Chapter 26: No Place Like Home
At Allura's lair, Twitch was holding a poster of the Boardtrot as he showed it to Allura, who was reading the Crystal Empire book, with exciting babbles and sparkling eyes. "Twitch. How many times do I have to say it? No." Allura said firmly to Twitch, not wanting to go to the Boardtrot, especially with her enemies that worked and had fun there.
Twitch then cried as he bounced around Allura and kept showing his poster to her while babbling pleadingfully as she groaned and stood up. "You are not going to give this up, are you?" She questioned with a brow.
"Please?" Twitch babbled with a pleading facing and a smile with sparkles in his eyes.
"No. Don't do it, Twitch." Allura warned as Twitch kept doing his cute face. "Not the cutest bunny face." She said as she groaned while trying to fight Twitch's cute face by keeping a straight look.
"Please?" Twitch pleaded again with his ears down, sparkling eyes, and a blush that comes with a smile.
Allura tried to fight it. "That is not fair." She said as Twitch kept giving his pleading face to Allura with twitchy noses, which she caved in. "Oh, alright." She conceded, which made Twitch give a smile. "At least at night we don't have to deal with any of those obnoxious ponies." She stated.
Twitch then babbled in joy as he hopped around before rushing out of the cave entrance. "The least you could do is wait for me!" Allura called out but Twitch already exited the cave as she placed her paw in her head as she shook her head. "Unbelievable." She groaned as she followed Twitch out of the cave and to the Boardtrot.
At the Boardtrot, all the lights went off as Hitch closed the gates and locked it up as the Mane 8 were locking up for the night as Sunny gave a sigh. "Another glorious day at the Boardtrot." Sunny commented.
"And not a single mishap." Sunset said with a smile. "That was a new record."
"Yeah, after the whole Horn Allergy thing, things have been going well." Pipp commented as Sunset gave a cringe.
"I thought we agreed to never speak of that again." Sunset said while giving Pipp a looked, who gave a teasing smirk.
"Don't worry, Sunset. I've been there." Twilight assured with a smile. "Be grateful you didn't turn into a filly after drinking the cure?"
"Yeah, had enough with you ponies having turned into them twice, the third time was with the Tinytrot, but at least our minds were unaffected. That would've been a disaster." Sunset commented as they all shared a laugh.
"Yeah, that is true." Sunny said with a smile.
"I'd say." Hitch said in agreement before turning to Sparky on his back. "Say night night to Boardtrot, Sparky." He said, poking Sparky's belly as the baby dragon gave a giggle.
"Night night." Sparky babbled before he gave a yawn and started sleeping on Hitch's back.
"Awww!" The mares all said with gushed smiles and sparkles in their eyes with their hooves on their cheeks, since Sparky is cute when he's asleep.
"You must be a very sleepy little dragon, huh?" Hitch said in a baby tone as he nuzzled his dragon son. "Come on, let's get you to bed, buddy." He said to Sparky as he walked off as the mares followed.
"Misty, bringing home ponycorn for movie night?" Sunny asked Misty with a smirk.
"Got everypony favorites right here, Sunny." Misty said with a smile as she held up a huge tub of ponycorns. "Plus a mystery flavor if any pony's feeling brave." She added with a smirk.
"Ugh, I hope it's not spicy again." Zipp groaned as they unknowingly walked past Allura and Twitch, who were hiding behind a boulder as Allura grabbed Twitch to keep him hiding.
"Zipp, the last one wasn't even that spicy." Pipp pointed out with a brow.
"Ugh, I don't know how you do it, Pipp." Izzy said as they didn't see the boulders turning ice. "That ponycorn made me feel like I could breathe fire." She commented.
"Izzy, anything can happen to you that is unexplainable." Sunset commented with a chuckle. "I onced saw Pinkie breathe fire with something spicy."
"Touche." Izzy said cheerfully.
"But don't worry, I got the drinks for the movie." Sunset added.
"And I got the snacks to go along with them." Twilight said with a smirk as they walked off.
