It was a calm day in Griffonstone. Mainly because the air hung low, like an oppressive blanket of gloom. It had been this way since the fall of the empire, and wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. Except for that storm on the horizon, that was somehow drawing closer quite quickly despite there being no wind whatsoever.

Some griffons noticed, most didn’t care. Just another day in this living Tartarus.

Then the storm drew closer, the thunderheads blotting out the sunlight as the clouds hovered over the town, no rain falling despite the dark black clouds rumbling with contained lightning.

The griffons outside looked up, taking cover in their ramshackle houses, hoping the storm would blow over soon. They had a weather team. Well, when they were paid anyway. The only one curious was a young hen with a green scarf, staring up at the darkening sky.

Then a bolt of lightning struck the earth near what used to be a smithy, revealing a form out of myth. A huge griffon with blood red feathers, casting his gaze into the aging building. Most ducked inside at his appearance. Only two seemed interested, the young hen and another, staring around from behind a nearby building.

The large griff nodded and opened a door, disappearing inside. When he emerged again, he had an anvil from the smithy in his grasp, dragging it to the center of town, where a large rock sat. He heaved the mass of iron up onto the stone and held out a claw, letting out a cry.

Another bolt of lightning fell into his grasp, and it shimmered in his hold before taking the form of a bronze spear that those who knew the legends would recognize. Gungnir, being held by their creator, Bloodfeather.

“Griffons,” he rumbled. “Once you were a proud race. A mighty race. The air itself bent to your whims. You were my children. I molded you from the strongest of two worlds. And now, you have fallen. Where is your pride? Where is your honor? Where is your strength now?”

None answered, all of them far too fearful to emerge from their decrepit homes. He turned and spied two hens peeking from around the corner, ducking back when they saw him notice them.

“Very well then,” the griffon continued. “I leave you my weapon, my mantle. A chance. It will only move for one who is worthy. May the one that draws my spear forth be blessed with all the power of the Air Itself, and lead you all into another age, one filled with strength and wonder!”

With a cry to the heavens, the griff speared the anvil, embedding his bronze weapon into the stone beneath as the storm above rumbled. He panted a moment, before spreading his wings and leaving, flying directly up into the storm...and taking it with him, leaving the air above clear once more.

“The crap was that?” Gilda asked once the clouds had dissipated.

“No idea,” Gabby squeaked as she stared at the sparking anvil with wide eyes. “What does he mean, ‘Power of Air’?”

Gilda frowned. None of this made sense, only that… that giant griffon had flown towards Pony lands. Perhaps it was time to visit Dash again… bury the hatchet and find out what the fuck was going on.

“Easy does it…” Bon Bon said as Twilight and Rarity slowly lowered the large mirror down. The earth pony had spent all morning cleaning out a room for the mirror. She placed it on the first floor, and also decorated the room tastefully with a few of Realm’s paintings of various parts of Ponyville and the old Ponyland. Something new and something old to greet their new guests.

“Phew,” Twilight wiped her brow. “That thing’s heavier than it looks. Doesn’t help it was fighting our magic.”

“Fighting?” Bon Bon raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm, how to put it,” Rarity said. “Like two of the same magnet. It made the mirror much harder and heavier to move.” To be honest, Rarity was actually a fairly powerful unicorn. Between her gem sensing and extremely skilled telekinesis. She didn’t like showing it off much though.

“Huh,” Bon Bon rubbed her chin. “I wonder why?”

“Likely to do with the massive amount of magic this thing is putting off,” Twilight said and looked at it. “I wonder… you think ponies can go through it?”

Then they heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Seeing as how Aspect had taken off with Gungnir after breakfast, that was likely him coming back.

Twilight hadn’t heard as she moved closer to the portal, running a hoof across the surface as it rippled. “It’d only take a moment…”

“Bonnie?” Aspect called out. “Bon...I need a little help here. I think I was leaning way too much on Air…”

“What’s wrong?” Bon Bon called back as she kept one eye on the purple unicorn. “We’re in here.”

“I...I’m completely drained, Bon. I have an echo, I can mimic it with the Gale King, but...when it went, it took everything.” Aspect’s voice was closer, and it sounded...strained.

“Oh dear…” Bon Bon turned and opened the door to let him in, as the stallion leaning against it fell towards her. “Eep!”

“Eeep?” Twilight yelped and there was a muted flash… and the unicorn was gone, the mirror rippling.

“Oh… dear,” Bon Bon repeated from under Aspect.

Megan had been expecting to be peppered with requests from her kids to go visit Ponyl—Equestria, ever since the day started. She was used to it. She’d given them the reasoning behind why they couldn’t just explore beyond the mirror. Namely, that its other end was being moved...through the air.

What completely undercut her argument was a pony appearing in her living room.

“Ooohhhh,” Twilight groaned and rubbed her head. That had been a trip and a half. Up had become down and she was pretty sure she could taste colors right now. “That… that was not fun.” She blinked slowly to clear her vision before looking around. “Where… am I?”

“Welcome to the family ranch,” Megan said, kneeling next to Twilight. “I thought you weren’t going to come to Earth on account of it not being, what’s the word...an enjoyable experience?”

“I was inspecting the mirror and got startled so um… I…” Twilight blushed cutely and mumbled. “I kinda… fell in?”

“I give it ten seconds before Becky hears me talking to someone and puts two and two together,” Megan pursed her lips. “Then they’ll be asking to visit.”

“I’m sorry?” Twilight blinked as she got to her hooves. Then her eyes widened. “Wait, this… is Earth?”

“Well I sure hope so, I live here,” Megan joked.

Twilight gasped and ran to a window to look out of it. She needed to see if this was real or not. Outside, rolling countryside greeted her field of view, with a town not far off in the distance. It all looked so...industrialized. So different from Equestria, from Equus.

“Oh wow…” the mare gasped as she took it all in. “It’s… not quite what I imagined.”

“Yeah, Earth is different from Pony- Equestria,” Megan replied. “And it’s only gotten more changed in the past few years.”

“Really?” Twilight looked outside… and with a flash of light, she teleported out onto the lawn. There was a small pause, before she pitched sideways and collapsed.

“Oh geeze,” Megan muttered, racing out of the house and walking briskly over to Twilight’s form, checking to make sure she was still breathing and all of that. She appeared to be, but she’d fainted rather suddenly. The moment Megan touched her though, she gasped and sat bolt upright.

“Huh? What… Where…?”

“You tried magic on Earth,” Megan replied. “And then fainted. Might I suggest not doing that again? I don’t know what the density of magic is here, but I’m guessing it’s low. It might’ve been higher years ago, that’s how the bridge was stable here, but…”

Twilight’s horn shone with a pale light. “The magic here is weak… I could do basic spells. But things like teleportation…” She rubbed her head and winced. “Sorry if I worried you like that.” Then a sound caught her ears and she blinked. That was an equine noise! Were there other ponies here?

“Let’s get you inside before someone spots you,” Megan urged.

“What was that noise?” Twilight asked as she ignored the advice and started to head towards it source. “You said there weren’t any ponies here.”

