Rarity stretched out on her fainting couch and stared at her country marefriend. She lingered on the curve of the range backside as Applejack toweled herself off, the quick shower to fix her muddy hooves a very important thing to the unicorn. Mainly because she did love keeping a split between business and pleasure- or at least clean living within a space so nearly on the verge of collapse whenever an order came in.

And a rather uncouth part of her admitted in the silence that she just adored how Applejack's form looked while positively wet. This was a fantasy of hers. Bringing the mare into the spa and just letting Aloe and Lotus having their way with her. Possibly bring her rough and tumble beauty out of the headstrong mare. No real changes. Nothing major. Rarity had gotten that extremely harsh mindset out of her when she had tried to seduce Svengallop, that writer. She had failed so terribly, so completely, so easily when compared to the sheer wonder of what most stallions called AJ's 'birthing hips'. She sighed. The sight of Applejack's heavily muscled body, almost hard to the point of stone, her flank so wonderful that most of her average measuring tapes slightly too inadequate to comprehend the shape of that fine derriere. So-

"Rarity, are you even listening to me?"

Rarity blushed profusely and lightly coughed. "Sorry, please run that by me again. The lateness of the hour mixed with your rather impressive look right this moment sent my mind into a rather awkward fantasy."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and continued. "Well, as I was saying, I can totally handle myself. So whatever you got planned when I get all, y'know, whatever is coming in a few months, I'm perfectly fine. Apples are perfectly able to handle themselves. "

Rarity rolled her eyes. "AJ, stubbornness is endearing, but I thought we fixed this issue. See, I would take care of you and you'd be pampered and all that just because I feel bad for coming onto you in a time you were rather, well, indisposed."

Applejack facehoofed. "Yeah, but I didn't like being sent to the sidelines while you were out in dangerous situations while we were in Ironhoof. Just because of my condition. It's been two weeks. If I stayed on the sidelines for nine months, I'd go plum crazy waiting for something exciting to happen."

The white unicorn sighed. "Fine, though it really does put a damper in my plans. I mean I could totally be stalwart that you can't ever leave the house because the outside world is far too dangerous. And we could spend literal hours, days, and months debating the exact definition of our little agreement, but I have far better things to do and focus on than some relationship issue that is practically an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force."

Applejack blinked. "Are you sure you aren't pulling my leg none or something cause that was far too easy."

Rarity shook her head. "No, let's just say our little adventure was rather chilling for certain reasons. Though it gave me a myriad number of designs to play with in my head, it was more akin to a mess. Fun for a time, but dangerous in practice." Rarity levitated over a cup of tea and quickly drained the cup. "And I partially did hear some of what you said on the train, dear."

Applejack blushed. "That was a private moment."

"Of course, but it's not like you were all that quiet about your thoughts. And I sleep dreadfully on trains. And somepony talks in their sleep. Adorable at points, but harsh when it's all about me. 'Rarity, stop being this. Stop being that. Stop. Stop. Stop.' I got the message." Rarity was quiet for a time, her breaths ragged as she tried to stay composed. "It's fine. I mean, sure, I wasn't expecting you at all until Nightmare Night. And I have so many projects to do. So I'm just focusing on that. Not my 'fantasy that is choking you' or whatever you said. I mean that'd be ridiculous. That'd be just so silly." Rarity turned away, but as Applejack stared she could see the unicorn's mascara start to run, black leaking onto her white coat, leaving smudges and stains as she turned away.

"I didn't want to hurt you. I just think that sometimes relationships aren't like you read in books."

Rarity breathed. "I know that. But it felt nice. To be something else. Maybe my fantasy of being a stallion was rather too forward at points, but it's hard being so open when the sheer fact of my business is built upon intrigue and deception."

"Okay, Rare, it's clothes. Seriously, I get you are a drama queen, but you work in fashion, not a spy thing or whatever fancy thing you are thinking about."

Rarity groaned. "Point taken, but when you have a small, yet loyal fanbase and a few stores, Canterlot loves sending ponies to sabotage you. Hoity Toity's brand deals and his influence overall pull a lot of the media away from a launch by his competitors- and if you haven't noticed, I'm one of those. Rarity's je ne sais quioi, that undefinable intelligence and wit, that ability to make something out of nothing and make it great. That's what I have and they see that and they hate that. Most brands have multiple designers, which makes the original creator more a figurehead than a real pusher of the trends of fashion. I don't get that. I'm creator, designer, and figurehead all in one. It's exhausting. I'm always on. So maybe I got way too carried away in my little fantasy, but it's not like I had anything better to do. It's relaxing."

Applejack stared at her marefriend. "Relaxing? Going to the spa is relaxing. Having a picnic is relaxing. Reading a book is relaxing. Turning into a stallion and having sex, while interesting and probably a level of messed up that brings me some questions on things I ddn't want to think about isn't relaxing. If you don't remember, I'm pregnant now with our foal and it's not like I can take that back. It happened and now I have to worry about a whole lot more than just what your hoity toity ponies talk about fashion."

Rarity shrugged. "I guess that's true. Though Twilight's spell did give me ideas for stallions and I don't have to look for male models anymore to design my wares so there's something more than just the miracle of life to look forward to."

"Rare. . ."

Rarity awkwardly chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. Sometimes good ideas are so very elusive that even I get lost when a whole bunch come at once and our little princess accidentally let me have so many that it's kind of hard to focus on things that aren't one upping my competition."

