As the party at the Crystal Empire went on throughout the morning, Princess Cadance is with the two royal sisters, Celestia and Luna. They had finished explaining to her what they know, and the Princess of Love is nearly surprised.
"So, Twilight and her friends got lovesick last night at the same time?" Cadance asked as she regained her composure.
"That's right," replied Luna, "I am unsure how that happened, but it seems that it is no coincidence it did."
"To be sure though," Celestia said, "Do you sense that feeling in Twilight and her friends, Cadance?"
Cadance looked behind her and spotted Twilight conversing with Shining Armor as Flurry Heart sat on his head. "Now that you mention it," Cadance looked back to the royal sisters, "I did sense something that lingered in Twilight's mind, this longing to be with somepony that will understand her and support her. It is faint, but it's still there. If the same thing happened to her friends who used to be the Element bearers, then it might be possible what you have told me is true. So, what do we do?"
"Until we agree otherwise," replied Celestia, "Those girls must not learn what we know. It would leave them with more questions than even we might not answer."
"What if they find out by themselves that they felt the same feeling?" questioned Cadance.
"Then we would have to tell them at least some of what we know." answered Luna, turning to her elder sister, "Is that alright, sister?"
Celestia sighed sadly, "Yes. For now, let's put these thoughts aside and celebrate."
As Celestia walked to the party, Cadance and Luna looked at each other in concern for the sun princess. Luna then nodded and went in another direction of the party, and Cadance thought a bit on what the royal sisters told her. Eventually she shook her head, not wanting to dwell on something that concerns everypony, and Cadance went to her family, at least to pretend nothing is wrong.
At the beach of an island a bit west of Equestria where the ship is docked, Zenith and his friends prepare their plan.
"Okay, here's how its gonna play out." explained Zenith, as Meteo, Pebble, Chester, Tranquil and Ace are lined up in front of the silver coated stallion, "I'll head to Ponyville and request a house for the six of us, and if there is enough space at least behind the house for our ship, I'll contact you tomorrow with one of my magic crystals and tell you where it's located so that you'll dock the ship at that place."
"Why tomorrow?" Pebble asked.
"Because the ship needs more time to cool down from our little trip last night," Zenith replied, "right, Chester?"
"Correct, señor," Chester confirmed, "the engines have been rusty lately, but I'm sure I'll have them ready to go by tomorrow morning."
"Hope it doesn't end up taking tomorrow arvo." Ace said.
Meteo walks up to Zenith giving a solemn look, "I wish I can come with you," Meteo said, sniffing a bit, "but I know the reason you stated earlier."
"Aw, don't worry, Meteo," Zenith knelt down and offered a hug, and Meteo quickly accepts it, "It will be just for a few hours, and if you came along, I don't know how the ponies will react to a Longma, so we'd best take it slow until everything's fine."
Meteo broke the hug, "You promise to call us, alright?"
"I promise, little guy." Zenith stands up and looks to his friends. "Tranquil!" he called, "my violin, please?"
"Oh, yes! Right away." Tranquil levitated the blue crystal with his magic, and he concentrated. A wave of blue energy flowed out of the crystal and swirled in front of Zenith. The energy then materializes into a violin case, and Zenith grabs hold of it.
"Thanks, Tranquil." said Zenith.
"A pleasure, captain." Tranquil bowed.
"Well, I'd best be off!" Zenith declared.
"Alright, mate!" said Ace, "Just be sure to- to...ah...ah..." Something tickles Ace's nose.
"Ka-BOOM!"
And it makes Ace sneeze in an unusual manner, which his friends rolled their eyes at. Ace wipes his nose with his hoof and looks up to Zenith continuing his sentence, "To bring up if there's any good looking mares where you're going, 'kay?"
"I'll...keep that in mind." Zenith then puts on his purple bag, straddles his violin case over his back and turns around. He pauses and looks behind to his friends, and smiles. "See you tomorrow!" Zenith waves his hoof, and his friends to the same.
"Have a bloody swell time going off, mate!" Ace called.
"¡Adiós!" said Chester.
" Gàobié, Captain." Tranquil said, bowing again.
