Vanilla woke up in a different place, a beach of white sand, she soon discovered to be white chocolate, on the edge of a soda lake, in a cave, lit by crystals such as the tree hall.

Vanilla sighed. She felt she had been in too many caves in a very little time. She definitely didn't like caves. Pegasus didn't like enclosed spaces, further Candy-Pegasus, who were more hyperactive.

Good thing she soon noticed her wings and hooves were free of stone. Probably courtesy of her mysterious savior.

She could only think of a pony to do a job like that, but didn't believe he was there.

She walked a bit and found the entrance of the cave, where she found a pony, the same who saved her, now without his helmet, revealing a pony Vanilla knew very well.

"Shield, what are you doing here?" She asked, approaching.

Shield Heart was the older brother of Golden Hammer. A big and strong Earth Pony, unlike his brother.

"Saving you." He chuckled. "Looks like I got here just in time."

"But who told you I needed help?"

"Actually nopony. I was sent here on patrol. Two of my colleagues have been attacked twice, someone had to investigate it. But Moon told me of your problems also. I admit that at first I didn't believe her, but apparently she was right as always." He laughed.

"You know who she was? The one who attacked me." Vanilla asked.

"Shall I tell you the truth?" He asked unsure. Vanilla nodded. "All right, but you will not like the answers."

Vanilla thought for a moment. Did she want to know? Was she ready for more bad things?

"You can tell me. I can take it." She decided.

"Then all right. Was you who asked. Once upon a time, in a small kingdom of sweets, a king, a queen and a princess. A happy family in a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. Until one day, a unicorn appeared in the kingdom, asking one of the magical candy that grew on the island. But these were not only powerful, but also dangerous sweeties, and couldn't be given to anyone."

"This is looking like one of those Pony Tales." The little filly protested.

"It may seem, but it isn't. And the unicorn was a dark sorceress and threatened the kingdom with a curse. She was banished from the kingdom, nothing seemed to have happened until two days later, the princess disappeared and was never found."

"Okay. Now tell the truth." Vanilla asked, laughing. "The princess hasn't disappeared, I'm right here."

"Well, it happens that this happened two years before you was born. And the princess was your sister, Candy Shine."

This time Vanilla was speechless. Then Candy was her sister! Well, that explained why the two were so alike. If Candy knew that explained why she hadn't let Dusky kill her.

But not explained what happened to her all that time, neither why she was working with Dusky and the mysterious pony and what was the purpose of them there.

"Are you okay?" Shield finally asked, before the empty expression of his little friend.

"I think so. Only with a lot of unanswered questions, but I'm fine. Has a plan?"

"My first plan was to find out what is happening, but you seem to already have the information." He chuckled. It was amazing how calm she could keep on that situation, or how could pretend.

Vanilla told all that had happened since that night two months ago, although she knew Shield Heart was aware that part of the story.

"What do we do now?" She finally asked.

"Don't worry, little one, I'll ask for help. This will be our base in the meantime."

"You want to gather an army and invade the castle, capturing Dusky and force him to tell us who are his allies, then capture and lock up everyone in the deepest dungeon in Dragonia and convince Candy that we are friends and we'll all live happily ever after?"

Shield couldn't help but laughed at the childishness of his little friend. She always had great imagination, but he heard the stories told by her seemed so much more mature and serious. That plan sounded good Pony Tales. Though, could work up until the part where Dusky's allies entered the history. They had no idea what they were dealing with. But with a group of Dragon-Warriors, with Platinum Blade in charge... It certainly think of something if he could convince her of the problems there.

Shield can not help but laugh at the childishness of his little friend. She always had great imagination, but he heard the stories told by her seemed so much more mature and serious. That plan sounded good fairy ponies. Though, could work up until the part where the allies entered the Dusky history. They had no idea what they were dealing with. But with a group of Dragon-Warriors, with Platinum Blade in charge... She would certainly think of something if he could convince her of the problems there.

The difficulty was that he had not yet achieved any proof, the word of a little filly wouldn't be of much use to convince Platinum.

Vanilla suddenly stood up.

"It's getting late, I think I'm going to bed." She murmured.

"It's still early. Aren't you going, at least to have dinner?"

"I'm not hungry. Thanks for saving me, Shield, but I really need anything other than a good night's sleep."

"All right, little one. I'll be watching. See you in the morning. Sweet dreams."

"Good night to you too, Shield." She forced a sweet smile at him before going back into the cave.

But the truth was that she wasn't tired. She just couldn't pretend anymore. The arrest and escape didn't compare to the conversation in the cave and the news that she had received that day.

She cowered in a corner, crying, until finally falling asleep. Hoped it would be better the next morning.

Vanilla woke up with the sunlight invading the cave. It was still early, it was probably less than an hour Celestia raised the sun.

She yawned and walked down to the lake. Nothing like a bit od soda to wake up in the morning full of energy for a busy day.

