The magnificent seven heroes walk along a road of paved sandstone, its light tan yellowish color almost gold in the late afternoon's light. Okay, eight heroes, if one counted the small dragon sitting on the yellow winged pony's back. They had already walked a good distance from the town and past several other settlements, and were trying to chase the sun in the west, though that would be a race not even Rainbow Dash could win.

A shadow moves just inside the treeline bordering the road going west, a swift glimpse of rippling black fur over lean muscle before it is gone as it moves ahead of the group. Twilight Sparkle glances to the others to see if anypony else noticed. Slicer Jen has a small smile on her muzzle as she follows the progress of the panther through the woods, but continues walking as though nothing is out of the ordinary. Twilight sighs. Fine, NINE. She floats her quartz crystal out of her saddlebag, inspecting it as it levitates just ahead of her. So unfair, she thinks to herself. After a minute, she becomes less focused on the crystal and she hears the conversation going on nearby between Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"Truly, darling, you merely jested the point, and yet, she DID find a magic-user shop! While her initial expression was absolutely priceless to behold, ahem, I couldn't help but indulge in some shopping, myself."

Rainbow is easily floating along next to Rarity, flapping her wings lazily. She cackles, RITAL. (yes, rolling in the air laughing) "I know, right!?! They had a shop! What are the odds!?"

The purple alicorn grimaces and puts her crystal away, weighing in, "Given the nature of this game, odds were better than average on a single standard deviation bell curve." She smiles primly.

The flying pegasus wheezes one final time and alights onto the pavement, prancing a few steps. "Yeah yeah, sorry I asked. At least we didn't have to torture any books to get you out of town this time. 'Thou art Shakespoeny, how thy cover drageth before yon wayward princess.' " The rest of the ponies erupt in giggling and laughing. Twilight shakes her head, but can't help joining in on the giggling.

She then twists her head around to stare at the pegasus. "Since when did you read Shakespoeny, Dash?"

The pegasus struts her stuff and walks backwards, ahead of the group, "Ah yeah, this flygirl ain't just all about flying. I used to read books like everypony else back in grade school. Some of the greatest flying adventures were showcased in books. '80 Days Around Equestria,' 'Airpegasus,' 'A View to A Cloud.' "

Rarity leans over to Twilight and nudges her shoulder with hers, "Mm, 'Not all about flying.' Yes, we see that." Twilight grins. Rainbow shrugs and hops back into the air, hovering a few feet off the ground.

A twang draws everypony's attention to Pinkie Pie as she is walking on three legs while using her fourth to adjust a string on her....contraption. A series of musical instruments sit on the pink pony, all connected by various rods, strings and pulleys. The lute hanging in front of her by far has the most complicated system on it, designed to pluck strings and hold frets through various levers that have control lines connected to everything else. If one were to follow every control input to its source, one would have to throw their back out trying to get any of it to work. It was amazing nothing was making any noise while she was moving.

Applejack speaks up, "Hey there, Pinkie. Got any road cruisin tunes for us today? Roads jes melt away when the right song is aplayin." In response, the instrument-laden pony...says nothing, her concentration so focused on getting the inputs correct on her lute. Applejack blinks, then moves closer, "Uh, sugar, you awake in there? Need any help?" Nothing. She looks to the rest of the group, but they shrug back to her. Applejack gets a little closer and decides to pluck one of the control strings along Pinkie's ribs.

All the instruments sound off in a horrible dissonant chord. Pinkie Pie jumps into the air and various control lines and rods fire off again, sending out another boom of sound, this one with concussive force. The ponies are knocked to the ground, holding their ears. Spike, who has been riding on Fluttershy's back, gets knocked off. He rolls on the road and stands up, pulling Fluttershy's scabbarded sword off his back and inspecting it in a state of fright, afraid it might have taken damage.

"Nononono, noppity NOPE! This requires that special Pinky T-touch!" Pinkie checks all of the instruments to make sure they are at their original settings.

While the others gather themselves, Applejack picks up her hat and puts it back on her head. "Aw reckon she don't need no help, yall." She spots Rainbow Dash and Rarity giggling. "What yall so giddy abou...wait a tick, what's this T touch an everythang?" That's when the floodgates open, with Rarity and Dash bursting out in laughter. Twilight has her eyes closed and takes a deep sigh.

