. . .

The storm seemed to rouse itself from slumber, and a threatening roll of thunder shook the air as the three Pegasii headed skyward. Castiel took the lead, his expression grim and determined. His eyes narrowed as his mane and forelock were blown back by the wind, his blue tie rippling against his neck. Beside him, effortlessly matching every beat of his wings, was Rainbow Dash, her expression cocky and self-assured, like this was a race she was sure to win. And behind them both, Fluttershy flapped weakly along with downcast eyes, quaking as if she was being dragged towards some dreadful, inevitable doom.

Rainbow looked back over her shoulder and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "C'mon, Fluttershy! You gotta be brave! You can do it!"

Fluttershy turned a trembling gaze towards her friend. "I-I th-think I'm too sc-scared to be brave!"

"Well…uh…" Rainbow aimed a 'could-you-help-me-out-with-this-please' look at Cas, whose only response was a blank stare. Rainbow groaned, then finally said, "Just think of…um…all your cute critters! You know, the fuzzy bunnies and stuff!"

Fluttershy blinked repeatedly. She put her head to one side. "I…can be brave for the fuzzy bunnies." Then she narrowed her eyes, gritted her teeth, flared her wings, and zoomed past them, moving like a rocket. "For the fuzzy bunnies!"

Rainbow smirked at Cas as they had to double their speed to catch up with her. "I knew that'd work."

Finally, they reached the heart of the storm, its brilliant white center surrounded by whirling spirals of green energy, glaring down at them like an unblinking eye. The three of them stopped and hovered in place in a triangle formation, Cas at the front, Rainbow Dash to his right, Fluttershy to his left. The former flapped proudly in place as if eager to pummel their enemy into submission with her own hooves. The latter's burst of reckless courage seemed to have deserted her, as she curled herself up into a tiny ball, looking all around her in horror and repeating, "Ohmygosh…ohmygosh…"

"Hey!" Rainbow yelled at the churning sky, sticking out her chin in challenge. "You better start worrying, 'cause you're in trouble now, you big jerk!"

A wave of motion passed through the clouds, like ripples spreading across a pond. Then a rasping voice emanated from the heavens, underscored with a deep bass rumble that felt like it could grind bones to powder. I THINK…NOT.

"YEEOOOOWW!" Rainbow jerked back as a bolt of lightning came searing past her, coming within inches of taking off her head. She spiraled out of control, plummeting towards the ground before regaining herself and flying up again.

Fluttershy gasped., "Rainbow! Oh no! Ohmygosh!"

"Enough!" Cas snapped, flying straight up to confront their attacker, his muzzle inches away from the swirling green morass. "Leave her alone!"

A low, guttering laugh came from the clouds. SUCH…CONCERN FOR THESE PATHETIC CREATURES, CASTIEL.

"Ouch…" Rainbow gave a hissing intake of breath as she flapped her way back up, holding her singed foreleg aloft. But she glared up at the sky and demanded, "Who you callin' pathetic, creep?"

"…ohmygosh…ohmygosh…"

"Asfaloth!" Cas demanded, flapping as hard as he could to hold his position in the chaotic winds. "What happened to you? Why are you doing this?"

A snakelike hiss surrounded them, seeming to come from all directions at once. RAPHAEL ORDERED ME TO JOIN THE FIGHT ON EARTH. TO TAKE A VESSEL. The last word dripped with contempt. I REFUSED. AND SO I FLED TO WHERE HE COULD NOT FIND ME.

There was a pause, then another rumble of laughter. SOON, MY POWER WILL BE LIMITLESS. I NEED NOT FEAR EVEN THE ARCHANGELS.

Rainbow Dash put her head to one side, looking thoroughly bewildered. "The who of the what now? Is this making any sense to you guys?"

"…ohmygosh…ohmygosh…ohmygosh…!"

Cas looked almost as confused as Rainbow. "Why would you refuse to take a vessel?"

The deafening voice hammered down from the heavens, sending them tumbling like leaves in a hurricane. YOU ASK ME THAT, CASTIEL? YOU, OF ALL BEINGS?

