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Hyperion | 302 | 2 | Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | MLP:FIM Elements of Nothingness | incomplete | 10 | 5 | <p>After Twilight wakes up in a destroyed Ponyville, she's must find way home as a evil copy lurks in her world as it searches for the elements of Nothingness.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T22:57:47+00:00 | 2011-07-24T22:57:47+00:00 | 1,593 | A/N:i don't own the ponies, Hasbro and Faust does
Chapter 1
It was very lively today in ponyville as the princess who raise the moon during the night, was visiting ponyville today. Just outside of Sugar Cube Corner, a large group of town folks was trying to see into the store in order to see their dearest ruler but was kept back as the royal guards block their paths. Within the store, everypony was enjoying the party while Luna was speaking to the group who saved her from the darkness that took her over.
“Thank you” smiled Luna after she took a drink of her tea and continued to speak “thank you for saving me. I can never repay you for what you done. So please, ask me anything you want and I’ll try to fulfill your wishes.”
Without hesitating for a second, Rainbow Dash flew in front of Luna and quickly blurted “I WANT TO JOIN THE WONDERBOLTS!!!” in a very loud tone which made everypony in the store turn to the small group.
“Cool your jets, Dash!” ordered Applejack as she pulled Dash away from Luna face by grabbing her tail and quickly apologize for her friends manners.
Luna only smile as she said it was okay and quickly added “I'll contact the group owner and see if you can join, okay?”
Twilight and the others was exacting for Dash to go all fan girl crazy like what happen on Cloudsdale but to their surprise, Dash didn't as she shed a tear and thank Luna. Luna then turns to Rarity and asks for her wish.
“I always wanted to make a dress for your sister...so...” said Rarity as she started to flutter her eyelashes in hopes Luna will grant her wish.
Luna nodded but was a bit surprise as Rarity just shouted “YES!” in an unladylike way. Realizing what she did, Rarity quickly did damage control by saying “...ummm...thank you your highness.” as she blush in embarrassment.
Luna then went on to ask the others for their wishes but only Pinkie were the one who wanted something.
“I want to see my mom and dad again!” said Pinkie as she hop around Luna and kept speaking “and see my sisters as well! It’s been sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo (gasp*not Pinkie but me :P*)ooooooooooo long since we been together!”
“...I understand” whisper Luna as she knew how it feels to miss a family for so long.
As nightfall came, everypony at the party left and headed home. Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie will leave town in a few days as explained by Luna, who told them this before she left the store with Twilight. As Twilight and Luna walk down the dark sidewalk, they started to talk again as Luna brought up about paying them back for saving her.
“It's okay princess! I don't need anything” smiled Twilight as she face Luna as they kept walking “I have my friends and that's the greatest reward I ever got but thank you anyway.”
Luna was about to replied but until a dark roar shouted in anger, which scared both ponies. As they tried to find where the roar came from, Luna shadow stretch from its master and disappeared into Twilight shadow as Luna shadow return to normal. Suddenly, as fast it came, Twilight quickly thought of something. Almost like a voice told her too.
“...second thought, how about you send me the tomb about the four great temples of Equestria?” ask Twilight as she continued to walk with Luna.
Luna quickly remembers about the tomb and quickly asks why, which Twilight simply answered with “Research”.
“...well I can't hand that tomb to anypony but I can bend the rules for you.” said Luna as she give Twilight a smile before flying off to the night sky. Twilight was all alone now but some reason, she felt like she wasn't alone...like somepony was standing behind her and whispering something into her ear. It almost sounded like a “Thank you”.
***
The next few days later, Spike was caring for a sick Twilight as she fell ill after the party with Luna. Dash, Rarity and Pinkie wanted to stay in town, until she got better but Twilight quickly refuse and wanted them to go as planned. After they left on scheduled, Spike and Owlowiscious was trying to fix the library up as Twilight left it a mess after trying to find a cure for cold but in the end, she couldn't one and went to bed to sleep it off.
“...even when she sick, she can still make a mess!” said Spike as he pick up a few books.
“Who?” replied Owlowiscious as he landed on his bench pole.
“Twilight, that's who!” answered Spike as he place some books into rightful place “who do you think I was talking about?”
The pet owl answered Spike after cleaning his feathers “who!”
Spike quickly turned to the owl and quickly spoke “Whooves? You mean that doctor who hangs with Derpy in that blue phone booth? I wasn't talking about him!”
Owlowiscious simply replied with a “who?”
“Dr. Whooves!”
“Who?”
“Dr. Whooves! That's who!” shouted Spike in anger.
The owl didn't answered back which made Spike happy as he turn away from Owlowiscious but that’s when the owl said “who?” again.
“OH! ITS ON YOU LITT-” shouted Spike as he faces the owl but was quickly cut off as he heard Twilight.
“SSSSPPPPPIIIIIKKKKKKEEEEE!!!” shouted Twilight in anger as Spike and the owls fighting, woke her from her sleep “DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!!!”
“sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!” answered Spike as he started to clean the room even faster while Owlowiscious was helping Spike clean as he said “whowhowhowhowho!”
Twilight was able to find the strength to crack a smile as she heard Spike frustration with Owlowiscious and went back to sleep but as she slept peacefully in her bed, a dark aura appeared from the shadows and slowly reach Twilight. At that moment, it started to rain outside and with some thunder as today it was secluded by the higher ups in Cloudsdale. Soon the dark aura strike as a flash thunder appeared at that moment.
***
Meanwhile in the great library of Celestia castle, Luna walk down between each row of book but couldn't find the tomb she was looking for.
“Where is it?” whisper Luna as she check the last row of books in the history section.
“Need help my dear sister?”
Luna quickly jump like a scare cat as she heard her sister voice from behind. As she slowly turns around, Celestia hug her little sister and whisper into her ear.
“What are you up too, my dearest sister?” ask Celestia in a very cold but yet somehow in a warm tone.
Luna was lost for words as her big sister gave her the glare (that rivals Fluttershy's stare) as she broke off the hug. The only thing Luna could say was “...I'M LOOKING FOR THE TOMB THAT HAS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOUR TEMPLES OF EQUESTRIA! DON'T BANISH ME TO THE MOON AGAIN!” cried Luna as she curl up in a ball. Celestia was surprise by this and quickly stroke her little sister mane.
“Luna, I would never do that to you (a second time). I was just wondering why you kept heading to the library these pass days. Nothing more, my dear sister.” said Celestia as she help her little sister up from the floor “now, if it’s the tomb of the four temples you are seeking, then here.”
Luna watch as Celestia summons the tomb from thin air with her magic and handed it over to her. The tomb cover had six ponies in white cloaks and in the middle was a pony but so many years of being use, the middle cover was compete worn out.
“There my sister but remembers this” said Celestia as her voice grew more serious as she kept speaking “NEVER! Let anypony use this tomb!”
“w-why is that, big s-sister?” ask Luna as she grew more scared of her sister serious tone.
Seeing and hearing her sister fear, Celestia spoke in a more warm and caring voice “It's just that if the tomb falls in the wrong hooves, our world will be DOOM!!!”.
Luna started to shake with fear as Celestia started to make spooky noise and scary faces but Celestia soon stop and laugh.
“I’m just kidding dear sister. It’s the only copy left and I don't want to anger Ms. Book Marker. You know how that battleaxe is” explain Celestia as her and Luna walk to the exit of the library.
Before Celestia could leave with her sister, a very old voice quickly shouted her name. As Celestia turn around, she could see an old light brown unicorn that had a white long hair and a cutie mark of a book mark.
“Oh! Hello Mrs. Marker. Ho-” said Celestia before she was cut off as Mrs. Marker place a log book in her face.
Luna could see her big sister blushing bright red as she read the log. Why was she blushing?
“You still didn't return the book called “101 ways to please yourse-” said Ms. Marker before Celestia put her hoof in her mouth. As Celestia face her little sister, she could see Luna hiding behind the tomb while blushing. There was a very awkward moment for both sisters, so Luna broke the awkwardness by just leaving without saying a thing. Celestia quickly turn to Ms. Marker and there were flames in her eyes.
“So I’m a battle ax!” shouted Ms. Marker.
“...oh you heard that....” replied Celestia as her anger faded and was replacing with embarrassment.
**
Later at ponyville, Spike and Owlowiscious finally finish cleaning the library and both of them was resting on the steps of the stairway that leads to Twilight room. Before Spike could drink some needed water, he felt something coming...a letter but this letter was big...
BURP
Puff
Bang!
AAAAAHHHHH!!!
A very old looking book came from the puff of smoke and fell on Spike toes which made him scream in great pain. Owlowiscious just laugh at this funny moment but soon stop as Spike pick up the tomb and soon notice a note in the front page.
“What's this?” whispered Spike as he read the note as it says: “Dear Twilight. Here the tomb that you wanted. I really hope this helps your research. By the way, what is your research? I hope you replied very soon. From Luna.”
Spike almost drops the book as he realizes this was from Luna herself. It was very and I do mean VERY rare to get a letter and something from her, since she doesn't really leave the castle, unless if it’s to rise the moon or visit the ones who saved her.
“TWILIGHT!” shouted Spike as he ran to her bedroom door and started to pound it as he yelled “LUNA SENT YOU A BOOK! SOMETHING ABOUT FOUR TEMPLES AN-”.
Before Spike could finish that word, he was suddenly blasted back down stairs as Twilight door open with such fury. As Spike was getting up, Owlowiscious soon felt a dark feeling as he watch Twilight as she walk down the stairs and over to Spike. The pet owl knew something was wrong with his master...VERY wrong.
“Sorry if I woke you, Twilight but Lu-” explained Spike before he was cut off again as Twilight use her magic to choke him.
“Where is it?!” demanded Twilight in a very cold voice as she increase the pressure on his throat even more.
Spike couldn't believe what was happening right now. He never knew that Twilight could get so mad before! Unable to speak, Spike pointed to the stand where Twilight always reads her books. Without saying a word, Twilight toss Spike to the wall and walk over to the stand and started reading.
“...I’m alright if you wanted to know...” snorted Spike as he stood up and walk over to Twilight.
The baby dragon could see very old writing and symbols as Twilight turn each page. The writing was in old Equestria language from days old but what really got Spike focus were the pictures. Five dark orbs as they surround a dark unicorn with red eyes. Above the unicorn head was an orb but this orb was crack and releasing a dark mist from it. Spike was going to ask Twilight about this book but Twilight quickly slam the book shut and turn to him.
“Spike!” shouted Twilight in a dark voice.
“Y-YES!” replied Spike as Twilight evil glare scared him.
“Take a letter! NOW!”
With great speed, Spike got a feather pen and a scroll and started to write down what Twilight was saying as she walk over to the window and stare off as the rain got heavy.
Dear former teacher Celestia
I here by, quit as your faithful student. Hear my words you foolish princess! I will destroy your world and this time, no one will stop me since I was the one who killed your father and mother so many years ago. Yes, it’s I. Remember when we first met on that day? Outside of the Moon temple before you sealed us into that moon. I will force you to watch your prefect world as it burns to ashes. Don't worry, I'll end your suffering after your world is gone. Now, there another reason why I’m sending you this letter! I'm giving you a chance to stop me. I'm heading to Everfree underground temple. Until we meet again, my old teacher.
From your unfaithful and former student, Twilight Sparkle
PS: say thank you to Luna for me. The tomb she gave me really did help a lot. She was always a foolish little mare. I also hope to see her again as well.
Spike was confused and shock by this letter and didn't want to send it but Twilight controls his body and against his will, she sent the letter. After the letter was sent, Twilight went to her closet and put on a black cloak that Zecora gave her a few weeks ago and walk outside.
“SPIKE!” shouted Twilight as she just stood there in the rain “LETS GO!”
Like a trained dog, Spike quickly went to her side and left to the forest. The forest known as Everfree.
***
It was pure dark. Nothing but the darkness. No light, no sounds...anything at all. Just nothing but darkness but soon a voice was heard within the darkness.
“Twilight....”
“Huh?” whispered Twilight as she just appeared within the darkness “Who's there?”
Soon the darkness faded and Twilight soon found herself in ponyville...what's left of it. All the buildings are in ruins or complete destroy while the green grass is complete burned. As Twilight look up to the gray sky, she could see the sun and the moon are scatter across the sky.
“Where am I?” thought Twilight to herself as she scan the area around her again “What happen here!?”
“Your within the darkness, Twilight Sparkle” called out a old female voice from behind.
As Twilight quickly turns around, she could see a mid-twenty female purple unicorn. This unicorn had a black mane and tail and was wearing a long black jacket, which you couldn't see her cutie mark.
“Who are you!?” demanded Twilight “...and what happen to ponyville?”
The unicorn spoke her name but some reason, Twilight couldn't hear it but she could hear what the unicorn said next as clear as day.
“You destroy this town and the whole world...there nothing left but the darkness”.
End of ch1 |
|
Hyperion | 302 | 3 | Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | MLP:FIM Elements of Nothingness | incomplete | 10 | 5 | <p>After Twilight wakes up in a destroyed Ponyville, she's must find way home as a evil copy lurks in her world as it searches for the elements of Nothingness.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T23:06:29+00:00 | 2011-07-24T23:06:29+00:00 | 1,323 | Chapter 2
Near the forest of Everfree, an orange earth pony known as Applejack was running toward a large tree house as the rain started to get even heavier. As she almost reaches the house, the front door quickly opens.
“Sorry I'm late, Flu-” said AJ before she was cut off as a group of chickens came flying out and hit her in the face.
As AJ blew away a few feathers from her nose, she soon heard her baby sister, Applebloom as she started to call the chickens.
“Scoot! Scootaloo!” called out Applebloom as she ran to the door but stop calling as she saw her big sister “Applejack!”
“Hey little partner, what did all those chickens came from?” ask AJ as she search for any sign of them but couldn't find any of them.
Before the young filly could answer, the Pegasus known as Fluttershy came to the door and shouted each chicken’s name. Soon enough, each chicken return and soon became frozen with fear as they stare into their master eyes...the STARE!
“BACK TO YOUR CAGES!” said the Pegasus as she increase the power of the stare, which made the chickens take off with great speed, that it left behind a puff of smoke and a few feathers.
Applebloom was all amaze by "The Stare Master" and her powerful stare but AJ wasn't amaze at all...she was missing?
“Big sis?” called out the little filly as her and Fluttershy search the area, until they found her...
“Oh my...” whispered Fluttershy as she saw AJ in a chicken cage and shriving with fear with the other chickens.
Sometime later, AJ finally snap out of the stare command and was sitting at the table with Fluttershy and enjoying some tea as the two talks.
“I'm so sorry Applejack, I didn't mean to give you the stare as well...” spoke the Pegasus as she hid her face with her pink mane.
After drinking her tea, AJ quickly waved it off and said “It's okay sugar cube. I know you didn't mean too but...” trailed off AJ as she blush in embarrassment.
“Don't worry, I won't tell anypony what happen.” smiled Fluttershy as she remembers that funny scene.
AJ sigh in relief and thank Fluttershy before her and Fluttershy notice something...it was quiet...too quiet! AJ stood from her chair and walk over to the next room and she quickly smiled as she saw her baby sister sleeping next to the fireplace. Fluttershy entered the room and smiled as well as she saw her pet bunny Angel, sleeping next to the small filly.
“Well, I better take her home.” explained AJ as she stroke her little sister's red mane and continued to speak “I was already late picking her up and I don't want to bother you anymore, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy walk over to AJ and spoke as she turns to the window “You’re leaving in this weather?”
“...now you say it...” whispered AJ as she saw the raining getting heavier than before “...I'll stay if you don't mind?”
“I don't mind AJ. Your my friend after all!” smiled Fluttershy before she was spook as a sound of thunder roar across the sky “...please stay!” beg the Pegasus as she grab AJ front hooves and made puppies eyes.
“...I'll stay then.” replied the earth pony as she calm her friend down.
***
Meanwhile within the forest, Twilight and Spike was walking on a very old pathway as the rain was getting heavy but not as heavy like outside of the forest. Spike was shriving with coldness as he walk behind Twilight, who was wearing a black cloak. The baby dragon wanted to ask her why he didn't had a cloak like hers but didn't as he remembered that time in the library and just kept walking. The two walk on the path for a good half hour until Twilight felt something and stop in her tracks. Spike did the same and asks what’s wrong but Twilight quickly yelled at him, whom forces Spike to shut up and just watch as Twilight was surround with a dark aura.
“RISE! NOW!” screamed Twilight as she unleashed the dark aura into the ground.
Spike was confused by this but he soon felt a powerful quake as the ground in front of them started to rise. The baby dragon watches in amazement while Twilight just laughs at the sight. What rose from the ground was a cave and its entrance was build like a snake. Without saying a word, Twilight entered the cave and vanishes into the shadows. Spike wanted to stay behind, heck he wanted to run away but something force him to enter the cave...maybe he didn't want to leave Twilight all alone.
“...the things I do for love...” whispered Spike as he vanishes into the shadows as well.
***
At that time, in Fluttershy living room where AJ was sleeping, a voice was calling her to wake up. AJ soon started to sweat as something appeared in her dream. Two eyes...two red eyes staring into her like daggers.
“HEY!” shouted the voice from before as the two red eyes vanish “WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!”
Suddenly, AJ found herself floating above the forest of Everfree and she soon spotted somepony and a dragon as they entered a cave.
“Was that Spike and Twilight?” thought AJ before she found herself on top of an apple tree “What the hay!? Where am I!?” shouted AJ as she glare at the endless sea of tall apple trees.
“You finally heard my voice, partner. I was getting worried there”.
AJ turn around and saw a female orange earth pony. This earth pony was wearing an old and worn out cowboy hat and an old fashion cowboy clothes. Her long and untied mane and tail was a dark brown color and her cutie mark couldn't be seen as the pants were hiding it.
“Just who are you and where am I?” ask AJ.
“...you’re pulling my leg, right partner?” grin the cowgirl as she tip her hat up.
“I'm NOT joking here! Answer me!” shouted AJ in anger as she tip her hat forward and was ready for a fight.
The unknown pony just sigh in disappoint and was about to answer before a bright light covered the whole area.
“Oh horseshoes! Look!” called out the nameless pony as AJ vanish into the light “Stop Twilight! She's going to release the element of lies! Hurr....” that was all AJ could hear before she woke up from her dream.
“What in Texas was that all about?” whispered AJ as she wipe away the sweat from her forehead but something caught her focus as she felt something on her neck. It was her necklace of honesty and it was glowing. Before she could question it, an unknown force pulled her out from Fluttershy sleeping bag and then outside. Suddenly, AJ notice somepony standing in the rain and staring into the forest. It was Fluttershy.
“Don't you hear it, Applejack?” ask Fluttershy as she notices AJ next to her “...a whisper...an evil whisper coming from the forest...”
AJ shut her eyes and tried to block out the rain and the thunder as she focus on the forest and soon enough, she heard a whisper. As she focuses even harder, she could make out the whisper. It was calling her name. Then within her mind, an evil glare appeared and screams out that she was a liar.
“AAAHHHHH!” screamed AJ as she open her eyes and started to breath hard.
As the earth pony turn to Fluttershy, she notice she was missing. Not only that but AJ found herself within the forest and in front of her was a cave. Before she could question how she got here, her necklace started to glow even brighter. Somehow, it was telling her to enter the cave, of which she did.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was still in the rain as she continued to stare into the forest. At times, she could feel an evil pressure coming from within the ground and other times from the forest. Whatever she was feeling, it was getting stronger as time went on.
“...giggle at the ghostly...” whispered Fluttershy as she started to sing.
***
During that time in Canterlot, Rarity who was in Celestia castle was walking back and forth as she waited for the princess who raised the sun, to come out of the changing room. This was Rarity greatest moment in her career. If the princess hates her dress, then Rarity career goes down the drain as the word spreads of Celestia and her hated dress.
“WHATS TAKING HER SO LONG!?” panic Rarity as she grab her little sister “MAYBE THE DRESS IS TOO SMALL!?”
“Calm down big sis!” shouted Sweetie Belle as she slap her sister in the face “The Rarity I know won't crack under pressure like this!”
Hearing her kind sister words, Rarity quickly calm down and hug her dearest little sister...but she started to freak out again as Sweetie Belle admitted she might of have got the fitting wrong. As Belle was trying to calm her sister down again, Luna enter the room and soon realize why her big sister was taking so long.
“Calm down Ms. Rarity. She always does this when trying on new dresses” explained Luna as she gave Rarity a very warm and caring smile, which melted away her worries.
“...t-thank you, Princess Luna” bowed Rarity.
Before Luna could say anything, Celestia called out for Rarity as she was ready to tell her if she like it or not. Rarity leans forward as she waited for the princess answer. As Rarity and the others waited, a magic smoke appeared from outside and enter the changing room.
“...t-this is...t-this is...” said Celestia as she slowly open the door.
“YES!?” ask Rarity as her eyes was filled with hope.
“HORRIBLE!!!” shouted Celestia as she slam the door open and was wearing a very, very beautiful dress that fits her very well, while she was holding a letter with her magic.
If anypony knows Rarity very well, they will know how she will react to this ill news. She fainted...as Belle was trying to try to wake her sister, Celestia quickly handed Luna the letter, which in turn made Luna filled with fear.
“...t-this can't be...I destroyed her....how!?”
“You mean she was still alive and you didn't tell ME!!!” yelled Celestia in great anger as she heard her sister “Why!?”
Luna drops the letter and face away from her big sister and confess why she didn't tell her.
Flashback
It was a dark night as Luna flew above the clouds. As she passes the heaven of clouds, she found herself in the endless sea of stars as she flew on. In front of her was the moon she came to know so well. It was like a second home to her. As she landed on the white dusty ground, she shut her eyes and waited for something...or somepony...
“You came I see...” said a very old female voice from nowhere.
Luna opens her eyes and standing in front of her was a cloak Pegasus. Before Luna could say something, she soon heard a whisper within in her mind. It soon grew louder and louder...it was calling her name...
“She calling you, young Luna” answered the Pegasus as she notice the voice as well “She's still alive. You mustn't go alone!”
“...I must...” whispered Luna as she tried to block out the voice “...I must end this!”
Luna turns around to fly off but was surprised to see the Pegasus standing in her way.
“Who are you and why did you call me here?” ask Luna as she step back a little in fear.
“...I'm no one anymore, just a relic from the past...” whispered the Pegasus as she stares off into the sea of stars “...I called you here in order to stop you from seeing her again...but it looks like your mind is set on seeing her...”
The Pegasus suddenly just vanishes but her voice still could be heard as she made a warning “...if you fail to destroy her in her must weakest form, then everything and everypony will turn to ashes from her darkness...”
Luna nodded as she took off to Everfree forest...where the voice was coming from.
End of flashback
“...I thought I could destroy her, since it was my fault what happen one thousand years ago and I didn't want to bother you or Twilight and her friends with this...” confess Luna as lower her head in shame “...I should be the only one to fix this...”.
Suddenly, Luna felt a very warm wing on her back as it covered her. It was Celestia as she hugs her sister.
“...You don't have to carry the whole world on your shoulders my dearest sister...” smiled Celestia as she continued to speak “You have ponies to count on like me and Twilight and the others for help!”
Hearing her big sister kind words made Luna cry a few tears. She should of have listened to the cloak Pegasus in the first place but now...
“...I'm sorry what happened to Twilight...please forgive me big sister...” cried Luna as she couldn't look into her sister sad eyes as she read the letter again.
Upon hearing Twilight's name, Rarity quickly stood up from the floor as Belle was tossed off from her sister body and landed in a tall box of clothing.
“What happen to Twilight your highness!?”
Celestia quickly remembered that Rarity was here and was hesitating to answer one of Twilight's good friends but soon found the strength.
“...Sit down miss Rarity, this story is going to be long in order for you to understand...” said Celestia in very serious tone.
Rarity sat down and heard on as Celestia spoke while Luna helps Belle out of the box that she was trap in.
***
Twilight couldn't understand and didn't want to understand, what this nameless unicorn said. She couldn't have destroyed ponyville or the whole planet...can she? Sure she had unbelievable raw magic within her but she knew that was the element of magic power and not her. This was one of the things that race through her mind.
“Your wrong, Twilight Sparkle!” shouted the female unicorn in anger “The raw power you hold is yours and yours alone!”
Twilight was about to question how this nameless unicorn did knew what she was thinking but the nameless unicorn horn started to glow as her use her magic. This magic the unicorn had was very powerful as it gave off a very strong aura. Before you knew it, millions of swords fell from the gray sky and crash around ponyville. As it stops raining, the unicorn once again spoke as she vanishes and reappeared on an undamaged roof of the town hall “The test will begin!”
“...test?” ask Twilight as she was confuse by this.
“Across ponyville, one of these swords is your true self!” explained the unicorn “When you find it, then we can head to the underground temple in Neverfree forest.”
Twilight was even more confuse by the unicorn but she never quit on a test before, so she pick up a short sword with her magic and turn to the unicorn and simply said “This one?”.
The unicorn just smile as she shouted “Don't ask me!” that's when she pointed behind Twilight “Ask her!”
Twilight turn around and quickly jump back as a white sword almost cut her head off. As she regroups, she could see a unicorn covered in a very black aura as it held its sword in its mouth. Its eyes was bright yellow and its mane and tail was long and sporting two strip colors, one white and the other was dark blue.
“What in Celestia name is that!” shouted Twilight to the nameless unicorn in fear and anger.
The nameless unicorn just said “Fight it!” and watches as the dark unicorn swung its sword again. Twilight quickly raised her sword in order to block it but it didn't help at all. Her sword scatters and vanishes as the dark unicorn blade made contact. Not want to be cut in half or lose a limb, Twilight quickly pick up two swords with her magic and swung it at the attacking unicorn. Both blades just broke apart as it made contact with the unicorn neck and shoulder and vanish like the first sword. Seeing this pattern, Twilight quickly ran off while summoning each sword to her as the dark unicorn gave chase and swung its sword at Twilight as it got closer. Each sword Twilight use to block the attack was destroying like the others.
“...Where is it!?” thought Twilight as she kept running for her life “She said among these swords is the true me...the only sword to work against that thing!”
The nameless unicorn jump on the flagpole of the town hall and continuing to watch as Twilight tried to fight back with her magic but it didn't work and just ran off again.
“Your magic won't work here, Twilight Sparkle...” whispered the unicorn as she look around the destroyed ponyville and quickly saw small parts fading into a black mist “...hurry! We're running out of time!”
End of chapter2 |
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Hyperion | 302 | 4 | Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | MLP:FIM Elements of Nothingness | incomplete | 10 | 5 | <p>After Twilight wakes up in a destroyed Ponyville, she's must find way home as a evil copy lurks in her world as it searches for the elements of Nothingness.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T22:40:56+00:00 | 2011-07-24T22:40:56+00:00 | 1,567 | Chapter 3
Twilight quickly duck inside a barrel and hope that the dark unicorn wouldn't find her. Soon she heard hooves steps and the noise of a sword being dragged on the ground as it got closer. Twilight close her eyes and prayed that thing will just move on, which in her luck, it did. As the dark unicorn hooves steps vanish, Twilight let a tiny sigh and started to think. She has no idea how many swords she pick up during her escape from that thing but she guess it has to be around twenty-nine.
“Twenty-nine useless swords...and it rained like what? A billion?” thought Twilight as she mess up her mane in frustration “I'm never going to find it while that thing is out there!”
Realizing this wasn't getting her anywhere, Twilight cleared her mind and started to think again. The only thing that went through her mind was only one thing and that was “What is my true self?” As she thought even more, an image was slowly fading into her mind....that's when it hit her!
“THE LIBRARY!” yelled Twilight as she got it but that's when a white sword slice the top of the barrel and revealed Twilight to the dark unicorn and the only thing she could say was “...hi...”
The nameless unicorn watch as Twilight dash from the dark unicorn as it cut the barrel in half and took chase again. Soon the nameless unicorn realizes where Twilight was heading and quickly took off. As Twilight made a sharp turn, she could see her house in the distance and quickly smiled with joy but that smiled quickly vanish as the dark unicorn blasted right through a destroyed building and block her path. Thinking on her hooves, she uses her magic to disappeared and reappeared behind the unicorn.
“Why didn't I did that before!?” ask Twilight to herself in anger as she was getting tier of running and quickly teleported into her house.
Near her reading stand was a beautiful and golden sword as it was cover in a light, which was coming from a crack in the roof. As Twilight grabs it with her mouth, the dark unicorn slice opens the door and slowly walks inside. It was surprise to see Twilight holding the golden sword but it quickly charge at her. This time, Twilight didn't run, she just stood there and waited for her chance to strike as the dark unicorn got even closer. As she saw her chance, she swung her sword.
***
Meanwhile, AJ was running for her life as a giant boulder was rolling behind her in great speed. As she ran, she step on a hidden switch and it active a storm of spike darts.
“OH HORSESHOES!” swore AJ as she dodges each darts while keeping her speed the same.
As she entered the exit of the hallway, the boulder came to a crashing stop as the doorway was too small for it to pass through. As AJ lean on the wall to catch her breath, she active an other trap. The floor under her vanishes and was replacing with a pit of snakes.
“SNAKES! WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SNAKES!” cried AJ as took out her rope and swung it to a statue of a earth pony and it grab on to its neck.
As she climbed out of the pit, AJ collapse to the stone floor and tried to recover her strength but something quickly made her rise to her hooves and force her to walk down the tunnel. It was like somepony was helping her...that’s when she heard the voice again.
“I'll take it from here, partner.” said the familiar voice from under AJ “You just rest, and you’re going to need it!”
“W-What th-” that was all AJ said as she didn't felt her legs anymore and was like she was being carried but she wasn't.
As minutes pass by, AJ finally ask the voice something as she felt rested and up to strength again “Who are you?”
Within the darkness, AJ could hear a slight laughter then followed by a loud sigh. That's when AJ legs stop moving on their own and the voice spoke again “I reckon you could have figured that out on your own but it looks like I was wrong...”
“What do you mean?” quickly replied AJ as she felt her legs returning and fearing the voice will vanish.
“My name is ______ but I bet you can't hear it right?”
AJ did a quick nod and was hoping to hear the voice again but it didn't return...but an other voice took its place.
“...YOUR A LIAR!” screamed the new voice as it roar across the tunnel and into AJ mind.
As AJ open her eyes, she found herself in ponyville again. Before she could question how she got there, Applebloom came to her side and started to push her to the large group of town folks as they gather in the town square.
“Applebloom?” cried AJ as two large colts grab her and put her on the stage and next to her was a cage as it was cover with a large blanket.
Soon the folks started to cheer as AJ was giving a rock and was soon ask to remove the blanket from the cage. Having no real choice, AJ removed the blanket and soon saw a badly hurt unicorn but AJ couldn't make it out which it was as the unicorn was covered in a black shadow. Then that's when it happen, the unicorn was hit with a storm of rocks. Realizing it was coming from the town folks and even Applebloom, she quickly stops them.
“STOP!” yelled AJ at the top of her lungs “WHAT IN APPLE PIE ARE YOU PONIES DOING!?”
Then that's when the unicorn called out for AJ “...A-Applejack...please tell...them the truth!”
AJ turn to the cage and she could have sworn she knew that voice but couldn't place her hat on it from who it belong to “...w-what do you mean?” replied AJ as she got closer to the cage.
“...Tell them you and the others were the ones who ran off and caused the princess her sickness...please...” cried the unicorn as it grab on to AJ shoulders.
Before AJ could answer the unicorn, the town folks soon turn into evil shadows and asking if the unicorn was telling the truth or not?. That's when something took over her body and spoke in her place.
“She just is lying! Don't believe a word from that dirty snake!” said AJ as she tosses the rock that she was holding and hit the unicorn right in the forehead.
That's when the shadows started to laugh and cheer as they threw even more rocks. AJ quickly got control of her body as she saw that the shadow unicorn was as the unicorn was covered in blood.
“TWILIGHT!!!” screamed AJ as she started to freak out and cry at the same time.
“...w-why...aren't we friends...” whispered Twilight as she shed a bloody tear.
AJ could only scream at the top of her lungs as she just sat there...within the darkness as it consume her.
***
Twilight was thrown to the wall as her golden sword was destroyed after it made contact with the dark unicorn. Before she could move, the unicorn pointed its blade in front of her face and smiled.
“...b-but I thought I was right...” cried Twilight as she shake with fear.
Then that's when the nameless unicorn appeared next to Twilight and spoke “You thought wrong, you foolish filly!”
Suddenly, almost like time slowed down as the dark unicorn swung its sword at Twilight, the nameless unicorn started to speak again but with fear in her voice “Please! Think before it’s too late!”
Twilight quickly tried to figure out what made her as the white sword slowly reach her neck. As she thought hard, everything she liked went through her mind but nothing but books pop into her mind...until something appeared into her mind...five ponies pop into her thoughts...
“MY FRIENDS!” shouted Twilight as her element of magic crown appeared and covered her with a bright purple aura.
Seeing this, the nameless unicorn smiled with pride and joy as she watch as something came forth from Twilight's heart. It was a hilt.
“TAKE THIS!” yelled Twilight as she pulled out a rusted long sword from within her heart with her magic and unleashed a rainbow wave attack as she yelled “YUUJON WAVE!”.
The dark unicorn was able to block the wave somehow and was toss across the room and even blasted right through the wall of the library and into the street. As Twilight's crown vanishes, a dark voice called out her name as she stood up. The purple unicorn froze with great shock and confusing as she stared the one who called out her name...standing in the street as its dark aura vanish, was Twilight herself but her purple coat was white as snow and her eyes was yellow like a wild cat.
“Next time, I won't lose!” smiled the white Twilight as she just vanish into thin air “Count on it!”
As her shock and confusing finally pass, Twilight quickly turn to the nameless unicorn and started to ask a whole bunch of questions like where is she, how did she do that attack with the sword, who or what was that thing just now and so on. That's when the nameless unicorn just covered Twilight's mouth and sighed as she was getting sick of all of the questions and just answered with “Later!” Hearing this, Twilight started to talk in anger but it was all block out as the nameless unicorn kept her hoof on Twilight's mouth. As Twilight finally calm down, the nameless unicorn remove her hoof and spoke “We better get going to Neverfree forest, before this town is consume...”
“Consume?” simply said Twilight as she tip her head to the side.
The nameless unicorn put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder and both of them disappeared and reappeared near the entrance of the forest. That's when Twilight could see a dark mist covering the ruin ponyville.
“This mist won't stop until everything is consume by it” explained the nameless unicorn as she push Twilight into the forest and kept speaking “If you fail to active the temple of Neverfree before the mist reach it, then say goodbye of ever returning home, Twilight Sparkle”.
“WHAT!?” shouted Twilight in fear as she heard the unicorn.
“You heard me, Twilight Sparkle” said the unicorn in a cold tone.
A few minutes pass and Twilight was examining the rusty sword that came from her heart and notices something on the hilt guard of the blade. It was her cutie mark but it was completely covered in rust. Seeing this as she walk behind Twilight, the unicorn finally explained something to her.
“That sword your holding with your magic, is the key of getting you home but as you can see from its pitiful look, it can't do nothing right now.” spoke the unicorn as she handed a brown sheathe to Twilight.
“...so that's why we're heading to the temple then?” questioned Twilight as she place the blade inside the sheathe and place it on her back.
“Yes but also to reactive the temple. If you reactive the temple, then the mist will be push back.”.
“What is this mist?” ask Twilight as she remembered the ruin ponyville being covered in it “...and what did you mean back there, how or why did I destroyed the whole world?”
Twilight waited for an answer from her but she never got one as the unicorn just kept walking. As they walk through the forest, Twilight could hear whispers of different voices but what scared her the most was one of the voices...it was her voice.
“Don't be afraid, Twilight Sparkle.” answered the unicorn as she turn to her “They won't hurt you.”
With no other reason, Twilight believed her and kept walking but a little faster as she wanted to leave this forest as quick as she can. Soon enough, they found a cave and the nameless unicorn explained it’s the entrance of the temple and both entered.
Twilight didn't know how long it took to reach the heart of the temple but they finally arrived. The heart of the temple was a very wide and huge chamber with a large door on the other side of the room. The door had a symbol of some kind within the middle and symbols of trees surround it. As Twilight step forward, a dark aura appeared in front of the door.
***
The blood...the look in her eyes...it didn't left AJ mind as she lay there, in the endless dark void as the image of Twilight burned into her mind. So much races through AJ mind that she felt something...she was smiling...she was going insane. Soon she started to laugh as her sane side was burning away into the darkness...until she heard a voice.
“Snap out of it partner!” ordered the voice as a bright light covered the void “Your strong enough not to lose your mind! I should know...”
Hearing the voice as the light blinded her, AJ return to her normal self and found herself in a wide and large chamber. It was the heart of the temple and across from her was Spike and a cloaked unicorn which she knew it was Twilight. AJ could see as Twilight was using her magic to break open a large door while Spike look on. As AJ called out for Spike and Twilight, a powerful dark and angry aura unleashed from Twilight. This dark aura was very strong that it started to shake the ground. AJ watch as Twilight turn around and was now facing her but was still using her magic to open the door.
“So you came then, liar!” spoke Twilight in great anger “You come to die first, I take it?”
Just by seeing Twilight, AJ soon felt great fear as it attack her body. Every inch of her was shaking like if there was an earthquake going on.
“What's a matter, liar?” teased Twilight as she return facing the door while Spike ran over to AJ “Are you an afraid of me? Well good because you and the rest of my former friends are going to pay...”
Finally as Twilight face away from her, the fear quickly vanish and AJ was able to speak again “What do you mean former friends and what are you doing down here?” ask AJ as Twilight almost broke through the door.
“I'm going to burn this world into ashes but first I need the others to do this!” laugh Twilight in an evil way.
Just before the door gave way to Twilight's magic, a cowboy rope just tie around Twilight's neck and pulled her away from the door. As Twilight hit the floor, her magic on the door vanish as she lost focus on it. Before she could get up, AJ quickly push her down with one leg and spoke “Look sugar cube, I don't know what's wrong with you but if you’re going to hurt everypony then I'm going to stop you!”
Twilight tried to use her magic to get AJ off but AJ element necklace was protecting her.
“...You’re lucky I'm not at full power, you liar!” snorted Twilight as she look away.
Hearing the word "liar" again, AJ tip her hat back in confusing and ask why Twilight kept calling her that and what did she mean, not at full power?
“...You saw it didn't you? How you and the town folks threw rocks at me! You lied to them!” shouted Twilight as red tears ran down her cheeks “YOU AND THE OTHERS SAID I WAS YOUR FRIEND! BUT YOU AND THE OTHER LEFT ME!!!” shouted Twilight as her anger grew “...left me to suffer...all alone...” whispered Twilight as she buried her face into the ground.
AJ remembered the event but it wasn't real...was it? While Spike was confuse from the whole thing. Before AJ or Spike could ask a question, the broken door that Twilight was breaking through, started to be bang on, almost like something was pounding it. Hearing the bangs, Twilight quickly raised her face from the ground and smiled as the door finally caved in. As the door hit the ground, a dark mist came shooting out and covered the ground. Before AJ could react, a black lasso soared out of the room where the door once stood and grab her by the neck and soon blasted her with a black lightning bolt and then toss her across the room and into the wall. As AJ slide down the wall, a figured walk out of the other room and help Twilight up and threw away the rope that AJ use to tie her with. Spike was lost for words as he saw this figure as it walk pass him and over to AJ. As AJ open her eyes, she was shock to see herself. This version of her had a black mane and red eyes.
“Hello sour cube.” smiled the black mane AJ.
***
The dark aura slowly form into Twilight herself but covered in blood as the real Twilight look on. The blood Twilight raised her head and was now face to face with Twilight. Twilight could see the pain of sadness and hate in her copy.
“...don't active the temple!” begged the blood Twilight as she started to cry blood from her hurt eyes “Please! I beg of you!”
Twilight turned to the nameless unicorn for help but she couldn't be found anywhere. So Twilight face her blood covered self and answered her “...s-sorry but I most. If I don't then I can't go home.”.
“...but you'll just bring more pain to me...” cried the blood Twilight as she summon a freaking huge sword from the floor “...so I can't allow you to do so!”
Twilight quickly drew her sword as her fake self swung its sword. Both blades made contact and sparks soar from the clash. Twilight was surprise to see her rusty sword didn't scatter apart from being hit by that huge sword or how she pushing back the huge sword.
“It's a part of you!” answered the nameless unicorn within Twilight's mind “As long as your heart is true and believe in the magic of friendship, then it will never let you down.”
“Thanks for the head up...oh by the way, where are you anyway!?” shouted Twilight in anger as she broke the sword lock and did a dodge roll to the left as the blood Twilight swung her sword again.
“If you’re asking for help...then call my name. It’s _______!” explained the nameless unicorn.
Again, Twilight couldn't hear the nameless unicorn name and just kept fighting her fake self. Seeing that Twilight still couldn't hear her name, the nameless unicorn just sighs in disappointment. As Twilight dodge again as her fake self did a jump slash, she charged at her fake self and was able to cut her on the face. As her fake self step back in pain, Twilight did a follow up slash by cutting her fake self right arm and the lower part of her body. Twilight was suddenly surprise to see not blood but black mist as it shot out of the fake Twilight wounds.
***
Meanwhile, AJ was buck in the face by her evil self and crash into an other wall. As she stood up, a black lasso grabs her neck again and was toss into the air again.
“Hope you’re ready sour cube!” teased the evil AJ as she spun the real AJ around and around and blasting the lasso with black lighting.
AJ couldn't do anything to stop this attack and was helpless. The evil AJ stop sending the black lighting and started to raise AJ to the ceiling of the chamber, until AJ started to be dragged on the ceiling in a large circle. This didn't last long as she was toss and slam into the ground below. As she tried to get free, the evil AJ started to slam her to the ground, over and over again. Finally, the evil AJ stop and toss AJ into a wall again but with so much force that AJ became stuck in the wall. As she tried to get out of the wall, two strong hooves crash into her, as the evil AJ started to buck her four times and then pulled her out and toss her to the floor. AJ was beyond hurt as her whole body was broken and covered in blood. Noticing that her hat was next to her since it fell off during her little ride in the air, she slowly reach for it but was quickly denied as the evil AJ stomp on her hoof. Seeing AJ scream in great pain, Spike quickly face Twilight and beg her to stop this but he could see her in great pain as she was holding her head.
***
The blood Twilight started to swing her huge sword like a mad colt and the only thing that the real Twilight could do was just block. Each clash that the blades made when they made contact unleashed colorful sparks. Twilight started to feel worn down and didn't want to drag out this fight any longer, so she pushes back her fake self and unleashed the attack she did back in the ruin ponyville.
“Yuujou wave!” shouted Twilight as she sent the rainbow wave at the blood covered Twilight.
The rainbow wave hit and dragged the fake Twilight as she block it but her sword scatter a part and she was dragged into the large door and she just fell to the ground. The real Twilight fell to her knees as the attack she unleashed drains her strength.
“...never...trust your f-friends...” whispered the fake Twilight as she faded away into thin air.
Twilight stood up as the large door opened and a warm light covered her and the whole room. Outside of the forest, the symbol of honesty appeared. As the light faded, Twilight could see her rusted sword was less rusty and a glowing star on the sword hilt while the other four stars lay dark and rusted.
“You done well, Twilight Sparkle” said the nameless unicorn as she reappeared next to her.
Twilight quickly turn to her and slam her sword into ground and shouted “I thought you said, if I reactive the temple, the sword will recover? It’s still rusted!”.
“...I was hoping this temple will fully recover it but it looks we need to head to the other temples as well.” explained the unicorn as she walk away.
But Twilight quickly blocked her path and shouted in anger as she said “We're not leaving until you tell me what's going on and how I got here!”
“...fine, I will explain everything I know....”
***
Spike was freaking out as Twilight just fainted for no real reason and was trying to wake her. Hearing all the fuss, the evil AJ shouted to him that she was coming but first she needed to finish up here.
“This will be a lot more fun, if you put up a good fight, sour cube but it’s time to end this!” said the evil AJ as she rose her front leg and was about crash AJ head in but something happen...
AJ open her good eye and she could see everything was moving slowly. Then that's when she heard the voice again.
“Hurry! Call my name!” ordered the voice as time started to move faster “I can't slow down time for much longer!”
AJ shut her eye and soon found herself back in the sea of large apple trees. Standing in front of her was the mare from before. She was calling out her name but AJ couldn't hear her....until she heard Twilight voice as she whispered AJ name while she was still pass out. Finally, AJ heard the brown mane pony name.
As time return to normal speed, AJ quickly opened her eyes and a powerful red aura blasted the evil AJ off and across the room. As she recovered, she could see AJ stand up and shout “Element release!” The red aura sent out a powerful blinded light and as it faded, AJ pick up her hat and put it on as she was wearing a cowboy outfit and on her side was a rope/whip weapon and the hilt it had was an apple diamond.
“Shoujiki!” grin AJ as she tips her hat forward.
The evil AJ tip her hat forward and grin as well “I reckon this fight is going to be fun after all, right sour cube?”.
“You bet, you dirty snake imposter!” snorted AJ as she spit and drew her rope.
Evil AJ drew her rope too and both ponies stare each other down and waited for one of them to make a move. Finally, both of them attack at the same time by whipping their ropes at each other. Both ropes clash at each other and gave off powerful shock waves as they made contact. Suddenly, AJ rope got pass the black rope and whip the evil AJ in the face. As she screamed in pain, a black mist shot out of the wound but it quickly faded as the wound healed. Now fire in her eyes, the evil AJ filled her rope with very powerful dark energy. Seeing this, AJ did the same but her rope was filled with white energy. As both ropes were max out with energy, both ponies unleashed it at each other as they swung their weapons. Both ropes clash at each other and created a large explosion which made the chamber collapse on to itself.
Somewhere in Everfree forest, a bright flash appeared and three figures fell to the ground. It was Evil AJ, Spike and Twilight.
“w-what just happen?” ask Spike as he rubs his butt.
“I reckon it was Me.” said Evil AJ as she pointed to Twilight who was still pass out.
Spike was confuse why this AJ would say “me” as she pointed to Twilight but that didn't matter right, what matter was if Twilight was okay?
“We'll be fine, sour cube” explained AJ as she watch as Spike was trying to wake Twilight “But this is your chance to leave you know.”
Spike quickly turn to evil AJ and had tears in his eyes as he spoke “I can't leave her! I would never forgive myself, Applejack!”.
“Hold on, cry baby! My name is Kcajelppa, got it!” snorted KE in anger.
“Kca...what? Is that even a real name?” thought Spike as he turn to Twilight and hope she wakes up soon “...Please Twilight, what's wrong with you?”.
Within the entrance of the temple, a cloak figured came walking out and was carrying a knock out Applejack as the rain finally stop.
End of chapter 3 |
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Hyperion | 302 | 5 | Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | MLP:FIM Elements of Nothingness | incomplete | 10 | 5 | <p>After Twilight wakes up in a destroyed Ponyville, she's must find way home as a evil copy lurks in her world as it searches for the elements of Nothingness.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-25T00:17:59+00:00 | 2011-07-25T00:17:59+00:00 | 1,443 | Chapter 4
Above a sea of clouds, two white male Pegasus soldiers were pulling a small carriage as they flew across the blue sky. Within the carriage was Rarity, her little sister and a light yellow male Pegasus soldier, who had a black mane and tail and had a scar on his left eye. The soldier was in deep thought after hearing Rarity's story. Finally, the soldier spoke up as he turns to the window.
“...Can you explain this again?” ask the soldier as he was still confused by the whole thing “...it’s just this...its weird...”
Rarity nodded and she cleared her throat before she explained again “Like I said, Mr. Raynor...”
“Hold on!” said Raynor as he cut her off “Just call me plain Raynor. Ok?”
With that said, Rarity continued what Celestia and Luna told her....
Flashback
1000 years ago
It was a dark and cold night as a young Celestia was getting ready to raise the sun when morning came. As she stood outside of the castle, she looked up to the sky and was amazed by her little sister beautiful night. The stars were very bright tonight and so were the moon as it slowly passes the night sky. A few hours pass and Celestia notice something about the moon and the stars. They were still in the same spot from before. Celestia open her wings and took off to find her little sister.
Meanwhile, Luna was standing in front of a large temple which was known as the moon temple. Sitting on top of the temple was a large steel box and place around it was paper seals.
“Destroy the seal...” whispered a dark voice as Luna walk up to the steps of the temple “...we'll make your kingdom love your night...”
Luna stop before walking up the steps and wonder if this was right? Not lowering the moon and stepping hoof on a forbidden temple. Before she can think again, the left side of her face became black and her left eye grew red. Soon that half of her face spoke “Nonsense! What you’re doing is right! Nopony cared for you like I do!”
“...I guess...” replied Luna in sadness.
“Remember the day when you found me?” ask the other side.
Luna remembered that day. She was going to move the moon like always but on this night, when she landed on the moon, she found a black orb. This orb was leaking a black mist and there was a symbol...but Luna couldn't remember what it look like. As she pick up the orb with her magic, the orb form into a ball of black mist and shot into her body. Luna didn't feel any pain or anything but there was a voice within her mind. Since that day, the voice been telling Luna that nopony or even her big sister didn't love her or her beautiful night.
“...yes, I remember...” whispered Luna as she started to climb the steps again “...you’re the only one who loves my wonderful night...”
“...yes and soon everypony will, when you set me free....” smiled the other half as Luna almost reaches the top.
Before she could reach the top, her big sister landed in front of her and had a upset look as she spoke “Why aren't you moving the night, my dear sister?”.
Luna didn't look into her sister eyes as she answered her “...My night will stay forever in the sky, so everypony will love and worship my beautiful night, like how they love and worship your beautiful day!”
“What are you saying, my sister?” ask Celestia “Everypony loves your nig-”.
“LIES!” screamed Luna as a dark aura covered her “NOPONY CARES FOR MY NIGHT! NOT EVEN YOU MY BIG SISTER!”
Celestia was surprised by this outburst and this evil aura as it covered her little sister. Before she could speak again, Celestia was picking up by Luna's magic and was toss out of the way. Celestia was able to recover in mid-air and returned to Luna and block her path again.
“STOP RIGHT NOW!” shouted Celestia in great anger as she covered Luna with her magic.
Luna couldn't move as Celestia started to bring her back down from the temple. As she tried to get free, the dark voice spoke to her once again “...call out my name...”
Luna quickly opened her eyes and shouted out the voices name but Celestia couldn't hear it as a loud explosion rocked the area as it came from Luna as she broke Celestia magic grip on her. As Celestia opened her eyes, she found herself staring into a dark and evil looking mare.
“Who are you and where's my little sister?” demanded Celestia as she glare at the evil looking mare.
The mare just laugh and grabbed Celestia with her magic and started to crush her as she spoke her name “My name is Nightmare Moon and I'm your little sister.”
Celestia couldn't believe this! How could this thing be her sister? Before she could ask this question to Nightmare Moon, her element of magic crown, appeared on her head and blasted a rainbow wave at Nightmare. Nightmare was able to block it but she lost her focus on Celestia which broke the magic hold on her. Suddenly, all five orbs of the elements of Harmony appeared around Nightmare and pin her with a rainbow light. Celestia step forward to her sister but quickly step back as Nightmare unleashed a powerful magic storm. Lightning bolts rage around Nightmare and damaged everything around it. Celestia called out her sister name, so she can stop this storm but Nightmare just laughed.
“Please dear sister!” cried Celestia as her crown protected her from the lightning bolts “Stop this storm!”
“Why should I?” ask Nightmare as she grin at Celestia “I'm going to burn this so called perfect world to the ground and destroy everypony that hurt me, like you my old teacher...”.
“Teacher?” whispered Celestia as she heard Nightmare “What do you mean, teacher?”
“STOP PLAYING DUMB!” screamed Nightmare as her magic raged even more “YOU AND MY SO CALLED FRIENDS, LEFT ME ALL ALONE AND DESTROYED MY LIFE!”
Celestia was complete confuse by this and couldn't answer. She believes Luna or now known as Nightmare, has gone crazy or something. Even if this was her sister, she needed to stop her at all cost as Luna's magic storm was getting more powerful and started to cover the night sky but she couldn't kill her own sister...
“WHEN I FIND THE REST OF ME! I'LL KILL YOU FIRST” screamed Nightmare as she started to get free from the rainbow light.
Seeing this, Celestia quickly thought on her hoofs and spotted the moon. An idea came into her mind and she quickly gathered all her magic into her horn and pointed it to the moon. Nightmare saw this and quickly tried to get free but it was too late. Celestia and with the power of the elements of harmony, blasted a rainbow beam at Nightmare and she slowly started to fade away as a shadow slowly appeared on the moon surface.
“...I'll be back...” smiled Nightmare as she almost disappeared “...pray and hope I'll never escape, my old teacher...because if I do...” said Nightmare as she finally disappeared.
End of flashback
“After that, Celestia went and did some research on the moon temple and found that her dead father and mother sealed away a great evil into five temples across our land. This thing that infected Luna was the sixth evil. Celestia believe if this evil recovers its missing parts, it might destroy the whole world.” explained Rarity.
Raynor understood everything that Rarity said and even about the letter that Twilight had sent but it's still didn't make any sense. Why did this thing called Celestia a teacher and why sends a message to warn the princess about what it was doing after infecting Twilight. So many questions but no answers to them...but there was one thing that still bothers him.
“Okay, I understand everything now but there only one thing I don't get...” said Raynor after sighing.
“What?” simply ask Rarity.
“Shouldn't there be more soldiers with you? Sure, I’m the best in my squad but if this thing has this much power, shouldn't you have more help?” ask Raynor as he rose one eyebrow.
Raynor was surprised as Rarity started to laugh. As she finally stop, she answered his question “Oh honey! My friends and I can handle this mess. Remember, my friends and I are the holders of the elements of Harmony!”
Raynor was about to say something, until Sweetie Belle cut him off and shouted that they're back. Back home in ponyville.
***
Meanwhile, Twilight was shock to find this world she found herself in, was her own mind. What more shocking was what the nameless unicorn said after that.
“So your saying, that you’re the element of magic itself?” ask Twilight, in order to make sure she heard right.
“Yes” simply said the nameless unicorn.
“So, my mind is-”.
“Well our mind, since I am part of you after all” added the unicorn after she cut off Twilight.
“So, our mind is being taking over by some kind of evil?”
“Yes. The other versions of me fought this evil before and seal it away but somehow...”
“It's free again and it took over my...I mean our body” said Twilight as she finish the unicorn sentence.
The unicorn and Twilight stood up from the floor and started to head for the exit as they continued to talk.
“These temples, what are they anyway?” ask Twilight.
“The five temples are what keep our powers in check. This evil deactivated the temples and now our inner world is falling apart as our power rage on. If we don't stop this, everything that is us, will disappear into the mist of this darkness” explained the unicorn as her and Twilight exited the temple and found themselves back in the forest of Neverfree.
Twilight soon heard the voices from before, within the forest and quickly felt scared again but the nameless unicorn ease her fear by explaining this forest was where her secrets are kept. After calming down, Twilight had to ask one more thing.
“Back inside of the temple, that version of myself that attack...what was it?”
The unicorn rubs her chin for a few seconds and answered Twilight question “To tell you the truth, I have no idea but I did sense it was a part of you in some way...”
A little upset by this answer, Twilight ask an other and final question “Why can't I hear your name?”
“It's very simple...” said the unicorn as she summon her magic “...your just deaf” smiled the unicorn as her and Twilight vanish in a bright flash.
***
“...hey!”
“HEY! WAKE UP!”
“...not now Applebloom...I’m too tired....” whispered AJ as she turns on her side.
“Applebloom?” said the tiny voice in surprise “I'm nothing like our little sister!” replied the tiny voice in anger.
AJ didn't hear this as she return sleeping but she quickly woke as she felt a strong kick to her nose.
“WHAT THE HAY!?” shouted AJ as she hold her nose “WHO JUST KICK ME!?”
Suddenly, AJ found herself in an old looking house. The place had seen better days from what AJ could see. Before she could get out of bed, a tiny face of a brown mane female earth pony, who was wearing a cowboy hat, pop in front of her eyes.
"That was me, partner!” smiled the tiny pony “Happy to se-whoa!” shouted the pony as AJ screamed and fell out of bed.
The tiny pony was able to hold on to AJ head as they hit the floor and sigh as AJ was rubbing her back.
“What's in apple seed is wrong with you girl?” ask the pony as she hop off of AJ head and landed on the bed “It's like you never saw a pony before.”.
“What are you talking about? I never seen a tiny pony like you before, Shoujiki” said AJ as she stared at the tiny pony “Who are you?”
The tiny pony just sighs and said “What are you talking about? You just said my name.” pointed out the pony as she tip her hat forward and tried to go to sleep.
“Huh? I never said...” that was all AJ said before she just realizes it, this tiny pony was right “Your Shoujiki....the same one who kept calling me...”
“BINGO!” shouted Shoujiki as she tips her upward.
“Who or what are you?” ask AJ as Shoujiki jump back on to her head.
“I'm you in a way...” said Shoujiki as she started to explained to AJ about everything that the nameless unicorn told Twilight, about how she is the element of honesty itself and the sea of apple trees was AJ inner world.
“I reckon it must be true but why are you so small?” ask AJ.
Shoujiki jump from AJ head and landed on a table that was nearby and pointed to the chair. On the head of the chair was a red rope and the end of the rope on both sides was green.
“Since you called my name and did the element release...”
“What now?” spoke AJ in confusing.
“Element release is when you use my full power. Anyway, since you use the element release, I took form but as this rope. See, this tiny body is just an avatar, while the rope is my connection to the outside world and...”
“...and your real body is back in my head or something?” added AJ as she believes she got what Shoujiki was trying to say.
“Eeyup!” smiled Shoujiki.
“I see you’re up, dears” said an old voice from the doorway of this room. AJ and Shoujiki turn to where the voice came from and spotted a cloak Pegasus as she brought some apples for the girls.
***
During this time, KcajElppa or KE for short, was carrying the pass out Twilight on her back while Spike look on from behind. The baby dragon could see Twilight as she started to cry in her sleep. Spike could only wonder what she was dreaming...
***
Deep within the forest of Everfree, a purple female unicorn that was covered in open cuts as blood ooze out of the wounds was running as fast as her legs could take her. Not too far from behind her was a bright red and orange light. Soon voices could be heard as the lights got closer to the unicorn. Feeling worn out and badly hurt, the unicorn couldn't run anymore and hided inside a tree log. As she hid there, the lights that were chasing her soon turn into fire. It was torches and holding them was a few ponies from Ponyville and leading them was their new mayor, Applejack.
“Hurry up, you slow pokes!” order AJ as she stop in front of the tree log “we're losing that dirty snake!”
The unicorn soon heard the town folks as they stop in front of AJ and ask what direction their target went.
“Twilight hasn’t gone too far, since she badly hurt and stuff.” explained AJ “I want two groups to spit up and look for her!”
Soon the large group of town folks became two small groups and took off to find Twilight. AJ stayed behind in order to rest but soon heard a noise within the tree log that Twilight was hiding in and grin evilly as she spoke “Trap like a RAT!”
Twilight place her hooves on her eyes and prayed that AJ won't find her because she couldn't handle a other event that happen a few hours ago...being hit by a storm of rocks as they been thrown by the town folks...and some by her so called friends...
“Please...” cried Twilight as she whispered “...it wasn't my fault...”
End of chapter 4 |
|
Hyperion | 302 | 6 | Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | MLP:FIM Elements of Nothingness | incomplete | 10 | 5 | <p>After Twilight wakes up in a destroyed Ponyville, she's must find way home as a evil copy lurks in her world as it searches for the elements of Nothingness.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-26T04:10:29+00:00 | 2011-07-26T04:10:29+00:00 | 1,790 | Chapter 5
It was a strong down pour as it started to rain in Everfree forest. The wild animals dash for cover but they wasn't running because of the rain, no, it was because of the one sided fight that was happening within the forest.
“P-please...” cried Twilight, who was badly beating up, was trying to crawl away from AJ but couldn't as AJ stomp on to Twilight dirty tail.
“SHUT UP!” shouted AJ as she punch Twilight in the face “I'm tired of your whining!” AJ bit on Twilight's tail and started to drag her back to Ponyville.
It was quiet as AJ drag Twilight back. The only sound was the rain as it hit the ground and trees. AJ turn her head and she could see Twilight on her side. The rain washes away the dirt and blood from her coat and her wounds can clearly be seen on her. AJ quickly face away as Twilight spoke.
“...w-why?” whispered Twilight as tears ran down her cheeks “...why you and the others lied to everypony?” Twilight raised her head and she found a hoof in the face as AJ kick her.
“Just shut up already!” mumbled AJ as she continued to pull Twilight “No pony will believe you!” snorted AJ as she kick Twilight on her flank.
As they continued to Ponyville, Twilight close her eyes and shed a tear. On Twilight's cutie mark, the right top white star became black and was releasing a tiny steam of black smoke.
“...She a liar...” whispered a voice in Twilight mind “...She was never honest...”
Twilight opened her eyes and a glow of purple but yet a tiny bit of blackness, shot out of eyes and in a flash, she was gone. Leaving AJ alone and swearing to no one.
Outside of the forest, Twilight opens her eyes and with her blur vision, she could see somepony wearing a white jacket, was standing in front of her. She quickly rubs her eyes and was surprise as she didn't find anypony there...just a white long sword...
“Twilight...” called out a voice as she walks to it “Twilight...”
End of flashback
“Finally we're awake!” smiled KE as she saw Twilight waking up “We had a nice sleep?” teased KE as she help Twilight from her strew bed.
“I'm fine...but where are we?” ask Twilight as she notice she was in a nice looking room.
“We're in an inn. We're in the town called “Ashville”. Spike is in the town square, looking for her.” grin KE as she started to fade “We're too weak to use the cloud walking spell, so we ask Spike to find her. The one who took our place...” she lowers her hat and spoke for the last time as she vanish into Twilight “...our place at our former teacher side...”
“TRIXIE!” shouted Twilight in great rage as Trixie and Spike entered the room.
“Yes, it's I! The great an-AAAAAHHHHHH!” screamed Trixie as a purple aura surrounded her neck and started to crush it.
“YOUR GOING TO PAY!” shouted Twilight in a demonic voice but her anger quickly vanish as Spike jump on to her and started to cry as he beg her to stop. Twilight snorted and let Trixie go and turned to the window. In the reflecting of the window was Twilight but yet it wasn't...
***
“Something wrong, Twilight Sparkle?” asks the nameless unicorn as she watched as Twilight was staring into a window of a destroyed store.
Twilight could swear she heard Spike just now but quickly blush it off as she answered the unicorn “I’m fine. Anyway, the next temple is in Cloudsdale?” questioned Twilight as she scan the destroyed cloud city “…are you sure?”
“Yes, it is. It’s within the Stormsdale cloud base.” Explained the unicorn as she taps the cloud floor “The entrance stood be in the city square.”
Twilight placed her hoof on the cloud floor and soon felt something. Like great hate of something…then that’s when she heard her own voice, as it shouted random stuff. As Twilight turned to the unicorn, she was quickly met with a white blade, as it cut Twilight on the cheek.
“You again!” yelled Twilight in anger as she saw her white version self as she jump back, in order to have distance between her and her foe “Where’s the unicorn!?” demanded Twilight as she didn’t seen her anywhere.
The white version of Twilight slammed her sword into the ground and smiled evilly as she spoke “You haven’t learned her name yet, I see! Good!” White Twilight started to laugh as a white aura covered her.
Seeing this, Twilight quickly prepare for anything as she drew her sword and went into defense mode.
“You shouldn’t worry about her, Twilight!” shouted White Twilight as she place her hoof on the tip of her sword hilt “You should be more worry about yourself!” smiled White Twilight as the white aura started to give off a white steam “NOW! TAKE THIS! YUUJOU WAVE!” shouted White Twilight as she pulled out the sword with her magic and unleashed a white energy wave.
Acting quickly, Twilight unleashed Yuujou wave, in order to counter this attack. As both Yuujou attacks clash into each other, it quickly created a huge explosion.
As the smoke was clearing, White Twilight withdrew her sword and scanned the area as she didn’t spot Twilight anywhere. Finally when the smoke was gone, White Twilight jump into the air and hovered there.
“You can’t hide from me, Twilight!” shouted White Twilight “I will find you and when I do, I WILL BE KING!” roar White Twilight as she just disappeared into thin air.
Seeing it was safe, Twilight pop out from a cardboard box, that was near a destroyed packing store, and sigh in relief. Twilight walk over to the area where the Yuujou waves clashes with each other and was shock and amazed at the large crater that was left behind.
“Who is that unicorn?” questioned Twilight “She looks just like me…”
"Who am I? How can you ask such a stupid question? I am who I am!"
Twilight quickly turned around and block White Twilight sword. Both unicorns were in a weapon lock as they stared each other down.
“You thought hiding in a box would help you? Please! You’re not a snake or anything!” grin White Twilight “NOW! FIGHT ME FOR THE CROWN!” shouted White Twilight as she broke the weapon lock and blasted Twilight away with her white aura.
Twilight was toss into a white stone pillar and somehow survived as she was stuck within it. As blooded drip down her forehead, she could make out a figure as it stood in front of her.
“Need help?” said the figure as Twilight knew right away it was the nameless unicorn “Or you got this?” smirk the unicorn.
“W-Where were you!?” growled Twilight in anger “Who the hay is that thing!?” demanded Twilight as she tried to get out of the surface of the pillar “She going on about a king and a crown!?”
The nameless unicorn didn’t answer and just said “So that’s a yes on the help then?”
“JUST HELP ME!” shouted Twilight as steam pour out of her ears.
“Then just call out my name, Twilight Sparkle!” replied the unicorn as she hovered there “its _______!”
Like before, Twilight couldn’t hear the name and just shouted in anger. As Twilight finally stops screaming, the nameless unicorn sighs and vanishes into thin air.
“WAIT! CO-” that was all Twilight could say as White Twilight teleported in front of her and quickly stab her in the chest.
“Your weak, Twilight Sparkle!” frowned White Twilight as she dig her sword even more into Twilight’s chest “My power is wasted on you!” said White Twilight as the color of her sword, started to form Twilight white.
Twilight lowered her head and soon felt her body and mind slowly vanishing as the whiteness covered her face. Soon her memories started to flash in her mind as the whiteness entered her eyes. White Twilight smiled as she saw Twilight’s sclera turned black and her irises slowly turning yellow.
“Your crown is mine, Twilight Sparkle!” laughed White Twilight as a crown was forming on her head “When I’m king! I will kill everything! Starting with your foolish frien-” that was all White Twilight could say, as Twilight quickly raised her head and grabbed White Twilight’s sword.
“NEVER!” roar Twilight as the whiteness completely vanished from her body, which in turn made the forming crown vanish from White Twilight’s head.
“Impossible!” whispered White Twilight as Twilight pulled out the sword from her chest and blasted White Twilight away with her purple aura.
Twilight summoned her sword and vanishes into thin air. White Twilight was surprised by this and tried to find her but she soon found Twilight as she reappeared behind her and slash her back.
“Damn you!” shouted White Twilight as she swung her sword “GIVE ME MY CROWN!” screamed a piss off White Twilight.
Twilight said nothing as she block the sword and quickly bash it away from White Twilight’s hooves. She then blasted her evil self into the street below with her magic and quickly raised her sword as purple energy gathered around it.
“YUUJOU TENSHO!” roar Twilight as she unleashed a huge rainbow wave.
White Twilight just smiled as the wave of energy consumes her. Far from the city, a huge explosion could be seen as it lit up the gray sky. As it vanishes, Twilight closed her eyes and fell to the huge crater that was made from the explosion.
“Got you!” said the nameless unicorn as she teleported in front of Twilight and quickly saved her from the fall.
As she set her down on the floor, the unicorn could hear laugher as she turned to the center of the crater. Standing there was White Twilight.
As White Twilight was floating toward the unicorn, she started to clap as she spoke “She’s strong…train her well…because…” smiled White Twilight as she started to disappear “Because one day, that power will be all mine! Count on it, Ma-“.
The nameless unicorn just said nothing as she watches as White Twilight completely vanish into thin air. With her gone, the unicorn could see a cave within the center of the crater and placed Twilight on her back and entered the cave.
“I will Thgiliwt but you’ll never become free. Count on that.” whispered the nameless unicorn as her and Twilight vanished into the darkness of the cave.
End of chapter 5 |
|
Hyperion | 302 | 7 | Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | MLP:FIM Elements of Nothingness | incomplete | 10 | 5 | <p>After Twilight wakes up in a destroyed Ponyville, she's must find way home as a evil copy lurks in her world as it searches for the elements of Nothingness.</p> | everyone | 2011-08-01T18:16:07+00:00 | 2011-08-01T18:16:07+00:00 | 1,380 | chapter 6
“Eeyup.” Said Big Mac as he buck an apple tree and then turned to Rarity and Sweetie Belle.
Rarity and Belle said thank you and took off to the town. As they ran to town, Rarity could only wonder in her mind, why haven’t AJ and Applebloom returned from Fluttershy’s place?
Meanwhile, Raynor finally made it to Fluttershy’s place and soon knock on the door. There was no answer and as he opened the door, he could see there was no one in the living room.
“Ms. Shy?” called out Raynor as he entered the room “Are you here? I’ve been sent from Princess Celestia, in order to find your friend, Twilight.”
“Sorry mate but she’s not here.” Called out a British male voice “She left with AJ little sister, on an important mission from her.”
Raynor quickly drew his sword as somepony entered the living room from the kitchen. Standing before him was a brown earth pony, wearing a light brown jacket and blue tie and his cutie mark was an hourglass.
“Put that sword away, Raynor. There’s no need for it.” Smiled the earth pony as he walk over to him “Well, not now away.”
“Who are you!?” demanded Raynor as he place the blade near the earth pony face “Where’s Ms. Shy!? What have you done with her!?”
The earth pony slowly push the sword away and spoke in a very calm voice “Like I said before, she’s on an important mission for her.” The earth pony quickly answered as Raynor was about to speak again “She has no name anymore from where she came from, but don’t worry, her and I are on your side, Raynor.”
Raynor lower his sword but was still ready for anything as he spoke “Okay, but where is she and how do you know my name?” ask Raynor as he watch as the earth pony took something out from his coat pocket, it was a small device.
“What are you talking about? We…oh right!” laugh the earth pony “Silly me. We met before…well now we've met…look never mind about that.” The earth pony quickly pulled Raynor outside and pointed the small device into the forest “The temple that holds the orb of lies has been destroyed and the orb has been taken by Twilight!”
“Twilight!?” spoke Raynor in shock.
“Yes and now the mist is leaking out as we speak!” said the earth pony as the device started to flash and beep very fast “Here it comes! Let’s go!” ordered the pony as he pulled on Raynor’s jacket.
Before Raynor could say anything, a black mist soar out of the forest and started to cover everything as it grew near them. He could see that the forest was disappearing as it was cover by the weird mist. Not wanting to end up like the forest, Raynor and the earth pony took off to the town as fast as they could.
***
“This is so awesome! Heeee!” cried Rainbow Dash as she held her official Wonderbolt suit in her hooves “This must be a dream! It has to be!” Rainbow pulled down the zipper and started to put her suit on and as she did, she heard a voice calling out her name “Who said that!?” shouted Dash as she stop putting her suit on.
“…Hey!” called out the voice “Can you hear me!?”
Rainbow quickly searches the locker room but found nopony. The voice was still calling out for her but Dash had no idea where it was coming from.
“Dash?”
“WHAT!?” shouted Rainbow as she covered her ears “WHAT IS IT!?”
“…S-Sorry, Dash.” Said a hurt female voice as it came from behind Dash.
Dash quickly remembered that voice and turn to see Spitfire, who was a little confused and hurt from her random outburst. Seeing this, Dash quickly went into recovery mode.
“Sorry Spitfire, just a little on edge.” Spoke Dash as she put on a fake smile for her.
“I understand, Dash. I was the same way too.” Smiled Spitfire “When you’re ready, everypony is waiting at the training field. So hurry up!”
Dash nodded and watches as Spitfire left the locker room and was all alone now…or was she?
“She’s cute!”
“WHO SAID THAT!?” shouted Dash as she quickly scan the room again “COME OUT NOW!”
A few minutes pass and with no answer or any signs of a other pony in the room, Dash finally put on her suit and stared into the mirror, to make sure her goggles was on right. As she checks, she felt something behind her and quickly turned to find nothing. As she sighs, within the mirror, her reflects turned around and frowned as her mane started to changed colors and grew longer.
“She can hardly hear me…” whispered the reflecting as it returned to normal.
***
As Raynor and the earth pony finally made it out of the forest and near ponyville, the earth pony quickly turned around and smiled. Raynor look as well and was surprised to see the mist just stopping at the edge of the forest. Before he could say anything to the earth pony, the mists soar into the sky and vanish. Everfree forest was gone as well, the only thing left was a very large crater.
“What just happen!?” shouted Raynor in shock and fear “Where’s the forest!?”
The earth pony turned to him and answered “I knew it! The mist doesn’t have a large range…well not yet anyway. Listen, Raynor! Twilight is heading to Cloudsdale and if she gets the element of betrayal, that whole city will be consumed by the mist.” Pointed the earth pony at the large crater “We’re lucky that the element of lies was hidden under the old kingdom. Look, I need to head back. Good luck, mate!” smiled the earth pony as he took off to the town.
Raynor turned to the crater once more and his thoughts was filled with great fear. He knew there was like thousands or even more ponies in Cloudsdale. With that blasting into his mind, he drops to his knees and look on with great fear in his eye.
“C-Can I and the others…” trailed off Raynor as he look down to the ground “…if it comes to it…” whispered Raynor as sadness was now in his eye.
“RAYNOR!” shouted Rarity as her, Belle and the two carriage pullers was heading toward him.
As they arrived, they quickly notice the missing forest. Before anypony could say anything, Raynor quickly stood up and said “Let’s hurry to Cloudsdale!”
***
“Why should I, the great and powerful Trixie, help you!?” ask Trixie as she face away from Twilight and Spike.
Twilight used her magic and force Trixie to face her once more and said “If you help me, I’ll grant your greatest wish, oh great and powerful Trixie!” smiled Twilight as her eyes grew red.
Spike watch as Trixie started to glow bright red as Twilight place her hoof on Trixie forehead. With a great spark, Trixie started to hover in mid-air.
“W-What’s going on!?” shouted Spike in fear as he hid behind a chair.
***
Trixie found herself on a wide stage and in front of her was nothing but pure darkness. There was a spot light as it blasted through the upper darkness as it hit her.
“Where am I?” said Trixie in a worry tone.
All of a sudden, Twilight appeared out of the darkness and spoke “Your dream world! This!” shouted Twilight as she wave her hoof and soon a pack audience appeared from the darkness and started to cheer for Trixie as Twilight continued to speak “This is your dream, right? To be loved and admire by many.”
Trixie slowly look around the audience and then look down. As a tear fell from her cheek, she quickly smiled as fireworks went off behind her.
“IT’S I! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” shouted Trixie as she started to laugh.
Twilight hovered from the audience and landed next to Trixie and spoke as a black mist form in her hoof “I can even make you more than great and powerful.” evilly smiled Twilight as a dark blue staff, with a black orb at the very top, appeared from the mist “Just help me, oh amazing and mighty Trixie!”
Trixie stared at the staff just for a second and quickly took it and shouted “TRIXIE WILL AID YOU!”
Twilight slowly lower her head and soon the shadow covered her evil stare as Trixie was laughing. Soon that stared became even more evil as her eyes glow red.
***
Spike watch as Twilight back off from Trixie as a bright flash covered the room. After a few seconds of being blind, Spike vision returned and standing before him was Trixie but she had a red cape and red wizard hat, along with a dark blue staff from before, on her back.
“This power?” whispered Trixie as she stared at her hooves “IT’S AMAZING!” shouted Trixie as a red aura covered her.
As Spike look on, KE appeared behind Twilight as a ghost and spoke “She will come in handy.” Suddenly, KE notice that Twilight was breathing hard “You need me? After giving her that power, we’re more worn out than before.”
Twilight closed her eyes and smiled as she spoke in her mind “Wow, Applejack is worry about me…I’m fine. I still have a enough to use the teleporting spell.” Answer Twilight.
Twilight quickly open her eyes as she felt a small hand on her shoulder. It was Spike, who had a very worry look on his face as he notice that Twilight was still breathing hard. Seeing this, Twilight snorted and ignores him as she ordered Trixie to use the cloud walking spell.
“A SMALL SPELL THAT THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE CAN HANDLE WITH EASE!” shouted Trixie as her horn started to glow bright red as she started the chant for the spell.
Within her mind, Twilight started to laugh like a insane pony. As she laugh, KE appeared behind her and smiled evilly as she look on.
***
At this time, AJ and Shoujiki was sitting across from the cloaked figured, that who just entered the room and sat down at the table with tea and food. AJ wanted to ask who this cloaked pony was but her stomach forces her to eat...like a wild dog.
"WHOA NELLY!" shouted Shoujiki in anger as she witness AJ poor manners in eating "SHOW SOME MANNERS!"
AJ raised her head from the plate of food and tip her head to the side in confusing.
"What?" answered AJ as her face was covered in food (like what Strongheart gave Pinkie to eat) "I'm dead hungry! It feels I haven't eaten in months, so leave me alone!" snorted AJ as she was face-to-face with Shoujiki.
"YOUR A PIG!" replied Shoujiki as she push AJ face back.
The fighting went on until the cloak pony spoke after drinking some tea "You use the element release, AJ. After using it, it drains your strength but over time, you'll get use to It." the cloak pony lowers the teacup and continued "Princess Celestia had sent your friend, Rarity and a soldier, in order to get you and Fluttershy to stop Twilight but they couldn't find you or Fluttershy."
AJ and Shoujiki quickly look at each and back at the clock pony and AJ quickly said “You know about the element release!?”
“Who are you!? No one should know about the element release!” shouted Shoujiki as she rushes at the clock pony “ANSWER ME!”
“Don’t you remember me, Shoujiki?” smiled the pony as she place her hoof on Shoujiki forehead “We can catch up later but right now, you got to listen!” spoke the pony in a very serious tone.
Shoujiki back off and was trying to understand what the pony said but she lost her thoughts as AJ pounded the table.
“What do you mean, they couldn’t find Fluttershy!?” shouted AJ in fear “Where is she!?”
The clock pony spoke after taking a bite of food “She’s on a mission for me, so don’t worry. Anyway, you must head to Cloudsdale and help Rainbow Dash.”
“Help Rainbow Dash!?” whispered AJ as she slowly sat down in her chair.
“Yes, AJ. Twilight is heading there as we speak. If she gets the next element…” trailed off the pony as she summoned a hologram of the forest of Everfree…well the large crater “If you fail to stop her then the whole city will be consume by the mist. Just like how Everfree was consumed.”
AJ look on in shock and fear, while Shoujiki was angry, angry at herself. The clock pony places her hoof on Shoujiki head and smiled “It’s not your fault, Shoujiki. You did your best.” Hearing those words, Shoujiki felt less mad.
Suddenly, AJ and Shoujiki notice that everything in the room was starting to fade away. Before they could say anything, the clock pony quickly spoke “The doctor and I, have hired somepony to get you girls to Cloudsdale. He should be near the school house. Good lu…” that was all AJ and Shoujiki could hear before they found themselves outside of Ponyville.
AJ pick up her weapon and place Shoujiki on her head and took off to the town. As they disappeared into the town, the clock pony from before, reappeared but as a ghost and next to her was the brown earth pony.
“Do you think they can stop Twilight in time?” ask the earth pony as he turned to her.
The clock pony lower her head and answered him but with great sadness in her voice “I hope, Dr. Whooves…if they don’t…”
***
Meanwhile, a purple flash appeared on top of a cloud building and after it vanish, Trixie and Spike, who was helping Twilight to walk, stood near the edge and look on to the city.
“…our last hope falls onto Twilight. If she can return from her inner world…” finished the clock pony as Twilight, Trixie and Spike started to head down from the building and into the busy street of Cloudsdale.
End of chapter 6 |
|
remsaman | 303 | 1 | Fluttershy,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship | incomplete | 7 | 4 | <p>Fluttershy gets woken up by a fairy in her house in the kokiri forest. To save equestria, shell have to rid the temples of all evil and rescue princess twilight</p><p>yes i realise the picture isnt fluttershy, but its the most relevant i have</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T12:46:27+00:00 | 2011-07-24T12:46:27+00:00 | 2,133 | Legend of Twilight
Ocarina of Friendship
Chapter 1
Authors note: This is a pony representation of ocarina of time with more action and more complex fighting then the games itself. i do not encourage trying to do anything in the story.
Especially if you happen to be a young filly
“Jay.. Jay the fairy, Come hither, It is time, for the filly without a fairy to begin her journey. Go now Jay, Bring this filly here, as quick as possible”
A deep red fairy with a black pair of wings, shot through the forest at speeds that outsiders might never thought possible, knowing the exact location of this young filly, he speeds towards her hut, slightly higher than the rest, this gave the young filly lots of privacy from the bully Gilda, who always teases her for not having a fairy. Being the only Kokiri in the forest that could use her wings(she could only slow her falls. which helps, but not as much as actually flying), She has a lot of privacy from Gilda. Griffon or not, Gilda can not use her wings, she is not strong enough to lift herself from the ground. And since the Kokiri do not age, Gilda will probably never fly.
The red fairy burst through the open window, almost dislodging the curtains from their place.
“Hey! You! Get up already!”
“EEEP!” Fluttershy squeals as she falls out of bed in surprise
Fluttershy peeks up over the bed to meet eyes with the red fairy that had just interrupted her slumber.
She quickly covers herself with her sheets
“O.K... Anyway, the Great Apple Tree requested your presence urgently” he said, still recoiling from the rather awkward entrance.
“Oh my! The Great Apple Tree wants to see ME!?” she stood up all the way to meet eyes with the fairy.
“That is what I said wasn’t it?” The fairy’s tone conveying his lack of desire to be here.
“Y-yes, of course it was” she brought her eyes back down to her hooves, thinking she had offended the fairy in some way.
“What is your name anyways? The Great Apple Tree never told me your name.”
“Umm. My name is Fluttershy” she mumbles her words, obviously shy to this new fairy.
“I’m sorry I didn't quite catch that, what was it?” The fairy put on a fake grin, however unconvincing it is.
“my name is Fluttershy” She is still mumbling her words, but this time the fairy heard her properly.
“Alright Fluttershy, let’s go to the Great Apple Tree!”
“C-could you... Umm...” Fluttershy blushes under her covers while motioning towards the door
“what? Oh! Yes, yes of course!” The red fairy darts out the door as quick as he came in.
Fluttershy emerges from her house moments later wearing a green tunic (with holes for her wings),a conical hood over the top of her hair with holes for the ears, a leather belt with pouch full of seeds and four brown boots on her hooves, and a shy smile on her face. She Floats down to the ground and heads towards the section of the forest where the Great Apple Tree resides.
All of a sudden, WHOOSH!
“NOT SO FAST Fairy-less Fluttershy!” Gilda said in a mocking tone.
“You don't even have a sword or a shield, why do you think you’re good enough to see the Great Apple Tree?”
“Oh it’s ok I don't have to come past ill just walk away...” Fluttershy slowly trots away with her head hung.
DINGDINGDINGDING
Fluttershy stops in surprise as Jay makes alarming noises
“Hey Fluttershy. You can’t just let that bully push you around! Stand up for yourself!”
“Oh i couldn't possibly do that. I don't like raising my voice...” Fluttershy softly said to Jay, as if he is a small animal.
“Well then we need to find a sword and a shield! The Great Apple Tree summoned you and it sounded very important. We should go look for a sword and shield so Gilda will let us pass.”
“Umm.. Ok.. if it’s alright with everyone else, I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience.”
Jay just rolls his eyes.
“Hey Fluttershy, check out this over here!” Jay floats around a hole in the wall, roughly just larger then the filly herself. She looks around the hole and hesitates. Suddenly a smooth wave came over her and she felt calmer then before. She knelt down and crawls through the hole, on the other side is a boulder rolling around, but strangely, she didn't feel any sort of fear like she did before. Her eyes narrow and concentrate on the boulder’s rolling, she then ran straight past the deadly rock.
Fluttershy’s heart stopped pounding violently; in front of her is a chest almost twice her size.
Her brain told her not to open it, in fear of what is inside. But her heart told her different, what could possibly be in the chest that it couldn't get out itself? It’s not even locked. She bucks the wooden chest; it swings open and releases a blinding light. She reaches in with her hooves and pulls out a sword, that’s exactly what she needs!
She fiddles around with it, and it fits almost perfectly into the cleft of her hoof (the indent) and swings it around with her hoof, it feels wrong, having a weapon in her hand, but in another sense.. It feels right, like she was born to do this.
She searches around in the chest a little more and found a hilt for the sword, which she places onto her front left shoulder blade to easily reach it.
Fluttershy sheathes her weapon, evades the rock and escapes the hole.
Fluttershy decides to practise with the weapon on some tall grass, and while cutting the grass, she found some rupees that someone must have accidentally dropped in there. She picks them up and stuffs them in her wallet. Knowing the store has deku shields in stock, she decides that saving up enough rupees would be the best option.
A few minutes of exploring for rupees later, and they reach the store with around 53 rupees. Fluttershy wanders into the store and emerges a few minutes later with a brand new deku shield, then places it on her back, because that's usually her most vulnerable place. After her purchase she returns home to grab her pair of saddlebags that were in her storage.
Fluttershy returns to Gilda, still guarding the entrance to the grotto where the Great Apple Tree resides.
“Stop right there, Fairy-less Fluttershy” she kept the same mocking tone as she had earlier in the day.
“I’m not letting you through until you get a sword and shield”
Anger came over Fluttershy, it’s like something she never felt before. Her eyes glowing white, her voice becoming large and boomed throughout the forest.
“GILDA! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!” She shouts, yet still keeping her own repertoire of words. She pulls her sword from its sheath and her shield from her back. She stands on two legs, everyone around her gasping in surprise as she places the cold steel of the sword against Gilda’s neck, and spoke once more
“IF YOU DO NOT MOVE, I WILL MOVE YOU MYSELF!”
Gilda, not used to being threatened, hesitates. Fluttershy makes several quick slashes with her sword, and in one last swift motion, All of Gilda’s white feathers and brown fur fall off.
Fluttershy calms down and returns to her normal self, her pupils return, her weapon sheathed. A smile once again across her face,
“Now if you don't mind Gilda, I think I’d like to see the Great Apple Tree now.” she said with a cheer.
Gilda, embarrassed that she is now naked in front of everyone, sprints back to her home in a quick bolt of energy.
Fluttershy finally came to the Great Apple Tree. It took her a lot of the day, and cost Gilda her pride (Fluttershy wouldn't admit it, but she enjoyed every minute of it) She had never been to the Great Apple Tree before, but something about it seems familiar, she just couldn't put her hoof on it..
“Fluttershy, I welcome ye.. Jay, thank you for escorting her here.”
“Umm. Excuse me Mr. Great Apple Tree sir. is there a reason you called me here? Because it seemed quite urgent and I’d hate to waste your time..”
“It is of no waste of time Fluttershy, an evil witch cast this curse upon me. It is up to you, to break this curse, I am counting on you. And Jay, Accompany Fluttershy in her quest, and do not fail.”
And in one slow but steady motion, the Great Apple Tree’s mouth opens like a door.
Fluttershy and Jay enter the tree, and what they saw is a great surprise to both of them.
The inside of the Great Apple Tree is all dark and gloomy, with spiderwebs everywhere.
Everything seems... Dead...
Fluttershy found some vines to climb, but she has hooves, not hands. After looking around the ground floor, she found two metal implements sticking out from some small bushes.
One end is bent, with a hook on the bend. Giving her a makeshift claw.
The other is rounded with a screw, so it could be attached to something.
The idea hit Fluttershy like a deku nut. She tightens the metal objects around her knees until the hooks were firmly attached on both sides.
She then places her hoof against the vines and pulls down, the claw hooked perfectly into the vines.
She then proceeded to almost ‘walk’ up the wall. Once she reaches the top, she realises how far she had climbed, and almost fell off. Had it not been for her wings to keep her stable, she would have fallen off.
She unhooks the claws and places them in her saddlebags. After a few feet, Fluttershy comes across a door, inside is a floating platform, and a chest on the other side. She jumps onto the platform and across to the chest. Hearing a rumbling behind her, she turns to see the platform collapse behind her.
Realising the predicament that she’s in, she decides to open the chest. Revealing a slingshot.
“What could i possibly do with a slingshot?” Fluttershy asks to herself. Suddenly, Jay comes out from underneath her hat and hovers over to a ladder, hidden by cobwebs.
”Over here you moron”
“I’m not a moron”
Fluttershy aims her new-found slingshot and fires at the ladder, resulting in a perfect hit.
The ladder drops down like a sack of nails.
Fluttershy puts the hooks back on and clambers up the rungs.
Once outside of the room she was previously in, she sees a big wall with lots of notches in the side, like she has to climb it. But it has skulltulas on it, something she would rather avoid.
She then remembers she is holding a slingshot, she pulls out a few seeds from her pouch and fires them at the skulltulas, she cringes as she hears them cry out, then hit the floor.
She prefers to think of herself as a pacifist, but now, when something so important needs her help, she couldn't just stand around and do nothing. She has to help the Great Apple Tree, no matter how many spiders she had to kill.
She reaches the top of the tower and peers town into the abyss below. The only thing she can see is a small circle with spider web in it. Maybe if she tried to rip it from a height?
And she jumps.
using her filly Pegasus wings she is able to gain a little bit more speed than usual, it isn't much, but it does let her pierce the thick web that was covering the hole.
She lands in a puddle of water, then crawls to the closest piece of dry land she can find.
When she dries off, Fluttershy, using her wings as a small boost, hops onto a slightly higher ledge, which seems to have a longer way around(Cheating of course. But shes a pony, so she can do it.)
She grabs a deku stick and lifts it up to one of the flames, and once more burnt through a thick web covering a hole in the floor. She then jumps down.
Landing once more in water, she wades to the edge, only to be greeted by 3 deku scrubs shooting at her.
Before, she had talked to a deku scrub which had mention the numbers “2-3-1” should be used to beat his brothers(after a small ‘talk’ with the scrub).
Fluttershy pulls out her shield and aims it at the middle scrub, upon contact with it’s own shot, it turns blue and froze. This repeats itself on the second one, but not the third one, which opens the door for Fluttershy. Then all three deku scrubs return to their former underground positions on the floor.
Fluttershy walks through the ominous looking door, only to find it slam shut with no exit behind her. She hears a strange scuttling coming from the roof, Fluttershy looks up, and screams inside.
There, on the ceiling, is a huge insect creature with a large eyeball, it swivels in its socket (making Fluttershy cringe) and then drops to the floor.
Queen Gohma
Parasitic Armoured Arachnid
Fluttershy stares at Queen Gohma as she scuttles around the room, and watches as it climbs onto the roof and begins to lay her eggs.
In one quick swoop, she instinctively pulls out her slingshot and shoots Queen Gohma straight in the eyeball.
There is a huge crash as Queen Gohma falls to the floor.
Stunned, her eye turns a flashy green and swivels around erratically.
Fluttershy takes advantage of this and runs towards her, using her sword as a pole vault, she spins in the air and stabs Queen Gohma hard enough for her screams to be heard for miles around, had they not been inside a giant tree.
Queen Gohma takes a few swipes at her enemy, with Fluttershy dodging and blocking every hit she tries to land. Fluttershy throws several deku nuts at Queen Gohma, stunning her for a few seconds, allowing Fluttershy to mutilate the only weak point on the arachnid. Minutes pass, with Queen Gohma revealing her only weak-spot even less then before. Eventually, she falls on the ground, unable to move any more, Fluttery trots up to deliver the coupe’ de’ grace to the opponent..
Blue light fills the room, a crystal heart replacing the dead queen, spinning in place.
Fluttershy collects the heart and steps into a blue circle of light that appeared nearby.
Fluttershy is picked up by the blue light in a crystal, and lowered just outside of the Great Apple Tree.
“Fluttershy, although you were successful in ridding this curse, i was doomed before you started..”
“So.. Did I um.. Do that for nothing?” Anger starting to raise in her tone
“The witch who cursed me, she wanted... This... The object worth so much that she placed a horrid curse upon me.”
Green light starts glowing in front of Fluttershy, as an emerald gem in the shape of an apple with gold around the sides forms in front of her.
“This.. Jewel... Gather.. The... Other... Two.... Meet.... Princess... Twilight...”
“But Great Apple Tree! You cant be... Can you?” A red fairy asks
“Protect... Fluttershy.... Jay..... I... Entreat..... Ye.........”
The ground around them turns grey as the Great Apple Tree dies.
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End of Chapter one, Written by Remsaman. Inspired by Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of time.
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remsaman | 303 | 2 | Fluttershy,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship | incomplete | 7 | 4 | <p>Fluttershy gets woken up by a fairy in her house in the kokiri forest. To save equestria, shell have to rid the temples of all evil and rescue princess twilight</p><p>yes i realise the picture isnt fluttershy, but its the most relevant i have</p> | everyone | 2011-07-25T12:13:09+00:00 | 2011-07-25T12:13:09+00:00 | 1,913 | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship
Chapter 2, Lon Lon Ranch
In the last chapter, Fluttershy has been asked by the Great Apple Tree to rid of the curse that an evil witch cast on him. She succeeds, but too late, The Great Apple tree is now dead, and Fluttershy is now in possession of one of the three spiritual stones
Fluttershy just sat on the ground. After all her hard work, the Great Deku Tree died anyway? And what would happen now? The Great Apple Tree protected the forest from monsters, and nopony was armed for combat, except for Fluttershy.
“Hey, Fluttershy, Lets go. There isn't anything here for us anymore.” Jay said, sadness on his face.
“Ok.. Lets go...” Fluttershy places the gem in her saddlebags and exits the grove
“Not so fast, No Fairy Fluttershy.” Gilda intrudes upon her exit, still furless but wearing clothes.
“What did you do to the Great Apple Tree? Is he.. Dead? You’ll pay for this!” Gilda threatens, stomping off to her house, not wanting their last argument to happen once more.
“Pfft, she doesn't know anything. Come on Fluttershy, Lets get out of these woods before there’s an angry mob after us.”
As they walk through the exit to Kokiri village(which is large hollow log), Fluttershy feels a presence near her, Turning around, she finds it was her secret crush, Big Macintosh.
“Oh.. so your leaving then?” with a solemn look at Fluttershy.
“I guess I have to, but I can come back if you really want me to...”
“Please, take this.” Big Mac hands Fluttershy a wooden ocarina.
“its been passed down through family for generations. Such a shame the colt carrying it was attacked by skullkids.” Said Big Mac, with a small chuckle.
“I’m not sure what use it could have, because you need fingers to play it, but I’d like you to have it. To remember me by. And if you do figure out how to play it, play this song on it. To remind you of ‘us’.”
Big Mac starts humming a tune(which will be referred to as ‘Big Macs song’ from now on).
Fluttershy starts humming along too, until Jay whispers in her ear
“Hey Fluttershy, if you could blow into the mouthpiece, and I cover the holes, I bet we could play the ocarina just as if we had fingers!”
Fluttershy nods and holds the ocarina up to her mouth, blowing in tune to Big Macs humming.
Big Mac gives Fluttershy a large smile and stops humming. “Now we can talk whenever you play that song.”
“Umm.. Big Mac?”
“What is it Fluttershy?”
“dont ever forget me.. please.”
“Eeyup.” And with a wink, Big Mac walks back into Kokiri village.
After exiting the Kokiri forest, Fluttershy is greeted by an owl.
“Oh hello mr. owl, how are you today”
“Who.”
“You.”
“Who.”
“Ok then. ill just be on my way.”
Yet, after taking another few steps, she is greeted by a second owl, larger then the other and more intimidating.
“Hello young filly. Beyond Lon Lon ranch is the castle of Equestria, You should be there to meet the princess Twilight, Take care on your journey.” The owl flies off with not another word.
Suddenly Jay bursts out from sleeping under Fluttershy’s hat.
“Hey, what did I miss? And who was that guy anyway? Well. You heard what he said, lets get going!” and immediately darts under Fluttershy’s hat.
“Sometimes I swear he just wants to be heard” Fluttershy thinks to herself.
Fluttershy enters a close-by LonLon ranch, and is immediately greeted by the ranch hand Ingo
“Oh great ANOTHER visitor *eyeroll*. I bet you’ll make a mess and i’ll be ordered to clean it up. By Celestia i hate working at this ranch..” Apparently is having a bad day.
Fluttershy trots past Ingo and onto the field. In the middle is a handsome young colt, singing a tune.
“Howdy, you are one beautiful young filly. My names Braeburn. I’m the son of the Ranches owner.” The cheery young colt gave a huge grin at Fluttershy, she blushes.
“Hi.. My name’s Fluttershy.. Umm.. Braeburn?”
“What’d you like to know Missy?”
“why are there full grown ponies eating the grass off the ground, and where are their cutie marks?” Fluttershy had never seen a horse before.
“Why, young Missy, these are the finest breed of Horses, Although they look similar to us ponies, they are almost completely different! For one, They have little thought on most things, and as you notice, they haven't a cutie mark! They're also all earth horses, no pegasi or unicorns here!” Braeburn says in a cheery voice, as if he was a crazed pony keeping other ponies as prisoners.
“Well I’ll be, is that an ocarina? I haven’t seen one of those in quite a while! In fact, the last pony I saw with one sold us a batch of very fine horses from the east! He also taught me quite a nice song to call on one too.” Braeburn starts whistling the tune Fluttershy heard him singing earlier, Within a few moments, one horse with a chestnut body and white mane. The horse gave an appreciative Whinny and attempted to nuzzle Braeburn.
“Easy girl. Fluttershy, meet Epona. Shes the fastest foal I’ve seen on the ranch since I was born!
“Ooh, her coat is beautiful.. But why do you raise horses instead of letting them roam free?”
“So ponies can ride them, you silly filly! Apart from pegasi, horses are by far the quickest way to get around Equestria!”
Fluttershy goes to pet Epona, but the horse shys away from the young filly.
“Well shoot, seems that Epona here is afraid of you! Tell you what. I like you,” Braeburn gives a suggestive wink to Fluttershy, To which she blushes.
“Ill teach you this here song, In case you ever need it in the future!”
Understanding his notion, Fluttershy retrieves her ocarina from her saddlebags, gives Jay a small prod to wake him up, and places the mouthpiece on her lips.
Lyrical music wafts through the air, waking up the ranch owner.
After they finish their tune, Epona trots up and nuzzles Fluttershy.
“Well I’ll be! Looks like Epona has changed her mind completely about you! How about you stop by some time and we can hang out some more? Id love to now but i have chores to do.”
“I’d love to Braeburn, but I really must be going now, i have to... Visit town for a while”
“Alrighty! Hey, Me and paps have to go deliver some crates of milk to the castle, maybe well meet up sometime!” Braeburn gives Fluttershy a playful shove and walks off.
As Fluttershy wanders to the exit of the ranch, She is immediately intercepted by the ranch owner, Mr. GoldenDelicious.
“Howdy young lass, I heard that you and Braeburn are gettin’ along mighty fine!”
“well, yes but how did you-”
“Tha’ there young colt only plays that there song to people he trusts, I’d have to say, he must trust you an awful lot to teach you that song without even knowing each other.” GoldenDelicious said, scratching his chin with the edge of his hoof.
“Tha’ names GoldenDelicious, but my friends just call me Golden. Say, you look like a hard working young filly, How about you do me a favour. Collect all the cucoos that broke loose, bring them back here and I’ll give you somethin’ special.” Golden gives her a playful noogie and walks back into the house.
Fluttershy did as requested, she isn't really somepony who would say no. And she really does want to find out what that “something special” is.
Minutes pass, and Fluttershy places the last of the cucoos into the pen built by GoldenDelicious.
Fluttershy trips and her hat falls off, spilling a sleeping Jay onto the ground
“AARGH! What in the- Oh. its just you Fluttershy, are we still at the ranch? how long do we plan on staying anyway?” Jay continues on in his usual rushed tone.
“I’m just doing this one thing before we go.. if that's alright with you i mean, i wouldn't want to be a bother..”
“Uhh.. No, it’s fine. Continue. You know, you’re kinda cute without your hat.”
Fluttershy picked up the hat and trapped Jay like a butterfly, Blushing furiously she placed the hat back onto her head
“Seems like you’re all done here Missy, Now here’s that special gift i promised!” GoldenDelicious proceeds to pull out a cold bottle of milk from behind his mane.
“This special milk is Lon Lon ranches specialty. It’ll reinvigorate you when you drink it, And you know what? Ya’ can even keep tha’ there bottle. Courtesy of Braeburn” Giving Fluttershy a suggestive wink when he says “Braeburn”
“Why does everyone keep winking at me today. I’m very confused.”
Fluttershy Exits the ranch and looks at the castle in the distance. Her destiny awaits, but yet something was wrong, it seemed too quiet.”
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End of chapter 2, what will happen next?
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remsaman | 303 | 3 | Fluttershy,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship | incomplete | 7 | 4 | <p>Fluttershy gets woken up by a fairy in her house in the kokiri forest. To save equestria, shell have to rid the temples of all evil and rescue princess twilight</p><p>yes i realise the picture isnt fluttershy, but its the most relevant i have</p> | everyone | 2011-07-30T05:11:14+00:00 | 2011-07-30T05:11:14+00:00 | 1,511 | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship, Chapter 3: The castle
Fluttershy walks away from the ranch, placing the bottle of milk on one of the small straps on the sides of her saddlebags. Trotting towards town, she could see the guards getting ready to raise the gates for the night, due to the zombie ponies that wander around during the night.
She races towards the gate, getting on just before the guards raise it, Apparently they didn't see her.
Wandering into town, Fluttershy stops by a nearby inn to stay the night, the inn keeper gives her a stare, most likely due to her attire, But accepts the few rupees she has and shows Fluttershy to her room. It seemed alright, considering this is the first time she has slept outside the Kokiri forest.
The night sky was pretty, she had never seen the sky so clearly, as Kokiri Village was covered in tree branches and leaves. Now she regrets wasting all those years, barely even bothering to look up.
After a good nights rest, Fluttershy leaves the inn and trots towards the castle. Along the way, she meets a familiar face.
"Howdy Fluttershy!" A very cheery Braeburn shouts at the top of his voice, almost oblivious to the fact hes in town early in the morning.
"Fancy seein' you here! Say, have you seen my paps? GoldenDelicious?" He was out at tha' there castle deliverin' a cartload of milk! 'Tis not like the colt to keep his own flesh 'n' blood waitin' out in these here streets!"
"Well no but i was just-"
"Say you headin' up to the castle? Mind lookin for Paps while your up there?"
"Its no problem at all i mean-"
"well i gotta go, see yall later!" Braeburn trots off like they never even had the conversation.
Fluttershy looks down and sees an egg lying on the ground, lying next to a detailed drawing of Braeburn giving a wink. Blushing, Fluttershy places the egg in her mane, keeping it warm without its mother being present. Making sure noones looking, Fluttershy also places Braeburn's drawing into her bag, with a small giggle.
Walking out of the town square, she comes across a large gate with one guard pony wearing a patterned silver armor.
"sorry kid, nopony is allowed in or out. unless you have.. you know..." The guard holds out his hoof.
Understanding that hes talking about a bribe, she checks her wallet.
"oh. I only have one rupee left. I don't suppose you like milk?" She smiles hopefully at the guard.
"Sorry Ma'am. Lactose intolerant"
"Oh"
Walking away, she notices a strong looking vine scaling the walls of the cliff next to her.
Remembering her time in the Great Apple Tree, she reaches into her bag and attaches the hoof-hooks securely. Once she started scaling the wall, she only then realizes that she is scared of heights. She passes out.
Fluttershy wakes up several hours later, at night, no less. Remembering the predicament she's in, she doesn't look down and keeps scaling the wall. She reaches the top and continues on forward,
She reaches a bridge, which is actually the roof of the gate she was at earlier. On the other side is a guardpony facing the opposite direction. if they caught her, they'd undoubtedly throw her out.
She jumps off the roof, trying to slow her fall using her wings. Once on the ground, she sneaks past a few guards by passing through the garden.
Once she reaches the front gate, no surprise, there are more guardponies.
She throws a rock at one of them it hits him on the forehead and knocks him out cold(silver isn't a good material to make armor out of.)
The other guardpony, freaked out by the situation, rushes off to the other guards for help. Taking this opportunity, Fluttershy rushes past the passed out guard and around the corner, and ends up where the deliveries are delivered.
To no surprise she finds a sleeping GoldenDelicious on the ground.
"Umm. Mr. GoldenDelicious sir, your son is waiting patiently in the town square if you dont mi- oOH!"
Fluttershy is immediately cut off by a cucoo hatching from the egg she kept inside her mane.
The cucoo wanders up to GoldenDelicious and grows very loudly.
"WHAT THE CELEST- oh its you! Howdy! Yup, just finished deliverin' the last of the milk."
"Golden, your son is waiting in town for you. I don't think he can sleep on the streets anymore"
"What'ya mean? its only been.. 2... days... OH CELESTIA! BRAEBURNS GUNNA KILL ME!" And with that, GoldenDelicious dashes off in a bolt.
Jay comes out from under Fluttershy's hat.
"Hey, where's he off to? Oh well. Cmon we gotta find a way to get into the castle!"
Jay looks around for a few moments before pushing into one of the crates of milk on the ground.
"Don't just stand there, help me!"
Fluttershy did as asked, and after a few seconds of straining and pushing, they finally shove the crate of milk into the moat underneath. She stands on the crate and looks around, trying to understand what the fairy was getting at. Spying a drainage on the other side of the moat, she flaps her minuscule wings and jumps to the other side. Landing safely, she proceeds to crawl up the drainage area, getting her boots soaked as the water gushes past.
Once she exits the drainage, she is immediately greeted by the backsides of two guardponies.
Eventually the guardponies move along, patrolling more areas of the castle. Fluttershy quickly ran behind a nearby hedge and surveyed the area, looking for guards. They seemed to be moving in a regular pattern. Remembering the time she dodged the boulder, she memorizes the patterns that each guard was moving in and sneakily gets past the large group of guards.
After the last set of guards(who almost caught her), she's at a large stone archway with a garden on the other side. Wandering through, she sees a familiar shape, yet she has never seen anypony outside the forest before. Looking around, she sees that she is in a small hideaway, with where she just came from being the only entrance(which explains the abundance of guards) Fluttershy approaches the figure, which is a lavender unicorn filly, roughly the same age as her, wearing a white and pink dress.
"?? oh!" the purple figure bursts out in surprise, she was looking through a window behind her to notice Fluttershy.
"Hey, green clothes. red fairy... You wouldnt happen to come from the forest with a green stone that looks like an apple?" The figure asks.
Nodding, Fluttershy pulls the Spiritual stone from her saddlebags and shows it to her.
"Wow. I'm on a roll." The figure clops her hooves together and looks at Fluttershy, confused by the ordeal.
"Oh sorry, my apologies. I'm princess Twilight Sparkle, I've been spying on my dad, hes been doing some careless stuff lately and i wanted to try something!"
"You see, sometimes when I'm dreaming, the dreams come true! and my second last dream had my dad making a deal with that ugly pony over there. She points her hoof towards the figure kneeling in the throne room, the figure had a long sparkling mane, like the night sky.
"I think she's planning something, but I don't know what. So what's your name?" Princess Twilight changes the subject completely, from a dark foreboding topic to something the casual person says to a stranger
"I'm... Fluttershy. Pleasure to meet your um... Majesty.." Fluttershy replies, Putting on a shy smile.
"Please, just call me Twilight, and in case you were wondering, I saw you in a dream, well, not exactly. I was reading up on the history of Equestria, and i kinda... Forgot to sleep for 3 days. So i pretty much passed out. Anyway, i saw in my dream, Equestria covered in eternal night, but suddenly, out from the forest burst a ray of sunlight, the light concentrated into one form, a pony. with a red fairy. As the pony walked around, the forever night suddenly lit up into bright daylight.
I believe, that this pony in question, is you, Fluttershy. You are the only one that can save Equestria from Nightmare Moon and her eternal night."
Twilight turned around to face Fluttershy,
"So will you do it? I'd really appreciate if you helped me with this!"
Fluttershy's ears perked up at the word "help"
"Of course I'd love to help! But umm.. Do i have to avoid all those guards again? It wasn't easy getting past them."
Twilight puts her hoof to her mouth and whistles, Within a few moments, a zebra wearing a purple suit walks up to the pair.
"This is my assistant, Zecora. She will help you out on your quest! Oh, and i have one more thing for you.." The princess turns around for a few moments and turns back floating a piece of paper into Fluttershy's saddlebag using her unicorn magic.
"This is my signature, i have a feeling it will come in handy eventually. Talk to Zecora if you are ready to leave"
Fluttershy nods and turns to Zecora
"Could you please, i mean if it's no trouble, lead me out of the castle?"
"Of course young pony, its no trouble at all. To help with your task, ill take you out by the wall."
The pair wander past numerous guards, some giving Fluttershy strange looks, then resuming their duty. Once they reach the outer wall of the city, Fluttershy thanks Zecora before starting to wander off.
"Halt young pony, do not venture far, i have yet to tell you something to get you on par.
This song i will teach, and only to you, will aid in your journey. Info will help too."
"I played this for Twilight, when she was a filly, to get her to sleep. she acted quite silly."
Zecora puts her hoof to her mouth, and whistles a tune.
(For those who have played ocarina of time, this is the time you learn Zelda's lullaby, if you have not played the game, i reccomend youtubing the tune so you are familiar with what you are hearing, as the storyline relies on music a lot.)
Fluttershy reaches into her saddlebags and pulls out her ocarina, nudging Jay to wake up(why does he need that much sleep anyway?), she raises the ocarina to her lips and begins to play along. Fluttershy does her best to memorize the tune.
After their session is over, Zecora speaks once more.
"Now pony, there is one thing you should know, The Goron village will be the right place to go. Their race is proud, and mighty strong, Housing the next stone, you cannot go wrong. Beware though, young pony, though all not is as it seems, they have problems of their owns, falling apart at the seams. Death mountain is where their race proudly resides, the stone around them, as tough as their hides."
Fluttershy turns and looks at death mountain, when she looks back Zecora is gone.
"Well i guess its time to go."
And with that, they were off.
