"Everything will be fine, Mommy." Between the creepy assuredness and the blank stare, Ditzy couldn't bear to look at her daughter.

Of course, the rest of the studio was no more inviting. Behind her and on either side there stood a full grown unicorn with a wide selection of incapacitating spells on hoof, ready to take her down if she showed the slightest hint of a second thought. In front of her was the generosity elemental.

It has been said that the greatest curse of blue mana is that its users can never stop thinking. For all of the rage and righteousness she'd been channeling lately, Ditzy Doo was a blue mage at heart, and if asked, she would wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Even as she prepared to surrender herself to a being whose very existence was harming reality, she couldn't help but wonder how its facets refracted its own magic into a display of color that outshone any mundane damond. She pondered what it would do after the other two subcrystals found foreheads to call their own. Most of all, she hoped that Pinkie and Luna would be willing and able to do what they had to for the sake of Equestria.

Such morbid thoughts were interrupted by the gem impinging on Ditzy's scalp. However, this didn't halt the thought process, but redirected it. The sensation as it phased through her head was strangely cooling, as though her frontal bone was sucking on a peppermint. Then the tip reached brain matter, and suddenly the peppermint had a lemon center. No, not lemon. Pure electricity. Pure energy. Pure mana of thought and cognition hooked up directly into an ever-increasing number of synapses in her brain, filling every crevasse with a billion thoughtsfromabillionmindsandbringinghermindtospeedsthat'dsurelyoverloaditiftheykeptupmuchlongerbefore

Contact.

Rarity smiled. "Welcome to the herd, dear."

That was more difficult than I anticipated, admitted the elemental. There was an unexpected positive feedback loop that nearly—

Lyra frowned. "Nearly what?"

As if in reply, Ditzy's eyes and crystal "horn" burst forth with beacons of blue radiance like a trio of searchlights. The three unicorns tried to call back the spells that had been on the tips of their horns, but were caught in the mental backwash. So too were the fillies. In an instant, the boutique was filled with azure light and silence.

On a psychic level, there was far more activity. At first, there were countless iterations of the same question: "What just happened?" The answer, delivered calmly and with all the background information needed to understand it, was that Ditzy hadn't known how the generosity elemental's abilities functioned. She had willingly opened herself to it, giving it total access to all of her memories and knowledge on the assumption that it would have access to them anyway. In perusing this data, the elemental had inadvertently opened every mana bond formed over the course of the pegasus's planeswalking. The sheer amount of mana and experience flooded out into the entire gestalt, which left them where they were now.

Like the chorus of an ancient Haylennic drama, the unicorns simultaneously asked, "Well, what all did that?"

That answer was for less expository and far more individualized. The responding party, a mix of generosity elemental and planeswalking pegasus with lines blurred beyond recognition, simply opened its mind to the gestalt as a whole. Obviously, years of memory were a bit much for the average pony mind to take in at once. Instead, each mare subconsciously cherry-picked the bits of greatest personal interest.

Rarity admired a thousand designs, creations by races for whom fashion was a necessity rather than a luxury, but no less of an art for it. Sweetie Belle witnessed a thousand activities that the Crusaders had never even known to consider in their quest for their cutie marks. Trixie beheld a thousand charlatans whose lies and comeuppances both made hers pale in comparison. Dinky appreciated a thousand instances of her mommy being awesome. And Lyra saw humans. Humans everywhere.

The highlight reel of the Multiverse drew to a close, as did the sudden surge in mental communion. Ditzy's eyes were still glowing, but not at search-and-rescue intensities. The other ponies were digesting their new insights and inspirations. Jean, meanwhile, was wrestling with a troubling revelation of its own.

Rarity itched for a sketchbook, but she could feel the crystal's apprehension. "What is it, mon petit bijou?"

I should not exist.

"What!?" The ivory unicorn rushed to the gem's side. "Oh, how could you even say that?" The answer was placed directly into her brain. "Oh..." She bit her lip, scrambling for an excuse. "Girls, help me out here!"

Trixie suddenly found the studio's floorboards fascinating. "I didn't know all the details, but I was told the things were threats to the entire world." Her voice began to crack with shame. "It just felt so nice not to have to be Trixie..."

