Authors note: My longest chapter yet. Enjoy; please report any misspelled or confusing words.
Chapter 9
"Colonel Davis, I don't see the benefit of stationing a large quantity of your troops in Equestria."
"Like I've explained before, Princess Celestia, if we post more of our soldiers here Equestria will receive substantial defense benefits. You'll be provided with both a deterrent from attack, as well as a means to respond to any attacks that do come."
"So you keep saying. But currently Equestria has no enemies; there isn't any need for your base."
Lieutenant Marshall groaned and rubbed his temples as Celestia and Davis continued their back-and-forth conversation. This had been going on for almost a week now and he was growing sick of it. These negotiations were proceeding so slowly, in fact, that Cadence and Shining Armor had returned to the Crystal Empire. Marshall suspected it had been to escape the mine-numbing boredom of these meetings.
Checking his watch, he saw that this meeting was, once again, running long. Defeated, he let his head fall forward onto the table which produced a much louder sound than he had originally intended.
"Princess," Davis began, ignoring the smacking sound that Marshall's forehead had produced, "I'm not sure you can say Equestria is without enemies. For example, recently you were attacked by Changelings. Invaded by them, actually."
"Yes, but as I'm sure you know, they were defeated and we haven't heard from them since."
"Colonel Davis." This time it was Twilight who spoke. "I understand what you're trying to propose, but it simply isn't necessary. You've been studying Equestria's history, so I'm sure you're aware of the Elements of Harmony."
"Yes, I am," Davis replied.
"So far, the elements have provided us with all the protection we need."
"I don't doubt their effectiveness, but you can only deploy the elements to one location at a time. A base full of soldiers would let you respond to emergencies in multiple locations at once. And should you need your Elements of Harmony, we can get them where you need them faster, and have our soldiers support them once they arrive."
"You have fifty men in Equestria already, and a base built on your side of the rift," Twilight pointed out. And this was the crux of the issue. The United States wanted to send more soldiers and material into Equestria, but the Equestrians didn't see how it was necessary.
"I think, Colonel, Princess Twilight is saying that we don't see any need for you to post more soldiers here," Celestia said.
Davis paused for a moment; this wasn't the first time they had discussed this but it always seemed to end in a stalemate. "Princess, what if we could demonstrate to you how having a base here would benefit you?"
Celestia raised her eyebrows. "I suppose that if you can prove your claim, then we would consider accepting. How do you intend to do so?"
"I don't know yet," Davis admitted. "We can discuss it tomorrow, if you wish. We are running long today, after all."
Celestia shook her head. "We can discuss it, but not tomorrow; it will the Summer Sun Celebration."
"Whenever we return, then," suggested Davis.
"Agreed," Celestia nodded. "Our meeting is adjourned, for today."
Marshall sprung up from his chair and groaned with relief as he stretched himself out. "C'mon, Jason; let's go get something to eat," he said, grabbing his friends forearm and pulling him up from his seat.
"What?!" Forman asked, the violent action jerking him out of his thoughts and back into reality, where he saw Lieutenant Marshall dragging him up and then towards the door. "Alright, alright! Let me have my arm back; damn!"
Twilight suppressed a giggle as she watched the noisy exit. Such behavior was inappropriate in the presence of royalty, but that was what actually made it funny; especially since Twilight never cared much for proper protocols of royalty.
"Certainly, they are an interesting pair," Celestia remarked to Twilight, as if reading her mind.
Twilight shook her head; "I'd almost forgotten about the Summer Sun Celebration; I've been thinking about these negotiations so much."
Celestia smiled as she and her protégé walked out into the hall. "Tomorrow will be a welcome break from all these meetings. I trust your friends will be joining us for the celebration?"
Twilight's smile disappeared. "No; they were planning to be here, but Mayor Mare called them back to Ponyville. There was some urgent need of their assistance."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Still though, it's wonderful to be actually looking forward to the celebration."
"Looking forward to it? What do you mean?" asked Twilight, puzzled. She had assumed Celestia looked forward to the event as much as every other pony in Equestria.
For my subjects, it has always been a celebration of my defeat of Nightmare Moon. But for me... it was just a terrible reminder that I'd had to banish my own sister," Celestia sighed.