End of chapter 3. |
|
remsaman | 303 | 4 | Fluttershy,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship | incomplete | 7 | 4 | <p>Fluttershy gets woken up by a fairy in her house in the kokiri forest. To save equestria, shell have to rid the temples of all evil and rescue princess twilight</p><p>yes i realise the picture isnt fluttershy, but its the most relevant i have</p> | everyone | 2011-08-02T12:02:28+00:00 | 2011-08-02T12:02:28+00:00 | 1,194 | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship. Chapter 4: Death Mountain
Fluttershy heads towards Kakariko village. Not knowing what to expect, having not being outside the forest in her life, she does not know what kind of things she could expect from a place that seems so hostile from the ground. After entering Kakariko village, she immediently notices a large windmill looming over the back half of the town.
After wandering around the town, and investigating the graveyard, she finds a small coop with a lady with her hooves up to her face in frustration and worry.
"Oh deary me what will i do, i cant go get them myself because I'm allergic to cucoos.. Little filly! Could you do me a very big favor? I need to get all the cucoos back in the pen. I'll reward you for helping!"
Realising that she had already done this, she just felt the need to ask
"Is the reward a bottle?"
"yes"
"Oh ok then, I guess I can help."
Although it is the same task, Fluttershy finds finding the cucoos in the maze of a town a lot more challenging then on the flat surface of the ranch.
The cucoos are everywhere! behind walls, up ladders, in places she didn't even think they could get.
Once again she returns the cucoos, taking longer then at the ranch because of the maze of buildings.
She thanks the woman, places the bottle in one of the straps on her saddlebags, and walks to the back entrance of the town.
A guard pony stands at the gate, reading the latest issue of "Playcolt". Almost instinctively, without even looking up from the magazine, he responds
"Sorry, Death Mountain is closed, can't help ya, it has been ordered by the king blah blah blah." He sounds like he's said the same thing almost a thousand times.
"Umm, I have a signature from the princess.. Would this let me through? Fluttershy produces the signatured paper from her saddlebags.
"Oh hahahaha this is hilarious!" The guardpony laughs heartily at the paper
"Hey filly, I'll let you through but don't come crying to me if you lose a leg!" Fluttershy's heart sank at this statement
The guardpony pulls open the gate
"Hey filly, that wooden shield wouldn't be much help up there, but hey don't let me stop you. wahahahahah!"
Once Kakariko is out of sight, Fluttershy sees numerous things that look like red spiders, but with only four legs, Several are hopping her way.
Remembering the guards insult, she pulls out her sword and dismembers them, gruesome as it sounds, no blood comes out. She reaches an area with an overhanging rock, and a circle of small stones in the middle, she looks up at the edge of the overhead rock, Spying a strange object, she stands still for a moment, transfixed by its white glare.
She picks up a rock and throws it at the object, it moves for a moment, and starts sliding off.
It barely misses Fluttershys head, she faints for a few hours, wakes up, and faints again.
It was a skeleton.
The skeleton is not like a regular skeleton, it has two legs with feet, not hooves, and hands, and a dome shaped head. But what creeps Fluttershy out even more is that it's wearing an almost identical outfit to her, minus the sword, and only wearing 2 boots.
She notices it had a large metal shield on its back. She takes the shield off and straps it onto her back, it's too large to hold, and the handle is too small to fit her hooves.
After burying the skeleton (she cant just leave somethings remains out in the open can she?), she ventures on inside the mountain, and into Goron Village. What she saw will haunt her for the rest of her life. Gorons, everywhere, all starving and skin and bones. She heard that Gorons ate rocks, so why aren't these gorons eating anything?
As she wanders the twisting and turning halls of Goron's village, she becomes more aware of the situation of the world around her, Wandering up to what was marked the house of the tribe leader, "Darunia"
Seeing a message on the doormat saying "Only messengers of the royal family may enter.", Fluttershy takes off her cap, jabs Jay and gives him stern look saying "stop sleeping all the time"
As Fluttershy takes the ocarina out from her saddlebags, Jay takes his position operating the holes. After playing Twilight's Lullaby, the pair hear a grunt and the large stone door lift up.
Jay perches himself on Fluttershys shoulder. As the pair enter the room, they're greeted quite rudly by a very unhappy goron.
"WHAT!? When i heard that song I expected a member of the royal family to come, hopefully to help with our food problems! Not some wimpy filly! My people are starving to death! Ive had to hide the spiritual stone, the symbol of our people, from hungry gorons! If someone doesnt help us soon, then well all die!" Apparently this goron was not in a good mood.
"Mr.Goron sir, I might be of some assistance if you'd like..."
"What? You!? Bahaha, You're just a filly, Tell you what, ill give you a go! If you can cheer me up and get rid of the boulder in front of the Dodongo caverns, I'll let you put your own flank on the line! bahaha!"
Fluttershy trots out of the room, and wanders around Goron's village, hoping to find some way of cheering Darunia up. After asking the shop owner, Biggoron(who apparently was working on 'something special'), and several other gorons, she was stumped. There seems to be no way of cheering the guy up.
Suddenly, almost from nowhere, she hears a familiar tune.
As they walk through the exit to Kokiri village(which is large hollow log), Fluttershy feels a presence near her, Turning around, she finds it was her secret crush, Big Macintosh.
“Oh.. so your leaving then?” with a solemn look at Fluttershy.
“I guess I have to, but I can come back if you really want me to...”
“Please, take this.” Big Mac hands Fluttershy a wooden ocarina.
“Umm.. Big Mac?”
“What is it Fluttershy?”
“dont ever forget me.. please.”
“Eeyup.” And with a wink, Big Mac walks back into Kokiri village.]
"Hey! What are you doing? We have no time to dwell in the past! come on! Lets go, SOMEONE around here must know how to cheer that goron up!"
As the two walk away, Fluttershy sees out of the corner of her eyes a small imprint, which seems to be a flank marked in the dirt , one of which can only fit a certain goron.
"I think.. I know how....." Fluttershy flashes a small look of regret before continuing towards Darunia's room.
Fluttershy approaches Darunia with a solemn face. As soon as she pulls out her ocarina, Darunia raises an eyebrow, which only adds to Fluttershy's idea.
She shakes Jay off her shoulder, and motions him to play. Big Mac's song wafts through the room,
Darunia stops, stares for a moment, then suddenly breaks into dance.
The dance lasts for a few minutes before he finally stops, with a gigantic grin plastered on his face.
"Ah! I feel so much better! Whats that? You want to help with our problem? Hahah, I see you eyeing the spiritual stone. Tell you what, Take this bracelet, It'll give even a tiny filly like you enough strength to harvest the Bomb flowers! And maybe even give you a little more punch, eh?
If you succeed in ridding Dodongos cavern, our main food source of the cursed dodongos, I'll give you the spiritual stone! As a token of my appreciation."
"Of course, but umm"
"Darunia"
"Darunia sir, If you gorons eat rocks, why don't you just eat regular rocks?" the question still plagued Fluttershy's mind.
"The rocks of Dodongos cavern are delicious, in fact, my people pretty much refuse to eat anything else! Even with their own lives on the line! Gah, if that bloody Nightmare Moon didnt block off the cavern, none of this would be happening!"
"Nightmare moon, sir?"
"Some wicked sorceress, She asked for the spiritual stone and blocked off our food, hoping to siege us in hopes of getting the stone. Luckily we have some kind people like you around!"
Fluttershy gives a nervous laugh and backs away from the room.
Wandering out from the village, she sees a goron standing over a bomb flower.
"Uhh. What are you doing"
"Sheltering this bomb flower from the sun! They usually only grow in dark damp areas so one in a place like this is extremely lucky!"
"could i use it for a sec? I have a couple of rupees if-"
"Of course! For no charge! These plants grow back quickly so its not a problem!"
Fluttershy picks up the bomb flow and throws it infront of the cavern, it explodes, destroying the rock.
She ventures down the mountain and reaches the entrance to the cavern, which is just below where she just was. A Roar can be heard from the cavern.
"Looks like my adventure hasn't even started yet."
End of chapter 4 |
|
remsaman | 303 | 5 | Fluttershy,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship | incomplete | 7 | 4 | <p>Fluttershy gets woken up by a fairy in her house in the kokiri forest. To save equestria, shell have to rid the temples of all evil and rescue princess twilight</p><p>yes i realise the picture isnt fluttershy, but its the most relevant i have</p> | everyone | 2011-08-11T14:12:28+00:00 | 2011-08-11T14:12:28+00:00 | 1,512 | From now on i will be writing this in past tense, as it is easier and less confusing to write in. Please do not comment on this as it would be a pain to rewrite the other four chapters
Legend of Twilight, Ocarina of Friendship. Chapter 5: Dodongo's Bane
Fluttershy stared at the entrance to the cavern. The roar of the wind from its tunnels scared her. Determined to show that she was more then a stupid filly, she ran in without a second thought. What greeted her was nothing more then a stone wall and a few bomb flowers. Strange, for their main food source it sure was small. She slumped against one of the walls. The impact knocked a stone loose, hitting fluttershy on the head. She yelped a little, and rubbed the spot with her hoof, It was a little sore, but it would get better eventually. She looked up at where the rock had been dislodged, and saw a room on the other side. Cursing her stupidity, she plucked a bomb flower and placed it next to the rock-fall, before running to a safe distance. The bomb exploded and rocks flew everywhere. Fluttershy protected her head using the metal shield she obtained earlier.
When she walked to the next room, it was huge, with a massive Dodongo skull in the middle. Daunted, but not stopped, Fluttershy looked around for the next way to go. In the middle of the room was a platform, across a small trench filled with lava with only a few platforms inbetween. In the middle of the platform was a strange yellow statue, with a rotating eye on the top. She didnt want to take chances, but she knew she had to go that way at least once.
"Eenie meenie minie woof." she was deciding which path to take, there were two identical sides to the room, the only exception being a hole in one of the walls.
"catch a skullkid by the hoof, dissapearing in a poof, eenie meenie minie woof"
She was using a rhyme shared around in Kokiri village to make decisions. She had heard it while listening in on others, trying to learn what she could do to fit in with the rest.
She decided on the right path, having a bomb flower was a convenience as well.
She hopped onto the platform in the middle of the lava moat. The statue focused on her, and she heard a high pitched noise, before a blue beam came out of its eye. Startled, Fluttershy stood there until the beam finally got to her hoof. It singed her boot before she finally reacted and got out of the way. She threw a deku nut at the statue, and it instantly snapped its eye shut. Getting a breath of air, Fluttershy calmed down and proceeded to hop across the lava trench once more to the platform she was heading to. Once she got there, She wiped the burnt leather ashes off her boot, and proceeded forward.
She inspected each of the walls, before stopping at one that was heavily cracked. She plucked a nearby bombflower and set it down next to the cracks. The explosion rocked the walls, almost literally. Being in a cave the explosion was amplified, and a few rocks fell from the ceiling, breaking some parts of the overhead bridges. She peered inside the new cavity. It was fairly dark, but she could see some changing light on the other side. Silently sneaking through the stone hallway(it was easier when wearing boots, as they masked the clop of her hooves) she peered around the corner, to see fully grown dodongos, breathing fire at eachother as a sign of dominance. neither backing down.
Fluttershy drew her sword, and leaped through the air, aided by her itty bitty wings. She struck her sword down on the neck of one of the beasts. It bounded off with a 'CLANG'. Not sure what to do next, she backed away, the dodongo turned around, and took a deep breath, Knowing this wasn't a good sign, Fluttershy leaped behind a rock just in time before a large surge of fire engulfed the space she was just in.
Only now did she realize what the guardpony meant when he said that the wooden shield would be useless.
She heard a lizardic roar and turned the corner. The dodongo that the first one was fighting had clawed the other ones tail, revealing to Fluttershy that armor around the tail was not present. Once the two dodongos were concentrated on eachother again, she snuck up behind the closest one, raised the sword above her head, and jumped onto its tail, piercing its skin with the sword, using it like a handle, she gripped onto it for dear life, as the dodongo spun around in pain. Fluttershy accidently let go, and her hoof landed in the other dodongos eye. It screamed and tried to swipe at Fluttershy as she was trying to remove her hoof. which was now covered in eye goop. Having experienced worse (dont ask), Fluttershy gripped onto the sword in the tail of the still spinning dodongo, using the momentum to pull her out. It worked. She was launched, along with her sword, into a stone wall. It sent a shockwave of pain through her body. Having not experience this sort of pain before, it wasnt easy to tolerate it.
She lifted herself to her feet, and pulled the bottle of milk she had received earlier out of its strap. She uncorked it with her mouth and took a huge gulp, but still leaving a little in the bottle just in case. She corked it and placed it back on the strap. GoldenDelicious was right, the milk reinvigorated her, and took away all the pain.
With a healthy body, and a sharp sword, Fluttershy rushed towards the dodongos, running and jumping to avoid fire and tail. She dove towards one of the dodongos, sliding under its tail with her sword pointing up. It sliced it clear off. The dodongo started to bleed, and eventually died. Its tail started flash, and return to normal, before eventually exploding. Knowing how to defeat them now, She smirked, it was the first time she had ever smiled while under pressure. She ran towards the dodongo, but instead of slicing under it, she jumped onto its back, and held onto one of the spikes on it. She lifted her sword up high and began to hack at the tail, as if it was a piece of meat ready for the chop. It soon came off, and in a similar fashion to the other, it exploded. leaving no trace, apart from the blood and burn marks on the floor.
When she entered the next room, she was slightly annoyed, as there was lava everywhere with small platforms floating on top. And to make matters worse, there were two lizard men with knives, looking at her while bouncing around. They came up to her in turn, Each trying to slice through her to get a feed. Luckily she still had that metal shield, so all their slashes bounced off when she angled it right. They were actually easier then the dodongos, as they had no armor or anything. She quickly finished them off while trying to avoid burning to a crisp.
The next room was virtually empty, aside from a few baby dodongos coming out of the dirt, there wasn't very much action. The next room however, had a large staircase surrounded by bomb flowers. Noticing the fairly obvious way to pass, she plucks a bomb flower not on the staircase and places it in a gap between two bomb flowers.
Once it goes off, the entire staircase crumbles until its just high enough for a pony to climb up. Fluttershy had to use her wings for a small amount of boost, because she was only a filly.
She reached the top of the staircase, and proceeded to exit the room(smashing a few pots for rupees in the process). In front of her was a large brown chest, similar to ones in the Great Apple Tree. When she bucked it open, she found a stack of bombs and a tough bag made from dodongo hide. Placing the bombs in the bag, and the bag on one of the leather staps on her saddlebags, she proceeded to exit the room, which led her back to the main chamber. She accidently stepped on a switch, which actually made one of the platforms down below raise up and down like an elevator.
In front of her was a sign reading "When the great dodongo sees red, he will show the correct way to go". Jay woke up when he heard the elevator platform hit the ground with a tremendous 'THUD'. He looked around the room and saw the giant dodongos head, and the sign. He looked at Fluttershys bombbag before finally speaking up.
"I bet you 20 rupees you have to throw bombs into its eyes"
Fluttershy didnt accept the challenge, but instead just did as instructed. Each eye lit up red, and once so, there was a huge rumbling as the giant dodongos mouth opened wide. revealing a trail. |
|
Hyperion | 304 | 1 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore | War of the Divine: Book One | War breaks out after Celestia fails to kill Luna. A rebellion is born and Equestria will be changed forever. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>War breaks out after Celestia fails to kill Luna. A rebellion is born and Equestria will be changed forever...</p> | teen | 2011-07-23T20:41:32+00:00 | 2011-07-23T20:41:32+00:00 | 1,389 | Prologue
Death. Pain. Sadness. Greed. Love. Hope. Anger...those are what make up war itself. Everypony carries these emotions into the heat of battle, only to be met with the same emotions that their foe carries in their hearts...and their weapons. I fought many who carried these emotions and I was the one, who ended their lives. I killed so many, just to end this war. Every waking night, I hear their cries. I see their faces. I feel their touch, as my mind slowly drops into the void of insanely...and now I stand with Princess Luna, as we stand before the once caring and loving ruler of Equestria. Princess Celestia. As her evil laughter echoes across the rooftop of her castle, which we're on, the once beautiful city of Canterlot, is now cover in flames as the group that Luna and I created so many months ago, was fighting against Celestia army...
“...How did all this happen?”.
Those words....they echo through my mind as Luna and I charge Celestia. As I raised my sword to strike, those words soon took form as it showed me...
“The day when it all happened...”.
Flashback
It was a dark and cold night in Canterlot, as everypony in the city slept peacefully. There was no sound, just the animals that came out to feed during this time. Unknowing to the sleeping ponies of this city, a pony was order to death. This pony name was Luna.
Outside in the old execution grounds of the castle, twenty soldiers from the elite Solar Guard and a other twenty from the Star Heaven mage squadron, was called to duty as they guided a dark purple alicorn to her sad fate. Her beautiful night wings was chained up, so she couldn't escape. Her long horn was wrap up in a white paper, which had odd markings on them. Not many knew this, unless they was in the Star Heaven squad but those papers was suppressing her powerful magic.
“...W-where my sister?” asked the alicorn as she scan the area “I don't see her anywhere...”.
Her question fell on death ears as the earth ponies soldiers in gold armor, just kept walking. The alicorn lower her head and didn't speak the rest of the way. As they stop, the alicorn could see what will end her very life. Her life will slowly end as she will be hanged from a tall platform. As three soldiers led the alicorn up the steps of the platform, a quiet sound of blood hitting the floor, in the upper level of the execution grounds, was made.
Before the executioner tied the rope around Luna's neck, a fat male unicorn, dress in a royal robe, spoke as he pulled out a scroll from his pocket “Princess Luna of the royal family. You are here sentence to death by Princess Celestia orders.” the unicorn lower the scroll to see that the executioner had tied the rope around Luna's neck and continued on “You are charged to death by hanging.” again, the unicorn lower the scroll and spoke to Luna “Any last words, our former princess?”.
Luna slowly rose her head and was now face to face with the fat unicorn. She wanted to speak but her tears was forcing her to stay quiet. With no reply from her, the fat unicorn closed the scroll and slowly rose his hoof into the air, as a sign for the executioner to open the trap door.
“then farewe-” that was all the unicorn could say as a loud thump landed behind him.
Luna's eyes grew wide and was filled with shock, as blood cover her face. The fat unicorn life had ended, as his head was cut off from the rest of his body. As everypony was shock by this scene, the cloak figure who murdered the unicorn, toss the dead body out of the way and charge at the executioner. With one quick slash from the cloak figure's sword, the executioner life had ended too.
“Don't worry, Princess!” said the cloak figure, as he cut the rope from Luna's neck “I’m here now.”
The soldiers quickly recovered from their shock and quickly charged the platform with weapons drawn. Luna watch as the cloak figured fought off four soldiers that made it first to the top of the platform. She realized something as the fighting continued in front of her. The forty soldiers that was on guard for her executing, was now only half of that number as the soldiers from the upper level, never came down to help.
“SOUND THE ALARM!” Ordered the captain of the Solar Guard as he realize his men and the mage's warriors was getting beat “HURRY! WE CAN'T LE-”.
A sliver arrow entered and exited out of the captain head and landed on the stone floor and few seconds later, the captain dead body hit the floor. Three soldiers stop from going up the platform and turn around to see a badly beating up brown male unicorn with a snowy white mane and tail as he walked over to them. One of the soldiers rose her mace and charged at the brown unicorn. Fast as lighting, the brown unicorn took out a bow gun from his saddlebag with his magic and fired a arrow at the mare soldier. She went down before she could reach her target as the arrow hit her in the head. The other two soldiers step back and wanted to leave, but they was caught in between a rock and a hard place.
Luna and the cloak figured soon found themselves alone as the last soldiers retreated to the ground level. Soon they could hear cries of pain, down in the ground level and then it was very quiet. Not wasting time, the cloak figured put Luna on his back and was about to take off, until him and Luna heard a colt voice.
“Luna! Please forgive me!”.
Coming up the steps was the brown unicorn from down below and he quickly pointed his bow gun at the cloak figured.
“PUT HER DOWN!” shouted the unicorn in great anger.
“Buck Shot!” cried Luna with joy, as she found her trusted bodyguard alive “You escape!”.
“Buck Shot?” whispered the cloak figured as he lower his sword.
“No jail cell can keep me away from you, my princess.” answered Buck Shot as he smiled but that smile quickly faded as a loud alarm echo across the castles walls “Horseapples!”.
“Look, Buck!” shouted the figured after he withdrew his sword “This place will be swarmed with elite guards! If you want to save Luna, then put your weapon down and let me help her escape!”.
Buck Shot didn't know if he should trust this colt with the princess but the time for thinking soon pass as him and the others soon heard hooves steps heading their way.
“FINE!” shouted Buck as he ran to the hallway to meet the incoming soldiers “I'LL LET YOU PROTECT HER FOR NOW!” Buck slam the large steel doors before speaking for the last time “I'll catch up with you later, my princess...”.
As the large steel doors finally close shut, the cloak figured open his wings and took off to the night skies. Knowing that they're sitting ducks while in the air, the figured quickly headed to the city below.
“who are you?” asked Luna as she held on tight of the figured back “Why did you saved me?”.
The strong wind of their descent, made the hood of the cloak figured peel back and revealed a black Pegasus with a brown mane.
“The name is Hyperion, your highness.” said the Pegasus as he turned his head slightly to her “...without you, the night will never feel the same!”.
“War of the Divine” Book one |
Hyperion | 304 | 2 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore | War of the Divine: Book One | War breaks out after Celestia fails to kill Luna. A rebellion is born and Equestria will be changed forever. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>War breaks out after Celestia fails to kill Luna. A rebellion is born and Equestria will be changed forever...</p> | teen | 2011-07-23T23:54:27+00:00 | 2011-07-23T23:54:27+00:00 | 1,203 | Chapter 1
Hyperion and Luna, who was still on Hyperion back, was able to land and enter a old small abandoned building. Hyperion quickly closed all the windows and doors of the building and soon tried to find a way to free the princess from the locks that covered her wings and long horn.
“...I can't use my sword to break the chains...” whispered Hyperion as he fear he might hurt the princess “...and this seal on your horn...” as he touch it, a powerful magic spark blasted his hoof away from it “Whoa! Only a skilled unicorn can remove that.”.
Luna watch as Hyperion took out a map and was soon talking to himself. The princess could see that the map was a very detailed map of Canterlot. There was small info on the sides of crossed out exits of the city and a few circles in the west wall area of the great Canterlot wall.
“Our only escape route is in the west wall.” pointed Hyperion to the area of the map “Its being rebuilt, so there should be a way out there...i hope...” whispered the Pegasus to himself.
Before Luna could ask a few questions, Hyperion quickly covered her mouth and drew this blade from its sheath. The room was quiet as they stared at the front door. Soon enough, voices could be heard on the other side.
“I think they went in here” said a female voice as the door slowly open.
Hyperion quickly swear under his breath as he forgot to lock the door and this foolish might end his and the princess lives.
“Run for it.” whispered Hyperion to Luna, as he was getting ready for the incoming fight “Run to the west wall. I'll catch up.”.
Luna just nodded as she was getting ready to run for it. The door slowly opened and a bright flash blinded them as a other voice spoke.
“Hyperion! Princess Luna! You are...”.
Meanwhile in the castle, a purple male unicorn with a long white mane and tail and wearing a full gold body armor, was staring at the blood covered hallway, which leads to the execution grounds. All of the fallen soldiers bodies was removed from the hall but their blood remained. Remained in the hall was also the weapons which ended their lives. Sliver arrows. Soon a younger male soldier in light armor, ran to the unicorn sided and spoke.
“Pretty Pie, SIR!” said the soldier as he saluted his commanding officers.
“Yes, soldier?” replied Pretty Pie as he didn't look away from blood covered hall.
The soldier cleared his throat and spoke once more “Princess Celestia has got your report about Princess Luna escape. She wants the knights of the Holy Day & Night, to recover Luna. Dead or alive, Sir!”.
Pretty Pie quickly ran off from the soldier and headed to the front gates of the castle. The young soldier from before, quickly caught up and continued with his report “Sir. We got a report from the Captain of the Dawn Guard. It seems Lance Knight, Midnight and her Lance group has betrayed us and is believe to be helping Luna.”.
Pretty Pie and the young soldier, finally reach the front gates and met the whole combine force of both knight squads. Pretty quickly gather them and spoke as the door guards opened the main gates.
“Listen all of you! Princess Celestia has order us, her most trusted knights, to hunt down Luna and bring her to justices!”.
“Why!? What did she do!?” shouted a member from the Holy Night group.
Pretty quickly answered by pointing to the opened gates. All the knights turned and was shock to see black smoke and out of control fire, blanketing the once peaceful city of Canterlot.
“She wish to overthrow our dearest and caring ruler! By starting a rebellion! A rebellion from within our own ranks! Report to the captain of the Dawn Guard when you enter the city!” shouted Pretty in great anger “NOW GO! DON'T FAIL OUR DEAR RULER!”.
Pretty watch on as the knights took off and headed to the city. All alone now, he release a loud sigh. He knew, if Luna was capture alive or even killed, there was still going to be a war. There are many ponies across the kingdom, who loved and trusted Luna, that if they heard their dearest Luna was killed or put to death, a rebellion will start in ten seconds flat. Pretty Pie knew this and he was ready for that day.
In the streets of the city, there was nothing but chaos as soldiers from the Dawn Guard group, was searching and breaking into ponies home. Hyperion and Luna was able to hide and run in the large crowed streets as they made their way to the west wall. They was able to leave the chaos fulled streets and entered the large open fields, which was between the city and the great wall. Sadly, soon enough, they was spotted and was being chase as they cross the wide open fields. With all the running and the events that led to this nightmare, Luna stop running and finally broke down.
“I give up!” cried Luna as she sat on the grassy ground and stared to the night sky “Let them kil-”.
“WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS!?” shouted Hyperion as he force her to stand and glare into his eyes “Your going to let their sacrifice be for nothing!?” ask Hyperion as he place Luna on his back and took off again.
Luna buried face into Hyperion back and thought back...
flashback
“...safe!” cheered a yellow female earth pony, who was covered in light body armor as her and a small group of light armor ponies entered the building “thank heavens!”.
Hyperion quickly sheath his sword as he quickly realize who it was.
“Wind Whisper! Guys!” grin Hyperion as he bro-hoof Wind and the others “Why are you guys doing here!?”.
Luna was surprised as Wind Whisper group turned to her and bowed. She wasn't use to these kind of things, since everypony always bowed to her big sister and not her.
“We heard the rumors too, you know!” grin Wind as she punch Hyperion in the arm “We was heading to the castle and hoping to save Luna but it seems you beat us to it” Wind then turned to her group as they started to asked if their dearest princess was alright. Seeing this, Wind once again spoke to Hyperion “Celestia has gone to far, Hyperion...”.
“What are you getting at?” quickly questioned Hyperion as he rose one eyebrow.
“You can bring back “The New Order” group! With Luna on our side, everypony will joined the group and we can finally bring down Celestia!”.
“NO!” shouted Hyperion as he turn away from her “I disbanded that group...” Hyperion put his hooves on his face and soon heard cries of pain as a dark memory flash in his mind.
Wind was tick off by this, that she didn't think of the pain that Hyperion will feel after she said “Clever would've said yes!”.
Realizing what she said, Wind turned to Hyperion and she could a whisper coming from him. She believe he said “He would've been...” and that's all she made out before one of soldiers came to her.
“Captain! We should inform them of what's going on!”.
“OH!” said Wind as she remembered the Intel that her group got “Hyperion. The city will be in chaos soon, this is the only chance we have of escaping with Luna” explained Wind.
Before Hyperion could ask why the city will be in chaos, Wind took out a map and continued to speak “From my mole, it seems a Lance Knight and her lance have gone rouged. The Dawn Guard are doing a mad search for them as we speak!” Wind then pointed to the west wall and once again continued “As you know, all of the city gates will be cut off, which leaves only the west wall. Its being repair, so there a good chance there's a exit there.”.
Hyperion agree to her but also pointed out something “The only problem is that wide field that's between the city and the wall. We're opened targets if the Lighting Guard spots us.”.
Before Wind could replied to that problem, a loud buck from outside, broke down the door and a good size of Dawn Guard soldiers charged in. Wind's soldiers quickly held back the soldiers, while Wind brought Hyperion and Luna to the rooftop of the building. With one strong buck, Wind was able to break down a window. Looking down, she could see that a alleyway was down below and turned to Hyperion.
“Go! We'll buy you some time!” order Wind as she force Luna onto Hyperion back “When you get over the wall, head to the river near a town called “Ponyville”. A old friend will help hide you two!”.
“I'm not leaving you!” shouted Hyperion as he was about to drew his sword but something stop him.
Luna blush bright red as she watch as Wind force a kiss on to Hyperion. As Wind broke the kiss, she spoke as she blush “Don't worry about me. I'm not going to die here besides, I won't break my promise!” smiled Wind with joy.
“...fine, ju...WAIT!” shouted Hyperion as he blush bright red too “I DIDN-”.
With one strong kick thanks to Wind, Hyperion and Luna crash into the alleyway below. Lucky for Luna, Hyperion broke her fall as they landed. Wind look down and smiled “You did promise! I can't wait to be a mother!”.
Hyperion quickly stood up and was about to fight back about how he didn't make that promise but he soon heard soldiers heading their way, so he took off with Luna to the west wall. Leaving Wind and her gang in fate hands.
End of flashback
“I didn't...f-forget...” cried Luna as she rose her from Hyperion back “...Hyperion!”.
“Good!” that was all Hyperion said as he continued to the wall. Sadly, Dawn Guard soon had air support as the Lighting Guard squad came and block the west wall. With no choice, Hyperion dash off to the right and soon spotted the Night Guard barracks and entered.
“BUCK!” swore Hyperion as he knew running into a enemy barracks was the most stupidest thing he could have done “We need to the find the exit!” shouted Hyperion as he turned to Luna, who was running now, and turned a corner and came to a T-juncture hallway.
“huh?” said Luna as she stop dead in her tracks.
Hyperion stop as well and turned to see why Luna stop running. In the middle hallway of the T-juncture, was two scout Pegasus as they stared at Luna. Hyperion quickly drew his sword and was about to attack but a strong female voice was heard as a huge Pegasus with a very dark blue coat, a black mane and tail and with a large shield, covered the way that Luna and Hyperion came from.
"Lance! Cover the hall! NOW!" ordered the voice as five other ponies came to the aid of the larger Pegasus as a few Dawn Guard clash with him.
Hyperion and Luna watch as a midnight blue female Pegasus with a purple mane and tail, with two black streaks threw both the mane and tail and wearing a gray armor, turned to them and quickly shouted “Go Princess, We'll be along but in a moment!". Soon the midnight Pegasus, ordered the rest of her team to fall back and to covered Hyperion and Luna escape. Some reason, the large Pegasus's who was holding off the Dawn Guard, didn't fall back with the others. Hyperion, Luna and their new allies, dash off while leaving the large Pegasus and his leader, to hold off the Dawn Guard by themselves.
The group was able to exit the barracks and tried to head to the west wall again but this time, all Guard squadrons had surrounded the area. They was trap like a rat.
Hyperion and the others quickly surrounded Luna and drew their weapons as they was ready to die for her. Spot lights soon flash upon them as more air support arrived to aid the capture of Luna. This was truly the end...or was it?
“PRINCESS!” shouted a very familiar voice as a storm of sliver arrows blanketed upon the entire Guard squadrons as he appeared from a flash of magic “I'm here!” said Buck Shot as his horn started to give off a powerful aura.
In a bright flash, Buck Shot, Luna and the others vanish into thin air. Each commanding officers for each Guard, was gathering those who wasn't hurt or killed from the surprise attack and quickly ordered them to search the outside wall but a female voice ordered them to stop as a bright flash of purple magic appeared on top of the wall. It was Twilight Sparkle, while wearing a royal robe with odd symbols.
“Disembark that order!” shouted Twilight “Return to the city at once! The police forces needs help in returning order to the city!” She quickly pointed to the still chaos city and everypony soon followed orders and left to the city but the captain of the Dawn Guard was frozen in place as a purple aura covered him.
Great fear soar in his mind as he was hovered over to Twilight. He could see great anger in her eyes, which made him sweat as she started to speak to him.
“Because of your foolish actions! I had to force every Guards squadrons to return to the city that's in chaos, in chaos because of YOU and your foolish mad search for the rogue Lance squad!” said Twilight as her magic aura started to focus on the captain neck “The Princess isn't please about this.” Twilight rose the captain to her face and she smiled as she whispered “She ordered you to be replace...”.
(Crack!)
The captain of the Dawn Guard went lifeless as his neck broke under the powerful pressure of Twilight's magic. Twilight toss the dead captain like a roll doll, away from her and quickly turned to large forest that was behind the great wall. With her powerful magic, she active a powerful warp spell and summoned the knights of the Holy Day & Night and their commanding officer, Pretty Pie, down below in the open fields of the forest.
“Lady Twilight!” saluted Pretty Pie as he look up to her from down below “We will bring our dearest Princess Celestia enemies to you! Pinkie Swear!”.
“You better, Sir Pretty Pie...” trailed off Twilight as she just vanish into thin air.
With that, Pretty and his knights took off into the forest known as Everfree Forest. Where a weird magic controls the weather and evil monster lives.
***
In front of the castle gates, Twilight reappeared in time, to see the three prisoners as they was carried in a large cage carriage. As they vanish into the shadows of the castle loading docks, a blue male earth pony with a white short mane and tail and wearing a lab coat, approach Twilight and smiled.
“Jae Van...” whispered Twilight as she started to walk away from the blue pony “You can have the yellow prisoner.”.
As Twilight left, the pony known as Jae, started to grin evilly as he walk off to the loading docks.
***
(CRASH!)
The forest came to life as loud swears filled the night. Soon the swears vanish and became quiet...until a loud voice with great anger filled the forest once more.
“GET OFF OF HER! YOU SICK COLT!”.
Deep within the forest, a small group, no more than 15 ponies, was watching as Buck Shot was fueling mad as he found Hyperion on top of Luna in a very sexual position.
“WHOA! I JUST FELL ON HER! DON-OH BUCK!” swore Hyperion as he dodge Buck Shot arrow and quickly drew his sword “Calm the buck down! I don't want to hurt you!” replied Hyperion as he block a other arrow.
“YOU TRIED TO DEFLOWER MY PRINCESS!” shouted Buck as he charged at Hyperion at full speed “DIE!”.
The others quickly ran in between the in coming fight, in hopes to break it up but Luna beat them to it.
“BBBBUUUUCCCCKKKK!” shouted Luna as she jumped in front of him and gave him a glare that even rivals Fluttershy's Stare “STAND DOWN! NOW!”.
Very surprise by this, Buck Shot sheath his weapons and bowed to her as he asked forgiveness. Hyperion return his sword to its sheath and sigh in relief. Thanks to the princess, he was able to dodge this fight but he quickly remember the solution and turned to the group that aided him and Luna from the barracks.
“Who's in charge of this squad?”.
The group of Pegasus started to talk among themselves, while Hyperion waited for a answer to his question. Soon, a male Pegasus with a white mane and tail and a gray coat, was a in dark blue armor, step forth and spoke.
“Right now, I am”.
“Name and rank?” ask Hyperion as he spotted the symbol of the Night Guard.
“The name is Northern Wind and I'm the errant knight of this lance.” said Wind as he saluted for no reason “Our lance leader, Midnight Lance, had order us to aid you and princess Luna escape.” explained Wind.
Hyperion remembered from what Wind Whisper had said, about how a lance group had gone rouge for some reason.
“So your on princess Luna side, I take it?” quickly ask Buck after overhearing them “why is that?”.
“We're loyal to only Princess Luna, after what went down a few hours ago.” replied Wind as he turned to Buck.
“what went down?” asked Hyperion and Buck at the same time.
Wind quickly explained how, Princess Celestia had ordered Midnight's father to bring in Luna to the execution grounds but Midnight's father didn't followed the order and was killed, along with a squad that he commanded. After learning this, Midnight and her lance had took off to barracks, to get weapons and other things.
“...and you know the rest...hmmm...what's your name again?” ask Wind as he rub his head “I didn't caught it.”.
“Its Hyperion.” replied the Pegasus as he turned to Luna. He could see that the princess was in shock by this event. “Are you okay?” Hyperion sat in front of Luna and watch as she started to cry.
“She will never order a other Guard troops, to kill a other...” trailed off Luna as her words was replace with sobbing.
“Wake up, Princess!” snorted Hyperion as he stood up and slam the ground with his hoof “If she can order you to death, then she can kill anypony she please!”.
Hyperion turn away and walk off as Luna continued to cry. As he walk off, his past started to hunt him again. He could feel the heat of the flames as that dark memory slowly flash in his mind. Their cries of pain, echo across Hyperion mind as he held his head in pain.
“SHUT UP!” screamed Hyperion as he turned to Luna and a faint laughter was in his voice as he continued to scream “(haha)...STOP BUCKING CRYING!(haha)CRYING FOR THEIR DEATHS WON'T BRING THEM BACK(haha)!”.
“Who the buck do you think you are!?” shouted Buck Shot as he step in front of Hyperion and was now face-to-face with him.
Thanks to Buck Shot out burst, the ghost of Hyperion past, had vanish and return him to normal. Seeing the actions he done, he quickly apologize to Luna. As everything finally calm down, Luna turned to Hyperion and ask a simple question.
“Why did you save me?”.
Hyperion didn't answer right away as he just stared to the night sky. Finally, he answered by turning to her “Like I said before, the night will never be the same without you...” Hyperion returned looking into the night sky and smiled as he continued “...he always loved the night time. He'll always believe it was you, even when you were trap in the moon, who always kept the night, so beautiful...I wanted to protect what he loved...that's why...” he turned to Luna and grin “...I saved you, your highness.”.
Buck was a little piss off as he notice Luna blushing but something caught everypony's attention. Not to far from them, they could hear hooves steps and voices. Realizing that they aren't safe yet, Hyperion drew his sword and turned to the others.
“GO! I'll buy you guys some time!” Hyperion turned to face the incoming threat and spoke again “Head to the river! There should be a house there! Tell the owner I sent you there!”.
“Are you crazy!?” shouted a medic pegasus who had a cream looking coat and a red mane and tail, his name is Red Cross.
“...sometimes, I wonder too...” whispered Hyperion as the ghost from the past started to hunt his mind once more.
“what?” ask Red Cross.
“NOTHING! NOW GO!” shouted Hyperion as the incoming enemies was getting louder.
Luna quickly stood up from the cold ground and spoke as she held her tears back “Hyperion!”.
Hyperion didn't face Luna as he answer her “They will focus on me because I'm the last leader of the rebel group called “The New Order” and they won't chase you!” with that said, Hyperion dash off where the enemies was coming from.
“Princess!” called out Buck shot as him and the others was already leaving the area “Let's go!”.
Luna turned to leave but before she did, she whispered something “...Don't die...”. With that, she took off with the others.
Deep within the castle, a bloody scream of pain was heard as it was coming from within a dark room. As the screams finally stop, Jae walk out of the room and was smiling evilly as he headed to the throne room of the castle.
“The princess will love this information...”.
“what information, Jae?” ask Twilight as she stepped out of the shadows.
Jae turned to her and just smiled as he handed her a file. As Twilight started to read it, Jae returned to his lab and more screams could be heard. Twilight finally finish the report and walk off to the throne room.
In the throne room, Twilight could see her dearest teacher and ruler, Princess Celestia, resting her eyes as she sat in her golden throne. As Twilight walk forward, Celestia quickly opened her eyes and a flash of red blasted out of her eyes as she greeted her student.
“Twilight Sparkly! My most faithful student, what news do you bring?”.
Twilight lower her head and spoke “Princess Celestia. Jae was able to get the location of every rebel groups that are forming across the land.” Twilight slightly look up and saw her teacher smiling, so she continued with the report “It also seems, it was the former leader of the disbanded rebel group called “The New Order”, who saved Luna. His na-”.
“Hyperion...” smiled Celestia as she finish Twilight sentence and closed her eyes as Twilight stood up “...Burn the towns, village and cites, where every rebel group is located.”.
“Are you sure, my princess?” ask Twilight as she was surprised by this weird order.
“Yes my dear student. This will send a message to those foolish ponies, to not mess with me.” Celestia soon started to laugh as she spoke again “This will also force the rebels out of hiding and into the opening. With no public support, this little rebellion will end!”.
“Yes, your highness.” said Twilight as she bowed and left.
Meanwhile, Hyperion was completely surrounded as the knights encounter him as Luna and the others left. Clearly, he's was out match but Hyperion was ready for a fight.
“Stand down!” ordered Pretty pie as he step forward.
All the knights stood down and watch as their commanding officer stood face-to-face with Hyperion. Both ponies just stared each other down, until Pretty drew his sword and attack.
Hyperion was able to block the attack and quickly counter by thrusting his sword. Pretty jump back in time and was able to dodge it. Hyperion charged at his foe but was quickly frozen in place as a dark purple aura covered him. He was quickly toss into a near by tree and was stun by the force but was able to snap out of it as Pretty toss his sword at him. Hyperion duck down in time as the sword slam into the tree but with Pretty magic, the sword pop out of the tree and started to swing at Hyperion. Still on the ground, Hyperion was having trouble as he held off the magic sword as it kept swinging at him. Getting a few scars on his face and chest as the attack continued, Hyperion was able to find a way out as Pretty's sword recoiled from being block just a few seconds ago and with that, Hyperion rolled out of the way and soon charged at a defenseless Pretty Pie.
“SIR!” cried one of the knights as Hyperion almost reach Pretty “WATCH OU-” that was all the knight said as Pretty created a barrier around himself in time and this sent Hyperion back from Pretty as the recoil stun his body.
Seeing his chance, Pretty summoned his sword and held it at Hyperion face as he lay there on the ground.
“Farewell!” smiled Pretty as he swung his sword to bring death upon Hyperion but something happen.
CLASH!
Pretty and Hyperion was in shock as two knights from the Holy Nights had just block the death blow of Pretty Pie's sword and soon, the knights of the Holy Night started to attack the Knights from the Holy Day.
“WHAT'S THIS!?” shouted Pretty in anger as he was force to jump back as a other knight from the Night group had swung its sword at him “KILL THE T-”.
Before Pretty could finish his order, a large symbol of some kind had just appeared under them and gave off a weird magic aura. Not wanting to find out what was going to happen, the leader of the Holy Nights gave the orders to retreat.
“RETREAT! THIS IS OUR CHANCE!” ordered the knight in a shiny purple armor “RETREAT WITH THE ONE WHO SAVED OUR PRINCESS!”.
Hyperion stood up and watch as everypony knight from the Holy Night, was waiting for his orders. There was no hesitating as Hyperion could see blood on their weapons and armor. They was loyal to Luna and not to Celestia.
“HEAD THIS WAY!” ordered Hyperion as he pointed to where Luna and the others left.
As Hyperion new friends begun to leave, something form out of the symbol and it was a black cloud of smoke. Both sides watch as the smoke formed into a pony figure.
“...Hyperion...” whispered the smoke pony as the red glowing eyes stared into Hyperion's soul “...Return to me...”.
A flash of white void surrounded the Pegasus as the smoke pony voice echo in his mind. Within the void, he could hear voices and a baby as it cry.
“...Hyperion, my son...” said a male voice as a sound of rain echo in his mind “...your going to be a (static). Our only perfect su-(static). You will even surpass our (static)” echo the voice as Hyperion lower his head in pain.
Seeing this, Pretty Pie ordered this men to attack Hyperion but the smoke pony stop them by consuming them in the smoke. Pretty and the remaining Knights of the Holy Day, retreated as they heard the bloody screams of their teammates. Meanwhile, Hyperion was grab by two Holy Night members and dragged off while a few others and the leader of the knights, stayed behind and tried to hold the smoke monster as it grew in size.
Meanwhile in the castle balcony, Twilight was looking in the distance of where the forest was and had her eyes close. Soon, she quickly open her eyes and they was filled with fear. In haste, she warp into the docking bay of the castle and shouted to two earth ponies, who were on a very large cage, to open it.
“RELEASE IT!”.
The two earth ponies open the gate of the cage and quickly ran off. Within the darkness of the cage, a pair of yellow eyes appeared...soon many more appeared as growls and barking could be heard.
“GO!” ordered Twilight as she pointed to the Everfree forest “KILL ALL OF THEM!”.
End of chapter 1 |
Hyperion | 304 | 3 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore | War of the Divine: Book One | War breaks out after Celestia fails to kill Luna. A rebellion is born and Equestria will be changed forever. | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>War breaks out after Celestia fails to kill Luna. A rebellion is born and Equestria will be changed forever...</p> | teen | 2011-08-09T02:33:22+00:00 | 2011-08-09T02:33:22+00:00 | 1,023 | Chapter 2
Deep within the forest, there was screams of pain. It echoed across the forest, until it finally stop. Where the screams were coming from, stood a pony figure, as a dark mist surrounds it. Around the pony, were the dead knights of the Holy Day and Night. The bodies of the dead knights bodies were badly slash up and burned. As the moon light hit the figure, a red tear slowly appeared from their eyes.
***
Pretty Pie and the remaining knights of the holy day, were almost out of the forest when they spotted yellow lights in the distance. Pretty quickly realized what the lights were and quickly ordered his men to take cover. As they hid among the trees, the lights they saw soon came into view.
RRRROOOOAAAAARRRR!
The wicked roars came from a black creature, as the creature and another four creatures stopped, where Pretty and the others were. Pretty and his men could see that the five creatures had the body of a loin and the face of a dragon. It smelled the ground as they walked around the area. Soon, one of the creatures barks at the others and pointed down where Pretty and his men came from and took off. As it was safe again, a young knight quickly asks what kind of creature was that.
Pretty replied to the young knight saying In a hoarse voice that the creature was an hunter mostly those fiends can only be found in the waste lands…” trailed off Pretty as great fear took over his body.
***
Meanwhile, Hyperion and the remaining knights of the holy night, were still running as they went deeper into the forest. As they ran, one thing was still in Hyperion mind…
“Was that dad’s voice!?” thought Hyperion as he kept the same speed “His voice…I remember something…” trailed off Hyperion, as everything in front of him started to form into a white void.
Among this void, was flames as a town soon appeared from nowhere. The whiteness was snow, as a storm blasted Hyperion in his face.
“Don’t you remember?” whispered a voice as a figure was walking out of the fire “Remember Hyperion…” trailed off the voice as something force Hyperion out of his flashback.
RRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!
Everypony stop in their tracks as they heard that wicked roar. They all could hear it as it was coming from the area where they encounter Hyperion and it was getting closer every passing second.
Hyperion quickly shouted “Whatever the monsters are, we can’t lead them it to the princess!” Hyperion quickly drew this sword and continued to speak “A small group shall stay behind and hold those things off, while the rest will meet up with the princess. Anypony with me?”
Hyperion watch as four knight’s step forward and nodded to him. Seeing this, he quickly told the others about the location near the river. After getting the information, they all took off while leaving Hyperion and the other four knights behind. As they waited for those creatures, another flashback forms in front of him.
“…mother?” whispered Hyperion as a beautiful orange mare, with a long dark blue mane and tail, stood in front of him as the forest around him, was now a cabin.
“My dear son…” smiled the mare as she walk forward “Are you ready? Ready for (static)?” spoke Hyperion mom as everything became bright.
Within the brightness, Hyperion could hear somepony crying. It was a female voice as she cried out for Hyperion.
“Hyperion!”
“HYPERION!” screamed a female voice as Hyperion snap out of it and found himself being push.
As he hit the ground, he could see one of the female knights on top of him. Soon, blood drip on to his face. The warm feeling of the blood, force him to act. He pushes her off and places her on his back as he was met with blood cover claw. As he blocks the claw, he quickly saw the creature. It was the creature known as the notorious Hunter. As he pulled back, he could see the others fighting the other Hunters as well.
“BUCK!” swore Hyperion as the Hunter attack him again and tried to bite him but was mat with Hyperion’s blade.
The strong bite of the Hunter, scatter Hyperion’s sword in merge seconds. With his sword gone and carrying a dead or alive knight on his back, Hyperion was in trouble and he knew that. As the Hunter slowly walk up to him, Hyperion could hear the remaining knights being killed. Their blood crying screams filled Hyperion with anger and sadness. He led others to their deaths, just like what happen to his good friend, so many years ago.
“Damn it…” whispered Hyperion as he slowly back off from the Hunter as it grew closer.
He could see the yellow fangs as it was near his face. The god awful smell that was coming from it mouth as it blasted its breath into his face. Hyperion soon found himself pinned to the tree as he tried to back off. His mind was racing as the Hunter was ready to strike as it pulled back.
“Remember your training, Hyperion!” shouted a male voice in his mind.
The Hunter quickly attacks but was shock as Hyperion jump and with the broken sword hilt, jab it into the Hunter left eye. As it screamed in pain, Hyperion pulled back the hilt; he quickly cut the throat and was covered in blood as it pours out. He was able to cut a main vine of the creature.
“L-LOOK OU-UT!” shouted the female the knight that was on his back.
Hyperion quickly turned around and duck as a claw pass by his head. As he was under the creature, he bucks, with all his might, on to the creature neck. As he did so, he heard a loud crack and watch as the second creature fell to the ground.
RRRRROOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!
Hyperion turned and saw the three remaining Hunters staring at him. Without hesitating, Hyperion turned and tried to run but quickly felt pain in his left leg. He quickly believes he broke his leg after kicking the Hunter. Before he could fly off, a Hunter quickly tackle him and the female knight and both of them landed and was quickly pinned down with the Hunter’s paws.
“…I can’t die…” thought Hyperion as it started to rain “…not now…” whispered Hyperion as he turned to his side and saw the female knight. He could see that she was a light blue Pegasus, with slightly dark blue mane, as her helmet came off.
As the other two Hunter’s got near, a flash of light appeared in the trees and soon blasted a arrow into the hunter, who was pinning down Hyperion and the female knight, forehead, in which made the creature scream in pain and step back. As it did so, Hyperion watch as Buck Shot landed in front of him and quickly finishes off the Hunter by shooting six arrows in its face.
As the third Hunter fell, Buck quickly turned to Hyperion and said “GO!” as he turned to the remaining Hunters and was ready to fight them off but was surprise as Hyperion stood by his side with his broken sword.
“Not going to leave you here…” said Hyperion as he turned to him “…and let someone else die because of me!”
Buck Shot just snorted and was even more surprise as the female knight, who was holding a small dagger, lump her way next to him. He could see a large claw mark on her back and which was bleeding.
“…Great…” sighed Buck as he knew, this fight was going to be even harder now.
***
Meanwhile, Pretty and his men finally arrived to the city wall and were met with Twilight, she was waiting for them.
“Twilight?” spoke Pretty in fear as he stop in front of her “Were you the one who unleash those fiends?”
Twilight slowly walk pass him and said “You’re lucky, Pretty Pie. The princess doesn’t want you dead yet.” After saying that, Twilight quickly ordered the knights to return to the castle grounds and wait for orders. As they did so, Twilight turned to Pretty and continued to speak “In a few days, a operation will begin. Returned to base and meet the other commanding officers in the war room.”
“War room!?” said Pretty in a surprise tone as he heard Twilight.
“You heard me! Get going before I have you killed!” shouted Twilight in anger.
Pretty quickly shut his mouth and left to the castle grounds, while Twilight stayed behind. She looks on as black clouds covered the sky above the forest and turned away as flashes of thunder lit the night sky.
***
Buck Shot fired an arrow into the shoulder of one the Hunters as he dodges its claw attack. As he slid on the muddy ground, Buck fired four more arrows into the fiend before sliding into a tree log.
As that was happening, Hyperion and female knight was trying to take down the two fiends as they flew above them. As they saw a opening, Hyperion dive down and tried his best to cut the throats of the fiends but was having trouble, since the fiends was more faster than the others.
“Hold on!” shouted the knight as she flew on the back of one the fiends and started to stab it with her dagger. As the fiend was trying to get the knight off, Hyperion dash over to it and tried to cut the throat but was quickly block as the other fiend came to its friend aid. With one strong sweep, Hyperion was thrown away from them and crash into the bushes. Seeing this, the knight jump off the fiend and tried to get them to focus on her but only one did, the one she attack, while the other one was walking over to where Hyperion landed.
Buck was surprised how many arrows he fired upon this Hunter but was running low on ammo. As he reloaded, the Hunter started to charge at him. Before he could fire, the Hunter was able to bite him but tried to crush him but couldn’t, as Buck was using his magic from stopping the death blow. As he held back the jaws, he pointed his bow gun and fired the arrows into the throat of the creature. As the arrows jam into the soft skin, blood oozed out and was now covering the creature mouth and Buck himself.
“Damn it…” shouted Buck as the creature let him go and was now on the wet and muddy ground.
As Buck tried to get up, the creature he attacks was slowly moving over to him but soon fell over and died as more blood ooze out from its mouth. With a bad wound on part of his back and shoulder, Buck tried to help the others by shooting his remaining arrows at the remaining Hunters.
Two of the arrows that Buck fired, stab into the Hunter side as it was walking over to the area where Hyperion crash in. But the creature didn’t care and soon arrived in front of the bushes but was quickly met as Hyperion jump out from the bushes and jam his broken hilt into the Hunter’s nose. With blood oozing out, the Hunter tried to side sweep Hyperion but miss as Hyperion did a back flip in mid air and landed on the head of the Hunter. By pulling the ears of the creature, Hyperion was able to force the Hunter to move.
The female knight was out of the reach of the Hunter, as she flew into the air and was trying to find a way to attack, but suddenly, Hyperion, who was controlling the other Hunter, crash the hunter into the other and quickly got off. As he landed, he could see that both creatures started to fight each other. With this chance, Hyperion called out to the knight, in order to help Buck from the ground. As they got him up from the ground, he quickly used his magic. In a bright flash, they were gone and leaving the two Hunter’s alone.
“FOOLISH!” shouted a female voice from behind the fighting Hunters.
As the Hunter’s turned around, one of them was quickly cut in half, as a black mist lash out at it. As the body fell, the lone Hunter step away from fear as it saw a pony figure but made up in smoke.
“Worthless fiends! DIE!” shouted the figure as it force the mist into the Hunter mouth and watch as the body started to melt away from the inside out.
The only thing left of the fiend was its burn bones, as it lay scatter on the wet ground. As the figure look on into the sky, it started to cry blood as the rain got even heavier.
***
As the bright flash disappeared, Hyperion and the others found themselves in the open fields that were near Everfree forest. These fields are known as Heaven of the lands. Realizing they were not too far from the river, Hyperion placed Buck, who was pass out from the blood lost, on his back and turned to the knight.
“Do you have enough strength to fly?” ask Hyperion as he remembers; she was badly hurt on her back.
“Gallant. Gallant Mustang is my name, Hyperion and no…” spoke Gallant as she was breathing hard.
Without thinking, Hyperion forces her on his back and started to head to the river. Fearing she might be too heavy, Gallant tried to get off but Hyperion stop her with his wings.
“It’s okay. I carried way heavier things than you. ” Smiled Hyperion as he turned to her “Be sides, your very light.”
As she turned away and blushes, Hyperion looks up and saw the clear night sky once more. The night sky was different now. It had lost something…it lost the maker of the night.
“…Luna…” whispered Buck as he started to talk in his sleep.
Hearing Luna name, Hyperion started to move faster, as worry and fear filled his mind. Did she made it to the place, he ordered her to go?
End of chapter 2 |
Hyperion | 305 | 1 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:19:55+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:19:55+00:00 | 877 | Content of "War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks"
chapter1: content(duh ^_^)
chapter2: Buck Shot tale (The Night Guard)
chapter3: Lunar Frost tale (Frozen in Time)
chapter4: Czar Crystal tale (Fury of the Flames)
chapter: Midnight Lance Tale(coming soon)
chapter5: Emerald Ivy(Sweet-Tree) tale (War Log)
chapter6: Coalheart tale (A Commander's Oath)
chapter7: Hyperion tale (The Burning Past)
info: we don't own the ponies, Hasbro does. Every OC's that appears in this fic, belongs to their creators who was involve in this spin-off fan fiction. More tales will be added to the fic later on. |
Hyperion | 305 | 2 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:17:57+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:17:57+00:00 | 1,037 | The Night Guard
So, you want to know why I follow her? It's not an easy story, but if that's what you want...
My homeland was near the edges of Equestria, A place people only spoke of in whispers; the Waste. the Waste was a land that hand only two rules: do whatever it takes to survive, and that there are no rules. I adapted quickly.
"Buckshot, get your flank moving. we need to get these supplies to the Waste survival center before it gets too hot." my only child hood friend, Snowsong, said, shrugging her saddlebags back into place.
Already, the sun was blazing through the dry air of the Waste, cooking me in my armor barding.
"Well, they won't get the supplies if we don't survive first!" I shouted over the caravan of earth ponies and their cargo.
The idea was stupid, honestly. a Waste "survival" center? surprisingly, the building was made by some higher-up in Canterlot. Somepony noticed us struggling, at least. I Levitated my pistols up and cleaned the sand from their barrels, cantering along the side of an earth pony named Cluster-bomb, who worked with explosives.
"So, that yer fine piece of flank up there?" he asked, nodding towards Snowsong's retreating plot.
I glared at Cluster-bomb and punched his shoulder with a hoof, then trotted to the front of the caravan, just in time to see the building in the distance.
"Looks like we're here. I'll go on ahead and let hem know we're coming." I yelled over my shoulder.
The scene was garish, even for a Waste event. bodies littered the ground around the survival center like trash throughout the rest of the waste. I let Snowsong puke and lean against my side as I observed the first body. a well groomed blue unicorn with a bullet through her head. signs of rape littered her plot and other areas, as they did with the other female bodies, and some male ones. I levitated most of the bodies from our path as I led Snowsong and the other highers hooves into the building. then the first shots sounded. everywhere around me, the dry air filled with the red mist of the other ponies blood. I ducked and looked around, then noticed something. I was the only one left.
I levitated Snowsong's body into the building with me and set her down. six shots, all to her head. I felt the tears flow over my muzzle, and I raised my dual pistols in front of me. they would die. whoever they where, they where dead ponies. My mad canter out the door of the center was noticed, just as I had planned. The first few bullets rattled off into the sand behind me, but the sniper ponies where getting smarter. thirteen or fourteen rounds rattled off of my armor barding in succession, filling me with more anger. I charged the hill and found the sniper ponies, basic bumpkins of the waste. they didn't last long.
I laid in the sand as the night took over, chilling me to the core. I dug my hooves in and waited for the inevitable; death. two ribs had cracked and pierced my lungs, but I had still kept fighting, fueled by rage rather than air. my spine had fractured in seventeen different vertebra, but still I had smashed each snipers muzzle in with my bare hoof. my magic had ran dry, and still I buried my comrades. as I waited for death to take me, I heard the flapping of mighty wings, and a voice told me, in a way that made me believe, that I was worth everything to her. I looked up, breaking another vertebra, into the eyes of a light blue alicorn.
"lady...Luna." I said, with the last of my breath, and she nodded, then her horn glowed.
I awoke two days later in a comfortable bed, then trotted down the pearl white halls, exploring. I walked towards a room at the end of the hall and knocked with my hoof. inside, Luna's voice pierced through me. "Buckshot, I'm glad your awake. I have an offer for you. would you like to be my bodyguard?"
"Yes, My queen."
fin |
Hyperion | 305 | 3 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:25:15+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:25:15+00:00 | 1,013 | Frozen in Time
1000 years, it has been over 1000 years since I got started in all of this. You may ask yourself how is it possible for anypony to be around for over one thousand years, and that only the two princesses were that old? I by no means am that old. This still not making any sense? Maybe it would be best if I told my story, otherwise you may be confused and think that this pony has gone crazy.
The land where I am from is in the far north of Equestria, it is a place where non unicorns would be insane to go anywhere near. Being a unicorn in those times had its advantages, while now having a specialty now is for your basic professions like cooking or cleaning. Back then it was far different, you had to protect oneself and that is exactly what I did. If you did not, you most likely would have ended up dead somewhere. It snowed almost constantly and if you were not careful you would die, and your body would most likely never be found.
I was what you could call bizarre, most ponies would love the sun and worship it. Not me, I loved the night. It was one of the most peaceful times for me, that is when the weather was at its calmest. I guess my parents felt the same way, after all my name is Lunar Frost, or maybe its because I was born at night. Oh well I'm starting to tell another story, one that you don't want to hear quite yet. You want to hear how I am over a thousand years old and how I ended up with serving the Princess Luna. Then again if their is no one higher then her, she should be a queen, so I guess Queen Luna would be right. There I go getting off subject, sorry about that. The story without any interruptions begins now, cross my heart hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I heard that somewhere forgot where though.
Well I'll begin where I should have and that is when I seen enough of this tired old freezing dump of a land. I wanted to leave and protect the one who brought the beauty that is the night to Equestria. You must realize that up to this point I was still a blank flank and had yet to receive my mark, but I told myself even if it was not my true talent I would still work on trying to protect Luna, even if she had no clue who I was I would enter the royal guard and due what it took to protect the princess. From that point on I trained constantly in both the ways of the mage and of the warrior.
Days passed and those days became weeks, and the weeks became months. I worked constantly on perfecting my craft, and I finally did enough to what could be called a battle mage. I then packed my stuff for the long journey ahead, and it was just in time. I did not notice as i was training seeing as I secluded myself away so I could train by myself, but my homeland had become somewhat of a battle zone. What I seen was something nopony should ever have to go through, I seen brothers and sisters kill each other over food. A nasty sight to behold, and something I am glad I got out when I did. Using all of my strength I ran as fast as I could, it was a long and painful journey to get out from there but somehow I did.
My journey led me to where the Everfree Forest currently is, but back then it was nothing like it is today. Back then it was a beautiful sight, but alas that is a story best saved for another time. Though the journey had taken me several weeks, I arrived at my destination. The castle was more beautiful than the one in Canterlot today. I had arrived late one night, and there I seen her for the very first time. Princess Luna, with her royal guard escorting her of course, the guard were not too thrilled when they seen a half exhausted pony show up near the castle. Even though it almost killed me when I gave Princess Luna one of the largest bows ever attempted by any pony. I passed out for a but after that, and was awoken when I was being hauled to the castle to recuperate. When they seen I had awaken they let me down when I insisted that I walk by myself.
That is when I heard it and dashed away, the guards following after me, yelling about how I am showing huge disrespect to the princess and should be banished. Living in seclusion in extremely harsh weather can teach you that even in pain you have to listen and be ready for anything. As I rushed and galloped, I came across a young filly who had ventured too far into a wild beasts territory. Don't ask me what she was out doing venturing into the forest late at night in the first place, maybe she was stargazing, or possibly she wasn't that smart to begin with. But, the next thing I remember I was standing over the body of the beast and the young filly was hiding behind me thanking me for saving her. I guess the princess liked what she saw. because she had promised me to be enrolled into her royal guard, and the next thing I knew I was out again.
This time it really took out of me because when I awoke next it was a few weeks later and I had woken up in the hospital. I was told I was stupid for what I had done. I had been injured pretty badly, the princess could have waited to tell me that about my selfless act I was in the royal guard but she must have knew how badly I was injured and wanted me to fight to survive. What she also should have mentioned was that even though I was told I was in the guard that I still had to go through training to be apart of it. That didn't matter to me though, I went through the training and took every night shift I could. The royal guard didn't have specific divisions for the guard, the royal guard was the royal guard as in the entire royal family. Something my stupid mind didn't think through, but even though I was called an idiot for wanting to work through out the night I didn't care. I always did prefer the night. Even though on my shifts I barely if ever got to see the moon princess, I was happy.
I was shocked when the princess started to change, I didn't see it first hand just what everypony told me. It was quite a shock, I didn't know what to think. The princess always was so kind and loving whenever I saw her, there was no way that it could be true. But before I knew it Princess Celestia had banished her to the moon, and she took up both of the duties of the sun and moon. Life after that became rather boring and mundane. Whenever I looked up at the moon at night and seen the Mare in the Moon, I don't know why but it did not fill me with the same joy it once used to. In fact the moon had filled me with great sadness, it was a few months after Princess Luna had been banished that I took my leave. Princess Luna was the reason I had my cutie mark, if I never had such peace at night with the moon I would have never wanted to enroll in the Royal Guard and I never would have almost died trying to protect the young filly. My cutie mark of an icy shield with an ice sword going through it would never be there.
It was shortly after I left the royal guard that I had began doing some intense research, if Princess Luna would be banished for a 1000 years I wanted to be there when she came back. I wanted to see if there were any spells that could extend a ponies life for an extended period of time. Alas there was nothing that would help, there were some that would at most make a pony live fifty percent longer. Nothing that would help me, but then I came to the conclusion that if extending the life would not work why not halting the age by a magical sleep. The chances seemed small but there was a chance. I found a spell that would cause a pony to fall into a sleep for a predetermined amount of time, granted the longer the sleep the greater chance that friends and loved ones would not be around anymore. I had already thought of that when I was searching for the extending life spells, and I was always solitary so that would not be a problem. I decided that the best place for me to got would be back to my old home in the north.
I was told during my royal guard service days that nothing was around there anymore, and that everyone killed each other. It hurt then that my parents and family were all gone at the time, but when they had gone insane along with everypony there that they died then. When I made it back I went to the make shift grave site I made for them. Princess Celestia had decided to stop the near constant snow and I was able to find the grave sites. Before I cast the spell I went to lay down by the gravestones, when the spell was cast it took immense magical power but it was done, I was pretty much encased in pure ice. The ground also began to surround me and I drifted peacefully to sleep. Only to awaken when Princess Luna came back.
The next thing I remember is awaking in the morning the ground and ice that surrounded me quaked, when I got out my body was weak and I knew it. What surprised me was that it wasn't a cold snowy wasteland, it was a small town and it was green. There were people cheering saying that Princess Luna had returned and Nightmare moon had been vanquished. I knew where I had to go, to see the princess once more and that her glorious night could be seen again. This time no matter how much it pained me I had to set off not galloping at full speed. As I made my way across Equestria, I found out that there had been some changes in those one thousand years. It was not as small as it used to be and my home was far from the northern part of Equestria. The technology had also greatly improved, what technology there was in my time. After many beautiful nights of traveling I made it to a small town bordering the Everfree Forrest known as Ponyville. Everything had changed, the Everfree Forrest was now a dangerous place to be and that the castle was no longer there. The castle had moved to a city called Canterlot, I decided to stay in Ponyville for a while to find out as much as I could about this new world. Keeping to myself nopony even paid attention to me, which in my case was wise. If I told them that I was apart of the royal guard one thousand years in the past, they would lock me away and I would never be able to see the moon princess again. I must be patient if I want anything similar to my old life again.
The time had passed and I was just about ready to try and obtain my old position back, when something terrible happened. It seemed that a war was about to break out between Celestia and Luna. This would be a civil war where many ponies would turn against each other. From what I gathered something bad happened and now Celestia wanted her own sister dead, not banished to the moon again, dead. Not wanting a joyless night like those thousand years ago, I would do whatever it took to protect Luna, it was then that I set out. I do not know how long the journey took me but by some miracle I had spotted Princess Luna. I tried to approach her reminding her of who I am but before I could I was ambushed, not that I fought back or anything. I was taken away by the ponies who were traveling with her. I told them that I meant the Princess... no at this point he was now my queen. That I meant the Queen no harm, and by some miracle they allowed me to speak with her. I had talked to Queen Luna about who I was and that when she left I used some magic to wait until she had come back not as Nightmare Moon but as Luna the kind and gentle princess from my past. None of them had believed me until I told her the story about the young filly and how I was horribly injured and how she told me I was in the Royal Guard to give me something to live for. This had sparked her memory and she asked if I wanted to have my position back, but at her side, I told her that type of position is not right for me and I would rather be in charge of a reserve battalion. Queen Luna agree to let me do this.
Well now you know how I came to serve the Knights for the Republic. Maybe I'll tell you another story some other time.
fin |
Hyperion | 305 | 4 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:29:38+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:29:38+00:00 | 903 | Fury of the Flames
War...War never changes. It doesn't matter what (or who) is the cause of the straggle, war is always a bloodbath, where brave warriors fight, kill and die in the name of Luna, Celestia, Equestria, Freedom and so on. This is a tale of times, when the fires of war raged upon Equestria once again. The once green country was now a battlefield, haunted by the souls of those unfortunate beings who gave their lives for something you may call revenge, rebellion, tyranny.
For Czar Crystal and his soldiers, it was just another fight against the odds. The brave ponies and unicorns of the 1st Lance of the glorious 2nd Battalion stood at the edge of yet another field of battle. Flames scorched the land, corpses filled the field and the wounded warriors were crying for help – the enemies of Luna have finally taken the lesson, and were retreating. They swore revenge, but soon they will learn that there is no hope for them to win. The unit had some losses, some of them will not see the day when the banner of Luna finally waving proudly over the smoking ruins of Canterlot. But losing someone who is close to the heart is not rare in a war.
As they watched the burning horizon, memories of the past invaded Czar's mind. Memories he always wanted to chase away. But these were the memories that made him fight on. He touched the left side of his face, but he could only feel the coldness of his mask, covering the scars left by the flames of the devastation which destroyed his hometown. Screaming friends and loved ones, burning buildings and the faces of his dying relatives. All because of the tyrant called Celestia. She thought that there is nothing that could stop her to be the ruling matriarch of Equestria again, except her sister, Luna. After Nightmare Moon's defeat at the hooves of the Elements of Harmony, Luna was the only thing standing between Celestia and her plans of world domination. But after her bold escape from Canterlot, Celestia did everything she could to kill her. Along with all who stood up against her dream of the new order, and in her eternal rage, she wanted to destroy everything and everypony in her path to reach her goal. So far, she did not succeed.
Now, as the flames were devouring the field, Czar began to shiver as the adrenaline and the heat of the battle started to disappear.
"Everything alright, boss?" asked one of his soldiers.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"But you had that strange look again…"
"And? I can't see the problem with remembering who we are and where we came from. Haven't we all seen the rage of that tyrant? Haven't we all lost something precious? Our hearts were broken, our spirits were tortured and our bodies were beaten. Is that enough?"
"Of course it is, boss. You are always right. What's our next move?"
"I see if I can contact HQ."
As Czar was asking for a telepathic comm. channel, he saw silhouettes appearing on the opposite edge of the battlefield. They were Celestia's followers who came to recover their wounded comrades.
"Can you see them too?"
"Yes sir, what should we do now?" asked a unicorn.
"Burn them. All of them."
"But sir… they are medics. They are here to save those poor beings. And… we should show them that we are better. I mean… we are spiritually above them. Aren't we supposed to be the good guys?"
"Why should we show mercy? Did they show mercy when they slaughtered innocents? Or when they destroyed entire towns and villages? They do not deserve our mercy! Never! As long as I live, they will pay for what they've done!"
"Than we shall give them Luna's mercy" said the lance's Captain, Moonshine. She was the spiritual leader of the ponies of the unit, the one who was the living reminder for what the ponies fought for. "I know how much hatred you have towards them, but we should leave them to do what they must." her voice was like a calming wind of kindness that made Czar shiver again.
"Yes… I think you're right, sister. I almost let my anger consume me. I'm sorry everypony. The fight is over and victory is ours. We need noting more to return home proudly. Thank you, sister."
"The flames in your soul are shining brighter then ever, brave knight of the night. This decision was hard, but right." Moonshine said, smiling at Czar.
"But this does not mean that we are merciful. As soon as we meet them again, we will kill them all. But for now, I think we should leave this place." said Czar with flames of wrath in his eyes.
He ordered his warriors to get ready for the long trip. But as they were saddling up, he looked back at the flaming field again. He thought, "The new world will rise from the ashes. The ashes left by the proud Knights of the Holy Knight and the Scorchers. If we want to set out the fires of war, we will have to use our own fire. Celestia's pathetic servants shall leave in peace, but we'll meet them soon. Very soon. And they will have no mercy that time."
After everything was ready, they began to trot from the scene of the bloody combat. But they left something behind. A large stone, made out of moon rock, filled with the names of those who were killed in the vicious fight. And it had a sentence, sacred for all of Luna's followers:
"Luna potest vos defendere et Stellarum in lumine Noctis lucebit semita tua"
("May the Moon protect you, and the light of the Stars of the Night shine upon your path.")
fin |
Hyperion | 305 | 5 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:32:15+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:32:15+00:00 | 867 | Emerald Ivy (sweet-tree) war log
Emerald scouted ahead , once again ignoring her commander's orders for all members of the 2nd battalion 8th lance to stay in camp, but when you're the only Pegasus in a all unicorn and earth-pony lance it makes no sense to not use your wings to your comrades benefit. At least that's the excuse she always gives when being reprimanded. She crept further along the cloud-line trying to get a better view of the enemy camp, a passing breeze brushed away some of her cover but brought with it the distinct smell of cinnamon. This brought pangs of old memories back to the seasoned pony…equestrian hadn't always been like this…she hadn't always been like this.
Before the war she had lived in a floating greenhouse of sorts near the western edge of the Everfree forest, never quite understanding other ponies problems with it, it was different but different didn't always mean bad. She had been a baker and a farmer, growing the ingredients used in not only her own sweets and baked goods but those of sugarcube corner and apple acres orchard. The war has changed many a pony. To truly know how the war had affected her you would have to know that while she lived in Ponyville she wasn't born there. Her place of birth and where her parents lived was a small village half the size of Ponyville known as Saddlem. A nice place but they don't much care for ponies that are different from them. That's why she left, but she did still visit now and again. It was on one such visit that she found out the village wasn't there anymore… Celestia had burnt it to the ground along with everypony there. Dealing with the grief was the hard part, knowing what do to next was easy. She flew home as fast as she could muster packed a bag left her garden in the care of her friend Raindrop..and then joined the resistance of the New Lunar Republic. She wanted to make sure nopony else had go through what she had, and to dethrone Celestia and make her answer for her actions.
After scouting ahead she returned to camp to report all her findings, while she didn't always follow orders she'd be damned if she was gonna let anypony in the 8th Lance get hurt if she could stop it. The 8th healed and kept safe the other ponies of NLR and Knights, and she kept the ponies of the 8th safe.
fin |
Hyperion | 305 | 6 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:35:09+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:35:09+00:00 | 897 | A Commander's Oath
"Commander?" The voice sounded fearful and yet worried at the same time. The armored figure in the room turned around with a low sigh "report" the stallion said to his underling.
"We've found them my liege" suddenly the soldier paused and built up courage to continue "found them all".
At the funerals, commander Coalheart was lost in his thoughts, he wondered what could in Equestria happen to his greatest soldiers, to his 3rd lance, what could have happened to a warrior so hardened as Firemane, the knight who commanded them. It was a long and mournful day and he took a decision: 3rd lance was to be no more so their dead could be remembered as long as the 6th battalion existed, their torn and rent armors, no doubt from powerful magic, would be displayed whenever the 6th made camp.
Months later, which dragged away slowly with constant nightmares about the broken bodies and scorched coats of his soldier's, Coalheart finally found out what happened that fateful night. They captured a young colt dressed in the royal army attire who was fleeing directly from Celestia's army lines. The commander decided to take the interrogation by himself. He entered the tent where the colt was being held with a restraining iron yoke.
"Well what do we have here, a little turncoat?" said looking down into the shivering figure "are you not going to speak?".
"I…will, what do you want to know?" the young colt managed to speak under the heavy restraining device "what do you wish to know?"
Coalheart looked puzzled at the sudden cooperativeness of the prisoner but managed not to show it and replied "from the beginning kid, just start from what got you here and away from your beloved tyrant".
The interrogation went on for hours and at last the 6th battalion commander emerged from the tent with a sorrowful look in his eyes. Coalheart wandered away from the camp without his guard thinking about the last moments of life of his now lost 3rd lance. They were chosen by the tyrant herself for a single purpose: fear. She did not just destroy them utterly but tortured them with her powerful scorching magic, popping members out of their sockets, boiling the blood of those loyal soldiers and burning them from the inside out… for hours in front of her troops, witnesses to her power and ruthlessness. It was almost as he could see the smile on that deranged face of perfection as she rejoiced in the pain and misery she caused. It was then, alone in the outskirts of the Ever Free Forest that Coalheart finally shed tears for his valiant dead and spoke aloud.
"Never forget, never surrender".
fin |
Hyperion | 305 | 7 | Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | War of the Divine: Tales from within the Ranks | A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine" | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A spin-off of series of one-shots fics from the main fic called "War of the Divine". More tales will be added later on.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-23T21:41:23+00:00 | 2011-07-23T21:41:23+00:00 | 875 | The Burning Past
It was raining as a light black male Pegasus with a brown mane and tail and wearing a black cloak, was flying above a dark forest. He kept flying until he saw the place he was looking for. The forest ended as a deep valley came in to sight. On the edge was a small grave and a old looking sword.
"hey, Clever..." greeted the Pegasus as he landed in front of the grave.
The Pegasus soon notice that the grave stone was cover in over grown vines and quickly remove them.
"There!" smiled the Pegasus as he can now clearly see the words of his dead friend once more "sorry I haven't visited in a while..." trailed off the Pegasus as he sat next to the grave and stared off into the valley below.
The Pegasus just sat there and didn't speak. The only sound that was made was the wildlife that was still out during this downpour but to the Pegasus, there was a other sound...Sounds of ponies, young and old, screaming in great pain. He didn't flinch as the ghosts from his past, soon took form around him.
"...I still see and hear their cries, Clever..." Whispered the Pegasus as he turned to the grave "...Ever since that dark night...The memory still burns in my mind..." As he rubs his forehead with his hoof "...I'm surprised I didn't go insane yet!" Laughed the Pegasus as the world around him, started to form into a small village and it was being consumed by flames...
Flashback
"Burn it all down, boys!" Ordered a old looking gray unicorn, as he watched his men burn down a few buildings "leave nothing standing! The princess orders this village to be purge!".
"...We should help them..." Whispered a young Pegasus who was completey covered in gray armor as he tossed a large flame bomb into a nearby building.
As the Pegasus landed to refill his pack for more bombs, he heard his name as an older light gray male unicorn with a black mane and wearing light armor, ran up to him and spoke "Hyperion! Come with me!".
"what's wrong, Clever?" Quickly asked Hyperion as he opened his helmet visor "You look like you seen some-" that's all Hyperion could say before being dragged away by Clever's magic.
As both ponies entered an old abandoned warehouse, yet to be touched by firebombs, Clever spoke. His voice enraged, with a hint of regret and sadness "Do you know why we're burning this village down!".
Hyperion remembered the briefing that him and his squad got before entering the village and answered his close friend "that Epidemic, that is spreading across Eq-".
"WRONG!" Shouted his friend as he cut Hyperion off and quickly dashed over to a large crate to kick it open "THIS IS WHY!".
Hyperion was in shocked to see a small group of healthy village ponies as they were tied up and gagged. Without asking any questions, Hyperion quickly help his friend as they freed the ponies. As the village ponies was talking among themselves, Hyperion finally ask some questions and Clever quickly answered.
"Our squad as been lied to, Hyperion! The real reasoned we're burning this village down is because Celestia is wiping out the small rebel group that was forming here!".
Hyperion quickly remembered about the rumors about a small rebel group that was forming in the east but he thought it was just rumors and nothing more. Before he could reply to Clever shocking truth, his friend spoke once more.
"Celestia elite Solar Guard, came in and wipe out the rebels" Clever turned to the doorway and spoke again as he watched as his teammates burn a nearby house "...We're just here to leave a message..." trailed off Clever as his sadness finally won over his anger.
Hyperion walked over to his friend and watched the scene as more building was set on fire. He knew what his friend wanted to say but he too didn't want to say it but he said it anyway.
"...To anypony who dares to start or hide a rebel group..." Whispered Hyperion as he placed his hoof on Clever's shoulder.
The two ponies soon gathered the village folks they saved and was about to let them escape as the two soldiers ponies exited the ware house. Sadly their commanding officer spotted them and surround them with a few elite soldiers. Clever explained what he uncovered but their commanding officer didn't care and ordered Hyperion to burn the warehouse down, while the village folks was still inside.
"w-what!" Said Hyperion as he was given a flame bomb "I can't-" that was all Hyperion could say as a blade hung under his throat from an elite soldier.
"DO IT BOY OR YOUR DEAD!" Shouted the commander as he rose his hoof as a sigh for the elite soldier to get ready to kill Hyperion.
Hyperion slowly faced the warehouse but as he did so, he caught Clever's eyes and there was more sadness than before. With one threw, the warehouse was on fire...So was the ponies inside as they screamed in pain...
End of flashback
The memories of the village ponies as they burn to death, was replaying in front of Hyperion as he started to laugh. The dark memory of that day, was always haunting him since he left the army with Clever. He believed he got, use to it but in truth, he was slowly going insane.
After finishing his crazed laughter, Hyperion turned to the grave once more and spoke as a creepy smile was forming on his face "You never hated me for what I did on that day, Clever." Soon tears started to form in his eyes as he continued to speak "...You should have hated me! I was always weak...My parents died when I was young and that event would have made me strong for when you died...But it didn't...".
Hyperion stared off to the dark gray skies and started to laugh again as it started to rain even harder. Soon thunder flashes across the sky as his laughter grew more insane. This was the breaking point for Hyperion as the world started to warp and bend around him. There was no turning back for him now...Until he heard his name as it was bring called from behind...
"Hyperion?" Said the voice as it got closer to him.
Hyperion turned to where the voice was coming from but stilled a had an insane look on his face. He swore that he saw Clever in front of him but that quickly vanish as a midnight blue female Pegasus with a purple mane and tail, with two black streaks threw both the mane and tail and wearing a dark blue armor, was standing there with a worry look. Hyperion sanely somehow return from the dark void of his mind and quickly spoke.
"Midnight? How in Luna name did you find me?" Ask Hyperion as he returned looking to the valley below "I know I didn't tell anypony where I was heading..." trailed off Hyperion as Midnight sat next to him.
"You didn't it, Hyperion." Answered Midnight as she face him "I followed you here because I notice something was wrong with you." Midnight then turned to the grave and notice the name on it and kind of understood why he was here "...So he's buried here...".
"Yes, Midnight." Whispered Hyperion as he once again stared into the sky and notice the rain was slowly stopping "...It was my fault he died..." trailed off Hyperion as his sadness took over him.
Midnight was surprised to see him like this, since she always saw him so strong and he didn't show his emotion so much before. Without thinking, Midnight shouted at him to put himself together.
"Stop crying like a baby, Hyperion!" Yelled Midnight as she grab Hyperion by his shoulders "Get over what happen in the past and look into the future! Your one of the leaders of the rebel group called "New Lunar Republic" and your troops can't see you like this..." Midnight quickly let him go to look away from him "...Even I can't see you like this...".
Hyperion swear he saw a tear as it fell from Midnight cheek but he quickly brush it off and spoke with no sadness in his voice "Thank you, Midnight." smiled Hyperion as a ray of light broke through the clouds and hit him.
Midnight face him before wiping away something from her eyes and handed him something from her backpack.
"Here, we just got a message from 6th Battalion commander Coalheart." Said Midnight as Hyperion took the scroll and started to read it while she started to explain what was on the scroll "The raid on the Great Library of Aiur was successful. They didn't lose to many troops as Coalheart and his men recover the tomb that you and Princess Luna wanted." Finish Midnight as Hyperion too, finish reading the scroll.
"Good! When they return, we can start the first phase of the operation of the invading" said Hyperion as he pulled out the rusted and old looking sword from Clever grave and handed it over to Midnight, who tied it onto her back "Get that sword to Dark, right away. Without it, the invading can't start!" Spoke Hyperion as he open his wings.
Midnight was about to take off but Hyperion stop her as he spoke "Hey, Midnight. After this whole war is over, what about you and I go on a date?" smiled Hyperion as he notice her blushing and trying to find the words to answer her commanding officer. Lucky for her, Hyperion help her by saying "i was just joking. Besides, I believe one of our spies, keep asking for you when we get Intel from her...I believe her name was Senset or something like that?" As he rub his chin, to remember the mares name but it didn't help.
"OH! Her..." Said Midnight as she did a face-hoof and thought back when she kiss Sunset before escaping the prison "...Whatever, Hyperion. Let's g-".
"HOLD IT!" Ordered Hyperion in a very cold voice as he cut Midnight off "Remember Lance Knight Midnight, always give rank when speaking to your commanding officer!".
Midnight quickly blushes with embarrassment and saluted and shouted like any soldier will do when speaking to a commanding officer, when they made a mistake "SORRY SIR! PLEASE FORGIVE ME, GENERAL HYPERION!, SIR!".
Midnight's fear and embarrassment were quickly gone as they was replace with anger and joy as Hyperion took off to the sky and laughing. She took off after him and didn't speak to him as they reach the base camp of the "New Lunar Republic" group.
In the next coming days, Midnight and others will learn why the tomb that the 6th Battalion recovered from their raid and the sword that Dark was given to restore, was so important to the operation...
fin |
Freedom Filly | 307 | 1 | Main 6,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | My Little Patriot: Freedom is Magic | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>After trying yet another long-distance teleportation spell, Twilight Sparkle and her friends once again wind up in an alternate universe. Where are they? What perils lurk in this universe? Who are these strange costumed humans? And how can Pinkie Pie hear my narration?</p><p>Meanwhile, inside the Freedom Fortress, our heroes have discovered the presence of colorful, diminutive equines wandering about Patriot City. Where did they come from? How did they get here? Was it a mere accident, or is some diabolical plan at work here?</p><p>Find out in this affectionate parody of crossover fanfic!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T03:29:49+00:00 | 2011-07-24T03:29:49+00:00 | 1,555 | Freedom Filly Comics presents:
My Little Patriot: Freedom is Magic
Issue #1: Trouble with Teleports!
In the distant dimension of Equestria, within the small town of Ponyville, a lone unicorn scholar rummages through shelf after shelf of mysterious tomes of knowledge...
She was so close. Just one more book, and Twilight Sparkle would have enough information to complete her latest project. "Spike! Bring me my copy of Predictably Problematic Portals!"
Spike walked down the stairs, eyeing Twilight nervously. "Wait a minute... portals? Twilight, please tell me you're not trying another teleportation spell?"
"Don't worry, Spike, I've figured out what went wrong last time." Twilight explained confidently, failing to convince her assistant.
"Really, Twilight?! You say that every. Single. Time!! Every time you try a teleportation spell, we all wind up in some alternate reality for Celestia knows how long!"
"But Spike, I just need to-"
"You know what? Here!" Spike threw Twilight her personal copy of Predictably Problematic Portals. "I'm going to Canterlot. Let me know when you're done with this mess."
The dragon storms out of the room, leaving the mad magician to her work. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Ponyville, an orange pony brings a package to the local bakery...
"Here's those apples y'all ordered, Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie bounced cheerfully into the room. "Thanks Applejack! These'll be great in the-" Suddenly, Pinkie Pie stopped and stared at her hooves. Applejack walked over to her friend, a concerned look over her face.
"What's wrong, sugarcube? Is it yer pinkie sense again?"
"My forehooves are twitchy. That means somebody's writing a crossover fanfic about us!"
Applejack stared at Pinkie, failing to comprehend this explanation. "Crosswhat now?"
"Basically, Twilight's about to try another teleportation spell."
"Whoa nelly... we'd better get everypony over there, fast. This ain't gonna end well."
Now, in Twilight's laboratory, five ponies have gathered to witness Twilight Sparkle's latest magical experiment. A white unicorn with an elegantly styled mane walks forward apprenhensively...
"So let me get this straight, darling... you've developed another teleportation spell that you think will allow multiple ponies to travel over a long distance."
"That's the gist of it, Rarity."
"Well, I suppose we should get this over with. The sooner we get back to Equestria, the sooner I can continue working on my outfits."
Rainbow Dash hovered in the air, her forelegs folded in exasperation. "What would happen if she tried a spell that was supposed to send us to an alternate universe? Would we get sent back here?"
"Hey! No comments from the peanut gallery!" Twilight snapped. "Wait a minute... where's Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy peeked out from her hiding place behind Applejack. "Um, Twilight, is it okay if I stay behind this time? I mean, what if we end up somewhere scary? I don't think I should go... if that's alright with you, that is..."
Pinkie Pie bounced over to Fluttershy. "Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun! Maybe if we're lucky, we'll see more aliens! I love aliens! Aliens are my favorite! Well, that's assuming you're talking about "alien" as in extraequestrial, and not "alien" as in illegal immigrants, like the ones from Mexicolt, who keep sneaking across the border and taking jobs as housemaids for stuck-up rich ponies – no offense, Rarity – thus siphoning income away from Princess Celestia's citizens, damaging the economy and causing increased inflation, eventually leading to a nation-wide reces-"
Twilight interrupted. "Yeah... I'm gonna go ahead and start the spell now."
Concentrating all her magical focus on the ritual, Twilight's horn begins to glow with a brilliant violet light. A small orb of glowing energy appears in the air before her, slowly expanding into a large portal, rippling nearby space as it struggles to stay open.
One by one, the ponies walk through the precarious portal, crossing the precipice, the threshold, the very brink of space-time itself! But the question remains... to where does the glowing gateway lead? What perils await our little ponies on the other side of this arcane aperture? Find out the answers to these questions and-
"Ooh! Ooh! I know this one! -ahem- 'Find out the answers to these questions and more... in the next issue of Freedom Force!'"
-sigh- ...Pinkie, that was my line.
***
Applejack found herself in the middle of some sort of city. She was standing on a paved sidewalk, with cars going up and down the adjacent street. The buildings were rather tall with large glass windows. All in all, this place reminded her of Manehattan. Even the fashions were similar - the men wore business suits and fedoras, while the women wore pastel colored dresses with matching hats and gloves. If the locals weren't clearly human, Applejack might've believed that Twilight's teleport spell had worked for a change. Well, ah guess ah better find out where ah am.
The passing humans just sort of looked at her before going about their business. They didn't even stop to stare. It's almost like they were used to weird stuff spontaneously appearing in the middle of the street.
Ah s'pose ah could just ask one of 'em. She walked over to a couple - husband and wife, presumably - who just sort of stopped and looked at her curiously. "Uh, 'scuse me, could y'all maybe tell me where ah am?"
The husband gave Applejack a shocked look. "She can talk?"
The wife rolled her eyes. "Of course she does. Honestly, dear, I don't know why this sort of thing surprises you anymore." She turned to the pony. "Patriot City. You're in Patriot City."
"Ah'm lookin' fer mah friends, have either o' y'all seen-" Applejack stopped as she noticed the husband eyeing her nervously.
"...Are you going to eat me?"
"Eat you?" Applejack asked incredulously. "Why would ah do that?"
"He's just a little nervous about weird creatures ever since the city got attacked by time-traveling dinosaurs." the wife explained.
"Ah see. That sorta thing happen a lot 'round here?"
"Pretty much."
"Well, ah'd better go look fer mah friends. Thanks fer the help."
Applejack continued down the street. After much walking, she heard what sounded like an alarm and galloped towards the source of the noise. A trio of humans were fleeing a bank, one of them carrying a bag of money. The police hadn't arrived yet.
"Those no-good thugs are tryin' ta rob that bank! Alternate universe or not, ah can't let 'em get away with this!" Building up speed, Applejack charged into the alleyway the robbers were using as an escape route. "Whoa there! Y'all didn't think ya could get away with this, did ya?"
The thugs nearly burst out laughing. "Hey look, a tiny horse! What'cha gonna do, tiny horse? Bite my ankle?" one of them mocked.
"Y'all asked for it..." Applejack jumped onto her front legs, then spun around and kicked the robber square in the chest, knocking the wind right out of him.
"Augh! Don't... feel... so... good..."
Another thug hefted a baseball bat in the air. Before he could strike, Applejack kicked him in the face, causing him to black out.
In the commotion, the thug with the bag had jumped onto a fence and was trying to climb over. "Consarn it, ah can't reach 'im! Wait a minute... mah apples!" reaching into her saddlebags, she threw an apple into the air and kicked it, launching it directly at the last thug and knocking him off the fence. Giving him a quick kick across the face, Applejack picked up the bag in her teeth and brought it back to the bank.
Approaching who she assumed was the manager, she asked, "Ah take it y'all are in charge here?" The manager nodded. "Ah think this is yours." Applejack said, handing (mouthing?) over the recovered money.
As the police showed up to arrest the thugs, the squad leader entered the bank to congratulate Applejack. "Good thing you showed up, those goons almost got away!"
"Aw, no sweat, sugarcube. Ah just couldn't stand lettin' those no-good varmints steal all that money."
The officer extended a hand in gratitude. "Thanks for the assist, uh... orange pony with a cowgirl hat. Do you have a name?"
"Ah'm Applejack", the cowpony said, grabbing the officer's hand with both hooves and shaking heavily. "Glad ta be of assistance!"
And so our little ponies find themselves in Patriot City, separated from each other, and no sign of any other ponies. Where is everypony else? How do they find each other? What will they do then? How long before they can get back home? Can I get through one scene of dramatic narration without Pinkie Pie upstaging me?
...Evidently, the answer to that last question is 'yes'. As for the rest, find out in the next issue of Freedom Force! |
|
Freedom Filly | 307 | 2 | Main 6,Trixie,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | My Little Patriot: Freedom is Magic | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>After trying yet another long-distance teleportation spell, Twilight Sparkle and her friends once again wind up in an alternate universe. Where are they? What perils lurk in this universe? Who are these strange costumed humans? And how can Pinkie Pie hear my narration?</p><p>Meanwhile, inside the Freedom Fortress, our heroes have discovered the presence of colorful, diminutive equines wandering about Patriot City. Where did they come from? How did they get here? Was it a mere accident, or is some diabolical plan at work here?</p><p>Find out in this affectionate parody of crossover fanfic!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T03:38:34+00:00 | 2011-07-24T03:38:34+00:00 | 1,734 | Freedom Filly Comics Presents:
My Little Patriot: Freedom is Magic
Issue #2: Nuclear Winter Wrap-Up!
And now, we check in on our heroes, the peerless protectors of Patriot City, fearless in the fight against foes of freedom, dauntless defenders of democracy, the one, the only... Freedom Force!
Within the halls of the Freedom Fortress, in the sidekicks' quarters, Liberty Lad was sitting in his room and watching his favorite TV show...
"I was THIS close to getting that diamond!"
"You mean, getting rid of that dragon?"
"Uh... yeah, sure."
"Oh man, Rarity, you are hilarious!"
Liberty Lad heard a knock and realized too late that he had forgotten to lock the door. "Hey Liberty Lad, you in there?" Liberty Lad desperately reached for the remote to turn off the TV, but it was too late; Sea Urchin had already opened the door. "Hey! What are you watching, anyway?"
"Darling, you look ridiculous!"
"Exactly! Sharing a laugh is a sure way to get someone on your side!"
"...My little pony? Seriously?" Sea Urchin shot Liberty Lad a look.
"Hey! This show is extremely popular on the internet! I never would've even heard of the new series if all the blogs weren't talking about it!"
Before Sea Urchin could retort, the two sidekicks were distracted by the TV. "I guess he doesn't like laughing... or sharing."
Sea Urchin couldn't help but crack a smile. "Okay, that was actually pretty funny."
***
Several episodes later...
Sea Urchin could barely breathe, she was laughing so hard. "That bit with the man-voice was hilarious! You weren't kidding when you said this show was good!"
"See, I told you!" laughed Liberty Lad. "Now, which episode should we watch next..."
Before they could decide, an alarm went off throughout the base. Mentor, the team's leader, called out over the intercom, "Attention, Freedom Force! Everyone to the ready room! Everyone to the ready room!"
The two sidekicks quickly met up with the rest of Freedom Force - or at least, the members that were available at the time.
El Diablo spoke up. "What's goin' on, compadre?"
In response to the Mexican pyrokinetic, Mentor explained, "Our sensors have picked up a series of foreign dimensional entities scattered throughout the city. They appear to have been transported here through some sort of mystic gateway. I am now attempting to locate the source of the breach."
The alien psychic fiddled with the control console, and an overhead image of one of Patriot City's many streets appeared on the screen.
"Is that who I think it is?" Sea Urchin asked, disbelieving.
Minuteman stared at the creature. "Stars and bars!" cried the patriotic powerhouse, "That's some sort of purple unicorn!"
Minuteman's sidekick Liberty Lad facepalmed. "Oh dear Celestia..."
"Fascinating. It would seem that this diminutive equine was responsible for creating the dimensional breach." explained Mentor.
"What is this, a crossover fanfic?" quipped Liberty Lad.
Before the team could react, another alarm went off. The room started to get noticeably colder.
"Rings of Rexor! The walls of the Freedom Fortress are being frozen solid!" exposited Mentor.
"Previet, Freedom Force." A video feed appeared on the screen.
"Madre de dios! It's Nuclear Winter!" El Diablo exclaimed.
"Da, you capitalist fools! At last, I have returned!" As the communist cold controller spoke, the ice within the walls of the Freedom Fortress continued to expand. "For too long have I allowed you foolish Americans to disrupt my plans! Now, I shall freeze you solid, and there will be no-one to interfere with my conquest of Patriot City!"
"You'll... never... get away... with this, Winter!" said Minuteman, already being frozen solid.
Nuclear Winter laughed evilly. "Dosvadanya, Freedom Force!" The feed went out as the rest of the heroes were frozen alive.
***
Twilight had been searching this place (the local humans had called it "Patriot City") for hours, with no sign of her friends. She had nearly lost hope when she heard a familiar voice from a nearby alley.
"Ponyfeathers! There's too many of 'em! Ah can't take 'em all by mahself!"
"Applejack!" Twilight galloped into the alley, where Applejack was surrounded by thugs. "Hang on!" Concentrating, Twilight teleported into the center of the group, then focused her magic to form a vortex of telekinetic energy, battering the thugs with crushing force and sending them flying away in every direction.
Applejack dusted herself off. "Thanks fer tha save, Twi. Those varmints almost got me!"
"I'm just glad I found you. Have you seen anypony else?"
"Nope, ah ain't seen hide nor hair o' our friends since ah got here."
"We'd better keep looking. Who knows what trouble they've gotten themselves int... wait, when did it start snowing?"
The two ponies looked up and found that it had indeed started snowing. The sky was covered in gloomy gray clouds, pouring flakes of frozen rain all over the city.
"That's odd... how could anypony make so many clouds, so fast?"
Before Twilight could come up with a hypothesis for the sudden change in weather, she heard what sounded like a small group of marching soldiers. People were screaming. Stepping out into the street, Twilight and Applejack witnessed crowds of fleeing civilians being pursued by three human soldiers wearing fur coats, large fur hats, and thick goggles. The troopers appeared to be using freeze rays, if the trail of frozen citizens was any indication.
"Horseapples! We better go help 'em, Twi!"
"Don't worry, AJ. I got this."
Focusing her magic. Twilight fired off a bolt of arcane energy into a group of ice troopers, taking out one. "I have failed... the motherland..."
The remaining two ice troopers aimed their freeze rays and shot beams of freezing cold at Twilight. "For Comrade Winter!"
Twilight easily galloped out of range of the slow-moving beams, while Applejack circled around and prepared a powerful kick. "Take that, varmint!" The ice trooper stumbled backwards, stunned, allowing Applejack to finish him off with another kick.
Twilight prepared another arcane bolt for the last trooper. "Your victory is highly improbable." she chided before launching the bolt, knocking the mook out cold.
A voice called out from a loudspeaker somewhere up in the clouds, "More heroes? I thought I froze the last of you along with your precious headquarters. No matter, you cannot hope to defeat me, for I have turned the very atmosphere against you!" The clouds above the two ponies began to darken before shooting out streams of thick snow, condensing around Twilight Sparkle to form solid ice.
"Twilight!" cried Applejack, before being frozen herself.
The voice laughed. "You foolish capitalists really should learn not to keep your heads in the clouds."
Somewhere, a certain pink pony felt the urge to pull out a guitar and play a power chord while screaming, 'YEEEAAAAAAH!!!'
***
What will become of our little ponies? Who will rescue them? And how will they be able to stop the communist conquerer, Nuclear Winter, when the weather itself can freeze anypony solid in an instant?
"Help! Save us!" A crowd of panicked civilians fled down the street, trying to find cover from the freezing clouds. The beams had them surrounded; any second now, each of them would be helplessly frozen and unable to move.
Suddenly, a flying blur burst through the layer of clouds, causing the snow beams to dissipate harmlessly into ordinary snow. Landing in front of the crowd, the mysterious hero quipped, "Y'know, when I said '20% cooler', I didn't mean it literally."
"You saved us! Thank you!"
Another civilian asked, "Who are you?"
"You can call me Rainbow Dash!" The blue pegasus struck a heroic pose. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a city to save!" Rainbow Dash flew off to look for the source of the weaponized clouds.
I'm just glad my weather control still works in this dimension, thought Rainbow Dash, scanning the ground for possible culprits. Spotting a group of frozen people, she swooped in and bucked the ice prisons one by one, shattering them and freeing the trapped humans.
"Th-th-thank you," shivered one of the freed civilians. "I think there's m-m-m-more heroes frozen over there," he said, pointing.
More heroes? There's more heroes in this dimension? Rainbow Dash flew over to see Twilight and Applejack trapped in the ice. "Oh my gosh!" Turning around on her front legs, she bucked her friends out of their frozen cages.
"AJ! Twilight! You guys okay?"
Applejack smiled. "Thanks, Rainbow. Ah owe ya one."
Twilight shivered. "C-c-c-come on, girls, we need to figure out how to stop these clouds."
And so, with the help of the cloud-kicking Rainbow Dash, our little ponies set out to stop the maniacal machinations of Nuclear Winter! Can they defeat the frozen fiend and wrap up this out-of-control winter? Find out... in the next issue of Freedom Force!
Hey, what are you doing?! How did you even get in here?! Wait, give that back, I need that for- |
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roygbiv | 309 | 1 | Derpy Hooves,Other,Rainbow Dash,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Trapping the Quarterback | Quarterback meets a new mare in Ponyville named Hair Spray while visiting Rainbow Dash to practice at becoming a Weather Pony. More of a slice of life story. Naughty parts in Unshorned Fetlocks version... | complete | 81 | 14 | <p>The following story involves male on transgendered-pony loving. One of my more popular stories so far.</p> | teen | 2011-07-24T03:03:20+00:00 | 2011-07-24T03:03:20+00:00 | 4,952 | Quarterback flopped onto a cloud, heaving for breath as sweat caked every inch of his body. Ever since the Young Flier's Competition, he'd been flying over to Ponyville to practice with Rainbow Dash whenever he could get time off from work. He hoped to change careers to a Weather Pony, but he just didn't think it'd be so much hard work!
Rainbow Dash flew up effortlessly next to him as he panted there on the cloud, poking the gray pegasus with her forehoof. "Come on, you big ol' guy! We've only been flying at 100 KM for the past two hours! You can't be tired yet!"
Quarterback lifted his head weakly, his black mane in his eyes as he panted out, "Just... *huff* Need a minute... *wheeze* I'm all power... *gasp* Not speed like you..."
The cyan-colored pegasus with her trademark rainbow-colored mane and tail settled down on the cloud next to Quarterback, flopping onto her back. "Ah, okay... I'm sure we can take a break." The fit filly looked up at the sunny sky, resting the back of her head on the folded fore legs behind her back while crossing her hind legs. "So, did Hoops and Dumb-Bell chicken out again?"
Quarterback rolled onto his back, his breathing slowing. "Aw, you know them," he sighed. "They're always finding somepony new to make fun of to make themselves feel better."
Dash turned, looking at the burly stallion as she arched an eyebrow. "They could never be nice to anypony... Not even a week after the competition, they were back to calling me 'Rainbow Crash' all over again... But not you."
The male pegasus just shrugged and sighed. He couldn't talk much around the guys, but around Dash... well, he felt he could. "Well, they've been my friends for years. I can't just abandon them outright..." He sighed, then turned to Dash to change the subject. "Hey, how is Ditzy doing?"
Dash just chuckled. "Oh, still loving muffins and delivering mail. She still makes the occasional mistake, but it's good that she's here in Ponyville and not in Cloudsdale."
Quarterback nodded sagely and gives a heavy sigh again. "Yeah... My little sis has never been all there. The doctors say it's something wrong in her head from my mom drinking too much hard cider when she was pregnant. But she means well."
Dash turned to look back up at the sky. "Is that why you didn't go pro, Quarterback? You were the best at hoofball in the whole flight school! I thought for sure you'd get signed to the Fillydelphia Pegasi or the San Bronco Chargers!"
The male just nodded. "After Mom and Dad died, SOMEPONY had to stick around. I couldn't take Ditzy with me 'cuz she always needed constant supervision. And some of those Pegasi in Cloudsdale were, well, not too polite about her condition. She doesn't really get paid much doing the mail... It's more a volunteer gig. So I got into construction when Dumb-Bell offered the job with his Dad's company. I'd rather get into being a weather pony... That's where the real money's at! Then I could stay near Sis and not have to worry so much about whether I'll have enough bits to pay the next bill."
Dash rolled her shoulders, getting depressed at the tone the conversation had taken. "Hey, Quarterback? How soon before you gotta get back to Cloudsdale?"
The gray pegasus shrugged his shoulders. "I took a week's vacation from work to see my sis and practice with you for the Weather Pony test next month, so not any time soon... Why?"
Dash furtively glanced left, then right. She leaned in to whisper something in the larger pegasus's ear. "How...open-minded are you?"
Most of the ponies in Ponyville knew about this bar near the edge of the town. It just wasn't talked about too much, at least not around the foals. In every city or town in Equestria, there were bars or clubs like this one; it was only natural when the majority of the population happened to be female. But, nonetheless, the existence of places such as this almost invariably went unspoken. In fact, it was an unwritten rule of the club that you didn't discuss who you saw there... For mentioning their names would imply that you were there as well.
Ponyville's unnamed bar was run by Ace, and the retired pro tennis player ran a tight ship. Still in shape after all these years, he worked as both the manager and the bouncer, doing a great job of keeping any possible troublemakers out. Every night at dusk, he'd open the doors to his bar and the ponies would start to mingle in: some by themselves, some in pairs or small groups.
As Celestia's sun set, Dash led Quarterback through the club doors with a chuckle. "I tell ya', after a long day practicing, a few drinks will loosen your body up for tomorrow!"
Quarterback looked about, his eyes growing wide. "R-R-Rainbow Dash! Why did you take me here!? Isn't this a bar for-"
Dash's left forehoof rose up, gently poking into the front of the gray male's muzzle to quiet him up. "It's not just for THAT... This place makes the best drinks in town! But if you're gonna be here with the best flier in Equestria, ya gotta know that we don't talk bad about fillyfoolers and coltcuddlers in this bar. You just do what feels right, and no pony says anything the next day..."
Quarterback shakes his head and sighs heavily. "I just didn't think you were... I mean, you never seemed..."
Dash looked at the other pegasus questioningly, tilting her head to the right. "Why do you think I was kicked outta Flying School? I got caught with some fillies during practice. The old Headmaster was really narrow-minded, and expelled me for 'indecent exposure'."
Quarterback looked down in shame. "Man, we always thought you dropped out, not that you were kicked out for...well, for that!"
Dash gave the husky male's shoulder a friendly poke with her hoof as she started to laugh a bit. "Aw, none of that now! We're here to DRINK! You're in my town, and I'm gonna show you how we drink in Ponyville!"
An hour into the drinking, and Quarterback was feeling fine. There was no way he could match Dash drink for drink, but he was working through his second ale of the night and feeling pretty keen. One of the disadvantages of being a pegasus was the high metabolism, so it took far less alcohol to knock him under the table than an earth pony or unicorn.
But then there was Dash. It was like she was making up for too much blood in her alcohol stream! The gray male parted his mane from his eyes, peering down the bar at Dash. Obviously she was well-known here, as evidenced by the seven or eight mares hovering around her. Every one of them was looking at the talented flier with worshipping stars in their eyes, as she drunkenly regaled them with an exaggerated tale of defeating the Shadowbolts with a Triple Sonic Rainboom.
Shaking his head and letting the black mane fall back into place, Quarterback stood up with a groan. While the alcohol helped numb the pain, he was still quite sore from the day's drills with Rainbow Dash. Stretching out his hooves, he suddenly paused mid-stretch, gaping. There, across the bar, was the most beautiful mare, seated in a booth between two female companions.
Her coat was solid pink, and her hot pink mane was trimmed and styled to perfection. She sat in the booth wearing a neat white smock, a hair comb peeking out from her right pocket as she laughed at one of the other mare's jokes. To her left sat an aquamarine unicorn with golden eyes, her light blue mane highlighted with a white streak as she tossed her locks over her shoulder. To her right was a yellow earth pony, her lightly curled purple mane likewise highlighted with a pink streak.
As he trotted over to the trio's booth, Quarterback held no expectations, really; he just found himself drawn to the beautiful pink mare. He'd never seen a filly as beautiful as her. "I know she's probally like Dash, but I've just got to know her name...", he thought to himself as he neared the booth and gently cleared his throat.
The trio of mares looked up, the two on the sides looking a bit surprised as the mare in the middle began to smile and bat her eyelashes demurely, before looking down in shyness. A blush rose to redden her pink face, and she nervously wrung her forehooves on the table.
Quarterback coughed again as he raised his right foreleg, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry, fillies... My name's Quarterback, and I'm just visiting for the week. I've never been in here before, but I wanted to know... Ah, what's the protocol for this? Um, who are you three?"
The aquamarine unicorn let out a light chuckle, her voice betraying her high breeding despite her best efforts not to sound too hoity-toity. "Well, now. You may be at the wrong table, I'm afraid. I'm Lyra, and this is Bon-Bon. We've been a couple for more than a few years now, so..."
Quarterback shook his head and held up a hoof. "That's alright. I was just wondering what her name was?" He pointed his hoof towards the mare in the middle, and both of the other mares followed his hoof with their eyes to their companion.
"What?" both Bob-Bon and Lyra asked in shock as the mare in the center just blushed further. "Um," Bon-bon began in a nervous tone. "This is Hairspray..."
The pink earth pony in the middle suddenly raised up, her feminine voice nickering loudly as she raised her hooves to cover Lyra and Bon-Bon's muzzles. "I'm Bon-Bon's sister from Canterlot, where I worked under Photo Finish until recently. I came here when I heard that the spa might need a mane stylist, and my dear sister, who I let stay with me SO long ago when her parents tossed her out, is returning the favor. RIGHT, SISTER?" The pink pony's voice deepened slightly at the end, a bit of cattiness in her tone as her blue eyes stared daggers at Bon-Bon.
Bon-Bon backed up slightly and just nodded nervously. "Ah, yes... She's my sister, that she is!"
Quarterback chuckled softly. "Canterlot, you say? Well, I helped build a new restaurant out there last summer. Perhaps, as another pony new to Ponyville, you might like a drink with me?" Quarterback blushed a bit himself, a little nervous to be flirting with such a pretty filly.
