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Chapter 1: A Hot Idea
Wind Whistler and North Star flew high above Dream Valley. There was no place to go in particular. They were just enjoying the good weather, stretching their wings, and having a great time. The sun felt warm on Wind Whistler's fine, pale blue coat while the breeze was cool as it passed over her and through her wavy, pale pink mane and tail. That alone was reason enough to take the skies.
A streak of pink and purple shot out in front of her. North Star giggled, rolling in front of Wind Whistler. Wind Whistler let an amused laugh escape her lips and beat her wings faster to get more thrust. She overtook the pink pegasus with purple hair and spun around her. Flying around for fun like this, Wind Whistler felt her typically astute exterior give way some to let her more giddy and playful side come through like she would never allow it to on the ground.
They flew around a puffy white cloud bubbling up over the valley. Wind Whistler dipped her feathery wing within its boundary and laughed as tiny water droplets tickled it. North Star did the same, cutting a line through the cloud just above and behind Wind Whistler's. They circled up the cloud, cutting a spiral pattern in it. As they topped the cloud, they flew off over the valley.
It was from the air that one could truly behold the full splendor of Dream Valley, and the two never got tired of the view. The valley they called home was a sea of green at the bottom of a huge bowl in the land formed by the rocky peaks that formed its boundaries. The trees were full of deep green leaves and the grass was a vibrant green dotted with colorful blooms.
It was that beautiful time in late spring. The chill of winter was gone, but the heat of summer had not arrived quite yet. The air was pleasantly warm, and the breezes were light. Also, Megan, their friend from the other world beyond the strange rainbow, was done with school and had time to visit them again. Hopefully they could show her a more peaceful time than their zany and too often dangerous adventures from the last summer.
They flew towards the northwest part of the valley. A waterfall cascaded down from a high plateau that extended into the valley. The waterfall fed a stream that cut through the expanse of green and fed the lake nearby. Along the stream's bank, between the waterfall and the lake, was Dream Castle: their home along with the other ponies living in Dream Valley. White banners fluttered in the breeze from the top of its blue roofed towers and the drawbridge was lowered over the stream as ponies came and went from the confines of its tall, pink walls.
Everyone had scattered across the surrounding countryside. They had gathered in groups to play or simply frolic in the grass and enjoy the beautiful weather. North Star dove down towards the ground to fly just above the treetops. Wind Whistler followed, tucking her wings in against her sides and dropping a couple hundred feet before opening them again and gliding over the large, open pasture in front of Dream Castle.
Many had gathered to play polo, batting the ball around with their noses. The players chased the yellow ball as it rolled and bounced across the bright green grass. Others lay off to the side watching the game.
The ball made an errant bounce and flew towards a group of spectators. Before she knew what happened, the rubber ball bounced off Sundance's head. She was shocked by the hit for a split second but took it in stride and laughed it off. She got up to kick the ball back into play before lying down again. The players quickly gathered around the ball and resumed the game as they batted it about in an attempt to send in the direction of the other team's goal.
Not everyone was playing or watching the polo game. Buttons and Magic Star were playing chess with the board balanced on a large stump, the foals were listening to Paradise read a story, and others were simply lying in the grass and sunning themselves.
Fizzy trotted to the lake just off the stream where the seahorse-like sea ponies were playing. The adults were playing volleyball, hitting the ball with their tails as it sailed over the net. The foals were off to the side, splashing each other.
Sea Shimmer saw Fizzy on the shore and waved her fin. "Hi, Fizzy."
Splasher took the opportunity to splash Sea Shimmer from behind. Sea Shimmer glared back at giggling foal. Fizzy could not help but giggle at the harsh expression Sea Shimmer had too. It looked so out of place on the little, green sea pony.
"Hi, Sea Shimmer," Fizzy replied when she managed to stop laughing. "What's going on?"
"The grown-ups are playing volleyball," Sea Shimmer said. "We're just watching and splashing about."
Surf Rider heaved a downtrodden sigh and looked back at the adults playing longingly. "I wish we could play too."