"They went through the DUSTIER parts of my life...LIBRARY. I meant library. They came across a book." There she pauses and begins walking. Fluttershy, Spike and Applejack wait for her to continue while following, with the other two snickering in the background. Slicer appears to not be paying attention, intent on eyeing the tree lines for any signs of danger. Twilight wrinkles her brow and quickly adds, "And it described a massage technique for pets."

Rainbow cackles in reply, "Uh huh! Not just for pets. And that's not the best part. Go on, tell them!" Twilight wiggles her head in feigned bewilderment.

Rarity picks up after Rainbow with, "Yes, she says dusty, yet the book looked like it was the cleanest, though most used book in the-"

"OKAAAAY," a flustered Twilight responds, "By the way, what were you telling me about your past life back at the inn, Slicer? Dragons, chocolate, a boyfriend? I had a lot on my mind so I didn't catch all the details. Do you mind?" Rarity shakes her head and smiles knowingly.

The recalcitrant thestral keeps her eyes looking outward, though her ear flicks in Spike's direction. "I had a boyfriend. There was a war that involved chocolate as a weapon. Dragons killed my boyfriend. Anything else?" Spike scratches his head and slowly looks away from the thestral, using that moment to pull out his Undermountain map and study it. A lot.

A beetle can be heard in the distance as it buzzes away from a rock. The only other sounds are the slow plodding of the group's hooves as the mirth and upbeat atmosphere is sucked into oblivion. Twilight gulps and mumbles, "Sorry...forgot those parts." The others simply stare at Slicer, wondering what horrors she has yet to talk about.

"There!" Pinkie Pie strums her lute, giving off a nice chord. She starts high stepping. Somehow, a soft metal brush starts scraping against a snare on her back while a short stringed instrument on her flank starts playing two notes back and forth. After a few beats Pinkie starts plucking three notes on her lute with a bit of swing thrown in. The tune causes the ponies to start nodding their heads in time as they walk. Before the sixteenth beat she starts singing:

"o/~ On the road again! I just can't wait to get on the road again! o/~" She slides in between Applejack and Twilight, grabbing them, still managing to keep all her instruments playing, "The life I love is makin' music with my friends, and I can't wait to get on the road again! o/~"

Pinkie trots over to Fluttershy and Spike and leans into them, singing, "o/~ On the road again! Goin' places that I've never been! o/~" She prods at Spike's map with her lute while he holds it up, half studying it, half listening to Pinkie. "o/~ Seein' things that I may never see again. And I can't wait to get on the road again! o/~" She strums her lute for a full chord and plants herself in the middle of the dance line that all the ponies have just now formed. Slicer tries to slink away but Pinkie grabs her and places her front and center, yelling, "Here we go!" as they all start to tap dance and sing together in chorus. Minus Slicer:

"o/~ On the road again! Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway! o/~" Slicer makes a break for it, all of two feet, before Pinkie yanks her back, "o/~ We're the best of friends! Insisting that the world keep turnin' our way...and our way... o/~" Pinkie finally lets the thestral go, who subsequently falls on her face as the bard goes back to solo singing mode, the rest go back to following along and listening:

"o/~ On the road again! I just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' music with my friends, and I can't wait to get on the road again! o/~" With that she goes into her solo playing mode, playing a hermonica, lute, and all the rest of the instruments while the others continue stepping in time behind her. Slicer picks herself up and brushes off the dust, muttering. She stops and watches the group, now concerned.

For their part, the rest of the party is enjoying themselves immensely, all fears and troubles behind them. On cue, they all form a line together, singing in chorus while stomping their hooves and dosey doe-ing, "o/~ On the road again! Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway! o/~" Rarity and Rainbow Dash swing each other around. Twilight and Applejack swing each other. So do Fluttershy, Discord and Spike. They all continue singing as Slicer follows warily.

"o/~ We're the best of friends! Insisting that the world keep turnin' our way...and our way. On the road again! I just can't wait to get on the road. The life I love is makin' music with my friends, and I can't wait to get on the road again! o/~" They are all smiling at each other and do another refrain, "o/~ And I can't wait to get on the road again! o/~" Then Discord chimes in his solo, "o/~ And I can't wait to get on the road again! o/~"

A string on Pinkie's lute snaps with a loud twang, halting all the dancing and music. The ponies stop and watch Discord as he continues dancing forward. A few seconds later, he figures out the group is not walking with him and he turns around, "Oh dear, I sang one too many lines in the out chorus again? I ALWAYS overdo that part."