Applejack groaned. "Glad you care about my pregnancy enough to really hear what I'm saying then. Or do I have to somehow get into your fashion world to even get you to understand what I'm trying to say."

Rarity's eyes lit up for a moment. "AJ, dearie, you know that's wonderful. I've never really got into maternity dresses before-"

Applejack's eye twitched as she got up and walked slowly towards her marefriend.

"What are you-"

Applejack slapped the unicorn across the face. The earth pony didn't use her whole strength, unsure of where exactly the hit would go, if it would actually connect or not, and if the unicorn would still be awake after the first hit. Applejack wasn't Fluttershy and her weird magical feats of strength, but years of sheer hard work and dedication towards apple bucking left the earth pony mare, as Twilight would say, near the top percentile of earth pony females in terms of muscle tone and strength. So she put just a little force into the smack and watched her marefriend sail back into her couch, the force tilting the furniture itself for a brief moment before it rocked back and crashed loudly on the floor.

Rarity blinked and wiped a drop of blood off of her face. "Honey, what was that for?"

Applejack leaned back and sat on her haunches, staring firmly at her marefriend. "I don't want to model for you. I don't want to be stuck in whatever frilly set up you have in your head if what we have here goes bad and my family finds out I've become in the family way cause that will happen, sooner or later. I have a life outside of you and while I love you, you can be the most obtuse mare I have ever seen. I don't care if your business was stressing you the buck out, you did what you did and whatever ideas you got thanks to Twily's stupid spell are less important than the kid we got now. So act like a perfectly okay pony and just let us have a moment together without all the stress of the last week or my family and you and whatever." Applejack huffed out, her breaths heavy and tired. "Actually, I don't care, my whole mind kind of went blank for a moment."

Rarity massaged her swelling cheek with a dainty touch. "Point made. Though you didn't have to hit me that hard."

Applejack looked up. "You should see when I get going then."

Rarity uncomfortably laughed. "I'd rather not. Though on another note, I'm having trouble with the girls' costumes. What with Dash and Shy's predicament and, ahem, our fun together, it caused a lot of my last few months of planning to really go out the window. Not to mention with a chance of their being two different costumes. I mean, hypothetically of course, if I wanted to be my stallion persona and enjoy myself around the town, I wouldn't want to wear a dress. Not because it's too effeminate, of course not. It's just that male fashion highlights far different curves than the fashion I'm used to. Less hips, more groin per se."

"Rare, I didn't need that image in my noggin, but it's there now."

The white unicorn shrugged. "Sorry, but I had to figure out what made a stallion a stallion. Well, besides the insatiable libido and rather impressive packages at points. And darling, I thought you already had gotten past that part of the relationship."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Fine, I can probably help you. And Rarity, that was a low blow. I guess. But there has to be rules."

Rarity uncomfortably grinned. "Wonderful. I was thinking we could have two costumes for Pinkie, and possibly switch my idea for Fluttershy and Dash into complementary patterns that hide the reality of their situation while making it rather blatant to those who know. Mainly because I rather like a challenge."

Applejack nodded as she continued to listen. "Up to you, but first rule. Stop doing your weird roleplay. It makes me really uncomfortable acting out something and not just being ourselves."

Rarity sat there for a moment, twiddling her hooves. "What about like a trade off. One day of that."

Applejack's voice grew stern. "It's final."

"Fine, but I need to see you in a dress. Or as a stallion. Can't figure out which is more alluring for ideas."

Applejack loudly sighed. "We can debate on that stuff later, now let's get you cleaned up before you bleed everywhere."

Sweetie, who had been listening to the entire conversation from upstairs once the talking had woken her, slipped uncomfortably to bed, things on her mind as she went. The sheer idea of Applejack and her sister, together, having a kid? It broke like seven rules that Cheerilee said in biology class. And anyway, she couldn't just hide that big secret. It's not everyday that one of your best friends had a chance of becoming a part of your family.

She lightly squeed at the thought of telling Applebloom. She hoped she would be able to sleep, thoughts dancing in her head.

Sour Sweet felt exhausted as she stumbled through the desert sands. She had counted her surviving troops and while she didn't know the exact number due to constant marching and losing a few to the last few reptiles that had followed them all the way out here, her troops didn't number more than a hundred. Maybe low seventies at best- which was a problem when she had begun the fight against Klugetown with thousands. She stared at the distance, Celestia's sun finally coming up, bringing them a sense of comfort in the rays that poured down from above, and hardship since the desert heat would soon be too hot for most ponies- even with the fact that a Southern pony was usually chosen via breeding stock, short haired ponies fared better there for reasons that were little more than coat deep. Sour Sweet grabbed her last bit of water and stared at it, the level far too low for her liking. It was all she had and going by Luna's star map and following up north then veering west should get them to the only remaining stronghold of ponies in fifty miles. Starsea.

"Sugarcoat, it's morning. You want a drink or not?"

The unicorn lazed her head over her captain's shoulder and groaned in pain. She breathed in and out, trying to speak, lips parched without water, skin cracked and bubbling from the acid. "Yes." She breathed out, quietly, without much of a hiss of recognition. Sour Sweet had heard of ponies in the desert heat going crazy. She had read the reports, ponies barely alive, stumbling around in a stupor.

