My Little Pony: Friendship of Generations

by ConanLovesThePinkOne

First published 7th of January, 2014

Fifteen years ago, all but one of the mane six died or disappeared. Now, that one must put her faith in a new mane 6, before the force of the dark stars overtakes the land.

Fifteen years ago, the members of the mane six suffered a horrible end. Three of them died horrible deaths, two simply vanished, but one still remains. Now, the last remaining member of the spirits of the Elements of Harmony must put her dwindling faith in the hooves of six new friends as they embark on a journey to save the world from the looming threat of eternal death, darkness, and despair. Only the destined heroes can stop true Oblivion.

S01 E00 - Pre-Season Preview (Prologue)

Author's Notes:

This is the Pre-Season Preview (prologue) of My Little Pony Friendship of Generations Season 01 - The Dark Stars. It precedes the actual story of The Dark Stars and is meant to introduce the story to you, the readers. This is my first My Little Pony FiM-Fiction. It shall be written in episodic style, meaning that every chapter will be like an episode of a show. Each one will be titled as an episode and played out as one. There will be a two-part season opener and a two-part season closer as well. Also, despite what you might think, Fluttershy is NOT the mane protagonist of this story, Star Rider is.

Dear Diary,

It's been a long fifteen years since those horrible incidents, and I still can not understand why they could have ever happened. They all began when one of my best friends, Princess Twilight Sparkle, went missing along with the other three princesses of Equestria; Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. Their sudden and unexplained disappearance put the entirety of Equestria into a state of sheer panic and desperation. We thought it was the end of the world, and that all we had to look forward to now was deep darkness and sorrow the likes of which we had never known.

Fortunately for everypony, someone was willing to step up and rule in their place. Somepony was able to take the throne and the duties of raising the sun and moon, of ruling over the land. Prince Blueblood had recently wed a beautiful unicorn named Aurora Lights. Following the marriage and her ascension to princess-hood, Celestia herself turned her into an Alicorn. A momentous day for sure, but it was that very day that the other princesses disappeared. Twilight, I miss you so much. Where could you have gone to?

It had been weeks later, after the disappearance of Twilight and the others, that the accident happened. Another good friend of mine, Applejack, had begun to fall into sorrow. Her honest nature kept reminding her that she was saddened by the mysterious disappearances, and each time she only got worse and worse. It was Apple Bucking Season, and her mind wasn't on the trees. She bucked a weak one on accident, and the next morning, her brother found what was left of her. The apple tree had fallen on her, crushing her body and causing the flesh to tear and the innards to push their way out.

Big MacIntosh went into a state of depression after this, and the apple trees became quickly neglected. For months he would mope in the barn, until one day Apple Bloom and Granny Smith went in, only to find him hung from the rafters. A note he had left stated that he just couldn't live with the sorrow any longer. If it weren't for her friends, I'm sure Apple Bloom would've begun to think about it herself. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, as well as Granny Smith, helped her stay strong and survive in this unfair world.

It was a month before this all began that Rainbow Dash's dream came true. She graduated from the Wonderbolts Academy and was accepted into the group by Spitfire herself. But with all that had happened, she too fell into a deep depression. It was at that time, during a routine training exercise, that Rainbow accidentally flew into a tornado. The twister threw her into the pointed tip of a nearby buildings weather rod. You think as good of a flier as her could've recovered. I believe her sorrow took away her will to even try. Even someone as strong as Dashie couldn't ignore her pain.

After this, Pinkie Pie left one morning and never came back. She hasn't been seen or heard from since, and nopony knows what happened to her or where she went. Rarity was found in the Everfree Forest around the same time, having been mauled by an unknown beast whilst trying to collect the silk of the star spiders. What we found of her was terrible. What we didn't find of her only made us sick. I couldn't believe all of this had happened.

All of my best friends...dead or missing. I became a recluse after this, staying in my home and crying myself to sleep every night. I tried to end my suffering many times, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. If I had, all my little animal friends would have no one to take care of them. Although my pain was great, and a deep hole had opened itself in my heart, I could not selfishly act on it and leave them all behind like that. It was hard, but I had to stay strong for them, even if all I wanted to do was cry. Even now, fifteen years later, my thoughts are spent on remembering our fun times and the adventures we'd go on. "The friendships we formed would go beyond generations," Twilight once said. Such high hopes crushed so easily.

A few years following Rarity's death, Granny Smith passed away in her sleep. It was the same day that Apple Bloom finally got her cutie mark, a blooming apple flower. We all like to think that she died happy in her old age, even despite all the sorrow her family had gone through. Babs Seed had moved to Ponyville from Manehattan prior to this, along with her sister, to help tend to Sweet Apple Acres. Braeburn and a couple from Appleloosa came as well. Even the other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders lent a hoof whenever needed. They managed to make everything work out for the best, and eventually, a few more members of the Apple family came out from all over Equestria to help in whatever way they could.

Along with Apple Bloom, both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had finally earned their cutie marks as well. They all gained them right around the same time actually. Sweetie's is a musical note similar to that of the concert cellist Octavia Melody. It's so wonderful that she finally realized her natural singing talent. It's all that she had after her sister was killed. Her first performance was a dedication to Rarity with a song written specifically in her honor. She called it "Generous Love". Not a dry eye existed upon hearing it. The sheer beauty and emotion of it was breathtaking.

Then there's Scootaloo. Her cutie mark reminds me so much of Dashie's. A wheel with two lightning bolts and a cloud of dust behind it. Every time I see her, I have to hold back my tears. After Rainbow's death, Scoots found it really hard. Her idol had died. But not only was Dash her idol, but the big sister she never had. Growing up in an orphanage, she didn't have anypony else. So she decided that she would make Rainbow proud, and worked harder than ever to achieve her dream of reaching the clouds. One day, her wings finally sprouted. Tears of joy burst from her eyes as she took off into the skies.

She stopped when she saw a beautiful rainbow, and with a salute to her fallen sister, she vowed to become a Wonderbolt. Since that day, she's become quite an amazing flier. She achieved her dream in all ways, not only joining the Wonderbolts, but taking over after Spitfire's retirement. Every day she flies, she honors her big sisters memory.

Spike never left Golden Oak Library, and still lives there to this day. Unfortunately, I barely see him anymore, and usually only when he sulks past one of the windows. For the most part, he lays inside his little bed and sobs silently to himself as he looks up at the empty bed before him. In the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor remained steadfast and strong, despite the pain of losing not only his sister, but his wife as well. He took charge of the nation with all he had, and lead it to peace and prosperity. Pound and Pumpkin Cake have grown up in this time, and now help their parents run Sugarcube Corner. The two of them are very talented in baking. They even created a new cake recipe in honor of their old foal sitter, Pinkie.

Fifteen long years ago, everything changed. My life was thrown into a tailspin and through a series of horrible events, nothing would ever be the same again. However, only five years ago, hope finally reentered my life. I went to the market to get some cabbage when I met the new owner of the Carasoul Boutique, Grace Storm. She had been appointed as Rarity's assistant, and then took over following Rarity's death. She was with her younger sister Star Rider. Their parents were gone, and Star was raised by her elder sister.

I met and talked to Star Rider, and found that she reminds me so much of the wonderful friends that I lost. She's brave and wild like Dashie, but always smiling like Pinkie Pie. Like Rarity, she's dedicated and hard working, and is smart and studious like Twilight. Whenever anypony needs help, Star is always there, just like Applejack. For some reason, when I got to know her better, my sadness began to subside. It had been ten years of constant pain and misery, but for the first time I felt at peace again.

Maybe it was just me going crazy from all the sorrow I had felt, from losing all of my friends in such a short amount of time. Maybe it was me putting my faith in something because I just needed to. Whatever the reason, I just knew right then that Star would make everything alright again. No more endless crying. No more laying in bed without a hope in the world. No more pain in my heart. From that point on, I pledged to live my life again, and no longer mope around in the past. To my friends who taught me so much about the joys of friendship; of Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, and Magic. To all of you, I thank you sincerely, and I hope you're watching wherever you are.

~Fluttershy

S01 E01 - Rise of the Dark Stars Pt. 1

Author's Notes:

Here it is everypony! Episode one of season one! Let me begin by saying that as I've said before, this is my first MLP fan fiction, and I am doing it in an unusual style. So it may not be my best work, but in the end I will not post anything unless I am proud of how it turns out. This first episode begins the actual story. It connects to the prologue in a few ways, but is meant to go out on it's own as well. I was going to post the two part season premier together, but due to some time constraints and all, I could only get episode one up today (1/10/13). So episode two will be posted next Friday, once again by 6pm. I hope you all enjoy this, as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day.

*****************
5 Years Ago
*****************
The alluring Equestrian sun brightly shines in the center of the noontime sky as the bustling Ponyville Marketplace rings out with overwhelming excitement and jubilance. Ponies of all ages and colors have come out to shop for the freshest foods in all of Ponyville, home grown by the world famous farm families of the land. Amongst these excited ponies perusing the stands is one quiet, yellow mare. A small hand-woven basket held tight in her mouth, she slowly passes through, trying to slip past the everyday ponies without being noticed. However, her triple butterfly cutie mark is quickly recognized, and captures the attention of all around.

Her name is Fluttershy. She is the last remaining member of six destined ponies from ten long years ago who wielded the Elements of Harmony and protected Equestria from numerous threats. And it's been these ten years since she last left her house for any reason. She had fallen into a deep depression following the mortifying loss of her friends, crippling her into becoming a recluse. Many other ponies would do their best to help her get whatever she needed, but never did they ever see her face to face, nor even speak to her once.

Every time one would come to visit the shy young mare, they'd be met with either a note or a grocery list. They were glad to help her get what she needed, but felt sorrowful that she was in such a state. When they brought food to her door, they were greeted by her pet Angel Bunny, who would take the food in and slam the door behind him. Eventually, less and less ponies came. Only a certain few kept up the help, and even they are getting tired of it. Naturally, everypony believed her to never leave her house again. So it comes to no surprise that they stop and stare in shock and awe as she shyly walks through the market.

"Miss....Miss Fluttershy?" a voice calls out to her through the enthusiastic murmurs of the crowd. The shy pony flinches in fear and unease, cautiously turning her neck to look behind her. Standing there is a pegasus pony with a faded purple coat. Her dark purple mane is beautifully styled, and a headband adorns the center of it. Sapphire eyes shine from her face, along with a smile of kindness and joy. Standing nervously behind her is a dark blue pegasus filly, hair striped in black and gold.

Stuttering for a moment, Fluttershy squeaks out and turns away, trying to ignore the ponies as she continues on. However, the two of them begin to follow her, which only increases her unease and fear. What could they possibly want with her? She only wanted to get some food for Angel Bunny, not talk to anyone or anything. Soon she realizes though that they aren't going to give up, and she turns around to face the followers, quietly asking them why they're following her.

The older of the ponies brightens up instantaneously, eyes glimmering with exuberance, as she rushes forth, asking, "Don't you remember me? It's me, Grace Storm. I was Rarity's apprentice ten years ago before her death. I run the Carasoul Boutique now."

Fluttershy is taken aback by the sudden outburst, but smiles out of kindness. She remembers Grace now, but it's been so long she just didn't recognize her. Back when Grace was just a filly, Rarity took her under her wing. The beautiful ivory pony had been looking for an apprentice for a long time. She had considered Coco Pommel at first, but she had become quite the fashionista herself back in Manehattan.

It was during one of her shows that she met Grace, a self-proclaimed super fan. Rarity instantly knew that this young filly would be her apprentice, since Sweetie Belle had no interest in clothing design. After that, Rarity taught Grace everything she knew, and then some. When she died, Grace was heartbroken, but she decided to become the best she could in order to make Rarity proud. Years later she would reopen the Carasoul Boutique and honor her mentor's memory in the most beautiful of ways.

"I never expected to see you out here," Grace exclaims, hugging Fluttershy tightly, "It's been so many years since the last time you left your cottage. Some of us were worried you might not even be alive in there, and we were just running errands for Angel."

As Grace says the word "alive", Fluttershy begins to sulk, tearing up as she falls to the ground. Instantly realizing her mistake, Grace comforts the sorrowful pony and lifts her back up, embracing her in a loving and comforting hug. She releases a minute later, and introduces Fluttershy to her younger sister Star Rider, who is still hiding behind her and trying to avoid direct eye contact.

"You know Miss Fluttershy," Grace warmly says with a smile, "she reminds me of you and your friends from back in those days. It was actually her that spotted you. She got so excited. She idolizes what you all did in the past. Hearing all of your stories, from your defeat of Nightmare Moon to even that time when you stopped the return of the Crystal Empire's former dictator, King Sombra. It seems she's a bit shy right now though. I guess it's because you're actually right here in front of her."

Quietly peering around Grace, Fluttershy meets eyes with the young filly that's been watching her. Star grows red and squeaks as she hides further behind her older sister. After some gentle coaxing from Grace, she proceeds to slowly step out into the view of the mare she idolizes. Looking at the little filly, she sees something she hadn't in such a long time. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and in the soul of this Star Rider, though she can't quite explain why or how, Fluttershy can see hope. Something about her puts this shy pony at ease, and for the first time in many years, she's no longer sad or angry. Everything is alright again, and so with a gentle smile, the pony bearing the spirit of the Element of Kindness greets the filly. Her decision to come out today was no mere conscious thought, it was destiny.

****************
Current Day
****************
The front door of the Carasoul Boutique loudly swings open with a thunderous crash. One by one, boxes of all shapes and sizes, filled with many different types of things, are thrown out haphazardly onto the front porch. A muscular brown stallion stands there and smiles as he begins to load the boxes onto a moving cart along with everything else that's already on it. Two more stallions come from the front of the cart, having just finished securing a couch, and go to assist him. Back inside of the building, a dark blue mare with black and gold hair wipes the sweat from her brow as she finishes throwing the last of her boxes out.

The day has finally arrived. Star Rider is moving out of her sister's house and is going out into the world to be on her own. This is a day she's been awaiting for so long now. And it isn't that she doesn't love her sister, it's just that she doesn't want to be under her care and protection forever. She wants to be able to take care of herself for the first time in her life; to be a responsible young mare. However, while she's more than ready for this huge adventure, her sister sees things quite differently. Trotting up, Grace Storm approaches her younger sister with teary eyes. This is a day she's been dreading.

"Are...are you absolutely sure about this Star? Can't you stay for one more year?"

"You said that last year sis," Star sighs, bringing her hoof up and resting it on her forehead, "and if I did, then you'd just say the same thing next year too. I want to do this. I NEED to do this." She notices that Grace begins to sob as she says this, so with a smile she places a hoof gently around her older sister's neck and adds, "You've always been there for me since mom and dad died, Grace. You watched over me and made sure I always had family to come home to. Even though we'll no longer be in the same house, I promise that I'll always be there for you, sis. We'll always be family."

"O...ok," Grace quietly replies with a warm smile, pulling the young mare into a bone-shattering hug. Despite her sister's unbelievable strength, Star manages to push her way out of the embrace, and smile as she shakes her head. She then reaches her muzzle back and into the saddlebag she's wearing, pulling out a green flier which she gives over to her sister. It advertises the upcoming Flankspeare play that's coming to the Ponyville Playhouse tomorrow night, MacHoof. She assures her sister that no matter what, they're still going together tomorrow, and she'll even spend the entirety of the day with her.

"By the way, did you ever get that big order finished for the toad guy?" Star asks, changing the subject to something she knows will cheer her sister up. And it works. Tears drying at the mention of the order, Grace smiles and laughs a little.

"Star, his name is Sir Frog Finest, not Toad. He's a very important client from Canterlot. But yes, I did complete his order. He picked it up just yesterday while you were at work. He simply loved his outfit for the Gala. Some of my finest work if I do say so myself. Lady Rarity would be proud!"

Chuckling to herself, Star rolls her eyes. Grace has always been this way, very proper and polite. She's always referred to her late mentor with the title of Lady. She even does the same thing with their good friend Fluttershy. Always calling her Miss and everything. To be honest, Star can't understand it. It's not like they're princesses or anything. She finds it a bit annoying, but in the end it's just part of what makes Grace who she is. So with one last hug, Star heads out of the open door of her sister's house, but only until Grace stops her once again.

"Wait Star, I forgot about something! Miss Fluttershy was looking for you. She didn't tell me why, but she seemed rather sad for some reason."

"Oh...well, that's understandable, considering what day it is," Star solemnly tells her sister, head lowering and staring sadly at the floor below, a new sorrow brought to the forefront of her mind. Looking curiously at her sister, Grace decides not to push any further. Instead she just wishes her sister the best of luck in the real world, and tells her to send word when she gets all settled in. Once again, Star rolls her eyes, but agrees to oblige to this simple request as she walks out the doors of the Carasoul Boutique. Standing there are the group of stallions, already hitched to the cart and ready to go. However, now Star has something much more important to take care of before she can even consider going to her new home.

"Hey guys," she says to them as she walks up and hands them each a few bits for their troubles, "thank you so much for all your help. Can you take this all to the new house without me for now? I just remembered that there's something I have to do first. My best friend Bri should be there though. She'll help you guys unload and get everything in. I'll get you all some snacks for afterwards as thanks for all the help."

"Of course, we'll see you there then," the lead stallion tells her before they run off with the cart, leaving the young mare standing there deep in thought. Her smile slowly fades and a singular tear falls from her eyes as she begins to walk in the opposite direction towards the rightfully forbidden Everfree Forest. She's heard the tales of the creatures who live in it. Manticores, cockatrices, even timberwolves. She doesn't even want to imagine what would happen if she ever entered those dark trees. It terrifies her to even consider such a horrible thing.

Trotting on, she changes the focus of her mind to that of what happened three years back, and why this day of all days is so hard for Fluttershy. Of course, it's hard for everypony who happened to know Angel Bunny. His death was sudden and unexpected, which made it so heartbreaking for Fluttershy and everyone else who considered him a friend. Unfortunately it's true that bunnys only live for about twelve years on average. By those standards, Angel lasted a lot longer than he should have. It must have been the love from Fluttershy that propelled him to continue on past his time. He was a strong little bunny.

Star makes her way to Fluttershy's cottage, but quickly realizes that the quiet mare isn't home. So she continues onward, and soon enough arrives at the gates to the Ponyville Pet Cemetery, which Fluttershy herself sanctioned. It's only about two hundred feet from the front gate of the cottage, so it's easy for her to visit it at any time she wishes. She tends to be there a lot these days. Whether it's to visit Harry Bear, Avery the Squirrel, or even Angel, she's always mourning the loss of one of her many friends.

Standing there at the front gate of the cemetery, Star looks out and sees Fluttershy seated among the grave stones, in front of a specific rabbit-shaped one with the words "An Angel Who Has Earned His Wings Rests Now In Heaven". Stepping up, Star takes a seat beside her friend and pulls a carrot from her saddlebag, placing it in front of the tombstone as she too cries tears of bitter sorrow. Looking over, Fluttershy sees her young friend smiling back at her, and gently smiles herself as she unfolds her wing and pulls Star in with it. Her eyes are reddened from all the crying, but she seems overjoyed for her friend to have come to be with her in this time. They embrace, and the older mare thanks her young friend for coming.

"Of course. I miss him too. We all do."

"You know Star," Fluttershy quietly says as she looks into the sky, "you're one of the only ponies I have been able to truly feel comfortable around since the incidents fifteen years ago. Since all my friends either died or disappeared, I've just felt disconnected from everypony else. Then, five years back, destiny pulled me out of my cottage and I met you."

"You've told me before that I remind you of all your old friends. What were they really like? Do the stories do them justice?"

This question seems to turn Fluttershy's mood right around. Her head drops and she begins to mope. Tears fall to the grass below, and the mare refuses to speak any further. Star understands, so she drops the subject. This is obviously something that Fluttershy is still not ready to fully discuss. It's too hard for her to remember them like that. So, looking back at the grave marker, Star smiles and remembers a joke her sister had once told her. She doesn't know if it's quite appropriate right now, but hopes that maybe it'll cheer her friend up anyways, even if just a little.

"You know, when my parents died, Grace told me that if I wished hard enough, I could make their tombstones come to life. She told me that they'll run away in the middle of the night, and then in the morning they'll have returned and be decorated with the most beautiful of flora."

Fluttershy begins to laugh and shake her head as she asks the young mare, "Whoever heard of a living tombstone?"

The two share a great laugh, and Fluttershy once again thanks Star for coming and supporting her during this hard time, and for also cheering her up in the midst of all this sorrow. Star shakes her head and tells Fluttershy that she wants to thank her for thinking of her today and wanting her to join her at the gravesite to honor Angel's memory. Smiling, the two just sit there for a moment, taking a moment of silence for their fallen friend, and all else who have left them in the past. Star then smiles and hugs her friend again before climbing to her hooves and telling her that she unfortunately has to go.

"I'm moving out today, and I have to get to the new house so I can help Bri and the stallions unload everything. I'm holding a party to break the new house in though. It's next week and you're definitely invited. Pound and Pumpkin will be catering it, so you know it's gonna be good."

In the north-west end of town, far away from the pet cemetery, a small but beautifully built house stands. A white picket fence surrounds it and a small garden sits beside the front porch. A couple trees sit in the yard, providing some great shady spots for relaxation. The front door of the house is wide open, propped by a rock so that the movers don't have to keep opening and closing it. The stallions themselves are carrying a few boxes into the house, and along with them is a wild looking young mare with a light blue coat and thick hair of pink and purple. She wears a dark blue outfit with red designs that appears to be made of a loose and breathable material.

The strength of this little mare is unbelievable. As she walks backwards into the house, she balances a heavy chair on her back while at the same time pulling a large wheeled table, on which sits about six boxes, by a single rope in her mouth. She brings it all in and sets everything up the best she can, a grin spread across her face as she wipes the sweat from her brow. An audible laugh escapes her as she heads back out and returns to continue helping.

As she returns to the cart, ready to carry more in, a voice begins to call out to her. She turns her head to see her friend running towards her from the south-east. She laughs again and rushes out to meet Star half-way. The two reach each other within record time and embrace with laughter and joy. It's been a long while since the last time they saw each other after all. So, stepping back, Star smiles and asks her, "How was the trip to Mustangia, Bri? Have fun? Meet anypony new?"

"Oh, it was bloody brilliant!" Bri replies with a loud, booming laugh, "I 'aven't had this much fun in a long time! It was definitely a lot better than Manehattan for sure! But I swear to ya Star. There was this barmy bird there. Her eyes were all screwy and all. But enough about that, it's fantastic to see you again!"

Briance Happer is an adventurous young mare with a wild, carefree attitude. She came to Ponyville about five years ago from Trottingham. It happened shortly after Star and Grace met Fluttershy at the market. Bri is known for sometimes leaving her home for weeks and weeks at a time just so that she can travel to different parts of Equestria for the sheer adventure of it. She always packs light, and goes for the journey, not the destination. One time she even went to the Tenochtitlan Basin and ended up meeting the famous A.K. Yearling herself. Of course, Bri was more interested in exploring the mysteries of the vast forests than talking to an author.

Star actually met her completely by chance. She was on her way home from work one day when the energy-filled mare nearly ran her over. They talked for a short time, as Bri was on her way out of town at the time, and they found that they have a lot in common with each other. For example, both of them adore the stories of the six legendary ponies from fifteen years ago. However, Star shares equal respect for all of them. Bri seems to hold the most love for the former owner of the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie. And though she's embarrassed to admit it, it's actually why she began traveling in the first place.

Bri has this belief that if she travels to every known part of Equestria, all of the unknown parts, and everywhere beyond, she'll eventually find the pink party pony who ran away fifteen years ago and hasn't been seen or heard from since. She dreams of one day locating and meeting her hero, and honestly, Star can hardly blame her. Eventually, Bri had gained a love for adventuring itself, and though she definitely hasn't forgotten about her search for Pinkie, she now tries to focus on enjoying herself instead. Hoping and believing that if and when destiny wills it, she'll find Pinkie when the time is right.

"Mustangia itself was brill! I tell ya mate, you need to go with me one of these days! An adventure with you at my side would be fantastic! I haven't explored Hollow Shades yet, or Saddle Arabia. Ooh, maybe we could go to the Frozen North and do some exploration there, what do ya say!?"

"I say we focus on this right now," one of the stallions suddenly grunts, capturing the attention of the two mares. They laugh as they continue to help unload the cart and get all of Star's things inside. They can worry about the specific arrangements of everything later. Right now their only mission is to get everything into the house. As the two continue to assist the stallions, Bri suddenly brings up the big play going on tomorrow, and mentions the specific star of the production, Sevulva Star, who is set to arrive in Ponyville sometime today.

"But there's also that mare playing Lady MacHoof," Star says with excitement, "I heard she portrays the character wonderfully! She's said to be the most beautiful stage actress in all of Canterlot you know."

"Oh, I know love. I've heard the stories too," Bri laughs as she pulls in Star's couch by herself. With the two of them helping the stallions, they finish unloading the cart fairly quickly. A hard days work completed in such a short time. As promised, Star goes to one of her boxes and pulls out party bowls she made especially for the movers this morning. Filled with fresh vegetables and fruits, there's an amazing assortment. She gives each of the stallions a bowl, then hands one to Bri as well. She takes one for herself last, wishing to make sure there's enough for everypony else first.

Smiling, the young mares go to the front porch to rest, and take a seat on the chairs set up specifically for that reason. The sun above them has begun to shyly hide it's face behind some passing clouds, leaving just enough light without being too bright. The two of them enjoy their snack and catch up with each other as time ticks on by. Star learns that while Bri was in Mustangia, she met this interesting guy who was there on business. According to her, his name was Fancy Pants, and he was an older stallion but very refined and still quite lively for his age.

As they continue to chat amongst themselves, the stallions have begun to prepare to leave. But before they can, a purple pony with berries on her flank suddenly runs through screaming her head off. At first none of them understand her, but she runs through again, yelling out that Sevulva Star, the famous stage actor who only minutes ago Star and Bri were talking about, has finally arrived in Ponyville.

Now of course, neither of the two mares or any of the stallions believe her at first. This is Berry Punch after all, the town drunk. She's done more than her fair share of running about and yelling random things for no apparent reason. But when they really stop to think about it, this is a rather big piece of news. Sevulva's coming to Ponyville has been talked about for weeks now, and it doesn't seem like the kind of thing somepony would shout out in an inebriated stupor.

A moment later, they soon realize that Berry hadn't been just spouting her usual nonsense as they had originally thought. For over the hill in the road just beyond the house now comes the stallion himself. Grey coat, black and white hair, and a black vest and cape. 2000 bit glasses cover his eyes, and it's more than apparent that this is Sevulva Star himself. He carries himself with a smugness as he trots on, the kind of attitude one would find in the snobbiest of Canterlot ponies.

The two of them drop their party bowls and rush in to join the increasingly growing crowd that's surrounding the sides of the street. Sevulva seems to ignore them as he passes by. He is followed closely by a couple of large stallion guards, both unicorns. Their horns are aglow with magic already, so it's best not to even try and get any closer. Star turns to her friend and gleefully mentions that a few years back she and Grace managed to get tickets to a performance of his that was playing on Bridleway in Manehattan called A Summer Sunrise Night's Dream.

Smirking back at Star, Bri flaunts the fact that she had seen his very first performance back when she was a young filly. She tells Star that it was The True Tragedy of Trotter III. Laughing hysterically at their one-upmanship, the two watch on as Sevulva just continues to walk by, ignoring the cheering fans and everypony who he considers to be beneath him. Once again, Star thinks of the pretentious Canterlot snobs she had heard of and seen before.

The two of them are about to head back to the house when suddenly, a blood curdling scream rings out through the air, breaking the excitement of all the ponies around and causing them to look around in confusion and shock. That's when they notice Sevulva. He's fallen to his flank, as have all the guards following him. His glasses have slipped from his face and he stares wide-eyed at the sky above, pointing up in absolute terror. Soon, ponies all around begin to look up at the sky, towards where he's pointing, and scream as well.

At first, both Star and Bri are confused as to what's going on. However, they too look up to the sky, and instantly understand the terror filling the hearts and minds of everypony that is now running throughout town screaming. In the center of the sky, right in front of the sun, sits a black star. A dark light seems to emanate from it, giving off the most eerie and unsettling of glows. At that moment, more black stars begin to seemingly appear out of nowhere, covering the entirety of the sky. The ponies of Ponyville panic worse than before, running about and trying to hide from whatever horrible disaster is on the horizon. Star and Bri just stand there, eyes as wide as dinner plates, before the former of the two lets out a scream of her own.

S01 E02 - Rise of the Dark Stars Pt. 2

Author's Notes:

Hey everypony! This is it, episode 2! Remember to check out the adjoining website http://mylittleponyfriendshipofgenerations.webs.com/ for all character biographies and more! I hope you enjoy the second part of the season opener. Episode 3 will be posted on Friday January 24th by 6pm est time.

A couple days following the arrival of the dark stars, Star and Bri move around the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library at an amazing speed. Various books of all sizes and genres swiftly fly from the shelves, thrown haphazardly into the air by the two mares as they search for the one book they need. Each book creates a loud thud as it hits the floor. Some flip open, and the piles continue to grow minute after minute. When Star awoke this morning, she had no idea what they were going to do. All hope seemed lost since the stars blacked out the sky. Luckily, Bri had come up with a brilliant idea; to come here to the library and search for the information needed to hopefully help stop this mortifying event. Star can't help but agree that it truly is a wonderful plan, but being here in this old tree just makes her uneasy. Once called the Golden Oak Library, it used to be the home of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Being here now makes her feel so sad.

Shaking her head, Star returns her focus to why they came. They need to find as much information on these dark stars as possible. If they can help the princess in even the smallest of ways, they'll be happy. She can't explain it, but for some reason she feels that it's her duty as a citizen of Equestria to help out, especially with everypony else locked in a constant stare of paralyzing fear. Few have left their homes these past couple days, and most of the businesses in town have closed down. Some ponies have gone around and broken into some of the shops, stealing goods as if it were the end of the world as they know it. Ponyville has become a shadow of it's former self, and if things continue to degrade at the speed they are, it shall cease to exist at all.

"So," Bri curiously asks, her Trottingham accent cutting into Star's ears like a white hot knife, "what kind of book do you think this information will be in? Also, where's that lil' bugger Spike? Doesn't he live 'ere? He could be helping us find it."

"Look for a book called Ancient Equestrian Legends. I read it a long time ago, and if I remember right, it has a legend in it covering these dark stars. As for Spike, I'm not sure where he is. Whenever someone comes to the library these days, he usually goes off and hides. The incidents fifteen years ago turned him into a recluse. He did lose his best friend Twilight, as well as the love of his life, Rarity."

"He loved Rarity?"

"According to Fluttershy, he was obsessed over her," Star tells her friend as she shuffles through the books on a low shelf before heading up a ladder to reach some higher ones, "he would do anything for her. Nowadays he just mopes and hides. At least Owlowicious left after Twilight disappeared. He went about his life, and chose not to wallow in despair."

At that moment, a reference guide to Canterlot royalty flies past Star's head, nearly hitting it dead on. Surprised, she falls back off the ladder, hitting the floor with a thud louder than that any of the books had previously made. In an instant, Bri stops what she's doing and is by her friend's side, helping her back up as she profusely apologizes for nearly decapitating her with knowledge. Star shakes the whole thing off, however, and moves on. That's when she sees it. Directly in front of her, on a near-empty shelf, sits the one book she had been hoping to find. While everything else is already piled on the floor around them, now they have exactly what they need to help stop this terrible threat.

Grabbing it excitedly, Star flips open the cover and scans each and every page enthusiastically, hoping to quickly find the right legend that she remembered reading once as a filly. Bri looks on in keen interest while simultaneously trying to avoid getting in Star's way. She knows that this could very possibly be the key to saving everypong from this eerie and mysterious threat that's plaguing their land right now. She doesn't want to mess anything up, but her curiosity is getting the better of her. She wants to know what it says, and how these dark stars came to be.

"Eureka! I've found it!" Star shouts at the top of her lungs, giving her friend a scare. Stopping on one of the pages, she begins to read aloud, "One thousand years prior to Equestria's founding, on the very day that would become known as Hearth's Warming, there was a great and terrible event that threatened the entirety of the known world. Without warning, our peaceful skies were encapsulated by stars as black as death itself. They seemed to glow eerily during both daytime and night. During the day, they would block out our light and warmth, and would plunge the land into indescribable fear and pure, unadulterated darkness when the sun fell for the night. Our world quickly became a cold and desolate wasteland. Plantlife soon began to die, and so did the ponies who required them for life. It seemed as though the entire world was at it's demise, but the dark stars then disappeared as quickly as they came. No one knows how they were stopped, but their origin has been talked about by many through the ages. It is said that they come from a spell of the darkest magic known to ponykind; a dark magic cast by the most powerful of unicorns. One who had forgone his own morality for the sheer power he now posessed. His name was Antonin Sevulva Star. They say that when the dark stars disappeared, he went with them."

"Is...is this serious?" Bri quietly asks, trying to look over her friends shoulder at the page. She wants to be absolutely sure that she didn't mishear anything. Shaking her head, Star can hardly believe it herself. This legend tells them so much. This Antonin Sevulva Star; he must be the ancestor of the very same Sevulva Star that now resides her in Ponyville. But one thing still bothers her. The pony mentioned in the legend is a unicorn, and Sevulva is an earth pony. Then there's the question about how no one discovered this before. Sevulva is the most famous stage pony in all of Canterlot, possibly all of Equestria. With the fans he has gained, wouldn't someone have discovered this already? It just doesn't add up. Not to mention, he was as terrified as everypony else, maybe even more so. Sevulva was the first to notice the dark stars, and he gave the most mortifying, blood-curdling scream she's ever heard.
How could he have faked something like that? There's more to this story, there has to be.

Suddenly, Star notices a small note hoof-written on the bottom of the page, saying "See Elements of Harmony." She reads this over a couple of times, wanting to make sure she truly read it right. So without another second of hesitation, she flips rapidly through the large book until she finally locates the section that discusses the magical elements which have been lost for such a long time now.

She begins reading the first paragraph to herself, and by the time she finishes the entire section, her eyes have widened and mouth has dropped. This is impossible. Bri cheerily trots back up to her and tries to peer over her at the pages. However, she isn't able to properly see at the angle she's in, so instead asks Star to read it aloud, so that she too can know what it says and understand why her friend seems so shocked.

"The sixth Element of Harmony, the Element of Magic," Star begins to read at the third paragraph in, "is noted by many to be the most elusive and powerful element of them all. There are some who even claim that it doesn't exist. However, there is one element even more rare than that. There are legends throughout history that have told of a seventh Element of Harmony. It is said to transcend the power of all the others combined. Nopony knows what kind of magic this mysterious seventh element holds, and it's existence has never been confirmed even by the least reliable of sources. It remains just a legend."

After reading it, she suddenly sees another note. This one is written on the pages margin and is so small that it requires her to squint her eyes just so she can make it out. She quickly reads aloud, "Since I became a princess, I have poured everything I have into using my newly acquired connections so that I can locate any and all information possible on this seventh Element of Harmony. As of writing this, I have unfortunately been unsuccessful. However, I do believe that somehow it may relate to an old legend regarding dark stars. It's said that the dark stars will herald the beginning of true evil's return. A force more powerful than that of Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Nightmare Moon, and Discord combined will cast it's shadow upon the earth. The legend also states that a famous Star will be the key to everything, for when he arrives in a land that is not his own, the destruction of the world shall occur. I do not yet know what this means. I have to do more research."

Star quietly stares at the note from Princess Twilight Sparkle, feeling as if she were in the middle of a horrible nightmare. Surely this can't be real. Dark stars, an ancient evil returning, what could this all mean? Why is this even happening? Especially now, after so much peace and prosperity. She sets the book down and looks over to Bri, who still seems confused by all of this information, telling her, "We have to find Sevulva Star as quickly as possible. I don't know for sure if he's behind this, but he has to know something. This says that a famous Star will be the key when he arrives in a land not his own. This has to refer to Sevulva. He's a Canterlot stage actor who just arrived in Ponyville. It fits perfectly."

Bri nods and follows her now determined friend as she runs out the open door of the library, leaving behind the huge mess of books they made on the floor. It's only around three in the afternoon, yet Ponyville is darker than night because of the dark stars invading the skies. They've multiplied to such a degree that they blocked out the vast majority of the entire sky, allowing no real light to shine through. Underneath them, it's all become dark and terrible. The streets have become deserted, and as both mares run throughout the town, not a soul can be seen around. As they pass through the streets, they check every one of the hotels and inns that Ponyville has to offer, and considering the small size of the town, it isn't very many. However, they have no luck in finding Sevulva at any of them. It's at that point that they reach the final hotel the town has, the Hay & Stay near Sugarcube Corner. Their frustration growing, they burst in through the doors.

The lobby is as deserted and quiet as the streets outside. There's only one pony around, the concierge, who is standing behind the counter to their left. He doesn't bother to even smile as the two turn to look at him, and instead he quietly asks them why they're here, and if they plan to steal something as well. Star and Bri look at each other, worried expressions spread across their faces, and begin to slowly trot toward the timid-looking stallion. Glaring at them, he shies away as they approach, so Star decides it best to just skip the pleasantries at this point. Walking around the counter itself, she gets into the stallions face and demands to know if Sevulva is staying here while in Ponyville.

"You...you're here for him? Well...um...yes, he is staying here. But he said that he doesn't like visitors. He, uh, told me not to let anypony know his room number. He doesn't want to be disturbed."

"Listen you idiot!" Star yells out suddenly, her frustration having poured out of her in pure anger, "Sevulva Star might just hold the key to stopping these dark stars! More than just Ponyville is in danger here! More than even all of Equestria! The last time this happened, the entire world nearly got wiped out! Now you WILL tell me where he is, one way or the other!"

Cowering back from the infuriated mare, the concierge slowly passes her a keycard to the lavish Royalty Suite on the tenth floor of the hotel. She grabs it from his hoof and nods before bolting to the nearby elevator, Bri closely following behind her. The two soon reach the tenth floor and walk out of the elevator, finding themselves in the middle of two long-stretched hallways. They walk down the one to their left, but the key doesn't seem to work for any of the suites there, so they quickly go down the opposite hall, finding the correct room rather quickly. Star inserts the keycard into the door and turns the handle, pushing it open with great force. The two of them then proceed to storm into the room, finding the stage actor seated there, a surprised look on his face. In his hooves rests an old diary. Worn and tattered, it's binding is weak and it has a faded star on the cover. Though it seems somehow familiar, they are hardly interested in Sevulva's reading preferences. Their only goal right now is to find out the truth.

"What...what do you think you're doing! Barging into my room like this! I told that concierge that I didn't want guests!" Sevulva cries out, his voice echoing with a combination of immense fear and surprise. His mane is unkempt and his glasses are haphazardly thrown upon the bed on the other side of the suite. Somehow he seems different than when he first arrived. With all the glam and glimmer gone, he seems just like any other stallion.

"We're here because we know about the dark stars, and your families connection to them!" Star furiously shouts back, her patience having already been worn thin. Storming up to the confused stallion, she grabs the collar of his satin cloak and pulls him up to her face as she continues, "we know that your ancestor Antonin originally created these stars with his dark magic! And we know that you know something about their return!"

"What in Aurora's name are you talking about!?" Sevulva asks in desperation, managing to escape Star's grasp and back up against the wall of the room, "I...I have no idea who this Antonin is, or why these black stars are even here! I'm just as terrified and confused about all this as anypony could possibly be right now!"

"Don't you dare lie to us, you bloody idiot!" Bri suddenly yells out, stomping forward as she seems to mimic the anger her friend had shown. Star looks to her in surprise, as she's never been confrontational in the slightest, despite her being obnoxiously outgoing.
That's why she chose to do it instead. She had hoped that Bri would be the sort of good cop in this interrogation, and that she'd be the bad one. However, the light blue pony glares into the eyes of the scared stallion and continues, "we did our research! We know that Antonin was corrupted with his power, and that 'e used it to form the dark stars! He used his advanced knowledge of magic in the most terrible of ways and almost destroyed the entire world! Somehow he was stopped, and though we don't know how, we won't let you get away with this! We know you're the one behind this!"

"Um...wow Bri, that was...well," Star quietly says, struggling to find the right words to express her thoughts on that completely surprising outburst from her friend. Bri smiles with pride in herself as she backs away from Sevulva, causing Star to raise a hoof to her face and shake her head. She knows that Bri had been speaking out of a wish to be useful, but she knows it's true. Deep down she too feels that Sevulva has to be behind all of this. Focusing back on Sevulva, she watches as his head bows low. Despite him now facing the floor, Star can easily see the wild smirk spreading. An aura begins to glow around him, and he looks up at the two, eyes turned a bright, glowing red. The two instantly go into a defensive stance and watch to see what he does.

"How impressive, you figured it all out. And here I thought that I had given my best performance yet. I guess even acting skills as polished and refined as mine are no match for proper research. Congratulations, my little ponies. You're completely correct. But ask yourself this one little question before you run off to celebrate. What can two little mares like you do to stop me?"

Suddenly, the aura around him begins to grow, and a strange magic emanates from his very body, despite him being an earth pony. Star and Bri feel their bodies forced downward, and though they try to fight against it, they soon find themselves forced to bow in petulance before him. As Sevulva stands there, laughing psychotically, he decides to appease their curiosity and explain his actions.

"So you want to know why I'm doing all of this, do you? Why have I chosen to bring back the dark stars after my ancestor was stopped, and how did I even do it? Why today of all days? Well, allow me to enlighten you two. You see, today is the anniversary of when Antonin created the dark stars. Since his downfall, my family has been working to bring his dark plans to fruition, but in the thousands of years since then, not one has been able to reach his level of dark magic, until me that is. Today I shall use the magic passed down to me to finally finish his work and cleanse this impure world! I will destroy it and begin anew, ruling over the new earth myself! No one, not even your precious Princess Aurora can stand against me! I worked these past fifteen years to achieve this! I got rid of those perky princesses! I swatted all those who could have opposed me! I am too powerful for anypony to stop now! You see girls, there is a reason for the outlawing of dark magic. It's strengthened and controlled by fear, and is easily the strongest power known to ponykind! The more fear that the pitiable low-class ponies like you show, the stronger I shall become! Now, let's see exactly how terrified I can make you."

Sevulva prepares to attack when suddenly, the door to his room bursts in once again, this time blown straight off of it's hinges.
Flying across the room, it smashes hard against the opposite wall and lands with a huge thud on the carpet. Star and Bri fearfully look towards the doorway as four other ponies rush into the room, none of them recognizable to the two of them. Sevulva watches in interest with raised eyebrow as they step forward. The leader of them is a stallion who's coat is a slightly different shade of dark blue than Star's. His mane is red and gold and flows wildly behind him. He dons the official Canterlot royal guard's armor, so breathing a sigh of relief, Star realizes that this indeed is one of Princess Aurora's guards.

To his direct left is another stallion. Not as heavily built as the guard, he is still quite strong looking. His coat is dark red, which matches his mane. He wears a blue vest and has a horn protruding from his forehead; a unicorn. He has a confident look on his face and seems like the type of pony who's willing to do whatever it takes. On the guards opposite side is a little filly. Young in age, she has a light brown coat with orange and black hair. A scarf is wrapped around her neck, and beside her stands the final of the four intruders. This one has a light blue coat and is a pegasus. His black and blue hair is slicked back and he has a small goatee on his chin. He has a racing suit on and is as eager to get things done as the dark red unicorn.

"Princess Aurora says otherwise, foul villain!" the guard says as he steps forward towards Sevulva, "there is no power in the world stronger than hope, and by the orders of her majesty, we shall give that hope to the world in this time of need!"

The unicorn breaks Sevulva's spell of petulance, releasing both Star and Bri, who quickly run to join the four ponies standing against the enemy. The young filly smiles at the two before growing serious again, staring daggers into Sevulva's eyes. His smile has faded, and he now glares angrily at the six ponies who are confronting him. His nostrils flare and eyes grow brighter than ever. Smirking, he then summons up more magic and locks the six into place, preventing them from moving as he laughs menacingly and slowly walks over to the large window. With ease, he bucks and smashes the glass, letting the light of the dark stars enter the suite.

