Saturday, April 9th, Just outside Dusk’s library.

Ignoring the bolts of aching pain that shot from his spine and into his legs, Dusk threw the basement door shut, twisting a simple spell knot over the lock to secure it as he turned around and leaned against the doorway, looking for any sign of where Pinkie had gone.

A random gust blew through the still treehouse, causing the distant front door to swing open wider, banging against the door stop. Dusk leapt back into motion at that noise, his heart racing, and not from the awkward run upstairs, or the two times he'd slipped and crashed into walls when turning back to lock and secure the other five Elements. As he approached the open library entrance, a worried thought shot to the front of his mind, demanding his attention, and he caught himself on the bannister of the staircase. Turning back around and looking down the hall, past the shut bathroom door, he saw a distant red flicker from under Bronze’s bedroom door, telling him she must be reading.

Dusk cupped both hands around his mouth, raising his voice to a near-bellow to make sure she would hear him. “Bronze ‒ I ‒ I am off to go find Pinkie. She took off… she ran off with the Element of Laughter. Lo‒ look, stay here in case something happens or she returns. I'm going to go try and find her!”

A second, more powerful gust of wind howled through the open door, causing another loud bang and drowning out Bronze’s answer. Too tense to wait any longer, Dusk called back louder. “Look, I'm off after her. Just keep an eye on things, alright?” Rushing out the open door, Dusk let his magic loose, reaching out over Ponyville to hunt for the ancient power that emanated from the gem that formed the heart of Pinkie's Element. It was far more subtle than he expected, but he could sense it, sense her trail. Determined, Dusk turned to follow her.

High in the upper branches above Dusk’s Library.

Bronze loved climbing trees. Of course it would have been easier to simply fly to the higher reaches of the tree, but climbing was more thrilling, using a steady grip to find a sure perch as she made her way up to the highest level of it. The thrill of the climb started her adrenaline, making it all the more exciting. Her fingers were strong and calloused, but the rough bark was hard on her hands, and the risk of a fall was always adding so much more to the challenge of the climb.

The bag over her shoulder wasn’t heavy enough to throw off her balance, but Bronze had made sure to cinch up the strap as tight as possible; if something fell out, it would be a nightmare to find after it fell to the ground. When she’d finally reached the highest layer of the branches that still felt safe to perch on, Bronze propped herself up on the thicker of two branches that were close enough together for her purposes. She unhooked the board from her back, expertly balancing herself while she strapped the thick band around first one branch, and then the other, ratcheting them down to pin the two branches tightly together until the plant formed a safe seat for her work.

Finally, she hopped over and took a seat, leaning to one side so she could rest the thick leather-bound sketch book on the tree, her fingers nervously hovering over the page, fidgeting, adjusting, rethinking. And then she finally picked out where to start. “The Apple’s Farm. The best landmark around from the air, its massive orchard is visible even from here, highly organized into nearly straight lines.” She thought, and started to sketch at last, and continued to watch. Bronze could practically make out a few ponies working in the rows if she really strained herself to make the little details out.

The main road in and out of Ponyville ran perfectly north-south through the middle of town, mostly cleared thanks to the steady traffic, making it easy to map out, to detail from one side of town to the other, to give her a middle point to draw out all the other details: the town hall, the bazaar, and the major businesses. All of it was important, and all of it helped her to form a more concise picture of the city. Later, she would color in the buildings to mark off businesses, public buildings, and households. For now, she carefully labeled them all to make sure she had every detail down. Time and time again, she wished she had eyes like some of the Scouts that she’d trained with. They could perch on a cloud a mile above the city and draw in the details she had to skip as she worked, able only to label the doors that she could see, though the larger windows were marked as well, to make sure things were complete.

Unable to help herself, Bronze finally started to think about the details she was filling in, the reasons behind it all. The lesson plan was simple enough, but still good practice for a potential campaign. “Chart out a city in precise detail, marking out places of importance to a military incursion, including the locations for possible camps, important checkpoints, and possible places to build barricades, chokepoints, holdouts, and safe houses.”

Bronze was so occupied with her work, she never noticed Pinkie flee the library, nor Dusk following soon after. When her work was finally finished, Bronze slid off the bench, and undid the straps holding her perch in place, taking care to put it away. Finally, she climbed back into the branches, glad she’d gotten something done today, some work, some progress on her classes. “And when I get back to my room, Princess Cadance promised her calming incense would help with the rest of my studying. Please, dear Celestia, let it help.”

1:20pm, Fluttershy's Cottage.