"Okay, I'm going to hold the water bottle in my left wing, Remember left? When I say so, grab on to it with your magic and take a drink. It's open and just like guide it to your mouth." She tried to run through every military manual she remembered half skimming, barely cognizant of the importance of survival tactics against foes that ponies hadn't fought in centuries. If Lightning Zap had been the one leading the South, they wouldn't be here. Though she was a thestral so like 24 hour deployment would have made her so angry. But no, they chose the one who was the best at athletics, not strategy, not some special bat pony, her. "Okay, three, two, one."

Sugarcoat weakly cupped the bottle in her aura, the shimmering magic winking halfheartedly as her mind tried to deal with the pain. It took what felt like an eternity, but finally the flask tipped and aimed mostly in the unicorn's mouth, Most did that, but as the magic weakened, some drops ended up on her face and sunken eye sockets, the tepid water causing the unicorn to scream out in pain as receptors fired in response.

Sour Sweet winced and tried to blot out her friend lightly cursing her out. "Sorry."

Sugarcoat sighed, her voice hoarse and cracked with pain. "Fine, it's fine. Also I think I hear something."

The pegasus looked around. She squinted as she saw something glinting in the distance. "What in the actual name of Tartarus is that? And how did you know?"

Sugarcoat chuckled. "I can't see. But I can still hear. Plus what else do I have to focus on except pain and protecting the one pony carrying me for the last forty miles? I set up a perimeter spell tied to your mana. It wasn't difficult, but I'd rather not be ambushed without knowing about it first."

"That's- well, something." Sour Sweet sighed. Even when she was trying to be cool and save the day, her second in command was still saving her athletic ass.

She saw who had been following them. A lithe suit of armor, by itself, clanked along, somehow almost coasting above the sand dunes, each step a pirouette of grace and focused movement. She could hear the baritone humming of the feline and knew exactly who it was.

"How did he even follow us? I took the quickest route and even tried to cover my tracks." Sour Sweet cursed to the highest order as she watched the cat come closer.

"You didn't read the manual. Abyssinians are good at tracking. Good eyesight, night vision, and predatory senses mixed with a preternatural sense of luck makes them rather great assassins, traders, or thieves. Griffonstone once was destabilized by a small cadre of cats hundreds of-"

"Sugarcoat, not the time or place." Sour Sweet sighed and opened her rucksack. "Can you help me suit up? Now I'd rather take up a better position, but with Starsea a few miles away and the terrain looking like the best ambush point for the reptiles, I have my wing blades. You still know how to manifest some weapons cause I don't think we can get out of this without a fight."

"Sweet, he took out most of our troops."

"And?"

Sugarcoat groaned. "You aren't going to run?"

Sour Sweet grinned. "I will, but like what's the fun in doing that without seeing what these fucking magitech fuckers can do?"

"You're an idiot."

The pegasus grinned, feeling the wing blades slide gently on her wing tips, Sugarcoat's light touch and years of practice trumping her new blindness. "And who's tied to my back?"

"I'm going to regret this." Light blue blades appeared on each side of Sour Sweet. "Can't see, so it falls to you what I do with these. What method you want to use?"

"Like we did in the academy. Remember the training field exercise against the earth pony guards. Similar idea. He's mostly ground based and since you're blind, think of clock positioning and do what I tell you to do."

Sugarcoat laid on her old friend's back and laughed. "Like old times, then?"

"Yeah." The pegasus smiled as she felt the magical swords whirl around her. She quickly turned to her soldiers who looked to her for guidance and cleared her throat. "Sugar, would you do the honors?"

The unicorn would have rolled her eyes if she was still able. A brief hint of magic encased Sour Sweet.

The pegasus grinned. She tested out her newly amplified voice. "Troops, sorry to disappoint, but it seems like we have a certain feline following us. Sugarcoat and I would love to see what Starsea is like this time of year. Heard the prostitutes are fantastic. But alas, I have to keep you lot alive and kicking so somepony knows what stupid mess we have. So, let's see, five miles from here should be the peninsula of Luna Bay if I haven't got us lost. So run and don't look back." A mare raised her hoof. "No. I won't accept help." The small mare lowered her hoof. "Any other questions." Sour Sweet tapped a hoof. "Seeing none, I'll see you in Canterlot. Dismissed."

Sour Sweet stared out as she watched the straggling mass of her troops pick up their bags and with a quick salute, they all turned and began a quick job towards Starsea.

She turned back to the cat who was starting to crest the hill, his armor glinting in the sun. She was going to enjoy this.

Twilight stretched as the alicorn woke up surrounded by the remnants of last night. Desks stood in disarray, notes covered the floor in a haphazard mess and a mirror stood nearby, crooked, half shattered, and telling the alicorn all he had to know. Twilight had used the spell and didn't know why. Strwtching his wings, the knew height still a bit awkward to get used to, the alicorn felt brief flashes of the night. Memories of Pinkie, memories of the life he had come to know so well the last year flashing pinpricks of pain as the memory of Pinkie was now a sore spot. Twilight's head throbbed in protest as he straightened the room, feeling the last vestiges of a temporal spell fix itself back to the set point in time. Twilight rarely used the spell, learning firsthoof that continuous prodding at the time stream often bent things in unnatural ways. Even though his friends no longer could remember being in the Canterlot Archives and creating a stable time loop that one time- he did. Fixed points in time were easier than direct change. And so, he watched as hours of alicorn level rage unwound itself in reverse. The mirror fixed itself in stages, each hoof sized hit telling the alicorn what he had done, the desk built itself upwards, the mahogany boards reforming themselves.

