This update is ridiculously late, partly because of tehnical difficulties and partly because of school related events. In any case, pony time! (thanks to vultraz again for giving me the idea for the entire first half).

Fluttershy recovered from the terror of the ursa faster than she would have any other time. Perhaps it was that ursas are, in fact, just somewhat exagerated forest creatures, but she managed to hold off the nightmares long enough to pass out until morning.

And when Fluttershy woke up, her animal friends came wih her.

It was this way every day: feed them breakfast, greet any newcomers, water the flowers. Fluttershy had a simple life (except when her friends got involved) and she did what she could to keep it that way.

It wouldn't last forever.

She had just finished pulling a splinter from her hamster's foot when a shadow briefly flashed across the entire yard. Fluttershy dove for cover immediately and rose with a flower stem at the ready. Shivering violently, she peered around the yard until her eyes met the crater.

Moving ever so slowly, Fluttershy's mind raced with thoughts of ursa majors, particularly ones whose families had been led astray previously. With one last wish to Celestia, she screeched and swung the stem.

It collided with a substance harder than any man made metal, upon which it snapped. The pegasus gulped as she looked down at the flower's remains before gazing upward.

And what she saw made her freeze in place.

A gigantic ape-ish thing with an outrageous shoulder-to-waist ratio glared back, sunlight glinting off his bushy brown mustache. His chest rumbled with the force of thunder, and the air grew hotter with his every breath.

He blinked.

"Well, girls, I think we can safely say that these wierdos are gone for good," Twilight cheered over a fresh mug of apple cider (friendship can accomplish anything, including the complete repair of a many-acre farm in one morning). All six of the best friends (plus Spike) were there, save Fluttershy, who they thought was still warding her home against ursas or clutching her teddy desperately.

"Good work, Twi'" Applejack agreed, apparently stable now that her family was safe. "I couldn't have done it better mah'self! You always come up with the perfect solution to everything!"

"Twilight?" Spike said nervously, seeing an explosion off in the distance.

"That was totally radical! Who would come up with the idea to use one animal to drive another out?" Rainbowdash also complimented.

"Twilight..." Spike continued, seeing a figure rise high into the sky and fall again.

"Super terrific Twilight!" Pinkypie laughed, drinking her 666th cider in a row. She belched and tried to stand up, but the recently formed rolls of stomach filled with cider advised her to stay put.

"Twilight!" Spike prodded at Twilight more urgently.

"WHAT?" Twilight finally responded in anger.

"Well, its just that something's going on over at Fluttershy's place..."

Saxton Hale wasted no time once he saw the cutie mark. Fluutershy barely picked herself up from the shockwave induced by his eyelids colliding with one another when he grabbed her and beat her with one of her rabbits. She cried more for the rabbit than herself.

But the pegasus was about to think differently about things. With a cry of "DEMON HIPPIE!" Saxton delivered a closed fist to Fluttershy's face. She flew back through several buildings before collapsing inside somepony's kitchen.

Saxton was still at work on the "Hippie Den" when a mentally disturbed Fluttershy began making her way aroung Ponyville. She moved with purpose, not letting the odd glances or reflections slow her. She had a philosophy, and she was letting everyone know about it, no matter how many missing teeth or cerebral bruises she had.

By the time the other five found her, she was still having a heated debate with a potted plant about the theory that their entire life was just a show for little kids.

But then again, 3500 newtons of force to the face will make anyone break the fourth wall.

Once they had Fluttershy in the ER, the doctors worked unusually fast, especially considering they had to endure the moqnings of "humans" and "The Hub" the entire time. And once she was operating at near full capacity, the building emptied completely.

Twilight led everyone outside to figure out why, but it was the newly fixed brain that found an answer first.

"They all left!"

Every single pony was gone, and in one direction too. No evidence that a pony had been there at all was a single, uneaten cupcake on a lunch table. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it at all. Twilight was very confused, to say the least.

Then she saw the cause.

They were back.

It only took ten minutes for the six ponies to realize that there was no more trickery to use to solve the problem. They needed magic. Powerful magic.

They needed the elements of Harmony.

So, with each and every element around its wearer's neck, the friends went to make a stand.

It was still a bright snd sunny day when they stood about 50 yards from the things that started it all. The nine figures continued to approach at an almost leisurely pace. "Who are you, and why are you doing this?" Twilight yelled across the expanse.

There was no reply from the nine figures.

"If you do not stop wrecking our town, we will be forced to emprison you with the power of these six Elements!" Twilight warned again.

The figures continued their approach.

"Last chance!" Twilight yelped one last time, her nerves cracking through her tone on the final attempt at peace.

But nothing changed.

And so, with a flick of the tail, Twilight's element began to glow. The six glowed brighter still as their eight targets finally stopped and stared at them.

Just before the power let loose, a thought ran itself through Twilight's mind.

Eight?