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Chapter 3: Chain-ganged

The night drifted on, and gradually became morning. The storm subsided, but did not fade completely, a sprinkle of rain showering the entire country. Her eyes blinking slowly, Twilight Sparkle awoke with a groan, her flank was sore and she felt an odd weight in her bed.

"Spike... I told you before, don't sleep in my b..." she began, rolling over to look directly at Luna. Unable to stop her roll, she came to rest with her snout brushing against the princess's cheek. Luna let out a cute little mumble, and her eyes slowly opened.

"Mmm... it's so early... I hate the mornings..." she muttered, shifting in the bed, to cuddle up against the purple pony, who squeaked, and pulled back.

"Uhm... what's going on?" she asked, pulling back and out of the bed, staring at the blue alicorn with a wide eyed stare. She failed to notice that her hair was frizzy and that her neck was covered in a series of strange shaped bruises. Luna shifted in the bed, and sat up, a faint giggle escaping her.

"Don't you remember last night? The storm, the firelight, you told me how you had a deep, unrequited crush on Cele..." she began, but Twilight let out a shriek.

"AHH! AHH! AHH! Who told you about that, I don't have a crush on Celestia! She's just... I look up to her! She's a magnificent pony.. TEACHER! A magnificent teacher!" she cried out, hastily shaking her head, the large mass of hear shifting slowly above her. Luna couldn't help but giggle as she crawled across the bed, slowly clopping over to the confused pony. With a hoof, she pushed Twilight down to a seated position, and used her magic to levitate a hairbrush over to her.

"I was worried about this... your head wound is worse than I thought..." she said, as she began to work the curls from the nervous ponies hair. "Last night, the storm knocked you out for a little while. I took care of you, and then we spent some time talking about many things..." she went on, a subtle smile upon her face. Perhaps, I can find happiness after all. Whatever magic was in that storm has given me the ability to relax in front of other ponies she mused as she felt Twilight slowly begin to relax. As the final curls began to smooth themselves out, there was a loud groan from Spikes bed, and an aggressive hiccup, with an accompanying plume of smoke.

"Uuugh... A forced message so early? What's the deal?" Spike mumbled, pulling himself upright. The magical scroll was enveloped in a dark blue light, and levitated over to the two ponies.

"My student Twilight. This storm is unnatural in every possible way, and to be avoided at all costs. Stay indoors at all times, and inform everyone else to do the same. I am investigating further," Twilight read aloud, tensing up as she felt Luna rest her head against her shoulder. "I... I really need to... uh... to warn... the others..." she said, pulling away from the princess again. "I'm sorry Luna... Princess! Princess Luna! I really don't remember anything from last night... I'm sorry," she said, backing towards the door. Luna sighed, and nodded, waving a hoof at the pony.

"It's OK, Sparkle. Go warn your friends," she said, resting her chin against the floor. "Perhaps we might be able to reacquaint ourselves later," she said with a smile, although it was a forced one.

"Acquaint.... ourselves..." Twilight mumbled, blinking as flashes of memories came back to her. Upon regaining her consciousness, she had seen the princess, and panicked. a lot of her memory was hazy, but she could recall finding something with the pony, a connection that she could not feel with her friends, even with her teacher. "I... I have to warn them. Please, wait here, Luna. I'll come back once I'm done, I promise." she said, scampering to the door.

Even she rejects you. She, who shares so much in common with you, detests your very touch! What worth are you to this world, you pathetic little bug? came the voice of Nightmare Moon, within her mind. As Twilight, with Spike resting on her back, left the library, she let out a whimper.

"Please... not today... not now..." she said quietly, covering her ears with her hooves.

You fool! You cannot drown me out! I may be weak now, but I will soon be stronger than you, and the rain only reinforces the fact. I will soon take over again, and your precious Twilight will be first on my list she said with a cackle of glee.

-----

The Canterlot Meteorologistic Corps was in utter pandemonium as Princess Celestia stormed into the room. She had, at the behest of Proudmane, taken the time to sleep, but her mood was still sour as she entered the large hall, which was full of pegasi of all shapes and sizes, flitting around like bees around a hive. In the centre, barking orders to all of them, bereft of even a deputy, was the bright yellow, jagged maned pegasus colt named Lightning Dash.

