"Whoa. What kind of welcome is this? It's me Spike! Friend to ponykind since forever? Royal advisor to- Never mind." Spike says as the group lands back in Maretime Bay as ponies freak out seeing the dragons.
"It's cool everypony! This is Spike and he's with us!" Hitch says the ponies see him and the others on the dragons backs.
"Hitch? Sheriff Hitch?" A pony asks.
"Wait what?" Sprout asks as the group gets down off the dragons.
"Now can somepony please tell us what's going on here?" Sunny asks.
"We don't really know but it's bad!" A pony says.
"Our cutie marks are all gone and... and... the pony who took them all... She was an Alicorn!" A little pony says as the group gives alarmed looks as the group sees ponies are missing their cutiemarks.
"Opaline." Alexis says as she looks at Misty who gives a sad look.
"Where have you ponies been?" Jazz asks as she and Rocky come over.
"Who would do something like this?" Rocky asks.
"Her name is Opaline and she's-" Sunny then gets cut off by Izzy.
"Oh Opaline! Oh yeah, yeah! Of course! You know I was really racking my mind like who really would do something like this? Okay yeah. No that makes sense. Continue." Izzy says.
"Izzy who else did you think would do this?" Pipp asks as she looks at Izzy.
"Honestly uh... I've always been a little suspicious of Hitch's crab friend McSnipsalot. He's just so pinchy!" Izzy says.
"Hey!" Hitch says annoyedly.
"Rocky, Jazz show us what happened." Sunny says as she looks at Rocky and Jazz.
*Timeskip*
"There! They disappeared through there!" Rocky says as he points at the darken tree.
"But how is Opaline doing this?" Sunny asks.
"She had these magical vines that followed her through town and they stole the cutie marks." Jazz says.
"What? Magic vines?" Alexis asks in surprise.
"And where is she now?" Hitch asks.
"The trees. She must be using the trees like portals! Just like we did when we went to the Isle of Scaly!" Zipp says.
"But to open a portal you'd need a key right? Without one Opaline would need so much more than pony magic." Sunny says.
"But she has Fire Alicorn magic! And she has the Dragon Stone!" Misty says.
"And actual dragons!" Pipp says.
"And she has all of our cutie marks!" Jazz shouts sadly.
"So she found a way into Maretime Bay through the tree. If she broke through Twilight's protection spell that means... she could be back to finish the job at any moment!" Zipp says in alarm.
"Everypony and everything could be in real danger!" Rocky says worriedly.
"You're right! Even the Unity Crystals!" Sunny says.
"I'm just gonna say it... We're doomed!" Jazz shouts in alarm as ponies begin screaming.
"Now, now everypony. Just calm down. Let's not lose our heads just yet." Alexis says.
"Wait everypony! Come back! We need all hooves on deck here protecting this tree!" Hitch says.
"But without our cutie marks we're not ourselves! We can't protect anything! Ugh!" A pony says frustratedly.
"Yes. You can. I know it doesn't feel like it right now but you all have something to offer. You're all smart and brave and kind. I've seen you. Any of you would do anything to help your fellow pony. Even you Sprout." Misty says.
"Really? Aww!" Sprout says.
"Look I know Opaline. She's awful. She kept me locked in her lair for moons. But I survived all of it. Even without a cutie mark. Yes your cutie marks are special. But they're not the only thing that makes you special. And nopony can take away what makes you special on the inside." Misty says.
"Yeah! You're powerful ponies! Any one of you could kick a door off its hinges in two and a half tries!" Izzy shouts.
"That is... oddly specific." Pipp says concernedly.
"Thank you very much!" Izzy says proudly.
"We'll do our part. But how are you gonna stop Opaline? Do you have a plan?" Rocky asks.
"A plan? Uh of course! Absolutely! Okay who has a plan?" Sunny asks as the group huddled together.
"Oh! Oh! Me! I do! Here's what we're gonna need. Two bathtubs full of glimmerberry jam, a stick of bubble gum, and exactly sixteen cases of assorted craft supplies! This ain't gonna be easy but if we time it just right then we're gonna-!" Izzy then gets cut off by Sunny.
