Rainbow Dash lazed about on the soft white of a small cloud. The bright sun above kept her warm and she often found herself dozing in and out of sleep as she rested. The occasional winged shadow would pass over her, but only briefly as the pegasus would continue with their work.

The storm had begun to calm down some time ago, its wild lightning strikes and heavy wind were difficult to reign in. Yawning loudly, Rainbow stretched her limbs as she settled in. With the bulk of the work finished, all that was left was to wait for the dark clouds to dissipate and she would be free to head home and relax. She wondered idly if she would have time later to get in some stunt practice, it had been a few days since her last training session. Oh, she could swing by and pick up the squirt after school! The little filly hadn’t really been around much lately, so it would be great to spend some quality time with her number one fan. Grinning widely, Rainbow’s eyes slowly drifted shut, the warm sun and softness of the cloud beneath her leading to a restful nap.

Thunder erupted from beneath her, sudden and startling. With a yelp of surprise, Rainbow leaped into the air and hovered as she stared down in worry. The other pegasi came to a halt alongside her, watching the clouds with trepidation.

“Do you think it’s gonna start up again?” Flitter asked worriedly as she and her twin sister Cloud Chaser floated closer together. The other pegasi murmured amongst themselves, concern and annoyance prevalent among them.

‘That… didn’t sound like any thunder I’ve ever heard…’ Rainbow watched the clouds below intensely, waiting to see even the smallest hint of an electrical current in the looming cumulonimbus, but nothing came. Turning to the nearest team member, she swatted him across the flank with her tail, she ignored his look of irritation.

“Did you see any lightning?” He shook his head before going back to watching the clouds. Looking at the other pegasi, she tried again.

“Did anypony see lightning?” Her voice carried over to them, every team member giving signs of a negative. A cold sweat started to form at her brow as she looked back down. That was definitely not thunder… but it most definitely sounded familiar…

‘No… no, not again…’ Drifting towards the clouds, Rainbow tentatively landed on the wild storm’s surface. Cautiously pushing at key points so as to not set off anything dangerous, Rainbow managed to make a single hole in the clouds, revealing the dark grey landscape beneath. Her eyes widened and her heart leaped into her throat as she spotted what looked like a collapsed home, a cloud of dust and debris slowly floating into the air. She knew that home, it was Scootaloo’s!

With a hard flap of her wings, Rainbow flew through the gap in the clouds as pegasi landed back at the opening, peering down after her in curiosity.

Rarity hummed to an imaginary tune as she worked, a serene smile on her face. A mass of cloth, scissors, measuring tapes and more swirled above her as she brought her workspace to life.

“Oh, I simply cannot wait for Dimmed Star to see this! Once she’s in this dress and sees how hard I worked to make it just perfect, she’ll have to forgive me!” Twirling in place, she beamed brightly, bringing together the fabric over a nearby effigy. Her tongue appeared from the corner of her mouth as she leaned in close, her glasses adjusting with the light of her light blue aura. Folding the fabric over, she began placing pins to hold it in place as she measured other portions.

“When I’m done with this, she’ll be so taken in that she’ll bounce right back to her old self! I just know it!” Ignoring the rumble of what sounded like thunder in the background, she continued to hum her musical ingenuity.

The lights in her home flickered weakly as the building trembled momentarily. Blinking in confusion, the objects in the air slowly dropped back onto a nearby desk, the blue aura disappearing as her horn’s magic faded.

“What in Equestria? I swear if Spike has gone on another greed rampage…” Grumbling at having her work interrupted, Rarity stepped up to a nearby window. Her workroom was on the second floor of the home, above her shop. She could easily see over most of the smaller houses as hers had been designed not only to catch the eye with its unique design but also to be seen from a distance. Swiping the bright purple curtains to the side, Rarity froze at the sight that greeted her. A great cloud of dust and debris drifted above a row of nearby houses.

“Oh my goodness!” The concern in her voice was immediate, the alabaster mare turning to hightail it out of the room and down the stairs that lead to the open floor of her shop. Stopping only to done a white raincoat, her cutie mark and shop logo embroidered on the side. It was lucky that Sweetie Belle was at school right now, she’d hate for the little filly to see somepony get hurt in this mess.

