The Saga of Derpy's Deeliebopper

[Derpy]

In the midst of the recent interminable Nightmare Night, with strange forces and beings and dangers emerging everywhere, you may have noticed Derpy Doo acting oddly frantic about something. She slept little over the course of Nightmare Night's sixty hour span, but this wasn't for fright--it was because Derpy had a burden she struggled to communicate. She had been pursued over the horizon by Queen Chrysalis and her minions, and was only rescued by Firefly's grace and speed. Upon returning, she wouldn't stop talking to distracted ponies about something she called alternately a bubble, a bauble, an orb, and, in her most valiant effort toward articulation, a deeliebopper.

This is Derpy's story. First, an inquisitive visit to Red Velvet's now abandoned Ponyville office.

[Derpy]

Red Velvet Productions(#615R)
You find yourself in main room of the well-known Red Velvet Productions, an agency owned, managed, and staffed by one pony. Red Velvet herself, agent to the stars and rising stars of Equestria. The room is rather sizable, with a reception desk spanning three quarters of the back wall; the other one fourth of the back of the room opens out into a hallway. Behind the desk is a lone door that leads into an office separated from the reception area only by a large picture window, the full length window is equipped with white vertical blinds, these hide what goes on when the owner of the office is in a meeting, or stand open when nothing official is going on.
Upon the wall at eye level and just to the left of the desk there is a sign declaring that both the little filly's room and the little colt's room are down this hall. The walls of the reception area are done in an immaculate white, the trim around the corners of the room as well as the curtains in the outer windows are a contrasting crimson. Finally your eyes fall upon a small chrome tap-style bell on the top of the desk, sitting beside it is a sign reading simply "Ring for Service."

[ Obvious Exits: <U>pstairs ]
[ Players: Red_Velvet(#530PB) ]
[ Sleepers: Alsoomse(#400PB) ]
[ Contents: Incriminating Document(#1296) ]

- - - - - - - - - - -

Derpy peeks inside. She creeps in slowly... wondering. Trembling occasionally.

Derpy pauses at the sign for some time, trying to read it. She wanders through the reception room, looking haunted.

Derpy tentatively taps the little chrome bell, so lightly that it hardly makes a sound, just a -click-.

Stirred by the wind a three page document flutters to the floor from the reception desk.

Derpy jerks back. But then she slowly peers at the document.

Incriminating Document(#1296)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A suspicious looking document, It mentions on the first page in several passages Red Velvet, and her company logo Red Velvet Productions. The second page is hastily scribbled over with a black pen, somepony was trying to hide it's contents, likely while in a hurry. Some of the passages can be made out, and in the second to last paragraph there is mention of a location "three days gallop" to the north, a place-name can be seen a couple of lines down from this particular sentence, "Happy Hollow". The third page is a very badly drawn map, and it seems to be of northern Equestria and the lands beyond the border. A red X is placed about twenty miles to the northeast of the squiggly line that somepony might have intended to be the border of Equestria.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Derpy turns the page.

Derpy puts the document carefully onto a shelf and backs away.

Derpy flees the building.

[Derpy]

Next, an encounter with local farmer Freestone on Maple Street.

Maple Street(#812R)
{|} {|} {|} {|} {|} {|} MAPLE STREET {|} {|} {|} {|} {|} {|}

This is a relatively quiet part of Ponyville, a residential district of sorts. It features winding streets and ample picturesque trees, many of which are maples. The houses here are small, their architecture creative but not ostentatious, with sloping roofs of shingle or thatch. Foals can frequently be seen and heard playing in the streets, as most of the traffic here is limited to pedestrians. It's a nice place to live.

[ Players: Freestone(#1261PBC), Tiger_Lily(#1294PBC) ]

Derpy exits the building belonging to the suddenly missing Red Velvet. Looking pale, and wearing her muffin satchel.

Freestone was on his way to the Market, pulling a cart behind him with a load of Peaches and peach baked goods. He pauses when he see's a familiar Mailmare exiting a building and he pauses waving "Hullo thar Derpy, What brings ya ta Maple Street, some mail bein delivered?" he asks but pauses as he notices how pale she looked, "Ya alrigh' thar Derp?" he asks looking a little concerned.

Derpy isn't wearing her mailbags or cap. She takes a moment to notice Freestone. "Mm?" She now clop-clops over if as driven by duty. "Mail? No. No mails today. Is city disaster day. Mayor said." She gestures toward Town Hall, a grin look coming over her. "Red Velvet so gone. PINKIE PIE so GONE!"

Freestone looks confused looking around the street and Red Velvets place and then toward Town Hall "City Disaster day? What do ya mean Red Velvet and Pinkie Pie er gone?" he asks his confusion rising, "Does this have anythin' ter do with the election? Ah heard somthin happened in the Square last night."

Derpy nods slowly, looking surprised. "Not heard?? Was DISASTRACIOUS. Changeling!" She flaps her wings unevenly. "Changeling attaaack! SO many fake! Marble wins, Pinkie, lose? PINKIE FAKE!!" She leaps up, doing a backflip before landing. "Battle and fight! Vinyl hurt! Red Velvet--ALSO FAKE!!"

Freestone's jaw drops his face showing complete shock "Changlins? Ah thought they were defeated at the weddin of Shinin Armor and Princess Cadance? News about that was heard clean over at mah farm. Where did they come from?" he asks thinking back to his conversation with Tiger Lily last evening. She had mentioned something terrible happined at the election but he couln't get the full details.

Derpy glances at Tiger Lily for a moment. "Yes, is true!" She flips over forward now. "Was all stage! Then shield bubble! Green bubble POP!!" She throws her forelegs out, her head rolling like her eyes sometimes do. "Then Twifight! Then tentacruel!! Then chase me soooo far!" She dashes about, fearsome. "And now? Have only small bulb, and cannot pop."

Freestone shakes his head "Was the election even real? Did ah waste mah tahme votin?" he said sitting down at the terrible news. The things you miss when your on the farm.

Derpy looks likewise distraught. "Well, Marble real. And Marble winned. But." She fumbles in her satchel and takes out a little parcel wrapped in muslin, and within, reveals a bright aqua orb, oblate and shiny. "Stole from Queen. Cannot break!"

Freestone nods and frowns "Jus mah luck that ah'd vote fer a fake Pinkie Pie." he said frowning more. He looks up as Derpy reveals the unusual orb "Whas that?" he asks unhooking himself from his cart to get a better look "From the Queen, and ya can't break it?" he asks confusion crossing his face as he steps closser and gives the orb a sniff.

Derpy offers it to Freestone with only a little hesitation. "Is bubble," she insists. "And pop! Important! But." This seems to trouble her. Indeed, it seems very hard.
It smells like royal jelly.

Freestone blinks at the unusual smelling object and he glances up at Derpy as she offers the orb to him. "What hav ya tried fer bustin it? A hammer? rock? anythin?" he asks taking the orb and looking it over. Sitting back down he took it between his hooves and tried to squeeze it tightly trying a weak attempt to crush the orb.

The orb doesn't pop. Derpy seems to get her hopes up, but she lets her head fall when Freestone fails. "Will find better. Come on!"

Freestone hmms as the orb doesn't bust it looked so fragile in his hooves as he looked it over, already some other ideas popping into his head on other ways he could try to bust it. It seems important to Derpy that it get's destroyed, though he didn't know why. He knew it came from the Changeling queen as Derpy said but didn't know the orb's significance. He looks up as Derpy speaks andin and nods "Sure Derpy, Ahm sure mah cart will be fahn right here. Unless ya think ah might be able to put it beside mah booth in the Market before we go."

Derpy nods, and waits for Freestone to replace his cart, helping a little. Once that's done, they head off into the hills, looking for help on their mysterious Disaster Day quest.

[Derpy]

Next, an encounter with Blue Yonder and his magic compass...

Fluttershy's Cottage(#215R)
><~><~><~><~><~>< ~ ~ ~ FLUTTERSHY'S COTTAGE ~ ~ ~ ><~><~><~><~><~><

Here, sprouting from a sparsely wooded meadow beside a languid stream, is a charming, expansive cottage with a lush, grass-covered roof. The dwelling's door, windows and overall shape share an enticing domelike motif. Lovingly crafted birdhouses adorn the roof, chinmey, and surrounding trees, and flowers bloom along the winding path.
This is the home of Fluttershy--veterinarian and naturalist. The interior is cozy, featuring a pretty rug, low chairs and tables, and a welcoming loveseat. Little staircases built for tiny creatures lead from the floor to exit on the walls. There is an adjoining kitchen and a bedroom upstairs.
Near the cottage is a chicken yard and coop, and further along the path lies the beginning of the huge, ominous Everfree Forest. This is therefore a house perched on the border between nature's bounty and nature's wrath.

[ Obvious Exits: <H>illy Country, Whitetail <Wo>od, Everfree <Forest> ]
[ Players: Blue_Yonder(#256PBC)

Freestone has arrived.
Derpy enters, with Freestone walking along next to her.

Derpy flies lightly through the darkening air, weaving left and right as she goes, and occasionally glancing down at her companion.

Blue_Yonder glances over at the incoming pair. "Oh! Well, hullo there, Miz Doo and friend. I - uh - wanted t' thank you f'r last night. Sorry about the tail."

Freestone trots along below the mailmare the Changeling Queens orb clutched in his teeth as he follows Derpy. His mind still wandering to other ideas he may try in destroying it. He pauses as they seem to reach their destination and he heard a new voice. He blinked dropping the orb in his hoof "Howdy, The names Freestone, who are you? Derpy here was showin; me this here orb, Ah don't know where its from but she seems desprit ta destroy it." he said holding up the orb.

Derpy swooops down over Blue Yonder, surprised to find him here, but apparently delighted. "Coury!!" she addresses him. "Good evening! How are afraid tonight?" She lands before the two, taking in their whereabouts. She blinks at the cottage. "Fluttersky?" Her tail, apparently only slightly crooked, flicks once with plenty of energy. "Yes! Is bubblesport," she pleads!

Blue_Yonder bows a bit, wings spreading politely. "Blue Yonder's th' name, of Blue Yonder Imports. I carry th' best stuff from around the entire world back to Equestria. What's that you've got there, an' why do you need it destroyed?"

