Star Wars: The Great War

by Iroa19

The Clone War was a time that many remember. Many battles were fought, and many lives and people we knew were lost. All across the galaxy, the battle between the force's light and the dark side is at constant ends. War has engulfed everybody as the bitter conflict between the Galactic Republic and Separatist rages on.

102. Chapter 101: Aftermath Pt 1

Chapter 101: Aftermath Pt. 1

Sensation returned to him, slowly at first, but it was soon followed by a rush that hit him like a freight train. He hissed through his teeth as the pulsing pain grew before it faded an instant later.

Dazed sapphire eyes cracked open, focusing-yet-not on the blurry white ceiling above. They wavered for a moment before flickering to the sides, finding equally white walls surrounding them.

Storm growled and forced himself into a sitting position, his body feeling oddly restricted. He sighed once he managed and glanced around again, now that his eyes had time to adjust.

His first assumption had proven correct. White ceiling, white walls; Definitely a hospital. Oddly enough, instead of having more than one bed, it seemed that he was the only patient in the room. He scanned the room before his eyes locked onto the door, which, while only a few shades darker than the walls, managed to stand out thanks to the symbol carved upon its surface. The Royal Crest stared back at him.

He was in Canterlot then, and, judging by the fact he was the only patient in the room, he was in the Royal Branch of the Canterlot Medical Institution.

He frowned and glanced down at himself, finding that he had, customary to most of his visits to any medical facility, been almost entirely wrapped in bandages, which explained the strange, restricted feeling. Although considering the nature of his injuries, he was a tad surprised he was wrapped in bandages and not casts. He'd had plenty of broken bones, hadn't he? So, where were the casts?

He shook his head and tossed the thought aside.

He'd had a hole in his chest as well, after all, and that certainly wasn't there anymore. A few broken bones were... less important, in comparison.

He glanced around again, and only two things caught his attention this time.

Firstly, the gold crown on his bedside desk was to his left.

He stared at the damned headpiece for a moment, his anger swelling, before it abruptly left him. He couldn't actually get angry at the thing. After all, it allowed him to help the girls defeat Discord. It had let him... do something for them rather than just... be there.

Actually, it might've done more than that. It was likely the Element's doing that helped him snap the others out of it, not just talking to them. It would make much more sense than some minor therapy snapping them out of their magically induced states. If it was even therapy.

He glanced at the crown again before reaching out and picking it up.

For a moment, he did nothing. He waited for a few seconds, partly expecting something to happen now that he was in contact with the artifact. But, apart from a strange, hollow feeling, his stomach-nothing felt different. With that in mind, he brought it close and examined it.

It was... definitely a little tacky. Not something he'd ever actually wear to an event. Made out of seemingly solid gold, encrusted with six multicolored gems, and a single, technically a pair, of stylized gems? That just screamed 'haughty' to him. Or maybe he was wrong. He never was good at eyeing jewelry more complicated than bracelets and rings.

Still, it looked more similar to what a noble or royalty would wear than anything he'd be caught with.

Well, gaudy or not, it was still a powerful magical artifact. One that chose him, of all creatures, no less. He sighed and tossed it back onto the desk.

Having gotten a sense of where he was, he finally turned his attention to the second thing he noticed. His guest.

Sitting in a chair to his immediate right was one Twilight Sparkle, whose head rested on her hands, where she'd fallen asleep leaning over his bed.

He stared at her sleeping form for a moment, watching how her body fell and rose with each breath, how her ears twitched in her sleep, and even how her nose whistled slightly as she slept.

A frown twisted onto her face before it fell, replaced by a gentle smile.

Gently, he reached over and began to shake her awake.

"Hey... C'mon, Sparky, it's time to wake up."

She twitched slightly, and her eyes slowly crept open. She yawned as she sat straight up, her arms stretching into the air. She shook for a moment before relaxing, and her arms fell to her sides. She blinked blearily before her gaze suddenly sharpened and locked onto him. They stared for a moment before her eyes started to water. He smiled softly.

"Hey, Spar-ahg!"

He was abruptly cut off when Twilight lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him frantically as if afraid he'd disappear if she let go.

"You're okay!" she cried, "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay...!"

His smirk fell as the princess' words became muffled due to her burying her face into his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around the girl, stiffening only slightly when he felt his chest grow wet with tears.

"Yeah, Sparky. I'm okay."

---

It had taken nearly fifteen minutes for him to calm Twilight down, and by then, they'd been surrounded by the others, which had flooded into the room sometime during her little breakdown.

Fluttershy sported a much happier smile than she normally did, though it still seemed a bit worried. Rainbow looked oddly conflicted but still had a smile on her face. Applejack bore a strange mix of sad and happy expressions on her face, while Rarity seemed more interested in his and Twilight's current embrace than his physical condition. Pinkie, of course, was smiling one of the brightest smiles he'd seen from her yet. Honestly, if the room was even slightly better lit, he was sure the thing would've been quite blinding.

"Well, isn't this cute?" Rarity asked suddenly, breaking the silence rather spectacularly. Twilight, whose head had remained buried in his chest and therefore hadn't seen her friends enter, yelped and all but threw herself away from Storm.

"O-oh! H-hey girls! Wh-when did you get here?!" Twilight asked, red as a beet. Storm didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversation, his thoughts derailing slightly when Twilight had pushed away.

That feeling. That warmth he'd come to associate with her touch... wasn't there.

No... it was there, but it felt... diminished. Weaker. As if it was fading, almost.

He pushed the thought aside. It was probably related to him having just woken up.

"So?" Storm asked, cutting into their conversation, "What happened when I passed out?" The girls all glanced at each other before Twilight began to explain.

"Well, a few minutes after we defeated Discord, the moon started lowering," she said, pointing outside where the sun was high in the sky, alone, "My parents showed up not long after."

"Yeah, you shoulda seen them!" Rainbow suddenly cut in, looking awed, "They were covered in pretty nasty wounds!"

"They were awful!" Fluttershy agreed.

"Ghastly indeed," Rarity added.

"Not to mention they kicked the shit out of each other!"

The girls all looked at Rainbow as they didn't seem to like what she blurted out of her mouth. Especially, Twilight as she had to see her parents fight against each other, even if one of them was under Discord's evil magic.

"What?!" shouted Rainbow as she didn't see what was wrong.

"Anyways... After they showed up, some guards came down and brought us and Discord's statue back to Canterlot, where we were all checked in. That was three days ago." Storm blinked.

"... Are you saying I've been unconscious for three days straight?!" he snapped.

"That's right, darling," Rarity said calmly, "The Elements might have healed some of your injuries, but we know first-hand how exhausting using the Elements can be" the others nodded along with her, "-and combined with the injuries you received, healed or not, well, it's no wonder you took so long to recover!"

"Rarity's right," Applejack said, "Ya took a real beatin' when ya fought Discord. Not ta mention the, uh..." she trailed off, her eyes locking onto his chest for a moment before she looked away.

"The spear to my chest," Storm supplied, deadpan, causing the girls to flinch.

"Uh... yeah, that."

The door behind them opened again, and a nurse quickly poked her head in.

"Oh! You're awake!" she gasped, perhaps a little too surprised for Storm's liking, "I'll go get the princesses immediately!" Her head disappeared and the door shut again.

The room was silent for a moment, and just before they returned to talking, the door opened again. Standing there were three girls.

"You're awake!" said the Crusaders as they zipped past the girls and jumped on the bed, earning an "Oof" from the older boy.

"Hey, girls," Storm greeted, gently patting each of the little girls' heads, "you alright?" he asked.

"We were terrified!" they admitted immediately, surprising Storm a tad.

"We just had a nice field trip, and then everything started acting weird!" said Applebloom.

"A-and then we all got separated from M-Miss Cheerilee!" said Sweetie Belle.

"I even got chased by a weird talking cactus that wouldn't leave me alone!" exclaimed Scootaloo.

After searching for a bit, Storm sighed fondly, snatched a few tissues from the nearby tissue box, and held them against their noses.

"Blow."

Storm made a face as the Crusaders blew their noses but didn't let it bother him, even as he threw away the now snotty tissues.

"It's okay, girls. Everything's over now. I'm back, aren't I?"

"Mhmm... we missed you," stated the three.

"I missed you too," spoke Storm.

""""Awwww..."""" were Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight's responses.

"Alright, alright, you can stop it now," was Rainbow's, "Seriously, you're beginning to choke me with all the emotions you're putting out," she added, ignoring the glares she received. However, Rarity's gaze was filled with something else before she turned to the Crusaders. "Alright, you girls, time to leave the Jedi alone and rest."

"Aw!" grumbled the Crusaders as they were ushered out of the room by the chromatic-haired girl as she closed the door.

"Never a dull moment, eh?" Storm asked himself. Twilight sighed.

"I wish," she said, "I could do with some peace and quiet after all of this."

"Oh, absolutely!" Rarity interjected brightly, "Goodness! All this excitement is going to give me wrinkles, I tell you! My, I'll have to book an extra long session at the Spa once we're back!" she said, "Oh, you'll come along, won't you Fluttershy?" she asked, turning to the girl. Fluttershy started slightly, surprised at being addressed so suddenly, but eventually nodded.

"That sounds lovely, Rarity," she agreed softly. The fashionista nodded and turned to the others.

"Well? How about it, everyone? A nice, long, relaxing trip to the Spa after all this? Hmm?"

"Hmm... I suppose I could do with a spell in the steam room," Applejack admitted.

"It does sound nice..." Twilight trailed off, staring at him.

"I'm not entirely certain I'll have a choice in the matter," Storm admitted, "If the twins hear about this, they'll probably tie me up and drag me there if I try to avoid it after today."

The girls laughed at that, but they were cut off when the door, once again, burst open. Only this time, Gustave poked his head in, looking around nervously.

"Gus-?"

"That bloody nurse isn't here, is she?" he asked suddenly.

"No," Storm replied automatically, hearing how serious he sounded and believing it to be important. Gustave nodded.

"Good," he said, disappearing for a moment before he returned, this time lugging a cart into the room, where a single, covered dish sat before it was hastily placed onto his lap, and the cover was torn off, revealing a plate of immaculately prepared alfredo.

"That damned nurse of yours refused to let me in to serve you. Ha! As if I'd let anyone eat the disgusting slop they call food here!" Gustave added, "My food is a hundred times tastier than anything they could even dream of preparing and is just as healthy!" he boasted.

Storm smirked and chuckled at Gustave's attitude.

"Thanks, Gustave," Storm said, gently scooping some of the noodles onto his fork and into his mouth.

As expected, the noodles practically exploded with flavor. The sauce was rich and creamy, and the noodles were perfectly cooked. He was way better than anything he could ever hope to cook.

"Delicious as always," he added, smiling a bit more genuinely once he swallowed.

"Well! As nice as it was to see your recovery, I'm afraid I need to head back to the kitchen to prepare for tomorrow!"

Storm blinked and quickly swallowed his latest bite.

"What's happening tomorrow?" he asked. Gustave froze in place and turned back to look at him. His eyes searched his for a moment before they narrowed as the chef turned to the girls.

"You haven't told him yet, your highness?" he asked accusingly. Twilight looked away.

"I-I was... distracted..." she admitted.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Rainbow added, "He just got up! Were you expecting us to just hit him with that right away?!"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

Storm's eyes danced between the seven for a moment. Despite this, he just let them keep at it and continued eating his alfredo.

"Considering he won't have long to prepare himself, it would be best to know about it as soon as possible!"

"But he needs to rest first! We couldn't have just sprung that on him when he woke up!" Rarity said, "He needed a little time to relax!"

Gustave sighed, aggravated, "Whatever," he said and turned back to Storm, "Listen, Em, there's going to be a celebration tomorrow for Discord's defeat, and the awakening of a new Element-" his eyes darted over to the artifact in question for a moment, before returning to him, "-and all of you are expected to be out on that stage once everything starts. The Royal Family wanted to hold it off until you were up, but they didn't have much choice. Since you're awake now, they'll definitely want you to attend. Lucky you," he added sarcastically.

Storm nodded.

"Got it," he said before throwing a slightly narrowed glare at the girls, "that is the kind of information I'd like as soon as possible," he said and nodded, "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem at all," Gustave said, "good luck." And with that, he left without taking the cart and Storm's empty plate with him.