Twilight is the first to snap out of her surprise. "H-hello, Discord. I take it you've decided to get back to helping us look high and low for Princess Celestia? While it might not be you causing all of this, it does help that you are not adding to it instead of stomping off like you did." The others nod as the draconequis gives them that odd-ball look of his. More odd-ball since he acts like he has no idea what they are talking about.

Discord looks at you and replies, "Exactly. I have no idea what they are talking about." It is the ponies' turn to blink and glance at each other in bewilderment. Fluttershy steps over to Discord while Spike waves his map.

"Um, Discord, we believe the princess may be located in this place, Undermountain...um, maybe."

Pinkie Pie perks up, "Oh, under a mountain?! Is that like Candy Mountain!?! o/~ Oh when you're down and looking for some cheering up! Then just head right on up to the Candy Mountain cave-" Applejack plants a hoof over Pinkie's muzzle.

"Not that Awm to look a gift pony in the mouth, but didn yall say we threw a meteor-" Twilight plants a hoof over Applejack's muzzle!

"Actually, what she meant was throwing a meaty. Ah...a meaty party!" Twilight giggles nervously. Now the group stares at her as Applejack flicks Twilight's hoof off her face but says nothing. This lie is so bold, Applejack has to see where Twilight is going with this one.

Discord gets a weird look, which is saying something considering it is him. "A meaty party?" The rest pick up and follow Twilight's lead, all noddling their heads. Slicer clearly wants no part of this and stands away from the group. Discord asks, "That involves, throwing meat?"

Twilight smiles, "Um, sure?" She smiles widely. The draconequis shares a look of professional party host incredulity with Pinkie Pie, who also happens to agree with his sentiments and ews.

"Miss Sparkle," he begins. "There is chaos, and then there is Nasty Chaos. I don't do the nasty." Pinkie Pie performs a double snare hit and cymbal crash behind him. He looks down at the map in Spike's hands. "Hmm. I suppose I could crawl around in deep dark caverns and slimy pits to find your princess of the sun. And yet, it would be so much easier to go where there are places of joy and brightness, and laughter, and..ugh...spare me." He shifts colors and holds his mouth to keep from losing his lunch. After he swallows, he smiles and says, "Still, I did say I would help you find her, so I shall continue my search while YOU go to that dreary sounding place. I doubt the true Celestia would slum around under a mountain. But where else to look...."

"Well," Twilight offers, "you could try waiting in Canterlot for her, maybe?"

Discord watches the alicorn to see if there is any deception. She is playing awfully innocent, yet he can't figure out what the rub is. "I shall try Canterlot again, perhaps wait for her on her throne. Yes. That should more than shake her from whatever summer getaway she's sequestered herself in, mm? And then once you need little ol' me, call. I shall come, chaos blazing!!!" With that he curls up midair in an ever constricting ball until he poofs out of existence.

Applejack pokes Twilight in the shoulder while wearing a frown. "Why ya'll keep me from talking bout that meteor he mentioned earlier, an what's wit all that lyin'?"

The alicorn looks around to make sure he isn't there, then replies, "Because I don't think it has happened yet!" That stuns the other ponies. Even Slicer moves in closer to listen to this one. Twilight swallows, now that everypony's attention is on her. "I don't think he even knows about his returning just a few seconds after he left, while we were back at the castle. He spoke of a time loop. I think we are still playing that part out."

Applejack's frown deepens and she shakes her head, "That still ain't right. He agreed to help us. Very least we can do is give him an honest warnin." Fluttershy nods vehemently while some of the others take on wistful looks, remembering all the trouble Discord has stirred up in the past.

