Far above the clouds, Whimsey Weatherbe flew as fast as she could to intercept Thistle Whistle—and bumped into her.
"Aaaah! Scary cloud," Thistle cried, tumbling head over hooves before righting herself.
She turned, and yelped when she saw Whimsey. "Aaaah! Scary dragon!"
"Don't worry," Whimsey said. "I'm not here to hurt you! In fact, uh, none of us are anymore."
Thistle Whistle, who had been in the middle of flying away, stopped and turned around. "You mean you want to be friends? All of you?"
Whimsey nodded, and Thistle Whistle did a loop-the-loop in celebration. "Wow! That's amazing—wait. This isn't a trick, is it? You did act friendly as a trick before."
The dragon shook her head, causing her sock hats to wobble.
"I can prove it's not a trick! The others sent me here to warn you about something. O-our Master is on his way to Breezie Blossom right now! I think he wants to make it mean and horrible, or something—he didn't say, really. We tried to stop him from leaving, but we couldn't," Whimsey said, saddened.
Thistle Whistle gasped. "We better go to Ponyville and warn everyone right now! Let's go together, Whimsey," she cried.
The pegasus started to fly off, but stopped. "Wait, are your friends coming with us?"
The orange dragon shook her head.
"Nope! They're headed to Breezie Blossom to try and stop the Master. Do you think I should try and catch up with them? I want to help too," she added, letting out a puff of icy air.
Thistle Whistle thought. "Well, i-if you went with me the others might be frightened. But if you didn't go, they wouldn't have proof that you meant what you said! This could be a problem…"
She suddenly gasped, letting out a short, shrill whistle. "B-but we'll have a bigger problem if we stay here! Let's go to Ponyville and warn the others! Follow me, Whimsey," she called. "And watch out for those clouds up ahead!"
Whimsey Weatherbe nodded and flew after her, hoping her friends—old and new— would be all right.
###
Breezie Blossom had warmed up considerably since the destruction of Toola-Roola's painting. The snow was nearly melted, the sun shone warmly, and even previously wilted flowers and toadstools seemed to be revitalized, flowing with life and energy. In just a few minutes, it seemed, the place would be back to normal as if nothing had befallen it in the first place.
It was at that moment that the snake that was the Forgotten Ones' former Master arrived. He glanced around him at the warm, inviting landscape, and grinned.
"Once upon a time," he said, speaking clearly, "there was a great snake that corrupted the Breezies' land."
As he slithered further into the Breezies' flowery home, the grass beneath him wilted at first, then sharpened. Purple clouds trailed off of his scales and spread across the landscape, causing the flowers that covered the land to turn a dull purple that matched his own color; the Master was careful to not let too much slough off, however, as if concerned about what might be underneath.
He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by a shout from Cheerilee.
"Once upon a time there was a great big snake that couldn't talk anymore!"
Instantly, his mouth snapped shut—but not for long. Hissing in anger, the Master turned to see five of the Forgotten Ones right behind him, minus Whimsey Weatherbe. They all glared at him.
"Trying to stop me, are you," he hissed.
"Yeah," Scootaloo chimed in. "And we will stop you! I think."
"Even when I gave you your powers," he said with a grin.
"Uh… Sure," Sweetie Belle said, though her voice squeaked in fear.
"We have to try! Everyone, cover your ears," Starsong said. Her friends obeyed. The pegasus opened her mouth and began to sing, and the snake seemed briefly mesmerized by her song.
But then he sang a song of his own, countering her magic, and Starsong herself was mesmerized. Her eyes were vacant until Sweetie Belle pulled her away, and they remained glassy even when she recovered.
"I'm okay, I think," Starsong said in a monotone. She shook her head, and her mind cleared. "Toola-Roola, try painting something!"
Toola took out her magic paintbrush—but at that moment, the Master thrashed his tail upon the ground, close to her. It created a small quake from the force, and she dropped the brush. It flew out of her hoof, rolling downhill and towards the great snake.
"Oh no!"
"Don't worry, Toola! I'll get it," Scootaloo cried, vaulting after the brush.
The brush rolled along the flowered ground, picking up speed as it neared the Master. Scootaloo ran after it, but just before she could snag it, the Master swept his tail to swat her back. The orange pony wasn't hurt, but she was stunned—and before she could recover, the snake had seized the magic brush with his tail.
"Uh oh," everyone said at once—except the Master, who had begun to laugh.