And with that, the seven of them were alone once more.

"How long until someone else barges in?" Storm asked idly, glancing at the six mares. Pinkie 'Hmm'd, tapping a finger against her chin.

"Weeeeelllll... I'd give it-!"

*WHAM*

"-that long!"

Storm sighed at the sight of a sheepish-looking Velvet and a rather neutral-looking Night Light and sighed a second time when the poor, abused door finally breathed its last and fell to the floor, its hinges having broken at this final intrusion.

"Hmm... we need stronger doors, Velvet," Night Light noted without a hint of shame, not even glancing at it.

"Or, perhaps, you could open them gently, dear?" Velvet implored.

"No, I am certain it's the door's fault," Night Light retorted seriously, though it cracked slightly when his lips twitched upward. Velvet only sighed and turned to Storm.

"It's good to see you're awake, Storm," Velvet said, gently striding into the room, Night Light right behind, "I admit, I was beginning to worry when you didn't wake up yesterday," she added, her eyes darting over his bandaged form rapidly.

"Indeed. Were it not for her own wounds-" Night Light grimaced guiltily at that, "-I doubt my wife would have left your side," Night Light interjected, smirking at the way Velvet stiffened, "'Beginning to worry' doesn't cover it."

"Right... as I was saying," Velvet unsuccessfully diverted the subject, "How are you feeling?" Storm shrugged.

"Fine. I don't feel any pain, and, aside from some stiffness, it's as though I wasn't even injured in the first place." Velvet nodded.

"I see. The doctor said as much while you were unconscious. I'm honestly surprised that the Elements healed your wounds," she said, glancing at the crown, "I wasn't even aware they could do that."

"Well," Twilight suddenly interjected, going into 'lecture mode,' "the Elements did regrow Rarity's hair when we used them against Nightmare Moon, so that suggests that they're capable of cellular regeneration, at the very least. Healing some wounds isn't all that surprising," she said, before her eyes darted to his chest, "... although, I'm not sure how they managed to... you know... bringhimback," she said hastily as if the words refused to come out properly.

"I am confused as well," Night Light said and shook her head, "but it doesn't truly matter. The Elements are magical artifacts capable of reversing everything that Discord did. In the end, it only makes sense that they would reverse the death he caused," he said. Locked eyes with the Jedi Knight, "That is, of course, assuming Storm was truly dead in the first place."

"My husband is right," Velvet said, "the Elements have always been inexplicable, and there hasn't been any reason for that to change. All that matters is that Storm managed to awaken the Seventh Element of Harmony and that he's alive and healthy because of it," her face twisted for a moment, "... what is it the Element of, by the way?" she asked.

Storm fidgeted,

"...ce"

"What?" Night Light asked, raising an eyebrow at his quiet answer.

"...fice"

"Do speak up, Storm," Velvet said, before holding a hand to her chest, "Perhaps the Element you represent is embarrassing, but understand that none here will judge you," she spared a glance at the other six, "Isn't that right?"

"Of course!" Twilight said, her eyes narrowed seriously, "You're our friend, Storm! We'd never make fun of you for something like this! Right girls?"

""""Right!""""

"Eh, maybe."

"Rainbow Dash!"

"Okay, okay! Jeez..."

Storm sighed once more.

"The Element of Sacrifice," he said, sending a distasteful glare at the crown, "I'm the Bearer of the Element of Sacrifice. Happy?"

"Sacrifice...?" Night Light murmured, holding his chin with a hand, "I see..." he said, dropping it back to his side as he looked up at him, "Yes... I can certainly understand why you would represent that."

"I agree," Velvet said, surprising him, "you always were rather selfless in that regard. Sacrificing your time, energy, and all manner of things for others. I suppose the ultimate sacrifice of your life would be the... 'final nail in the coffin.'"

Storm shook his head, "It's fine. But what was this I heard about a celebration?" he asked.

Velvet nodded, "Ah, that. Well, it's simply that. A celebration for the defeat of a great foe, as well as the arrival of a new Element of Harmony," she said.

"My only question is: Why the hell does it gotta be a crown?!" stated Storm.

As if it heard the boy's response, the gold crown on the desk next to him began to shine. It produced a glow as it flew toward Storm's left arm, as his wrist was engulfed in a white light. It soon dissipated as on the Jedi's wrist was now a bracelet. It was covered in the seven gems as it was entirely made of solid gold that was hard enough to block and deflect shots from a blaster.

"Well, I guess that's a bit better," said the Jedi.

---

After that display, Storm was finally out of bed and removed his bandages. Night Light then took the opportunity to tell them about the celebration.

"After a large security breach like this, it's best to show Equis that we're still strong. The fact that the threat was dealt with within the same day will only help bolster the public's sense of safety," she said, "Introducing the new Element and its Bearer will surely help ease any lingering doubts about the nation's security."

Storm twitched and crossed his arms, "Fine. But I won't pretend I'll like it."

Velvet nodded, "I'll keep that in mind while we install your statue in the Statue Garden the day after tomorrow."

"You're getting a statue?!" Rainbow Dash asked, staring at him with a slack jaw, "That's awesome!"

"Maybe to you," Storm muttered, "now I'll have a bunch of people I've never met... know me," he said and shuddered at the thought. Velvet giggled at his reaction and continued her explanation.

"Well, the celebration will consist of a small parade, a little air show, and a musical performance, followed by a speech prepared by myself and my husband, in which the seven of you will appear. Now, I hate to burden you all with anything, especially after such trying events," she said, her eyes flickering over each of them. However, they lingered on him and Twilight noticeably longer, "But, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all for your assistance in preparing the festivities."

"Do you not trust the other guards to do a good enough job or something?" Storm asked snarkily, smirking rather pettily at Velvet's grimace.

"Frankly, no. I intend on speaking with the Guard Captains about increasing their training."

His smirk fell.

The seven of them glanced before turning back to the Queen, where Twilight spoke up.

"What do you need, Mom and Dad?"

Storm blinked, slightly surprised by the question. Well, not the question, but more than Twilight hadn't immediately agreed to help out.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask that Applejack assists with building the floats," the girl puffed up slightly at the mention, "that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy work with our pilots and special guests for the airshow and to get the animals ready for the show." Rainbow practically began vibrating with glee. At the same time, Fluttershy sat there, looking surprised, "I'll need Rarity to design outfits for the performers. Pinkie, I'd like it if you helped with preparing the food, and, Twilight, I'll need your help scheduling everything properly."

Storm blinked,

"And... me?"

"You will be resting," Night Light stated, rather firmly, "and away from my daughter," muttered the King so that only Velvet heard him as he left.

"I've contacted some people to ensure that you're taken care of," said Velvet to the boy.

"What?" he asked, "You're assigning me... a babysitter?!"

While Storm was busy processing that, Twilight spoke up.

"Um... is this really necessary, Mom?" she asked, drawing the shocked attention of everyone but Storm and Velvet, "It's just..." her eyes flickered over to the boy, "a-are you sure we should be s-separated so quickly?" Velvet stared at her for a moment before her features softened considerably; she knew what her daughter was implying as she went through the same feeling with Night Light.

"You're worried about him, Twilight. I understand that" Velvet said, ignoring Twilight's embarrassed sputter, "that is precisely why I've taken the librating of assuring that Storm relaxes," she said seriously, "Not even the six of you can do that," she added, further cementing that fact.

The door behind Velvet opened suddenly, and a white-coated woman with an inky black mane done up in curls poked her head in.

"Your Majesty?" she called, peering at them over her oval glasses, "There is some business that needs your attention for tomorrow's parade," the woman spoke, looking disgruntled. Velvet sighed.

"Of course. Thank you for letting me know, Print," she said, nodding at the woman, who disappeared behind the door. Velvet turned back to them, "I'm afraid I have something I must attend to," she said, standing up, "I'll see you all soon," she added, regally turning and exiting the room.

Once Velvet was out the door, the woman, Print, walked back in.

"Hello, everyone; my name is Fine Print," she said formally, her bright green magic adjusting her glasses while her equally green eyes scanned the clipboard she held in front of her, "I'm here to help organize the celebration for tomorrow," she added, giving them all a quick smile, "I'm also here to tell you who's currently in charge of each operation, and where you'll find them," she added, "Now, Miss Applejack, you'll have to report to-" she grimaced, "-Mr. Steeled Hoof down in the forge. He needs help moving all the metal and wood out near the training grounds, before beginning assembly," she paused for a moment, then added, "I apologize for his attitude in advance. Miss Pinkie," she continued without missing a beat, "Chef Gustave is down in the kitchen, and should be expecting you. Miss Rarity, Miss Shores is waiting in the auditorium. Misses Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the pilots, and special guests are over in Canterlot Theater. If any of you need help finding these places, any of the guards will be happy to have the excuse to take a small break and show you around," she finished with a brilliant smile.

After Print left, the girls talked for a minute before most left, some more worried than the others.

That left Storm and Twilight alone in the room, much to his confusion.

"Don't you have a schedule to organize, Sparky?" he asked. She nodded, "Well, yes, but I can do that pretty much anywhere!" she said brightly, not-so-subtly inching closer to him. He was about to respond when the door opened once more.

"Oh, I completely forgot!" Fine Print said, embarrassed, "Miss Twilight, I'll need you to come with me for our rounds around the castle!"

Twilight just blinked at the woman.

"U-uh... b-but I was going to..." she trailed off, pointing slightly at Storm. Print just shook her head.

"I'm sorry if I ruined whatever plans you had with your boyfriend, princess. But we really must be going!" she said, her hand lighting up as she began, gently dragging Twilight away. The girl had her hand out as if she was reaching for the boy.

Storm watched, slightly amused, as Twilight stared at him, a pleading look in her eyes, before the door closed, cutting them off. Storm didn't even have time to sigh before the door was, once more, slammed open.

Honestly, at this rate, it's going to break a second time...

"Well, it seems I came at just the right time," said a voice.

Storm turned around, and there was Coco. The girl was sent to meet with the Jedi Knight.

"Don't tell me you're the babysitter," said Storm.

---

Applejack was still determining how she would deal with this Steeled Hoof guy.

On the one hand, the guards had told her he wasn't the easiest person to get along with. Even mentioned how Steeled was pretty aggressive, seemed to have a few screws loose, and made more than a few racist comments to him over the years.

Applejack stared down the long stairway that the friendly guard she'd asked had led her to. Apparently, it led down into the forge where she'd find Steeled.

Applejack sighed. She felt she'd be in for a rough time the rest of the day.

Finally working up the nerve, she headed down, feeling only slightly unnerved when it got loads darker. The only light down here was the torches lining the walls.

Eventually, Applejack came to a massive metal door. She stared at it for a moment, unsure, before shrugging and knocking. She flinched back at how loud it was, but she didn't have much time to think about it since the door swung open.

"Who the fuck is interruptin' me?!" an older guy bellowed, leaning out the door with a sneer.

He was much older than her but still much younger than Granny Smith. He didn't have a hair on his gray head, and his copper eyes glared right into her skull.

"Uhh..." she began intelligently before shaking it off, "Howdy, uh, sir. I'm-" she tried to explain, only for the man, which Applejack assumed was Steeled, to cut her off.

"Got lost!" he spat, "I ain't got time for some lost girl! I'm waiting for the stupid someone the princess assigned me to carry shit!" he sneered, almost slamming the door, but stopped and glared at her again, "You see him, tell him to get his lazy ass down here! Name's supposed to be Applesmack or something stupid."

Applejack's eye twitched at how he butchered her name, stopping the door from slamming with a hand. Steeled glowered at her and tried closing the door, but after years of hard labor, Applejack was able to keep him from closing it on her.

It took more effort than she'd like to admit, but her legs never were her specialty.

"Mah name is Applejack, sir," she growled, and wouldn't her Granny whoop her butt if she ever took that tone with her, but this guy definitely deserved it, "I'm the one the Princess sent ta help."

Steeled paused for a moment, then glanced her up and down before scoffing.

"Please, what's a little girl like you supposed to do? Cheer me on? Ha!" he laughed, "Come back with an actual man!" he snapped, pulling back the door before roughly slamming it.

Applejack stared at the door for a moment, grinding her teeth together. "Welp, guess they weren't kiddin' 'round 'bout this guy," she said to herself, turning back to the stairs, "-guess I'll have to tell Storm-"

The sound of the door screeching behind her startled her, but Steeled's voice got her to stop.