Fizzy was confused for a second before she remembered sea pony foals needed their floats to stay upright when on the surface. Wind Whistler one time explained to her that they needed the floats because their tails were not developed enough to serve as proper ballast. Fizzy was not sure what ballast was exactly, but she figured it was something that let adult sea ponies stand upright on the surface.
The floats were in fact an idea their human friend Megan had. Sea ponies usually remained completely underwater until puberty, but Megan brought the floats from her world to let them float on the surface. However, the floats limited what they could do on the surface as they could not lean at all in them.
Fizzy bent her mouth into a frown at the thought of having to sit and watch others have fun while you could not. No one should have to do that. Her frown quickly lifted into a wide smile when an idea came to her. "Why don't I make some bubbles for you to play with?"
"That would be great!" Sea Shimmer said gleefully, bouncing out of the water to come down in a loud splash.
Fizzy smiled even more broadly. That made them happy.
She pointed her horn at the water, and it glowed with pale turquoise light the same color as her as she concentrated. Her magic worked into the water and formed air bubbles the size of large beach balls. They floated to the surface and into the air to the delight of the foals.
"Thanks, Fizzy. You're the best" Sea Shimmer cheered and bounced a bubble floating past her off her nose.
Surf Rider swam over where a bubble was ascending to the surface. The bubble enveloped the lavender sea pony and floated out of the water with her inside. By the time Fizzy realized what happened, she was already out of reach. Fizzy gasped. "Uh oh!"
"This is fun," Surf Rider said. "I can see all of Dream Valley from up here."
She looked down at the others and waved. The adults had stopped playing and looked up at her along with the other foals and Fizzy. Even some of the land ponies had taken notice.
Surf Rider suddenly looked around frantically and thrashed around. "This isn't fun anymore! I'm getting too high!" she shouted. "Get me down! Help!"
Everyone on the surface was helpless to save her. Fizzy felt a pit form in her stomach. This and anything that happened to Surf Rider was her fault.
Wind Whistler flew in and popped the bubble with her wing. She curved back to catch Surf Rider on her back. The others cheered as she descended and hovered over the lake so Surf Rider could jump back into the water.
Fizzy heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, Surf Rider."
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," Surf Rider said. "It was actually fun until I got too high."
Fizzy turned to Wind Whistler as she landed next to her. "Thank you."
"Gratitude is not necessary but appreciated," Wind Whistler said. "You should be more aware when using your magic though."
Fizzy felt that pit return. She had not been paying attention to where the foals were in relation to the bubbles. She looked down in shame but felt something nudge the side of her head gently. She looked up to see Wind Whistler smiling at her warmly.
"Do not let it get you down, Fizzy. No one was hurt and that is all that matters," Wind Whistler said in a comforting tone. "Mistakes exist so we may learn from them and better ourselves. As long as you learn and do better in the future, it is okay."
Fizzy looked at Wind Whistler and managed a small but genuine smile. Wind Whistler had always been a big sister figure to her, giving her advice and encouraging her. Although they seemed like complete opposites, Wind Whistler was always astute and logical while Fizzy was considered frivolous and scatterbrained, the two were the closest of friends. "Thanks for saying that," Fizzy said.
"Hey, anyone interested in polo?" Gusty shouted from the field. "We could use some substitutions."
Fizzy joined the others galloping towards the field. She tossed her frizzy; green, pink, and white mane back out of her eyes. She and Shady entered the field of play as Galaxy and Ribbon joined the spectators. Truly placed the ball at the center of the field and ran off as the players ran towards it. Gusty was the first to reach it and whacked it down the field to begin the game again.
Fizzy laughed giddily as she chased the ball with the others. The sun was warm on her turquoise coat, the breeze was comfortable and sweet, and most importantly she was surrounded by her friends. She would not have it any other way.