He eyed it for a moment, and then began to lower the paint-covered brush to Breezie Blossom's ground.
"No! You are going to let go of that right now," Sweetie Belle cried, her horn glowing and eyes squinting with effort. She hampered his efforts with her magic, trying to make him drop the brush or at least paint nonsense. This, too, worked for a while, but eventually the young unicorn tired from the strain of holding back such a powerful creature. Her magic glow faded, and she panted from the effort. Cheerilee and Scootaloo held her close.
"D-don't worry, Sweetie," Starsong began. "We can…"
She was cut off by a laugh. The Master had finished painting and slithered back, satisfied with his work. They squinted at it; it appeared to be a drawing of a purple vortex. There were clouds that, judging by the wavy lines, appeared to be emanating from the portal.
"What's that," squeaked Sweetie Belle.
"It's a terrible painting," Toola-Roola scowled.
"But it seems to be working," gasped Cheerilee.
In seconds, the magic took hold. A swirling portal appeared in Breezie Blossom right where they stood—and just as suddenly, purple clouds began to pour from it; they looked much the same as the clouds that covered the Master. And they were growing, smothering the flowers and grass of Breezie Blossom. Soon, they would reach the Forgotten Ones themselves—and, if not stopped, perhaps reach beyond the Breezies' home.
"Uh, once upon a time those scary clouds slowed down," Cheerilee rattled off in a panic. "Run!"
The ponies ran—Starsong flying—and didn't dare to look back. As quickly as they could, the Forgotten Ones fled Breezie Blossom and their former Master.
They were headed to Ponyville. It was their—and the others'—only chance.
###
It was Rainbow Dash who noticed it first. There was a twitch of tiny wings, a yawn or two, and suddenly, Zipzee, Tiddlywink, and Tra-La-La fluttered off their sock bed. They nearly collided with each other before righting themselves. The three Breezies smiled and clasped antennae, scattering magic and pollen across the shop.
In seconds, the rest of the Breezies began to yawn and rise from their slumber. The Sweetberry Sweet Shoppe was filled with the sounds of voices and fluttering wings.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash," they said at once. "We're finally awake!"
Rainbow Dash gasped. "Oh, my! Darlings! Stay right there, Breezies!"
The blue pony ran to the window and shouted.
"Everyone, come quickly—our darling Breezies are finally awake!"
In seconds, the Sweetberry Sweet Shoppe window was flooded with relieved ponies—and Spike.
"I must say, it's wonderful to see you awake," Spike said happily. "Were you comfortable napping?"
"Oh, yes," Tra-La-La said. "Minty's socks were just as warm as our flowers! And thank you, Wysteria, for giving us such good dreams with your flowers!"
Minty and Wysteria blushed at the compliments.
"How are you doing," asked Cheerilee the unicorn. "Are you still tired?"
"Not really," said Rose Garden, a pink Breezie. "But I do feel… well, it's hard to explain?"
"Are you okay," Star Catcher said, concern in her voice.
Rose Garden thought. "I don't know. I just feel… odd."
Before she could say any more, there was a sharp whistle coming from outside. Every pony turned and saw an astonishing sight: Thistle Whistle flying towards them at top speed, with Whimsey Weatherbe right behind her. Both looked quite out of sorts.
Star Catcher quickly flew up towards the pair. "Are you alright? What's happened?"
Thistle Whistle let out a nervous laugh. "Well, uh, I have good news and bad news. The good news is Whimsey and her friends want to be our friends too!"
Everyone cheered at that, and Star Catcher smiled, doing a loop-the-loop out of happiness. "That's wonderful! We have some good news as well. The Breezies are awake!"
Whimsey let out a clap. "Wow! Toola's paintbrush did the trick! I can't wait to meet them!"
Star Catcher nodded, but blinked, realizing only Whimsey was present. "Speaking of Toola-Roola, I don't see her with you. Where are the rest of your friends?"
"…That's the bad news," Whimsey said with a worried frown. "They stayed behind to fight off our Master. He's invaded Breezie Blossom, and he's trying to take it over!"
Every pony in town gasped in unison. "That's awful," cried Minty. "What do we do? Are they okay?"
Whimsey looked nervous. "Well, uh... I hope so!"
Suddenly, the ponies and dragons heard the sound of footsteps. They turned, and saw Toola-Roola, Starsong, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Cheerilee the earth pony running towards them as quickly as they could.