"Did you just say 'Storm'?" Steeled asked, sounding strangely calm.

Applejack blinked and scowled at him, "Yeah, I know 'im. He's a friend'a of mine," she said, her scowl deepened, "Is there a problem with that?"

Steeled stared at her for a moment before jerkin' his head.

"Come in."

He left the door open as he turned around, though Applejack was stunned to notice.

What in tarnation...?

Applejack stared after the older man for a moment before following him.

"So," Steeled began once she entered, "this is the shit we need to bring up to the guards outside. I dunno why the Royal Family has you helpin' me when we got plenty of guards that ain't doing shit," he said, gesturing to a massive pile by the door.

The thing was huge! Dozens of little buckets filled with metal bits, big wooden beams stacked on top of one another, a couple of crates almost as big as she was, and a bunch of smaller little bundles. All this stuff would take hours to drag up all those stairs!

"I don't know why they had to bring that wood down here for me to work on it," Steeled muttered loudly, "I coulda used my smaller tools outside. Woulda taken longer, but... Eh, whatever," he shrugged, "Alright, get your lazy ass in gear and help me carry this shit."

Applejack scowled at his tone but forced her irritation down. She had an uncle just like this, and Granny had taught her to deal with this attitude.

Didn't mean she enjoyed it any.

She jogged over to the pile and, figuring it would be smarter, started picking up some of the smaller things first. She'd managed to get two buckets in her hands when Steeled spoke up again.

"So, you know that brat?" he asked, grabbing one bucket. Applejack paused for a moment before she nodded.

"Eeyup," she muttered, making her way up the stairs, taking it slow so she didn't spill anything, "Ended up a good friend'o mine."

"Peh," Steeled scoffed behind her, "bet he's just lazing around on his ass, like all the other guards 'round here."

Applejack felt a rush of hot anger in her chest but pushed it aside. If this man was anything like her Uncle Bruised Apple, he wouldn't listen to anything good she had to say about her friend.

---

Pinkie was very excited, and why wouldn't she be? She got to make yummy desserts for a bunch of people! Pinkie happily bounced down to the kitchen, not even bothering to ask any of the guards around. She was certain she'd find it; eventually, it was where all the ingredients were, after all!

And, just like she'd expected, she found herself standing outside the humongous doors to the kitchen, where she could already hear tons of pots and pans moving around like a parade in there!

"Dammit, Wellspring, I told you, I want these floors clean!"

She had opened the door to find that nice chef, Gustave, angrily berating one of the workers, a boy a bit younger than she was, his golden coat and brown hair tucked underneath a janitor's uniform.

"If you can't do your job, get out of my kitchen!" Pinkie frowned slightly at what was happening before her and decided to stop it.

"Hi!" she called cheerfully, bringing Gustave's attention onto her, allowing the boy, Wellspring, to dart away freely.

Gustave greeted, before sighing, "Ah, Miss Pinkie Pie! So glad to see you," he mused, "I would've thought she'd send me Applejack, given the Apple Family's history with baked goods." Pinkie shrugged.

"Sorry, but Applejack went to help someone named Steeled Hoof!" she explained. She tilted her head, confused when Gustave groaned and palmed his face.

"That poor girl..." he muttered, "Hopefully, Steeled can curb that awful attitude for at least tonight. Though I doubt it," he added before shaking his head, "Regardless, you'll be helping me prepare the dessert table for tomorrow." Pinkie squee, clapping her hands together.

"That's amazing! I'm good at making pies, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, brownies, scones, cakes, and-!"

"I get it," Gustave cut her off, "You're an experienced baker. That's good. Now-"

"So, whatcha need?!" she asked, cutting him off. Gustave frowned, his neck twitching.

"I'd like it if you started making two large cakes. Say, six layers, approximately two people in length at the bottom. Cake ovens are over there," he pointed off to the side, where a set of large ovens sat, "and the custom cake pans are just above them. Flour, milk, eggs, and other such are over there," he pointed to a series of large cabinets, "Once you've got them cooking, make some buttercream frosting, color it pink. I'll have someone else ice the cake. Can you do that?"

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chirped, saluting him, before she paused, sticking her tongue out, thinking, "Umm, what recipe should I use for the cakes?"

Gustave sighed and smacked his forehead.

"Right, of course, you'll need the recipe," he muttered before he shook his head, "It's a royal recipe. I assumed you'd already know it. My apologies. Come along; I'll help."

Pinkie nodded, skipping over to their workstation while Gustave gathered the ingredients. The thought of Storm, however, ended up sullying her cheerful mood. She really hoped he was doing okay. It was a shame that she and the girls couldn't look after him. After all, they were friends! Even if he had been silly and didn't want all the affection, that didn't change the kind of friend he'd been!

"Alright, here's everything we'll need," Gustave muttered, appearing beside her, completely laden with ingredients. Pinkie's eyes widened at the sheer amount of things he began piling on the counter. Whole bags of flour and sugar, entire cartons of eggs, whole jugs of milk, it was insane! Ooh, this was gonna be so much fun!

---

Fluttershy trailed behind Rainbow Dash, trying her best to steer clear of the exciting girl's flailing as they headed towards the Theater, ignoring the slight drizzle pouring over Canterlot. As they approached it, they heard some noises from inside.

"Soarin, I swear, if you suggest getting some pie one more time, I'll break your other leg!"

"Huh, why does that sound familiar?" said Rainbow as she and Fluttershy entered the door to the theater; what the girl saw made her gasp.

They found a group of uniformed people surrounding a table, with the recognizable form of Spitfire at the head, angrily snarling at another person whose leg was currently in a cast.

The person with the cast, Soarin, was chuckling rather sheepishly at Spitfire.

"Hehe... uh, are you sure, Captain?" he asked, sounding hopeful. Spitfire's eyes twitched, and she turned to the girl on her right, a white girl with a dark blue and very curly mane.

"High, what did I just say to him?" she asked. The girl, High, giggled.

"That you'd break his other leg if he asked one more time, of course!" she said, almost too cheerfully, smiling a wide, toothy smile over at the boy, who paled at the sight of it.

"Haha!" another girl laughed, this one having skin a few shades lighter than her own and a two-tone blue and white hair pulled back over her head, "You look like you've just seen a ghost, Soarin!" she cackled, only to be on the receiving end of a heavy whack to the back of the head, courtesy of Spitfire, "Ow! What the hell?!"

"Shut your trap, Misty. You're not exactly clear either since it was your fault this dumbass broke his leg. Again," she growled, cowing the girl. A teal girl sighed and turned to the silver boy next to her.

"I feel like I'm surrounded by idiots, Silver," she said, causing the boy to laugh.

"We're all idiots, Fleetfoot," Silver said, throwing an arm around her, bringing her into a one-armed hug that she didn't seem to appreciate, "We're still on the team, aren't we?" She shoved him off.

"Whatever."

Spitfire nearly rounded on the two, but she spotted herself and Rainbow Dash before speaking further.

"Oh, hey, how long have you two just been standing there?" she asked, her orange eyes locking onto theirs. Fluttershy fidgeted.

"O-oh, um... n-not that long..." she muttered,

"Crash, good to see you!" said the girl as she approached her contact and gave her a slap on the back. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"I should be askin' you that! What the hell are you doin' here?" said the pilot as she rubbed her back.

"Business. What else. See, we got contacted by a very wealthy contractor, and in exchange for paying for our impressive pilot skills, we agreed to put on an airshow for the celebration that they're planning." said Spitfire.

"The King and Queen of Equis paid you guys to come here?" said Rainbow.

"You know them?" said Spitfire.

"They're my friend's parents," blurted out the chromatic-haired teen that got Spitfire to make a face.

"Well, why didn't you tell me that your friend had rich parents? After all, I've given you first dibs on jobs at the guild. And this is the thanks I get." said Spitfire as she felt Rainbow was holding out on some info.

"Like I knew that when I first met her," argued Rainbow. "Anyways, let me guess, you need an extra pilot since Soarin is out of commission."

"No," said Spitfire, looking away and trying not to show weakness in front of her squad.

"Bullshit!" stated Dash.

"Alright, fine. Yes. The dumbass here is injured, and I need a pilot to take his place. And I... know how good you are at flying, so... I need help." It pained Spitfire to ask for help as she normally had things under control.

"Give me a free round of cider, and I'll do it," said Rainbow.

"You son of a bitch," muttered Spitfire, as she should have this coming. "F-Fine!"

"Then we have a deal!" stated Rainbow with a smug smile as she shook Spitfire's hand, who was none too pleased with how this whole situation was turning against her.

"Hehe, she kinda reminds me of myself back when I started," Silver said, causing Fleetfoot to elbow him in the side.

"Please, you were way worse than that," she said.

"I was not."

"You definitely were."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"I was not!"

"You were too!"

"Alright, while those two pretend they aren't going to have sex later," Spitfire began, ignoring how they kept shouting at each other. She turned to Fluttershy, "You're Fluttershy, right?" she asked. She started.

"Y-you know me...?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Spitfire nodded, taking a quick stroll around the table until she was closer.

"Yeah, the King and Queen mentioned you. I think Dash mentioned you at one point, but I forgot," she admitted. "Anyways, I heard you're good with animals."

"Yes," responded the girl.

"Good, 'cause we got a problem with some birds," said the girl.

---

While Fluttershy was talking with Spitfire, Rainbow was at the table with the other members of Spitfire's gang. Dash learned while coming to the guild that Spitfire ran with her group and that together, they were an elite flying team. Some of the best pilots gathered around the galaxy due to the skills each one contributed.

High Winds was well known for her perfectly executed turns, taking even abnormally sharp ones with ease even the other members couldn't match. She was very nice, but some old rumors about her having illicit relationships with others died out when they were proven false.

Misty Fly was famous for her prowess at navigating even extremely harsh conditions. There were plenty of rumors about how she used to be an agent for some secret organization, but nobody's ever found proof, and she always pushes those off.

Fleetfoot was one of the fastest pilots on the team. She was also known for her prickly personality. Apparently, she's pretty secretive about her personal life, especially her romantic life, though Rainbow never cared for that kind of info. Too personal for her tastes. Still, it made her more popular as the "mysterious beauty."

Silver Zoom was known for his scary good eyesight. Apparently, he used to be a farmer before a recruiter came by and saw him practicing at night in secret. The only member who's complete, 100% confident at night shows.

Soarin was the male version of High Winds. He was known to have a massive sweet tooth and a love of pie. Not to mention that he also enjoys entertaining fans more than others. He was the member most would often see whenever he was searching for businesses for Spitfire. Charity, publicity, you name it, and Soarin was almost always there. However, because of his constant exposure, it was revealed that he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, though his genuine personality tended to more than make up for it.

And lastly, Spitfire. Her father had started the guild and flying squad; that was how she entered the business. She was the youngest member to join her father's group. After he passed away, the leadership fell to her as she began to recruit new pilots. She was much stricter than her dad. Compared to what people knew about the others, not much was known about Spitfire other than a heavy dislike of dark and cramped spaces and hospitals.

---

Rarity marveled at the absolutely exquisite décor the auditorium bore. Stunning lights along the ceiling, marvelous oak flooring, and gorgeous marble walls, oh!

Oh, and the stage! The stage! Magnificently crafted from a dark wood she couldn't recognize, outstanding red velvet curtains that absolutely dwarfed even the castle's large doors!

One had to remember the people currently dancing on stage, too! A light purple female with neon orange hair, both puffed up to a degree not even Pinkie could replicate, a bright pink female with two-tone blue hair, as well as her exact opposite standing next to her, a bright blue female with a deep lavender hair, and, of course, the one and only Singer of Pop, Sapphire Shores herself!

Their dancing was wonderful! Every motion was fluid and seamlessly flowing into the next! Even the most abrupt motions only passed as they fell into a wave of careful steps and spins.

Truly a level of beauty and coordination that must have taken years to build, and it was displayed right in front of her!

She quietly walked towards the stage, intending to wait for them to finish, but the pop star immediately noticed her silent approach.

"Well, look who it is!" Sapphire Shores announced, "Rari-ty, my favorite designer! What are you doin' out here?" she asked, never breaking from her routine.

