As Shining Armor, Spearhead, and the rest of the Solar and Luna Guards did what they could to protect Ponyville form the Tantabus invasion, things at Sweet Apple Acres had not changed in the least. It had remained as calm and as quiet as ever since Goku had left with her siblings and the Apple Family Reunion had ended and they had all left. Hardly a single sound could be heard from inside the barn and the house on Sweet Apple Acres, other than the sound of the wind blowing softly from outside.

Some distance away from the house and the barn, Granny Smith could be seen roaming through the apple trees on the east side of the orchard, the Moon shining down on her and casting a beautiful glow to her already glowing physically young form. Her white stocked hooves made soft contact with the grass beneath her, making it momentarily give way under the pressure before springing back up in one of her hooves lifted off of the ground, as if they weren’t even stepped on to begin with. The cool air blew into her, making her collar, mane, tail, and Stetson blow in rhythm with it, along with her bangs, obscuring her sunset orange eyes somewhat, which never broke away from what was ahead of her. She let out a sigh as she lifted a hoof to brush one of her faded, yet smooth yellow bangs out of her face. The Earth Pony took a moment to let her hoof run through the silky softness before releasing it and letting her hoof fall back down to the ground.

As the mint green mare slowly trudged through the orchard of apple trees, she let her mind wander to the events of what happened earlier today, and the reason why she was out here now.

“Alright so...lemme see if Ah got all o’ this ‘ere straight.” Granny Smith said slowly as she put a hoof to her forehead. “Y'all ‘re tellin’ me that a millennia year old villain that Queen Celestia defeated some hundreds o’ years ago came back and invaded the Town Hall, attacked the Queen, and nearly killed everypony inside. Then, y’all meet up in that young filly Twilight’s library t’ talk ‘bout how those whole things gonna be dealt with an’ why Nightmare Moon is ‘ere, an’ now she’s sendin’ y’all t’ the Everfree Forest t’ get these ‘ere Elements, o’ Harmony things, so y’all can defeat Nightmare Moon yourselves, and restore day once more?”

“Eeyup...that pretty much sums it up Granny.” Applejack said with a shrug. “Ah know that it may seem like a lot but...that’s what’s happenin.”

The mint green mare slowly nodded slowly closing her eyes as she lowered her head, her expression completely unreadable as she slowly swayed in her rocking chair, her sun yellow shadowing her eyes. Some of the other Apple family members had similar expressions, while others gave their sister and her friends looks of skepticism, obviously having a hard time believing what the tangerine mare was saying. That wasn’t to say that they were thinking that she was lying, because they knew she wasn’t, just that they had some trouble taking her words in and trying to understand them.

“Um, Applejack, sugar bun…” Honey Blossom said slowly and tentatively as she raised a hoof and ran it through her braided mane. “Not that Ah’m makin’ a liar outta ya ‘r anythin’ but...Ah’m kind o’ findin’ all o’ that hard t’ believe.”

“Yeah,” Jubilee nodded, a small frown forming on her face. “Ah mean come on AJ...a pony that’s supposed t’ be nothin’ more than a livin’ legend suddenly appears in Ponyville, takes the Queen down, and claim that they’re gonna shroud off o’ Equestria in Eternal Night? Real tough pill t’ swallow there, little sis.”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh and Scarlet said in unison.

“Heh heh heh...yeah, Ah know. That is a lot t’ take in at once.” Applejack said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head, a pink tint making its way to her cheeks. “T’ be honest, Ah’m still tryin’ t’ take it all in mahself, especially with all that’s happened lately…”

“It’s okay Applejack, I completely understand how you’re feeling.” Fluttershy said comfortingly, wrapping a foreleg around the farmer and pulling her close. “There’s no reason for you to feel embarrassed about how you’re feeling about all of this. If you want my honest opinion, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole situation too. With Nightmare Moon returning, the Queen sending us to get the Elements of Harmony from the Everfree, and the Queen herself going to prepare her guards for battle...I never really had time to really take it in. Still, that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to accept it, so I decided to just go along with it, and think about it later.” A gentle smile came to her face as she looked into Applejack’s eyes. “So how about you do the same? That way, you won’t be so bothered by trying to figure all of this out, and you’ll have plenty of time to do so later on!”

“Ya know what? That actually sounds like a real good idea.” Applejack replied, giving the buttermilk Pegasus a small smile. “Thanks fer that sugarcube. Ah guess with all that’s happened...mah minds been flyin’ all over th’ place. Ah suppose Ah do need to jus’ go with th’ flow with all o’ this. Like how Ah’ve always done ‘ere on th’ farm.”

“Heeheehee, that’s the spirit AJ!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced over to the farmer. “Just like Fluttershy said, sometimes you just have to go with the flow and accept what’s happening around you, even if you don’t really understand it or can’t explain it with words! That’s why I’m so accepting of things like this, because I don’t think about them at all!”

“With you Pinks, I’d definitely believe that.” Rainbow Dash smirked as she glanced over at the bubblegum pink Earth Pony.

“Of course you don’t dear…” Rarity said with a roll of her eyes, before she turned to face the Apple Matriarch. “Pinkie’s antics aside, this is the reason why we are all hear Mrs. Smith. To explain to you why we’re heading off into the Everfree Forest under the precise order of our Queen. That and, Applejack couldn’t handle not letting you know or any of her family know where she’s going. She didn’t want to worry any of you anymore than you already were, so she thought that by doing this, she’d ease your fears somewhat.”

“Did she now? Well, t’ be fair, Ah wasn’t really all that worried ‘bout her. Ah figured that she was with her friends, that she’d be fine, since they’d be there t’ keep her safe. ‘Specially that darlin’ Pegasus filly over there.” Granny Smith replied, glancing over at the cyan mare, who promptly blushed and looked away. “Still, Ah appreciate ya comin’ here an’ wantin’ t’ let all o’ us know that you were still alright Applejack...you’ve certainly put mah fears t’ rest fer th’ time bein’.”

“Uh, thanks Granny…” Applejack mumbled, pulling her hat over her eyes as her blush grew slightly deeper.

“Yer welcome sugarfoot.” The mind green mare replied with a gentle smile. It soon faded as she faced Goku, who was sitting right in the center of the circle. “So Ah’m assumin’ that y’all ‘r gonna be headin’ into the Everfree then?”

“Yes.” Goku replied, speaking up for the first time since the talk had started. “We had originally planned to head in there as soon as we had gotten everything settled and figured out how we were gonna get there, but Applejack wanted to grab a few things before we left.” The tan Thestral turned to look at the farmer who was looking down at the floor. “Speaking of which, Applejack, what was it that you wanted to get? I hate to rush you but, we’re running a bit slow on time, and as its already been shown, it’s not really on our side right now.”

