Applejack and Fluttershy galloped on their way, carrying on their backs, Scootaloo and Spike, who himself carried the cat that belonged to Rarity, named Opalescence. They had been moving right along ever since their terrifying encounter with the giant bat known as Screech. They moved at top speed to get to the shelter after witnessing the power of the kaiju. But they had still kept an eye out for anyone on the street who may have needed an escort to the shelter.

However, they never found anypony else. Whether this was a good thing or not is up for debate. What was undisputedly good luck was the fact that the small team also hadn't seen Screech again. This meant there were no more major obstacles keeping them from reaching the shelter. It is here where they were to meet up with the rest of their friends who had separated into groups according to the plan of Princess Twilight Sparkle. They were coming up to the entrance of the underground shelter when one of them saw a very welcomed sight.

"Look!" Scootaloo shouted as she raised a hoof.

Everypony looked to where Scootaloo was pointing and smiled when they spotted Rarity escorting several ponies, all of which, except one, were little children.

"Rarity!" Spike, Applejack, and Fluttershy both said excitedly.

"She made it!" said Scootaloo, equally enthused.

"Hey, Rarity, look over yonder!"

Rarity looked to where they were when she heard Applejack's voice. Rarity then gasped in surprise, which was then followed by an absolutely delighted smile. She led her group over towards her friends, while they trotted up to meet her halfway. As soon as they were within reach of each other, Rarity threw her hooves around Applejack and Fluttershy, who did the same, while their passengers, Spike and Scootaloo, reached to join the hug.

"I was so worried about all of you," said Rarity, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

"We were worried about you too, Rarity," said Applejack.

"And we're oh so, very happy to see you here safe and sound," said Fluttershy.

"Me too, Fluttershy. I'm so glad you're alright," said Rarity.

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle shouted excitedly when she saw her friend on Applejack's back.

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo shouted back when she spotted her friend in the group Rarity had been escorting.

Sweetie Belle ran up to Rarity and the others, while Scootaloo hopped off Applejack's back and ran up to Sweetie Belle. The two friends jumped around each other in joy before stopping to hug each other. Then they pulled out of their hug, but kept their front hooves pressed together as they smiled in joy at seeing each other.

"It's great to see you're okay, Sweetie Belle. I didn't know what to think when I came back and saw what happened to Ponyville. But then I figured out what I was thinking. 'What happened to my friends?' "

"Thanks, Scootaloo. I was worried about you too. ...And Applebloom," said Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo's eyes opened wide with alarm.

"What happened to Applebloom?! Do you know?!" asked Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"I was with my parents when the monster attacked," said Sweetie Belle.

Both fillies' expressions became sad and concerned. But then Scootaloo broke the silence.

"We can't assume the worst, Sweetie Belle. I'm sure Applebloom's fine. We're fine, so I'm absolutely sure she's fine too."

Sweetie Belle seemed unsure at first, but overtime managed to buy into Scootaloo's reasoning.

"If you're sure Applebloom's okay, then I am too, Scootaloo."

"At a girl!"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders forever!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said at the same time.

They then hurried back over to where Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were standing.

"Hey, Rarity, I got a little friend here who wants to see you," said Spike as he held out Opalescence.

Rarity gasped before a huge smile came over her face.

"Oh, Opal, I am so happy to see you! Mama's little snookums, wookums! Come to Mommy!" said Rarity as she used her horn's magic to levitate her cat to her so she could snuggle it.

"Oh, Mama's so happy here little utesy, cutesy is just fine," said Rarity.

The pretty white mare turned her attention to Spike.

"Oh, Spikey, I don't know how I can ever thank you. You're my big, strong hero today," said Rarity before she moved her face up to Spike's and kissed him on the cheek.

Spike's reaction was for his whole body freezing up stiff as a board with a wide eyed look of surprise on his face. A smile slowly spread across his face as he fell backwards off Fluttershy's back. The three mares laughed in amusement.

"I think y'all just lit up his little heart like fireworks at a rodeo, Rarity," said Applejack.

Rarity let out a soft giggle.

"It's the least I could do for my little Spikey-poo for bringing me my precious little Opal," said Rarity as she looked to her cat that was on her back.

"Hi, Applejack, hi, Fluttershy," said Sweetie Belle.

"Howdy, little filly," said Applejack.

"Why, hello, Sweetie Belle. I'm happy to see you're okay," said Fluttershy.

"I'm happy to see you're both okay too. I was worried about all my friends during that attack," said Sweetie Belle.

"Well that's a mighty nice thing to say, Sweetie Belle. But as you can see, all of us are alright," said Applejack.

I hope, the orange Earth pony thought to herself while wondering at the same time how her family was doing.

Rarity turned her head back when she heard hoof steps coming up behind her. She saw that Derpy Hooves was leading the group of foals to the entrance of the shelter where Rarity and all her friends were standing.

"Speaking of ponies that are alright, look who I found on the side of the street," said Rarity.

"Oh, Derpy, you're alright," said Fluttershy.

"Howdy, Derpy. I'm mighty glad to see some pony folk that got through the attack just fine," said Applejack.

Derpy Hooves slightly bowed her head in respect.

"Thank you very much, Applejack," said Derpy Hooves.

"Oh, it's also very good to see your daughter is in good health too," said Fluttershy.

Then she looked down to Dinky Doo, with a kind smile on her face.

"Hello, Dinky, it's good to see you're okay."

"Say thank you to Fluttershy, Dinky," Derpy Hooves instructed.

"Thank you, Ma'am," said Dinky Doo.

Fluttershy's eyes shut as her smile to the little filly got bigger.

"Hey, where's Rainbow Dash?" asked Scootaloo.

Rarity's smile slumped into a frown, as did Derpy's, Dinky's, Sweetie Belle's, and the rest of the foals they brought along with them.