Watching in terror, the six see the dark stars energy come in through the window in a physical state and envelop the stallion standing there. It seems to cover him in a coat of pure darkness, surrounding his entire body until it transforms him in a horrifying way. He is no longer the prim and proper Canterlot pony they all knew him to be. Instead, Sevulva Star stands there, changed by the power of the dark stars into the most menacing of forms. His grey coat had darkened to pure black, and his eyes have become demon-like. Fangs have replaced his teeth, his mane flows with the pure essence of shadow, and a horn has grown on his head. He has become one with the energy of the dark stars. With a wild laugh, he then expels a great shockwave of pure energy, and at once the entire hotel explodes.

Releasing a terrified scream, Star covers her eyes expecting the worse. However, nothing seems to happen. She still seems to be alive, and now can even feel a cool wind blow through her mane. Opening her eyes and quieting her voice, she realizes that she's safely on the grass outside, looking right in front of her at the ruins of what used to be the Hay & Stay hotel. All around her are confused looking ponies, wondering what happened. Among them are Bri and the other four, all safe and recovering. She even sees the timid concierge. As she begins to ask them all how they made it out of there alive, Star suddenly sees the magnificent form of an alicorn approaching her. Princess Aurora walks up with a gentle, calming smile and asks the young mare if she's alright. Freaking out, Star bows before her, but the princess raises her back up with a chuckle.

"Princess Aurora! It's such an honor to meet you!" she yells out in shock, trying to bow again. She then thinks about Sevulva Star and looks back at the ruins of the hotel, wondering what could have happened. The princess seems to understand and gets serious, sighing as she too looks at the ruins.

"Sevulva has unfortunately escaped. I couldn't stop him and save everypony at the same time. I felt that your lives were more important."

Nodding, Star understands. She can see that everyone is alright, and it warms her to know that no one died from the explosion. That's when she notices it. Looking up to the sky, Star sees that it's returned to normal. The dark stars are gone, and the light of day has returned to Ponyville. Everypony else soon realizes this as well, and all begin to mutter amongst themselves. Approaching Star and the princess, Bri looks around and asks what happened to the dark stars.

"When Sevulva absorbed the power of the dark stars, he absorbed them as well. It's been his family's goal for generations, and he has been the only one to become strong enough to achieve it. He has become something beyond the realms of the living and the dead. His evil has transcended that of anything Equestria has seen before," Princess Aurora explains, pacing back and forth, "I would've come here sooner, but I had to help those in Canterlot as well. Luckily, I was able to send my captain and the others here to assist you both, Star Rider and Briance Happer."

"You know who we are?" Star asks in surprise.

"I know a lot more than that. There is a prophecy that dates back to before the time of the Celestial Sisters that I believe refers to the six of you. You are destined to stop Sevulva and the dark stars once and for all. It's up to you to save the world."

"Wow," Bri responds, sitting down on the grass as she contemplated this for a moment, "so then...we're like the new version of the six ponies who wielded the Elements of Harmony all those years ago? Blimey, we ARE the new six. That's it! We have to work together to stop this bugger from destroying the world! There's so many places I have yet to explore!" Chuckling, the princess shakes her head and motions to the four ponies she sent to help Star and Bri, introducing them.

"This is Agelian Wingblade," she tells them as she motions towards the light blue pegasus who's cutie mark is shown to be a checkered flag, "he is a racer from Cloudsdale. He has faith and loyalty that will serve you well."

Pointing next to the young filly, Princess Aurora introduces her as, "Chupa Cabra, a young filly in Cheerilee's class at the Ponyville schoolhouse. She is peaceful and kind, and will help you to better understand how powerful of a weapon this can be."

"Next is Devlin Speedster, a unicorn who spends his days in Ponyville helping others out and doing what he can. He rarely uses magic, and instead will work his hardest to make sure everypony is happy. His determination and honesty will make him a valuable ally to anypony."

The princess then reaches the final of the four, the guard who took charge back in the suite. He's removed his helmet and shows the princess a proper, respectful bow. Smiling, Princess Aurora introduces him as, "Terra Lionmane, the captain of my elite royal guard. He may be just a simple earth pony, but his honor and valiance will make sure that he always serves his land with the greatest of his ability. He has the leadership that will lead you all to victory in whatever troubles may come."

"And then there's the two of you," she says, now looking to Star and Bri with a bright, warm smile that seems to embrace them, "Briance Happer. You are a beautiful spirit who loves to travel. Yet you hide insecurity and fear of the unknown behind a mask of bravery. Do not listen to Sevulva. Your fear is nothing to be ashamed of, it shows how caring and compassionate you truly are. You, my dear Briance, embrace adventure. You embrace the very spirit of bravery; doing what is right despite being afraid."

"Then there's you, Star Rider. You dream of ponies from the past. You wish hard that you can be half the pony that they were, and you honor their memories every day. You are a wonderful mare Star Rider, filled with positive thoughts and the greatest of generosity. When others feel sorrow, you cry with them. When they cheer in joy, you jump up and down to celebrate. You embrace the feelings of your fellow ponies, and love them like no other. You are the friend everypony needs in this dark time."

Turning, the princess then smiles and unfurls her wings, prepares to fly off and help the rest of Ponyville and all of Equestria recover from the recent events. However, before she leaves, she turns back to the six of them and says that if they are to truly stand a chance against this great evil, they must find the long lost Elements of Harmony that disappeared fifteen years ago at the same time as the four princesses. A final smile spreads across her face as she wishes them luck, taking off and leaving them all behind to contemplate their futures.

So much to take in at once. The famous stage actor they idolized is an evil pony consumed by the power of the dark stars. He wants to take over the entirety of the world, and easily has the ability to do so. And now they find out that they're the only ones who can stop him, but they have to find six magical elements that haven't been seen in over a decade. Stepping forward, Terra places his hoof out and tells them that whoever is with him in saving the world, they should do the same. One by one, the other four walk forward and place their hooves into the circle, then all turn to stare at the still contemplating Star Rider. Thoughts of her sister come to her. If she does this, she might have to put it before her family, before everything. She knows Grace will understand, but can she handle this? Can she handle putting everything else aside when it calls for it? Can she leave behind her entire life to stop this threat? Yes, she can. Placing her hoof in with the others, she smiles and knows that their journey has just begun.

S01 E03 - The Honorable Way

Author's Notes:

It's here everypony, episode three! The first episode after the season premier! Now, let me explain something quickly. This episode may not be fully complete. I have an adviser who views the episode after it's posted and gives me detailed feedback. I will make little edits here and there depending on what he says about the episode. I will however let everypony know in the comments when an episode is updated. Also, remember to check the official My Little Pony: Friendship of Generations website for up to date biographies and more! Enjoy the episode :D

http://mylittleponyfriendshipofgenerations.webs.com/

The sun begins to fall under the horizon, drawing another peaceful day to a close. Most ponies have gone home for the night, spending time with their families and relaxing until bed time. However, one stallion with a dark yellow coat and brilliant orange mane is just now heading out. Walking out the door of his shop, he smiles as he locks up and turns to head back to his wife and newborn son. As he starts to trot along the road, a sudden noise captures his attention. He looks around for a moment, but sees nothing and figures it's just a small animal scurrying about. So with a chuckle, he continues on home as he thinks about the days sales and how tomorrow will go.

As the shop owner walks out of sight, a mysterious pony clothed in a tight black latex suit and a mask steps out from behind the building. He's of average size for a stallion, strong built but not over-muscled. His eyes glow a deep red from behind the mask, and he shows no emotion as he slowly approaches the front door of the store. Pulling out a lockpick from his saddlebag, the stallion gets to work, quickly unlocking the door and opening it. He lets out a slight chuckle and walks into the shop, coming back out a few minutes later with a sack filled with bits; his biggest score in Ponyville yet. As quickly as he arrived, he then vanishes with the money, leaving the door wide open, and a cobalt gem laying on the floor.

The very next morning, as the blue birds chirp beautifully in the sun-lit sky, Terra Lionmane trots throughout the town, watching with a ready eye for any signs of trouble. Since he arrived in Ponyville on Princess Aurora's orders, he decided that he'll be in charge of making sure everything and everyone remains peaceful and calm. With the looming threat of Sevulva Star and his dark stars on the horizon, he cannot let panic and fear sweep over this quaint little town. It would only cause to help the villainous pony. So he patrols the streets with vigor and eagerness, knowing that whenever troubles arise, he will be there to put a stop to them.

Then arises the problem of Sevulva Star himself. Since he blew up the Hay & Stay hotel that night, he disappeared and hasn't been seen or heard from at all. The dark stars haven't been seen anywhere in Equestria, and no sign of their influence has been noted by anypony. Everyone knows who he really is now, but the question still remains of how no one knew before hand. Even his most loyal fans never put together his connections with Antonin. This has confused the stallion this entire time. It makes no sense at all. But right now he can't focus on the issues with the legend connecting to the present. He has to focus on protecting Ponyville. He can determine the next move against Sevulva Star later, when he is with the other five destined ponies.

A sigh escaping him, Terra trots down the street by a small, homely-looking shop as he looks out for any signs of trouble. Suddenly, he hears an exasperated shout and angry sobbing that seems to be coming from within the shop itself. So, determination etched on his face, he decides to investigate. Walking forth, he cautiously enters the threshold of the building and sees only two ponies inside. The first of them is a stallion with a dark yellow coat and orange hair. He's seated on the ground and is angrily crying into his hooves while yelling out obscenities. Beside him stands a middle-aged police mare, taking notes on what the stallion is saying through his tear-filled screams of rage. As Terra continues towards them, the mare turns to see him and smiles slightly. Putting away her notepad, she approaches the guard and welcomes him with a worried expression.

"What's going on here?" Terra asks as he looks behind the mare to whom he can only assume is the owner of the shop. Sighing, she looks back at the owner as well, then shakes her head and explains.

"Sweet Deal here claims that his shop was broken into overnight. He says that when he came to open up this morning, he found the door wide open and both the cash register and the safe in the back emptied of all their money," the police mare tells him as she eyes his impressive, shined armor. Terra brings his hoof up and rests it on his lower lip, looking around the store inquisitively. He then asks the mare if he can scope the place out for anything that might clue him in to the identity of the perpetrator.

"Actually, Mr. Deal already found something that might be useful. It's a cobalt gem, and he says it was right in the middle of the floor when he arrived. Perhaps it's the criminal's calling card?"

"A cobalt? I've never once heard of anypony leaving behind something like a gem as their calling card. Something like that would be considered too priceless to use for a purpose like that."

"It's not only that, but this is actually the second robbery I've investigated this month alone. Ponyville is normally such a peaceful place, but on top of it all, I've heard of other cities across Equestria that have been having problems with strings of thefts too. They seemed to start in Los Pegasus and even occurred in places like Manehattan and Fillydelphia."

"That is certainly strange. Well then miss...oh, I didn't seem to get your name, did I?" Terra says, extending his hoof to the mare, "My name is Terra Lionmane, the former captain of the elite royal guard in Canterlot. I was stationed here in Ponyville by Princess Aurora when the dark star incident happened, and have been here ever since."

"Oh, I already knew who you were, Mr. Lionmane. You're not exactly an unknown. You can call me Officer Siren Sweeper. I'm the mare in charge of the Ponyville Police's larceny division. It's great to have someone such as you watching over the town. As for this case, I've got everything I needed from Mr. Deal here, so I have to return to the station and file this case. Can I trust you to take things over from here?"

With a salute to the officer, Terra speaks out with conviction, "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Shaking her head with a smile spread across her face, Officer Siren Sweeper trots out of the shop and heads in the direction of the Ponyville Police Station. Turning, Terra walks up to Sweet Deal and assists him into getting back into a standing position. Smiling, he then asks the stallion if he's seen any suspicious figures around the shop lately. Shaking his head, Sweet tells him that no one who's come into his store seemed unusual in any way to him. Just the same regular customers he's always had. Terra stops for a moment and thinks about all of the information he's gotten. He then returns his attention to Sweet and thanks him for helping out. He then asks that he meet him at city hall tonight, and that they'll try to get things figured out then.

Later on that night, Terra stands on the great balcony of city hall where anypony can see him. All of the town's shop and independent business owners fill in, and he watches as they all start to chat amongst themselves, some of them not yet understanding why they've been asked to come. In the front of the hall he spots Sweet Deal standing at full attention. He seems really excited to get down to business, being the victim of a robbery just last night. With a smile, Terra walks up to the edge of the balcony's railing and calls out for attention, speaking as loudly as he can. Everypony stops speaking and looks quietly up at the balcony as they see the guard standing there, fully erect and ready to give them the speech he had prepared. At that moment, one of the ponies below steps toward the balcony. Her purple coat brightly shines in the light of the hall, and her face shows a determination for answers.

Staring up at Terra, Grace Storm asks him, "What are we doing here? What do you want from all of us?"

Looking down at her, the guard can see the inquisitive look on her face. The other ponies begin to question themselves being there too, and talk amongst themselves regarding what might be going on. Calling for their attention, Terra suddenly yells out, his strong confident voice echoing through the hall, "Listen closely everypony! You're all wondering why I've asked you to come here today! Why specifically I asked you business owners! We have a thief on the loose here in Ponyville, and I need all of you to work with me to stop him! He recently has been spotted all across Equestria, and now he's arrived here, in your town! We need to catch him before it's too late! Now, I want you all to answer me honestly here! Has anyone else been victimized lately by theft? Even if you think it was a simple shoplifting, please tell me!"

A few of the ponies in the great hall silently raise their hooves. However, for the most part, everyone seems to be more confused by this sudden revelation than when they first arrived. They question who this mysterious thief is. They hadn't heard of any robberies as of late. It's not a common occurrence in their little town. Now this Canterlot guard is telling them there's some thief out there. It's hard for them to believe. Looking down at them, Terra himself can understand this. He knows that this must be hard for them all to swallow, but it's something that they need to know. If they remain unaware, they too might become the unfortunate victims of this criminal scum.

"Then we have a chance!" Terra cries out with a smirk and nod, "we now know that as of currently, he's only gotten to a couple of us! This means that his work is not yet done here in Ponyville, and that he will strike again! From what I've already gathered, we can infer that he only commits his robberies at night! This means that he's smart and plans each job out with precision! He clearly knows what he's doing! Now, let me explain his calling card..."

As Terra speaks, the doors to the hall suddenly open again, catching him off guard and stealing the attention of the other mares and stallions within. Walking in, a pony with a mustard-colored coat and light blue hair looks around. She has freckles on her face and a very sorrowful expression. On her flank is a picture of a teapot, steam coming out from the spout. She walks forward, closing the doors behind her, and joins the other ponies underneath the balcony. She looks up to see Terra standing there and shows a sudden realization, recognizing him. However, she still looks around the room and introduces herself to everypony.

"I'm Chamomile Cabra. Sorry I was so late getting here, but my sister needed some help. She's not doing too well right now. I heard a little of what you were talking about before I came in, Mr. Lionmane. I'm also a victim of this thief you were talking about. It wasn't my shop he broke into though, it was my home. It happened early this morning. I woke up around five to a loud noise in my living room. I went to investigate of course, as did my younger sister. When we came down the stairs, we found someone walking around the living room, throwing things around. He appeared to be looking for something. We went right away to confront him of course, and were prepared to defend ourselves, but he attacked us and hurt my poor sister."

Terra quietly stares at the mare, thinking to himself. A minute of silence passes before he confirms with her, "You said your name was Chamomile Cabra?"

She nods, and once again cries out that this thief injured her sister, and that she wants revenge for it. The guard looks down at the floor beneath his feet. He can feel intense anger boiling up inside of him, taking over his mind and soul. He knows who she is. Chamomile Cabra is a tea maker in southern Ponyville famous for her bubbly attitude and warming personality. However, this is not the happy-go-lucky mare he had heard of. More importantly, he knows of Chamomile's family, specifically her sister. While their connection is still fairly new, he has grown fond of young Chupa Cabra. She's another of the prophesied heroes of Equestria that Princess Aurora gathered to fight against Sevulva Star. She couldn't have fallen to such a simple thief.

He remains silent for a moment, staring downward, deep in thought. The other ponies in the hall begin to talk amongst themselves again, not knowing what else to do at this moment. Sweet Deal, Grace Storm, and Chamomile Cabra are the only three still giving Terra their full attention. At that moment, he looks back up at the shop owners, his face reddened and eyes bulging. The business owners notice this and quiet themselves as Terra yells out at the top of his lungs, "WE WILL STOP THIS THIEF! PONYVILLE CAN NO LONGER SUFFER UNDER THIS PAIN! AN INNONCENT LITTLE FILLY GOT HURT BECAUSE OF HIM! ARE YOU GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS!?"

Everyone remains silent for a moment. It's easy for them to see how much this latest development has emotionally charged Terra, and has given him increased determination and drive to stop this thief than before. They can tell that Chupa must mean a lot to him, or maybe it's just his honorable heart shining through. Whatever the cause may be, they can easily see that this means a lot to him. So one by one they begin to cheer, chanting out their support for the royal guard and standing strong in solidarity. As they begin to excitedly talk amongst themselves, one of the stallions steps closer to the balcony. Orange coat and white hair, shop owner Super Sale calls out to Terra, telling him that he has a plan to catch the thief.

Later on that night, after the sun has already set for the day, both Terra and Super Sale stand there in the streets of Ponyville's north district, hidden behind a large tree. Across the street from them is the store belonging to S.S, which both of the stallions watch with a keen interest. Earlier in the day, following the meeting at city hall, Super Sale decided to advertise to the town that he was having a 50% price cut on all of his goods. This tactic helped bring in an influx of customers, which in turn garnered a large intake of bits. Both S.S. and Terra believed this to be the perfect plan to lure the thief into their trap. When he heard of the large increase in sales, he would find the shop the perfect target for his next theft. On top of the sale, Super also began to collect donations for the Canterlot Filly's Hospital, which went as successful as ever. With the money from the sale combined with donations, they have made Super's shop to be the perfect target for whoever this criminal is.

For the past hour, the two have stood there watching; staking out the store in hopes of capturing this thief and putting a stop to all of the troubles Ponyville is having with him. They've begun to get worried, however, as they would've expected him to have arrived by now. Maybe he had seen through their plans and decided to go somewhere else. It's not altogether impossible. One thing they've already seen is that this stallion, whoever he is, is very intelligent. Luckily enough, their waiting soon comes to an end as they spot a mysterious pony donning a black latex suit and a matching mask begin to slowly, and sneakily, trot up to the store.

His coat is a dark color, though with the lack of light they can't make it out exactly. They watch in silence as he approaches the store and pulls something out of a small saddlebag. Turning, the thief begins to pick the lock, and that's when Terra decides to make his move. Not even warning Super Sale, the guard advances, passing around the tree and walking right up behind the criminal. Though he isn't being subtle, the thief doesn't seem to notice him until the guard turns him around. But before Terra can even say anything, he dashes off down the street.

Gnashing his teeth in rage, Terra bolts off after the thief, galloping through the streets and yelling for him to stop. This is the pony who hurt Chupa. He broke into the Cabra's house and hurt a poor defenseless little filly! Rage once again filling his very core, the stallion leaps at the escaping thief, knocking him to the ground and pinning him down. Behind the mask he can see glowing red eyes, and it reminds him of Sevulva Star. He too had glowing red eyes when he and the others broke into the hotel room. Reaching down, Terra grabs the thiefs mask in his teeth and pulls it off.

Instantly recoiling, Terra's eyes turn from determination into that of shock and confusion. It just can't be. Backing away as Super Sale runs up to join him, the guard watches as the unmasked thief climbs back up and brushes himself up before galloping away again. This time Terra doesn't give chase; he just can't. This isn't what he was expecting at all, granted he really didn't know what to expect or who would be behind the mask. All he knows for sure is that this is not who he thought it would be. So, still in shock, the stallion slowly walks off. He needs to sleep this off for the night. Tomorrow...well tomorrow he can figure this all out.

"Are you sure? You might have him confused with somepony else," Star says after hearing the guard explain it all to her. But Terra shakes his head violently, repeating the story once again down to the very smallest of details.

"I'm sure it was him. I've only met him a couple times, but he's not someone you just forget," Terra insists, "there is no doubt about it. But why? Why would someone as famous and rich as Cobalt Sky need to commit these thefts? He has more money than most. It just doesn't make any sense to me."

"Did anything about him seem strange?" Star asks as she looks through her bookcase, trying to find the biography she had on the stallion, "his appearance or the way he acted maybe?"

"Now that you mention it, his eyes glowed bright red, like Sevulva's did that night. When I met him in the past, he had brown eyes. It's like he wasn't himself at all. And he didn't seem to even recognize me."

"I think he might be under the influence of the dark stars," Star quietly tells her friend, now looking instead for her newly bought copy of Ancient Equestrian Legends. She finds it and flips through until she finds the passage on the dark stars and begins to read to herself. Terra just contemplates the idea, wondering if that's even possible. He remembers that Sevulva Star absorbed the dark stars into himself. Would it be possible for him to influence other ponies with that power, and wouldn't that mean that the villain is close by? So many questions brought about by such a simple idea.

Looking up at Terra, Star shows worry in her expression as she reads aloud part of the legend regarding the evil stars, "Many have passed down stories regarding the dark stars for generations. They often deviate from each other, and from recorded history. However, one story seems to always come up, and always stay the same. As far back as can be found, stories exist of ponies claiming that the dark stars are not a simple spell-created weapon as many believe. These stories claim that the dark stars are actually the physical manifestation of a sentient force of terrifying evil. They say that Antonin Sevulva Star didn't actually create the dark stars themselves, but rather a physical body for the force to live within. Because of this, they believe that Antonin himself was under the influence of the dark stars, controlled by them instead of the other way around." Terra just stares at her, mouth hanging open. Why didn't they know about this before!? This is important information that changes everything! He asks Star about this, but she says that when she read the book back at the library, she doesn't remember ever seeing this part in the passage. It's as if it appeared in the book after the fact.

"But this isn't the same copy remember. I just bought this one. I've never heard of different printings of a book having such an important passage missing though. I'm wondering though. If this is true, and the dark stars are actually a sentient force. Maybe they're controlling Sevulva, and maybe they've done the same to Cobalt Sky. Sevulva said that fear increases his power, right? I think that it wasn't Sevulva talking, but the force behind these stars. I think it was speaking through Sevulva, like a puppet, and the reason they're controlling him and now Cobalt is to spread as much panic and fear as possible to grow stronger."

"It's certainly possible, but just so hard to believe," Terra responds, "Cobalt Sky is the owner of the Gem Palace Casino in Los Pegasus. He has a good nature, regularly giving to charity and holding events to raise money for different causes. Somepony like him would never do anything like this, especially hurt a little defenseless filly."

"That's the point though. If the dark stars are controlling him, then he isn't doing this on his own will. They're making him their tool; a means to an end. I suggest figuring out how to capture him so we can figure this all out. For now though, get some rest. You look tired. I'll go and see Fluttershy and see if she knows anything."

Terra thanks the young mare and bids her farewell. Walking out the front door of her house, he begins to think things over as he trots down the street back towards the home he was put up in while staying in town. Star is right. He needs to find a way to capture Cobalt and get him to talk. Maybe they can learn more about the dark stars and even Sevulva Star. If they can gain this kind of intel, they will be that much closer to saving Ponyville, Equestria, and all the world. So as he walks through town, barely watching where he's going, the guard contemplates his plans on what to do next. A voice rings out in his head suddenly. It's faint, yet so familiar. That's when he notices someone standing in front of him, and stops.

"Terra, is this a bad time?" Chupa asks, struggling as she trots forward, her back left hoof in a cast. Eyes widening, the stallion stares at the injured hoof in pure horror. This is what happened to her!? Cobalt Star did this to a young filly!? It still seems impossible to him for such a kindly guy to commit such a horrible act. However, he regains his composure and tells her that it's fine, asking if she's ok.

"I'll be alright. It's just hurt a little, nothing too serious. I'm more worried how this will affect my greenhouse. It's going to be so hard to take care of all my little plants like this," she says, taking a seat on the ground where she is, "I'm on my way home from school right now, but after this happened, I'd feel safer if you were with me."

"Oh...uh yeah, of course. Can you tell me exactly what happened though? I'm trying to catch this guy and I need all the information I can get. I've heard your sister's story, but I'd like your perspective too."

Frowning, Chupa looks down at her hoof and nods silently. She seems to be sensitive about the entire issue right now, but that's to be expected. An incident like this would easily scar a young filly, even one as brave as her. Sighing, she recounts to him exactly what happened. She remembers waking up earlier than normal because she heard a loud noise. It scared her so much, but her sister soon came in to check on her. She tells Terra that they went downstairs together and saw someone going around their living room, throwing things around. She says that he looked like he was searching for something specific. Nodding, the stallion remembers hearing the same thing from Chamomile. What in Equestria could Cobalt have been looking for in their house? Or more importantly, what were the dark stars looking for, if the legend is true. Continuing, the filly tells him that when her sister confronted the thief, he turned and seemed surprised. She said that he then looked right at her and smiled before running right at her.

"He came at you?" Terra asks, this part confusing him a little. Why did he seem pleased at the sight of her? He couldn't have been looking for Chupa? It doesn't add up quite yet. So he asks her to go on. She says that Chamomile stepped in front of him and tried to fend him off, but he managed to grab her hoof anyways.

"He wouldn't let go of me," Chupa says, tearing up, "it was so scary. My sister managed to beat him away and he escaped, but he twisted my hoof and pulled it from it's socket. It hurt so much. I don't know why, but he seemed like he knew me. I've never seen him before though. I think he did say something, but I don't remember exactly what it was."

Perking up, Terra leaps forward at the young filly and tells her, "Chupa, you have to remember! What did he say!?" She thinks and tries hard, and pictures those moments in her mind. He said it so quickly and quietly, and it didn't seem that important at the time. She thought it was just a random thought, not that it was as important as Terra is making it seem now. That's when it comes to her. She remembers what he said, and now that she thinks about it, she knows why it was so important. Looking up at Terra, she tells him exactly what the thief said to her.

"He told me 'I've finally found you, my precious element'." A single bead of sweat drips down the side of Terra's face. His jaw drops open, and his eyes widen to an incredible size. He knows what Cobalt...no, what the dark stars are after, and he knows why. Thanking the filly, he turns and runs off back the way he came. This is something he needs to tell Star about.

Once again, as night falls upon Ponyville, Terra stakes out the shop he knows will be Cobalt's next target. This time he does so alone, and on his personal choice. He had told Star of what he knew, and told her that this was his duty. While it involves all six of them, he knows Cobalt more than any of the others, and his honor rests on bringing his friend to his senses. As expected, the stallion returns and goes to pick the lock of the shops door. But before he can even reach into his saddlebag, Terra has come up to him. Grabbing Cobalt's hoof, he cuffs it to the close-curved handle of the door and makes sure that the stallion won't be going anywhere this time.

He removes the mask from Cobalt, seeing those glowing red eyes again. This isn't the same pony he knows. It has to be the dark stars controlling him. Struggling, Cobalt looks at the guard with anger, and says some choice words. Terra had expected something different, more like how Sevulva Star had acted. Not ruthless aggression like this. He isn't even saying anything, just screaming out obscenities. He won't get anywhere this way. So tying Cobalt up, Terra decides that maybe he can't do this alone like he thought. He has to bring his friend to Star. There has to be something in that book of hers on how to stop the influence of the dark stars.

He arrives a few minutes later, and the mare gladly lets him in. They bring Cobalt into Star's room and place him, still tied up, onto the bed. He thrashes about and yells at them, causing Star to feel slightly uneasy. However, she goes to her bookcase anyways and pulls out the large book, flipping it right to the marked passage. She reads and reads and reads, and when she finally finishes, she turns to Terra with a frown, telling him, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing in here about how to stop the dark stars influence. It only says that no cure was ever discovered, and all it's victims have either died or disappeared."

"NO! I can't accept that!" Terra yells out, garnering Cobalt's attention and causing him to go quiet for the first time all night, "this is my friend! He is a good, kind, caring pony who wouldn't harm a fly! He would not do this on his own! These dark stars are turning him into a monster! They made him hurt Chupa for ponies sake! I remember what you said to me the last time we met Cobalt! You told me that when you were just a child you dreamed of making ponies happy! Your goal in life was to bring others joy and give back to the community! You accomplished your dream and so much more! You created a wonderful place for ponies to have fun! You give back to the community constantly, and do everything you can to help those in need! All of your dreams came true Cobalt! You are lucky, successful, and inspirational beyond anything I could ever dream of! This is not the Cobalt Sky I know! This is not my friend!"

"You're right, I am not the Cobalt Sky you know," the stallion suddenly says, his voice dark and echoing, "I'm not Cobalt Sky at all, but you already knew that, didn't you? You're not just honorable, you're also very smart Honor. I underestimated you, just like I underestimated Peace. Of course, the little one did very little on her own. Her sister is the one who stopped me from killing her."

"Who are you?" Terra asks, although he already knows the answer.

Laughing, the possessed Cobalt cracks his neck and replies, "I am very essence of evil itself. I am what corrupted the line of Sevulva Star. I am what created the dark stars and now reside in this pathetic shell. I have a name, though an inferior life form as yourself could not understand it. You can instead call me Oblivion. And on the subject of this pathetic shell, do you know why Cobalt Sky was so easy to take over? Do you know what has happened to him as of late?"

Terra glares at the body of his friend. The voice coming out of him is dark and filled with malice. It alone is enough to know that this is not Cobalt Sky. His eyes glow redder than ever, and his coat seems to emanate with the same dark magic as Sevulva's had. He had not expected this though. This "Oblivion" is controlling Cobalt and Sevulva, and who knows who else? Then there's those names it used to refer to him and Chupa by. It called the filly Peace, and called him Honor. Why does it refer to their traits as their names? There's something more behind this, and he plans to get it out.

But at the same time, he wants to know what this thing is talking about. It claims that something has happened to Cobalt lately. It has been a while since he's seen his friend, but he thinks he would have heard if something big had happened to one of the most famous ponies in Los Pegasus. Is Oblivion trying to get under his coat, or is he telling the truth? He doesn't know what to believe anymore. After these incidents, nothing makes any sense.

"I see you're interested Honor, then let me explain. Cobalt Sky was in dealing with the mob. He was so kind and giving that he was giving away more money than he had. He was borrowing money from the mob to keep his casino open, but in the end he couldn't pay his debts. The mob kidnapped his wife and daughter and used them as hostages. He went into such a depressive state that his mind was very easy to take over. Sevulva put up more resistance than he did. It's as if Cobalt Sky let me take him over, knowing that I could end this pain for him, and I did. His family is safe now. Too bad for what's left of the mob."

"YOU KILLED THEM!?" Terra yells, falling back in shock. Oblivion laughs madly and confirms this, telling both Terra and Star that he did indeed kill each and every member of the mob who were involved with the kidnapping of Cobalt's family. It goes into detail on the gruesome murders of each one, ranging from decapitation with a rusted hacksaw to slicing the stomach open and disemboweling. Terra breathes heavily and gnashes his teeth. He can hardly believe this. It's disgusting and terrible. This isn't justice, it's revenge! It's not what Cobalt would have wanted! They deserved life in prison, yes, but not death!

"Cobalt!" he yells out, trying to get through, "don't let this evil control you! Force it out! Your family is safe now, you don't have to give in to Oblivion's influences anymore! If you need money for your casino, I'll help you. Star and everypony else will do what they can! Just don't let it control you anymore! You're not a killer Cobalt, or a thief! You don't need to be doing this!"

"HA! You think that...wha...what!?"

The grin on Cobalt's face morphs into a scowl. Surprise and anger fills him as he begins to convulse in his bindings; Terra knows what's going on. He's gotten through, and the real Cobalt Sky is fighting back against this evil. Removing the ropes from his body, Terra watches as he screams and thrashes around, violently cursing in some other language. It's a fight like none he's ever seen before. Soon, Cobalt's eyes return to normal, and his screams no longer echo with evil. A dark energy seeps from his mouth and flies through the air. Terra and Star stand at the ready, unwilling to let Oblivion control them in even the slightest. By what it had said, they know that it cannot control those who refuse it entry into their bodies. Their will power is too strong for it now, and Oblivion knows that. Flying out the window, the dark energy disappears into the night, leaving the three ponies behind.

Returning his gaze to Cobalt, he sees that the stallion is regaining consciousness. His eyes flicker open and shut, and his real voice begins to speak out through exasperated panting. Rushing forth, both Terra and Star help him to a seated position, and the latter runs off to get him a drink of water. As she returns, handing him the cup, he greedily chugs it down before falling back down and sighing in relief. He then looks over to Terra and smiles, saying only one thing before passing out again, "Thank you, my friend."

The sun shines bright in the noon sky as Terra and Cobalt stand behind a wooden table at Sweet Apple Acres. Star had contacted the owner of the plantation, Apple Bloom, early this morning and asked if they could hold a fundraiser for Cobalt there. Naturally, the mare was happy to oblige and offered to have the Apple Family bake some of their award winning deserts to sell off to help. Terra, Star, and Cobalt arrived early and helped the Apples set things up and even bake the goods, wanting to give back to everypony. Cobalt's been so ashamed of what he did that he wanted to do all the work himself. It's a good thing for him that Apple Bloom and Babs Seed wouldn't let him. He'd have been even more tired than before.

As they continue to sell their goods and raise money throughout the entire day, Terra and his friend quickly realize that they'll make more than enough money. Their goal was reached hours ago, and now they're trying to double it. Trotting up, Apple Bloom brings out another barrel of sweet apple cider and sets it up as more of Ponyville's citizens step up to give what they can and get some delicious food and drink. Cobalt looks over to his friend and thanks him once again. Everything is going to not only be ok, but be better than before. Smiling, Terra shakes his head and with a smile says, "It was my honor."

PREVIEW FOR EPISODE 4
*************************************
On January 31st, 2014, be prepared for a story about the history of one little filly. Be prepared to learn..."How I Got My Cutie Mark".

S01 E04 - How I Got My Cutie Mark

Author's Notes:

Here it is everypony! Episode 04 of Season 01 of My Little Pony: Friendship of Generations! Remember to go to the official website for all updated biographies after you read the story. Just so you know, new biographies will NOT be up right away. They will be up a little later today due to reasons. Otherwise, enjoy the episode.

Trotting down the congested early-morning streets, the young filly Chupa Cabra is on her way to the Ponyville Schoolhouse for another day of class under the guiding eye of Miss Cheerilee. The sun has just begun to rise thanks to the magic of Princess Aurora, giving the sky a light glow close to the horizon, while remaining darker above it. It seems like just an ordinary day in Equestria. There are ponies on their way to work, young ones trotting off to school; it's as if nothing were ever wrong with the world. It's almost hard to believe that only a week ago, these same ponies were all screaming and panicking as the bright Ponyville skies were blacked out by the arrival of the dark stars, which had been absorbed into the very soul of the famed stage pony, Sevulva Star. Most of them went into their homes and refused to come out, and yet now they walk around as if it were just a bad dream.

A couple of days following Sevulva's escape, she and her five new friends had found out some new information regarding the dark stars, thanks to Terra Lionmane's recent investigation into the thefts that began to occur in town. The one truly behind the dark stars and their sudden arrival was not Sevulva Star at all, but an ancient evil force known only as Oblivion. The stars themselves were a physical manifestation and shell for the force that Antonin Sevulva Star created a long time ago. He had been influenced and controlled by the dark stars, forced to do their bidding. It's become the same with his descendent, as well as Los Pegasus casino owner Cobalt Sky.

The news of the existence of Oblivion; that the dark stars themselves were a sentient being who was behind the near destruction of the world all those years ago, and the looming threat of it again now. It's the thing of nightmares, but Chupa knows that this will only prove to aid them in their battle against the forces of evil. They say knowledge is power, and knowing what they do now, she and her five friends have begun to formulate a plan to locate and stop the possessed Sevulva Star by any means necessary. They need to save the country they love, and the planet on which it rests.

She suddenly flinches, one of her legs pulsating with an aching pain that while not too powerful still causes her discomfort. Back when Cobalt Sky was possessed by Oblivion and committing the thefts in Ponyville, he had broken into her house and attacked her. She still doesn't understand why he did it. What reason could Oblivion have for trying to kill her? On top of it, he referred to her not by her given name, but by the word Peace. What could this mean? She knows it isn't just a simple mistake, and that there indeed has to be something behind it, but what?

Cautiously continuing down the road, she tries now to pace herself. The injury has been healing well, but she doesn't want to do anything to irritate it and prolong the pain. Granted it was never too serious from the beginning, so if everything goes well, she'll be back to normal within a week. Then she won't have to wear these uncomfortable bandages and cast. It's awkward to move in them, and she has to be careful, for the slightest of wrong steps could cause her a horrible shock of pain, even at this point. Running is out of the question, and it's been hard to go long distances. Needless to say it's been impeding on her everyday life, but considering she didn't do much outside of visiting the Ponyville Greenhouse, nothing's really changed.

Her focus though, as she slowly walks down the street, is on school and today's lesson. She can't wait to get there and find out what Miss Cheerilee has planned to teach them today. She's the best teacher Chupa could ever hope for. Always so kind and helpful, never being overly strict but not too lenient either. Even the other ponies in town value the way she teaches her students. Nopony could do it better. If she remembers correctly, Miss Cheerilee told them when they left class last week that they'd be learning about cutie marks and their importance to Equestrian society today. It's a lesson Chupa's been awaiting to hear ever since the day she got her cutie mark a few months ago. She's been very curious to how they work, and what kind of impact they have on the whole of society and the world as a whole.

She ponders these thoughts as she aimlessly trots onward, barely paying attention to where she's going. She nearly bumps into Mr. Breezy as he's opening up his shop for the day, breaking her out of her stupor. She apologizes to the stallion, who seems to not be angry in the slightest, and begins to cross the street. She's only a few blocks away from the school at this point, and with every step closer, her thoughts begin to grow. She hums a little tune to herself, quickly reaching the very edge of town where the schoolhouse lies. As she prepares to go across the final stretch of the path, Chupa comes across a completely unexpected, but altogether pleasant, surprise. Just now trotting into town, hauling a large wooden cart behind her, is Briance Happer, the adventurous young mare who's always going off on some journey into the deep reaches of Equestria.

Her cart is filled with a wondrous variety of goods and souvenirs from her most recent venture into the wide world that lies just beyond this little town. Crates, boxes, and bags all lining the inside in organized piles. It's a mystery why there's so much, but knowing Bri, most of it is new; stuff she's gotten from wherever she went this time. The one big question that everypony always asks is where she gets the money to constantly buy all of this stuff. To her knowledge at least, Bri doesn't have a steady job. Yet somehow she has one of the biggest houses in Ponyville, and is always able to go on these marvelous adventures, bringing back tons of souvenirs and goods. She also frequents the Ponyville Playhouse to see all the new stage productions, visits the spa on a regular basis, and is always seen sporting some new fancy hat.

As she trots into town now, Bri seems as happy and joyous as she always does, a pink fedora resting upon her head this time. Despite her small size, she easily pulls the packed cart behind her with no problem, and is humming a tune as well. Calling out through the rowdy crowd of ponies walking around, the filly shouts to her friend, "Bri! It's me, Chupa! How was your trip!?"

At the sound of the young one's voice, the mare looks over and smiles, trotting up cheerfully with an energetic bounce in her step. Reaching her, Bri grins from ear to ear and replies, "It was brill! Germaney really is gorgeous at this time of year! They even 'ad a festival goin' on! They 'ad so much to do, and so much to see! The food was fantastic, if I do say; so much hearty greens. They did 'ave a lot of beer though, and I did unfortunately get a little loopy before it was all over. Other than that though, it was bloody brilliant!"

Right away the mare wonders whether mentioning getting drunk was smart or not, especially when talking to such a young filly. However, Chupa seems to not have noticed, as she just smiles widely at the sheer pleasure echoing out of her voice, asking, "Did you find out anything new about the pony you said you were looking for? Has anyone in Germaney seen her?"

"No," Bri sighs sorrowfully at the mention of this sad fact, her face suddenly shifting from sheer joy to downtrodden grief. She unhitches herself from the cart and begins to shake her head slowly, taking a seat right there on the cobblestone sidewalk as she peers up at the brightening sky above. "Nopony knew anything about 'er whereabouts, or 'ad even seen 'er in these past fifteen years. Sometimes I just feel as if all this were a bloody waste of time."

Frowning, Chupa places a hoof around her friend in comfort as she cheerfully tells her, "Don't let it get you down Bri. I know you'll find this pony eventually. You can't give up now. Just keep looking for the bright in everything, and enjoy yourself. One of these days you'll find her, as long as you never give up hope."

A warm smile begins to spread across Bri's face, and she nods as she gets back up and rehitches herself to the cart. Looking to the sun is always the right thing to do. What good is it to see only the darkness in everything? So with a grin, she begins to tell her young friend all about the fun trip both to Germaney and back, as well as everything she did while there. This time though she chooses to leave out the parts about the drinking, deciding it best. She wouldn't want to negatively influence the filly. Recounting an amazing ice carving competition, she laughs about how one pony made a swan, only for the head to break off right before the judges reached it. She mentions to Chupa how the town has an old-fashioned feel to it, and about the wonderful dinner she had at the Hoofarian Inn one of the nights she was there. The ride on the Hoofarian Belle River Boat and visit to the Germaney Historical Association Museum come to her mind as well, the excitement once again boiling up within her.

"That sounds amazing, and really, really fun!" The filly laughs, thinking that she too would love to visit Germaney one day. At that moment, a loud chiming echoes through town, catching Chupa off guard and alerting her to the time. She looks over at the Ponyville clock tower and sees the time. She cries out in fear, as she's going to be late for class. She gives Bri a quick apology, which is met with a simple smile and wish for a good day, and trots away in the direction of the schoolhouse as quick as she can without causing her injured hoof too much pain. It doesn't take long, and she reaches the building fairly quickly, walking through the threshold of the door right as Miss Cheerilee is walking up to close it. She got there without a moment to spare. The teacher turns and eyes the young filly as she takes her seat in the front row, but shakes it off and closes the door, ready to begin class.

"Good morning fillies," Miss Cheerilee loudly exclaims, garnering the attention of her many students, nearly all of whom had been talking with each other, "before we begin today's lesson, we have a new student joining us today. Would you like to come up here and introduce yourself to the class dear?"

All of the students turn around in their seats, looking to the back row. A young filly with faded yellow coat sits there, but quietly begins to get out of her chair as she's called on by the teacher. Slowly and nervously, she approaches the front of the room, trying to avoid direct eye contact with anypony. Chupa can tell right away that this new filly is younger than her, probably only by a year or two, but it is clear. She has a short, light blue mane with a tuft hanging out in the front. It blends well with her coat, giving her a very light appearance. She's small in size, and seems very apprehensive about being in the class, as well as being called out to the front of the room.

She eventually gets there and shyly looks around as she stands closely beside Miss Cheerilee. Someone snickers in the third row, and she blushes as she looks down at the floor beneath her hooves. Some of the students begin to chat amongst themselves, a couple of which even laughing as they point to her. The new filly grows redder and hides behind the teacher, who gives the rude students an icy glare before comforting the filly and asking her once more to introduce herself to the class, assuring her that everything will be alright.

"Um...well...my name is Spring Rise," she quietly tells everypony, voice barely reaching above a whisper. She seems to stutter over her words and continues to avoid meeting anyone's eyes. It's like she doesn't even want to be here at all. She begins to retreat back to her desk in the very last row, but Miss Cheerilee puts out a hoof to stop her gently, asking if there's anything that she'd like to tell the class about herself, like where she came from and what kinds of things she likes to do.

Spring looks back down at the floor, breathing in heavily as she replies, "Well, I moved...uh...to Ponyville from Detrot. My parents and I arrived just yesterday. I like to...well...I like to help my mom out with her...gardening. I also like to...draw pictures."