“Huh? Oh, r-r-right! Thanks fer the reminder G, Ah guess Ah got sidetracked there…” Applejack stammered, giving a little shake of her head as she got to her hooves. “Granny, do you ‘re anywhere else know where mah boots are? Ah was plannin’ to bring ‘em along with me, along with mah rope.”

“They’re in th’ closet where we keep our other boots and coats fer whenever it rains.” Granny replied, before giving her granddaughter a perplexed expression. “If ya don’t mind me askin’, why do ya need ‘em? It’s not like there’s any rain clouds comin’ anywhere near th’ town an’ all-”

“No, Granny. Not those kind o’ boots.” Applejack interrupted as she lifted a hoof. She slowly set it down, before staring at her grandmother right in her eyes. “Those, boots.”

The Apple Matriarch paused, taking a moment to take in her granddaughters’ words, before recognition clicked in her eyes a split second later. She and Applejack stared at each other for a moment sharing a private conversation with each other while Goku and everypony else watched silently, waiting for the mint green mare’s response. After another moment, Applejack gave a light nod, and Granny Smith leaned her head back, closing her eyes for a moment, before reopening them, and turning to her other grandchildren.

“Anna Blaze.” She began, making her eldest granddaughter turn to her in attention. “Ah want ya t’ take Applejack down t’ th; cellar an’ get her those special boots that we keep down there fer special occasions. You remember where they are right?”

“Mhm.” Anna Blaze murmured softly with a firm nod.

“Alright then.” Granny Smith nodded, before turning back to Applejack. “You go on ahead with Anna Blaze Applejack. She’ll show ya where the boots are.”

“Right, thanks a bunch Granny!” Applejack replied with a grateful smile, before turning to her eldest sister. “Come on Anna, let’s get those bad boys outta the cellar! Ah have a feelin’ that Ah’m gonna be usin’ ‘em a lot today!”

“Mhm!” The scarlet red mare said with a smile, before she and the smaller tangerine Earth mare galloped off out of the living room and towards the door.

As the two mares made their way towards the barn outside, Goku let out a long sigh as she ran a hoof through her extended mane, before brushing it out of her face. She stared down at the floor for a few moments before glancing over to her left to where Twilight was sitting, only to pause at what she saw. The lavender Unicorn was laying down on the rug, her head lowered to the point where her head shadowed her eyes and her tail wrapped around her body. Goku, sensing that something was wrong with her friend, got up from the floor and walked over to the librarian.

“Hey...hey, Twilight? What’s the matter?” The tan Thestral asked softly, putting a tri-colored hoof onto Twilight’s shoulder and gently shaking it. “You’ve been pretty quiet since we got here...is something wrong?”

“Huh?! Oh, sorry!” Twilight replied as she gave a slight jump from Goku’s contact. “I, I didn’t mean to space out like that...I’m just...I’m just thinking as all.”

“Thinking? About wha-” Goku asked, only to stop short as a look or recognition clicked in her eyes a second later. “Oh wait...I think I know...you’re thinking about the fact that Queen Celestia has a younger sister, aren’t you?”

Twilight sighed softly, running a hoof through her sapphire blue mane. “Yeah, I am...I didn’t really think about it much at first, since we were trying to figure out how we were gonna get to the Elements of Harmony while we were in the Everfree Forest. But ever since we left the library and came here...it’s been the only thing that I’ve been able to really think about. Queen Celestia Daybringer Solaris, the most powerful pony in Equestria, the immortal ruler of all the land, and the Goddess of the Sun, having a sister? I don’t see how that is even remotely possible!” The lavender Unicorn suddenly sat up, her sapphire eyebrows furrowing as an indignant expression came to her face. “For as long as I’ve known Queen Celestia, I have not once discovered any evidence, be it on a whim, by accident, or just by dumb luck, stating that she has any other family member, besides my old foalsitter Cadence! No books, no notes, no history, not even anything symbolic stating that there was another Queen that used to rule alongside her, let along the fact that she was her sister! The only thing I had to go by was that story of ‘The Mare on the Moon’, but up until what happened at the Town Square, I didn’t really believe it was actually true!”

She sighed in irritation, bringing both of her forehooves to her temples as she rubbed them in an effort to soothe the headache that was coming in. “I just…I just can’t wrap my head around it. How can the Queen actually have a sister, who’s not only a ruler and an Alicorn, but a goddess just like her? How just...how?”

“I hear ya there Twi…” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’ll admit, I had a pretty hard time believing all of that stuff that the Queen was telling me and the rest of you guys. About her having a sister and all...but, I wasn’t really gonna focus on it too much, so I decided to just roll with it. I don’t really bother with all of that egghead stuff anyway, that’s more your thing.”

“Of course it would be for that reason.” Rarity snorted. “Typical…”

“I can see why you’re thinking that Twilight.” Goku said softly, walking over and sitting next to the lavender Unicorn, and draping a giant wing around her back. “I mean, besides me, you’re the one whose known Queen Celestia for the longest time. You practically know everything about her, how she looks, how she speaks, how she teaches...hay, even how she makes her own tea whenever she has a little get together with our families! I’d figure after all that time you’d know all there is about the Queen, so the fact that you can’t grasp the fact that she has a sibling who is like her in every way is of no surprise to me.” She chuckled. “If I’m being entirely honest, even I had just the little bit of trouble trying to grasp the concept or trying to believe it myself, unlike you and most of the others.”

“Just a little or a lot?” Twilight deadpanned, glancing over at the tan Pegasus.

“Just a little.” Goku chirped, giving the lavender Unicorn a sweet fanged smile, the latter giving a roll of her eyes. “Even so, this is the Queen that we’re talking about, the raiser and goddess of the sun, the immortal ruler of Equestria as you so kindly stated, that’s telling is all of this. If it was any other pony telling us this, I’d be having some serious doubts, but since it’s the Queen telling us...I’m willing to believe it. She’s never ever lied to us before, so what reason would she have to do so now? Especially since a villain that was thought to have been a mere myth suddenly appeared out of nowhere?”

At these words, Twilight paused, her expression morphing into one of thoughtfulness as she took a moment to mull over what the sexy Thestral had just said. On one hoof, she still couldn’t quite grasp the concept that Queen Celestia, her mentor and mother-figure, the one pony she knew as a filly, better than anypony, actually had somepony related to her, and a sister no less. Even after everything the Queen had told her and the rest of her friends, from her relationship with Luna, to their history, to how she had lost her, her mind was still unable to make sense of it all, and the more she thought about it, the harder she found it to believe.