"Yeah, where is she? We saw her Sonic Rainboom across the sky. Pretty reckless if you ask me. Pulling a stunt like that and making a spectacle in the middle of a monster attack. That could really, oh, I don't know, make the monster want to come at you!" said Applejack.

"I... I think that may have been her plan," said Rarity.

"Come again?" said Applejack.

Rarity looked away and lowered her head, finding herself unable to face her friends. But then she forced herself to look back to them, but with the same sad, afraid, and regretful frown mixture on her face.

"Rainbow Dash was of the mind that she was the only pony that had a chance of stopping the monster. ...And that's what she flew off to try and do," said Rarity.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Spike, and Scootaloo all let out loud gasps.

"She what?" asked Fluttershy.

"Tarnation! I can't believe that pony! She's really bought into her own hype, hasn't she! She's crazy to think she could fight a giant monster all on her own!"

"Oh no, Applejack, that's not what she was doing. I think she said she was going to try and lead the monster away from town," said Rarity.

"That makes more sense. ...To me at least. Rushing to actually fight a giant monster like a one pony army is to reckless of a move. ...Even for Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy.

"I suppose so. But still, what makes a pony want to lay their life on the line by volunteering for something like that?" asked Applejack.

"Loyalty," said Rarity and Fluttershy at the same time.

"Rainbow Dash didn't want the monster to harm anymore ponies and was loyal enough to Ponyville to try and lead the monster away. Also, she thought she was the only pony who could do it," said Rarity.

"She may have been right. With her totally epic flying, she's probably the next best thing to an actual Wonderbolt. ...Maybe even better," said Scootaloo.

Applejack looked to the sky.

"You're right, Scootaloo. It is Rainbow Dash's loyalty, bravery, and awesome flying skills that make her the best pegasus pony around. If anypony can stay in the air with Screech, she can," said Applejack.

Derpy Hooves stepped up and spoke.

"If I may say, I've known Rainbow Dash a long time. We were in flight school together, just like you were, Fluttershy."

The creamy yellow pegasus nodded her head.

"So I'll tell you now, I know for a fact that Rainbow Dash will come through on this," said Derpy Hooves.

"I believe in Rainbow Dash!" said Scootaloo.

"Yeah," everypony else agreed.

"Well now, Twilight Sparkle wanted us all to meet at the shelter. The way she and Pinkie went would take them to the entrance on the other side. Which means, we should probably head down there and see if they're there looking for us. If they are, they'll start making their way this way. Which means, we'll have to start making our way that way," said Applejack.

"Uh... Which way is which again?" asked Spike.

"I think we should just head down to the shelter," said Rarity.

And with that, the group made their way down to the safety of the shelter below.

MEANWHILE:

The alicorn princess, Twilight Sparkle and her Earth pony friend, Pinkie Pie left behind the steps that took them down to the shelter and walked into the shelter itself. Just as Twilight Sparkle was expecting, the shelter was filled with wall to wall ponies, not all of them in the best of conditions. Twilight could see that the ponies around the shelter were in both physical and for some of them, even psychological pain.

"Wow, there sure are a lot of ponies here," Pinkie Pie observed.

"Mm hmm," said Twilight Sparkle as she nodded her head.

"I'll bet that everypony in town is down here," said Pinkie Pie.

A somber look came over Twilight Sparkle's face as she looked out into the huge crowd.

"I hope so," said Twilight Sparkle.

The purple alicorn took one last look around at the crowd of distraught ponies before she turned to her pink friend.

"Come on, Pinkie Pie, if things go according to plan, then we should meet the others either in the middle of this crowd or on the other side of it," said Twilight Sparkle.

Pinkie Pie nodded her head in reply. Her usually chipper mood was somewhat muted at the moment and her mane seem to change from its usual poofy, curliness to a more straight and hanging down state. The sight of the distressed ponies seemed to be getting to her, even to the point where her usually bright pink fur seemed to fade in color. It wasn't made any better when she had to follow Twilight Sparkle into the sea of agony and suffering.

As they walked through the crowd, Twilight and Pinkie Pie saw ponies that were either screaming like maniacs in pain or crying like they had lost everything. Some had confined themselves to their own private corner to let out their grievances, others were surrounded by their family who had their hooves around each other and joined in the crying. Other ponies suffered in silence. But their pain was plain to see by the looks on their faces.

Medical personal were scattered throughout the crowd tending to injured ponies as best as they could. The sights of sorrow just about brought tears to the eyes of Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie. But then they saw a sight that lifted their spirits higher then they'd been since they were at the beach earlier that day. The Apples Family (Applejack's family) stood huddled together.

They were all there; Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applebloom were altogether. While they looked nearly as somber as everypony else around the shelter, they also looked to be fine; completely void of injuries of any kind. They were some of the lucky and very few among the crowd that could say that. Despite their upset looks, it was still nice for Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie to see ponies they knew that were alright.

"Granny Smith!" Twilight Sparkle called as she started trotting over with Pinkie Pie along side.

The Apples looked over to see the two ponies coming towards them. The sight of familiar faces made them smile brightly and wave as they approached. Twilight Sparkle embraced both Granny Smith and Big Mac, while Pinkie Pie hugged Applebloom.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie Pie blurted as she jumped up and down in joy.

"We're mighty happy to see you too, Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Granny Smith.

"You too, Pinkie Pie," said Applebloom.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh agreed.

"This is just terrible, what's happened to Ponyville," said Granny Smith.

"I know, it's a disaster. Did you see how it started?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"No, I'm afraid not," said Granny Smith as she shook her head.

"Big Mac?" Pinkie Pie inquired.

"Nope," the red stallion replied.

"I did," said Applebloom.

Everypony in the group looked down at the little filly.

"Do you think you could share it with us?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Well... I..."