"That is... an option. Any other ideas?" Sunny asks as she laughs nervously.
"We need to figure out how Opaline is stealing the cutie marks." Zipp says.
"And we need to do it before she comes back here and finishes the job!" Pipp says worriedly.
"Which could be at anytime now. So we gotta hurry." Alexis says.
"What if Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood are in danger too? This is too much! How are we supposed to do this on our own?" Hitch asks.
"We're not on our own. Opaline's not the only pony with dragons on her side!" Sunny says as she smiles.
"So uh... what'd you come up with?" One of the ponies asks.
"Spike!" Alexis says in alarm as Spike collapses.
"Spike! What happened?!" Sunny asks as the group runs over to Spike.
"He just collapsed!" Blaize says.
"I'm not feeling so great either..." Luxxe says as she groans.
"This must be some kind of pony spell. Is this a-a trap?" Fountain asks worriedly.
"No it's the Dragon Stone! It has to be! If Opaline has dragons under her control she's using the stone to do it!" Misty says worriedly.
"If she uses up all of the Dragon Stone's magic that could-" Sunny then gets cut off by Spike.
"That could put dragons back to sleep for another thousand moons. We can't let that happen. Dragons! Come with me! That stone doesn't belong to this Opaline! And if we're gonna have any chance at stopping her then we're gonna need all the dragon power we have left!" Spike says determinedly as he stands up.
"Spike. What about the One? The hatchling?" Luxxe asks as Sparky gurgles as Spike looks at him.
"What?! No! You can't! He's just a baby!" Hitch says in alarm as Spike goes over to him.
"He is stronger than you know." Spike says reassuringly.
"Hitch he's right. You have to let Sparky go with them." Alexis says.
"Sparky's the one who filled up the Dragon Stone in the first place. He's why Opaline's Fire Alicorn magic is so powerful." Misty says.
"And if she got her magic through Sparky..." Sunny says.
"Maybe he's the one who can take it all back." Spike says.
"He is strong. But he's still my... my little..." Hitch says as he gives a nervous look.
"Believe me. He always will be. But trust us." Spike says as Hitch sighs and lets Sparky get on Spike.
"You got this bud." Hitch says as he gives Sparky his badge causing Sparky to gurgle excitedly.
"Spike be careful." Sunny says.
"Don't worry about me Princess Sunny. This isn't my first rodeo. Protect your ponies!" Spike says as he and the other dragons begin to fly off.
"I'm not... I'm not a princess!" Sunny shouts.
"If you say so!" Spike shouts as he and the other dragons fly off.
"I'm gonna gather everypony by the tree!" Hitch says.
"We'll meet you back there as soon as we check on the crystals. And Hitch? Promise me you'll be careful too." Sunny says as she looks at Hitch.
"Hoof to heart." Hitch says as the group leaves him and heads for the Crystal Lighthouse.
*Timeskip*
"Phew!" Sunny says as the group arrives and sees the crystals are in one piece.
"She must not be able to enter the Brighthouse still. That's good news at least." Alexis says.
"She never could do that." Misty says.
"Good. That means the protection spell is still intact. At least here." Sunny says.
"Wait!" Zipp shouts as she takes off running with the others following her.
"Wait for what?! Where are we going?! Zipp. Zipp. Equestria to Zipp! Zipp. Zipp! What are you doing?! Studying?!" Pipp asks as the group follows Zipp to her desk.
"Showing you this! Ha! Ever since Elder Flower told us about the connected roots I haven't been able to stop thinking about this picture! It's from the library back home in Zephyr Heights!" Zipp says happily as she shows a picture.
"So... what am I looking at?" Pipp asks confusedly.
"Yeah Zipp. I'm confused too." Alexis says.
"Underneath the tree. Roots that look like they power the ponies' cutie marks right?" Zipp asks as the group looks at the pictures.
"Oh I think I see where you're going." Sunny says.