Miss Cheerilee looks down at the young filly with a pitying expression, excusing her back to her seat. She quickly listens, and trots to the back of the room while the teacher turns to the chalk board, writing out today's lesson, as well as a list of all the ponies who had been laughing at Spring. While her back is turned, Chupa quietly gets up without a second thought, grabbing her saddlebag, and moves to a seat in the very back of the room, right beside the new filly. Spring glances over at her nervously, expecting more teasing and laughing, and wondering why she moved there in the first place. Chupa smiles warmly over and greets her, introducing herself at the same time. Though Spring doesn't seem to wish to respond.

Right then, Miss Cheerilee turns back around to face her students, and Chupa focuses her full attention to the front of the room and to her teacher, quietly whispering over to Spring that she'll love being in this class. The day goes well, and as Chupa had guessed before hand, the lesson did indeed go over cutie marks and their impact on Equestrian society. She wrote down notes on every little thing that Miss Cheerilee told them, but couldn't help noticing how unenthusiastic Spring seemed about the entire thing. Every time that their teacher even said the words "cutie mark", the filly would quietly slip further and further down in her seat. After a while, she even began to cry a little, though nopony else seemed to notice. Chupa noticed when Spring went to the front that she's a blank flank, and from what she can surmise, she really takes it hard.

Ending about ten minutes late, class is excused with Miss Cheerilee assigning little homework. They're asked to simply come up with why their cutie mark represents them better than anything else could, and if they are without one, what they think their cutie mark should be and why it would represent them better than any other. Spring grabs her saddlebag, eager to escape the building as quickly as she can and avoid confrontation with anypony. However, Chupa stops her before she can even leave her seat. Smiling, she looks curiously at the new student and asks, "Do you wanna hang out today?"

She looks at Chupa, almost as if completely confused and surprised by this sudden invitation. She then shies away and tries once again to escape, wanting nothing more than to get home as quickly as possible. Chupa refuses to relent, getting right up into Spring's face and telling her happily that she doesn't have anything to be nervous about, because Ponyville is a wonderful town filled with amazing and nice ponies.

"Yes, there are those who aren't as kind, but for the most part, you couldn't find a more welcoming town," she tells Spring as they leave the schoolhouse, "I could even show you around and introduce you to all my friends, and the plants I care for at the greenhouse!"

"Ponyville...has a greenhouse?" Spring quietly asks, seemingly gaining an interest at the mere mention of this. Of course, Chupa had remembered her saying that she likes to help her mother with gardening. She too has a deep love for plants and taking care of them, and until the recent events with the dark stars, she too was very shy and quiet. The plants in the Ponyville Greenhouse had been her only friends. But then Princess Aurora summoned her, and she met five wonderful ponies that she now calls her friends. Now she wants to do whatever she can to help others become friends as well, and obviously she doesn't want Spring to feel like she once did. She wouldn't want anypony to feel that kind of pain.

"Yeah, it's amazing! We have flora from all over Equestria there! We've even managed to get rare Saddle Arabian desert flora! The bulbs are growing nicely in our mock desert climate. Mr. Greenhooves had a hard time getting those, especially because they only grow naturally in that part of the country. I've sort of been taken in as his apprentice. He's even said I can take over the entire greenhouse when he retires! Can you believe that!? I hope to get some of the Everfree Forest's flora soon. It's something the greenhouse is still missing."

"Everfree Forest?" Spring questions curiously, having never heard of it before. Of course, she's never even been in this part of the country until yesterday. It's not a huge surprise that she's never heard of it. So as they continue down the road, Chupa explains to her that the Everfree Forest is the dark and dangerous forest right outside of the town, and is filled with many rare plants and animals, both of which can be very deadly. Mayor Mare had actually forbidden ponies from going into it after Rarity was found mauled by a wild animal near the home of the zebra shaman, Zecora, but it really didn't stop anypony, so she eventually retracted the law. Very few ponies still enter it, but those who do for one reason or another wouldn't have stopped, especially those like Apple Bloom of Sweet Apple Acres, who's good friends with Zecora and visits her from time to time.

Spring seems to be warming up to Chupa quickly as they trot down the road. She's even opening up a little more, no longer shying away or trying to hide. That's when a voice seems to call out to the young filly, and Spring looks over. A pink-coated mare with a purple and white mane is standing right outside of a jewelry shop, opening up for the day. She points at the new filly in town and laughs loudly, chanting out the words, "blank flank" over and over. Chupa hears and sees this, and hurries her new friend away from it, trying to get her out of sight and earshot of Diamond Tiara's ruthless teasing.

The two move forward, having now gone silent. Tears slowly drip down Spring's face, the hurtful sounds of that pony's taunting still ringing out in her head. Back in Detrot, ponies had teased her constantly about not having her cutie mark yet, and it's shown so far to not be that different here. She had told her parents that moving out of town wouldn't change anything, but they didn't listen. They never listen to anything she has to say. So she trots on beside Chupa in silence, wondering to herself why this one pony is being so nice to her, while everypony else taunts and laughs like they always do.

"Chupa?" she quietly asks, remembering her new friends name. The older filly turns her head, looking over at Spring and asking what's wrong. She looks down at the ground again as they walk, but asks her, "how did you get your cutie mark?"

Chupa stops in mid-step, looking down at Spring with great pity on her face. It's more obvious than ever that she really takes being a blank flank hard, though at her age it isn't that unusual to still be one. It's usually not until around Chupa's age that most filly's find their special talent, and even then some ponies don't find it until much later on. She remembers hearing how it took a couple years late for Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle to find theirs. Her pitying expression morphs into that of a gentle, embracing smile as she thinks that maybe telling Spring the story of how she got her cutie mark might help her feel better after the rough time she's been having since moving here.

"Of course I'll tell you how I got it," Chupa happily replies. Spring's eyes widen and her mouth drops open into an excited, joyful smile. It's the first genuine one she's seen Spring give. So they walk on, soon reaching Ponyville's beautiful park. The two take a seat on one of the blue benches surrounded the central fountain. It's the most serene place in the entire town. As they sit there, Chupa begins to think to herself, wondering exactly where she should begin.

Months ago, before she got her cutie mark, she too felt like Spring does now. She can understand her new friends pain. She's only had it for a few months, so the memories of how things were before are still fresh in her mind. Revisiting this pain might be hard on her, and it will most probably bring back some rather hard memories from the past years of her life. Looking at Spring, she notices how eager and excited the little filly is to hear her story, and at once all of her fears and qualms seem to melt away. She no longer worries, and will tell her everything.

"Only a couple months ago," Chupa begins, closing her eyes as she recounts everything to the young filly seated beside her, "I was without my cutie mark, just like you. I went to school every day, and was always met with bullies telling me that I was a blank flank, and wasn't special. I got teased even by older mares and stallions, like Diamond Tiara who was doing the same to you a couple minutes ago. They picked on me so much, and so badly, that I often found myself crying myself to sleep at night. It just hurt so much."

"The funny thing is, I wasn't even really that desperate to get one. I mean sure, I did obviously want my cutie mark, but I was ok with waiting. I wanted to find my special talent the right way, and not try to force it to come quickly. I wanted to only discover it when I was truly ready to. But the teasing and the taunting of those other ponies quickly became to much. I began to want my cutie mark just so they'd leave me alone, and one day, it began to only get worse. The simple name calling turned to physical attacks. They'd throw rocks at me at first, but the rocks soon turned to punches. I was beaten up nearly every day, and I just didn't understand what I did wrong. What did I do to deserve all of that?"

"So I began to skip school. I'd fake being sick, or even just run away and hide under the park bridge. Eventually Miss Cheerilee began to talk to my mother about why I wasn't showing up, and they found out what had been going on. When the bullies got in trouble, things only got worse. Now I wasn't just a blank flank, I was a snitch. The attacks became so bad that I had to go to the hospital on more than one occasion. I was too afraid to rat them out though, because I knew already that it would only get worse if I did. So I began to cut myself."

At the mention of that, Spring flinches slightly. She had heard the stories of ponies taking razor blades and cutting their hooves with them. It's always bothered her, because she just can't understand how somepony could willingly cause themselves pain like that. She just doesn't get it, but she continues to listen to Chupa's story none-the-less. She never imagined someone as cheerful and kind as her would've gone through all of that. Even she hasn't been bullied that badly, even back in Detrot. Her fascination with this pony and how she got her cutie mark out of all this horrible pain continues to grow.

"I really can't explain why I did it, but I guess I felt that if I could cause myself more pain then them, there wouldn't be anything they could do to me anymore. I didn't want to die though, so suicide never came to mind. I just wanted them to not be able to hurt me anymore. My mother soon found out and began to worry. I was taken to a hospital to see a psychologist. After many tests, she told my mother that there was nothing wrong with my brain, and that the way I was acting had to be a cry for help, rather than a disorder. So when we got back home, she sat me down and pleaded with me to tell her what was going on. I broke down and cried, and she held me tight to comfort me. I cried for a long time. She says it was hours, but I don't know if it was that long. When I finally stopped, I told her what was going on; why I was cutting myself and who were the ones doing this to me. I showed her the bruises and told the truth about why I was constantly hurt. I had told her for so long that I was falling down stairs and just being clumsy. She told me that she knew it was something else, and hugged me again."

"Of course, she told Miss Cheerilee and they even got the police involved. With how badly I was getting attacked, something had to be done. But even then it didn't stop. So I ran away from class one day when one of the other students tried to break my hoof. I ran and ran until I reached the Everfree Forest, and then kept running. They other students stopped at the entrance, not following me in, and turned back. They figured I'd be killed by a timberwolf or something. I ended up running off the path and got lost. Luckily for me, Mr. Greenhooves was walking by at the time. He had been bringing some plants to Zecora and found me sitting beside a tree, crying my eyes out. With a smile, he asked me if I've ever been to the greenhouse, and when I told him that I hadn't, he smiled and invited me to follow him."

"I'd met Mr. Greenhooves before, but never actually talked to him. As he led me out of the forest, I told him everything that had been going on. I don't even know why. He didn't ask me, but for some reason I just felt like telling someone else. He listened and nodded his head, but didn't say anything until we got out of the forest. He brought me to the greenhouse and told me to tell the plants everything I had said to him. At first I was confused. Plants can't hear. They can't comfort me, or wipe away my tears. Why would I tell them? He insisted though, and so I did. I began to talk to the sunflowers, and soon to the roses. The dragon lilies, bonsais, and even zinnias. I talked and talked until I told my story to every plant in the entire greenhouse."

"What happened?" Spring asks, eyes wide with intensive interest and excitement. Chupa had never seen someone so interested in her story before. Smiling, the filly gets off the bench and walks over to the fountain, taking a quick drink as she looks at a tree standing not far off.

"I felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Talking to these flowers and plants just made me so...happy. They didn't judge me, or try and tell me what they thought about it all. The roses didn't try to say they knew where I was coming from. The tulips didn't give me any advice. The rotadandrin's didn't tell me what they would do. They just listened silently, and let me pour out my heart to them. I felt at peace, and when I was done, I asked Mr. Greenhooves if I could help take care of the plants that helped me feel happy again. He told me that he wouldn't have it any other way."

"The next day, I woke up early. There was no school, so I went straight to the greenhouse and got to work. I watered the flora, changed the soil in their pots, and pruned trees. I hauled around bags of dirt and carried heavy jugs of water. I did whatever Mr. Greenhooves told me to, and I loved it. As I worked, I would talk to the plants, and sing songs. I would tell them my thoughts and dreams, and they would listen to me. I was about to head home right as the sun was setting when Mr. Greenhooves stopped me. He was smiling really wide as he pointed to my flank. I looked at it in the window of the greenhouse and began to cry. These weren't the same bitter tears that I'd been crying all this time, they were droplets of joy. That leaf I saw on my flank that day was my destiny. I went through all those hardships, all that pain and misery so that I would go into the Everfree Forest when I did, and find Mr. Greenhooves when I did. It was all so that I could meet the flora that gave me hope once again, and find that one special something that I was meant for."

"Spring, I know more than anypony how hard it is to be a blank flank. I suffered through so much because of it, and I did some horrible things that never ended up working. I tried to cause myself pain so that others couldn't, but it never made me happy. I tried to run away, but that isn't what brought me peace. The thing that changed my life was to trust in somepony and tell them what was wrong. It was letting it all out. I told Mr. Greenhooves what had happened, and he told me to talk to the plants. I'm not saying your special talent will involve plants like mine. I'm saying that you shouldn't give up, and you shouldn't hide yourself from others. Don't be afraid to tell somebody if you're feeling sad. And don't worry about being a blank flank. You're full of wonderful possibilities, and when you do find your special talent, no one will ever be able to take that away from you."

Tears well up in Spring's eyes as she leaps off of the bench and goes to hug her new friend. The two embrace warmly, Chupa comforting her with all she has. Some ponies nearby stop and look, wondering what might be going on, but neither filly pays them any mind. They release each other and sit back down on the bench, and for the first time in a long time, Spring smiles as she feels at peace and begins to tell Chupa her story.

Later on, around five in the afternoon, both Chupa and Spring walk up to the door of Star's house, knocking for only a moment before the dark blue mare opens it and welcomes them in with a gentle smile. The four other friends Star had made a week ago are there as well, and so with a laugh, she enters with the young Spring by her side and introduces her to them all. Agelian, Devlin, Bri, Terra, and Star all welcome her with open hooves and tell her that they're just having a little party, and that she's welcome to join them now and any time in the future.

"Oh, and we got a surprise for you," Bri excitedly cries out, jumping up and down as she leaves for a moment. After Spring had gone home following her talk with Chupa, the latter had gone to plan things out with all of her friends. This party wasn't just another of Bri's random get togethers, and Spring can tell. She knows right away that they set this party up just for her, and she can hardly believe it. Someone actually did all of this for her? She's never been shown love like this before, outside of her family. Bri soon returns, this time joined by three fillies around Spring's age.

The first of them is a small, bright blue pegasus with a mane of hot pink and stripes of dark blue lining in. Her tail is as thin as her hair, hanging down behind her. An excited expression rests on her face as she bounces up and greets Spring. The second of them is an Earth pony with a tan-orange coat and blonde hair that's styled nicely. Her tail is braided, and she seems as equally excited as the first. The third and final of them has a dark gray coat and short black hair. His tail is as short and stubby. Unlike the first two, he isn't as excited and seems to be more quiet and brooding than them.

"These three young fillies are like you, Spring," Chupa says as she trots up to the four of them, smiling gently as they all look at her, "all three of them have blank flanks just like you. They're in the same class as us, and noticed earlier when the others were laughing at and teasing you. They told me that they didn't want to step in and get involved because they didn't want to be picked on as well. When you went home earlier, I found them though. They really would like to be your friends Spring, if you'd let them."

"Hi, I'm Gumdrop," the blue one with the pink and blue hair says, greeting Spring joyfully. She then motions towards the tan-orange colored pony and introduces her as, "Honeysuckle, she's a good friend of mine. And this gloomy looking guy here is Majus. He's not as tough as he wants you to believe. He just acts that way."

"I'm...I'm Spring Rise," she nervously tells them. The three others, though mostly Gumdrop and Honeysuckle, hug Spring and welcome them to their circle of friends. Looking back at Chupa, Spring smiles warmly, showing her thankfulness. She showed her so much kindness; the kind she has never been shown before. To hear the story of how she got her cutie mark encouraged Spring beyond anything she could have ever imagined, so to be introduced to new friends is a gift she never could have expected. She can't thank Chupa Cabra enough, and she will work together with these three other fillies to make sure she honors the kindness she taught her, and the peace she gave her.

Episode 05 Preview
****************************
All these books! So much studying! Wait, Princess!? You want me to meet WHO'S family!? Well, I guess if it'll help, I'll be "Meeting The Family."

S01 E05 - Meeting the Family

Author's Notes:

It's finally here everypony! Episode 5 of Season 1! This is the longest episode yet (in terms of word count) and one of my favorites to write. It reveals new information and new mysteries. It introduces new characters and even has another guest star. I hope you all enjoy it, and as always, feedback is appreciated. And also as always, the official website has been updated! Check it out for new bios and even a new location added to the Equestria section!

http://mylittleponyfriendshipofgenerations.webs.com/

A wide smile quickly spreading across the whole of her face, Bri Happer gleefully trots onward down the side of Clipper Street with the slightest bounce in her step. She thinks about the huge news that she cannot wait to tell her friends about, humming a simple yet beautiful little song to herself. It happened just yesterday evening; against all odds she managed to secure herself some tickets to the upcoming Detrot City Music Festival! She's wanted to go to it for so many years, but has never been able to due to her travels always taking her out of the way. This year it's going to be headlined by Kid Trot, DJ Pon-3, Octavia Melody, Forest Rain, Mic the Mic, and even Ponyville's own Sweetie Belle all in one massive three day concert! Of course, there would be other minor artists playing, but she honestly isn't interested in them. Her favorite artists ever are headlining, so they're who she wants to see.

Of course, the concert is still months away, and the excitement is killing her. All she can do is count down the days. With each rise of the sun, that's one day closer to paradise. She got tickets for all of her friends as well, so that she could finally share her love of music with them. She wants her friends to see her as more than just an adventure-loving mare who's always running off to try and find somepony she's never even met. She does love adventures, and wishes so hard that she'll one day find Pinkie Pie and bring her back to Ponyville, but she's so much more than that. So far, Star is the only one to know this side of her, and only because of how long they've known each other.

Star...what could she have been so eager about this morning? Upon awakening, Bri had opened her front door to grab the paper when she found a note taped to the outside of it, signed by her long time friend. It seemed to be urgently written, and told her to meet everypony at the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library as soon as she could. She can easily and rightfully infer that when the letter mentions everypony, Star was referring to themselves as well as their other four friends. However, why didn't she say why they were meeting? It's been bothering her this entire time. Star usually isn't the one to ask of something without explanation. Could something have had happened? Did somepony learn any new information regarding Oblivion or the dark stars? Maybe it's something deeper than that. With Star, she really can't be completely sure. She can only hope that nothing is truly wrong.

The worrying begins to overtake her mind, filling her overactive imagination with terrible thoughts. She imagines her friends tied to operating tables with their cutie marks having been cut right off of their flanks.
Feeling dizzy and a bit nauseous, Bri picks up speed as she pleads aloud to no one in particular. She wants her friends to be safe, and not be in any kind of mortal danger. She trots quickly on when she's suddenly greeted with a warm, gentle smile by a young, orange-coated filly. A black and orange scarf wrapped around her neck, she begins to trot alongside Bri, who can only assume that Star had left a note on her door as well. So, deciding not to bother Chupa to question her about why she's there, she instead focuses on getting to the library as quickly as possible, and not have any more gruesome thoughts.

They don't speak to each other at all, walking along in complete silence that's nearly unbearable for the mare. She didn't want to wait until she got to the library to tell somepony about the concert anyways, so she breaks the awkward moment by telling her friend with a joyous smile, "Hey Chupa, I scored some wicked tickets to this music festival coming up in Detrot in a few months from now! I happened to get tickets for all six of us, and the best artists around will be performing!"

"Anypony I might know?" Chupa curiously asks as the two of them walk right on by Sugarcube Corner, glancing inside to see Pound and Pumpkin serving an older unicorn stallion. Bri begins to tell the filly all about the different artists who are going to be there, making sure to highlight the six big ones. Listening quietly and respectfully, Chupa nods and walks slowly onward, smiling over at her friend. However, as Bri finishes up, the filly can't help but tell her, "Well, to be honest I don't like those kinds of music. Octavia's the only one there I'd be even a bit interested in. My flora seem to really enjoy her music, growing faster and stronger when they listen to it. So I occasionally play it for them, but those others are just too rough sounding. The plants just don't like them, and I don't either."

It's incomprehensible to the mare that somepony could say that they don't like artists like Sweetie Belle or Mic the Mic. They're so amazing on stage, and have some of the best vocals of any musician. She wishes to respect her friends differing opinion, but this would be like saying she wanted to eat animals. It's just inconceivable. She continues to keep up a false smile, however, as they soon reach the giant golden oak tree, finding the door to the library wide open for them. They enter one after the other, finding the remainder of their friends having already arrived. She wonders why Chupa was so late as well. She had gotten her cast off the other day. She herself had been busy, still unpacking from her last trip. A trip that once again led absolutely nowhere in her search for Pinkie Pie. She remembers it was Chupa who cheered her up when she first returned to Ponyville. Though they may have different opinions for music, she can't thank the filly enough for her kindness.

The mare takes a quick look around the room, seeing that all of her friends are looking over various books and scrolls, studying hard and showing her that this is another of Star's endless research sessions. She really does understand completely why her friend wishes to find out everything that she can, but sometimes she just feels that this is getting to be a bit too much. Star's always been a book worm though, ever since she first read the Diary of the Six. It's still surprising to her that Princess Twilight's will said she wanted the diary of her and her friends to be published after her demise.

Now it seems like they're studying as hard as the lost Princess did back in the day. They never just hang out anymore. They don't go out for hayshakes, or frequent Wonderbolt rallies. It's not that they're splitting apart, but they've definitely lost their closeness. She just finds this all too disheartening, especially as her friend notices her and trots up. Not greeting her with a smile or hug, Star hands her a book and explains that they're doing research on Oblivion and the dark stars, and that they need to work doubly hard to make up for lost time.

"We must find any and all information that we can," she tells Chupa and Bri, "if we're to ever stop Oblivion, we will need to be fully prepared. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find much as of yet. Whenever I look this all up, all I find is information about the Great Pony Wars that occurred over a thousand years ago. I love history and all, but right now we need to learn about this evil force before it can destroy everything."

Sighing, Bri nods her head and trots over to one of the free bookshelves, beginning her completely unwanted research. Chupa has also joined her friends, taking a smaller shelf on the left side of the library. Star then smiles at them both and returns to her own shelf, flipping through whatever books she can grab at unhealthy speeds. Suddenly, the sound of a book slamming hard against the floor surprises her, and she looks over to see Agelian angrily glaring back at her.

"This is a waste of my time! I'm scheduled to take part in a very important race today, you know! Now you're forcing me to say here and look at books!? Athletes don't read books, eggheads read books! Do I look like an egghead to you!? I need to go to this race so that I can meet Wonderbolt Captain Scootaloo! I'm telling you right now Star Rider, if we don't make any sort of headway in this by two, I'm leaving and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

"There are much more pressing matters to worry about right now, you selfish idiot!" Star snaps back, shutting the book she had been going through with great force. The two get right into each others faces as she tries to explain how important it is that they defeat Oblivion, as they are the six ponies destined to do it. She tells Agelian that they need to do strenuous research on their enemy before they can hope to go against him, and that no race is as important as saving the world from destruction, not even if the winner gets to meet with the captain of the Wonderbolts.

"Then answer me this, oh wise one! Why are we even in this library!? Why aren't we out there in the real world looking for the Elements of Harmony!? Didn't the Princess tell us that we NEED those in order to stop Oblivion and save the world!?"

They begin to close the gap in between them, getting so close and showing so much blind rage towards each other that the others turn to watch, beginning to wonder if they're about to get into a full-fledged brawl. However, right at that moment, a bright light begins to shine right into the library from the open door, blasting itself inward and garnering the attention of not only Star and Agelian, but the rest as well. As they look over at the threshold of the doorway, Princess Aurora walks in, her beautiful pink hair flowing behind her in an endless breeze. A different flower adorns her hair than the last time they had seen her, and right behind her, outside of the library, they notice some armed pegasus guards standing beside the royal carriage. They all begin to bow before her, but smiling, the Princess tells them to rise and insists that they need not bow to her.

"You are both correct, my little ponies," she says as she walks up to Star and Agelian, looking between them with sterm, yet still bright and hope-filled eyes, "when faced with an overwhelming adversary, research is not only welcome, but a necessity. Going in blindly against any enemy would be a most terrible mistake, and could easily cost you your life, or the lives of those closest to you. However, you too are correct Agelian. The Elements of Harmony must be found as quickly as possible. I appreciate your interest in research Star, but will it not be all in vain if you cannot find the one thing that will be able to put an end to it all? But that is not why I am here."

"Why are you here, your majesty?" Star asks, taking a seat on the floor as she sorrowfully sets down the book she had been holding in her hooves. Standing tall, Princess Aurora tells the six of them that over the past few days, she had spent the majority of her time researching into things as well; both for information on Oblivion AND whatever she could find about the Elements of Harmony and where they might have disappeared to fifteen years ago. She also mentions that even the Canterlot Archives have had very little on the Elements, and absolutely nothing on Oblivion. It's as if all the books about these topics disappeared, but the count stayed the same somehow.

"I fear that Oblivion, whoever he is, might be a mystery lost in the pages of Equestria's history forever. But there is still one thing you can do Star. I want you to go to Canterlot yourself as soon as you are able. I have made arrangements for you to meet with a certain few ponies who might just be able to give you some insight into the events that occurred fifteen years ago. I have a theory that those very incidents, the deaths and disappearances, were caused by Oblivion somehow. Because of this, I want you to meet with these ponies. They might have memories from those years ago that could prove not only useful, but crucial in saving our world."

"Who are they?" Star asks.

"The family of Princess Twilight Sparkle," Princess Aurora replies, leaving Star standing there in complete and utter shock, "do not fret my child. This is a mission for Equestria that I am leaving on your shoulders. I trust you."

"Wait just a moment," Agelian suddenly speaks up, continuing to show his immense rage and irritation at being in the library, "why didn't you just meet with them yourself? You're the Princess, so why does Star have to do it?"

"The truth is, I shall be away from Canterlot for a while. I am off to Trottingham after I leave here. I am to meet with the city's mayor and discuss plans to protect their city from anything that is to come from Oblivion in the near future. I have already met with Mayor Mare here before coming to the library, and following Trottingham, I shall be visiting all the other cities of Equestria so that they may be protected as well. The well-being and safety of my country is my first priority. Your friends may join you, and you shall all be accommodated in my castle while staying in Canterlot."

Seeming satisfied by the answer, but still frustrated as he has been, Agelian quietly grunts and falls back. Looking down at the floor, Star bites her lip and shows clear anxiousness over the entire mission she had been given. However, Princess Aurora brings her to her hooves and assures her that everything will be alright. With that, she leaves, getting onto the carriage outside of the door and flying off towards Trottingham. Despite the Princess's reassurance, Star continues to mope. Meeting with the family of Princess Twilight Sparkle is something she never could have even imagined. To meet with such famous, amazing ponies like Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Shining Armor is an honor she was not ready for, but she wants to make Princess Aurora proud, so she shall fulfill this mission to the very best of her ability.

"So...what do you all think?" Star asks, turning to face her friends and get their perspective on all of this. At first, none of the other ponies speak at all. They just look at each other, trying to take in everything they had just heard. None of them could have expected the Princess to give them a mission now, much less one like this. On top of that, the Canterlot Archives have NOTHING on Oblivion? Those archives have the most resources and information in all of Equestria. If they don't have anything, then there is nothing. This is disheartening news, especially for Star, who had put all this time into looking only to find out it was practically worthless to do so.

"I think we need to do it," Agelian says, completely different than how he had been only minutes ago, "this is a very important task. Meeting with ponies who were there will likely give us invaluable information. And Star, I'm sorry for the way I was acting. I have faith that you know what you're doing, and I hope that when you speak to the family, you can get the information we need."

"No, I'm sorry," the mare replies, "you were right. We do need to begin looking for the Elements of Harmony as Princess Aurora instructed. I'm also sorry that you have to miss your race for this. I know you love to race, and that meeting Scootaloo is a dream of yours."

The two of them quickly embrace each other in a forgiving hug, after which they turn to face the other four. Pacing before her friends, Star begins to discuss their plans, telling everypony that they need to get ready to leave for Canterlot right away. She notes that there will be a train leaving the station in exactly an hour, and asks her friends to meet her at the station before then. She then dismisses them, and the six ponies quickly head out of the library, dispersing to their respective homes so that they may get everything they'll need for the trip. As the six of them get out of sight of the large golden oak tree, the sound of light footsteps echo within. Suddenly, illuminated in the light coming through the windows, a purple scaled dragon slowly comes down the stairs, sobbing to himself as he remembers a friend from long ago.

The Ponyville Train Station bustles with mid-day activity as ponies of all varieties line up, ready to board the coming Friendship Express as it returns from Manehattan. The front doors to the station slide open, admitting entrance to the six ponies and their packed bags. Deciding only to stay for the night, they packed light and only brought the necessities. They need all the information they can get, but they cannot stay away for too long. From their jobs, or schooling for one certain little filly, to the search for the Elements of Harmony, they have too much to do.

When they meet with Princess Twilight's family, they're going to have to get right to the point. Whatever information they can get out of them will help, and they cannot afford to waste time getting to know them; not when the fate of the world is at hoof. A loud whistle rings through the station, alerting them that the train is on it's way, and so the six destined ponies head towards the tracks just as the giant steam engines pulls in.

"Are you ready for this everypony?" Star asks them, wanting to make sure they didn't forget anything they might need. The others nod, beginning to board as the doors to the train open and the passengers already in get out. It doesn't take long for them to find seats, getting comfortable in the third car back. Star pulls out a book to read on the ride to Canterlot; a biography written about Princess Twilight Sparkle. She figures that it will be good research to know, and can maybe help her connect with the family so that she can find out more information.

Devlin and Agelian take a seat beside each other and begin to talk. Their discussion turns to the race that the latter of them was to take part in today, at which point Devlin tells him, "Don't worry about a thing. I didn't have a lot to pack, so I quickly met with the race's sponsors. They agreed to reschedule it for next week so you can participate."

"Really? You got them to do that for me?" Agelian asks, surprised but immensely thankful and overjoyed.
Smiling back at him, Devlin just nods and responds, "What are friends for?"

Sitting a short distance away, Chupa clips off loose limbs of a small bonsai tree that she brought to give to the family as a gift. It's one of her favorite types of plants, as it requires constant care and work. She's found that pruning it every now and again is essential to keeping it beautiful and healthy. Beside her sits Bri, who holds a photograph of Pinkie Pie in her hooves. In fifteen years, no one in Equestria seems to have seen or heard from the party pony, and as the train pulls out of the station, the adventurous young mare wonders if she might be in Canterlot. It's one of the cities she has yet to check, as she thought it'd be too hard to hide in such a place.

Looking up, she sees Terra on the other side of the hall. Dressed in his old elite royal guard armor, he seems more excited than anypony else. Not only will he be meeting Shining Armor, brother of Princess Twilight and a former captain of the guard, but he will also be meeting the pony who took his place as the current captain. The look on his face tells it all. He is more ready for this than any of them.

The ride remains peaceful, and not much talking occurs between the six other than with Devlin and Agelian, who tell each other stories of their past exploits; from Devlin helping during Apple Bucking Season at Sweet Apple Acres to Agelian meeting Rainbow Dash once as a colt, before her untimely demise all those years ago. Star remains focused on her book, and Chupa has stopped pruning her bonsai and instead does some of the homework Miss Cheerilee had given her. Bri is looking out the window of the train and thinking about Pinkie Pie, while Terra is trying to go over in his head who his replacement could be.

It's hard to believe, as on the map the two cities seem so close, but after a long, tiring trip, the train pulls into Canterlot Station. It takes them a minute to grab all their bags, and make sure they don't forget anything, but as they do the six of them get off the train. They don't even have the time to look around though, as right in front of them are members of the elite royal guard, led by a dark blue pegasus pony in silver armor. An upgraded look from Terra's armor, she stands there at full attention, smiling as she watches them trot up. Terra looks at the mare and smiles. This is the perfect choice for the new captain. Strong, intelligent, and never willing to give up, she was his best soldier when he was in charge. There couldn't have been a better choice.

"Good evening ponies," she says, her voice emitting a wave of power. Every word she speaks seems to hold force and a commanding presence to it.

The six of them greet her with respect, and she nods back, continuing, "welcome to Canterlot. My name is Captain Everglade, and I shall be your escort during your trip here. I understand that you are to be staying at the castle, so we have prepared two rooms; one for the mares and one for the stallions. You are permitted on the castle grounds at your leisure, and have access to the private chef and all royal servants. You are our honored guests, and we wish to make you feel at home."

"Thank you, Captain," Star says with a courteous bow. Everglade nods again, then turns to Terra and smiles, greeting her old captain with a hug and pat on the back.

"It's good to see you again, Captain Terra," she says, saluting him.

"I'm not the captain anymore Everglade, that's your honor now. And from what it seems, you're handling it well. I'm glad Princess Aurora chose you as my replacement."

"You flatter me Terra," she laughs, "now let me show you and your friends to the castle."

On their trot from the station to the castle, Captain Everglade gives them a tour of the city. Showing them the amazing architecture of the buildings, she points out many of the city’s biggest tourist spots, such as the Canterlot Theater, Canterlot Colts ball park, and even the Museum of Equestrian History. The six friends look around in awe, wondering if maybe they should have agreed to stay longer so that the could check everything out. However, they're reminded quickly of the reason they're in Canterlot and remember that the have to focus on that, then get back to Ponyville for their lives, as well as their research into the Elements of Harmony, to continue.

Upon arrival, they didn't know exactly what to expect. They knew they were getting rooms at the castle, but thought they would be walking there themselves. The royal escort isn't something they planned on, though they don't plan to complain. It's nice to feel like celebrities for once. Just that sense of importance the ponies around town are getting from them excites them. Though Terra has felt it before, being the former captain of the guard, and Agelian has had some fame as a racer. For the rest of them though, this is completely new and unexpected. Walking through the capital city of Equestria, having the ponies all around staring and muttering amongst themselves is so different from their everyday lives.

Arriving at the castle, they enter the large door to find themselves in the main hall. Everglade stops in front of them and turns, welcoming them to the castle and telling the six of them, "This is the main hall of the castle. I wish for you all to meet back here an hour after you get to your rooms for briefing. The family of Princess
Twilight Sparkle will be here soon, and we need to discuss a few things. Now let me show you to your rooms."

She walks them through the hallowed halls of the castle, past portraits of previous rulers and sets of armor lining the walls beside them. They pass by the entrance to the castle gardens, exciting Chupa who looks out the window at the amazing flora and wildlife. They go through the chamber of Princess Twilight, in which pictures of her and all her friends sit on the walls. Bri looks up at a picture of Pinkie Pie and sighs, thinking back to her trip to Germaney and how much of a bust it was. They see Fluttershy's picture, and how different she looked fifteen years ago. Star smiles, wondering how somepony can seem to have changed in such little time.

Moving on, they soon reach the bed chambers and are led to the two set aside for them. Right next to each other, the two chambers are massive. The beds are made of a high quality material they could never find in Ponyville, and the beautiful covers are so soft and light. Each room has small rooms within them, and even a private study and kitchen. The stallions and mares go to their respective rooms and take it all in, realizing that until they leave tomorrow afternoon, these beautiful rooms are all theirs. Add the fact that they have the servants and private chef at their beck and call, and there's nothing that can rival the magnificence of this trip. It's better than they could have ever imagined, and it's only just begun. Everglade once again reminds them to meet in the main hall in an hour, then heads out to leave the ponies to unpack.

An hour seems to pass by so quickly, and before they know it, the six ponies are standing back in the main hall. It's as if they had just begun to look at their rooms. Everglade stands there with a couple of other guards, smiling as they trot on up. Looking at them, she begins to brief them on what's to happen; that when the family arrives, it will be Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Prince Shining Armor only. No other members of Princess Twilight's family will be showing up. She adds that she doesn't want them to bother the family too much, as this will be a very sensitive topic for them. It may have been fifteen years since that day, but how does one just get over the mysterious disappearance of a loved one, followed by the gruesome deaths of her friends?

"I don't know exactly how they'll react to your questions," Everglade tells them, "so tread carefully. They know why they were asked to come in, but just try and take it easy. And Terra, I know it has been a dream of yours to meet Shining Armor, but try to not lose yourself. Keep your composure, just as you had once taught me."

Terra smiles and nods, knowing that what she says is true. While he's always dreamed of this day, he needs to focus not on his own admiration, but instead on the problem that plagues Equestria and finding out how they can stop it. Suddenly, the main doors swing open and a guard rushes in, galloping up to Everglade as he nearly yells out, "Captain, we've caught him! We've finally caught Psycho Joe!"

"Really? Well that is certainly good news."

"Who's Psycho Joe?" Terra asks, curiously looking at his replacement with genuine interest. Everglade sighs and explains that "Psycho" Joe is a pony who once was a respectable member of Equestrian society. Something in him snapped in the last year however, and he became a serial murderer, committing six murders in Canterlot over the past few months. She tells him that she remembers finding the first victim herself; a young colt who's throat had been ripped out and stomach sliced open so that his innards would pour out. Each murder was more terrible than the last, and the most recent victim, a socialite mare, was found with mutilated head sliced off and shoved down the neck, hooves cut down the middle and back with chunks missing...chunks that still haven't been found.

"I didn't need to know that," Devlin says, feeling nauseous. The other five nod in agreement, and even Everglade herself looks light-headed and pale after explaining the murders. The guard who had told her of the capture also mentions that the family have gotten off the train and are on their way now. Thanking the stallion, she turns to the six and wishes them the best of luck, heading off to follow the guard to where they have the murderer locked up. Turning to her friends, Star begins to talk to them about what they're all going to say, and suggests that they make it as quick as possible, but at the same time, get as much information as possible.

The main doors soon open up again, and led by some guards, three ponies walk into the hall. The two stallions on each side of the mare seem to be staying strong, though it's obvious that they're still sorrowful over having to relive the events of fifteen years ago. In between them, Twilight's mother seems to be downtrodden as well, but has a very calm appearance. As the three walk up, Night Light greets the six of them, who then greet their visitors back. Shining Armor sighs, but tells them that they're willing to answer any questions, especially if it'll help them find and capture Oblivion, as well as learn what happened to their Twi and Cadance.

The nine ponies head to a large table set up for them by the royal guard, and take their seats. Silence comes across them all for what seems like the longest time. It's Star that breaks the nervous quiet of the group, explaining to the family exactly what happened in Ponyville a couple weeks ago with the stage actor Sevulva Star. She tells them exactly how they know Oblivion to be behind this all, and the events that have occurred since, including the possession of Cobalt Sky. She then asks the three if they wouldn't mind starting at the beginning, and explaining what happened in the days that led up to the disappearance of all the Princesses.

"Well, it was funny actually," Shining Armor replies, trying to hold back his tears as he remembers those days, "Twily and Cadance were preparing for a summit with some ponies from Tasmaneia. It was to be a very important meeting to unite the two lands and make Tasmaneia a part of Equestria. Naturally, my sister was stressing herself out, worried about making the best impression possible. She even studied up on Tasmaneian culture, learning everything she could about them, and had her friend Rarity make an authentic Tasmaneian dress for her."

"She wanted her friends to take part as well, so she invited them all to stay at the castle with her and Cadance overnight. Later on, both Twily and her friend Fluttershy were walking down one of the hallways. They had to get something for Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy had brought Angel with her, and looked away for a second to check on the bunny. When she looked back, Twily was...she was...gone."

Breaking down, Shining Armor begins to sob into his hoof. Velvet and Night hug and comfort their son, giving him the strength to continue, "The guards searched the entire castle, the grounds, and all of Canterlot. She was never found, and nopony could explain what happened. It soon was brought to our attention that Princesses Celestia and Luna disappeared at the exact same time, and I began to get worried. Three princesses gone just like that? It didn't seem believable. I was so scared, and began to search for my wife. I couldn't find her either."

"Did any of you three have direct contact with Princess Twilight before her disappearance?" Star asks them. She wonders if they had been around her in the days, or even hours before she vanished. This could lead to some possible clues about what happened. Velvet is the one to respond this time, telling them that all three of them were at the castle during this time as well. She says that Twilight wanted them all there for some reason, even though she and Cadance were the only ones who would be taking part in the negotiations with the Tasmaneians. Night Light then speaks up, adding that they had seen her only an hour before she disappeared, and that they and Twilight's friends were all having a party at the time.

"The reason they left was to get streamers for Pinkie Pie, who had planned the party," Shining Armor quietly says, "she had forgotten them at home. I think that's why she eventually ran away. She blamed herself for Twilight's disappearance, and the deaths of her friends that happened because of it."

"Actually," Terra says, "we believe that Oblivion caused those deaths. We don't yet know how, but something is telling us that he's just got to be behind it all."

"Yeah, and it's not Pinkie's fault! It just isn't!" Bri yells out, tearing up and getting emotional. She refuses to believe that her idol, whom she's been searching for, would be behind all of those horrible incidents, even if on accident.

"Did any of you happen to meet Sevulva Star prior to Princess Twilight's disappearance? Or did she herself know him?" Star asks, changing the subject as she angrily eyes Bri for the outburst. Twilight Velvet is the first to respond, noting that she had received a letter a week before she came to Canterlot back then. It was from her daughter, and said that she had gone to see one of Sevulva's plays with her friends. She asks Star how she thinks Oblivion could be behind all of this, and what it's got to do with Sevulva Star.

"Sevulva is being controlled by Oblivion," Star replies, remembering what had happened when the dark stars appeared over Ponyville, "and he probably has been for a long time now. He is the main vessel for Oblivion right now, and I fear he might have somehow kidnapped the princesses. If this is true that Princess Twilight and her friends saw his play a week before the disappearances, then it can be inferred that Oblivion had been planning this. It can't just be a coincidence."

"But how would he do it?" Shining Armor asks.

"Probably some kind of teleportation spell. Although Sevulva Star is an earth pony, since he is being controlled by a magical force, he can use spells like any unicorn. He's probably even as powerful as an alicorn. My guess as to where they were teleported to is as good as yours. Wherever it is though, I'm sure it's wherever Oblivion is at right now."

"That makes sense," Night Light states, quietly looking down at the floor. Shining Armor tells them to consider how much magical power something like that would take, especially since the princesses weren't all in the same place at the time. If they were indeed teleported simultaneously from various locations, the magical abilities of Oblivion would have to far surpass that of an alicorn. Looking at Twilight Velvet, Star narrows her eyes. She hadn't been listening to Shining Armor at this point. Something's been bugging her since the three ponies got there, and now she knows what it is.

"One more question," Star says, looking at the three, expression having become scarily serious. She gets up and walks around the table, approaching Princess Twilight's mother and getting into her face, "who are you, because it's certainly not the real Twilight Velvet. It's been bugging me this entire time. I would expect you to have been reacting the worst to all of this. On the train ride here, I read over the biography of Princess Twilight, and it talks all about her mother and how emotional she is, especially in sad situations. You have been almost emotionless, and I know that it's been fifteen years since the incident happened, but a mother as loving and emotional as described in that biography would have been crying a lot more than you have."

Twilight Velvet looks up at her accuser, then at the surprised faces of all around her. Shining Armor and Night Light are appalled, on their hooves and ready to defend Velvet's honor. All of Star's friends are even shocked, at their hooves as well and silently staring at the scene with open mouths. At that moment, a wicked sounding laugh escapes Velvet's throat, and a voice not her own speaks; A dry, raspy, evil sounding voice that breaths dark intentions with every word.

"Good job Dreams, you're more observant than I gave you credit for. It looks like between Honor finding me out before, and now you seeing through this guise, that I am not as good an actor as Sevulva Star. Oh well, ces't la vie. Doesn't matter anyways. It's not like you even have a chance of stopping me."

"Oblivion," Star growls. Shining Armor and Night Light back away in fear and surprise, wondering what happened to the real Velvet. All of Star's friends get ready to fight, knowing full well what Oblivion is capable of.

"Yes, that is correct, but tell me something Dreams. If you suspected me all this time, why in Equestria did you continue to milk information out of these other two? It did give me everything I needed. Oh, and speaking of you two, Shining Armor and Night Light, do not fret. This is the body of Twilight Velvet. I've just, well, gotten in her head a little."