"It's okay, Applebloom, just take your time and tell us everything from the beginning," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Well... It happened right after you, Applejack, and the others left. Me and Sweetie Belle were heading for home when we noticed the huge cloud in the sky. Right from the beginning we felt uncomfortable with the cloud. Something just didn't seem natural about it. When we broke off in different directions for home, I noticed that a part of the cloud broke off from the rest of it."

Applebloom stopped as her eyes welled up and tears started to form.

"But it wasn't a piece of the cloud. ...It was that thing. ...That... That monster!"

Applebloom started to sob as she threw herself into Pinkie Pie's embrace. As the Earth pony rubbed her hoof up and down the filly's back, Twilight Sparkle placed a hoof on the side of Applebloom's back and did the same.

"Don't cry, Applebloom," said Twilight Sparkle.

"It was awful," said Applebloom in between sobs.

"I know. I know it was. I saw it too," said Twilight Sparkle.

"We both did," said Pinkie Pie.

"But as awful as Screech was, I know everything's going to be okay. Because I have a plan," said Twilight Sparkle.

"You do?" asked Granny Smith as she gently took Applebloom out of Pinkie Pie's hooves and into her own.

"Yes, I do. Believe it or not, I've known something like this would happen for a while. And I've been preparing and waiting for it. Now that is has happened, I'm going to go to Princess Celestia and present my course of action to her as soon as I'm done here," said Twilight Sparkle.

"What's keeping ya here?" asked Granny Smith.

"I want to make sure that Applejack and the others are okay," said Twilight Sparkle.

"APPLEJACK!" said all three Apples at the same time.

"What's happened to Applejack?!" asked Granny Smith.

"Is she alright?!" asked Applebloom.

"Is she hurt?!" asked Granny Smith.

"Is she on her way here?!" asked Applebloom.

"Or is she lost out there with the monster flying after her?!" asked Granny Smith.

"What about the others, are they in trouble too?!" asked Applebloom.

"Eeyup?!" asked Big Macintosh.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Guys, please calm down!" said Twilight Sparkle.

Once the question bombardment ceased, Twilight continued.

"Applejack's fine. We're here to meet up with her and the rest of our friends. If I'm right, they're probably on the other side of this crowd making their way towards us. Which is what we're trying to do right now. You can tag along if you'd like."

"You're darn tootin' we'd like," said Granny Smith.

"Eeyup," said Big Macintosh and Applebloom at the same time.

"Then let's hop to it, everypony. Hop! Hop! Hop!" said Pinkie Pie as she proceeded to hop alongside her group of friends.

They didn't have to walk long before Twilight Sparkle heard her name being called in a familiar southern accent.

"Twilight! Hey, Twilight!"

The princess looked around for a little bit before spotting Applejack waving her hoof in the air with a ecstatic smile on her face. Twilight Sparkle's own smile matched her friend's as she waved and saw that Applejack was surrounded by her other friends.

"Oh my gosh, there they are!" Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly as she pointed a hoof.

"Applejack!" The Apples family said collectively.

"Granny! Big Mac! Applebloom!" Applejack shouted out before she and her group began galloping towards them.

Twilight Sparkle and her group began galloping towards Applejack's group and the two groups met each other soon after. What followed were hugs all around, as well as the ponies greeting each other by saying how happy they were to see that each other was alright. Spike hugged Twilight Sparkle, while Rarity, and Fluttershy hugged Pinkie Pie.

Then they switched hug partners. Applejack shared a group hug with her family, before moving on to hug Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Applebloom then shared a group hug with Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. Combinations of hugs and the chatter of gratitude at everypony being reunited safely went on a little longer until everypony finally had a chance to settle down.

"It's so great to see all of you!" said Pinkie Pie as she hopped up and down joyously.

"It's good to see you again too, Pinkie Pie," said Rarity.

"I'm very happy that we're all together again," said Fluttershy.

"And how," Applejack agreed.

"Hey, where's Rainbow Dash?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

The happy smiles on Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack's faces turned to frowns. They looked to each other, but could tell the pony next to them didn't have any good answers.

"You mean she isn't back yet?" asked Pinkie Pie.

Everypony looked to her.

"You know?" asked Rarity.

"Yeah, we saw her sonic rainboom in the sky," said Twilight Sparkle.

"And then I saw her flying by with that big batty chasing her. So I said, 'look, Twilight, the batty likes chasing rainbows as much as I do'. 'Cause you know Rainbow Dash leaves a rainbow trail behind her after her sonic rainbooms. I usually chase rainbows for the pot of gold at the end, but I never find it..."

"Pinkie, please!" Twilight Sparkle interrupted.

Pinkie Pie became silent after that.

"Everything Pinkie Pie said is true. And I reacted with...not exactly quiet grace. I mean how could Rainbow Dash think about taking on a monster by herself. That is such a reckless thing to do. So I tried to fly after her to help."

Twilight Sparkle looked at her wings with an upset expression.

"But I'm still not the strongest of fliers. But I was still gonna try."

"What made you give it up and stick to going to the shelter?" asked Applejack.

"Believe it or not, it was Pinkie Pie," said Twilight Sparkle as she looked to the pink pony.

Everypony that was not part of the Mane Six gasped in shock, while Applejack and Rarity said in surprise, "What?!"

"Really?" asked Fluttershy.

"Yeah, she convinced me that I had to trust Rainbow Dash with her decision. That she most likely knew what she was doing and wouldn't rush in if she didn't have a plan," said Twilight Sparkle.

The others just stared at the smiling Earth pony for a moment.

"Wow, Pinkie Pie. ...You may be silly sometimes..." Applejack started.

"But in your own...inconceivable way, you're a very wise pony," Rarity finished.

"Aw shucks," said Pinkie Pie.

"So I guess we wait here until Rainbow Dash gets back," said Twilight Sparkle.

"When do you think that will be?" asked Applejack.

"Whoa, excuse me! Pardon me! Hero pony coming through!" came a voice through the crowd.

