Inside a tree house/library/home, six mares are sitting at a table drinking tea and discussing what they're planning on how to proceed with the restoration of the castle of the two sisters while a small purple dragon watches with hearts in his eyes. “I still don't get it. Why is fixing some old, crumbling castle so important? I say just leave it to crumble.” “Rainbow!! The castle of the two sisters is a very important location! We've been there on multiple occasions, have read any of the…no nevermind you haven't.” Twilight sighs and bangs her head on the table. “Did you expect anything else darling? Rainbow Dash is an uncultured ruffian, she's a good loyal friend but still a ruffian.” Rarity says not looking up from filing her nails. “Alright, Twi — since Rainbow didn’t bother readin’ them papers, mind runnin’ through ’em real quick so we all know what we’re s’posed t’ do?” Groaning on the table before sitting up. “Fine, a few weeks ago I sent a letter to the princesses asking if it would be ok if we repaired their old castle in the everfree forest. The reason I've asked is to keep its history alive and known. As well as being able to study the everfree forest in greater detail.” “But that's egghead stuff, I'd rather be training for the wonderbolts! Not fixing a run down castle in a dangerous forest. And—” Twilight cuts her off. “Actually princess Luna was quite a fan of the wonderbolts before she became nightmare moon some of her old—” Quickly flying into the air, rainbow dashes eyes practically out of her skull. “Old wonderbolt merchandise?! What are we waiting for? Let's go!” She tries to rush out of the room, Applejack grabbing her tail before she could leave. “Hold on there, Rainbow Dash! Ya can’t just go rushin’ out all willy-nilly. We gotta plan this out proper-like, gather up what we need, and get ourselves ready fer the trip. I gotta see if Big Mac can take over the cart while I’m gone, too.” “Don't worry applejack you silly pony!! We just need to wait for a transition and we'll be ready to go!” Claimed pinkie pie while jumping out of her chair throwing confetti around. "What in tarnation are ya talkin’ about, Pinkie? What in the hay’s a… transition?” ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// [ENTRANCE TO THE EVERFREE FOREST] “This is what a transition is applejack!” Yelled pinkie now dressed in a safari outfit, carrying a few bags of supplies (mostly party supplies), the rest of the main 6 are standing around with her also fully dressed and packed, though looking completely confused on what just happened. Applejack had on her sturdier boots, a long sleeve shirt, weathered working pants and Stetson. She packed mostly apple based food she baked with granny during the transition. Rainbow Dash wore casual, tight fitting clothes and sneakers to help her fly and maneuver in the air. She was carrying a bag with energy foods and an empty bag for wonderbolt things from the castle. Rarity was wearing fashionable camo shirt and pants, gloves on her hands and fashionable boots made for show not for function. Fluttershy was wearing her casual clothes consisting of shorts and a pink shirt with a butterfly on the back. And twilight wore something similar to rarity, covered in pockets filled with paper, vials for collecting samples, pens to record her findings and required resources to fix the castle, back up pens and back up paper in case she loses them. "Ya know what… I ain’t even gonna question it. This here’s Pinkie logic, an’ I already know better’n to try an’ figure it out.” The rest of the girls nod their heads in agreement, pinkie just continues being pinkie. They stand silent for a moment until twilight breaks the silence, clearing her throat. “Well girls, if we're already let's head in before it gets dark. And stay together of course we live next to it but we still know very little on the everfree forest so—” Rainbow cuts in lazily flying into the forest path in front of her. “Yea, yes we get it egghead. We've lived here forever, we aren't fillies you know.” The rest of the group follow behind her soon after. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// [THE FRONT GATE OF THE CASTLE] “Well girls at least we got here smoothly for once. Usually we run into a manticore, cockatrice, or something else to make our lives hard.” "You can say that again, Twilight… but I can’t help feelin’ like somethin’s… off. Y’all get that feelin’ too?” “The forest isn't supposed to be this quiet girls…there should be deer, squirrels rushing around getting ready for winter, and even most of the insects are completely silent…aside from the faint buzzing I hear, i-i think something may be happening…something b-bad.” Fluttershy squeaks out, hiding behind applejack and rainbow, shaking like a leaf. “I have to agree as well darlings, I can't help but feel something is off…and twilight dear do you feel that…unfamiliar magic ambiance as well? I've never felt any magic like it.” “Now that you mention it rarity, there is a unique magic…there's two actually, one is unique the other is…wrong…it feels wrong. Let's put off repairing the castle and look into these magics, ok girls?” The other girls nod in agreement but Rainbow is inpatient and wants to find the old wonderbolt merchandise, but she remains with the group. As they're walking down a corridor, twilight studying the unique ambient magic. “This is odd…it appears to be mostly warding and protection magic but, everyone of them is pointing inwards?” Rainbow who was lazily flying above the rest of the group speaks up. “Why does it matter where it's pointing twilight? Magic is magic. It works regardless doesn't it?” “No rainbow it doesn't, where its pointing is important. Normally magics like these are directed outward stopping things from getting in somewhere, these however are inverted directed inwards