At Seaward Shoals, Twilight and Cadance are walking to to where Celestia and Luna are residing at while also conversing with each other with Flurry Heart in tow.
"I can't believe you and your friends pulled that whole 'Mare-Do-Well' scheme and made folls out of everyone in Ponyville just beacuse of some silly bragging." Cadance scolded.
"Well, it wasn't really silly to us." Twilight defended.
"You didn't think to just speak to Rainbow about it?"
"Would she have listened?"
"Would've it been worth a shot?"
Twilight thought about it and said, "Okay, I suppose it would have."
The two former Alicorns and Flurry Heart soon see Celestia and Luna are still trapped in the crystal block...just barely up to their front and back hooves because the Earth Pony from before who was trying to free them is having trouble getting the crystal chopped with a pick-axe.
"Ugh," said the Earth Pony as he ceased picking at the block, "My pick-axe is nearing its last legs, your majesties."
"We're not the rulers of Equestria anymore," said Celestia, "Twilight is."
"Well technically, Rainbow Dash is now the ruler since that crazy unicorn gave her our alicornhood." Luna said.
"CELESTIA! LUNA!" Twilight shouted as she and Cadance trotted forward to them.
"Oh great," said the Earth Pony, "Maye they can help you two. Because I'm all worn out."
With that, the Earth Pony left as the two former alicorns came to them.
"I'm so glad you two are here." Celestia said.
"Though we can't say we're fond of your new looks." Luna said, noting Twilight's lack of wings and Cadance's lack of a horn and them being shorter.
"Well, at least one of us is still an alicorn." Cadance said, looking at Flurry Heart, who babbled innocently.
"It's awful!" said Twilight, "Who knows what Cadance's ex-boyfriend is doing to..."
"Wait," said Celestia, "Ex-boyfriend?" Celestia then gasps, "Bitter Taste!"
"Who?" Luna asked.
"A unicorn who dated Cadance back when she was just a teenager." Celestia explained, "He once hypnotized me to take over Equestria but thankfully, Cadance and Shining Armor were there to stop him."
"But a question I would like to ask is why he would use Rainbow Dash as a pawn." Luna inquired.
"Well, you see," Twilight started to explain before Cadance interfered.
"We'll explain that in a minute," saoid Cadance, "First we got to get you two free."
Twilight came to the rest of the crystal block and zapped at it, but it did no damage, since her magic was regressed to the basics. She tried again, but still no damage. She opted for a third time but the block was immediately destroyed, freeing Celestia and Luna, leaving the four former alicorns surprised.
"Did I do that?"
"No, I did." Came a voice.
The 4 looked and saw Dark Rainbow come down before them. The princesses looked defensive seemed ready to attack before Scootaloo came down from Rainbow Dash and got between them.
"Woah, woah, time out ladies." Scootaloo said.
"Scootaloo?" Twilgiht and Luna asked simultaneously.
"Yeah, it's alright." Scootaloo said, "Princess Dark Rainbow wants to make amends."
"'Dark Rainbow'?" Celestia asked, "That's quite a strange name for royalty."
"Of course it is, Daybreaker." Luna said teasingly.
"Right back at you, Nightmare Moon." Celestia retaliated, much to Luna's annoyance.
"What do you mean she wants to make amends?" Cadance asked Scootaloo.
Scootaloo nods to Dark Rainbow who came forward and charged up her horn and shot four beams at the former alicorns. Suddenly however, the 4 began glowing to their former sizes and regained their horns, wings, manes and tails while Dark Rainbow regressed to her former pegasus form, losing her horn and long flowing mane and tail in the process along with her reptile eyes and dark mane and tail as they changed back to normal. After the spell was complete, the reformed Rainbow Dash gave a dizzy look before dropping down on her belly while Scootaloo came to her in concern. The alicorns look particularly happy.
"We're Alicorns again!" Twilight said in happiness.
"I wouldn't believed it if I didn't see it first-hoof." Cadance said.
They then turned to Rainbow Dash.
"Thank you, Rainbow Dash." Celestia asked.
"Though, if you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to give us back our alicornhood, much less become a good pony once again?" Luna asked.
"Scootaloo," Rainbow said, motioning to the filly, "Bitter Taste nearly made her into one of his mindless goons like he did to me and the rest of our friends."
"Wait," said Twilight, "He turned the rest of our friends into mindless slaves?"
"Not just that Twilight," Rainbow Dash said as she got to her hooves, "But he also managed to turn almost all of the Ponyville citizens and the Pillars into stone, sealed the Wodnerbolts in crystals, made several of our students at the school disappear, and that's just the tip of the iceberg!"
"It would appear that Bitter Taste is a lot smarter than anticipated." Celestia said.
"We must assemble the guards at Canterlot at once!" Luna proclaimed.
"Great idea Luna!" Scootaloo said.
...
Cut to all of them hiding in the countryside of Canterlot and looking at the city offscreen with shocked looks.
"If the guards were able to help us." Scootaloo said.
The guards of Canterlot were all trapped by some of the cloud guards from Rainbow's castle who were also frightening the citizens of Canterlot.
