It was a typical Monday in what the little ponies called "the Real World" over the rainbow. It was ten thirty in the morning, and Megan was sitting in third period history class at Abraham Lincoln Junior High School. Her teacher, Mrs. Pepperwinkle, was droning on about something while writing on the chalkboard. The entire student body looked bored to death. Megan cast a glance to her best friend (human friend, that is), Anne Chiang. Anne looked back at Megan, and rolled her eyes. Mrs. Pepperwinkle was the most boring history teacher in the entire seventh grade.
"And now, class," Mrs. Pepperwinkle said. "It is now time to select groups for our term project. And I will be choosing the groups."
A loud groan went up throughout the class. They absolutely hated it when the teacher assigned group projects. Mrs. Pepperwinkle usually does this so that best friends in the class didn’t pair up with each other. Usually, if best friends worked together, projects never got done. It was especially true with Franky McAlister and Mark Mills. They weren’t necessarily slackers, they just usually goofed around more than they worked, especially Franky. Megan didn’t care much for Franky. She thought he thought he was so cool just because his uncle was a famous rock star, and he was always bragging about him.
"Let me see here," she said, picking up the class roster. "Our first team will be . . . . Josh Shaver, Mark Mills, and Carrie Donaldson."
Megan heard two loud groans coming from behind her, belonging to Mark and Franky. Megan wasn’t surprised.
"Our next team," Mrs. Pepperwinkle said. "Anne Chiang, Megan Miller . . . ."
"Oh yeah!" Megan and Anne shouted, giving each other a high five. Mrs. Pepperwinkle knew Megan and Anne were best friends, and even though Anne hated school, whenever she and Megan teamed up for a project, it got done, and it got done well, because Megan usually kept Anne on track.
"And Franklin McAlister," Mrs. Pepperwinkle finished up.
"Oh no!" both Megan and Anne cried. They glanced towards the back of the room. A group of the boys were giving Franky thumps in the shoulder, as if they were congratulating him for getting two girls for partners. They figured this was going to be the worst project of their lives.
The three of them got together for study hall later that day. They sat down at a table by the window and began to discuss the project.
"So what are we going to do this project on?" Anne asked.
"Beats me," Franky shrugged. "History is so boring. Especially since we’re studying about the Middle Ages."
"Maybe we can do the Black Plague," Anne shrugged.
"Only if you can be the first victim," Franky replied.
"Hey, come on, you guys," Megan said, trying to restore a little order. "Look, we’ve got to do this project and we have to do it well, so let’s stop arguing and start thinking a little."
Franky shrugged and opened his history book. Megan and Anne did the same thing, and began leafing through trying to find a suitable topic for their report. As they were working, they heard a knock from the window. Megan and Anne looked, and saw Locket hovering there. The girls jumped up and started running for the door. Franky looked at them oddly.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"The bathroom," Anne said. "Megan and I bought the tuna surprise at lunch today. Gotta go!"
The girls raced out of study hall. Franky just shook his head. He knew better than to buy lunch at the school cafeteria. In any case, the girls ran outside of the school, making sure no teacher was around, and peeked around the corner. Megan motioned for Locket to come over to them and to get away from the window.
"Hi, girls," she said.
"Hi," Megan replied. "What are you doing here at school, Locket?"
"We just got news that the Princess Ponies are visiting the Estate," Locket replied. "We need some extra hands to set up for the party."
"Well, I don’t know," Megan said. "We might get in trouble for skipping school."
"Yeah, if we get caught, it could mean detention," Anne said.
"I’ll tell you what, Locket," Megan said. "School’s out in an hour. Come back then and bring Skydancer, Heart Throb, Medley, and Surprise. You and Skydancer can come pick up Anne and me, and then Heart Throb, Medley, and Surprise can go get Danny, Julie, Molly, and Tommy."
"You got it," Locket said, and she flew away.
"We’d better get back to study hall before Franky starts wondering about us and the tuna surprise," Anne said.
Megan agreed, and laughed over that one. Then the girls went back to study hall.
An hour later, Locket and Skydancer came down from the sky. Megan climbed on Locket, and Anne took Skydancer.
"Is the coast clear?" Locket asked.
"Yeah," Megan said. "Let’s go."
"I wonder if this is going to be like those royal party stereotypes?" Anne said.
"We don’t know," Skydancer said. "But I have to warn you, the Princess Ponies can be spoiled brats at times."
"I'll take my chances," Anne said, and the group flew to Paradise Estate to get ready for the party in honor of the Princess Ponies.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Paradise, the Princess Ponies were practicing magic tricks with their magic wands. Princess Tiffany flew into the air and looked around.
"Who's turn is it to be queen for the party at Paradise Estate?" she asked.