Within a few minutes, everything was back to normal.

Everything except himself. Twilight. Sighing, he saw the last few bottles of cider he must have brought up from the cellar of the castle, and deciding today was worse than yesterday and that life was decidedly colder than before, the alicorn prince took a long swig of the alcoholic beverage and sighed. It took the pain away slightly, but it was still there, A Pinkie sized hole in his heart. And that wasn't getting fixed. He could break all laws of physics, and tell his past self to listen. To do something. He had already done something like that before years ago.

And yet, it was completely meaningless. It'd just make things worse or unstable. Time was fickle.

"Damn." Twilight sighed. He awkwardly stumbled into the next room, his new encumbrance swinging awkwardly between his legs. The purple alicorn sighed. He had wanted to celebrate with Pinkie. Set up a date, enjoy their time together- even use this form and do whatever the pink pony wanted.

Twilight shook his head and opened the front door to the castle. He didn't want to change back. Not yet. Yesterday was coming back fully in his mind and the feelings he felt in his gut made the decision for the alicorn. It didn't feel right. Twilight knew how simple it was- run the correct set of runes with the right intention and anything was technically possible- and he knew the spell best of all.

He let the doors open and was greeted by two rather flushed pegasi.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy looked up and down at the alicorn's new body.

"Yeah." Twilight's tired, clipped voice greeted the yellow pegasus. "What's up?"

Dash cut in, slightly expecting the odd occurrence to have completely thrown off Shy's train of thought. "Just a thing. So like if somepony was gonna flip genders and bone like how certain is it to get pregnant?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes. She may be slightly intoxicated from her being a 'lightweight' as Dash often called her and emotionally unstable thanks to last night. But she wasn't born yesterday. "Nope, I'm not helping you."

Dash pulled a yellow hoof around Twilight, the motion slightly awkward with the alicorn's larger height. "See, Shy and I had a fun night yesterday and we both agree that maybe we could try out what Rarity and AJ have and it's going to work out okay."

Shy blushed. "Well, those weren't the exact words-"

Twilight groaned. "Fine. Come on in, but know that I really think this is a terrible idea." Twilight briefly remembered the sex sessions with Pinkie where the pair of them got a little too creative with magic. Those days felt so long ago. "I mean what with your situation. Which I'm still trying to fix." Twilight sighed. "I mean we haven't really tried out mixing two separate spells of this magnitude yet. I mean it could bring out dormant characteristics or enhance certain attributes. Honestly, I should just have shut the door in your face with the day I've been having." Twilight turned to look at Dash, who was trying not to mess with multiple experiments as the trio passed by them. "But I know at least one of you can't leave well enough alone."

Dash rolled her eyes. "Come on, I don't mess up your experiments too much. Plus I bet if stuff does go wrong like it normally does, then just write to Celestia or something or make a paper or whatever you Eggheads do."

Twilight rolled his eyes, his voice raising in pitch as he became slightly exasperated with Dash. "I don't always write down everything I do. And I'm just saying that I don't want to be toying with spells when we still don't know all the kinks in them."

"It's not a problem. I was telling Dash that maybe this wouldn't work. I mean it's not like we have to start planning stuff out right now." Fluttershy awkwardly tapped her blue hooves together. Twilight still thought seeing Shy's mannerisms in the lens of Dash's body as a slight oddity, but he moved on.

"I-"

"Come on Shy, we still have Rarity to bug about this if the alicorn prince or whatever won't let us test out the spell."

"I would but like-"

Dash sighed. "Guess Twilight wants to keep the freaky spells between Pinkie and him." Dash was used to needling Twilight. The act of joking around and pushing the egghead's buttons while keeping abreast from actual harm was simple. Annoy the mare, mess with her experiments and bring up Pinkie as a slight joke since the two were practically inseparable.

"Dash, shut the fuck up before I kick at least one of you out." Twilight fumed. Her eye twitched as she carefully tried to think of ways to just maybe not have to deal with today. He tried to breath out and relax, but Dash pushed one too many buttons, the fun game that could have lasted for hours shortened to a few minutes thanks to circumstances outside of the pegasus' control.

Dash was taken aback. "Okay, that's new. Guess you and Pinkie had a bad time or something."

Twilight levitated over a bottle of cider and swigged it. "She's gone."

"Twilight, I don't think you should be drinking that. I mean you aren't the best with alcohol." Fluttershy tried to defuse the situation. "Don't want another Hearth's Warming incident."

Dash ran the words Twilight said in her head. "What does that even mean? Pinkie doesn't just up and leave places. She plans out things to a ridiculous extent. And anyway, she didn't give out gift boxes like she did that one time she went to Canterlot. So like what's really going on?"

Twilight tossed the bottle aside. "I told you. She's gone. We had a fight and she just left."

Dash rubbed her head as she looked at Twilight. "Twi, dude. it's Pinkie. Shit, like she's unable to leave without doing something. So she has to be still in Ponyville. Else she just left without saying goodbye to anypony but you."

Twilight stared at Dash and stomped his hoof. "I keep telling you. She didn't really say goodbye to me. She didn't really say anything to me after I called her crazy."

