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Sunset, Rainbow, and Captain Zest had all exited from the grotto, with the Dragonstone held tightly in Sunset’s hoof. The trio remained silent, with their eyes still watery from the tears they had shed for their fallen friend and hero. Rainbow Dash and Captain Zest trotted alongside Sunset, offering their support and comfort, knowing that although Gaea Everfree’s curse would no longer be an issue, the loss of Flash had been hard for them all. Telling Twilight the harsh news would certainly be difficult, but Sunset also knew that internally, she was now more determined than ever to put a stop to Chestnut Magnifico once and for all.

“I may’ve only just met him today, but I’m sure going to miss him…” Lemon Zest took her hat off to mourn. “Never met a stallion who’s able to grow such a connection with the ponies he’s been surviving with, and when we hit that dead end, he was the one who took the lava for us.”

“Really wish I could take back all those times I poked fun at him over Twilight’s silly crush.” Rainbow sighed, as they approached the shore, where Captain Spruce’s ship was still waiting. “He was always such a brave and fearless soldier, he didn’t deserve any of that ridicule…”

“We need to tell Twilight the news.” Sunset said, softly, her voice cracking slightly. “It won’t be easy, but we need to be there for her. I didn’t really know him all that well either, but after meeting him for the first time, I could easily tell how much history he and Twilight have had together.”

Rainbow and Captain Zest nodded in agreement, their eyes still filled with sadness, as they began to slowly approach the pirate ship, where everypony else was still waiting. The once-lush scenery around them had now appeared to be dull and lifeless, as if reflecting their own emotions, though it was really a result of the magma damaging the local foliage. Twilight had watched closely for any sign of Sunset and her team returning, before noticing the trio returning from a distance, amongst all the scorched remains of the island.

“Sunset!” Twilight waved from atop the ship, happy to see that the group had not only stopped the lava, but also survived what was once a blazing inferno, just minutes ago.

The trio had heard this, and ran over to the pirate ship docked a few meters from the beach, before Sunset also held up the Dragonstone in her hoof, showing that it managed to survive the madness.

“Oh, Sunset!” Twilight began exclaiming her relief. “You’ve all made it back, I was starting to worry! Is everything alright?”

The princess scanned the group below, before her gaze settled on the Dragonstone. This was certainly good news, as they had now accomplished their main objective of escaping Everfree Island with this powerful artifact, alongside successfully rescuing Captain Zest’s ferry passengers. It was now all a matter of using Captain Spruce’s boat to return to Canterlot, now that the fierce pirate captain was convinced to cease his treachery, thanks to his big sister. It seemed as if the journey had been a complete success, and nothing was lost whatsoever, until…

“Wait, where’s…?” Twilight’s voice trailed off, as she realized the news that was about to be delivered. “Flash… no… WHERE IS HE!?”

“He…” Sunset began, her voice cracking slightly, but finally mustered the strength to speak.. “He didn’t make it, Twilight. I’m so sorry…”

“It’s… true, Twilight.” Rainbow added. “Flash gave his life to save us, by sacrificing himself to let us escape the lava.”

“He not only solved the riddle on the volcano, but also gave his own life to feed into the Dragonstone’s power to save us…” Lemon Zest trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes.

“No…” Twilight began to shriek with defiance. “No, he can’t be gone… he just can’t…”

The princess then collapsed onto the deck, her head resting on the wooden planks, and her body wracked with intense sobs, as she grieved for her royal guard. Everypony on board was just as shocked and upset to hear this sudden news, as they all began to come closer to Twilight, comforting her over the difficult news, except for the three henchponies, who were still tied up.

“Oh, Flash… why did you have to…” Twilight sobbed, before Sunny Flare approached the edge of the deck to speak with the trio below.

“Sorry for your loss.” Sunny Flare said, as she saw Sunset, Captain Zest, and Rainbow also holding one another for emotional support. “I’m sure Flash would still be proud of you for everything you’ve accomplished to safely retrieve the Dragonstone.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that internally, he wouldn’t want us to be too sad over losing him.” Sunset reflected on Flash’s final moments. “He’d want us to keep going, and make sure his sacrifice meant something.”

Despite being incredibly saddened over losing Flash, Twilight began to pick herself up from the deck, knowing that they still had plenty of work ahead of them to stop Chestnut, and that getting the Dragonstone was only one of their main objectives.

“You’re… right, Sunset…” Twilight sniffled. “He’d want us to remember him with smiles, not tears. So let’s do him proud, and make sure we get back to Canterlot safely with the Dragonstone.”

“Seems like Flash not only helped saved us from Gaea Everfree, but also that sudden volcanic eruption.” Night Glider added.

“Now wait just a minute… didn’t this all began because of those pirate stallions?” Cheese Sandwich reminded. “They were the ones who caused that eruption in the first place!”

Rogue, Withers, and Biff all looked nervously at each other, as they all noticed Princess Twilight approaching them, her eyes ablaze with fury. If it wasn’t for her years of experience as a princess and following Equestrian laws, she might’ve immediately put an end to these stallions in the blink of an eye. But regardless of what the princess was about to do, they all knew that they were in huge trouble for inadvertently causing the death of the royal guard.

“It was his idea!” Biff immediately pointed at Withers in an attempt to save himself. “He was also the one who fired the cannon in the first place!”

“Yeah, it was him, it was him!” Rogue added. “If you spare us, I can also forget all about those waffles you owed me!”