Wind Whistler stretched and lied down on the bed of thick, soft grass next to a tree trunk. Everyone else found a spot in the shade of the apple trees to lie down. The sun had just about reached its noontime pinnacle in the sky, and the heat of the afternoon was starting to build. It was as good a time as any for a short siesta to rest and wait for Surprise to return with Megan. However, the foals and some of the adults were a little too restless to just lie about.
"When will Surprise be back with Megan?" Sundance asked. The white earthling with pale pink hair paced about.
"Any minute now," Buttons answered. "Just simmer down."
"I'm sorry. It's such a gorgeous day. I really want to share it with her." Sundance stopped and looked up at the blue sky and fair weather clouds drifting lazily by. "In fact, it's been a great time in Dream Valley for a while. Nothing bad has happened in weeks."
A shout of "HELP!" broke the tranquility of the valley.
"You just had to jinx it, didn't you?" Gusty spat at Sundance.
Another cry of "HELP!" came and was quickly followed by a chorus of affirmatives. It must be bushwoolies. Several brightly colored balls of fur rolled towards them. They unrolled into the small, furry creatures and crashed into each other.
Bushwooly Leader, recognizable by his purple fur and particularly prominent eye sockets on the top of his head pushed his way through the pile to the front. "You gotta help us!" The others voiced their affirmatives before he continued. "The Witches from the Volcano of Gloom have invaded our tunnels."
Sweet Stuff jumped to her hooves. "We have to do something!"
"It's just the witches." Gingerbread waved her hoof dismissively. "They'll probably mess up whatever plans they have themselves."
"Still, we should ascertain what their objective is and minimize any damage they might cause intentionally or inadvertently." Wind Whistler stood up. "I will go with you."
Fizzy hopped to her hooves. "I'll come too."
"All right, you two go," Magic Star said.
"Are you sure we should just leave it to two ponies?" Sundance asked.
"In this case, less is more," Wind Whistler said. "The last thing we need is a large group trapped in a narrow tunnel."
"If you need more help, just give a mental holler." Ribbon made her horn glow to show her telepathic powers were ready. "I'll be listening."
"We will," Fizzy said.
The bushwoolies climbed on Fizzy and Wind Whistler's backs and they galloped away to the east across the rolling hills toward where the bushwoolies lived. At full gallop, they quickly lost sight of Dream Castle behind them. They jumped over streams and gaps, each jump making the bushwoolies hold on to them more tightly to keep from falling off.
"What exactly are they doing in your tunnels?" Wind Whistler asked.
"They're digging," Bushwooly Leader said.
Fizzy bent her mouth into a confused frown. "That's odd. Why would they be digging in your tunnels?"
"We don't know, that's why we came to you for help," Bushwooly Leader said.
"Whatever it is, it is likely an endeavor to further their primary objective of making Dream Valley dark, dank, and dreary," Wind Whistler said.
It was a very safe assumption considering the witches. Hydia and her daughters were from a clan of magicians whose values had become so twisted they saw being evil as desirable and viewed goodness with disgust. They were malicious and sadistic, causing misery and destruction wherever went just to do it.
They hated ponies in particular to the point of almost fanaticism. The Little Pony race was their opposite, peaceful and always willing to help those in need. The magicians immediately started a war with the Pony Kingdom when they came to Ponyland about a century ago. They managed to destroy the Pony Kingdom and almost wiped out the Little Ponies as a race, but almost destroyed themselves in the process. Hydia then returned a couple decades ago to finish the job and make Dream Valley a bleak wasteland. Fortunately they had stopped her every attempt.
However, this was different for Hydia. She tended to be more overt with her plans. What was underground that would get her attention?
They arrived at the unremarkable hole in an embankment that served as the entrance to the bushwoolies' tunnels about a half hour after leaving Dream Castle. The bushwoolies hopped off Fizzy and Wind Whistler and into the hole. Fizzy hopped down the hole after them and Wind Whistler followed her.
They slid down the incline to the main hub of their tunnel network. Torches in holders on the walls lit the vast chamber somewhat, and openings of many tunnels were carved into the cylindrical wall at many levels accessible by stairs and balconies.
