Much was changing in the political and power structures of Equestria. Harmony had been hoodwinked out of enough power to restrict her influence upon the world. Yet, for the moment at least, the ramifications would remain unseen.

Celestia and Discord had parted ways, but their pacts would keep them allies for likely a long time to come. Not that either had come to regret their choices. Not when Discord finally got to stick it to Harmony, and Celestia came to discover that betraying Harmony was a just act to gain her mental freedom. Both hoped that with the loss of the diety’s influence, the humans would save the world they all wanted to protect.

A prosperous world would give them both what they desired most.

As all this was going on, Shining was entertaining Becky and her support, both medical and emotional. Hopefully, an explanation after everything with her friends would be enough to soften the blow of the bruised relations. There was also the hope that constantly being there for Becky would grant him a closer relationship with her.

Sniff was on a date and trying not to think about how he would mend the damages caused primarily by Cerb and Celestia. His afternoon with Top Shelf was entertaining enough, learning more about Canterlot and her method of developing her concoctions.

There was also the fact that Top Shelf was getting incredibly anxious about the end of the date, and Swifty was only encouraging it. It was going to likely proceed just as planned, primarily with lots of kissing and touching, exploring, testing their limits, and another session with Swifty when Top Shelf reached her limit.

Much of the same could be said for Twilight with Ovens. Their new venture together was all but a sure thing for what they had planned. They had started something together that was growing increasingly into a likely beautiful future. As expected, what they felt only further convinced them to stay the course.

For the rest of the cast, their unions between races and kingdoms were developing far greater rewards than the apparent friendships. They were gaining plenty of strength in numbers and new traits to add to their training. Above all else, there was a bond unlike any other that had been forged in Equestria before them.

Far beyond the growing prospects of ponies and humans, two others who had been stuck as observers faced the risk of being discovered. The shady activities of two Echoes had not gone unnoticed.

"Sword knows that we've been withholding information," Trixie Rose nervously muttered.

Luna Ring was just as cautious, speaking in whispers.

"It will be a slow death for us if we run. We can't survive long with Harmony."

That painful reminder that Trixie Rose was acting carelessly didn't sit well with her current position.

"Long is subjective, and I've just about had it with living like this. If this even is living anymore."

Luna Ring stopped dead in her tracks and pulled Trixie Rose to face her. Her emotions had spiked, and both stood motionless, fearful that alone could have been enough to have them fully discovered.

It took a moment, but Luna Ring managed to calm herself enough to speak again.

"We've seen what happens to a world with no ponies. When they die, so does Harmony. Whatever remaining magic the ponies can recycle, but without their world’s Harmony to produce more magic to feed her, they can never grow."

Trixie Rose's eyes narrowed, already knowing this but also aware of the loophole.

"You did it. Even an artificial tree can produce Harmony. With just the remains of your Crystal Ring, you did it. You are the Crystal Ring."

The sad truth was a complex one, but one Luna Ring had accepted.

"And what good did that do me? The process was insufficient. We couldn't keep up the production to keep us alive and the barriers."

Not willing to back down, Trixie Rose jabbed her hoof into Luna Ring's chest.

"Because you were fighting a war while isolating the humans of your world. The ones sent to your world were locked away in houses for their safety or serving in the guard outside of the public eye. The humans were our only fucking chance to survive, and had we been allowed to keep the ones we loved, we both would have stood a chance, and you know it. Hell, even if they weren't, they would have been worth it."

Luna Ring wanted to be angry, but she couldn't afford to. All she could do was be honest, if even for a moment in her weakness.

"We were both stronger with your Chris and my Kelly, but we could never have been enough alone."

"We weren't alone," Trixie scoffed as she stepped away to distance herself. "Both our Twilight's longed for Peter, and more than half of the humans could have found any number of ponies for themselves. Removing Harmony was the only way things got better."

From high above, a stallion's voice rose with dark authority, ending the debate.

"Decenters."

The two looked high to another echo depending before them.

"Sword," Luna Ring croaked in surprise.

With grace and well-controlled power, a crystal-alicorn version of Shining Armor made his appearance.

"I would say I'm disappointed in you both, but I could tell the pony influence had not left you. Or rather, should I say, the human influence?"

The sham was over, but Trixie Rose stood defiant.

"Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s not like things are going smoothly enough with this new Equestria, you’d figure out I changed things up.”

Shining Sword touched down on the plane manifested in their world. His cold, empty stare just as unmoving as ever.

“We should have known. Everything was wrong with the human’s arrival before it even started. The mattress should have been more than enough to alert us that drastic changes had been made.”

There was something rich about finally coming clean for Trixie Rose. Ridding herself of the lies and deception made her feel alive again, and she didn’t shy away from embellishing in her amusement from her defiance.

“That’s right!” She paused for a moment, suddenly realizing she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. “No. Wait. Back up. I removed this new Harmony’s coordinates on the spell to humans in the mirror world and gave it the power it needed to work like intended. What are you talking about?”

For a moment, Shining Sword was at a crossroads. Was the mattress some clever ploy, or if so much of the old Trixie had carried over into this echo that she was just that stupid?

“The Trixie from the realm of the Crystal Tree of Harmony. In her wagon, she had a mattress and stopped using a hammock. How did you not notice? You've never been that comfortable in your wagon.”

While that was odd, really it seemed like a random thing to point out, Trixie wasn't even phased by his observation.

"So what? Small changes happen all the time after… oh shit."

A revelation finally hit Trixie Rose that possibly changed everything she had planned.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on. None of us can change anything in another realm. Our powers can't even reach another word occupied by another Harmony. I didn't put that there."

For a moment, Shining Sword stood motionless. A deep contemplation setting in left him silent until he gathered his thoughts.

"There are other windows into the realm of another Harmony. But if you didn't cross over, then we have a new problem to worry about."

Luna Ring backed beside Trixie Rose, ready to run, but stood fast.

"Rose, I thank you for the chance to save humans and ponies alike, but I think our days are numbered."

By this time, other Echoes started coming out of the woodworks. Most were versions of Twilight, many more of Celestia or Luna, with a few others that stayed far to the back and out of sight, but Shining Sword clearly had control. And his gaze was now squarely on Luna.

"Was it you then, Ring?"

Luna Ring cowered and bowed her head, fear heavily present in her voice.

"No. I am of the weakest. Such attempts are beyond me."

Unlike her currently submissive partner, Trixie Ring couldn't stand the groveling and stepped forward.

"It wasn't her, and it wasn't me. Does this have something to do with the broken mirrors? Is that how one of you got in and made changes?"

Shining Sword almost sneered, if such a feat was possible for him. At the same time, he was distracted by something that caught everyone's attention.

"Harmony is on the move again."

More voices from Echoes came in.

"This is too soon."

"She'll lure the darkness closer."

"Her transition isn't complete. This much movement is reckless."

"She's moving towards Discord."