"There they are," said Spike.
"What's going on," asked Rarity, running towards them with equal speed. "Didja win? Is it safe to have fun?"
"No," Scootaloo panted. "We tried, but… we couldn't stop him! He's created some sort of cloudy whirlpool using Toola's brush, and it's making his darkness spread across the land! If it doesn't stop… it could reach Ponyville, Unicornia, and even Butterfly Island!"
Pinkie Pie stepped forward. "Then we'll just have to stop him together!"
"Yeah!" everyone cried.
The pink pony blushed. "Um, does anyone have ideas?"
"Well, we tried our magic skills, but he had a counter for them," Starsong said. "He gave us our powers, except for Whimsey's, so he could use them better than we could. Is there anything you have that could help?"
"How about a rainbow, darling," said Rainbow Dash.
Cheerilee the unicorn thought. "That might work, but... we'd have to be in Unicornia to create one. I'm not sure it could reach all the way to Breezie Blossom!"
Rainbow Dash smiled. "I don't mean one of those rainbows, darling, though yours are certainly lovely. I have some left over from my last birthday! We could tie them all together and drop them on their Master from above! That would surely slow him down."
Both Cheerilees smiled. "That could work," they said together.
"Thistle and I could fly over him to keep him busy, and alert you of anything he might try. Consider this a pegasus promise," Star Catcher said. Thistle Whistle seemed nervous at that, but nodded as well.
"I could get together my stinkiest socks," Minty said with a grin. "We could catapult them at him! That would make him think twice about invading our lands!"
"I'm ready for any distractions you need," Rarity said with a grin. "I'm not afraid! Maybe I could get some of Lily's lights, too! If I have time."
"Sunny Daze, Razzaroo and I will handle the fireworks department," Sparkleworks said. "If those don't keep him busy, nothing will! And Skywishes can help with kites!"
"I don't have any skills to fight," Sweetberry said softly, "but I do have a fresh supply of treats in case anyone needs snacks! Cotton Candy and I will keep everyone happy and well-fed."
"Us Breezies will fight to defend our home," Zipzee said with conviction. "We can throw flowers at him, use our gardening tools to trip him up, and all sorts of things!"
Tiddlywink and Tra-La-La seemed nervous at that, but they nodded as well. "We'll go with you too, Zipzee!" "There's no way we'll let you go it alone!"
The three Breezies smiled. "Then it's settled—together it is," they said, clasping antennae and hugging. Multicolored pollen and light filled the area around them.
Upon seeing that, Pinkie Pie gasped.
"Wait a moment, everyone," Pinkie Pie shouted over the din. Everyone stopped to listen.
"I just realized something! Spike, you remember what Kimono said about a light, right?"
Spike nodded. "Right! A light will lead us to unity, and we must work together to find it!"
Pinkie Pie smiled and went on. "Star Catcher, do you remember when we hugged each other at Butterfly Island?"
The pegasus pony nodded. "I do, Pinkie Pie! When we hugged, there was a bright light, and you snapped out of your brainwashing."
"It made us reel back, too, and we were just using what the Master gave us," Toola-Roola added. 'That light was really strong!"
Rainbow Dash gasped. "Oh, my goodness! Do you think that's what Kimono meant, darlings? The light is inside of us… It's our love that makes it shine!"
Pinkie Pie nodded. "I think so. And what's more… I think we'll need everyone's help. That means every earth pony, every unicorn, every pegasus, and every Breezie. If we all get together… and we all hugged each other… the power of our friendship and love could light up all of Breezie Blossom! I bet it would stop the Master in his tracks!"
Everyone cheered, but Wysteria spoke up. "There's a problem, though, Pinkie Pie. Not everyone is here! What should we do?"
"There's only one thing to do, Wysteria. We have to split up and go get everyone!"
Pinkie Pie rapped her hooves on the ground for attention. "Anyone who's ready to hold the Master off, gather what you can!"
"Wait a second, Pinkie," Minty called out. "It'll be dangerous! And we don't know how dangerous."
Pinkie Pie thought about this for a moment before responding. "…You're right, Minty! Maybe we should send someone ahead to find out what it's like before we all head off."
The ponies nodded. "Right!"
"The rest of you, go to Unicornia and Butterfly Island and fetch the rest of the ponies."
"I'll go fetch my fellow unicorns," said Cheerilee.