Fluttershy reached up, one hand on the bear’s chest for support while she extended her arm as far as possible. Harry the Bear gave a happy groan, and shifted his heavy jaw into her hand, sighing in contentment, resting paws as large as Fluttershy’s torso on her back, all while making happy, low throaty noises.

She looked over to where Angel sat, crouched down, chewing on a tough gnarled old carrot while his ears fidgeted, shifting and swaying at any little sound in the house. When he noticed her watching him, he grumped audibly. “You'll get lost. You said yourself Cloudsdale doesn't wait for anypony. It moves with the wind.”

Laughing gently at the rabbit, Fluttershy spread her fingers out to scratch all over the underside of the great bear’s jaw and jowls, giggling at his failed attempts to purr like a kitten in gratitude to her affection. “I'll be fine, Angel! Cloudsdale doesn't move that quickly most days! Besides, it's still early, they're focused on light showers around Canterlot this time of year.”

With a sharp crunch, the bunny bit through the thick raw carrot, using his sharp front teeth to break apart the hard vegetable. At last, he looked back over at her, frowning a little. “Yeah, but it's such a long way up. How will you get that high up without Dash’s help?

If anypony knew of Fluttershy’s more sensitive issues, it was clearly the bunny, and she went quiet, her hands stopping their scratching. But Harry the Bear wasn't going to let that be the end, and so he tilted his great maw forward, nuzzling it against her cheek before shoving his massive cold and wet nose into her ear. That made her laugh, hugging him back and petting his gigantic belly. “They have the weather team move clouds out under Cloudsdale in case somepony needs help making the flight up. Besides, I used to live there for years, Angel!”

Unable to stop fidgeting, the bunny turned around to face her, still gnawing on the rough end of the carrot, standing up near his full height. “Yeah, but-”

Pulling free of Harry's arms, Fluttershy walked the two steps to his side and crouched down before he could react, leaning in and kissing the tip of his little pink nose. “I'm going, Angel, but don't worry, your date will go fine, and Harry will help you with all the animals. It'll be fine!”

Slouching as low to the floor as he could manage as Fluttershy turned away to gather up her bags, Angel crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled to himself. “Yeah, a bear feeding deer, fish, and rodents. Nothing could go wrong.”

If he was affected by Angel’s words, Harry gave no sign. The mammoth bear held up a bag for Fluttershy while she carefully adjusted the straps to fit comfortably around her wings. When she was all set, Fluttershy turned to the door and blew them both kisses. “Is that everything? Then I suppose I'm off!”

Turning to open the cottage door, a frog hopped directly into Fluttershy’s face, and somehow managing to find a perch, he settled there, croaking out a low-throated “Ribbit.”

There was a long moment of silence and at last Fluttershy cleared her throat and spoke around the frog perched on her cheek. “Err… Harry, dear. Can you help me get this backpack off? Mr. Croaker here says ‘the big smashy smashy’ drove them out of their creek in the Everfree Forest, and now they're desperate for someplace to live where it won't crush them.”

2pm, in Cloudsdale.

Dash couldn't help it, the quill wasn't what she wanted her hands on right now. She wanted to know what her father was doing. Why he had rejoined the ‘Bolts? But every time she tried to ask, he evaded the question and pointed her back to the seemingly endless paperwork. If it hadn’t been for the growling of her stomach, she might not have noticed the passage of time, and in spite of Surprise’s help with things like what she would be allowed to list for extra training and qualifications, the paperwork had dragged on while Surprise constantly rechecked what she wrote.

Nodding enthusiastically, the young Wonderbolt confirmed Dash's suspicions. “This is all because you gotta make sure you get everything down right. The senior Wonderbolts are sticklers for paperwork. Probably because it keeps us quiet and out from underfoot.”

If Surprise hadn't been staring directly at Blitz the whole time, Dash would have wondered if it was a plea for attention, but the old stallion snickered at her comment, and offered them both a shrug. “It is true, Dash. We give the young Wonderbolts paperwork to train their minds, and assign hours in the training yard for their bodies. And if you mess up on one, we give you extra hours on the other, to remind new recruits to do both as hard as you can. Sometimes if a recruit’s slow to pick things up, one of their seniors ends up secretly helping them on the side, otherwise they can end up drowning in paperwork, or punishment hours in the exercise yard.”

Sometime while they were talking, Rumble returned to the kitchen and started chopping up the fresh vegetables that Blitz and Surprise had picked up. The scent scattered in the air made Dash’s belly rumble again, and she couldn't help but look out the window to check how much the sun had moved. Despite how little time had passed, Dash was starting to regret not bringing something to munch on.

Blitz pulled a wood and brass pipe from a decorative box on top of the ice chest, before turning to his daughter and swatting her shoulder playful. “I'm gonna have a smoke while Rumble makes lunch. Dash, care to join me? You're basically done with that application, right?”