It looked like every bushwooly had gathered in the main hub. The din of multiple conservations reverberated off the walls to make for intelligible chatter.
Bushwooly Leader whistled loudly. "Quiet, bushwoolies!" he shouted. He waited until the others fell silent and gave him their undivided attention. "We brought Wind Whistler and Fizzy to help us."
"I wish we could exchange pleasantries, but we must confront the witches as soon as possible," Wind Whistler said. "Where are they?"
"They're in that tunnel." A red bushwooly pointed to a tunnel at ground level on the wall opposite from the one they entered from. The other bushwoolies gave their affirmatives.
"There is no time like the present then," Wind Whistler said to Fizzy.
Wind Whistler, Fizzy, and a number of bushwoolies entered the tunnel. A bushwooly grabbed a torch to illuminate the dark tunnel. The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for Fizzy and Wind Whistler to walk abreast. As Wind Whistler had feared, any more ponies would have been of little help as they would have gotten in each other's way in here. Fortunately, they would not be contending the witches' giant spider Aahg. The tunnel was much too small for him.
Wind Whistler began running scenarios through her head. It was something she did when she knew she would be facing an eminent crisis. It kept her mind focused and from wandering into avenues that would lead to apprehension and getting it off the task at hand. It also prepared her for what she might have to do.
She was thinking of what the witches could want down here when something cold and wet hit her snout. She looked up and saw water dripping from the ceiling. Water dripping in caves and tunnels was common, but the water was dripping heavily from multiple places suggesting there was a substantial body of water just overhead. "What is above us?"
"This tunnel passes just under the bed of a lake," a bushwooly said.
Wind Whistler compartmentalized this fact. She never let a detail go unnoticed. You never know when a small detail could be important later.
As they walked down the dark tunnel, Wind Whistler noticed the temperature was rising fairly rapidly. It was as hot as a sauna when they saw a light in the distance. The group pressed themselves against the tunnel wall and crept towards the light. Wind Whistler heard voices and could make out three figures sitting around the light as well as several holes in the end of the tunnel. There was also the heavy, putrid scent of sulfur and brimstone that announced the figures were the witches. Only they had that distinct and terrible stench from living the volcano's crater.
As they got closer, Wind Whistler could see they were indeed the witches as if there was any doubt remaining. Hydia was recognizable by her silhouette alone thanks to the horns behind her hood and her short, stout figure. Her proboscis-like nose and ratty, red hair only confirmed it. The other two were obviously her daughters. The heavyset figure with black pigtails was Reeka, and the lanky one with ratty, red hair tied up by a kerchief was Draggle. The three cackled loudly and seemed to not realize they were being watched.
"How much longer, Hydia?" Reeka asked eagerly.
"We should be through any minute now," Hydia answered. Her raspy voice echoed off the tunnel walls. "The burrowing mist will make it to the volcano, and the lava will cook those hairballs like as many geese on its way to Dream Valley."
"Cooked goose," Reeka thought out loud. "That makes me hungry."
"Everything makes you hungry," Draggle scoffed. She turned back to Hydia. "Those ponies will be in for a shock when they see lava burn their precious valley to cinders." She broke into a loud cackle, joined by her mother and sister.
"So, that is their game," Wind Whistler whispered. "They are tunneling into the magma chamber of the Volcano of Gloom to channel magma into your tunnels and then the rest of Dream Valley."
"How do we stop that?" Fizzy asked.
"I already have a stopgap measure in mind just in case," Wind Whistler said. "However, our best course of immediate action is an ultimatum."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Bushwooly Leader asked.
"Perhaps not, but our current situation does not lend itself to many options," Wind Whistler said.
She walked towards the witches, not bothering to keep her hooves from clacking on the rock. The witches stopped cackling and looked towards her. "Witches, cease your tunneling immediately, or I will be forced to inflict bodily harm on you," Wind Whistler declared.
"What did she say?" Draggle asked Reeka.
"I think she told us to stop or she'd hurt us," Reeka answered.