Applejack watched the stallion across from her carefully, her eyes sharp as she took in everything about him from the bead of sweat on his brow, to the nervous gulp that he tried to hide. Big Macintosh glared back just as sternly, his mouth dry as he found himself backed into a corner. This was his only chance, and he’d be darned if he would lose to her again! The sound of granny’s rocker creaking in the corner of the room seemed to almost mock him.

“Do y’all... have any twos?” His voice cracked with nervousness. The grin that split his sister’s face was all he needed to know and he groaned his defeat.

“Nnnope! Go fishin’ Big Mac. Mah turn, y’all got any eights?” With a sigh, the large stallion tossed over all but one of his cards, the single two of hearts that he’d been holding onto since the round had begun. Granny Smith chuckled as Applejack hollered in victory.

“Whoo-doggy, tha’ settles it! Y’all get to wash the pigs tomorrow an' ah get the day off!” Big Mac slumped over, his chin resting on the coffee table while he grumbled his protest.

“Now don’ y’all go bein’ a sore loser, Macintosh. Y’all knew what ya were in fer before you made tha' there deal.” Granny Smith called out the stallion, causing him to sit up straighter as he looked to her in defeat, before nodding in agreement.

“Yes, ma’am.” Applejack’s grin never left her cheeks as she trotted over to her brother and clapped a hoof on his withers.

“Don’ y’all worry none, Big Mac. I ain’t gonna jus’ let ya do all the chores by yourself. Ah got some caramel candies ah can use to bribe AB and her friends with.” Big Mac only shook his head with a chuckle.

“Nnnope. Ah lost AJ, fair an’ square. Let Bloom an’ her friends be.” Granny Smith smiled proudly at her grandson, Applejack only squeezing his shoulder with a grin.

“Alright then, ya stubborn colt. Heh heh.” Stepping away from him, she began to pack away the playing cards, before a cough caught both of their attention. Granny Smith slowly rose from her chair, limping towards them with a smirk playing on her lips as she approached.

“How’s abou' we make it more interestin’? You an’ me, winner takes all of Big Mac’s chores startin’ the day after tomorrow, up til the end of the week.” Now it was Applejack’s turn to pale as Big Mac snickered across from her. Raising a brow at her granddaughter, Granny Smith waited for her response. Looking to her brother for help, the stallion jumped to his hooves and quickly left the room.

‘Traitor!’ Applejack called after him in her mind, glaring in his direction. A hard knock on the coffee table pulled her back to her Granny, who stared back with a no-nonsense gaze as she took the seat where Big Mac had been.

“Uh…” A grating thunder echoed in the distance, causing Winona to start barking up a storm of her own.

“Y’all keep it down in there!” Granny Smith called out, quieting the hound and returning their home to silence, only for the hurried thuds of Big Mac to come rushing back into the room, a concerned look in his eyes.

“Hey sis, y’all might wanna come take a look at this.” Glancing between one another, Applejack and Granny Smith both rose from the table and made their way into the kitchen, looking out the window as Big Mac directed them. In mere moments the home became a flurry of motion. Applejack rushing to the coat hangers as she tossed a raincoat to Big Mac, who had just grabbed a dark brown leash from under a cupboard in the hall.

“Don’t forget the wagon!” Granny Smith called as she brought a bag filled with supplies. Winona ran around Big Mac dodging his attempts to grab ahold of her as he whistled for her to sit. Her tail was tucked between her legs and she whimpered as she shied away from him, before he finally managed to corner her, tying the leash to her collar. He looked to the small hound worriedly as he pulled her along, the canine struggling against the leash.

“Y’all have been keeping up on her training, right!?” He called out to his sister as she took the bag from their granny and stuffed it into a saddlebag.

“Yea, now come on already!” Granny Smith was waiting in the hall as the two farmers rushed past her, Winona having to be carried out by the scruff of her neck as they pushed through the open screen door.