“Figured you two would throw me under the ship!” Withers hissed. “Just for that, you can forget about me sharing those artifacts I stole off of Caballeron’s back!”

“SILENCE!!!” Twilight raised her wings, as her eyes continued to glow with anger. “You three will be held accountable for your actions, I am not one to forgive such treachery! You will all accompany us back to Canterlot, where you will stand trial for your crimes!!!”

“Princess, that sounds more than reasonable for those low-life stallions, but I hope you won’t take action against my dear brother as well?” Gloriosa pleaded.

“I’m actually responsible for bringin’ them scallywags out here in the first place…” Timber relented.

“I understand your concern over your brother, Gloriosa.” Twilight turned to the two siblings. “And as for you, Captain Spruce, I appreciate your honesty and assistance in capturing your cronies. However, I’m afraid that along with them, you’ll also have to face the consequences of your actions, as well. It’s the only way to ensure that such things don’t happen again in the future.”

“Well, Princess, I understand where you’re comin’ from.” Timber nodded. “Had I known they were gonna cause all this trouble, I’d never have agreed to enlist them in the first place.”

“You should’ve done some background checks, buddy!” Rainbow said from below. “Those three worked alongside Dr. Caballeron, a crook who stole ancient artifacts for personal profit. Them double crossing you in the end should’ve been the least surprising thing for you!”

“Well, I appreciate your understanding, Princess Twilight.” Gloriosa said. “It’s just that… my brother means the world to me, and I would hate to see him get locked up, especially after being apart from him for so long. Perhaps there’s something I can do to make amends for his actions?”

“Perhaps there is.” Twilight replied. “I’m sure the court will take your family situation into consideration. In the meantime, I must ask that you and your brother remain here with us as we make our way back to Canterlot. We’ll need to put your brother into the Canterlot dungeon for a while, until we can find a good opportunity for your trial.”

“Of course, Princess.” Gloriosa nodded. “That sounds perfectly reasonable to me.”

“Alright, and… what of those three pirate stallions?” Ragamuffin inquired.

“They will be locked away in the Canterlot dungeon as well.” Twilight responded. “But I’ll personally see to it that they’ll get a much harsher sentence, and… well, I haven’t decided on the rest of the details yet.”

“Might I suggest something then?” Gaea Everfree said, as her essence began to slowly return to the mortal realm, and appeared next to Sunset, Rainbow, and Captain Zest on the beach below.”

“Gaea Everfree!” Sunset said, rather surprised. “Looks like you’ve recovered, now that those volcanic ashes are gone.”

“Not only that, but now that I have the Amulet of Gaea in my possession, I’m no longer bound to my grotto.” Gaea Everfree explained. “You mortals did well to protect my treasure, as I assure you, my curse would’ve been permanent otherwise, once you left the island.”

“Sounds like we made the right decision to stop that lava after all.” Lemon Zest said, rather relieved. “What did you want to suggest, by the way?”

“Well, although my treasure’s safe, Everfree Island is now completely in ruins, after that rushing magma destroyed all my precious foliage and wildlife.” Gaea Everfree frowned. “I could certainly use some help to replenish and recover everything that was lost, thanks to those malicious mortals, whom I now know were always after my treasure.”

“That sounds pretty fair, Gaea Everfree.” Rainbow said. “But is it really enough of a punishment for those three?”

“They will serve me for the rest of their days.” Gaea Everfree insisted. “Or at least when I feel like they’ve learned their lesson for good. I shall curse them with eternal seasickness, making it impossible for them to escape the island. Only I possess special knowledge of the island’s native plants and herbs, which would be able to cure them. This would force those three to remain on the island and serve me, in order to regain their health and freedom.”

“Hmm… that does sound like a fair and fitting punishment.” Twilight looked to the others. “What do you all think?”

Everypony else aboard the ship muttered and nodded in agreement at Gaea Everfree’s proposal.

“Sounds a lot better than them just sitting in a dungeon for a few years.” Sunny Flare insisted. “Especially since they were responsible for us losing Flash.”

“Well, I suppose that settles it then.” Twilight nodded in agreement. “We’ll leave them with you, Gaea Everfree. Just make sure they don’t cause any more trouble, and that they learn their lesson.”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Gaea Everfree said with confidence. “They will serve me well, and learn to appreciate the beauty of nature, just as they had taken it for granted before.”

With that said and done, Gaea Everfree used her magic to levitate Withers, Biff, and Rogue off the the pirate ship, before also levitating Sunset, Captain Zest, and Rainbow onto the vessel, allowing them to leave Everfree Island.

“Well, that’s that, then.” Lemon Zest shrugged. “Back to Canterlot, I suppose? I can navigate the ship, since I know those rough waters are still out there.”

“Sounds like a plan, there’s still plenty more for us to do once we return.” Sunset nodded, begin turning back to Gaea Everfree one last time, just as everypony aboard was preparing to leave. “Thanks again for everything, Gaea Everfree.”

“It was my pleasure.” Gaea Everfree waved goodbye, seeing the pirate ship leave the island, before using her magic to zap the three stallions, cursing them with eternal seasickness, and removing the chains that were restraining them. “Now then, it seems like you three mortals have a lot of work to do. What do you say you get started sodding up the inner jungle?”

“Yeah, right.” Withers sneered. “Why would we work for a wretched old witch like yourself?”

“WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, MORTAL!?!” Gaea Everfree snapped, as the ground below the three stallions began to rumble, fiercely.

“Uh, guys, I don’t think that was a good idea…” Biff muttered, as he and Rogue backing away from Withers.

“Oh, give me a break.” Withers huffed. “What’s she going to do about it?”

Gaea Everfree then commanded a bunch of thorny vines to grab onto Withers, whilst strangling him, ferociously. The stallion was desperately gasping for air, before being thrown hard onto the shores. Rogue and Biff looked toward each other, hoping to save themselves from a similar punishment.

“Alright, so uh… we are at your command, we’ll do as you say.” Rogue said, nervously. “Shall we get started now…?”

[hr]

As Sunset and her entire crew was sailing back to Canterlot, her human counterpart was continuing her massive plot of revenge. Human Sunset had already returned home, reflecting on what she had been up to lately. While sitting on her couch, she began to go over everything on her checklist, knowing that she had only just begun the early phases of the very plan she was about to give up on altogether, had it not been for Gilda. Sabotaging the graduations was still going to take time, especially since her previous actions had only entailed minor setbacks. Stealing the Crystal Prep girls’ old school uniforms and framing the CHS performers was a good start, but didn’t seem like enough to fulfill her satisfaction.

“I know that sabotaging the graduations seems selfish of me…” Human Sunset acknowledged, whilst staring at an old framed picture of herself, graduating from middle school. “Especially since this is going to affect a lot more than just the people who’ve wronged me. But it’s still unfair that I had to go through everything I did, while everybody else gets to graduate and live great lives.”

Human Sunset continued slumping in misery on the couch, feeling every bit of resentment toward society return to her, and completely forgetting about the friendships she’s made in Equestria. She couldn’t believe that she was almost considering the possibility of letting everything go, especially in her current situation. Gilda was right, because of the crooked education system and the very people who had contributed to her new life, Human Sunset no longer had the luxury or opportunity in finishing high school, let alone moving onto and graduating college. What difference would having friends make at this point, when the only thing that seemed far more important now was righting the wrongs she was forced to experience? No, now that she had finally returned to the very world she had faded from, it’d be much better to use the time she now had to get revenge on everybody, instead of wasting her time building meaningless friendships.

“I’ve already taken the liberty of getting started with the sabotaging of Canterlot High and Crystal Prep Academy…” Human Sunset pondered. “So I suppose now would be a good opportunity to see if I could get my vengeance against my dad, or Sunset Shimmer herself.”

As Human Sunset distinctly remembered the article she had came across on her mother’s old laptop, she suddenly recalled that supposedly, Sunspot now worked at a place known as Tartarus Industries. She grabbed the laptop from the table and booted it up, ready to dig even further to get an idea behind her father’s current whereabouts, since it still seemed rather unclear where specifically to find Pony Sunset. Doing some research on Tartarus Industries, Human Sunset found out that it was a company owned by an extremely wealthy and powerful business magnate named Mr. Sombra. The company was often rumored for having shady business practices and being involved in various illegal activities, though none of these allegations were ever proven.

Sunspot himself was indeed working there as one of their main executives, in charge of the company’s financial decisions. The most recent article had mentioned the only thing closest to a hint Human Sunset was able to gather, regarding her father’s whereabouts. Tartarus Industries was currently in the process of shutting down their company’s chemical plant, by order of the government on the account of excessive pollution. The article went on to state that Sunspot had been personally overseeing the shutdown of the chemical plant, and that the entire process had only recently begun.

“So if I want to confront my dad, I should look into this chemical plant’s location…” Human Sunset muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing in determination. “But what’s exactly my plan, once I do find him? Anything that’d teach him for abandoning mom and I, and to stop being such a selfish jerk.”

The more Human Sunset thought about it, the more she realized that she didn’t really have a specific plan in mind. She knew she wanted to confront her father, but beyond that, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to accomplish. Maybe she could try to reason with him, or try to get him to see things from her perspective, to potentially make him regret his past actions. The possibilities were endless, but they all seemed like moot, if she was unable to find him. With this in mind, Human Sunset had decided on her next main priority, before having a quick snack in the kitchen to refuel her strength. As she munched on some old graham crackers in the cabinets, she still pondered on something at the back of her mind.

“Why exactly did Gilda want that tiara so badly?” Human Sunset said to herself, still unsure of Gilda’s true intentions. “I’d assume to pawn it off and make a quick buck, but… it just seemed like such a strangely specific request. I’m already a school dropout, and even I can’t understand her, sometimes…”

[hr]

Without the worry of Gaea Everfree’s wrath, Captain Zest had successfully navigated the pirate ship across the rapid waters, and was soon in proximity to the Canterlot Harbor. The rest of the council was still waiting waiting there, noticing the pirate ship in the distance. Despite having some initial concern, they soon noticed that Twilight and the rest of the crew were aboard, signifying that everypony had safely returned from Everfree Island. They had all confidently put their faith in Twilight, who had experienced many daring adventures over the years, including the recent confrontation with Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow. As the ship soon docked at the harbor, everypony aboard began to disembark, as the council took note of the various ponies accompanying Twilight and her crew.

“Cheese Sandwich!” Pinkie greeted from the harbor. “Wasn’t expecting to see you here!”