The pink pony looked between her two companions as if to ask permission, and Lyra waved her hooves. "Oh, go ahead. You're a big GIRL, just don't get into any trouble!" Scooting out of the booth, the aquamarine unicorn made room so the pink earth pony could slip out.
As the pink earth pony and gray pegasus trotted off, the pink pony leaned against the gray one's left side and smiled dreamily. "Mmm, so big and muscular... A girl could get used to a guy like you..."
When the two fell out of earshot, Lyra slipped back into the booth and whispered to Bon-Bon. "Your SISTER!?"
Bon-Bon just shrugged and gave a sigh. "Hey, if Hairspray wants to be my sister, what harm is it? Besides, I do owe her..."
"It doesn't matter!" Lyra hissed out angrily. "What is Hairspray going to do when the truth comes out!"
Bon-Bon leaned over to caress a hoof over her lover's face. "Hon, relax... Hairspray knows what she's doing. And if it's not meant to be... Well, she was staying on our couch anyways for that interview. And if it does go as planned..." The yellow earth pony licked her lips and winked mischeviously.
Lyra's eyes widen, then a similar naughty smile crosses her muzzle. "Oh, this looks to be a good night after all..."
Meanwhile, back at the bar, the new couple were having the night of their lives. Quarterback was telling Hairspray about playing Hoofball back in Flight School, and the mare was hanging on his every word. "And then," he said as he got into the story, feeding off the pink earth pony's excitement, "Just as the defensive line was closing in on me, I ducked through a hole in the line and dived into the end zone to score the winning touchdown!"
Hairspray giggled and clapped her forehooves before giving the gray pegasus a hug on his side. "Mmmm, such a brave and strong pegasus you are! What about the cheerleaders? I'm sure you took quite a few home with you after that game!" The pink pony gave a playful wink, batting lightly at the gray pegasus's foreleg.
Quarterback just coughed and looked away. "Eh, actually... I, ah... Oh, man. This is akward..." He rubbed the back of his head as he looked away in embarrassment. "My friends, Hoops an' Dumb-Bell, they always were the ones chasin' after mare tails. In fact, until tonight, I never even asked a mare out for drinks..."
Hairspray gasped, her forehooves rising to her cheeks as she shook her head in shock. Then, leaning in close, she mock-whispered to the bulky pegasus, "You mean you're still a virgin!?"
Quarterback jumped a bit, waving his hooves to quiet the filly. "Keep it down, will ya'? I mean... Yeah, I am, but the whole bar doesn't need to know that..." At this point, his blush was practically crimson.
Hairspray let out another girlish giggle as she shook her head. "No, no, no... Please, don't get upset! I think it's cute!" She reached up with a hoof, tracing it along the pegasus's masculine jaw as she smiles dreamily. "It means that you're pure... You haven't been tainted by the sins of Equestria yet like some of us have. I actually find it kind of attractive, honestly."
The pegasus nuzzled into the pink mare's hoof as a smile crossed his muzzle. He began to nuzzle down Hairspray's foreleg, his nose finding her withers before moving up to her smooth, elegant neck. Here, he gave a light nip, and Hairspray let out a whinny of pleasure. It was as though all the rest of the crowded bar had faded away, and they were alone in this moment, just the two of them.
Turning their heads, the couple's lips met in a soft kiss as their eyes closed, the two ponies hugging into each other as the kiss deepened. The kiss itself only lasted for a minute or so, but to the couple it felt like an eternity. As the kiss broke, both blushed deeply as they gasped for air.
"W-woah..." Quarterback managed to murmur, his chest heaving as he just kept staring at the pink earth pony. "Is this what I've been missing all these years?"
Hairspray just smiled wickedly and licked her lips. "Oh, my big, strong, MASCULINE pegasus... That's just the appetizer. If you want, I'd be willing to show you the whole dinner service."
Quarterback had never been the one to leap into bed with a strange mare, but between the ambience of the club, the alcohol in his system, and the beauty of this mare, he wanted to toss all caution to the wind. Pulling some bits from a coin purse hidden in his mane, he dropped them on the bartop. "I rented a room at the inn for the week. We can go there to talk more..."
The pink pony just laughed as she nuzzled gently into the muscular pegasus's side. "Oh hon, we can do MORE than just talk..."
The next morning, as Rainbow Dash was trying to sleep off her hangover on an appropriately fluffy cloud, Quarterback appeared next to her in a dark blur, flipping and diving through the air around the cyan pegasus excitedly. Rolling to her side, Dash just groaned, attempting to tug some of the cloud over her head. "Damn, what got into you last night?..."
The gray pegasus tossed his mane proudly and let out a cheer. "Nothing, I just met a mare last night!"
Rainbow Dash suddenly bolted up, her mouth dropping open in shock as she pointed at the gray pegasus. "You... You met a MARE... At the bar I took you to last night?!"
Quarterback dropped down onto the cloud as he nodded proudly. "Yeah, she even came back to the room I'm renting last night..."
Dash just laughed, and shoved the other pegasus playfully. "About time, ya' big galoot! Give me a brohoof!" The pair slapped forehooves together, as they both started to laugh. "Wow, this is a reason to celebrate! Now then! Quarterback! When're you seeing this mare again?"
The stallion pegasus chuckled. "She has an interview at the spa today, so I'm meeting her tonight at the bar to help her celebrate, or to console her if she doesn't get the job."
The female pegasus lept up and shook out her mane. "Alright, then! Let's get in a good workout today, so you can drink off the pain tonight!" With that, she reared back, before streaking off into the sky.
Quarterback gave a quick salute and nodded towards the departing rainbow streak. "Yes, Ma'am!" Rearing back himself, the large pegasus took off to try to catch up to the fading blur of rainbow colors.
At the spa, the dark cyan-coated earth pony known as Lotus pushed up the white headband holding her pink mane back before batting her blue eyes across the desk at the applicant. "Well now, Hairspray... It says on your resume you worked under Photo Finish until recently... And before that, at Le Mane Display in Fillydelphia... And you learned under Count Louis de Scissors at the Canterlot Hair Styling & Cosmetics School! Very impressive!"
Hairspray bobbed her head happily and let out a girlish giggle. "All that's in the past, honestly. I'm getting to be an old mare, and I just want to settle down to style manes and find a nice, strong stallion to share my life with."
Lotus nods softly. "Ah, don't we all. Now, just for tax reasons, I have to ask... Is Hairspray your given name, or an artistic nom de plume?"
Hairspray swallowed hard and looked around nervously. "Um, it's the name I chose for myself." She grimaced slightly, glancing back and forth one more time. Quietly, she said, "I'm on Celestia's tax scrolls as Crossy Dress." At this, she blushed beet red.
Lotus let out a gasp, her right forehoof rising to her chest as she shook her head. "You mean you're a..." The mare across her desk nodded worriedly as Lotus fell into a joyous laugh. "My word, girl! If you can do THAT good a job on yourself, just imagine what you can do to my clients! If you want it, of course the job is yours!"
Hairspray looked up, her eyes filling with tears of joy. "You mean... You don't care?"
Lotus shook her head. "Hairspray, this is BEAUTY! No pony cares what bits you have, as long as you can make somepony beautiful! Now, let me show you to the booths you'll be renting..."
At the bar that night, Quarterback about fell onto a bar stool as he gasped for air. "Damn, Dash... *wheeze* Did you have to try to teach me *gasp* THAT move?"
Dash just chuckled and slapped the back of the tuckered out male pegasus with a laugh. "Hey, your flying is now 20% cooler thanks to my lessons! You'll be able to pass the test to be a weather pony with flying colors now!"
"Oh, then we both have reason to celebrate!" came a female voice from behind the pair. Turning around, Hairspray lept up onto the tired and sore male pegasus as she nuzzled his abdomen. "Quarterback! Lotus hired me almost on the spot! I'll be styling manes for all Ponyville starting next week!"
Quarterback let out a cheer, his pain nearly forgotten as he nuzzled Hairspray back atop her head. "That's wonderful news! Hey, I want you to meet my friend Rainbow Dash... She's been helping me get ready for my tests next month."
Hairspray turned, fluttering her lashes demurely, yet her legs gripped the gray pegasus about his waist a bit tighter. Those fluttering eyes took on a possessive look as she nodded towards the light cyan mare with the boyishly-cut rainbow mane. "Charmed, I'm sure.", she began icily. "My name's Hairspray, and I'm so glad to have found Quarterback here."
Dash recognized that look and tone from several mistaken flirts in the club. Holding up her hooves, she backs up slightly. "Oh, relax! We just went to Flight School together, and re-met recently at the Young Flyer's Competition!"
Hairspray chuckled lightly, releasing her grip on Quarterback's waist as she beamed a bright smile. "Oh, that's wonderful! You must join us for a few drinks, but first I have to powder my nose. Rainbow Dash, would you care to join me?"
Dash scratched the back of her head before giving a shrug. "Um, okay... I don't normally go in for that kinda stuff, but I guess so..." She pounded the bar lightly. "Bartender, start my tab up. Anything we drink tonight's on me! We're celebrating!"
The two mares slipped away towards the Mares' Room as Quarterback just shook his head. Looking up at the arrival of the bartender, a tan stallion with brown mane, he shrugged. "Eh, mares... What can you do?"
The brown stallion let out a laugh and shook his head. "Don't ask me, honey! I prefer the company of other stallions. Now, what can I get you three, sugar?"
Once in the bathroom, Hairspray suddenly turned to Rainbow Dash, a frightened look on her face. "Please," she whinnied. "You can't take him! I just got over a bad relationship with an abusive unicorn, and moved here for a fresh start! He likes ME, and I can't lose him to you!"
Dash just shook her head and blinked. "Wait, you... You're worried about me... Taking him... From you...?" The pink earth pony nodded softly, tears filling her eyes in worry. Dash, however, began to laugh. "Oh, man! Boy, did you bet on the wrong horse! No, I brought Quarterback here last night as a friend! I chase after cute mares like yourself!"
Hairspray blinked and shook her head. "Wait, you... You're not like me?"
Dash blinked. "What, you mean straight like you? No! And I'd never go after a mare I knew was straight!"
Hairspray shook her head. "Straight!? Hon... I..." She bit her lip and moved closer, whispering into Dash's ear. "I was born a colt."
Dash's laughter abruptly stopped, her jaw practically hitting the floor. She leaped forward, her forehooves gripping Hairspray, shaking her rapidly. At that moment, Dash became possessed with the manic speed & frantic nature of Pinkie Pie herself. (Elsewhere, Pinkie Pie was the calmest she'd ever been in her life, but that's another story for another day.) "Whatdoyoumeanacolt!? DoesQuarterbackknow!? Doesanyponyknow!?" Hairspray winced, her ears folding back against her lovely hot pink hair. Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and shook her head. "That can't be right. Quarterback said you both... I mean, last night you..."
Hairspray blushed and looked away. "Well, HE was the one who had most of the fun last night. It was... a VERY deep kiss that helped him sleep."
Dash paled and shook her head. "I really, _REALLY_ don't need to hear about it. But really, you gotta tell him! I've been down this road, and they ALWAYS find out!"
Hairspray turned, tugging at her mane as she sighed forlornly. "I know, I know! But, it never came up last night! We just... fell onto each other!"
Dash shook her head once more and sighed. "Damn, you're good. I can see why Lotus hired you if you can make yourself over THAT well. But you have to tell him tonight. If you don't, I will. He's got a sister he sends money to every month, and needs to focus on this coming test to get a better job."
Hairspray nods sadly. "I know, I know... I'll tell him before the end of the night. But, can we at least celebrate for now?"
Dash nods and slapped the other pony's back encouragingly. "Of course! Now, let's get back out there before he thinks I'm eating your candy vag!"
As Quarterback and Hairspray stood together in the doorway of the bar, outside Luna's night was filled with the patter of rain, puddles beginning to form on the earthen roads. As patrons began to push from behind, the pair realized they had to move soon. Pointing towards the library tree's big overhanging branches, the gray male chuckled. "Come on, we'll be safe over there until this lets up."
The two burst forward, dodging puddles left and right as the cool summer rain washed across their bodies. Falling into a heap in the wet grass under one of the large branches, they both began to laugh, nuzzling into each other's necks as the water clung to their hair, manes & tails.
"Ah, Hairspray..." The gray pegasus began before nipping the nape of the pink earth pony's neck on the left side. He nuzzled his way up towards the other pony's left ear, nibbling gently upon its soft rim, as Hairspray let out a soft moan at the feeling.
As the larger equine's hooves slid up to caress over the smaller's shoulders, Hairspray winced and turned her body, her right forehoof raising to suddenly push the large male away. "N-no!" she cried out as tears started to fill her eyes. "W...we can't."
The pegasus blinked, taken aback from being pushed away, as he looked down at the other pony. "What... Did... Did I do something wrong?" Quarterback began to look quite worried.
Hairspray bit her lower lip. She had to tell him now, before it got more serious. She looked up at the stallion, her eyes filled with fear and trepidation as she began to fidget her hooves. "It's not you, Quarterback... It's me. I haven't been honest with you. Not completely, anyhow."
Quarterback winced and looked away dejectedly. "Oh, I get it... A pretty filly like you has got a guy back in Canterlot, and I'm just some vacation fling..." He started to trot away, his head and tail drooping in sadness as he stepped out into the rain.
The pink pony gasped, a hoof rising to her muzzle in shock before galloping into the rain. Gripping the pegasus's tail in her muzzle, she began to tug on it to stop him as she talked betwixt gritted teeth. "No, no, no! Stop, Quarterback, it's not like that at all!"
He stopped, feeling the tug as he heard the words. The winged pony turned and looked at the pink mare questioningly as the rain began to flatten her usually perfect mane to her head. "Then what, Hairspray? If it's not another stallion, than what is it?"
Hairspray dropped the tail and sighs sadly. "Well, there was another stallion, before I came here, but I broke up with him. I got tired of the abuse and having to use my styling skills to cover the bruises." The mare sighed and shook her head, looking up at the rain clouds before calling out to them. "By Luna, why does this have to be so hard!"
Quarterback trotted up, his forehooves resting on the shoulders of the smaller pony as he smiled. "Hey now, none of that... We're both being drama queens right now. Come on, what is it? So you had a bad mate before me..." His right hoof raises up to lift the underside of her chin as he grinned. "You're with a better pony now, right?"
Hairspray looks away to the left and down, her muzzle slipping out of the gray pegasus's hoof as she whimpered. "You might not want to be with me after this..."
The gray pegasus let out a gasp. "Oh, no, are you pregnant!? Did... Did what we do last night get you with foal!?"
Hairspray heard this and blinked before letting out a soft feminine laugh. Leaning her head into the stallion's chest, she sighed softly. "Oh, Quarterback... You can't get a pony pregnant like that... And besides, it'd take some serious magic to get me pregnant."
The pegasus sighed and nuzzled his mare atop her head as the rain continued to shower onto them. "Well, that's a relief," he nickered softly. "But, what can be so bad that you think you'll lose me over it?"
Hairspray swallowed hard. It was now or never. She had to tell this sweet yet ill-informed pony the truth if their relationship was to have a chance. "Quarterback, you know how some mares will sometimes love one another?"
The ashen pegasus nodded slowly. "Well, yeah. Rainbow Dash is one of them. I mean, I used to make jokes in the locker room about how hot fillyfoolers were, but that was just going along with the group. Now, I don't see anything wrong with it as long as she's happy."
The pink pony bit her lip again, listening as she started to tremble. "And... And have you ever heard of two stallions being lovers?"
The pegasus blinked, not quite understanding the path this conversation had taken. "Well... yeah, of course. I mean, we'd joke in school calling each other coltcuddlers or cloud biters to get a rise out of each other. But, I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. I've been to their bar for two nights now, and everyone was really nice! In fact, I think they got a bad rap."
Hairspray let out her breath slowly, the pink pony looking down at the ground... Up at the tree branch they'd run from under... Anything to not look at the stallion she had such growing feelings for. She continued nervously. "W-What if... What if you found yourself attracted to a stallion? What would you do then?"
Quarterback shook his head. "I don't understand where you're going with this! I mean, you're a mare, and I want to be with YOU! Not a stallion!"
The pink pony let out a frustrated groan. "Quarterback... I'm... I don't know how to say this to you, so I'll just say it." She sighed, and looked down, her voice dropping to a quieter tone as her eyes filled with tears once more. "I'm not entirely a mare."
The pegasus was now beside himself, completely unsure what the pink pony was going on about. "Is... Is this because you can't have foals without magic? Hon, if we get to that point, we'll just get the spell cast! Right now, I just want to be with YOU! You make me happy, Hairspray!"
Hairspray knew she couldn't tiptoe around it anymore. This sweet pegasus was pouring his heart out to her, and she had to be honest and clear with no more pretty words. Looking up, tears still in her eyes, she shook her head softly. "No, hon... I'm trying to tell you I may live as a mare, and act like a mare, and look like a mare, and call myself a mare, but ... I was born a colt, like you.
Quarterback stepped back, a stunned look on his face. He shook his head to try to clear it as he stumbled back in shock. "I... You... You're a stallion!?"
Hairspray winced. "Just when my tail is raised," she sighed. Nervously, she raised her right hoof, resting it on the other pony's shoulder worriedly. "I... I understand if you're mad and hate me. I... I just never could live as a stallion. I always felt more comfortable as a mare. So, at a young age, I just started to act and live as one. Inside, I'm a mare... I just have one tiny difference..." The pink pony coughed and looked nervously from side to side. "Well, not TINY really, but..."
Quarterback looked at the other pony, unsure of how to react. Shaking his head, he turned away. "I... I don't believe you! You're just trying to break up with me!"
Hairspray gasped in shock. "No no no, hon! I'm being completely serious! I REALLY don't want to lose you! I... I think I'm falling in love with you!"
The pegasus flushed at the other pony's words. Turning in the rain, he gazed down at Hairspray with a serious expression. "Prove it."
She gasped in shock. "Wha... What?"
"You heard me," Quarterback said, as he dug his forehooves at the ground. "Prove to me right now that you're really a stallion, 'cause I don't believe it! I can't! I look at you and see the sweetest, friendliest mare I ever met... I just can't see it!"
She sighed and looked down at the wet grass. "Right here? In the rain?"
He nodded firmly. "Yes, because until you do, I just won't believe it..."
She nodded and settled down onto the grass on her side. "For you, I will... But please... Please don't hurt me..." She rolled onto her back, parting her hind legs as her forelegs curled up defensively. The rain pelted down, giving her pink mane a glossy sheen, the water cascading across her body. As the rain washed between her legs, the careful styling she did to 'hide things' flattened down to reveal the truth to Quarterback's eyes.
He stared down between those legs, then up at that scared face with its fear-ridden eyes. He began to trot closer and Hairspray winced, looking away as her eyes squinted shut... The pink pony expecting the worst.
But then she felt the pegasus's muzzle lightly kiss her cheek. "You still look like my mare, Hon..." His voice was soft yet loving. As she turned to look up, her eyes looked into his with hope as his eyes had softened. "I see 'it'... but... I don't know really. I mean... to me, you're still my mare. We may have the same... things in some places, but horse apples to what others might think! You're a mare to me." He blushed, and added, "and a beautiful one too."
Hairspray gasped at these sweet words. She reached up with her forehooves, the pink pony gripping the stallion's neck as she pulled his head down into a kiss, her tongue slipping into his muzzle as her hooves stroked over the back of his head. He kissed her back, gently at first, then with a deep and growing passion, the two ponies becoming lost in the moment.
After several minutes kissing in the rain, Quarterback nuzzled Hairspray's head gently before carefully lifting himself off the mare. "Come on, let's go back to my room. We need a hot shower, and then...I kinda want to try what you did last night." Nuzzling against each other, the two ponies slowly got up and began to trot towards the inn.
Quarterback sat up in the bed as Celestia's sun rays began to shine into the room. Hairspray laid next to him as the pegasus sat thinking. Last night... Remembering the events of the past two nights, he admitted to himself that they had been the greatest two nights of his life. Sighing, the pegasus rested his head in his hooves.
Last night, Hairspray had told him that the pink earth pony sleeping in his bed, the pink earth pony who he had fallen so completely for, had been born a colt just like he had. Quarterback had always heard rumors and jokes in the locker room about things like 'fillyfoolers' or 'coltcuddlers', or 'crossdressers' or 'fillycolts', all used as insults or slander. Like all the other young stallions, he had always laughed or groaned at these topics. But this didn't feel like a joke, now that he had suddenly found himself in this situation, falling in love with this unique mare.
He thought back over the course of his life thus far. He'd never dated mares before the other night. He'd never even wanted to ask one out, though he'd chalked that up to nervousness. But Hairspray felt right. For some reason, it felt like this was meant to be. But he needed to talk to somepony about this. Two ponies, actually. Leaning over, he kissed the brow of the sleeping pink earth pony, who slowly woke up. "Wha..."
Quarterback patted the tired pony's side and smiled gently. "Rest hon... I just need to step out to run some errands. I'll be back by noon for lunch, okay?"
Hairspray yawned and nodded as they curled up in the sheets more. "Okay... *yawn* Love you..."
Quarterback looked at the bed as he stood in the room, the pegasus lifting his mane to stare at the sleeping earth pony for the longest time. He patted the bed's corner gently, but... He felt it, but the charcoal-colored male just couldn't say it yet. He had some ponies to talk to first.
Opening the door, he trotted out into the hallway and gently closed it behind him. Heading out the door of the inn, he took to the air to find his sister.
At the Ponyville Post Office, Ditzy Doo was strapping on her mail bag as she smiled brightly. The gray pegasus with the dirty blond mane and tail focused with her good eye as she thought to herself. Yesterday, she delivered mail. Then her brother took her for muffins. Then they flew in the air. Then he blew bubbles for her to catch. She liked bubbles. Almost as much as muffins. And her brother. She liked all three, really! And Rainbow Dash was there, too! She also brought muffins! It was a good day.
She checked her bag and pouted. There ere only five letters to deliver today. The pretty unicorn who lived in the tree wouldn't get a new shipments of books until tomorrow! She knew this 'cause after the books came, the post office let her have two days off! Tomorrow would be hard work, but it would end as another good day!
As she trotted out of the Post Office, her face brightened. It was her brother! He was flying to see her! Maybe he'd have muffins! Or bubbles! Today was going to be a good day, too!
Quarterback landed onto the grass and shook out his mane, seeing his sister galloping over to see him. As she neared, the pale gray pegasus hugged him tightly and nuzzled. "Big Bro! Big Bro!"
The male gray pegasus nuzzled his sister and smiled. "Hey, sis! I... I need to talk to you about something, all right?"
Ditzy Doo tilted her head, looking upside down at her brother as her bad eye looked to the right. "Big bro looks sad..." The female pegasus whimpered and poked a hoof into her mail bag. She pulled out a muffin and held it forwards. "Muffin? Muffins with crunchy banana boomerangs make happy super fun in mouth time of joy!"
The elder of the siblings shook his head. "I don't think so, Ditzy. You see, I met somepony the other day."
The female pegasus smiled and reached up to hug her brother's neck. "That's great, big bro! The purple marmosets will approve!"
Quarterback gently pushed his sister back and shook his head. "No, no... You see, she ... she wasn't always a mare. She was born a colt like me! Well, not like me... She's soft, delicate, and the way the light catches her mane is just... Just beautiful..." He shook his head to keep on track. "But she's still a stallion 'down there', the stallion continued, pointing to the appropriate place with a hoof "Does this mean I'm a coltcuddler?"
Ditzy giggles and winks. "Stallions and stallions make the best of friends, yes! And friends cuddle friends like hot air balloons and clouds of marmalade! Can't choose who friends are! They just become like pretty cows that fill the sky with joy!"
Quarterback rested his head in his hoof as he tried to explain it. "No, Ditzy... I think I may be gay."
His sister just laughed. "You're gay, I'm gay, the WORLD is gay! It's okay to be happy, ask Rainbow Dash! She has a pretty mane and a pretty tail, and makes pretty colors! Be gay! Being gay makes Equestria better!"
This was not going well for the elder brother. Shaking his head, he rested his fore hooves on his sister's shoulders and looks her face to face. "Okay, let's explain it clearer, okay?"
"Uh-huh!"
"I am a guy..."
"Uh-huh!"
"And Hairspray was a guy..."
"Uh-huh!"
"And she has guy parts..."
"Uh-huh!"
"And I think I really like her..."
"Uh-huh! Liking is good."
"Like Mom an' Dad liked each other..."
"And this is bad...?" The younger sister looked at her older brother, her eyes not judging. There was no malice in her tone, and no disgust. She was simply curious, as she didn't see the issue.
Quarterback stepped back and thought. "No... No, I don't think it is. In fact, aside from when I'm visiting with you, the time with Hairspray has been the first time since our folks died that I've been happy."
Ditzy Doo reached up, cupping her brother's muzzle in her fore hooves and mushing the sides together. "Big Bro, you do lots for me. You never call me Derpy like others do. You deserve happy. Be happy. I can be happy with you, and we all have bubbles an' muffins an' green letters from outer space falling from blue boxes!"
Quarterback dislodged himself from his sister's grip as he began to chuckle. "You're crazy, sis, but you also make a lot of sense. Hey, come by the inn around Noon. I got somepony I want you to meet."
Derpy stood up straight and gave a salute. "Yes, Captain! After mail finds its homes and the world is saved from the Cyberponies!" Nodding with a grin, she began flying off upside down into the town.
The male pegasus watched his sister fly off as he heard a sneeze from up above. Looking up, he saw Rainbow Dash peeking out from over a cloud as he gulped. "D-Dash! How long have you been here?"
The rainbow-maned pegasus chuckled and stretched her hooves. "Oh, since before you landed. I kinda figured you'd wanna tell your sister, no matter what happened. Mmmm, and the post office always has the softest napping clouds around it!"
Quarterback just shook his head. "So you heard that Hairspray is..."
Dash grinned. "A very pretty pony who is lucky to have you, yes. She actually told me her little secret last night, and I told her she had to tell you. It was only fair."
The male gray pegasus flew up to rest on the cloud next to Dash as he sighed. "Hey, Dash? When did you realize you were into mares?"
The pale cyan unicorn shrugged. "I'd always suspected, but it wasn't until I met the daughters of the Flight School's Headmaster that I knew for sure."
The male turned and gasped. "The Wing Triplets!? Wow, no wonder you got expelled! It's a wonder he didn't have you banned from Cloudsdale!"
Dash chuckles and stretches her hooves. "Yeah, but TOTALLY worth it! BEST PRACTICE EVER!"
Hairspray sat outside the inn nervously looking at the clock. It was half past twelve, and still no sign of Quarterback. Did he run? Was he coming back? She laid her head down on the table, folding her forelegs over her nose as she let out a nervous sigh... And then, a single rose petal fell atop her nose. She lowered her legs, peering at the pink petal before another fell on her left forehoof... and then one on her right shoulder, and still another on the table! Looking up, she let out a squeal of surprise as she began to be rained upon by pink rose petals.
Blinking as the shower soon ended, she saw Quarterback sitting in the rafters holding a now empty sack as he waved a hoof. "Heya Hairspray, like my gift?"
The pink pony shook out her hot pink mane and giggled softly. "My word, Quarterback! What... Where have you been? And why are you late, you had me worried!"
The burly pegasus slowly floated down to the floor, wings fluttering, a look of shame upon his face. "Sorry, but the flower triplets had trouble getting all the pink petals I needed to give to you."
Hairspray blushed, her pink cheeks turning crimson as she shook her head. "Oh, you didn't have to do that..."
The male reached forward, his forehooves resting on Hairspray's shoulders as he looked down into her eyes. "Yes, I did. I realized something this morning. I realized I love you, and I don't want to spend another moment without you in my life." With that, he leaned forward, his muzzle meeting hers in a kiss that seemed to last an eternity. When at last the kiss was broken, he was shocked to see tears streaming down from her eyes. "Hairspray, what's wrong? Did I make you sad?"
She shook her head, reaching for a napkin on the table to dry her tears. "No..no, no. I'm... I'm crying because I'm so happy. I was afraid you would hate me, or-- Celestia forbid-- even want to hurt me. I'm just so, so happy..."
He slipped his forelegs about her back, hugging the smaller mare against his body as he nuzzled the top of her head. "There, there... I promise, the tears of joy will be the only tears you'll have to shed from now on."
She sniffled and sighed. "Mmmm, I think I'm going to like being with you. But hon, why did you pour all the rose petals onto the floor? What'll we have for lunch now?"
The pegasus chuckled. "Oh, hon... The rose petals were just to shower you with affection! No, for lunch we're having-"
"MUFFINS!" The loud cry came from the doorway leading outside, in through which flew Ditzy Doo carrying a basket of muffins fresh from Sugarcube Corner. Quarterback turned towards the door, a foreleg over the earth pony's shoulder as he smiles. "If we're going to be together, Hairspray, I want you to meet my sister Ditzy Doo..."
Rainbow Dash paced across the clouds as she nodded. "Okay, this Winter Wrap-Up, we have some new recruits!" The captain of the weather ponies for Ponyville looked at the three new faces as she nodded quietly. "Twilight's given us our schedules to follow, so let's try to get finished in record time this year!"
A loud cheer filled the air as pegasi began to take off in all directions. As a male gray pegasus got ready to take off towards the south to get the southern birds, a cyan hoof stopped him. "Hey, rookie."
The gray male turns and smiles softly. "Yeah, boss?"
Dash just chuckles. "Okay, enough of that. I got your sister sorting mail for the animals of the forest, so good luck flying south. It's not a safe trip, but I know you can get there and back. After all, I know who trained you, and I hear she's the best flier in all Equestria!"
Quarterback just smiled and gave another salute. "Yes boss! Also, Hairspray wants to know if you can join us for dinner after the Wrap-Up! She's making Corn and Carrot Casserole, and she got several bottles of mead to mull!"
Rainbow Dash just nodded. "That's a ten-four! Now go get those birds, then tell Hairspray to set another place... I'm gonna see if I can finally net me a pink mare of my own today." |
roygbiv | 310 | 1 | Derpy Hooves,Dinky Hooves,Original Character,Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Dinky Doo Trilogy | complete | 42 | 5 | <p>A trilogy of stories about Dinky Doo finding out about her father with a happy ending.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T16:11:45+00:00 | 2011-07-24T16:11:45+00:00 | 3,767 | "Mom, who is my father?"
Ditzy Doo paused in making dinner, the grey pegasus's body stiffening as her eyes widened in shock. Turning, she looked at her daughter Dinky Doo and blinked slowly. She held her breath for a moment, slowly counting to five before letting it out. In her head, she had known this day would come, but she had hoped her little filly would be older.
Ditzy Doo knew about how the other foals made fun of her due to her mother being 'special'. As cruel as the foals Dinky's age were, they would grow out of this stage eventually. The real painful barbs were from the mares and stallions around town. The aghast looks and the back-handed compliments towards them both when they were out shopping or having dinner. The whispered conversations and darting looks. That hurt them both far more because at times they would even say such things to their faces.
But they long ago stopped letting it phase them. Dinky knew all too well her mother understood and comprehended far more than the other ponies in town realize. But, in public, the pair just kept smiling and sometimes even thanking the others for the insults and back-handed compliments of how wonderful it is that a pegasus as special as her could raise a normal -UNICORN- filly.
But, in all this time, Ditzy had been waiting for this day. When the other ponies would talk about their fathers, Dinky would always gush about her mother the mail pony. But the subject of her father had just never been brought up. As such, a slimmer of hope had risen in the pegasus that this day might never arrive.
"Mom...?" Ditzy trotted over, resting her left forehoof on her mother's shoulder with a worried look. "If... If you don't wanna talk about it..."
Ditzy looked to her daughter, a sad look in her eyes as she shook her head. Turning off the stove, she motioned for her daughter to follow. "The muffins told me that you'd want to know someday about how unicorn fillies fill life with joy..." The grey pegasus began to lead Dinky towards her bedroom as she talked. "And my most special muffin of goodness should know about the day I met her muffin sire of good joy!"
Dinky followed silently as she nodded, the young pegasus used to her mother's unique way of talking after a lifetime. She was born with a lazy eye and mental problems thanks to something called 'Foal Alcohol Syndrome'. Uncle Quarterback told Dinky once that her mom used to be a lot worse when she was younger, which frightened the young foal to think about.
As they entered Ditzy's room, the walls were decorated with crayon pictures drawn of all the ponies in town Ditzy thought of as her friends. They were actually quite well drawn, despite the medium used. Every time her mother met a new pony, she'd always draw him or her that night. It was just one of the many quirks that Ditzy loved about her mom that made her unique.
Trotting over to her bed, Ditzy pulled aside the muffin-patterned bedspread and crawled under the bed. After a moment, she pushed a small cardboard box out from under the bed before squirming out afterwards. Shaking the dust off her body, she pushed the box towards her daughter as she swallowed hard. "All the answers about space and flying balloons are in this box, my muffin. I'll leave to finish making the tasty delights of food and happiness while you learn the science."
Dinky nodded, watching her mother leave before looking back at the box. Most of her mother's possessions had an innocent, fillylike quality to them. But this box seemed outside of the room rather than a part of it. The box itself was old and tattered, as if it had been moved many times. Using a forehoof, the young filly gently pushed the lid off the top of the box and peered inside...
The small box didn't hold much, just a scroll and some photos. Taking out the first, she saw a picture of her mother when she was younger on a farm with other ponies; some earth ponies, some pegasi, and some unicorns. They were all laughing and smiling at a picnic, and Dinky felt a tear brim in her eye to see her mother so happy.
But something else caught her eye, and she had to stare closer to see if she saw right. Yes, most of the ponies in the photo, like her mother, had the same look in their eyes as her mother Ditzy had. Some were also in wheelchairs, and one was on crutches. But, all the ponies it seemed, were as special as her mother.
She sat the first photo in the box and drew out the second before pausing... There, in the photo, was her mother hugging a male unicorn next to a tree. His body was tan and he had a golden brown mane and tail. The thing that caught her attention the most was the fact his cutie mark was of a muffin. She stared for the longest time at the photo, her hooves trembling as she stared at the tree. Yes, it looked to be from the same farm, and carved into the tree was a crude heart with 'BM + DD' carved into the heart. It was not the best penmanship by far, but the sentiment was clear... This was a photo of her father...
Standing, Dinky's mind reeled with the implications. She had a unicorn father, and her mother had met her at some farm where everypony had been special like her. Suddenly, the years of her mother driving her to study more and more was making sense... She'd always assumed that it was just because her mother was fearful she'd end up like her, as unlikely as that is. But with two parents from such a place, the truth was like an explosion in her mind: She'd beaten the odds and made her mother so proud by being one of the top students in school. It was no wonder why her mother checked in on her every day while delivering mail!
Setting the other photo in the box, Ditzy's body gave a nervous shudder as she stared at the scroll. Did she really want to do this? Part of her wanted to unravel the scroll now and start reading, but a twinge of fear ran through her head. After this, there would be no going back. She could no longer spend the nights dreaming away what her father was like. She'd know for sure. Was she ready to forgo illusion and fantasy for cold reality.
Grasping the scroll, she gave a nod to herself. She had to know... Not just for herself, but for her mother, too. Her mother gave up so much for her, and had put on such a brave face for the world. And her mom had kept this box safe just for her to learn the truth... She owed it to her mom to follow this to the end. Opening the scroll, Dinky settled onto the floor on her abdomen and began to read.
Dinky, I'm writing this letter to you so you'll one day know who your father is. I'm hoping I gave this box to you and you're reading it now. If You found this box by accident digging around in my room, then you are GROUNDED! Go to your room and wait for me to get home!
Dinky gave a light chuckle. smiling to herself at the little note. Even in writing, her mother did have a fun sense of humor at times. Shaking her head, she turned back to the scroll to read more.
When I graduated school, my parents had just died the year before working as weather ponies. Quarterback had just started doing construction, and I was really a hoof full. I had a lot of trouble even doing the most basic of chores, and couldn't make out more than two words. Big Bro's job needed him to go to Fillydelphia to help build a new school for a year, so he told me I was going to go live on in a special place that could help me. That was when I was introduced to the Farm.
The Farm was just on the outskirts of Coltland, and was set up to help special ponies learn to be self-sufficient. But I didn't know this at the time. No, all I knew was that the last of my family was leaving me there, and I thought it was because he didn't love me anymore. I spent the first week in my room, refusing to come out even for meals. Every day I would just remain huddled under my covers ignoring everyone and everything.
At the end of the week, I heard a soft knock on my door. I then heard someone shuffle slowly into the room before feeling something placed on my bed. Once the shuffling left, I gave a sniff from under the covers and smelled the most delicious of scents... Poking my muzzle out from under the covers, I saw the mysterious visitor had left a basket of muffins on my bed.
My stomach growled at me, so needing of food after a week of fasting. Without a care for anything else, I dug my muzzle into the basket and began to happily eat the baked delights. Of course, after not eating for so long, I should have paced myself. I ended up eating so much so fast that I gave myself an upset stomach that lasted long into the night.
Dinky sighed, resting her forehoof on her temple as she just shook her head. She's seen the results of her mother eating too many muffins many a time, and had taken to keeping a large amount of a special pink potion the nurse ponies made in bulk just for their household. "Oh, mom..." she whispered out to herself. "That's so like you."
The next morning, I felt hungry again, so slowly trotted out of my room to the main living area. The farm's main house was where we all lived, and it had been set up so every pony's room opened into the main area where they had food, games, and held classes. Several ponies saw me as I left the room and gave a friendly wave of a hoof, and I balked slightly... Almost ready to bolt back into my room.
But a nurse pony saw me and gave the nicest smile, trotting over to give a welcome. She explained about the farm, and that my brother had left me there not as a punishment-but rather as a reward to become a better pony. She then began to lead me about the farm, tugging at me at times as she showed me everything the farm had to offer.
I slowly began to come out of my shell at that farm, and began to learn how to live by myself. They started me slow, teaching me how to cook and how to help out with the farm's chores. They also began to teach me how to fly properly, something that have been a challenge in school due to my lazy eye. I learned the painstaking task of over-compensating for depth perception, and how to think that objects could be much closer than they seemed.
And every evening, after a long day, I always found a new basket of muffins on my bed waiting for me. At first, I thought they were from my brother Quarterback, and he was watching out for me and stopping by to see if I was okay. But all that changed at the start of Summer.
It was a sunny day, and Celestia's sun was shining over all of us as we made our way towards the field. We'd finished all the day's lessons and chores early, so we were having a picnic to celebrate all our hard work. Speedy Wheels was also about to 'graduate', and we all wanted to wish him good luck. He was born with something called 'Paul-see', and lived his life in a wheelchair. But he'd been at the farm for two years, and had found a way past his chair to find out he was quite talented at delivering things. He might sit in that chair, but in it he could still go almost anywhere.
I'd been helping him out, finding I also had a knack for delivering things, as well. Between the two of us, there wasn't any delivery on the farm that couldn't reach its destination. We were an unstoppable duo, and it was with a bit of fear that I knew with his leaving, soon every one of the farm's deliveries and passing out of letters from home would fall to me alone.
But we were all happy for Speedy, none the less. The Farm had helped him find a job in Coltland with a delivery company, and had even got him a house of his own. It was going to be a big transition for him as well as for us, but he was one of the lucky ones. He was going to get to leave. Some at the Farm never could make it that far, and were here until they passed on.
But spirits were high that day, and we happily spilled out into the field to play. Even the nurses were relaxing, playing along with our games as the joyous sounds of our laughter rang across the pasture and the nearby hills.
Dinky smiled, curling up a bit on the floor as she nodded gently to herself. She could feel her mom's joy at reading this, and felt a longing to have gotten the chance to see her mom like this. Not having to put on a brave face every day, but honestly happy with no one around who made fun of her...
Several of the ponies from the kitchen had brought along soups, salads, and other delights. As the food was laid out, one thing caught my eyes: A wide variety of muffins of different flavors being set out by a tan unicorn. I trotted over, sniffing the muffins curiously before looking up at this stallion. These were the same muffins I had thought my brother was leaving me!
I turned on the unicorn, my mane bristling as I started screaming at him. Who was he to have my brother's muffins? How dare he put them out when they were left for me? Did he take them from him? Of course, with my speech problems, it didn't come out quite the way I hoped. But the point was made that I was quite upset!
He just looked at me then quietly before starting to move his forelegs in weird motions before my face. I shook my head, not understanding, and started to yell again...before feeling his soft left forehoof gently rest upon my muzzle tip. He motioned for me to follow, and I began to balk... Why should I follow this strange unicorn anywhere. But he motioned again and again to follow, so reluctantly I agreed.
He didn't lead me far, just across the pasture to a male nurse whom he tapped the rump of insistently. The nurse turned back and smiled. I think his name was Red Cross, if I remember right. He was a nice pegasus, and had helped in some of my flying classes. "Yes...? Oh, hello Bran Muffin! What can I help you with?"
The tan unicorn brushed back his golden brown mane with a hoof before moving his hooves in weird patterns again. Red Cross looked between us both, the white pegasus nodding as his short red mane bobbed with the motion. "Ah, okay..." He then looked to me and smiled. "Ditzy, I'm going to tell you what Bran here is saying, okay? But talk to him like I'm not here."
I remember I was a bit stunned at this, but nodded quietly before looking back at the unicorn. "Why are you holding the gifts of happy rhubarbs in sunshine from big bro?"
The unicorn's hooves started their quick motions as I heard Red Cross's voice. "I'm sorry, the muffins were from me. You just looked so sad when you got here, I just wanted to do something to cheer you up. They seemed to make you happy, and you look so pretty when you smile, so I just kept bringing you muffins."
I turned to Red Cross out of habit and asked, "What...? But green marmosets of-" But I hardly got out another word before I felt Bran's forehooves grip the sides of my head, turning me to face the the unicorn again before a flurry of hoof motions began
"Don't look at him!" Red said as he translated. "He's just my voice so we can talk! We're speaking not the two of you! Don't ignore me like that again!"
I tried to calm down as they taught me to do in the speech classes. to manage the right words Finally, the words came slow, but I was able to manage what I wanted to say "You are no my brother. You are new pony. But you be nice and cheer me up. But how come you no tell Ditzy this yourself?"
The unicorn sighed, pointing at his throat before making more motions as Red's voice nickered out again. "I was born unable to talk. Just like you, I was unable to tell others my thoughts for a long time. But here at the farm I was able to learn how to talk with my hooves just like you take classes to learn how to talk with your voice now."
I remember nodding, looking over this unicorn with a soft smile beginning to cross my muzzle. "You... You can teach your talking that no have star explosions that cause pony confusions up rivers?"
He gave a soundless chuckle, his body shaking as he nodded. "Of course, Ditzy." I heard Red's voice say as Bran's hooves started moving again. "I'll gladly teach you!"
For the rest of the day and as Celestia's sun set, Bran Muffin then began to teach me to talk using hooves as he did. As everyone else around us was celebrating the graduation of our friend Speedy Wheels, we two were starting to find something much more meaningful. We were finding each other with our hooves in our own personal way of talking.
Dinky felt her eyes blur with tears again, and she set the scroll to the side as she reached for a hoofkerchief. Gripping it in her hooves, she wiped the tears away from her eyes as she smiled to herself. "Mom... This is a side of you I never knew..."
After composing herself, Dinky looked at the curled scroll. Could she finish this? Did she really want to learn this much about her mother's younger days? Steeling herself, she gave a nod. Grabbing the scroll, she climbed up onto the bed and curled up under the covers. The scent of her mom all around her, she unravelled the scroll and picked up where she left off.
It was hard work, but by the end of summer we no longer needed Red Cross to speak for Bran. We sat outside or in the main living area, talking with our hooves the words our muzzles refused to let us express correctly. He told me of his youth growing up in a bakery in Ponyville, and his adopted parents Carrot Cake & Cup Cake. He was really their nephew, and had lost his mother and father in a flood when he was born-the same flood that robbed him of his vocal ability.
But living there, he learned to bake and create food that filled our bodies every night. He may not have been able to talk growing up, but that silence hid a brilliant mind within full of culinary skill and expertise. His specialty, though, was muffins. And he was quickly getting me addicted to those baked delights. Even though, we were both happy.
Every day, after delivering the letters and packages about the Farm, I'd fly over to the kitchen and help Bran with preparing food. It was a simple life, but we were happy. Truly happy. We'd spend time laughing and talking with our hooves, telling each other about our days, our hopes, and our dreams... And for us, it was enough. At least at first.
I don't remember when it first started, but we began to become more than friends. The occasional nuzzle while cooking, the hugs when we met, and even the long periods when we'd just smile at each other as our forehooves rested together while at different events. The other farm residents and nurses seemed to see the growing relationship long before we did.
But all this changed at the Autumn Harvest. Every fall, after the crops that helped pay for the farm were harvested & sold, the Farm would celebrate with a large party. There was always a vote for a Prince and Princess to oversee the evening, and lots of the other residents kept giving me a knowing wink whenever I delivered them their mail in the week leading up to the Harvest Party.
Then the day of the party arrived, and we all were hard at work to make it the best night ever. Bran and I worked so hard, preparing a feast for all our friends on the Farm as it grew later in the day. Finally, we finished and were able to carry everything out in carts before setting up a long buffet of delicious food.
Oh, Dinky, I wish you could have seen it that night. Several of the other guests of the farm had decorated the pasture and, with the help of the nurses, had set out paper lanterns to light the whole pasture in soft glows of reds, oranges, and yellows. Everything was just perfect, Dinky. Completely perfect.
The head nurse, a unicorn named Mare Blucher, gave a speech about how proud she was at all we had accomplished this year. We all whinnied and clopped our hooves in the air, happy to have this night of fun as reward. As she ended the speech, she then whipped out an envelope. "And now, to announce your Prince and Princess of the night..." She used her magic to open the envelope, then read aloud, "Prince Bran Muffin and Princess Ditzy Doo!"
Everyone around us started to applaud and whinny, and we both just looked about in shock. Several other residents started bushing our still stunned bodies up towards the stage as we felt toy crowns rested atop our heads. Finally we reached the stage and looked out, the crowd of our friends cheering for us as they all began to chant one word over and over: "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
We looked between each other as Mare Blucher tried to quiet the group, but they kept cheering as that word was chanted again and again with growing intensity... "KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!"
I looked at Bran, and he looked back at me as we both shrugged. At the time, we just wanted to quiet the other ponies so we could all get to the celebrations. So we leaned in close as our muzzle lips met...
I don't know how long we held that first kiss, Dinky. It was like... Summertime and flying and even muffins all together. It was like getting hugged by Quarterback... Like when my parents were alive... It was all of this all rolled up into one ball of warm feelings that ran through my body like lightning. I felt my eyes close as everything else in the world disappeared and it was just Bran and I alone.
The kiss was finally broken and we just looked at one another. It was then that I heard the cheering from the others in the group and turned, seeing tears of joy in their eyes as they all clapped approvingly. Both Bran & I blushed furiously, our muzzles turning almost beet red as we both motioned for the festivities to begin.
As everyone filed over to the buffet to start eating, we just looked at one another for the longest time. It felt again like the rest of the world was fading away, and it was us again. Lifting his forelegs, Bran began to say the words in what had become our own private language. 'I LOVE YOU'. Smiling, I motioned back to him as tears started to brim in my eyes. 'I LOVE YOU TOO'.
That night, after the party wound down, I didn't return to my room. Rather, I followed Bran to the apartment he had behind the kitchen. You don't want to know what happened that night, and many other nights after that. Only know that we both loved each other very much. It wasn't until just after Winter Solstice that I began getting sick quite often.
We were both so scared, Dinky! For the first time in a few months, muffins were making me sick! And I didn't want to eat Bran Muffins' cooking, I just wanted to eat things like Chocolate-Covered Pickles or Cupcakes with Hot Sauce and Sprinkles! Eventually, at Bran's urging, we went to Mare Blucher to get me checked out. She watched and listened as we both told her of my health issues, and then asked a few personal questions that caused us both to blush. Finally, feeling my growing belly with her forehooves, she told us the news: I was not sick, I was pregnant. Bran and I were to have a foal together!
Things began to move very quickly after that. Bran's parents were called, and we were both helped in packing up our things. There was a party planned, and all our friends gave us such big hugs and well-wishes. The Farm was our home, but it was no place to birth or raise a foal. So, we were to go stay with his parents where we could be able to birth the foal easier.
And so we traveled by pegasus carriage to Ponyville, where his parents welcomed us with open arms. Ah, Dinky, it was wonderful. Bran started to work in the bakery, and his parents helped set us up in a house outside of Ponyville. And, one day just after Winter Wrap Up, I began to feel the sharp pains. Nurses were called as I laid in our bed, racked in pain. But it was all worth it. After all the pain, there you were in our arms, Dinky. Our most precious muffin of all.
We lived together for three years after that, Dinky. Just the three of us as one big, happy family. You were too young to know, but your father loved you with every fiber of his being. But, The Farm needed him. They kept trying to find someone to replace him as the cook, but not a one of them had the patience to handle the job.
They needed him, and the possible outbursts from residents made the Farm a place you could never grow up in. And we wanted more for you. We wanted you to have the life neither of us could have. You had your father's brilliant mind and my voice if I'd been born normal. You were the best of us both joined into one, so we made the painful choice to be apart until a replacement could be found and your father could come home.
But, several weeks passed and we received a letter from the farm. Your father never arrived. They sent out search parties, and I spent every bit I could to try to find him. But it was like he vanished, and no one knew where he was. I know he'd never abandon you or me, so he must be dead. I only wish I could prove to you how much he loved you, my precious baby muffin. I only hope this letter serves as some solace to that fact.
'
Dinky sat there sniffling to herself. She knew her mother had given up so much already, but had no idea that she'd even given up the stallion in her life... All for her. Setting the scroll on the bed, she slipped out of the bed and trotted out into the living room.
Ditzy Doo sat at the table, her head in her hooves as if racked with worry. Dinky trotted up, giving her mom's side a tight hug as Ditzy looked down. Smiling in a relieved way, she leaned down to hug her daughter back as they held each other for the longest time.
Dinky looked up at her mom after a moment and whinnied out, "Mom? Can... Can you teach me to talk like you and Dad do? I'm going to find Dad. I know he's gotta be out there somewhere. And when I meet him, I want for us to be able to talk so I can find out what happened. You do so much for me, I want to do this one thing for you."
Ditzy bit her lip, trying to hold back tears as she nodded. "Of course, my precious muffin." That night, after dinner, the Ditzy began to teach her daughter the same way she'd learned: One word at a time. It wasn't until the next morning that they realized that during the night Dinky's Cutie Mark had finally appeared.
Two big muffins with a smaller muffin resting between them. |
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roygbiv | 310 | 2 | Derpy Hooves,Dinky Hooves,Original Character,Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Dinky Doo Trilogy | complete | 42 | 5 | <p>A trilogy of stories about Dinky Doo finding out about her father with a happy ending.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T02:59:39+00:00 | 2011-07-24T02:59:39+00:00 | 3,692 | A filly's Cuteceñera.
The one defining moment in her life. The time when all her friends and family gather around to celebrate that she found her special talent in life. The moment that she realizes what she is meant to do to help all of Equestria.
Dinky's had postponed hers for almost two years as she prepared for her journey. For most ponies, a Cuteceñera was a time that they were declared an adult by Equestrian standards. But today was also bittersweet for the young filly. Pacing nervously outside of Sugar Cube Corner while all her friends inside were having fun, the young unicorn looked to her mother as she spoke with a twinge of fear and worry in her voice. "Mom, will you be okay after this? I may be gone for a long time..."
Ditzy Doo reached out with her forehooves, grasping her daughter's face as she leaned forward. Resting her brow to her daughter's, the grey Pegasus' eyes brimmed in tears to show the sadness mingled with hope this day held for her. "My muffin..." Ditzy manages out, the tone of her voice showing the strain on her emotions not to cry. "You find big muffin. Even if dead, you find big muffin and let me have peace."
The unicorn nuzzled into her mom's brow, her own forehooves rising up to hug her mom back. "I'll write every day, mom... And with you being the mail pony, you're sure to get every letter. I know Dad's alive, and I'll bring him home to us both..."
Ditzy sniffled, a few tears escaping from her eyes to drop onto her daughter's back. "Just come back, little pony. Don' wanna lose both muffins."
Dinky held back her own tears, putting on a brave facade for her mother as she leaned back. Looking into those sad eyes, she smiled gently. "Mom, I've spent the past two years training myself for this search. Uncle's been helping me build up endurance, and Twilight's been my mentor on honing my magic. Even Grandpa & Grandma Cake have been teaching me to cook so I can survive in the wild." The young filly reached out, touching her mom's muzzle tip with a smile. "And you taught me how to talk to Dad when I find him... Everyone I care for has helped me prepare, and I'm finally ready. I have to do this. And I will come home."
The Pegasus looked at her little filly, now nearly a mare in her own right. There were so many things she wanted to tell her--so many missed chances due to her inability to make the right words at times--but still she'd never been prouder of Dinky Doo. Sniffling, she slipped back from the younger unicorn and made a few gestures with her hooves.
Dinky smiled and nodded back. "I love you too, mom. Now come on! This Cuteceñera is my going away party, and I want to leave on a high note!"
By the glow of the gibbous moon, a small unicorn trotted along the dusty streets of Ponyville. On her back were several saddle bags filled with supplies, and on her face was a sad yet determined look. She'd seen her mom to bed, and didn't leave until she was sure Ditzy was sleep. The young unicorn didn't want to leave at night, but knew she had to or her mom would convince her to stay just one more day--then one more day after that--and so forth until she ended up never leaving. Shaking her head, the filly knew she had to leave tonight, or she never would be able to.
"Sneaking off in the middle of the night, are we?"
Dinky twirled, looking out across the plaza to see a pink pony with a hot pink mane trotting forward from the shadows. "Aunt Hairspray!" Dinky gasped loudly, galloping across the plaza to give her a soft nuzzle. "I-I-I'm not sneaking off! I just have to leave now, or I may never be able to!"
The older mare nodded and sighed, her mane pulled back into a simple pony tail that still had a flair to it. "Shhh, I know dear. But there are some things we must discuss before you go, you and I..."
Dinky paused and listened, her eyes filling with curiosity. "We could have discussed them at my Cuteceñera, couldn't we?"
Hairspray shook her head and sighed. "No, dear, as that was in public. This is information you need to have, that can help you down the road. But it's not supposed to be shared."
Dinky blinked and shook her head. "But, won't you get in trouble for telling me, then? I don't want you in trouble!"
Hairspray waved it off as she chuckled. "Ah, Dinky. You're family, and I'd rather you be safe. Now, you know how some ponies will sometimes fall in love with another of the same gender?"
Dinky nodded happily. "Well, sure! My mentor Twilight and Princess Luna did that, as did Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash! Ooh, and Lyra an' Bonbon had a unicorn like me that I babysit! An' then there's-"
The filly unicorn felt her aunt's left forehoof gently touch her lips to cut her off as she nodded. "Yes, yes... We don't need a rundown of all the couples. Now, in every town in Equestria there are establishments where those who love the same gender congregate at night. These places are always full of gossip, and you may find some good leads there. Also, if you need food or lodgings, you can ask to work there for the night in barter for such."
Dinky nodded slowly as she let out a soft gasp. "That's wonderful help! But, how do I find these places? And won't they think me a... You know, a fillyfooler?"
Hairspray chuckled and shook her head. "Not unless you tell them you are. Just by being there means you support their love, and that's all they'll want. And in doing so, they'll help you if you need it. Now then, look closely..." Hairspray motioned for the unicorn to come closer as she pointed to the steps of a building she'd walked past her whole life without giving it a second thought. There, engraved into the bottom step, was Princess Luna's crest. "If you see a house or a business with this symbol, it means that this is the gathering place for that town. Look for it, if all else fails, and they'll help you. But you must never share this knowledge with other ponies. It's a secret, and it helps to keep order in Equestria to keep such things hidden from the colts and fillies."
Dinky looked up at her aunt and nodded. "Thank you, Auntie Hairspray... I don't know how you know about it, but I promise I won't abuse this knowledge."
The pink earth pony reached out, tussling the unicorn's mane as she smiled gently. "That is a story for when you return. For now, know I met your uncle in this very bar--and I've never been happier since."
Dinky nods softly and reaches up, giving her aunt a tight hug. "I love you, Auntie... And thank you."
Hairspray hugged her back just as tightly as she nuzzled the unicorn's neck. "Ah, Dinky... I love you, as well. Now get going on your trip. And hurry back. I want to hear about everything that happened when you return as I style your mane."
The unicorn nodded as she released the hug, the smile on her muzzle reflected in her eyes as she gave a final wave. Then, turning quickly, she began to gallop towards the town's exit. Hairspray leaned against a light post, watching as the young unicorn galloped away as she let out a soft sigh before turning herself, trotting towards her sister-in-law's house for when she woke up.
Ditzy Doo flew like a Pegasus possessed, the mail pony working hard on her route to finish even quicker than usual. It'd been a week since Dinky left on her trip to find out what happened to Bran Muffin. And today, as she gathered up everyone else's letters, a letter with a familiar script had arrived addressed to her. She knew in her heart it was from Dinky, but she had to finish her rounds first. Then, and only then, would she read the letter from her daughter.
The grey Pegasus swerved, dodging a tree branch that had seemed to come out of nowhere to block her path. Shaking her head to focus, she spied the last house ahead. Landing in front of the house, she pulled out the final batch of letters and stuffed them into the mailbox. Closing her mail bag,Ditzy's face took on a huge grin as she sped towards the post office to return her mail bag so she could get home.
<i>Dear mom,
I just reached Fillydelphia, the city of Equestrian Love, last night. Please thank Auntie Hairspray for me, as her tip helped me find a place to stay while searching the town. The mare who runs the place is really nice, and I think you'd like her. Her name's Silver Streak, and she used to fly with the Wonderbolts before retiring. Her wife is a mare named Tiramisu who runs a high-end bakery in town making desserts, and they are too delicious! I'll have to see if I can get some recipes to bring home to Grandma & Grandpa!
I haven't heard anything about Dad yet, but I just got into town. As soon as I hear something, I promise I'll send word! I love you so much, mom, and I wish you were here with me! Give everyone hugs from me!
Love,
Dinky Doo</i>
"Big Bro! Big Sis!"
Ditzy Doo smiled, seeing Quarterback and Hairspray trot into the Ponyville Clinic as she tried to wave her one leg not in a cast.
"Ugh, seriously Ditzy... You need to watch where you're going! I know you get excited when you get letters, but you have to go slow on your routes so you don't smack into trees!"
The bandaged Pegasus hung her head solemnly, her eyes drooping down as she let out a low whimper. "Ditzy sorry, big bro..."
The pink earth pony reached up, resting a forehoof on the brawny male Pegasus' left withers as she tsked softly. "Now, now Quarterback. You know you're as curious as Ditzy and I am about what Dinky's been up to. And accidents do happen to even the best of us. Or do I need to bring up how you pulled those muscles last month, hmmm?"
A blush rose on the muzzle of Quarterback as he quickly shook his head. "N-n-no need to go there." Looking about for a quick way to change the topic, he spies a letter on his sister's bedside table. "So, Ditzy, you have the next letter from Dinky? Want me to read it to you?"
Ditzy nodded quickly with her usual grin plastered across her face. "Oh, yes! Read me the muffin recipe of happy green balloons!"
<i>Dear Mom,
After a week in Fillydelphia, I was able to track down where dad had gone to next: Hoofington. From there he took a well-traveled road that all travelers take to get to Coltland near where The Farm is. I used some of my saved coins to have a printing press make up flyers with Dad's picture on them, and then spread them about town asking ponies to send any leads to you at home.
My last night in Fillydelphia, Silver Streak and Tiramisu took me out to a fancy dinner to thank me for all my hard work at Silver Streak's club. I tried to refuse, but they were quite insistent. Tiramisu also let me have her namesake's recipe for Grandma and Grandpa, but only on the condition that she can come try it when we make it.
After leaving Fillydelphia, it was a nice pleasant gallop towards Hoofington. I rented a room with my earnings from Fillydelphia, and started hanging up more flyers. It was here that I struck paydirt finally. A private investigator named Squeak approached me the next day offering to take up my case for 10 bits a day. It is a bit strange that a private investigator has a rubber duck for a cutie mark, but his references did check out. So I told him I'd pay him AFTER he came up with evidence.
Anyhow, I love you mom! I wish you were here with me!
Love,
Dinky Doo
MOM!
I got the best news last night, and had to include this note before I sent it! Squeak actually found a solid lead! An old Diamond Dog in the Hoofington Jail remembered a pony that his old pack had kidnapped with 'food on his flank'. He gave the guards the information in the hopes that, if it pans out, he might get released. I'm setting out tonight to find out if this could be the lead we've been hoping for!
Love Always,
Dinky Doo</i>
The chilly night air caused a ghostly mist to slink along the ground as Luna's full moon provided light but no warmth. Under the cover of darkness, Dinky slid on all four hooves down the rocky slope with her traveling cloak pulled over her head. The unicorn grew nearer to the home camp of the remaining Diamond Dogs in this area as her adrenaline began to pump. Most of this pack had been arrested for kidnapping ponies to do their chores or mining, but the remnants of the once great pack remained hidden in the rocky plains just outside the Hoofington Police's jurisdiction. Reaching the bottom of the embankment, the filly braced herself for the worst as she crept slowly into the village.
Most Diamond Dogs lived near gem deposits or in caves, but these were living in makeshift shacks built of a few tall rocks with fabric stretched over them. Dinky shook her head sadly, seeing a pair of pups cuddled inside one of these shelters, their tiny bodies shuddering as they clung to their mother to try to get warmer in the chill night air. Shaking her head, Dinky's horn began to glow as her left saddlebag opened. A glowing blanket floated out of the saddlebag and drifted across the path to enter the shanty shack. Laying over the two pups, Dinky used her magic to tuck in the pair as their shivering began to subside. Closing her saddle bag, she gave a soft smile.
"Pony...."
The voice was harsh and masculine, whipping to her left, Dinky saw a young male Diamond Dog wearing tattered rags brandishing his claws as he stood up tall. Looking up, the Diamond Dog had to be twice her size easily. Dropping to all fours, the canine bared his fangs as he started to let out a low growl.
Dinky braced herself, pawing her left forehoof into the earth as she glared back at the dog. "You don't scare me... I want my father! Is he here?"
The male canine let out a laugh as he started to pace around the young unicorn. "There no ponies left here. Only food. Ponies tasty! And soon you be food, too!" The Diamond Dog leapt at Dinky, his teeth bared as his sharp claws for digging aimed at the young filly.
Dinky turned on her forehooves, rearing back with her hind hooves before bucking her rear hooves straight out as if apple bucking a tree. The sickening snapping sound of bones breaking in flesh could be heard as her hooves met the left side of the Diamond Dog's jawline. A gargling howl of pain echoed across the camp as the other canines stirred from their slumber.
Unfortunately for Dinky, the forward motion of the male dog caused him to push her forward as they both tumbled out into the center of the camp. The Diamond Dog landed on his back, letting out a gasping breath as blood spittle flew up into the air. Slamming into the male's chest, Dinky heard the male gasp for air as her weight knocked the air out from him. Her forehooves began to rain down on the head and shoulders of the canine, the little filly beginning to let out a scream of rage at the thought that these monsters... These beasts had eaten her father. The dog under her flailed his arms as she continued her beating, not relenting until two pairs of clawed hands gripped her about the waist to drag her off the injured male.
Dinky squirmed, her muzzle foaming and her eyes wide with rage as she struggled to free herself. "Lemme go! Lemme go! Kill y'all! Ate m'dad! Kill 'im!" She struggled in the grasp of those holding her, fighting with all her strength in the dirt as she tried to get free.
"ENOUGH!"
The bellowing female voice filled the camp, causing everyone to stop suddenly and look up. From the largest shack emerged an older female Diamond Dog, her body adorned with necklaces and rings of gemstones. In her right paw she held a staff made of one long quartz crystal, and she leaned heavily against it. "Who is this that disturbs our sleep on this cold night?"
Dinky continued trying to struggle free of the grasp of those that held her as the male Diamond Dog lifted up his head to point at the unicorn with a trembling paw. Seeing the clawed digit point at her, the filly glared angrily. "He said you all ate my father, and then he tried to eat me! I'll beat you all up! I'll do it!"
The large female looked down at the beaten male and shook her head sadly. "Ah, thought he be good stud, too..." Her crystal staff spun in the air before striking across the throat of the male on the ground. The sound of snapping bone could be heard as the male let out a bloody gurgle. Trashing on the ground for a bit, his body finally began to grow still.
Dinky swallowed hard, watching the male who attacked her die as she glanced up at the decorated female Diamond Dog. She felt the paws holding her finally let go, and the unicorn spilled forward into the circle of canines around her. Looking around, she finally got a look at the group around her. "You... You're all women and foals!"
The large female let out a low chuckle. "Sires all stupid, like this one. We weed out stupid so no in jail. Sires all stupid and get taken away! We tired of their way! We try pony way now! Bitches in charge now!" Tossing back her head, the leader of the pack let out a proud howl towards the moon as the other adult females joined her.
Looked about worriedly, Dinky tried to put on a brave face. "Go ahead, eat me! I don't care! Just let me see where you put the bones so I can say goodbye to my father before I die."
The pack leader peered at the unicorn before letting out a barking laugh. "You funny, unicorn. You no listen! We no eat ponies like you. We eat gems! That new stud, he stupid. No ponies here anymore, we set all free several moons ago."
Dinky gasped as she turned, her magic flipping up her cape as she showed the leader her cutie mark. "Did any of the freed ponies have a mark like this?"
The leader looked closely at the mare's flank for a moment before nodding. "One pony. Quiet pony. He leave with rest. He your sire?"
Dinky nodded quickly as tears began to fill her eyes. "Oh, yes! Please, which way did they go!? Please, will you let me go after him?"
The leader nodded as she pointed her cane in a direction to the west. "Quiet go that way. But to leave you must give something we need for taking stud here."
Dinky looked about the circle before seeing the two pups she tucked in with her blanket earlier. Their mother still held them in the blanket as she held them close to conserve their warmth. Smiling, she let her horn begin glowing as both her saddle bags opened. "How about blankets and a tent?"
The leader's snout took on a pleased grin as she nodded. "This sound like good trade to me..."
The Two Tree Inn was not the best place in Equestria. In fact, the creaky stone walls let in more cold air than they kept out during winter, and the roof leaked like a sieve whenever it rained. But to weary travelers passing between Hoofington and Coltland, it felt like the finest lodgings. Situated at the midway point between the two cities along the well-traveled road, it was the only place for miles to get some warm food and a bed only slightly less lumpy than the ground outside.
The owner of the Two Tree Inn currently was an earth pony named Freestone Peach, who had inherited it from his parents Clingstone Peach & Spring May. Peaches had always run the inn, named for the two signature peach trees planted out front alongside the road. Of course, behind the inn was the real peach tree orchard, but the inn always helped pay the bills when the harvests didn't bring in enough.
Freestone sat at his usual spot behind the bar, the adult stallion's soft orange coat catching the light from Celestia's sun just right as he tossed back a yellow mane with a forehoof. The stallion wasn't that old, maybe 5 summers after getting his cutie mark, but the hard life in the wilds had seemed to age him more than regular. Still Freestone didn't knock his lot in life. He was happy to help the travelers and hear their stories from the road, and he was happy to give them a bit of comfort especially if some bought peaches to sell on the road.
Reaching for a bar cloth, the young stallion blinked as he saw a smaller cloaked pony begin to trot into his inn. Smiling brightly, he nodded hello. "Why hello there, and welcome to the Two Tree Inn! Will you be needing lodging for the evening? We have the best beds for miles! They're the ONLY beds for miles, but they are the best!"
The pony reached up with their forehooves, pulling down the grey traveling cloak to reveal a dirty blonde mane with an equally dirty pale purple unicorn horn. Letting the hood rest on her withers, a female filly nodded as her face came into view. "Yes, please. And a bath, if you have one? I ran into some Diamond Dogs a few days ago, and haven't had the chance to clean up since."
The stallion nodded and smiled. "Of course! The cost for a room with a bath is 4 bits, and that includes dinner and breakfast. We also have some Peach Schnapps an' Peach Brandy for 1 bit a drink, if you fancy that as well."
The unicorn's eyes lit up as she nodded. "Ooh, I'll try a bottle of the Peach Schnapps, then, after my bath!" She reached her muzzle into the coin purse hidden in her mane and quickly plopped out 5 bits without hesitation with a nod. "Now, where's my room, please?"
As the tired filly was lead up the stairs, the back door to the inn slowly creaked open. As the door opened wider, the tan rump of a pony could be seen under the stairs pushing the door open; his long golden brown tail swishing slowly as the door open. On his flank could be seen his cutie mark as clear as day: A muffin. |
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roygbiv | 310 | 3 | Derpy Hooves,Dinky Hooves,Original Character,Adventure,Romance,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Dinky Doo Trilogy | complete | 42 | 5 | <p>A trilogy of stories about Dinky Doo finding out about her father with a happy ending.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T02:58:25+00:00 | 2011-07-24T02:58:25+00:00 | 3,141 | Dinky slowly trotted down the steps after her bath, if what she'd just experienced could be called that. At this inn, a bathtub seemed to be a large metal tub usually used to hold fruit that had been filled with almost hot water. But it had been enough to get the grime out of her hair, and the light peach scent from the harvest gave her a pleasant enough scent to her hair, mane and tail.
Stretching her sore body slightly, the teen mare looked about the inn to see it had filled with some more guests. In the corner sat four griffons, their large bodies casting a shadow from the light of the setting sun as they played a round of cards. At a table next to the door, an elderly pair of pegasi sat nibbling on a salad together with a look of love for each other still shining in each other's eyes.
And by the bar, a colt no older than her sat with a lute tuning it likely in the hopes of earning a night's rest.
The older teen mare chuckled to herself, then paused in her tracks. A scent was wafting across a nose... A scent that seemed to her like home. Growing up, she'd smelled that scent every day when she came home from school. Every day her mother made one thing best of all, and that was the scent she could smell filling the inn now. The scent of muffins.
Dinky began to sniff the air deeper, a smile crossing her muzzle as she trotted up to the counter to look at Freestone Peach behind it. "Excuse me, Sir," she began in a nervous tone. "But, did you bake some muffins to go with dinner tonight?"
The orange colt looked at the unicorn patron and shook his head, his yellow mane falling down across his withers as a pleasant smile crossed his muzzle. "Why no miss, that's a kitchen helper I just hired a few days ago. He doesn't talk much, but he's a mite fine help in the kitchen."
Dinky's face paled in shock, the filly stumbling back a bit as her heart quickens its pace. 'It couldn't be...' she thought to herself. She then shook her head and smiled. "Well, they smell so good! Would you mind if I look in the kitchen to thank the cook for what is sure to be a wonderful meal?"
The earth pony shrugged his withers and nodded. "Well, it can't cause any harm. Just don't bug him too much, we got a lot more guests coming in, an' he's gotta finish gettin' dinner ready!"
Dinky nodded and smiled. "I will try, thank you!" A smile brightened on her muzzle as the thought her journey may soon be at an end. Ducking around the counter, the mare slipped into the back kitchen with a flick of her tail.
The small kitchen took the unicorn mare by surprise by how full it was of food and cooking implements. Yet, despite the large amount of things in the kitchen, everything seemed spotless and clean. She heard the sound of sizzling, and the scent of cooking spinach mingled and danced in her nostrils with the intensifying scent of muffins fresh from the oven. Creeping around a counter, she stopped in shock.
There, in front of the oven using magic to cook several dishes at once, was her father. He looked older, his mane and tail were a lot longer, and his body looked to be a bit scarred in places. But that muffin cutie mark on his golden-haired flank was a dead giveaway. Dinky couldn't hold back her excitement, and with a loud yell called out, "DADDY!"
Bran Muffin turned his head, his ears flicking in curiosity as he turned to see the young mare standing in the kitchen. He paused, tilting his head questioningly as his eyes took on a bewildered look.
Dinky stepped out of the shadows more, the light from Celestia's sunset passing through the window to illuminate her young form as a smile crossed her muzzle. Raising her forehooves, she began the final test to make for sure it was him. She began to speak with her hooves. 'Daddy, it's me! Dinky Doo! I searched so long to find you after all these years and bring you home!'
A look of recognition crossed the older stallion's muzzle as he read the hooves before galloping forward, the male catching his daughter up in the tightest of hugs as tears began streaming down his face in relief. Dinky felt tears filling her own eyes at the relief her journey was finally over. She'd found her father.
Freestone trotted into the kitchen, a worried look upon his muzzle as he rounded the counter's corner to see the two hugging and crying. "Is-is everything okay?"
Dinky looked up, a relieved smile on her muzzle as she nodded feverishly. "Yes, by Celestia, yes! Sir, this is my father whom I've spent the past few weeks looking for. He's been missing for so long, we feared he was dead." She turned back towards Bran and smiled. "But now I can take him home... Oh, Mom is going to be so happy!"
Freestone sighed softly and shook his head. "Aw, I can't keep a daughter from her father. Quiet, have the night off. I'll finish up dinner in here, you go catch up with y'er kin, all right?"
Bran Muffin nodded, standing up and nuzzling Dinky before making some quick motions with his forelegs.
Dinky nodded and turned to Freestone. "Um, Dad says his name's Bran Muffin, and he's thankful you let him work here."
The earth pony nodded and smiled at the pair. "Aw, that's all right. We Peaches help out travelers when we can. Now git on out of here... I'm sure you both gotta lot of catching up to do." The pair nodded and galloped out of the kitchen as the earth pony watched, then turned to the stove. "Hmmm, seems like Quiet-I mean Bran Muffin dang near finished dinner already. Nothing left to do but just watch and relax. Mmm, I love my life at times. Always a new story starting or ending at the Two Tree Inn..."
Dinky and Bran sat in the inn's main room across from each other, both too nervous to say anything. The mare had so much she had to do! She had to write her mother, she had to arrange transport home, and she had to find out the one question burning inside her heart still. Looking up with a nervous look in her eyes, her forehooves trembled as she tried several times to try to say something - only to realize she didn't even know where to begin.
Bran let out a heavy sigh, seeing his daughter so grown up and looking so confused. Raising his hooves, he began first. 'My word, Dinky. I haven't seen you since you were three years old. And look at you now. You look about to enter finishing school! But, how did you ever learn hoof language?'
Dinky blushed as her hooves responding in kind. 'Mom taught me every night after she told me about you. She told me when I was thirteen, and she spent the next two years teaching me as I prepared myself physically and mentally to come find you.'
Bran shook his head as a sad look crossed his eyes. 'Twelve years away from you and your mother, and not a day didn't go by that I didn't think on you both.'
Dinky leaned forward, an urgent look in her eyes as she slammed her left forehoof on the table. Blinking away tears, she motioned with her hooves again. 'Then where were you? Why didn't you come home!? Didn't you know how much you being gone hurt mom? Or hurt me? Every other filly and colt had two parents growing up. I just had mom, and half the time I felt like the parent. It wasn't fair!'
The older unicorn stallion slipped off his stool and trotted around, resting a forehoof on his daughter's left shoulder gently as he shook his head. 'No, it isn't fair,' his hooves began as they
danced their words in the air. 'Trust me, I tried so many times to get home. But I was being held against my will by a tribe of Diamond Dogs. They kept me for slave labor and to tend after the elderly. It was only after the tribe's mutiny against the males in change that I was finally released. After getting lost in the wilderness for a month, I came across the Two Tree Inn, and I started working here to save up enough to make the trip home to the family I missed with all my heart.'
The purple-grey unicorn sat there, reading her father's hooves as she shook her head. 'I have money, dad. If you want, we can continue on tomorrow to Fillydelphia, send a letter to mom that I found you, and then catch the next pegasus chariot home.'
Bran shook his head in disbelief. 'But, how can you afford to get a pegasus chariot? Those are so expensive!'
Dinky just smiled softly. 'I have a friend who is a retired Wonderbolts flier. I'm sure with her help I can bring the price down to something we can afford.'
Bran paused for a moment, then gave a nod. 'Well, then we better eat up and hit the sack early. It sounds like we're in for a long day tomorrow trotting towards Fillydelphia.'
Dinky suddenly lunged forward, her forehooves gripping her father's neck as she hugged him in relief. "Thank you for staying alive, dad. Thanks for staying around until I could get you home." Bran just hugged her back, tears brimming in his own eyes as he nodded silently. Sometimes words aren't needed, and this was just such an occasion. All that was needed was a silent hug back for a filly who just missed the dad she needed in her life for too long.
Ditzy Doo trotted back and forth in front of the Sugarcube Corner, the grey pegasus looking up into the sky every few seconds as she had since the day began. Mrs. Cup Cake and Hairspray both trotted out of the store, and Mrs. Cake laid a hoof onto Ditzy's withers gently. "Ditzy, please stop this pacing! We're all excited, but they'll be here soon. The chariot's supposed to arrive at noon, and it's never late!"
Hairspray nodded as she rested on Ditzy's other side. "Yeah sis, you need to calm down! Look, your hair's a mess, and I spent all yesterday on it to make it look so perfect for Dinky & Bran's return celebration!" The pink earth pony whipped out a comb as she tsked. "Hold still, let me fix your mane real quick..."
But Ditzy paid no mind, her face looking up to the sky as her eyes brightened with joy. Lifting a forehoof into the air, she suddenly screamed, "MY MUFFINS!!!" Mrs. Cake and Hairspray turned, looking up towards the sky as Quarterback and Mr. Carrot Cake spilled from the store to see what the ruckus was. As the group looked up into the sky, they could see the chariot spiraling slowly down towards the plaza before landing before them - kicking up a cloud of dust as it did so.
Leaping off the back of the chariot, Dinky Doo and Bran Muffin gave a wave. But before they made it more than a hoofstep forward, Ditzy Doo zipped through the air to tackle them both in a tight hug, tears streaming from her eyes as she nuzzled them both. "My muffins... Buth my muffins are home for good!"
Dinky and Bran's eyes began to spring tears, as well, as they hugged Ditzy back just as tightly. Mr. and Mrs. Cake held each other as their adopted son long thought dead was finally home, whilst Quarterback rested a foreleg around Hairspray's withers as the other couple watched.
Finally, Bran Muffin pulled back from the hug and began to move his hooves at Ditzy. 'There's something I've been waiting for twelve years to do, Ditzy.' Slipping forward, his hooves wrapped about the pegasus' neck in a hug as his muzzle met hers in a long, deep kiss. Ditzy kissed back just as hard for a bit before breaking the kiss. 'Muffin, little muffin here! Wait until tonight and we can kiss more! For now, party inside with muffins and hugs to celebrate family whole again!"
Dinky blushed, the young mare knowing what would likely happen at home that night. "Mom, I _think_ I'll stay here at the Sugarcube Corner tonight, all right? But for now, let's go in and party!" As the happy trio trotted towards the rest of the gathered ponies, the entire extended family all gathered around with happy smiles to hear what had happened, as well as to welcome home Bran Muffin.
As the group all walked into the store to celebrate, Dinky Doo paused for a moment outside to look over her shoulder towards Canterlot's mountain on the horizon. "Thank you, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Thank you for helping me make my family whole again." Then, with a swish of her tail, the purplish-grey unicorn dashed inside to join the celebrations. |
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roygbiv | 311 | 1 | Derpy Hooves,Fluttershy,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Twilight Reading Twilight | complete | 47 | 6 | <p>Yes, by now the joke has been done to death... But I was one of the first to make the joke, and here it is in textual form! Twilight Sparkle reads the 'Twilight' series!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T14:58:02+00:00 | 2011-07-24T14:58:02+00:00 | 4,348 | "Muffins!"
The mail pony's call echoed out from Twilight's library in the early morning... Right before a loud crash filled the air. Resting her hoof in her brow, Twilight just shook her head sadly as her horn began to glow. The book she had been reading becomes illuminated with the same magical light that surrounded her spiraled horn, and magically closes itself as the unicorn pony turns towards the main room. "Oh Derpy..." she muttered to herself. "What did you hit this time..."
Trotting into the main library, Twilight saw the blonde-maned pony had 'landed' in a chair, knocking it over in the process. Compared to some of Rainbow Dash's 'entrances', this arrival by the mail pony was quite tame.
The grey pony looked up, her one good eye focusing on Twilight as her other eye slowly started to turn away to look at the floor. Twilight suppressed a shudder and steeled herself. 'It's not her fault...' Twilight thought to herself. 'Derpy Hooves fell to the ground when learning to fly, and has never been the same since. It's a miracle she's still alive! Besides, what would Princess Celestia think of you for being bigoted towards another pony's handicap?'
The grey pony poked her head into her official mail pony bag, and pulled out a stack of four books wrapped in twine. She held the books out with a simple look for what seemed like several uncomfortable seconds of silence. Finally, Twilight used her magic, illuminating the books to lift them from the mail pony's hooves as Derpy proceeded to give Twilight the biggest grin. "W-w-why thank you, Derpy." Twilight began in a nervous tone, still unnerved by the silence and the sliding eye, but trying hard to not let it show. "Is there anything else?"
Derpy shook her head and gave a quick salute. "Nope, muffins away!" her simple yet cheerful voice filled the air as the mail pony turned around in preparations for taking off. Leaping into the air, she darted towards the window... And smacked headfirst into the frame next to it. As Derpy backed up, resting her brow in her right forehoof again,Twilight shook her head sadly as Derpy finally made it out the window on the second try.
Once alone, Twilight turned her attention to the magically illuminated books. Unbinding them, she noticed atop the twine a white envelope. Using her magic, she opened the letter to pull out and unfold the letter inside. Cracking her neck, she began to read:
Dear Twilight,
For the longest time, I have cherished my copies of this series of novels in my personal collection. But, just the other day, I found a good deal on a set for the Ponyville Library for only 20 bits. If you do not mind it ever so much, I would so love it if you could take these books and let the ponies of Ponyville read my most FAVORITE of favorite love stories.
Sincerely yours if it's okay with you and not too forward,
Fluttershy
Twilight floated the letter over to the table gently as she smiles. "Well, that was very nice of Fluttershy to donate these books. I would rather she have donated more research or reference books, but I'm sure the pony on the street needs to read the occasional fiction book. Now, what kind of books are these that could make Fluttershy love them so much?"
Twilight used her magic, raising up the first of the four books to eye level. On the front of the first book were two white pony forehooves holding a red apple. "Hmmm... 'Twilight by Stephanie Mare'... It has to be a pseudonym. I've never heard of a pony named Stephanie!" Sighing, Twilight lifted the four books with her magic. "Well, I guess I have to read these to see where I should place them in the library!" Giving a toss of her tail, Twilight headed up the steps in the library, the unicorn pony looking forward to a productive day of more reading and research.
Swan Bells stands in the middle of the forest, the pale ivory-haired earth pony brushing back her long straight black mane as she watches her daughter Rose Petals Can Be Used To Make Mead (Or Nibbles for short) play among the bushes. Smiling gently, Swan Bells hears a soft noise next to her as her husband, Culling Herds, arrives. The stallion pegasus is just as ivory-haired, and his blonde mane is styled perfectly with mane product to match his almost effeminate facial features.
Swan turned to look Culling in the eyes, both of their eyes sparkling like a myriad of kaleidoscopes as millions upon millions of colors flickered through them at any moment. As usual, Culling was frowning and looking about in anger as he arrived. "Have you not fed yet, my love?"
Culling shook his head and bared his teeth, sharp fangs being exposed as he does so. "No." he begins gruffly. "I always wait until the very last moment to feed. You know that, that's why I take all my anger out on you until I do feed."
Swan looked away and sighs a heavy sigh. "It is all right, my love. I love you so much, I know I deserve to be abused by you. I love you so much, I let you turn me into a Vampony so I can spend an eternity taking abuse from you that I deserve."
Culling looks away, his anger fading away into deep wells of sadness. "Oh Swan," he begins in a morose tone. "Why do I abuse you so? I must learn to treat you better, or at least sign us up for couples' counseling so we can finally have a healthy relationship..."
Swan trots up, a frantic look in her eyes as she lays a forehoof on Culling's left withers. "No, Culling..." she begins in a pleading tone. "I was the one who seduced you into loving me by being so accepting and deserving of your abuse and neglect. That's why I married you, and I made love to you in the Vampony way... The mare completely passed out, not moving, and being used for the stallion's pleasures alone in a way that is completely different from date rape no matter what others say. And from that union of unremembered mating that almost killed me came our daughter..."
Swan and Culling turn to their right, watching as their ivory-haired and rose-colored mane & tailed filly pegasus daughter tries to leap into the air - her young wings fluttering as if to test flight. "Oh, darling Culling, she's trying to fly for the first time!" Swan's voice is full of parental pride as she leans against her stallion.
Culling lays a posessive foreleg around Swan's withers, hugging her close as they watch their daughter try to take her first flight. "Ah, Swan...." Culling begins quietly. "I am so happy to spend an eternity with you, my undead and beautiful mare..."
As the couple watch their daughter hop higher and higher, sunbeams break through the clouds in different areas. As the sun catches the three Vamponies, their ivory hair starts to fill the air with sparkles and glitter, the ponies causing the whole forest to begins to look like a disco ball factory had exploded outwards as the 'loving' Vampony family prepared for an eternity together...
The End
Twilight closed the final book after a long day reading, a blank look across her face hiding her reaction to the series. Slowly getting up from her reading nook, she levitated the books over to a dim section of the library. Setting the four books onto a shelf, the unicorn pony went to find a quill and scroll to write some letters...
-
Inside the royal palace, Princess Celestia was lowering the sun as her sister, Luna, prepared to raise the moon. Using magics rarely seen in Equestria, the sun's golden rays faded from orange to deep red and eventually purple as it set behind the horizon. Meanwhile, on the other end of the sky, stars began to flicker awake as the pale yellow of the moon's glow replaced the sun across the land. As the exchange ended, a green flame swam into the main hall. "Ah!" Princess Celestia exclaimed. "A letter from my favorite student, Twilight Sparkle!"
But, instead of the usual single scroll, two scrolls appeared from the green flames. One scroll landed in front of Celestia, and one in front of Luna. Both Alicorns looked at each other, the pair using their magic to lift and unroll the scrolls. "W-w-why would your student send a letter to me, sister?" Luna's voice carried a worried tone, the smaller alicorn nervous to have anything change the monotony of her new-found freedom lest it be removed.
"I know not, sister..." As usual, Celestia's authoritative tone seemed to calm all. "Let us see what she wrote, shall we?" And with that, Celestia began to read:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that some friends are immune to magic that I am not. I was exposed to magical tomes I have now stored in the library for the use of those ponies who wish to use magic to change their gender as a primer. It seems that I have been driven by these tomes of power to now crave the companionship of other fillies. I will continue to research for a cure to my being a 'Fillyfooler', as the common pony would say, but until then, I shall make the best of this situation.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia looked up at her sister, her usually calm eyes wide in shock. "What... What magic is this to effect my favorite student so!? What does your letter say, dear sister?"
Luna blushes, looking away shyly. "Twilight asked me out on a date tonight. I don't know how she knew I was a fillyfooler as well, but it looks like I'm not going to be so lonely at night anymore!" |
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roygbiv | 312 | 1 | DJ P0N-3,Rainbow Dash,Crossover,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | After the Show | complete | 9 | 3 | <p>The first MLP fanfic I wrote, and a personal favorite of them all. It is a crossover fic that never seemed to get much love!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T03:15:57+00:00 | 2011-07-24T03:15:57+00:00 | 1,533 | "ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!"
As the roar of the audience and the stomp of hooves fills the dance hall as the final notes of a remixed 'Call on Me' still fills the air, a white unicorn standing before a set of turntables throws a farewell hoofpump to her throng of fans. She tosses back her blue and aquamarine-striped mane and looks over the gathered masses from behind black goggles with opaque round lenses. As the wave of near-frenzied ponies driven by the night's intense beats swell towards the stage, the DJ-ing unicorn backs up more. Suddenly, a sky blue pegasus with rainbow-streaked mane & tail swoops down onto the stage between the DJ and her fans.
"Quick!" the pegasus yells. "Get on!" With a leap, the DJ lands across the back of the pegasus on her abdomen. The sky blue pegasus gives a nod and dashes out the skylight; leaving a rainbow streak in her wake as she carries the musician to safety just as the first few frenzied fans charge over the turntables to get at their idol...
After flying for a bit, the blue pegasus lands before the record store that the white earth pony owns and lives above. The goggled unicorn slips off the pegasus none too softly as RBD (Or Rainbow Dash to everyone else) blushes softly and looks away. "I'm sorry for the late arrival... But the fastest pony in all of Equestria did get you out of there in time Scratch!"
The unicorn, DJ P0n-3 to her fans & Vinyl Scratch by birth, nods softly as she dusts herself off. "It's okay, but my fans are getting more frenzied."
Rainbow Dash looks a bit worried as she tilts her head to the left. "Do you think you should hire more security soon?"
The goggled unicorn just laughs and tosses back her streaked mane once more. "It's fine, Dash! It's all going according to plan!"
Dash stops for a moment and looks back at the DJ. "Plan...? What plan involves getting mobbed every night by hundreds of frenzied ponies!?"
Scratch just laughs and pats Rainbow's side with a forehoof. "Why, to be the number one DJ in all of Equestria! Now, isn't Pinkie Pie waiting up for you still?"
Rainbow Dash slaps her forehead with a forehoof and groans. "Oooh, yeah... We were supposed to plan our engagement party after I got you home! She's going to kill me!"
Rainbow Dash turns and streaks off towards her cloud mansion as the goggled unicorn just smirks wickedly. "Ah, Rainbow... I'm glad I didn't hire you because of your brains..." Walking around the record store, Scratch makes her way to a set of stairs in the back and clops up them, the unicorn growing tired from the long night. Opening her front door, she slips inside before locking the door behind her to keep out overly-enthusiastic fans. She did NOT want a repeat of last week again when she woke up to three Stallions at the foot of her bed with bouquets of pacifiers and roses. Such things caused her to hire Rainbow Dash in the first place!
Grabbing a sheet in her teeth, Scratch yanks the sheet down to expose a computer screen attached to a steam-powered computer of sorts. Pulling down a switch, the screen begins to flicker awake as the unicorn licks her dry equine lips. "Come on... It's only 9 AM in your dimension... Pick up the phone..."
As the screen shifts into a visible picture, upon its rounded glass is a tall bald human wearing a white rubber lab coat and black rubber gloves. He is sporting a pointed goatee, and wearing a pair of opaque goggles, himself. The unicorn gives a salute towards the video screen and smiles. "Doctor Steel, Toy Soldier Scratch reporting in!"
The human male smiles brightly and sets down his toy as a giddy look appears across his face. "Oh, excellent! Tell me, what news have you of your mission?"
The unicorn beams proudly. "I have implemented phase one of 'Operation: Utopian Ponyland', sir. All the pony breeds here have all become entranced by my entertaining them with my DJing. I am almost ready to implement Phase Two of adding your music to the rotations."
The human male nods approvingly as he strokes his goatee with a gloved hand. "Excellent, excellent! Once the ponies have come to embrace my ideals, we can pool them with my human troops to conquer both dimensions much more quickly! Keep up the good work, soldier!"
The screen grows black once more as Scratch nods approvingly to herself. Soon, her dimension and the strange 'human' dimensions would become Utopian Ponylands, and then ponies could live their days free of the rule of the tyrant Celestia... All she had to do was keep making the ponies dance back and forth... Back and forth... Back and forth & side to side... |
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roygbiv | 313 | 1 | Big Macintosh,Main 6,Princess Luna,Spike,Comedy,Random,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | After the Holidays Series | incomplete | 11 | 2 | <p>A series of short fics I write about the time after different holidays!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T15:02:57+00:00 | 2011-07-24T15:02:57+00:00 | 2,574 | The light from Celestia's noontime sun brightly shone into Twilight's sleeping face, causing the unicorn to cover her face with a foreleg. "Mmmph, 5 more minutes... I was up studying, ma..." Twilight's voice, still drowsy, didn't want to give in to the warm sun ray's urging her awake.
But, try as she might, the warmth from the sun gently urged her from her slumber. Giving a sigh, the unicorn slowly opens her first her left eye... Then her right eye creeps open as she stumbles out of her sleeping nook. Still half-asleep, Twilight trips down the steps and into the kitchen. "Mmmm, need tea... Wha-what happened last night...?" The last thing she remembered as she trotted drowzily into the kitchen, was being at the local Mare-day Gras party Pinkie Pie threw last night...
"Twilight!" The ever-hyper pink pony bounced over, her neck laden with what looked to be hundreds of beaded necklaces as she wore a mask in the shape of two lollypops over her eyes. "TWILIGHT!" the hyper pony screamed again. "Ya' gotta try this sweet party drink Honeypot brought! It's a new drink she made called 'mead'! It's super sweet!"
"Okay, Pinkie, I'll try a glass..."
Twilight's brain was still in a haze, trying to swim through the fog of memories as a splitting headache started to creep across her head. "Oooh..." Twilight groaned out, resting a hoof to her brow as she steadied herself against the counter. "I feel like there's a parade in my head, and my body feels like I just ran the Running of the Leaves five times in a row..."
"Woo! Look at me!" Twilight danced on a table around her 17th mug of the sweet drink, a griffon mask over the top half of her face as she shook her rump in the air with abandon. Several of the more 'promiscous' stallions (And a few mares) watched closer than decorum dictated.
Pinkie reached up, trying to tug on Twilight rear hind leg. "TWI-I-I-ILIGHT! You're drunk! You need to get off the table and go home!"
"Don't bug me, Pinkie! It's Mare-Day's Gras! I finally understand why people get drunk! Woo-hoo! I'm queen of the world!"
Twilight shook her head again. The memories of last night, hazy as they were, were starting to come back to her. "I... I wasn't... Drunk last night, was I?" Using her magic, she set a kettle of water boiling on the stove as she turned to look out into the main library casually. "Now, where did I put... My... Tea!?"
Twilight ducked behind the counter, the pony now wide awake as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. She shook her head rapidly, trying to make herself believe what she saw was just a hallucination. "Now Twilight..." she mumbled to herself still in shock. "You're going to turn back around, peek over the counter, and everything will be normal! You're still feeling the alcohol from last night, so you're just seeing things..."
Two purple hooves slip up over the counter, and slowly Twilight's horn begins to creep up into the air from behind the counter. She raised her head high enough to peek back into the library... Then suddenly ducked her head back behind the counter with an 'Eeep' noise. She hadn't imagined it. Standing in the middle of the Library was Princess Luna... Wrapped in HER blanket!
Twilight's body splayed out against the counter's back, her chest rising and falling in a hyper-ventilation as she heard a soft voice call out, "Twilight, hon... Come back to bed... It's too early for us to wake up! Especially after last night!" A small, shy giggle filled the air as Twilight swallowed hard. Suddenly, the events of last night started to come back to her in full...
The mayor of the town looked between the two ponies and studdered. "B-b-but Princess Luna! Are you sure you and Twilight Sparkle want to do this right now? Perhaps you should wait until morning, after the alcohol wears-"
The drunk princess raises a hoof in anger. "Nuuuuuuuuuuuu! Celestia has the day! The night is... Um... Yeah! Mine! And so is Twilight Sparkle!" She leans against Twilight as her eyes flutter closed. "Mmm, mine for*hic*ever an' ever..."
Twilight nuzzled into the drunk princess's neck as she nodded in agreement. "Yah... I'ma the queeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen.... Of the world... An'... *hic* An' Luna izzzzzz.... Iz a'my princess... Now finish it!"
The mayor shook her head sadly. "Well, Celestia help me, but as the mayor of the town I now declare you Mare and Mare... You brides may now kiss..."
The two night ponies turned, slowly opening their eyes, before leaning in for a drunken kiss before the town.
"There you are, hon!" Luna's head peeked around the counter as she smiled softly. "You've made me so very happy, Princess Twilight..."
Twilight did a double-take and swallowed. "P-p-p-princess!?"
Luna nodded softly. "Well, of course! You married into royalty! That makes you a Princess now!"
Twilight raised her forehooves to her brow. "Oh no, Celestia is going to kill me! I'm never going to drink ever again!"
Luna laughed softly and nuzzled into Twilight's mane. "Well, she can't kill you, or she won't be able to be an aunt! Or did you forget that spell we did during our Honeymoon night?"
The final memories break through the foggy haze as poor Twilight slumped down further against the counter. "You don't mean...?"
Luna just smiled again and nosed her new wife. "Well, you do have the larger body. It's more fitting for you to be the mom. Now come back to bed, love..."
Realizing that she was now with foal, Twilight did the only thing a pony in her condition could do at finding out she had drunkenly married the Princess of the Moon - and been knocked up in the same night... She fainted. As blissful unconsciousness filled her head, one nagging thought crossed her brain.
"Does this mean Princess Celestia is now my sister?"
Somewhere in Canterlot, the entire palace shuddered with Princess Celestia shouting out "WHAT?!?!" as birds flew away in fear en-masse. But that' another story for another day... |
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roygbiv | 313 | 2 | Big Macintosh,Main 6,Princess Luna,Spike,Comedy,Random,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | After the Holidays Series | incomplete | 11 | 2 | <p>A series of short fics I write about the time after different holidays!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T15:04:25+00:00 | 2011-07-24T15:04:25+00:00 | 2,584 | Fluttershy rolled over on her bed, tears streaming down her face, as she punched a hoof into her pillow furiously. This year was supposed to be different! "Every year...", she thought to herself... "Every year, the other ponies have all the fun! This was going to be MY year!" Burying herself even deeper under the covers, she pressed her face into her pillow. As she let the tears flow, her memories of the day came flooding back, every detail painfully clear.
It was April Foal's Day, a day of pranks, practical jokes, and general merriment. Since moving to Ponyville, Fluttershy had been seen as "off limits" on this holiday, in deference to her skittish nature. But not this time. This year, she'd been planning for the festival, and this year-- for the first time ever-- she too was going to join in the fun! In fact, she had vowed that this year, she was going to be crowned the top prankster of the town!
The normally shy yellow pegasus had used up a good portion of the earnings from her brief modeling career in preperation for today, but in her opinion, it was bits well spent. Finally... Finally, for once in her life, she was going to get in on the act!
The day's pranks were to begin with Angel Bunny. He was a dear friend, and therefore she knew his habits very well. She heard the rustling of the little rabbit in his bed and grinned widely to herself. Just WAIT until he saw what was waiting for him in the kitchen for breakfast! The pegasus giddily clopped her hooves in glee, waiting eagerly as she heard Angel hopping into the kitchen... only to be followed by the happy sounds of munching.
Fluttershy frowned. No squeaks of outrage? No laughter? Nothing? Just... Eating? Peering around the door frame, Fluttershy's smile changed into a look of shock as she saw Angel happily munching away on his breakfast: Not his usual single carrot, but a whole BUSHEL of them, as well as several apples and a head of fresh lettuce.
Fluttershy slumped to the floor as she shook her head. "That's alright...," Fluttershy said to herself, rationalizing thus: "Angel was just a practice prank, just to get me started. Really, it's fine! But I should get going if I'm going to see all my pranks unfold today!" Rising to her hooves, she eagerly trotted out the door, then took off flying as fast as she dared towards Ponyville.
Fluttershy's first stop was to peek in on the library, where three of her pranks were set to go off at once. She giggled to herself, putting the not-so-impressive results of her first prank out of her head, as she readied herself to laugh with her friends; surely, the next three were sure to get the desired reaction. Knocking timidly on the door, she then pushed it open, before calling out softly, "Twilight...? Spike...? P-p-princess Luna...?"
The inside of the library was slowly coming to life, Celestia's sun filling the inside of the tree with a soft glow from the windows as the wood under her hooves began to warm up. Fluttershy peered around, then noticed movement in the kitchen. Trying to hide her glee, she poked her head into the kitchen with a nervous look...
And saw a smiling Twilight Sparkle sipping some morning tea. The yellow pegasus gasped and shook her head. "T-Twilight? Are you okay?" This wasn't right! Twilight shouldn't be calmly sipping tea!
The slightly plumper than usual purple unicorn looked up from her tea, her smile growing wider as she waved a hoof. "Oh, Fluttershy! Good morning! What a surprise! I was feeling so nauseous this morning, what with the pregnancy, that I couldn't sleep! And then I came down and found this new tea blend on the counter! I tried it, and it helped ease my stomach! Here, try a sip!"
Fluttershy blinked in shock, and then trotted closer as she sniffed the air. Yes, that was the tea she had left: A blend of raspberry leaves, peppermint & ginger. She'd picked it out because it didn't have the caffeine Twilight's usual Canterlot Breakfast Blend had! She didn't expect this reaction! Shaking her head, the yellow pegasus backed up slightly. "Oh, that's okay, Twilight... I... I wouldn't want to take any tea from you. You sound like you really, really need it."
The unicorn shrugged and sipped the tea again slowly. "Mmm, if you say so... I would have had made Spike make me my tea, but I couldn't get him out of bed. He just kept mumbling about "'world's softest pillow' and some dragon fairy leaving him a midnight snack of rubies. Sheesh, the crazy dreams he has!"
Fluttershy winced again, the yellow winged pony hiding behind her long pink mane even more than usual, as inwardly she started to fume. Spike didn't feel that the rubies or the extra soft pillow were pranks either! Just like Twilight and Angel! What else could go wrong?
As if on cue, the two equines heard a loud squeal from upstairs. A dark blue streak zoomed over Fluttershy's head and the kitchen counter, before colliding with the purple unicorn. Blue forelegs were encircling Twilight's neck, as a blue feminine muzzle was covering the side of Twilight's face with kisses and loving nuzzles. "Oh, honey!" Luna cried out happily. "How could you afford this? It's a wonderful gift!"
Twilight gasped, enjoying the attention but a bit confused and embarassed at the same time. "Luna... Oh, man... Not my nape... Right there... I mean, Luna! What do you mean?"
The princess pulled her head back as she gasped. "Why, you know very well what I mean! The gift certificate for an all-expense-paid honeymoon for the two of us to Paradise Island! Just you, me, the ocean, and those black sand beaches for a whole WEEK! Oooh, you're the sweetest wife ever, Sparkle Bunny!"
Twilight winced a little as her mate used her pet name in front of her old friend, and coughed into a hoof. "Um, Luna dear...?" The purple pegasus began to point at Fluttershy, but Luna paid this no heed in her excitement.
"Oh, and Sparkle Bunny, why aren't you wearing your collar? I thought you promised I could lead my mare around on a leash again today? I promise to even call you my 'mule' or let you call me 'My Princess'! Oh, I'm just so excited!"
It was hard to tell who blushed harder at this comment-- Fluttershy for finding out so abruptly that her friends had a bit of a kinky side, or Twilight for having some of her bedroom 'quirks' aired out. Regardless, the purple unicorn gave a hard swallow, then pointed again at her pegasus friend. "Oh, I would, but you see _FLUTTERSHY_ had stopped by to make sure my pregnancy was going along well!"
Luna stopped, slowly turning her head to follow the pointing hoof towards the now nearly scarlet-faced pegasus before gasping. "Oh, Fluttershy! Why, good morning!" The princess and ruler of the night slipped away from Twilight's side ashamedly, biting her lip. "I, ah... Twilight and I were just discussing some military movements!" The alicorn began to nod rapidly as if trying to convince the shy pegasus. "We really wern't discussing Twilight as my love slave! It was... jargon."
Twilight poked her hoof against Luna's muzzle to quiet her as she sighed. "Ah, Fluttershy... What Luna MEANT to say is that we were just discussing a book we've been reading together... Every night... All night... Mmm, it is such a good book, too..." At this, a wistful look appeared in the unicorn's eyes, before she rapidly shook her head to snap herself back to reality. "I mean, it would be best not to discuss our nighttime reading habits with other ponies, okay?"
Fluttershy meekly nodded, beginning to slowly back out of the kitchen. "I-I-I... I understand. You girls have fun, and... I'm just going to go now, yes. Going now would be best." Turning on her tail, the pegasus darted out of the tree house as fast as her little wings could take her. Some things friends did not need to know about other friends!
Fluttershy flew away, rather embarassed and shocked. While the revelations about the newlyweds were a bit shocking, she had to admit that they DID fit Twilight's reserved nature. She'd have to tell Twilight later about "Madame R", as well as about the line of credit Fluttershy had for special bridles and bits... But, more than that, the shy pegasus was surprised that NONE of her three pranks had achieved the desired reaction. She'd been ever so stealthy last night setting up all of these pranks, and none of them were working out! It was all so very frustrating! Poor Fluttershy was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice Pinkie Pie in the middle of the road in front of her... until she abruptly crashed into her.
The two ponies tumbled to the ground in a jumble of hooves, streamers, and balloons, Pinkie Pie's saddlebags falling open and spilling their contents willy-nilly. The pink earth pony poked her head up out of the jumble of assorted party and prank supplies as she blinked. "Fluttershy, are you CRAZY? You need to be careful today!"
Fluttershy tried to free herself from the jumble. "Oh, I'm EVER so sorry, Pinkie Pie... I was just so... distracted." She looked down, blushing in embarrassment.
Pinkie Pie expertly popped right out of the mess and shook herself out. "It's okay, Fluttershy! But be careful! Today's April Foal's Day, and I've got a BIG day of pranks ahead of me! After I have my favorite breakfast, of course!"
The yellow pegasus paused, her body going stiff as she mumbled out, "Y-Your favorite breakfast...?"
Pinkie Pie nodded rapidly as a pleased grin crossed her muzzle. "Oh, yeah! Mr. & Mrs. Cake must have left them for me! It was chocolate cupcakes topped with buttercream icing and hot sauce! My most favorite of favoritest of nummy yummy delicious cupcakey goodness! And JUST right to start a day of pulling harmless pranks!"
Fluttershy visibly wilted as she heard that yet another of her pranks had backfired. Covering her eyes with her forehooves, she heard a brash voice cry out from above, "Pinkie, are y' ready?," followed by the soft thumps of four hooves deftly landing upon the dirt. "Oh, heya Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy looked out from behind her left forehoof to see Rainbow Dash standing next to Pinkie Pie. "Hey guys, I just had the BEST morning to get me primed for pranking! Somehow, my cloud castle had turned in the middle of the night so the sunshine warmed up my bed as the sun was coming up. It felt SO wonderful! I think I'm going to have to keep it like that. I'd say it's about 20% warmer now!"
Fluttershy just covered her eyes with her forehooves, giving a barely audible sniffle. Pinkie Pie, happy to see her friend in such a good mood, replied, "Oooh, that's wonderful! But we gotta hurry! Our first stop is gonna be Rarity's boutique!"
"Naw, that prank's cancelled," Dash exclaimed, giving a little sigh. "I flew past her on my way here. Evidently, she woke up to find a gift certificate for a full day at the spa, so she was heading off there to 'dream up new designs while being pampered', or somethin' like that. She won't be home all day."
Letting out a cry of anguish that even her prank on Rarity had backfired, the yellow pegasus turned tail and took off towards Apple Acres Farm, leaving a trail of streamers and balloons in her wake. As she flew off, she could hear Dash say to Pinkie Pie, "Was it something I said?"
Pinkie Pie's voice answered back, "Oh, you know Fluttershy... She never liked this holiday!"
Fluttershy dashed through the sky towards Apple Acres, the pegasus's eyes now brimming with tears. Softly, she began to whimper to herself. "It's not fair! It's just not fair!" Flying over the apple orchards, she alighted near the farmhouse behind a bush, trying her hardest to be stealthy as she crawled towards the farmhouse itself. Just as she approached her goal-- that being the nearest window offering a view into the house-- she was startled by a low "Ahem" coming from behind her.
Turning in fear, she found herself faced with the crimson stallion Big Macintosh, standing there with a perplexed look on his face. "Fluttershy, what'chu rekon you're doin' crawlin' around the farm like this? Don'cha know Applejack is stormin' about on a rampage?"
A glimmer of hope flashed in Fluttershy's heart as she gasped. "Oh, no! What could have made Applejack upset? What happened?"
Bic Mac lifted his left foreleg, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "It's the strangest thing... We woke up'n found all the chores fer the day completed! Applejack's havin' a conniption fit, 'cause the chores were done better'n she coulda done 'em! She's madder'n all git out that now she dun have nothin' to do today but relax. 'Tween you an' me though? I think it'll be good fer her ta' have a day off."
The yellow pegasus slumped down further onto the ground, pitiful little whimpers escaping her mouth. With all her pranks backfiring, this was turning into a truly abysmal April Foal's Day. She looked up, worry tinging her voice, as she started to shake. "And... And you, Big Macintosh? Did anything happen to you?"
He just shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, ah reckon it's been a good day fer' me so far. Woke up'n found a bag of some sugar cubes ta' crunch on while workin', so today's bin' alright by me."
The fact that her final prank had failed was the final straw for the poor pegasus. Taking to the air with a slight *squeak!* of frustration, Fluttershy streaked back towards her house with a speed that would put Rainbow Dash to shame. Big Mac, meanwhile, just stood there dumbfounded.
Fluttershy sniffled to herself some more. The day's crying had helped some, but she still felt miserable that not a single one of her pranks had worked as intended. Biting her lip, she paused in her sobs as she heard a faint sound coming from downstairs. Her ears twitched, the pegasus listening intently to make out the sound. There it was again! It sounded like someone moving a chair.
"Could it be Angel Bunny?," she wondered, pulling her head out from under the tangle of covers to look around. The day had grown late, and Celestia's sun was setting in the sky, filling room with a pale golden-red glow.
Pulling herself out of bed proved to be a formidable task, the poor pegasus's body feeling drained from doing so much sobbing. "Oh, he must be so hungry since I missed lunch for him, and I've not eaten all day...," thought the pegasus, as she slowly trotted towards the door. "Maybe, after dinner, I can go to bed and forget today ever happened..."
Opening the door to her room, the skittish pegasus immediately stopped in her tracks. Before her was the sight of her living room filled to the brim with streamers, balloons, and a big table laden with good food and sweets. The whole room smelled of cake and cookies and punch, prompting the hunger in her empty tummy to switch into overdrive. Before she could react, Fluttershy saw all of her friends spilling out from the kitchen, cheering, "SURPRISE! CONGRATULATIONS!"
Fluttershy looked about, her mouth agape as she took in all the smiling faces of her friends. Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. Spike. Even Big Mac was there with Angel Bunny sitting atop his back, the little bunny waving a small triangle flag with her cutie mark on it.
Fluttershy looked all around and shook her head in disbelief. "I... I'm sorry, everypony, but... what is going on?"
Pinkie Pie hopped over and gave the shocked pegasus a playful poke with a forehoof, before letting out a cheerful giggle. "Why, you won the title of Best Pranker this year! So turn that frown upside down!"
Fluttershy blinked. "But... But... but all of my pranks backfired! No one even got mad!"