"What he said!" Pebble added.
"Be sure to call us soon!" called Meteo.
And so Zenith turns to the path ahead of him and trots off. He then gallops to the forest as his friends watch on in happiness, mostly Meteo.
A few hours later at the Ponyville station, Twilight, Starlight, Spike and their friends exit the train and walk onto the platform. They we're feeling good from having a great time at the party at the Crystal Empire.
Except for one pony.
Fluttershy walked slowly as Applejack and Rainbow Dash accompanied her from either side. The light-yellow coated mare's face is still sad and somber from last night's events, and her friends sympathetic faces show how much it affected her. Even Pinkie looks sad about it that her mane and tail is a bit deflated, literally.
"Um, thank you all for bringing me back here with you," Fluttershy said sadly without looking up, "if you don't mind, I would like to be alone at my cottage for a while."
"Want me to at least go along with you until you get there?" Rainbow Dash asked, keeping her patience in check for her friend's sake.
"Um...sure. I don't mind." answered Fluttershy.
"Remember, sugarcube, we'll be right along to check up on ya once in a while," Applejack said, "and if there's anythin' ya need, you just let us know, alright?"
"Yes." Fluttershy replied quietly. She then took off slowly to the air, with Rainbow Dash following close by. Both Pegasi flew slowly in another direction, as their friends watch in concern and sympathy.
"I hope Fluttershy will be alright." Starlight said.
"Same here." Spike added.
"We all do." Twilight replied, then she sighed and looked to her friends, "Guys?"
The ponies and dragon looked to the Alicorn. "Can you spare a few minutes with me at the Castle of Friendship?" Twilight asks, "There's something I want to discuss."
"Does it have to do with what happened last night?" Rarity wondered.
"Something of the sort." Twilight responded.
The mares thought about it for a moment. "Well," Applejack spoke up, "Ah might not focus on my chores knowin' that Fluttershy is as sad as a soaked piece of fence wood. So yeah, Ah'll hear what ya want to lay out in front of us."
"I suppose my dresses will have to wait." said Rarity.
Pinkie took a few seconds to think on it, then she said, "Yeah, I'll hear what's on your mind."
"Thanks girls." said Twilight. They then left the station and walked to the castle, with Starlight and Spike following behind them. As they walked, Spike tapped Starlight's shoulder to get her attention, and she looked to Spike.
"What is it, Spike?" Starlight asked.
Spike motioned for Starlight to lean closer to his head, which she complied a little perplexed. Spike then put his right claw to his opposite side of his mouth and spoke nearly above a whisper, "Starlight, when will we tell Twilight what Zecora is looking for?"
Starlight remembered what Spike is getting at, along with her visions of the mysterious pony. "Oh, that. Probably not until Twilight is certain that Fluttershy is okay," Starlight whispered to Spike, "I think Twilight has enough on her plate to worry about, so we'll tell her once everything's a little normal around here."
"Okay." Spike replied.
They continued walking with their friends, and Starlight started to wonder about everything that happened so far, and how the visions she had fit into all this. But she put it aside for now, wanting to learn what Twilight wants to discuss.
The ponies in Ponyville came up to Twilight and her friends and wanted to know what happened at the Crystal Empire. But Twilight simply stated that she and her friends are a little tired from last night's charade. Most of the ponies were disappointed, though they understood since they noticed the sad looks on the mares' and dragon's face.
A few minutes later, Twilight, Spike, Starlight, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity are in the library of the Castle of Friendship standing at a crystal table. "So, Twilight," Applejack spoke, "what is it ya want to get off yer back?"
Twilight sees the eager yet concern looks on her friends' faces, and sighs a little. "It's about what Discord told us last night." she said.
"Discord?" Starlight looked at Twilight confused, "What does he have to do with this?"
"He said that seeing Cadance's and Shining Armor's filly might make us think about settling down with a special somepony, yes?" Rarity assured.
"That's right." Twilight confirmed, "At first I thought Discord was simply fooling around...but now, I think he-"
WHOOSH!