"Get those gales diverted, we can't do anything about the rain clouds until the winds have subsided! Move! The more you panic, the worse it gets! I don't care if some of you are experiencing strange things, I don't care that you're worried about the effects of the storm, just deal with it!" he bellowed, his deep red eyes glaring at anypony who so much as slowed to look at him.

"Dash, I really must warn you," Celestia began, but was forced to recoil, completely against her own will, when the angry pegasus snapped round to bring his gaze upon her.

"I don't have time for warnings, Celestia! This is the time for action! This is the time for hard work, and pushing ourselves to our limits! This is..." he snapped, but was halted by a crack of thunder that echoed around the hall, whose source was not the storm, but Celestia herself, her own stare boring into his very being.

"This is the time to remember your place, Lightning Dash. I am the ruler of this kingdom, the Absolute ruler. Your teams will be split into two groups. One will proceed as they are now, trying to calm this storm. The rest will begin to search for the source. They will be aided by the Wonderbolts, once I have found that insufferable Mig," she said, through gritted teach, as her horn glowed so brightly that the colt was forced to look away from her.

"I say! Did some young gal say they wanted my autograph?" came a loud bellow, as the busy hall suddenly began to feel even busier. The Wonderbolts, Equestria's best fliers, were entering the large area, which acted as a launching area for all the pegasi of Canterlot, with their moustachioed, highly charismatic leader at the head.

"Mig... You are to join the weather pegasi in..." Celestia began, but the old pegasus let out a chuckle.

"Come come, my gal! Do we really have to have such a serious tone in our voice? It's just a little storm, granted not a scheduled one, but they used to happen all the time back in the day! Why, I even recall when a rather large one such as this hit, and it was all a load of hot air, not literally of course!" he said with a loud guffaw, patting the white pony on the flank with a hoof.

"Actually, Mr Messerschmitt, this is very similar to that time, and it nearly tore Equestria apart," the alicorn snapped. "I have spoken with Hurricane, and she..." she continued, but halted when she and likely everyone else in the room felt the pressure drop. Slowly, she turned to the captain of the weather teams, who was charged with energy, and sparking with arcs of lightning energy. Celestia coughed, and turned back to the flier, trying to ignore the near palpable rage that was pouring off Dash. "You are to assist in hunting for the Brace of Living Sleep, and the source of the storm. I do not doubt that they will be near to one another," she finished, adding, "As for myself. I am... concerned as to the the whereabouts of my young sister. She does not have the best track record," she said, trotting back to the castle entrance.

-----

Nerves were on edge for Rainbow Dash as she approached the pink maned pony. She had butterflies in her stomach, her wings wouldn't settle down, a problem she often had when her pulse raced that had been called a wing-boner by her friends, and, worst of all, she couldn't think of how she would even begin to address the subject at hand.

"Oh my... Rainbow Dash... is everything well? You seem to have your... problem again," Fluttershy asked, trotting over to the flustered pony with her head hung low. All the confidence that she had displayed before had vanished, and she was more or less back to her own shy, receding self.

"Ah! Fluttershy! I'm fine, everything's fine! I wanted to talk to you about... a favour I want to ask," she said, eyes darting around as she and Fluttershy entered the main area of the infirmary. "Hey, where's Spitfire?" she asked, noticing that herself, Fluttershy and the two nurse ponies were the only ones present.

"Oh... she said she was... going to see if she could... find out more about... the storm... she's very diligent," she said, dropping a few Bits onto the counter for her nights stay.

"Oh, no, you cannot head outside! Miss Twilight Sparkle said that no-one was to go out in the storm, that it was dangerous," Red Cross said, just as Rainbow Dash pressed her hoof to the door. She blinked, and shrugged, trotting back to her bed.

"Fine, whatever! Not like I have anything to do today, what with the storm and all," she said with a smirk. Fluttershy began to panic, worried for her animals, but the flustered pegasus was halted by her rainbow hued companion. "Oh yeah, 'shy, I remember what I was gonna talk to you about! You like Spitfire, right?" she said, confidence returning to her in droves.

"She's very virtuous... and she cares a lot for her job. She's... a marvellous... role model," Fluttershy replied, glancing away from Rainbow as she sat back on her bed.