"And I'll go get the pegasus ponies!" Star Catcher cried, then paused to listen to the swarm of butterflies trailing behind her. "My butterfly friends say they'll help you in any way they can."
Pinkie Pie smiled. "Breezies, you can do either one depending on how you feel!"
"We will," Zipzee, Tiddlywink, and Tra-La-La said at once. The rest of the Breezies began to chat, each group forming their own plan.
Pinkie Pie addressed the group as a whole once more.
"When everyone is ready, and we know what the danger is like, we'll all head to Breezie Blossom."
She paused. "That sounds okay, right?"
Everyone cheered.
###
To Minty's relief, Kimono was happy to come with them, especially when Spike reminded her of what she said about unity. The group headed to Storybelle's Story Loft next. Once she heard of the situation, Storybelle was eager to join in defending their homes.
"Spike and I will handle intelligence," Kimono said, earning a nod from the purple dragon. "We'll keep track of everyone who's made it here, anyone who's going out to help, and think of plans to stop or stall the Master."
"I'm happy to read stories for you if you want," Storybelle said. "I also have a dictionary that's quite heavy, if you need it! Just… be sure to bring it back in one piece," the librarian said with a grin.
"Thanks," Minty said. "We can use that dictionary as a support for our catapult! Sunny Daze and Applejack are working on it as we speak, though last I heard there was a disagreement over what color to paint it—Pinkie Pie's pulling for pink but I'm hoping for green."
The green pony blinked. "We should probably get back! Bring that dictionary, Storybelle!"
Storybelle nodded, and Minty ran off… and tripped over the stairs once more before being caught by Spike and Kimono. Despite the tumble, she smiled. The plan was coming together.
###
Thistle Whistle looked more green than teal as she eyed the shadowy clouds that covered Breezie Blossom. By this point, some of them had reached the tops of the trees and were beginning to cover the sky. "I thought there weren't going to be clouds," she gulped, turning to Zipzee, Tiddlywink, and Tra-La-La.
Zipzee fluttered towards one of the clouds and poked one with her hoof. She drew back almost immediately, and small puffs of shadow clung to her before disappearing. "Brrr! It's really cold and clingy!"
"What do we do," asked Tra-La-La. "They're too thick to get through!"
Thistle Whistle frowned, fluttering her wings as she thought. As she did, the shadowy clouds began to pull back slightly, blown back by her wings.
"Hey, look," Tiddlywink cried. "You're blowing the clouds away, Thistle!"
Thistle Whistle stopped. "I am?"
Instantly, the clouds surged forth again.
"Well, um, you were," Tiddlywink said sheepishly. "But this gives me an idea! Maybe if we flap our wings really hard, we can clear a path for the others to follow!"
"It's worth a try," Thistle Whistle said with a confident whistle. The Breezies smiled and clasped antennae, then lined up next to the pegasus pony. As one, they flapped their wings as hard as they could at the clouds infesting Breezie Blossom. Slowly but surely, the shadowy clouds fell away from the land, creating a large enough path for earth ponies and unicorns to walk through. While they crept forward when the ponies stopped flapping, by alternating shifts the ponies were able to make progress without tiring out.
"It's scary to see our home like this," Zipzee commented, shuddering at the swaths of clouds that parted before them.
"I know what you mean," said Tiddlywink, drawing closer to her friends for comfort. "Be careful not to fly too far ahead! You don't want to get lost in these clouds," she added with a shiver.
They continued forward slowly until they came across a gap in the trees. It appeared to lead into a clearing, but the purple clouds seemed deeper around this area, more substantial, and it took almost all of their effort to clear a path so they could see.
When they did, they gasped in shock.
The Master was painting more than just clouds—and those swirled all around him. As the group watched, he painted something that looked like a cross between a Breezie and a bat. It was ponylike and purple, with a ruffled mane, and had bat wings instead of feathers or gauzy insect wings.
When he finished, the Master drew back his tail and watched with satisfaction as the creature stirred, stretched, and came to life. It wasn't as big as a normal-sized pony, but it was much larger than a Breezie—and seemed very unfriendly. It opened its mouth to reveal pointed teeth, and let out a shrill, loud chirp that made Thistle Whistle cover her ears.
"I think I'll call you a Darkling," the Master hissed, and the bat-pony nodded its approval. More Darklings began to form from the same space the first one had appeared from, and they all surrounded the snake and listened to his words. "You will infiltrate this area and the ponies' lands more quickly than I can alone. And when you find ponies of any kind... Scatter them across the plains, far from their homes and friends. Make it so they are separated, too alone to fight back. Most of all, make them afraid."