"Oh… I guess I've never thought about it that way," Twilight said.
"But now it has become a wonderful reminder of her transformation back into Princess Luna, and our happy reunion." Celestia beamed at her. "I am so pleased that you will be playing a role in the festivities."
Twilight laughed nervously; being so involved with the negotiations, she hadn't had much time to study the events planned for the next day. Earlier she had given Spike an ordered check-list of things he needed to see to for the celebration, she now she was reminded that she needed to get back to her room and look it over.
The pair stopped at an intersection; Twilight gestured with her head towards the left hallway. "I should get going, Princess; is there anything else you need?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, thank you, Twilight; I'll see you tomorrow at the celebration."
Lieutenant Forman sighed as the waiter-Unicorn set his order down on the table.
"Is there something wrong, sir?" the waiter asked, a bit nervously. Ponies were growing gradually more used to the sight of a Human, but they still weren't entirely comfortable around them.
"Hm? Oh… no, nothing's wrong," Forman said. "It's just," he eyed the large platter of fruits and vegetables, "I'm not really used to this kind of diet." Ponies here seemed to be largely, if not entirely, herbivores, and Lieutenant Forman was craving meat. Since he had arrived in Equestria, he could only get that from military rations; not restaurants and cafés like the one he was in now.
"If there's something else you'd prefer, I'm sure we can accommodate you," the waiter said, trying to be helpful.
"No… thank you," Forman told him. It was probably better to avoid asking for meat here, especially during negotiations.
Sensing he could be of no further help, the waiter nodded to himself and moved on to a different table.
Unlike the waiter, Marshall knew exactly what Forman wanted. "Hoping they'd have a steak?"
Forman muttered an unintelligible reply and looked at the celery that had been placed on one side of his plate; he was not a fan of celery. Sure, it was alright as an additive to stew or soup, but stews and soups usually have meat in them, Forman thought. "Maybe there's a black-market where I can buy some bacon…"
"Some bacon would be nice," Marshall admitted, taking a bite out of an apple.
"Or a hamburger."
Marshall looked at his apple and let out a disappointed sigh. Suddenly, fruit seemed much less appealing.
Forman stared silently at a carrot for a few moments. "Fluttershys got some chickens; think she'd notice if one went missing?"
"Mind if I join you two?" asked a voice from behind him.
Forman's eye's shot open wide as he recognized the speaker as Twilight Sparkle. He desperately hoped she hadn't heard his joke about stealing chickens from one of her friends.
"Sit," Marshall said, gesturing to an open spot at the table.
Twilight sat at the place indicated and looked at Forman. "Gonna' eat your celery?" she asked hopefully.
Forman slid the plate over to her. "All yours."
She nodded gratefully and dug into the platter of fruits and vegetables that had been given to her. She realized, after a minute or so, that perhaps wolfing down large helpings of food might be unbecoming of a princess, and that both Forman and Marshall were staring at her with some evident amusement.
"Heh-heh... "She laughed nervously. "Excuse me; I haven't had a chance to eat today."
Marshall shrugged dismissively. "So, what brings you out here?"
"Boredom, I guess; Spikes asleep, and everypony else went back to Ponyville. I was taking a walk and saw you two through a window."
"You've got a celebration tomorrow, right? I'll bet you're looking forward to that; especially after this past week," Marshall said, changing the subject.
"I'd be looking forward to it more if the rest of the girls were here," Twilight said. "We all met at the Summer Sun Celebration," she explained.
"Oh; that sucks," Marshall replied.
"I for one," Forman began, "am thankful we won't have to sit in that throne room for hours on end."
"Amen," agreed Marshall.
"Speaking of, I hope it doesn't bother you that we're resisting your plans of building a base here," Twilight said.
Forman exchanged glances with Marshall. "Doesn't bother us," he said.
"Besides," Marshall added, "nothing's been finalized yet; we might very well win you over with whatever demonstration Colonel Davis cooks up."
Forman checked his watch. "It's getting late; I think I'll head back and get to sleep."
"Yeah; same here," Marshall said as he looked at his own watch. "We'll see ya' tomorrow, Twilight."