Fluttershy gasped. "You didn't."

Twilight sat down and stared at the floor. "I did. I mean I didn't mean to. It just. . .slipped out. I mean she'd been acting weird since we got back so I thought it was fine. And then she came yesterday ranting about how Moondancer was evil and she couldn't read her- which is categorically impossible. I tested like every possible eventuality with her Pinkie Sense and that's not a thing that exists. So like we got at it and-" Twilight grabbed another bottle of cider and downed it in a gulp. "And she left and I want to die. But I'm an alicorn. I can't do that. I have a job to do. Plus, I already tried once. And that didn't fucking work at all." Twilight tossed the bottle aside and heard the glass shatter.

Fluttershy carefully walked past the mess and placed a small hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "What was that?"

"Immortal. I'm immortal and I found out how permanent that is when I tried becoming a unicorn again. It didn't work and then I tried everything to get the feeling of uselessness to stop. I tried. I-" Twilight curled into a ball and started sobbing.

Dash stood there uncomfortably. "Shy. Why did you even talk to her?"

Shy rolled her magenta eyes. "I thought it would help."

"Yeah, having an alicorn turn into a pile of mush is a perfectly good idea and totally helps."

"Kindness usually is a good thing."

"It is. But you know what is also a good thing? Leaving when things get way too emotional. And Twilight runs on an emotional mess level of like a seven or eight on a good day."

Fluttershy facehoofed. "That doesn't mean we just leave Twilight here on the floor. That's not very loyal."

Dash narrowed her eyes. "Low blow, but noted." Dash looked at Twilight and cringed at the next thought she had. "Shy, you might not like this idea, but we need a way for this alicorn prince to chill."

"Don't say the bar. I don't even want to go back there after what you did to that wall."

Dash shrugged. "That was your idea, remember? And I wasn't going to say the bar. I mean he's already drank who knows how much cider. It'd be reckless to leave him near more alcohol. He'd probably burn down the town or turn evil or something. It's Twilight. His worst enemy is the pony sobbing on the floor right now. I was thinking somewhere far more relaxing- and I only mention bringing him somewhere nice cause I don't do well with sad drunks. Fun drunks, yeah. Sad ones just bum me out."

Diamond Tiara grimaced as she hit the ground. Her leg ached in agony as she tried to walk slowly and carefully through the dried, dead grass of the October morning. She didn't look back,fearing the worst as she could feel her mind conjure up ideas of her mother entering the room and becoming even more unhinged than whatever was happening to her. She carefully walked up the hill, her three legged gait awkward and uncomfortable, her broken leg covered in black splotches that worried her slightly. She didn't want to stop as she feared stopping would make it impossible to walk again- she had been up for hours tying a rope together with all of her discarded old clothes and her jaw hurt with how much effort that took.

She quietly walked into town, hoping nopony would hear her.

"Hey, DT, you getting practice with your Nightmare Night costume?"

Diamond looked around and saw Twist walking up, a smile on her face. "Yeah, it's really hard walking with this. Needed some air to see how it worked." Diamond felt beads of sweat come from her as she waited for something to happen. A scream from her house, an angry mother, anything really.

"Cool, I'm going as a piece of candy. What with my cutie mark, it's a great idea."

Diamond weakly picked up her hoof and nodded. "That's fantastic." She wanted to run away from Twist.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. My aunt's gonna help me with it. Though I guess you'll probably win the contest. I mean how'd you even get your leg to bend like that? It looks so real, which it totally can't be cause that'd be ridiculous. I mean I could almost touch-"

"Do not touch it!" Silence reigned for a moment. "I mean. . .thanks. But, my dad got the costume for me from. . .Canterlot, yeah. And it's expensive and fragile so I. . .appreciate the compliment, but I got to be going now."

Twist nodded and sighed. "I guess. Though I was gonna ask you if I could hang out. I mean I got my cutie mark and you have one and Silver has one and we can have a fun picnic and talk about friend stuff. Whatever really. I mean, it might be nice. And I could bring the sweets. Auntie Bon Bon has been teaching me some stuff."

Diamond nodded. "Maybe when Nightmare Night blows over. Cause my mom's really gotten into the spirit of the season and all." Diamond walked slowly, her leg in pain. She looked back a moment to see Twist sadly looking back at her for a moment. Sighing the earth pony filly turned back, careful to not favor her bad leg. "Hey, Twist. How about in a few days? I bet Silver would love it."

Twist brightened up. "Okay, that gives me time to make a lot of sweets. What do you like?"

Diamond shrugged, slightly unsure why she was even giving the time of day to this classmate of hers. Maybe it was just the sheer inanity of it- talking normally to a pony after the week she had. "I like pies. I don't really have a favorite."

Twist faltered for a moment. "That's really vague."

"Sorry, it's all I have. My family doesn't really spend time cooking."

Twist nodded. "Well I'll figure something out. Maybe I'll ask the Cakes for some advice."

Diamond slightly smiled as she trudged to the last place her mother would ever look for her. The mare knew how much Applebloom and Diamond disliked each other, the fillies acting like oil and water whenever they met. But it was her last choice. Her mom would look for her in common places- Silver's, Twists, Rumble's even. She needed a place to hide and see what was wrong with her leg cause each moment spread the black pain up and down the leg.