Lightning crashed and thunder boomed all around them, the air stinking of ozone, crackling with limitless energy. I WILL NOT POLLUTE MYSELF WITH MATTER! The voice rose in intensity, shrieking like razors on a chalkboard. I WILL NOT BE BOUND TO SOME DISGUSTING LUMP OF MORTAL FLESH! I WILL NOT!

Cas shook his head, glaring up at his former compatriot. "You whine like an infant."

Rainbow laughed out loud. "Ha! Good one!" She flew up and slapped Cas on the shoulder, causing him to fumble in place before catching himself.

SILENCE! Lightning shot through the air in all directions, turning the sky into a latticework of deadly light. Then the firestorm subsided, the clouds flickering green with barely suppressed energy. I TIRE OF THIS. FLEE NOW OR DIE, CASTIEL.

Fighting to stay aloft as the vicious winds spun her around like a top, Rainbow demanded, "Hey, Cas! Are you…whoa…gonna…whoooaaa…put up with that…?"

"…ohmygosh…ohmygosh…ohmygosh…ohmygosh…!"

Cas narrowed his eyes, shouting to be heard over the wind. "I will stop you, brother!"

Asfaloth began to laugh again. AND HOW WILL YOU ACCOMPLISH THIS, TINY CREATURE?

A gale-force wind slapped Cas like a giant hand swatting a fly, sending him tumbling. Then another wind struck him, and another, snapping his head back, sending black wingfeathers swirling away into the void. His mind reeling, Cas was distantly aware that Rainbow was frantically flying back and forth yelling to him, trying to catch him. Such courage, he thought vaguely, and here I am, too weak to stand against one of my own…

Castiel opened his eyes. His wings snapped out, and sheer force of will drove them up and down, up and down. He fought his way up through the hammering wind, every muscle throbbing with exertion, every instinct he possessed screaming at him to flee for his life. No, he told himself. Even if I die here, in this body, I will not give in…

"Come on, Cas!" Rainbow urged as he struggled back up to hover between them, each pony forming the point of an airborne triangle once again. "That's it! You got it!"

"…ohmyg…!" Fluttershy's voice became a squeak, then deserted her altogether.

LOOK AT YOU, CASTIEL! Asfaloth's mocking laughter seemed to shake the heavens to their foundations. YOU'RE NO LONGER AN ANGEL! he boomed, every syllable a teeth-rattling blow. YOU'RE NOT EVEN A HUMAN! YOU'RE JUST AN ANIMAL, FLAPPING ITS LITTLE WINGS!

Cas looked down and away, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, then let it out again. Finally, he looked straight up into the glowing maelstrom that was the center of Asfaloth's power. And he smiled grimly as he said:

"Maybe. But this animal has friends."

Then he looked back and shouted, "NOW!"

He snatched the gem from his saddlebag and held it aloft. Without hesitation, Rainbow reached back and did likewise, gripping the gem between her teeth with a look of triumph. And finally, with a final "ohmygosh!" so tiny it could barely be heard, Fluttershy did the same.

A dazzling white light flared from each of the gems. The light grew stronger and brighter, accompanied by a glassy tone, almost too high-pitched to hear.

WHAT IS THIS? Asfaloth demanded, his voice incredulous as the churning mass of his energy-form began to surge and shudder. BUT…NO…! YOU CANNOT…!

Castiel's blue eyes narrowed to slits. "Yeff," he said through a mouthful of brilliantly glowing gem, "I fink youll fimd I cam."

. . .

Far below, Twilight Sparkle hovered in place, suspended between earth and sky in a glowing corona of violet energy. An open book floated in the air before her, and her voice echoed strangely as she read the words of the spell. Her eyes squeezed shut, then snapped open, glowing a brilliant, featureless white.

Dean looked unsettled. "OK, that's creepy."

"Dean!" Sam shouted from the other side of the field. "Keep your eyes on the fliers!" He glanced over at Dean, then back up in the sky, squinting as the wind whipped through his mane. "Once Asfaloth starts to break up, we need to-!"