"What are you planning Oblivion!" Terra yells out, grinding his hoof against the floor, ready to charge when necessary. Castle guards begin to come up as well, including Everglade, and everypony surrounds the possessed mare. However, Oblivion just laughs and suddenly, Velvet's mouth opens and a dark energy escapes it, flying out and then over to the now open door to the outside. Flying out, Oblivion escapes the blockade, leaving Twilight Velvet's body to slump to the floor. As Night Light and Shining Armor rush out to help the guards chase the evil force, Star and her friends help recover the passed out mare. She then looks out the window to see the two stallions running off into the city in the direction that Oblivion had gone.

It's getting worse, she thinks to herself. Oblivion is doing his research as well, and it's obvious now that he's planning something big. He had somehow taken Twilight Velvet over without either Night Light or Shining Armor noticing, and controlled her since they arrived. He's getting stronger, and more courageous. Unfortunately their trip left more questions than answers, and with everything that's gone down, they know it wouldn't be wise to question the family any more. They've got all they're going to, and she can only hope that it's enough. But now something else bothers her. Oblivion had referred to her as Dreams, and to Terra as Honor. What could this mean? She remembers hearing how when he possessed Cobalt Sky, he called Chupa by the name Peace as well. This has to mean something important, she just knows it, and she has to figure it out soon. But her first priority is to find the Elements of Harmony, because otherwise, with things looking as bad as they are, the world might be doomed.

Preview for the next episode
***********************************
It's been fifteen long years...and I've been so alone. All these books don't help me. I don't even want any gems. I just want my friends back, I just want Twilight.

S01 E06 - Dragon One's Tail

Author's Notes:

Happy Hearts and Hooves Day everypony! I hope you're spending today with that very special somepony who makes you happy. Here is the new episode of My Little Pony: Friendship of Generations. It has a Hearts and Hooves Day theme to it, focusing on love. Not only romantic love though, but the love of true friends. Remember, the official MLP:FoG website will be updated later today with all new bios and images of the different ponies. I am also planning on making a huge update to the Equestria page, giving more detail and specific locations for each and every area. So that should hopefully be done by some point tonight. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the episode and the company of those you love, and who love you back. Best wishes.

~The GeekBAH (aka: Brent Hauserman)

The golden knob slowly begins to turn, and the door to the small home cautiously opens to reveal Grace Storm peering out from behind it. Standing there in the threshold, she looks out with wide eyes and confusion expressed on her face. Her mane is wild and unkempt, messed up from her sleep, and she is still wearing her pajamas. She had just awoken for the day, and as such was naturally quite surprised to hear the doorbell ring at such an unexpected time. Never has she had company over at this hour, and because of this, her frugality is not only understandable, but quite expected. Her vigilance changes, however, as she quietly looks past the door. Alleviation passes over her face and unbridled joy soon replaces the confusion that had been etched on it shortly ago. It's the sight of the young, dark blue mare standing on the step that has caused her still tired state to slip away. The drowsiness she was feeling from awaking so early in the morning is now gone; Star is home.

Pushing the door aside, the mare leaps forth and pulls her younger sister to her, embracing her in a bone-shattering hug as she laughs with glee, shouting out in excitement. It's been so long since the last time they've seen each other, and she's been quite lonely. Two months ago, Star had left the house to go out on her own, and it seems that within this time, she's only seen her once. What could she possibly have been doing all this time that's kept her from being able to visit her own older sister? She cared for Star after the untimely, horrible passing of their parents; a day that has been plaguing both of them ever since it happened.

It all happened ten years ago now, on the eve of a beautiful winter's day. At that time, she was quite young, though she was still old enough to take care of Star, who was only a little filly back then. She had been foal-sitting her at the time that she received the news. Their parents had left Ponyville a couple days before then to meet with some ponies in Manehattan about a lucrative deal. They were business ponies, and those in Manehattan were going to give rise to their careers. According to the eye-witness reports, what occurred next is hard for her to even think about, and to this very day she has trouble comprehending what the police mare had told her.

Their parents were at the Manehattan train station, awaiting the Friendship Express to arrive and take them back to their hometown. It was then that something is said to have happened to them. The whistle of the train could be heard echoing out, and the engine itself was soon seen coming at a fast speed, which was normal at that time. That's when it happened; their parents supposedly just walked out onto the tracks. No warning, no words spoken, and not even a little bit of fear showing on their faces. They just stepped down in front of it as it came, and everypony there watched as their bodies were mortifyingly crushed as the train rolled over them, spraying blood and remains in every direction.

Some wonder if it was depression that caused them to do this; to commit suicide. No, she doesn't believe so though. Like anypony, her father and mother did have their share of problems. Perhaps even more so because they were in business. However, they would always talk them out, getting past everything that might have been going through their heads. They would always keep smiling in the face of any and all adversity. They never once gave up. It just couldn't have been suicide, especially because of what the ponies who were at the station at the time recounted to the police. According to their stories, the two had been happily chatting to each other about their children. They suddenly stopped speaking in mid-sentence, and the air itself almost seemed to be filled with a dense tension. Their expressions turned blank, and without a word they began to step forward. It's as if something had gotten a hold of them.

Things only became worse, however, when the autopsy was finished and the report was given. It gives her serious pain to even remember this, and even now it brings tears to her eyes as she thinks of what she was told all those years ago. She had learned that their mother was pregnant when she died, and naturally the foal inside of her was killed as well. She not only lost her parents, but also an unborn sibling she never even got to know. Since that day, she's held on tight to her sister with everything she's had. She never wants to go through that pain, and never wants to lose anyone ever again. Especially when that someone is the only family she has left.

She tries hard to express everything she has in that simple, loving embrace. She wants to try and tell her sister how much she's been worrying for her, and how much she cares. It's clear that her sister understands as she hugs Grace back. Just like her, Star has felt the pain of losing her parents as well. She doesn't want her sister to die either, and it was hard for her to leave the house two months ago. She knows though why Star felt she had to do it. She wanted to make a life of her own, out there in the real world; a life her parents would be proud of. Star knows she understands, and she herself understands why her older sister is so clingy. It's because of love, pure and simple. The love held between them that makes them act to protect each other in a cruel world that has taken so much away from them.

"I'm just so glad you're home," Grace softly tells her, relinquishing the grip upon her sister as she gently smiles.

"I'm glad to be home," Star replies as tears begin to well up in her eyes as she smiles back at her sister. However, her expression suddenly turns serious as she walks into the house that she had been born and raised in for all those years. Grace can instantly tell that something is wrong, and sorrowfully watches as her sister slowly trots over to the table, taking a seat.

"Would you like some coffee?" the purple mare asks her sister, walking over to the still heated pot on the counter. She pulls out a couple of cups and begins to pour one as Star accepts the offer with thankfulness. Giving the cup to her sister, she then pours one for herself and takes a little sip as her sister's mood once again becomes solemn. Grace then takes a seat across from her, looking into her eyes. It's more than obvious that she didn't come here for a simple social visit, especially on a beautiful Hearts and Hooves Day like today. As she woke up, she immediately recalled hard memories from her past, and only wonders now what could have Star so downtrodden, fear enveloping her.

"Grace," Star suddenly speaks up after taking another sip of her coffee, "I want to tell you everything, and why I haven't been able to visit you in such a long time. I want to tell you what those dark stars were, and why we might not be able to see each other again after today."

Though she wonders about the dark stars, and how Star could possibly know about them, it's the last part that pierces her heart like a white hot blade. What's going on, and why might they never be able to see each other again? This very idea is just terrifying to even consider. She can't lose her sister now too, not after everything else that's happened. So demanding that Star not say such horrible things, she demands that she explain herself. A sigh escapes Star as she repeats herself, and finally begins to tell her older sister what had been going on over the past couple of months.

Star tells her older sister all about the dark stars as well as her confrontation with Sevuvla Star. She mentions the revelation that the dark force Oblivion, unknown to all of history, had been controlling the famous pony Cobalt Sky, as well as Sevulva himself. She then tells her sister of all the information she and her friends have been able to gather up until this point. The visit to Canterlot soon comes up, and Star mentions to Grace the meeting with the family of the long lost Princess Twilight Sparkle, as well as how Twilight Velvet had been controlled by Oblivion as well. Finally, she tells her the theories that she's begun to have about Oblivion, and how it might be behind the disappearances and deaths of Twilght and her friends from fifteen years ago.

"Also," she adds after all of that, as Grace looks at her in shock, fear, and complete, utter disbelief, "I've been trying to deny it ever since I even thought of it, but I just can't deny the possibility anymore. If it's true that Oblivion was behind all of those deaths and disappearances, then maybe it was behind mom and dad's deaths as well."

Her eyes widen as she gnashes her teeth angrily, not wanting to believe what she's hearing her younger sister say. What could even propel her to say such things? It's nothing more than a wild accusation! This Oblivion, the one who's behind the arrival of the dark stars, is now suddenly the one responsible for the death of their parents ten years ago? She can't really explain why, as it'd make a great deal of sense, but she just doesn't want to believe it. She doesn't want to think that her parents were murdered by someone who then got away with it. She can't help it though. It is a very likely assumption, especially if everything that her sister has told her about Oblivion is true. She believes Star to be as honest as anypony; she raised her that way. However, something of this magnitude just doesn't seem believable to her. And why today of all days would she even bring something like this up? It's the anniversary of the gruesome deaths their parents were victim to. There has to be a reason Star would mention this today of all days, but what could it be?

The blue mare looks over at her older sister, head drooping as she slumps in her seat. She can understand her sister's feelings, and the thoughts that must be passing through her head. She sighs heavily and looks at Grace as she explains to her, "This is something I needed to let you know, sis. I couldn't go another day without telling you all of this. When I woke up this morning, I remembered that day ten years ago. I remembered how the police ponies came to out house and telling us the bad news. I remember my heart breaking and my very sense of reality seeming to dissolve right in front of my eyes. I needed to tell you all of this today because...I just needed someone who would understand to know how this has been making me feel lately. There are so many emotions going through my head right now...I need you sis..."

Tears begin to cascade from Star's eyes, dripping softly down her cheeks as she sits there. Without another second of hesitation, Grace jumps up from her seat and runs around the table, embracing her little sister once again. She cries as well, but assures Star that everything is going to be alright, and that she won't let anything go wrong again. Now she understands exactly why Star came here this morning, why she told her all of this, and why she said that they may never be able to see each other again. She's scared; terrified beyond reason. Star's afraid that if she remains connected to her sister through this terrible ordeal, this Oblivion force will go after her to get to Star. She can completely understand the pain and sheer, mortifying terror Star must be feeling. If they remain in contact, it'd be a huge risk for the both of them. But if they cut their ties, they'll both have a better chance of safety. This is a fight Star needs to face alone.

"Are...are you sure about this?" Grace quietly asks, understanding but at the same time saddened by what must happen, "this is going to be really dangerous you know. Taking on somepony as powerful as this...I just don't want to have the police come to my door to tell me you died too. I can't lose you."

"Yes, I'm sure. I need to do this sis, and I won't die...I can't die. I can never leave you behind Grace. In honor of our parent’s memories, in honor of all those Oblivion has killed or hurt, I will stop him. Princess Aurora told me that I am one of six destined ponies that will save the world. With my friends by my side, I cannot lose. We will do this, for everypony, for Princess Twilight and her friends...for mom and dad."

Grace holds her sister close to her, nodding with tears in her eyes. She knows full well that her sister is right, and she's more than proud of how mature she's become. Though it might have been hard, she was definitely ready to go out into the real world on her own. She's become a wonderful mare. As the two of them hug each other tightly, expressing all of their emotions and feelings at once, the front door suddenly opens, stealing away their attention. As they turn their heads to look, a yellow-coated pony with pink hair trots slowly in. By the butterflies marking her flank, Fluttershy is easily recognizable at once. The shy mare had a worried expression on her face, and seems urgent to tell the two of them something. However, as she comes in she sees the two of them hugging each other, tears streaming down their faces, and she begins to profusely apologize for barging in like she did.

"No...no, it's alright Miss Fluttershy. Don't even worry about it," Grace replies as she wipes away her tears, releasing her sister so that she can fetch their guest a cup of tea, knowing well that she doesn't care much for coffee, "you're always welcome here. But what are you doing here this early in the morning? I wasn't expecting this."

"Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't realize you'd be busy," the shy mare apologizes, trying to shrink out of sight for a moment. However, she regains confidence, and being slightly more assertive, she adds, "I, um, I actually came here because I was told that Star was seen coming over here."

"You're here because of me?" Star asks curiously as she wipes her tears away just as her sister had. Fluttershy nods as Grace passes her a cup of fresh tea. The pony accepts the drink and slowly walks over to the table to join the two sisters. She takes a quick sip of the drink, then breathes heavily as she returns her attention to Grace, explaining that it's okay if she hears this as well. At that moment, the mare goes silent as if she were remembering her own dark past, and as she begins to explain, the two others can quickly see that it's exactly the reason Fluttershy had come.

"When those terrible incidents happened fifteen years ago," she begins, "I was so sad and horrified by what had happened. I couldn't stop crying, and was too afraid to leave the safety of my cottage. Because of this, I became a recluse as you are aware. Though I had Angel Bunny and all of my other animal friends, it never ended up being the same. I felt empty and cold inside, and oh so lonely. I just wanted to die, so that all the misery and pain would stop. However, I felt as if something were stopping me from doing so. There was something telling me that it'd be wrong to take my life and leave behind those who still cared for me. I felt it'd dishonor my friends memories. So instead I decided to remain inside for all of those years, not talking to anypony the entire time and just barely surviving on what I could get."

"A while after that, years later, I began to feel sudden urges telling me to leave; to go out and do my own errands for the first time in a long time, and not have my animal friends make other ponies do it. I knew that I needed to get out of there, and so with caution, I did. I went to the market to do my own shopping, and that's when I met the two of you. Everything changed that day, and it was because of you Star. When I saw you, I felt something I hadn't in years. I felt hope, erasing all of the pain that had been filling my heart. And when I got to know you more, you began to remind me of the friends I had lost, as if their spirits lived on through you. I believe destiny got me out of my cottage that day, and allowed me to meet you. Now, I need you to help me once again. Just like I once had been, an old friend of mine is stuck up in his home and refuses to even communicate with anypony. He's been there since the incidents as well, and hasn't left once in fifteen years."

"It's Spike, isn't it?" the mare quietly asks. She knows that this is the only possible answer, but she doesn't just want to assume. However, she's proven correct as Fluttershy nods before looking out the kitchen window. The Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library, in which the little dragon lives, can easily be seen from here. Fluttershy looks sorrowfully at it and breathes in deeply, turning back to them and taking another drink of her tea.

"He's been mourning the loss of his friends for so long. He lost his best friend Twilight, who raised him from an egg. He lost Rarity, whom he loved more than anypony else. He lost so much when that all happened, and hasn't been the same since. I want to get him away from the pain and misery, and show him the same hope I felt. You have to be the one to help with this Star. It was you who gave me that hope, and it's you who can do the same for him. I don't want him to wallow in misery anymore, but instead embrace the future, and the life he can live beyond the sorrows he's faced."

"What do you need me to do?" Star asks her friend, expression becoming serious. She knows full well that this is something very important to Fluttershy, and she feels honored that she'd come to her for help. She has to do what she can. Above everything else, she wants to help her friend, but she cannot deny that this'll benefit her as well. Spike would be an invaluable asset to their team. His deep knowledge of the library could help them with research, especially if he had spent a lot of these past fifteen years reading. But doing it for Fluttershy is her number one motivation, and it's what will drive her to make this happen.

"Can you and your friends go to the library and try to cheer him up? Um, if that's ok with you. I...I believe that if you can get him to be happy again, he'll be more willing to listen. Oh, and please try not to mention Rarity if you can. It's Hearts & Hooves Day, and it'll just upset him too much. He loved her so much, that even the slightest mention of her name would only make things worse. Oh, and please don't talk about Twilight either. I believe he misses her just as much, if not more, since he grew up with her as a sort of big sister."

"Of course I will," Star replies, "I'll do whatever I can to help, and will go right now to meet with my friends. Don't worry at all Fluttershy, we'll do everything in our power to save Spike from the pain in his heart."

"Thank you so much," Fluttershy says, smiling as a tear of joy trickles down her cheek. Grace looks at her little sister, no, her beautifully grown up sister with a proud smile on her face. Star's more grown up than she could've ever thought. Grace wishes her sister luck as she heads out and thanks her for listening. She tells Fluttershy to not worry about a thing, and shows a look of determination on her face as she walks out the door, ready to tackle this challenge with everything she's got.

A short time later, within the dusty confines of the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library, a small purple dragon with light green spines walks around, re-shelving books as he remembers the countless hours Twilight would have him do it. After all these years he's remained faithful, re-organizing and shelving the books periodically for her. He half expects her to walk in through that door one day and thank him for keeping the library so clean in her absence. Oh, what he would do to see that happen. He chuckles to himself as he remembers how she used to call him her number one assistant, and how he became jealous when Owlowiscious first arrived.

Continuing his work, Spike stumbles upon a book called The History of Hearts & Hooves Day, and right underneath it, Rare Gemstones of Equestria. He had almost forgotten what day it was, and with a sigh goes over to the nearby closet. Opening it, he looks at the pictures of all the friends he used to have, and pulls out one of a marshmallow-white pony with gorgeous purple hair and sapphire eyes. Crying, he stares at the photograph of the pony he loved, and wishes that he had confessed his feelings to her before her horrible death. He remembers how his greedy side once got a hold of him, and he almost lost sight of what was important. It was Rarity, who wore the fire ruby he had generously given to her, that brought him back.

He looks at the pictures of all his other friends, and cries for them all. For Rainbow Dash, who finally reached her dream, only to be impaled by a weather rod weeks later; For Fluttershy, who while still alive, hasn't been the same since; For Applejack, who was crushed by a fallen tree in the midst of depression; and for Pinkie Pie, who couldn't handle the pain of losing her friends and ran. He remembers the good times he had with all the ponies he loved, and cries bitter tears. It's the worst pain he felt in his life, and in fifteen years it has yet to subside. He puts the pictures back into the closet and closes the door, sighing to himself as he turns around to finish his job, only to find himself staring into the crazed eyes of a light blue pony with bi-colored pink and purple hair.

"Omigosh! So you're Spike, right!?"

He falls back, staring at the energetic mare in shock and surprise. He didn't even hear her come in. Where in Equestria did she come from? Getting to his feet, the dragon turns away from her and goes off to ignore and, well, basically hide from her. He doesn't want to get involved with anypony ever again. There's too high a risk of more heartbreak. However, the mare grabs him by the shoulder, refusing to let him run off. Instead, she turns him around and introduces herself.

"Hello mate! My name's Briance Amelia Jordan Happer! But you can call me Bri, everypony does! Fluttershy asked my mate Star to help you. So I came 'ere to cheer ya up!"

Fluttershy? He wonders what she could possibly be talking about. Isn't Fluttershy just as anti-social as he is? Didn't she become a recluse before even him? How could somepony as shy as her ever get past that, much less have the nerve to ask somepony else to do something for her? And how did this weird pony know his name? Could it really have been Fluttershy? But that's impossible.

"I got the perfect idea! I'll throw ya a party, mate! Pinkie Pie style! There'll be cake, games, dancing, music, and hey, even some tea and crumpets! Gotta incorporate some of my own style in there, savvy? All ya got to do is stop moping around and cheer up!"

As he remembers the amazing parties that Pinkie Pie used to throw, Spike's eyes glow in rage and steam begins to blow from his nostrils. How could this pony just come in here and say such a thing? To throw a party, Pinkie Pie style, is impossible and insulting! Nopony will ever be able to match her parties, not even Cheese Sandwich could be the same! Now this stupid little mare comes in and claims to be able to!? No, he will not stand for this! Angrily growling, he suddenly breaths flames at the pony, who backs away in shock and fear. Spike then retreats, running off to avoid and ignore her, leaving Bri to now turn sorrowful as she slowly walks back out of the library.

No less than an hour passes by, and Spike cautiously begins to come out from hiding. He's sure now that the annoying pony must be gone for good. He can't believe the nerve of her. To say such things like that after everything he's gone through. Surely if that "Bri's" story is true, then she would know how he would react to something like that. It's just horrible, yet for some unfathomable reason, she does seem to kind of remind him of Pinkie. Something about the way she carries herself just seems so joyful and carefree. It's just like how Pinkie was fifteen years ago, before everything happened. He sighs and rubs his temple, not wanting to think about that anymore. So he goes to return to the re-shelving, but as he comes across a book called "Partying For Dummies" he decides to just give up for the day, going instead to take a seat on a nearby chair. He leans back, trying to get some rest for the moment, and eventually dozes off.

Meanwhile, on the street right outside of the library, a dark blue pony with hair that goes from a deep red to bright gold steps up. It's been a while since a tearful Bri came back to Star's house, telling them all of how Spike had breathed fire at her, and scared her out of her wits. He's angry at the dragon, and wants revenge more than anything. However, he knows that Fluttershy's wishes are more important right now. He needs to get Spike out of that tree, no matter what it takes. So walking up to the library, he approaches the door and turns around. Lifting his hind legs into the air, he bucks the door open.

The loud crash of the door flying off it's hinges wakes the dragon, who cries out and falls back off of the chair he was sleeping in. Terra has turned again, and now storms into the library with purpose. Storming right up to Spike, he gets right in his face and decides that what the dragon needs right now is a little tough love to make him see the light. So, voice echoing loudly through the library, Terra yells out, "Stop this right now! I don't give a buck what you're feeling! You are being selfish and need to get out of this library this instant and apologize to Fluttershy for the worrying you've put her through!"

Almost instantly, Spike begins to cry hysterically, only angering Terra more. He continues to yell at and berate the dragon, hoping that it'll get him to take action and actually do something. Maybe if Spike acts, he can force the dragon out of here. However, he just continues to cry. Grunting, Terra turns away, and walks out of the library. This isn't going anywhere, and he'd rather not waste his time on a lost cause. He'll tell the others that his methods didn't work, then continue to patrol the streets of Ponyville and actually do something important.

One after another, the ponies enter the library, only to leave disappointed. Chupa is the next to arrive, and tries to tell Spike her past in hopes to show him that anypony can move past sorrow. He just yells at her, saying that he'll never be happy with his friends gone. After she leaves, Agelian takes his turn, using a similar method as Terra. However, instead of yelling at the dragon, the stallion simply grabs Spike's tail within his teeth and tries to forcefully pull him from the library. Spike doesn't take to it well though, clawing at Agelian's face. The stallion cries out in pain as the blood begins to seep out, then ducks right in time as the dragon breaths flames at him. As he heads out, grumbling under his breath, the stallion sees both Devlin and Star trotting up the street towards him. Meeting them half-way, he explains what he tried and how it didn't work, noting the still-bleeding scars on his face.

"The dragon isn't coming out," he tells them grumpily, "this is just a big waste of time. Now can I go back to my flight training?"

"Agelian, Fluttershy asked me to do this, and I'm determined to. I promised her that I would get Spike out of the library. Don't you realize how depressed he must be feeling? He lost as much as anypony else in those incidents, even more if you count his feelings towards Rarity," Star replies as Devlin pulls out a picture and hands it to her. He explains to Agelian that he managed to find this old photo of Spike with Princess Twilight Sparkle, believing that it might get to Spike, allowing them to talk to him and maybe even help him cope with his losses.

"Whatever," Agelian says, blowing them off as he takes to the air, "if you think it will help, be my guest."

As he flies off, Star turns to Devlin, worry in her expression. She asks him if it's alright for her to do this alone, explaining that if they both go into the library at the same time, it might overwhelm the dragon and hurt their chances of saving him from his sorrow. She doesn't want to make him angry, especially considering he might already be feeling so because of the previous invasions into his privacy. Devlin nods, understanding that she's probably right, and that it'd be much better for only one pony to go in. However, he suggests it be him instead, telling her that if something does go sour, he doesn't want to see her get hurt.

"It's alright, I can handle myself," she assures him as she turns to walk to the giant golden oak tree. Devlin watches and stands by, ready to rush in if the need arises. Passing through the open door, Star looks around, not seeing the dragon anywhere. The confrontation Agelian had with him must have scared the poor dragon off. So as she slowly trots in, she calls out his name, looking around to hopefully see his tail sticking out somewhere, or some other clue as to where he'd be. However, she doesn't have to look long, as a moment later the dragon leaps out at her, screaming and yelling.

Pushing her to the floor, Spike shows an amazing amount of strength as he pins her down, yelling out that they stop bothering him and let him wallow in misery, or he'll kill them all. Having heard the loud yelling and the thump from the dragon tackling his friend, Devlin rushes in and prepares to stop Spike, but Star calls out, telling him to stay away. He reluctantly does so, ready to strike if anything goes further. The look in Spike's eyes is terrifying. He meant what he said about killing them. He seems more than angry enough, but all of that changes within a second. Looking down to the side of Star's head, he sees a picture laying there.

Picking it up as he gets off of the pony, he looks at it, remembering the moment it was taken. It was his birthday, and he had just opened his gift from Twilight. For once she hadn't given him just an ordinary, boring book like usual, but instead a Gem Cookbook from his favorite chef, Amril LeGassy. It's something he'd been wanting for such a long time. The recipes in there were brilliant creations that the chef had come up with during his venture into dragon country. He had apparently befriended them through his culinary prowess, and has become one of the only ponies to have regular contact with dragons in all of history.

After opening the gift, he gave Twilight the biggest hug he could. He was so happy, and so thankful that he had such a wonderful friend like her. Somepony who paid attention to him and loved him so dearly. With the gems he had received from Rarity, the other wonderful gifts from his friends, and the fact that Pinkie had planned the entire thing, it had been the best birthday he's ever had before and since. Looking at this photo of him hugging the friend he loved so much brings tears to his eyes, and falling to a seated position, he just lets it all out.

For nearly an hour, Spike sobs out as he tells the ponies there about everything he's been feeling these past fifteen years, and how hard it's been for him. He vents his frustrations, and shares his troubles. He recounts the many times he tried to commit suicide and failed, and how he had eventually given up, figuring that he did something bad in life and it was now his destiny to live out the rest of his life in seclusion and misery. He tells them about how much he loved Rarity, and how losing her put an unmendable hole in his heart that has plagued him every day, especially on Hearts and Hooves Day. Sitting up, Star pulls Spike into a comforting hug, telling him that she knows how tough it can be.

"I also lost ponies I cared about. Ten years ago, my parents died in a horrible accident. I was depressed for the longest time, but I soon met Bri, and her friendship raised me out of my sorrows. Five years ago, I even met Fluttershy and became friends with her. You see Spike, happiness won't die when friends do, because friendship spans all generations. We'll be your new friends, and we'll help you whenever you're feeling sad, or angry, or just out of touch with the world. And Fluttershy is here for you too, so you don't have to worry about your connection to your past friends being severed. We'll all help you get past these feelings you've been suffering under."

"Also," Devlin says, trotting up, "Twilight isn't gone for good. She was imprisoned by a great evil named Oblivion fifteen years ago. This same evil caused the deaths and disappearances of all your friends, but we've made it our mission to stop it and save her. We're going to avenge Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. We're going to find Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle and put things back to how they're should be."

"It won't be the same," Star tells the crying dragon, "I won't lie to you, but you have to look to the sun. The night is always darkest before the dawn, but the dawn is coming Spike. You just have to be patient."

Standing up, Spike looks to a framed picture on the wall, showing his six pony friends from all those years ago. He smiles as he quietly tells them that he's going to move on, and live his life to it's fullest from this moment on. He thanks them for bringing these ponies to him today. Turning, Spike then tells Star and Devlin, "thank you, for bothering me."

"Anytime," Star says with a smile.

Later on that night, and far away from the library, Fluttershy is hovering around her cottage near the Everfree Forest. A feedbag in her hooves, she gives out the dinner for her animal friends, as she normally does at this time of the day, when she's surprised to suddenly hear a knock at the door. She quickly finishes up her chore and puts down the bag, trotting curiously over to the door and opening it. Star and Devlin stand there smiling, and in front of them is a small purple dragon who's eyes seem to be focused heavily on the ground below.

"Fluttershy, I'm sorry for.."

However, the dragon doesn't get to finish. Fluttershy suddenly tackles him, pulling him into the biggest, most emotional tear-filled hug she can. Telling him that she forgives him for everything, she says that she's glad to have her friend back. Spike returns the hug and thanks her for sending Star and her friends to help him realize that living in depression doesn't only hurt you, but those you care about the most. He tells her that he wants to help find Twilight so that they can be reunited, and with a smile, Fluttershy hugs him even tighter.

"We will get Twilight back Spike, and our friendships will last forever. Everything will be okay from now on," she assures her friend as she finally releases him. Fluttershy then invites Spike in, who then turns to Star and asks if she can find Bri and tell her that he wants that party she promised him now. A warm smile spreading across her face, Star nods and heads off with Devlin by her side, seeing how important friendships are for everypony, and how nothing can keep good friends apart forever. As she flies off to find her friend, Star knows now that they cannot be stopped. Oblivion will fall, and they will reunite Spike with the friend he misses the most.

Episode 07 Preview
**************************
I'm finally meeting her! I'm finally meeting my hero! I just hope I don't make a fool of myself...I've got to have faith.

S01 E07 - The Element of Faith

Author's Notes:

Hello everypony. Sorry for getting this up so late. I had a power outage that lasted all day and wasn't able to get this up on time. Hopefully this doesn't happen again. That being said, this is the first episode centering around the Elements of Harmony. Also, on Facebook I held a contest asking where Pinkie Pie ran away to fifteen years ago, and what she's been doing since. The winner of the contest is...DENNIS MATTISON! Congratulations Dennis. Your entry will be used later on in the story, and I will work with you to design an oc based off of you that will be a mane character in season 02. So without further ado, here is season one, episode seven, The Element of Faith.

A meteoric eruption of cheers violently rings throughout the great Pegasus city of Cloudsdale. The inhabiting pegasi of the city, as well as the specially invited Earth ponies and Unicorns, begin to fill into the giant Cumulonimbus Stadium, quickly getting their concessions and heading off to find their seats, all of which are constructed in the weather factory from special clouds called Regalis Cumulous, which hold their shape in a more firm way than most clouds, allowing ponies of all races to sit upon them. The stadium is sat upon a giant cloud, also made of Regalis Cumulous, and has replaced the old Cloud Arena once used for all of the city's events. Princess Aurora is the one responsible for this, having given the order fourteen years ago to construct the stadium in order to better unite the ponies of Equestria. It wasn't long after the horrible events that plagued the country, and everyone needed to band together like never before. It took eight long years to build, but the stadium was finally finished and has been Cloudsdale's elite sporting arena ever since. Two years back it even held the Equestria Games, marking the first time in history that the city has hosted them.
In the bright blue sky, far above everypony sitting there, the luminous mid-day sun shines brilliantly, basking all of those below it in a gentle light and warmth. Chirping birds flutter cheerfully around, greeting the ponies. They spend a good deal of time singing their happy little tunes to a kind yellow pony, who hums back at them with a smile, before flying off to spread their cheer to others. The crowd continues to chat amongst themselves, excited for the big event about to take place, when suddenly, a mature-looking pegasus flies up to a cloud that's been set high above the arena. He wears dark sunglasses and a brilliant black suit, and is excited as he looks around at the loud fans. A headset rests over his ears, with mic pointed towards his mouth. As he begins to speak to the crowd gathered there, his voice is amplified all around the arena through the headset.
"Welcome fillies and gentlecolts to the 45th annual Cloudsdale Best Young Flyer Competition! I am your eye in the sky, Breen Oaterlund, here and today we have a most impressive set of competitors! Dare I say, the most impressive in the history of this competition! Now please rise and join me in welcoming our very own Princess Aurora!"
A sudden silence enshrouds the entirety of the stadium, sweeping over everypony like a dense fog. Then, in the midst of the quiet, a gleaming starbow appears and joined by captain of the elite royal guard, Everglade, the princess flies overhead, and everypony explodes into ear-shattering approbation. Humbled by the praise, the princess lands in the royalty box quietly and softly, smiling kindly as she waves to everyone. Breen then speaks up again, adding, "And now, welcome our special guest judges, led by Captain Scootaloo, The Wonderbolts!"
At the exact second that the last syllable leaves his lips, a sonic boom explodes, sending the crowd into a wild frenzy. Flying in, keeping in perfect formation, the five ponies pass quickly over the stadium with trails of smoke billowing out behind them. The bright blue and yellow flight suits are unmistakable, these are the best fliers in all of Equestria. At the front of the team is an orange-coated mare. Her dark purple hair flies behind her and she performs the most amazing aerial acrobatics with a wide grin spread across her face. Leading the other four pegasi down to the judges box, she lands as an echoing cheers erupts all around them, and as Captain Scootaloo removes her rainbow-colored goggles, she waves around at the screaming fans, as well as the princess, who's she known since before her rise to power.
Not far away from the two boxes there are five young ponies seated in the center of the third row; five heroes destined to save the world from the threat that is now plaguing it. It's a menace that everypony has forgotten about in this time of togetherness and equality, for as they join together to watch this amazing annual competition, their focus on the bad slips away, even if just for this moment. One of the destined six is missing however, for Agelian Wingblade is one of the pegasi participating in the competition this year, although at this moment he's seated in the waiting room behind a large red curtain as he prepares his act.
A silent chill sweeps through the stone-encased room, leaving all the competitors waiting there to wonder when they will be called out to begin their performances. Each of them, twenty in all, don vests that showcase their number in the competition, made many years ago by the famous Coco Pommel herself. Prior to the building of the Cumulonimbus Stadium, the Best Young Flyer Competition would write numbers on white flags that would then be attached to the flanks of the competitors. When Princess Aurora demanded that the new stadium be built, the BYFC Council decided that they'd make full upgrades to everything, including these. They contacted Coco in Manehattan and she agreed to help.
The council believed that the vests would be more durable than the flags, able to remain attached to the ponies easier when they performed their exciting stunts. Many a pegasus was known to lose their number when they performed, and having to get another cost the council money in making extras for everypony. These vests are one-size fit most, so that anypony can wear them to compete and they don't have to worry about constantly having more made. So the vests have been utilized in the Best Young Flyer Competition since the new stadium was opened. The twenty pegasi seated there in the back each have their own vest on, and are joined by their respective managers. Each of the pegasai was allowed one to two managers to join and help coach them for the competition. Agelian, sitting directly in the center of the room, has taken advantage of this, bringing in two for himself.
Atop his blue coat sits the brown leather vest, the number one stitched onto the sides of it. A smirk shows on his face as he sits there, ready to take on this challenge. Unlike most of the other competitors, he's void of nervousness. Agelian knows all too well that he can take this competition with ease, and will finally be able to accomplish his goal. Ever since he was a young colt, he's looked up to the Wonderbolts, seeing them as heroes, especially back during the short time that the amazing Rainbow Dash was in charge of them. His dream has been to meet them one day, so that he could show them what a great flier he truly is, and maybe even join them.
Heh, Fluttershy has told him that Rainbow had the same dream herself, and that she accomplished it through hard work and continuing faith in herself and her friends. He knows this, for he's read the stories. Everything that she did is legendary. Even her faults are praised, for when she did fall, she would get right back up. He's been inspired by her so much, and only wishes to do her memory proud today. Afterall, it was this very competition that was the launching pad for Rainbow's dreams coming true. Maybe it can be his as well.
"Ok everypony!" he suddenly hears the announcer yell out through the arena. It's finally time to kick things off, and he's the one going first. Some would see this as a burden, for you really have to impress with everypony else going after you and being able to show you up. However, he sees it as a blessing. He gets to set this show off with a bang, and believes that no one will be able to match what he has planned. "Without any further ado, let us begin the 45th Annual Cloudsdale Best Young Flyer Competition! Introducing our first competitor, joined here today by two managers as well as all his fans and friends in the audience, 'The Thunderpony' Agelian Wingblade!"
As his name is called out, the pegasus laughs and pulls his goggles down over his eyes, galloping right out through the large red curtain and into the stadium. The bright sun meets his eyes, and the raucous screaming of the ponies in attendance enters into his ears. It's as if a shockwave of support envelops him, and any semblance of anxiety that he might have had is wiped off the face of the Earth. He can see his friends right there, not far off at all, cheering loudly for him and chanting his name. Star is applauding him, and Bri is on her back legs, screaming with a foam hoof on. Chupa has a flag with Agelian's face on it, and is waving it rambunctiously around. Even Fluttershy and Spike are there, the former of which is screaming out louder than any of the others while jumping up and down.
He soon spots the judges box and the Wonderbolts seated within it, looking down at him with watchful eyes. His gaze quickly finds that of Scootaloo, and he swallows hard. Just like that his nervousness has returned, for this is the moment of truth. This is his time to finally prove himself to them; to his friends and his idols. He must show them all that the training, exercise, and all the races he's competed in were not in vain. He needs to show them exactly what he can do. That's when he sees somepony else sitting there in the crowd; a grey pony with a wild brown mane. He hadn't expected this at all. He hasn't even seen his father, the former Wonderbolts trainer Soundspeed, in a long time. Not since their falling out. Why is he here now?
The whistle blows suddenly, and knowing he doesn't have any more time to think about this, Agelian seems to explode into flight, shooting straight up into the air. As he flies vertically, he heads straight for a large cloud. As he reaches it, he blows right through, then loops right around and plows into the side. The cloud, now with a hole in the center like a ring, is sent flying through the air, landing with precision over one of the stadium’s decorative pillars. It floats softly down over it without the inner sides of the cloud touching it at all. The crowd explodes into cheers, but they haven't seen anything yet. Continuing his performance, Agelian releases one of the smoke capsules that his managers had attached to his vest, creating a huge billowing spiral of red smog trailing behind him as he twists through the air. The spiral of smoke remains there, hovering in place for a moment, allowing Agelian to fly right through the center.
The spiral explodes outward in all directions, forming into a star-shaped burst of crimson. As he reaches the end of one of the points, he throws a specially crafted ignition capsule into the star burst. The audience gasps in awe as the smoke is engulfed in blue flames, lighting it up. The twister of fire dissipates quickly though, but Agelian's act is only part-way through at this point. Next he rides up high into the air, spreading his wings apart as he stops dead center at the very top of the stadium. He looks over and sees his father staring back at him, and knows that this is his chance to finally make him proud.
Pure silence seems to encapsulate the stadium for a second, just as it had prior to the arrival of Princess Aurora minutes back. At that moment, he bolts straight down to the hole in the center of the bottom of the stadium. Everypony watches in anticipation and excitement, wondering what he's possibly going to do now. Soundspeed and the Wonderbolts all look on in awe as Agelian then pulls off the unthinkable, leaving them sitting there with mouths hanging wide open and eyes bulging out of their sockets.
Scootaloo leans forward in the box, and the other Wonderbolts have near the same reactions as she and the stallion’s father did, one of them even choking on his drink. Not far off, Fluttershy's cheers have escalated to an unexpected high, leaving Spike covering his ears as he too yells out his own. The rest of Agelian's friends watch in amazement as the pegasus continues to gain speed, reaching sonic levels in no time. Then, right at the moment that he hits the sonic boom, he unleashes his most important capsule yet. Joining the explosive sound of the sonic boom, a rumble of thunder is heard and lightning flash off in a huge strike upwards, seeming to shoot right off of Agelian himself. This is the coup de grace, the Sonic Thunderboom! As he glances towards his father, he no longer has a doubt in the world. The smile on Soundspeed's face tells him all he needs to know. If he could accomplish that, he's just won the competition.
As he returns to the starting platform and sticks the landing, he salutes the Wonderbolts and waves excitedly to his fans, passing once more through the curtain and returning to the back. In the stadium, Scootaloo calls the other Wonderbolts into a huddle and begins to discuss the performance, but backstage, Agelian is in elation as he's greeted by his two managers. The first of them is a gorgeous young mare with a gleaming blonde mane. Her coat is a faded purple color, almost to the point of being gray, and she has a cutie mark depicting three shining twinkles. Laughing in pure ecstasy, the unicorn runs up to the accomplished flier and tackles him into a massive rolling embrace.
"You did it! You did it, Agi! You're so amazing!"
"Heh," the stallion replies as he blushes while the mare kisses him all over his face, "it was nothing, really. And I couldn't have even done it without you and your freaky magic tricks."
"It's not magic, it's science," she tells him with a smirk, smacking him gently upside his head as she laughs. After that, the two of them meet lips and share a passionate kiss, embracing each other with love. Unfortunately for them, they're soon broken apart as the second of Agelian's managers trots up. He has a wild black mane, branching off in every direction as if it has never once seen a comb, and a thick graying beard that hangs down. For some odd reason, he has a rubber band hanging from his ear, and is wearing a yellow tropical print shirt. He certainly seems eccentric in appearance, and quickly gathers the attention of the other pegasi as he approaches. Agelian smiles as he gets Dinky to relinquish him, and gives Lou a respectful salute. "The Captain" Lou Haybano is one of the greatest pegasus managers there is after all.
"Kid, you've done me proud! Never have I seen such a fantastic performance, well, at least not since I managed The Hammer! You're one of a kind, something truly special!"
The other competitors in the competition are called out one by one, each heading into the arena to give their performances as he waits in the back. He knows that it's just a matter of time until they're all called out to the stage again, this time together, for the announcement of the winner. So in the meantime, he decides to just sit back and enjoy himself. He hangs there in the back, cuddling together with Dinky as they read the story about the Best Young Flyer Competition that Rainbow Dash won all those years ago. Lou stands beside the curtain, watching the other competitors very closely in order to possibly scope out some new talent to manage. A smile appears on Agelian's face as his very special somepony reads aloud from the book, gently rubbing against her mane and kissing her softly upon the cheek.
He can't help but wonder how his friends would react if they saw this softer, more loving side of him. Since they met a couple months ago, they've only known him to be this rough and tumble guy, acting strong and confident all the time, even to the point of being a little insensitive. This has always been a farce however, as he's never truly been like that. Outside of his confidence in himself, Agelian has always been kind and gentle. He fears though that if he shows ponies that side of him, they'll try to take advantage of him like they did to his mother. He misses her so much, and has always been told that if she weren't such a doormat, she wouldn't have died. So he hides this side of him, and acts tough. Nopony really even knows that he's been dating Dinky Hooves, mainly his friends and those he spends the most time around. He's done his best to keep it a secret, though he guesses that'll be impossible now.
He remembers that day well; the day he finally got the nerve to do what he had been nervously planning to do for months. One summer night he took Dinky to Canterlot for dinner, where they ate and basked in Luna's light. He still remembers the look of pure shock on her face when she found the ring in her champagne. How she looked up at him, mouth hanging wide open, and then back down to the diamond sitting there in her hoof. He remembers that moment when he got out of his seat and dropped down to his knees, asking her, "Will you make me the happiest stallion in Equestria and become Mrs. Dinky Wingblade?"
Her reaction to that was even more priceless; she nearly fainted! Of course, she hadn't been expecting it, and was surprised as heck. However, in the end, she answered yes and ever since, the two of them have been planning their wedding. But that's where the problem lies, for he proposed to her well before he even met these new friends of his, and not once has he ever mentioned Dinky to them. But with their engagement and approaching wedding, he just can't keep it a secret any longer. His friends need to know this, especially since he wants Star as his best mare. And he needs to tell his father as well. Although they don't get along, he wants him to be there on his special day.
Agelian's concentration is suddenly broken as he hears the announcer call out for all twenty competitors to come back out to the stage for the big announcement of the winner. So with both his fiance and "The Captain" wishing him the best of luck, he follows the other ponies out through the curtain, assuring them with confidence that he doesn't need luck. So as he enters back into the arena, he joins the line in his given place and awaits Breen Oaterlund to continue, nodding slightly over at his friends, who only continue to madly cheer for him.
"And now," Oaterlund begins as everypony in the stadium starts to quiet down, "the Wonderbolts will come forth to announce their decision! I have been told that this year’s competitors were a tough group to judge, but that there was one who shone out above the rest! So please put your hooves together for the Captain of the Wonderbolts, Scootaloo!"
Once again the crowd goes absolutely nuts, but subsides in only a moment. Flying up from her seat in the judges box, Captain Scootaloo quickly approaches the cloud on which Breen is standing, and with a smile, dismisses him. She too now wears a headset, and holds in her hoof a slip of paper on which the name of the winner is written. The twenty ponies standing in line watch in heated anticipation as she unfolds the paper, looking at it with a smile as she glances around the stadium at everypony who awaits her decision. Beads of cold sweat slowly drip down Agelian's face as he hears Dinky cheering him on behind the curtain. This is it, the moment of truth has finally arrived. Everything he's ever done has been leading up to this point, and all he's wished for is finally in reach. He watches as Captain Scootaloo slowly opens her mouth to speak, not coming quickly enough.
"The winner of the 45th Annual Cloudsdale Best Young Flyer Competition, earning one million bits and the chance to spend a day with myself and the Wonderbolts..." She pauses for dramatic effect, increasing the anxiety Agelian has been feeling from it already being drawn on. However, a moment later the crowd begins to chant a certain name. He looks around in shock, mouth hanging as if on a hinge. Agelian is what they all yell out into the air, and Captain Scootaloo quickly confirms, "The Thunderpony, Agelian Wingblade!"
Time seems to stand still, even coming to a complete stop. He doesn't cheer. He doesn't laugh, or even smile. He just stands there as the crowd goes wild with cheers. His friends excitedly jump up and down for joy, screaming out in exuberance. He doesn't move a muscle at first, even as Dinky rushes out from behind the curtain, forcing him into another of her hugs. That's when it seems to hit him all at once, and he slowly drops to his knees. Tears begin to well up in his eyes. He just can't believe it; he actually did it, he won. His marefriend gives him a passionate kiss to congratulate him, not even caring at this point that his friends and father can all see him. He then gives the kiss back to her ten fold. This is a moment of celebration. One he shall remember forever.
Scootaloo then leaps from the cloud, flying on over to the stage where she approaches the winner. Agelian notices she's wearing a saddlebag, and out of it she pulls a golden crown that has wings on each side of the head, as well as a lightning bolt on the forehead. It's the Best Young Flyer trophy, and nearly fainting as Scootaloo places it on his head, Agelian cries out in excitement. At this point he would've expected somepony as important and busy as her to fly off, however, she remains in place as the rest of the Wonderbolts in attendance join her side. The overwhelming emotion going through him right now is, well, overwhelming. Tears stream down his cheeks as he looks at the smiling faces of his idols. It's just so much to take in at one time. Suddenly, Scootaloo holds out her hoof, grabbing a hold of his, and raises it into the air. At this point, Agelian completely loses his composure, turning full fanboy over her.
"Calm down there," the Wonderbolt captain tells him, chuckling, "we wanted to congratulate you on your victory. You really showed us something amazing out there today. The ability to release those capsules while performing your stunts and maneuvers is top-level skill. You definitely earned this win today, and I guess that means that you get to spend some time with us. How about you come to our next practice session? Heck, you can even join in. We'll show you some of our best tricks. So how about it, Mr. Thunderpony?"
"Well, I'll have to think about it for a moment...OF COURSE! I'd love to go to Wonderbolts practice! But, um, one question. Is it ok if I bring my fiancée, Dinky, along with me?"
Scootaloo looks past Agelian at Dinky, who smiles and waves at her. She sighs and nods at him with a smile of her own. Agelian cheers out in delight as he turns on the spot, rushing into his mare’s open hooves and kissing her once again. As the two release, Scootaloo trots up and gives him a note that tells him exactly when and where to go to meet up with them for the training session. She then raises a salute to him, which the other Wonderbolts copy, and flies off, leaving him standing there with Dinky, both grinning widely as they watch Agelian's heroes disappear from sight. His friends soon arrive, having been allowed into the back to congratulate their friend. He narrowly avoids being tackled by them, afraid that with their numbers, it'd probably be even worse than Dinky's. However, it's not only his friends who have come to praise his excellent performance, for standing there with them is Princess Aurora. She has a smile on her face and walks slowly forward, telling Agelian that today is his day to celebrate, and that in this moment, he is an icon of Equestria. The problems that they've been facing indeed do seem quite unimportant at this moment. He knows that in the end, stopping Oblivion will come before all else, but for now, he just wants to enjoy this day.
Looking to his friends, smiling as he cries tears of joy, Agelian tells them, "Thank you all. I couldn't have done any of this without your support. And...and I'm sorry for not introducing you sooner, but this is Dinky, my fiancée. We became engaged shortly before I met all of you, and I was afraid you'd look at me differently if I told you all this."
He looks around at them, worried that none of them will accept her; that they wouldn't understand how such a tough, fearless pony could be in love with a beautiful mare like this, who they saw him cuddle with and kiss multiple times now. However, to his elation, they instantly take to her. Greeting the mare with kindness and welcoming her with open hooves, they begin to talk to her and ask her about herself. He can't believe it. This is truly the best day he's ever had. He's won the competition that once began the career of Rainbow Dash, his friends have accepted Dinky into the group, and he gets to hang out with the Wonderbolts and even train with them. His future is looking bright, and all his dreams seem to be coming true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sun rises in Ponyville the next morning, and the roosters begin to crow, awakening the ponies for a new day, Star Rider is walking through town. Already fully awake, she is joyfully singing a tune as she happily wonders what good will come of today. However, thoughts of her mission keep sneaking back into her head. Oblivion is probably getting stronger; biding his time while he prepares for his big attack. Yet they are no closer to finding the Elements of Harmony than when they first began. Since they returned from Canterlot after their visit with the family of the long-lost Princess Twilight Sparkle, she's been trying to find everything she could. Even "Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide" doesn't give any clues as to what might have happened to them or where they could be.

