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My New Life with Ponies!?

by DJSkywalker

Chapters

What Have I Done?

Twilight was panicking, and who could blame her? The sight that she beheld was worse than anything she could have ever imagined. Her one thought at what she saw, what have I done? Outside the cave that she had been hiding in was her one true love, DJ. He was lying on his side, facing the edge of the cliff. What had frightened her, however, was the glowing beam that sticking out from his back. The human wasn’t breathing, laying completely still except when the wind would blow his hair lightly. Before Princess Twilight Sparkle was a human that she loved more than anything and who was very much dead.

Twilight raced over to his body once she got her composure. She deactivated the lightsaber like DJ had taught her before and clipped it to his side. She ran her hoof over his body, trying to find some sort of life, ever avoiding the still smoldering hole in his chest where his heart had once been. Twilight couldn’t think, she was desperate to find some life still in him. Then a thought appeared in her head. Zecora! She should know if he can still be saved!

With her idea in place, Twilight lit her horn with her magic and grabbed tightly on to DJ. She activated her teleportation spell and an instant later they were outside Zecora’s hut. When she was still a unicorn, Twilight could never have performed such a feat as long distance teleportation. Ever since she became an alicorn, though, her magic was constantly growing, allowing her to perform all kinds of complex spells. And at this moment, she was very glad to have them.

“ZECORAA!!” the princess screamed. She didn’t want to leave DJ alone for a second, especially not since they were back in the Everfree Forest. A few long moments passed before she saw the door begin to open.

“Who calls me, this early? Twilight? Isn’t this a delight! And DJ, too; come I shall make you both a brew!” said the exotic zebra.

“Zecora I need your help! DJ, he’s…he’s dying, Zecora! Please help him!” Twilight screamed, tears falling fiercely, her eyes filled with hope. Zecora’s eyes widened with shock and fear and she urged Twilight to bring him into the hut. The shaman looked over her new patient, trying to find evidence of life and going through all of her journals, looking for something. After several long moments, Zecora stopped everything and grabbed a white sheet from her table. She slowly trotted over to DJ and began to speak.

“I am so sorry, my friend; I could not save you from your end. Forgive me Twilight; I could not do anything to end his plight.” Tears of her own began to fall as she draped the sheet over her human friend, covering him from head to toe. Twilight was too stunned to even cry. Then the door burst open, Discord floating on through.

“Ah, Zecroa, could I bother you for… a … favor?” he talking slowed as noticed Twilight. “YOU!! How could you say such things to him?! Do you have any idea how he must have felt when you said those things? Did you even notice the pain in his eyes as left? You have no idea what you were even saying! DJ never said he hated you; he hated the estrus consumed, lustful mare that was chasing him through the forest. You are all he ever talks about, you know that?! Every time we have time together, you always become a topic of heavy interest for him. How dare y—“

Twilight’s sobs were steadily growing louder as Discord scolded her for breaking DJ’s heart. Until they were completely unbearable and she took off out of the house, running towards Ponyville. She never even noticed her friends that had gathered outside the hut. “TWI?!” called Applejack, but Twilight was too consumed by grief, so she just kept running. Her friends just watched her go, not sure what they had just seen.

Back inside the hut, Discord was confused as well. “Well, that was just rude. Now Zecora about what I had come here for—,“ he looked over to see Zecora slowly stroking the white sheet, tears now fully falling from her muzzle. The chaos lord was filled with even more confusion, until he looked at the shape of the creature under the sheet; it was very familiar and it scared him. He floated forward and lifted a small part of the sheet and dropped it in fear. He had just enough time to see the face of the being under the sheet. Discord didn’t know what to say or think. His friend was obviously dead, and he had left him there to die. Anger roared inside the chaotic deity. He pounded his fist on the bed, tears threatening his eyes.

“NO! No, damn it! You promised you’d never do this. Why? Why did this have to happen?” A thought came to his mind and he knew he had to act, and soon. Discord trudged off and out of the hut.

“Discord! Do you know why Twilight took off like that earlier?” asked his dear friend Fluttershy.

“Yes, but I am not going to tell you. And I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. Trust me, you won’t like what you see.” He snapped his talons and disappeared. The girls all looked at each other in fear and confusion.

“What do you think he meant by that?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Ah don’t know, but Ah’m gonna find out!” proclaimed Applejack. With her going first, they all filed into the hut, surprising the zebra when they did.

“Oh no,” was all Zecora could say. The girls immediately noticed the white sheet, which caused Fluttershy to ‘eep’ in fear. She started to cry almost immediately. The others looked at her with strange looks. They had never seen anything like the sheet, so they didn’t know what it meant.

“Uh, Fluttershy? Why are you crying?” asked Rainbow.

“That sh-sheet! It-It means that somepony has…has died!” and her sobs picked up with intensity. The others stared in shock at her and then turned their attention back to the sheet.

Rarity focused on Zecora and asked the question that was on everypony’s mind. “Zecora, dear? Is that true? Has somepony died?” Zecora nodded solemnly causing a group gasp. “W-who, darling? Who is under that cloth?”

Zecora fumbled with her words, not sure exactly what to say. She went with the truth in the ends. “It is our human friend; DJ has met his end,” she said, unable to look at them. If she had, she would have noticed all of their eyes grow wide and their mouths fall agape, a few placing their hooves over their mouths.

“THAT CAN’T BE TRUE!!” yelled Applejack, with tears in her eyes. “HE AIN’T DEAD!” She trudged over to the body and lifted the sheet to prove it and dropped it soon after, her fears confirmed. “no,” she said in quiet whisper. “No, no, no, no. Not my brother!” She broke down next to him, and then placed her head on his chest as she cried.

Rainbow still couldn’t believe and flew above him. “I bet he’s just faking it,” she said in a not too sure voice. “Come on, DJ. Time to wake up, this isn’t funny.” She began to prod his chest, hoping it would be uncomfortable enough for him to give up the façade. That was until her hoof hit the whole in his chest and went through it a few inches. Her eyes widened when she did so, along with everypony else, their eyes full of horror. Rainbow backed away and landed on her haunches, her sobs growing as she realized the truth. Pinkie’s mane had deflated and gone straight, her eyes had rivers of tears flowing from them. She then took Fluttershy in her arms and the two cried in each other’s embrace. Rarity had walked over to her dead friend and began to stroke his legs, as the tears in her eyes began to flow. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the words.

They all cried together for a ten minutes, until Applejack spoke. “We have to get him back home. Back to the library, we can keep a better eye on him there until we can tell everypony else what happened. Maybe Twi can tell us what happened to him.” They nodded in agreement, but Rainbow had a question.

“How are we gonna get him back home without him being seen?”

Applejack and the others had to think on that, until an idea came to her head. She didn’t like, but knew it was the only way. “I guess I have to get Big Macintosh’s cart. He’s the only one who can pull it, though. Which means…” she left that in the air, the others instantly understanding. They agreed that that’s what they would do. AJ headed off to find her older brother, trying to keep the tears from falling. She found him on his way back to the farm, his cart emptied after his delivery. “Big Mac! Wait! I need you to come with me. I need you and your cart for something,” she called to her brother.

Big Mac saw her and complied. Minutes later they were halfway back to Zecora’s and then Big Macintosh had to ask. “What are we doing in the forest, sis? What do you need me for?”

Applejack didn’t know what to tell him. She wanted him to know the truth, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. They arrived outside Zecora’s a minute later, then Applejack sighed. “Big Mac, both of us are going to go in there. I just need to warn you, that you are not going to like what you’re about to see.”

Big Macintosh looked at with suspicion. “I think I can handle it,” he replied calmly. Applejack looked doubtful, but pushed open the door anyway. The saw all of the mares huddled around the body, tears still present in their eyes. The siblings trotted over to them, and they parted allowing Big Mac forward. What he saw caused his eyes to widen and his mouth to drop. He roared. “NO!” His booming voice shaking the hut slightly. He rushed forward, hoping that his eyes were betraying him. He looked over the sight of his brother dead before him. His own tears began to form. “Who did this?” he asked in a quiet, but dark voice. He turned towards his sister, angry tears ever present. “Who took him from us?! Tell me!”

Applejack couldn’t look at her brother in the eyes. “We don’t know. Twilight’s the only we think who knows what happened. That’s why we need your help Big Macintosh. We need to get DJ back to the library, but we don’t want the town to know. Will you help get him back home?”

Big Mac turned back towards DJ and then back to AJ. He sighed and said, “Eeyup,” in a low voice. Minutes later, they had DJ piled into the cart, fresh tears falling from them as they took in his lifeless form. They draped the white cloth over top of the cart, so nopony could see him. Zecora promised to come by later, as she had other things to take care of and the six ponies trotted off with the cart in tow. They made it to the town and were headed towards the library, when trouble reared its head nearly halfway there.

“Oh, there you are Big Macintosh, Applejack. We were just on our way to your farm!” greeted Cheerilee with her entire class in tow. Big Mac and AJ then realized what she meant. They had agreed on a class field trip for that afternoon. They shared a panic look and then Big Mac spoke to Cheerilee.

“Apologies, Miss Cheerilee, but we’re gonna have to postpone that field trip. Something important has come up suddenly and it requires immediate attention,” he said, trying to be very inconspicuous. Cheerilee wasn’t falling for it.

“Oh, but we have had this planned for weeks and the children were very much looking forward to it.” Cheerilee then turned her head to the right of Big Mac and spoke again, “Oh, Nyx you shouldn’t be looking through Mister Macintosh’s cart without permission.”

As she spoke, Big Mac turned his head in fear. He saw her, little Nyx, lifting up the tarp over the cart and looking down. “NYX, NOOO!” but he was too late. Nyx suddenly jumped away from the cart, fear and tears in her eyes. He knew immediately; she had seen him, her father, dead in the cart. Tears welled up in her eyes, she closed them and ran off, Big Mac calling after her. “NYX!! WAIT!! COME BACK!! Horseapples,” he cursed.

He turned back to the teacher who was displeased. “Big Macintosh, why did one of my students look in your cart and run off? What do you have back there? A dead body?” His eyes grew wide at the accusation. The others mares with him were too grief stricken to talk. Apple Bloom approached her sister from the class.

“Big sis? Why did Nyx run off like that? Do we have something scary in the cart?” Applejack stared at her sister in fear. Tears filled her eyes as she picked Apple Bloom off the ground and embraced her. Big Macintosh knew what she wanted to do, and followed by talking with Cheerilee.

“Miss Cheerilee, what I have to say is very hard for me, much harder than anything I’ve ever said before.” She looked at him with interest. “Today has been very hard. We…we lost someone dear to us early and it’s hit us all pretty hard.” Cheerilee lifted her hoof to her mouth as she gasped. The class behind her were straining to hear. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were the closest and were hanging on every word. “Earlier today, our brother, DJ, passed away. So please respect our wishes and allow us to postpone the trip.” Everypony couldn’t believe what they had just heard. Sweetie ran over to her sister, eyes filled with tears. They stared at each other and then hugged, tears falling immensely. Scootaloo trotted over to Rainbow Dash, her own eye wet. Their eyes met and they too embraced. Apple Bloom over heard and looked right at her sister, finally comprehending what was going on and began to sob into her sister’s chest.

Cheerilee stared in fear at what she had just heard. “Oh my Celestia, that’s awful! Oh, Big Mac I am so sorry. I understand, we will reschedule. But, may I ask, can I come by later and visit with him? He was a good friend of mine.” Big Mac nodded. “Thank you, come on now children; let’s get back to the school.” The children complied, not wanting to cause any more of a scene. The CMC were told to go back to the school with their classmates, but promised they could come back later. Applejack also had Apple Bloom promise to have Granny Smith come by, too. The group arrived at the library not long after.

Spike greeted them as they walked in, but after he was told what had happened, he broke down in tears. Not even a sixteen year old dragon can prevent themselves from breaking down after learning they had lost a dear friend. Spike told them that Twilight was locked in her room and refused to come out. They set DJ’s body on the dining room table, still draped in the cloth, and they mourned their friend.

***Canterlot Castle***

Princess Celestia was sitting down to tea this afternoon. Princess Luna had joined her after her rest and they both watched as Pixel Berry worked on her lessons at the table, chewing on a quill as she focused. She really had a hard time understanding politics. Then they heard a ruckus coming from outside the door. It sounded like her guards were fighting some monster.

The door then burst open, revealing a very angry Discord trudging his way in. He flicked away the guards, not even bother with them. They all stared in fear of him. Celestia was the only one able to speak. “Discord! What is the meaning of this?”

“I need you Princess,” he said. “I need you to open a portal the mystical plains. I need to go there, but with my emotions going haywire, I can’t open the portal right. And I need it NOW!”

Celestia was too worried about what he may do if he didn’t get what he wanted and she didn’t want anything to happen to her sister or her daughter. So she complied and a portal appeared off to her right. Discord smiled and approached the portal, but Celestia had a question. “Discord, what has you so upset?”

He sighed and answered her question as he stepped in front of the portal. “I’m sure that you will find out soon enough.” He stepped through it and he said one last thing in a deep whisper, “Let’s hope I’m not too late.” The princesses were left alone to wonder at what he meant and what could possible going on.

The Grieving

All was calm in Canterlot Castle after Discord went through his portal. The guards were still picking themselves up after being flung away so easily. They retreated out of the chamber as they did so, either returning to their posts or going to the infirmary. This left the princess sisters to ruminate over what had just transpired.

“What was that all about? What could have possibly happened that would have made Discord act like that?” questioned Berry, asking the obvious questions. Neither princess had an answer, but they did not have to wait long. Into the room came a small wisp of smoke that formed into a scroll in front of Celestia. She wasn’t expecting any friendship reports or the like any time soon, so she was highly curious as to what it said. Celestia looked up and saw that her guests were interested as well and decided to read the letter aloud.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This is Spike. I am writing to you so that you will come to Ponyville as soon as possible. Something terrible has happened and you need to be here. Princess Luna and Pixel Berry should come too as this affects them as well. We need your help with Twilight, Princess. She is the only with the answers, but we can’t get her to come out of her room.

By this point, you are no doubt curious as to what has happened. Well here it is. It with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes as I continue to write that I must inform you…of the passing of one of our friends. Just come quickly Princess, it’s just too hard without the answers. It’s just not the same without him; we need you Celestia. I can’t believe I am writing this, but, it’s DJ, Princess. DJ has been killed. Come as fast as you can.

With Love, Spike

Celestia put the letter down slowly, not believing what she had read aloud. She looked over at her daughter and saw that her eyes were wide and tears forming in the corners. Luna, too, was feeling the sadness growing from deep within her. The sisters looked at each other and nodded, knowing what they must do. Celestia walked over to Berry and put her wing around her daughter, Luna walking up and doing the same. An instant later, they teleported off.

***Books and Branches Library***

The ponies and one dragon simply sat around the table where there departed friend lay. None of them could say a word, so they sat in silence. They had been like this for over an hour and just stared down at the corpse. None of them knew what to do or say.

Then, a bright a flash engulfed the room and two ponies and one human were in the library as well. The princesses looked around at the sight before her until her eyes landed on the body on the table, causing her eyes to widen. She then regarded the assembled ponies. “So, it is true?” The princess received solemn nods in return. Berry walked forward and knelt down at the edge of the table. The young girl looked upon her brother with tear-filled eyes. She put her head in her hands and cried, and soon felt Pinkie Pie hugging her, trying to make them both feel better.

Again, they all sat in silence except for Berry and Pinkie’s sobbing. But another sound permeated through the library. It was the sound of Twilight’s bedroom door opening. Not long after, the Princess of Magic was walking down the stairs, a dead look in her eyes. She walked right by her friends and mentor, not even noticing them. They hear her getting a glass of water in the kitchen, drinking it, and then walking back out, once again heading for the stairs.

“Twilight?” called Princess Celestia. She stopped in her tracks. “Please, Twilight, tell us what happened,” Celestia pleaded with her former pupil as she walked up behind her. Twilight couldn’t take it anymore and turned around, embracing her mentor and began sobbing into her chest. Celestia was surprised at first, but soon draped her wings around the young mare as she cried her heart out. After roughly a minute, Celestia asked her again.

Twilight’s crying began subside and she spoke something in a quiet whisper, “It’s all my fault.” Celestia didn’t understand and told her so. “It’s all my fault,” Twilight said a little louder. “I killed him, Celestia! Because of me, the man I loved is dead!”

Everyone was stunned at her revelation. Nopony said a thing, simply waiting for Twilight to continue. “I never should have said those things to him. I should have let him explain himself. It’s all because of me!” Twilight began to break down again. The others urged her to explain and she did, her sobbing continually rising as she retold everything that led up to the loss of their friend. When she was done, everypony was different in their reactions.

Big Mac was fuming from his seat, but Applejack was keeping him calm, even though she too was more than a little miffed at Twilight. Fluttershy and Rarity were sympathetic to her, while Rainbow was more confused than anything, choosing to be mad in the end. The princess was too able to sympathize with her former student. Then a weight lifted off her chest and she looked down to see Twilight approaching DJ’s body. She spoke as she drew closer.

“I am so sorry I made you do this DJ. My heart just fell apart when I heard you say those words and I wasn’t thinking. I should have let you explain yourself, not sent you away.” The tears were falling fiercely from her eyes and her voice began to crack. “I miss you DJ! I need you! Please come back to me! PLEASE COME BACK DJ!” She threw herself on his chest and bawled. “I SORRY DJ! I AM SO SO SORRY! Just come back to me, DJ. Please come back.” Her outcries calmed, but her crying continued as her friends watched on, their anger dispersing after her display.

***Elsewhere in Ponyville***

The school day had ended quickly for Cheerilee, the news about Ponyville’s resident human taking its toll on the class. She dismissed them early and was on her way to a certain candy shop in the plaza district. Cheerilee knew it was going to be hard to tell them, but they were all close friends of DJ’s too, so they deserved to know. She walked in the front door and was surprised what was before her: everypony she had planned on visiting.

Inside the shop were five mares, all different kinds of ponies. There was the shop owner, Bon Bon, and her special somepony, Lyra Heartstrings. Three other customers were present as well. There was Vinyl Scratch and her roommate Octavia, just paying off their purchase. And then there was Ditzy and Dinky Doo who were browsing through all the different types of candies. Cheerilee cleared her throat to get the attention of them all. Lyra was the first to greet her.

“Oh hi there, Miss Cheerilee! Can I get you anything?” she asked with a perky smile.

The teacher mare sighed and spoke to them all. “I know this doesn’t make much sense, but I need all of you to follow me to the library. It’s very important that every one of you comes with. I’ll explain once we are there. Just know that has to do with our friend DJ.” They were all suspicious at first, but when they heard DJ’s name the complied with smiles, figuring it must be something strange or important.

Not too long later, they were nearing the library when they encountered to other ponies beginning to enter the library. It was Apple Bloom and Granny Smith. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” Miss Cheerilee greeted. “Have you told your Granny why she is here?” Apple Bloom shook her head no and allowed the grownups to enter first. When they did, Applejack stepped out of the back room and noticed them. When she saw her granny, she trotted over and hugged her hard, fresh tears beginning to fall.

“Now what’s all this youngin’? You’re actin’ like somethin’ terrible has happened,” replied Granny Smith. This caused the mare embracing her to cry even harder. Once AJ had composed herself a little, she spoke to the crowd in front of her.

“What y’all are about to see, is not to leave this house, not yet anyways. It’s not a happy sight, I can tell ya that.” With that, she led them into the next room. “See for yourself,” she stepped aside and raised a hoof, gesturing towards the table. What they saw, none of them seemed to understand. Vinyl was the first to speak up.

“Uh, so you brought us here to see a sheet? Are you waiting to pull it off of the thing underneath?”

“No, Vinyl,” said Pinkie Pie who appeared next to them. Pinkie then leaned forward and hugged Vinyl, hard. “It’s awful! That thing under there is DJ!” Tears began to stream from her eyes again as she spoke. “He’s dead, guys. DJ’s dead!” The others looked at her in shock, Vinyl even pulled off her sunglasses, still being held by Pinkie. Granny Smith looked at Applejack with a serious look.

“Is this true, AJ?” was all she said.

“It’s true, Granny. Our brother is with us no more.” Applejack was suddenly gripped tight by the elder mare, her tears falling strongly. She looked over and saw more sadness around her. Ditzy and Dinky were holding each other tight, tears evident on both of them. Lyra had approached the dead human and was stoking his head, while Bon Bon hugged her tightly. Cheerilee had gone to sit by Rarity and Sweetie Belle, unsure how to express her emotions.

They all sat there for what felt like hours, again. The sadness they all felt thickened the air around them, all of them simply staring at the body before them, Twilight joining them at the head of the table, which was also where her love’s head was as well. Then the unthinkable happened: DJ’s body began to fade away. They entire group gasped as the body began to disappear, Twilight desperately calling out for it to stop. “No, NO!! Please don’t go DJ!” but her cries were unheeded and seconds later his body had completely disappeared. Only his lightsabers remained underneath the large piece of cloth. Twilight’s sobs began a new, no pony really understanding what had just happened. Luna trotted over to speak with her sister.

“Sister, what happened to the body?” she asked in a whisper.

“I do not know, Luna. I fear that because DJ was not from Equestria originally, that his body simply faded out of existence. I hope that is not the case, but it is the only thing that makes sense right now,” Celestia replied. They didn’t speak after that, allowing the silence to resume.

Another noise entered the library after a while. It was the opening of the front door and a stallion walking in.

“Hello?” he called out with a Braytish accent. “Is anypony here?” Spike got up and went to the doorway that led to the main lobby.

“Sorry, dude. Library’s closed today. Come back another time.”

“Oh, bugger. I really wanted to get that book today. May I ask why the library is closed today?”

“We lost a close friend, and we are in mourning,” was his reply.

“Oh, dear, I am so sorry to hear that. Could I perhaps join? I have been told that I am quite good at cheering others up when they are so dreadfully down. I will only take a few minutes of your time.” Spike thought on it for a moment and agreed to give him a chance. He led him into the next room where everypony was waiting. The stallion strode right over to Twilight and sat beside her, she never let her eyes leave the spot where DJ’s body once was. “I am dreadfully sorry for your loss. Would you mind telling me who this pony was?”

Twilight never looked up, even as she replied. “He was my coltfriend.”

“How awful! Losing a love one is not something that should happen to anypony. I have an idea, why don’t all of you say a few words about him, they say that always helps when in mourning. It helps for you to remember them.”

The others agreed and everypony said a few words. The Apples spoke of how hardworking he was and how he was a caring and honest brother. Rarity spoke of his generosity towards others. Rainbow mentioned how he was always loyal to his friends, never letting them down. Fluttershy talked of how kind he was to everypony he met. Pinkie Pie spoke of how he was always trying to make others laugh, especially when they were down. The others at the table gave their words as well, but Twilight’s resonated within them all.

“DJ was different than anypony I had ever met,” she said. “He was everything they all said, but he was so much more to me. He cared for me, Nyx, and Spike like we were already family. Every time the two of us were together, it was like magic. The magic of our love.”

The stallion nodded and waited a few minutes before speaking again. “Hypothetically, if he were to somehow return, what would you do?”

The question was directed at Twilight, so she was the only one who answered. “If DJ were to come back to me? The first thing I would do would be…to blast him through a wall for his stupidity! I would buck him upside the face for leaving me alone like that!! And after that, I’d…I’d kiss him. I would kiss him stronger and more passionately than we ever have,” said Twilight with a dreamy look.

“Well, then,” said the stallion, “mind if I take you up on that offer?”

“What?” was all Twilight said.

“I am not too keen on the flank kicking, but the kissing part sounded quite worth it. Especially from a mare who looks as good as yourself,” he said with a sly grin.

Twilight responded with a huff. “It's not very gentlecolt-like to hit on a widower in mourning, you know! That was just rude and I am offended highly by your comment. No matter how charming you are.”

The stallion only laughed at her answer. It was a hearty laugh, one filled with amusement. His next words were completely unexpected. Not just because of what they were, but also because of his voice. His voice suddenly changed, and it was very familiar.

“I’ll take that as a compli-sult!”

Twilight’s head bolted up and she looked wide-eyed at the stallion for the first time. The unicorn stallion had a dark blue coat, with a single, large snowflake for a cutie mark. He had a long mane and medium tail that were both dark brown, almost black, in color. His eyes, though. They were overly familiar to her. They were much bigger, but she would recognize those hazel-green eyes filled with love and understanding anywhere.

“DJ?” she asked with an uncertain voice. The entire table looked shocked at what she said, even more so when the stallion responded.

He looked at her with a loving smile and spoke. “Yes, Twilight. I’m home. I heard you missed me.”

Facing Death

There was nothingness. Not a thing or a person or a pony around. He was all alone. This is what DJ awoke to. Just a blank slate of emptiness. All around him was white, but nothing else. There was no ground either, he simply floated in place. He didn’t know how long he had been there, but it had felt like an eternity and a half. Out of the nothingness, a voice finally called to him.

“Welcome, DJ,” said the ghastly voice. DJ twisted in the void and saw the face of Death. Literally, it was a human skeleton, draped in a black cloak, holding a very sharp sythe. DJ’s eyes widened with shock, but it faded quickly into a more unamused look.

“Seriously? You really look like that? Boooring! It’s so overdone, darling,” he retorted imitating Rarity with that last bit.

Death scowled back at him. “As I was saying,” he started again, “Welcome, DJ, the human, to your afterlife. Here you will suffer for all your wrong doings. Suicide is not looked upon well here, so you are in for some pain. Mwahahaha!”

“And the evil laugh? Dime store vilian if I ever saw one,” DJ said his hand on his head which was shaking slowly.

“Enough of your blathering, human! Now face your punishment!” Death swung his sythe, but instead of carving DJ in two, it tore open a hole in the void. He backed away and encouraged DJ to step forward. When he did, DJ couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He was seeing it all, watching from above his corpse. He saw Twilight gallop out of the cave and remove the lightsaber from his chest. Then she teleported with him in tow. He saw Zecora step out, and he could hear what they were saying as well.

As DJ watched the events unfold, Death had a smile beginning to form on his fleshless face. Knowing that this human would suffer soon enough. That’s when the crying started. DJ was forced to look on as Applejack and Rainbow Dash broke down because of him. Rarity looked on the verge of tears herself, while Pinkie and Fluttershy were crying their hearts out together. It was stirring something in DJ, but it was not the expected emotion.

After a while, he saw Big Macintosh enter the room. He witnessed his older brother begin to rage because of his passing. He turned away from the sight, and when he looked back, he saw that they were in town, the CMC hugging their sisters tightly. They must have just been told what had happened. Then they were at the library, where they simply sat around his corpse and cried. Then the princesses and his sister showed up and they joined in the mourning as well. Eventually Twilight returned and explained everything that had happened.

Then the worst happened. He witnessed Twilight break down on his body, crying out to him.

“I need you, DJ! Come back to me! PLEASE COME BACK!”

DJ snapped, or he would have if he hadn’t been interupted.

“DJ,” came a voice from behind him, a familiar voice. The human turned around and saw that Death had been joined by two of his friends. Discord and Genie were watching him, the choas lord being that one that called out to him. The draconequis floated forward, a blank look on his face. DJ smiled at his friend, but then was on the receiving end of a lion-punch to the face. He was sent sprawling a few feet.

“How could you do this, DJ? This has to be the dumbest thing you have ever done!”

DJ stood up, still rubbing his cheek. He looked past the fuming lord of chaos at Genie, who had an air of disappontment around him. He realized what he done, he had let them both down. His emotions were running rampant, but one stood out among the rest. Anger, pure, unrivaled fury. He was angry at himself mostly. Angry that he had let his friends down, that he was making them suffer because of him. But there was another that his anger was directed at, one who would face his wrath.

“I know, Discord. I’m sorry. I was a weak, selfish, cowardly fool. I wasn’t thinking. But I AM going to fix this.” He gave Discord a look of pure determination. The draconequis smiled at this looks, because he knew that the human was speaking the truth.

DJ started to walk towards Death, his anger growing uncontrollable as he approaced the spirit. “Death, what you have done is unforgivable. I can understand the need for me to suffer for my selfish actions, but that was uncalled for!” He got right in death’s face and spoke once more. “I want a second chance!”

Death glared right back at him. “No, it is not possible. Your body is beyond repair, and also I just plain don’t want to.”

DJ then let his anger flare, his eyes reverting into voids. He grabbed Death and lifted him by the cloak. His voice was darker, nearing that of Malice, himself. “Then I will make you give me another chance!” He tossed Death away like he was nothing, landing on his rear end. “I will not be the one who makes those ponies suffer! I am going back or else I will make your existence a fucking nightmare! Give me another chance before I kick your ass to yourself!”

Discord and Genie took this chance to intervene, hoping that they can stop this before DJ lost his one chance back. “Death, we apologize for our friend’s rash actions, but it is possible for him to return afterall,” said Discord.

“The Lord of Chaos is correct,” confirmed Genie. “DJ’s good works in Equestria have more than given him another chance at life. You know this, too, and since he wants to go back, you must find him a way. Such is your duty.”

Death glared at them. “Alright fine, the punk human gets another chance at life.” DJ’s celebration was cut short as Death continued. “But, I wasn’t wrong about his body. It is too far gone. If he wants to return, it would have to be in a brand new body and it would be completely at randon. He could come back as a griffon or a diamond dog. There is no way of telling.”

“I don’t care if I come back as a freaking parasprite, just send me back! I don’t care if they pound me to pieces for putting them through this, I am going to end this suffering, NOW!” A ghost of a smile appeared on Death’s face.

“Very well, kid. We will make you a new body, and your original one will make the perfect base.”

Throug the portal, DJ could here Twilight calling out as his body back on Equis vanished. He cringed at the sound. Hold on, Twi. I’m coming.

“There it’s all done!” said Death. Another portal then appeared next to DJ. “Go on through and you will be back on Equis.” As DJ turned toward the portal, he said one last thing to Death.

“So we are clear, Death. I don’t plan on coming back anytime soon. But if I do, then be prepared because I ain’t goin’ without a fight. That much I promise.” That said, he jumped through the portal.

***Equis – The Everfree Cliffs***

DJ awoke to an unbearable pain in his chest. “Ugh, ow. What hit me?” He took in his surroundings and realized that he was back on the cliff where he had ended his life. “Was it all just a dream?” Then he tried to stand, but was unable to for some reason. Then he got a good look at himself. “HOLY CRAP I’M A PONY! ...SWEET!”

Yes you are a pony now, DJ.

“Who said that?” He looked around frantically, but found no one around.

It’s Discord I’m speaking to you from the mystical realm.

“Oh, that makes sense. Hey, any idea how to walk on four legs, cause I got nothin’.”

Here, *snap*. I have given you special insticts to help get you used to your new form. They are temporary, however, and will likely fail after a few days. As long as you don’t think about it, you should be able to walk, eat, use magic, and fly with ease. That is, until the spells wear off and you have to learn everything the old fashioned way.

“Oh! Thanks man… WAIT A MINUTE! Did you just say use magic and fly?!”

Yes, yes I did. You are an alicorn now, my friend.

“I’m a what now?” DJ looked up to see a horn sticking out of his forehead and looked to his side to see a pair of wings. “AWESOME!! This is perfect! Hey, wait. Why am I wearing my coat, still?”

It hides your wings when they are folded. Can’t have you inciting a panic about a new alicorn flying around. Now go see our friends before they get even worse!

“Right! Time to take off.” DJ took Discord’s advice and emptied his mind. He jumped from the cliff and his wings unfolded and he took flight. “This is amazing!” With that he sped off towards Ponyville, making sure nopony saw him flying. He landed outside the library and was about to answer when a thought popped into his mind.

Can I really just waltz on in there and say that I’m back and now a pony? No, I need to do some research. I need to know what they are feeling. And I now I have a plan!

His plan in place, DJ walked thorugh the door and switched his voice to his trademark British accent. “Hello? Is anypony here?”

Spike came to the doorway that led to the living area. “Sorry dude. Library’s closed today. Come back another time.”

“Oh, bugger. I really wanted that book today. May I ask why the library is closed today?”

“We lost a close friend and we’re in mourning,” the young dragon replied.

“Oh, dear, I am so sorry to hear that. Could I perhaps join? I have been told that I am quite good at cheering others up when they are so dreadfully down. I will only take a few minutes of your time.” Spike thankfully bought it and led DJ into the other room where all of his friends were there staring at table cloth. None of them paid him any mind. He took a seat near Twilight and asked a stupid question. “I am dreadfully sorry for your loss. Would you mind telling me who this pony was?”

Twilight never even looked at him when she replied. “He was my coltfriend.”

“How awful! Losing a love one is not something that should happen to anypony. I have an idea, why don’t all of you say a few words about him, they say that always helps when in mourning. It helps for you to remember them.” I think that’s how it goes anyways. Plus, this will let me know exactly how they feel about me.

He listened intently to everything they had to say. Each one nearly brought the young alicorn to tears. They didn’t hold anything back and talked so greatly about him. I never knew this how they felt about me, Twilight especially. She really does love me. Thank Celestia for that.

Now DJ wanted to really test them. “Hypothetically, if he were to somehow return, what would you do?”

“If DJ were to come back to me? The first thing I would do would be…to blast him through a wall for his stupidity! I would buck him upside the face for leaving me alone like that!! And after that, I’d…I’d kiss him. I would kiss him stronger and more passionately than we ever have,” said Twilight with a dreamy look.

DJ put on a sly smile and decided to tease her, just a little. “Well, then,” he started, “mind if I take you up on that offer?”

“What?” was all Twilight said.

“I am not too keen on the flank kicking, but the kissing part sounded quite worth it. Especially from a mare who looks as good as yourself,” he said with a sly grin.

Twilight responded with a huff. “It not very gentlecolt-like to hit on a widower in mourning, you know! That was just rude and I am offended highly by your comment. No matter how charming you are.”

The stallion only laughed at her answer. It was a hearty laugh, one filled with amusement. His next words were completely unexpected. Okay, time to end this charade. His next words were that of his normal voice.

“I’ll take that as a compli-sult!” Twilight’s head bolted up and looked him dead in the eyes.

“DJ?” she asked with an uncertain voice. Everypony at the table looked shocked at what she said, which grew when DJ spoke back.

He looked at her with a loving smile and spoke. “Yes, Twilight. I’m home. I heard you missed me.” The next thing DJ knew was a lot of pain.

The Consequences

Once again, DJ felt himself flying, only this time it was backwards. He didn’t even remember taking off. There was a bright flash of purple light and next thing he knew he’s flying back first into a bookcase. Why is it always me back?! He crumpled to the floor, books and wood collapsing around him. His head was spinning, back was burning, and all around it was a lot of pain. His vision began to clear and he noticed the one who had sent him sprawling approaching him, her muzzle engulfed in anger.

DJ knew that this was probably going to happen, so he sighed and closed his eyes. “Go ahead Twilight,” he said. “Let it all out. I deserve every last bit of it for putting you through what I did.”

“DJ,” Twilight began, “you are the most insufferable, stupid, reckless, annoying, messed up being that I have ever met!” When she let him have, she let him have it! DJ braced himself for another impact, but instead felt a strange sensation on his lips. He didn’t even need to open his eyes. DJ knew instinctively that Twilight was kissing him, and was giving her all. He returned the kiss in full, both moaning in pleasure from the contact. When they broke apart, they looked into each other’s eyes and Twilight spoke again. “And I never want you to leave me again.”

A bright flash of magic appeared in front of him revealing a small case that had been teleported out of Twilight’s bedroom. DJ gasped at it. “The ring!” He looked away from it and into Twilight’s loving eyes. “You kept it?”

Twilight nodded in confirmation. “Yes, I did. Now, wasn’t there something you were going to ask me after estrus was over?” she said with a seductive tone. DJ couldn’t believe what he was hearing, she actually wanted him to go through with it. He was afraid that she was just doing this to humor him, but he didn’t care. Twilight was giving him the perfect opportunity and he wasn’t going to waste it. So he bent his two left knees, kneeling before her.

“Twilight, we have been through so much together over these past 11 months. You were always there for me, no matter what. You have given me so much and I practically threw that all away in a second. I’m so sorry I put you through that Twi, I just felt so weak after you broke my heart. I just wanted the pain to stop and I saw only one way. I wasn’t thinking and I feel awful. I just don’t want you to suffer because of me. So if you would be willing to give me another chance, I promise with all of my heart and soul that I will never leave you again. I love you so much Twilight that I don’t want to lose you either; I need you in my life Twi. So, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” he opened the ring case before her, allowing her to see it. “Will you marry this reckless moron of a stallion?” His eyes and voice were full of hope.

Twilight’s eyes began to tear up once again, only this time they were tears of pure joy and happiness. She spoke with a lovely whisper, “yes.” DJ’s head perked up at her, a smile beginning to form. Twilight restated her answer again, with more force. “Yes, DJ. I will marry you!” DJ’s eyes beamed with happiness. He made a hoof-pump and whisper-shouted a ‘yes’ to himself. They pushed together, confirming their mutual love in a deep, passionate kiss, once again causing blissful moans of pleasure.

When they finally pulled apart, they simply stared into each other’s eyes, smiles on both of their muzzles. “Ahem,” came a voice from behind Twilight. Both of them turned to see the other ponies in the room. Some were smiling at what they had just seen, while others were giving them blank stares. Once again, DJ let out a sigh.

“Alright, let the verbal and physical bashing commence.” He pushed himself away from Twilight and stuck his forelegs out to his sides, preparing himself for the punishment of a life time. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

“We ain’t gonna beat you up DJ,” said Applejack. “We just want to know why. Why did you go and leave us like that?!” DJ saw tears beginning to form in her eyes again. He hung his head and spoke to everypony present.

“I don’t know AJ. It’s just that when Twilight said those things, it felt like my heart was crumbling. It was like my worst fears were coming to life before my eyes and I couldn’t take it. It felt as if everything in my life had lost its meaning; that there was no point to me living if I couldn’t be with Twilight.” He turned his head to her, but continued to address the group. “She is my everything. My reason for life. Without her, I don’t know what I’d do. To me she is the definition of perfection and when I lost her, I lost everything that gave life meaning.”

He turned back to them. “I am so sorry for putting all of you through this. Honest, the last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt any of you. You all mean so much to me and it hurt me so much to see all of you in pain.” Once again he hung his head. “I don’t know if you can ever forgive me, but I hope that we can all still be friends.” Pinkie Pie was the first to approach him. When she was close enough, she wrapped her hooves around him in a big hug.

“Of course we’re still friends, silly,” she said. “Just don’t ever do this again.” She let go of him and backed a way, her mane going poofy and her smile returning. The others around the table nodded in agreement.

“Thanks everypony. It means a lot to me to know I still have you guys with me.”

Celestia then spoke up, a question that was on all of their minds. “It is good to have you back, DJ. But, I must ask, how did you get back and why are you a pony?”

DJ smiled. “Let’s just say that Death and I have a new understanding of each other.”

“So you did meet Death?”

“Heh. Met and threatened!” he announced proudly. Celestia and Luna’s faces showed shock. DJ went and retold them all about what happened after he died and what he did to get back to them. When he finished, Twilight embraced him from behind and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “Aw, thanks Twi. And now you know I would go through hell and back just to get to you. Heh. This has been one hectic day, hasn’t it? Hey, by the way, where’s Nyx? I never saw her through the viewing portal, so does she even know?”

Big Macintosh looked at his brother uncomfortably. “Yeah, she knows. When we were heading into town, she looked in the cart when I wasn’t looking. Nyx definitely saw you and then ran off. We haven’t seen her since. We don’t know where she is. Sorry.”

DJ thought on that for a moment, one place coming to mind. “I think I know where she is. Don’t worry everypony, I’ll go and get her. It’ll be faster if I go alone, anyways.”

“What do you mean, DJ? You are only a unicorn, why do you think you’d be faster?” asked Twilight.

“Heh, oops. Skipped that part, didn’t I?” He then spread his wings wide, causing all of them to gape and stare in awe. “I ain’t no unicorn, my love. I’m an alicorn! See ya!” He took flight and headed towards the Everfree forest, specifically his training clearing. He had brought Nyx there a while back and she loved playing there. It was their private spot where they could play together in private. Nyx would practice her magic and DJ would work on his special powers. It was their place.

DJ saw her from the air and landed not too far from her. Nyx was too busy staring into the river at the edge of the clearing to ever notice him. DJ switched back to his British accent as he approached her. “What’s this, then? A young filly all alone in the forest, crying into a river. Why do I feel like this should be a bad pun?” He laughed to himself a little.

Nyx spoke, her voice was filled with sadness. “Please go away mister. I just want to be alone.”

“Now, now, none of that. Tell me little one, what has made you so sad.”

She sniffled as she tried to form the words. “My…my daddy died.”

“How dreadful! I am so sorry, little one.”

“Well, he wasn’t really my dad, but he cared for me like one so that’s how I thought of him. He was the first daddy I ever had and I miss him. He wasn’t even with us very long and now he’s gone. I just want him to come back.” Nyx began to cry as she spoke. DJ couldn’t do this to her, so he pulled the filly close to him and draped a wing over her. She never even registered that he was an alicorn. He reverted back to his voice.

“I am so sorry Nyx.” She instantly recognized the voice. She looked him right in the eyes, her growing wide. “I never wanted to hurt you, kiddo. I was selfish and stupid. Can you forgive your dumb old dad, Nyx?”

Nyx simply stared at him for a moment, before a great, big smile appeared on her face. She jumped forward, wrapping her hooves around his neck. “DADDY!!!” she yelled. “You’re okay! You came back! Please don’t leave me again, Daddy. Never leave.” Her sobs began anew as she hugged him. DJ returned the hug with interest. He stroked her back, promising that he would never leave her. She cried into his shoulder for several minutes before calming down.

“Let’s go back home, Nyx.” He felt her nod into his chest. DJ hefted his daughter on to his back and trotted off towards the town. Nyx clung to his back the whole way. “You know, Nyx?” she looked up at him.  “Your mother and I will be getting married soon. What do you think about me adopting you? Then I can be your real dad, according to the law anyway.” He looked back at her, her jaw had dropped but was smiling. She reached forward and hugged his neck again. Yeah, she’s okay with it.

They arrived at the library no long after. “Hey everypony,” DJ said as they walked in. “Told you I would find her.” Nyx climbed off his back and walked over to her mother.

“Mom, are you and DJ really getting married?” she asked. Twilight nodded with a happy smile. Nyx bounced around in happiness. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! DJ’s really gonna be my daddy! We’re gonna be a real family!” Twilight and DJ chuckled at her antics, Spike walking over to them and placing a claw on DJ’s side. The little filly jumped over to her parents and hugged both of them around the neck.  DJ scooped up Spike and the four of them enjoyed a family hug.

Then Princess Celestia spoke again. “It is always good to be surrounded by friends,” she remarked. DJ released his new family and slid back so that he could see everypony and his face was distorted in anger.

“NO! We are NOT friends. Nopony in this room are my friends!” he shouted. The others stared at him in disbelief, unable to understand his actions. But they didn’t have time to be upset as DJ immediately changed his tone, his face softening into one of compassion. “You all mean so much more to me than that. As far as I’m concerned, everypony here, in this room, is family.” They were stunned. He saw all of them, not as friends as they thought, but as one big family. He got smiles all around. He walked over to Pixel Berry and hugged her. “And I’m sorry I hurt my family so much. Can you ever forgive me?” Everypony then gathered around them and ended in a great big hug. Berry was the one who answered his question.

“Of course we can, DJ. You went through a lot just for us.” DJ sighed from her answer. “But you realize that I’m still gonna beat the crap out of you later, right?” His eyes opened wide and he smiled and chuckled a little.

“Yeah, should have seen that coming. Heh, heh.” The all shared a good laugh and eventually broke the hug. “So, what now?” he asked.

Cheerilee spoke up. “We should probably let the town know that you are still alive. I kind of visited the Mayor before I went and got the others. I asked her to set up a funeral for you. She has a remembrance party set up for tonight.”

“WHAT?! The Mayor set up a party without me?! That’s just not right!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

They looked at her in exasperation and then turned to DJ. He had a sly grin on his muzzle. “DJ? What are you thinking?” asked Twilight.

“I’m thinking that I am going to screw with whole town tonight! Come Pinkie! We got a party to crash!” The two of them suddenly bounced off, Berry following wanting in on this. Twilight let out a sigh and smiled, knowing that her love really had returned.

Later that night, Mayor Mare was up on the stage in the middle of town. What Cheerilee had told was surprising to say the least. It was the last thing she ever thought would come through that door today. She wasn’t overly familiar with the human, but she knew that many in town knew him quite well and this was the least she could do for him.

She addressed the entire town, who were all in attendance. The mayor had announced DJ’s death earlier that day and many had come to pay their respects. “Greetings, ponies of Ponyville. We have gathered here tonight in remembrance of DJ, our dear human friend. While the details behind his death have yet to be shared, he will be truly missed. And now, I ask you to join me in a moment of silence in his honor.” All was quiet and heads were bowed low, so much that nopony noticed a certain pink pony hop on stage.

“Ladies and gentlecolts!” Pinkie yelled to the crowd. Their heads all snapped up in surprise at the sudden sound. “Sorry to interrupt, but there has been a new development in DJ’s death. Please direct your attention to center stage. He comes from another world, he took the heart of a princess, and now he has conquered death itself! Please put your hooves together for…DJ, the king of rock and roll!” The ponies didn’t even have time to be shocked as the music began immediately.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

When DJ was finished he looked to the crowd a big smile on his face. “Hey, everypony! Look whose back! That’s right; it’s really me and I’m a pony! Permanently. Just look how many of you showed up just to remember little ol’ me. Ya’ll warm my heart, ya do! Thanks for coming everypony, but enough with the doom and gloom! Let’s party!” Pinkie and Berry suddenly appeared, each holding party cannons and fired! Streamers and other party supplies went flying and everypony cheered. DJ smiled as Twilight walked on stage and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed and kissed her back on the lips. Everything was as it should be.

But how long will it last?

Back in Business

It has been one week since DJ’s ‘incident’ and things have been slowly returning to normal. Discord’s magic wore off the very next day after DJ returned and he took three hours just learning how to stand up and walk. He spent the rest of the day adjusting to his new limbs. It was difficult at first, but it started to become second nature to him after a while. Twilight had DJ to herself the next day and they spent it learning magic. They also were trying to understand DJ’s cutie mark. He already had it when he was converted, so he must have already known his special talent, but had yet to fully realize it. That was, until he accidentally froze half of the library trying to cast a spell. Ice magic; that was his special talent. Needless to say, we has pumped! Ice magic is best magic!

Today, the entire group had decided to go out on a picnic. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were at the picnic table, watching the show. DJ had begun flight training the other day, with Rainbow Dash as his teacher. They watched as DJ flailed in the air, unsteady in flight. Did I ever mention that I do not enjoy heights, especially not at high speeds! At least now I can control it, somewhat. He also did not have his swords on him, so he couldn’t cheat. Eventually, he crash landed next to the table.

“Ow,” he said flatly.

“Nice try, DJ,” snickered Rainbow as she landed in her seat at the table.

“Gee, thanks. *Sigh*. Really, though, thanks guys for everything. I am still trying to get used to being a pony, so it means a lot to me that you’re all helping me.”

“No problem, dude! It’s gonna be fun once you got better control; I’ll have another flying buddy!”

“It is nothing, darling. Especially after all that has happened,” added Rarity.

“Heh, heh. Yeah, last week was hectic. Definitely not the best birthday ever,” said DJ. All of them dropped their drinks and their mouths were agape. DJ gave them a funny look. “What?”

“Darling, did you just say your birthday?”

“Uh, yeah. The fifth of July, the day I killed myself? That was my birthday, so yeah. Not the best self-present ever. What, didn’t I tell you all when my birthday was?” The all shook their heads. “Oh…oops.”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS?!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “I MISSED ONE OF MY FRIENDS BIRTHDAYS?! EVEN WORSE IS THAT HE’S MY STUDENT! I must be losing my touch.” She points her hoof at DJ, who is looking fearful of her right now. “Well then, we are having your party tonight! I’m inviting all of our friends; Discords and Genie, too. I need to go get things ready, bye!” She took off, leaving them all staring.

“Okaay, well it’s not like we had anything better to do tonight anyways. Hope she doesn’t go too overboard.”

“I can’t believe you never told us your birthday, DJ. You didn’t even tell me,” said Twilight.

“Sorry, love. I guess it never came up in conversation. To be fair, though, my birthdays have never been very exciting. Since I was a loner on Earth, I never really had any parties. The gifts were usually pretty simple as well.”

“Well, shoot,” said Applejack. “Then we need to get you some darn good gifts! Come on girls, we got presents to get!” They started to head into town, leaving DJ alone. Twilight stayed behind for a second.

“We’ll see you at the party, hon.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Keep working on your magic and the time will fly right on by.” She trotted off, waving goodbye.

“See ya, Twi.” Now what do I do?

You could find some way to turn back into human, ya stupid prick!

Really? We’ve been over this man, we can’t turn back. This is our body now; no ‘ifs’, ‘ands’, or ‘buts’.

When Malice first came to inside DJ’s mind and noticed their new body and…well. It wasn’t pretty. Malice was screaming at DJ for his stupidity for days and still was pretty ticked. He was a manifestation of human pride, after all. Now, he was in a body that he felt was beneath him. DJ didn’t know if Malice would ever accept it, but gave up trying to convince him.

One of these days, DJ. ONE OF THESE DAYS!!

I know, I know. ‘Boom, pow. Straight to the moon!’ Just drop it already.

NEVER!!!

DJ shook his head and went to the clearing to practice his magic.

**********

Several hours later, DJ was outside the library. Pinkie had dropped off an invitation during his practice sessions. It said to wait outside the library until he was told to come in. So there he was, waiting. He secretly hoped there would be cake, and lots of it. And Celestia ain’t touching any of it! That’s my cake! MINE!

The he heard Twilight call out his name through the door. “DJ!! Come on in!” DJ strode through the door and his ears regretted it.

“SURPRISE!!!!!” They yelled out. They were all there: His family, the Elements, the CMC, his other friends, Pixel Berry, Discord, and Genie. And in the middle of the room was the largest cake DJ had ever seen! It was huge! Easily towering above Discord and Genie. DJ only had one thing to say.

“That cake better be chocolate,” he warned. Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. DJ grinned and was greeted by everypony. The party began with a small dinner and then some dancing. And they all found out something: DJ was an even better dancer as a pony. His movements were so fluid, that he even surprised himself, especially when he started to dance with Twilight and he was twirling her around the dance floor.

Then it was time for gifts. Everyone had gotten him something. He blushed as all the gifts were pushed forward. “Aw! Thanks guys, you really didn’t have to do this.”

“Of course we did, silly,” said Pinkie. “What kind of friends would we be if we missed your birthday? Unh uh, not gonna happen. Now go on! Open your presents!”

DJ began to tear into the gifts. They were all different. Twilight had gotten him a set of the first Daring Do books. Applejack’s gift was a jug of fresh cider (Saving that for later!). Rainbow’s was a ticket for one free Sonic Rainboom. Pinkie Pie’s gift was the massive cake, which DJ had been drooling over for some time now. Fluttershy made him a promise to get him a pet of his own later, DJ agreed happily. Rarity made him a brilliant suit, but asked that he wait to wear it until the wedding.

“Have you guys even set a date for the wedding, yet?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yeah, we agreed for it to be next month. August the second to be exact. The day I first came to Equestria. Our wedding will make that day even more special,” DJ said as he leaned into Twilight, who did the same.

Spike and the CMC (including Nyx) were next with their gift: gem-encrusted cape. It was black on the outside and dark blue on the inside, with sapphires running along the lower edge of the cape. DJ put it on immediately. Because it’s awesome! Vinyl and Octavia gave him two records, each with the respective giver’s taste in music. Lyra and Bon Bon gave him a pile of candy from her store. Ditzy and Dinky had a basket of muffins. Yay! Breakfast for tomorrow! Berry’s gift was also from her mother and aunt. It was for a special day of magic lessons taught by the princesses, themselves. Twilight was beyond jealous, but DJ promised to take her along. All that was left was Discord and Genie. Discord went first and gave him a glass of chocolate milk.

“A glass of chocolate milk? Not as chaotic as I thought your gift would be, but hey, I’m not complaining.” He picked the glass up in hooves and began to gulp the drink down. After a few moments though, DJ knew something was up. He set the glass down on the table and his were wide. “What the hay?! None of it is gone! What’s goin’ on here, Discord?”

“It’s simple! It’s a forever drink. It never runs out of liquid and never spills. Also, it can change to any drink you like. All you need to do is tell the glass and the drink will change,” explained the lord of chaos.

DJ’s eyes went wide when he thought of something. “Any drink?” he asked. Discord nodded. His muzzle then had a bright smile and he talked to the glass. “Change to Mountain Dew.” As he spoke, the liquid in the glass changed from dark brown to a lime-green drink with bubbles in it. DJ picked it up immediately and began to chug the drink, falling on his back as he did so. He drank for over a minute before finally pulling it away. “Ahh! It’s been a year since that glorious taste has been on my lips. I missed this stuff!”

Twilight picked up the glass in her magic and sniffed it. “What is this stuff?” she asked. DJ encouraged her to take a sip, so she took a small amount in her mouth. “Woah!” she said. “It’s good, what is it?” Twilight passed it over to her friends as she looked to DJ for an explanation.

“It was my favorite soda back on Earth. It’s called Mountain Dew. It is not actual dew from a mountain, it’s just the brand name.” Everypony agreed that it was good, Rainbow’s eyes sparkling after she drank it. When it got to Berry, she chugged a good amount of it, relishing in the taste from back home. When it finally got back to its owner, DJ addressed Discord. “Thanks, man! I love it! Gonna be hard to beat that!”

“Oh, I don’t think so, my friend,” said Genie. “I believe this gift will be blow your last one away.” Genie handed the wrapped present to DJ. He ripped off the packaging and opened the box, his eyes going wide and his mouth agape.

“N-No way! Is this…is this thing real?!” DJ asked in shock at what was inside.

“Very much so. I knew you’d like it!” said Genie with a wide grin. What DJ beheld in the box was beyond words. It was something he always wanted, but knew he could never have. Genie had given him one of the most powerful devices ever! It was a freakin’ omnitrix! (Omniverse edition!) “Go ahead, put it on!” DJ took ahold of the watch and wrapped it around his neck, figuring it would be better to have it there. Immediately, the omnitrix began to glow a green color, showing that it was activated.

“This is so cool! How does it work?”

“Simple, just like on that TV show you are so fond of. But, I added a few features. It has an artificial intelligence inside of it. Go ahead, talk to it.”

DJ hesitated for a moment, basking in the awesomeness. Do it man! I want to try this thing out! If even Malice was excited, then it had to be done. “Uh, hello? Omnitrix?”

“Good evening, sir,” it replied.

HOLY SHIT!!!!! IT’S JARVIS!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! They yelled inside DJ’s head together. “SO COOL!!!!!!”

“Wait there’s more!” said Genie. “I put in two special keywords that I think you should try out,” he pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to him. “Here, read this aloud.”

“Um, okay. Let’s see. ‘Human up’?” Immediately, the omnitrix activated and DJ felt himself grow taller and leaner. There was a flash of green light and some electronic sounds and DJ was looking Genie right in the eye. “Huh? What the—No way?!?!” The others were staring wide eyed, as DJ was human again! With the addition of a shoulder guard on his left arm with the symbol of the omnitrix (though it look liked it was locked behind blast doors), he looked just as he did before.

“See? I knew you’d like it. That phrase, as well as its companion, will instantly transform you into a human and place the watch in form lock. There is still a time limit though, as once the omnitrix is out of power, you will revert back to normal. You can also say ‘power down’ and you will transform back. The other phrase I think you will especially like; I got it just for you.”

DJ read the sheet again and his eyes bulged. “Does this say ‘saiyan’?! Sweet! I can learn how to become a super saiyan! Genie this is the best gift ever!”

I’ll fucking say!! You know what this means, kid?

“Heck, yeah I do. It means that we’re back in business, baby!! HAHA!! No one can stop us now!” The others simply stared at him in awe. “Power down,” he said and a few seconds later, DJ the alicorn was back.

AWW!!!!

Later!

“This is definitely an unforeseen turn of events,” said Twilight. “But I’m glad you can still be a human, DJ.” There was a hint of sadness in her eyes. DJ smiled at her.

“But, I’m not human, Twi. Not anymore. I am a pony and that is who I will always be. This was the plan later on anyways. It’s a little earlier than I expected, but I really don’t mind. I kinda like myself better this way.” Twilight smiled at him and they kissed. This caused an ‘aw’ from the adults and an ‘ew’ from the fillies. “Thanks, everypony. This has definitely been the greatest birthday party of my life! Now there’s just one thing left! As a wise man once said: ‘LET THEM EAT CAKE’!”

The party was riot afterwards. Things were beginning to get interesting in Equestria and nopony even knew the half of it. Also, the cake was delicious!!

It Begins

It has been two days since DJ’s late birthday party and the newly engaged couple had taken to sleeping together in the same bed. They were awoken early this morning by the sound of a burping little dragon. “Ugh, it’s too early for letters!” complained DJ.

“We might have a problem guys,” said Spike as he read the letter.

“Whatever it is, it can wait until later, Spike,” said Twilight. The two alicorns had had a late night study session the previous night and were still exhausted.

“Actually it can’t, Twi. It’s a letter from your parents.” Both alicorns were immediately sitting up. “They’re coming here, today!”

Twilight began to panic. “Oh no! What do we do? What do we do?! How do we explain this,” she said gesturing to DJ, “to my parents?!” DJ got that look in his eye again. “Whatever you’re thinking, DJ, stop!”

“Let’s prank your parents,” he said simply.

“WHAT?!”

“Trust me, this is a good one.” DJ leaned into her ear and whispered to her his plan. Twilight’s eyes bulged. For once, she was actually intrigued by what her fiancé had planned.

“Okay, say that I go along with this. How would we pull it off?”

“You leave that to me!” And a plan was put into action.

**********

Night Light and Twilight Velvet had arrived outside the Books and Branches Library in Ponyville a little before noon. They had planned on surprising their daughter and her coltfriend, but decided to at least give them a heads up. Night Light knocked on the door and heard his daughter’s voice come from the other side. “Coming!” The door opened a minute later. “Mom! Dad! It’s good to see you guys!” They hugged and Twilight welcomed them in. They sat down on the couch, while Twilight retrieved some snacks and beverages.

“So, why the sudden visit?” Twilight asked as she set the food on the table between them.

“What? Your parents can’t come and see you from time to time?” replied Velvet.

“NO! It’s not that, it’s just that I was hoping to have a little more warning when you did.”

“We’re just pulling your leg, honey,” laughed Night Light. “We just wanted to see how you and DJ are doing. He was quite the fellow and we wanted to get to know him a little more.”

“Oh,” Twilight said, lowering her head. “DJ and I aren’t together anymore.” Her parents were shocked.

“W-why dear? You two were so good together!” exclaimed Velvet.

“I know, but I can’t date somepony who isn’t here anymore. DJ passed away some time ago. There was an accident and he didn’t make it.” They put their hooves up to their mouths, they were in so much shock. “I meant to tell you guys, but it’s been hard bringing him up.” Velvet put her hoof on her daughters shoulder, offering her support. “Thanks mom, but I did find somepony new. He should be coming by soon.”

Suddenly the library exploded around them as a pegasus with a dark blue coat and a dark brown mane came crashing in. As the smoke cleared, they heard him complaining in a high, nasally tone (think Steve Urkel). “Ooh, ow, ow. Oh, boy, oh, ow!” He stood up and took a look around at the damage. “Did I do that?” he asked.

Night Light and Velvet were stunned at the entrance, but Twilight only giggled. “It’s alright. It can be fixed. Perfect timing, though. Mom, Dad, this is my new coltfriend. His name is Blue Frost. And guess what? We’re getting married!” Twilight ‘squee’ed in delight.

Frost approached Night Light, offering out his hoof. “Gosh golly, it’s an honor to meet you Mr. Night Light. Your daughter is one hay of a mare. Hubba hubba.” This stallion was beginning to get on Night Light’s nerves, but he swallowed his pride. He hadn’t even gotten to know the lad yet. Best to give him a chance if Twilight was willing to marry him. Night Light couldn’t tell why, though. The stallion in front of him was wearing a yellow plaid shirt with a pocket protector and he had thick rimmed glasses that were taped in the middle. This pegasus looked like a big, goofy nerd.

“It’s good to meet you, Frost,” said Night Light trying to hide the ice in his voice. “I must say that was one big entrance.”

“Yeah, I’m not the best flyer. Especially in the summer, can’t stand the heat. I mean just look at my cutie mark. It’s a snow flake for a reason, after all. I work better in the cold, not the heat!”

Night Light and Twilight Velvet were doing their very best to smile at the stallion. He was getting on both of their last nerves. He may make Twilight happy, but he just didn’t know when to shut up! Then he started to snicker. “Did you know…that…the…average…the avera…Pfft. AHAHAHAHAHA!!” The stallion broke down laughing in front them, gripping his sides as he began to roll on the ground. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he wheezed, his voice beginning to sound much deeper and less nasally. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but their faces were just too much! AHAHA!” He burst out laughing once again, Twilight beginning to giggle with him.

“Can somepony please explain what the hay is going on?!” shouted Night Light.

“Oh, sorry about that Mr. Night Light,” said the stallion, who was still trying to calm himself down. “Why don’t we try that again? Hello, there Mr. Night Light, it is good to see you and the missus again.”

“What do you mean ‘again’?”

“Dad,” began Twilight, “say hello to my fiancé, DJ” Her parents went wide eyed and their jaws dropped to the ground. They demanded an explanation and they got what they wanted. Both unicorns were crying by the end of it, Velvet going into the bigger fit. Both of them were happy for the couple in the end, as it was painfully obvious that they were meant for each other. Neither were happy about the prank, though. They spent the next few hours discussing details about the wedding and other such things. While all this was going on, DJ had one thought, Shining Armor is gonna flip his lid when I tell him about this!

***********

The time had finally arrived. It was the second of August. The day that DJ and Princess Twilight Sparkle were to wed. DJ was waiting at the altar, dressed in his new suit. The suit was a brilliant black, two sparkling, blue sapphires in the collar. He was anxious and giddy. His best man of course was the dual rolled to Spike and Big Macintosh. Twilight’s friends were her bride’s maids. And of course, Celestia was the officiator for the wedding.

DJ looked out to the crowd of ponies. He saw his soon-to-be in-laws. They smiled at him and he smiled back. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were in attendance as well, their foal, Guard Armor, was present as well. Nyx was the flower filly, waiting for hue cue near the door. The CMC and their families had come, too. DJ was brought out of his thoughts as the music began to play. Then he saw her, Twilight, dressed all in a white, glowing gown. Her regalia was still present, but the dress that Rarity made was still the main attraction. Night Light was accompanying her down the aisle, Nyx in front throwing the pedals. Soon, Twilight had joined her beloved at the altar and they shared a loving look.

Celestia then began the ceremony, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of DJ Apple and Princess Twilight Sparkle…”

Far away in the frozen north of Equestria, much farther than the Crystal Empire, a figure stirred as the ceremony commenced. His dark powers had finally reached their maximum potential. His plan for the world was set and his armies were nearing completion. He laughed to himself, carrying throughout his hollowed mountain fortress. “The time comes near. Soon, my soldiers will be ready and the Crystal Empire will fall. Then, Equestria and its retched princesses will fall. Then, the griffons, the dragons, the minotaurs, the zebras, everything shall fall. And then, the world will be mine!” He looked out as his army marched. “My empire shall reign supreme over all!” His wicked laughter shook the very foundation of the mountain.

The Dark King begins to rise!

Return of the King

Several months have passed since the wedding of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince DJ Sparkle. There was fairly big political problem due to a newly crowned princess marrying a commoner. Thankfully, very few knew that DJ was formerly a human, so that wasn’t a factor in any of it. Celestia and Luna put an end to the bickering, though. Princesses were not required to marry nobles or anypony of the like, so there was nothing wrong with Twilight being in love with a stallion like him. Being an alicorn, didn’t hurt DJ, either.

DJ did have to take special lessons, though, since he was now a prince. He needed to know the proper mannerisms around other royalty and on how to address the public. He mostly tuned it all out. DJ was never a big fan of politics and had a small dream of wanting to punch a politician in the face, if he deserved it anyway. Malice was all for it, but DJ held himself back, not wanting to cause a riot. That only took a month, though, and soon they were back home in Ponyville. Twilight, DJ, Spike, and Nyx; one big, happy family.

Very little happened within this time frame. There were a few holidays, some school projects, and a few royal duties. The only two things that were worth mentioning was Berry’s first birthday in Equestria. There was cake, streamers, loud music, and plenty of gifts. Her best gifts had to be her own personal party canon, from Pinkie of course, and her very own forever drink from Discord, which was constantly filled with Pepsi. Pixel Berry was certainly on a sugar high that night! A few days later was Nightmare Night and Luna had brought Berry along as well. She was dressed as Pinkie Pie, using her pixel magic to create the mane. DJ had relied on the omnitrix for the perfect costume and found a certain form that he fell in love with. Basically, there was a loveable, little electric mouse speeding around Ponyville that night.

Now, it was nearing Hearth’s Warming again and the first snowfall was happening. The Sparkle family were enjoying a quiet night in front of the fire, the two adults reading their own respective books. Twilight was re-reading Harry Potter, again, and DJ was on his fourth Daring Do novel. Nyx was curled up between them. Spike was sleeping in the fire, keeping as warm as possible. DJ felt a prickling on his neck and he craned it to look at the disturbance. It was Speedy, his pet lizard. Spike was first a little apprehensive about DJ’s choice, but Speedy was just too adorable. DJ had initially named him Roy, but after the lizard proved to be both fast and agile, he figured Speedy was just as good. That lizard pretty much kept to himself, but was always easy to find. DJ used his magic to place Speedy on his head and continued reading.

DJ finished his magic and flying lessons over a month ago and was pretty much used to his new body now. Much to Malice’s ire. Malice was still apprehensive about the form, but with the omnitrix available at a moment’s notice, he stopped complaining about it. He never claimed to accept it, but recognition was fine for now. Spike was getting out of the fire and prepared to go to his bed. He may be sixteen now, but that was still very young for dragons. Didn’t stop DJ from giving him the proper respect. Spike was nearing the steps when his stomach churned and he burped out a flame which formed into a scroll.

“Ugh! A letter? Now?” Spike complained.

“Just read it little buddy,” DJ called over.

“It’s from Princess Celestia…She wants all of us and our friends to come to Canterlot. Now! She says that it’s urgent.” Twilight and DJ looked at each other, wondering what was going on. “And DJ? She says to bring your swords.” Now they knew it was serious. Those things were deadly weapons and Celestia didn’t like DJ bringing them to the castle. If she was saying he needs to bring them, then something was going on.

An hour later, the Sparkles and the Elements were on the first train to Canterlot. They arrived early the next morning and headed straight for the castle. The guards directed them right to the throne room. Celestia, Luna, and Pixel Berry were there waiting for them. “Greetings my little ponies,” Celestia began. “I wish that you were here on better terms. But something awful has happened; the Crystal Empire has been attacked.”

The girls gasped in shock, while DJ kept a stoic face. Inside, he was surprised as well, but he needed to be strong for his family. I will never be weak again! Never!

“We don’t know who has attacked, but all of you are being sent to assist in their efforts to drive back the attacking force. I wish you all the best of luck, and DJ? I am expecting you to protect them all. I sense much power within you; I know you will keep them safe.” She gave him a knowing smile, while he offered a solemn nod.

“I will use everything in my power to protect my family. You have my word.” They all strode off and out of the castle and were back on the train not too long after. The snow began to increase as they continually headed north. The Crystal Empire came into view hours later and it was not how DJ had wanted to see it for the first time. There was smoke rising from the grand city and several of the buildings were destroyed on the outskirts. Thankfully, the train station was still intact. The guards were waiting for them when they arrived and escorted them directly to the castle.

Along the way, they could really see the damage from the attacks. Buildings and homes were burned, broken, and destroyed in various areas. The guards assured them the all of the ponies were evacuated before the armies had marched forward. Once they were at the castle, they were taken straight to Shining and Cadence.

“It so good to see you all,” greeted Cadence. “I really wish that we could all get together like this when things weren’t terrible. I am really hoping that with all of you here, we can put an end to all this fighting.”

“Cadence, what happened here?” Twilight asked. “How did…whoever get past the shield of the Crystal Heart?”

“I don’t know Twilight. Everything was peaceful and calm, then the next thing we know there is an army of darkness striking down the shield. We were barely able to hold them off the first time and thankfully nopony was heavily injured. But we won’t be able to hold them off if they attack now. Our guard just isn’t large enough to take on an army.” She turned to face them all. “Will you help us?”

Applejack and Rainbow talked simultaneously. “Of course we’ll help.” The others agreed as well.

“Thank you very much, all of you. The guards will take you to the barracks to prepare.”

“I don’t think we have time for that,” said DJ. “Look!” He pointed out the window and the girls gasped at what was there. It was a massive army marching towards the empire. Suddenly, a dark voice erupted all around the empire, nearing deafening levels.

“Hello, again, Crystal Ponies. You thought that you had rid yourselves of me, but now your true king has returned!” From behind the army a large cloud of black smoke arose, scarlet eyes piercing from the smoke down onto the city. Even DJ was able to recognize the creature before them, King Sombra had returned.

***********

“How is this even possible?” asked Cadence rhetorically. “The Crystal Heart should have destroyed him before! He is supposed to be dead!”

“But not all of him was destroyed, Cadence,” said DJ. The others turned to look at him with questioning looks. “What? I saw it happen back on Earth. You guys destroyed his body, but I saw his horn survive the blast and was sent flying. Maybe he was able to preserve himself inside it? It makes sense.”

Shining face-hoofed. “How could we be so blind? Of course he would find some way to survive! We should have known he would come someday. But, going over theories is not gonna stop that army down there. We need something that can take down those soldiers. Anypony got any ideas?” The Mane Six all turn their heads to DJ. He smiles in return.

“I may have something that could work, but I don’t want to use it, yet. I want to know about those soldiers. If they are innocent ponies, then I can’t use the weapon. I won’t take lives needlessly. So for now, I need to conduct some battle assessments.” DJ used his magic to lift one his lightsabers to his mouth and he grabbed it. “And the only way to do that, is to get my hooves dirty!” DJ rushed to the window and jumped, taking flight as he did so. He was heading right for the front lines. The girls were too stunned at his rash actions to even call after him.

DJ was flying high above the warring ponies. He saw that the crystal guards were holding the army at bay, but that would last for long. He noticed one portion was taking a terrible beating and dive bombed it. The alicorn activated his lightsaber (on low-power) and attacked the opposing force. Ever since his fight with Shining Armor, DJ had been practicing non-stop to improve his swordsmanship. Now, he could prove it.

He landed his forelegs on one of the soldiers, taking him to the ground. He then spun around, bucking all of the soldiers that surrounded him, knocking them all out. Then their allies focused their attention on the new arrival. If he could, DJ would have smirked. Though we wasn’t as good as in is his human form, DJ was still able to swing his lightsaber with his mouth well enough to take them all down. DJ was surrounded by bodies as he finished up. He closely examined one of them to find that these beings were completely artificial. They had no heart beat or pulse and didn’t even breathe. These soldiers were simple constructs. DJ smirked, knowing that he didn’t have to hold back, but his joy was smashed as a dark voice called out to him.

“And who is this?” asked Sombra, whose smoke form approached him. “A new alicorn in Equestria? How fitting that he will be the first Equestrian to fall. Surrender, or perish!”

“How cliché!” retorted DJ. “So you’re King Sombra?” The smoke began to take shape, transforming into a dark black unicorn with a curved horn. “You’re even uglier that I thought. Sorry, but I can’t let you take over the world. I happen to enjoy my freedom, thank you very much!” DJ charged at Sombra, who smirked and flipped him over, DJ landing on his muzzle. “Ow,” he said flatly.

“You fool! As if you could take on a king!”

DJ gathered himself up. “Well, considering you were brought down by a baby dragon riding the Princess of Love…Yeah, I thought you’d go down pretty easily,” he quipped. Sombra snarled at him in return. “So, then, looks like I can’t hold back on you. Let’s see how you fare when I return to my original form! Human up!” The watch on his neck glowed green and so did DJ as the keyword activated. After a bright flash of light, a human DJ was standing in front of the deposed king. Sombra was speechless at what he had witnessed. “You like?” DJ lit his lightsaber. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

The human lunged at Sombra and started to swing, Sombra lit his horn and teleported away in a puff of smoke. “Coward!” DJ called out. Then his back was blasted with pain. “AAAHHH!”  DJ was on his knees, his back smoking from the magic blast. He turned to see Sombra powering his horn again and fired at him. DJ instinctively swung his lightsaber out to defend. The blade caught the bolt of magic and the blast was shattered. This caused DJ and Sombra to go wide eyed. The lightsabers were magic resistant! “Oh ho ho! You are so done!”

DJ was once again on his feet, going straight for Sombra, this time holding his ground. The king pulled a sword from his side with his magic, meeting DJ’s lightsaber. Unfortunately, the lightsaber was still on low power, so the two blades simply clashed with a *crack*. DJ didn’t have time to adjust the power setting as Sombra began his offensive with his own sword. The king had much more experience than that of either DJ or Shining Armor, giving him the advantage. Or so he thought. DJ met each strike blow for blow. He may not have years of experience or magic in his human form, but he had the sheer force of will. Humans in battle were the greatest predators and warriors to ever exist and those abilities were what kept DJ alive.

Sombra was getting annoyed with this human. DJ was smirking the whole time they fought, as if he was having the time of his life. The king thought that he believed Sombra was a joke! He snarled as he swung his sword again, but this time also blasted DJ with magic as the blades met. DJ was caught entirely off guard and was sent flying, losing his grip on his weapon as well. As hit the ground, DJ tried to stand as fast as he could. When he did, he did not like what he saw. Sombra was holding DJ’s lightsaber in his magical grip, deactivated. “We will meet again, creature. But your weapon will make an excellent trophy. Farewell,” Sombra began to teleport.

“NO!!” DJ rushed the king, but only hit smoke as he jumped and his face became more acquainted with the ground. When he stood again, Sombra and his army was gone. But things were about to get much worse, DJ knew. Sombra now possessed a weapon of unknown power and would no doubt learn to use it.

When DJ returned to the castle, once again an alicorn, he rushed to throne room where his family and friends were waiting. Twilight and he kissed when he arrived. When they parted, his face was grim. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“Twilight, Sombra took one of my swords.” Twilight’s face was full of shock and fear. The others were just confused.

“So? You have another one. What’s so bad about Sombra taking the other?” asked Rainbow, voicing the question on all of their minds. DJ sighed.

“I think it’s about time I told all of you what these swords really do.”

A Monster joins the Battle

“…So basically, my lightsabers are the source of my abilities. They allow me to use the special powers of The Force, flight, alchemy, enhanced mechanical understanding, and I can breathe no matter where I am (including underwater and outer space). But I only have these powers while I actually have the swords on me. I don’t need to have both with me, but it cuts the abilities strength where they only work at half their usual strength. And now Sombra has one of them and no doubt begin to discover what they do.”