“There aren’t,” Megan said, keeping an eye on the horizon for any neighbors that might spot her. “Look, it’s really not a good idea to—”

Twilight rounded a corner and halted in front of a fence, behind said fence was a giant of a stallion. Twilight having to step back and look upwards. He was even taller than Celestia herself. “My… goodness…” she gasped. “Is… What is that!?”

“The family’s horses,” Megan explained. “Here, humans are the only sapient mammal so far. So we take care of the less fortunate. My family raises horses for a living.”

“It’s… so big,” Twilight gasped as she looked it over. “It’s similar to a pony, and yet… different.” She stepped a bit closer to it, looking over its form. Goodness, look at those muscles. Twilight couldn’t help but blush a little.

“Yeah, Richard here is a big softy,” Megan said, reaching up to stroke the white horse’s mane. He nickered softly, before putting his head over the fence and looking down at Twilight. “Seems he’s taken an interest in you though,” the human chuckled.

“Oh, um… hello?” Twilight said, looking back up at the massive stallion. She wasn’t quite sure how to interact with him.

The stallion huffed, sending a wash of warm air over her and slightly mussing up her mane, before leaning into the petting Megan was giving him. After a few more moments of that, he pulled his head back and began walking over to where a few more horses stood.

“Always did get the feeling they were smarter than they let on,” Megan chuckled.

“What a fascinating species,” Twilight said, smoothing her mane back down with a hoof. “Earth really is quite different from Equestria huh?”

“In more ways than you might imagine,” Megan replied. “Come on, if I know my girls, Becky will be waiting with her kit, pouting that she didn’t get to see to you when you came through. And Stacy will probably want to ask all sorts of questions.”

“They are rather excitable children,” Twilight giggled as she followed her. “It’s too bad. I wish I could see a more densely populated area.”

“Yes, well, I’d rather avoid letting others know there’s a whole other world on the other side of my living room mirror just yet,” Megan countered. “Let’s focus on getting you back before my girls nip off to Equestria without me.”

“Right, of course,” Twilight giggled. “Sorry for just showing up out of the blue. I’ll admit I toyed with the idea, but I didn’t mean to actually come through.”

“Eh, it’s not the worst adventure I’ve had,” Megan replied, opening the door and ushering Twilight back inside.

“I’d love to hear about them,” Twilight said. “Aspect is very… cagey when talking to me. I think my… enthusiasm made a terrible first impression on him. But, I’m getting better.”

“It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows back in the days of Ponyland,” Megan replied, seeing that for once, the girls hadn’t taken notice. “Okay, so we have a shot at getting you back home before they find out you’re here…”

“Sorry if I’ve… inconvenienced you,” Twilight sighed, her ears folding back as she glanced at the floor. “I seem to be good at doing that…”

“Hey,” Megan said, crouching down and hugging Twilight around the middle from the side. “I will never say no to seeing a pony friend again, okay? But the reason I don’t want you all here is because I’m concerned about how the world would react to you. So if I tell you that it’s not a good idea, it’s because I’m concerned for your safety, okay? I just want to keep our worlds as disparate as possible. Fun to visit, but not to stay.”

“I understand that,” Twilight sighed. She relaxed in the hold. “Sorry… Aspect, er, Christopher and I… we had some… issues regarding our level of friendship. And… I guess I’m still conflicted about it. He’s a nice stallion but… I don’t know. I seem to make him mad. I’m, not the most decisive pony. And he genuinely seemed to like me… given some of the things we did.” Twilight didn’t know why she was suddenly opening up to a total stranger. Something about Megan just seemed… trustworthy. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted and it… annoyed him I think.”

“Oh no, trust me, he’s not the sort to really get mad,” Megan chuckled. “You’d have to be an active threat to Equus as a whole before he got mad at you. Anything that doesn’t get him mad just...rolls off, like water on a rock. He doesn’t let things bother him. At least, he didn’t twenty years ago. As long as you’re still a nice mare, and you seem like a nice mare, then he’ll probably give you another shot.”

“Well… that’s the thing,” Twilight sighed. “I mean, he’s already dating three mares, one of them my best friend. I… can’t really see her in particular in that way. It wouldn’t be fair to their dynamic if I only liked some of them.” She groaned and put a hoof to her head. “Plus… I, um… I think I…”

Megan didn’t say anything, just crouched there and ran her free hand through Twilight’s mane.

“I… think I, might like… mares…” Twilight mumbled. She’d started writing down some of her more… amorous dreams. Most of which might have involved a mare over a stallion.

“Nothing to be ashamed of,” Megan replied, still calmly stroking her mane. “You like who you like.”

“I just, I know he likes me… I guess, I feel like I’ve led him on and I feel bad,” Twilight groaned and put a hoof to her head. “Relationships suck.”

“You’re talking to the lady that wrote about magical ponies for a living because of her adventures and then tried to date,” Megan reminded her.

“What’s wrong with ponies and adventure?” Twilight said with a raised eyebrow.

“Not a lot of people take you seriously around here when you say they were real,” the lady replied. “At least, they didn’t use to.”

“Well we’re real,” Twilight said. “So ‘pbbtth’ to them,” she huffed, blowing a cute raspberry. Whatever Megan wanted to reply withm was cut off as two girl tackle-hugged Twilight, the unicorn going down with a loud “Oof!” as she was buried under Stacy and Becky’s hugs.

“I was wondering where you two goobers were,” Megan chuckled.

“Heeeeelp,” Twilight groaned, a purple hoof raised, before sinking into the pile of child.

“Nope, you came through, you get to distract them for a bit,” the human chuckled as she pulled up a seat to watch the spectacle.

*SLAM!*

That was her house shaking as something hit the wall… hard.

“.........owwwww.” Rainbow groaned as she slid comically to the floor, having blasted through the mirror at high speed. A Dashie-shaped dent in the wall.

Squishy pone. Meet solid oak.

“That’s what you get for not checking the other side of the portal before you go through it at high speeds,” Megan chided her. “And you’re lucky the kids are distracted with Twilight.”

That said, Becky had broken away and scooped the pegasus into a hug… or tried to, the pony was the same size as her.

“So, this means the portal’s safe to go through?” Stacy said with a way too wide a smile.

“At the moment, yes,” Megan agreed. “I don’t know where they’ve set it up, but if a wingless pony like Twilight can walk through, then clearly it’s on the ground somewhere. But remember the rules! No staying overnight, not even on weekends!”

“Oh come on!” Stacy pouted. “Seriously? The big Princess pony said she’d assign us a guard just in case. And you got to stay for how long again?”

“That’s because my parents didn’t know about the portal, and were worried sick each time I left,” Megan countered. “Fine, you can stay overnight, but! I want you to be with someone I’ve met first and can trust.”

“Like that Chris guy?” her eldest riposted.

“As much as a younger version of myself is cringing at the thought...yes, he’d count,” Megan admitted. “He’s one of the movers and shakers of that world, and his heart’s in the right place...even if he does sometimes take a shortcut, permanent solution to solving a problem.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head to clear it, before speaking up. “Aspect’s cool. And yeah, we put the mirror in a room in his manor, just outside of Ponyville.”