"Me!" Princess Sparkle shouted.
"You were queen last week! It's my turn!" Princess Starburst shouted.
"No, it's my turn to be queen!" Princess Primrose yelled.
"I thought it was my turn!" Princess Royal Blue yelled.
"It's my turn!" Tiffany shouted.
"Ladies, please, let's not get into a fight," Princess Serena said. "Besides, it's my turn to be queen."
All the Princess Ponies got into a huge argument over who's turn it was to be queen. They had finally decided to share the duties, now it was just a matter of figuring out who's turn it was to be queen! Finally, they ended up drawing straws for the title.
"I have the short straw!" Primrose shouted in delight. "I get to be queen for the party!"
"Best two out of three," Starburst said.
"Oh no, I won fair and square!" Primrose shouted.
"You cheated," Tiffany said. "I should be queen! I'm better qualified!"
"That's absured!" Royal Blue shouted. "I'm the best qualified!"
The Princess Ponies began arguing once again, yelling about why they should be queen instead of the other. As they were arguing about who's turn it was to be queen, and why (and before they could start a chorus of "By Right, I Should Be Queen"), they were being watched by an evil wizard named Dragor. He wanted to rule the world, but he could only do that through the Princess Ponies' magic wands.
"I'll find a way to steal those magic wands," he said. "Then I'll be the king of Ponyland, and the world!"
Dragor began to laugh. He figured that now was a good time to steal the magic wands, while the Princess Ponies were all arguing. He flew from his palace, and over to the Royal Paradise. Once he reached it, he raised his hands into the air, and blew the magic wands right out of the Princess Ponies' mouths.
"Hey!" Starburst shouted.
"Don't you know how to treat royalty?!" Tiffany demanded.
"Of course I know how to treat royalty!" Dragor shouted. "I'm royalty, aren't I?"
"Yeah, you're a royal creep!" Primrose yelled.
"Give us back our wands!" Sparkle shouted.
Dragor just laughed, and took the wands to his castle. The Princess Ponies just stood there, and gaped.
"Now what?" Royal Blue asked. "I'll bet you anything all the magic in Ponyland is going to go haywire."
"Just like it did the last time our wands were stolen," Starburst said.
"I think there's only one thing to do," Tiffany said. "Go to Paradise Estate early and ask the little ponies for help."
"But we don't exactly know where Paradise Estate is," Serena replied. "You found it last time by accident."
"It doesn't matter," Tiffany said. "We'll find it. Let's go."
The Princess Ponies marched across the Jewel Desert, in hopes they would find Paradise Estate.
Firefly and Medley were hanging a banner, especially made for the Princess Ponies. Megan was watching them, intently.
"A little lower, Firefly!" she called. "No, that's too low, bring it up a little. That's it, now move it to the right!"
"How's this, Megan?" Firefly asked.
"That's perfect!" Megan shouted. "Tie it off, guys!"
"No problem at all," Medley said.
"This gonna be great party!" Baby Cuddles shouted, as she knocked balloons up to Danny, who was hammering them to the wall along with Buttons.
"So what's the occasion?" Danny asked. "Is one of them gonna be crowned queen?"
"No," Buttons said. "It's just Heart Throb getting chummy with them so she can meet her prince charming. She's a hopeless romantic."
"It's not my fault," Heart Throb said. "You have a boyfriend, Buttons, and Shady has a boyfriend, I just want my prince to come!"
"Well, does he have to be prince charming?" Danny asked. "You've got a few guy ponies around here, you know."
"I know, darling, but none of them are my type," Heart Throb said.
"Well, thanks a lot!" 4-Speed shouted.
"I didn't mean it like that!" Heart Throb shouted.
Danny and Buttons shook their heads, and continued hammering balloons in place. Paradise and Julie were hanging streamers from the ceiling.
"We have to give this place a royal touch," Paradise said.
"I'm glad I got this job with you, Paradise," Julie said. "Can you tell me about the Princess Ponies?"
"Sure!"
Paradise began telling the story she heard of the Princess Ponies, and how they were in charge of the magic wands that kept the magical balance of Ponyland, while she and Julie continued hanging streamers. About an hour later, they got the entire Estate decorated.
"Perfect," Megan said.
"I hope the Princess Ponies like it," Paradise said.
"If they don't, it's their loss," Gusty replied.
"What time are they supposed to get here?" Fizzy asked.
"Twelve noon," Paradise replied, looking at the clock. "And we've got a half hour to go."
"Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll show up early," Magic Star said.
"Or maybe they'll change their minds and not come at all," Shady said. "Royalty is like that. They won't come because their Princess Ponies, and we're all just plain little ponies."
"Chill out, Shady," Anne said. "Royalty can never resist parties."