DJ was just finishing up explaining his lightsabers to his friends and family, most of which went wide eyed as he summed up all of his amazing abilities. Twilight and Nyx were the only ones present who actually knew about his powers. Now, though, they understood the tragedy that had happened. Sombra had acquired even more power than ever.

“DJ, please tell me you have a plan? You know more about these abilities than any of us, so you must know how to counter them,” pleaded Cadence.

“Yeah, I know how to fight them and like I said earlier, I do have a special weapon for this. You are not gonna like it though,” he said lowering his muzzle.

“Why do you say that?” asked Twilight, who was growing suspicious.

“Well…I have been working on a special potion for several months now and I perfected it and the antidote a while back. The reason I’m worried is because you won’t like what it does. Discords?” Uno poked his head out of DJ’s coat pocket. Even though all of Ponyville, and the majority of Equestria, knew he was an alicorn, DJ just didn’t feel right not wearing some kind of clothing. And he really loved the coat Rarity made, though she added a front pocket so the Discords could still have a home on his person. What happened to them when he died? DJ had no idea and neither did they. They just popped back into existence not long after DJ returned and he had learned not to question that kind of stuff a long time ago.

“Are you sure, Boss? We don’t like that you made this stuff,” said Uno, pulling out a tube of liquid from the pocket.

“I know, but it’s the only way we’re gonna stand a chance. Thank you,” he said taking the tube in his magic. Inside was a strange grey liquid. He swirled it around, making sure it was properly mixed.

“What is that stuff? It looks like it would taste awful,” said Pinkie Pie.

“This is my secret weapon. One I had hoped I would never pull out, but glad I made for emergencies. *Sigh* Girls, Shining, Spike. This is a liquid discord spell,” DJ said blank face.

There were gasps and shock all around, Rarity even went back to her fainting couch. “WHAT?!?!” they screamed at him.

DJ took a moment to respond, hoping his ear drums would repair themselves. “Yeah, I made this just in case we were really screwed over. I am still not a true fighter, and that is what we need right now. Malice is our hope; he has everything I do. The powers, the skills, the instincts. For him, it’s all second nature. He is a war machine; I am not. And yes, by the way, he is laughing like a school filly inside my head right now.”

Fuck you! I’m excited! Is that a crime?

“Not responding to that,” DJ mumbled. “Anyway, I know you won’t like it, but Malice is on our side. Whether you believe that or not, it’s the truth. He may be a big plothead, but he is willing to protect us. Trust me, we need him.” Twilight walked up to him and nuzzled his neck, tears falling from her eyes.

“Don’t’ do that, Twi,” DJ pleaded. “You shouldn’t worry, it won’t be permanent. The Discords have an antidote prepared. And they are more than willing to force it down Malice’s throat if he resists. Once the battle is over, I get my body back and we can all go home. I promise.” He turned back to everypony else, all them worried over what DJ was suggesting.

“Honest! That’s why I went to the battle; to make sure Malice wasn’t actually killing real ponies. With only half my strength, Malice is our ace in the hole.”

Shining was the first to speak up. “If you’re sure about this DJ, we’ll support you. But, all of us will be out there, too, next time. Will he protect us, or attack us?”

Tell the stupid prince to stop worrying. I have no interest in harming any of your friends. They haven’t provoked me. That Sombra, though, took our sword. He’s gonna pay for that!

“Malice says he’s only interested in Sombra. Don’t get in his way and we’ll be good,” DJ reported.

“Okay, then. If my brother says everything’s gonna be fine, then I believe him,” said Applejack. “Now we just need a plan of attack.”

I got one! You let me out and I kill everything that’s attacking us! Simple as that!

“We need more of a plan than that, Malice. No matter how strong you are, you can’t be everywhere at once. We need a plan that keeps everypony else safe. But we need to work fast,” said DJ looking out the window. “Sombra is coming.”

Far outside the kingdom, the ponies could see the giant smoke cloud growing. “One thing escapes me, though,” said Twilight. “How did Sombra break the barrier that protects the Crystal Empire? Love is the most powerful force on Equis; what did he do to break through?”

They all thought on that as they approached the castle’s armory. DJ spoke up, remembering his old home. “There is one thing that can overpower love,” he said. They turned their heads towards him as they kept walking. “The one thing that Sombra would have plenty of; hatred. Pure hatred is the one thing that can overpower even the greatest loves. They are exact opposites and cancel each other out.”

They all tried to process what he had just told them. Cadence knew he spoke the truth, but that didn’t she had to like it. “Also, I don’t know why Celestia sent you all here, but I would feel much better if you girls were not on the battlefield. I don’t want to see any of you getting hurt,” said DJ.

“Ya can’t get rid of us that easily, brother,” said Applejack with a defiant look. “We may not have the Elements of Harmony any more, but that don’t mean we’re helpless. Rainbow and I especially can hold our own.” She trotted up to him and put a hoof on his chest. “I know you’re worried, but we can handle ourselves.”

DJ sighed in defeat, but still smiled. “Alright, but not all of you are going. Fluttershy, Nyx, Spike, and Cadence are staying here. I know Fluttershy means well, but she is no fighter and I am not going to put her that position; I doubt her stare will work on creatures without souls or a conscious.”

“I want to help!” said Spike.

“I know you do, little brother. But, I need you here,” explained DJ. “You’re don’t have the kind of power we need, yet. So I need you to stay here and protect your niece and sister-in-law. Ok? They need the extra security and who better than a dragon who is also family? It’s your job to protect them, got it?”

Spike thought on it for a moment. “I really want to do more, but I see your point, DJ. I’ll do it! Nopony is gonna lay a hoof on them!”

“That’s the spirit! Nyx, I will be back, so don’t worry. We’ll all come back and then we are gonna have the best Hearth’s Warming yet. Sound good?”

Nyx smiled at her father and nodded. “I know you’ll come back Dad. You promised to never leave again, so I trust you.”

DJ returned the smile. “Darn right, I promised! We gotta go, stay safe. Come one, we got only a little time left to prepare.” DJ, Shining Armor, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie headed off to the armory to get equipped for battle. Cadence, Fluttershy, Nyx, and Spike watched them go, silently wishing them the best of luck.

**********

An hour later, the group of ragtag soldiers were on the frontlines, awaiting the inevitable. DJ forwent armor, choosing to stay in his normal clothing. The omnitrix would destroy anything else he was wearing when he transformed, anyways. DJ and Shining stood side by side, with the Crystal army behind them. Shining spoke to DJ. “Ready for your first real battle, brother?”

DJ looked at him with an emotionless glance and returned his gaze to the approaching army. Then he smiled an evil smile. “Yeah, I am. This never would have happened on Earth; I always considered myself a coward. But I can’t be that guy anymore. I have a family and a home to protect, and I will protect them. Just a warning though, Malice’s first priority is to get back our other lightsaber. He’ll take out any enemy infantry as he does, but that is our target. The sooner we get it back, the better.”

Shining nodded in understanding. Malice would be completely out of his control and he needed to understand that or he had not doubt that demon would turn on them all. “Here they come,” he said. The army of darkness drew ever near and would soon be upon them.

“Then,” began DJ, “it’s time. Human up.” He glowed green and he was form locked into a human once again. “Omnitrix, power levels?”

“91%, sir. Estimated time before power down: three hours. Anything else you require, sir?”

“Yeah, how’s that ‘other’ function coming along?”

“Your requested project is still in creation. An estimated completion would be within several months. Apologies, sir, but it is difficult to recreate said ability.”

“Don’t apologize. I knew it would take some time. I won’t need it anyway.” DJ took in a large breath and let it out. “Ready, Malice?”

I was brought into existence ready! Let’s roll some heads, punk. Let them feel true malice!

“Uno, the potion.” The potion was thrown out of his back pocket, over his back and he caught it as it fell in front of him. He uncorked it. “Over the lips and through the gums, look out stomach, you’re not gonna like this,” he said with a worried smirk and he downed the liquid like a shot of hard cider. The effects were immediate. DJ’s color drained away within seconds, for the first time without pain, and his face turned into a sneer.

Back in the real world, said Malice. He stretched his muscles and cracked his back and neck. This fight ends today! He turned to the ponies around him. Listen up! All of you stay out of my way or you are going to die! I am not holding back on these pricks! And neither should you, he pointed a finger at them all. These bastard are trying to destroy your home, led by an evil son of a bitch that enslaved you all! Those things are not living creatures; destroy them all! Don’t let Sombra win! This time, we send that ‘king’ to the depths of Tartarus! Who’s with me!?

The ponies were initially shocked by the new creature, but his words rung true in their minds. The Crystal Ponies were angry and they yelled when he asked that question. They roared their answer. “YEAHHHH!!!!!!” They cheered towards the demon.

The others were shocked and Malice noted. He gave them a wild grin. Hey, if humans know one thing, it’s the art of battle. And a good pre-battle speech is always great way to get the army in the mood to spill some blood. I may be a demon to you, but I am just cynical compared to the ass holes back on Earth. He turned toward the enemy, he spotted Sombra riding a black war chariot far in the back of his army. Malice sneered. There’s the bastard. Shining Armor, lead these stallions to victory. I got a weapon to retrieve.

“Right,” said Shining Armor. “Crystal warriors…ATTACK!!!!!” The charged forward, meeting the darkness head on. As Malice charged, he grabbed the other lightsaber and lit it at full power. No holding back, DJ said in his mind. That’s right, kid. Now let’s spill some blood! The soldiers of darkness never even knew what hit them. The human rushed right through them, literally. Each swing ended another’s life and he just kept running. His swings and slashes had a feral grace to them. Each strike was aimed at strategic point on the body, every last one fatal in an instant. Behind him, the crystal army was fighting harder than it ever had. Malice’s speech invigorated them and they would protect their home and loved ones. The demon had given the army the inspiration they needed to win.

Malice spotted Sombra heading right for him. He grinned like a mad man and increased his speed, planning on taking the chariot head on. As he was about to collide with it, a blast of energy sent him flying back and the chariot came to a screeching halt in front of him. Malice groaned as he stood back up. The hell?

“What an interesting weapon you left me, creature. These new powers are a great addition. I really must thank you,” Sombra said in a mocking voice that increased Malice’s fury.

Oh, shut up! That weapon is mine and I will take it back! I am not the same being you fought before. Today, you die Sombra! The chaotic being rushed forward, hoping to cleave the unicorn in half. Only for his sword to hit light. Sombra lit the other lightsaber in time to meet him. Malice could feel it, the unicorn had found the power limiter and charge the sword to full power. The king was learning the lightsaber faster than expected. Which explained the blast; Sombra now had the Force! Malice’s blue lightsaber clashed against the green of Sombra’s, bright light flashing as the swords met time after time.

Sombra was surprised at this creature’s skill. Unlike before, each strike was precise and only Sombra’s own skills kept him alive and fully limbed. “You are better than creature. I am impressed. But you will still fall to my might!” His horn charged and fired at Malice. The human retreated for a moment and struck away the magic. Now that they knew the lightsabers could fight magic, those blasts were no threat to Malice. But then the unexpected happened, Malice was struck by blue lightning and sent flying. When he stood, Malice was staring wide eyed at Sombra who was sneering. Lighting had been fired from his horn. Force lighting!

Damn! You figured that one out; not good. Compared to his other abilities, the human’s greatest had to be the Force lightning. The other powers were great and all, but that lighting was the fiercest and the most likely to kill out of all of them.

“Do you like it? I bet you wish you had this back now, don’t you? Now it is time to die, creature!” His curved horn began to crackle as lightning encircled around it and he let the power forth, flying right for Malice.

Two can play this game! He planted his feet hard into the ground and let the power flow into his hands which also crackled with blue electricity. As the opposing force approached, Malice let out a war cry and let the lightning fly. The powerful bolts collided between them and began to strike out around them. Neither would let up and the meshing bolts began to grow in intensity. An orb of pure energy began to form where the bolts collided and was growing to be bigger than the human. All of a sudden, the power went critical and the orb collapsed and imploded. The blast was immensely powerful and spread out everything in the area; everything was sent flying.

As Malice regained consciousness, he took in his surroundings. There was tons of dust and ash in the air. In front of him was a fair sized crater where the implosion occurred. He turned around in a circle to see that both armies had been blown away by the blast. May not have been big, but definitely powerful, DJ commented. Malice had to agree, but he couldn’t see Sombra anywhere.

“CREATURE!!” Malice turned around to see Sombra holding a pony hostage with a lightsaber across her neck. NO!! DJ shouted in his mind. Sombra had Twilight! She wanted to struggle they could see, but new that that would end her immediately. “Stand down or I will end this one’s life! Your choice!”

Malice began to stride towards them. Malice!! NO!! If you don’t do as he says, he’ll kill my Twilight!

Not my problem kid. That prick's gonna die. I’m sorry, but love doesn’t belong on the battlefield. Then he stopped. Malice’s legs and arms were fighting him! No, DJ! Don’t do this; he needs to die!

Not at the cost of my beloved. Stand down Malice. Drink the antidote! Or I will force you!

Malice didn’t even get a chance to respond. His left arm retreated to his back pocket and pulled out a vial filled with rainbow liquid a second later. Malice groaned and strained as the tube was lifted to his mouth, but it was a fruitless fight. DJ’s metal control was much stronger and he forced the liquid down Malice’s throat. Seconds later, Malice and DJ had switched back to their original positions. I’ll make you pay for that one day, kid, Malice said inside his head.

“Alright Sombra,” DJ said as he powered down his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. “I did as you asked, now let her go free!”

“As you wish, creature.” Sombra threw Twilight away with his magic and fired a bolt at her like he was shooting a flying disk. She screamed in agony and fell to the ground, her body still smoking. Sombra sneered as he turned back to the human, but was short lived. DJ was immediately in front of him, anger at its peak. With a fierce upper cut, Sombra was sent sprawling away. DJ slowly walked towards Sombra. He used the Force and reclaimed the other dropped lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. His hands then began to glow with lightning as he built of the power.

“Now I will kill you, Sombra! All this pain and suffering ends now!” DJ was half way to him, when Sombra stood back up. He growled at the human, then glanced behind the approaching creature. The king sneered and summoned a crystal from underneath him and he rose above them.

“No, creature! Now, we see how fast you are! The princess of magic will be no more!” His horn was lit with dark magic and he fired the black bolt of power, right at Twilight. DJ let the power drop as his brain registered what was happening. He rushed back to Twilight, just before the bolt struck. DJ held her in his arms and the black magic hit him, right on the shoulder. With a sudden burst and a lurch, the two lovers were gone. Only a black, smoking smudge on the ground remained. “I win!” Sombra let out a malicious laugh of victory as the other ponies regained consciousness. They had all awakened to see Twilight Sparkle and DJ be blasted into nothingness.

Applejack was the only one who could speak. “No,” she whispered. “Not again; not Twilight, too.” Their soldiers grabbed them and retreated back to the empire. None of them knowing what they could do now.

**********

DJ awoke to a drop of water falling on his face. His eyes fluttered open and then memories came flooding back to him. He sat up with a start, then another drop fell on him. DJ looked up to see dark storm clouds. Another drop of rain fell to his face as the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed. He started to look around him. He was in a field of some kind, there was green grass and trees all around him. It was hard to tell where he was, though, as it was clearly night and the storm made it impossible to see right. Then he was drenched as the storm picked up in intensity. DJ was not amused.

He brushed his hair out of his face with his hand. Wait? Hand?! DJ looked down to see that he was still human, but another look at his left shoulder made him worry. The guard with the omnitrix was gone. Instead, the watch was on his left arm and was red, indicating it was out of power. He began to get really worried. With the rain, now he really couldn’t see a thing. Then the last memory hit him like a brick. “TWILIGHT!” He stood up and began searching around frantically. Then he noticed a structure nearby when the lightning flashed. He rushed towards it and found that it was a park play set. Slides, swings, the like. On the small, wide slide, however, was a young girl. DJ didn’t know what she was doing out here, until he looked at her hand and his eyes grew wide.

On the girls right hand, was a gold ring with a star sapphire charm. That was Twilight’s wedding ring! DJ then looked at the Caucasian female a little closer, and noticed that her hair was a deep violet with a line of pink hair goin down one side. He carefully lifted one her eyelids and when the lightning flashed that it was indeed those beautiful, loving eyes that he had fallen for over a year ago. Twilight had been turned into a human!

DJ began to freak. His wife was human, he was human, what was going on! When the lightning flashed again, he saw a sign not too far from them. He rushed over to it. Once there, he unclipped a lightsaber and lit it, the rain turning to steam as it fell on the pulsing blade. He nearly dropped it when he read the sign. The top part was covered in ages old graffiti, but the bottom was still easily read. And he didn’t like what it said: Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

“No,” DJ whispered. He looked around him, past the park and found that they were in the middle of a suburb, surrounded by houses and streetlights, and cars. It all came to DJ in an instant. He was back on Earth. DJ was home!

Unexpected Reunions

The ponies were devastated. Thankfully, they had all escaped to the castle unharmed, all but

two. DJ and Twilight were gone. Cadence and Shining Armor were heart broken, finding comfort in each other’s embrace. The others simply cried to themselves, broken up at losing their friends again. Nyx and Spike had looks of defiance, however. Nyx refused to believe that both of her parents were dead, shouting that they would come back. Spike thought the idea was too ridiculous. He believed that DJ had told the truth about his encounter with Death and knew that he would never go back. The others simply believed that the two were in denial.

That was until green smoke poured into the throne room. The ponies gasped as the gas took form and revealed itself to be DJ’s friend, Genie. “Greetings, little ponies,” he said with a smile. “Would anypony mind telling me where I could find DJ? I fear that something may have happened.”

Applejack strode forth and told Genie the truth. “Genie, you’re right something did happen. Sombra killed DJ and Twilight. I’m sorry.”

“No that’s not it,” Genie replied with a dismissive wave. All of the ponies’ jaws dropped at his emotionless reaction to losing a friend.

“Pardon me, Mr. Genie,” said Rarity. “But aren’t you at least a little bit upset about DJ and Twilight’s passing?”

“Why would I mourn those who still live? Doesn’t make much sense when you get right down to it.”

“Wait, what?! Twily and DJ are still alive?” asked Shining Armor with hope in his eyes.

“Of course they are still alive! Dark magic is powerful this is true, but not even that form of magic can kill so easily. There always massive repercussions for those spells and they aren’t pretty, believe you me,” he said with a humorless laugh. “No, the reason I am here is that I felt a flux in my magic. That usually is not a good thing.”

Nyx approached the wish granter. “Mr. Genie? Do you have any way we can contact my parents?”

“As it would happen I do!” He pulled out a small little disk that looked like the symbol on her father’s omnitrix. Genie started to tap something into it. After a few minutes, he gave the device a frustrated look. “Well, this won’t do! Stupid thing, never works when I’m roamin’. Apologies, but for some reason, I can seem to connect to DJ’s omnitrix. That is definitely not a good sign. I can still tell that it’s active, but I can’t find where they are or how to get in touch with them. I’ll keep trying though.” The ponies watched on with hope as the genie continued to fidget with the only way they could talk to their friends.

**********

DJ was freaking out. It was night time, pouring rain, lighting and thunder rolling overhead and he and his wife were not only transformed into humans, but they were back on Earth, too. “No, no, no, no, no! How is this even possible?! Genie said that I can never return to Earth, his magic would keep it that way. There is no way that Sombra has more magic than Genie, so why did his spell send us here?!” He walked back to Twilight’s unconscious form, still trying to process what was going on. Then, his wife let out a groan of pain. He rushed to her side.

“DJ?” she croaked out. Her voice sounded pained, and she wasn’t able to talk easily. “DJ, it hurts.”

DJ began to run a hand over her body, hoping to find where the pain was. She screamed softly when he touched her side. Where she had been blasted by Sombra. DJ cursed under his breath for forgetting that his wife was injured. He needed to find help, now! He ran to the edge of the park and began to look around. Something was familiar about the area, but DJ couldn’t place it. That was, until a lightning flash illuminated the house directly across the road from the park. DJ’s eyes widened in recognition and he rushed towards the home. When he hit the drive way, he nearly ran into the vehicle parked out front. Yes! That means he’s home!

DJ ran to the front door and began to pound on the door. “Hey! I need help!” Then he began to pound harder after a thirty second wait. “Hey! Ginger, I know you’re up, damn it! Get out here and help a brother out!” A minute later, the door to the house opened up, revealing a young man with medium, red hair. This was Wayne, DJ’s best friend on Earth. The two hadn’t known each other long, but their friendship was strong. Wayne was very similar to DJ, similar interests, similar mannerisms. The only difference being that Wayne had very little control over his anger and was prone to go into rage fits, usually destroying the walls in his house or bruising on his own body. The twenty-something year-old’s eyes widened at the younger man standing in the rain.

“No, fucking, way. DJ? Is that really you?” he asked.

“No time for a reunion, Wayne. I need your help. Grab your shoes and come with me, hurry!” The older male, Wayne, slipped on a pair of shoes and followed his old friend out of the house, back towards the park.

“You want to tell me what this is about? Like, where you’ve been for the past year?” They arrived at Twilight’s location. “And who this is?”

“Not now, Wayne. She needs help! Can we take her into your house?” Wayne hesitated. “Please, man. I need to help her!”

“Alright fine! But you owe me one hell of an explanation for all this shit!” Together they lifted Twilight over their shoulders, being mindful of her injured side, and walked her back to the house. Once they were inside, the two of them helped Twilight into a bed down the hall. After DJ made sure she was comfortable, he lifted her shirt to inspect the damage on her sides. He let out a breath of relief when it was just a really bad bruise. Luckily, Wayne had a first-aid kit in the house, because of his rages, and DJ was able to wrap Twilight’s sides in gauzes. Once he was done, he and his best friend retired to the living room. DJ sat on the couch, Wayne in a chair across from it. And the talk began.

“Alright, time to spill, dude. What the hell is going on? Who is that girl in there? Where have you been for the past year and a half?”

“You aren’t going to believe me,” said DJ.

“Dude, I play video games and watch TV for a living. Anything you say, I’m pretty sure I can handle.”

“Right, forgot about that. *Sigh* Well, you know that TV show, My Little Pony?” Wayne shook his head slowly. “I ended up there. I’ve been staying with the characters from that show for the past year or so. It’s been one of hay of a ride, I can tell ya that. Ha! So much has happened, man. I really don’t know where to begin.”

Wayne gave him a hard stare. “You’re serious? You’ve been living with ponies? That sounds boring.”

“You’d think, but it’s been pretty fun. I definitely know how to keep myself occupied there. You see, the January that I disappeared, well, I was visited by a genie. Crazy, right? He gave me three wishes, with the only catch being that wish number three had to take me to another world. So I fulfilled some things and packed my bags for Equestria! And I can prove it!”

“Then prove it!” Wayne dared. DJ unclipped his blue lightsaber and ignited it. Wayne’s eyes lit up as he saw the glowing blade. DJ then took the liberty and ran the sword right through the couch. When he took the blade back out, there was a smoking hole in the piece of furniture. “Woah! Holy shit, a real lightsaber! This is crazy!”

“I know, huh?” replied DJ. He deactivated the sword and returned it to his belt. “It’s been so great being there, Wayne. I finally have tons of friends who legitimately care about me. No offense dude, but you are pretty much it here.”

“None taken.”

“And to answer the question about the girl, well, let’s just say you have royalty in your house, my friend. That is Princess Twilight Sparkle sleeping in there.” DJ smiled as Wayne’s mouth dropped.

“No way! Isn’t she one of the main characters or something? What she doing with you? You her body guard or some shit?”

DJ laughed. “Hahaha. Nnope! I ain’t a guard Wayne, but it is my job to keep her safe.” Wayne raised an eyebrow. “Dude, she’s my wife!” Back to shock and disbelief!

“You’re a mother fucking prince?! You lucky son of a bitch! Congrats, man! Never knew you had it in ya, but I guess I know why now.”

DJ smiled lovingly down the hall. “Yeah, it’s been one helluva ride, man. Even when I became a pony, things were always amazing as long as she was around.”

“Oh great, you’re a pony, too. Get out my house ya girl prick!” Wayne quipped with a manic smile.

“Buck you! I am going to go check on my wife.” DJ got up and strode on in to the bedroom. Twilight was still asleep, but looked better than she did. He tried to stir her awake. “”Twi? Come on, hon. I need you to wake up.” Twilight began to stir and her eyes fluttered open slowly. She turned her head and smiled as she saw her husband.

“Good morning, DJ. You’re up early, did you make breakfast?” she asked groggily.

“No, Twi. We have a situation.” Twilight began to wake up even faster. “Hon, we are on Earth. We’re in my home town.” Her eyes bulged. “I don’t know how, but I think we have a bigger problem.” DJ then showed Twi something that he had realized as he helped her inside. She gasped in shock.

After a moment, she spoke, “We need to get back home.”

“We will,” DJ assured her. “But for now, you need to rest.” He kissed her cheek as he laid her back down on the bed. “I’ll wake you up in the morning. Feel better, Twi. I love you.”

Twi snuggled back into the bed and her last words before she was blissfully asleep were, “Good night, my love.”

**********

The next morning, Twilight awoke to the sound of conversation. She slowly sat up and examined her new body. It was very similar to the one she had at Canterlot High, but had peach colored skin instead of purple. She tried to stand and succeeded, though there was still and stinging sensation in her side and was wobbly due to not walking on two legs for nearly two years. Twilight made her way out of the room and towards the voices coming from the other room. One was very familiar, while the other was unknown.

“…So let me get this right. The two of you were in an epic battle of good versus evil where you were winning until the bad guy threatened to kill your wife. Then he blasts the two of you and the next thing you know you’re in the park across the street. …BULL SHIT!!”

“Heh, heh. Nnope. It’s all true, man,” replied DJ. Then he looked up as a Twilight entered the room, holding the wall for support. “Twi!” He shot up off the couch and approached her with concern. “You shouldn’t be up.”

“We don’t have time for me to fully heal, DJ. We need to find a way back home. Do you know of anyone here who knows about magic?” said Twilight.

“Twi, I told you. There is no magic on Earth, not even a little bit. But you’re right that we are running out of time. I hope the others aren’t too worried.”

“Ahem,” said Wayne, with a look of annoyance.

“Oops. Sorry, time for some introductions. Twilight, I would like you to meet Wayne. He’s one of my best friends here on Earth. Wayne, this is Twilight, my wife and the Princess of Magic.”

“It’s a pleasure, Wayne. Happy to meet one of my husband’s old friends.” The two shook hands.

“Nice to see that TV shows do exist. And that my friend could actually get a girl,” Wayne said with a sly smile. DJ face palmed in frustration and annoyance. “You know, there is someone who might be able to help you two out.” DJ and Twilight snapped to attention. “I think my friend Ariella might be able to lend us a hand. She knows more about ponies than anyone else I know, so she might have an idea or two. Maybe even how you two got here?”

“Actually,” said Twilight, “I think I have a theory on that.”

“Well, theorize away, sweet heart,” said DJ with a grin.

Twilight blushed and continued. “DJ, do you remember where Sombra’s spell hit you?”

“I think it was my left shoulder, why?”

“DJ, what was on your left shoulder at the time?”

“Nothing. Except the…omni…trix…” DJ face palmed. “DUH!! The stupid watch was made with Genie’s magic specifically for me. Sombra must have been trying some kind of enhance teleportation spell, probably to send us right to Tartarus’ front door, and when it connected with the omnitrix, it somehow sent us back to Earth. Only something more powerful than Genie’s magic could return me here, so when Sombra’s blast connected, it merged with Genie’s spell and *bam* here we are!” When he stopped his rant, he sat for a moment and spoke again. “Well, this another fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

“I have to agree with that, DJ,” said Twilight.

“If you two are really in a hurry, then we should probably go see Ariella, now. Come on, I’m driving.”

“I don’t know how I feel about putting my injured wife in that old death trap you call a car,” DJ said with a grin.

“Fuck you! She’s my baby! I finally got a good enough job to fix her, so shut up!” replied Wayne with mock offense. After that quick banter, the three of them piled into Wayne’s car and they took off. As Wayne drove along the Omaha streets, Twilight watched out the window in awe of the city. DJ watched her with a small smile letting her enjoy the modern sites. Wayne spoke up half way to their destination. “So, dude. Are you gonna see your folks before you head back to ponyland?”

DJ cringed at the mention of his family. With everything that had been happening, he had completely forgotten that they were here. DJ hung his head a little and then turned his gaze to the moving scenery. Twilight put her hand in his, a look of hope in her eyes. He sighed and offered his answer. “I don’t know. I probably should, but I don’t know what will happen if I do. I don’t even know what everyone thinks happened to me. I heard that there was a national manhunt, people thinking I was kidnapped or something stupid like that.”

Wayne put on a look of confusion as he focused on the road. “How did you hear about that?”

“Another human appeared in Equestria about three months after I did. She explained that she heard about me from the news.”

“Oh,” was Wayne’s reply. “You really have gone through some shit.” Nobody spoke for the remainder of the trip. They arrived at an apartment complex and Wayne led them to the door of his friend. A girl, older than Wayne, opened the door and was surprised.

“Well, hey there Wayne! Who are your friends?” she asked.

“Hey, Ariella. You are not gonna believe who these two are.”

“Oh?”

“Wait,” said DJ. “I remember you now. Don’t you run the card game club that Wayne and I used to go to?”

“Yeah, who are you…DJ?! You’re alive?!” Ariella exclaimed.

“Heh, I knew someone would have that reaction. Yeah, I’m alive. It’s nice to see another familiar face, especially the one who got me hooked on MLP. You are so about to trip!” said DJ.

“What? Where have you been?” Ariella asked.

“Equestria!” DJ said, leaving that in the air. Ariella put on a look of disbelief and was clearly not amused.

“Seriously? Equestria? Are you two making fun of me?”

Twilight spoke up. “They aren’t making fun of you, miss. It is nice to meet one of DJ’s friends.” She put her hand out in greeting. “I am DJ’s wife, Twilight Sparkle.”

Ariella’s jaw dropped and her eyes bulged. “You have to be kidding me! No way you’re Twilight!”

DJ looked to his wife. “She doesn’t believe us.”

“How do we convince her? I can’t use my magic and neither can you. Your watch is also still completely dead.”

“Don’t remind me,” he said looking in irritation at the device on his arm. Then an idea popped into his head. “Wait, maybe we don’t have to do anything.” DJ then turned to his back pocket and spoke to it. “Guys? Uno? Any of you in there?”

Wayne and Ariella looked at DJ like he really had gone crazy. That was, until Uno few out of his back pocket and grew to full size. “Yeah,” he said. “We’re still here boss. Did you need something?”

“Nah, just wanted you to meet some friends of mine. Wayne, Ariella, meet Uno! He is one five Discords that the original entrusted me with as assistants. They are a really big help.”

Uno floated over to the two humans. “Good to meet friends of the boss.” Both of them had their jaws on the ground. “Not very talkative, are they?”

DJ chuckled at that. “They’ve just never seen a draconequus. You would definitely be one of the strangest creatures on the planet right now, my friend.”

“Oh. Interesting. Well, if you’ll excuse me, boss, the boys and I got some things to do. Call if you need us,” he said as he slithered into DJ’s back pocket once again.

“Will do,” DJ called to him. He turned to his dumbstruck friends and addressed them. “Well? Believe us now?” Ariella nodded her head without saying a word. “Great! May we come in? We need some help.” Ariella led them into her home.

Twilight looked around her house and was amused by all the posters and all the memorabilia from her world. Twilight then looked at her bookshelf and was in awe. “What are these things on your bookshelf? They’re clearly not books.”

Ariella looked at her and giggled, “They are called DVDs. They are movies on discs that you can watch, I have every season of My Little Pony. In fact, I am watching season 4 right now if you would like to watch.”

Twilight kindly replied “No thanks I don’t think I need another headache, I’m still trying to figure out how DJ was able to watch us in the first place.” Ariella led them to a room with red and gold curtains with an open window. The breeze whipped the curtains around the room and filled it with the sense of nature. Twilight couldn’t hold it in “I love this room, it feels so serene and quiet, perfect for reading a book.”

Ariella beamed “Thank you Twilight this is my favorite room in the house. I’ve made sandwiches and some tea if you are hungry.”

DJ jumped in a chair and rubbing his hands together he said greedily “Don’t mind if I do.” They all sat in silence and when everyone was finished Wayne looked at Ariella.

“I have a favor to ask you Ariella. You are the only one I can think of that has so much knowledge of the pony world.”

Ariella looked at Wayne slightly embarrassed, “I would love to help, but I have no idea on how to get back there. Otherwise I would have left here a long time ago. DJ how did you even get here?” DJ told the long tale and left her silent for a long while. After some thought she opened her mouth “There is one thing I can think of. DJ, you told me the Discords are friends of the genie, don’t you think that maybe there is a way they can communicate. How did the genie even find you?” DJ contemplated when Uno came out of his pocket and stood on the table.

“Uno what are you doing?” DJ asked.

Uno looked at DJ and said “She has a point, I don’t know if I can but maybe I can put a signal in the realms the genie may be able to find us.”

Twilight said, “It’s worth a try.” Uno scrambled up on the window sill and starting glowing a bright green color. Several minutes passed and nothing. Uno looked downtrodden and gave a small shrug.

“Was worth a shot.” Uno retreated back into DJ’s pocket with his brothers. Ariella looked at him with a sad smile.

“I’m sorry you two, I honestly thought that would work. Wish I could be more help, but that was my only idea.”

Twilight nodded in kind. “Thank you for your advice, anyway Ariella. Anything was worth a try and we really appreciate it.”

DJ looked at his wife lovingly and hugged her. He turned back to his two Earth friends. “Ain’t she somethin’!” Twilight blushed feverishly. “Twilight is right, though. Thank you for everything.” DJ then sighed in exhaustion. “We should be going. Until we think of something else, there are a few certain people that I should go and see. I just hope that things go well.”

Twilight gripped her husband’s knee tight. “I’ll be right here, DJ. We’ll do it together.” DJ smiled appreciatively at her.

As Ariella showed them out, she said, “I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have a good life in Equestria DJ. Enjoy it.”

“I will. Thanks again, Ariella. Come on Ginger, drive us home!” said DJ.

“I am NOT a fucking chauffeur! Now get in the damn car!” Wayne yelled back as they got to the car. They waved to Ariella as they drove off to another side of the town. Twilight watched DJ through the whole trip, looking upon him as his chest rose up and down. She was worried about him, and for a good reason.

It was roughly five o’ clock as they pulled into the driveway of an ordinary home in West Omaha. The house was white in color with a brown trim. They all got out of the car, Wayne going to the door with Twilight and DJ following behind. Wayne rang the doorbell and DJ stiffened. Twilight gripped his hand even tighter, trying her best to reassure him. They heard a sound coming from behind the front door and it began to open.

DJ inhaled sharply, not wanting what was about to come. He had one thought as the door opened. Time for us to meet my family, once again.

This is My Life

Princess Celestia watched with nervous feelings as the train pulled into the station in Canterlot. When the train finally stopped, its passengers began to trot off and out of the cars. She took in the site as several hundred refugees piled into the station and then again as a certain group of ponies approached her out of the crowd. “Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor,” she greeted the two royals.

Shining Armor gave her a weary smile. “Princess Celestia, it is good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances.” He lowered his head.

“Do not fret, Shining Armor. Together, we will be able to defeat King Sombra’s dark army.” Then the solar princess shook her head. “I still can’t believe that he conquered your kingdom in a matter of hours. I am glad that all of you made it here safely.”

Cadence took this chance to speak up. “Unfortunately, Aunt Celestia, not all of us made it back.” Princess Celestia gave her a look of confusion. “Princess Twilight and Prince DJ are currently…missing in action.” She reported lowering her muzzle in sadness.

Celestia was taken aback by this. “W-what?! What do you mean?” Applejack approached Celestia from the crowd of ponies, her and her friends finally managing to get off the train. She addressed her princess.

“I saw it with my own eyes, princess. Sombra sent a blast of magic at my brother and Twi. It hit them both and then they were gone. We feared the worst, but Genie over there,” she said pointing at the green being trying to move through the refugees, “says that they are still alive. Somewhere, but something is blocking his way of communication. We can only hope that he finds a way.”

Princess Celestia nodded in understanding, but her eyes showed sadness and worry. She looked to the sky and sent a silent prayer that her faithful student and her daughter’s brother were alright.

**********

Twilight, DJ, and Wayne watched as the front door of DJ’s old house opened. When it finally did, they saw a short girl standing there. Once she looked at who was standing there her eyes widened and then grew angry. “You have some nerve coming back here, brother,” she said with malice dripping from her voice.

DJ looked at her with sympathy. “Hello, CJ. It’s been a while. Are Mom and Dad home?”

“No. They aren’t here. Now get lost! You already ruined this family once, it’s not gonna happen twice.” He knew that she would be angry, but not this angry. DJ reasoned that her hatred for her own brother must have grown since he disappeared. The police and the manhunt must have put a great toll on his family. He looked at his sister with regretful eyes.

“CJ, I am so sorry for putting you all through this. I didn’t mean to for you to all go through so much pain. I was given a chance to be happy and I took it. I had no time to leave anything more than that note. I am very sorry.”

CJ still showed nothing, but anger. “Nothing you say can change the past, or how I feel.” Then she let out a small sigh and softened her look slightly. “I suppose that Mom and Dad would want to see you, though. Right now, they are at a neighborhood reunion at their friends’ house in the old neighborhood.” His sister started to close the door, then stopped. “Your old car is in the garage; Dad placed it under your ownership the day you left. Just take it and go. It was good to see you, DJ. Never come back.” She slammed the door, leaving all of them staring out the door for a second.

Wayne was the first to say something. “Well, that escalated quickly.” DJ looked at him, highly unamused. The garage door opened a moment later, revealing a blue Chevrolet Cavalier Coup. DJ smiled greatly at his old vehicle.

“Awesome! Looks like Dad fixed it up. Even the paint looks good!” He turned to Twilight and smiled. “We are so taking this back to Equestria!” Then he looked into the back of the garage at his Dad’s work area. “But it’s gonna need a tune-up.” He clapped his hands and got to work. He grabbed tool after tool, as well as sheets of metal and wood. Wayne and Twilight were in awe as the lightning licked around the garage. When it had died down, DJ’s car was completely decked out in armor. The car was now a high speed tank! Almost like it belonged in the movie Death Race.

“I never knew that I would use that mechanical understanding ability to turn my old car into a battle weapon! Sombra’s so goin’ down now!” DJ got in the car and turned the key, causing the vehicle to start up with a loud roar. “Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! Come on, Twi! You’re riding with me!” Twilight approached the vehicle slowly and got in as careful as possible. She looked over and saw that DJ looked exhausted, her worrying growing even more. DJ started to pull the car out and stopped next to Wayne. “Come on Ginger; let’s go! Get in your car and follow us!” Wayne shook himself out his stupor and got in his own vehicle. They were out on the open road a minute later.

DJ floored the gas pedal as he drove for the first time in over a year. Traffic rules meant nothing to him now! With the windows down, Twilight’s hair was blowing wildly around in the wind. DJ thought it made her look even more beautiful. Unfortunately, the old neighborhood was only a few minutes away and they were soon pulling in front of another house. Now he was really nervous, but Twilight was right by his side, giving him all the strength he needed.

The trio walked right up to the front door, noticed it was wide open and walked right in. They were greeted by several confused faces. “Um, can I help you?” asked older female. Wayne spoke up.

“Yeah, can we speak to Mr. and Mrs. Williams?” A tall male and a smaller female approached him.

“Hello, Wayne,” said Mrs. Williams. “What do you need?”

“There is someone who wants to see you,” he replied and moved to the side. DJ walked forward and removed the sunglasses from his eyes. His mother and father gasped in pure shock.

“Hey Mom, Dad. I’m home,” was all he said until his mother rushed forward and hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder. His dad simply stood there in a stupor.

“My son is alive! He’s come back to us!” she cried.

“It’s good to see you guys too,” he replied uncomfortably. “There is someone I want you to meet.” He motioned Twilight to his side and his mother backed off. “Mom, Dad, this is Twilight. She’s my wife.” His parents’ eyes widened in surprise.

“Is this some kind of joke?” she asked. “You are far too young to marry! Is she the reason you ran away?” DJ tried to say something, but his mother was on a roll. “What did you do; have some drive thru wedding in Vegas? Or is she the one who took you?!” She turned towards Twilight with anger in her eyes. “What did you do to my son, you harlot? You took him away from us; away from his life! Josh you will be annulling this marriage and we will get you back in school—“

“MOM!! I can’t stay!!” DJ shouted over her. His mother was taken aback. “I only came by to apologize for leaving without saying anything. I just wanted to say good bye this time.” His parents stood there, speechless. It was silent for several minutes, until his mother walked towards them.

“YOU!” She said with fury as she raised her hand. “You took my son away! You whore!” She swung her hand, intending to hit Twilight. Twilight braced for impact.

*SMACK*

Twi heard the sound, but there was no pain. She slowly opened her eyes to find DJ standing in front of her with his left hand far out to his right. Twilight’s eyes were wide; DJ had slapped his own mother! She looked at him with surprise and saw that her husband’s eyes were filled with angry tears and fury. His mother was nursing her wound, her own tears falling and then DJ spoke.

“How dare you,” he said in a whisper; his next words were louder. “How dare you! You still don’t get it do you? I didn’t leave for Twilight, she happened to be a great bonus. I left because I couldn’t stand living here anymore! I didn’t’ want this boring, horrible, hope-deprived thing you call a life!! I couldn’t stay, even if I wanted to. Because of this…” DJ lifted his shirt and everyone in the room gasped in shock. In the center of DJ’s chest, where his heart should be, was a gaping whole. Wayne was the only one who could speak.

“Holy shit,” he said in a whisper.

DJ continued his speech. “Your son, Josh, died on a cliff in the Everfree Forest. My name is DJ Sparkle, a prince of Equestria. The longer I stay, the closer I get to dying” DJ turned around and continued to speak. “I always regretted not telling you all goodbye, but now I know my fears weren’t worth it. Back in that world, I have great friends and a loving family; some things I didn’t have here. I have a great wife, a loving daughter, three fun brothers, four enjoyable sisters, an amazing teacher, two supportive fathers, three wonderful mothers, and a ton of great friends. None of those I had here on this worthless rock. I have always valued family above all else in my life, but you…you are not family. Not anymore. This is my life and you two are no longer welcome in it” He stopped and turned only his head and only for a second until turning back to the door. “Goodbye.” With that and that alone, he walked toward the door with Wayne and Twilight following. His parents only stood there speechless and heartbroken as their only son turned his back on Earth forever.

**********

Back at the cars, the three humans stood together, thinking on what just happened. Wayne spoke up after them being quiet for several long minutes.

“That was deep, man. Harsh, but deep. So, now what?”

“I don’t know, Wayne. I just don’t know,” DJ replied. Then a sound came from his wrist, he looked down and saw that the omnitrix was fully active once more. And then it started to emit a loud beeping sound. DJ looked at it confused, but tapped the cover anyways. A small hologram lit up on top and the image of Genie appeared.

“GENIE!!” exclaimed Twilight and DJ.

“Finally,” their mystic friend said. “I have been trying to contact you since yesterday! I received Uno’s signal and I was finally able to reactivate your watch. Where are you?”

“Genie, thank Celestia it’s you! Look, I know you aren’t going to believe this, but Twi and I are on Earth! Sombra’s dark magic hit the omnitrix and we got blasted back here. How is everypony? Are they all alright?” explained and questioned DJ.

“Yes, they are all safe. Wait… you are Earth?! Oh, not good. You must be almost out of time; we need to get you back here before you fade away! I will be right back; I need to consult with Discord on a proper way for you to return home.”

“Genie wait!” said Twilight. “Is Nyx with you? Can we speak with her?” Genie looked back to her and agreed. A moment later, a small black filly was in the hologram. “NYX!!” exclaimed both parents.

“Mom! Daddy! I knew you were still alive; I knew that you wouldn’t break your promise. Are you coming back soon? Sombra took over the Crystal Empire with you guys gone. Please come home, I miss you.”

DJ spoke from the heart. “We will be there as soon as we can, kiddo. We will come back to you and we’ll have an amazing ‘welcome home’ party! Well, after we deal with big, bad Sombra. He’s not gonna win! I love you, Nyx”

Twilight spoke next. “Be safe, my little pony. I love you.”

Nyx smiled happily at her parents. “Come home soon. I love you both.” With that the transmission cut out. DJ and Twilight embraced each other and let their tears fall as they fell to their knees. Even the ‘soulless’ ginger was moved by the scene. He helped them both up to their feet.

“I guess you weren’t kidding about having a kid. Sorry I didn’t believe you.” He clapped his hand on DJ’s shoulder. “We’ll get ya back to her, dude. Count on it.” A few seconds later, the omnitrix reactivated communications and Genie returned with Discord floating next to him.

“I think that we have come up with a plan, my pony friends,” said Genie.

Discord spoke next. “Yes, it should be possible for my boys to recreate a portal that will take you back to Equestria. Oh boys!!” Uno through Cinco popped out of DJ’s pocket to head their father’s call. Tres was the one who answered.

“Yeah, Pops? What’s up?”

“I need the five of you to come together to get your boss back home. I know it’s dangerous, but those two are needed here. Sombra is slowly gaining more and more power, so we need every help we can get. I am sorry.” The Discords looked upset as well. DJ picked up on this pretty easily.

“Woah, woah, woah. What’s going on here?”

“For my sons to create the portal, they will need to be left behind on Earth. There would be no way for them to close the portal otherwise. For you to come home, they need to stay.”

“Nuh uh. Not happening.” DJ then brought his hand up and pressed a few fingers together. “Please work,” he whispered. He snapped his fingers and, almost immediately, several coils of rope popped into existence in his hand. “Sweet! It worked!” Everyone was shocked. Discord the most of all.

“No way!” he said. “That was the missing piece?! All that chaos magic training and the only reason it didn’t work was because you couldn’t snap your fingers in pony form?! That’s messed up!”

“That’s my line!” DJ said back with a smile. Twilight now had a questioning look.

“Chaos magic training?” she asked.

“Y-yeah,” he replied nervously. “I didn’t want to tell you before I learned how to do it properly, but this is an emergency. Discord has been teaching me how to use chaos magic for a few months now, since I can actually use magic in pony form. Thankfully, it’s a completely different form of magic from our usual so it isn’t affected by this world. Cool, right?”

“I’ll say,” said Wayne. Twilight just sighed in exasperation and left it for now. “But what is the rope for, dude?”

“Simple,” DJ said as he moved to the Discords. “I am going to tie all of them to my car, so that way when we drive through the portal, the Discords will be yanked through as well. Without them, the portal can’t exist, right? So if we take them out of the equation the portal should just close. Easy peasy.”

“Actually,” said Discord, “that’s quite brilliant. You really are smarter than you look, my friend.”

“I will take that as a compli-sult,” DJ replied. With that, Discord and Genie wished them well and hung up the line.

“You’re still using that stupid saying?” asked Wayne with a facepalm.

“It’s one of my quirks,” shrugged DJ. He got to work tying each Discord to the spoiler of his tricked-out Chevy. Once they were secure and had enough length to create the large portal, the Discords formed a great circle with their bodies and began to build energy. Several minutes passed as they did, but eventually a tear in the universe appeared within the circle and soon enough, DJ and Twilight had their ticket home. Twilight got in the car, but DJ went to Wayne.

“Thanks for everything, man.” He held out his hand, elbow up, to his friend. “I wish you luck, Wayne.”

Wayne firmly clasped his hand into DJ’s. “Same to you. Enjoy it, DJ. Keep your true family safe.” DJ simply nodded and got in his car. He revved the engine a few times and then sped off through the portal. A few seconds later, the ropes went taught and the Discords were yanked through as well.

Wayne stood there, watching as the portal began to close. Then it suddenly fell into itself; the portal had collapsed. The implosion had a powerful force and sent Wayne sprawling and causing the destruction of several windows. As Wayne began to stand up, he looked down into a piece of glass and his eyes grew wide at the reflection. His eyes had changed from a normal brown, to a deep red with one eye being yellow and another blue. He began to laugh into the sky as a great storm began to howl.

**********

The car suddenly jumped into existence outside of Ponyville with DJ and Twilight inside. With the built up speed, the vehicle didn’t stop until it reached their library home. Thankfully, nothing was damaged. DJ would have applied the brakes, but he was too short to reach them. When they came to a slow stop, he finally looked over at Twilight and vice-versa. They were both alicorns once again. The two smiled at each other, but the moment was ruined when five thuds hit the back of the car.

DJ and Twi piled out to find the Discords already in a pile at the back of the car. It took a moment, but they pulled themselves together and retreated back into DJ’s coat pocket. The couple glanced at each other once more and then shared a passionate kiss.

As one they spoke, “We’re home.”

Back in the Battle

Twilight and DJ were lost in the moment for a little bit, relishing in being home once again. They simply stood there outside their home, while their vehicle began to draw a crowd. DJ was the first to realize it and turned to Twilight.

“I need to grab something out of the house. Be right back,” he said. DJ ran into the library, thus, leaving Twilight to explain to the mayor why a giant mechanical thing had rampaged through town. DJ entered at a break-neck speed and rushed downstairs to his old bedroom. He stopped at the old wardrobe and pulled open the doors. Inside was all of his old human clothes, but DJ was looking for a certain set. He found them in a special container and pulled out his Nightmare Night costume from his first year: the Assassin’s outfit.

“Omnitrix,” called DJ.

“How may assist you, sir?” replied the device.

“I need you to scan these clothes and apply them to my human and saiyan forms.” The device around his neck let out a light that moved up and down the equipment. After a few passes, the light retracted back into the watch.

“How do you wish for these to be applied, sir?”

“Armor type.” A beep came from the omnitrix.

“It is done, sir.”

“Thank you.” DJ put the original set back in storage and rushed out of the house to find Twilight and Mayor Mare in an argument.

“…stand that you are a princess now, Miss Twilight, but I cannot simply allow this to fly by. Now, please explain what this monstrosity is and why it was running amok through Ponyville!” complained the politician.

“I wish I could, Mayor, but I have no exact idea what this is. All I know is that is called a car; at least that was my husband calls it,” Twilight tried to explain.

“That it is,” DJ interrupted causing both mares to look toward him. “I am very sorry for our little joy ride, Mayor, but we must be going. We are needed in Canterlot. Don’t worry, though. We will be taking the ‘monstrosity’ with us. Human up.” With a flash of light, DJ returned to a human. He moved toward the armored car and opened the passenger door and beckoned to Twilight. “M’lady,” he offered. Twilight giggled and jumped back into the car.

DJ got in on the other side and started the car. He rolled down the window and addressed Mayor Mare. “Again, sorry for the noise and any other disturbances.” With that, DJ floored it and the vehicle sped off and out of Ponyville. They were on the dirt path towards Canterlot, a trip that would take a day or two travel by walking. With a super car, roughly three hours. Enough time for Twilight to question the car.

“So, DJ. What did you all do to this ‘car’?” she asked.

“What didn’t I do?” he offered in return with a smile. “With the lightsabers giving me advance mechanical understanding and alchemy, I was able to trick this thing out! I was able to transform and update every single part on this thing; even made the engine into a pure electric. Now I don’t have to worry about running out of gas. Will need one of those eternal battery spells, though. The armor was put on so that the cool parts of the car would be protected by magic. Once this fight is over, I am taking off all of the plating. Goodbye train rides, hello family road trips!”

Twilight was beaming with the new information as DJ continued to explain all of the modifications as well as cars in general. By the time the in-drive lecture had finished, they were soon pulling up to the Canterlot gates. The guards at the gate crossed their spears, attempting to bar entry. DJ drove right up to them and asked Twilight to explain, since he was human at the moment. She poked her head out the window.

“Greetings, royal guards!” she said with a wave. “Mind letting us through?”

“Princess Twilight?” asked one of the guards. “Is that you?”

“Yep! We need to see Princess Celestia, can we go through?”

“Apologies, your majesty. We didn’t recognize you because of the …uh…”

“Car,” Twilight provided. “It’s a new kind of carriage that my husband and I have been working on.”

“Ooohhh,” the guards said in understanding. They stepped to the side and opened the gates. “Enjoy your stay, your highness.”

“Thank you,” she said as DJ drove into the capital city. He pushed the armored vehicle as fast as he could through city traffic, trying to avoid as much attention as possible. Didn’t work quite well, but at least he tried. They pulled up to the castle after a few minutes and parked outside. DJ powered down once he got out and stowed the keys away in his coat pocket. These guards were especially surprised by a giant metal beast stopping in front of them, but they relaxed when they saw its handlers exit and move towards them.

“Greetings, gentle-stallions,” said DJ. “Would either of you mind keeping an eye on my vehicle? It’s quite a rarity after all and I would hate for it to be stolen or vandalized.” The guards looked between their prince and the car and then at each other. They shrugged in response. “Great! I don’t want to see a single scratch when I come back!” he warned. As DJ and Twilight proceeded inside, he called back to the two guards: “Not a scratch!”

Twilight smiled at her husband, glad to see him in a good mood. She knew he was simply hiding his pain, but now was not the time for it. Since Twilight knew the castle’s layout better than anypony, the two of them were standing outside the throne room doors in no time. Together they pushed the doors open and strode right in, with DJ greeting everypony who was there.

“Heyyo! Look whose back!”

Three princesses, a prince, five of the Elements of Harmony, a young dragon, and a small alicorn filly looked in surprise as the loving couple strode on in. This look quickly turned to joy as they rushed the two of them. Nyx and Spike jumped at them, with Twilight catching Spike and DJ grabbing a hold of Nyx.

“We knew you’d come back,” said Nyx after hugging her father.

“I didn’t doubt you for a second,” added Spike.

“We were so worried,” said Applejack from the group. “We thought the worst until Genie said that you both were still alive. What happened to the two of you?”

DJ’s expression turned sour for a moment. “We’ll explain on the way, but for now we need to come up with a plan to stop Sombra. Anypony got one?” he asked hopefully.

“We already have an army built up and are ready for service,” explained Celestia. “We were just preparing to embark right now. Excellent timing as always you two,” she said with a smile. Twilight and DJ both returned it in earnest.

“Well, then what are we waiting for?” asked DJ. “Let’s get a move on ponies!”

**********

Several hours later, Celestia, DJ, Shining Armor, Cadence, Twilight and her friends were on train-ward bound for the Crystal Empire. DJ had used his alchemy to alter one of the train cars so that his battle vehicle could be lugged along as well. After they left the station, however, DJ secluded himself in a cabin near his car. This left Twilight to explain what happened after Sombra attacked them.

She went into full detail about the world that her lover came from. From the cars and houses that were everywhere, to the people she saw and met. Eventually, she came to the part where they had a reunion with DJ’s family. Needless to say, her friends were aghast with what occurred.

“I can’t say I support DJ’s actions, but I would say that they earned it,” huffed Rarity.

“Why those low life, little… If I ever see either of those two humans, I’m gonna… I don’t know, but it won’t be pretty!” said an angry Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie and Fluttershy were content with just having a mad looks on their muzzles. Shining was shaking his head disapprovingly, while Cadence did the same. Celestia and Applejack were just as upset as Twilight about the whole thing.

“I knew he said that they wouldn’t understand his decision, but flat out trying to strike the love of his life? Family doesn’t do that; family respects each other’s decisions,” said AJ.

“That’s why they aren’t family; not anymore,” said Twilight. She once again had their attention. “After DJ explained that staying on Earth long term would kill him (because of the hole where his heart should be), his last words to them before we left were that they were no longer family. He basically disowned them.” Everypony were once again aghast with what had occurred. They all knew how DJ felt about family, and he turning his back on them wasn’t something they thought possible.

Celestia turned her head towards the car where DJ sat alone and headed towards it. Once she entered the car, she noticed DJ had transformed into a human and was polishing his lightsabers. Probably to pass the time. She didn’t know what she would say to him, but knew that she should say something.

“DJ?” she said to get this attention. He stopped polishing for a moment and regarded her. He removed the sun glasses from his eyes and looked right at her. The princess was standing right in front of him, eyes of worry and despair present. DJ’s eyes were distant, however, as though he was still in deep thought. “I-I see that you are busy,” she said hastily. “I’ll leave you to your work.”

Princess Celestia began to turn away, but a hand reached out and grabbed her wing softly to stop her. She was startled for a moment, but looked back to DJ who was looking at her with pained eyes. Celestia donned her motherly tone and returned to standing in front of him. “Do you wish to talk about it, DJ?”

DJ let out a small breath, now looking down at the floor. “I just don’t know anymore, Princess.” Now, she was worried. DJ never referred to her as ‘princess’ when they were together and only rarely any other time. “I feel like what I said to my birth parents was right, deep in my heart. But they still raised me and gave me a home. Did I do the right thing by leaving everything behind?”

Celestia gave him a warm smile in return. “That is not a question that I can answer, my little pony. That is something you must answer for yourself. All I can tell you is to listen to your heart; it will never lead you astray.” DJ seemed to relax with that reply, as unhelpful as it was. She retreated back to the door that would take her back to the others, when DJ spoke back to her.

“Thank you for the advice.” He took in another breathe. “Thank you… mom.”

Celestia’s eyes bugged and her jaw went slack. What seemed like a long time ago, after she had adopted Pixel Berry and had been told that DJ was her brother, Celestia had offered DJ the same opportunity. He flat out rejected it, saying that since Twilight also considered her a mother, it could make things very awkward between them. Now, however, it seemed that he was willing to accept her offer. Still, Celestia couldn’t believe her ears.

“What was that, DJ? Di-Did you really…?” asked Celestia.

DJ still was looking at the train floor, but smiled softly all the same. “If your offer still stands, I could really use another mother right about now. Especially one that isn’t trying to control every aspect of my life and isn’t threatening my family. Will you still have me?” He looked up into her eyes with hope when he asked.

Celestia walked back over to him and pulled him in for a hug with her wings. “I would love to have you as a son, DJ. Welcome to the family,” she said with moist eyes. DJ simply smiled and sighed as he enjoyed her embrace. After a few moments he spoke again.

“This is going to be completely private, you understand? I still have an image to keep up as blood-thirsty monster, after all,” he said with a smirk. Celestia snorted a little at his attempt to lighten the mood.

“Of course, my son,” she said with a soft voice and sly smile. “This will stay only between our families.”

“How did I know that you would turn that against me someday? Yeah, I suppose the others can know about this, too. But after we put a certain black unicorn down. Ok?”

“Alright, DJ. You’re right.” She looked out the window behind him and her smile faded. “We are arriving,” she said with a quiet voice. DJ turned around to see the Crystal Empire in shambles. Buildings were destroyed and rubble was everywhere. Fires burned all over. It was practically hell on Equis. DJ let out a small exhale. Then he stood and straightened himself. He then slammed a fist against the omnitrix symbol on his shoulder. A bright flash occurred and Celestia witnessed her son’s attire change from his casual jacket, t-shirt, and jeans to that of a cloaked warrior. DJ’s look hardened and his voice was serious in every form.

“It’s time to get back in the battle.” He strode off towards his vehicle, clipping the polished lightsabers to his belt. “This war ends…today!”

Fighting Back

The train pulled to a stop several miles outside of the Crystal Empire; a temporary track put in place so that Celestia’s army could build in secret as well as keep an eye on Sombra. DJ and his family stepped off the train, and were met hundreds of royal guards and recruited ponies. DJ paid them no mind, however, as the Princess and himself trekked to the planning tent near the center of the camp. As they walked, DJ took in the sight of the army. The camp was quite large, about half the size of Ponyville, and was obviously cloaked with a special shielding spell. No doubt that it was Shining Armor’s work.

Tents were everywhere and temporary barracks were put in place to surround the armories and other necessary buildings. DJ saw technicians and blacksmiths, working tirelessly as they continued to supply the army. Celestia noticed DJ’s intrigue at the quickly created army and addressed him and the others as they continued to walk.

“Yes, it was quite easy to amass such an army on short notice,” she said as she answered the unasked question. “Most of them are Crystal ponies wishing to take back their home once more, while others are royal guards that volunteered to help free the empire.”

“Quite the force,” remarked the human. “But will it be enough?” They reached the strategists’

tent as he spoke, but another had a different idea.

“You know it!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash who flew over to DJ. “Sombra’s goin’ down!”

“Don’t underestimate your opponent, Rainbow,” DJ replied. “That leads to overconfidence and mistakes. We can’t take any chances when it comes to Sombra. We don’t know what he’s been up to, if the recent reports are to be understood correctly.” DJ began to flip through some of the papers that were on the tables, skimming through them and taking in ideas and forming plans in his mind. “For all we know, he has been able to replicate the lightsabers’ abilities. As impossible as that sounds, I wouldn’t put it past him to try and use it.”

That thought sent shivers down a few of his friends’ spines. Even Celestia looked a little uncomfortable with that idea. “Erhem, y-yes,” she said to calm herself and the others. “DJ, you are right. Sombra had always been cunning and crafty, so we cannot take him lightly in the slightest. That would doom us all.”

“Well, then,” started Rarity, “do you have any ideas, DJ?”

“Working on one. It’s not complete nor do I know if it will work, nor is it one of my smarter plans,” he said with a grimace-turned-smirk.

“Do go on, then,” said Luna who had suddenly appeared through teleportation. “What is this plan of yours?”

“Basically, it’s a head-on assault with me leading the soldiers into battle,” he said nonchalantly. The girls and soldiers gave him a deadpan look. “What? This is short notice! Not like I was thinking of plans on how to take down Sombra while on Earth! Had a few other issues to worry about at the time, thank you very much!”

Luna giggled a little at his retort, and he gave her a look of mock annoyance. If cheering him up was her plan, it unfortunately worked. DJ definitely felt more at ease, as such his mind was beginning to think even clearer. Now a much better plan was coming to him and it made his infamous smirk shine brightly amongst his brothers and sisters in arms.

“You have a better plan now, I take it?” Luna asked with a sly smile.

DJ just looked at her, keeping his smirk. “Oh, yeah. Gather around everypony! We got work to do.” As he began to explain his ideas to the gathered troops, a single thought popped into his head, one that would drive him to make this work. Sombra is going down!

NO SOMBRA!! DON'T DO IT!!

This was it. DJ and his army were ready to take back the Crystal Empire. He stood with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, and Prince Shining before their gathered troops. DJ wore his trademark sun glasses, keeping his eyes hidden from the ponies, and spoke out to them. “Today will be a day long remembered, my friends. King Sombra has taken much from us, much from all of you. That stops today!”

He received cheers from his audience and resumed speaking when they calmed down a little. “I won’t sugar coat it; this will not be easy. It is quite likely that not all of us will make it out of this alive. But do not let that stop you from fighting to the fullest. This war is not about you, or us, but it is about our friends and families and the other innocents of this world. If we fall then Sombra will spread his evil all across Equis and everypony will suffer.” He then stomped his foot on the ground to emphasize the point. “Which is why we shall not fail! It is Sombra who shall fall before our combined might! You are the strongest of the strong, the best of the best! Are you going to let some ancient unicorn with an ego trip take away everything you care about?!”

“NO!!!!!!!” he received from his troops.

He smiled brightly and exclaimed out them, “THEN TODAY…WE TAKE BACK OUR HOMES!! TODAY…KING SOMBRA WILL FALL!! ARE YOU WITH ME?”

“SIR YES SIR!!”

“GOOD!! Now, you all know the plan. Get into positions, we move out in fifteen.” The troops thundered back to where they were needed. Shining Armor trotted up to him and gave a small punch to the leg.

“And here I thought only Malice was the motivational speaker,” he said with a chuckle. DJ joined him in the laughter.

“Indeed,” added Celestia. “That was quite memorable, DJ. Very inspirational.”

DJ shrugged. “As Malice once said, if it’s one thing that humans know, it is war.”

Damn, right, kid. DJ’s eyes opened wide. He hadn’t heard from Malice since he forced him back down into their combined mind.

Malice? You’re not still pissed, right?

Not as much as before, no. Don’t forget that I know how you operate, punk. I should have seen it coming. Sorry I let you down there, DJ.

Who are you and what did you do with Malice?

Enough with the sarcasm. We got a battle to get to. Hop to it! I’ll be here making sure you don’t do something stupid, like die. Again!

DJ allowed himself a small laugh at the ‘demon’s’ wit. It was good to know he stall had Malice on his side, at least for now. Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he found that the others were ready to move out. Let’s get this done!

**********

They waited just outside the perimeter of the Crystal Empire. DJ’s personal team consisted of Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and roughly three other troops that DJ didn’t know the names of. Those three were tasked with watching everypony’s back and make sure that everything went off without a hitch. As the troop hid in a back alley, they spotted their target: two lone guards, the one blind side of Sombra’s castle.

Any moment now, the plan would start. Then he heard it, the sound of horns and the stomping of hooves. After a moment a loud voice rang out across the empire, “KING SOMBRA!! YOUR REIGN OF TYRANNY ENDS ON THIS DAY!!” The Royal Canterlot Voice at work for a certain white alicorn. He looked over and saw that the two guards were rushing off to join the battlefield. What he hadn’t counted on was one other guard taking their place. It was no problem, though. Using his physics bending Pinkie powers, he was behind the guard in a moment and then proceeded to ‘taze’ the guard into submission.

After making the guard pony nice and toasty, he motioned for his team to follow. Everything was going according to plan. Celestia and Luna would lead their army in a head on assault against Sombra. All the while, DJ and his team would sneak past the Palace’s defenses and take Sombra out while he was distracted. They proceeded through the castle, Pinkie and Rainbow taking out any guards from the towers, while Twilight and Applejack took care of those that were on the ground. Rainbow’s speed and Pinkie’s ability to appear almost anywhere made them the best choice to take out any guards that were in high places. Twilight’s teleportation and magic spells and Applejack’s tough legs made quick work of any ponies that they ran into on their way to the throne room.

They were almost there, according to their previous visits as well as the castle’s blueprints. They approached the throne room doors cautiously, not wanting to lose the element of surprise. Or so they thought. Without warning, the floor immediately under DJ gave way and he fell into darkness. He didn’t even have a chance to yell as he plunged. The floor then sealed itself, offering the others no way of going after him or what would happen to him. Twilight could only stare at the spot where her husband had once been standing, unsure of what she should do. She decided that DJ would want them to finish the mission. He will be alright. I know he will, she told herself.

“Come on, everypony,” she said to the others. “We have a king to stop.” Together they trudged off for the throne room, eager to put an end to all this fighting.

**********

DJ awoke in complete and total darkness. He groaned as he continued to wake, but soon felt a strange sensation on his arms, specifically his wrists. He pulled one arm forward, but it refused to move, instead only causing a jingling sound to be heard out amongst the dark room. His arms had been completely restrained and, after some testing, realized that his legs were too.

Well, this another fine mess you have gotten us into, quipped Malice.

“Oh shut up, you grey faced weirdo,” DJ replied back out loud.

Bite me!

“Where am I?” DJ asked, ignoring Malice’s remark.

No idea.

“That was rhetorical,” replied DJ.

Your point?

“Jackass,” DJ mumbled under his breath. He tried to look around, but couldn’t see anything through the blackness. Then he heard a familiar sound, one that made his heart beat with fury. It was soft at first, but continued to grow louder with each passing second. It kept getting louder, and louder, and louder! It was laughter; haunting, evil laughter that could only be made by one being.

“Sombra,” said DJ to the darkness. Then out of the emptiness, came a cloud of black smoke that only barely stood out against the rest of the room. Then those piercing eyes appeared within, and then a head formed from the smoke.

“Creature,” said Sombra, dragging out the word. “I should be surprised to see you, but I am not. Your stubbornness is to be admired.”

“Gee, thanks,” DJ said dryly. “And stop calling me creature. It’s Prince DJ Sparkle, to you. Ya big cloud of hot air!”

“Sticks and stones, your highness, sticks and stone.” He continued to float around DJ’s restrained form, ticking off the temporary human even more. “I am actually glad that you survived. Now I have the chance of a lifetime, once more.” His evil chuckle racking DJ’s ears.

“And what, pray tell, does that mean?” he asked with ice in his voice.

“Oh it is quite simple, my little prince. You are my chance of a lifetime. Your skills and survival tactics are quite unique and I want them for myself. Celestia is only holding you back, with me you could have real power. Join me, DJ and together we could rule this world!”

“When hell freezes over!” he shouts at the smoke, baring his teeth. Sombra only laughs at his threat, as if expecting this.

“I expected such a response. But worry not, for I know how to break you, creature. Behold!” The smoke pulled away from DJ’s face and he witnessed a viewing portal open up in front of him. It was quite similar to the one Death had once made him look into, but now it was Sombra who was showing him. The portal began to glow and an image of Ponyville appeared within. A second later, it seemed to focus on a pony. A small orange filly with a purple mane, running outside of town with a big, happy grin on her face. The sight made DJ’s face pale.

“You know,” said Sombra, “you should really learn to keep a tighter seal on your mind. I have been peering into your memories for some time now and they hold quite the tale. I believe you know this, Scootaloo, is it?” DJ only stared at the portal, a look of horror on his face. “If I recall, she is your favorite, isn’t she? What did you say it was? ‘Canon-wise’ she was you favorite. Is that right?” Again, DJ could only stare. After a moment of watching, though, he had to speak.

“Sombra, please. Whatever you do, please leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with any of this!” DJ’s voice kept getting louder and louder as he pleaded with the dark king. “Don’t do this Sombra. I beg of you!” If Sombra could see his eyes, then what he would be looking at would be eyes that were desperate to protect a friend.

“Sorry, DJ Sparkle, but you have already made your choice. And now your friend will face the consequences.” DJ watched the portal in terror of what Sombra was up to. He stared as the portal zoomed out behind Scootaloo as she was running towards her home that was just outside of town. Her parents would be waiting for her with an after school snack, like usual. Without warning, Sombra’s horn went ablaze with his magic and then the worst possible thing happened.

Scootaloo was suddenly sent flying back as her house exploded from within. She stood up and looked in horror as she saw her home burning. The fire raged and engulfed the house. Even DJ could hear the screams coming from within the fiery building. Scootaloo’s parents were still in there! Then DJ looked over at the king who was sneering at the sight of a filly watching her parents burn. DJ’s face was pale and his breathing was ragged.

“MOMMY!! DADDY!!” he heard Scootaloo scream at her house. DJ only stared in desperation at Sombra.

“Please, Sombra, please stop this! Scootaloo has done nothing to deserve this!” Then DJ witnessed as the dark king’s horn once again began to glow and DJ was struck with a deep sense of dread. “No, no, no, no, NO!!” he screamed. “NO SOMBRA!! DON’T DO IT!!”

But he was too late. DJ saw Scootaloo’s home suddenly collapsed on itself, leaving only a pile of rubble where the house once stood and silencing the screams from within. He knew instantly that he has too late; Scootaloo’s parents were dead. DJ’s head hung in shame and failure. He stayed this way as Sombra began to whisper into the portal.

“This is what happens when others cross me, young filly. This is all because your friend refused to join me. It is because of him that your parents are dead. You can blame all of your sorrows on your dear friend…DJ Sparkle!”

Memories of a Friend

As Sombra continued his tirade over his victory, DJ simply hung like a lifeless corpse in the chains. He just couldn’t believe what had happened before his very eyes; because of him, a dear friend had her parents taken away from her forever, not to mention right in front her as well. DJ felt like a failure and he could do nothing to stop the thoughts.

Deep within his mindscape, the mental form of Malice was walking over to DJ’s inner consciousness. In their combined mind, Malice had the form of his old, black-and-grey human self; the only downside being that his mental form always mirrored his partner’s body as well. Now, Malice stood over DJ’s mental image, one that simply sat on his knees on the ‘ground’. His head was hung, face pale, and his breathing was ragged.

You gotta snap out of it Punk! Malice calls to the immovable form of his partner. Are you just gonna sit there and let that son of bitch get away with that?! COME ON! Move, man!

Malice walks right up to DJ’s mental body, grasps his shoulders, and begins to violently shake him in an attempt to get him back. Come on, get it together! Come on, DJ! DJ! DJ!!!

As Malice continues to yell at him, DJ’s consciousness begins to sink into the past, tuning out the demon’s yelling completely. Memories of better times start to flow through his mind’s eye, taking him back to his early days in Equestria.

*****Two Weeks after Arrival in Equestria******

Today was gonna be a good day, he could feel it! DJ has now had two full weeks to adjust to his new life in Equestria and he has loved every single second of it! Twilight and her family got used to his presence around the Books and Branches Library after the first few days or so. They started out by watching him carefully as he roamed the aisles, straightening and organizing the books. He was still a new creature in this world, after all, so they were very cautious about him still. That all changed, however, when Twilight caught him slacking off with his chores. She wasn’t too terribly mad at him due to the fact the reason he was sitting around was because he found several books that he thought were interesting and just got engrossed in them. His punishment was to read them all by the next day. Ha! Some punishment!

The others took the rest of the week for them to be completely comfortable around him, except for Pinkie and Fluttershy. DJ and Pinkie’s lessons were going off swimmingly; as now one could call for DJ and he could pop out of anything nearby. Ditzy really didn’t appreciate it, though, when he popped out the mailbox she was about to deliver to, but them’s the breaks. It was completely accidental, too. I was trying to come out of the box in front of Sugar Cube Corner; not Quills and Sofas. Gotta work on that! After helping out at Fluttershy’s a few times, she really enjoyed having him around. DJ was always good around animals, no matter what kind. Animals and Children! They just love little ol’ me! Surprisingly, even Angel Bunny seemed to warm up to him after a little while; completely unexpected for him considering how that bunny reacts to everything else.

Applejack took a little more convincing, but seemed to grow fond of him after a while. Every now and then, she would come around the library to hear DJ practice due to him only practicing country songs at the time. It wasn’t often, but occasionally DJ would catch her bobbing her head to the beat or tapping her hoof. AJ always got flustered when he did and she would deny it entirely, getting a friendly laugh out of the human. Rainbow and Rarity took even more time, but as it was said, by the end of the first week, they all felt like friends.

One thing still bothered DJ, though. In the show, more often than not, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were going around town trying to earn their cutie marks with some cockamamie scheme. Usually resulting in explosions, pain, and tree sap. Even after two weeks, though, DJ had yet to see any of them save for Nyx and Dinky Doo, who, he learned, was inducted into the CMC a few months before Twilight’s coronation.

DJ pondered on their absence as he walked through town. Twilight had asked him to go take care of some of the grocery shopping, considering he pretty much ate everything in their refrigerator and half of the pantry. Turns out Pinkie Powers include a stomach that can rival that of Shaggy and Scooby. Who knew? The next thing he did know, was how Equestrian dirt tasted. DJ was face first in the dirt; at first he thought he hit something, until he realized that something hit him. Then he heard the voices.

“What do ya think it is?” said the voice of a young southern belle.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s an alien!” came a squeaky, yet adorable one.

“Do you think we’ll get our cutie marks for alien catching? What would that even look like?” spoke a huskier voice, but was still clearly female.

“Probably a little green dude with big black eyes underneath a net,” said DJ, answering the question. This got a gasp of surprise and awe from the three beings on his back. You know, this is the third time something has hit my back this week! I am beginning to see a pattern here.

“IT CAN TALK!?!” they shouted in unison. First thought: Ow! My ears! Second thought was spoken aloud.