“Y’all be careful out there!” She hollered after them, eyes squinting at the shadow of dust beyond.

Fluttershy rested softly on the sofa in her living room, a large book nestled in her hooves and a bright blue comforter draped itself around her frame. Smiling sweetly as she leaned against a cushion, the various animals that surrounded her listened intently.

“-When the sun rose high over the hill, beautiful flowers bloomed across the entire field, filling it with wonderful colors! The scary clouds had gone away, but the much-needed water that they had provided the night before gave life to the dry land as all the animals, big and small, emerged from their homes to face a new day.” Angel Bunny rolled his eyes at the story, looking bored as he sat curled up next to his owner. The other animals were enthralled by the mare’s storytelling, but he couldn’t have cared less, after all, it wasn’t the story he’d suggested in the first place. Crossing his forepaws, the little rabbit simmered as he looked over longingly at the small red book, a family of picturesque bunnies frolicking on the cover.

A soft thunder rumbled from outside of the small cottage, the reaction was immediate as every animal within began to panic and rush to safety. Many of the smaller creatures were able to find shelter within the many small homes and holes that were designed for them, while the medium to large animals made do with whatever they could find. Although she was shaking herself, Fluttershy quickly sought to placate them. The small rabbit that had been resting within the covers with her was the only one not trying to hide, his stance alert and defensive instead as his ears faced the direction of the sound, listening intently.

“Shhh, shhh, i-it’s okay little ones, it’s j-just the storm outside. Just like in the story, the rain clouds are working to keep the land beautiful and full of life.” Angel looked to the mare incredulously, before shaking his head and hopping from the couch. Turning to see her closest animal friend bouncing away, Fluttershy watched him curiously.

“Is everything okay Angel?” The rabbit ignored her question as he jumped up to the edge of the window by the door, pushing open the wooden frame, the other animals quickly voicing their displeasure at this by whimpering and trying to hide further.

“Oh no! You shouldn’t be doing that Angel, you’ll let the rain and cold in!” Pushing out from beneath the warm embrace of her comforter, Fluttershy quickly flapped her wings and hovered over to the window, reaching to pull it closed. As her hoof gripped the edge, Angel hopped up and swatted at her leg, causing her to pull back in surprise and shock.

“Angel Bunny! That wasn’t a very nice thing to do, I thought we had gotten over you hitting ponies to get their attention? A simple tap will always be the better choice.” Looking her dead in the eyes, Angel slapped a paw to his face in irritation, before pointing back out the window. Her brow creasing in confusion, the animal-caretaker stepped closer to the window and followed his outstretched limb, the animals behind her coming up for a better look as well.

“Oh? Is there something you want me to see- Oh my!” Her ears lay back in worry as she spotted the cloud of dust in the distance over Ponyville, her concern about the storm evaporating. Though she lived on the town’s outskirts, much like the Apple family, she had settled in her small home on the top of a small hill to prevent it from flooding. The cloud looked small from this distance but comparing it to the surrounding structures assured her that it was much larger than it appeared. Biting her lip in concern, she turned to see her animal friends looking at her with worry, several shaking their heads at her.

“I know, I know. It’s very thoughtful for you all to be worried about me, but I have to go, somepony could have gotten hurt and I just know the other girls will be there.” Lifting above them with a flap of her wings, she took to the nearby cabinets and began packing medical supplies. A few squirrels and birds assisted her as they came up with bandages and ointments for her to pack. Angel watched her with concern, fear gripping him as he looked back to the cloud of debris… something didn’t feel right. Determination overtaking him, he pulled the window closed and hopped onto the back of a nearby flamingo, startling it for a moment before he continued on his way, bouncing from one mammal to the next.

Landing on the shoulder of the largest creature in the room, Harry the bear looked to Angel as the small bunny began to make waving motions at the door behind them. Getting the idea, Harry nodded and moved to stand in front of it just as Fluttershy finished her packing, Angel now standing on the bear’s shoulder with his forepaws crossed.