"Yeah, she is all those things, isn't she! Why don't you go out with her?" she replied, as casually as she dared. The frightened squeak from across the way told her that she had gone too far even with that. After a string of unintelligible squeaks and whimpers, Fluttershy finally replied.

"I'm just... it's not that I don't... how did you even know?" she asked the blue furred pony, who tilted an eyebrow.

"Know what? That you were a filly fancier? It's kinda obvious! So what do you say? You said yourself, she's a lot to look up to, why not ask her out on a date? Better yet, I could do it for you!" she said, wings fluttering as she urged her friend on. A quiet voice in the back of her mind told her to relent, her friend wasn't able to say no all that well. The blushing pegasus glanced around this way and that, trying to think of something to say.

"She's... nice," she came up with, eventually. Rainbow grinned from ear to ear, and flapped herself up into the air with a callous woop.

"Great! I'll ask her for you next time I see her! It's gonna be great!" she said, dashing out of the door without a second thought, moving too fast for anypony to stop her.

-----

"Consarned weather, th' apples ain't gunna grow well in this storm..." Applejack muttered, as she and Rarity galloped through the raindrops. While it was true that she cared a lot for her crop, the idea that they'd struggle was, at this moment, almost driving her to tears. She had cried for most of the night, but the morning had seemed a bit easier, a bit brighter, close to how she usually felt. However, she had gotten more and more worried about her family that she had insisted on going to check on them, despite Twilight's warning. Rarity, despite her reforming reservations about messing her mane up, had said she wanted to come too. When quizzed about why, she had mumbled something that Applejack didn't understand, but from what she did, there was someone she was worried about, and the farmpony assumed it was Macintosh.

"Oh, just shut up about apples for once in your life!" the white pony snapped back, running through muddy puddles as she ran ahead of Applejack.

"Ah... Ah'm sorry, Rarity... ah didn't mean ta... ah just... ah'm worried," she whimpered in response, the tears coming back all to easily as she ran on, blurring her vision even more than the rain did. This new side of Rarity she was seeing was frightening, but, she had to admit, it was a better side than her stuck up, fruu fruu high society side. The two ponies came to the farm, and Applejack knocked her hoof against the door. A door that was barrelled aside, as a large form emerged, tackling the pony to the floor.

"AJ! I'm so glad you're home, I was worried sick! C'mon, get inside, it's still pouring out here!" cried Big Macintosh, nuzzling at his sister before pulling her upright, as Rarity looked on with a stunned stare.

"H... Hi there... Mac..." Applejack replied, a little whimper escaping her as she nuzzled back at him.

"Hmph... There, we checked them, they're fine. Can we just leave now, I have a lot to do today," Rarity said, trotting around in place.

"Um... Rarity... ah'm stayin' here. Y'all're welcome ta stay, but ya don't want ta, Ah can see..." Applejack replied, looking down at her hooves. She hated doing this to Rarity, but she needed to stay with her family. Her face felt like it was on fire as she blushed. It was painful for her to admit it, even to herself, but she had never seen anything in colts, her brother had introduced her to lots of his friends, but none had ever made her feel anything near what she felt for several of the fillies in town. Rarity, however, was something special. She argued with her constantly, but there was always something powerful guiding it, something beyond mere personality clashings. While she felt close to Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy, she almost felt like... she needed Rarity, she was unable to properly function without the prissy, egotistical, self centred, beautiful, flawless, radiant... Applejack shook her head aggressively, trying to rid herself of the thoughts.

"Well, if that's the way you're going to be about it!" Rarity snapped back, pushing past Mac, and into the house. "I will have to stay here for a while!" she said from inside, leaving Applejack to stare blankly, utterly shocked at this development.

-----

The Ever Free forest quivered, not under the power of the storm, but in fear. Trees living and growing on their own had, at some point or another, developed a communal 'soul'; the Ever Free forest was alive. And, currently, fearing for its life. An entity stalked through it that emanated an evil so malevolent that even the simplistic mind of the forest could tell that it would be wise not to annoy it. However, it seemed that a confrontation was unavoidable, for the entity soon came across the trio behind the storm.

"Haha! Well well, if it ain't Stinkie Pie!" Gilda snapped with a grin, as she loomed over the now straight haired pink pony. The earth pony looked up at the griffon, before pulling at her feathers, dragging her down almost to the ground.