Hydia bared her teeth in a grimace. "How dare you threaten me? I'm the one who makes the threats."
"Do not say I did not warn you then." Wind Whistler pawed the ground before throwing herself at them. She turned around so she could buck Draggle in the abdomen and send her sprawling into the wall.
"Get her!" Hydia shouted.
Wind Whistler ducked in time for Hydia and Reeka to collide over her. She then darted away before they could fall on her. She felt a weight suddenly come down on her back. She looked back to see Hydia sitting on her.
"I hate all you wretched ponies," Hydia said in a growling tone. "But I particularly hate you, Little Miss Smarty Hooves Always Ruining My Plans." She grabbed Wind Whistler's left wing and produced a dagger with a crooked blade in her free hand. "You want a threat? Here's a threat. I'll slice your wings off."
Wind Whistler froze as Hydia raised her dagger. She felt Hydia's body tense as every muscle in her readied themselves to strike. Hydia all of a sudden floated off her back and flailed helplessly in the air. When she passed in front of the light, the bubble containing her became visible. Wind Whistler turned to Fizzy to see her horn glowing as it was a product of her magic.
"Thank you, Fizzy," Wind Whistler said.
"I'm just returning the favor from earlier," Fizzy replied. "Are you okay?"
Wind Whistler preened her wing to settle the feathers back into place and folded it against her side. "I am fine."
The bubble holding Hydia popped on a sharp stalactite on the ceiling. She plummeted to the ground and landed on Draggle lying against the wall. The two slowly got to their feet as well as Reeka.
"I won't lose today, not to just the two of you," Hydia groaned.
An orange glow suddenly poured out of the holes in the wall. Sweltering heat and the terrible smell of sulfur blasted from them as the sound of something oozing grew nearer.
Hydia stared at the holes and formed a wide grin. "We did it!" She wheezed into a loud cackle. "We actually did it! Dream Valley's as good as incinerated."
"Oh no!" Fizzy gasped.
"Draggle, use a teleportation spell to get us back home," Hydia said giddily. "I want to watch the fun in the viewing pool."
"Right," Draggle said. She got out a book with a red leather cover and skimmed over the page with her finger. "Let's see…telephone, teleplay…here it is, teleport. Beam me up, Scotty!"
Reeka's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
Draggle showed Reeka the book and pointed at the page. "That's what it says in the…" She was cut short as the three disappeared in a flash, leaving columns of smoke in their place.
The magma poured out of the holes and began oozing up the tunnel. The bushwoolies clambered onto Fizzy and Wind Whistler's backs and the two galloped up the tunnel.
"You said you had a stopgap measure," Fizzy said between pants. "What is it?"
"I will explain we reach where we found the dripping water," Wind Whistler said.
They galloped to the dripping water. Wind Whistler dug in her hooves and slid to a stop. She turned and faced down the tunnel. The orange light grew brighter as the magma oozed up the incline.
"What are we going to do?" Fizzy asked.
"This water is leaking into the tunnel through fissures in the rock," Wind Whistler answered, motioning with her eyes to the ceiling. "I need you to make the water bubble violently enough to break the rock apart."
"But that'd bring the lake down on us!" Bushwooly Leader said frantically. "We'd be flooded out by water instead of fire!"
"Not if we time this right," Wind Whistler said calmly. She turned to Fizzy. "Fizzy, I want you to start bubbling now but only a little. On my mark, you will use your full power, but not before. Do you understand?"
Fizzy nodded, but she wore a frown betraying her apprehension. She pointed her horn at the dripping water, and it began to glow slightly. The water began to foam slightly and filled the cracks in the ceiling.
Wind Whistler could see the magma itself approaching. It piled on top of itself, filling the entire cross-section of the tunnel and forming a wall moving towards them. It would ooze through the tunnel like toothpaste through a tube until it reached the hub and then fill the other tunnels as well as spill out into Dream Valley, pushed by the weight of the magma above it.
However, Wind Whistler would not let it. She was deep in thought as she ran the calculations in her head. The velocity of the magma, the relative temperatures of the magma and water, and a number of givens all fit into the equation of what point the magma needed to reach for her plan to work.