Freestone nods "Nice ter meet ya Blue Yonder. Ah'm jus a Peach farmer." he said before shrugging as Blue Yonder mentions the orb "Ah Dunno, Derpy here said it was from a queen o some sort, a changlin queen if ah remember correctly. And she told me it was needin' destroyed."

Derpy shakes her head, looking longingly at the light aqua, somewhat egg-shaped orb. "Not destroy. Dismantlepiece. Break apart!" She gestures with her forehooves dramatically in both directions. She then steps close to Blue Yonder. "Have seecret?" she asks. "Threw dinosaur!! I mean alligate. Bitted me!" She swishes her tail. "Chased by changle-ing! Forty maybe fiftteen mile!" The mailmare is distraught now. "Save by Firefly. But now???"

PUB >> Derpy is play smashy egg!!
PUB >> MapleWing says, "aren't you a few months late for that game Derpy? "

Blue_Yonder squints at the orb. "Huh. Well, here's the thing. I have a magic compass - you put something inside it an' it points to whatever or whoever's most strongly associated with it. Like, if you took a feather offa me an' put it in there, the needle'd always point back to me. Last night I was lookin' for the real Pinkie Pie once the changeling revealed herself, an' so Fluttershy grabbed Gummy an' I stuck his tail in the compass. It was all that'd fit."

Blue_Yonder says "So ... where'd this come from?"

Derpy's eyes go wide and then spin around at a good clip, nearly uniform. "PINKIE!!" she shouts. She peers up close at the little blue-green object, and hoofs at it. "Is why Bubble Pop! MUST pop! Pink Thing!!" She's split between the ponies here and the orb, as if it were a person. "No. Must see. Must see! Have compost? I mean com-pass?"

Freestone blinks and looks up at the distraught Derpy "Oh ya didn't mean ta destroy Hmm..." he said looking the orb over again for any possible seam he could manipulate that would aid in opening the orb. He looked at Blue Yonder when he explained his compass and then looked between Derpy and Blue Yonder. "So ya think the real Pinkie Pah might be hidden away in this here orb then?" he asks both ponies looking closer at the orb now.

Blue_Yonder says "Welp - if we had somethin' else of hers, we could find out for sure right now. But if this's connected to th' changelings somehow, then I think we gotta know what's inside."

Derpy nods enthusiastically! She ducks her head into her satchel and digs around. She soon pops up with...of all things...a false pig's snout! "Is from room!!" she cries triumphantly. "Where is com-pass?" She looks around for it. "Deeliebob?" She gestures to the orb. "From Evil QUeeeen!"

Freestone blinks looking at the orb again and can almost see a slight seem around the outer edge of the orb but he isn't sure if it's really a seem or just an illusion. He looks up at the gray pegasus as she pulls out a...false pigs snout? He looks again to Bluse yonder and nods to the prop. "Ah Think Derpy might have sumthin o Pikies infn ya want ter try it wit yer compass Blue Yonder? If ya have it that is." he said holding the orb to his ear to see if he cold hear anything coming from the orb.

Blue_Yonder digs the compass out of his pack and flips the top open. It's ornate and wooden, and has nautical designs all around it. "I always keep it in my pack. It was a gift from a dear old friend. That pig nose should just about fit inside."

Derpy flips it over to Blue Yonder with a smile. "Have been searching house! Also Velvet house. Very nice tool toy!" She flaps her wings happily. When Yonder squishes the rubber nose into the compass--sure enough! It ends up pointing straight at the little turquoise orb.

Freestone nods looking at the beautifully made compass then looks at Derpy as she hands the pig nose to Blue yonder. His eyes go wide as the compas works and even points to the orb. To test this Freestone began to move the orb around from side to side watching as the compass follows the orb "Well ah'll be." he simply said looking at the orb again. "How in Equestria cn somepony put anyone in an orb?" he asks confused. as he began to think searching around for a sharp stone and sat down pressing the sharp rock against the orb in an attempt to split the object but this too fails. "How er we suppose ter open this thing?" he asks frowning.

Blue_Yonder frets. "Y' got me. Pinkie Pie's trapped inside that somehow, but I can't even recognize the material. Some kinda emerald, maybe? We'd need serious gem-cuttin' tools to get through that, an' those are somethin' I don't carry. I'm a trader, not a craftshorse."

Derpy seems half forlorn, half excited! She alternates between jumping around excitedly (using her wings) and scuffing the ground and sighing. "Was so scare!! Almost caughted. Pass to FireflYYY! Princess Squire!" She jumps through the air to tell the story. "Fake changeling? Fake pass." She winks. "Give orb to Firefly...only NOT! Was Pre-TEND!" She laughs, like fifty cicadas playing a xylophone with their tails. "Kept deelie, Firefly Fireflew away. I escape!" She falls down to earth.

Freestone pauses at Blue Yonders words his mind flooding with a new idea, "A gem-cutter ya say? ah have an idea. Thars a new Pony tha has recently moved ter Ponyville. A Unicorn from Canterlot, Ah've met her. She's sumthin called a Gemologist an she also cuts Gems. She has a booth in Ponyville Market not far from mahn. She has th tools maybe she can try." he said looking up at Derpy as she starts telling the story if her escape. glancing between the two pegasi.

Blue_Yonder nods. "Welp - that sounds like it's worth a shot. I do hope Pinkie's okay in there, though. Why, she an' I were ... uh. Hrm. That may've been the changeling too. Well, shoot. Now I'm not sure I've ever even met the real Pinkie."

Tiger_Lily trots along the path, drawn not to the small, cozy cottage, but the mysterious, dark forest behind it, considering the foliage with a botanist's eye, distracted by that and recent, chilling events, not particularly focused on her line of travel, unfortunatley for any ponies or critters in her path.

Derpy notices Tiger Lily and swoops down to greet her. "Hello! Hello! Remembering! I remember you!" She sweeps oddly back over to the stallions. "The orb! Was bitten! Gummy-gummy--bitted off!" She pats the top of her own head with a hoof, and winces. "Was on Queen head. Not gem! But maaaybe gem-CUT!"

Tiger_Lily jumps a little as the grey pegasus swoops down, tilting her head as she listens to the mailmare's narrative.

Marble_Memory shouts "Ponies MAY or MAY NOT notice this ICly, but the sky went from just after dusk to the darkest of night in minutes. And it doesn't appear to be changing after that." (Public-shout)

Freestone nods "She does good work, her names Emerald Star." he said glancing back behind him as Derpy flies off and starts talking to somepony. He glances at the newcomer and smiles recognizing Tiger Lily, the mare he met last evening. "Well Howdy Tahger Lily!" he calls to the mare before glancing back to Blue Yonder.

[Derpy]

Next, a strange consultation with the town's other bubble expert.

Ponyville Square(#138R)
#=#=#=#=#=# PONYVILLE SQUARE #=#=#=#=#=#

At the heart of Ponyville stands a proud and massive pavillion known as Town Hall. Around it lies the town square, a well-kept ring decorated with tall banners and the occasional picturesque bush. A fountain sits before the entrance to the hall with a joyous, reared-up earth pony statue as its ornament. Various municipal officials have pitched colorful, conical tents in the square from which they run their operations. The town square is lined along one side by a stream crossed by a broad stone bridge, while on its other sides it's surrounded by a combination of commercial establishments and some of the oldest houses in Ponyville. The mood here is generally cheerful but officious.

[ Obvious Exits: <T>own Hall, <Map>le Street, To the <Tr>ain! ]
[ Whitetail <Wo>od, <Ra>inbow's Place, Ponyville <Li>brary ]
[ <R>oad to Canterlot, Magic Research <C>enter ]
[ <Cl>ockwork's Clocktower ]
[ Obvious Exits: Ponyville <M>arket ]
[ Sleepers: Lightning_Flash(#1035PBC), Spike(#210PBC), Skippy(#841PBC), ]
[ Negative(#871PB), Rarity(#207PB), Twist(#1271PB), ]
[ Midnight_Glimmer(#699PB), Twilight_Sparkle(#205PB), ]
[ Caramel(#1005PBC), Froststep(#1223PBC) ]
[ Contents: Ballot Box(#1290), Wagon of Wonders(#390) ]

Seafoam_Splash has arrived.

Derpy is running to and fro with her muffin satchel dangling from her. Now and then she steps in a pool of strange mist. Now and then she utters: "HEeLLlp!" or "WHoo ISS?" She seems lonely and lost.

"Is me.", Seafoam seems to have been ... well .. she's in the fountain. And dares someone to ask her why. She's peeking up above the edge of it like some kind of angry frog at the moment, though considerably less angry when she hears the owner of the voice, "Is Seafoam!", she replies again with more enthusiasm, "Derpy over here! In the fountain! Where it's uh....wet."

Derpy follows the voice and dashes over. She sees a familiar form and smiles, rearing up. "Seafoam!!" Derpy hesitates at the fountain's edge. She touches a hoof to the water, and jerks it back just as quickly. "Are... trap in fountain? Capture by wat-er monster?"

Seafoam_Splash headshakes, "Swimming.", she sits up and stretches, her tail lashing behind her, "Shhh. It's a secret! Sorta. Not really. Ponies pretend not to notice.", she giggles behind a hoof, "Why, is there a monster in there? I..should have checked first! I didn't! Oh no!"

Derpy looks puzzled and turns her head upside-down for a moment. "What is sec-a-ret? No fear sec-a-ret. This time!!" She lifts her head and keens into the frightening, unrelenting night. "Seafoam, what is best skill? Good at dis-solve?"

Seafoam_Splash hops out of the fountain and tilts her head, "What? Skill? You mean my skills? I uh, can make cookies.", she whispers. Her eyes dart slightly side to side and then she squints... and... blows a bubble, "And..that..", she then squints further and waves a hoof, "And maybe dissolve sometimes. It just depends. In a panic, maybe! Why?"

Derpy reflexively throws out a foreleg to pop the bubble. She stands tense, leaning forward by the fountain. "Cookies? COOKIES?? Not help!" She gestures up toward the wide sky. "Are failing of night!! Only deeliebreak can help!" She rummages in her green bag for something in a panic.

Seafoam_Splash stares up at the sky, then tilts her head. She looks back to Derpy, "I don't get it.", as she's from the deep sea. Not seeing the sun for a long time is... no big deal to her. She's still not used to that whole day night cycle so if it breaks she's slow to pick up on it, "Deelie break?", she watches the rummage. Ooh. ooh! She wants to rummage!