“Pinkie Pie!” Cheese exclaimed, trotting over to Pinkie, giving her a warm hug. “Have you told your friends here about the wonderful news?”

“She mentioned it to us awhile ago, congratulations on the engagement, Sugarcube.” Applejack said. “So I reckon you were one of Captain Zest’s passengers?”

“That’s right.” Captain Zest nodded, as she finally got off the boat herself. “Although our boat was destroyed, I’m at least happy that I rescued all my passengers, who were stranded on Everfree Island.”

“Not only that, we managed to get the Dragonstone, too.” Sunset held the artifact up in her hoof. “The journey was certainly difficult, but we made it!”

“Sorry again about your old boat, Rockhoof.” Twilight apologized on behalf of her crew. “I’ll be sure to compensate you in any way I can.”

“No need for that, Princess.” Rockhoof insisted. “Since you found the Dragonstone, I’m glad my boat ended up serving its purpose.”

“Speaking of… I assume there’s some kind of story we’re missing here, as to why you’ve all arrived back to Canterlot on a… pirate ship?” Rarity questioned.

“It’s… kind of a long story, that.” Sunset replied, amusingly. “Not every day you get to run into some pirates when going on a luxury cruise. Though this pirate captain here was notably responsible for making our journey longer than it needed to be.”

“Again, me apologies, matey.” Timber said, knowing he still had yet to face the music. “But I’d be glad for turning me life around now…”

“Second it.” Gloriosa added. “I always knew my little brother was still out there in Equestria somewhere, even if he ended up taking on a pirate facade.”

“Wait a second… weren’t there five of you before you all left?” Fluttershy made a realization. “I see that Twilight, Sunset, Rainbow, and Captain Zest are all here… but where’s Flash Sentry?”

“He… unfortunately didn’t make it back.” Twilight said, rather glum.

“Long story short, he sacrificed himself to let us escape with our magic intact.” Rainbow explained. “If not for him, we would’ve permanently lost our magic after leaving Everfree Island…”

Hearing this, Rockhoof and the rest of the council had looked on with grief in their eyes. It was a solemn moment for those who had known Flash Sentry, understanding that such a selfless act would not be forgotten. They had all closed their eyes and paid their respects to the fallen royal guard, now knowing that he was the main reason everypony else was involved on Everfree Island had returned safely.

“Well, if that’s the case, then we owe it to him to make sure his sacrifice wasn’t in vain.” Starlight said, determined. “Let’s make Flash proud by doing what we can with the Dragonstone.”

“We wish you all luck on whatever you plan to do with the artifact.” Ragamuffin chimed in. “In the meantime, Captain Zest will be heading back to Manehattan to resume our ferry business. Though you can make a safe bet that we’ll no longer be putting Everfree Island on our tour stops.”

“Agreed.” Captain Zest nodded. “It’s been an honor serving as your navigator in this endeavor of an expedition. And as for the Dragonstone, I’m sure you’ll do great things with it.”

The captain and her first mate had departed the Canterlot Harbor, waving goodbye to everypony they had met on this daring expedition. Night Glider was about to do the same herself, before also remembering a promise she had made to Sunset.

“Well, I think I’ve had enough luxury cruises for now, so I think I’ll head on back to Our Town.” Night Glider said. “And Sunset, if I get the chance to see you again, I’ll be sure to fill you in on any information I’m able to gather, regarding Solstice.”

“Thank you, Night Glider.” Sunset smiled. “That means a lot to me.”

Night Glider then went on her way, as Sunset, and Twilight both internally believed they had solved the mystery behind why the pegasus had gone missing, according to Double Diamond in that ruined future. Just then, Cheese Sandwich spoke up, ready to reveal he had gone off on a secret cruise.

“Oh, Pinkie?” Cheese Sandwich addressed his soon-to-be wife. “You’re probably wondering why I went off on a secret cruise without your knowledge?”

“I actually knew about it, silly!” Pinkie giggled. “I was just waiting for you to come back so we could talk about it, but I got so busy with the wedding planning, that I forgot! As for why you went… I’m not really sure.”

“Well, it’s a long story.” Cheese began. “I’ll tell you all about it later, but it mostly had to do with wanting to find you a really nice wedding present. Although I’ve never been to an exotic island before, I wanted to find something unique and special for you, to show you how much you mean to me. Though sadly, I couldn’t find anything like that for you.”

“Oh, Cheese Sandwich!” Pinkie squealed, blushing brightly. “You didn’t have to do that! I already have the perfect wedding gift from you, and that’s your Pinkie Promise to always be there for me, through thick and thin!”

“In that case… I’m glad that I made sure you knew how much you mean to me.” Cheese Sandwich wrapped his hooves around Pinkie’s waist and gave her another warm hug.

Everypony else smiled at the affectionate display between Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie. They were all happy to see that the two had found love in each other, which was a welcome distraction from the grim events that had transpired on Everfree Island. But suddenly, this feeling was interrupted by Spike, who began making gag reflexes, almost as if he was going to vomit.

“Not again, Spike…” Applejack sighed at the dragon ruining the moment. “Figured that you’d be able to handle the least bit of sentiment by now…”

Spike then burped up a magical scroll, just like the time Twilight was conflicted on which friend to take to the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Come on, I can’t help it if I’m a living messenger.” Spike rolled his eyes, before taking a look at the letter’s intended recipient. “Hmm, Starlight? Looks like this is for you.”