A bolt of lightning blasted down from the heavens, nearly blinding Dean, obliterating Sam from his view. "SAMMIE!" Dean called in terror as he reared up, blinking back spots from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw Sam lying flat on his side in the grass, and for a moment panic gripped his insides as he feared the worst. He was galloping towards his brother before he even realized what he was doing. Standing over him, he felt a surge of relief and gratitude as Sam moaned and opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly as if uncertain of what had just happened.

"Sam, you dumbass!" Dean's voice was choked with emotion as he helped his brother to rise, as best as his lack of opposable thumbs would allow. "Don't you do that to me aga-LOOK OUT!"

They frantically scrambled in separate directions as more lightning crashed down around them, scorching craters in the earth, spattering them with mud and bits of burned grass. Applejack reared up, pawing the air and shouting, "Whoa nelly!"

Then she planted all four legs, looking determined, and shouted to the brothers, "Come on, boys!" She galloped towards where Rainbow Dash hovered high overhead. "Sooner we get these things in the ground, the sooner this'll all be over!"

Applejack pawed the ground with a forehoof, gouging a shallow hole in the turf. Then she tilted her head skyward, the brim of her hat waving wildly in the hurricane wind. "Hang on, Rainbow!" she shouted.

Reaching back, she yanked the gem from her saddlebag, then plunged it into the earth. Stomping it down for good measure, Applejack shouted in triumph, "One down!"

Then she was forced to rear back as a bolt of crackling energy leaped down from Rainbow's gem to her own. The blast blew her hat off her head, sending it spiraling away in the wind. Applejack looked over her shoulder with an irritated, "Consarn it!"

Up above, Rainbow gave a surprised "Whoa!" as she let go of her gem, flapping backwards to avoid the corona of glowing white energy that surrounded it. The gem hovered in place, as if suspended on a pillar of light by the one below. All around her, streams of green energy flowed towards the gem like water, vanishing as they were drawn inside the stone. "Cool!" she observed.

Sam shouted upwards, his voice barely audible over the crack of lightning and the screams of Asfaloth's rage, "Rainbow, get out of there!" Still shaken from his near-electrocution, he charged towards the second point of the triangle.

Fluttershy was flapping in place directly above him, silhouetted against the raging storm. Her body was curled up into a tiny ball as her wings beat as frantically as a hummingbird's, but she held her position with all the courage of a warrior.

Sam skidded to a halt, snatching the gem from his bag and holding it in his mouth. Dean tried to shout, "Sammie, be careful!", but his voice was snatched away by the wind.

NO! Asfaloth's' voice was distorted and echoing. Bolts of electricity rained down around Sam, causing him to dodge and whirl, keeping him from planting his gem.

Dean was in a near-panic at his inability to help his brother, yelling over and over, "Sonofabitch sonofabitch sonofaBITCH!" Then he lowered his head, gritting his teeth in determination as he ran in the opposite direction, leaving Sam and the others behind.

He could hear Rainbow Dash yelling, "Dean, where are you going?", and Sam calling his name through a mouthful of gem. He ignored them. Screeching to a halt, he whirled around, then reared up on his hind legs, pawing at the air. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Asfaloth, you freakin' DICK! You want someone to shoot at? Shoot at me!"

His head lunged up and down with every snorted breath as he scraped the ground, gouging up furrows of earth. "I SAID SHOOT AT ME, DAMN YOU!"

The hissing crackle of the lightning grew quiet, then a slow roar began to build. The white eye of the storm whirled around, focusing on the tiny figure far below it. "Yeah, that's right!" Dean bellowed in triumph. "I'm talkin' to you, you stupid, arrogant, worthless piece of WHOA!"

Dean's diversion worked almost too well, as a cascade of lightning came pouring down like the wrath of a thousand gods. He galloped for his life as the lightning chased him across the field, scorching the grass around him with a nostril-stinging smell, the impact of countless blasts causing the earth to tremble beneath his pounding hooves.