Her first thought was that they might be in the Tree of Harmony, where the Elements were originally taken from. She remembers hearing a story of when Princess Twilight and her five friends from fifteen years ago returned them to the tree, but when she visited the tree a few days back, they weren't there. She can only assume that at some point they had retrieved the Elements for whatever reason. Now she and her friends have to figure some other way in order to find them, but what can they do? No, she mustn't think about that now. She wants to wish her friend good luck as he prepares to head out to train with the Wonderbolts. It's his day to just enjoy himself, and she doesn't want to ruin it with thoughts of these troubles.

As she walks forth, she finds herself entering South Ponyville and soon passes by the Ponyville Pet Center. Just ahead is a small blue house, quaint and simple. She can tell by the lights coming through the windows that he's still home, and she smiles, thankful that she didn't miss him. Leaving this early in the morning isn't that surprising considering where he's going though. The Wonderbolts have always held early morning training sessions. So Star trots up to the door, knocking a couple of times. She hears him yell out to come in, and as she does, she finds the place to be a disaster-level mess. Things are strewn all around, and she quickly finds her friend running around, throwing stuff on the floor while attempting to find something.

Dinky is packing the things he throws to her, and smiles at Star as she slowly walks forward. Looking around in shock and confusion, she turns to Agelian's marefriend and gives her a questioning expression, to which the faded purple pony tells her, "He's looking for his Wonderbolts photo so that he can get it signed. You'd think he'd keep track of important things like that. He's already packed his entire set of racing suits, unsure of which one he should wear during the practice, as well as all the capsules I made for him."

"Don't you think this is a bit much?" Star asks her, watching as Agelian shuffles through a drawer, chucking papers and books out as he looks.

"Yeah, but these are his heroes remember. I mean, think about it. Captain Scootaloo started off her life being unable to fly for the longest time. She overcame all the odds and became not only the apprentice of Rainbow Dash, but eventually became so strong of a flyer, she took over as Captain of the Wonderbolts. With Agelian's past, well, he just looks up to her. He's trying to overcome his own weaknesses so that he too can reach the heights she has."

"Oh, you mean about his father right? He told me about that once."

She remembers that day, when Agelian was so distraught by memories of what he had gone through. Following his mother's death, his father pushes him hard, wanting him to become a Wonderbolt-level flyer right away. Whenever he failed, Soundspeed would berate and yell at him. And although it never progressed into physical abuse, the emotional harm Agelian felt was so great that it caused him depression for a long time. When he became old enough to move out on his own, he had a fight with his father and it went too far. He threatened his own father's life, and in instant realization, ran away. He never went back for his things, and he hasn't seen his father since. Well, until yesterday when Soundspeed visited the stadium to watch the competition.

"His faith in himself had been shattered long ago," Dinky quietly says. Suddenly, both her and Star notice that Agelian has stopped looking for the picture. He stands there by a bookshelf, looking down at the ground. They notice a tear drop to the floor and rush to him. They didn't mean for him to hear, and they didn't want to bring back such painful memories for him. The two run up and embrace him in a hug, whispering into his ear that everything is going to be ok, and that he had to have made his father proud yesterday. However, the stallion doesn't seem as sure as them, pushing them back and going to where his saddlebag sits.

"It's alright," he tells them quietly, "I don't need his acceptance. I gave up on that long ago. The Wonderbolts are my heroes now, and they give me the strength to go on. I was never the best flyer, and his influence only made it worse. When I discovered Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, I began to truly understand what it meant to have faith in somepony. My love for them has strengthened me and helped me get to this point. It was because of their influences on me that I won yesterday."

Using the strength of his wings, Agelian lifts up the saddlebag and places it onto his back. He seems to have given up on the portrait at this point, and just wants to leave. She can understand, as he just wants to enjoy the rest of this day and get his mind off of these memories. So she decides to let him be, agreeing to stay behind and get the house cleaned up. Dinky, however, naturally follows her fiancé out, waving goodbye to her new friend as they pass through the doorway.

Trotting down the road, his lover behind him, Agelian grumbles to himself. He can't believe they brought that back up, especially at a time like this. When he's at the top of his game, about to go out and live his dream, they bring up those horrible times from his colthood. He understands that they weren't doing it out of bad intentions, but it still hurts to remember those times. His father hurt him so badly, and now he just suddenly shows up at the Young Flyer Competition? He had to have known that he was going to be in it. The advertisements have mentioned him leading up to it, as he was one of the first to be accepted into it. Why would he go there?

As he begins to contemplate these thoughts, the two of them reach the street that Sugarcube Corner is on. He still has some time before the practice begins, and so he decides that he just needs something to calm his nerves. They soon reach the large bakery and enter the doors. Dinky doesn't bother to ask him why, because she knows how he tends to eat when he's upset. Walking in, they approach the counter to find Pound and Pumpkin Cake walking around behind it, preparing another order. The latter of them looks over and smiles, telling Pound to take care of things. So as she takes over his task as well, utilizing her magic, Pound trots up to the counter.
"Good morning Agelian. I heard about your big win yesterday, congratulations."

"Thanks," he solemnly replies, looking down at the counter top, "can I get a muffin? Lemon surprise?"

"Uh, sure," Pound replies, taking the order while looking at the sad stallion in pity. He wonders what could be wrong as he takes the bits, but figures it better to just let it be. Walking over to the muffin rack, he grabs a lemon surprise and places it into a bag for Agelian, sealing it and passing it over the counter. Without another word, the two leave the shop to continue on their way.

Normally, the Wonderbolts practice in Canterlot. However, they've agreed to meet in the west fields of Ponyville today instead, to not inconvenience their special guest as much. So Agelian and Dinky head to the west at this point, ready to get there as soon as possible. The thoughts of his past still lurk in his mind, but he chooses instead to focus on the highlights of yesterday. How he wowed the crowd with the flaming spiral, and that Sonic Thunderboom he pulled off went perfectly. The timing wasn't even a millisecond off, and he reeked of confidence the entire time. But even so, something just seemed to grab a hold of him, and his faith in himself dwindled. NO!

He can't let these thoughts overcome him! He is his mother's son! He can overcome anything!
Suddenly overcome by his excitement to get there, he grabs Dinky's hoof and pushes off the ground hard. They instantly fly off into the sky, though the mare isn't as excited as Agelian. She tells him to let him go, and as he reluctantly does, she begins to use her magic to make herself levitate and fly beside him. He almost forgot she could do that, and smiles over at her as they speed across Ponyville, headed to the west side.

As they do, they reach the Ponyville Schoolhouse, and are interrupted by a familiar voice calling out to them. Miss Cheerilee stands there below them, waving for the two to come down. A sigh escapes the stallion, for he knows that this is time he won't be able to get back. But at the same time, he remembers being in her class long ago, and how great of a teacher she was. He can't just ignore her. So the two land beside the school yard, and trot over to the teacher, who smiles gently at them.

"I heard what was going on, and wanted to congratulate you on your big win. It isn't every day that one of my former students makes it big."

"What are you talking about?" Agelian replies, genuinely laughing, "What about Captain Scootaloo? Or Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, even Silver Spoon! They've all made it big!"

The three of them share a laugh and begin to reminisce of the old days. She reminds him of that one class project they did when he was still waiting for his cutie mark to appear. He explained what he believed his cutie mark should be and why, going into great detail and explanation. She reminds him that he even brought up his family history going back five generations to explain his choice. Dinky asks if he was correct about it, and laughing, Cheerilee tells her that he thought his cutie mark would be a bit.

"I was young, and barely knew how cutie marks worked. You hadn't gone over that yet," Agelian defends, blushing and slinking down to the ground, "I didn't know at that point that they had to do with my special talent."

"Listen Agelian," Cheerilee tells him, wiping the tears of joy from her eyes as her laughter dies down, "as somepony who knew Scootaloo as a child, let me give you some advice. She's very adventurous and wild, and responds very well to praise. However, she's also always been very self-conscious, and believes that you should never try to be someone you're not. Just be yourself around her, and she'll respect that greatly. You're a wonderful pony, Agelian. Always remember that. Now, get going before you and I are both late. I have to open up the classroom."

Agelian thanks her for the encouragement and advice before flying off with Dinky in tow. Continuing on towards the field, they can nearly see it right ahead of them. The sounds of the Wonderbolts speeding around and breaking the sound barrier echo towards them, but once more they're stopped as a voice calls out to them from below. This time, as Agelian slows himself, looking below, he sees a gray-blue coated pony with silver hair tied into a ponytail. It has a braid going down the center. Wearing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, pearls around her neck, she smiles up at them and just as Cheerilee had, signals for them to come on down.

"Good morning Silver Spoon," Agelian says, irritation in his voice as he lands with a thud. He just wants to get there already, and while Miss Cheerilee's advice was certainly useful, what could this pony have to tell him right now? She sells the tableware that she herself crafts, and wasn't even a friend of Scootaloo when growing up. In fact, if the stories he remembers hearing are correct, she was actually friends with that Diamond Tiara mare, and picked on Scootaloo and her friends when they were all just fillies.

"I heard you won the Young Flyer Competition," she cheerfully tells him, but before she can go on any further, Agelian blurts out his inner thoughts, telling her exactly what he had just gone over in his head. She looks a little downtrodden, but nods as she replies, "Yes, I did do those things. Back when I was young, I had no friends. Diamond Tiara was kind to me, but she changed so much. She became a bully, and I followed suit because I didn't want to lose her as a friend. However, when we were getting ready to graduate, we went to prom, and she decided to pull something just horrible. I couldn't back her up any longer."

"What did she do?" Dinky asks, curiosity getting the better of her at this point. Even Agelian takes a seat where he is, interested in hearing where this goes. He had never heard much about Silver Spoon's past, nor Diamond Tiara's, apart from the many mentions of how they bullied the cutie mark crusaders. He knows he has to get to the field, but something inside of him says to just stop and listen.

"She secretly hated Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom. I was never sure why, but for some reason she just couldn't stand them. So on prom night, she rigged the votes for prom king and queen, making sure that Sweetie Belle, the one she hated the most, would be on stage. That's when she did the unthinkable. She had set up a bucket above the stage, and when Sweetie was in place, she tipped it over, releasing gallons of joke blood from the Ponyville Joke Shop. It covered Sweetie, everypony laughed at her, and she ran away crying. It was the biggest humiliation she's ever faced. After that, I left her. I couldn't be her friend anymore. I asked the crusaders for forgiveness for everything I had done to them, and though understandably reluctant at first, they agreed to give me one chance. They heard the desperation and sorrow in my voice, and even though I didn't deserve it, they had faith that there was some good in me. We've been friends ever since. Agelian, never lose the faith you have in your friends. But more importantly, never lose the faith in yourself. You can do anything that you set your mind to, and nopony can stop that."

Sobbing, he looks up and thanks her, not knowing what else to say. She had been horrible to them, and had done so many bad things. But she finally figured out that what Diamond Tiara and her were doing was wrong, and rebelled against it. She was shown compassion and faith by those same ponies she had bullied, and became a better pony because of it. Faith can move mountains, and he now sees exactly why that little voice in his head had told him to wait and listen to her story. It's something he needed to hear.

Ever since he was a young colt, his faith in himself and others dwindled because of the things he had been put through by his father. He had lost that which truly made him strong, and through this experience, he has come to a realization that yes, he will face hardships. Things won't always go the way he wants, and won't always make sense. Every week has a Monday, and he will have to struggle through it. Pain and misery are a part of life, but it's how you respond to it that determines who you are. If you let the sorrows control you, then you will be nothing more than a puppet on a lonely string. But if you control your sorrows, then you can move past them and see the light at the end of the tunnel. There's always a silver lining, and he thinks he knows what it is now.

Driven by his dreams, he can move away from his past and confront his demons. The future holds so many things for him. He's been so worried about what people thought of him, and if they'd accept him for who he truly is. He put on a tough act, trying to masque the sorrow and pain he's been feeling; the kind pony he's always been. He never truly had faith in who he really is, and it's only brought him down. Now he can finally go to the field, no longer worried about trying to make a good impression for Scootaloo. As Miss Cheerilee told him, he just needs to be himself. And as Silver Spoon advised, he must have faith. It's faith that will drive him far in this world, and that will make everything alright again.

Suddenly, he hears his name called out from a bit away. This time he doesn't even bother to sigh or complain. Maybe somepony else has something to tell him, and from now on, he wants to listen to the advice he gets from those who care about him. So turning around, he looks down the road to see two ponies trotting up. The first is one he had never seen before; a brown-coated Earth pony with a determined look on his face. But it's the second pony he focuses on. His father is coming towards him, also looking determined. However, he seems confused by the presence of the other stallion, and so it can be easily assumed that the two are not together, despite the fact that they both seem to be headed towards the same pony.

Tears in his eyes, Soundspeed flies forward and holds out his hooves. Agelian looks on and begins to cry as well. He knows what's going on, and so he too holds out his hooves and catches his father in a long-wanted hug. The Earth pony stops and just sits there, waiting respectively so that the two can have their moment. Pulling apart, Soundspeed looks at his son and says five words that Agelian's always been wanting to hear, "I'm proud of you son." The two hug again and the father begins to explain the past, telling his son why he acted the way he did.

"When I met your mother, it was love at first sight. I knew she was the one for me," he says. Looking down, Agelian understands, as it's how he felt when he saw Dinky for the first time, "and when I lost her, it was the saddest day of my life. The reason I began to push you so hard after that is because of the pain I was feeling. I had always wanted great things from you, and my sorrow pushed me to try and force it on you. You were all I had left, and I just didn't want any more disappointment in my life. It's been years since I last saw you, and when I heard you were going to be participating in this year’s Young Flyer Competition, I had to go and see how you would do. To be honest, I went for selfish reasons; to see how my pushing influenced you. But when I saw you do that amazing performance, I realized that I had been wrong to treat you like I did. I would have met you backstage, but when I approached I became too ashamed of myself and my actions, and ran away. Now I have faith that you will be great, even without my help. Can you ever accept this old pony's apologies?"

Looking down, Agelian remembers all that he had just been taught, and how Silver Spoon was given a second chance despite not deserving it. Scootaloo and her friends had faith that she could change her ways, and she proved them right. If he is to truly embrace this new outlook on life, he has to begin here. He must have faith in his father that he can change, and that though the memories will still remain, it can all get better. So with a tearful smile, he hugs his father and accepts his father's apology. They agree to talk to each other more often, and never stay apart again. And with a kiss to his son's forehead, Soundspeed heads off, having to go to work for the day. Right away, not even giving the stallion time to take all of this in, the Earth pony steps forward and introduces himself.

"Guten tag, I am Babe Chenko. So sorry to interrupt you, but I have a letter for a freund of yours," he tells the stallion in a thick Germaney accent that almost reminds Agelian of Bri's Trottingham one. And speaking of Bri, to his knowledge, she is the only one of his friends that has ever been to Germaney. She must be the "freund" he's referring to.

Sighing, Babe explains that he would've given the letter to Bri herself, but he wasn't able to find her anywhere, and he has to get back home. Thinking about it, Agelian doesn't believe she went anywhere. She would've told him and their other friends if she was going on another trip. With a smile, he accepts the note and thanks Babe for delivering to him. He wonders what it could be about though? Is this a friend Bri made during her trip? There are so many questions flying around his mind right now.

Babe nods and then begins to trot off back out of town, disappearing as mysteriously as he had come without saying another word. So with one more look at the envelope, Agelian shrugs and put it into his saddlebag, hoping he'll remember to deliver it to Bri the next time he sees her. Sighing, he asks Dinky if she's ready to continue on and finally get to the training, to which she nods. They're quite late by this point, but he's sure that Captain Scootaloo will understand when he tells her exactly what happened. He has faith that she will, and that all will go well. Today is the first day of the rest of his life, and he will seize it. “Carpe diem” is what they call that; seize the day. So the two of them walk away towards where the field is. That's when he sees it shining in the sunlight on the ground not too far away.

It's right where Babe was sitting while he was waiting for Agelian to finish speaking to his father. He wonders if the pony dropped it, but also wonders as he picks it up, what would an Earth pony be doing with flight goggles? They're gold in color, and have a shining purple gem in between the two eye pieces. It seems to emanate a strange aura that captures his focus. Nothing else matters anymore, not even meeting with Scootaloo. This can't possibly be what he thinks it is, can it? Can he truly have found one?

Frantic now, he turns and asks Dinky if she remembered to pack the Elements of Harmony reference guide like he had asked her to. His plan was to ask Scootaloo about the Elements so that he could see if she might know anything. She did know and hang out with one of the Elements’ former owners after all. And this purple gem, he knows he's seen it before, and he believes he knows exactly where. So as Dinky pulls the book out of his saddlebag, giving to him, he flips through the pages and looks for the illustration he remembers seeing.

It doesn't take him long to find the right page, and when he sees it he begins to tear up. Looking up, he laughs and turns to Dinky, kissing her passionately before telling her, "I've done it! By Aurora I've done it! She looks curiously at him and questions what he's so excited and happy about. So with a laugh as he puts the book back in the bag, he replies, "we're finally one step closer to saving the world! Star will be so excited when she sees this! Thank you Dinky, thank you for never giving up on me! And thank you Dad, Silver Spoon, and Miss Cheerilee! You gave me the faith I needed, and now I've finally found one; this is an Element of Harmony!"

Preview for Episode 08
*********************************
It's been so long since I've been here. So long since they died. But I can't help it, I need their help. I've unleashed something truly horrible this time, and my smoke and mirrors can't stop them all. I guess it's just like what Twilight told me once. Nopony is great and powerful by themselves. They need friends.

S01 E08 - A Great & Powerful Problem

Author's Notes:

Here it is everypony! Episode 08 of Season 01! Hope you all enjoy, and remember to check out the official adjoining website to see the new biographies and more.

An elephantine explosion rings loudly throughout the streets of the now apocalyptic Canterlot central sector. Screams of sheer, absolute panic are heard echoing between the burning buildings, and in every direction, ponies are running in terror as they attempt to evade the falling debris. A young mare is suddenly crushed by a falling shop sign, her innards exploding out of her body while her husband stands there screaming. They had gone out this morning for a simple cup of tea. How could something like this even happen!? She can't be dead, she just can't. As the stallion stands there, sobbing in despair, large chunks of the building above him begin to fall. But before they can take him from the world as well, a blue aura suddenly surrounds the debris, sending it safely off into the alleyway a few feet to his left.

Soaring around the city skies, Princess Aurora looks around at the destruction, eyes wide in fear. Summoning her magic, she tries to save the fleeing citizens as they escape the town. However, not even somepony as powerful as her can be in more than one place at a time. The screams of dying ponies sends shivers down her spine, and brings bitter tears to her eyes. She feels hopeless, unable to save everyone like she'd wish. This is just horrible. What could have brought these monstrous beasts upon them, and why now?

Equestria's been feeling months of peace since the last incident with the evil Oblivion. Everything's been going well, and ponies have been able to just move on with their lives as if the dark star incident never happened. Could this possibly be his doing? His way of telling them all that he's still there, lurking in the shadows and awaiting his time to attack? She'd hope not, but it's the only thing that makes any sense. Only someone as malevolent as he could cause such a catastrophic attack on the capital city of Equestria. They haven't faced a threat like this since...since the horrible incidents fifteen years back.

She looks solemnly down at the streets below, seeing a cerulean-coated mare quickly running away from an alleyway. A stallion standing there seems to have avoided certain death, and now joins the rest of the ponies in escaping. The mysterious mare dons a purple satin cloak and matching hat, and is rushing around and trying to save everyone that she can from being crushed, or worse. At that moment, a scream captures the attention of the princess, and she flies off in a hurry to rescue the pony attached to it. Meanwhile, the mare in the streets below is on the verge of screaming herself, eyes cascading with sorrowful tears as she tries to make this all right. After all, this is all her fault.

"What...what am I going to do? I can't possibly save everypony. I couldn't even get there in time to save that mare from her death. It's all my fault that this is happening. This is all because of me, because of my arrogance and pride. It's...it's all my fault."

That's when a sudden thought comes to the mare's mind, memories from long ago. She remembers that day when she first went to Ponyville to perform her spectacular show for all the ponies of the town. A purple mare and her friends showed her up and made her out to be a fool. Almost a year after that, she had found an ancient artifact called the Alicorn Amulet. Her hate had blinded her and she tried to get revenge by taking over all of Ponyville. She wanted that same purple pony to suffer for putting her life into a tailspin. And then, there was her last visit there. The one that went as horrible wrong as one could.

She wanted to make amends for all of the horrible things she had done to them in the past. She only wanted Twilight and her friends to forgive her, despite her not deserving it in the slightest. But in the end, everything only became worse. Her anger had gotten the better of her, and she slipped back into her old ways and tried to hurt those she came to apologize to. She left as an enemy of Ponyville, and was never given another chance. For it was only a few days later that Twilight Sparkle and the other princesses disappeared, never to be seen of again.
She's felt absolutely terrible ever since, and wished that she could've only left Ponyville on a better note. It's been fifteen years since then, and she hasn't been back. However, one thought keeps coming to the forefront of her mind. There was one small part of that last visit that gives her hope. She remembers how Twilight had reacted after she told the truth, after she revealed that she was jealous of the connections the purple mare had with her friends.

"You act like this because you don't have friendships like mine?" the princess had asked, staring down at the defeated showmare with a raised eyebrow, "That's it? Then why don't you make some friends, Trixie? Friendship is the glue that binds us all together. In the end, they can save anypony. There was another mare I knew who once had trouble making friends. Because of it, she let herself be overcome with jealousy and hate, almost causing the destruction of two worlds. I stopped her and she changed her ways. She embraced friendship and has been working to make things right ever since. No one is great and powerful on their own. You need friends."
That's got to be it; she now knows exactly what she needs to do. It's true that since she was a child, she's always found it hard to make friends. Her ego kept others at a distance, but it never really seemed to affect her. She's never seen the merit in needing to make any friends. It's just never been something that's mattered to her. Her studies and magic have always kept her company, and her performances have always allowed her to keep smiling.

So why does she now feel so saddened? Why has this dark cloud covered her life for so long? With Canterlot in peril, she needs to do as Twilight had instructed her to all those years ago. She has to finally take that advice and return to Ponyville one more time. Only one of Twilight's friends remain, and she needs to meet with her. If she can become friends with Fluttershy, she might be able to get the help she needs. Otherwise Canterlot, and maybe all of Equestria, is doomed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nary a cloud rests in the peaceful, bright, blue sky as the golden sun glares down on the homely little town below. Everything has been peaceful for such a long time; much too long it seems. The six destined ponies have begun to worry, especially Star. She knows that there has to be a reason for the sudden inactivity of the Oblivion force. It can't have just disappeared like that. So, in an attempt to get everything figured out, she's come to the small cottage on the Eastern end of Ponyville near the Everfree Forest to meet with Fluttershy and Spike. They need to figure all of this out and plan for the next inevitable attack.

Just recently they managed to happen upon one of the mysterious Elements of Harmony that went missing at the same time as the princesses. A golden choker embedded with the purple Element of Faith. It was Agelian that it appeared to, and him who has best represented it. However, it was not the only thing he had been given, and it's the other thing that now concerns them all; a small letter addressed to Bri that was given to the stallion by a mysterious pony from Germaney calling himself Babe Chenko. This has definitely become the most pressing matter for them, though they don't yet know if it has anything to do with the evil force that plagued the town only a short time back.

Scanning the parchment curiously as the seven ponies listen in, Spike reads aloud, "I know who you are Briance Happer, and I know what you want. You're looking for Pinkamena Diane Pie, and I know where she is and where she's been this entire time. She's been in hiding these past fifteen years in a hidden village, but recently has been spotted in the capital city of Canterlot. I happen to know that she will not be there for too much longer though, so if you wish to catch her, you might want to hurry. And by the way, I advise that you tread carefully, my little pony. If you don't, she will tear you to pieces. This is not the same Pinkie Pie you think you know. Be warned, and be careful."

"But...but this just doesn't make any sense," Fluttershy protests, flying up into the air, "Pinkie would never hurt anypony! She's not like that!"

"I don't think so either," Bri replies, staring down at the ground, "but whatever the case may be, I think that this is something we need to look into. We need her."

She has been searching for Pinkie for such a long time now; almost her entire life. This news distresses her more than any she had received before. It's true that she wanted so badly to find her, but at the same time, this doesn't sound right at all. She has never even heard of this Babe Chenko before, not even during her recent trip to Germaney. So who is he, and why is he suddenly come to give her this news? Not to mention, if he knows her like he claims, then why would he even tell her something this horrible? It's not the kind of thing she'd ever want to hear. She sighs and leans back in her chair, looking over to Fluttershy who tells them that she doesn't understand one part of the letter.

"According to this, Pinkie has been hiding out in some hidden village? And we're just supposed to believe something like that? I mean, what does this all even mean? Why in the wide world of Equestria would somepony like her do this? Think about it. Wouldn't she sooner return to her family's rock farm?"

"This could all be a trap you know," Star suddenly speaks up. She doesn't want to sound pessimistic, but can't help but look at the most realistic side of this all, "It could all be Oblivion's doing. He might be trying to get us to leave Ponyville for some reason."

"No, I don't think so. This is different than his past actions and methods," Terra says, pacing around the room as he thinks about all the details they know, "I cannot be sure that I'm right in this, but it just doesn't feel like something he'd do. That being said, I don't know who the real culprit might be. This Babe Chenko guy could be the one in the end, could he not? We don't know anything about him, and now we're suddenly supposed to believe what he's telling us here? It seems awfully fishy to me."

The seven ponies, as well as their dragon friend, begin to discuss this further, hoping to figure out what this letter could possibly mean for them all, and if Pinkie Pie is even truly in Canterlot to begin with, as the letter says, or if it's just a trap. On one hoof, if this is real, then to find the party pony and get her to return would definitely be top priority. Her help would greatly improve their chances of defeating Oblivion. However, if it turns out to be a false lead, then they don't know what could be awaiting them in the capital. Even with Everglade and the elite royal guard there, they can't be sure that they'd be safe if they were to go.

As they continue to chat amongst themselves, each giving a possible scenario and idea of how to take things from this point on, the door to the cottage suddenly implodes inward, surprising them all and stealing their attention away from their previous conversation. As it happens, Fluttershy is the first to react, letting out a loud squeak and falling to the floor below with a heavy thud. The others quickly respond as well, getting to their hooves and staring down the threshold, ready to attack whatever's invading the home. Their guard soon lowers as quickly as it was raised, however, as the eight of them watch an injured cerulean mare slowly trot in.

With every step she takes, it appears to be a struggle. Her body is covered in deep, bleeding gashes, and her mane is disheveled. She seems barely alive, and falls over as soon as she enters. Jumping into action, the six destined ponies rush to help her. Neither Fluttershy nor Spike follow suit, and both seem to be glaring at the mare with a vicious intensity. Agelian helps her back to her hooves, and with the assistance of Chupa and Devlin, brings her over to the couch. Star then quickly rushes into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a glass of water. She assists the pony in drinking it down as Bri removes the mare's hat and sets a pillow behind her head. They do everything that they possibly can, despite not even knowing the mare. But Fluttershy and Spike know her, and they can't see the hurt, helpless victim that the others do. All they see is bad memories.

Using his magic, Devlin begins to heal the mare of her injuries. This catches his friends off guard, as he's a rare sort of unicorn to not like or use his powers often. He'd rather work manual, hard labor any day. They often joke that he's an Earth pony trapped in a unicorn's body. However, they don't question him doing this, as it's the only quick way to help the injured pony, and he's the only unicorn amongst them. It's much faster and more efficient than trying to heal her the old fashioned way. They soon breathe a sigh of relief as she comes to, her eyes fluttering open and looking weakly around.

But who are these ponies? She doesn't recognize even one of them. Where's Fluttershy, and why is she not helping her? This is the shy mare's cottage, is it not? And Fluttershy has always been known to take care of anypony who needs it. Strength quickly returning to her, the mare shifts into a sitting position with the assistance of the others, and looks around the room. She soon sees Fluttershy on the floor not far away, not having moved since falling there a minute back. The kind pony is glaring at her like she's never seen before. Truthfully, she knows why and can't blame her in the slightest.

"Are you ok?" Star frantically asks her, sweat dripping from her forehead as she worried over the unknown mare. She tells the young, dark blue mare that she's doing a lot better, thanking her. However, Fluttershy doesn't seem to want to listen anymore, and storms forward towards them all, and most specifically, the newcomer. Getting right into the mare's face, she demands to know why she's here, and what she's planning this time. The destined six all look at Fluttershy in shock, never having seen her this aggressive before. But it's easy for them to put together that these two ponies must have a connection to each other, and very possibly a troubled past.

"I'm sorry Fluttershy," the mare tells her, tears slowly starting to form, "for everything I did to you and the others back then. I hurt you all so much, and treated you like dirt. I let my ego get the better of me and boasted about my magical abilities. I even tried to take over Ponyville, and then...then there was that last time. But I truly am sorry, and I hope you can understand that right now, I desperately need your help!"

Fluttershy raises an eyebrow, but remains silent. While she may not fully trust her, she can still hear the honesty in her voice. It almost reminds her of Applejack. She can't just accuse her of lying when she knows it might be otherwise. So she sits back and listens, suggesting to the others to stay close to her. Star and her friends look confused, but listen to her and get back to take a seat. Agelian turns to the yellow-coated pony though, questioning what this is all about and who this mare even is.

"Her name is Trixie Lulamoon, a showmare from Canterlot. Let's just say that she did horrible things to my friends and I when they were all still alive."

"It's true," Trixie responds sorrowfully, "I did do horrible things back then. It's been fifteen years though, and whether you believe me or not, I have changed. But...I'm not here about myself. I need your help Fluttershy; Canterlot is under attack!"

While Fluttershy definitely seems surprised at this startling revelation, especially right after they had been discussing the capital city, she is still unsure of whether or not she can trust the mare's word. However, the other six seem horrified by this news. Their mouths hang and eyes open wide. This is not something they had expected at all. They've been contemplating over this letter for a couple days now before deciding to meet with Fluttershy about it. If they had gone to Canterlot originally, who knows where they'd be now. Sighing, Fluttershy tells Trixie to explain herself.

"Ok, I guess I should start from the beginning," the mare tells them all, leaning back on the couch and looking quietly at the ceiling above, "It started last night. I was performing at the Canterlot Garden Party that Fancy Pants was hosting. It was a grand occasion, and all of the city's elite were there. I was honestly surprised they wanted me there. My show isn't the kind of thing one would expect to see at a fancy party like that, but Fancy Pants insisted. So I accepted, knowing that the pay would be good for a high class event."

"I was performing my usual tricks, and everypony seemed fascinated, but not impressed. I needed to do something that would skyrocket things, so to speak. So during intermission I went to find Princess Aurora, and asked her if I might be able to summon her from the throne room with my magic. She seemed perfectly fine with the idea, and so I went back to my stage. Something went wrong though. While I was using my summoning spell, I became distracted. Fancy Pants was talking to someone I didn't recognize. A tall, brown Earth pony with blonde hair."

Agelian nearly cries out, recognizing that description. It has to be Babe Chenko, the mysterious Germaney pony who gave him the letter for Bri. The others look to him as well, having been given his description. Trixie notices their reactions to this, and gives them all a quizzical look. However, she decides to move on, continuing her story, "I overheard them discussing something about Princess Twilight. Can I be sure that you all know what happens when a unicorn loses concentration while casting such a spell?" The others nod, having done their research in the past. They know that for spells such as summoning and teleportation, one needs to have good focus.

"Well, because I lost my focus on the spell, something went horribly wrong. I...I did complete the spell, but it wasn't Princess Aurora that I summoned. When I heard Princess Twilight's name, I thought back to the time when we first met. I remembered the incident with the Ursa Minor, and, well...I summoned an entire pack of them. But, it's worse than that. Their parents, Ursa Majors, sniffed out their babies and soon came upon Canterlot as well. Before I knew it, the entire city was under attack by the beasts. Dozens of them roaming around, destroying everything. I tried to save everypony, but I couldn't help them all. I watched ponies die as building collapsed on them, and as the bears devoured them."

The bitter tears that now flow down Trixie's cheeks tell the eight of them all they need to know; she is telling them the truth. She had accidentally set a pack of the vicious, starry bears upon Canterlot, and because of it, their parents joined in. It's mortifying to even imagine something like that, considering how amazingly large one Ursa Minor is, and that's just a baby. To have a whole group of them attacking the same city at one time, with fully-grown adult Ursa's there as well. It's just not comprehensible to even think about. That kind of attack would put the city in mortal peril, and even Princess Aurora would have trouble fighting off a threat like that.

"We have no reason to help you," Fluttershy tells her, shocking everyone else there. They look at the pony in complete, utter disbelief. How could she say that? The capital is under attack and she doesn't want to help at all? Sighing, Fluttershy gets to her hooves and trots over, adding, "After what you did to us before, you don't deserve my help. However, I'd be remiss if I just ignored this. I mean, I certainly can't do anything to help you, and I honestly don't much care to. But these six are stronger than I, and they can help. Talk to them."

With not a single other word, the normally shy mare turns her back to Trixie and trots up the stair and into her room, slamming the door behind her. Spike then leaves himself, headed back to the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library. Trixie seems devastated, and turns now to the six ponies still before her. She needs to fix this mistake of hers, but she isn't able to get it done alone. She once again asks them to help her, and after looking at her friends, Star steps forward and agrees, telling her that they'll do whatever they can to save Canterlot. Almost jumping for joy, the showmare thanks them all graciously, and tells them that she'll be ready and waiting outside the cottage, and that she'll just teleport them all to Canterlot when they're ready. Star agrees to this as well, and
Trixie takes her hat as she trots back out of the open door, closing it calmly behind her.

At that moment, Star turns on the spot and heads over to the staircase, climbing up to the top floor. She reaches Fluttershy's room quickly and cautiously knocks on the door. A few seconds later, it opens and standing there is the still angry pony, fuming over seeing Trixie again after fifteen years. Star and the others can't exactly understand Fluttershy's painful memories, and they have to get going. But for some reason, she needs to know why her friend is so bitter towards the showmare. She seems so nice and forgivable, so why is it that Fluttershy can't give her another chance? She asks this, and the shy pony comes out to tell them everything.

They head back downstairs and into the kitchen, where Fluttershy takes a seat and rubs her hoof against the center of her forehead, wishing she didn't have to remember that horrible day. She knows that simply telling them about Trixie's first two visits wouldn't mean much. She wasn't as bad then, and her actions, while horrible, were easily fixed. It was the last visit, fifteen years ago and only days before the disappearance of her friend Twilight. It seems so long ago, but at the same time, she remembers it as if it were just yesterday.

"Everything seemed normal. Just an average, ordinary day," she begins to explain to them, breathing heavily at the very thought of it all, "all of us had the day off of work, which was surprising considering how busy Sugarcube Corner had gotten by that time. Even I didn't have much to do for my little animal friends that day. So we decided to just have some fun together. We went to the day spa and had a nice, relaxing time. After that, we all went to the Ponytones rehearsal. I was finally starting to feel comfortable with performing in front of people, so Rarity and Big Mac made me a permanent part of the group. We even got to have lunch at the Hayburger. It seemed like a perfect day, until she came around."

"It seemed out of nowhere too. We were walking down the road when we saw her stage set up. Ponies were gathering around it. Now, on her last visit she tried to take over Ponyville. However, we all know it was because of the Alicorn Amulet, which was heightening her aggression. She apologized and Twilight seemed to forgive her, so we all did too. So when we saw her that day, we were willing to give her show the benefit of the doubt. We hoped she wouldn't be the same braggart she had been in the past."

"So we grabbed some seats right in the front of the crowd, deciding to give her a chance and take a look. It actually ended up being a really good show, and for once Trixie wasn't being egotistical and cruel. We were even enjoying it. Well, eventually everything just had to go downhill. She was ready for her big finale, and asked for some volunteers to come up to the stage. It was a little friend of ours, Pipsqueak, who agreed without a second’s hesitation. She then asked him to choose two more, and so he had his schoolmates Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie come up. All three of them were just young foals. They wanted to feel special and become involved with such a wonderful act."

"Well," the mare continues as she begins to tear up, "Trixie brought them all on stage and had them lay down in three separate boxes, which they then levitated, stacking on top of each other. She had planned to do her famous sawing in half trick, which was always a crowd favorite. This time though, she was going to do it with three ponies at once, something that's never even been considered before."

"So she summoned a saw and without another word, began slicing right down the center of the boxes. It was being done as normal, and all of us cheered her on. The three foals began to scream, but they were laughing at the same time. We knew that they were just having fun with all of it, that is, until their screams began to change. No longer cries of fun, they became filled with pain and terror. None of us knew how to act until we noticed blood begin to seep from the boxes. Trixie noticed this at about the same time, and tried to stop, but it was too late."

"All three of them died that day. Three innocent little children murdered as part of a magic trick. I've tried to convince myself that it was all just an accident, just as it ended up being this time. I'd like to think that Trixie didn't mean for any of this to happen, but we have to look at the facts. Those three foals never got to grow up and experience the wonders that their lives would've brought. And Pipsqueak...he never even got to discover what makes him special and earn his cutie mark."

Fluttershy begins to sob harder than ever, tears streaming down her face and onto the floor. Reaching forward, Star embraces and comforts her friend, giving her a loving and understanding huge. She now knows exactly why she was so apprehensive towards Trixie before; why she seemed to glare at her and wasn't even willing to lend her a hoof. However, while she understands, she cannot turn a blind eye and ignore this terrible tragedy befalling the capital. Trixie might have done some terrible things in the past, but right now she needs their help to save her hometown. Canterlot is on the verge of destruction, and they have to go and put a stop to these Ursas.

She doubts that Trixie would have knowingly murdered three little foals in front of a big crowd like that. Nopony could ever be that cruel, apart from Oblivion of course. There has to be more behind that incident, but right now she can't focus on the past. She can ask Trixie about that later. Turning to face her friends, Star tells them that they have to do whatever they can, and that the future of Canterlot rests squarely on their shoulders. They all nod in agreement, knowing how important a task like this is, and so they head back down the stairs, out of Fluttershy's cottage, and up to the blue pony awaiting them outside.

"About time you...I mean, thank you for coming. We need to hurry," Trixie says, pointing her hoof towards the city far off in the mountains. They can see where the city is by the large clouds of smoke billowing out of it, and the flames licking at it's uppermost reaches. They tell the unicorn that they're ready to go, and summoning up the height of her magical prowess, Trixie casts her teleportation spell.