"Oh, well, hello again, Miss Shores!" Rarity chirped politely, beating down some of the nervousness that had sprung up upon her notice, "The King and Queen have asked me to come along and prepare your outfits for the show," she explained. Sapphire perked up, her movements gradually slowing down.

"Did she now?" she asked, smiling, "We-e-ell! I'm definitely lookin' forward to tryin' out some more of your designs! How 'bout you girls?" she called, spinning to face the four other dancers, who all chirped up in response.

"Yeah!"

"Definitely!"

"Totally!"

"Ha ha!" Sapphire laughed, spinning right around, only to forcibly stop herself by slamming her legs onto the stage just as the four behind her all came to a sudden stop, each holding a different pose, "Looks like you've got some excited fans, and I'm one of 'em!" she cheered.

The sudden praise caused Rarity to flush bright red, which Sapphire noticed easily.

"Oh my, can't handle a bit of praise, huh?" she asked with a smile, gently hopping off the stage, "Funny, you struck me as the kind who can just soak that ri-i-ight up!" she teased with a wink. Rarity brushed it aside with a dainty laugh, though she wasn't quite able to rid herself of the redness in her cheeks.

"W-well, I suppose it's best if we begin taking all your measurements," she said, changing the subject, perhaps a tad too abruptly. Using her magic, she reached into the bags that a guard had been kind enough to retrieve for her and pulled out a length of measuring tape, as well as a notepad and pencil, "N-now, I recall Miss Shores' measurements, but I'll need the rest of you to please step up so we may begin. How about you, Miss... erm...?" she trailed off, unable to recall a name. Sapphire, however, suddenly gasped.

"Woo! I must be out of tune 'cause I forgot to introduce all of you!" she said, "So, Rarity, meet the girls!" she chirped, patting the purple female, "This here is Lavender Swirl!" she pointed to the blue and purple female, "That one is Grapevine. The twins over there are Berry Blue-" the blue one, "-and Cherry Berry," the pink one, "Girls! You know Rarity!" she added. Lavender laughed.

"Well, of course we do!"

"Yeah, you wouldn't shut up about her!" Grapevine added,

"It was super annoying," Cherry said,

"Totally," Berry agreed.

"Honestly, the only other pony you've mentioned more than her is that weird Jedi," Lavender added, causing Rarity to go stiff.

"Hey now, Storm isn't weird," Sapphire defended with a smile, "He's just a tad... focused."

Cherry Berry just sighed and shook her head, "I don't get how you can think so highly of him, " she admitted, frowning.

"Honestly, it sounds like he has more than a few screws loose up here," she added, tapping the side of her head.

"Totally," her sister agreed.

Rarity grit her teeth to keep herself from saying anything.

Then she had to actively bite her lip to prevent herself from speaking, even drawing a minuscule amount of blood in the process. Perhaps it was an extreme reaction; perhaps she shouldn't allow this to get under her skin as much as it was.

But, in truth, she couldn't help it. She always had a bit of a hard time hearing someone badmouth one of her dear friends, even the ones who took it without a grimace, such as Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and even Pinkie!

But recent events had her emotions on high alert, enough that she'd felt rather drained. Not seeing that boy again, the one who'd been kind enough to save her from that underground mine, had managed to stir up more than a vague sense of admiration. She hadn't even been able to thank him properly because of it!

But now that she'd had some proper rest while also riding on the slight high she'd received upon realizing one of her friends had not, in fact, died, she couldn't hope to stop the red-hot anger coursing through her chest like an erupting volcano.

She performed a remarkable job all the same. Regrettably, she couldn't help the strained smile she gave them.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all," Rarity said, using her magic to give the measuring tape a slight snap, taking a tad too much pleasure at how they all flinched, "Now, why don't we get started?"

---

Twilight did not want to be here.

"Hmm, tell me, what do you think of these fireworks?"

There were so many more things she'd rather be doing now.

"Oh my! These guards certainly know how to get a crowd going!"

Like spending time with Storm.

How was he doing, anyway? She knew that he was being watched for his health, of course!-but why couldn't she be the one watching him?

Twilight honestly didn't believe it was fair that she wasn't allowed to look after him. What if he-gothurtwasstabbeddied-got bored? There were a lot of things they could do together!

They could head to the library and read together for the day! Sitting around, reading together, would be nice. There'd be no way he could-gethurtbleeddie-possibly get bored doing that!

She fidgeted, ignoring the sound of Fine Print calling her name.

She didn't understand how her parents could trust him with someone other than her! Wh-what if they hurt him? You never know what could happen, after all! H-he is a Jedi, isn't he? S-so, didn't that imply that people would want to hurt him?

Wh-what if he was in danger right now?!

She-she needed to see him, needed to make sure-!

"Twilight!"

She was startled out of her thoughts by the loud shout in her ear, courtesy of Fine Print, who looked rather ticked.

"Huh, what?" she asked intelligently, causing the official-looking woman to huff.

"Weren't you listening?!" she asked. Twilight blinked and regarded the white woman for a moment.

"... No?" she ventured uncertainly, causing Fine to let out an aggravated sigh, bringing a hand to her temple.

"Ugh, I was told that you were a very professional princess, Miss Sparkle," Fine began, "so what's wrong, then?" Twilight blinked before chuckling nervously.

Keep it cool, Twilight. We don't want to worry anyone.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong! Wh-why would you say that?!" she stammered instead.

You had one job!

Fine Print just deadpanned at her before sighing once again, "It's about your boyfriend, isn't it?" she asked, causing Twilight to stammer,

"Wha-bu-no! S-Storm has nothing to do with anything!" she denied, only causing Fine to sigh a third time.

"Miss Sparkle, I mean this with the utmost respect, your highness, but you are a horrible liar," she said, staring at her almost disdainfully. Fine then huffed, adjusted her glasses, and flipped her clipboard around for her to see, "We still have a lot of things to get through on this list. The sooner we finish, the sooner you get to head back to your boyfriend, understand?" she asked.

She turned back towards their current inspection, which was the fireworks display, tended to by several guards, only to find that her clipboard had vanished.

"Wha-where is my-?"

"Hurry up, Miss Print!" Twilight's voice called, causing her to look up, finding the lavender girl several feet away, holding her clipboard, "We have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it!"

---

Coco was walking side by side with Storm in the Hedge Maze. They soon came to a small section of the maze as there was a river and a gazebo. The pair walked to the structure as they were talking.

"So... how do you feel?" asked Coco.

"I don't know... I died and came back alive," stated Storm bluntly.

"Oh, right. Sorry," smiled Coco sheepishly for asking such a question to the Jedi.

"But it felt... cold... and... empty," said Storm as the pair entered the pavilion and stood looking at the garden.

"And what of this?" said Coco as she put her hand over Storm's wrist.

"Apparently, this is my Element. Element of Sacrifice. Can you believe that shit." sighed Storm as he leaned on the railing and looked at the river.

"I can," stated Coco as that got the boy to raise an eyebrow at her. "Storm, you're the definition of what it means to sacrifice. You've sacrificed your time to help your friends, and you're willing to make others feel satisfied, even if it means you don't. When you stepped to take the bullet or spear, in this case, to protect Twilight. You're a Jedi, and as a Jedi, you learn to sacrifice things."

"This supposed to make me feel better, Coco?" asked the teen.

"I'm just saying, don't let the name get to you. Sacrifice can be a good thing," the girl moved her hand to grab Storm's as the boy let her and looked into her eyes. "My father always used to say: Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."

Coco's words seemed to affect Storm as the boy felt something in his heart. A small spark happened as a tiny flame was ignited. It provided some light to a dark, vast, cold void.

"I used to watch my dad work late night shifts. Coming home feeling tired, but the thing is, he never let me see it. Whenever I saw him, he looked healthy; he didn't show an inch of expression that he was tired. Either he was a good actor, or he didn't want his daughter to be concerned. But the thing he always said to me what that line."

Coco began to lead Storm as she still held his hand. The pair walked through the small garden trail as they passed many statues.

"I didn't know what that meant when I was younger, but when I started to work for Twilight's parents, it opened my eyes. I saw what my father was trying to tell me. And... I'm telling you the same thing.

"Thanks, Coco," said Storm as he popped a smile.

The girl smiled and leaned in to hug the Jedi Knight. Storm returned the embrace as he put his arms around her and held the girl.
H

Applejack grunted as she laid her final bucket on the far-too-soft-for-her-own-good grass and nearly had to keep herself from following along with it.

She'd been wrong about how hard it would be to get all those supplies outside. What she'd thought would only take a few hours ended up taking only two since Steeled was surprisingly tough for an old grouch. Didn't mean it was any easier, though.

Now that that was done, all they had to do was get started on building everything. Now that wasn't going to be easy.

Normally, a little bit of hard work like this wouldn't get her in such a foul mood, but she usually worked with her family or friends. This time? This time she got this old feller who can't seem ta keep his opinions to himself!

"Bunch of lazy little shits," Steeled muttered, almost slamming down his own bucket, glaring off towards the barracks, where Applejack could see a few of the guards training or some such, "look at 'em, with their fancy little weapons that I slaved over, and they can't even repay the favor? Peh," Steeled spat.

Applejack was wrong about Steeled. He wasn't anything like her Uncle Bruised. Uncle Bruised was stubborn and didn't like others, but he wasn't anywhere near as petty as Steeled Hoof was!

Fer example: Steeled didn't like others 'cause they didn't seem to help him when he wanted them to, but he was too darn prideful to ask for help in the first place, and then he blamed them for not helping!

And that was just the guards around the castle.

But Applejack couldn't help but wonder...

"So, why'd we hafta bring all this out here?" she asked, "Ya said somethin' 'bout getting 'em ta the guards, an' this don't look like a good place ta build anythin' like a float, so..." she trailed off when she noticed the sour look on his face.

"Well, them little shits aren't going to do any helping," he growled, glaring off towards the training guards, "So we'll have to move all this ourselves before gettin' started."

Applejack blinked, "Whaddya mean they ain't helpin'?" she asked, frowning, "Ya didn't even ask." Steeled huffed.

"Look at 'em," he snarled, waving a hand at them, "they're just playing around with those weapons! Bet they don't even know how to properly use them things!" Applejack glanced over at them, specifically the one using a sword against a training dummy.

"Looks like they know how ta use 'em ta me," she said, raising a brow at Steeled, who only scoffed.

"Pah! As if some girl like you would know anything about weaponry," he snarled, and Applejack only just managed to keep herself from bucking the old goat halfway across the field.

"An' you do?" she couldn't help but ask in return, "'Bout usin' 'em, I mean," she added quickly.

"'Course I do!" he snapped, as if offended at the idea of her not knowing, "I used to be a Guard, and a damn good one! I was the best of my unit, back in the day!" he suddenly boasted, and glared over at them, "And now look at 'em! Lazing around, barely trainin', no motivation, it makes me sick! I was a proud Veteran of the Knight Class, and what kind of chumps come after me? That!" he sneered, pointing a finger at them viciously.

She didn't know how to respond to Steeled's... attitude. It was mostly 'cause she didn't really know how important these Title things were, in the grand scheme of things.

She should ask Twilight about them.

If Steeled was such a big shot, assuming he ain't lying or anything, what was he doing working as a blacksmith? He might be a tad old, but he managed to move a ton of that stuff up the stairs without her help, so he wasn't too weak.

"So, uh... why're you a blacksmith, then?" she decided to ask. Who knows, maybe if he told her, he'd lighten up a tad? Granny Smith was always a lot happier after telling one of her stories.

"Some bullshit 'bout 'not having a good attitude.' Peh!"

Why ain't I surprised?

"Let's start building this stupid float for that Jedi who stands for nothing but false promises."

Applejack was this close to throwing a punch as she restrained herself. Even if others weren't gonna accept him, she and her friends would be more than happy to!

However, Applejack had to admit that sometimes it didn't feel like they were friends.

She frowned at the random thought before tossing it aside. Sure, they had their differences and didn't always get along, but they'd been through thick and thin together. And that was how it was always gonna be!
H

Pinkie stared at the massive cake in front of her, idly wondering if she could sneak a few bites without anybody noticing.

"Don't even think about it," Gustave suddenly snapped, pointing the icing-covered spatula at her. Pinkie giggled.

"About what?" she asked innocently.