“We’ll show you all around,” Twilight added. “There is one particular place that is absolutely off limits.”

“Now when a magical talking pony says not to go somewhere,” Megan led, letting her children fill in the end of the statement.

“You listen,” they droned as if they’d heard it a thousand times.

“Good girls,” Megan nodded. “Right, I turn custody of the goobers over to you for now. I have a ranch to look after yet, and then I might pop over for a while. Place doesn’t run itself, you know.”

“We’ll be waiting,” Twilight said and turned to see the girls already racing through the portal, claiming they were gonna be first. She sighed and shook her head, following after them and dragging Rainbow along with her.

“Oh dear,” Megan shook her head, looking at a picture on a mantle. “The ponies have reached out to me again, Mike,” she murmured, staring at the mirror. “What would you say, I wonder.”

The two girls raced into the room, barely stopping to look around as Twilight followed not a second later, yelling at them to slow down as the group completely ignored Aspect and Bon Bon sitting there as they rocketed off into the halls.

Aspect blinked a few times before shaking his head. “And to think, we’ll have our own soon,” he murmured.

“And worse, ours will breathe fire,” Bon Bon pointed out as Rainbow emerged from the portal.

“Sup?” she waved with a wing. “Miss me?”

“I was counting down the hours,” Bonnie chuckled as she gave the pegasus a kiss, making her blush lightly. “You with them?”

“Nah, they’re Twi’s problem,” the pegasus mused. “So, we got plans for today? And, why do you look so wiped Aspy?”

“I gave up Air, told Gungnir to pick a worthy griff to lead them back into the limelight and stuck him through an anvil,” Aspect explained. “I’m no longer overpowered. I’m just a collection of magical traces in a half-formed magical core.”

Rainbow was looking in the direction of Griffonstone, her wings twitching…

“I really hope you specified griffon in that rite,” Bon whispered to him.

“Yes, I specified Griffon when I told him to pick a worthy heir to Air,” Aspect rolled his eyes. “They were my children of the wind. Ponies already have a lot of Aspects. I want the griffs to have a chance in the world again with a powerful leader figure.”

“Dang,” Rainbow muttered. “Well whatever, I’m awesome enough as is. If I became an Aspect, I’d put even you to shame oh husband of mine.”

“Probably,” Aspect agreed as he sat there. “Getting used to not having that much power is...quite draining. Air was just one of those Aspects that got stronger over time.”

“Awww, you’re reduced to being one of us mortals now huh?” Rainbow teased.

“Well he still has those Runes of his,” Bon Bon pointed out. “So he still outstrips many ponies by a good margin… buuut,” she smirked and stroked his head. “I don’t think you’ll be beating Dashie in a race ever again.”

“Yeah...I can’t ride the wind,” Aspect sighed. “No more transforming into and becoming gusts of wind for me. I could still ride the Jetstream, though,” he mused, looking towards the ceiling. “It still recognizes me as it’s maker.”

“No more transforming… so, no more Griffon form?” Rainbow blinked. Bon Bon sighed and gestured to the currently-a-pegasus fiance of theirs.

“Nevermind,” Rainbow shrugged. “So, you doing okay? It’s been a rough couple of days.”

“Eh...I’ll manage,” Aspect shrugged. “It turned out well in the end.”

The door opened and…

“Chrysalis!?” Bon Bon and Rainbow yelped as the Changeling Queen poked her untransformed head in.

“Hello,” she said with a small hum. “Just thought I’d say, don’t be too worried if you feel a tremor or three. I need a larger sublevel… also, gonna borrow the pup for a bit to speed things along.”

Aspect blinked a few times, before turning to Bon Bon. “You didn’t slip anything in the morning coffee, did you?” he asked.

“Nooo?” Bon Bon blinked.

“I told you already,” Chrysalis sighed as she stepped inside. “I had to relocate the hive to a safer location. And what’s safer than right under your home…” She paused and nodded. “Ah, I forgot to mention that part didn’t I?”

“Probably on purpose,” Aspect pointed out.

“Yes well, I had a lot on my mind and it was a small detail, like you’d have said no,” the bugpony said with a chuckle as a nymph hugged the back of her leg. “Oh, would you mind taking Pupal off of my hooves while I work?”

“But I want to help Mommy,” she pouted.

“I dunno, she looks pretty attached there,” Aspect mused. “We might have to get the crowbar.”

“Hilarious,” Chrysalis deadpanned. “Oh, let me formally introduce you. You must be aware her name is Pupal. But I’ll have you know she is also my only daughter.”

“Then I dare you to explain the rest of the changelings,” Aspect fired back.

“From eggs, or birthed by other Changelings,” Chrysalis explained. “Pupal is special however. She was birthed from my own womb, like a mare would a foal…”

“Aaaah,” Aspect nodded. “Well, that makes her all the more special then. C’mere and give your grandfather a hug, Pupal.”

He had a squeaky bug facehug him then as Chrysalis chuckled. “Well have fun, I need to keep working, else those drones will slack off if I don’t crack the whip.”

“Kinky,” Dash chuckled.

“Oh dear, I haven’t even started to get kinky yet~” Chrysalis purred as she sashayed out of the room.

“Well… this house just got more interesting,” Bon Bon pointed out as she pulled Pupal from Aspect’s face and set her in his lap.

“Like the big world-spanning mirror portal wasn’t enough, evidently,” the stallion pointed out.

“Eh, least it can’t get more hectic,” Rainbow shrugged.

“Don’t tempt the world,” Aspect sighed, idly petting Pupal, the changebug purring contently. His pegasus mare shrugged as she headed for the door.

“Eh, well enjoy snuggle time, I have to go and… urgh, do paperwork,” she groaned as she lifted herself off of the ground and flew lazily down the hall.

“How well do you think the rest of the village will take there being two young humans walking around?” Aspect asked Bon Bon.

“Well, either they won’t care… or it’ll be total chaos,” Bon Bon shrugged. “They’ll get over it soon enough. Weirder things have happened… and we have a Pinkie.”

“That should and should not be a selling point at the same time,” Aspect muttered. “Let’s hope Twilight catches up to them before they wander into the forest.”

Twilight panted as she lost track of the two kids… ergh, she really needed to get into shape. But that would cut into valuable studying time. She looked around the town, trying to figure out where they might have wandered off to.

Hopefully they weren’t getting into trouble…

“So… y’all are called ‘humans’?” the little earth pony filly said as she walked alongside the two human girls she’d run into.

“Mhm,” Becky nodded. “Our Mommy has been here before, but now we get to and it’s super awesome!”

“Well, not to brag, but yeah…” Scootaloo said with a smile.

“Oh, we should be friends!” Sweetie Belle beamed. “We’ve never been friends with a human before.”

“Yeah!” Becky nodded. “Wanna be friends with the cute ponies sis?”

“Well that’s a given,” Stacy nodded. “I wouldn’t mind finding a library though. We should at least learn something about… er, what was this place called again.”