The seven ponies open their eyes as a shrill scream pierces the air, followed closely by an ear-splitting roar. They've arrived in Canterlot, and are surrounded by the destruction Trixie had told them about. The buildings around them are crumbling into ash, and flames blaze everywhere. They can see the corpses of many a pony laying around, crushed by falling debris. Some burn in flames that now engulf them, and others are mutilated beyond belief, having their heads crushed, guts spilled, and bodies torn apart.

Not too far away they can see a multitude of terrible looking bears storming around. Light blue in color, though translucent, the Ursas tear up the place; rampaging over buildings and devouring the terrified citizens. Up above they see some of the elite royal guard trying to fight off the bears with their magic, and others on the ground gathering up the survivors and trying to herd them away.

"You!?" Everglade yells out, running up in full armor, "what are you all doing here!?"

"Captain, we've come on behalf of Trixie Lulamoon here to help stop the attack," Terra proclaims, saluting his replacement with respect. Everglade salutes back and tells them that Princess Aurora has managed to corner the Ursa Majors in one corner of the city, and is fighting them now, but that the Minors are still out of control. Taking charge of the group, Terra tells her that they will do what they can to help. Everglade salutes him again and runs off to do her part, leaving the seven ponies standing there.

"Ok, we need a plan," Terra tells them all, remaining calm, "Trixie, tell us everything you know about the Ursas!"
"I...I don't know much of anything about them. I've only seen one before this, and that was over fifteen years ago. I couldn't even stop that one Ursa Minor back then."

"Figures," the former captain of the guard replies, sighing. Reaching into the saddlebag he always carries with him, Terra pulls out a piece of parchment and a pencil, which he begins to diagram things out with, "Ok everypony, we've got to think about this logically. The Princess has got the Majors under control, so we've got only the babies to worry about. Star, Agelian, you two fly overhead and try to force the Ursas into one section, just like Princess Aurora did with their parents! Bri, you and Devlin go and try to help anyone and everyone you can! Chupa, you and I will assist the royal guard in their mission! Trixie, when Star and Agelian round up the bears, I'll need you to do a reversal on your spell from last night! You can do that, can't you? Put those Ursa Minors back where you brought them from?"

"I should be able to do that," the mare nervously replies, nodding her head while swallowing hard. The others all nod and begin to head off, ready to accomplish their assigned missions. Star, Agelian, and Trixie remain standing there in the street, all a part of the same group. However, before much longer, the two pegasi take flight and begin to speed towards the attacking bears. After talking it out, they've decided that the best place to corner them in at would be by the Wonderbolts Stadium. Trixie, meanwhile, gallops along on the ground, following them closely so that she doesn't fall behind. This is all her fault. She has to do whatever she can to help.

Terrifying roars pierce the smog-filled air, joined by the immense screaming of the panicking ponies all running away in every direction. In the air, Agelian has put on his goggles and is now flying around a group of three Ursa Minors. Like Terra, he too is always prepared for any situation, having his saddlebag on and stocked at all times. Reaching in, he pulls out not parchment and a pencil though, but instead a large smoke capsule that his fiancee Dinky had made for him. Releasing it into the air, a red stream of smoke billows out, frightening the bears and causing them to back away, towards the direction of the stadium.

He follows the smoke up with flares and fire capsules, causing huge pops of flames in mid-air that get the three Ursas back even further. Meanwhile, not far away, Star has rounded up a group of the bears herself. Though without the use of capsules, she has been forced to rely on brute force. Flying at top speed, she rams into the bears over and over, screaming out to get their attention. Though they swipe their claws at her, this method seems to surprisingly work, getting them to flee off towards Agelian's group. The two soon merge, and the pegasi take the opportunity to work together.

Giving her some of his capsules, Agelian throws firework capsules out. The large explosions and noises startle the Ursas, sending them running towards where the stadium is. After a while, the two manage to corral all of the Minors by the stadium, unfortunately partially destroying it in the process; a necessary sacrifice. Trixie runs up at that point, having kept up with the two this entire time. She's surprised by how easily they were able to do this all. Their friendship and trust in Terra gave them the courage they needed to follow his plans and accomplish their goal. Maybe, just maybe, friendship is the one thing she's been missing all this time.

Shaking her head, Trixie focuses on the problem at hand. All the Ursa Minors are now gathered in one place, and so with great focus, she summons up the entirety of her remaining magic, using a reversal spell on them. At first, nothing seems to happen, and she wonders if she just didn't have enough power left. However, the bears soon begin to fade, disappearing into the night just as quickly as they came. The three of them are about to celebrate when the sound of a collapsing house nearby captures their attention. Their job is not done yet. Looking to Trixie, Star shouts out, asking if she knows any spells to summon water.

"There are no spells that can just summon water, at least not that I know of!" the showmare yells back, nearly crying from the horrible atmosphere of the flames and smoke, "but there is one spell I know about! I can go to the Highland Resevoir back near Ponyville and force the water here to Canterlot, putting out all the flames and clearing everything up! It's risky though! I don't know if I have enough magic left in me right now!"

"We believe in you Trixie! You can do this, I have faith in you!" Agelian yells out, smiling down at her.

The tears in her eyes now are of happiness. No one's been this kind to her in fifteen years, not since the mercy that Twilight had shown her after she killed those little children. It was all a mistake. She had meant it to be a trick, and doesn't know why or how it went wrong. All she knows is that she didn't have control of her magic for some reason, and couldn't stop until it was too late and the three of them had been sliced in half. Even though it wasn't her fault, she always felt like it had been. She had those three foals come up in the first place.

Now these two ponies who have no reason to like her, or to believe in her, are not only doing that, but practically pushing her to do her best and save Canterlot. She can't help but cry; overjoyed and overwhelmed by the sheer impact of this moment on her. So without another word, but instead a warm smile to her newfound friends, Trixie teleports away to the Highland Resevoir. Agelian and Star begin to fly off when Princess Aurora suddenly comes up to them, surprising the two. She seems pleased, but still worried about everything, landing on the ground to take a breather after all the work she's done so far.

"Thank you for coming," she tells them, breathing heavily, "Everglade told me everything. When I saw the Ursa Minors disappear, I knew it was you all. And the Majors left soon after, apparently going off to wherever their young were teleported to. And speaking of such, where's Trixie? I wanted to thank her for the services she's done for Canterlot and all of Equestria today."

Suddenly, as she finishes speaking, a wall of water seems to come down upon them, spreading over the entirety of the city and snuffing out the flames. The three of them stand there, soaked from head to hoof, but smiling. Laughing a little, Star tells the princess, "Right on cue. Trixie has saved the city today, so I hope you can forgive her for causing this all in the first place. She needs forgiveness for once." A smile spreads across the princess' face and she nods in understanding before flying off to care for the survivors of the attack.

A few days later, the six friends sit by the Ponyville Fountain in the central sector, enjoying the bright, beautiful day. Once again, all of Equestria is at peace, and Oblivion still has yet to be seen or heard from again. But one thing still bugs them. Babe Chenko has now been spotted in Canterlot. He was there when the incident with Trixie happened, and had mentioned something about Princess Twilight Sparkle. They have no idea who he could be, and even the princess couldn't tell them when they asked her. So the six of them decided to visit Fancy Pants in the hospital to ask him.

He had been caught up in the initial attack when the Ursa Minors were first brought into the city, and was gravely injured. However, when the six of them got there, he had just passed away. For now, the secret of Babe Chenko ,and what he meant in the letter for Bri, shall remain a mystery. They can't help but think he's got something to do with all of this; with not only the Ursa Incident, but also the incidents from fifteen years ago, maybe even the disappearances of the princesses. He could even be in league with Oblivion for all they know, but that's just blind speculation as of now. They know nothing about him, and who knows if they ever will.

So, warm smiles spread across their faces, the six of them try to focus on the now, and not worry about the problems that they will need to focus on in the near future. Before them is a wonderful show being put on. A stage set up in the center of town, feats of extraordinary magic entertaining the masses of ponies. In the direct middle of it all stands Trixie, laughing and enjoying herself as she is able to give the crowd a reason to smile and be happy. She's able to give back to the town that gave her a second chance, and she's ready to prove herself to them all; and right in the front row, having finally decided to do as Twilight would have and give the showmare another chance, is Fluttershy, smiling and laughing right along with The Great & Powerful Trixie Lulamoon.

Preview for Episode 09
***********************
It's coming! We can't believe it's coming to Ponyville! Wait, is that...DEVLIN!? What is he doing competing!? What could his talent be!?

S01 E09 - Who is Devlin Speedster?

Author's Notes:

Hey everypony, here it is! Episode 09! This may seen at first like a minor one, but believe me, it is HUGELY important to the future of the story. The updates to the adjoining page (including new character bios and all) will be up asap. I really hope you enjoy this one, and would love love love some feedback.

The vociferous whistling of the Friendship Express violently echoes throughout the southern-most tip of Ponyville. The thirteen car train speeds along the tracks towards Ponyville Station, returning from it's trip to the capital city of Canterlot earlier in the day. Over the past week, the capital has been undergoing reconstruction, and many of Ponyville's citizens have been going to lend a hoof whenever they've been needed. Princess Aurora has even contracted ponies from Fillydelphia, Manehattan, and Prance to help. With the amount of destruction suffered just recently, the damage is so extensive that it's taking longer than they originally thought, and now the day is reaching it's end. All of the ponies from around Equestria have either taken up in one of the standing hotels, or have returned to their own towns for the time being.

Almost all of the ponies from Ponyville have decided to return home to their families and friends for the night, as their trip isn't as far as some of the others. They can return to help within the coming days, and make sure to assist the capital in getting back on it's hooves in no time. And amongst the generous, helpful ponies on the train are three specific mares, and three specific stallions. All tied together by destiny, and kept together through friendship, they too felt called to help the city in any and all ways possible. It was they who were directly involved in the protection of Canterlot only one week ago. And now, following a hard days work, they feel fulfilled as the train pulls into a stop at the station.

The compartment doors open, and the six of them trot out onto the platform. At the flank of their group is the smallest of their companions, Chupa Cabra. She remains more weary than the rest. Her young age and underdeveloped body has caused her to feel the strain of the work more so than anypony else. Despite this all, she has bravely soldiered on, keeping her head and spirits high. It's always been her wish to get up the nerve to help somepony else, and now, she's been given the chance. Until she met her five new friends, she was a quiet loner who kept mostly to herself. The only real friends she had were Mr. Greenhooves and all the plants in the greenhouse. Now she has many friends, and wishes to make as many more as she can. As Star has put it, she's definitely grown into a wonderful young mare. However, while the assistance that her and her friends have given raises her spirits, it also dashes them in the same foul swoop.

"I still just can't believe it," she quietly says to the others, looking solemnly down at the cobblestone street below as she slowly trots onward, "it's just terrible. Canterlot is the capital of all of Equestria, and now it's mostly in ruins because of the ursa attack. It's already been a week, and everypony has barely put a dent in all the work that needs to be done."

"Yeah, and the worst part is that it's probably not going to be anywhere near done for months yet," Agelian sorrowfully replies, looking over at the mountain on which the destroyed capital sits. Not much can be seen from this distance, but they can all tell that it's not what it used to be. The once tall, beautiful, regal city now sits there destroyed. It's completely different than when they went up to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle's family.

Trotting beside Star, Bri sighs as she too looks downtrodden, suddenly speaking up, "I asked around while we were there. I asked everypony I could, but no one seemed to have ever seen or heard of Pinkie Pie being there at any point in the past fifteen years."

"I still maintain that this note is all a trick set by Oblivion to throw us off of his trail. He wants us to focus on something else for some reason."

Rolling his eyes, Terra gruffly replies, "No Star, do you not remember what Fluttershy said? Oblivion's previous actions have all been direct, forcing us into these arduous situations. It's as if he has been testing our resolve, and more importantly, our limits. This letter that's only led us into false hope is NOT the kind of approach that somepony like Oblivion would take. We know that by now. Because of these facts, we can only assume that this Babe Chenko guy is behind everything. For some reason, he wants us to believe that Pinkie Pie has been spotted in Canterlot. The only question we have now is why?"

The six of them ponder this, and whatever the case may be, it's now obvious that Babe's letter had been a lie, and that the party pony was never in Canterlot at all. It makes them wonder, however, if something must be up. If not at the hoof of Oblivion, and if it truly is Babe Chenko, what intentions could possibly be fueling this? Is he controlled by the dark stars as Cobalt Sky had been? Or is there something far more sinister going on here? Along with their mission to find the remaining Elements of Harmony, as well as their duty to defeat Oblivion and the controlled Sevulva Star, they know that they need to figure this all out, and quickly. Whatever the reasoning behind the letter, it can't be good.

At that moment, a thought comes to Bri's mind and her head pops up like a jack in the box. Smiling widely, hope shining in her eyes, she suggests to the others that Pinkie might have been in Canterlot after all, and that maybe nopony knew about it. The others all seem unconvinced by this explanation, but the adventurous young mare reminds them that the letter they had been given stated that Pinkie was hiding out these past fifteen years in a village somewhere. She then adds that maybe Pinkie had to go to Canterlot for some reason, and wanted to remain hidden and in secret. So she disguised herself or stayed in the shadows so that nopony would recognize or notice her. The others certainly see it as a possibility, but at the same time, it's so farfetched that Star can't help but point out that...

"It's just a ridiculous notion, Bri. Somepony would have had to have noticed her at some point! I've seen the pictures of her, she kind of sticks out you know!"

"Um...everypony?"

"Not if she were in disguise Star!" Bri retorts, "She could have been wearing a cloak! Or maybe she had her coat and mane dyed different colors so that she'd look like somepony else!"

"Everypony?"

"No, that doesn't make any logical sense! Somepony, whether it's Oblivion or Babe Chenko, is trying to throw us off of our game! Pinkie Pie was never in Canterlot! Can't you see that!?"

"HEY! EVERYPONY!"

The sudden, eruptive outburst of the young filly snaps both Star and Bri out of their frustration-building argument. The little mare has joined them in the front of the pack, and seems concerned. She points out that there's only five of them there right now, and that Devlin seems to be missing. The two mares leading everypony else begin looking around in confusion, freaking out at the revelation. Where could he have gone? He hasn't told them anything about going either. He doesn't seem to be the kind of pony who would do something like that. But then again, since meeting him back months ago, they haven't really known much about Devlin. The only thing they know is that he prefers manual labor over the usage of his magic, and that he always works hard around Ponyville to help the others. It's not really a lot to go off of.

Suddenly, Terra steps forth and lets out an exasperated sigh as he tells the others, "Devlin left a little bit ago, before you two began arguing. He told me that he had something he had to do, and not to worry you all about it."

Grunting, Star complains about this now, demanding to know why he never said anything. But Terra just reminds her that he said that Devlin told him not to worry them all about it. Star then returns the focus of her complaints to the letter, Pinkie Pie, and the reconstruction of Canterlot. That's when the others begin confronting her, arguing with her over all of her problems and whining as they all continue to trot onward into central Ponyville. That's when Chupa notices something attached to the nearby wall of a building. Trotting over, she looks at the flier in interest, grabbing it and rushing back to her friends in excitement.

"Everypony, take a look at this!" the filly yells out to her friends, once more capturing their attention. Without even so much as a word, Star grabs the flier right out of Chupa's hoof, scanning it over with curiosity and lingering frustration. Her mood suddenly seems to improve, and an actual smile spreads across her face as she continues to read.

"Oh, that's right," she quietly says to herself while everypony else walks up to her, "I had completely forgotten about that."

Her head cocking to the side in confusion, Bri asks, "What? Did something happen? Did you forget about something that you had to do?"

"Well, no. It has nothing to do with me specifically. With Canterlot now out of commission, all it's upcoming events had to be reassigned to other cities around Equestria. The high council considered canceling them altogether, but Princess Aurora insisted that at a devastating time like this, the ponies needed something bright to look forward to. She felt that a little entertainment would be nice after so much pain and misery. According to this flier, Ponyville was chosen to be the new host of Equestria's Got Talent in two weeks, and look who was hoof-chosen by Princess Aurora herself to judge! Trixie Lulamoon, Sweetie Belle, and DJ-Pon3!"

"Wha...wha...WHAT!?" Bri suddenly screams out, her voice reaching legendary octaves as she leaps into the air in pure shock and elation, "ARE YA SERIOUS, MATE!? THIS IS FANTASTIC! Two of the best musicians in all the history of Equestria are coming 'ere, to our little hamlet!? This is unreal! It's bloody brilliant!"

"Um, you do realize that both Sweetie Belle and Vinyl Scratch are from Ponyville, right?" Star asks her hyper friend as she rolls her eyes and smirks slightly, forgetting all about the argument they had just been having, "it's not like they've never been here before."

"I know, but still! I absolutely adore their music! I can't believe this! This is a glorious day! I can't wait for this!"

"Bri, hold on a moment. Take a look at what it says here," Star quietly responds, seeming confused and surprised, flipping over the flier again and again to make sure she's reading right, "this notes some of the featured acts and contestants that will be performing in the competition...this says...that Devlin is one of them."

At first, none of the other four react. It's hard to be sure if they had heard Star correctly. Does she even realize what she said? Devlin, of all ponies, competing in Equestria's biggest talent competition? How could something like this be? What kind of talent could a workhorse like him possibly have? Well, to tell the truth, they have no real idea. They barely know anything about the stallion. Since the six of them originally met months back, Devlin has always been the quiet one. A valued member of the group, true enough, but one who's always stuck in the background and stayed silent most of the time. He helps everypony out, and joins in their adventures and all they do around Ponyville, but in all this time he has barely ever talked to them about himself. Could this possibly be why he ran off earlier? Did he need to begin preparations for the competition?

The five of them stand there, filled with confusion and thoughtful pondering. They wonder exactly what could be going on with this, and their biggest question is simple; what else do they not yet know about their own friend? To have someone this close to them and not even truly know them is a scary thought. How can they consider a friendship like that to be real? They realize that they need to investigate this matter, and find out what they can about him without letting him know. They don't want to seem like those kinds of friends. So talking it over, they all come to agreement and decide to split up, asking around to try and get any and all information that they can. Without another word to each other, the five of them simply nod and head in different directions, all focusing on a different sector of Ponyville.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hastily entering the northern sector of Ponyville, Agelian is ready to act and instantly begin his search. However, he finds himself lost on what to do at this point. He hadn't thought this far in advance, and on top of that, he knows little to nothing about his friend. He doesn't know who else Devlin happens to know in Ponyville, and who he communicates with on a regular basis. He could always ask around town, but then who would he even speak to? Would it be the right thing to do to just begin asking everypony he can find? What if those he asks have never even heard of Devlin. Wouldn't he just be causing himself unnecessary embarrassment? No, he has to at least try. No level of embarrassment is as devastating as being ignorant to who a true friend is. He has to act now, and have faith that everything will go well. Faith is what he builds himself upon, and it will not fail when he calls upon it. And so without another second of hesitation, he trots right on up to the nearest pony around.

"Excuse me," he confidently calls out to the stallion, stealing his attention away from what he had currently been doing. With a coat that is bright green in color, lined with white stripes and a matching muzzle, a messy green and white mane, and a tail that sticks out and up, he is certainly not the kind of pony one would ever forget meeting. Naturally, the stallion seems quite annoyed by having been interrupted from his work, and generally caught off guard. But Agelian isn't even quite sure what he was doing. He had an empty cart and seemed to be walking around aimlessly, as if bored or waiting for something to happen.

The pony turns to face the pegasus, grunting out if he can help him with anything. Smiling and trying to keep polite, Agelian retains his confidence as he asks, "Would you by chance be acquainted with a unicorn named Devlin Speedster?"

"Hold up a minute," the stallion suddenly asks as he looks over his questioner quizically, "don't I know you?"

Suddenly, the pony's eyes widen as instant realization seem to come to him. His mouth drops slightly and he stares at the pegasus for a good long while until Agelian can't take it any more. Getting frustrated at this point, he demands to know what is so fascinating all of a sudden, and that's when the stallion replies, "Oh...my...Aurora. You're Agelian Wingblade, aren't you? You won the Cloudsdale Young Flier Competition."

"Yes, but..." Agelian begins, his voice now echoing with confusion added to the still remaining frustration. However, he doesn't get a chance to finish, as the stallion continues for him.

"...I knew it! Pleasure to meet you! My name is Shan Mul! Oh, that competition must have been a sight to see! I really wanted to attend ya know, but I had just so much to take care of that day. Is it true that you're dating Dinky Hooves, the daughter of Ponyville's own head mail mare Derpy?"

"What are you, some kind of reporter!?"

"Well...yes actually. I work for the Ponyville Free Press under the leadership of Miss Hooves. I know, it's not nearly as fancy or big as Canterlot's paper, The Equestria Daily, but I find it superior. We actually report on the truth and important stories, not things only the elite care about."

"Listen!" the pegasus yells out, having gotten more than frustrated by this point, "this is not about me, and it's certainly not about you or your job! I need you to tell me if you know who Devlin Speedster is, and what you know about him!"

"Devlin?" Shan asks, thinking it over for a second, "Oh, yeah, I know him! He helped me out the other week. Miss Hooves asked me to deliver a case of papers to the general store in the central sector. I know, a menial job for a reporter like me, but she's the boss. Anyways, my cart broke down. Devlin happened to be near and he fixed it up for me, no charge. Such a great carpenter. Didn't say much though, and he left before I could even begin to thank him."

Sighing, the pegasus turns away from Shan Mul, who has begun to ask for an exclusive interview about the competition. However, he ignores the reporter and begins to trot away in the complete opposite direction, heading towards where the day spa is. Maybe Aloe and Lotus know something. Then again, Devlin doesn't seem like an avid spa goer. But this measly bit of information isn't nearly enough to even start on. It hasn't revealed anything about his friend that he didn't already know. Quiet and a hard worker who'll help anypony out when they need it. That much is obvious. He's known this about Devlin the entire time.

There isn't many places in the northern sector to go. There's the hospital, retirement village, and a few other places. Granted, if Devlin is as helpful as he knows he is, then these might be the perfect places to check. He could've been helping out with the retired ponies or the hospitalized ones. It's hard to say at this point. He has to keep trying though. Somepony is bound to know something about Devlin that he has yet to. He just has to keep his faith that this plan will all work out, and that he and his friends will figure out why somepony like him is competing in Equestria's Got Talent.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern sector, Chupa Cabra is trotting along the street, asking everypony she can. Time seems to be passing quickly, and everypony she could even think of has already been asked. She visited Grace's house, and even met with Fluttershy at her cottage to see if she knew anything. Unfortunately, both of them only knew the same little bit that she does. This side of Ponyville is mostly residential, apart from a shop here and there and the famous Ponyville Tower, which is just a landmark and nothing more.

At this point she's at a complete loss of who to even begin to ask, when suddenly, her luck seems to change. Passing through, hauling a cart filled with odd mechanical pieces and the such, is a grey unicorn stallion with brown mane and tail. On his flank is a cutie mark depicting a stop watch. She's not sure of what it could mean, but judging on his cart, she can only assume he might be a watch maker or something. She shadows him for a while, to see what he might be doing. She hasn't seen him around Ponyville before. But then again, she doesn't normally pay too much attention.

Following him for a while, she soon finds that her suspicions are correct as the stallion enters into a watch shop, brining in all the mechanical pieces with him. Why else would somepony like that enter a watch shop with all that stuff. She needs to be brave here and act out. She's asked so many ponies already, where's the harm in one more? So taking in a deep breath, Chupa enters the shop. The inside is filled with all kinds of wacky and strange clocks and watches. There's a sound coming from a back room, and no one standing at the counter. However, Chupa sees a bell there, and decides to ring it for service.

A loud crash now comes from the back room, and the same grey-coated pony from before soon emerges. He wears a strange hat that has a magnifying glass attached to it and situated over his eye. As he notices the young filly, however, he removes it and trots up to the counter with a smile. Without a word, he shows her his collection of children's watches, thinking she's there to purchase something. However, she soon explains the situation to him, and how she needs to find out more about her friend Devlin.

"Devlin Speedster you say? Yeah, I met him a few times actually. When I get new parts in for my inventory, I sometimes have a hard time hauling it all to the shop in a reasonable amount of time. So he's agreed to help me on restocking days. He comes by every Saturday to help haul the new materials in. He remains quiet most of the time though. I can barely get a word out of the guy."

"Oh, well, thanks anyways then," the little filly says, defeated and crestfallen.

"Now just wait a minute little filly, I said he barely says anything. That doesn't mean he NEVER says anything. He did tell me last week, right after that horrible incident in Canterlot happened, that the destruction might have put a damper on this talent show thing he'd been preparing for. Now, I don't know what he was planning, but he had showed me this weird circular shaped whistle. It's something I'd never seen before. Alas, he wouldn't let me take it apart though."

A clue! Chupa thanks the man, and asks for his name. He tells her that his name is Clever Contraption, and invites her to come back to The Contraption Time Shop anytime. Happily walking out the door, she looks out to the sunlight blaring in the sky. She's finally found something out about Devlin and his plans for Equestria's Got Talent. It has something to do with an odd circular whistle. She had never heard of such an object before, and this isn't really a whole lot to go on. But with her persistence paying off, she can't quit now. There has to be more to learn.

In the Western sector of Ponyville, trotting quickly along the street, the former captain of the elite royal guard, Terra Lionmane, has just exited the Carousel Boutique. Unfortunately, Grace hadn't been there today, but he was met by her assistant. Unfortunately, he didn't know anything about Devlin. Vigilance is the key now though, and he cannot give up no matter what. He was the one that his friend told before leaving, and he agreed to keep it a secret from his friends until the moment they ended up finding out anyways. Of course, he has to believe that Devlin knew they would. As he continues on, searching for somepony who might know, he comes upon a flatware shop run by Silver Spoon.

Walking to the door, he finds it open so as to let a cool breeze into the shop. Instantly as he enters, Silver Spoon herself runs up to greet him, right away wishing to show him her new premium dinner set. Her mane is let down in a new style, and she dons a new pair of red glasses today. Of course, this is not why he's there, and he tells her so promptly. Explaining himself, he tells her that he's looking for information regarding Devlin Speedster, and needs it post-haste. She seems disappointed at first that he's not there to buy anything, but begins to think about the question he had posed to her.

"Devlin Speedster? I don't recognize the name, sorry."

So, without hesitation, Terra reaches into his saddlebag and pulls out a picture he has of Devlin. He has a hobby of collecting photographs of all the ponies he knows. It's an old habit from his days in the guard. It helps him keep their faces fresh in his mind. He shows the picture to Silver Spoon, and she seems to recognize him right away by appearance, telling the stallion, "Oh, of course! I know him now!"

"What can you tell me about him, ma'am?"

"Well, Devlin is a very considerate and helpful pony. He's helped customers carry out their orders all the time, and has even helped me in here with stocking and sales. One time when I had to go meet someone about a new variety of silver, he took charge of the shop for me. I came back and he had made over 800 bits in sales! Can you believe that!? I was only gone for an hour!"

"Ma'am, I understand that Devlin is a very helpful pony. Is there anything else you might be able to tell me about him. Did he mention anything about hobbies, or what he does in his free time?" Terra asks, standing firm and unmovable. His expression is stoic and unemotional. He has learned to keep focus for long periods of time, and to not let things cause him to react in any way.

"Well," she says, having to think about it for a minute, "in south Ponyville there's a mare I know who might be of help. Her name is Mad Munchkin, and she often helps out at the Ponyville Pet Center. She had mentioned something to me once about a pony fitting the description of Devlin. He never talked much to me, so I really don't know anything else myself, but I'd definitely suggest Muchkin to you."

"Thanks, I appreciate the help ma'am."

Down in southern Ponyville, Star Rider sits on the steps outside of Agelian's house. She's searched and searched and searched, but hasn't found anything. She even stopped over at the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library to see if Spike knew anything, and even he was clueless. Her research won't help her now, and she honestly doubts going to the train station or joke shop will turn up any leads. Maybe someone at the bowling alley might know something. She could see Devlin bowling from time to time.

Trying to raise her spirits, the mare climbs to her hooves and begins to head in the direction of the alley. Despite Ponyville being small in comparison to many other cities in Equestria, it's still quite large in size. So the walk takes quite a bit just to get close to the alley from her friends small home. However, she soon reaches it, only to find that it's closed due to repairs. Only one place she hasn't yet visited, the Ponyville Pet Center. She wanted to save this place as a last resort. She knows that Devlin like to help other ponies, but what about animals? Whether or not he lends a hoof there is completely up in the air for her, but there's no harm in checking anyways.

It doesn't take too much longer, and she reaches the center in no time. Unlike the bowling alley, the building is open and she enters to be met with the sounds of rowdy, wild animals barking, mewing, and growling all around. The inside of the center looks more like a zoo than an official establishment, but that's not too unexpected. It was probably Fluttershy's doing, knowing how she can be with animals. And these ones are all abandoned, lost, or just without a good home, so of course she'd do the best to make them feel comfortable since taking the center over.

At the front desk there's an intriguing looking mare that she has never seen before. A light blue coat with a faded muzzle that learns close to being white. She has long dark teal hair and pierced ears. A large plaid hat and scarf adorn her, and her cutie mark is...well...she's not quite sure what it is. She walks up to the counter and greets the unknown mare, asking if she might know somepony named Devlin Speedster, and if she does, if she can tell her anything about him.

"Devlin Speedster?" the mare asks in a thick Trottish accent, "yeah, I know 'im. He's given us a hoof here many times in the past. He's a wonder with the animals he is, very calm and relaxed. He don't even need to talk to them, and that's good as he stays quiet most of the time. It just seems like he has an instant connection with them."

"Wow, I would've never thought," Star says in surprise. She did already know that he was quiet and didn't talk a lot, but never would've imagined him as an animal lover. She wonders what else she can learn from the mare, and so Star prods further, asking if she's ever known anything else about him. At the same time, she asks the mare her name, to which she laughs out.

"Oh, the name's Mad Munchkin! I thought ya would've remembered me Star. I mean, it's been a while, but you should still at least recognize the mare who foal-sat you when you were just a little thing."

Star nearly chokes out, she can't believe it! She had completely forgotten about that time in her life. It was prior to her parents death that Mad Munchkin foal-sat her and her sister. Afterwards, they mostly spent time with Fluttershy. Of course, Grace was old enough by that point to watch her herself. Smiling, the mare once again greets her old foal-sitter with glee, now remembering all the good times they had in the past, playing games like Battleclouds and Trotopoly.

"Oh," she suddenly says, remembering why she came in the first place, "I'm sorry, but I need to find out anything I can about Devlin. Is there anything you can tell me? Did he say anything about himself to you when he volunteered here?"

"Not too much. Like I said, he was very quiet. However, one time he did come in with a fancy suit and bow tie on. Not sure what it meant, but he claimed he was practicing for something. That was...two weeks ago now. Haven't seen him back since. Guess whatever he's been practicing for has been taking up a lot of his time."

Thinking, Star knows that this is definitely something to consider here. This suit and bow tie must be relevant. If he was practicing for something, it must be important and possibly formal based on his attire. On top of that, it could be Equestria's Got Talent, considering they now know he's to be competing in that. But what was he practicing? That's the question. Thanking Munchkin for her help, Star insists that they catch up again sometime before heading out. She's one step closer now, and has to keep trying. With only two more weeks until EGT comes, they need to get all the information they possibly can.

Right back where everypony started, in Central Ponyville, Bri hops around happily. She's already met quite a few ponies who knew a lot about Devlin. She had learned by this point that he'd been seen helping Mayor Mare out at City Hall, has lent a hoof at the marketplace, and even worked a few shifts at Sugarcube Corner with the Cake family. Plus, while at the sweet shop, she even got to talk to Pound and Pumpkin for a little about their past with Pinkie Pie. It was great to hear more about the pink party pony and how she used to be. She only wonders where Pinkie could be now.

She visited the Hayburger, the book shop, Quills & Sofas, the hardware and jewelry shops, and even the Ponyville Cafe, where Star works. She's learned a lot of what Devlin's done around town, but not really too much about his personality or talents. Soon reaching the fountain in the direct center of town, she decides to take a break. Sitting down on a bench, she leans back and relaxes for a moment. She's already spent all day searching for information, and she just needs a rest now.

However, she seems to be out of luck as a sudden outcry surprises her, causing the mare to nearly fall from the bench. Not far away is a white-coated unicorn stallion with a tidy blue mane. He seems confused and almost terrified by something. Without a thought, the mare gets up and rushes over to help. In one of the stallions hooves is a carrot dog, and in the other, a picture. He seems distraught and stares at the photograph with a mortified expression on his face. So naturally, Bri asks him what's wrong and if she can help.

"Help!? Help!? This is beyond help! I got ketchup on my only photograph of her! I can't believe I ruined it!"

"Photograph of who?" Bri asks, carefully taking the picture from his hoof. As she sees it, the mare falls back. Sweat begins to build up on her forehead, and she forgets all about Devlin. Her mouth agape, and eyes widened in shock, she stares at the photo, not speaking for a good, long time. She just can't believe it. It's as if fate had brought her to meet this stallion today. Her search for information on Devlin has led to somepony who might know something about the one pony she truly wants to know about; Pinkie Pie.

Just staring at the ketchup-stained picture of the pink party pony, Bri shakes her head and looks up. The stallion is giving her an odd look, and takes back his photograph. As he begins to turn away, the mare stops him and begs him to tell her all he can, explaining that she idolizes Pinkie and is trying to find her. She describes all of her adventures and travels to him, and how she's been trying to find out as much as she can. For some reason, she even tells him about the mysterious letter, despite having promised her friends to keep it a secret. She just can't help it. She needs to know if this guy knows anything.

"I...I once dated her," he reveals, tearing up as he remembers the bitter-sweet past, "back in the good old days. We had gone out once, but then she just ran away. She didn't tell me anything, and this is the only picture I ever had of her. Now it's ruined. I miss her every day, and wish so much that she'd just return for me."

"Do you know anything? Have you found out anything about where she might have gone?"

"No, I haven't. I gave up on that a long time ago. This letter you mentioned though. You said that it said she was living in a village somewhere? Would you...would you like to find that village with me? I want so badly to find her again, and I can tell that you do too. You mentioned going on all these adventures. How about one more? I think I know where this village is."

Staring at nothing in particular, Bri thinks about it. Her friends need her help here, to find out more about Devlin. And she just can't leave on a moments notice. What if something occurs with Oblivion? But then again, this is Pinkie Pie he's talking about; the mare she's idolized all of her life. If he knows where she might be, and was a former very special somepony of hers, then this could be the one chance she has of finding her. Can she really pass this opportunity up? It's such a hard decision for somepony like her to make.

"My name is Scatter Brain by the way, nice to meet you. To tell you the truth, Miss Bri, I...I kind of lied. It's true that I haven't looked for any information on Pinkie Pie in a long time, but that's because I hired somepony to do it for me. An old friend of mine. We should be able to catch him in Trottingham if we leave right now. I'd very much like for you to meet him. His name...is Babe Chenko.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About an hour later, as the clock tower strikes six at night, everypony reunites in the center of town, right around the fountain. Star, Chupa, Terra, and Agelian all run in at around the same time, as the five of them had agreed upon earlier in the day. However, Bri is not amongst them. Of course, Star is the first to give leeway to her friend, knowing her all too well. She tells the others that she'll arrive soon, but after another hour of waiting, even she admits to the three that something isn't right here.

"Where...where could she be?" Chupa quietly asks, beginning to tear up. Star goes to comfort her, knowing that the little filly just doesn't want to lose any of her friends. Neither does she. None of them want to lose their friends, and are all worried. Bri would never be this late, something must have happened. The four of them begin to talk to each other about this, trying to figure out where the mare might have gone off to, when Devlin suddenly walks up.

"Hey everyone, is everything alright?" he asks, noticing the concern and worry on their faces. Star tells him everything that had happened. She explains how they went their separate ways to find out about him, and how when they met back up, Bri never showed. Thinking to himself, Devlin wonders why they didn't just ask him about it in the first place. He could've saved them all the trouble. But he realizes that it isn't important right now. Finding out where Bri went must be their first priority.

"Ok, we have to find her. I don't think she would've left Ponyville. Star, you said before that she never goes off on one of her adventures without telling you first, right?"

"Yeah, she'd never just leave like that. Why? Do you think she might have?" Star asks, worried even more now. Devlin shakes his head, explaining that he also believes that she wouldn't have just left town. Taking charge, he has everypony split up once again, this time in search of something far more important than a little information on a friend; the friend herself. As they go their separate ways, headed back to the different sectors of town, they're oblivious to the cloaked figure watching them not far away. A cloaked figure, with a pink coat.

Preview for Episode 10
*******************************
We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and for one day, we're back.

S01 E10 - CMC Mk II

Author's Notes:

Here it is everypony, the tenth chapter of My Little Pony: Friendship of Generations! Double digits! Glad to have achieved getting the story this far. As always, biographies on the accompanying website (http://mylittleponyfriendshipofgenerations.webs.com/) will be updated ASAP, so keep a look out for them. This episode is meant as a passing of the torch scenario. It isn't highly important to the ongoing storyline, but does involve important characters. It also has the feels, so be warned. Otherwise, enjoy.

The wind fiercely gusts throughout town as Ponyville's citizens rush around the streets, their lives busied with work, family, friends, and so much more. These days, things such as these are what the ponies rely on to get by. Everyday life is not what it used to be, not with the threat looming over the town. Since the arrival of the dark stars months back, things have become different for everypony. While it's true that they have moved on and continued to live their lives, they are oblivious to the many attacks made against Equestria since. The attacks that six brave ponies have halted by themselves.

Though they might not always notice it, things are not the same as they used to be. And as she trots towards the western end of town, Spring Rise wonders if they'll ever be the same again.
Far off in the south-western fields of Sweet Apple Acres rests a large and old apple tree. Long gone is it's ability to bear fruit, it has become hardened and sturdy, standing there in reminder of the importance and age of the acres. Many long years ago a small tree house was built there, and after it had been abandoned and long forgotten about, three adventurous little fillies were given the reigns, making the little tree house into their very own Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. However, even those three left it eventually, having found their cutie marks and going out into the world to accomplish their destinies.

It's been just under fifteen years since they left that clubhouse for the last time, and through their generosity, Spring and her newfound friends in class have received it. Passed down through the generations, friendships have been forged and strengthened in the very wooden tree house that the little filly now approaches. The paint had begun to fade and chip, and the boards had loosened. When first given the clubhouse by none other than Apple Bloom herself, they decided to fix it up. Majus did most of the work, seeming to have a real knack for the job. She and the other two merely helped him, and they're pleased to the brim with how it all turned out.

A new wing added to the clubhouse, and the main wing expanded upon, they have added much to it. Now painted a deep red color with black accents, the clubhouse stands there, greater than ever before. As the young filly quickly comes upon it, she remembers how she first met her three new friends thanks to the kindness of her classmate Chupa. It was shortly after she first moved to town, and it felt wonderful to be shown such love that soon. Forging friendships has helped her cope with the sudden change of scenery, having moved from the bustling city of Detrot. It's helped her get through it all, and not only accept it all, but embrace it with open hooves.

Climbing the stairs, she reaches the main door of the clubhouse, pulling it open with excitement and enthusiasm. A bright smile spreads across the whole of her face as she enters, greeting her three friends who had already been there for an hour or so by this point. Gumdrop and Honeysuckle are seated at the makeover mirror, braiding each others hair, giggling to themselves, when they notice Spring come in. They turn and wave with wide smiles, excited that their friend had finally made it. Majus sits in the book nook, reading a copy of Daring Doo and the Temple of the Octivael that Spike had donated to the clubhouse from the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library.

While Gumdrop and Honeysuckle as quite outgoing, it seems that Majus is the dark horse of the group. Constantly brooding, he remains quiet the majority of the time and prefers to read or do things on his own. It had originally confused Spring as to why he was even in the group. However, things had soon been brought to light when Honeysuckle told her how they had saved Majus from being beaten down by a bully named Rough Knut. He had been hanging out with them ever since, and though he acts all tough and quiet, he really does appreciate and care for his friends.

"Well everypony! It's time to begin the first meeting of the new CMC-Mk II!" Spring shouts out with glee, excited to begin this new venture. It was an idea of Apple Bloom's when she donated the clubhouse to them. Since all four of them have yet to discover their special talents and earn their cutie marks, she explained to them what the Cutie Mark Crusaders once were, and how they could be the new generation of them, questing and crusading to find their destinies in this world. Naturally they were all excited to do this, and when they rebuilt the clubhouse, they made it perfect for being the headquarters of the Cutie Mark Crusaders Mark 2.

Gumdrop and Honeysuckle finish their braiding and trot over with giggles, taking a seat in the meeting area of the clubhouse. Majus closes his book and walks over as well, seeming more curious than excited, though a smile is still shown on his face. At the forefront, standing upon soap boxes behind a tall stand, is Spring Rise, who has been voted upon to lead the meetings. She wears a special red and gold silk cape, crafted by former CMC member and famous singer, Sweetie Belle, at her late sister's old business Carasoul Boutique, and modeled after similar capes worn by her and the other original CMC's years back. In her hoof is three more capes, which she proceeds to pass out to her friends.

"With the passing of the capes, I declare the first meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders Mark 2 officially open!" Spring yells out excitedly, causing Gumdrop and Honeysuckle to cheer out. Majus smirks a little as he ties his cape to his back, but says nothing more. "The torch has been passed and it's time we do whatever we can to find our cutie marks! Does anypony have any ideas?"

Silence fills the clubhouse for what seems like the longest time, and only the faint chirping of birds outside can be heard. It then shocks the other three as Majus stands to his hooves and is the first of them to speak up. His voice, which they have barely heard up to this point, is high-pitched and friendly, despite his dark and brooding personality. He smiles gently as he tells them, "I have an idea, if you're interested."

"What is it!?" Gumdrop shrieks out, her voice reaching an octave she had not expected. Instantly her hooves pop up to her mouth and she blushes in embarrassment. The others laugh, even Majus, which seems to break the tension that had filled the air following the sudden speaking of the gloomy little colt.

"Well, it's not my idea really, but it's their ideas; the original Cutie Mark Crusaders. Maybe we should think about the stories we've heard of things they did to try and get their cutie marks and go from there."

"Great Scott! That's a glorious idea!" Honeysuckle laughs in her thick Trottingham accent, "I bloody love it! But where should we start? There's a lot to work from."

The four of them spend the next two hours sharing stories with each other regarding the three ponies who at one time long ago had used this same clubhouse for their own meetings. Spring is the first to share hers, talking about how the CMC once went around town to ask their friends how they got their cutie marks. Majus follows it up with a memory of how he once heard that the three of them tried various different methods like hang gliding and even rocking out on stage during a Ponyville School Talent Show. Gumdrop goes next and reveals that her parents have told her about the CMC's adventures into the Everfree Forest long ago, where they attempted to find and rescue Miss Fluttershy's missing pet chicken, ending up coming across a dreaded cockatrice instead.

The final of the four friends stands now and replaces her excitable little friend at the stand, speaking out now as well. Smiling, Honeysuckle looks at them. She's had the perfect story this entire time, told to her weeks ago by Apple Bloom herself back when they first secured the clubhouse for themselves. She begins to tell them of the one time when the CMC members went out to try and earn their cutie marks through helping out everypony that they could in town. They helped Mr. Breezy fix some fans, cleaned the schoolhouse for Miss Cheerilee, bucked some apple trees with Applejack and Big MacIntosh, studied some classic literature with Princess Twilight Sparkle, and even ended up critter sitting the pets of their friends and families for Spike. All of that in the same day.

"We should really thank Miss Apple Bloom for letting us use this clubhouse," Gumdrop cheerfully tells the others, "and for lending us the materials we needed to fix it up! This has been a great thinking session and will definitely help us get some ideas down!"