Lyra gave her a nuzzle. "Hey, hey. You've made a lot of growth. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

The showmare sniffled and gave a reluctant nod. "Thank you." A smile began to form, supported by telepathic encouragements. "Thank you all."

The mint-green unicorn gave a pleased look, but it quickly vanished as she focused on the other matter at hoof. "Don't ask me how I know, but the math all checks out. The only way Jean could exist is if some numbers changed that really, really shouldn't change."

Sweetie Belle was distraught. "But, but..." She shook her head furiously. "It can't be true! Mister Jean is too nice to do something so bad!"

I have no wish to destroy this world, confirmed the elemental. Nevertheless, it is taking place, independent of my volition. There is only one logical recourse.

"But you've given us so much!" wailed Rarity.

Yes, and now I give you the greatest gift I could ever hope to: A future. With that, each crystal planted in a pony's forehead crept its way out, returning to orbit around the main body. Through some lingering magic, everypony understood the generosity elemental's final words. Goodbye, my friends. The spinning jewels slowed and came to a stop. All nine became progressively more transparent, color and substance fading until there was nothing left.

Rarity rushed out of the room, seeking the comforting embrace of her fainting couch. Aside from her anguished sobs, a solemn silence filled the room.

Explaining the situation to Applejack was surprisingly simple, at her own insistence. The conversation went something like this:

"Okay, so here's what's going on—"

"Is it magic?"

"Well, duh. Anyway—"

"Don't care."

"Whuh? But—"

"Pinkie, Ah'm flattered that y' think Ah'll understand all th' mumbo-jumbo yer just itchin' t' tell me, but Ah ain't, an' Ah'm purty sure there's better ways we could be spendin' th' time."

"She's got a point," noted Luna.

"Ugh. Fine. Anyway—" Pinkie interrupted herself with a shudder. "Achey hip, loss of balance, ACID REFLUX!" These last two words were belched.

The alicorn raised an eyebrow at the dishelved pile of pony. "What just happened?"

"Pinkie Sense!" exclaimed the farmhoof. She turned to the prone Pinkie. "Wuzzat one mean, anyhow?"

"I think I know where to find the kindness elemental."

"Wait, how many o' these critters d' we still have left t' take care of?"

"Four. No, wait..." Pinkie peered into the distance. "Three. Kindness, loyalty, and magic."

"How kin ya tell?"

"Do you want the truth, or something you can understand?"

Applejack mulled this over for a bit. "...Both?"

"Good answer! Unfortunately, we don't really have time for either right now. Your Highness, could you find Ditzy?"

Luna nodded. "Certainly."

"Great, 'cause we're probably going to need her." The party pony turned to her fellow Bearer. "Applejack, grab my tail."

The orange mare blinked incredulously. "Beg pardon?"

"Grab my tail! The fate of Equestria depends on it!"

"If you say so..." Applejack hesitantly bit the appendage in question, a curious compromise between pink and poofy and scaled and sinuous.

Once she was satisfied with her friend's grip, Pinkie gave a rousing cry of "ADVENTURE!" and took off in a reddish-orange blur.

Luna's eyes saw the duo soar off, but her mind was miles and millennia away. Pinkie's oracular eructation had reminded her of an ancient coven on earth ponies who had sought to refine their connection with the land into a magic as potent as any unicorn's. The Order of the Transient Crust, as they'd called themselves, saw fate as a tectonic process, slow drifts of destiny reshaping the world, the occasional cataclysm coming with clashes of fate. The greatest among them resonated with the glacial motion of predestination, shaking in sympathy with momentous shocks that travelled backward through the temporal strata. Stories spoke of those who could feel the slightest shift in what would be, forming an odd language of lesser tics that could prognosticate the life-changing and inane with equal likelihood. But the last of the Order had died more than 1,400 years ago... hadn't she?

The princess of night shook herself from her ruminations. This was neither the time nor the place. She made for the building from which she'd sensed a burst of arcane energy not long ago. Even if it didn't hold any of her allies, whoever had caused it could prove an invaluable asset.