“Yes, he can. Now could you please get off my back? I am tired of being in the dirt now, thank you!” He gets the feeling of tiny hooves making their way off of him and he starts to feel lighter. One the last of them is off, he stands up and begins to shake the dirt off his clothes. If this keeps up, I am going to have to see Rarity about a new wardrobe sooner rather than later.

“We’re sorry about that mister. Ya just looked so strange and we thought…” said a small yellow filly with a deep red main that had a large bow tied in it.

“Don’t worry, Apple Bloom,” DJ interrupted. “No harm done, except now I need to go get the taste of dirt out of my mouth,” he says sticking out his tongue. He looks down and sees the three infamous fillies staring out him in surprise that soon turns to suspicion.

“How do y’all know mah name, stranger?” she asks in that heavy accent. This causes DJ to smile at them and give a small laugh in return.

“I happen to know all three of you actually. Well, I know of you to be more precise. Apple Bloom,” he says pointing at the yellow filly, “younger sister of Applejack. Sweetie Belle,” now moving to the white coated unicorn with a purple mane, “younger sister of Rarity. And Scootaloo,” now at the orange pegasus with small wings, “the protégé of Rainbow Dash and the most awesomest filly in Ponyville.”

To his help, the flattery did indeed word on Scootaloo. “Well, at least you got that part right,” her voice dripping with egotism. The others two roll their eyes at her. “Now who and what are you? And you better answer or Rainbow Dash will kick your butt!”

DJ laughs at her threat, especially when said pony is currently above them, resting on a cloud. He noticed her rainbow colored tail hanging from when he stood up, and now DJ was glad he did. He pursed his lips together and let out a loud whistle, calling up to the cloud. Seeing the mare on top shuffle a little and then looking down, he smiles and waves to her. “Mornin’ Rainbow! Ya mind coming down her for a sec?”

Not even a second later, the faster flyer in Equestria is floating right in front of them. “Whassup DJ?” she says offer him a hoof bump which he returns in kind. “This better be good, you know I don’t like missing my late morning naps!”

“Heh, heh. I certainly do, RD. I just thought since you were nearby you could maybe help me explain a few things to fillies here,” he says pointing down at the CMC. Scootaloo in particular was agape at seeing her ‘big sister’ being so friendly with a strange creature.

“OH! No problem, big guy,” she responds with a smirk. “Guess we never did tell the little ones about you. Sorry ‘bout that.” Rainbow then turns to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and gives a brief explanation on DJ. “Girls, meet DJ. He’s a friend of mine and he’ll being staying here in Ponyville indefinitely. I know he looks kinda weird, and acts kinda weird come to think of it, but he’s pretty harmless.”

The girls nod their heads in understanding and then they get curious. “So what exactly is he?” asks Sweetie Belle.

“I am what is known as a human, Sweetie. You see, I come from another world where things are not as great as they are here. So, I’ll be staying here long term. Even got a room at the library that Twilight is letting me use,” DJ answers.

“How did you know that I am the most awesomest filly in town?” questions Scootaloo. DJ figured that they didn’t need to know about the show, so he came up with something.

“Simple. I heard it around town and after meeting you, it seems that they were right. You definitely give off an air of awesomeness,” he replies with a smile.

“You’re alright, DJ,” Scootaloo says trying to mirror her idol. “Hey, you wanna help us out? We’re trying to get out cutie marks because we’re…”

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS! YAY!” Since they said it unison and at a very high pitch, DJ had to cover his ears and let them heal for a second before attempting to carry on conversation.

“Okay, first, ow. You girls make the perfect sonic cannon, ya know that? Second, I’d love to help you girls out, but first I gotta take care of some errands for my land mare. I’m sure we'll have plenty of time for crusading another day, though.” DJ turns to Rainbow, “Thanks for backing me up, RD. Means a lot.”

“No problem, dude,” she replies with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “I never leave my friends hanging. Now, if you will excuse me, there is a cloud up there with my name on it.” Then she looks down at her sister, “And our next lesson is tomorrow at three Squirt. Don’t be late.” With that she takes off and lands back on her cloud, probably going to sleep instantly. DJ looks back down to see Scootaloo bouncing with glee about her next lesson with her idol. The sight brings a small chuckle to him.

“Well, it was nice meeting you girls, but like I said, I got some shopping to do. See ya around,” DJ turns and walks away from the CMC. He waves his hand back to them without turning around and yells, “Y’all stay out of trouble now, ya hear!”

“Bye DJ!”

“Have fun!”

“Catch ya later, dude!”

All three gave their own farewells and then ran off to continue crusading. DJ smiles and laughs a little to himself. Definitely an interesting day. He then begins to wonder what else is in store for the Equestrian human that he is.


As that particular memory begins to end, another starts immediately.

*****Seven Weeks after Arrival in Equestria******

The wind came rushing through DJ’s hair as he sped along down the rural road leading into Ponyville. The thrill and excitement were rushing through his veins as he picked up speed. He bent his knees even lower, allowing his skateboard to rocket down the path even faster. He looked over to see his opponent still with him on her scooter.

This was another dream come true for DJ. He was racing Scootaloo through Ponyville with the first to get to the library being the winner. It started as a friendly challenge, but now it was an all-out competition between the two, with neither being able to gain the lead. They were neck and neck all the way, continually gaining speed as the town came into view. The plowed right on in, not stopping for anything and only bobbing and weaving around when absolutely necessary.

The pair were already long past the half-way point and were now coming in for the final stretch. Being taller, DJ spotted their target first and smirked, knowing that their race was about to end. To keep it fair, DJ had refused to use any of his lightsabers abilities, also due to not mastering anything that would help at the moment yet. After a moment, Scootaloo saw the library, too, and looked over at DJ as he did the same. They shared a knowing look and focused entirely on the road in front of them. Waiting at the finish line was the rest of the CMC, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, with Nyx holding a checkered flag in her mouth, ready to wave it for the winner. As the two racers approached, they tried everything they could to get just that little bit more they needed to pass the other.

Next thing they know, the two rip right through the finish line ribbon and come screeching to a halt on their respective vehicles. DJ and Scootaloo are both completely winded from the race and are sitting on their respective haunches as the spectators approach them, all with big smiles on their faces.

“That was awesome you guys!” exclaimed the fillies in unison, causing DJ to cringe a little because of the pitch. He still finds some way to smile, though.

“I give it an easy awesome for the both of you,” Rainbow says while nodding proudly. DJ notices that Scootaloo’s smile grew several times at her compliment. “Unfortunately, it was way too close to call, so the race is a tie. Good try, though.”

DJ and Scootaloo look at each other and give a good hoof bump of respect. Then a motherly voice calls out from a good distance away. “Scootaloo, time for dinner! Time to come home!”

Scoots perks up. “That’s my mom; gotta go everypony. We need to have a rematch sometime, DJ. I won’t let my reputation be ruined by a draw.” With that little quip, the orange filly races off towards the sound of the voice. Something was nagging to DJ about it, though, and he turns to Rainbow Dash.

“Hey Dash?” The pegasus turns to him, “You think you might be able to introduce me to Scootaloo’s parents? I’m pretty sure you remember why.” Indeed she did, as her eyes grew wide as she recalled the memory of DJ’s first day in Ponyville and the conversation they had on the way to his welcome party. She smiles warmly at him and nods.

“Sure dude. I think that can be arranged. Come on, I’ll take ya to them now!” RD then takes off after Scootaloo, with DJ sighing in exhaustion, but still running after her.

An hour later, DJ and Rainbow are sitting on a couch in the living room of Scootaloo’s home. Sitting across from them is a pair of earth ponies. The stallion was brown coated with a blue mane and an American football for a cutie mark. The mare had a light olive green coat and a red mane with a pompom as a cutie mark. This was Long Run and Peppy Cheer; Scootaloo’s parents.

Initially, the two earth ponies were frightened by DJ as he approached their home, but with Rainbow Dash explaining who he was, they immediately calmed down and told him that Scootaloo spoke about him a few times. The two went on to tell DJ about themselves. Apparently, Long Run was a former pro hoofball star from Canterlot who fell in love with one of his team’s cheerleaders, Peppy Cheer. After winning the Equestrian equivalent of the Super Bowl roughly twenty years ago, he settled down in Ponyville, which was Peppy’s home town. Peppy turned out not only to be a cheerleader, but also an expert gymnast and dancer; DJ was able to notice that several of the many trophies that decorated the room had her name on them as well. Definitely explains Scootaloo’s athleticism that’s for sure.

They went on to tell him about their relationship with Rainbow Dash. The two of them were actually very grateful towards her. With them being earth ponies, they had no way of teaching Scootaloo to fly, so they were thankful that Rainbow was willing to teach her as well as supporting the idea of her being like a big sister to their daughter. But then they asked about why DJ was so concerned with her as well, so DJ explained the best he could.

“Did Scootaloo ever mention to you two about how I knew about her and everypony else in town?” he asks them. It took a while, but DJ did eventually tell the Cutie Mark Crusaders about the existence of the show. Unlike their sisters, they were excited by the idea of being characters in popular entertainment.

“Yes she did. We didn’t understand it at first, but when she said you were from another world, we figured it had something do with that,” explained Long Run.

“Well, the reason that I have such an interest in Scootaloo is because she is my favorite filly from the show,” says DJ.

“Wait, I thought you said Nyx was your favorite filly?” asks Rainbow.

“Nyx is my favorite filly and pony overall, but, as I said, she is not a part of the TV show. Back home, Nyx was a creation of the fans that grew to a good size popularity. If we are just talking about the show, then Scoots would be my favorite filly. I have always admired the daredevils that will do whatever it takes to get things done.”

Peppy giggles a little at his remark. “That certainly sounds like our Scootaloo.”

“Yes it does,” Long Run agreed. “But that doesn’t answer the question in full, though.”

DJ sighs in defeat. “Well, the thing is that neither of you two have ever appeared on the show in any form. This has caused fans to believe that Scootaloo is, well, an orphan.” This causes Long’s eyes to go wide and Peppy’s mouth is agape with shock. “In turn, many different theories came into existence about her and not all of them were happy like the Scootadopt stories. Those were the tales where Scootaloo was adopted into a loving family. No the ones that worried me were the Scootabuse theories where either Scoots came from an abusive home or was abused by others at the orphanage. Rainbow here can attest that it was one of my first questions when I came here.”

The two ponies look to Rainbow and she nods her head solemnly in agreement. Neither of them knew exactly what to say, but Peppy did speak after a moment of thought. “That is quite disheartening to hear, DJ. To think that others would come up with such stories about our little Scootaloo is just disturbing.” Then she reaches over and puts a hoof on his shoulder. “I thank you, though. For having out daughter’s safety in mind so early into coming here. It means a lot to us knowing that you really care for her.”

Long Run then chips in. “Yes, DJ. It really does warm my heart that even if we weren’t here that at least somepony would look after her. So that brings me to a question my human friend.” DJ looks at him in suspicion and motions him to continue. “I would like you to promise something to us; would you promise us that should anything ever happen to us, that you will take care of our daughter? I know it’s a hard thing to think about, but I feel that you would be able to handle such a thing.”

DJ looks at them, mouth agape at what they had asked. He closes his mouth after a minute and lets his gaze turned hard. “Long Run, Peppy Cheer. I promise you with all my heart that I will watch over Scootaloo should the worst come to pass. I cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He went through the movements as he did so to complete the promise. They look at him with appreciation and returns it with a warm smile. “Not like anything is ever gonna happen, though. Seriously, I highly doubt anything life changing is gonna happen around here. Ya know, besides me, that is.” The four of them share a good laugh together and bid good night not too long after.

Once again the memory begins to fade and other memories begin to poor through DJ’s mind as he thinks back on Scootaloo.

*****The Present*****

As the memories begin to fade, DJ manages to pull out of his thoughts for a just a moment. Just long enough to overhear Sombra speaking to Scootaloo through the portal.

“…blame all of your sorrows on your dear friend…DJ Sparkle!” he hears Sombra say.

These words strike a chord deep within his mind and it begins to work. He begins to feel again, his body starting to wake from that awful daze. And there is only one thing on his mind: to take Sombra down!!

Deep within his mind, Malice notices the sudden change in the ‘air’ around him, and it is not one that feels right. He turns towards DJ’s mental form and sees that it begins to stand, head still hung, but face now covered in shadow.

DJ? he asks nervously. Something was definitely off with his partner as he was no longer emitting the same emotions as DJ usually does. Whatever was goin on, it wasn’t going to be good.

Back outside his body, DJ finally knows how this all must end and he was going to be the one to do it. With the memory of that promise made to Long Run and Peppy Cheer motivating him, DJ makes an ultimate decision. He whispers over to the omnitrix on his shoulder, “Saiyan up.” DJ feels the change immediately as his muscles begin to expand and the feeling of power rush through him, that and the sudden tail he could feel behind him. Thankfully, there was no transformation light because he was already in his human form, and now he was ready for a fight. Except he needed one last thing, the one thing he would need to win.

“Malice,” DJ says under his breath. It doesn’t matter as Malice can always hear DJ, no matter how soft or loud he talks.

Kid? Kid! Are you alright in there? Thought we lost you there for a second. Now come on, we gotta—

“Malice, give it to me,” DJ says, interrupting Malice.

What? is all that Malice can say in return. This causes DJ clarifies his statement.

“Give me all of your power Malice. Give me everything!” he says with a new found fire in his eyes.

Unleashed

“Give me your power Malice. Give me everything.”

Malice didn’t know what to say or do, this was a DJ that he had never seen before. And for some reason, it frightened him. Although Malice would never admit it, DJ was actually the stronger of the two of them. Malice may be bloodthirsty and cruel, but he lacked the emotions to properly fuel his power. DJ, on the other hand, was ruled by his emotions and they could give him strength beyond what anyone had seen previously from him. There was something to be said about a man who had everything to lose, compared to one who would lose nothing.

Are you sure about that? Malice asked uncertainly. Who knows what that could do to you?

DJ’s mental form suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Malice by the collar of his jacket. Malice’s eyes widened at the sight before him. His partner’s eyes were now the bottomless voids that should have belonged to him. Malice could feel the anger and fury coming off him. “Give. Me. Your. Power,” DJ said in a deathly whisper.

Malice could only nod in response; this DJ was something to fear, that was the truth. As he was asked, Malice then allowed all of his own power to begin flowing out of his form and into his partner. DJ simply stood there, basking in the power that flowed into him. He closed his eyes as the power coursed through his very being. When he opened them again, something new had been created.

Back in the real world, DJ’s physical body still hung in the chains as he was forced to listen to Sombra’s maniacal laughter. His anger grew with each cackle, wanting nothing more than to shut up that monster. Then, the power of Malice began to take effect. There was so much strength pouring into him and he now knew what he could do; he knew how to avenge Long Run and Peppy Cheer, to take vengeance on the murderer of Scootaloo’s parents.

DJ felt his lightsabers fly into his grip. He lifted his head and saw that not only were his hands glowing, but so were his swords. His hands had that dark blue energy wrapped around them that he had gotten used to: he was now able to use his magic in human form! What was really strange was that his weapons had a distinct golden glow to them, making it look as if they were made of the precious metal. As he stared at his glowing lightsabers, several words began to repeat themselves in his head: an incantation, one that he had never learned, yet somehow knew. He lowered his voice so that Sombra would not hear and began to recite the spell.

“Generosity.” As he spoke, the outline of a purple diamond etched itself into the green lightsaber in his right hand.

“Laughter.” This time was a blue balloon outline that was marked into the blue sword in his left hand.

“Kindness.” A pink butterfly appeared on the right.

“Honesty.” The outline of an orange apple was etched into the left.

“Loyalty.” A red lightning bolt made itself appear in the right sword.

“Magic.” As he spoke, the final symbol, a magenta star, was forged into the left sword. This final word was also much louder and caught Sombra’s attention. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy about this.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Sombra screamed in anger at the saiyan.

DJ lifted his head and looked the evil stallion directly in the eye. “You think you have won?” he asked. “You think you have broken me!? No, what you have done is unforgivable and I will destroy you for it.” With a slight tug of his magic and his wrists and legs, DJ broke free of the chains and shackles. “You made a fatal mistake in this game, Sombra. Humans are not so easy to break as ponies.” As DJ spoke, his tone got more and more menacing, his eyes radiating nothingness, while his body emitted the aura of pure fury. “When you threaten a human’s friends and family, they do not bow down before the one who caused them grief. No, they get the one thing that humans are best known for: REVENGE!!”

When DJ screamed that final word, another came to his thought: the activation for the incantation. “HARMONIC CONVERGENCE!!!” A burst of light sprang forth from the saiyan, causing his body to be coated in a golden glow. His lightsabers matched the light and filled DJ with even more power. DJ looked Sombra dead in the eye and said, “Time to end this, you monster!” With a burst of speed, he launched himself at the dark king, but went right through Sombra’s smoke form. This didn’t discourage DJ, though, as he immediately turned and launched a powerful blast of lightning at Sombra, causing him to scream in pain. No physical attacks could hurt Sombra in this form, but spells and lightning were still fair play.

Bolt after bolt was flung at Sombra, each one connecting and sending waves of massive pain through the unicorn. Sombra knew he had to get away so he ran for the door, going into his solid form to go through the door. DJ followed and sent another blast of lighting as Sombra reached the only exit, causing him to be sent flying and pushing right through the door. When DJ walked out of the pitch black room, he found himself in the throne room of the Crystal Palace, with Sombra limping away, and several ponies watching in fear.

“DJ!?!” his friends and family called out to him, but DJ ignored them; Sombra was his only priority right now. As he approached the fallen king, he lifted his right hand, still grasping a golden lightsaber, and let loose a constant stream of Force lightning on his enemy. Sombra screamed and writhed in pain on the floor as the electricity burned through him. The others watched on in horror as DJ continued to torture Sombra.

“Stop DJ! Please, you’ll kill him,” Twilight yelled to her husband. Yes, Sombra was evil, but he didn’t deserve to die. Not unless a trial and jury deemed it the right thing to do. DJ stopped his lightning, but placed a boot on Sombra’s head and pushed, keeping him pinned. Then he turned his head to the gather ponies,

“That is my plan, Twilight. I am going to kill this pony, whether you like it or not. HE MUST DIE!”

“That is not your decision,” said Celestia who was aghast at her son’s actions. She was shocked at how he was acting, but also by the power that was radiating from him. This power was all too familiar to her: the power of the Elements of Harmony. Somehow, DJ was now able to access the power of all of the Elements and wield them at will. He was now a true force to be reckoned with and that frightened her to the core.

“He made it mine.” DJ turned back towards his prey and put more pressure on his foot. “Tell them. Tell them what you did!”

“All you needed was to ask,” Sombra said through a pained smile. “I am quite proud of it after all. I killed a young filly’s parents in front her. Now young Scootaloo will forever remember to fear my wrath! AHK!” DJ immediately kicked Sombra away once he spoke those words and then turned back towards his family. Their faces were full of shock and fear and sadness, although Rainbow looked as if she were ready to kill Sombra herself.

While the others were more shocked by Sombra’s declaration, Twilight was focused on her husband. His voice was much darker and coarser than normal and, at first, she thought he had transformed back into Malice. This thought was crushed, however, when she noticed that he was still fully colored. Twilight now realized that over the past year, she had seen her love at the best times of his life, and now she was seeing him at his very worst. Turns out, Malice wasn’t the only demon that DJ possessed; many more lurked beneath the surface.

DJ returned his full attention to Sombra and snarled fiercely at him. “You tried to break me by hurting a dear friend, well congratulations; you succeeded. You broke me and made me into a monster bent on your destruction,” a small sneer made its way onto his face, “now, prepare to die.” DJ adjusted his grip on his lightsabers, the blue one in his left in a reverse grip and the green in his right at its normal position. He sped forward towards Sombra and leaped into the air. Sombra was standing again and took notice of his enemy midflight. He realized that this would be his perfect chance to win, so he powered up his horn his as much magic as he could possibly gather and fired it dead on at the harmony powered saiyan.

DJ was ready for this and let the Force and his instincts take over his body. He adjusted himself midflight and spun around, catching the magic with his reverse gripped lightsaber. This motion blasted the magic bolt into nothingness, but the momentum was enough to keep DJ’s spin going. With this burst of speed, it was all DJ needed to land near Sombra. Before landing, however, DJ’s spin had allowed his right lightsaber to cleave right through Sombra’s horn. The dark king didn’t even have a chance to scream in pain as DJ’s final landing sent his left lightsaber right through the side of Sombra’s head.

Everything was still and quiet, except for the hum of the lightsabers and DJ’s panting. In less than thirty seconds, the fight was over and done. DJ deactivated both lightsabers, causing Sombra’s now limp body to collapse to the floor, eyes wide in pain and surprise forever imprinted on his face. As DJ clipped the swords to his belt, a final thought came to his mind and he spoke it for everypony to hear,

“We have won; King Sombra is dead.”

Without saying anything more, he walked off, away from his family and friends.

**********

The others found him a few hours later, sitting alone on the train awaiting to go home to Ponyville. He had also returned to his natural pony state, but not his natural mood. They were all worried about him, everything Sombra said still fresh in their minds. Of course Twilight was the one who was volunteered to go and speak with him. She approached him slowly, not wanting for him to get startled or worse.

“DJ?” she asked in an uncertain voice once she was right next to him. DJ raised his head towards the voice, his eyes even more distant and empty than before. The sight alone would normally be enough to cause Twilight to start crying as well, but she felt that she needed to be strong for his sake. “I know that you are hurting right now, but everything will turn out okay. It always does, right?” she said not all that convincing.

DJ returned his gaze to the floor and Twilight thought she had failed. But then he spoke to her, his voice almost a whisper, “This is all my fault, Twi. I need to make this right.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. Her husband was actually blaming himself for what Sombra had done. “Don’t blame yourself, DJ. Nopony could have seen this happening.” Twilight looked up at the clock and then back to her grieving husband. “We will be heading home in a few minutes, so be ready.” Twilight started to get up from her seat, but a blue aura that suddenly wrapped around her prevented her from doing so.

“Please don’t go Twi. I don’t want to be alone,” said DJ in a somber whisper. Twilight now realized how hurt he really was by all this. She smiled, though, as he wanted her there with him. Twilight sat back down on the seat and leaned into him, hoping that her presence was making him feel better. They stayed like this until the train began to move and head back towards their home.

Along the way, Twilight thought back to what had happened after DJ had walked off. Celestia and Luna were at a loss for words at what had transpired in front of them, along with everypony else. It was Shining’s decision to burn the body so that all trace of the evil tyrant was gone forever. When they had relayed the message to the troops, celebrations sprang up all across the Crystal Empire. The parties went on for hours, but Twilight and the others could only sit and worry about their friend. DJ was nowhere to be found amongst the parties. Not even Pinkie was willing to join in the celebrations. Celestia eased their worries, though, when she used her magic to find that he was waiting on the train that was intended to take them all back to Ponyville.

The group had decided to leave him to his thoughts for now, but would surely speak with him later. Rainbow Dash had announced that she was flying back to Ponyville ahead of them so she could be there for Scootaloo. They had all agreed with her decision and watched her fly off into the distance at breakneck speed. From there, Cadence and Shining went through the process of clean up with the other soldiers that weren’t out drinking the night away. It would be many months before the Crystal Empire was back to its former glory, but it would rebuild.

These thoughts were interrupted as the train began coming to a stop. Her memories had lasted the entire express trip, even though it was still a thirteen hour train ride. They all piled off the train, but once they were all out on the station, DJ took flight and fled into town faster than anypony could know. None of them knew where he was heading, but Twilight was determined to find out. It took nearly an hour to find him, and what she saw when she did find him was nowhere near what she had expected. Twilight saw her husband, siting on his haunches with his forelegs spread wide to his sides and his head lowered with a somber expression and eyes closed, and Scootaloo holding his green lightsaber pointed directly at his heart.

Aftermath and Adjustments

DJ’s mind was rattled with guilt the whole way back to Ponyville. Even with Twilight sleeping by his side, he couldn't feel any better. In his mind, he felt responsible for the death of Long Run and Peppy Cheer. It was because of him that they were killed; because Sombra wanted to get to him, they had to pay the price. Scootaloo had to pay the price. As the train began to pull into the Ponyville station, DJ knew what he must do.

Once everypony was off the train, DJ immediately took flight and headed straight for Ponyville. His first and only stop would be the Ponyville Orphanage. DJ had discovered it over a year ago and found out that it had been used very little in recent years. The girls had done a great job at protecting the town, even with all of the monster attacks, no pony was seriously hurt or killed and all of the orphans had been adopted out nearly a year before he ever even arrived in Equestria. Now, however, there was the lone occupant.

As DJ flew in, he saw Scootaloo sitting on the porch of the small, two-story house that served as the orphanage. It was almost as if she was waiting for him. He landed a few meters in front of her and walked right up to Scootaloo. She raised her head as he approached and gave a small, sad smile.

“Hey, DJ,” she said with sadness in her voice, “What’s goin’ on?”

It hurt DJ deep to see her this way, especially when it was his fault. He couldn’t even bring himself to look Scoots in the eye. “Scootaloo, I’m sorry,” was all he could bring himself to say. “I failed your parents; I failed you.” What he did next was enough to cause Scootaloo to cringe. Using his magic, DJ unclipped a lightsaber and placed it between her hooves and activated it. DJ then spread his front legs and sat on his plot, leaving himself open for her to strike.

Scootaloo stared at the glowing blade in her hooves, her eyes wide as she took in the beauty of the weapon, but not understanding why she had been given it. She raised her head to meet DJ’s closed eyes and he spoke to her, “Do as you wish, Scootaloo. It is because of me that your parents are dead, so go ahead and take your revenge. Let out all of your fury on me.”

Now the pegasus filly didn’t know what to think, instead allowed her actions to do it for her. Scootaloo used her hoof to press the deactivation switch on the lightsaber and threw onto the ground in front DJ. She put on a look of defiance and glared at him, but not for long. Soon, Scoots let out a great sigh and lowered her head. DJ, meanwhile, had reopened his eyes and was staring down at the filly expectantly, though was quite surprised to find his deactivated sword at his hooves.

“I don’t get it,” he said after a minute of waiting. “Why aren’t you attacking me? Aren’t you mad because of what I did?”

Scoots lifted up her head, her eyes beginning to water a little, “I never believed what Sombra told me, DJ. After everything Rainbow told me about him and all that you and me have done together, how could I? I don’t want to blame you for my parents’ death, DJ. We’re friends and I want us to stay that way. I really miss them, though, and I really don’t want to stay here,” she said gesturing to the orphanage.

“Can’t Rainbow Dash take you in?” asked Twilight, who approached from nowhere. Neither knew that Twilight had been watching them for several minutes now. Both of them were startled by her, too.

“Twi? How long have you been there?” asked DJ.

“A few minutes. Back to my question though…”

“Yeah, Rainbow Dash visited me last night and we talked for a while,” Scootaloo answered. “She wants to take me in, really she does, but Rainbow can’t afford to do so. Being the captain of the weather team only pays so much and she can only just pay for her own living.” Once again, Scootaloo lowered her head, basking in her sadness and pain.

“Then I guess it’s up to us,” said DJ out of the blue. Both Scootaloo and Twilight looked at him like he had gone mad, well madder. DJ lowered himself down so he could look at Scootaloo at eye level. “Scootaloo, I promised your parents a long time ago that should anything ever happen to them that I would watch over you. And you know me, I never break my promises.”

Twilight was at first startled by her husband’s actions, but now she knew why and couldn’t agree more. When he turned his head to meet her gaze, she smiled warmly and nodded in return. What Scootaloo said next surprised them both, however.

“So, you two are going to adopt me and become my new parents?” she asked with a questioning look. Neither of the two alicorns knew how to respond to that statement, but Twilight tried the best she could.

“Yes, Scootaloo we will adopt you, if that is what you want. But we do not want to replace your parents either. They will always be your mother and father, even when they are gone, but we will try our best to give you everything you need. Would that be alright?” asked Twilight.

Scootaloo thought on what Twilight said for a moment, trying to fully comprehend the situation that was happening around her. After said moment, she smiled at them and nodded. “I would love to go with you guys.” Scootaloo trotted over to DJ and nuzzled his leg. “Thank you, DJ and Twilight. Thank you for watching over me.”

DJ began to rub the filly’s back lovingly, he himself not exactly sure of what just happened. All he knew is that no matter what, he would protect Scootaloo as if she were his own. Scoots would never be in that kind of situation ever again, that DJ would make sure of.

**********

It has been over a month since Scootaloo joined the Sparkle family and things had changed around their household. Nyx was both sorry and excited about everything: sorry because her best friend had lost her parents, but excited that she now had a sister. It warmed their parents’ hearts seeing them adjusting so well, even with the two of them sharing a room. (It was the only way to fit everypony). Spike wasn’t too sure about adopting Scootaloo so soon, but relented when he found out that Scoots could be his assistant. There was almost an evil smile on his face at that thought. Scootaloo herself seemed to be adjusting to everything quite well, given everything that had happened. Thanks to Twilight, she was doing better in school and her flying was beginning to improve with Rainbow coming around more often.

Speaking of Rainbow Dash, DJ and Twilight had dropped a bomb on her when they told her that they would be adopting her ‘little sister’. DJ came right out and asked if Rainbow would be the godmother of their two fillies. With everything that had happened in the past year, the young couple wanted to be sure that there would be somepony to look after their children. The cyan pegasus was shocked at first, but agreed almost immediately after that. She was proud that the two of them would entrust her with Scootaloo’s and Nyx’s wellbeing. With that, Rainbow Dash had become another member of the family, something Applejack was having fun with anytime her new ‘sister’ was flying around the farm.

All of their friends were very supportive to the adoption, too. Pinkie even threw them a party for the occasion a day later. What was strange to everypony was that Scootaloo no longer seemed sad at all. Sure there were times when she would cry because she began to think of her parents and reminded her that they were gone, but other than that there was no change in her behavior. Scootaloo didn’t seem at any worse-for-wear.

DJ, however, was still off; Twilight noticed it every day. He had returned to being his normal, wacky self, thankfully, but to Twilight it seemed to be a forced act. Every now and then, she would find her husband sitting alone in a dark room, wallowing sorrow. It got even worse around the time of Long Run and Peppy Cheer’s funeral, as DJ was barely even able to leave the house once it was over. It should have been Scootaloo who was facing all this emotional wait, but DJ seemed to have taken all that from her and placed it upon himself to feel her pain. This didn’t stop him from being a loving father as he would always make time to help Nyx practice her magic or watch Scootaloo practice on her signature scooter. Then came the breaking point; the night that Scootaloo called Twilight and DJ her mom and dad. DJ secluded himself in the basement for the remainder of the night, leaving Twilight to sleep alone in their bed, something that hadn’t happened since DJ returned to her.

Everything seemed normal the next day, as DJ was out and about in the library, even made breakfast for everypony and he was smiling the whole way. Twilight wasn’t buying it, but left him to his own thoughts for now. As the family of five sat down to eat, Twilight noticed that Scootaloo was still calling her mom and DJ was still dad. This time, DJ wasn’t fazed by it though, taking it in stride. This only brought more suspicion from his wife. Twilight decided that tonight, she would finally get him to open up those locked emotions.

The rest of the day had progressed without incident or anything even remotely exciting and now it was time for bed. DJ had just tucked Nyx into her bed and she was out like a light almost immediately. Now, he was pulling the covers up and over Scootaloo, making sure she would be nice and warm through the cold winter night.

“Thanks, Dad,” Scoots said as she curled up under the covers. DJ couldn’t help himself and spoke his mind to her.

“Scootaloo, you don’t have to call me that. I am not your father, so you don’t have to treat me as such. I don’t deserve that from you.”

Scootaloo in turn only sighed. “DJ,” she began, which surprised him, “I am not calling you dad to make you or me feel better. I am doing it so that I can have a sense of normality, I guess. I call you ‘dad’ because I want to, not out responsibility. You have always cared for me in the past, there is no denying that. You were always nice to me, even when you were stroking my ego. You came by our house and visited almost as often as Rainbow Dash and it was, well, nice having you around. It was almost like having a big brother, too. But now I see that it was more like having a second father around.”

Scootaloo got out from under the blankets and hugged her adoptive father tight. “I want you to be my dad, DJ. And Twilight as my mom. Not because you adopted me, but because you care about me just like my real parents did. And I can’t thank you enough for letting me be your daughter.” She released her grip and got back in bed. “And if you tell anypony I said that, then I am going to deny every word of it,” she said with a sly smile.

DJ was close to tears at Scootaloo’s words, but a smile did appear on his face and a small chuckle escaped him. “You know Scootaloo, I was going to wait to give this to you on your birthday, but I think right about now would be a good time for it.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widen and sparkle with glee. “Ooh, a present? Gimme, gimme, gimme!!” She was practically jumping with excitement.

“Well, okay. You see, Scoots, I have a song for everypony who lives here. There is Twilight’s Ballad which is the song that sung to her on the night of our first date. Nyx’s Song, which I use as a lullaby for her. And Spike’s Rock, which is something I have yet to give my little brother, so don’t ruin the surprise for your dragon uncle,” he said with false reprimand. “Now that you live here Scootaloo, I have a song for you, too, and I call it Scootaloo’s Tune. Here it goes,” DJ began to sing a song that he had been thinking of all month, one that was practically meant for Scootaloo.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

When DJ finished his song, Scootaloo had snuggled into her blanket and had dreary look in her eyes. “What did you think, Scoots?” he asked with a smile.

“I *yawn* liked it, dad. I really liked it. Thanks for the song.”

“You’re welcome, Scootaloo.” He reached down and kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight, Scoots. Pleasant dreams.” DJ began to walk out the room, when he heard Scootaloo say something back to him.

“I love you dad.”

DJ nearly broke down in tears right there, but chose to be strong until he was out of the room. “And I love you my little daughter, now get some sleep. You still have school in the morning.” Without another word, DJ crept out the room and closed the door to his daughters’ room. ‘Daughters’. I have daughters now. What did I ever do to deserve all this, because whatever it was, I think I might be willing to do it again.

This was not the end of his night, however, as Twilight was waiting outside their room for him. “I think it’s about time we had a talk, DJ,” she said. DJ was surprised by her demanding tone and was soon ushered inside their bedroom, Spike already passed out in his basket. “Now talk,” Twilight demanded, “Why aren’t you acting like yourself, my love. It’s beginning to scare me.”

“*Sigh* Well, you don’t have to worry about one part of it anymore, Twi. It had to do with Scootaloo and we sort—“

“I know, I listened into the entire thing. Loved the song, by the way. Now what is this other part?”

“To be honest, love, I’m scared.” DJ let that hang there for a moment, allowing his thoughts to process on what he would say next. “I’m scared of what I am becoming. You saw me back at the Crystal Empire, Twilight, you saw how I acted towards Sombra. I actually used the Elements of Harmony to take another’s life. I don’t even know how I even used them at all!”

Twilight was unsure of how to respond to this, but a question did come to her mind. “What is scaring you the most, DJ? There seems to be something more pressing in your mind.”

“Twilight, you know how when most ponies take a life in stories, they always regret doing so? Like, they wished there was some way they could have done what they needed to without resorting to killing?” Twilight nodded, not knowing where he was going with this. “Well, I am not feeling that. I do not in any form regret or feel remorse for my actions against King Sombra. In fact, heh, I wish I could go back in time and make him suffer a lot more for what he did. In my opinion, he got off with a quick death, when it should have been slow and painful. That’s what scares me, my love. That I don’t feel the remorse, that I am willing to do it again. I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

Twilight was completely aghast. These thoughts never appeared in her husband’s mind before now, and she was beginning to get a little scared herself. Something in her wouldn’t let he be, though. A feeling of strength. “I know what you should do, DJ.” He lifted his head to meet her loving gaze. “You should just be you. DJ Sparkle, the stallion I fell in love with, the father of two wonderful fillies, and friend to all of Ponyville. You don’t need to bear this burden alone, DJ. You have friends and family who are willing to help you and no matter what, we will never be afraid of you. We know who you are and you should know who we are, especially by now.”

DJ simply sat there with a dumbfounded expression, staring at his wife and thinking over her words. Then he smiled and small laugh started coming from him. “Heh, heh, heh. Ah, Twilight, what would I ever do without you?” he said as he nuzzled her cheek.

Twilight returned it with a nuzzle of her own. “I don’t know and I don’t care. We are together forever, a family that always sticks together. That’s what we are, DJ; we are a family.”

“Ohana,” he said.

Twilight pulled back with a look of confusion. “Huh?”

“Ohana, means family,” he explained. “And family means, no one gets left behind or forgotten.”

Twilight smiles at her husband’s words. “I like that,” she says as she leans into him.

“Heh, so do I.” The young couple then climb into bed together and lay down for a good night sleep. As the edges of his consciousness faded into dream, DJ had one last thought. And a distant thank you to Disney for the masterpiece that is ‘Lilo & Stitch’.

Just Another Day

Spring has sprung in the peaceful town of Ponyville. The birds were singing, children laughing and playing, the sun shining brightly, and two alicorns were up to something…again. Out in the back of the Books and Branches Library, these two ponies were hard at work on a strange device. The machine looked to be made of metal and wood with a large glass piece in front and all in the shape of a large cube. The blue colored alicorn was leaning inside the thing, his head and fore hooves hidden within. The white coated alicorn with a pink mane with streaks of blue running through it was sitting nearby with a large bag with tools pouring out of it next to her. The voice of the male rang out from inside the machine, addressing his sister.

“Screwdriver,” he called. The young female stuck her muzzle in the tool bag and pulled out the requested tool. She used her magic and levitated the screwdriver to him in a pink, blocky aura.

“Screwdriver,” she replied as he took it in hoof. The sound of the tool at work was present almost immediately. After a few moments, he called out again.

“Pliers.” She did as asked and once again hoofed him a tool.

“Pliers.” The young alicorn watched in wonder as her brother worked on the machine, though she still was trying to figure out what it was as he had refused to tell her. She saw his lower body moving as he stretched deeper into the device without falling in completely. Again, he requested a tool.

“Ballpeen hammer.” She looked into the bag and noticed several hammers, but wasn’t sure which one.

“What’s a ballpeen hammer?” the filly asked. Without even pulling his head out, he answered her question.

“The one that looks like it had a metal ball fused to the back of it.”

“What a scientific answer,” she quipped with a smile. She found the said hammer as she joked and hoofed it to his outstretched hoof.

“Shaddup!” the older male replied to her snide joke. His younger sister only giggled. After the sound of a banging hammer reverberating through the machine, the male finally pulled himself out of his invention with a ‘phew’.

“Whoo, hot in there,” he said getting down. “I think she’s almost finished. Thanks for the help Berry.”

“No problem, DJ,” replied Pixel Berry. “But what is this thing?”

“Oh come on! You haven’t been away from Earth that long! Don’t you recognize it?” asked DJ. “It’s a television. Well, hopefully, a television.”

Berry’s eyes widen in realization. How could she have not noticed? “Oh! Wait… what do you mean hopefully? This isn’t gonna turn out like the model submarine you built last time I visited is it?” she asked with a smile that threatened to turn into full blown laughter.

DJ glared daggers at his sister. “We are to never speak of the U.S.S. Celestia ever again. Do you understand me?”

“Sir, yes sir!” she said with a mock salute, and giggle fit. DJ shook his head in exasperation.

“I hate you,” he says simply.

“I know you mean love!” Berry responds. DJ chuckles a little at his sister’s enthusiasm. “So you really think this one will work?”

“Well, here’s hoping. I am just relying on my mechanical understanding powers to try it. I looked into the designs of movie projectors, too, seeing if that little bit would help. Also took an x-ray to the laptop. I’m just building off of those two pieces and hoping it works.”

“And doesn’t spontaneously combust?” she asked with a smile.

“Bite your tongue! That was a onetime occurrence!” he replies in false anger.

“Twilight told me that it happens a lot.”

DJ gives her a deadpan look as well as thinking that he needed to have a talk with his wife. “Button yer lip!” he orders with a gangster accent as he returns back to working on the television.

“Okay boss!” DJ then hears a strange sound and turns around. He sees that Berry’s upper lip was pulled over her lower one, with a large button plainly apparent. DJ just gives her an ‘are you serious?’ look. Berry only smiles through her buttoned lip while DJ shakes his head and returns to work.

Back inside the library itself, Princess Twilight Sparkle was enjoying her peaceful time during the school day. It sure was hectic having two young fillies around, even with the help of their number one uncle (a position Shining Armor had been pining for since) and their caring father. She relished this time of peace before Scootaloo and Nyx came home from school. Especially as of late, what with the Cutie Mark Crusaders coming over more for special learning, or ‘Twilight Time’ as they called it. It gave Twilight the chance to pass on knowledge to her daughters and their friends and gave the girls a chance to learn new skills. Sweetie Belle, Dinky, and Nyx were still getting a hang of their magic skills, Scootaloo was trying to put a unicycle together without trouble, and Apple Bloom’s potion skills were still growing, while Twist was usually content with studying the many candy making books that the library had to offer. Today was another Twilight Time day, so she was getting as much peace as possible before her library had fillies doing work all over.

Of course, peace was not a common occurrence around her household anymore. Ever since she married DJ and adopted a second daughter, Twilight was busier than ever. She didn’t regret any of it for a second, though. She loved DJ very much, even with all of his crazy quirks and she loved Scootaloo, too. The family now felt… complete. Her, DJ, Scootaloo, Nyx, and Spike; one big happy family. Or ‘Ohana’ as DJ so plainly put it. She liked that word, it was very calming and pleasurable.

Twilight then heard a knocking at her door. She smiled as she put away her tea and book and went to welcome her daughters and friends. Upon opening the door, Twilight was greeted with the sight of eight young fillies, instead of the six she was expecting. What surprised her even more was that the extra two were ones she recognized as the fillies who usually bullied her children. Still she smiled, hiding her displeasure of having Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon around.

“Hey there girls!” she greeted. And then, the unexpected happened.

“Eee! It’s Princess Twilight!” shouted the DT and SS in unison while bouncing in front of the princess of magic. To say Twilight was uncomfortable would be an understatement.

“And you brought guests… great. Come on in.” Twilight couldn’t understand why the girls would bring those two fillies to Twilight Time. It was supposed to be their time together. Still, Twilight could never turn down ponies that were willing to learn. After a quick and uncomfortable ‘conversation’ with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who entered the library without everypony else, Twilight turned to the girls. The CMC looked just as uncomfortable with this situation as she was.

“Listen, I’m all for helping out as many ponies as I can, but maybe we should keep these weekly visits just between us. Hmm?” Twilight was glad that the girls looked much happier with that being said. The princess led the rest of the girls into the library to join the diabolic duo. “Okay, which one of you wants to practice first?” The Crusaders didn’t look so willing anymore.

“Uh, hey mom, where’s dad?” asked Scootaloo who seemed to want to change the subject. Twilight let it slide this time.

“Your father is out back working on another harebrained invention of his. Aunt Pixel Berry is helping him, too, so I don’t want you girls distracting them. Especially with all the stuff your father gets into lately,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. Nyx and Scootaloo couldn’t help but giggle at their dad being referred to as such.

“Ooh! So Prince DJ is here, too?!” asked Diamond Tiara with a gleeful smile. Now Twilight was really confused.

“Yes, and with his luck, he’ll be stopping in sooner or later.”

“Don’t you mean ‘crashing’ in mom?” asked Nyx with a giggle.

“Nyx, you know your father’s condition. It’s not something to make fun of.”

“No offense, Twilight, but mah brother’s ‘predicament’ really isn’t all that bad,” said Apple Bloom who was smiling herself.

“Yeah, dad brushes it off every time, anyway,” scoffed Scootaloo. Now, it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s turn to be confused.

“What are you, like, talking about?” asked Silver.

“You see, Silver Spoon, my husband kinda has a problem with…” the sound of a large explosion rocked the library at that moment causing the two fillies to hold each other in fright. “…explosions,” Twilight finished after regaining her composure.

Then the sound of a pony screaming could be heard approaching the library from above. A moment later, the aforementioned prince came crashing into his home with a “YAHOOHOOHOOIEE!!!” And like usual, he landed on the dining room table. “Aw hahaha. That’s smarts,” DJ groaned as he rolled off the table, stained with soot. “What the hay is our table made of?” he asks himself.

Twilight still felt obliged to answer. “It’s oak dear.”

“I’m pretty sure that it’s brick that’s been painted to look like oak. An oak table should have broken by now.” DJ then looked over and saw the fillies in the room. “Hey, girls! Sorry about crashing Twilight Time, again.”

Pixel Berry walked in from outback looking scared and shocked. “What in living Tartarus just happened?”

“I blew up,” DJ answered nonchalantly. “No idea how, but it happens just as much as the fires.” He shakes his head and lets out a sigh. “Must be random backlash or something, I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. GAH!” DJ found himself face to face with two enthusiastic fillies. “Can I help you?”

“EEEK! IT’S PRINCE DJ!!” they squealed in unison. “He’s so hot!” DJ couldn’t help, but blush at the compliment, though was feeling quite awkward at the attention of his kids’ archenemies.

“Since when is my brother hot?” asked Berry with a smirk, which got a glare from DJ. Twilight giggled at her husband’s expense. Then Pixel got the same treatment as the star struck fillies focused on the daughter of Princess Celestia. There cries of excitement even fogged up Berry’s glasses.

“Ooh, I love your necklace, Princess Pixel Berry,” said Diamond Tiara who had apparently forgotten their first confrontation over a year ago. Of course, DT was referring to Berry’s fire ruby necklace that allowed her to change between a pony and her natural human form. It had taken some time, but Pixel now felt comfortable staying as a pony for extended periods of time, though her human form was still a secret known only to a few others outside of Ponyville.

“What are you doing in Ponyville, Princess Berry?” asked Silver.

“I’m on Spring Break from my mother’s schooling,” Berry answered, mother knows why. “She recommended staying with family for the week, so here I am. Though I wasn’t expecting to see my brother explode on my second day here.”

DJ only shrugged. “It doesn’t happen all that much.”

“You mean about three times a month,” Scootaloo quipped.

“Spike! Scootaloo gets boiled spinach for dinner tonight!” DJ called.

“Got it!” they heard in response from somewhere in the library. Spike always made himself scarce whenever the entire CMC was in his library. They always made a mess that he had to clean up.

“Aw man!” Scootaloo said in a huff. This was DJ’s way of punishing his kids. He could never bring himself to strike either Nyx or Scootaloo and he didn’t like yelling at them unless he had to. Instead, they were disciplined through disgusting food and messed up chores. One time, Nyx was struggling with her magic and ended up dropping a tome on her horn. She ended up swearing so much even a sailor would have been aghast. Twilight wanted to scrub her daughter’s mouth out with soap, but DJ had a better idea. Six public bathrooms cleaned with a toothbrush later had Nyx promising with a blood oath that she would never swear again! And nopony needs to know how Scootaloo’s first punishment went down. Let’s just say that she’ll never ride her scooter inside the library ever again. Twilight wrath and DJ punishments are a combination that do not bode well for a foal.

“That’ll learn ya!” said DJ in response to his daughter. Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head lightly at her husband’s actions. “Sorry about interrupting, love. Come on Berry, let’s see if we can salvage the TV.” DJ and Pixel Berry walked back outside to continue with their inventing.

“Well, that was a treat. Now then, which one of you wants to go first with your practice?” said Twilight with a smile. The Cutie Mark Crusaders now remembered what they were in the library for.

“Shouldn’t they go first!” cried Sweetie Belle.

“Don’t be silly. I set this time aside for you. Now Apple Bloom, let’s see how far your plant growing potion has been coming.” With Diamond and Silver watching, the six fillies got to their lessons.

Back outside, DJ and Berry were going over the wreckage of DJ’s attempt to bring Equestria a new form of entertainment. The entire top portion was missing and the rest was scorched. Broken glass and shredded metal blanketed the area around the device. Berry whistled, impressed at the damage.

“Dang. How ya gonna fix this, bro?” she asked.

“No idea,” was his response. “Whelp, I think I’m done inventing for today. Let’s clean this up and then go get something to eat. Whaddya say, dear sister?”

“You’re giving up. Just like that?”

“Nah. I’ll come back to it eventually. This isn’t the first of my inventions to have exploded on me recently. The DJ luck strikes again.” Since both human-ponies were very skilled in magic, the cleanup took less than ten minutes and soon after, found themselves at Sugar Cube Corner.

“Hey there my faithful students!” greeted the ever exuberant Pinkie Pie.

“Hey Pinkie!” returned DJ.

“Sensei Pinkie,” Berry said while giving a small bow. Pinkie giggled at this and DJ just rolled his eyes and smiled.

“So what can I do for my favorite brother-sister pair?” she asked with a notepad waiting to take their order.

“I thought that spot belonged to Shining Armor and Twilight?” Berry questioned.

“After everything you two have gone through and will go through, that spot definitely goes to you two!”

DJ and Berry turned to look at each other, both with looks of surprised understanding. DJ then turned back to Pinkie. “Pinkie, have you been reading ahead again?”

“Maaaaaybe.”

“You know the author doesn’t like it when you do that, makes him feel self-conscious,” commented Berry.

Yo, guys, right here!

“Sorry!” all three shouted into open air, getting weird looks from the other patrons in the store. Just the randoms being themselves.

DJ shook it off and decided to answer his stomach like they had planned. “Anyways, Pinkie, I’ll take two chocolate chip cookies.”

“Would you like milk with that?” Pinkie asked while scratching down his order.

“Need you ask?” he returned with a smile. Pinkie giggled in response and then turned to his sister.

“Three vanilla cupcakes for me, please!”

Pinkie finished writing down their orders and then went to work. “I’ll have those out in just a jiffy!”

“We’re in no rush!” they responded together. Berry and DJ trotted over to an open table to await their sugar filled lunch. As the two waited, they talked over everything that happened since the Battle for the Crystal Empire. Berry’s political training had hit a snag after an incident in the Gryphon Kingdoms, which she wouldn’t go into detail about. Celestia was keeping a tighter hold on her daughter since and Berry was just thankful that she was allowed to get out of the castle.

DJ returned it with how Scootaloo was doing in her new family. It took some adjustments and changes, but now they really were one big, happy family. “Of course, Scoots is still a troublemaker, so that’s something we have to deal with every now and then.”

“She wouldn’t be Scootaloo if she didn’t,” Berry said with a laugh. DJ chuckled lightly himself. “So, have you and Twilight gotten any alone time with two little rascals running around?”

“Every now and then. Nyx and Scootaloo practically beg for attention. Nyx is always wanting me to help her with magic and Scoots seems to come up with a new scooter trick every other day. The rare times we get to have alone are when the kids are at school or when they’re out crusading.”

“Don’t you have to worry about Spike?”

“Nah. He has his own drama to deal with, plus he knows to split when we start getting mushy,” DJ said with a blush. Pixel giggled into her hoof.

“So did he and Rarity break up again?”

“You know those two never really break up. They get mad, have an argument, ‘break up’, and then get together after they both cooled off. I still have hope for the little guy, though. Their making it work, slowly but surely.” Spike and Rarity had been in an off-again, on-again relationship since that Nightmare Night where DJ scared all the foals in town by bringing the Headless Horseman to life. A sight Berry kicked herself for not getting to Equestria beforehand to see. This last time involved a famous stallion visiting Ponyville for the Ponyville Days Festival. Rarity tried everything to get Trenderhoof to notice her instead of Applejack, even changing her entire demeanor. After the festival, Spike and Rarity really got into it. Both were furious afterwards, despite how calm Spike was while Trenderhoof was around. Jealously reared its ugly head once the stallion was gone, though.

“I think it’ll work out. I’ve seen the way those two look at each other and you’d have to be blind to not see the twinkle in their eyes,” said Berry.“How are Fluttershy and Big Mac doing? Everything going okay?”

DJ gave a small laugh. “Whenever you see those two together, you could almost swear there are wedding bells ringing in the distance. Those two are head over hooves for each other!” Berry started laughing along with her brother at FlutterMac’s expense. Pinkie returned soon after with their respective treats and the two of them dug in. In a flurry of pastry crumbs and frosting, the two random alicorns finished up their treats in ten seconds flat. They paid their bill and said goodbye to Pinkie, heading back to the library. “So what do we do now?”

DJ thought on that as they walked. “Wanna try for a skydiving cutie mark?” he asked with a chuckle.

Berry returned it with a deadpan glare. Then she shrugged. “Sure, sounds like fun.”

“Cool.” The two of them took flight and had some skydiving fun. Even Rainbow Dash joined in after seeing the two of them trying out different flying stunts. All in all, it was a good day.

One week later, Berry and DJ were once again messing with another invention of his. This was Berry’s last day in Ponyville before having to return to Canterlot and her studies. This would also be the fifth contraption she had help work on this week. And she was hoping that it wouldn’t be the fifth explosion that week either. As DJ promised, they were resuming work on the television set and DJ had much more confidence that it would work this time.

“Blowtorch,” he called out from inside the mammoth TV. Berry ruffled inside the tool bag and levitated out the torch.

“Blowtorch.” She heard the flame light from within and saw the light of sparks flying out of the bow. Then it ended as abruptly as it began.

“Hacksaw.”

“Hacksaw,” Berry returned by giving the said tool to him. The sawing sound was murder on her sensitive pony ears. DJ didn’t fare any better because once he was done with the saw, he threw it out of the box.

“That was more painful than necessary,” he commented. Berry nodded her head in agreement. “Whelp,” DJ said while pulling himself out of the TV, “if it don’t work this time, then I don’t think it ever will. Fire her up, Berry.” DJ had told Berry what to do beforehand so she trotted over to the plug of the box and readied her spell.

“Yes, master,” she said with the tone of Igor. DJ rolled his eyes at his sister’s playful attitude. Berry giggled and then fired her spell. It connected and she saw the magical energy flow down the cord and into the machine. They heard as the gears and cogs inside began to turn and heard the familiar humming of a powering-up television. The two sat together in front of the screen and watched with anticipation. Then they saw the screen light up, emitting no picture, of course. The jumped in glee at the success of their machine. “It worked, DJ, it worked!”

“Yeah it did! I knew we could do it!” Then their celebration was cut short as a small fire burst into existence on top of the box. Berry freaked and fired a fire extinguisher spell causing the box to be covered in magical foam. DJ just sat there, perplexed.

“How in the… what… why… HOW!?” he stammered out.

“What do you mean?” Berry asked.

“None of the flammable materials are near the top! Why is that the part that burst into flames?” Berry and DJ got quiet as they stared in confusion at the box and then shook their heads.

“Screw it!” they yelled in unison. They made their way back towards the front of the library just in time to see a bunch of colts and fillies leave in a crowd. They both raised an eyebrow and went inside to find out what was going on. They entered into a conversation between Twilight and three of the cutie mark crusaders (one being DJ’s daughter).

“We’re sorry, Twilight/Mom,” the girls said in unison. DJ and Berry watched as the three fillies began to perform different skills around the library. They saw Apple Bloom’s potion make a beautiful apple plant, Sweetie Belle’s magic picking up, and Scootaloo put together her unicycle in a flash. As the three walked past the two alicorns, never noticing either of them, Twilight called to the fillies.

“Girls,” they turned around to meet the warm eyes of the princess, “I’ll see you next week.” The girls gasped with happiness. “And Scootaloo be home for dinner soon, okay?”

“Okay mom!” Scoots called back as the three ran off, probably to join the other crusaders. Then Spike walked in carrying a towering plate of nachos.

“Here’s those nachos you asked…for…Twilight?” He looked around, no doubt expecting the large crowd of foals that had left earlier. “Oh come on!!”

DJ approached him and started taking some of the nachos. “Don’t worry about it little dude, they won’t go to waste.” DJ started to chow down, Berry walking over and joining in not long after.

“Mmm, I definitely missed your cooking Spike,” Berry said as she chowed down on her food. Twilight giggled as her husband and sister-in-law ate up Spike’s hard work. Twilight and Spike decided to have a few themselves. Even with all the craziness that had happened over the past week, everything still felt right. Just another day in paradise! A large explosion was heard outside behind the library causing all of the ponies inside to stop what they were doing. Twilight turned to glare at her husband for causing a ruckus again. DJ just sat there and stared off into space, looking tired. Yeah, paradise, right! Deep within his mind, DJ could have sworn that Malice was rolling around laughing his heart out.

A Day in the House

Early morning in Ponyville, Celestia’s sun was just breaking over the horizon, and the Sparkle household was awaking to its morning routine. Twilight and Spike were busy in the kitchen, while Scootaloo and Nyx were getting ready for another day of school. The only problem: DJ had yet to come down for breakfast. Twilight even made his favorite: pancakes. She let it slide, though, since he had a long night with the Apple Family. So as she and Spike joined Scootaloo and Nyx at the table, they wondered when the stallion of the house would finally wake up. The question was answered as they saw a blue blob dragging himself into the room.

“Morning Daddy!” piped up Nyx with a smile and cheeks puffed up with pancakes. DJ gave her a sleepy smile and sat down to his own breakfast. Twilight wasn’t sure, but something seemed off about her husband.

“So, how’s the family, DJ?” she asked. DJ began to answer, but his voice seemed strained and nasally.

“Th…the…a…a….ACHOO!!” DJ’s sneeze had much more effect then intended. Once it was released, a cold wind engulfed the table, freezing it solid. The family stared in wonder at their now frozen table. Nyx was gaping at it, Scootaloo was busy trying to free her fork from its icy grip since it still had food on it, and Twilight and Spike were speechless. “Oops,” DJ said hoarsely.

That shook Twi from her stupor. “DJ are you feeling alright, honey?” She patted his back with a look of worry on her face. Instead of talking, DJ used his magic and summoned a parchment and quill. He scribbled his words on it and passed it to Twilight. She took the paper in her own magic and read it aloud.

“’I think I strained my voice trying to best Big Mac in a turkey calling contest yesterday. I can’t speak very well right now. Oh, I think I caught a cold.’ Oh, DJ,” she said somberly. Though she was worried about his condition, inside she was a little happy that she wouldn’t be putting up with her husband’s talkative quirks for at least a day.

“That sucks, dad,” said Scoots who was still trying to get back her last bite of breakfast. “Did you at least win?”

DJ wrote out a reply and Twilight read it. “’No, but neither did your uncle. Somehow, Pinkie Pie came out on top.’”

“Like that’s all that surprising,” Spike quipped. DJ shrugged and then hung his head, sniffling. He hoofed Twilight another note to read.

“’I think I’m gonna go lie down. Need to get rid of this cold.’ Okay, DJ. If you need anything, just send me or Spike a message. Ok?” DJ nodded and trotted back up to their bedroom. Though he did wave a goodbye to his children, smiling at them on his way up.

“Get well soon, dad.”

“Hope you feel better later daddy.”

Nyx and Scootaloo then finished up getting ready for school and headed out, Twilight wishing them a good day. After unfreezing the table with a warmth spell, Spike took care of the dishes while Twilight went to checkup on DJ. She found him lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. “How are you doing dear?” she asked. Using his magic again, he wrote down his voice.

‘I could use some soup, honestly,’ he ‘said’.

Twilight nodded in understanding. “I don’t think there would be any problem with that. Any preferences.”

‘Normally, I would ask for chicken soup. Since I know that’s not gonna happen, chef’s choice.’

Twilight grimaced a little at the mention of chicken soup, but shook it off after reminding herself that her loving husband had once belonged to an omnivorous species. “Alright then. One bowl of celery soup coming up.” She headed down the steps and found Spike sweeping the floors of the library. “Spike,” Twilight said, getting the young drake’s attention. “I’m gonna be in the kitchen making DJ some soup, so you are to keep up the shop.”

“No problem, Twilight,” he returned. “I got a few things I need to get down up front here anyways. How’s bro doing by the way?”

“He’ll be just fine after some soup and rest. Not sure about his voice, but shouldn’t take more than a few days at most.”

“That’s too bad. He’s gonna miss out on Fluttershy’s pet fair later today. Rarity and the PonyTones are supposed to playing tonight, too. We’re still going right?” Spike asked hopefully.

“If DJ’s feeling better, I think we should be able to attend. I just don’t want to leave him alone,” Twilight said as she walked towards the kitchen.

Spike just scoffs. “He’s a big pony, Twi. We both know he can take care of himself just fine.”

“Yes, Spike, but this is his first illness as a pony. And, like unicorns, alicorn magic is unstable when sick. You saw what happened to the table. Just one sneeze was enough to set off one his ice spells. Who knows what else could happen?” Spike walks to the kitchen opening so they can continue talking. He watches as Twilight pulls out one of the pots from one of the lower cabinets, while also getting out the celery and broth for the soup. Spike takes the initiative and starts the oven for her with a quick fire breath. “Thank you Spike.”

“Don’t mention it. And yeah, I see where you’re going with this. I guess that it’s a little hard to think of DJ as being human for most his life anymore. He just fits into the pony lifestyle so well. Almost like it's where he was meant to be, don’t you think?”

Twilight stops cutting the celery for a moment, Spike’s statement catching her off guard. Was it really fate for DJ to become like this? Was his destiny to be a pony all along? He no longer had any attachments back on Earth, well besides Wayne, so nothing was there to keep his humanity. Not even Malice really counted anymore since the demon had gotten used to the new pony form now. Didn’t mean he still hated being a pony, but at least he shut up about it. Or so DJ had told her since she couldn’t actually talk to Malice without DJ letting him out through that potion of his.

“It’s definitely an interesting idea, Spike,” Twilight admitted after a moment. “But it doesn’t really matter. DJ is who has always been, no matter whether he’s a pony or a human. Either way, he’s my husband, the father of my children, and your brother-in-law. That’s all that matters to me.”

Spike couldn’t help, but smile. “I guess you’re right, Twi. And, personally, I don’t think you could have chosen better, sis. Even with all his craziness, at the end of the day, DJ is somepony you can always count on to be there for his friends and family. Whelp, I gotta get back to work and you need to get that soup done before DJ falls asleep waiting for food.” The young dragon walks off, getting back to his chores, leaving a smiling Twilight to finish off making DJ’s breakfast.

Once the soup was ready, Twilight prepared a bowl and took it upstairs. Just as Spike predicted, DJ was asleep. His body was hanging off the side of the bed slightly with a smidgen of drool coming from his mouth as he snored. Good thing it’s just the cold making him do that, otherwise I don’t think I’d ever get any sleep, Twilight thought to herself. “DJ~,” Twilight said trying to nudge him awake. Her first attempt worked and the blue alicorn woke with a small start.

DJ awoke to find his wife looking at him lovingly and a bowl of soup floating in her magical grasp. “Hey, Twi,” he rasped out. Twilight put a hoof to his mouth as he started to speak again.

“Nuh uh. No speaking. I don’t want you to ruin your voice any more than it is. Do you understand me?” she says with a scolding tone. DJ rolls his eyes and smiles while nodding in comprehension. He takes out the parchment and quill again so they could still communicate. Man that telepathic communication spell would really come in handy right now. Why did I put off learning that again?

‘Yes, dear. Food?’ he writes. Twilight giggles at his bluntness as she floats the soup over to him. He thanks her with a nod and takes it in his own magic and begins to eat it up. Despite his illness, DJ still was able to down the whole bowl in under a minute. ‘Delicious.’

“There is plenty more if you want,” she informs him. DJ nods to wanting more. Twilight takes back the bowl and heads downstairs, returning a few minutes later with a couple bowls of soup. “Just in case,” she says noticing his curious glance. DJ once again nods in understanding. Three minutes later, the soup is all gone and DJ returns to laying down, though Twilight notices he didn’t look all that comfortable. “Are you alright, honey?”

‘Besides the obvious, just bored. Can’t seem to bring my body to sleep anymore for now, so I really want to be doing something right now,’ he informs her.

“Oh. Do you want me to grab a book for you?” DJ was about to answer when a knocking came from the front door. Twilight turns to look to the bedroom door, then back to DJ. He smiles at her, then nods his head towards the door encouragingly. “Spike will get it,” she says, even though she was highly tempted. Only certain ponies knocked when they came to the library; none of them customers. DJ gave her a deadpan stare, once again making her remember that he didn’t like treating Spike like a butler. “Oh, fine,” she huffs in defeat. As Twilight walks from the room, she turns back to see her husband smiling in triumph. “Don’t get used to it buster!” she warned.

Outside the bedroom, Twilight could have sworn that she hear a raspy laugh come from their room. Downstairs, she saw Spike only just know reaching the front door, opening it to reveal three of their friends/family: Rarity, Fluttershy, and Big Macintosh. “Oh hi Rarity,” Spike says greeting his marefriend. The two of them were back ‘on’ at the moment, a time that Spike cherished despite the fights that broke out more often than either of them would have liked. Shouldn’t you and Big Macintosh be rehearsing for tonight?”

“Why yes, my little Spikey-Wikey,” she respond in her cutesy voice. “And that’s why we are here—Oh Twilight! Just the mare we need to see!” The three of them brush past Spike, who huffed a little. He let it pass, this time, but Rarity would hear about this again.

“Hello everypony, what brings you three here?” Twilight asked as she gets off the stairs.

“We need to speak with DJ, actually Twilight,” says Fluttershy. “If you don’t mind that is,” she quickly adds.

“He’s resting right now. What is this about?”

“Nothing bad, darling, I assure you. It’s just that Fluttershy’s coltfriend here sprained his voice, doing a turkey call of all things, and we would like DJ to take his place for the PonyTones tonight. Since his singing allows him to change his voice to match the song, we figured DJ would be the perfect stand-in.”

“Big Mac, too, huh,” Twilight said with muse. Her three guests look at her with confusion for a moment before she explained. “DJ hurt his voice doing the same thing. Didn’t help that he also caught a cold. Sorry, but I don’t think DJ would be up for singing. Not for a while, anyway.”

The three looked very disappointed. “Oh, I do hope he feels better soon,” Fluttershy says with worry.

“He just needs his rest, Fluttershy. Just some time to relax and DJ will be better in no time.”

“That’s good to hear, darling. Thank you for being honest with us, Twilight.” Rarity turns around and adds, “Come along you two. Sorry Fluttershy, but we will have to use Zecora’s brew.” The yellow mare ‘eep’ed a little. As they walked out, Rarity called back to them. “I do hope the poor dear gets to feeling better soon, Twilight. And Spikey, I do hope to see you at my show tonight. I simply can’t go on stage without my little drake there for me!” she says with her usual dramatic flair.

Spike had learned not to fall for her drama acts long ago (dating her had definitely helped in that aspect), but he did enjoy humoring her when Rarity acted for both of their benefits. “Don’t worry, I will be there my lady!” he called after her. With that, he closed the door, leaving him and Twilight alone in the room once again. Before either of them could say anything, a small scroll popped into existence between them. Twilight took it and read it out loud.

“’Would you mind bringing me my laptop, Twi? And if Spike’s done with his chores, have him come up with ya. Thanks.’ I wonder what he is planning. Did you finish your chores?” she asked the drake.

“Just got done before Rarity arrived.” He pulls out DJ’s computer from the lobby desk and puts in under his armpit to keep it secure. “Come on!” Spike says as he rushes up the stairs. Twilight shakes her head lightly and follows, smiling all the way at his enthusiasm. Once back in the bedroom, Spike hands DJ the computer and the stallion turns on the device.

“So what did you want Spike for, honey?” Twilight asked. DJ floats over a message.

‘I had the idea to watch a movie, so I thought Spike would like to watch too.’

“But we’ve seen all the movies you have on there,” Twilight points out.

‘Not really,’ DJ writes cryptically. Spikes eyes bug at reading that.

“You mean you got secret movies on there?” he asks pointing at the computer. DJ nods while smiling brightly.

‘Eeyup. I hid them as they are not meant for children. Too violent. However, I thought this would be a good chance for me to enjoy a guy movie with my little brother. He is sixteen, after all.’

Spike seemed to be both happy and proud that DJ had so much faith in him. “So what are we gonna watch?” The anticipation in his voice was clear as day.

‘I know you want to go see Rarity’s show tonight,’ Twilight and Spike look at him funny, so he adds an additional sentence to his message. ‘I used a spell to listen in. Anyway, I figure this would make time fly by much quicker than a book, no offense dear. To answer your question Spike, we will be watching a movie that features a cast of some of the most famous actors from Earth acting as the most efficient mercenaries that exist.’ DJ hits play on the keyboard as the movie begins. ‘So sit back and relax and enjoy your first look at The Expendables.’

**********

Twilight did not approve of the movie at all. DJ knew she wouldn’t, but he wouldn’t let Spike be deprived of awesomeness and the dragon couldn’t agree more. Though he wasn’t a big fan of the blood bath at the beginning, the rest of the movie was so action packed that Spike was practically glued to the screen the whole time. The action, the explosions, and the witty one-liners; Spike drank it all in with fervor.

“That was awesome!” he exclaimed as the credits began to roll. DJ smiled at his little brother’s enthusiasm.

‘Then I think you’ll like the sequel,’ DJ wrote out.

“There’s more?! Yes!” The little dragon first pumped.

Twilight wasn’t so enthusiastic. “I don’t think so Spike. It was bad enough that I let you watch this one.” She then turned to glare at her husband. “Stop being such a bad influence on him, DJ. I don’t want Spike to become like those…those…killers in the movie.” He just returned a deadpanned stare.

‘Not your decision. It’s Spike’s, not yours. I know you care about his wellbeing, Twi, but he needs to be able to make his own decisions. Plus, it’s just a movie and he knows not to imitate that stuff.’

Twilight looked at Spike suspiciously. Spike returned it with his own, though it was more of a smirk. “I’m not gonna go around shooting ponies, Twi,” Spike said. “It’s entertainment, nothing more. I’m young, not stupid.”

Twilight watched him for another moment before letting out a sigh of defeat. “Fine. But it will have to be another time. Spike and I need to get ready for the event tonight. That is, if you’re alright to be on your own for a few hours, DJ.” He nodded in response and motioned for them to get going. “Alright then, dear. Scootaloo and Nyx should be home after a while.” She and Spike headed out, leaving DJ alone to resume his sleep.

**********

Scootaloo and Nyx returned home a few hours later to find an empty house. Nyx looked around, wondering where everypony was. “Where’s mom and Spike?” she asked her older sister. Even though the two of them were considered the same age, Scootaloo’s birth month came before Nyx’s so she was the older sister.

“Weren’t they going to that pet thing tonight?” Scootaloo answered.

“Yeah, but I thought they were staying because daddy was sick.” Scoots thought on that for a moment.

“Maybe we should check upstairs?” the orange filly asked. Nyx nodded and the two of them clamored up the stairs and into their parent’s bedroom. There they were greeted to the sight of their father, passed out on the bed. Scootaloo nudged him a little. “Ya think he’s dead?”

“Don’t even joke about that!” Nyx said with a death glare. Scootaloo shrunk back a little, remembering that her adoptive father had indeed died once and how devastating it was for everypony.

“Sorry, Nyx. Forgot about that.”

“It’s okay, sis. Should we wake him up?”

“Dunno. Don’t want him to get mad at us. Maybe we should—“ Scootaloo was interrupted by a strange sensation on her cheek. Her eyes became pinpricks as she realized that something was nuzzling her cheek. She turned her head, expecting something strange, only for it to be the smiling face of her father. Scoots let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t do that dad, you caught me off guard.”

DJ let out a raspy chuckle, still smiling. He moved his head over to Nyx and nuzzled her as well, causing the black filly to giggle. “Feeling better, daddy?” she asked.

‘Much,’ he wrote out. ‘Still can’t talk, though.’

“That’s too bad,” Scootaloo responded. “What do we do until mom and Spike come back?”

‘Movie?’ The two fillies looked at him with questioning looks. So he added, ‘I hid some movies so that your mother wouldn’t know I had them. You two up for it?’ Both of them nodded with enthusiasm. DJ smiled at them and once again pulled out the computer.

“So what are we gonna watch dad?” Scoots asked as she and Nyx curled up next to him on the bed.

‘I think that it’s time for you two to meet the greatest heroes on Earth. Nyx, Scootaloo, meet the Justice League.’ DJ hit play and watched as his daughters became engrossed by the team of DC superheroes.

**********

Twilight and Spike came home around ten at night, ready to get some rest after the exciting festival. “Rarity was amazing tonight,” Spike remarked as he walked in.

“They were all good, Spike. Rarity wasn’t the only one up there, you know,” Twilight reminded him.

“Eh, she was the only one that mattered.” Twilight rolled her eyes. The two of them headed up the stairs and entered the bedroom. They were met with the sight of DJ, Scootaloo, and Nyx asleep on the bed with the computer showing a blank screen.

“Guess DJ was showing them some movies,” Spike whispered as he took the laptop. He closed the lid and placed it on the dresser so it didn’t get damaged.

“Better not have been like the one from earlier,” she threatened. Twilight took both of her daughters in her magic and carried them to their room, tucking them in for a good night sleep. When she returned to the bedroom, Spike had already curled up in his own bed and DJ was still sleeping peacefully. Twilight smiled at the sight of two of her favorite guys sound asleep. She got in bed herself and curled up to DJ. As she drifted off into her dreams, Twilight felt her body get pulled in closer to her husband and getting nuzzled by him in his sleep. Twilight returned it and, without a sound, fell into a peaceful slumber.

Ponyville's Got Talent

It has been four days since DJ’s cold and his voice has since returned. The days have been going by as normal as possible around this crazy town that they call home. It certainly has been more musical, what with Rarity’s quartet, The PonyTones, doing concerts for the past few days. Nyx and Scootaloo has just gotten home from school for the day and were going on and on about how great the band was at their school. DJ smiled all through their retelling of their school day adventures, while Twilight and Spike were going about their daily chores. “Sounds like you two had a great day, then,” he said when his daughters finished.

“It was awesome!” replied Scootaloo. Nyx smiled and nodded in agreement. “But we need to ask you something dad.”

DJ raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s that?”

“Well,” Nyx began, “we have a project coming up on creativity. We have to design something unique using only materials we find around the house. So, we were wondering…”

“Yes?” he asked again.

“Can we borrow some stuff from the ‘shed’?” Scootaloo blurted out. She shied back a little bit after her outburst. Now, DJ’s shed was a mystery that was known only to its owner. It was more like a garage then a shed, but DJ thought he would call it that just to make it seem creepy and mysterious. It worked, surprisingly. Spike overheard the two fillies ask the question and inched a little closer, wanting to hear the answer.

DJ brought a hoof up to his chin and rubbed it in thought. “Hmm, well, since it’s for school, I think I can let you in. But only with my supervision.”

“Yes!” the two fillies cheered.

As the three ponies started heading out to the back of the library, DJ stopped. “You can come too Spike,” he called without even turning his head. Spike nearly fell over from his hiding spot near the kitchen door. I hate it when he does that, Spike thought angrily to himself, but brightened up when he realized that DJ was giving him permission to enter his domain and followed eagerly.

The foursome stopped outside a moderately sized building that had been built into the back of the tree-house. As DJ started to unlock the tall, garage door, Spike asked a question. “So DJ, what exactly do you keep in here anyway?”

With last of the defenses unlocked, DJ smiled as he began to raise the door and turned to his dragon brother. “This, mine family, is where I keep everything!!” The door finished opening and the three Equestrians marveled at the sight before them. The most immediate thing was DJ’s unarmored car that took up the center most position of the building. Surrounding it were mountains of shelves and machinery. It took a moment, but Scootaloo noticed something.

“How is there so much stuff back here? This place looks massive!”