All the voices stopped at the illogical misstep that had been announced—another item Trixie Rose needed to call out.

"Yeah… Still not me. Not even you could pull enough strings to force Harmony into confronting Discord in any timeline, let alone twice. Plus, I still don't like the guy."

Even with the revelation that there were two traders among them, collectively, this new world's Harmony strange course of action had their attention.

From many different angles and perspectives, a multitude of views showing Discord and Celestia entering Harmony's cave. It was such an unprecedented event that Shining Sword needed an update.

"What happened? What did we miss?"

The whole area was a mass of confusion and jumbled answers.

"We were unable to see."

"Their interaction was masked by a wall of Chaos Magic."

"We are missing nearly their entire interaction."

"Harmony is exposing herself to Celestia."

"Multiple whispers are being deployed. Harmony is trying to convince Celestia to trust her so they can work together. The Words never spoke of this."

Shining Sword remained calm amid these announcements, taking in every detail and accessing his best rationality of why.

"Harmony has lost control. She will put things back in order and remove their memories to correct the course. This is most likely a standard reset to restore the path for ensuring The Words are followed."

From one rear perspective viewing the meeting of these three, Shining Sword noticed a distortion around Celestia.

"Hold on. Celestia has an enchantment. There is a spell altering the flow of magic around her eyes, and Harmony hasn't noticed."

More attention was drawn to Celestia and Harmony in the windows, peering into their world as they listened in.

"My powers are vast, but the darkness that threatens requires a great amount of my power in these times. If I share my power, I will not be able to project myself out as I can now."

This held all the hallmarks of a trap, and Shining Sword began to speculate that Discord had strayed far from the path he should have been on.

"Harmony's construct is still in its infancy. Discord is taking advantage of her weakened state from holding up the barrier. Holding that form while the rest of her focus is on the barrier and casting so many whispers, she wouldn't be able to detect such a spell. He's planning something with this pact."

Trixie Rose, still watching the interaction take place, noticed the setup. It was executed perfectly but fell in line with her line of work.

"He swapped contracts. Harmony has no idea what she's agreeing to."

Shining Sword's eyes shifted towards Trixie Rose. In the midst of the hurried exchange of words, he noticed nothing but let her speak. However, no sooner did he look away, all present company could hear Harmony catch on as well.

"Celestia? Have you deceived me?"

Trixie Rose didn't even bat an eye at the late recognition of getting dupped.

"He put Harmony on guard by telling her time was limited, then distracted her by putting her in position to make the pact. Add in a little deception by making her think he would ever work with her, and she had no reason to think he would change props with a slight-of-hoof... Rookie-level stage magic."

Before any could react, the 3D glasses Celestia had cloaked became visible, and the ruse from both sides was exposed.

In all the time spent observing, this ultimate form of control had never escaped its secrecy to the ponies. The proverbial man behind the curtain had been revealed, and Trixie Rose couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha! She's fucked."

The truth wasn't so drastically far from what Trixie Rose had thought, but through the observations, Celestia threatened just as much.

"When this is over, if I see you again, you will have a lot to answer for."

Even Discord's words painfully sunk in for the other Echoes to hear.

"Now run along. Return to your tree and get nice and comfortable. We have a lot of work to do here, and you have a long future of insignificance and isolation ahead of you."

In the space between dimensions, all the Echoes watched in emotionless awe. From Harmony's foreboding final words, her abandoned construct shattering, Discord's juvenile outburst, and Celestia's heartfelt thanks, they were left speechless. It was as if Harmony's failure was their’s all over again.

Needless to say, Shining Sword needed answers.

"First, the mattress. Then the shadows casting over the humans that spread over the Elements. Now, it is clear that you have interfered on some level. Rose, Ring? You will confess all of your crimes so that we can restore Harmony in this world, find the humans, and with The Words guiding our—"

His eyes tilted back to Trixie Rose and Luna Ring, both standing with their heads bowed down, both unusually quiet. Trixie Rose's hat covered her face, just as Luna Ring's ethereal hair covered hers. Yet, their power was stagnant. Almost as if-

"Traitors!" Shining Sword shouted as he unleashed a blast of energy from his horn.

The attack landed between the two bowing figures. The eruption sent fragments of constructed reality around them, along with chunks of Luna-colored porcelain stuffings wrapped in fabric that had been decoys of the two.

Much like the previously observed Harmony, Shining Sword had been dupped.

"Slight-of-hoof... It seems to be the common trait against the enemies of Harmony."

They all had been deceived, and the Echoes gathered around to examine the remains. Many of them were mindlessly sharing their thoughts aloud with each other.

"Find them."

"Enemies."

"Betrayers."

"End their existence."

"Punish them."

"Preserve The Words."

"They can't have gotten far."

"Deceivers."

Most focused was Shining Sword, who, for the first time, let his emotions show. A snarl that molded devilishly into a smile, then back to empty as he quickly composed himself.

"Echoes Rose and Ring have failed to shed their desires from the worlds they failed to save. Their weakness was just as much their downfall with us as it was their defiance of The Words. We will find them and separate their impure bodies from their Harmony. And if their impurities have already spread to the realm of the Crystal Tree of Harmony, then that realm must fall as well."

Trixie Rose and Luna Ring moved through infinite space. Not falling, nor drifting. Mearing existing in one direction or another towards a destination they were unsure even would appear.

"Rose?" Luna Ring finally spoke. "Do you know where we're going?"

Using as little magic as possible to guide them, Trixie Rose tried not to lose focus but spoke with soft confidence.

"I know where we're not going. Sword and the other drones will destroy us if they find us. We're heretics who willingly went against The Words. Had they known how much of our old selves remained, they probably would have erased us as soon as we arrived. But to answer your question... If there are windows that work around the locked doors, I'm sure we can find one."

Luna Ring drifted blindly behind Trixie Ring, tethered by the weakest strings of magic she could hold without alerting the Echoes. However, there was enough of her conscious mind open to notice something different in her friend.

"You stopped saying we... Who am I speaking with? The Trixie that loved Chris, or the Rose who regrets her actions?"

There was a moment of silence, but it ended with a firm voice that was still short of certainty.

"We're never apart, but this body doesn't do well with compartmentalizing the consciousness of either of us, so it's not exactly like taking turns. It's more like... Until now, we were trying to separate each other’s memories from each other, but now I can't. We're either both alive inside my head and forgot who was which, or both died to make somepony new. What about you?"

Luna Ring sighed, not sure how to feel about what her friend had just described.

"We're both here. Part of the old Crystal Ring couldn't fully die. So when I became the new Ring, part of her was still there. More than the Harmony the Echoes wanted me to be. She's like a ghost. Haunting me with her whispers when she's strong enough to speak."

They had time to kill, so Trixie Rose decided to humor this topic for now. Some of it raised questions she never thought to ask.