A cyan blur suddenly zoomed through the library just past Twilight and her friends. It flew back to the table and landed on it. After they recover from the surprise, the ponies and the dragon see Rainbow Dash panting a bit. "Here you guys are!" she said, "What'd I miss?"
"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity chided, adjusting her mane a bit, "Once again you nearly ruined my coiffure!"
"Seriously, can't you at least try the front door?" Spike added in.
"Hey, I just flew from Fluttershy's cottage when I took her there!" Dash sternly demurred as she hopped off the table beside Applejack, "Discord was there, which ticked me off, but he knows how Fluttershy's feeling and promises to give her space. I then left to find you guys, but a stallion said that you came here, so I flew here and here we are. So, what'd I miss?"
"Speakin' of which," Applejack adjusted her hat, "you're actually in time, RD. Twilight's about to tell us what Discord told us before the fillynappin' happened."
"What? That mumbo jumbo Discord fished out?" Dash looked to Twilight, "You really want to talk about it like right now?"
"Love might not be up your department," Twilight said, "but this could be something that affects all of us, so you might want to at least listen."
"Ugh, fine," Dash grimaced silently, "Just make it quick."
The ponies and Spike rolled their eyes at Rainbow Dash's impatience, and Twilight started her statement again, "I want to discuss what Discord told us last night. At first I thought he was fooling around, but now...I think he's right."
"How so?" Starlight asked.
"Well, when we got to bed, I was having trouble getting to sleep due to Discord's opinion on settling down with a special somepony popping into my mind," Twilight stated, "Then, I started to have these thoughts...that maybe I should find somepony to love and settle down with, somepony that could make me the happiest mare in Equestria."
Pinkie's eyes widen in alert, and her mane and tail return to normal. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, "I had those same thoughts, too!"
"Well Ah'll be!" Applejack said in surprise, "Ah'm in the same boat as you are!"
"You too? Goodness!" Rarity put her hoof under her chin in awe, "I usually had these thoughts, but last night might have been genuine!"
"What?" Twilight looked to each of four of the Mane Six, "You all had those thoughts at the same time?"
Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity agreed, though Rainbow Dash is confused.
"But this can't be a mere coincidence," Twilight demurred out loud, "Not every group of ponies think of the same thing at once. If me, Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity thought of the same thing, that means something is going on between the six of us, including Fluttershy and..."
All eyes are on Rainbow Dash, who starts to glance at her friends nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Did you think of anything on this matter, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asks.
"What? Don't kid yourself!" Dash tried to put it off with her attitude, "Not every mare's got the time for that! Me included!"
"Dash, Ah'm all about honesty," Applejack stated, "and Ah can tell when somepony tries to pretend nothin's wrong. Are ya sure ya didn't have the same thoughts we did?"
"Yeah, are you sure you had a good night's sleep unlike us?" Pinkie added.
Rainbow Dash bites her lip in desperation to think of a fib. But the eager eyes of her friends and the encouraging they kept up was too much for her to handle even if she didn't want to admit it. Eventually, she had enough.
"Okay! I confess!" Dash blurted out, silencing her friends, "I had trouble hitting the sack because what Discord explained last night kept popping into my head! I tried to tell myself that this isn't like me to think of such stupid things, but in the end I admitted that I want to be all mushy and cuddly with a good looking stallion!"
The cyan Pegasus then slumped down from her outburst, "Now my rep's gonna crash down, and everypony including the Wonderbolts will laugh at me, all because I started thinking I'd have a chance to hook up with a special somepony." Rainbow Dash put her hoof to her forehead in shame. Then, Rarity put her hoof on Dash's shoulder, getting the Pegasus's attention.
"Dash, darling, it's nothing to be ashamed of." the white Unicorn said, "It's normal to think of those things once in a while, even when a handsome stallion catches your eye and everything about him seems so radiant and perfect you develop a crush on him and daydream your happy lives together."
"Like how you did the same with Celestia's 'nephew'?" Applejack snickered.
Rarity glared at the orange Earth pony, "Well, appearances might not be everything, I admit that, but decisions and actions are."
"Ditto on that!" Spike eagerly agreed.
"So, what do we do about this strange phenomenon?" Starlight asks.