DJ gave a small laugh. “You can thank the good Doctor for that. When I was trying to replicate the TARDIS, I came across the spell that lets it hold so much crap. As most say, it’s bigger on the inside!”

“I thought Time Turner didn’t want you to copy that box of his?” asked Nyx. She was still the only one who knew about the Doctor, besides DJ, so the others were left out of the loop here.

“Yeah, that was because of what happened after the first attempt.” DJ put on a weird look. His eyes seemed distant and his mouth was thin line.

“What happened?” Spike asked.

“Take a look,” DJ said pointing at one of the machines. It was a tall box or at least it once was. The metal box looked like something had exploded within it. The top portion was completely missing and the metal on the side was torn and bent outward and covered in black soot. “Remember that big bang that went off outside of town a month ago? Well, you’re looking at the source.”

“Wow,” was all Scootaloo could say. All of sudden, there was a sound of movement within the shed and the others could see metal rustling. It got closer and closer, until a black shadow leapt at them. The girls screamed and Spike covered his face, while DJ just stood there as the smudge landed on his face. Scootaloo and Nyx were holding each other, but let go when they heard their father laughing. They looked up and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. On DJ’s face was a small, dark blue lizard with light green eyes.

“Speedy!” said Nyx in excitement. She was one of the few that actually liked the pesky thing.

“Speedy?” asked Scootaloo, who had never actually known about the little guy.

“So this is where he disappeared to,” commented Spike.

“Eeyup,” replied DJ. “Owlowiscious kept trying to have my little lizard for a snack so I had to find him a new place to live. He enjoys dark places so I figured the shed would be perfect for him. This is why I come out here at least once a day. Always got make sure he’s got something to eat. H-hey, c-cut it out!” Speedy had resumed licking his master causing DJ to laugh at the tickling sensation. After a moment, DJ lifted the small reptile off his nose and relocated him to the top of his head. Speedy just laid down there and appeared to fall asleep. “Well girls, take a look around. Just be careful, all of my inventions are in here. So a few are quite volatile.”

With that permission, Scootaloo and Nyx started rummaging through their father’s junk piles, looking for parts to make their project. As they dug, DJ watched. “So what are you girls thinking of making?”

“I was thinking some kind of catapult!” Scootaloo shouted since her head was currently half down a box of parts.

“I thought that we decided on a book holder?” Nyx said as she pulled herself a box.

“But that’s boring!”

“It could help non-unicorns read without using their hooves! It’s helpful, not boring!”

“A catapult’s more fun!”

“It’s not unique though!”

DJ laughed to himself as he watched the two sisters argue back and forth over their project. He turned his head to see what Spike was up to. The alicorn saw the young drake over by one of the back shelves staring in wonder. Oh, he found it. “Find something interesting, little buddy?” DJ asked as he approached Spike.

“Where did you get all these?” Spike asked in awe. What the dragon was referring to was a massive book case filled to the brim with DVD movies. There were hundreds of them, from TV shows to movies. The sheer number was staggering.

“Heh. And this is just shelf number three out of ten,” DJ commented. “Don’t tell Twilight, but before we left Earth, I kinda abused my chaos magic. I figured since it would be the last time I ever go there, I would take some ‘cultural artifacts’. So I used my chaos powers to ‘purchase’ a fair number of movies, television shows, and video games. Too bad I forgot to actually get the TV’s or the consoles. Oh well, I’ll figure it out one of these days. Or somepony will, I hope.”

“So you stole them,” Spike commented with a look that screamed ‘I got blackmail material’.

“Hey, I paid for them! The owners are now rolling in rubies and emeralds. Those things are worth fortunes back home, ya know. They just won’t know why they have them, until they realize that all this stuff is missing.”

“What are you gonna do with all this stuff?”

“I was planning on slowing bleeding it into Ponywood so that everypony can enjoy the movies and shows that I grew up with. It would take a fair amount of editing and reshooting, but I think that they could do it, eventually.”

“Didn’t you only just figure out how to do chaos magic at the time? How did you do all this?”

“It was the first time I was able to get it to work, Spike. Discord had taught me everything else by then. Just never was able to use it. Knew how, just couldn’t get it to work. To think, I just need to know how to snap as a pony to be able to use it again. Another thing to work on, I guess.”

As the two continued to talk, a crashing sound came from behind them. They turned and saw that a few boxes of parts had fallen on top of the girls. The stallion and dragon rushed over, hoping that they were okay. To their relief, neither was harmed. In fact, they looked quite fine, save for the oil smudges on their coats. “You girls alright?” DJ asked.

“We’re good daddy,” answered Nyx. “Sorry about the mess, I accidentally backed into the shelf and, well, you can guess what happened.”

“Hey, what’s this?” Scootaloo asked as she picked up a small device from the pile of junk. DJ took it his magic to get a closer look. He recognized it after a moment.

“So that’s where this little doohickey went. I’ve been looking for this! This is what I like to call a ‘turbogizer’.” DJ held up the small, snail shell looking device. “It allows whatever it’s attached to, to go at incredibly fast speeds. Only works on machines at the moment, though. Been working on getting to work on organic material with little success.”

Scootaloo’s eyes were wide and her smile was wide. “Hey, dad! Can I borrow it?”

“What for?” he asked with suspicion.

“The Ponyville Talent Show is next week and I wanted to show off my scooter skills! The other Crusaders are enter as well, even Nyx was going to show off her magic skills! So, can I borrow it for my finale? Please!”

DJ looked between the two of them. “And when was I gonna be told about this?”

“Uh,” the fillies said in unison. “Now?”

DJ glared at them, but then smiled. “Good enough. Yeah,” he tossed the circular device to Scootaloo, “borrow the thing, Scoots. Just be careful with it. Make sure you practice because it can be quite powerful.”

“Thanks dad!” Scootaloo beamed at her father. “Come on Nyx, I think we got enough to do that book holder thing. Let’s get to work so I can go be awesome!” With that, Scootaloo took off out of the shed, with Nyx following.

“Hey, wait for me!” she cried as she left. DJ only laughed and smiled at witnessing his two fillies acting up. He was brought of his fatherly stupor when a claw poked his side.

“So what are you planning DJ?” asked Spike who was sporting a knowing smile.

“Whatever are speaking of dear brother-in-law?” he responded, knowing full well that his little bro knew him quite well indeed.

“You know exactly what I am talking about. What’s your plan for the talent show?”

“Hmm,” DJ thought on it for a moment, then an idea clicked in his head. He looked over to the dragon and said, “I got something in mind, but it will only work if you are willing to help your big brother.”

Spike looked at DJ suspiciously for a moment or two. “Lay it on me.”

“What’s you take on stand-up comedy?”

“I enjoy it… wait. You and me, a comedy act? That sounds awesome!”

“Great! Then let’s get to work!”

A few hours later, Twilight came out to check on her husband and number one assistant, to find them in the middle of a strange conversation.

“And then you say… Oh hey Twily!” DJ said happily.

“Hey, Twi!” called Spike.

“There you two are. It’s getting late and I have dinner on the table. Come on, we got to get dinner done now if we are going to be able to attend The PonyTones concert tonight. Especially you, Spike. Aren’t you supposed to be the ‘bouncer’ tonight?”

Spike gasped in remembrance. “I completely forgot. Who cares about dinner?! I gotta get over to Sugar Cube Corner pronto! See ya later guys!” He rushed off without another word, leaving DJ to just shake his head slowly.

“That dude really needs to learn to settle down when it comes to Rarity. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as too much passion.”

“I’ll say.” Twilight and DJ started going back into the house, DJ locking up the shed on his way out. “So what were you two working on?”

“Spike and I will be entering the talent show next week. We got a killer comedy act goin’ on!”

“Well that certainly sounds interesting. Need any help?”

“Yeah actually. But first, tell me Twilight, do ponies have baseball?”

**********

Roughly an hour later, Twilight and DJ were at Sugar Cube Corner watching The PonyTones for the first time, for the stallion anyway. They had put the girls to bed early, and headed out and were now enjoying the show. DJ marveled at how far along Big Macintosh had come with his singing, but something seemed off that DJ just couldn’t place. That was until the curtain fell from the stage and landed on the four ponies, revealing a singing Fluttershy, or should it be said Flutterguy! When she realized what had happened, Fluttershy practically fell apart and rushed away, crying as she ran. All in attendance were wondering what just happened, especially DJ. But his confusion just grew when Applejack got on stage and approached Big Mac.

“Big Mac, you got some ‘splainin to do!” the orange mare said once she was in her brother’s face. Her face softened a little and the questioning began. “Turkey call?”

“Eeyup,” he answered.

“Trash your voice?”

“Eeyup.”

“Zecora remedy?”

“Eeyup.”

“Not quick enough?”

“Nnope.”

“Needed a deep voice?”

“Eeyup.”

“Poison Joke?”

“Eeyup.”

“Flutterguy?”

“Eeyup.”

“Better now?”

“Eeyup.”

“And that shy filly was livin’ her dream in the shadows because she couldn’t bring herself to come into the spotlight? And you couldn’t bring yerself to tell you marefriend ‘no’?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with finality.

“Well, for corn’s sake! Let’s go!” With that, the remaining Mane Six rushed off after Fluttershy, leaving everypony behind, including a very confused DJ.

“Wha…who…how…was that even a conversation!? And who says ‘for corn’s sake’? That just ain’t natural!” He let out a huff and looked at Big Mac, who felt the same way. “Wanna go for a drink?” DJ asked.

“Eeyup.”

“Hey Spike, wanna get a drink?”

“I’m a comin’!” the dragon exclaimed in happiness as the two stallions started heading for the bar. Together, the three males drank their confusing problems away. At least for the night.

**********

One week later, the Ponyville Talent show was starting. DJ and Spike were backstage waiting along with all the other contestants. He looked over the competition, he saw the CMC getting their respective acts together, Thunderlane and his little brother Rumble looked like they had an aerial display planned, Applejack looked like she was ready for a rodeo, and several others.

“Quite the turnout,” commented a voice from behind him.

“It sure is, Celestia,” DJ replied absentmindedly. Wait a second… CELESTIA!!?? DJ wheeled around to the sight of his adoptive mother as well as Princess Luna and Pixel Berry, too. “GAH! Celestia what are you doing here?!”

Celestia put on a happy smile. “Why, to see the show of course. I do enjoy talent shows after all.”

“And when Twilight told her that you two were entering, she just had to come,” commented Pixel Berry, tossing her mother a smirk. “She cleared everything for today as soon as she read the letter. Luna and I are just tag-alongs.”

“Hush little one,” Celestia retorted, Pixel just continued her smirk. “I just wanted to see Ponyville’s talents. Is there anything wrong with that?”

At that moment, Twilight came walking in, talking as she did. “There’s quite the audience, honey. Are you… Celestia!!” Twilight came running over when she noticed her former mentor. “What are you all doing here?”

“That is what we were discussing,” said DJ dryly.

“Oh come now. I have nothing sinister planned. What kind of mother would I be to do that to my own son?” Celestia asked with a sly smile. DJ, however, noticed exactly what she had done.

“You couldn’t help yourself, could ya?” DJ commented as Twilight began to stutter wide-eyed.

“SON?!?!” she said after a minute. “How…since when…Celestia’s my mother-in-law?!”

“Since my own was such a, well you know, I accepted Celestia’s offer while we were on the way to the Crystal Empire. And yes, yes she is. Surprise,” DJ answered without glee, twirling his hoof. That little bit of information had yet to be shared with anypony besides the two of them, so it was understandable for all present to be a little shocked. Luna just looked between the two of them suspiciously, as if not believing that was true. Berry was standing shocked at her now actual brother. Then her face lit up at that realization and lunged forward, giving DJ a big hug.

“YAY! We’re actually brother and sister now!” the young alicorn cried.

“….cant …breathe…” DJ wheezed out from his sister’s bone crushing hug. Pixel dropped him, “oof”, and she shied back a little with a ‘sorry’. “Dang girl. You give Pinkie a run for her money on everything, don’t ya?” he quipped while taking in lungful breaths. Berry just blushed with an embarrassed smile.

“Well, this certainly a good surprise, Celestia,” Spike commented. “I just know you are gonna love our act!”

“What precisely are you two doing for the show?” asked Luna who had stayed quiet through the exchange. “Are you singing? Your suits definitely give off as such.” Luna was referring to Spike and DJ’s suits. DJ’s was a nice tan color with a black tie and red pocket hankie. Spike’s was also tan with black tie, but was open instead of buttoned, like DJ’s. Also, Spike was the only one wearing a bowler hat. Spike and DJ looked at each other with knowing smiles and then turned back to the princesses.

“Actually, Aunt Luna, Spike and I will be doing a famous comedy act from Earth. No spoilers, though,” DJ explained. He then turned to his wife. “You remember what to do Twilight?”

“Of course! I got everything ready for you both.”

“Great! Now that that’s taken care of, I… what the what?” DJ stopped midsentence as a loop of rope suddenly fell over his body. He looked at with a questioning glance, and then it went taut. “Uh oh!” was all he could let out as the blue alicorn was yanked away from his family. “Woah! ...Oof!” DJ was suddenly stopped with a hoof to his stomach and then he fell on his back.

“There ya are!” said a voice above him. “Took ya long enough, big brother!”

“Applejack?” he asked as he pulled himself up. “What the hay girl!? Why did you drag me over here with a rope?”

“Because there are two ponies here who you need to be reintroduced to!” she said gesturing to the two ponies beside her. The first was a big, orange stallion while the other was a red-coated mare. So basically, switch Applejack and Big Mac’s genders and you have these two. They were staring wide-eyed at DJ whose eyes lit up in recognition.

“Ma? Pa?” he asked with surprise. Indeed, it was Ma and Pa Apple. Apple Crisp and Red Gala!

“Uh, Applejack? Who is this stallion?” Apple Crisp asked with his heavy southern accent.

“Didn’t ya read mah letters? This is my big brother, your son, DJ. I know he looks a little strange, well stranger—“

“Hey!”

“But it’s him,” Applejack finished despite DJ’s interruption. The two ponies looked at him warily, while he only looked guilty. He decided to be the first to say something, anything that would prove that it really was him. So he straightened himself out, puffed out his chest, and then…

“Please don’t buck me to Appleloosa!!” he bellowed. Mentally, he was face-hoofing for how stupid that came out. Ma and Pa only looked at him surprised, but then Apple Crisp started laughing. It started out slow, but surely he had gone into a full laughing fit.

“Ahahaha!! That’s him alright! Ahahaha! Hoo, wow AJ, when you said my human son had turned into a pony, it just sounded way too hard to believe. Now, well I definitely see it!”

Red Gala approached her adoptive son and pulled him in for a big hug. “It’s good to know you’re alright, sugar cube.” She pulled back, but continued to talk. “We’re sorry we missed your wedding, but we just couldn’t get away in time.”

DJ smiled knowing the fact that these two were true parents through and through. “It’s alright Ma, probably would have made things even more awkward at the time. But what are you two doing here?”

“Ya forget already?” asked Applejack. “The annual reunion is next weekend! They came a little early to see the talent show.”

“Oh! Well great! I hope you’re ready to laugh! I gotta go finish getting ready for the show, but we will talk more after. Ok?”

“That sounds fine, big guy,” Apple Crisp said with a light punch to DJ’s shoulder. “We need to find seats, anyway. Good luck!” He headed off stage, with Red Gala staying to give DJ one last hug.

“We are so proud of you, DJ. Never forget that.” Ma then made her leave, leaving Applejack and DJ standing in a stupor. He was surprised by his other adoptive mother’s statement, but slowly a relieved smile made its way on to his face. Applejack noticed and smiled herself.

“I knew they would like ya,” she commented.

“Never doubted you,” he replied. The shared a quick laugh and then DJ made his way back to Spike and the princesses who had been watching the scene with interest. “The show will be starting soon, you all had best find seats. Come on Spike, let’s go finish getting set up.” DJ grabbed Spike and headed back to Rarity, who was running the make-up booth. Twilight and three other princesses just smiled and respected his request.

The show started up a few minutes later. The first few acts were quite good: juggling, aerial acrobatics, candy-making (Twist), potion experiment (Apple Bloom). Then there was Nyx and Sweetie Belle’s magic act, which would have made even the Great and Powerful Trixie jealous. Scootaloo was next with her scooter tricks. She was flipping around, doing grinds, and then there was a finale jump. She started at the top of a large ramp that would take her over a carriage, through a flaming hoop. Twilight, of course, was against this act, but DJ assured her that he would be there if anything went wrong. He did neglect to tell her about the turbogizer though.

As Scootaloo flew down the ramp, she used her tail to activate the snail shell. Once activated, her scooter was imbued in a blue aura and her speed doubled! Scootaloo rocketed down the ramp and went flying over the carriage and through the flaming hoop, landing perfectly on the other side. For once, nothing went wrong!! That’s rare! I was beginning to think that it was downright impossible for things to not go wrong for once! Oh Equestria, will you ever cease to amaze me?

DJ and Spike were on next as the final act of the night before the awards. DJ and Spike came out from behind the curtain to start the act. The crowd applauded as the came out on stage and DJ lifted a hoof to quiet them. “Thank you friends!” he said. “My partner and I are here to amuse you tonight, so sit back and laugh your flank off! Now,” DJ said turning to Spike, “why not let the folk’s themselves ask what they’d like to hear?”

“Ok, what’d they like to hear?” replied Spike.

“Baseball!” A voice came from the crowd. DJ smiled, knowing Twilight was doing her part.

“Naw, you don’t wanna hear that do you?” The crowd responded with a ‘yes’ despite not knowing what was going on.

“Got the props for you right here,” the same voice said as a baseball bat and hat were thrown on stage. DJ caught them on his magic and gave them to Spike.

“Oh, you came prepared, didn’t ya?” Spike commented as he took of his bowler and put on the baseball cap. He tossed it to the crowd where it got caught in Twilight’s magic. “Thank you!” In the crowd, Celestia was looking at her fellow princess suspiciously, wondering what was going on.

“Well, since they want it so much, we have to do it,” DJ said.

“Alright!” Spike cheered, swinging his bat lightly. Then he bopped himself in the back of the head.

“Now take it easy with that!” DJ reprimanded him jokingly. “Now, let’s pretend that we’re organizing the retired actor’s baseball team and I’m the manager.”

“You’re gonna be the manager of the retired actor’s baseball team?” Spike asked.

“Yes.”

“I’d like to join the retired actor’s baseball team.”

“Oh, you would?”

“And I would like to know some of the guys’ names on the team. So when I play with them I know them and when I see them on street I can say ‘hello’ to them.”

“Oh sure! But you know they give baseball players now a days very peculiar names.”

“Funny names?”

“You know, like Sticky Feels, Goofy Dan.”

“Boopy Bobber.”

“Boopy Bobber!” The crowd laughed a little, along with the comedians. “Now let’s see, we have Who’s on first, What’s on second, and I Don’t Know’s on third.”

“That's what I want to find out. I want you to tell me the names of the fellas on the team.”

“I'm telling ya. Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.”

“You don't know the fella's name?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, who's playing first?”

“Yes.”

“I mean, the fella's name on first base.”

“Who.”

“The fella playing first base?”

“Who.”

“The guy on first base.”

“Who is on first!”

“Well, what are ya asking me for?”

“I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. Who is on first.”

“I'm asking you who's on first.”

“That's the man's name.”

“That's who's name?”

“Yes.”

“Well, go ahead and tell me.”

“Who.”

“The guy on first.”

“Who!”

“The first baseman.”

“Who is on first!”

“Have you got a first baseman on first?”

“Certainly.”

“Then who's playing first?”

“Absolutely.”

“When you pay off the first baseman every month, who gets the money?”

“Every dollar of it. Why not? The man's entitled to it.”

“Who is?”

“Yes.”

“So who gets it.”

“Why shouldn't he? Sometimes his wife comes down and collects it.”

“Who's wife?”

“Yes. After all, the man earns it.”

“Who does?”

“Absolutely.”

“All I'm tryin' to find out is what's the guy's name on first base.”

“Oh, no, no. What is on second base.”

“I'm not askin' you who's on second.”

“Who is on first.”

“That's what I'm trying to find out.”

“Well, don't change the players around.”

“I'm not changin' nobody.”

“Take it easy.”

“What's the guy's name on first base?”

“What's the guy's name on second base.”

“I'm not asking you who's on second.”

“Who's on first.”

“I don't know.”

“He's on third - we're not talkin' about him.”

“How did I get on third base?”

“You mentioned his name!”

“If I mentioned the third baseman's name, who did I say is playing third?”

“No - Who is playing first.”

“Stay off of first, will ya?”

Spike kept up the act, getting angrier and angrier with each sentence. The crowd was eating it up, but they were interrupted more than once due to a loud laugh coming from the middle of the crowd. The first time it was highly surprising, especially when everypony discovered that it was Princess Luna who was rolling in laughter at the hilarity of the act. This just egged on the two comedians to keep their act going.

“Well, waddya want me to do?”

“Now, what's the guy's name on third base?”

“No, What's on second.”

“I'm not asking you who's on second.”

“Who's on first.”

“I don't know.”

“He's on third.”

“There I go - back on third again.”

“Well, I can't change their names.”

“Would you please stay on third base, dude?”

“Now, what is it you want to know?”

“What is the fella's name on third base?”

“What is the fella's name on second base.”

“I'm not askin' you who's on second.”

“Who's on first.”

“I don't know.”

“Third Base!” they said together.

“You got a outfield?” asked Spike

“Oh sure!” DJ responded with a smile.

“We got a good outfield?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“The left fielder's name?”

“Why.”

“I don't know, I just thought I'd ask ya.”

“Well, I just thought I'd tell ya.”

“Then tell me who's playin' left field.”

“Who is playing first!”

“Stay outta the infield!!”

“Don't mention any names out here!”

“I want to know what's the fella's name in left field?”

“What is on second.”

“I'm not askin' you who's on second!”

“Who is on first.”

“I don't know!”

“Third base!” they proclaimed in unison.

“Now take it easy, take it easy, man,” DJ said trying to calm down his partner

“And the left fielder's name?” Spike asked.

“Why.”

“Because!”

“Oh, he's center field...”

“You got a pitcher on the team?”

“Wouldn't this be a fine team without a pitcher.”

“I dunno. Tell me the pitcher's name.”

“Tomorrow.”

“You don't want to tell me today?”

“I'm tellin' you, man.”

“Then go ahead.”

“Tomorrow.”

“What time?”

“What time what?”

“What time tomorrow are you gonna tell me who's pitchin'?!”

“Now listen, Who is not pitchin'. Who is on ---“

“I'll break your arm if you say who's on first!” Spike said, feigning anger.

“Then why come up here and ask?”

“I want to know what's the pitcher's name?”

“What's on second.”

“I don't know.”

“Third Base!!” they said in unison.

“You gotta catcher?” asked Spike.

“Yes,” DJ answered

“The catcher's name?”

“Today.”

“Today. And Tomorrow's pitching.”

“Now you got it.”

“That's all. We got a couple of days on their team.”

“Well, I can't help that. All right. What, what do you want me to do?”

“Gotta catcher?”

“Yes.”

“I'm a good catcher too, you know.”

“I know that.”

“I would like to play for the St. Louis team.”

“Well, I might arrange that.”

“I would like to catch. Now I'm being a good catcher, Tomorrow's pitching on the team, and I'm catching.”

“Yes.”

“Tomorrow throws the ball and the guy up bunts the ball.”

“Yes.”

“Now when he bunts the ball, me being a good catcher, I want to throw the guy out at first base, so I pick up the ball and throw it to who?”

“Now that's the first thing you've said right.”

“I don't even know what I'm talkin' about!!!”

“Well, that's all you have to do.”

“Is to throw it to first base?”

“Yes.”

“Now who's got it?”

“Naturally.”

“Who has it?”

“Naturally.”

“Naturally.”

“Naturally.”

“OK.”

“Now you've got it.”

“I pick up the ball and I throw it to Naturally.”

“No, you don't, you throw the ball to first base.”

“Then who gets it?”

“Naturally!”

“OK.”

“All right.”

“I throw the ball to Naturally.”

“You don't! You throw it to Who!”

“Naturally!”

“Well, that's it. Say it that way.”

“That's what I said!”

“You did not.”

“I said I'd throw the ball to Naturally.”

“You don't. You throw it to Who.”

“Naturally.”

“Yes!”

“So I throw the ball to first base and Naturally gets it.”

“No! You throw the ball to first base.”

“Then who gets it?!”

“Naturally!”

“That's what I'm saying!”

“You're not saying that...”

“I throw the ball to Naturally!”

“You throw it to Who!”

“Naturally!”

“Naturally. Well, say it that way.”

“That's what I'm saying!!!”

“Now don't get excited. Now don't get excited.”

“I throw the ball to first base.”

“Then Who gets it!”

“He'd better get it!!!”

“All right, now don't get excited. Take it easy.”

“Hrmmph. Now I throw the ball to first base, whoever it is drops the ball, so the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and throws it to What. What throws it to I Don't Know. I Don't Know throws it back to Tomorrow. A triple play!”

“OK, it could be.”

“Another guy gets up and hits a long fly ball to Because. Why? I don't know. He's on third, and I don't give a darn!”

“What was that?”

“I said, I don't give a darn!!”

“Oh, that's our shortstop!”

With that last line, and Spike nearly beaning DJ with the bat, they ended their act with a bow. The audience applauded, mostly since some were still laughing. Some were even holding their sides still, including Luna who had been brought to tears. With the show finished up, Mayor Mare walked on stage and started announcing the awards. “For best athletic act,” she proclaimed after a few others, “Scootaloo and her amazing daredevil scooter!” The crowd applauded as the little filly trotted up to claim her trophy, returning to her parents with a large grin on her face. Nyx congratulated her highly. “And for best act of the night and best comedy…DJ and Spike!” The audience roared again, as DJ and Spike took to the stage and took a big bow. “And now to finish up tonight’s show, please give it up for the Cutie Mark Crusaders!!”

Now DJ and Twilight were confused as their daughters and their friends took the stage. Nyx, surprisingly, took the center stage at the microphone. Twist was on the keyboard, Scootaloo took the drums, Dinky and Apple Bloom were on the bass and guitar, respectively, and Sweetie Belle took the position of backup singer. “We want to thank Mayor Mare for this chance,” Nyx announced. “Everypony knows how great my and Scoots’ father is and we want to be just like him! So, we are going to sing to you one the songs he brought from Earth.” She turned to her friends, “Ready girls?” They nodded and began to sing.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

DJ, and everypony else, were in awe at the girls’ talent for the song. As Nyx and Scootaloo came over to their parents, DJ enveloped them both in a massive hug. “Nyx, Scootaloo,” he said with them in his forelegs, “I am so proud of you both. That was absolutely amazing!”

“Really dad?!” asked Scoots. Both girls were looking at him in glee and joy. Their eyes were bright with happiness.

“We all thought you girls were amazing,” Twilight said as she joined in the hug.

“That was great!” Spike said, jumping in as well.

The princesses were watching with their own faces of joy. “Well, tonight certainly has been entertaining,” said Luna who had calmed down during the song. “But we must be going, come along Berry.” Luna teleported off, Celestia following after saying her own goodbyes (along with a promise from DJ that he would tell the others about their relationship). Berry stayed behind for a few moments.

“Ma and Pa already know, but I won’t be able to make it the reunion this time around,” she told her brother. “So I expect you to have twice the fun, for me.” She smiled and teleported herself back to Canterlot. When did she learn how to do that?! Me want!

After getting some more congratulations for their act as well as the girls’ song, the Sparkle family retreated to their lovely abode for a good night sleep after all the festivities.

It Ain't Easy

“Woo! Party!” screamed an energetic DJ.

It was the night of the Annual Apple Family Reunion and the celebrations were going on strong. It was a much smaller gathering than last year due to conflicting schedules, but there were still a good amount of ponies gathered. There were the Ponyville Apples, a few from Manehattan, and a good amount from Applelossa. Also the Sparkle family was in attendance. This gave Ma and Pa Apple a chance to meet their daughter-in-law as well as their grandfoals. They were a little hesitant around Nyx, but warmed up to her after they spent some time around the little filly. Scootaloo, Babs Seed, and Apple Bloom spent most of the day speeding around the farm crusading their little hearts out. This left the adults to talk, once Nyx was allowed to join them.

“I think you’ve had enough, son,” Apple Crisp said trying to take DJ’s drink.

“Nuh uh!” DJ responded by yanking back his cup. “Mine!”

“Trust me, Mister Apple, you can’t win an argument with him,” Twilight said. “Only I can do that. Don’t worry, though. He’s not drunk.”

Apple Crisp wasn’t convinced. “First, you can call me Pa since you’re his wife. At least he knows how to pick ‘em like an Apple,” he mumbled under his breath. “Second, are you sure? He sure is actin’ like it.” What he was referring to was DJ’s crazy antics: running around, yelling, saying crazy things. Or the usual, as the town residents call it.

“This may be surprising, but this is exactly how my husband acts on a daily basis. Ask anypony in town and they will agree. DJ’s uncontrollable, crazy, and insane. Well, actually we don’t know about the insane part.”

“What do you mean?” asked Red Gala.

“The darn fool refuses to have any kind of mental test!” Applejack said in a testy voice.

“Why?” Ma and Pa asked together.

“Because…” responded Big Mac, Applejack, and Twilight. This was left off because this is where DJ pops into the conversation.

“If they knew what was wrong with me, then they would try to fix me!” DJ finished, somehow getting between Ma and Pa Apple. They both turned to look at their adopted son with wide eyes, not understanding how he got there or what just happened. “I am like this for reason, ya know! Ooh, pie!” And he was gone again. Gala and Crisp were bewildered beyond reason.

“What the hay was that?” they both asked.

“DJ being DJ,” the three Ponyvillians answered.

“And you fell for him because?” Crisp asked Twilight.

“Because he cares.” The in-laws motioned for her to continue, hoping to learn a little more about their son. “He may act like this most of the time, but when he’s serious, DJ is the greatest friend and husband. My husband acts like this because of the world he came from, which was dreary and depressing, so he does this craziness to stay happy. When he’s not, well, DJ’s cunning, knowledgeable, and, most surprising of all, intelligent. From what I have seen of him, he’s a borderline genius!”

“Say again?!” Apple Crisp said with saucer eyes.

“I know! From the way he acts, you would never guess, but he is about as smart as, well, me! DJ was able to fly and learn magic all in the span of a couple months. That would take any other pony almost a year, if not years!”

“But that’s only when he actually bothers,” Spike said, entering the conversation with a plate of apple fritters. “If DJ doesn’t have any interest, then don’t expect any results. Also, stay away from him when he’s inventing.”

“Inventing?” asked Red Gala.

“Stay away?” Apple Crisp asked.

“My husband has been trying his hoof at recreating technology from his world here in Equestria, with some questionable results.”

“I think you mean explosive,” Spike commented.

“And fiery,” Applejack added.

“Eeyup.” This didn’t explain anything to the two older Apples, but they just let it drop. No need for a brain aneurism after all.

“Heyo!” DJ said out of nowhere. Nopony jumped this time, though, as they were getting used to it. “Hey, Big Mac, Spike. Wanna get this party really goin’?” The two guys looked at each other and then back at DJ with smiles.

“Thought you’d never ask,” said Spike.

“Eeyup!”

“Great! Let’s go!” DJ popped out of existence once again and his two band mates proceeded to the center stage of the Apple reunion, much to the confusion of the parental Apples.

“What’s goin’ on now?” asked the stallion.

“Just sit back and watch Mister Apple. I think you’ll be surprised at what your sons can do,” replied Twilight.

Apple Crisp huffed and sat on his rear. “Alright. And Ah though Ah told ya to call me ‘Pa’.”

Back on stage, the three males were ready start the show, with the Discords ready for backup.

“It feels great to be back on stage boss,” said Quatro. The others muttered in agreement.

“Yeah, ya don’t rely much on us anymore! What up with that!” commented Dos.

“I know guys and I’m sorry. Just been living my life without strangeness for a while. We’ll figure something out, though. I promise,” DJ said, hoping that his assistants were going to commit mutiny.

“We’re just yanking your chain boss," calmed Uno. “Just riling ya up! We’re good, we’re good! Been giving us time to work on our things; I think you’ll like some of the stuff we came up with.”

“Can’t wait!” DJ then turned to Spike and Mac. “Ready guys?” Both gave nods of approval, so DJ addressed the assembled family members. “Evenin’ everypony! How we doin’ tonight?” The crowd yelled back mutual agreements that everything was good. “Awesome! Now some of ya know me, some you don’t, so allow me to introduce myself. The name is DJ Sparkle, adopted son of Red Gala and Apple Crisp. That’s all you’re gonna get out of me right now, so let’s focus on our guitarist, Spike!” Said dragon walked forward a little, dark shades covering his eyes and a smug grin gracing his face. “This bad boy is my little brother-in-law and my number one buddy. Give him some love!” The audience applauded in turn and Spike drank it all in.

When they quieted down, DJ spoke again. “Didn’t mean that much love, he’s already got ego problems.” This elicited a laugh from the crowd, and a smirk from his wife. Spike was not as amused, but his glare was blocked by his dark glasses. “And now on to our resident bassist. You know him, ya love him, he keeps Sweet Apple Acres runnin’! Give it up for my big brother, Big Macintosh!” The ponies roared for the big lug, causing Big Mac to blush a little. “Huh, that usually only happens when Fluttershy is around,” DJ quipped with a big grin, receiving a glare from his brother.

“Who’s Fluttershy?” Red Gala asked, suddenly curious.

“Didn’t Big Mac tell ya?” Applejack responded with a question. Both her parents shook their heads ‘no’. “That durn fool. To shy to even tell our parents about his marefriend. Fluttershy is one of mine and Twi’s best friends and she and Big Mac have been together for almost a year and a half.”

“WHAT?! My little colt has fillyfriend and he never even told me?!” Red Gala was going ballistic. Apple Crisp tried his best to calm down his hyperventilating wife. Twilight meanwhile whispered to Applejack.

“Since when has Big Macintosh been ‘little’?”

DJ’s voice once again went out over the crowd. “Alright, so you met the band, that means it’s time to get to the music. Time to get your country on everypony! Uno! DO THE THING!” The Discords started up and let the two stallions and young drake do the rest.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

“Big Mac, everypony!” Big Mac trotted forward and began to do a country rap. His deep voice replacing Colt Ford quite well for this number. It also helped DJ’s ego when Ma and Pa’s mouths dropped at the sight of their big son singing like that. What can I say? The dude’s got a rapper’s voice and we gotta utilize it!

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

“So how’d you like that little number?” His assembled family members cheered in appreciation. “Awesome! Hey guys,” DJ said turning to his fellow players, “I think they want another. Should we give it to them?”

“I don’t know,” replied Spike. “Doesn’t sound like they want us to go again.”

“Nnope.”

DJ returned his gaze to the crowd. “Come on everypony! Let’s hear it! You want another?”

“Yeah!” was sent to the band.

“I don’t think that was enough. Let’s try it one more time. Do you want us to do another song!?”

“YEAH!!”

“Woo! I think the planet felt that one! Alright, one more song! Let’s go guys; a one, a two, a one, two, three!”

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

The cheers were deafening. DJ, Spike, and Big Macintosh took a bow as the applause grew. They could see that everypony was really enjoying themselves now. So their job was done for the night. “Hey, guys?” DJ asked causing the two to look at him. “Who’s up for some cider pong?”

**********

“Ugh, my head,” whined Spike at the table. Last night really took its toll on the young dragon.

“I told you to stop after the third game, but NOOO. You just had to prove that you could beat an Apple at Cider pong,” DJ commented while sipping a purple concoction.

“You drank just as much as me, so why aren’t you suffering?” Spike said holding a frozen bag of corn to his head. He was also still wearing his dark shades from the previous night.

“Well for one, I don’t get drunk. You know that.” For some reason, that is one of the few perks of being previously human for DJ. Twilight came up with the theory that it’s because his mind was the only part that was not changed into pony’s so it can handle a higher level of alcoholic consumption. DJ came up with not looking a gift horse in the mouth (so to speak). “Second, here.” He passed over his drink to Spike who looked at it wearingly.

“What is it?”

“Drink it and find out,” DJ said with a smile. Spike slowly lifted the cup to his lips and took a quick sip. He seemed to like it and he downed another swig in a quick gulp.

“Ah, that’s good stuff! But why did I need to drink it?”

“Well, do you have a headache?”

“Of course I… holy guacamole! My headache’s gone! And my eyes aren’t sensitive anymore! What the hay!?”

“The forever drink! I discovered that the dang thing can actually create drinks too. All I had to do was ask. Either that or there’s some reality that came up with an instant hangover cure. Don’t know, don’t care, all that matters is that it freakin’ works!”

Spike gave his brother-in-law a deadpan stare. “And you’re just telling me about this stuff now?”

He shrugged in response. “To be fair you never asked, ‘Hey, DJ, you got a cure for hangovers?’. Simple as that.” Spike face palmed. “By the by, where is everypony?” DJ had looked around the table to see that he and Spike were the only one’s to come down for breakfast.

“Don’t you remember? The breezies are blowing through town today and Twilight is helping the others cheer for them. The fillies got an early start so they could see the show, too.”

“Completely forgot about that,” DJ admitted. “You wanna go see them?”

“Well, duh! They’re a rare species that only show up in Equestria every now and then! They live in some magical land hidden inside Equestria.”

DJ looked intrigued. “Now this I have to see.”

DJ and Spike finished up their breakfast, that DJ cooked since Spike was out commission at the time, and got ready to join the massive crowd that was watching for the breezies’ arrival. It didn’t take long for the swarm of tiny, bug-like pony-things to come flying on the breeze. Twilight had explained to DJ that breezies were not very strong fliers on their own, so they flew in swarms on the wind to carry the colony to their destinations. He took in the sight of them, a little weirded out by their appearance, but still fascinated by them. What DJ didn’t notice was his best buddy climbing a tree behind them so he could get a look.

DJ took notice of Spike’s disappearance after a moment. “Spike? Little dude?” He kept turning his head, but was soon shushed by the crowd around him. Right, the breezies need quiet. The slightest additional wind could send the breezies off course. DJ then heard some rustling from above him, so he looked up to see Spike on the branch of the tree. Unfortunately, the rustling shook a leaf free from the branch and, with the great luck of Equestria (It’s a thing!), flew right in the face of the lead breezie and they went spiraling.

Thanks to Fluttershy’s last minute rescue, the breezies were saved from a deadly crash. DJ, Spike and the other girls gathered around them to make sure nopony was hurt. “Everypony okay?” DJ asked once they were gathered.

“Don’t worry, everypony’s okay,” Fluttershy replied.

“I am so sorry!” cried Spike, throwing himself to Flutters’ mercy. “I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry!”

“Oh, it’s okay! It could have happened to any of us,” Fluttershy said comfortingly. Apparently, the breezies didn’t share her feelings as they started shouting at the drake.

“Uh… I’m… just… gonna stay over here.” Spike when and stood off to the side, away from the group.

“Well, they may not be able to speak Equish, but at least they know how to communicate,” DJ quipped. Which earned him a slap to the back of his head from his wife. “Ow!” How does DiNozzo put up with this crap!?

“So, Fluttershy,” started Rainbow Dash, “you want us to get the breeze going again so these little guys can get the move on?’ This earned a cry of a protest from the assembled breezies, save for a blue one with a pink mane.

“Maybe we should give wait a moment or so. They’ve been through so much,” Fluttershy replied.

Rainbow accepted this. “Just gimme the word when you think they’re ready.” The girls started to disperse with the breezies flying off with Fluttershy back to her cottage. Meanwhile, the blue breezie hung back a moment to glare at its fellows. DJ took notice of this a walked up to it.

“You don’t look so happy there,” he commented.

“We supposed to be almost home now,” the breezie responded with a Norwegian accent. Not what I expected in the least. “I miss my family and we should be moving, not waiting.”

“Wait, you’re a dude? Wow, hard to tell,” DJ said with a shrug and a glare from the offended breezie. “Sorry, don’t worry. You can trust Flutters. She never let’s down her friends or little creatures.” The breezie huffed and floated off after his fellows. “Come on Spike, let’s figure out something to do today.”

“Coming!” Spike trotted off after his brother.

**********

Later that day, DJ and Spike wandered upon the girls and the breezies standing a little on the forest road. The two of them had spent the day doing whatever: gaming, inventing (don’t ask about what happened, just don’t), and eating. Ya know, typical guy stuff.

“What’s up girls?” DJ asked.

“We’re trying to get the breezies on their way home, but they’re too small of a group to fly on th breeze,” Twilight explained. “So I’m going to turn all of us into breezies to help them home!”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Pinkie. “You two should come with! It’ll be fun!”

DJ and Spike looked at each other and then back to the girls. “Let me get this straight,” started DJ. “You want to turn us…”

“Into little bug-like ponies…” filled in Spike.

“That are girlier than all get out…”

“And can barely fly…”

“Just to get them home…”

“To Celestia knows where?” The two looked at each other again and then back to the Mane Six.

“WE THINK NOT!!” The two said together. And they trotted off into the tree line.

“Well that was rude,” commented Rarity once the two guys were gone.

“Who needs ‘em,” added Rainbow. “Come on Twi, get to the spell work.” Twilight activated her magic, transforming the six mares into breezies and they flew off, leading the others back home. As they took off, DJ and Spike emerged back from the tree line.

“We gonna follow ‘em?” Spike asked.

“Eeyup. Climb aboard,” DJ knelt down and Spike clamored on top. “Let’s go!” DJ took flight after his wife and their friends. After flying for hours, the group flew into a tunnel, while DJ and Spike landed on the gorge above and waited for them to fly back out. After a few minutes, the Mane Six flew back out and Twilight turned them back into their natural pony forms. As they trotted back towards Ponyville, with Rainbow Dash begging Twilight to turn her into other creatures, DJ and Spike watched Fluttershy hang back for a moment. They watched as a new, blue flower in hair briefly glowed the color of the rainbow. DJ added it to the list, while Spike’s jaw dropped.

“Did Shy’s flower just glow?” the drake asked.

“Eeyup.”

“Does it mean anything?”

“Not sure, yet. But I have an idea.”

“Can I know?”

“Not yet, Spike. I need to confirm it firs before anything else. I don’t think we need to wait too much longer, though.” DJ took flight, heading for home. While he and Spike soared through the air, DJ and Malice exchanged thoughts.

The key of kindness. That’s generosity, loyalty, laughter, and kindness; four down, honest and magic to go.

This better lead to something exciting. I’m getting bored in here! I hate peace times!

Don’t you think I know that? At least I’ve been keeping up our training. Can’t go soft, not after what happened with Sombra.

Why do I get the feeling that something’s about to happen soon, but it won’t be what we think?

I don’t know. You’re the one with these weird premonitions. You tell me.

I am so gonna punch you one of these days. This I swear!

Yeah, yeah. Just focus on your own problems.

Trust me on this, partner. Something’s gonna go down soon enough, the only question is what? I hope it’s another baddie whose face we get to cave in!

Alright, Malice. I’ll head your words, but we aren’t gonna force anything. No point in that and it could only make things worse.

Yeah, yeah. Don’t cause trouble, just let trouble come to us. It always does.

Don’t remind me.

Emotions

It was a hot summer day in Ponyville and the sun was blazing. The weather pegasi really brought on the hot stuff, especially for the ponies working hard in the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack was out in the orchard, bucking tree after tree as sweat glistened in her coat and mane. Big Macintosh was plowing the wheat field, getting ready for seeding that Apple Bloom was providing. Bloom was also in charge of making sure Big Macintosh kept hydrated and didn’t suffer from heat stroke. Granny Smith was keeping cool in the shade of the big barn-like house, taking her mid-afternoon nap. DJ was also on the farm that day. Unlike the others, DJ had no set job on the farm so he was wherever he was needed. Today, DJ was assigned to keeping the corn fields watered so they wouldn’t wilt. This was usually done by the farm’s sprinklers, but DJ had magic. With ice magic being his talent, water creation wasn’t too hard to do. He would start by creating snow storm above the fields and then would proceed above them. DJ would pour his magic into his hooves and bounce on them, just like Rainbow taught him. The enhanced magic in hooves would melt the snow within and create rain. This would also keep the storm regulated and prevent it from turning violent, especially with warm and cool temperature collisions.

While this sounded easy, it was actually quite taxing. It required a lot of magic to perform and DJ had to be on top of the clouds, so he was constantly exposed to the sun. The more he did this trick, the smaller the storms would be created, slowing him down. So by the end of the day, DJ had finished at the same time as his siblings. They gathered at the porch of the Apple homestead. Well, all but one, because DJ collapsed onto his barrel from exhaustion before even getting to the first step.

“Work yourself out there, youngin’?” asked Granny.

“Granny, I’m far too tired to even bother quipping. What do you think?” This got a laugh out of the old mare and a few chuckles from the others.

“Well good. Hard work is good for a growin’ stallion. Just ask your big brother.”

“Eeyup.”

“I’m gonna kill all of you in your sleep,” DJ retorted, but it came very tired and slurred.

“Looks like he still had one left in him,” Applejack commented. The farm mare approached him with a bag of bits and placed in front of DJ’s muzzle. “Here’s your pay, brother.”

DJ scooted himself over to look into the bag. What he saw caused his eyes to widen. He looked at his family with those eyes. Applejack just smiled at him. “Big Mac told us what you’ve been savin’ up for, so we thought we’d help ya out. No take backs. Have fun!”

The Apples proceeded to head in for the night, leaving DJ to stare at the bag. After a moment in the dark, DJ hopped up into the air with a big grin on his face. “Woo Hoo!” He grabbed the bag and flew home at the speed of Rainbow Dash. DJ landed outside of the Books and Branches Library, bounded through the door, and slammed it shut, all while wearing a big, goofy smile. “I’M HOME!!”

The rest of the family was sitting not too far from the door and were all staring at him with shock and surprise. “So we see,” Spike commented.

“’Sup dad?” greeted Scootaloo.

“Hi daddy!” Nyx said with a smile and wave.

“Any reason you slammed a door in my library?” asked Twilight who was not amused with her husband’s behavior.

“Because I’m happy! I just made bank, Twi! Bank baby!”

“Bank?” they asked.

“I got money!”

“Ah, but why so happy about that? The Apples always pay you for your help,” questioned Twilight.

DJ trotted right up to her and pulled her in for a big kiss. The kids did not like it.

“Ew!”

“Dad!!”

Twilight however was deeply entranced by the passion. After the initial surprise, she moaned in pleasure and returned the kiss full force. These were their best kisses, because Twilight was a sucker for spontaneous romance. The only problem is that sometimes Twilight got to into it the motion and would forget that they were in public. In other words, it brought sexy, lusty Twilight who wanted it there and then. DJ didn’t mind it in private, but in public, not gonna happen. He wasn’t gonna let his wife embarrass herself like that. Thankfully, when DJ broke the kiss, Twilight was still in control of herself.

“Wow,” she commented. “What’s the occasion, lover,” Twilight said sultry and with a seductive look. Okay, maybe not in complete control.

“Because this is what needed to finally do what I have been planning for almost a year.”

“And what’s that?” Twilight was back to curious.

“Our honeymoon!” he proclaimed with happiness. Twilight’s eyes lit up with glee and hugged her husband around the neck.

“You mean it?” she asked with her eyes closed and her neck under his.

“Eeyup! I finally saved enough up! Would have had enough a while back, but we just had to celebrate two certain birthdays.” DJ was referring to Spike’s seventeenth birthday in May and Scootaloo’s eleventh a few weeks back at the start of June.

“Oh DJ! Ooh! Where are we going? When are we going? Oh, I need to prepare some schedules!” Twilight ran off to her schedule drawer. Where else would she keep ‘em? In her mane? Are you kidding? You have no idea how many of those damn things there are! It ain’t funny! “So many plans to make, appointments to rearrange. We’ll need a sitter for the girls, too. Somepony to look after the library. We have so many—“

DJ decided to stop this before it got out of hoof, so he ripped the schedule from Twilight’s grasp. “Twilight, honey. Calm down. I already have everything set up. We leave in a week, the location is a surprise, I know the girl’s will understand, and we already have a somepony who can look after both the girls and the library.”

“Who?”

“I’ll give you a hint. He’s purple, not a pony, lives in this house, and it’s Spike. That enough?” DJ said with a smile.

“Spike? Are you sure?”

“Hey! I have taken over the library many times since you and the others leave me behind so much and I am more than capable of watching over two pre-teen fillies,” Spike said with a huff. “I can take care of things, Twi. I only look young, remember? I can do this!”

“Well, if you’re sure, Spike,” Twilight relented, earning a satisfied grin from the dragon.

“With that taken care of, just need to let the others know we’ll be gone for a few days,” DJ said.

“Will you bring us back souvenirs daddy?” asked Nyx with a pleading look.

DJ chuckled a little at the cuteness. “We’ll see kiddo. You two will be good for ol’ uncle Spike, won’t ya?” He pulled his two fillies into a hold with a smile.

Nyx giggled. “Yep!”

“Sure.” Scoots wasn’t as enthusiastic.

“Who are you calling old?” Spike asked with a glare. DJ just smirked and had a small laugh. It grew and grew, eventually causing Spike to give up the glare and join in the mirth, which led to infecting the others in the laughter too. Family laughter is a glorious thing to hear.

**********

DJ and Twilight were at the train station, awaiting its arrival. Their friends and family had shown up to wish them well. They waited patiently as the train began to pull into the station and started to say their farewells as the passengers started to disembark.

“Do have you two, and at least try to get out of the bedroom a few times,” said Rarity while hugging Twilight. Her statement caused both DJ and Twilight to blush and become flustered. Rainbow started cracking up.

“Ahahaha!! You should see yourselves! Ahahahaha—AH!” Her laughter was cut short when DJ decided to make a Rainbow Popsicle. His mad grinning made it so much more evil.

“She’ll be fine in about two hours,” DJ said matter-of-factly. Twilight just rolled her eyes at him. The others said their own wishes and Twilight reminded Spike of all he needed to do while they were gone, which just frustrated the teenager even more considering this was the fifth time in the last hour that he was told this.

“If you two don’t get going now, I am gonna become a living flamethrower!” the young drake threatened.

“Ugh! Fine!” Twilight relented and the couple boarded the train. They waved to their friends as the train pulled away from the station and started heading south. As the train chugged along, the young lovers got comfortable on a bench in their own private cabin. Royalty has its perks after all. After roughly twenty minutes of just enjoying each other’s company, DJ spoke up.

“So, Twi, here we are, on our way to a lover’s vacation. Exciting, no?”

“It would be more exciting if you told where we are going,” Twilight responded with a puppy dog look at her husband.

“Sorry, Twi, it’s a surprise. And you should know by now that puppy dog eyes don’t work on me; I’m immune. Although, I think it’s time for the first gift.”

“Gift?”

“There’s a reason I had this trip planned for this week. I just happen to know a certain lovely mare’s birthday is this week, so I plan on making it her best birth week ever!” He gave her a very smug look. “Starting with something that she’s wanted for a long time.” Twilight looked at him with expecting eyes. She watched as DJ pulled out a stack of her notes, a quill, and an inkwell and gave them to her. “A no holds-barred Q n’ A session on humanity!”

Twilight’s eyes lit up in giddy joy. “Oh DJ! You mean it?”

“Eeyup. You can ask me anything, love. Absolutely anything and I will answer it to the best of my abilities.”

Twilight hugged him tightly. “You’re too good to me, you know that?”

“I just know how to make my favorite mare happy, that’s all. This is just the first gift, too, so be prepared for the best darn week of your life, love.”

“Can’t wait! Okay, so let’s start with…”

They two talked of human culture, economics, religion (reluctantly), governments, and the like. This lasted for hours and by the end, Twilight had twelve new notebooks filled of information. When she finally ran out of questions, she leaned over and gave DJ a peck on the cheek. “You’re the best.”

“D’aww! Don’t I feel special?” he said with a goofy grin. DJ looked over at the clock on the wall and noted the time. “Well, we got a few more hours until we reach our special destination. What do you want to do to spend the time? This may be our honeymoon, but it’s your week, Twilight.”

“We could share stories?” Twilight suggested. So the two alicorns traded different stories between them and before they knew it, the train ride was nearing its end, even if neither seemed to notice.

“Ahahaha!!” DJ was laughing rambunctiously at Twilight’s story, while she huffed. “So, let me get this straight,” he said between laughs, “While Nyx and I were in Canterlot over a year ago, Discord convinced you he was sick and forced you and Cadence to go to the ends of Equestria to get him some rare flower cure? And then you got attacked by some giant worm that ended up getting that big doof sick for real? Ahahahaha!! That’s awesome! I am so gonna hold that against him now!”

“Yeah, yeah. I nearly get eaten by a worm while you’re out clubbing in some bar with your sister and Vinyl. Just perfect,” Twilight huffed.

“Oh, lighten up dear. Besides, we’re here!” DJ pointed outside the train window and Twilight’s eyes widened with glee. Outside was a tropical paradise. The white, sandy beaches, the glistening ocean waters, the palm trees blowing in the light breeze, and ponies in tropical attire everywhere. “Welcome my princess, to Mare-ami!” So far, the worst pony pun, yet. DJ looked back to his wife who had her face pushed against the window with a happy smile. Anything for her, though, he added with a smile. He tapped her shoulder and Twilight turned back to him. “Come on, let’s get our stuff. The hotel check-in starts soon. Sooner we get our room, the sooner we can enjoy this vacation.”

The two alicorns grabbed their bags, well DJ did. Tradition dictates that the lady doesn’t lift a hoof while on the honeymoon and I am too paranoid to let anypony else take my stuff. So, I became a pack mule. The things I do for love. As they walked through the streets on the way to the hotel, DJ could hear some of the talk on the streets, and he didn’t like it.

“Is that Princess Twilight?”

“Who’s that with her?”

“That’s that weirdo she married.”

“She’s far too good for a commoner like him.”

“I heard he comes from another world. How she could marry something so disgusting.”

The talk continued and DJ felt his anger starting to grow. The only thing stopping him from freezing those jerks solid was knowing that it would ruin his and Twilight’s honeymoon. What he didn’t realize was that Twilight could hear them, too. Neither let their feelings show, so they continued to the hotel in quiet.

With all of the bits that DJ had saved up, he and Twilight had a royalty suit reserved for them all week. DJ and Twilight settle in quite nicely, simply enjoying the room for the rest of the night, with Twilight remaining on the balcony, while DJ messed with some spell training. The rest of the night was uneventful, the somber arrival affecting both of them.

**********

The remainder of the week flew by faster than either of them thought. The days were full of fun and exciting things. From exploring the nearby forest to deep-sea diving in the ocean, it was all fun and games. What was off was that neither seemed to really be in a loving mood, leaving them with quiet nights of blissful sleep. Even while the two had their days of fun, the whispers continued. They were celebrities (to an extent) after all and there were many that had their own opinions. Most of them detailing how neither should be together.

This was their last night at the hotel and both were in bed. DJ couldn’t sleep, though. He just kept hearing those words repeating through his mind. Did he believe even one of them? NO! The problem was that they were infuriating. Twilight was his soul mate, as cliché as that sounds, but it was true. They were meant to be together. Why couldn’t those others see that?

DJ was brought out of his thoughts by a sound coming from the balcony. He slowly lifted his head, not wanting to wake up Twilight. As he turned his head, DJ noticed that Twilight wasn’t even in bed. He twisted his head towards the strange sound on the balcony, got out of bead, and headed out. There he saw his beautiful wife, staring out at the stars, crying her heart out. The sight made his heart hurt.

“Twilight?” he called out to his mare. She turned fast around at the sudden break in the silence. DJ saw that her eyes were red and tears were falling in waterfalls.

“DJ. Did I wake you?” she said simply, trying to hide her crying eyes.

“Couldn’t sleep. Twilight, what’s wrong?” He moved closer to her, but she backed away. “Twi?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” She turned away from him, back out to the city below.

“That’s a lie and you know it.” DJ walked up behind him and put his forelegs around her neck. “Please Twilight. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

This broke the proverbial dam. Twilight’s tears picked up in intensity and her sobs grew louder as she put her head in DJ’s barrel. “Everything! Everything is wrong! Haven’t you heard those other ponies? Why do they keep saying those things? And it’s not just them! I just don’t know what to do anymore DJ! Our marriage, our daughters, is what everypony’s saying right? Are we ready for this? Am I ready for this? I just don’t know anymore!! I love you, DJ. I love you and Scootaloo and Nyx, but did we take things too fast? What if what we did was too early? What if things change between us? What if—“

DJ couldn’t listen to the love of his life talk like this anymore, so he put his hoof up to her mouth to quiet her. “Twi, look at me.” She wouldn’t. “Please, look me in the eyes.” Reluctantly, Twilight lifted her head to meet her husband’s eyes. Those amazing eyes that were always there for her. Honestly, DJ didn’t know what to say, so he decided not to talk. Instead he would let the music of this world speak for him. So, he sang.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

Twilight stared into her husband’s eyes as he sang, his lyrics reaching deep into her heart. The she never really believed those other ponies, but their words were making her worry without need to. But, DJ wasn’t done. He reached a point in the current song, but then the music changed. The tempo was more uplifting and his new voice was soothing to her soul.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

DJ looked down at his loving wife, her eyes telling him everything she was thinking. “Don’t you see, Twilight. As long as we are together, we’ll find a way. Nothing is impossible for us. And nothing will ever stop me from loving you. I went to hell and back, literally, just to come back to you and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I love you Twilight Sparkle,” he gave her a peck on the lips, “and nothing will ever change that.”

Twilight stared back into his eyes. Somehow, DJ was always to make her feel oh so much better. It was in that moment, that her love for him was rekindled. The flame of passion was ignited deep inside her heart. He loved her and she loved him. That’s all that would ever matter, no matter what anypony else said. DJ was hers. She leaned up and kissed him right back. “And I love you DJ Sparkle. Our love will never waver.” Twilight got a sultry look in her eye as she knew that she wanted him, she wanted him bad. With a quick teleport, the two were back in their shared bed. DJ tried to say something, but Twilight just shushed him with a hoof. “Shh, no words. Just us.” DJ understood and pushed her into a deep kiss. She returned it in kind, their tongues meeting in passion. Twilight fell back on the bed as they continued the kiss. When they broke, the two lovers stared into each other’s eyes, loving understanding being shared between them. The passion and love between them was at its peak and Twilight and DJ were finally one with each other that night.

**********

Twilight and DJ returned to Ponyville the next day, doing nothing at all on the train ride home. Twilight simply laid with DJ the whole trip back, both satisfied from the night before and completely content just being in each other’s embrace. The two loving alicorns were truly at peace, nothing would disturb them in this serenity. That’s nothing, but the train pulling to a stop at the Ponyville train station.

The two reluctantly got out of their positions, grabbed their bags, and disembarked the train to the sight of their friends and a big bright ‘Welcome Home’ banner.

“Surprise!” Pinkie exclaimed as she bounded up to them. “Were ya surprised? Were ya? Were ya!?”

“Yeah Pinkie, we were surprised,” DJ said with a happy smile.

“Unfortunately, neither of us are in the mood for a party. Sorry Pinkie,” Twilight added a little ashamed, but the two of them really wanted nothing more than to sleep this day away after that emotional night.

“That’s alright, Twilight!” Pinkie said with her bright smile. “Your party isn’t until tomorrow! This is just your welcoming committee. Duh!” Pinkie always made stuff seem obvious.

“Thanks for this everypony, but the wife and I would really like to get a little more rest. We’ll tell you everything at the party tomorrow.” They all completely understood, their five main friends giving them personal welcomes. With that out of the way, they made their way back to the library. Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo were not present to welcome them, so DJ and Twilight were a little worried. As they walked in to the library, the two of them were greeted with a frightening sight.

The first thing DJ noticed is that Spike was hanging from the ceiling in a net. Scootaloo was glued to the floor, surrounded by books and a fallen bookshelf. Nyx was also hanging from the ceiling, a rope tied around her back right hoof, keeping both her and Spike hanging. What DJ knew would drive Twilight up the wall, was the fact that there was a pile of books in the back corner lit ablaze.

DJ took his look around, both of his kids looking shameful and embarrassed, while Spike just looked bored. “Curse of the Crusaders?” he asked out loud.

“Eeyup,” all three answered.

Twilight’s eye was twitching madly. “I’m going to bed,” she declared and trotted upstairs. They just watched as she disappeared up to the room. DJ started up after her, but stopped and turned to the three of them. With a quick bit of magic, all three of them were free from their respective traps.

“Just get everything cleaned up by diner. We have had a long trip.” With that, he trotted up the stairs, leaving the trio to their work. He entered the bedroom and saw Twilight already curled up on the bed. DJ smiled, got in the bed, and curled around her, pulling her in close. Twilight twisted her head and the two had a passionate kiss. “Sweet dreams my dear Twilight.”

“Peaceful slumber my loving DJ.” The two lovers fell into the sweetest of dreams, knowing that their love could never be destroyed.

Leap of Faith

“Cannon Ball!!” DJ yelled. With a big splash, he landed in the water and came up a second later. “Whoo! Man, do I love swimming.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said as he swam by. It was another hot day in Ponyville and DJ was spending the day with his siblings at the lake just south of the town. DJ was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a screaming filly.

“Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Woooo!” and Apple Bloom splashed into the lake causing a wave of water to drench Granny Smith who was sleeping on the shore.

“Who done that?!” the elder mare sputtered awake.

“I know nothing!!” DJ yelled sending out his right leg out in a slanted salute. Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Why do you always do that when questioned on sumthin’ suspicious?” she asked.

“Don’t disrespect the good sergeant Shultz!” he warned. “Plus, it’s me! Haven’t you learned to stop questioning this crap?” DJ asked with a raised eyebrow. Applejack face hooved.

“I keep forgettin’ ‘cause you keep on actin’ like a smarty one moment then a fool the next. Make up your darn mind!”

“Mmm, nope! It’s too much fun!” he said with a smile. AJ groaned and started shaking her head. “BTW, thanks for the present last night, guys. That blanket is amazingly comfortable.”

“Every Apple needs a special blanket,” Granny said. DJ’s twenty-first birthday had come and gone the night before, though it was a much smaller affair than last year’s. The party was fun, the presents were enjoyable, and the company was fantastic.

“Sure wish you’d come in and swim with us, Granny,” Apple Bloom whined.

“Uh, sorry, dear. I just can't bring myself anywhere near that there swimmin' hole,” Granny said.

“How come?” Granny then went into telling her grandchildren about her time as a diving champion, but a harrowing feat scared her into giving it up. DJ was amazed.

“Wow, Granny got skills.” He got out the lake and approached his adoptive grandmother. “Respect,” DJ said while putting out his hoof. Granny returned his hoof bump, a little smile on her face.

“And don’t ya forget it, youngin’.” They four ponies played in the water for a little while longer, but they eventually made their way back to town. Along the way, they noticed a bunch of injured ponies on their way to a large tent that had been set up just off the road. Granny, Apple Bloom, and DJ started to make their way to the tent as well, curious as to what was going on.

“Now where in Equestria do you think you three you’re goin’?” asked Applejack.

“Aw, quit bein' such a worry-worm and follow your ears!” Granny said.

“Come on, Applejack, aren't you curious?” asked Apple Bloom.

“I know I am,” DJ said, trotting on ahead. Applejack and Big Mac were still a little cautious, but they followed their fellow Apples inside the large tent. Inside was quite the large crowd and each one seemed to have one ailment or another. One with a broken hoof, another with a strained wing, the list goes on. Granny and Apple Bloom went to the front, while AJ, Big Mac, and DJ waited near the exit. Then the show started and two familiar stallions came out from behind the curtain.

“Thank you, one and all, for your attendance, and we guarantee that your time here will not be spent in vain!” announced Flim.

“In fact, we think it will prove to be the most valuable time you've ever spent!” added Flam.

“The Flim Flam Brothers! This should be interestin',” said Applejack in surprise and then disdain.

Big Macintosh wasn’t too happy either. “Eeyup,” he said with a frown. DJ just watched in silence as the two conponies riled up the crowd. They started going on about how they were going to be describing something amazing to the audience. And then they started to sing.

There's ailments all around us in everything we touch and see (Flim)

A sickness that lies waiting there in every breath you breathe (Flam)

It's amazing how infected that the natural world and all its things can be (Flim)

“Now I understand that some of you don't think you're sick…” said Flim.

“…But twisted hooves and aching joints don't heal all that quick,” finished his mustachioed brother.

“Consider just how dangerous this world is! You might...” Flim said before his brother finished in song.

Slip and fall, break or sprain something here tonight

(Together)

But luckily for you, we've got the thing you need

And it's easier when all you need's the cure

The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Is just what the doctor ordered, I'm sure

“NNOPE!” DJ called out over the crowd, interrupting the two stallions mid-stride. The audience all looked at him with sour faces. He didn’t pay them any mind as he strode out of the tent. Flim and Flam looked at one another in surprise.

“Well that was an unnecessary reaction,” they said together before going back to their routine.

DJ waited patiently outside of the tent for his family. A little while later, they all came out and scowled at him.

“What was that!?” Applejack scolded her older brother.

“That is how I react to conmen, dear Applejack,” he responded truthfully.

“Ain’t no con in there, youngin’!” Granny said, looking miffed. She then pulled out a bottle and took a swig. “This here be a miracle cure for anythin’!”

“That’s what they said in the twenties, too,” DJ said underneath his breath. I know exactly where this story’s goin and I am not partaking.

“What was that?” asked Granny with a harsh glare.

“Nothing,” DJ huffed. “Well, it’s been fun hanging out with you all, but Twilight needs me back at the library soon.”

“What for?” asked Applejack as DJ started to trot off.

He turned back to them with a sour look. “I’ve taken over Spike’s job being a spell tester. This ought to be fun,” he said without enthusiasm. He trotted off to what could be a very exciting day, for Twilight that is.

**********

A few days later, DJ found himself staring at a giant diving board that had been put out in the middle of town, Granny Smith at the very top. He noticed Applejack climbing the ladder as fast as she could, trying to get to Granny before she jumped. While he watched, DJ conversed with Malice.

Knew it!

Even a child could have guessed how this was gonna turn out. Never doubt the flimflammers.

But they could be useful.

Are you sure about this? I mean, seriously? Those two?

Who else? If there’s anypony that can do it, it’s those two.

DJ was brought out his thoughts as a large gasp came from a large crowd of injured ponies.

“But you gave it your stamp of approval!” one pony yelled from a wheel chair. DJ guessed that they were yelling at Applejack for agreeing to the tonic.

“Are you saying you lied?” another asked from the crowd.

DJ looked at Applejack, who was looking ashamed. “…I am,” she admitted causing another gasp from the crowd. ”I didn't mean to! But everypony seemed so much happier, I couldn't bring myself to tell you when I found out the tonic wasn't real. I know it was wrong. I just hope with time, I can win back everypony's trust.”

“But if the tonic is a fake, then how come Granny can swim again, and what about all that aquabatics stuff we just did?” Apple Bloom asked.

This where DJ decided to step in. “It’s because she believed it worked AB.”

“Huh?” came from the audience around them.

“How long have you been here, DJ?” asked Applejack.

“Whole time. Just decided to explain myself a little here. You see, tonics like this have been around on my world for over a hundred years. The whole thing was that they never worked. There is no such thing as a cure all. The reason Granny felt better wasn’t the tonic, it was the belief that she could. It’s known as the placebo effect. Basically, the mind tricks itself, using the tonic as a catalyst. It doesn’t make you do anything you can’t, so Granny Smith has always been able to do all those aquabatics. She just needed the confidence to do it.”

Applejack nodded in appreciation. “I reckon sometimes you can forget what you're capable of, and it just takes a little extra confidence to remember that it was inside of you all along. But tellin' ponies your tonic can do things it can't is just wrong!” she admonished the conponies.

“But you just said it boosts confidence!” retorted Flim.

“And that’s not all it does—“ Flam added, but was interrupted by another stallion who went to explain his role in the con. This pony, Silver Shell, told everypony that it was all a sham and even apologized to Applejack by giving her a special bit. The chugging sound came from somewhere in the crowd. Everypony turned to see DJ downing a bottle of tonic.

“DJ!!” Applejack yelled. “What are you doin’?”

He stopped drinking when the entire bottle was gone. “Enjoying a tasty beverage. You see, a lot of the tonics and potions back home eventually turned into the some of the best tasting drinks that still exist to this day. And this stuff ain’t half bad.” He grabbed another bottle and started chugging. As he drank, DJ noticed out the corner of his eye that Applejack’s new bit glowed a rainbow color for just a second. The key of honesty! Five down, one to go.

The entire crowd just shook their heads; DJ will always be DJ. Applejack turned back to her grandmother. “I'm sorry, Granny. I hope this doesn't mean you'll stop swimmin'.”

“Why in tarnation would I do that? I just can't believe those two salesponies had me believin' I could near fly! Hey, where'd they go?” Granny asked looking around. AJ looked over too and saw something else.

“Where’d DJ go?” All three stallions were gone.

**********

The bag was pulled off Flim and Flam’s heads and they looked around. The room was dark, but silhouettes of a large desk with a pony sitting behind it were distinguishable. Both of them were quite scared. They had been attempting to sneak out of town after Applejack and Silver Shell spilled the beans about their tonic when they were attacked from behind. The two stallions had found themselves knocked unconscious and unceremoniously deposited into this dark room.

“Ahem,” the shadowed pony cleared his throat, drawing the Flim Flam brothers’ attention back to him. “I bet you’re wondering why I had you brought here, no?” he said with a strange accent. It was similar to a Manehatten native, but something wasn’t quite right with it. Flim started to answer his question when the pony put up a hoof. “Don’t answer that. I have had both of you brought here because…I have proposition for yous guys. I need what you have.”

Flim and Flam were shaking in fear. “A-and w-what is t-that?” Flam asked nervously.

“You boys travel all over Equestria, yes?” They both nodded. “You’re ponies who can sell anything, yes?” Again they nodded, still not sure what was going on. “You see, I have an invention that I need to be spread to as many homes in Equestria as possible.” The pony got up from the desk as a bright light lit up over a square device covered by a sheet. “Gentlestallions, allow me to present the next generation of home entertainment.” He pulled off the sheet and square, wooden box with a glass covering and few nobs in the upper right corner. “The television!” he proudly proclaimed. “Imagine, the perfect combination of radio and movies. All the entertainment of the movie theater with the home convenience of a radio!”

That had the brother’s attention. This pony wanted their salespony ship to get his invention out to the populace. That was certainly something they could do, but what was the catch? “Does it work?” Flim asked.

“See for yourselves,” he said while pressing a button on the box and the screen lit up. Nothing appeared save for a snowy screen and a scratching sound coming from the speakers on the side.

“Is it broken?” asked Flam. He tried to hide his disappointment as the prospect this pony was claiming sounded amazing.

“No, it requires signals to be sent to it so it can project the images and relay the sound. That is why I need your assistance.” The lights came on and the two stallions could finally see the pony before them, it was the blue stallion from before.

“Hey, weren’t you with the Apple family?” asked Flim.

“Why yes, yes I was. Allow me to introduce myself. I am DJ Sparkle, a prince of Equestria.” The conponies’ eyes bugged. “You have no idea how hard it was to create this little doohickey. Took many trials, errors, explosions, and fires to finally get this right. As for programming, I already have deal with Ponywood to have television shows produced. There was a minor catch, however.” Both brothers leaned, eager to know. “I need to have a television in at least five hundred homes by the start of the first fall season for this project to really get off the ground. That’s where you two come in.” The prince returned to his seat and stared down Flim and Flam. “I need you two to get these out to the public. You two go from town to town, city to city, selling to ponies everywhere. Will you do it?”

The brothers looked to each other, shared a smile, and then turned back to DJ. “What’s the catch?” they asked in unison.

“No catch. I will even pay you for your services. How does one hundred bits a week sound?” The widening eyes of both brothers was all the answer he needed. “I take it that’s a ‘yes’. Good. Now, a little information you need to be able to sell this thing.” DJ went back over to the TV and put a hoof on it. “This is called a television, or TV for short. It brings entertainment to the home in numerous ways. From action, to horror, from comedy, to drama, and more! All at the push of a button and the twist of a nob. They run on a magical cores that only need replacing every ten years or so to keep it powered. To prove that this works, you both will also need to know how to work the built in DVD player.”

“’DVD player’?” they echoed.

“Digital video disc, or DVD.” DJ lifted up a gleaming silver disk. “These discs have stored programs that can be watched at any time.” DJ went on for an hour explaining everything on how to use the TV and more. “Also, a simple duplication spell replaces manufacturing costs so don’t worry about that. The only thing is that I have a spell on it that only allows me to duplicate the device, so don’t try. It won’t work out well. You will be selling these for one hundred and twenty-five bits each. You two can work out specials and bundles yourself, but the standard must go for that price. I will also allow you ten percent of each one sold added to your pay. While you are on the road, I will be sending you your payment once I get a report on your selling. Do we have a deal?” DJ stuck out his hoof.

The brothers turned to each other and leaned in, whispering to one another. After a moment, they turned back to their prince with smiles. Flim and Flam shook hooves with DJ. “You got yourself a deal, your highness,” Flim said with joy.

“We won’t let you down, your majesty,” Flam added proudly.

DJ beamed in happiness at them. “Great! Oh and one more thing!” he said, ala Uncle. “If you both meet the mark of three hundred by this time in September, then I will give you a massive bonus!”

Flim and Flam’s eyes suddenly turned into gold bits and DJ could have sworn a cash register went off nearby. “Why so generous, your highness?”

“You see, I made another deal. If you both can get the TV’s out there, then you can start to advertise that the Equestria Games will be the first ever program on the device. Those that don’t have the privilege to go to the Games themselves will still be able to watch every event from the comfort of their own homes. So if we hit that mark by early September, we’ll all be rolling bits with how much we’re gonna rake in from that spectacle.”

“You are most generous, your majesty!!” they both bowed to him. Normally this would have put DJ off, but he was fine with. Just this once.

“Great, your caravan has already been loaded with the first three hundred.” DJ opened the door to the outside world and motioned for them to be off on their way. “I expect great things from you two. Great things!” After thanking him profusely one more time, the Flim Flam brothers hightailed it off to get to their first sale. DJ chuckled as they raced off and went inside his home. Twilight was inside getting dinner ready. “Hey, hon,” he said while giving her a peck on the cheek. “Need any help with dinner?”

“That would be great DJ. Why so chipper?” she asked as she got back to chopping vegetables.

DJ started mixing the salad as he replied, a big smile on his face. “Oh you know me, always happy to help!”

Vacationing Where?

The Frozen North of Equestria. A harsh land of snow and tundra, one of quiet bliss when not being disrupted by the blowing winds and blizzards. Neither were occurring this day, save for a small breeze that blew over the frozen tundra. And yet, the quiet land was disturbed as a mechanical beast flew down the ice road. The beast’s roar was deafening compared to the quiet landscape, but the way the metal gleamed in the light of the sun made it more a sight of beauty than of terror. Its blue color shined as the Celestia’s sun’s rays were reflected off its surface; its streamlined appearance glimmering like the snow it drove over.