The library of Commodore Guff was something like a Library of Congress for the Multiverse, holding a copy of every written work in existence. Of course, being the creation of an eccentric planeswalker (as worrisome a phrase as "insane sphinx"), it was rather more ambitious than that, also containing every work that would be written, was being written, might have been written, and every other tense besides. This meant that, among other things, it had an outstanding selection of Equestrian children's literature.

Pinkie Pie was taking advantage of this fact when a twitch played over her body. Ear flop, eye flutter, sneeze... Once she recovered, she pulled up the notes she'd been keeping on the actions. A wistful smile came to the filly's face as she remembered when her mother had first explained the family's unique gift, but a thrilled gasp chased it away when she found the appropriate entry. The young pony looked in every direction, settled on one that didn't seem especially important, and called, "Mister Guff! Mister Guff!"

The Commodore materialized next to her, having accepted that getting a proper title out of Pinkie was pretty definitely not going to happen. "Yes?"

The eager foal was shaking with excitement, clearly trying to restrain herself from bursting into a bouncing frenzy. She pointed in the not-especially important direction and asked, "Now?"

The bearded planeswalker adjusted his spectacles and peered along the indicated path. After a moment, he nodded to himself. "Yes, indeed. Well done, Pinkie."

"Woohoo!" The filly turned back to where she pointed and gave a wave. "Hello!"

"Now, now," chided Guff, "best to be coy about this sort of thing, dear. Don't want to frighten them off." He paused, a stray thought calling his attention. "Of course, if they've made it this far, they should be used to this sort of thing." He shook his head. "Nevertheless, you need to strike a balance. You shouldn't just pretend that they're not there, but be a bit subtle about it."

Pinkie nodded with all the severity of youth. "Subtle. Right. Can do." She gave a proud grin at the 'walker, but her eyes kept straying towards whatever made that direction unlike all other directions.

The Commodore smiled himself and ruffled her mane. "Don't worry, it comes with practice."

The somber atmosphere lingered for a few minutes. Then a loud thump managed to chase each pony out of her head and back into reality. The unicorns realized that the sound had been Ditzy falling over. One in particular found this realization most distressing. "Mommy, are you okay?"

The pegasus slowly blinked her way back to awareness. "Ugh... feels like I just delivered ten years worth of Hearth's Warming cards..." Dinky had nothing to say to this, simply nuzzling her mother, who gladly reciprocated. "Thanks, Muffin."

"Er..." For once, Trixie found herself the center of attention without enjoying it. "I just wanted to be clear on something." Nopony seemed to object, so she pressed on. "What exactly happened?"

Ditzy gave a bemused grin. "Well, I didn't know how the elemental functioned, so—"

"No, no, that much I got. But what was all that..." She gave a vague hoof gesture, trying to encompass the multidimensional rogue's gallery she'd borne witness to. "That?"

"Oh." Clearly, something managed to be communicated. "Those were memories."

"Yours?" This got a nod. "But... how?"

The pegasus smiled uneasily. "It's... complicated."

"And classified." Everypony looked at Lyra, who seemed much more composed than she was a few minutes ago.

"'Classified'?" Some trace of arrogance fed back into Trixie's voice. "By whose authority?"

The sea-green unicorn was not impressed. The glare she shot at the showmare would've done credit to any member of the Royal Guard. "The Princesses. I trust that that is acceptable?"

"Actually," replied the other mare, ego continuing to resurge, "considering that I am the Royal Librarian of the night shift and the favored pupil of Princess Luna, I'm not sure it is."

By this point, the two began circling one another. Neither horn was lit, but the clash of egos made as heavy an atmosphere as ambient mana had not long ago. "Royal Librarian, you say?" Lyra seemed no more impressed than before.

Trixie tossed her mane. "That's right."

"Security clearance level?"

The blue unicorn almost missed a step at this. Almost. "Prince."

The golden-eyed mare nodded at this and stopped her procession. "I see. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow the dissemination of this information to anypony of less than Luna-level clearance."

"Can you dismemanate why you're being a jerk?"

"Dinky!"

"Well she is!"

Ditzy resisted the urge to facehoof. "Sorry... Lyra, right?" 5 Starting Lane, Ponyville, added her memory.

The other mare gave a smirk. "Really, after the psychic backwash, I'd think you knew everything from my middle name to my shoe size."