The first Darkling let out a shriek in response and began to flap away—and it was headed straight for where the group was hiding. Thistle Whistle instantly pressed herself flat against a tree, while the Breezies scattered and hid inside a patch of flowers. It paused, sniffed the air, and then flew on towards the edge of Breezie Blossom.
"I think our job just got way worse," Thistle Whistle gasped.
"What do we do!?" Tra-La-La cried. "They're really scary, and bigger than we are!"
"First off, let's tell the others," Zipzee said, giving her friend a reassuring hug. "And we won't let them separate us! No matter what, we're in this together."
Relieved—though admittedly not much—the group headed to Ponyville. Hopefully, their friends would have better news than they did.
###
Rainbow Dash was in the middle of tying some rainbows together when she heard the fluttering of wings and the pounding of hooves. Squinting at the roads that led out of Ponyville, her expression turned to delight when she saw Star Catcher leading the largest group of pegasus ponies she had ever seen, and Cheerliee doing likewise for the unicorns. "Darlings, look! It's Star Catcher, Cheerilee, and our other friends! They made it!"
Everyone ran to greet them as the ponies arrived in town. Some of the pegasus ponies still seemed nervous, but most looked determined to help—and the unicorns seemed ready for anything.
"Well, it took some convincing," Star Catcher reported, "but all of the pegasus ponies agreed to come with me. That includes Baby Honolu-Loo," she said with a smile.
The little pegasus stepped out from behind Silver Glow and smiled, fluttering as high as she could. "Hi, friends," she said with a small wave.
"I-it wasn't because we were shy," Silver Glow said apologetically. "We're less shy right now and more… well, scared." She straightened. "But if it's to help you all out, we'll do everything we can!"
"Count us in too," said Cheerilee. "Lily Lightly agreed to donate some of her most precious lights to help out! Whistle Wishes, Brights Brightly and I will do everything we can to help you."
The purple unicorn lowered her head. "I just wish we could have gotten here sooner."
"There's no need to feel bad, Cheerilee," said Rarity, patting her friend. "What matters is we're all here now! And so are the pegasus ponies!"
The pink unicorn blinked. "Uh, everyone is here, right?"
"Almost, but not quite, Miss Rarity," said Spike. "The only ones who are missing at this point in time are Thistle Whistle, Zipzee, Tiddlywink, and Tra-La-La. Hopefully, they will bring us good news."
"Well, we've got news for you, Spike," Zipzee panted, flying ahead of the others. "The bad news is that…uh, it's bad news."
"Bad news? What happened," asked Pinkie Pie. "What's it like in there?"
"Cold and scary," Tiddlywink shivered. "And that's not the worst part! The-the Master is…"
"He's making an army of these scary bats called Darklings," Thistle Whistle said, punctuating her words with a high-pitched whistle. "He said they're supposed to s-scatter us and scare us! And they're headed here!"
Everyone gasped, but the Forgotten Ones stood firm. "If we couldn't stop you, there's no way they can," Scootaloo said with a grin. "Does anyone have a plan?"
"I think it would be wisest to defend Ponyville first. We can push the Darklings back gradually, and enter Breezie Blossom from the west entrance," Kimono began, drawing an arrow on a piece of discarded paper.
Spike finished for her. "Then we all group together at Breezie Blossom's center and find the light of unity! That is, to say, we all share a hug."
Whimsey Weatherbe clapped her hands in admiration. "Sounds like a winner! I'll fly up and see where those Darkling guys are coming from. Just leave it to me!"
The orange dragon shot into the sky and cupped a hand over her eyes, searching for any signs of darkness. Suddenly, from a patch in the forest, a small Darkling flew straight at her and crashed into her. Whimsey tumbled, but righted herself and chased after it.
Grabbing it by its wings—gently so as to not hurt it, but firmly enough so it wouldn't slip away—she hauled it down to the Ponyville streets and showed the other ponies. "They're headed from the forest over there—just like this little guy!"
"He doesn't look so scary now," Zipzee said, but flinched as the bat screeched at her. "Eep!"