“Okay, I think I’ve got everything we’ll need, so-” Fluttershy had not been watching where she flew as she flitted towards the door, bags across her back and waving to the animals behind her. Her sudden collision with something large and furred was not something she had been expecting, much less the soft yet firm grip of the bear’s arms as they closed around her, hugging her in place.

“H-Harry? What are you doing?” Looking up to the bear’s face, he shook his head with a small rumble of his voice, Angel making sure to tap the bear’s shoulder with his foot and catching her attention, giving his own disapproving look.

“Now now you two, don’t be like that. I have to go, my friends need me, and what if some poor critter is hurt? How would you feel if I couldn’t come to help you when you needed me too?” Harry grumbled at her, refusing to move.

“Harry…” The tone of the mare’s voice changed, now more akin to a mother scolding their foal. Cringing away, Harry’s features turned sorrowful as he released her and reluctantly stepped aside. Angel was not so easily swayed, however, looking to the bear and squeaking at him, gripping the fur on Harry’s shoulder as he tried in a vain attempt to pull the bear back in front of the door. Floating up to the distraught rabbit, Fluttershy smiled softly at him as he looked over to her, worry evident in his eyes.

“It’ll be alright Angel, I’ll be back before you know it and then we can finish the story, how does that sound?” Angel squeaked back to her in protest, hopping up and down as he waved his forelegs at her. Taking no notice of the bunny’s antics, or simply choosing to ignore them, the bright yellow pegasus pushed through the door to her home and began flying towards town. As the door closed behind her, Angel watched her go with silent trepidation.

Spike slumbered quietly as his head lay upon his desk, the smallest bit of drool leaking from the side of his mouth. Applebloom snickered softly at him, a light blush dusting her cheeks, while Sweetie Belle glanced to the two of them for a moment before turning to look at the clock again. The small hand on the timepiece ticked by slowly, each second seeming to last a lifetime.

“I’m really starting to get worried, Miss Cheerilee’s been gone for so long…” Applebloom’s ears perked at this, looking to see the time as well.

“Ah’m sure she’s fine Sweetie. She probably jus’ got held up or somethin’.” A sharp shushing noise from behind caused them both to turn and find another young filly, her coat a light cream with a fuzzy red mane and tail. Twist watched them disapprovingly as she used a hoof to straighten her thick purple glasses.

“You guys need to focus! She could be back any minute and we have to get our work done.” Applebloom raised a brow at this, turning to see that most of the class was either taking naps or whispering to each other. Their workbooks were all closed with the exception of a few of the foals that were having trouble and seeking assistance from their neighbors.

“Ah think we’re all jus’ ‘bout done with the work, Twist. There ain’t really anythin’ left to do.” Twist looked back to her friend, ready to fire a retort, only for her voice to fail her as she came up with nothing to counter the farmer.

“I don’t think Miss Cheerilee would mind us talking with all of our work done, it’s not like we’re doing anything wrong, right?” Sweetie Belle chimed in, looking between the two fillies. Crossing her hooves, Twist seemed to contemplate the argument.

“Maybe not, but we aren’t supposed to be talking class, it’s the first rule on the list!” Pointed a hoof to the large sign next to the chalkboard.

“But… yer’ talkin’ right now ain’t ya?” Blinking owlishly, Twist blushed as she turned away from Applebloom’s smirk, hiding her face within the workbook in embarrassment. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom giggled to one another before a roaring thunder overtook the whispers of the class. Fillies and colts alike screamed in fear, friends grabbing and holding onto one another while others dove beneath their desks.

Reptilian eyes snapped open, shimmering like vibrant emeralds in the dim light. Rocketing from his desk, Spike stared out of the window intently, his gaze searching.

“S-Spike! Yo-you need to get back in your s-seat!” Twist called out, despite that she was currently huddled beneath her own, workbook clutched close to her chest. Applebloom trotted over to him, Sweetie Belle nervously attached to her side as they approached.

“What is it, Spike? It’s jus’ the storm, nothin’ we ain’t heard before.” She looked out the window curiously, watching the small bits of rain that splashed against the pane. Shaking his head, Spike stepped away ran towards the door, grabbing his raincoat and bag as he went.