Starlight took the scroll from Spike and began reading, before Cheese Sandwich went on his way.

“Alright, Pinkie.” Cheese Sandwich began to part ways. “I guess in that case, I’ll see you soon to finalize our wedding plans? I have to get back to my next birthday party gig for some colt in Vanhoover.”

“Okay, see you soon!” Pinkie waved. “And don’t forget to tell me all about your secret cruise later!”

“Well, it’s been an honor assisting you in this journey for the Dragonstone as best I could, Princess.” Rockhoof said. “But I should be getting back to my duties at the School of Friendship. Those ancient Equestrian tales won’t tell themselves, you know.”

“Rockhoof, I may have to come with you.” Starlight chimed in. “According to this scroll, I’m needed at the school as well. It’s from Sunburst, and he said it’s quite urgent.”

“School of Friendship?” Sunny Flare began recognizing the name. “I vaguely remember hearing about that place thanks to a promotional letter in my mailbox. And let’s just say… I’m now wanting to learn more about friendship myself.”

“We’re always welcoming any new students at the school.” Starlight approached Sunny Flare. “You’re more than welcome to join us, if you’d like.”

Sunny Flare nodded, as she, Rockhoof, and Starlight started making their way towards the School of Friendship. Along the way, Sunny Flare began to open up to Rockhoof and Starlight, sharing her own struggles with making friends and feeling lonely at times. Overhearing this, Sunset knew she had done well, as far as letting the unicorn open up and accept friendship, much like Twilight had done for her years ago. Once the trio left for the Canterlot train station, the only ponies who remained behind were the rest of the council, alongside Captain Spruce and Gloriosa.

“Alright, now as for you two, you remember the deal.” Twilight addressed the remaining two guests. “I’ll allow you to spend a little more time to reconcile with one another, but your brother here will have to remain in the dungeon for his treachery, until further notice.”

“Of course, Princess.” Gloriosa nodded. “We understand your decision, and will be sure to make everything right, once we’re all back on good terms.”

“Aye.” Timber added. “Probably the most generous bargain in all me years of piracy.”

Just then, Canterlot’s main security guard came around the corner, after hearing of the princess’s return from her expedition.

“Ah, there you are, Princess.” Max Steele addressed Twilight. “I take it that your expedition was a success?”

“For the most part, Mr. Steele.” Twilight replied. “We were successful in retrieving our artifact, at least. However, we’ve had a bit of an incident with Captain Spruce here. Could you please escort him to the Canterlot dungeon?”

“Affirmative.” Max nodded, before doing as he was instructed, as Gloriosa accompanied them from behind.

“Alright then…” Twilight then turned to everyone else that remained, seeing Spike, her first five pony friends, and Sunset. “Looks like it’s just us now, minus Starlight, of course. The original friends and heroes of Equestria.”

“I’m glad that you all see me as a friend now, but I can’t really say that title applies to me as well.” Sunset tried to keep her humbleness. “After all, I’ve only gotten to know the rest of you after I decided to take an extended stay in Equestria. Plus, I’m pretty sure you’ve all befriended Starlight long before me.”

“That’s true, but technically speaking, we’ve all met you long before meeting Starlight.” Rarity reminded. “Haven’t we, girls?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Fluttershy added. “That makes you special, Sunset. Since you’re not only a new friend, but an old friend as well.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy, I appreciate that.” Sunset smiled at the pegasus. “But in the meantime, we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us. After all, Chestnut Magnifico is still out there somewhere with the Bewitching Bell, and I made a promise to Flash that’d we’d stop her at all costs.”

“Well, it’s gonna be a long road ahead of us, but I reckon we can get through it together, Sugarcube.” Applejack said with confidence. “After all, we’ve faced plenty of tough adventures before, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“Things should be a little easier, now that we’ve finally got the Dragonstone.” Rainbow said. “Now we hopefully won’t need to worry about getting drained of our magic.”

“That’s what we’re all hoping for, but at the same time, it’s better for me to do a little further research on how to properly use it.” Twilight replied, before reiterating words Sunset had once said to the human Twilight. “After all, it’s generally not a good idea to mess around with things we don’t understand.”

“I know a certain somebody who’d definitely agree with you on that.” Sunset reflected.

“But speaking of things that we still don’t understand, out of curiosity, Sunset?” Pinkie began questioning. “Did you by some chance leave here on the Canterlot train, a couple of hours ago?”

“Uh… what now…?” Sunset said, rather confused. “Pinkie, I really don’t understand why you would think that, when I was out at sea with Twilight and the others during that time.”

“Well… like I’ve said, some things that we just can’t understand.” Pinkie shrugged. “Unless it was maybe Ocellus copying you? You must’ve met her, right? One of our changeling students at the School of Friendship.”

“Who…?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Pinkie, I’m afraid I have no idea who you’re referring to… at all. In fact, now I’m just as confused when Twilight claimed that she saw me in the Canterlot library last night. Twilight, I assure you, I was with Princess Celestia in Silver Shoals during that time.”

“Hmm, that might actually explain why the ‘Sunset’ I encountered last night was acting a little strange…” Twilight reflected. “Even weirder is the fact that I got reports from library staff this morning, stating that various books and documents had been damaged and chewed up, almost as if there was a sudden infestation in there. Do you think this might’ve had something to do with…?”