"Goodnight," she called to the two soldiers as they left. She sat in silence for a moment, and then remembered the plate of food that Forman had given her. Sighing appreciatively, she turned her attention back to her dinner.
"Jason! Jason, wake up!"
"What the…?" muttered Lieutenant Forman, as a booming voice roused him from his sleep. The door to the room he occupied was thrown open and it slammed into the stone wall with an audible bang. Lieutenant Marshall entered the room and rushed over to his friend.
"C'mon Jason; you need to get up!"
"Mark…what are you off about?" asked Forman, groggily.
"There's something wrong with the sun!" exclaimed Marshall, gesturing wildly towards the window. "Or maybe there's something wrong with the moon; I can't tell." Marshall paused for a moment, and saw that Forman was still not moving. "C'mon man; we need you up!"
Groaning, Forman slid out of bed and dressed himself. "Really Mark; I am your superior officer. It's pretty inappropriate to come barging in here, bellowing about how I have to wake up," Forman complained, unhappy about being woken up. "Sure we're friends and all, but it's still a breach of proper protocol- what the hell?!" Forman blurted, as he peered out his window.
Both the sun and the moon hung high in the sky. Forman checked his watch several times, trying to discern the proper time of day.
"What's our next move, sir?" Marshall asked, heavily emphasizing the last word.
"Quit pouting; we've got problems!"
"Ya' don't say," Marshall muttered under his breath.
"We need to alert Captain Becker and Colonel Davis. Then we have to find one of the princesses, and find out what the devils going on."
Minutes later, Becker and Davis were standing in the hallway with Forman and Marshall.
"So," Davis said, looking out one of the windows, "you've been here longer than I have; anything like this happen before?"
Captain Becker exchanged glances with Marshall and Forman. "No sir, this is the first time I've seen anything like this."
Davis sighed and they began walking swiftly down the hallway. "Maybe this is just a rare astrological event? Sort of like an eclipse or something?"
"I don't know sir; maybe," Becker replied, although he seriously doubted it.
They rounded a corner and ran into Twilight and Spike, who skidded to a halt in front of them.
"Princess Twilight; thank God" said Davis, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"
Twilight frantically shook her head. "I'm trying to find that out, myself."
"Maybe Celestia or Luna will know what's going on." Forman suggested.
"That's what I was thinking," Twilight replied. "C'mon, we have to find them!"
"Princess Twilight!" A pair of Royal Guards rushed down the hallway towards them. "Your Highness, you must come with us!"
Twilight looked at the U.S. soldiers. "Come with me," she said, then looked at the guards as if daring them to challenge that decision.
They hesitated for a moment. "Very well; we must hurry!"
The guards led them through the castle at an urgent pace and they arrived in the throne room. As they charged through the open door, Forman assumed Celestia or Luna was about to give them some answer. Much to his surprise, the room was empty, save for themselves.
"It's Princess Luna and Princess Celestia," the first guard said.
"They're gone!" his companion announced.
Twilight and Spike gasped as the Humans exchanged worried glances.
"But…I don't understand!" Twilight exclaimed. "Where are they?"
"We don't know," the guard gravely replied. "It seems that they've simply vanished."
"Vanished?!" repeated Spike.
"We await your command, princess," one of the guards said.
"My command?!"
"We're Royal Guards; we take our orders from royalty," he explained. "Princess Celestia and Luna are missing, so we take our orders from you."
Davis glanced at Twilight, and could plainly see the toll of having power thrust upon her was taking.
She took a deep breath, however, and calmly issued her instructions. "I want you to continue the search for Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. We have to find them before ponies start to panic. There must be some clue that can tell us what's happened to them. If you find something, anything, let me know immediately."
"I can get some of our own men on that, if you'd like," Davis offered. "Give me thirty minutes and I could have these skies filled with search aircraft; and we've already got a V-22 right here in Canterlot."
"Thank you colonel, but I don't think you should bring in a large searching force; I don't want ponies to think you're the ones behind all that," Twilight said, gesturing towards the raised sun and moon.
"Your highness!" a guard exclaimed, galloping into the room. He paused to catch his breath and then announced, "News from Ponyville! The Everfree Forest appears to be... well... invading!"