"When I became the new Crystal Rose of Harmony, I don't think it was done correctly. Harmony wasn't lying dormant because her energy was depleted. She was destroyed. What I took in was a reconstructed copy... It was like reading an old book with a brand new print. All of the character that came with the weathering of time and use was gone. Just words on the pages that described how to be Harmony, what her memories were... Or at least most of them, along with mine. I mean Trixie's, err—damnit. I really can't tell them apart anymore."

She took a moment to sigh and recalibrate her thoughts. It was clear she didn't have the mental resources to contemplate who was in her head anymore.

"Anyway, my Trixie side just sat back for a while and waited to figure out what actually happened and how to save everypony. Eventually, her—my, more stubborn side started to take in and understand the Harmony that had been imprinted upon us. After that, both of us, forced to think and remember together, it changed things so quickly we didn't understand that it was happening. It wasn't like that for you?"

Luna Ring relaxed her mind slightly, trying to let the voice speak to her again. If any words were to come, perhaps it would help to explain things, but there was nothing.

"I suppose your analogy is a good way of describing it. Only, the ghost of the old Ring wasn't rewritten over. What remained remembered hearing the same words. Remembered the struggle to bring them to life and what came to be when they failed. The part of me that says not to listen."

A true Harmony that willfully went against the words? Could there be a thing, Trixie Rose thought as she looked over her shoulder to see into the eyes of the old alicorn?

"What does the old Ring say to make you think that?"

Luna Ring refocused her mind, only hearing the memory of what it once spoke to her, and sighed.

"The one thing my old Harmony has ever said to me... I'm sorry."

The cars all came to a halt, and the guard went to work unloading the cargo. Mostly luggage, but a few supplies came back with some old gear and personal effects.

A bit of a surprise to them was one of the Lunar Guard waiting for them. A unicorn stallion waiting for one pony, in particular, to step out.

"Princess Cadance," He said with a salute. "Princess Luna has returned and, after our debrief, recommended that I inform you that Sunburst had departed with Princess Flurry Heart for the human embassy. We apologize for the lack of privacy, but given the recent security concerns, it was—"

"That's fine," Cadance said with a bow. "The gesture is appreciated, and I'm sure you saved me quite the fright of not finding them upon my return. Is there anything else?"

The guard dropped his salute, ready to help if needed.

"No, Princess. That was all. May I be of assistance?"

Midnight, finally awake, stepped onto the platform and into a stretch.

"Emm, we have the luggage taken care of."

Speaking of luggage, one of the Crystal Guards approached Cerb with a small bag held in his teeth.

"Mr. Husk. This was left in your room on the bed, away from your baggage in Canterlot."

Curious, Cerb took the small bag from the guard.

"Thanks."

The weight from the parcel came with an unexpected weight that seemed much heavier than it should have been for its size. One peek inside revealed a small keepsake box with Celestia's seal, though he didn't recognize this item, something he was all to quick to vocalize.

"The fuck?"

Just as curious, Rarity took a gander at the potentially misplaced item, not familiar with it either. Only a few assumptions could be made, the first being it was taken by mistake.

"Oh, dear. This is just what we need. I'm sure having the title of thief is just what you were looking forward to."

With a simple flex of her magic, the box opened, delivering a golden glow that answered their queries and triggering an explosive response from Pinkie.

"Holy gold-plated fuck tokens! Are those what I think they are!"

A little surprised to see such a rare item out in the open, Cadance levitated out one of the brilliantly polished gold coins to inspect it.

"I don't know what a fuck token is, but these are, without a doubt, ten of Celestia's hundred-bit coins. I forget how many were made, but it wasn't enough, making these actually worth substantially more than a hundred bits alone... Still, after everything she's done, I'm not sure why she would have swapped out the thousand bits you earned from the wrestling match with these coins."

That was a good question, but who better to speculate than Chris?

"Maybe she was trying to buy his trust? It's not like the treasure chest of bits she gave us last time didn't make the situation worse."

Benny looked around Cadance's shoulder and grabbed a coin for himself to look over. After a good once over the golden trinket, he had a view of his own to share.

"I'd wager it's more of a guilty conscience. A last-minute apology or something like that because of her guards. Even if she didn't trust us, there's no doubt she felt like shit because of what happened."

Whatever the reason, money was money, and Cerb didn't care to dwell on it.

"Well, that's all that much better for me then. In the meantime, I owe Kühn a drink. How about we hang out until Becky and the rest get back?"

If that was the plan, Benny felt a little homesick and thought his girls could use a break from the public eye, so he had an idea.

"How about we head back to my place? Chill with some movies until they get back? At least until Twilight gets back."

Continuing Twilight's pursuit to get more familiar with Ovens, they departed their fifth bookstore. Unfortunately, the results weren’t proving as promising as Twilight had hoped.

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't exactly romantic."

Not as let down as one would think, Ovens walked out with a modest look of enjoyment still present.

"There’s no need to apologize. I’ve been enjoying your explanation of the books and history. It kind of reminds me of when Top Self and I used to talk about our recipes."

She walked ahead and motioned for Twilight to follow with a playful little flirt in her eyes.

"How about I show you something I'm passionate about? There’s a bakery just ahead that does some amazing things, fusing magic and baking."

Just in time to ruin the moment, Cutter dropped in from behind. She could see it would be interrupting, but dutiful as ever, she had to report.

"Princess, may I have a word with you, please?"

Top Shelf picked up a strange fruit that looked like a softball-sized green pumpkin that was half cactus, or more accurately, like the spiked head of a morning star. She gave a thump and then set it back in a bin.

"If the Gymnocaly Mellon sounds hollow, that means they're good and ripe. This one is a little too hard."

That was too easy for Swifty, but she couldn't help herself but interject.

"You won't be saying that later tonight."

Utterly clueless, the merchant Earth pony stallion attempted to correct her.

"No, Top Shelf is right. This one is way too hard. Some customers like to buy them this way so they can stock up and let them ripen over time. I have many more ripe ones to pick from."

Top Shelf knew what Swifty meant but kept her humor in check. Only a sly grin grew from what she wanted to be a heartfelt laugh.

"Don't mind her. She's thinking of something else, but I think I'll buy this one after all. A reminder of something to look forward to."

Sniff readjusted the nearly full bag he'd been carrying. The weight wasn't too strenuous, but knowing a girl's shopping habits like this one, it could easily become a problem.

"If that's the case, don't get carried away. I still need to use my arms tonight."

As the merchant began to stack up the order, he let his curiosity get the best of him. He had to address the elephant in the room.

"You'll have to excuse me, stranger, but I've known Top Shelf for a great many of years, but never once has she mentioned the likes of you. And while I may be a simple merchant, might you be one of the seven human ambassadors that have been making a stir in Ponyville?"

Word does travel fast, and Sniff wanted to look at this as a good thing.

"That I am. How did you put that together?"