Everyone else agreed and began to relax.
Unfortunately, the Princess Ponies couldn't relax. They were still trudging around Ponyland, trying to find Paradise Estate.
"How much farther is it, Tiffany?" Sparkle asked.
"Don't nag me!" Tiffany shouted. "Remember, I found it by accident the last time!"
"You're the queen this week, Primrose," Royal Blue said. "Do something!"
"Like what?" Primrose asked. "We're hopelessly lost!"
"We'll just have to keep going until we find something," Serena said. "Let's go."
"I hope we find something soon," Starburst said. "My hooves are killing me!"
The Princess Ponies continued on. Of course, Dragor was watching them through his crystal ball.
"Well, there they go, trying to find help," he said. "That's just like a princess. They can never do anything for themselves. But soon, that will all change. Once I get the magic out of these wands, and into my own supply, I'll be king of the world!"
Dragor propped the wands up against a giant crystal, and the magic was sucked out of them, and into that crystal, which was Dragor's power source. He never left home without it.
"Now that I have all the magic of Ponyland," he said. "There's just one thing left to do. Head to the Royal Paradise, and take it over! Of course, it won't be much fun since the Princess Ponies aren't there . . . . . . . but what's the difference? They're no match for me, anyway!"
Dragor started laughing hysterically. He flew into the air, and headed for the Royal Paradise. He began looking around.
"Now let's see," he said. "There's this saying about the Royal Paradise. Whoever wears the royal crown of theirs rules Ponyland. If I can just find it . . . . ."
Dragor used his magic to tear apart the Royal Paradise, but he couldn't find the royal crown anywhere.
"Those Princess Ponies have hidden it well," he said. "No problem. No problem at all. I'll just find those Princess Ponies and make them tell me where they've hidden the crown!"
Dragor flew into the air, and followed the Princess Ponies' tracks. They were easy enough to find. As the Princess Ponies were walking, the sky began to cloud over.
"Looks like rain," Royal Blue said.
"I don't think it's a rainstorm," Sparkle said.
"That's because it isn't!" Dragor shouted, landing in front of the Princess Ponies.
"Oh no," Starburst groaned.
"That's right," Dragor shouted. "You Princess Ponies better have some experience in the salt mines, because you're now officially my slaves!"
Tiffany flew into the air, and darted away, just as Dragor surrounded the other Princess Ponies in magic, that morphed into a giant cage on wheels.
"Oh no!" Tiffany shouted as Dragor carted the other Princess Ponies back to the Royal Paradise. "What am I going to do now? I've got to find Paradise Estate . . . . . but I'm not even where to go . . . . . I don't know, I don't know . . . . oh, I'll go this way!"
Tiffany, in sheer confusion, flew off in one direction, away from Paradise Estate. She ended up flying down to Earth, and ended up right outside a ranch house.
"Oh a house!" she shouted. "Thank goodness! Maybe someone's at home!"
Tiffany tried to fly through the window, but found it locked. She looked inside, and saw that no one was home.
"Oh dear," she said. "No one's in. Very well. I'll just wait."
Tiffany figured she'd be in for one long wait. But luck was with her. The door flew open just then, and Franky walked inside, flinging his backpack on the floor.
"Anybody home?!" he called out.
No answer. Franky wasn’t surprised. No one was usually home when he came home from school. He walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the icebox then retrieved his backpack, pulled out his notebook, and his math textbook, and began working on his homework. Tiffany knew she had to get inside and fast. She decided to fly into the window. Maybe she could force it open. She backed up, and rammed the window as hard as she could. Her plan didn't work. All it did was made a huge noise, that attracted Franky's attention. He looked at the window, but saw nothing. He shrugged, and went back to his homework. Tiffany tried again, but with the same results. But she wasn't about to give up. By the third time she tried it, Franky got sick of the noise. He finally got up, and opened the window. The minute he opened it, Tiffany came barreling in, and she crashed right in the window frame. Her front was in the house, and her back was hanging out the window.
"Whoa!" Franky shouted, jumping backwards.
"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry," Tiffany said.
"I gotta be dreaming," Franky said. "A white horse . . . . . all white, with wings, and one that talks . . . . I gotta be cracking up!"
"Actually, I'm Princess Tiffany of the Royal Paradise. And the other Princess Ponies are in deep trouble. We need help."
"Well . . . . . I don't know. I’ve never been on a horse in my life!"
"But my friends are in very big trouble, and Ponyland and the whole would could be at stake! You have to come with me!"
"If my parents found out about this, I could get into trouble, but . . . . . since this is an emergency, I guess it's okay. As long as I’m back in time for dinner. Then my mom’ll be really sore at me!"
Tiffany climbed out of the window, and Franky climbed on her back.