"Hey, I know that voice," said Twilight Sparkle.

"That a tough, tomboyish, attitude filled voice," said Rarity.

The group looked to see Rainbow Dash fly out and over the crowd.

"I really should've done this from the beginning," said Rainbow Dash in between breaths.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Everyone in Twilight's group blurted out in joyous excitement.

The daring pegasus looked down to see the smiling faces of all her friends, which brought a smile of her own. Rainbow Dash flew down to her friends, who all showered her with happy words of welcome and relief, along with hugs of happiness.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, it's so great to see you safe and sound!" said Fluttershy.

"Yeah, we were worried about you, Rainbow Dash," said Applejack.

"And now we're ecstatic to see you again!" said Rarity.

"Are you alright?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Uh huh," was all Rainbow Dash could say as she was still taking in deep breaths of exhaustion.

"Whoa. looks like we better step back and give her a little air, everypony," said Pinkie Pie.

Everypony nodded in agreement and took a few steps back. It wasn't long before Rainbow Dash managed to steady her breathing somewhat, despite the amount of fast paced flying she had done all that day.

"Okay, you can all come back now," said Rainbow Dash.

Everyone gathered back around her, Twilight Sparkle even coming up and putting a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

"Gosh, you really pushed yourself going up against Screech, didn't you?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"I did not 'go up against' that Screech thing. I was getting it to follow me out of town," said Rainbow Dash.

The blue pegasus stopped to take one more deep breath.

"But yeah, after all the flying I've done today, I'm pretty much done," said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened.

"You said you were trying to lead Screech out of Ponyville. Did you?" said Twilight Sparkle.

"Yeah, I did. I led it out several miles into the Everfree Forest and then tricked it to keep going even after I gave it the slip. Heck, it's probably still flying," said Rainbow Dash.

"That's great!" said Twilight Sparkle.

"Utterly fantastic and absolutely splendid!" said Rarity.

"Way to go, Rainbow!" said Applejack.

"You go, girl!" said Pinkie Pie.

"Thank you for being so brave, Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy.

"Hey, everyone, Rainbow Dash led the monster out of town, which means we're all saved!" Spike shouted out to the crowd.

Cheers soon followed, which only got louder as the seconds went on. Rainbow Dash smiled, rubbed the back of her neck, and blushed a little as she heard shouts of, "Way to go, Rainbow Dash!", "Thank you for saving us!", "Ponyville is safe again thanks to you!", and so on.

Once the cheers and applause died down, Rainbow Dash spotted Scootaloo standing next to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash walked passed Twilight Sparkle and towards Scootaloo. She stopped a few feet in front of the filly. Rainbow Dash smiled at the orange pegasus who seemed to be on the verge of tears. They were tears of joy, but they were tears nonetheless.

"Hi ya, Scoots."

Scootaloo shut her eyes tight as she looked away to try and fight back her emotion. But it was to no avail.

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo shouted before she ran up to her hero.

Rainbow Dash welcomed her with open hooves, which Scootaloo jumped into, allowing Rainbow Dash to hug her tight.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you."

"Thank you, Scootaloo. I'm sorry I made you worry. But you should know by now that not even a giant monster can take me down. I'm too awesome for that."

Scootaloo wiped away her tears as Rainbow Dash loosened her hug so the surrogate sisters could look each other face to face.

"Yeah, that's true. I guess I just gotta keep reminding myself of how awesome you are," said Scootaloo.

"Yeah, but while you're doing that, Scoots, don't forget how incredibly awesome you are," said Rainbow Dash with a smile.

Scootaloo responded with a big, wide smile of her own. Just then, a single voice came over the crowd.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Uh, pardon me, Ma'am. Please- Thank you."

It was the mayor of Ponyville, Mayor Mare making her way towards the Mane Six's group.

"Rainbow Dash, I know the citizens already expressed their gratitude to you. But I have to once again enforce it and add my own personal thank you as mayor of Ponyville, to you. Rainbow Dash, thank you so very much for leading that monster away and saving...what's left of Ponyville. Thank you," said Mayor Mare.

Rainbow Dash respectfully nodded her head in a short bow.

"Thank you for your kind words, Mayor. I hope I can continue to serve Ponyville and its citizens for many times to come," said Rainbow Dash.

"After witnessing the damage Ponyville took today, I can guarantee it," said Mayor Mare.

"So can I," Twilight Sparkle whispered under her breath.

"Attention, everypony!" Mayor Mare shouted at the top of her lungs.

This got most of the ponies' attention, after which, the mayor spoke.

"We all heard of Rainbow Dash's act of bravery which led the monster out of town. But I still think for the time being we should all stay here. At least until we know for sure it's safe to go back up top. Besides, some of you still need serious medical attention. And...it pains me to say this...but some of you...may not have homes to go back to. ...For those in that situation, you have my upmost sympathy and I promise that the city of Ponyville and its officials will do everything they can to help you all through this...tragedy. But for now...I hope you'll all respect my decision and follow it."

The crowd of ponies mumbled amongst themselves about the decision. And most of them seemed to be receptive and agreed it was the right course of action for now.

"I gotta go talk to the mayor," Twilight Sparkle said to her friends.

All of them voiced their understanding and agreement as they nodded their heads. Twilight Sparkle walked away, with Spike in tow, to catch up with the mayor.

Just then a voice came from off to the side of the Mane Six's group.

"Rarity! Sweetie Belle!"

The two unicorn sisters turned to where the voice came from and gasped at who they saw.

"Mother!" said Rarity.

"Mommy!" said Sweetie Belle at the same time.

The two siblings ran to their mother, Garden Wishes, while the older mare ran to her two daughters. She threw her hooves around them, while Rarity and Sweetie Belle did the same to her.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you both unharmed!"