The merchant smiled, more pleased with guessing the human's origins right than anything else.

"Oh, you know how word gets around. The market is where all the latest in news comes from. Or, in this case, Rare Find was kind enough to share his story about his time in the Everfree Forest. That crazy colt. He gave up a fine shipment just to help out. But, I can't blame him for thinking ahead like he did."

Sniff knew that name all too well. One of the volunteers who ventured out with Onyx to help Cerb.

But what was this merchant talking about?

"Thinking ahead? What do you mean by that?"

The merchant smiled and nodded towards the Swifty.

"A merchant that can fight alongside the royal guards and Elements of Harmony… who wouldn’t trust their goods to him? His business has really picked up… But I think he did it because of a mare, to be honest."

That was interesting, but not worth digging into on a date for Sniff. Maybe it would be something he looked into later.

"Ah. What men won't do for a lady."

"Men?" The merchant asked, confused by the unknown word.

A small slip-up, but Sniff was familiar with this.

"Sorry. Men, or man, is what we call human males where we come from. I should have said stallions."

Top Shelf nudged herself closer to Sniff to emphasize his point.

"Men are great, and I got this one to myself tonight."

The merchant looked puzzled at the two before it clicked. It was strange, obviously, but who was he to talk down a paying customer?

"Oh! My apologies. I wasn't aware you two were together. You both look happy, though. But, as always, happy to have your business, Miss Top Shelf."

Thankfully, this was the last stop, and Top Shelf was ready for their next stop.

"Thanks as always. Now, come on, you two. I’ve got a special drink I have in mind for tonight, and you're going to help me make it."

Cutter opened the door to a very posh hotel room for Ovens and Twilight. There was no mistaking that royalty had been kept in mind when designing this room's presentation, but still, they were all impressed.

"Well, now. It looks like my daughter is doing rather well for herself, isn't she?"

Ovens took the joke with surprise and nudged Cutter a bit harder than intended but was trying not to laugh at how right she was.

"Mom! It's not all like that. I mean, sure, doing this herding thing with Twilight has some benefits, but I'm after any of her money or anything."

Cutter chuckled to herself, having found a weak spot to mess with her daughter, but took it on the chin.

"Oh, come now. Can't I be happy for my baby girl moving up in the world? Princess Twilight seems like such a lovely young sugar momma, after all."

Wanting to get in on the fun, Twilight nuzzled in close to Ovens, laying the affection on thicker than frost on one of Pinkie’s cakes.

"Don't you worry, my sweet little bread-maker. Mommy Twilight will take care of you just like Peter and spoil you rotten."

The label was set, and Ovens wasn't going to let them gang up on her. She could play into the role. too.

"Twi~," she cooed, right before making a pouty face. "No cutesy stuff until you get me that golden spatula you promised me."

Ovens had pulled the teeth out of the joke, but Twilight had a quip come to mind.

"Only if you let me spank you with it."

The room went silent. A joke gone too far, and Twilight, now thoroughly embarrassed, pulled back to explain herself.

"It was a joke. I saw it done in a movie. The girl really liked it." Another pause, giving her more time to think about it. "But it wasn't a spatula used on her. I think it was a bone saw."

Another pause from Twilight and company gave her time to think about how much of the movie she could rely on and hopefully salvage this sinking ship of a situation.

Not much, as it turns out.

"Human nurses are weird."

That was Cutter's cue to leave, but not before sharing a thought that randomly came to mind.

"Well, Ovens is due for a good spanking."

More silence.

"You two have fun. I'm sure I'll hear about it later."

The entourage arrived with virtually no fanfare. What they did find was a scene they had anticipated, even if Sunburst urged them to watch upon their entry to the house.

"Hurry up! You gotta see this!"

Trixie stood before her small audience of two, her hat held upside down in one hoof and her other waving slowly above its cavity.

"Now watch in amazement, as The Great and Powerful Trixie! Reaches deep within her hat, far beyond Ponyville! Far beyond the bayous of Ray."

"Ray!" Flurry shouted back in excitement.

Trixie moved her hoof one more time around the brim of the hat before reaching inside and quickly pulling it back out in a grand display of glimmering white flickering lights. In one fluid motion of her swinging foreleg, a cold breeze entered the room, and the flickering lights began to dispense snowflakes while Trixie announced her trick.

"To the cold mountains of the Crystal Empire!"

Flurry sat and giggled while swatting at the falling snowflakes that drifted slowly down over her and the floor. Each speck of white fell and turned to a dimple of dew upon contact. Even Sunburst was blown away by the display.

"Trixie! This is incredible!" He drew a deep breath of the chilled air, only to be further impressed. "It even smells like Crystal Empire."

Proud of her own performance, Trixie topped her hat and bowed, canceling the spell and bowed.

"Thank you. You've both been a lovely audience."

She rose with a confident smile to end her impromptu show.

"It still needs work, not flashy enough, but the real trick is going to be convincing everypony that it doesn't smell like the Crystal Empire air because that's exactly what it is... I've never had to convince ponies to believe in something that's real. Slight-of-hoof and illusions, that's easy. This? Even I'm surprised I pulled it off so well."

With the show over and more humans and ponies walking in, it was time for Trixie to do the polite thing and welcome back the homeowner.

"Welcome back, and thanks for letting me crash here. Also, sorry about the snow. I thought it would be big enough for the two of them, not the whole room."

Having caught only the tail end of the trick, Benny could see the water left behind was minimal to none.

"Yeah~ if you could hold off on any magic that can do water damage to the house in the future, let's err on the side of caution and just not do that."

While they spoke, Flurry, hearing new voices, looked back to see Benny talking with Trixie, followed by a sight that lit the fuse to make her explode in an eruption of joy.

"BIG DOLLY!"

Before anyone could think to check, the Big Dolly, seeking foal/missile, bolted through the air at full speed into Cerb.

"Hurk!"

Struck again, Cerb took the hit like a heavy pillow, quickly wrapping her up in a big hug.

"Hey! There she is! You been a good girl while I was gone?"

Flurry hugged tight and then tugged on his shirt.

"Play! Come play. Big Dolly, play."

After such a long day, Cerb was happy to have this little fluff ball as a distraction. Combined with his two girls attached at his hips, Celestia's harsh words were a distant memory.

"Even better. We're gonna watch some movies. You wanna sit on my lap?"

Cadance hadn't even been shocked by the fact her daughter entirely ignored her. The fact Cerb held Flurry so close and offered his lap for the movie had her questioning some things. Sniff had done something similar with Dinky the first day they met, so maybe this was another variant of his physical love?

Whatever it was, perhaps she could coax her daughter into a trade. So, she leaned in close, making a cutesy mommy face.

"If you would rather play, Sunburst can play with you, and Mommy can sit on Big Dolly's lap."

Flurry's face went cross, and she nearly choked Cerb with her hold around his neck.