"Yeah, we should definitely do that," Spring replies as the others nod their heads in agreement. She has never even met any of the original CMCs. With Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle off being famous, and since she was sick when her friends had gone to Apple Bloom to see about using the clubhouse, not once has she ever seen them outside of pictures. She knows that there are three of them in Ponyville, and others around Equestria in the Cutie Mark Crusaders branches, such as the one in Manehattan started by Apple Bloom's cousin Babs Seed. So without a second of hesitation, she tells her friends that she'll go to Sweet Apple Acres and meet with the owner to thank her and maybe find out a bit more. Her friends agree to let her and, for now, continue to discuss their ideas and plans.

Many hours pass by them, and the bright sun begins to lower behind the horizon, darkening the evening sky. Spring smiles as she heads out of the clubhouse, feeling that it's best to visit the farm around this time. Most of the work around Sweet Apple Acres should be finished by this point, so it wouldn't be as big an intrusion and interruption to go and meet Apple Bloom now. She knows the way, as there's a small path that leads in two directions branching out from the clubhouse. She knows that the one way goes towards the town, and the other heads to the main house on the farm, based on what she's been told by her friends.

The narrow road is encapsulated on both sides by towering apple trees. She's entered the south orchard, meaning that the main house has to be a short bit ahead. The young filly shyly passes by them. However, with the waning light, she can barely see her own hoof in front of her face. Being in an unlighted area, this is darker than dark for her, and the path becomes less and less visible with every passing second. Fear begins to eclipse her, and she notices that she's no longer on the path as she bumps into a tree. Exactly how long she's been off isn’t something she’s quite sure of, and the terror she's now feeling causes her a sensation of vertigo.

The filly falls to the ground with a plop, beginning to cry loudly as she no longer knows what to do. She's cold, lost, and alone. All she wanted to do was meet Apple Bloom and thank her for everything she did to help her and her friends. Maybe get some advice on finding her cutie mark. She never wanted this sorrow and fear. As she sits there sobbing uncontrollably to herself, a light suddenly shines towards her, seeming to split the very trees around. It's the light from a flashlight, and while not too bright, it certainly shows her the way to go. Getting back up, she gallops in the direction, tear-filled eyes closed to avoid looking directly in it. That's when she hits the pony carrying the light dead on, falling down to the ground below. Looking up, Spring is able to make out the form of a mare in the small bit of light. She has a brown coat with three seeds on the flank. Her hair is pink and hangs down on the side of her head. Her eyes are bright green, with freckles resting beneath them. A flashlight sits in her mouth, and as she looks down at the filly in curiosity, her head cocks to the side.

She motions for Spring to follow her, and the two head in the opposite direction, dodging tress to each side as they trot along. She makes sure to not let this mysterious mare out of her sight, knowing that if she does she could get lost again. So she sticks by her side, glancing up at her every so often. She looks familiar, but at the same time, she can't place why. This isn't a pony she's seen around before, but something about her is just well-known to her. The two walk on until they reach a clearing. Lit up with oil lamps and other lights set about, the large path of land before her is amazing. Tractors and cornfields around, a pig pen and a couple barns, even the main house that she had been searching for.

The mare leads her to the house and tells her quickly that Apple Bloom will help her. She then trots off to continue what Spring can only assume is guard duty. Knocking politely, not roughly, on the door, she waits for a moment. Voices come from inside, and a loud crash is heard. A moment later the door opens. Before Spring stands the pony she's been waiting to see. Light yellow coat emblazoned with an apple being cut by a saw. Her mane and tail are both a brilliant red color, the former of which is styled down with a bow near the bottom. A bow also rests near the bottom of her tail. Both are small, but fashionable. She wears a cowboy hat and a green ascot.

"Why, hello there," she says in a thick southern accent, "what can I do for ya?"

"Um...Miss Apple Bloom?"

"Yes, that's me."

"My name is Spring Rise, and I'm one of the new Cutie Mark Crusaders with my friends. I wanted to come to thank you for giving us the clubhouse, and for all the help you gave in helping us get it fixed up."

"Well why didn't ya say so!? Come on in, we're having pie!"

Following the friendly mare into the house, the little filly is astounded by the look of it all. It seems to be completely made of wood and decorated with various apple-related decorations. Pictures hang on the walls showing a large family of ponies, but it's the one that shows only five that interests her. She spots the filly Apple Bloom in the photograph right away, but the others...there's a large red stallion, an orange coated and blonde maned mare, an elderly green mare, and a pink mare with wild hair. Is this the Apple Family she heard so much about? Big MacIntosh, Applejack, Granny Smith, and Pinkie Pie? They look so happy. It's hard to believe that only one of them are still there.

The young filly continues to follow Apple Bloom into the large, homely dining room. When they arrive, Spring sees an older mare cleaning up a broken dish from the wooden floor. That explains the crash that she had heard before.
Now that she gets a good look at this pony, she reminds her so much of the one she saw outside; the one who helped her get here after she had gotten lost. However, this pony's coat is of a lighter shade, and her hair is styled differently. She too has seeds on her flank, but these ones are cracked open. Could this be who she thinks it is? Could this possibly be Sunflower Seed? If that's so, then she can only assume that the mare outside must be her younger sister Babs. She ponders this as she takes a seat at the table, offered to her by the owner of the acres. She then looks up and sees everypony else smiling over at her.

"Let me introduce ya to mah family," Apple Bloom cheerfully says, pointing right away to the pony that Spring had just previously noticed. She confirms her suspicions as she introduces her as Sunflower Seed. The mare then proceeds to go around the table, introducing the rest of the Apple Family currently living at the farm; Apple Tart, Candy Apple, Hard Cider, and even her husband Fuji.

The little pony smiles at them all, saying her hellos to the entire family. They all seem so friendly and welcoming, unlike most of the other families in Ponyville. Well, more so than the other ones at least; much more so. It's almost as if they've accepted her as one of them with a simple glance and introduction. Turning back to Apple Bloom, Spring asks her if she can, well, ask her something. The mare begins to laugh, assuring the filly that she can ask her anything that she wants.

"Um...how can my friends and I get our cutie marks? Could you maybe give us some advice?"

"Well mah friend, me and the other crusaders...wait, I got an idea! How about ya come back here tomorrow? I've got the perfect idea to tell ya all about it! But we can talk about that then, and when we're done tonight, Babs can take ya home. For now though, let's have some pie!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spring wakes up early the next morning, excited to be able to learn what she can from Apple Bloom. She wonders though why she couldn't have told her last night. Maybe she's going to put her to work on the farm. Or maybe she wants to spend the entire day telling stories of different things she's tried in the past. The thrill of it all is overwhelming! So barely doing anything to prepare, the young filly rushes off from her house, heading in the direction of west Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres.

Last night, after pie, Babs Seed had indeed brought her back. They first went to the clubhouse to round up the others, and then were dropped off one by one at their homes. She remembers when they got to the clubhouse, and how she told her friends about what had happened. They were just as excited as her, but Majus had suggested that this be something for Spring to do alone. He told them that Apple Bloom probably wouldn't be expecting them all, and this is something planned between her and Spring. Gumdrop and Honeysuckle weren't as enthusiastic about the idea, but agreed to it nonetheless. So Spring decided to leave this morning without telling them anything, so that they wouldn't become jealous and possibly change their minds. To be honest, this is something she wants to do alone. She wants to be able to spend some time with the hard-working mare, by herself.

She arrives at the acres in short time, her trot turning into a run. She's so excited that she just can't hold it back. Her mind is racing fast enough to create a double rainboom! Galloping towards the main barn, where she was told to meet the farm mare at, Spring thinks of what she's going to be able to tell her friends after this. She stops as she reaches the door, opening it cautiously. Though she is full of energy, she doesn't want to just barge in screaming in enthusiasm. She peeks inside to find, surprisingly enough, a party going on. Music and dancing and balloons everywhere. However, the party is not the most surprising thing about it all, for right there before her stands five mares smiling down.

Apple Bloom walks up and welcomes the little filly before turning to introduce her friends; the friends she had made when she herself was just a little filly; the friends who joined her in countless adventures in trying to find their cutie marks. The first introduced steps forward, glimmering ivory coat and emerald eyes. Her pink and purple hair is styled elegantly, and she proudly shows the young pony the musical note on her flank. Sweetie Belle, the world famous singer, is really here in front of her.

The second of them steps forward. It's the same pony she had met yesterday before Apple Bloom. Now wearing a Cutie Mark Crusaders cape, Babs Seed grins and pats the filly on the head. Beside her stands an orange-coated pony with beautiful wings and a cool-looking purple mane. She wears a pair of rainbow-colored flight goggles on her forehead, and her Wonderbolts racing suit. Captain Scootaloo smirks and welcomes Spring Rise to the party, inviting her to have some punch and maybe a cupcake or two.

The last of the mares is one that she had not expected. A faded, grey-ish purple coat and blonde mane, Dinky Hooves trots up as well, having been dancing up until this point. She had heard that Dinky is going to get married soon to Chupa's friend Agelian. Out of these, she's also the only one Spring has met previously. The bubbly mare owns a muffin shop in town that Spring and her friends frequent. Stepping forward, Dinky greets the filly and pulls a blueberry muffin out of seemingly nowhere, passing it over to Spring.

"What are you all doing here?" the filly asks them all, her gaze focusing on Apple Bloom in a quizzical way.

"I told you that it'd be perfect! When you left last night, I called up the former members of the CMC to come here for a party today. Told 'em that ya wanted to know more about cutie marks and maybe get some advice. I thought it best for ya to hear it from all of us."

"But...I didn't know you were a Cutie Mark Crusader, Dinky," she says, looking to the mare who's begun to devour down a lemon surprise muffin.

"I joined only a year before we all got our cutie marks," the mare explains, voice muffled by the food stuffed in her mouth. She swallows the muffin and grins widely, adding, "I stayed friends with everypony after though. We had a lot of fun together."

"We sure did," Sweetie laughs, "all those crazy things we did. Honestly it kind of seems stupid now. Some of the ways we tried to get these cutie marks were definitely way off. We all grew up the best of friends though. When I heard that you wanted some help, I couldn't say no."

"Me neither," Scootaloo says with a smirk towards the filly, "practice can wait. I'm already awesome anyways, so one day off won't hurt."

Laughing, Apple Bloom places a hoof on Spring's shoulder and adds, "We wanted to all get together and help you. We thought that maybe you'd like to hear the stories of how we got our cutie marks, and how all of our efforts up until that point had been in vain, but was well worth the adventure."

Nodding her head a thousands miles a second, Spring smiles as wide as she can. She can't believe this is happening. Getting to hear stories from the entirety of the legendary Cutie Mark Crusaders on how they discovered their special talents and earned their cutie marks is just amazing! It's something any filly or colt waiting for their own would dream of. She takes the muffin that Dinky had given her, and grabs a cup of punch as well before taking a seat at a circular table. The CMC do the same, and begin to tell their stories.

Apple Bloom decides the order for them all, deciding that she'll go first, followed by Dinky, Scootaloo, Babs, then Sweetie Belle. She asks Spring if that's alright to her, but to be honest, the little filly doesn't mind what order they go in. She just wants to hear the stories either way. She nods anyways though, and smiles more than ever as the farm pony begins.

"It happened almost fifteen years ago now," she begins. Her smile seems to fade suddenly, and she tears up as bad memories are brought to the forefront of her mind for the first time in a long time, "it was after mah sister and brother had died. I'm sure ya probably heard, but Applejack was killed by a falling tree, and my brother...my brother..."

The others all go over to their friend and wrap their hooves around her, hugging the sorrowful mare as she tells Spring that her brother committed suicide because of her sister's death. It takes a minute or so for her to get a good cry out and be good enough to continue. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she breaths in and says, "It was so hard for me. The only pony I had left was Granny Smith. Babs lived in Manehattan at the time, and there wasn't really anypony else. With the constant bullying I received from Diamond Tiara, and now this, I attempted to take mah life as well. Luckily, Granny Smith was there to stop me."

"I was just so depressed, and because of it I needed something to take mah mind off of the pain. I began to work more around the farm, doing everything that mah siblings used to. I bucked the apple trees, I fixed up whatever needed it, and I pushed mahself to mah limits. Granny Smith didn't want me forcing mahself into doing all of that though, so she called in members of the Apple Family from around Equestria to help instead. I insisted to at least take Big Mac's place. For some reason, I had really begun to enjoy the hard work and manual labor. It was hard of course, but I always felt accomplished afterwards."

"Soon the other members of the family had begun to arrive at the farm, ready to help take care of the apple bucking and other jobs. I spent mah days fixing things around the farm, building barns, and so much more. It had become much more than just an escape for me, it became a passion. I absolutely loved doing it, and as Granny Smith had always told me, I did it very well. It kind of reminded me of when Applejack first gave the clubhouse to Sweetie, Scoots, and I. We all had our jobs to do, and I decided to fix it up. AJ told me that I did an amazing job."

"I begun to have a sneaking suspicion that this might be my talent, but I wasn't quite sure about it yet. Soon enough, both Sweetie and Scootaloo earned their cutie marks, and I felt left out. I even got angry, wondering why they got their special talents and I didn't. I resented my own friends, and it hurt me inside. But, then I suddenly understood. One day, while I was repairing the collapsed roof of the main barn, I realized what I had been denying about mahself this entire time. This hard work was what I was meant to do. The manual labor was mah ambition and passion, and mah destiny. I then watched as the image of a saw cutting an apple in half appeared on mah flank."

"Heh, I nearly fell off the roof I was so excited. I went and showed my friends at once, as well as nearly everypony else in Ponyville. I hate to say it, but Applejack and Big Mac's deaths led to me finding out mah destiny. If things hadn't happened like they did, then I probably wouldn't be where I am now. So I decided to live like they would have wanted. Granny Smith soon passed, and I took charge of the farm. It became mah life's passion to make sure that Sweet Apple Acres kept being as good as ever, if not better."

Spring looks at the mare in shock and awe. Such an amazing, wonderful, heart-warming story. She can't believe that she went through all of that and bounced back. Sweet Apple Acres is a staple of life in Ponyville, more so than any other time in history. And considering Ponyville was started with the farm, that's saying something. Apple Bloom took a seemingly hopeless situation and turned it around into a huge success. Dinky is the next to tell her story, explaining to the filly that she got her cutie mark while she was with her mother, Derpy Hooves.

She notes that it was bring your child to work day, and that she was helping her mother with the mail delivery. She had discovered through helping her, and making the citizens of Ponyville happy, that her special talent was bringing a shining joy to others. Her cutie mark appeared, three sparkles, representing her shining personality that reaches out to anypony who might need it. Just like with Apple Bloom, it's a wonderful story, but doesn't quite capture the oomph that the former did. She thanks Dinky anyways, knowing that everything helps.

"My turn then," Scootaloo laughs out. However, just like Apple Bloom did before, her smile quickly and suddenly fades, and she quietly repeats to herself, "my...turn then..."

Spring sits there, looking at the Wonderbolts Captain with excitement. The mare doesn't seem to hold the same enthusiasm however, and swallows hard before beginning, "I was a huge fan of Rainbow Dash, the Wonderbolts Captain before me. She's...she's a legend here in Ponyville, a true hero of her time. She worked harder than anypony else to achieve her goals, and remained loyal to those she loved. Well, she achieved her goal and became a Wonderbolt, and when Spitfire retired, she assigned Dash to take her place."

"I was so excited for her. I idolized Dash, heh, she was the best pony that ever lived. When she died, it devastated me. I heard the news quickly. She had been in a routine training exercise with the Wonderbolts. She hadn't been herself since the incidents with her friends had begun, and she was sinking into depression. A tornado had appeared on the course she was training on, and she flew headfirst into it. She must have given up on life, because I know she could've bested that tornado if she had tried. But instead she was thrown onto a weather rod. The impalement wasn't a quick death. She suffered..."

It seems to come out of nowhere. Right in the middle of her words, Scootaloo breaks down. Crying harder than Apple Bloom had, she loses it right there. Spring can understand that this must be hard for them to relive such painful memories. She's worried with how Sweetie Belle will be. She's heard how close Sweetie and her sister were. The bawling goes on for what seems like forever until Scootaloo is finally able to regain her composure. She apologizes to the filly, and continues.

"I stayed in my room for a long time after that, not even leaving to eat. I just didn't want to believe that somepony as cool as Rainbow Dash could be dead. Eventually I had to leave. Rainbow's will was to be read, and I was told that I was in it. So I went down to the funeral home for the reading, and what she left me changed my life. Her will said 'to my apprentice and friend Scootaloo, the little filly who always cheered me on and never gave up on me, even when I had, I leave my Wonderbolts goggles and racing suit in hopes that one day her wings will take her to new heights and allow her to soar into her dreams'. The same rainbow colored goggles and Wonderbolts racing suit that I'm wearing right now once belonged to my hero, and she had given them to me."

"That very day, I went out to Winsome Falls. It was where Rainbow had agreed to take me under her wing, and where she let me feel what flight felt like for the first time. I spread my wings, and forgot all the pain. I left behind all my worries and sorrows, and before I knew it, I had risen. My hooves left the ground and I had begun to fly for the first time in my life. I cried so hard, and flew even harder. I had to go fast, for Dash. I decided right then and there that my life's goal would be to make my hero proud, and become a Wonderbolt like her. That's when my cutie mark appeared, representing my never-ending determination to go fast and always exceed my limits."

Wow, and she had thought that Apple Bloom's story was powerful. Scootaloo had not only overcome her sorrow and pain, but she overcame her very inability to fly in order to make her idol and mentor proud. She changed her own destiny because of one bad event. Spring never even knew that one could change their destiny. It's amazing what ponies can do when they're determined enough. Babs is the next to give her story, telling the filly how she got her cutie mark when she returned to Ponyville.

She had come with her sister to help out on the farm after Applejack and Big Mac's deaths, as Apple Bloom had noted in her story. She and her sister were two of the ponies assigned to apple bucking, but she was also given the task of harvesting the seeds and replanting them. She would take care of the planted seed and help them grow into full trees, though none have become fully grown even by this time. She discovered that she had a love for helping grow plants and trees, and because of it she got her cutie mark. Just like Dinky's, it was a good story, but wasn't as amazing as either Apple Bloom's or Scootaloo's. Now it's finally time to hear how Sweetie Belle got her cutie mark.

"Well," the ivory pony says, beginning right away, "you can probably guess by now, but I also got my cutie mark after my sister's death. Scootaloo was the first of us to get her cutie mark, but I came soon after."

It's surprising to Spring that Sweetie hasn't begun to cry. Tears form in her eyes, but she isn't showing the kind of pain like her friends had. That's when she understands. She's not holding her emotions in, but rather she must have learned to deal with them more than the other two have. Sweetie soon confirms this as she adds, "I had begun as an apprentice to my sister at the Carasoul Boutique, and so even after her death I worked there with Grace Storm. I was around memories of Rarity every day, and I eventually learned something. Yes, it was horrible what happened. My own sister, mauled by a beast in the Everfree Forest while she was just trying to collect some silk. But at the same time, I remembered something that she had told me once."

"Sweetie Belle, she told me, when pain and misery fills your heart, when all hope seems lost, don't let it control your life. You must control it, and overcome it. She told me this only days before she died. She must have been feeling the same kind of pain from losing her friends. I listened to her wise words and overcame my sorrow. I didn't get rid of it, I was still sad, but I didn't let it control my life.”

"I began to work more and more in the boutique, and even thought that it might be what I was meant to do. However, Grace caught me singing one day. She thought I sounded beautiful. I had only ever sung for myself before. I had never even considered doing so as more than just for fun, aside from a talent show, but that didn't go too well." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both laugh at the memory of that one time. Spring laughs too, trying to imagine it.

"Well, she convinced me into trying out for another. I reluctantly signed up, and I won it. I couldn't believe it. Something I had always just done for fun became a hobby. That hobby soon became an interest, and that interest became a passion. I loved singing, and so I went to Fluttershy. With both my sister and Big Mac gone, the Ponytones had split up. Fluttershy had been a member, and so I wanted to get her advice on it. She helped me to understand that sometimes singing in front of others can be a scary thing, but that sometimes we need to conquer our fears. It was the last thing she had said to anypony before going into seclusion, and I took it to heart."

"I began to work hard on my singing, and with the help of Mayor Mare and my friends here, I put on a concert for Ponyville. I...I had written a song in honor of my sister. I called it, Love is a Rarity. I was nervous beyond reason, and was sweating bullets when I stepped up onto the stage. I began to sing, and when I finished, the cheering and applause was deafening. I cried tears of joy, I had found my calling. My cutie mark appeared right then, a musical note. That's when I knew that music was my destiny, and that my love for Rarity had kickstarted what would become a dream come true."

The little filly sits there in disbelief. These five amazing stories have taught her so much. Love and loss, dreams and passion. From Apple Bloom whose destiny was discovered through necessity and the attempt to overcome the pain of losing loved ones, to Scootaloo who was left a meaningful gift that propelled her to achieve her dreams and overcome the greatest of obstacles. Sweetie Belle stayed strong in the midst of heart-wrenching pain and fell in love with the one thing she had always done. Babs, Dinky, all of them. They have given her so much to work with here, and she realizes now that one day, she too will discover her talent.

Whether it be from working with family, through a necessary loss, or from helpful advice, she will discover what makes her special. She and her friends wanted to know how to get their cutie marks, and now she knows exactly what she's going to tell them. Sometimes you can't rush things. You have to live life and let it come to you. When the time is right, you will reach your goals, and everything will eventually make sense. Life is about the experiences you have in the meantime, and how well you live, and love, for those around you.

Thanking the former members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the little filly excuses herself, wishing to head out and tell her friends everything that she's learned. However, the barn door suddenly opens, and the three little foals enter. Spring looks at them in surprise, and puts together quickly that they must have been listening in the entire time. Tears are in their eyes, and they smile over at what they had heard through their peeping. Majus steps forward and right up to Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. He's crying harder than the others as he asks them how they've been able to deal with it all.

"My parents died when the dark stars came," he says through his sobbing, "they were crushed when the Hay and Stay Hotel exploded. I've been living in the Ponyville Orphanage ever since."

He then looks to his friends and adds, "That's why I've seemed so distant and quiet around you all. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I locked my feelings up inside. Being included in your group felt so good. To be accepted just like that made me feel happy again."

"Listen, sometimes we all go through horrible things,” Sweetie tells the young colt, “Our sisters never got to see our talents bloom, but do you know who did? Our friends and those who care about us. We've made friendships that will last through the generations, and because of it, even in the hard times, we will never be alone. Embrace your friends, and let them embrace you back," Sweetie tells the young colt. She smiles as she hugs him tightly. Honeysuckle, Gumdrop, and Spring join in and show him how much they do truly care for him. Apple Bloom tells them all that there's nothing wrong with searching for your talents, but that in the end, you have to be patient.

The four children smile and laugh together as they thank the Cutie Mark Crusaders for helping them understand things a little better. Apple Bloom smiles back when suddenly, the door to the barn bursts open once again. This time, there are four adult ponies and one filly standing there, serious looks on their faces. Star Rider, Chupa Cabra, Agelian Wingblade, Terra Lionmane, and Devlin Speedster all look in, worried expressions etched upon their faces. Star then sees the fillies standing there, looking at them, and nearly freaks out. She runs up to Honeysuckle and hugs her tightly. The filly seems unsure of how to react, and begins to hug Star back. However, the mare releases and looks over at Apple Bloom and the others.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen, I don't even know how or when it happened!" she cries out as her friends come in to try and comfort her. However, the dark blue mare just shrugs them all off and hugs Honeysuckle again. None of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, old or new, understand what's going on, but then, Star continues, saying something that etches fear into the little orange pony's heart, "Honeysuckle, your big sister...your sister Bri she's...she's missing! We can't find her anywhere! She just disappeared!"

Preview for Episode 11
******************************
“Star, Agelian, please stop fighting!” They aren’t listening to me. Why aren’t they listening to me? They just keep blaming each other for Bri’s disappearance. Why can’t I just bring them peace?

S01 E11 - The Element of Peace

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is everypony. After a week off, episode eleven is up! It's a big one that will connect some dots for sure, so I hope ya'all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, the accompanying site will be updated with all necessary character bios and more asap.

"Good morning Mr. Greenhooves," Chupa Cabra cheerfully says, greeting the whistling gardener as she trots into the Ponyville Greenhouse, a light spring in her step and lovely song in the core of her voice. She's more than ready to begin to get to work, having become an apprentice to the elderly pony. Since she began working with him many months ago, he has taught her so much about caring for plant life, and every moment of it has been unending joy for the filly. Lately though, times have become hard for her. With her friends having become so distant and quiet, only the flora have been there for her on a regular basis. Even Mr. Greenhooves hasn't been around as much, his health declining in his old age.

All of the plants seem to react to her arrival, gently swaying back and forth in the light breeze from the open door before she promptly shuts it and approaches them with a wide smile. On her back rests a large saddlebag, filled with all of the gear that she'll need for the day's work. She has a bright blue watering can, a shiny pair of shears to trim and prune the plants, packets of seeds so that she can begin planting new flora for the first time, a small hoof-sized spade, and so much more. Her entire allowance from the past couple of weeks gone, but put towards a very valuable use for her. She doesn't regret the spending of one bit.

Seated in his rocking chair beside a potted oak tree sapling, the weak-looking Mr. Greenhooves smiles and waves at the filly, then returns his focus to the little plant, quietly continuing to recite his favorite poetry to it. It's his favorite poem, The Black Rose by Alder Ellen Roe, and is about the plant life of the exotic and dangerous Everfree Forest. Chupa prefers Marigold's classic about the Equestrian Rainforest, as it's always been her dream to go there. Mr. Greenhooves has even said that when he retires and leaves her the greenhouse, he plans to take a vacation at the rainforest, and maybe even take her with him.

She can understand how much this all means to him; the plants, the gentle lifestyle, the overall sensation of joy with how things have turned out. Some ponies may trot by and tease or taunt the elderly stallion for the way he acts towards plant life, but she is on his side. These unorthodox methods truly do work wonders. She's seen it happen first hoof, and can attest to almost anything Mr. Greenhooves claims. A lot of plants respond to music, others to poetry, and still some of them react best when simply given positive feedback on their growth. Sometimes they just need a good compliment to get them going.

She gleefully trots over to the long, thick table on which a set of potted dandelions sit, at which point, after pulling out her newly purchased gear, she grabs the watering hose. Filling up her watering can, Chupa then begins to carefully pour the contents into the soil of the pots, evenly divided amongst them all. She finishes quickly, and then she pulls up a stool, taking a seat beside the flora as her mentor has. A deep breath escapes her as she thinks about how the past week has been so hard for her.

Ever since Bri had suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, her friends have grown more and more apart. It's reached the point where the five of them hardly ever speak to each other anymore. It's almost as if they all blame themselves for what happened, as if it's somehow their fault. Star is the only one of them that has even thought about looking at things in a non-depressive way, and her muzzle is so stuffed in her books that nopony can even get her attention.

"I think I know what might have happened," she quietly tells the dandelions, not wishing to be overheard by anypony, especially Mr. Greenhooves. It's doubtful that he'd do anything if he heard, but she knows that Oblivion has the ability to take control of ponies, so she can never be too safe these days. She hasn't even told her sister everything. "That Babe Chenko pony, the one who gave Agelian the letter for Bri, the one about Pinkie Pie. I think that he's somehow behind all of this. Maybe Bri had left with him, or just went out on her own to investigate his claims. It did say in the letter that she had been in some village. Maybe Bri went to find it."

The flora remain silent, doing nothing but sitting there and listening, which is comforting to the small pony. They don't try to refute her ideas, or argue against the validity of her logic, or even tell her that she's just trying to make mountains out of molehills. They do nothing but listen, and it's good to have that every once in a while. However, the question still does remain as to whether she's right or not. Would Bri really have just left like that? She hadn't even told her parents, or her little sister Honeysuckle. She didn't tell Star either. She never goes off somewhere without telling them about it. She's never been one to cause others worry, not with the immense love she has for everypony.

She continues to vent to the dandelions, hoping deep in her subconscious that doing so will make her feel better, even if just by the smallest amount, when suddenly, the door to the greenhouse bursts open. The filly looks over to see that it had been pushed open by a small brown bunny. Climbing down from her stool, Chupa walks up to the adorable little animal and notices that it has a letter in it's mouth. Taking it, she thanks the rabbit who then hops away. She recognizes the envelope holding the note, as it has three butterflies marking the corner. So she knows who it's from before even opening it, but she does anyways, and reads aloud.

"Dear Chupa, if you are free today, could you stop by the cottage at some point? I have something I would like to ask you. Sincerely, Fluttershy."

She's been to Fluttershy's cottage before, but never without her friends. It's an honor for a former bearer of an Element of Harmony to invite her over. She only wonders what it could be that Fluttershy wants to ask her about. She's more into animals than plants, so it's very unlikely that it'd be about that. And on that note, she knows very little about animals, so why would Fluttershy invite her over for that? There's got to be some reason though, and whatever it is, it must be important to some degree.

For the time being, however, she must finish up her work at the greenhouse, not forsaking it for the pleasure of joining such an amazing pony at her cottage. After all, Fluttershy had said in her letter to visit at some point. So she knows that she doesn't have to rush over, and is able to finish her responsibilities first. She finishes with the dandelions and moves on to the bonsai trees, which she prunes delicately and waters conservatively to make sure they're properly cared for. She trims the thorns of the roses, and the hedges lining the glass walls. The tulips are watered and the dragon lily seeds are properly planted.

Within no more than an hour or two, the young filly has finished her important jobs, leaving her with free time in which she usually sings or reads to the plant life. Today though, she has a new goal in mind, and bids Mr. Greenhooves farewell as she packs her things, heading out towards the eastern end of town, where Fluttershy's cottage lay. She greets many of the ponies she knows as she trots down the road. Young ponies from school, as well as those met through her time living in Ponyville.

So many new friends she had made, so many who care for her and are willing to help her when she needs it. However, the best of them are now locked in turmoil and sorrow, and although it hurts her to see her friends drifting apart at a time like this, she can't help but understand. She's going through the pain as well, her sadness over the disappearance of Bri aches in her heart as much as almost anypony else. Bri was the one pony in their little group that she got along with the most. While Star was always too serious, Agellian was too rowdy, Devlin was an enigma, and Terra was just always so tough and hardened. Bri was the only one light-hearted and free-spirited enough to take each day on with a smile.

Now she's gone, just mysteriously gone without the slightest bit of explanation. Anypony could easily come up with their own reasons for her disappearance, but few may ever know the truth, if they were correct or not. She wants to know, however. She wants the truth to be revealed to her and her friends, so that this horrible weight can be lifted off of their shoulders. So that they can once again be happy. But until that day comes, if that day ever comes, she will have to soldier on and be brave and strong. Her friends have all but given up, and she feels like she's the only one truly searching for answers by this point.

Shaking the sorrowful thoughts from her head, Chupa arrives at the cottage. It's a beautiful day, bright and sunny with barely a cloud in the sky. Just ahead, she can see Fluttershy standing there in the garden, talking to two animals that she can make out to be a beaver and the same bunny from earlier; or at least one that looks like it. However, as she gets closer, she can hear the conversation and quickly realizes that the yellow-coated pegasus isn't just merely talking to the two animals, she's mediating a fight between them. For some reason, for which Chupa doesn't know, the two animals have apparently been locked in vicious brawling. She can start to see claw marks, ruffled fur, and even blood as she gets closer. And in the middle of them is Fluttershy, trying to fix things.

"Now listen you two, there is no reason to be hurting each other like this! You both have families to care for and should not be setting bad examples for them. And Mr. Cottontail, you should know better than to steal Mr. Beaverton's food. He worked hard to get that for his family, and you should be doing the same, not taking what isn't yours. Mr. Beaverton, you shouldn't attack him because of it. Use your words. Now apologize, both of you, or you'll give me no choice but to use my stare on you!"

The two small animals show expressions of worry and fear as the pony looks down on them with a surprising level of anger. They then turn to each other and apologize in their own languages. A smile spreads across Fluttershy's face as the two then go their separate ways, Mr. Beaverton taking with him the food that had previously been stolen from him by Mr. Cottontail. Chupa just stands there in their wake, surprised and in amazement at how Fluttershy had handled the situation. Not to say that she's a pushover, but she's never known Fluttershy to be that direct towards anything. She's never seen her get angry before, or be as rough as she was. Then again, she's never seen her in this kind of situation before either.

Looking over, Fluttershy suddenly notices Chupa being there and smiles. The little filly begins to cautiously walk over, and in response the adult mare's mood does a 180, sending welcoming intentions out towards her little friend. As Chupa approaches, she asks the mare how she did that, and Fluttershy replies with a reddening face, "I learned a long time ago from a friend named Seabreeze that sometimes I have to be firm to get the message across. These two wouldn't listen to me when I was just being nice, and their fighting was getting out of hand. I had to be firm or it would have just gotten worse. But enough about that, I'm glad you were able to make it, and was just wondering if you might want to help me with the animals today. It'd been oh so long since I've had some help with them."

So then she was right, and it is taking care of the animals after all. But that's a problem, because she doesn't know how to care for animals. They aren't the same as plants after all; much different. But if she refuses, she'll just disappoint Fluttershy, and after she already came all the way out here. So she agrees to help anyways, hoping that the mare will teach her how to do things, and guide her in whatever needs to be done. So she follows her towards the back of the large garden, almost to the very edge of Fluttershy's property. She's worried, but will do her best to help her friend with whatever she needs.

Later on that evening, after all of the hard, yet somehow satisfying work, Chupa slowly walks away from the cottage feeling rather accomplished from all that she had done. She helped clean out the pens and cages. She fed the animals, helped give them baths and brush their fur. She did so much that her hooves are sore, and even walking right now is tough work. She manages to get back to her own house within good time despite this, and is greeted at the door by her older sister Chamomile.

Most fillies would expect their older siblings or parents to be angry for them being out so late, but Chamomile is different. She's just happy that her little sister is getting out there and spending time with others, so she greets Chupa not with anger and disapproval, but with joy and welcoming, telling her that she's prepared a wonderful citrus salad for dinner. Chupa trots in and begins to tell her sister everything that had happened over the course of the day, from her going to the greenhouse, to getting the letter from Mr. Cottontail, and of course everything she had done over at Fluttershy's cottage.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful Chupa! It's so great to know that you had fun and spent the day with a friend. Oh, and speaking of friends, your friend Star came by today. She wanted to tell you that she found something out, and wanted you to meet her and the others at the library tomorrow."

"Thanks, that's good news," the filly replies, heading up the stairs so that she can collapse in her bed, "I'll be sure to head over after I stop at the greenhouse tomorrow then. I'll be skipping dinner tonight, can you save me some of the salad for lunch tomorrow? I'm just too tired right now."

"Of course I will," Chamomile happily replies, sending a gentle smile in her sister's direction as she heads off into the kitchen to put away her little sister's share of the food. Meanwhile, Chupa herself continues up the stairs, soon reaching her bedroom. She heads inside and closes the door behind her before falling into her bed and falling asleep nearly instantly. Her dreams are of plants and animals, of her friends and of Bri. She hopes and wishes as she sleeps; that tomorrow will go well, and that everything will go back to normal. That everything will be at peace once again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, barely having passed mid-day, Chupa arrives at the Princess Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library, having already visited the greenhouse to take care of the plants within. Mr. Greenhooves hadn't been there, which makes her believe that he isn't feeling well today. He hasn't been feeling well a lot lately. As she approaches the front door of the library, she can hear the voices of her friends inside, most specifically, those of Star and Terra. However, the voices aren't joyful or happy, or anything even close. Instead, anger and fighting echoes out through the wood of the door, which only grows louder as the little filly slowly begins to inch the door open.

She finds herself to be correct as she cautiously walks in, seeing both of the ponies standing in the center of the room, arguing and yelling at each other. The others are watching from the side, unable to do anything to stop them. Listening in, trying to blend in to the background, Chupa overhears their argument, catching key words such as Bri, letter, and Oblivion. Sneaking in closer, she's soon discovered by Agellian, who shoots her a worried look but doesn't give her presence away any further, allowing her to take a listen to what the two are saying.

"You're wrong!" Terra yells out, his teeth bared and nostrils flaring, "why can't you see that!? It's an impossible hope!"

"No, YOU'RE wrong Terra! I'm telling you what I heard! Bri left Ponyville with somepony else, and those ponies around said it was Scatter Brain! Are you an idiot or something!? It's obvious to everypony except you!"

"Scatter Brain is locked up in the Canterlot Mental Institution! He has been for almost fifteen years after he tried to kill somepony for badmouthing Pinkie Pie! He was never here! Your sources were wrong, and thinking any different isn't doing anything useful to find Bri!"

"Why would they lie about something like this!? Who would lie about seeing somepony like that!?"

"They would apparently!" Terra retorts, getting into Star's face. The mare pushes right back and growls violently. The argument has reached new heights, and is honestly terrifying to watch. The former captain of the elite royal guard, a pony with heightened military experience and training taking on a seriously pissed off pegasus with a history of anger issues. Tears begin to well up in the fily’s eyes. She can't believe her friends would be fighting this much. Is this why she was asked to come here, to witness this horrible fighting? Overcome with sorrow, she runs out the door, sobbing uncontrollably.

The filly's hooves fly quickly across the ground below as she fiercely gallops through town, heading back to her own house. Bri's disappearance has brought nothing but pain and misery to all of them, and has only been getting worse with each passing day. Just a week ago they were all the best of friends: laughing and having fun together. Now it's become like this? It's just not fair. Chupa reaches her home quickly and swings the front door open with explosive force, bolting up the stairs without even saying a word to her older sister. She bursts into her headroom and slams the door behind her, leaping into bed before beginning to hysterically cry into her pillow, screaming at the top of her lungs, and punching her mattress with everything she has.

The door opens slowly and Chamomile walks in. She sees the lump of her sister screaming out on her bed and walks over, taking a seat on the bed beside her and pulling her limp body up. Wrapping Chupa in a hug, she whispers to her and tells her that everything is going to be alright. She asks her sister what happened, but the little filly just pushes her away and runs. She bolts away from her own sister, flying back out the door and in the direction of the greenhouse.

When she gets there, Mr. Greenhooves is still absent and all she has are the plants to keep her company. They'll listen. They won't try to pretend like they understand what she's going through. They won't try to offer comfort when all she needs right now is to be listened to, to vent over the horrible pain and sorrow she's going through. They're her only friends now, and her only family. The plant life is all she ever needs, and ever will. And so she begins to tell them what's going on. She tells them how this all began, not just with Bri's disappearance, but all the way back to when Agellian was first given the letter. That's when this all began.

Minutes turn into hours, and soon the whole day melts away like ice in the bright spring-time sun. All day long she's sat there, crying and talking to the plants, none of which can answer her questions, sympathize with her, or share in her misery. All they do is listen, "Why can't they do anything but listen!?" She knows that she has to return home. Who knows how worried her sister is by now? She feels bad that she ran off without an explanation. She just left, and didn't even try to let her sister comfort her. She just wanted to be left alone, and now she's alone.

Heading out, she leaves the greenhouse. She knows now that she has to head home and apologize to her sister. She needs to start talking to her about her problems, and trusting that she'll be able to comfort her in just the way that she needs. So she trots along the street in the pale moonlight, looking down at her hooves as she walks. She's not paying attention to where she's going, and that's when she bumps into someone. The sudden shock of walking into somepony causes her to look upwards, coming face to face with a tough looking stallion.

"Oh, I'm sorry for that," he says kindly, smiling down at the filly, "I didn't mean to get in your way. The name's J.D. Gumilla, nice to meet ya."

"Oh, I'm...I'm Chupa," she quietly says, trying to escape his interest and just move on home. Right now, she doesn't want to be bothered by anyone. She just wants to rest in the hooves of her big sister and let all of her bottled up emotions out. She wants to feel at peace with everything again, and doesn't have the time to waste meeting new ponies. J.D. notices the tears coming from her eyes, and the way she seems to be avoiding eye contact with him. He gently pats her on the head and asks what's wrong.

"I was told to never talk to strangers," she tells him. That causes a laugh from the pony, who just shakes his head and begins to recite everything he knows about her and Chamomile. This knowledge about them scares her, until he reveals that he's one of Chamomile's daily customers, and that he's had many conversations with the tea maker. She begins to feel strangely at ease with him, and explains what's been going on. For some reason, she feels as if she can trust him. She tells him about the letter from Babe Chenko, and the disappearance of Bri. She even mentions how her friends have been fighting.

"So it's already begun? I didn't expect it to be happening this soon."

The sudden reaction from the stallion surprises, and confuses, the young filly. She isn't quite sure of what he's referring to. What's already begun? What didn't he expect to be happening so soon? He looks down, seeing her expression, and seems to be swept over with instant realization. Shaking his head, he adds, "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. As for your troubles though, I suggest that you focus on the important things in your life right now. Focus on your sister. You need her right now, and she needs you to be honest with her. Friends will fight, my little pony, and they always will. In the end, you just have to wait. It will sort itself out in time. For now, go to Chamomile and tell her everything you've told me. She'll want to hear it from you rather than somepony else. She'll want to help you."

He's right, she does need to go tell her sister. But there's someone else she wants to tell, a friend who hasn't been fighting. A friend who can comfort her as well. So without another word, aside from a quick thanks to the stallion, the little filly gallops off to be with her older sister during these trying times. J.D. just stands there, waving and smiling at the little pony as she runs off, quietly saying to himself, "I'll see you again soon, Peace."

It doesn't take the little filly long at all to arrive in Eastern Ponyville, and most specifically, at Fluttershy's cottage. She burst in through the door without warning, causing the older mare to jump up in surprise. She had been relaxing on the couch with Mr. Cottontail, reading out some short stories when the front door exploded open. However, as she regains her composure, she turns her head to see Chupa rushing in, right up to where she is. The sudden interruption by Chupa had obviously not been expected, and as such the mare isn't sure of what to say at the moment, simply asking her, "What's wrong?"

She explains everything about the past week to Fluttershy, letting her in on what's been going on and how hard it's been. From Bri going missing to the now horrible fighting between her friends, she just lets it all out, not wanting to leave anything out. Fluttershy begins to see what's going on, and how hard it's been affecting the little pony. She's only a child, so of course something like this would be tough for her to deal with. Smiling down at her, the mare tells her that she shouldn't let this all get to her, and that when times are hard, she has to stay strong and be with those who will listen.

"But that's only you and maybe my sister," she replies, still sorrowful that all of her friends have been embroiled in the misery of the recent events.

"Then be with your sister," Fluttershy gently replies, patting the filly's head, "she'll always be there for you. You can tell her anything going on in your life, especially the hard parts. When things seem to be going wrong, when it's all falling apart, she'll be there to listen to you. You said that this J.D. Gumilla told you this as well, right? Well, then why are you here? I can help too, but she's who you really need to be with right now."

"A long time ago I was feeling very vulnerable too. I once felt like I was nothing but a doormat, and I saw things wrong. I wanted to be respected so much that it caused me to become a monster, hurting my friends in ways I never would've wanted to. Sometimes you think you know what you need to do, and you want to take matters into your own hooves. You think that the solution will be an easy one Chupa, but sometimes it will involve more pain. The night is always darkest before the dawn, and healing can't begin before more pain. I know it'll be hard for you to talk to your sister about this all, but she needs to know."

Thanking the mare, Chupa understands. She really wanted to put off telling Chamomile. She's afraid of what her sister might tell her, but now, thanks to Fluttershy's kindness, she knows that it's what she needs to do. So with a whole new outlook on things, the little filly heads back out of the cottage, gently closing the door as she does. Her new goal is to go home and to apologize to her sister for running off. She'll then tell her everything, every last little detail. She knows now that she needs to face this head on. Only then can healing begin.

A couple of days pass by, and through spending more time with her sister, Chupa has felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders. She's found happiness again, and has been comforted by Chamomile after telling her all of what had happened with the letter, Bri's mysterious disappearance, and of course, the fighting between her friends. She was able to tell her of all the pain and misery she had been feeling, and how it's the reason for her running away.