Fizzy gulped as the wall drew ever closer. "Wind Whistler…"
"Not yet," Wind Whistler said. She had created an imaginary plane cutting through the tunnel. That was where the magma had to reach. Her entire body seemed to tighten slowly as it came closer that pane of glass only she could see. The wall passed it and she shouted "NOW!"
Fizzy's horn flashed a brilliantly. The bubbles exploded in the cracks and the rock buckled and cracked in the ceiling. Water came pouring in, forcing Wind Whistler and Fizzy to gallop several yards up the tunnel.
The water splashed down the tunnel towards the magma. The two met, sending warm, hissing steam through the tunnel. The warm steam filled the cavern and obscured everything. The sounds of rushing water and creeping magma ceased and once the steam cleared, they saw a wall of black rock with some columns of steam rising from it.
"You stopped the lava!" Bushwooly Leader cheered and was followed by ruckus affirmatives from the others.
"It is called magma when it is underground, actually," Wind Whistler said.
"We did it!" Fizzy cheered. She hopped on her hind hooves.
Hydia watched Fizzy and Wind Whistler celebrate with the bushwoolies in her viewing pool. She ground her teeth and growled. She wanted to see death and destruction, not cheers and congratulations. Her face burned with rage and her mind could only think of one phrase with which to voice her anger. "I HATE THAT PEGASUS!" She slammed her spoon into the pool to break up the image.
"Another perfect plan to rid us of those sickening ponies ruined by that pale blue menace and her bubbly friend! If it wasn't for her, they'd all be deader than disco!" Hydia threw her spoon at a passing rat. She hit it on the back, sending it scurrying to the nearest hole. It brought at least a little comfort to know something was suffering besides her.
"Can't we try again?" Draggle asked.
"That was the only burrowing mist I could find!" Hydia said, practically screaming. "I don't know where to get more!"
"I guess it's back to the old drawing board then," Reeka said tiredly. She reached into her breast pocket and pulled out a bug she popped in her mouth.
"Celebrate this victory while you can, you disgusting ponies," Hydia grumbled as she stormed down the stairs. "I'll rid the world of you and your sweetness and make Dream Valley dark, dank, and dreary even if it kills me!"
Wind Whistler and Fizzy cantered triumphantly out of the tunnel to the cheers of the bushwoolies who had stayed in the hub. The bushwoolies who came with them hopped off their backs and Bushwooly Leader motioned for everyone to be quiet.
He turned to back to Wind Whistler and Fizzy. "We can't thank you enough. You saved our home. Please accept our hospitality."
"We appreciate the offer, but we should return to Dream Castle," Wind Whistler said.
A rather loud stomach growl came from Fizzy. Fizzy forced a weak giggle and cracked a sheepish grin. "Sorry. We didn't have lunch, and all that excitement made me hungry."
Wind Whistler's stomach gave an even louder growl of its own, rattling in her midsection to demand food. She heaved a capitulatory sigh. "Well, I guess we can stay a little while and have a late lunch."
"Great!" Bushwooly Leader said. He then said to the others, "Bring our guests some bush melons."
Some bushwoolies quickly gathered a number of the oddly colored fruit known as bush melons. They grew near the entrance of the bushwoolies' tunnel network and were their favorite food. Wind Whistler was not sure if this was because of the taste or proximity, but they loved them. Bush melons were not much to look at with their grayish-green rinds, but their deep purple flesh had a sweet yet tangy taste to it.
Wind Whistler and Fizzy sat down as the melons were piled in the center. A few bushwoolies put melons down in front of everyone else and took their own. The rinds were soft enough to bite off. Wind Whistler did just that as she took a sizable bite from hers.
A pale turquoise aura surrounded Fizzy's horn. A similar aura formed around a smaller bush melon and it lifted up so Fizzy could take a bite out of it.
"Your plan to stop the magma worked perfectly, Wind Whistler," Fizzy said after swallowing. "You always seem to know exactly what to do."