The pegasus wing-shrugged. "I'm guessing that you didn't get a complete copy of my memories. What do you think the odds are that I got total recall for five different ponies?"

Lyra nodded. "Fair point. As for Dinky's question, well, as you may have guessed, I'm in the intelligence business."

"You're a spy?" asked the suddenly awestruck filly.

"No, not a spy. Not normally, anyway." She sighed and turned back to Ditzy. "You know, any other time, I'd punch you in the muzzle and make you deal with the paperwork, but if these aren't extenuating circumstances, I don't know what are."

"Excuse me?"

Lyra pressed on. "Of course, if this were any other time, I wouldn't even be involved."

Ditzy frowned. "What are you talking about?"

This got a shake of the head. "Like I said: Classified. I've already told you too much as it is." She sighed again. "This really isn't my department."

"Are you usually this cryptic, or did I catch you on a bad day?"

"A little of both. Part of it's the posthypnotics. My job's so secret, even I don't know about it." She shrugged. "Suffice to say, if and when this situation blows over, expect a visit from the ETSAB."

"The what?"

"You'll see. If you'll excuse me." She walked out of the room before Ditzy could refuse to excuse.

"What's an etsab?" asked Dinky.

"I have no idea, Muffin." Ditzy looked to Trixie. "Do you know anything about this?"

The showmare shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Lyra walked out of the Boutique, concerns that had been hypnotically buried making themselves known all too well. So distracted by the numerous ways things were going wrong, she very nearly didn't register the alicorn approaching the shop. When she did, she only spared enough thought for a nod and a "Your Highness."

After a moment, Luna smiled and returned the nod. "Agent Heartstrings. What brings you here?"

"Can't talk. Time shenanigans."

The princess frowned. "What about—"

The unicorn only now stopped, and that was because she felt she should finish small talk with royalty before moving out of view. "Both on missions. Defaulted to me. Lots to do. Really need to get going."

"Ah. Don't let me stop—" Lyra had already cantered off. "you."

The device was as Sweetie had left it earlier that morning, a seemingly random assembly of items that nonetheless managed to convey a sense of purpose and potential. Still, its inventor frowned and examined it as though seeing it for the first time. "It's weird," mused the filly. "I remember knowing exactly what to do when I was making it, but not how. Or why." She turned to Ditzy with an expression of concern. "Is that weird?"

The pegasus shook her head. "That's blue magic in action. You get the answers, but not how you got them."

"Like looking at the answers in the back of the book?"

Ditzy nodded. "Exactly. One way or another, most blue spells are a form of cheating." She began to circle the assembly, following the faint lines of inactive mana pathways.

Sweetie realized her tactical error. "I don't do that, of course!"

"Uh-huh..." Ruby, sapphire, emerald...

"And Scootaloo doesn't either!"

"Right." Jet, pearl, diamond...

"And she definitely didn't tell me about them!"

"That's nice." Opal in the middle, and on top... an empty socket? That wasn't quite right. Ditzy grinned. A wave of a hoof, and a delicate bit of dark violet fluttered onto the chrome fixture.

This bit of prestidigitation was enough to interrupt Sweetie Belle's string of incriminatingly specific denials. "What's that?"

"The component you didn't know you needed." With that, the blonde flipped the switch.

The air around the contraption sizzled. The gemstones glowed from within. Something not unlike a heat shimmer formed around the top as the lotus petal crumbled to ash. The sizzle intensified to something between radio static and popping bubble wrap. The color seemed to explode out of the gemstones one by one, leaving cracked, burnt-out husks. Finally, the opal actually did explode, along with the entire device. Chunks were sent flying across the room. Whether by luck or design, nopony was harmed, and only one piece of shrapnel even touched an onlooker; the empty socket, which landed atop Sweetie's head. With an oddly cheery "ding!", a small lump of crystal sprouted from the widget.

The filly took the end product in hoof and frowned at it. "Well that didn't work. So much for my mad science cutie mark."

"Oh I don't know," Ditzy said with a knowing smile. "Give that a little time and it may surprise you."

The young unicorn cast a doubtful look on the rough jewel, barely the size of a wild strawberry. "Well, if you say so..."