The two siblings said nothing, still feeling themselves overcome with emotion at seeing their mother was ok. After several tear filled seconds, Garden Wishes and her daughters released from their embrace so they could look each other face to face. Garden Wishes turned her relieved smile to her youngest daughter, Sweetie Belle, as she placed a hoof under her chin and more tears welled up in her eyes.

"Sweetie Belle... Oh, little Sweetie Belle... When me and your dad lost you...I never felt...so scared in my entire life. ...It was the worst feeling I ever had...losing sight of you in the middle of... And no way of knowing if you were safe or not. ...Wondering where you were and if you'd be okay."

Garden Wishes' tears fell from her eyes almost like a waterfall.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle!"

Garden Wishes again pulled her youngest daughter in for a hug. As the two embraced each other, Garden Wishes shifted her view to Rarity, who just looked on with a smile, trying to keep tears from falling from her eyes.

"Thank you so much for finding her and getting her here safely, Rarity. I'm so glad you found each other. And I'm also very glad to see you're alright."

"Thank you, Mother."

Garden Wishes released her hug from Sweetie Belle, but still kept a hoof around her as the filly stood by her side.

"I was honestly worried about you from the moment the attack started. I know you were off with your friends on that trip to the coast, but I knew you had to come back sometime. And what would happen when you did? What if the attack was still going on? What if you came back only to find a completely destroyed Ponyville and everyone was dead? ...What if by some stroke of bad luck, a similar attack was happening where you were? I thought about all these things. But...and I'm ashamed to say this...but I didn't focus a lot on those thoughts because I was mostly busy running and trying to stay with Sweetie Belle and your father," said Garden Wishes.

Rarity's eyes widened.

"Where is Father?! Is he alright?!" asked Rarity frantically.

"Yeah, Mommy, where is Daddy? Is he okay?!" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Calm down, kids, your father is fine. Well...mostly," said Garden Wishes.

"What do you mean?" asked Rarity.

"Well...while we were running through the crowd, your father, he... He sprained a knee and is being looked after by doctors right now," said Garden Wishes.

"Goodness! Are you sure he's alright?" asked Rarity.

"I'm telling you, he's just fine. You can go over and see him for yourself if you want. In fact, I think that it'd be a good idea for all of us to go over and see him together. What do you think?"

"Yeah, I think that would be a great idea. I wanna go see Daddy," Sweetie Belle agreed.

"How about you, Rarity?" asked Garden Wishes.

"Yes, absolutely," said Rarity.

"Good, I'll take you to him. Follow me," said Garden Wishes.

She began to lead her daughters away, but Rarity stopped to look to her friends. They all smiled in support, Applejack even nudging her head in a way to tell Rarity to hurry after her family. Rarity smiled back at her friends and then hurried after her mother and sister.

"Can the rest of us please stay together?" asked Fluttershy.

Everypony looked to the yellow pegasus and saw the uneasiness in her facial expression. Then they all looked to each other.

"I don't know about all of you, but I'd sure feel more secure if we all stayed together," said Granny Smith.

"Well put, Granny. I feel the same way," said Applejack.

"Me too," Applebloom agreed.

"I'd like us staying in a group," said Pinkie Pie.

"I can't think of any place better to be right now then by the side of my friends," said Rainbow Dash.

"You said it, R.D.," Scootaloo agreed.

"Eeyup," said Big Mac.

And so, they all agreed to Fluttershy's request. They stayed by each others' side.

3 HOURS LATER:

As the time past by, not much of anything seemed to happen. The monster never came back and the scene around the shelter never really changed. Sure, some ponies who needed medical attention got it, but it seemed like there was a new pony in need of medical aid appearing as fast as one got finished getting the help they needed.

Twilight Sparkle had finished her talk with the mayor and so she and Spike returned to their group of friends. They didn't really say much to each other, but they could tell they were all happy to be together. Still, they couldn't help but be upset about all that had happened to them and their town on that day. The monsters, the destruction, the chaos, it would be too much for most to bear for most ponies.

But this particular group of ponies was managing as best as they could not to crack from the realization of all that has happened and, for those who Twilight Sparkle told, what was coming in the near future. The group of ponies looked to see Rarity was walking back towards them, after having spent the last three hours with her family checking on her injured father.

"How's your pa?" asked Applejack.

"He's fine, Applejack, thank you. He just needs to rest and stay off his leg for a while."

"Oh, Rarity, I'm so sorry about your father's knee. I'm sorry about all that has happened today. And I'm even more sorry to say...that it's only going to get worse from here," said Twilight Sparkle.

It was at that moment that gasps and mumbles of conversation came over the huge crowd of ponies in the shelter. This was because several royal officials, including doctors and soldiers, entered the shelter and began going pony to pony serving food, water, and so on.

"It looks like a royal relief effort," said Applejack.

"That's exactly what it is," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Humph, took 'em long enough," said Rainbow Dash.

As the group watched the royal officials spread out across the crowd of ponies, they noticed one official accompanied by two soldiers walking up to them.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," said the official as he and the soldiers with him bowed to the alicorn.

"Yes, may I help you?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"I was asked to escort you to a secret meeting place. Princess Celestia wishes to speak to you in private," said the official.

"The princess? She's here?" asked Twilight Sparkle in surprise.

"Yes, she insisted upon overseeing the beginning of this relief effort herself and also made mention of her intentions to speak with you," said the official.

He then looked past Twilight Sparkle and to her friends.

"She also told me to inform you that your friends are welcomed as well. So if you'll all just follow me," said the official.

Everypony looked around to each other.

"Well if Princess Celestia came here herself, then that's gotta mean stuff's gonna be done about this monster business," said Rainbow Dash.

"Darn tootin'," said Applejack and Pinkie Pie at the same time.

Then they turned to each other, followed by Pinkie Pie saying with a big smile on her face, "Jinx, you owe me a soda."