"I would not say always," Wind Whistler said. "However, I have found that when you think your way through a problem and be mindful of all your options, even the most daunting tasks can unravel before you."
"I wish I was smart and brave like you," Fizzy said wistfully. "I'm always so scattered, and I have to admit I was scared out of my mind back there."
Wind Whistler looked to her and smiled. "I think you are not giving yourself enough credit. It is true you might not be all that logical in your thinking, but you are good at thinking outside of the box. You also saved me when Hydia landed on my back and trusted me even with the magma headed for us which was very brave. We are different, not better or worse, which is why we make such a good team. I would not want you to be anyone else but yourself."
Fizzy smiled at this compliment. "Well, when you put it that way."
Fizzy stepped out of the tunnel entrance and stretched. It was already late afternoon or early evening. The sun was getting low in the sky. Wind Whistler came out along with a few bushwoolies.
"Bye, bye, bushwoolies," Fizzy said. "Thanks for the meal and conversation."
"Hopefully we can visit again under better circumstances," Wind Whistler added.
"Bye, you two, and thanks again," Bushwooly leader replied. He and the other bushwoolies waved.
Fizzy and Wind Whistler galloped away towards Dream Castle.
"I wonder if everyone is worried about us," Fizzy said. "We've been gone for hours."
"They did not send anyone after us," Wind Whistler said. "They were probably waiting for us to send a danger message to Ribbon."
They galloped across Dream Valley and eventually Dream Castle emerged from behind the crest of a hill. They slowed to a stop and gazed at the castle.
"It is good to be home," Wind Whistler said.
Fizzy furrowed her brow confusedly. "The drawbridge is up. I know it's getting late, up isn't it a little too early to have gone inside for the night?"
"We will have to ask Magic Star what happened," Wind Whistler said.
Wind Whistler took a step forward. A shout of "Stop! Stay away!" came from somewhere, but it sounded faint as if it was far off. Wind Whistler stopped and they both perked up their ears and looked around. However, Fizzy saw no one.
"Did you hear that?" Fizzy asked.
"Yes," Wind Whistler said. "I believe it sounded like Paradise, but she sounds so far away."
"I am Paradise, but I'm not far away! I'm right in front of your nose!" It was Paradise doing the shouting, but her voice was still faint.
"But we can barely hear you!" Fizzy shouted in response.
"Not so loud, you'll deafen me!" Paradise shouted.
"But where are you?" Fizzy asked in a whisper.
She was answered by something landing on her nose as delicately as a butterfly. She crossed her eyes to see what it was and saw a white pegasus with orange hair standing on the bridge of her snout. It was Paradise, but she was not even an inch tall. "I told you I was right in front of your nose," Paradise said.
"Oh my goodness," Fizzy gasped, fighting off the urge to rear up as she might toss Paradise. "What's happened to you?"
"The same thing that will happen to you if you return to Dream Castle," Paradise stated.
"We'll explain what happened, but need to get you two out of here now," another faint voice said. Fizzy recognized it as Galaxy. She looked down and saw the pink unicorn standing between them, no bigger than Paradise. "If he finds you, all hope is lost," Galaxy said.
"I've got just the place," Wind Whistler said.
"Then let's get out of here." Galaxy's horn glowed and she vanished in a shower of sparkles. A split second later she reappeared in Wind Whistler's mane with the same effect. Paradise flew off Fizzy's nose and landed next to Galaxy.
Wind Whistler turned around and galloped away from Dream Castle. Fizzy turned to follow, but stopped and glanced back at Dream Castle. What had happened to Paradise and Galaxy, why were they so desperate to get away from Dream Castle, who was this "he" Galaxy mentioned, and what about the others? She wanted all these answers.
"Come on, Fizzy," Wind Whistler called out to her.
"I'm coming." Fizzy took one last at Dream Castle and then galloped towards Wind Whistler standing on the crest of the next hill. When she reached her, Wind Whistler galloped with her following into the coming evening.