"I think we'd best keep this to ourselves while I try to figure it out with the books that can provide the information." said Twilight.
"What about telling Princess Cadance about our think alike situation?" Pinkie suggested, "She's the expert on love, so she could have the know-how on this if you come across any duds the books have."
Twilight raised her eyebrow at Pinkie's suggestion and supposed remark on books, "I might think on that."
"Can you all at least promise not to tell anypony about my little problem?" Rainbow Dash asks desperately.
"Alright, Dash, we promise to not breath a word about you and your 'love' affair," Rarity said, turning to her friends, "Do we, girls and Spikey"?
"I promise!" Spike declared.
"I Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie added, and she made some motions with her hoof, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
The rest of the mares agreed to their amusement.
"Thanks, guys." Rainbow Dash said, "You're the best."
Meanwhile, an Earth pony walks down a path leading out of a forest and towards Ponyville. Zenith carries his purple bag and violin case over his back without any difficulty. As he comes to the top of a hill, he pauses. In front of Zenith is a sight so welcoming.
There were plenty of houses surrounding business buildings as far as he could see, and ponies were going to and fro being pretty happy among themselves. Zenith couldn't help but smile, "It's true on what those books said then. Ponyville is one happy place to live in that it doesn't need to change itself."
Zenith turned his head left, and what he notices caught him off guard completely. Close by is a large castle made out of crystal. "What the ding dong? That wasn't there before." Zenith wondered. What caught his eye is the how the castle looks...familiar to him. "It seems some things have changed around here. I think I better see what that castle is all about."
Zenith then trots towards the castle, wondering how it got there and by what circumstances made it so. Little does he know that those answers might come to him sooner than he bargained for.
"Whoa!" Pinkie starts feel something in her body, which alerts her friends.
"Pinkie? What's wrong?" Twilight asks in concern.
"My Pinkie Sense is tingling!" Pinkie responded, checking herself all over. "Tail's a twitchin'!" Her tail spasms a bit, "Ooh, back's a shiverin'!" Then her back shivers a little, "Tee hee hee, mane's a ticklin'!" Her mane jiggles a bit making her giggle, "Whoa! Eyes' a spinnin'!" Then her eyes spin about. Pinkie then clutches her head with her hooves, making her eyes stop spinning. "Wow! Now that's a doozy I haven't felt in a long while!"
"What sign is your sense telling ya, Pinkie?" asked Applejack.
"Didn't I tell you what this doozy meant already?" Pinkie chirped.
"Uh, last time I checked, no." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, my tail twitched, my back shivered, my mane tickled, and my eyes spinned round and round and round!" Pinkie effused, "That means a new pony will be arriving in Ponyville!"
The mares and Spike are surprised at this, though Twilight raised her eyebrow in confusion. She couldn't understand Pinkie's 'sense' when she heard about it from her and tried to find a scientific explanation for it, but Twilight admitted that accepting something rather than trying to understand it is better for herself and everypony. Twilight usually keeps a list of various signs the Pinkie Sense whips up, and what Pinkie sensed now is new to her. "Has that sign happened before?" Twilight asked.
"Duh! Of course it has! Regularly at times when a new pony comes to Ponyville!" Pinkie said happily, "Like how this doozy went off when you and Spike came here, remember?"
"Oh, yeah!" Spike replied, "Back then you came up to me and Twilight when Celestia sent us here for her to make friends!"
"Exactly!" said Pinkie. "Now this doozy is telling me that this new pony is coming here right now!"
The mares and Spike are a little bewildered at Pinkie's prediction. "Uh, what?" Rainbow Dash muttered out loud perplexedly.
Zenith walks up the front stairs and pauses in front of the golden doors. He then takes a deep breath.
"Here goes." he says quietly. Zenith raises his hoof, and makes five quick knocks on the door followed by three normal knocks.
A strange knocking is heard throughout the library, one Twilight and her friends never heard of.
"What a peculiar knocking sound." Rarity said in curiousness.
"That must be the new pony!" Pinkie declared cheerfully.
"How'd you know that?" Starlight asks.