On the other side of the field, Sam wasted a moment with an incredulous stare, then plunged his gem straight into the ground. Then he leaped forward and broke into a run as the second pair of gems linked with a brilliant white light. Asfaloth screamed once again, as if in agony, but the barrage of lightning never ceased.

High overhead, Rainbow zoomed in a wide circle, then shoved the near-paralyzed Fluttershy out the way. "You did it, 'Shy!" she yelled in genuine pride. "Now go on, get out of here!" Fluttershy managed a half-crazed grin before she turned and flew groundwards for all she was worth.

Then Rainbow paused and aimed a triumphant look towards where Cas was still fighting to hold his position, dodging wind and lightning alike. "Almost got it, Cas!" she shouted, pumping a forehoof in the air. "Just one more and AAAH!"

A violent downdraft sent her plummeting out of control, hurtling towards the earth. Cas' protesting shout was muffled by the gem he still held in his mouth as he dove towards her, only to be forced back by another relentless gale.

Rainbow hit the ground like a meteor, plowing up a line of dirt behind her. Applejack cried out in dismay and raced towards her friend as Fluttershy let out a tiny shriek and flew back towards them. Between them both, they managed to get the groaning, dirt-plastered Pegasus to her feet and haul her away.

All the while, Twilight was beginning to tremble with effort, her voice shaking as she continued to chant the strange language of the spell. Sam had finally managed to catch up with his brother, and skidded to a halt, his hooves slipping sideways on the rain-dampened grass. Then he looked straight up at the sky, squinting to see against the blinding light.

The storm clouds were visibly shuddering now, tossed about like a turbulent sea. Long streamers of energy poured into the glowing gems, linked by quivering beams of white light. Their high-pitched tone grew in intensity, but Asfaloth still roared his defiance.

The fallen angel's voice was slurred and distorted, overlapping strangely, like multiple voices trying to speak at once. I KNNNOWWHAT… YOU'RE… DOIIINNNNG! An incoherent, rasping scream followed, filled with rage beyond words. WINNN…CHESSSTERS! the voice hissed like some primordial reptile. MOST… HAAAATED OF…HUMANSSS!

Dean flattened his ears and flicked his tail once as he bellowed at the heavens, "Newsflash, genius! We ain't humans!"

Sam pointed with his head towards Twilight. She was visibly beginning to sag in weariness, her eyes half-open as the purple corona that surrounded her began to grow dim.

"This isn't gonna work, Dean!" Sam had to shout to be heard, even though he and Dean stood side-by-side. "Twilight's a sitting duck up there! And Cas can't get in place while he's dodging that lightning!"

"Then I guess we better hurry!" Dean started to run, calling back, "You go help your girlfriend! Me an' Cas'll finish this!"

Sam stomped the ground in frustration. "She's not my-! Never mind," he finished, as Dean was already beyond hearing. Sam broke into a run once again, mane and tail streaming behind him like banners, dodging and weaving at full gallop like a champion barrel racer. As he reached Twilight, he leaped into the air and snatched up the book, just as her telekinetic hold on it failed and it began to fall to the earth.

He held it up as high as he could, wobbling in place as he reared up on his hind legs, holding it open with his mouth. "I got it!" he called as best as he could through a mouthful of paper. "Don't worry about holding it up! Just finish the spell!"

A flicker of gratitude passed across Twilight's exhausted face as she began to chant the final verse of the spell. Meanwhile, Dean raced towards Cas, barely pausing as he reached back to his saddlebags and grabbed the last remaining gem.

We're gonna make it, he thought triumphantly, ignoring his exhaustion, the stitch of pain in his side, the pounding in his head as the dying throes of the storm assaulted his senses. He looked towards Cas, an indistinct figure high overhead, his outstretched wings a black shadow against the lurid clouds. We're gonna make it, it's gonna work, we're gonna…!