Marble's had a long week. And though he's been spending most of his time with his fiance... and wondering why he hasn't seen the sun in a while. But he's decided he's waited long enough to take his office. So he's heading his way for town hall now. Tiredly. He needs coffee.

Derpy brings the sack over to where Seafoam can help her rummage. But Derpy soon gets what she was looking for. It's a little roundish object, a bit lopsided, light aqua in color and shiny and hard. "Must ~burst!!~" she exclaims, throwing out her wings. "Like BUBBLE!" her ears flick and she turns to see Marble. "Marble!! HelloO!"

Seafoam_Splash keeps rummaging, not sure what for, but Derpy was doing it. Even after she stops and finds a ... thing.. she stares at the object and tilts her head. Withdrawing her hooves from Derpy's satchel she holds one out, "Can I see it?", she asks curiously.

Marble spots Derpy and waves. "Derpy!" He walks his way toward her. "After what happened at the election I realized it's high time for me to take office. D... d-do you know how that's done? Do I talk to the mayor?"

A whirring buzz leeches into the air, growing louder and more intense as the moments pass. Coming from somewhere above the sound soon becomes clear as something dark and blurred races towaords the town square, whirrring up a blizzard-like cloud of dust as it reaches the ground, whereupon the sound ceases as the dust clears slowly. All that can be seen is a pair of green glowing eyes amid the dustcloud until it clears a bit more.

Derpy looks befuddled. She glances at Town Hall. And at Marble. And Town Hall. And Marble. She passes the deeliebopper to Seafoam and turns back to the Chancellor. "Why office? Why not disaster?" She gasps. "Are disaster relief??"

Freestone has arrived.

Screenplay comes into town as she looks around, she looks to see if the new chancellor is in

Seafoam_Splash stares at the deeliebooper and sniffs at it.. then looks at Derpy.. then licks at it, still watching Derpy... then .. starts to.. put it .. in her ... mouth... unless stopped.

"We saved Vinyl. What can I do? I'm a bureaucrat, not a hero or an adventurer. I should lead Ponyville and make sure we come out okay." Marble knows where his skills lay.

Derpy is about to stop Seafoam, but pauses, two legs and a wing raised and her mouth open. She blinks. Her eyes start roving. She ignores Marble.

Screenplay was about to head in to the town square when she sees ponies. "Hum what is going on here.." she asks

Seafoam_Splash ....puts it in her mouth and just.. closes it. It looks like a candy. It doesn't taste like a candy. She doesn't swallow it however. Somehow sticking things in her mouth that look like food probably shouldn't be considered the safest of things to do yet, she does it. She rolls her tongue so it moves to her cheek and she smiles, "Is it like a hard candy? I bet if I keep it in there long enough it tastes like fruit, right?!", she had one of those. It was /awesome/.

Freestone holds up a hoof "Hold it thar missy, Tha's not candy. Ah handed it to ya ta look at not ter eat. Can Ah have it back nauw please. it's rather important." he asks kindly.

Derpy slowly gyrates her body around in a pattern matching that of her eyes. It takes an effort for her to reply to Seafoam. "Maaybe taste like fruit. Is sweet tooth!!" This last, she cries in an emotional high pitch. She glances to Freestone, eyes still orbiting. She's in no state to answer Screenplay.

Seafoam_Splash ...does not comply! It's already in there! Right in her mouth! IN HER MOUF! She thusly, shakes her head and murmurs, "I've got my tongue all ova it!", she giggles to Derpy and her exclamation then whistles out a, "Shoo be doo~", in a happy singsong way. She has no idea what she's cheekstoring but it seems harmless and might be candy. Important candy! She hopes she doesn't accidently swallow it... then you miss the flavors.

Screenplay looks and seeing Freestone she then smiles. "Freestone wha6t is going on where is the new chancellor.."

Freestone sighs "Come oan Please? It's Not candy ya won't taste any flavers, ah can tell ya that fer sure. And it's very importnt. So please..." he said again holding out his hoof. He glances at Screenplay when she spoke and he shrugs "Derned ifn ah know Screenplay, Ah don't even know what is up wit all thise here wierd mist." he said nodding his head toward Marble as Screen asks for the chancellor.

Where did this mist come from?" Marble asks Derpy, trying hard to regain her attention. "I don't remember this being here earlier." The Chancellor then hears somepony ask for him. "Yes?"

Derpy looks reeeally nervous at the fact that Splash is toying around with the deeliebopper so much. She leeans and splays her tail up at an angle, and then at a different angle, and sways around in place with her hooves all on the paved stone, hidden in mist. "~Not~ swallow," she says. "Unless ~very~ digestion." She looks at Screenplay and Freestone and Marble. "Mist is so strange. Probably ghost monster. ALL monster tonight." She seems timid, all right.

Seafoam_Splash tries to scoot closer to Derpy. She doesn't like this insistance on giving it back. She fishes after it with her tongue again and then looks thoughtful, before she takes a little breath and blows a bubble out. The .. deeliebopper is in it, but she doesn't let it get far. She wants to know what all the hub bub is over candy. Or what looks like candy. She peers in the bubble at it, "So it's something I can't eat, unless, I REALLY eat it? That's kinda weird!"

Screenplay looks and ohs to Marble as she comes over. "I don't know if you remember me but you stopped me to look in my cart when I came into town.." she says looking to the nothers

Freestone facehoofs at Seafoam's continued resistance and looks at Derpy, a questioning look in his eyes, It's very important that Seafoam returns the deelibopper but he's not sure if he should explain WHY it's important.

Derpy is on pins and needles, here. She stamps around in the mist, as always making no noise by doing so, but looking very agitated, her legs working in juuust asynchronized diagonal pairs. She watches with bated breath as the bubble forms and floats. The little greenish object tumbles around in the bubble. "Must BREAK!" She looks at Seafoam for a split second. "Can break shell? Can un-bubble bauble??"

Enigma hums Pinkie's SMile song to himself as he trots through the square quietly. He passes by a fruit stand and oooos at star fruit. How rare! The self-proclaimed King of Bandits looks to the pegasus mare fruit vendor and grins to her, "Hey there..." THe vendor blinks adn smiles to the little colt, "Hello there! WOuld you like some fruit? Only 2 bits!" The youth grins and his eyes glow gold, "Sure, I'd love some star fruit...but I haven't got any bits on me. Surely you wouldn't let a street rat like me starve would you?" THe vendor's eyes light up gold as well, "of course not! Go ahead and take all the fruit you want!" THe boy grins and floats a few star fruits up then trots off, "Celestia bless you, good vendor." ^.^

Seafoam_Splash quirks an eye slowly at Derpy, then at the object in the bubble. Well... there is ... one thing she .. actually.. could.. kind of do. She's.. really not.. sure though, what would happen. And it would so completely blow her cover as 'Just a normal pony ---who plays in the fountain... and blows bubbles... and shoo be doos.. she's totally not a sea pony. REALLY! Quit looking at me like that! "Break huh?", she asks curiously and tilts her head to the side. Something about the way she says it puzzles her too. Un..bubble...bauble.. Bubble Bobble? Unbubble. Bubbles are kind of her thing.. so much that she.. pushes the one she holds, shrinking it down down down until it actually compresses around the 'candy', and then she starts trying to pull her hooves back, attempting to.. expand the bubbled bauble as she would any bubble she blew out on her own. . . which is totally natural, and, not at all weird. Stop staring.

"No, I can't say I remember. I was a very busy pony in those days. I guess I am back to being busy now. Talk quickly." Marble says, then looks at Derpy. "Derpy... where is the mayor? Can you find her for me?"

Screenplay ooks to Marble saying "There is no mayor.. she retured.. You now the chancellor soyou now run Ponyville.." she then ohb guees at that fact.."Look I came to ask if I can rent thnje square for a party and my wedding.." she hums

Freestone glances between Derpy and Seafoam then back the the deeliebopper inside the bubble. He looks sideways at Derpy then back to Seafoam to see what she has in mind for breaking open the orb, If this attempt succeeds he may not have to contact Emerald Star after all.

Derpy shrugs to Marble Memory. "More import," she mumbles. She then looks back at Seafoam Splash and widens her eyes in amazement at what she sees. The bauble...is growing! Like a bubble! "BUBBLE!!" raves Derpy, standing up to let her forelegs dangle. She's transfixed as the aquatic thing gets larger and larger...but still remains strong enough not to burst.

Enigma noms on the juicey starfruit as he trots through the square. The bandit looks about as he admires the town at night.

Seafoam_Splash starts to get frustrated with the bubble. Well, not, entirely. She has never seen one get so big and not lose consistency so it's kind of neat. And then she does exactly the opposite of what everyone was probably hoping for. Instead of trying to pull it harder she .. pushes it back down again to a smaller size... then pulls her hooves apart, to make it bigger.. smaller.. bigger.. smaller. Her eyes start to widen and she gets this crazy smile. This is FUN! Big! Small! Big! Small! Big! Small! And then right back into her mouth with an actual NOMF noise before she trots in place excitedly, "This is the coolest candy EVER!", she still hasn't done the one thing she thinks maybe could break it but that was just too neat!

Marble sighs and supposes Derpy is far too busy at this time to speak with him, he walks toward the town hall, addressing Screenplay. "Listen, we can probably rent you the square, but keep in mind we're in, or should be in, a state of emergency. You'll have to wait until this mist clears out and we have a sun again. Peace with the changelings would be nice, too, but I won't hold my breath." Marble opens the door to the town hall. "Please do try to understand we have to quell a panic *before* it starts." The Chancellor enters the town hall, headed for the mayor's office.

Screenplay hums as she decides to head home unsure what to make of it

Freestone finally had enough. "Spit tha orb out NAW Seafoam, tha thing is NOT Candy! It's a prisin o some sort that's holdin the Real Pinkie Pie!. The changlin queen put er in thar . we need ter break it open ter free her! Naw give it here!" he said in complete exasperation. Though the shrinking and growing was neat the orb isn't a toy or candy

Seafoam_Splash huffs and rolls her eyes, "Fine. It's misbehaving anyway." she holds out the candy after giving a little 'pitoo' into her hoof, but then, she stops.. and peers.. "How'd you know my name....?"