"Ready for take off," he said.
"Hold on," Tiffany said. "We have to hurry!"
Tiffany took off. Franky had to hold on to her mane for dear life! He sure wasn't used to riding, much less flying! Tiffany found his grip very uncomfortable.
"Would you mind loosening your grip?" she asked. "You're pulling my hair!"
"I can't help it!" Franky shouted. "I told you I’ve never ridden a horse before, much less flown on one! Cut me a break!"
"Oh very well."
Tiffany slowed down a little. In all fairness, Franky loosened his grip. They landed in Dream Valley shortly afterwards. Now the problem was figuring out where to go.
"I suppose you don't know the way to Paradise Estate," Tiffany said.
"Nope," Franky said. "This is my first time in Ponyland. I guess we'll just have to play it by ear."
"I suppose so. Come on. I believe it's this way."
Franky and Tiffany walked off. Luckily for them, Tiffany knew just the person to go to, and they were right where they needed to be, in the Mushromp.
"Oh thank heaves we’ve found the Mushromp!" she sighed. "This is where the Moochick lives. Maybe he'll know what to do!"
"I hope so," Franky said. "I also hope you know what you're doing."
"I hope so, too."
Franky walked up to the door, and knocked on it. The Moochick answered it, and looked around.
"Hmm," he said, looking at Tiffany. "If I'm not mistaken, you are one of the famed Princess Ponies."
"That's right," Tiffany said. "And we need your help."
"My, my, my, my," the Moochick said. "Another one. What would you little ponies do without me?"
"We're mainly here to ask directions," Tiffany said. "What can you tell us about a wizard named Dragor?"
"Yeah, and where's he hiding?" Franky asked.
"Dragor, eh?" the Moochick said. "Hmm, let me see, let me see. I believe I have a book around here somewhere . . . . ."
The Moochick began throwing things everywhere in his house, looking for his book. His rabbit, Habbit, sighed, and handed the Moochick the book he was looking for.
"Ah! Here it is!" he shouted, flipping to the page he needed. "It says here that Dragor once tried to take over Ponyland."
"Well, it looks like he's at it again," Franky replied, folding his arms across his chest.
"Apparently so," Tiffany said. "He's stolen our magic wands, and then he's taken the other Princess Ponies!"
"You'd better tell us where he's hiding, Mr. Moochick," Franky said. "I'm in a hurry."
"It's beyond Paradise Estate," the Moochick said. "Far away from Dream Castle, and across Fluttery Valley."
"But neither of us know where Paradise Estate is!" Tiffany shouted.
"I have just the thing," the Moochick said. "A map is exactly what you need."
"Perfect!"
"Now let me see, what did I do with . . . ."
Habbit groaned, and handed the Moochick the map he was searching for.
"Ah, here it is, I knew I'd find it," he said.
"Sheesh," Habbit groaned.
Franky took the map, unrolled it, and looked at it. Then he rolled it back up and jumped onto Tiffany's back.
"Thanks a lot, Mr. Moochick!" he shouted. "Let's hit it!"
Tiffany took to the air and flew towards Paradise Estate, as fast as she possibly could, which was making Franky feel a little nauseated.
"Hey Tiffany, slow down," Franky said. "I think I’m getting airsick!"
"We're in a terrible hurry!" Tiffany shouted.
Franky shrugged. It was about all he could do. As they were flying, they passed over Paradise Estate. The ponies and their friends saw her go by.
"Hey, was that Princess Tiffany?" Fizzy asked.
"Princess Tiffany?" Paradise asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Magic Star said. "Who’s that on her back?"
"I don’t know, I can’t see," Fizzy said.
"Kind of looks like someone we know from school," Megan said. "And that someone is Franky McAlister."
"Franky?!" Anne shouted. "What the heck is he doing here?!"
"The Royal Paradise must be in trouble," Paradise replied. "Why else would she have gone to earth?"
"Well, we'd better go follow them," Paradise said. "Megan, Anne, Magic Star, Twilight, Bow Tie, Sundance, and Heart Throb, you come with us. The rest of you stay here in case they happen to fly back."
The group agreed. Megan and Anne climbed onto Paradise and Heart Throb and flew off. Twilight, Sundance, and Bow Tie followed on foot.
"What are we looking for?" Bow Tie asked.
"You got me," Sundance said. "I'm just wondering where they could have gone."
"I guess we should follow in the direction they went in," Paradise replied.
"Sounds good to me," Heart Throb replied.
And with that, the ponies and their friends were off.
In the meantime, Tiffany and Franky had arrived at Dragor's castle. They were hovering by a window, looking inside. Dragor had the Princess Ponies chained by their necks in his throne room.