Twitch and Allura snuck to the entrance as Twitch rushed up and pulled on the lock, twisting it, and started biting it. "Oh no. What a shame. All locked up for the evening." Allura sarcastically said dully while Twitch gave a gasp. "Looks like we'll just have to go home.
Twitch started exclaiming as he gestured to the lock to her while waving around. "You really are the most insufferable bunny." Allura muttered as Twitch kept babbling around and acting crazy as Allura gave in. "Ugh! Fine! But only if you stop doing whatever… this… is?" She asked while giving Twitch a weirded out look.
Twitch then smiled as he cheered in joy and hopped around in excitement as Allura sighed and walked up to the lock as her eyes glowed as she used her powers to freeze the lock as it shattered to pieces as the gates opened up, much to Twitch's joyed as he entered the park as Allura started to sing.
(Find My Way Right Back Song)
You say I'm a monster
You say I'm a bully
Allura sang as Twitch ran around the park as the power went on and Twitch went up to Misty's stand and started eating some ponycorns. "Yummy!" Twitch cheered as he swam around the ponycorns.
If that's how you paint me
Well, you never knew me
Allura then spread her wings as she flew over the stands and went to the Zipper Coaster and looked over all of the Boardtrot.
Spend my life on the outside lookin' in
Can't remember what it feels like (feels like)
Now, I must begin all over again
Another place that never fit right
As Allura sang, she stomped her hoof down to form some ice, but then showed an icy forest of her wandering around before she encountered a giant frog, which gave her a roar as Allura panicked and ran away with the frog chasing her.
I would have done it all so differently (and I don't)
Say I'm a bully, you can make believe (if you want it)
Now everypony thinks the worst of me (worst of me)
The next vision showed Allura exiting a cave as a dragon fired at her as it gave a roar and breathed fire as the ice melted as Allura remembered those times before she shrugged.
Oh, well
Allura then landed on Hitch's bubble-bumper cars stand as she watched Twitch have fun as he entered an attraction before coming out with a bunch of yellow bows wrapped around her, which made Allura give a bit of a small smile from that.
They won't stop 'til they make a monster out of me
They got their minds made up, but they just can't see
Allura then remembered when she was drifting alone in the ocean while laying on an ice platform, sleeping while unknowingly, another platform came up to her, which happens to have Twitch on it as well.
'Cause all I really wanna do is find my way back to you
Always find my way right back to you
Alurra woke up when she felt the bump from Twitch's platform as she then saw him and picked him up as Twitch was asleep with a sad look. Allura then gave a small smile at Twitch before she gently placed him beside her as the two slept together.
I'll find my way right back to you
Find my way right back to you (ha, ha)
Always find my way right back to you (ha, ha)
You, ooh-ooh-ooh (ha, ha)
Allura watches as Twitch struggles to get the bows off him as Allura gives a small chuckle. "Silly little bunny." She commented with a small smile as she continued watching as she remembered when she lost the Nova Charm to the Mane 7, back to before Twilight came back.
All my life then bouncing place to place
Never welcomed, always chased away ('way)
Always made to wander near the edge
In the distance I'm afraid
Allura then remembered her chasing after the Mane 7 to get the Nova Charm back when she and Twitch jumped through the portal, leaving Starlight Ridge before she remembered when the ponies discovered her and let them warn them of her presence in Equestria.
Allura gave a frown from those memories as she looked at Twitch. "Only you… knew the real me." She said before she then remembered a time before she took over Starlight Ridge.
Flashback.
Many years ago, before Allura took over Starlight Ridge, she was a little cub snow leopard playing around with a crystal with another snow leopard, her brother, who have a light purple coat with slightly darker spots with a mane of dark purple with streaks of red, orange and yellow with wings feathers of the same three colors, chasing her.
"Allura, come back here with that! I found it first!" Allura's brother said to her.
"You're way too slow! You'll never catch me now!" Allura said playfully as she moved the crystal around with her brother chasing her, which the crystal then glowed before it opened a portal. "Whoa! Look at that!" She said in amazement at the portal. " Come on, Alterro! Let's check it out!" She said to her brother.