Everyone was silent. Twilight and Spike tried to picture what from the forest might be attacking Ponyville, while the Humans tried to comprehend how a forest could attack a city to begin with.
"Invading?! How can a forest invade?!" demanded Davis.
"The Everfree Forest is full of dangerous creatures" Twilight explained. "I imagine it could be Timberwolves, or a hydra. Or maybe it's several species of animals." Twilight looked to the guard for confirmation.
"It's not an animal, highness; it's some sort of strange vine," the guard said.
"A vine?" Twilight was puzzled. "I've never seen any sort of aggressive vines living in the Everfree."
"It's not a vine we've ever seen before, but from what I hear it's springing up everywhere!"
Twilight stood silent for a minute. "I have to get down there," she finally said.
Davis nodded his agreement. "So do we."
"C'mon Spike; I think we're going to need the Elements of Harmony and our friends to put a stop to this," Twilight said. "Let's hurry so we can catch the next train to Ponyville."
Captain Becker cleared his throat. "I could be wrong, but I doubt very much that the train will be running to Ponyville right now. It is under attack, after all."
Twilight realized he was probably right. But she needed the train to get off the mountain to get to Ponyville as soon as possible. Spike, however, had a different idea.
"The train isn't the only way to get to Ponyville, Twilight; you could fly us there," he suggested.
"I don't know, Spike," she said, hesitantly. "We need to get there as quick as we can, and I'm still not a very fast flyer; especially if I'm going to be carrying you with me."
"I think he might be right." It was Forman, this time, who spoke up. "You could fly with us, of course, but our V-22 is sitting on the other side of the city, and it sounds like you need to get to Ponyville ASAP."
"You can do it, Twilight," Marshall said encouragingly. "We'll be coming in right behind you; as soon as we can get our bird in the air."
Twilight looked from them to Spike, and nodded. "Let's go, Spike,"
She took a deep breath and ran off with her assistant, presumably towards an open window or ledge somewhere.
"C'mon, we need to get going ourselves," Colonel Davis said. The four Humans set off at a jog towards the V-22.
Corporal Garnet was feeling several things. He felt tired, he was aching, and he felt out of breath. But above all, he was feeling fear.
When the vines from the Everfree began their attack on Ponyville, the soldiers of the First Alternate Reality Group had mobilized to defend the town. This is where Garnet and the other ten men of his unit found themselves now; trying to cover a neighborhood of ponies escaping to the towns center where the vines had yet to reach.
The weapons carried by the U.S. soldiers were quickly becoming less effective. While it only took one or two hits to disable most vines, their sheer number was beginning to overwhelm the small group of defending Humans. At first the vines had been shredded under a hailstorm of bullets, but now the soldiers found themselves running now on ammunition, and had to ensure ever shot counted.
"Where the hell is that airstrike?!" Sergeant Major Erik bellowed at a radio operator.
"It should be here any moment now, sir!" the operator replied, yelling over the sound of weapon fire.
"Any moment now we're not going to be here anymore!" Erik replied, gesturing towards the vines.
Garnet took aim at a nearby vine and squeezed off a shot, followed by a second, and then a third for good measure. His magazine was now empty, so he released it from the weapon and reached down to grab another, and realized he was now out of ammunition for his rifle.
"Damn!" Garnet slung the now empty weapon over the shoulder and drew his service pistol. "How are you holding out, Jackson?"
Corporal Jackson looked over his shoulder. "I'm on my last mag now."
Just as Garnet was beginning to abandon hope, the sound of jet engines cut through the air. Their air support had arrived, and seconds later a missile streaked towards the plants and detonated in a massive, fiery explosion.
Garnet felt the shockwave from the blast pass through his body, followed immediately by intense heat.
As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, the small band of soldiers could see that the vines had been totally obliterated. A cheer of triumph and relief went up from the men, but it was very short-lived. Their happy shouts died out as they saw more black tendrils rising from the ground, taking the place of the vines the Humans had been battling only moments earlier.
"Fall back!" Sergeant Major Erik ordered. He knew his men were running low on ammunition and he had been counting on the airstrike to eliminate the vines. There was no way they could survive if they remained in this defensive position any longer; their only option was to retreat.