One the other hoof however, Goku did make a big point on something, and that something was the fact that Celestia had never ever lied to her in her entire life about anything. She was entirely truthful about everything no matter how trivial, serious, or embarrassing it was, and while she didn’t leave anything out, she did try to lay it down gently, as to not come off as not caring about how anypony, let alone her own protege, was feeling. That was one of the many things that Twilight admired about her mentor, besides her kindness and generosity, and it was the fact that she was entirely honest with her about anything they talked about or shared. Thanks to that, she couldn’t help but agree with Goku about Celestia being truthful about her having a sister, and having no reason to lie, especially after what happened at the Town Square. So what reason did she have to doubt her mentor, especially since the infamous ‘Mare on the Moon’ turned out to be real?

“You’re right Goku...you actually make a very excellent point there. Queen Celestia’s never lied to us, let alone me, about anything. Even when she told us all of that stuff at the library I know that she wasn’t lying! I could precisely tell!” Twilight exclaimed as she threw her hooves in the air. “I’m just...really shocked, you know. The Queen’s told me a lot of unbelievable things, and out of all the thing I expected her to tell me, what she told us back at the library was the last thing on that list.”

“Yeah, the same with us.” Goku chuckled as she rubbed her feathered bat wing up and down Twilight’s back comfortingly. “It doesn’t really matter anymore. What’s had happed at the Town Square happened, there’s nothing that any of us, even me, can do to change it. The best thing we can do is move forward and focus on the task at hoof, because that’s the only available option that we have right now? Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah...that seems like the best thing to do right now.” Twilight replied with a sheepish nod as a blush came to her face, earning a giggle from the tan Pegasus.

Right at that moment, the door to the Apple family household burst open, causing some of the mares inside the living room to jump and a majority of the ponies resting there to jolt awake. Their fear and nervousness were quickly put to rest however, when they saw that it was only Anna Blaze and Applejack, who had just returned from their brief trip to the barn.

“Alright everypony Ah’m back!” Applejack said, adjusting the rope that was fastened around her barrel. “Sorry ‘bout havin’ t’ make ya wait like that...apparently findin’ those boots were a bit harder than we thought.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it sugarfoot. Ya found ‘em, so that’s all that matters.” Granny Smith replied casually with a wave of a hoof. “Good work Anna Blaze, fer helpin’ yer sister find them boots. Ah have a feelin’ she’s really gonna need ‘em like she said.”

“Mhm!” Anna Blaze nodded, giving her grandmother a sweet smile.

“Oh Applejack! Those boots are just simply divine!” Rarity suddenly gushed, her sapphire eyes sparkling as she leaned in and inspected the flames on the jet-black boots. “I’ve never ever seen flames so detailed, so articulate, and so...so realistic! It’s like I’m staring into an actual batch of fire even though it’s not real!” She looked up at the farmer, who was staring back at her with a bemused expression on her face. “Do you think maybe sometime after this is over, I could borrow just one of those boots for a new fashion line?”

“Uh...yeah, sure Ah guess. Jus’ as long as Granny’s okay with it.” Applejack replied dumbly, taking a moment to regain her composure. “Jus’...make sure that you don’t actually put ‘em on Rares okay? Ah don’t wanna have a repeat o’ what happened the last time they were carelessly put on without any idea how to control th’ magic inside ‘em.”

“Oh but of course dear! I give you my word that I’ll never do any such damage or cause any with those magnificent appendages.” Rarity replied, gently running a hoof through the silkiness of one of the boots. “I am curious about one thing though...who was it that had the audacity to bring destruction with boots such as these?”

“Take a wild guess.” Applejack replied, the slightest bit of sarcasm and amusement as she glanced over at Goku.

“Alright Rarity that’s enough...you’ll have plenty of time to make a new dress for your next line after all of this shit is over.” Goku said as she put a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “Right now, we have a much more important task that we need to take care of.”

“Right, of course…” The fashionista replied solemnly as her hung her head.

“Alright, let’s go everypony. We’ve wasted enough time as it is. Queen Celestia’s probably already sent her guards out into the Everfree Forest to find us, so we need to get there now.” Goku said firmly, earning quick nods from each of her friends. As they all made their leave, the tan Thestral stopped and looked back at the Apple family, making direct contact with Granny Smith. “Oh, and Granny Smith, in case you’re wondering about Apple Bloom, she’s alright. She’s at the Golden Oaks Library with Sheton and the other foals, and Snowflake and Midnight are both looking after them.”

“Ah see...thank you fer tellin’ me that darlin’.” The mint green mare replied, a look of relief flashing across her face for just a fleeting moment, before it disappeared. “Y’all be careful out there ya hear?”

“We will Granny Smith, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure Applejack get back here in one piece.” Goku replied with a firm nod, before turning back to her friends. “Alright everypony, let’s go!”

“Right!” They all replied in unison as they flew and galloped out of the front door of the Apple family household, before a raspberry aura coated the front door and slammed it shut.The silence that followed after the seven mares had left, was only broken by the soft sound of Granny Smith slowly rocking in her chair. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, the mint green mare slowly sat up from her rocking chair and made her way across the living room.

“Hey, Granny?” Scarlet asked, looking her grandmother with perplexity. “Where are ya goin’? Are ya goin’ after Applejack an’ th’ others?”

“No hon’, Ah ain’t.” Granny Smith replied softly, not sparing the Pegasus a single glance. “Ah’m goin’ out t’ the orchard. Ah...Ah need some time t’ mahself.”

“Oh...okay…” Scarlet murmured, looking down at the floor. “Ah see…”

“Do ya need us to look after th’ house while yer gone?” Jubilee asked, causing her grandmother to pause in her walking.

“Actually, if y’all could do that, that would be a real load off o’ mah back.” The mint green mare replied as she looked back at her grandchildren. “Big Mac, Anna Blaze, can y’all take over th’ farm too?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac nodded.

“Mhm.” Anna Blaze replied.

“Good, Ah appreciate yer devotion.” Granny Smith said, giving the four other ponies a grateful smile before she looked away. With nothing more to say, the Apple Matriarch made her way to the door, opening it with a loud creak before closing it with a gentle click, leaving the others in silence once more.