Flipping over the page she'd just finished to look at the last sheet of paper in the stack, a single line remained to be answered. ‘List any and all family, blood relations, and if applicable, herd member(s).”

Dash’s quill moved swiftly across the page, scribbling down Blitz's name and Applejack's. She was just about to continue with a third name before catching herself, and hesitated over the page, hovering above a half written ‘D’. Her breath was suddenly rapid, and she stared at the page, her hand shaking. Her concentration was only broken when she heard Blitz call her name a second time. “Dash, you're done, right?”

Putting away the quill aggressively, Dash nearly knocked over the inkpot and rushed to stand up and follow him. “Yeah, sorry dad. Just had to finish listing family.”

Blitz only laughed as he waited for her to join him, expertly tamping down the tobacco in his pipe, giving Surprise a little nod. “I'll deliver Dash’s paperwork if you two want to go for a flight tonight. I need to talk with the Quartermaster anyways, they're supposed to have a dress uniform ready for me by Monday.”

Excited, Surprise clapped her hands together before remembering herself and straightening up, saluting him properly. “Ohhh! It'll be great to see you in uniform, Major.”

Blitz returned her salute before bursting out laughing, and shook his head at Surprise’s antics. “I didn't make my foal call me major, I won't make her friends do it either. Now help the colt finish up lunch. Big days ahead!”

As Dash followed her sire out onto the long balcony, she still wasn't sure just what to say to him, how to express her concerns. The fact he was so happy, that he was joking with, maybe even flirting with Surprise... It was all so good to see, yet… he'd been retired for over ten years, and she'd seen what Gilda could do up close. She shuddered at the thought of what a more experienced pack of griffons could do.

Leaning on his right arm on the railing, Blitz palmed a tindertwig and struck the red tip across the wood, popping the tip of the pipe into his mouth, sucking at it while using both hands to shield the match from the wind while lighting the pipe. Puffing a little at the pipe to bank up a bed of embers before casually asking her. “So, how's your stallion, then?”

Dash could feel her cheeks burning and her wings floof out at Blitz's casual question. Unable to keep her hands from fidgeting, she found herself scratching her nails into her elbow. “Dusk isn't my stallion‒ we're‒ well, it's not like that. Anyways, what about you rejoining the Wonderbolts?! You had years you coulda done that when you were younger. And don't tell me it's your duty or nothin’! If things were so bad with the griffons, I'd have heard about it by now!”

Dash could not tear her eyes from her sire now. She felt her legs shake while they stared at one another in silence for a while, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. The stallion shifted his pipe across his mouth, still puffing at the tobacco, its scent powerful enough that the lazy breeze didn't drive it all away.

Blitz drew a long breath, blowing out a careful ring of smoke and blinked first, leaning onto the rail and looked out over the nearby barracks. "This isn't about Gilda, Dash. There are things happening in the world. Things they don't tell anypony. Maybe Dusk’s figured out a little bit of it. He's smart, he probably has twice as many contacts as I do, growing up as Princess Celestia’s right hand. Things are bad in the Griffon Empire, Dash, worse than even Princess Celestia thought. The blood's gone bad and nopony is safe there anymore. Not even their own cubs. I joined back up because that’s how I can help. No more training foals who might get into a border skirmish every few months. They’re getting eaten alive over there Dash, and the Wonderbolts’ intervention might be the last chance we have of preventing this war from going any further.”

The cold and serious tone in his voice, the way he watched the distant training yard… she couldn't help it, Dash followed his gaze and focused in just like he'd trained her. In the far training yard, she counted at least three groups of forty pegasi, all wearing the royal guard uniform, being guided through formation and spear-fighting basics by two Wonderbolts while... while Fleetfoot stood by watching, standing alongside a bat mare she could swear she'd met once somewhere… Now Dash understood why her sire was so serious. “Those aren't Wonderbolts, they aren't even cadets. Dad, they're training the royal guard to fight griffons?”

A conflicted look made Blitz’s face a closed book to her, next to impossible to read for a moment, but he sighed and beat the charred ash out of his pipe against the railing of the deck. “Don't bother promising not to share this with Dusk. If they haven't told him by now, he'll hear the official announcement soon. We've occupied the griffon’s capital and are currently maintaining an uneasy peace between their colt emperor and the clan leaders who don't like the boy. It'd almost be better to let them gut the kid, but the current clan feuds are already so violent, they're fighting in the streets as it is. No clue who’d come out on top if they were allowed to go into a full on war with themselves.”