“Well, whoever that truly was, I’d imagine it’s a pretty safe assumption that they had a connection, somewhere.” Sunset pondered. “Though when it comes to finding a logical explanation behind everything… I’m not really so sure.”

“What if it’s Chestnut disguising herself as you, Sunset?” Twilight suggested. “I’m sure that if she has access to powerful magic, having the same abilities as a changeling wouldn’t be out of the norm.”

“I suppose that’s possible…?” Sunset began scratching her head. “But… that wouldn’t really explain this supposed infestation you mentioned. Unless of course, she poofed up a bunch of cockroaches to scare off the library staff, in an attempt to cover up anything she tampered with?”

“But if that was her plan, then why did she also try to make it seem like you were there?” Fluttershy inquired. “It doesn’t really make much sense for her to just do that?”

“I’d imagine to make us believe that it was somepony we could trust.” Twilight deduced. “After all, I didn’t suspect anything when I saw that it was seemingly Sunset going through the restricted section last night.”

“The restricted section…?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “No, Twilight… I promise you, the only time I’ve ever set hoof in the restricted section was when Princess Celestia invited us in that one time. I’m afraid that whoever you encountered down there last night… they were definitely an imposter.

“Well, I’ll just have to keep that in mind, then.” Twilight sighed, understanding that there was now possibly an even bigger threat on the loose. “I’ll make sure to watch out for anything suspicious, just in case.”

Just then, two mares began to approach the harbor, after overhearing that the princess had returned.

“Princess, there you are!” K-Lo addressed from a distance. “We’ve been waiting to page you for a while, now.”

“POSTCRUSH!!!” Pinkie exclaimed with glee. “What a wonderful surprise!”

“Oh, hi there.” Twilight greeted the two mares. “I think I remember… you two rented out the Canterlot courtyard for your wedding, is that correct?”

“Yeah, we were.” Su-Z said, rather annoyed. “But now we want a refund, and you want to know why?”

“When we left our wedding cake here in Canterlot, we were expecting to have our big day today!” Su-Z began to explain in outrage. “Only to find out that our glamorous gateau had been munched up, ruined, destroyed!”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” Twilight apologized. “Who could’ve done such a thing?”

Everypony else looked toward one another, before most of them began glaring at Rarity and Fluttershy.

“W-Why’s everypony looking at Fluttershy and I?” Rarity questioned.

“Did you and Fluttershy not do that to Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s “MMMM” on the train that one time?” Pinkie reminded, before putting on her detective’s cap.

“I assure you, we’ve definitely learned our lesson from that.” Fluttershy insisted. “It must’ve been somepony else.”

“Didn’t I remember hearing that Rainbow Dash was also guilty of that crime?” Spike recalled. “How come we’re already ruling out her as a suspect?”

“Because I highly doubt that Rainbow could’ve done such a thing, when there was the whole Indigo fiasco, and she was with us the whole time, on that expedition.” Sunset defended Rainbow, which the pegasus had appreciated.

“So if it wasn’t Dashie, and it wasn’t Rarity or Fluttershy… then I suspect the culprit may be… Celestia!” Pinkie said with her detective mannerisms. “She’s always had a thing for cake, after all. Especially cake that’s not hers.”

“Miss Pinkie Pie, I’m afraid you’re gravely mistaken.” K-Lo put a hoof on her face. “The bite marks on the cake didn’t look anything like a pony’s doing. In fact, the culprit being any of you would actually be my last guess.”

“That’s right, judging from the bite sizes and strange trails of crumbs leading into a crevice into the walls, we suspect that some kind of bug infestation managed to reach our cake before we could.” Su-Z added.

“Oh, I’m actually glad you’re reporting this.” Twilight said, hopeful for answers. “We were just all discussing the possibility of there being a mysterious infestation occurring here in Canterlot. Did you two manage to find any other clues at the scene of the crime?”

“Well, not that we’re the kind of mares to do the dirty work, but we found these atop what was left of the almond paste sculptures of Su-Z and I.” K-Lo threw the clue in front of Twilight and the rest of the council, as everyone began examining it.

“Anypony know what that is?” Sunset asked, whilst observing the clue.

“It’s all… translucent, dry, and flakey.” Twilight felt the clue with her hooves. “I’d assume some kind of skin shed by one of those bugs?”

“This is some kind of a beetle cocoon.” Fluttershy verified from her animal experience. “Not any kind of beetle I’ve seen before, but definitely the remains of one of their larvae.”

“EW!” Su-Z exclaimed in disgust upon hearing this. “You mean to tell me actual larvae had been crawling on our wedding cake!? Princess, I certainly hope you understand that this is completely unacceptable! Especially for Canterlot standards!

“I absolutely agree.” Twilight said, determined to investigate further. “This is highly irregular. I’ll be sure to bring this up with Pest Control, they’ll be able to assist us. But we’ll also need to investigate this matter thoroughly, and get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to issue you a refund for the trouble.”

“Wait a minute, Twilight.” Pinkie began proposing a solution. “It’s just your cake that’s been ruined, right, Postcrush?”

“Yeah, but the cake was the most important centerpiece.” Su-Z sighed.

“Why don’t I bake you a whole new cake, free of charge?” Pinkie offered. “It’s really no trouble, and the least I could do for my all-time favorite musical duo.”

“A cake is easily replaceable, but our concern now is whether or not Canterlot can pass a health inspection, before we decide to give it another chance to host our wedding!” K-Lo voiced her concerns.