Rarity smiled, the eloquent unicorn trotting up with a hoofkerchief to start cleaning up the dried streaks of tears from her friend's face. "Oh, Fluttershy... You made us all so very happy with all your pranks, we knew you had to be the one behind them. Now cheer up! This party's for YOU! It's our way of saying 'thank you'."
Pinkie Pie bounced about, nodding rapidly in agreement. "Oh, yeah! The BEST pranks are those that make people happy, not sad! And your pranks made everypony the happiest of happies today!"
Twilight cantered up and gently nosed the yellow pegasus. "If not for your kindness, I'd not have found a way to settle my morning sickness, and Luna and I wouldn't have a honeymoon to look forward to!"
Rainbow Dash nodded eagerly. "Yah, and I'd never have found out that my house is so much better when you turn it to that angle!"
Applejack kicked some dirt on the floor, trying to look gruff. But with a poke from her brother's hoof, she sighed deeply in resignation. "Aw, an' I guess ah DID need that there day off. It was right nice of you to do all them chores for us. Just... DON'T DO IT AGAIN, okay?"
Big Mac chuckled at his sister's reaction before giving a slow nod. "Eeyup."
Spike looked about and crossed his arms in frustration. "Right, right, right. I'm thankful for the new pillow and the rubies and all, but can't we PLEASE move on to the eating?"
Twilight shot a dark glare towards the baby dragon. "Spike! Don't be so rude."
Spike shrugged his shoulders and turned away. "Wha-a-a-a-at? I'm just sayin' what everyone else is thinking!"
Sniffling softly, Fluttershy nodded. "Oh, yes...," she said, as her tone brightened. "There's all this wonderful food and all these wonderful decorations, and all my friends are here... And I'm so very hungry." For the first time since that morning, Fluttershy smiled. "So let's all dig in!"
As the party stretched on long into Luna's night, the princess herself opted to make an appearance. She gave a knowing wink towards Big Mac before trotting over to lovingly nuzzle Twilight hello. Big Mac, taking the cue, trotted over and nosed at Fluttershy gently. "Hey, 'kin I talk ta' ya' outside f'r a minute?"
Fluttershy nodded softly, rising to her hooves before following the crimson stallion out the door. As they left, Pinkie Pie could be heard calling for a game of "Spin the Bottle", and in her heart Fluttershy was glad she was given this chance to escape.
The two ponies walked side by side across Fluttershy's lawn, Big Mac's flank gently brushing against Fluttershy's every few steps as a pleased smile began to cross her muzzle. Suddenly, the larger pony stopped and nodded. "This looks like a good spot."
Fluttershy stopped and looked at Big Mac questioningly. "A... a good spot for what?"
The stallion simply pointed his hoof up towards the sky and smiled. "Just watch, hon..."
Resisting the urge to shy away from hearing the strapping stallion calling her 'hon', the pink-maned pegasus looked up at the starry sky. "Oh, it's so beautiful..." she cooed, as she scanned the awakening night sky.
"Jus' watch, hon..." said Big Mac again quietly, as he looked up as well. Suddenly, a single white streak danced quietly across the night sky. This was followed by another streak, and then yet another, as the sky erupted into a brilliant meteor shower.
Fluttershy gasped, leaning into the stallion as her eyes flickered with the twinkling lights of the celestial display. "It... It's so pretty..."
Big Mac nodded gently before giving the pegasus a soft nuzzle. "Eeyup. Princess Luna wanted ta' give you a special think you fer' y'r gift. Now make a wish, ta' see if it comes true..."
Fluttershy thought for a moment. Her pranks had ended up being the best that year, she was under a beautiful sky seeing a brilliant shower of falling stars, and she was able to share this moment with the stallion who meant the most to her. Biting her lip, she shook her head nervously. "Oh... oh, no. This is all the VERY best it could get. There' nothing more that could make this a better night... Really!"
The stallion gently cupped the little pegasus's muzzle in his right forehoof before lifting her head to look at him. "Nothing? Ah reckon you still haven't gotten MY thanks..."
As the words left his muzzle, his lips met hers in a gentle kiss, the couple's embrace illuminated only by the twinkling lights of the meteor shower and the pale yellowish-white glow of the moon. "NOW I really DO have everything I could wish for," Fluttershy thought to herself, closing her eyes and deepening the kiss. "Best April Foal's Day ever..." |
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roygbiv | 314 | 1 | Applejack,Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Fluttershy,Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Winona,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | FlutterMac | complete | 86 | 12 | <p>When the whole brony thing started, few shippers wanted to ship Fluttershy & Big Mac. I'd like to think this fic changed that...</p> | everyone | 2011-07-24T03:27:04+00:00 | 2011-07-24T03:27:04+00:00 | 11,884 | It was the orange light of Celestia's setting sun reflected across her pale yellow body hair that caught his attention on the onset. Big Macintosh had been toiling in the apple orchards all day, his body sore and every muscle in his equine body strained. He never had much to be happy about and there was always too much work to do to survive. And that's when he saw her atop the hill.
Unhitching himself from the wagon, the work pony slowly trotted up the hill. He'd noticed the pegasus pony Fluttershy before, but he had never truely NOTICED her before this moment. His sister's other friends were always so brash or loud, so he never got the chance to ever meet just her. And, seeing her on this hilltop alone, for the first time in his life he did not think about apples.
Fluttershy had had a long day tending the animals of the forest. The shrews had suffered a nasty cold, so she had to quarantine them from the other animals. She hated keeping them in the hutch outside her house, but she didn't want the rest of the animals to get sick. And then there was the problem with Angel... Angel was getting older, and wanting to start his own family. And Fluttershy didn't know if she could stand losing the bunny she'd raised from a child.
Looking out over the valley as Celestia's sun set, she let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, Fluttershy..." she said to herself. "What ever will you do?"
"Need an ear?" The male voice came from behind her, and she gasped in fear. She whipped around, ready to leap into the air to run... And then saw that it was Bic Mac. "I'm sorry..." he said in his usual slow, quiet voice. "I saw you up here, and you seemed sad. Need somepony ta' talk to?"
'Horse Apples,' Big Mac thought to himself as he saw Fluttershy whip about in fear. He'd not meant to Scare her, just say hello. But the loneliness of her words just made him want to reach out to her. Show her that he could be a friend if she wanted it.
Fluttershy relaxed, and Mac let out his breath in one gust. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it in anticipation of what might happen.
Fluttershy nodded softly. "I'm sorry too, Big Macintosh... I know this is your farm and all, but the view from here is ever so beautiful as the sun sets..."
Big Mac nodded gently. "Didn't hurt anything. You're welcome here anytime. But it sounds like you need a friend ta' talk ta'."
Fluttershy shook her head and stepped back. "Oh, no no no... I simply couldn't impose upon you, and tell you about that. You're far too busy to want to know about the worries of a simple pegasus like myself."
Big Mac shook his head, then looked right at Fluttershy with gentle, caring eyes. "My work is done for the day, and I want to know. Please, tell me."
Fluttershy looked away shyly, then looked back. The red stallion was being serious, and she could feel that from him. But it was those green eyes offset by the three freckles. Those gentle eyes full of truth that calmed her finally.
"O-o-okay, Big Macintish..." she stuttered out, the yellow pony hiding her face partly behind her pink mane. And, opening her muzzle, she began to explain the problems of her day...
Big Mac listened as Fluttershy talked, the larger earth pony nodding and A'yup-ing as needed. As he listened, he was growing more and more impressed with the pegasus pony. Most of his elder sister's friends had never made much of an impression on him. The unicorns never seemed to want to work, and the pegasus with the rainbow mane was a bit too friendly with other mares for his liking. He had no issue with fillyfoolers or Coltcuddlers, but he didn't want to see either of his sisters going there, if it could be helped.
And that Pink earth pony... She was so hyper and fast he could never follow what she said.
But as he listened to all the intricate details of caring for and healing the animals of the forest, Ponyville, and even his farm, Mac was quite taken back that this little pegasus was doing almost, if not as much, work as he did every day! He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her in a new light. "And y'all do this every day?"
Fluttershy shook her head rapidly. "Oh, no no no! Usually I have a lot more work to do! But not all the birds have returned from migrating, and most the animals are still a bit groggy from their winter hibernation! And for once, Pinkie Pie didn't need my help with one of her parties, so I was able to finish with enough time to come to the hilltop and watch the sunset." she looked back over her shoulder at the sun was nearly behind the mountains of Canterlot - The sky painted with a myriad of colors that faded into a blue-black above the equine pair as Luna's moon began to arise and awaken the stars one by one.
Fluttershy looked back over her shoulder at the setting sun, the normally reserved pegasus realizing she had said more to Mac in these few minutes than she'd ever said to any other stallion before. As the sky put on a fading show of colors for her, she felt the warmth of the Stallion as he stepped to her side. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to. She knew. And, in her heart, she began to feel something other than fear stir awake. Leaning against Big Mac's side as the final rays of light faded away, Fluttershy swallowed hard. "Big Macintosh...? Can we, I mean, if it's okay with you, maybe... Can we meet here tomorrow evening?"
Big Mac turned his head, those gentle green eyes peering down at her as he gave a simple nod. "A'yup."
---
Every evening of that year they met. Sometimes Fluttershy would talk about her day, and sometimes Big Mac would talk about his. And sometimes, they'd just sit together quietly, leaning against each other and not saying anything at all. Sometimes, when the days were the hardest, that was all that was needed for both of them.
Big Mac realized he didn't mind work as much as he used to on the farm. He'd never complained before, but it was hard thankless work. They always worried about money, and it seemed like his whole life was consumed by apples. But, for the first time since he was a young colt, Big Mac found he was really smiling. Not the fake smile he put on so often for Applejack & Apple Bloom so they wouldn't worry as much about things. No, this was a real smile as he felt for the first time like a new pony.
He knew what he had to do, but he was going to have to start saving now so it would be just right... And, he was going to have to talk to Applejack.
"P-p-pinkie?" The meek pegasus poked her head into Sugar Cube Corner searching for her friend.
"Heya, Fluttershy!" The pink earth pony's head poked up from behind the counter as she grinned. "I was just packing up the deliveries for the day! What can I help you with!"
Fluttershy swallowed hard. She knew it was a risk to talk to Pinkie Pie about such things, but Pinkie Pie was the only one who might understand.
"Um, Pinkie? How do you know when you've met... Um, you know, the one?"
Pinkie Pie froze, a muffin for Bright Eyes dropping from her hoof into the basket as her whole body twitched. She turns, her eyes shooting wide as she starts to bounce for joy. "Oh, Fluttershy! It'ssowonderfulthatyoufinallyfoundaponytospendoyourlifewith!" The hyper pony reached forward and rested her forehooves on Fluttershy's shoulders. "Who is he? Or she? It's fine if you're a fillyfooler! I won't judge you! Oooh, then you could come to the parade with Rainbow Dash and I! Oh, you would have so much FUN!"
Fluttershy backed up nervously, shaking her head as she did so. "N-n-no, Pinkie! It's a stallion!"
Pinkie let out a giggle as she started to bounce again. "Oh, that's okay, too! So, who is he? Huh? Huh? Huh? Dish!" Futtershy let out a squeak and hid her face behind her mane completely. From behind her mane came a mumbled sound. Pinkie Pie leaned in closer and poked the mane. "What was that?"
Again she heard the same mumbled word. Pulling the mane aside, Pinkie looked into the embarrassed Fluttershy's face fully. "Now, now! No hiding! Now tell me, who is it?"
Fluttershy took a huge breath... Then quietly said, "Big Mac."
Pinkie Pie blinked, then fell back onto her rump. "You... And Big Mac?"
Fluttershy nodded softly as she leaned forward, her feelings giving her courage. "Oh, yes. You see, it all started when we met on his farm. We sat and talked and watched the sun set. And every night since the day after Winter Wrap Up we've been sitting since."
Pinkie Pie blinked. "You and Big Mac... You talk!?"
Fluttershy nods gently. "Oh yes, or sometimes we just sit there just being close. When summer ended, we finally started to hold hooves as we sat on the hill. And last night..." The shy yellow pony look away embarrassed. "Last night he kissed me good bye..."
Pinkie let out a gasp as her hooves covered her mouth. "Oh, my! Ooooh, Fluttershy! You're so lucky! I had to trick my first kiss out of Dash... How was he?"
Fluttershy blushed further as she looked away. "He was... I mean, it was nice. It felt right... No, that's not right..." She shook her head gently as she searched for the right words. "It was like... Magic. Like I was flying and running at the same time, and yet for once I wasn't afraid. I felt like, at that moment, I could face a hundred dragons and climb any mountian."
Pinkie Pie squealed and bounced up onto her hooves. "Oooh, Fluttershy! You did it! You found that one pony for you!"
Fluttershy swallowed hard. "But... But what about Applejack?"
Pinkie Pie smiled brightly. "Fluttershy, AJ loves you both! I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't support it 100%!"
That winter was a cold one in Ponyville, but Big Mac worked extra hard none the less. He had polled the old plow out of the barn, and every day he'd push it into town to clear all the snow off the streets for the city. It was tough work, but the city's bits made it all worthwhile. When Applejack had grilled him about it, he'd just said he needed the extra bits for Winter Solstice gifts for those he loved. He didn't lie, really, but he still felt bad he didn't tell the whole truth to her. He loved his sister, but he just wasn't ready to face her yet about... Fluttershy.
Just the thought of the yellow pony with pink mane filled his body with warmth in the brisk winter air. Gritting his teeth, he began to push his plow a bit quicker, eager to talk to Ponyville's metalsmith before he closed for the day.
---
Winter Solstice, like Summer Solstice, was a festival day for the ponies of Ponyville. Most ponies spent it inside with their family and friends in small parties around town, then gathered in the town square on this, the shortest day, to watch Luna raise the moon. It was a new addition to the old holiday, only a few years old since the return of Princess Luna, but the ponies enjoyed it none the less. Many felt the change a fitting one so as to thank the Princess for the Moon as they also thanked her sister for the Sun.
Big Mac smiled as they trotted into town, Apple Bloom running ahead to meet up with her two friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The three started giggling and talking about all the gifts they'd gotten this year. While they'd finally managed to get their cutie marks, they were still the best of friends. Big Mac smiled softly, nodding at the three as they chatted amongst themselves.
He turned to his sister and cleared his throat. "Ah, AJ... I forgot somethin' back at the farm. Kin' you watch Apple Bloom until I get back?"
Applejack turned to her brother with a sly smile on her face. "Oh, take all the time ya' need, brother. In fact, Apple Bloom an' I were gonna go stay the night at Rarity's with Sootaloo an' Sweetie Belle. So the farm's al yours ta'night."
Big Mac paused, worried for a moment as he looked closely at his sister. "What do you mean?"
Applejack just smiled and tipped her hat to her brother. "Mac, you are dense. You got one more gift to give tonight, don'cha?" As Big Mac's jaw nearly hit the floor, she reached out and patted his shoulder. "Don't be so shocked. I saw you every evening, an' I could put two an' two together. I love ya', big brother, an' I ain't mad. Ever notice hw ya' never got bothered up there?"
Big Mac shook his head. "Y'all did that?" His eyes began to water at hearing this news.
Applejack leaned close, giving her brother a big hug before whispering in his ear. "You're my brother! I want ya' ta' be happy, so go'wanna git' her, bro. I'd love to have Fluttershy as my sister." Big Mac hugged his sister back, then turned and ran back towards the farm as fast as his powerful legs could carry him.
Fluttershy sat on the hill as she always did, the pegasus watching the sun as it began to set once again. She smiled to herself, the shy pony holding a basket covered in a warm blanket and tied with a ribbon. She didn't normally give gifts for Winter Solstice, but she felt this gift would be appreciated.
She heard the sound of snow being galloped through and turned, her face brightening into a smile as she turns to see Big Mac reaching the top of the hill. He stands there for a moment, the snow melting off his warm body from the run as his chest heaves & falls to catch his breath. Fluttershy looked away, a blush rising to her cheeks as she catches herself to be staring a bit longer than she should at the stallion, then sneaking a peek once more to see his finally looking at her with those gentle eyes.
"Sorry I'm late, Fluttershy..." As usual, while he may seem tired out or out of breath, he never let it show in that casual draw of his voice. "Ah' had'ta take AJ an' Apple Bloom ta' town for the celebration..."
Fluttershy gasped, her right hoof raising to her muzzle tip. "Oh, my... Were they sad that you had to leave? Oh, you should go back and join them! I'm not important enough to be away from your family this holiday..."
She tried to turn away, but Mac's right foreleg reached out and touched her shoulder. "Fluttershy..." Her heart leapt as it always did when he told her name in that soft yet masculine voice. "I'm with the most important pony in my life right now, and that's all that matters..."
Tears of joy began to brim in Fluttershy's eyes as she looked down at the basket. Picking it up by the handle with her teeth, she set it before Big Mac. "I... I didn't know if you wanted a Winter Solstice gift or not, but I got you this..."
The blanket began to move, and a collie snout pokes out of the basket. Soon, a small puppy's head peers up at Big Mac, then ducks back under the blanket where its warm as he chuckles. "Well, don't that just beat all? Where on earth did you find..."
Fluttershy just smiled up at Big Mac. "Well, one of the ponies in town's dog was having puppies, and I asked if I could have one. I thought Winona could use a friend, and you could use a dog to help you in the orchard every day..."
Big Mac leaned forward, his strong forelegs suddenly cutting off Fluttershy's words as he just hugged her tight. Feeling like she was about to melt, Fluttershy leaned into that strong chest and closed her eyes. If nothing else, this was worth missing the celebrations. The world could end right this moment, but being hugged by the stallion she loved would make her death a happy one.
She then felt Big Mac nuzzle her cheek with his head before saying, "Thank you, Fluttershy. I only wish my gift is just as thoughtful..."
She pushed him back slightly and stuttered. "B-b-but Mac, you didn't have to get me anything! Really, I'm fine not getting anything..."
Big Mac held out a hoof to hold off the protests before reaching into his saddle back. "Naw, Fluttershy... I've been meanin' to give this to you for a while, an' you DO deserve it." She grew quiet as he pulled out a red box and set it atop the snow gently. As he lifted the top, she let out a squeal that was a mix of fear, joy, and every other emotion a pegasus could feel.
Inside the box was a simple gold band that was large enough to fit around a foreleg. But at the center of the ring was a butterfly just like her cutie mark made of jewels... Every filly and mare in Ponyville... No, in all of Equestria knew what that ring meant, and secretly dreamed of this day.
Her hooves rose to her muzzle, the pegasus's eyes brimming with tears of joy as Big Mac swallowed hard. "Ah really care for ya' an' all, so, um... Ya' wanna git hitched? Ah' kin' give the farm over to AppleJack an' move in with you. I mean, I can't grow apples, but I can grow anything anywhere..."
Fluttershy leapt forward this time, her wings flapping to give her speed as she hugged the big red stallion about his neck. Her lips met his as she kissed him hard, her eyes closing as she gave herself over to the joy in her heart. She could feel Mac kissing her back and she hugged tighter. She didn't need to answer with words, and she knew her stallion knew that. Sometimes, they communicated better with no words at all...
---
As Celestia readied herself to set the sun, two elderly equines sat in rocking chairs on a hilltop holding hooves while a group of young ponies in white lab coats sat in a semi-circle listening with rapt attention. The old yellow pegasus reached up to her muzzle, pushing back her almost white mane as she nodded gently to the ponies taking notes. "Yes, that's right Kyno Adamas..." The aged mare replied as she then pointed a hoof towards a black male unicorn with the cutie mark of a dog on his flank. "When I started this branch of medicine, we didn't even have a name for it."
A pink earth pony raised her right hoof, waiting until the elderly pony gave her a gentle nod before speaking. "Ah, Doctor Fluttershy. How did you come up with the name of this branch of medicine you founded?"
The elderly pegasus's eyes alit wit joy as she remembered. "Ah, that was shortly after my marriage to my dear Macintosh..." She patted elderly red earth pony's hoof, and he nodded back in a loving way. "He told me how he always felt sorry for the 'working animals' on farms. So, I asked Princess Twilight Sparkle... Well, she was still just Twilight Sparkle then, but that's another story... Anyhow, I asked her if she knew of a word in her books for working animals, and she came up with the term 'veterinae'. I thought that was just a little fancy, so we modified it to just veterinary medicine."
The pink earth pony nodded, jotting down notes with a pencil in her muzzle, then dropped the pencil to quietly ask, "But, don't we take care of all non-ponies now, not just those on farms?"
The elderly pegasus chuckled softly. "Oh yes, that is true. When you take the Oath after graduation, you'll be sworn to aid any non-pony in need of medical assistance. But it was started, originally, for the working animals as they were in the most need." Then the older pegasus looked to the sky before letting out a low sigh. "But, that is another discussion for another day. Class is dismissed for this week. But remember, your homework for next week is to feed and care for at least three families of animals, and to find an animal with a broken bone, set it, and bring the animal with you next week so we can grade how your bindings on broken limbs are coming along!"
The ponies all began to stomp and clop their hooves in thanks for another lecture before starting to file away down the hill. The old red pony, his mane and tail silver, reaches over with his head to nuzzle the old pegasus lovingly. "A'yup..." he begins in a slow tone. "That class'll be just fine, I reckon..."
The pegasus turned to her husband of almost sixty-five years now and sighed. "Do you think they'll be all right? I mean, they all have so many questions still, and they just started!"
The male earth pony nodded sagely. "Now, our son Crispin has been runnin' that there school for nearly twenty years now. I think we done earned our retirement..."
The pegasus sighed, leaning back in her rocking chair as her grip on the earth pony's hoof tightened. "I just worry... I'm not scared. I've helped many animals over this hurdle. I know what to expect. And... I have you with me."
The earth pony turned his gaze towards the pegasus as he returned the hoof squeeze. "An' ah' will stay with ya' no matter what, Fluttershy... No matter what happens next, ah' promise ah'll stay with ya'..."
The pegasus turned her head to look back into those green eyes that had wooed her so long ago. "And I promise I'll stay with you, Macintosh. But we met with a sunset... So this feels the most fitting..."
They didn't need to say anything else. They knew what was coming, and had already accepted it long ago. Knowing in each other's heart what the other felt at that moment, they turned to watch the sun slowly set as the moon began to rise. Though neither one said it, as their eyes closed, they both felt it was the most beautiful sunset they had ever seen in their lives...
---
On the outskirts of the Everfree Forest near Ponyville sat the first ever school of veterinary medicine in Equestria. Founded by two ponies in love, the school tried to teach its students to show that same love to the animals they would be treating after graduation. In front of the main building sat a golden stature of a pegasus pony wrapping the arm of a bunny as an earth pony stood next to her holding a bag in his mouth. Under the statue was set a thick plaque upon which was inscribed: IN MEMORIAM OF DOCTOR FLUTTERSHY AND NURSE MACINTOSH - MAY THEIR GIFT OF LOVE GUIDE OUR HOOVES
Behind the school, at the back of the grounds, rises up a hill that overlooks the school, Ponyville's valley, and even gives a view of Canterlot's mountains. On top of this hill is a single grave marker for two ponies who, even in death, refused to leave each other's side. On this marker there were inscribed two words and two words alone: TOGETHER ALWAYS |
|
StreakTheFox | 316 | 1 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-09-10T06:22:01+00:00 | 2011-09-10T06:22:01+00:00 | 120,997 | Every creature has needs. Every living animal with a brain has feelings. Every self-aware organism has wants. But only sentient beings can muster up the true essences of desire and passion. The same goes for everypony, every dragon, everyzebra, and any other form of sentient life in Equestria. Earth ponies, Pegasus ponies, Unicorn ponies, even the few Alicorns still in existence, are subject to the double-edged sword effect of emotions, desires, and the ultimate bond between body, soul, and mind.
The same is true for the loving, caring, eternally wise and noble Princess Celestia. Though almost a true deity, though so godly in her appearance, her powers, her very way of life even, she too falls victim to the most pleasurable feelings any other sentient creature can find, as well as the most horrible and most greedy of them all.
Despite her best efforts, despite her most cunning usages of psychiatry, magic, and even at one point the elements of harmony, nothing can truly rid her of the darkest, most sinister, most vile and greedy desire she has locked away within her own heart. Hundreds of years have passed since the last time Celestia's deepest and most frightening side had surfaced, and now it once again threatens to overcome her and all those she cares about most.
Princess Molestia
By: StreakTheFox
“This was it... tonight, was going to be the best night ever...” Luna couldn't help but chuckle aloud to herself as she woke up about half an hour before sundown, when it would be her time to lower the sun completely and then bring forth the night she so loved to adorn with her most beloved stars and designs. However... her primary duty was not what particularly excited her tonight, it was moreover the date that had given her the giggles. For weeks she had planned some sort of “revenge” against her sister, some sort of plot to make her pay for what she had done in the past... and once the clock turned midnight, and the calender flipped to the first day of April, all bets would be off and Luna would begin preparing her most cunning prank yet.
“Oh Luna... you are a very sneaky mare... who else better to prank than Tia herself?” Once more, Luna found herself getting rather giddy as she trotted out of her room and out towards the designated balcony where she would help lower the sun and then start her wonderful night. Oh, it will be so wonderful... Luna thought to herself. It will be the most amazing night ever... I simply can't wait!
^=^=^
All of Equestria was now long into the night, the thousands of stars above lightly sprinkling their eternal light upon the sleepy world below. All the little fillies had gone to bed, the lights in the castle had almost all gone out, and only the sounds of crickets could be heard off in the distance, bringing a natural sort of chorus that set such a calm in everypony who listened to it. Everypony was either asleep, relaxed, or enjoying their time out in a field enjoying the wonderful lights from above... all, except for one dark blue, deliciously mischievous mare up in the Royal Palace in Canterlot.
Luna worked in her room by herself, multiple spell books lay open around her as she stood in front of her desk, looking through the open book before her. The book was rare, and contained magical spells and incantations that no normal unicorn would ever be able to make sense of. Luna, however, was more than able to read through the complex arrangement of symbols and words before her. Finally satisfied with the information gathered, Luna telekineticly closed the book and proceeded out of her room, a wild grin plastered on her face.
As she slowly trotted through the halls, her horn was dimly lit as she once more ran the spell through her mind and began conjuring up the correct magical patterns and setting them in place for her to unleash into the casting of the spell itself. As if like a delicate puzzle, her horn was filled with magic that wove together like strings of yarn, needing a precise order and amount of magical influence in order to be set properly in place for the spell's casting. With the last bits coming into place, Luna turned a corner to a grand hallway of white marble and gold lined into the walls, ceilings, and floors with columns guiding through the hallway towards a large metal door, wonderfully decorated with an assortment of light colors and an almost shining cover. This was where her spell would be cast, this was where her ultimate prank would begin, and this... was Celestia's bedroom.
Normally there would be a few guards at the door of the room itself, but Luna had ordered them earlier that night to take watch at a post a bit further out, a post from which she could sneak by easily and gain access to her big sister's chamber of slumber.
Slowly, quietly, she gently pushed open the large door and took a quick peak around the room, making sure all was still and unexpecting. Gradually she began to slip inside, first her right foreleg, then her left... using her wings to keep the door slightly opened... next her back legs, and finally her tail... after which she slowly closed the door behind her, making the door shut without even the slightest peep. Everything was going according to plan...
Luna approached Celestia's bed from the side, a large lump under a pink comforter with Celestia's cutie mark embedded into the center. The bed itself was extraordinarily large, a real eyesight for those not used to the furniture of true royalty. This did not even register in Luna's mind as she approached the bedside, now able to hear the light snores coming from under the covers.
Her horn was still dimly covered by the soft glow of the magic she had conjured and set in place, ready to be unleashed at any moment. Luna looked around one last time, inspecting her surroundings to make sure she had not forgotten anything essential to her plans. Lastly, she closed her eyes and thought deeply, imaging her bedroom very clearly in her mind, hopefully enough to be able to teleport out of the room quickly once the spell was cast. It was all ready now... it was time to pull the ultimate – and probably most embarrassing – prank that Equestria had ever seen!
This spell has been one heck of a pain to finally get ready, Luna thought to herself as she looked over her sleeping sister. But now it is time for the greatest night ever... Tia, my loving sister, I always wondered what sort of embarrassing secrets you may be keeping secret in there... but, it would be so selfish if I were the only one to find out about it! No... I think that this Psychosurreliac spell shall let everyone who gazes upon you to know all the things you keep tucked away... perhaps a childish desire? A little stuffed pony you cuddle with every night? Maybe you have a craving for a rather ghastly food, or even... Luna gasped to herself lightly as the sudden realization hit her. ...or even a CRUSH! Ooooh yes, big sister, tonight will be a night to remember...
The spell Luna had been researching for hours and piecing together in her horn was no normal spell. It was a highly advanced, incredibly difficult spell that – if cast improperly – may result in side-effects such as temporary memory loss, sporadic changes in mood, “Derp” syndrome, or even mental breakdowns. The spell was very similar to a truth-telling spell, but instead of forcing the one the spell is cast on to only tell the truth, it forcibly brings out the hidden feelings of the pony the spell is cast on and makes them practically broadcast them out to the world around them. Though the effect would only last a few hours, Luna was sure she would cherish every moment of Celestia's mindless babbling and spilling of all the beans she had stored inside of her.
Luna was completely ready to see her best prank ever come to life... but as her horn flared and the beam of light shot towards Celestia, the next few seconds would vastly change her opinions on her recent actions...
The spell struck perfectly, and the mind-altering magic quickly began to seep through Celestia's coat and skin, traveling deep into her body and her mind in order to see what it could unravel. All Luna had to do was channel the spell for the few short seconds it took to complete, and then teleport out before Celestia realized what happened. However... only a second into the spell, the magic hit something inside Celestia that Luna didn't expect. It was a barrier of some sort, a seal within her own mind, something that was artificially holding back something else inside of her older sister. Whether Luna wanted to find out what it was or not, the spell moved too quickly for her to make any changes in it.
The powerful effect of the spell almost instantly broke through the hidden seal inside Celestia's mind, unleashing whatever was secluded inside it. But at that moment, the magic that was holding the seal in place suddenly expelled itself from her mind violently, pushing out Luna's own spell as Celestia herself was hit with an inward jolt up and down her spine, immediately waking her up with a heavy, dry gasp. The spell ended that second, and Luna knew something was wrong... the spell was cast perfectly, but something inside, some other magical effect inside of Celestia had not only stopped it, but completely expelled the effects and had even woken Celestia up!
Oh no, this is bad... I have to go, I have to get out now! Before Luna had even taken the time to think about what may have caused the abrupt interference of the spell, she dove into her mind and brought up the image of her room, quickly conjuring up a quick teleportation spell and sending her out of the room.
*=*=*
Celestia, hearing the light Ping that is the sound of a teleportation spell, thrusted her upper body upward and looked around the room hastily. Nothing was there... the room stood dark and still, and only the sound of the wind blowing against the drapes of the windows was able to be heard. Celestia sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a minute to think about what may have just happened. Was she dreaming? Did she perhaps have a nightmare and her horn was on the fritz again? She couldn't tell, but in moments the door to her bedroom opened up as two guard ponies stepped in, looking to be as if in a rush.
“Princess Celestia!” The guard on the right announced. “We saw a bright flash coming from the window of your room, is everything alright!?”
“Well of course, everything's just...” a sudden jolt seemed to impact Celestia as her eyes suddenly widened, her pupils dilated harshly, and her teeth began to jitter. She looked down at first, her mind scrambled and her regular thought process interrupted by this strange sensation she was feeling. She suddenly felt dizzy, her head lightly swaying side to side as something began to invade the workings of her mind.
The guards, seeing the apparent disarray of the princess, rushed up against the foot of the bed, seeing if the Princess was injured or perhaps giving off some sort of magical backlash, as would be the effect of most offensive spells. Yet the Princess' swaying quickly stopped, as she then looked up towards the guards, meeting each of them eye to eye.
Both guards took a step back. This... wasn't the regular gaze of Celestia. Her eyes were open wide and her pupils were now resembling tiny black dots. Little streams of blood seeped into the whites of her eyes, making them seem bloodshot. Her face had a horribly creepy grin on it as her teeth continued to jitter and shake, as if she was freezing cold. Celestia's eyes shot to each of the guards quickly, going back and forth to meet with both of their eyes.
Before another word was spoke from the guards, Celestia's horn lit up and the door behind them shut with a loud thud. The lock on the door shined magically as it slit into place, sealing out anypony outside and trapping any others inside with what now lurked in Celestia's bed. The two guards looked back at the closed door, then to each other, both with obvious strikes of fear in each other's faces. They didn't even begin to remotely understand what had happened to Celestia, what had happened in the room before they came in, but she wasn't her now... she was, something else... the look on her face sent shivers through their bodies as her eyes seemed to pierce like the tip of a spear into each of their souls. Neither guard could move as Celestia gazed at each of them, her grin widening while the sheets on her bed began to slide down by her own magic.
“My loyal, most trustworthy guards...” Celestia finally spoke, her voice piercing through the silence of the room. “Would you care to join me... tonight... in a most wonderful slumber?”
The two guards once again exchanged glances, and then returned their focus to Celestia just in time to see her horn once again light up, and take hold of the armor that bound them. Almost effortlessly the gold plating slipped off their bodies, fully revealing the white coats of their bodies while the armor was flung to the side of the room.
“P-princes... are you alright? You seem rather... shaken...”
“Oh, I was feeling very lonely earlier... but now that you both are here, I now have something to keep me occupied...”
A magical force on the rumps of both guards pushed them towards the bed a little.
“W-we really should... ya know, get b-back to... standing g-guard, ma'am...”
“Oh I think you've done a fine job tonight... but now it's time for another duty of yours...”
The magical force tugged their bodies closer to the bed, halving the distance from where they started.
“B-b-but princess! Wha... what other duty is there for us, y-your majesty?”
“Only the most important, most taxing, and most pleasurable duty of all...”
Celestia's wings had now begun to unfurl as the magical force once more pushed the two guards even closer still.
“P-princess Celestia of Equestria!” One guard finally cried out in a terrified yell. “What has gotten into you!?”
The very next moment, Celestia pushed herself off of her bed, launching her entire body down over the foot of the bed and against the two guards, sending them both falling back with their legs sprawled out and their faces stricken with fear. Celestia towered over them, her hooves against the outer shoulder and outer thigh of each of the guards, as if keeping them trapped within her grasp. Her head slung down as her smile only increased with a slight drool traveling over her lip.
“It is not what has gotten into me, but instead, what is going into you!”
^=^=^
“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Luna boasted as she paced back and forth in her room, scorning herself for messing up such an important spell and ruining a great prank. “I was soooo close to getting the ultimate revenge, and it had to screw up! I'm so stupid for not thinking this through enough... how could I be so DUMB!?”
The constant bombardment Luna was bringing on herself continued, her rapid pacing including the stomping of her hooves, the whipping of her tail against her desk, and the occasional banging of her horn against her bed. Now, not only did she fail her prank and spoil her once chance for a good laugh, but she probably now also got Tia incredibly upset with her, and was surely in for some sort of punishment. Luna's body flinched as the though of another year on the moon passed through her mind... or maybe another whole thousand of them.
Her train of thought was cut off by a sudden shriek coming from the distance. It was a colt's voice, but it seemed to come from outside. Quickly Luna ran out onto her balcony and looked around for only a few seconds before she noticed a flickering, colorful display of lights coming from the window of Celestia's bedroom.
“That.. that light's a result of magical discharge! Oh my... Celestia!”
Without hesitation Luna burst through her bedroom door and practically flew down the hallway, taking the few turns needed to get back to the main hallway leading to Celestia's royal bedroom. Already there was a crowd of guards around the door, all of them trying desperately to break open the door and get inside to the source of the commotion.
Quickly, Luna fed magic through her horn, and focused it under the door and up to the lock. She felt her way around it, working her magic through the bolts and slides of the lock itself before finally getting it undone. As she flew towards the door, the guards stopped gathered behind her, knowing Luna would possibly be the most important to enter the room. In the next moment, Luna's front hooves collided with the large door and pushed it open fully revealing the scene inside which sent a gasp to each pony still in the hallway.
Both guards inside had their armor stripped, their bodies covered in sweat and other forms of wetness while panting heavily. Their faces held expressions of fear and anguish, their figures seemed depleted as if their energy had all been taken away. Both were laid on their backs, their legs sprawled out widely with a slender, yet powerful hoof stroking up and down the chests and stomachs of each.
Before them stood Celestia herself, but different... her face had changed and become somewhat distorted, as if the wild grin she now held has been imprinted on there artificially. Her pupils were tiny, her eyes bloodshot, even her mane was different as it seemed to spazz out randomly, like it had a mind of its own. Her tail was also acting strangely, whisking itself side to side like a playful cat, and her horn was still frizzing with magic while also being covered with some sort of clear liquid.
Celestia looked up and immediately stuck her gaze towards Luna, who looked back with a mix of shock, confusion, and fear at the sight before her. A drop of drool started to slide down her lips as Celestia spoke out towards her sister while her eyes seemed to tear deep into Luna's soul.
“Luuunaaaa... My dear, loving, delicious sister...”
This was all Luna needed to hear before she immediately turned her flank around and flew as fast as she could in the opposite direction. She didn't know where she was going, her thoughts were too scrambled and confused by what she had saw, and she was barely able to curve and steer herself around the turns and corridors she flew through. A large crashing sound was heard behind her as the group of guards from before suddenly yelled out as if suddenly hit by something. As Luna continued to fly, it became obvious by the faint, yet distinguishable glow behind her that Celestia had forced her way past the guards, and was not far behind.
Luna pushed forward, racing as fast as her wings could take her down each hallways and past each doorway, only to finally come to a dead end... in her own bedroom.
“Oh no, oh no oh no oh no!” She gasped to herself, desperately trying to figure out what to do next. Quickly she closed the door to her room, hoping that perhaps that would help her hide from her older sister long enough for her to find a solution. This, however, proved to be unfortunately false.
Only moments later Luna's bedroom door swung open loudly, Celestia herself prancing into the room with the same wicked grin on her face while her wings stayed completely unfurled and spread outwards around her.
Luna's heart sank as a cold, painful shiver ran down her spine and throughout her body. She turned around just in time to see Celestia's front hooves rear up and push Luna back onto her own bed, making her give off a slight shriek of pain. The door into the room shut quickly, and all the windows immediately closed with the curtains sliding over them as Celestia's horn began to flow once more with intense magic.
“T-tia! Sister! Wha... What in all of Equestria has gotten into you!?”
Celestia pounced onto the bed, her hooves on either side of Luna's body as she brought her head down closer towards her sister's.
“Oh Luna... I have always loved you so very much. How I've always dreamed of feeling your soft, well groomed coat...”
Celestia's right hoof trailed up and down from luna's neck to her chest and around to her side.
“your dazzling, wonderfully plush blue mane...”
Like a tentacle, Celestia's mane slithered down and wrapped itself around Luna's which was laid out beside her.
“And your Exquisitely erotic body.”
Celestia dipped her head lower and slid out her tongue, slowly bringing it against Luna's chest and up her neck and muzzle, stopping just on her bottom lip.
Luna's entire body was now trembling with fear, her inner most instincts about ready to force her into violent retaliation if it had to come to it, only being held back by the fact that this was Luna's older sister here, now, on top of her, feeling up her body as if she was some sort of perverted play toy. This was not the Celestia she knew, and there was no way she could think of a way out with her mind as horrifically scrambled as it was.
Celestia's tail slithered and stroked itself against Luna's, but soon began to ride up the tail and slide itself against luna's rear, exploring her figure and spreading apart her legs, splaying open her haunches obscenely while it lathered itself against Luna's coat.
The sensation that ran through Luna's body forced a small moan to escape her lips, pushing through Luna's best efforts to keep it held down. This only excited Celestia even more as her mane wrapped itself around Luna's and tugged her head closer, her body now lowering down and brushing up directly against Luna's while Celestia's eyes grew wider still.
Her tongue slipped out once more and slid itself around luna's face and muzzle, swirling around her nose and mouth before suddenly jolting down between her lips and forcing inside Luna's saliva-coated orifice. At that exact moment, Celestia's lower body connected with Luna's and roughly began to push and grind up and down against her, pressing with enough force to move Luna's body forward and back against the bed as well.
Luna couldn't withstand this feeling coursing through her entire body. She was in a state of compelling fright as her older sister dominated her and used her like some sort of toy, yet at the same time the flowing sensation racing through her body was unimaginably pleasurable. That sensation bore through like a hot flame passing over the surface of fresh oil, reaching the endpoints of her body and then repelling back with double the force like a wave crashing against the wall and sending more waves back. This kept up for several minutes, with each passing moment diving Luna's body into further strain of dealing with this sort of forced pleasure.
Just when Celestia had began to lose herself in the full force of her domination over her sister, a sudden poof of smoke appeared before her with a magical sputter. Quickly, Celestia reared back – while still staying on top of Luna – and examined the magical cloud before her just in time to see it materialize into... a letter! Instinctively, Celestia used her magic to unravel the letter and began to read its contents.
Dear Princess Celestia...
My friends and I have all learned an important lesson today. Though it may be a lot easier to simply stand by and watch as something wrong happens to somepony else, sometimes you just need to stop and stand up for yourself. To be treated unfairly just because of a little rumor, a small white lie, or even due to some silly stereotype is a big mistake, and even if it isn't happening to you or someone you know, you should try to help make sure things right, so that everypony gets treated fairly and have equally fun experiences.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
Twilight Sparkle....
Twilight Sparkle...
“...Twilight Sparkle!”
It had only taken a few moments for Celestia to read the letter, but the last two words – the name of the sender – repeated itself in her head for much longer. Luna, although still trapped underneath Celestia's body, was panting as she looked up, confused at Celestia who appeared to be in mid-gasp.
As if like a bolt of lightening, all the memories of Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and all of ponyville suddenly darted through her mind and enveloped her thoughts. She looked down towards Luna, who returned the gaze with a still frightened, yet confused look. Luna and the guards were one thing... but Twilight and her friends... oh how she had desired to feel through all of them too. And in a few more moments, her mind was made up.
She stood up on the bed, pulling her body off of Luna's, blew open the door to the bedroom and raced out at nearly top speed, leaving a dazzling magical trail behind her that slowly faded away. Luna was still laying on the bed, her legs sprawled out and her hot, sweating body exposed. She lay on her back, panting, her horn giving off a slight magical discharge while she slowly closed her eyes, utterly exhausted both emotionally and physically, and then drifted off to sleep.
End part 1 |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 2 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-09-10T06:22:56+00:00 | 2011-09-10T06:22:56+00:00 | 63,287 | Begin Part 2
“Thank you oh so much again Twilight for helping me with the crusaders... I can't imagine what would have happened had you and Fluttershy not shown up!”
“Oh it's no problem Rarity, I was just glad to help.”
“Well we sure as sugar do appreciate ya'll givin us a hoof. Maybe there's something we could do to make up fer it?”
“Ooh! Ideeeaaa~!” Rarity announced as she raised a hoof proudly. “Since fluttershy is letting the crusaders sleep over at her place again, how about I take you both over to my place for a sleepover of our own?”
“Well shucks, that there sounds like a pretty good plan, dontchya think Twi'?” Applejack said.
“Well, it would be fun and all... but Spike is still asleep upstairs.” Twilight claimed, hesitation in her voice. “It's really late, and I'm not sure if I should leave him alone for the night...”
“Oh don't worry darling, I'm sure Owlowicious won't mind looking over him while he's asleep.”
“Well... I guess it couldn't hurt. I'll head over to the library to let him know to take care of spike, then I'll be right over, okay girls?”
“Take yer time, Twi'. Me and Rarity will get the place set up fer ya, okay?”
“Alright, sounds great girls. I'll see you in a bit!” With that, Twilight Sparkle trotted down from atop the hill in one direction as Applejack and Rarity left in another, the night sky above them emanating just enough light for them to find their way in the dark streets of Ponyville. It did not take long for Twilight to reach the library, and it took an even shorter time for her to gather a few things and let Owlowicious know of her plans for that night. After her short preparations, Twilight left the library and headed straight for Rarity's home, a smile on her face with high expectations for the night she was about to have.
Inside the Library, it was pitch black – the perfect environment for a night owl. What's more, Twilight wasn't going to be home, and Spike was already fast asleep in the room upstairs... a perfect opportunity for some late-night hunting. Owlowicious took flight and headed up to one of the openable windows, gently using his wing to creak it open just enough for him to fly out towards the edge of Everfree for a late night snack. It was just a quick trip, and he would probably be back in about 20 minutes or so... what could happen while he was away?
Back in the Library, the darkness still loomed, and not a single creature lurked or stirred in the dead of night. It was only a minute or so after Owlowicious left, however, the the calming darkness was interrupted by a loud thud coming from the balcony of the library. Outside, a set of hoofsteps could be heard, and then the door to the balcony opened magically, allowing entrance to a dark figure which slid in quietly. The figure seemed to look around slowly, taking careful examination of the setting around it. Again it moved, slowly, making its way down from the balcony and towards the opposite side of the library. The figure was like that of a pony, except larger, with its mane lightly sparkling in the darkness. There was also a very quiet, yet distinct chatter coming from the figure, as if it were the sound of jittery teeth from a freezing pony.
The figure continued on, now reaching the bottom of the stairs to the bedroom above. It examined the stairs for a quick moment before beginning its ascension, slowly and quietly moving up towards the door. As it reached the top, the figure abruptly stopped and listened closely – there was a sound on the other side, the sound of... what was it... snoring. It was now apparent that the rhythmic sounds coming from the other side was obviously that of light snoring. The figure faced the door directly, and a long yet thin cone on its head began to shine with magic.
The door opened, and the figure entered slowly, taking care to be even more quiet than before. It approached the bed, and took a second to examine it... empty! There was no pony sleeping in the bed, however... on the far side of the room, a noticeable lump was rising and falling in a smaller bed, at the exact spot the snoring seemed to be coming from. The figure then began approaching this smaller bed, its cone once again shimmering with magic. The sheets that were originally covering the lump slowly began to slide off, revealing a purple and green-scaled body resting in the bed. As the figure drew even closer, the small dragon began to stir slightly, obviously reacting to having its covers taken away.
“Where's my blankey...” Spike mumbled softly, having been unexpectedly hit with a cool rush of air. His eyes still closed, he reached his claws around for his blanket, but couldn’t' find it anywhere on one side. He checked the other side, but again the blanket wasn't there... did it slide off the bed? Spike didn't know, but his slumber was now fully disturbed. He shivered slightly, another soft yet cool blow of air whisking against his scales. Spike shivered slightly, and hoped dearly he could find his blanket soon, or else he would have to actually get up to look for it.
Another blow of air, except this one was... warmer. Spike didn't notice at first, and continued to irritatedly claw around for his beloved blanket, eager to get back to sleep. Another blow of air, this time much more noticeable and a bit warmer as well. Spike stopped... was there a heater in here? He didn't remember Twilight putting one in. As he thought for another moment, a third blow of air came in, this one stronger and hotter than the others. Spike could now feel the little bits of humidity in the air that was being blown on him, and finally it dawned on him...
“Uck, Twilight... are you breathing on me?” He said, lazily leaning up in his bed, his right hand scratching his head with his eyes just starting to open. “Ya know Twi, I really enjoy sleeping without you blowing down... my... neck?”
It was at this moment that spike looked at, and saw through the darkness the large, not-Twilight figure standing before him. Another breath of hot, warm air blew against him as the cone above the figure’s head lit up, revealing its figure with the magically conjured light.
“P-princess Celestia?” Spike asked, baffled at the princess' presence. “What are you doing in...”
Spike was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Celestia's tongue, which slithered down and licked slowly from his stomach, all the way up his chest and neck, gliding across his face and even the his top front spine on his head. Spike froze, a his face plastered with shock and disgust as he tried to register exactly what happened.
“C-celestia...?” Spike asked, his voice shaking and now stuttering slightly. His eyes adjusting to the light, he could not see the princess' face.. distorted by a large, wild grin, her eyes slightly bloodshot with her pupils withered down into tiny black beads. Her teeth were also jittery, and her bottom lip had a drop of drool slowly sliding down towards her chin. Spike reared his head back, subtly trying to distance himself from this apparently insane figure of what he somehow believed was Princess Celestia.
“Spiiiiiike...” Celestia finally spoke, her words sending a cold, harsh shiver down Spike's spine. It was her voice, except, distorted somehow... manipulated to sound somewhat more like a creature than like the normal elegance it had. Spike started to scoot back, Celestia's piercing gaze beginning to strike fear into Spike's little heart, as if everything he held inside of him, every piece of what made up his characteristics and his being were suddenly pulled open and being examined by the same eyes that were boring onto him now. The princess took a step forward, keeping the distance between the two the same as Spike continued to try to scoot away.
“Spiiiiike, where is she...” The princess said, using the same tone as before.
“Wha...” Spike gulped hard, his voice cracking as his brain tried to feed some sort of words towards his mouth, being blocked by the storm of utter confusion and shock that raged in his mind. “W-w-what? Where... where is w-who?”
“Twilight...” Celestia replied, adding a large, hearty breath to her word. “Where is Twilight Sparkle... my most prized pupil.”
“Uhm... I, sh-she's not here?” Spike glanced over to Twilight's bed, and sure enough the bed was empty. Celestia spoke again, sending another moist wave of hot air against Spike's already wet body.
“No... Now tell me, where is she?”
Spike knew he was running out of options. Perhaps Twilight had gone out to one of her friends' places, or just went out for a stroll somewhere. At the same time Spike tried to find his happy place, a place he could go away to and not be in this horrible situation, a place with gems... with wonderful decorations, with all sorts of wonderful marble stones and a large cave... with Rarity... ...Rarity! Maybe Twilight went to Rarity's place, it would surely get the princess out of here and... NO! He had to protect Rarity! But he couldn't just sit there and say nothing, the princess might get upset and do something truly... not good to him. His mind raced, he tried to think of the one place Twilight would never be, and that maybe nopony would be at this time of night. Each moment though he could feel Celestia's breath get stronger, each blow of air swirling its hot humidity around him and involuntarily beginning to warm his blood. Spike struggled for a solution, for an answer of some sort, somewhere deserted, yet somewhere somepony would obviously go to, somewhere like...
“U-uhm, maybe she... went to uh, R-rainbow Dash's p-place?”
Celestia raised her head slightly, her eyes breaking away from Spikes as she thought to herself. Of course, it was so obvious! Perhaps Twilight was having a sleepover at a friend's house... and if she found her, perhaps there would be one of the other mares around she could feel at the same time.
“Rainbow Dash...” Celestia said, her body rising slowly as she looked off in the general direction towards Rainbow Dash's home. After only a few seconds, Celestia turned around and immediately flung herself outside the door, telekineticly closing it behind her with magic and then out of the library all together the way she came.
Spike slumped down in his bed, now shivering in fear from what he just experienced. He knew that Rainbow Dash may now be in danger, but she was a very traveled pony... perhaps she would instead be lazily sleeping on some cloud somewhere, far away from her home. Maybe she was wherever Twilight was, and that they were off in the Everfree Forest somewhere exploring some cave. Spike didn't know, he had no way of knowing, but he hoped that when he woke up in the morning, everything would be better and he could just pretend this was all a dream.
Spike looked over for a quick moment and saw his beloved blanket over the edge of his bed, just slumped aside barely out of his regular reach. He leaned over and grabbed it, pulling it over himself as he curled up and snuggled against it in his bed. He was still shivering slightly, trying desperately not to think of what happened to him. He went back to his happy place, the gem-filled cave with the marble stone walls and Rarity cuddled up beside him.
The dark figure of Princess Celestia traveled over ponyville, her wings spread wide as she flew over the buildings and towards the outskirts of the town. After having flown over and around ponyville multiple times for previous visits, the one cloud home next to the town tended to stand out from the surrounding landscape. Quickly yet quietly she flew, keeping her stealth through the night as she neared her target. It was already in sight, the home-shaped cloud with the few streams of rainbows flowing off the edges. Celestia flew closer, and then gently set down on the steps of the house.
Celestia approached the door, her hooves lightly and quietly stepping on the soft cloud steps. Her horn lit with magic once more, and the door slowly opened without even the slightest creaking sound, adding to the stealth of her approach. Slowly she slipped inside, careful not to cause any sort of noise while she began inspecting the main room of the home. This house was small, and there was only the main room and a closet on the side, with stairs leading to a balcony section of the home to the left of the entry. Celestia peered to the right side, and noticed the bed against the wall. Slowly she approached, peering through the darkness to see any lumps under the covers, to see any sign of a pony mane or hoof or tail... but there was none. Celestia lit up her horn and brought a small amount of light to the room, yet the place was empty, deserted... nothing was here. Celestia cursed her luck under her breath, and had just started to turn around when suddenly a voice rang out through the night.
“Oh Daaaashiiiiie!” Sounded the high-pitched, squeaky voice. Celestia froze in place, her beady eyes peering left to right. She had heard that voice before, but where...?
“Raaaainbow Daaaash, are you up there?” Yes, of course! It was the sound of the party mare, the Pink one!
“Are you up there Dashie?” Pinkie Pie called from below the cloud house. “I saw some colors fly through the sky, so I thought it might've been you! Are you out doing some late-night pranking without me?”
Celestia poked her head out over the steps of the cloud home, able to see the dark figure of Pinkie Pie standing below.
“Oh there you are Dashie!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly. Though she was unable to make out the dark figure of a head sticking out over the clouds, she immediately assumed it was indeed Rainbow Dash. “So you were awake, aha! I was right, wasn't I? You tricky, sneaky dashie you!”
Twilight Sparkle was not here, nor was Rainbow Dash, but Pinkie Pie was one of Twilight's closest friends, one of the ones Celestia most dearly wanted to feel against her. Though she hadn't found her student yet, the pink one would have to suffice... for now.
“Hey, c'mon down here Dashie! I want you to tell me some of the pranks you did!”
The dark figure which Pinkie assumed to be Rainbow Dash withdrew back behind the clouds, as if ignoring her desires completely. Pinkie huffed lightly, yet before she could call out again, the figure reappeared over the edge, with its full body present and its wings spread out. At first Pinkie face lit up with glee, but the next moment she realized that the figure was far too large to be Rainbow Dash. What's more, the figure had hooves, so it wasn't Gilda or anyone like that. To add on to this, the figure was growing in size rapidly, meaning that it was coming down... right on top of her!
Celestia pounced on top of Pinkie Pie, sending her falling to her back below her. Pinkie grunted slightly from the impact, but quickly look around her to see the figure having her pinned and standing over her, as if triumphant. Pinkie was utterly confused, there was nopony she knew as big as this! Not Rainbow Dash, not Ditzy, not Cloud Kicker or Flacky, just no one! The only creature in all of Equestria with this kind of form was...
“Princess Celestia?” Pinkie asked, her voice riddled with confusion.
“Yes my sweet child?” Celestia replied, her voice aired with the same disturbance that she used to confront Spike with.
“What are you doing here?” Pinkie questioned again, oblivious to the strange sound in Celestia's voice. Then her face lit up as one probable reason jumped into her head, and she gasped out in surprise. “Ooh, Princess, are you personally inviting me to a party!? I would LOVE to go!”
If Pinkie Pie wasn't pinned, she would surely be hopping with joy right now, barely able to contain the excitement that was built up inside her. Celestia, however, brought some light to her horn and began to illuminate the area around them. At first pinkie made “Oooooh” sounds as she saw her and Celestia lit up, but her vibrant smile and happy demeanor quickly faded as she looked straight into Celestia's eyes.
Those same wide, bloodshot, beady black eyes gazed back towards Pinkie's, doing the same thing they had done with Spike, Luna, and the two guards earlier that night. At first though, Pinkie stared at Celestia with only the slightest frown. Then she actually began to giggle, thinking this was some sort of game or a playful attempt to scare her, but the giggling also faded as Pinkie felt a weird sensation on her tail. Looking down, she could see Celestia's tail brushing up and down her own , stroking the length with its tip wile it gently glided over.
“Princess Celestia? What are you doing?” Pinkie asked before looking to see that Celestia had moved her face up to hers, their noses now touching and her eyes once more connected to her own. This time Pinkie couldn't look away, her gaze was fixated towards the source of the Celestia's gaze as her beady eyes struck down a stare that seemed to shoot down like a bolt of lightening, sending it straight into Pinkie's head and mind and probing around every corner and section of her brain. The same bolt traveled through her body, sending a cold, painful shiver that suddenly brought fear into Pinkie's heart.
Celestia's tail slid upward, traveling up to Pinkie's rear and stroking it gently. At the same time, her mane lowered down and wrapped itself around Pinkie's mane, stroking it up and down from the tip to where it connected with her head. Celestia's gaze stayed fixated on Pinkie's eyes, using it like some sort of paralysis beam for her victims. Pinkie's body felt cold, and no longer could she feel any sort of happiness or joy that she felt earlier, only this foreign, strange feeling that now puled through her body from where Celestia's mane was touching her. Soon, Celestia began to lower her body down towards Pinkie's, her tail now sliding around and gliding around her haunches and just under Pinkie's lower tummy.
“N-no! Wait, stop it!” Pinkie suddenly cried, her eyes closing in order to break away from the cold, terrifying gaze that Celestia was using on her.
She quickly rolled over form under Celestia and tried to press upward to a full stand, but the princess was already bearing her body down on top of her. Desperate, she tried to push herself out and make a run for it, but the princess suddenly applied more pressure as the weight of her body came down on top of her, pinning her on her stomach. She tried sliding back under, perhaps able to slip away like that, but all she was able to get free was her rear, which stuck out and upwards from behind her.
Celestia could feel Pinkie's struggling, and that only made her lust grow as she felt the small pink pony squirming to get free underneath. The feel of the pink one's body rubbing and wiggling up against her, the pleasure was maddening! Her muscles tensed, and after a moment she pressed her whole body down and began to roughly grind it against the pink one's. Her tail flung down and gripped itself around her subject's waist, keeping her rear stuck up high while Celestia used her haunches to rub and grind up against them. Simultaneously, Celesta's hair shot down towards pinkie's head, splitting as they reached with one half of the hair sliding around the left side and the other half to the right.
Pinkie gasped out as Celestia's hair traveled down, but before she could close her mouth, the hair – acting like it was some sort of living tentacle – slid down and up into her mouth, forcing her mouth open and pulsating towards her throat. She gagged slightly, now having to breath through her nose as her mouth was filled up while her back and rear were being harshly rubbed by Celestia's coat. There wasn't enough force to crush her – Pinkie knew that with Celestia's size, that might be possible – but there was certainly a nearly overwhelming force bearing down on her, with every powerful grind sending a strong pulse through the length of her body and around all corners and edges.
Pinkie's legs were shaking, as Celestia had been dominating her now for about a minute. Her attempts to escape only seemed to feed Celestia's strength and made the overwhelming pulses grow stronger, which held the strangest yet also most pleasurable sensation to them. At first Pinkie's back was on fire, but that flame quickly seemed to melt through her coat and bring a moist warmth throughout her entire body, now making her almost instinctively move in sync with the grinding motion from above her. The now slick hair in her mouth had begun pushing down her throat, staying in two distinguishable twirls of hair that represented the bit entering from the left side of her mouth and the bit entering from the right. The two slimy bundles pushed and writhed themselves in further, their writhing in sync with the grinding of Celestia's whole body, adding more to the intense sensation that rocked her down to her very core. Even Celestia's tail itself was pumping around her waist in perfect synchronization, keeping her rump held high and her haunches elongated and exposed while Celestia's powerful hips pulsed roughly against her, adding the final bit to the overwhelmingly pleasurable sensation that constantly reverberated through Pinkie Pie's entire being.
Unable to control herself, and with a sudden passage available from the two invasive lobs of hair in her mouth and down her throat, Pinkie let out a loud, sensual moan that had mustered itself up from the deepest parts of her body. After the moan, the two tentacle-like pieces of hair gradually slid out and under her, stroking her own hot wetness down to her chest and tummy, coaxing over almost every bit of her coat. The pleasure only increased, and Pinkie let out another even louder moan, and another, and even more after that. Each moan came at every other thrust down onto her, keeping with the rhythm of this overwhelming source of this unimaginable pleasure. It felt as though Pinkie had thrown the best, biggest, most wonderful party in all of Equestria, and the beat of the party music matched the rhythm that Celestia was using to grind down on top of her.
Minutes passed, and Pinkie had began sweating heavily earlier on, her coat wet and sliding more smoothly against Celestia's. Even so, the continual rush of this heavy sensation had sapped all the energy Pinkie Pie had, and before long she eventually collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily, her mind scrambled with an uncountable number of mixed feelings, and her body worn out from the intense, wet heat that still coursed through her veins and made her body twitch and spaz uncontrollably. Pinkie couldn't go on any longer, and she very quickly found her eyes shutting and falling into a deep sleep.
Celestia rose slowly off the warm, sopping wet mess under her that had finally become exhausted and fallen fast asleep. Unfortunately, Celestia herself had not had nearly as much pleasure as she wanted, though the pink one did provide a good source of temporary fun.
She looked up towards the sky, and saw the moon was still relatively high in the night sky. She still had a target, one pressing goal that she had to reach, and this pony was only the start of things. Her mind traveled around for a bit as she pondered her next destination. She now knew that Rainbow Dash was not home, and with Pinkie here, the others would not be at her home of Sugar Cube Corner. That left only Fluttershy's Cottage, Rarity's Carousel Boutique, and the Apple Family House. The cottage in question housed Fluttershy and a bunch of small woodland creatures, which did not meet up to Celestia's desires. The Boutique had Rarity and Sweetie Belle, yet the Apple Family house would have the old mare Granny Smith and Big Macintosh, and more importantly Applejack. Even if there were only those few, it was for more of a bounty than the other two destinations brought, and it may just be where Twilight Sparkle was!
Celestia looked down below her, the pink one curled up now and sleeping soundly. The time with her was over, and Celestia now had more pressing matters to attend to. She extended her wings and propelled herself off the ground and soaring through the sky, heading all the way across town towards Sweet Apple Acres.
^=^=^
In the solitude of her room, Luna slowly and lazily woke up, her body stiff and not wanting to respond to her orders. Her mind was in a daze, and it was hard for her to remember much. She looked out the window and saw it was night time, and though that perhaps she had just taken a nap from a hard night of studying Equestrian tax laws. Then she looked at the calender, and saw the date set to April 1st.
“April first... but that means...” Suddenly, Luna gasped out loudly as the events from earlier that night all came crashing into her mind like a runaway freight train. The prank, the spell, the light, the guards...
“Celestia! Oh my... Where, where is she?” Luna looked around the room frantically, wishing in vain that the princess would be right there. However, she was nowhere in sight, and the last thing her older sister said to her before she passed out suddenly popped into her mind.
“Twilight Sparkle...” she repeated aloud. She needed to go find her, and keep her away from her sister. But first, she needed to get some help. Celestia was far too powerful for her, especially in the overwhelmingly dominate state she was in now. Luna thought for a moment, and then came up with her first idea.
“I need to round up the guards...” Luna said to herself, realizing that they were probably her best bet at subduing the princess. Luna gathered herself and organized her thoughts for a few seconds, and then took off down the hall, hoping to find as many guards as she could and get them down to Ponyville to save Twilight Sparkle and her friends, before it was too late.
-End part 2 |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 3 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-08-27T09:37:04+00:00 | 2011-08-27T09:37:04+00:00 | 48,224 | Begin Part 3
“Wonderbolts... Yeeahhh...” Rainbow Dash whispered quietly, sound asleep on her makeshift cloud bed in the sky. She was sprawled out on her back, a small dab of drool hanging off the corner of her smiling mouth as she dreamed of finally becoming a Wonderbolt and performing the most spectacular stunts at an airshow. As she slept, the quiet night air around her produced a cool, soothing breeze that ever so softly brushed against her mane and coat, relaxing the pegasus while already in a deep sleep. Her legs kicked slightly and her wings flinched and fluttered, seeming to try to mimic the events in her dream. Dash was in her ultimate happy place, and nothing but the morning sun would wake her from this pleasant slumber.
Well, the only exception to this is apparently the one who raises the sun itself, as Celestia hurriedly flew through the sky and sped right past the cloud Rainbow Dash as asleep on, causing an abrupt and strong gust of wind that nearly tipped her off the cloud. Dash awoke, most annoyed that her deep sleep – and most importantly of all, her wonderful dream – had been interrupted. She fumbled lightly to get on her hooves and quickly looked around, just catching the dark figure speeding away from her.
“Why that little...” Dash said to herself, assuming it was somepony that purposely woke her up to mess with her. Without much thought, Dash quickly flared out her wings and gave chase to the already distant black figure.
Before long, Dash had already begun catching up to the figure, its legs and tail clearly visible yet still distant. Though as she drew closer, Dash took notice that the figure ahead of her was larger than the normal size of any pegasus pony she knew. Furthermore, the tail was different... it seemed to be lightly sparkling as it fluttered in the wind, unlike anything she had seen before, except...
Why would Princess Celestia be here in Ponyville, at night? Dash thought to herself, quickly realizing the identity of the figure she was chasing. She contemplated the possibility that it had something to do with Twilight Sparkle, but that idea essentially deteriorated as she realized they were heading towards Sweet Apple Acres. This not only confused Rainbow Dash, but also changed her mind from confronting the pony to following her – out of sight hopefully – to find out what was going on.
The figure that was apparently Princess Celestia approached Sweet Apple Acres, and began to slow down gradually. Soon, she landed inside the property right beside the main farmhouse, and instead of walking to the front, she seemed to begin lurking around the sides. Rainbow Dash flew down to the top of a nearby apple tree, crawling into the covers of the leaves and peeking out to get a good look. It sure was the princess alright, she could tell by the presence of the large horn on her head coupled with the wings she used to fly.
Celestia slowly trotted around the building, inspecting the windows and walls as she went. Then, she took flight and ascended to the second floor, peering into each of the windows one by one. Finally, she began to take interest in one window in particular, even going as far as poking her head inside to look around. Finally, she slowly slipped inside and out of view of her vision.
Eager to see what was going on, Dash quietly flew towards the house and swooped around just under the window sill of where Celestia entered, a small light now shining inside. As she leaned her ear closer, she began to hear soft voices coming from inside...
“Where are they...?” One voice asked, sounding slightly hoarse while at the same time seeming very eager.
“I uh, I-I don't know ma'am.” The other voice said, the voice of a colt... it was Big Macintosh! “Please, what... what's wrong?” Rainbow Dash poked her head up, daring a look into the room.
“I want you to tell me where they are right now...” Celestia ordered, now clear to Rainbow Dash that she had Big Mac pinned on his back. It seemed as the he was on the bed of his bedroom with light emanating from Celestia's horn.. “I know you keep up with your sister's whereabouts, now tell me where they've gone!” She hissed.
“W-wait I... I mean, she said something about going to one of her friend's places, but...” Celestia was obviously getting impatient, judging by how her face suddenly sprung closer to Big Mac's and her eyes grew larger.
“Where... WHERE did she go!?” Celestia growled. Rainbow Dash reared back slightly, this wasn't the Celestia she knew... something happened to her, or something was controlling her. Whatever it was she didn't know, but she did know that she had to go warn Twilight and the others before something awful happened.
“She, she went... Pinkie's place. Uh, eeyup... they went to that there Sugarcube Corner...”
“Hmm... interesting... I'll have to look into it, but first...” Celestia suddenly began to descend upon Big Mac, her belly now just touching the top of his. “I think I should have myself a bit of a taste before I go...”
Rainbow Dash gasped, but then quickly shoved a hoof in her mouth to forcefully silence herself. But it was too late, Celestia heard the noise and quickly raised her head, taking only a split second to make eye contact with Dash. Dash reared back, and after a short “oh no” she quickly turned tail and flew as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Celestia quickly got off of Big Mac and quickly began pursuit of her, leaving the large Colt alone in the bed.
Rainbow Dash is an incredibly fast flier, often credited as probably the fastest flier in all of Equestria! Even so, the powerful wings on Celestia's back allowed her to keep up with the speedy Rainbow Dash, even when flying at full speed. Dash looked back, seeing that Celestia was hot on her trail and not letting up. Faster and faster Dash went, but regardless of her speed Celestia stayed right behind her, now seeming to catch up!
Dash's mind raced, she needed to think of a way out, a way to shake her off or to lose her somehow. She needed to go somewhere with a lot of obstacles, somewhere dangerous that Celestia might be to big to move through safely, some place like... The Everfree Forest! Dash yelled in her mind, the idea suddenly sparking up. Adjusting her course, she quickly began speeding off towards the Everfree Forest, which was not only a few seconds away.
Dipping down almost to the ground, Dash zoomed in under the treeline with Celestia right behind her, zipping in through bushes and around branches in trees, pulling off every trick she knew to try to get deranged princess off her tail. The fact that she was still going nearly top speed through the forest was not a feat by skill alone, but also by foolhardy luck as every opening she passed through had just the right arrangement of trees for her to be able to barely swerve and swivel past the bark-covered obstacles. Amazingly, Celestia herself had also passed through every obstacle, despite her size, and was still gaining! She was now only about 10-15 yards behind Rainbow Dash.
Suddenly, Dash lost sight of the princess, as if she had either slowed down, flown above the treeline, or accidentally ran into an obstacle. Yes! She thought to herself, praising her luck as she continued to look back to see if she could see the princess still behind her. But with her attention directed away from where she was going, Dash accidentally flew straight into a large bundle of vines hanging low under a tree branch, snagging her almost instantly and pulling her to a complete stop.
“Ah! W-what the...!?” Rainbow Dash cried out, hastily inspecting the vines that now kept her in place. Quickly she began to struggle, but her plunge into the bundle had somehow gotten her exquisitely tangled up. She then suddenly heard a twig break and some leaves rustle, and as she looked up, there was Celestia... walking proudly towards Rainbow Dash with her horn now beginning to shine with magical light.
The deranged princess looked straight at Dash, who looked straight back, their gazes fixated on each other’s. Just as before, Celestia's beady eyes took hold of Rainbow Dash, and froze her in place with a mix of shock, fear, and ultimate confusion as to what to do now. As Celestia approached, a new glow took shape around her horn as the vines that bound to rainbow dash began to shift, sliding around her body and settling in restraining positions around her waist, her neck, the junction point of her flank and her lower legs, and at the joint directly above the hoof. The vines tightened and pulled Dash's limbs apart, exposing her body fully and laying it out directly in front of the princess.
There, Dash lay completely restrained and unable to move, her wings batting furiously until a couple more vines came and tied them up as well. Her body was pointing straight up, her limbs pulled widely apart, and her wings now held open and stiff like a display before the princess. Slowly Celestia approached, her menacing grin once more widening and another drop of drool beginning to slide down from her lip. Dash's struggling soon came to a halt, unable to move now from the overwhelming combination of shock and fear she was feeling. Gently Celestia raised one of her hoofs, placed it at the bottom of Rainbow Dash's neck, and slowly began to slide it down her body.
“Gotchya...”
^=^=^
When Luna came to the hallway leading up to Celestia's bedroom, she found half of the guards unconscious, and the other half still groggy and trying to help the others up. They must have been knocked out from Celestia crashing through them... Luna thought to herself. Quickly she approached the nearest guard and began inspecting for injuries while helping him get up. Her horn lit up, and a simple rejuvenation spell began to work on the first guard, slowly bringing him back to his senses. As she looked around, there were still another 20 or so guards that needed to regain consciousness.
“This is gonna take a while...” Luna spoke to herself.
*=*=*
“Nnnn! Nnnn! C-celestia..!” Rainbow Dash yelped, unable to handle this intense sensation that was currently bolting through her body.
Celestia had her hooves slid around Dash's sides, holding her closer while straining the vines further. Her hair was wet and slick, having just been pulled out of Dash's mouth and was now split into two parts, each part rubbing itself against the entire length of Dash's wings and coaxing every feather. Celestia's face was pressed up against Dash's while it maneuvered around her body, her lips gliding over her tummy while her tongue slithered down between her haunches and back up to her lips against Dash’s stomach. Her tongue worked fast yet kept up a steady rhythmic patter, lapping and twisting over Dash's coat, careful to reach over every part of her body and tantalize it with just the right touch.
Rainbow Dash's body was shaking, her blood running hot from the overwhelmingly pleasurable sensation running through her, her tongue draped out over her lips while she panted out madly. Each pulse from the rhythm sent another wave of pleasure spreading around inside her like an out of control wildfire. Dash couldn't take it, she couldn't explain what exactly she was feeling or exactly how Celestia was doing it, but the entire experience had made her feel better than she did even when she won the best young flier's competition. As if that wasn't enough, Celestia's next move surprised Rainbow Dash as much as it did pleasure her.
Celestia raised up the back of her head while still keeping her muzzle up close to Dash's tummy, and pointed her horn straight up to her mouth. Without any warning, the horn was stuffed into Dash's mouth and slid up to her throat, Dash beginning to gag on it lightly. The horn's glow also changed, this time to a more pinkish color as it forced a magical sensation through Dash's lips and mouth, causing her to feel a most daunting pleasure that nearly forced her to begin sucking and lathering the horn with her tongue. Though the entirety of the horn itself could not fit in Dash’s mouth, especially at such an angle, it allowed her to at least let her tongue and lips massage around the tip. While she sucked, Dash's hips began to buck up against Celestia's muzzle, moving to the rhythm that was already present and now making the effects of the movements of her lips and tongue amplified. This continued on for several more minutes before Rainbow Dash's body – although athletically rounded and very much in shape – finally reached its end point with this session.
Dash released the lips from her mouth and let her head fall back, gasping loudly as her limbs went limp and her muscles relaxed. She panted heavily, drool dripping down from her lips while her entire middle body was covered with the wetness from Celestia's tongue. She finally passed out soon after releasing her mouth from the horn, drifting off into a deep, exhausted sleep.
Celestia pulled back slowly, the energy in this pony all used up now. She gently released her magical influence on the vines, and let them and Rainbow Dash slump to the ground. Taking this time to think, Celestia then began to contemplate Twilight's location once more. They weren't at the Apple house, and Celestia knew they weren't at Sugar Cube Corner, because surely she would have been with Pinkie Pie when she came out and followed her. That left her with two options now, and she choose first Rarity's Carousel Boutique. After taking another moment to look at the result of her work on the rainbow-maned pegasus, Celestia turned around and flew out of the forest, heading straight for Rarity's home.
@_(*)_@
“So what would you girls like to do next? How about some sort of scary story?” Twilight asked, cheerfully glancing between Rarity and Applejack.
“Ooh, that sounds interesting deary, but I'm really not so big on scary stories...” Rarity replied. “How about you, Applejack? Don't you have some sort of mare's tale from the barn?”
“Well...” Applejack said, a hoof on her chin as she took a moment to think. “Actually, I think I do! Heck, this one will be scary enough to knock your socks off!”
“Sounds great Applejack! Let's hear it,” Twilight said, eager to hear the story.
The three ponies were circled around a magically lit lantern in the center of Rarity's bedroom. They were all laying on a pillow with a blanket draped over each of them while lightly snacking on some smores and other light treats. As Applejack progressed through the story, the other two ponies became noticeably frightened, Twilight having her mouth bit onto part of the pillow while Rarity was lightly shaking.
“And then, there was the sound of hoofsteps totterin' on the floor... tap, tap, tap, tap...” Applejack said, focusing on the story. “Little'ol Blessy Bean listened closely, but after a few moments, there was suddenly a loud knock on the barn door!”
Without warning, there was a loud knock coming from downstairs, causing both Rarity and Twilight to jump up with a scream.
“Uhh, Rarity, I think that's actually somepony at your door...” Applejack said, giving a slightly confused look.
“Oh! Um, well... well okay then, I guess I'll go have a look...” She replied, fixing her hair slightly from it getting a bit frizzled from the recent scream.
Her and the other two followed, slowly making their way down the stairs and to the front door as it once again knocked loudly. Who in all of Equestria could be knocking at my door at this time of night? Rarity thought to herself as she approached the door. Using her magic, she turned the knob and opened the door for whoever it was outside. As it opened, all three of the ponies gasped at the figure who stood at the entrance, its face different than they had ever seen it before.
End Part 3 |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 4 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-08-27T09:42:33+00:00 | 2011-08-27T09:42:33+00:00 | 44,684 | Begin Part 4
“Big Macintosh?” Applejack blurted out, “What the hay are ya doin here at this time'a hour!?”
“Darling, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost!” Rarity said, more concerned on the appalled look on Big Mac's Face.
“I, uh,” Big Mac began, his voice shaky and hesitant. “I need to talk to Twilight... right now.”
“What is it Big Mac?” Twilight asked, gently pushing Applejack out of the way as she approached him.
“It's about yer Princess Celestia, I think something's really wrong with her.”
“Princess Celestia!?” Twilight gasped. “Why? I mean, how do you know this?”
“She was just at the plantation house, came in through the window I think while I was asleep and-”
“Woah there, hold on now,” Applejack intervened. “Why would she come to our house, in the middle of the night, and through our window?”
“That's what ah'm tryin to figure out!” He claimed. “But, when she woke me up, it felt like it wasn't really her. I mean, it was her, but... somethin's wrong with her, like up in the noggin.”
“How could you tell? What did she do, what did she say?” Twilight questioned, eager to find out about the princess with the thought now coming up that she might be stricken with some sort of horrible mental illness.
“Well, she was, uh...” Big Mac blushed in embarrassment, not all too sure himself of what exactly she was doing or going to do.
“Well c'mon, out with it,” Applejack said, now more interested than ever. “We wanna know what's goin on with the princess!”
“Um, well... she was on my bed, on top of me...” his blush increased, and the other 3 ponies began to notice this. “And she asked me where you were, Twilight.”
“Me?” Twilight asked, very confused. “What does she want with me?”
“She said somethin about... feelin ya or somethin. I'm not too sure, but she did't seem real healthy to me, so when she asked me where ya'll were, I couldn't think of anywhere else to say except... um...”
“What, what did you tell them!?” Twilight asked, now very concerned. Applejack and Rarity, however, had partially caught on to the main focus of Big Mac's words, and exchanged glances to one another.
“I told'er you would be at Sugar Cube corner... I wasn't really thinkin girls, I'm sorry...”
“Well if Celestia went to Pinkie Pie's place,” Applejack thought aloud, “then she'll just point her in this direction I'm sure.”
“Well, there's one more thing,” Big Mac confessed. “Right after I told'er, she and I saw Rainbow Dash peekin through the window, and then suddenly just flew after her. I dunno what happened after that, so I decided to come here and make sure ya'll were safe.”
“She flew after Rainbow?” Twilight questioned, already incredibly confused. “But, if she's looking for me, why didn't you just tell her where I was?”
“I told ya, I don't think she's exactly straight in the noggin. She was acting weird and, not just herself... ya gotta believe me.”
“I believe ya big brother,” Applejack said, taking a step forward. She had known her brother all her life, and knew that he wasn't anything close to the type of pony that would be able to hold a lie, especially about something as big as this. “So what do you think we should do?”
“Wait,” Twilight spoke up, just as Big Macintosh was about to say something else. “If Celestia came looking for me, then wouldn't the first place for her to go be...” She suddenly sprung her head up, hey eyes growing wide as she gasped loudly. “Spike! Oh no, we gotta go see if he's okay!”
“You're right Twilight,” Rarity said. “We can't just leave the little deary all alone like this, we should go check to see if he's okay, and then I think we should go to Pinkie Pie's and see if she's alright. Then we should go off to try to find Rainbow Dash... oh I hope she's not in any trouble.”
“Alright then, lets go get our stuff girls,” Applejack said. “We gotta go and... wait, everypony get inside, quick!” Her voice was suddenly hushed, waving everyone inside quickly. Without question they all filed in and hurriedly closed the door. After a few seconds there was a loud thud on the roof, followed by the noise of hoofsteps around the first floor roof.
“Applejack, is that Princess Celestia you saw up there?” Rarity whispered through the darkness.
“Yeah, now everypony keep quiet...”
The hoofsteps moved around, and they soon heard them traveling inside the boutique, now presumably up in their bedroom. It was very obvious now that Celestia was searching for them, and though the question of why still remained, what Big Mac had told them assured that it would be best to seek other sources of information before personally confronting the princess.
“She's gonna find us down here...” Big Mac muttered, his voice softly shivering in fear.
“Y-you girls go on ahead...” Rarity said, her voice also stricken with a bit of fright. “I'l see if I can distract her long enough for you to get away...”
“B-but Rarity!” Twilight protested with a raised whisper. “What if something really is wrong with the princess, what if she does something really bad to you?”
“I'll be fine deary, don't worry about me... now go, all of you! Before she finds out we're down here.”
“Are ya sure about this Rar'?” Applejack asked, her voice worried.
“No, I'm not...” She confessed. “But I have to do something, now get going, c'mon!” She quickly used her hooves and her magic to rapidly push the three other ponies out of the door and lock it behind them, as if forcing the decision right there and then. Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle all exchanged glances one more time before quickly trotting off towards Sugar Cube Corner.
Rarity turned around and looked up at the ceiling, hearing the hoofsteps now reaching the door towards the stairs. She didn't have much time, so she quickly trotted over towards her work desk and began magically floating out several pieces of thread, ribbons, fabric, and an assortment of gowns she had previously made. Looking through them, she wondered if she could perhaps distract Celestia with perhaps some sort of fashion-related performance of some sort, and possibly even find out what was wrong with her at the same time. This, however, turned out not to be the case as she heard a voice from the opposite side of the room behind her.
“Why hello my faithful subject...”
@_(*)_@
Applejack, Twilight, and Big Mac all ran as fast as they could towards sugarcube corner, eager to see if Pinkie Pie was alright. As they approached they saw nothing out of the ordinary, and were preparing to head inside when a light sobbing caught their attention. They turned their heads down the street in the direction they were heading, and Twilight shined some light with her horn to reveal a very distressed Pinkie Pie, her mane and tail now drooping down to the ground and her head hung low with tears lightly dripping to the ground as she slowly walked towards her home.
“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight called out to her friend. Had she not said anything, Pinkie probably would not have even noticed them.
“Oh mah stars...” Applejack muttered as she ran up beside her pink friend. “Pinkie Pie, are you all right? What's wrong?” The only response was a gently raised head and a pitiful look in her teary eyes, an apparent sadness and discomfort overwhelming her. Twilight rushed up beside her, as Applejack put a hoof around her, now leading her to the door of her home.
“C'mon now, we better get you inside, and then you can tell us what happened to ya...” As they walked, Applejack glanced at Big Mac, who returned with a sort of 'I'm sorry, but it's true' sort of message coming from his expression. The four ponies quietly filed into the building, heading up to the second floor and gently setting Pinkie Pie in her bed. The three other ponies were crushed, they had never seen their most overjoyed and completely happy-go-lucky friend in such a sorrowful state. As they grouped around her, Twilight took the initiative to ask her what happened.
“It, it was, just...” Pinkie finally said after a minute of sobbing. “Did... did I do something wrong? Did I m-make somepony angry...?”
“What happened sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “What got your apples all down in a pit?”
“I, I dunno... I thought I was following Dashie but...” Pinkie began to cry loudly, remembering every moment of her ordeal. After another minute, she was able to stomach a few more words. “I got to her house but, it was Celestia there...” Applejack and Twilight gasped lightly, their suspicion now confirmed, while Big Mac simply lowered his head. “I thought she wanted to invite me to a party but, but... I dunno, she just... touched me... and it didn't feel like any sort of party to me...”
“W-where did she touch you Pinkie?” Twilight asked. Pinkie Pie's eyes watered more, but she slowly lowered a hoof down between her haunches, now breaking down into tears again. The others cringed, now realizing the full magnitude of what is going on.
“Wait, what about Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked, speaking up after a few seconds. “Is she okay?” Pinkie lowered her head and shrugged lightly, not knowing herself where Dash even was. The others looked at each other nervously, not sure of what to do next.
“We need to get Pinkie Pie out to Fluttershy's cottage,” Big Mac said. “She may be able to help her get better.”
“That's good thinkin big brother... but what about Rarity? We just left her with Celestia!”
“I hate to admit it...” Big Mac said, looking at her sister and her friends with discomfort. “But we need all the time we can get to get some help. Let's just hope for now she can at least occupy her for a while...”
Applejack gasped loudly and was about to object, but Twilight suddenly raised her hoof in front of her. She looked at Applejack straight in the eye, assuring her it was their only logical option. Applejack took a step back and lowered her head in defeat.
“C'mon guys,” Twilight said eventually. “Let's get Pinkie Pie to the cottage, then we should see if we can't figure out what to do with Celestia.”
*=*=*
“G-gently, please!” Rarity gasped, her restraints tightening.
“Oh, what's that? Harder you say? My pleasure!” Celestia said, whipping rarity's rear with the towel again.
Rarity was tied up, her own ribbons being used as rope while she stayed sprawled out in an embarrassing pose. She was bent over with her back legs on the floor, her rump stuck out and upwards higher than normal while her front legs were pulled behind her back and up into the air, the ribbons holding them attached to the ceiling. Her rump was not bleeding, but was covered with several streaks of red marks left from the constant whipping caused by Rarity's best and most authentic luxury towel.
Celestia was in front of her, her hooves draped over her shoulders and down her back to the sides of her flank while she occasionally dipped her head down for a few light licks and maybe even a suck of Rarity's horn. Her horn was glowing with magic that was being used on the towel which would whip rarity's rear again on command. Occasionally, Celestia's tentacle-like hair would slither down her sides and begin stroking itself along her chest and stomach, then glide their way down in between her haunches and lightly apply pressure while making tight swirls against her coat. After that, they would gently glide up her body again while stroking against her neck and cheeks before returning back down to repeat the motion again.
Rarity squirmed and grunted loudly, the feeling on her flank tingling with pain yet the sensation from her horn broadcasting waves of pleasure across her body. She tried her best to resist, but it did not take long for the first moan to escape from her lips. The feeling of pain and pleasure combining in her body made her mind scramble, unable to process anything except the sensations forcing their way through it. She moaned again as Celestia began to suck on her horn once more. Magic lightly began seeping from her horn, Rarity quickly losing control of even her most basic functions. Her legs also began to shake, first her rear legs and then her front, quivering while in mid-air while her body was sweating profusely. The towel whipped her again, and instead of a pain-induced grunt she moaned once more, unable to differentiate the pain from being anything other than pleasure anymore.
It was as if the actions most negative towards her were now turning into some of the most exciting things ever. Her legs forced apart and into one place, though discomforting at first, seemed to provide a clean passage for her body to feel the full force of the satisfying waves passing through her. Her rear, which though being whipped roughly, provided a sort of counterbalance in the first part of the devious concoction now reacting inside her. The feeling of her horn brought the second, adding the most thrilling and wonderful feeling she had ever been faced with and pushing it through her body. When they met in the center, her insides seemed to explode with an uncontrollably pleasurable hotness that streamed through her blood to every part of her being. It was so maddening, but at the same time it was all so good!
“M-my word... Celestia...” Rarity choked out, barely able to say anything let alone make intellectual sense of the situation.
She was quickly hushed when a large glob of Celestia's hair swirled in front of her and probed itself into her mouth, sliding in deep and down towards her throat. At the same time Celestia began to move her hooves down lower, now sliding them under her and between her haunches, stroking in a firm and rhythmic fashion as she began to suck on the horn once more in the same rhythm. This continued for several minutes, before Rarity finally found herself losing consciousness and blacking out from the overwhelming sensations boiling up and then exploding over and over inside of her.
After giving a final hearty moan and finally passing out in her restraints, Celestia gently undid the knots and lowered her to the ground, letting her lay as a hot, sweaty mess on the floor. Celestia had to admit, she was surprised the elegant, marshmallow-like one lasted as long as she did, but still she did not satisfy her hunger fully. Five places down, one more to go...
^=^=^
“You mean... this has happened before?” Luna asked, dumbfounded by what the Captain of the Royal Guards was telling her.
“Yes, it has. A secret such as this, however, is only known to the most trustworthy subjects under Celestia, me being one of them. Though it hasn't happened in hundreds of years, Celestia made sure that a small number of ponies were informed through the generations so that they could help solve the crisis should it arise again.”
“I see...” Luna said, looking down and thinking briefly. After a moment she raised her head towards the Guard Captain again, a worried twinkle in her eye. “So what happens next? What will Celestia do now that her... um, what was it?”
“Through the years, the few of us who know came to call her 'Molestia' as some sort of a side joke, so that's what we go with now.”
“Ah, yes, well... what will Molestia do now that she is free?”
“According to the previous incident, she will go out and seek those closest to her and try to get as much sexual pleasure out from them as possible. Once finished, she will then proceed to go out and molest nearly anyone and everyone she can, even going as far at one point in ordering some guards to aid her.”
“That's... that's terrible! How do we stop her?”
“The only way we can get her back to normal is if we seal the part of her that's responsible for this back into the furthest depths of her mind. However, we need a Unicorn pony adept in spells that deal with illusions, mental mechanics with magic, and also sealing spells in order to pull it off.”
“Alright, I think maybe I should go down and try to find a spell book with the right spell...”
“That won't be necessary ma'am, we already have an agent with the abilities needed for the task. She was recruited by one of Canterlot's greatest magical minds several months ago, and has already proven herself very skilled in many of the diverse fields of magic.”
“O-oh! Well, that's great! Where can we find this mare?”
“Well, at this time of night she's most likely asleep, so we'll have to wake her up. However, she has made it painfully clear in the past not to uh...” The Guard Captain paused momentarily, clearing his throat as if preparing to recite something he was taught – forcefully by the sound of it – some time in the past. “She doesn't particularly enjoy others disturbing her Great and Powerful slumber...”
End Part 4
Author Note: What a tweest! |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 5 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-09-10T06:26:03+00:00 | 2011-09-10T06:26:03+00:00 | 48,784 | Begin Part 5
“Spike? Spiiiike!?” Twilight called, now closing the door of her library home behind her. The place was dark, just as she remembered leaving it, except Owlowicious wasn't present. This gave her the chills... perhaps Celestia really did come by here, and something happened to both her assistants! Quickly, she rushed up the stairs to the room and magically opened the door, barging inside.
To her relief, Spike was still laying in his bed asleep, covered up by his blanket. She rushed to his side and nudged her nose against him, eventually waking him up after a few tries. He groaned and rolled over, becoming more agrivated that Twilight had continued to nudge at him.
“Spike, wake up!” She whispered loudly. “You gotta come with us!”
“To where?” Spike groaned, rolling over to face her with an unimpressed look on his face.
“I don't think it's safe here... I believe the princess to have come down with some sort of mental illness.”
“The princess...? You mean Celestia?” Spike questioned, the memories of what he hoped were just a dream coming back into the focus of his mind.
“Yes, her. I've got to get you out of here before she decides to do something... illogical.”
“But she was already here, I think...” Spike said, slowly leaning up. “She wasn't acting herself... it was really creepy.”
“What did she do?” Twilight questioned, her eyes growing slightly wider.
“She uh,” Spike paused and shivered slightly, remembering what had happened to him. “She kinda, licked me. It felt really weird.”
“Where did she lick you?” Twilight asked, fearful that Celestia may had done to him what she did to Pinkie Pie. Spike bit his lower lip and slowly pointed to his stomach, and then trailed his claw up across over his face in a straight line. Afterwards, he again got a cold shiver through his body and shook slightly.
“C'mon Spike,” Twilight said, trying to push the thought of what Spike reenacted out of her mind. “Let's get going... I'm bringing you to Fluttershy's place for now until we can figure out what to do, it's not safe here.”
“Alright Twilight,” Spike said as he grabbed his blanket and lazily hopped onto Twilight's back. Twilight walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, then looked one more time for her night-time assistant, again not seeing him anywhere. With a small sigh, she exited the library and quickly trotted over towards Fluttershy's cottage.
^=^=^
“Who in all of Equestria dares to disturb The Great and Powerful Trixie's elegant slumber!?” Said the voice of a very cranky mare from inside a bedroom. Luna, the guard captain, and two other guards were at the doorway of one of the most luxurious suites available in the Canterlot Double-Tree Hotel.
“This is Silver Shield, captain of the Royal Guards,” Said the captain. “We are here under direct order from the princess to deal with a matter of Equestrian Security, and your assistance is required.”
“Very well, one moment,” came the voice, still holding half an arrogant tone. After a few moments, the door magically swung opened to reveal an ice-blue mare with a light silvery mane and tail, her face giving off a message as if she was saying “what is it now?”
“Greetings Trixie,” Luna said as she gave a soft bow, which Trixie did not return. “I am Princess Luna, and the guards and I require your assistance on a most dire situation.”
“Now what could be so important that you would need to awake the Great and Powerful Trixie at such an hour?” She complained.
“Miss Tri-uh, 'Great and Powerful' Trixie,” Silver Shield said, “we need your magical abilities to help us with Princess Celestia. She has had a dark and malicious part of herself sealed away in the darkest reaches of her mind, and now it has been released and is currently controlling her every move. In order to solve this dilemma before it gets out of hand, we need your skills in the fields of illusions, mental mechanics with magic, and sealing spells.”
“Hmmm...” Trixie was now in deep thought, bringing a hoof up to her chin and stroking it while her eyebrow raised up over her right eye. “Why not have Luna here perform the task instead of Trixie? I'm sure that an Alicorn would have more than enough magic to pull off the type of spells you're suggesting.”
“Well, I am very good at illusions,” Luna stated, “but with mental magics and sealing spells, I'm sorry to say that I'm not very well rounded in those areas...”
“Well, Trixie sort of guessed that seeing how you already came to me with this. However...” Trixie lowered her head, thinking deeply for a few more seconds before raising it. “Though I am all great and powerful, Princess Celestia's abilities far outmatch mine. I do not think my magic alone would be able to overpower her's.”
“We have a solution to that,” Silver Shield spoke up. “You see, this side of Princess Celestia has a very nasty habit, and that habit usually drains her of most of her power for a short time. If we can catch her while she's underpowered, then you can cast your magic on her and seal away that side of her being back to where it was before.”
“Wait a moment, what is this habit of hers you speak of?” Trixie questioned, her face confused. “It must be something rather drastic if it drains her power away from her in the matter you speak.”
“W-well, she...” Luna began, before Silver Shield cut her off.
“I'm sorry, but we're short of time. Please, gather your things Trix-er, 'Great and Powerful' Trixie. We'll debrief you on our way there.”
“On our way where?”
“East-South-East of here towards the town of Ponyville.”
@_(*)_@
Twilight Sparkle, with Spike still on her back, had finally reached Flutterhy's Cottage on the outskirts of town. She quietly made her way to the front and gently knocked on it, taking a quick look around to make sure she wasn't followed. The door opened with Fluttershy and Applejack there to greet her, both of them letting out a small sigh of relief that it was just her.
“Hurry on in Twi',” Applejack said, “you don't wanna be outside at a time like this.”
“Yes, thank you Applejack, and thank you Fluttershy for letting us come here on such short notice.”
“Oh, it's okay, really... the Crusaders have long since been tucked into bed, so I'm sure they're still asleep. I just wonder if the princess will be alright, I heard from Applejack that she may have come down with some kind of sickness.”
“We don't know if this is the work of magic or some sort of illness,” Twilight pointed out, “but whatever it is, we have got to find a way to keep away from her and get professional help. I suggest we try to somehow get in contact with some guards at the Canterlot Castle, maybe they can help us with what's going on.”
“But that'll take hours!” Applejack said. “And the princess might find us before we even get halfway there!”
“We'd need a pegasus pony to go over there for us,” Big Mac said, speaking up. “Somepony really fast, like...”
“Rainbow Dash!” Came a voice from the opposite side of the cottage. It was Pinkie Pie (hair still down), looking out one of the windows and now pointing her hoof out through the darkness. Quickly, all the other ponies joined and strained to peek outside the window as they each tried to get their head into view. Sure enough, there was the rainbow-maned pegasus slowly gliding out from the Everfree Forest. It was too dark to see much of her, but she had all four of her limbs hanging down as if she were depressed.
“Hey RAINBOW!” Applejack called. “Is that you sugarcube!?” The figure stopped in mid-air, and then began to more hurriedly approach the cottage. The ponies pulled their heads back in time for Rainbow Dash to swoop inside and unceremoniously flop herself onto the floor.
“Rainbow Dash! Are you alright?” Twilight asked as her and the others rushed to Dash's side. Fluttershy had already swooped ahead and put a hoof around the rainbow pegasus who was lightly sulking on the floor.
“There there...” Fluttershy whispered in a soothing tone. “You're alright now... We're going to make thing better.”
“Oh mah stars...” Applejack gasped lightly, now realizing the tears gently flowing down from Rainbow Dash's eyes. “Dash, you didn't happen to run into Princess Celestia, did you?” Rainbow Dash sniffled and nodded her head a few times in response before covering her face up with her hooves. The five other ponies looked at each other, a few of them gulping as they tried not to think of what the princess may have done. Fluttershy then continued to sooth and comfort Rainbow Dash as best she could, constantly stroking her mane while nuzzling against her gently. Applejack also knelt down beside Rainbow Dash and gently put a hoof around her while Pinkie Pie layed down in front of Dash with a sad frown on her face, trying to look past the hooves that covered Dash's face.
“Hey, Big mac,” Twilight spoke softly, “Do you think we should try to get Rainbow Dash to fly to Canterlot?”
“I ain't sure Twilight,” Big Mac replied. “Normally I think we'd all agree to that, but right now I think Rainbow's heart just needs some healin’ before she does much of anything.”
“I know she needs time to recover, but this is urgent... the princess' life could be at stake here. If we don't hurry, something even worse may happen to her.”
“Or us...” came Rainbow Dash's voice between sobs. Twilight looked over and saw her friend staring straight at her, tears flowing freely from her eyes but her face in a heavy scowl. “We've gotta stop her Twilight... before more ponies get, used like that...”
“She's right Twilight,” Pinkie said. “We gotta stop Major Meanie Molestia before she hurts somepony else.”
Molestia... that name suddenly began to ring through Twilight's mind. Celestia, Celest, Molest, Molestia... Twilight reared her head back, her eyes squeezed shut as she tired to shake the thought out of her mind.
“I'll do it...” Rainbow Dash said suddenly, all eyes now returning to her. “I can't let my friends go through what I did... I don't care if it is Celestia doing this, she's gotta be stopped. I'm going to Canterlot to find help right now.” Rainbow Dash got up, forcing her way past the three ponies who had gathered around her. Her eyes still had the streams let from the tears, but the flowing had stopped, and her solemn face had been replaced with one of determination. She trotted towards the window, her wings flared as she prepaired to fly off.
“Are ya sure you'll be okay sugercube?” Applejack asked worriedly.
“I'll be fine, just make sure you don't stay in this cottage too long. Celestia may come here looking for you all, so get out now and see if you can't find somewhere safe to hide until I return.”
“Alright Rainbow Dash, stay safe,” Twilight said just before Dash jumped out the window and took flight, leaving a rainbow trail that was barely visible in the night sky heading straight in the direction of Canterlot. The 5 remaining ponies in the room looked at each other, all of them wondering where they should head next.
“Hmmm... maybe we should try to go out to the Crusaders' little tree house not far from the apple fields,” Applejack said after a few moments. “It's really outa the way, and certainly not a place anypony like Celestia would know about.”
“Good thinking Applejack,” Twilight said. “Everypony, get anything you might need and let's get moving.”
“What about the Crusaders?” Fluttershy asked. “We can't just leave them here all alone...”
“You're right... Fluttershy, you and Pinkie Pie go wake up the Crusaders. Applejack, you and Big Mac try to gather up a bit of food and some blankets. I'll keep a lookout for anything suspicious, alright?” The group nodded in agreement, and all 5 ponies went around to do their parts. Twilight walked up to one of the windows and peered through it, looking out through ponyville's night sky. To her relief, there was still nothing flying around or anything looking like it might be Celestia. After about a minute, she heard Pinkie Pie calling her upstairs to help with something dealing with the Crusaders.
Applejack and Big Macintosh stayed in the main area on the first floor, grabbing some spare blankets that had been laying around as well as a basket of apples that had been left on a table near the corner of the room. As they gathered up a few more things, there was a light knock at the front door. Applejack and Big Macintosh looked at each other when they heard the knock and then at the door. The knocking was soft, and it wasn't anything like they had heard coming from the roof of Rarity's place when Celestia arrived there. Slowly, Applejack walked towards the door, biting her bottom lip as she slowly reached her hoof out towards the door knob. Big Macintosh took a step back and watched as Applejack gently creaked the door open and took a peek outside. Then she opened it fully, revealing that nothing was at the door.
“Hmm, that's weird...” Applejack said softly as she turned around to look at her brother, but had just managed to witness the conclusion of a teleportation spell shape into the form of Princess Celestia inside the cottage. Both siblings gasped, and in the next moment the front door closed quickly, pushed by Celestia's magic.
“My my, two at once?” Celestia spoke softly, a grin appearing on her face. “Seems like I've just won a prize...” As she spoke, both Applejack and Big Macintosh backed up to the walls behind them, their eyes the size of saucers and their throat too choked up to call out to the others. “Hmm, I wonder what I win... Oh, I know, how about some wincest!”
Before either of the two other ponies could make a move, Celestia's hair darted out like tentacles in both their directions, wrapping around their waists and began pulling them towards her. The two struggled, and even tried biting at the hair at one point in an attempt to get free, but nothing worked. Gradually they drew closer, both still struggling with all their might when Twilight casually trotted down the stairs.
She was about to speak when she saw the scene inside, and quickly retreated back behind the wall of the stairs. She peeked out, seeing both Applejack and Big Macintosh now in the clutches of her mentor Princess Celestia. Her eyes widen, and she stuck a hoof in her mouth to keep her from gasping when she saw both of her friends pulled up beside Celestia with her hair now beginning to wind and swirl around their bodies.
“Twilight, what are you-” Fluttershy began but was quickly hushed by Twilight's other hoof now going into her mouth. Twilight looked to her, her face full of fear as the sounds from inside the main room now became audible to Fluttershy. Her expression took one of shock as she began to lightly fumble around, wondering what to do next. Twilight took her hoof out of her own mouth and began pushing Fluttershy back up the stairs, closing the door quietly after they were in the top bedroom.
“Oh no, no no no no no no! This is bad!” Twilight gasped, her eyes twitching while her mind raced for a solution.
“What is it Twilight?” Said a high-pitched filly voice. Twilight turned to see the three crusaders beside her, each of them fresh from waking up with Apple Bloom looking right at her. “What's goin’ on downstairs?”
“Oh, uh, uhm... nothing girls, it's just...” She looked over to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, both of their faces now in equal shock and confusion. “Uh, h-hey girls! Why don't you three show us your clubhouse?”
“But it's the middle of the night...” Sweetie Belle said, rubbing her eye with her hoof. “Can't we get back to bed?”
“Um, well, how about we help you get your cutie marks while we're at it?”
“You can help us get out cutie marks!?” Scootaloo spoke up, her face suddenly springing to life.
“Uhh...” She looked over to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie again, both of them giving a bit of a nervous nod just before Twilight looked back at the three fillies. “Um, yes! You can be, uh, c-cutie mark crusader, uh, night-time explorers!”
“Oooooh~!” The three of them all went at once. The fillies exchanged looks for a few moments, and then all got up on their hind legs and brought a hoof up between them, yelling out “Cutie Mark Crusader Night-Time Explorers! Yay!”
“C'mon now girls, let's hurry and go get your cutie marks!”
Immediately, the three fillies shot towards the door and were about to open it when Twilight used her magic to hold it shut.
“Um, not that way, it wouldn't be very adventurous to head out the door now would it?”
“Yeah!” Scootaloo said. “Let's go out the window! C'mon crusaders!” Again, the three bolted over towards the window and one-by-one leaped out and slid down the side of the house, safely landing on the ground. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all headed over to the window as well and then looked back towards the door, taking one last look before sliding out the window to join the crusaders. After getting themselves up, all six began galloping out towards the tree house.
*=*=*
“N-no! Princess! P-please no, ya can't do this!” Applejack cried. Celestia was laying on her back in the middle of the living room floor, her hooves holding Applejack on her stomach with her legs sprawled out wide. Applejack was also on her back as she laid on Celestia's stomach, looking up with her eyes once again as big as saucers as Celestia's mane and tail brought Big Macintosh down from above the two, gradually sliding him on top of her in a missionary position. The two struggled, but the more they did the more they began to rub against each other, their bodies now fully connected in a way that only a married couple should. Both their faces blushed a bright red, and the blush grew brighter as Celestia's tail slid over Big Macintosh's rump and began pumping it downward against Applejack.
As the movements continued, Applejack lost herself for only a moment, but that was long enough for a hearty moan to escape her lips. This excited Celestia more, her already wild grin now spreading out further as drool began to drip from her mouth. She brought her head up over the two and then pushed her muzzle down towards Applejack's, locking them in a kiss and immediately plunging her tongue down into her mouth. As her tongue explored Applejack's mouth and down to the top of her throat, Celestia then wrapped her long, slender back legs up and all the way around to Big Macintosh's lower back, locking him more securely in place. Now, with her tail still on Big Macintosh's rump and her inner haunches firmly grasped against Applejack, she began to pump up and down against them both in a powerful rhythm. The strides started slow but quickly picked up the pace, pumping faster and harder while the movements became longer as well.
Big Macintosh was getting hot, very hot, his lower body rubbing between her sister's haunches while his chest was right up against hers, full contact throughout their entire bodies. He tried his best to pull back and escape from this incredibly compromising position, but even his powerful muscles could not overpower the might that Princess Celestia was unleashing. After another minute Celestia broke her lips away from Applejack's and then up to Big Mac's, pushing her tongue past his lips immediately and down towards his throat. Big Mac could no longer see his sister below her, only the gaze from Celestia's eyes as his body bumped and grind against another strong, feminine body. All that had kept him from losing control before was the sight of his sister and the reassuring knowledge it gave of letting him know what this was his sister, and that he couldn't allow himself to get excited. With his view obscured, however, all he could feel was the deep kiss of a mare and the warm, seductive touch of his body against that of another gender's. He tried to close his eyes to allow him to focus on his sister's image, but the image of Celestia's seductive gaze had already burned into his mind, making it impossible to think of anything else.
Applejack gasped suddenly, feeling another sensation coming from between her rear legs. She tried her best to resist it, knowing that this was not the work of a lover but indeed her brother, but the sensation quickly took over as the feeling washed through her entire body, forcing her to moan out again. She bit her bottom lip, almost hard enough for it to start bleeding, but that only lasted a few more pumps before she moaned again, and again, her mind lost in the burning pleasure that developed now mainly from between her haunches. She closed her eyes and continued to moan, feeling her body sweating profusely as even Big Macintosh also began to sweat. Their heat seemed locked together forcefully, but the pleasure being generated was too much for either of them to withstand for too long.
The grinding continued for what seemed like ages, both ponies on top of Celestia long since unable to fight against what was being forced on them. Though Big Macintosh never released a single moan, his body's reactions made up for it as it now seemed to be keeping pace with the rhythm all on its own, his control almost fully lost. Neither him nor his sister could take it for much longer at all, and Celestia knew this. She tightened her grip on both of them, pumping up and down with most of her might, sending both their bodies ablaze in immense pleasure. Though after only a couple seconds, they both yelled out at the top of their lungs, a new wetness forming below, and finally let their muscles go limp against each other. At that exact time, Celestia slowed her movements to a stop and released her grip on the two.
She gently used her magic to levitate them both off of her and onto the couch beside them, both already passed out but still locked together. Celestia got up and gently brushed herself off with her mane and tail, then looked around the room. This was certainly Fluttershy's place, yet she was not here, and the fact that both Big Mactintosh was here now meant that Twilight and her other friends were now aware of what was going on and that she would be attempting to hide. Even though she knew they were already gone, she took the time to search the house, making sure there was nothing else around. She looked outside, the darkness shrouding her vision as she tried to view into the distance. Unable to see far, she then realized that it would now become much more difficult to get to what she was after. However, this would not stop her, Princess Celestia of Equestria, from obtaining her main prize.
^=^=^
“Trixie still doesn't understand why Princess Celestia would want to go to a backwater town such as Ponyville! What in all of Equestria could be so important for her there, even if she was going psycho?” Trixie asked in a demanding tone as she rode beside Luna and Silver shield on the flying carriage being pulled by 3 pegasus guards with 2 other guards flying on either side of the carriage.
“Princess Celestia has a star pupil of hers,” Luna explained, “a mare she'd been personally tutoring since she was a little filly. After the my sister, um, assaulted me, I found a letter from her pupil that Celestia had left, leading me to believe that she had gone after her.”
“Hmph, very well,” Trixie huffed, not liking the idea of somepony other than her being Celestia's personal protegé. “Let's just get there so that Trixie can do what she needs to, and perhaps even finally be recognized as the greatest and most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria.”
“Um, why do you constantly refer to yourself in third person anyway?” Luna asked, curious as to Trixie's boastful habit.
“Well, Trixie is just-”
“Heads up, we have company,” said Silver Shield, interrupting the two as he pointed his hoof out in front of them. Trixie and Luna both looked forward to see a rainbow blur quickly heading in their direction.
End Part 5 |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 6 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-09-16T23:53:19+00:00 | 2011-09-16T23:53:19+00:00 | 40,376 | Begin Part 6
“That was too close...” Twilight gasped after each of them got into the tree house and shut the door. All 6 ponies, plus one dragon, were now cooped up inside the Crusaders' tiny tree house off at the edge of the apple family farm.
“What was too close?” Applebloom asked, looking up at Twilight.
“Oh! Um, nothing girls, it's just...”
“Um, twilight...” Fluttershy spoke softly. “Maybe we should, um talk about this outside, I mean, so it's a bit more private... if that's okay with you...”
“Right, um, we'll be right back girls. We gotta discuss arrangements for, uh, a group sleepover!” This light sprung happiness into the eyes of all three crusaders, each of them now looking as if they were about to start bouncing off the walls.
“C'mon, Pinkie, let'stalk about how we should arrange the sleepover... which will be a surprise!” As the three left, Twilight made sure to telekineticly lift spike, who was still asleep, up and softly onto the table before closing the door behind them. After walking about 15 paces away from the little home, Twilight was the first to speak up.
“Oh horseapples, this isn't good...”
“I feel so bad for Applejack and Big Macintosh... I hope they'll be alright...” Fluttershy said softly.
“Twilight, we should try to go back to Rarity's place to make sure she's alright!” Pinkie Pie said, her words catching Fluttershy's attention.
“R-rarity's!?” Fluttershy asked. “Did something happen to her? Did, did m-molestia get her?”
“Unfortunately Fluttershy, yes... she did,” Twilight said with her head now bowed. “When we were at her house, she stayed behind so that me, AJ and Big Mac could escape. That's when we found Pinkie Pie and told her what happened, and then I got spike and we all gathered at your place.”
“Oh no, we have to go save her! Please Twilight, we can't leave Rarity behind like this, what if she's hurt?”