"I do." The pegasus gave a start as inspiration struck. "Hey, could you do me one more favor, Sweetie?"

The curly-maned foal nodded eagerly. As far as she was concerned, she'd probably never pay back the mailmare in full.

"Great. Here's what I need..."

Sweetie Belle approached her sister's room cautiously, the older unicorn's sobs echoing down the hall. Her first knock didn't break the melodrama, so she delivered a more vigorous assault on the door.

That did it. "Go away! I want to be alone! I vant to be alone!"

"But you have a commission!"

"I don't deserve a commission! I am filth! Scum! Dross!"

"But the fate of the world depends on it!"

"I'm not worthy of saving the world! I am everything a pony should not be! Equestria ill needs a savior such as I!"

Sweetie sighed. This was far from the first such episode, but it was easily among Rarity's worst. Fortunately, she had a trump card. "Miss Ditzy said she only wants one gemstone!"

This triggered a silence as intense as the sobs before it. Finally, a slow, carefully measured voice came from the other side of the door. "She said what?"

The filly gave a smug smirk. She'd known this would work. "Yup, just the one. Awfully puny little thing, too. It's a good thing she wanted a necklace, or you'd never even know it was there."

"..."

The silence grew ominous and oppressive. Sweetie began to worry. Maybe she'd laid it on a bit too thick? "Sis?"

The door to the boudoir flew open. Rarity strode out, clad in resolve and her designing glasses. "Where is this inconsequential little crystal?" She didn't bother waiting for a response, spotting it in her sister's hoof. The fashionista magically snatched it with a sniff of disdain, then made for her studio. "I shall bring this pathetic trinket to its full, fabulous potential. For Ditzy! For Equestria! For Fashion!"

Sweetie Belle smiled, then glanced at her flank. Nope, no manipulation cutie mark. Oh well. Ditzy might not have asked more of her, but she still had more to do.

As each sister trotted off to fulfill her self-appointed mission, the jewel imperceptibly began to swell.

Apple Bloom knew she was truly desperate for her cutie mark when she asked Granny Smith for help. Oh, the old green mare was nice, no doubt about that, but she just wasn't quite all there anymore.

Of course, the filly had thought that before she learned that the Apple matriarch had a tried and tested method for discovering a pony's special talent. Thus did the two find themselves in the farmhouse kitchen with enough ingredients for virtually every apple-based treat imaginable. Granny gave the supplies a final once-over, followed by a satisfied nod. "Ah reckon that oughtta do it. Y' know what t' do, Smelly Belly?"

The younger pony frowned, hesitant. "Ah think so..."

Her grandmother tsked. "Thinkin's bin yer problem this whole time. Y' shoulda come t' me first thing. Ah've helped more 'n a dozen o' yer aunts, uncles, an' cousins unblank their flanks. Even yer own father, Princess rest his damn fool soul."

"Granny!"

"Aw, it's just us Apples, an' Ah'm older 'n dirt anyhow. Ah've earned the right t' cuss now an' again." She nodded toward the arrayed foodstuffs. "Enough jawin'. Y' got enough there t' make just about every recipe Ah know. Follow yer instincts an ye'll have yer cutie mark faster' 'n ya kin say 'Chancellor Puddin'head.' If y' need somethin' what ain't there, jus' holler an' Ah'll get it to ya."

Apple Bloom forced a smile. "Oh... great."

This coaxed a cackle out of Granny Smith. "Oh, Ah know what yer thinkin'. 'That Granny o' mine'll take forever an' a day t' fetch somethin'.'"

"No, no!"

The old mare ruffled her granddaughter's mane. "Yer a nice filly, Prickly Pear, but y' cain't lie any better 'n yer sister. Now don't y' worry none. When Ah say Ah'll get it, what Ah mean is Ah'll get Big Macintosh t' get it 'less'n 'e wants t' explain t' 'is baby sister why 'e's too busy t' fetch 'er some fancy vittles."

The filly pouted. "Ah ain't no baby!"

Granny smiled knowingly. "Bloom, Ah'm the youngest o' three. T' this day, both o' mah brothers still think o' me as th' baby."

"But yer older 'n dirt!" blurted Apple Bloom.