“Rather fair point.” Twilight nodded. “Pinkie, that’s very kind of you to offer, but I think we should all keep in mind that it was bugs that got to the cake in the first place. We don’t want to risk anything happening to the new cake. In the meantime, I’ll contact Pest Control as soon as possible. Let’s all keep our hooves crossed and hope for the best.”

“We should hope so, ourselves.” K-Lo sighed, still saddened by her wedding day being ruined. “Remember, Princess. At the end of the day, we’ll most certainly be expecting some form of compensation for all this!”

“So be sure not to disappoint us!” Su-Z insisted. “Otherwise, we’ll have to take our wedding business elsewhere.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything is taken care of.” Twilight assured. “I’ll work with Pest Control to find out the source of the infestation, and make sure Canterlot is safe for your big day. As for compensation, I’ll be in touch soon about that as well. Your wedding is important to us, and we want to make sure you have everything you need to be satisfied.”

K-Lo and Su-Z simply nodded and trotted away together, but as soon as they were out of view, Twilight’s confidence and assuring stature had collapsed, now getting an even bigger taste of the many responsibilities that came with being the princess of all of Equestria.

“Well, if you’ve ever had any doubts that being a princess is busy, BUSY work, I sure hope you don’t have those doubts anymore.” Twilight sighed.

“I know you’ll handle it all perfectly, Twilight.” Sunset reassured the princess. “You’re a natural at this whole ‘princess’ thing. And don’t worry about them pressuring you for compensation, I’m sure whatever you decide will be fair for both parties.”

“Thanks, Sunset.” Twilight smiled. “It’s good to know that I can count on you for support. I’ll get to the bottom of this and make sure everything’s taken care of. In the meantime, let’s not forget that we still have Chestnut Magnifico to deal with! Let’s head into the Canterlot library to do some further research on the Dragonstone.”

[hr]

Back in Manehattan, Madame Cinch had been plotting her escape for a while now. She had managed to successfully fool the inattentive security guards patrolling the prison, always hiding the Svengallop’s diamond whenever they had gotten suspicious. Using the diamond, she spent her time in her cell chiseling away at the bars, inch by inch. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last bar gave way with a resounding clang. The Madame crawled her way out of the opening she had made, and was prepared to make her escape.

“I’m free!” Cinch cackled maniacally, feeling a rush of adrenaline course through her. “Now I’m off to teach that orange unicorn a lesson for exposing and imprisoning a beauty queen like myself!”

“Hey, wait a minute, now!” Svengallop pleaded with his ex-wife. “What about me!? You promised that if I gave you the diamond, you’d help me escape, too!”

“Oh, Svengallop, you fool!” The Madame sneered. “You thought I would let you be a part of my glorious escape? You were just a tool to help me get what I wanted, and now you’re useless to me! Why else do you think I divorced you?”

“Fine, then!” Svengallop snarled. “I’ll just go find some other mare to love me!”

“Come now!” Cinch rolled her eyes. “You’re pathetic! Nothing but a loser! And let me tell you something, no other mare would ever want a wimp like you, let alone have foals with you! Speaking of which, I certainly hope you’ve been having fun paying child support for our daughter, Cozy Glow!”

“Cozy Glow?!” Svengallop’s eyes widened. “We’re her biological parents?! You told me she was adopted!”

“Oh, please!” Cinch huffed. “You really think I would have married you if I wasn’t desperate? Of course she’s your daughter, you idiot! And I simply needed to have her for the benefits, before I sold her to some fellow in Tartarus, who was looking to raise his own protégé. What was his name… Teareek, something like that? Either way, now you know that you’ve been paying her child support all these years so I didn’t have to.”

“I should’ve expected this from a mare who spends all her bits on cosmetics and makeup!” Svengallop protested in fury. “So you played me and your daughter, huh!?”

“Like a pair of violins!” Cinch responded with heavy venom in her voice. “And what are you going to do about it now!?”

Svengallop reached out of his cell and pressed the security button on the side of his wall, sounding an alarm, and alerting nearby security guards to the recent breakout.

“Fool!” Cinch hissed, as she began to run through the hallways of the prison. “You’ll regret that! Now I’ll make sure that you and that orange unicorn will both pay for what you’ve done!”

The Madame charged her way through the approaching security guards like a bull, using her magic to strategically get rid of any barricades and obstacles in her way. It admittedly seemed a lot easier without the restraints she had been put in when she first got arrested. Most of the security guards had not anticipated this, and were promptly knocked aside, unable to process what had hit them, until it was too late. Once the Madame approached the front doors, she saw that the doors were locked. Cinch simply used her horn to crack open the glass, giving her an opening to escape. Despite freeing herself from prison, she knew that after being exposed, she could never relive the luxury that was once her old life. So her next priority was to search all over Equestria for Sunset Shimmer to exact her vengeance…

[hr]

Princess Twilight had already gotten in contact with Pest Control, while she, Sunset, and the rest of the council were doing even further research on the Dragonstone, knowing it was their main way to counter the Bewitching Bell. Whilst skimming the books for any further information, Sunset came across another one of Rockhoof’s journal entries that explained what had happened to Flash on Everfree Island.

“Everyone, listen here!” Sunset announced, before reading out loud to the council. “It says here that the Dragonstone had always been protected by a riddle, in order to prevent its power to be abused, particularly by a mysterious… fire alicorn?”