They ran through the neighborhood they had been protecting. It looked like they had brought the inhabitants enough time to escape and the streets were completely abandoned.
Completely abandoned, Garnet noticed, except for a small orange Pegasus with a purple mane and tail.
"Run!" he urged her.
She remained perfectly still however, her eyes locked on the approaching vines.
Garnet scooped her up and threw her over his shoulders as he rushed by, and continued his hasty retreat with the rest of the team.
"Sir, we're approaching Ponyville! ETA: a little over a minute!" Second Lieutenant Harris reported from the cockpit. He and his copilot, Second Lieutenant Aiken, were the same two pilots who had flown Twilight and Forman to pick up Sunset Shimmer, and then back.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Davis replied over the headset. He peered out one of the Osprey's round windows; it was difficult to see much of the town below, but one or two small buildings were just becoming visible to him.
On the ground, however, the helicopter was totally visible to anyone who looked up into the sky; a small crowd of Ponies had gathered outside Twilight's library to watch the incoming vehicle, including Twilight herself and her friends.
"Here comes the cavalry," Applejack remarked.
"Their punctuality is commendable," Rarity said. "You yourself only arrived a few minutes ago, darling." This statement was directed at Twilight.
"Well, they said they'd be here as fast as they could," Twilight replied, though the few minutes she had spent waiting for them had felt like hours. The sight of the helicopter provided some relief; it contained people she likened to her brother; people with knowledge of how to handle situations like this one.
Rainbow Dash, however, didn't share in Twilight's relief. If anything, she was growing more concerned as she watched the aircraft approaching.
"Dash? Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy, noticing her friend's obvious concern over something.
"Something's up," Dash replied, narrowing her eyes at the rapidly approaching vehicle. Rainbow Dash was more than just a talented flyer; she possessed an almost uncanny instinct about flight. The American aircraft was almost totally foreign to her, but looking at its angle of attack, its speed, and a variety of other minute details, she produced an explanation for her worries.
"They're out of control…" Her eyes shot open wide and she whipped her head around to face Twilight. "They're gonna crash!" Twilight barely had time to process what she had told her before Rainbow rocketed off towards the Osprey.
Indeed she was correct. On board the aircraft, the triple-redundant electronic control systems were failing to respond from input from either the pilot, or the copilot.
"We're in for a rough landing; hang on back there!" Lieutenant Harris reported over the intercom. He knew though, at these speeds, that their chances of survival were poor. In all likelihood they would perish on impact.
The occupants of the vehicle felt a forceful impact on the belly of the aircraft. Rainbow Dash had reached the Osprey and was using all her power to try and slow it to a controlled descent. Despite her best efforts though, she was fighting a losing battle against the vehicle's ten-thousand horsepower engines.
Rainbow Dash quickly realized she couldn't bring the vehicle safely down by herself. To say she was in a difficult situation would be an understatement; she was very much in mortal danger. If the descent of the aircraft couldn't be stopped, then she'd be crushed underneath the thirty-three thousand pound Osprey as it slammed into the ground. However, despite the obvious danger to her life, the thought of abandoning the vehicle to save herself never occurred to her.
"Help!" Dash bellowed to anyone who might be listening. Her words were drowned out by the sound of the massive propellers, but it was plainly clear to anyone watching her that both she and the Osprey's occupants were in dire need of assistance.
Twilight leapt into action, casting a spell to slow the aircraft. Rarity followed suit, and she was joined by several other unicorns that were present in the crowd. The vehicle slowed exponentially and Dash felt an enormous strain taken off of her body. Now, Pegasi followed Dash's example, soaring out to help control the Osprey. Miraculously, they avoided the spinning turboprops.
As the Unicorns and Pegasi brought the aircraft in to land on their own power, Harris was able to kill the engines. The Pegasi retreated out from under the vehicle and the Unicorns set it down on its belly.
The cargo ramp dropped, and out of it rushed the occupants.
"Is everyone alright?" Forman asked, addressing both the crowd and the men who had been in the helicopter with him.