“Ponyville,” Apple Bloom said and then gasped. “Oh! We could totally show you around.”

“Better idea,” Scootaloo said. “Let’s make them honorary Crusaders! Diamond and Silver will be sooo jealous.”

“Well, their opinions aside, I like that idea!” Sweetie Belle nodded, her voice squeaking on the higher notes. “What do you think? Wanna be Cutie Mark Crusaders?”

“Crusaders? Do… you even know…” Stacy caught herself and shook her head. That’t be ridiculous. “Well, sure.”

“YAY!” the three fillies cheered. Now they had super cool friends to go on quests with and earn their Cutie Marks!

Aspect was starting to relax. Between Changeling snuggles and Bon Bon snacks, life was almost damn near perfect.

So naturally, Fate had to intervene.

With a burst of light, Twilight teleported into the room, looking quite panicked. “Aspect!” she said, darting closer, her muzzle almost against his. “I lost the girls!”

The stallion blinked a few times at the invasion of his personal space, before groaning and shaking his head. “Just great,” he muttered. “If Midnight were around, she’d be able to find them quickly…” He was running simulations through his head as to how to find the girls of Megan before she arrived.

“I don’t think they’d have wandered into the forest, and some ponies have said they’d seen them around, but I always seem to be one step behind,” the mare groaned. “I don’t have the stamina to run across town all day, and I can’t find Rainbow. She’s not in any of her usual napping places.”

The stallion paused...before grinning. “So we use the other high-energy pony around town to find two high-energy kids,” he elaborated, before clearing his throat. “Gee, I sure hope we can find the girls in time to throw them a party,” he said to the empty air.

He could almost picture the tumbleweed and windy whistle… But no Pinkie Pie.

“Huh… I half expected that to actually work,” Twilight said as she stared at the otherwise empty room.

“Okay...key phrase number two,” Aspect muttered. He cleared his throat again and tried the other phrase he’d noticed getting Pinkie’s attention. “I sure hope we find the kids before their mother shows up. Otherwise I’d lose her trust, and losing someone’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend.”

Still nothing…

Okay, this was getting weird…

“Okay, either Pinkie is having an off day, or she’s busy,” Aspect muttered. “Hmm. I don’t suppose you could whip up a human-detecting spell?”

“Oh yes, because I can naturally invent a brand new spell in a matter of seconds,” Twilight unleashed the full force of the snarkverse. “And even if I could, don’t you think I’d have done that by now?”

Aspect rolled his eyes. “Okay, let’s try to think like them. Stacy was interested in the stories of this place, so...she’d probably try to read up on it.”

“The library!” Twilight gasped and nodded. “Thanks Chris.” And with that, she teleported away.

“And I have no idea what Becky’s like at all,” the stallion muttered, blinking the flash away before returning to his snacks. Hopefully Twilight would come back with good news.

After calming the flustered unicorn down, Stacy sighed as she looked at the pile of books. She’d encountered a small problem when she’d found the library.

She couldn’t read any of them. The books were in what was likely Equestrian script. Which… was not English. Well crap.

“Mmmm~” Twilight hummed as the girl idly ran a brush over her coat. She’d brought her grooming kit, purely out of reflex when her brain figured she’d be spending time with tiny horses. Good thing she had, Twilight had looked ready to have a heart attack. “And… ahh~ You’re sure Becky is safe?”

“Yeah, she’s with those Cutie Mark Crusader fillies and the fluffy pink one.”

“Pinkie Pie?”

“That’s her.”

“That explains something,” Twilight said, her eyes closed as Stacy switched to a long-tooth comb to run through her tail. Pony hair was much softer, more like human hair than the coarse mane and tails of real horses. This was rather soothing for both of them actually. Her horses couldn’t talk back after all. “We’ll have to find her before your mother gets here, else she might mount my head on her wall.”

“Nah, she’d just lecture you,” Stacy shuddered. “Trust me… I think I’d rather be beheaded. Still, at least she isn’t due for another few hours…” Then their world was filled with pink as a manic pink pony stood over them.

“Y-Yes?” Stacy blinked, almost having a heart attack over the pink ninja.

“Let’s go,” Pinkie chuckled. “It is time!”

After Megan had seen to the horses, it was nearly lunchtime. Figuring that a light lunch would be better than relying on the ponies to provide everything, she made herself a small sandwich and went over her mental checklist.

Someone she trusted looking after the girls? Yes, Cel had said they’d have a guard.

Portal in a safe place? Yup, right in Chris’s house.

Sidearm, in case things went wrong? Tucked in the back. She trusted some people. She just didn’t believe in taking foolish chances, and a whole other world was just full of things that could happen. Especially if that forest was half as dangerous as it was made out to be.

Whelp, everything had been done. No use putting it off any further.

The woman squared her shoulders and walked through the portal, as though daring it to do its worst.

“HIYA!” came the exuberant reply the second she’d stepped through the other side, Pinkie dangling from her shoulders. “You’re fifteen minutes late by the way.”

“Forgive me for making sure everything was wrapped up back home,” Megan replied, her old Surprise-reflex kicking in after twenty years of misuse. “Ranch doesn’t run itself.”

“Awww, you’re as hard to startle as Aspy,” Pinkie sighed. “Anyway, we gotta go, we’re running late!” She jumped down and looked at a pocket watch… which she pulled from her mane. The thing was a round as her head! “For a very important date!” And with that, the watch was tucked away and she pronked from the room.

Megan stared, slack-jawed, for a moment, before shaking her head and following after the mare. This...was not going to be easy to adjust to. She was somehow worse than Surprise had ever been.

And as soon as she exited the room, a voice she hadn’t heard in twenty years spoke up from behind her.

“Well I’ll be… if it isn’t the little troublemaker,” Twilight Twinkle hummed. “S’been awhile ya little brat.”

Megan turned and saw a face she’d thought lost to time. She sank to her knees in disbelief...and also to gather the mare into a hug.

“I thought I’d lost you,” the woman muttered through her relieved tears into Twinkle’s mane.

“And you I,” Twinkle smiled, not fighting back her own tears. “I nearly punched Christopher in the face when he told me, for that I assumed that he was teasing.” She put her hooves around her and sniffled. “You’ve gotten so tall.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t you that shrunk?” Megan playfully teased.

“No, I’m much taller than I used to be,” she chuckled as she eased out of the tight hug. “Careful, I’m an old mare now you know.”

“I heard, over two thousand years,” Megan praised her. “Are you sure you didn’t hang around just to nag Chris one more time?”

“Well, that might have been a part of it,” she chuckled. “No… I had to save the Flutterponies. It took, all my wish-granting power. I’m… unsure if I can even do that again. But, I did it. I saved them Megan… just like you would have done…”

“But...granting wishes to make others happy was your life,” Megan pointed out. “I mean, thank you for saving them...but what will you do now?”

“Hmm, not sure,” she replied. “I mean, maybe I just need time for my power to return. But, in this day and age, Unicorns can do far more than just Wink. Take that young Twilight Sparkle mare, apparently magic itself is literally her special talent.”

