Shining Armor nodded back.

"W-well," The young princess spoke up. "I... hope I'll see you again soon."

Shining winked. "Oh, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other more often. After all, I hear you're going to be in my school. I'll be looking forward to having you for a classmate. Then I'll have an excuse to show you around again."

The candy colored alicorn giggled. "I'd like that very much, Shining. Thank you." And then she watched as the armored colt trotted off into the distance, undoubtly headed back to the barracks to drop off his suit of armor.





"Funny, from what I remember I had to kiss you because you were so tonuge tied." Shining Armor spoke up as his wife's flashback ended.

Princess Cadence ribbed her husband in reply. "I was humoring you, mostly. I was actually more confident than I made myself sound. But as a princess, I had to keep my emotions in check."

Shining smiled and winked. "Whatever you say, dear. You're always right."

Cadence teased. "That's right. And unless you wanna sleep on the couch when we get back to the Crystal Empire, you'd be wise to remember that." Then she and Shining leaned in close and kissed each other very quickly.

Many students let out an "Aw" at the display, and even Smolder found herself admitting. "Okay, I guess even I can see true love when it's staring me in the face. Maybe it's not all cheesy and mushy after all," Then she folded her claws across her chest as she pouted ever so slightly. "Maybe being the key word."

Ocellus just smiled. "Wow! Your love story was so incredible! I could feel the intensity from here! You two sure do have a lot of love for each other."

The princess of love nodded. "That's what happens when two ponies have been in love for as long as Shining and I have. And I imagine we'll continue to be in love for many, many years to come."

Silverstream then raised a claw and asked. "So, when did the baby come along? And what about your wedding?"

The crystal couple giggled as the prince replied. "Those are stories for another time. In fact, I have a feeling your headmare," He glanced towards Twilight. "Would be more than happy to weave those stories into her lesson plan, if she hasn't already."

Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of class. And all the students rose to their hooves or other extremiites, got up and left the classroom. Just like that, Twilight was alone with her family, including her favorite niece.

Twilight clapped her hooves in approval. "Very impressive, both of you," She gave a knowing wink. "But I know you two exaggerated on some details, and left certain other details out."

"Hey, we had to keep things simple for the kids," Shining Armor replied. "Thanks again for having us, Twily. Your school is truly a wonderful thing."

Princess Cadence nodded. "I think Shining and I will have to come here more often. You have some very talented students here, Twilight. I can see why Sandbar and his friends were chosen by the Tree of Harmony, their bond is truly special. And the way Sandbar and Yona are, it kind of reminds me of Shining and I myself when we were their age."

Twilight Sparkle smiled back. "I'm glad you both think so. But I'm surprised you haven't figured out why I asked you both to come here on today of all days," With a knowing grin she added. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"

Shining looked all around, even to the foal pouch his wife had. "Nope, everything and everypony is accounted for," He said while patting Flurry Heart on the head. "Good job staying where Mommy and Daddy can see you, Flurry."

Flurry Heart just babbled and happily cooed in reply.

Twilight then explained. "Don't tell me you two have forgotten: Today's your anniversary."

The crystal couple gasped and exchanged mutal looks of surprise! "Really?!" They asked each other.

"Yup," Twilight nodded back. "So what better way to spend it than to remember, and to reflect on how you two met each other and fell in love? I specifically planned this in advance, even though I was so sure you two would have something else planned."

Cadence sheepishly confessed with a blush. "It seems we've been so busy we've forgotten something truly important. Thank you for remembering, Twilight."

"Hey, what's family for?" Twilight responded with a sincere smile. "Now come on, you two lovebirds. Mom and Dad will be expecting you at my castle for dinner, as will Spike. An anniversary like this is worth celebrating with the whole family!" And then she led her brother, her sister-in-law and her niece away.