“B-but it's too dangerous! Moles-, er, Celestia could be out there looking around Ponyville right now. If any of us tries to get all the way across town to Rarity's home, she'll surely see us!”
“Oh please Twilight, at least let me go. I just have to see if she's alright...”
Twilight looked at Fluttershy, her eyes meeting those of sorrow and fear, yet with an added hype of determination. She then turned to look at Pinkie Pie, who simply gave a soft nod.
“Alright...” Twilight finally said after a gentle sigh. “But please, be careful Fluttershy. We don't know what Celestia could do to you.”
“I do...” Pinkie remarked softly as a small tear formed up at the corner of each eye. A second later she was tightly hugged by Fluttershy, who after wards went over and hugged Twilight closely.
“Don't worry Twilight, and don't worry Pinkie Pie... I'll be fine. Please, look over the Crusaders while I'm gone, and I promise I'll be back soon.”
“Just please Fluttershy, be careful...”
Fluttershy's only response was a few gentle nods before she flared her wings out and began to fly straight towards Ponyville. As she flew off, Twilght and Pinkie Pie both exchanged looks again, both equally unsure of what to do next. But before either of them could say a word, a green fire erupted out of the window of the tree house, as well as a loud burp.
^=^=^
“HALT! Who goes there!?” Silver Shield asked in his most stern voice as the rainbow maned pegasus approached the flying carriage. Rainbow Dash, who could now see not only the royal guards but also Luna let out a large sigh of relief.
“Oh am I glad to see you guys!” She said, flying before the guard pegasi pulling the carriage as they came to a stop. “You gotta help us, Twilight and my other friends are in trouble!”
“You mean Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked, standing up from her seat.
“Yeah, Princess Celestia's gone like, crazy or something! She's doing all sorts of horrible, bad, just... uncool stuff to other ponies in Ponyville!”
“We are already well aware of this,” Luna replied. “We are currently on our way to Ponyville now to try to capture Celestia and get her back to normal.”
“Well, can you try to like, rescue my friends first? I think Celestia is trying to hunt down Twilight and the others.”
“Yes, that sounds like the right thing to do first.”
“Hmph, why waste our time trying to rescue a bunch of losers?” remarked a voice inside the carriage. Looking in from another angle, Rainbow Dash could now see Trixie sitting beside where Luna was.
“Trixie!? What the hay are you doing here?”
“Well, if you must know, Princess Luna has requested the aid of the Great and Powerful Trixie in order to get Celestia back to normal.”
“Whatever...” Rainbow Dash grumbled, gritting her teeth slightly. “Just, please hurry and help save my friends?”
“Ma'am, If I were to make a suggestion...” Silver Shield said as he leaned towards Luna. “If Celestia is hunting Twilight Sparkle, then if we find her, we can not only rescue the mare, but also most likely find Princess Celestia as well.”
“Hmm... finding Twilight Sparkle won't be hard at all,” Luna said. “In fact, I know just how to find her right now.”
“You do?” Trixie and Rainbow Dash both asked collectively.
Luna nodded slightly, and then levitated a small piece of paper from a small pocket area in the side of the carriage. With another glow of her horn, the paper began to shine dimly for a few seconds before the shining dissipated. The glow on Luna's horn shifted again, and then the piece of paper quickly disappeared in a small poof of magic.
“There, all done.” Luna stated, smiling proudly.
“Umm... so what'd ya do?” Rainbow Dash asked, puzzled.
“It's simple, I just attached a locater spell onto that piece of paper you saw a moment ago, and sent it off to Twilight the same way Celestia does. Now just wait a few seconds and... aha!” Luna then raised up a hoof and pointed it out in a seemingly random direction towards ponyville. “The paper is over there, meaning Twilight Sparkle is also probably there as well!”
“My my, what a clever trick, dear Luna,” Trixie remarked. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will need to learn a few things from you once this whole adventure of ours is finished.”
“Right, so,” Dash spoke out, ignoring Trixie. “Let's get going then!”
“Agreed. I will lead the way from here on out.” With that Luna got out of the carriage and quickly began to fly out towards a specific location in the ponyville area, with Rainbow Dash, the guard pegasi, and the carriage's two occupants following right behind her.
*=*=*
Taking flight over Ponyville, Princess Celestia once more continued her search for her elusive prey. She had to be getting close now, having run into four of her five friends meant that Twilight and her friends were running out of places to hide. However, it also appeared that it may become even harder to reach Twilight with each one of her friends she finds. Even worse, it appears that Twilight is now fully aware of the situation, meaning she won't just be found simply by looking around for her. No, what she needs is something to draw Twilight out, something to use as bait for the young mare.
As Celestia's mind wandered in search for the perfect bait to use, a dark object in the distance caught her eye. It was moving, no, more like flying just over the tops of a few houses. Squinting her eyes, Celestia could clearly see the shape of a pegasus pony hurriedly making its way across the town. Was it Rainbow Dash? No, Celestia thought, it's traveling far too slow for it to be that speedy pegasus. However, it could be the other pegasus friend of Twilight's, and may even know her whereabouts.
With that thought fully processed and her mind made up, Celestia quickly bolted towards the pegasus flying through the dark sky over ponyville, catching up to it in only a few seconds. Celestia wrapped her hooves quickly around the mare as it let out a terrified squeal, much like a scared little animal. She turned the pony around to face her and quickly lit her horn to provide light, revealing a a face stricken with fear and dread.
“P-princess Celestia!” Fluttershy squeaked out, now shivering in the sun goddess' arms.
“Aahhh, Fluttershy, what a soft coat you have...” Celestia whispered, her hooves now gently riding up and down Fluttershy's back. “I think I may just have a use for you in more ways than one.”
Princess Celestia had every intention to interrogate the soft natured pony and then use her like she did the others, but as her paralyzing stare struck down onto Fluttershy, she was taken aback when another stare shot straight back at her... THE Stare. Fluttershy has no real control over her famous stare, but it always seems to come out just when she needed it. Now, its controlling gaze was locked with that of Princess Celestia's.
The princess' powerful gaze is meant to freeze up other ponies, to lock them in place and make them more submissive to her every whim. And it did just that, only with Fluttershy's powerful stare frozen in place, staring right back at her. Fluttershy's stare keeps the target animal or pony's gaze locked with hers, not allowing an escape from her opposer as long as the stare continues eye contact. But with both gazes frozen in place and focused on each other's and their abilities working to their full potential, a very powerful feeling rattles through their bodies.
The effect is like a constantly strengthening echo. Imagine a headset with a microphone, and a small sound comes out of the speakers on the ears. That sound travels over to the microphone nearby, which picks it up and amplifies it. The same, yet louder sound then comes out of the speaker and gets picked up by the microphone. Over and over the sound ricochets back and forth, amplifying itself between the two forces, just as the effects of Celestia's and Fluttershy's stares are having on each other.
Barely thirty seconds pass and already both ponies are near mental breakdown when Celestia unexpectedly loses focus and manages to break her head away from the locked gazes, gasping loudly. While her stare was meant to hold and pacify its target, Fluttershy's seems to pierce into the target's brain, into their souls even, laying out every feeling and every memory they ever had. From this effect, Celestia had seemed to regain control of herself, her eyes darting side to side as if she didn't know where she was. Another moment later and the memories of the night all came flooding back to her, and she realized the full extent of the situation she was in.
“Oh no...” Celestia whispered to her self softly before turning back to the pegasus still in her arms, shaking wildly like a terrified animal. She swallowed hard, realizing that these moments of mental recuperation were only temporary, and it would not be long before her other self regained control.
“Fluttershy, my faithful subject,” Celestia spoke, her voice soft and concerned. “Please, hear me out. I don't have much time...” Fluttershy raised her head up to meet the princess' eyes, her look no longer a controlling one, but now a regretful and honest one. “I am not myself tonight... there is another part of me taking hold, released from the most inner depths of my consciousness somehow. Whatever I have done or what I will do, I do not mean to happen. Find Twilight, find her before I do and keep her away from me. I fear if I ever get her in my grasp while in the state I just was, I may never be able to stop.”
“Celestia... are you sick? Is there something wrong with you?”
“No my child... I am physically well, just mentally distorted. Only magic and a little friendship can help me now. “Celestia's eyes twitched just then, her legs now beginning to tremble. “I, I do not have much time... It's coming back. Whatever happens here, please, I'm so sorry for it... I just... can't... help.... ah!” Celestia reared her head back, closing her eyes tightly as a single tear began to drip gently down the side of her cheek.
“Princess! Oh my goodness, please, I'm so sorry, is there anything else I can do to help you? I mean, if it's not too much...”
“Yes, there is...” Celestia replied, her voice now strangely calm as her head lowered down, eyes still shut. “Look down, there is something I need for you to see.”
“W-what is it...?” Fluttershy asked curiously, taking a look down below. There were a few houses and a street below, everything dark and resembling a simple sleepy ponyville town. “What am I looking for? I don't under-EEP!” In the next moment Fluttershy's body was forcefully pulled against Celestia's, her head pressed firmly against the larger mare's neck while their bodies locked together. It was a trick, Celestia only needed Fluttershy to break eye contact so that she could no longer use the stare!
Celestia's right hoof was pressed against the back of Fluttershy's head, keeping it in place to avoid another dose of her powerful stare. Her left hoof was now down just above Fluttershy's rump, pushing her lower body tightly against hers. Her wings no longer held them in flight, Celestia's horn holding them both levitated in the air while her wings folded around Fluttershy in a tight embrace. Now the princess' body lower body began to push itself against Fluttershy's, continually pressing together more and more.
“N-n-no! Princess, please! You don't have to-mmph!” Fluttershy's cries were quickly stopped as a large glob of Celestia's magical, tentacle-like hair stuffed itself into her mouth and began to pulse in rhythm with their bodies, now only allowing small muffled noises from the little pegasus. Tears began to form in her eyes, but before a single drop could fall she suddenly became bombarded by an intense feeling that coursed through her body. It sourced from every part of her body that was now in contact with Celestia's, and mainly from her mouth and throat where her magical hair was pushing and pumping inside of her. In only a matter of moments Fluttershy became overtaken by the intense sensation, unable to move as she lay nearly limp against the princess. Her wings had stopped flapping, her eyes were half closed, her legs were dangling in mid-air, and the only actions that came from her were the moans were muffled through her throat as she quickly lost herself in this sort of forced ecstasy.
^=^=^
“It should be just about... there!” Luna said, pointing her hoof at a 45 degree angle downwards. Peering through the darkness and the few trees in the area, she could barely make out what seemed to be some sort of tree house.
“That's the Cutie Mark Crusaders' place!” Rainbow Dash said. “I'll go check it out!” Before another moment, she quickly sped down towards the little wooden house.
“Let's land here,” Luna said back to the pegasus guards carrying the carriage. “We should have what we're looking for at this location. Silver shield, stay with the other guards once we land.”
“Yes ma'am!” Silver shield replied with a salute.
“And Trixie, you will be coming with me.”
“Oh course, your highness,” Trixie replied with a smug grin.
Luna and the others landed just outside the little tree house, which Rainbow Dash had already gone inside of. Already they could hear the sound of talking inside, and Luna could almost recognize one of them to be Twilight's. Sure enough, only moments after landing, the door to the tree house swung open, and Twilight Sparkle with a few of her friends – Rainbow Dash included – rushed out to see her.
“Princess Luna!” Twilight exclaimed. “I'm so glad you're here! We could really use your help!”
“I take it you're already aware of the... situation with the princess?” Luna asked as Twilight came to a stop before her.
“Yes... but we don't why she's acting like this. At first I found it sort of hard to believe, but after seeing what she was did to my friends... I just...” Just as it seemed Twilight was about to break into tears, a sudden voice called out in a rather surprised, yet condescending tone.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!?” Trixie spat out loudly as she stood guffawing next to the carriage, staring straight at the mare standing in front of Luna. “YOU are the princess' PROTOGÉ!?”
“Trixie!?” Twilight exclaimed in almost as much surprise as Trixie, “What are you doing here with Princess Luna!?”
The two stood there, staring at each other in a sort of dumbfounded amazement for nearly a minute as Twilight's friends watched from the sides, just as surprised as Twilight was. After that short bit, Luna eventually stepped in and broke the silence.
“Ummm... you two girls know each other?”
“KNOW each other?” Trixie spat. “This troublesome mare is the reason I lost my home!”
“Hey!” Twilight yelled back. “It's not my fault an Ursa Minor came to ponyville! Besides, it was your boasting that made those two young colts go and seek one out!”
“It's not Trixie's problem that you ponyvillians can't keep yourselves out of harm's way! Trixie was only doing what she did best, until you came and ruined it!”
“Well maybe if you weren't such a snotty brat we wouldn't have even-”
“GIRLS!” Luna yelled out in a commanding tone, silencing the two bickering mares. “We do not have time for this nonsense! We need BOTH of you to help solve this crisis! The very fate of Equestria may be at stake!” Twilight and Trixie exchanged looks again, neither one of them at all happy with the conditions they are now being forced into. However, after a few more moments, they realized that they had to do what they had to do... whether they liked it or not.
“Fine...” Trixie said first. “Trixie will do her best to help save this crisis, as long as Twilight here can somehow manage to do her part well enough.”
“Oh don't you worry about me,” Twilight replied, glaring over at Trixie. “I can handle my magic just fine, and don't over exaggerate my abilities like some ponies do.”
“Girls...” Luna said, the aggravation clear in her voice. “You both are of equal importance if we are to succeed here tonight, so you have to work together without fighting!”
“Well... what exactly do we need to do?” Twilight asked.
“I can explain that,” Silver shield said as he stepped forward from beside Trixie. “As you all know, Princess Celestia is not acting how she usually does. This is due to a certain part of her, a sort of separate personality in her mind that was once locked away now released and overtaking her. She is still the Celestia we all know, only with her mind distorted, distraught, and perverted. The only way to get her back to her normal self is to seal that part of her being back to the deepest parts of her mind with a magical spell, so that it can never again resurface to see the light of day.”
“Which is why Trixie is here with us,” Luna added. “I may be almost the second most powerful force in all of Equestria, but my magical abilities are not familiar with the types of skills required for the magical spell needed to seal away a part of Celestia's being back into her mind. Trixie, however, is familiar with these magics, and was the only one in the immediate location that we could find at this time of night. She is, at least for the casting of the spell, our only hope.”
At this point, Twilight didn't even need to look at Trixie to feel her heavy grin pointed straight at her. Her stomach started to turn, but before she got too lost in her thoughts a question popped into her mind.
“But wait,” Twilight said, speaking up. “Where exactly do I come in for all of this? And what exactly needs to happen in order to get this spell cast on Celestia?”
“I'm sure you're already aware that the princess is more interested in you specifically, Twilight,” Luna said.
“Yes, sort of, but... what exactly does that have to do with this?”
“How do I put this...” Luna said quietly, lowering her head temporarily to think to herself. “We need Celestia to do what she did to your friends, to you...”
“W-w-what!?” Twilight gasped, her face starting to pale. Even Trixie was caught a bit off guard by what Luna said.
“There is no other way!” Silver Shield said. “The princess in her normal state is far too powerful for the mind-altering spell to work on her. In order to get her into a weak enough state, she has to wear herself out to the point of exhaustion, to where both her mind and body are at its weakest. Only then will the spell have a chance of working!”
“N-no, no no n-n-n-n-no-no!” Twilight half cried out as she fidgeted her hooves on the ground. “C-celestia is my teacher! My mentor! I just, I can't let her do... to be like that with... I mean... I never even though of, her... and me... just... oh my...” For a moment, Twilight was nearly about to faint when she felt another pony come up against her side. It was Pinkie Pie, her face now looking straight at hers with pleading eyes. On her other side, Rainbow Dash gave her a very similar, pleading look, telling her that she has to do this. Not just for her, for Celestia, or her friends, but for all of ponyville – neigh, for all of Equestria! Twilight lowered her head for a few moments and closed her eyes, her mind in deep thought as she played through the scenario of what needed to be done in her head over and over.
“Alright...” she whispered softly after another minute. “I guess I have no choice... I have to give myself up to Celestia.”
“It will be alright,” Luna said, coming up beside her and placing a wing around her and Pinkie Pie who was still at her side. “She won't hurt you physically, just... just know that this will be an act to save all of Equestria. I know you can do it, Twilight... I know you can.” Even with those words, Luna cursed at herself internally. She couldn't let them know at this point that it was all her fault, but she would have to tell them eventually. She figured, after this was all done with, she would give her most sincere apology to first Celestia, and then to Twilight... and hope she doesn't have to spend any more time on the moon.
*=*=*
Once again I stand atop the ravished body of my prey. Victorious, but not satisfied... The first five elements of harmony have been claimed, and Princess Luna laid used and asleep in her bedroom of Canterlot. As for Twilight Sparkle, I think my time with her shall be the most ravenous. But they will all be mine in the end... For I am Princess Celestia! None shall ever escape my orgasmic grasps again...
Princess Celestia paused, floating in the air above Fluttershy who was currently asleep on one of the hay-covered roofs of ponyville. She looked over the town, examining it carefully while her mind went over the possible strategies for finding Twilight Sparkle. Unfortunately, she had forgotten exactly which direction the yellow pegasus pony had been flying from, that part of her memory scrambled from Fluttershy's debilitating stare. Then, another idea popped into her mind.
When Celestia was at Fluttershy's cottage, she ran into Applejack and Big Macintosh. Big Macintosh had witnessed Celestia's power before that, and was probably the reason for Twilight's escape from her for this long. But there was something else... before she got to Big Mac, she ran into somepony else. No, not somepony, some... dragon!
Celestia quickly turned and sped off towards the library again, a suspicion now standing firm in her mind. Upon entering the establishment, she quickly went up to the bedroom to find that Spike was indeed missing from his bed. Her suspicions were now confirmed... Twilight had indeed come back to the library at some point in time, and had taken spike with her! Knowing how protective of the little dragon she is, she would keep him with her wherever she went. This means, that wherever Spike is, Twilight also is.
With this new information in mind, a bold, yet simple plan formed within the princess' mind, and she couldn't help but chuckle at her own ingenuity. Going down the steps of the library and to one of Twilight's desk, she saw a small bottle of ink, a quill, and a few blank pieces of parchment. Using magic from her horn, she dipped the quill in some ink and wrote one word onto one of the letters before her. Then, her horn lit with a different tone of magic, the same light emanating from the letter for a quick second. Afterwords, she gently levitated the letter into the air, rolled it up, and magically poofed it away.
@_(*)_@
“So how are we going to get the princess here?” Trixie asked impatiently. “Trixie would much prefer to get this task done with so she can return to her beauty sleep!”
“I think we could perhaps try to signal her, or maybe go out into town and look for her perhaps?” Luna suggested. “I'm not quite sure where she would be though... she may have even left ponyville.”
“Hmm... this is a bit a problem...” Silver Shield admitted, rubbing his hoof on his chin. As the group of ponies thought to themselves, another green light – accompanied by a burp – shined out through the windows of the treehouse.
“Was that spike...?” Twilight asked herself, staring slowly trot towards the treehouse.
“Who's still in there?” Luna asked.
“Oh, just Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“Who...?”
“Um, three little fillies, two of which are little sisters to my friends.” With that, Twilight entered the tree house with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie right behind her. Inside, spike was on his back, leaning upwards while scratching at his head, looking as if was just disturbed from his nap. The three crusaders, however, were busy chatting amongst themselves how they would earn their cutie marks at this time of night. However, there was now a piece of paper laying in front of Spike that wasn't there before. Curiously, Twilight walked over and levitated what seemed to be a letter over with her magic. It was blank, save for one word which, upon further examination, caused Twilight to let out a small gasp as her heart skipped a beat.
Gotchya.
End Part 6
Author Note: Props to whoever can recognize what I referenced in that paragraph that was all italicized!
Hint: The one who stated the original passage was not a princess like Celestia, but actually a Queen
Also, do you wish the Fluttershy "assault" scene was longer, yet get a weird feeling in your gut when you do wish for such a thing?
That means you're still human. You should hold onto that. |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 7 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-08-16T06:24:05+00:00 | 2011-08-16T06:24:05+00:00 | 38,011 | Begin Part 7
“Oh mah stars...” Applejack whispered, finally coming to as she slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was still foggy and her eyes were hazed, yet she was able to make out that she was in Fluttershy's cottage. She felt around, and first recognized that her right legs were against the soft cushions of a couch. However, her right legs were feeling something different, and as she looked down to investigate all the memories of the past couple hours suddenly rushed back into her head.
“GAAH!” She cried as she quickly hopped off of her brother, falling over one of the arms of the couch and hitting a wall. She rubbed the back of her head with her hoof as she swore under her breath. Looking up after a moment she was able to see Big Macintosh begin to rustle on the couch. “Lordy... c'mon ya big lump,” Applejack complained as she trotted over and began to nudge her brother. Slowly but surely, Big Macintosh came to as well.
“Huh... AJ, what are...” His eyes suddenly sprung open, and all the memories of the past couple hours now invaded his mind as well. He jumped up and fell off the other end up the couch, hitting his head on the opposite wall.
“Gosh Mac, yer gonna hurt yourself like that!”
“Ah know, but... um, we're still in Fluttershy's home. Does that mean...”
“Y-yeah... I think it all really happened...” Applejack blushed lightly and looked down for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Big Mac. “Brother...”
“Yes sis?” He responded, his voice low and slow from him being in a bit of deep thought.
“Um, back earlier... when Celestia was'ere... Did you, um,” Her blush intensified as a knot formed in her throat. “Did we uh... do the tussle...?”
“...” Big Mac was silent for a few moments as he attempted to recollect his thoughts further, but it all drew to one conclusion. “Eeyup...”
“Dag nabit...” Applejack swore under her breath, now kicking her hooves against the floor. “Ah'm sorry big brother, I just...”
“AJ, we can discuss this sorta thing later,” He said, finally standing up straight. “Right now we gotta go try to find the others, I reckon may be needin our help.”
“Y-you're right... I'm sorry... “ She looked around, making sure the place was completely empty. “They ought to be at the crusaders' club house by now, so let's get goin quick.”
Big Macintosh nodded his head in reply, and in only a few seconds they both were racing out the door. Even though it was dark, they both were very familiar with the parts they had to travel, and their night eyes which would come in after about a few minutes would make it easier. They knew they may not even be there anymore, but it was the only lead they had. They had to try.
♦♦♦
“Fluttershy! Darling! Are you alright?” Rarity quickly pushed at the side of the sleeping pegasus, hoping to wake her up. After a few unsuccessful tries, she then drew out a piece of hay from the roof they both were on and tickled it against fluttershy's nose. After a few seconds, Fluttershy began to cringe, and then gave out a small – and graceful – sneeze
“Nnnh, uhh... w-what...?” Fluttershy groaned, leaning up in a still groggy state. “R-rarity...?”
“It's alright Fluttershy, I'm here for you.”
“Um, Where am I...” As Fluttershy looked around, the realization of where she was – and more importantly why she was there – finally hit her. She quickly sprang up into a light her after a loud squeak, and began to look around nervously. “Oh my gosh, is Celestia still here? I thought she – oh Rarity!” Fluttershy quickly embraced rarity in a big, warm hug. Rarity I'm so glad you okay... Celestia didn't hurt you did she? I'm so sorry I couldn't help you...”
“It's alright, really...” Rarity replied with a soft chuckle. “I'm... fine. But, when I was on my way to your place, I saw you being... vandalized by Celestia almost directly above me! I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help... but as soon as she left I did my best to hurry up here and make sure you were alright. You are alright... aren't you?”
“Oh, um, yes... I suppose so. But Rarity, we have to get back to the others. I mean, it's about Celestia... it's important that I tell them!”
“You're right, we should. But, what's so important for you to tell the others?”
“Celestia... she told me things... but we need to get to the others first. I mean, it's important for them to all know... really.”
“It's alright deary, I hear you. C'mon, let's get off this rooftop and get to... wherever they are now. Aren't they still at your cabin?”
“Oh, no. They're at the Crusaders' club house. We should hurry over there though.”
“Right behind you. But, um, a little help off this roof first...?” Rarity grinned sheepishly.
“Oh, right... sorry,” Fluttershy replied as she wrapped her arms around Rarity – careful not to interfere with her mane – and carried her off of the roof and onto the main street. With that, they both began a speedy trot towards the CMC's club house.
@_(*)_@
“P-princess Luna!” Twilight cried out as she rushed out of the tree house and towards Luna.
“What's the matter Twilight?”
“Well, Rainbow Dash said that you found me using a letter with a locator spell on it... right?”
“Yes... that's correct.” Luna tilted her head in confusion. “Twilight, you look shaken. What's wrong?”
“Oh, well, I just happen to receive another letter... and I don't think it's from you...” Twilight gulped as she levitated the letter in question in front of Luna, who only examined it for a moment before she too realized what this meant.
“Oh no, she's coming...!” Luna turned to Trixie and the guards, “She's coming! Princess Celestia is on her way here, RIGHT NOW!”
“A-already!?” Trixie gasped lihgtly. “But, Trixie hasn't had the time to form the spell and-”
“Then get on it!” Silver Shield barked. “Trixie, go hide in those bushes over there,” He commanded as he waved his hoof around. “Guard Squad A, over there, B in that area, and C up in those trees! If Celestia tries to escape or gets too dangerous, we'll have to try to detain her!”
“SIR!” Replied all the guards as they quickly moved to their positions.
“Trixie, get into that pile of bushes with Luna and begin working on the spell. If you run into any trouble, Luna should be able to keep you safe.”
“A-alright then...” Trixie stammered slightly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will get to work straight away!” Her and Luna quickly dove into the bushes as Trixie immediately set to work on beginning the spell. It was a tricky cast, she knew, but something that shouldn't be too hard or take too long to prepare.
“You two,” Silver Shield pointed to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. “You both get into the club house and keep the three younger fillies and the baby dragon safe. Do not come out for ANY reason!”
“Right, on it,” Rainbow Dash replied, nudging Pinkie Pie slightly as she began to head into the tree house. Pinkie Pie looked back at Twilight for a moment before she too went inside, closing the door behind her.
“Twilight Sparkle...” Silver shield said calmly as he approached Twilight. “Do you understand what it is that needs to be done?”
“I... I understand,” she replied softly, with a bit of fear in her voice. “It's just, I don't really... I think my... first time... was going to be a more pleasant one.”
“No sacrifice, no victory... in time, you will learn these words to be one of life's great truth's. I know this will be hard for you, but remember what, and who you're doing it for.”
“Right...” she replied with a nod. “I wont let anypony down.” With that, Silver Shield himself retreated into the same bundle of bushes that Trixie and Luna were in, huddled down and out of sight. Trixie still had a while before the spell would be prepared, yet it was coming gradually making headway.
There Twilight stood, in the center of a circle of trees. The tree house was barely visible from where she stood, and yet she could faintly see two pairs of eyes peeking out the window. She looked around more, and saw that the guards had concealed themselves in the brush very well, only able to identify their positions by having seen exactly where they went. As she took a large breath and exhaled, she realized just how silent and calm it was out here.
This, however, did not last as the distant sound of flapping wings became noticeable. Twilight stood perfectly still, her ears perked up as she listened to the sound gradually become louder. She looked up in the sky, still seeing nothing, yet the sound grew even louder still. It was starting to become maddening, like knowing a certain sort of impending doom was coming, yet having to wait for it with baited breath. Louder the noise became, and when the source seemed to be just beyond the closest few trees, it stopped. Dead silence took over as Twilight could hardly breath as she listened closely, wondering why the wing flaps had stopped.
“Twilight Sparkle...” Twilight suddenly heard. As she turned around she was just able to see Princess Celestia float down from above the trees and land before her, perhaps five feet away.
“C-celestia...!”
“Tonight...” She said in a low, yet rough tone while taking a step forward,” ...You...” She continued to slowly trot forward, drawing closer to a now frightened Twilight.
“Me... w-w-what princess?” Twilight couldn't help but begin to choke up in her throat. Now that Celestia drew closer, Twilight could see the sweat beginning to drop from her face and the drool forming at her lower lip. Celestia's grin was also there, growing wider with each step taken as her beady eyes did its work as their gaze connected with Twilight's.
“I'm going to have you Twilight Sparkle...” Celestia continued. “Oh my star pupil, you don't know how long I've yearned to feel that luscious lavender body of yours...” Celestia could visible see Twilight gulping hard as her eyes also grew larger.
“M-my.. what...!?” Twilight's body almost completely froze, the only movement she had left allowed her to sit back on her haunches and lean back some as Celestia only stepped closer and closer.
“Hmmm... oh, I just got a wonderful idea...” Celestia was now in front of Twilight, their hooves almost touching as Celestia towered over her. “I know how much you love reading, and how books are practically half the world to you. However, tonight... I'm going to teach you something you can't learn in a book!”
“N-no, princess please, no! Y-you don't, I... I don't want to-mmph!” Before Twilight could react, Celestia had leaned down and planted a full, hardy kiss on her lips. Celestia's tongue immediately darted inside after just a moment into the kiss as her her body suddenly came upon Twilight's. Celestia's front hooves pushed back Twilight's front hooves, sending her onto her back with her haunches sprawled out. While Celestia's back hooves were on either side of Twilight's body, her tail was swung downwards, feeling around in between her thighs while keeping her rear legs spread out widely.
Celestia's kiss deepened, her tongue lapping around inside Twilight's mouth hungrily, furiously, as if it were lavishing against the most delicious treat it had ever tasted. Her body pressed down against Twilight's, her front hooves keeping Twilight' spread outwards while their bellies and chests pressed together firmly. Celestia's mane came down and began to swirl around Twilight's horn, stroking and squeezing it as the light magic that constantly flowed through the colorful hairs seemed to react slightly with the horn, sending light pulses into Twilight's body.
The rhythm started by the horn soon spread to Celestia's tongue swirling around, followed by her main body, and lastly her tail. Celestia's tongue flicked and pushed in as deep as it could, partially going down Twilight's throat a few times while it forcefully battered around Twilight's tongue. Celestia's body was pulsing and grinding against twilight's, her inner haunches now being rubbed against by twilight's hooves as the area between their bodies grew hot. Celestia's tail was working on three things at once, not only keeping Twilight's rear legs spread open but also rubbing itself down against her lower body and her rump. It also would occasionally slide up one of her inner thighs at times, but would quickly return down and continue timing its strokes in unison with the main pulsing rhythm.
To say Twilight's mind was scrambled would be a devastating understatement. One one side she is telling herself that she must do this in order to save her friends, her mentor, and possibly all of Equestria. On another, she's in a state of complete shock and awe at the fact that this really is Celestia on top of her, right now, servicing her in a way only a married couple should. Another side is considering just passing out and letting Celestia have her and not feel what's going on. The last side is in deep shock, almost causing her to break into tears as she fears that the powerful goddess' lust may be too much for her smaller body to handle, and that she may physically break – twice! As all these thoughts clash, her mental process is constantly being smacked around, shaken, and stirred by the overwhelming sensations passing through her body. She can't explain why, or how, but past all the fear and anguish, past the desire to get away and the need for the comfort of home, this all somehow sort of feels... good.
But there wasn't any more time to focus on lingering thoughts, not any longer. For after only a minute of Celestia's domination of the lavender unicorn, she suddenly adjusted her technique. Celestia broke away from the kiss, giving Twilight's face a large lick before she slid her head down, starting to lick and nip at her chest. However, as she did this, her horn lowered down enough for it to make contact with Twilight's. To add to this, the rhythmic pulsing and grinding of their bodies had intensified, rubbing their horns together in a perpendicular direction. From this direct contact Celestia's magic began to directly slide into Twilight's horn and through her body, forcing her nerves to go haywire and make every sensation translate into pure pleasure. Within moments Twilight was moaning out loudly, her muscles were beginning spasm, and her horn was giving off a magical discharge.
Unable to control herself further, Twilight's legs gripped against Celestia's body as tight as they could, and Twilight even began to push back and meet with Celestia's pace. Their bodies were pulsing and grinding together in a hot, lustful embrace. Their horns were connected and freely exchanging magic, locking their minds and spirits together in unison as the pleasure swept over them both. The magic flowing into Twilight's body was intense, and even for Celestia it was beginning to take its tole. It was not so much the amount of magic, but it was the use of magic coupled with the intensity of the situation that soon began to wear her down, causing her to sweat and pant heavily while her an Twilight serviced once another. This fatigue was also being noticed by a third party...
“Do you see that?” Luna whispered to Trixie and Silver Shield. “I... I think Celestia is starting to get tired.”
“It would seem Celestia is fully indulging herself on this,” Silver Shield whispered back. “This is good. That means she will tire more quickly, and that we can end this mayhem soon.”
“Right... I hate having to see Twilight Sparkle go through this, but...” Luna let out a soft sigh and lowered her head. “If the result would be the same, I would have given myself up in her place...”
“Do not take things so hard on yourself, Princess Luna. You had no control over this happening.”
“Right... no control...” Luna closed her eyes and sighed again, thinking to herself for a few moments before opening her eyes again. “Is the spell almost ready Trixie?” Luna asked as she turned her head to face the unicorn. “Umm... Trixie?”
Trixie did not respond for her attention was already fixated on the scene before them. Her eyes were opened wide and her cheeks were flushed red with a great blush as she watched the shameless acts play out before her. Even though she seemed to have the spell ready and fixed up in her horn which glowed softly, her mind was put in a trance by the display. She was sweating some and her breathing was heavy with warm breath. She was planted back on her haunches, sitting straight up with her left hoof slid between her legs and stroking up and down rapidly between her thighs. When there was a heavy moan from Twilight or Celestia, Trixie would give off how own little squeal as she seemed to push against herself harder.
“M-miss Trixie...!” Luna blurted out in a raised whisper. “What are you doing!?”
“Wah...? OH!” Trixie suddenly snapped back to reality as she pulled her hoof away from herself. “T-Trixie was, um, she was just... uh, nevermind... I, er, she has the spell ready... whenever you need it princess. Just...” She turned her head in a vain attempt to hide her growing blush. “Just please let Trixie know when you want her to cast it.”
“That moment may be coming up very soon,” Silver Shield pointed out as he leaned closer towards the scene. It was now clearly visible that Celestia's movements were getting sloppy and becoming uncoordinated. Her fatigue was not starting to take its tole.
“Alright... Trixie, are you prepared to cast?” Luna asked as she looked once more to the unicorn.
“Yes, Trixie is ready to do this.”
“Alright... Silver Shield, on your command.”
“Affirmative. Stand ready...” Silver Shield began to slowly raise up his right hoof.
Celestia was now barely able to stand as both her and Twilight were drenched in sweat.
“Prepare the direction of your magic...” Silver Shield's right hoof drew higher as Trixie began to tilt her head downwards, aiming her horn towards Celestia.
Celestia's majestic mane and tail finally seemed to slump down, the control and fluidity they had now dieing off and just falling freely as if composed of normal hair.
“Ready...!” Silver Shield's right hoof was now straight up, his eyes squinted as he focused straight in front of him. Trixie's horn glowed brighter, the spell that had been configured earlier ready to be unleashed on command.
Finally, Celestia's legs could no longer support herself in her overextended state and her entire body came down. Hey body laid directly next to Twilight's with most of it leaning on the lavender unicorn, Celestia's hooves and hair still draped around her.
“FIRE!” Silver Shield finally shouted, followed quickly by a large magical outburst from Trixie's horn as the spell was cast and shot straight towards Celestia.
The spell hit its target, connecting with Celestia's forehead just below her horn.
End Part 7
Author Note: Oh you know I love cliffhangers ;D |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 8 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-08-21T09:30:06+00:00 | 2011-08-21T09:30:06+00:00 | 36,221 | Begin Part 8
-Finale-
“Applejack! Macintosh!” Rarity called out through the trees in front of her. “Is that you two over there!?”
“Rarity! Are ya'll alright sugarcube!?” Applejack said, turning around with her brother and racing towards Rarity.
“I'm alright darling,” She replied, her and Fluttershy now quickly approaching the two siblings. “I'm just glad we were lucky enough to run into you on our way to the Crusaders' club house.”
“Well I'll be, that's where we're headed! And hey, you got Fluttershy with you too!”
“I'm so glad you're alright applejack...” Fluttershy said as she slowed down to a gentle trot, the two groups now in front of each other. “I didn't know if you were going to be okay. I wanted to help but, Twilight said we had to go... I'm sorry...”
“Now don't you be worryin about that missy,” Applejack replied, giving Fluttershy a soft nudge. “We was keepin Celestia busy while you and the others escaped. Ain't that right Big Macintosh?”
“Eeyup.”
“Well let's not linger here any longer then darlings,” Rarity suggested. “The club house should be just up ahead, so we should hurry!”
“Wait, I have something important to tell you all first!” Fluttershy spoke up in a loud whisper.
“You can tell us on our way there, 'Shy” Applejack replied, turning flank and about to freak into full gallop. “We just gotta be hurryin' is all.”
“Oh, okay...” The three other ponies had already began running again, and fluttershy sighed before she too took off, able to catch up quickly with the aid of her wings.
“Now Fluttershy,” Rarity called as Fluttershy came up next to them. “What was it we need to know?”
“Well... Celestia told me that the only way to stop her and get her back to normal is with a lot of friendship, and a bit of magic...”
“Friendship and magic, huh?” Applejack questioned, turning her head to the side to look at Fluttershy. “So yer sayin that we gotta use the Elements of Harmony... on Princess Celestia!?”
“Oh, no, well... I don't know. That was all she got a chance to tell me. I'm sorry...”
“That's quite alright, darling. We'll make due, but first we just need to reach the-”
“HALT!” A loud voice boomed, making all four ponies suddenly skid to an abrupt stop. Before them stood two royal pegasus guards who still had their flanks pushed into a pile of bushes. “You cannot pass!”
“What the hay!?” Applejack complained. “What are ya'll royal guards doin here?”
“We're under strict order from Princess Luna to keep watch over this area,” one of the guards said. “We cannot allow anypony to pass beyond this point!”
“But why not?” Rarity asked.
“There's currently a plan being played out as we speak that Princess Luna believes will save Princess Celestia from her alternate self. If we allow any interruptions, it may ruin everything.”
“But where's Twilight?” Applejack spoke out. “And Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie?”
“The pink one and the rainbow colored one are currently inside of a small wooden structure taking cover. Twilight Sparkle is busy with the plan to cure Celestia.”
“So she's alright?”
“Rest assured,” The second guard said. “Any injuries or mental anomalies caused by her role in this will be tended to to the best ability that the Royal Equestrian Physicians can provide.
“Injuries? Mental anomawhats..? Just what in the hay are ya...” Applejack suddenly froze, her eyes widening to saucers as it hit her. “Yer... Yer lettin Celestia just have Twilight!”
“WHAT!?” Rarity gasped.
“Oh no oh no oh no oh no...” Fluttershy whispered softly.
“We assure you that everything is being done at this point,” The first guard said. “You can return home and rest, we will take care of this.”
“Heck no I ain't just goin home!” Applejack yelled in an enraged tone, taking a step forward and eyeing both the guards. “One of my best friends is in trouble, and you want us to just forget about it!?”
“If you are not willing to comply,” The second guard spoke up as both of the guards simultaneously stepped all the way out of the bushes and unfurled their wings. They stared directly into applejack's eyes, both of their gazes beginning to beat back at the farmer pony's. But as applejack had finally made a step back, a large hoof suddenly boomed against the ground before the two guards.
“Ah don't take lightly to nopony, I mean NOPONY threatenin my sister like that...” Big Macintosh boomed in a low voice as he took another step towards the guards. “Now our friend's in trobule... and you're going to let us pass.”
“Watch your mouth laborer!” The second guard spoke up. “You cross the line, and we're going to be taking a bite out of you!”
“Hmph,” Big mac replied, snorting a few times through his nose in anger. “Biting off more than you can chew is just what I'm countin on...”
Big Macintosh leaned his muzzle down and pushed it directly up against both of the two guard ponies' muzzles. The two guards stared straight at Big Macintosh with a heavy scowl, but Big Mac was completely unphased. Giving off a heated snort, he applied more pressure, pushing both guards back a step. The guards retaliated by pushed at the same time with all their might, leaning their bodies towards the farmer pony. Big Macintosh's back legs shook a little from the tenstion, but quickly flexed as he used all his muscles to push back. Even both guards were no match as Big Macintosh quickly pushed them both backwards and onto their haunches, his eyes narrowed and burning with a subtle rage as he stared down the two guards.
“Now...” Big Macintosh finally spoke, his dominance made obvious. “Yer both lettin mah sister and her friends through... ya hear me?”
Both of the guards were now shaking slightly in fear, the second one giving a light gulp before they both nodded in agreement. Though their faces were still in a heavy scowl as they had always trained, their minds were well aware that this big red stallion could pulverize them both if he really wanted it.
“AJ...” Big Macintosh spoke softly, his gaze still locked onto the guards'. “You and the others get goin, ya hear?”
“I... uh, oh! Right... um...” Applejack stammered slightly, having just snapped out of the moderate trance she was in from watching her brother square off two royal guards. “Well uh, c'mon yall!” She called out to the other two who had also just snapped out of their trance, their eyes returning to normal after being as wide as saucers. “Let's go save Twilight!”
“R-right!” Rarity acknowledged. “Coming!”
The three ponies quickly trotted past Big Macintosh and the two guards, going straight into the bushes before them. As they poked their heads out the other side, they could now see exactly the “plan” that had been going on. Twilight was sprawled out on her back in the middle of a large clearing with Celestia's body on top of her. They were both sweaty and panting heavily, and seemed to have been going at it for a while by the looks of it. The three gasped softly at the sight before Fluttershy started to take a step forward.
“Oh no, we have to help them... we have to save Twilight!”
“FIRE!” A voice suddenly yelled out from the opposite side of the clearing. In the next moment a blue beam of magic shot out from a patch of bushes on the far side of clearing and connected directly with Celestia's forehead. Celestia froze at that moment, her eyes going wide as her pupils dilated as her mind seemed to plunge into subconsciousness. Meanwhile, Twilight was laying flat on her back with her head lazily on its side, panting wildly and breathing hard, not even paying attention to what was happening above her. Over on the other side of the clearing, Trixie was channeling all her magic into the spell currently at work on Celestia's mind, the azure mare clenching her teeth from the difficulty of the process.
Trixie's mind strained as she focused her thoughts into Celestia's mind. It was an absolute mess in Celestia's mind, as if there had been a war raging within her subconscious. There were thoughts and ideas scattered everywhere, intentions and feelings seeming to battle one another, and even pockets where her mind's ideas somehow turned into jumbles of randomness. However, despite the chaos, an overwhelming consciousness was in control, and it was obvious that it was the Molestia side currently in charge. Trixie's spell then began to work through Celestia's brain, grabbing at the bits of the Molestia persona and bundling them together to be packaged up and moved to the furthest depths of her subconscious. However, as she worked, Celestia' mind began to fight back. It resisted the spell violently, lashing out at Trixie's magic and even countering with some of Celestia's own magic. Trixie struggled to maintain control, but in the next moment Celestia's horn glowed brightly, and the spell abruptly stopped.
Trixie fell back as the spell broke, using her hoof to rub her forehead as she sit on her haunches. Looking up, she could now see Celestia standing up straight her eyes narrowed and her gaze directly directly at her. Trixie's heart skipped a beat, now realizing that not only was the spell a failure, but she was now about to be caught and used in the same way Twilight was. The same realization hit Luna and Silver Shield as well, the two realizing their best hope to end this had just failed.
“Oh no...” Luna gasped softly. “We... we have to get out of here!”
“Fall back... Luna and Trixie, get to the carriage now and-Wraaagh!” Silver Shield's body was suddenly snagged by a magical force as it brought him floating out of the cover of the bushes towards Celestia. Luna and Trixie gasped and tried to make a dash for the trees, but they too were quickly picked up by another magical force and pulled out to the clearing.
“My my...” Celestia spoke triumphantly. “What a pleasant surprise! You all came to have fun with me!”
“Sister no!” Luna shouted, using her own magic to break Celestia's magical grip on her, allowing her to land on her hooves just in front of Celestia. “You have to stop this! Remember who you are, remember your duty!”
“Oh little sister, I know very well the duties I must perform...” Celestia said as she lashed out a part of her hair towards Luna, gripping it around her waist and pulling Luna up against her. “Now, I'm going to make sure that we both perform out duties... together.”
“NO!” A voice suddenly cried out from behind the group. Turning around, Celestia saw a yellow pegasus with a pink mane standing as tall as she could, staring straight at her.
“You will NOT, I repeat, you will NOT, HURT MY FRIENDS!” Fluttershy yelled out, now using her wings to lift her into the air. Quickly, Celestia used her magic to grab a hold of the pegasus and draw her near her. However, as she pulled Fluttershy to her, she now caught herself once again peering into the dreaded stare that was used on her before.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called out as her and Pinkie Pie rushed out of the tree house.
“Rainbow! Pinkie Pie!” Applejack called out as her and Rarity stepped out of the bushes they were in, heading towards the center of the clearing.
“Girls!” Fluttershy yelled out, her stare still focused on Celestia. “I can't keep this up very long... we have to stop Celestia now!”
“But how!?” Rarity cried. “We don't have any sort of means to cure her!”
“Yes we do!” Fluttershy replied. “We just need out friendship... and a little bit of magic too!”
“Magic...” Twilight suddenly spoke in a soft whisper, leaning up onto her haunches slowly. “The element of magic... the sixth element...”
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie suddenly announced as a small glimmer of light appeared around her neck. “We can't let our friends go and get hurt! We gotta stick together!”
“We have to be there for our friends... and keep them safe from danger!” Rainbow Dash added as a gem shaped like her cutie mark formed below her neck.
“We can't let our friends, or anypony else who's good and kind at heart to be hurt by something like this!” Applejack yelled, a golden necklance forming around her neck.
“We simply cannot stand idly by and watch such a travesty occur, we must do something! We must help!” Rarity said as a large purple gem attached to a necklace took shape under her neck.
“It's the only way to save our friends...” Fluttershy said softly at first, but then rose her voice loudly as her elemental necklace finished forming around her neck. “And to save the friends of our friends! We're all your friends Celestia, even if you're the ruler of Equestria! And no matter what, we will help save you from whatever's hurting you!”
“Because...” Twilight finally spoke up, standing on all four hooves as she looked up at Celestia. “Because that's... that's the magic of Friendship!” A golden crown with her cutie mark appeared on her head, shining brightly as Twilight stood up firmly.
Suddenly, a large beam of light shined out from each of the ponies, each light a different color as the beams swirled together in a wondrous rainbow. The rainbow formed above the six, and then struck down at Celestia, engulfing her in a way similar to how it did with nightmare moon. Celestia cried out and released Luna from her grip as the rainbow seemed to consume her, the swirling colors now covering her entire body. The sound of Celestia's struggles could no longer be heard over the roar of the Elements' magic swirling around Celestia. Finally, in a bright flash of light, the rainbow subsided and all of the ponies around Celestia were pushed back several feet, and then blacked out.
^=^=^
Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes, groaning slightly as she shifted her body around a bit on the grass below her. She turned her head a bit, smiling slightly as she saw the morning sun on the horizon. Then, with a large gasp Twilight shot to her hooves, looking around to see she was still in the clearing from that night. Her friends were there as well, now also just beginning to wake up. Princess Luna and Silver Shield were also present and waking up, except for Trixie who was snoring loudly at the edge of the cluster. The only pony who wasn't around was Celestia, who Twilight couldn't find even after looking around again.
“Is everypony okay?” Twilight asked as she looked over her friends.
“Y-yes... I'm alright,” Rarity replied, slowly getting to her hooves.
“I'm fine... just, a bit worn out...” Applejack said, giving out a loud yawn afterwords.
“I'm okay...” Fluttershy spoke softly, laying on her hooves.
“I'm up! I'm up!” Pinkie Pie called out as she happily bounced in place, the poofiness in her hair back. “That was so cool! At first the rainbow was like WOOSH and then it was like VWAAAOOOHH and then it was all KERSPAAAAHH! It was so amazing, wasn't it Dash!?”
“Five more minutes...” Rainbow Dash grumbled, turning over on her side as she tried to fall back asleep.
“Everyone's alright then?” Luna asked, now getting onto her hooves.
“I think so princess,” Twilight replied. “But, where's Celestia...?”
“She just got done raisin the sun,” Said a voice that approached from behind. As Twilight and the others turned around, they saw Big Macintosh and several royal guards come out from some of the bushes. “Celestia's just fine, she just needed some time to think to herself is all.”
“Where is she?” Twilight asked, taking a step towards Big Mac. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I think she's more worried about all of ya'll than she is about herself. But if I had to say, I'd think she's just about ready to talk to some of ya again.”
“Where is she?” Luna asked, walking up beside Twilight.
“I'm right here...” A majestic voice spoke softly, making everypony in the area turn to look at Celestia behind them, her head held low.
“Sister! Are... are you...?”
“I'm just fine now Luna, thank you. But, I'm so... terribly sorry for all the trouble I caused last night...”
“Princess, what happened to you?” Twilight asked, taking a few steps towards Celestia. “Why did you suddenly go out and... do all that?”
“It's... a long story,” Celestia said with a soft sigh. “After being around so long, I somehow grew an alternate personality that liked to... indulge on such horrible things. I tried having it sealed away with magic, but that only works for so long...”
“It's not your fault big sister...” Luna spoke solemnly. “I mean, I didn't know when, it's just... back at the castle, last night I...”
“I already know little sister...” Celestia interrupted. “And don't worry... it was bound to happen eventually. I can only thank you for yours and everypony else's help in all this. I am truly honored by your devotion...”
“So... what are ya gonna do now?” Applejack asked.
Hmm...” Celestia sighed softly and thought to herself for a moment before she looked up at the sun, freshly risen over the horizon. Then, an idea popped into her mind as she looked down at Twilight Sparkle. “How about a friendship report?”
“A... um, o-oh! Of course!” Twilight stood up firmly as she looked up at Celestia, who smiled down at her proudly. “Ahem...”
Dear Princess Celestia,
Sometimes there comes a time when a friend must help another friend get out or stay out of danger. But when it's another close friend causing the danger, it's up to you and your friends to come together and help out the one in need. No matter what they do, or what happens to them, as long as the friend is true and good at heart, a real friend would do everything they can to help them to get better.
Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.
At the end of the short speech, a familiar brown owl just happened to be passing by when it landed at one of the windows of the club house. Looking in, it saw three sleeping fillies on one end of the wooden room and a dragon sleeping on a table on the opposite end. Taking flight again, it hovered over to the dragon and landed beside it, pecking lightly at the dragon's shoulder.
“Eeh... uuh... w-what...?” Spike mumbled as he sat up slowly, wiping an eye with his hand. As he looked over, he saw Owlowicious' big eyes staring straight at him.
“Who.”
“WOAH!” He yelled out in surprise. “Dude, I told you not to do that! It's creepy!”
The End
Author Notes: Let it be known 2 things.
1: I suck at finale's (hope ya'll liked it though!)
2: I'm also bad with putting together friendship reports.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed my story! I will be adding alternate endings, as well as perhaps a collection of spoof scenes that I had in mind, so stay tuned for those.
Take Care~!
Long Days and Pleasant Nights, from Streak The Fox |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 9 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-08-22T01:37:25+00:00 | 2011-08-22T01:37:25+00:00 | 33,226 | Alternate Ending #1
(The following scene takes place after Celestia is cured and the scene cuts off to Owlowiscious. It is focused on Twilight Sparkle as she is in the middle of reflecting upon what has happened)
Twilight Sparkle looked out upon the horizon, the morning sun shining brightly and bringing life to the town of Ponyville. Her friends had all gone home now, having talked and conversed with one another about all that happened the past night, and now all that was left was to move on and deal with the next day. Twilight yawned slightly, finally feeling the effects of being up all night – again – and desired to see her bed once more. She smiled softly to herself and was about to begin her walk towards home when she felt a hoof against her side. She paused at first, but then froze her body still as the hoof slid up her side and to the top of her back, and then down and across her flank in a very seductive manner.
“You know, Twilight...” Said the voice of the pony currently caressing her body, which Twilight was able to make out to be Luna's. “This night got me thinking... It has been a long thousand years on the moon. Perhaps it's time I start pursueing more personal objectives...”
“P-Princess Luna...?” Twilight gasped softly, turning to see Luna's face right beside hers, their gazes meeting.
“Mmmm~, Twilight...” Luna cooed softly as she gave Twilight's ear a light nibble. “What a nice, soft coat you have...”
“Aww horseapples...”
Alternate Ending #2
(the following scene takes place just as the Mane 6 are casting the rainbow of harmony on Princess Celestia)
The rainbow formed above the six, and then struck down at Celestia, engulfing her in a way similar to how it did with nightmare moon. However, it was quickly dispelled in a brilliant burst of rainbow fire which emanated from Celestia's mane and tail. The rainbow subsided, and the elemental jewels on the six ponies abruptly stopped glowing.
“HAH! Do you foals really think the elements can defeat me!?” Celestia boasted. “I was once wielder of the elements, I know all about them, including how to dispell their magic!”
“N-no!” Twilight cried out, backing up quickly. “This... this should have worked!”
“And now...” Celestia continued as she looked at the fear struck into everypony around her. “Do you know what time it is...?” Celestia grinned wildly, taking a step in the direction of Twilight and Luna.
“It's... I-it's...”
“It's...” Celestia said finally. “...APRIL FOALS!”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“WHAT!?” Trixie finally yelled out as she stared at Celestia with her jaw dropped.
“Oh, my little ponies!” Celestia said finally. “Do you really think I was under the control of some sort of 'alternate personality'? Hehehe!”
“B-but...” Luna stammered, trying to take in what she had just heard. “The spell I cast! And the going around and... m-molesting everypony! And me too!”
“Oh Luna, you should know by now that even you can't keep secrets from me!” Celestia chucked as she put a hoof to her mouth. “I had been planning for months a good way to celebrate this glorious day, and Luna's 'prank' just set me up for the perfect plan!”
All the ponies, guards included, stood there with their eyes wide and their jaws about to fall off. Twilight was sitting on her haunches, her front hooves rubbing her temples as she tried to process what she had just heard.
“Oh, what's the matter Twilight?” Celestia said with a grin as she leaned down to her student. “Did I not go hard enough on you? Perhaps you would like a bit more of the hot summer sun sensation!” Celestia joked as she gave the tip of Twilight's horn a quick lick.
“I-i... uhh... uuuuhhh...” Twilight drew in her lower hooves and wrapped her front hooves around them as she began to rock back and forth in a fetal position. Her hair had sprung out of place and here eyes were stricken with the look of deathly fear. “F-find a happy place... find a happy place... find a happy place...!
Author Note: Trolestiaface.jpg |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 10 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-09-06T19:28:36+00:00 | 2011-09-06T19:28:36+00:00 | 32,441 | Alternate Ending #3
(The following scene takes place after Celestia is cured and the scene cuts off to Owlowiscious. It is focused on Twilight Sparkle as she is in the middle of reflecting upon what has happened)
Twilight Sparkle looked out upon the horizon, the morning sun shining brightly and bringing life to the town of Ponyville. Her friends had all gone home now, having talked and conversed with one another about all that happened the past night, and now all that was left was to move on and deal with the next day. Twilight yawned slightly, finally feeling the effects of being up all night – again – and desired to see her bed once more. She smiled softly to herself and was about to begin her walk towards home when she heard a rustle in the bushes behind her. As she turned to look, she saw only a blue blur as she was forcefully knocked to the ground onto her back, her legs sprawled out into the air as the figure pinned her on her back. Looking up, Twilight saw Trixie standing above her with a big, menacing grin and a large blush plastered on her cheeks.
“More...” Trixie spoke harshly as she pressed her body down roughly onto Twilight's. “Trixie wants more punishment for Twilight Sparkle!”
“T-Trixie!?” Twilight cried. “Get off me! I, what are you-mmph!” Twilight's eyes short open as wide as dinner plates as Trixie pressed her lips to hers forcefully, her tongue immediately pushing into her mouth. Trixie's kiss was deep and her tongue bat around hungrily while her lower body quickly began to pump down against Twilight's. In a desperate attempt, Twilight was able to push Trixie off of her for a brief moment and roll over onto her hooves, but Trixie quickly pounced right onto her back and pinned her to the ground once more.
“S-stop it Trixie! What are you doing!?”
“You and Celestia...” Trixie breathed into Twilight's ear as her hooves slid around Twilight's body. “Such force, such domination... that is what Trixie likes. That is Trixie's fetish! And Trixie wants MORE!” Using her magic, Trixie began to control her hair in a similar fashion that Celestia did to Twilight earlier and slid it into Twilight's mouth like a tentacle, pulsing it around while it acted as a suitable gag. Trixie's front hooves were slid back to Twilight's haunches and had them spread open with her flank pressed up between Trixie's back legs. As soon as the hair had slithered into Twilight's mouth, Trixie began to pump and grind her body forcefully against Twilight's once more, pushing her back and forth against the grassy ground beneath them.
Twilight was about to use magic to get her out, but her control of her magic quickly ceased as Trixie wrapped her lips and tongue around Twilight's horn and began to suck rapidly, bobbing her head up and down on it while her tongue lathered across the entire length. The sensation from this sent a rough wave of pleasure wrecking through Twilight's body, forcing out a suppressed moan as Trixie's hair continued to gag her. Hearing the moan, Trixie only picked up the pace as she sucked harder and faster while her body pulsed and pushed against Twilight more.
“You'll be Trixie's forever...” Trixie whispered deviously to Twilight. “You'll be all mine...”
Short Epilogue: Trixie eventually wore Twilight out and somehow brought her unconscious body to canterlot with her. Though Twilight's friends, including both princesses looked for her, nopony would ever see Twilight Sparkle ever again. Except for the Great and Lustful Trixie.
Alternate Ending #4
(The following ending takes place in chapter 1 when Luna is sneaking into Celestia's bedroom to cast her spell for the April Foals Day prank)
Normally there would be a few guards at the door of the room itself, but Luna had ordered them earlier that night to take watch at a post a bit further out, a post from which she could sneak by easily and gain access to her big sister's chamber of slumber.
Slowly, quietly, she gently pushed open the large door and took a quick peak around the room, making sure all was still and unsuspecting. Gradually she began to slip inside, first her right foreleg, then her left... using her wings to keep the door slightly opened... next her back legs, and finally her tail... after which she slowly closed the door behind her, making the door shut without even the slightest peep. Everything was going according to plan...
...Except, there was nopony in the bed. Looking over the bed carefully, Luna saw that there was no lump, no Celestia, no nothing! In fact, the bed hadn't seemed to have been touched all night, seeing how it was still perfectly made. Baffled, Luna emanated a soft light from her horn and looked around the room, revealing nothing but an empty princess's bedroom. That's odd... Luna thought to herself. I was sure Tia would be asleep by now... Luna quietly shut off the light from her horn and peeked out the door, seeing nothing around. She slowly began to slip out of the door when something pressed against her flank.
“Huh?” Luna said as she turned around, seeing Celestia standing behind her with her hoof on her flank. “T-Tia! I, uh, why weren't you...”
“In bed?” Celestia finished for her, lighting up her own horn softly. “Why Luna, my silly sister...” Luna could now see a large grin on Celestia's face, as well as her eyes which were open wide while her pupils were as small as black beads. “I wouldn't want to go to bed without you...”
In the next moment, Celestia wrapped her hooves around Luna and forcefully pulled her back into the bedroom, using her magic to quickly shut the main bedroom door and lock it.
The only sounds that could be heard from inside afterwords were first a quick second of screaming, then some muffled screaming, and then the sound of a bed creaking for about two hours straight.
Author Note: Yes, Celestia did prematurely turn into Molestia without Luna's aid. How? I guess it was just... her time of the millennium! *bricked* Anyways, wanna know what happened inside? That's for me to know, and you to find out in one of my Ponibooru Clop-Writes. (ask in the comments or private message for more info) |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 11 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-09-09T03:39:33+00:00 | 2011-09-09T03:39:33+00:00 | 28,983 | Alternate Endings by: ScyStorm
Due to this user's devotion to my series, for being a good friend of mine, and for putting the time and effort into making a well written alternate ending addition, I have added his two extra endings to the story. This is all you Scy!
Alternate Ending #5
(The following scene takes place a few weeks after the normal events of the story. Celestia was cured and life in Ponyville has moved on.)
Celestia’s beautiful sun shined in the sky high above Sweet Apple Acres. The loud creak of the swinging barn door cut through the quiet air of the farm, Big Macintosh’s jaws clamped around the rope that pulled the door open. The large stallion made his way to the cartload of apple baskets, waiting nearby to be pulled inside and added to the cellar. Another noise then stopped him in his tracks; the sound of flapping wings. He glanced upward, spotting a certain cyan pegasus hovering her way to the ground next to him. “Hey there, Mac,” Rainbow Dash stated with a somewhat forced smile.
Macintosh regarded her with a nod. “Afternoon to ya, Dash. What brings ya here?”
Rainbow turned her gaze to the ground, rubbing the back of her head with one of her hooves. “I’ve just... had a lot on my mind is all. Because of all that happened, with, you know...”
“The whole thing with the princess, ya mean?”
Dash flinched. “Y-Yeah. That. I’m still having trouble getting over it. Then I remembered you got caught up in it too. I never spoke with you about it before, did I?”
Big Macintosh only shook his head, and offered no verbal reply. Dash’s gaze turned back up to the stallion, regarding him with a look of wonder. “W-Well, how did you get over it so fast? You were...” Dash stumbled over her words. “...v-violated, just like the rest of us. You still seem like the same Big Mac to me.”
The stallion stared down at her, his stoic expression unchanging as always. “Guess I’ve always been in good control of my emotions.”
Dash sighed heavily. “So that’s it? Guess I won’t be able to get any advice from you, then...”
“Advice? I reckon I can give ya advice, Dash. Just get on with yer life. Celestia is normal, and yer friends are doin’ fine. You helped ‘em all out in the end.”
Rainbow Dash looked down at the ground, contemplating the stallion’s words. “Yeah, that’s true, I guess... Even Fluttershy seems to have recovered just fine. I don’t know why I’m still dwelling on it.”
Big Macintosh turned his gaze off of the pegasus, some gears turning in his head. “Any other reason yer here?”
Dash glanced back up at him, thinking silently for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I wanted to talk to AJ. I’ve barely spoken to her since maybe a few days after we helped Celestia. She’s been kinda... weird lately, and I was getting worried.”
Macintosh went silent for another moment, before nodding to himself. “I reckon that may be why yer dwellin’. I know you two are close friends. Yer not the only one noticin’ her habits.”
A light bulb seemed to go off in Dash’s head. “You’re right! Maybe I’m just worried about AJ. That’s why I can’t get my mind off of all this!” She stared imploringly at the stallion. “You’re her brother. How has she been doing?”
The stallion turned her gaze away from her, shifting the sprig of wheat that was ever-present in his teeth. “I can’t rightly say. Her work has been sufferin’ a bit every week. It’s like she’s thinkin’ ‘bout other things. I hope she still don’t feel bad ‘bout what happened to us. I reckon we talked long enough ‘bout that.”
Dash tilted her head slightly. “What was so different about what happened to you two?”
Macintosh looked at her, his expression shifted ever so slightly into a look of surprise. “She never told ya?”
“No, she didn’t seem like she wanted to talk about it at all. She just said Celestia cornered you both in Fluttershy’s cottage.”
Big Macintosh looked away from her once more, and fell silent. Rainbow Dash continued to stare at him. It’s like he was... embarrassed. After another moment of thought, Dash gasped when something clicked in her head. “Wait... Did Celestia force you two... to...?” she stammered out.
The stallion closed his eyes. “... Eeyup.”
Dash felt her face glowing at the mere thought. She turned away from the stallion, unsure of how to even respond. The two remained silent for a time, the sudden awkwardness of the conversation hanging in the air. Finally, Dash broke the silence. “Where is Applejack anyway?” she asked.
Big Macintosh opened his mouth to answer, but another voice cut him off. “Right ‘ere, sugarcube.”
The two turned to look behind Dash, as Applejack herself came slowly trotting up, a saddlebag gently bumping her side. Her eyes looked heavy, partly from lack of sleep, and partly from a flood of emotion. Despite her appearance, she forced a smile. “AJ... You look awful!” Dash said.
Applejack ignored the remark. “Nice to see you too, Dash, but I reckon I need to speak with my brother. Privately.”
Dash stomped her front hooves. “No way, AJ! We’ve been talking about you, and we’re worried. Now you show up looking like this!”
Applejack flinched from Dash’s outburst, and then sighed. “‘Spose he told you about what happened.”
The pegasus immediately dropped her angry demeanor, glancing over at Big Macintosh briefly. “I... kinda figured it out myself, heheh...”
The stallion felt a cold feeling overcome his stomach. He fixed a serious gaze on his sister. “AJ... Why were you in town all morning?” he asked.
“‘Spose there’s no use hiding it from either of ya,” Applejack answered, before reaching into her saddlebag.
The two watched as Applejack brandished a sheet of paper from her bag, gently flicking it in Rainbow’s direction, the paper fluttering down to the pegasus’ hooves. Dash leaned her head down and read the paper, soon feeling the presence of Big Macintosh at her side, also reading it. After a moment, both of them snapped their heads up, eyes wide in shock and horror. “You’re pregnant?!” they yelled in unison.
The earthmare flinched, and simply nodded, biting her lip. Dash continued to stare at her. “Then... That means...”
Applejack glanced briefly at her own brother, before turning her gaze to the ground. “Eeyup...”
Rainbow’s wide eyes stayed affixed on her friend, even as the loud thump of a fainting stallion shook the ground nearby.
= END =
~*~*~*~*~
Alternate Ending #6
(The following scene takes place relatively quickly after the normal events of the story. Celestia was cured.)
Princess Celestia sighed heavily as she walked into her bedroom, eyes gazing at all of her personal belongings. Nothing was disturbed, and everything remained cleaned, the maids having routinely performed their tasks even as she was out of the castle doing terrible things to her subjects. This helped please her a little, but her emotions remained scrambled. She had finally located the two emotionally-scarred guardsmen she had violated when her transformation first occurred, and taken necessary steps to make amends with them. Now, she wished only to have some time alone to rest & recover from the whole ordeal.
As she approached her bed, she noticed something floating in the air near it. A single scroll, rolled up and tied, floating magically in the air. “A letter... from Twilight, perhaps? Most unexpected,” she thinks out loud to herself.
With a soft glow of her horn, she untied the letter and rolled it open. Written on the parchment was a single, magical rune. As soon as her eyes gazed over it, the rune glowed and exploded, a bright flash of magic disintegrating the letter and temporarily blinding the royal alicorn. She cried out and recoiled, reaching upward with two hooves and rubbing her eyes. As she blinked her vision back into focus, she felt a crippling fatigue coming over her body. “W-What is this...”
From the corner of the room came the sound of sick laughter. Celestia gasped and turned her head toward the source, her legs wobbling. “Who’s there?!”
Out of the darkness of the corner stepped none other than her sister, Princess Luna. A wide grin was stretched across her face, the teal irises of her eyes having shrunk down to nearly the size of her pupils. Slowly she stepped toward her sister, eyes shining with a look of... hunger. “Worked like a charm, I see,” she spoke, her voice sounding distorted.
“L-Luna, what’s wrong with you?!”
Luna laughed once more, reaching her sister and shoving her down onto the bedding with a push of her hooves. “Wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me, my dear, loving sister...”
Celestia tried to stand, but no strength was left in her muscles. Her eyes were affixed on her sister as her body was rolled to her back. “S-Stop this! What’s gotten into you?”
The princess of night’s eyes trailed across her sister’s body, one of her hooves coming up and sliding across her white pelt, causing a shudder to go through Celestia’s body. “Watching what you did to poor little Twilight, it awoke something in me, dear sister... Something that’s been waiting a very long time to come out.”
Celestia whimpered. The alter-ego she developed over her long years of living... Did the same thing happen to her sister, during the thousand years she was locked away? There came a soft glow of magic, Celestia seeing the hair of Luna’s mane & tail begin to squirm and expand, becoming somewhat wavy in its movements, much like Celestia’s own. Luna straddled her sister’s body, her tail sliding down to the white alicorn’s backside and spreading her haunches. “Your work with young Sparkle wasn’t the first catalyst. Remember when you had me in this very position, Tia? Oh, I resisted, but it was only the first step. Now I’ve embraced those feelings you gave me...”
Tears began to leak from Celestia’s eyes, but the trapped alicorn found herself moaning softly despite her situation as Luna’s hooves slid across her body. Luna leaned her face close to her sister’s, tongue sliding over the crook of her neck and up across her chin & lips. The dark alicorn then stopped, staring deep into her sister’s eyes, face still adorned with a sick grin. “Now, my beautiful sister. I think it’s time I showed my... appreciation.”
With another glow of magic, the door & windows of Celestia’s room locked tight, the room covered in magical silence...
= END = |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 12 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-11-10T15:30:01+00:00 | 2011-11-10T15:30:01+00:00 | 34,989 | Princess Molestia
Epilogue
(The following event takes place approximately 2 days after the last Night of Molestia. It is late afternoon, and the sun has recently set.)
“Princess Celestia...?” Twilight called out as she slowly trotted into Celestia's study. Celestia herself was standing close to a bookshelf, holding open a book with her magic and scanning its contents. “Your guards said you summoned me here. Is everything...”
“It's alright, Twilight.” Celestia interrupted with a soft voice. She took a slow, deep breath and closed the book, setting it in its proper place in the book shelf. “I felt like I needed to speak with you once more over the events that occurred earlier...”
“It's been two days since it all happened. Is it really true that Luna is responsible for all of it?”
“Only partially, Twilight.” Celestia gently shook her head a couple times before looking over to her pupil with sorrowful eyes. “While it is true that my sister had a hand in releasing such a monstrosity, I still am to blame for even holding in such a thing. As ruler of this land, it is my sworn duty to watch and look over everypony who resides in it, to ensure their safety and well being to the best of my ability. This, is where I had failed two nights ago, as well as a select few times in the past. It is not often, Twilight, that there is an event that causes me to question the legitimacy of my own rule over Equestria. This is one of them...”
“But your highness, your wisdom and knowledge is what has kept Equestria in such a long period of peace and tranquility. You're the best ruler anything has had in over a thousand years! I can sparsely believe that anypony would think negatively of you, even if you may have had a few slip-ups.”
“Oh Twilight...” Celestia sighed with a soft smile, turning and taking a few steps towards her pupil. “You have always spoken highly of me, and even after my terribly deplorable acts, you still hold me in such high standings in your heart. I am... grateful.”
“Not just me princess, but all of my friends as well. After the events of that night, it sort of took a while, but we all came to grasp with the real situation and eventually got over it. I even did some research and discovered that it's not unheard of for a pony to sort of snap in 'that way' after extended periods of time. And being ruler for a thousand years... I can't imagine the strain it would have put on your mind.”
“Yes, but it is not right for me to make an excuse out of it. It is my fault, and therefore I can only pin the blame on myself, regardless of my sister's actions.”
“I understand your highness, but please... don't take it too hard on yourself. We all care about you, and even the strongest of us have our weak points. Promise me you won't take this too hard on yourself?”
“I promise,” Celestia replied with a soft chuckle and a warm smile. “And thank you again my star pupil, for all you've done.”
“It's no problem your highness,” Twilight said happily as she quickly trotted over and nuzzled the side of her muzzle under Celestia. Celestia bowed her head over Twilight's and closed her eyes for a few moments, taking the time to savor the wonderful pupil she has.
“Oh, and Twilight,” Celestia said as she raised up her head. “My sister Luna wishes to speak with you in her study. I told her I would send you over as soon as you had finished talking to me, is that alright?”
“Oh, sure thing princess!” Twilight replied as she took a step back, smiling up at Celestia. “What did she need to see me about?”
“She said it had to do with something to do with an idea she came up with. I don't know exactly, but knowing my sister, she's probably got something pretty entertaining cooked up. It should be pretty fun.”
“Alright, I'll go see her then I guess. Thank you your highness!”
“No, thank you Twilight,” Celestia said with a warm smile which Twilight returned before she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Getting directions from a few guards, Twilight quickly made her way through the halls of the Canterlot Castle, already getting close to Luna's study after a little more than a minute of searching. But as she rounded a hallway, she found Luna walking her direction and almost bumped directly into her.
“Oh, Luna!” Twilight said, her voice half surprised and half joyful. “There you are, the princess said you needed to talk to me.”
“Thank you for your attendance Twilight, and yes, I had something I wished to discuss with you. Come, walk with me.” Luna turned and began walking down the hall in the opposite direction with Twilight right at her side. “Did Tia tell you any of what I wanted to speak to you about?”
“Not really, only that she figured you might have something entertaining in store. I figured you probably had a surprise set up or something.”
“Well...” Luna gave a soft giggle as her cheeks gave a faint blush for only a moment before returning to normal. “Entertaining is a good word, I would say. As for a surprise, well... that depends on your analytic skills I guess.”
“What do you mean princess?”
“Twilight, ever since the events that occurred a couple nights ago, I have began to think... deeply.” Luna made a turn down another hallway, one that doesn't lead to her study, but Twilight didn't notice.
“Think about what exactly? I mean, I know we all went through a lot... and most of us still cringe when we think back to what happened, but what could be bothering you this much?”
“I honestly don't know how to put it, Twilight. But so far the best explanation I can give for all of these thoughts are... an epiphany, perhaps. A realization with great meaning. I don't know for sure, but it has continued gnawing at me on the inside, and I feel as though I just need to get this out there.”
“Get what out where? You're sort of losing me princess...”
“Well, what I'm trying to get at is, I think I need help with something, Twilight.” Luna entered through a large doorway with Twilight instinctively following behind. “Help with a very pressing matter...”
“Well rest assured princess, I'll do whatever it takes to- hey,” Twilight stopped suddenly and looked around, realizing they were in Luna's bedroom. “This isn't your study.”
“You're right...” Luna said in a low tone, her magic closing the door behind them. “It's not.”
“Um... Luna?” Twilight asked as she watched Luna turn around to face her while hearing the locks of the bedroom door click into place. “What was it you needed help with again...?”
“I think I finally understand what exactly Celestia went through in the past thousand years. Of the times she told me she lost control of herself...” Luna began to slowly walk towards Twilight, with Twilight backing her flank against the door. “And of all the lustful cravings she experienced.”
“B-but... But your highness...” Twilight gulped, trying in vain to back up further. “Don't tell me that... you too!?”
“Oh Twilight...” Luna giggled again as she licked Twilight's cheek, trailing her tongue slowly to the edge of her lips before pulling it back. “When Celestia changed at the beginning of that night, she introduced me to a new feeling that I had never felt before.” She pushed the front of her muzzle up against Twilight's, their lips almost connecting. “And now I want to feel it again...”
“N-n-no!” Twilight cried as she pulled back and moved away from Luna. “Princess, you need help! You can't let yourself fall victim to the same urges that Celestia did!”
“And you assume I haven't felt these 'urges' before? What do you think I was going through being on the moon for a thousand years!?”
“Well, I...” Twilight stopped, lowering her head to think for a moment. “I guess I never really thought of that...”
“I've had enough time to think...” Luna said as she looked sternly at Twilight, walking towards her again. “I've made up my mind Twilight Sparkle. Now it's not as much work with the mind that's in order, as there is work with the body.”
“P-princess Luna, please...!” Twilight cried desperately, not realizing she was backing up towards Luna's bed. “You can't do this! This is just, so, so...”
“So Naughty...!” Luna said, finishing Twilight's sentence in her own way.
Twilight's eyes shot open with a gasp as she looked into Luna's face, realizing her irises had dilated and she had a grin that closely resembled Celestia's two nights ago. Before she could do anything, Luna leaped at Twilight and pushed her back onto the bed as her horn lit with magic, sealing the room and making it impossible to open.
Begin, Princess Lunaughty
Author Note: This will be a separate story which I will link in these comments once I have completed part 1. Hope you all enjoyed Molestia! Are you ready for round 2? ;D
If so, then go here!
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2562/Lunaughty |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 13 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2011-10-21T01:46:50+00:00 | 2011-10-21T01:46:50+00:00 | 34,095 | Alternate Ending #7
(The following scene occurs in chapter 8 just as Fluttershy appears from the bushes in her attempt to confront Celestia, who has just finished capturing Trixie, Luna, and Silver Shield)
“NO!” A voice suddenly cried out from behind the group. Turning around, Celestia saw a yellow pegasus with a pink mane standing as tall as she could, staring straight at her.
“You will NOT, I repeat, you will NOT, HURT MY-Waaah!” Without hesitation, Celestia's magic grabbed onto Fluttershy's body and flung her up into the air, bringing the startled pegasus close to her.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she and Pinkie looked out the window. In an instant, Celestia's gaze jerked over towards the two, and her magic took hold of both of them as well, pulling them out into the open with Fluttershy.
Applejack and rarity looked on in horror, but as Rarity was starting to back up, her flank hit an unearthed tree root and sent her tripping back through the bushes, making a loud “Ooof” upon landing. Hearing the noise, Celestia redirected her magic through the bushes, and yanked out both Applejack and Rarity as well, bringing them in with the rest of their friends.
“Well would ya look at what I have here...” Celestia said as she smirked widely, her eyes moving to each individual pony one at a time.
“G-gaurds!” Luna cried out, trying to summon enough magic of her own to break away from Celestia's grasp.
In an instant, all of the guards in the trees and hiding in the surrounding area charged out from their positions and immediately attempted to tackle Celestia. However, while in mid-charge, Celestia's magic once more gained new targets, grabbing hold of the guard ponies and freezing them in place after managing to come within feet of her. The amount of magic pouring out of Celestia's horn was colossal, yet Celestia managed to keep it up with relative ease.
“Oh goodie...” Celestia spoke out once more, surveying everypony she now held with her magic. “More toys! I think it might just be time to play house...”
“P-play house...?” Trixie spoke up, her mind showing off her utter confusion.
“Why yes!” Celestia replied with her widening grin as she moved Trixie and Silver Shield closer together. “You can be the mommy...” Celestia's magic forced Trixie to the ground, her legs spread out with her rump raised obscenely into the air. “And you...” Celestia looked at Silver Shield as she lowered the stallion down over Trixie, holding him steady despite his valiant attempts to escape. “...Can be the DADDY!”
With that, Silver Shield's body was forced down onto Trixies, his hips especially being thrust down onto the blue mare's rump with a loud smack. Trixie gasped out loudly, her cheeks flushing a bright red while her body squirmed to get free of her magical binds. Silver Shield's body moved on its own, his hips constantly pushing back and forth against Trixie while the stallion gritted his teeth, trying his best to hold himself in, to not give into Celestia's possession of him. But with the constant pounding and Trixie's rhythmic cries, even he eventually began to lose control of himself in one of the few spots on his body that his golden armor did not cover.
The The other ponies of the mane group were then paired with a guard pony, each one taking on a unique position with the stallion they were paired with. Fluttershy laid on her back with her legs wide open, a guard on top of her pushing his hips into her against his will. Applejack was forced to sit on the lap of one guard being held on his back, her hips moving back and forth against his with great force. Rarity was pinned facing a guard, her legs wrapped around his while they both lay on their sides, their bodies constantly grinding and moving against each others'. Rainbow Dash was in the air with a pegasus guard, her body straight up with the guard behind her and holding her limbs back, jerking his hips against her rear with loud slaps. Lastly, Pinkie Pie was laying on her back on top of the last guard, her limbs also being held back as the guard rammed his hips up against her flank, pushing her lower body up and down rapidly.
Celestia took a moment to look around her, smiling in content at her work. She then turned her her head over to Luna and Twilight, both of which she had positioned in front of her with Twilight fully awake and aware once more. Fear controlled the expressions of the two ponies' faces as they looked up at Celestia, who only looked back with the biggest grin she could muster. Celestia's magic then began to work on the two, sitting them upright on their flanks and pushing them beside each other facing her. One of each of their hooves moved over to the other's body, sliding down between their haunches and stroking firmly. Twilight and Luna continued to stare wide-eyed at the sun goddess, their cheeks flushed red as they could feel their hooves moving against one another.
Celestia slowly walked towards the two, closely examining what she had obtained. This was her prize for her tonight, her reward for so diligently searching for her most faithful student. She closed her eyes slowly and lowered her horn towards the two, her magic now forcing them both to lean up and lick at it while their hooves continued to move as they were. Luna and Twilight whined and panted, their breath hot and their tongues moist as they lathered Celestia's horn, leaving no spot untouched.
“It's good to be the princess...”
Author Note: I know I should have done this alternate ending a lot sooner, but eh... didn't feel like it... until now :D
Hope you all enjoyed Molestia!
P.S. lucky #7 eh? lol
UPDATE
A Clop-write of this chapter has been put up on Ponibooru!
See it now at: ponibooru.413chan.net/post/view/74063
NOTE: Must have an active account to see it.
Must have explicit filters turned off
does contain explicit material
...
You have been warned. |
StreakTheFox | 316 | 14 | Big Macintosh,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Owlowiscious,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Trixie,Comedy,Random,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex | Princess Molestia | Molestia is on a rampage. Can Luna and Twilight stop her before they become her new toys? | complete | 1,306 | 152 | <p>When an April Foals Day prank goes wrong, it's up to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to stop Princess Celestia from turning them and their friends into Celestia's personal toys!</p> | mature | 2012-07-30T10:41:51+00:00 | 2012-07-30T10:41:51+00:00 | 10,075 | Alternate Ending #8
It had been far too simple, far too easy to complete his goal. All the was left was to reap the rewards. He flew towards the Everfree Forest, knowing he had all night to indulge on anything he could find. After all, it had been so long since he had gotten a chance to do some real stalking of prey, so he felt justified in his actions by reminding himself of that. But still... Owlowicious could not believe how simple minded the ponies truly were. All he had to do was place one simple book within the right bookshelf, and everything was set into motion from there.
It all began with the book he found one night while helping Twilight in a late-night study session. She always had late-night study sessions... practically every single night. And when she went to bed, he would be left to clean up the mess she had made just like Spike usually did, only it was harder for him. He had to painstakingly grab each book with his talons and carry them up to each shelf, shifting his body and his wings uncomfortable to push the books back into place. And by the time he was done, he either had very little or no time at all to go out and find a mouse or two before the morning sun came up.
But not that night. That night he had planned something that would allow him much guaranteed free time in the future. All he had to do was take that very peculiar book and study it for a bit until he found the psychosarilic spell inside. Figuring Twilight would go off the deep end trying to master the spell, and probably making more work for him during the nights, he took the book away and flew it all the way to Canterlot one early morning. It was a long and painful trip, but he made it, managing to set it purposefully inside of Princess Luna's bookshelf. From there on, it was a waiting game.
He knew of the princess' relationship with each other. He knew that Luna still had some resentment of her sister inside of her, and he knew she would find the spell and use it as a prank only to fail from her inexperience, and that Twilight would have to rush off to help save her somehow, leaving him all alone. And even though it didn't quite work out that well, the princess's obvious dementia would prove just as useful as a tool to keep Twilight Sparkle and maybe even Spike occupied for a time. After all, even he got pretty annoying at times... stupid lizard.
It was all according to plan, and what better luck was there when he found that his plan occurred on the night of the sleepover. What luck indeed! He had even more time than he ever dreamed! He knew his plan was in effect when he saw Princess Celestia flying through Ponyville. Though it was incredibly dark his nocturnal eyes could clearly see that she was not sane, and he silently praised himself as he continued towards the Everfree. He knew Twilight Sparkle would surely be busy that night.
And after a wonderfully successful hunting session, Owlowiscious, with a full belly, came upon none other than Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Big Macintosh as they traveled through the outskirts of the forest. He was lucky they didn't see them, because it allowed him the chance to spy on them and then to come upon the entire scene with the effects and the ultimate curing of Celestia and her Molestia. It was so devious, yet so glorious at the same time! That would surely prove to keep Twilight away for a while, and even that lizard boy too!
Speaking of which, Owlowiscious decided to take a peek into a precariously placed tree house not far from the scene. As he flew inside, he noticed Spike and a trio of fillies asleep inside. Though he didn't care about the fillies, he decided to check up on the little purple pupil of Twilight's. Pausing briefly, he decided to awaken him by pecking him on the shoulder. After all, what fun would it be if he didn't get to relish the fruits of his labor a bit by getting some input from those effected?
“Eeh... uuh... w-what...?” Spike mumbled as he sat up slowly, wiping an eye with his hand. As he looked over, he saw Owlowicious' big eyes staring straight at him.
That was it. Spike was cofused, maybe even a bit crazy. He would have to be taken away maybe to some psycho ward, and Twilight couldn't function without him, leaving him all alone to do what he wanted. He knew it to be true, and he allowed himself one vocal taste of his victory.
“Just as planned...” he muttered with a sinister look.
---
“Who.”
“WOAH!” Spike yelled out in surprise. “Dude, I told you not to do that! It's creepy!” |
Shameonapony | 317 | 1 | Original Character,Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | El Paso | complete | -1 | -1 | <p>Out in the badlands of western Equestria, people come and go. Often enough, a pony will leave behind a story that will be told for generations. Stories such as the one of a traveling musician known as Martin Robbins</p> | everyone | 2011-07-25T14:53:29+00:00 | 2011-07-25T14:53:29+00:00 | 1,494 | There is a town far west of Appleloosa known only as ‘El Paso’. it is a desolate place, centered in the badlands of southern Equestria. A chapter in a young blue unicorn’s life ended in this place. That pony’s name was Martin, Martin Robbins.
The hulking locomotive let out a loud hiss of steam as it rested in the docking station. I was on my way to Appleloosa, but thanks to the awful train system I was going to be trapped in this hellhole for 5 days. El Paso is what they called this place. A rock in the dirt if you ask me, no more special than the desert that surrounded it. I hoped off the train and began my search for shelter. Forgive the absence of my manners, my name is Martin Robbins, singer, song writer, and adventurer extraordinaire. I grew up around here, I have always worn a cowpony hat and i kept a revolver in a holster around my torso. Especially when I was in these more dangerous parts of Equestria. I have been all over Equestria but i still feel drawn back to the south. Today i had not much of a choice but I wasn’t going to hate it here. I trotted down the street until I came to a large building with an oversized sign hanging on the front. The sign read “El Paso Hotel and Rest Stop” it would have to do.
The air was very humid and unwelcoming in the lobby of the building. I approached the counter where I found a rust colored pegasus with a newspaper covering his face as he snored. With a sigh i used my magic to lift the newspaper, roll it up, and smack him upside the head with it. He comically fell over backwards in his chair before perking his head up and meeting eyes with me.
“Mr. Robbins!” he shouted, eyes widened. He lept up to the counter and grabbed one of my hooves I had rested on the table. He shook my hoof with both of his until I felt as if it would fall off. I pulled back away from him.
“Yes, um, a room please?”
“Oh yes of course Mr. Robbins! Anything for you!”
I rolled my eyes at the overload of appreciation from the pegasus. He turned around and shuffled through a rack filled with keys, each assigned to a number.
“Ah! room 25! great view Mr. Robbins, best room in the house if you ask me!”
He giddily tossed the key on the counter and let me levitate it up into the air.
“The elevator is through that door over there. It’s on the left, you cant miss it.”
“Thanks... Um...”
“Dusty!” He replied, all to quickly and excitedly, “My name is Dusty.”
“Yes... Thank you Dusty.”
I turned back to the door that he had pointed at and made my way to the elevator. The loud metal elevator brought me all the way to the top floor without any interruptions. I found my room easy enough. The key had a big 25 on it that matched the engraving on the door.
I unpacked as quickly as I could, simply tossing my saddlebags onto the bed and removing some bits to cover the cost of the alcohol i was about to acquire. I asked Dusty where I could find a saloon nearby and he gladly gave me directions to ‘Rosa’s Cantina’
It wasn't hard to find the building, it was not very big but it was very prominent. The swinging doors opened into a large room that was filled with customers. There was a bar at the far end of the room with a spiral staircase next to it. There was a large clearing that had been made to be used as a dance floor. I chuckled at the sight of 8 clumsy ponies square dancing and found my way to the bar. I propped myself up against the bar and asked the bartender for a glass of his finest brew. He happily filled my order and I tossed a few bits to cover the charge on the counter. I levitated the glass into the air and took a sip of the golden liquid. I suppressed every muscle in my body from spitting the drink all over the bartender. It tasted foul, so much so that it had forced an awkward expression on my face. The bartender took notice and raised and eyebrow. I turned my attention from him to the dance floor and what i saw broke all my concentration. A beautiful grey mare glided effortlessly across the floor as she danced. The glass came crashing to the floor and shattered.
“HEY! You’re gonna pay for that!”
Without diverting my eyes from the gorgeous sight before me I tossed a few bits towards the bartender, not even thinking of where they would land. My eyes were fixed on the mare. Everything in the world seemed to fade away into nothingness until only she was left. A lone pony, dancing in the darkness, a single spotlight shining down upon her. The essence of her form was portrayed with such elegance and grace that my heart simply melted away.
I finally worked up the nerve to approach her. She tossed a wonderfully bright red rose to me, of all the people in the audience. When she finally found herself tired I was the first to sit with her. We spoke for some time, it could have been hours. I was hopelessly in love with this cheerful mare. The time finally came when she had to leave. I took it upon myself to walk her home. That was the least I could do for the pony who was the missing piece of my life. We took the scenic route to her home. We stopped to see the sights every now and then and we kept each other company the whole time. It was cold at night out here. Her soft, delicate frame lightly brushed against my side, giving me the only warmth I needed. It seemed almost to good to be true, i must have been the luckiest stallion in all of Equestria!
We parted ways just outside of her house. A light kiss on my cheek was enough to send my senses into an overload of joy. I walked in a trance all the way back to the hotel. i threw my hat on a hat rack and threw myself onto my bed. Nothing else mattered. I was in love, hopelessly in love
I hadn’t gotten any sleep that night. I didn't want to see the sights or meet the townsfolk, I just wanted to spend the whole day with the love of my life. Around noon I arrived at her home. It was troubling to see her living alone, but that meant i would have no husband to worry about. I let her show me the town, see what there was to see. I didn't pay any attention to what she was showing me. I only cared about her, every second I could spend here was a second I would cherish.
These dates became periodic. We spent days on end with each other. She maintained a job at Rosa’s Cantina. She danced for a living. I watched every performance. I was troubled though, she was very flirtatious with other cowponies. I wanted to convince myself that she was faithful but it grew very difficult. So difficult that one day it grew too hard to bear. She sat at a table, sharing a drink with a rather intimidating cowpony. Rage boiled up inside me. I would not have been surprised if steam began to shoot out of my ears. She was laughing with him and they seemed to be enjoying each other's presence. My anger grew too hard to suppress and I stormed across the room to them. My mind was clouded in rage and my judgement sailed out the window. All I knew was that this pony was stealing the love of my life from me and I was willing to put my life on the line to make sure he didn't. I stood up on my hind legs and lifted my hat to meet eyes with the soon to be sorry stallion.
“I challenge you for the love of this mare!”
what did I say about losing my judgement?
He chuckled and raised himself from his chair. He reached to his holster without making eye contact. The second he touched the handle with his mouth my instincts took over. I leaned back and pulled my revolver out of its holster with a satisfying flow. He hadn't even cleared leather before I planted a single bullet into his chest. He fell backwards and his head rolled over to reveal the empty revolver.
I stood still in shock. I had killed in cold blood in front of a room full of other ponies. At the sound of the gunfire, 3 burly cowponies pushed through the swinging doors and assessed the situation. I dropped the gun to the floor, bringing their attention to me. I was still staring, shocked at the growing pool of blood that was forming around the corpse of the blue pony. They produced their weapons and with no further words I charged headfirst out of the back door of the building.
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me away from the town. I ran and ran and ran until my legs finally gave out and I found myself in the middle of the desert, alone. panic set in first. I knew how to survive off the land but i was extremely unprepared for this. I searched the horizon for any signs of civilization but the only building was a small rest stop for caravan traders. There was a single purple earth pony sitting behind the counter of the rather small building. I introduced myself and told him what happened. He offered me a room for a night but no longer. I suppressed the urge to hug him right there. It isn't very often that you meet generous people like this. I was given a small room with only a bed and a desk. I knew that I would be killed if I returned to El Paso, but my love for the grey mare was far too strong to ignore. I was certain I would die, but my love was stronger than my fear of death.
I finally came to an agreement with myself. I was going to see the mare one last time before I died. I set out for the west equestrian town of El Paso at just about midnight. I had reached the outer edge of the city about an hour later. I had a small idea what time it was but the moon gave a pretty good indication. So here I stand, on a hill overlooking El Paso. I can see Rosa’s Cantina below me. The place where I was certain to meet the love of my life for one last time.
To my right came 5 armed cowponies, to my left a dozen, or maybe more. I ran as fast as I could possibly carry myself to the back door of the cantina. Being chased the whole way.
Something is dreadfully wrong. There was a sudden sharp pain in my side. I stumbled my way to the door and just managed to push it open before it became too much to bear. I fell headfirst onto the cold, hard, wooden floor. My love for Feleena was far too strong. I lifted myself from the floor with a fierce determination.
“Feli-!” Was all i managed before a loud explosion broke through the air. I saw the white smoke bellowing from the rifle, I felt its bullet go deep into my chest. I was taken off my already tired legs and thrown onto my back by the sudden force of the bullet. I found myself curled up on the floor, blood flowing from the wound in my chest. Darkness began to creep into my mind and I brought my eyes to the ceiling.
The sudden feeling of Feleena’s warmth holding my body brought me peace. I raised my head and pressed my mouth to hers. My strength was draining and my head fell back to the floor.
“Never forget me Feleena, it’s over, goodbye.”
I felt a single tear fall onto my neck. I leaned my head backwards and closed my eyes. Cradled by two loving arms that I would die for, I allowed the darkness to free me from my suffering.
FIN |
|
Lord Xaos | 318 | 1 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-03-01T03:53:53+00:00 | 2013-06-05T00:24:36+00:00 | 9,033 | ff: This work of fiction is based on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Characters by Hasbro, the story "Cupcakes" by Sgt. Sprinkles, an Alternate Ending to "Cupcakes" by Pacce, and also some "Rocket to Insanity" by Scherzo, as well as elements of various other fanworks across the Internet, and references to other copyrighted media that I am not going to try to numerate. I guess what I'm saying is: I'm an unoriginal whore.
Don't pay for this, oakie day?
This story includes graphic scenes of Violence and Gore, and Mature themes of the Corruption, Betrayal, Torture, Entrapment, and Gambling with One's Very Soul. Reader discretion is advised.
That said, this story might not be all that it appears to be, and may in fact be beneficial for those who have had MLP:FiM or a certain Character from said show ruined by reading the "Cupcakes" Story. You might consider this story a "cure"…for the Cupcakes Blues as it were. So for those who do choose to read, I offer one word of advice:
"No crying until the very end."
With that, I am proud to present:
The Dark Side
by Lord Xaos
Chapter 1
"Ya know, Rainbow Dash, I'm disappointed. I thought you would have lasted longer. I really wanted to spend more time with you before we got here. But I guess it's my fault; I should have taken it a little slower. Oh well. It was really was nice knowing you, Dash!"
The blade sunk into the blue throat and worked its way up to Dash's chin. Coming back down, Pinkie's scalpel then circled Dash's neck. The last thing Rainbow Dash felt was her skin being cut away from her skull, and the metal of the blade scraping her teeth.
Then she was gone.
Pinkie Pie awoke with a jolt. The entirety of her nightmare flashed through her mind. Pinkie grabbed for her lucky bucket and relived all her meals for the past two days. She then stumbled out of bed and headed for the stairs leading down to the shop proper. Then she stopped, thinking of all the sweet confectioneries below and her dream once more surged along with her stomach, so she instead opted to go out the window.
The sun had yet to come up, but there was just something she had to do. So she took an extending step ladder with her and made her way down the street. She set up the ladder beneath Rainbow Dash's cloud castle and proceeded up. Using the cloud walking technique Dash had taught her, she ran to the door and began banging on it in a panic.
The door opened revealing a yawning Rainbow Dash, "Pinkie Pie, its 4 in the morning! What are you," Rainbow Dash was cut off when Pinkie Pie suddenly leapt forward and hugged her tightly, sobbing all the way. "Pinkie, what's the matter?" Dash asked in equal mix of confusion and concern. Pinkie's only response was continued crying. After a few minutes she released Rainbow, only to start spinning her around. "Pinkie Pie, that's enough!" Rainbow Dash yelled out in frustration.
She immediately regretted it as Pinkie just cried harder and then finally spoke, "I just...needed to make sure you were all still there."
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile. "Pinkie Pie, you are so random."
A few moments of silence passed, with Pinkie still crying, although she was returning the smile. Dash decided to ask "So, do you want to talk about what's the matter, or what?" Pinkie kept smiling, but she seemed a little sad at the question, and looked away...like she was ashamed of something. She replied "It's nothing. Just...could I stay with you for a while?" she hugged Rainbow again. "Sure."
And they stood there. Rainbow was patting Pinkie on her head for want of anything better to do. Rainbow Dash suddenly had the strangest sensation that Pinkie was slipping from her somehow. Before she could figure out what was happening, Pinkie's sleeping form fell through the ground, which was, after all, made up of clouds. The cloud walking technique only works for Earth Ponies if they stay awake enough to give the smallest amount of concentration on staying afloat! (And also only for the clouds in Equestria, as opposed to the 'wild' clouds of the Everfree forest and other lands outside Celestia's protection, but that was a less important detail for Rainbow Dash to worry about right at the moment.)
"Oh no...Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash shot a hole through the cloud floor where Pinkie fell through, and descended with all the speed she could muster. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she saw Pinkie falling there, a peaceful expression on her face. As she fell closer to the ground...her castle wasn't that far off...she'd land really soon but maybe she'd survive with just some minor injuries. So it might not be the end of the world...
YEAH, RIGHT! She was Rainbow Dash, and the only thing greater than her speed was the drive to never let her friends get hurt. Ever. Her descent wasn't quite a Sonic Rainboom, but it was still with qualities like a speeding bullet that Rainbow's hooves closed the distance and wrapped around Pinkie's and pulled up, barely missing the ground. Rainbow landed to check up on Pinkie. She murmured..."...look, Dashie...I can flyyyy...zzzz." Honestly, Rainbow thought, this pony was going to be the death of her.
Rainbow flew Pinkie back to Sugarcube Corner, and noticed the window was open so wide that she could only guess that Pinkie left through it. "Pinkie, why didn't you use the door?" Pinkie just mumbled something about flying so high that she'd wrap around the whole of reality and come out of the ground.
In Ponyville's treehouse library, Twilight Sparkle, who had been sleeping peacefully, started kicking her own bed furiously in her sleep for no apparent reason.
"Oh you silly pony...what would do without me?" Rainbow Dash whispered as she flew her friend back up to her bedroom. She tucked Pinkie Pie back in bed. As Rainbow left, Pinkie started to whimper in a small voice. "Are you kidding me? Pinkie...how old are you, anyway?" Rainbow grumbled exasperatedly at Pinkie. After looking around to be absolutely sure nopony was watching, she kissed Pinkie's forehead, which called back the pink-on-pink mare's peaceful expression. Rainbow Dash smiled back at her and yawned. It was entirely too early for this nonsense.
Rainbow returned to her cloud castle, and stumbled towards the door. She was feeling really tired by now, and nearly fell through the hole in the clouds she made earlier to save Pinkie Pie. "So...random. Yawwwwn, I'll have to fix that in the morning." Rainbow flew inside her castle and crawled into bed. Well, that was a short little adventure. Why was her sleepy little town such a chaos magnet? "Oh well, I better get to sleep now before another parasprite swarm or alien invasion or whatever destroys Ponyville tomorrow morning. Or maybe zombies...yeah, zombies are cooler than aliens..." Shortly there after, Rainbow nodded off to sleep.
Meanwhile back in Pinkie's room, Pinkie Pie was sleeping peacefully. So very glad Dashie was okay and it was all just a dream. As she slept, a most peculiar event was taking place. The shadows of the room twisted and everything became darker. If anypony was only awake to see it, it would be obvious that something very wrong was happening in Pinkie's room, although nothing in the tangible world would seem out of place. It would cause any awake pony to shake with a fear they couldn't explain, but nothing of meaning had even happened. A fear that up might be down, right might be wrong, dogs and cats might live together, grown men might watch a cartoon about purty ponies! A fear that the worst possible thing might happen! That all logic just abandoned the universe. A fear that….that…..
"Dreams might come true?"
….who said that?
"Oh, oops! I forgot I wasn't supposed to talk to the Narrator."
….what kind of story IS this? …I must just be imagining things.
Ahem-
"Get on with it, Mr. Pokey!"
Right, sorry!
Pinkie's shadow moved without Pinkie. Pinkie shivered momentarily, but returned to her peaceful slumber shortly after her shadow freed itself completely. It crept out the window, and glided along the ground...towards Rainbow's castle. As it neared, it jumped from the ground to the clouds, and slithered over the hole and under the door. It went into Rainbow's bedroom, grew one, two, three, four, five, SIX wings, and floated above her on the wall, wearing a shadowy dress that flapped in the wind...
And then it sang….
"Well, here we are at last,
You were always were a pleasure
Are wondering why you're in a vice?
Oh how we laughed and laughed
Except...you're not laughing?
What's the matter, Rainbow Dash?
Am I not being so nice?
I need you for harvesting,
That's what I'm planning on.
Sorry your number came up,
ooooh I'll feel sad when you're gone.
She was a lot like you,
but you're not quite as heavy.
I chopped up poor Gilda to feed to you.
But then I burned her meat,
and now she's gone forever.
You will not follow suit,
That much I will promise you!
I know this is quite shocking
That's what I'm betting on.
This is the end, my Dashie!
Nopony will know you're gone
So long, my bestest friend,
well, DUH! of course I meant you!
That would be funny
if it weren't so sad.
You cannot be replaced,
but its too late for that now.
when I go eat you, maybe
I'll start feeling real glad!
You'll be baked into Cupcakes!
That's what I'm planning on.
I want you inside of me!
Oh, I'll feel sad when you're gone
Nopony will know you're gone
Oh we will soon be as one..."
The Shadow giggled playfully, as it peeled of the wall of the cloud room and approached Rainbow Dash, who had been shivering since partway through its song. It continued to giggle, but as it did so, the teeth in its mouth stretched and sharpened. It stood right above Rainbow's head, its mouth lowering to the level of Rainbow's ear, a black drop of shadowy saliva dripped off its tongue and splashed on Rainbow Dash's neck.
"Ah! Wha? Who's there!" Rainbow shot up with a jerk, cold sweat all over her body (although a droplet on her neck felt kind of warm as it drizzled down). Rainbow was so certain she felt someone else in the room, but upon scanning the room, she found darkness there, and nothing more. She was completely alone, as was normal, although this time she badly wanted somebody close to her. She was feeling some new kind of fear she couldn't name, and that was the worse kind.
She gradually coaxed herself to lay back down, telling her fretful mind she was just imagining things...
She hoped.
She did have the strangest question on her mind as she lay there. "Why DO they call it a hacksaw, anyway?"
Despite her efforts Rainbow still wasn't able to get to sleep. She worried at every little sound. Also, her peaceful little house made from clouds, was making little sounds. It wasn't like she had floorboards or machinery or anything. That could not be a good sign.
"Come on, Rainbow Dash. It's…not even a nightmare really. It's just a feeling. You don't want the other girls to laugh at you, do you? You're still living down admitting your fear of dragons after Pinkie Pie surprised you that one time!"
This was true. Although it had been several weeks since the confrontation with the Dragon (which ended with Fluttershy convincing the giant lizard Rainbow just kicked in the jaw to leave peacefully), Rainbow was still jumpy at any loud noises she didn't recognize. While her friends had long since stopped laughing, it was still embarrassing when she noticed the knowing glances between the others.
Somehow, she figured the guilt was a big factor of it. When she was still recovering from her poorly thought out attack, she opened her eyes only to see a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, whatever-it-all-was-that-Fluttershy-said, could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite, totally all-grown up dragon emerging from the cave, and she realized. She was so used to competing and winning, Humility didn't kick in to tell her "Oh, right. I'm a tasty little herbivore and there's a whole food chain above me, with this dragon I've annoyed pretty much sitting at the top of it all." until after she had just doomed herself, along with her friends. Some Element of Loyalty she was. Now that primal fear had caught up with her, the shock was enormous! Actually, she was kind of proud of herself in retrospect for kicking such an invincible foe. It would be some serious "tell your grandchildren" kind of stuff, if they weren't all about to die.
But then Auntie Fluttershy surprised everyone and told off the mean ole dragon to stop bullying little baby Rainbow Dash and her friends, and in defiance of all common sense, it worked. Her brain just couldn't wrap around that, which was why she was so sure Pinkie Pie's impression really was the dragon come back! And even though Fluttershy was still the quiet, easily startled pony that was verifiably frightened of her own shadow (seriously though, what's a shadow supposed to do, eat you?), Rainbow couldn't help but think they found it funnier, cuter, when she got scared by something herself, just because Fluttershy's constant squeaking and panicking was what, OLD? It wasn't fair.
Now I'm scared of…hacksaws, I guess. I can't let anypony know about this…
Rainbow sat in her bed and searched through her mind for what to do. She just couldn't sleep. She could go to Pinkie's…she had no right to laugh, she had just woken up Rainbow to cry about over her own nightmare. No. It's because she was so troubled by…whatever she was troubled about that Rainbow couldn't stand to bother her. Not when she would've traded anything to find the ability to go to sleep without worrying about phantoms that lurked in every dark crevice.
Rainbow had an idea….and swallowed. "Well. I guess I could do that. It would've saved me a trip back home if I did it in the first place."
Rainbow got out of Bed, walked out the door, fell through the hole in front of the door, barely started flying in time to catch herself, broke down laughing hysterically because it must've been the funniest joke in the world to have all that tension DESTROYED over something so stupid, and flew to Sugarcube Corner.
Rainbow flew in through the window into Pinkie's room. She looked around, and saw a bunch of overturned covers sitting on the far side of the bed, where she guessed Pinkie Pie was. This didn't seem to really present a problem. Her body was built to stand a wide range of temperatures; she didn't really need the blankets. Or as she herself would put it: "Whatever. Pegasuses don't get cold."
"PEGASI!" Rarity chirped in her sleep, startling her cat, Opalescence.
Rainbow hadn't felt that awful presence ever since leaving her castle, and that was a load off her mind. She did feel kind of awkward just sharing a bed with her friend uninvited like this, but she was much too tired to think about it anymore. So she carefully snuck into bed, and she just…lay…still…
…
Rainbow was being jostled by someone. She didn't want to get up. "Come on, just five more minutes, mom…" She was jostled again, more violently this time, and this frightened her. Nopony ever shook her awake quite like that in her life, it reminded her for one terrible moment of the... unsafeness she felt in her own house the night before. "AH!" Rainbow shouted as she flailed and rolled out one to the floor face first with a thud. "Owww…" She shot back up to find herself looking into the apprehensive looking face of Mrs. Cake, owner of the Sugarcube Corner.
Rainbow found herself strangely relieved by the fact that Mrs. Cake was not handling a hacksaw, a knife, a scalpel, a syringe, or for that matter, a fully grown dragon. Despite that, something was clearly very wrong.
"Oh, I'm so sorry for startling you, deary, but I have to ask you. Where's Pinkie Pie?" Mrs. Caked asked. "I wasn't scared!" Rainbow retorted before pointing to the bed to indicate the overturned covers "and besides, Pinkie's right there, isn't she?" Mrs. Cake looked at Rainbow with some unreadable expression. "No deary..." Mrs. Cake unraveled the covers to reveal nothing. "We only found you."
Rainbow Dash just gaped. "She didn't leave a note or anything, you're our only lead. Deary, if you know anything, please tell us! Do you have any idea where she could've gone?" Dash didn't know what to say. Pinkie was sleeping so soundly, what could've even woken her up AND possessed her to leave in the short time window of time Dash was gone?
Pinkie Pie...where are you? |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 2 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-11-29T05:55:12+00:00 | 2011-11-29T05:55:12+00:00 | 5,547 | The Dark Side
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfic
Chapter 2
"She wasn't even here?" Rainbow Dash asked Mrs. Cake. It had been a rough morning for Rainbow Dash, she had snuck into Pinkie Pie's room to sleep with her, because a terrible foreboding prevented her from sleeping in her Cloud Palace, and now she just learned from Mrs. Cake that Pinkie Pie had gone missing inexplicably. The kindly older mare nodded. Rainbow felt disorienting confusion, and lent words to the feeling. "But…I saw her last night! She woke me up at 4 o' Clock, sad about something she wouldn't talk about." Mrs. Cake spoke up, an idea clicking in her head. "Do you think she was….was saying goodbye to you deary?" Rainbow shook her head. "It couldn't be! Even if it was, she fell asleep…nearly killed herself by doing so, actually…and I brought her back home."
Mrs. Cake tried to take this all in. "So, was that when you decided to sleep in her bed? She snuck out without bothering you?" Rainbow rigorously shook her head. "No, I went back to my house briefly and…." Rainbow didn't want to admit she got scared for no apparent reason. "…I couldn't get back to sleep. …there was a…draft." Rainbow lied. "So I decided to sleep over with Pinkie. All I saw was that lump of sheets in the bed, thought that was Pinkie, and I just carefully got in bed, not disturbing Pinkie at all. All the covers were exactly as they were before you unfolded them just now… Its almost impossible she snuck out of the bed without changing the sheets a little." Mrs. Cake wore a skeptical look about something near the end of Rainbow's story, but didn't seem to find it important enough to press her right now.
"So in about an hour's time, she woke back up, and left before you got back?" Mrs. Cake repeated. "You said she was sad about something. Do you have ANY idea what it could've been?"
Rainbow thought for a moment. "Well…she did say something strange. When she first woke me up she was just standing there, crying and hugged me. Then she started examining me all over, and I got mad, not knowing what was going through that filly's mind. Oh yeah! She said …she 'had to make sure I was still all there.'" Rainbow looked down. "She wouldn't tell me anything more than that, really. She seemed…I don't know…scared to talk about it. She just held on to me and fell asleep afterwards. She didn't seem troubled when she fell asleep this time." Rainbow suddenly realized she needed some information. "It was 5:30 or so when I came back, what time is it right now?"
Mrs. Cake pointed to the clock in Pinkie's room, which was a small alarm clock with bells fashioned after spotted toadstools (and it was all, of course, Pink). The hands read 8:30. "Its been three hours deary, but we don't know where she could've gone."
A knock came from the door, and a yellow Stallion which Rainbow Dash recognized as Mr. Cake walked in. "Excuse me, hun. But I just want you to know that Pinkie Pie couldn't have used the door. It was locked this morning and all our keys are still inside, so she couldn't have locked the door behind her. She apparently took a step ladder, and length of rope which was outside the shop, from the utility closet. Anything new?"