“Wow, that’s...a bit of magic, alright,” Megan agreed as she stood back up. “I dread to imagine her with your sort of talent.”

“Which is why I will tell her about it, but not teach… not until she might be ready.” Twinkle said with a wink. “Oh, and be a dear and turn around. The others want to say hello.”

Megan raised an eyebrow before slowly turning around…

“Well, look who it is,” Hurricane chuckled, her… the portrait of Hurricane. Behind her was a plethora of ponies, all very familiar to the woman. Firefly… Heartthrob… Masquerade… Fizzy… Galaxy…

All her friends from the Paradise Estates, and more. Preserved in color and magic...and brought back to her.

The first thing she thought to say to them all?

“I’m...I’m sorry,” she sobbed at the familiar sight. “I...I didn’t know that when the Rainbow left me in my own world, that...that it would take so long on this side for us to see each other again.”

"Oh darling, think nothing of it,” Heartthrob said with a smile. “While it was a bit sad we didn’t get to see you again, we do not regret the times we did. Well, our real selves didn’t. Heart spoke very highly of you. Though I think she was upset she could never find your Prince in shining armor~”

Megan actually chuckled at that, putting a hand up to the portrait and smiling at them all. “I’m...I’m glad to see you all, even if it is like this.” She looked from pony to pony, mentally reciting the names. Mimic, Ribbon, Sparkler, Bubbles, Posey, Cupcake, Sundance…

She frowned after a moment though. “Wait...where’s Applejack? And Majesty?”

"Somewhere around here,” Galaxy sighed. “Majesty’s been arguing with Platinum on who gets the throne room in the castle. And the biggest bedroom. And Applejack… well, I have no idea. Haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Am I going to have to come in there to find her?” Megan raised an eyebrow. “I think I remember the knack of it.”

“You can if you want,” Hurricane said, surprising her. “There’s a massive portrait in the family room. You can enter through there if you want.”

“Oh good, wasn’t looking forward to putting my foot through the painting,” Megan chuckled. “Do I also need to talk some sense into Majesty and Platinum?”

“Probably,” Hurricane shrugged and Megna noticed how much the pegasus mare filly from before looked like her. “But you shouldn’t keep that Pink one waiting. She’s even weirder than Surprise.”

“Fine, go and tell them if they haven’t worked it out by the time I pass through again, I’ll jump in and make them work it out,” Megan warned them. She then smiled softly at the painting. “I’ll...tomorrow we’ll talk,” she promised, before turning and following after the pink mare.

“Holding you to it,” Hurricane called back.

“Say hi to all the handsome stallions out there,” Heartthrob added.

“Already married,” Megan called over her shoulder.

The last thing she heard was Heart’s loud squeals.

Once outside, she could get a good look at the massive manor, surrounded by lush lawns and a thick forest beyond that. A pathway leading towards town past the main gate. Now...she knew the forest was dangerous, so...logically, the only path left to go down was the one to town. So she nodded to herself and began walking.

As she got closer, she could hear… music? Some upbeat polka tunes and the sounds of a lot of voices. What was going on? She was curious, but kept up her steady pace.

The thing about Ponyland - You tended to build up your leg muscles, because you had to walk everywhere. That hadn’t left her just because she’d been running a ranch for the past twenty years. And keeping up with both ponies and horses had left her with a lot of stamina.

As she got closer, Pinkie popped up again, this time from a barrel… why was there a barrel?

“Heeey, you finally made it,” she beamed. “Okay, you ready for the fun to begin!?”

“What’s going on?” Megan asked. She didn’t like walking into unfamiliar situations.

“Something to say welcome,” Pinkie beamed as she leapt out of the barrel. “And to introduce you to everypony.” She dropped to all fours and nodded. “I know… that we’re not your old friends. And I’d never ever try to replace them but…” She looked up, her smile less manic and hyper and more… sincere. “I hope you can make some new friends here.”

“I…” Megan sighed, kneeling down and drawing Pinkie closer, running a hand through her mane in a manner that would comfort her. “I’m always going to miss them, miss not saying goodbye to them,” she admitted. “There’s always going to be some part of me that will say ‘you should have gotten back on the rainbow to at least do that.’ But...I think I can stand to make some new pony friends. You’re only connected to my living room, after all.”

“Ohhh, we should party there sometime!” Pinkie beamed as she tugged on her arm. “Well, let’s go meet everypony!”

“Wait, everypony?” Megan asked as she stood back up.

“Well yeah,” Pinkie giggled. “I did invite aaaaaaaallllll of Ponyville after all.” She gigglesnorted and bounced around the corner.

“Uhoh,” Megan gulped as she walked around the corner as well.

That… was a lot of ponies. At least a hundred or so from a quick headcount. She scanned the crowd and saw a long table, one of many that her daughters were sitting at. Stacy with Twilight and Becky with three smaller fillies and… a little… purple dragon?

There was no way that could be the Spike she knew. He’d be two thousand years old now. And where was that guard to keep an eye on her kids?

“I’m watching, have been since they entered this world,” Midnight said from right bloody beside her.

“Yipe!” Megan jumped, before turning and shooting a small glare at the mare. “Warn me next time!”

“Hmhmhm, where’s the fun in that?” she chuckled. “Do not worry, they escaped Twilight upon entry, but I have been watching them. Neither left the town’s borders and they appear to have made some friends as well.”

“Good,” Megan sighed. “At least they’ve played things safe.” She looked back at the party. “Some turnout, huh?”

“As I understand, this is typical for a Ponyville party,” Midnight explained as she looked around. “A touch too loud for my tastes. But when is Roam…” She shrugged and smiled a fanged grin. “Welcome back I suppose.”

“It’s hardly the same place anymore, but it is still magical pony-land,” Megan pointed out as she looked at the crowd. Where to even start…?

Maybe with that dragon? She.. she just had to make sure…

Carefully the human picked her way through the crowd, heading directly to the small dragon she’d briefly caught sight of. He was sitting near Becky and three other fillies, all giggling as Becky told them about her school. The dragon was the first to notice Megan approach and raised a claw, waving at her.

“Hello,” he smiled. “I take it that you’re Mrs. Megan?”

“I am,” Megan nodded to him. “I don’t suppose you could return the courtesy and tell me your name?”

“Huh? Oh,” he held out a claw and she took it into her hand. He was very warm to the touch. “My name’s Spike. I’m Twilight’s number one assistant.”

God, even the way he said it…

Megan had to hold back a tear in her eyes. “Good on you,” she praised him. “Unicorns are tricky to handle, much less keep up with. I learned that one myself the hard way.”

“Yeah, Twi can be a bit… difficult to handle sometimes,” he smiled. “But hey, I couldn’t ask for a better friend and sister.” he looked at her and tilted his head. “Hey um… you okay there?” Years of dealing with Twi made him rather observant after all.

“Just...something in my eye,” Megan demurred. “You take care, Spike.” She needed to find a place where she could let it all out, but before she could…

“I remind you of your Spike, don’t I?” he said. “Don’t worry, Aspect kinda freaked as well.” He pat her hand with his claw. “I’m glad your Spike had such a good friend.”