Dash felt like she was falling, and took a grip on the railing to steady herself, trying to understand everything he was saying. “But… you're going into all that, even as an advisor to Spitfire-”

Blitz hushed her with a finger to her lips, shaking his head and stepping closer, so he could reassuringly wrap his wing over her shoulders. “I'll be her third, Dash. And we're not alone, Celestia is sending another five wings of Wonderbolts and a full battalion of the royal guard.”

Dash finally gave in and wrapped her arms around Blitz, sinking into her sire’s powerful embrace and giving a mild grunt before sighing a little. “Just- just stay close to Surprise, dad, please? If some dumb brute Griffon knocks your block off with a lucky blow, I’ll chase you to Tartarus and back. And keep your right elbow up. Last time we were training together, you kept letting it droop! That's lazy!”

The stallion laughed warmly, shaking his head. “No, that was me trying to make you think you'd spotted an opening. But I'm glad you remembered. Now, what about Applejack and your stallion? Are you three settling down or not? I want to know before we ship out.”

Exasperated by just how much he'd been able to weasel out of Rumble, and probably any of his supposed ‘contacts’, Dash elbowed him in the stomach, shifting her stance casually while the old colt gasped for air. “Not a clue what you're talking about, Major Blitz. I'm like the wind, flying free wherever life takes me. Applejack’s good though, thanks for asking.”

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville.

Applejack planted her weight into the wooden arms of the plow before whistling a familiar note to her brother. “C’mon, Mac, nearly done! Few more rows and then we can start seeding! Granny says if we get the chives and onions planted today, it'll fix up our bug problem and remind them darn rabbits to remember Fluttershy’s warning about our fields!”

As Mac dug in his feet and started another loop through the orchard, Applejack maintained the even pressure required to keep the plow digging a straight path, ducking the worst of the overhanging branches that only missed Mac’s head because of how far forward he leaned while pulling the plow along. “This is why it's good to work with you, Mac. If a job's worth doing, you'll keep going until sunset to make sure it's done, and done right.”

As they moved down the row, Applejack found that her thoughts were drifting. She couldn't help but worry about his current… relationship with Zecora. It wasn't like she wasn't a nice enough mare, but so far, things had not been going that smoothly. How'd Rarity put it? “Their cultures clash, darling. Like how sometimes you and Dusk have awkward moments. He was raised where a stallion asks a mare to dance and they stand close together, moving slowly. You? Well, not to be rude, but sometimes I wonder if your family's idea of a party couldn't be charitably described as more of running-brawl-slash-drinking-contest with musical accompaniment. The same issue exists for Mac and Zecora, but if they truly appreciate one another, they'll work it out.”

Just as Applejack was preparing to switch places with Mac and take a turn pulling the heavy plow on the next lap, the distant cry of Winona’s warning bark caught her ear over the noise generated by the dragging wood and earth churning plow. Hopping off the runner, Applejack stuck two fingers into her lips to reply to the canine in a sharp, drawn out whistle they'd practiced plenty of times before, giving the pup enough time to locate her and rush to join them.

To Applejack’s shock, Winona wasn't alone. She was followed closely by Amethyst, despite the way the pup could cut between the rows of the orchard at a pace most ponies struggled to manage in a straightaway. Seeing her wearing Derpy’s mail hat and being followed by an empty mail sack that practically flew due to the quick pace they kept up, it immediately became obvious to Applejack why she was here. Returning to the plow and unhooking their canteen, she offered the water to the panting mare who was hugging Winona around the shoulders and laughing a little too happily. “Catch your breath yet? How about some water?”

Still too breathless to answer, Amethyst accepted the water and ended up with just as much on her face as in her mouth, a problem that Winona was only too glad to help her deal with by giving her cheeks two long licks before finally wiggling out from under Amethyst’s arm to jog over to greet Big Mac with a hug as he approached, having finally struggled free of the plow’s leather harness.

Helping the still-breathless mare stand back up, Applejack took the water back and drank a little of the soothing, clear liquid before questioning Amethyst again. “So, you got some mail for us Amethyst?”

Resting a hand on her side to help herself stand up, she fetched a tattered brown telegram from her notebook, passing it over to Applejack with the backside turned up, revealing the large red stamp that had been used to imprint the word “URGENT!!!”

Snapping up the paper she turned it over to read what had been typed in by the unicorn working at the telegraph station. In the tiny typewriter text she read:

Frm Braeburn @ Appleloosa

To: AJ @ Sweet Apple Acres

Orchard trampled, Buffalo Rampage.

Desp need saplings/seedlings to save farm.

Plz send hlp can spare coz!!!