"Thanks to all of them," Captain Becker said, gesturing towards the ponies in the crowd, "it would appear so."
"You can thank me later," Rainbow Dash panted, before collapsing on her side and letting out a relieved sigh as she relaxed her muscles.
Colonel Davis addressed their saviors. "Thank you; you saved our lives. Although, I would be interested in knowing exactly that happened," he said, glaring at Lieutenant Harris and Lieutenant Aiken.
"I don't know what happened sir; the controls wouldn't respond," Harris explained.
"Actually, I noticed a similar phenomenon earlier today, when I couldn't control my magic," Rarity said. "Perhaps there's some correlation?"
Twilight nodded in agreement. "This all has to do with what's happening with the Everfree."
Colonel Davis looked thoughtful. "If that's true, we need to radio back to base and warn them not to send aircraft through." He signaled for Harris to make the call. "So, Princess Twilight; have you found anything out?"
Twilight's eyes squinted in concentration as she pieced these events together. "Hmm… half-day, half night… out of control plants… your machine nearly crashing," Twilight said to Forman.
"Don't forget Rarity's manic magical mishap!" Pinkie added.
"I think," Twilight began, "I'm starting to get a pretty good idea of who it is we're up against."
Twilight and her friends all seemed to reach a mutual conclusion. The Humans, however, were totally lost.
"Uhm… who?" Forman asked, after exchanging confused glances with Marshall.
"Discord!" Twilight dramatically announced.
"Uhm… who?" echoed Marshall.
"Lord of Chaos; embodiment of disharmony; hence the name Discord," Dash said nonchalantly, swishing a hoof back and forth as she spoke.
"Well… I guess that makes sense," Marshall said
"Look, let's get on with it; we're wasting time," Forman said. "Let's just find this Discord guy and make him fix… whatever it is that needs to be fixed!"
"Gladly," Twilight replied. "You might want to stand back," she said to the group of U.S. soldiers.
As he did so, Forman heard some sort of whirring sound fill the air. Seconds later, a… thing sitting in a bathtub appeared where he had been standing.
Forman looked at Captain Becker in the hopes that he might have some idea what sort of creature this was, but the answer seemed to elude him as well.
"That's Discord," Dash whispered, sensing his confusion.
"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap-ooh!" he sang, before realizing where it was.
"Now, Twilight, you know Princess Celestia said that you were to give me a heads up before you summon me with that little spell she gave you," Discord scolded. "In case you haven't noticed, I was in the middle of a particularly invigorating shower."
"Enough!" barked Twilight, and Discord's smile disappeared. "Release Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and stop the Everfree Forest from invading, now!" she ordered.
"Always business with you, Twilight," he sighed. "You never call just to say 'hi'; you haven't even introduced me to your new friends!" he exclaimed, gesturing towards the dumbstruck Americans.
"My 'new friends' nearly died when their helicopter lost control and almost crashed because of your magic!" she shouted, and pointed a hoof at him, accusingly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Discord insisted. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what you've done with the place," he chuckled while surveying the surrounding chaos, "but unfortunately I had nothing to do with it; I'm reformed."
"Look… we really can't afford to waste any time," Forman said. "If he didn't have anything to do with it…" he trailed off.
"Oh, he's guilty, alright!" Dash growled. "This has his cloven hoofprints all over it!"
"I'll have you know that I have only one cloven hoof!" Discord exclaimed. "Such accusations; and here I thought we were friends."
"Princess," Colonel Davis said to Twilight, "Lieutenant Forman is right; there's no time to lose. Are you positive you're on the right track?"
Twilight's face scrunched up in concentration. This certainly looked like Discord's doing, but at the same time she couldn't be sure he was to blame. And all the while she stood around making accusations, Princess Celestia and Luna were lost and the Everfree was advancing on Ponyville.
"If you're not responsible," Twilight said to Discord, "then help us find out who is!"
"I suppose I could," he began, "but after all the hoofpoining and besmirching of my good name, I just don't know if I'm up to it." A pair of knitting needles appeared in his hands and he began working on a scarf.
Twilight stomped her hoof and let out a roar of frustration.
"Why don't you ask your Zebra friend if she knows anything?" Discord asked, pointing towards a Zebra who was trudging out of the woods.