Derpy flies off to go help the Mayor and Marble with something in Town Hall.

Freestone sighs with relief as he tries to take back the deeliebopper, glad that Seafoam didn't swallow the pinkie prison. When she asked him how he new her name he looked at her in confusion, "Uhhh... because ya TOLD me yer name when we made interductions earlier." he said as if to say 'Duh'. After all they did make introduction.

[Derpy]

Then, some time after a frightening misadventure in the Magical Research Center (logged elsewhere), a tired Derpy flies desperately from home to home, bonking into windows...

Lightning's home, Main Room(#1120RLA)
Your first look at the inside of this home is all you need to realize just what kind of pony lives here. It's the kind of interior no other pony but a pegasus would enjoy. Lightning Flash's house interior is very reminiscent of the cloud houses of his birthplace of Cloudsdale, though with a much more Earthy feel. Anypony, be they Earth, Unicorn or especially Pegasi, can easily feel comfortable and safe here. Painted clouds adorn every possible corner of the two main rooms, some white and some grey but all just as soft and fluffy-looking as the real thing. The decorations even include the occasional rainbow arching between two cloud tufts. The general interior color is a very soft blue, almost a sky blue but not quite. Windows on almost every wall allow plenty of sunlight to shine in, and air to circulate when open.
On the right, comfy chairs and couches are spread out neatly on the wooden living room floor giving a soft place for anypony to sit and talk easily while facing eachother. On the left is the dining room, where Lightning can entertain and feed his guests. A door in the back of the dining room leads into his kitchen. In the back of the living room on the left wall is a set of stairs leading up to the bedrooms. But one more thing you would notice that's out of place is a large hole in the ceiling big enough to fly through with a spiral staicase leading up to an Observasion/launch platform.

[ Obvious Exits: Up <St>airs, <O>ut to the Road ]
[ <U>p to Observation/Launch <P>latform ]
[ Players: Lightning_Flash(#1035PBC), Snow_Bolt(#1224PBC), ]
[ Mirage(#301PB), Dusk(#363PBM3), Star_Paige(#687PB), ]
[ Screenplay(#748PB) ]
[ Sleepers: Silver_Star(#995PBC) ]

Dusk smiles back to Mirage too, holding a hoof lightly around her. He turns back to Screenplay, "Are you speaking of Princess Luna, Lady Screenplay? Well if so, she had made an appearance I hear, saying she was going to replace all the food in Equestria with night growing fungus and the like. And she seemed bothered, or such. I wonder if she is fully well either."

Mirage blinks at this, not sure whether to believe Dusk or not. "Replace the food? That's unbelievable.... but the food we have won't grow without sunlight," she finishes with slow realization. "Dusk!" she says, now clearly upset.

Screenplay pats Mirage as she says "Relax Mirage I'm sure the farmers have a plain.. if not we can make one.."

Dusk nods to Mirage, though somewhat surprised at how upset she is over it. "I am afraid that is what she said. For ponies to dig up their crops and eat them before they wither away and she replaces them with food of the night. I suppose that is probably the reason, not having the sun. But that wasn't clear at the time, so was more upsetting to ponies as well."

Mirage nods lightly to Screenplay, though she has no idea how the earth ponies could grow anything without sunlight. "Oh," she replies simply as Dusk explains further. "So, she's trying to provide for us. But that must mean she can't raise the sun." She gives a soft sigh, beginning to feel very helpless in all this.

Screenplay looks in thought as she nods. "I think I understand what Luna said she wants to grow things like mushrooms, they grow in mines or real dark and damp places. And Mushrooms are fungus.."

Dusk nods again, "That would seem to be the case, seeing as we have not seen the sun for days. If she can, then she had not chosen to do so. And yes, Lady Screenplay, I do suspect that would be just the sort of thing she would mean. Unless she has something more unique of her own, but along those lines. So these are.. um.. dark times for Equestria. Do pardon the unintended pun. We have many things to worry about. Yet no ponies seem to be in immediate harm, so perhaps we can deal with each of these things in turn."

Mirage is about to mention something about impending starvation, but decides that if food can be stored for the winter, then the earth ponies must have food stored for a while at least before the situation becomes very bad. She dips her ears in a shrug and looks from Screenplay to Dusk. "So, what can we do? We're just little ponies, after all."

Screenplay thinks for a bit but then she raise a hoof. "Ok ,I got a plain, go tell the farmers to store all the extra food if they hadn't already and tell them goout in the woods and the area to gather and farm mushrooms as well other nightternal plants.."

Dusk nods to both Mirage and Screenplay, "Yes the farmers are going to need to be prepared, in case that is indeed the path we have to take. But hopefully we won't have to. The mist I'm sure we can find out what's causing it with some work. The Darkness.. we're going to Lady Nettie's to investigate that too. Perhaps it has something to do with the eternal night. If so then we may get the sun back. And if not, then we'll gather the elements and go from there." Though he realizes we don't know where Pinkie Pie is. But perhaps that won't matter.

Mirage tries not to be nervous about all of this, but she feels like it's over her head. "You mean, the Elements of Harmony haven't done anything yet? Aren't they even looking for Celestia?"

Derpy bonks into the window, shakes the stars away, and flutters off.

Screenplay says "holds Mirage. "I'm sure the others arte butbwithout Pinkie the elements are brken I'm afried.. Till we find where she is"

Dusk shakes his head, "So far I have only run into Lady Fluttershy, and she is busy helping with whatever is happening with the Darkness, and going to go to Lady Nettie's with us." He hmmms as Screenplay brings up Pinkie whom he wasn't going to mention just right off. No need to add to the worry. Dusk blinks and looks up and over to the window, "What was.. Oh. Lady Derpy!" But she's already fluttering off before he can invite her by

Mirage is listening worriedly, and starts at the thump at the window. "Derpy?" she repeats. "Maybe she's trying to deliver a message?" Then she sighs as Dusk says she's leaving.

Screenplay comes to her window and opens it and calls, "Derpy, come back.. Derpy!" he smiles as she waves after the mail pony..

Derpy appears again on the other side of the room and bonks into ~that~ window. She slides down squeakily like a poorly applied adhesive hook, her face contorted.

Dusk blinks again as it comes from the other direction. This time he lets Screenplay stay over there, momentarily pardoning himself from Mirage, and goes over and opens the door near the window Derpy is at. "Lady Derpy? Are you okay? Would you care to come in?" He goes to help her up.

Mirage feels a bit better as it turns out Derpy is trying to make a delivery. Well, hopefully so. At least a little normality is better than none at all.

Screenplay comes to meet the mail pony letting her in and offers her a sit.. "I'm glad you came Derpy we were just talking bout the crises.." she says

Derpy creeps slowly inside, her muffin-emblemated satchel dangling by one strap under her belly. She looks worse for wear, like she hasn't slept in days. Except that one long night is all it takes, right now, for fatigue to happen. "Dusk." She looks up. "Mirror. Screenplay. Hello." The bedraggled mailmare creeps inside and crumples to the wooden floor. A funny turquoise bead, about two or three inches wide, tumbles from her mouth as she collapses, rolling loudly on the bare wood.

Dusk does his best to help the clearly fatigued mare. He figured 'Mirror' is Mirage. Though it doesn't appear to be anything physical that he can see. "Yes do come in, take a load off your hoofs. Lady Screenplay, can you perhaps get her some water and something to eat if she wants?" He turns back just to see her drop the curious bead. He leans in to look, then magics it up before it can roll off. "Oh I think you dropped this." He peers at it more intently. "It's.. What is this?"

Mirage goes over to help Derpy, too. She nods to Dusk, and looks for some water for her, as well as a cushion or something for her head.

Derpy streetches her neck up until Mirage can slip one of the living room's many cushions under it, after which she relaxes. "So thanking," she says, and rests a while. Once she's feeling better, she sighs. "Is special bubble. Can StreEtch! But not BREEAK!" This seems to distress Derpy.

Deeliebopper(#1006)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's an oblate spheroid--light turqoise, slightly irregular on one side, shiny, glossy, and VERY hard.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Screenplay ohs and goes to get the mail pony some food and water as she says "I saw that in front of the center. Derpy and some foal was playing with it.."

Dusk stays with Derpy while Screenplay goes and gets the water and that. And he's glad to see Derpy looking better with a bit of resting. "Stretches without breaking? How does it stretch, Lady Derpy?" He rotates it around in the air, and examines it magically too. That does seem an unusual trait.

Derpy is glad to have the aliments. She crawls comfortably onto the cushion and slurps up water. She nibbles a piece of Lightning Flash's food, though it isn't her normal fare. "Not was play. Was work! (Maybe play,)" she adds. She reaches out for the bauble and bops it barely. "Seafoam Silly! Put in mouth!! Grew and shrank. Float like bubblle! Grow SOOOO big!" She throw her forelegs wide. "Shrink soooo small." She brings them together.

Screenplay smiles as she nods to Dusk. "Yes seafoam thought it was gum or something..'

Dusk hmmms and nods, looking to Derpy an back to the bobble. He grins at Screenplay's comment, "Gum?" He chuckles a little. "But really, what makes it grow?" He telekenetically tries to pull at it some, but carefully, seeing if it just easily stretches or such.

Nope! That's Seafoam's gig, apparently. It's hard, though its structural cohesion seems somewhat...less than perfect, as though something, such as the stretching, had softened it. Derpy waves her wings from the floor, dripping water from her lip. "What makes? BUBBLE! BUBBLE GROW!" This seems very important to her. "But bubble SHOULD ~POP!~"

Screenplay loks as cshe then takes the pony and takes her to her sofa. "Here Derpy you must rest. You been up for days.."

Dusk nods to Derpy, "Yes bubbles should pop. But this one not," he says kind of absently as he looks more closely. Hmm that didn't do it, but yes, it seems an unusual structure. His focus comes back, looking over to the mail mare, "Lady Derpy. Can you make it grow? Or no?"

Derpy sighs and trudges heavily to the sofa. She hops on next to Screenplay, but doesn't relax. "Nooo," she wails, her voice weak. "If I sleep, then NIIIGHT! Always night so muuuch!!" She stares at Dusk and the bauble with an odd fixation. "Cannot. Seafoam is special. Has water magic. Or some. Me? No magics." She shakes her head. "But still bubble sense."