"For the umpteenth time!" Dragor shouted at them. "Where are you hiding that crown of yours?!"
"Do you honestly think we'd tell you where it is?" Primrose asked.
"We're not as dumb as we look," Serena said.
Dragor was about ready to explode then. He curbed his temper and sighed.
"Very well," he said. "Then it's back to the dungeon for you, until you decide to tell me where the crown is! In the meantime, I'll go look for it myself. Again."
The Princess Ponies trudged back to the dungeon. Tiffany and Franky were just hanging around, trying to think of a plan.
"We have to go in there and rescue the other Princess Ponies!" Tiffany shouted.
"Wait, hold it," Franky said. "I think I have a better idea."
"What's that?"
"You've got something he wants, right?"
"Yes, our crown."
"Well, where do you keep it?"
"Hidden in the Royal Paradise."
"Yeah, and he's on his way over there to steal it. I think we'd better split to the Royal Paradise and get to that crown of yours before he does!"
"Oh of course. It's written that whoever possesses the crown is the ruler of Ponyland."
"Then let's hit it!"
Tiffany flapped her wings as hard as she could. She had to fly faster than she had ever flown before. Of course, they were in direct path with Heart Throb, and Paradise. Tiffany and Paradise collided with each other.
"Hey, watch where you're flying!" Franky shouted.
"You watch where you're flying!" Anne shouted. "Well, well, well, look who it is."
"Megan, Anne, what are you guys doing here?!" Franky asked.
"Funny, we were going to ask you the same thing," Megan replied.
"I'll tell you later," Franky said, as Tiffany flew off. "We've got to get to the Royal Paradise before this evil wizard does!"
"Franky!" Megan yelled.
"Oooh, I’d really like to pop him one," Anne growled. She stuck two fingers in her mouth, and whistled to Magic Star, Twilight, Bow Tie, and Sundance.
"Turn the other way!" she shouted. "We've got to go to the Royal Paradise!"
"What's going on?" Sundance asked.
"No time," Anne said. "We've just gotta go!"
"Do you know how to get there Paradise?" Heart Throb asked.
"I sure do," Paradise said. "Come on, everybody!"
The little ponies turned, and started to follow Princess Tiffany to the Royal Paradise. They were only lucky they made it before Dragor did. Tiffany walked into a cave, where the Princess Ponies had their crown hidden. She pulled it out, and handed it to Franky.
"Okay, we've got it," he said. "Now the question is what to do with it."
"We've got to hide it before Dragor gets here," Tiffany said. "But we can't hide it in the Royal Paradise."
They were about to contemplate it a little more, when Megan, Anne, and the little ponies arrived. Megan and Anne jumped off Paradise and Heart Throb and stormed over to their classmate, and the Princess Pony.
"Start explaining," Anne demanded.
"I'd like to, but there just isn't any time," Franky said. "It's a long story, so I'll sum it up. Princess Tiffany came down to the Pad. She told me she needed help, I knew you guys had your adventures with the ponies, and I thought you were at a gig, so I told her you'd be back any minute, but she told me she couldn't wait that long because the other Princess Ponies were in trouble, and since she couldn't wait, and since I was the only one there, I flew back here with her. It was an emergency. Now what are you two doing here?"
"I’ve been coming to Ponyland for a long time," Megan said. "It’s my home away from home, and my brother, my sister, and my cousins come here a lot, as well."
"How do you explain Anne, then?" Franky asked.
"It was another emergency," Anne said, glaring at Franky.
"Okay, fair enough," Franky said. "So are you guys just gonna stand there, or are you gonna help us?"
"Okay, we'll help," Anne grumbled. "What do you want us to do?"
"Take the crown and hide it," Tiffany replied.
"Hide it?" Bow Tie asked. "Where?"
"Give it to me," Magic Star said. "I’ll take it and hide it from that wizard!"
Magic Star took the crown and ran off. Megan, Anne, and the other little ponies followed her. Franky climbed back on Tiffany, and the two of them flew towards Dragor's castle, to free the other Princess Ponies. Two minutes after they left, Dragor appeared in the Royal Paradise, and began searching for the crown again. This time, he tore things apart using his magic, breaking things to pieces. The Royal Paradise was reduced to rubble, and he still couldn't find that crown.
"It's got to be around here somewhere," he said. "If I could only capture that Princess Pony that got away . . . . although she might be at my castle, trying to rescue her friends by now. I'll surprise her. Heh, heh."
Dragor flew off towards his own castle. Tiffany and Franky were walking through the hallways, looking for the dungeon.
"Oh man," Franky said. "This place is giving me the creeps!"
"Keep looking," Tiffany said. "At least we know the crown is safe. And once we free the other Princess Ponies, we'll get out magic wands, and put a stop to this."