Applejack passed Mac the short note and pulled off her hat. For a moment she was so frustrated she couldn’t decide if she should yell, kick something, or break something. When Big Mac finished reading, he simply gave an audibly depressed sigh as his shoulders drooped, while one single tear ran across a cheek before he turned away from the mares to hide his grief.

It was a struggle, but Applejack managed to mediate the worst of her response, smacking her beloved hat against the rickety plow before half-heartedly decrying. “Aw… damn it to Tartarus! Mac, whatta we do!? That was two years of our very best choices for dry weather saplings, carefully cultivated, shipped, and stomped flat! No way we can replace them in time to salvage their orchard this year!”

Stiffening up and squaring his shoulders, Mac gestured with one hand almost absently before replying. “Four weeks, maybe five, plenty of seedlings to chose from. Never fruit this year though, no matter how talented his team is."

Applejack knew what that meant. Shipping off a good fifth of their crop to keep Braeburn and his crew from starving before winter… and then when winter hit? There was no decision to make, and her mouth felt dry as she looked over at the distant outline of her tree. She could always find her baby from anywhere in the orchard. She drew a breath between clenched teeth and gave Amethyst a thin-lipped smile. “Send a reply as soon as you get back, Ame. Top priority, tell the telegraph unicorn we’ll pay for overtime, but this has to arrive tomorrow and no later.”

When Amethyst had readied a pencil over her notepad and given a nod, Applejack began speaking in the snipped style of the telegraph. “Cuz: hlp soon! 5 wks, 40 splngs+. Will brng Bloomberg. Chin up!”

Looking up from the page, Amethyst hesitated for a moment, her pencil hovering above the paper. “Applejack… I could.. well, I could mark this with Dusk's title. As a magistrate, they'd send it overnight without any additional char-”

Shaking her head, Applejack gave Amethyst’s hand a squeeze. “I won't be abusing Dusk’s title for something personal, Ame. Besides, he ain't a fan of it in the first place, no reason to rub it in. But thanks for offering.”

Amethyst closed the notebook, attaching the pencil with a rubber band, and looked from Mac’s squared shoulders to Applejack, who had walked over to her brother’s side and was carefully fixing her hat. “Alright, Applejack. I'll get this sent right now. I'm- well, I'm sorry I can't do much more to help.”

Applejack gave Amethyst a small wave, shaking her head and putting on a smile for the deputy mailmare. “You brought us the news, and did it quickly. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Thanks, Amethyst, really.”

As the mare followed their directions to get back to the road without having to walk all the way back to the ranch, Winona reached up and took grip of the still-silent Mac’s hand, squeezing it as hard as she could to show him that he had her sympathies. It wasn't until the the sound of Amethyst walking in the distance faded away that Mac finally drew an audible breath, a single ragged sob that mixed into the otherwise silent moment in the orchard.

Applejack knew better than to bother saying something to comfort her brother and simply wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging the giant close while resting his head on her shoulder. He was closer to the trees than she was. He had told her as a foal he heard them scream when their parents had to remove the dead and dying trees of the orchard. She hadn't believed him then, as a foolish filly. She did now; she'd long since learned from far too many days of seeing how much every death affected him. How could she ignore it?

It was Mac who spoke first, after taking another, far more calm and measured breath. “Braeburn should do it already, but if he hasn't, collect their seeds and bring them home. Any true roots too. Maybe something can be salvaged. And if he forgets to do it, before you go, remind him properly?”

Applejack gave her brother a nod, pouring some of the water over his face before handing him the canteen to drink from; he hadn't cried much, but even a few tears had a wretched effect on the mellow giant’s normal expression. While brushing his hair with her hands, she promised him.

The shock that came next was when Winona suddenly released her grip on Mac's hand and hopped up to her full, if minor height, and gave a sudden, sharp warning back. She was answered by the parting branches of a tree not ten feet away, and Zecora, breathless but silent as the woods around her, emerged from the orchard. “Prithee quiet, I do not mean to be rude, a warning is why I intrude.”

If Zecora’s odd way of speaking bothered the pup, Winona didn't seem to care, instead walking carefully, but no longer on guard over her, watchful, and sniffing hard before speaking up. “You don't smell of anything but trees and swamp. Why don't you smell of pony? You’re confusing and cheating! Everypony smells of pony, at least a little!”

Placing a hand on the canine’s snout so she could get a good sniff, while also silencing the pup, Zecora spoke quickly to Winona, but watched Mac as he straightened up and gave her a small nod in a muted greeting. “Some places I must dwell, to smell like a pony is to ring a dinner bell. Please hush, I pray, the news that brings me today must be told without further delay.”