“You just,” Megan sniffed. “The Spike I knew was...he was a very dear friend. And you act like him in so many ways.”

“Um, I’m sorry?” Spike blinked, not quite sure how to react. “You must miss him huh?”

“More than you can imagine, kid,” Megan replied. “I stepped over the rainbow for twenty years, just writing about magic pony land to cope with all the things that had happened...and then I find out that two thousand years passed for everyone over here.” She sighed. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking for him.”

“Well…” Spike rubbed his chin. “Dragons are really long lived. Maybe, he’s still out there somewhere?”

“...Maybe,” Megan replied. “I...should probably get back to the party.”

“Oh… okay,” Spike nodded as he let go of her hand. “Take care Mrs. Megan.”

“You too, Spike,” Megan nodded and braced herself as she turned back to the party at large. There were countless ponies here, she didn’t know where to... wait, Majesty?

A white unicorn with a coiffed purple mane was chatting with Twilight and the Applejack lookalike. No, it couldn’t be her, just… another reminder.

How many of those would she run into? At this rate she wouldn’t make it to the snack table before breaking down.

“Hey,” a hoof touched her leg and she looked down to see Bon Bon there, a concerned look on her face. “Is everything alright dear?”

“Just,” Megan put on a brave face. “So many echoes. It’s hard not to see the ghosts of the past in the present.”

“Ahh, Christopher had the same problem I heard,” she said. “Maybe you could speak to him about it? As much as I like, I’m afraid I simply can’t relate. Long lasting friends… hasn’t exactly been a specialty of mine.”

“I’ll...try that later,” Megan replied. “I’d hate it if my mood brought the party down, though.”

“With Pinkie around, good luck keeping that mood in the dumps,” she giggled. “That mare is Laughter itself, she’ll go to any lengths to see a smile on that face.”

“I dunno, I’m feeling like I need a good cry right about now,” Megan teased.

“I have the perfect mare for you to meet…” Bon Bon said, come with me.

She’d led her away from the party, as her shop was quite close. And a moment later, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane turned up.

“Bon Bon?” Fluttershy spoke up as she entered the store. “Is everything okay? You said there was a problem?”

“Mhm,” Bon Bon said and motioned to Megan. “Megan? This is Fluttershy, Element of Kindness and the nicest mare you’ll ever meet. Flutters? Megan here is feeling… a bit overwhelmed. Would you mind spending some quiet time in case she needs a shoulder?”

“Oh,” the pegasus nodded and stepped closer. Her scent was that of flowers and fresh grass. “Of course. I know that feeling all too well.”

Megan fell to her knees, the familiar scent and mannerisms of Posey finally being the straw that broke the camel’s back. She started to let loose with the floodgates as she finally mourned the ones she’d lost.

Fluttershy was caught a little off guard by the sudden breakdown, but soon held her in a hug, her wings around her as a hoof rubbed her back soothingly. “There there,” she said in a soft tone. “No matter what, I’m certain your friends still love you, and they’d be happy to know you still love them.”

“I just...I stepped away, started a life, coped with everything,” Megan sobbed. “And when the stars align again...everything I knew, everyone I knew...gone. Dust in the wind.”

“Nothing’s ever really gone,” Fluttershy said. “You’re here now, in a world your friends helped shape.” She kept her warm wings wrapped around her like a blanket. “I care for animals, critters of all kinds. And… well, sometimes not all the injured ones pull through. I care for them all the same. I mourn their loss, but I also know there were always more that needed to be helped. It’s scary, but putting one hoof in front of the other can be. Nopony’s saying you can’t look back, and remember those that were left behind. But you can look forward too, to those that are still waiting to meet you. Those that might need help.”

“I…” Megan shuddered, her crying slowing down. “I just wish...I could have said goodbye,” she settled on.

“You still can,” Fluttershy smiled. “I’m sure, that they’re still watching over you. That Lady Epona is taking good care of the herd they’ve left to join.” She nuzzled the woman and hummed. “Why don’t we do something then. Maybe a small ceremony where you can bid farewell properly.”

“...I’d like that,” Megan smiled softly. “But not now. There’s still a party to attend out there. I don’t think Pinkie would let me stay absent for very long.”

“Pinkie is a good girl, she’ll let you take all the time you need,” Fluttershy said as she looked around. Bon Bon had been kind enough to leave some glasses of cold milk and some snacks on the counter nearby. “Would you like something to eat?”

“I...don’t think I could hold much down right now,” Megan replied, hiccuping slightly afterwards.

“Hmm, well, how about a nice cup of tea?” Fluttershy offered. “It always helps me calm down.”

“That...sounds pretty good actually,” the human replied, finding a chair and sitting in it...albeit a little awkwardly. Oh, now she remembered why she’d insisted on her own room back in the days of Dream Valley. A comfortable place to sit.

“Well I don’t know where Bon Bon keeps her tea,” Fluttershy giggled. “My house isn’t far from here. And it’s quiet too.”

“Oh…” Megan blinked. “Okay, that works too. I just hope miss Pie understands.”

“Pinkie will be okay,” Fluttershy said as she opened the door. “She’ll understand. Just, expect another party once you feel better.”

“...She’s relentless, isn’t she?” Megan asked as she stood up and walked over to the door.

“She just likes everypony to be happy,” Fluttershy smiled as they left Bon Bon’s home/store. “We’ll see about getting her to make a quieter one next time.”

“I’d probably appreciate that a little more,” Megan agreed as they began the walk to Fluttershy’s home. It was a little farther than ‘close’. Then again, Fluttershy had wings so it was likely a quicker trip by air.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, they neared Fluttershy’s cottage, bordered by lush fields and a deep, dark-looking forest.

“Ah, I was warned about that,” Megan pointed a finger at the forest.

“The Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy said. “It’s a scary place. Though not all of it. One of our friends actually lives in there, and we visit her regularly.” Fluttershy trotted up to her door. “But the forest is also home to Timber Wolves, Manticores and Hydras.”

“And all of those sound like things I don’t need to be meeting,” Megan nodded firmly. “Nor my children.” She then looked at Fluttershy again. “And you live right on the border. I don’t know if that makes you a silly pony or a brave one.”

“It’s also close to the Whitetail Woods, where a lot of my critter friends live,” Flutters giggled as she opened the door and stepped inside. “Mind your head, the door is a little low.”

“Yeah, ponies don’t exactly tend to build things in mind for humans, I noticed that,” Megan chuckled as she stepped inside. As she did, she saw a house made mostly of wood, with birdboxes, nests and mouseholes in the walls… She’d also noted the chicken coops outside…

“Oh my, but you really like your animals, huh?” Megan asked as she looked around. It reminded her a little of that house that was a cat playground...just for, every creature. Then she felt her feet lift off of the floor as something big pulled her into a hug. Her head turned to see that a massive brown bear had pulled her into a tight, fuzzy embrace.

The first thing she felt was nothing short of panic. Bears were not a thing she was accustomed to being friendly.