"Allura, no, wait! You don't know where...!" Alterro tried to tell his sister but he was too late as Allura jumped into the portal.
After exiting the portal, Allura landed in the middle of the forest of Starlight Ridge as she turned to the portal, waiting for her brother before she frowned when she saw the portal was gone. "Alterro? Alterro!" She cried out, looking around for her brother or the portal.
Back at Allura's homeplace, Alterro was searching around when the portal closed before he could follow his sister. "Allura?! Allura!" He called out with a frown.
End of Flashback.
Allura frowned at that memory when she was separated from her brother as she looked over all of Boardtrot with a frown as she still remembered her and her brother together while they were separated from each other.
They won't stop 'til they make a monster out of me (Ha, ha)
They got their minds made up, but they just can't see (Ha, ha)
'Cause all I really wanna do is find my way back to you
Allura then heard Twitch screaming as she looked up and saw him at the top of the ferris wheel while holding two bracelets, one his size and the other regular, while Twitch looked on in fear at how high he was. "Twitch?!" Allura cried out in concern before she flew up to him and caught Twitch as he jumped off the ferris wheel cart.
Always find my way right back to you
(Always find my way right back) (Ha, ha)
Allura then used her magic to make an ice path as she slid her way down while Twitch opened his eyes. "Wheeee!" Twitch cheered as Allura moved the ice path around.
Find my way right back to you (Ha, ha)
(Always find my way right back) (Ha, ha)
You-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh (Ha, ha)
Once Allura landed, Twitch jumped off and showed the bracelets to Allura with a smile. "A friendship bracelet? This place really is making you soft, Twitch." She said with rolled eyes as Twitch then gave a pleading face with hearts in his eyes as Allura gave in. "Fine. If it means that much to you." She said as she held up her paw as Twitch put the bracelet on her as he gave a giddy laughter of happiness to her.
A bit later, the two are on the teacup ride, while Allura gave a bored expression while Twitch smiled as they spun around before Allura noticed her bracelet glowing as it got a charm while Twitch saw his with the same thing as he gave a smile while Allura rolled her eyes.
After their trip to the Boardtrot, they returned to their cave as Allura gently placed Twitch on his grass bed, tired out from all the fun he had as he slept peacefully as Allura gently patted Twitch and let him sleep.
Allura then walked up to the entrance and laid on her stomach as she looked at her bracelet as another charm appeared with a heart, which made Allura give a small smile before she frowned as she looked out to the entrance as the sun started shining while deep in thought.
"Allura!" Alterro's voice echoed in her mind as Allura gave a sad look at how much she missed her brother as she sighed.
"I'll do whatever it takes to be back with you, brother." Allura said softly with a determination as she remembered how that crystal she found was another Nova Charm that was in her home realm that brought her to Starlight Ridge in the first place, which also separated her from her brother to begin with.
Allura's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered. "Wait, if the Nova Charm I found brought me to Starlight Ridge in the first place, and that there was another at Starlight Ridge." She muttered while giving a thoughtful look. "So maybe there could be others out there!" She said with wide eyes and an encouraging smile.
But then Allura frowned. "But unlike Starlight Ridge, there's hardly any crystals around, I don't have any slaves to help do the dirty work, and I don't even know where to look for another Nova Charm to begin with with how big this land is." She muttered to herself as she rubbed her chin. "If only there was some other way, or for me to get some help…" She muttered before she remembered something.
Allura got up as she picked up the Crystal Empire book and flipped to the pages before she stopped at the map that leads to the Crystal Empire at any point in Equestria as she gave a smirk. "Well then, let's see if I can find the answers I need while also finding a way to bring this King Sombra back so she can be a partner to my mission and cause." She said with a smirk as she eyed the map. "Tomorrow, it's time for Twitch and I to finally take that trip to this Crystal Empire." She declared with an evil smirk as she eyed the map.
Allura and Twitch might had a good time at the Boardtrot, but thanks to going down memory lane, Allura now has a new plan and encouragement to keep going and find some way back to her brother while also planning on finally taking a bit a trip to the Frozen North of Equestria to find answers or information she seeked.
End of Chapter 26.