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. A crackling bolt of lightning ripped down from the heavens and struck Cas dead-on. Dean couldn't even scream in protest as his friend began to fall, smoldering feathers trailing from ruined wings. But Cas was still moving, still conscious, clutching the gem as if Hell itself couldn't pry it free…

Dean lowered his head and ran like he'd never run before. He ran beneath where Cas was falling, slammed to a halt, and plunged his gem into the ground. "Let it go, Cas!" he yelled up at the falling figure. "Let it go!"

Cas stirred and released the gem, then fell back unconscious as a brilliant white light shot from the earth to the sky. Dean leaped up and caught his falling friend on his back, the impact sending them both tumbling. He heard shouts from behind, heard his brother's voice coming closer. Struggling to all fours, he shouted back towards Sam, "Save Twilight! Get her out of there!"

Sam whirled in mid-gallop and sped back to the center of the field, where Twilight sagged in place with a moan, the white light in her eyes going out as she began to fall. Sam made a flying leap and snatched her up, holding her by the nape of the neck with his mouth. He recoiled with a snort as the beams of energy connecting the gems flared into blinding brilliance, their sound becoming a painful high-pitched whine. Then he lowered his head and charged for safety, finally letting Twilight go as he reached the spot where the other ponies were huddled protectively over the bleary-eyed Rainbow.

Beside Dean, Cas moaned and raised his head. Dean urged, "Time to run, Cas!" Without argument, Cas stumbled to his feet and broke into a shaking gallop as Dean shouted to every pony within earshot, "LOOK OUT-!"

With a deep, vibrating thrumm that made the ground quake, concentric circles of light exploded out from the pattern of gems. Every pony in the field was knocked over by the blast, rolling with grunts and yells of protest across the slick grass. High overhead, the clouds broke and disintegrated, flowing down into the blinding brilliance of the stones. The vile green radiance began to fade, then finally went out. There was a sound that might have been a roar, or a scream, or a dying curse in a language older than time.

Then, with a final, almost pathetic cry, the light vanished, and the last echoes of thunder died away. The gems flared once more, then went dark. The three stones that had been suspended in the sky dropped to the ground, bouncing once or twice before coming to a halt. There was a final whisper of wind across the field, then nothing but silence.

Slowly, the sky began to lighten. The horizon grew brighter as a bird began to sing, somewhere in the distance. A faint breeze moved through the grass once again, but its sound was calm and reassuring, and carried with it a fresh scent of dawn. Then, into the serene morning stillness, Dean's voice called out loud…

"…Well, THAT sucked."

. . .

As the sun's light grew stronger, a much-recovered Rainbow Dash zoomed back and forth over the field, gleefully kicking away every remaining wisp of cloud as if it had personally offended her. Applejack patted down a mound of soil with her dirt-covered hooves, flattening the top to form a small plateau of raised earth. Then she looked around at the other two mounds and observed, "That's the last of 'em. All six gems, buried nice an' deep."

Cas nodded. "Good." Slowly, wincing with every movement as his tattered wings sagged at his sides, he made his way towards the nearest mound. Looking down, he moved his forehoof in a circular motion through the damp earth. Then, inside the circle, he drew a series of lines intersected by a triangle, followed by a single long curve over the entire thing. As he finished, he turned to face Twilight.

"One of these sigils must be placed on each mound. This way no angelic power can be used near it, ever again."

Noting her quizzical head-tilt, he anticipated her question. "Once it's drawn, no natural force can remove it. Neither wind nor rain will damage the symbol, or cause it to lose its potency. I…" He tried to take a step, but all four of his legs wobbled, and he had to struggle just to stay upright. "I will…"

"It's OK," Twilight assured him. She looked exhausted, with limp ears and a mane that looked like birds had nested in it, but her voice was calm and confident. "I watched you draw the symbol. I can do it myself."

Cas raised his weary gaze to Sam, who said, "And I'll take the third one. Don't worry, Cas, you've done enough for one day."

Cas looked relieved. "I'm inclined to agree with you." With that, he sat down with a thump, lowering his head with a long, exhausted breath.