This was the personal vehicle of Equestria’s one and only DJ Sparkle. Sitting behind the steering wheel of the car was said Prince, once again in his old human form. The only thing looking different was the shoulder guard on his left side that showed this was a limited form of the omnitrix. Right beside him in the passenger seat was his dear wife, Twilight Sparkle, currently occupying her time by reading a book: Heroes of Olympus: The House of Hades. The book itself was a gift from DJ to his daughter Nyx, but Twilight enjoyed the series just as much as her younger daughter.

Speaking of Nyx, the alicorn filly was currently in the back seat of the car, along with her older pegasus sister, Scootaloo, and young dragon uncle, Spike. Nyx could be found staring out at the landscape that her family’s car rode past or engrossed in the movie that Spike had playing on her father’s laptop computer. Scootaloo, unlike her sister, was occupying her time with one of the portable game systems that DJ had “acquired” from Earth. The one she had, a Gameboy Advanced SP, was constantly flashing with movement as she played through the levels of her current favorite game, Tony Hawk Underground 2. Although, the little filly could be found taking peeks at Spike’s movie as well. The drake was content with just watching movies during their ride. Spike had started with Man of Steel, one of DJ’s favorites and Spike could definitely see why, and then went on to Batman Begins. DJ had gotten the little guy hooked on comic book characters from Earth to almost the point of his adoration for the Power Ponies.

DJ just enjoyed the sounds of his family as he focused on the icy road that was leading them to their destination. As they drove along, DJ couldn’t help, but think back to what had happened the previous day that had led to this trip through the Frozen North.

***Yesterday***

It was a normal day in Ponyville. No monster attacks, no acts of chaos and destruction, and no fiery explosions. Just peace and quiet for the Sparkle family inside the Books and Branches Library. The summer was nearing its end as August was slowly dwindling away. DJ and Twilight’s latest great achievement had occurred early in the month in the form of their first wedding anniversary. As DJ called it, a night of love and deep passion. Only the younger fillies did not get what he meant, but all of their friends and Spike knew what he was referring to, if Twilight’s blush was any clue.

The Sparkle family was currently in the middle of a delicious lunch, prepared by Spike and Nyx, consisting of celery soup and daffodil sandwiches. Of course, DJ still found eating flowers a little weird, due to his background, but the taste was enough to deter him away from such thoughts. Tastes like chicken! Ha, not really, but how often am I gonna be able to use that here? Said lunch was interrupted, however, by Spike belching out green fire and a letter that rolled onto the table.

“Excuse me,” the drake apologized. Twilight levitated the letter over to herself and unfurled it. She began reading it out loud for the whole family to hear.

"Dear Twilight, DJ, and family. It has come to my attention that my grandchildren’s summer vacation will be coming to an end in only a few weeks’ time and they have not had a true vacation this year. So, in an act to rectify this, I wish for all of you to join me in the Chrystal Empire tomorrow for a family vacation! I do hope to see you all there soon. With love, Celestia."

When Twilight finished reading, she had a look of pure confusion. “Well, this is definitely new for her. Kind of seems out of character for Celestia, if you think about it.”

DJ just shrugged. “My mother is the definition of ‘out-of-character’. She can be kind and motherly one day and a cold-blooded leader of millions the next. You really never know what she’ll do, so why bother thinking about it? As applies in many instances here, Celestia will be Celestia.”

“Since when is the Princess cold-blooded?”

“You haven’t read some of the stories Earthlings came up with. Strange stuff, man, strange stuff.” DJ shook his head from those thoughts. “Anyways, I think she might be on to something. A family vacation doesn’t sound like a bad idea. What do you girls think?” DJ asked turning to his kids.

Nyx and Scootaloo were smiling happily with their mouths open and nodded feverishly, getting a small laugh out of their father. “Sounds like fun! We can visit Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadence!” Nyx said with joy.

“Yeah, I can finally meet this new cousin of mine! Guard Armor may be young, but I really want to meet him,” Scootaloo said.

Twilight then turned to her number one assistant. “What do you think Spike?”

“I think it could be fun. We haven’t been to the Crystal Empire since the war with Sombra and that was nearly a year ago.” Everypony cringed at the memory of that tyrant and what he did to the family. “Anyway,” Spike continued after recovering, “It would be good to see how the repair work went. It should also give us a feel for how the Equestria Games will be next month. I say we go for it!”

DJ and Twilight smiled at the gathered family and then at each other. “Let’s get packing then!” they both said in unison. The rest of the day was spent in preparation for the last minute trip. They packed rather easily and then went to inform everypony else of what was happening. The library would closed for the entire time, but Rarity and Fluttershy offered to house sit to keep it clean and make sure Owlowiscious and Speedy were well fed. The next morning, DJ and Twilight loaded all of the luggage into the trunk of DJ’s modified ’02 Chevy Cavalier Coup, while the others piled into the back. Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo were going for their first ever car ride and that in and of itself was enough to excite them. With everything loaded up, DJ ‘human’-ed up as Twilight got in the passenger seat. He climbed in himself, started the car and took off, making sure to avoid the town proper. And off they went towards the Frozen North and the Crystal Empire.

***The Present***

DJ’s memories were interrupted by Nyx who was jumping in glee in the backseat. “Look! Look! It’s the Crystal Empire! I can see it!”

They all looked out ahead and indeed the little filly was correct. The Crystal Empire loomed in front of the Sparkle family as they approached. Buildings made entirely out of crystal could be seen everywhere, the Crystal Palace towering above the great empire. They all felt so much warmth as the car passed through the shield of the Crystal Heart and approached the entrance to the Empire. The family was met by two crystal guard ponies who looked at the strange vehicle with suspicion and caution.

“State your business here… creature,” one said with a scowl. The other readied his spear, just in case. Twilight decided to do as she did the last time they drove up to a capital city and stuck her head out of the window to address the guards.

“Greetings! I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia has requested my presence at the Crystal Palace. Would you two be kind enough to allow us to pass?”

The two guards looked at her in shock, blinking a few times to check if they were really seeing what was in front of them. One started to raise a hoof, “Uh…--“

“It’s an experimental carriage, known as car. My family and I use it as an alternative to train travel. Less expensive,” Twilight explained to the dumbfounded ponies. They blinked again and then stepped to the side.

“Enjoy your stay in the Crystal Empire, Princess Twilight and family,” said the guards in unison. DJ put the car in drive once his wife had pulled her head back into the vehicle and sped off into the Empire. They two ponies just watched in awe and wonder as it drove off. “We don’t get paid enough for this,” they both commented.

DJ sped down the road as fast as he could, only slowing down to avoid collisions. He wanted to get the castle as fast as possible so as to avoid questioning of his mode of transportation. In less than ten minutes, he was pulling up near the entrance of the palace and put the car into park. DJ made sure to power down the omnitrix before getting out and letting the kids and Spike out as well. The guard ponies near the palace entrance were also entranced by the vehicle as well as by the ponies piling out of it. It didn’t help when five Discords appeared, all wearing bellhop uniforms, grabbing the ponies luggage in their arms. One of guards had run off to get the prince upon the sight of the car pulling up and had just returned with Shining Armor. He and two of the guards were approaching the family and heard the older, blue stallion speaking with the tallest Discord.

“Guys, you really don’t have to do this,” DJ insisted. “This feels degrading. Like I’m taking advantage of you five.”

“Look, boss,” Uno urged. “Our jobs are to be your assistants; that’s what pops assigned us to you for. Being luggage handlers is certainly a part of the job descriptions.”

“He means, we’re all bellhops!” said Tres with a goofy grin. Uno and DJ gave him a deadpanned stare. Dos bopped his brother in the back of the head for his stupidity.

“As I was saying,” Uno continued, “Trust me, on this boss. We would feel lazy if we didn’t do this. Besides, we rarely come out much anymore. We need something to do.”

“Oh, alright,” DJ relented. “Just stick close. I have no idea how crystal ponies feel about your old man.”

“They find him amusing from what I’ve learned,” said Shining Armor as he approached his brother-in-law. DJ jerked his head towards the new pony and smiled brightly.

“Shining! How the hay are ya?” DJ gave the older stallion a big hug, lifting him up off the ground.

“I’ll be fine once you put me back on the ground,” Shining wheezed out. DJ did as he asked and let him drop to the ground. “Oof. Not what I meant, but then again, it’s you.”

“Somepony’s finally learning,” DJ quipped. Twilight, Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo rounded around the car to this sight, causing the lavender mare to rush towards her BBBFF.

“Shiny!”

“Twily!” They both embraced each other. When they separated, Shining continued. “I’m glad you all could make it.” He walked towards his nieces and younger brother. “So how are my two favorite nieces?”

“We’re your only nieces,” Nyx commented, but still took a hug from her uncle. Scootaloo was unsure, mostly because this was her first time meeting Shining Armor as her uncle.

“I’m fine,” the little pegasus squeaked out. Shining looked down at her with a soft smile and then lowered himself down to her level.

“Hey there Scootaloo. It’s nice to finally meet you. I can see why your mother and father would take you in. I get the sense that you’re a very strong filly and I am very happy that you are a part of this family.” He never let his smile drop for a second and ruffled her mane, gaining a small smile out of the filly. “There’s a smile,” Shining said as he rose back to a standing position. “And what about my little brother? What have you been up to?”

“Mostly hanging out with DJ and doing my chores,” Spike said with a shrug. “It’s been fun, though. DJ’s been teaching me how to sword fight and he says I’m getting pretty good.”

Shining stared at the drake with his mouth agape and then turned to DJ who was giving the stallion an evil grin. DJ shrugged. “Little dude’s got hands, err, claws. They’re meant for that sort of thing, so yeah. Spike’s good. Not as good as me, but still good.”

“What you mean good as you?” Shining asked in offense.

“Who beat who in sword fighting?”

“You cheated!!”

“Still beat your sorry flank. Don’t you remember the first rule?”

“’Humans do whatever it takes to win.’ Yeah, I remember. Still doesn’t count!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, bro.” Shining just glared as DJ smiled smugly. Twilight just shook her head in exasperation.

“Stallions,” she said loud enough for all present to hear. Said stallions turned to give the mare deadpanned glares. “Can we just go inside the palace now? I think Cinco’s about to get squished.” DJ and Shining turned to look at the diminutive draconequus who was struggling under the large bags he had on his back.

“I think that would be a good idea,” Shining remarked. “Come on, I’ll show you the way.” The group started to follow the Crystal Prince, two guards falling in behind. Another pair of guards stood watch over the ‘royal vehicle’.

“If you’re guards put even a single scratch on that car, I’ll have your head,” DJ warned.

“It’ll be fine.” Shining looked over his shoulder at the two guards who had their spears pointed at the car, looking at it with suspicion and fear. Shining saw that DJ noticed this two and was glaring at him. “Two scratches at most,” he relented.

The group were walking up several flights of stairs that would eventually lead to the throne room of the Crystal Palace and they were making idle conversation to pass the time. “So, Shining, any idea why my mother decided to drag all us out here on a sudden family vacation?”

“Princess Celestia kinda sprung it on us last second, too.” He stopped for a second to recall what DJ had just told him. “Wait, what? Mother?”

“Long story,” DJ said with nothing more.

“Is there anypony you aren’t related to, yet?”

“You really want the answer to that question?”

“No.” They walked in silence from there and soon found themselves in the presence of Princess Celestia and Cadence. “Look who’s here!” Shining said as an introduction.

“Twilight!” exclaimed Cadence who ran up to her.

“Cadence!” Twilight exclaimed in return and rushed up to her sister-in-law in return.

“Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake, clap your hooves, and do a little shake!” They two mares went about their routine and ended in a laughing hug. DJ and Shining looked at the pair with deadpan stares.

“And they wonder about us?” DJ muttered to Shining Armor.

“Tell me about it.”

“I am glad you all could make it,” Celestia said as she approached the others. Her motherly smile was radiant amongst them all. “It is so good to see everypony.”

“Wassup Cellie!!” DJ proclaimed with a hoof held high. Several ponies and one dragon face hoofed, palmed in Spike’s case. Celestia just giggled a little.

“You know that’s not how you address me,” Celestia corrected him.

“Sorry, ma.” Now it was Cadence’s turn to be in shock. “That’s right, we’re technically cousins now. Surprise!”

“Apology accepted, my little pony.”

“What did we talk about?” DJ said with a warning glare. Celestia simply rolled her eyes.

“Don’t call you little. Yes, yes. Apologies, my son.”

“Better. Now, what’s up with the sudden vacation idea? And where the hay is my little sister?” Celestia replied smoothly, but seemed troubled for some reason.

“Pixel Berry is currently on a diplomatic assignment to the Minotaur lands. She will be unable to return in time. Aside from that, the vacation idea, as you call it, is not what you probably think it is.” Celestia trotted over to one the windows and left the others to think about that cryptic statement. “Here is a hint. Twilight what happened six month before DJ came to Equestria?”

“I traveled through the mirror and into that humanized Equestria,” Twilight answered almost immediately. “What’s that have to do with anything?”

“Wait just a bloomin’ second!” DJ proudly proclaimed, going British. Time to get Sherlock with it! BTW, I am allowed to do this because I am descended from the Brits! So buck up, gov’nor! “Let me get this straight. Six month prior to the point of mine arrival in Equestria was when Twilight traveled to the other Equestria? And it has been two years since. So that would mean that precisely two years and six months have transpired since said occasion.”

“And what does that mean?” Twilight asked, still not understanding.

“Well, you see love, one can translate two years and six months into several ways. Two and a half years, or thirty months, or, perhaps, thirty moons. See the connection now, my dear?” Twilight’s eyes widened as DJ laid everything out.

“The portal is open!” she proclaimed.

“That’s correct! Tell her what she’s won, Celestia!” DJ exclaimed, suddenly wearing a suit and holding a microphone. Celestia looked just as confused as the others. DJ sighed and removed the clothes. “Nopony ever understands my witty humor.” Twilight patted him softly on the back as he sulked.

Celestia smiled little, just to humor him. “You are both correct. I have summoned you all here so that you may once again travel to the human Equestria. Since Twilight made such good friends there, I thought that she may wish to visit them. Since there isn’t a national crisis at the moment, a family vacation seemed like a good way for all of you to unwind a little. The portal will reopen tomorrow morning, so I encourage all of you to get some well-deserved rest tonight.” She ushered them all a way. After a moment, only Celestia, Shining Armor, Cadence, and DJ remained in the throne room. “Something on your mind, my son?”

DJ gave her a knowing smile. “They’re gone now, mom. So, spill. What’s really going on? Don’t even try lying, either. Applejack has taught me quite well on that front.”

Celestia let out a resigned sigh. “I figured you would be able to detect that something was amiss. You see, the portal between our two worlds does not open every thirty moons. It opens once every full moon. We told everypony that little bluff so that nopony would stay curious about the mirror long enough to actually remember it. Lately, I have detected disturbances between the realms and I would like you and Twilight to investigate. I don’t think that it is anything serious otherwise I would have informed you as such and the girls would not be going along. All we need you to do is to keep your eyes and ears open for anything strange while on the other side. I know you won’t let me down.”

DJ took everything with a nod. “I’ll do my best, mother. You can count on that. And thank you for this. The girls have actually been asking for a way to end their summer vacation on a high note for a few weeks now, but I have been drawing a blank. I’ll see all of you in the morning.” DJ walked out of the throne room, leaving the others, including smiling Celestia, behind.

As DJ trotted down the hallway to his room, he saw Twilight speaking with one of the guards. It was just her and the stallion, so DJ assumed the others had retired to the room. There was something familiar about that pony and it began to get clearer and clearer as he approached the pair. Is that…? No, no it can’t be? But it was. Twilight was speaking with one the more controversial characters from the show, Flash Sentry. For the first time since the two of them were together, DJ was feeling something unknown towards his wife. He felt… jealous! Oh crap! No, no! Do NOT fall for the old sitcom cliché. Just stay calm, there are probably just talking. Do NOT overreact!

He kept repeating that like a mantra as he neared the two ponies. “Hey Twi!” DJ called out, causing both ponies to look at him. Twilight smiled and urged him forward, while Sentry just stared him down, not exactly sure who this stallion was.

“There you are DJ. I was just on my way to find you when I bumped into a familiar face. DJ meet Flash Sentry. He’s a… old friend. Flash this is my husband DJ.” The two stallions stared at each other as they shook hooves.

“Nice to meet you,” DJ said without emotion.

“Likewise,” Flash replied in the same manner. “Well, it was nice catching up with you Princess Twilight, but I must return to my duties. Your highness.” Flash bowed to them and trotted down the nearby hallway. DJ turned to his wife.

“Should I be worried?” he asked her.

Twilight glanced between Flash and her husband, sudden realization occurring. “Oh, me and Flash? What makes you say that?” she asked nervously with a blush.

“I know what happened on the other side remember? I told you that that particular adventure was a feature-length movie and it included a blooming romance between you and Mister Sentry. So, yeah, I’m a little weary.”

Twilight laughed nervously, but turned seriously a moment later. “Right, forgot about that. No, DJ you have nothing to worry about. Me and Flash did date a little, but it didn’t develop into anything.”

“Any particular reason why?” The couple began trotting towards their room as DJ grilled Twilight for information.

“Alright, fine. Flash didn’t feel comfortable around Nyx and accidentally mentioned to me that I should consider finding her another home.” DJ started to feel a burning hatred toward that pegasus. “He did admit that Nyx was a nice filly, but he was just far too cautious to ever see her as anything more than Nightmare Moon. So I broke it off. We settled everything and we’re just friends. No hurt feelings.”

“Okay. If you say so, Twi.”

“Aw, is somepony jealous?”

“Shut up! I have my reasons!” Twilight giggled and leaned into him.

“I’m not going anywhere, DJ. You’re the stallion for me and I’m not letting any other mare take you away from me, either. Remember that.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it memorized.” He tapped his skull for emphasis. The two ponies giggled a little as they went to their bedroom for the night.

**********

The next morning, everypony awoke for breakfast and enjoyed quite the royal feast, consisting mostly of crystal berry based products. DJ didn’t mind, mostly due to them tasting like blueberries, his favorite. As the young ones ate, the elders hashed out all of the plans for the vacation. They would meet up with Twilight’s friends and basically go from there. Nyx and Scootaloo were anxious to get to travel to another world, though that didn’t stop Scootaloo from playing with Guard Armor who giggled the whole time. They thought it would be one of the greatest experiences of their young lives. Spike, meanwhile, was huffing a little and DJ picked up on it.

“Somethin’ on your mind bud?” he asked the drake.

“I’m not sure I want to go with you guys,” Spike admitted.

“Why’s that?” asked Twilight. The others were a little shocked by his statement.

“Because the last time I went, I got turned into a dog! Sure the ear scratching felt nice, but I didn’t feel right. Felt like I really was just a pet.”

“Good thing I got something to make up for that!” DJ said proudly. They all looked at him with confusion. “Duh, the omnitrix! Right Omni?”

“Of course, sir,” the device replied. “Once on the other side, I can detach from the good sir and then be recoupled to Master Spike. The good sir’s keywords can still be used by the good drake as well.” The others just continued to star at the device around DJ’s neck, while DJ smiled proudly.

“Ain’t this guy great? Don’t worry Spike, I got ya covered.”

Spike smiled in return. “Thanks, bro. I can always count on you.”

“You know it!”

With breakfast finished, the group of seven ponies and one dragon found themselves in the room holding the mirror that led to the human world. “Alright everypony, I wish you all good luck and fun times,” Celestia said encouragingly. Shining Armor and Cadence offered their farewells, too, while Guard Armor waved his hooves and said “Bye-bye!”

The Sparkle family approached the mirror hesitantly. Nyx and Scootaloo were the closest ones, with Twilight and Spike behind them and DJ bringing up the rear. None of them seemed too eager to go, so DJ got impatient. With a quick blast of Force energy, DJ sent his family flying into the mirror and through the portal, Twilight yelling at DJ angrily the whole way through. DJ smiled a little as they went through and noticed that the mirror was pushed a little as well, now facing the ceiling instead of the ponies. DJ turned to his mother and in-laws.

“We’ll see you all in a few days! Now watch as I dive headfirst into new adventure!” DJ jumped up, using his wings for aided flight and dropped into the awaiting portal. “Geroni-bungaaaaaaa!!!!” And with that scream of excitement, the Sparkle family was on their way to another world for adventure and fun.

Reunited and it Feels so Awkward

Three Days Until Portal Closes

Around and around they went as the Sparkle family fell through the portal. The rainbow lights blinding as the broke into another a reality. Then suddenly, blackness. Everything had gone dark around them, but soon they began to awaken.

“Oh, man. What a rush,” Scootaloo said, trying to regain her consciousness.

“You can say that again, sis.”

“Did it work?” asked Twilight.

“Yes, dear, it worked. Though I have a question,” said DJ.

“Yes?”

“How is that I was the last one through the portal, yet you all landed on top of me!?” It was quite the sight. In front of a large statue was a pile of multicolored humans. The orange-skinned, purple haired Scootaloo on top, black-as-night with violet hair Nyx under her, and the purple and navy blue haired Twilight underneath her daughters. DJ was the unlucky one on the very bottom, his new blue skin and deep brown hair blowing in a soft breeze. “This is getting old!”

“It’s probably cosmic payback for shoving us through the portal,” said a voice of to the side. DJ looked over and saw a small purple dog with green-furred ears. It was Spike.

“You were taking too long!” DJ retorted. Then he remembered what was going on. “Get off!” The girls giggled at his dilemma, but slowly and carefully got themselves off of DJ’s back. Once Twilight was able to get up, DJ forced himself up to his feet. From there he examined himself, only to find there was not much change. He was still wearing his deep blue jacket, dark-blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and white tennis shoes. Even his old aviator sun-glasses were on his head. Despite the blue skin, he looked just like he used to as a human. Looking back to his family, he saw that Scootaloo and Nyx were having some trouble standing on two legs.

“This is harder than it looks!” Scoots cried, as she started to fall. DJ rushed over and caught her. “Thanks dad. This is gonna take some getting used to.”

“I think I almost got it,” Nyx said as used the statue behind them for support.

“Show off,” commented Scootaloo.

DJ took this chance to see how his family looked. Twilight looked no different from her first time in the human world, save for a pair of light-black pants that went past her purple skirt and a purple sweater adorning her mid-section. Nyx was wearing what looked like a fuller version of her old vest as it was a long sleeve jacket that was teal in color as well as a pair of purple pants. Scootaloo had on a black sweatshirt and dark green cargo jeans that made her look quite sporty. Although, something was off.

“Why do our daughters look older?” DJ asked aloud to Twilight. She looked over at them too and noticed that indeed that they seemed several years older than they should.

“I’m… not quite sure. How old do they look?”

“I would guess maybe fourteen or fifteen.” The girls now paid more attention to themselves as well.

“You mean we’re teenagers?” Nyx asked. Her father nodded and the two girls looked to each other. After a moment they smiled and gave one another a high five.

“Awesome!” they said in unison.

“This is either gonna be really bad or really good,” Spike commented down by DJ’s leg. “Now where’s our agreement, bro?”

“Hmm? Oh, right, right, sorry.” DJ lifted up his wrist to where the omnitrix had been relocated. “Omni, decouple, code ten.” A moment later, the sound of a latch being undone was heard from the watch and the bands around DJ’s wrist retracted. DJ removed the device from his arm and bent down to place it on Spike. With it wrapped around Spike’s collar, DJ stood back up to admire his work. “Try it out, Spike.”

Spike looked back down to the device wearily. “Omnitrix?”

“Yes, master Spike? How may I be of service?” Omni’s JARVIS-like voice responded.

“Uh, human up?” The omnitrix lit up and the dog was engulfed in a green light. “Woah!” Spike screamed from the strange sensation. After a moment, Spike opened his eyes to find himself just under eye level with DJ. He looked down at his new body to examine it. He had purple skin and was wearing a large green hooded sweatshirt and dark purple jeans with black tennis shoes. He looked up to find a head of green hair, the same color as his head scales. “I look cool,” Spike said smoothly after a moment.

“And you even look seventeen. Nice one dude.” DJ put out his fist and Spike bumped it in return. “Omni’s gotten better at holding the form changes, but you better make sure how much charge he’s got left.”

“Oh, right.” Spike looked over to the shoulder pad on his left where the omnitrix had placed itself. “How long do I have in this form, Omni?”

“There is currently a 95% charge. Roughly seventy-five hour remain for this form.”

Spike whistled in appreciation. “Wow. I remember when this thing could only hold the form lock for about five hours. He’s really gotten better.”

DJ smiled at this. “Yep, Omni and I have been working on a lot of improvements to the omnitrix. Even if it is magical, there is always room for improvement.”

“So now that Spike’s a human, too, what do we do now?” Scootaloo asked. Before anyone could say anything, her stomach started grumbling in the need of lunch. She blushed as the others giggled at her predicament.

“Sounds like the plan is lunch,” DJ quipped. “I got an idea. Hey, Twilight. How about I take the girls and Spike over to Sugar Cube Corner for a bite to eat, while you go meet up with your old human friends? After you all catch up, you can meet us there.”

“I like that idea DJ. Thank you.” She leant up and gave DJ a peck on the cheek. The girls just ‘ew’ed at the affection.

“Why do you guys always do that in front of us?” Scootaloo said turning her head away.

“You’ll get there some day, squirt,” DJ countered. Both girls just stuck out there tounges. Scootaloo and Nyx may look fourteen, but they were still eleven and ten respectively. “Go on, hon, we’ll meet up later.”

“Have fun you four,” Twilight said as she ran off to find her friends. A quick breeze around them suddenly caused the three new humans around him to start shivering.

“Woo, that’s cold! Why is it so cold?” asked Nyx who was shaking, but not as bad as Scootaloo since her coat wasn’t as thick. DJ took a quick look around and only just now saw the light snow on the ground and the lack of leaves in the bare trees.

“I think its winter here,” DJ said after a moment then took another look at the group’s attire. “Explains the coats. Come on, let’s go get something to eat and stay warm.”

**********

Photo Finish was in the zone. She had only one more photo to take before submitting them to the yearbook and it involved six of the most popular girls in the school. They didn’t use to be, but everything that happened at the Fall Formal Dance had boosted them up the social chain exponentially. There they sat on a nearby bench, posed ever so perfectly for the professional photographer. All six of those young ladies: Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Sunset Shimmer.

Photo stood right behind her camera, a tripod set up so she could take the perfect picture. “Okay, now smile for… Photo Finish!” They rolled their eyes at her, but smiled nonetheless. Photo leaned into the camera and stopped. Standing right behind the girls was a certain someone who hadn’t been seen since the Fall Formal. The girl put a finger to her lips, indicating silence and Photo smiled. A special surprise was certainly her style. She pressed the trigger and the camera flashed as the picture was captured. Photo smiled as her camera slid out a copy of the photo. She walked over to the girls and handed the picture to Applejack. “Enjoy the photo. You may find something surprising. Photo Finish… is out!” Photo strutted off to deliver her perfection.

Applejack simply watched as the photo girl walked off and turned back to her friends. “What do y’all think she meant by that?” They all shrugged in response.

“Ooh! Ooh! Let’s see the picture!” Pinkie said in anticipation. The pink human reached over and plucked it from Applejack’s hand. She held it close to her, but still visible to the others. “Hmm. It looks normal. See, there’s me, and Applejack, and Rainbow, and Rarity, and Sunset, and Twilight, and Fluttershy.”

“Wait, what was that last one?” Rarity asked incredulously.

“Fluttershy?”

“No before that, darling.”

“Sunset?”

“In the middle!” Sunset said, getting annoyed.

“Oh! Twilight. Yeah she’s right there behind Rainbow.” It took Pinkie a moment to realize what she just said as the others leaned in to look at the picture. Just as Pinkie said, their old friend Twilight’s face was clearly visible standing behind the rainbow-haired girl.

As the girls stared in disbelief, Twilight quietly giggled to herself and walked up behind them. She looked over them at the photo and spoke. “That’s a nice picture.” All six of them jumped and turned around in a heartbeat. For several moments they stared as Twilight simply smiled at them. Pinkie was the first to react.

“Twilight!!” she screamed as she lunged at the purple girl. Pinkie pulled Twilight into a bone crushing hug, gushing over her returning friend. “You came back! You came back! You came back!! This is SO amazing!!” A second later the others, save for Sunset Shimmer, joined in the hug, all welcoming Twilight back to their world.

“What are you doing here, darling? We thought we might never see you again.”

“Vacationing if you can believe it. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you all.”

“Glad to have you back, sugar cube. These past few months have just been too quiet without ya around.”

“Yeah, it certainly is gre--. Wait, what?! What do you mean months!?” Twilight stared at her friends in massive shock. “How long have I been gone?”

“About two and half months,” Rainbow answered. “Why?”

“Because I haven’t seen any of you in two and half years!” Now it was the girls’ turn to be surprised.

“Are you serious?” Rarity asked in shock. Twilight nodded her head, still in a stupor.

“Months equals years here, Princess,” said Sunset Shimmer for the first time. “How else could I still be this young even though I was Princess Celestia’s student several years before you?”

Twilight nodded as she thought that over. “Yes, I suppose that makes sense. It does certainly explain a few things. Also, it’s nice to see you again Sunset Shimmer.” Twilight walked over to the girl and hugged her tight. “And call me Twilight, not ‘Princess’.”

Sunset stood there stunned for a minute, but eventually put her arms around Twilight to return the hug. “It’s good to see you, too, Twilight.” After a few moments, they broke the hug and turned back to the others.

“So, who’s up for a bite to eat?” Twilight asked the group. “There’s a few others I brought with me that I would like for all of you to meet.” The girls all smiled at Twilight’s offer and they started off towards Sugar Cube Corner, with Twilight leading.

“So, Princess,” Rainbow began, “Anything exciting happen since we last saw each other? From the look of it, it seemed as if you attract trouble.”

“Yeah, it has been a busy two years. There was the time I had to return the Elements and—Oof!” Twilight was interrupted as she ran into something, only for the object to groan back. Not something; someone. Someone Twilight was hoping she wouldn’t run into.

“Twilight?” asked the boy in surprise. “Is that you?”

“Flash!” Twilight answered as she looked at the tall boy in front of her. Flash Sentry looked exactly as he did so long ago, only for her to remind herself that it had only been a few months for him. “It’s good to see you again.” Twilight tried to avert her gaze from her old crush, but wasn’t succeeding all that well.

“Yeah you, too. Uh, do you maybe wanna get a coffee and catch up later?” Flash asked nervously. Twilight could see that he still had some feelings for her, but the feeling was no longer mutual, even he did look a little hot.

“Sorry, Flash. I can’t. I hope you understand. It really was good seeing you though. It’s always good to see old friends.” Twilight gave him a comforting smile and started continuing on her way towards Sugar Cube Corner. Flash just watched her go, a little upset that she had turned him down, on purpose this time. Her friends were all in different levels of shock. Rarity and Pinkie Pie had their jaws open, Applejack, Rainbow, and Sunset were all looking at her suspiciously, and Fluttershy tried to hide her blush behind her hair. They all ran after Twilight, leaving Flash alone to his thoughts.

“What was that all about, Twilight?” Rarity asked after a moment. “You two were so into each other last time you were here. What has changed?”

“You’ll find out soon, Rarity. Right now, I could really use a bite to eat.” Twilight gave them a small wink and just continued walking, all of her friends wondering exactly who it was they were going to meet at Sugar Cube Corner.

Depends on How You Play

Three Days Until Portal Closes

DJ, Scootaloo, Spike, and Nyx walked through the front doors to the humanized Sugar Cube Corner, getting out of the blistering cold wind that had sprung up as they walked. Scootaloo was desperately rubbing her shoulders, trying to draw more warmth from her father’s jacket. DJ had put it around her shoulders as a way of keeping warm during their walk. When questioned if he was cold, DJ simply smiled and denied it. Even though he was just wearing a black t-shirt, DJ felt perfectly fine in the cold environment. Simply another effect of his affinity with ice and snow.

Once inside the bakery, they were immediately struck by the familiar smells of sugary concoctions that warmed their souls and tempted their bellies. Spike went to find them a seat, telling DJ his order as he left, while a large woman was at the counter and regarded them. “Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner!” greeted this world’s Mrs. Cake. “Oh, Scootaloo, I thought you were out of town with your folks?”

Crap! Forgot about this world having a Scootaloo, too. Luckily Scootaloo seemed to have thought ahead. “I decided to stay behind. I’m getting older so I should be allowed to have the house to myself for a few days.”

“Okay, then dearie. Who are your friends?”

“Hello there!” DJ greeted. “My name is DJ and Long Run and Peppy Cheer placed me in charge of Scootaloo until they return home. She may not like it, but I only have to keep an eye on her. And this one is Nyx, my, uh, my little sister! Yeah, that’s it.” DJ mumbled that last part. It was the only logical thing he could come up with on short notice.

“Oh, alrighty then,” Mrs. Cake answered, not entirely sure about the truth of their story. “What can I get for all of you?”

“Order anything you want girls. Lunch is on me!” DJ pulled out his bag of bits, only to find a leather wallet in its place, filled with the equivalent of bits: dollars. So, 675 bits matches up to $675, huh? Perfect! That’s another problem out of the way. Thank you magic! Scootaloo ordered a cheesecake and a chocolate malt, while Nyx went with an ice cream sundae. DJ settled for a few chocolate chip cookies and some milk. In all it only cost about fifteen bucks, so they weren’t out very much. Food in hand, they three found Spike waiting for them near the back of the establishment.

“Here you go, bud. One vanilla cupcake with blue frosting and a glass of chocolate milk,” DJ said as he handed Spike his lunch. He licked his lips and took a big bite out of the treat.

“Oh yeah, that’s the good stuff,” Spike said through his food-induced wonderland. DJ chuckled at his brother as he and the girls started on their own food. They sat for a few minutes before DJ decided to strike up conversation.

“So, Scootaloo, any luck on getting that cutie mark, yet?” Scoot’s face drooped a little, but a glimmer of hope in her eyes reassured DJ.

“Not yet, but I know I’ll get it soon! Me and Apple Bloom both!”

“Just you and Apple Bloom?” DJ asked curiously. “What about Sweetie Belle and Dinky?”

“Dinky said she has an idea what her talent might be and Sweetie Belle already got her cutie mark.”

“Wait, what?! When did this happen!?”

“After the talent show. Don’t you remember, dad? You were even at her cute-ceañera!”

DJ racked his brain for the memories, but most were just a blur of color. He sighed and banged his head on the table. “I really need to start paying attention sometimes.” He lifted his head back up. “No, I don’t remember. What’s it look like?”

“A musical note in the shape of a heart,” Nyx said from memory. “Her talent is singing. She figured it out from our song at the end of the talent show. Even though she was a background singer, Sweetie enjoyed it a lot. She found the mark the next morning. And, yes dad, you really need to start paying more attention. What would mom say if she heard about this?”

DJ looked at his daughters’ evil grins. “You’re blackmailing me?” They nodded in answer. “Heh, heh, I have taught you well. We’ll work something out after the trip is over, okay?”

“Hmm, deal!” they said together. Spike smiled smugly over at his brother-in-law.

“You know that this gonna end badly, right?”

“Eeyup,” DJ responded simply. The foursome continued eating in silence, being the only ones in the restaurant at the time. The sound of the bell above the front entrance brought four sets of eyes over to the new arrivals. Seven in all and each one looking very familiar, especially the young gal in front who started looking around the store for something. DJ smiled and started waving in her direction. “Hey, Twilight! Over here!”

Twilight looked over and smiled when she heard his voice and saw her family. “Come on girls, they’re over there.” She started walking over to the table, six girls falling in behind her. They all took seats around the table, while Twilight took a seat next to DJ. “Girls, I want you meet DJ. He’s a very special friend of mine.” DJ smiled at her compliment.

“Oh?” asked the human Rarity. The others were now staring at the couple, though Rainbow was sneaking curious glances at Scootaloo, who started to shrink under the human version of her idol’s gaze. “Is this one the reason for turning down Flash’s moves?” DJ’s right eyebrow rose up and he glanced at Twilight with suspicion. Then Rarity turned to DJ before Twilight could answer. “Are you Twilight’s boyfriend?”

DJ could already tell that the girls didn’t seem too keen about him. Like he cared, though. So he smiled and chuckled a little. “No, I am not Twilight’s boyfriend,” he answered truthfully.

“Then what are ya to her?” Applejack asked.

“I think I know the perfect way to answer that. Twilight?”

“Hmm?” she asked as she turned her head to look directly at him. DJ leaned in suddenly and kissed Twilight lovingly and passionately. Twilight’s surprise was soon drowned out by her blissful moans. Works every time!

“EW!”

“Ugh, every time!”

Spike was the only one of their family who just looked away without saying anything. His make-out sessions with Rarity had quite desensitized him to such acts of intimacy. Instead, he looked to the human versions of her friends. Fluttershy was hiding a deep blush behind her hair, muttering something along the lines of “Oh my,”. Rarity was staring with eyes wide and mouth agape. You know, she looks kinda hot like tha—NO! Bad, Spike! You have your Rarity back home, if she finds out you’re interested in her human counterpart… I am not risking our already precarious relationship like that!, Spike thought with confidence. He continued down the line. Rainbow and Applejack just had bug eyes, while Pinkie was beaming happily. Sunset simply had an eyebrow raised, staring at the pair.

After another moment, DJ broke the kiss, leaving the two lovers to stare into each other’s eyes. Suddenly, Twilight grabbed ahold of DJ’s shirt and pulled him close, a lustful look in her eyes. DJ panicked a little and started talking as fast as he could. “Twi. Twi! Twilight! We’re in public! We are in public!!” His small shouts hit their mark and Twilight looked around to rediscover that they were indeed not alone. She blushed heavily and shrank back a little, letting DJ go.

“Eheh, heh. Sorry, got caught up in the moment,” Twilight said, highly embarrassed.

“Ah’ll say!” Applejack said, still looking surprised. “Y’all looked like ya was gonna take him right here and now!”

“You should have seen what happened on our anniversary!” DJ proclaimed proudly. “Now that was something else.” The looks on their faces were amazing! I swear that their eyes are about to pop out of their skulls if they hear any more surprises. Oh well. They had a good run!

“Wait just a minute,” said Sunset. “You’re saying that the two of you?”

“Eeyup,” they answered together.

“Isn’t that what husbands and wives are supposed to do together?” Twilight asked innocently.

“HUSBAND?!?!” the girls nearly screamed in unison, including Sunset Shimmer. Now all their jaws were agape and practically on the ground. DJ simply smiled, while Twilight blushed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“And that’s not all, is it, my dear?” DJ asked with a smirk. “You probably never told them about Nyx, did you?”

“Uh, no. Never came up and it didn’t seem important to mention when all of Equestria was at risk.”

“Who’s Nyx?” asked Fluttershy. “If you don’t mind?”

“I am!” Nyx waved at them all with a big smile. “Hi! I’m Nyx and DJ and Twilight are my daddy and mom!” I think we may need to call an ambulance.

Nah. They’ll be fine.

You sure? I don’t think human jaws are actually supposed to touch the floor like that.

Yeah, they’re good. Plus, it’s funny as hell!

Yes, yes it is. This is fun!

“If they react to sis like that, how are they gonna feel about me?” Scootaloo asked out loud.

“’Sis’?” Rainbow asked.

“Yep! I’m the Scootaloo from Equestria and these guys are my family. Nyx is my younger sister, DJ’s my dad, and Twilight’s my mom. Oh, and Spike’s my uncle.”

“Spikey’s here?” Rarity asked looking around for a little dog.

“Right here!” said the young male. All eyes turned to him, another round of shock and awe. “I know I look good, but I’m taken ladies. Sorry to break your hearts.” Spike smiled smugly and DJ offered another fist bump, which he replied in kind.

“How--?”

“Magic,” DJ responded simply. “Whenever something strange happens from Equestria, just count it off as magic and you will have much less problems in life. Trust me on this as a former member of your race.”

“Huh?” they asked again.

“You are looking at a human turned pony, now human again! Confusing, ain’t it?”

“Um, could we get some context here?” Sunset asked, now completely lost. So Twilight went into everything that had happened since the girls last met. From returning the elements of harmony, which shocked Sunset Shimmer, to her future husband’s arrival in Equestria and everything that happened afterwards. There were ‘d’awws’, gasps, and tears of both sadness and joy as Twilight recounted everything to her old friends. This Rainbow Dash looked ready to kill King Sombra, too, as Twilight got to the point where Scootaloo joined the family. From there she described how they lived their life free of most troubles, enjoying a peaceful life in the country. Well, mostly peaceful.

“This is certainly a lot to take in. It may have been years for you, but it has only been a couple of months since we last saw our little Twilight who was crushing on Flash Sentry,” said Rarity lost in her memories. DJ twitched a little at the mention of Flash, something he was hoping would pass. “Though, you are still our friend, darling, and your husband does seem like a gentleman. At first glance anyways.”

“I can be when necessary. Other times I just prefer being crazy and weird. It keeps Twilight on her toes, or hooves usually, and her over compulsiveness keeps me in check. Ow!” DJ rubbed his side where Twilight had nudged him with her elbow, blushing profusely at his openness.

“And I have to suffer through it,” Spike said, putting in his two cents.

“Oh come off it! You and Rarity have plenty of fun, from what I’ve heard.”

“Hey, we’ve only hit first base! I won’t let you spread rumors about my marefriend. Remember that!”

“Pardon? Did you just say that Rarity is your marefriend?” asked Rarity.

“Yeah, Spike’s dating our world’s you,” DJ answered.

“Have been for almost two years, though it’s been an on-off relationship,” Twilight mused.

“Wow, you sure know how to pick ‘em Rarity,” Rainbow jabbed with a smirk. Rarity was not amused.

“So what are you five doing here anyways?” asked Applejack before Rarity could explode on Rainbow.

“Vacationing. Since the portal was open, Princess Celestia offered us a chance to come see you girls again. We thought it would be fun,” Twilight answered truthfully.

“That’s great! You can help us with our band!” Rainbow said enthusiastically.

“Band?” DJ and Twilight asked.

“Yeah. I’m on guitar, Applejacks on bass, Rarity has a keytar, Pinkie’s on drums, Fluttershy has her tambourine, and Sunset will be singing back up. We really need a lead singer!”

“Why doesn’t Sunset sing lead?” Spike asked, curious.

“I’m not one for singing up front,” Sunset admitted. “I more prefer it in the background when it comes to performing.”

“Mmhmm. What do you say Twilight? We could really use your voice,” Rainbow pleaded.

“Well…” Twilight said, thinking on it.

“Please Twilight? We’re set to perform in the battle of the bands during the Winter Wingding. Why they call it something so uncool, I’ll never know, but we need a singer.”

“Okay,” Twilight said after a moment of thought. “But only if you can find DJ a spot in the show as well.” Her condition caught several looks from her friends and an incredulous one from her husband.

“I’m not saying no, but why?” Rainbow asked.

“Because DJ is incredibly talented with music. I’m not saying to have him play against us, but what about like closing the event or something. That’s something right up DJ’s alley.”

“Is he really that good?” Rainbow looked like she wasn’t too sure Twilight was telling the truth.

“You doubting me?” DJ asked with a suspicious look.

“Maybe I am. What are you gonna do about it?”

“Oh! It. Is. On! Is there piano in here?” DJ asked directing the question to Pinkie.

“Yuppers! It’s in the back corner!” DJ looked over and saw an old, classy piano. Perfect for his needs.

“Nice!” He hopped up and went over to the musical device. DJ sat on the bench and flexed his fingers. Before he began to play, DJ turned back to the group which had moved closer to him. “Hey Spike, catch!” DJ caused a guitar to pop into existence and handed it to Spike, who deftly caught it. “Gonna need a good sound to go with this. You know what to do.”

“No problem, bro! Just do your thing and leave the guitar to me this time.” The others were now quite curious, while Twilight, Nyx, and Scootaloo just watched, knowing not to underestimate these two guys.

“Okay, this one is classic from where I come from and I feel that it keeps it message through all times.” DJ placed his fingers on the appropriate keys and began to play out a modern version of a classic song, while Spike strummed out a matching sound for the tune.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

DJ’s performance was beginning to get noticed by the few customers in the shop as well as the owners. They all watched as DJ and Spike sang and played. It was a song that was both calming and feely. Small tears began to appear on Mrs. Cakes face, the effect of the song was just too powerful.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

Their playing had attracted quite the crowd, the shop nearly full from the amount of people. The tempo for the song kept building and Spike just kept strumming making sure DJ’s song had the fullest effect. The girls were now all hanging out around the piano, drinking in the music at its highest point.

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With song finally over, DJ stood and bowed to the crowd which cheered and clapped in great appraisal for his song. He gestured over to Spike, who bowed in turn, getting his own applause for the great work he did. DJ then turned to Rainbow, beaming happily at her as she leaned on the piano. “So, Rainbow Dash, what did you think?”

“It was good, but kinda slow. Don’t you have anything with more, I don’t know, edge? Something quicker maybe?” He knew that Rainbow was just testing him, but he wasn’t going to turn down a musical challenge.

“You want something more, I’ll give you something more.” The crowd cheered as DJ say back down at the piano. “Ready Spike?”

“Ready when you are!” DJ smiled and returned back to the proper starting points. The Cakes were originally going to ask DJ to step away from the old thing, but with so many customers keeping them busy thanks to his playing, they decided to allow it, especially once he started up his next song.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

Twilight had joined DJ in singing, making her performance debut in front of the gathered humans. They all cheered her on, even her friends congratulating her. DJ simply smiled and kept going, getting engrossed in the upbeat tempo of the song. He wondered why he was hearing drums and turned his head slightly to see Pinkie drumming on her set, smiling the whole time. DJ chuckled and refocused.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

With the piano solo in full swing, DJ poured on every ounce of his skill, letting the music flow through him just as strongly as the Force. His hands moved as if they had a true mind of their own, his mind going blank as it focused on making the music shine. And the crowd just loved every second of it, clapping along to the beat.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

As DJ finished out the song with his piano playing, the crowd cheered in appreciation. With it finally over, his smirk had returned as he looked to Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, that was pretty good,” Rainbow admitted not looking him in the eye. “Not my style, but it was still good.”

“I’ll say,” said a voice from the crowd. Out walked a young woman, older than DJ, but still quite young, with long blue-hair and a familiar voice.

“Vice-principal Luna!” the girls said in unison. Explains the familiarity.

“I don’t think I have seen you around the school before,” Luna mused as she looked DJ over. “Are you a transfer student?”

“Sorry ma’am, but I graduated from high school years ago. I’m just in town vacationing with my wife and some friends.”

“Wife?” Luna asked. DJ pulled Twilight closer to him and kissed her head. This was quite easy since Twilight was quite shorter than him. Several inches, even.

“Yes, I believe she won your Fall Formal Princess title not too long ago.”

“Oh, my. So young. Did you get consent from her parents?” Luna’s look started to turn dangerous.

“They tolerate me, let’s say that,” DJ said with a chuckle.

“As in they can’t understand you, just like everyone else,” Spike quipped.

“Oh shut it!”

“Hey you’re the one claiming insanity!”

“Your point?”

“Ugh! There is nothing right about you DJ!” Spike groaned in annoyance.

“And I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Twilight said as she gave DJ another peck. A goofy smile found itself on his face.

“D’aww. I’m so loved,” DJ said stupidly. Luna’s glare softened at the exchange.

“Well, I have a proposition for you, Mister…”

“Sparkle. DJ Sparkle, at your service.” DJ put out his hand and Luna shook it.

“Well, Mr. Sparkle, would you be willing to be the closing act for Canterlot High’s Winter Wingding and Battle of the Bands? Your skills would be quite the hit.”

DJ smiled at her. “Looks like your condition just got met, Twi. I gladly accept your offer Vice-Principal Luna. It will be a night to remember.”

“Great. I shall go inform my sister and you should settle everything with the planner, Pinkie Pie.”

“No prob bob! When is this dance?”

“In a few days, it will be the last day of the semester so everyone should be in attendance.”

“That’s doable. We will be there!” Twilight nodded, while the others watched on. With that taken care of, Luna made her leave along with a majority of DJ’s audience and they went back to discussing the details of the battle of the bands with the girls.

As they planned, so did another who watched from the shadows outside the bakery. The beings form was hidden by a dark black cloak, though her piercing eyes focused hard on the new arrivals. “Those five might complicate things, but it will make no difference in the end. The Battle of the Bands will be my greatest triumph and from there, I will have more power than ever! Celestia and all of Equestria will bow to me!” The being laughed maniacally and disappeared in a burst of flames, leaving DJ, Twilight, and the others none the wiser.

Back Off!

Two Days Until Portal Closes

DJ awoke from a peaceful slumber this day. With slightly closed eyes, he took in his surroundings, awaiting the memories of the previous day to come crawling back into place. The room he was in was quite dark, due to the closed shades, but he could still make out the dresser and television in in the room. Lying next to him, snuggling into his chest, was his dear wife Twilight. Even when she sleeps, she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. This thought brought a small smile to his face. He looked over across the room, seeing his two daughters sleeping blissfully in the other bed. DJ could also just make out Spike’s form sprawled out on the floor between the beds.

After explaining their plans for the next couple of days, the Sparkles decided to find a place to stay for the nights. With minimal funds, they had settled on a decent motel a few blocks away from Canterlot High School. DJ was down four hundred bucks, but they had some place to sleep for the next three nights. With that settled, they had joined up again with the girls for dinner at a nearby restaurant. They had taken their seats and DJ was bombarded with questions. The big one was how he and Twilight had teenage daughters.

DJ explained it that Nyx and Scootaloo were actually adopted and were ten and eleven, not fourteen. Something about this world had changed them to match the others, this bringing up that Twilight had de-aged. Instead of being twenty-one, Twilight was sixteen once again, the same thing that had happened last time she had come. She just never really noticed before. DJ flipped through his wallet, finding a driver’s license surprisingly, to discover that he was also nineteen again. He groaned out loud, complaining on how he was supposed to get a drink now. Spike also came to the sudden realization and sulked. The both of them really enjoyed their booze. When you find the ones that taste right, and that there were no adverse effects, you get into it really quick. After a decent meal, and some explaining about meat products (Hello bacon!), the Sparkle family had retreated to their motel room for the night.

Jumping back to the present, DJ slowly eased himself out of Twilight’s grasp and took a quick shower. With that out of the way, DJ got himself dressed and decided to take a walk. Slipping out of the room, careful not to wake anyone, DJ stepped up to the banister of the walkway and looked out at the town. The sun was only just rising, but where ever it shined, the surface reflecting with an amazing gleam, especially in the snow. This morning was blistering cold, but DJ couldn’t feel it, not one bit. He smiled that his cold resistance was permanent now; one less thing to worry about.

A beautiful morning, indeed. DJ groaned inwardly. Whenever he wanted something was the only time Malice ever started conversation. The demon was certainly annoying at times.

What do you want, Malice? Sure their relationship had improved after the whole ‘Sombra’ thing, but that didn’t mean they were friends. More like they bothered tolerating each other now; partners was how they saw it.

Can’t I enjoy a peaceful morning? DJ’s blanched look was a sufficient enough answer. You sensed it yesterday, right? There was a strange presence while we were at the bakery that disappeared rather suddenly.

Yeah, I felt it. Didn’t think too much of it though.

I felt hostility emanating from it. There was something off about the presence, too. It didn’t feel, complete. Like something was missing from it.

Well, hopefully it amounts to nothing. I know Celestia wants us to keep our eyes peered for any disturbances, but I really just want to have a quiet vacation with my family.

We all want what we can’t have, kid. With our luck, something’s gonna go terribly wrong before we leave.

Trust me, I know. A guy can dream can’t he?

Just watch your back. Something is stirring here and it’s not good. With that, Malice retreated back into the deep portions of DJ’s mind to do, um, whatever it is Malice does in his free time. DJ simply stared out as the sun continued to rise. He heard the door behind him open, causing him to look back. Twilight was standing there, fully dressed herself.

“What are you doing out here, honey?” Twilight asked, still a little sleepy. “Aren’t you cold?”

“Cold doesn’t affect me anymore, dear. Not even here. I’m just enjoying the sunrise.”

“Oh, okay. Well, the girls and Spike are just finishing up getting ready. Do we have enough for some breakfast?”

“Between the two of us, we had a total of around eleven hundred bucks. With nearly four hundred and fifty used up yesterday, I’m pretty sure we got enough to keep us all fed the next couple of days. I think I saw an IHOP just down the street. Man, what I wouldn’t give to have one of those back in Equestria.” DJ stared off into space for a moment, a small thing of drool escaping his lips.

“What’s an IHOP?” asked a glass-like voice from behind Twilight. It was Nyx, she and Scoots really not looking like they wanted to be awake. Spike looked even worse, looming behind them with an irritable look on his face.

“It stands for the International House of Pancakes, kiddo,” DJ explained. “It’s a franchise restaurant that serves breakfast twenty-four seven. As the name implies, they specialize in pancakes of different kinds.” Scootaloo, Nyx, Twilight, and a more-awake Spike were staring at him in awe.

“They really serve breakfast all day?” asked Scootaloo who started to drool a little. Probably of dreaming of all that delicious food.

“Oh yeah, you should see the days where they serve unlimited pancakes. Now that is a special service.”

“Unlimited pancakes!?” Spike was drooling a river. “You mean if you run out…”

“The waitress comes back and gives you more until you tell them no. So worth it.” That was enough explanation as his family practically dragged him to this IHOP, him smiling smugly the whole way. They arrived and were seated quickly, all five ordering the unlimited pancake special. Down went another fifty bucks, too. Everyone devoured the first course easy enough, though Twilight stopped after her second helping. Scootaloo lasted until the fourth, Nyx quit during the fifth, and Spike kept up until his seventh serving. DJ didn’t quit until his tenth, basking in the amazing taste. DJ paid the bill, leaving a decent tip for the server and they exited the restaurant with full stomachs.

As they walked down the street, they notice Canterlot High, bustling with students getting ready to start the school days. Ah memories. Buck them all to Tartarus! They notice six certain girls near the entrance and rush over to meet them. “Hey girls!” Twilight greets.

“Well hey there Twi!” Applejack says back. “It sure is a cold one today. Sorry for y’all coming to a frozen town for a vacation.”

“It’s cold out? Hadn’t noticed,” DJ responds with a dumb grin.

“Huh? Are you numb or just dumb?” asked a smiling, yet confused Pinkie.

“Nah, see my specialty back home is ice magic. Started when I first showed up in Equestria because I felt just fine during the winter. Now it prevents me from feeling cold at all, though now I wonder if I can still get frost bite. Maybe worth a research project later?” DJ starts rubbing his chin in thought of all the different possibilities that his ice magic could allow. The girls just stare at him, glance at each other knowingly, and then back to Twilight.

“I think I see what you saw in him now, pony princess,” Rainbow Dash says with a smirk. Twilight blushes and rubs her arm, embarrassed.

“Maybe I should start working on an absolute zero spell,” DJ thinks out loud, though it was mumbled. The girls just ignore him and start chatting with one another. Spike just hangs back and watches a few skateboarders doing tricks further down the steps. Nyx and Scootaloo started building a snow man in the front of the school, though it seemed to be turning more into a snow pony than anything else.

“Twilight!” a voice nearby calls out. Twilight and her six friends turn to the voice, but DJ is still stuck forming ideas for his magic. The voice belonged to none other than Flash Sentry. Flash hurries up the steps to meet his crush, Twilight starting to worry. “Twilight, I know you said no to coffee, but would you be up to maybe getting some lunch? I just want to catch up, no strings attached.”

“Flash,” Twilight started with a consoling voice, “it is good to see you, please believe me when I say that. But, you and I cannot be a thing. I already have someone that I love dearly and he means a great deal to me. Please understand, I hope that we can still be good friends.”

Flash wasn’t quite sure how to take this. Twilight had been on his mind since the Fall Formal only for her to come back now saying she was already taken. It pained him, and infuriated him. “Well, where is this special someone?” Flash asked, masking his anger with curiosity.

“Hmm?” DJ asked, somehow knowing now to step in to the conversation. He looked over and saw the human Flash Sentry, a small flicker of anger burning deep inside. Keep calm, and stay reasonable. You owe that much at least to Twilight. DJ approached the two and stuck out his hand in greeting to the younger man. “Nice to meet you, the name’s DJ. I’m Twilight’s husband.” DJ really wanted to smirk at that, but decided to play it cool and kind.

“Husband?!” Flash nearly yells as he yanks his hand back. “What? H-how?”

“Time is different in Equestria. A few months here is a few years there,” Twilight explains, while still trying to comfort Flash.

Flash couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The girl of his dreams was married to some, well he looked cool, but his voice just screamed moron. Twilight deserved better than him. Twilight deserved Flash, and no one else. The anger and jealousy deep in his heart was ignited and burning bright.

“What makes you think you’re good enough for Twilight, huh!?” Flash suddenly yells at them. Twilight and DJ are both startled by the guy’s sudden outburst. Sunset rushes over to Flash and the girls surround the couple protectively.

“Please Flash!” Sunset pleaded. “Please calm down. You’re not thinking straight. You. Need. To Calm. Down!”

“I will not calm down! This, this bastard,” this caused a sharp gasp from some of the girls, “took Twilight from me. Well, I’m not gonna let her go without a fight.”

Okay, now DJ was ticked. He originally did not want to get angry with Flash, but he just hit a sore spot. He brought Twilight into this. “Hey!” DJ yelled at Flash, his voice a little deeper, enough to surprise the girls. “Don’t you dare talk about Twilight like that! She is not some prize to be won, she is a loving girl who I would give my life for. She has a wonderful family, two amazing brothers, two loving daughters, and me! So look man, just back off!”

Twilight was proud of DJ for standing up for her like that, but was also fearful that the two of them would start fighting, especially when they got in each other’s faces. “Flash! DJ! Please both of you just stop this!”

They ignored her and focused on one another. “What makes you so special, huh? Take away the fact that you’re a pony, and what does that leave you?”

“Genius. Billionaire. Playboy. Philanthropist,” DJ answered with a wicked smile. “What are you? An artifact of Twilight’s past. A rock star wannabe with dreams that will probably amount to nothing. The popular kid? That stuff is over once high school is done. What greatness have you accomplished? Sure, you got to dance with a princess from another world. Well, guess what? That princess is my wife and the mother of my children. I am a hero of Equestria who killed an evil tyrant king single handedly. You. Are. Nothing.”

Flash just got angrier and angrier as DJ kept poking holes in him, metaphorically. I am the only one for Twilight! This jerk is standing in the way of our love. He needs to move or be destroyed, Flash thought madly. “I challenge you!! A battle of the bands between the two of us! You question me being a rock star so now I am going to show you up! Winner gets Twilight!”

“I am NOT betting my wife! She is not some prize to be won!” DJ yelled at Flash in anger.

“Scared you’re gonna lose? If you are so sure of your love then prove it!”

DJ didn’t want to, but Flash needed to be put in his place. “It. Is. On, mother bucker!! After your classes are over, school boy, in the gym. We both get two songs; two chances to win. The audience decides the winner. This will be a good chance to show you not to mess with your betters as well as drum up some excitement for the real Battle of the Bands on Friday. Which I will be the closing act for.”

Flash just ground his teeth. “Deal. You better be there or you forfeit all rights to her!” Flash stomped off angrily, leaving a stunned crowd. Twilight was aghast. Not just at Flash’s actions, but at her husband’s as well.

“What were you thinking DJ?! Are you even crazier than I thought?!”

“I was not going to just stand here and let him try and control you. I hate people like that and I will be damned to the nine hells for all eternity before I let anyone treat you like some object. I know what I am doing Twilight. I won’t lose.”

“That’s not what I am afraid of DJ,” Twilight muttered to herself. The girls took this chance to comfort her, while Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo spoke with DJ.

“Are you alright, sugar cube?” asked a concerned Applejack.

“Yeah, just a little frazzled. I’m scared, that’s all.”

“Scared? Of what, darling?” Rarity questioned.

“I’m afraid that DJ will get too angry and Malice will come out,” Twilight answered honestly.

“Who is Malice?” asked Sunset.

“Malice is DJ’s inner demon. He had an encounter with the god of chaos, Discord, that went terribly wrong, creating another persona inside my husband. Malice is not someone you want to mess with.”

“Well, DJ seems pretty cool, especially after standing up to Flash,” Rainbow admired. “I doubt this Malice is that bad.”

“Wanna bet?” Twilight dared.

“Is he really scary?” asked the ever quiet Fluttershy.

“Malice is one of the most frightening things I have ever seen. Where DJ represents harmony, Malice is pure chaos. He is a demon in most every sense of the word. He is bloodthirsty, murderous, and is not afraid of spilling innocent blood if it will give him some sick thrill. Malice also looks down anything that isn’t human. He is my husband’s direct opposite. Even his sarcastic wit is used to cause pain, instead of humor. Well, it’s humorous to that sick, twisted freak.”

Fluttershy eeped at Malice’s description. “Is there any way to tell if DJ turns into Malice?”

“It usually requires one of DJ’s discord potions, but I was never too sure that Malice was sincere when he said that he would never try to take over DJ’s body. You can tell the difference because Malice’s body is completely grey and black. Also his manic grin that screams psychopath and those eyes.” Twilight shuddered at the memories.

“What eyes?” asked Pinkie.

“It’s DJ’s own brand of rage shifting.”

“He has a different rage shift?” asked a curious Sunset Shimmer. She was Celestia’s student for a reason after all.

“Mm hmm. DJ’s rage shift even scares his mother, Princess Celestia. It—“

“Wait, wait. He is Celestia’s son?”

“Yes, I guess we skipped that part. Anyway-- I will answer your questions on that later Sunset! Anyway, when DJ gets mad his eyes change from hazel to a pure black. They show absolutely nothing. No emotion; no fear, no hate, no love, no anything. Just voids, as we call them. Voids where everything just falls into the eternal abyss. You would think eyes of hatred would be more frightening, but no, no these eyes are the ones to be afraid of. Nothingness is one of the cruelest fates.” The girls all agreed on that and would help Twilight keep an eye out for signs that DJ was transforming.

Meanwhile, DJ was trying to calm himself down after his altercation. “Damn, I think I was channeling Malice there for a minute.”

I did absolutely nothing. Honest! That was all you dude.

Great, thanks for making me feel better.

That’s what I’m here for.

“And there goes that idea,” DJ mumbled out. Thankfully, his kids and brother didn’t hear him.

“That was so awesome, dad!” Scoots said with a massive smile. “The way you stood up to that guy for hitting on mom? So amazing!”

“It wasn’t amazing Scoots!” Nyx said. “Daddy could get in big trouble with this little bet. That meanie could take mom away!”

“You gotta have faith in your old man, girls,” Spike said helpfully. “I believe in him, so should you.”

DJ smiled gratefully at the dragon turned human. “When we get home, remind me that I owe you a nice big emerald.”

“Make it a sapphire and you got a deal.” They shook hands on it, making it legit. Twilight and the girls came up from behind them.

“So what are you gonna do now, DJ?” asked a peeved Twilight. DJ let out a big sigh and started heading for the school.

“Now? I need to get the gym set up. And to find a certain wub-loving girl.” He headed inside, everyone else following suit.

A good distance away, the figure watched with interest. Perfect, the being thought deviously. Simply perfect, my influence is already starting to spread. Soon, soon my children will thrive as they should. Now to take my place among them. A burst of flame, and the figure was gone.

Deep within DJ’s mindscape, Malice turned around at the feeling in his gut. There’s that presence again. It disappeared as soon as it shows up. And it’s still hostile. DJ may need to focus on his life, but this frees me up to keep searching for whatever that thing is. Malice had a grin grow quite nicely on his face. Things are about to get interesting again. Maybe this time, I get to be the one to put the bad guy in the grave. He let out a maniacal laugh and began to exert his powers to search for the mysterious being.

Flash vs. DJ

Two Days Until Portal Closes

DJ strode through the hallways of Canterlot High, like a man on a mission. Which he was. As he walked, he continually scanned the crowd of young adults around him, looking for a certain female in particular. As he did so, the girls and Spike walked behind him casually, though Twilight and Spike were noticing something DJ either didn’t or wasn’t caring to. All around them, the two Equestrians noticed that a majority of the student body were not in good spirits. They all seemed moody, and none of them were good moods. They saw several in heated arguments, others glaring at one another, and some just hiding away in the shadows.

“Jeeze, what is with everybody at this school?” Spike asked aloud. “It’s like everyone has a stick up their plot.”

“Yes,” Rarity sighted out. “The students around here keep becoming more and more uncouth. They yell, glare, hide, and I could swear I head Berry Punch muttering death threats the other day.”

“It’s like nobody wants to be happy anymore,” Pinkie said dejectedly.

“When did all of this happen?” Twilight asked.

“Couple weeks after you left,” replied Rainbow. “We lost the championship because no one was willing to work as a team.” She looked very, very, angry. “Bunch of losers!”

DJ kept striding forward, not paying enough attention to the student body to notice their attitudes. Then he spotted her. The lightning-blue hear, the signature purple shades, and the rocking headphones. He found her: the humanized Vinyl Scratch. The disk jockey was currently speaking with somebody that DJ didn’t recognize. The girl had turquoise hair and green skin, wearing a dark turquoise shirt and matching jeans. She didn’t look like anybody DJ would remember from Ponyville, but he didn’t dwell on it: he had a musician to speak with.

“Apologies if I am interrupting something, but could I speak with Miss Scratch in private for a moment?” DJ asked as he walked over to the pair. The new girl glared at him for a moment, but stopped just as suddenly and smiled at him.

“No worries. I can speak with Vinyl later. Bye!” She walked off without another word, not even bothering to notice the group of girls behind DJ. He watched her walk off for a moment and then regarded Vinyl.

“Greetings, Miss Scratch. My name is DJ and I am in need of your services.”

“Just call me Vinyl, dude. You need the wubs? Is that what I am hearing?” Vinyl’s question was serious, but her grin betrayed her voice.

“Yes, for you see I have been challenged to a musical duel by Flash Sentry. I would like your assistance as an announcer as well as a dj. Would you be up for it?”

“Sounds cool, bro. Though I need to ask, why did Flash challenge you?”

“Dude’s got a stick up his ass from finding out that I married Twilight Sparkle.” DJ shrugged. “He’s a few cards short of a deck, if you ask me.”

Like you’re one to talk.

Quiet you!

Vinyl pulled her shades down to look at him with those scarlet red eyes. “You married that pony girl from the Fall Formal?” DJ nodded and she smiled. “Respect! Sure, I’ll help out. When’s this thing going down?”

“Once school is over, in the gym. I’ll be going there shortly to get things set up, so I’ll be there when you’re ready.”

“Sure thing dude. And thanks for getting Chris away from me. That girl is freaky!” Vinyl shuddered and then went her own way. DJ turned around to the girls with a questioning look.

“Who’s Chris?” he asked.

“Chris was that girl Vinyl was talking to,” Pinkie explained. “She’s a foreign exchange student.” That explains the accent I heard. “She showed up about a week after the Fall Formal and she’s kinda shy. Doesn’t hang around people too often. It’s sorta sad.”

“Some people just aren’t comfortable around others,” DJ said in understanding. “Anyways, I’m off to the gym. You girls probably got class, so I’ll leave you to your things. See you later!” DJ waved and headed off to the gym.

“Gym’s the other way, darlin’!” AJ called out to him. DJ turned about-face and started walking in the other direction.

“I knew that!” He yelled passing them. Twilight, Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo face palmed in unison at his antics.

“That stallion,” Twilight said while shaking her head. “I love him, but he is such a weirdo.”

“I heard that!” Spike agreed and then started off after his brother-in-law. “I’m gonna go keep him company. Catch up with you guys later.” This left Twilight, Nyx, and Scootaloo on their own. The others had already headed off to class and they didn’t know what to do now.

“So girls, what do you want to do?” Twilight asked. “We have about five hours before your father performs so we got time to spare.”

“Can we go walk around town?” asked Nyx. “We can get to see human culture!”

“That sounds boring,” Scootaloo whined.

“Well, maybe there’s a video game store, Scoots,” Twilight said with a smile. Scootaloo’s eyes widened at the prospect. Ever since DJ showed her the video games he had brought back from Earth, starting a nag fest with Twilight when she found out about the stash, Scootaloo had become engrossed in the new form of entertainment. The idea of an entire store meant for video games was beyond a godsend.

“What are we standing around for? Let’s go!” Twilight and Nyx giggled as Scootaloo started running off in a random direction. This is going to be a long, fun day, Twilight thought happily to herself.

**********

After four hours, the girls returned to the school to check up on DJ and Spike. Upon entering the gym, they were greeted to two matching stages that opposed each other set on opposite sides of the room. There was also a smaller third stage set up against the back wall in between the two main ones. They could see Vinyl up there, messing with her dj equipment. DJ and Spike were each on a stage, plugging in wires and making sure everything was set. DJ got up to wipe some sweat from his brow when he noticed his family coming in. He smiled and waved them over.

“About time you girls got here,” DJ said as the came up. “You girls look like you had fun.”

“Yeah we did!” Scoots beamed. “We found this store called GameStop and it was full of different video games! It was so amazing!”

“And mom and I found a bookstore while Scoots freaked over the game shop. Look what we found and bought!” Nyx pulled a book out of her bag and handed it to her father who read the title.

“The Heroes of Olympus: The Blood of Olympus. Nice find Nyx! This was the last one in series and it hadn’t come out by the time I had left Earth. I’ll let you read it first since you found it, but I want to read it too, ya know.”

“Sure thing, daddy.”

“How are things, DJ?” Twilight asked giving him a peck on the cheek. DJ smiled and returned it.

“Great, we’re pretty much set. Sorry about putting you through this, Twi, but it had to be done. Don’t worry, I ain’t losing to some upstart punk.”

“I have faith in you. Just be careful, okay?”

“No problem, Twi.” He gave her another peck. Then everything started. Flash suddenly burst through the gym doors, a massive crowd following behind him. He looked even more pissed then earlier, which angered DJ even more, especially when Flash got right in his face.

“You ready to go, old man?” Flash sneered. DJ’s eyes narrowed.

“I am giving you one last chance, Sentry. Step off before you get hurt.”

“Not on your life!”

“Then you brought this ass kicking on yourself!” The both about-faced and strode to their respective stages, thought DJ stopped in front of his family. “Girls, don’t repeat the words I say on this world, ever. I have been using foul language to get the point across, but I never want to hear either of you utter those words. Are we clear?”

“Yes, dad!” They said together, causing DJ to smile.

“Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I got a show to put on.”

“DJ, wait,” Twilight said, causing him to turn back around only to suddenly have Twilight’s lips pressed against his. When they parted, she stared at him lovingly. “For good luck.”

“You’re all the good luck I need Twilight. Don’t worry, I got this.” As DJ got on stage, so did Flash, his band already set up behind him. Spike, Uno, Dos, Tres, and Cinco were ready on stage with DJ as well. Quatro was sitting out since Spike wanted to help and he was usually lead bassist. DJ grabbed a Stetson out of nowhere as well as his acoustic guitar and got into place.

“Welcome one and all!” Vinyl spoke out from her dj booth. “Today is the event of the semester everybody. A musical battle royal between our very own Flash Sentry,” the student body applauded their local star, “And DJ Sparkle!” DJ didn’t get as strong an appraisal, but hearing it coming from his family and new friends, it was enough. “Today they battle it out for the heart of our Fall Formal Princess, Twilight Sparkle!” A light shined on Twilight in the crowd and she waved nervously, embarrassed about being put on the spot. “Each dude gets two songs to play. The audience will decide the overall winner after the second round. Since DJ is the visitor, he will be starting off and then Flash will do his bit. After that, you people get to choose who starts off round two. Exciting, huh?” Vinyl asked with wry grin. She earned a loud uproar from the crowd as a prize. “Great! Without further ado, DJ Sparkle everybody!”

DJ stepped up to the mic in front of him and looked out to the crowd. “It’s nice to be here, well not really since my wife is on the line. Anyway, this song that I will be singing is one I feel represents my original home and little bit of my new one. So without further hesitation, let’s party like it’s an American Saturday Night!”

Staff edit: Copyrighted lyrics removed

As DJ and Spike hit off the guitar portion, the audience was dancing along to the song. He figured that from the start the school weren’t really country fans, but any song like this one could get you up and dancing. He just had to keep playing, for Twilight’s sake.

Staff edit: Copyrighted lyrics removed

As they finished up with a musical blowout, the crowd applauded in appreciation. DJ was a little disappointed that it didn’t get as big a hit as it would have back in Ponyville, but not everyone was a country fan. It was a truth he had to come to terms with long ago.

“If that’s the best you got, then I have this thing in the bag,” Flash boasted with a smile, causing DJ to glare daggers at the boy. “I am going to show you who really deserves Twilight, because I am the champion!”

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When Flash finished, the crowd was roaring at his song. They loved and DJ was both bewildered and pissed. Did he really just…?

Eeyup. Malice sounded just as surprised by Flash’s song as DJ was. Okay, even I think that was a little harsh.

“Well it looks like we know who is going next,” Vinyl pointed out. “Flash Sentry! You got one more song!”

“Thank you Miss Scratch.” Flash was now sporting a very smug grin, while DJ simply stood and watched. “And now to show Mr. Sparkle who he was messing with. You just got rocked!” Flash’s band then started to bang on the ground in a familiar beat. HE WOULDN’T DARE!

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As Flash finished up with the guitar solo, DJ was fuming. Oh no he. DID. NOT!! He did not just use ‘We will rock you’ on me!

Unfortunately, he very much did. Malice was not pleased either. Any insult on DJ was also an insult on Malice himself, and this was one that they would not take lying down. Dude, you gotta amp it up on this last one. Make this punk regret ever thinking he could be our better.

You bet your grey ass I will! “And that was Flash Sentry, everybody!” The crowd cheered massively. “Woo boy, you got a really take it this time DJ or you might as well say good bye to your marriage.” He knew Vinyl was just doing it for the crowd, but he was not in the mood.

In the crowd, Twilight was staring at the stage in fright, her friends and daughters surrounding her. “Please win, DJ. Please win.” She muttered this like a mantra over and over again. Everyone watched as DJ simply stood in place, glaring at Sentry. He slowly lifted up his hand, grabbed his Stetson and threw onto the ground, causing the crowd to gasp.

“Uno!” he yelled. “My hat!” No one knew what he was talking about, only for Uno to throw another hat to DJ, who swiftly put it on. It was a black fedora that fit surprisingly well with his outfit. “Guys, off the stage this one is mine and mine alone.” Spike and the Discords agreed reluctantly and left the stage. DJ was up there all alone now, looking like a man who was about to have everything taken from him and he wasn’t going down without a fight. “You wanted a war, Flash? Well you got one! Vinyl! PLAY TRACK SIX!” Vinyl looked down on her board and hit the selected track causing a new song to start pouring from her equipment. One that started to get the crowd pumped as DJ began to sing.

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DJ started dancing like he never had before, pouring his very being into the music. The crowed was enamored by him, getting drunk in the music themselves and dancing along to the beat. DJ gestured for Twilight to come on the stage and with some assistance from her friends, she was on stage dancing with her husband to the beat.


As he started to take on the normal singing again, DJ was looking purely at Twilight as he sang his words, letting her know that every word was true.

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The crowd was dancing along to the beat in rhythm with DJ and Twilight, truly lost in DJ’s music. Twilight and DJ danced as one, letting the music flow through them as if it were magic in its purest form. Flash watched on in shock, now truly worried that he never stood a chance.