"I have wanted a new pillow for the longest time. They say griffon feathers make the finest down. What say I pluck yours one... by... one," she hissed, as the large woman struggled and tried to pull away from the little pony, but nothing she did could pull her away from the vice like grip. "One last think. I am not Pinkemina. I am Diane," she hissed, letting the brash female free.

"Miss Diane. I could feel you coming a mile away. You sought the source of the weather, did you not? Or, rather, the source of the effect it is having upon everypony. You have founder. The Great And Powerful Trixie! If you think you can beat me, you cannot," Trixie said, her horn glowing brightly as she advanced upon the pony, who sneered, glaring at her beneath the flattened mane.

"I don't want to beat you, idiotic hack. I wanted to thank you, your storm let me take over from the insufferable sugar rushed maniac whose body I am loathe to inhabit. I came to make you keep the storm going, to make it stronger!" she said. Trixie giggled, and let out a blast of energy, that propelled the pink pony clear across the pathway, slamming her into a tree.

"Do not presume to tell me anything, Diane Pie! I am Trixie! I will not be given any orders!" she barked, standing over the groaning pony as the rain began to lash down a little heavier. "However... if you wish to join me... I may have a place for one as ruthless as you," she added, with a chuckle. "Enchantress. Fill her in on my plan. Griffon, pull yourself together," she snapped, glaring at the rather shaken Gilda.

"Lady Trixie seeks the kingdom of Equestria for her own. She has implanted a chaotic spell, reinforced by my own potions, to create utter discord within the ponies. She will claim her throne, and her prize," the zebra stated, her yellow eyes still glowing, and her voice dull, and monotonous.

"So you really are an evil enchantress, after all. Tell me, is it true what they say? Do you really do evil dances?" Diane said, a dark smile spreading across her face. She slunk closer to the zebra. "And your eyes... if I look deep into them, would you put me into trances?" she continued with a coarse giggle. "I may not mind being your thrall," she said with a giggle, flicking the zebra with her tail.

"If you insist on talking the entire time, I will place you under one myself. Now, onward, to Ponyville, and my little trophy!" Trixie said, her horn now in a perpetual state of glow.

Description
Chapter 3: Chain-ganged

The night drifted on, and gradually became morning. The storm subsided, but did not fade completely, a sprinkle of rain showering the entire country. Her eyes blinking slowly, Twilight Sparkle awoke with a groan, her flank was sore and she felt an odd weight in her bed.

"Spike... I told you before, don't sleep in my b..." she began, rolling over to look directly at Luna. Unable to stop her roll, she came to rest with her snout brushing against the princess's cheek. Luna let out a cute little mumble, and her eyes slowly opened.

"Mmm... it's so early... I hate the mornings..." she muttered, shifting in the bed, to cuddle up against the purple pony, who squeaked, and pulled back.

"Uhm... what's going on?" she asked, pulling back and out of the bed, staring at the blue alicorn with a wide eyed stare. She failed to notice that her hair was frizzy and that her neck was covered in a series of strange shaped bruises. Luna shifted in the bed, and sat up, a faint giggle escaping her.

"Don't you remember last night? The storm, the firelight, you told me how you had a deep, unrequited crush on Cele..." she began, but Twilight let out a shriek.

"AHH! AHH! AHH! Who told you about that, I don't have a crush on Celestia! She's just... I look up to her! She's a magnificent pony.. TEACHER! A magnificent teacher!" she cried out, hastily shaking her head, the large mass of hear shifting slowly above her. Luna couldn't help but giggle as she crawled across the bed, slowly clopping over to the confused pony. With a hoof, she pushed Twilight down to a seated position, and used her magic to levitate a hairbrush over to her.

"I was worried about this... your head wound is worse than I thought..." she said, as she began to work the curls from the nervous ponies hair. "Last night, the storm knocked you out for a little while. I took care of you, and then we spent some time talking about many things..." she went on, a subtle smile upon her face. Perhaps, I can find happiness after all. Whatever magic was in that storm has given me the ability to relax in front of other ponies she mused as she felt Twilight slowly begin to relax. As the final curls began to smooth themselves out, there was a loud groan from Spikes bed, and an aggressive hiccup, with an accompanying plume of smoke.