Rainbow Dash cautiously stepped forward with one of her rainbows, seeing what the creature would do in response. The Darkling watched her, equally curious. Carefully, she took an end of the tied-up rainbow—supplemented by Lily Lightly's lights—and touched a corner of it to the Darkling's wing. The creature howled and winced in what seemed to be pain.
"Oh dear! I'm sorry, darling, er, Darkling," Rainbow Dash cried. She tried to yank the rainbow away, but tripped over it instead—and the rest of the rainbow covered the Darkling. Almost instantly, light began to shine beneath the rainbow, blinding Rainbow Dash, as she was the closest to it. When her vision cleared, she carefully lifted the rainbow and gasped. Instead of a Darkling, there was a golden butterfly-exactly like the kind that inhabited Ponyville's meadows. The butterfly examined itself, landed on Rainbow Dash's snout, and smiled before happily flying away.
"Well," Pinkie Pie said finally. "I wasn't expecting that to happen."
"But now we have even more of a plan," Star Catcher said with a smile. She turned to the Forgotten Ones excitedly. "Those rainbows and lights helped us! I'm sure they can help you, too."
Before any of them could respond, a group of five Darklings emerged from the forest and swooped down at the Forgotten Ones. A single Darkling grabbed Toola Roola, while the others took hold of Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Cheerilee, and Starsong. It seemed the Master was most eager to make them pay first.
Just before they could fly away with their captives, Minty and Applejack launched a green and pink catapult loaded with smelly socks. The socks crashed into the bats with full force, knocking them down—and when the smell hit them immediately after, it was enough to make the Darklings fly away empty-handed. The ponies fell as well, but Whimsey, the Breezies, and the pegasus ponies managed to catch them before they hit the ground.
"Nice one, Mints," Sunny Daze said with a grin. She turned to the Forgotten Ones with concern. "You guys okay?"
"We are now, thanks to you," Toola Roola said with a relieved smile. "You know, I'm beginning to think we can do this!"
"I know we can do this," said Cheerilee the unicorn. "If we work together we can do anything! Rarity taught me that, and it's a lesson I'll never forget."
"But that was only a few of them," Kimono thought with a frown. "Can we handle more?"
"Well, we're about to find out," cried Silver Glow as more shadowy creatures flew out, enough to blot out part of the sky. "Here come more of them!"
Thinking quickly, Sparkleworks and Sunny Daze launched their fireworks. The missiles shot high into the sky, then exploded in colorful bursts of light and noise, distracting and disorienting the Darkling army. Island Delight and Coconut Grove then took hold of strings of rainbows and lights, lowering them over the Darklings. They were too numerous for the rainbows and lights to change them all into butterflies, but they were prevented from moving, and Whistle Wishes, Brights Brightly, and Sunrise Song worked to tie the ends of the nets down and make them stable.
Angry screeches filled the air, but the Darklings were contained for now—and that was what the ponies needed. They gathered their equipment and made to move out, just as one of the nets began to break.
"Now, everyone," Pinkie Pie called, giving the signal to run for Breezie Blossom. And, as one, the ponies did.
###
The clouds were numerous and seemed to stretch on forever, but by fluttering their wings to blow them back and keep warm, the pegasus ponies and Breezies were able to clear a pat for the earth ponies and unicorns. Whiimsey Weatherbe and Spike walked together, while the Forgotten Ones followed behind, looking very nervous.
Finally they reached a clearing, where the Master waited. The area around him was almost unrecognizable as Breezie Blossom—the grass was wilted, the plants thorny and sharp, and the trees gave off a sinister air. Shadows poured relentlessly, endlessly, from the portal he had created, smothering the land and sky. He swiveled to face the ponies, his eyes glowing yellow and teeth looking sharp. A sneer lined the snake's face.
"It was foolish of you to come here," the Master hissed.
"Yeah, well, it was foolish of you to do all this," hollered Scootaloo from the back.
"That's right," yelled Cheerliee the earth pony. "If they can stop your army, they can stop you!"
"And they already did stop the army, so ha," Sweetie Belle squeaked.
"Now we can get my brush back," said Toola Roola.
"And now you're all alone. You have no one left but yourself," finished Starsong.
Pinkie Pie smiled at her new friends' speech, but was startled as the Master broke into laughter. "What's so funny," she asked in spite of herself.
"For one, I have made many more Darklings than that," he sneered as more bat-ponies poured out of the surrounding environment.