Screenplay gives the mail pony food as well as water as she puts a pillow under her. "You must rest Derpy you so tired."

Dusk smiles to Derpy and nods, "Best bubble sense! I hear you broke the Changeling bubble." Hmmm water? He tries sensing if it has a water content to it. He also magics over a little glob of water from the glass, the water 'bubble' and the bobble, and hovers them a moment, then touches them just briefly too. "And yes, some rest is okay, if you need. Even if it stays nighttime. It doesn't mean you'll sleep forever."

Derpy wavers. She slowly moves her head over a pillow on the sofa and lays it down. Her limbs move into formation for sleep, but she she remains agitated. "Pop some bubble, yes. But this? Is not soft. Is ~hard~ bubble. HOW COULD THING--!" Derpy closes her eyes and saws a log for a while, but isn't quite asleep. She opens them again. The bubble seems to have as much water as a hard biological chitin would. "But... but if rest," protests Derpy. "If not sleep break... I mean..." But her mind is too scattered to protest further.

Screenplay murs sd dke pets the pony. "It's safe to sleep hon trust me you need it.."

Dusk hmms and nods, "Yes hard things usually aren't bubbles. Especially not floating too. I'll look it over for you, Lady Derpy." He smiles as Screenplay helps sooth the other mare. He goes and sits over with Mirage himself as he still hovers the bead. "And I'll make sure you wake up later, as I am sure Lady Screenplay will too. We'll wake your sleep after you get some rest." Hmmm quite dry. Perhaps somehow infusing water would help then. But maybe not. He keeps hold of the item for now. "Pleasant and restful dreams, Lady Derpy."

Dusk picks up the mysterious turquoise object.

Derpy sighs without vigor and stretches out her legs and withers. She yawns widely against her will. One last twitch affects Derpy's eyes as she looks away from Dusk, and one last protest leaves her lips: "...but nighttime!" Yet it's true that the mailmare is very tired, and very confused, and very, very sleepy. She drifts off to dreamland on Lightning Flash's sofa, unable to summon the wherewithal or coherence to explain that ending the scourge of eternal night very likely depends on their ability to burst that little turquoise bubble.

Screenplay looks to the mare then to Dusk she says "There she's asleep. Maybe you and Mirage shoud head home and let her sleep..'

Dusk watches Derpy drift off to sleep, though by no means dismissing her protests, and wanting to understand what she's trying to say. But keeping her awake does not seem like it will be of help in her state. Even a few good hours of sleep should help, and he will try finding out more. That will likely be the fastest way to an answer. In the meantime he will examine the bead that troubles the mare so much like any of his research projects, to find out just what it does. If Derpy can tell him later what is needed, we can go from there. "Yes, thank you, Lady Screenplay. Do keep good care of her. And I'll be back nice and early to check on her." He hovers up the bead, "In the meantime I'll check this out." He turns back to Mirage though who is looking rather tired, but smiles pleasantly to Dusk. "Let's go home, my dear. And thank you for the pleasant evening, Lady Screenplay. Rest well too."

[Derpy]

Lastly, Derpy weathered a terrifying encounter in the Square, after which a host of helpful ponies joined her for the finale.


Ponyville Square(#138R)
#=#=#=#=#=# PONYVILLE SQUARE #=#=#=#=#=#

At the heart of Ponyville stands a proud and massive pavillion known as Town Hall. Around it lies the town square, a well-kept ring decorated with tall banners and the occasional picturesque bush. A fountain sits before the entrance to the hall with a joyous, reared-up earth pony statue as its ornament. Various municipal officials have pitched colorful, conical tents in the square from which they run their operations. The town square is lined along one side by a stream crossed by a broad stone bridge, while on its other sides it's surrounded by a combination of commercial establishments and some of the oldest houses in Ponyville. The mood here is generally cheerful but officious.

[ Obvious Exits: <T>own Hall, <Map>le Street, To the <Tr>ain! ]
[ Whitetail <Wo>od, <Ra>inbow's Place, Ponyville <Li>brary ]
[ <R>oad to Canterlot, Magic Research <C>enter ]
[ <Cl>ockwork's Clocktower ]
[ Obvious Exits: Ponyville <M>arket ]
[ Players: Rarity(#207PB), Skyheart(#795PBC), Tiger_Lily(#1294PBC), ]
[ MapleWing(#785PBC), Skippy(#841PBC) ]
[ Sleepers: Enigma(#1265PB), Eris(#1270PBC), Bluestreak(#543PBC), ]
[ Freestone(#1261PBC), Firefly_Moon(#788PB), ]
[ Seafoam_Splash(#891PBC), Spike(#210PBC), Negative(#871PB), ]
[ Twist(#1271PB), Midnight_Glimmer(#699PB), Caramel(#1005PBC), ]
[ Froststep(#1223PBC) ]
[ Contents: Ballot Box(#1290), Wagon of Wonders(#390) ]

Screenplay has arrived.
Rainbow_Dash has arrived.
Match_Maker has arrived.
Pinkie_Pie has arrived.

Derpy struggles into the Square from one of the outer residential areas. She has on her green muffin bag, and her hair is a mess. She seems to be both somewhat tired and limping a little, and her wings are ruffled. She pants heavily, looking back toward Screenplay and around to see who's present. And yes...it's still Nightmare Night. After about fifty-something hours.

Screenplay looks and she smile but seeing Derpy in trouble she comes over. "Derpy what happened to you.."

Queen Chrysalis comes strutting down the street. She's looking lovely in her full glory. Crown as it should be. Not a sliver of chitin out of place. She trots over to Derpy. "HELLO MAILPONY. WOULD YOU CARE FOR OUR ASSISTANCE?!"

Derpy blearily looks back at Screenplay. "Trip on cobble," she complains, raising her leg. "Hard to avoid bobblecobble when try to popple bobblebauble." Her explanation causes Derpy to roll her own eyes about as she steps into the square, near the fountain, which is still running. "Is any HELP?!" she calls, looking for familiar faces.

Derpy boggles at the sight she thinks she sees. "B...but!!" She staggers weakly away from the Queen. "HEELP!" she repeats.

The Queen snorts. "Are you saying you don't WANT our help? We see how it is." she sniffs, turning away.

Screenplay ohs as she pets the pony. "Poor pony.. Say did you get some sleep Derpy?" she asks the mail pony

Derpy falls to her butt and tries to slide backwards, her tail getting even more mussed than it already was. "But from you NEED help!!" she gets out. She grabs her satchel in her mouth and cowers, pointing at Queen Chrysalis for Screenplay's benefit.

Queen Chrysalis smiles. "WE WISH TO HELP YOU. WE ARE SUPERIOR, AND THE SUPERIOR MUST ALWAYS ASSIST THE INFERIOR, EVEN IF THE INFERIOR DO NOT APPRECIATE IT. WE shall help, one way or the other."

Screenplay looks but she turns back to the mailpony. "?Don't worry about her hon worry on delivering the mail.." she then helps the pony to put on her bag. "You got any mail to deliver?

Derpy peers somewhat balefully at Screenplay. "Only one mail," she murmurs. Remember the terror confusingly confronting them, Derpy turns back and scoots back into a sitting position while she stares at the changeling queen. "How can help? BRING BACK VELVET. OPEN PINKIE!!" Suddenly, with little to lose, the mailmare is surprisingly bold. Is anypony out in the square tonight?

The Queen Scoops up Derpy in a hug. "That would be my sister. I had nothing to do with that. In fact, I just got back from my vacation." says the cursed Match, her mind warped beyond belief if she think's anypony's going to buy that tired old cliche.

Skippy comes trotting around the corner into the square on the other side from where Derpy and Screenplay are, picking his teeth with a tooth pick. He stops and stares at the changeling queen. Apparently all the other ponies in the square have retreated.

Screenplay pets the mail pony as she asks "Oh well who does the letter go to I can help deliver it.."

Derpy meeeps, limbs flailing in the hug from the Changeling... Duchess? A cry of fear rises from her, but then she regains some lucidity. "Not eevil?" she asks. "Only sister?" She glances at Skippy hopefully, in case she needs rescue. Yes, Derpy is willing to fall for just about anything at this point.

The Changeling Queen nods slowly. "Yes. My... Desperate sister dethroned me. "I" should be ruling the changelings and leading them to glory. And if you help me liberate my people from her tyranical grasp, I. Will. Make. You. A. PRINCESS." she says, pointing a hoof at Derpy.

Skippy snorts and charges across the street, charging right into the evil pony insect thing. "Raaaaah!" Somepony has to do something or she'll eat that poor pegasus.

Derpy's eyes wander and become briefly cross-eyed. She struggles a little more on principle, but then answers: "Not want Princess. Want Princess Luna back!! And Celesti! And Daytimes!!" Then she gasps as Skippy comes trotting toward them, and flails again.

Screenplay comes as she takes the poor mail pony pulling her aside as she pets her. "Derpy stop.. You can't fight.."

The 'Queen' smiles. "THEN I SHALL ASSISt,... You. I shall assist thee in thine endeavors, and thou shalt swear thyself to my service for a year and a day!"

Enigma has been munching on an apple while watching this scene unfurl. Equestria's most wanted criminal looks on as the Queen herself apparently has shown up in Ponyville once again. The little kid takes another bite out his apple and chews side-mouthed as he watches on.

Derpy squirms free from the horrifying changeling and lets Screenplay pull her aside just in time to avoid Skippy's attack. She gapes, thinking over the offer. "But... but MAIL! And MEADERY!! And COURY!" A year and a day is a long time to pledge. She cringes as the battle begins.

Match_Maker turns to meet Skippy's charge. "YOU FOAL! YOU THINK TO CHALLENGE A TRUE QUEEN?!" she bellows, rearing up. Her horn blazes as she launches a magical assault at the charger just as he's about to impact her.

Screenplay looks to the mail pony as dshe says "Who does the mail go to maybe I can help you deliver it.."

Skippy falls over to the ground, smacking face first. "Ack!" He shakes his head and finds himself covered in goo binding him to the ground. "W-what is this?" He struggles against it, biting against it. So much for a battle.

Enigma continues to crunch on the apple as he watches.