Twilight shakes her head and draws a line in the dust on the road. "No no, it would break the chain of events. We are set on this particular timeline." She draws a half circle linking the beginning of the line to the end of the line. "Dear Celestia, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Discord, the very aspect of chaos, is the one thing that so far makes sense, now. Do you remember what he said? Months! He was searching for months! Ponyville had disappeared, which we can confirm." She taps along the line, still inside the half-circle. "Then Canterlot. He said he was going there now." She taps further along the line, inside the half-circle. "I suspect that when Canterlot disappears, that will be near the end of this game. If we warn him," She then drags her hoof, causing a tangent line to form and split away from the main line, circumventing the half-circle loop, "he won't accuse us of sending him on a wild goose chase. He might even hide, thus not witnessing the meteor, or whatever event that is, which makes everything else uncertain." She continues the line past the end of the first line, dragging her leg away from the group and whips away her hoof, as though the line continues forever. "It has to do with that time loop he mentioned. We keep to the script he alluded, which is our best chance of ending this. Or, we stay stuck in this game forever." The finality of it all begins to sink into each pony. Rarity nods in agreement, though she furrows her brow.

"That is all well and good, darling, assuming most of us even understood what you just said, but do you have a meteor spell in your repertoire? Game spells or real?"

Twilight glances to the side as she sifts her thoughts, then rummages in her saddlebags, dragging out different mage books she bought in town. At length, she sits back and shakes her head, "No, I don't have anything close to that magnitude." It also dawns on her what Rarity is getting at.

Rarity continues, "I looked through that dizzyingly diverse diary of disparate spells I won from the chest. No meteor. Although, there is an entire treatise on forming a flaming snowball, complete with statistical analysis of its survival rate in Tartarus. How odd." Rarity scratches her head with a hoof. "Who would want to know that? It is intriguing." Twilight clears her throat. "Yes, suffice to say, dear, if WE are not throwing meteors, who is? And if this is going to take months, though you are correct, he mentioned searching months BEFORE Ponyville disappeared....this makes me feel light-headed." The others moan in agreement.

Their leader nods and glances at Spike's map and then up at the setting sun. "I agree. We'll figure it out tomorrow. According to the map, we've already made good time. I suggest we break for camp, off the road and into the woods far enough so we don't get caught by any roving bands of creatures during the night." She looks to Slicer, but the thestral has already disappeared into the woods. Twilight grumbles and they move toward the trees. Just inside the woods, Slicer steps out from behind a bush and waves them over to a small clearing, perfect for their camp. Twilight grudgingly thanks the thestral, who grunts in return and steps away, peering into the darkening shadows. Twilight just shakes her head, not understanding the wingless pony. Wingless. If it was akin to a pegasus without wings, then Twilight could understand at least some of the quirks Slicer had, remembering the thestral's life story back at the inn. "Perhaps I should understand you, given what you've endured," Twilight says mostly to herself, also remembering her own troubles in school, the name calling and teasing.

Slicer turns her head, "You say something?" She looks back out into the woods, as if waiting.

Twilight responds, "Your story, about growing up, back at the inn? I think I understand you better now. You need friends, even though you push them away because you are afraid they will ridicule you." She stands straighter, confident. "Rest assured, my friends and I may kid around, but we are the best friends a pony can have." Slicer watches Twilight as the alicorn beams a smile back at her, all nice and bright. The smile fades into fear as two floating yellow eyes approach them from the depths of the dark woods, the sun finally settling behind the mountain in the distance. The fire that Applejack has started reflects light off its black fur as the giant panther strolls past the two ponies and into the camp. While the other ponies have more or less gotten used to the large cat, they are still a bit hesitant to put their backs to such a large predator. The cat settles down and purrs deeply.

Slicer grins and pats Twilight on the shoulder. "With pets like that, who needs friends. Eh, Flutters?" Fluttershy briefly looks up with a questioning expression, then goes back to talking to Spike, who was telling her about dragon history. Twilight takes it all in, and exhales in exasperation.

"Oh, fine. Everypony has a friend. I was trying to say we are there for you if you need us, and it already looks like you've overcome whatever pitfalls you've endured, and together we are strong, and...and," Twilight pauses, noticing she's the only one standing in the shadows while the rest of them are sitting around the campfire. Slicer is scratching the top of the panther's head and grinning at Twilight. Rarity covers her mouth with a hoof. Twilight snorts, kicks a stone, then walks over to the ring of ponies. "I'm all right. You don't have to worry about me."