“That wasn’t the storm!” He spoke, his voice certain, but tinged with worry. The two crusaders watched him wrench the door open and sprint out into the rain.

“Hey, wait! Spike, you can’t leave!” Twist tried calling as she ran up to the open door, stopping at the frame and watching him go. She suddenly found herself being spun in place as two more figures sprinted out past her, making her dizzy for a moment before she saw who it had been.

“A-Applebloom!? Sweetie!?” Both fillies continued their chase, hot on the dragon’s heels.

Dust filled the air as the collapsed and broken building began to settle, the once silent street echoing the remnants of crashing wood and stone. The soft rain pelting against the debris slowed even more, before finally coming to a stop altogether. Suddenly, the sound of somepony coughing broke through the air, the shifting of wood disturbing the still monument that had once been a home.

Shoving the last of the debris that had collapsed off of himself, Brutus emerged. His upper body was coated in blood and wounds, large gashes that dripped copious amounts of his blood as he crawled through the remnants of his house. Coughing once more, blood poured from his lips as he struggled to move, shaking limbs working in tandem to pull him free, despite the immense pain.

‘I’m alive, I’m ALIVE!’ His wild eyes were focused on the road ahead of him, adrenaline pumping through what little blood remained in his system. The last image he’d seen before the building had come down was the back of that monster’s throat, razor-sharp teeth closing around him. How it hadn’t killed him in that instant, he would never know or would he care. He was alive and that was all that mattered to him. The sound of flapping wings drew his eyes up, spotting the shadow of a pegasus through the cloud of dirt and dust.

“Squirt!” Rainbow Dash flew through the dust, eyes searching as her heart raced. The cloud of debris made it difficult to see beneath her, but she could just make out the different parts of the home. Skipping past the majority of it, she hovered over the section that she knew had been where the filly’s bedroom was, landing on an outstretched plank of wood.

“Squirt, if you can hear me, hang on!” Diving into the mound of wood and stone, she began pushing the largest pieces she could out of the way, checking every feasible spot that she could reach. Her eyes began to well up with tears as she continued to search with no sign of her number one fan.

“Hello! Is anypony hurt!” A voice called out, catching her attention. Turning to look behind her, the dim blue light of a familiar magical aura shined through the dusty air.

“Rarity! Over here, I could use a hoof!” The lighted glowed brighter as it came closer, the frame of its owner finally coming into view.

“Rainbow? What in Equestria happened here!?” Finally making her way through the worst of it, Rarity carefully trotted around the wreckage until she was next to her feathered friend. The weather mare shook her head as she went back to her search.

“I don’t know, but can you use your magic to help me? I can’t find Scootaloo!” Rarity’s attention snapped back to the mare, concern in her features.

“Darling, wouldn’t she be at the schoolhouse right about now?” Rainbow Dash froze suddenly, dropping the piece of the foundation she had been struggling to move. Relief flooded the mare’s system as she slumped down, her racing heart slowly coming down.

“Oh thank Celestia…” It made sense if she thought about it. The filly would have been at school ages ago, which would be why she couldn’t find her anywhere in this mess. Rarity stepped up beside the mare, placing a hoof on her whithers in comfort. The two of them sat in silence as Rainbow wiped the unshed tears from her eyes, thankful that Rarity hadn’t said anything about them.

“There now, feeling a bit better?” Nodding thankfully, Rainbow looked across the destroyed home as a whole, her brows creasing.

“Scootaloo might be at school, but we need to keep searching, her parents could still here somewhere.” Rising back to her hooves, she lifted from the ground and began to hover over the debris, speeding up the pace of her wings as she fought to blow away the mass cloud of dust. Rarity covered her eyes as the rush of wind blew the dirt around her. It took several minutes of flapping her wings to even make a dent in the cloud, the wind left over from the calming storm fighting against her.

“Hey now, stop blowin’ it this way!” A country drawl caught their attention, causing Rainbow to slow her wingbeats, sweat dripping from her brow. As the dust began to clear, the forms of Big Macintosh, Applejack, and a struggling Winona trotted into view. Applejack’s head was bowed with her hat tilted forward with Big Mac sputtering and trying to clear the dirt from his mouth and face. Looking up from the ground, Applejack glared at the prismatic mare.