"Duh! Pinkie sense!" Pinkie reiterated, "And a hunch."
"Well, if Pinkie's sense picked up on somethin' then Ah believe it." Applejack said, "Meeting this new pony could liven things up here."
"Alright, lets meet this new pony." Twilight declared, turning to Starlight, "Want to come, Starlight? It can be your chance to make a new friend!"
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet somepony new." Starlight replied.
Zenith waited for a minute or two outside the door after he knocked it. Then, the door opened. What he saw was something he'd never thought to see again.
To Zenith, the lilac mare with the most smoothest silky mane and pure violet eyes standing there sends a shiver up his back and his heart skipping a beat. It's as if fate made things way better for him now that he reunited with his friend. But then Zenith notices the confused look in her eyes, like she has trouble wondering if she saw him before or not, and that troubled him a bit.
To Twilight, this silver coated stallion with a dark purple spiky mane and lilac eyes wearing a golden vest and a thin purple scarf sends various thoughts through her mind. It's like a test is laid out in front of her, the kind she recalls taking yet she didn't study at least a day for it. And for some reason, the stallion seems very familiar to Twilight, she just couldn't put her hoof on it.
Eventually, Twilight speaks first, "Um, hello there."
"Hello," Zenith replies, keeping his composure, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything you are busy with?"
"Not at all." Twilight shook her head, "We weren't expecting anypony new to come here, well, most of us anyway."
"Oh?" Zenith raised his eyebrow.
Twilight then uses her magic to open the doors wide open, and her friends step out into the sunlight.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship," Twilight introduces herself, then she motions to her friends from her left side to her right, "and these are my friends, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity," and she motions to the dragon and the heliotrope Unicorn mare, "my assistant Spike, and my apprentice Starlight Glimmer."
"Hey there!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Howdy do, partner." Applejack tipped her hat.
"Hiya!" Spike eagerly waved his claw.
"H-hello." Starlight says nervously.
Only Pinkie and Rarity remained silent, the former smiling casually like she's waiting for something to happen, and the latter seemingly in a lost trance.
And what a trance the white unicorn was in.
In her own mind, Rarity could see this averagely handsome stallion standing in front of a pink sparkling background, and she somehow feels her heart beating harder than normal. She glanced at every part of his body, from his gleaming silver coat, his spiky dark purple mane, to the assertive look in his lilac eyes.
But what caught Rarity's attention is his hooves. Unlike most stallions whose hooves are bare, this stallion has the most straight and defined hooves she has ever seen. Though for some reason, Rarity recalls seeing them from somewhere before, but the thoughts of seeing the most handsome stallion ever and her barrel feeling like butterflies are fluttering about distracted her entirely.
Until something nudges her shoulder.
"Rarity?" Starlight pokes Rarity to get her attention, "Rarity?"
"Huh? What?" Rarity notices that her friends and the stallion are giving odd looks to her, mostly of confusion and concern, and her cheeks blush a bright pink as she quickly recomposes herself, "Oh my! Was I staring at something? How rude of me." Rarity giggles nervously then she clears her throat, "There's nothing wrong, if that's what you all are concerned about."
"No harm done, Miss Rarity." Zenith shook his head a little while smiling.
Hearing the soothing masculine voice and seeing that soft smile made Rarity giggle again as she faintly blushed, "Um, just Rarity will do."
Then, Zenith's eyes widen, for he realizes something. "EH?!" He looks at Spike with a nearly gape look, "A baby dragon?"
Spike was surprised by Zenith's outburst, but he regained composure, "You bet I'm a dragon. Didn't think you see one raised by ponies?"
"Well, I-" Zenith stopped sort, realizes something else and,
SMACK!
Slaps his forehead with his hoof, so hard in fact that it sounded loud enough for Twilight and her friends to be worried about. "What's wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asks.
"Nothing serious. Just being stupid for not having the proper manners of introducing myself, which I'll do now." Zenith clears his throat, "Hello, I'm-"
GASP!
Pinkie makes a long gasp while her eyes widen and her body spasms a bit in the air, interrupting Zenith. Then she zooms down the path right above the stallion who dodges his head. He looks back to see where Pinkie went, to no avail. "That's one hyperactive mare." Zenith stated.