Applejack just looked away, not knowing what to think or how to react.

"Well, I agree with Rainbow Dash. And if the princess wants to speak with you, Twilight, then she must want you to be apart of whatever plan will be formed," said Rarity.

"That's what I'm hopin' for. Well, I'm gonna go see her now. Are you girls coming?" said Twilight Sparkle.

The princess' five friends looked to each other, as if to see what the other were thinking. Applejack turned to her family.

"I'm gonna go with Twilight to see Princess Celestia. Y'all mind any?" said Applejack.

"Not at all, Applejack," said Granny Smith.

"Not me," said Applebloom.

"Nope," said Big Mac.

"Thanks, y'all, I'll be back faster than you can say, 'getty up'," said Applejack.

"Scootaloo, I'm gonna go with my friends to see the princess. So, I want you to stay here with the Apples, okay," said Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, Ma'am," said Scootaloo.

"Dude, Ma'am is my mom. Call me Rainbow Dash. Or Pure Awesomeness will work too."

Scootaloo giggled before replying.

"Alright, I'll see you when you get back...Pure Awesome."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow before she shared a quick laugh with Scootaloo. And then after all goodbyes were said, the Mane Six gathered together in front of the royal official.

"Okay, everypony, please follow me," said the official.

And with that, the official led the Mane Six, with Spike in tow, out of the crowd of ponies and to the exit out of the shelter. Once they were outside, the royal official proceeded to lead the Mane Six through the wreckage of what used to be Ponyville, forcing them to once again view the horror left in Screech's wake.

But it was different than before. Besides Screech being gone, the streets were now covered in royal soldiers, among other officials scavenging through the ruins left by the kaiju rampage. Help has come, but it would seem to be too little, too late.

The ponies being led down the street tried as best as they could to ignore the destruction left around them. But it seemed to be futile. But then of course, why wouldn't it be when one sees the place you called home and felt safe in half destroyed? As the guided trek through the debris-ridden streets continued, the Mane Six began to notice things about their path that triggered small fragments of their memories.

"Hey, Fluttershy, does this street seem kind of familiar to you?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"I was gonna say that it does look very familiar," Fluttershy replied.

And they all soon find out why when they looked ahead.

"That's because we're heading for the library," said Twilight Sparkle as her eyes lit up at seeing her home in tact.

Everypony else's eyes lit up at this development as well.

"Well, at least we know one of our homes is alright," said Pinkie Pie.

"That's sure something to be happy about," Applejack agreed.

"I'm not just happy, I'm completely overjoyed for you, Twilight! Oh, and you too, Spikey-poo," said Rarity.

She then bent down to nuzzle the side of Spike's face. It didn't take long for the young dragon's face to light up in a red glow. Fluttershy walked up to Twilight Sparkle's side.

"I'm also ever so happy for you and Spike that your house is okay, Twilight."

"Thanks, Fluttershy, that's very sweet of you, all of you to say."

As they got closer, the group of ponies didn't notice that their approach was being watched by a pony hidden in the shadows, wearing a raggedy, old cloak over his body. The hidden pony ducked further back into the shadowy alley he was using as sanctuary, just to be sure the Mane Six, with others, could not see him. While the Mane Six didn't see the pony watching them, they did see Mayor Mare leaving the library with a soldier escort.

"That's weird," said Applejack.

"Maybe Celestia wanted to see the mayor too," Fluttershy suggested.

"Or maybe the mayor was looking for a 'How to' book on dealing with city wide demolition," Pinkie Pie speculated.

Her speculation got her a dumbfounded look from her friends around her. Pinkie Pie took notice of these looks and a defensive look formed on her face.

"What? That's what I would do," said Pinkie Pie.

Nopony had time to say anything in reply, as they saw that they were just a foot or two away from the library's front door. The royal official opened the door and ushered the Mane Six and Spike inside. Even before they got inside, the group of friends saw her standing in the middle of the room in all her regal glory; Celestia, Princess of the Sun. The ponies then stood side by side in a row and bowed respectively in greeting to her.

"Your Highness," said by all.

Princess Celestia gave a slight bow of her head in respect.

"You may rise, My Little Ponies. Seeing you all alive and safe brings warm feelings to my heart," said Princess Celestia.

"Thank you, Your Highness. We're all happy to see you too," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Yeah, I just wish it was under better circumstances," said Applejack.

The slight smile that was on Celestia's face turned instantly to a frown.

"I'm afraid I must agree with you, my dear, Applejack," said the Sun Princess as she walked to a window and looked out at what was left of Ponyville.

"The destruction that has befallen your town is simply...simply horrible," said Princess Celestia as a tear fell from her eye.

She was currently fighting back several tears at the moment, not wishing anymore to fall from her eyes.

"You didn't deserve this. ...None of my subjects have," said Princess Celestia.

The white alicorn sniffled a little as she fought back more tears and wiped away the one.

"But you're here now, which means you're gonna do something about it, right," said Rainbow Dash.

"You're are somewhat correct, Rainbow Dash," said Princess Celestia.

"Somewhat?" asked Rarity.

"I've already discussed plans with Mayor Mare. Her office and the royal forces will work in tandem on clean up, reconstruction, and relocation of refugees. I cannot stay however, but one of my advisors will," said Princess Celestia.

"You're not staying?"

"No, Twilight Sparkle, I'm not. And neither are you," said Princess Celestia.

"What do you mean, Princess?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Apart from meeting with the mayor's cabinet, another reason I came here personally was to get you and bring you back to Canterlot with me."

The Mane Six and Spike looked at the princess in surprise.

"What is it you want her in Canterlot for that you can't do here in Ponyville?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"I am gathering a meeting of the leaders of Equestria that spread across the country. And that includes you, Princess Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Celestia.

"So this would also include, Princess Luna, my brother Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

Princess Celestia smiled as she nodded her head.