“A fire alicorn?” Twilight pondered this. “Hmm… I wonder who exactly that could be referring to… this is certainly the first I’ve ever heard of a such a being. But go on.”

“Well, it further elaborates that the the Dragonstone would drain all life and energy from the host able to crack the riddle, which Flash was able to do.” Sunset continued. “The symbolism of sacrifice and heroism would be the main way to ensure someone trustworthy would be able to wield its great power. So it sounds like… if Flash hadn’t sacrificed himself, the Dragonstone would practically be useless to us…”

“Well, although I’m still saddened over the loss of Flash, I’m glad that he was able to contribute and provide what was needed to protect us from the Bewitching Bell.” Twilight said, bittersweetly. “Does it explain how we can reciprocate the dragon fire onto us?”

“And also, will it be safe?” Rarity questioned. “I know dragons are typically fireproof, but we most certainly are not.”

“It says that the fire of a dragon is much different from ordinary flames, as it’s imbued with a special kind of energy.” Sunset kept elaborating. “When it’s passed onto a pony, it purifies their body, giving them resistance to magical draining effects. It also says that the transformation process takes several hours to complete, and that the subject will feel a strange tingling sensation throughout their body as it happens.”

“Well, then I guess we’ve got nothing to lose!” Rainbow exclaimed with confidence. “Bring it on, dragon fire! I’ve faced worse than that in the Wonderbolts!”

“…HOWEVER.” Sunset raised her hoof as she continued reading.

“Awww, darn.” Rainbow slumped. “I knew there’d be some kind of catch…”

“In order for us to utilize its powers freely, it requires a fresh source of natural dragon fire.” Sunset finished. “It specifically mentions that if it’s left dormant for too long, which I imagine is definitely the case, after all these centuries on Everfree Island, the Dragonstone is just nothing more than a powerless rock.”

“Well, that’s no problem.” Fluttershy shrugged at this. “I’m sure Spike would be able to assist us, since it’s for a great cause.”

“I would, but I can’t.” Spike sighed. “Don’t you remember when Chestnut absorbed my magic? It not only rendered my wings useless, but also took away my natural fire breath.”

“Oh, that’s right…” Twilight recalled, but then also recalled something that would contradict this claim. “But wait, Spike… if that’s the case, then how were you able to poof up that scroll you gave to Starlight a while ago?”

“I, um…” Spike looked around the room, nervously. “Okay, fine, I confess! Sunburst gave me that message while I was using the bathroom, earlier. I knew my dragon magic was gone, so I kept it hidden in my mouth the whole time, until I felt it was the right opportunity to give it to Starlight. I mean, I’ve delivered scrolls and messages for years now, I couldn’t possibly subject myself to such humiliation!”

“Errr…” Twilight’s mind drew a blank upon hearing this, before she continued. “It’s… probably best that we don’t mention this to Starlight then, for her sanity…”

“And I guess it makes sense Sunburst would personally hand you a scroll like that, since he mentioned he had trouble performing spells in magic school.” Sunset deduced. “I may not have used magic in a while, but don’t you need to cast a spell to deliver it though magic burping dragons? Anyways… that’s besides the point, we’re getting a little sidetracked here. I brought this up because… I don’t know if we know a dragon who’s able to willingly give up their dragon fire.”

“How about Princess Ember or Smolder?” Spike suggested. “I’m sure one of them knows us well enough to trust us on matters as serious as this.”

“I don’t know about Princess Ember…” Twilight pondered. “She’s the Dragon Lord, and I’m sure she absolutely needs her dragon fire to rule her land. Even if she was willing to give us her fire, I’d imagine she’s literally unable to.”

“Well wait just a minute, now.” Applejack interjected. “We don’t need ALL of a dragon’s fire, do we? What if we just ask for a little, just to power the Dragonstone up?”

“It says that the fire absorbed through the Dragonstone can severely weaken a dragon exponentially over time.” Sunset read the journal. “It’s either that, or… well, let’s just say, a rather bizarre… side effect. And we need as much dragon fire as we can to keep the magic active, so it’s in our best interest to absorb as much as we can get.”

“Hmm, I see…” Twilight analyzed the situation. “Well in that case, I suppose that just like Starlight, we should all head on over to the School of Friendship and see if Smolder’s willing to part with her fire.”

“Okie dokie loki!” Pinkie grinned, before she, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Applejack began trotting out of the Canterlot library. “Are you, Spike, and Sunset coming with us?”

“Not yet, I still have to hear back from Pest Control regarding the whole infestation mystery.” Twilight replied. “I know I’m a princess now, but the last thing I want to be is a leader who breaks their promises.”

Pinkie nodded, as the rest of the council exited, taking a train over to Ponyville, and on their way to reach the School of Friendship. Several minutes later, a stallion knocked on the library door, requesting permission to speak to the princess.

“Pest Control!” The stallion announced.

“Come on, in!” Twilight invited the stallion inside, but was somewhat surprised to see who it was. “Wait… Dr. Whooves? Weren’t you recently one of the candidates running for Vice Headmare at the School of Friendship?”

“Yes, Princess Twilight, that’s right.” Dr. Whooves replied. “But now that I’ve been given a chance to work with the professionals here at Pest Control, I’ve decided that my true calling is to protect and serve the creatures of Equestria from the most dangerous of pests, especially cockroaches.”