Granny Smith gave a soft sigh through her nostrils as she lifted a hoof to pull her Stetson away to the back of her head as her eyes slowly looked up at the full moon basking her whole orchard in a light glow. Her teeth chewed and gnawed at the pieces of grain that were in her mouth as the wind softly blew on her mane, resting her back against the tree she was sitting back on as her legs rocked back and forth. As the thoughts of the discussion she and her family had with Applejack and her friends continued to run through her head, she looked up at the pitch-black night sky, watching as the stars danced and twinkled through the cosmos. The mint green mare suddenly caught the gaze of one particular star, which seemed to glow brighter than all the others around it, and as she continued to stare up at it, a feeling of sadness washed over her, her heart aching in her chest.

‘Bright Mac, if you an’ Buttercup can hear me up there, know that Ah really need both o’ yer help right now. One o’ yer darlin’ granddaughters is ‘bout t’ go off with ‘er friends an’ face a pony threatenin’ cloud all o’ Equestria in forever lastin’ night, and she might not make it back.’

Her ears flattened against her head as she looked down, holding a hoof to her chest. ‘Ah’m scared...Ah’m scared that it might happen again. That Ah’ll lose somepony else that Ah care ‘bout so much...an’ Ah don’t know if Ah can go through that again.’ She looked back up at the sky, and her heart skipped a beat as she noticed the star that she was looking at glowing even brighter. ‘Please sugarfoot...please, please watch over yer daughter and her friends fer me. Ah already lost so much in mah life. Ah lost mah ma an’ pa, mah eldest little Apple...Ah lost yer pa...an’ Ah lost you two, an’ mah seventh grandfoal. Ah can’t stand t’ lose anymore o’ mah family. If Ah do...Ah don’t know what Ah’ll do. So please...please look after her, along with th’ rest o’ her friends.’

Holding back a fresh batch of tears, Granny Smith inhaled and let out a slow shaky breath to settle her nerves and soothe her aching heart. It was obvious she did not want to remember the painful memories of her past, least she and collapse in a crying fit. It had been quite a long time since she had shed any tears, having not cried since losing her youngest son and daughter-in-law. Thinking about them at this moment, along with the few other ponies she had known and loved in her younger days, made her want to just curl up into a ball and cry all over again, but she wouldn’t, not now. She would be strong, if not for her sake, then for her deceased son and his mate’s, along with the rest of her surviving grandchildren, Applejack especially. They’d need all the love and support they could get, and she’d be damned if she sat here in a puddle of her own tears instead of giving them just that.

After taking a few more moments to ensure that she was calmed down, Granny Smith slowly sat up from her position on the tree, spitting out the grains in her mouth as she did so. As she got to her hooves, she readjusted the Stetson on her head, before looking over to the left, at the house and barn up the while from where she currently was. ‘Guess Ah probably better head back up t’ th’ house…’

Flicking her tail, the mint green mare began her trek back to the house, the thought of getting some more R&R etched firmly in her mind. She had just barely ten feet away from the tree she was sitting against when ear sensitive ears picked up a strange sound ringing through the air and echoing through the orchard. She paused in her walking as she flicked her ears back and forth, wondering if she had misheard the sound, only to be proven wrong a few seconds later when it sounded again.

‘What in tarnation is that?’ Granny Smith thought, flicking her ears pack and forth. ‘It sounds like rumblin’ coming from th’ sky. That can’t be right though…there weren’t supposed to be any storms scheduled today. Didn’t that Dash filly already clear ‘em?’

Suddenly, she noticed a bright shining light emitting from where the house and the barn were, taking the mind green mare by surprise. Before she could contemplate it, a loud explosion rang out, the force behind it so powerful it actually made the ground shake a bit. A moment later, a huge thick gust of wind emerged from the trees like waves rising from an ocean, flowing down the orchard with at speeds of a freight train. Granny Smith had just enough time to gasp before she was swept up in the dust and blown through the air, unknowingly crashing into a nearby tree.

“Ugh, w-what…what in tarnation?!” Granny Smith said to herself, pushing herself up. As she got to her hooves, she shook the dust off, and shorted out any that got into her nostrils. “What in the Sam Hell was that?!”

At that moment, the mind green mare heard another explosion, this one being a much softer but also power enough to where she could see another light from where her house was. All of a sudden, she heard a blood curdling scream ring out and echo all across the orchard, causing her to freeze in place. Granny Smith’s eyes, widened with horror, pupils contracted as every single vein in her body froze, recognizing that scream very well. Just as quickly as that scream came, it stopped, and before Granny Smith even realized it herself, she sprang into action.

With a burst of speed that would’ve impressed even Rainbow Dash, Granny Smith shot from the tree she was resting at, the force of her bound leaving deep dents in the ground and causing a gust of wind to shoot behind her. Her hooves pounded the ground with each frantic and fearful stomp she made, her mane and tail blowing behind her as if they were flags being waved in the air as she made a beeline straight for her home. She shot through the orchard like an arrow through the air, using her braided tail for balance as she made razor sharp zig zags across the trees. Dust was picked up behind her hooves, and had it not been for the thick thread of string that was hanging around her neck and tied to either sides her Stetson, it would’ve very well fallen off the second she took off. Even if it did, she wouldn’t have given one flying feather about, for the only thing that mattered to her at that moment, was getting back up to that house as fast as she could.

After only just several minutes of running, which seemed like miles to Granny Smith, she finally made it up the western side of the hill and near the house. The mint green mare put in another burst of speed in her sprinting before she made a giant leap and landed right in front of the house, her tail facing whatever was behind her. When she finally stopped, she spun around her and looked directly in front of her, only to nearly reel back at the sight that she saw in front of her.

Hovering above the Apple Family Household, engaging Scarlet and Jubilee in an all-out brawl, was a Tantabus, a good head taller than Celestia. It was a shining emerald green in color, with eyes of pure golden, and an enormous set of wings along with a long curved sharp horn. Said horn was being used to blast powerful beam of magic at the Pegasus and Earth Pony mare, who were effectively dodging its attacked as they retaliated with ones of their own.

“Jubilee! Scarlet!” Granny Smith shouted, her mane blowing wildly from the battle. “What th’ hay is going on?! What is that damn thing?!”

“We don’t know Granny, it just came shootin’ in outta nowhere like some meteor!” Jubilee shouted, leaping away from a magical blast aimed at her. “There was jus’ this huge explosion that we heard from outside, an’ when we came out, we saw this huge crater!”

“When we went to go check it out, this varmint appeared!” Scarlet added as she shot a blast of lighting into the Tantabus’s face. “We don’t know why it’s here ‘r what it is, but all we do know is that it’s tryin’ t’ attack th’ farm!”