Not far away, Dean still lay sprawled in the soggy turf, his legs and belly spattered with mud and grass stains. "Ow," he griped, struggling to raise his front half up off the ground. "Ow, ow, freakin' OW. Stupid goddamn angels."

Applejack shook her head with a fond chuckle as she approached him from behind. "C'mon, now. Up and at 'em, lazybones." With that, she lowered her head and grabbed Dean's stubby tail in her teeth, hauling his backside upright.

"Whoa HEY!" Dean protested, his eyes wide. As he got his legs under him, he looked back at her with an incredulous stare, pressing his tail in against his body. "No offense, lady. But you at least oughtta buy me dinner before you pull a stunt like that."

She only put her head to one side with a smile. "Y'know, Dean, y'all might be halfway charming if you ever once made a lick o' sense."

Then she spotted her hat tumbling end over end in the fitful breeze. She reached out, snatched it, and tossed it in the air, letting it drop expertly on to her head. Without so much as a backwards glance, she trotted off towards her friends.

Shaking his head, Dean muttered to himself, "What kind of Bizarro world is this? I'm the only one who can't get a chick?"

With a sigh, he managed to stumble into a stiff walk as he approached the weary-looking Sam and the battered Castiel. Fluttershy was carefully winding a long strip of bandage around Cas' midsection, binding his wings against his sides. Dean asked, "You doin' OK, PegaCas?"

Cas winced. "Logically, I understand the purpose of physical pain as an evolutionary function." He looked back at himself, his ears sagging against his skull. "But I confess to wondering if this much of it is really necessary."

"Now," Fluttershy began gently, tucking the end of the bandage into place, then straightening his tie. "Those wings need time to heal. So that means no flying."

Cas frowned. "But I…"

Fluttershy leaned forward. She looked him directly in the eye. And she repeated, in a voice that would shatter worlds, "NO. FLYING. Got it, buster?"

Stunned, Cas could only nod. "There's a good colt," she went on in her normal sweet tones, patting his foreleg.

Sam and Dean watched the scene in stupefied silence. Dean leaned sideways and spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Dude. Remind me never to piss her off." Sam nodded vigorously.

High overhead, Rainbow made one last triumphant circle through the clear, bright sky. Then she gracefully soared down beside her friends as they exchanged victorious hugs and hoof-slaps.

Dean looked towards Sam. "Well, we did it, bro."

Sam nodded, smiling fondly at the group of fillies as they began to walk away, talking excitedly amongst themselves. "Yeah," he replied. "We all did it." Then he looked back towards Cas, who remained silent.

Cas turned his head and looked back over the field, and the three mounds of earth, barely noticeable in the waving grass. Whatever he was thinking, or feeling, his face revealed nothing at all.

Sam looked sympathetic as Dean turned to face his friend. Dean said wearily, "Let it go, Cas. There was nothing else you could do."

Cas nodded once. "You're right," he replied, not a trace of emotion in his voice. "There wasn't." Then he turned and walked away, not looking back.

The brothers followed, walking a short distance behind the group of friends. Rainbow flew in circles over and around them, insisting, "C'mon, we just saved all of Equestria! We totally need to celebrate!" She licked her lips in anticipation. "With lots of awesome, gooey, sugary snacks!"

Applejack added, "And apples!"

Fluttershy gave a bashful smile. "And all of our wonderful friends!"

"And apples!"

Twilight added, with a tired head-shake, "And a long, long nap!"

"And apples!" The group laughed. Then Applejack looked back over her shoulder and called, "You colts comin'? Don't be bashful, y'all are invited too, y'know!"

Dean called with a smile, "Yeah, we'll be right there!" She nodded and headed off with the others as the trio continued their weary walk behind them.

As soon as the fillies were out of earshot, Sam looked towards his brother and Cas. "So," he said with a weary exhalation, glancing back at himself and flicking his tail once for emphasis. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm kinda starting to get used to this, and that seriously scares me." He paused, and turned a near-pleading gaze to his companions. "So yeah. I'm ready to go home now."

"You sure about that, Sammie?" Dean gave a wicked grin. "It'll break your sparkly little girlfriend's heart."