"Uuugh... A forced message so early? What's the deal?" Spike mumbled, pulling himself upright. The magical scroll was enveloped in a dark blue light, and levitated over to the two ponies.

"My student Twilight. This storm is unnatural in every possible way, and to be avoided at all costs. Stay indoors at all times, and inform everyone else to do the same. I am investigating further," Twilight read aloud, tensing up as she felt Luna rest her head against her shoulder. "I... I really need to... uh... to warn... the others..." she said, pulling away from the princess again. "I'm sorry Luna... Princess! Princess Luna! I really don't remember anything from last night... I'm sorry," she said, backing towards the door. Luna sighed, and nodded, waving a hoof at the pony.

"It's OK, Sparkle. Go warn your friends," she said, resting her chin against the floor. "Perhaps we might be able to reacquaint ourselves later," she said with a smile, although it was a forced one.

"Acquaint.... ourselves..." Twilight mumbled, blinking as flashes of memories came back to her. Upon regaining her consciousness, she had seen the princess, and panicked. a lot of her memory was hazy, but she could recall finding something with the pony, a connection that she could not feel with her friends, even with her teacher. "I... I have to warn them. Please, wait here, Luna. I'll come back once I'm done, I promise." she said, scampering to the door.

Even she rejects you. She, who shares so much in common with you, detests your very touch! What worth are you to this world, you pathetic little bug? came the voice of Nightmare Moon, within her mind. As Twilight, with Spike resting on her back, left the library, she let out a whimper.

"Please... not today... not now..." she said quietly, covering her ears with her hooves.

You fool! You cannot drown me out! I may be weak now, but I will soon be stronger than you, and the rain only reinforces the fact. I will soon take over again, and your precious Twilight will be first on my list she said with a cackle of glee.

-----

The Canterlot Meteorologistic Corps was in utter pandemonium as Princess Celestia stormed into the room. She had, at the behest of Proudmane, taken the time to sleep, but her mood was still sour as she entered the large hall, which was full of pegasi of all shapes and sizes, flitting around like bees around a hive. In the centre, barking orders to all of them, bereft of even a deputy, was the bright yellow, jagged maned pegasus colt named Lightning Dash.

"Get those gales diverted, we can't do anything about the rain clouds until the winds have subsided! Move! The more you panic, the worse it gets! I don't care if some of you are experiencing strange things, I don't care that you're worried about the effects of the storm, just deal with it!" he bellowed, his deep red eyes glaring at anypony who so much as slowed to look at him.

"Dash, I really must warn you," Celestia began, but was forced to recoil, completely against her own will, when the angry pegasus snapped round to bring his gaze upon her.

"I don't have time for warnings, Celestia! This is the time for action! This is the time for hard work, and pushing ourselves to our limits! This is..." he snapped, but was halted by a crack of thunder that echoed around the hall, whose source was not the storm, but Celestia herself, her own stare boring into his very being.

"This is the time to remember your place, Lightning Dash. I am the ruler of this kingdom, the Absolute ruler. Your teams will be split into two groups. One will proceed as they are now, trying to calm this storm. The rest will begin to search for the source. They will be aided by the Wonderbolts, once I have found that insufferable Mig," she said, through gritted teach, as her horn glowed so brightly that the colt was forced to look away from her.

"I say! Did some young gal say they wanted my autograph?" came a loud bellow, as the busy hall suddenly began to feel even busier. The Wonderbolts, Equestria's best fliers, were entering the large area, which acted as a launching area for all the pegasi of Canterlot, with their moustachioed, highly charismatic leader at the head.

"Mig... You are to join the weather pegasi in..." Celestia began, but the old pegasus let out a chuckle.

"Come come, my gal! Do we really have to have such a serious tone in our voice? It's just a little storm, granted not a scheduled one, but they used to happen all the time back in the day! Why, I even recall when a rather large one such as this hit, and it was all a load of hot air, not literally of course!" he said with a loud guffaw, patting the white pony on the flank with a hoof.