"Three trees. The Maretime Bay Together Tree, Misty's Together Tree in Zephyr Heights, and the Wishing Together Tree in Bridlewood. Three trees. Somehow she tapped into the connection between the three. But I just can't figure out how-" Zipp then gets cut off by Misty.
"It's not three trees. It's four." Misty says.
"What!?" The group asks in union as they look at Misty.
"What do you mean four?" Alexis asks.
"There's a fourth tree. Opaline has her own magic tree in her throne room. But it's not beautiful like the Together Trees. It's dark and twisty. It's supposed to feed on unity magic. But it never worked because Opaline never found unity with anypony. She's never had a friend like-" Misty then gets cut off by Zipp.
"Elder Flower!" Zipp shouts.
"She's not friends with Elder Flower?!" Izzy asks.
"That's not what Zipp meant Izzy." Alexis says as she looks at Izzy.
"Elder Flower said they're all connected. If our cutie mark magic is flowing through the roots of the trees..." Zipp says.
"Then Opaline must be able to reach them through her own tree!" Sunny says.
"So she can travel through the trees and she's using the trees to steal the cutie marks?!" Zipp says in alarm.
"That's so not good." Alexis says.
"Um... Hey where did Hitch say he was gathering all the ponies again?" Izzy asks as the group gasps in alarm
"Alexis, Misty, Sunny you guys stay here and guard the crystals. The rest of us will go warn the ponies." Zipp says.
"Be careful!" Alexis shouts as Zipp, Pipp and Izzy leave.
*Timeskip*
"Oh no! Not again! Not now!" Sunny says in alarm as she, Alexis and Misty come into the room where the crystals are with the lantern as they see the rainbow is glitching again.
"It... It doesn't make any sense! The ponies are frightened but they're still working together!" Misty says.
"What else could it be?" Alexis asks.
"It's Opaline! It has to be! She's figured out a way inside!" Sunny says in alarm.
"That's not possible! She's not strong enough to break through the protection spell yet!" Misty says worriedly.
"Yet?" Alexis asks worriedly.
"What do you mean yet?" Sunny asks.
"If Opaline gets enough cutie mark magic she'll have enough power to break any spell and take all the magic!" Misty says.
"Ugh! That can't happen! We can't let Equestria lose their cutie marks and their pony magic too! What defense would we have then?" Sunny asks as the rainbow continues to glitch.
*Timeskip*
"Oh this is all my fault! I never should've come here! If I hadn't helped Opaline she never could've done all this!" Misty shouts sadly.
"Misty please don't think that way. It's not your fault. You didn't know this would happen." Alexis says.
"Alexis is right. What were you supposed to do? Stay in that creepy lair forever by yourself? Besides I'm the one who made us all leave. We never should've gone to the Isle of Scaly. We should've stayed here and protected Equestria." Sunny says as the rainbow glitches.
"But then you wouldn't have helped the dragons find their courage again. You're a leader Sunny. You always help everypony." Misty says.
"Yeah. You always help no matter what." Alexis says.
"I'm not a leader. I'm just a pony. A pony who can't ever stop stirring up trouble!" Sunny says sadly.
"Sunny you know that's not- She's back! Opaline's here!" Misty says fearfully.
"How do you know?" Alexis asks as she and Sunny look at Misty.
"I can feel it in my hooves. See it in my mind." Misty says fearfully.
"Oh no!" Alexis shouts as the group sees Opaline from the Lighthouse and sees she has captured Hitch.
"She's got Hitch!" Misty shouts.
"We have to help him!" Sunny says worriedly.
"Sunny I... I can't!" Misty says fearfully.
"Misty we have to!" Sunny says.
"I don't think I can face her!" Misty says fearfully.
"You don't have to. You and Alexis stay here. Somepony needs to protect the Unity Crystals." Sunny says before she, Alexis and Misty see Hitch's color on the rainbow disappear letting them know his cutiemark was taken.
"Hitch!" Alexis, Sunny and Misty shout in alarm and fear as they hear Opaline laughing.