She grimaced as she saw the Apple Farm a few miles away.

"Three for the best spa treatment. Whatever that is." Dash tapped a hoof on the counter of the Ponyville Spa as she watched Twilight stay in an unfocused state, barely staring at anything but the floor. Fluttershy stood next to the magically turned stallion doing what she did best. She had a hoof around the stallion and carefully whispered in the purple alicorn's ear. Dash didn't know what she was saying, or if it was really working. She just knew trying to get the stupid dolt to the spa without going near Sugarcube Corner had been a hassle that had been only manageable thanks to Shy's weird freak strength that her body had. That Dash now borrowed thanks to the spell that had trapped them here. Thanks to Twilight who started blubbering like a foal whenever Pinkie was mentioned.

Aloe walked on out from the back of the spa and her face lit up with a smile. "Ah, how is my favorite customer? I'm surprised that Madame Rarity is not with you. . .three?" Aloe stopped as she saw Twilight. "So the rumors are true? I mean we had heard about the spell and-"

Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Now let's focus, Aloe, even though I do have to agree that Twilight is a perfect specimen of nature-" Dash groaned at attempting to sound anything like Shy. "Our friend here is going through some. . .issues in their relationship. So I thought we could bring him here and get his mind off of it." She whispered into the unicorn's ear. "And that means no mention of Pinkie."

"That is a very odd request, but I think me and my sister might manage. If you know any way to get Twilight to talk about how all her or his new changes came about." Aloe winked.

"It was magic. Powerful alicorn magic. Magic you can't have." Dash groaned. "But whatever. Ask Rarity for a weaker version if you have to. It's not the time or place to get Twilight any more frazzled than he is right now."

"Fine. But only cause I like you. Now do you want your special or not?"

Dash pushed the mare away quickly. "No, no, no, no." The memory of what Fluttershy's special still was clear in her mind. "That's definitely not a thing I need now. I mean I found a special somepony and that need is perfectly being met."

Aloe nodded. "You deserve that. Hopefully he has a big cock to match your big self."

Dash furiously blushed, cursing the foreign mares. "You could say that. They are rather full of themselves."

Aloe coyly smiled. "Most stallions are."

Twilight fidgeted as he tried to relax. He carefully lifted the cucumber slices over his eyes and stared at the pair of pegasi. "This is nice and all, better than what I was doing, but I could be trying to cure you or something. Just something. Not sitting here getting my nails filed and sitting in a spa or whatever royal treatment those mares were whispering about."

Dash rolled her eyes. "Twilight, take a break. Wasn't it you who said a certain alicorn had been having a bad few weeks? It's like when my team gets me to go for drinks to loosen me up. I mean I don't want to be there all the time, but they are paying so it's not too bad."

Shy groaned. "You definitely need better friends. Dash, a few months ago, you took out one of my chicken coops when you ran into it."

Dash shrugged. "I apologized for that. And you probably didn't mind me sleeping in your bed."

Fluttershy blushed crimson. "Still. I had to spend an unforeseen amount of bits to fix that. Plus, it was you who kind of made us barge into Twilight's castle just because you 'wanted to compare sizes' and that 'your work buddies would freak out.'

Dash waved a hoof. "Okay, I can see your point, but I'm not on trial here. Twilight is. And who is currently been sobbing about not wanting to change back or whatever the prince here was babbling about?" Dash pointed a hoof at Twilight.

Twilight frowned. "Thanks, that got my mind off Pinkie." He slumped and bit into the cucumber and tossed the other one aside, his eyes red and bloodshot. "It's not like I lost the only pony who got me." Twilight leaned back. "Sorry."

Fluttershy and Dash looked at one another, and Dash deferred her advice when she stared at the other pegasus. Fluttershy stared at Twilight and tried Staring at her. It didn't work, but Twilight paid attention to her anyway. "Twilight. You are surrounded by ponies that care about you and, while I can't say why exactly Pinkie left and what she was planning, I bet she'll come back at some point. And relationships are difficult. Look at me. I have to deal with that every day."

Dash rolled her eyes. "You don't seem to mind at all."

Fluttershy shushed her, knowing that she was primarily using her own relationship as a way to get Twilight to focus. But, she had to admit that for every flaw that Dash had, she wouldn't have her any other way. "Yes, well, you are a very special case that tends to annoy others besides me. But back to the point, she's going to come back. Maybe she left in a bad mood, maybe you both said things you regret, but she's going to come back."

Twilight stared down and buried his face in his hooves. "Yeah."

Fluttershy noticed Dash mouthing words to her. She tried to read the lips of her marefriend the best she could.'So you are saying that she is coming back right? Cause I can't handle a sad Twilight. Mad Twilight, yeah. Not moody.

Fluttershy could only shrug, unsure of what the future would bring.

Pinkie twitched herself awake, the feeling of Twilight's absolutely horrible mood finally getting to her Sense, shaking her awake and causing parts of her to ache. She felt sick as she rolled out of bed, her first home's wooden beams standing proud above her as she tried to get her bearings. She glanced over to the still vaguely damp pack of necessities she had brought from Ponyville- emergency supplies. She ran through the list of things that she stuffed in there. Limited party supplies, fire kit, food, a makeshift robe made out of a white sheet.

Things her father would most likely want her to bring for training. If he even let her train.