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When DJ finished singing, he pulled Twilight in close and finished with a deep, passionate kiss on stage. Twilight couldn’t care less that hundreds were staring at them, all that mattered was the one she loved was right here with her, forever. When they parted, they could finally hear the crowd roaring and applauding. There were whistles, claps, and shouts of praise echoing out to the couple who took a bow in appreciation.

“Wow,” was all Vinyl said over her microphone. “I think we have a winner! DJ Sparkle is here by the winner of Twilight Sparkle’s heart! Thanks for playing Flash, but you just weren’t enough.” DJ and Twilight smiled at each other and shared another kiss, getting another applause from the students. When they finally got off the stage, the two were rushed by their friends, all of them giving praise and congratulations. Then Flash walked over to the couple, still looking bewildered. DJ was still a little miffed with the guy, but decided to be the better man.

“Sorry, Flash, but this how things are. No hard feelings?” DJ stuck out a hand offering it to Flash.

Flash, however, was still processing his lost. I-I lost! He won, that goof won. He’s, he’s gonna take Twilight from me! NO, no he won fair and square. NO! He must move or be destroyed! Wait, those aren’t my thoughts! Who--. KILL HIM!! Flash suddenly leapt forward, sending him and DJ to the ground, his hands starting to wrap around DJ’s throat. Everyone around them gasped in shock as the two began rolling on the ground, fighting.

“Flash!” DJ choked out. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Then suddenly DJ saw something in Flash’s eyes. They were glowing a soft green on the edge. He’s not in his right mind! Something is controlling him!

No duh! But by what?

I don’t know! All I know is his eyes are green and is acting crazy!

Wait a minute, green eyes? That sounds familiar. Put in the evil presence and the way the student body has been acting. Why does it feel familiar?

No idea. All I know is that this guy could use some love, if only to get him to calm down. Right there is where it clicked.

CHRYSALIS!!

What is she doing here?

Figure it out later. First do something about the guy strangling you! You don’t have magic so figure some way to snap the kid out of it!

No, we do have magic!

What are you…? Wait, you can’t be serious!?

Eeyup! DJ, still being strangled, pushed his hand onto either side of Flash’s head and let lose his lightning. Though, for some reason, it was tinged yellow instead of blue.

“DJ!! What are you doing?!” he heard Twilight scream.

“I’ll let you know if it works!” he managed to force out. If this works, I really need to remember it. He could feel Flash’s mind through the lightning as it poured into the young man’s mind. There was something in his brain, something that shouldn't be there, so DJ focused the lightning on that anomaly and could feel the thing began to be destroyed by the lightning. Just a few more seconds. And then it was gone and DJ could feel Flash suddenly go limp on top of him. DJ let out “Woo,” in exhaustion. “That was close,” he said as he began to get out from under Flash. He stood up and started to rub his throat. “Dang, he’s got a good grip.”

“Are you okay, DJ?” Twilight asked, sounding very concerned.

“Yeah, I’m good and I think Flash will be too. Hey, Twi, Spike, I need to talk to you too in private.” DJ led them outside of the gym, while the others tended to Flash Sentry.

“So what do you want to talk about, bro?” asked Spike.

“We got a problem guys.”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

“I think something strange is going on. Flash didn’t attack me on his own. Something was controlling him. I could feel it and saw it in his eyes. If it wasn’t for that chaos lightning I used on him, he might have actually succeeded. Guys, I haven’t been completely honest with you. Celestia didn’t send us here just for a vacation. She has been sensing disturbances here and wanted us to keep an eye for anything strange. Well, Malice and I have been sensing a hostile presence nearby at times, only for it to disappear before we can get a proper read on it. Given what happened with Flash and the other students, we think we know who is behind this.”

“Who?” Spike and Twilight asked.

“Queen Chrysalis. She’s here.” Spike and Twilight gaped at DJ as he said those words.

“How can you be so sure?” Twilight asked with fear present on her face.

“It explains the students’ strange behaviors. They are suffering from a lack of love. Chrysalis must have been draining them this whole time. If only we knew where she was, then we could flush her out.”

I think I can answer that one. Sorry kid, but I couldn’t bring it up while you were busy prepping for your performance. I’m pretty sure Chris is our changeling queen in disguise.

“What? Chris? How can you be so sure?” DJ asked aloud so Twilight and Spike could get a little information.

It was more subtle, but that Chris girl’s presence was eerily similar to the hostile one we’ve been tracking. She’s growing stronger, but the feeling of incompleteness is still there.

“Well, solves that part of the mystery. Now to focus on what she’s after.”

Spike’s eyes suddenly widened and he gasped. “The Battle of the Bands!” he shouted out.

“What?” Twilight and DJ asked.

“While we were setting up, Vinyl had a copy of the Battle of the Bands sign-up form. I saw Chris’ name on there!”

DJ snapped his fingers in eureka. “That’s it! If Chrysalis were to win the competition, she would have the adoration of the entire student body as well as who knows how many other people. Okay, so we know her plan and we know how to beat her!”

“We do?” asked Twilight.

“Yep. There is only one way to stop Chrysalis and that is for you and the girls to beat her in competition. As long Chris doesn’t win, she won’t get the power that she wants.”

“Problem solved!” Spike agreed. “There is no way that dumb bug can beat Twilight and the others. She’s going down and then we can drag her back to Canterlot for some jail time!”

“Oh yeah!” DJ and Spike shared a high-five, while Twilight looked a little nervous. “Don’t fret about it Twilight. There is absolutely no pressure on this. You girls don’t necessarily have to win, you just have to make sure that Chris loses. Simple as that.”

“Okay, I think we can do that, but we are going to have to let them in on this.”

“Sure thing, let’s get to it!” The three of them walked back into the gym to get things ready for tomorrow’s main event.

Meanwhile, outside Canterlot High, Chris stares at the entrance to Equestria disdainfully. “So that punk figured out a way to disrupt my influence. That could prove to be a problem,” she says to herself. Chris reaches over and puts a hand on the horse statue, causing it to begin glowing an eerie green color. “So, why don’t I give them a problem of their own!” She begins to laugh, starting slowly as it rises into a maniacal laughter to the heavens above.

A Musical Battle Royale

Eighteen Hours Until Portal Closes

 

                    Today was the day. This was the Sparkle family’s last day on this side of the mirror before the portal would close as well as being the night of the Battle of the Bands. Right now, Twilight and the girls had just finishing practicing for now. After DJ, Twilight, and Spike informed the others about Chrysalis using the competition to empower herself, the girls were more than glad to do what they could to help. DJ had been watching them carefully during practice, admiring how far they had come in such a short time. Pinkie certainly had drumming down pat, AJ was amazing on the bass, Rarity was genuinely good with that keytar, Rainbow always rocked the guitar, Fluttershy was keeping quite well being in the background with her tambourine, and Twilight and Sunset’s singing was on par with that of the greats. DJ knew they were ready for whatever Chrysalis could throw at them.

 

                    He looked over to where his girls were playing. This world’s Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had accompanied their sisters to band practice at Rainbow’s and were shocked to find Scootaloo there as well as some strangers. Thankfully, Applejack and Rarity had explained Twilight’s previous visit to their sisters and they were quite accepting of the alternate version of their friend, as well being friendly with Nyx as well. The four of them were thinking up their own ideas for band details. Turns out, the Cutie Mark Crusaders was the name of the girls’ band, but they weren’t able to compete since Scootaloo was out of town. It brought a smile to his face seeing his daughters making friends so easily.

 

                    Then, DJ noticed Spike who was just hanging back against the wall of the garage. He was looking quite bored since the girls were on break. He knew this would the pristine opportunity. Spike had to be ready for tonight as well. “Hey, Spike!” DJ called over. Spike looked over at his brother-in-law with a questioning glance. DJ gestured to follow him outside and got up from his position. Once outside, DJ and Spike stared out at the town. Rainbow’s house was at the top of a hill in her neighborhood, so it gave them a good view.

 

                    “You wanted to speak with me, DJ?” asked Spike, without turning to look at DJ.

 

                    “The girls are good. Very good. I have a hard time believing that they won’t win,” DJ replied conversationally.

 

                    Spike nodded before speaking again. “That they are. Chrysalis is definitely going to lose.”

 

                    “Which is why, you are going to need these.” DJ pulled out two gauntlets from where-ever-it-is-he-keeps-this-stuff. He tossed them over to Spike who caught them deftly. The drake-turned-human looked over the gauntlets with amazement. They were simple enough, looking like silver bracers, but Spike knew they were so much more. He looked to DJ with a face that said ‘really?’ DJ nodded, now smiling. “You are going to need them for your part of the plan, Spike.”

 

                    “And what is my part, exactly? You haven’t exactly said what you’re plan is.”

 

                    DJ nodded again. The only part of the plan he had told any of them was to keep Chrysalis from winning the Battle of the Bands. Everything else he had kept to himself. “I have done so because it will just cause Twilight to worry. She needs to keep focus on the competition and her friends, not me. But you, you I need to be filled in.”

 

                    “Why me?”

 

                    “Spike, I haven’t been helping you learn to fight just so you can sit on your butt. I need your help here. Look, we don’t know what Chrysalis has planned. For all we know, she has changelings already in the school, ready to strike. With her appearance, I wouldn’t be surprised if she can still shape shift here. As such, I need you to be ready if they attack.”

 

                    Spike sighed and returned to looking out at the world. “So, what’s the plan?” he said with a sideways glance to DJ.

 

                    “Should the changelings start attacking everyone, I am going to have Twilight and the others evacuate everyone, while I focus on Chrysalis. I should be able to take her on, I think. What I need you to do Spike, is to keep yourself, Nyx, and Scootaloo safe.”

 

                    “So I’m on guard duty?” Spike asked, feeling a little dejected.

 

                    DJ shook his head. “I need you and the girls to get back to the portal. Inform Shining Armor, Cadence, and the guards of the changelings. From there I need to you to take down any of those bugs that make it through the portal. You don’t have to necessarily kill them, but you need to incapacitate them. Think you can do it?” DJ smiled knowingly. He knew Spike was up for it, all depended on whether or not Spike thought he was up for the task.

 

                    Spike nodded, feeling a little proud that DJ was putting so much faith in him. He looked down to the gauntlets and clipped them on, pulling his sleeves up over them. With the gauntlets hidden, Spike looked at DJ. “With these, I think there won’t be anything to worry about.”

 

                    DJ smiled and nodded. “That’s what I thought. Keep them safe, Spike. Yourself, too. Put all that training we’ve done to the test, buddy.” DJ gestured back towards the house. “Come on. The girls are probably wondering where we went to.”

 

                    “Coming!” The two retreated back into the house, Spike mentally thankful. The cold was murder on his scale-less skin. Curse DJ and his immunity to cold! the young dragon muttered in his thoughts.

 

**********

Four Hours Until Portal Closes

 

                    The school was decked out for the Winter Wingding that night. Streamers of white, blues, and greys hung over the rafters of the gymnasium. Winter themed snacks and drinks littered the tables and fake snow patches graced the floor here and there. Pinkie Pie was ecstatic that everyone was having a good time at another school function she had brought to life, but Rainbow had to bring her back down to Earth so they could get ready for their set later that night. The Battle of the Bands had brought in quite the crowd and everyone was eager for the competition to start. With the main dance over, it was all that was left for the night. DJ checked the time, assuring himself that he and his family still had time before midnight when the portal closed until the next full moon.

 

                    Since DJ was only the closing act of the competition, which would happen after the winner was decided, he had been allowed to help Vinyl out with the announcing and whatever else she needed. Vinyl was cool enough to not really take advantage of it, and when she did, DJ complied anyway. When asked about it, DJ said he did because she was cool, nothing else. DJ looked over at the list of competitors for the evening. Twenty in all and ‘Chris’ was the tenth act. ‘The Equestria Girls’, Rainbow’s band, was sixteenth which means they had a good chance. Going after Chris allowed them enough time to really get prepped for beating her.

 

                    The crowd was just settling in, ready for the start of the show. DJ and Vinyl were off in the dj booth, which was off the side of the stage allowing them a perfect view of everything. DJ scanned the crowd, finding Spike, Scootaloo, Nyx, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom in the back of gym. He could see that Spike was searching the crowd as well, looking out for any hidden changelings.

 

                    “You ready, dude?” Vinyl asked with a happy smile.

 

                    DJ returned it. “Let’s get this party started, Vinyl.”

 

                    “That’s the spirit!” Vinyl cried, slapping DJ on the back. DJ chuckled as Vinyl got everything started. “Alright everybody! It’s time for the main event of the evening: The Canterlot High BATTLE…OF…THE BAAAAANNNNDDDDSSSS!!!!!” The audience applauded and ‘woo’ed. Vinyl was certainly good at getting a crowd pumped. “Let’s skip all that rule stuff and get right to what you’ve all been waiting for! Our first act of the night: let’s bring out the ‘Rising Stars’!!”

 

                    It went on like this for act after act. Each one was good in their own way, but DJ was certain the Rainbow, Twilight, and the others could win. The first act was Flash’s band. DJ was glad that without Chrysalis’ control, the two of them got along quite well. Breaking the spell had actually erased Flash’s memory of meeting DJ, so the two were able to start off fresh. He was still surprised about DJ being Twilight’s husband, but he wished the two well and wanted to be friends. He’s a fine guy when you get to know him. DJ did have to admit, Flash and his band were good rock singers. The ‘Rising Stars’ got a good praise from the audience and Vinyl moved on to the next contestant.

 

                    The next act was a country band, which got DJ’s foot tapping. After was some jazz, a little pop, etcetera, etcetera. Then it finally came time for Chrysalis, or Chris, to take the stage. When she did, oh…wow! Okay, villains are not supposed to be that hot! Chris was wearing skin tight everything, accentuating every curve on her body, and revealing a good bit.

 

                    Dear lords and ladies! How did she get past the dress code looking like that! Damn, I know she’s evil, but just…damn! Even I want a slice o’ that—

 

                    Don’t even finish that sentence! But, yeah. Holy freakin’ frijoles! That’s just playin’ dirty right there.

 

                    It’s ‘dirty’ alright. Malice chuckled a little at his own joke.

 

                    Keep it in your pants, buddy. This body is happily married.

 

                    Don’t worry, I’m not like that. Besides, I get enough of a show when you and Twilight have ‘sexy time’.

 

                    You promised to hide away during that!!

 

                    The mind scape gets all screwed up when you and Twilight have your fun, so I can’t actually promise anything like that. I didn’t see nothing.

 

                    Yeah, right. DJ shook his head and returned to the waking world, trying to avoid ogling the evil seductress on stage. He missed Vinyl introducing her and Chris began to sing and dance, quite suggestively too.

 

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                    DJ was more than a little impressed, surprised that Chrysalis was able to impersonate Nicki Minaj so well. It was scary good, to the point where DJ was more certain that Chris still had shape shifting powers. Even Vinyl was stunned, so were most of the boys in the audience, a few girls too.

 

                    “Okay, well, that was…I don’t know what to call that,” Vinyl admitted. “Anyway, that’s Chris everyone.” The crowed burst into applause and cat calls. DJ was pretty sure a few marriage proposals were let loose too. “Next up…” DJ tuned out what Vinyl said and focused back into his mind, thinking up plans and counter plans. Roughly twenty-five minutes later, DJ was brought back into reality when Vinyl announced the next act. “And now time for the favorite to win tonight’s competition: give it up for ‘THE EQUESTRIA GIRLS’!!!” DJ watched as his wife and her human friends took the stage, all looking like rockers from the eighties, but still eye catching. They started to sing and DJ and Vinyl ended up dancing along to the song.

 

Youtube Video

                    “Well, that was rockin’!” Vinyl said after the girls finished their set. “Wouldn’t you agree, DJ?”

 

                    “I don’t think I’m allowed to weigh in here. Being that the lead singer is my wife, the other acts should be glad I’m not judging.” The two of them shared a laugh, so did the audience. “In all honesty, they were very good. But we still got four more acts before everything can be decided. So who’s the next one on the chopping block?”

 

                    “That would be…” The final acts were still quite good, but DJ’s opinion was far too biased accept any of them as the rightful winners of the competition.  What really surprised DJ was the crowd, even though they were screaming and cheering, they still had on those foul faces from the previous day. It was definitely a weird sight, seeing frowns and death eyes on an applauding audience. DJ hoped that beating Chrysalis would return the love to school. The music seemed to be having an effect on the crowd, but it just wasn’t enough. They were going to need a love transplant at this rate.

 

                    With the last act finished up, Vinyl deferred the microphone to the judges: Principle Celestia and Principle Luna. It was actually decided by the audience, but Celestia and Luna were the ones to announce the winner. “And the winner of this year’s Winter Wingding Battle of the Bands is…” Celestia started, allowing her sister to finish.

 

                    “’The Equestria Girls’!” Luna announced happily. DJ fist pumped and could see Spike dong the same. The crowd was happy with the decision and broke out in applause as Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Sunset, Pinkie, and Rarity returned to the stage. They waved and smiled to crowd.

 

                    Principle Celestia started speaking again, inciting the audience to quiet down. “Now as the rules dictate, our winners shall give us an encore performance!” Applause broke out again, though the girls looked nervous. Rainbow looked at them all in a panic.

 

                    “We didn’t have a chance to practice any other songs!” she whisper-shouted.

 

                    “Oh, this is bad,” Sunset remarked, looking out to the expecting crowd.

 

                    “Well, someone come up with something!” Rarity encouraged.

 

                    “Can I make a suggestion?” Twilight asked meekly, which was new for her.

 

                    “You got an idea, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

 

                    “Yeah, but I don’t think you’ll want to do it. I, I…well, I want to sing a love song.”

 

                    The girls looked at her incredulously. “A love song? Really?” Rainbow asked, sour faced.

 

                    “I know it’s not something you would be up for, girls, it’s just that, well, DJ always sings these great songs for me. I just want to sing one for him for a change.”

 

                    Sunset smiled comfortingly and put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “If it means that much to you, Twilight, I don’t think any of us would have a problem helping you out. Right girls?” They all agreed with Sunset, though Rainbow did so reluctantly.

 

                    Twilight wiped away a few happy tears. “Thanks girls, now let’s finish this right.” Twilight put out a hand into the middle of their circled group and the others did so as well, throwing them up with a shout. The girls returned to their instruments and positions and started up a special song from Twilight to DJ. “This song goes out to a certain special someone, who I love with all my heart.” She looked over to where DJ was standing, his eyes widening slightly. She smiled at him as the girls played behind her.

 

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                    DJ loved the song, and could see that Twilight looked just as happy. Then he looked out to the crowd and was amazed at what he saw. Everyone looked normal; happy and normal! Twilight’s love filled song had been just what the students had needed to be restored. DJ nodded appreciatively. Two in one go, Twilight. You’re good, you’re good. Once again, Celestia took the stage, addressing the crowd. “That was certainly an amazing and heartfelt performance girls. You should all be proud of yourselves, and the same goes to everyone who competed tonighy. Let’s have a round of applause for our contestants.” She stayed silent as the crowd clapped and applauded. A minute later, she spoke again. “And now we have a special treat for you. A very special closing act. Please welcome DJ Sparkle to the stage!"

 

                    DJ walked out on the center platform, waving and smiling as the crowd applauded, clearly remembering his previous performance yesterday. “What’s up everyone?” he asked out. He received more applause from the audience and Celestia resigned from the stage. DJ picked out a guitar and saw as the Discords got into place. Man, do they look freaky as humans. DJ shook the thought from his head and returned the microphone. “Alright everyone, grab yourself a girl or guy and get ready to dance! Because this place is going sideways!”

 

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                    The crowd had gotten into the beat immediately, dancing around the floor. DJ could see all of his friends and family having a good time. Country rock always seemed to do the trick whenever he needed a good dance number. Pop was alright, but it never beats the feel of a down home beat.

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                    Just as DJ was getting to the final chorus, all the light and power in the gymnasium suddenly cut out. Everyone was in a panic as it was pitch black, some were even screaming. Even though they were high pitched, DJ was certain that not all of them were girls. Just as suddenly, the room was alit with light, but not from electricity. The crowd gasped at something behind DJ, and he turned slowly to a horrible sight. Rising slowly behind him, was Chris ablaze with green fire.

 

                    “You dare deny me the power I so rightly deserve?!” she screamed. More flames lit up in the crowd and black, humanoid bugs took flight above the students, causing screaming and panic. “Now you will perish before the might of…” her form was then engulfed in green fire, revealing a regal looking bug-human with long green hair, pointed teeth, and a wicked smile, “Queen Chrysalis!”

 

                    Well, at least we were right.

 

                    Yeah, hooray for us.

Puny Queen

One Hour Until Portal Closes

  

“Bow before your new queen, humans!” Chrysalis screamed at the crowd that watched in horror. Chrysalis’ skin was black with several holes in her arms and legs, hands blazing with green flames, wicked turquoise hair flowing from her head, and sharp fangs protruding from her mouth. The students of Canterlot high looked on in shock at the emergence of another demon that had hidden amongst them. Several screamed as others around them were consumed in green fire, revealing more like Chrysalis. The only difference is that these creatures were slightly shorter than her and had blue eyes instead of green like the queen.

 

DJ remained staring at the queen, his sudden fright turning to anger at her arrival. He had to focus on the students, however, as they were in immediate danger. DJ turned to Twilight who was off stage and yelled to her. “Twilight!” She looked at him, still in somewhat of a stupor. “You and the girls get the students out of here! I’ll deal with Chrissie!”

“What?!” Twilight screeched. “Are you crazy?!”

 

“Indubitably!” he responded with a smile. “Go! Keep the others safe. Spike has the girls; they’ll be fine!” DJ had noticed that Spike had snuck Nyx, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle out of the gymnasium when Chrysalis appeared, so he had no reason to worry about them.

 

Twilight couldn’t have cared less at the moment. Her husband was saying that he would stand up to the wicked queen of the changelings, something even Princess Celestia had been unable to do. She knew that DJ had strength and some skill, but feared that his ‘personal’ training would be ill fit to take on Chrysalis. Then Twilight saw something that she never thought she would: she saw DJ’s eyes change from their normal caring hazel-green to the one’s she feared the most. With a gasp, Twilight realized that DJ had just rage shifted through choice! When did he learn how to do that?! She thought to herself. Rage shifting was supposedly an impossible thing to master as it relied too heavily on one’s emotions, but she knew DJ’s rage shift better than anypony and that was his shift.

 

“GO!” he screamed to her without looking, putting all focus on Chrysalis.

 

Reluctantly, Twilight nodded her head and turned to her friends. “Girls, we need to get everyone out of here! It’s time to evacuate Canterlot High!”

 

“Twilight are you crazy?!” Rainbow asked in surprise. “How are we supposed to get everyone past those?!” She pointed out at the changelings that were beginning to surround the students, arms and hands morphed into wicked swords and spears. Twilight gulped a little, but knew that they had to try.

 

“We have to try! Maybe if we can get the students to fight back, we can get them all out of here.” It was a long shot, but it just might work. The girls didn’t look too sure of it as she was, however. Then Sunset Shimmer stepped forward.

 

“If Twilight says it will work, then we have to at the very least try. If there is one thing I have learned from humans, it is that they can overcome anything when they put their minds to it!” The others now seemed a little surer of themselves now and smiled as they spread out. Twilight hung back, staring at Sunset in surprise.

 

“Thank you, Sunset. That means a lot to me.”

 

“Anything for a friend, right?” She smiled and headed off. Twilight smiled too, looking over at her husband thinking, You couldn’t be more right, Sunset Shimmer. You couldn’t be more right.

 

*****Meanwhile*****

 

Spike was running as fast as he could, four human girls running ahead of him, and a swarm of changelings behind them. As soon as Chrysalis burst on stage, Spike ushered the girls out of the gym and urged them forward towards the nearest exit, as per DJ’s plan. What he hadn’t expected was ten changelings waiting for them just down the hall. When they noticed the five of them, Spike and the girls hightailed it as fast as they could.

 

“This is so not fun!” Scootaloo cried while running.

 

“You said it sis!” Nyx agreed.

 

“Jus’ keep runnin’! We gotta get outta here!” Apple Bloom encouraged.

 

“I hope the others are alright,” Sweetie Belle thought aloud, looking behind her at the chasing bug-humans.

 

“Worry about us, the others later!” Spike yelled back. “Come on, we gotta keep moving.”

 

“Bad idea!” Apple Bloom cried as they rounded a corner to be met with three more changelings. The other girls ended bumping into the young farm girl and ending up in a heap right in front of the bugs. One raised its arm and it changed into a large axe and swung it down at the girls, who cringed awaiting death…which never came. Instead they heard the distinct ‘clang’ of metal against metal. All four looked up in awe and shock at what stood before them. Spike had sprung forward, in front the girls and met the changeling’s axe with… a sword from his right arm!?

 

The young dragon-turned-human grinned as the changeling reeled back in surprise. He turned to look down at the girls, seeing their questioning and shocked expressions. He lifted up his arm, displaying the sword that was coming from his wrist. “One of your father’s inventions,” Spike explained with a smile. “Not all of them ended up as scrap. My preferred weapon, too. I call them ‘brace blades’!” He returned his face to the changelings in front of him and sprung the other sword on his left arm. “Girls, take the side hallway and get to the statue in front of the school. I will meet you there as soon as I can.”

 

“But Uncle Spike---“ Nyx tried to say, but Spike stopped her.

 

“Go! I will be there soon. I promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He went through the motions as quickly as possible, noticing the other group about to catch up. “Now go, I got this.” The young girls shared a look, but got up and reluctantly left Spike to face thirteen changelings on his own. Spike crossed his blades in front of him and put on a grin of determination. “Alright you damn bugs, let’s see how you like facing a dragon trained in sword fighting.” The changelings buzzed angrily and swarmed him, as Spike rushed forward with a cry of battle.

 

*****Back in the Gym*****

 

“Chrysalis!” DJ screamed at the bug queen. She looked down upon the human with contempt. “You want this school? Then you gotta go through me!”

 

“Oh?” she asked with skepticism as she lowered herself back down onto the stage. “And who are you to challenge the great Queen of the Changelings?”

 

DJ put a thumb to his heart and smiled madly at her. “I am DJ Sparkle, a prince of Equestria, defeater of the dark King Sombra, and I am the one who will defeat you!”

 

Chrysalis chuckled softly. “I do not have time to play with some naïve punk who thinks he’s a hero. Just join your fellows in slavery,” she responded while waving a hand and feigning a yawn.

 

“Hmph,” DJ replied with a huff. “Never would have thought Queen Chrysalis to back down from a challenge. Especially not from the son of Princess Celestia.” He smiled as her head turned back to him so fast it should have caused whiplash.

 

“Y-you are Celesta’s son?!”

 

“Indeed I am. Do I have you attention now?” He smiled and summoned his two lightsabers to his hands and ignited them, power levels set to low. He was going to have fun with this; it was a rare chance to be able to fight on even ground with somepony and now he was going to have a challenge.

 

“Indeed you do,” she growled. “Now…you will die!” Chrysalis rushed forward, her hand turning into a large shield. DJ was caught off guard and sent flying off the stage and into a nearby wall.

 

“Ack!” DJ gasped out at the pain in his back and slid down the wall to the floor. “Maybe I should rethink this hero business. It’s not healthy,” DJ muttered out loud.

 

You can’t underestimate this one. Sombra was easier than it should have been, so focus! You need to start off strong! Use the thing!

 

You sure?

 

I enjoy a good fight, so take as much as you need. DJ smiled and started up his ace card.

 

On the other side of the gym, Twilight was busy with the students of Canterlot High. She and the girls were trying to hold off the changelings by smashing what little furniture they could find on the bugs. Other students had noticed the girls fighting back and had made attempts of their own. Ditzy had smashed a baseball bat over the head of changeling that was going after her sister, Dinky, but it did little more than aggravate the changeling. It started encroaching on her menacingly when another human with long brown hair stepped in and slugged the bug in the jaw, sending it to the floor. The male was wearing an archeologist’s vest with an ankh chain necklace around his neck, and long khaki jeans.

 

“Thanks Silver,” Ditzy said as she gathered up Dinky in her arms. The man nodded and ushered the two girls out, keeping the bugs at bay with a strange cane.

 

“Come on y’all!” Applejack cried from the fire exit. Rainbow Dash was kicking and throwing sports equipment next to her, preventing the changelings from blockading the only exit. Fluttershy and Rarity were leading the other students outside, while Pinkie was busy going ninja on several of the bugs with a broom, pretending it was a staff. The strange part was that she was actually good at it and was beating bug after bug with the meager weapon, all while wearing a smile. Flash Sentry was fighting the changelings as well, making sure that Twilight could stay safe as she helped the other students get away. Suddenly, the entire gymnasium was lit in a golden glow as DJ stood up from where he had been thrown. Everyone stared in awe at him as he smiled at Chrysalis.

 

“Alright you damn, dirty bug, time to start round two! Aaaah!” DJ rushed forward and slammed a lightsaber hilt into the queen’s face, sending her flying into a wall of her own. Chrysalis righted herself almost immediately and growled at the young prince, who simply wore a smug smile.

 

“How is this possible? Why do you glow?” she snarled.

 

DJ lifted his two lightsabers to reveal six glowing marks in the hilts. “You are looking at the one and only wielder of the Elements of Harmony. Care to dance, my queen?” DJ asked while sticking out hand as if it were a serious offer. Chrysalis roared and changed both of her hands into double edged swords and rushed him. DJ lit his blades and met her head on. Twilight watched in awe as the two traded blow for blow. DJ may not have had any formal training in his life, but his skills were amazing. Ever since Sombra, DJ had been enhancing his skills to the best of his abilities, whether it be solo training or sparing with Spike. It was time well spent, apparently.

 

DJ forced Chrysalis back as best he could and took a moment to look around before Chrysalis could recover. The gym was completely empty, save for seven girls that waited by the fire exit, watching with awe filled eyes at DJ’s stunts. He was brought back to the battle, however, when Chrysalis flew at him and threw him to the floor. DJ stood up shakily and growled at the queen, who was raising a sword hand above him. DJ was barely able to block it with both swords crossed in front of him. Chrysalis certainly had power that was sure enough to him and her anger made her strong. DJ pulled both his swords apart in an upward ‘x’, causing the queen to recoil. It was enough time for DJ to throw his hands forward and launch a mass of force lighting at her and send her crashing into the wooden stage. Panting, DJ dropped to knee, feeling spent.

 

I gotta pull out of the Harmonic Convergence. I don’t have enough energy to keep it going.

 

You can’t pull back now! Chrysalis is gonna get up any second!

 

Not up to me. Indeed it wasn’t, for as soon as DJ thought those words, his golden glow softened and then faded completely, his lightsaber returning to their normal state. Harmonic Convergence was still in the prototype stage of training for DJ, so using took up a lot of energy especially since it granted him so much power. He was now completely exhausted, though he knew his opponent would be recovering soon. Shakily, DJ stood and walked towards the girls. He stumbled slightly, but Twilight and Sunset caught him and helped him out of the gym, the others following and slamming the exit doors shut.

 

*****A few minutes earlier*****

 

“Where is Spike?” Nyx asked no one in particular as she paced in front of the horse statue that doubled as the portal home. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle could only watch with concern as Nyx worried herself sick over her uncle. “Do you think he got caught?”

 

“Nah!” Scoots waved off. “You saw him, Spike was ready for a fight. He and dad have been training before; he’ll be fine.”

 

Nyx was about to say more, when they all heard the front doors of the school open and close. They looked up and saw Spike rushing towards him, causing them all to smile proudly. Once Spike reached the four young girls, he bent over and put his hands on his knees, panting like crazy.

 

“You did it! Y’all beat them weird bug things!” Apple Bloom cheered.

 

“…Not…quite….” Spike choked out. “….Too…many…had to…retreat.” He righted himself up, stretching his back and wiping his brow. “They’ll be here any second, now where is our backup? DJ was supposed to have the girls get everyone out of the gym and out here. That would give the three of us the chance to get back home without the changelings noticing.”

 

“Wait, that’s why we’re out here?” Scoots asked with a look of disbelief. “We’re running?!”

 

“No, we need to warn the princess and keep the changelings from invading the Crystal Empire on the other side. Once there are more people out here, we are jumping back home.”

 

“What about us?” Sweetie squeaked.

 

“That’s why we are waiting: to make sure you two don’t get caught either.” Suddenly, the front door to the school burst open with several changelings flying out towards the gathered humans. “Damn, I knew that smoke bomb wouldn’t hold them for long,” Spike grumbled while also sprouting his twin swords from his wrists. “Stay behind me girls! I’ll protect you!”

 

Even they knew that Spike couldn’t hold that many enemies for long, so the huddled together behind the seventeen-year old. Spike stuck his arms out to his sides in a battle-ready stance, prepared to go down fighting to protect his family. The changelings were almost upon them and then something completely strange happened.

 

“HEY!” a loud, deep voice shouted out. Everyone stopped and looked over at the source of the voice to find a large-set man wearing a blue suit, black tie, and blue cap. The police man had squinted eyes and what appeared to be a permanent scowl; he also seemed to be quite along in his years. He pointed a finger at the changelings and spoke again. “Cut it out!”

 

Spike slumped a little with his jaw hanging low. That was his big talk down on a bunch of sword wielding bug mutants attacking five high school age youngsters? What good would that…Spike couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The changelings were wearing looks as if their mother had just scolded them and were grumbling as the marched back inside the school. Some even blamed each other for being yelled at. Spike turned back to the cop, but saw that he was across the street at a donut shop talking with a skinny, nerdy male. Spike sighed and shook his head.

 

“This world is just as messed up as ours,” he commented.

 

“Eeyup,” Scootaloo and Nyx agreed. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and shrugged. A moment later, the side fire door to the school opened and the dance attendants started to file out in to the freezing night. Spike looked back to the girls and motioned towards the portal.

 

“Okay, Nyx, Scootaloo, say your farewells. We got a princess or three to warn.” The four girls made their tearful goodbyes and approached the portal with Spike. Nyx suddenly stopped as she looked at her uncle.

 

“Spike wait! The omnitrix! Dad might need it!” Spike looked over at his shoulder and realized that his niece had a point. It would be of more assistance to DJ than it would be for him on the other side.

 

“Good point, Nyx. Omni, power down and decouple.” In a flash of green light, where once stood a strong human was now a small little pup with a sour demeanor. “I. Hate. Being. A dog!” He picked up the discarded omnitrix in his mouth and gave it Scootaloo.

 

“How are we gonna get this to dad?” she asked.

 

“We’ll take it to him,” Sweetie offered, putting out her hands. Scootaloo wasn’t sure, but still handed over one of her father’s most prized possessions.

 

“Don’t y’all worry, now. We’ll get it right to ‘im. Cutie Mark Crusader’s honor!” Apple Bloom saluted as well. Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo bid them one final farewell and stepped through the portal. When they were gone, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran off to find their friend’s father, not noticing the large statue beginning to shake and crack with green energy.

 

DJ was set down against a tree with the girls surrounding him, Twilight sitting right by his side. “What were you thinking, DJ!?” she scolded him. “You could have been killed!”

 

“I had to… protect everyone,” he gasped out, still a little weak from using the elements. “You know as well as I do that I am the only one here who stands a chance at taking on Chrysalis and her drones. Probably shouldn’t have donned the Elements so soon, though.”

 

“How did you even do that?!” Sunset asked, still in shock at what she saw.

 

“When I faced down Sombra, I discovered that I can call upon the Elements of Harmony and infuse myself with their power. No idea how, but as long as it helps me protect those I care about, then I couldn’t care less. Problem is that it uses a lot of energy to do so. I’ll be fine in a moment.”

 

“Hey! Big sis!” came a cry from behind them. All eight humans looked to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle running towards them.

 

“Apple Bloom!”

“Sweetie Belle!”

 

Rarity and Applejack both cried out their sisters names and gave them big hugs, now knowing that they were safe. Twilight looked around them, but couldn’t see hide nor hair of her daughters. “Where are Scootaloo and Nyx?” she asked, starting to worry.

 

“They went back to your world with Spike,” Sweetie explained. “Oh, and they wanted us to give this to you, Mr. Sparkle.” She held out her hands and DJ’s eyes widened upon seeing his omnitrix. He smiled and levitated it over to him with the Force.

 

“Thanks girls.” He placed the small square of the watch on his wrist and everyone watched with awe as a wide band shot out from the device and wrapped around DJ’s wrist and tightened.

 

“Greetings once again, sir. DNA bonding has completed and all functions are available,” the watch spoke, causing several around him to jump.

 

He chuckled softly, but the mood was destroyed when the wall of the school suddenly exploded. Out of the smoking rubble, came a very angry looking Chrysalis, her eyes pouring out green fire. “How dare you!” she screamed towards DJ. “How dare you make a mockery of the great Queen Chrysalis!” Behind her rose her army of twenty changelings, all ready for a fight. “Go my children, destroy that prince!” She spat out the word with venom and her army flew forward, hand and arms transformed into every pointed weapon imaginable.

 

DJ growled and stood himself up, albeit shakily. “DJ, no. You are too weak,” Twilight pleaded with him, but he shook her off.

 

“I have to Twilight. I’m the only one who can.” DJ walked ahead slightly and then stopped and looked down at the omnitrix. “Omni, give me something good.”

 

“As you wish, sir.” The watch started to whir as a holographic circle appeared hovering above the black surface, spinning back and forth, searching for what was perfect. The circle suddenly stopped and disappeared and the black square slide back, revealing the power core. DJ brought up his wrist and lifted his other hand as the army rushed towards him. With a scowl that soon turned into an amused grin, DJ slammed his right hand down on the power core, engulfing him a green light that blinded the changelings. When the light died down, a tall, blue, bipedal, humanoid-bug with green eyes and wearing a light blue cloak stood in his place.

 

“Big Chill!” it yelled out. He looked over himself, and smiled as his cloak turned into a massive set of wings. “That’s the right thinking, Omni,” DJ breathed out in his new form. The bugs shook themselves from their stupor and rushed the new threat. DJ simply stood there as the lead changeling swung his massive axe.

 

“DJ!!” Twilight cried out, but then suddenly stared in shock as the weapon passed right through her transformed husband. The changeling was just as surprised, but didn’t have a chance to revel in it as DJ blew out a large breath, freezing the changeling solid. As the bug-cycle fell to the ground, DJ began to hover.

 

“One order of frozen changelings on sticks, coming up,” he quipped. DJ turned intangible and flew through all the remaining bug-humans, freezing each as he passed through them. When each was a block of ice, laying harmlessly on the ground, DJ quipped again. “Hold the sticks.” He smirked as he turned towards the queen. DJ placed a three-fingered hand on the omnitrix symbol on his chest and pressed in a command, transforming him again. Now, a large Jurassic-looking biped loomed over the humans, his tail as massive as a motorcycle and his voice now boomingly deep. “Humungousaur!” He roared at Chrysalis and started to rush her.

 

“ENOUGH!!” she screeched out. “You, all of you, are beneath me! I am a queen you disgusting creature! And I will not be bullied by—“

 

She never got to finish her rant as DJ threw out a hand and grabbed her leg. He lifted her over his back and slammed her into the ground once. Twice. Three times. Lifted her back out to look at her then slammed her against the ground two more times before tossing her away. As he turned away from the battered queen, he spoke in his booming voice. “Puny queen.” Queen Chrysalis could only lay there in her crater, whining in pain. DJ approached the girls, only to stop as a beeping sound started coming from the symbol on his chest. He looked down to see the omnitrix flashing red and then there was a flash of red light, returning DJ to normal. “Aw man!” DJ whined and looked at Omni. “What they hay, man?”

 

“Apologies, sir. It appears that I have drained my power reserves. It will take a month to fully recharge, three weeks to restore transformative properties.”

 

“Three weeks?! Well, there goes my plans with Discord for a while.” DJ sighed and slumped a little. Only to perk back up when Twilight rushed forward and pulled him in for a kiss. When they broke, Twilight spoke.

 

“You need stop worrying me like this, dear. I don’t want to have wrinkles until I’m in my two hundreds.” DJ chuckled a little, knowing that she was kidding. Or at least, he hoped she was. “But we have to go, the portal closes in five minutes.”

 

DJ’s eyes widened in realization. “Aw crap! Wait, what about Chrysalis and her goons?”

 

“The girls will have the police lock them away until we return. You said that the portal opens every full moon on Equestria, and since the time difference here…”

 

“It wouldn’t be that long at all on this side. Nice thinking, Twi. Come on, we gotta home to get back to.” The couple turned towards the statue only to stare in wide-eyed horror at the cracking and shaking portal. “What the hell?” DJ asked aloud. They heard weak chuckling coming from the crater behind them and turned toward the beaten and battered Chrysalis.

 

“You really think it would be that easy?” she choked out, spitting up blood. “You will never get home together. I rigged your way home to only take four more through it before imploding on itself!” She started to chuckle again, wincing in the pain. “If you were to even try going through together, the portal would collapse before you reached the other end, destroying you both.”

 

“You destabilized it!” DJ said coming to the relaxation, turning back to the crumbling portal.

 

“Spike, Scootaloo, and Nyx already went through. That’s three, so that means…” Twilight thought out loud, her eyes bugging at what it implied.

 

“It means only one more can go through,” DJ answered grimly. The two stared at the portal in silence for a moment, but DJ caught Twilight’s eye and she stood in front of him.

 

“I am not going, DJ. Do you hear me? I am not leaving you here. We can find another way. I don’t want to go back without you.”

 

“I don’t want to go back without you, either Twi. I don’t ever want us to be separated again.” He pulled his lovely wife in for a deep kiss. They broke the kiss and embraced each other tightly, DJ drinking in Twilight’s warmth. “But the girls need their mother more than they need me,” DJ spoke surprising Twilight. With a swift motion, DJ put his hands up to Twilight’s chest and pushed with the Force. The blast caught Twilight off guard sending her flying towards and right through the portal. She was so stunned that she never even had a chance to scream his name. DJ watched with a pained expression as Twilight was flung through the portal home, but was pulled back to reality as the statue began to shake and the crack glowing with green energy.

 

“Everybody get down! It’s gonna blow!” Everyone nearby threw themselves to the ground, while DJ covered himself with his arms as the Statue imploded on itself, sending debris everywhere. DJ removed his arms from his face and looked upon the destruction. Absolutely nothing remained of the once massive statue, only rocky debris spread out amongst the snowy ground. DJ panted slightly, exhaustion starting to rear its head once again. As he looked out around him, DJ only had one thing to say. “Well, buck.”

Well, Buck

Twilight was falling, falling through multitudes of colors and hues that swirled around her. How did she get here? What was happening? The last thing she remembered was holding on to her loving husband as they watched their only way back home to Equestria rip itself apart. Then DJ had whispered something in to her ear. What did he say?

 

“The girls need their mother more than they need me.”

 

That’s what DJ said and then he shoved her, shoved her with those accursed powers of his. Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized that she was falling through the portal. She strained to look where she had fallen from and seeing the colors begin to dissolve into a black nothingness. For a moment, Twilight feared that the blackness would catch up to her, but those fears were put to rest as she suddenly flew through a wall of light and came out flying and sliding on a sparkling floor and coming to a slow stop.

 

“Twilight!” several voices cried out. Twilight strained her neck to see several ponies that meant so much to her. There was her brothers, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and her two precious daughters, all looking upon her with worried happiness. She smiled weakly at them, but then let realization sink in: if she had gone through the portal that means that DJ couldn’t! Twilight turned her head back to the mirror and saw the glass beginning to crack and creak.

 

Staring at the mirror in horror, Twilight cried out to it. “DJ!!” And with a loud crash, the mirror shattered into innumerable shards that littered the floor of the room. She looked at the destruction with a thousand-yard stare, not wanting to believe what was before her. From behind her, she could hear somepony ask a question.

 

“Where is DJ? What is going on here?” Twilight couldn’t move, nor could she bother focusing on the voice, but she could answer the question.

 

“Chrysalis,” Twilight said, wanting to put venom in her voice, but couldn’t bring herself out of her despair to do so. “She sabotaged the portal. She destabilized it to the point where it would only accept four more through it before collapsing on itself. DJ threw me through the portal and stayed behind.” Now she could feel the tears as they cascaded silently down her cheeks. “Why?” she asked aloud through her tears. “Why can’t we ever just stay together!?” That broke the proverbial dam and Twilight fell into sobbing. Only slightly did she feel an arm wrap around her in comfort, but couldn’t place whose it was.

 

Everypony else was in shocked disbelief. A pony whom they had come to care about was trapped in another world with no way of coming back. Celestia felt her heart begin to break. So much had been happening lately and this was another log thrown on the fire. First Berry and now DJ, the princess thought to herself. What is happening to my children? She bowed her head low, letting the despair sink in.

 

Shining Armor and Cadence just stood there, watching as Spike put a loving arm over his adoptive sister’s neck and bring her close. Nyx and Scootaloo just couldn’t believe what they had heard. They may never see their father again, something that both of them had forever feared. It was slow, but both fillies began to tear up at the loss. Spike focused on Twilight, despite his sadness. Twilight needed comfort more than anypony else at the moment and Spike had to be the one to do it. As he held her tight, Spike began to rub her back gently, trying to ease her crying, but then he felt something. Something strange that didn’t belong. He tried to wrap his claw around it and found that it was circular in shape. Lightly, he tugged at it and it plucked off without a sound. Still holding his sister, Spike brought up the strange object to where he could see it and when he did, his eyes grew.

 

“Twilight,” Spike whispered, hoping to gently get her attention, but to no avail. “Twilight,” he tried again, this time getting the result of her looking him in the eyes. “I think you need to see this.” Spike brought the object out from behind her back and showed it to her. “It was on your back and it has the same symbol as bro’s omnitrix. Maybe it means something.”

 

Everypony was looking at the circular badge now, not knowing at all what to do. They simply stared at it for several moments, expecting it to do…something. It was Nyx who had the courage to casually tap the center surface of the green badge. She immediately regretted it as a beam of green light suddenly shot out from the center and spread out in the shape of a small cone. Inside the light, an image of DJ, still human, became visible and began to speak.

 

“Hello, Twilight,” there was strange whirring ring to the voice, but it was definitely his. “If you’re watching this, then something happened to keep me stuck on this side of the portal. Hehe,” he chuckles softly while rubbing his neck. “Ya know, you just gotta hate Force premonitions, sometimes. I’m sorry if I did something stupid or reckless that brought this on, truly I am. I hate it with everything I’ve got when we’re separated and this time is no different. But, Twilight, I want you to know that I do love you and don’t you dare believe otherwise. I love Spike, Scootaloo, and Nyx and I would never do anything to purposefully hurt any of you. Just another part of my personal luck, I guess. *Sigh*.”

 

Twilight watched her husband with tear-filled eyes, both of sadness and joy. Then the holographic face of her lover changed to one that was sterner and serious. “I want you to do something for me Twilight, something I need you to do.” Twilight stared with a breath held. Anything, my love, she whispered in her thoughts. “Don’t you dare give up on me! Even if the portal was destroyed, I will come back. I don’t know how or when, but know that I will be back and nothing will stop me. I’ll find my home, I promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, and I’ll stick one of Pinkie’s super spicy cupcakes in my eye if I don’t. I love you, all of you, and I’ll see you as soon as I can.” He gave them group a sad smile and the light shimmered and disappeared.

 

Everypony was silent, tears falling on several of them. Nopony knew what to say, if anything, for all they had now was hope. Twilight turned towards the destroyed mirror, a small, sad smile gracing her lips. You stubborn, crazy, fool. You better come back DJ, we need you here.

 

**********

 

“Well, this sucks,” DJ said as he looked over the destruction before him. There was shattered stone and concrete all of the school grounds, some covered in snow from impact. The students all around stared in awe at the sudden implosion of their school statue, but none made a sound. DJ rubbed his neck, now trying to think about how he was supposed to get out of this mess. A voice interrupted his thoughts, however.

 

“You alright there, sugar cube?” DJ turned his head towards the sound, seeing the humanized Applejack looking at him with concern. Glancing behind her, he could see the other five girls doing the same. DJ let out a big sigh and glanced back at the destroyed statue.

 

“Yeah, I’m alright, physically anyway. Emotionally? I’m just getting sick and tired of this crap. I swear that after this is over and something like it happens again, I might just go and finally commit myself into the crazy house. Ah well, gotta focus on the present.” A small, feminine groan came from behind all of them, originating from the small crater in the ground. His face suddenly turned sour and approached the lone figure laying beaten and battered within.

 

Approaching the perimeter, DJ stared down in disgust at the defeated changeling queen. Then something clicked inside DJ’s mind. There was no way that Chrysalis and twenty changelings were able to sneak into the Crystal Empire, through the palace, and into the mirror portal. How would she even know about its existence when there was no recordings of it anywhere in the archives? (Twilight checked, not a single reference). That meant only one thing: there was at least one more portal and Chrysalis was the only one who would know where it was. DJ bent his knees so he was closer to where she lay and spoke.

 

“You have done a lot of harm here, bug, so here’s what’s gonna happen. You are going to tell me where the other portal to Equestria is, then I’m gonna drag you and your ‘children’s’ beaten flanks back to Canterlot where you’re gonna be locked away for a long time. So, let’s get this started.”

 

“Why would I tell you anything, pony!?” she spat out, choking on each breath. “You will get nothing from me! You here? Nothing!”

 

DJ growled under his breath and stood, raising a hand out in front of him. Chrysalis suddenly found herself levitating above her impact spot, grasping at an invisible hand that clenched around her neck. “You will tell me everything, because if you don’t, then I will kill you.” At the tingle in her eyes, DJ added, “And don’t think I won’t. I killed King Sombra without remorse, what makes you different in my eyes?”

 

Chrysalis stared in fear. This pony was not like the others; his actions were hostile, animalistic, and predatorial. He was not someone to anger, but she found it within herself to resist. She would never help a pony, especially not the son of her most hated enemy, Princess Celestia. “Never!” she said through strained breaths.

 

DJ stared at her for a few moments, his eyes bearing deep into her very soul. The six girls behind him watched in horror, truly believing he would give the final strike. Instead, DJ sighed and dropped his hand, causing Chrysalis to drop back to the ground. She looked up to him and started to chuckle softly under her breath, believing that he truly was a weak pony. That is, until a fist a crashed into her face, sending her into the depths of unconsciousness. “Shut up you damn bug,” DJ mumbled under his breath.

 

He took another moment to think on his situation and on how he could go about fixing it. Then it hit him, he had the perfect invention for this! DJ opened up his jacket and reach inside, his hand, unseen, grasping for an object that lay in the depths. “Aha!” he said with pride and pulled out a pair of green shaded glasses. “This is the perfect chance to use these!”

 

“And what are those?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking at the glasses with curiousity.

 

DJ held them out proudly, showcasing them to the girls. “These are my special magic tracking sunglasses. The basic concept is that it should be able to track magic resonances and trail them back to their source. You know, if they don’t explode or catch fire.”

 

“Beg pardon?!” Rarity exclaimed.

 

“Yeah, my inventions have a habit of either exploding, bursting into flames, or some combination of the two. I don’t have the greatest luck if you haven’t caught on yet.” He shrugged. “Here goes nothing.” DJ placed the glasses on and pressed the little button on the side, lighting up the inside of the shades like an HUD. DJ scanned around, focusing on Chrysalis and noticed a light trail of magic emanating from her and heading north. “Ha! They work, sweet! And I gotta trail! Now I just need to follow it right back to the portal and I’m home free!”

 

“Wow, you really got this kinda thing down, don’t you?” Sunset commented.

 

He shrugged. “I’m a realistic optimist. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Comes in handy, if I do say so myself. Now, AJ? Can you get me some rope?”

 

“No problem, sugar!” Applejack went off, coming back a few minutes with several coils of rope. “This good enough, darlin’?”

 

DJ looked at her, then the ropes, then back at AJ. “Are those from your locker?” he questioned, pointing at the rope.

 

“Eeyup. Always good to keep spares.”

 

DJ’s eye twitched a little, lost at the naivety of a teenage girl keeping rope in her school locker. Shaking his head, he took the rope from AJ and started walking towards the changelings. A few minutes later, DJ had all the changelings, including Chrysalis, all tied up in a circular group. He rubbed his hands together and grabbed a long piece of rope that was attached to the captives. Then he turned back to the girls and smiled.

 

“Well girls, thank you all for your help and it was great meeting you. Sorry for making a mess of your dance, though.”

 

“Don’t sweat it dude,” Rainbow said, waving it off. “’Bout time we got some excitement around here.”

 

“What are you going to do with the changelings?” asked Fluttershy.

 

“Like I said, I’m gonna drag ‘em back to Canterlot where they can stand trial.”

 

“How are y’all gonna do that?” Applejack asked.

 

“Ooh, ooh! Are you gonna pull out an awesome, supercharged sportscar that can scale walls, shoot missiles, and has an artificial intelligence?” Pinkie questioned while bouncing.

 

DJ stared at her for a moment before remembering who he was talking to. “No Pinkie, I’m not gonna get Kit. I’m gonna fly actually.”

 

“Fly?” they all asked. DJ smirked and began to lift of the ground. Their faces were enough to make him smile.

 

“Energized flight,” he explained. “Comes in handy for situations like this.” DJ started to rise a little higher, using the Force to fully lift up the chained changelings. “Thanks for everything girls! See ya later!”

 

“Come back anytime!” they called out to him, waving as he took off after the magic trail. DJ waved back and flew off, full speed ahead.

 

**********

 

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, her daughters, Spike, and the Elements of Harmony were in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. Twilight and her family had just finished recounting their adventure in the human world, inevitable ending with DJ being trapped on the other side. They knew that he was attempting to find another way home, but the odds were slim at best. The girls didn’t take the news all that well, with Applejack being both angry and sad enough to almost attack a nearby guard in frustration.

 

“This is truly troubling news, sister,” Luna said after a time of silence. “However, DJ’s disappearance will not only affect his loved ones, but as a prince of Equestria, it will be noticed by the nobles sooner or later. I know that it’s hard to focus on politics at this point in time, but it must be addressed before anything leaks out and becomes much worse.”

 

“I know, Luna,” Celestia sighed. “But how do we tell them? That ‘poof’ their prince is just gone? That won’t go over well at all.”

 

“Or you could tell them the truth without giving the truth!” suggested an unseen voice. Everypony jumped and the source made himself visible to the world. It was Discord, of course. Who else? He was hovering the air, a hammock beneath him while he was holding a margarita. “Nobles will believe almost anything you tell them anyway, so it shouldn’t be that hard. What are we talking about anyways?”

 

“DJ has gone missing,” Twilight said, sorrow still plain in her voice. Discord straightened up from his laid back position and stared at the princess.

 

“What do you mean my best friend has gone missing? Missing where?”

 

“Chrysalis destroyed the portal to the human world which my husband is currently stuck in. We have no way to get him back right now.”

 

“Oh my, that’s not good. Unfortunately, mystic law prevents me from overstepping my bounds into that world. I may be crazy, but even I’m not stupid enough to break those laws.”

 

“What about Genie?” Nyx asked with desperation in her tone. “Couldn’t he help?”

 

Discord looked very nervous for some reason. “Well, about that…”

 

“What is it?” asked Celestia, a little intrigued by the chaos lord’s actions.

 

“Weeeelll, I was supposed to just tell DJ, but since he isn’t here at the moment… Okay long story short, Genie has been forbidden to interfere with DJ’s life by his superiors. He can’t help him out anymore.”

 

Every jaw in the room dropped. “What?!” came a chorused question. Discord was rubbing his neck, both in sadness and nervousness.

 

“It’s true.”

 

“Why? Why can’t Genie help dad out anymore?” asked a teary-eyed Scootaloo.

 

Discord sighed and looked directly at all of the gathered ponies. “Because DJ has broken a wish.” Another gasp and some looks of befuddlement. “Let me explain. You see, when a genie wish has been compromised, it means that the recipient of the wish nulls a portion of the contract they made with the genie. Doing so prevents any form of genie intervention hence forth. And DJ has done as such. Though, I don’t think he realizes it yet.”

 

“What did he do?” asked a somber Pinkie.

 

“You all know of his lightsabers, the ones that grant him powers?” They all nod. “Well, they don’t do that anymore.”

 

“Huh?” they asked.

 

“But DJ still has his powers,” Spike pointed out.

 

Discord nodded. “That’s because our friend has inexplicably absorbed the powers of his swords. In other words, those powers are now his, permanently. Draining those swords has nulled his first wish, preventing Genie from ever interfering again.”

 

“Then how is DJ supposed to come back? How do we even know if he’s still alive?” Applejack asked angrily.

 

“I don’t know how he will get back, but you do have a way to know that he is okay. That little badge you have there is linked to DJ’s omnitrix which in turn is linked to his life force. As long as the badge shows green, then DJ still lives. Quite simple, actually.” Discord snapped his paw and suddenly donned a golfer’s outfit. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have eighteen rounds to do with the minotaur chief. Ta ta!” With a ‘pop’, the chaos lord was gone, leaving the ponies to ponder his words.

 

“So what do we do, princesses?” asked Rarity who was by Spike’s side for support.

 

Luna and Celestia looked to each other and shared weary look. Celestia outwardly sighed. “I shall inform the courts tomorrow. It won’t be pretty. Twilight, you and everypony else should return to Ponyville and try to have some form of normalcy. The ponies nodded and were on the next train to Ponyville. As they all sat on the train, silence reigned, nopony willing to say anything. That is until Nyx looked at her sister, wondering if she was asleep, then gasping out loud.

 

“Oh my Celestia!” she cried. Everypony looked to her differently. Some irritably, others curious. Scootaloo looked surprised by her younger sister’s outburst.

 

“What? What?” Scootaloo said, turning her head in circles.

 

“Scootaloo! Your flank!” Nyx said pointing at Scoot’s flank.

 

“My flank?” Scoots looked back and her eyes bugged. Then with new fervor, she started bouncing in her seat. “Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!”

 

“Girls?” asked their mother. “What’s going on?”

 

“Mom! Mom! I got my cutie mark! I got my cutie mark!” Everypony now looked surprised and looked at Scootaloo’s flank. It was a bright white star with a trail of purple as it shot past three other white stars. “Apple Boom, Sweetie Belle, and Dinky are gonna freak!” Scootaloo found herself soon hugged by her mother, Rainbow Dash, and Nyx.

 

“That’s awesome squirt! It’s a pretty cool mark, too.” Rainbow smiled proudly at her niece.

 

“It truly is spectacular Scootaloo, but how did you get it?” Twilight asked, wondering where her child could have possibly obtained her cutie mark.

 

Scootaloo and Nyx looked at each other, eyes wide. “You don’t think…?” they said in unison and Scoots hoof pumped.

 

“Oh yeah! That had to have been it!”

 

“What had to have been it?” the ponies around her asked.

 

“You see when Spike told us to run away as he took on the changelings…” Nyx began as the girls retold their story.

 

*****Human Equestria – Thirty Minutes before Portal Closed*****

 

“Keep running girls!” Apple Bloom cried as the four crusaders ran from the sounds of Spike fighting off the Changelings. The girls didn’t want to leave him behind, but there were too many of those bugs and the look in Spike’s eyes left no room for argument. So, they ran as fast as they could.

 

“Apple Bloom look out!” Nyx yelled out. Bloom turned her head forward in time to stop herself from running into another changeling. The others pulled into a sudden stop right behind her, petrified by the bug-human hybrid. It grinned evilly down upon the young girls, licking its fangs in anticipation. Suddenly, the creature engulfed itself in green fire, transforming itself into… Diamond Tiara?!

 

“Diamond Tiara?!” they all said out of shock. But then the pseudo-Tiara began to verbally assault them.

 

“You good for nothing blanks!” it said in perfect mockup of DT’s voice. “You’ll never be anything, you hear me? Nothings! That’s all you are! Especially you,” DT’s eyes trained on one girl in particular, who was shaking from the onslaught, “Scootaloo.” She started advancing on the girls, prompting them to back into the lockers; they were cornered.

 

“You have no real talent. You’re not good a single thing, so much so even your own parents left you. No doubt that your new family will do the same once they realize it too.”

 

Nyx watched as her sister was verbally attacked, seeing Scootaloo shake in fear of the words. Nyx knew that changelings could read emotions and thoughts, but never something like this. This was brutal, even for them. She looked over to Scootaloo, who had tears beginning to form in her eyes. Nyx’s eyes hardened at the changeling, Bloom and Sweetie glaring it down as well, though to little effect. Scootaloo suddenly clenched her hands into fists.

 

“No,” she whispered, just loud enough to be heard. “No,” she said louder. “You’re wrong! I’m not talentless, I have loads of talent! You know what that means? It means I could be anything. I could do anything! So stuff those words right back you plothole you stupid bug! And get lost!”

 

The changelings burst into flames, shaking with anger in its true form, and the lunged at the girls. They screamed and jumped out of the way, causing the changeling to knock itself out on the lockers. The door it banged into opened up, revealing a scooter within. Scootaloo looked at, feeling some form of familiarity.

 

“Whose locker is this?” Scoots asked Bloom.

 

“Yours, er, well the other you, I ‘spose.”

 

“Great, then I’m not stealing. Just borrowing from myself!” Scoots grabbed the scooter and got on it. “Okay everyone, hope aboard!”

 

“How is this gonna carry us out?” Sweetie asked as the stood up on the scooter. Scootaloo just shot her wry grin and pulled a small, snail-shell like device from her pocket.

 

“With the turbogizer, that’s how!”

 

“Wait, you still have that?” asked Nyx.

 

“Dad never said I had to give it back,” she defended. Nyx just sighed and face-palmed. “Stop worrying, this is gonna be great!” Scootaloo attached the device to the scooter and powered it up. An instant later, all four girls were barreling down the hallway on a scooter that was easily going ninety.

 

**********

 

“And that’s what happened,” Scootaloo said, finishing up their story. Everypony was surprised with how the girls had taken on a changeling, but Twilight was just happy that her daughters were safe. Scootaloo getting her cutie mark was a good bonus, too. She pulled the two in for another hug, getting two hugs back in return.

 

“I’m just glad you’re safe and I know your father is going to be so proud of you when he gets back.”

 

“Thanks mom. And hey, can we hold on celebrating it until he does come back? I don’t want to have a party without dad.”

 

“Of course we can, sweetheart. That okay with you Pinkie?” Twilight turned to see the pink earth pony already writing up plans for Scootaloo’s cute-ceañera. Pinkie smiled sheepishly and hid the plans away in her mane.

 

“Sure thing, Twilight. We can wait. It’ll hurt, but anything for the ‘star’! Ehehe, I punned!” Everypony rolled their eyes at Pinkie and then looked to see that Ponyville was almost in reach. They each prepared themselves, worried about the friend who had wormed his way into their hearts and lives.

 

**********

 

“This is not what I was expecting going after this damned portal!” DJ shouted over the wind. After flying for over a day, DJ was nearing the source of the magic, only to end up flying straight into a blizzard. He didn’t know how far north he was, but suspected that he was either in the equivalent of Canada or Alaska. Either way, this storm was evil!

 

DJ kept getting battered around from the winds and snow kept covering up his glasses. He was just thankful for his cold immunity otherwise this would have been much worse than it was. He just had to keep going, focusing on the family that was waiting for him to come home. His efforts proved fruitful as he saw a buildup of magical energy just ahead. DJ flew forward with new fervor, landing just outside of a frozen over cave. DJ inspected the ice covered hole, finding that the ice was the source of the magic; it was the portal.

 

DJ smiled at his luck finally turning his way. Behind him he saw that Chrysalis was finally coming to. She was still groggy, but DJ at the very least decided to gloat a little. “Morning, sleeping ugly. Ready to go?”

 

“Go?” she choked out, still in pain. “Go where? Where are we?”

 

“Back to Equis of course. We are at the portal that you used to come here. Now, I’m gonna fling you and your worthless kids through so as to make sure I don’t get eaten by something on the other side. Cool?”

 

“Wait, what?” DJ didn’t give any chance to reply as he pulled hard on the rope that was connected to the changelings, and threw them all at the portal. Chrysalis screamed as she flew through and then there was silence. After a minute, DJ was certain nothing horrible was on the other side as changeling bits were not being thrown back out. With a little pep in his step, DJ strutted through the portal himself, and nearly trotted right into a spear. DJ opened his eyes, once again a pony, to be surrounded by very angry changelings, hundreds of them. He looked up and saw Chrysalis, standing with the aid of a similar changeling to her, smiling evilly at him. “Welcome, prince, to the Changeling Hive! I hope you enjoy your stay, it’s going to be long one! AHAHAHAHA!!”

 

As Chrysalis laughed maniacally, DJ only had one last thing to say about this whole situation; one that summed up everything in the fewest words possible. “Well…Buck!”

Hard Hat and a Hammer

It has been one week since DJ’s disappearance and things were still progressing back in Ponyville. Everypony still went about as if it were business as usual, only there was a somber feel in the air. When the former Elements of Harmony informed the town of their prince’s disappearance, many took it hard. DJ had become a staple to their everyday lives in the town. From their point of view, the only thing worse that could happen is if Pinkie Pie up and left town. Sure, they still smiled and went about their days, but it just didn’t seem right without that crazy blue alicorn.

 

It was also noticeably quiet throughout Ponyville. Without DJ attempting to invent another Earth-based device, there were no sounds of tools working, explosions, or fire ponies putting out the flames. It was almost as if the entire town itself was mourning the loss. Many, such as Big Macintosh, Ditzy Doo, and others, still had hope that their friend would return soon. Unfortunately, this was not thought by all.

 

DJ’s family was the worst hit by this turn of events. Twilight, personally, was highly distraught. She was deeply saddened by her husband’s actions, but also fiercely angry at his stupidity. Angry sadness is not a pleasant sight from an alicorn princess with near limitless magic. Spike was depressed about his brother, often secluding himself in their private training clearing just inside the Everfree. Nyx and Scootaloo were faring slightly better than the others, but only just.

 

Still, with their vacation over, it was once again time for the new school year to begin. Both would normally have been excited to get to go to school with all their friends again, but it just wasn’t the same without their adoptive father. They paid attention in class, though, trying to be strong. It felt like forever until it was time for lunch and recess, but still it came. Nyx and Scootaloo were joined by their fellow CMC members for lunch: Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Twist, and Dinky Doo. The foursome were surprised at seeing Scootaloo’s new cutie mark, but they were interrupted before they even began to ask by the one pony none of them really wanted to deal with right now.

 

“Hello there,” said the pink filly known as Diamond Tiara. Her words weren’t harsh, but the tone behind them were close enough. Right behind her, stood Silver Spoon with a blank expression shared by Diamond Tiara. This surprised the fillies as Diamond was usually smiling smugly or looking disgusted whenever she was near them. Something was up.

 

“What do you want Tiara?” asked Scootaloo with a harsh glare. She wasn’t in the mood for any of the filly’s insults.

 

Diamond Tiara rubbed a hoof in the dirt a little, looking down with a sheepish look. “Well, um, you see… I just… well I just wanted to say… I’m sorry.”

 

As one the Cutie Mark Crusaders responded with looks amazement. “HUH!?”

 

“I’m sorry, too,” Silver Spoon added.

 

“We really have had no reason to bad mouth any of you. We’re sorry for always making fun of you.”

 

“Okay, what the hay is going on here?!” Scootaloo exclaimed in surprise anger. “Who are you and what did you do with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? Why would you ever apologize to us?”

 

“It’s just that…ugh! Why does this have to be so hard?!” DT asked angrily to the air. “Look, it’s just that after everything that’s happened to you and your family over the past few years, I just realized that my actions weren’t making anything better. It isn’t fair what keeps happening. First with Nyx and the Nightmare Moon incident, then Prince DJ dying and then coming back to life, Sombra doing… you know what and being adopted. And now your dad’s gone again and nopony knows if he’ll be back. Stuff like that just isn’t fair.”

 

The fillies still weren’t convinced, however. “Okay that all makes sense, but why did you only just now figure this out?” Nyx demanded.

 

“Because…” DT hesitated before giving in and admitting the truth. “Because I don’t what I would do without my dad and seeing you both keep losing yours, I just makes me feel terrible about all of the teasing that I’ve put you through. I don’t really expect you to forgive me, but can we at least try to be… friends?” Diamond stuck out a hoof in a gesture of peace. The CMC all stared at her, judging her, and watching Silver Spoon who was nodding in confirmation the whole time. After what felt like hours of agonizing anxiety, Scootaloo though out a hoof and bumped Tiara’s, getting a smile out of the pink filly.

 

“Alright Tiara, we can try to be friends. But you’re gonna have to prove yourself,” she explained. “That goes for you too, Silver Spoon.”

 

The silver and pink fillies responded with nods. “Of course!”

 

“Good, because after school you two have some initiation rituals to perform,” Sweetie Belle said with an evil grin that was shared by the entire table. DT and SS looked and each other and gulped audibly. They were in for something scary, especially given the reputation of these fillies.

 

*****Meanwhile*****

 

Deep within the badlands of the Equestrian continent, stood a massive structure. It looked like a massive beehive cut from stone and earth that towered above the desolate, barren landscape. This was the changeling hive where Queen Chrysalis ruled over her many children and commanded them. Within its walls, in the lowest levels, sat the dungeons were captured ponies were placed to be drained of their love. It was here that one lone prisoner sat, an alicorn with a deep blue coat and a dark brown mane. His wings were clamped to his sides with a metal band, while his horn had a magic nullifier placed over it. Here sat Prince DJ Sparkle, lamenting over his current predicament with his ‘partner’.

 

How do we keep getting into his crap?

 

Don’t ask me! You’re the one in charge, remember?

 

I still blame you!

 

Stop blaming me for all of your fuck ups! Your own fault for not realizing this sooner! I mean, come on! Where else would Chrysalis have her portal, huh? Of course it had to be in her hive!

 

Well, why didn’t you say anything before!?

 

I thought you were prepared for something like this.

 

And how often do I plan things out?

 

. . . Good point. Ugh, should have known better that you never thought that far ahead.

 

Good to see that you’re learning. So let’s recap here. We entered the changeling hive through a magic portal…

 

…Got surrounded by a massive army of changelings…

 

…Who subsequently stripped me of my jacket and swords, leaving me powerless…

 

…Then clamped your wings and placed an antimagic cone on your head…

 

…And then we got thrown in jail! All in all, this sucks.

 

Eeyup. So what are you gonna do now?

 

What every other dude who gets locked up…go crazy!

 

Little late for that don’t you think?

 

Don’t take this away from me! DJ could feel Malice rolling his eyes. Shaking his head, DJ proceeded towards the barred entrance to his little prison/cave where his two day guards stood watch. With nothing better to do, DJ decided to start up conversation with them. “So…what’s your names?” Okay, lame start, but right now I got nothin’.

 

The two guards simply stood there, not saying a single thing or even acknowledging his existence. After several awkward moments, DJ sighed and retreated back into his cell. He sat there on his haunches for several minutes, thinking of something to do. Then it hit him! DJ smiled and reached behind his back, pulling out a harmonica from nowhere. Thank you Pinkie Physics!

 

The alicorn brought the instrument up to his lips and blew. His first attempts were horrible, but he continued through, getting the rhythm of the little instrument. He placed one hoof over the side to act as a sound dampener and began to place some classic prison harmonica, even going so far as to position himself right up against the bars of his cell between the guards.

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

 

DJ’s song was suddenly interrupted as the harmonica was ripped from his lips. He looked at his instrument, coated in a green magic aura. DJ watched as the little device floated up over his head and then swung down, smashing itself over his head. “Yeowch!” he cried, holding his head and feeling for the inevitable bump. Wincing in pain, DJ turned his head to look past the bars to see Queen Chrysalis staring down at him with distaste present on her face. “You know, you could have just said you don’t like the song?”

 

"Perhaps, but that was more fulfilling,” Chrysalis replied with a ghost of a smile. She ordered the guards to unlock the door and the dragged DJ out of his cell and forced him to walk. Chrysalis led the way, DJ behind her several steps as the guards flanked his sides. Once out of the lower levels, the four beings found themselves out over what was like a stone scaffold. DJ peered out over the side, glimpsing hundreds of changelings going about their work. They all seemed to have their tasks well in hoof, enough so to make DJ nod, impressed.

 

One of the guards noticed him staring out and shoved him forward. “What, you got a problem with changelings?” the guard asked as they continued walking. “Something wrong with an honest day’s work, your highness?” The way he spat out the formality was easily caught by DJ and he sought to rectify it.

 

“Actually, I have no problem with it whatsoever. If anything, it’s to be admired.” DJ smiled inwardly upon seeing the guards’ faces show shock and awe. “Your brethren are truly stupendous workers. Though, I am not quite sure what it is they are doing.”

 

After a moment of hesitation, one of the guards explained. “They each perform tasks that are necessary to the hive. Some are repairers, others take care of the young, and some string the webbing among the halls to keep out parasites. Are you used to hard work?”

 

“I do come from the country. I worked on the family farm, often doing whatever odd jobs were available. Just because I am a prince, don’t think I am some noble brat from Canterlot. I can’t stand those rich snobs; they’re about as bad as politicians.”

 

“Sooo,” came from the other guard. “You don’t think there’s anything wrong with hard work?”

 

“On the contrary,” DJ replied with a happy smile. “I believe the creator herself bless those who work for a living. I am not a religious pony, but a little faith never hurt. In fact…” DJ trailed off as he focused on the chorus of sounds around him. The repair changelings clanging their hammers against the stone walls, the stringers plucking the webs to extend them, and the nursery workers singing to the newborns to keep them calm. DJ got caught up in the rhythm and began to sing to the beat.

 

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

 

DJ smiled entirely through the song and could have sworn that the two guards behind him had joined in once or twice. “You see? I have nothing, but appreciation for those that dedicate themselves to their work. Without them, nothing would ever be done. You shouldn’t make assumptions about others.”

 

“Enough!” Chrysalis screamed at them. “I have had just about enough of your pointless blathering, pony. No more! We are here.” They stopped outside a rather small cave entrance, only just big enough for Chrysalis to walk through without ducking. The guards shoved DJ inside.

 

“Hey! I can walk you know! Don’t have to keep shoving,” he chastised. DJ ‘hmmph’ed and looked into the cavern he was in, his eyes widening. All around were green pods that were luminescent, lighting the cave with a surprisingly calming green glow. DJ whistled appreciatively. “Wow, what goes on in here?”

 

“You will soon find out,” the queen said darkly. DJ gulped just before he was blasted by Chrysalis’ magic. Slowly the magic began to form around him and soon encased him in one of those pods. The queen admired her work and ordered the guards to place the prince with the other pods.

 

DJ watched as his pod was placed among the others in the room. He looked to his left, then to his right, and then at Chrysalis. “Sooo, what now?”

 

“Soon you will sleep, son of Celestia. And when you awaken, you will be mine.”

 

DJ blanched. “When you mean yours…?”

 

“You will become one of my changeling children, yes.” With a hearty laugh, Chrysalis made her exit, taking the guards with her. The whole way, DJ struggled inside his cocoon, trying to break out.

 

“Hey, hey! You can’t just leave me here, you evil bitch! I don’t want to be a changeling! That’s not who I am! Let me out of here!” After several moments, DJ realized that it was pointless to struggle. He hung his head in defeat, no way of getting out. So, he did the only thing he could: meditate. Meditation was an art that DJ had longed to perfect as it was the perfect exercise for his Force powers to grow. DJ calmed his mind and began retreating deep within himself and soon, everything went black.