"You have no idea." Rainbow Dash replied rolling her eyes, "So what's your name? Don't leave us hanging!"
"Wasn't planning on it." Zenith clears his throat again, "My name is Zenith."
Twilight's eyes widen at that name. It was the one she recalls from her memories where her young self met a colt introducing himself.
"Twilight? What's the matter?" Starlight notices Twilight being shocked.
"Oh! Uh, nothing." Twilight assures her apprentice. "Thought I knew something, but false alarm."
Then, a thought sprung up in Zenith's mind, "Wait a minute," he said, "Princess? Does that mean...?
Rainbow Dash flew up to Zenith's face, "That's right, bud! Twilight's an Alicorn! You got a problem with that?" She glares at him to emphasize her point.
But surprisingly Zenith remained calm, "None whatsoever," he replied.
Dash then softens her face, "Good. I'm just messing with ya." She floats back down beside Applejack.
"So, Zenith," the orange Earth pony said, "Ah take it this is yer first time coming to Ponyville?"
"Actually, it's my second time."
Twilight and her friends gasp at Zenith's response, which he finds strange. "What? It's the truth." he affirmed.
"Then when was your first time?" Starlight asks.
"A few years ago." Zenith answered, "My granny and I came here just to gather some supplies so that I can enroll into a school in another city."
"So, where is your granny now?" asked Twilight.
Zenith's face turned solemn at that question, "She's..." he turned his face away and closed his eyes, "...in a better place."
Twilight and her friends are taken aback by that answer Zenith said. "Oh, sugarcube, Ah'm sorry to hear that." Applejack sympathizes with the stallion.
"Thanks for the sympathy." Zenith replies, sniffing a bit, "Granny's passing is what compelled me to go travelling."
"Travelling for what?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Sightseeing, learning about myself, stuff to help with, that kind of travelling." Zenith stated, "And now, I intend to move in to Ponyville, to at least have a home that I can go back to."
"Really? That's great!" Twilight declared gleefully, but she noticed her outburst as everypony looked at her and she calmed down. "I mean, that's great. Ponyville's got plenty of ponies you can be friends with."
"Well yes, but first I have to find a house to move into." Zenith looked back at Ponyville for a moment, "Is there a pony in charge of that town, one I can discuss with over which house to buy?"
"That would be Mayor Mare." Spike answered, "As her name suggests, she's the mayor of Ponyville. She can help you with what you need to move in."
"And we'd like to help you with that." said Twilight, "You don't mind, right?"
"Not at all." replied Zenith.
"Great! Let's go." Twilight declared.
They then all head to Ponyville, Twilight, Spike, Starlight and Zenith up front, and Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity from behind. As they walked, Applejack gives a sly smirk at Rarity, which the white Unicorn notices. "What's so amusing, Applejack?" she asks.
"Ah couldn't help but notice the look ya gave to the new guy." Applejack said.
"Look? Whatever do you mean?" Rarity nervously looked away.
"Come on, no need to be modest." Applejack leaned a bit towards Rarity, "You were talking about meeting the perfect special somepony earlier, and now..."
Rarity blushed pink as she realizes what Applejack is getting at. "What? Don't be absurd." she chided lightly, "As I said before, appearances are not always everything."
"Okay, but don't say Ah didn't warn ya." Applejack chuckled a bit, "Ah won't push this further, but you'll have to come to terms with it before it runs away with yer brain like a chicken escapin' it's coop."
Rarity simply huffed and continued walking. At first she didn't want to admit it, but the thoughts Rarity had before came faintly to her mind, and the white Unicorn wonders if she really is doing what she believes she might.
Having an immediate crush on a stallion is a rare case for the white mare, for the emotions she's feeling now are vaguely different then the times she had a crush on 'certain' stallions.
Rarity just hopes she is being foalish, but that remains to be seen.
TO BE CONTINUED...
I apologize if this chapter got rushed, sometimes I'm not half as good as other fanfiction authors.
But I assure you, things will get serious in feature chapters. Enjoy. :)