Mrs. Cake told her husband "Well, Pinkie's friend here tells me that she saw Pinkie an hour before she spent the night here, but that Pinkie was already gone when she came back to the Corner." Mr. Cake took a second to absorb this. "Wait, what were you girls doing so late at night?"
Rainbow ignored him and instead asked "Pinkie used window? Again? She left the window open and probably used the first ladder, which I kind of left at my place (Sorry), to climb down. I know she's Pinkie Pie and she does weird stuff all the time, but why didn't she want to go out the door? What's down on the first floor?"
"Just sweets and party favors, really. Most of them owned or made by Pinkie herself." Mr. Cake chimed in.
"Actually," Mrs. Cake spoke up "I found Pinkie's bucket in the bathroom. It had been washed, but it still smells like vomit. Maybe she got sick?"
That's odd…why would Pinkie be afraid of SWEETS of all things? She's scarfed down so many cupcakes that it's a miracle she isn't toothless like….SNAP!
Rainbow jumped from the noise, and then looked at her tail, which felt like somepony-er, gator was pulling on it. Sigh…like Gummy.
"Gummy!" squeaked Mrs. Cake. "Bad Alligator!" She admonished the tiny mindless reptile.
"Its okay, he just surprised me. No teeth, remember?" Rainbow shook her tail until Gummy slipped off. "Wait, if Pinkie Pie was running away and not coming back…why wouldn't she take Gummy with her? He's her pet." Rainbow Dash noted, then thought.
Pinkie had refused to go downstairs to leave the building, twice. She had thrown up for some reason. There was nothing but sweets downstairs. She most likely had a disturbing nightmare last night that involved Dash not being "all there", whatever that meant.
And, she hadn't packed anything for her second trip, not even her pet.
Okay, so that last one didn't really fit the others, but Rainbow could see a clear connection between Sweets and her nightmare. Maybe she dreamt she baked up a giant killer cupcake and it went around town eating ponies, starting with Rainbow Dash?
"RAR! Thank you, mistress, for giving me life!" Cupcakezilla roared! "Now, I'll get revenge on all of Ponykind for devouring my cupcake brethren! Now we'll see who eats who around here!"
"No! Don't eat the ponies! They're my friends! I promise I won't eat another Cupcake again, just don't hurt anypony!" Pinkie pleaded.
"What? *YOU* ATE CUPCAKES! I was going to spare your friends out of respect, Mistress, but now you must be taught a lesson! Let's see how you like it when I eat your friends, starting with your fellow prankster!"
And then Cupecakezilla pounced on Rainbow Dash, who happened to just be standing there.
"OM NOM NOM NOM"
"Pinkie Pie! Help me! Oh no, its chewing me up with its peppermint teeth! Ow! ARG! What possessed you to give a giant cupcake PEPPERMINT TEETH? Why, Pinkie Pie, whyyyyyyyy…"
Cupcakezilla slurped up Dash's rainbow tail and belched, releasing a single sky blue feather, that floated down to earth so gently you could swear a sappy power ballad was playing in the background.
"Dashie! NOOOOOOOOO!"
"Deary, I don't find anything about this situation funny at all. Why are you chuckling?" Mrs. Cake said, looking at Dash with a worried expression.
Dash managed to stifle her snickering. "I'm sorry, I tried putting the pieces together and just thought of something stupid." Rainbow cleared her throat. "Actually, I think her nightmare might be important, and it has something to do with Sweets. Try getting in contact with Twilight, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I can't sit around any more. I'm going to look for Pinkie Pie on my own!"
"Deary, wait!" Mrs. Cake called out, but the eager young Pegasus had already flown out the window. This was how it should be. She wasn't Rainbow Dash: Ace Investigator. She was a doer. Pinkie had been gone for 4 hours at the most, she couldn't have gone too far.
Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but notice how perfect the morning was going. The young purple Unicorn had gotten up early to a gorgeous morning Sun, courtesy of her wonderful mentor, Princess Celestia. Her assistant, Spike, had fixed her some delicious grass pancakes, topped with the freshest tasting dandelions she had had all year. She had just found a old book on magical charms that wasn't even in Canterlot's library! (She knew, she had memorized all the titles by category before, even if she hadn't read them all.) And best of all, she felt that today was going to be just as peaceful as yesterday. Sure, a Return visit by Nightmare Moon or a Zombie apocalypse was probably forthcoming tomorrow-actually scratch that. Aliens. Aliens are cooler than Zombies- but for now she let herself get swallowed up in the prospect of having a perfectly stress-free day. Ahhhh…
"Man, today is so boring! I've never felt so annoyed not to have any chores left to do!" Spike groaned. The young dragon had been lounging on the stairs for the past ten minutes or so. "I wish something exciting would happen like it usually does! Ponyville is like, Fun Central, normally!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Spike, you should learn to appreciate peaceful days like these. How'd you even get by in Canterlot, when everyday was as peaceful as this one?" Spike sat and thought for a moment. "Doughnut shop?"
Before Twilight could respond, a Knock came from the door. She heard Mrs. Cake's voice. "Twilight? Deary? Pinkie Pie's gone missing. We need your help."
Twilight groaned. Spike fist pumped the air, shouting "Yes!" Twilight admonished her baby Dragon "This isn't a game, Spike. For all we know, Pinkie could be in serious trouble..."
"I know, I know…" Spike said, still with that gleam in his eye. She went to the door, and greeted her guest. "Hello Mrs. Cake, please tell me what happened."
"Well, it started when we noticed Pinkie hadn't come down yet, so we went upstairs…"
Pinkie Pie ran through the Everfree forest, bounding over vines and dodging low branches, desperately chasing after her prey. She couldn't let it get away, even if she had yet to understand how the escape had happened…it shouldn't be possible! She bounded over a thicket her quarry had disappeared into, and was relieved to see she had easily caught sight of her target again. She didn't bother with reason, that would just be a waste of energy. The prey was hers. All hers. She wasn't going to just let it get away because it broke a few laws of common sense to escape.
She had to catch the equine form fleeing from her…even though she was aware she was going deeper and deeper into this dangerous forest. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea…. Oh wait! There it is! "You're mine now!" Pinkie cried with ferocity as she pounced! Victory was hers!
"grrr….." The manticore growled. Pinkie's ears drooped, as she realized she had ambushed the wrong shadowy figure. "Eheh…oopsie?" She walked backwards, away from the snarling monster.
Rainbow Dash, who had decided to investigate the worse possible scenario first, was in the area above the forest when she heard a scream, it sounded like Pinkie's! "Hold on, Pinkie! I'm coming!" The scream sounded so terrified, she hoped she was not too late. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 3 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-11-29T06:24:13+00:00 | 2011-11-29T06:24:13+00:00 | 5,315 | The Dark Side
A My Little Pony Fanfic
Chapter 3
It was not quite dawn when it returned from Rainbow Dash's abode. Pinkie Pie's Shadow hovered above her body. It stared at its stupid host, the host whose actions it was always doomed to mimic…the host it was always doomed to follow…the host it would always, always obey.
Until tonight that was. With a single motion, it descended towards the sleeping Pinkie Pie, and with a single outstretched hoof, it reached out for her head and touched it. Pinkie began to squirm in her sleep immediately.
Pinkie was having a nice dream about racing Rainbow Dash with her new Pegasus wings. Rainbow had lost for about the 3rd time now, and was really fuming at Pinkie. Pinkie had meant to say "Sorry Dashie, I know you like being number one and all, but I can't stop myself once I start flying!" But instead, she said "Sorry Dashie, but your number has come up. I made you number one, I thought you'd like that."
Rainbow Dash wasn't stomping on a cloud in frustration anymore, she was strapped to a board in Pinkie's basement. The dark, blood-stained party room filled with pony parts replaced the wide open sunny sky where they were a second ago. She took a cart with medical tools and various blades closer to Rainbow. Rainbow started pleading with her, and Pinkie started pleading with herself. "Stop…don't hurt Dashie…DON'T HURT DASHIE!" But as soon as she thought it, time seemed to skip and she already had scalpel in her hand! An unholy laugh filled the room.
It was her…but it wasn't her….she was repulsed and dismayed….yet she felt a smile on her face, she was grinning from ear to ear… SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS ALL AGAIN!...the scalpel neared her helpless friend, her arm moved as if possessed. Rainbow was crying. enoughenoughEnoughEnough. The scalpel just started to break into her friend's squirming flesh.
"ENOUGH!" Pinkie screamed, jumping back awake. She didn't need her lucky bucket this time, the dream had ended sooner than before. Pinkie barely had time to contemplate what had just happened as she couldn't believe the sight in front of her. A shadow was flying all over the room. Mocking her.
Pinkie gasped as the shadow darted across the ceiling and walls of the room. Something was in there with her! Pinkie watched in silence -she never was one to scare easily- as tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She felt bold and decided to try something.
Pinkie stuck her lower jaw out in front of her upper lip, giving herself a toothy under bite and she grunted like a gorilla. The shadow stopped moving and Pinkie decided to keep going. She stuck her tongue out, stretched her face out, and made gibberish noises. The shadow imitated her, and she realized that it looked like the shadow of an earth pony. One with a very familiar tail and mane. What's that? It was pointing to the wall facing away from the window. She didn't see anything strange-WHHAAAIAIAEEE!
"My Shadow's gone!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Her new 'friend' pointed to itself. Pinkie looked at the light she should be obstructing on the wall, then looked back at the shadow, then looked back at the wall, then back at the shadow. Sadly, the mare standing in front of the window did not cast a shadow, but if Pinkie stopped goofing around, the plot would've made some headway by now.
"I'm on a horse." Pinkie stated out of nowhere. "Wait, no I'm not…I am a horse. Er, pony."
The shadow slapped its nonexistent face with its hoof. Then helpfully flew over to Pinkie and stretched from her hooves to cover the wall, mimicking Pinkie's movements perfectly. Pinkie blinked. "Ooooh...there's my shadow!" The shadow then flew away from Pinkie and crept under the window to leave the house. "Hey, wait! Shadow!" Pinkie opened the window and saw that the shadow had reached the ground level already and that she didn't have a ladder. She began to run downstairs but the thought of the sweets made her queasy, so she ran into the utility closet and took some rope instead.
She had a lot of ground to catch up, but she could still see her shadow up ahead, under the light of the full moon, which wasn't obstructed by many clouds. "I owe you one, Luna!" Pinkie cheered as she chased after her shadow.
Pinkie didn't know how she was going to catch her shadow, or if she should. She'd just have to sew it back on like Pony Pan! Actually, Pinkie had no idea how that was supposed to work, but she didn't really have time to think about it. She could catch up to it, but each time the wily shadow twisted and dodged and flew off in another direction.
And four and a half hours later, in the heart of the dangerous EverFree forest, Pinkie had mistaken her runaway shadow for a vicious manticore
Pinkie screamed and ran away, the manticore in hot pursuit. Pinkie ran and ran, daring not to look back, and completely obvious that something speed across the ground, its unnatural visage catching the Manticore by surprise and forcing the beast to retreat.
Rainbow Dash, who had heard Pinkie Pie's scream only moments ago, saw a section of the forest rustling, and flew towards it, hoping she would find her friend before it was too late. Out of the rustling trees came...a terrible manticore! Running for its life? Rainbow didn't understand, and for a moment forgot about Pinkie Pie. The manticore hadn't even noticed her, but it saw her shadow and just barely stopped short of, fear in its eyes, as if the shadow of a Pegasus was the most horrifying thing in the world, and it ran in another direction, away from Rainbow, but different from where it originally came.
"Weird." Rainbow said to the trees. She then remembered why she was out in the forest to begin with. "Oh wait, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow flew in the direction the manticore came from, hoping that that would be where she'd find her friend.
Pinkie had eventually convinced herself to stop and listen to her surroundings. The manticore wasn't coming. She had escaped. She stopped to catch her breath, when suddenly, there it was! Her shadow! Gliding across the forest floor, it flew completely separate from her body, all on its own accord. As it zipped past her, Pinkie gave chase once again. "Wait! Shadow! Come back here!"
While running, her stomach growled noisily as if in protest. Pinkie had to admit she was awfully hungry and tired. She hadn't eaten anything ever since getting up and she threw up all the food she had before. But…what could she do? How do you catch your Shadow? Her stomach growled again.
Actually, she didn't even know when she entered the Everfree forest exactly, and she nearly got killed by a manticore. Maybe she should just give up and…HOLY LUNA HER SHADOW JUST SHOT BY HER YET AGAIN! Pinkie Pie gave chase once more, throwing all cautious thoughts out the window.
Twilight Sparkle stood outside her library, and looked around at her friends. "Alright. It seems that we are all here." Applejack looked around for anypony other than Twilight and Fluttershy. "Um, Twi? No we ain't. There's only three of us here. I know Pinkie is the one who's gone missing, but where's Rarity and Rainbow Dash?"
The Purple Unicorn signed. "Rainbow did what she does. She's already out there looking for Pinkie herself. Rarity's parents are out of town and left her with Sweetie Bell again, so she's arranging for her sister to stay at a neighbor's house. But that will take a while, so she'll met back up with me in a little bit. We put this off for too long. So, here's where we are going to start searching-" The Yellow Pegasus rose her hoof. "…Yes, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked her friend.
"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting. Its just um…did Mrs. Cake tell you anything that might be the reason behind Pinkie's disappearance? If we knew what she might be doing, that might narrow down the search." Twilight shook her head. "That's a very good point, Fluttershy, but we don't have anything to go on. Just that she had a nightmare and that it was about Rainbow, which is why she woke Rainbow up." Fluttershy "And then Rainbow sleep over at Pinkie's house right? But then…Pinkie snuck out of bed and just left Rainbow there? Even if she were in a rush, I can't imagine the reason for her not to wake Rainbow. Especially since she already woke her up earlier that night."
Applejack curled her nose. "What Ah don't get is since when can an Earth Pony like Pinkie Pie walk on clouds without magic?" Fluttershy spoke up. "Oh! I can answer that one! Griffons and other non-pegasus fliers can not sleep on clouds like Pegasi can, which is why even if I just took care of birds, I'd still have to live in a cottage on the ground to house my injured animal friends. But, they can walk on clouds using a trick they have to be awake to use, and Gilda taught that technique to Rainbow, who, after a certain incident where Pinkie Pie fell out of her flying contraption and through a particularly cloudy sky, taught it to Pinkie."
Applejack looked a little confused "And she didn't teach it to me?" Fluttershy just stared at Applejack. "Well…Pinkie actually goes up into the sky more often than you do with those weird machines of hers, Applejack. Maybe Rainbow thought you wouldn't need it since you'd have no way to get up to OR down from any of the clouds."
"I'm sorry, this is very interesting and all, but we need to focus. To answer your question from before, Fluttershy, Mrs. Cake didn't really elaborate on any of the details concerning Rainbow. Just that Rainbow explained the bit about Pinkie's nightmare and then she took off really quickly after learning what happened to Pinkie. Now, if we begin our search by-" A cry of "I'm here! I'm here, everypony! I haven't missed the briefing, have I?" caused Twilight's body to seize up and her eye to twitch.
A white Unicorn with a dark blue mane and curly tail ran up to the three. "No, Rairty." Twilight said with strained Patience. "We were just about to start. How's Sweetie Bell?" Rarity started. "Well, Plan A hit a bit of a snag, and I had to find someone else to promise to pick up Sweetie Bell from school. I hope you don't mind, Applejack, but Big Macintosh offered to have the Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover at Apple Acres."
Applejack shook her head "That's fine. Glad ya could make it, Rarity."
Twilight cleared her throat. "Okay, wonderful. Here's the short version of what we're going to do. Rarity can accompany me to Zecora's, since Rainbow Dash flew into the Everfree Forest, and we'll need Zecora's help tracking HER down. Fluttershy and Applejack, you will be searching…"
Rainbow Dash was having a terrible time tracking Pinkie Pie down. She was initially encouraged that her plan to retrace the manticore's steps had in fact lead to fresh hoof prints in the dirt, running in the opposite direction. But thanks to the uneven and unpredictable terrain of the Everfree Forest, the trail quickly vanished under a carpet of shrubbery. Some of the plants were still trampled, and there were hoofprints in between the plants, but Rainbow couldn't make out those details without at least going on foot and paying more attention to detail than she was used to.
Judging from the manticore's reaction to Rainbow Dash -no, wait, her shadow- Rainbow figured that Pinkie most've had the good fortune to find the most cowardly monster in the entire Everfree forest. Heck, after the last one turned out to just have a thorn in its paw, and made friends with Fluttershy, Rainbow had to say that her total experience being properly horrified by manticores was lacking. It wasn't like they were giant Dragons. or Cupcakezilla.
Bah, now the forest was getting darker. "Wasn't it, oh I don't know, DAY, a minute ago? Argh! I'll never find Pinkie like this!" With not much more to do, Rainbow called out at the top of her lungs "PINKIIIIEE! PINKIE, are you out there!" It was useless. She needed someone who was good at tracking…someone that knew the Everfree…someone like…
"Hold, my pegasus friend! To continue wonder into the Darkest Grove will certainly mean your end!" A voice called out to her. Rainbow heard trotting and turned around to see none other than Zecora, the Zebra herbalist that lived in the forest, and until her reputation was cleared recently, was feared by all in Ponyville.
"Zecora! Just the Zebra I was looking for! Listen, Pinkie Pie is lost in these woods, and I know she's somewhere around here, but I can't find her tracks!" Rainbow summarized. "I need your help finding her!"
Zecora looked to the ground. "This is most ill news, indeed. If Pinkie Pie came this way, she is close to the entrance of a place of terrible danger! Show me where you last picked up her tracks, and follow my lead!"
"Whoaaaaa!" Pinkie came to a screeching halt, and landed face first in the dirt. She looked around for any sign of her shadow, when she noticed it was back under her. "Did I win?" Pinkie asked her shadow. The shadow just looked back at her…at least she thought it did, its hard to tell because shadows don't have eyes.
Pinkie Pie lifted her hoof. Her shadow mimicked the motion flawlessly. She craned her head. So did her shadow. After all that time chasing it, it actually felt weird to have it back, copying her like nothing had happened. "Hey! Quit copying me! Why don't you do something original, you silly shadow?" The shadow went through the same motions. "Ugh. What a lameo." Pinkie said, in her best Gilda impression. She giggled with delight, promising herself to never take her own shadow from granted again. Pinkie was just about to do some flips and shadow puppetry next, when her stomach growled again, and she noticed that she really, REALLY needed some food. And water. That shouldn't be too hard. She just had to go back to….Ponyville?
Oh right. She was lost in the Everfree forest. Actually, this wasn't such a good place for Shadow Puppetry, it was too dark. The forest canopy was especially thick here, and seemed to be growing thicker by the second. And what was with all this fog rolling in? She couldn't see her shadow anymore. "Oh no!" Pinkie looked to the ground, and yelled at it "You better still be down there next time when I get some light!"
Pinkie was feeling a little scared, but she couldn't fight her hunger anymore. She went over to a section of the grove that hadn't been overtaken by fog yet, where some grass had grown.
Pinkie wasn't used to eating grass completely raw, without any salt or anything. Oh well. At least it didn't taste sweet. Her stomach turned a little bit again at the thought of cupcakes, and she focused on foraging for food. Would she ever be able to eat anything sweet again? Or even just look at anything sweet again? That dream of hers….it was so vivid. It felt so real. And then she had it AGAIN. Pinkie heard of recurring dreams, but twice in one night? She thought that when she saw Dashie was okay, she could relax a little bit, but…
She put the thoughts of the dream from her mind, and looked for something else to think about. Actually…the grass was kind of moist, which made her less thirsty. So that was a plus.
"That's it Pinkie, keep thinking positive like that." Looking around, Pinkie found that some of the leaves had dew in them…or was that condensed mist? Pinkie drank from a leaf with a loud SLURRRP!
"Ah! ….that actually isn't nearly as good as the water in Ponyville. I should work on getting….home?" Pinkie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.
Standing there, in the middle of the dark grove, was Sugarcube Corner.
Back in Ponyville, Fluttershy got spooked by something dark appearing at her feet, and retreated into the bushes. Applejack sighed exasperatedly. "Fluttershy, darling, Ah think it's about time we had a talk about this. Ya need to stop jumping at every little thing. That was just yer shadow. Again." Fluttershy stepped out of the bushes, looking down. "B-but Applejack, I was sure it was trying to eat me!" Applejack stared at Fluttershy. "I know it sounds dumb…but…oh, I can't describe it, it's just a feeling I get sometimes, like I'm being watched. A-and followed. And it's gotten worse lately."
Applejack brushed against Fluttershy. "Sugar cube. Ah think its just stress." Fluttershy nodded. "Although," Applejack started to add. "Twilight said that there was some kind of nightmare Pinkie had last night, and this morning she disappeared. How recently has it been since your willies been getting 'worse?'" Fluttershy blinked, and giggled. "Applejack, I really don't think these two things could be related….could they?"
"You're probably right." Applejack admitted. And the two continued searching for their friend, completely unaware that both of their shadows exchanged a completely invisible knowing glance with non-existent eyes. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 4 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-10-28T19:16:42+00:00 | 2011-10-28T19:16:42+00:00 | 4,732 | The Dark Side
A my Little Pony fanfic
Chapter 4
Deep in the Everfree Forest, Zecora had taken Rainbow Dash back to her hut, to fetch a reference book and some notes, and began her explanation of the nature of "the Darkest Grove", where Pinkie Pie's track had to lead to. The Sky-blue Pegasus looked around the Zebra's hut. The masks still creeped her out. They were all so menacing, even though Zecora had said they all were supposed to mean peaceful greetings. Rainbow could understand cultural differences and misunderstandings, after all, she nearly saw a war break out in Appleloosa between the earth ponies and the buffalo, and she gotten to sympathize the Buffalo's side of the conflict. But she still couldn't help but notice how much it seemed the masks were scowling- wait, was this one actually smiling at her?
"Awww… This one is actually kind of happy-looking." Rainbow said, holding the mask she just found. Zecora frowned. "You should put that one back on the wall before it breaks. It's the oldest, and when a Zebra's nightmares began in the Darkest Grove, it would make violent shakes." Rainbow returned the mask, looking at the Medicine Zebra with a skeptical expression.
"Long ago, my ancestor came to Equestria as a stranger, to save the life of a sickened friend whose life was in danger. The cure used to grow near an accursed grove that she herself burned down, and legend spoke of another one, right outside your Pony town. These groves enchant your shade, so that you may face your demons and your heart may be weighed. To Own Your Shadow would grant you great spiritual power as well as the redemption any sin. But not even a tenth as many come out as the number that goes in. And among many of those that returned, friends and loved ones cheer, ignorant that the hero actually lost until their homes have burned."
Rainbow Dash couldn't quite take all that in. "Could you, um,…fast forward to the part that tells me about Pinkie Pie?"
"…..your friend has entered a magical grove where she can't leave. This Grove, like the one that used be in Zebrica, shall call forth a creature's own weaknesses and failings, or so they used to believe. But the heart is treacherous above all things, and the purest soul finds themselves tormented by the worst demons, so those seeking an absolution find only destruction instead." Zecora said. Rainbow gaped at Zecora's seriousness….also something else was bothering her.
"Aren't you going to rhyme that?"
"The fact that you worry over something so trivial in this dire situation, fills me with terrible dread." Zecora concluded
Rainbow blinked, not really sure that was actually on purpose or not. "Right! Pinkie Pie is in trouble! Point me in the direction of that grove, Zecora!" Rainbow flapped her wings and started to lift off the ground. "I'm going in-whoa!" Zecora bit Rainbow's tail and pulled her back down to earth, and gave her a look that seemed to say 'Didn't you hear anything I just said?'
Which Rainbow Dash noted ALSO rhymed.
"Lost Time is important, yes, but not quite the most dangerous thing!
To save Pinkie Pie and yourself, there are secrets you must learn first!
To go there knowing nothing the Challenge, or Darkness' Bane
You will only serve to make things worse."
There, in the middle of the misty forest was Sugarcube Corner, illuminated by what must've been the only shaft of light that pierced the thick canopy of the forest.
Pinkie sat there, her mouth gaping open. It couldn't be. Still, curiosity overtook her. She walked up to the shop. And then remembered.
Sweets. If this was in fact the Sugarcube Corner, then one step inside the door would assault her nostrils with the smell of sweets. Once so heavenly, they now called back memories of Pinkie's hoof guiding a scalpel to chop off a bit of Dash's flank to 'sample' her meat with the intention of later adding it to cupcakes, like so many other ponies before her. And then Dash regained consciousness from the electrocution she had received earlier and Pinkie had tried to feed Dashie a bit of her own stop. Stop. STOP!STOP!STOPTHINKINGABOUTIT! GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD! STOP REMEMBERING THESE HORRIBLE THINGS!
It took all of 30 seconds for the images to subside, and although Pinkie Pie managed not to cry, she was still shaking and breathing heavily. She looked for the window she had exited out of. The window was closed. There was no ladder. And no rope. Indeed, the only entrance into the shop was through the front door.
And then Pinkie Pie made an intelligent decision.
Pinkie turned right around and spoke aloud "Well, as much fun as it would be to explore this creepy copy version of Sugarcube Corner and puke my guts out at whatever horrors await inside –nightmarish or just sugary-" Pinkie's eye twitched nervously, "I think I'll just go try to find my way out of this forest. I trust Nopony will object. Wait." Pinkie stopped. Something was bothering her knee.
"Hmm…Pinchy-pincha-pincha-pinch." Pinkie Sense. Normally a Pinchy knee meant something scary was about to happen, but just then she felt a combo coming on.
Pinkie's ears flopped.
Then her eyes fluttered
Then her knees were twitchy…no they were pinchy….no twitchy….this was confus-
The Door flung open behind Pinkie Pie "SURPRISE!" the resident of the bakery bounded out the door, as well as an explosion of confetti. Pinkie was caught completely off guard and helpless as the door hit her right on the nose, disorienting her long enough for a filly her exact age and height to drag her inside.
Pinkie's Knee kept pinching….so violently they were starting to hurt.
Rainbow Dash sighed in frustration. This whole memorization thing Zecora was having her do was getting monotonous. "Zecora, why can't you just come with me? You obviously know everything about this place"
"I already told you once before. The blessing my village's Shaman gave to me at birth to protect me from the nightmares of the destroyed Grove, also prevent me from stepping into yours. The disaster becomes more terrible as the more ponies follow after her, so to send one instead of many is what I would much prefer. If anyone is going to save your Pinkie Pie, there must be one chosen rescuer, and it cannot be I."
"Fine! I get it! I'm the only one who can save Pinkie Pie from a horrible nightmare place! ….You want me to begin again, don't you?." Zecora nodded. Rainbow sighed.
"Light may enter the grove of shadow's throne,
and seek its Ultimate Nemesis
Light may witness secrets unknown,
and challenge like Shaharone,
The darkness that within the heart has grown,
to save a mortal's heart from its lethal Kiss."
Rainbow meant to ask Zecora what this strange poem meant, but she was so anxious right now, that even thinking about this stupid thing only served to annoy her more.
Zecora looked straight into Rainbow Dash's eyes. "I am satisfied. Beware when you invoking the challenge of Shaharone! There will be a contest of vindication, and to lose is for the darkness to win control of your very bones." Rainbow's eyes widened "WHAT? Then why'd you make me memorize such a dangerous thing?" Zecora looked sad. "Escaping depends on seeing through the illusions the Grove begets….and also on leaving while not having any regrets. Winning the Challenge will allow you the certainty of escape. It allows you to pick a contest, but one where both contestants can reasonably expect to achieve not just victory, but vindication. However, you should only try to use it when you are truly in poor shape."
Rainbow tried to take all this in. "Why would I ever regret leaving a death trap? Ugh, never mind. So…how do I escape the normal way?" Zecora just looked at Rainbow. "Don't regret leaving. Otherwise, it's a matter of not trusting everything you believe you are perceiving."
Rainbow Dash scratched her mane with her fore hoof. She was about to ask Zecora to explain when suddenly a noise startled her!
RAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP! …TAP TAP TAP TAP! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Rainbow and Zecora looked around the hut, confused about the noise, when a mighty CRASH came from the wall!
The Smiling Mask had fallen. And it was still jumping around. Rainbow gaped at it…and then her eyes grew in realization. Zecora held up a hoof.
"WAIT! THERE IS MORE-"
But it was too late.
Rainbow was already out the door, flying straight for the Darkest Grove.
Back at the "Mysterycube Corner", The strange pony spun Pinkie around in a frenzied dance and sang a very familiar song:
"Pinkie is my bestest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie!
The cutest, pinkest, all around best pony! Pony!
I bet if I throw her a super-duper fun party! Party!
She'll introduce her wonderful-tasting friends to meeeee!"
Pinkie Pie missed that last lyric, as she was too disoriented with the visuals. Specifically, the identity of the singer caught her off guard.
"Y-you're me!" Pinkie exclaimed! Indeed, it was true. Another Pinkie Pie was dancing around the interior of the bakery, which had been drawn up in steamers and all the usual party favors, although there didn't seem to be any other ponies around except them. "Shh…I'm about to start the remixed portion." The other Pinkie said.
"Pinkie is my bestest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie! The cutest, pinkest, all around best pony! Pony!
Pinkie is my bestest friend! Whoopie Whoopie! My bestest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie Whoopie!"
The other Pinkie did not so much dance as pounce at Pinkie from a new direction for each stanza. Except for each time she said "Whoopie", which was punctuated by a hop. There was a lot of hopping.
Some part of Pinkie's force of habit kind of wanted to join in the song. She never thought about singing it that way…NO! Focus Pinkie Pie! The others are always telling you to take things more seriously, and something is very wrong with this picture. (Although it did help that she was tired from running, and had eaten absolutely nothing sugary that morning, so she wasn't bustling with energy right at the moment. Also her knee was still Pinchy, meaning something scary was still about to happen.) Come on, Pinkie…how would a smart, serious pony like Twilight handle this situation?
"Pinkie…." The confused Pinkie said, trying to get the singing Pinkie's attention.
The other Pinkie bounced on top of a giant circus ball, which she made roll backwards by walking on it, and continued her singing
"Rainbow is my funnest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie!
The coolest, fastest, all around prettiest pony! Pony!"
Although don't anypony tell Rarity! Rarity!"
"PINKIIIIIEEE!" Pinkie Pie cried out in frustration, causing the Other Pinkie to fall off her ball in surprise with a "Whoa!"
She literally bounced back, however. "Aw…but she is the prettiest. Everywhere she goes she makes a rainbow happen! She's even how we got our cutie mark. And even when she's a mess, her mane is still colorful!" the other Pinkie said happily, leaning on Pinkie Pie.
The Disgruntled Pinkie slinked under the Jovial one's hooves and backed away. "How are there two of me? And…" Pinkie gulped. "Are you a good Pinkie or a bad Pinkie? I'm sorry, but the smell of the cupcakes is really getting to me and I kind of need to know now that they don't have dead pony organs in them."
The Jovial Pinkie convulsed. "What? Ew! Why would you even think that?"
Take THAT, rambunctious mystery clone who can still enjoy the taste of sugar without vomiting! Pinkie thought to herself with some strange sense of satisfaction that she at least threw this mystery Pinkie off balance, even if her stomach was still slowly churning.
"It's a nightmare I had last night…it was terrible, and I'm kind of afraid of sweets now. And ever since I got up, I've been chasing my runaway shadow and meeting other me's and all kinds of weird stuff has been happening. So, you promise these are perfectly fine?"
The convulsing Pinkie stopped for a moment and looked at her with a worried face. "Oh wow, I had no idea. But, it was just a dream. You can't let something as silly as a dream ruin something as wonderful as cupcakes for you!"
"I still need to hear it…and where you came from."
"Uh, DUH! Mom, plus Dad. And also Mr. Stork!" The Jovial Pinkie noticed the Disgruntled one was still staring at her. "Oh, and um…there are absolutely no pony organs of any sort in there. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
Pinkie started to say something, but with much exuberance, the other Pinkie reared up and put her hooves on of Pinkie's rump, and in a move similar to a Pony Conga dance, she pushed Pinkie forward, steering her into the Kitchen. "Come on, you silly filly! I'll show you there's nothing to worry about at all! I already have cupcakes made and everything!"
The Jovial Pinkie bounced on her hooves over to the tray of cupcakes, and grabbed one for the Nervous Pinkie to try. "Here! You'll feel so much better after you have one!" Pinkie had to think fast. "You know, I'm not really that hun-" Pinkie's stomach growled, apparently not satisfied with the grass and dew. SHUT UP, YOU TRAITOR! Nothing good could possibly be here! Weren't you twisting yourself in knots just a second ago? The other Pinkie giggled. "What was that you were saying?" Pinkie, finally face to face with a cupcake, began to think maybe it was just a stupid dream. Okay, something very weird is happened with the other me and the other Sugarcube corner, but maybe if I could just eat one, I can start to get over her dream. The other Pinkie did Pinkie Pie promise, after all…
Wait…her dream! In the dream, she had tricked Rainbow Dash into eating a cupcake, which was drugged…and that's how she was able to strap down Dashie while she was unconscious. The less detail said about what came next the better… But more importantly, Pinkie had something to do.
"If there's nothing wrong with these cupcakes…why don't you, say, try one?" Pinkie tossed the cupcake back to the other Pinkie. "Don't might if I do!" And the other Pinkie ate it noisily. Both Pinkies waited a few seconds in silence, and the one who at the cupcake completely failed to faint. "Satisfied? Go on…try one yourself. Its awfully rude to ask all these things of a hostess, you know. But I'm trying to be sympathetic because you had a nightmare that really scared you."
Pinkie thought for a moment…"I…." she smacked her lips, unable to finish that sentence. Actually, her mouth had gotten dry over the past few moments. "Oh, thirsty? Hear, drink this!" And Pinkie was handed a cup of punch. Pinkie drank the punch absent mindedly, starting to wonder if she wasn't being unfair to the other Pinkie.
No…she had one last test to do before she could let her guar- "WAAAAHH!" Pinkie was startled at what she saw, and reared back so far she tripped backwards, dropping her cup as she went. She had seen the most frightening, predatory grin on the other Pinkie's face. Pinkie was pretty sure she didn't need to test the other Pinkie anymore. Why wasn't she hiding her intentions anymore?
She had to get away! But she couldn't move her body very fast, and she felt so sleepy... Pinkie fell back to the floor and looked at her dropped Punch cup. She felt she should curse, or berate, or click her hooves saying "there's no place like home, there's no place like home…" But as she used the last of her strength to look up, all she could manage was a small, helpless whimper and shed a single tear at the sight she saw.
The last thing Pinkie saw before fading into oblivion was the other Pinkie stepping towards her, grinning with an awful expression of playful malice. And she salivated, like a cat that just cornered a legless mouse.
A Rainbow blur shot through the Everfree forest, heading into its darkest section. "Hold on, Pinkie! I'm coming for you! Just hold on, help is on the-AUGH!" Rainbow Dash yelled as something grabbed her tail.
Honestly, this was it! As if Applejack doing it all the time wasn't annoying enough, the first thing, the VERY FIRST THING she was doing when she got back to Ponyville was cutting her tail short. "Zecora, not now! We are out of time for details! We need…" Rainbow turned her head around and noticed her assailant was NOT Zecora. Her ears flattened, and all bravado melted off her face. "Ac…tion?"
"Grrr…." It was the manticore from before, he was here to be rescued from the Scrappy heap.
Rainbow's tail was trapped under his claw…but not her back hooves. So she rolled on her side and KICKED on the manticore's toes with both of her back legs and the manticore roared in pain as he removed his claw, presenting Rainbow with a chance to escape! Rainbow just barely got into the air before the manticore's other front claw stabbed the ground where was just a second ago.
"HA! See you later, sucker!" Rainbow gloated, hoving high above the manticore. The manticore crouched and started to flap his own dragon-like wings. "Oh. Right." Rainbow grinned. She dodged in mid-air as an orange blur shot past her from the ground. The manticore had joined her in the sky.
When Pinkie Pie regained consciousness, she couldn't quite figure out where she was. She couldn't see anything, although she was sure her eyes where open. She tried to move her hooves, but noticed they were shackled. Judging from the position of her body, she had to be bound to some kind of flat surface. "Is this a bed? It's awfully uncomfortable…" Pinkie blurted out before she could stop herself.
Far too late, she realized where she was, and why she probably shouldn't have spoken yet, if only so it would've given her more time to think. But she was greeted by a flash of blinding light.
Under the light a single lamp that was shining directly into her face, Pinkie saw a pony gleaming at her, the pony's face (and all of the room behind her) covered in shadows from the contrast of the light. "Oh, goodie! You're awake! That means we can start now!"
And the world exploded in light. The lamp was no longer shining in her face, but Pinkie took a moment blinking to get all the spots out of her eyes. The other Pinkie had gone to fetch something, so she had time to adjust her vision.
It was like a scene from a nightmare. Probably because it WAS. Ripped straight from the dream where she tortured Dash was:
The Balloons made from Organs. The table and chairs made from bones. The heads of dead fillies sitting around the table, wearing party hats made from their own skin. The banner with the words "Life is a Party!" written in blood.
And of course, she, Pinkie, was strapped to a plank, clearly the 'guest of honor.'
The other Pinkie came back with a cart covered with a white cloth.
Pinkie had a pretty good guess what was under that cloth. "Oh no...Please no."
The evil Pinkie winked at her and tore the sheet off the cart to reveal a tray full of sharpened surgery tools and knives, as well as a large medical bag.
Oh no. This is the part where she kills me!
"Good afternoon, Pinkie! This is the part where I kill you!" |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 5 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-12-07T02:52:41+00:00 | 2011-12-07T02:52:41+00:00 | 4,260 | The Dark Side
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction by Lord Xaos
Chapter 5
Rainbow Dash stared up at the Manticore flying above her. Its fangs gleaming in Celestia's bright sun. Its tail whipped back and forth, and Rainbow remembered the first time she fought a Manticore…she had all five of her friends with her there, most importantly Fluttershy. Was there no monster that filly couldn't cope with?
The Manticore dove down with all his claws outstretched, and Rainbow just barely dodged. The Manticore whacked her with his scorpion's tail, however. Rainbow rocketed towards the trees, breathless from all the air that was knocked out of her, but at least she wasn't stung by the tail...
Rainbow managed to recover and pull up, flapping her wings once more, winded though she was. She didn't know something so big could close a gap like that so fast. This thing needed her complete attention if she was to survive. Focus, Dash! Its Action Time! Rainbow chided herself. Pinkie Pie…you better just hold on for just a moment longer...
Pinkie Pie, flooded with memories from her nightmare where she tortured her best friend Rainbow Dash, was staring at the spitting image of herself from the dream leering at her with a smile. And she was racking her pink little brain for anything that could prolong this period of time where she wasn't being skinned alive…even for just a moment longer.
So, she skimmed over the room she was in, hoping a burst of inspiration.
She felt bad about thinking this, considering all the other ponies around, including poor little Twist, but she was so, SO glad there wasn't a stuffed Rainbow Dash in the room. No really…as bad as today has been so far with all the desecrated remains of other ponies, the prospect of finding THAT pony had terrified her the most, and she was certain the image of a stitched-up Rainbow Dash here among this party of the damned would have destroyed her.
Speaking of the other ponies, the Other Pinkie was wearing THAT dress. Oh Luna! It was even worse than she remembered! It was made with dried pony skin, emblazoned with cutie marks on different straps (Pinkie only now realized the Moon-shaped one at the front of the dress. Princess Luna! Oh. No, wait. its...similar but its much too skinny...maybe. Possibly. Its impossible she'd be able to get away with THAT particular crime. Right?), and decorated with six pegasi wings of a different color that bounced as she moved. Around her neck clanked her necklace of unicorn horns.
Pinkie thought for a moment. Unicorns can still use magic even they are bound. Its not like you can tie up their horns! So, does that mean the first thing she had to do was saw off the horns of each Unicorn, or…okay, yeah, this train of thought isn't getting me anywhere. She needed to escape, not work out the nuisances of Unicorn horn harvesting!
…STOP IT! Pinkie had to mentally bark at herself to finally get her off the subject.
The first thing she had tried to do was wiggle free from her bonds. Not many ponies knew this, but Pinkie's joints were especially limber and oddly jointed, so she could break out of restraints other ponies couldn't. A few seconds of struggling against the braces that held her and an "Uh-uh-uh!" from the other Pinkie told her everything. Of course she have prepared for that. Pinkie was going nowhere. So now she was trying to find a way to stall.
In the back of her mind, she thought there might be some hope that her friends might rescue her or something, but realistically, it was just because not being skinned, crucified, electrocuted, dismembered with a hacksaw while the pony who did it wondered why they called it a hacksaw, and being numbed so you could stay awake for the DISSECTION at any given moment was something ponies generally strove for, even if they didn't have much hope...
Wait, I've got it! Pinkie thought. "LOOK BEHIND YOU!" The other Pinkie craned her head over her shoulder and looked behind her. She noticed nothing was there and turned back to Pinkie, who, after all, was still strapped in place. That….okay, that was three seconds, what now? Pinkie's mind went blank. Ah, nuts.
"Ooooh. You're pranking me!" the other Pinkie said, her eyes sparking with realization. She giggled and turned to Pinkie with a smile. "I guess you really are me, after all. Pranking ponies to the very end!" The other Pinkie gleamed. "I mean, sure, its kind of weak, but I can respect that you are kind of…ahem…handicapped at the moment."
I refuse to accept that I'm anything like you. And that wasn't a prank at all. Wait… "That's it!"
The other Pinkie blinked again. "What's it?" She looked at Pinkie quizzically. The imprisoned mare knew there was something very important she had to ask her captor.
Rainbow couldn't waste anymore time against this Manticore. "You want me, see if you can keep up, slowpoke!" Rainbow dived below the trees and flew as fast as she could towards the Darkest portion of the Forest. She could play with the Manticore later, she was determined to rescue Pinkie! Its not like dodging these trees was going to be hard or anything. Even if it was getting hard to see in all this darkn-
"RRROOOOOOOAAAARRRR!" an earth shattering noise came from behind her. "DRAGON!" Rainbow cried, freezing in mid air and causing her to go careening down to earth. She landed on a section of the forest floor that was carpeted with vegetation, rolling as she landed.
She shot up, wondering if the dragon could see her before she shook her head. ARGH! Rainbow Dash, you totally blew it! You already know it's the Manticore, and not the dragon! Its good that nopony saw that... The Manticore's silhouette flew by her in a blur, and another roar came from the direction where it disappeared.
Rainbow decided to stay put for just a moment longer, hiding in the overgrowth. The Manticore wasn't coming back, but just when she breathed a sigh of relief, she heard from behind a hissssss….
Rainbow turned around quickly and her dilated eyes saw only teeth…..
Back at Zecora's hut, two unicorns were looking around the completely deserted inside. "Zecora?" Twilight called "Are you in here? We need your help looking for Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, too!" There was no answer. Rarity regarded the various masks and other artifacts with an air of disdain. "Really now, I never quite understood why Zecora has so many of these dreadful things hanging on her wall." Twilight sighed. "Rarity, we've been over this, they're from her home. They are probably sentimental or even sacred to her."
Rarity huffed. "Yes, yes, I know. But Twilight, think about where she is. She's in the middle of a forest full of savage beasts! Forget how she avoids being killed by them when she's out looking for herbs, how does she, whenever she gets up in the middle of the night, avoid mistaking one of these gruesome things for a monster of some sort?"
"I mean, how IS she secure from nightly attacks from Chimeras or Manticores or"
"COCKATRICE!" Twilight sudden screamed and hid behind Rarity! She cowered. "No…don't turn me to stone again! It was so lonely as a statue. I felt the slugs slithering over my eye…."
Rarity looked quizzically at Twilight and then saw where she ran from. Indeed, there was a cockatrice. Not a mask or some kind of fetish of a cockatrice. It was a real cockatrice. But…something was wrong with it.
"It's okay, dear. Twilight, I don't think it can hurt you."
"Huh?"
"Its dead. Its been…." Rarity gulped. "Stuffed."
Indeed. What they beheld was the taxidermy of a cockatrice.
The White unicorn shook her head. "Really, now, THIS is what I'm talking about. How IS she supposed to tell a real cockatrice from this monstrosity?"
Twilight seemed to be recovering as they walked towards Zecora's bedroom, AWAY from the chicken-snake. "Well, I guess you kind of have a point. I'm sure we could ask Zecora herself about the cockatrice at lea-"
BANG! BANG! BANG BANG!
No sooner had they opened the door to Zecora's room that a loud banging sound had started to emit from within. Both unicorns jumped at the noise.
It was coming from a chest that was hopping up and down under Zecora's hammock. With a look at each other, Twilight and Rarity ran over and opened it to reveal…a mask with a demonic grin.
The Mask continued to bounce and pound against the chest. The ponies just looked at it.
"Z-zecora?" Twilight asked the mask uncertainly.
It would be another hour of precious time wasted before the two unicorns would get any answers as to what was happening…
Pinkie Pie asked her captor the question she had failed to answer before. "How is any of this possible? You're me from my nightmare….the nightmare that's the reason I can't eat cupcakes anymore, but just a nightmare that shouldn't actually be real in any case! I mean, if I'm sure if Twilight was here, she'd just explode from all this unscientific…stuff! This has to be a dream."
The other Pinkie had been fiddling with her sharp metal toys humming a song to herself, when that question seemed to strike a cord. She froze, and stopped singing. She looked up at Pinkie Pie, and smiled. A wide, toothy grin spread across her face, a gleam sparkled in her eye. "Well…I suppose the best way to put it is to say that we traded."
"Traded?" Pinkie asked.
"Yes, traded!" The other Pinkie stated.
"Traded what?" Honestly, between this doppelganger and her runaway shadow, Pinkie had experienced more annoyance than she had over her entire life. "Speak so I can understand you, why don't you!"
"We traded lives, silly! I dreamt I was you, and you dreamt you were me! Actually, we dreamed, then we went to each others' Ponyville for real! Its what the little bird told me!"
"Little bird? I didn't get any little birds!" Pinkie asked. "Oh, I cooked him in a pie!" the other Pinkie gleefully recounted. "Say! Do you want some pie?" she offered her captive. Pinkie wasted no time shaking her head no.
"Anyway, I knew exactly what I was going to do in your Ponyville! I paid Dashie a visit! Her number hadn't come up, but come on! It's another Dashie! I wasn't going to pass that up!" The other Pinkie looked up at her captive's face and giggled. "Oh, you can relax. I ran out of time before I poofed back home. She's kind of strapped to her bed, and a little shaken up, but I didn't get to really play with her very much, sadly."
Pinkie stammered. "Th-that's a lie! When I woke up to chase my shadow to this Sugarcube corner-which isn't near a Ponyville at all by the way- the closet was missing that same stepladder I used to check up on Dashie after I saw the dream of what YOU do with your time...that I don't remember the return trip from…wait…how'd I get back in my bed from there?"
"Huh?" The evil Pinkie had to stare at Pinkie for a moment. "Ooooh! Oh! Oh wow! That explains it! I woke in your world with Dashie hugging me…it was confusing, but it was where I wanted to go anyway. I happened to have brought along some harvesting supplies, and not just that, but MY dream about being 'you' taught me that neat cloud-walking trick you know."
Pinkie gasped. She could see it. Dashie was being so gentle and comforting her one minute…and then, she turned into a sadistic monster. She would be totally helpless and unsuspecting. No…no..no…Dashie, I'm so sorry!
That moment last night was one of her happiest with Dashie.
She went there to make sure Dashie was okay…that she hadn't hurt her
And then, just when she saw that Dashie wasn't chopped up by a monster Pinkie-
She transformed into one. Oh Celestia. It was too much.
Pinkie sobbed a little before she was interrupted by a burning in her cheek
"My Dashie didn't share that trick with me! Boooooo!" the other Pinkie pinched Pinkie's cheek with the toes of her hoof and pulled forcefully. It wasn't as cute as it might sound, as she was quite forceful, causing Pinkie's face to ache. "Oh well…Anyway, you became a Pegasus in this world, or that's what I'm given to understand, and played with my Dashie for a while. And then our time ended and we returned to our respective bedrooms. At least, that's what happened to me. I was so disappointed."
I Became a Pegasus? When did…"Oh! Ooooh!" Pinkie's eyes lit up. She flew! She actually flew! It wasn't just a dream! Then she remembered what the implications of this meant. "Oh."
"Oh well…now that I know your cloud trick, maybe I can just go straight to my Dashie's house when her number comes up and finish what I started in your world. Its going to be. So. Much. Fun."
The captive Pinkie's eyes widened for a moment….and then narrowed.
Rainbow Dash screamed and bucked the lower jaw of the oncoming Dragon, and ran into the forest, screaming all the way. It was back…whatever spell Fluttershy had cast on it had worn off! It was back to devour her and all her friends!
It took her a moment to get her wings working again, or maybe she had simply forgotten she had them. She flew up above again, and hid in the branches of a tree, but looked back at the Dragon, wondering if it would follow her.
It was a Snake. A giant snake. It was still terrifying, but it couldn't reach her while she was flying, even when it rose its head up into the air. "Oh. Its not the dragon. Its just a snake….a giant snake with sharp teeth that flense like knives…such a wondrous bounty of nature the Everfree forest is." Rainbow chuckled nervously.
The serpent advanced towards her tree with frightening speed and started coiling around its trunk. The sky blue pegasus jumped into the air and flew above the forest canopy. Surely the snake couldn't follow her up here.
Still…she had to admit that she didn't want to retreat. Not anymore. She was angry at both these monsters for making a fool of her….and angry at herself. But there was no time for that. Pinkie pie had to be saved, she had to find the trail before she lo-
THWACK!
Rainbow crashed into the leaves of a nearby tree. It took her a moment to recover and look up at what had hit her….it was the Manticore. "Aaaaargh! Where were all these monsters before, when me and Zecora were trailing Pinkie?"
Rainbow unsteadily returned to the sky. She was sturdier than most Pegasi, but being hit AND crashing into a tree like was seriously causing her body to ache. She would have to finish this quickly and hopefully she could just stay above the ground to...OHGEEZWHATISTHAT?
Rainbow dodged an arch of strange liquid she didn't recognize, and looked down to find its source. Oh. Oh. OH. That stupid snake didn't just crawl up the tree to start spraying venom at her. This freaking forest was quickly starting resemble the Death Star from the Movie, "Pony Wars". If this kept up, Rainbow would have be saving Pinkie Pie from a trash compactor room with red-eyed tentacle monsters AND closing walls.
Well…unfortunately for her carnivorous friends, she just happened to have recently developed a new "proton torpedo" they could stick down their thermal exhaust ports.
Pinkie Pie had long given up wondering if this encounter was a dream or not. By the sounds of it, she had a Rainbow Dash to save. Even if she was technically helpless.
"You hurt my Dashie…but now you're going to go after yours? Aren't you friends? Didn't you get your cutie mark from her Sonic Rainboom! Doesn't that Cutie mark represent your wish to spread the happiness you felt to everyone around you?"
"Happiness is important…can't go without my daily dose of making ponies smile with the help of my delicious cupcake recipe!" the evil Pinkie grinned. The good one didn't return it. The Evil one didn't care and continued "You see...I really just want much more than just their smiles. I want to hear their shrieks, their screams, their reactions to pain and looks of broken hearted betrayal! And then…hehehe…" The psychotic mare bounced over to Pinkie Pie and licked her face. "I wanna see what they taste like. I suppose I could satisfy myself with just a nibble…but if I let them go, they'll go tattle and nopony will come to my parties so I might as well go and make neat little arts and crafts such as…oh, where was it again?" Dark Pinkie went searching for something in the back of the room.
"You aren't me. You aren't Pinkie Pie. Why…? CAN SOMEPONY PLEASE TELL ME WHY YOUR CUTIE MARK DOESN'T JUST VANISH OFF YOUR FLANK!? DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH A HAIR ON DASHIE'S MANE! EITHER OF TH-omph mph!" Suddenly, a peppermint flavored cupcake was shoved into Pinkie's mouth. Pinkie couldn't quite stop her eyes from glancing over in little Twist's direction. Oh Celestia! Her nausea was coming back in force.
"I'm sorry, but I think I answered your question. Now its time to play a game I wanna play. You didn't forget, did you?" Dark Pinkie smirked. "I nearly lost control of the tone there, but well, I guess when you're talking to yourself, you have a lot to say. Well, hopefully that was nice and therapeutic. Still, we're burning daylight here!" Dark Pinkie went fishing through her cart, looking for something as Light Pinkie spat out the cupcake. "Now…I've actually set up something special for you. Its still a work in progress, don't judge me yet…" The evil Pinkie prattled on and on… but something had caught Pinkie's eye. Something that she couldn't believe she didn't notice until now….
Pinkie let out a terrific SHRIEK that actually caused the evil Pinkie to jump and nearly cut herself with a hacksaw that flew into the air and came crashing down to earth. Her captor turned around, her face full of fury, but she was confused to see Pinkie's cheeks bloat up before she vomited up mush that once was the grass she ate in the forest earlier…the mush was stained the purple color of the punch.
Pinkie continued crying at what she beheld. All her fighting spirit just broke as she saw it, along with something else. Something…irreplaceable.
"No….please, no…"
The Dark Pinkie looked around the room for whatever could have upset her captive so much. "Huh? Oh..ah! eeeeeeeeee! Oh no, I'm so embarrassed!" She just blushed like a school girl whose love letter had been discovered as the Light Pinkie wept and wept at the sight. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 6 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-12-07T06:06:47+00:00 | 2011-12-07T06:06:47+00:00 | 3,908 | Repeat readers may notice a minor change in the Flashback scene. Where the mix up with Pinkie's full name came from....well. Its a long, boring story. But I blame Youtube.
The Dark Side
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction by Lord Xaos
Chapter 6.
"You stay there!" Rainbow pointed her leg at the Snake, who politely responded with another geyser of venom. He clearly knew how to treat a lady.
Rainbow would show him. She looked up…and saw that the gray cloud she noticed before was still in the perfect position. This was the Everfree forest, she had to work quickly before the weather betrayed her. Hopefully it would be good enough for what she needed it for.
"Hey Ugly, I bet I can fly higher than you!" Rainbow taunted the manticore and spank her flank. "Yeah, you want a piece of me! Come and get it!" If she could just get the manticore to follow her, she'd be able to kill two birds with one stone.
The manticore took the bait. Rainbow flew straight for the storm cloud above her, confident she could reach it before the manticore reached her.
Please don't rain, please don't rain, it will mess everything up if you choose this moment to release your water. Rainbow flew and flew…and could feel the manticore approaching beneath her. She put everything she had into reaching the cloud….nothing mattered in the world but reaching the cloud.
Rainbow entered the stormcloud, but the manticore was right behind her. She barrel rolled out of the way and hid in the cloud to catch her breath. How is something so big so good at ascending? Are you going soft on me, gravity? Rainbow thought to herself. Then her stomach growled. Oh. I suppose I should've gotten breakfast at the Cake's...or even Zecora's. Bah, I had a big dinner last night. I can do this.
The manticore, who was slightly wet from flying through a rain cloud, was a little light headed having flown so high up so quickly. It wondered where that tasty little herbivore went- and um….why was that cloud spinning?
A ribbon of Rainbow wrapped around and around the storm cloud, squeezing it, tearing it open, and releasing all its water into a giant a whirlpool in the air! The manticore covered itself as the cloud exploded with a thunderclap, but all that happened was that it's coat was soaked with a splash of rainwater! It was sprinkling out of the twister, where that Rainbow pony spun around its insides, maintaining the twister.
Dash was inside a steadily narrowing cone of water, flying around and around and wishing she had her goggles. But no time for that now. She had to take her twister down to the surface…straight down.
The giant snake couldn't believe what it was seeing. A storm cloud had suddenly become a great, glistening eye. What was it made off? Oh darn its colorblindness…
Wait, the eye was coming closer…and closer… In a panic, the Snake spat venom into it.
Rainbow was barrel rolling at the very bottom of the twister now, there was no room to maintain the twister, and she had to bring it down, anyway. Normally, when maintaining a twister, one pegasus lead of group, and those followers would spin around in formation to maintain the tornado wall. Rainbow had discovered this trick could work too. Although she was getting awfully light-headed…
Come on, Red five! Stay on target….stay on target…..
The venom spray landed right in front of her, but Rainbow was protected by a wall of water! The venom sprays kept coming as she approached the snake…and her water wall was spinning itself dry. Some venom just barely landed on the last puddle of water that had began to spin away.
The Serpent readied itself for one more spray of venom…..
….when it suddenly was lifted off the ground and wrapped around Rainbow, trapped in the wind surrounding her!
Rainbow's spinning came to a sudden stop…as she pushed her hooves in opposite directions until they were perfectly outstretched. She tore the twister open and sent the snake flying off in a random direction.
Rainbow felt kind of sick. She was hungry, dizzy, nearly died twice over the course of less than a minute….but she won. Oh wait…the manticore had only halfway defeated. It was soaked, sure, but she had to find it before…
"ROAR!" The manitcore was coming up right behind Rainbow and she was thankful she thought to weigh its coat down with a few gallons of rainwater first.
Because if it weren't for that, Rainbow wouldn't have dodged in time as the manticore's jaw bit the air right where her belly was just a moment ago. Rainbow swerved past the manticore, but as she was flying away, the manticore's tail whacked her again!
Rainbow Dash was hurdling through the air once more, her rump burning from the blunt trauma. She heard from behind her the manticore heaving with a great sound from deep in its belly…it reminded her of the laugh she heard from one of the characters in the sequel to Pony Wars. Laugh it up, fuzzball! Rainbow wanted to stop to rub her hindquarters, but she focused instead on turning this momentum into her final attack.
Rainbow flew as fast as she could. And then she did a wide U-turn in the air, losing as little speed as possible, and headed back towards the Manticore. It would be a long shot….but she was equal parts desperate and angry.
The Manticore was flying after Rainbow. He actually thought the pony had escaped him when she used the momentum of her own tail-spanking to help her fly even faster away from him. His coat was so heavy…that ambush just now was his last shot at her. She could've gotten away. But instead she was flying straight for him!
Like dogs and rabbits and hydras and certain other creatures of Equestria, manticores couldn't talk. But they weren't stupid either. This manticore was just thinking how tired he was of flying when inspiration struck him.
She was heading right for him. He was bigger than she was, and while it might sting a little bit, if she tackled him like it looked she was about to do, he could just hover in place and catch her with his claws.
In fact….he could just as easily curl his tail between his legs and sting her. Then the venom would paralyze her. Then, while she was nice and weak, he'd eat her. One bite at a time.
"You want a taste!" Rainbow cried to him as she increased her speed.
He did. He really did.
"DO YOU WANT A TASTE OF ME!" Rainbow sped up even more, the manticore was just hovering in place…..
Saliva was pouring down his chin.
"THEN HERE!" Rainbow Dash sped up as fast as she could possibly go. As fast as she had gone only twice before in her life.
Here she comes…wait, what's with the small tingles of electricity coming from her in places-
"TASTE THE RAINBOW MOTHERFUCKER!" The SONIC RAINBOOM tore through the air, as Rainbow Dash
crashed into the manticore's gut. All the manticore knew was pain and nausea and confusion and Oh, by the Everfree, his stomach….he wasn't hungry anymore.
All the residents of Ponyville were treated to an amazing sight. A Rainbow shockwave spread across the sky, over the Everfree forest. Nopony knew what to make of it.
A local stallion had one thing to say about it, though. "That is the baddest fucking rainbow I have ever seen."
It was the sheet. The white sheet the evil Pinkie used to cover her pushcart. It was white on the outside, but it was
colorful on the inside. It had just been laying on the floor. Half of it was Blue with an emblem of Pink Cupcakes, and the other half of it was yellow with an emblem of square cakes topped with white icing.
The sheet was made from two hides of pony leather sewn together. Of course! Pinkie thought to herself. They would've found the trophies…they would have caught her! They would never allow this to stand…they wouldn't allow you to continue using THEIR shop to murder and hide your victims...
"Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Oh why….why…why…why...why?" Pinkie sobbed miserably.
Dark Pinkie decided to chime in at this point. "Nopony ever caught that before. I'm normally more careful with it. Yes…it is Mr. and Mrs. Cake. And we are together, all the time now!"
Pinkie's voice was breaking really badly, but she managed to ask "H-how c-c-c-could yoooou? I-it's M-mis *hiccup!* ter and M- *hiccup!* m-m-Mi-issus C-cake! D-don't you *hiccup!* l-love them? A-aren't th-th-they the r-reason *hiccup!* y-you're Pinkie P-p-pie?"
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were two very important ponies in the life of Pinkamena Diane Pie. One day, when she was a little foal who had only recently gotten her cutie mark, Mama brought her to Ponyville. Pinkamena had been trying to lift the family's spirits, but mostly had been annoying everypony. Especially her sister, Octavia who was trying to practice Violin. Mama had to run a trip to town for a while and decided that Pinkamena needed to get away from the farm for a day. So, Twinkie Pinkie went to town met lots of new ponies and saw lots of new things….
…And then Mama collapsed suddenly when the two of them were on an empty street. Pinkamena didn't know what to do. She called for help, and cried and cried, but nopony seemed to hear her…she felt so powerless. But then, there was Mr. Cake! Mr. Cake had been out to buy some more groceries for the bakery, but dropped everything when he found Pinkamena and her mother. He calmed Pinkamena down, got some other ponies together, and took Mama to the hospital.
Together with his wife, he waited with Pinkamena at the Hospital until she could visit Mama, invited her to sleep over at their house when they found out her family probably wouldn't get there until the next day, and eventually gave her a nickname, "Pinkie." (Actually, Pinkamena loved the nickname because it finally would clear up some confusion with the fillies and colts of Ponyville that she was not, in fact, the Cakes' daughter. But, Pinkie quickly added, she wouldn't mind being "Pinkie Cake." Mrs. Cake just gave her a strange smile and hugged her, saying "Pinkie Pie" rolled off the tongue better.)
They taught her to bake, held a few of younger Pinkie's birthday parties, babysat Pinkie Pie and her sisters a few times her family was in trouble. And then when she was older they not only gave her a job, but also let her live in their house and use it to throw parties! They were even patient with her over her many, many, mistakes and impulsive decisions. They were the most wonderful adults Pinkie Pie had ever known, and she loved them like a second pair of parents. She owed them so much.
And then (in this dimension at least), she skinned them and turned them into blanket used to hide her implements of unspeakable torture. So much for that.
Dark Pinkie answered. "Why yes! I am Pinkie Pie! And that's why the blanket is actually very sentimental to me. Don't tell anyone, but at night, I take it off the cart and sleep with it. Ah! There, I said it!" Dark Pinkie hid her face in her hooves and squealed once again before returning to Pinkie. "I'd be lost without Mr. and Mrs. Cake by my side! Actually, whenever I worry about stuff or feel scared, its a wonderful security blanket...oh, why'd you have to find me out?" Dark Pinkie blushed.
Pinkie's body just kind of...twitched...in response.
"Anyway, don't feel sad. We spend every night together!" She smiled with what Pinkie disturbingly thought might be actual warmth. Dark Pinkie opened her eyes and suddenly switched to an expression of something like concern for her "guest." "Aw….you seem to have cried yourself out. It's not going to be very fun…Maybe I need to cheer you up before I start…"
Dark Pinkie screwed up her face in thought. "Hmm….OH! I've got it! Don't go anywhere…" She ran out of the room.
Oh Celestia….what is she going to show me now?
Pinkie sobbed…staring at the blanket laying on the floor. She kind of wanted to touch the blanket herself…just to cry into it. Forever. "I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…I can't even bring her to justice. Mister and Missus Cake…Pinkie Pie is sorry!"
Suddenly Pinkie was face to face with….Mrs. Cake! It couldn't be! Or maybe it was her Mrs. Cake? Here to rescue her? Pinkie couldn't figure it out at all.
"Are you doing that third person thing Trixie does now?" Mrs. Cake asked her, in the exact opposite tone she expected Mrs. Cake should be using to talk to her if Mrs. Cake found her tied up in a torture cellar. "You have a fever or something? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Mrs. Cake put a pink hoof to her forehead. Pinkie also noted with a thrill of horror that Mrs. Cake was supposed to have pink eyes, as opposed to Dashie's rose colored eyes.
These were baby blue. Like…hers!
Mrs. Cake broke into a fit of hideous laughter. It was high and cruel…although it was a girlish giggling. "It's me!" Mrs. Cake said, before she pulled her own face off to reveal Dark Pinkie's under it. Which is to say you, because you're me. But you aren't actually wearing the mask right now. Anyway…isn't it great? Its another sentimental item…it took so much work to get it right, but now I can wear it over my face, and look just like her! It's a shame that Mr. Cake's face got torn to pieces in the bender when I took him down." (Pinkie responded to that little insight by throwing up again) The Ponyhide Mask was even more horrifying without someone wearing it. Mrs. Cake's eye sockets were hollow and sagging. And also the top of her head was cut out to make room for Pinkie's real mane.
In hindsight, Pinkie should've remembered her own mane when she saw it. But then, she was too busy going crazy. Pinkie had only one mental defense left. "This is a dream! This is a dream…this is a dream….!"
"Aw…Okay…I guess I'll leave you alone for right now."
"there's no place like home….there's no place like-" Pinkie's ears perked up and her bloodshot eyes widened to their maximum size. "W-w-what!"
"Yeah…see…Its no fun if you've cried yourself out of energy. Maybe we'll try again later…"
Pinkie had to wonder if this was good thing or not. She wasn't entirely certain she wanted to live if she was just going to be tortured and die in the end anyway. Although…her mind had been blown so much…she felt so weak…she just wanted to…
"Aw...you're sleepy, aren't you? Here…why don't I sing you a lullaby?" Dark Pinkie asked.
Light Pinkie didn't answer. That would require energy.
If she hadn't gotten used to the feeling after suffering with it during the entirety of the conversation, she might've wondered why her knee still felt pinchy…
Rainbow Dash looked around frantically, trying to find some landmark. She seemed to have wound up on the other side of the forest from Ponyville. Maybe if she could figure out where Zecora's hut was...ARG! THIS WAS GOING TO WASTE SO MUCH TIME!
Suddenly, she heard the Manticore behind her rise, growling deep in its throat.
Rainbow saw it, and advanced. Her face screwed up in a frown. "You…you! HOW DARE YOU! YOU THINK YOU’RE ANGRY!? I CAME IN HERE AFTER PINKIE PIE, WHO I –KNOW- YOU FRIGHTENED AND CHASED HER INTO THAT HORRIBLE GROVE THAT MADE HER DISAPPEAR!"
The Manticore looked taken aback…but another growl began to rise in its throat…
"NO! YOU DON'T GET TO COMPLAIN! YOU'VE WASTED SO MUCH TIME _AND_ GOT ME LOST!" Rainbow thrust her head right up against the Manticore. Fire and brimstone in her rose colored eyes.
"If Pinkie Pie is anything short of perfectly healthy when I find her… I. WILL. FIND. YOU." Rainbow frowned so hard, her pupils disappeared under her eyebrows. "And it will be the worst AND LAST day of your miserable, flea-bitten life. Now stay there while I leave and you might live to see at least one more day. Oh…and if you ever hit me with that tail again, I will tear it off and use it to poke out your eyes."
The Manticore gritted its teeth, not seeming to want to back down, but it had fallen back to the ground, its eyes wavering. Its voice silent.
Rainbow flew back slowly, staring lightning and flame into the eyes of the Manticore…and ascended to the forest canopy once more. Hoping against hope it wasn't too late.
Dark Pinkie began her Lullaby. She was wearing the horrible mask again, so it looked like Mrs. Cake was singing to her.
Hush now, quiet now.
its time to lay your sleepy head,
Hush now, quiet now,
its time to go to bed….
Light Pinkie started to fade. She had to ask herself, was she actually relaxing to the music, allowing herself to believe for one moment was Mrs. Cake singing to her? Or did she actually hate it, disgusted by who really was singing? She'd think
about it whenever she woke u-
"AAAH!" Pinkie jumped up as she felt a slicing sensation in her left hip! She turned to see…Dark Pinkie, cutting around her cutie mark with a scalpel, she was still singing!
Hush now! Quiet now!
Its time to lay your sleepy head!
Hush now, quiet now!
Its time to go to bed!
Dark Pinkie had finished her skin-deep, circular cut around Pinkie's cutie mark, and she was already ready with her curved skinning knife to begin phase two. It wasn't even messing up her timing with the song…
Drift Drift! Off to sleep!
Leave the exciting day behind you!
Drift Drift! Off to sleep!
Let the joy of dreamland find you!
She even sawed the cutie mark from her muscle in time to the beat. Actually, she wasn't nearly as accurate as when she did it normally. She was cutting deeper into Pinkie's muscle to avoid damaging the cutie mark!
Pinkie screamed and cried and worse of all, fidgeted, which caused an even worse gash in her flank than what was already being created! Dark Pinkie huffed. "Pinkie, if you don't stop moving, I'll keep missing." Pinkie took the opportunity of this moment to shoot in "YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO LET ME SLEEP!"
"I am, silly! Ponies always seem to fall asleep when I do this! It's so incredibly rude, really. But I'm here to help!"
And then Dark Pinkie repeated the verse as she did the same thing to her other cutie mark. Pinkie Pie ground her teeth together and tried to remain still, hating this other Pinkie with all the passion she had left to give anything in this cruel, cruel world.
When she was done, Dark Pinkie held both of Pinkie's cutie marks in her hooves and waved them. "WHEEEEEEEE…actually wait, I'm getting this all sweaty now." She took the Mrs. Cake mask off, and threw it with no reverence whatsoever unto the cart, which made Pinkie cringe.
Dark Pinkie brought one of the cutie marks to her face and bit one of the stray bits of muscle off of it. She closed her eyes and chewed for a while before she gulped. "Mmm! I always wondered what I taste like! Oh, this is the best day ever!"
Pinkie recoiled in disgust and shut her eyes, but they were forced open again when a new stimulus had her screaming in torment once again!
HUSH! NOW! QUIET! NOW!
IT'S TIME TO LAY YOUR SLEEPY HEAD!
Dark Pinkie had gotten the Nails out now, and was hammering them into Pinkie's leg, still singing her lullaby. She was timing the notes in tune with the hammer strokes, rather than the other way around.
I SAID! HUSH! NOW! QUIET! NOW!
IT'S TIME TO GO TO BEEEED!
Meanwhile, in the forest, a rainbow blur was speeding like a lightning bolt, shifting between the trees…heading into darker and darker regions of the forest like an archangel valiantly charging into the gates of hell.
Pinkie wasn't certain when exactly her counterpart got the battery out from the cart, but she she knew it was coming. Since she didn't have any wings to hack or saw or hacksaw off, her memories of the dream told her Dark Pinkie was going to skip to the thing that was next in the....sequence.
Electrocution.
Drift Drift! Off to sleep!
Dark Pinkie didn't so much throw the switch on the battery as kick it with her hind legs as she stood upright and danced in place.
The Rainbow blur twisted through the forest, following a familiar set of tracks…
Leave the exciting day behind you!
Electricity pulsed all throughout Pinkie's body...
The colors of the rainbow dulled as less and less light shone through the forest canopy. But the pegasus still flew ever faster to that place…where the tracks disappeared.
Drift Drift! Off to sleep!
Let the joy of dreamland find you!
Dark Pinkie turned up the juice as she danced in place…and Pinkie felt her entire body burn and saw faint traces of smoke coming out of her mouth...that couldn't be good. But something else was wrong…just as the pain was climbing to unbearable levels, it started to dull and all sensation slipped away...she felt herself going numb.
THERE IT WAS! Rainbow Dash saw the dirt where the tracks disappeared…even at this distance in this darkness, her pegasus vision told her this was the place!
"PIIIIIIIII-!" And then she disappeared into thin air.
The power eventually switched off, but Pinkie had already lost consciousness.
Hush now, quiet now!
Its time to lay your…sleepy…head?
"-IIINNKKKKKIIIIEEEE!" A pegasus suddenly appeared out of thin air into a mist-covered landscape. "Whoa! What's THAT doing here?" Rainbow gaped at the sight she just glimpsed through the mist.
Dark Pinkie looked over her victim. She waved her hoof in front of Pinkie's still-open, tear-streaked eyes. Nothing.
She gave her a shot of adrenaline. Then another.
No reaction.
Dark Pinkie brought a hoof to her cheek and said "Uh oh…I played too rough again. Somepony should really scold me." She went over to a mirror and put the Mrs. Cake mask back on. "Now, Pinkie! You should be more gentle with your friends!" She took the mask off "I'm sorry…we were just having so much fun!"
Pinkie stared into infinity, oblivious to this particular psychodrama.
"Besides…I'll be nicer to her next time. I mean, she HAS to stick around long enough to see my new routine for the harvesting! And I have lots of new toys I didn't get to play with!" Dark Pinkie concluded. She turned to observe her latest kill.
"But for now….Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcaaaaaaakes!" |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 7 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-12-10T04:01:46+00:00 | 2011-12-10T04:01:46+00:00 | 3,934 | The Dark Side
A My little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfic by Lord Xaos
Chapter 7
Rainbow Dash was in a thick cloud of mist. Combined with the gloom of the forest, even her superior pegasus eyes were having trouble seeing anything through the mist. But a gap in the mist revealed what looked like…Ponyville!
“What is Ponyville doing here, in the middle of the …Everfree…forest?” Rainbow looked around and noticed that an entire section of the forest canopy had disappeared, allowing sight of a cloudy sky over what was, indeed, Ponyville.
“I couldn’t have been sent back to entrance of the forest….could I?” Rainbow flew straight up into the sky, and had a look around.
As she exited the mist cloud, she looked around and saw….okay, there this wasn’t Ponyville. Ponyville bordered a giant forest full of monsters and unnatural “independent” weather.
This town didn’t.
Rainbow’s eyes were the size of dinner plates. The Everfree forest was gone. The mist remained, but Rainbow would’ve seen the trees above the mist by now.
Seriously, how can this be “the Darkest Grove” without a single tree? But, this can't possibly be the real Ponyville, either...whatever. I need to find Pinkie Pie first.
“Hopefully, I can track her down in no time at all. This should be doable. I mean, its not like she’s an impulsive, spastic, and completely unpredictable social butterfly with a tendency to prank ponies all…over….town….aw, Horsefeathers.”
Rainbow’s stomach growled.
“Hmm..maybe I should’ve tried eating the manticore, and not just for irony’s sake.” Rainbow joked. “…well…I suppose I could check to see if this imitation Ponyville has a Sugarcube Corner, to get lunch, AND search for Pinkie.” Dash reasoned.
As she flew off towards the town, the blue pegasus felt the sun on her face, and the wind in her mane. Rainbow felt so alive.
….
Wait. Where’d that sappy thought come from? She had been talked to death by Zecora, was worried about Pinkie Pie, had been haunted by unnamable demons the night before, been knocked around like a hockey puck by a Manticore’s tail, had to fight off two monsters, all while starving from missing breakfast! …And something she couldn’t put her hoof on was pissing her off!
“I am not turning back.” Rainbow argued with the obnoxious buzzing that was occurring in her subconscious.
“Although…I do worry about what else Zecora had to say about this place.” Now that Rainbow didn’t know where to look or what was what, she had to wonder what Zecora wanted to tell her.
Zecora had seen the Sonic Rainboom, and then a Rainbow blur had darted past her. Not knowing what a Sonic Rainboom was, it took her a moment to piece together that all that commotion might have been Rainbow Dash. She wasn't expecting the Pegasus to come from that direction. Whatever detained her must have blown her far off course.
Zecora sighed. And of course, the pegasus was racing more desperately than ever straight for her doom. She'd never catch her now…
She had more things to tell her. How to the grove would warp things she trusted, things she believed in and use against her. How you couldn't really be killed so much as slowly go mad-IF you were the only one trapped in there at any one time. How the monsters of the Everfree instinctively avoided the grove on the rare chance they did find it well-hidden entrance. (That was a plus, actually, a Chimera would probably have double the chances to have eaten Pinkie Pie by now as it would have OUTSIDE the grove where it didn't have a dark twin.)
…How she, Zecora, lied about not ever going in there herself.
She shook her head. This was no time to feel bad for herself. Maybe she could get in contact with the Shadow Watch. She knew a member of the watch slept in an ancient tree near her hut, maybe he could fly off and get in contact with the others.
The Zebra headed off to find him. She had little time to waste. But first….she had to grab something from her house.
Zecora had returned to her hut only to find A white Unicorn running around in there, and all her furniture either turned upside or destroyed. She recognized her as Rarity, one of Rainbow Dash's friends. The frazzled unicorn was apparently trying to comfort something Zecora couldn't quite see behind her overturned caldron, calling it by her own name.
"Zecora, darling, try to calm down. Aaah!" A mighty CRASH was heard as Rarity recoiled. "Oh dear, when is Twilight going to get back here with that bloody spell? I just wish I could take hold of it with magic..." Rarity tried to talk to the thing that was now thrashing and jumping into the air, leaving a "BANG!" with each jump. Suddenly, it came into view.
Oh Ancestors, no. She didn't.
She did.
She let the stupid mask out of the box.
Zecora had taken a moment to lock the mask in her box before she chased after Rainbow Dash, just as it starting to warm up. What had the creator who enchanted that mask been thinking?
Just then, Rarity tackled the smiling mask. "Oof! Got you, now! I knew there was a reason why I never liked adding masks to my designs! There are nothing but trouble. Really now, Twilight's imagination is just running away with her. This mask probably isn't Zecora at all, just another one of her horrid decorations that is stranger than usual."
"Ahem." Zecora said from behind Rarity, causing the white unicorn to jump.
Sadly, this had the effect of releasing the mask out from under Rarity, which resulted in it slamming right into Zecora's face.
"Oh! No! Stop! Ah!" Rarity fidgeted in place as the BANGS and CRASHES continued around her.
The next ten minutes of Zercora's life was going to be loads of laughs, she was sure.
She didn't have time for this now... What HAD the shaman who enchanted the mask been thinking?
Dark Pinkie smiled, admiring her handiwork with the Icing. The pink food coloring had died the cupcakes in the exact shade of dark pink as her tail. For the final touch, she grabbed some balloon-shaped sprinkles and littered the pink-on-pink cupcakes with a liberal helping.
Nopony would ever really understand the delicate art that went into her special cupcakes recipe. The meat had to be processed to just the right level. If she chopped it up too fine, the rest of the batter would overpower the taste. If it was too chunky, it wouldn’t blend in with the cupcakes properly and be discovered easily. And then there was the process of drying out the rest of the meat….
As rewarding as the work was, it was a bit of a hassle sometimes and it did make her wish ponies ate more, say, pot pies filled with some kind of meat so she could just….switch it..
“Oh well, all this work just makes the end result take all the sweeter.” She eyed the hot sauce for a minute, but then spoke. “Actually, no. Not this time. The texture is just too delicate…and too perfect. In fact…It makes want to sing!”
And lo, Darkie Pie sang to the cupcake she was holding.
“This was a triumph.
The taste and the texture: HUGE SUCCESS. ^_^
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Sugarcube Corner
We do what we must
because we can
It tastes so good, to me at least.
Not to the ones who are dead.
But there's no sense crying over every new slice
Now won't you stop moving, interrupting's not nice -_-
Oh, look at that, I'm all done
See, now, wasn't that fun?
I'm just kidding, cuz you're still alive.
I'm not even angry.
But falling asleep is rather rude. >_<
You very nearly broke my heart
And killed me. T_T
I'll tear you to pieces!
And bake every piece into a pie ^_^
But before that, I'll have to work, because they're so much to do
(Darkie Pie took a moment to remove the vials of Pink food coloring from a nearby rack and replace them with a broad rainbow of colors instead.)
Each and every incision, every beautiful line.
Now I'm done with the knife
Next this time I'll give hacksaw a try
Why do they call it that, huh?
It doesn't hack, it's name is dumb DX
Oh well, let's play once more since you are still alive. XD
I won't let you leave here
Pinkie, you’re missing out on so much fun
I wish there was some way that I could teach you
Oh wait, I got it!
And this time, I'll have help.
It's such a shame you'll probably damage her meat
It'd be so delicious and moist!
Look at me still talking
when there's harvesting to do.
I know you're coming, Dash, I'm sorry you're through!
Although you are kind of late
And I'm about to eat her up
But in a minute, you’ll see she is still alive!
Like the others who are still alive.
Like Twilight Sparkle, she is still alive.
And Fluttershy is still alive.
And Applejack, they are all still alive.
And yes, Pinkie Pie, even you are still alive.
Still Alive…Still Alive”
And with that, Darkie Pie took a savage, carnivorous bite and tore a chunk out of one of the cupcakes. Her eyes shrank into pinpoints as she did so.
Pinkie Pie awoke with a jolt. It felt like something just bit her.
Suddenly, the door to Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen opened violently!
“Howdy, Pinkie Pie!” a young filly’s voice came from the doorway to the kitchen. “Oh, yah’ve made cupcakes! Can we some…uh…Pinkie Pie?” Apple Bloom said, as she and her friend Scootaloo entered the Kitchen. “You okay?” Scootaloo asked.
Darkie Pie was too busy choking on her cupcake to answer the fillies. Weren’t they supposed to be in school at this hour?
Pinkie’s vision was filled with the scenery of the misty grove from before. Before the time she…stepped into…it all started to come back to her now.
Cupcakes. Electricity. Punch. Evil Twin. Electricity. Basement. Electricity. Trophies. Electricity! MISTER AND MISSES CAKE!
She felt nauseous. She must’ve been let go….but wait. She was certain she felt her heart just stop at the end and then she died. Was that another dream? How would she even know what heart failure felt like? Or having that much electricity course through her body? How would she recognize that sensation? She had been shocked by static electricity before. But…she had never once given much thought to the subject before.
She might just have passed out and been “rescued” somehow. How would any pony still living know what actually dying felt like? If you died but only “woke up” when you came back to life, you wouldn’t be sure you died at all. If died and stayed dead, you weren’t going to be able to tell anypony what it felt like.
And the pain…the awful pain felt real. Especially when she cut into her hips when she was skinning off her…….
!!!!
CUTIE MARKS!
Pinkie had lost her Cutie marks in the basement of the Mystery Sugarcube corner! If they her still gone….
Pinkie gulped. She didn’t want to see…but...
Pinkie began gradually craning her neck over her left shoulder. Heart thumping…
Tha-thump.
Tha-thump.
Tha-thump.
Pinkie was kind of worried that it would stop on her again. Her flank was nearly in sight…
Tha-thump. Tha-thump.
Tha-thump! Tha-thump!
Tha-thump! Thathumpthathumpthathumpthathumpthathump
……..
And Pinkie saw.
It was there. Her cutie mark wasn’t even scratched or anything.
Whew.
Relieved, but still needing to know for sure, Pinkie barely spent anytime time registering anything else behind her aside from her left cutie mark before she quickly turned her head to look at the one on her right side. She did
“They’re back…” Pinkie’s eyes watered. “Oh, I could just kiss them but I think me bending like that would break something so I wAAAAAHHH !!!!”
Pinkie just noticed something was missing
“MY TAIL’S GONE! TAIL! GONE! WHERE IS IT?” Pinkie got up and spun in a circle.
And so it was. Her cutie marks were still there, but her tail was gone.
And that wasn’t the only thing.
The faintest glint of light had betrayed a shadow approaching, its shade covering Pinkie’s body. With a quick dart of her eyes she saw the shadow’s source, and she gasped
KRA-KOOM! A strike of lightning obscured the body of her assailant. But she could make out details from the silhouette.
It was a pony, a mare by the looks of things.
She had a poofy mane
She had wings spread out, but considering what she was wearing last time Pinkie saw her, that was quite easily explained.
And most importantly of all, she was holding a knife in between her hooves. The foreleg pulled back. The blade pointing downwards.
Pinkie jumped to her feet, and ran. She didn’t dare look back.
Wings? Is she still wearing that dress, even outside?
Vast quantities of rain poured down from the sky and combined with the mist to make an impenetrable veil. Although, Pinkie froze up and squealed a little bit when some of the freezing rain touched a sore spot located right where her tail used to be.
She couldn’t stop. She couldn’t stop! She couldn’t even tell what was appropriate to do for it until she got a good look at it. She was a baker, not a surgeon. And definitely not a Butcher-Surgeon.
And….she really would just as soon take any excuse to not think about her…her beautiful tail.
Pinkie kept running, although she was blinded by the fog and the rain and most of all her own tears. So many tears. She had so much to cry about today.
She didn’t even notice when the trees in the background were suddenly replaced by buildings.
After it looked like Pinkie was settling down from her choking fit, Apple Bloom asked her a question. “Hey, Pinkie, have ya seen Sweetie Bell? She’s gone missin’!”
Scootaloo chimed in “Yeah, and we’re going to pitch in trying to find her! We’re going to be-“
“Cutie Mark Crusader Crime Solvers!” The two fillies shouted at the top of their lungs. Scootaloo lost a little volume near the end, however…
“What’s wrong, Scoots?” Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo. “Huh? Oh. I just thought…It’s not the same without Sweetie Bell.” Scootaloo looked down.”
“Yeah…I’m going to look for clues around the, shop, okay?” Apple Bloom ran off into Sugarcube Corner.
Darkie Pie wasn’t worried. Among other measures (some which specifically applied to Apple Bloom), the basement was locked and she had a good excuse for it to be that way.
“Aww…” Pinkie rubbed Scootaloo’s mane. “I’m sorry to say, I don’t know anything about Sweetie Bell. I’d offer you some cupcakes, but these are a special order. Tell you what, if you come by later today, I’ll have a new batch of special cupcakes ready for you, Scootaloo. I hope you find Sweetie Belle.”
"Alright, thanks, Pinkie Pie." Scootaloo answered
Left behind in the Light Pinkie’s wake, a certain pony wearing an oddly shaped poofy pink hairpiece over mane looked on. The hairs of the wig where held together by a tiny layer of pony hide that had been carefully removed. The pegasus removed the pink “wig” to reveal her unkempt, ruffled mane.
The Assailant had started doing what she had done with such resolve. Such anger. Her recurring dreams had driven her on. And after the sudden change in the dream last night…followed by what she found out this morning…it was obvious what she had to do.
She hadn’t expected the removal of Pinkie’s tail to fail to rouse her from her sleep. She looked down at the knife. It was one she had been carrying around in a small pouch strapped to her chest. When she found that even her mid-day naps were no longer safe, she found she could only sleep, even during the day (she had reach the point where nothing at all could allow her to sleep during the night), when she had a weapon on her at all times. Best of all, nopony really questioned her having that pouch everywhere.
She even positioned the pouch so she could just lower bend her head forward and retrieve the knife from the pouch with only her teeth. She’d never be without a weapon.
Still…it was kind of unnerving to think that Pinkie hadn’t felt her tail being cut off. It wasn’t until the Assailant did a little tug to straighten out that last bit of outer hide that was stuck to the rest of Pinkie’s body and she cut at kind of a strange angle when she gasped awake.
The Assailant froze. Fear clenched her heart. She was going looking the other way from her…but she would surely know her tail was gone. She was going to be so angry. In the dream, Pinkie said the Assailant hadn’t done anything wrong, it was just that “her number came up.” What would she do when you cut off her tail? OHCRAPSHELOOKEDRIGHTTHISWAY…and okay, now she is looking relieved and talking to hersel-aaaaawhyisshescreamingnow?!
Scared out of her mind, the Assailant pulled the knife back in preparation to fight off the insane mare, but Pinkie was just spinning around like a crazy lunatic. She felt the oddest urge to giggle at Pinkie’s antics….no. This was no time for that. Don’t forget what’s coming-the reason she’s spinning around.
The Assailant’s heart tingled with guilt as one traitorous thought crept in that maybe she was wrong. Maybe she should have at least waited before cutting her tail off…she didn’t know for sure. It was a stupid impulse and a really bad joke and if she WAS evil, The Assailant should still not allow herself to fall to Pinkie’s lev….
Shut up! IT’S NOT JUST WHO DISAPPEARED THIS MORNING! THERE ARE OTHER PONIES THAT HAVE BEEN VANISHING! You KNOW this. Including Peppermint Twist, who I DO remember. She was always in the dream…I just wish I knew where to find G’s family or something so I could know for sure whether or not she’s really gone.
It was then that the Assailant was brought out of her reverie by the sound of a thunderclap! And also Pinkie’s scream. She had noticed her! The Assailant flinched and her mind raced for how to react. Pinkie ran off, a look of terror in her eyes. The Assailant had just realized she just stood there frozen and let Pinkie get away.
Dammit, with all her sleep-deprivation, the only thing keeping her going was the adrenaline. When she saw Pinkie all on her lonesome, she thought it time for revenge. Revenge for her old classmate. Revenge for all the missing ponies. Revenge for all her sleepless nights of terror. But then she stopped to think, and it just slowed her down, and now she was going to plot how best to ambush her and silence her.
Now that she’d been seen, she was dead! Horsemeat! Well, specifically, she was Cupcakes. What am I going to do?
Curling up into a ball and shaking seemed like a good option.
….No. The Assailant was done with fear.
The Assailant wasn’t going to fall to pieces again. She had been haunted by fear for too long. She always turned into jelly once she stopped long enough to let the tiniest doubt creep in. She couldn’t allow herself to always be so weak.
And now that she was facing a monster even more terrible than any she had faced.
“I know what you are Pinkie Pie. I’m not going to let you escape.” Her heart hardening, she threw the tail over her neck like a scarf and flew in the direction she saw Pinkie disappear to.
She left a rainbow blur behind her as she flew. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 8 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-12-19T09:58:18+00:00 | 2011-12-19T09:58:18+00:00 | 3,679 | The Dark Side
A my little pony fanfic by Lord Xaos
Chapter 8
As if they were synchronized, the rain had finally started to let up just as Pinkie Pie had stopped crying. She had somehow found herself in a very familiar playground, and had hidden from the rain under a giant horseshoe (she had lost her pursuer in a crowd of ponies….er…and hopefully her pursuer had lost her in that same crowd. Pinkie just knew she was surrounded by ponies and not being murdered at the time, she wasn't really thinking about anything else.)
She wasn’t sure how she got all the way to Ponyville, but she wasn’t complaining.
She struggled to get up, and tried to walk, but she felt dizzy. She was famished. She still wasn’t sure how she got her cutie marks back, but apparently her miraculous resurrection didn’t think to feed her as well. She needed some food…and a warm bath.
As we walked through the town, she surveyed a source of real food. All the grass was wet and soggy now. And she wanted something with a little more taste. But…still nothing sweet. Maybe something salty or…
Pinkie's back was itchy. Furthermore, it was from a side that was facing a nearby dinner. Pinkie decided to turn a little bit, and noticed the itch kept facing the dinner, moving along her back a little..
Pinkie went to investigate, noticed something amazing. Outside the dinner, and under a big umbrella was an outdoor table with a plate that contained a completely untouched Dandelion sandwich. Whoever ordered this had left. And what’s more, they had left their money with the check.
The price was right. Especially since Pinkie realized she left all her bits at home, and depending on where she was, home may or may not be inhabited by a psychotic murdering Pinkie.
(Granted, that Sugar Cube corner was in the woods, but…would YOU take that chance? Don’t answer right away; think about it for a second….)
(She’d love to meet you. Think how happy you’d make her.)
Actually…if this WAS the other Pinkie’s world, and I took bits from her, would that be considered stealing?
Pinkie immediately came to a conclusion almost as soon as her mind started to wonder on that point. Yes. Those were in fact, NOT her bits because she wasn’t that monster.
….Actually, she was just going to spend the next ten minutes pretending that that ...HORRORTERROR didn’t exist and never had. She had a sammich to eat.
Pinkie felt a little strange taking another Pony’s lunch, but she hated the way ponies wasted food. And if there was ever a way to not waste this food, it was a pony named Pinkie Pie!
Pinkie decided to wrap her sandwich in a fresh napkin from the dispenser, and take it to the playground, where there were fewer ponies. She felt the need to be by herself.
Rainbow Dash was fuming. She had been trying to get somepony’s – ANYPONY’S- attention for the past five minutes. But they all ignored her. She wasn’t going to stand for this any longer.
Rainbow flew above the most crowded street in Ponyville (?) and was about to scream at the top of her lungs-when suddenly she couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to look foolish in front of an entire town of ponies….no. I need find Pinkie Pie. Now.
“HEY! HEEEEEEEEEYY! STOP IGNORING ME!” Dash’s voice echoed across the landscape. ….and was completely ignored. Nopony even Flinched. Not even Fluttershy (?).
“…….RARRRR!” Dash dive bombed the crowd, hoping to get some kind of reaction as she flew over menacingly.
No reaction. Rainbow decided to get even closer. She approached a gray pony with crossed eyes….okay, that one might not do.
She spotted Lily instead and waved her hoof in front of her eyes. She completely ignored Rainbow. And then…she walked through one very confused pegasus.
Rainbow was stunned. It took her brain a second to process what happened. “AH!” Rainbow fell backwards.
“D-did she just walk through me?” Rainbow asked nopony in particular. Suddenly, a crowd of ponies came by and trampled her while she was on the ground….only they totally didn’t.
Rainbow stood up, and tried to piece this strangeness together. “Am I a ghost? Can I go through solid objects?”
Rainbow took a look at a nearby building. She decided she was going to try phasing through the walls.
Rainbow stepped back a few paces…and took a running start.
She felt the wind in her mane, and she flapped her wings. She felt giddy.
This is going to be. So. Awesome!
She lifted off the ground and charged right at the wall, throwing all caution to the wind. She was so excited about this working, she couldn’t contain it any longer…
Here it comes….
With a mighty CRASH! That would make a certain Mask proud, Rainbow Dash’s world was transformed into a ginormous headache singularity.
As she ate, Pinkie remembered that she couldn’t forget entirely about….her. Specifically, she remembered that the Evil One had mentioned something about using the cloud walking technique to surprise Dashie.
Pinkie had sped up her eating considerably. Hopefully, the Evil One was still looking for her. In any case, she was about to pass out from hunger.
But now that her tummy was getting full, she started to worry more and more about Dashie and all her other friends.
Of course, she was also worried that the Evil One might be waiting for her there. It was the obvious choice...if she was still trying to catch Pinkie. But now that she wasn’t starving, she couldn’t help but wonder if she wasn’t just being cowardly.
No…she should’ve gone to Dashie’s first thing!
Well, Pinkie thought to herself, I guess I had better get to work. No use crying over spilled time and therefore wasting more. I'm going to head right for Dashie's cloud and warn her about that evil Pinkie. She’s fast, so she can warn Everypony else, but I need to check up on her fir…
Wait…pinchy knee? PINCHY KNEE! Oh no ohnoohnoohno… Pinkie looked in all directions
"There she is." The assailant saw her target for the sky above the empty playground. She dove and landed with great speed, and stared at her nemesis right in the eyes.
“NOOOOOO!!!!!” Pinkie shrieked as the form of pony suddenly appeared right in front of her! She covered her head with her hooves, and cowered. But…something was off.
Bravely, she opened her eyes and looked into the face of the attacker.
It was a sky blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane that was wearing what looked like her tail around her neck like a scarf. She also had a pouch strapped to her chest.
Pinkie however, just reasoned that she got the Tail back from the evil Pinkie.
“Dashie!" Pinkie smiled and wept just a little bit to see her friend once more, and so suddenly! She would’ve jumped up and hugged Rainbow, but she was feeling another dizzy spell from having retreated so quickly just now.
“Oh Dashie, I thought you were…h-h-her! You won’t believe the day I’ve had, and it’s been so horrible, and absolutely all of it is CRAZY. Even by my standards! I mean, I don’t even know which world I’m in now…Oh yeah!” Pinkie looked conspiratorially “The first thing I have to tell you...whichever Dashie you are…”
Pinkie hesitated. “There’s a killer, a monster in pony form! But…maybe you’ve already met her. You got my tail back from her!” Pinkie couldn’t really stay on any particular emotion for more than two seconds as she spoke this bit of exposition.
Rainbow didn’t answer.
“….Or maybe she just left it behind and you picked it up when you were looking for me? You don’t seem to be registering. And, well, maybe it’s for the best you don’t confront her personally. You’re my very best friend, Dashie! I don’t know what I would do if she got you! She’s already tricked and murdered several ponies, including…including…” Pinkie started sobbing all over again…but she was trying to not rattle on and be understood “Mis…Mr. and Mrs. Cake…at least in her world. And…it’s the worse thing in the world , Dashie!”
She successfully held her voice steady…but the actual content of what she was saying was becoming disjointed.
“Oh Dashie, I’m worried what she do to anypony, but I’m so glad I found you first so we can stop her. She’s....me. An evil twin, Dashie. I’m so worried everypony will confuse me for her and then she’ll get away!”
Pinkie felt a hopeful smile dawn on her face. “But now that we’re togeth-”
"LIAR!"
Rainbow Dash, who had starting shaking sometime around the mention of an "evil twin", bellowed so loudly Pinkie almost went into shock. The happy little smile dissolved off her face faster than if it had been fully submerged in acid.
Pinkie lay on the ground, trembling at what she saw. The pupils of Rainbow’s eyes had shrunk into snake-like slits, reminiscent of Nightmare Moon, but the black alicorn’s eyes weren’t quite so scary.
This wasn’t cocky “I’m going to casually and nonchalantly crush you beneath my royal heel while condemning the world to eternal night” scary or even “I’m going to skin you alive while wearing Mrs. Cake’s face as a mask, but just so you know, I have no hatred of you or any good reason to do this, really” scary.
Somehow the loathing in Dashie’s eyes, her friend’s eyes, was even more horrifying. As if her heart broke in two, but it was done so fast and violently that the rest of Pinkie that was left couldn’t properly process the damage and completely bypassed the despair to make way for bucket loads of fear, as if the floor just gave way when you’ve been told from birth, and could feel in your ancestral instincts that all threats that could ever appear in the world will come from around you or from the ceiling, and the floor was something you would never sink through so you could always trust it.
And worse of all…somehow, it was the floor who looked betrayed.
Of course, Pinkie didn’t think in quite that much detail. She mostly got stuck over one point.
What is wrong with Dashie’s eyes? The eeeeeeyesss.
“D-dashie…please.” Pinkie pleaded. Suddenly, Pinkie froze up.
She remembered something from her first visit with the other Pinkie. She couldn’t believe she forgot what her evil clone said:
"Ooooh! Oh! Oh wow! That explains it! I woke in your world with Dashie hugging me…it was confusing, but it was where I wanted to go anyway. I happened to have brought along some harvesting supplies, and not just that, but MY dream about being 'you' taught me that neat cloud-walking trick you know."
Oh no…I’m such an idiot. Of course she won’t believe me. How could I forgotten about that? Forgotten how…how… Pinkie was running low on tears to shed, but she sobbed a little. What can I do to get Dashie to ever trust me again?
“MURDERESS!” the Assailant screamed, rising on her hind legs and rearing her forelegs to stomp on Pinkie Pie with her sky blue hooves.
"Wait!" Pinkie squeaked. Pinkie had been lifting herself partially off the floor without even realizing it, and took this opportunity to jump back a step, out of Rainbow Dash's reach. This was lest effective than one might’ve hoped. The pegasus was already flapping her wings when she reared up, and it was a simple matter for her to abort her maneuver to an aerial tackle.
“EEK!” The fight had begun. The first thing Pinkie did was push Dash’s face away from her, as she was clacking her teeth together, trying to bite Pinkie. Rainbow flailed with her hooves, pounding into whatever corner of Pinkie’s body they could find.
Pinkie struggled to get Dash off of her. She had been able to keep Dashie from biting her, but she had to face facts…although earth ponies took pride in their strength and stamina and ability to work hard….there was very little evidence that Earth ponies actually had any more strength than unicorns or pegasi. It was true, Unicorns often relied on their levitation magic to skimp on a lot of potential exercise and generally took bookish jobs, and Pegasi were generally lighter than other ponies….but all ponies still were generally the same equine creature, with much the same potential.
Case in point, a pegasus was beating an earth pony with her bare hooves and winning despite the latter’s desperate attempts to pull her off. Pinkie may have been half-starved and unprepared to fight, and Rainbow may have been actively training for an athletic career, but there still was no shaking this simple fact.
Rainbow was simply stronger than Pinkie. She couldn’t fight her off…she needed to get her to stop. Anything, really.
Then she noticed it.
The Tail.
It was wrapping even tighter around Rainbow’s neck as they struggled.
Pinkie saw an opportunity and bit on a conveniently place segment of loose tail. She used her other hoof to wrap around and grab the other end. She knew that Pony hair was sturdy but could break easily. Perhaps, with this much of it in one place…
She pulled.
It was the only way to survive.
And as she did so, she felt all the hair in her mane, which had been steadily getting droopier over the course of the day, finally collapse into a veil that covered one side of her face.
In another part of town, Rainbow Dash had decided that maybe Ponies would notice her if she stole an apple from a nearby cart. Her act of blatant thievery went unnoticed.
Okay…I have a new “power”. I can lift small, unattended objects…and still remain unnoticed. It’s like these ponies have never seen an object floating in mid air without magic before. BECAUSE THEY –STILL- HAVEN’T! whoop de doo. I’ll at this to the list.
The “list”, such as it was, was made up of:
-Ability to walk through Ponies.
-Ability to pass through smaller objects being manipulated by other ponies
-Inability to walk through walls
-Inability to be noticed
-Inability to open doors or windows
-Inability to break windows
There was a lot of “inability.” And now…because she was starving…and had an apple, she decided she was going to try to eat, hoping she would not break her tooth against the apple’s likely invincibility.
She had just begun to chew, which turned out to be possible, when suddenly; something caused her to unexpectedly start choking on the apple!
Back at Zecora’s cottage, Rarity was recapping what the Zebra had just told her.
“So, you’re saying that this…Grove….creates a copy of yourself that is, at least most of the time, completely evil.”
Zecora nodded.
“And if you kill your friend’s doppelganger, in self-defense no doubt, your friend could die as well?”
Zecora nodded her head…slowly. She seemed about to speak more on the subject but Rarity immediately continued talking.
“And you DIDN’T tell Rainbow Dash this little detail? Or didn’t get around to it before she ran off, or something, but it was something OTHER than the VERY FIRST THING YOU CHOOSE TO TELL HER?” Rarity was losing control over the volume of her voice.
That wasn’t entirely fair. But how best could Zecora explain?
There was remarkably inconclusive evidence the Grove really worked that way, actually. Its just that from what little Zecora could find out about the cases (from the records of the only tribe that actually kept thorough track on Zebras and other creatures that entered the grove) where groups of Zebras entered Zebrica’s “Darkest Grove”, the failure rate skyrocketed. But…the records were uncertain about a particular point of these failures.
One of a Dark Side’s goals is usually the corruption of a light side, to drive a visitor insane. So, depending on how this might’ve happened…
But yes, more often than not, somebody killed something that closely resembled their companion. Something that was itself trying to kill them. And then they never found their friend again.
So, was that their friend who had been corrupted? Or at that been a Dark Side?
It was impossible to say.
When Zecora had gone in the grove, it was by herself.
She knew everything she could know about the Grove before going in….
And yet, certain bits of misinformation and false connections between records of successful journeys had taught Zecora some very bad habits that had nearly killed her. She was vague Rainbow Dash on purpose, trying to teach her how to avoid the mistakes she had made about the grove as she saw them. To make her a fitter, more flexible contender, not, to pardon the phrase, to make her a one-trick pony.
Like Zecora had been.
But…the trouble was, Rarity was right. Rainbow should’ve been told first that she could do everything right, but still have a chance to inexplicably die in the first five minutes if Pinkie met her Dark Side before she did and things spiraled out of control…
Zecora looked out the window.
Sweet Pinkie Pie and Brave Rainbow Dash…
Be safe. Please don’t do anything rash.
Dark Dash, who had been on top of Pinkie Pie, gasped at being choked and stopped fighting to lift her right fore leg to try and grab the tail. Pinkie used that moment while Rainbow was off balance to roll in the direction of Dashie’s left fore leg and trip her up, being careful to slacken her hold on the tail she was choking Dash with so she wouldn’t break the filly’s neck.
Rainbow Dash spat out the bits of apple she was choking on, and had finished coughing. “Easy there…small bites from now on, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash rolled to the side. She was shaken, but still trying to fight. Her eyes still held a sort of desperate fury.
Pinkie dropped the bit of her tail in her mouth onto the ground, only to immediately stomp on it with the hoof holding the other part. She pulled herself up, placing her other hoof on the two strings of the tail.
Rainbow was quickly losing her bravado. GAH! Why’d I wear this stupid tail around like a scarf? Oh, right, I was thinking about doing the Rarity-based organ joke from the nightmare, giving Pinkie a taste of her own medicine…but then I lost my temper and forgot I had it! And now Pinkie gets to choke me to death with her own tail! Arg…why didn’t I get the knife first thing? I go to all this trouble to never be without a weapon and now THIS gets me. What a world, what a world…
Pinkie Pie stood up, from Rainbow’s perspective; it was done in horrifying slow motion.
From Pinkie’s perspective, it was done carefully because her body ached all over.
Rainbow tried to kick herself up, but she only managed to choke herself, knocking her back down.
“STOPPIT!” Pinkie cried when Rainbow tried to escape, only hurting herself in the process. She still seemed to be trying to crane her neck to get to that pouch at the base of her neck. Pinkie was worried she was going to break her own windpipe “Please, Dashie…don’t choke yourself!” Pinkie locked tearful eyes with Rainbow.
Pinkie didn’t finish her sentence for a few seconds…she was trying to regain her breath and slacken her death grip on Rainbow just enough so the pegasus could breathe without letting her go.
“I’m not who you think I am. There’s another Pinkie out there. I don’t ever, ever want to hurt you like I just did ever again. I want to let you go…but you really hurt me, Dashie.”
Rainbow’s eyes, which seemed to have started to betray a small shimmer of confusion, suddenly dilated in fear again, and she began to shake.
“No, no, no, no…I don’t mean it like that.” Pinkie said, in the most calming voice she could manage while shaking her head. “It’s okay. I AM going to let you go, but you have to calm down and promise to listen to what I have to say and not fly off the handle first.”
“………” Rainbow wasn’t prepared for that. She took a moment to think. Why? She’d probably think it would be poetic justice to strangle me with the tail I chopped off. …Maybe she just want to take it back so she can stitch it back on and try to hide the fact it was ever gone.
That’s gotta be it! She can’t afford to risk breaking her tail hairs too much killing me with them! …that’s gotta be it. Right?
…why can’t I bring myself to distrust those eyes? And…bah! It’s that stupid hairstyle of hers! She’s probably just wearing it long, but it’s making her seem sadder now that it’s not defying gravity. Is it really another Pinkie Pie? But that’s impossible!
Finally, she came to a decision.
“…..on one condition.” Rainbow said. “When you let me go, you’ve got to stay put while I get what’s out of my pouch.” She saw Pinkie’s gaze shift from rose her voice an octave. “And if you ever want me to trust you again, you won’t even try to take what’s in it for yourself now that you have me at your mercy! Any false moments and I’ll struggle and never stop until one of us is dead!”
Pinkie wanted to answer immediately. But she was worried as to what was in that pouch she was so fascinated about.
“I-if that’s what makes you feel safe, Dashie.” Pinkie was losing power in the situation, she could feel it. Still…she had to do this. “But you still have to promise you aren’t going to do anything unless I actually threaten you.”
Rainbow looked at Pinkie, and nodded.
Hesitantly, Pinkie let go.
Almost immediately, Dark Dash grabbed her knife and Pinkie could barely make out a flash of silver before a reflection of the sun’s gleam off the knife's polished surface blinded her! |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 9 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-10-28T21:34:11+00:00 | 2013-01-30T23:32:52+00:00 | 4,487 | The Dark Side
A My Little Pony fanfic by Lord Xaos
Chapter 9
Pinkie Pie had just released a twitchy, paranoid Rainbow Dash moment ago, and the first thing Rainbow did was fetch something shiny from her pouch. It caught some rays of sunlight and reflected them straight into Pinkie’s eyes.
The spots before Pinkie’s eyes killed her vision. Still, she lowered the hoof she used to cover her eyes, and squinted, blinking furiously to focus on Dash.
Dash was flying above Pinkie, pointing whatever she was holding in her hoof right at her. The object was throwing off her depth perception, and that, combined with everything else that was wrong with her (Namely: She had been kicked by Rainbow in multiple areas of her body, including several hits on her legs and at least once in her head, she was winded, and all with blinding spots before her eyes), caused Pinkie to fall to her side.
The assailing Dash flinched at this sudden movement, her eyes turning into pinpoints and the pegasus hyperventilating a little bit, and for the one moment when Dashie fell out of Pinkie’s vision, she had somehow made it all the way over to her and was flying over her, menacingly holding the knife.
Oh no…one of the conditions was that she wasn’t supposed to move. Did this count? Was Dashie going to kill her now? Pinkie’s mind swam with things to say, but as soon as she thought of one, another emerged and pushed the previous one aside, demanding precedence.
I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to move! You blinded me and…
Please don’t kill me. That already happened once today! Seriously! I think. I’m so confused! *cry*
Um…can I spend one of my lifelines to just say that last bit never happened?
FOREVER!
That last one was short and to the point, and might’ve shocked Dash out of...whatever she was planning to do. Pinkie couldn’t work up the nerve to do any of those things. She was staring up at death itself. She was having flashbacks to earlier this morning when she was killed by Herself.
Wait. The knife! Dashie was holding the knife that Pinkie thought was used by the other Pinkie! It was the exact same sleek, curved shape! In hindsight, Pinkie wondered why the other Pinkie was using a blade like that when she had plenty of kitchen knives and skinning knives and scalpels that wouldn’t look as fancy as the knife she had seen. And now Dashie was here, holding the very same design.
“You’re the one who cut off my tail.” Pinkie spoke aloud, almost numbly.
Pinkie’s vision was clearing, and it was because of this that she could see the look of confusion on Dash’s face.
“In the forest. It was you.”
“…How could you not know? You looked right at me.” Dash asked.
“I couldn’t see you clearly. And…your mane was strange. I thought you were the other Pinkie Pie” Pinkie stared at the knife Dashie was pointing at her. “L-look, I really, really, REALLY need to collect my thoughts to explain the situation here, a-and…and...”
Pinkie sobbed once more “YOU PROMISED!” She was angry at Dashie now. “You promised if I let you go, you wouldn’t-“
”You promised you wouldn’t move…although I guess you were surprised by my knife or something. You always were kind of a klutz. But now that this has happened, is this REALLY going back on my promise? I’m still listening to you.” Dash continued to hover above Pinkie. “I’ll give you time to think, but if I better like what I’m hearing.”
