7 years have passed since we have last seen the ponies of Ponyville (and Cloudsdale, and Canterlot). Unusual for the setting, no major evil forces attempted to take over during this period. The Elements of Harmony were locked up safely, this time behind about a trillion new protective spells, in addition to a set of no less than 3 Royal Guards specifically told to stand at the door and let nopony past without one of the Princesses present. But let's change our story, to where everyone really wants it to begin: trouble.
{~X~}
Applebloom had a large toolbox beside her, and a hammer in her hoof. She was banging away at a piece of wood that had been jutting out in the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse. There wasn't actually much use for the term "Cutie Mark Crusaders" anymore, though, as every one of them had discovered their special talent. Applebloom had discovered her special talent in craftsponyship, giving her a Cutie Mark of a hammer and three nails. This was why she was there.
She jumped when she heard the sound of a motor behind her. She knew better, though, and dived out of the way as a large red scooter burst into the clearing. It matched the pegasus' Cutie Mark perfectly. Her friend Scootaloo came to a screeching halt in front of the refurbished clubhouse, climbing off and performing a bow.
"Hey, Applebloom!" Scootaloo called.
"Uh, hey there, Scootaloo," Applebloom responded, peeking out from behind a bush. "Sweetie with ya?"
"No, I think she wanted to come by herself," Scootaloo answered.
As if on cue, a scorched white unicorn popped into the clearing, letting out a pained "ouch!". Her Cutie Mark was a series of musical notes on a bar. She blew on her tail frantically, before attempting to recover her grace and smiling to her friends.
"Sweetie, when are ya' gonna stop trying to teleport?" Applebloom asked.
"As soon as I don't need to try, and can actually do it," Sweetie Belle answered stubbornly.
"On the bright side, I think you got one less scorch mark today," Scootaloo said enthusiastically. "Progress!"
"Yeah, thanks," Sweetie said bitterly.
"Sweetie Belle's bad teleportin' attempts aside, you guys ready to help out today? We got a lot to do to make Zap Apple Jam," Applebloom asked.
"You bet I am! I'm-" Scootaloo started.
"Not going to try to help get honey this time?" Sweetie Belle interrupted.
"That was one time! ONE TIME!" Scootaloo yelled.
"And how did we end up getting covered in tree sap by that little experiment, again? You'd 'knock on the tree to coax the honey out'? Seriously, what were you even thinking?" Sweetie asked.
"I was trying to coax the BEES, Sweetie," Scootaloo argued.
"My flank told me that that didn't help, either," Sweetie said.
"Quiet, everypony!" Applebloom ordered. Her friends stopped their argument immediately. "Like I was saying, I'll need all the help I can get. It's just me and Big Mac this year, since my sister and her friends are up in Fillydelphia for the next few days."
"You can count on our help," Sweetie promised.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ZAP APPLE HARVESTERS! YAY!"
{~X~}
Derpy Hooves: mother, mailmare, and muffin-lover. On this particular day, destroyer of her front door. Again.
"Mom!" a purple unicorn yelled in annoyance. Sparkler, former graduate from the Princess' Academy, popped into the living room to cast a mending spell on the front door. Again. "Can you please be less clumsy next time you come in?"
"Of course, muffin!" Derpy promised.
"Can you keep the promise this time?" Sparkler asked bluntly.
"Of course not, muffin!" Derpy said, flying over and rubbing Sparkler's mane affectionately. She rolled her eyes and back away.
"Mom!" another unicorn called. This one merely ran in, having never actually learned to teleport. "Dad came home earlier! He's in the kitchen!"
"Where did he park the TARDIS?" Derpy asked, settling down on the ground.
"I think it's in the attic. Beats me how he got it there," Sparkler answered. "The attic's like, what, half it's height?"
"Don't even try to understand the TARDIS," Derpy warned.
She walked into the kitchen, where a brown Earth-pony was chewing on an apple, before spitting it in the trash. His hourglass Cutie Mark identified him as Doctor Whooves.
"I hate apples. Apples are rubbish," he complained.
"Then why were you eating it?" Derpy asked. He looked up and smiled when he noticed her.
"Oh, I thought that was the front door crashing down by itself. Hello, Ditzy!" he greeted. He looked at the last piece of apple in his hoof. "Only thing in the kitchen."
"I'll go shopping again later," Derpy promised. "So, what are you doing home? It's only been a few days since you last left."