She searched for Shield, but he was nowhere to be found in the cave. Concerned, she left, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

She thought if she should stay in the cave. Had a tunnel across the lake and she wanted to know where it was going. Shield Heart had probably gone to find something better to eat and would be back soon. That would probably be looking for a way to ask for the help they need.

She still couldn't believe that all this was happening. But feeling a little better at the time, she couldn1't help but thought that would make a great story, better than any she and Moonlight had ever invented.

Ready for a bit of adventure, she flew to the other side of the lake. It took a while to find solid ground and can walk again. The light that came up there was little, but nothing was enough to stop Vanilla. That would be a new adventure and she was ready!

Shield Heart cautiously approached the castle. Might not have been a good idea to leave Vanilla alone in the canyon, but he needed proof before send a message to the Commander Platinum and he didn't want to put his little friend at risk. His work had always been the protector of the royal family of Dragonia, it was now extended to the Princess of Sweet Island. Still the same work, nothing much different from working with Moonlight.

Besides, she probably wouldn't wake up before noon. At this point he probably would be back at the hideout. He was sure she wouldn't cause problems even if woke up early.

There were two guards guarding the castle gate. This was definitely a problem, but not one that couldn't be circumvented.

Vanilla hovered over a small chasm. The tunnel was long and confusing, full of twists and holes, chocolate soaked the ground here and there. Where would give? She had no idea, but that was the goal of the operation, no?

Quietly skipping over the stones, she finally saw a light. Not the sunlight, seemed more crystals, perhaps a new area of the cave.

The opening at the end of the tunnel was little, if Vanilla was slightly higher, probably wouldn't have passed, but she managed.

Yes, the output was another part of the cave, this not only illuminated by the crystals, but also by sunlight coming in through holes in the walls of the entire cave. Vanilla reached one of them and got somewere in Jawbreaker Valley, later was the true beach and the sea.

That was interesting. Vanilla heard of Moonlight, who probably heard from her mother, the sea was made of salty water, - Vanilla had no idea what was salt - but then it would gradually becoming sweet near Sweet Island and finally becoming Milkshake.

It was just like it around the entire island, except for the most thin part, separating Sweet Island from the rest of Equestria, where the water was simply sweet. But the most curious was where the waters met while Vanilla had never gone there. She might as well try, but had no time for that now, Shield should already be returning.

Enter the castle? Definitely easy! Perhaps too easy, but Shield wasn't going back for it. Getting to Vanilla room and pick up a camera? No problem. He was a guard, had been trained in a similar way and knew how to act. Likewise, arrive to the dungeons out almost as easy. Now it was looking for some sign that the true King Candy was there. By the movement of the guards there was quite possible.

It was just an impression or those guards were all alike? There seemed to be only four or five guards and an army of copies of them.

Ignoring that crazy detail Shield advanced cautiously in his search. No sign of life beyond the guards. It wasn't strange, Sweet Island was a peaceful place.

Then it changed. Two guards guarding the door of a cell near the end of prison. What were they doing there?

Shield just wanted to be a real pony Dragonia and power to transform, or at least be able to do magic like me brother. But with both out of his reach, he would have to improvise.

So had his craziest idea. Not something you would expect from a soldier Dragonia, but something that one would expect more from Moonlight Shoot.

Note to himself: Spend less time with the girls. This was interfering with his rational part trained warrior and everything else.

He simply closed his helmet and dropped the cry next to a roaring dragon can, before leaving the hall where the guards were and attack them. The lack of light, shape and sound of armor and shadows making him a persuasive dragon.

But the guards invested back, it was too late to stop Shield, the clash was inevitable. Luckily, Shield Heart was known for his strength, knocking them both with ease.

He ran to the door and found a group of guards arrested there, including two of his colleagues patrol. Worried, he tried to break the door down with a kick, hoping that wouldn't attract problems crash before he could leave.

Desacordados were all apparently knocked out with magic. It wasn't a surprise.

It would be easier if he could just knock down the wall, but were in sobsolo. Maybe he could try to dig a tunnel to the surface, had done something similar when Astral Glow, Moonlight Shoot twin brother accidentally caused that avalanche and just stuck in a cave while training a spell.

It was better to try. Pos shield the door in place, as if nothing had happened and began his work, with surprising speed, but he always had a good combination of speed and power, precisely what was placed between one of the best warriors in Dragonia.

The plan seemed to work at first, except that the tunnel was to mysteriously in the tree rather than on the surface hall.

The place was closed and empty, as was to be expected. But then there was a problem. There was a crack in the trunk near the base, where he first where the tree had been struck. Black magic was spreading. He needed urgent help!

Taking pictures as evidence, he prepared to go back and try a new tunnel when his passage was blocked by the last creature he expected to see, but it made sense after all that had happened: A changeling.