Holding out her free hand to Mac, Zecora stepped forward, her voice not hiding her panicked state. “Mac my dear, I see you are distressed, and what I carry is not merry, to that I attest. I do decree, so please hear me: A Hydra has left the Everfree, and I fear it heads toward Canterlot on its spree!”

This new and more immediate headache replaced the issue of Braeburn’s trampled farm and both rushed to join the mare, Mac taking her hand, while Applejack hovered over Winona’s shoulder. The fact Mac was busy making sure she was okay left Applejack to question Zecora. “A Hydra? Are you sure? Like one of the little ones? Twenty, maybe thirty feet long at most and only three or four heads, right?”

Zecora stroked Mac’s cheek soothingly with her hand, but she answered Applejack right away. “No such chance, dear orchard keeper. It had nine heads and their glare filled me with dread climbing steeper. As for size? Beyond my eyes. To measure her would not be wise. Thirty feet is much less, than the ninety feet that I would guess.”

That was all Applejack needed to hear. “We need to find Dusk, right now. He can alert Canterlot and… well, I’m sure he’ll know what to do about a Hydra that big!”

To her surprise, Mac grabbed her shoulder to restrain her, his deep voice now booming with confidence. “We’ll come with you, Applejack. Dusk might be a mystic, but you'll still need all the help you can get for a Hydra. Get your hammer and boots. We'll meet you on the road to town.”

Looking from her brother to the shaman mare, Applejack worried and nearly bit her lip while trying to phrase her answer without sounding rude. Zecora solved that for her however. “I do intend to attend. So hurry dear or we'll leave you here.”

Just outside Ponyville on the path to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Stopping to lean against a tree, Pinkie tried to make her head stop running around in circles, to clear her thoughts,-

“But Dusk-”

to push away the serious,-

“-loves me-”

and bring back the silly.

“-for who I am.”

Turning away from the tree, Pinkie shivered, rubbing her hands over her elbows at a chill that wasn’t due to the weather or the wind. “He doesn’t. He knows the smile. The happy face I share with other ponies. He doesn’t really know-.”

Her left cheek itched, and a muscle in her right leg twitched. Rubbing at her face, she couldn’t ignore the signs. “He’s following me now. Why not go see Fluttershy before he catches up? She’s always honest. She loves you for more than the smile.”

The thought that she was being followed worried Pinkie; she hasn't even had time to think about what had happened, but worse was the reminder about Fluttershy. Turning down the path towards Fluttershy’s, Pinkie wiped at her eye, drying her cheek. “She loves Rarity more.”

“If that were true, why hasn’t she told Rarity? Or stopped visiting on the bad days?”

“She doesn’t!”

“She does. Every time.”

Unable to help herself, Pinkie clutched her head in her hands, still walking the path, but trying to drown herself out. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!”

“They both love me. So why shut them out?”

Pinkie shouted, as she threw her hands out at her sides, crying again, and not trying to hide it anymore. “Because if I let them see everything, they’d stop! They’d stop caring, they’d stop helping! Nopony ever stuck around!”

Silence greeted Pinkie as she stood panting for breath, apart from the dying echo of her voice, she was alone in the woods. Silence and nothing else. For a long time, she stood there, listening to her breath, watching the still trees rustle in the breeze. Nopony answered.

Turning towards Fluttershy’s again, Pinkie started to take a step down the road, only to be interrupted.

“Maud did. Marble and Lime did too. Ma and Pa. They all did.”

Pinkie tried to ignore her voice, and the thoughts she had no answer to, tried to continue down the path.

“So why not Dusk? Why not Fluttershy?

Pinkie tried to act casual; she kicked a stone, and bounced it off the top of her foot, hopping on the other while continuing the balancing act, tipping the stone into the air and catching it, time and time again on the top of her foot, before tossing it up again, repeating the game.

“Why not try?”

Again, Pinkie screamed her answer at the top of her lungs to drown out the voice, her voice, her thoughts. “BECAUSE IF I’M WRONG, IT ENDS! IT ALL ENDS! THE FUN, THE GAMES! THE PARTIES AND THE LAUGHTER. ‘CAUSE IF THEY STOP SMILING…”

“We’re alone, again."

Fluttershy giggled as she knelt down and let a finger tickle across the belly of the large frog, his throat expanding as he sucked in a breath to flood his vocal sac. She couldn’t help it, the way his belly expanded before a long drawn out ‘ribbit’ was simply charming, and the way the lady frogs responded was adorable! With care she walked him over to an empty picnic basket, before collecting the females that he was trying to court with his loud and often quite lurid indications and descriptions of his virility, mass, prowess in hunting, of how high he could jump, and any number of other things that made her blush to recall.