The bat-like creatures began to fly at the ponies, screeching, and the earth ponies and unicorns scattered while the pegasus ponies and Breezies flew in all directions. Skywishes' colorful kites helped differentiate the Darklings from friendly pegasus ponies for those down below. Catapults of socks, rainbows and lights and more fireworks were launched, but they didn't all hit their targets. Star Catcher's butterfly friends flew at the Darklings bravely in a swarm, working to disorient them, while Sweetberry's less-than-sweet treats were added to the catapult ammo.
Seeing the battle beginning anew, the Master moved to paint something with Toola Roola's brush, but suddenly Whimsey Weatherbe breathed out a bolt of ice that struck his tail. The snake winced in surprise and let go of the paintbrush, and Spike ran forward fearlessly to grab it—one leg connected by a vine to Rainbow Dash's boxes of luggage.
The dragon reached the brush and took it, and just as the Master recovered and made to snap at him, Rainbow Dash and Rarity tugged on the vine and carried Spike out of harm's way, while Brights Brightly and Lily Lightly draped a pile of rainbows and lights between them so the snake couldn't pursue them.
The Master seemed perturbed, but only momentarily, focusing himself for a powerful burst of magic. He waited until the ponies were distracted—now—and released it.
Spike brandished the brush proudly and presented it to Toola-Roola, who thanked him. The dragon bowed, but before the ponies could celebrate the clouds around them began to grow thicker in number.
They bristled at the sound of the Master's voice. "Numerous as they are, those creatures and the brush are not all I have. Their purpose was to scatter and confuse, but they were also useful as a distraction while my clouds gathered around you."
The Breezies gathered together and flapped their wings, while Toola-Roola painted some wind with her brush. When the pegasus ponies joined in they managed to slow the clouds down, but it didn't stop them from spreading. Zipzee, Tiddlywink, and Tra-La-la then clasped antenna and released a wave of pollen and light, but the clouds were thick, and the Darklings' wings blew it away.
Soon the shadows became so thick the ponies could barely see one another, and with the darkness came a bitter cold. Whimsey used her heat breath to warm the group up, but it could only do so much, and the remaining Darklings screeched and snarled as they flew at the ponies. Sweetberry and Cotton Candy shared a quick, fearful hug that lit up their surroundings briefly and helped the others see them, but in seconds the darkness and cold came back in full force.
The ponies shivered. This cold was worse than the sudden winter had been, for that at least felt natural. This was a cold that pierced.
Slowly, the earth ponies, pegasus ponies, unicorns, and Breezies clustered together, for warmth as well as safety, and it was then that Pinkie Pie realized it—they were all together! Now was the time!
"Everybody, now," she cried, and as one, the earth ponies of Ponyville, the pegasus ponies of Butterfly Island, the unicorns of Unicornia, and the Breezies of Breezie Blossom all gathered and shared a deep, long group hug. A warm, pink light radiated out of all of them, turning a thousand different lights into a unified, shining force that melted away a majority of the darkness around them.
Any Darklings caught in the light changed into grateful butterflies, who merrily few away, and the Master let out a roar of dismay that withered into a low, rasping hiss as his own shadows were leeched away. The ponies could faintly see something else buried beneath the clouds and shadows, something small and frail.
But then there was a hiss and a snap, like a switch being flipped, and the spell was broken as the light began to fade. As the ponies watched anxiously, the shadows covering the Master began to gather, thickening the air around him, and the darkness surrounding the group grew deeper.
"You did well, but this is how your story ends," the Master hissed, his eyes glowing bright in the darkness.
"What's that mean," asked Sunny Daze bravely.
The great snake's words took on a hypnotic rhythm. "Once upon a time, the earth ponies, pegasus ponies, unicorns, and Breezies all forgot one another. They scattered to the hills, to their islands, while the dragons retreated to their old homes. In the end, they lost contact forever while the Master reigned."
The Master had been weakened by the power of their love, so it wasn't immediate, but every pony and dragon there could feel the effects of his spell starting to set in. Baby Honolu-Loo shivered in fear as the groups slowly began to drift apart, with some pegasus ponies like Cloud Climber beginning to take flight.
"Well, we tried our best," Minty sighed, eyes partially glazed over. "If that wasn't enough, I don't know what could possibly save us."
Cheerilee and Scootaloo hugged for comfort, a faint light glowing as they did. It gave the ponies pause, and Kimono gasped. "I understand now," she cried. "I know why it didn't work before—you five need to join in too! The light of unity didn't just mean us; it meant the Forgotten Ones as well!"