Pinkie heard hoofsteps from outside her door, great angry ones. She felt a twinge of familiarity as she realized who was probably on the other side of the door.

Limestone barged in, her anger faltering as she saw Pinkie just sitting there, unsaid thoughts swirling in both of their heads.

"Hey."

"Pinkie."

Both breathed out and sighed.

"You just had to wake up the moment I got calm, didn't you? You fall out of the sky, pretty much, and just expect me to not react badly? You know what happened after you left? Nothing. Dad just up and cut you out of the conversation. I could feel you out in that fucking piece of shit town you were doing stupid shit, yukking it up with every pony ever. Maud got into university- getting her rocktorate. And Marble became mute after you left. You broke us, Pinkie, and you expect things to go well?"

Pinkie stretched. "Not really, I. . .hoped it would, but I was guessing something would happen."

"Then why did you, cause Dad's sitting downstairs, quietly staring at his rock soup, just being his normal self, righteous anger and full on rage boiling below the surface while we just sit there. So tell me why in the name of Tartarus did you come back cause once a Pie leaves, you aren't supposed to come back."

"I felt a Sundering happen." Pinkie let her hooves dangle, the motion slightly calming her as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Pie Promise."

Limestone shivered. "That's impossible."

Pinkie stretched, recalling Granny trying to explain a Sundering in ways that made Pinkie tremble. Stories passed down from mother to mother of so many evildoers trying to push the boundaries of magic. Sunderings were the death of magic, of possibility, and of real joy. Pinkie wondered what was truly real in those stories or if, as Twilight sometimes said, that the retellings and garbled thoughts of past tellers had made the stories split into a different myth.

"It felt like thousands of ponies screaming in freefall and never hitting the ground, the shock of feeling so much magic in one place explode in fury knocked the wind out of me and almost killed most of my friends." Pinkie stared at her sister. "I may be a well known joke teller, but I am being completely serious."

Limestone sighed. and turned away. "You got that Marble? Maud? She felt a Sundering. Guess we have to take her back or something."

Maud and Marble peeked their heads out and nodded.

"Good." Limestone stretched. "Celestia damned stress is killing me. And Pinkie, you check out. I mean we felt whatever you did, so while I love the theatrics and your hair finally looking like normal again, Daddy already knows how bad you fucked up. What was the first rule of being a Sage? Inaction. Complete inaction- each singular motion you do outside of that causes probably shuffles throughout everything. Chaos through action, really." Limestone stretched. "But you knew that already. Honestly, I am surprised that you didn't just jump off a cliff when you were chosen as one of the Sages. I would have. Then I'd have climbed up that hill and like burned down the farmhouse in sheer anger." Limestone smiled at the thought, her lips pursed and tight as she waited to see what exactly her sister would do.

Pinkie cocked her head. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?" Confusion went across her face in a quick motion, her thoughts running through her mind as she looked at her sisters.

The tension broke as Limestone giggled, waving a hoof. "I can't. I mean seriously, your face is. . .priceless. Maud. Marble, somepony, I can't take seriously a pony who thought I would do something like that, I'd be honestly brain dead if I did." Limestone breathed out, wiping a tear from her eye. "I mean come on, I haven't seen a sister of mine in a decade and the first thing you think I'd do is like beat you to death or something ludicrous like that. . .is that really all you think of me?"

Pinkie pinched herself, just making sure she was still awake. "Uh, maybe? Though all the memories I have of you are terrible. I mean you made me try and find the biggest diamond in the farm and bring it back as a dare."

Limestone giggled. "And?"

Pinkie facehoofed. "I got attacked by rock trolls in search of said diamonds."

Limestone smiled. "Good times. Anyway, dinner's ready. I'd say that we've had a very fun and exciting day, but you know how the farm is. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. But at least you never go hungry. I hope you like the taste of rock soup cause unlike your prissy town life, that's all we got, except maybe the few crickets or worms, though I don't think you'd like the taste. Bit crunchy and slimy at times. Oh and I'm totally going to punch you for all the stupid stuff you did, but that's for later. Where's the fun in having you get punched straightaway? I mean I see the point, get it done and over with, but the creeping and horrible fear of me actually fighting you will just eat you up." Limestone stretched and smiled at her sister, carefully patting her on the shoulder with just enough force to not break bones, but to get the message across. "Maud, Marble. Let's go. Can't have Daddy waiting."

Pinkie sighed. She didn't laugh at Limestone's jokes. Actually, thinking back on her fillyhood, the mare was so deadpan and angry that Pinkie's own memories never had the mare smiling. Scowling and leering at her, yes. Actually, smiling, no. She sighed. She worried that she was out of her league. Oddly enough, she was closest to these ponies in a sense- blood being thicker than water, as her father often said in hushed and somber tones, but she felt like an outsider looking in. Time had dulled her already dull memories of her past, just being here. But she needed to be here.

That's what she thought anyway. She felt Twilight's anguish yet again in a twinge of her senses and she groaned in protest. Being so far away from the objects of her twitches didn't mean they didn't happen. It just hurt that she could do nothing about it. Breathing heavily, she took first of many steps down to the first floor of her family's very humble abode. The well worn wood whispering all of its own history as she traced her hooves over the railing. Generations of ponies in one house, uncountable lives in one area spreading out like a cobweb of intention and yet she was trapped in it. If she wanted answers, she needed to come back.