“Now really, Mr. Croaks! You can save those kinds of stories for after we move you to your new home! Froggy Bottom Bog is a wonderful place! And it’s not that far of a walk from Ponyville, so I can come bring you all extra supplies until you sort out who gets to stay and who has to move on to Mossy Top Mire. Don’t worry! You’ll have lots of time to boast!”

Secretly, Fluttershy was just glad that the unknown distant noise that had spooked the frogs was gone now. She’d nearly had all of them in baskets, then somepony started yelling, blowing off stress, probably. And as on edge as the poor froggies were, they’d scattered into the four winds and she’d been forced to start filling her wheelbarrow and baskets all over again. Frogs were such picky creatures! They got very vocal about who they had to sit with for their ride to their new home. It had taken her forever to get them back in line and into their baskets.

Standing back up and brushing her hands off with a satisfied sigh, Fluttershy examined the vast collection of baskets, and the wheelbarrow filled with waiting frogs. Hundreds of them all breathed quietly, and were staring at her. “Oh my… this might take a couple of trips, won’t it? Oh… Dash, I’m going to be late at this rate.”

“Late for what, Fluttershy?!”

Pinkie's loud and happy voice came as a shock to Fluttershy, and as she all-but jumped up, she nearly knocked over a basket. After taking a moment to make sure the frogs at her feet weren’t about to freak out on her again, Fluttershy turned to Pinkie, glad to see her friend. Unable to hide her happy smile, she greeted the mare. “Oh, Pinkie! You always have the very best timing! You see, these poor frogs were driven from their homes and now I’ve got to relocate them to somewhere safer. But I promised Dash I’d join her in Cloudsdale tonight, and there are just too many for me to transport alone!”

Pinkie stood on the balls of her feet, hovering there, impatient, excited, ready to react at any moment. But Fluttershy saw the little signs. Those hints that told her Pinkie was having a bad day. Stress tensing around Pinkie's eyes, and the way she fidgeted, but only in her legs and feet, not her hands. They were flat on her hips, still as stone. “Unless you came for something? Maybe a talk?”

Pinkie gave her a little chuckle, waving a hand dismissively and walking over to her side. She crouched down, leaning forward to balance herself on the basket of frogs. Once she was steady enough in her crouch, Pinkie slipped a hand inside to tickle one of the frogs under his adorable little chin. “Your cute little ribbiting friends lost their home? That’s awful! I’m sorry, Fluttershy! Of course I can help!”

Then, right before Fluttershy’s eyes, all of the signs of a bad day melted away and Pinkie looked normal again. She had relaxed; even the creases around her eyes went away. Pushing aside her worry for her friend for a moment, Fluttershy replied, “Ohhh! Thank you, Pinkie! I’m so glad to hear you’re willing to help me! I’ve spent so much time sorting out Mr. Croaker and Mr. Ribbit's families, I honestly was starting to get worried I’d never make it home in time. And they’re all so jumpy. Somepony was screaming ten, twenty minutes ago and it all got them into such a fit! But that’s okay now. Even though they’re scared, and soon they’ll be moving to a whole new home filled with things they’ve never seen, and having to build new homes in a strange place, they’ll be okay. ‘Cause they have their friends and family around. And with the help of their loved ones, everything will turn out just perfect for them.”

As if something she said spoke to Pinkie, the mare went quiet, her eyes wide but happy, and she smiled up at Fluttershy. She let out a low and thoughtful little sigh as she put her head on one hand and shook it. “Ohhh… you’re right, Fluttershy, you really are. Friends and family can really help with bad days.”

Throwing her arm around Pinkie, Fluttershy rubbed her hand softly against her shoulder in gentle circles, grinning warmly. “I agree, Pinkie. It does make everything easier when you just let friends help you out.”

Dusk could just make out the sounds of conversation as he approached the edge of the stream that ran parallel with the path and under the bridge at Fluttershy's cottage. At the very limits of his hearing, he could just make out the girls talking, but even with his magic supplementing his ears, he needed to get closer to make out the actual words. Carefully inching into the woods while following the path, Dusk leaned against a tree to hide out of sight, running his fingers over the rough bark. “Pinkie… are you feeling better now? Should I linger and wait? Will you flee from me again? Has Fluttershy fixed things?”

As he moved in closer, still shielded by the trees, he was finally able to pick up their conversation at last, soft whispers at the limit of his hearing. Dusk chuckled at the way Fluttershy's shock made her voice sound so adorable. “Pinkie! I just noticed! You got your Element of Harmony from Dusk?! It looks so good on you!”