"If we find the other Princess Ponies. If you ask me, we're walking in circles."
"Yes, but no one asked you," a voice said. Tiffany and Franky turned around and saw Dragor standing right behind them.
"Oh dear," Tiffany said.
"Well, looks like I caught the one that got away," Dragor said. "Now tell me, where's that royal crown of yours? Where are you hiding it?!"
"Let's fly!" Franky shouted, jumping on Tiffany's back. She took off, and sped for the nearest window. Dragor just stood there, smiling. He knew where they were heading.
"What do we do now?" Tiffany asked.
"Head for Paradise Estate," Franky said. "We're gonna need help from the others."
"Right. I just have to keep flying!"
"Uhh, Tiffany, I think that window up ahead is a little small."
"Don't worry. We'll get through."
Franky sort of gulped. Indeed, the window was a small one. He was worried Tiffany wouldn't be able to fly through it. He ducked as low as he could, but it didn't do any good. Tiffany made it through the window. Unfortunately, Franky ended up banging his forehead on the frame, and he fell backwards off Tiffany's back.
"They should put signs on these windows," he said.
"I knew you wouldn't get out of that window," Dragor said, walking over. "I wasn't so sure about that darn Princess Pony, but I knew you wouldn't. You seem to be pretty chummy with those Princess Ponies, so why don't you tell me where they're hiding that crown of theirs."
"Would you believe I don't know?"
"You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?!"
"I mean I don't know!"
"You're holding out on me!"
"Now would I do that?"
"You're just as stubborn as those Princess Ponies! I have ways of making you talk!"
Dragor grabbed Franky's arm, and dragged him up a staircase that led to the roof. He looked down and smiled.
"Good," he said. "We're at just the right altitude. Now then, tell me where the crown is. If you tell me, I'll let the Princess Ponies go free."
"And if I don't?" Franky asked.
"It would be a very unfortunate accident if you were to fall from the balcony here. It's a very long way down to the ground."
"I wasn't born yesterday, pal. If I tell you where the crown is, you won't free the Princess Ponies. Besides, I don't know where it is. I gave it to some friends of mine, and they took off. I don't know where it is now!"
"I don't know why, but I believe you."
"You do?"
"Of course I do. Only a complete idiot would stick to a story like that. Most likely, the crown's at Paradise Estate."
"Glad you see it my way."
"Of course, what kind of evil wizard would I be if I didn't keep my promises?"
Dragor grabbed Franky's shoulders, and threw him over the side of the tower. Then he walked back to the doorway.
"That takes care of that," he said. "Now to Paradise Estate to retrieve my crown."
Dragor laughed, and walked away. Franky looked down to see how far the ground was from where he was falling.
"What I wouldn't give for wings right about now!" he shouted.
"Gotcha!" Princess Tiffany shouted, flying back. She managed to catch Franky before he could hit the ground.
"Well, if I can't have wings, I guess I can settle for the next best thing," he said. "Thanks a lot, Tiffany. In a few seconds, I would've been street pizza!"
"You're welcome," Tiffany said. "Now, let's free the other Princess Ponies while Dragor tries to find his way to Paradise Estate!"
"Magic Star had to have hidden the crown there. We'd better hurry and find the Princess Ponies!"
Tiffany flew through a larger window, and then went directly down to the dungeon. The other Princess Ponies were trying to think of how to escape.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Primrose asked.
"I just hope Tiffany was able to find help," Starburst said.
"I wish we had our magic wands," Royal Blue said. "Then we'd be able to break out of here."
"Listen," Serena said. "Someone's coming."
The five Princess Ponies walked up to the door. Sparkle stood on her hind legs and looked out the window of the door.
"Hey, everybody!" she shouted. "It's Tiffany!"
"We're saved!" Starburst shouted. The other Princess Ponies began jumping up and down, cheering.
"You're not saved yet," Franky said.
"We don't have the key," Tiffany said. "How are we going to get them out of the dungeon without the key?"
"Don't worry about that," Franky said. "I take karate. I'll just kick down the door. Everybody stand back!"
The Princess Ponies backed up. Franky backed up himself, and then ran for the door. He extended his leg, and gave the door one heck of a kick.
"Hiya!" he shouted, as the door popped open. The Princess Ponies cheered, and ran out.
"Now to get our magic wands," Serena said. "I know the way. Follow me!"
Franky and the Princess Ponies ran to Dragor's throne room, and retrieved their magic wands. They tested them out, and found they were still working.
"Oh good," Royal Blue said. "Dragor didn't use up all their magic."
"Now to get to Paradise Estate," Sparkle said. "But how are we going to find it?"
"Don't worry about that," Franky said. "I've still got the map. Let's split!"