"My Dolly."

That settled that matter, but a sudden set of rotating ear twitches on Pinkie, followed by a sudden burst of her Pinkie Senses going on the fritz, left her on edge.

"Oh, my gosh! I need to be somewhere! I'll be right back!"

In typical Pinkie fashion, she bolted off without explanation towards town, leaving a perfect smoke double of herself, which immediately followed after her.

With Pinkie running off, that had Chris wondering about who else wasn't there.

"Hey, uh, shouldn't we invite Kelly and Luna over? I'm sure they could use the mental break after everything."

That was all just more noise for one foal in question.

"Play!"

Somehow, Cerb knew this kid would be a handful if she didn't burn some energy.

"Yeah, they should be here. That should also give me some time to help tire this little rugrat out. Maybe enough to let her sit through a movie."

The good times celebrating the medical successes had quickly spun down to an everyday case of boredom. While it wasn't the fault of any present company, the original expectation of coming together for the event really took a lot of the wind from their sails.

Then again, that meal was more than enough for the resident rainbow-colored Wonderbolt.

"I can't believe those guys let all that legal stuff stop them from hanging out with us. They missed out on one hell of a meal. Why'd they have to head back to Ponyville to work out stuff anyway?"

Lumberman, having eaten his fill, felt they had their fill of Canterlot as well the food.

"That's on them. I say we head back, too. It's Friday, so how about we get a nap in and then start the weekend off right. It's not like we got a lot of shit to do. No one besides me and Apple Hat, at least."

A great offer, but the doctor of the group had other plans.

"I, for one, have some following up to do with our patient. Nurse Redheart, I'd love to have your assistance, but since you're still recovering, I expect you to take it easy so you can come back to work without a limp. There's still much work to do and much more to learn if we are to keep treating these blood-related injuries."

Walking out closer to Lumberman's truck, they spotted three figures that seemed out of place. Two of them were of royalty while the other was, getting grilled, by the looks of things.

The closer they came, the easier it was to see Prince Rutherford and Ember coming down hard on Spike.

"What do you mean Smolder just flew off on a Dragon Quest? It's time for her to go home!"

Rutherford was just as stern as he towered over Spike.

"Yona smart yak! She know I not send her off on diplomatic mission! She already on mission! Mission over! We go home now!"

Another royal problem had somehow developed, and Shining was the most qualified one to deal with it.

"Woah! Woah! Prince Rutherford, Dragon Lord Ember, what's the issue here?"

Already frustrated enough as it was for being late, presumably lied to, as well as missing her youngster tag-along, Ember crossed her arms with a huff.

"Spike ran off with Smolder and Yona, but says that they both claimed to have received their own quest and mission."

Rutherford stomped forward to point his hoof on Spike's head, making similar claims.

"Spike good friend to Yona all times. Now he say Yona lie about mission but not say where mission take Yona. Yak's not want war, but will go to war if Yona not return home."

First and foremost, Shining wasn't going to let any creature put their hooves on Spike, no matter who they were, and pulled the young drake back to his side.

"Now, let's stay calm about this. Spike wouldn't lie about his friends, and he would never lie about something as serious as what other delegates would do or say. I'm also not saying the other two would lie either, but maybe they were lied to."

Quickly connecting a few dots, Becky realized those two weren't the only vanishing acts made recently.

"Uh, guys. Didn't Gallus run off without telling anyone he was supposed to ahead of time?"

That was true, but Rutherford was too focused on his own youngster to let the topic change.

"Gallus sad griffon. Stuck with mean caretaker. He leave because better griffon Gilda not able to take care of him. Yak care about yaks. Yona not run from home."

Also, not wanting to be sidetracked, Ember pointed her staff at Becky in a semi-threatening manner.

"Do not compare the likes of that old geezer Gruff to our dragonkin. If I were Gallus, I'd have left his supervision long ago. Smolder is a respected and appreciated member of our kin. She would not abandon us either."

While she wasn't sure what they both meant about Gruff having anything to do with this, Becky could tell these two missed her point entirely.

"No, you're both completely off base here. I'm saying Gallus ran away because Gruff is an asshole, then I'm pretty sure their mission, or dragon quest, is to save him."

Suddenly, those points started to connect for Spike as well. A runaway griffon didn't seem unlikely at all, and with that information in mind, the destination was obvious to him.

"Uh, I think I know what Becky is getting at, and I don't think Gallus would have flown back to Griffonstone. He doesn't have any family there."

The actions from Gallus had been overlooked by so many, but for two in the present company, those actions had been unreported to them.

"Goddamnit," Lumberman grunted as he reached for his keys.

In the same tone, Applejack groaned, nearing the point of ripping off her stetson to throw it down on the ground and stomp.

"That weaselly little feather-faced... Damn, he tricked us good." She looked up to see a captive audience. "Sorry, y'all. Hop inside Woody's truck. If they're going after Gallus, we know where he is."

After suffering the deception of Discord and Celestia, and lacking the strength to hold a solid form, Harmony was reduced to a disembodied voice of ethereal light. However, she had a plan.

"The world can be recast to follow the Words. Celestia's will has become too strong, I will have to become stronger than before to overcome her. Discord will be another matter. Perhaps time displacement? Take his mind back to before the humans arrived. The same for the others once the humans have achieved their goal. This would be easily done again if Discord was still imprisoned."

With no construct to focus on holding together, her control over her strings was nearly effortless. Far and wide, she spread her influence, whispering thoughts to those she needed to draw near. Exploiting weaknesses, new and old, and even taking advantage of those who had moved ahead due to loose strings sending the wrong signals.

"Yaks are strong, but must be stronger. Must prove self in forest. Fear not matter. Find power in forest. Save home."

"I never should have left the hive. The other creatures will never accept me, but why is he following me? He'll never believe me that I'm not like the others."

"There are riches under the castle. I'll buy my freedom, a new home, and then I can make my own family."

"The young filly that ran into the forest needs help. She was so scared for no reason. She must be in danger. I have to help her."

"If the ponies found their powers in the creepy old forest, then I will find the power us dragons need. Plus, I have Yona helping me, too. We got this in the bag!"

"This is so exciting! But I have to stay hidden. If the Storm King really is planning an attack, I hope my vision is right. It has to be- OH! Is that a bird?"

After searching aimlessly through the veil between worlds, one of the mysterious dark spots over Canterlot began to move. Where it left, two significant creatures appeared to Harmony, and as the dark spot created more distance, clarity returned for observation.

Smolder lay on a small couch, looking over a Power Ponies comic book.

"I guess I lucked out learning how to read. Most dragons can't and don't even have a reason to. And hey, now that Spike is out getting us more sodas, tough-chick to tough-chick, do you think a dragon like me could ever fit in with ponies and yaks other than our little band of losers?"

Yona was lying belly down on the floor, reading through a book of Equestrian history, but took in question without issue. Not to say she agreed with the premise.