"Actually, Mr Messerschmitt, this is very similar to that time, and it nearly tore Equestria apart," the alicorn snapped. "I have spoken with Hurricane, and she..." she continued, but halted when she and likely everyone else in the room felt the pressure drop. Slowly, she turned to the captain of the weather teams, who was charged with energy, and sparking with arcs of lightning energy. Celestia coughed, and turned back to the flier, trying to ignore the near palpable rage that was pouring off Dash. "You are to assist in hunting for the Brace of Living Sleep, and the source of the storm. I do not doubt that they will be near to one another," she finished, adding, "As for myself. I am... concerned as to the the whereabouts of my young sister. She does not have the best track record," she said, trotting back to the castle entrance.

-----

Nerves were on edge for Rainbow Dash as she approached the pink maned pony. She had butterflies in her stomach, her wings wouldn't settle down, a problem she often had when her pulse raced that had been called a wing-boner by her friends, and, worst of all, she couldn't think of how she would even begin to address the subject at hand.

"Oh my... Rainbow Dash... is everything well? You seem to have your... problem again," Fluttershy asked, trotting over to the flustered pony with her head hung low. All the confidence that she had displayed before had vanished, and she was more or less back to her own shy, receding self.

"Ah! Fluttershy! I'm fine, everything's fine! I wanted to talk to you about... a favour I want to ask," she said, eyes darting around as she and Fluttershy entered the main area of the infirmary. "Hey, where's Spitfire?" she asked, noticing that herself, Fluttershy and the two nurse ponies were the only ones present.

"Oh... she said she was... going to see if she could... find out more about... the storm... she's very diligent," she said, dropping a few Bits onto the counter for her nights stay.

"Oh, no, you cannot head outside! Miss Twilight Sparkle said that no-one was to go out in the storm, that it was dangerous," Red Cross said, just as Rainbow Dash pressed her hoof to the door. She blinked, and shrugged, trotting back to her bed.

"Fine, whatever! Not like I have anything to do today, what with the storm and all," she said with a smirk. Fluttershy began to panic, worried for her animals, but the flustered pegasus was halted by her rainbow hued companion. "Oh yeah, 'shy, I remember what I was gonna talk to you about! You like Spitfire, right?" she said, confidence returning to her in droves.

"She's very virtuous... and she cares a lot for her job. She's... a marvellous... role model," Fluttershy replied, glancing away from Rainbow as she sat back on her bed.

"Yeah, she is all those things, isn't she! Why don't you go out with her?" she replied, as casually as she dared. The frightened squeak from across the way told her that she had gone too far even with that. After a string of unintelligible squeaks and whimpers, Fluttershy finally replied.

"I'm just... it's not that I don't... how did you even know?" she asked the blue furred pony, who tilted an eyebrow.

"Know what? That you were a filly fancier? It's kinda obvious! So what do you say? You said yourself, she's a lot to look up to, why not ask her out on a date? Better yet, I could do it for you!" she said, wings fluttering as she urged her friend on. A quiet voice in the back of her mind told her to relent, her friend wasn't able to say no all that well. The blushing pegasus glanced around this way and that, trying to think of something to say.

"She's... nice," she came up with, eventually. Rainbow grinned from ear to ear, and flapped herself up into the air with a callous woop.

"Great! I'll ask her for you next time I see her! It's gonna be great!" she said, dashing out of the door without a second thought, moving too fast for anypony to stop her.

-----

"Consarned weather, th' apples ain't gunna grow well in this storm..." Applejack muttered, as she and Rarity galloped through the raindrops. While it was true that she cared a lot for her crop, the idea that they'd struggle was, at this moment, almost driving her to tears. She had cried for most of the night, but the morning had seemed a bit easier, a bit brighter, close to how she usually felt. However, she had gotten more and more worried about her family that she had insisted on going to check on them, despite Twilight's warning. Rarity, despite her reforming reservations about messing her mane up, had said she wanted to come too. When quizzed about why, she had mumbled something that Applejack didn't understand, but from what she did, there was someone she was worried about, and the farmpony assumed it was Macintosh.

"Oh, just shut up about apples for once in your life!" the white pony snapped back, running through muddy puddles as she ran ahead of Applejack.

"Ah... Ah'm sorry, Rarity... ah didn't mean ta... ah just... ah'm worried," she whimpered in response, the tears coming back all to easily as she ran on, blurring her vision even more than the rain did. This new side of Rarity she was seeing was frightening, but, she had to admit, it was a better side than her stuck up, fruu fruu high society side. The two ponies came to the farm, and Applejack knocked her hoof against the door. A door that was barrelled aside, as a large form emerged, tackling the pony to the floor.