"That is correct, my dear Twilight Sparkle."

The purple alicorn made a small squeak of excitement.

"So you think this situation is serious enough to bring in Equestria's other leaders?" asked Fluttershy.

"Makes sense to me," said Rarity.

"You're are correct, My Little Ponies. This is the situation at hoof that will be the focus of our meeting, as I feel that this flying monster that attacked Ponyville and the monster that showed up on the west coast could effect all of Equestria in a negative way. But I must admit, before this occurred, I was planning on gathering all the leaders for another matter that I found concerning," said Princess Celestia.

"Really? One disastrously bad thing on top of another?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"Well, what would that be?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Well...three weeks ago..."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened in surprise.

"It felt like there was a huge drop of good feeling in the Equestrian air. It was as if somepony took away a third of the good in Equestria and replaced it with evil," said Twilight Sparkle.

Princess Celestia's jaw dropped in surprise.

"You felt it too?" asked Princess Celestia.

"Yes, I did. I couldn't understand it. I figured you had felt it too and would've contacted me instantly. And when you didn't, I had Spike send a letter to you. But I never got it back," said Twilight Sparkle.

"That was because I was busy leading the investigation of the sudden change and also trying to help my sister set up the meeting of the Equestria leaders. I didn't come to you right away because I wanted to get Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor first since they were so far away. I guess I probably should've come to you first," said Princess Celestia.

"There's no point in dwelling on it now. What matters is that we focus on fixing these problems now. I will say this first, however, that I think the two crises, the change in Equestria's balance and the monsters appearing, are connected," said Twilight Sparkle.

"I agree." said Fluttershy as she stepped forward.

All eyes turned to the yellow pegasus as she got ready to speak.

"My animals all started acting strange around that time. And they only got worse as time went on," said Fluttershy.

"Strange? Like what kind of strange?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Well for one thing, their eating habits changed. Whenever I put out food for them, it always got eaten. But as the days went by, they began eating less and less. I didn't know how to take it," said Fluttershy.

"Why didn't you take them to a vet?" asked Applejack.

"I did. In fact I had a vet come over to my house. But he couldn't find anything wrong with them," said Fluttershy.

"What else happened, Fluttershy?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Well they became more skittish. They kept looking around or over their shoulder every other minute. They almost seemed to jump at their own shadows like how I used to," said Fluttershy.

"Used to?" Rainbow Dash mumbled.

Applejack nudged her in the side and shushed her.

"Anything else?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Well they would randomly duck into a corner of some kind and stay there for a long time. And no matter what I did, I wouldn't be able to get them out of that corner until they wanted to come out. All my birds left and haven't come back yet and a bunch of my other animals also tried to run away. Sometimes they would all make loud noises and other times they were really quiet. And a lot of those times they were quiet, they would all look to the west. I didn't know what to make of it. I mean, I never heard about anything big or bad happening. I even looked into it as best as I could, but there were no reports of anything. Not from Twilight, the newspapers or anything. I was completely stumped," said Fluttershy.

Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia wore expressions on their faces that indicated they were thinking on the information Fluttershy had just given them.

"Y'know, come to think of it, I saw a few stray critters by the farm acting weird. I didn't think much of it though. I thought at the time that it was critters just being critters," said Applejack before shrugging.

"Guess I was wrong," she added.

"Thank you for this information, dear Fluttershy. But even if you hadn't spoken up, I would still agree that these two situations are connected. It's too big of a coincidence that they both happened so close to each other," said Princess Celestia.

"On top of that, I can prove the two are connected," said Twilight Sparkle.

The princess of Equestria turned her head to the purple alicorn, as did all the others in the room.

"You can? How so, Princess Twilight?" asked Princess Celestia.

"Remember that archaeological dig I was put in charge of three months ago? Well while I was there, I came across some books and scrolls that had bits and pieces of information on them about the monsters. They tell all kinds of information, including a way to stop them."

"Why did you not come to me with this information three months ago?" asked Celestia.

"I read all the books and scrolls first because I wanted to be prepared for when I presented it to you. But I got a little side tracked becoming a princess and all," said Twilight Sparkle.

"I see... Well in that case, I want you to gather all the information you have on this matter and then meet me at the carriage waiting outside that will take us back to Canterlot for our meeting with the other leaders," said Princess Celestia.

"Yes, Your Highness," said Twilight Sparkle as she bowed respectively, as did her friends.

"I'll be waiting for you outside, Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Celestia before she walked out of the library.

Twilight Sparkle turned to Spike and spoke.

"Spike, all the scrolls and books I have on the kaiju are in the big drawer on the left side of my desk in the bedroom. I want you to go gather them up in a saddle bag and bring it down here, please. I need to talk to the girls for a minute, okay."

Spike saluted and said, "Yes, Ma'am," before running off to carry out his orders. This left Twilight Sparkle to face her friends.

"I'm truly and deeply sorry for not telling you all that I know about this. Up until now, it wasn't relevant. I wasn't even sure if this was a legend or a part of Equestrian history that really happened. But now I see that it is...and now Equestria is about to face what might be the worst catastrophe it's ever faced," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Hey, hey, you don't need to apologize to us, Sugercube. You're always studying something. A legend that might've not even been real shouldn't have been a stick out. You can't put what's come over Equestria on you shoulders. It's not your fault. But you said you have a solution, so I trust you do," said Applejack.

"Me too," said Rainbow Dash.

"Me too," said Fluttershy.

"Me too," said Rarity.

"Me three, four, and five," said Pinkie Pie.

Twilight Sparkle formed a small smile, to which her friends returned.

"Thank you, Applejack. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, thank you all. I promise I will let you all know what I know about the monsters attacking Equestria and how the other leaders and I have decided to handle them. ...Unless you all wanna come with me," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Whoa there, Twilight, I don't think that carriage can hold all of us, plus the princess," said Rainbow Dash.