"We not losers. Losers are those who not find what they lose. We all find each other, so that makes us not losers. New family. New winners."

Thinking of what all that entailed, Yona turned away from her book to look Smolder in the eyes. There were more thoughts to express with more heartfelt context.

"Smolder... You not always want to admit you nice dragon. You strong, brave. You can fly, have fire breath, and make friends easy even when you pretend not to care. Yona strong too, but... not so brave yet. Yaks can't fly or breathe fire. Even griffons and some ponies fly. Yaks not even get magic, but Yona make friends and new family just like dragons. Dragon fit in more than she think. Forgets to be brave and not be scared of what make her happy."

Those words were touching. Not soft and mushy like Smolder would have expected a pony to say, but they were surprisingly comforting. It was the kind of support she could get behind and reciprocate.

"Thanks, Yona. And don't think that just because you can't fly, or use magic, or even breathe fire that you're not awesome yourself. You walk the line of being confused for a pony and kicking butt like a dragon. I'm glad to have everyone here as my friends, you especially. Heck, together, I think we might be as strong as those humans are someday."

That was it. Harmony found the link they shared and a focus to center them on. It was time to put her strings to work, starting with borrowing a little Ether magic.

"What the?!" Smolder shrieked. "Why am I glowing!"

To answer that question, a ghostly vision of Ember phased into the room in front of them. Standing tall with her scepter, she pointed at Smolder.

"Smolder! Making friends with Yona has proven you worthy. I have a secret Dragon Quest for you."

"Me?!" Smolder yelped just as the request finally hit. "Wait! You're sending me on a dragon quest!"

With a little more focus, another illusion of Rutherford drifted in.

"Yona! You make yaks proud. Make strong ally with dragon friend. Now you join Smolder on secret mission for strong dignitary. Yaks strong, but not strong enough. Go to Everfree Forest with dragon friend. New power must be found to make us strong with humans. Great danger await all creatures."

The illusion of Ember faded slightly but quickly drew back strong enough to make her demands.

"The same goes for you, Smolder. This quest cannot be completed alone. You will find more help in the forest. You are the only dragon that can be trusted to find the new power we need to save our Dragon Lands, but tell no creature of this. You two must go alone. It is imperative that you keep this a secret. Do you accept?"

Thoroughly energized, Smolder jumped off the couch with a gleeful smile and closed fist over her chest.

"You bet I do!"

Equally enthused, Yona quickly stood up, mimicking the same pose.

"Yona accept secret mission! Humans and dragon’s great new friends! Yona, I mean, we make sure all be strong together!"

No sooner did they accept their missions, the door opened wide, sending the illusions off like dust in the wind.

"Hey guys!" Spike shouted into the room. "I got the sodas, but we should probably get gooooh... Uh... Smolder? Why are you glowing?"

The glowing softly faded away, apparently, a sign that she was released to do what was needed. All the more reason for her to be excited as she was anxious to go.

"Spike! Oh, my gosh! You aren't going to believe this! I have my very own Dragon Quest! Yona and I- Oof!"

A quick elbow to the gut from Yona silenced her friend as a reminder of their orders.

"Shh," she hushed to Smolder. "No creature is to know. Must hurry."

Smolder rubbed her stomach, now knowing just how hard a yak could hit, though that left her more impressed than hurt.

"Ow, yeah. Okay, I remember. My bad. But yeah! Spike, me and Yona gotta go! No time to explain!"

The two raced for the door, not even bothering to grab a soda for the road. Only one final apology from Yona as she reached the door.

"Thank you, Spike! We drink later! Super secret dignitary mission. Explain to you later when we stronger!"

With no further information rendered, the door closed, leaving Spike alone with two arms full of cold sodas, and a head full of questions.

"Dragon Quest? Secret dignitary mission? Why wasn't I invited?"

Her mission accomplished, Harmony took a moment to recover. Even without having to focus on a construct, flexing that much power at once had proven more challenging than expected.

"Thirty percent is not sufficient for two illusions. And whatever that brought that disruption in, it completely nullified my spells. I'll have to focus on the others individually when I can. Especially while interacting with so many others. But there was something else there. Some corrupted magic was affecting my power, not at all unlike what dispelled my magic."

Her vision came to rest upon an easy target. One she had lost track of for much of the time spent in his new location. However, now that he was alone, her strings could again enact her influence upon the unexpecting griffon still picking apples.

Having kept track of Gallus's guardian, this manipulation would be maliciously easy.

Gallus fluttered from one tree limb to the next, scouting for the best apples to pluck from their stems.

"You look like a good one."

Snap! The healthy branch cracked as he plucked the ruby-colored fruit, then in a small basket it went.

For Harmony, another illusion would be needed. Thankfully, there didn't appear to be nearly as much interference with her magic. Had her target been in the house, that would have been a different story because now she could deliver a more convincing appearance.

"There you are!" Gruff's voice snarled.

Stunned, Gallus nearly fell out of the air from fright, almost dropping his basket. Unsurprisingly, he never lost grip of his bounty. However, the basket felt heavier. Now, it was filled with disgust and vile hatred.

"Yeah, here I am. What about it."

The illusion of Gruff was impeccably convincing. Even the crushing of grass was aggravating to the bone.

"Coning the ponies out of some coin? I hear they have plenty."

Gallus would meet his guardian at his level and descend to the ground, ready to fight if this was going down.

"No. I'm a big bird now. I asked the Apples if I could work here until I had to go home. Big surprise, since they were any creature other than you, they agreed to help me."

Despite his acts of defiance, Gallus wore his emotions on his sleeves, making it clear how to press his buttons.

"Caw! Big whoop. I hope they got what they paid for, and by that, I mean I hope they didn't pay you at all. Now, come on. It's time to go home."

"No," Gallus coldly answered. "I can take care of myself. I have a job, and soon I'll save up enough to have my own house, and I'll share it with my new family."

Callous laughter erupted from the old bird until gasping and hacking as if he was choking on coal dust.

"CAW! Ha!" He laughed one final time before glaring angrily. "Are you still a hatchling or just dense? Buying a house? After how many years of picking apples? These Apple farmers sell more acres of apples than you got brains, and they still only have one house that's busted! And since you can't think, you never stopped to think what kingdom you belong to, let alone a plan on how to make it on your own. You know how serious the charges are for chick-napping?"

Insults on top of blackmail? Gallus didn't even change face over the threat.

"I'm not a little chick anymore, and they didn't take me in by force. I asked them if I could stay here until I had to go home. The plan was that since you never cared about me, you'd never make me come back."

This wasn't exactly the attitude Harmony was expecting. He should have folded by now. Instead, he was remaining defiant?

Regardless, it was only one small hiccup. She could work with this; she had crafted Gruff into a spiteful old bird. Gallus, however, had found others to value earlier than expected. That just meant she had to change the incentive.