Dusk could just make it out as Pinkie jumped a little, shocked as if she were reminded of the necklace around her throat. Her hand shot to the golden choker, and Dusk could just barely see the flicker of shock and worry dance in her expression. Then she relaxed and gave a gentle laugh, waving off Fluttershy’s questions. “Oh, yeah. He let me try it on this afternoon. We were talking about things in his laboratory, and one thing led to another, and he offered to let me try it on and wear it for a while! I’d better return it to him later, he worries somepony might try and steal them, and wants to keep them locked up.”

Fluttershy laughed, and stepped closer, rubbing her fingers over Pinkie’s face, probably her friend’s temples, Dusk judged. Grinning all the while, she replied. “It looks good on you, Pinkie! And if you got out your little gold earrings that look like your cutie mark, it would look even better!”

Carefully brushing her fingers across the golden choker, Pinkie looked thoughtful for a moment and gave a wistful sigh. “You’re right, Fluttershy, but… well, we’d better put it back after we get your friends moved.”

Inspecting the watching frogs once more, Fluttershy gave a little sigh, straightening up and cracking her knuckles as she flexed a little. “You’re right, Pinkie, we’d better start going then!”

Looking over at all the frogs, Pinkie’s tail began to sway rapidly, and her right heel knocked on the dirt three times in rapid succession. She hesitated for a moment, as if she were thinking about something, scratching her chin with a finger before suddenly hopping up to her full height, and overdramatically punching a fist ruefully in the air. “It’s too bad Dusk isn’t around! He’s always so eager and friendly when it comes to helping other ponies out with their problems.”

Shocked, certain that Pinkie must have somehow noticed him watching them, Dusk stepped back behind the tree, trying to catch his breath as he continued to listen in on the mares. “You’re right, Pinkie! But it’s just too bad that by the time we go find Dusk, it wouldn’t make things any better, we’d still end up taking so long, I’d be late getting to Blitz’s place in Cloudsdale.”

Dusk realized that the mares had started collecting the baskets and were paying him no attention at all. “Am I just getting paranoid? Surely Pinkie couldn't have seen me from this far away. Maybe… Maybe I’ve gotten carried away again. Besides, except for her occasional fidget, Pinkie really does look like she’s feeling better.”

Straightening his shirt, and smoothing down the worst of his hair, Dusk walked carefully out of the trees to the path, then started jogging down the path to Fluttershy’s place, calling out loudly before he rounded the last bend. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Have you seen Pinkie anywhere!?”

As he rounded the corner, Pinkie and Fluttershy both stopped; Pinkie had frozen in place while Fluttershy was happily clapping her hands, her wings spread out as she hopped from one foot to the other. “Dusk! You showed up just in time! We desperately need your help if we’re going to deliver these poor froggies to their new home before I’m late for dinner at Dash’s!”

Meeting eyes with Dusk, Pinkie tried to swallow back the lump in her throat, and gave him a half-hearted wave, laughing nervously. “Ha-huh ha haa… Hi, Dusk~ I'm sorry for getting carried away earlier. I just got a little overwhelmed. Forgive me?”

Rushing over to Dusk's side, Fluttershy somehow managed to tightly hug him without having to put down the many baskets of frogs she carried. “Oh, don't worry, Pinkie! Dusk understands! I'm sure wearing your Element of Harmony can get very overwhelming at times! Now, come on! Let's move these frogs to their new home!”

Looking from Pinkie to Fluttershy and back again, Dusk coughed nervously and reached out with his magic to pick up a vast number of the frog baskets that lay waiting, while softly petting Fluttershy on the back. “Sure, Pinkie, sure. I totally understand. Fluttershy’s right. I admit the power of the crown… it scares me sometimes. Do you mind if we put your Element back as soon as we're done with Fluttershy’s frogs though, Pinkie? It makes me nervous, having it out this long.”

Visibly blushing, Pinkie rubbed at the back of her head, and offered him a reassuring nod combined with one of her biggest smiles. “Oh, sure Dusk! And thanks again for understanding my little… umm… moment earlier.”

Levitating his baskets over while Fluttershy double checked on the frogs and Pinkie grabbed the cart, Dusk finally relaxed a little and gave a happy sigh. “No problem, Pinkie. Now let's go! It's a beautiful day out for a walk in the woods with two beautiful mares. What could ever spoil this day?”

Author's Notes:

Extra shout out to my editors for help on this challenging chapter. See if you can spot the couple of semi-subtle examples of Pinkie sense!

Also shout out to them for the help with the blog post related to this chapter: An Initial Series of Notes on Earth Pony Magic and Its Effects on Their Druidic Faith

It's a growing piece filled with notes Dusk's written about Earth Pony religious oddities, and how different their magic is from the Unicorn and Pegasi magic he grew up around.