Pinkie Pie sits up, "You know, that could work as a song!" She pulls out her lute and starts strumming, muttering, "o/~ I'm alright....nobody worry 'bout me....why you got to gimme a fight? Can't you just let it be. o/~" The ponies start giggling and chuckling. Twilight smirks and gives a light 'ha-ha' to Pinkie.

When they settle down, Rainbow tilts her head and says, "Hey Shy, that last fight we had, we could have used that sword of yours." Spike glances over and holds Fluttershy's scabbarded sword defensively.

Fluttershy pats Spike's shoulder and says, "Oh, uh, I don't think that would have been a good idea. For me. heh."

Rarity leans over, "Really, darling. While physical confrontation is not in my class, game or otherwise as it were, I am not against poking our enemies in the eye." She takes a stick and demonstrates in the air.

Applejack sits up. "Wait a sec, dumplin. You like animals, right?"

"I like squirrels."

Applejack nods, "Okay, sure. An' squirrels, they gots claws, right?"

"Oh yes, very delicate claws that can hold onto bark quite well, as well as grab food, dig holes in the dirt and bury acorns and nuts for the winter."

Applejack waits for Fluttershy to finish her squirrel review. "Uh huh. Doncha think they also use those same claws to fight with, say when some other critter has 'em cornered?"

"Oh yes, but in very dire situations." Applejack face-hooves. Rainbow pats Applejack's leg for comfort.

"Hate to break it to you, Shy," Rainbow says. "That last fight was about as dire as it gets."

"Oh ye...hmmm." Fluttershy looks down, deep in thought.

Applejack peeks past her hoof, then asks tentatively, "So, watcha thinkin?"

"....I like squirrels...." There is a collective sigh from the group.

Applejack lowers her hoof. "Aw see. Good talk there, Fluttershy." The yellow pegasus smiles and curls up, Spike settling into the warm place against her belly as she covers him with a wing. Applejack shakes her head.

Rainbow pats Applejack again before looking up at a nearby tree branch. She says quietly, "We are SO doomed." She hops up into the air and settles in on the branch. The rest of the ponies set up their bedrolls and try to get some sleep. Twilight watches them all, lastly settling on Fluttershy. She lies down and stares up at the night sky, wondering what the next day will bring. When she is ready to get some sleep she rolls over, and is face to face with Slicer.

Twilight yanks back a few inches, exclaiming, "What are you doing!?" Slicer grabs her head and pulls her back, mere inches from her.

"Stop that! And keep your voice down," she whispers back. The thestral picks up her head and looks around. The others haven't noticed. As Twilight does the same, Slicer pulls Twilight's head back down onto her pillow. Before the alicorn can complain a second time, Slicer says, "You reached out to me, I get it. Thankyou, no thanks. I want to finish this game as much as you do and get back to my unit in the Lunar Guard. That means having every hoof on deck and ready to act. Applejack has a point, all animals fight when cornered, but I'm not sure we want to wait around for that scenario to play out before her aversion gets us killed."

Twilight can't help but think it is her duty to protect Fluttershy's innocence. "With Spike teaching her about the ways of a nature knight, I'm sure she will find a way to contribute without undermining what makes Fluttershy, well, Fluttershy." She makes it a point to pull her head back just a bit. "Besides, it's not like she can practice being a knight, unless it's in swordplay, and she only uses it as a shield."

Slicer's eyes narrow, then take on a wistful look. "We could always find some more baddies and make her practice..."

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike all sit up and yell in unison, "NO!" Rainbow resumes snoring up in her tree and Fluttershy murmurs to herself, already asleep. The others look at her with embarrassment and then glare at Slicer. The thestral gets up and walks over to her spot next to the black panther, brushing off their glares.

"Fine, no baddies. What do I know. I've only had to fight for my life, all my life." She curls up against the large panther, who in turn purrs softly to her. For the briefest moment, the panther looks at the other ponies, winks, and lightly licks at Slicer's face. She chuckles softly with her eyes closed, batting away the panther.

Twilight and the other awake ponies stare at the two for a minute. Twilight mutters, "I need sleep," and lies back down, determined to get just that. The others nods, trying to shake that image of the panther's eerie intelligence out of their heads, settling in for a nice quiet night....

Author's Notes:

Probably not as action packed as I originally hoped, it does get them on their journey. Finally. Again, thankyou for your patience.