Granny Smith’s eyes darkened as she looked at the giant Tantabus. “It’s what?”

“Ya heard us Granny!” Jubilee said, doing multiple backflips as she avoided the incoming wind slices from the Tantabus. “Just a moment ago it tried t’ obliterate the barn, an’ it was only thanks t’ Scarlet deflecting the attack that it’s still intact! But we’re afraid that it might try t’ do it again!”

“Not on mah watch it ain’t!” Granny Smith said, stomping a hoof. “Hold on girls, Ah’m comin’!”

Giving a hard snort through her nostrils, Granny Smith charged towards the Tantabus, her sunset colored eyes gleaming in the darkness as her Stetson fluttered behind her. When she got a reasonable distance away from the house, she skidded to a halt, rearing up her hind legs. The Tantabus, seeing the Earth Pony mare about to attack, flared its wings and took to the air, but Granny Smith was one step ahead of it

“STOP RIGHT THERE YA STARRY VARMINTS!!!” The mint green mare screamed as she slammed her forehooves onto the ground with all her might. Not even a fraction of a second after she did so, the earth beneath her hooves shook and rumbled with the equivalent of an earthquake from the very core of the earth. Large cracks appeared on the earth and made their way towards Scarlet and Jubilee, looking as if they were a mob of snakes slithering through the ground looking for any unlucky victim to bite.

“Uh-oh, looks like Granny’s throwin’ down!” Jubilee exclaimed, looking over at her twin sister. “Let’s clear th’ way sis!”

“Don’t need t’ tell me twice!” Scarlet grinned as she took to the air. “Go on Granny, lay it on em!”

“Who said that Ah was fightin this varmint alone?!” Granny Smith asked, not taking her eyes of the giant Alicorn-like creature. “He tried t’ attack our farm, an’ as th’ keepers o’ this farm, we need t’ show him that we ain’t gonna take it! Earth Make: Vine Snare Trap!”

Without warning, a grove of large vines burst out from the ground and made their way towards the Tantabus, who looked like it was taken completely off guard. It tried to fly back from them, but the giant vines were able to coil around it and hold it in place in midair. With its movements limited, Granny Smith raced over and ran up the vines, channeling the magic into her hooves to keep her from falling.

“So, ya think ya can just try t’ demolish mah farm an’ get away with it?!” Granny Smith snarled as her nostrils flared. “Well you’ve got another thing comin’ partner! Earth Make: Hammering Hoof!”

With her right hoof glowing, Granny Smith punched the Tantabus right into its stomach, the force letting the aura of energy surrounding her to blast out of its back and into the air. To her great surprise, she ended up being bounced back and slammed right into the ground, leaving a large crater in her wake before skidding away from the creature. Spitting out the dirt in her mouth, Granny Smith looked up in time to see the Tantabus preparing to fire off a blast of magic down at her, intent on blowing her away.

“Earth Make: Wall!” Granny Smith shouted, slamming her hooves down again making a large wall of earth appear in front of her. The defense tactic came just as the magical bolt was about to hit the mint green mare, and it hit with incredible force. Large clouds of dust swept through the front yard of the farm as the magical bolt tore into the earth wall, with Granny Smith still behind it. She gritted her teeth as she continued to channel her magic through the Earth Wall, said wall giving off an orange glow, though cracks could be seen appearing within it.

“Hold on Granny, we’re comin’!” Scarlet shouted, folding her wings as she dived down towards the Tantabus. “Lightning Pegasus: Divulsion Hoof!”

The mint green Pegasus struck the Tantabus right into her head, stopping it in its magical attack and keeping Granny Smith’s wall intact. Flying to the side of its head, she swung her right leg and slammed it into the side of the Tantabus’s cheek, snapping its head to the side. Scarlet then flew in front of the Tantabus, her eyes flowing as her wings chirped with as much crimson red lightning as her hooves.

“Lighting Pegasus: Twin Wing Hammer!” She shouted, clapping her wings and shooting her hooves out, combining all four bolts of lightning into one large bolt. It struck the Tantabus tight in its chest, sending sparks of lighting all around its body and causing it to distort. The vines that Granny Smith had made were also victims of the attack, and the lightning tore through them all the way until they reached the ground.

“Whoa nelly!” Granny Smith shouted, leaping away from the incoming lightning as it practically obliterated her wall. “Sweet Faust Scarlet, watch where yer strikin’ with all o’ that lightin’! Ah almost got cooked into a fritter from that!”

“Oops, sorry Granny!” Scarlet replied, smiling sheepishly as the lightning around her vanished into thin air. The smile was soon wiped off her face when she felt a shadow loom over her, and she looked behind her just in time to see the Tantabus’s hoof sailing towards her. It slammed right into her, sending her right into the ground and causing dust to explode into the air, her pain-filled scream echoing across the air.

“Scarlet!” Jubilee shouted, watching with horror as her twin sister was sent into the ground. A look of rage took over her face as she snapped her faze over to the Tantabus. “Oh, yer gonna pay fer that one.”

The pale orange mare stomped on the ground, and a large thick vine burst out from behind the giant ethereal creature, wrapping around its left hind leg. Its golden eyes widened as it the vine wrapped around its leg, and hoisted it up into the air, before slamming it back down onto the ground, causing it to shake. Jubilee repeated this process several times before she lifted the Tantabus again and spun it around in the air. She soon stopped and let it go, before stomping her hooves down on the ground again, and pulling out a huge chunk of earth ground. Whirling around, she kicked it into the air, before leaping onto that same rock and riding it towards the Tantabus.

“Take this!” Jubilee cried, sticking her hooves into the flying chunk of earth and covering both of her forehooves in it. With her eyes and forelegs glowing, she brought them both back in preparation for a powerful strike. “Earth Make: Armored Hoof Punch!”

When she was within range, Jubilee struck the Tantabus right in its stomach with her left hoof, causing it to stretch out and envelope it a swarm of orange energy. Leaping off of the rock, she struck with her other forehoof, driving even more of her Adrenaline Mode Energy into it. As she drove herself into the creature, she could feel herself about to be stretched back, and she took her forehooves away, replacing them with her hind hooves. Using the combined power, Jubilee leapt away from the Tantabus, flipping around the air before landing hard, leaving deep trails of dirt in the ground. She watched as the Tantabus crashed to the ground, leaving a large crater of its own was it was enveloped by dust and orange energy.

“Heh, that should keep him down fer a little bit.” Jubilee said, smirking at the downed Tantabus before looking over at her grandmother. “Are you okay Granny Smith?”