"Tell you what, runt. I don't care to put up the coin to file for your extradition, and you don't want to come home, so let's make a deal."

Bribery, extortion, blackmail, and just being an all-around jerk, that was expected. Making a deal, however, there had to be a catch. Even so, Gallus, by now, was desperate enough to at least hear him out.

"What kind of deal?"

A grin only a villain could make slowly grew across the old bird's beak, growing wider with every inch his wing raised towards the forest.

"Deep in the Everfree Forest lies the long-abandoned Castle of the Two Sisters. Within it’s catacombs lies a treasure. Find it, and there will be enough to share and solve both our problems."

At the moment, Gallus wanted to just tell the old bird off, but it was true that he didn't exactly think things through. It would take ages to save up for a house.

If there was treasure, as he was told, then he'd be free to do as he wished and be done with Gruff for good.

Really, at this point, what other options did he have?

"If I do this, we split it seventy-five, twenty-five. Since I'm doing all the work."

The smile grew again on Gruff. Rather unbecoming of him, especially since Gallus didn’t know he even could smile, but the deal was made.

"Be off with ya. I don't have all day."

Determined, Gallus had his new goal. He dropped the basket, letting the apples spill to the ground. Then, without another word, he flew off towards the forest.

Once out of sight, the illusion of Gruff dissipated into flickering lights, drawn into a shard of crystal that peeked out from the ground. The crushed grass returned to normal, as they had never been touched at all.

The light from Harmony dimmed, and some of the strings faltered. Whispers half-finished snapped under the strain, leaving Harmony in even worse shape than before.

"This is becoming too much. I'm not receiving the same flow of Harmony from the bearers. Even my connection with Celestia and Luna is gone."

Despite the deity's shortcomings, her vision fell upon the next target as well as another fortunate enough to be close by.

"I must conserve my power for these two."

A young Earth pony colt, his coat a soft pear-colored green, while his lazy beach-bum styled mane and tail were a mix of light and neutral turquoise, was taking a stroll by the local pond. On his flank were three turtles. One large enough to be an adult and two others small enough to be considered its young.

All he had with him was a small nap sack slung around his neck and a smile big enough to brighten anyone's day.

“Oh, yeah. Summer’s just around the corner, then splash~, beach season.”

The pond was empty, save for one young filly sitting alone by the water’s edge. A yellow coat and similar light torques main and tail, and a ladybug for a cutie mark.

Now, while Ponyville had a fair amount of ponies, properly living up to its namesake, he'd never seen this young mare before. Logic dictated that she must be new to town.

“Hey there, new face. Haven’t seen you around here before?”

The young filly recoiled at the sound of his voice. Overly shy or just simply frightened, she scurried closer to the water, away from the approaching colt.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

The young colt laughed at such a ridiculous claim.

“Pft! What? This is a public pond. Any pony can come here. You must be really new here. What’s your name?”

Still cautious, the filly froze. From appearance alone, she looked as if she was ready to run, though something was holding her back. A quick search of the surroundings showed no hindrance to her escape.

In the end, her eyes landed between her cutie mark and the pond.

“Osc— Um… Water Bug?”

“Water Bug?” The colt jested. “You sure about that?”

If that was a joke, the filly took more like a threat.

“I’m sorry… I—”

This was harsh to watch, but the colt couldn't help the thought that he needed to make this frightening mess of a mare feel more welcomed.

Was he always this outgoing?

“Name’s Sandbar. I come here a lot in the summertime. Heck, I practically live here once I’m done with home school.”

Getting a better look, this ‘Water Bug’ had a pair of incredibly sad droopy eyes. Sure, she looked shy, but with nothing keeping her there, she looked more alone than anything.

“Say, uh… Just how new are you to Ponyville? Did you just move here or are you just visiting?”

After some nervous fidgeting, she finally answered.

"I'm just passing through… I think? I left my home a while ago, and I'm not even sure why. I mean, sure, I was hungry, but we were all hungry. I guess someone else decided to venture out as well, and I was following them, but then I lost track of him and… I thought I could find somepony here."

Without even thinking about it, Sandbar took a seat in the grass and removed his nap sack.

"You must still be hungry. If you like, my mom packed me a nap sack in case I got hungry. We can share it together if you like."

Food wasn't exactly on this filly's mind, but the offer struck her as peculiar.

"You'd share your lunch with me?"

Compassionate as always, Sandbar never dropped his smile, finding it odd that such a concept would be questioned. If anything, it made him wonder where she came from if such a friendly gesture was so hard to believe.

“Well, yeah. Sharing food is a great way to make new friends. That’s what Princess Twilight would do.”

Now, there was a name that struck fear into the little filly.

“Princess Twilight? Is she here?”

Not picking up on the alarm this new would-be friend was giving off, Sandbar started to lay out his spread.

“Not right now. Princess Twilight had some delegation in Canterlot to attend to. Her and all the other Elements of Harmony and the humans went there. I’m sure she’ll be back sooner or later. Now, come on. I got some peanut butter and hay sandwiches, some carrots, an apple, and even a cupcake. What do you want?”

Like a starved, hungry animal, the young mare stepped closer. The unfamiliar scents were, if anything, astonishing.

“I’ve never had any of those things before. Are you sure it’s okay?”

If not a friendly offer, there was a sense of pride or bragging rights to impressing a cute mare over the most simple of things, like a sack lunch.

“Normally, lunch starts with a sandwich. Here, try it out.”

This was going to be a new experience. Peanut butter? The mare wondered how it would taste.

Dirty? Moldy? Hot? Water wouldn’t be so bad.

She raised the sandwich, finding it was soft. So soft she nearly crushed it in her hooves, but now that it was so close, its sweetness overwhelmed her senses. She couldn’t resist and hungrily bit into the gifted meal.

It was sweet. It had to be. There was no other word to describe it.

“Mmmm! It’s so Good! Thank you!”

Watching this filly eat was impressive. What else could Sandbar think other than she must be a runaway? Escaping some horrid place where a simple sandwich had been denied to her. She must need a lot of help, especially if she was so hungry that—

“Can I have the other sandwich?! I don’t think one was enough!”

—she ate her entire sandwich before he could even pick his up. Of course, since she did, he’d make sure she was good and fed before attempting anything else. There was also the off chance that she was yet another lone survivor that had lost her family.

“Uh, sure. But you might want to slow down for this one and actually taste it, or, you know… chew it?”

A valid attempt of eating slowly was given, and by the time she ate her way through the second sandwich, all the carrots, and the apple, she had filled up enough that she could limit the enthusiasm needed to savor the cupcake.

“Oh, my gosh. Sandbar, how often do you get to feed like this? I’ve never felt this full before.”

This poor mare. The concept of a full mealns was so foreign to her she didn’t know the proper words for it.

“Oh, well, you know. We wake up in the morning and have breakfast. Around noon time we have lunch. Then before bedtime, we have dinner.”