“Thank y’all kindly for the dirt bath, it’s jus’ what ah always wanted…” Reaching up, she removed her hat and began brushing off the dirt while Rainbow Dash looked to her sheepishly.

“Sorry A.J.” Rolling her eyes at the mare, Applejack looked around at the remains of the home and whistled.

“Whoo doggy, storm sure did a number on this place… Y’all find anypony yet?” The two mares shook their heads, before returning to looking around. Nodding, Applejack turned back to find Big Mac unloading from the wagon he brought, Winona still on her leash as she struggled even harder the closer he brought her. Worry tinged her features as she watched the canine.

“Winona! Here girl!” Her eyes widened in surprise when her faithful companion refused to heed her call. Big Mac, still standing near the wagon, held the leash tightly and watched the dog carefully.

“Y’all sure her trainin’s up to snuff?” Applejack growled at his questioning gaze, before stomping over to them.

“Yes. Ah. Am.” Taking the leash from her brother, she pulled on the hound even as the canine pulled back.

“Come on Winona, y’all gotta get sniffin’ now!” Winona yelped in distress, digging her front paws into the mud and dirt as she fought against her owner. Big Mac rubbed at his chin carefully as he observed the decidedly distraught canine. Something in the distance caught his eye and he felt a bit of sweat dripping down his brow.

“Uh, sis?” Applejack ignored him as she and Winona struggled in their impromptu tug-of-war. One trying desperately to escape the scene, the other trying to get them to start sniffing out the area.

“AJ, y’all might wann-” Applejack glared at him out of the corner of her eyes, strain, and frustration in her face.

“Jus’ let me do this Big Mac, ah can handle this!” Raising a brow at her, he sighed and shook his head. Turning away from the struggle, he stepped up to the wagon and began pulling out a few heavy blankets, stacking them on his back. Looking to the object he had seen before, he began counting down in his head as he turned to the wreckage and headed towards it.

‘Five… four… three… two…” Just as he was about to finish, a cry of displeasure came from behind him, a small smirk gracing his lips.

“Applejack! Just what do you think you’re doing to Winona!” Fluttershy hovered above a now visibly shocked Applejack, the farmer’s eyes widened as the animal caretaker fluttered in front of her, holding a shivering Winona in her hooves as the canine fought to bury its nose in her fur.

“Ah was tryin’ to git ‘er to start sniffin’! Fer some reason she jus’ won’t listen to me!” Desperate to defend herself, Applejack quickly returned fire. The butter-yellow pegasus would not be deterred.

“She’s scared Applejack! If you had paid any attention to the way she was behaving, you would have noticed that!” Applejack’s ears folded down, it wasn’t often that Fluttershy would yell at her friends, but when she did, she was usually right. Floating away from the farmer, Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground, whispering sweet nothings to the trembling ball of fur in her limbs. Applejack watched them with a grimace, guilt settling in her gut as she scratched at the back of her head.

“It’s okay little one, I know Applejack wasn’t being very considerate with your feelings, but she’s just worried. She cares about you a lot, I’m sure of it. We could really use your help in finding anypony that could be hurt, if you want to that is.” Shakily, Winona pried herself from the gentle mare’s fur, looking up to her with fearful eyes, before glancing around to the remains of the home. After a moment more, and glancing to the mare for a bit more encouragement, Winona gave a small yip before jumping from her hooves and making her way to Applejack, her tail wagging slightly.

“Well if tha’ don’ beat all…” Unhooking her from the leash, Applejack patted the hound on her head reassuringly.

“Ah’m sorry you two, guess I was jus’ a little too worked up.” Winona gave an excited yip, before running off to join Big Mac at the ruins of the house and begin sniffing. Fluttershy nodded her approval as she came up to her.

“There now, everything’s fine. You just need to remember that she has feelings too.” Applejack lowered her hat and bowed her head at the mare.