"Zecora!" Twilight exclaimed, rushing over to her.
"So, now there's Zebras here, too," Forman muttered to Marshall.
"From my home, I have had to flee!" she said to Twilight. "The forest has grown too wild, even for me!"
"Hey; that rhymed," Forman stated with mild interest, earning him the stares of all the ponies present. "What?" he asked. "Why are you all looking at me like I'm an idiot?"
Applejack shook her head. "Any idea why all this is happenin'?" she asked.
Zecora shook her head. I'm afraid it is a mystery to me as well," she began, "but I may have something that, if combined with a spell... I do not dare to use it myself, the results would be tragic. It only responds to Alicorn magic."
She walked to within a few feet of Twilight. "Princess Twilight, you can turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip, you may see why the sky is day and night.
"All that rhymed too… does she only talk in rhyme?" Forman asked aloud.
Twilight ignored Forman and focused on the bottle of purple liquid. After a few seconds of concentration she was able to turn it to the desired color of white.
She levitated the bottle so that it was close to her face and examined the contents. After a second or so of inspection, she tilted her head back and took a sip of the potion.
She smacked her lips together. "Doesn't seem to be worki—'' at that moment the potion kicked in. She eyes shot open wide and her body went ridged, before she collapsed on her side.
Forman winced as she landed. After a few seconds she began to lightly mumble incoherent words. Everyone was very quiet, as if making the slightest sound might cause them to miss some very important detail.
In the distance the screams of ponies as they fled from the invading could be heard along with the barking of automatic weapon fire, presumably as the rest of the First Alternate Reality Group tried to beat back the attacking vines with superior firepower. "So…" Marshall began, "how long is this going to take?"
As soon as he said this, Twilight's began violently sobbing.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it!" Marshall quickly apologized, worried that his comment might had provoked this response.
He was, however, mistaken, and closer inspection revealed she was still in her trace-like state.
"She gonna be okay?" Forman asked Zecora.
"The potion will not cause her harm; there is no need for your alarm," she replied.
"That isn't very reassuring," Forman muttered.
Suddenly though, Twilight let out a groan and opened her eyes. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" she asked, noticing the concerned faces staring down at her.
"It's just… you were mumblin' to yourself," Applejack began.
"Ooh! And don't forget the uncontrollable sobbing!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"We were really worried about you," Fluttershy said gently.
"I for one found it delightful!" boomed Discord. "A sort of one-pony show piece if you will!" He chuckled to himself. "You should really consider taking it on the road."
"You're sure you're alright?" Forman asked her, while eyeballing Discord.
"I'm fine; I saw something from a long time ago but it doesn't explain what's happening now."
"Perhaps farther back are the answers you seek," Zecora said to her. "Another sip of the potion will give you a peek."
"You're sure that's a good idea?" Forman asked, cautiously. "I mean… what could the effects be if you take that stuff twice?"
"Lieutenant Forma is right, Twilight; taking it again might be dangerous. Are you sure about this?" Spike asked.
Twilight wasn't sure about any of it, but she needed answers and it seemed like the potion was the only way to get them. "I'll be fine," she said, and gave her friends a reassuring smile before raising the potion back up to her lips and taking another sip.
"Oh, I do hope the breaks into a song this time!" Discord said, enthusiastically.
As the effects of the potion kicked in there wasn't any singing, and much to everyone's relief, no crying either. After a few minutes, Twilight was back in the present, and hopefully with the information they needed.
"What'd you find out?" Captain Becker asked as he helped her up.
"I still don't know what's happened to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way," Twilight said. "Something's happened to the Tree of Harmony."
"The… what?" Forman asked Rainbow Dash, hoping she'd be able to fill him in. Dash merely shrugged in confusion, though.
"Never heard of it," she replied.
"It's where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the Elements," Twilight explained. "I think it's in danger."
"Well, alright then!" Applejack said. "Let's go save a… tree."
"Do you know where this tree is?" Forman asked.
Twilight nodded nervously and pointed at the Everfree Forest; the very forest that was launching an attack on Ponyville, and presumably Equestria was next. "I think," she said, "it's in there."