The young filly took extra care to bite only a portion of the frosting, taking in all the flavor it gave along with what Sandbar explained.

“Mmm. So this is a lunch? Ponyville lunch feedings are the best.”

Well, that line of logic was easy to follow and Sandbar felt just the tiniest bit ashamed that he didn’t properly explain himself better.

“Actually~ that wasn’t my lunch… That was just a snack my mom threw together for me in case I got hungry before dinner.”

This filly was dumbfounded, and her slacked jaw said as much.

“This… This is a snack for ponies- I mean, uh. You know. For ponies like you. That live here in Ponyville? I've never had a full meal, and your snacks are this big? I can't image what a real lunch looks like. And the other meals, too!"

Okay, now it was painfully clear that this filly needed help.

"Hey, Water Bug? Do your parents know where you are?"

Another question that seemed alien to her.

"My parents?"

Sandbar could tell that her reasoning if they knew where she was but of what parents were. Now he had no reason to believe that she was anything other than a foal who lost her family.

"I'm sorry, that must be a painful question to ask. Don't worry about answering. How about I take you to the Mayor's office? I'm sure she and the Princess can help you out?"

Instantly, the filly's expression dropped from confusion to fear. She knew the Princess would be a danger to be around, but a voice inside her head exacerbated her worries.

"They'll find out who I am. What I am. They'll never accept me. I need to run away. I can hide in the forest."

Those thoughts came out of nowhere, but they felt so genuine, even after how kind this pony was. How could she think he would ever accept her?

She couldn't.

"N-No. I can't. Just stay back. I'll find who I'm looking for on my own."

Her panic seemed justified but unnatural. This point was helping her. A complete stranger, and yet, her mind fought against her. She was already running away. Away towards the tree line.

For Sandbar, he was blindsided by her complete one-eighty. And she was running towards the Everfree Forest of all places.

"Hey! Wait! Don't go that way! It's dangerous!"

Somepony had to stop her, but he was the only pony nearby. It had to be him, and he took off in hot pursuit.

"Water Bug! Come back!"

After that last performance, Harmony felt a fair amount of pride in her work, or at least her own equivalent of it. There was so little effort needed to guide those two. All Sandbar needed was the urge to check out the beach. The other, her shyness, wasn't enough to stop her from trusting the helpful Earth pony. Only a subtle whisper of fear and doubt kept her on course.

Now, though, her view centered on possibly her most challenging targets. Not of those she needed to guide closer, but those who needed to be kept at bay.

However, the strain was proving to be too much. Even with the rest she had given herself, there were too many moving pieces. The thoughts and emotions were too passionate and devoted to fear.

Her remaining power was lower than expected, but perhaps none of that mattered. She would hold them off as long as possible, but the threads that carried her whispers were faltering.

In the end, the final target she needed had already escaped. The further target away had been the first one she singled out, flying closer to the desired destination.

Creatures that looked like the top half of a pony and the lower half of a fish swarmed in groups. Heavily armored patrols crowded the waterways, looking around every corner, the narrowest of passage ways. They were on the hunt for someone.

One of these creatures, colored in deep sea lavender, heavily clad in armor of high rank, returned to a large, watery throne room.

"My Queen. There is still no sign of her, and I apologize if I sound irrational or disloyal, but I believe your daughter has not been completely honest with us."

From the shadows, another of these aquatic dwellers came into the light. A beautiful pearl white and adorned with fins that displayed her royalty in lavish violet colors.

"General Seaspray, I have spoken to Skystar and I trust her not to have allowed Silverstream to damage the Pearl of Transformation. We all know how important it is to our survival of the hippogryphs. Even if she did have easy access after the false alarm today, keep search—"

In mid-sentence, her thoughts slipped. An entire day's worth of confidence had suddenly returned to doubt. Doubt that became fear. Fear that became anger. Anger that became words.

"SKYSTAR! GET IN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Another hippogryph, yellow all over and blue fins, minus a pair of red ones on her back, drifted down.

"Yes, mom? I'm here."

"You will not address me as mom or mother," the queen demanded, causing her daughter to flinch. "Right now, I am Queen Novo and no hippogryph else. Now, you told us there was an attack on its way, and we vacated the room to go out and protect our kind, but you were here the whole time. When we came back, you said she snuck in and never noticed the shard of pearl that was taken. Now I can't help but to think—"

"Mother, I’m sorry!" Skystar shouted. "I gave her the shared! I had to! We both had the same vision! She saw it, too!"

Novo was about to scold her daughter once again but stopped.

"Vision? What vision? A vision of the Storm King?"

With desperation weeping in her eyes, Skystar threw herself to the ocean floor, begging for forgiveness.

"I was so scared! He finds us! Freezes the ocean around us! Binds us all in chains! But then, in the vision, you were crying! Trapped in ice! Telling me you should have sent Silverstream to find the power of the Elements! A rainbow… magic… I don’t know! But Silverstream saw what I did. She knew things I hadn't told her."

The fear she had convinced herself to ignore had returned. She was now terrified of what she had done.

"I wanted to tell you," she wept, her words nearly unintelligible. "But I was so scared you wouldn't believe me."

Novo looked down at her daughter, scared, sad, and disappointed. At least until Skystar's final words of remorse were uttered through her trembling voice.

"I don't know what an Everfree Forest or alicorns are."

Those were two things only very few hippogryphs had been given the privilege to know of. Skystar was not one of them, and now Novo knew danger was a real concern.

"General! Grab two of your best guards to accompany us. Then, find five more to guard Skystar. Let the citizens all know that Seaquestria is going into lockdown until I return."

Seaspray saluted but stopped before moving out to carry out his orders. Something was off.

"Queen Novo, if five guards are needed for Skystar, what are the other two for?"

Becoming a mother, as well as a queen, Nov returned to her throne with Skystar crying in her embrace.

"I'm not returning to the surface alone."

The glowing lights of Harmony flickered and dimmed. Around her, views of ponies and other creatures phased out. Only six remained open for her to focus on.

"It is done. All the players are in their places, the path clear, every obstacle they are sure to overcome. Now go, my young ones. Face your fears, defeat your doubts. When you find each other, you will find your unity."

Two more windows to view the outside world opened up. One showed twisting black vines digging up from far below her roots. The other window revealed twirling and swirling blackness pressing upon the barrier she upheld.

"At full strength, I could likely hold the darkness off for five years. Now... For now, all rests on these young six before I can find my ten special humans."

The views of vines and the invading darkness faded out as they both would be held at bay. Harmony needed to save her strength.

"The Words will guide me, and all will play their part, or all their sacrifices will be for not."

Funny how even when the world is ending, some people just keep on going about their business because they have no idea what's going on, yet others are forced to deal with it.

Anyway, given the late upload, I'll probably do a better run-down next chapter when things really start turning up the heat.