“Y’all would think ah’d already know tha’.” Both mares chuckled and giggled respectively before trotting up to help in the search.

Winona, her nose to the ground as she sniffed, tracked her way through the debris. At first, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, just dirt, wood, stone, and more dirt. However, as she came around the bend of the home a new smell intertwined with the old ones. A coppery smell that was familiar, that she had been trained to find. Barking as she followed the smell, she came across a crimson trail, the liquid mixing with the mud and dirt as it led away from the home.

“Go on Winona, there’s a good girl!” Her master’s call from behind caused her tail to wag excitedly as she could hear the hoofsteps of the ponies following. A short way past the destroyed home, the mare’s gasped at what the dog found. A stallion lay against the wall of a nearby house, the color of his fur and mane were hidden beneath the thick layer of blood and a dark, black liquid that trailed his form. Strange lacerations covered his middle section and it looked to them as though he’d been stabbed at one point through the gut. Rarity screeched at the condition of the poor stallion as Fluttershy leaped into action, throwing off her bags and retrieving medical supplies.

“Applejack, I need you to apply pressure here!” The farmer didn’t hesitate as she did as instructed, trusting the pegasus to know what to do. Rainbow Dash felt herself turning a peculiar shade of green as she looked away. If this was who she thought it was, how in Equestria was she supposed to break this to Scoots? Fluttershy and Applejack raced against the clock to save the stallion’s life as Big Mac galloped back to the wagon, hooking himself to it to create a makeshift ambulance, only to pause as he felt the ground beneath him began to tremble.

‘Wha’ in Celestia’s name?’

Author's Notes:

Twilight: "Okay, now that everything's in place we can get this star-"

Pinkie Pie: "Cut! CUT!"

Dimmed Star and Twilight pause standing over a magic circle covered in bones as the scene zooms out to reveal a small room with cameras and lights, Pinkie Pie sitting on a director's chair with a megaphone.

Dimmed Star: "What? What did we do?" Looks around confused

Twilight: "Did I say my line wrong? Oh Celestia I knew I should have gone over it again!"

Pinkie: " No way Twi! You were perfect, buuuut we're getting some bad reviews about the comedy in the Author's Notes. Some ponies aren't liking the running gag of you guys offing Shaded every other chapter."

She points a hoof back to an overflowing bag of angry letters, Big Mac struggling to stand with them resting on his back. Applebloom standing nearby looking at him in concern.

Dimmed Star sighs while kicking away the plastic skull at her hooves.

Dimmed Star: "Darnit, good things never last..."

Twilight: "Well then... what are we supposed to do now then? Has anypony asked Shaded?"

Pinkie: "Shaded's locked himself up in his trailer, something about Rainbow pulling a prank and dyeing his fur green with yellow polka dots."

A cricket chirped in the background.

Dimmed Star: "Well... somepony still has to do a disclaimer, and I'm calling Not It!"

Dimmed Star runs off the set, leaving Pinkie and Twilight to stare at one another.

Pinkie/Twilight: "One, two, three, NOT IT/ No-"

Pinkie cheers as Twilight facehoofs.

Twilight: "Oh come on! Fine whatever... Shaded Blood does not own MLP: FIM or the Equinox ponies. A special thanks to Kuunlehti for proofreading and editing! Also a special thanks to Neonyoshi, Umbra Animo, and Ancientarchdemon (Discord), for Test reading and providing great Feedback! If you are enjoying the story, leave a like and comment, also don't forget to follow for blog updates. The link to the Discord, Twitter and Facebook pages will be below!"

Pinkie leans in and whispers into Twilight's ear

Twilight: "Oh, right, thanks Pinkie. Also, don't forget to check out the all-new TvTropes page for the story! Creates by a fan who does not have an account on FimFiction, but does follow us on Facebook! And on an unrelated note, a New Story has been posted up, it's a one-shot story, but hopefully, you will all enjoy it, either way, the link can be found below!"

Discord: Discord

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Facebook: Shaded Blood ( Fimfic Author)

TvTropes:
The Power of the Equinox

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