 

**********

 

Hours later, DJ was awakened from his mediation by Chrysalis returning to the room. He feared what this meant for his body. He heard Chrysalis order his cocoon opened and soon he heard the cracking and tearing of his pod. DJ fell out of the pod unceremoniously and heard the queen gasp in shock. Fearfully, DJ opened his eyes. They looked out to see blue furred hooves and muzzle. Confused, DJ stood on his hooves and looked over his body; it was still fully alicorn. Not a single bit of him was changeling. With a look of pure confusion, DJ gave Chrysalis a lopsided smile.

 

“H-how? How have you not changed?” Chrysalis whispered in shock.

 

DJ shrugged. “I dunno.”

 

The changeling queen’s confusion soon turned to outright anger. “You dare make a mockery of my power? Guards!” DJ’s guards were once again at his sides. “Return the pony to his cage.” They bowed and pushed DJ away. “One way or another, Sparkle, you will become one of my children!” Chrysalis called after him.

 

As the guards led DJ back to his cell, one of them spoke up. “So how did you do it? How are you still a pony?”

 

Once again, DJ shrugged. “Honestly, no clue. It’s nice, though. I prefer being me.”

 

“Something wrong with being a changeling?” asked the other.

 

“No, shape shifting would be an amazing power, but I’m a pony through and through. I feel at home in the body I’m in so I feel no reason to change it. Besides, I think it would freak out my wife if she saw I had holes in my legs,” DJ answered while waving his legs around. The guards smiled slightly, but kept moving. Soon they were back at his cell and one guard opened the cage, this time allowing DJ to simply walk in. “Thank you, my good stallion.” DJ strolled on in and sat in the middle of his cage with a huff.

 

Back to square one.

 

We’ll find some way out of this. I don’t want to be caged like this forever. Nor do I wanna be some damn bug.

 

We need to figure out how we stopped the process. Maybe we can keep the others from working, too.

 

“Hey!” DJ was brought out his conversation as one of the guards called over to him. DJ made a sound that let the guard know he was listening. “Do you really have no problem with changelings?”

 

The question surprised the alicorn. Why did these guards ask so many questions? Maybe…maybe they do have free will? DJ shook his head and answered the curious changeling. “Not a one. In my book, changelings are kinda cool. If only your mother wasn’t such a pain, I would think we could be friends.” It was an honest answer.

 

Several minutes passed by in silence. No one said anything and DJ just took to sitting there and thinking of ideas that could pass the time. “Scout,” said the guard who had asked the earlier questions.

 

“Hmm?” DJ asked, truly confused.

 

“My name. It’s Scout. My partner is Sting.”

 

DJ smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Scout and Sting. My name is DJ. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Little did DJ know, the two guards were smiling as well.

Getting to Know Each Other

It was another sunny day in Ponyville, not that the local librarian and princess, Twilight Sparkle, cared enough to notice. With her beloved still missing, Twilight was in a deep depression. If it weren’t for Spike, Nyx, and Scootaloo, she would probably have been even worse off. She spent her time secluded in the library, looking through the many books she possessed. Twilight hoped to find something that could help her find her husband, but always came up with nothing, never even getting close. At the moment, Twilight was flipping through their family photo album, crying tears and smiling as she looked over the pictures they had taken over the past couple of years. From DJ’s ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party, Berry’s arrival, and their first Hearth’s Warming together to the couple’s wonderful wedding and Scootaloo’s adoption. She stopped at the family photo they had taken several months back, her tears cascading down onto the picture.

 

A sudden knocking at the door brought Twilight out of her memories. Silently, she put away the album, got up from her seat, and went to answer the door. Upon opening her front door, Twilight was surprised to find a large, alabaster alicorn there waiting for her. “Celestia!” Twilight said in shock.

 

“Hello, Twilight,” Celestia replied with a small smile. “May I come in?”

 

“Uh, sure.” Twilight stepped aside to allow Princess Celestia into her home, closing the doors so her guards couldn’t follow. “No offense, Celestia, but what are you doing here?”

 

“Isn’t it obvious, my faithful student? I came to see you. I wanted to see how you were holding up.”

 

“Oh,” Twilight said while hanging her head slightly. “I’m fine, Princess.”

 

“No, you are not,” Celestia said firmly. “Twilight, please be honest with me, and yourself. This is hurting you a lot isn’t it.”

 

Twilight tried her best to hold back her tears, but a few escaped down her cheeks. “Oh, Celestia!” Twilight flung herself at her mentor and mother-in-law. She sobbed into Celestia’s barrel, the princess’ wings wrapping around the younger alicorn. “I miss him so much! Why? Why does this keep happening? Why can’t we just stay together as a family?” She kept sobbing, Celestia just rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe the pain.

 

“I know it’s tough, Twilight. But you have to have faith, just as I have faith in both my children.”

 

Twilight looked up with tear-filled eyes into Celestia’s moistened eyes. “What do you mean ‘both’?” Twilight asked. “Did something happen to Berry?”

 

“N-no,” Celestia said shakily, looking away from her former student. “It’s just that… Berry and I had a fight. Some harsh words were said, on both sides. After that, Berry left for the Minotaur convention and hasn’t returned.”

 

“What’s the problem with that?”

 

“That was two months ago. The Minotaur convention is only a weeklong event. I haven’t heard from her since she left. And now my son has gone missing as well. You are not the only one feeling their family being torn apart, Twilight.”

 

Twilight embraced Celestia, who now had tears of her own, even tighter. “Like you said, Celestia, we just have to have faith in them. They’ll come back. They always come back.”

 

Smiling through her tears, Celestia said, “That they do.”

 

*****The Changeling Hive*****

 

Down in the dankest parts of the changeling hive, was the detention center. A place for ‘food’ to be kept; where all prisoners were stored until they could utilized for their love. Only one prisoner was here at the time, one worthy of having two changeling guards standing watch at all times. These two were Scout and Sting, the day guards assigned to watch over the Equestrian prince, DJ. Unfortunately, these two guards were not able to perform their duty at the time. Why? Because they couldn’t breathe, they were laughing too hard. Both changelings were doing the best they could to not roll around on the ground from their laughter. Let’s take a listen in on what is so funny.

 

“How you doing tonight?” DJ asked a strange looking creature on his hoof. The puppet had purple skin and tannish fur going around most of its body with a deranged look its face and wearing one shoe on its foot.

 

“Doin’ pretty good! How about you?” the puppet asked in a whacky voice.

 

“I’m fine,” DJ replied.

 

“That’s good. That’s good. That’s goooood!” The puppet answered with a wild laugh. “Well, looks like a pretty good crowd tonight.”

 

“You like it here, Peanut?”

 

“Oh, I love coming here to… uh… uh… duh this town right here!”

 

“Which town?”

 

“This one.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“The one we're in right now?” Peanut answered with a worried voice.

 

“Peanut?”

 

“What?”

 

“Where are we?”

 

“You don’t know?”

 

DJ gave Peanut a deadpanned look. “I don’t think you know.”

 

“I forgot!” Peanut whispered to him, but still loud enough to be heard.

 

“What?”

 

“I forgot!”

 

“You forgot?!”

 

“Well, we go so many damn places, I FORGOT!!”

 

“Well think about it for a second!” DJ admonished.

 

“Alright, alright, alright!” Peanut hung his head. “Damn.”

 

“The drive from the Valley…” DJ started for him.

 

“Was bad as hell.”

 

“Traffic…”

 

“Sucked like hell.”

 

“Drivers?”

 

“Angry as hell.”

 

“And you?”

 

“Were scared as hell!”

 

“Parking here?”

 

“Sucked more like hell!”

 

“So?”

 

“We’re in hell!” Peanut cried. “And these are our hell mates!” Peanut gestured to Scout and Sting, who couldn’t stop their laughter, but were able to suppress it. This was the third puppet that DJ had brought out of nowhere. The first being a very grumpy guy with strong opinions and the other a skeleton with a turban its head. It was almost too much for the two guards. “So you know when someone tells you to go to hell?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Come right here!”

 

“Where are we?”

 

“I DON’T KNOW!! Help me out!”

 

“What?”

 

“Help me out-ta!” Peanut accidentally spit in DJ’s face. “Sorry.”

 

“I’ll help you out,” came a female voice from outside the cell. Scout and Sting were standing stiff as statues while Queen Chrysalis stood there smiling down on DJ and his puppet. With a flash of her horn, Peanut turned to dust.

 

“HEY!” DJ cried out. He looked at his hoof, making sure it was still attached. “Watch what you’re doing with that thing!” he admonished while gesturing to Chrissy’s horn. “You’re gonna hurt somepony doing that!”

 

“Then I had better make sure it’s you,” she retorted smoothly. She then cast a glance at the two guards who looked as if they would be sweating up a storm, if they had sweat glands that is. DJ still didn’t know for sure. “Do I need to have these guards replaced? You seem to enjoy their company.”

 

“Eenope. I hate both of these guys! They don’t do nothin’ but stand there and stare. How boring is that?!” DJ cried out, making both changelings glare at him from the side.

 

Chrysalis smiled proudly. “Very well, then. I shall return for you later, Prince DJ. We have another experiment planned for today.” With that, the queen made her leave. The two guards now turned to DJ who smiling goofily, but was inwardly groaning at the prospect of another experiment. It would attempt number four to turn him into a changeling, all of which keep failing for unknown reasons.

 

“Okay, that’s the third time in the past two weeks that the Queen Mother has come down here to replace us only for you to tell her you hate our guts,” Scout summed up. “What the Tartarus dude?!”

 

DJ smiled smugly. “Simple reverse psychology gentlecolts. Chrysalis will only have guards that I absolutely despise around me because she hates me. So if I tell her I hate you two, she’ll make sure that you’re my guards. Don’t take it personally guys. I don’t hate you, not in the slightest. In fact, I actually consider you both good friends,” DJ said while making himself comfortable against the wall of the cell.

 

Sting raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t against having changelings as friends?”

 

“Why would I? I don’t have any resentment against you, just that bitchy queen. Although, I really don’t that much about changelings to be honest.”

 

“You don’t?” asked Scout.

 

“Nope. Ponies have very little knowledge about your guys’ kind. What we believe is that you’re a hive minded culture where the Queen’s word is law and she is the mother of every changeling. Everything after that is about how you murder ponies to take over their lives and drain love from their loved ones.”

 

Sting looked sick. “Ugh, ponies actually think that about us?”

 

“Have you given them any reason not to?” DJ retorted. “You did try to take over a few years ago.”

 

“Yeah, but that was just to stop from starving. We don’t need to replace others to get love. Equestria has love in its air; we just need to live in the country to be able to absorb it. The love doesn’t need to be directed towards us for it to be eaten, not like it actually harms them anyway,” Sting explained.

 

“What’s this about a hive mind?” Scout spoke up. “We don’t have a hive mind. We are our own changelings. We have free will and independence! We are strong together!”

 

“Wow, now if only had a quill, some ink, and a piece of paper. My wife would be going crazy getting all this knowledge.”

 

“A real bookworm?” asked Scout with knowing look.

 

“Oh yeah,” DJ looked off into space with a dreamy look. “Twilight is just perfect in every way. She’s smart, funny, a real good looker, and she is so kind. I’m lucky to have gotten her.”

 

“Any hatchlings?” asked Sting.

 

“Foals, is the proper term. And yes, two actually. Both adopted, but I couldn’t care less. Nyx and Scootaloo, an alicorn and a pegasus.” DJ sighed longingly. “I hope they’re all doing alright without me. You know, this is the third time I’ve been taken from my family? Sometimes, I really have the worst luck in the world.”

 

Scout and Sting winced a little, knowing that they were partially responsible for keeping the stallion away from his family. “You don’t hate us because of that, do you?” asked Scout.

 

DJ shook his head. “No, just your mom. I should have put more of a pounding on her back at Canterlot High.” DJ’s eyes widened in realization. “Hey, I didn’t kill any of those changelings that were on her invasion team, did I?”

 

Scout shook his head. “No, had some cases of hypothermia, but they were pretty much all okay.”

 

“Whew,” DJ said while wiping his brow. “Didn’t want that on my conscious.”

 

The three males were quiet for a few minutes before Scout asked another question. “What do you want to do before the Queen Mother returns?”

 

DJ tapped his chin in thought. “Well, why don’t you two tell me a little more about changelings? In return, I’ll answer any questions you have. It’ll be the perfect research opportunity!”

 

Scout smiled knowingly. “This for the wife?”

 

DJ deadpanned. “This is the third time I’ve gone missing. If I don’t show up with something, I can expect a very unhappy wife. Remember you two, happy wife, happy life.”

 

“Alright then,” Sting said while laughing, Scout doing the same next to him. “What would you like to know?”

 

DJ smiled. “Absolutely everything.”

Equestria Games and the American Spirit

Today was the day; after months and months of preparations, the Equestria Games were finally happening! The Friendship Express chugged along on its way towards the Crystal Empire, hauling its passengers: The Ponyville Delegation. Among the attendees were Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Bulk Biceps, Thunderlane, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (consisting of Scootaloo, Nyx, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle), and several others, all eager to go for gold in the games. One other passenger was along for the ride: Spike the dragon. However, unlike the others, Spike was a little more on the worried side. This came not because of his destination, but of what had occurred earlier that morning.

 

Spike had been awakened bright and early, several hours before Celestia was to raise the sun to start the day. Twilight had woken him up so that they could triple check Scootaloo and Nyx’s bags and make sure they had everything they would need for the trip, all without waking the two fillies. After that, Twilight bid her farewell, having to teleport to the Empire ahead of time to fulfill a few ‘princess duties’. This left Spike wide awake at a time when nopony else was. So, he decided to start his morning regimen early.

 

After locking up, Spike made his way to the family’s training clearing in the Everfree forest. Here Spike pulled out of his sack a little something special that he had learned to train in recently: a near perfect copy of DJ’s assassin’s outfit. It was only a near copy because it lacked a majority of the straps and weapon holders that DJ’s had. Spike had asked his marefriend, Rarity, to create it on whim after seeing the outfit on one of the games, labeled Assassin’s Creed, in DJ’s shed. It was white on the outside, with a red inner coating and a large brown belt and red sash around the middle.

 

After adorning his attire, Spike got to work. He started with simple exercise: running, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. Taking roughly thirty minutes, Spike then moved on to his sparring practice. He unsheathed his two brace blades and began hammering on the sparing trees that were already covered in scratches and scars from previous sessions. This took over an hour as Spike ended up letting out all of his pent up feelings on his tree, ending with a tearful dragon staring into the nearby river, longing for his big brother to return safe. It was at this point where everything went downhill.

 

“Well, well, well. What is it that I see here? A little hatchling crying into a river?” said a mocking voice from behind Spike. The worst part of it being that Spike recognized this voice. It was one that he hadn’t heard in several years and had hoped would never hear again. Spike turned his head slightly to see a tall, red-scaled dragon sneering down at his cloaked form. It was Garble, the teenage dragon that tried to kill both Spike and his friends. Behind him, Spike could also see two of Garble’s lackeys: the purple dragon with long hair and the fat, brown dragon with a mace-like tail. Spike could just feel the anger and irritation growing within him.

 

“Hey, wait, man!” cried the purple dragon. “Isn’t that Spike? From the Migration a few years back?” Garble took another look down at the cloaked dragon before him, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the recognition.

 

“I don’t believe it, it is that little traitor!” Garble cried.

 

“What are you doing here, Garble?” Spike asked without even turning to look at the elder dragon.

 

“Just doing a flyby, looking for something to eat. And it looks like we just found something. I bet a pony-dragon will taste just right. Or maybe we’ll just head on over to the all you can eat pony buffet nearby.” Spike suddenly stood up from his position and turned towards the provoker.

 

With only his eyes being seen from within the hood, Spike retorted, “If you go anywhere near Ponyville, I will put you in the ground!”

 

“Oooh! Little dragon thinks he’s a big shot now, huh?” Garble teased, his two Hench-dragons snickering behind him. “What gives you such confidence, eh?” Garble puts out a claw and pokes Spike in the chest, “Shorty!”

 

Faster than Garble can see, Spike grabs ahold of his wrist strongly, making the teenager wince in pain. “I am not the same dragon you met back then. I’ve been getting stronger, faster, and deadlier. And I have a pony to thank for that. Now I suggest you get lost before we both do something we’ll regret,” Spike said while letting go of Garble.

 

The elder dragon growled in anger; no hatchling was going to threaten him! “Not on your life, shrimp!” With a quick swipe of his claws, Garble struck. Spike was faster, moving underneath the blow and running between Garble’s legs, scratching them with his claws. Garble winced in pain and turned to throw a punch right at Spike’s face, only for it to be caught by a claw that was just a tad bit bigger than his own. He looked up into the glaring face of a dragon that was easily two feet taller than he was; a dragon with purple scales and green spines. With a quick twist of his hand, the taller dragon twisted Garble’s arm until a stomach churning crack was heard. Garble yelled out in pain from his broken arm, but soon silenced as a blade was pressed up against his neck.

 

“Do you know what this is, Garble?” asked the dragon, who Garble now realized was Spike, somehow grown larger. “This is orichalcum. You know, the magical metal that is known to be especially excellent against dragonhide. One quip twitch on my wrist, and I’m gonna need my marefriend to do some blood cleaning on this coat. Now, neither of us want that, do we?” Garble shook his head feverishly, fear ever present in his eyes. “Good.” Spike took his blade from Garble’s neck and then tossed the dragon away. “I never want to see you three near my home again, got it?” The three dragons nodded in fear. “Then get lost!” With determination, all three took flight, Garble having a slight problem due to his busted arm.

 

“You’re psycho man! Psycho!” they cried as they flew off, never to be seen again. Spike smirked in triumph before shrinking back down to his original size. Spike looked over himself, checking everywhere, determining that he was indeed back to normal. With wide-eyes Spike only just now realized what he had done.

 

“Did-did I really just do that? How did I grow? Is-is this a special power of mine? Can I change my form?” Thinking intently, Spike suddenly found himself much taller. Looking over his taller body with a hearty laugh, Spike only had one thing on his mind. DJ is gonna freak when I show him this!

 

Returning to the present, Spike found himself in the middle of a cheer session for the Ponyville Delegation. He cheered right along until everypony got back to work, finishing up some last minute training. About an hour later, the delegation arrived in the Crystal Empire, Spike being the last off due to carrying the massive amount of bags. It probably would be no trouble if changed his size, but he wanted to keep it a surprise until it was needed. Putting the bags down near the CMC, Spike said, “It's all in there, gang! Leave it to Spike, champion gear-carrier for all your gear-carrying needs.”

 

“And the Ponyville flag? You sure? And what about the flagpole?” asked a worried Apple Bloom.

 

“In with the portable ramp!” Spike replied happily while patting the bag, accidentally pushing the bag cart and falling over.

 

“Give it a rest, Apple Bloom,” said Scootaloo.

 

“Aw, she's just nervous, that's all. Perfectly understandable. Whenever I'm afraid I'll forget something or start to panic, I have a simple trick. I count to ten, and by the time I'm done, I've calmed myself enough to get the job done right every time. Easy-peasy, cider-squeezy!” Out of nowhere, two crystal ponies, wearing guard armor and carrying a chair between them, grabbed Spike and started off with him. “Hey! Put me down!”

 

“What’s going on?” cried Scootaloo.

 

“Uncle Spike!” Nyx called out in worry. Neither guard stopped and simply ran off with Spike. Spike was starting to get a little worried about where he was being taken. Suddenly, the two guards stopped with a jerk, sending Spike from the chair.

 

“Spike! Are you alright?” asked a familiar voice. Spike looked up to see his sister, Twilight Sparkle, as well as his sister-in-law, Cadence.

 

“A thousand pardons, O Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious,” said one of the crystal ponies with regret in his voice.

 

Spike only had one thing to say, “Huh? Who the what now?”

 

“Thank you for bringing Spike to us,” Cadence said to the guards before addressing the small dragon. “It's okay, Spike. We'll have our hoofponies go back for your bags.”

 

“Uh, can they hang back a second and tell me what's going on first?” A few minutes later found Spike being fed emeralds by one crystal pony and fanned by another. “Mm! So the ponies here think I'm some kind of hero, huh?” asked Spike while munching an emerald. “More of the green ones, please? I like the green ones,” he said to his feeding pony.

 

“Last time you were here, you got the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadence in time to save this entire empire from destruction,” Twilight explained, being truly happy for her younger brother.

 

“You are known throughout my empire as ‘Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious’,” Cadence added. They led Spike out to the balcony where Twilight continued.

 

“Isn't that awesome? You're a big shot here, Spike! See that? That's you!” she said pointing to a large statue of Spike holding out the Crystal Heart.

 

“Hello, gawgeous!” Spike said in a strange accent. His happiness soon turned to sorrow, though.

 

“What’s wrong Spike?” asked Cadence.

 

“It’s just,” Spike said turning back to the statue once and then right back to the two mares. “I wish bro was here to see this.” Twilight nodded understandingly and wrapped a hoof around the young drake.

 

“Well, he just might. If DJ has made it back to Equestria already, he might be able to see you on television!” Cadence replied happily. Both Twilight and Spike gawked at Cadence, not knowing how she knew about TV or what she was talking about. Seeing their expressions, she explained. “You see, several months ago, the Games committee was approached by an inventor who proposed a way for the games to be seen by everypony in Equestria. He called it television, a box like screen that could take in magical broadcasts from anywhere in the world. The committee agreed to use his invention of the promise that he could get it within three hundred homes by the beginning of the month. To our surprise, his employees delivered a notice saying that they had sold just over a thousand units of the device. Isn’t that amazing! The Equestria Games will even be using a specially designed model in the stadium so everypony can see clearly what is happening on the field. You have to see it; it’s absolutely gigantic!”

 

“I can’t believe it,” Twilight said finally. “I can’t believe he actually got it to work.”

 

“What are you talking about, Twilight?” asked Cadence.

 

“Cadence, the television is an invention from DJ’s world! He is the inventor that approached your committee! I don’t know who these employees are, but I now my husband would only pick the perfect ponies for the job so they must be telling the truth.”

 

Cadence gawked at her sister-in-law. “Wow! That’s simply amazing! Television is so revolutionizing! I heard Ponywood is going to be making special broadcasts for it in a few months. DJ has really made something special this time.”

 

“Yeah, he does,” Spike said, taking a quick glance at his brace blades.

 

“And with over a thousand of them out there, DJ just might be able to glimpse his little brother igniting the torch to start of the Equestria Games!”

 

“I get to light the torch?! Woo hoo!” Spike said while cheering, now just silently hoping that DJ was near a TV.

 

*****The Changeling Hive*****

 

Unfortunately for Spike, DJ was nowhere near such a device. No, instead he was currently entertaining himself, as well as his two favorite guards by repeating famous movie lines that made absolutely no sense out of context.

 

“You can’t handle the truth! Yes, Master! Open the pod bay doors, HAL! Take your stinkin’ paws off me, you damn dirty ape! I’m gonna get Medieval on your ass! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! Fasten your seatbelts; it’s gonna be a bumpy ride! I’ll have what she’s having! I’ll be back! You talkin’ to me? Game over, man! GAME OVER!!” DJ cried and fell over with a thump. Sting and Scout were doing their best not to follow suit with their laughter. DJ lifted his head and smiled with his work. Both guards suddenly went stiff; DJ knew this meant that ol’ Chrissy was coming for a visit. Speak of the devil…

 

…And the devil shall appear, Malice finished as the bug queen herself appeared in their sight.

 

“What do you want?” DJ asked, sounding rather annoyed.

 

“I have a treat for you, Sparkle. Instead of one test, we have several planned out for you today!” Chrysalis smiled happily at the prospect. DJ simply groaned and fell back. Narrowing her eyes at him, she redirected her attention to the guards. “Your shift is over, the night guards will be taking your place in ten minutes. I suggest you both make your exit.” With a flash of green light, Chrysalis was gone.

 

“Man, I wish I could do that,” DJ said dejectedly.

 

“Don’t you already know how to use magic?” asked Sting.

 

“Of course he does. I bet he just misses being able to use it,” Scout said.

 

“Well that’s part of it, but I was mostly talking about teleportation.”

 

“What’s wrong with teleporting?” Scout asked.

 

“I can’t do it!” DJ cried. “Out of all the magic that I wanted to learn, teleporting was right at the top of the list. So with Twilight as my guide, I try it out. And… nothing. Not even a damn spark. Again and again I try; for an entire month I tried to teleport and never once got the spell to work. I can’t freakin’ teleport and it freakin’ sucks!”

 

“Wow,” Scout replied. “That’s a downer. Whelp, we gotta go before the next guards see us and report us. We’ll see ya tomorrow, DJ.”

 

“See ya later!” Sting waved.

 

“Bye guys!” DJ said, lying back down on the ground.

 

“Oh, by the way,” Scout said looking back into the cell. DJ lifted his head, showing he was listening. “I didn’t know whether or not you wanted to know, but we heard from our scouts in Equestria that the ‘Equestria Games’ are taking place today. Hope that at least tells you how long you’ve been here. See you tomorrow, your highness.” DJ’s face was blank.

 

“WHAT?!” he yelled into his cell. “Today is the Equestria Games?! What the hell?! Aww! I wanted to see the games! Today was supposed to be my big day for television! This SUCKS!!” DJ wallowed in self-pity for a moment, before it was broken by a familiar, yet pleasant voice.

 

“Sir? I am detecting broadcast signals in the air around us,” said Omni. DJ looked down to the device wrapped around his neck. The changelings had tried to pry it off, but due to the makeup of the device connecting with his DNA, they had no choice, but to allow him to keep it. Didn’t matter since he couldn’t transform for another couple months. Never should have used up all the power. Takes forever for a proper recharge.

 

“Ugh, then that means Flim and Flam were able to at least get the minimum quota. Guess I owe them that bonus, eh?”

 

“Sir, if I am reading these signals right, I might be able to connect to them.”

 

“What?” DJ asked, now wide awake.

 

“I maybe be able to send out a call, sir!”

 

With wide eyes, DJ gave Omni his answer. “Do it.” Omni got to work.

 

As DJ was busy with Omni, two certain changelings were in a back alley cave, discussing our hero. “Is he worth?” asked Sting.

 

“I think he is, but we need a little more. We just need to find out what he can do for us,” replied Scout.

 

“She will be pleased if he is the one we need.”

 

“Yeah, if DJ is really the one to tie this all together, then this plan really will work out in the end.” With that, the two changelings made their way toward their respective homes.

 

*****The Crystal Empire*****

 

Spike was feeling much better about himself at the current moment. After a few mess-ups earlier in the day, including being unable to light the torch to start the games, a failed singing performance, and then leading up to saving the games from a large glacier crashing down on to everypony, Spike was finally ready to do his part for the games. What was his task? To ignite the finishing ceremony’s fireworks display! He watched along with his friends and family as the night sky was lit up. Everything else had gone smoothly, with Ponyville winning a bunch of medals, having the most out of all the towns and cities in the country. Even Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were able to take home second place silver medals. And all of it was show cased on the big screen in the middle of the stadium which was proudly displaying the final medal count to the crowd.

 

Then, the screen screeched out, causing everypony to look to it with suspicion. Down in the broadcast room of the stadium, the two ponies overlooking the broadcast were going frantic trying to find out what was causing the interference. Then one of them accidentally flipped a switch and a voice came over his headphones, making his eyes widen. “Put this on the screen!” he cried. His coworker looked at him like he was crazy, but he wouldn’t have any of it. “Put it on, NOW!” Frightened slightly, he flipped the correct switches and everypony could see and hear what was causing the interference. Twilight, Spike, and everypony else watched in awe as the screen turned black and then immediately a face filled it, a familiar face.

 

“Hello? Hello! This thing on?” said the pony that was on screen.

 

“We are currently live, sir. Whoever is watching should be able to both see and hear you.”

 

“We’re live? Oh, ehem. To whoever is listening, do not be alarmed. I am Prince DJ Sparkle of Equestria. Repeat, I am Prince DJ of Equestria. I am currently being held in the Changeling Hive in the Badlands. Please, whoever is listening, please tell the princesses! Queen Chrysalis keeps experimenting on me, trying to turn me into one of her changelings. All attempts have failed so far, but I don’t how much longer that will hold up. Please—“

 

“Hey! Who are you talking to?” asked a harsh voice from outside the screen.

 

“Nopony!” DJ quickly replied. Whispering, he continued, “I don’t how much time I have left! SOMEPONY GET ME OUTTA HERE!!”

 

“It’s time for your session,” spoke a feminine, yet sinister, voice. It was a voice recognized by the Sparkle family as well as the princesses. DJ started to back up on screen.

 

“Hey, wait, what are you doing with that needle?” Nopony could see anything besides DJ’s face of horror and the laugh of an evil queen. “Get away from me with that!” Then he whispered, “Omni, cut the transmission!”

 

“Right away, sir!” The last thing they saw was DJ’s face in horror and Chrysalis say,

 

“You will be mine!” Then the screen cut out and went to static. Nopony said anything, though there was a certain mare that was doing something. Celestia gasped as the saw her former student. Twilight’s coat had turned pure white in color and her mane and tail were made entirely of fire. Twilight’s rage had boiled over into a rage shift. Spike and Shining Armor both looked ready to do the same, if they could. Twilight got up and began to head towards the Crystal Palace, muttering along the way,

 

“That bitch is gonna pay for this.”

 

*****The Changeling Hive*****

 

DJ was rubbing his shoulder where a particularly long needle had been embedded. He was also glaring harshly at the one responsible for his pain. “Was that really necessary?”

 

“Hmm, well it was supposed to work after all,” Chrysalis explained. “Now, then guards! Take him to the chamber!”

 

“Chamber? What chamber?” DJ asked as he was dragged away. It took another good thirty minutes before they arrived at another sealed cave. Once forced inside, DJ found himself face to face with a medieval torture room, complete with a locking device that would all of his limbs and was guarded by both Sting and Scout. “What are they doing here?” he asked indicating his friends.

 

“Since you harbor such hatred for them, I felt it necessary for them to be present while we poke and prod you,” she explained with a sadistic smile.

 

“You’re evil!” he cried as he was put in the holding device.

 

“No, I’m curious. There’s a huge difference. Now where is that prober?”

 

“Wait Chrysalis!” DJ cried out, not wanting to know what a ‘prober’ did. “Is this all really necessary? Why do you need to keep doing this?”

 

“Because my army will once again march on Equestria very soon. And it will bring me such glee to see Celestia’s face when she’s that her own son is leading the charge against her!”

 

“Why do you need to attack Equestria? It doesn’t make any sense!”

 

“Of course it doesn’t to you! Your citizens aren’t starving and dying! Mine are! Without love, soon there will be no changelings! We can only go so long without it and we’re running out of time!”

 

“Then make peace with my country! I know my mother would be willing if all you did was explain your situation. Celestia would never your people to die!”

 

“Never! I would rather die myself than ask for help from ponies! The very thought is sickening!”

 

“Listen to me, Chrysalis,” DJ pleaded. “You’re letting your revenge cloud your mind! Let it go! Get off that train!”

 

“What train?” she asked. All the while, Scout and Sting watched in awe at the verbal battle between DJ and their queen, but then they heard the sound of music growing in the background. “You’re not, are you?” Chrysalis accused.

 

“Just listen! I’m trying to save you and your kind!” With that, DJ started to sing a song he hoped with all his heart would change Chrysalis’ mind.

 

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

 

“Don’t you see, Chrysalis? If our two races work together, we can all live in peace. Don’t you want that for your children?”

 

“No. The ponies will fall!” Chrysalis replied harshly.

 

DJ got angry. “Then you doom your kind, Chrissy! All the changelings will die because of you!”

 

“Enough!! Guards! Take him back to his cell! I don’t want to see this thing for a while.”

 

“Yes, Queen Mother,” Scout and Sting replied in unison. Together, they released DJ from the mechanism and led him back to his cell. Once he was back in, Scout spoke up. “Do you really think there can be peace between our kinds?”

 

DJ sat there for a minute, thinking of what to say. Finally, he sighed and said, “No. Not so long as Chrysalis remains queen, there will never be peace between us. It’s just not possible. Now, if Chrysalis were no longer on the throne that would be a different story altogether.”

 

“Such talk would never work,” Scout said dejectedly. “Even if there were others who shared such an idea, we would be few against many. We would be outmatched.” Suddenly, Scout found himself being pulled into the cell gate, being forced to stare right into DJ’s eyes.

 

“Don’t you ever say anything like that!” DJ warned. “Numbers mean nothing, so long as you have the will to fight.” DJ released Scout and leaned back a little. “Allow me to tell you both a story, one that is both inspiring and true. It is the tale of my birth country; the story of America. Long ago, my country was once ruled by a tyrant king of one of the greatest empires in the world. My country back then was thirteen small colonies that were ruled by that empire that was an ocean away. The king never even set foot upon the land that he ruled. He taxed my ancestors, consistently raising and raising it until it was ludicrously high. No one in their right mind would pay such prices. There were many other factors as well, mostly due to the imperial troops being douches. Well, one day they had enough and rebelled against the king. Their army numbered in the thousands, while the empire had tens of thousands!

 

They were outmatched heavily, but the Americans never gave up! No matter what, they never stopped fighting for what they believed in. They didn’t think that the king was fit to rule them, so they chose a life without that king. The Revolutionary War, as it is known, lasted for a few years, but in the end, the rebels won! Forcing the empire’s troops out of the country and declaring themselves independent! The courage of the Americans infected other countries as well, a particularly gruesome one in the country of France comes to mind. Though I am not particularly fond of how the French dealt with their former monarchy, beheading seems a little extreme if you ask me, they did produce a phrase that still causes inspiration to this day!”

 

Sting and Scout were in awe at the description of American bravery. Scout himself felt invigorated by it. It was awe inspiring and he felt he could take on anything with that courage. “What was the phrase?” he asked eagerly.

 

DJ smiled and took in a big breath. “VIVE LA REVOLUTION!! It means, ‘Long Live the Revolution’.”

 

Scout smiled, committing it to memory. “I like it. Though, would Queen Chrysalis falling really change anything?”

 

“Dude, if you got rid of Chrysalis, I would personally forge a peace treaty between our two nations,” DJ said while reclining against the wall. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”

 

“Good night, DJ,” Scout and Sting said, leaving the cell area so the night guards could return. The two changelings had a lot to think over, but were interrupted from their thoughts by another changeling, covered in the darkness of the cave it was in. This one was slightly bigger than them and was female as well.

 

“Well, is he the one?” she asked.

 

“He is,” Scout answered. “With his help, everything will change for the better. With DJ on our side, we truly have a chance to overthrow the Queen.”

 

“Good,” she replied. “I will speak with him soon and decide for myself if your words ring true.”

 

“They will, my princess.”

 

Princess Insectum walked into the light partially, displaying her regalia. “I hope so, Scout. I truly hope so.”

 

*****The Crystal Empire*****

 

A fairly large cart rolled along roads of the Crystal Empire. Its unassuming appearance kept all from bothering it and its twin driver. Both stallions with red manes, the only telling between the two was the red moustache on only one brother’s muzzle. Flim and Flam drove their cart through the city, with the palace as a destination. They stopped just short, a few blocks away, allowing their two passengers to disembark.

 

“Are you sure about this ma’am?” asked Flim.

 

The mare looked at him from beneath her cloak. “Yes, we will be fine. Thank you two, for your help in getting us here.” She elbowed her companion.

 

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” replied the husky, yet still feminine voice of her traveling partner.

 

“Well, you two take care now, and be careful. Tell our employer we said ‘hello’,” Flam cried as the two started off back down the way they came. The mare watched them go for a second, then turned back to the Crystal Palace. They had taken nearly a day to travel here after hearing the news of what happened at the end of the Equestria Games. She knew she had to come, despite the circumstances between her and another who was no doubt here. She was suddenly nudged by her friend.

 

“Come on, let’s go save your brother,” she said, while starting off for the castle. With a sigh, the mare started forward, looking to the castle with her glasses-covered eyes. We’re coming DJ. It’s my turn to save you.

Planning to Strike

It was nighttime in the changeling hive, and its one prisoner was busy asleep. DJ smiled happily as he dreamed. The reason for this? He was home, with Twilight by his side, Nyx and Scootaloo playing nearby and Spike cooking a wonderful dinner of… roast Chrysalis? Well, it was certainly entertaining to DJ and Malice who was in the dream as his own being, busying himself by seasoning the roasting queen as Spike twirled her around over the fire. Deep down, he knew this would never happen, but this was a dream and was the funniest thing ever at the moment!

 

Outside the jail cell, the two night guards looked over at the smiling alicorn with disdain. This pony was a prisoner of their queen and was not allowed to be happy. So, one of them picked up his spear and rudely started poking DJ with the blunt end. It took a few tries, but after successfully jabbing DJ’s nose with the spear, the alicorn prince awoke with a start. Sleepily, he glared at the two guards who returned the gesture in kind.

 

“Can I help you?” he asked curtly.

 

“You were smiling in your sleep,” one answered emotionlessly.

 

“Is that a crime?” DJ retorted sarcastically.

 

“You are a prisoner of the Queen Mother; you are not allowed to be smiling about anything!” the other said with a touch of anger. DJ glared at them even harsher, but decided trying to give the two guards a smack down at the moment wouldn’t amount to anything. So, DJ picked himself up and moved further into the cell, out of reach of the guards and their spears, muttering the whole way.

 

“Not allowed to smile, I’ll give you something to smile about, ya stupid, worthless…” DJ sat down on his rump, facing the wall, thinking of a multitude of ways to punish those two. The night guards were nothing like Sting and Scout; these two were emotionless and completely dedicated to Chrysalis. To sum it up, they were not fun in any way. DJ kept muttering to himself, more than a little ticked about being awakened from such a good dream.

 

“If I had my powers, ohoho, you two would be dead. A little Force lightning, a little Force push, then finish up with alchemic cage. Yeah, that’ll teach them. I’d just clap my hooves and seal them in a cell. Yep, just clap my hooves like so.” He clapped his two hooves together, knowing nothing would happen, except that doing so ushered out the familiar ‘ding’ of alchemy being prepared. DJ’s eyes went wide and his mouth agape; he couldn’t believe what he just heard. He looked at his hooves as if he were seeing them for the first time and then clapped them together again, resulting in the ding once again. “No way,” he muttered.

 

Malice, DJ said in his mind to awaken his partner, who simply ignored it and stayed sleeping. Malice! he cried out again, with the same result. MALICE!! With a small scream, Malice flailed awake within his mental chamber in DJ’s mind.

 

Ow, he muttered from falling off his mental bed. What do you want kid? I was getting some sleep?

 

Malice, this entirely worth waking you up! DJ clapped his hooves showing Malice the result. The demon’s eyes widened.

 

What. The. Hell?! How? Why? How do we still have our powers? Chrissy has the swords! Do all them still work, or is it just alchemy?

 

Let me check. DJ looked over at spotted a rock. Thinking a little, DJ called upon the Force and, to the surprise of both beings, the rock levitated over to him. Eeyup, we’re still packin’!

 

Malice smiled wickedly. Ohoho, this is sooo perfect! Next time Chrissy comes down to puncture us like a freakin’ pin cushion, we show her what happens when a bug gets zapped! That or we use alchemy to spear her to a wall or somethin’. I dunno, I just know that Chrissy is so dead!

 

That she is! She’d better watch herself now or –

 

“Hey!! Look presentable!” a guard shouted into the cage, bringing DJ to face the changeling, a little peeved about being interrupted from his mental tirade. “The princess wishes to speak with you!” DJ looked in-between the guards to see another changeling wearing some form of regalia. She was roughly the same height as DJ, but a somewhat slender build and had a fair amount of green hair. She looked like a very young Chrysalis.

 

“Greetings, Prince Sparkle,” she spoke with a much kinder voice than her mother. “I am Princess Insectum, blood-child of Queen Chrysalis and ruler of the United Hives.”

 

DJ wasn’t sure about some of the things that she said, but figured to ask a later time. “I am Prince DJ Sparkle of Equestria, adopted son of Princess Celestia and born of another world. As well as husband to the Princess of Magic, Twilight Sparkle, and adoptive father of Nightmare Moon.” DJ felt pleased at Insectum’s surprised face at the title he came up with on the spot. When Insectum shook herself out of her stupor, DJ spoke again. “How may be of service to you, Princess Insectum?”

 

“You seem much more relaxed at this than I assumed,” Insectum noted.

 

DJ shrugged. “I was trained in diplomacy after the wedding. Though, I didn’t pay much attention to it; I frickin’ hate politics. Being a gentlecolt, however, is something that comes naturally.”

 

Insectum gave him an amused look. “A prince who hates politics, never thought I would see the day. Well, as you asked, I need you to come with me. There are some… things that I would like to discuss with you.”

 

Now that DJ had his powers back, he figured he would search through Insectum’s feelings, looking for any form of deception or ill intent. He became perplexed, however, after finding such feelings, but they were not directed at him; no, instead they seemed to be directed to his two guards. Curious, he noted mentally. Should we hear her out?\

 

I got a good feeling about this bug. Let’s see what she wants, then deal with getting out of this trash hole.

 

Sounds like a plan. DJ looked at Insectum with a casual smile. “I am not really in a position to say otherwise, now am I?” He got up and began to stride towards the door. Insectum backed away as the guards opened up the cell door, allowing DJ to walk out.

 

“This way, if you would,” she told him, gesturing to her left exit. DJ nodded and they began to walk, with the two night guards following. After a few steps, Insectum stopped and turned to the two changelings. “I will not be needing protection. You are both to stay here and await further orders.”

 

“But your majesty—“ spoke one of the guards, but Insectum interrupted.

 

“You will do as I command. The pony is in no condition to harm me in any way. Plus, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. Is that understood?”

 

Both changelings look to their princess and back at DJ several times before hanging their heads in defeat. “As you command, Princess Insectum,” they said in perfect unison. Nodding happily, Insectum began to lead DJ away. They walked through several tunnels and outcroppings, by passing the larger parts of the hive that could be considered cities. However, these crevices were not empty. Several were mass graves that, for some, were near full with corpses. In other areas were changelings that looked near death or were dying on the ‘streets’. It made DJ sick to see all this suffering and yet their ‘queen’ only worried herself with revenge. He pitied the queen, knowing that she will be the one to bring ruin to her once great people. After a while, Insectum stopped outside a barricaded door and turned towards her prisoner.

 

“We are alone now, Prince DJ; away from my mother’s influence. So, I must ask you a few questions. Is this acceptable?” Her tone made it seem much more like a statement than an actual question, so DJ complied with a nod. “Good. Now, I hear you have befriended two of your guards. Is this true?”

 

DJ glared at her. “If I hear that either of them is harmed because of this conversation, I will hunt you down and put your head on a spike. Be careful of whose friends you mess with.”

 

Insectum shook her head. “I am only wondering if you truly befriended two of my brothers. There is no harm in friendship. Next question: do you think ponies and changelings can ever live in peace?”

 

DJ sighed and looked Insectum right in the eyes. “No, not so long as Chrysalis holds the throne. Her drive for revenge will undermine any form of peace we may have with each other. She’s too far gone and nothing will dissuade her. She truly believes that conquering Equestria will solve all of your problems, when doing so will only hinder you so much more. King Sombra conquered the Crystal Empire and enslaved all of its citizens, just as Chrysalis plans to do with my home. Only, there was no love when Sombra took over. If there had been, the Crystal Heart would have been used against him long before. No, enslaving a race will take away all of the love and your kind will still starve. If Chrysalis wasn’t in charge, then yes, I do believe that our two kinds could live in peace. It would take some adjusting and years to get used to, but I do believe that it could work.”

 

The changeling princess nodded. “So, if my mother wasn’t the Queen anymore, would you be willing to create peace between us?”

 

Her question made DJ highly suspicious of her, but answered honestly. “If she wasn’t queen, then I would force my way into the throne room of Canterlot Castle and force all of the nobles to agree to a peace treaty. I know it would only take a little convincing to get my mother and aunt, so only the nobles would prove troublesome. But, yes, I would take it upon myself to forge a long lasting bond between our two races. I believe it would be much more beneficial than us remaining enemies.”

 

Insectum nodded with a smile. “Good answer. Now I have one last question, but first, I want to show you something.” With a quick burst of magic, the barricaded door behind them disappeared, revealing a darkened passageway. “Follow,” she said while walking through. DJ was hesitant, of course, but followed after a moment. After several flights of stairs, DJ found himself in a massive chamber, one filled with other changelings that were busy making weapons and armor while others were sparing or excising. “Welcome, DJ, to the Changeling Rebellion,” Insectum said proudly with an outstretched hoof.

 

DJ looked upon in wonder as well as confusion. “’Rebellion’?” he parroted. “You mean that you intend to overthrow your own mother?”

 

“That’s the plan dude,” spoke a voice from DJ’s left. He turned to see none other than Scout looking back at him with a smile. “Welcome, man. Sting’ll be happy to see you here, too.”

 

DJ looked at his friend with a gaping mouth and bug eyes. Before he could see anything, Insectum spoke. “Your words ring truth, Prince. My mother is consumed by her revenge. She simply won’t listen to reason, not even to me, her blood daughter, born from her womb as a true child. I fear for my brethren should we continue down this dark path. That is why I have brought you here. DJ Sparkle, will you help us? We need your assistance as well as your word. Should you help us, in exchange for your release, all we ask is that you negotiate peace between the United Hives and Equestria. What say you, will you help save my kind?”

 

DJ looked from the princess out to the training fields and the forges. He watched as the changelings prepared themselves to fight against their own mother, one who was supposed to protect and nourish them, only for her to lead them to extinction. He then remembered the mass graves and the starving others who lied in the darkness, waiting for death’s sweet embrace. He could never leave such things alone. He turned back to Insectum, who looked at him with pleading eyes. With his infamous smirk. “When do we start?” Insectum and Scout both looked at DJ with grateful smiles.

 

“Right this way, we start now,” said the princess leading him and Scout further in.

 

“Good, cause we got a lot of work to do,” replied DJ.

 

*****The Crystal Palace*****

 

Princess looked over the round table with a stern face. After the surprise interruption of her missing son at the Equestria Games, she and Twilight brought all of friends and military advisors here, the War Room of the Crystal Palace, a room that hadn’t seen use since Twilight and her friends convened here to discuss the Crystal Fair. Around the table was DJ’s greatest friends and allies: Shining Armor, Cadence, Luna, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, and Pinkie Pie. All of them wore faces of determination, save Twilight, who had calmed down from her rage shift, yet still held a face of fury. Also were her top generals: Gleaming Shield and Aegis. Both stallions were second only two Shining Armor in strength, skill, and determination as well as two of the few guards that had personally met the missing prince and befriended him.

 

“You all know why we have convened here,” Celestia started, looking to everypony gathered. “My son, Prince DJ, has been captured by the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis. We are to discuss his recovery and rescue. What information do we have?” she asked, turning to Aegis.

 

“The location of the changeling hive,” he said, pulling out a map that covered the whole table. “We discovered it after the Invasion of Canterlot. It is right smack-dab in the middle of the Badlands, an easy three day trek from the nearest populated area. Unfortunately, none of our spies were able to infiltrate the hive, so we would be going in blind.”

 

Celestia nodded and looked to Gleaming. “We were able to triangulate the source of the prince’s broadcast, placing him deep within the main hive.”

 

“Main hive?” asked Applejack. Gleaming nodded.

 

“Yes. Based on our research, the Changeling Hive is in fact made up of several hives that have been grouped together with a much larger hive in the center. We have estimated there to be just about a dozen hives surrounding the main. We are unsure of why, but right now it doesn’t seem important.”

 

Again, Celestia nodded, this time looking to Shining Armor. “I will need a team to perform this operation, Captain,” she said to him. “Would you be willing?”

 

Shining pounded his hoof on the table. “You’re damn right I am. Excuse the language Princess, but nopony messes with my family, especially not her.”

 

“I’m coming with, Shining,” Twilight said with determination. “She won’t be getting away with taking my husband.”

 

Shining wanted to deny her, but the fierce look in his sister’s eyes told him that there was no backing down this time. He nodded, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop her. What he didn’t expect was who volunteered next. “So am I,” said none other than Spike! Every eye turned toward the dragon, who was now sporting his cloak, a strong look in his eyes.

 

“Spike—“ started Shining, but Spike beat him to it.

 

“I am not staying behind this time. DJ hasn’t trained me for nothing. I can help!” Everypony gasped as Spike grew to his new size, showing his strength. “I can fight now and I am going to help save my brother-in-law. If I can fight off three teenage dragons, I can take on some stupid bugs.”

 

Even Celestia was a little frightened by Spike’s new attitude, but felt a little more secure of this mission with the dragon going along. “I believe that Spike will be a good addition to your team, Captain Armor. I suggest we let him.” Shining didn’t seem so sure, but reluctantly agreed. Spike reverted back to his original size, happy about being included in this adventure. Then the captain turned to the others around the table and spoke.

 

“I am not allowing any you others along. The rest of my squad will be guards of my choosing. This one will be handled by the trained professionals, not civilians.” The girls weren’t ready to back down so easily, but Shining’s harsh glare quieted them all, though Big Mac took a little more convincing. Shining let out a sigh with that out of the way and then looked at the map. “I wish we had a little more to go on than the hive’s location. I don’t like the idea of going in there blind.”

 

“You may not have to,” spoke an unknown voice from the doorway. All heads turned to see two cloaked figures standing there. The three military ponies jumped to their hooves and placed themselves in front of the others, protecting the princesses and the civilians with their own flesh. “Stand down, captains,” spoke the smaller of the two figures.

 

“What gives you the right to order them around?!” Rainbow Dash asked angrily.

 

“She has plenty of right,” growled the larger figure. Both were obviously female, but nopony were expecting the sight of the taller one without her cloak. It was a griffon, one that was highly familiar. She smiled at the dumbfounded faces of the girls. “What? Surprised to see me, Dashie? And I thought we were friends,” she almost snarled at the word.

 

Rainbow Dash couldn’t think or say anything. It was all too shocking. “G-G-Gilda?! What the… how the… what? What are you doing here!?” she finally asked with a little angry.

 

“Helping a friend!” she cried back. The smaller figure put a hoof on her shoulder, pulling her back.

 

“Calm down, Gilda. We will work on your issues with Dash another day. Right now, we have a pony to save. Now, I ask you again to stand down, Captain Aegis and Captain Gleaming Shield.”

 

“And why should we listen to you?” Aegis said back with a glare.

 

The mare sighed, hanging her head for a moment before standing tall. “Does my word mean so little now?” She then pulled back her head, making everypony gasp as her identity was revealed. The mare was a pure white alicorn with pastel pink and blue mane. “As a princess of Equestria, you will stand down.”

 

“P-princess Pixel Berry!” they both stuttered out. Celestia was gaping at the sight; she was inwardly grateful and overly joyed that her daughter had come back, but something also made her cautious of Berry, and that worried her deeply. The two guards bowed and backed away. “Apologies Princess Berry. We didn’t know it was you.”

 

Berry’s harsh look didn’t change as she and Gilda approached the table. Looking into her saddle bags, Berry pulled out several large rolled sheets of paper and tossed them onto the table. “What are these?” asked Twilight taking one from the pile, only for it to be teleported back with the others.

 

“These are an intricate map of the Changeling Hive,” Berry said with a smug face.

 

“And how did you get your hooves on these?” asked a worried Celestia. Berry glared at her mother slightly, disturbing several present.

 

“I stole them,” she said coolly. “Straight from the hive itself.” Everypony was staring at her with gaping mouths and/or wide eyes. “If you’re wondering why I was in the hive, well that’s my business and my business alone. Now, in exchange for this information, I want myself and my friend, Gilda, to be included in the rescue op. Those are my terms.”

 

“And what is stopping us from simply taking this information?” asked Princess Cadence, a little miffed at her cousin’s attitude. “We could simply take these maps and leave you out.”

 

“You could do that,” Berry replied evenly, “But it would lead to the maps being destroyed. I have enchanted them to disintegrate should they be picked up in magic that isn’t mine unless I program that unique signature into the spell matrix. Sure you could try to take them in your hooves, but that’s where Gilda comes in. Gilda?”

 

Gilda smiled, opening her beak slightly and letting out a small burst of red flame. Her grin could be described as ‘shit-eating’ as she looked at everypony’s expression. “That’s what happens after being cured from a failed transformation spell, everypony,” she said while crossing her talons smugly. Berry smiled and nodded, then turning back to the others.

 

“So, do we have a deal?” she asked. Shining Armor was about to verbally berate his sister-in-law, but a hoof on his shoulder told him no. It was Celestia, who was looking at Berry with a pained expression. Shining sighed in defeat.

 

“You win Pixel, you and Gilda will be a part of the team. We’ll figure out the details after I have assembled the remaining members.” Berry nodded in understanding and then made her leave, as did the others, knowing that things would be figured out a later point, once they all got some sleep. Twilight started off towards her room at the palace, but stopped as she saw Celestia speaking with Pixel Berry. She hid around the corner of the hall and listened in.

 

“…please, Berry. All I want is for you to come home,” Celestia pleaded, sounding like she was ready to cry.

 

“I can’t. Not, yet. I have to see this through. I have learned things, things that I need to see through to the end. You made your thoughts on the idea pretty clear last time, princess,” Berry spat. Twilight’s eyes widened. Berry never called Celestia ‘princess’. It was always ‘mom’. She could hear as Celestia began to cry.

 

“Little one, please! I didn’t mean those words; I swear. It was all a mistake, please let me make it up to you. I don’t want to lose you, Pixel Berry!”

 

Twilight saw Berry waver slightly, but still held firm. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be going back to Canterlot for a while. I will come back someday, but it won’t be soon. I need to find out the truth and I can only do that out there, in the world! I can’t be locked up in the castle like some priceless antique. I’m not fragile, far from it. I’ve been through my own hardships, both on Earth and here. I told you exactly what happened during my imprisonment in the Griffon Empire and I’ve seen even worse out in the Badlands. But now, brother has been taken by that evil bitch, Chrysalis, and I’m not leaving him in her twisted hooves. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to Gilda at the hotel.” Berry turned to leave, but turned back to say one last thing, “I will come back… mom.” With that, Berry took off with a flash of magic, leaving Celestia sobbing in the middle of the hallway.

 

Twilight couldn’t bear to see her mentor in such pain, so she moved from her hiding spot and wrapped a wing around the solar princess, surprising her slightly. Turning to see Twilight smiling back at her apologetically, Celestia put her muzzle in Twilight’s shoulder and cried out over two months of worry and hardships, Twilight simply rubbing her back, wondering in disbelief at the strange circumstances that led to their two places being switched as well as to what was happening between the two ponies. All she knew at the moment was her mother-figure was in a great deal of pain and she was gonna be there for her, just as Celestia was always there for her.

 

**********

Several hours later, Shining Armor had all of them reconvene in the war room. He described their plan in full detail, from travel to insertion then to rescue and finally evac. Aside from himself, Twilight, Spike, Berry, and Gilda, Armor had recruited four other guards. Two from Canterlot and two from the Empire; all of whom had former combat op training and were highly trained in search and rescue. With everything explained, Shining Armor had one thing to say to the gathered ponies.

 

“Chrysalis got away at my wedding and nearly destroyed our city in the process. This time, she has gone too far by taking my brother-in-law, who is good pony that saved this Empire only a year ago. This time, she will fall and DJ will be returned to us. For DJ!”

 

“For DJ!!” they shouted back.

 

“Good! Synchronize your watches everypony, in three weeks’ time, we strike!”

 

*****The Changeling Hive*****

 

“Fascinating, simply fascinating!” DJ said as Princess Insectum walked him back to his cell. They were passing the time through stories and Insectum was explaining to him why she referred to the changeling home as the United Hives. “So, your grandmother, the birth mother of Chrysalis, actually united the thirteen changeling hives to create this massive one, all to bring the changeling race closer together? Amazing!”

 

Insectum nodded. “Indeed. Our kind prospered after the merge, creating a healthy economy of trade between the newly united hives. It was booming for decades, changelings having only to depend on one another with no outside interference. But, when my mother took charge, she took control of everything, wanting every changeling to have equal shares of everything and anything. She thought that it would make everypony happy. All it did was—“

 

“It just made everything fall. Nopony would be willing to work, knowing that it would amount to nothing, everypony just had to sit on their asses and wait for handouts. That’s communism for ya; great in idea, not in reality,” DJ interrupted. Insectum stared in disbelief at him, but he just continued. “Capitalism does have its flaws, I’ll admit, but it has better advantages. Health competition is one, it spurs creativity and results in newer and better products.”

 

“Exactly!” Insectum cried. “How do you know such things?”

 

“Similar problem back where I came from. Resulted in a cold war that lasted nearly fifty years between the two large super powers of the world. One had a communistic government, while the other, my country, was capitalistic. The clash of ideals led to many advances in technology and warfare so that they could one up each other. Thankfully, it never led to a full out war, but there were a few skirmishes here and there.”

 

“Amazing. Even other worlds have such problems.”

 

DJ chuckled a little. “You’d be amazed at how similar our worlds actually are if you bothered to look.” They arrived at DJ’s cell just as morning approached and the night guards would be replaced. The guards opened the cell and DJ walked in, planting himself down on the hard stone, looking back to Insectum. A moment later, Scout and Sting arrived for their shift and relieved the night changelings. The four members of the rebellion made one last check before starting conversation.

 

“Alright you three,” started Insectum. “Do you all know the plan?”

 

“Yes, your highness,” replied Sting. “We are to start taking out night guards, incapacitating them and capturing them to be imprisoned in the stronghold.”

 

“From there, we take in the weak points of the central palace and we figure out the guard shifts so we have as little resistance as possible,” continued Scout.

 

“Good. Will you be ready, DJ?” The three changelings looked to DJ, who smirked and let a little electricity into his hooves.

 

“You get my swords, and I’ll be ready for a fight.” They nodded. “Be prepared, my friends, for in three weeks, this ends.”

I Love it When a Plan Comes Together

The past three weeks have been agonizing work for the Equestrian Rescue team. Ever since Shining Armor formed his team that would rescue his missing brother-in-law, they had been preparing for the mission day in and day out. Twilight, Spike, and the four guards were put through rigorous training sessions, prepping them for all scenarios that could occur. Berry and Gilda, however, only ever showed up for mission briefings, never partaking in the training. Shining Armor did not like this, but was unable to ever find those two unless they wanted to be found. He found Berry’s new attitude very strange and couldn’t help but feel worried about the young alicorn, especially with nearly three months of her life being unaccounted for. Those two would be able to perform their part, or so they told him. He could only hope.

 

Now was the not the time for negativity, though. Shining and his team had arrived in Dodge Junction, the closest settlement to the Bad Lands, a couple of days prior and the Changeling Hive was now in sight. Three weeks of preparation and training was about to culminate in a rescue the likes of which Equestria hadn’t seen in centuries. Shining mentally went over his team. Two highly powerful alicorns, one with a massive magical reserve and the other whose powers were unknown. Two crystal earth ponies whose strength rivaled minotaurs, but who also had the powers of invisibility that was unique to the crystal ponies. Two highly trained royal guards, one a unicorn who specialized in stealth and precision magic, the other a pegasus who could have been a Wonderbolt with her speed. Then there was a highly trained dragon with transformative abilities and a griffon with anger issues. Including himself with his specialty in shield magic, they were quite the ragtag group; something he just knew DJ would pick up on.

 

He turned to Pixel Berry, who was glaring at the massive hive, and spoke. “Alright then Berry, let’s see the map.”

 

Berry teleported the map into her magical grip and opened it. “Our entrance is about 3 klicks south west of here.” She folded the map and stashed it. “Let’s go, we don’t know what kind of hell brother has been through since we last heard from him.” She and Gilda started down the hill where they were stationed, leaving the others to catch up. Roughly an hour later, the group found the entrance they needed, it was a low exhaust point where fresh, clean air was cycled into the hive naturally through the caves. It was on the lowest level of the hive, according to the map, and was lightly guarded making it a good entrance for the group. They hid behind a nearby rock, watching the cave with suspicion.

 

“You’re up girl,” Gilda whispered to Berry. The young alicorn nodded and lit her horn. In front of them, her magical pixels began to form in the air until a strange spherical object was floating there. It had a few grooves cut into it and a large glowing circle on the front. Pixel urged the construct forward, her eyes glowing a dim white. The seconds ticked by and then Pixel cut the magic on her horn and her eyes returned to normal. She shook her head clear and addressed the group.

 

“There’s one guard roughly halfway in, but it’s clear from there.”

 

Shining nodded, not exactly sure what he just saw, but it was certainly helpful. “Alright. Lieutenant, you’re up,” he said addressing one of the crystal ponies. The stallion nodded and disappeared from sight. The group waited a few moments and then began to make their way into the air cleanser. Just as Berry said, there was a guard about halfway into the tunnel, only he was now unconscious and lying in a heap. The team pushed on and found the lieutenant standing watch near the exit.

 

“We’re clear your highness,” he reported with a salute.

 

Shining nodded. “Good work, Lieutenant,” he commended and then turned to the group, “Alright, phase one complete. Now to find our missing prince. Which way to the prisons?” Shining asked, looking at Berry.

 

Berry was currently overlooking the map. “As we know, this level contains five separate detention areas, and we have no idea which one my brother is being held in. So, we start with the nearest one and hope for the best. It’s about a half klick, that way,” she said while pointing down a darkened hall.

 

“Good. Remember, we stick together. We can’t have anypony going off to be a hero. And make sure we aren’t seen. The less commotion we make, the easier it will be to get out of here without a problem.” They all nodded and trudged off into the tunnels.

 

Hours later, and they had found nothing; not a single sign of the prince. What was even stranger was the complete lack of guards at all. Not once had they come across a single changeling down there. It was beginning to make several of them worry that the changelings already knew they were coming. Suddenly, they heard something coming from one of the vertical shafts behind them. They turned and got ready for whatever was coming at them. Gilda flashed her claws, the ponies with horns lit them with magic, the crystal ponies stood ready to defend, the pegasus flew up to be able to take down any enemy from the air, and Spike went into ‘fight mode’, as he called it. The sound got louder and louder, until finally something came crashing out of the shaft, barreling straight into Twilight who yelped at the sudden attack. Not a second later, a purple beam of light was fired from her horn, sending whatever it was flying off her and landing in a heap in front of the group. Shining helped his sister to her hooves, but stopped as the form let out a groan and began to speak.

 

“Ugh, okay, who left an S.M.A.R.T. bomb at the bottom of the shaft? That freakin’ hurt!” All eyes suddenly turned to see a deep blue alicorn who was holding his head. “I really need to talk with someone about my bad luck. Maybe I need to get me a seven leaf clover.”

 

“DJ?” Twilight asked tentatively. The alicorn looked at them in shock, but then smiled brightly.

 

“Well, well, well. What a wonderful surprise!”

 

*****The Changeling Hive – A Few Hours Earlier*****

 

“Years of planning have finally paid off, man,” Scout was saying as he and DJ walked through the rebel hideout. The last three weeks had been busy for all of them. Night guards all over the Hive had been disappearing only to appear in a storage closet in the hideout. Everything was going to plan and today was the day: the day where Chrysalis was defeated and a new reign of peace began.

 

“Yep, a real ‘Murican style revolution we got here,” DJ replied with a smile.

 

“’Murica?” Scout asked.

 

“It’s a fun way of saying ‘America’. Most in my country who bothered doing it, did so with a loud yell full of patriotism! Like this: ‘MURICA!! See, it is fun!”

 

Scout smiled and chuckled a little to himself, but before he could say anything, a voice came from above. “You teaching my hatch brother more nonsense?”

 

Both stallions looked up to see Sting working on sharpening his spear. DJ smiled at his other changeling friend. “’Sup, Sting! Ready for tonight?”

 

“Damn straight, but I really wish you would stop infecting my hatch brother with those strange phrases of yours. He’s already gotten most of the army to chant ‘vive la revolution’ when we charge the palace. We don’t need him randomly spouting ‘Murica’ now, too.”

 

Sting looked affronted. “I am simply embracing my patriotism, dear brother! How dare you insinuate that I simply do it for fun. That just happens to be a good benefit to doing so.”

 

Sting rolled his eyes and then pointed his spear at DJ. “You are a terrible influence,” he declared.

 

DJ smirked. “I know.” The three shared a good laugh. It was amazing how close the three stallions had become in only about two months. DJ had learned so much from these two, like them being ‘hatch brothers’ which meant that they were hatched at the same time and right next to each other. As close to twins as the changeling society got. They were good guys, only wanting what was best for their fellow man… bug… thing. Scout and Sting enjoyed DJ’s company as well, knowing that this pony was not like the others and was actually willing to risk his own life for them. He was a true friend. Before any of them could talk any further, Insectum came into view at the center podium.

 

“Alright everyone, gather around!” she declared. A few minutes passed before they were all ready to listen to the changeling princess. “First of all, I thank all of you for your devotion to our cause. I know this is strange and eerily odd to all of you, myself included, but we must face facts. Our mother, Queen Chrysalis, is taking our kind down a dark path, one that we may never be able to walk away from if we continue. I won’t lie to you, today there will be bloodshed. There will be those who will remain loyal despite the facts and they will not go down without a fight. It will be a full on civil war out there and not all of us may make it out this alive. But, this our only chance to make sure that we as a race survive. Prince DJ of Equestria has promised us peace and will be assisting in our efforts. He has even offered to be the first to charge into battle!” It was at the point that DJ’s mind took a little vacation. I agreed to what now? “But it will not be he who takes down mother and imprisons her for her crime, it will be us! For today, we are one kind; one family! For the changelings!”

 

“FOR THE CHANGELINGS!!”cried the crowd.

 

“Great! Now to your stations everyone! We have a kingdom to take back!”

 

“Yeah!!” they cried out and got to work, finishing up the weapons prepping, assembling and donning their armor, etc. Insectum then approached DJ.

 

“I believe these belong to you,” she said while hoofing him two silver cylinders. It was his primary weapons: the lightsabers!

 

“You came through,” he said, summoning them to his belt clip. “I guess that just leaves my end of the deal.”

 

The princess nodded. “And remember DJ, it must be one of us who defeats mother, or the changelings will think that you are trying to take over.”

 

He nodded in understanding. “Yeah I get it. Trust me, ruling your kingdom is the last thing I want to do. Can you imagine me being the king of anything? That’s a bad idea written all over it. Now, what’s this about me leading the charge?”

 

Insectum smiled cruelly. “Oh, but wouldn’t be grand to have mother see the son of Celestia leading her children against her?”

 

DJ deadpanned. “Ironic justice, eh? Honestly, that seems a little cruel, even for you. But, hey, I don’t make the rules. Better get going, then, huh?”

 

Insectum nodded. “Mm hmm.” She pointed over to a nearby hole. “That will lead you to our starting point. Once we are ready, you are to descend down into there and make sure we have a clear path to march into the palace. Understand?”

 

“Completely,” DJ confirmed with a nod. After running through a few checks, mostly on armor and weapons, it was time for DJ to go. DJ turned to see Scout, Sting, and Insectum watching him patiently. “See you all on the battlefield,” he said, approaching the hole.

 

“We’ll meet you inside the palace,” Scout told him. “Don’t be late!”

 

DJ smirked. “Don’t even know the meaning of the word!” DJ back flipped and fell down into the hole, screaming “Yahoohoohooiee!” the whole way down. Most of the shaft was a straight shot, but then, DJ hit a bend. “Yeowch!” he said as he bounded off the curve, tumbling down the shaft. He hit several more twists and turns, until finally shooting out the bottom end. He landed in a heap on top of something that was warm and soft, only for him to be shot skyward by a powerful blast. This time, he landed in a heap on hard rock. “Ugh, okay, who left an S.M.A.R.T. bomb at the bottom of the shaft? That freakin’ hurt! I really need to talk with someone about my bad luck. Maybe I need to get me a seven leaf clover.” DJ shook off the grogginess of being bounced around and then hear a familiar voice speak to him.

 

“DJ?” The alicorn jerked his head in the direction of his voice and was shocked to see who he saw. Standing there was none other than his loving wife Twilight, being helped up by her brother Shining Armor. He saw that they were surrounded by armored ponies. He realized immediately what he was seeing: his rescue team. He smiled brightly before addressing them with a pleasant British accent.

 

“Well, well, well. What a wonderful surprise! You blokes here to rescue little ol’ me? Ah, I’m touched!”

 

“DJ!” Twilight cried, but was stopped from rushing him by Shining’s magic.

 

“Hold on Twily, this could be a trap. He could just be a changeling in disguise.”

 

DJ frowned at Shining for stopping Twilight from glomping him and no doubt peppering him with kisses. He would have loved that! “Aw come on! Me want the love of a certain purple mare!” he whined while sticking out his forehooves in a false attempt to grab her. This only caused Shining to glare at him even harsher.

 

“You may sound like my brother-in-law, you may even look like him, but how do we know you’re really DJ Sparkle?”

 

DJ brought a hoof to his chin, tapping it while thinking on best to prove his identity. He smiled as an idea came to him. “Alright, I know how to prove myself!” The group leaned in slightly, all anxious to see what he had planned. “How many other crazy minded stallions can do this!” DJ’s body then began to spazz out uncontrollably as he shouted, “FAIRY GODPARENTS! FAIRY GODPARENTS!! FAIRY GODPARENTS!!!” When he was done, DJ looked out to see all of them stunned beyond speech. Then the tall fellow spoke with a familiar voice.

 

“Eeyup, that’s bro alright.” DJ’s eyes widened and he rushed forward, passed Shining, Twilight, and the other guards, right up to the towering figure.

 

“Spike? Is that you?” The teenage dragon nodded with a happy smile. “What the hell happened to you? You’re tall and muscular and wearing a rip off of my coat! I must say you look like quite the bad flank, my good drake.” DJ was nodding appreciatively and smiling proudly. An ‘ehem’, brought his focus back to the mare he had rush by. “Eheheh,” he laughed nervously, “Sorry, dear. Got caught up in the moment.”

 

Twilight then began to advance on him, her smile turning to a snarl. Uh oh! “You stupid, moron, and problem causing stallion!” she screamed at him as she got right in his face. “Do you have any idea how worried everypony has been about you?!” she asked while poking him with a hoof. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself mister?”

 

DJ just stared at her with a blank face and then pulled a notebook out of… wherever it is that Pinkie trained ponies keep stuff. “I got you some knowledge,” he said while presenting her the notebook. Twilight eyes the notebook cautiously.

 

“What kind of knowledge?”

 

“Changeling knowledge. Like how their society and economy works, some of their biology, and a fair amount of history,” he listed off. Twilight looked between him and the notebook a few times with an unreadable expression. Then, suddenly, Twilight pushed forward and kissed DJ passionately on the lips. It lasted for thirty seconds before they broke, both having loving smiles. Twilight then leaned in and nuzzled DJ lovingly.

 

“You’re the best,” she purred.

 

“I try,” he shrugged.

 

“Good to see you are in one piece, brother,” said a voice off to his left. DJ turned and smiled at the sight of his little sister.

 

“Haha, if it ain’t little Pixel here to save me, too! Well, don’t I feel just down right special.” Several ponies and one dragon rolled their eyes at him; now they knew for sure that this was the one and only DJ.

 

“Hey wait,” said a griffon who was with the group. “How did you even get here, dude? Aren’t you supposed to be, ya know, locked up?”

 

DJ leaned into Twilight’s ear and whispered, “Who’s the griffon?”

 

“You should know, wasn’t she in one of your episodes? That’s Gilda and apparently she and Berry are friends now,” Twilight whispered in return. DJ stared at her with bug-eyes, but quickly dispelled the shock. Before he could speak, however, another sound came from the shaft he fell out of. All of them turned to see a changeling land at the bottom of the shaft with the grace that DJ so truly lacked.

 

“Prince Sparkle, is the way clear,” the changeling hissed out. DJ’s family and rescue team turned to him in shock, but he focused on the bug.

 

“All clear, Private. You may begin when ready.” The changeling nodded and the shouted something up the shaft in their language of clicks and hisses. The shaft began to shake violently and DJ panicked. He grabbed Twilight and Shining, throwing them to the ground with him. “HIT THE DECK!!” he shouted to the others and they followed suit. Not a moment later, hundreds of changelings started to pour out of the tunnel, flying overhead with incredible speed. As the rescue team watched in frightened awe, the heard shouting from the bugs above.

 

“Vive la revolution!!”

“VIVE LA REVOLUTION!!!”

 

Just as sudden as it began, the swarm had flown by completely, leaving the group, save for DJ, to wonder what just happened. “Okay, what the bucking Tartarus was that?!” Shining exclaimed.

 

DJ laughed nervously. “Um, well you see, um, it’s kinda hard to explain.”

 

“Then get started,” Twilight said with a glare.

 

“Um, well, um, I may have, um, started a, mmhhm, a changeling revolution against Queen Chrysalis?” DJ laughed nervously some more while the group stared at him incredulously. “It’s true!”

 

“Yeah, right,” said Gilda. “And I’m a dragon!”

 

“Well, at one point—“ Pixel Berry started.

 

“Shut it Pixel!” Gilda growled, but Pixel only looked away with a smirk. Before any of the others could voice their opinions, another changeling landed in front of them, only this one looked like a much younger Chrysalis.

 

“Prince Sparkle, what are you still doing here? We are marching on the palace now! Wait,” she said while looking over the group. “Did you call for reinforcements?”

 

“Eenope, they’re my rescue team! Don’t worry, I’m still gonna help lock away ol’ bug butt.” DJ turned to the group. “Everypony, meet Princess Insectum, leader of the Changeling Rebellion and daughter of Queen Chrysalis. Insectum, may I introduce you to my wife, Twilight, sister, Pixel Berry, and brother-in-laws, Shining Armor and Spike. The rest are only acquaintances.”

 

Insectum bowed to the group. “It is a pleasure to meet you all,” then her glare turned harsh. “Save for you, Princess Berry. I thought you said you would have no part in ‘saving some worthless bugs’. Change your mind?”

Pixel Berry returned the glare. “I only here for my brother, Insectum. Nothing more.”

 

Again DJ whispered to Twilight. “What the hay am I missing here?”

 

“Berry has been missing for months, only for her to show up at the meeting where we were planning your rescue. She just appeared with that griffon as well as highly detailed maps of the hives that she says she stole from here. I think she and your mother have been fighting, too.”

 

That pained DJ to hear, but right now was not the time to focus on that. “You two can deal with your issues later,” he told the two glaring mares. “Right now, we have a queen to dethrone. So guys, care to help put Chrissy in her place?”

 

Spike smirked an unsheathed his brace blades, pulling the hood over his head. “I’m in!”

 

Shining Armor smiled sinisterly. “Do you have to even ask?”

 

Twilight was suddenly lit ablaze as she rage shifted. “I’m gonna show that bitch that you don’t mess with my family.”

 

DJ stood there stunned at his wife’s sudden rage and anger. Then he smiled goofily. “Oh, that is so hot!”

 

Love sick fool.

 

Jealous, much?

 

Not in the slightest.

 

Pixel turned to Gilda. “What do you say Gilda? Up for putting the changelings in their place?”

 

Gilda smirked. “Tartarus yeah! Let’s show ‘em!” The remaining guards voiced similar opinions and DJ smiled. He turned to Insectum and said,

 

“Looks we got some reinforcements, princess. Now, let’s go show Chrissy that you don’t mess with the lives of others.” Insectum smiled.