"Bite me," Sam retorted sullenly.

"No thanks, but I bet she'd like to-"

"DEAN!"

"All right. Geez. You're such a grump." Dean shook his spiky mane. "But yeah, I'd like to start walking on two legs again myself." He glanced to his left. "So how about it, Cas? Ready to head back to the world of burgers and trenchcoats?"

"I can't promise anything," Cas warned. "Remember, I used up most of my power when we arrived. And my…" He grimaced in discomfort. "…injuries will slow my recovery even further. I'm not certain when I'll able to transport us back."

"Hey, no worries," Dean observed with a casual shrug. "So we hang out for a while, get some r'n'r, eat a few apples. I mean, c'mon…" He laughed. "…how long could it possibly take?"

. . .

Six months later.

Fall had arrived in Ponyville. Red and orange leaves swirled down from the trees, and were tossed by a mild breeze down the bustling streets. A lanky brown pony and a small purple unicorn sat companionably in a patch of afternoon sun beneath the spreading branches of the treehouse library. The former had a large open book propped up between his forehooves, while the latter was scowling in such intense concentration that she looked like she might explode at any moment.

Sam prompted, "OK, chapter twenty-four. Starswirl's First Rule of Alchemical Transmutations states that…?"

Twilight scrunched up her face, wracking her brain. "The first rule states that…um…ooh." Her front hooves did a rapid tap-dance of frustration. "The mass of a transmutated object cannot be greater than…no, I mean, cannot be less than…AARGH!" She smacked her forehead in frustration. "I'll never get this right!"

Sam laughed. "It's OK! Don't get so stressed out. You're doing great!"

Twilight aimed a gaze of starry-eyed adoration up at him. "Really, Sam?"

"Um…" Sam looked disconcerted, then vastly relieved at the sight of an approaching figure. "Hey, Dean!" he called.

Twilight smiled, mimicking, "Hey, Dean!"

Dean nodded in greeting, but was limping slightly with his right hind leg as he approached. "Hey, Twilight. Think you could spare my brother for a bit?"

"Oh." Disappointment flickered across her face, but she quickly brightened up. "Sure. I need to write my letter to the princess anyway." She stood up and started to walk off, waving back at Sam and swishing her tail once as she entered the library. "'Bye, Sam! See you later!"

Sam placed a bookmark with his teeth, then expertly flipped the book shut with his forehoof. "So what's up?" He gestured with his head towards Dean's limp, looking concerned. "You hurt your leg?"

"Enh, think I just kicked that last tree too hard." He flopped down wearily beside his brother. "I tell you one thing?" He shook his head. "I have definitely got a lot more respect for apple farmers these days."

Sam shook his head with a sardonic chuckle. Then he sighed. Sounding as if he'd already repeated the same question a hundred times and wasn't expecting anything better now, he asked, "Anything from Cas?"

Dean snorted and looked down, vaguely scraping at the ground with a forehoof. "Besides the usual? As in, 'sorry, dunno why I still don't have enough mojo to light a freakin' candle, let alone get us home and un-ponied'? Nope. Not a damn thing."

Sam let out a long, frustrated breath. "Unbelievable." He shook his head sadly. "I mean, I've been researching spells day and night here, and I still can't find anything with the kind of power we need."

"Yeah." Dean shook himself, ruffling his mane. "Face it, bro," he went on in resigned tones, "You and me are gonna be stuck doin' the Mister Ed routine for-" His eyes widened in sudden alarm. "-whoa, duck!"

They flattened themselves to the ground, just in time to avoid a maniacally laughing, tie-wearing Rainbow Dash zooming past at near-warp speed, hotly pursued by a grim-faced and distinctly tie-less Castiel. As the brothers sat up again, Dean called after them, "Yeah! Go, R.D.! You kick his ass!"

Sam shook his head with an ironic half-smile. "You'd think he'd figure out that she'd quit stealing his tie if he didn't always get so pissed off about it."