towards the everfree. It's not keeping something out…it's keeping something in.” Twilights statement sends chills up each of their spines, including pinkies. Before any of them can speak they start hearing buzzing. A bee, roughly the size of a large kitten floats from a shimmering wall. It had a amber-blue striped body, with a pair of translucent crystal wings, it was carrying a old faded note book. The girls silently watches as it floats away from them and out of a hole in the roof. Twilight is the first to speak, looking over at fluttershy. “H-have you ever see a bee like that fluttershy?! And what about the wall? That was concealment magic. But no ponies should be here? So who put up the wards and the concealment magic? And how'd they—” Applejack cuts twilights ranting off. "Somethin’ ain’t sittin’ right, Twilight. All these strange magics, the forest bein’ quiet as a church on Monday, and now some big ol’ bee nopony’s ever laid eyes on before? We oughta get movin’ soon… or at least be ready to defend ourselves if it comes to that.” “What come on AJ! We can handle some big bees, and twilight is like one of the smartest unicorns in equestria! Whoever put up the guard magic doesn't stand a chance against her or us!” “Warding magic rainbow darling, not guard magic.” Fluttershy quiet as a mouse. “U-um girls…” “Why should we fight? We should try throwing a surprise party for the pony who put up those magics. And we need to throw a ‘we discovered a brand new species party’ party!!” Still quiet “G-g-girls…” "I dunno if that’s such a good idea, Pinkie. Whoever they are, they could be dangerous. I’m still sayin’ we oughta be careful… or just high-tail it outta here.” “GIRLS!!” The rest of the main 6 freeze startled both by the sudden yelling, and by the fact fluttershy was the source of the yelling. Now all staring quietly at the Pegasus. “What we should do is go to the hidden room the Bee came from to investigate, maybe we can find some information on the mystery unicorn there. If there is any sign of danger from the mystery unicorn we should try to talk to them or run away to safety. If the bees threaten us I'll negotiate with them. Now everypony, into the hidden room. I-if you want to I mean…” Clearing her throat, twilight speaks up. “Fluttershy is right, if it's dangerous we should leave. If not, we need to find out what they're doing here. So let's look around the secret room.” The rest of the group don't have any objections so they carefully enter the room and finds its a study. It's filled with books, papers, and a hand drawn map of the everfree, deeper and much more detailed than any pony has made. “We sure you haven't been here by yourself twilight? This looks like something you'd do.” “Rainbow Dash! Of course I haven't been here by myself, though I can't argue this is quite impressive. This map is easily 5, maybe 6 times larger than any of ours. And these notes and papers, ‘ashen timber wolf’, ‘glazebuzz bees’. I've never seen…any of these. If these are real the—” "Girls, y’might wanna take a look at this… Whoever this here belongs to’s been stalkin’ us. They got our names, our Elements, where we work an’ when — even got stuff on other ponies too.” Rushing over rainbow dash snatches the papers from Applejack. “What the?! They have some of my flight paths, my wonderbolt training…ha they claim I'm the fastest thing they've ever seen. Still creepy though.” “Why's it creepy Dashie? It's just like my party notes and you don't mind about those. Besides these aren't as detailed as them, they don't have how many times you've crashed while training like me!” Rainbow starts to yell at pinkie, her normally cyan coat now a vibrant red. Rarity yells out louder. “MY FASHION IS TOO MUCH FOR THEIR TASTES?! WHY WHEN I FIND THIS MARE I'LL—” “How do you know it's a mare rarity? It could be a stallion, you know?” Called out pinkie, laughing while playing with a small ornate cupcake with a crank. Popping out a different cupcake every time she cranks it, which she eats immediately. “…I doubt a stallion would be in the everfree, much less this…pinkie darling what's that?” Twilight only noticing once rarity says something to pinkie. “PINKIE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” “Eating cupcakes silly!” Chomps down on a pink cupcake with green frosting. “Oh! Bubblegum and pickle? Odd but tasty!” “Pinkie…how'd you know that isn't dangerous? That could be poison, or a trap.” “It's okay twilight the notes say it's almost entirely harmless, oh strawberry- chocolate with vanilla creme frosting! Here, read it.” Pinkie tosses the notes to twilight who reads them out loud. “(Day 113, Entry 6. Can be found throughout the deeper regions of the everfree but appears to be most common East of the mushroom caverns. Due to their appearance I've named them ‘cupcake conjurer’. Cupcake conjurers are a breed of small to medium sized mimics. 2 stars—not very dangerous. These mimics appear to be small ornate cupcakes with a crank, colors seem to be random, the most unique I've come across is a shiny rainbow that changes color. When their crank is spun they create a perfect cupcake of seemingly random flavors, the most bizarre combination I've come across, pickle, carrot frosting, with apple bits sprinkled on. Personal Notes- Why exactly did these creatures choose cupcakes to mimic, Where did they get the reference to copy cupcakes? And why does it work so well? )” “This is actually really interesting…but it could still be dangerous pinkie you shouldn't—” Twilight gets cut off by a new, deep male voice coming from the hidden door they entered, Startling the 6 mares. “Don't worry, I don't keep dangerous samples here. Though that cupcake does eat some magical energy from whoever cranks it. And everything I've seen has been edible and not dangerous. Just don't eat too many.”