“What do you mean?” asked Rainbow Dash staring at Twilight in shock as the Princess looked around the table saying. “I am not leaving Rarity out of this. This is the Council of Friendship and I would like to get her input.”

Rainbow sat back in silence almost glaring at the empty seat across from her. ‘Of all the times for her to disappear….’ she didn’t want to continue the thought, she knew that there was a purpose for it. Sitting back she tilted her head upwards to stare up at her statue. Once again her's and Fluttershy’s have had changed. The statue, normally to scale with Rainbow Dash’s proportions, seemed to have gotten taller. The sword and shield had even changed to match her's, while upon Fluttershy’s both the shield and sword was broken.

“Honestly, how you both managed to break these weapons is beyond me.” huffed Discord looking at the remains of Fluttershy’s sword and shield. “And how you managed to get it reforged without me.”

“Trust me they still managed to only fix the blade.” Rainbow Dash said looking down at the blade resting against her seat, which had also changed. The crystal seemed to have a coat of dark stone covering it, only streaks of the crystal underneath could be seen. ‘Like lightning.’ Rainbow mused as Discord cleared his throat and continued. “The magic has been lessened in this but it seems to be growing all on its own. Fascinating, Fluttershy my dear I will try and fix them but the magic woven in here has been released. It took me a good long while to find magic that was suitable to your own.”

“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy sighed and Discord messed up her mane saying. “You did well today. I will go see DurgUa, he’ll figure something out.”

With that he vanished leaving the Council of Friendship in silence. Twilight was studying the thrones new forms with keen interest. While the crystals of Rainbow Dash looked like lightning the pattern of Fluttershy’s was like butterfly wings. Clear and delicate with patterns upon the surface, Twilight speculated on the meaning but could find none.

“Right now we need to focus on rebuilding Ponyville. I believe Rarity would return home.” Twilight assured her friends climbing to her hooves. “We have much to do and little time to do it in.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but think of the Wizard that had travelled alongside of the company. Shaking it off she left to help out in the rebuilding, something she took great pleasure in doing. It was something she liked doing on war torn worlds in the Republic. Pinkie Pie and Applejack soon followed, Twilight left to send a message to the Princesses. Fluttershy sat alone, she thought about all that had been said and done. Her only wish was that she had reached out a hoof to Dark Scar before she had left. Sighing she stood up and began to head out leaving a trail of light pink dust behind her.

Five days past and Fluttershy felt restless, Rarity hadn’t contacted any of them. The silence was unnerving, pacing around her house she decided to take a walk in the forest. It was close to dark and the cool night of spring was still upon them. She had taken one step into forest and felt a chill run down her spine.

“You’re world is changing.” a voice spoke quietly causing her to look around ears twitching. “A darkness is coming and your people are powerless.”

“We just want to live in peace.” Fluttershy replied her eyes glancing around. “Please tell me that you are a friend.”

“I am merely an observer of a time long past.” replied the voice and Fluttershy spotted a pale blue silver light shining through the trees. “You are not the first Caretaker of your world. You, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are the first to pass the test of your Element. The others had either fallen or had vanished before they were tested.”

“There are more tests to come?” Fluttershy questioned still looking around for the source of the voice. Her eyes traced the moving light but her hooves felt rooted to the ground. She heard whispers for a moment before the voice spoke again. “You will know when the next phase of your development begins. For now your friend has returned.”

“Thank you!” Fluttershy said before turning around and heading off towards the boutique. The voice was silent for a moment before a figure stepped out of the shadows yet remained with her face in the darkness.

“Why did you speak with her, my lady?” the Guardian asked as she stepped out of the shadows her crown of birch upon her head and the figure looked at her. “What have you seen? Why have you left the Eternal Forest?”

“A darkness is coming.” the figure spoke turning her head to reveal another doe, this one was white with a pale gold stripe of fur running down from her head to hind. “One I may fear will destroy this world. They will need the power of the ancient magics as well as their new one.”

“The Chosen of Old had never passed the trials.” whispered the Guardian her eyes widening in surprise. “And going behind the Tree of Harmony is not….”

“Calm yourself Nerwen.” the other doe told her, blue eyes fixed upon the Guardian who looked away saying. “I gave that name up long ago. I am Niamh, the Guardian now.”

“The time is coming when you will take it up again.” the doe told her before turning and walking back into the forest. Niamh sighed taking a glance towards Ponyville wondering if the heroes would be able to take on the mantle of their predecessors. ‘Names lost to history, friendships that never were. Time has destroyed them and their efforts were lost.’ the Guardian thought before turning towards where the Tree of Harmony was.

Fluttershy flew quickly towards Carousel Boutique hoping that Rarity hadn’t left yet. Landing in front of the door she pressed her hoof against the wood and pushed. The door opened and the bell sounded. There was no other sound as Fluttershy walked in quietly her ears twitching as her head moved side to side. Everything in the shop was in the same place as last time, yet something didn’t feel right.

“Fluttershy?” Applejack’s voice caused her to look towards the entrance. “Is everything alright?”