Derpy prances around in a panic. "NOO! Not fight! Un-goo!!" She blinks at Screenplay and rattles her satchel. "Only one mail, and is for world," she says with a wink.

The 'Queen' looks down on Derpy. "I am not fighting. I am asserting my authority over this drone." she says, leaning down to stare Skippy in the eyes. "You will submit to me, drone. You and all your kind."

Skippy growls. "I would never submit to something so ugly and creepy." With little else free at the moment, tries to bite her when she's close enough, chomping his teeth.

Screenplay watches as she stays with the mailpony. "But you can't

<OOC> Apple_Bloom says, "CAN'T SHE?!"

Derpy looks confused. "Can't? Why not??" She stamps lightly but energetically on the cobblestones, wincing at her small injury. "What if submit? How can save? Where is Velvet??!" She rounds on the queen's sister, staring her down if she can, though her eyes wobble. Her attention flicks to Enigma, whom she doesn't recognize. "Can help??" she implores him. "Is battle for all, and cannot burst bubble!"

Enigma shrugs and starts to waltz out onto the scene. The little kid mosies his way up to the queen's sister and smiles softly. His eyes slowly shift from brown to glowing gold, "Hey there... I think you wanna jus' stop what you're doing and leave these ponies alone, right? I mean... c'mon...I bet you have other things you could be doing.

The 'Queen' turns her gaze on Enigma, her attention off of Skippy for a few moments. "No. I think YOU will submit to ME." she says, leaning down and kissing him, her horn and eyes glowing bright green.

Skippy continues to struggle against his bindings, managing to get a hoof free, but the stickiness still gives him some trouble moving about. "Nnngh!"

Derpy is delighted that things have turned to kissing. She stands nearby, mane tossed romantically back, looking more optimistic. "Maybe kindly?" she suggests. "Maybe friend? ~Not~ servant?" She stands up tall and tries to see what's going on between the three.

A dawnless day had been the first sign of grave trouble in the Realm that had alerted Rainbow Dash, her graduation from the Academy pretty much ruined by the occasion. It had taken over a day before word reached the camp from the capital, which by then had erupted into a full state of emergency. The Changelings invading Ponyville? Nightmare Night returning? Not on her watch! Or so the multicoloured pegasus thought, until the camp commander basically ordered her to cool her fetlocks. Orders were orders; the security of their establishments needed to be assured before they could hope to save Equestria. Now, however, she has been released from her previous commitment and provided with a single letter containing a single sentence: 'Ponyville must stand'. She arrives at the edge of town, her duffel bag weighing down on her back. She can still see the remnants of the Changeling attack from all those days ago. "Right," she says, steeling herself. "Let's do this!" Shrugging her shoulders and laying her head down, she dumps her luggage right on the street. Without a second thought, she rears up and takes off into the air, zooming right for the centre of town.

Screenplay stands as she now rushes the changling. "I am sick of you now let the princess go.." She says as RD comes. "I demain our princess!"

Enigma BLINKS as he suddenly gets kissed! The boy's irises flicker between gold and green. He mmmphs within the kiss then parts it slowly. He shuts his eyes tight then opens them again and they are their normal brown colour returns! He chuckles a bit, "Mind tricks don't work on me. BUt I guess you changelings are immune to charm magic, too. Makes sense since we both use the same type of mojo essentially."

The True Queen looks over at Screenplay. "Foalish filly. I had nothing to do with your princesses." she says, raising a hoof and planting it firmly in Screen's chest, shoving her. "And... Yes. I think we do use the same type of Mojo." she says. "Why not come work for me? Help me regain my throne, and I'll make sure you get the TOUGHEST jobs." she says as she smiles down at him.

Derpy finally gets enough presence of mind to tiptoe over and try to pull Skippy free from some of his bindings. She gets her mouth stuck on the gooey strands, though, and ends up leaning back hard and straaAAining against the stuff. She catches a glimpse of something bright in the top of her field of vision and looks up in awe. "Rainblow!!" she cries. "Come and heelLp!"

Enigma looks about and looks back to the changeling queen, "Maybe start back from the beginning? WHat's up with the eternal night and why are you here?"

Skippy tears up some more of the goo with his mouth, coughing it out to the side. "Ugh..." He manages to pull another hoof free. He looks to Crystalis as if planning his next move.

Rainbow_Dash is quick to the scene, as expected, crossing the length of the whole town in a few seconds. When she catches a glimpse of 'Chrysalis' she balks visibly. Her, here? By Tartarus, no! "I'll get you!" she yells, directing her flightpath right towards the 'Queen'!

The 'Queen' Smiles as she looks up to Rainbow Dash. "Wrong mare sweetie. Look, Enigma. I'll talk to you later. I have to finish plotting to overthrow my treacherous sister Chrysalis." she says, her body turning into green fire. "Have a good night kids, play nice!" she says, vanishing.

Derpy shrieks in sudden fear when the fire strikes. Her strands of goo heated, she yanks loose. "Where did GO??? And SERVANT SLAVE?? And why... what...?" Derpy is utterly discombobulated from the experience. She looks at the others, hoping for illumination.

Enigma glances about, "Anyone wanna fill me in?"

The remainder of the goo on Skippy seems to melt away after she leaves and he breaks free. "Ha. She chickened out when more of us were beginning to round about." He trots over to Derpy. "Hey, are you alright?"

Screenplay looks as she sees the "queen" disappearing. she looks as she sees RD coming but stopping where the queen was

Rainbow_Dash yelps when she suddenly finds herself careening towards bare ground! "Whoa...WHOA!" she cries out, skidding to a stop at once, the air bellowing and bloating from the force of her deceleration. She banks and lands on the town square, looking around desperately for her target. "Where is she!? You can't run away from me, Chrysalis!!" She breathes heavily, exhaustion beginning to overtake her adrenaline, her eyes wandering around the townscape. Not much damage, it looks like, but the whole place was a mess, and there was nopony to be found anywhere except...ah cripes. "Derpy," she utters, walking over to the more-dazed-than-usual mare. "What the hay is going on here!? Where's the Mayor, and why aren't there any guards?"

Derpy points to the Town Hall, her leg wavering in a circle. "All secret meet. Talk with cities! Not here!!" She isn't terribly coherent tonight. She turns back to Enigma and Rainbow, her demeanor calming gradually. "But so scare. Have been TRY to pop bub-ble, but sofa sleep, and cobblelimp, and bubble GROW and ~shrink~ and never break. Dusk try, Em-er-ald try, Splash try. Not can break!!"

Enigma furrows his brow in confusion and looks town hall. He deciphers what Derpy says, though, "You can';t talk about it publicly, I get it."

Skippy scratches his head with a hoof, looking at Derpy "By Celestia, tha beast has made ya delirious, you poor thing! Climb on my back, I can take ya'll to the infirmary." He sits on his haunches.

Dreamweaver steps out from one of the buildings, looking around. She sees a gathering of ponies and says, "Oh hello. I heard...something from over here, is everything alright?"
Screenplay comes back to Depy and helps her to her feet. "Yes lets get ypou to the hospital

"Hey, HEY, slow down!" Rainbow Dash pleads, already having trouble making sense of Derpy's odd speech when she's calm. She taps her temple, feeling a headache coming on. Oh great. "Look, stop, stop for a second! Okay, okay...what is the 'bubble'? Explain sloooowly." She gives a weird look to Skippy and Screenplay. "I don't think we'll need that yet, but, uh...thanks I guess." Meanwhile, some movement is heard nearby. A helmeted stallion's head pops out from behind an alley, then two and three. Pretty soon a whole squad of militiaponies is gathering towards the square. "It's Rainbow Dash, she's back!" one of them yells, trotting towards the pegasus, looking very relieved.

Derpy is looking discomfited. "NO! Not can hospital. Cannot sleep! Too much sleep--too much ~night!~" She backs away from Skippy and Screenplay, a strand of changeling goo still dangling from her face. The arrival of armed ponies astonishes her anew. She gapes at them. "Guards?? From Canterlot?!" She glances at Dreamweaver, looking like someone who could use help but isn't in quite a fit state to say how.

Enigma blinks as guards show up. The kid sweatdrops a bit. Although hardly any pony knows who he really is, no one really knows the secret idenitiy of the Bandit King. The bandit looks about and slowly starts to back track for an exit. Guards still make him nervous.

Skippy frowns but steps up to her. "I understand ya'll must be frightened, but ya need help. No telling what that thing did to you." He furrows his brow. "Maybe some peanut butter would help?"

"Oh my," Dreamy says, looking around. Guards here? An overexcited Derpy. She frowns gently, and she lets out a breath, calming herself and taking just a few moments, "Come," she says, "Let's all take a deep breath, calm down." She creeps closer, though a sidelong glance to Enigma brings a light quirk of her brow, maybe recognizing him from somewhere. She then looks to Derpy, "Miss, can you calm down a moment, I think your friends are worried. Come and sit?" she asks, opening her forehooves to offer help, or hug.

Rainbow_Dash finds herself quite distracted, and quite furious, at the sudden arrival of the guards. She walks up to the captain - a stallion far too young to be leading anything - grabs the collar of his armor and shakes him violently. "What the hay have you been /doing/? What happened to this town!?" -- The 'captain' yelps as Raindow Dash throttles him. "We're trying, we're trying! We can't find them all at once!!" Rainbow Dash lets go for a moment, leaving him room to catch his breath and say his piece. "We've been skirmishing with the changelings for days now. Sometimes they break back into town, like just now, but the main part of their invasion force hasn't been seen yet. We...we haven't heard /anything/ from Canterlot since Nightmare Night. Luna...Luna's reverted to Nightmare Moon, and she keeps /raving/ about finding Celestia, and...and we haven't seen Captain Stoutflank since last week. I'm just his Lieutenant. Please..." -- Rainbow Dash gives the Lieutenant a strong glare, calm gradually returning to her. She turns aside, seething, angry at the entire situation. "...You did good, Lieutenant," she manages to say, before turning to Derpy again. "Ok...let's hear you. What...the hay is this 'bubble'?" It's probably another one of Derpy's weird affectations, but she's not in the mood to dismiss her outright, not today. Or tonight.