"Eating the cake," he said, "I used to see that look pretty often, and always before some of our stock would go missing. Now that I'm Head Chef, that kind of shit isn't going to fly here, so don't."

"Don't be silly, Mr. Chef!" Pinkie said, "I'm a human; I can't fly!" Gustave sighed, pausing the spreading for a moment.

"I honestly can't tell if you're being a smart ass or if you genuinely think I meant it like that," he muttered, "and believe me, that's not a good thing."

Pinkie only giggled at Gustave's response before she was once more distracted by how absolutely massive the cake was!

It was amazing! Six amazing layers of sugary goodness, and the best part? Even the smallest one was taller than her! Ah, a sugar lover's paradise!

Pinkie could even feel herself drool at the mere thought of tasting something so amazing!

But another really great thing was that she got to help make it! It was always amazing to see something she baked turn into something that could be super-yummy, and the smiles that nearly everybody got when they ate them only made everything better!

"You sure you don't want me to help?" For maybe the fifth time, Pinkie asked, "I can start on the second one!"

She'd been super excited when Gustave had left and came back with the frosting, and she'd been more than happy to help ice the whole thing! But, for some reason, he didn't want her to 'ruin another one of his cakes.' Which was funny since she'd never ruin a perfectly good cake!

"I'm sure, Miss Pinkie," he said quickly, causing the party girl to pout.

"Well... okay! You want me to do anything else?" she asked eagerly.

He may need more goodies. Ooh! She could try making that special recipe the Cakes showed her for the National Dessert Competition in a few months?!

Gosh, what was it called again? Is it the 'MMMM' or something?

No, the Cakes wanted to make it for the competition, and it would not be polite to make it without their permission.

But there were still plenty of other things she could make, like pies, cookies, cupcakes, more cakes, scones-!

"That won't be necessary, Miss Pinkie," Gustave said, glaring down into the bowl of icing, "Though, it is time we begin on the second one," he said, almost begrudgingly. Pinkie saluted.

"I'll be right on it, Mr. Chef, sir!" she chirped, before zipping over to the counter, where the ingredients were lying, before excitedly beginning to make some more.

While she was happily throwing everything together, Gustave started chuckling.

"My my, how you've managed to become such good friends with Storm, I'll never know," he said. Pinkie, having heard that, spoke up.

"Why?" she asked. Why wouldn't they be friends?

"You two are so vastly different," he said, "and if that wasn't enough, I recall him absolutely loathing the last girl he met with a personality vastly similar to yours," he started humming to himself, "hmmm... I wonder what makes you so different from them. What is it about you that he finds charming enough to befriend, that the other simply didn't have?" he asked.

He didn't see it since she was turned away from him, but Pinkie couldn't help but frown.

She felt a doozy coming on.

---

Fluttershy was... surprised.

When Rainbow had left to clear the sky and get her ship, she was left with Spitfire, which made the girl nervous. She'd expected the orange girl to quickly grow bored talking with her, but the stunt pilot seemed interested in her life.

"Oh, you take care of animals?"

"Wow, it must be tough being the voice for them in the Senate. What kind of animals do you like?"

"You take care of how many animals?! Daily?!"

What surprised Fluttershy the most was that Spitfire didn't seem to be faking any of it.

She might not be an expert on people, but Spitfire appeared genuinely interested in her. And she honestly found herself feeling the same.

"Oh my, I can't imagine how scary all those stunts must be!"

"I couldn't imagine flying in front of all those people..."

"I don't think I could ever lead people the way you could..."

It was nice. She rarely met somebody who wanted to listen to her rather than the other way around.

That wasn't to say she didn't like it, oh no! She loved listening to her friends talk to her. It meant that they trusted her to listen to their problems and whatever advice she could give, and, in return, they were happy to help her whenever she had any problems.

But she was the only one in their group interested in animals. Aside from their pets, none of her friends were keen on learning more about animals. Well, except maybe Twilight, but that was less for fun and more because she liked learning and knowing things.

Still, they were her friends, and she'd even managed to get them all on her own, for the most part!

She didn't need someone to hold her hand and tell her what to say. She just... stayed herself, and everything worked out.

Although... it was a bit odd, sometimes. They were all just so different! Sometimes it felt like their friendship was hanging by a thread, but it seemed to snap right back together just before it could break.

She supposed that was a testament to their friendship's strength if it could survive the same things that nearly broke it.

Her most recent talk with Spitfire was sadly interrupted when Rainbow Dash finally returned.

"Hey everybody, I'm back and cleared a pretty good spot!"

---

Rainbow couldn't help but puff her chest out in pride.

Clearing the atmosphere had taken a bit longer than she'd thought it would, but she guessed it made sense since Canterlot probably got a different kind of cloud than the kingdom of Equis, thanks to its higher altitude.

Still, she wasn't an experienced pilot for nothing! What might've taken a less experienced person a few hours took her only thirty minutes!

"Nice, and in half the time Soarin usually takes," Spitfire praised, standing from where she'd been sitting by Fluttershy, lazily stretching her back, "Alright, let's take a look at it, see if that was time well spent at least." Rainbow released a totally cool squee and eagerly jumped up and down.

"Awesome! C'mon!"

As expected, it didn't take the group long before they arrived at Rainbow's cleared spot, and she couldn't help but beam proudly at the look of surprise on the others' faces.

"Damn, you did all this in forty-five minutes?" Silver asked, looking around in surprise.

"Thirty," she corrected, "The rest was trying to find a good spot with flat ground and plenty of grass," she said proudly.

And why wouldn't she be? She'd cleared nearly an acre's worth of space all by herself, which usually took at least three people an hour.

"Wow, I gotta say, I'm impressed," Spitfire said, looking around with a calm eye, "I wasn't expecting you to clear this much. I also didn't need this much, but more space is better than less," she admitted. She looked over the sizable field sitting pretty underneath the now-open sky, "This isn't bad. In an ideal situation, we'd be practicing above the clouds, but Canterlot's altitude makes that too hard, so some soft enough ground ought to be good enough. It doesn't get much softer until after some rain, which is now gone," she said before turning back to Rainbow, "Nice work, rookie. Maybe I should consider asking you to join our squad."

Rainbow Dash did not go red in the face. She most certainly did not nearly burst out squealing. All that she did do was calmly smile and nod.

"Alright, let's go over the flight pattern!" said Spitfire to everyone as she gestured for Rainbow to join them, with the teen holding her smile.

Damn, if only her other friends were around to see this! Fluttershy was a great support if a tad quiet, but if everyone was here, that would be radical!

Hmm... then again, maybe not. Rarity had zero real interest in anything not fashion related. Applejack was the same, though she appreciated her work much more than the others. Pinkie would be excited, but more because she was one step closer to her dream. Twilight would be happy for her, but her interest in other things extended to Storm and Storm alone.

Honestly, that girl thought she was subtle. And that was coming from her!

Thinking about it, her friends had zero interest in some of the things she did, but they were always supportive.

Rainbow laughed to herself.

Faust, she was lucky to have them, huh?

---

Rarity hummed a song as she sewed, the only sound being that of Sapphire and her group's feet against the wooden stage. The outfits were coming along nicely. A nice, pretty set of black, skintight outfits embroidered in different colors around the legs and neck to accentuate their wearers' color scheme. Blue for Sapphire, orange for Lavender, blue and pink for Berry and Cherry, and bright yellow for Grapevine, each in wonderful-looking swirls.

She didn't truly need anything that would take away from their performance, nor did she want to make something that would obstruct their movements, so she went with this, perhaps too simple, design. It wasn't her best work, but they would serve nicely.

A few more moments passed under her machine before she sighed, cleaned some things up, and held Sapphire's outfit into the air, admiring the way the light practically vanished upon touching the dark fabric yet glowed when striking the blue.

"My my! That's the kind of thing I expect from someone as tal-en-ted as you, Rarity!"

The booming voice of Sapphire startled Rarity into the air while also breaking her concentration, causing the outfit to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Once she landed back onto the floor, she held a hand to her chest to steady her heart and whirled to face Sapphire with a severe expression, momentarily forgetting whom she was with.

Sapphire, for her part, just gave her a sheepish laugh.

"Sorry?"

Rarity's glare remained for a moment before it fell,

"No, no, it's quite alright. I suppose that's merely what happens when I allow myself to get caught up in my work," she said, before suddenly recalling whom she was talking with, "O-oh, but there's no need to worry!" she quickly added, her eyes darting from side-to-side, "U-um, if I may ask, what is it that you needed?

Sapphire smiled at her.

"Oh, nothin'! Our practice is f-i-i-in-ished! I just thought I'd come to look at your work, and I must say, your work is fan-tas-tic!"

"Oh!" Rarity blushed, "Well, thank you, Miss Shores, I always appreciate compliments," she said honestly, before glancing down at the outfit, frowning, "Though, I'm not sure I believe these are worth such praise. They are by far not my best work," she admitted, "I only have so many materials here." Sapphire just scoffed at her.

"Nonsense! Your work is am-a-zing! Don't you let anybody tell you otherwise," she gently threatened, wagging a finger at the designer, "got it?"

Rarity stared for a moment before tittering,

"Of course, Miss Shores," she said, only for Sapphire to cut her off,
"Ah ah ah! That's Sapphire to you, missy!" Rarity stiffened slightly and swallowed the lump in her throat,

"N-now, I couldn't possibly-" a noise from Sapphire prevented her from continuing, especially as the pop star's eyes began to narrow in a warning. Eventually, Rarity conceded, "Very well... Sapphire."

As expected, Sapphire beamed at her, "Now that's more like it!"

Rarity laughed a tad more and used her magic to drag them into the air, revealing each new outfit.

"Oh my! You're a real quick worker?" she asked, eyes darting over each outfit hungrily.

"Well, only the best for my customers," Rarity said, smiling sagely, "After all, how could I possibly give anybody something if I don't give it my all?" she asked. Sapphire laughed, gently rubbing the fabric of one of the outfits.

"I certainly agree! My audience deserves only the very best!" she cheered, "If I ain't singing my heart out every show, then I'm not doing it right!" she claimed before turning back to the stage, "Hey girls, Rarity here has got our outfits ready!" she called, and glanced back Rarity, "You don't mind, do you?"

After gently folding each one, Rarity shook her head and presented the outfits to the approaching females.

"Not at all!"

She watched with a poorly veiled smile as each female took their designated outfit, marveling at the feel of the fabric and the beauty of the highly simplified designs. Even if it wasn't her best, it still warmed her heart to see anyone appreciate her work.

Rarity practically glowed as she watched them.

This. This was the kind of thing she lived for. The art of creation. The beauty of making something for someone else and the magic that came with them liking it.

This simple thing made her feel alive every time she experienced it, and it never. Got. Old.

And it only got better when she was experiencing that same thing with her wonderful friends!

Although... things weren't always so easy. Unfortunately, she remembered when they hadn't appreciated her dresses for them. Oh, she remembered that time vividly and most often in her nightmares.

But still, once they'd finally seen the error of their ways, the amount of adoration they'd put into those outfits had nearly caused her heart to burst!

It was proof that friends truly made everything there was in this world better than it had ever been before. Even if, at times, they can be the greatest of nightmares, that doesn't change the fact that they also brought with them the greatest dreams.

---

Twilight hastily checked another thing off the list, scarcely paying attention to what she was actually checking off. She also bid a half-hearted goodbye to the group she'd just 'inspected.'

While normally, she'd be putting her all into making sure something like this was going according to schedule, it was more important that they finished as soon as possible so that she could go looking for Storm.

-bloodydyingcoldhewasn'tbreathingbreathingbreathing-

He was probably getting pretty fed up with whoever had been assigned to look after him by now.

"Miss Twilight!" Fine Print snapped at her again, "Please hold on a moment!"

Twilight was, unwillingly, brought to a stop by a green glow completely suffusing her person, halting her movements in place.

Fine Print appeared by her side, looking visibly drained and huffing as if she'd just run a marathon, her hand's aura flickering like a broken light, "My-*huff*-word! What in the wo-*huff*-world has gotten into you!" she sputtered, her magic finally fading away.

Twilight stared at the slightly older woman, feeling a rush of guilt hit her chest.

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Print," she apologized lamely, biting her lip in embarrassment while looking at anything other than the woman in question, "I just... I really..." she trailed off, unable to defend herself.

Fine Print stared at her for a moment, and once she finally caught her breath, she sighed.

