Badlands, unknown location, Four Days since the Ponyville Incident

The five ponies and one dragon were panting and sweating profusely. Nopony had mentioned the cold of the night, or how fast the temperature change went. If it hadn't been for Solid's survival tent, they would have frozen to death. Rainbow had complained about false advertising all that night, but her claims that deserts should always be hot had ceased as soon as the sun had gotten a chance to warm things up again. None of them were eager for night to fall again.

"Maybe we should call this a false start? Go back and start again? Perhaps with more sun umbrellas and winter gear?" Rarity had a half note of hope in her voice, though she knew what was coming.

"If'n we turn back now, we're never gonna catch up ta Twilight." Applejack was the voice of despair this time. The suggestion of going back had been voiced every so often since waking, each time by a different pony, and each time with the same answer from a different place.

The only one that hadn't suggested it was Spike, who was the first to discredit the idea, though now he was having trouble himself. This wasn't what he had envisioned his daring rescue to be at all. He was having trouble keeping on, even with his natural resilience to heat. A purple arm swept the sweat off his forehead as he went doggedly on. Nothing was going to stop him in his search for his adoptive mother. She had helped him his whole life, but this time, it would be him that helped her.

Rainbow spoke up, "Girls… which one of you is growling?"

Rarity huffed, "Dear, none of us would growl, it's terribly uncouth."

Rainbow licked her chapped lips, "Well, we might wanna pick up the pace, then, because that didn't sound too friendly."

"Ah think yer hearin things, RD. I ain't heard no-" Applejack was cut off as she came to the top of a dune, revealing a rather large dip in the sand. Standing in the middle of said dip was a thing that looked to be part lion part pony. Its large, solid mane going all the way around its neck like a collar on a coat, and its long tail ended in a bob of fur. The pony head stared at them as it crouched, its golden eyes locked with their slitted pupils. It stood tall enough that, had four of them stood on top of each other, they may have been able to touch its forehead. The large mouth growled again, baring sharp teeth, causing the entourage to stop, "Welp, that'd explain the growlin noise ya heard, RD… I think I should clean mah ears real quick once we stop the whole runnin for our lives bit."

Rarity nodded calmly, "Agreed. Good ears, Rainbow, darling. Now, I believe we have kept our newcomer waiting long enough. Shall we?" She was met with muttered agreements and then screaming as the six of them turned to flee into the desert.

Manehattan, Trixie's trailer, Four Days since the Ponyville Incident

Trixie paced back and forth in her little home, the news spreading hadn't been going well. Despite her best efforts, the ponies of Manehattan had decided to believe the newspapers' sensationalizing of the events over her own magnificent performances! She huffed, "This is outrageous! Why do the lemmings do what the lesser show ponies say? It makes no sense! Clearly this is a task that is ill suited for just the two of us, Cheese. We need more varieties of Star Power!" She turned to find her compatriot lying on his back on her couch, "Cheese Sandwich!" He lurched forward and onto the floor, rubbing his head, "Trixie does not appreciate napping on the job! She was trying to tell you of our dilemma!"

Cheese shook his head rapidly, "Sorry. Just a power nap. You are right, though, we should totally get some new ponies in on this. We're missin some of the bigger groups between just the two of us, ya know?"

"Trixie is aware. This is why we must call in two of her colleagues from the university. You have the humor, and Trixie has the awe, but we need somepony with sophistication and somepony with style. Quickly, we must get to Canterlot! Our assistants await!" With that, she lit her horn and the wagon lurched forward, nearly planting a group of ponies that had happened to have been walking by at the moment.

Canterlot Castle, Four Days after the Ponyville Incident

"Sunrise! Sunrise, where are you?! Sunrise Special, I need you!" A frantic white alicorn barreled through the halls of the castle at breakneck speed as she yelled at the top of her lungs. She careened to a stop right behind a yellow pegasus who was calmly sipping his tea and reading the paper, "Sunrise! There's an emergency! We need to take the papers down, they're all saying things about Twilight! Have you seen it yet? It's awful!"

Sunrise put his tea down gently as he turned the page of his paper, then proceeded to flip a few strands of white mane out of his face, "Inspired, is the word that I would have used."

"What?!"

The stallion lamented his suddenly lost tea and ruined paper as he fixed his mane, ensuring the small green stripe was perfectly in the middle, "If you had been paying any attention at all during the meeting we had about this very subject, you would remember that I am currently making you the sympathetic one here. Then, when Twilight is relieved of suspicion, you will be the merciful voice of reason forgiving a repentant hero of a tragic mistake, rather than the mentor blinded by a bias towards a dangerous criminal. I understand that you are distraught, but if you don't concentrate, things will only go downhill. Remember, I will handle the presses, and you just look suitably distraught."