"When I took Scootaloo and left Ponyville," Rainbow began, "Bitter Taste must've sent my cloud guards to find me."
"Isn't that something?" A voice called out, causing the group to look behind them and notice a messy-looking looking Starlight.
"Starlight!" Twilight exclaimed as she ran to Starlight only to stop upon noticing the equal sign on her cutie mark.
"How did-" Twilight began.
"Bitter Taste took my cutie mark away with the same spell I used to take the ones in my old village away from, only instead of keeping it, he also destroyed it."
The group was shocked to hear that.
"Not only that," Starlight resumed, "But he also sent me to the caves beneath Canterlot so that I wouldn't interfere with his plans. I spent the last three days trying to find a way out with no food or water. I'm basically all skin and bones!"
She showed her torso, which had noticeable bone ribs. The ponies cringed at this with Rainbow covering Scootaloo's eyes and Cadance covering her daughters'. Starlight ceased and got back on track with them.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see all of you." Starlight said, "Especially since you're all alicorns again."
Starlight looked at Rainbow Dash and gave deadpan look.
"I guess ruling over Equestria didn't work out for you?" Starlight rhetorically asked/snarked.
Rainbow laughed in embarrassment.
"It's kind of a long story."
"Which we don't have time to explain," Cadance said, "We need to get to Ponyville and figure out a way to stop Bitter Taste and his evil."
"Cadance is right," Luna said, "We must act quickly."
With that, the ponies were off.
...
Back in Ponyville, the residents were on high alert since Dark Rainbow left with Scootaloo as Bitter Taste sent out many clouds as possible to look for them all across Equestria. The group managed to sneak undetected into the Everfree Forest undetected and surveyed what was happening.
"Exactly how are we gonna defeat Bitter Taste with all these clouds in the way?" asked Scootaloo.
"Well," Twilight said, "He must control them with his magic. So if we can find a way to cut him off from his magic, maybe we have a chance."
"Well, he does have Grogar's bell with him." Rainbow Dash said.
"Of course he does," Celestia said drily.
"So if we can get to the bell, we can use it against him." Starlight said.
"Quite a plan you all have, and thankfully it's a bell and not a staff." A voice said.
The pony quickly turned behind them to see Zecora coming up to them.
"Zecora!" Twilight said as she ran to her.
"It's nice to see that you're all okay, to my home where you all must stay." Zecora said as motioned them to follow her.
"Well, it would be nice to have a place to hide out in." Cadance said as Flurry Heart gurgled.
As the group followed Zecora, Starlight is seen with blueberry sap all over her muzzle, which Celestia took notice of.
"Are you eating blueberries?" Celestia inquired.
"I told you I was trapped underneath Canterlot for three days." Starlight said indignantly.
The group then continued to follow Zecora.
...
They soon made it to Zecora's hut.
"We must get in, dear friends," Zecora said, "And my other guests can put their worries to an end."
"Other geusts?" Twilight asked.
They then enter her hut and were shocked to see the Student Six there, though they look terrible. Sandbar looked out of breath and his body looked shaken up, Yona was still sleeping and her horns were still broken off, Smolder was still a statue, Silverstream was a seapony and in a large tank, Ocellus looks as though she's gonna throw up, and Gallus was covered up in a blanket of sort.
"Twilight!" The Student Six exclaimed, except Yona and Smolder.
"What happened to all of you?!" Twilight asked in shock.
"Bitter Taste and Professor Dash happened." Sandbar said.
"Speaking of which," Gallus said, pointing out Rainbow Dash, who looked utterly ashamed.
"Hey," Ocellus said hoarsely, "You're back to normal."
"Why are you a Pegasus again?" Silverstream inquired.
"Because I gave all the magic back to the alicorns," Rainbow Dash said in sadness, "Oh, I am so sorry, you all. I never even would have been like that if Bitter Taste hadn't brainwashed me! I just can't believe I put you all through all that."
Rainbow begins to cry tears of remorse but the Young 6 look sad themselves.
"Well, what matters is that you're back to normal." Ocellus said.
"How did all of you even get here?" Starlight asked.
"I can answer that, dear love." Zecora said, "It all started when Smolder fell from above."
She pointed to a hole in her hut.
...
We get a small montage of Zecora being startled by Smodler crashing through her roof, saving Gallus from some Timberwolves, Ocellus and her running from a cave inahbited by an Ophiosaurus, quickly dragging Silverstream out of a pond before she was eaten by a Cragadile and even hired some Diamond Dogs to dig underneath the forcefield to retrieve Sandbar and the sleeping Yona, who was still fast asleep, and was incredibly heavy.
...
"Woah," said Scootaloo.
"Bitter Taste destroyed my shapeshifting necklace!" Silverstream said, "I can't change into a Hippogriff anymore. Also, he said something about how Professor Rainbow's friendship with Twilight and the rest were toxic or something like that."
"I'll have to fill you in on that later," said Rainbow Dash, "Right now, we need to come up with a plan to get Grogar's bell and use it against Bitter Taste."
"Well, what can we do?" asked Luna.
Twilight puzzled in thought for a minute before saying, "I think I might have an idea."
TO BE CONTINUED...