"It's... alright, Miss Sparkle," she said gently, placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, unsubtly taking the clipboard away from her, not that she was bothered in the first place, "I know what it's like to have my significant other suffer an... accident, and not be allowed near him for a time," she admitted, "So I can... sympathize with what you're going through, but this is no way to act," she said.

Twilight flinched at that and looked away.

"I-I know..." she muttered. And she really did.

But she was just so worried! Every second that went by without him in her sight kept filling her with this cold dread deep within her chest. It kept building and building and building-!

-notmovingnotbreathingnosoundnoheatnolifedeaddeaddead-

She didn't know how long she could stand it!

"You must really care about him, huh?" Fine Print suddenly asked, startling Twilight out of her spiraling thoughts.

"Huh?"

Fine Print chuckled and adjusted her glasses, smiling almost fondly, "That look on your face... I know that look. I saw it in the mirror once," she muttered, her bright eyes twinkling softly, "... alright," she finally said.

Twilight blinked.

"Wha-?"

"Go on," Fine Print said, suddenly giving her a small push, which caused Twilight to stumble slightly, "you really want to go to him, right?" she asked, earning a confused nod from Twilight, at which Fine smiled, "Then go ahead! I can finish the inspection on my own, you know?" she added, before she scoffed, "Though, with how deep in your head you were, I imagine I would've had to even if you did stay."

Twilight just stared at her for a moment, not comprehending.

"Y-you want me to...? A-are you sure...?" Fine sighed and regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"Don't you have a boyfriend to go to? Why are you wasting time talking to me?"

Twilight stared for a bit longer before her face lit up like a star.

"Th-thank you! I-I'm sorry that I couldn't-but-thank you!" she stammered, spinning around and darting down the street. Twilight stopped to address Fine Print. "For the record, he's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend who so happens to be a boy, and... he..."

"Princess!" stated Fine Print.

"Right. Leaving to go find my boyfriend! I mean, a friend who is just a boy. And... I'm leaving now. I'm coming, Storm!" shouted Twilight as she took off.

Unbeknownst to her, Fine Print sighed behind her.

"Honestly, that girl..." she muttered, glancing down at the clipboard filled with scratchy, manic-looking handwriting.

'Is he okay?'

'What if he's hurt?'

'Where is he?'

"Whoever that boy is, he better treasure that princess," she muttered, gently erasing them, "because she definitely treasures him."

---

Storm was with Coco as the pair were visiting one of the many restaurants that Canterlot had. The two teens were sitting on the outside terrace of the establishment as their meals had been brought; during that time, Coco began to tell Storm a bit more about her life. How her father came into Night Light's service, and she grew up in the castle when she was about 8 years old. During that time, she became the lead designer in creating clothes for the King and Queen. She met Moondancer and Fleur there, and the three formed a friendship due to Twilight's family being ever so kind to offer them jobs.

"So, Storm... um, I know this might be subtle, but... I was wondering... do you have anybody special in your life?"

"Why would I have that?" said the boy bluntly. "I'm a Jedi. And Jedi can't fall in love."

"Oh... I... didn't know about that. Honestly, just being in the presence of one is kinda intimidating."

"If you're worried about me using my powers on you, don't. I only use my powers to help others. If I were to abuse them, I would fall into the Dark Side."

"I see. So, what's it like? Being this... general and warrior?"

"We Jedi aren't generals or warriors, Coco. We're peacekeepers. We go around the galaxy and try to resolve situations without violence. Just with the war going on, it's hard to keep the peace." stated Storm.

"You have a lot of responsibility for someone so young," said the girl as she took a sip of her tea.

"What about you? A girl as beautiful and cute as you. You must have tons of boys falling head over heels."

Coco nearly spat out her tea as Storm caught her off guard. While the boy ate his meal, he failed to see how his words affected the girl. Safe to say, hearing Storm address as beautiful and cute made her lose her confidence. None had ever said that to her, much less a boy in all her years.

"You good?" said Storm as he saw how the girl spewed liquid from her nose.

"Yes... I'm fine..." coughed the girl as she began to rub her eyes.

Storm grabbed a napkin as he began to clean up the mess. He then handed the girl some as she wiped her button-up top.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," said Storm as he sat back in his seat.

"It's just... no one has ever said that to me. Well, at least, not a boy."

"Really?" said Storm as he found that hard to believe.

"I guess nobody would find a girl like me attractive," sighed Coco as she looked at her hands.

"Now I know that's a lie. I mean, come on, give yourself some credit. You're smart, talented, beautiful. You got it all, Coco. You even know how to make some great tea. Honestly, you're a catch, and it's a crime that no boy has taken a liking to you.

"You really think so?" asked Coco as she twirled a strand of her hair.

"Hey, you know I don't sugarcoat anything. You don't need romantic feelings to tell someone they're beautiful. I may not be able to fully express any love since I'm a Jedi, but I can recognize people who I consider special to me. And Coco, without a doubt, you're special to me."

"I am?" said the girl as she blinked.

"Yeah. You don't need to be my special someone for me to say this. Coco Pommel, as my friend, I love you, and I think you're beautiful." said Storm casually as he took a sip from his glass.

"Wow... that's... the nicest and most meaningful thing that anyone has ever said to me," said the girl as Storm looked at her with a straight expression. "Thank you, Storm. You really are a hero. You know what to say to lift people's spirits."

"Heh, it was nothing."

"Well, to me, it was everything," smiled Coco as she had her hand leaning over to grab Storm's.

The Jedi Knight didn't do much to resist as he let the girl grab it; he could see that his small speech gave Coco some much need confidence. And he was happy that he could get the girl and his friend to smile. Coco then saw the bracelet that the Jedi Knight was wearing. Seeing the gold accessory up close was awe-inspiring as she had never seen an Elements of Harmony. Seeing a brand new one that belonged to the Jedi gave off a warm aura that filled her with a comforting sensation.

"Believe me, I'm still not used to this. But hey, it's better than being a crown for my Element. God damn it though, Sacrifice, really." said Storm.

"Well, either way, it suits you," said Coco as she positioned her chair closer to the boy. She then hugged him from the side. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"No problem," said Storm as he wiggled his arm and put it around Coco's shoulders to hug her.

"Um, can I see your lightsaber?" asked Coco as she pulled back.

Storm rolled his eyes as he reached and pulled out his weapon. As the girl examined the boy's weapon, he put his hands over Coco's. She pushed the button as the yellow blade came out and was like a little kid. The Jedi Knight then began to tell some tales of his adventures to Coco.

---

Applejack grumbled, the nails she held between her lips acting as a muffler for the string of curses she wanted to start muttering.

About twenty minutes ago, right after they'd moved the float parts closer to the castle gates, Steeled had just up and left her right before they got to actually building the floats, muttering something about 'gettin' back to real work.'

So now she was busy building a bunch of floats from the plans he'd left behind without so much as a thank you!

Applejack calmly sighed through the nails, but an angry slam of her hammer betrayed her thoughts.

Why that no good...!

He hadn't even had the kindness to send anybody around to come and help her in his stead! And he was making such a big deal about the guards not having anything to do, too! It wasn't right for somebody to do that kind of thing.

"Hey there, you alright, little missy?" a loud, booming voice asked from her right, startling Applejack into dropping her hammer.

"Agh!" she yelped, jerking her hand away from where her hammer had just landed, narrowly avoiding a potential bruise.

"Oh, sorry about that!" the voice said again, this time from a bit closer. Applejack, a tad peeved, turned to face the person who'd startled her, as it was one of the guards. "I couldn't help but notice you here, buildin' all alone and looking pretty ticked," he explained before his smile dropped and a look of honest concern plastered his face, surprising Applejack, "So, you alright here, ma'am?"

"Uhh..." she began, before shaking her head, "Uh, yeah, I'm good!" she managed to say, before sending the pile of parts a grimace, "I was jus' s'ppossed ta build all this with somebody, but 'e ended up leavin' halfway through," she said, a slight note of complaint in her voice.

"And you just let him?" Applejack blinked at the question and nodded hesitantly.

"Well... yeah?" she said, "I mean... He's a real grump of an old geezer, an' there's no way 'e'd listen ta me, so what was I s'pposed ta do?"

"'When someone treats you like a mat, show them that you're more than that!'" the guard said, smirking at her, "If somebody doesn't want to listen, then make sure they listen!" he added, almost thoughtfully, "You might not think you can, but the first step forward is choosing to take it."

Applejack blinked and digested the odd guard's words before she nodded.

"'Kay... what does that mean?"

"Crud and I thought that one was good to go..." he muttered. Applejack regarded the guard for a moment, then shook her head.

"Look, if yer tryin' ta cheer me up, I 'ppreciate it, but I really gotta finish all this," she said, gesturing to the large assortment of yet-to-be-used materials.

"Right! Of course. Sorry to bother... but maybe you'd like a helping hand or two?" offered the guard, looking almost hopeful. Applejack blinked, stunned at the sudden offer, nearly turning him down on reflex. However, her eyes landed on the large pile for a moment.

"I sure would 'ppreciate it," she thanked with a tip of her hat.

"No trouble at all, miss!"

The guard began sorting through the materials, grabbing some of the wood beams, easily lifting nearly double the weight she'd carried up here as though it weighed nothing. Eventually, some friends of the guards noticed him working with the country gal, and they began to lend even more help.

It took several hours, long enough for the sun to descend past the horizon, but eventually, they finished. They managed to erect not one, not two, but three massive-looking float bases, all placed near the training grounds, where the guards were happy enough to help move them despite how late it had gotten.

"Whoowee!" Applejack cheered, wiping off a layer of sweat on her forehead, "Now that's a mighty fine-lookin' set of floats!" she said.

"They sure are!" said the guard.

"Shame we'll only see what they look like tomorrow," stated another guard, frowning slightly. Applejack nodded.

"Eeyup, but jus' think 'bout it. When these things come floatin' down the street, it'll be 'cause we built 'em!"

Unlike someone...

"Hard work always pays off in the end!"

"You said it!"

Applejack had to admit, she was pretty proud of herself. This wasn't much compared to harvesting the orchard yearly, but honest hard work made all the difference.

"Is there anything else you've gotta do?" asked the guard as his pals began rolling the floats off, leaving the two of them alone in the small field. She frowned and hummed to herself.

"Hmm... don't think so," she admitted, rubbing her chin, "I was jus' told that Steeled needed mah help, an' now the floats all built. I was never told ta help decorate 'em'er anythin'. I guess that's everythin', then," she said.

"Well, it was nice meetin' and workin' with you, Applejack," he said, prompting her to return the shake,

"Pleasure to work with you as well," replied the farm girl as she shook the hand of the guard as he left.

---

Pinkie clapped giddily to herself.

It was done! After all that mixing, cooking, and decorating, it was done! It was big, and it was done!

"Haha! Even better than I'd imagined!" Gustave guffawed from next to her, looking up at the glorious confection before them.

It was massive, with six layers total, and completely covered in pink frosting! It was decorated with draping white designs and copious amounts of nice juicy fruit around the edges, all topped off with a mouth-watering chocolate drizzle dripping wet down the sides!

If she didn't know any better, she might've thought she'd just died and gone to Cake Heaven!

Wait, did she?

...

Nope! Still alive!

And it only got better!

There were two of them, after all!

Her eyes kept dancing between the two confectionery delights, her mouth practically dripping a waterfall onto the floor.

"They look so good!" she agreed, her eyes alight with stars. Gustave nodded.

"Of course they do! I made them, so how could they turn out any different?!" he boasted, and Pinkie couldn't help but agree with him, even if she'd helped out.

"Wow... now what?" she asked curiously, turning to the older cook with a pep in her step. Gustave kept staring at the cakes for a moment before muttering.

"We put them in the freezer," he said, "for tomorrow."

Pinkie nodded and turned back to the cakes. That was a good idea. The freezer would keep them nice and fresh and prevent the frosting from-

"What?!" she nearly shrieked, rounding on Gustave instantly, "But-but they look so yummy! We-we can't just leave them!"

This was horrible! Such delightful, delectable delicacies should be enjoyed right away! You couldn't just put something this amazing in the freezer! That would make it all hard, and some water might freeze on top and make the frosting all watery when it gets taken out for tomorrow!

Gustave shook his head; his features were grim.