"Well we could go by train or balloon or we could just wa..."

"Pinkie, please let me finish. Even with everything Pinkie just said, Twilight, I'm still gonna have to tell you that I'm staying. Scootaloo still needs taking care of. I can't just leave her here alone. And now especially, I wouldn't want to. So thanks, but no thanks."

"I understand and respect your decision, Rainbow Dash. Aside from showing great loyalty to Scootaloo, your strong loyalties being one of the greatest things I love about you, you're also showing a great sense of priority," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Don't stop there. Tell me what else ya love about me," said Rainbow Dash.

"Ah, here it goes. Now ya got her started! Just like her flying, she's also the fastest at sweet talkin' herself and getting others to do it too," said Applejack in a joking manner.

"Don't hate me because I'm awesome," said Rainbow Dash as she struck a pose.

"It's impossible to hate you, Rainbow. Anyhow, I can't come either, Twilight. I'm gonna stay and make sure my family's okay. I also wanna check on the farm, see how it held up from the monster attack. And then I'm gonna join the relief effort," said Applejack.

"I also have to stay, Twilight darling. With my mom staying by my father's side in the hospital, or wherever he'll go if it was destroyed, I'll have to look after Sweetie Belle. You understand, don't you?" said Rarity.

"Of course. Much like Rainbow Dash, both your intentions for staying are noble. I hope your father gets well soon, Rarity" said Twilight Sparkle.

She then turned to Pinkie Pie.

"What about you, Pinkie?"

And then Pinkie Pie wore a serious expression on her face she doesn't get very often.

"I'd love to, Twilight, but I can't either. I never got a chance to look for the Cakes and I need to find them so I can be absolutely sure they're all okay," said Pinkie Pie.

"Yes, I understand, Pinkie. I hope you find them," said Twilight Sparkle.

And then lastly, Twilight Sparkle turns to the yellow pegasus currently standing with a nervous look on her face.

"Fluttershy?"

"Well, Twilight... I...want to be there to support you... But I think it's best I just stay here. ...I have...my animals to look after and see if they're alright. ...Besides...I wouldn't want to be a lingering burden."

A look that mixed surprise and concern came over Twilight's face.

"Oh no, Fluttershy, you wouldn't be..."

"Twilight..." Spike called out from the bottom of the stairs, unintentionally cutting off Twilight Sparkle.

All the ponies looked to the little, purple dragon who was holding a back pack over his shoulder.

"...I've got all the stuff you asked for packed up and ready. Basically, we're all ready to go."

"Thank you, Spike," said Twilight Sparkle.

She then looked back to her friends who all flashed her supportive smiles.

"Well, I guess I'll see you all when I get back from Canterlot."

"We'll be watin' for ya, Twilight," said Applejack.

Everypony else nodded their head in agreement.

"Thanks, A.J. Thank you all so much. I promise I'll do everything in my power to fix this and stop the monsters. I love you. All of you," said Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, we love you too, Dear," said Rarity.

And with that, the group of friends all came together and formed a group hug. After their embrace, Rarity took the time to speak to Spike.

"Do take care of yourself while your in Canterlot Spike. And look out for Twilight wont you?"

"You know I always do, my sweet, beautiful mare."

"Oh, Spike, you little sweet talker."

As Spike and Twilight Sparkle walked out the door, they were sent off with warm hearted goodbyes and wishes to be safe from the other ponies all at the same time.

"I thought I told you to put the papers in a saddlebag for me to carry, Spike," said Twilight Sparkle as they walked outside.

"I don't mind carrying it all. What else are assistants for?" asked Spike with a smile.

Twilight Sparkle returned the smile as she spoke on.

"Not just an assistant, a number one assistant. Thanks, Spike, you're a great little dragon."

"Awe thanks, Twilight."

As the two walked to the princess' carriage, followed by their friends, Princess Celestia greeted them with a smile. After Twilight and Spike got on, Celestia said, "I'm sure with the information you give us we will be able to find a way to save Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia. I only hope your faith isn't misplaced."

As the pegasi pulling the carriage took flight, all of Twilight Sparkle's friends waved goodbye and spoke more warm hearted send offs to their friend as she left to attend a meeting which Equestria's fate depended on.

No pony ever saw the satanic form of King Sombra hidden by his cloak while he watched from the shadows as the carriage took off. He wanted so much to shoot it down, but knew he was not yet powerful enough to. His losing control of Screech when she got a certain distance away proved that.

But he was getting there. He could feel that with each destructive blow dealt to Equestria by the freed kaiju, spreading more evil and darkness, his dark power was fueled. So for now Sombra, the king of evil would bide his time, waiting in the shadows. The dark unicorn smiled as his eyes lit up a bright green and his body melted into the shadows that surrounded him. Then he drifted away in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

---

I can't believe I actually wrote a chapter this long. Ah, screw it, forget trying to have chapter length consistency from now on. Past Sins didn't have a consistent chapter length and everybody loves that story. Not that I'm saying anyone will ever look at this story with as much love and praise as Past Sins. Not at all, I'll never write a story that good. But if people were to start saying that, I'm not saying I wouldn't dance around like James Brown and Michael Jackson in celebration. LOL Anyways, no I'm not done with my other story yet. I just wanted to get one more chapter of this story out before both the Season 4 finale of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the premiere of the new Godzilla movie, which happens 5 days later. Ironic isn't it? Hopefully after those events, people will still love this story and find it relevant and keep coming back to read it until it's finished. Anyways, please remember to leave a review after reading and feel free to tell me of any mistakes I missed, spelling wise or grammar wise or any other criticisms so they can be corrected to the best of my abilities. I'm The Guy Who Likes To Review Stuff, signing off. ...HE'S COMING. ...Are you ready? ...Is Equestria ready? ...Are any of us ready?