“Oh, that’s Harry,” Fluttershy smiled. “Don’t worry, he just like hugs.”

Harry growled in agreement as he gave a long lick up the side of her face.

The panic was slowly being replaced by acceptance of the situation. Harry was just lucky he’d stopped her from reaching her sidearm. As she looked up, she saw a plethora of creatures inside the quaint cottage. All types of birds, squirrels, mice and… oookay, she was leaving that spider web alone.

“I’ll be just a moment,” Fluttershy smiled. “Make yourself at home while I get the tea ready.”

Megan slowly took a breath, before exhaling. Right...magical pony land. Question it later. Live with it now. She looked up at Harry and nodded, letting him know she was...fine with it now. The bear… smiled somehow and pat her head, letting her down onto the floor. All the other critters were just watching her for now as she heard Fluttershy rummaging around in the kitchen, humming a melodious tune.

Megan let out another breath as she found a chair to sit in. This...this day was full of ups and downs, wasn’t it? Well, at least animals were easier to deal with than familiar ponies reminding her…

Thankfully, before she could sink back into the depths of misery, Pos-Fluttershy brought out a tray laden with an ornate pot and some teacups.

“Here we are,” she smiled as she set the tray down. “This is a herbal tea I get from Zecora, oh, she’s the zebra friend that lives in the Everfree.”

“Mmm. I don’t think you want to know about the zebra I knew about,” Megan mused as she picked up a cup to sip at.

“You knew one as well?” Fluttershy asked. The tea had some bite to it, but it was deliciously fragrant and it did help soothe her building anxiety.

“Yes, but he wasn’t nice,” Megan warned.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy gasped as she sipped her own tea. “Why was that?”

“He was the cohort of Arabus the Storm Demon,” Megan explained. “Arabus gained strength when he ate another creature’s shadow, so Zeb constructed a device that stole them for him to feed on.”

“Ohh, that doesn’t sound very nice,” Fluttershy huffed cutely. “What a mean stallion. I hope he got a very stern lecture about that.”

“Well once Arabus was dealt with, all the shadows he’d eaten returned to their owners, but he was still tried as an accessory to the theft. Last I knew, he was sentenced to a lifetime of community service, to make him pay for what he’d done, since...well, they’d done it to a whole town.” Megan recounted that particular adventure’s end without going through the middle bit...namely, Christopher being Arabus’ impromptu executioner. Fluttershy seemed a delicate sort.

“Well, as long as he was repenting,” Fluttershy said. “Honestly… I am… not comfortable with the way Aspect deals with… problematic others. I think everypony deserves a second chance. Take Princess Luna. She transformed into Nightmare Moon and was banished to the moon for a thousand years…”

“He actually explained it to me,” Megan said, putting her teacup down. “There are three factors to his sword being able to kill an Aspect of the world. They first have to be upsetting the natural order. Arabus was meant to monitor and control the air. Instead he fed on his power and others, to make himself stronger.”

“Well,” Fluttershy said. “He was…” She shook her head. “He is no longer a threat.” This looked like it was a bit difficult to talk about. “S-Sorry, you should ask Aspect. I…” She looked down and trembled.

“Sorry, I’m just...explaining it like he explained it to me,” Megan said, reaching a hand over to clasp Fluttershy’s hoof. “I don’t mean to upset you. Maybe...make him seem a little more approachable? He’s not a savage. He’s just doing what he’s meant to. He wouldn’t kill anyone that didn’t merit it.”

“N-No, it’s not that,” she said, looking at the hoof that was being held. “Something happened in Canterlot, just before you first arrived actually. It was very scary though.”

“Oh dear.” Megan sighed. “I’ll ask him about it later. But if you wouldn’t mind, I can finish that explanation about how he deals with things.”

Fluttershy just nodded and took a shaky sip of her tea.

“The second factor,” Megan continued, “Is they have to be unrepentant. By all accounts, that’s the critical one. The sword won’t work if there’s a chance they can come back.”

“I… I think everyone deserves a second chance,” Fluttershy repeated in a quiet tone. “Nopony… deserves to die for a few wrongs…”

“And when I was younger, I agreed with you,” Megan replied. “I always thought that if they could be talked around, they should be. I saved King Charlatan from meeting the same fate, even though he tried to bring eternal winter to the world with his icy gaze. I talked Christopher out of killing him...simply because he had a son. The king surrendered after that, and we found that he didn’t have to kill someone if they gave up. But...none of the rest did. They liked their power too much, and thought too little of Chris’ ability to deal with them.” Megan sighed as she stared at her tea again. “And the third factor...is the world itself has to agree that killing them is the best course of action. Otherwise he might as well just be wielding a lump of iron in the shape of a sword, rather than a sword that can kill anything. Then the sapphire will change to a ruby, and blood will be owed.”

“Well…” Fluttershy murmured. “We have the Elements of Harmony now. We saved Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon, and even helped the Nightmare gain a life of her own. That meanie Discord was sealed back in stone. He doesn’t have to kill anypony anymore.” She took another sip of her tea, her nerves still frayed, the herbal tea doing little to calm them.

“I know,” Megan nodded. “He never wanted his power to kill others. But...he’s the only one the sword will work for.” She sighed as she looked up. “It’s like...he was given the world’s largest needle, and told that if he encountered a large, rabid dog that could eat him in one bite, he shouldn’t run, but turn and fight it to put it down, for its own sake if nothing else. He doesn’t want the job, Fluttershy. But he’s the only one that can do it.”

Fluttershy just… stared with wide unblinking eyes.

Oh… right, perhaps a rabid dog metaphor wasn’t the best on to use with her.

“Aheheh...sorry,” Megan chuckled awkwardly. “I’m just...using his words.”

“I-I’m sorry…” the mare whimpered. “I just…” She honestly had no idea how to deal with this topic of conversation anymore. Well, at least Megan seemed to be feeling better. Mission Accomplished?

“I’m sorry for making you feel bad, miss Fluttershy,” Megan sighed. “Just...okay, back when I first came here? I agreed with you. I wanted to use the Rainbow to reform the villains. I thought nothing couldn’t be overcome with some kindness and understanding. It took me twenty years and having kids of my own...before I stopped looking back with a filter and seeing how much danger the world, and even I was in every time I wanted to confront a villain. If these Elements are as powerful as the Rainbow was, I say, go for it. Try to reform the villains, or at the very least stop them peacefully. But...take my advice? Have Chris on standby in case they don’t work.” She smiled and gently brushed Fluttershy’s mane. “From what I hear, you and your friends are very special ponies. I don’t want to see you all in danger because you didn’t think something through and take all the precautions you could.”

Fluttershy stopped trembling and sipped her tea again. “I…” she sighed and shook her head. “I’m… a bit of a scardey pony. But, my friends and I, we’ve faced some scary things. Though I think we’ll get some peace now that Discord is back in stone.” She set her cup down and looked at the woman. “I understand you, and I know that, that Aspect probably didn’t want to do those things. It’s just a bit scary to think about it is all.”