The Princess Ponies cheered, and ran out of the castle. In the meantime, Dragor was tearing apart Paradise Estate, and terrorizing the little ponies, looking for the crown.
"I'll find that crown if it's the last thing I do!" he shouted.
"He'll destroy our home!" Lofty shouted.
"What are we going to do?" Shady asked.
"Go get the Rainbow of Light!" Julie yelled. "That'll take care of the likes of him!"
"I hope you know what you're doing, Julie," Wind Whistler replied, as Shady ran off to find the Rainbow of Light.
"The Rainbow of Light can take care of anyone, Wind Whistler," Julie replied. "I just hope Megan and the others make it back all right."
Shady returned with the Rainbow Locket, just as Paradise, and Heart Throb flew over the clearing. Twilight, Sundance, and Bow Tie were following. And they were empty handed.
"What's going on here?" Megan asked.
"Stand back, Megan!" Julie shouted, opening the heart shaped locket.
The Rainbow of Light flew out, and charged for Dragor. The wizard yawned, pointed his index finger, and zapped the rainbow. It became stiff as a board, and then exploded into pieces.
"I hope you ponies are good at jigsaw puzzles," Anne replied.
"I'll ask it again," Megan said. "What's going on here?!"
"Some wizard came by and started tearing the Estate apart!" Shady shouted.
"And he's still at it!" Wind Whistler shouted. "I believe he's looking for the crown of the Royal Paradise. But isn't it there?"
"No, it isn't," Paradise said. "One of Megan’s classmates gave it to us to hide."
"Did you hide it?" Molly asked.
"Yes, but I can't tell you where just yet," Magic Star said. "Senor Psychopath is still tearing apart the Estate, and he might be within earshot."
"Megan! Anne!" Franky called out as he and the Princess Ponies came from around the bend.
"About time you got back here," Anne said, as Tiffany landed.
"Did you hide the crown?" Franky asked, climbing off Tiffany's back.
"Yes, it's hidden," Magic Star said. "It's in a place Dragor would never find it."
KA-BOOM! A loud crash of thunder was heard. It was so loud the ground began to shake! Everyone was knocked off their feet.
"What's this? An earthquake?!" Franky shouted.
"I want the crown, and I want it now!" he shouted. "Tell me where it is!"
"Not on your life!" Magic Star shouted. "I've hidden it somewhere you'll never find it!!"
Dragor was about to rip Magic Star’s head off by this point. However, out from underneath the ground, the Bushwoolies popped up, carrying the crown from the Royal Paradise with them!
"We got the crown," one said. "What do we do with it now?"
"Yeah, what now? What now?" the other Bushwoolies asked. "What now? Yeah, what now?"
"Oh no," Magic Star groaned. "I told you guys not to come to the Estate with that!"
"Ah ha," Dragor said. He took the crown from the Bushwoolies and held it up. "At last, I've got it! Ha, ha, and now, Ponyland will be mine!"
"Magic Star, you gave it to the Bushwoolies?!" Lofty shouted.
"It was a good idea at the time," Magic Star said, sheepishly. "How was I to know they'd come back with it?"
Dragor put the crown on his head, and the ground began to shake again. Everyone was knocked off their feet. Dragor laughed, as a chunk of the land rose high into the air. The group below stared at him.
"What are we going to do?" Shady asked. "Ponyland's doomed!"
"I'd jump up there and grab the crown," Bow Tie said. "But I can't jump that high."
"I can't, either," Sundance replied.
"I'm gonna go for the double inside out loop!" Firefly shouted. "And knock the crown off his head!"
Firefly flew into the air, and did her trick. Before she could even do a loop, Dragor blasted her, and she fell. CRASH!
"You'll never win now, little ponies!" he shouted, cackling madly.
"Don't bet on it, Dragon Breath!" Franky shouted, jumping on Tiffany. "Blast off, Tiffany!"
Tiffany gripped her magic wand in her teeth, and took to the air. She aimed, and blasted a piece of magic at Dragor. It hit him square in the chest. He backed up a little, but that didn't stop him. He blasted at Tiffany, but she blocked it with her magic wand.
"Come on, Princess Ponies!" Lofty shouted. "She can't do it by herself!"
"All of us need to use our wands on this creep," Starburst said.
The Princess Ponies aimed their magic wands at Tiffany's beam. A bright light shot towards them, and a rainbow came out of the combined magic. The rainbow sailed towards Dragor, and blasted him.
"Noooo!" he shouted. "This can't happen!"
"You lose, Dragon Breath!" Franky shouted, grabbing the crown. He tossed it downwards. Princess Primrose caught it on her head.
"I'm queen this time!" she shouted, happily.
"Best two out of three," Starburst grumbled.
