Soarin had found himself wondering though a wild forest.

           "This may be a good place to rest," he said to himself. He sat down on a nearby stump and pulled out an apple. It smelt like the pies he had at the palace. Before he could dig his teeth into the juicy fruit, he heard a high pitched scream, much like a mare.

            "Cosa stai facendo scappare!" cried the voice.

Soarin was unsure what it meant, but it sounded as if this mare was in distress. He stuffed the apple back into his bag and soared to the sound of the voice.

Many ponies of different shapes and sizes were attacking a wagon.

            "Get your claws of my masterpiece!" yelled a purple unicorn.

A strange creature with a head of a pony with deer antler and goat horn upon it, a serpent body and snake tail, he held onto the tube with an eagle claw and lion paw. He floated in mid-air using a bat and pegasus wing, kicking at the mare with a lizard leg and donkey hoof.  The creature kicked the mare in the chest, causing her to slip and fall into the mud and leaves.

            "Looks like I got your masterpiece." The creature said. He whistled, calling all the other ponies to follow him, one of them being a pink filly with a curly purple and white mane, but also unusual swirly eyes.

            Soarin reached the scene just before the creature escaped. He stared at the creature that started to run. Soarin leaned down to the mare.

            "Are you alright?" he asked.

The mare rubbed her head but as soon as her eyes opened she screamed once again.

            "IL MIO LAVORO! IL MIO LAVORO! Si de devetornare indietro!"

Soarin raised an eyebrow. The mare grunted.

            "My work!" she pointed at the creature. "You must get it back!"

            "No I can't, the guards will assist you."

He began to rise but the mare used her magic to pull at his hair.

            "Principe Soarin! You will get my work this instant!" she commanded. She realised his mane and her purple eyes of anger turned to begging. "Please Sir, it's my life!"

Soarin rubbed his head as he got up and chased the thief.

The creature saw the prince running towards him. The pink foal suddenly appeared beside him.

            "Discord its okay. I got this!" she said.

            "That's my little Screwball." He chuckled as he passed the tube to her; he instantly vanished as soon as the object left his grasp. Screwball turned her head to see that the prince now had a sword in his mouth, and was flying. She had not expected that, her swirly eyes shrank when she turned her head to be greeted by the thin air, how could she have been so foolish to of run straight off the edge of a cliff?

            "DADDY!" Screwball cried.

Just one meter from the harsh ground, she felt two blue hooves around her. She looked up and saw the green eyes of an annoyed prince. She squeaked as she dropped the masterpiece. Soarin caught the tube, in result dropping the filly. Soarin smiled as he soared back to the mare. Screwball rubbed her head, when she opened her eyes she realized that she had failed. She rolled up in a ball and cried.

            "Screwball!" Discord cried. He picked up the small filly. "Are you alright?"

The filly nodded.

            "I'm sorry Discord, I lost the painting."

Discord lifted the filly up to his eye level.

            "Don't worry; what matters is your safe."

The two embraced.

           "I love you daddy." Screwball whispered happily.

Soarin gave the unicorn her tube; she took it and instantly opened it to pull out a large piece of card, rolled up so it would fit.

            "A painting? I gave away my freedom for a painting?"

            "Not just any painting."

It was a painting of a young unicorn, with a pale grey coat and a purple and white mane. The background was simple yet it looked as if it took centres.

            "She mocks me." Soarin sighed. "I tried to see the world yet I am here."

            "One she is my mother and two why are you here?"

            "Because some pony," he said starring at her. "Had me chase after a painting."

The royal guards started to arrive.

            "Prince Soarin, where have you been?" asked a yellow-orange pegasus guard with blue hair, since he was wearing gold armour he was most likely the Captain.

            "He has been so kind of to assisted me." The unicorn replied.

            "Well, that is still no excuse for why you flew from the castle again."

            "Does it actually matter? He's here now! And there is nothing much you can do about the past."

            "Well then, Miss Sparkle since your wagon seems to have been ambushed you may ride in this carriage." He said pointing at the one behind him, which was empty but was pulled by two earth ponies. Soarin blinked, wondering if he miss-heard.

            "Your Twilight Sparkle?" he asked.

            "Well, yes, I am also your aunt but we'll get on that latter."

As Twilight started to gather her things Soarin turned her around and started shaking her hoof wildly.

            "The Twilight Sparkle! And she's my aunt, well that's even better!"

            "Um, why?" Twilight asked, her voice vibrating as Soarin continued to shake.

            "Well my father, he's the Prince of backwards, but you see all things forward, plus you must be his sister, I am sure you will convince him to be reasonable!"

Twilight pulled her hoof out of his grasp. She stared back at the guard.

            "Um, signor, care to translate please?"

            "Prince Soarin suffers from... err... arranged marriage."

            "Oh I see."

            "We must not wait another moment; you two please enter the carriage."

The two got into the carriage, as did Twilight's things. The guards then took them to the palace.

Diamond Tiara placed the purple tiara on her head. She groaned when she realized the crown did not cover her head completely.

            "Have anything bigger?" Trixie asked.

The stallion chuckled.

            "Why ma'am, that is indeed funny."

Trixie raised an eyebrow sternly, causing the stallions laughter to die.

            "Well, I am afraid that if anything bigger might make her head ache."

            "I see, Diamond dear, come along I'm sure that new place must have something."

The stallion quickly spoke up.

            "I have just the thing."

            Spike put down his spyglass and continued mixing his paint.

            "They aren't goanna buy it." Spike said.

            "I have to do it Spike."

Spike turned to face the pegasus. Rainbow Dash tried to cover her face as she cringed at the thought of wearing a dress.

            "You've never been to Court before."

            "No pony will recognise me." Rainbow Dash took the dress and went behind a dressing curtain to put it on. "Besides, you'd do the same for me."

            "But I haven't been to Court either!"

Rainbow Dash cringed at the dress; it was a bright turquoise with gold patterns sewed onto it.

            "Okay, I'm coming out. Don't laugh."

Spike smiled at Rainbow Dash. The dress did suit her. Rainbow frowned at her hooves.

            "Shoot, the shoes are too big."

            "No pony will be looking at your hooves until you give them the money. Even then it won't bother any pony."

Rainbow smiled.

            "I finally wear clothes yet I still feel bare."

Spike put his mixing pot down and lifted her chin.

            "If you're going to be a Courter you need to act like one. Look down to no pony."

            "Okay," Rainbow muttered. Spike grabbed her hoof and sat her down on a chair and brushed.

            "Now we must do something with that mane of yours."

            "The one thing I was glad I didn't have to do."

Before arriving at the palace, Soarin travelled to the home of the Baroness; since he stole their apples he should replace them. As the door opened Trixie quickly called for her daughters. Diamond wearing her new tiara.

            "Your majesty, what an unexpected surprise."

            "Yes, well, I am here to replace some apples I uh, borrowed."

Trixie looked puzzled.

            "I beg your pardon?"

Soarin ignored her.

            "I also rather shocked one of your servants, one who had a...very colourful mane.

Trixie's pupils shrank. But she was able to remain calm.

            "Your majesty, may I present my daughters. Dame Diamond la Tiara... and Silver Spoon."

She pointed at her daughters, the two curtsied. Diamond Tiara had a look of grace, whilst Silver Spoon scolded her mother. Soarin looked at the two; he raised an eyebrow at Diamond's tiara.

            "Um, nice tiara?" he said.

            "This old thing? You are too kind." Diamond replied staring at Soarin in the eyes.

Soarin then bid farewell, gave them the apples and left.

            "What a strange bunch." Twilight said who had been looking through the window.

            "Tell me about it." Soarin replied.