“Ah’m more concerned about Scarlet over here.” The mind green mare replied, gingerly pulling her granddaughter out of the ground. “Are y’all okay sugarfoot? That was a real hard hit that ya got there.”

“That’s an understatement Granny.” Scarlet replied, rubbing at her jaw. “It felt like I was head butted by a bull at a rodeo ring! Only with this thing it was like ten ‘r twenty times harder!”

“Ah believe that completely.” Jubilee said, looking over at the deep dirt trail left in Scarlet’s wake. “Ah’m amazed that yer even able to stand after gettin’ hit that hard.”

“Well, Ah am an Apple, an’ we are supposed t’ handle any damage thrown at us.” Scarlet said dryly, shaking the dirt and the dust off of her body. Granny Smith the handed the Pegasus her, hat, and she accepted it gratefully. “Thanks Granny…are th’ two o’ y’all okay?”

“Yes Scarlet, the both o’ us ‘re fine.” Granny replied. “A lil’ bit shaken up from seein’ that thing an’ almost gettin’ electrocuted by yer lightnin’, but fine.”

“Ah don’t understand. What is that thing even doin’ here in th’ first place?” Jubilee asked, both herself along with her sister and grandmother. “It jus’ came’, an’ started attackin’ us outta th’ blue. Ah really wasn’t expectin’ that, even more than what Applejack, Goku an’ their friends had told us about the Town Square.”

“That’s what Ah’m wonderin’ as well.” Granny Smith nodded, looking over to the spot where the Tantabus had fallen. “Ah’m also tryin’ t’ figure out how that thing has so much magic power in it despite us throwin’ it around like a rag-doll.”

“That’s what Ah’m wonderin mahself…me and Jubilee felt that varmints power even before he crashed down her on the farm, an’ he’s hardly even used it.” Scarlet said skeptically. “Ya think it might have somethin’ to do with what we were told ‘bout this Nightmare Moon fella? Ah know it may seem crazy but, that’s what Ah’m thinkin’ at least.”

“…There’s not really anythin’ that can prove it, but that’s a good theory. Ah guess Applejack an’ her friends new enemy decided to leave us a lil’ partin’ gift before she left.” Jubilee said as she gave a shake of her head. “Jus’ our luck….”

“Well, we can ask AJ an’ her friends ‘bout it after they’ve returned from their mission.” Granny Smith said, straightening up. “Right now, we need t’ focus on protectin’ th’ farm an-”

The Apple Matriarch was cut off when she and her granddaughters heard an explosion form where the Tantabus was, and they looked over to see it hurdling towards them. All three of them had just enough time to gasp before the creature struck Granny Smith, biting her right in her shoulder. The pain and the shock form the impact took the mint green mare completely by surprise as she and the Tantabus flew back, before the latter took to the air.

“Granny Smith!” Jubilee and Scarlet yelled as they watched their grandmother go airborne with the Tantabus.

Granny Smith screamed out in agony as she felt the Tantabus’s razor sharp teeth deep into her shoulder, nearly making the bones in it crack. Clenching her teeth, Granny Smith reared her right hoof back, covering it in an orange aura before letting collide with the side of the large creature’s head. The force was enough to make the Tantabus let go, allowing Granny Smith to fall towards the ground, only for the Tantabus to go diving after the mint green mare. Granny Smith pursed her lips and covered both of her hooves in an aura of orange, fully prepared to smack him across the air.

“Bring it on ya nightmare varmint!!!” Granny Smith yelled, punching the Tantabus right in its face with her left hoof, before delivering a side kick to its side. She grabbed the Tantabus’s tail and swung it down towards the ground, only for the Tantabus to shoot a bolt of magic at the mint green mare. It slammed directly into her stomach and sent her upward, where the green Tantabus flew up and met her, its fang filled mouth stretched into a grin.

The next thing Granny Smith knew, she was being given a series of slashes and stabbing kicks by the Tantabus’s cloven hooves, along with its long-curved horn. She did her best to defend, but most of them managed to get through, leaving her with quite a few bruises and slashes in the process. With one final punch, the Tantabus sent Granny Smith falling towards the ground, and made the descend faster by shooting blast of magic that got her right in the her back, before she crashed to the ground. The Tantabus moved in to finish her off, its horn alight with magic, but before it could, another fighter came onto the scene.

“GET THE HAY AWAY FROM MAH GRANDMA!!!” An unexpected voice screamed as Honey Blossom came flying into the scene. She spread her wings wide whipped them back, holding them back for a few seconds as lightning continued to dance around them, growing more intense by the second. With a loud battle cry, she shot her wings forward, slamming them both together as a loud clap echoed throughout the sky, sending a large barrage of lightning hurdling straight up towards the Tantabus at breakneck speed. It slammed right into it, causing it to fly away in the opposite direction and distort in midair for a few moments. It eventually managed to get itself together, and it flared its wings, and took off towards Honey Blossom, who was more than ready for a midair combat. As they dulled, Scarlet dove down towards the ground, landing right next to her grandmother’s crater.

“Are you alright Granny?!” The redhead asked, helping her grandmother up. “Now that really had to hurt back there! That thing nearly drove you six feet under the ground”

“More like halfway into the ground is more like it, but yeah, Ah’m okay.” Granny Smith said, flicking her tail before looking up where Honey Blossom was. “Honey Blossom Sweet Apple Titan! What in th’ hay do ya think yer doin’ you filly?!”

“Whaddya think Ah’m tryin’ t’ do?! Ah’m tryin’ t’ save all o’ yer hides from this critter!” The scarlet red mare shouted back, blocking a magic blast with an aura unfused wing. “All o’ y’all were gettin’ yer flank kicked out there by all o’ them wooden varmints! Ah couldn’t jus’ sit by and let y’all get torn apart!”

“That wasn’t yer decision t’ make young filly!” The elder mare said in a low yet firm tone.

“Maybe not,” Said another deeper voice, causing Granny Smith to look behind her and see Anna Blaze and Big Mac standing just inches away from her. “But weren’t you th’ one who told us that no matter what ya said, and what ya did, it’s up t’ us t’ protect not only each other, but all o’ those around us that we consider family? We’re doin’ jus’ that, so there ain’t no reason fer ya get upset with us.”

The Apple Matriarch shook her head, letting out a sigh as she, straightened the collar around her neck. “Yeah, Ah did say that. Still I wish that y’all at least told me that y’all were comin’ out’ wantin’ t’ help me.”