“I just had a feeling.” Fluttershy responded turning her head again. “Everything looks the same but something is off. I can’t figure out what it is though.”

She heard Applejack move next to her and look around. There was a sigh before Applejack spoke again. “Everything looks the same to me.”

Fluttershy frowned before reaching out and touching Applejacks shoulder. Closing her eyes she removed the memory of her standing there from who was in the building with her. Yet while she was doing so she found herself looking through Applejack’s eyes. The world around her was grey, then a purple aura began to surround the grey. The shapes changed, mannequins were on the floor, and a pony was crumpled next to them. Gasping in surprise Fluttershy saw her world return to normal.

“Everything alright, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked and Fluttershy told her. “There is an illusion, I need you to break it.”

“I didn’t see anything and even if there was one, I don’t have that power.” stated the Bearer of Honesty looking at Fluttershy. Giving her a smile Fluttershy replied. “We each have our own gifts. You have the gift of seeing the truth, you have grown in both experience and your gifts.”

Applejack looked at her friend before sighing, she didn’t even know where to begin. Fluttershy’s hoof was still on her shoulder. Applejack watched as her eyes slid shut and her vision began to flicker. From grey of the real world to the signs of illusion, she saw the pony and the fallen mannequins, taking a breath she reared up and then slammed her hooves into the ground. Color returned to her vision as the area began to crack and crumble around them. Applejack was about to ask Fluttershy how she knew only to see her rushing towards Rarity.

“What happened?” Fluttershy asked quietly as Applejack walked up next to her. “No wounds.”

“Magical exhaustion, that’s what happened to Twilight.” replied Applejack getting Rarity on her back. “I’ll get her to the hospital.”

“It doesn’t seem like it, Rarity was able to keep up an illusion while unconcious.” Fluttershy mused as they began their walk. “If it was magical exhaustion wouldn’t it have dropped? It could be something else.”

“What else could it be?” Applejack thought about it as Fluttershy took some time to organize her thoughts before saying. “It could be because their magic forces them through the barriers to another place instead of being taken there safely. It would take a toll on the body as well as having their magic to adapt to the world. Twilight was in a universe with no magic so it stored up in her body until it couldn’t hold it anymore. Rarity was in a place with a different kind of magic so it could be easier on her to maintain it.”

“Living in a world without magic, how could they handle it?” Applejack shook her head not wanting to think about it. Fluttershy gave her a wry smile as she replied. “Even in worlds with magic we know that our food is unlike theirs. Our food lasts for a long time, longer than the food outside of Equestria.”

“Outside of this world.” Applejack stated and the two went quietly completing their journey without another word. Neither of them knowing what would take place very soon.

It was a day before Rarity woke up and six more days before she was let out of the hospital. That was when the nightmares began. They gathered the next day and discussed what they had seen but not all were willing to discuss their dreams. They chose to write a letter to Princess Luna and was surprised at her quick response. They listened intently to the explanation. “The Tantabus is a creature from my nightmares. It escaped from my slumber yesterday.”

“But how did it get into ours?” Fluttershy asked tilting her head to the side and stared at Luna.

“The Tantabus is like a parasite.” Luna answered shifting uncomfortably. “My dreams must no longer be enough for it. Now it seeks others to infect and corrupt. It must have learned about you six from seeing you in my dream.”

“So smokey gives us bad dreams, no big deal.” Rainbow’s confidence in those words began to falter when she saw the look on Luan’s face. She knew that this problem was only going to get worse if it wasn’t solved. All of them knew that there was something else that Luna was hiding, only one of them knew what it was. Fluttershy sighed knowing that Luna would want them to go at it alone. She had learned a lot in Azeroth especially when she met Luna in the Outlands.

Fluttershy shivered as she looked at Luna and the other standing beside her. She knew that the male was probably the Lord Illidan the others had spoken of.

“Felan go check with the other defenses.” Illidan spoke and Luna’s eyes narrowed before she walked away. He approached Fluttershy staring down at her and she recoiled, he crouched in front of her saying. “You do not know everything do you? How she knows me. How she knows of this place.”

Fluttershy shook her head earning a smirk from the demonic elf he leaned forward whispering. “She has been her before in her dreams, she opened a way into our world and would often live her life her out of the shadow of her sister. Even after we were sealed she was released sooner than me and hid that fact. She was ashamed of what she did and she tormented herself even in her dreams.”

“Fluttershy?” a question from Rarity snapped Fluttershy out of her thoughts. “Is everything alright darling?”

“Yes, let’s just take care of this before it hurts anyone else.” Fluttershy told her, turquoise eyes slid over to Luna who was discussing what they were going to do.

That night the girls were gathered at Twilight’s castle in a room prepared to house them. Luna had dismissed getting Celestia’s help due to her powers not working in the dream world. ‘That can’t be the only reason.’ Twilight assumed as she readied herself for sleep turning onto her side, glad that Spike was awake and watching over them. They drifted off to sleep ready to take of the beast and save Equestria from eternal nightmares.

Author's Notes:

I do not own any media in this fanfic. I hope you enjoy.