Celestia glared down at her assistant, "Sunrise, you said you were going to paint me as the sympathetic one, not paint Twilight as a mindless killer!" She held up a newspaper different than the one he had just been perusing, open to an article titled "Once A Hero, Now A Monster?!"

Sunrise used his wing to get a look at the cover, "Ah, them. There's nothing we can do about the outlying riffraff, Princess. You must remember that every paper we pull on a subject lends weight to what they were saying to those that think you're covering for your beloved student. Which, might I remind you, we technically are. Panic and yelling will accomplish little else than arousing suspicion, which might make things difficult for the other pieces in this grand chess match we are playing here."

Celestia snorted, "Grand chess match indeed, if only it were so simple. I almost miss the days when politics involved actual backstabbings and espionage. At least then I could have them put in the dungeon for it. Now I have to tip-hoof around my enemies and give them all a polite 'How do you do?' while hoping they faceplant in the punch."

Sunrise raised an eyebrow at the Princess, "Yes, well, it might be wise to remember that the main enemy in this situation is circumstance, which you never would have had the opportunity to put in a dungeon. Now, if we're done here, I need to go get another cup of tea and another Canterlot Times, as mine appear to have combined themselves together." He nodded and walked off in the direction of the kitchens. Celestia, however, walked off in the opposite direction, her appetite for breakfast long since lost to the stress of her ponies judging her student so harshly.

Badlands, Four Days since the Ponyville Incident

"RD, this was a terrible idea!" Applejack held her eyes shut as she slid down the expansive dune that seemed to go on forever.

"How was I supposed to know it could fly?!" Rainbow herself was focused behind herself as the enormous hybrid creature flapped its newly sprouted wings right behind them.

"Really, you two, is this the best time to argue about this? I think a new idea is in order, lest we become breakfast!" Rarity had pulled an umbrella from her saddlebags and she and Spike were in the process of riding it down the shifting sands as she internally lamented the ruined lace edges.

"I still say we should give it candy and hope it goes away." Pinkie was using her tail as a bobsled down the near vertical incline, Fluttershy safely cowering on the pink pony's back.

"We discussed this, dear, I doubt it is in the mood for sweets."

"That's silly, who's not in the mood for sugar?!"

"Ah say we got nothin to lose, so long as we keep movin!"

"That's the spirit! Wait, is it? I dunno, it sounded kinda wishy washy in spiritudeness. You wanna try that-"

There was a chorus of "Pinkie Pie!"s that caused her to shrug and reach into Fluttershy's mane to pull out several oversized lollipops, "Sorry, Flutters, ran out of room in mine, and you just have so much of it!" She turned to the Sphinx that was beginning to gain on them. "Eat up!" She tossed the candy at the creature, hitting it right in the nose. Several of the treats wedged themselves in its snout, causing it to rear back in surprise. It flailed its forepaws at the irritant as it careened off to the side and crashed into the ground.

Rainbow returned her attention to her sliding as she heard several loud thumps and then silence, heralding the end of the chase, "Well, that was exciting first thing in the morning."

Fluttershy didn't open her eyes, "Let's never do that again."

Las Pegasus Stadium, Four Days since the Ponyville Incident

Loyalty looked out at the crowd and frowned. She had voiced her want for justice done during the meeting, but now that the anger of the assumed betrayal had calmed down, she was having second thoughts, "Hey, you think we're doin the right thing?"

Magic sighed, she put her hoof to her head and rubbed her temple, "We're doing the only thing we can. I wish it were as easy as the right or wrong thing, but when black magic is involved, it is usually a matter of the things that must be done. Do I have any doubt that we will be painted as terrible ponies? No, and I honestly hope the Princess is remembered fondly enough that we do. Do I think we are doing what is best for everypony involved, the Princess included? Yes, I think this is the overall best option. I can't say with any certainty that this is the good thing or the right thing, but it is the thing that must be done."

The pegasus frowned as she ruffled her wings. She missed the robe, it made things much simpler when she wore it. She did what her vows said she do, and that was that. Right, wrong, didn't matter. Celestia said they should do it, so they did, "Welp, I got a show to do before we do anything big. I'll see ya after, I guess." She walked out of the private booth, leaving the earth pony alone once more, and down to the prep room filled with blue suited pegasi. She was greeted with nods as she walked around for one last inspection, then Spitfire lowered her goggles, "Everypony ready?"

WOAH! What a tweest! No, but seriously, i was too antsy for that big reveal to wait until next chapter. Not all of the Order are canon ponies, but we'll be seeing their reveals over the next few chapters. i am prepared to be thoroughly hated by all the fans of these ponies, and would like to preemptively defend myself by saying that i love every single one of the Order a LOT. One of my favourite ponies is in there, actually, so it's not hate that put them in there, and they are ALL loyal to the Princesses and their vow to protect Equestria. So go easy on me? Please?

Also, this has been being slowly updated slowly from another site and is now all caught up. Things will slow down a touch from here. Sorry.