“We know...we’re sorry Granny.” Anna Blaze said softly, her ears flattened against her head as she went over to her grandmother. “Are you okay? Ya look really beat up…”

“Ah’m okay sugarfoot...more or less at least.” Granny Smith replied as she leaned against the much larger mare as she did so. “Ah jus’ got mah ass handed t’ me by that large starry lookin’ varmint over there, a lot more than Ah thought it would. Ain’t never seen anything like but, it certainly is strong.”

“Eeyup, it certainly is.” Big Mac nodded, blowing some of his long mane from his face. “Me an’ anna could feel its strength from all th’ way inside th’ house. We figured that y’all might need some help, since ya looked like ya needed some.”

Granny Smith opened her mouth to respond, only to jump when she saw a red blur shot past them and slam into the ground. None of them needed a second to realize that it was honey Blossom, and they wasted no time rushing to her side. They pulled her out of the crater she was in and inspected her, relief washing over them when they saw that she didn’t have too many severe injuries.

“Oh dammit, now that really hurt!” Honey Blossom cursed, glaring up at the Tantabus. “He’s a lot stronger than Ah thought he’d be.”

“He sure is.” Anna Blaze nodded. “Even with Granny, Jubilee, and Scarlet all goin’ off against him, he’s still managin’ t’ hold his own against them. He’s gonna be a real tough one t’ beat, that’s for sure.”

“Eeyup, he sure is.” Granny Smith nodded, adjusted her Stetson. “Which is why we’re gonna have t’ all combine our strength if we wanna take this thing down. Its already caused enough damage tryin’ t’ take out our house an’ th’ barn; Ah ain’t gonna let it keep goin’ on if Ah can help it.”

Right at that moment, Big Macintosh’s ears perked, hearing the sound of what seemed to be chirping, causing him to look up into the sky. His emerald eyes widened as he saw the source of the sound, and a somewhat relieved expression came to his face. “Um, Granny…Ah don’t think ya may have t’ worry ‘bout that.”

The Apple Matriarch looked over at her only grandson. “What’s that supposed to-?”

A large navy-blue lightning bolt suddenly shot out of nowhere and struck right into ground, just feet away from the Apple Family. Huge clouds of dust and piles rock shot out from the earth, going on all directions as the wind from the force of the blow blew the dust right towards the four mares, showering them and obscuring their vision from what, or who, had just come onto their farm. As the dust began to dissipate, each of the Apples could all faintly see bright flashes of navy-blue lightning going about in all directions, and flashes of even brighter light shooting throughout the whole area. The more the dust cleared, the less lightning came from the figure that was standing right in front of the four mares, and when it finally faded away completely, they could clearly see who it was that had come to their rescue.

“Midnight!” Honey Blossom exclaimed, a bright smile coming to her lips as a look of relief came to her face.

“Midnight?!” Jubilee repeated, a confused look making its way to her face. “What the hay is she doin’ here?!”

“Ah have no idea…but Ah’m glad she did.” Granny Smith replied, a thankful smile coming to her lips as she brushed her bangs out of her face. “And somethin’ tells me that she’s not ‘ere t’ jus’ t’ give us a helpin’ hoof.”

“Well, whatever the reason…” Scarlet grinned, flicking her braided tail skirt as she watched the beetle black mare electrocute the Timberwolves. “She couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Midnight flared her bat wings and took to the air, her eyes glowing and hooves sparking with navy blue electricity as she collided with the Tantabus. Her hooves tore through it as if it was made of nothing more than scrap paper, causing an explosion to emit throughout the clearing as the Tantabus exploded into smaller particles. As it began to put its body back together, the beetle black Thestral spread her enormous wings, and pulled herself back, shooting both of her hooves out together as she opened her mouth.

“Lighting Thestral: Thunder Twin Pistol!” She shouted, the lightning in her hooves shooting out as if they were guns. The lightning cloaking her body joined the lightning in her hooves, and they shot through the air almost faster than the blink of an eye. A loud crack emitted into the air as it struck the Tantabus, who tried to block the attack, only for it not be fast enough as it sent it away from the large Thestral. With a powerful flap of her bat wings, Midnight took off towards the creature, her eyes blazing, and fangs bared.

“Lightning Thestral: Electric Hoof!” She shouted, swinging her lightning coated leg down on the Tantabus’s stomach. Its pupiless eyes bulged as the attack struck it, sending it diving right down towards the around. In a flash of blue lightning, Midnight reappeared under it, sending several slices of lightning at the Tantabus and sending it high into the air. She vanished again and appeared a good distance away from the Tantabus, inhaling a large breath into her equally large lungs.

“Lightning Thestral: Neigh!” She shouted, letting out a huge lightning filled neigh that crashed through the sky. The attack enveloped the Tantabus completely, sending it high into the sky as it exploded in the air, the particles of its body scattering all about.

“There…that should keep him away from Granny Smith and the others for a while.” Midnight said softly as she let out a sigh, letting the lightning disappear from her body. Sighing, she turned to face the four Apple family members. “Are you girls alright? I made it here as fast as I could!”

“We’re doin’ just fine honeybun.” Honey Blossom said reassuringly, giving the beetle black mare a grateful smile. “Granny Smith on th’ other hand...and lookin’ too good…”

“What do you mea-OH MY GOODNESS!” Midnight began to ask, only to let out a shriek of horrified shock as she took in the sight of Granny Smith’s bloodied state. “Granny Smith, what in the name of Celestia happened to you?!”

“Whaddya think happened sugar?” The mint green mare deadpanned as the beetle back mare rushed over to her. “Ah got a nice good beatin’ from that varmint that ya jus’ blasted into oblivion. He left me a good few number o’ scars to emphasize the point. As y’all can see…”

“Are you going to be okay?” Midnight asked worriedly as she stared at the open wounds covering the mint green mare’s body.

“Yeah, Ah’ll be fine sugarcube...yer clan ain’t th’ only ones that ‘re specialized in all o’ that fancy self healin’.” Granny Smith said with a smirk holding out her left foreleg. Midnight’s eyes went wide as she watched steam rise from out it. “As y’all can plainly see.”

“Oh, right...I forgot about that.” Midnight said dumbly as she watched the Earth Pony’s wounds begin to close up.

“Anyway, why’re y’all ‘ere on the farm?” Granny Smith asked raising a faded yellow eyebrow at the larger mare. “Not that Ah ain’t grateful t’ ya fer lendin’ us an extra hoof, but Ah wasn’t really expectin’ ya t’ come back t’ th’ farm today…or at all fer that matter.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right! I almost forgot why I was here!” Midnight exclaimed, recognition coming to her eyes a split second later before they looked down at the smaller and older mare with the most fearful look Granny Smith had ever seen. “It’s horrible Granny Smith; you know that large creature that you were all just fighting?! There are more of them, and they’re all invading Ponyville!”