"I'm afraid we must," he said solemnly, and Pinkie knew that he understood her. He understood the tragedy that could come from leaving these poor things alone in the cold freezer!

"B-but what about the fridge?!"

"It's not big enough."

"Make it big enough!"

"If only we could."

Pinkie sank to the floor in despair as the world lost color all around her. This couldn't be happening! Such a horrible, terrible thing couldn't possibly be happening! The cakes were so young; they shouldn't have to go through that kind of thing!

But alas, Pinkie was powerless. Through muted ears, she was forced to watch as Gustave, looking as grave as she felt, ordered the others into pushing the large, yummy, delicious-looking cakes into the cold, lonely freezer.

The freezer door slammed shut, and the world returned to normal.
"Welp, that's done!" she chirped, bouncing back onto her hooves, smile already in place.

"Yes, and with that, your job here is also done," Gustave said, turning to face her, a hand outstretched, "It was wonderful working with you, Miss Pinkie." Pinkie blinked and stared down at the offered appendage before giggling and, completely ignoring it, jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Yeah! It was a lot of fun baking cakes with you, too, Mr. Chef!" she gushed. Gustave had stiffened when she wrapped her arms around him, but he'd managed to relax and even gave her head a gentle pat.

"Y-... yes, it was rather fun, I suppose..." he said, sounding hesitant. Taking the hint, Pinkie let go and bounced back.

"Ooh, maybe we can team up again!" she said, "Wouldn't that be amazing!? Imagine all the parties we could bake for!" Gustave's eye twitched.

"Ah... yes. I suppose that could be... interesting," he said slowly as if weighing each word carefully, "But... perhaps not for a while?" Pinkie blinked and tilted her head.

"Why not?" she asked innocently. Yeah, why not? It would be really fun, so why would they wait?

Gustave stared at her for a moment before sighing,

"Frankly, I don't think I could handle you again any time soon," he admitted without a trace of shame, "You're too hyper for me. I'm stunned that you and Storm can get along even half as well as you seem. For multiple reasons."

Pinkie blinked, then nodded,

"Oh, okay!"

"... You accepted that fairly quickly."

"Why wouldn't I? You said we can team up again someday!"

"I... suppose I did. Dammit."

---

Fluttershy felt a little guilty, sitting next to Spitfire while Rainbow and the others soared through the darkening sky, with the sun having begun to set an hour ago.

She hadn't done anything to help. She'd just... been there while Rainbow went out and helped Spitfire's gang. She wished she could've done something.

For that reason, she was busy staring at the ground, trying and failing to push away the raw guilt bubbling in her chest. She felt so awful! Twilight's parents had been so nice when she asked for help, but she couldn't do it!

"I should probably thank you, Fluttershy, before I forget," Spitfire suddenly said, breaking Fluttershy from her thoughts.

"Wh-what?" she asked, her head whipping to face the orange mare, her eyes wide and confused. Thank... her? F-for what?!

"Wh-why would you want to thank me?" Fluttershy asked, "I-I-I didn't do a-anything!"

Spitfire turned to her, smirking.

"I wouldn't say that," she said and turned back to the field. Fluttershy blinked and followed her gaze, finding Soarin watching the other members with a smile. "Soarin and I don't get along too well," Spitfire suddenly admitted, prompting Fluttershy to turn back to her, looking stunned, "It's not that we don't like each other or anything, he's a good friend, but we're just too different. He's honest and carefree, and I'm pretty strict. I know that," she said, furrowing her brow, "Thing is, that argument you two walked in on wasn't the first one we've had. Sure, it wasn't much, he was annoyed with his weird pie obsession, but it definitely would've escalated if you hadn't come in."

Fluttershy blinked.

"B-but I-?"

"You helped me calm down," Spitfire interrupted her, glancing back at her firmly, before returning to the fliers, "I've been trying to get Soarin to take things seriously since I met him, and I've never been able to. As I said, that argument would've escalated. But then you and Dash over there came in and caught my attention. Then Dash up and leaves to clear this area," she muttered, scoffing slightly, "... I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"O-oh! N-no, not at all!" Fluttershy said quickly, "I-it's okay, I don't mind listening," she added more quietly. Spitfire sighed.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. I wanted to stop thinking about Soarin's pie obsession, and you were willing to listen to me, an almost complete stranger. And, considering what the Princess told me about you, that's quite the feat for a mare as shy as she claimed you were. So thanks."

Fluttershy stared at Spitfire in surprise and blushed.

"O-oh... U-Umm..." she fidgeted slightly, rubbing her hooves together, "I-it wasn't any trouble." Spitfire chuckled and nodded.

"You know... I had a feeling you'd say that" she muttered before standing and facing her, "Well, Fluttershy. Thanks, again, for what you did. I really needed it," she spared a brief glance at her teammates and Rainbow, who had finally finished their routine, then turned back to her, "and with that... we're done here," she said, smiling, "I still have my own things to do. Still, you and Dash over there have finished what we needed you to do," she gave Fluttershy a playful salute, "Thanks again," she winked, "-I'll go tell your friend you're finished here. You can be on your way."

---

The breath left her body in ragged pants, her chest pulsing with the familiar burn of exertion, and it was awesome!

She knew and had always known that Spitfire's gang were some of the best pilots in the galaxy, but she'd been underestimating them! The way they moved was flawless, perfect in every way. They were perfectly in sync and barely even had to glance at each other to know exactly what to do! She was probably one of the faster pilots in the galaxy, but if that little hour-long session was anything to go by, then she was not the fastest flier.

Fleetfoot was quick, able to maintain her top speed going upwards, spin around, and match her own speed before breaking away without losing even a bit of speed. And she didn't even look winded!

Even the others, while definitely slower than her, managed to outlast her like crazy! Nearly ten minutes into their session, she'd been panting like a dehydrated dog while the others just muttered something about 'stupid warm-ups.'

She guessed this was just the kind of thing you had to expect, putting a mostly self-taught/self-trained pilot against a bunch of total pros. And that wasn't even talking about their actual stunts! She'd always thought her own tricks were wild and impressive, but in comparison? Her stunts were way easier!

There had been a temporary pause in their session, mostly to let Rainbow catch her breath-and wasn't that a blow to her pride?-and High had ended up asking her about her own personal stunts. She'd been very happy to boast about her skills to the group, but how they just smiled at her had irked her, and she'd asked what their deal was.

Turns out the stunts were... a lot more complicated than she gave them credit for. Though she usually flew solo, she wasn't aware of just how much more complicated group stunts were.

Seriously, keeping track of not only your speed but five other people at all times, as well as their locations and what they were about to do? That was not something she usually did.

Still, it was awesome! The smile was still stuck to her face when Spitfire approached.

"Nice job, rookie. A bit rough around the edges, but you've got potential. Now that we've got that out, I'd like to say thanks for clearing the area. It really helped," Spitfire began with a smirk, breaking Rainbow from her ruminations, "but we've got things from here. Your work here is done, so you and Fluttershy can head out. It's getting pretty late anyways," she added, glancing at the orange stained sky.

"Oh! Uh, yeah!" Rainbow stammered, "Er... night?" she muttered, walking over to Fluttershy, who was patiently waiting for her.

"See you at the celebration tomorrow, rookie! And see you some other time, Shy."

"Oh, uh, yeah! See ya, Spitfire!"

"That's Captain to you, rookie!"

"Y-yes, sir, Captain!"

---

Mhm! Got-ta say, Rarity, your designs are spec-ta-cu-lar as always!" Sapphire gushed, strutting slightly in her new outfit, "Nice and breathable, easy to move in, wooo! How you ain't famous yet is a mystery to all humanity!"

"Oh my, you're far too kind, Sapphire," Rarity tittered, flushing faintly. Sapphire rounded on her, smiling.

"Now, now! There won't be any talking like that! If I say it, I mean it! You are, with-out-a-doubt the best designer I've had the pleasure of meeting!"

Rarity smiled at the praise and felt herself warm up as well.

As expected, her designs had come out spectacularly! Oh, yes, she'd had to make a few minor adjustments once they all tried them on, but apart from that little hiccup, they were flawless.

As Sapphire said, they were breathable and easy to move in. Exactly the kind of thing a group of dancers needed!

And goodness, did they look spectacular! Why, if it wouldn't make her all sweaty, she might've been tempted to hop on stage and join them herself!

"You're words are worth quite a lot to me, Sapphire," Rarity admitted.

"Really now? And what makes you say that?" she asked, sounding curious. Rarity fidgeted slightly.

"Well... I am not sure if you're aware, but you were, without a doubt, my first big customer. Before then, I'd been limited to Coruscant and came to Equis with my friends. While I was fortunate enough to have Hoity Toity take an interest in my designs, you were the first individual who truly took interest." Sapphire blinked at her.

"Was I now? That can't be right, didn't Hoity purchase quite a few dresses and suits from you? I believe I recall seeing them somewhere before..." she noted. Rarity nodded.

"Well, yes, he did. But the designs he was interested in were made for my friends, and, even then, I have yet to receive any real boost in business or any such thing after he appeared. I may have received a few more orders than usual, but I need something to truly connect the two. But after you bought my designs, I've had such an increase in orders that I doubt I'll be wanting for business for quite some time yet!"

Sapphire stared at her for a moment before smiling.

"Well then, I'm glad I could be of help!" she gushed, then giggled, "But don't thank me too much. I never would've discovered you if Storm hadn't vouched for you," she admitted.

Rarity blinked and nodded, "Yes, of course."

Sapphire suddenly clapped her hands together.

"Welp! As fun as all this was, it's getting pret-ty late!" she said, "Me and the girls have to head to bed! We'll need all the rest we can get for tomorrow! And I bet you do too!" Rarity glanced around, her eyes landing on the clock moments later.

"Oh my, 9:30?" she said, surprised, "I'm afraid I'll have to agree!" she added, beginning to clean her little work area.

"Well, it was great to see you again, Rar-i-ty!" Sapphire sang, "See you tomorrow then!" she chirped and left, her footsteps gradually fading away, followed quickly by several other sets, leaving Rarity alone in the auditorium, cleaning.

She bit her lip suddenly and shivered.

Something... didn't quite feel right all of a sudden.

---

Twilight panted heavily and finally came to a halt, leaning against the nearest building to catch her breath.

For the past two hours, she'd been running around Canterlot, trying to find where Storm was. With every passing minute, with every failed attempt, she could feel herself getting more and more frantic!

What had started as a worried jog soon turned into a panicked run as she raced around the city, failing to find that Jedi Knight.

Twilight thought she was being a little crazy in the back of her mind. Storm was fine, and all this running around, earning looks from the nearby nobles, probably wasn't worth it in the end.

But the rest of her mind just kept replaying that scene over and over again.

-A hand grasped her shoulder, forcibly pulling her forward and onto the ground-

-a gasp-

-silence-

Storm!

She shuddered, feeling her heart's slowing beat pick up again. Logically, he was okay. She knew he was safe and, most importantly, alive. She knew, sheknewsheknewsheknew!

But she had to see him, had to know for certain!

Because what if he wasn't? She needed to be there to see that he was okay. She needed to feel his strong, warm, beating heart to make sure!

Twilight shook her head, dispelling the distracting thoughts with ease, decades of studying coming in handy for something other than learning for once.

With her head clear again, she took off, immediately taking the first right she came to.

-and running face-first into what felt like a brick wall.

The 'Oof' sound the wall made as she fell painted it as anything but.

She was dazed by the impact for a moment, but then her mind caught up with her, and she scrambled to her feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I-I wasn't-I didn't see-!"

"It's fine, I get it. You can quit failing to speak now," a sarcastic male voice replied. Twilight blinked and looked up, freezing at the sight of the red-and-white teen.

"I express my deepest apologies. I'm Twilight Sparkle," said the girl.

"I know who you are... princess," he said, then smirked at her, revealing a set of unusually sharp teeth for someone, "Name's Thorax, but call me Peppermint when I look like this," he said, gesturing down to his body.

Twilight blinked and gave Peppermint(?) a once over.

...

What was he talking about?

"Umm... Okay, Th-Peppermint?" she stammered slightly, her thoughts beginning to race again.

"Now, now, Peppermint," an older woman's voice suddenly said, "Is that any way to talk to a lady?"