“Don’t take my word for it,” Megan sighed. “His brother sometimes told me of the nightmares he’d have. I only met him a few times, and every time he asked me for some sort of sleep aid. He knew I went back and forth, you see. I couldn’t come up with anything the first time...but when I next came back, I had some sleeping pills for him. I think they helped.”

“He… never said he had a brother before,” Fluttershy said. “But then, I don’t he’s ever talked much about himself. Unless he has to to Rainbow or the others.”

“Yeah...he seems to have forgotten about him,” Megan replied. “Well...if you get the chance, bring it up with someone who can check his mind for magic or anything that might inhibit his memory, would you? They’re family.”

“I’ll ask Twilight,” Fluttershy promised. “She’s the most magical pony I know. If she can’t figure it out, I don’t know if anypony can.”

“Thanks,” Megan replied, smiling genuinely at last. “I’d ask myself, but they’re probably all enjoying the party right now. And I don’t know when I’ll see her next.”

“Given her curiosity, she might follow you home.” Fluttershy giggled. “So, are you feeling better now?”

“Much,” Megan sighed. “It’s...still a little jarring to be back in this world, but...I’m pretty sure I’m over the time difference. Or, well, will be with a few things.” She smiled as she sat back in her chair. “Thanks for relaxing me, miss Fluttershy.”

“That is perfectly alright Mrs Megan,” Fluttershy smiled back at her. “Feel free to stop by anytime you want to relax. My door is always open to you.”

“I might stop by a few more times then, this tea is delicious,” Megan countered before chuckling. “But, if I know my girls, they’ll be in the center of that chaos and I’ll need to make sure they actually go to bed before the end of the day.”

“I’ll show you the way back then,” Fluttershy said as she stood up. “It shouldn’t be f—” A loud growl cut her off as her ear flick. “Ohmy, sounds like Manny got into another scrap.”

“Manny?” Megan asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Mhm, he’s such a sweetheart,” Fluttershy smiled as she stepped outside after getting some bandages. Curious, Megan followed her and…

Saw a full grown Manticore in Fluttershy’s yard, the pony walking right up to it. Once again, she had to clamp down on her panic reflexes. Fluttershy knew what she was doing. Right?

Right?

As the pegasus drew close, Megan saw the beast open it’s massive maw, showing off it’s gleaming fangs…

Okay, that had her hand going behind her for her sidearm. One scream and she’d be shooting.

“Ohmy, do you have something stuck in your teeth?” Fluttershy asked as she stuck her head in it’s mouth and looked around. “A splinter? How did you—?”

A howl… a series of howls that sounded much to close as the pegasus pulled back. “Oh dear…”

From the treeline of the forest, three wolves appeared. Well they looked like wolves at first. The first thing Megan picked up on was a pungent odor. The next… was that their bodies were made of wood, their eyes glowing with eldritch emerald light.

“Fluttershy, permission to shoot them?” Megan asked as she drew her pistol and cocked it.

“Timberwolves almost never leave the forest,” she whispered as Manny’s hackles rose. “We have to keep them away from the other animals!” She looked at Megan. “I don’t know what you mean, but yes.”

Megan took aim...and the dirt at the lead Timberwolf’s paws fountained as a loud bang echoed around the house.

“The next shots won’t miss,” she warned the wolves, now pointing the smoking barrel directly at the first wolf’s head. “Do you think you can leap faster than I can get a shot off?”

Manny roared as a wolf leapt at him, his barbed tail shattering the beast as it lashed out, the other two running at Megan. The first one’s head exploded in another loud roar of thunder, before Megan grabbed the last one around the throat and stuck her gun in its muzzle.

“Any last regrets?” she asked, before pulling the trigger.

She looked around at the carnage, before the twigs and sticks started to tremble and glow. Floating into the air as the wolves started to reform…

Megan scoffed and shot the wolves as they formed their heads again, one bullet each. She then shifted the gun so she could empty the casings out of it, fished out another six bullets from her pocket, and reloaded her magnum while waiting for something else to happen.

The sticks started to reform with a powerful swirl, only this time it seemed to be much, much bigger.

Fluttershy gasped as the wood merged, forming a Timberking wolf. The massive monster roaring, sap and spittle raining down as it gnashed its massive jaws.

Megan rolled her eyes and holstered her gun, before breaking into a sprint.

What...was she doing?

The answer came when she reached the Timberking’s legs. She jumped up, and began climbing up the massive wolf with speed.

“Like climbing a tree!” she shouted back.

“M-Megan! That’s dangerous!” Fluttershy yelled as a pair of jaws missed the human by inches, the massive wooden mutt trying to snap at her. Megan kicked him in the nose as he did, buying herself a few precious seconds to climb up onto his back and grip the scruff of his neck.

The wolf heard that clicking noise and felt something pressed to the top of his skull. Something decidedly made of metal that was slightly warm.

“M-Megan?” Fluttershy dared to speak up.

“Alright mister wolf,” Megan said, yanking on the scruff to make sure he was listening. “Now. I used to be pretty good at the whole diplomacy game. So I’m going to offer you a choice. Are you going to go back into the forest and leave the pony alone? Or do I have to blow what passes for brains out of your skull, again?”

The wolf whimpered… then collapsed into a pile of sticks. Megan would have been buried alive under it, had Manny not swooped in and caught her, the human now astride the Manticore’s back as he landed next to Fluttershy.

“And that was how I heroically dealt with a huge wooden wolf,” Megan muttered as she climbed down off the manticore. And then said Manticore licked her face… well, given his size, more like half her body.

“Oh thank goodness,” Fluttershy sighed. “Megan! That was very dangerous! Honestly.”

“Humans are related genetically to some species of monkey or ape or whatever, so climbing up it came naturally to me. Plus, if it did actually try eating me, I’d just shoot up into the head,” she replied. “I felt that giving it the choice of fates was the better option there.”

“I think that was more of an ultimatum,” Fluttershy said as she pet Manny. “That was odd though. The Timberwolves almost never leave the forest. They can’t regenerate outside it’s borders for very long…”

“Eesh,” Megan muttered. “Suddenly having second thoughts about telling my kids they could visit.”

“The town is safe… but that was odd,” Fluttershy said. “We should find Aspect. Maybe he might know something since he used to live there.” She paused. “Actually, I’ll go and find Zecora. Think you can find town by yourself?”

“Yes, but thank you for the concern,” Megan kneeled down and gave Fluttershy a hug from the side. “It’s been nice being with you, miss Fluttershy. Well, except for the end bit, but it worked out.”

“Yes, quite a bit too exciting there,” she chuckled. “Take care Mrs Megan, I’ll see you later.”

“Mmhmm,” the woman ended the hug and got up, before looking at Manny. “Nice save, big guy,” she praised him.

The manticore growled and… well that was a terrifying smile.

“Be careful on your way back,” Fluttershy said, choosing to ignore the gun the woman had and how dangerous it likely was.

“Yeah, I’ll keep an eye out for any more large wooden wolves coming out of the forest,” Megan replied as she carefully walked off, holstering her gun as she headed towards the town.

Ponyland really hadn’t changed much huh?

Author's Notes:

And the set up...

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