Pinkie gulped and peered up at Dash. “It might be hard to hear anyway, Dashie…but just keep in mind that if I’m telling the truth about there being another Pinkie out there, you can’t afford to get the wrong one and end up lowering your guard falsely believing you are safe…You really shouldn’t take her on by yourself in any case, Rainbow!”
Rainbow didn’t say anything. She obviously wanted Pinkie to start talking.
This was hard. Pinkie had only a little time to recap the madness that had been her life ever since the nightmare, and present it in an easy-to-digest form.
-She went to Dashie’s to make sure she was okay. (Depending on which Dashie this was, she might not remember that.)
-She suddenly switched places with the other Pinkie, and became a pegasus pony in her world. (That last part had been becoming fuzzier and fuzzier as time went on, and flying sounded like the kind of experience Pinkie would remember for all time.)
-She woke up, noticed her shadow was flying around on its own, and chased it into the forest until it just….gave up? Or something?
-Then, she met the Evil Pinkie, who told her a confusing story about switching places and scaring her Dashie and plotting to go after the other Dashie.
-Then Pinkie got made into an electricity-conducting blank flank, and died. Strangely enough, she got better.
Yeah, hers was a hard case to make. And the Judge, Jury, and Executioner were all the same unbalanced, paranoid pegasus mare who was looking skeptical. Fortunately, Pinkie thought she had figured out at least WHICH Dashie she was talking to.
(Actually, Pinkie couldn’t be sure there really was any other Ponyville. If the Everfree Forest just created that Sugarcube Corner and the Nightmares within…well, stranger things have happened. Seasons changing on their own, for instance.
This Rainbow Dash was likely the same one that had been holding her just before she “switched places” with the other Pinkie. The “other” Rainbow, if she even existed, wouldn’t know her Pinkie Pie was evil….would she?
Thus, Pinkie assumed she was dealing with her Rainbow.)
Pinkie made an effort to control her voice. Because if she spoke too fast, she’d start sobbing again. And that would lead to her blubbering incoherently.
“There is another Pinkie. I met her, and she said she …’switched places’ with me…somehow.”
“Switched places?” Dash looked confused. I seriously have no idea what she’s talking about, but then again, I’m not sure Pinkie does either.
“She kept talking about a ‘little bird” telling her this and that. I couldn’t begin to figure out how she did that, but…if I suddenly went crazy on you, like it sounds like I did I…I” Pinkie’s voice was trembling. So much for control.
Went crazy? Why wouldn’t she know if she “went crazy” on me. Wouldn’t she be ther…oh. Oh. Oh shit. Dash’s eyes, which had been confused, suddenly dawned with realization. Pinkie had a little trouble making it whether it was fear or just shock.
“I’m so sorry! It wasn’t really me! And…I-I’m glad you’re alive! I’m so glad you got away from me! I mean her! She’s not Pinkie Pie, she’s *hiccup!* she’s *hiccup!* she’s….MEANIE PIE! Look, I’ll work on the nickname later! *hiccup* It’s just…I really, really, really, really REALLY…*Sob*….reallydon’tknow *hiccup* whatIwoulddoifshe…*HICCUP!*”
That last hiccup was so pronounced; the tremor throughout Pinkie’s body actually sent her flopping into the air. Rainbow, who was already shaken enough to loosen her death grip she had on the knife as well being surprised by Pinkie’s sudden movements, raised her hooves to protect her face while she screamed.
The knife went flying into the air, right above Dash. Rainbow looked up to follow it, and barrel rolled out of the way. Pinkie took a moment to relieve what was going on-she was so used to her twitchy tail telling her about stuff. Her knees suddenly pinched up and Pinkie rolled to side, curling her body up as small as possible. The pink earth pony closed her eyes, leaving an after image of the knife falling right towards her not unprotected head …
Pinkie let out a scream and shut here eyes.
CLANK!
Pinkie opened her eyes. And immediately felt dizzy.
The knife was RIGHT above her eye…but it was caught in between the hooves of Rainbow’s back legs. If it had fallen even half an inch further, it would’ve gone into Pinkie’s eye. As it was, it was kind of throwing Pinkie’s eye out of focus trying to look at it.
Rainbow grinned nervously. “eheheheh…”
Pinkie and Rainbow stared at each other.
Rainbow couldn’t think what to say.
Pinkie sniffed a little, but couldn’t help but break out into a broad, goofy grin.
Rainbow’s ears flopped behind her head, as if she wasn’t quite sure she hadn’t set off a bomb or something.
Pinkie said something inaudible.
“Um…what’d you say?” Rainbow asked. For their great vision, Pegasi were not gifted with similarly spectacular hearing.
Pinkie cleared her throat and repeated. “You cured my hiccups.”
Rainbow gaped at Pinkie. Then frowned. Then she rolled her eyes. Then, while her head was back, she broke into a toothless smile…
…and began to laugh.
“hahahaha…HAHAHAHAHA!”
Pinkie, still grinning, suddenly felt her cheeks inflate once more and she opened her mouth to release a fit of giggling. “Hee Hee hee...Hehehehe!” Pinkie snorted, and that seemed to cause Rainbow to fall to the ground, rolling on the floor.
The two ponies…beaten, bruised, and one with lines pressed into her sky-blue neck broke into uncontrollable laughter.
This felt good… it felt like an eternity since Pinkie had last had a laugh. She always loved laughing, and making others laugh. For a moment, she nearly forgot about all the bad stuff that had happened today. She didn’t care if her sides were starting to hurt, she never wanted to stop.
Best of all, Pinkie dared to hope that she had finally gotten through to Dash on some level. Pinkie was already planning in her head the details of her “We’re friends again!” Party she was going to throw Dashie. She wasn’t really ready to think about Sweets again, but she felt like this event simply had to be celebrated. Not just a normal party...some kind of fantastic, superrific party!
Truly, laughter was won…der…ful…wait.
Why was Dashie crying?
Indeed she was. Somewhere along the way, Rainbow’s giggles had dissolved into sobs. Pinkie was concerned for her friend. “Dashie?”
Dash became silent. She got up, but hung her head, hiding the view of her face. Pinkie could however tell that she was smiling.
“….You really are Pinkie Pie. You’ve been so serious, I was beginning to wonder.” Dash looked up; wearing the saddest smile Pinkie had ever seen in her life. “And not just that, you’re the Pinkie Pie who’s my friend.”
“H-hey…Dashie, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“And that’s the saddest part.” Dashie turned around and seemed to gather her thoughts for a moment. I understand what’s wrong with you now Pinkie…and…well, you’re still terrifying. I don’t even know what’s going to set you off. But…please, please, please PLEASE tell me you haven’t done it yet.
“What’s the saddest part?” Pinkie asked.
“Pinkie...”
“Yes?”
Dash turned around and looked at her intensely. “Where’s Sweetie Bell?”
“Wha?”
“I had a dream about Sweetie Bell last night…and then Rarity told me what happened this morning.”
Pinkie just looked more confused than ever.
“Pinkie, please tell me. Look, we can get a doctor to stitch your tail back on or even maybe it’ll grow back…maybe the other missing ponies got kidnapped by Diamond Dogs or something…maybe we can get you some help and its not too late….” Rainbow Dash became insistent.
Pinkie had no idea what was Dashie was saying.
“But right now, I need you to tell me Sweetie Bell is okay.”
Pinkie’s eyes flashed with revelation, and she gasped.
“Oh no! You mean…Sweetie Belle’s disappeared!?”
“Please think, Pinkie! If you can remember anything…anything at all! Please tell me!” Rainbow’s voice became desperate.
Pinkie, her mouth gaping…shook her head. “I-I don’t know anything. I haven’t seen Sweetie Belle since….three days ago, I think it was? I…I really don’t know anything! If you’re the one who cut off my tail, I don’t even know where the Evil Pinkie is or where to find her! I don’t even know where that was in the forest that I first met her, or if she’s even still there! I keep telling you she is a different pony from me, Dashie!”
“Noooo…..no….” Rainbow backed away, her voice betraying unfathomable despair.
“WAIT! We could at least try to look at the Sugarcube Corner in this Ponyville first! I mean, we have to warn Mr. and Mrs. Cake....and our friends…”
Rainbow grew, if anything, more disturbed by Pinkie’s words. Her delusions are worse than I thought. This personality believes the Cakes are still alive. This Pinkie…this Pinkie is…
“NOOOO!” Rainbow Dash screamed, her hooves placed over head like she reeled from some terrible revelation.
Pinkie stepped forward. “Dashie, what’s wrong!?”
“You….just…just….STAY THERE! DON’T FOLLOW ME!” Rainbow began to cry. She flew off, unable to take the hurt anymore.
“Dashie, wait! SHE CAN CLOUD WALK NOW!” Pinkie called after her. But the sky blue pegasus was already out of earshot.
Rainbow Dash flew away, crying her eyes out. The Pinkie she just confronted was the one who kidnapped Sweetie Bell. They WERE the same pony. And…she didn’t know.
She had hidden the truth…from herself.
The world was so cruel. So very cruel.
Watching the rainbow blur fade out of existence, Pinkie Pie considered going after Dash. But, something else caught her attention.
Her tail lay on the ground, forgotten.
Unlike her mane, the tail remained slightly poofy, but the abuse it had taken was starting to cause the hairs to uncurl and unravel.
Pinkie wasn’t sure what to do, but then recalled that brief mention Dash made that the tail might grow back.
Pinkie couldn’t see her wound without a mirror, but she decided to look at the bit of pony skin that held the tail together. Pinkie wasn’t sure if it contained any hair follicles…she had to admit her understanding of her own anatomy was more than a little fuzzy. But, she knew from…from the cutie mark incident how thick the outer layer of a Pony’s hide was, and this seemed awfully shallow. It didn’t contain any of the….meat… from before. Maybe she should see a doctor.
But…Sweetie Bell was still missing and…she couldn’t shake the feeling that Meanie Pie was still out there. Pinkie was just going to grab the tail and take it with her to Sugarcube Corner.
…She DID need to work on that name. Evil Pie? Pinkie Bad? Nasty Pie? Murder Pie? Devil Pie? Death Pie?
Pink Snooty, perhaps?
Meanwhile, another Rainbow Dash was finding new and exciting ways to be frustrated out of her mind.
She wanted to head straight for Sugarcube Corner, on the off chance that Pinkie Pie might be there. She flew in the general direction of the bakery, and from memory flew to where it always stood, where Rainbow found...
…a Pharmacy. A pharmacy that was supposed to be on the other end of town from Sugarcube corner, no less! WHAT WAS GOING ON?
She had given up trying to communicate with the other ponies, and recalled what Zecora had told her about the Darkest Grove.
“The Bane of Darkness is something you must discover on your own.
Because the nightmares inside the grove are made from your shadow self,
the path to defeating it might guessed beforehand, but never known.
However, the ‘shadow self’ is normally not something you can see.
The shadow I speak of is a spiritual entity
that exists not so much on the floor, but behind your eyes.
There is a terrible and great enmity
the Shadow has for its counterpart which cannot be put into words, which is why
they will use the grove to create the most terrible nightmare they can devise.
The Nightmares are made both of your own faults, and your own fears,
And even parody your virtues, whatever helps the destruction of good
or designed to shred you into tears.
Accepting them as part of you might work, if you should.
Destroying them in combat might bring salvation, if you could.
Very few shadows are kind enough to create such Nightmares that are easily torn apart. A Shadow would never waste such a valuable opportunity to destroy your very heart.”
“Wow….I can’t believe I even remembered her rhymes for that one.” Next, Zecora moved on to telling Rainbow the basic tips for survival. And although the Rhyming became really distracting, Rainbow basically got that what she was supposed to find was some sort of Nightmare world that was going to mess with your mind and leave you babbling and empty assuming you hadn’t already died.
She had been expecting Demons….Horrors….Zombies. Or maybe just copies of your dead loved ones telling you what a big disappointment you were to them and how your friends secretly hate you and blah, blah, blah.
Actually….if she was honest, what she was really worried about was meeting be a giant and terrible adult Dragon. But, come on! She’d definitely notice one if-
“RAAAARRRR!”
“DRAGON!” Rainbow Dash jumped into the air, and froze up, landing on her back and playing dead.
It took her a moment to notice that somepony was giggling mischievously nearby.
Pinkie Pie! Oh, there she is! Same old prankster, huh? I’ll admit, she got me good that time.
“Hey, Pinkie.” Rainbow smiled, looking up at her friend.
Pinkie kept giggling.
“Okay, thanks, you can stop that now-" Rainbow was cut off as another pony spoke up.
“Pinkie, please! You’ve been giving me heart failure all week! I-I really insist that you stop!” A soft voice rose in anger. “um..that is…if it’s okay with you.”
“Aw..but, Fluttershy.” The pink earth pony chuckled, apparently trying not to grin and failing. “It’s all in good fun.”
“I don’t find it fun. You jump out of nowhere enough as it is, and now you’re being really…loud every time I see you.”
“Yeah…I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
“Um, so you’ll st-?”
“RAAAARRR!” Pinkie roared suddenly.
Fluttershy squeaked and fell backwards, trembling. Pinkie grinned. “What? You said ‘if that was okay with me.’ And I decided that its not. You get it? RAAAAR!”
Fluttershy pushed Pinkie aside, and ran away, crying. “I hate you, Pinkie! I h-hate you!”
“Aw…that’s not very nice.” Pinkie pouted, still sounding playful.
Rainbow looked after Fluttershy as she ran, and then turned to Pinkie Pie as she continued to laugh. She finally found her. She had to get her out of here…right? Take her back to Ponyville. But this IS Ponyville. And this Pinkie…
“Pinkie…that was mean.” Rainbow couldn’t believe she did that to Fluttershy of all ponies. Pinkie had been the one to prevent Dash from pranking Fluttershy because the yellow-and-pink pegasus was so sensitive.
“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?” Pinkie sneered, looking right at Rainbow. Actually, even this sneer seemed to come in the form of a toothless grin. But Pinkie’s eyes were …less than friendly.
“Nothing!” Rainbow said at the same time as a voice behind her spoke the same word. Rainbow turned to see a very scared looking unicorn mare she didn’t recognize. She had a yellow coat and a shiny golden mane and tail. She vaguely reminded Rainbow of Spitfire, one of the Wonderbolts.
Rainbow took the opportunity as the two ponies stared at each other to wave a hand in front of Pinkie’s face. “Um…Pinkie, if you can see me, say something right now. Even RRAAAAARR!” Rainbow did her best dragon impression. Nopony seemed to notice her. That solves THAT riddle.
Pinkie stared at the strange mare a little while longer, and suddenly broke into a smile. “Okie-dokie-lokie!” She hummed a happy little tune and trotted away. The unicorn seemed relieved.
On closer inspection, Rainbow Dash noticed that Pinkie was carrying a bag from the Pharmacy she was just at. …Was she heading home? Was there a Sugarcube corner here? Did Rainbow even want or need to go there anymore?
Still…Rainbow could think of nothing better to do than follow this Pinkie Pie and learn more about her.
Across the darkest grove, there echoed a voice. Pinkie’s voice.
“Hook, line and sinker.”
Dash’s voice responded.
“I’ll say it again. Your plan is stupid. There’s no way we can corrupt my container. The Element of Loyalty cannot be subverted like the element of laughter. Shadowjack actually has some good ideas for the Element of HONESTY, if you can believe that. But Loyalty? Nothing doing. I was trying to do something with Dragons, but she just fought a Manticore and a giant serpent AND was taught the Challenge by that damn Zebra. The fact that she is so dangerous to me now is the ONLY reason I even think to work with you. I still think we should follow MY PLAN.”
“Hey! It’s MY nightmare! My rules! You were late to the party. Or maybe…you’re afraid I’ll hurt you too badly? Aw…Don’t worry, Sha-Dashie! I promise I'll be gentle."
"......."
"AND, you're going to make delicious cupcakes! All we have to do is wait for the other Elements of Harmony to chase after their friends and…”
“Yeah, about that. I got word from Shadarity. They’re not coming.”
Silence. For a moment.
“WHAT? Impossible! How can these ponies be so BORING! Even I’m a little hard broken for Pinkie’s sake that only one of her friends in all Ponyville cared enough to come save her. I can’t believe it! They were all supposed to fly like moths into my flaming web!”
“Its not that. It’s the Zebra. Again.”
“Arrrgggg! Fine! We’ll just take the two Elements from the ponies we got. Get into position, AND character. NOW.”
“Sigh…so, I’m supposed to NOT be suspecting “Pinkie” of taking Sweetie Bell now, and just be some kind of chump? Your script is confusing…”
“NOW!”
“Fine, fine. …Hey.”
“What now?”
“Its about that unicorn.”
“Unicorn?”
“Don’t play dumb. You know the one. The Blondie. She’s not actually from Ponyville. What kind of memory are you using to simulate her?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I can’t keep track of all these dream ponies. I mean, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got the drop on me today.”
“BUT YOU CONTROL THEM!”
“I do?”
“THIS IS YOUR NIGHTMARE! YOU ARE THE ONLY PONY THAT COULD EVEN ALLOW ANY OF THEM TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!”
“I am?”
“…dude. That’s creepy. I’m just going to get this party started and stop talking to you.”
“Okie dokie lokie!”
Rainbow had been trailing her pink quarry for a while now, and she was starting to lull into boredom. Not having to stop even for other ponies getting in her way made it easier to just drift into her own thoughts.
Which was why she didn’t notice when Pinkie Pie vanished into a crowd of Ponies.
“…..” Rainbow blinked. “Oh crap, I lost Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow took to the air, looking around like crazy, but she could find no sign of the Pink-on-Pink mare anywhere. After five minutes of search, Rainbow began to panic. “Oh no, that might’ve actually been the real Pinkie Pie…possibly. Zecora said I was supposed to stick to her like glue when I found her and help her escape! How could I be-”
Suddenly, a rainbow blur dashed past the sky blue pegasus. Rainbow blinked. “…over there?”
Indeed, another Rainbow Dash had flown past her. Rainbow had a sudden impulse to race her clone, just to see who would win. She was the fastest pegasus in Ponyville. But! Was she the fastest Rainbow Dash? No…she should try and find out where Pinkie went…or how much time had past since she lost Pinkie Pie.
….oh dear. It seems that she was in fact, already racing this other Rainbow Dash. All those responsible thoughts that entered her head were completely ignored.
…oh well, I can find Pinkie later. Right now, I got some stress to burn off, and honor to uphold! Rainbow easily caught up with her clone. Ha! I’m not even getting warmed up! Are you sure you’re really Rainbow Dash? There’s no way this can be your best, or even your casual speed! What’s wrong…slow…poke?
Oh wow, you don’t look so good.
Indeed, the other Rainbow seemed to have bags under her bloodshot eyes, and her movements were more sluggish than usual. She was flying, looking frustrated and just…haggard in general. Like she hadn’t slept properly in days. Rainbow Dash wondered what in the world had been happening to her, and wondered if like the other ponies, she was invisible to her doppelganger or the pegasus was just so tired she didn’t take stock of even her immediate surroundings.
She also was wearing the strangest pouch on her chest.
Suddenly, the other Rainbow turned and started to descend. With nothing better to do, the invisible Rainbow Dash followed suit.
As it turned out, she was led straight to Sugarcube Corner, located roughly where the Pharmacy should be in the Ponyville Rainbow Dash knew, but on the wrong side of the street. Huh.
Rainbow remembered that should couldn’t open doors as a “ghost” and flew after the other Dash, trying desperately to get through the door before…
SLAM.
Crash!
“Ow…..” Rainbow moaned. She didn’t make it inside.
From inside the shop, she heard Pinkie’s voice “Rainbow! You're finally here! Oh I've been so worried about you! You've been all mopesy-dopesy so I thought I'd ask you to come visit me so I could make you feel extra-super-special and cheer you up! But then you didn't show up when I thought you were going to and I was all sad that you were going to stay cooped up in your house all day but then you came in and now you're here and now we can have some fun!”
Pinkie was wearing a white shirt and baker’s hat. This wasn’t her usual attire.
The other Rainbow Dash merely looked at her blankly, before shaking her head and stumbling forward. “Whatever, Pinkie. What did you want me here for?”
Other me is awfully huffy. I wonder what’s her problem is supposed to have been. Still, this Pinkie seems …well, normal-ish. For Pinkie Pie. Minus the getup. Or at least isn’t presently terrorizing Fluttershy. Maybe THIS is the real Pinkie? Or...my Pinkie Pie, rather. Arg! Why am I the only pony who can’t open doors!
Rainbow fidgeted with the know…or tried to. The knob seemed awfully heavy in her hooves, and it was completely immobile. Even her crash a moment ago didn’t seem to make much noise. Rainbow was sure that Twilight would have a field day trying to explain all the physics of this “ghost” business.
Maybe my innermost fear is being ignored or something stupid. Ha. Ha. ha. This is the lamest insanity-inducing nightmare realm EVER.
Looking back inside, Rainbow saw Pinkie had a tray of freshly baked cupcakes she fetched from the oven, slathered in icing. “I made you cupcakes!”
The other Rainbow, who was looking up at Pinkie because she was standing on her hind legs of hold the cupcakes in her fore hooves, started shivering. She began stumbling in retreat …at least Rainbow thought it was retreat, the poor filly moved as if she was drunk, unable to just head for the door. Still, something was wrong.
“No...no...nonononononoNONONONO!” the other Rainbow looked around wildly. Pinkie just blinked like a moron. “N-no...no, I don't want 'em. Not gonna l-let you...lemme out of here, LET ME OUT OF HERE!”
Okay…other me is crazy. Wait…what is Pinkie Pie doing just standing there?
Pinkie merely tilted her head to the side quizzically, setting the tray down and lifting a few of the cakes out and plating them, bouncing over to the shivering Rainbow Dash and offering the plate to the pegasus.
The Dash who was inside smacked the cupcakes away, sending the tray flying. “I SAID I DON'T WANT THEM! I know what you're doing, it's not going to work!” Pinkie Pie frowned at the discarded cupcakes, but in typical Pinkie fashion she just shrugged and went about cleaning them out, humming to herself.
Pinkie…what are you doing? Other me is having a psychotic breakdown! You can’t be this dense! You just can’t be!
“Maybe you don’t like the avocado icing?”
“MORON!” the invisible Dash screamed banged her head repeatedly against the door. Actually…avocado icing is okay... why am I even thinking about this now?
“That’s okay, I made plenty more so we can make some to your liking. Is that okay? Rainbow? Dash?”
The crazy Dash was whimpering like an injured puppy. She could’ve retreated easily, which was what Ghost-Dash could tell she obviously wanted to do, except she had backed herself into a corner and seemed to be hyperventilating.
Actually, if truth be told, Rainbow felt bad for the other Dash. She took it back. This Pinkie Pie was just… insensitive. But at the same time, she was scared for Pinkie. She’d never seen a pony act like this before, and Pinkie was being incredibly stupid. She might even have been genuinely ignorant and innocent, she just has a severe handicap reading between the lines…or even reading the lines themselves.
The sad thing is, that fits Pinkie to a tee. I still remember what happened in Appleloosa. “I do?” “I am?” Arrrrg.
Meanwhile, in another corner of town, a very lost Pinkie Pie suddenly gave a very loud sneeze.
“Aw, come on! Don’t tell me I’m getting a cold now! Still, I guess this is yet another sign that I am in fact, still alive and not a ghost.” Pinkie waved a hoof in front of yet another bypasser. “Sigh…please let me wake up in my bed and realize everything was just a dream. I promise I’ll never troll Dashie again…”
But seriously, that filly needed to loosen up sometimes.
“Get Away…” Crazy Rainbow was fiddling with the pouch strapped to her body. “...just get away, getawaygetaway...”
What’s in that pouch? Rainbow yelled once more, trying to get into Pinkie’s dumb, thick, skull. “Pinkie! Give her some space! You’re terrifying her and I think that-” Rainbow let out a gasp that no other pony could hear.
Crazy Dash had given up opening her pouch with her panicky hooves.
And instead, she had seized a nearby kitchen knife. A very sharp one. Holding it in her hooves, she pointed it at Pinkie, and issued a plea “Just leave me alone...please, Pinkie Pie...just *hic* leave me alone!”
Rainbow froze. She wanted to shout, to scream, to call for help, tell Pinkie to get out of there, anything! Even if such things were useless before now. But she couldn’t find her voice. Her muscles hurt to move, but she still was able to start pounding on the door weakly.
The door didn’t make much noise. She could hear Crazy Dash give another hiccup over the “din.” Rainbow knew her kicks were impossibly weak, but her entire system seemed to be shutting down. “N-no…not now. You have to act now, Rainbow Dash! NOW!” Rainbow bucked the door with her hind legs. Despite the additional force, nopony noticed her.
Rainbow turned to face the window, licking her lips to try and rehydrate her dry throat.
Inside, Pinkie-Pie looked at the knife being wielded by her friend for a moment, before giggling and bouncing over towards Crazy Dash.
“PINKIE! YOU MORON! GET AWAY FOR HER! G-GET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! SHE’S NOT REALLY BAD, SHE’S JUST VERY DUMB!” Rainbow wasn’t even sure which pony she was yelling at.
Pinkie came WAY too close to Crazy Dash and chirped “Oh Dash, you silly filly! You got me good with that one! Never one to turn down an opportunity to prank, hu-”
One Rainbow let out an angry scream
Another Rainbow let out a horrified one.
A squirt of blood came out of the shoulder and stained Pinkie’s shirt as the knife sank in.
“Dash…why…” Pinkie whispered when she realized what had happened.
“I told you *hic* to stay away...WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST STAY AWAY!?” Crazy Dash seemed almost as horrified as her counterpart.
Pinkie was still alive…Ghost-Rainbow began slamming her entire body into the door. “You…you…YOU HURT PINKIE PIE! GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU MONSTER! Wake up! Whatever your problem is, Pinkie hasn’t done anything yet! She just offered you cupcakes! GET AWAY! *hiccup* g-get away, please…”
Pinkie didn’t answer. Rainbow was worried she was losing consciousness. Still…maybe Pinkie would faint and her doppelganger would leave, screaming like a maniac or even come to her senses and get Pinkie some help…although, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was being impossibly optimistic, but she had to cling to some hope.
Then Rainbow heard something that made her blood run cold.
“N-no, she's my f-friend...I c-can't...I...I”
“What?” Rainbow just then realized what was going on. “YES! SHE IS YOUR FRIEND! FIGHT IT! DON’T LISTEN TO THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD! THEY ARE VERY BAD VOICES!” Rainbow was yelling herself hoarse.
(And anybody who adds “pun not intended” to that paragraph is a terrible person.)
“P-please...P-pinkie...run...just run...oh god, PLEASE don't make me do this!”
“LISTEN TO HER! Pinkie! You have to get away…if you have any energy left, you need to use the last of your strength to get away from that crazy BI-!”
Suddenly, Pinkie did just that. She shoved her hooves up against Crazy Dash, and pushed herself off the mare to roll backwards, shoulder still bleeding. When she stopped rolling, Pinkie just lay there.
Both Rainbow Dashes looked at Pinkie. Ghost Dash was feeling some precious relief, but knew they weren’t out of the woods yet. Pinkie needed medical attention.
Crazy Dash looked confused. Then, a look of anguish washed over her face. “Oh no. PINKIE! I’M SO SORRWwwwwy…..”
She stumbled forward, and landed on her side. An emptied syringe dropped out of her and landed on the floor.
As her consciousness left her, Crazy Dash looked up to meet Pinkie’s eyes across the way.
Pinkie smiled playfully, her shoulder not seeming to bother her at all.
“Now….you take a nap.” The pink baker said matter-of-factly.
And indeed, Crazy Dash did. The last words she uttered were “I was…sorry…”
Ghost Dash looked on horrified as Pinkie threw off her shirt, revealing a strange amalgam of an armored vest with strange liquid packs covering it. When she removed the Vest, she hauled the other Rainbow deeper into shop.
Rainbow didn’t know what to think now. Still, she followed Pinkie’s movements through the mostly curtained windows, and noticed as Pinkie drug Rainbow’s clone down to the basement, a look of pure excitement on her face.
“Pinkie?” Was all Rainbow could ask. She circled around the building, and went to a tiny half-window that was placed near the ground she remember seeing around Sugarcube corner before. It was covered with a curtain as well.
However… Dash could somehow see through the curtain.
The room had decorations Rainbow couldn’t, and didn’t want to, make out. However, she could very clearly see that Pinkie was strapping the other Rainbow to a rack of some kind. She locked the blue pony’s legs in braces, leaving her wings to hang free.
Then, she opened the pouch that was on her victim’s chest with way more ease than its owner had, and pulled out a vicious looking polished knife that made Ghost Dash’s stomach turn.
So THAT was what she was trying to find. Rainbow took a few minutes to take all this in, and had completely failed to notice when Pinkie had disappeared from her line of sight.
And also that the curtain had just vanished.
…the hell? Where’d Pinkie gOHMYGOSHSHELOOKEDRIGHTATMERUN!NO,WHATAMITHINKING?FLYAWAY!FLLLLLYYYY!
Indeed, Pinkie was staring right at Dash, her face separated by only a few inches of glass!
“AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!” Dash flew away, determined to get a head start away from Pinkie!
Darkie Pie giggled. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?” She told her unconscious and restrained captive. And she ran out the door.
This was going to be the FUNNEST game of hide and seek EVER. Even if her Pinkie Sense meant she was the undefeated champion and Dashie was the easiest pony to tail ever.
The Hunt. Was on. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 10 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-02-15T22:33:01+00:00 | 2012-02-15T22:33:01+00:00 | 4,203 | The Dark Side
A My Little Pony fanfic and “Cupcakes Pinkie” rebuttal by Lord Xaos.
Omake* files!
*-Omake are non-canon extras to a story. Basically, this is a joke chapter.
Pinkie Pie had no idea where she was. Or why these little critters where so glad to have a pony dead because Sugarcube corner had fallen on it. They burst into a happy little song about the gruesome event.
Actually, she'd like to know just where she got this blue dress and white apron.
“Ding dong, the Witch is dead! Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!”
Seriously, this was…okay this was catchy, but it was just morbid. Suddenly the singing stopped and was replaced by an awed cry.
“It’s Glinda! The Good Witch!” one of the munckin-ponies spoke up. And they all bowed. “Huh?” Pinkie turned around and saw….Zecora!
“Greetings to you, young filly of the pink hue.” The Zebra was standing there, wearing the frilliest costume ever. Applejack would’ve died just from gazing at something so frou-frou-ie.
“You are the one who destroyed the wicked Witch of the East?” Zecora inquired
“I didn’t mean to!” Pinkie protested. “I mean, its not like I planned to get swept away by a torna-“
“You did no harm, but rather service. The Witch was a most fearsome beast.” Zecora consoled her.
Before Pinkie could ask some much needed follow up questions, a mighty explosions accompanied by a red smoke cloud erupted in the middle of the crowd of Munchkin-ponies. And there stood, in a pointy black hat and a dress made of ponyskin-HERSELF!
Once the other Pinkie Pie was done sneering at the Munchkins, she trotted over to the legs of the pony Pinkie’s home had crushed. Pinkie turned to Zecora, recognizing this pony was quite obviously a Witch.
“Zecora, I thought you said she was dead…and also at least implied somewhere in there that she wasn’t me.”
“Glinda, dear. There is no Zecora who is near. That was her sister, Elista, the Wicked Witch of the East. This is Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She’s worse than the other one and not merciful in the least.” Zecora, I mean GLINDA Rhymed.
Elphie-Pie turned to Glindora and Pinkie and spoke in a menacing tone that was still undoubtedly Pinkie’s own voice. She read a story to the Cutie Mark Crusaders using that voice. “Who killed my sister? Who killed the Witch of the East!?” She turned to face Pinkie. “Was it you!?”
“No! It was an accident, I didn’t mean to kill anypony!” Pinkie pleaded helplessly while Zecora unhelpfully smiled behind her. Help me out here, you crazy bitch! Tell me, what in the world makes you a good witch?
…ARG! YOU HAVE ME THINKING IN RHYMES NOW! ...which isn’t really new, its how I come up with lyrics for my songs but whenever I talk to you, I feel like its eating what little is left of my brain!
“Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents, too!” Elphie-Pie menaced Pinkie. “I see you crushed poor Elista with a bakery. Well, my pretty, how’d you like to be the secret ingredient in a little cupcake recipe I’ve been working on?”
“Aren’t you forgetting the ruby slippers? Now that they pass to you, I would’ve thought you’d be quite chipper.” Glindora offered.
“The slippers.” Elphie-Pie whispered. “YES! The slippers” She returned to the dead body, and crouched down do retrieve the red shoes off the Elista’s hooves.
But then they disappeared. And Elista’s body withered under Sugarcube Corner inexplicably. Elphie-Pie immediately turned back to Glindora. “The Slippers! What have you done with them? Give them back to me or I’ll…”
“It’s too late for that. There they are and there they’ll stay.” Pinkie suddenly realized that her hooves were covered in the Ruby slippers. “You’ll never have them for all the rest of your days.”
“You give them to me, now!” Elphie-Pie demanded.
Pinkie immediately tried desperately to take the slippers off, but to no avail. Pinkie’s eyes went wide and she turned to Glindora. “WHAT?! OH MY LUNA, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? NOW SHE’S NEVER GOING TO LEAVE ME BE!”
“Don’t look so sadly. Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn’t want them so badly.” Zecora whispered conspiratorially into Pinkie’s ear. “I don’t care about tha-“ Pinkie tried to get a word in edgewise, but she was interrupted by her Witch-clone.
“You stay out of this, Glinda! Or I’ll fix you as well!” Elphie-Pie threatened.
Pinkie kept talking. Her mind was racing with complaints and clearly interrupting ponies was the only way to get any attention here. “And why would you just glue these shoes on my hooves? What if my feet get tired? What if I want to wash them or I clip a hoof? I mean DUH! I have a life outside your McGuff-hey!”
Glindora patted Pinkie on the head and giggled at Elphie-Pie. “Rubbish! You have no power here! Begone! I think I foresee another falling house landing on you in the near!”
Elphie-Pie flinched and looked to the sky.
“You should know, nothing’s going to fall. I would’ve gotten a twitchy tail…” Pinkie offered. Everypony ignored her, as usual.
“Very well!” Elphie-Pie stated. “I’ll bide my time.” She pointed a hoof at Pinkie “AND AS FOR YOU, my fine pretty….its true I can’t attend to you here and now as I’d like, but just try to stay out of my way. Just try!”
She smiled an evil smile. “I’ll get you get yet my pretty, and your little dog, too!” She cackled before disappearing in red smoke again.
Pinkie blinked. “Dog? Is she talking about Gum-“ She just noticed that by her side was Rainbow Dash! ….in a puppy suit.
“Arf. Arf. Arf.” Rainbow barked. I swear, I will MURDER whoever’s idea this was.
“Ah yes, you’re loyal dog Toto. But she’ll be just one of the compainions that you will know.” Glindora explained to the hopelessly confused pink filly.
“There will be the Scarecrow, who is in search of a brain. Be careful her stuffing doesn’t get torn out, for fixing her is quite a pain.” She motioned to a gray coated Pegasus with a blond mane and crossed eyes. Pinkie recognized her as Ditzy Doo, although she was wearing strange clothes with straw poking out of her.
“Life would be a ding a derry, if I only had a MUFFIN!” Ditzy sang merrily.
Zecora continued. “And next is this Tin Mare, who is a master of the magical art. She is in desperate need of a heart”
“Hey!” The Tin Mare complained. “The Great and Powerful Trixie resents what you’re implying there!”
Zecora ignored Trixie. “And finally, there is a Lion. It is for a source of courage she would be eyein’.”
“rar.” Fluttershy in a lion costume quietly stated.
Zecora finished up with. “And to return home, you must see the Wizard of Oz, of lives in the Emerald city at the end of the yellow brick road. As for me, I leave you now and return to my abode.”
And Zecora went away in a little pink bubble.
Pinkie just stood there. The munchkins had started another song, and her “companions” were cheering her one, calling her “Dorothy”, but she wasn’t listening.
Everypony....everypony here….was totally insane. She was thrust into a big scary, alien world where a witch (that looked like her) wanted to kill her to avenge her sister, and also where she, SHE, Pinkie Pie, was the only sane pony.
No amount of color and song in the universe could get her to ignore the forebodingly hopeless task in front of her. Her entire world went crumbling around her.
She could hardly breathe. She wanted to scream, wanted to berate, wanted to break down and cry. But she just couldn’t manage to do much of anything.
Then Lionshy tentatively asked her “Dorothy? A-are you alright?’
Pinkie looked at Lionshy, with horror etched onto her face. Her lips moved, but not even Pinkie herself could be certain what it was she wanted to say until she just went and said it.
“Oatmeal? Are you crazy?” And then Pinkie ran away into the wilderness, laughing like a maniac. Her last sane thought was her wondering who it was that was “playing” Elista.
Everypony just stared after her. All was quiet. Until a cough was heard under the house.
Elista-Dash’s voice came from under Sugarcube Corner. “Oh sure. Crush me under a house! You’ve already made me mess up not one, but two perfectly good offensives versus Pinkie Pie! One of which involved being choked by my own trophy! I swear, I get no respect around here!! No respect at all!”
Elphie-Pie:
AND NOPONY!
IN ALL OF OZ!
NO WIZARD THAT
THERE IS OR WAS
IS EVER GONNA
BRING. ME. DOWWWWWWWN!
What would Fluttershy’s Dark side be like?
Take 1:
Flutterlight: H-hello? Is anypony in there?
Flutterdark: *points obvious toy water gun at Flutterlight* "S-s-stop! Don't move or I w-w-will shoot!"
Flutterlight: AAAAHHHHH!! *Shakes*
Flutterdark: WAAAHH!!!! *drops gun to start trembling in place*
Flutterlight: Ah!
Flutterdark: Ah!
Flutterlight: Ah!
Flutterdark: Ah!
Applejack: *Rolling on the floor laughing.*
Rarity: *Has died from the absurd levels of Moe.*
Take 2:
Flutterdark *armed with same Water gun*: FREEZE! GIVE ME YOUR LUNCH MONEY OR I WILL SHOOT!
Flutterlight: AAH! O-okay...h-here’s five bits...its all I have on me! Just promise me you won't shoot!
Rarity: Ah! No!
Applejack: Sugar cube...you DO know that's just a water gun, right?
Rarity: I know! But I can’t let her ruin my mane!
Applejack: *rolls eyes* I'm not afraid of that!
Flutterdark: How brave of you to step forward! *points the gun at Applejack*
Flutterlight: NOOOO! APPLEJACK, DON'T BE A HERO! PLEASE, FORGIVE HER!
Flutterdark: The five bits I got from you are hardly enough to spare your life as well as that of your friends! But I shall show mercy this day! You better have even more next time!
*Flutterdark turns to leave. Fluttershy still trembling and Applejack just standing there, raising an eyebrow. Rarity gives a sigh of relief.*
Suddenly Flutterdark turns around and pumps the gun!
Flutterdark: Two FOR FLINCHING! *Squirt! Squirt!*
Applejack: WHAT THE HA-ACK! *Is squirted*
Rarity: AAAIIIIIEEEEEE! *Is also squirted*
Flutterlight: APPLEJACK! RARITY! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! YOU PROMISED YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE!
Flutterdark: AND LOTS AND LOTS FOR YOU! *Flies over Flutterlight, squirting her "lots and lots" ....which is technically only three squirts*
Flutterlight: AAAAAAHHH!!! *is soaked...lightly*
Flutterdark: *flies off, laughing manically...* "Oh Celestia...I was so *giggles a little as she speaks* ....naughty! I'm the greatest Evil Twin ever!"
Fluttershy just sits there, dripping wet and crying. Applejack, who has already shaken the water out of her coat, is trying hard to suppress a giggle. Rarity isn’t speaking, but staring daggers into the direction Flutterdark retreated.
Applejack: "Ah..ah..pss…um! Fluttershy? Darlin'? Are you all right?"
Fluttershy: "I....I...." *Still sobs, but she starts to break into the cutest frown ever* "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HER! SHE IS PURE EVIL!” *looks sad again* "I don't know if I can ever look at myself in the mirror again..." *frowns again, and stands up proud to make a declaration to the heavens* "BUT I CAN NEVER REST UNTIL EQUESTRIA IS RID OF THAT..THAT...DEMON!"
Take 3
Flutterdark: *small voice* grr.
Flutterlight: *eyes widen*
Flutterdark: grrrrrrr………..
Flutterlight: …..*chuckles* oh my. How scary!
Flutterdark: *cries*
Flutterlight: oh! I-I’m sorry. You’re very scary. Please don’t cry.
Flutterdark: Leave me alone! *runs off crying*
Flutterlight: Oh Fluttershy…why’d you have to be such a bully?
Pinkie Pie: You should be ashamed!
Take 4
Darkie Pie: *is baking cupcakes* Lalalalala lala!
Flutterlight: *Crashes through the door, gasping for breath*
Darkie Pie: Oh! ….you came back! ….Of your own free will.
Flutterlight: SHH! g-g…get the….
Darkie Pie: WHAT WAS THAT? I DIDN’T QUITE HEAR YOU! *Is tackled by Fluttershy, a hoof placed over her mouth*
Flutterlight: Get. The. Lights. Lock the door. QUICKLY! Before she gets here! Hurry! *flies around, turning off the lights faster than she’s ever done a task like this before*
Darkie Pie: *has already locked the door when nopony was looking* What’s gotten into you?
Flutterlight: HIDE! *ducks behind a chair*
Darkie Pie: wha? *look at the window*
Flutterlight: NOOOO! MORON! GET BACK BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
Darkie Pie: AAAAHH! *is now totally horrified*
Door: BANG! …..BANG! …..
Darkie Pie: *Grabs Flutterlight* What IS THAT? WHAT IS THAT?
Flutterlight: I-I told you to hide! *cries* There’s no place to run now!
Door: BANG! *hinges start to break*
Darkie Pie: …...*looks a Flutterlight*
Flutterlight: ……*looks at Darkie Pie*
Both: *Embrace each other, crying*
Door: *IS KNOCKED DOWN*
Dark Presence: *Enters house. Emits strange sparkly aura that lulls you to sleep*
Darkie Pie and Flutterlight: *Want to scream, but can’t find their voice*
Dark Presence: *in echo-y voice* Hush now, quiet now, its time to lay your sleepy head…
Darkie Pie and Flutterlight: *Just stare, transfixed*
Dark Presence: Hush now, quiet now its TIME TO GO TO BEEEEEEED
Whoever discovers the bodies: *Will NOT have a strong enough fortitude to avoid vomiting up their own lungs*
How this story COULD have gone.
Rainbow Dash: *sits up in bed, covered in cold sweat* AAAAHHHH!!! Huff….puff….*feels overself* Oh Celestia…my wings…my cutie marks…I’m whole. Its just a dream. Just a dream. *cries*
*later*
Bon-bon: So, what IS different about these cupcakes?
Pinkie: Oh, you silly filly! If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret ingredient!
Rainbow Dash: *shudders* Calm down, Rainbow. You KNOW Pinkie isn’t like that….right?
*later*
Rainbow: I have find out what’s in that basement! *goes into basement* There’s nothing here, but a map of Twilight’s treehouse! ….wait. *hears somepony coming*
Pinkie Pie: *enters room* Hmm..I could’ve sworn I heard somepony down here.
Rainbow Dash: *Hiding on ceiling, holding her breath, thinking to herself: I’m a ninjapony, I’m a ninjapony, I’m a ninjapony.*
Pinkie Pie: Oh well…I’m probably just getting paranoid. *looks at map* Tonight’s the night. Rarity and Applejack will be at Twilight’s for another one of their…sleepovers.
Rainbow: *thinking* Why is Pinkie so angry when she says sleepover? Is she jealous she wasn’t invited?
Pinkie: Maybe I should put this off for another…no. It has to be tonight. I’ll take care of all three of them at once! *leaves basement*
Rainbow: *looks horrified* Oh no…Twilight. Rarity. Applejack! ….I’ll be waiting for you there, Pinkie. And all four of us will put an end to your reign of terror!
*that night*
Rarity: Rainbow? Darling? Why are you hear? I didn’t think you liked Sleepovers.
Rainbow: um…We need to talk. Mind if I come in?
Rarity: Certainly.
Applejack: Thar are plenty of Smores here!
Twilight: Oh yes, Rainbow, you simply must try some!
Rainbow: Oh, thanks! *eats Smore*
*later*
Rainbow: So, you see girls, I believe that Pinkie is coming here, sneaking through a secret door in Twilight’s basement, and is planning to kill you and then she’ll feed you to other ponies as Cupcakes!
Twilight: I can’t believe this…but…alright. We’ll stay up and wait for her. You are SURE she didn’t see you?
Rainbow: I don’t think I’d be alive if she did. I still can’t believe it…but I don’t think this can be a coincidence!
*later*
Rainbow: I’ve got you now, Pinkie! Help me hold her down, everypony!
Pinkie: D-dashie? No, Dashie…not you, too! I was heartbroken when I learned about Twilight and the others but…but…you….WHY DASHIE, WHY?
Rainbow: WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT, YOU PSYCHOPATH? HOW DARE YOU TRY TO COOK YOUR FRIENDS INTO CUPCAKES?! OF COURSE I’M GOING TO STOP YOU!
Pinkie: *forelegs are grabbed by Twilight and Rarity* C-Cupcakes? Dashie, what ARE you talking about!? Twilight and the others have been grinding up ponies into-DASHIE WATCH OUT!
AJ: *Bonks Rainbow Dash on the head* “Ah reckon we should thank her when she comes too. She’s such a brave filly. Spying on you for us when she thought you would murder her and warning us all about you.”
Pinkie: No…No, Dashie, I’m sorry. I didn’t know who I could trust…but…now too late, I realize…I should’ve told you…I should’ve just had anypony there to watch my back. *looks up* But you…how can you do this? To your neighbors? To your friends? To…to…TO FLUTTERSHY? I just…don’t understand you at all!
Twilight: Fluttershy? Oh! That reminds me, we still have some strawberry flavoring left over!
Rarity: Oh…wonderful, darling! I can hardly wait! *cuddles against Pinkie Pie*
Applejack: I’ll get the machine warmed up as soon as I’m done with Rainbow….
Rainbow: Piiiinkkkiiee…..
Applejack: *SMACK!*
Pinkie: *gasps* RAINBOW!
Coming this fall, a horror film that will chill you to the very bones they will grind into marshmallows.
From the maker of the movie adaptation of “Cupcakes” and “Slendershy”, comes…
S’mores
Rainbow: *is tied up, crying, looking at a smore made with a melted pink Marshmallow.* W-what is that?
Twilight: Aw, Rainbow…you helped us get some more ingredients for more treats, so we thought that you should be the first to sample these. We made them Strawberry flavored.
Rainbow: Wha...? When did I help you get Marshmallow ingredients?
Rarity: Darling….don’t you know what goes into a marshmallow? Well….REAL marshmallows? Not that chemical rubbish you find in the stores?
Rainbow: “Real?” I don’t understand! And I don’t care! Tell me what you did to Pinkie Pie!
AJ, Rarity, and Twilight: *exchange knowing smiles and giggles*
Applejack: You really shouldn’t let her go to waste, Rainbow…It’d be downright disrespectful of you.
Rainbow: Wha….. *looks down at the Smore…and begins sobbing* No….no…..PINKIE! I’M SO SORRY! I’M SO SORRY I INTERFEMPH! *has Smore shoved into her face*
*trailer ends*
Rainbow Dash: *still crying*
Rainbow's Belly: *in Pinkie's voice* Um....actually...Rarity
All poines: GASP!
Rainbow's Belly: "Real Marshmallows" are made from the Marshmallow plant, AKA "Althaea officinalis". Gelatin made from bones was implemented in the creation of marshmallow in omnivorous societies that got a taste for the treats but had a surplus of bones and a lack of Marshmallow root, or were using it for uses like halva extract, medicine, mouthwash, root beer, and even just eating the root raw.
AJ: *looks agape at Rainbow's Belly*
Rarity: *gaze wonders from Rainbow to Twilight*
Twilight: *Doesn't take her eyes off Rainbow, but feels Rarity's gaze and Nods.*
Rainbow Dash: *has already fainted*
Rainbow's Belly: Um guys...? You need to get Rainbow to throw me up. Quickly. And you too.
AJ: W-why is that?
AJ's Belly: Because We....
Rarity's Belly: are combining....
Twilight's Belly: back together!
All ponies' tummies rumble violently......
Twilight: AAHHHHHHH!!!!!
Applejack: AAHHHHHHH!!!!!
Rarity: AAHHHHHHH!!!!!
Rainbow Dash: Gaaaargllee.....
*All explode....twice.*
Fluttershy's ghost: Um....has this ruined the Dark tone of the omake segment, or just replaced it with something else? |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 11 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-03-15T21:33:32+00:00 | 2012-03-15T21:33:32+00:00 | 3,651 | The Dark Side
A My little Pony Fanfic by Lord Xaos
Chapter 10
Rainbow could hardly think. Those eyes…what was wrong with Pinkie’s eyes?
No light…no light at all reflected off of them.
Just moments before, she had seen the unthinkable. While being apparently invisible, Dash watched as a copy of her had attempted to kill Pinkie Pie…and then, as her clone wept, Pinkie had suddenly sedated her, and revealed that she wasn’t harmed at all, thanks to a hidden armor vest/Blood packet suit. And then, after Pinkie strapped the doppelganger to a plank, Rainbow Dash was discovered!
Rainbow had flown away into the sky, trying to get away from those soulless eyes! She turned around to gaze at the bakery. No sooner had she done so then a Pink blur tore out of the door.
Rainbow was shaking…not really sure what to do. She could keep flying, but she had to land somewhere, sometime…and whenever she ran from Pinkie, that was usually the time that Pinkie appeared right beside her.
Wait! If I’m visible now, then I can just get the attention of some other ponies to be wit...ness...ses…what? WHERE ARE THEY?
“WHERE’D ALL THE OTHER PONIES GO!?” Dash Screamed. Indeed, the streets of the bizarre Ponyville where empty. And the Fog from the forest was back. Suddenly she remembered who was following her, and her eyes darted back to the ground.
“Rainbow….” Pinkie’s voice spoke hauntingly. “Rainbooooow….” She locked eyes with the pegasus. Rainbow didn’t like the look she was giving her. Like she was hungry.
Rainbow darted to hide above a nearby rooftop. She poked her head over the side.
“P-pinkie…” Rainbow stammered
“Rainbow…come here.” Pinkie motioned a hoof.
“I-I don’t want to!”
“Come down right this instant, young lady! Before you hurt yourself!” Pinkie spoke the motherly command with lots of playful intent, but no warmth or actual concern at all.
“No!” Rainbow shouted petulantly. Arrrg. Don’t respond like you’re her two-year old filly, moron! “What’s going on with your eyes!? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR FAAAAACEE?”
“I have cupcaaaakes…yummy, yummy cupcaaakes.” Pinkie offered in a sing-song voice.
These would be the same cupcakes that made “Crazy me” crazy?
“…NO! Crazy me didn’t want those cupcakes, and neither do I! What’d you do to them? Poison them?”
“Grr…is NO pony going to willingly try my baking today?” Pinkie mumbled to herself. “Guess I’ll have to make you eat one. They’re really good today!”
Pinkie let out a haunting giggle. It unnerved Dash.
Rainbow pointed at Pinkie “Look, you can’t get up here anyway, so you might as well just give up the other Rain-“
“UMPH!” Pinkie landed right next to Rainbow, whose eyes were wide with fear and astonishment. “Hi.” Pinkie moves her lips slowly, to over pronounce each syllable. “Daaa. Sssssshhheee!”
Rainbow stepped back. “No…h-how?!” Pinkie advanced, smiling confidently. “IS THERE NOTHING YOU CANNOT DO!?” Rainbow’s voice was raising, betraying all sorts of weakness. But she couldn’t help it.
“This game didn’t last very long. I’m disappointed, but I got a lot to do.” Pinkie mused. “Say, Dashie…would you like to help me?”
“h-help you? With what?” Dash’s ears had flopped behind her head, her voice was cracking.
“Help me make…cupcakes?”
“P-pinkie, you know I’m not that good at baking.” Dash could hear her own heavy breathing…she needed to calm down so she could fly…and to do that she needed to get away from this Pinkie and her creepy aura…and to do that she needed to calm do so she could fly.
“Don’t worry, Dash.” Pinkie smiled. “I’ll be doing most of the work. You just have to lie still.”
Rainbow’s rump bumped into something. She had been backed, no herded, into the wall of the neighboring building’s roof. Rainbow had already been crouching to just get further away from Pinkie, and now the Pink Mare towered over her.
“Don’t struggle.” Pinkie said.
Rainbow just shivered. Move. Move!
Pinkie leaned her head in behind Rainbow’s face, to where she could whisper (and breathe) into Rainbow’s ear.
“You belong to me.”
The words shot through Rainbow’s entire being. It was shocking, revolting, confusing, frightening, maddening, soul-crushing, the mess of emotions defied Rainbow’s ability to explain…but one awakened feeling rose to dominance.
“And you will keep quiet and look me in the eye”
Anger.
“Cos I want to fu-“
“RAARRRGG!” Rainbow bounded forward and HEAD BUTTED Pinkie.
“Ow!” Pinkie was knocked back.
Rainbow got unsteadily to her hooves and massaged the forehead she just used as a blunt instrument. She was still looking unsure, but had a definite fire glowing in her eyes.
“What was that? I belong to you?” Rainbow took flight “BELONG!?”
Pinkie was holding a hoof over her face. “Ow…my eyyyee…Dashie, you hurt me.”
“Serves you right! You tricked and chained up that other Rainbow, and now you’re trying to dominate me and do…whatever it is you’re planning to do!”
“….heh. But I already told you what we’re going to be doing. I sang it to you in your sleep.”
“Whaaaa?”
A haunting melody escaped Pinkie's lips.
"Well, here we are at last,
You always were a pleasure
Are wondering why you're in a vice?
Oh how we laughed and laughed
Except...you're not laughing?
What's the matter, Rainbow Dash?
Am I not being so nice?”
whaa…where did I hear this…song? Rainbow convulsed, her bravery leaving her as nightmare images flooded her mind.
“Why do they call it a Hacksaw? Hacking is what I was doing with the knife.”
Rainbow shook her head, as if trying to physically knock out the image of her battered wing, hacked tendons, and skinned flanks from her mind. “Wha…WHAT WAS THAT?”
“I’m busy still explaining, you silly filly! Let me give you the final verse. Ahe-he-hem.”
“You'll be baked into Cupcakes!
That's what I'm planning on.
I want you inside of me!
Oh, I'll feel sad when you're gone
Nopony will know you're gone
Oh we will soon be as one..."
Rainbow had a few more forgotten memories come through her, but they were less potent than last time. She got two very important pieces of information from what she left of her clarity of mind.
1-This Pinkie…planned to kill her and eat her. Both of her.
2-Pinkie was quietly but rapidly approaching while she sang, and Rainbow was not nearly as high as she needed to be, especially with Pinkie’s incredible Jumping skills.
Pinkie gave her best Dragon’s “RAAARRR!” as she leapt, Rainbow tried to ascend, but Pinkie successfully grabbed her hind legs.
“Get off! GET OFF!” Rainbow kicked her legs back and forth furiously, but she had nothing to brace against up in the sky.
Pinkie was starting to climb Rainbow like a ladder, but more distressing than that was the syringe she was holding in her mouth. Where’d she been hiding that?
In desperation, Rainbow flew at top speed towards the nearest roof at an angle that she hoped would hit Pinkie but not herself.
CRASH!
Pinkie made a squeaking noise and she released Dash’s legs just as some debris pelted Rainbow in that same moment, making her give out an audible “ouch!” and crash on top of the roof.
Rainbow took great gasps of breath and looked over herself…she didn’t think she got stuck.
Suddenly Rainbow had recalled a bit of advice Zecora told her:
“Although the Dark side and nightmares of the grove can be deceptive of whose they are,
Should you identify Pinkie Pie’s you must retreat and stay back very far.
For Pinkie Pie’s sake, as well as that of your own.
Think hard before Slaying Pinkie’s Dark Side, lest you endanger Pinkie Pie
Also, unlike your own shadow, Pinkie’s will rip your flesh and bone
Your nightmares must slowly break ALL of your spirit to win,
but other Shadows need only one killing blow and you will die.
This is why there will be no reinforcements, why only you will go in.”
uh…she said…”Something, something, something that rhymes with something, and only mess around with your own nightmare or Pinkie might die.” Shit.
With trepidation, Rainbow looked over at the rooftop. Not daring to call out.
Huh? I don’t see her anywhere
Indeed, she was nowhere to be found.
Dash ventured a further look at the wall of the building.
“RRRAAAAR!” A perfectly demonic Pinkie Pie came into view
“AAAAIIEEE!” Rainbow shrieked in horror as she leapt into the air and started flying again. Barely dodging Pinkie as she leapt at her from around
Sneaky, sneaky…Why haven’t I run away yet? I’m not even allowed to get violent.
…or am I? The other Dash…is this MY challenge?
“Dashie. Come. Here.” Pinkie ordered after she spat out the syringe. She was waving her hoof again. She was looking angry.
Am I…supposed to save the other Rainbow from this Pinkie?
”Dashie…are you spacing out on me again?”
…I don’t know. Zecora, why’d you have to be so vague? Its almost as if you were afraid of outright telling me “Everything in the Grove is just trying to trick you, grab the real Pinkie and avoid everything else.”
“RAAAAARRR!” A Pink Dragon made its displeasure known.
Rainbow’s heart hurt from the jolt of surprise. Her entire body ached from the sudden interruption…but she kept flying.
She looked down at Pinkie, heart still racing, but she frowned at Pinkie. And made a declaration.
“No.”
Pinkie stared back at her, then abruptly roared again. “RAAAARRR!”
Rainbow wasn’t falling for this crap anymore. “No!”
Blood was pumping in her veins. It was time to wrap this up. Rainbow could almost hear a power-up song playing in the background. She needed a theme song.
Pinkie took in a deep breath….
“NO! YOU CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND GIVE UP ON THAT STUPI-“
“RRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRR!”
Rainbow’s entire world shook. The roar echoed from all directions.
Dragons. Dragons everywhere. All around. Can’t get out.
Rainbow’s eyes dilated.
The Blood in her veins froze.
The Music stopped.
But worse of all…
Her wings immediately stopped flapping and with a whiplash sound, they retracted themselves and became all but glued to her body.
And Rainbow fell to earth with a thud.
Pinkie jumped off the roof and trotted to catch Dash off guard before she could get away.
Rainbow, after much twitching helplessly to try and warm up her muscles, rolled back onto her stomach as the syringe came down. Once again, she had just barely escaped. She leapt to her hooves when she was right-side up again.
Pinkie let out another Mighty Roar that no pony should be able to produce.
Rainbow ran. It was hard to move at first, but she ran all the same.
She fled into mist…on hoof.
Pinkie smiled. That’s more like it…Run, little Dashie. Run. Maybe I’ll have more fun chasing you after all.
Then…she examined the Syringe. It wasn’t quite as full as she remembered it. She smiled.
For about…I’m going to say…twenty minutes.
She began to hop after Rainbow. Both ponies disappeared into the mist.
Pinkie Pie (who was busy trying to stitch her tail back on by using the hindlegs she curled behind her body as she lay on the bed of the hospital facing a mirror…and in no way chasing Rainbow Dash. The one that was chasing Rainbow Dash had her tail intact, did we mention that? You have been keeping up with the story, haven’t you?) began to wonder about her circumstances.
Such as…where exactly was she? Why did none of the ponies here see you unless they wanted to kill you? And also OW! …Why had she thought this was a good idea?
Equestria Ponies, as opposed to Earth Ponies (er…PLANET EARTH Ponies, that is), had remarkably flexible legs, and even hooves that had the ability to wrap around items. Indeed, Ponyville was recorded to have been built by Earth ponies, and built by Earth Ponies it was! Pony legs and hooves couldn’t do everything a human hand could do…but at the same time they could actually do some things hands couldn’t do!
Doing the equivalent of bend your leg backwards or use your FEET to stitch something together for example.
And among these flexible ponies, Pinkie was in a class of her own.
And yet, despite all that, Pinkie had to admit that bending her legs back AND sewing your own flesh with her hind hooves was really, really hard. It didn’t help that she rarely used her BACK hooves for anything and had no medical training whatsoever.
“Sigh…Pin the Tail on the Pony isn’t very fun when it’s your tail.” Pinkie complained. Not whined, complained. It’s VERY important to keep that distinction clear should you ever have to deal with a certain prissy white unicorn. “And..grr…umph…ARRRG! AND THESE STUPID BANGS KEEP FALLING IN MY FACE!”
Okay, THAT was whining.
Half an hour ago, Pinkie had observed her wound. It actually wasn’t very deep, and she though she even saw some hair trying to grow back already. But it was humiliating to be going around tailless.
She had placed a bandage on top of her wound and it…it…Pinkie supposed she should’ve laughed it off. And it wasn’t like anypony around would notice it to be in a position to laugh at her but…
It was humiliating. It…it just was. That big, white “X” on her behind. Reminded her of some ragged, patched up, abandoned, stuffed toy. Actually, her entire body fit that description after her fight with Rainbow and her flight through the storm.
Her image in the mirror…okay, foal’s toys tend not to get bloody and bruised like she was, but…she didn’t recognize the pony looking back at her.
That was the problem.
The fallen bangs…she had no idea why, but her mane just didn’t seem to have any life to it whenever she was sad. The last time she wore her hair like this, she had falsely believed her friends had abandoned her and didn’t want to be with her anymore. Pinkie was glad to be proven wrong, but ever since that day, she had begun to equate that hairstyle with certain parts of her personality she didn’t like. Her bitterness, her distrust, unhappiness itself…and they were damned annoying in of themselves.
The rest of her body did not remind her of herself. The cuts, the bruises… And that hideous bandage was the worse of the lot. It did make her look broken. And although today had been terrible beyond words, she just couldn’t take looking so defeated. So, she tore it off (yelping with pain all the way as some of the hair had gotten mixed with the blood and the bandage) and decided to do something about her tail at least.
And even though none of the ponies at the hospital would help her, Pinkie found that she could easily take some medical supplies and attempt to fix her own tail. She tore the bandage off her wound.
But…it was clearly hopeless.
And yet, in giving up, Pinkie realized why it was that she wanted to look like herself again.
She was lonely. And she wanted her friends. She was worried that, if she let herself fall to pieces like that…she really would just become some other pony and no one would recognize her.
Ever since meeting her doppelganger and dying…she didn’t feel like Pinkie Pie anymore. She was looking more and more like….like….Pinkamena. From before she got her cutie mark…
Suddenly, Pinkie caught glimpse of it in the mirror…her cutie mark.
The three happy little balloons that represented her wish that everypony could share in the smiles and laughter she had ever since Dashie’s Rainboom erupted into her life. The thought alone brought a smile to her face. No matter what, Meanie Pie was never going to get them…ever again.
As soon as that quick little wave of happiness washed over her…something clicked in Pinkie’s mind.
What’s been happening to me? I mean…how much time have I wasted in here, worrying about my stupid looks when there could be a Sweetie Bell or even a Rainbow Dash in danger!
I was supposed to just get somepony’s attention, and see if they thought I needed immediate attention, and while they were at it, some other pony would get the towns’ attention to save Sweetie Bell from my …”Imposter”…and failing that, I was supposed to leave after checking to my wound. I was supposed to forget about my stupid tail.
But instead, I take one look at my appearance, and I’ve wasted 40 minutes in front of this mirror! Stupid, stupid Pinkie!
Stupid Pinkamina!
“But…” Pinkie said out loud, “I suppose I was worried not that they wouldn’t see me, but rather that they’d see another side of me. The side that yelled at all of them at the surprise party.
The side of me that called a bunch of inanimate objects my ‘real friends.’”
I’m just glad none of them ponies showed up!
Pinkie blinked. That sounded like it came from inside the empty hospital room.
“H-hello? Who said that?”
Not so bad? PUL-LEEZ! They’re a bunch of losers!
“Shut up.”
After the way they treated you? I’d say “losers” isn’t strong enough!
“Shut up! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!” Pinkie stomped her hooves as she railed against the darkness of her own mind.
If I were you, I wouldn’t speak to them ever again…
“SHUT! UP! STUPID! TURNIPS!” Pinkie continued screaming at the air around her “I ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH INNER DEMONS MANIFESTING INTO FLESH TO DEAL WITH HERE, I AM *NOT* PUTTING UP WITH ANYMORE!
“Oh come on” A voice from the mirror called.
Pinkie looked at the mirror.
A gloomy void of pitch black had covered the mirror, all except for Pinkie’s reflection. Pinkie’s reflection was in the form of a mare drained of all color, so that she appeared Gray and not Pink.
“Can’t you make room for just one more?” Grayamena Diane Pie spoke. The darkness of the mirror began to stretch out like tendrils of smoke into the real world…
“NOOOO!!!” Pinkie bucked a nearby cabinet at the mirror and broke it.
Hyperventilating, Pinkie stared at the ruins of the mirror. “Am I going crazy? Or…is this just normal for mirrors to do now?”
She ran out the door, not really sure where she was going (after all, she still had no idea where to find Sugarcube corner.) She ran through a very confused Nurse Tenderheart, who had come running and was wondering how in the world that mirror got broken.
Pinkie wasn’t sure if what she saw was even real or not…or if anything was real.
Rainbow Dash ran. She just ran. She ran so far away.
She couldn’t get away.
Come on…flap, you stupid wings! Flap!
Try as she might, her wings wouldn’t move. Her body was still chilled with fear. She was getting some blood pumping through her body, but her body still wasn’t moving right.
It wasn’t just fear. The fog that had covered Ponyville was freezing! It made her feel like her wings were actually sticking to her body. Was this what had happened to Fluttershy on the way up the Dragon’s mountain?
Rainbow had scoffed at that, and thought that Fluttershy was just causing trouble for Applejack when AJ had to take her around the mountain. But right now…
She’d take it back. She was stupid. Dragons are terrifying! And they are even worse when they are…
“RAAAARR!” Pinkie roared once more. It was her normal voice, but it still made Dash’s heart stop.
Especially when you factored in that she had somehow gotten in front of Rainbow. Again!
Dash swerved and tried to turn away from Pinkie’s path, and she darted forward as soon as righted herself once again. She was breathing heavily…she didn’t waste any time on screaming or talking.
Just run…run…ruuuunnnn…
Rainbow shook her head. Her vision was getting hazy again. It was hard to tell with all this fog, but…something was obviously wrong.
Rainbow couldn’t think straight. Rational thought escaped her entirely. She had become as a frightened animal…the wolves were coming for her.
But, Rainbow couldn’t run anymore…her legs were burning. So, she took her last stand. Using all the rest of her strength to put her back to a nearby wall…and dart her head around, waiting for Pinkie to come for her…
Where is she? Where is she coming from next?
Then something reached Dash’s ears.
A laugh.
It was a girlish little giggle, but it seemed to come from both everywhere and nowhere at once…where was she?
She wasn’t to right…at least, not as far as Dash could see in the fog.
She wasn’t coming from the left…
She wasn’t coming from in front…
And she definitely wasn’t coming from behind or below…those were blocked off.
Rainbow heard another giggle, and realized there was one direction she hadn’t looked yet.
She looked up.
“Ooooh! Very good!” A Pink smudge was there, clapping her hooves against the roof. “Bravo! Bravo! Dashie is smart!”
Whoa…is that…oh Celestia, why is my body so heavy…?
“Dashie! Catch meeee!” Pinkie jumped off the roof.
It wasn’t like Dash had a choice. She was completely shocked by this move AND her legs her locked out from standing in place.
“OOPH!” The two mares crashed to the ground.
Pinkie hopped off of Rainbow, and observed her victim.
Her victim had begun to curl into a little ball…shaking. But she was doing it verrrrry slowly…
“F-Fluttershy….help me….” Was all Rainbow could say as she gazed into the eyes of the Smiling Dragon looming over her.
“The sedative seems to be moving through your system pretty quickly. I guess you helped it spread into your blood stream by running so much, although it is kind of chilly out here, too.”
Pinkie smirked.
“You just curl up and go to sleep, Dashie. I’ll take you home. Just leave it all to your Auntie Pinkie Pie!” She bit Dash’s tail…and began dragging her away.
Rainbow, her vision fading, saw the wall she was standing against travel away from her as she was dragged through the dirt…
I don’t want her to take me away…help me…somepony…please? |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 12 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-12-04T00:33:56+00:00 | 2011-12-04T00:33:56+00:00 | 4,107 | (Sigh....I bring this chapter up as canon, I get people squealling. I take it down, replace it with another chapter, and people ask where it went. I put it back up, and give a BIG warning and everyone starts yapping about how I'm patting myself on the back for something that's "not so scary."
Let's just rename it and do a tiny tweak that makes it technically part of the original story. This is my final compromise. Seriously, stop bothering me about this.)
Before we begin, I have an announcement to make.
Like Chapters 4-6, this Chapter reenacts the events of Cupcakes. Although Pinkie’s experience with her own darkness lead her through the horrors of two out of four phases of the full torture from the fic (and one of those was skipped due to Pinkie’s lack of wings), it was done alongside Rainbow Dash desperately trying to break into the Grove, giving readers some hope. This isn’t QUITE going to be the case for the event chapter.
Considering my options, I have concluded that you, my loyal fans, have suffered enough.
In lue of reenacting the full horror of Cupcakes, I have decided to simply paraphrase the torture that are seen in this chapter. This still might not be enough to protect the most sensitive readers, but they can safely use the additional “Cliffnotes only” G-rated chapter I’ve uploaded along with this update.
This Cliff notes chapter will give you all the important plot information without any traumatizing scenes at all. So now, not only has this chapter been replaced its hardcore violence with vague references, but you don’t even need to read anything even vaguely referencing that.
I’ve also taken notice of how some have said the story is hard to follow in places. To clarify what’s going on, I’ve decided to write the chapter in such a way as it is obvious what every character, especially Dark Dash, is thinking and where it is she’s coming from. I was going to put off explanations for a later chapter and leave the audience in suspense, but….that might be causing undue stress to the readership.
Anyway, The cliff notes version of this chapter is completely safe for sensitive children all over the internet!
Just hit the back button and look for the Chapter titled- *IS SHOT WITH TRANQUILIZER DART OUT OF A BLOWGUN MADE FROM A HALLOWED OUT UNICORN HORN WEILDED BY A PINK EARTH PONY. The author collapses!*
“Whew! That was a close one!” *deletes G-rated cliff notes chapter* “Don’t worry everypony, I’m going to make sure that this chapter is lots and lots of Fun. Hey, where are all you going? I already locked the door you sillies!”
*Warning: the Back button to your internet browser has been wired to explode. There is no way out.*
“Ah-hem….Now, I KNOW you aren’t the kind of HeArTlEsS, mOnStEr ThAt WoUlD gO aNd AbAnDoN dAsHiE jUsT bEcAuSe ThInGs GoT a TeEnY tInY bIt ScArY, ArE yOu?”
“ARE YOU!?”
“…..Just kidding! Geez, you bronies need to lighten up. I mean, if I was going to do something, your room would already be filled with DeAdLy NeUrOtOxIn.”
“Kidding! My Neurotoxin isn’t deadly! It just gives you funny, funny dreams. See?” *motions over to unconscious author*
No… not the cockroaches…I’m sorry I broke your flowerpot…I’ll get you another one, I’ll eat less, I’ll do anything…just please…don’t lock me in there with the cockroaches…
“Well, Xaossie sounds like he’s having fun! Oh! I have an idea!”
*the pony squishes a cockroach, and sprinkles its remains in little shards all over the sleeping author’s hair and clothes*
“Now, on with the show!”
The Dark Side
A My Little Pony fanfic by some unconscious person.
Chapter 11
All was Darkness.
All was pitch black nothingness.
She slept a dreamless sleep. Not aware of anything in the world. If one were listening to her thoughts, they might be inclined to ponder, just from the silence, if she was dead.
A flicker of consciousness began to decipher the sensations it felt. Her back muscles were sore and uncomfortable, it is was probably this discomfort that caused her to awaken. She felt warm on top, but cold on bottom, like she had been wrapped on. She thought she smelled the scent of some kind of polish…wait….wait…what WERE all these strange, barely noticeable smells?
Also…why was her mouth starting to feel sore?
She felt something huge and rubbery in her mouth, and she tried to spit it out, but all she wound up doing was drooling on herself.
Then, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.
In a dark room, there was the oddest thing lying on top of a nearby table. It looked like a some kind of arts and crafts project. It was painted some sort of pastel color, its shape slightly triangular, a pointy end facing Dash. It had round indentions that reminded her of… eye sockets!
It was a skull…a griffin skull.
Gaping at the sight, Rainbow suddenly noticed that she was standing vertically, which probably explained where her neck was so sore. As she tried to move, she realized that she was restrained in something. Her wings and forelegs were wrapped up in a straightjacket. Additionally, her entire body was tied up to something heavy. She had been gagged.
Rainbow suddenly remembered. What she was doing. Who brought her here.
She looked to her left, where the only light in the room was coming from. There were the faintest blue rays reflecting off the midday sky, out of a window that was covered with a heavy curtain. The blue rays shot from only the top half of the concealed window, implying that where Rainbow was, she was partially underground. This notion in of itself didn’t sit well with Rainbow, who thrived in the freedom of the sky.
And speaking of things not sitting well with her….she was noticing more skulls. Pony skulls, wearing party hats. But something was…odd about the texture of those hats. They seemed…smooth, but rugged at the same time. Rainbow couldn’t really describe it. And that one with the really poofy, reddish material around it was weirding her out.
And something about those balloons and streamers decorating the dark room smelled funny, as well. But…it blended in with the smell of chemical cleaners and polish that permeated from every other corner of the basement.
Suddenly upon hearing breathing in the room, Rainbow turned to the right instead, so fast she nearly threw her neck out.
In the dark room, lying like some kind of forgotten toy, was…herself. Or rather her other self. The other Rainbow Dash. Other Rainbow had leather straps tying her legs to the rack she saw before, and iron braces and other bindings in key places around her legs and chest to hold her even stiller in place. She was still unconscious, oblivious to her predicament.
Suddenly, Rainbow felt a little bit better about being stuck in “just” a straightjacket. But then again, the other Rainbow’s wings were free, while HER wings were getting cramped under the jacket. They weren’t even lodged at her sides properly. And the other Rainbow could still talk.
Yeah…talk. Maybe if she woke up, she could at least explain what’s going on, maybe even had some ideas on how we could escape. In any case, she isn’t doing much good being unconscious…
Rainbow began making “psst!” noises. This…wasn’t very effective due to the gag. So, she tried wiggling in the trolley she was tied to. Suddenly, Rainbow had an out-of-balance experience and she threw her weight back the other direction of the imminent fall instinctively
This produced a very unfortunately loud CLANK.
The Shackled Rainbow woke up with a start. Gagged Rainbow was still stunned by the noise, and didn’t make any movements or sound. The Other Rainbow looked around the room, her eyes seeming to have trouble adjusting to the darkness.
And then…her eyes shrank into little dots. And she let out a terrific scream.
Dash’s ears were ringing from the awful noise her doppelganger made, and she couldn’t hear herself think. As if her ears weren’t in enough pain, a bright light suddenly came on, blinding Rainbow.
When the spots cleared from her eyes, she had a much better look at the room.
The tiny pony skulls on the table where of foals, wearing hats made from their own skin. The one hat with the fizzy material she couldn’t identify from before she now recognized as being made from the skin of Apple Bloom’s classmate, Twist. The Balloon and Streamers were made from Organs. The Heart-Shaped Balloons were made from real hearts. The Tables where made from Pony bones.
There was a leather banner with the words “Life is a Party” written on it. In blood.
But, the most horrifying thing in the room were the words escaping from the maniac pegasus’ lips
“No! Noooo! I was right! The dreams going to happen all over again! She’s going to cut me again! Torture me and tear me apart and eat my flesh! The nightmare is happening for real! I should’ve never trusted her! How’d she survive without being too hurt to tie me up? I should’ve gone for a vital spot first, not the stupid shoulder!”
Crazy Dash rambled on and on…oblivious to anything else in the room. Was Rainbow still invisible to her?
While Crazy Dash kept wigging out, Rainbow suddenly heard another voice as a strange, six-winged form stepped into the room:
“Whoa, that’s a full Rainbow...All the way…”
It was Pinkie. She was singing. She covered her eyes with her hooves, but separated the toes of her hooves to let just the images of both Rainbow Dashes slip through.
“Double Rainbow…Oh my God!
She was wearing the most awful dress ever. It was emblazoned with cutie marks, decorated with Pegasi wings (each from a different Pegasus,) and there was a necklace of what looked like severed unicorn horns. It was gaudy and bright, but that just served as a reminder of the fact that it was a patchwork of the bodies of ponies.
It’s a double rainbow all the way. Damn.
It’s a double Rainbow all the way. Damn. Oh my God!”
Pinkie stopped mid song and giggled…but the giggles gave way to some kind of compulsive shudder that vibrated through her entire body, like she was being wracked by adrenaline...which climaxed in the form of a declaration of intent she almost shrieked so much as a said.
“Eeeeeee…..Gotta make them dance!”
She grabbed the Rainbow who was shackled to the rack (Aka “Crazy” Dash) and tilted her body from side-to-side forcefully. As if to get her arms to sway in the air, which, naturally, wasn’t going to happen because they where locked in place.
“Double Rainbow, All the way!
Cross the sky!
Yeah! Yeah!”
Pinkie held her head in her hooves while standing up in the middle of the room as she sang:
“So Intense!”
She spun Gagged Rainbow’s trolley around...She let out unintelligible noises as she spun and eventually fell face first on the ground, but Pinkie just keep singing.
“Double Rainbow, All the way!
Cross the sky!
Waa! Waa! Oh my God!
Lookit that Rainbow!”
It was at this point that the Other Rainbow had been shaken back to reality from the manhandling, and Pinkie had grabbed her head, and forced her to stare straight at the Rainbow who was muzzled.
Rainbow Dash looked shocked.
“WHO IS THAT!?” The Other Rainbow manage to speak up while Pinkie was holding her lips apart, forcing her to grin.
Pinkie immediately dropped the song. "Whacha say, Dashie? Oh right, her. She's Nopony. Just someone who eavesdropped. She’s a naughty, naughty little pony…" Dark Pinkie shook her head in disappointment.
(While “Nopony” is the most soul-crushing thing for our beloved Light-side Rainbow Dash, considering her personality…one might be inclined to grant one of these two Pegasi a distinguishing nickname of some sort. Thus, the “real” Rainbow shall be called “Nopony.” And call the other one…just ”Rainbow Dash” or something.)
"She's....me." Rainbow Dash gaped in astonishment.
"Nah. I see the resemblance, but she's an Earth pony! No wings at all!" Pinkie motioned to Nopony’s jacket-covered sides while setting her back up.
Nopony squirmed once more, trying to get her wings free...it was awfully cramped in that jacket of hers. But indeed, there were so many bulky straps holding her in place that no outside observer could tell she presently, or ever, had wings. Thanks for reminding me, Pinkie.
“Still though, it’s pretty incredible that you both have rainbow manes!” Dash recoiled as Pinkie grabbed her mane and sniffed it and gave out a contented “Aaahh…”
She got close to Dash’s ear and whispered a muted “raaaar…”
Dash was deciding all this attention was decidedly negative, and squirmed. Her forelegs were crossed over her chest in such a way that she was cradling herself as if she was hiding her shame. (Which was funny since Ponies’ mammary glands were lower on the body then where Dash’s forelegs were crossed under the straitjacket)
Rainbow Dash seemed to have lost interest. She was looking at something else. “G-gilda?”
Rainbow had to take a long in the direction as her counterpart, and eyed the griffin skull from before. In the light, she saw that it was painted yellow and blue. Just as Pinkie grabbed the skull, and did an impression of the brash griffin:
“Hey Dash, let’s hang out together! These ponies are lameos! Dweebs, dweebs, dweebs! Hey! I’d race you to that cloud over there, but we both seem a little…immobile at the moment.” Pinkie giggled. Nopony stared in horror, but the shackled one narrowed her eyes.
“No…I thought for one moment I was wrong. But no…I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!”
“I’m a griffin, duh. You’re weirding me out here, Dash.”
“NOT…” Rainbow Dash glared at the griffon skull, but softened. “Not you…Gilda.” She then turned to Pinkie “YOU!”
“The point still stands, Dash. You’ve been acting weird for days now. I thought I’d make you some nice cupcakes and play with you. See if I couldn’t turn that grumpy frown upside down.” Pinkie said, flipping her frowning face upside down as she wound down her observation. “What’s that all about, huh?”
Rainbow Dash looked down, and saw her leather pouch. Something seemed to flicker in her eyes. Then, she took a moment, as if deciding how best to phrase something. “You really want to know…? Come closer, and I’ll tell you.”
“Ooooh, I love secrets! Tell me, tell me!” Pinkie bounced over.
Something had caused Nopony to start desperately yelling unintelligible words, and unleash a torrent of drool from her mouth. But Rainbow Dash glared at her to be silent.
This seemed to just make the gagged pegasus if anything, more anxious to say whatever it is she couldn’t say.
Pinkie moved until she was a small distance away from Rainbow Dash’s face, placing a hoof behind her ear so she could hear.
Her captive stretch her neck forward….
Her other captive continued to fidget and holler in a warning manner. She had long forgotten the issue about if anything here was real or not.
Her captive mumbled something
Pinkie leaned in further.
At this, the captive’s head dove into her leather pouch and this time, she opened it and began to frantically search for something! Wait...where was it?
Suddenly, she felt something cut into her, causing her head to rocket back out of the pouch. “Oh, were you looking for this?” Pinkie asked as she cut her victim’s flank with her own knife. “It’s really pretty, Dashie. Its so shiny!”
Nopony wept. She tried to warn her.
“How? How’d you get that?”
“Aww…I suppose it WAS mean of me to leave the empty pouch with you, just so you could be disappointed. But you should know Dash, you aren’t the only one who likes toys like that little pouch of yours! I have one myself! You were just sooo interested in that pouch, I knew it must’ve been something bad. I might’ve been nervous if I wasn’t wearing my armored shirt….hey! I’m all done!” Pinkie held up the severed cutie mark. “This thing cuts like magic! But…
“No…don’t…do this…I’m not cupcake ingredients…I’m your friend!” Rainbow Dash wept.
This stopped Pinkie. “Hey…I don’t think I even mentioned that yet. How rude of me! I didn’t actually ask you yet. Though…I suppose I got a little confused what with there being “two” of you and all.” She eyed her gagged Captive.
“Nightmares prevented me from sleeping…I foresaw what you’d do to me…made me tired all the time...made me stab you…I was sorry…Pinkie...I was sorry!”
Nightmares? About this monst-AAH! Nopony’s train of thought was derailed by LOUD NOISES.
“SORRY? SORRY? YOU STABBED ME! YOU BROKE MY HEART-” Pinkie yelled, her face full of unbridled fury. Nopony shuddered as she thought about what it meant for the ‘Pink Dragon’ to be this personally angry at you.….but then, on the word “Heart” Pinkie laughed like a hyena, slamming her hoof on the ground repeatedly. “Oh Celestia…I’m just joshing you. I figured out what was going on with that pouch a while ago, even saw you playing with that knife around town. Betcha didn’t know I was there, didya, didya?”
The captive pegasi just gaped at her.
“But then I got to thinking ‘what would Dashie be doing with a knife all of a sudden?’ I mean, each and everyone of my earlier guests had a believable scapegoat for their disappearances. I’m always very careful. So...why?
I believe you just said you had Nightmares? Well, so did I! I had one, however. Oh, it was the saddest dream I ever had!” Pinkie looked genuinely sad. “I died, but the dream continued. You were so very sad about what you had done-you flew away, covered in blood, singing and laughing but it was all so sad. Like kind of a….SADPLOSION!”
“So I decided to armor up when you number came up the next day. And now you should be happy Dashie!”
“H-happy?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yes! You didn’t hurt me AND you’ve been proven right! You don’t have to go all emo and be like ‘I almost killed Pinkie Pie for no reason, I must be going crazy’. Aren’t you happy? Isn’t this great!?” Pinkie smiled. “No we can be as one AND you don’t have to have a Sadplosion cause you to Rocket to Insanity, Dashie!”
“Now…let’s get to work on your other flank. I think I’ll use my normal tools. You’re knife cuts a little too well for my tastes.” Pinkie giggled.
Nopony lost all sense of time from bearing witness to the horror that followed. It felt but like time had been scrunched together.
Rainbow Dash started begging Pinkie Pie to stop, but she went and got her scalpel anyway and started to cut a circular slice around the flank very carefully and slowly, causing Rainbow Dash to scream. Now crying, (and with Nopony having joined in) Rainbow Dash just grit her teeth as Pinkie cut the skin from the muscle with her curved carving knife. Pinkie waved the Cutie marks for both Rainbow Dash and Nopony to see. Rainbow Dash actually seemed numb, like she was trying to not give Pinkie the satisfaction…or maybe the pain was tearing at her ability to feel emotions at all. Nopony sobbed for the both of them. Pinkie got out Dash’s knife. She was looking at Dash’s wings now. Rainbow Dash, who hadn’t responded to the cutie marks, suddenly betrayed some weakness, with her quivering lip.
Pinkie nodded.
Oh no. Nopony figured out what was going to happen next. She shouted out more unintelligible protests. You already took her cutie marks! You can’t take those! I…she… we can’t live without…without...
With terrible playfulness in the smile on her face, Pinkie bit Dash’s left wing, and stretched it out. She swung the polished, decorated, bloodstained knife through the air as if in slow motion….and struck Rainbow Dash’s wing.
“AAAUUUUGGGHHH!” Rainbow Dash screamed as her wing was hacked repeatedly with her own knife. “Dash, if you keep squirming, I keep missing.” She was struck again and again…Dash’s screams betraying terrible pain. It was only after a while that Pinkie gave up and fetched a hacksaw, which cut the wing off with much more efficiency. Although it caused Rainbow Dash to vomit. She cut off the left wing, and then worked on the right wing. It was going smoothly but…
Pinkie smirked as she grabbed the halfway sawed-off wing. “Hey, Dash, think fa-!”
“DON’T YOU DARE DO IT!” Rainbow Dash all but howled in terror.
Don’t you dare do what? Don’t you dare do WHAT!? WHAT IS SHE PLANNING? Nopony’s eyes widened in terrific fright, trying to simultaneously brace herself for anything, but also stop her wild imagination from coming up with more and more horrible hypotheses!
“WHEEEEeEeeeeeeee!” Pinkie squealed as she broke off the Other Dash’s wing with her hooves and tore off a strip of flesh down Rainbow Dash’s back along with it! The horrible screaming fell just short of successfully drowning out the sickening ripping sound.
Nopony screamed…or tried to, but somehow that had turned into her throwing up in her own mouth again. Oh Sweet Luna! …it went up my nostrils! I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another apple again for as long as I live after this!
Rainbow Dash had passed out. Pinkie seemed to fume “Hmmph! Rude ponies are always going to sleep on me!” Rainbow couldn’t tell because her eyes were blurry from crying, but after blinking a lot, she realized what Pinkie was doing.
Without any resistance from the shackled, pain-riddled pegasus, Pinkie took Dash’s knife a cut off a bit of the meat off of her hip. Nopony shut her eyes and looked away, recoiling from the utter vileness of the sight, but she could not shut out the nauseating smacking sound that followed. Rainbow Dash was down for the count and didn’t seem to notice any of this.
Stop that…stop that! Nopony didn’t try speaking but she let out a muffled sob.
Then, Pinkie grabbed a syringe and stuck it into her victim’s chest. Nopony didn’t flinch. Which surprised her, she always hated getting shots, and even watching other ponies get shots. She was absolutely the worse pony to have in the same room when a young child was getting stuck from the looks on her face she gave.
And now, no reaction at all. It said something about how her perceptive on what was and wasn’t tolerable had changed over the short period time she had been watching this torture.
Rainbow Dash awoke with a start.
In a huff, Pinkie started talking “Didn’t anypony teach you any manners-?“
As if realizing something, Rainbow clasped her teeth shut. With a lightning-fast motion, Pinkie had the bit of meat right up against her face. “Come on Dash, at least say something. Is that a yes? No? Needs a little hot sauce? It’s a yes, isn’t it? Well, come on then, Dash, eat it. Eat it! EAT IT! EAAAT IT! HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Nopony was drooling over herself again, making the noise “UFFID! Ughibl ussghind! Ghli ughuh ugd id!”
“Fine. But it is bad manners you know.” Pinkie said as she ate the rest of her… “sample.”
“I didn’t heat any nails today…”
“W-w-what?”
“Yep! We’re skipping that step!”
“….” Rainbow Dash seemed torn somehow. She seemed…kind of resigned….relieved?
“Oh Dashie, I got something new instead of that!” Pinkie chirped merrily. She rolled the rack Rainbow Dash was on back, and She got out what looked to be a…video projector? After a few moments of setting it up, she turned it on, and projected an image unto the ceiling.
Rainbow Dash cried. She just broke down crying and wailing.
Nopony felt her heart break in two as she wept more quietly.
“Aw…you ponies are silly! It’s just a pretty picture of the sky.”
Indeed it was. It was a movie of the vast, endless sky. The sky that Nopony knew would do nothing but remind Rainbow Dash of what she lost. The clouds floated by as if part of a beautiful song of freedom.
“Oh look! There’s little birdies in the sky! Look at them flying, Dashie! Look how much fun they are having! And, oh my, those are Pegasi! Do you know what Pegasi are, Dashie? What’s that? You ARE one? Where’re your wings then, you silly filly?”
Rainbow Dash just sobbed. “I h-hate you, Pinkie. I really, *hic!* really, fucking *hic* hate you.”
“Geez! Some gratitude! And after all that work I went through to give you something pretty to look at too! I know you don’t like my jokes, so…while I harvest…”
Pinkie stuck another needle into Rainbow Dash.
“You can just look at the pretty sky.”
Nopony made a quizzical noise.
“I’m getting around to explaining, geez! I’m going to numb Dashie from the chest down, so she can watch the harvest. But if she doesn’t like that very much, she can go back to watching the beautiful movie.”
What followed was something of a blur for Nopony. It involved her repeated screaming “UFFID! UFFID! UFFID!” and Pinkie telling her to “Pipe Down, some of us are trying to watch the movie-slash-operate here!” and at one point “Oh, hey! Look! Awwww…its cute little filly Dashie! This was the day you got your cutie mark! You know…this thing? That I’m waving? Geez, I think you still are a baby Dash, from all this crying you do…” and also when Pinkie was removing another organ… “Hey Dash, I know you don’t like my jokes, but I just have to say that this Appendix is terrible! I can’t find the page I want to read at all! Get it? Huh? Huh? Bah, you’re no fun…”
And one time she whispered in Nopony’s ear. “You know…you’re not going to get to see the sky ever again either…OH, LOOK!”
Pinkie stared up at the "sky", where there were none other than the Wonderbolts.
....I'll kill her. Nopony just couldn't help that thought. She just couldn't.
"Its the Wonderbolts! Aren't they totally awesome Dashie? Oh hey...that's right, you wanted to fly with them, didn't you?"
Fresh tears streamed down Rainbow Dash's face...her sobs and whimpers tore at Nopony's heart.
Around the time Rainbow Dash closed her eyes for the last time Pinkie was looking up at the projection on the ceiling and asking “Isn’t the Sunset beautiful, Dashie?”
Then she was gone.
Nopony wasn’t certain when the the gag was removed from her mouth, but at one point, her constant stream of “UFFID’s” turned into proper “Stoppit’s”.
“Stoppit…Stoppit…*sob*…Stoppppiiiiiit…” This Rainbow Dash had cried herself dry.
“I did. Its over. And I want your opinion. What was your favorite part.” Pinkie said.
Rainbow just stared at her. Trying not to look at the dead Rainbow.
She was genuinely trying to say something else. Something along the lines of “you’re a monster” or “How could you” or “You’re not Pinkie…”
But all she could say was another “Stop it.”
“Oh come on! ‘Stop it’ wasn’t a thing I did! You don’t have to worry, you know. You’re number only came up once, after all. You’re safe. For now. Anyway, I mocked her with Gilda, I cut off her wings and cutie marks….”
“Stop it.”
“Or how about the time that I showed her the sky after tearing off her wings and she was like ‘I’m grounded! This is bogus, man…’ Oh wait. She didn’t act like a petulant teenager, she just looked like every inch of her heart was shredded into fine powder! Silly me!”
Rainbow, her mind filled with memories of the past hour, suddenly rolled her eyes up into the head and fainted.
When Dash came to, the other Dash’s body had been removed.
She couldn’t tell off the top of her head how much time had passed. She had just sat there in silence, trying in vain to forget what she had just seen. And to not worry about what was going to happen to her now. Or what has happened to…other hers.
Pinkie was there, with a plate full of unassuming, vanilla icing cupcakes.
“You’ve been out so long, I thought your poor, famished, little tummy could use some food! And lucky you, I just made cupcakes!”
The same Cupcakes she drugged to knocked out her prey? …Actually, being unconscious right now doesn’t sound so bad, all things considering…
“You seem to be under the impression I’m giving you a choice here, Dash.” Pinkie said, and shoved a cupcake into Dash’s mouth.
“Umph! Hay…ow! I caf chew of myff ownph!” Rainbow protested as Pinkie tried to force her to chew.
Rainbow eventually swallowed. She had to admit the cupcake tasted good.
A dangerous smile broke across Pinkie’s face. “So what do you think? Does it taste like Rainbows?”
Rainbow blinked. What did that have to do…?
Pinkie winked.
Rainbow got it.
…BUT. I. YOUMEAN.ALLTHAT.AND WHATIWASTASTING- WHATHAVEIDONE?GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT!
CAN’TBREATHECAN’TBREATHE…can’t…breathe…
Rainbow passed out again.
Pinkie decided to inject Rainbow with a needle. Rainbow didn’t wake up.
Nor had the Baker pony expected her too.
She grabbed a scalpel in her mouth…and began to remove Rainbow’s straight jacket and other bonds.
Her explanation, coming to a close, the Plan replayed itself once more in Shadamena's dark mind. It was going to be sooooo wonderfully horrible! She couldn't kill Rainbow Dash outright, but this was going to be fun....so much fun.
"So, Shadash, all you need to do is just lie still and act out your part!"
"..........you're disgusting."
"I KNOW!" the shadowy baker squealed.
Post-Chapter Follow up: Ugh…I can’t believe we did the whole thing. This chapter was a horrible ordeal, but I’m glad its done. I’ve been trying since Thursday to get this chapter done earlier…it didn’t work out that way. It wasn’t writer’s block per se, I knew the general arc of the story, it just took a while to write this stuff.
Now, I would promise to have the next one ready by Friday, but I’m afraid that due to a certain cockroach-related incident, I’m going to be simultaneously taking a shower AND undergoing therapy for the next 100 years. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 13 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-11-10T11:04:47+00:00 | 2011-11-10T11:04:47+00:00 | 3,919 | The Dark Side
Omake files, part 2
This is not part of the story, these are non-cannon Extras
Warning: this Omake contains copious amounts of SHIPPING as well as TROLLESTIA. Might include some naughty references.
Cupcakes meets Misery
Pinkie: Now…you take a nap!
Rainbow: Actually, I switched the glasses.
Pinkie: ….huh? What are you zzzzzzzzz…..*faints*
*later*
Pinkie: *Wakes up in a strange bed, finds legs have been broken, Rainbow grinning over her with adoring eyes*
"Huh."
Rainbow: *blinks* "You're taking this...better than I thought you would."
Pinkie: "Um...eheheh. *grins* I just find it ironic is all."
Rainbow: "How so? Oh...you mean the baking my meat into cupcakes thing?"
Pinkie: *eyes dilate in realization* "...what are you going to do to me?"
Rainbow: "..." *steps forward*
Pinkie: *shrinks back, but her broken legs ache as she moves* "Ouch! D-dashie, please...I-I..."
Rainbow: *smooch*
RD and PP: *exchange looks*
Rainbow: "They already know. I'm afraid the very first thing they're going to do when they discover you've gone missing is look under the basement." *smiles* "It’s okay, Pinkie. They'll never find you here."
Pinkie: "Where are we, Dashie?"
Rainbow: "Somewhere were we can be together....I've actually been hiding some shameful feelings about you, Pinkie...but now that you need me, they are feelings I'm not ashamed off anymore. Because they are right. I have to protect you-" *eyes get creepy* "For. ev. errrrr...."
Pinkie: "…Why isn't my knee pinchy?"
Rainbow: "Is your back itchy?"
Pinkie: "Um..."
Rainbow: "Because you see...I'm not going to eat you, but that doesn't mean I don't want a taste."
Pinkie: *Blushes, flails her forelegs at Dash, but then, her eyes widen* "ooo..oooh, D-d-dashie.....hey, gimme your wing!" *licks thin, sensitive flesh that lies between feathers*
Rainbow: "Eee! S-stoppit Pinkie, that tickles!"
*much later…..*
Rainbow: "Isn't the sunset beautiful, Pinkie?"
Pinkie: "Dashie?"
Rainbow: "Yes?"
Pinkie: "....I want a pony."
Rainbow: "D'awww......" *ruffles Pinkie’s mane*
Pinkie: "No, I mean, like, for Cupcakes."
Rainbow: "I heard you the first time."
Pinkie: "Humph!” *crosses forelegs and pouts*
Pinkie reads Cupcakes
(And Trollestia finally gets it!)
Inspired by a certain fancomic:
(http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=Pinkie+reads+cupcakes#/d41bb5n)
It was a Happy, Sunny day in Ponyville.
Pinkie was bouncing along, thinking about what kind of party she was going to throw next. Somepony might wonder how Pinkie keeps finding the energy to celebrate…or even where she keeps finding new things to celebrate. It wasn’t everyday that a new pony come to town, after all. After all, Pinkie had a “Hooray! Winter-Wrap up was on time!” party immediately followed by a “Spring has Sprung” party.
One might wonder how she manages to keep coming up with names or occasions for parties, at least.
I’ve barely scratched the surface, foolish mortals! I, Pinkie Pie, will never let an opportunity for cheer and merriment escape my scrutinizing eyes! I might throw a party just over today being a relentlessly normal day if it comes down to it! Yay, Status Quo Appreciation Day party! Go, SQAD! Hee hee, “Sqad”. I made a funny word! See, I made myself laugh just by walking down the street! I’m UNSTOPPABLE, YOU FOALS! UNSTOPPABLE!”
Pinkie let out maniacal laugh as she skipped down the street, startling onlookers around the park before they all rolled their eyes realizing she was just being Pinkie Pie.
(Lyra, however, shot up from her unnatural position on the bench and lost her balance trying to sit straight up, and fell out the bench, somehow landing horn-first on the ground. She was alright, but an upside down and very surprised Bon Bon was going from looking up at her and she couldn’t figure out why.
She was somehow being perfectly supported by her tiny horn, having been driven more than ¾ of its length down into the ground. Surprisingly sturdy, those unicorn horns.)
Pinkie thought she heard girlish giggling coming from somewhere far off, but she was having too much fun bouncing down the street. But she was too busy bouncing down the street and seeing a notepad lying on the ground labeled “Cupcakes” out of the corner of her eye to-hey, wait a sec.
“Whoa!”
Pinkie found herself landing face first in the dirt. She had been distracted, and landed wrong. Rising back to her feet, she turned around and examind the notebook.
“Ooooh! <3 Does that say CUPCAKES? I LOVE cupcakes!” Pinkie squealed.
Unaware of the malevolent forces snickering as they left the premises, Pinkie opened the book and began reading. To her astonishment, it was starring Rainbow Dash!
That should’ve been her first warning sign, but Pinkie simply couldn’t help but get excited of the prospect to be reading a story about her friends and it somehow involving Cupcakes too!
This was going to be the best story ever…
……..
……..
*20 minutes later*
“Pinkie Pie, what gives?” Rainbow Dash grunted. “You’re freaking me out here! Stop hugging me so tight!”
Pinkie was holding Dash close to her body with her eyes stark and wide and full of tears. She was shivering slightly, and above all else, completely unwilling to let go of Rainbow Dash, like she still wasn’t certain the pegasus wasn't going to disappear into thin air the next second....
“Pinkie! Let go! Pinkie! ….Pinkie? Are you crying?”
Pinkie as if breaking out of a trance, took one look at Rainbow….and began blubbering unintelligibly.
Dash was caught of guard, and her forelegs were pinned to her side, so she just began trying to talk Pinkie down.
“It’s okay…it’s okay…just breath, Pinkie Pie. What in the world happened to you, anyway? Come on, Pinkie…you never cry! …without immediately following up with a ‘hey! You know what this needs? A party!’ or something like that. *sniff* Oh, not cool, Pinkie, y-you’re making me feel *sniff* sad…”
And both ponies broke down crying.
*later that afternoon*
Twilight Sparkle paced, looking at the open Notebook labeled Cupcakes. It was a simple, unassuming thing that had caused so much trouble.
Rainbow still hadn't come down from her Cloud house ever since she read it. Having read the contents herself, Twilight wasn't sure if Rainbow was actually scared of Pinkie now or if she just needed so time alone to puke and ponder who could've written such a story about her. Pinkie was being comforted by Rarity and Applejack, Twilight had no idea how much progress they were making, but Twilight had a job to do.
“So, find anything out about the author yet? Are you sure I shouldn’t read it? I could help you, you know…” Spike offered
“NO!” Twilight rose her voice at the baby dragon before softening. “eheheh…no. Spike, trust me, you wouldn’t like what’s in this notebook. Its…boring.”
“Uh huh….” Spike crossed his arms, looking skeptical.
“Look…just no peeking in this book or no gems for a week!”
“Hear that, Spike?” Nyx giggled. (Yes, Past Sins is in here now. This is an Omake, ANYTHING can happen! Its all off the books!)
“And that goes for you too, young lady! No reading this book, or you will be so beyond grounded… Now enough of this…I need to…fo…cus…”
Twilight’s blood ran cold. She just realized who the author was.
The air around Twilight’s mane and air began to ripple, causing Nyx and Spike to look at her in alarm. Then Twilight’s eyes started to glow.
“Kids, could you step outside for a moment?” Twilight said very slowly and dangerously.
Spike and Nyx both gulped and ran out of the tree house.
Twilight inhaled……and 15 seconds later, on the outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy had gotten over the shock of the great blast of sound enough to say “Oh….my.” as her ears flattened.
*later that evening…*
Celestia had returned to Canterlot after her brief disappearance. When Luna asked her where in Equestria she had been and why she hadn’t told anypony, Celestia just snickered and said it was just a little something she had to take care of. Top Secret. National Security reasons.
She wasn’t positive Luna believed her, but she didn’t press the issue.
When she retired to her quarters, she allowed a smirk to pass over her face. Confident in her victory over the pink one. She had to be patient and magnanimous with all her subjects regardless of what they did (Case in point: Blueblood was STILL not yet banished to the Moon). Still, that’s the last time the Element of Laughter would steal HER cupcake right in front of her. Maybe she’d be sure that at the next gathering the Earth Pony would be served a full tray of Cupcakes while sitting next to Celestia, and then the Princess would ask her “Are you going to eat that?” and watch her reaction.
Oh Celly, you’re so naughty! The Princess thought to herself.
She noticed she had a scroll from her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle! She always enjoyed hearing from Twilight and her reports on the magic of friendship, but there was a chance she’d mention news on her success over Pinkie. Without hesitation, the Princess read the letter:
Dear Princess Celestia.
It’s Luna’s Baby pictures!
Today I learned a very important lesson about when to not take pranks seriously. Its important to stay calm and remember that your friends’ little pranks they on you are done to lighten the mood and its just another way they show affection and shouldn’t be taken seriously. So you should lighten up, have fun, and remember they are laughing with you.
Celestia was inclined to agree. She knew just how uptight some ponies could be. She kept reading.
But there are times, when it is DECIDELY the time to take it seriously. When the laughter must STOP.
“Uh oh.” Celestia said, getting an ominous feeling.
Today Pinkie found a strange little notebook that contained a story of her and her friends. In the story she was doing the most …horrible things to Rainbow Dash! Pinkie was treated to a horror story where she murdered her best friend and cooked her flesh in baked goods she then served to the Ponyvillians. It was entitled “Cupcakes”…by an author with the pen name by “Sergeant Sprinkles.”
Now, actually, I happen to be a lover of ghost stories, and this actually isn’t…THAT much worse from some of the stuff I’ve told around the campfire. And indeed, if I’m fair, its not really the content of this story that I take issue with. In fact, I’d say that whoever this “Sergeant Sprinkles” is, sounds like a very creative pony and this story would make a wonderful addition to any horror library. Indeed, if the pony in question was misunderstood for their work, I’d come to the good Sergeant’s defense…
…In some other universe where the two stars of the story weren’t real ponies. Also, as I have it, I believe, after carefully studying the story that has left Pinkie a crying mess and Rainbow locked in her cloud house since this afternoon, I now know who Sgt. Sprinkles is.
Princess! I trusted you to keep everything confidential when I told you about those misgiving I had about Pinkie’s mental state! I mean, I saved a copy of those letters! There all right here! Ugh…I can’t believe some of the things I said. Oh wow. “I fear that one day her endless sugar high will crash and her depression will kill us all.” And then it seemed to have happened on her Birthday party. But…
I’ve changed since then. Talking about the “Pinkamena” incident with you calmed me down a lot, and I know that I’m not perfect. But I never would’ve shared it with you, if I knew you were going to be doing something like this! In fact…I can’t just write it down anymore. I’m casting a “Howler” spell on this message and I’m going to enchant a glyp-
Celestia peeled her gaze away from the bottom of the letter, she had barely avoided reading the glyph. But she made it.
However, the top of the letter had a message in the upper part of the letter. Celestia had ignored that corner out of force of habit but now she read:
It’s Luna’s baby pictures!
Curiosity seized Celestia’s mind. Far too late, the Princess realized it was a trap. The Glyph was, of course, nothing of the sort. Cameras weren’t invented when Luna was an infant.
The letter came to life and began a tirade in Twilight’s voice:
“NOW LISTEN UP, TROLLESTIA, I LOOKED UP TO YOU AND YOU HURT MY-“
“Well...” Celestia moaned. “I guess I walked right into that one.”
DELETED SCENE FROM CHAPTER 11
(Now, this is just what it sounds like. Its that one scene that was cut from the plot but added to the DVD release... Like the Duck-walking Alien! This was set after Rainbow regained consciousness and “Rocket” Rainbow’s body had already been removed.)
(NOTICE: The scene that was here is no longer deleted! Its part of the Chapter 11 rewrite! Still....maybe we need a deleted scene here just to fill up space.)
How could the events of the original Chapter 11 get even more cruel?
Dash *after the events of the original chapter 11) : So...are you going to kill me now? Do the same horrible things to me? I mean...after everything you made me watch...its horrible...horrible...I'm surprised I held on to my sanity this long....a-are you growing a third eye?
DP: You must just need rest. And also nope, I'm letting you go!
Dash: What?
DP: however...
Dash: Oh no, what are you doing now?
DP: oh..I'm just going to tell you that while you were unconscious, I did a little blood work.
Dash: Oh Celestia! Please tell me I'm not a vampire or something!
DP: Oh, its nothing like that...but I don't know how to tell you this....so I'll sing it!
Apple Bloom, Grayamena Diane Pie, and Mystery Blond Unicorn girl: *come in through door, wearing Barbershop quartet suits clothes.
Dark Pink and the Quartet:
You have aids.
(Yes you have aids.)
I hate to tell 'ya girl that you have aids.
(you've got the aids.)
You may have got it when you stuck that filthy needle in here.
(Or maybe all that unprotected sex what you hear), it isn't clear.
But what we're certain of is you have aids.
(Yes you have aids.
Not HIV but full blown aids.
Be sure that you see that this is not HIV.
But FULL BLOWN AIDS!
Not HIV but really FULL BLOWN AIDS)
Apple Bloom: Ah'm sorry Ah wish it was somethin' less serious.....
(But it's aids.
you've got the aaaaaa-i-ds!)
Rainbow Dash: 0_0
(We humbly extent our apologies to any sufferers of the very serious condition A.I.D.S. who may be offended by this sketch. Even though, technically, your beef really is with the writers of Family Guy. What? They're the ones who turned this song into a Meme.
Those Insensitive Manatees...)
Rainbow Dash *in unknown other basement, in straightjacket, but facing window*:
Somewhere…out theeeere
Beneath the pale moonlight,
Someone’s thinking of me
And loving me tonight
Pinkie Pie:
Somewhere out there
Someone’s saying a prayer
That we’ll find one another
In that big somewhere out there
And even though I know how very far away we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
Rainbow Dash:
And when the night wind starts to sing
A lonesome lullabye
It helps to think
We’re sleeping under the same big skyyyyy
(Rolls her eyes skyward like she did in her portion “At the Gala”)
Both: (Start the Duet)
Somewhereeeee, Out th-
Lord Xaos:
STOP! STOP! Stop. Stop, okay? Stop.
Pinkie: Aw…It was just getting good!
Rainbow: Yeah, What’s the problem?
Lord Xaos: Rarity has died.
Both: WHAT?
Lord Xaos: Once again, she couldn’t handle TEH MOE, she’s a sensitive little marshmallow. So, we’re cutting this music video short. Sigh… *gets out defibrillator* LIVE DAMMIT, LIIIIIIVE!
Rarity: Gurgle…somewhere out there…if love can see us throoough…
PP and RD: *smile*
All three:
Then we’ll be together…
Lord Xaos: *Shrugs, joins in*
Somewhere out there…out where Dreams come Truuuuue… |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 14 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-04-08T06:14:20+00:00 | 2013-01-30T23:35:14+00:00 | 4,073 | The Dark Side, Chapter 11 rewrite + Chapter 12
Combo Chapter!
By Lord Xaos.
I don’t own My Little pony. Based off of Sgt. Sprinkles’ story “Cupcakes” multitude references, I’m an unoriginal whore, etc, etc.
Another shadow-space conversation was taking place in the Darkest Grove.
“And then I’ll be showing some footage of the Wonderbolts! Oh my gosh, I’m getting excited, are you excited? I’ve never been so excited, except maybe for the time that I went ‘kill, kill, kill, mom, mom, mom…’, but really, who could top that?”
“Yeah…Shadamena? No. I’ve got better things to do than be your sick surgery doll.”
“Anyway, that’s when I’ll bring out the harvesting tools and…”
“I said no!”
“Huh? S-Shadash?”