“WHAT?!” All of the Apple Family, minus Big Mac, exclaimed in unified disbelief as Granny Smith’s eyes bulged.

“THERE ARE MORE O’ THEM THINGSINVADIN’ PONYVILLE?!” Jubilee screamed, her jaw dropping and pupils contracting. “THE VERY SAME ONE THAT YA JUS’ SENT FLYIN’?!”

“Yes! There’s a multitude of them invading the town fighting the guards that Queen Celestia sent there!” Midnight replied with a frantic nod. “I was coming back from the Town Square to go check on Snowflake, my brother, Apple Bloom, and the rest of the foals, when I saw them coming in from the sky! I tried to get past them, b-but it was no use, s-so I came here to get your help!”

Granny’s gut twisted into a painful knot at the mention of her youngest grandfilly. ‘Oh no…’

“So you just left Apple Bloom, yer sister the foals t’ deal with those varmints on their own?!” Scarlet exclaimed in disbelief as she gave the beetle black mare a look of anger. “What the hay’s wrong with you?!”

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t want to leave them there!” Midnight whimpered as she took a few steps back. “I tried my best to get to them, b-but they were just too strong and fast! I-I didn’t have a choice!”

Scarlet didn’t say anything more after that, choosing instead to smack her hoof into her face and shake her head, giving a long and hard snort through her nostrils. As she turned away from the beetle black mare and struggled to calm herself down, Jubilee broke the silence.

“Sorry ‘bout that Midnight...she’s just a little ticked off that ya left Apple Bloom t’ fend fer herself against them things. Don’t worry though; based off o’ what ya said, them are there in the town, so Ah don’t think we need to worry too much” Jubilee said softly, giving Midnight a comforting smile. “Jus’ give Scarlet some time she’ll come around.”

“O-okay...if you say so.” Midnight stammered as Honey Blossom pulled her into a brief, yet comforting hug.

“Ah can’t believe it. First, that thing comes onto th’ farm, an’ now there are even more o’ them invadin’ th’ whole town?” Scarlet murmured as she looked down at the ground, an expression of fear and anxiety morphing onto her face. “This is jus’ crazy! First th’ Sun disappears, then the Town Square gets destroyed, then all of these weird Alicorn lookin’ things come trying to wipe us all into oblivion?!This is turnin’ into th’ worst day ever!”

“Yer tellin me...an’ here Ah thought that Ah was gonna get a nice day o’ rest an’ relaxation with y’all and the rest o’ the family. Now look where we are, fightin’ through thick an’ thin t’ make sure that we don’t get eaten an’ our farm gets destroyed.” Jubilee looked at her grandmother, who was standing off the side a few feet away. “What’re we gonna do Granny?”

The mint green mare didn’t reply for a few moments, instead just staying where she was as she kept her head lowered, her bangs covering her face and shadowing her eyes from view. The other four mare stood there staring at her, waiting silently and anxiously for her response as the wind blew past them and made their manes and tails ruffle slightly.

“Ah want all o’ y’all to listen t’ me very carefully to what Ah’m about to say ya hear?” Granny Smith asked, lifting her head up and staring at the other mares. “Ah have somethin’ that Ah need each o’ y’all t’ do fer me.”

“What is it Granny Smith?” Midnight asked curiously. “Do you have a plan?”

“Kind of. Though, if ya want mah honest opinion, it’s a pretty stupid idea if ya ask me.” The mint green mare said as she gave a shake of her head. “Alright, here’s what Ah want y’all t’ do; Scarlet, Jubilee, Honey Blossom Ah want y’all do stay here an’ guard th’ house, an’ make sure that that starry varmint doesn’t get anywhere near it. Between yer Earth Pony and Pegasus magic, those lil’ doggies ‘re gonna have quite th’ hard time gettin’ past y’all, though may have to up yer anti if ya want to keep him at bay.”

“You got it Granny!” Scarlet replied, as she gave her grandmother a firm salute.

“Anna Blaze, Big Mac…” Granny Smith continued, turning to face the scarlet red twins. “Ah want you t’ go straight down t’ th’ barn an’ make sure Fritter an' her youngin's are okay. Th’ two o’ them, yer th’ strongest outta all o’ yer siblin’s, both physically an’ magically, so it’d make things much easier fer us an' them if y’all were there at th' farm.”

“Whatever ya say Granny.” Big Mac nodded, before turning to his twin sister. “Come on Anna, let’s git t’ Fritter b’fore that thing does.”

“Mhm.” Anna nodded, spreading her wings and following her bother as he took flight.

“Midnight, yer stayin’ here and keepin’ may grandfoals safe from that varmint.” Granny Smith said, gently tugging at the chain attached to the beetle black mare’s collar. “Out of all o’ us, yer th’ strongest, especially since yer half bat pony an’ dragon. So ya shouldn’t have that much of a problem keepin’ mah family safe as best as ya can.”

“Well, technically, I’m full a full blooded Thestral in this form, and unless I go into my Kirin form, I’m can’t really be considered a cross between them.” Midnight asked sheepishly, scratching at one of her cheeks. “What’re you going to do?”

The Apple Matriarch smirked at the larger mare, before looking back in front of her at the outskirts of Ponyville from up the hill. Her eyes narrowed as they gave a glow in the moonlight, another strong wind coming in to blow at her mane and tail.

“Ah’m gonna protect th’ town that Ah raised.”

Author's Notes:

There...wasn't really a lot for me to change in this particular chapter to be honest, other than the fact that this chapter would focus mainly on the Apple Family. Like I said in the last chapter, I'd also give a little piece of what happened while the Main Seven were on Sweet Apple Acres, and what took place during that time. Other than that, along with Midnight coming in a different fashion, and Anna and Big Mac all coming into the scene in a somewhat different way, I think that was all that I had changed. For those of you who were wondering about Apple Fritter, I'll make that point made later on in the story, though I'm going to have to think up that scenario along with the one in Ponyville to still keep things somewhat the same like in the last version of this story. Oh, and as for the technique, the ones that Scarlet and Midnight used as similar to the ones Zephyr used against the Shinomōkin in chapter 17, while Jubilee's are very smilier to Gray Fullbuster's back in Fairy Tail with his Ice Make Magic, sorry if you weren't quite able to make the connection with it.

Anyway, I think that's if for now. Next time, we're going to be going back to Zephyr and the Main Seven, and their terrifying encounter...with an assassin!!!