"You forget, I can come home anytime I want," he pointed out. "It's been... a month or so since I left you last, relatively speaking."
"He was glowing when he came back!" Dinky shouted.
"... You were... glowing?" Derpy asked.
"Ah, uh, um... that's a story for a different time. I promise you, nothing is wrong," Doctor Whooves said nervously. He let out a cough, releasing a yellow cloud into the air.
"Where is the injury?" Derpy asked.
"I don't know what you mean," Doctor Whooves answered.
"Why are you dying?" Derpy asked, more specifically.
"Um... 'dying' is a little strong, isn't it? I mean, I'll be right back in a few hours, good as new," Doctor Whooves said, smiling weakly.
"Sparkler!" Derpy called. The older unicorn walked into the kitchen within the next second. "Of course, you were right outside. How thoroughly did you check him for injuries?"
"I didn't?" Sparkler said.
"Alright, Doctor, we're taking you to a healer before you begin your regeneration completely," Derpy commanded. "Come on, get in the TARDIS. We're heading to Canterlot."
"But- but it was a Cyberpony! I quite think I'm beyond the reach of healing at this point!" Doctor Whooves protested.
"Into the TARDIS!" Derpy shouted, pushing him towards the stairs. "Muffins, we'll be back soon. Relatively."
With that, the two unicorns' parents went up the stairs. They heard a loud noise as the TARDIS dematerialized. Dinky looked at her sister hopefully.
"Yeah, dad will be fine. Completely. Just, uh, don't panic if he comes back a totally different stallion," Sparkler reassured her. Dinky raised an eyebrow.
{~X~}
A loud crash was heard from the Sugarcube Corner basement, just before a pegasus colt emerged covered in flour. His twin sister, an orange unicorn, looked up from her table of books.
"Don't tell me. You dropped the bag of flour on yourself trying to get to the sugar again?" Pumpkin Cake asked.
"Um...well...yes?" Pound Cake answered. brushing himself off. "I swear, Madame LeFlour hates me. It would be easier if you would help me."
"I'm studying," Pumpkin Cake responded.
"You're ALWAYS studying. Do you honestly think you can get into the Princess' Academy for Unicorns?" Pound Cake complained.
"I'll keep studying until I can get an entrance exam. But, I'll stop studying and help you bake. You clearly need it."
"Nerd."
"Blockhead."
"This would be easier if Pinkie Pie was here," Pound Cake said. "I wonder how she's doing in Fillydelphia."
"I'm sure she's doing just fine," Pumpkin Cake answered as she levitated a bag of sugar out of the basement. "Now let's see..." She started humming a tune, a tune which only took a few seconds before Pound started humming along.
All you have to do is a cup of flour, add it to the mix.
Now just take a little something sweet, not sour, a bit of salt, just a pinch!
Making these treats is such a cinch, add a teaspoon of vanilla!
Add a little more and you count to four, and you never get your filla!
The twins poured the cupcake batter into trays and stuck it in the oven.
"Great, we'll leave those to bake. Now, if you need me-" Pumpkin started
"You'll be in your nerd corner?"
"No, I will be creating more possible futures for myself, besides 'inherit Sugarcube Corner'."
"Hey! Maybe I WANT to inherit it!"
{~X~}
Pipsqueak, captain of the seven seas! Pirate extraordinaire! Feared by everypony!
... And grounded to his room. He was currently imagining this, as he read through "Daring Doo and the Seventh Sea Plunder". For the third time in the past week. He was a white stallion with brown spots, and, unusual for his age, had managed to remain a blank flank.
"Pipsqueak, it's dinnertime," he mother said, popping her head into his room.
"Yeah, mom, be right there," he answered, distracted by the book.
"Haven't you read that a few times already?" his mom asked, confused.
"Yeah, but it's the best one in the series! How can you get tired of Daring Doo punching a shark?" Pipsqueak asked.
"I have no idea. Well, it'll get cold if you stay in there much longer. I lifted your grounding two hours ago."
"You did? Huh, I hadn't noticed," Pipsqueak said.
He reluctantly set his book down and followed his mother to the kitchen. His dad was there, already munching in a grilled sandwich.
"Hello there, Pip," he greeted. "How did your day go?"
"I don't know. I was busy exploring the seven seas," Pipsqueak answered, shrugging.
"Oh, Pipsqueak, something came for you in the mail. At least, I assume it's for you. The mailmare may have gotten confused again," his mother said. She slid an envelope across the table, and Pipsqueak's eyes lit up.
