Rarity held her breath as she hopped cautiously from rock to rock. Just don't look down... she kept telling herself. It'll all be over soon! Just make it to the other side... Suddenly her back hoof slipped, and she winced as she felt it touch something wet and slimy.

"Rarity, please hurry!" Fluttershy called out. "We don't have much time!"

"But-!"

"And if we don't hurry, Angel could get eaten up by something huge and wicked!" Rarity wanted to hurry, to get as fast and as far away from this horrible place as soon as she could. But she couldn't move an inch from fear of falling down.

"I'm scared!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Fluttershy stared at her in sheer disbelief, slightly frustrated by Rarity's unwillingness to move.

"But... it's only mud". She stepped towards the edge of the pool and dipped her hoof in, and after a couple of inches it hit the bottom. "See? It's not that deep-"

"Deep?! You think I'm worried because I might fall in and drown?!" she shouted in surprise.

"Well... I..."

"I am not getting flithy for the sake of a bunny! This mud will take days- no, weeks to wash out! I am not looking like a pig for that long!" Rarity leaned down and sniffed at the mud, and recoiled in disgust. "And nor am I smelling like one for that long either!" Fluttershy was ready to give up on her. I don't even know why I asked Rarity to come to such a messy place like Froggy Bottom Swamp... it's the last place in the world she would ever want to go!

"Rarity, just... close your eyes and jump forwards!" she calmly instructed the terrified unicorn. "I know you're afraid but... be brave! It's not that far! You can do this!" Rarity screwed her eyes shut, concentrated not on the foul abyss below her, but on the safety of the bank she faced. Bending her legs, she prepared to make the all-important jump. Removing all fearful thoughts from her head, she finally leapt away from the rock, soaring through the air. After a couple of intense seconds in which all seemed a blur to her, she finally felt sweet relief upon her hooves as she hit solid ground. With a triumphant cheer, she ran over to Fluttershy and hugged her tightly, almost choking her.

"I did it! Yes! Take THAT, foul mud!" she shouted, pointing furiously at the pool as she did so. Suddenly, her eyes lost that glorious glow as she looked back at the rock that she lept off of, which sat in the pool one foot away from the bank.

"Oh... heh... sorry about the scene" she said apologetically to Fluttershy. Unexpectedly, she was met with a stifled girly giggle from her. Seconds later, both ponies were in stitches on the floor, forgetting all about their misson which Rarity had agreed to risk her poise and primness for.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Trixie blinked several times as she tried to clear the haze from her eyes. What a dream... she thought to herself. What happened? Trying to stand up, her eyes suddenly shot open. The stranger! What was that all about? And that magical connection... ugh, my head... and my hoof.... Looking down at the hoof which the stranger had fed its magical power into, she saw that it had a roughly drawn X symbol on it, just like the one the ritual used. Not a dream....

"Of course not" a voice whispered in her ear. "All reality." Trixie slowly looked up to meet the eyes of a mysterious pony, who's eyes were coloured a deep crimson, and who had a neatly combed, black mane. Its fur was a pale khaki colour, and, looking towards his flank, there was not a cutie mark to be seen.

"You're-"

"Yes" the pony broke in "I am that stranger."