Then his expression turned pensive, and he peered after the Pegasii as they zipped and weaved their way through Ponyville, accompanied by the occasional echoing crash, tinkle of breaking glass, and at least one distant scream.

"You don't think…" Sam cut himself off, shaking his head. "Nah. It can't be."

Dean looked confused. "What?"

"Nothing. I just thought…" He looked towards Dean, and went on hesitantly, "…what if Cas doesn't want to leave?"

Dean frowned. "You're kidding me."

"I know, it's nuts, right? But what if he's not really powerless, and he's just saying he is because he, I dunno…" Sam looked sheepish, as if even he couldn't believe what he was saying. "…likes it here?"

For a moment, Dean looked genuinely horrified. Then he burst out laughing. "Get out. As if Cas could ever lie about anything."

Sam visibly relaxed. "Yeah, you're right. I mean, even if he tried, he couldn't possibly fool both of us. That's just crazy."

"Seriously." Dean ran his gaze over the village, bustling about its usual routine. "Anyway," he went on briskly, "'least you get to spend more time with your study buddy." He winked.

Nettled, Sam retorted, "Shut up. It's not like you don't run off to AJ's ranch every chance you get."

Dean leaned back, the very picture of innocence. "Strictly business, Sammie boy. Somepony's gotta earn our keep around here." Then he blinked, looking disconcerted. "Damn, it's weird how that always comes out as 'somepony'."

Getting his train of thought back on track, he gave a wry half-smile. "'Sides, she's got nothing to worry about. That steroid-freak brother of hers wouldn't let me try anything, even if I wanted to."

"Hmm." Sam gave a lopsided grin. "An overprotective big brother, huh? Who would've thought."

For a while, they sat in silence, watching the Ponyville residents going about their late-afternoon business before Sam spoke again. "Well, at least Cas says he should be able to send us back to the same time as we left. So it's not like we'll have missed anything. Assuming he ever gets us back at all, of course," he added dryly.

"Yeah," Dean replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "Back to the Apocalypse, the demons who want to kill us, the angels who want to kill us, the monsters who want to kill us and eat us…oh, yeah, and the humans who want to lock us up or shoot us on sight…"

"Yeah, I know," Sam sighed. He swished his tail once as he shifted position, looking thoughtful. "I mean, it's not like I don't wanna go back. I do," he insisted, as Dean gave him a suspicious look. "I mean…" He grimaced. "…just the sheer nonstop cuteness is enough to drive you nuts."

"Can't argue with that," Dean muttered. "Plus I haven't had so much as a freakin' beer in months. I didn't think that was physically possible."

But Sam's voice turned vaguely wistful as he observed, "Still. You gotta admit, it's kinda nice to not be hated, or miserable, or on the run all the time. It's not bad, getting to…" He trailed off, then continued. "You know. Actually feel like the good guys for once." Sam looked at his brother again. "Right?"

Dean broke into a grin, then stretched out and lay his chin on his outstretched forelegs, closing his eyes for a leisurely afternoon nap. "Amen to that, brother," he said. "Amen to that."

. . .

Epilogue.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It's been another quiet week here in Ponyville. Sam's been a big help with my magical studies, as always. So I suppose my only lesson about friendship to report is that it's great to have a friend who loves books as much as you do. I know, I've already mentioned that in a couple of letters-OK, a lot of letters-so I hope you're not tired of reading it.

But I don't think I ever told you after that huge storm we had back in spring…Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, had a great idea to keep that from ever happening again! She said if three of those "funny circle-y line-y things" (meaning the protective sigils we placed over the buried gems) (I think) were good for keeping those "big green nasty storm things" away, then a bunch of them would be even better. I thought this actually made a lot of sense…especially for Pinkie.

So ever since then, I've been placing those sigils all over Ponyville and its surroundings, keeping them hidden so nothing bad can ever find them. So now that type of power can never be used anywhere near our village again.

I keep forgetting to show Sam what I've done, though. Well, one of these days I'll remember. I'm sure he'll be awfully proud of me!

As always, your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

. . .

MCR 2011.