But the Forgotten Ones looked wary and fearful; Cheerilee and Scootaloo pulled apart almost immediately, and the cold began to creep in.
"P-please help us," Thistle Whistle begged as the darkness began to enshroud them once more.
"But it's scary," Scootaloo cried.
"I know it's scary," Wysteria said soothingly. "But it's our only hope!"
"The Master said the light was bad," said Starsong, a little defensively.
"You were bathed in the light from our first hug too—and did it hurt you," Lily Lightly asked pointedly.
"No," Sweetie Belle admitted.
"It felt nice," said Cheerilee the earth pony.
"And warm," added Whimsey.
"Then there should be nothing wrong with you joining in," said Tra-La-La, ducking as a Darkling flew towards her. "But please hurry!"
Cautiously, the Forgotten Ones drew towards the encircled ponies, Whimsey taking the lead. The Master reared back to strike, but as he did Star Catcher's butterflies flew at him, shielding the ponies from assault temporarily. And in those few seconds of time, the Forgotten Ones joined Spike and the ponies of Ponyville, Butterfly Island, Breezie Blossom, and Unicornia for the deepest, most heartfelt group hug they could muster.
This, they knew, would decide their fate.
The effect was immediate. A light as bright and colorful as a sunrise in as many colors as the rainbow, radiated out from each and every one there. The remaining Darklings changed into happy butterflies, dazzled by the light of unity, and the shadowy vortex the Master had painted closed. Then there was a jolt, almost electric, as the dark powers he had, and the powers he had given the Forgotten Ones, seemed to fade away like mist in the air.
The darkness and shadows covering the Master slowly dissolved, and what resistance he put up was outmatched by the power of their love. He slithered and writhed, trying to get away, but the warm light gently enveloped him, and as the shadows peeled away, the astonished ponies could see what lay beneath.
Beneath the layers of darkness the Master was still a snake, but a small, trembling creature, scared and angry. Even in this form he readied to attack them, until a final burst of light washed over the area, and lulled him into a peaceful slumber. A dreamy, contented look came over his face, and he smiled faintly before falling asleep.
When the light faded at last, the ponies and dragons looked at each other, then at the fallen Master, who was now coiled up in sleep. A light—faint, but beautiful—gently shone from him as well, and as they watched, his slumbering body floated to a nearby patch of flowers, like a bed.
"What do you think will happen to him, darlings," Rainbow Dash said quietly. "Will he awaken and attack us once more?"
"I don't know. He looks pretty peaceful to me, though," said Rarity, cautiously moving towards him. The snake didn't stir.
"He looks happy, too. And not, like, evil happy," Sunny Daze said.
"The light and our love helped him," Baby Honolu-Loo said with a twirl.
"I do hope he's not asleep forever, though. Even after all he did, I wouldn't want that," said Spike, remembering his own thousand-year nap before Wysteria had awakened him.
"I think he'll be fine. It might take a while, but… if he wakes up, maybe he'll want to be friends," Zipzee said, clasping antennae with Tiddlywink and Tra-La-La. At the burst of light and pollen, the Master shifted slightly, and the light within him grew brighter.
"And it seems like all the bad things he did have gone away," Cheerilee the unicorn said with a sigh of relief as she looked around at the restored Breezie Blossom.
"And so did our powers," Starsong said happily. "Look—I can sing without mind-controlling you guys!" And to prove it, she sang a few notes, with no ill effects on the assembled ponies.
"Do you think you'll miss those powers," asked Star Catcher, looking pensive. The Forgotten Ones shook their heads.
"I might miss my boosted athletic ability," Scootaloo admitted, "but I'm glad we don't have to worry about hurting anyone by doing the things we love. Cheerilee can tell all kinds of stories, and Toola-Roola can paint whatever she wants without fear!"
"And I can bake super-yummy awesome treats," Sweetie Belle squeaked. "My unicorn powers are a part of me, so they weren't affected."
"And how will you fare, Miss Whimsey," Spike asked. "Am I to understand you got your powers from him as well?"
The orange dragon shrugged. "Nah. I've always had my powers! He just made 'em stronger."
"Well, then there's just one thing left to do," Pinkie Pie said seriously, and everyone looked at her.
"First, we need to see if any parts of Breezie Blossom need to be restored. And then…"
They listened eagerly, and the pink pony grinned.
"Then we party and have fun!"