For those few days, she decided to remain home and stay away from everypony else so that she could just remain in a good mood by being close to her sister and feeling the unconditional love of family. However, it's now time for her to confront everything head on, and she's figured out exactly what she needs to do. She has the perfect plan to stop Star and Terra's fighting and finally bring peace to the both of them.

She had gotten in contact with Agelian, asking him to have everypony else meet them at the library once again. She told him her plan to stop the constant arguing and fighting, and he agreed to help in whatever way he could. Just being able to clear her mind over these past couple of days has allowed her to make sense of things. She thought about everything she remembered hearing Star and Terra arguing about when she last saw them, and of everything that she has found out through her own research into things. Naturally she hasn't been able to figure out everything about what has happened to Bri, but she believes that she now has an idea that they can look into.

Agelian had come to her house that morning to meet her, and agreed to walk with her over to the library as a form of solidarity. On the trot over, they begin to discuss the plan as well as the idea of what might have happened with Bri. It all centers around two specific ponies, and now she can shed a little light on things for her two friends. Upon their arrival, the two of them find the others already there. Spike is serving nachos to Devlin, and the other two are already embroiled in a huge argument, both of them having reached the point to where they're yelling obscenities at each other. The little dragon walks over, offering nachos to the two of them, but they decline, knowing that they have to focus on the task at hand.

"This has been going on for a couple of hours already," Spike tells Chupa, sighing as he goes back to the kitchen. The little filly looks over to her friends. They're arguing over the exact same things as last time. She looks to Devlin, who sits there quietly and eats the nachos he had been given. It's up to her now, with Agelian watching her back. She has to do this. If she even hesitates in the slightest, things could go sour in an instant. She wants to fix things, not make them worse. So she has to remain steadfast and strong. Walking up beside the two arguing ponies, she loudly clears her throat, garnering their attention. At once the argument ceases and both Star and Terra turn to face her, confused and annoyed looks spread across their faces.

"The other day I went to visit Fluttershy," she tells them, speaking loud, clear, and concise, "and she was mediating a fight between a bunny and a beaver. The two animals were clawing at each other, drawing blood. You two have become mindless animals arguing like it's going to solve things. This stupid arguing is only driving a wedge in between our friendships! Don't you see how much you're hurting us!?"

The two of them look around, eyes resting first on Agelian, who seems to be saddened but not to such a degree as Chupa had been. They then see Devlin, who's expression remains neutral as he eats more nachos. Finally, their focus returns to the filly, who's tear-filled eyes are glaring into their very souls. She has a determination about her that they have never seen before. It's almost as if she's an entirely new pony.

"You didn't even notice when I ran away crying the other day, did you!? And for what, fruitless fighting? You two should be ashamed of yourselves! Do you not understand how much of a waste of time this all is? We need to find Bri, not stand around acting like children! Now, I have an idea that might just help everyone, and allow us to find Bri faster and easier."

"What...what is it?" Star asks, feeling slightly ashamed at the way she had been acting. She can't believe she'd been doing that, acting that way towards one of her close friends. She shies away, and looks over at Terra with apologetic eyes. He does the same, also having felt horrible for this. He's tarnished his honor, and hurt the credibility he has with those he truly cares about. Now he just wants things to go back to normal, so that they can be friends again and not have to worry about fighting.

"Terra, I want to begin with you," the filly states, turning to the former captain of the elite royal guard, "the basis of your argument was that what Star was saying was impossible. You kept arguing that she wasn't making any sense, her claims of Scatter Brain being behind Bri's disappearance being impossible. I understand your views on this, I do, but please put aside your pride for a moment. I looked into things a little and contacted the institution. Scatter Brain was released one year ago. It is possible that he is behind this."

"But why would he have kidnapped her? What could he possibly have to gain?" Terra defends.

"It's obvious when you do a little research," Chupa retorts, causing the stallion's jaw to drop from the sheer gall the little filly is showing, "Scatter Brain was dating Pinkie Pie during the time leading up to her running away. If he is behind her disappearance, then there's a few options to why. First of all, he might be looking for Pinkie Pie as well. He might have known that Bri was, or have found out. Either way, he could have joined forces with her. The second option is that he kidnapped her, thinking that somehow it'd allow him to be able to locate Pinkie easier, whether through interrogating her or something else."

"I get it. So I was right the entire time," Star proudly says, laughing in an almost taunting way towards Terra, who growls angrily back at her.

"Maybe, but now I'm going to deal with you. Star, you may have been closer to being correct, but you were being disrespectful in the way you confronted Terra about it, and you're doing it again now. You need to learn to respect your friends, because it's practically your fault that this entire fight started. If you have ideas, you need to tell your friends about it in a kind, helpful way. If they have disagreements, hear them out. And Terra, if you disagree, say so in a kind, respectful way. I know you're used to being in the military, but you're not anymore. You need to treat your friends with kindness. Now, I want you two to apologize to each other, and work together from this point on to find and help Bri. She's your friend."

"I'm sorry I was so hard on you," Terra says, turning to Star, looking ashamed and sorrowful, "I acted out of instinct. I'm just used to being tough on others like that, and enforcing my own thoughts. I now see that when you're friends, you can't always have it your way though. Can we start this over and work together?"

"Of course we can, and I'm sorry I was so pushy and disrespectful. I didn't hear you out and only shot down your opinions from the start. I would love to start things over and work with you from now on." Chupa smiles and hugs them both, to which they return the hug to her and each other. Suddenly, Devlin yells out in surprise, gathering everypony's attention. They've never heard him yell before, or even speak loudly at all. They look over, right as the stallion pulls something out of the nacho bowl, staring at it in confusion and shock.

It's a bright, shimmering golden scarf, emblazoned on the front with a beautiful emerald jewel. The stallion looks over it for a quick moment, and then in the same instant as the rest of his friends, his eyes widen and he begins to laugh in exuberance and excitement. Her eyes widening far more than everypony elses, Chupa slowly begins to walk forward, approaching Devlin. She then takes the scarf from his hoof, and holds it there, looking down at it in awe. This is it, an Element of Harmony.

"The Element of Peace," she says quietly, realizing exactly what she did, and remembering how Oblivion had once called her Peace as well. She quickly removes her orange and black scarf, putting on the new one in it's place. It feels softer than cloud, and lighter than air, and when she wears it, she feels a warmth flow into her body, like something about it is just...right.

The five of them hug each other, elated that they were able to find a new Element and are that much closer now to being able to fight Oblivion. However, they know that this means that their enemy will be looking to grow stronger as well. Their time might become tighter than ever now, and they've got to work to find all of the remaining Elements as quickly as they can. The five of them all agree to do their best so that they can find, and possibly save, Bri, and then stop Oblivion to save the entire world. This is their moment, their time to make their predecessors proud.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere deep in a secluded mountain range, the sun has just begun to lower in the nighttime sky. Clothed in protective gear, both Scatter Brain and Bri Happer push hard against the blowing winds, trying to force their way through. They've been on their harsh journey for a week now, fighting against the fire swamp, ravenous jungles, and so much more. They even began with the Everfree Forest, and to Bri's surprise, Scatter proved to be a strong companion to have at her side. His ability to stop any and all creatures that got in their way is, well, surprising.
However, they've finally reached their first destination, a small camp set up on the side of the mountain path.

Already there are a small group of ponies that seem to be waiting for them. Each of them are wearing similar gear, and have their named written on the side. Mad Munchkin, Shan Mul, Clever Contraption, Cobalt Sky, and Sir Frog Finest are all there, just staring at them with keen interest. Then, one more walks up, shrouded in a special white outfit. He removes the hood, revealing himself to be brown coated with a yellow mane.

"Nice to meet you Bri Happer. I am Babe Chenko," he tells her, smiling, "welcome to the campsite of the Brotherhood of Silent Pathfinders. Our goal is...to find and save Pinkamena Diane Pie. Shall we begin?"

Preview for Episode 12
*********************************
It's the day before, and I haven't been able to practice as much. She disappeared, and that's been my top priority. Now I'm not prepared. Can I truly show them all that I have the talent they're looking for?

S01 E12 - Equestria's Got Talent

Author's Notes:

Here it is, episode 12! Tell me what you think, and please be honest. I tried adding in something interesting to the episode and would like your thoughts (you'll know it when you read it). Otherwise, as always, all comments, questions, and concerns are appreciated. New character biographies and more will be put onto the adjoining website asap.

"Only one more day to go now Devlin, you can do this! You've been training for months now, preparing for this! You're ready, no, you're more than ready!"

Looking into the mirror at himself, a worried expression sits on the face of Devlin Speedster, his mind racing a million miles a minute, filled with nervous thoughts and extreme anxiety. His mane is unkempt, having not been brushed since he had awoken early on this morning. His eyes are a deep red, raw from his rubbing of them, a nervous trait of his. He's
clearly a mess, and talking out loud to his reflection hasn't been helping with his currently deteriorating mental stability.

Tomorrow is already, well, tomorrow. The big day is just 24 hours away now, and he's not sure if he's ready for this. It's not every day that the biggest nation-wide talent competition, Equestria's Got Talent, comes to Ponyville. In fact, this is the very first time that it ever has come to the small town. Normally, EgT is hosted by big cities like Fillydephia or Manehattan. Canterlot was the original scheduled host this time around, but due to the reconstruction, it had to be moved. So Princess Aurora decided on Ponyville, justifying it by claiming that the move is a show of gratitude to those who helped stop the Ursa attack. Devlin and his friends, in other words.

However, this sudden change in plans has only proven to make his anxiety worse than ever. Now he not only is competing to prove himself and his talents, but he's now representing Ponyville itself as he competes right there in the heart of the town. Naturally, he's not the only Ponyville pony competing, but he's probably the most well known of them. With him constantly helping others in the community, anypony he can really, almost everyone knows who he is by this point. He's done things to help them all it seems like, so he'll easily be recognized right away. How will it look if he messes up right in the middle of his act? He'll embarrass and shame Ponyville. They'll all laugh and taunt him, and no one will ever accept his help again.

"NO!" he suddenly yells out at his reflection, eyes widening menacingly as he gnashes his teeth, "you can't think that way! You can do this, Devlin! This is your time to shine! Don't let things get you down like this!"

"But what about Bri? She's been on my mind a lot lately, and it pains me to wonder what happened to her. If this theory about Scatter Brain is right, that only proves to make things worse. I feel like I need to be doing more to look for her. I should leave the competition. If I go through with it, it might end up being too late for Bri. What if it's compete and lose a friend? I can't accept that!"

"If you continue to think like that, you'll never find her anyways! Right now you need to focus on the big picture! Your friends, the ones still here, are expecting you to be on that stage tomorrow. They have done everything to help find Bri, and so have you. Taking a few hours off tomorrow won't change anything. You will find her, but for now, your friends have become disheartened by the lack of results in your search. They need something to bring their smiles back, and you know that Bri would want that more than her own safety. Now stop thinking about her, Oblivion, the dark stars, and whatever else! Focus already! Remember, the night is always darkest before the dawn, and the dawn is coming."

As he comes to conclude his anger-fueled arguing with himself, the bedroom door suddenly swings open. A small, cream-colored filly happily trots into the room and smiles up at the stallion. Her blonde mane bounces with every step, and her bright, joy-filled expression warms his heart. Stepping forward, she tells her big brother that she's ready to practice with him some more, and that she knows he's going to beat all the other ponies’ flanks in the competition tomorrow. Devlin chuckles and nods, breathing in deeply to gather his composure. All of this anxiety and stress has been Hell on him. He has one more day before the big event. One more day to perfect his act, and with Bright by his side, helping him get ready, he knows he can't fail. He needs to make his friends smile again, even if it's just for a short time. He needs to help them find happiness.

All the way on the complete opposite end of Ponyville, the new Cutie Mark Crusaders; Spring Rise, Honeysuckle, Gumdrop, and Majus, have arrived at Star Rider's home. They had been asked by the dark blue pony to come over for a special mission that only they can accomplish, and it's certainly piqued their interest. They wonder exactly what she could want from the four of them, and what kind of special mission this is. Will it help them find their cutie marks? They can only hope, but for some reason, they don't believe it has anything to do with that. Majus knocks on the door, and almost instantly it opens. Standing there, Star invites them in and before they all even pass through, begins to explain the situation.

"Ok my little ponies, as you know, Equestria's Got Talent is coming to Ponyville tomorrow. I know you all wanted to attend, but me and my friends need your help right now. With Bri still missing, we need to do everything we can to keep Ponyville safe during the competition. Majus, Spring, I want you two to go around town tomorrow. When everypony from all around Equestria is here, I want you to watch anypony you don't recognize. Look around and keep watch for anypony suspicious. If you see someone like that, report to me immediately."

"Oh...ok," Spring says, unsure of what to think about her new mission. She looks over to Majus, who grins and nods. She smiles back, but turns to Star again and asks, "why do we need to look for somepony suspicious?"

"I don't know if you've heard, but those dark stars that appeared all that time ago are the doing of an evil force named Oblivion. My friends and I fear that somepony working for him might show up tomorrow. Either that, or the mysterious Babe Chenko who I believe might have something to do with Bri's disappearance."

With every mention of her sister going missing, Honeysuckle seems to get more and more downtrodden. Noticing this, the mare lifts her head up by the chin, and with a smile, assures her that they will find her big sister and make sure everything goes back to normal. The little filly nods and tells her that she wants to do everything she can to help find Bri. That's when Star begins to give the next assignment to the group, this time focusing on Honeysuckle and Gumdrop specifically, telling them, "I want the two of you to ask around for any information about Babe Chenko or Scatter Brain. These two ponies are the only leads we have as to what might have happened to Bri right now. If we find out more about them, we might be able to find out more about where she is."

Saluting the mare, the four little ponies all agree to do their best to help. Naturally they are disappointed that they won't be able to see the competition tomorrow, focusing instead on their new missions, but in the end they understand that these things are a little more important at the moment. They agree right away to tell Star if they find anything out, and run out to begin their missions a day early, wanting to get right on it. Smiling, Star returns to the letter she had been writing, a note to Princess Aurora regarding all of the information and theories she and the others have come up with so far. She needs to know about this. She'll know what to do more than anypony else.

Meanwhile, down in Ponyville's southern sector, both Dinky and Agelian are trotting quickly around the latter's house. Like everypony else, they are preparing for tomorrow's competition. They want to make sure that they'll be ready ahead of time, and by this point the two of them have already procrastinated enough. The greyish-purple mare walks briskly back and forth between her storage cupboards and house laboratory, preparing different capsules and sacks for Agelian's flight routines. Outside of the Wonderbolts, no other pegasi use these kind of aesthetic tricks in their flying, much less in competitions. It's the main reason for Agelian's victory in the Cloudsdale Best Young Flyer Competition before. This time though, Dinky has prepared some special new capsules for the bearer of the Element of Faith.

Of course, Agelian is not competing in Equestria's Got Talent himself, as he wishes not to upstage his friend Devlin. Instead, he has been chosen to kick the competition off with an amazing flight stunt that will introduce the judges. He wouldn't say that it's been his dream to do this, but it's definitely going to be an awesome experience. He remembers how one time his hero, Rainbow Dash, had done a sonic rainboom after the first kiss of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Candenza. He knows that she never dreamed of that kind of thing either, but that it was the opportunity of a lifetime that the legendary mare couldn't pass up.

Even with everything that's been happening lately; from the mysterious letter given to him by Babe Chenko, to Trixie and the Ursa attack, and of course the disappearance of one of his dear friends Bri, he's just felt really downtrodden. He understands that finding Bri is a huge task, and honestly, he's even thought about giving up this chance to look for her more, but he realizes that in hard times, everypony needs something to lift their spirits, and he wants to help do that. Even if he isn't competing, he can make the kickoff one Hell of a show, and give them all something to cheer for. After this is all said and done, then he can put forth triple the effort in finding his friend, and he will not rest until she's back home.

Finishing up another capsule, the mare places it into Agelian's stunt bag and trots over to her fiancé, kissing him gently upon the lips and telling him how proud and excited she is for him. The excitement is obviously felt by the pegasus as well, but his mind has traveled to another topic, the three judges set for the competition, the very ones he'll be introducing with his stunt. The first of them is Trixie Lulamoon, the mare whom he and his friends helped to stop the Ursa attack. A talented magician and showmare, she's often been looked down upon because of her bad past. However, after her significant part in stopping the attack on Canterlot, her honor has been restored by a good margin.

Sales for her shows have increased greatly, and she herself has become a lot kinder and more helpful. She's even been putting a lot of effort into the reconstruction of the capital. She blames herself for the destruction, and wishes to help fix things properly. It's an honorable goal, and he can greatly respect her for it. The second of the judges is the Ponyville born Sweetie Belle, a world famous singer and the younger sister of the late, former Element bearer Rarity. She was also a member of the old Cutie Mark Crusaders along with Apple Bloom and Wonderbolts Captain Scootaloo. With the possibility of many singers in the competition, Sweetie is probably the most qualified of the judges, and will most likely be the toughest.

The third judge is another Ponyville born mare, and another who is world renowned. Vinyl Scratch, better known by her stage name DJ Pon-3, is a DJ in high demand across all of Equestria and the rest of the world. She performed at the wedding of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Candenza, is a regular at many big parties and events, and even showed up at Princess Aurora's coronation, since the princess is a big fan. She's also the roommate and best friend of classical cellist Octavia Melody, who herself is world famous for her amazing compositions. The two have collaborated on occasion as well, and are surprisingly perfect at harmonizing their two different styles of music.

So between these three judges, Trixie, Sweetie, and DJ Pon-3, he knows it's going to be a tough, but amazing competition. These three know talent unlike anypony else. One other thing that connects them, however, is the love that one very special pony has for them. Bri is such a huge fan of all three of them, and has been excited to see two of them in an upcoming Detrot concert. With her now missing, who knows if she'll ever get to go. Dinky sees the stallion's mood begin to drop, and walks over, wrapping him in a comforting hug. She knows how hard this has been for him. He loves his friends greatly, and to have one of them just vanish has really hurt him.

"Honey," she says with a smile, getting him to look up at her. He has tears welled up in his eyes, which seem to shimmer with the sorrow he's feeling, "come over to my house tonight for dinner with me and my mother. We'll have fun and celebrate your big accomplishments. Let's just try and focus on the good things, ok?"

"Ok," Agelian replies, smiling as he embraces his love with thankfulness. The two kiss each other again, and think about how tomorrow's going to go. He's going to do great, and both of them know it.

Over at the Ponyville Greenhouse, Chupa happily hums a little tune as she waters the dragon lilies. She's so excited for the big Equestria's Got Talent show tomorrow that she can't help but be joyful and tell her plant friends all about what she knows of the competition, even despite what just happened. It's not just Bri's disappearance that has broken the young filly down lately, but just yesterday, Mr. Greenhooves passed away. His illness had suddenly taken a turn for the worse in the past couple of days, and he fell asleep yesterday afternoon, never waking up. It's horrible to even think about, considering how lively he always seemed, even just the days before that. It's near impossible to accept that he's gone.

His will was read by his wife this morning. She didn't want to put it off, believing that her husband would have rather gotten the mourning over with quick than harp on it for a long time. In the will, Mr. Greenhooves gave ownership of the greenhouse to Chamomile and Chupa Cabra, the latter of whom he had promised it to. Of course, the only reason her older sister was mentioned was because legally he couldn't give it to a minor. In reality, it's Chupa's. Her sister just has the deed and official ownership rights. It's the best gift she ever received, but came from something horrible and saddening. So now, fully in charge of everything, she has renamed the greenhouse in honor of her mentor; the Abel Greenhooves Greenhouse.

"I'll probably need some help running things now," she quietly says to a potted Venus Flytrap, "maybe hire some assistants. But they have to be ponies who I can trust. This is a place of peace and tranquility, and all of you beauties have to receive the best quality care possible. I can't just let anypony come in here and try to take care of you." She smiles and begins to move over to the sunflowers, grabbing her watering can in her mouth. Right now she wants to focus on something good and peaceful. If she keeps thinking of death, disappearances, and hard work, it'll just bring her down again. She has to stay strong.

In the center of town, the final of the remaining five friends is standing at alert, hoof raised in salute. His expression is stoic and serious, showing deep respect and honor towards the elite royal guards walking towards him. Led by Captain Everglade, the soldiers stop in front of the former Captain and salute back, showing just as much respect to him as he is towards them. It's been a while since they have met with each other; back when he and the others had gone for a day to Canterlot to help with the reconstruction. Well, it really hasn't been THAT long, but for someone like him, it feels much longer. It excites him to be in the presence of such honorable ponies, especially ones whom he knows and has deep relationships with.

He had never told his friends, or anypony else for that matter, but there was one time back while he was the captain of the elite royal guard that he had actually dated Everglade in secret. The two had been going out for months, but broke apart when their relationship threatened their duties. They still love each other, but feel that they have to keep things on a more professional level these days, to avoid more trouble. So for now, a simple salute and respectful smile is the most they can hope for. Maybe when all this trouble with Oblivion is over, things can change, but for now, things are just too hectic.

"So, how is the reconstruction going, ma'am?" Terra asks respectfully.

"We're ahead of schedule, and figure that within just a couple more months, everything will be back to how it was before. We reopened a lot of businesses just this past week. It was a very gratifying moment for everypony," Everglade replies, also keeping it respectful. It's obvious to anypony that the two of them are trying hard to keep it that way. Even the other guards can tell that things seem tense between them. Out of their own respect for the two, they decide to keep quiet however. It isn't their place to question things.

"Captain, I want to make sure that during the competition tomorrow, Ponyville is well protected. We have reason to believe that Oblivion might attempt to interrupt the show in some way. We don't know how or when, and we've already got some of our friends working on keeping an eye out for anypony suspicious, but we need the help of the guard to truly make sure it all goes according to plan."

"Well, I'm glad to offer the services of the elite royal guard," she tells the honor-bound stallion, "I'll have forty armed soldiers stationed around the central sector of Ponyville tomorrow, half of which will be right around the stage and crowd itself. We'll run searches on everypony's saddle bags to make sure everything is in order, and that no one is smuggling anything in. Anypony who looks suspicious, or seems to exhibit symptoms of the dark star possession which you have previously described to me will be apprehended for questioning."

Terra salutes her again and thanks the mare for her help in keeping things safe. He knows that some ponies may not be thrilled about the searches, claiming it as an invasion of privacy. However, considering the threat Equestria has been facing, these extreme measures have to be taken to protect everypony. Safety is a number one priority in this time, especially during such a huge event such as Equestria's Got Talent. If everything goes according to plan, then things will turn out fine and he and his friends can return their focus to finding Bri, and after that, the rest of the Elements of Harmony.

For the remainder of the day, everything goes by smoothly for the five friends, all of their work and preparations going according to plan. The night soon comes and they take a break to enjoy dinner with their families and take a well deserved sleep, and soon enough, the sun rises once again, bringing forth a new day; the day that Equestria's Got Talent comes to town. After days of preparation, especially yesterdays hectic last-minute precursory measures, they're ready to finally reap the benefits of their labor, and enjoy a show of music, magic, and amazing talents.

With Devlin off with his sister, making final preparations for his big performance, the other four meet at the fountain in the center of town, all well rested and excited for the day. Agelian wears his racing suit, and has his goggles resting on his forehead. He smiles as he walks up to the others, Dinky beside him. He sees that he's not the only pony to bring someone with them, as Grace Storm, Chamomile Cabra, and Everglade are all there as well. They all greet each other with hugs, hoof bumps, and smiles, excitedly beginning to talk about the upcoming competition and all the expected acts.

"You know, I've been thinking," Dinky suddenly pipes up, a wide grin spread across her face, "Ponyville should have a stadium like Cloudsdale has, so that every time events like this are held, a big stage doesn't need to be built in the middle of town."

The others think about it for a moment, and quickly find themselves in agreement. It would be a good idea for the town to have its own stadium. The town's been much more than just a small location for a long time now. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends had changed all of that, so why couldn't they have a stadium? They hold multiple events every year, and building an arena could help them hold even more. It's a great idea. However, Terra speaks up suddenly, sighing as he reminds them all that constructing a stadium like that would cost a great deal of money, resources, and increased labor. He notes that at this moment, Ponyville has many more important things to focus on, and put their resources towards. Dinky and the others seem downtrodden by this, but don't argue. They know he's right, and in the end it was just a dream anyways.

As the eight of them stand there, a large group of ponies begin to approach, walking towards the stage that sits not too far away from them. Excitement floats through the air as the ponies who had come from all over Equestria chat about their favorite hopefuls to win. Most of them have programs, which Fluttershy and Spike have been handing out a few blocks down. The competition is getting ready to start, and with only minutes left, the friends decide to get to their seats in the front row. Agelian heads out to get ready for his big opening stunt, leaving his seat beside Dinky open. The others sit there, trying to think about what Devlin's talent could be. It's something they had still not discovered. Their search for information had led to some new intelligence on him, but in the end, their focus on Bri disappearing that day became a bigger deal, and they hadn't been able to learn as much as they would've hoped to.

Ponies begin filling in the seats surrounding the large stage. Stallions, mares, fillies, and colts all find their way to seats cheering and talking loudly as music begins to play through a set of giant speakers on each side of the stage. At that moment, the tone of the music changes, and Agelian flies out at top speed from behind the large red curtain at the back of the stage. Soaring straight up into the sky, a pillar of red smoke trails down beneath him, the pegasus releases one of the special new capsules Dinky had made for him. A shrieking noise emits from the released capsule, followed by a huge explosion that creates a star design of smoke in the air around him. He then shoots downward and, to finish the opening stunt off, hits one of his patented sonic thunderbooms.

The audience erupts into a frenzy of uncontrollable cheering, their voices exploding throughout the area with enough force to blow Canterlot right off of the mountain it's built into, and louder than the roars of a thousand angry Ursa Majors. Making his landing, Agelian bows curtly and returns into the back. Breen Oaterlund soon replaces him, walking slowly out from behind the cutrain with headset on. As the crowd's cheers die down, he announces, "Agelian Wingblade everypony! Welcome to Equestria's Got Talent!"

After another huge burst of cheers, the older announcer continues, "Before I announce our celebrity guest judges, let's please give a big applause to our very own Princess Aurora!"

The crowd stands to their hooves and gives the princess a standing ovation as she glides down from the sky, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She smiles at everypony before taking a seat in a special section at the side of the stage, right beside where the judges table is. Already in the section are members of the Wonderbolts as well as Mayor Mare and some other high class citizens. Breen then introduces the three celebrity guest judges, Sweetie Belle, Trixie Lulamoon, and DJ Pon-3, who come out from behind the curtain and bow to the crowd before taking their places at the judges table.

Trixie is clothed in her typical wizards hat and cape, a wide smile spread across her face as the crowd cheers for her. Sweetie is in a beautiful sapphire coated dress that is very reminiscent of the works designed by her older sister in the past. DJ Pon-3 wears her typical headphones around her neck and purple sunglasses. The three of them are so different, but talented beyond belief. If anypony deserves to be a judge for this kind of talent competition, it's these three. After they have taken their seats at the table, Breen once again begins to speak, this time announcing the names of all twelve of the ponies entered in the competition.

"From Ponyville, we have Six String and Zipporwhill!" he announces as a large, manly looking pegasus with grey beard, short cut mane, and thick glasses comes out along with a quick mare with equally thick glasses. He announces the others, calling out, "Cleft Note of Fillydelphia! Day Dreamer from Manehattan! Delia of Prance! From Hoofington, Marshmallow Glaze! The Orange Sisters of Manehattan! Pestel Mort from Hollow Shades! All the way from Tall Tale, Rindin Fiera! Topaz from Vanhoover! Dodge Junction's own Vanilla Swirl! Devlin Speedster from right here in Ponyville!
And finally, The Mysterious Maeebjan from the Badlands Colonies!"

With each announced name, another pony walks out onto stage, or in the case of the Orange Sisters, two. They give a short bow to the crowd, then leave as quickly as they came. When Devlin comes out, the crowd goes nuts, cheering for the helpful pony whom they have all grown to know and respect. His friends in the front row cheer louder than ever, chanting his name as they stomp their hooves in excitement. Breen then awaits the crowd to quiet themselves again, almost seeming annoyed by their raucous nature. But with a smile, as it gets quiet enough for him to be heard, he continues.

"And now, without any further ado, please put your hooves together for the host of Equestria's Got Talent! He is the coach and personal trainer to the Wonderbolts, and a former one himself! He is the stallion who was trained by the legendary Spitfire, and went on to train both Rainbow Dash and the current captain of the Wonderbolts, Scootaloo! Please welcome to the stage, "Lightspeed" Racsni!"

Agelian returns to his seat right as the announcement is made and turns to do a double take, not believing what he had just heard. Racsni is one of the most famous racers in history! He's known for being the only pony besides Rainbow Dash to be able to create a sonic rainboom, and even created the Lightspeed Screecher, the move that gave so much inspiration to Agelian when he was young. It's similar to the sonic rainboom, but he flies upwards at top speed, and when he reaches the fastest he can go, he corkscrews at the end and creates a screeching funnel that explodes out in a wave of flashing light. It's actually harder to do than the sonic rainboom due to the heavy wind resistance of flying straight upward into the air. This is the pony to single-hoofedly revolutionize professional flying.

He had been secretly trained for years by Spitfire, and when Soundspeed left as coach at the same time that Spitfire retired, he came out of the dark to be appointed in his place. Ever since he had more than tripled the overall skill of the group. He trained the legendary Rainbow Dash and is the cause of her becoming Captain of the Wonderbolts so quickly, and after Rainbow's death, he trained Scootaloo by the late mare's request, and look where she's at now, Captain as well!

This is the only other pony outside of both Rainbow and Scootaloo who has been the inspiration to Agelian in his life. So as he trots out, brown hair spiked up with a blonde lightning bolt-shaped streak in it, matching tail, and brown training hoodie, the blue pegasus nearly goes mute from the volume of his cheers.

Smirking at the crowds reaction, the stallion raises an eyebrow and yells out in a thick Horsetralian accent, "Well it seems like your ready to get things started! Well then, why wait!? Let Equestria's Got Talent begin, and to kick things off, let's find out what the judges are hoping to see today!"

"Well Racsni," Trixie begins, I am hoping to see some great and powerful feats of magic! I want to be astounded with tricks that deceive the senses and stunned with showmanship that creates a perfect balance between the act and competitor."

The crowd applauds Trixie's words, but are interrupted as Sweetie Belle goes next, saying, "Well I want to hear, not see. I want my ears to melt in ecstasy as the sounds of beautiful music float gently through them."

"Yo everypony!" DJ Pon-3 suddenly yells out, raising her front hooves into the air and bobbing her head up and down, "I want to experience some wub-tastic talents here today! Who's with me!?"

The crowd grows louder and louder, their rambunctious cheers echoing throughout all of Ponyville. Vinyl Scratch has always been known for her ability to get loud, as well as to incite other ponies into loud reactions as well. It's just a part of who she is; her personality and style. Racsni thanks the judges for their thoughts, and welcomes out the first competitor of the day, the duo of Six String and Zipporwhill. The two return from the back. Six String has an acoustic guitar this time, and seems ready to play. Sweetie seems interested, as does DJ Pon-3. Trixie sits back and raises an eyebrow, curious but not altogether interested. Six String begins to play a slow, melodic song very reminiscent of his heritage. Zipporwhill then grabs the mic on the stage and surprises everypony, beginning to sing in her family's native language, Espanballo.

Following the performance, each of the other competitors come out one at a time, taking their turns and performing their talents. Cleft Note is the first, singing one of Sweetie Belle's songs in an acapella style. Day Dreamer and Delia are after her, doing a mind reading and stage magic respectively. Marshmallow Glaze bakes a pineapple upside down cake, and the Orange Sisters perform high-risk unicycle acrobatics. Pestel Mort comes out and displays her voodoo magic, and Rindin Fiera juggles bowling pins that were set on fire while riding a bike around an intricate course. Topaz breakdances, and Vanilla Swirl shows off her mastery of mimicry, copying the voices of all of the judges and Racsni perfectly. Only two remain at this point; Devlin and The Mysterious Maaebjan.

Returning to the stage following the hilarious mimicry of Vanilla Swirl, Racsni applauds right along with the cheering crowd. As they begin to grow silent, he laughs and announces, "This has certainly been an amazing show so far, and it's hard to believe that it's already almost over. But don't fret, for we've still got two more to go! And to start off, let me introduce the pony you all have been waiting for! Born right here in Ponyville, he's known for his selfless acts of generosity, never once asking for anything in return, not even a word of gratitude! Please welcome to the stage, Devlin Speedster!"

In the instant that his name is called out, the eight ponies in the front row stand to their hooves and let out the loudest cheers they can muster. They watch as the quiet, red-coated stallion steps out from behind the curtain, looking around at the erupting crowd with apparent anxiety. They can tell how nervous he is, and so Agelian yells out his name, capturing the stallion's attention. Devlin looks over, seeing his friends there smiling and cheering, and smiles back. He's so happy that they're enjoying themselves. Right now, that's what's important, and he can't let them down now. He may be scared, he may be worried, but he knows that no matter how it turns out, his friends will support and love him for it.

"Welcome to the stage Mr. Speedster," Sweetie Belle happily says. Both Vinyl and Trixie greet the stallion as well, the latter already having known and met him prior to this. The ivory singer then adds with a bright smile, "what are you going to perform for us today?"

"Well..." he nervously says, blushing loudly as he notices his friends lean closer to finally find out what his secret talent is,
"I'll...I'll be performing a song that I wrote myself."

"We've heard other ponies sing," Trixie grumpily tells him, interrupting the conversation between him and Sweetie, "what is it that you think will set you apart from the others? How will you wow us?" Sweetie and Vinyl both nod in agreement, wanting to know more. Everypony in the audience remains quiet, curious as well. Singing is a broad term. What genre will he be singing? What style? There's so many questions.

"Well, it's not just a song. It's a story about everything that's been happening in me and my friends lives lately. It's kind of a story about how ponies lives can change in unexpected ways, but that through everything, the bonds we form with our friends will always shine through and save us from any threat," Devlin tells them, having gained a small bit of confidence, trying hard to keep himself calm and collected, "I've been writing it myself ever since I first met my new friends, both the lyrics and the music that goes with it. It's a tribute to them." The three judges smile and nod, signaling for him to begin. The lights on the stage go out, all except one which shines down on him as silence fills the surrounding area. A peaceful tune begins to come out from the speakers, and before Devlin can even begin to sing, the ponies in the audience sway back and forth to the melody.

"It felt like it was all going downhill. My life was in dismay, I wasn't feeling any thrills. My sunshine had no ray, my fields had no hills. I was lonely, so lonely, forever more," Devlin sings out, the first verse of his song creating a chill in the air. They had never known this about him. Nopony had ever known of his struggles. He always kept so quiet. After a short instrumental break, he continues with the second verse, "It came in late one night. The dark stars in the sky. It was the ponies blight. Their fear echoed in their cries. It was a terrible sight, that made me so sad, so sad, forever more."

"That's when the princess came, and introduced me to my friends. We fought against the threat, my heart finally began to mend. I was welcomed with open hooves, and my fears, they did dispel. My life, was no longer a living Hell!"

After the final line, which he yells out at the top of his lungs, the beat of the song picks up. Getting faster and louder, it goes into a harder, rock-sounding style as Devlin drops to his knees and sings out the chorus, "Friends came to me, when I had nothing left to live for. They came to me, gave me something worth fighting for. Five ponies I never knew, showed me love I never felt before. Friends came to me, and saved my life."

"Things began to change for me. My life once more had purpose. The light I could finally see, the sorrow I would never miss. I was happy for once, never lonely, no longer lonely, any more! Then it happened again one night. She went missing suddenly. We couldn't find her anywhere, she was nowhere in sight. She vanished from our lives, and left us in sorrow, in sorrow once more! But we discovered many clues, and our fights were brought to peace! We learned that there was hope! This feeling we had to keep! We had a reason to move on, and our fears, they were dispelled. Our lives, no longer felt like a living Hell!"

"Friends came to me, when I had nothing left to live for. They came to me, gave me something worth fighting for! Five ponies I never knew, now that I couldn't live without! Friends came to me, and it makes me want to shout! Because I love them with all my heart, I love them with all my soul! Friends came to me, and my fears did soon depart! I will fight to find the one, who went away so suddenly! And when we reunite, when we reunite, the light we will see."

Devlin continues to sing his song, bringing tears to the eyes of the ponies watching and listening. His friends smile up at him as he kneels there, singing with all his emotion and soul. Everything he has is poured out into that tribute, a beautiful song dedicated to those who helped him out of a hard life he never wanted to live through. And as he finishes, ending on a long-held, high note and the words "Friends", every unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus there stand to their hooves and give the loudest, most authentic standing ovation yet. Even the princess, the Wonderbolts, and all three judges have joined in, applauding and crying out with tears cascading down their cheeks.

"Let me begin," Trixie tells the stallion, kindly smiling as she wipes the tears away from her eyes, "that when you first walked onto that stage, I had my doubts. But you just proved neigh-sayers like me wrong. You not only have one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard come out of a stallion, but you have a beautiful soul. Never change that Devlin, not for anything in the world."

"I agree," Sweetie Belle adds, joyfully joining in with a laugh, "that was absolutely amazing! It's so hard to believe that you're not famous right now, because you could be. You put so much emotion into that song, and I believe that everypony here felt it resonate throughout the town. We didn't just watch an Equestria's Got Talent competitor, we witnessed a concert!"

"Dude!" Vinyl then quickly yells out, hardly waiting for Sweetie to finish, "that was truly wub-tastic!"

The crowd goes wild for the words of encouragement and amazement from the three judges as Devlin walks off of the stage with joy. He accomplished what he came here to do, and whether he wins or not, it doesn't matter. He made his friends smile, he made all of Ponyville and beyond smile. As he passes beyond the curtain, turning one last time to mouth the words "thank you" to his friends, Rascni walks out to greet the cheering audience. He looks around at the audience and mocks not being able to hear them, at which point their voices escalate to new heights.

Grinning, Racsni yells out as loud as he can to gain their attention and focus, saying, "How can our final competitor possibly top that!? Well, to answer that, I have to ask, what are we waiting for!? Let's find out right now! Our last competitor of this years Equestria's Got Talent competition comes to us all the way from the colonies deep in the Badlands! Very little is known about him, and he prefers it that way! Please give a warm, Ponyville welcome to...THE MYSTERIOUS MAAEBJAN!"

The crowd begins to cheer more raucously than ever as the final competitor finally steps out from behind the curtain.
Everypony is more than excited to find out what's going to happen now, and if this pony really can top what they had just heard and saw from Devlin. However, the most they see of the competitor as he walks out is exactly what they saw earlier during the initial introductions. He wears a dark cloak with the hood pulled down over his face. He slowly comes out onto the stage and pulls the cloak off, and at once, the applause echoing throughout the crowd stops.

Everypony's eyes widen and mouths drop. The creature before them is not a pony, he just can't be. They don't know what he is, but it isn't right. They can now truly see him for what he is, a monster. Tall and thin, his bones showing through his purple coat that's spotted with blood red. Both a twisted horn and deer-like antlers line his head, and his mane and tail are both wild and unkempt. He has cloven hooves and slits for eyes, bat wings and fangs for teeth. Glaring around at the crowd with a wide, vicious grin spread across the whole of his face, he chuckles slightly to himself.

The four friends sitting in the audience see him, and get to their hooves in an instant. This is exactly what they had been worrying might happen today. There's no other explanation, this has to be an agent of Oblivion. However, before they can even act, Trixie raises an eyebrow from over at the judges table and asks the creature, "Well Mr. Maaebjan, what is your talent? What have you come out here to show us all today?"

"What is my talent?" the creature repeats in an echoing, raspy voice, "what have I come out here to show you pathetic fools today? Hehehe. I think that these four ponies here in the front understand better than a two-bit showmare like you, Trixie. But I'll humor you. What is my talent you ask? Hmm, my talent is...MURDER!"

Without a second's hesitation following the last word, a black beam shoots out of his twisted horn, striking Trixie right in the heart and knocking her off of her seat. The crowd instantly begins to scream, and ponies leap up from their seats to escape. The other judges have run off, and have joined the panic now escalating in the streets as the showmare crumples to the ground below. The Wonderbolts and Princess Aurora rush the creature, but Maaebjan encases the flight team in a magical cage, and envelops the princesses horn in dark magic, causing her spell to backfire and knock her away. Bolting out from behind the curtain, Devlin sees what's going on and tries to rush the monster, but is caged just like the Wonderbolts had been.

As he laughs maniacally, the other four try to attack him as well, but just like everypony else, they're stopped, this time with a simple magical barrier blocking them from even getting near. Stepping forward as much as she can, Star Rider yells out, "Who are you, really!? Are you an agent of Oblivion, one sent by the evil force to commit acts of murder on his behalf!? Or are you Oblivion himself, once more possessing the body of an innocent pony!?"

"Innocent pony? Agent of Oblivion? Fools, you really don't understand, do you? This is far bigger than you could ever think! I am not a puny minion, or a pathetic lower creature! I AM Oblivion! The power I have grown in all this time, the strength I have locked into myself through all this time has allowed me to finally regain true form! This is me, in all my glory!"

Everypony still around the stage glares at the monster in anger. They can't believe this. Oblivion himself has come for them? Why would he make such a drastic move? Does it have something to do with Bri, and if so, what? Star decides to ask him this, but Oblivion just laughs and responds, "No, that was not my doing. Bri left of her own accord, right along with that pathetic loser Scatter Brain. They think they can do something. They think that they actually have a chance. It's funny really. Pathetic little mortals. You always believe yourselves to be stronger than you actually are. After I took over that impudent Sevulva Star, I've become so much more powerful. My minions have gathered me many sacrifices, and I have formed, as you call them, Agents of Oblivion. Actually, I kind of like that. My agents are across Equestria, killing and stealing the souls to feed my power. Soon, I shall rise to full power and destroy this planet, and ascend as a GOD!"

"You're insane!" Star yells out as she continues to try and force her way through the barrier, but to no avail. Turning around, she looks at both Agelian and Chupa and gives them a look as if to ask what they're waiting for. The two seem confused at first, but come to a sudden realization and step towards her and the barrier. Chupa unwraps the golden scarf around her neck and points the gem imbedded in it at the barrier and Oblivion, who raises an eyebrow. Agelian then does the same, pulling out his golden racing goggles and pointing the gem at the barrier as well. Instantly, the two Elements of Harmony seem to resonate with power, glowing as they suddenly let out a giant rainbow-colored power beam, shattering the barrier with ease and enveloping the evil pony.

Shrieking out, the creature yells, "NO! How could you have found them!? I got rid of the Elements of Harmony sixteen years ago!" Suddenly, the rainbow beam seems to dissolve his body, turning it into dust which crumbles and falls to the stage below. However, his force remains, and flies away to escape for now and plot it's revenge. The magic cages disappear, freeing everypony, and all the ponies around begin to wander back, looking around in shock and confusion. However, they ignore the others and rush to the judges table, where Trixie is in critical condition.

Blood exuding from her chest, she coughs more up and looks at the worried expression on Star's face right above her. A warm smile spreads across the showmare as she quietly whispers to them, "This...is what...I deserve. I killed....innocent young ponies...and...and...and I made other pony's....lives...Hell. Karma is...finally catching up with me I...guess." She hacks up a huge amount of blood, and laughs as she thinks about how Twilight Sparkle was always so forgiving of her, after everything she had done. She always gave her another chance. Maybe that's what true friends do for each other. Maybe Twilight just wanted to be her friend in the end. With a wink, Trixie adds, "This....was the....last hurrah of the....Great &....Powerful Trixie."

"Stay with us!" Star yells, "you can't die on us! Your magic shows were always so good! You changed for the better and made up for your past mistakes Trixie! Please...please don't die! You really are a wonderful showmare!"
Laughing, Trixie smiles for one last time as she says to them, "Was there ever any doubt?"

Episode 13 Preview
********************
They all make fun of me. They say that I'm a fool for believing they exist, but I'll show them. I'll show everypony that humans do exist, and when I do, I'll be the one laughing.