Peppermint(?) scowled. Twilight followed his gaze reflexively and almost gasped. Walking up to them was an absolutely gorgeous woman, the likes of which not even Canterlot models could compare. And judging by the myriad of men, and the few women, behind and around them staring at her, she wasn't the only one who thought so.

A white snow skin so pure it made clouds look tainted, expertly groomed down in such a way that she seemed to shine. A curly golden hair that appeared as soft as silk cascaded around her face, framing her face, one filled to the brim with soft curves and elegant features, with golden strands. Her bangs diverted, falling down and over her left eye, hiding it from view. Contrasting her brilliant appearance, her eyes were a deep, dark green that seemed to pull in the light yet shone with an inner light that was so obviously magical.

"My my, where have my manners gone?" she asked herself, extending a lone hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, dear." Twilight stared at the offered hand for a moment, hesitating to take it out of the irrational fear that she'd somehow sully that pristine white skin. After a moment, however, she realized that she was hesitating and shook the offered hand.

"U-umm, hello!" she chirped awkwardly, smiling back at the woman, "I-it's nice to meet you too!" she squeaked. The woman giggled at her, taking back her hand to cover her mouth.

"Your name is... Twilight Sparkle, correct?" she asked, earning a hasty nod. She smiled and nodded as if confirming something to herself, "That would mean you're also the daughter to the King and Queen of Equis? Not to mention, a Jedi, correct?"

"U-umm... yes," Twilight admitted, turning a faint red, not used to someone taking so much interest in her off the street.

"I must imagine, then, that you'd know quite a lot. It must be hard to get out with all the studying; I'm sure you do," she said, smiling sympathetically. Twilight blinked.

"O-oh... well, it's not that hard," she muttered and looked up at the woman, "D-do you...?" The woman giggled once more.

"Oh no, I'm afraid I've already learned everything I need to know. But I admit I have difficulty finding time to head out. I have many children, you see, and a mother's job is never done right, Peppermint?" she asked, turning to Peppermint(?) with a knowing smile. He sighed.

"Yes, Mother," he droned as if bored with the conversation.

Twilight's eyes nearly bugged out at that.

Mother?!

She glanced at the woman and then at Peppermint(?) a few times.

B-but she can't be that much older than my brother!

There was no way a woman like her could be a mother! She looked too young to have a son, let alone one who appeared around Twilight's age!

The woman chuckled, "Oh yes, I get that reaction quite often," she said, smiling at Twilight, "It's quite flattering, really. It's nice to see that this girl's still got it," she added teasingly. She glanced up at the sky and turned to Peppermint. "Well, it's getting late, and I'd really like to meet this Storm before we head home, dear," she turned to Twilight, still smiling, "This was a pleasant meeting, Ms. Sparkle. I do look forward to seeing you again at the wedding," she added, smiling knowingly.

Twilight turned red.

"W-wedding?!" she stammered, eyes looking around frantically, "I-I'm not getting m-m-married!" The woman smiled.

"Of course, you're not, Ms. Sparkle," she said teasingly, though it held a hint of something else, "I meant your brother's wedding."

At that, all the steam-and consequently the embarrassment that caused it-went out the window and left her just staring dumbly.

"My... my brother's wedding?" she asked herself.

"Come on now, Peppermint."

He clicked his tongue and followed dutifully after the woman.

"Yeah yeah..."

Twilight stood there for a moment, lost in her thoughts. It wasn't until she heard Peppermint(?) speak that she realized they were leaving.

"W-wait!" she called without thinking, "I-I never got your name!"

The woman paused and turned to face her, a soft, almost embarrassed, smile in place.

"Oh dear, did I forget?" she asked, then tittered softly, "My apologies. My name is Chrysalis. It was very nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle."

---

Storm sighed quietly, having finally gotten a nice place to himself. The Jedi Knight was sitting on a roof's ledge, looking at a small plaza below him. He'd been enjoying his time with Coco, which allowed the pair to get closer. The girl even dragged him off to do some dancing, despite not being the biggest fan of it. However, there was a reason he went off without her knowing. And it had to do with what Coco said.

What is up with you two?

Coco had been referring to how Twilight and Storm acted whenever they were with each other. However, something was different. He knew something had changed. Had felt it the second he touched that stupid crown, now bracelet, but he'd dismissed it, thinking it was his damned stomach.

He recognized it now. A strange... hollowness. Something was missing. He didn't know what.

Whatever it was, it had something to do with his diminished feelings for Twilight, and it was, without a doubt, connected to the Elements. How could it not be? The only thing in his-their lives that had changed was the Elements. Logically, that meant the Elements were somehow behind all of this.

But, even so... it didn't make sense.

...

No, it made perfect sense. Discord had somehow altered the girls' personalities, so it stood to reason that the things that countered him could do the same.

But that thought left a chilled feeling in his bones.

Were the Elements of Harmony influencing his feelings?

Of course, if that was the case, then how far did it go?

Wasn't it suspicious that the six, later seven, of them all ended up in the same town, right next to where the Elements were stored, just before they needed to be used again?

Discord had all but shouted at Storm that he was the Seventh Element, the Element of Sacrifice-stupid name, not that it had chosen him. That implied that he'd always been the Element of Sacrifice. That implied that he was the only one who could use it since he was it.

If that was the case for him, then didn't that mean that the six girls were the only six in the universe who could wield the Elements?

What were the chances that six, later seven, specific individuals would end up in exactly the same place at the same time, exactly where they needed to be?

Why?

Of course, this was just him, so it could be a coincidence. The mother of all coincidences and a million-to-one shot to boot, but a coincidence nonetheless.

But what if he wasn't the only one?

This was beginning to freak him out!

Of course, she'd find the Elements with how intellectual she was! That was exactly who Twilight Sparkle was, after all! Not only that, but hadn't she learned about Nightmare Moon's return the same way?! By examining books! Because that was who she was!

But did the Elements have a part in that, too?

Was Twilight Sparkle a studious little shut-in because that was just how she'd been born, or had the Elements of Harmony groomed her to be that way?

After all, it was her shut-in nature that not only got her to learn about the Nightmare's return, which would prompt Celestia to take her as her apprentice and to Coruscant to begin her Jedi training but had she known Twilight would be the Element of Magic or was that a whim brought on by the Elements' influence?-but it had also somehow roped in the only five individuals who could use the others Elements and get her to rediscover the Element of Magic!

Not only that, but why had she easily accepted those five's friendship?

What if the Elements were responsible for that as well?

Discord could manipulate reality, and the Elements had to be able to do the same to repair the damages he'd done. Who's to say they didn't make sure he'd become a Jedi and be Twilight's partner? Even the Father on Mortis spoke the same thing.

After all, he somehow got along fairly well with the only six girls who wielded the other Elements. And Discord had more than happily shown him-shown all of them what happened when the Bearers weren't in sync. Or present.

...

The Elements seemingly manipulated Twilight Sparkle's growth and personality, and even influenced his thoughts into getting along with the other Bearers, and presumably influenced the others in the same way, all so that they could be friends and get along. The 'magic of friendship' was, after all, the key to using the Elements of Harmony.

For a moment, his mind went still, allowing the sounds of his surroundings to filter through his ears.

...

His family.

With creeping dread, his mind went haywire at the realization.

Luna finding him.

The Elements.

Him becoming a Force wielder, and Luna taking him as her apprentice. Meeting Anakin and Obi-wan.

No... no...

Him being partnered with Twilight.

No... no... no...

If the Elements were as substantial a factor in his-their lives as he thought, then...

Were they responsible for his entire existence?

Did that mean...

Was he made by the Elements?

The one who brought him and his family so much suffering...

Were the Elements responsible?

If that was true...

His breathing suddenly picked up, and his heart rate began to skyrocket.

No, no no no no no nonononononononononononono-!

His throat burned as his stomach twisted. He could feel-taste-the bile rising. He was going to be sick!

He shook his head, but nothing was helping. Something was wrong; he couldn't-couldn't breathe!

His back slammed against the ground as his vision faded.

For an instant, the world went black-

-before returning just as quickly.

His eyes shot open, quickly followed by his head. He barely registered the blinding pain that struck his skull and only distantly heard the sound of pained cursing beside him. His head was pounding, not at all helped by how his heart was beating in his ears.

A muffled voice eventually tried piercing through the haze. It wasn't until someone started shaking him that he realized he wasn't alone. Blearily, he blinked his eyes and shook his head. The voice was coming in clearer now.

"Storm? Are you okay?"

"Coco."

The boy was shown with his head in the girl's lap as he looked up at her. Coco had her hand on the Jedi's head while her other hand was on his forehead to see if he had a fever.

"What happened?" asked the teen.

"You fainted. I had managed to track you down when I saw you pass out. Thank goodness you fell backward, or you would have gone off the ledge and... well... Storm, are you alright? How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort anywhere?"

"I'm fine. A bit of a headache, but that's it." Coco scoffed, her mouth twisted into a frown.

"Yes, the boy that just fainted is fine. Please, I'm being serious."

"I'm... fine, Coco," said Storm as the girl put one of her hands on his cheek and stared into his eyes.

"Please... don't act tough just for my sake. If something is wrong, let me help. You helped me when earlier. Let me do the same." pleaded the girl as she looked into Storm's eyes.

"I'm fine, Coco. Honest," said the boy as he began to sit up and rubbed his neck.

Coco hugged the Jedi Knight from behind as she buried her head into his back. Her arms embraced him tightly as she feared something bad might happen to the boy if she let go. Storm could feel the tears from Coco's eyes as he knew how worried she was for her friend.

Coco removed her arms as Storm turned around while still seated and looked at the girl on her knees. He pulled her in as Coco buried her head into the boy's shoulder.

"Thanks for being worried, Coco. You're a great friend," said Storm as he patted her back to calm her worries.

The pair soon stood up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Coco.

"I... need some rest is all. It's been a long day for both of us," said the Jedi as he stretched his back and arms. "I think... my head will be clearer in the morning," he muttered.

Though, this whole Element business won't be...

He hid a frown at the thought.

Storm bid Coco good night once they made it to his room, which was right next to the other Bearers, although he wasn't looking forward to sleeping right now.

Who knows what sort of demented nightmares would visit him tonight. He sighed and locked the door behind him. He didn't want to deal with anyone bothering him right now. Right now, he just needed to sleep.

Maybe this whole Element business will seem easier to deal with in the morning?

...

How the hell was he going to tell the others about this? They needed to know.

...

Shit.

---

In the courtyard of the Jedi Temple, Luna stood before the ancient gnarled tree with golden boughs. She was shown looking at it with her back and arms behind her. A figure was shown on the small flight of stairs as a wooden cane appeared.

"You know... I remember once when I brought Storm here. He wanted to climb the tree. But I told him no, for this sacred ground must be preserved so everyone can admire its true beauty."

The wind blew as the leaves on the tree moved, with some falling off as they landed by Luna's feet.

"He may not have been born on Coruscant, but he was raised here. And this was the only thing he saw that wasn't metal or stone. I remember holding his hand as I showed him this tree. I remember his first sparing session by this tree. I remember him... being happy..." said Luna as she put her head down and closed her eyes, a single tear falling down her cheek.

The Jedi turned as she saw Yoda standing there, watching his student lull over the death of her apprentice. She then walked up the small steps and past her master.

"It is time to let him go," spoke Luna.

"And do this, you can," spoke Yoda to his former student.

"What choice do I have, Master?" said Luna to her teacher as she kept to her role as a Jedi Master. To not let the death of her student affect her and to accept what has happened and move on.

Luna continued to walk forward as Yoda began to as well.

Author's Note: So first things first, this is by far, my longest chapter for this story. The reason being is I wanted to make sure I hit everything that was needed. This was a fun one to read and it's only the first part, which means even more stuff has yet to come. One, Storm being recognized as the Element of Sacrifice and a huge celebration is about to be thrown. However, based on the ending, it seems things aren't okay. Storm has started to think that the Elements themselves have determined and dictatedhim and the girls' lives. Which we'll see play out in the next chapter. Another thing is a small preview of who the next major villain will be. Not to mention that spear of Discord's may have done something to Storm's heart and his feelings toward a certain someone. And then of course, the scene with Luna and Yoda at the end.

So much happened that I'll leave you guys to lull over your thoughts on what might happen when Storm confronts the girls and tells them. As always leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments on this chapter.