"Yes! It's from the Canterlot Museum!" he shouted. "They finally replied!"
"... What?" his parents asked simultaneously.
"Oh, I sent them a letter ages ago, but it must have gotten lost in the mail," Pipsqueak explained. "I asked them to send me copies of any archeological dig sites within 3 hours from Ponyville."
"You, uh, don't mean literal copies of dig sites, do you?" his mother asked.
"What? No, that's crazy. Maps, mom, maps!"
Pipsqueak opened up the envelope, and began unfolding a map inside. It unfolded once, twice, three times. Soon, the large map covered half the dining room table, forcing his father to remove his plate. Pipsqueak looked over the map expectantly, before placing his hoof on the nearest site.
"Here. 1 hour and 13 minutes, approximately. I'm totally heading there," Pipsqueak said proudly.
"With who?" his father asked.
"Alone?" Pipsqueak asked. "Come on, I'm practically a full-grown stallion."
"You're 8," his mother said.
"And 7 months," Pipsqueak protested.
"Fine. This weekend, I'll take you," his mother said. "But for now, fold up that map and put it away."
{~X~}
Most people assume that there are some ponies with almost no redeeming talents. No positive traits. Nothing of any real value to society. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are two such ponies. However, you would be surprised, if you were to look past everything they show off.
"Diamond, is the pearl necklace finished yet?" Silver Spoon asked, interrupting her friend at the work desk. Diamond Tiara jumped, spilling a few pearls onto the floor.
"Silver Spoon!" she shouted angrily. Her friend dove to the floor to recover the pearls, holding them up to Diamond. Diamond sighed, and put them back on the table. "Alright, I just need to string these last few ones. What's the demand, again?"
"We need 7 of these by Thursday night," Silver Spoon said. "You're already well on your way!" Diamond Tiara yelled in frustration, pounding her head on the desk.
"This is the third one, and I'm running out of pearls!" she shouted. "Could you go call up my dad and ask him when the next shipment arrives?"
"Alright. One sec," Silver Spoon said. Diamond Tiara's own cell phone rang on the desk, and she anxiously picked it up.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Ah, hello. Is this Diamond Tiara?" came a friendly voice across the line.
"Yes, it is," she answered.
"This is Miss Cheerilee," the voice said. "Could you come by the old schoolhouse?"
"Uh... sorry, Miss Cheerilee, I'm sort of busy here. And, um, panicking a bit, since our pearl supply doesn't match up with our pearl demand," Diamond said.
"Oh, alright. I just wanted to talk about your graduating tests, but it can wait," Cheerilee responded. "I'll call you later. Good-bye!"
"Good-bye, Miss Cheerilee," Diamond Tiara said. She closed the phone, letting out a sigh.
"Silver Spoon! Have you called my dad yet?" she yelled.
{~X~}
Hoofsteps echoed down the halls of Canterlot Castle, as Princess Luna made her way to the throne room. She pushed open the door and stepped in, finding her older sister staring into space.
"Tia, is something wrong?" Luna asked. Celestia turned her head to look at Luna.
"No, Luna. Nothing's wrong," she answered.
"Then why did you tell the servant that you needed to see me urgently?" Luna asked, with a clearly disbelieving tone in her voice.
"Well, it's...the Elements are missing. Again," Celestia responded. Luna's neck snapped to attention.
"But there are no less than a hundred tightly-sealed doors, plus the guards! How could they be mssing?" she asked in panic.
"I asked the guards, but apparently, they can't remember a thing. They say it's all some strange blur. All they can really remember is two red dots," Celestia answered.
"What does that mean?" Luna asked.
"Again, I don't know. However, they were badly hidden this time," Celestia said. Luna sighed with relief. "I can pick up faint traces of their magic, but they've traveled a very long way."
"How far, exactly?" Luna asked.
"Outside of Equestria," Celestia said.
"Badly hidden, indeed," Luna muttered sarcastically.
The alicorns were interrupted by a loud bang just outside their throne room. A grey Earth-pony mare galloped in, wearing a bowtie around her neck. She was dragging a white unicorn with a two-shaded blue mane in. The unicorn seemed to have collapsed.
"Octavia?" Celestia asked, recognizing the mare from the Gala.
"Princesses, we have a problem," Octavia said, gasping. "Fillydelphia is under attack."