Derpy staggers around a little. Her eyes swing like pendulums, slowly losing energy, and then abruptly, both they and their owner go still. Derpy takes a deep breath. Dreamweaver seems to inspire trust. She ignores the guards and their conflict with Rainbow and sits down on the cold cobblestones, looking between the others. "Have to break bubble. Pinkie Pie lost." She uses her mouth to empty out the satchel, and jerks in anger when the goo sticks to its flap. Out tumbles a little greenish blue orb, just a few inches wide, egglike in shape and very hard and shiny. "Is from Queen. SO import. Compass says."

Skippy puts his hoof on the orb and rolls it around. "Huh? What's this." He leans over it to take a closer look.

Dreamy, for one, is happy Dash has headed off the guards. She gives a thankful nod and goes to help Derpy, trying to keep her calm, "Don't get mad, things get muddled with angry," she suggests. She looks to the item and says, "What do we do with this?" she asks, the tip of her horn glowing a bit with a dark blue, night-sky color with flecks of silver dust floating in it. "How

Enigma has disconnected.

Screenplay decides to head off to the hospital to see her doc
Screenplay has left.

Rainbow_Dash peers at the goo-covered 'bubble' Pinkie Pie lost? "Wait, wait, the Changelings took Pinkie Pie!?" she says, erupting in loud shock. "Where is she, where'd they-" She listens further, looking back and forth between Derpy and the 'bubble' which, to be frank, looks more like an egg. "Okay, okay, let me get this straight," Dash says, tapping her temple with her hoof again as she tries to think. "The Changelings have Pinkie, and the only way to find her is this...thing that you found with some 'compass'?" She idly rocks the bubble-egg back and forth. "This looks...totally useless to me."

The hard bauble is almost metallic in its outer texture, but feels light and makes a stone-like sound when Skippy and Rainbow roll it. "Yes, took," she says sadly to Rainbow, noting with regret that Screenplay and Enigma have wandered off. Derpy sniffs once. "Was gone before. In elect? FAKE pie." She sniffles again, wiping her hair back. "Compass that... that Freestone. Find you. I brought pig snout! And pig snout, plus compass... equals that." She points somberly at the egg. "Must pop, or night forever!!"

"So to fix our problem we have to break this? Seems simple enough." Skippy brings his leg up and stomps down on the orb, trying to smash it.

"So we have to break that thing?" Dreamy asks, coming to the same conclusion as Skippy. She was there at the election, well till she ran home and boarded up her doors. She keeps a light contact, a hoof on her shoulder at the very least, with Derpy. If these are answers the town needs then, by all means, she's going to have Derpy so relaxed she'll be speaking in formal Canterlonian if that's what it takes. To that, she gives the mixed up pegasus a light tap with the glowing horn, bestowing a brief moment of rest, relaxation, feeling like the moments before one wakes up, all snuggly in bed, happy. The effect is brief, though and fades after a few moments. If Skippy's unable to break it, she asks Derpy, "How do we pop it?"

To her surprise, Rainbow Dash thinks she can understand the basics of what Derpy is saying. Except for that part about the Compass, that sounded lime some freaky-deaky unicorn stuff that was out of her league. So, Chrysalis disguised herself as Pinkie, huh? "Whoa, hey, watch it!" she warns Skippy and Dreamweaver, trying to pry them away from the bubble-egg. "We don't - /I/ don't even know what that thing is! If we just smash that might ruin everything!" She ponders the object, rolling it back and forth. "There's gotta be /some/ way to open it without, uh..." Wait a second. Her eyes light up with a sudden idea. "Derpy, why don't we bring this to Twilight? Maybe she'll be able to figure out something!" I mean, only the fate of all Equestria was at stake.

The orb doesn't break underhoof--it's far too solid for that. Derpy, meanwhile, sways in place on the paved square, her eyes floating left and right, up and down. She takes deeper breaths, calming indeed. It's almost like there's a deep, autumnal music parading forth gently from the dark, leaf-heavy trees. She reacts with warmth to the touch of the horn, and the lost sleep from the last... night... this last fifty-five hour night... flows back to her, in part. She takes another deep breath and closes her eyes... and when she opens them, they are stable. "Cannot pop. Have try pushing, have try drill. Splash have tried grow and shrink, like true bubble. Maybe is softer now, but still not break." She looks toward Rainbow Dash. "Twilight missing," she says sadly. "Maybe return soon. HOPE return soon. Because Elements." She picks up the orb in her mouth and tosses it in the air; it lands on the cobbles and rattles as it rolls, undamaged. Her eyes brighten just slightly with a thought. "Maybe Diveboom??" she asks the cyan pegasus.

"It's a shame we don't have a dragon around," Dreamweaver notes. "I mean, they eat gemstones with easy, right? One could just...chew through this I'd imagine. It can't be harder than a diamond, can it?" She rubs her head a bit, pondering a few moments more. She gives Dash a curious look, sighing, "I'm not sure I've seen the librarian pony about," she admits. Once Derpy notes she's missing she frowns again, "I hope we don't have to find her next."

Skippy cocks his head and stomps on it again after Derpy throws it, and again and again. "Well heck that's hard. We should try dynamite! Got some back at the farm." He picks it up in his mouth.

"No! NO dynamite!" Rainbow yells, but she relents, realizing how rude that was. "Uh, I mean...no dynamite, please," she reiterates. Great, the only pony she knows who might have a solution is gone, and the best they have is...explosives? She looks at Derpy, wondering if, for a moment, the daft mare had some rare moment of brilliance. "I've...been practicing that move, actually. Trying to see if I can focus the force into a smaller spot." She makes motions with her hooves, bringing them together dramatically to illustrate her point. "We need something to keep it steady, though, and I'm not sure about you guys but I don't think holding it in your hooves is gonna work. Or be healthy. Heh." She grins sheepishly.

Derpy's eyes widen. "Dragon!!" she says. Of course! "But where is Spike??" Then Skippy's suggestion catches her ear. "Then dynamite!!" she exclaims, ready to head off to Skippy's farm. "Also peanut butter?" But then Rainbow tenders her advice. She gasps. "Steady?" She looks at the others and wonders. "Maybe Emerald gem-holder? Have in pack." She lifts her satchel and dumps out a metal device that seems designed for holding a gem steady while a pony works on cutting it.

"Or one of those gem eating dogs. Do they actually eat gems?" Dreamweaver says, "I admit to being somewhat unclear on the subject." She's had only minor runins with them. She /does/ run a fabric shop and does like to sell gem buttons and whatnot. Dynamite? Oh dear, "I don't know how... safe an idea dynamite is," she notes. Not that the Rainboom is probably much better but she seems at a loss, looking pony to pony with a light shrug.

Seafoam_Splash has arrived.

Dusk has arrived.

Skippy drops the orb back on the ground, addressing Rainbow. "Why not?" He looks at the gem holding device Derpy drops out of her bag. "Where do you get this stuff?"

Emerald_Star has arrived.

Rainbow_Dash was wondering that, too. "Derpy after this is over I'm going to take you on a field trip," she says, gazing at the derp's device with admiration. She helps Derpy place the egg in it, the mechanics of the tool simple enough for both of them to understand. "All right, guys, this is it," she says, looking at all three of them. "You guys should step back!" She jumps up into the air and flies straight upward, hurtling towards the clouds at incredible speeds.

Derpy looks innocent and somewhat delighted, maybe partly with delirium. "From Emerald Star!!" she exclaims to Skippy. "Have been trying to burst bubble for... for all NIGHT!" And the night has been very, very long. She looks tenderly at Dreamweaver, and then looks around the square, in case anypony else is here to help. She goes over to secure the 'bubble' in the device, and they connect the device to the handiest place--the edge of the fountain. Derpy's eyes then follow Rainbow high into the sky, and she steps back to what seems like a safe distance.

Dusk is just stepping out of the Research Center at the the time. He looks around seeing Derpy and the others and starts heading that way. "So anything new?" He doesn't notice Dash racing upwards. "I know a bit about the object's past, but probably not anything Lady Derpy doesn't already know.."

"Ummm," Dreamy says, not quite sure what to expect, so she sidles back several steps and ducks behind a heavy cart. She's heard of this, though hasn't seen it in action. Ears perk a little as she peers over the rim of the wagon as the pegasus comes zooming down.
You page, "And compass? Straight to deelie bop. Ev-e-ry time." to Dusk.

~Shoo be doo~
~Shoo shoo be doo~

Dreamweaver has disconnected.

Seafoam_Splash BURSTS out of the fountain. How long was she in there? Who knows. It doesn't seem like she really was. It's not very deep. But from the water she rises! To a new ... night! Stretching hooves over her head as if waking and yawning broadly! Wait, nobody is supposed to be awake at this hour. What is this hour even?! She settles down to all fours and looks around curiously, then smiles, "WELP! The.. fountain, is, clean, yep! I was down, under the fountain, cleaaaaaaaaaaanin the pipes, shoo-be-doo-right! That's where I was!" ... "Under the fountain." ... "Cleaning." ... "...I smell strawberries."

Screenplay has arrived.

Rainbow_Dash isn't one for words, or regrets, or paying attention, right now. She has a mission, darnit! She's gonna break open that egg in the most precisionally-awesome way possible! Her flight switches direction as she dives, her speed accelerating, the air compressing and collapsing beneath her as she zooms down down down. "Here I come! YEEAAAAAAAH!!" she yells in excitement, aiming her hoof at the egg so that the force will crack its gelatinous shell. Her rainbow contrail bursts into glorious and magnificent effusions of uncontrolled light as she totally slips up and collides with the egg using her face.

Screenplay comes back and looks to the others asking "So what is going on here

Seafoam_Splash is.. getting ready to leave the fountain when she sees the deeliebob again. Oh, that thing. It's hooked up to something. She starts to reach down to pick it up /because that's what you do/ when encountering strange things attached to other things. Then she hears something and lifts her head, flicking her ears. She looks around, sees Derpy, and starts waving a hoof at her. But Derpy isn't screaming? Odd. Who is then. She looks at the thing. It's not screaming. So she looks around a bit more, paces a circle, then looks up. As Rainbow gets bigger her eyes get smaller and her mouth hangs open just a bit. So terrifying is this sight that her eyes slip from white to yellow and glow a little. Then she starts screaming herself, "....aaaaa....AAHHHHHHHHHH?!", panic kicks in. Where to go?! What to do?! How much time does she have?! Not much! This could be scary! Is she in the line of fire? Probably! So she does the only thing a /perfectly natural earth pony with no significant talents/ would do in that sort of situation. She explodes into a cloud of bubbles.

