Part 8: The Surprise

Shining Armor and the group were on their way back into the throne room of the castle. As they reached the hole in the wall made at the beginning of the battle, they saw Cadence finishing a healing spell on Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“What happened…?” Rainbow asked wearily as she awoke.

“Do you not remember your battle?” Cadence asked the Pegasus in concern.

“Yeah, I do. I remember trying as hard as I could against Discord and tiring myself out… then it’s all a blur from there. But then the next thing I know, I’m on the ground next to Fluttershy, who looked like she was in a lot of pain… Then I blacked out.”

“I was…” Fluttershy spoke softly as she rose to her hooves, flexing her now-repaired wing. “Discord threw you at the mountain after he beat you up because he got angry when Applejack kicked him… But I got to you just in time and covered you while you were heading towards it. We hit the mountain really hard, and the hit broke my wing…”

Rainbow was appalled by the information. “That jerk!” She said in frustration as she took flight, preparing to go back outside. “I oughta—!”

“No! Don’t go back down there!” Cadence warned. “Not alone, at least. You know what happened last time…” Rainbow Dash stared at Cadence for a second in disbelief. She then reluctantly descended to the ground, pouting and folding her fore-hooves in disappointment, knowing the pink alicorn was right. Just then, Shining Armor’s magic orb came into view and entered the room, to the shock of the two Pegasi and the pink alicorn.

“What happened out there, dear??” Cadence asked in surprise. “You all look like that horrible Discord was giving you quite the rough time.”

“He was…” Shining Armor glumly replied.

“We had ‘im though...! Or so we thought…” Applejack added.

“He tricked us again and again, even when we tried to trick him.” Rarity continued, irritated by the results of the brawl with the Draconequus. “And then that… that BRUTE got a hold of poor Pinkie Pie here and used her as a shield so we wouldn’t attack him. And could you BELIEVE he had the nerve to use her as a weapon to hit us with!?”

“Oh, my…” Fluttershy worriedly said. “She looks like she’s had it the worst,” she continued as she took a look at the unconscious pink mare.

“All of you, come here,” Cadence ordered. “I’ll heal you.”

“Hey, where’s Princess Celestia?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“She took our place fighting Discord so we could come back here,” Shining Armor answered.

“Alone?!” Rainbow asked in worry.

“No,” Applejack calmly said. “I think Luna’s out there with ‘er right now.”

“Oh, alright,” Rainbow simply said. “I suppose that would buy us some time to make up some kind of plan…” she added as she began to think.

“But, where ever shall we begin?” Rarity asked worriedly.

“Hey, Applejack. Any more bright ideas like that one you came up with earlier?” Shining Armor asked. He was eager to witness more of the earth Pony’s resourcefulness.

“Sorry, partner… ‘fraid not.” Applejack sadly replied. “That snake-in-the-grass Discord is mighty cunnin’.  I ain’t too sure how we can outsmart ‘im now…”

“Bummer…” Shining Armor responded in disappointment.

“If only Twilight were here…” Spike mumbled, meaning to speak to himself, but accidentally letting his thought be heard by the rest of the group.

The room suddenly fell silent at the cold reminder of the purple unicorn’s absence.

“Yeah… She’d know how to lead us through this…” Rainbow quietly said as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

“I can’t believe we couldn’t do this without ‘er…” Applejack stated, looking at the ground in sadness.

“And who would have thought that in her absence, we would need her more than ever…?” Rarity said.

“This isn’t very fair at all…” Pinkie Pie, awakened and rejuvenated by Cadence’s healing spell, added in gloom.

Fluttershy sighed in grief. “I wish she would come back…” Everypony else nodded in agreement as the room fell silent once more.

“Twiley…” Shining Armor whispered as he hung his head low, squeezing his eyes shut to keep from crying. Cadence, feeling a wave of tears coming about her, kissed her husband on the cheek, wrapped her hooves gently around his neck and laid her head on him.

“No! We can’t get swept up in grief! Not now!” yelled Pinkie Pie, breaking the somber silence. “We have to go out there and help the Princesses! Twilight would--!” The pink Earth pony was interrupted as a sudden large beam of white light struck down from above in the center of the throne room with a thunderous roar, startling everypony.

“What’s… going on!?” Spike tried to ask over the noise, but everyone else was focused on the sudden beam of light illuminating and rumbling the room to hear him. The light beam shined intensely for what seemed like a minute. When the light cleared and the room quieted, the entire group was awestruck; mouths and eyes wide open at the product of the blast…

Next Chapter: The Return Estimated time remaining: 31 Minutes