"An' they're older still. Now, didja wanna gossip with yer Granny, or didja wanna getcher cutie mark?"

The red-maned filly gave a determined grin. "Right!"

Of course, that was when the doorbell rang. Granny Smith sighed. "You git yerself started, Half-Pint. Ah'll go see who it is."

"Okay." As the elder mare arthritically made for the front door, the filly focused on the task before her. Then she hastily backpedaled. Focus was what she'd been doing wrong. According to Granny, her special talent hid in some combination of the items before her. She just had to do what felt right.

For a short while, she simply stood still, clearing her mind as during the abortive attempt to become Cutie Mark Crusader Bodhisattvas. Then, she opened a bag of flour and measured out two generous cups into a bowl, followed by a cup of salt. As she got a cup of water from the faucet, some part of her marveled at how her actions seemed automatic, no conscious thought required. Her body simply knew what it was doing, and Little Miss Fancy Pants up in her penthouse apartment in the skull was finally stepping back and letting it.

"Apple Bloom."

She began to stir in the water, a delicate arrangement of hooves, mouth, cup, and spoon. Once the fluid was all added, she kept going, grinning as she felt the mixture begin to exert resistance.

"Apple Bloom?"

Once her jaw began to ache, she extracted the spoon from the doughy paste, then set it down. She turned back to the bowl, but something had gotten in the way. She tried to reach around it, but it twisted to keep blocking her. The pony snorted in frustration. The pieces were coming together. She could feel the tingling on her flanks. How dare this obstruction stand between her and her destiny?

Oh well. Not like she couldn't fix this.

"Apple Bloom!"

"Huh?" The youngest Apple blinked a few times as her conscious mind eased back into the driver's seat. Then she noticed that she was poised to buck, all of her weight on her front hooves. This position, she quickly realized, was highly unstable, and she was about to fall on her rump. Then she did.

She then became aware of a hoof on her forehead and determined its owner. "Ah don't have a fever, Sweetie Belle."

The unicorn withdrew her foreleg. "Just making sure you were you."

"Well who else would Ah be? And when didja git here, anyhow?"

"Your Granny let me in a couple minutes ago. She said it wouldn't make any difference, 'cause you were 'in the zone'."

"Well Ah didn't expect ya t' holler like the nags o' Nightmare were after ya!" Granny Smith tottered into the kitchen. "Land's sakes, child, they heard that one out in Appleoosa!"

Sweetie scratched at the floorboards. "Sorry I got in your way, Apple Bloom."

The earth filly stopped her friend's moping with a hug. "Nothin' t' worry 'bout. Ah don't want nothin' t' do with no cutie mark what'd make me buck one o' mah best friends in th' face."

"You'da done that t' anypony, Bloom," noted her grandmother.

The young unicorn gasped in horror. "That's horrible."

"Naw, that's just earth ponies," Granny shot back. "When Ah was makin' a pie fer th' first time, Ah trampled both o' my brothers an' did'n' even notice 'til th' dang thing was in the oven." The old mare gave a wicked grin. "Still like t' remind 'em they got licked by a filly half their size now an' again. Keeps 'em in check."

By this point, Sweetie Belle was looking from Apple to Apple with mounting nervousness. Seeing this, Apple Bloom quickly asked, "So why'dja come over, anyhow?"

"Oh, right!" The panic drained out of the unicorn, replaced with pride and purpose. "We're gonna be Cutie Mark Crusader World Savers!"

"World Savers!?" The red-maned filly was practically bouncing with excitement. "How, how?"

"First, we need to find Scootaloo."

Apple Bloom nodded. "Well o' course. Cain't be proper Cutie Mark Crusader World Savers 'less'n all three of us 're savin' it. C'mon!"

As the two fillies raced out of the house, Granny Smith shook her head and smiled. Ah, youth. Then she sampled the dough her granddaughter had been working on and frowned perplexedly. "What on Celestia's green earth?"

Scootaloo was having the time of her life. How could she not? She was flying with Rainbow Dash! Okay, technically she wasn't flying under her own power, and maybe Dash wasn't participating in an entirely voluntary sense, but still! Flying! With Rainbow Dash!