Derpy is screaming now. Because her friends Seafoam Splash has just come out of the fountain and is standing in the path of the descending Dash! And doesn't seem to notice her! Derpy beats her wings and rises, flapping and panicking in place and getting ready to maybe swoop in, if she dares! But then... it's too late. There's an explosion. Seafoam explodes into nothing but... but seafoam. The fountain crumbles and falls apart in the shock of the collision, and the fountain wall crumbles to dust. In all of this, the orb, the bauble, the deelibobber, ricochets somehow into the air, and there it hovers for a tense second, surrounded by the bubbles that used to be Seafoam Splash. A loud sound can be heard that resembles an earthquake or the aftershock of an explosion, which in a way it is. One of the bubbles strikes the deeliebopper... and that turns out to be the final straw. The orb cracks open! Light emerges from it in a torrent--pink light, sending the shards of shell flying! And there...sprawled and flummoxed on the crumbled cobblestones by what used to be the Ponyville fountain... sits Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter, her head raised in mute astonishment, her mane a tangle of fine, wild, magenta curls.

Rainbow_Dash shouts "A large rainbow-coloured explosion rocks central Ponyville!" (Public-shout)

Dusk can't help but hear and then see the now incoming Rainbow Dash in maximum dive mode. The growing shockwave around her is distorting her image from this vantage but there is little question. Especially as the rainbooms start to go off up in the sky. Dusk isn't at ground zero but he's close enough and with no cover around. At this point instead of trying to teleport out, he braces for impact! Dash collides with the device and bobble with the full force of impact (well that her face can deliver, which is plenty). The blast goes out and hits everything in the area. The intense rainbow colors, almost too bright to look at, blast over him, a shimmering seen around him as he magically shields what he can. But even so the force drives the sizable stallion several times his length, a groove of well dug in hoof tracks from where he once was standing. Dusk just keeps blinking once the effect stops, though his mane and tail fall right back into their random seeming yet constant state. He still can't believe his eyes as they finally clear.. "Pinkie?" He still blinks a little more before hurrying over to make sure she, and everypony, are okay. Oh and Dash too.

Rainbow_Dash bounces off the remains of the fountain before smacking down on the ground on her side with an audible *thump*. Pain, /sharp/ pain exudes from every muscle (especially her face! There's a big bruise there); she groans loudly as she picks herself up. It feels like forever just to stand! Forever becomes microseconds, however, when she catches sight of Pinkie on the ground, and suddenly she's right next to her friend, gazing at her with profound relief. "Pinkie? PINKIE!!" she declares, bringing her hooves to clasp Pinkie Pie's cheeks. "You're alive! Thank Celestia!" She suddenly embraces her friend super-tight, so so glad that, for once, something positive is happening this week.

Screenplay looks seeing Pinkie she comes over as she bouces up and down. "Pinkie there you are I been looking for you.."

Pinkie Pie turns her head around, further and further and further, her awed smile getting bigger and her jaw dropping lower, until her whole upper-body is a twisty pink soft-serve pony. She leaps, and her lower body untwists in a flurry. "...it's over?!" She stands, her legs wobbly, as a rain of destroyed cement, clay, granite and limestone flakes tumble to earth around her. "...It's over!!!" she exclaims. "I'm FREE, I'm free, I'm Free, i'M fREE--you guys SAVED me!!" She slaps her hooves up against Rainbow's without hesitation. And then she puts them on Rainbow's cheeks, instead--but lightly, because of the bruised face. "Yeah! I was in the deeliebopper on the end of Queen Meanie the Second's crown!"

Seafoam_Splash is behind Derpy. Somehow. It's a little unclear to the observant observer how exactly, she got from the fountain, to behind Derpy, but there she is. Staring. With big eyes. The bubble popping the thing and the pony coming out after the rainbow one exploded? "SHOO-BE-DOO-TASTIC!", she exclaims rather suddenly, "That was SO K--E--EN!. . . .we need to find another pony maker rock and make more ponies. Will they all be Pinkie?", she inquires of Derpy, rather serious toned about doing this.

Derpy is, like Dusk, blown backwards by the explosion. And she sliiiides, wings flat against the ground, like most of the rest of her...right into Seafoam Splash. "MyEEp!!" exclaims the battered mailmare. She looks back, her hair a dirt-streaked mess and her mouth a confused frown. But when she hears and sees Pinkie, the frown doesn't last. "PINKLYY!!!"

Rainbow_Dash gladly accepts the hoof-up, but winces when Pinkie touches her face, despite the earth mare's gentleness. She shrugs it off quickly. "Oh yeah, now we're talking! Two Elements of Harmony ready for service!" Rainbow quickly becomes a bit more somber again, however, as she starts to explain the situation. "Look, Nightmare Moon's come back, and Queen Chrysalis is attacking Ponyville! We've gotta find the others and figure out how to sort through this...this mess!"

Dusk was already rushing over there too and welcome back Pinkie. And he certainly congratulates Rainbow, "That was amazing, Miss Dash!" He still keeps blinking. He thinks he's going to be seeing streaks of color for at least a week. "Well this means we have the real Miss Pie back. And all the Elements. Perhaps we can now find a way to beat this Darkness, or find.. um.. Oh yes, Princess Celestia." That was an odd thing to almost forget.

Rainbow_Dash gladly accepts the hoof-up, but winces when Pinkie touches her face, despite the earth mare's gentleness. She shrugs it off quickly. "Oh yeah, now we're talking! Two Elements of Harmony ready for service!" Rainbow quickly becomes a bit more somber again, however, as she starts to explain the situation. "Look, Nightmare Moon's come back, and Queen Chrysalis is attacking Ponyville! We've gotta find the others and figure out how to sort through this...this mess!"

Rainbow_Dash looks at Dusk. "Of course it was amazing!"

Pinkie's head swings up with a huge, audible gasp. "Say WHAT?! Nightmare *Moon* is back?? No!! What? How!" She backpedals away from Dash, trying to get a look at the distant Canterlot Palace spires. "So it's the original Queen Meanie versus the *knockoff* Queen Meanie? But that's a *terrible* crossover!!" She glances around at everypony, just in time to grin a little at Seafoam's cheer. Too bad the perfectly ordinary earth pony is leaving. Her hooves now awash in runoff from the fountain, Pinkie Pie leaps to attention. "We've gotta find Twilight! And Rarity! And Applejack! And Fluttershy! And Gummy! ...where is Gummy, anyway? I *totally* felt him gnawing on my egg when I was in there. He was like... GnRNRRraRarRAr!" She gnaws on her own foreleg to demonstrate.

Screenplay looks as she then looks to Pinkie. I am so glad you are save Pinkie I was worried.." she smooth her hair then says "Yes Night mare moon, and she is causing this night...'

Dusk chuckles at Dash. Taking the ground with her face at mac-rainbow and still going strong! He can't help chuckling at Pinkie's antics. "That sounds like a perfect plan! We shouldn't waste too much time either."


Deeliebopper(#1006)
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It's an oblate spheroid--light turqoise, slightly irregular on one side, shiny, glossy, and VERY hard.
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Object to @recycle: Deeliebopper(#1006)
[-] Recycled!


Rainbow_Dash realizes that it must be bad if she's bothering to keep up with Pinkie's eclectic and unpredictable thought processes. "I dunno about Gummy...or anypony! That's the problem. We've gotta look for 'em. Twilight is the first pony we need to find, since he knows all about the freaky-deaky magic stuff." She peers at Dusk, suddenly getting an idea. "Hey, you...you know about freaky-deaky magic stuff too, don't you? I think we'll need your help here!" She points at Dusk very determinantly with a hoof. Your. Help.

Pinkie Pie spins around on cue and points at Dusk at the same time, in unison with Dash, cement dust still settling on her mane. "We need you, Dusky!!" Her tail floofs. "But wait! Why *is* Nightmare Moon back? Did the Changeling Queen do that? Because that seems kind of like overkill. UNLESS it's so she could eat ALL the fear!!" Pinkie is more afraid already.

Derpy is standing by weakly, her energy mostly spent now that the bubble is broken and the job is done. She only wants to see things through. Her eyes are rotating in their busy course, but slowly.

Skippy has disconnected.

Derpy shouts "This nighttime? Verrry long. Afford time for reflect! And when star in sky seem to come into sense? Then is double meaning--one collect of light, and one collect of secrets. Welcome to newest player, GeminiStar!!" (Public-shout)

Dusk turns and looks behind him, then looks back again. He appropriately points a hoof to himself, "Me?" With a response of "You!" He chuckles. "Well I don't know about being freaky-deaky.. But yes I think I know a thing or two about magic." So does this make him the New Twilight? Well he won't think too much on that. "But what can I do to help? And I thought Changelings consumed love? One might think fear would not settle with them, or they'd just go around scaring ponies." Hmmm well lots of ponies are being scared now. He ponders and seems distracted in his tangent of thought, not looking at the others.

Rainbow_Dash blinks as Dusk gets distracted by his own thoughts. Were /all/ students of magic like that? "Uhh...right, anyway!" She looks at her two companions, Pinkie and this 'Dusky' or whoever he wasNot much, but it'll do for now. "I don't know exactly what's going on, either. I think...I heard something about Celestia going missing, and then Luna just going nuts about it. How about..." She taps her temple yet again. "How about we start with the library? Twilight can't be far from there!" She can't really imagine Twilight abandoning all those books.

Pinkie Pie nodnodnodnodnods. She opens her mouth to say something, but then just leaps into the air, cycles her legs for a second, and bZOOOOOOMMMs into the library, leaving a puff of pink smoke behind. "It feels so GOOOD to have LEGROOM AGAIN!!"

Dusk's attention is brought back by Dash's voice, "Oh. Well yes that's certainly the most likely place to find her. Though if she was there I suspect we'd find her." He's about to say more but Pinkie zips off. "Well looks like that settles that. Let's go!"

=======

And so Pinkie Pie (spoofed in this scene by Derpy), who had been imprisoned in one of the orbs on Queen Chrysalis's crown, was returned to Equestria at long last!

But what's to be done about Red Velvet?!