Even if her Senses told her all the pain she caused Twilight, the aches, the hurt, the change in mood, even the change in gender- all were there in the back of her mind. It weighed heavy on her heart as she heard the gruff tones of her father from below. Marble's head popped out and looked up, eyebrow raised in a slight wonder as to what her sister was doing. Mom always said that Pinkie talked enough for the both of them, and yet here she was barely able to speak. She nodded to her twin and put her own smile back on, tight and forced, but still better than showing how unsure she was.

Capper danced around the spinning magical blades of his rather impressively focused foes, the two of them giving him a run for his meager stipend of bits that he had be so ever accustomed to. Humming gently, he swiped under the pegasus mare and ducked under the swirling blades trying ever so desperately to get him. Noble effort, but if he was actually fighting, he would have found so many ways to deal with the pair that it was just unsporting- the unicorn was rather good at following directions, but there was a delay between action and reaction, split seconds a more dangerous foe would use to spear her through the head and deal with that threat. Though a blind, howling mare was barely one. The pegasus was another story- tired determined, and packed to the wingtips with wing blades that were rather close to getting him a few times when he misjudged his natural luck and dexterity. One slip up and she'd get him, though after two hours of this rather impressive dance, he tired of this display of stubbornness.

And besides, he had barely touched them. A few light cuts were all they sported. Stretching. Capper held up his paws and bowed to the pair, he felt the swords falter for a moment as the pegasus probably tried to get what was truly happening. Capper tried again, bowing further, adding in the barest hint of contempt at doing something a second time. He was just following his nature- Cats disliked being misunderstood. Groveling was far more a Diamond Dog thing.

Capper rolled his eyes and tried to bring on his most charming smile. "Ladies, ladies, while I think I would love to see who can touch my sorry fur and mar it's perfection, I'd much rather lay aside our differences and talk, cat and ponies, creature to creature."

The pegasus growled at him. How rather nice. "You think I want to even talk to something like you. If you haven't counted, I lost thousands of my troops and the one town I was supposed to hold. And your friend burned my friend's eyes out."

Capper groaned. Ziggy was not one for tact. "Take that up with the reptilian army. If I remember from my perfunctory knowledge of this little slice of heaven most would call the complete middle of nowhere on a good day, you lot invaded first. So let's just focus on the real important bits. Things that really involve me."

The pegasus fumed, but he could see that his words were getting through to the real power behind the figurehead. The blind unicorn's face lit up with dim interest. He would have stood there all day, in the rather nice sun, basking in the heat as that unicorn wheeled through questions in her mind. Finally, what felt like an eternity of the angry little one glaring up at him broke as the unicorn spoke, in halted, pained tones.

"Who are you and why's a cat in the middle of Equestria?"

Capper smiled and bowed. "Funny story that. . .with current events in Abyssinia, I could be a King. So honestly, I wonder that sometimes myself."

"That's impossible, the King and Queen are-"

Capper stretched. "-both dead. And my poor mother, Catrina Dapperpaws is the last cat there on the list of relatives. It's a real mess trying to sort through seven lines of descent with how much the royal family likes keeping it in the family. But coming here? That's a short story-"

Lightning Dust stretched and stared down from her Manehattan apartment. Her leg ached from where it had mostly healed, the ache telling her that the last week existed. She had woken up locked in a Canterlot hospital room with the last moments she remembered a mix of talking to the newest little princess and falling out of bed. That purple bitch had some fire in her. She laid back and drank a bit of whiskey as she read the letters from her mother.

Juniper Wing was a fantastic mother, if being a fly on a wall was what you wanted. She just never left her and Zephyr Breeze alone. Messages about her day and the smallest problem in her life clogged the ,mail system. Usually she just ignored it or let Zephyr reply in his weird rhyming poet thing he never grew out of. At least he was in a job now, even if living with him and acting as his adult coach was weird.

She toasted the skyline. "Here's to you, you piece of shit city. At least you aren't as bad as Canterlot. Got some fight in you instead of those pussies." She drank the whiskey down and got up, a light, almost unnoticeable limp as she walked to her bedroom.

She heard a light snoring come from her guest room and stared at her little brother. She didn't turn on the light and grimaced as she smelled the tinge of sweat that Zephyr had in his room. She sighed. Even after a month, it felt like the stallion just didn't get what cleaning was, preferring to just toss old clothes everywhere.

At least he wasn't home being coddled by mother. She was terrible.

"Good night, bro. Have a good time being an idiot. Just know, it was you who thought getting out of the house and joining the guards as a great idea. I mean I wonder why you chose this, but it's Manehattan, nothing happens besides some fucking drunks fighting and dragons running around stealing shit. It's easier than the borders. So dream like whatever messed up shit you do and get up early cause you're gonna need it."

She shut the door and headed off to bed, her leg hurting slightly. Her mom would say it was because of rain. She didn't know if it was true. She was just pissed that yellow bitch broke her damn leg. She only laughed, wondering where the pegasus was.

"It doesn't matter anyway. That was probably my last chance being in the Wonderbolts." Lightning Dust stared at the fading lights of Manehattan.

Unseen to her, and to anypony else, the army of Changelings and Gyphons were only a few hours away- the Storm King wanted to bring a message to the door of Celestia's kingdom, and hitting the biggest town would be truly a message. Not just a test, like Ironhoof, a real message.