Besides, Scoot had perfect control over her flight. Her bond with the loyalty elemental was so close and on such a fundamental level, the living cloud was like an extension of her own body. The manepin turns, the high-G corkscrews, the death-defying dives, it was all just like she'd imagined!

It was all just too exciting. The filly had to shout something. "Hey Dash, I—" She cut herself off. "Where is she?"

Something nudged the elemental in the back. It spun, crackling with energy, but Scootaloo calmed it down with a few judicious head pats. "Hay now, it's okay." The orange foal turned towards the newcomer. "Sorry, my friend here kinda has a hair..." She trailed off as the situation finally registered in her mana-addled brain. "Trigger?"

The duo had apparently bumped into a cloud. Not a living haze of passion and trust, but a puff of water vapor of the sort Cloudsdale cranked out by the dozens. Nonplussed, the young pegasus shrugged. "Huh. That was weird. Well, let's go find Dash."

The elemental gave a thunderous agreement, and the two stormed off. Meanwhile, the cloud supressed a giggle. Who would've thought a fillyhood guilty pleasure would throw stalkers off her trail? She'd have to remember this once she got into the Wonderbolts. Darn ponyrazzi.

Still, for now, Dash could relax. She guided her disguise in a different direction than the one her devotees had taken. Whether through whimsy or exhausted confusion, she whispered, "Beep beep, I'm a cloud."

The clash over the kindness elemental was a study in contrasts. Angel Bunny fought conservatively, relying on agility, resilience, and judicious, prudent thrusts of his lance. Screwball, meanwhile, was a dervish of flailing limbs, flagrant non sequitur, and the sort of maneuvers that would be expected from an overcaffeinated hummingbird. The glowing grub contentedly watched the battle, incapable of understanding either party's hostility (or, indeed, hostility at all.)

Fluttershy wasn't so lucky. She loathed conflict, yet was silently berating herself for asking the rabbit who was almost a son to her to fight in her place. It was always like this. She knew that nature wasn't always cute and cuddly, much as she wished otherwise, and Angel had always been the one upon whom she foisted the duties she simply couldn't bear to do herself. She supposed it wasn't that often, and she could at least hypothetically manage in a pinch, but more often than not, it was Angel to her rescue. Now he was even putting his life on the line simply because she didn't have the stomach to get her own hooves dirty.

No. This would not stand. She was a strong, independent pegasus, and she would assert herself. She would take control of this situation. For Angel's sake. For Eric's sake. For her own sake. She felt the Stare itching to crease itself across her face. The voice of undeniable authority welled in her breast. She took a firm, decisive step towards the fray and—

"Fluttershy! Oh, thank Celestia yer alright!"

Promptly recieved a Pinkie Pie-grade tacklehug from Applejack of all ponies. Biting back a disappointed sigh, the pink-maned mare answered, "Of course I am. It's Angel I'm worried about."

"Angel? Well, where is th' li'l rascal?"

The look Fluttershy gave to this spoke so many volumes, it could've easily contained the complete adventures of Fetlock Holmes. Not trusting her tongue, she simply pointed.

The farmhoof looked and took several seconds to take in the scene before her. "Ah'm guessin' he ain't that big ol' worm."

The pegasus nodded. "He also isn't that strange, horrible, pony-shaped creature."

"Jus' b'tween you an' me, sugarcube, Ah'd watch what Ah'd say 'bout that there pony-shaped creature. Ah dunno th' details, but she's Pinkie's friend."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure she has a lovely personality for an affront to all that should be."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at this. "Uh, Shy? Y' sure yer feelin' okay?"

"I'm fine, really." She glanced at Screwball again, then gasped in horror.

"What is i— Oh, mah stars..."

The pink and purple pony lay impaled before them, Angel's lance emerging from her chest. The runes chewed into the carrot emitted a brilliant radiance that was visibly eating away at the thing of chaos. She looked at the stunned ponies and gave a sad smile. "Hello, Superman. Hello."

With that, she vanished.

Archangel Bunny 4GW
Legendary Creature — Angel Rabbit
Flying, first strike, trample
(gw): Target Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn is indestructible this turn.
Bunnies don't fear the reaper.
4/4