Dragor began screaming. Bright lights came out of nowhere. It was the wizard's magic, shooting out of him in all directions. Whatever the beams hit was blasted beyond recognition.
"Everybody scatter!" Danny yelled.
Every single Pegasus pony flew into the air to avoid the beams. The unicorns winked out. Everybody else ducked for cover. Tiffany started flying higher into the air.
"Not too high, Tiffany," Franky said, looking down. "I don't think I'd like to fall off at this altitude!"
Tiffany didn't listen. She just used her magic wand to zap away the beams coming from Dragor, who was about to explode. Finally, KA-BLAM! Dragor was blown to pieces, but his magic was flying all over the place.
"How long can this go on?" Anne shouted, ducking a beam.
"It shouldn't be too much longer," Paradise replied.
Everyone continued to duck the beams, trying to avoid getting fried. Tiffany continued to try to fight off the beams with her magic.
"Something's going to give soon!" she shouted. "I can feel it!"
One of the beams came on at an extremely fast pace. Tiffany wasn't able to blast it with her magic wand, and it hit her. She let out a loud scream, and began bucking like a bronco right in the air.
"Whooaaa, Tiffany, wait a minute!" Franky shouted, struggling to maintain a hold on Tiffany's back.
"Princess Tiffany, stop!" Paradise shouted, flying into the air. "He's going to fall off!"
Tiffany didn't stop. She continued to scream and panic, until Franky indeed fell off her back, and plunged downward.
"Tiffany!" he screamed.
"Oh no!" Shady shouted.
"I can't look!" Anne yelled, covering her eyes.
"Oh dear!" Tiffany shouted.
"Hurry before he hits!" Firefly yelled, zooming into the air.
Paradise, Heart Throb, Firefly, and Tiffany zoomed into the woods where Franky had been falling. The four of them ended up crashing into each other, and Franky ended up crashing into them. The four pegasi managed to break his fall, to say the least. They landed on the ground, and Franky climbed off them.
"Did we vanquish the villain or not?" he asked.
"Where did you pick that up?" Paradise asked.
"I'm twelve. TV is my life."
Everyone else began jumping around and cheering. Then the Princess Ponies got their wands together again, and their rainbow surrounded Paradise Estate, restoring it back to the way it had always been.
"I say this calls for a celebration," Paradise said.
"I guess we get to have that party for the Princess Ponies after all," Julie replied.
The Princess Ponies used their wands to create decorations for the party. It was the best party the little ponies had ever thrown in Ponyland. Franky was hanging out with the Princess Ponies, who were showing off with their magic wands.
"We wanted to thank you, Franky," Tiffany said. "You really saved the day."
"It wasn’t much," Franky said shrugging.
"But you deserve the praise," Tiffany replied. She took her wand in her mouth and flew into the air. "Therefore, as leader of the Princess Ponies . . . ."
"Hey, I'm the queen around here this time!" Primrose shouted.
"Then with your permission, may I do this, please?" Tiffany asked.
"Sure, go ahead."
"Thank you. As one of the leaders of the Princess Ponies, I dub thee Sir Franklin, honorary knight of the Royal Paradise."
All the little ponies began cheering. Megan, Molly, Julie, Tommy, and Anne began applauding, and Danny actually stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
"Thanks, you guys," Franky said.
"Well, since that adventure's over," Megan said, checking his watch. "I'd say it was time we were heading back."
"Aw, Megan, do we have to?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, we have to," Megan said. "You’re mom’s going to be worried, and we all have school tomorrow."
"Do we really have to go to school?" Franky asked.
"Even honorary knights need their education," Anne said. "Even Sir Galahad had to take Math."
"Darn!"
Everyone started laughing. The boys climbed onto the Pegasus ponies, and then flew back home. Once they landed, Megan, Danny, Molly, Anne, and Franky climbed off while Paradise and Lofty flew Julie and Tommy back to their house. Danny and Molly ran inside the house while Megan and Anne turned to Franky.
"Listen, Franky," Megan said. "Ponyland means a lot to me, Danny, Molly, and our cousins. So you can’t tell anyone about it."
"Why not?" Franky asked.
"Because there are some people who would try to go to Ponyland and sell the ponies to a circus or a zoo or something," Anne said. "So you’ve gotta keep this place a secret. Okay?"
"Gotcha," Franky said. "Don’t worry, guys, I won’t tell anybody about Ponyland."
"Pinky swear?" Megan and Anne said in unison, holding out their pinkies.
"Pinky swear," Franky replied. The three of them did a three way pinky-shake.
"We’d better get going," Anne said.
"Hey, let’s all meet back here tomorrow to discuss our history project," Megan said.
Anne and Franky agreed, and started on their way home.
The End