"AJ! I'm so glad you're home, I was worried sick! C'mon, get inside, it's still pouring out here!" cried Big Macintosh, nuzzling at his sister before pulling her upright, as Rarity looked on with a stunned stare.

"H... Hi there... Mac..." Applejack replied, a little whimper escaping her as she nuzzled back at him.

"Hmph... There, we checked them, they're fine. Can we just leave now, I have a lot to do today," Rarity said, trotting around in place.

"Um... Rarity... ah'm stayin' here. Y'all're welcome ta stay, but ya don't want ta, Ah can see..." Applejack replied, looking down at her hooves. She hated doing this to Rarity, but she needed to stay with her family. Her face felt like it was on fire as she blushed. It was painful for her to admit it, even to herself, but she had never seen anything in colts, her brother had introduced her to lots of his friends, but none had ever made her feel anything near what she felt for several of the fillies in town. Rarity, however, was something special. She argued with her constantly, but there was always something powerful guiding it, something beyond mere personality clashings. While she felt close to Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy, she almost felt like... she needed Rarity, she was unable to properly function without the prissy, egotistical, self centred, beautiful, flawless, radiant... Applejack shook her head aggressively, trying to rid herself of the thoughts.

"Well, if that's the way you're going to be about it!" Rarity snapped back, pushing past Mac, and into the house. "I will have to stay here for a while!" she said from inside, leaving Applejack to stare blankly, utterly shocked at this development.

-----

The Ever Free forest quivered, not under the power of the storm, but in fear. Trees living and growing on their own had, at some point or another, developed a communal 'soul'; the Ever Free forest was alive. And, currently, fearing for its life. An entity stalked through it that emanated an evil so malevolent that even the simplistic mind of the forest could tell that it would be wise not to annoy it. However, it seemed that a confrontation was unavoidable, for the entity soon came across the trio behind the storm.

"Haha! Well well, if it ain't Stinkie Pie!" Gilda snapped with a grin, as she loomed over the now straight haired pink pony. The earth pony looked up at the griffon, before pulling at her feathers, dragging her down almost to the ground.

"I have wanted a new pillow for the longest time. They say griffon feathers make the finest down. What say I pluck yours one... by... one," she hissed, as the large woman struggled and tried to pull away from the little pony, but nothing she did could pull her away from the vice like grip. "One last think. I am not Pinkemina. I am Diane," she hissed, letting the brash female free.

"Miss Diane. I could feel you coming a mile away. You sought the source of the weather, did you not? Or, rather, the source of the effect it is having upon everypony. You have founder. The Great And Powerful Trixie! If you think you can beat me, you cannot," Trixie said, her horn glowing brightly as she advanced upon the pony, who sneered, glaring at her beneath the flattened mane.

"I don't want to beat you, idiotic hack. I wanted to thank you, your storm let me take over from the insufferable sugar rushed maniac whose body I am loathe to inhabit. I came to make you keep the storm going, to make it stronger!" she said. Trixie giggled, and let out a blast of energy, that propelled the pink pony clear across the pathway, slamming her into a tree.

"Do not presume to tell me anything, Diane Pie! I am Trixie! I will not be given any orders!" she barked, standing over the groaning pony as the rain began to lash down a little heavier. "However... if you wish to join me... I may have a place for one as ruthless as you," she added, with a chuckle. "Enchantress. Fill her in on my plan. Griffon, pull yourself together," she snapped, glaring at the rather shaken Gilda.

"Lady Trixie seeks the kingdom of Equestria for her own. She has implanted a chaotic spell, reinforced by my own potions, to create utter discord within the ponies. She will claim her throne, and her prize," the zebra stated, her yellow eyes still glowing, and her voice dull, and monotonous.

"So you really are an evil enchantress, after all. Tell me, is it true what they say? Do you really do evil dances?" Diane said, a dark smile spreading across her face. She slunk closer to the zebra. "And your eyes... if I look deep into them, would you put me into trances?" she continued with a coarse giggle. "I may not mind being your thrall," she said with a giggle, flicking the zebra with her tail.

"If you insist on talking the entire time, I will place you under one myself. Now, onward, to Ponyville, and my little trophy!" Trixie said, her horn now in a perpetual state of glow.