 

“Thank you all for your help, it is most appreciated. Now follow me, Scout and Sting are probably halfway to the throne room by now.” Insectum took flight and flew after her swarm. DJ, Twilight, Berry, Gilda, and the pegasus guard flew after her, while the others ran on foot/hoof.

 

“So, who’s Scout and Sting?” Berry asked over the wind.

 

“They were the day guards outside my cell. We became friends after a while and they taught me all about the changeling culture. They told Insectum about me and she brought me into the rebellion to assist. I made a deal with them if this works out.”

 

“What kind of deal?” asked Twilight.

 

“You’ll see, love. Trust me when I saw that when this is all over, everyone, both pony and changeling, is gonna be better off. For right now, though, let’s just focus on beating that bug queen to a pulp.”

 

They flew in silence the rest of the way, but landed when they saw Insectum on the ground just up ahead. The others were right behind them and they looked out into a massive cavern. Up above and below was a towering rock that had been shaped from ancient rock into the form of a massive castle. All around it, changelings were fighting other changelings, green blood spattered in certain areas. Insectum had ordered her troops to try and convince as many as they could to their cause, but even she knew that this would be a likely result. DJ saw that she was fighting back tears, so he put a wing around her, much to Twilight’s chagrin, but she realized that it was only a friendly gesture.

 

“Come on Insectum, we need to stay focused, otherwise those lives were lost in vain.”

 

She shook her head clear. “Yes, thank you Prince Sparkle.”

 

“Hey, we’re friends; call me DJ.” She smiled and nodded. “Good, now let’s go!” DJ and the others picked up the ground walkers and followed Insectum up to the higher levels of the castle. They landed on one the outer walkways only to meet a group of guards.

 

“Stand down in the name of--. Princess Insectum? What are you doing with intruders?!” a guard exclaimed.

 

“Doing what needs to be done! Tell your men to stand down and join us or be destroyed. Queen Chrysalis has failed as a leader and it’s time for a change.”

 

“Y-you’re a traitor! Take her and the intruders down!” The changelings behind him lit their horns, ready to blast, but DJ jumped in front of Insectum and fired a spell of his own. His horn lit up with dark blue magic and fired a mighty gust at them, freezing all seven guards solid. DJ smiled at his hoofwork.

 

“Aw man, does it feel good to use this thing again,” he said while looking at his horn. “Thanks for breaking me out of those binds earlier, Insectum. Now, let’s go get us a queen!” The troop charge onward into the castle, only being stopped by other guards a few times before running into a small group of changelings standing in front of a large set of doors. “Sting! Scout!” DJ proclaimed, coming to a stop in front of the pair. He smiled at them brightly, but then Sting slugged him in the shoulder. “Hey! What was that for?” he asked while rubbing his shoulder.

 

“For teaching my hatch brother ‘Murica! He won’t stop shouting it!” Sting said with an annoyed expression.

 

“’MURICA!!” Scout yelled, not helping in the slightest. Twilight and the others facehoofed.

 

“You’ve been infecting others with your craziness?” Twilight asked him with exhaustion in her voice. “The last thing this world needs is more randoms, dear.”

 

“Randoms will rule the world!” DJ proclaimed with a hoof out in a salute. “Heil Randomness!”

 

Twilight, Pixel, Spike, and Shining just shook their heads. “The world is doomed,” they said together, causing DJ to smile brightly.

 

Scout chuckled himself. “Well, is everypony ready?” The group consisting of eight ponies, one dragon, a griffon, and six changelings nodded to each other. “It’s time!” As one, they charged the door to the throne. Sitting in the middle of the room staring out at the battle below, was Queen Chrysalis, surrounded by twenty-five changelings guards, all in a defensive position in front of the queen. Slowly, Chrysalis turned around to face the group, an emotionless face present on her.

 

“Mother,” Insectum spat at her.

 

“Daughter,” Chrysalis said without any tone. “So, you are behind this coup. I should have known, you are much like your grandmother. She too, believed I was wrong, but we all know what happened to her… I killed her. Now, it seems you must share her fate as well. Guards, kill them all!” The guards rushed forward, spears and horn pointed for the kill. DJ and his group charged themselves, meeting the changelings half way.

 

From there, everything spiraled into utter chaos. DJ and Twilight fought side by side, slinging spells one after another. Twilight would light the bugs with fire and DJ would freeze them solid to keep the fire from spreading. Spike was fighting fierce against one extremely well trained spear user, matching each other blow for blow. Pixel and Gilda were working in tandem to take out their enemies, using pixel magic and fire breath to defeat them. Insectum and her company kept getting swarmed as more guards flew in from the windows to defend their queen.

 

It was during this confusion that Scout saw his chance. It was a small opening in the fighting that led right to Chrysalis and he rushed forward, anxious to end all this fighting here and now. Chrysalis would never even see him coming, so with his head down and sharpened horn forward, he charged the queen. Just as he neared her, Scout suddenly found himself engulfed in green magic. His body was floated up so Chrysalis could see him directly.

 

“Why do you fight your queen mother, changeling? Have I not been a true queen?” she asked him, no emotion at all was present her voice.

 

“I fight so that we may have a future!” Scout spat back at her. “Your blasted revenge will doom us all and I am not going to sit back and let you kill us all! Now put me down so I can defeat you!”

 

Chrysalis stared into Scout’s unnerving glare. She then closed her eyes and shook her head. “It always hurts a mother when her child turns on her. I am sorry, changeling, but if you refuse to accept your place in the hive, then you will have no place at all!”

 

“What the hay do you—ugh!” Scout was interrupted from asking Chrysalis what she meant by a sharp horn piercing through his chitin armor and right through his abdomen. Chrysalis pulled back her head, her horn now glistening with green blood. She grunted and threw Scout’s body away. Only one other being saw what had happened, but was too stunned to see anything, but once Scout’s body hit the floor of the throne room, he yelled out to his new friend; DJ called out desperately for him to be alright, gathering everypony else’s attention with it.

 

“SCOUT!!!”

In Memory of a Hero

DJ watched on in horror as Scout’s body hit the floor of the throne room, his new friend not moving after being skewered by Queen Chrysalis. “SCOUT!!!” he cried out, stopping all fighting in the room. They all looked over to see the fallen changeling bleeding on to the floor.

 

“Brother!” Sting yelled as he flew to his hatch brother’s side. He cradled Scout’s head in his hooves, trying to keep him awake. “Scout, come on man, don’t do this to me! You got stay with me! MEDIC!!”

 

Nopony knew what to do, not even the changeling guards thought of fighting anymore. Seeing one of their own killed by the queen mother was far too surreal. Pixel Berry turned to her companion. “Help him, Gilda. He is a friend.” Gilda shook herself from staring and faced Berry. She looked ready to argue, but Berry’s face showed no sign of backing down. With reluctance, Gilda agreed and flew over to Scout to attempt first aid.

 

“Please help him!” Sting pleaded to the griffon. Gilda looked at him with compassionate eyes.

 

“I’ll do everything I can,” she said simply. From there, she got to work trying to patch up Scout with the few supplies she had in her saddlebag. DJ couldn’t pull his eyes off the dying body of his new friend, it was unreal to him. Scout had been such a good friend that something like this never occurred to DJ; he never thought that his friends would be killed in this battle. Neither did Malice.

 

Did… did Chrysalis just…?

 

Yeah, yeah she did.

 

Malice was quiet for a moment before screeching within DJ’s mindscape. AAAAHHH!!! LET ME OUTTA HERE KID!! I’M GONNA POUND THAT BUG BITCH INTO THE FUCKING GROUND!!!

 

I can’t. We promised Insectum that—DJ was pulled out of his thoughts when a hoof touched his shoulder. He looked over to see it was Insectum, tears in her eyes, still watching Scout. “I cannot believe what has just happened,” she began. “My mother has always said she cared deeply about every last one of us; she was never supposed to hurt us like this.” She turned her head and looked DJ in the eyes pleadingly. “Prince DJ of Equestria, I beg of you, please help us. We cannot do this alone.”

 

DJ understood her perfectly: she wanted him to take Chrysalis down. DJ nodded with determination and fire in his eyes. “It will be done, Princess Insectum of the United Hives.”

 

“I only have one request: please do not kill her. We need not stoop to her level and there is much she must atone for her,” Insectum asked of him. DJ agreed and then turned towards Queen Chrysalis. DJ felt another hoof on his shoulder, causing him to look at the new pony: his dear wife, Twilight.

 

“Be careful, my love,” she told him with calm, understanding eyes. “You have two daughters back home who are waiting for their daddy to return.” She kissed his cheek and backed away.

 

DJ smiled brightly, newfound confidence finding its way into his soul. Then he hardened his glare right at Chrysalis. He remembered all the good times he had with Scout and Sting; the laughs they shared, the training they did together, becoming close friends in a small amount of time. His fury burned from deep within and he could feel his eyes changing into the rage voids and his magic was becoming fiercer.

 

This is gonna be good. So, kid, how are you gonna do it? Summon the Elements and take her down? Or are you gonna run her through with the swords?

 

We’re not going to kill her, Malice. We are stallions of our word. But, the one to fight won’t be me. DJ then turned towards the front pocket of his jacket, which had been returned to him along with his swords, and spoke. “Discords,” he called. Out of the pocket, five miniature Discords appeared.

 

“Yes?” sung Cinco.

“Yes?” came from Quatro.

“Yes?” Tres sang.

“Yes?” Dos sung out.

“Yes?” sung Uno.

“YES?” they finished together in true barbershop style.

 

“What can we do for ya, boss?” asked Uno.

 

“I need the formula,” DJ said simply. The five mini-Discords paled.

 

“Uh, you sure, boss?” asked a fearful Tres. “You know we don’t like the other guy very much.”

 

“Remember Scout?” he asked them. They nodded, remembering DJ briefing them on everything that had happened over the past two months. DJ pointed a hoof out on to the battlefield, prompting the Discords’ gazes to follow. They landed on Scouts motionless body that was being attended to by a griffon. Their jaws dropped, now understanding the situation fully. Cinco brought out a tiny bottle of gray liquid and handed it to Quatro. Quatro gave it to Tres, who gave it to Dos, who gave it to Uno, who then threw it up, causing it to grow to its original size, where DJ caught it mid flight. “Thanks guys.”

 

“Give ‘em hell, boss!” Dos called out as they all filed back down into his jacket pocket.

 

Ohohoh, there will be hell alright! LET ME OUTTA HERE KID SO I CAN BASH THAT BUG INTO THE GROUND!!

 

Just remember Malice, don’t kill her. We have to make her suffer.

 

I can get behind that. Just let me do my thing!

 

DJ swirled the concoction within the tube a little before returning his attention to Chrysalis. “Chrysalis!” he called out to her, getting hers and the rest of the room’s attention. “YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR THIS TIME!! Nopony messes with my friends, NOPONY!!”

 

Chrysalis snorted at him. “You are no threat to me, Prince. You got lucky back in the human world, but here, the advantage is mine! You are too weak to be a threat to me!”

 

DJ glared harshly at her. “That may be true of me, but my other half…,” DJ uncorked the potion and downed it all in a second, before throwing the glass to the floor where it subsequently shattered. Not a moment later, DJ’s body began to shine as the potion took effect, changing his blue coat grey, his brown hair black, and his cutie mark changing from a blue-white snowflake to a black-grey one. DJ’s head hung low, but then raised back up, revealing sinister smile. Gone was DJ Sparkle, it was not the time of the demon, Malice.

 

“…has no problem with putting you in the fucking ground!!” he roared at the changeling queen, who recoiled in shock at the sudden change in demeanor.

 

“Wh-what trickery is this?! What has become of the Equestrian Prince?”

 

“He’s taking a rest so I can deal with you personally.”

 

Chrysalis was in shock for another moment before regaining her composure. “No matter, I will simply—OOF!” She was cut off by a grey blur slamming into her gut, sending her flying back. She landed on the floor in a heap, but staggered into a standing position soon after. She looked towards the object that struck her, gaping at the sight of the grey pony glaring her down. “What... what are you?” Chrysalis gasped out.

 

“The name’s Malice. And I’m gonna take you apart!!” With a roar of fury, Malice launched himself at Chrysalis once again. He jumped, using the moment to propel his rear leg right into Chrysalis’ face. She was prepared for it this time, but was unaware of the ferocity of the strike, causing her to stagger back slightly. But Malice wasn’t done. He landed right in front of the changeling queen and delivered blow after blow against her barrel. Each strike was another wave of pure pain to Chrysalis, but she finally had enough. She lit her horn and fired a burst of green magic, sending Malice flying back. He braced himself upon landing, scooting back still standing. He glared at Chrysalis, who was looking at him smugly. “What are you so proud of?” he demanded of her.

 

Her smile widened as she raised two cylindrical objects in her magic: the lightsabers! “I now possess your weapons, Malice. I know that you draw your powers from them, so now you have no chance against me! Mwahahaha!!” She laughed evilly at him, but Malice simply smirked. His amusement began to grow slowly from an innocent chuckle into a full maniacal laugh. This highly unsettled Chrysalis. “Wh-what is so damned funny?!” she barked at him.

 

Malice’s laugh calmed down and he looked at her with sinister amusement. Instead of answering her with his voice, Malice lifted both forelegs towards her and let them spark. Chrysalis gasped, but he didn’t give her any chance to prepare. With a cry of power, Malice fired a fierce storm of Force Lightning upon the queen. She screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through her body, spasming intensely. Malice let up on the barrage after a moment, allowing Chrysalis to catch her breath, only for a moment, though. Malice quickly called upon his magic, letting his horn light with dark grey aura, and levitated dozens of stones around him. Most would think that Malice would simply fire them at Chrysalis like a Gatling gun, but he had another idea, one that would be much more effective. Malice rose until he was standing on his two hind legs, freeing up his forelegs, and clapped once, sending out a loud ‘ding’.  He smirked at Chrysalis’ confusion. Malice pulled on hoof back, levitated a stone in front of him, and punched the stone with all his might. The stone went flying, sparking with alchemy and transforming into a large spear head that was aimed right at Chrysalis. She saw the change and moved as fast she could to get out of the way, but the shock from before was too effective, slowing her movements. Just as she moved her body away, the spear flew by, causing her to shriek in pain.

 

The spear crashed into the opposite wall, imbedding itself in the rock. Chrysalis turned to look at her left side and gasped at the bloody sight: her upper side had a large groove cut into by the spear, shearing right through her wing which now lied on the ground in a bloody mess. She looked at Malice in fear, which he simply returned with a sadistic grin as he clapped his hooves again and readied another stone. Chrysalis got to her hooves and ran, Malice constantly firing alchemic spears at her as she did. She just kept running, knowing that stopping meant death at the hooves of a malicious pony.

 

Eventually, Malice used up all his stones, not that Chrysalis noticed, so he clapped his hooves one more time and slammed it into the ground. There was a small spark, but that quickly escalated into a column of light that sent a bolt of alchemy speeding towards Chrysalis. The ground broke where the alchemy touched, causing the ground to rise into a massive stone fist that slammed into the panicked queen, throwing her into the wall once again. She crumpled onto the ground and Malice approached her slowly. He summoned his two swords to his side and reached out a hoof that caused Chrysalis to rise, choking as she did. He lit one lightsaber, clipping the other away, and aimed it right at the queen.

 

“Stop!” called out somepony. Malice turned to see Insectum standing near him. “She must be defeated by a changeling. Please stop.”

 

Malice glared at her, but still let Chrysalis drop to the ground and deactivated the lightsaber. He then forced the sword into Insectum’s hooves. “Then you do it,” he said simply before walking away towards Twilight and the others, leaving a dumbfounded Insectum. “Discords!” he called out and the five Discords appeared from his pocket.

 

“Y-yes Malice, s-sir?” stammered Uno.

 

“The Antidote, give it to me.” The Discords looked at him with amazed faces, but quickly pulled out the tube containing the rainbow-colored antidote. Uno lifted it up and Malice took it in his magic. As he uncorked the bottle, the Discords bid a hasty retreat back into the pocket. Malice down the formula in an instant. He grimaced as he body was surrounded by a circle of light that returned DJ to the outside world. DJ shook his head, clearing it perfectly.

 

Thank you, Malice.

 

Just doing my job, kid. Nothing more.

 

Right. DJ smiled and walked over to Twilight, who hugged him immediately and he returned it along with a happy smile. Back over with the queen and Insectum, who was now standing in front of her mother with a fierce scowl. Queen Chrysalis looked upon her daughter with an emotionless expression.

 

“Do it, Insectum. Kill me, just as I killed your grandmother. It is who you are: a killer. We are the same,” Chrysalis coughed out through the pain.

 

Insectum ignited the lightsaber in her hooves and swung with all her might, cleaving through chitin. Chrysalis shrieked in intense pain, but realized she was still alive. She looked at her daughter confused, until she saw her horn laying at Insectum’s hooves, paling at the horror. “I won’t kill you mother,” Insectum spoke, making the queen look her in the eyes. “No, that would be too easy. For your crimes against the United Hives, I, Queen Insectum, hereby sentence you, Chrysalis, to life imprisonment. May the years be long and hard for you down in the dungeons, mother.” With that, Queen Insectum turned her back on Chrysalis and briskly walked back to the others, leaving Chrysalis flabbergasted.

 

When Insectum approached, DJ had a questioning look. “The loss of ones horn is seen as a symbol of great shame in changeling society,” she explained. “Unlike ponies, our horns do not regrow, but are the source of all our magic, including shape shifting.”

 

“So, cutting off Chrysalis’ horn is the greatest shame you bestow upon her!” Twilight finished intelligently. “Brilliant!” Insectum stared at Twilight in surprise, but quickly smiled and chuckled slightly. Then she turned over to where Scout was, now surrounded by the other changelings. DJ made his way over to where Gilda was packing up her medical equipment.

 

“How is he Gilda?” he asked with concern.

 

She looked at him and sighed. “I did all I could, but the wound is fatal. All we can do is make his final moments last.” DJ nodded in understanding, even though it hurt deep in his heart. He trotted over to Scout whose head was still in his hatch brother’s embrace. Scout’s head turned slightly, his eyes half-way open, but he still smiled at the sight of his Equestrian friend.

 

“Hey DJ,” he greeted in a pained whisper. “Di-did we do it? Is Chrysalis defeated?”

 

DJ nodded, smiling brightly and trying to prevent himself from tearing up. “Yeah, Scout, we did it. Queen Insectum severed Chrysalis’ horn and I clipped her left wing.”

 

Scout began to laugh, though it was pained. “Oh, oh maker that’s hilarious. Oh, the irony! All these years, she’s preached that everypony has to make themselves useful to the hive and now, she’s of no use to anypony. I think they call that poetic justice, right there!”

 

DJ chuckled a little himself, fully grateful to see Scout in a happy mood. Insectum then appeared at his side, causing several of the changelings around them to bow to their new queen. She waved them off and focused on Scout. “You have done your country proud, Scout. I hope you know that.”

 

“All I did was get my flank killed,” he responded humorously.

 

Insectum shook her head. “No, Scout, you are a hero and you will be remembered. That I assure you.”

 

“A hero, huh?” Scout said, now looking up at the ceiling. “Well, then can a hero make a final request?”

 

Insectum nodded. “If it is within my power as Queen, then I shall do so.”

 

“I was thinking, after everything Chrysalis has done, our country needs a new identity; one that will let the rest of the world know that things have changed. May I make a suggestion for a new name?” Insectum nodded again. Scout was silent for a short moment, staring up. “Amare-ica. The United Hives of Amare-ica. What do you think?”

 

DJ smiled and chuckled politely. “I think you’re a patriot through and through.”

 

Insectum smiled herself, a few tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. “Who am I to deny the request of a hero? From this day forward, the United Hives of Amare-ica shall stand proudly together.”

 

“Heil ‘Murica!” Scout said proudly with a salute. He smiled at the group of friends and family around him. He lifted up a hoof. “Vive la revolution?”

 

DJ grabbed the hoof strongly. “Vive la revolution, Scout. Let it be long lived.”

 

“Thank you, DJ. Thank you… for every… thing.” And with that final breath, Scout was gone from this world.

 

**********

 

It has been a whole day since the Changeling Revolution for freedom. After the death of Scout, Insectum addressed the entire hive from the balcony of the throne room, pronouncing the defeat of former-queen Chrysalis and Insectum taking the crown. The majority of the hive bowed before their new queen, though some were needed to be imprisoned for speaking out in favor of Chrysalis, only because they were already planning an assassination. The remainder of the day had been used to discover how much damage had been done. In all, one hundred and one changelings had fallen in the revolution, including Scout. It was the night after and here, in the massive coliseum, everypony had gathered here in memoriam. In the center of the arena, all those who were lost were spread out on tables, their bodies covered in cloaks. Many of the changelings were crying over seeing so many of their siblings lost in the violent uprising, though none more was Sting, who stared out at the central altar, where Scout lay under a green cloak that was embroidered with gold trimming.

 

DJ patted the mourning changeling’s back, trying in vain to comfort his friend. DJ and his rescue team were currently seated near Queen Insectum, all understanding the somber situation. Twilight was dressed without her traveling cloak, sitting next to DJ, while Spike was sitting on the ground in front of them, now back in his smaller size and wearing his cloak with the hood down. Shining Armor and his fellow guards were wearing their armor, shined to perfection, though they had their helmets held to their hearts. Insectum walked by all of them, looking to each of them with grateful eyes, stopping at DJ and Sting. She bowed to DJ who returned it in kind, though not as low. Insectum then gripped Sting’s hoof, giving him a sorrowful smile. Then, she walked past and up to the podium that was prepared for her.

 

“Today is a dark day in changeling history,” she began to the assembled colony. “Today, many lives were lost in the pursuit of revenge by our mother, the ex-queen Chrysalis. She was blinded by her revenge against the Equestrians and she was taking us, all of us, down a dark path that would only end in our extinction.” There were many whisperings from the crowd. “I tried to make her understand, to make her see reason, but she was far too gone. Even an outsider, a pony, tried to make her see reason. It was all in vain, so only a takeover would keep our kind alive. The only regret I have is that it came at the cost of so many lives, including many who were friends of my own. That is why we gather here tonight, to honor those who gave their lives so that we may continue on. They were true heroes who have allowed us, their fellow Amare-icans, to continue on their legacy. So, please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance of these fallen heroes.” Insectum clasps her hooves together and bowed her head, all around follow in similar fashion.

 

After a few moments, Insectum raised her head and looked to one her guards and nodded. The guard nodded in turn and waved a few orders to his fellows. A moments later, all the altars in the coliseum were lit ablaze, marking the passing of true heroes. Sting got up from his seat and proceeded to the podium. Insectum had charged him with a making a speech of his own.

 

“As I watch below me,” he started, “I cannot stop the tears from coming from my eyes as I say my final goodbyes to my hatch brother. Scout and I have been inseparable since birth and seeing his lifeless body burn tears out my heart. But, I know he did not die in vain. It is because of my brother that the rest of us can live with freedom and choice. Because of Scout, Faust can bless our country. So, I encourage my fellow Amare-cans to join me in song as a tribute to my brother and all those who have fallen.” Thanks to all of the singing that DJ trained him and Scout in over the past few weeks, Sting knew he could pull this off; he had to pull it off.

 

Staff edit:  Copyrighted lyrics removed

 

DJ couldn’t have been prouder of his friend, not even halfway through the song, Sting had gotten every changeling, over five thousand as Insectum had once told him, to join in making it a truly memorable night indeed. Though DJ couldn’t help, but think that something was wrong. Then he looked over to his gathered friends and family and noticed the lack of two certain someponies. He leaned into Twilight and whispered, “Where’s Pixel Berry and Gilda?”

 

Twilight leaned over and noticed it too. “I thought they were right behind us. Maybe… maybe she took off again. She did tell your mother that she wouldn’t be coming home anytime soon.”

 

DJ grimaced. “Well, I hope that wherever my sister finds herself, she’ll be safe.” He then looked out at the singing crowd and clapped with the others as the song ended. May the Force be with you, Berry. Always.

 

**********

 

Down the lower portions of the central changeling hive, there are many dark corridors that wind to and fro within the dungeons. Deep in the lowest level, concealed in unending darkness, there lies a single cell, untouched for nearly a millennium… until now. Two figures walked in the darkness, the cell being their destination. One held a torch in her taloned hand, while the other was fine with a simple light spell culminating in pink magic from her horn.

 

“Are you sure she is down here, Gilda?” asked Pixel Berry. “This place seems a little too… evil.”

 

“These were the coordinates that we received thanks to you. With our leader by our side, nopony will be able to stop us.”

 

“Okay now you sound like a cliché villain from the sixties.”

 

“Again, stop making references that only you understand. Now come on, it’s only a little further down.” They walked in silence for the remainder of the time until finally coming to a stop outside of the cell a few minutes later. Within the cell, they could see the lone prisoner shuffling towards them. Gilda bowed before the figure. “Your highness, it is an honor to see you after so long.”

 

“It will be a much greater honor when you set me free, my young griffon,” responded the figure with a soft, feminine voice. There was no malice or harshness, but it still had the aura of command. Berry stepped forward and used her magic to construct a pixel key. She inserted it into the lock and the cell door clicked open. Just as the figure within stepped forward. Berry held out a hoof to stop her.

 

“Don’t make me regret this. You promised to tell me what you know. I am breaking a lot of laws and betraying my mother to help you, so you’d better hold up your end of the deal, Romare Keys.”

 

Out from the shadows, an alicorn came forth, just under the height of her mother, Celestia. Her hooves looked as if they were stained with paint, while the rest of her coat was a pure white. Her magenta eyes blended well with her paint-like hair that shimmered in all colors of the rainbow, mixing well with her cutie mark of a painter’s brush and palette. She smiled at Pixel Berry. “Do not worry, young princess. And that’s Princess Romare Keys to you. Come and I shall tell you all that you wish to know, all that has been hidden by Princess Celestia.” Her horn lit with magic and she cast a teleportation spell. “Come, young ones and here of the story of Pixel Berry’s lost brother.”

 

**********

 

Chrysalis brooded quietly within her cell this night, listening to the sounds of her children celebrating her dethronement. She hated how ashamed she felt; she lost her horn, her flight, and her kingdom, but what was worse over all was the loss of her children’s adoration. Chrysalis did love her children, ever last one of them, but everypony must live for the hive, not for themselves. That was the truth she knew; the one she had been taught.

 

Chrysalis took another look around her cell, glaring at it, knowing it was the same prison that had held the Equestrian prince for the past several weeks. Another insult added upon her injuries. She sighed and lowered her head, preparing for her first of many nights held within this cage.

 

“It has been a long time, Chrysalis,” spoke a voice out of the dark. Chrysalis’ head jumped up from where it lay. She knew that voice, one that she hadn’t heard in several decades. It was the voice of one she had trusted above all. “How the mighty have fallen,” the voice said again.

 

Chrysalis leered outside of her prison. “You lied to me. You told me that if I followed your instructions, then my hive will flourish.”

 

She heard the voice chuckle. “I have never lied to you, Chrysalis. Your hive will indeed flourish, now. I never once said that you would be the one to make it flourish. Certain events needed to take place, all leading up to this point. And now, the changelings will have peace and their kind will flourish all over.”

 

“While I sit here and rot!” Chrysalis spat. “I should have never listened to you! What was the point to all this?! Tell me!”

 

Again, the voice only laughed her off. “Consider it… a foundation. One I have been laying for near millennia. And, thanks to you, another building block has been laid. Only a few more need to be placed before everything is ready.”

 

“What are you planning?” she asked him, dubiously angry at being tricked.

 

She saw a twisted smile form from the darkness. “I am planning a better world, young changeling. One that will not be twisted by the works of others.” The voice seemed to go into thought for a moment before speaking again. “It seems another block is being laid as we speak; another of my works has been freed. Now, I bid you farewell, Chrysalis. Enjoy life in prison, you truly deserve it.”

 

“Wait! Don’t leave me here to die alone!” she called out.

 

“Never forget, the storm is always the most dangerous at the midnight hour, Chrysalis. Fear the dark!” Chrysalis whimpered pathetically as her cell was shrouded in shadows. She laid down her head and let the darkness take her, the source of the voice still smiling as it made its way from its pawn. Everything is coming together and soon, nothing will be able to stop the encroaching storm.

Changes

The train rolled along the barren countryside for hours on end, its passengers within not caring about the scenery at all. Within in these fast-moving walls, two alicorns were wrapped in each other’s wings, not caring about the rest of the world so long as they had each other. Across from the loving couple, sat a young dragon content at just watching over his two older siblings while the five other ponies within had stationed themselves all throughout the train car, save for the one known as Shining Armor who was currently retrieving food for everypony from the dining car. The car had been silent ever since leaving Dodge Junction nearly an hour previous. After a three day trek through the harsh Bad Lands, all any of them wanted was some rest and peace.

 

That is, until the little dragon broke it. “It’s gonna be so great having you back, bro.”

 

The blue alicorn grinned while looking at his little brother-in-law. “It will be great just to be back, Spike. Hope I haven’t missed much.” The alicorn next to him cringed a little, but it was enough for him to notice. DJ sighed and sagged in his seat. “Oh great, what’d I miss?”

 

Twilight looked at him nervously. “Um, well, there’s a certain little pegasus filly who happened to get her cutie mark after her family vacation.” DJ’s eyes widened.

 

“WHAT?! Scootaloo got her cutie mark?! AND I MISSED IT?!”

 

“Not exactly, dear.” DJ motioned for her to continue. “Scootaloo has been waiting for you to come back so she can have her cute-ceañera. She didn’t want to have it without you.”

 

DJ leaned back in his seat and smiled happily. “Yeah, bro, and it’s an awesome mark. She got—“ Spike was interrupted by a blue hoof suddenly coming up to his mouth. Spike looked up to see DJ staring at him with a panicked expression.

 

“No spoilers! If Scootaloo is holding off her party until I get there, then I can at the very least wait to find out what her mark is until she shows it to me herself.”

 

Twilight looked at him with surprise, but quickly turned to one’s of adoration. “I know she’ll she appreciate that,” she told him. “Now on to something a little more pressing.” Twilight took on a darker look and glared at DJ. “So, tell me, DJ, why there is a ton of Earth electronics and media hidden in my library? Hmm?”

 

DJ blanched. “You went in my shed?! What were you doing in my shed?”

 

“That’s not the issue here! What is all of it for? I want the honest truth.”

 

DJ sighed and backed down. “Alright. First off, not a single bit of it is stolen; I paid well over retail for that stuff. Second, after television took off, I was hoping to start bleeding a bit of my old world’s media into Ponywood so I could let the rest of Equestria enjoy. There were going to be conditions, such as movie ratings, intense editing, and possible entire reshoots. I wasn’t, and still am not, sure on how I can get the video games out on the market. Oh well, I’ll come up with that when it becomes important.”

 

Twilight studied him with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. After a moment she relaxed. “Alright. I believe you, honey. You’re off the hook, Spike.”

 

“Traitor!” DJ yelled immediately.

 

Spike threw up his claws defensively. “Woah! Woah! I didn’t do it on purpose! She followed me out to the shed when I went to do some maintenance on the brace blades. She gave me no choice, but to tell her the truth!”

 

“Fine,” DJ huffed. “I didn’t miss anything else did I?” Twilight and Spike thought on that for a moment.

 

“Well, Scootaloo’s flying skills have really improved since she got her cutie mark and Nyx’s grades have soared, but other than that? Not really.”

 

DJ wiped his brow. “Whew! Good, didn’t want to miss out anything terribly important.” It was at that moment that Shining Armor returned, carrying several plates of food with him.

 

“Who’s ready for dinner?” he asked happily.

 

“I am!” DJ responded like a child, getting a giggle out of his wife. Shining set plates in front of each of them, each having their own meal. Spike had plate of hay fries with a side of emeralds, Twilight’s was two hay burgers, and DJ was content with tall stack of pancakes. As Shining stepped away to bring the others their food, the threesome dug into their food with fervor. DJ scarfed his down faster than ever, being done in almost an instant. He laid back in his seat, hoof on his full stomach, and content with the feeling. “Oh how I have missed real food.”

 

“Then I guess Spike and I will need to make you a homemade meal when we get back,” Twilight said flashing him a smile. DJ smiled back.

 

“That would be lovely.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re too good to me.”

 

Twilight blushed and chuckled. “And don’t you forget it.”

 

**********

 

Scootaloo and Nyx anxiously waited on the train platform, eager to greet their returning family. Along with them stood a good portion of Ponyville’s population. When news reached everypony that DJ would be returning home today, Pinkie got to work on a welcome back party immediately. The two fillies were dancing where they stood, their anxiety getting the best of them. Keeping an eye on the two fillies, Applejack stared down the track, trying to catch a glimpse of the incoming train. Still nothing, even after the fifth look. She shook her head upon her big brother, Big Macintosh, looking at her with his own worried look. The two shared a sad look, and looked over the crowd. They could see the other crusaders standing nearby, giving the two young fillies their space. Nearby, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were also trying to get a glimpse, Rainbow flying high. AJ could see her narrow her eyes and then her face brightened with a smile.

 

“HEY! Everypony! I can see the train! I can see the train!” Dash announced happily. Ever face brightened with smiles as they all eagerly looked down the track. Just as Rainbow said, a large colorful shape was moving down the track and break-neck speeds. Only one train was scheduled for the day, one in bound from Dodge Junction, so it had to be the one DJ and the others would be on.

 

Another five minutes of painful waiting more and the train pulled to a stop in front of the platform. Everypony leaned forward as the car doors opened. Out of one, four guard ponies, two of which were crystal ponies, strode off and stood in formation just outside the door. Next came Prince Shining Armor himself, followed by a familiar purple dragon, and their own Princess Twilight. Nyx and Scootaloo ran over and embraced their mother lovingly.

 

“Hi girls!” Twilight greeted her daughters, giving them a wing hug in return.

 

“Hi mom,” Nyx said back. “Is daddy on the train?” she asked, trying to look over her mother’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah, mom, is dad back?” Scootaloo asked for herself.

 

Twilight sighed and looked them in the eyes. “I’m sorry girls, but your father is not on the train.”

 

“What?!” they both exclaimed. Nyx and Scootaloo’s eyes began to water, both feeling heartbroken.

 

“B-but why not?” Scoots managed through her tears.

 

“Because your father is a moron,” Twilight said as if it were obvious. Both stopped crying and looked their mother, highly confused.

 

“T-then where is he?” asked Nyx.

 

“He’ll be down in a minute,” responded Twilight who was looking up. Scootaloo and Nyx followed their mother’s gaze and smiled at seeing what they were seeing. High above, a blue alicorn was streaking through the sky, just glad to be flying free. “Your father has been cooped up in a cave for two months and he wanted to get rid of the claustrophobia.”

 

After a few more loops in the air, DJ came rushing back to the ground and settled near the edge of the platform, smiling brighter than ever. “’Sup everypony?” he said with goofy grin. “Show of hooves, who missed me?” DJ never got his answer as he was suddenly sent flying off the platform by two weights hitting him in the gut.

 

“DADDY!!” cried the weights as he hit the ground below.

 

Twilight and Spike rushed over to the edge. “DJ? Are you alright?” she called down to him.

 

“Finland!” he responded from underneath his daughters.

 

“Yeah, he’s good,” Spike said.

 

Down below, the two fillies were nuzzling and hugging DJ to death, letting out all of their worries for their dearly loved father. “We missed you so much dad,” Nyx said as her tears soaked his jacket. Hers and Scootaloo’s tears were so intense that if one looked in his pocket right now, they would see five Discords swinging around lampposts as they sang ‘Singing in the Rain’. DJ hugged them both tight, keeping them close to his chest.

 

“Sorry for worry you, girls. I promise I’ll try to stay out of trouble.”

 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, dad,” Scootaloo said. She looked up from her father’s chest, expecting to see his caring eyes staring back, but instead his eyes were closed tight. “Uh, why aren’t you looking at us dad?” Nyx stopped her crying and looked up herself, now wanting an answer too.

 

DJ simply smirked. “Well, I heard a certain little filly got her cutie mark while I was gone. So, I am not going to look until she gives me permission. If she waited this long for her party, it’s the very least that she has to be the one to show me her mark.”

 

Scootaloo was dumbstruck. She turned to look at Twilight who nodded at her. “He even shut Spike up so he wouldn’t tell him what it looks like.” Scoots could feel fresh tears building in her eyes as she looked back to her father and then smiled brightly. She got up and off of him and stood a few feet away.

 

“Okay, dad,” she announced with pride. “Check out my awesome cutie mark!” DJ opened his eyes and they beheld his daughter’s new mark. A big white shooting star, with a purple trail, and surrounded by three other stars. He smiled proudly at his daughter and motioned her closer for another hug which she took gratefully. “What do you think?”

 

DJ chuckled. “It’s definitely you. And may I say, it’s Rainbow Dash-level awesome!”

 

Scootaloo smiled. “Thanks dad! And guess what! My flying has gotten better, Rainbow has been teaching me!

 

“Ehem,” Nyx coughed looking pointedly at her sister.

 

“Oh, Nyx has gotten better, too,” Scoots added sheepishly.

 

“Glad to hear it!” DJ announced and then looked back to the platform where there was a huge crowd of ponies staring down at him with happy and, some, tear-filled expressions. “Thank you all for coming out today to see little ol’ me everypony, but I’m sorry to say that I can’t stay.”

 

The crowd ‘aw’ed and slumped, while his friends and family looked at him confused and angry. “What do ya mean ya ain’t stayin’?” asked Big Mac, looking a little worried about his brother leaving again.

 

“I have to go to Canterlot. I made a promise that I intend to keep. So, with that said, who wants to come with me and see me tell a bunch of nobles off?” His response was so unexpected that the others were left speechless for a second, before they broke out into laughter, confusing DJ. “I don’t remember saying anything that funny.”

 

Applejack calmed down the most and replied to him, wiping away a tear. “It’s not that, sugar cube. It’s just that we’re glad you’re back and that you really are you.”

 

“Oh, well why didn’t you say so? Still, who wants to come watch me go at it with nobles? It’s gonna be fu~~n,” he sang out.

 

“Fun you say?” asked Pinkie. “I’m in!”

 

“Y’ain’t goin’ anywhere without me an’ Mac!” AJ insisted.

 

“Sounds awesome! Count me in!” Rainbow announced.

 

“I’d like to come,” Fluttershy said, well, shyly.

 

“That sounds quite uncouth of you, DJ, but if my Spikey’s going, then I should as well,” Rarity answered.

 

“Heck yeah I’m going!” Spike responded. “This is going to be fun.”

 

“Can we come dad?” asked Scootaloo for herself and her sister.

 

“Ask your mother,” DJ responded instantly, causing Twilight to roll her eyes.

 

“You girls can come,” she responded, getting smiles from the two fillies. “And I’m going too.”

 

After that was all decided, DJ, the Mane Six, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike, Shining Armor, Big Macintosh, Lyra, Bon Bon, Ditzy, and Time Turner were on a train heading for Canterlot. “Means a lot to me that you all came along,” DJ said thanking everypony.

 

“No problem, my good friend,” Turner responded. “Apologies that I couldn’t have been much help.”

 

DJ waved him off. “Don’t worry about it Doc. You got your own problems to deal with, plus everything turned out fine.”

 

“So, why are we going to Canterlot, anyway?” asked Rainbow Dash.

 

“I made a deal for my freedom,” DJ said with a sigh. They all looked intensely curious. “I agreed to help the changelings and in return for my freedom, I would negotiate a peace treaty between their hive and Equestria.” Everypony was stunned into silence.

 

“So,” started Lyra, breaking the silence, “you are helping the same creatures that imprisoned you?”

 

“No,” DJ said with a shake of his head. “Chrysalis imprisoned me and we don’t have to worry about her anymore. I mean the revolution that I assisted in overthrowing her. Queen Insectum and I have worked out a treaty and I am going to present it to my mother and the ruling council. They need our help otherwise the changelings are going to die out! I have to do this; I promised Scout I would.”

 

“Who is Scout?” asked Nyx. DJ sighed and then told them all what had occurred during his imprisonment under Queen Chrysalis. From the experiments to the revolution and the loss of his good friend. A few of the mares had tears falling from their eyes after the story and the stallions looked sullen.

 

“I fear that we may have misjudged the changelings,” Rarity said after wiping her tears, though was still leaning onto Spike for support.

 

“Those poor creatures,” Fluttershy muttered. “Thank you for helping them, DJ.”

 

DJ smiled somberly and looked out towards Canterlot. “You can thank me after the job is done.”

 

**********

 

It was just another ordinary day for Princess Celestia and Luna. It was the one of the few times a month when both of their presences were required: when the High Council convened to discuss current, past, and future laws. Both princesses had final say in each so they both needed to be present so nothing got past them. The downside is that it was incredibly boring, though it was helping Celestia deal with her depression. With both of her children in danger at the moment, it was all that occupied her mind. She couldn’t keep herself from worry about their safety, even if she and Berry were having trouble at the moment.

 

DJ was another matter altogether. Unlike Pixel, DJ’s disappearance was broadcast for the entire country to see and some ponies were asking for retaliation against the changelings. Celestia knew she couldn’t do such without a formal declaration of war, which was the last thing she wanted at the moment. She could only hope that her son was safe and would be home soon thanks to the rescue party. The nobles were now fighting again. What they were fighting about, honestly, she could have cared less. Probably another land grab… again. Oh how she wished something exciting would happen today.

 

Allow the universe to provide!

 

Suddenly and without warning, the large double doors that led to the council room burst open. Standing there was a deep blue alicorn with a confident smirk, backed by several ponies. Celestia felt the need to cry upon seeing that pony standing there. Her son had come back home!

 

“Looks who’s back riches!” he proclaimed loudly. The nobles were stunned, not only at the rudeness of this intruder, but also the intruder being the missing prince himself.

 

“Prince DJ,” greeted Luna standing tall with a happy glint in her eyes. “It is good to see that you are unharmed. What brings you to Canterlot?”

 

“I gots a proposition for yous!” he declared. He produced a rolled up letter from his saddle bags and floated it over to Luna who took it and read the letter over. As she read, Luna’s face paled. After finishing the letter, Luna looked up at DJ with astonishment.

 

“You cannot be serious, nephew! Peace with the changelings?!” That one phrase was enough to cause the nobles to riot, each declaring the craziness of such a declaration. That riots soon turned to accusations. Some yelled that he was a traitor, others claimed he was a changeling in disguise, while others declared that it was because he was once a monster himself. Celestia tried to ignore these as she read through the letter herself. She, too, wasn’t very keen on the idea of allying her ponies with the changelings, but if her son was the one coming forward, he should at least be heard out. Celestia looked up from the letter and saw DJ had on a look of being unamused by the nobles bickering. She smiled and covered her eyes, nudging Luna to do the same. A second later, DJ took in a deep breath, and used the Royal Canterlot Voice.

 

“SHUT THE TARTARUS UP YOU SQUABBLING PACK OF ROYAL SNOBS!!!!” DJ looked around, seeing that his outburst did indeed shut them up. He smiled both outwardly and inwardly. “Now then-, NO! Shut up!” he shouted at a noble who tried to speak up. “Before any of you speak again, you are going to hear me out and then we can squabble. Now, I understand that some of you would be upset by this development, but what you are unaware of is the change of leadership. As of two days ago, Queen Chrysalis has been dethroned and replaced by the new queen, Queen Insectum. Insectum and I have made a deal for peace between us, Equestria, and the new United Hives of Amare-ica. All they ask is to be allowed to travel into Equestria unimpeded. I can assure you that the previous incidents with the changelings were all because of the Chrysalis. She is the one who imprisoned me and it was Insectum who freed me. Any questions?”

 

Several nobles shouted out their concerns, but one voice alone silence them all: the voice of the solar princess. “Why are you advocating for peace, my son?” Celestia asked of him.

 

DJ looked at her with eyes full of emotions: anger, sadness, grief, but most of all determination. When he spoke, DJ poured all of his feelings into his voice, letting it wash over his mother. “Because I promised a friend, a friend who died for his country to be freed.” There was silence. Out of all of the replies Celestia expected from her adopted son, that was not one of them. She felt physically affected by his statement, her emotions being overwhelmed. DJ stepped towards her and Luna slowly. “Please, mother, just give them a chance. That is all I ask and I promise that you will not regret this. The changelings are not how we believe them to be. They are a caring kind, one that risk life and limb for those they care for. Please, let there be peace!”

 

Celestia stayed quiet for a few moments, pondering the situation. Out of nowhere, another voice spoke out, a noble’s voice. “I believe that we should give my cousin a chance!” All eyes turned towards the source, a white coated pony with a long blonde mane, a pony named Blueblood. DJ’s eyes threatened to pop out his head, the same going for Rarity. “DJ Sparkle has always been an honest one, and we should be able to trust his word.” As Blueblood sat back down, he bowed slightly to DJ, only enough for him to notice.

 

With the shock passes, Celestia looked to her nephew with pride. Berry has done wonders for that stallion, she thought to herself. She turned back towards DJ and spoke with a voice of authority. “I, too, believe that we should give the changelings a chance for peace. I, Princess Celestia, agree to a peace between Equestria and the United Hives of Amare-ica. What say you, sister?”

 

Luna nodded as well. “I, Princess Luna, also agree to peace between our two nations.” She then turned to DJ and smiled.

 

DJ looked to both of them with grateful smiles. “Thank you so much for this.” With that he turned to leave, his company doing the same. The he stopped, turning just his head back to the nobles, still smiling. “Oh, and the changeling queen and ambassadors will be here tomorrow. Try not to shoot them down. See ya!” He took off running, leaving the entire council, princesses included, completely flabbergasted. Celestia began to shake a little, more than aggravated at her son’s actions, but then she stopped and leaned back into her chair with a sigh. She looked out towards where DJ had been standing and smiled, knowing that her son was finally home.

 

 

*****One Year Later*****

 

It has been slightly over a year since that day and life in Equestria has not been the same since. When the changeling peace group arrived, Celestia and Luna had greeted each of them as welcome guests, Queen Insectum greeting them in kind. After a lovely dinner and some small talk, the history making peace between Equestria and the UHA was made. Ever since, changelings were now a common sight around Equestria, usually as traders and tourists. Changeling sap, as they call it, had turned out to have special medical properties and many changelings were in the business of selling it, though it’s most common use was in spa treatments. Other products included changelings pods (used for psychiatric treatment) and webbing (which had many construction uses). What had surprised DJ is that Sting had been promoted to the head of the changeling guard and even used his first paycheck to pay for a vacation house in Ponyville so he could visit whenever he wanted. DJ was glad that his friend would be around more often.

 

Another surprise is that very little craziness happened over the year. No monsters, no big hijinks, no nothing! For once, DJ could just be a family stallion and be there for his family. Scootaloo had been focusing on her new special talent as of late: daredevil stunts! Her act kept getting crazier and crazier, from flying at high speeds down a busy street, to jumping gorges on her scooter. Whenever she wasn’t risking her life, Scootaloo was busy participating in any and every sport she could find. Baseball, basketball, hoofball, she did everything and excelled!

 

Nyx, however, had dived into her studies. Her magic had been improving steadily over the years and now Nyx was focused on learning all she could on magical theory. DJ even found several brochures and an application to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns in her room. Nyx told her family that she had been wanting to go to her mother’s school for a while, but didn’t feel powerful enough to apply. She still didn’t feel up to apply, but would still put her all into her studies to prepare.

 

Spike kept himself in top form, keeping up with DJ in sparring. Other than that Spike just kept up with his library job as well as his new part-time position over at Carousel Boutique. His excuse was that he needed the extra bits, but everypony knew it was so he could spend more time with his marefriend, Rarity. Speaking of marefriends, Big Macintosh and Fluttershy had made a major leap in their relationship. Almost nine months ago, Big Mac proposed to Flutters and she said yes! They had set the wedding in about three months from now. Applejack was still her same old self, though Rainbow was supposedly in a relationship with an unknown suitor. She would never admit anything, not even dropping hints. Pinkie was in the same boat as Applejack, staying committed to her job, but it came in handy for the wedding a couple months back. Who’s wedding? Lyra and Bon Bon’s of course! Came as a surprise to most, but everypony were happy for them.

 

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were busy over the year as well. Both Dinky and Apple Bloom finally achieved their cutie marks! Dinky’s was a trio of white stars that signified her destiny in magic and Apple Bloom’s was a red apple with a hammer in front. Dinky achieved hers after she and Nyx pulled of a complicated magical display at the annual talent show. Apple Bloom realized her talent after a small fire destroyed a fair portion of the family barn. When nopony was looking, she snuck over at completely repaired the burned portions, making it look as if the fire never happen.

 

The past year has not been without its excitement, though. Twilight and DJ had delved into magical research, returning to her constant study habits. Of course, DJ had begged for them to resume teleportation training, but after over a month of failed attempts they finally put the project to rest and ended DJ’s dreams of teleporting. They went over many different subjects ranging from combat spells to illusion and many others that DJ still couldn’t wrap his head around.

 

That is where we find the loving couple today: in the middle of a magical test.

 

“You did remember to re-check all the formulas, right?” DJ asked as he set up the runes on the floor.

 

“Double and triple checked, honey,” Twilight said as she checked over the runes. “This long distance travel spell should work perfectly! I am… eighty-nine percent sure.”

 

“Only eighty-nine?” DJ asked with a raised eyebrow. “You sure we should still be trying this?”

 

“Don’t worry about it; this will be perfectly safe. What could possibly go wrong?”

 

“WE ARE CANCELING THIS EXPERIMENT RIGHT NOW!!” DJ exclaimed. “You just chanced fate and I ain’t messing with that!”

 

Twilight deadpanned and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so superstitious. Now come on, stand in the circle.”

 

DJ moved into the center of the rune circle. “I feel like a guinea pig. This is gonna kill me, I just know it.”

 

“Shut up and stand still.” DJ did as commanded. “Okay, now I am going to be sending you to Canterlot Castle. Thanks to your modifications on that badge of yours,” she said while holding up the omnitrix badge, “we should be able to communicate so we can confirm the success. Remember, there is no counter to this, so ask your mother if she can send you back as soon as possible. Oh and say ‘hi’ for me and the girls.”

 

DJ nodded. “No prob. Plus, I need to ask her about Berry. I haven’t heard from her since the Changeling Revolution. I really worried about her.”

 

“I know you are, dear, but she is a grown mare. She has the right to make her own decisions.”

 

“I know, but I wish we at least we knew where she was. Okay, let’s get this started.”

 

“Alright.” Twilight stepped back a little and began to power up her horn.

 

“See you in a little while, Twi!” DJ called out. A second later, Twilight fired the spell and DJ was gone in a flash of light. Twilight collapsed to the floor from the massive burst of power. Slowly, she picked herself and noticed that the runes were completely gone. Twilight smiled giddily and moved over to the communication device and tapped the center, sending out the connection signal. After a minute, the green light faded and a copy of Omni’s voice said, “Unable to connect to user.”

 

“Well, that’s not right,” Twilight said with a hint of worry. They had checked three times that this would work. “Oh well, have to do it the old fashioned way. Spike!” she called to the upper level.

 

“Yeah Twi?” he called down.

 

“Could you write a letter to Celestia and ask her if DJ arrived in Canterlot alright?”

 

“Give me a minute.” Twilight sat there for a good minute and then heard Spike ignite a letter. She then made her way out of the basement, badge in hand. Another few moments passed in silence until another letter was burped out of the dragon’s gullet. Spike unrolled the letter and was visibly worried. “Uh, Twilight? Celestia said that DJ never arrived in Canterlot as planned. Should we be worried?”

 

Twilight wasn’t exactly sure, but she did know that nothing good was going to come of this.

 

**********

 

DJ groaned as he stood up from his laying down position. It was slow going, but he did finally make his way to a standing position. He looked around and smiled at the familiar white walls of Canterlot Castle. “Well, what do you know? The spell worked! Sweet!” He started moving forward, admiring the architecture along the way. DJ started to hum to himself as he trotted through the castle halls, not a single pony in sight. Not that strange, Celestia has always kept a small staff.

 

DJ saw a turn up ahead that would take him right to the throne room. He smiled and sped up, getting to the guarded doors within a minute. The guards eyes him warily, which was strange considering most of the guards at least tolerated his presence. “Gentlecolts,” he said tipping his imaginary hat and made his way into the throne room, but was stopped as the guards crossed their spears. “Um, excuse me, I would like to see the Princesses.”

 

“The princesses are currently meeting with the Elements of Harmony. No entrance!” one of them answered curtly.

 

What the hell does that mean? The Elements are still in the Tree and Twilight and the girls are still in Ponyville. What is going on? “I would suggest you allow me through. I need to speak with Celestia and Luna.”

 

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are not to be interrupted!” the guard reinforced his partner.

 

DJ sighed. “I really didn’t want to do this.” DJ lit his horn with magic and fired two quick blasts of ice magic, freezing the two ponies solid. DJ tapped the ice to make sure it was solid. “You should melt out in an hour or so. Just be patient and next time, be nicer to your guests.” With that DJ strolled to the door. “Hey Celestia! Luna!” he yelled as he entered the room. “You might want to update your guards out there, they didn’t seem to recognize me.”

 

The two princesses looked at DJ in surprise, though it was Celestia who spoke. “And exactly who are you?”

 

That caused DJ to stop and look at his surroundings. Standing in front of the two princesses were his six friends staring at him with surprise and confusion, but with several differences. One being that Twilight was a unicorn and not an alicorn, disturbing DJ slightly. The more disturbing fact, however, was the tall blonde human sitting next to Applejack, incredibly close to her in fact.

 

“Do y’all know this pony?” asked the human to the surrounding ponies.

 

“Not in all of mah days, Apple Ryder,” Applejack answered with a shake of her head. The others answered similarly, not helping DJ’s mood. Then it hit him. The guards not recognizing him, Celestia and his friends not knowing who he was, and the presence of a human he never seen before? That could only mean one thing…

 

“Buck my life!!”

The Things I Do for Love

Six months. Twilight simply couldn’t believe that had been six months since her spell had made her husband vanish into thin air with no way of finding him. When the others found out they were distraught. Big Macintosh seemed prepared to trample the grieving princess and not even her daughters would talk to her. She was a wreck during those first few weeks, doing nothing, but eating and sleeping; she couldn’t even bring herself to leave the house, or even her room. She just laid in the bed she shared with DJ, wishing with all her heart that he was there by her side. Princess Celestia was much more understanding of the situation, but had to keep things quiet. DJ’s capture by the changelings only a little over a year ago was still fresh in the minds of the Equestrian populace. Only the Sparkle family, the princesses, the Apple family, and the town of Ponyville were allowed to know of his disappearance.

 

There was some backlash against Twilight afterwards, but the sight of the distraught princess quelled their anger. Thankfully, Discord had reminded them that the omnitrix badge was still linked to the main omnitrix, even if communication was impossible. Twilight watched the device like a hawk for weeks, gasping every time the badge would turn yellow, meaning he was hurt, but always relaxed when it returned to green. She thanked the maker, Faust, that the badge never turned red, indicating a life threatening injury.

 

Twilight tried to return to her normal life, but it was hard. Scootaloo and Nyx were talking to her again, thankfully, and Spike had been by her side the entire time, fully understanding that it wasn’t her fault. In the meantime, Twilight tried to fulfill DJ’s wishes of bringing his world’s media to Equestria and sent batch after batch of movies and video games to Celestia and Luna as they volunteered to find the perfect venues for each title to be recreated in Equestria. That was five months ago and even now, television advertisements for PonyStations, GameBoxes, and other consoles were airing along with regular broadcasts. New movies were coming out almost every month, each one completely different from the last. One month would be a new animated film for children and adults, and the next would be a violent action movie with blood, gore, and cures words that only adults were allowed into, and kids would sneak in through the back. Twilight knew DJ would be proud of how Equestrians were adapting to this media.

 

Unfortunately, one week ago sparked another deep depression for Twilight. Nyx, in a desperate attempt to get DJ back, recreated the transportation spell, but mixed it with a homing spell as well. She and Scootaloo were planning to go and bring back their father, but something went wrong and only Nyx was transported. That was still more than enough to cause Twilight to break down crying as she held on to Scootaloo for dear life, afraid that something would take her other daughter away from her, too. Scoots couldn’t bring herself to leave her mother like this, so she promised to be the best she could be for her. Scoot and Spike were diligent in taking care of all of their daily chores, trying to keep Twilight calm and sane as they worked closely around her. Twilight deeply appreciated the two being for her in her darkest hour, though she feared that something even greater would happen and take the rest of her family from her.

 

Of course, Twilight wasn’t the only one deeply affected by DJ’s disappearance. Big Macintosh was thoroughly struck by his little brother being taken from him once again. Especially when his wedding came. DJ was supposed to be his best man, but with him gone, the wedding felt like it was missing a piece. Even Fluttershy could feel the longing sense in the spot where DJ should have been standing (Big Mac couldn’t bring himself to have any other pony stand in that spot so it remained empty through the whole ceremony). Applejack was missing her other big brother too, especially when she finally got herself a coltfriend, a certain stallion named Caramel. Big Mac put the fear of Celestia into the colt, but Caramel stood firm. This made the orange mare think of what DJ would do to Caramel if he found out. No, ‘when’ he found out. She had to have faith.

 

Celestia was also affected, but her feelings probably would have been worse if Pixel Berry hadn’t finally returned from her travels. When Berry found out, she was hit hard, especially after a long series of events that had happened only just prior. Celestia had told Twilight that Berry had clung to her upon finding out what happened to DJ and sobbed intensely into her white coat.

 

Today was just another day, as far as Twilight was concerned. Scootaloo had just gotten back from playing with the crusaders so she was laying back in front of the TV and Spike was busy preparing lunch in the kitchen. She was still researching for a spell that would bring back her husband and daughter, but with very little luck.

 

Then it happened. Twilight could feel the disturbance before it happened. She whipped her head around to see pure magic being gathered just above her dining room table, twisting and mixing together into a large orb. The wind in the room picked up as the swirling mass grew and sent out random strike of magical lightning. Spike and Scootaloo rushed into the room and gaped at the sight of a large blue orb sitting above their table. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the blue sphere burst, blinding all of them and revealing something inside of it that screamed out,

 

“I’M BACK BABY!!!!” They then heard the sound of something heavy hitting the table with a thud. “Ow! Gotta stop landing on that table,” the familiar voice groaned out. Twilight, Spike, and Scootaloo’s eyes went wide and they zoomed back to where the orb had been, noticing a blue alicorn laying on the table with a smaller black alicorn on his back.

 

“I don’t think you can avoid it, daddy. You’re cursed, remember?” said Nyx from her position.

 

“Story of my life,” DJ muttered out before he started looking around and noticed his three favorite people…er ponies… creatures. “Wassup guys! We’re back!”

 

“Hi guys!” Nyx added while waving happily. In an instant the two of them were crushed under three bear hugs from Spike, Twilight, and Scootaloo. They could feel fresh tears falling from each of them and the two alicorns did all they could to console them, as futile as it was.

 

Twilight backed away slightly and stared into DJ’s deep hazel eyes. Then she pushed forward and the two were locked in a kiss beyond passion. Their little tongue fight lasted for nearly a minute before they broke for air. Then Twilight leaned into DJ’s neck, nuzzling him and drinking in his presence. “I am so sorry, DJ,” she said as the tears started anew. “It’s all my fault.”

 

DJ stroked his wife’s hair, doing his best to calm her. “You didn’t do it on purpose, Twilight. I forgive you; I always will. Though, I kinda have to thank you for the adventures I’ve been on.”

 

Spike stepped back and looked at his brother in awe, admiring how different DJ looked. His body was firmer, stronger, and leaner. The drake could see stronger muscles than he previously had as well as a few scars and scrapes here and there. Spike whistled appreciatively. “Dang, DJ. What happened to you?”

 

DJ chuckled a little. “How about we go let the others know that I’m back and then I can tell you all everything? Sound like a plan?”

 

“Sure does to me!” Scootaloo said brightly. “I’ll go get our friends! Catch up when you can Uncle Spike!” With that Scootaloo took off running, and took flight once she was out the door. Spike rolled his eyes as he wrote to the princesses. After that he breathed out a flame and sent the letter on its way. The drake then turned back to his brother with a smile.

 

“This time you missed out on a lot, dude. We all got a lot of catching up to do!” Spike then headed out, but not without letting DJ catch a glimpse of his newest addition: a pair of wings! Spike wasn’t in sight long enough for DJ to ask so he turned to Twilight with wide-eyes.

 

“They came in a few months ago,” she explained. “He’s still working with them, but he can fly now.” DJ nodded, surprised beyond belief and now wondering what other surprises awaited him.

 

“Well, looks like there is gonna be a lot of sharing today, isn’t there?”

 

**********

 

Roughly an hour later, DJ and Nyx were surrounded by their closest friends and family, all crying happily that they had returned. Mac had nearly crushed DJ with his welcome hug, while Nyx was almost trampled by her fellow crusaders. Berry was the next to clutch the two in a bone crushing hug, along with Pinkie. Thankfully, Celestia simply pulled her son and granddaughter close with her wings. The others reacted similarly, leaving both alicorns wondering if they needed spine replacements, or to go to the hospital to check for broken ribs. With all the welcoming done, DJ began to tell his tale of what happened over six months ago.

 

When he finished his tale, Nyx adding in a few things where she came in at the end, the entire room was beyond speechless. Though, Celestia gained enough of her sanity back to speak again.

 

“So, let me get this straight,” she started, “When Twilight cast that spell on you, it started sending you to alternate Equestria’s throughout the multiverse—.“

 

“Omniverse, actually,” DJ corrected.

 

“Right, where in each one you met different humans who called Equestria either a home or a place with friends. There you went on different adventures, making new friends, and getting into trouble. Though in each one, you only stayed a month, even if that was longer than actually happened.”

 

“Yep, one night I go to sleep and the next time I wake up it’s a few days later and they had been wondering where I disappeared to.”

 

“So,” Twilight said, taking over, “In the first world, you met a human named Ryan who was in a relationship with that world’s Applejack and helped them fight off an evil version of Discord.”

 

“Right on the money.”

 

“The next world you visit,” began Applejack, “you found this ‘Batman’ character protecting his version of us. You convinced him to train you in martial arts and other ways of combat?”

 

“Well, I begged and pleaded, but he still said no. So, I just tried to imitate what he was teaching Scootaloo. He never stopped me, so I just kept up with what I spied upon, though he did lend me a couple of Batarangs so I could make my own. Since Batman was the one to suggest I needed some long distance weapons, who am I to not agree?”

 

Rainbow was next to begin. “Okay, so from there, you ended up meeting a human-turned-pony named Sora who went around fighting evil, heartless monsters and you helped him save his Ponyville and the Crystal Empire?”

 

“Eeyup! Even got this thanks to him!” DJ put out his hoof and bright flash of light appeared and then revealed a long key-shaped blade in his hoof. The center was a long sword and was covered in gold and blue filigree that extended out of the top in a shape reminiscent of a heart for the teeth of the key. Above the hilt, was a heart shape hole that served to connect the sword to the hilt. The hilt was stylized around the handle with the filigree that led down to a long chain that ended in keychain that looked like a crown with a heart attached on top. “Behold my keyblade, the Ultima Weapon!” DJ said proudly.

 

“Oh that is so not fair!” Berry whined. “I want one!”

 

“Too bad, this one is mine!” DJ said quickly pulling the key to his chest and caressing. “My sword, not yours!”

 

“Are you alright, DJ?” Twilight asked, sounding concerned.

 

“Yeah, just that I think I went a little more insane traveling around between these different worlds,” DJ said while tapping his noggin. “Think it broke some more screws loose.”

 

“Oh,” Twilight said, not knowing what more else she could say.

 

“After that,” Pinkie said, picking up afterwards, “you found yourself in a world that was about to be overrun by Discord and had to help a girl named Jennifer beat him in a race to save Equestria. Along the way, Discord switched you and Malice with each other and kept you from reverting as well as forcing the omnitrix to lock you in human form. From there you beat Discord, but Malice was forced to try and find a way to revert you two back since Discord disappeared before he could undo it. Then you went on to protect Equestria again by killing the evil queen, Gal—Oof!” Pinkie found her muzzle being clamped shut by DJ.

 

“Don’t say her name! I don’t know how you found out what it was, but don’t say that name! Just call her Queeny! She has these weird powers and I ain’t tempting fate! But, yes you are right. Malice went on to kill the queen after she ripped out the throat of a friend he had made. He even learned to use the Elements of Harmony.”

 

“Malice knows Harmonic Convergence now?!” Celestia asked, sounding concerned.

 

“Actually, we call it Chaos Control. The Elements seems a little more chaotic when Malice was in control of them,” DJ corrected. “It was also after that our relationship changed.”

 

“How so?” asked Twilight.

 

Before DJ could answer, another voiced called out from the kitchen. “Hey, kid! Where do we keep the mustard?”

 

“Top left cabinet!” DJ called back.

 

“Why is it in a cabinet? Mustard needs to be kept cold!” the voice said again.

 

“Not my decision!”

 

“Whipped bastard!”

 

“Hey! There’s fillies in here!”

 

“Whatever!” Some clattering was heard and then a grey stallion made his appearance from the kitchen door, carrying a plate full of sandwiches. “Want a sandwich kid?” he asked as he sat down in between Rainbow and Applejack, much to their displeasure.

 

“I would love one,” DJ responded as the unknown stallion levitated one over to him. The two then began to eat, leaving the others to wonder what was going on. Twilight took this chance to observe the new pony. He had a light grey coat, but a dark black mane, with a few grey streaks. His eyes were also grey in color, but what surprised her the most was that the stallion was indeed an alicorn! One with a black and white snowflake cutie mark.

 

“So, uh, honey, who is your friend?” Twilight asked.

 

“Guess, because you have already met.” The others looked back to the new stallion. He stopped chewing and spoke.

 

“I’ll give you a hint. As far as I’m concerned you’re all a bunch of stupid farm animals,” he said in his deep voice with a deadpanned expression. Everypony suddenly realized what, or rather who, they were speaking to.

 

“MALICE?!”

 

“Ding, ding, ding! We have some winners,” he said while waving his hoof unenthusiastically.

 

“Wh-what, but how is he?” Twilight stammered out.

 

“Duplication spell,” DJ explained as he finished eating. Then he took another look at Malice’s impressive stack of a dozen sandwiches. “Dude, you are worse than a freaking pothead.”

 

“So I get the munchies,” he shrugged. “Sue me.”

 

“Don’t tempt me,” DJ joked. “Anyways, after that thing with Jen, the two of us worked on giving each other some space, and thanks to help from Parker in the next world, we were able to come up with a spell that can give Malice his own body, though it’s only temporary.”

 

Malice nodded. “Yeah, I’m still tied to this dipshit brother of mine, but this does come in handy for when we need to tag team.”

 

“Did Malice just say brother?” Pixel pointed out.

 

“Yep, we consider each other twin brothers. Not far from the truth when you think about it.”

 

“Well, I don’t think there should be any problem with Malice getting some freedom every now and then,” said Celestia with an unreadable face. Then she glared hard at Malice. “That is, only if he behaves himself. Do I make myself clear… son?”

 

Malice visibly shivered under her gaze, surprising the others. “Stay away you feminine destroyer!” Malice yelled at her. “Leave me be!”

 

It was at that moment that DJ burst into laughter. Twilight looked at him with confusion and a raised eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

 

“Sorry,” DJ said, trying to calm down from his laughter. “It’s just that I crack up every time I’m reminded of all that Malice took from me. Turns out, when Malice was created he took a few portions of my emotions and made them his. He is the reason I can be so calm around you girls and speak my mind, when I couldn’t do the same to the girls on Earth. Malice took my fear of women! AHAHAHA!”

 

“Shut up ya stupid prick! Women are the scourge of the world!” The women at the table, which accounted for pretty much everypony turned to glare harshly at him, which made him shrink back and start spouting death threats.

 

DJ smirked. “Unfortunately, Malice’s fear manifests in him wanting to kill what scares him, so be careful. Anyways, who was going next?”

 

“I think I was, if that’s okay,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Your next adventure led you to meet a stallion named Peter Parker where you tried to help become use to his new life as a pony in Equestria and eventually got pulled to Earth with him, but were forced to leave before you could help fight the main battle.”

 

“That is also where I developed a deep fear for symbiotic parasites,” DJ said nonchalantly. The others looked at him confused and then to Malice.

 

He just shrugged. “You’d have to have been there to understand. Oh, kid! Tell them about the thing!"

Twilight was confused again. "Thing? What thing?"

"This thing!" Instantly, DJ disappeared, reappearing on the top level of the library. "I learned how to teleport! I have a super power after all!"

"It's not magic?" Twilight asked in stunned surprise.

"Nope!" DJ disappeared again, returning to his spot. "I call it 'jumping'. Kinda like the movie."

"Meh, the book was better," Malice added.

"True, but they didn't have Samuel Jackson in them!"

"Good point," Malice conceded.

 

“I believe that it is my turn,” said Rarity. “Your final world led you to the world of Owen and his lover, Princess Luna. It was there where you were finally able to understand the spell, with some help, that sent you to the different worlds and finally work on a counter spell. You, of course, spent some fun time with the young man, but then Nyx showed up which frightened some of the ponies for some reason and--.”

 

“Do you want to know why they were scared of Nyx?” DJ interrupted. He took the silence as a yes and spoke to his daughter. “Nyx, do the thing!”

 

Nyx nodded and began to swirl her teal colored magic around her body. As the spell continued, it kept getting stronger and stronger, morphing around Nyx until it began to take the shape of a larger being. When the magical finally ended, everypony, save DJ and Malice, gasped in fear. A slow laughter began to spill out from the imposing figure, her coat as black as night, draconic eyes glaring out at the world, and her blue-starry mane blowing in a nonexistent wind. “Behold! For I, Nightmare Moon, have returned! AHAHA!” Celestia powered up her horn as Nightmare began laughing, but soon became confused as the evil laughter soon turned to a giggle fit and Nightmare shifted back into Nyx.

 

“I… I’m sorry, haha!” she said between breaths. “B-but you should have seen your faces! You actually thought I turned back into Nightmare Moon. No, but I do have all of her magic back! I’m all powerful once again! And I can turn into my Nightmare form, but it’s still just me. Just more magic packed!”

 

DJ smiled. “The nightmare magic was so high on Owen’s world that some of it actually got absorbed into Nyx when she arrived, reverting her back into Nightmare Moon. Thankfully, I got to her before they could go through with sentencing and we were able to find a way for her to control the resurgence of her magic and she could still stay in her normal form. All in all, a lot has happened over the past six month, but I am glad to be home. Being around all those alternates of you guys is disconcerting. Especially when a few of them were a little more than friendly with Twilight. Made me all kinds of uncomfortable.”

 

Twilight gave him a quick, reassuring peck on the cheek. “Did you figure out the spell?”

 

“Yep! I can now travel freely between them if I wished. Could come in handy someday, though at the moment for it to work, it needs the Elements of Harmony. Which is easy for me and Malice, since I am the Being of Harmony.”

 

“And I am the Being of Chaos. Or so we have heard from different legends in these worlds. We fit the description and the name works for me,” added Malice.

 

“Eeyup, but we don’t have to worry about that now. We can just be home!”

 

“Um, not exactly, my son,” Celestia said, now looking upset.

 

“Oh what now?” DJ asked, thinking the worst.

 

“I am sorry my child, but in order to keep the nobles and the public from worrying about your disappearance, I had to convince them that you left on a Cultural Journey.”

 

“What the hell is that?” asked Malice.

 

“A Cultural Journey is a thirteen month travel that can be undertaken by a noble for the purpose of learning and understanding other cultures on this planet. It is an old tradition as well as backed by a few laws. One such is that anypony who undertakes such a journey must leave Equestria for at least thirteen months. Otherwise, there are… consequences. You really don’t want to know.”

 

“Le gulp,” DJ responded. “So if I hear what I think I’m hearing, then I need to leave again? For another seven months?!”

 

“I know you’re upset, DJ, but it was the only way to keep Equestria from panicking over you vanishing again.”

 

“Calm down, mom,” DJ said with a calming hoof. “It’s alright, I understand. May not like it, but I do understand. Can I make a request, though?”

 

“Anything,” Celestia responded, wiping a tear from her eye.

 

“May I at least stay the night? So I can say my goodbyes this time.”

 

“Of course, and allow me to be the first.” Celestia stepped forward and hugged him tight. “I am so sorry about this,” she whispered into her ear.

 

“Don’t worry about it, mom. Everything will be alright.”

 

**********

 

After several hours of catching up with the others, many of which surprised DJ with the new lives they led, DJ and Twilight found themselves in bed together. The simply sat there, drinking in each other’s presences. Neither wanted this moment to end; just to be together like this for all eternity.

 

“I don’t want you to go DJ,” Twilight pleaded through her tear soaked eyes.

 

“I don’t want to go, either, Twi, but I can’t put you guys through political hell because I’m being selfish. I will be back, Twilight, and then, I’m retiring from all of this for good. No more heroics, no more adventure; just you, me, Spike, and the girls. One big happy family.”

 

Twilight looked at him with passion and love. “I love you so much DJ,” she said with a deep longing.

 

“I love you so much more, my dear shining Twilight.” Their lips met, igniting a great fire deep within them. DJ laid Twilight back on the bed and began to kiss her softly, moving slowly down from her lips, to her neck, to her barrel, and even further. The rest of the night was spent in glorious passion, reigniting each other’s love for the other as they made sweet beautiful love.

 

**********

 

The next morning, DJ was packed and ready to go for his seven month trip. All of his friends and family had met up outside of the Books and Branches Library to wish him well. They all said their goodbyes to each other, with DJ giving Twilight, Nyx, Scootaloo, and Spike a big family hug at the end. DJ stepped away from them and summoned his Element powers. He glowed golden for a moment as the symbol of the Elements appeared underneath his hooves. DJ stuck out a hoof and caused another symbol to appear, which grew until it was twice his size and the inner circle grew into a massive swirling portal.

 

DJ turned back to his friends and family with apologetic eyes. “This isn’t goodbye,” he insisted. “I don’t believe in saying goodbye to those I care for because that would mean we would never meet again. I don’t want that, especially not from all of you. So instead, I say to you all, ‘see you later’! I’ll be back in seven months and this time, Twilight, I left you a spell we can use to keep in contact with each other. I hope to hear from you soon. I love you all!” With that DJ turned fast and jumped into the portal, causing said portal to close and the light disappeared.

 

Twilight wouldn’t cry this time. She knew he would be back and that there was nothing to worry about. Though, what she did know is that once DJ returned for the last time, nothing would ever separate them again. Not rain, sleet, or snow would break them apart. No matter the storm, they would weather it together, even if the darkest of nights came at them at the same time.

Sequel Preview!

Seven months. Seven long months have past since DJ took up his travels to other worlds. With his mission now complete, he returns to his home Equestria to live his days with his family. But fate has another plan for the hero as threats, new and old, rise to threaten everything that DJ has done to protect his friends and family. With new powers, new weapons, and new friends, DJ now strives to uncover the greatest mysteries of Equestria before everything they know and hold dear is destroyed before their very eyes. Join our hero on his final missions in the exciting conclusion to the Chaotic Harmony Trilogy and see whether or not DJ, his friends, and his family can save the day, one last time!

Return to Story Description

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