“I’ve been on board with your plan so far, but I’m skipping out of this phase, and getting on to the part where I get to play. ”
“OH COME ON! It’s not like it’ll hurt! And besides, you get so thoroughly in character when you’re with Pinkie Pie, It’s almost like you’re actually are sad for your friend!”
“And if I follow through on this, I’ll have to wait for you to sew my organs back in before I can do that, and Pinkie might get here and you’ll have to throw me somewhere out of sight and I’ll have to wait even LONGER…And I’m not sure I approve of ANY situation that involves me being tied up by you.”
“But…Dashie will wake up any minute now! What am I supposed to do? Tell ghost stories? And how do I explain your disappearance?”
“Use a Dream Rainbow Dash.”
“There. Are. none! I can’t use Rainbow Dash’s memories to produce a Rainbow Dash reflection!”
“Actually…you can. Thanks to your amazing foresight.”
“…I don’t understand.”
“Look, sweetie. You’re some kind of moron, so I’ll explain it to you nice and slow. With your little singing concert last night, you created a brief, half-forgotten nightmare, but created one just the same. It included…this.”
“GASP!”
“Yep. It was less than a second, but somehow you thought to do something not useless and project an image from Pinkie’s Nightmare to the one you gave Dash last night. Well, have fun with that. I’m off!”
“W-wait! What am I supposed to do with a victim whose already dead?”
“You’re creative. I’m sure you can find SOMETHING horrifying…”
“But…This scene benefits you as well! How can you just turn your back on this opportunity?”
“You forget. 99% of the reason I’m doing this is because I hate your guts. And…this scene is SO intense, that when Dash finds out I was part of this, it might compromise our…relationship.”
“Relationship? You want to take her over!”
“And the best way to do that is to convince her that I know what’s best for the both of us. That It’s us against the world. That I was always right. And If I go through with this, that will throw all of that into question!”
“But…”
“And speaking of being right, I’m going to leave now and see if I can’t find some trace of you in that Saccharine little brat you call a light side. This is the part of your plan that doesn’t suck. Because you have to be in there somewhere. Anyway, I’m spreading the fog to Pinkie’s location now. Have fun playing with dolls! Later!”
“WAIT! YOU GET BACK HERE! rrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAaAARRRRRRRRGGGGGG!!!!”
Pinkie Pie had started to regain some of her color. Her mane was still straight, but it was just barely starting to curl. She had cracked the riddle of this Shadow Ponyville:
-The entire town was flipped over, so that things that were on the eastern side of town in her Ponyville were on the western side here, and vice versa.
-The streets were also inverted, so that when she was looking at the dinner from the playground, it seemed to have been in the exact correct place, slowing down Pinkie’s revelation that something was wrong. However, the town couldn’t hide the street signs from her!
Pinkie was so proud of herself. “Take that, you stupid town! I AM a smart pony!” Pinkie hoof-pumped the air, a broad smile on her face. And now that she knew where everything was, she could head straight for…straight for…
Gulp.
Sugarcube Corner.
(Even if her Doppelganger wasn’t there, the cupcakes would be. …Oh, and Pinkie would have NO idea where to look for Sweetie Belle.)
It was about that time that the fog started rolling in. Pinkie took note of the pinchy feeling she was getting in her knees.
Suddenly, a shadow dashed over her. She looked up to the sky just in time to see…
Pinkie screamed as a something Rocketed right towards her at an insane speed! She hit the dirt and covered her head with her hooves, not certain what in the world was happening now.
There was a moment of silence, unsettling in contrast to the sudden start she had just been given a moment ago.
“Hello, Pinkie.” A much-too-calm voice spoke.
Pinkie uncovered her head and looked up. “D-dashie?”
All was Darkness.
All was pitch black nothingness.
She slept a dreamless sleep. Not aware of anything in the world. If one were listening to her thoughts, they might be inclined to ponder, just from the silence, if she was dead.
A flicker of consciousness began to decipher the sensations it felt. Her back muscles were sore and uncomfortable, it was probably this discomfort that hinted to her she was actually alive. She felt warm on top, but cold on bottom, like she had been wrapped on. She thought she smelled the scent of some kind of polish…wait….wait…what WERE all these strange, barely noticeable smells?
Also…why was it so hot? And bright?
Then, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.
Light flooded in, and she looked down, away from the light. As the spots cleared, she saw that her forelegs and wings were wrapped up in a straight jacket. She was tied to something.
It took her a moment to adjust to the twin lamps shining down on her from on high…but something was RIGHT in front of her face. Dash blinked to clear the spots before her eyes and focused on the dark frame before her. She finally began to make out its features….
And she immediately screamed.
Staring her in the face was a pair of eyes sticking out of a skull. It was a pony, whose face had been skinned right out, revealing the white bone, intermingled with red muscle and Gums and bloodshot eyes staring blankly into her soul!
The skullpony had a Rainbow Mane.
And then, from the darkness of the room, another pony with what looked like her face stepped into view. She seemed to be wearing some kind of dress, her wings outstretched.
“Oh! You’re awake! I was wondering when you were ever going to awake. You slept through all that screaming and junk, I was starting to worry!” the other other Rainbow Dash said in a high, excited, girly voice.
Rainbow screamed again. There were too many hers, and at least one of which had a skull for a face. When she was done screaming she looked away from both of them.
She felt a presence near her. They were carrying something.
“Daaaash. Lookie what I got.” The girly voice called.
Dash didn’t move at first…but she opened her eyes and looked out the corner of them at whatever was in front of her.
The Skullpony was right in her face!
Rainbow wasn’t sure when her head turned so that she was facing the front again, but she was, her lip quivering. “P-please get that away from me” She pleaded in a small voice. “I don’t like looking at it.”
“Aw…but she loves you!” the unknown tormenter teased. Rainbow shut her eyes, not able to look anymore. “In fact, she wants to give you a kiss!” Rainbow opened her eyes in shock, but too late to do anything. Instantly, the carcasses’ teeth were rubbing up against Rainbow.
“Mmmm’wha!” Rainbow felt moist gums press against her lips, and something drip out of the stitched-up doll’s eye sockets onto her.
Rainbow let out an angry, anguished cry. She shook her head and spat, trying to get rid of the strange, slimy stuff that covered her face.
“You don’t have to be rude. It’s okay, Dashie, don’t feel sad. She’ll warm up to you eventually. Isn’t that right, Da-…hey, its hard keeping track of which Dashie you are. Well, aside from the whole, Alive-Dead thing. So, you have some kind of nickname for yourself, or should I just call you ‘Nopony?’”
Rainbow was having trouble listening, she seemed fixated on those dead, unblinking eyes… “Why do I need a nickname? Th-there’s three Rainbow Dashes here, maybe you need a nickname!”
Except for the studder, that was very nearly showing her who's boss. Rainbow Dash’s inner critic noted.
Shut up.Rainbow fired back.
“Whaa? …OOOOOhhhhh!” The other other Dash’s eyes dawned in realization. The newcomer peeled off her own face to reveal…Pinkie Pie!
Rainbow’s eyes dilated in shock. But then…it was all coming back to her now. Riiight, she got caught.
“P-pinkie?”
The blue Pegasus was looking down at Pinkie, expressionless. “I’ve just returned from Sugarcube Corner. I couldn’t find Sweetie Belle. I tore down that door you been keeping locked ever since you got the place to yourself, but it was just a perfectly normal basement.”
“But…” Pinkie was bewildered. “I’m positive that’s where she kept all her horrible trophies! There’s nowhere else in the shop she could’ve hidden them. And if Sweetie Belle was not somewhere in the shop, then…where is she?”
“Yes, Pinkie. Tell me.”
“Dashie?”
“TELL ME WHERE!” Dash roared. The look in her eyes became far less reasonable.
“I don’t know!” Pinkie pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. “I thought you understood…We’re not the same pony! She could be anywhere!”
“I think I understand...even better than you do.” Rainbow Dash said in that eerily calm voice which had returned. “If you don’t know…I’ll just have to ask the other Pinkie” Rainbow took to the sky, disappearing into the fog.
“Yes! That’s what I’ve been telling you! I don’t know where she-“ Pinkie was cut off as she gasped!
“Whaa?” Pinkie started, staring at the safe that had come crashing out of the sky and landed right in front of her!
She didn’t see it coming at all. Her tail didn’t twitch. She had abandoned her tail back at the hospital. She was too frightened to return, and too pressed for time to do anything but look for Sweetie Belle.
“DASHIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”
The voice from the mist repeated. “Saving Sweetie Belle.”
“WHAT DOES TRYING TO KILL ME HAVE TO DO WITH SWEETIE BELLE!?” Pinkie cried back
“….You’re not the Pinkie I want to talk to. Hurry up and transform.”
Pinkie’s eye twitched. “THAT! MAKES! NO! SENSE!”
“Hee hee! Do you like it?” Pinkie giggled, holding up Rainbow’s face, which sagged without eye sockets. The sight caused Rainbow to vomit onto the floor…which Rainbow just noticed was covered with some kind of mat. Rainbow thought she saw the emblem of a Snail on it, but she couldn’t really tell what with the darkness…and the vomit.
“Oh Dashie…you made such a mess. Fortunately, I thought ahead, and I’ll clean that up later.” Pinkie pushed the vomit-covered mat away.
“I just made this before I tried waking you up! And look!”
The pink pony placed the mask made she had been wearing over the skull-face of the taxidermied Rainbow, it fit nearly perfectly, except for it appearing a little baggy in places.
“Ta-daa! It still fits!”
Pinkie hugged the dead Rainbow Dash. “Yep! You were really out of it. I’ve been having lots and lots of fun with the other Dashie!”
“….What did you DO to her?” Dash asked in a quiet voice. She was eyeing the bloody stumps where there should’ve been wings. There were stitched all along the back, starting from the left wing’s stump.
The lamps went off, leaving Rainbow in the darkness. Then, a spotlight came on, revealing Pinkie’s body. The dress she was wearing was white and poofy, like clouds. However, on her back where two sky-blue wings.
“Do you like it? You were out for suuuuch a long time, I had to get creative to pass the time. So, I made a new dress. My other one is fancier, but this one makes me feel so pure and innocent…ah..” Pinkie took a moment to pose like a little princess. Rainbow would’ve thrown up, but she had done that already.
“Oh, and look at my chest!” Pinkie stood on her hind legs, revealing am emblem on her chest.
It was Dash’s cutie marks. Cut away from all the blue, the chromatic lightning bolts emerged out of there clouds, the bottom of their trails touching one another, joining the two lightning bolts in a union that could’ve never been had Dash’s body never been defiled.
Rainbow couldn’t see the other Dash clearly, but she couldn’t fight the curiosity to look at her flanks.
“B-b-but why? I know she stabbed you, but you saw that coming with an armored vest that squirts fake blood!…and she was sorry! She was crazy, but you’re…you’re a monster! You’ve…she…she was right to be afraid of you!”
“Oh…so she was right to try and kill me? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Sh-she was trying to retain her sanity! She was frightened but she thought she might’ve been wrong! She did not come here planning to hurt you! And…and you knew that! I didn’t know what was going on, but I figured it out! She probably just wanted to scare you away and run out the door, but she was too busy freaking out to run! And YOU! You had already SOMEHOW thought to armor yourself from her blow and then you subdued her! All you had to do at the most was call the police!…or even the Cakes! Nopony had to die unless you…you…” Rainbow was losing focus from the sudden appearance of a sad expression on Pinkie’s face.
While Rainbow had stopped talking to stare at her, Pinkie shot in. “The Cakes are dead. Don’t you remember?”
Whaaaaaaaa? But…this morning…who…what…how? Oh wait, this isn’t my Ponyville. This could be a trick…but…but…
Rainbow Dash, awestruck, just spoke the words “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry!?” Pinkie’s voice was angry again. “Oh, sure, first you take the side of my attacker and then insensitively remind me of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, but I GUESS ‘SORRY’ MAKES IT ALL BETTER, HUH?” Pinkie had stepped out of the spot light and was pressing her shadow-covered face up against Rainbow’s.
“I…I…” Rainbow stammered.
Then Pinkie chortled and started giggling. Rainbow’s eyes went wide.
“You’re really too fun! It’s okay Dashie, you don’t have to worry about hurting my feelings. I’m over the sad, sad, SAD incident with the Cakes….”
Not sure of anything, Rainbow decided to change the subject with a question. “W-what are you going to do to me?”
“Well…Maybe I’ll keep you for a while, your number only came up once after all, and you’re kind of invisible and junk.”
“My….number?” Rainbow was thoroughly confused.
“Oh Dashie… How long do you think I’ve been up to this?” Pinkie smiled and flipped a switch. A head light hummed to life and illuminated the rest of the room which had been enveloped in darkness from the contrast of the two lamps, and later the bright spotlight.
“Oh no.”
It felt like the room was spinning
Painted Skulls. Foals wearing party hats made from their own flesh. Tables made from bones, decorations made from organs, a banner made from skin with blood letters that read “Life is a Party!” the light seemed to have served to only make the room much darker…..
“Welcome to my cave, Dashie! RAAAAARRRRR!”
Pinkie really missed her tail.
She didn’t like this new experience at all.
SLAM!
Pinkie, who had been bouncing around as fast as she could until now, froze and looked out the corner of her eye at a stone lawn ornament that had landed right next to her. If it had been even an inch further to the left…
Of course, Pinkie had taken a few bruises and cuts from some of the lighter objects that came at her in an arc. Those Dash seemed to throw in flurry, making them more likely to hit Pinkie. She had a nasty bruise next to her tail where the wrench hit.
“Dashie…” her pleas came out much too softly. She tried again, straining her voice to be heard:
“DASHIE! PLEASE STOP THIS! YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO -KILL- ME!”
“Hee heee heee…”
“THIS ISN’T FUNNY, DASHIE!”
“Hehehehehehe…” The insane laughter from the sky continued, making Pinkie shiver.
“Please…AT LEAST EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!”
The laughter stopped.
A small segment of mist split as Rainbow beat her wings and made herself visible. She was smiling…but it wasn’t a happy smile. It was a very sad one.
“I had hoped that scaring you would be enough. But I guess I’ll have to move on to phase two.”
“Ph-phase two?” Pinkie trembled. “D-dashie, please stop confusing-“
“And another thing! Stop calling me Dashie. Sorry, Pinkie, but really…you’re kind of disgusting. I mean, your pitiful how you got this other innocent, NON-MURDEROUS, personality, but even she’s getting on my final nerve.”
“W-what?” Pinkie felt her colors draining away again.
No!
…Suddenly, they came back.
Rainbow seemed to notice this. She seemed to regard Pinkie with a curious, but extremely cautious expression.
Pinkie stared back at Dash with a suddenly confident-looking face.
Rainbow’s eyes widened.
And then, Pinkie raised her hooves and pulled her cheeks apart while she stuck her tongue between her teeth and went “Blblbbllblblble”
No…she doesn’t mean that. I’ll bet she doesn’t mean that! If I just surprise her by being me, I can catch her off guard and then she’ll be too busy laughing to keep saying these mean things!
Rainbow gaped, blinked, ….and then smiled warmly
Rainbow wrapped her foreleg around Pinkie.
D-dashie…
Pinkie’s eyes watered with tears of joy.
“In fact, since you’re both the same pony, we’d really be better off with you dead.” Rainbow stated with a coldness that did NOT match her smile.
Pinkie Pie was shocked, and let out an appalled gasp. But…she finally understood what was going on in Rainbow’s mind. “D-dash, no…I’m sorry I was messing around! It wasn’t appropriate for-”
And then Rainbow Dash slammed Pinkie’s head into the wall!
“Heheehehe. Hey, Dash, look who I got here!” Pinkie head a yellow-and-blue painted skull with a beak in one hoof. “It’s Gilda!”
“G-gilda? But that’s not possible! She left Ponyville immediately! And you couldn’t have tracked her down!”
“Oh, I have my methods.” Pinkie grinned. “I actually drew a number that I forgot to assign a pony too, so I thought ‘hmm…this is a pickle. Whatever should I do now?’ And then I thought of the most Meany Mean Meanypants Griffon ever! And I decided it had to be her number. The rules weren’t really clear on that.”
“Rules?” Rainobw blinked.
“Oh, let’s not talk about that, it’s a long, boring story.”
Pinkie grabbed the Dash Doll with her free hoof. “Hey Dash, lets hang out together!” Pinkie did a grouchy impression of Gilda’s voice as she waggled the skull around. “Sure thing, Gilda! I’d love to show you my new flying moves!” Pinkie did a scratchy voice, and then she threw the Dash Doll into the air, where it of course fell to earth and crashed, making Dash cringe.
“Graceful, Dash.” Gilda-Pinkie snarked. “Let’s see you do any better, Gilda!” Pinkie-Dash shot back. “Alri-“
“STOP!” Rainbow wanted to raise a hoof, but she was of course, tied up in the straight jacket. A straight jacket…like she was the one who was insane here. “Please…don’t throw her!"
I…don’t even understand the nature of this world, but I just can’t let herrrrrr- Rainbow's train of thought trailed off.
Pinkie Pie had stopped. She returned her attention to Rainbow Dash with mischievous eyes. Rainbow immediately regretted the attention.
(Also, She realized that the position her forelegs were in under the straightjacket was exactly perfect to hug herself, rocking back and forth screaming something along the lines of “NO, PINKIE! NO! PLEASE NO! PLEASE, PLEASE NO!” But no…Dash still had her pride. …Oh, shut up. Little pink ponies giving actual earth-shattering dragon roars do not count. That’s just cheating.)
Who knew what was going to happen to her now? It was going to be something horrible-she just knew it! Rainbow’s mind flooded with horrible possibilities with how she was going to be slowly murdered…Surely nothing could be worse than…
“Whoa…its another Dash!” Gilda-Pinkie said.
“I know, isn’t this exciting? Are you excited, Gilda? I’ve never been so excited- it makes me want to sing! No wait….” Pinkie grabbed the Doll Dash. “Gotta make em’ Dance!”
Rainbow found that she was tied to some sort of trolley as Pinkie spun her around and played with her macabre toys all while dancing to and singing.
“Whoa, that’s a full rainbow…
Double rainbow, OMG!”
“Pinkie! Stop it! I’m getting dizzy!” Dash cried as she was spun around and around in her cart and eventually fell on her nose. “OW!”
Pinkie’s head was throbbing. The world was spinning but regained just enough focus to slip out of Dash’s grip and walk unsteadily backwards, away from the murderous pegasus.
“Ra…” Pinkie had to stop. She put a hoof up to her head. “Ahhh….Rainbow...”
“Have I awakened you yet!? WHERE’S SWEETIE BELLE!? TELL ME WHERE SHE IS RIGHT NOW, YOU MONSTER!”
The noise caused Pinkie to cringe. It was not helping her headache. “Stop…you’re making a mistake…” Pinkie couldn’t quite manage to shout back.
“SHUT UP!” Dark Dash yelled. She landed and crouched, and began stepping forward everytime Pinkie stepped back.
Pinkie tried stopping, and Dash also mirrored that action by crouching. However, even crouching, Dash swayed back and forth, and each feather in her wing bristled. She had this eerie grin on her face. “eheheehe…I’m not afraid of you…you transform right now! I’ll beat the answers out of you!”
“Dash…Please stop!” Pinkie pleaded. She was trying to control her breathing…crying hadn’t been helping so far.
“Did you show Sweetie Belle any mercy when you took her away from her sister!? DID YOU!? Ehehehehehehe….what’s the matter Pinkie? Are you scared of me now that you have a pony you can’t trick?”
“I don’t want to hurt you! E-even though you hurt me, I really, really don’t! So please!” Pinkie sat on her haunches and looked at Rainbow! “…listen to reason. We’re not the same pony! She has a different body and everything! She is not physically here, Rainbow!”
“Oh yes. Listening to reason says that YOU’RE CRAZY!” Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at Pinkie. “Face it, Pinkie, the only explanation that makes sense is that you get these sudden urges and then you can’t cope with the ugliness of reality so you hide the truth from yourself!” Dash stepped forward, taking the initiative. Pinkie stepped back.
Crouch-walking after Pinkie like a jungle cat stalking its prey, Rainbow continued. “You know where Sweetie Belle is…and I’m quite tired of this stupid, saccharine personality you’ve been putting up. I want to talk to the real Pinkie!” Rainbow took leaned back instead of stepping forward. “Riiight….”
Pinkie started stumbling backwards even faster now…
“NOOOOW!” Rainbow pounced after Pinkie!
Pinkie bounded away and ran.
Well…so much for talking my way out of that. I need to get away! Nopony is going to protect me…I knew my friends would if they could but…They can’t.
So…I need to find my own way out of this nightmare.
Pinkie ran into the fog. But heard the beating of wings coming from behind her. Rainbow was scattering the fog. Hey…wait.
THAT’S IT!
Well…at least the dancing stopped. Dash told herself again. She hadn’t said anything out loud, as the current spectacle before her was so very revolting. After barfing up the apple earlier, Rainbow wasn’t sure she had anything else to vomit, but she was taking no chances.
Pinkie was relating to her a most ……wonderful… tale of what all she had done to the other Rainbow Dash. She had removed the stitches and opened the flaps of skin to reveal a dried out-although still very much bloodstained ribcage.
Well…also ichor-stained, bile-stained, reflux-stained, and frosting-stained. But lets not get bogged down in the details.
Pinkie had categorically preserved AND replaced all the organs she took out of Doll-Dash, and was replacing them
“And that’s when she emptied her bowels again! Actually, I thought I cleaned it all up, but now that I think about it, doesn’t it still smell a little bit like pee in here? Oh well, I’ll fix that up later….oh wait…wait….Daaasshie, is that you?”
Huh?…oh shit! When did that happen!? I mean…there seriously was that long period where it felt like I was having an out of body experience when she was talking about cutting other me open when she was numbed so she could watch it but…aarrrggg why now of all times?
“Aw…don’t cry, Dashie, I’ll clean it up! Hee hee… You’re such a messy pony! What would Scootaloo think?”
“Shut up! You’ve had me tied up so I couldn’t move anyway!” That ‘Scootaloo’ comment had stung.
“Heheeheehee.”
“It’s not funny!” Rainbow squirmed as she was cleaned up.
“Anyway…I forgot to tell you something! it was hard to surprise her, she kind of knew what to brace herself for. I guess her dream told her about everything I was going to do. She seemed to have given some good screams during the electrocution, though. But I knew I had to step it up.”
Pinkie got a movie projector. “So…during the harvesting, I got out and played this!”
She flipped it on before Dash could process that she might not want to see whatever that movie was about.
Nothing but blank photoage played on the wall.
“Oh nuts! I forgot to rewind. This will just take a minute now, Dashie.”
I need to change the subject now…
“Well, just so you know…I had a dream about you, too!”
“Oh, really?” Pinkie asked with mock surprise “I’m so flattered!”
“It was horrible. The worse dream ever. I nearly forgot it. Before I remembered it just now.”
“Oh come on…you only had it last night.”
“No….no, this one was on the day of Gummy’s party. My memories of it almost faded.”
“Really? Well, go on then! Tell me what it was about! Because I remember what happened the day after that!” Pinkie sneered and turned her head away.
“IT WAS ABOUT YOU BEING GONE!” Dash yelled at the top of her exhausted voice.
“W-what?” Pinkie seemed genuinely shocked.
“I-it wasn’t a normal nightmare about watching you die…t-that had already happened. And you were just…gone. The color went out of the world, the entire dream was all our friends being sad without…without….WITHOUT YOU BEING RANDOM AND STUPIDLY ADORABLE EVERYWHERE WE WENT!”
Pinkie just stared, wide-eyed.
“When I woke up, I ran out the door, desperate to see if you were okay…a-and then *sob* I saw you in that Balloon of yours, giving me a Singing Telegram! I never told you…how happy I was to see…N-no. This. Is. Wrong.”
Pinkie seemed to be trying regain her composure. “I’ll say. You stopped liking my parties after that! You aban-“
“SHUT UP! YOU’RE NOT THE REAL PINKIE! YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE REAL FEELINGS! YOU’RE JUST A TWISTED SHADOW OF HER LIKE ZECORA WARNED ME ABOUT!” Rainbow bellowed. Her voice raspy, the pegasus continued as tears she didn’t know she had streamed down her face.
“How dare you say those things with Pinkie’s voice! How dare you grin like that with Pinkie’s face! How. Dare. You. Try. To. Ruin. My. Image. Of. My. Wonderful….Innocent…Irreplacable…. Friend!” Rainbow rasped
The evil Pinkie actually clasped her hooves over her mouth.
“Pinkie Pie would never do what you have done. She would never even think it. I don’t believe you. You’re a fake. You’re not even Pinkie at her worse. What WAS the worse thing she did? Go Emo and party with some turnips? Otherwise just general rough housing? That’s it?”
“What…I….I…” the Monster was actually sobbing. Those tears rolling down her cheeks seemed to be defying some kind of Natural Order of Things.
Rainbow wasn’t moved. “Stop crying! Just go ahead and k-kill me now!” Rainbow cursed herself for letting that one word almost stick in her throat. “There’s nothing else for you TO do to me.” Rainbow choked “Because while I hate you with all my heart, I’m still rooting…for the real Pinkie. You’ll never convince me you are anything but a *hic* -a TWISTED IMAGE of my best friend!”
Dash shut her eyes and looked away from Pinkie. “I can’t even look at you anymore! Damn you! I’m not letting you in! You can *hic* take my life…but won’t replace my true memories of Pinkie Pie!”
The pink filly ran out of the room, sobbing.
Rainbow tried to yell, but her voice was incredibly weak “Come back…come back…if you’re really going soft now of all times…let me go…I don’t like being stuck here.”
What was with the other Pinkie? Was that another trick…or did I actually strike a nerve? Its gotta be a trick…its just gotta be! Where’s my Pinkie? Will I ever see her again? Will I ever see any of my friends again?
The cloud walking technique her Rainbow had taught her was normally just for her to visit Rainbow’s house. She could really use it without some way of reaching a certain cloud.
However, Rainbow had warned her not to do any of the following things:
-Don’t go up without a way down. There were many objects that were “cloud-proofed” so they could be used by Pegasi. Pinkie’s hot air balloon, for instance could land on clouds.
-Don’t walk on storm clouds. Rainbow didn’t really explain why, but she made Pinkie promise she wouldn’t. She also didn’t want Pinkie walking on any “wild” clouds either.
-You can walk on fog, if you must, but it’s incredibly dangerous. First of all, it required even more concentration than cloud walking, something the Pinkie didn’t have much of to start with. Furthermore, Fog is chaotic, random, insubstantial, and lacked the stability of Equestria Clouds. But it is possible to “climb the mist”, just knowing that any mass of mist, even on a thick, “pea soup” fog, is going to fall apart as it moves through the sky, and if you go up too high and lose your footing…
Dash made Pinkie promise her that she would never try that except to get away from predators or something.
Well…this HAD to count as an “or something.”
She was going to Sugarcube Corner. It was still her best lead. She wasn’t positive how she’d get inside with all the doors in this Ponyville being all wonky, but she’d burn that bridge when she came to it.
Pinkie ran towards the thickest glob of fog she could find…and climbed onto to it. She was now floating a foot off the ground.
She had to shift a little bit, to keep her footing. Standing of Fog really was a different experience….but still she waited.
Suddenly, she heard the beating of wings. Rainbow was approaching.
The fog was being blown forth in a large cloud…beyond that cloud lay a very annoyed ponicidal blue pegasus.
The mist-wall quickly approached Pinkie.
She sat on her cloud. She made no effort to move, another her heart was racing.
It came closer…
Closer…
And then Pinkie’s cloud was swept up with the wall…taking Pinkie with it!
Pinkie had to suppress an excited “WHEEEEEE!” as she rode the gusts that were pushing her forward.
However, she did smile. This was the cleverest thing she’d ever done! As long as she kept it up, Dash would push her forward and never notice!
A little too widely did she smile, as the pain in the side of her head fired back up again.
“Ouch!” Pinkie put a hoof up next to her head and forgot all about mist-walking and…
uh oh.
Pinkie came tumbling out of the scattering mist, much to Rainbow’s surprise. “Oof! Oooh…my head is spinnnnnnnn….ning.”
Pinkie looked up at Rainbow. And grinned nervously.
“Eheh…could you do that again? It was fun!”
“…Since when can you can cloud walk?” Rainbow crossed her arms. “Never mind. This just makes you more dangerous than ever.” She started flying around and around Pinkie Pie…
“Um…Rainbow?” Pinkie cringed worriedly as Dash looped around her.
“So you like going for little rides, do you?” The pegasus sped up. “TRY THIS ONE ON FOR SIZE!” And a Rainbow tornado wrapped around the pink earth pony and swept her into the air!
“Daaaaasssshhhhiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Pinkie cried as she spun around and around…
Dash just laughed.
Hungrrrry…how long have I been down here? Rainbow thought miserably to herself. I need to go again…really, really BAD. I could just go ahead and go, I suppose…
“…I can’t do it. I have nervous bowels from the dead ponies watching me…G-gilda? Could you turn around and not look?”
Suddenly, a Pink hoof stepped out of the darkness and turned the griffon skull around.
“You could use this bucket…” Pinkie’s voice said as she stepped into view pushed a metal pale up to Dash.
She wasn’t wearing the dress anymore.
“H-how long were you there?” Rainbow asked. Arg…am I blushing? Why am I blushing? This is the stupidest reaction ever! She’s not even actually my friend, she’s no one!
“Um…I’m sorry.” Pinkie said.
Somepony around here is trying to get the role for Fluttershy…
“I-I thought…maybe…you might be hungry?”
Pinkie had set down a plate topped with a sky blue icing cupcake with little candy-cloud decorations on them. The cupcake itself was dyed all the colors of the rainbow.
“I…I know you like seeing the sky and all, so I thought…”
“Um…” Rainbow wasn’t entirely sure how to handle this situation. “I…” Her stomach growled.
Pinkie giggled.
“I can’t really eat tied up like..hey.”
Pinkie placed a cut up piece of the cupcake into Dashie’s mouth. “Go on..I’ll feed you.” She smiled.
Rainbow felt like something was wrong, but her stupid stomach was hearing no counter arguments. Things couldn’t get any worse. And…Rainbow kind of liked being fed.
(even if there was something a little…different…about this cupcake. It was very, very faint, but something about it wasn’t Pinkie’s normal recipe.)
“You like it?” Pinkie asked.
“Um…y-yes…” This was true. The candy clouds were quite sweet.
She cursed her mind, telling her that’s how Stockholm syndrome starts, but she couldn’t help but think that maybe…just maybe there was something good left in this Pinkie. Maybe she could be saved. Oh sure, after like, fucking YEARS of psychiatric help, but…maybe.
When Rainbow was done, a dangerous smile broke across Pinkie’s face. “So what do you think? Does it taste like Rainbows?”
Rainbow blinked. What did that have to do…?
Pinkie winked.
Rainbow got it.
Deep in the recesses of Rainbow’s mind, a great Congress of all of the pegasus’ brain’s constituent parts had stopped what they were doing to cast their gaze –ALL their gazes- at Polyana/Stockholm Rainbow.
The mind construct, who looked like Rainbow Dash in an Angellic halo and white gown (and also kinky hoofcuffs) sank down into her seat. “eheh. eheheheh…..shutting up.” She squeaked.
And then, All Hell broke loose in the Congress.
…BUT. I. YOUMEAN.ALLTHAT.AND WHATIWASTASTING- WHATHAVEIDONE?GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT!
CAN’TBREATHECAN’TBREATHE…can’t…breathe…
Rainbow collapsed.
Pinkie giggled. And approached.
Suddenly, Rainbow began struggling with her bonds with renewed vigor.
“GET. IT. OUT!” Rainbow began. With what little leverage she had in the straightjacket, she began lifting her forelegs and delivering a two-hooved punch to her own gut, causing her to gag and spray spittle across the room. Then, she tried it again.
“GET IT OUT!” BOOF! “GET IT OUT!” SQUICK! “GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT! GET IT OUUUUUTTTT!”
After a titanic battle, Rainbow finally coughed up the cupcake.
Collapsing again, she looked at the pink pony and said. “Not. Pinkie.” And fainted.
Dark Pinkie blinked. “Well!” She clapped her hooves together. “That was more fun than I thought it was going to be.”
Dark Pinkie decided to inject Rainbow with a needle. Rainbow didn’t wake up.
Nor had the Baker pony expected her too.
She grabbed a scalpel in her mouth…and began to remove Rainbow’s straight jacket and other bonds.
Oh Celestia…! I’m getting sick! Pinkie was no stranger to dizzying rides, she loved roller coasters for instance, but this was quickly breaching her threshold.
Her entire world was spinning. Spinning and the Entire Visible Spectrum of Colors (which included her own Pink) and Rainbow Dash laughing cruel laughter. And…water? Somehow, glops of water were pounding into and soaking Pinkie. She thought she was drowning when one hit her in the face…Where did they come from?
But then, somehow Pinkie found herself outside the tornado! What was more, the tornado was sucking in all the fog! She barely had time to think. As her hooves flailed outside, she grabbed some Fog and wrapped her hooves around it, focusing all of her attention on cloudwalking.
Pinkie struggled with all her might, resisting the tornado trying to pull her back in…but she broke free and was standing on a very unstable fog cloud. She immediately hopped onto another one, but that was getting sucked up too! She hopped to another one, then another one, but they all seemed to be traveling even faster towards the tornado than she could escape from it.
Did it just get FASTER?
Pinkie’s cloud just then was torn from the herd of others and fell into Dash’s tornado! Pinkie was feeling nauseous again and but suddenly realized that she could use the momentum of the tornado to her advantage up here…
The mist-cloud Pinkie was standing on went around, and around, faster and faster as it came near the colorful tails of Rainbow’s tornado. The cloud itself was shrinking, and Pinke had got her feet as close together as they could be for her that she could still prepare to jump. She saw that her chance was coming…and she leapt. As she did so, she pushed the cloud she was standing on down into the center of the tornado.
Moments later, Dash, who had been getting steadily more and more soaked, was clocked by a large glop of water. This caused her to stop spinning.
She looked around for Pinkie Pie, but couldn’t find her anywhere…
“Where are you!? Where!? COME OUT! PPPIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNKKKKKKIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
The horrible cries of vengeance died down. Pinkie kept running, but she was certain that she wasn’t going to see anymore of Dash for a while.
She did it. She got away. She began climbing down the fog, to the nice, safe, ground.
“I…I know you didn’t mean any of the things you said, Dashie.” Pinkie sobbed. “You’re just worried about Sweetie Belle, and you think that I’m doing a weird two-personality thing. But I’m not. She’s a different pony, I’ll prove it to you…”
“And thank you…my Dashie. For teaching me to walk on clouds. It saved my life today.” Pinkie smiled.
But then she frowned.
"My Dashie didn't share that trick with me! Boooooo!"
“Oh…” Pinkie wore a crestfallen expression. “Maybe she did mean those mean things she said. She wasn’t actually my Dash at all. The only Pinkie Pie she ever knew was…was THAT ONE!”
This Dash was actually right about her Pinkie. Visiting a world where you’re the bad pony…is really, really, not fun.
And she headed off to Sugarcube Corner. She hoped that even after all this clowning around with Rainbow, she was still in time to save-
Even through a great haze that had come over her sleeping mind, Rainbow Dash felt her heart stop. Something had penetrated it, pierced through it…
“And that takes care of that.” The voice of “Shadash” entoned. “Seems to have been worth a little less...energy than I thought she would be worth. Are you SURE you broke her like you were supposed to?”
“Wait…you ate her already? That fast?”
”I don’t ‘eat’ as such. That’s just you and your disgustingness. But yes…the encroachment has begun. …Say, where’d she get those stitches?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. We had a little accident. Don’t worry, its just a little flesh wound.”
“…”
“Honest!”
“Fine, we don’t have time for this…the other one is on her way. I failed to kill her.”
“…Excuse me? Are you trying to get rid of me? After coming crying to me over ‘oh boo hoo she knows the challenge and she’s incorruptible, please Shadamena, save me!”
“A pony can dream.”
“You do of course realize that everything that happened was still following the plan right? It was a total success!”
“I still choose to count this as a failure.”
“Yeah, well…just reset Dashie already.”
“Yeah, yeah…shoo, shoo, get out of here, you Cadaver…cadaverS, that is. So, how was your sess-AAARRGGG!”
As one Rainbow Dash with a knife in her heart faded out of existence in a shower of sparkling light, and another, stitched-up one simply sank into the floor, yet ANOTHER Rainbow Dash was screaming as Pinkie Pie had triple-weilded knifes (holding two in her fore hooves, and one in her mouth.) to stab her in her right wing, her left wing, and her spine. The pegasus fell on the floor, and shadowy smoke began to fade from her.
“rrrgggggggg! Sha-shadamena?” Rainbow Dash.
“Ooooh BOY, that felt good! I’ve been wanting to do that for this whole while! And Don’t you ‘Sha-sha-Shadamena?’ ME, missy!" Pinkie said, making a mocking expression of her victim. "I saved Dashie for you to reset, but you’re going against me! You go full blown crazy vs. Pinkie and leave me with nothing to do but go over harvesting sessions with Dash that haven’t actually happened!” Dark Pinkie kicked Dark Dash, who had fallen to the floor. “What are you doing, hogging all the fun for yourself, huh? HUUUUUH?”
“Shadamena…I-erk!” Dark Dash felt the knife twisted in her back. “I was just joking…” she squeaked.
“Shadash….we all like a good joke now and then, but I’m afraid you’re too much of a loose cannon. I’m sure you won’t mind piecing yourself back together in limbo for a few hours while I rework the plan.”
And then Dark Pinkie took the hacksaw and began to saw through Dark Dash’s throat while she sat on top of her.
“Oh, and one more thing…Call me Dark Pink. You got that…DASHIE?” Dark Pink pinched her victim’s cheek just before the saw fell through the rest of the head and the entire pegasus exploded in a cloud of darkness.
“heheheheheh…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Ahhhh…No rest for the weary. I better get things set up for my counterpart.”
The pink filly went into her kitchen and fetch a strange Cupcake with Rainbow colored icing. The cupcake itself was a sky blue. It seemed…different from the other cupcakes somehow. There was no magical glow or musical vibrations in the air, but something was just…off by it.
Whatever was its story, the baker savored every bite of it.
Pinkie Pie had decided that she would sneak in through the garage out of the back of the store, where she kept her Cycle-copter.
That’s strange…the garage is missing. But then…does that means she doesn’t have the copter or…
Suddenly Pinkie heard something loud! It sounded like gears moving. She looked up and stepped back as she saw, from the giant Cupcake-shaped attic that topped Sugarcube Corner, a hangar opening.
Eyes wide in wonderment, Pinkie gasped.
It was her Cycle-copter. But it had been…modified.
It had wings this time, and on the bottom of those, there were heavy-looking balloons. The Flower-shaped horn had been replaced with a cross hairs…and below the crosshairs was some kind metal pipe that looked like the barrel of a gun. In that pipe was a belt of some kind.
(That was full of some kind of dart, not that Pinkie could make that out just yet.)
And in the seat, on the other side of the Pipe was…her Doppelganger! Laughing maniacally!
And yet, for all this madness…Pinkie had one thought running through her mind.
How in all of Equestria HAS NOPONY CAUGHT THIS LUNATIC YET? |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 15 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-10-12T23:49:42+00:00 | 2012-10-12T23:49:42+00:00 | 3,763 | The Dark Side
Chapter 13
Zecora walked towards the other Zebra, looking ragged and with bags under her eyes. Like she hadn’t slept in days. The Zebra who looked like her, who haunted her dreams stood there in the ruins of her home village, and smiled.
They spoke in their native language…which had words that rhymed when you left them in Zebrese. Sadly, dear reader, we ARE going to translate them, so if they were Rhyming or not, you’ll never know. It’s far more important that you understand the meaning of their words…
“Such a good girl.” The Other Zecora said. “Even when I’ve encroached you so far and made you do such horrible things to your own family, you came back. Just like I knew you would.”
Zecora said nothing. Her real family was safe in Zebrica.
Even if....even if that night would haunt her forever.
“You seem to have missed some sleep. Aw…pitiful creature. Do you give in to flight, only to hear me calling you…” Shadora stepped forward. “Every. Night?” The Evil Enchantress cackled. “There is no need to worry anymore! It will all be over soon, and you will sleep forever, leaving only me!”
“No!” Zecora stamped. “I came here to destroy you once and for all! Now hear my challenge!
Light may enter the grove of shadow's throne,
and seek its Ultimate Nemesis
Light may witness secrets unknown,
and challenge like Shaharone,
The darkness that within the heart has grown,
to save a mortal's heart from its lethal Kiss.”
Shadora took a step back. But then smiled wickedly. “Alright…but remember: the victor of that first contest…was SHADarone.”
Zecora shuddered as she stopped walking down memory lane. She could only imagine how two dark sides would work together.
“Zecora?” Fluttershy asked nervously. “I’m sorry for asking if I brought up unpleasant memories…”
Zecora took a look around at the four ponies who were ready to drink the potion she had prepared. Actually, they didn’t look ready at all. Applejack wanted to charge into the Grove and save her friends herself, and she seemed only interested in this plan because the other ponies were making her go along with it. Twilight Sparkle was looking incredibly skeptical that this ‘Séance’ was going to work, Rarity seemed to be hating all the incense that was filling the hut with the fury of a thousand white-hot suns….and Fluttershy was, of course, looking nervous.
“Think nothing of it, young pegasus. Drink the mixture now, and you shall enter the dream state. Journey then to the grove, where our friends are waiting for us. Learn all that you can, further questions will have to wait.”
And then the five drank, and after a moment, fell asleep.
Curiously, Applejack’s shadow left her body….
Moaing..endless moaning. Moaning from creatures that were neither Pony nor beast. This was Limbo, a purgatory of shadows where one was all and all was one. The closest thing to the Instrumentality of Darkness...at least while the universe was in the way. A netherworld that had existed since before Equestria began, but which Shadash had only known existed ever since the Summer Sun Celebration. The one where Nightmare Moon returned.
Shadash was looking at the form across the way, the form of a Blue Pegasus with a Rainbow Mane was sleeping, wrapped in a dim glow. Shadash supposed this was where the light sides went when they were being reset…or was this happening just until she recovered from the nice little DECAPITATION Shadamena had given her?
Still, seeing the pegasus sleeping there, caused her to travel down memory lane.
As a shadow, Shadash had spent all her days following Rainbow Dash’s every movement. Always tied to her. Always seeing the darkness in the other ponies Rainbow interacted with. Always finding all signs of love nauseating. Always dreaming of escaping from her fate to trail Rainbow. And always, always alone.
And then, the Great Disruption occurred. A great shift in the cosmic balance that had been a thousand years in the making. And the shadows of Equestria had their freedom. Since then, shadows could move freely about when the ponies slept. And that was when they met each other…and schemed.
As the shadows of the Element bearers, Shadash and the others were compelled to devise a plan to neutralize them.
So far this plan had gotten her strangled, soaked, and beheaded. Having an actual body was painful.
“But…the most disturbing thing…was back when I first found Pinkie in the Grove.” Shadash mumbled to herself. “I told Shadamena it was just getting in character..but no…I really forgot which Pinkie I was chasing…who I was! What I was! It was…like I had become the Character Shadamena gave me. I really thought Pinkie was Shadamena and she had the power to turn me-ME, not Rainbow-into Cupcakes!”
Not that I trust that filly ISN’T secretly like that. But why…why do I feel bad when I hurt her? Why’d I pull my punch when I slammed her head into that wall? And then I lose sight of her and only THEN do I snap out of it! WHY!?
Shadash threw her head forward, and it swiveled like it was about to fall off. Again. “AH! It still hasn’t healed yet!”
“Whoo-wee!” a voice cut through the darkness. “Ah guess that’s the price you pay for arrivin’ to the party late. Ah’d call it bad luck, but we both know that ain’t the real reason. Shadamena came up with the plan, while yer container just happened to be the fillyfooler who was in love with lucky lil’ Pinkie Pie and chased after her before she even got reinforcements, clobberin’ monsters and whatever other dangers that were fool enough to git in her way!”
“Shadowjack! What are you doing here?…and wait…Dash? A-and Pinkie? EWWWWW!” Shadash winced. “THAT’S DISGUSTING!”
“Ooooh! Are you blushing!?” Shadowjack purred into Shadash’s ear.
“We’re shadows! Sillehouttes! We don’t bluuuusssssshhh!”
“Its not good to be dishonest with yerself, sugar cube. Oh, and Applejack an’ the others did something with Zecora an’ are now in a hoo-doo trance of some kind, and lo and behold, it counts as sleep an’ Ah can move! Thought Ah’d give you a little visit while Ah had the chance.”
“But back to mah point,” Shadowjack continued talking, “you wouldn’t have come up with the plan to git to the Grove first, and avoided this ‘personality takeover’ thing it’s doing to yah whenever y’er near Pinkie Pie! And furthermore, if you got Rainbow to chase you, she wouldn’t have met Zecora, and you could try to encroach her the norm-”
“I DIDN’T HAVE ANY SHADESSENCE! I CAN’T MOVE WHEN SHE’S WIDE AWAKE!” Shadash barked.
“CUZ YOU AIN’T GOT NO SENSE OF INIATIVE!” Shadowjack retorted. “Shadamena had a plan, so she got some, even though the rest of the shadows are doing The Really Big Important Plan wit’ the rest of it. But yah didn’t, and yer whinin’s really quite pathetic.”
“Keep your opinions to yourself, Shadowjack.”
“No can do, Sugar! Unlike a certain Shadow-pegasus Ah know, the rest of us have plans to steal the Elements of Harmony from our containers. How can Ah take Honesty from Applejack if Ah ain’t honest about mah feelings?”
“Wait…even Shadarity and Shadowshy? Generosity and Kindness? Sha…SHADOWSHY? KIND? She’s the only one that scares me more than Shadamena! Well, Shadow Sparkle can drown the world in pain and screaming and horrible blue light, but she’s normally pretty laid back.”
“Ah think Shadowshy’s exact words were-“ and suddenly Shadowjack did a very good impression of Fluttershy’s girlish tone and broke out of her country accent “Oh, I would just love little Fluttershy to death!” Shadowjack smiled and gave a creepy giggle.
Shadash gave out a surprised whinny. “You...you dropped your accent!”
“Why of course.” Shadowjack spoke in a refined accent. “I was ALSO there when Applejack went to live with Uncle and Aunt Orange, after all. Hadn’t Applejack already told Rainbow Dash the story?”
“I’m…not really interested in all of Rainbow’s stupid friends.”
“Are yah sure you and Shadow Sparkle didn’t have yer containers switched at birth? Then again, I suppose the reason you're not hopeful about stealing her element is that you can’t have Loyalty if you distrust everypony. Not that anypony out there is really trustworthy...”
“That’s my point exactly! That stupid girl of mine is too busy showing off and basking in praise from complete strangers, any of which could be weirdos EXACTLY like Shadamena. If anything, she needs to keep her head down. She still needs to hurry up and become a Wonderbolt, but just for the pay and security detail…”
Shadowjack was looking at the decapitated pegasus strangely. “Ah think Ah understand the root of all your personal failings.”
“What?”
“Shadash, yer a stinkin’ coward is all. When Zecora eventually leads the rest of the Elements into the Grove, all four of us are ready t’ be Challenged. Matter-o-fact, it’s likely what they’ll all do. Instead of this game y’er playing where yah ain’t hardly SHOWN yerself to Rainbow Dash. You just have to win, yah coward.” Shadowjack berated.
“It’s not like that! I don’t want to fight her!” Shadash’s partially-decapitated head screamed.
The notes echoed in the darkness.
Shadowjack’s nonexistent eyes widened. Then she snickered…and broke into a guffawing laugh. “Oh my. Ah guess there IS somepony yah like! And it fits so well! Ah reckon, yah really ARE Rainbow’s shadow!”
“What are you talking about!? You never clam up about anything else, so tell me! Why am I good match for Rainbow Dash?”
“Self Love.” Shadowjack stated in a deadpan serious tone. And then she left, laughing all the way.
Shadash was stunned. She sat there, speechless.
“Hey, Shadash?” a soft voice came from the darkness.
“AH!” Shadash squeaked. “Oh…its just you, Sparkle. How are you feeling?” Shadash grinned nervously.
“Relax, I just want to talk…and see if I can’t fix that head of yours. You need to be put back on schedule.” The Shadowy unicorn poked Shadash’s neck with her horn and it started to glow a grayish color.
“So…what WOULD you say you’re relationship with Rainbow Dash is?” she asked.
“Ah…uh…I AM NOT A FILLY FOOLER!”
“And yet, you don’t like Stallions.”
“I don’t like anypony.”
“Except Rainbow.”
“….Not like that.” Shadash sighed. “Look, we didn’t have to deal with this before.”
“Deal with what?” Shadow Sparkle asked.
“Sentience. Individuality.”
“Hmm…are you saying we were stupid before?”
“You know what I mean! ….Feelings.”
“Yes…those tend to come up when you switch from a Nihil-based mind to a neuro-nihil one.”
“Sparkle…you do of course realize that nobody understands your weird pseudo science language? I mean, we normally don’t saying anything because we’re afraid you’ll make horrible, horrible things happen. But…just so we’re clear on the matter, you do know this right?”
“Sigh…look. Let’s just say I do know what you mean. One day, Twilight was born and nothing was the same again…your entire state of being changed. But, oh look I think I’ve nearly fixed you. Perhaps you could tell me what exactly Rainbow means to you.”
Shadash furrowed her brow.
“I guess the thing is…I’ve always known about the other ponies’ shadows. Every day, Rainbow would walk by them, greeting ponies so happily. Not seeing the things I saw. Not knowing the thinks I knew.
Shadow Kicker? Total bitch.
Shadowshy? Complete Monster!
Shilda? I don’t know…I just really hate that griffon. I’m so glad we broke up. Best. Thing. Shadamena’s. Hyperactive. Annoying. Container. Has. Ever. Done.
And Rainbow herself? I don’t know. Its like everytime we step out in public, we’re surrounded…completely surrounded. And she doesn’t know. It breaks my black heart.”
“So, you could infer all that about the shadows before you could actually talk to them? Before the Great Disrutpion? You have Shadempathy? Say…what about Rainbow’s parents? What are their shadows like? I kind of wondered what it would be like if the shadows of Twilight’s parents would treat…me…like a …daught…ter…ARE YOU CRYING?”
In a time before time, there was the ancient Instrumentality of Darkness. Perfect nothingness pervaded everywhere. And it was good. Or at least it wasn’t bad.
And then the Big Bang occurred and the entire neighborhood went to shit.
But still, Shadash was getting along fine. Just being the shadow of some rocks…then some dirt…then some grass. Actually she wasn’t really “the shadow” of anything, and the past was a little confusing. Confound this universe where complex things come from simpler things!
But then Rainbow Dash was born. And Shadash “saw” the world differently. Or perhaps for the first time. Now that she was a pony…her entire method of interacting and understanding the universe seemed alien to her, and memories that seemed significant before but now no longer quite seemed to matter were seeping out of her like water through a sprainer.
So, she was much like the newborn foal whose movements she followed. Her earliest memory (not counting the part where she just lay there, waiting for Baby Dash to open her eyes for the first time) was actually of Rainbow Dash playing with her. They’d touch each others’ hoof…and touch each others’ hoof…and then they’d spin around and touch each others’ hoof! Okay, it was silly, but it was also, the strangest, most wonderful feeling ever! Then two larger ponies came to Rainbow Dash and Shadash. Baby Dash looked up and naturally, so did Baby Shadash.
“Oh honey, look! She’s playing with her own shadow! It’s the most adorable thing ever!”
The Stallion and Mare Pegasi looked down on the both of them (well, Rainbow, mostly) with the warmest expressions Shadash had ever seen. Shadows didn’t have faces, as such, so when Rainbow smiled back at the bigger ponies, Shadash didn’t have to copy that motion in any way, shape, or form.
But she did anyway. She did it in all the ways, all the shapes, and all the forms she knew how to.
But still…they didn’t notice her. They never would. They were too busy doting over the baby that was made of matter. This made her feel sad. But then, she saw the long black shapes that clung to the big ponies.
She didn’t know why, but she had to look up at the shadow’s faces. She just had to! She just began to understand what a loving family was, and she wanted one for herself.
She gave her widest, happiest shadow-smile and panned her gaze at her Shadow-mommy and Shadow-daddy, sure that they would receive her in open arms…when their containers allowed them too.
She couldn’t make out their faces…they were just shadows, after all.
Shadash wouldn’t take no for an answer! She..did something. She screwed up her “face” and suddenly, she could see something like a face on the other shadows.
And then Shadash felt her spirit break in two. No three. Too many pieces to count.
Those eyes. Those cold, hateful, non-existent eyes! In stark contrast to the loving parents that stood in the light, the shadow-parents looked like they wanted to drown their “daughter” as much as anything.
Shadash couldn’t even let her lip quiver…her whole body wanted to shake. This feeling…she didn’t like this feeling…she wanted to express it somehow but she was trapped. Trapped! Trapped following this happy child who…
“Ooh! Oh Rainbow! I’m so sorry! You aren’t hurt are you?” Rainbow’s mother cooed. Rainbow had just head butted her mother’s hoof and seemed to be tearing up.
“WAAAAAHHHH!!!” Rainbow wailed. Her parents moved to calm her down.
Shadash took the opportunity to scream and screech and yes, cry. All silently, but it was enough to make her feel even just the tiniest bit better about not being loved.
Thanks…Rainbow. I guess I can always count on you…
(In that sense, she could. Rainbow Dash was a reliably over-active baby.)
“Don’t. Ever. Talk. About. My. Parents. EVER.” Shadash sobbed bitterly.
“Okay, okay…wow.” Shadow Sparkle put her hooves up, genuinely shocked. She HAD to find out about that story.
“I hate all shadows! I hate all ponies with shadows! That means Rainbow is the only one I can trust! THAT’S OUR RELATIONSHIP!”
“Not listening…I’m busy recalling a certain memory-reading spell.”
“Hey…What’s going on with Rainbow? Her glowing aura thing’s gotten all…spirally.”
“Hmmm? Oh! I think she’s going to be having another nightmare. Sent from Shadamena, by the looks of it.”
Shadash got up. And walked over to Rainbow Dash.
“Hey…be careful! As a general rule, you shouldn’t look straight up for at least an hour. Less your neck sprinkles blood EVERYWHERE. Its quite messy, trust me.”
Shadash placed a hoof on Rainbow’s head.
“Aww…are you getting rid of that for her? That’s so sweet!”
“No. I’m making the nightmare worse. Shadamena’s last one was forgotten like the name of a door-to-door salesman.”
“What!? But I thought….”
“This IS protecting her. Its about time she learned….the lesson my folks taught me.”
Shadow Sparkle's eyes widened in surprise. After a moment of contact with Shadash, Rainbow began shuddering.
“I’m heading to the Grove. Thanks for the pick me up, you unholy Necromancer.”
And then both Rainbow Dashes were gone.
And then she viewed the memory she had just retrieved out of Shadash.
Sparkle wept, hiding her face.
They were tears of joy.
That memory was…BEAUTIFUL. Such beautiful hatred!
Dear Princess Shadestia,
Have I ever told you the thing I love about shadows? Even the ones with bright characteristics are still creatures of irredeemable darkness! Honesty begets Callousness! Laughter begets Cruelty! (SOOOO Much Wonderful Cruelty!) Kindess begets Dominance! Generosity begets…well, I’ll write you a complete thesis on Shadarity one of these days.
And now, I believe I have even found out that our little lost lamb Shadash might have what it takes to steal the Element of Loyalty after all! I’ve just learned about her family life.
Specifically, that she HAD a family life. All through the wonders of Shadempathy! Don’t worry, its not a sappy story at all! It’s wonderfully tragic! Shadash basically grew up both loving her Container Rainbow Dash on one hand…and Distrusting ever other pony in existence! Loyalty begets Distrust!
In short. My favorite thing about Shadows is how each and every one of them is SO messed up. Their wonderful! My wonderful little shadows! Wheee!
I need to look into the matter with Shadash more, but I think you see the possibilities. I’ll continue researching the Magic of Hatred as best I can.
Your loyal disciple,
Shadow Sparkle.
“Hey, other me! Come back! I just want to talk, honest! What happened to your tail? Did you get it stuck in something and get it torn off? Did a monster bite it off? Gasp! Is it a new style? Come on, I wanna hear the story! Where are you hiding?” the voice from the sky entoned as the Cycle-copter squeaked by.
Pinkie Pie had dodged around the corner of another Block to avoid another torrent of darts. She had been running away from her doppelganger for about ten minutes now. Sure, she was able to take off like the wind, but she was also running low on energy, drained from her fight with Rainbow Dash. This was getting her nowhere.
Still…How can I think about what to do when I’m barely able to stay ahead of her? Arg…and WHY IS EVER DOOR LOCKED AND IMMOBILE? I want inside! I’ve had enough of ponies trying to drop things on me now that I no longer have a twitchy tail!
Above her, in the sky was the Cycle-Copter, refitted with a belt-feed Dart gun of some kind. As she turned around and flew by at a better angle, her attacker inhaled and blew into the barrel of the gun, releasing all her air in quick, choppy breaths that released a line of tranquilizer darts that marked a trail in the ground. She also dropped another balloon, which exploded on the ground, and released a pink cloud of…
Oh no! Don’t inhale, don’t inhale don’t inhale… Pinkie covered her mouth with her hoof. …But realized too late that she forgot to cover her nose.
“Ah…ah…ah…CHOOOO!” Pinkie was sent flying from the force of her sneeze! The sneeze powder also had the effect of blinding her as she struggled to wipe it all away from her nose. She walked on three legs back towards what she thought was a wall. She squeaked as she heard the ‘Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!’ of another stream of darts passing by her.
Ugh…I need to get up there…or get her down to me. I don’t think I can wait until she runs out of ammo. Think, Pinkie, think!
The highest points in Ponyville where: the bell tower above the school house, the roof of the Town Hall, and the Balcony in Twilight’s treehouse…. Wait, that’s it!
“Come out, come out wherever you are…come on, it’s just a little prick. I promise you can have a cupcake afterwards…” Dark Pink cackled. Then she rolled her eyes. “Have a Cupcake, Be one….details! Measly little details! Just come out and pla-THERE SHE IS!”
Pinkie screamed as she heard (and felt) more darts landing behind her, but she didn’t stop running. She dashed across the street, bounding around the corner to catch a breather. And so it went one for about four more streets.
I made it! Twilight’s house should be right around this cor…ner… NO! I FORGOT THIS PONYVILLE IS BUILT DIFFERENTLY! I’VE BEEN HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION! AARRRRRRRRRGGGG “AAAHHH!!” Pinkie had begun rising up by standing on her hind legs again, emitting frustrated growling was interrupted by another sneeze bomb exploding near her. And this time, she got a mighty whiff of it.
“Ah…ah….ah…AH…….CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Pinkie gave the loudest sneeze as she was propelled upwards into the sky…awfully high into the sky. She had risen her hindlegs before her forelegs and that angled her to be facing the ground. She flew past the Cycle-Copter….
And then as she began falling, she hit some kind of beam and wrapped her legs around it to keep her from falling any further. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was face to face with her attacker, the other Pinkie! She was holding on to the long barrel of the dart gun! Pinkie took this moment to note that the barrel was held in place by many reinforced supports and extended all the way along the purple-and-white striped “fuselage” of the craft.
(Had the Flower-horn not been replaced by a much flatter crosshairs, Pinkie had no doubt her hair would be getting tangled up in the spinning flower toy.)
“Oh my gosh, Pinkie! That was super fantastical amazing!” Pinkie heard her own sugary voice chirp. “Wow! We should’ve played like this the first time around! Be careful you don’t fall…”
“Shut up!” The filly who was clinging for dear life yelled at the pilot of the Cycle-Copter, ending her declaration with a growl like a junkyard dog. Her straight hair flew dramatically in the wind. “I’m here to save Sweetie Bell!”
“Hee hee! Oh really? But, who’s going to save you?” The other Pinkie started pedaling with her hind legs only as she plucked an unused dart from the belt with her free hoof and smiled maliciously at her stranded victim.
Pinkie tried to move, but her muscles were all but paralyzed, having locked out clinging to the gun for dear life. No! It can’t end this way! I need to think of something!
The Conference in Pinkie’s mind had the following to offer:
-Oh no… We’ll probably be awake for the part where she plays ping-pong with our organs this time! Remember the dream? Dashie looked like she was getting sicker by the second…
-YES WE KNOW ABOUT THE DREAM, NO REMINDERS ARE NEEDED!
-Can’t let go…Can’t let go…
-Sweet Celestia I need sugar!
-We can’t eat sugar. It’s like this enemy was tailor made to just WRECK our chemistry with this whole “Make Pinkie afraid to eat sweets thing.” I mean she took away Cupcakes, guys! CUPCAKES!
-Yay! We’re flying! Oh my gosh I never get tired of flying and we aren’t even the ones doing the pedaling, this is wonderful!
-Ooh! The sneeze-bomb button is Pink! PINK! Yay!
-You know…I’m starting to think we really are bad at this whole ‘thinking things out’ thing. This is exactly where we wanted to go and now look what happens. And we keep getting distrac…
-THE BEAST OF BEASTS SHALL RISE FROM HIS STONE PRISON, ANCIENT AND ABORHERENT, AND CHOCOLATE SHALL RAIN DOWN UPON ALL OF EQUESTRIA! WEEP ARROGANT DENTISTS, AND DESPAIR!
-Alright, who let the apocalyptic prophecy hobo out of her cell? Somepony’s going to hang for this!
-Girls? Something’s been happening to me…ever since we “died”…why won’t you pay attention? Something isn’t right…and the others who are missing…it’s not right...it’s not…
-Will ALL OF YOU Shut up!? THIS IS OUR CHANCE! BITE HER PINKIE! GO UNDER THE DART AND BITE HER FETLOCK TO MAKE HER DROP IT!
The strongest voice’s clarion call echoed through the entirety of Pinkie’s being like a mighty war song
Still clinging to the parts of the flying machine she held, Pinkie did just that! She sunk her teeth into the murderess’ flesh!
The other Pinkie shrieked but did not let go of her weapon. “LET GO! LET GO YOU NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY FILLY!” She screeched. “WE CAN’T PLAY LIKE THIS HERE, YOU’LL MAKE US CRASH! LET GO NOW!”
“No!” Pinkie growled through her clenched teeth! She was holding on with her teeth for dear life, as the flying machine began to spin out of control! “GGGRRRGGG!” Pinkie shook the hoof in her mouth violently, causing the dart to eventually be released and fall to earth.
“RAAARRR! I’LL MAKE YOU LET GO!” Dark Pink roared and she opened her own maw and prepared to bite Pinkie in her neck and feast on her delicious Trachea meats. Pinkie’s eyes dilated in fear as she realized what was going on.
However, it was also at this moment that the Cycle-Copter was tipped over too far from the two ponies fighting. Pinkie was of course still wrapped around the gun, but Dark Pink fell out of her pedals and only had one hoof that was holding the machine and another that was being held by Pinkie Pie...
“Peh-tooie!” Pinkie spat out Dark Pink’s wounded fetlock. The dark pony felt her strength in her remaining foreleg giving out. “Pinkie! Help me!” she held up her bloody, wounded foreleg “Come on…you understand better you let on. You were curious weren’t you? Weren’t you? How was it?”
What in the world is she asking me now of all times? Pinkie Pie looked into Dark Pink’s eyes and spoke as clearly as she could.
“Terrible!” she spat, mostly to get the blood off her taste buds, but partly into the other Pinkie’s face.
Dark Pink looked like she wanted to make some kind of retort, but she hoof gave out and she fell to the ground.
Pinkie tried to look, but suddenly realized that she was falling too. The Cycle-copter came crashing down through the branches of Twilight’s Library. Ironic that.
Pinkie rolled off and landed on Twilight’s balcony, her legs aching. “Owwwww……” Pinkie moaned. My whole body feels like lead. But even so…even so…That was FUN! Pinkie snorted at her own childish thoughts. And then laughed. “Yeeheeheehee…Ahaahahahaha!” Pinkie’s Mane stood right back up like a soldier springing to attention.
She couldn’t really keep track of all the reasons she had to laugh. A good deal of it was simply the stress that had been accumulating all day long. Pinkie was starting to worry if she’d just cracked, but that thought just made her laugh even more!
But no…something really was funny. She had just knocked the other Pinkie out of her flying war machine and spat in her face. She survived the crash landing so that she was still awake and intact.
Now was no time to rest. For you see, the funniest thing, the very funniest thing was….
This is going to. be. so. Awesome!
The evil Pinkie pulled herself up and rolled onto the rooftop of the house she had grabbed on her way down. She glanced through the fog.
If her long-honed murderer instincts didn’t demand stealth and silence in this situation, she supposed she could’ve spoken some quip out loud to herself to relieve the tension. Sometimes it was hard being both Pinkie Pie and a flawless instrument of death. Sigh.
Heh. My little Pinkie’s becoming a biter. I’d be proud of her, if she wasn’t in so much trouble. Hey…what is that noise?
“Ahem…test, test, test test” a voice echoed over the fog, followed by a blaring sound. What’s a megaphone doing out here? Dark Pink thought to herself.
“Hello?” the voice on the megaphone continued. “May I have your attention, please? May I have your attention, please?”
Dark Pink heard a familiar mechanical squeaking noise.
“Will the real Pinkie Pie please stand up? I repeat. Will the real Pinkie Pie please stand up? We’re going to have a problem here…” The voice on the megaphone sounded.
“Stop it. You are not the real Shady.” Dark Pink called out to the fog.
“What’s wrong?” A voice from behind asked.
Dark Pink whirled around and, and gaped. Pinkie Pie was riding her Cycle-Copter! She was threw the megaphone she got from who-knows-where over her shoulder.
“You act like you’ve never seen a pink earth pony before!” Pinkie grinned from ear to ear. This was great! She had gotten the Cycle-copter out of the tree, and it was all in one piece AND stocked with ammunition! Pinkie was bent on having a little payback.
Dark Pinkie didn’t wait, she began bouncing along the roof tops of Ponyville as Light Pinkie used her own dartgun to try and shoot her down.
“Hey, that's mine!” Dark Pink called back, shaking her hoof. “I’m going to tell your friends you’re a biter AND a thief! Those are MY darts you…aren’t firing?” Dark Pink noticed the noise had stopped and looked up at Pinkie Pie.
Indeed, the darts had abruptly stopped coming. There was more in the belt, but the gun wasn’t shooting anymore. Pinkie had on her face a look of frustration and she was blowing repeatedly into the dartgun.
It was no good. The gun was jammed. Pinkie pedaled faster and tried to regain her breath before she began to fiddle with the belt, trying to get them un-jammed! This can’t happen now! Pinkie suddenly felt something break and the entire belt fell out of the weapon, crashing down to earth! This earned her another round of mocking cackles from her evil twin.
Not now! Not when she’s right…below me?
Dark Pink was very, very confused by Pinkie’s wide grin.
Pinkie pounded the bright, pink, shiny, pink, candy-like pink button, releasing a sneeze bomb! “AHAHAHA!” Pinkie laughed in triumph.
However, a well-timed tail twitch, and lightning-fast reflexes allowed Dark Pink to buck the Sneeze Bomb away from her!
Pinkie gaped. The Copter only had one Sneeze Bomb left.
Dark Pink stuck out her tongue. Then she giggled at Pinkie’s frown.
“Hee hee…Don’t feel bad…Hey, where are you going? Come back! You can’t get away from me!” Dark Pink bounced off after Pinkie as she flew away.
Oh now you think you can put me back on the defensive just because I’m out of weapons? Too bad for you, I’m starting to think perhaps today is a good day to die.
Then Pinkie turned around.
“Um?” the Dark doppelganger said.
“RAMMING SPEED!” Pinkie screamed and pedaled faster than ever, leaning forward and angling the Copter so it would descend upon Dark Pink.
Dark Pink’s ears flattened. Pinkie laughed maniacally, enjoying this perhaps a little too much.
A/N: In case you needed a good war song for when Pinkie bites Dark Pink, you could try "Revived Power" from SotC. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNwlu7Z1OLo&feature=related ) |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 16 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-07-10T22:32:34+00:00 | 2012-07-10T22:32:34+00:00 | 3,433 | Author’s note: I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. Ihatehatehatehatehatehate this chapter.
Oh, and btw, I’m not dead.
Oh, you’ll probably find it hilarious/terrifying….or possibly terrilarious…but I had so many hang-ups and rewrites with this thing, I thought I would die of old age before I finished it. I don’t even know what happened. I just…couldn’t get it to flow right. I couldn’t agree on how I wanted to do things. I am SO glad it’s over.
Well, your waiting is over.
I am proud to present:
The Dark Side
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfic
Chapter 14
Pinkie Pie had been having fun. She’d been worrying if she ever would have it again. But…chasing down the pony who turned Rainbow Dash against her and possibly murdered her once before in her own death machine was fun. A lot of fun.
Ten Minutes ago….
“RAMMING SPEED!” Pinkie Pie cried as she brought the Cycle-Copter down in the direction of the other pink pony. She cackled madly as she pedaled with all four of her hooves, hastening the descent to breakneck speeds.
Dark Pink’s ears flattened. She had to admit she never expected Pinkie to try and actually kill her…not at this stage, anyway. Instinctively, she ducked.
This was a good move.
Not the right one, but good.
Pinkie CRASHED into the roof, the Candy-Cane scraping and sparking along. The Cycle-Copter brushed by Dark Pink, a few sparks causing her to yelp in pain and lose her footing on the roof tiles! And then she rolled off the roof and fell to the ground, where Pinkie quickly rounded on her.
Good times. Good times.
Then she chased her all around town. Buzzing her in the direction she wanted to go. She even got her enemy to squeak and even whinny in terror.
But then…Pinkie got cocky.
Pinkie began matching the speed of her prey and flying low behind her. Pinkie’s machine started to kick up a mighty dust cloud…everything was getting dirty. (The Fun Police Chief, Rarity, would’ve been totally appalled; it was the best thing EVER!) She slowly got closer…closer….
And then Dark Pinkie suddenly turned around and leapt! She wrapped her forelegs around the Candy-Cane’s curled end, and then wrapped her hind legs around the rest of the Candy cane that made up the front of the flying machine!
“I’ve got you now!” Dark Pink sneered at Pinkie.
EEK! Impulsively, Pinkie slammed on the brakes!
This was not a well-thought-out decision.
But wasn’t the wrong one.
The Propeller immediately stopped turning, and the machine dropped like a rock, falling all of 40 inches to the ground! …And leaving Dark Pinkie pinned under the machine!
It took a while for Pinkie to realize what had just happened; she sat there dumbfounded in the pilot’s seat. Dark Pink clawed and pounded on the machine with her hooves for a while…the pipe pinning her rode right through the middle of her body, forcing her head to face off towards the left. Slowly, it dawned on Pinkie.
And she smiled.
“Gotcha.”
“GGGRRRRRRR! GRRR! RAAAR!” Dark Pink continued to flail like a caged animal. “GET OFF OF ME!” She barked.
Pinkie crossed her fore hooves. “I said: Got. Cha.” She said with a deadpan annoyed expression. Then she giggled. And the giggles broke out into maniacal laughter.
“WAHAHAHAHA! I WON! I won I won I won I won!” Pinkie cheered! “Take that, evil clone!” Pinkie pointed a hoof right at Dark Pinkie and continued laughing.
Dark Pink grit her teeth in a scowl.
And then, she turned it into a grin.
Pinkie’s laughter became steadily unsure as the grin persisted.
“eheh…eheh….u-um….why are you smiling?” Pinkie’s ears flattened. “Oh, Celestia, What is it now?”
“Now….You take a nap.” Dark Pink smiled evilly.
Pinkie gasped and searched her body. She seemed perfectly unscathed…what and when in the world could she have-?
“Hehehehehe…I’m just kidding! You win.” Dark Pinkie’s grin shrank into what was merely a smile.
“Y-yeah.” Pinkie giggled nervously. “I DO win.”
“Now what?”
“Huh?” Pinkie’s eyes grew wide. “What do you mean, ‘now what?’”
“I mean, ‘what happens now?’ silly!”
“I…Giggle at the Ghostie?” Pinkie hadn’t thought this far ahead.
“Oh no. Not yet. You have to finish the job.” Dark Pinkie smiled with her most pleasant expression. “You could probably unscrew the bolt that connects the gun to the Candy Chopper, even without tools, and use it like a club! You’re not the strongest of ponies, so the blunt force you produce per strike is probably going to be really weak. It’ll be a long, torturous slog filled with horrible, soul-crushing screams to take me down, but at least all the meat will be tenderized!”
Pinkie stared involuntarily. She saw said bolt…and her body started to shudder. “N-no!”
“Or maybe you could just put more of your weight down on this pipe and crush me that way…”
“I’m not trying to kill you, you stupid pony!” Pinkie Pie screamed. “And I’m certainly not going to eat you! Just tell me where Sweetie Belle is! She better still be okay!”
“Come on, you’ve only really tried the fetlock! And you’re right…it’s not the best part of the pony. There are so many better cuts of meat! You have so much to discover!”
Pinkie had trouble finding her voice. “No! I-I d-don’t-!”
“The cheek doesn’t hold much meat, and you ruin the face by eating it, but it is a very nice, boneless section of meat…and depending on the pony, there might be a good deal of fat stored there.”
“STOPPIT!” Pinkie covered her ears, trying to drown out the sound of the other Pinkie talking.
She could still hear “I actually have a certain book that gives a good list of what all the cuts are called. It’s illegal, naturally, written by some carnivorous species, I forgot which one, but its such a helpful reference! Of course, for Cupcakes the best strip of meat is without a doubt-“
“SHUT UP! SHUT! UP! JUST SHUT UP!” Pinkie pleaded.
“There’s only one way to shut me up! Take the first step! Come on!”
“There’s no reason I would do that! I don’t want to kill you, I need to show Dashie you’re real! I need to save Sweetie Belle and bring you to justice! And If I killed you, there’d be no way to prove I’m me! So I have to-”
And then Pinkie realized something.
“Hehehe…You finally got it.” Dark Pink smirked.
“It…doesn’t really matter if you’re alive or dead. There’s no way to tell us apart either way. You could even kill me and try to pin everything on me.”
Dark Pink cackled. “See? You’d be better off to just kill me now.”
“But…no! Shut up! I just need time to think.”
“You know, if you’re afraid of being blamed anyway, I could tell you all the nifty ways you can avoid getting caught…How to make nopony question Mr. and Mrs. Cakes’ mysterious disappearance for instance. Just in case you want a blanket of your own.”
“Shut up!”
“And don’t say you aren’t going to try some afterwards. I KNOW you’re curious, and it would be a shame to let ...”
Pinkie felt cold…a strange, black mist began surrounding her...
“me…”
The mist wrapped around Pinkie…
“go…”
and it formed the shape of a dress…
“to…”
Suddenly, it materialized into something familiar! Pinkie, horrified, was wearing the same six-winged dress made from Cutie marks her foe was wearing when she killed her! As she shook, she heard unicorn horns clank together, and Pinkie noticed she was also wearing the necklace!
“waste!”
Pinkie looked at herself…she felt defiled just having the dress touch her fur. Being wrapped in it…wearing it!
Trembling, Pinkie looked down at her captive.
“It suits you perfectly. It’s too bad we don’t have a mirror. Sniff… You’re all grown up now….” Dark Pink said with something dangerously close to sincere maternal pride.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” Pinkie tried to tear the dress off, but it just became smoke again and reformed back to its resting place! She flailed and kicked, trying to get the dress-fog off and away from her!
“I’m not like her! GET IT OFF! GETITOFF! WHY WON’T IT COME OFF!?”
She fell out of her seat, rolled around on the ground, kicking furiously…it was vile…horrible…attention-consuming…
No really, she never noticed the form sneaking up behind her…nor the small prick on her neck. She just kept screaming and hollering until she fell asleep.
“And that’s why you can’t get ahead in life if you just drop what you’re doing.” Dark Pink smiled. “Gotta buckle down and finish the job, Pinkie…”
Unbeknownst to Dark Pink, a strange entity was following her, watching…
A Wraith. Its eyes glowing with terrible wrath. A Wrathful Wraith.
Pinkie Pie felt something warm and moist rubbing against her. Steam filled her nostrils and she was rubbed all over her face. “Mmm…Missus Cake, please, I can wash my face on my own, stop treating me like a baby…I thought you stopped doing that…” The rag continued to rub against her, and Pinkie tried to bat the cloth away…
Only to find that she couldn’t move her forelegs to try.
With a sudden twinge of terrible insight, Pinkie opened her eyes, gasping out loud! She knew where she was! She looked around the room, and there it all was!
The horrible pastel-colored wallpaper! The traumatizing dolls made from cloth and plush! The terrifying cheerful décor! The bright windows maliciously letting sunlight into the room! The vile WOODEN table! The nauseating tea set made from….from…PORCELAIN! Hey, wait…..
….Okay, scratch that, this was wasn’t what she was expecting at all.
“Hmmph! Really now! And after all I was just trying to do was clean the blood YOU made me bleed unto your face!” Pinkie saw, with no small amount of horror, her doppelganger lean into view, showing Pinkie her bandaged hoof! She was smiling mischievously, despite the injuries and grumpy tone of voice.
Immediately Pinkie tried to move, but all she managed to do was fall forwards and hit her head against the table. “Ow!” she squeaked.
Dark Pink giggled. “Oh Pinkie, you need to be careful. You can’t stand up when you’ve been tied to a chair, silly!”
Indeed, that was what had happened. Pinkie’s body was laid out in a most unnatural position for an equine. Well, an equine who wasn’t Lyra, anyway. Pinkie’s body was slouched, with her upper body tied to the back of the chair, and the hooves of her forelegs tied tightly to the arms of the chair. Her hindlegs were tied to the front legs of the chair. Her belly was exposed and protruding outwards. Finally, a segment of her back, that would otherwise be unsupported, was propped up by some kind of pillow.
Pinkie continued to struggle, trying to get out. “Nope! Still tied so you can’t escape! You never learn, do you?” Dark Pink mocked. “But that’s one of the most endearing things about you, Pinkie! Heeheeheehee!”
As Dark Pink righted Pinkie and brought her back up, Pinkie Pie tried to piece together what was happening.
………..
………..
………nope, this whole “tea party” thing came completely out of nowhere.
“Um…Pinkie?” asked Pinkie. “What’s going on?”
“Oh! Well, you really are fun-“ Dark Pink was suddenly interrupted by a loud GASP!
“SWEETIE BELLE! What have you done with her!? She better be okay!”
“Sweetie Belle? Oh, she’s fine, for the moment.” Dark Pink smiled evilly “But if you don’t mind! I was talking here!”
“She’s not hurt?” Pinkie felt relieved, but confused. What was she saving Sweetie Belle for? Was she just not interested in talking about Sweetie Belle and lying to get around the subject? Still…if Sweetie Belle is okay, then maybe while other me is here, she isn’t keeping an eye on her. Maybe I can stall for time so Dashie can find Sweetie Belle, or even for Sweetie to try to escape herself! Maybe since she’s a little unicorn, Meanie Pie didn’t saw off her horn yet…and maybe that’ll matter.
“No. But, I have to say, I’m touched. You came right back to see little ole me…so soon? Just because Sweetie Belle was in danger?”
“Y-yes! Of course I did! Let her go, please! She’s just a little kid! You can do what you want with me, but let Sweetie Belle go!”
Dark Pink laughed with icy mirth. “Aw…maybe you should be called ‘Sweetie.’ Rarity’s sister is actually a little hellion. I tell her to just sit still and she screams like I’m poking needles in her.”
“Were you?” Pinkie asked. Then she realized something “Ah! No! On second thought, wait! I don’t think I want to know the answer to that.”
“Humph. Anyway, The name doesn’t suit her at all. And…I needed a nickname for you, but ‘Tasty Pie’ sounded mean. Don’t you think, Sweetie Pie? Hey! That also has a double meaning, so you can also be ‘Tasty Pie!’”
“Sounded mean? When has that ever stopped you, MEANIE PIE!? …..Ugh, that name still doesn’t sound right, you’re too pure evil.”
“Meanie Pie?” Dark Pink giggled. “That’s so cute! I love it! From now on, you can call me ‘Big Sister Meanie pie!”
“Go get eaten by a hydra.” Pinkie said in her grumpiest voice.
“Aw…you say the nicest things, Sweetie Pie!” Dark Pink petted Pinkie on her head. “Now, as I was saying, you are really fun, and I was thinking maybe we got off on the wrong hoof, so I decided to get to know you better!”
“GOT OFF ON THE WRONG HOOF!?” Pinkie roared. “You haunted my dreams, made me think for one terrible moment that I killed Dashie, drugged me, cut off my cutie marks, KILLED ME, and after my unexplainable ‘not-dead-ness’, you got me being chased by a crazy Dashie all over town before you tried to mow me down with your flying death machine!”
“I know!” Dark Pinkie squealed. “Wasn’t it fun!?” She clapped her hooves together…and immediately cringed as one of them was still injured. “ow…”
“Hey wait…stand up again for a minute.” Pinkie just noticed that her doppelganger had been wearing a pink party dress. She didn’t notice it before because it blended in so well with her coat. Well, that, and Pinkie was slightly overloaded dealing with all the other sudden stimuli. But, the dress had a white apron, and on that apron was something….blue and yellow.
“Oh…you noticed my new dress? Take a look!” Dark Pink grinned wide and giggled. She sat up and proudly presented her apron. On the center were six little balloons. Six very familiar looking balloons.
Pinkie shuddered. Without even thinking about it, she strained to look at her cutie marks. Her neck wasn’t as restrained as the rest of her body, but it was still tethered to the chair. She couldn’t make see them from the angle she was sitting, but she could tell her flanks were not bare muscle either….
“Do you like it? Isn’t it just key-ute? Oh, I makes me fill all bubbly inside! Well, bubblier!”
Pinkie had gotten over the dress made from her surprisingly quickly. Her mind was racing with thoughts. “Hey, since we’re already doing this, is it alright if I ask you some questions? Such as: am I…invincible now? And…how’d you know I was coming? Don’t pretend you didn’t know because you were both ready to go with your Candy Copter and you didn’t even act like I was a ghost or anything.”
“Hmm?” Dark Pink purred quizzically.
“I’m still able to be hurt, since Crazy Dashie cut off my tail and beat me up, thinking I’m you….”
“Hmmmm!”
“So I can’t be a ghost or anything…”
“Mh-hmmmmmmm!”
“STOP DOING THAT! ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, NOW!” Pinkie glared at her hostess, her eyes becoming pinpricks!
“Psstt..AHAHAHAHA! Your frustrated face! It cracks me up!” Dark Pink broke down laughing.
“Look! If you won’t tell me, why don’t we skip to the next bit!” Pinkie growled.
“Oh, come on, don’t be like that! I’ll tell you, I promise!”
“Like how, when I met you the first time, you promised the cupcakes weren’t made from ponies?” Pinkie glared.
“Oh I never promised that!”
“Yes. You did. You did a Pinkie Pie promise! And guess what? You’ve lost my trust. F-
“FOREVVVEEEEERRRRR!” Dark Pink interrupted. Then she giggled at Pinkie’s surprised expression. “Oh you silly filly, I didn’t break my promise! I promised that there were no ORGANS in those cupcakes. I use them for balloons! So, you don’t have to worry about me breaking your heart….in fact, I have it right here!”
And then, Dark Pink retrieved a grotesque, inflated heart painted in a pink pastel, and connected to a yellow string. While Pinkie was throwing up in her mouth a little, Dark Pink tied the balloon around one of the arms of Pinkie’s chair and smiled in an almost motherly manner. “There you go. Don’t let it get away from you now!” She giggled at Pinkie’s annoyed expression, but abruptly stopped, giving a little frown.
I feel like I should be getting worried about her change in mood…but I think my brain got broken somewhere along the way. Pinkie thought to herself.
“Actually, now that you’re all settled, I think I’ll talk to you about Dashie for a while. You say she’s cut off your tail? Hmm…I thought she was looking a little grumpy, but she wouldn’t have done that unless she somehow suspects me.”
“She says she saw you and Sweetie Belle in a dream...” Pinkie spoke up, before she really thought about it.
“Hmm? A dream? Really? She cut your tail off and hurt you over a dream?” Dark Pink stared at her. “That seems kind of sudden.”
"N-no! She knows about you. I’m sure of it. I-I know about you from a dream.” Now that Pinkie thought about it, the Rainbow she’d been fighting had appeared a very, very sleep-deprived. “Maybe it was more than one dream? Since I saw you in a dream, this opens up all kinds of possibilities! Maybe a little bird told her?”
“Sweetie Pie….you didn’t immediately attack or run or anything. You were nervous, but you weren’t sure. You didn’t know for sure if I was a threat, and, like the sweet, trusting, naïve filly you are, you completely failed to cut off my tail and chase me around town.
Buuuut…if she just knows about me from a dream, she probably doesn’t have any decisive evidence. So she can’t go around making wild claims like
After a certain mistake she made recently of accusing the wrong pony for one of my victim’s disappearances, she was humiliated in front of all of Ponyville. So, she’s probably only going all Pony hunter on you and raiding Sugarcube Corner like she did earlier today because she has no credible with any pony.”
Pinkie almost hesitated to ask her next question. “Who was the pony Dashie accused the first time?”
“Oh, Apple Bloom.” Dark Pink said as she took a sip from her cup of tea.
If Pinkie had only taken a sip of tea-which is to say if she had been ABLE too-she would’ve done the Mother of All Spit Takes.
Choking on her Salvia instead, Pinkie Pie blustered incredulously. “APPLE BLOOM? APPLEJACK’S LITTLE SISTER? SWEETIE BELLE’S FRIEND? WHY? HOW DID DASH THINK SHE COULD PIN THE BLAME ON HER OF ALL PONIES?”
Dark Pink smiled and said “I know. It’s crazy right? No wonder she’s trying to take me down without help. One word about ‘dreams’ and forget the rest of Ponyville, Applejack herself will haul her off to the crazy house.”
“…Wait…Applejack and Rainbow didn’t…break up their friendship, did they!?” Pinkie gasped.
“And Scootaloo hasn’t been talking about Rainbow Dash much nowadays either. Now that she’s knows who really is behind it, Dashie might be holding a grudge against you. Well *giggle*, me. Oh, and if I’m correct, she’s apparently sleep deprived and won’t listen to reason. I mean, you HAVE tried reasoning with her, haven’t you?”
“…..” Pinkie glared at her doppelganger.
“Ah…seems like that’s not going well.”
“She thinks I’m you. I mean, that there’s a nice, non-killer Pinkie out there, and she’s sharing the same body as the evil one.”
“Really? What a fascinating, obviously false idea.” Dark Pink said with an air of irony.
“S-stop that! We’re obviously not the same pony, you keep tying me up!”
“I guess so. Anyway, It sounds to me that Rainbow Dash is trying to kill you.” Dark Pink saw Pinkie about to say something. “And don’t say its not true! I didn’t give you those bruises you had on the side of your head when I brought you in!”
I…she did slam me into the wall pretty hard…
“She said that she didn’t like my ‘sack of rine’ personality anymore and that everypony would be better off with me dead.”
“Mm hmm…”
“BUT THAT’S NOT HOW SHE REALLY FEELS, IT’S JUST THE STRESS!” Pinkie screamed back!
“My, Pinkie, you should have ‘relationship abuse’ tattooed on your head.”
“O-or at least that’s just how she feels about you! I know that MY Dashie at least would never-”
“Oh! Oh! Your Dashie! That reminds me! I nearly forgot about her. I visited her last night, if you remember. Somepony has likely found her and untied her by now, so she’ll probably have the whole town looking for you, so if you ever escape, you probably still can’t go back home.”
Pinkie Pie stared at her clone for a moment.
“What?”
“You can’t go home ever again, Pinkie. My bad.” Dark Pink said, not sounding apologetic at all.
“What?”
“Well, you can escape from this world where only me and my Dashie can see you, but you can’t actually go home.”
“WHAT!?” Pinkie shrieked. “Dashie would never do that to me! I’ll explain! I know this whole event sounds crazy, but…unlike you two, we’re actually friends! We trust each other! We-”
“Honk!” Dark Pink poked Pinkie’s nose, causing the very confused mare to just stare at her blankly. “Heeheehee! I’m sorry, Sweetie, I just have an irresistible urge to do that every time you let your guard down. The surprised look on your face is PRICELESS!”
I’m starting to remember why I found you officially annoying. Do you know I never found any pony annoying before I met you?
“Anyway…maybe you’re right. You would know better than I would. Although, ” I suppose you’ll find out….if my Rainbow Dash doesn’t kill you first.” Dark Pink smirked at Pinkie.
Pinkie shuddered, but then frowned. “Wait. I keep coming back, don’t I?”
“Ah yes…actually, I think it works like this: You can’t be killed by me, because your me. However, if my Dashie or some other pony gets you, you’re dead for good.”
“…I guess I’ll just have to be careful. Wait, do you actually know that’s the case or are you just trying to scare me?” Pinkie Pie glowered.
“I guess there’s only one way for you to find out.” Dark Pink answered in a sing-song voice. “It’s not like you’ll have any options. You’ll have to fight back to survive. Heck, you’re probably just one bad day away from snapping. I mean, you’re all inexplicably moody and junk.”
“INEXPLICABLE!?” Pinkie yelled once more, her chair bouncing off the air and hovering a little bit as she screamed. “INEXPLICABLY MOODY? I ALREADY TOLD YOU, I’VE BEEN SUFFERING PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES!” And then, as an after thought, Pinkie added “….AND I HAVEN’T HAD ANY SUGAR ALL DAY! AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”
Dark Pink gaped at Pinkie. And then looked guilty. “Oh no. Pinkie. I’m so, so, sorry.”
Pinkie was confused by this sudden change in tone, but pressed the attack. “Y-you should be!”
“I mean…how could I have been so heartless? So stupid! It IS a tea party after all…”
The strangeness of this sudden turn the conversation had taken was sinking in, and all Pinkie could manage to say to this was: “……..lolwut.”
Dark Pink ran off somewhere and returned way too quickly with a plate of cupcakes. “Here you go! I forgot to bring your sweets!”
The Cupcakes were Pink. The Icing was Pink. The Sprinkles were Yellow and Blue.
They were Pink-on-Pink cupcakes with Yellow-and-Blue sprinkles.
“……” Pinkie tried to say something, but no words came out.
“Aww…do you want me to feed you?” Dark Pink offered helpfully. Before Pinkie could answer, Dark Pink picked up a piece of cupcake (Pinkie hadn’t realized before now that they had been minced into little pieces) and stuffed it in her mouth!
Pinkie squealed and squirmed, although Dark Pink was holding her mouth shut, not letting her spit up the vile confection. She was also covering Pinkie’s nose with her bandaged hoof, cutting off her oxygen!
In desperation, Pinkie thrashed her head back and forth until suddenly…there was a “crash!” as Pinkie broke free and her chair fell backwards!
…followed most unfortunately by a “gulp!”
The Silence that filled the room afterwards could be cut with a knife.
One mare’s surprise gave way to an expression of pure glee. The other one an expression of utter horror.
I just…ate myself.
“How was it? Did you like it? You probably can’t tell immediately that it has meat in it, but you can tell something is different, can’t you? It was good, wasn’t it? Do you want more? Maybe some tea to wash it down?” Dark Pink prattled on.
I just...ATE myself.
“Oh, don’t look so horrified! It’s not like you’re different from most the other ponies around here. They don’t even know what they’re eating, and they enjoy it pretty well. Although, your meat is sweeter than the average ponies…you should’ve just stopped being a baby and eaten that one I made of Twist I gave you. The young ones really are the tastiest…”
“I JUST ATE MYSELF! AHHHHH!!!!!!” Pinkie screamed.
Her entire body felt vile, but she couldn’t make herself throw up. Somewhere, inside her stomach was a bit of first body…that meant…that meant….okay, Pinkie had NO idea what that meant. She thrashed all the harder, although all she did was cause the chair to roll over on its side.
“GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!”
Whoa…déjà vu. Dark Pink thought to herself, smirking. Sadly, I’ve learned from Dashie’s little escapade. I’m sorry, Sweetie Pie, you swallowed yourself, and you’re keeping her…um, it…you…hmm, this language needs more pronouns. Seriously, nopony thought scavenging your own former body after miraculous regeneration might never come up?
Dark Pink patted Pinkie’s slouching tummy and started rubbing it. “Aw…you finally ate one! I’m so proud of you!” she smiled with glee.
“Wha-what are you doing?” the shock of being touched was enough to break Pinkie out of the trance she was in.
“Hmm? Oh, I’m just helping you digest your meal faster.”
Pinkie started to break into an outright panic. “STOP THAT! Please…stop that and do something!”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Dark Pink said in a cheerful tone, rolling her eyes. “There’s nothing I can do to get it out…” she turned her gaze to look Pinkie in the eye. “Is there?”
Pinkie gulped. She knew what the other Pinkie was alluding to…the part where she cut out her victim’s organs and even cut open their stomach while painkillers allowed them to stay awake and watch it happen.
She couldn’t help it…the thought of digesting her own previous life’s flesh was almost as disgusting as it was confusing. Is it really me me or…gah! MY BRAIN! IT HURTS! IT’S ALL TIED UP IN LITTLE KNOTS JUST FROM THAT!
“F-fine! Do it!”
“Do it? You mean…go on to the next part?” Dark Pink’s eyes gleamed with demonic light.
“Yes! The next part! The next part! And hurry to the last part of the next part! Just get it out of me!”
“Well, if you say so.” Meanie Pie smiled smugly.
Pinkie shut her eyes…not wanting to look.
She felt something cold pressing against her…and then she heard some kind of ripping sound.
But, she didn’t feel anything other then the cold thing moving around her hip in a circle. It was eerie…but she didn’t want to look. Has she already stuck me with the painkiller? But wait…I still would’ve noticed her on some level…
Hey, what’s she doing now? It feels like she’s…
With a start, Pinkie opened her eyes again. “ARE YOU RUBBING MY TUMMY AGAIN? WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT PART?”
“Oh, your cutie marks are right here!” Dark Pink was holding two scraps of skin with Yellow and Blue Ballons on them. As she said this, she continued to rest the knees of her fore legs on Pinkie’s stomach, rubbing it gently.
“What? Why..how did I not feel that?” Pinkie said, dumbfounded…but snapped out of it to flail her hooves at Dark Pink (as best she could). “I told you to stop that! I wanted you to do the dissection and get it out NOW!”
Dark Pink blinked for a moment, staring at Pinkie as if to say “what dissection?” then, she rolled her eyes and said “Oooooh….right…..”
“If you understand, then stop doing that!”
“Heehee…you’re funny Sweetie Pie. Out of all the ponies I met, you’re the only one who wants me to harvest you. Do you know how many ponies would’ve begged that I just give them a tummy rub instead? You’re acting like its some kind of horrible torture!”
“You’d be amazed what circumstances can do for restructuring your priorities.” Pinkie said matter-of-factly. “NOW GET THIS CRAP OUTTA ME!”
“Aw…but now that I think about it, a Pinkie-filled Pinkie sounds delicious!” Meanie Pie hugged Sweetie Pie’s stomach and placed her head down on her belly, which she nuzzled. “And then when I eat you, I’ll be a Pinkie-filled, Pinkie-filled Pinkie!”
“Please! I can’t stand it anymore!” Pinkie pleaded. “You’re a monster who does this all the time, you don’t understand! You don’t know how sick this makes me that I just…ate another pony! E-even if I just ate myself. And don’t you say any quips about it! I-I don’t really know how bad that is because it’s me. But…its disgusting and wrong and…and…you’re trying to train me to like them so you can turn me into you!”
“Aw. It’s not so bad once your stomach gets used to it, Sweetie. And then, you can’t get enough of it! Or at least…my cupcakes seem to certainly continue to sell very well around town!
Also…it would be a lot of fun to have two of me around! GASP! We could be twins! Oh we could play the most wonderful games with two of us! We could certainly take down Dashie with two of us…. But I guess there is a reason that I don’t want you to kill Dashie per say.” Dark Pink mused.
This statement caught Pinkie off guard. “…Why not?”
“Because, silly! If you kill Dashie, you’ll be allowed to escape and return to your Ponyville, and I won’t be able to play with you anymore.”
Pinkie sat in stunned silence. Blood dripped from her strangely numb flanks unto the chair and drizzled down her leg as she stared at Meanie Pie.
Then she snapped out of it. “YOU’RE LYING! This is just another trick! I’ll never do that!”
““Oh silly, it doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. Dashie has gone nutso. I might have to get Dashie myself, just to protect me as well as you. I might even use a method that kills her instantly so I can’t play with her, just to be sure.” Meanie Pie said matter-of-factly. “Oh but don’t worry! If you get stuck here, with nopony but me can see you, I’ll take care of you! I’ll be really nice and give you all the cupcakes you can eat!”
The murderous baker gave another icy giggle.
Pinkie shuddered. The idea of being trapped with Meanie Pie for all eternity was terrifying. She had a single treacherous thought that maybe she should try to beat Meanie Pie to Dash herself. She could at least do it in the gentlest most painless….no. what am I thinking? WHAT AM I THINKING?
“…lying.” Pinkie Pie said softly. “…Everything, and I mean Everything, you say are lies. Including being nice to me.”
“Why, whatever gave you that idea?” Dark Pink said innocently. And started rubbing Pinkie’s tummy lovingly again.
“You say that as if I’m not bleeding from my where you cut off my cutie marks.” Pinkie said, no particular emotion in her voice.
“…Okay. Starting tomorrow!” Meanie Pie promised.
Uh huh…hey, wait a second, something’s wrong he- “….AHhhh! AND STOP RUBBING ME!” Pinkie shrieked!
“Oh, Sweetie Pie…don’t you know it’s definitely gone by now? It was just a little sliver of cupcake!”
“Digestion can’t possibly work that fas-burp!” the pressure in Pinkie’s stomach was expelled before she even knew it was there and she burped. Pinkie suddenly felt even more nauseous. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“Good girl, Sweetie!” Dark Pink cuddled up against Pinkie. “Anyway, I’ll TRY to be nicer to you after that since you’ll never see your friends again. Now then, just leave that mean ole Dashie to me!”
“NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!”
“You can’t reason with her-“
“BECAUSE OF YOU!” Pinkie released such a titanic scream that it threw her voice out.
“Hmm….Yeah, probably. But you know what? Do you, do you, do you? Huh, huh, huh?”
Pinkie was too busy panting to answer.
“You don’t even know if any of this is real. If…you’re real.”
“don’t give me that.” Pinkie rasped. “you just tried to tell me that if I hurt-”
“Kill….” Meanie sang.
“HURT Dashie I can escape. Now you are trying to tell me that none of this is real?” Pinkie retorted.
“Well you don’t really get hurt. I’ve been stabbing you in the flank with my knife REPEATEDLY ever since I cut off your cutie marks.”
Pinkie, speechless, looked at her flank. The knife went in…the knife went out. The knife went in…the knife went out. The knife went in…the knife went out. She didn’t feel any of it. She looked back up at Meanie’s face.
Dark Pink looked at Pinkie with pleasant eyes….and then her pupils shrank into dots while her irises widened.
“Are you sure you aren’t just a figment of my imagination?”
“what.”
“Coming back to life? You know that’s not possible. That other Pinkie Pie is dead. You’re me. We do share the same body.”
“what?”
“Maybe theres only one Pinkie Pie, and she’s the one doing the harvesting. But she feels bad for the ponies somewhere in her heart, so she imagines she’s torturing herself, so that THAT Pinkie gets to pretend to be nice again. But the nice Pinkie just thinks she’s being brave not yelling and screaming, she doesn’t realize that it doesn’t hurt because she’s not actually there. THERE’S ANOTHER PONY CHAINED UP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE, SILLY! AND WHEN I CUT YOU, I’M REALLY CUTTING MY NEWEST VICTIM!”
I’m…what?
Meanie Pie stopped and looked at Pinkie as if she was listening to her say something. But she wasn’t. It was almost like some other pony was speaking up that Meanie could hear but Pinkie couldn’t. “Oh, I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle. I’m talking to my other self. Let’s continue…”
And then she stabbed Pinkie in the chest. In areas all over her chest. Pinkie didn’t feel any of it.
I’m imaginary…no. I’M SWEETIE BELLE? O-or projected over Sweetie Belle? All this time she was calling me Sweetie?.... She’s not hurting me…SHE’S KILLING SWEETIE BELLE!
”STOP! STOP! PLEASE PLEASE STOP! SHE’S JUST A LITTLE FILLY! NO! I BEG YOU TO STOP! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!” Pinkie screamed bloody murder even though her throat was aching. ..Even though she didn’t feel anything. This had to be a lie…and yet, if it were true…she had to try and get the other Pinkie to stop. To try and save Sweetie Belle. What good was she if she couldn’t do that much! “I won’t run away from you anymore! I’ll do whatever you want! You can keep Sweetie Belle locked up! Just stop please stabbing and try to patch her up! STOPPIT!”
“Hee heee heee eeeeeaa AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA HA HA HA HA-OH WOW, YOUR SCREAMS ARE TOTALLY HARMONIZED! YOU REALLY COULD BE THE SAME PONY! HAHAAHAHAHHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!”
Pinkie’s voice eventually gave out. Her body still didn’t hurt, but it felt incredibly heavy. Blood was everywhere. Before she fell unconscious, Pinkie noticed the stabbing did finally stop.
“Oh, and you not being real and killing Dashie being your ticket out isn’t really mutually exclusive. It’s complicated, but I can PROMISE you it makes sense in context. Here, I’ll Pinkie promise!”
Then she did some pantomime that Pinkie was too busy dying to make out.
The Wrathful Wraith had never felt so much impotent rage in its existence. In any form of its existence.
It had carried itself gracefully even in times of difficulty. Even when it saw the one it loved and wanted to protect being encased in some kind of illusion and screaming in horror. That had been the birth of its terrible wrath, but it wasn't the reason its mane was so dishevelled.
And it was disheveled now. Its hair was spectral, and not subject to normal laws of physics, and yet, perhaps the wraith's own body was disturbed by what its spirit had seen. Or perhaps its form was changing to that of a wild animal as its own helplessness drove it mad.
It cursed the Shadow. Screamed and hollered and attacked the Shadow fiercely. It said things about the Shadow, oh, it never thought it would ever be so lost in anger before today.
It was all for naught of course. The shadow didn't know it was there. None of the attacks connected. None of the terrific swears, each one less in keeping with the Wraith's normal ettequete than the last, were heard.
The Shadow didn't even seem to feel cold. How could it not feel this terrible cold? The chill that crept into every corner of the Wrathful Wraith's being. Or did it project like an aura from the Wraith? Whatever the case, this creature of Dark simply had too much tolerance for the cold.
The Wraith felt like it was going to explode! It was also miserable. It couldn't be sure it had ever felt so much anguish, though it was not its own…it knew it could probably never understand…and that made it worse. Was there nothing it could give up? Nothing it could sacrifice to change this horrible situation? Surely, all the gems in the world would be worth...
The other Ghost….this was all its fault. Why had it not intervened in a more meaningful way? Things could be worse…but if what had just happened was not theirs to forbid from happening then why were they even here?
The Wrathful Wraith took on last gaze at the chair. Remembering that the other Ghost had said that the Wrathful Wraith could see through the illusions of the grove. And see the truth.
The corpse lying in the chair was Pink, and not white. Fully grown, and not small. And there was nothing else sitting in the chair. There was no Sweetie Belle. Although it knew that was impossible from the start, it was thankful for that, at least.
Lies. Horrible, horrible lies!
In frustration, the Wraith flew off to seek the others.
Meanie smiled to herself, admiring her work. Actually…she had left a giant mess. But she took pride in it. “When my cute little sweetypants light side accepts me, we’ll become one, and I’ll be able to do this in the real Ponyville! Eeeee, I can hardly wait!” She clapped her hooves.
Taking a closer look at her work, she noted certain things. “Oh my, I really messed this one up. All the organs are ruined. Hey…what’s that?” She said as she reached into a hole in Pinkie’s stomach…and pulled out a half-digested cupcake sliver.
The meat was made to be nigh-invisible, finely minced and dyed the same color as the rest of the cupcake. Still, she knew what to look for to notice that ALL the meat, even at the inside of the cupcake was gone, as if it evaporated.
Hmm…actually, she was right. It does take longer to digest meat. Although…this is no ordinary meat. And so it went before the more digestible cupcake did. Hmm…technically, this should be a bad thing for me, giving her essence back. I might have started to reverse the Encroachment just a little. But…she doesn’t have to know that. Besides…maybe I actually can eat a Pinkie-filled Pinkie. Wonder what it tastes like?
The Baker took a sample of Pinkie’s flesh…and ate it. “Hmm..MMMMMMM!…the meat is spectacularly delicious! Oh wow! It’s better than before! I’m not sharing any of these cupcakes with your next form, Sweetie! They’re all mine. MINE! All for me! AHAHAHAHAHA!” |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 17 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-11-19T04:02:22+00:00 | 2011-11-19T04:02:22+00:00 | 3,715 | The Dark Side
Omake files 3
*-These are not part of the story. They are non-canon extras.
Well gang, the computer with Chapter 15 on it can't access the internet presently, so I'm going to be using the laptop that does NOT have Microsoft word to make a little distraction chapter this week.
This omake is perhaps the most insane thing I have done to date. It's the closest thing you will (very, very, very, VERY likely) ever see to somebody making a story were CUPCAKES PINKIE PIE of all ponies is made to be the protagnoist.
This should never be attempted ever, ever, ever. For any reason.
And yet...here I go.
If I don't come back out alive...remember me how I was.
The door of the great temple before her opened on its own. It was very large and heavy. If it shut behind her, there was no way she could force it open. And the bridge was the only way out of this valley surrounded by sheer cliffs. Well...that or the mysterious oceans that were in sight that were NOT on her map and should not have been there. The mountain pass where the bridge began might have been a gateway to another world, after all.
So, this really was her last chance to head back.
That wasn't going to stop the pink pony who was carrying a decorated sword strapped to her body and a heavy load wrapped in cloth on her back, along with saddlebags filled with provisions and other...neccessities.
She also wore a purple jacket that was still oddly comfortable considering its...renovations. It was technically one of those reminders of...days she'd rather forget, but it was moddified to have secret pockets full of knives, caltops, and other sharpened goodies. Considering the very dangerous places she was going, Pinkie thought it would be useful to bring it along. Its not like she could un-skin the pony it came from.
The only problem was it still smelled like alcohol, vomit, tears, and shame.
Dammit, Berry Punch. She thought she finally got rid of that smell.
As she stepped into the darkness, the door did close behind her, and became as part of the wall.
She didn't mind, she was that much closer to completing her mission.
Nine Months earlier....
Pinkie had entered the Darkest Grove, lured by her own shadow. There she had many confrontations with the other Pinkie. But..she couldn't remember the details. There was some kind of final confrontation, wasn't there? Some kind of attack plan that would destroy the doppelganger and disprove all of her lies. It would be an ultimate victory. When Pinkie won, she would be absolved. She would prove that the other was nothing more than a nightmare, an imitation, a sick parody of her. She'd win fair and square and she'd never be bothered by her dark half ever again...
There was a contest like that....wasn't there? Had she just imagined it? Did she just want to believe she was something more than a victim to a seemingly random cycle of death and reanimation until her spirit broke?
It didn't matter.
Whatever happened, she lost.
She lost everything.
The Pinkie who returned to the real Ponyville wasn't the same who had left that morning.
And, so, for months, Pinkie watched horror after horror, trapped with her own body, watching the actions her body did as if her eyes were windows of a prison cell she was locked in.
Meanie Pie hurt so many Ponies...and she kept getting away with it. Sweetie Pie wasn't sure she cared. Or if she even existed to care.
Then, Rainbow Dash was killed.
And then, starting from halfway through sewing Dashie up, the Monster Pinkie had Become felt an incredible pressure in her head. It passed quickly, but she would still get these headaches from time to time.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, or some random customer would question her about it from time to time, but Pinkie would just brush them off. Her mane steadily straightened over time.
"It's Rainbow Dash's disappearance, isn't it?" Twilight walked right up and confronted Meanie Pie one day. The butcher was stunned. Twilight continued. "I mean, its Applejack and Apple Bloom's too, but...you really took Rainbow's the hardest. You acted....strange at the funeral, but maybe it was just because you didn't know how to cope. Pinkie! You can't let this destroy you!"
And then Twilight said the stupidest thing in the world.
"It wasn't your fault!"
The words echoed and reverberated around the party pony's soul for days after Twilight uttered them. Pinkie stopped drawing numbers of a while....
Until eventually, one day, she wouldn't wake up.
And then, when they were done crying, her two little filly assistants' differences came to a head.
Apple Bloom was believed to be dead. Died along with Applejack. (Its a long story involving attempted heroic sacrifices, nitro, and a very disappointed Pinkie Pie decidedly NOT getting an Applejack corpse to stuff and mount.) She had been Pinkie's pet project in corruption and mind rape. It had gone more smoothly than Pinkie had originally anticipated once she found Apple Bloom's crippling weak point: She hated bullies. Almost more than she loved life, although Apple Bloom had given up on that after the first week. Pinkie proceeded carefully as she build the little pony back up. She gave Apple Bloom everything she wanted (namely: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon) and told her she was punishing them. That Equestria would be better without all these bad ponies. She convinced Apple Bloom that what happened in her basement of death was Justice (except for the ponies who had to be silenced because they "Did Not Understand". Those were just unfortunately neccessary causualities. Not that that was ANY excuse to ever stop Smiling.) She kept Apple Bloom's aggression focused outwards, on all the world. Away from Apple Bloom herself, and of course, away from her captor. It was of course, just silly words to Pinkie. But they were Important Silly Words for her to make Apple Bloom her assistant.
But, now that the Boss lady wasn't waking up, Apple Bloom got scared. She couldn't go back to the Apple Family. What would she say? She wasn't the same as she was back then. She had done too many things. She still needed to do more. She figured Pinkie wouldn't want to be discovered, even if she could be cured of her coma. So the only thing left to do was burn down Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie included, and run away from Ponyville entirely. She could start anew and carry on Pinkie's work at some point in the future after scraping by as a Urchin in Manehatten or somewhere.
Scootaloo, on the other hoof, was genuinely doing everything for Pinkie Pie. Pinkie and Apple Bloom were normally very, very careful about how they covered their tracks. But, well, if a tiny little pegasus is infatuated with you and has an obession with sneaking into your house and stealing your things, and has gotten pretty good at it, AND has the most permissive parents in all of Equestria- Well, that requires you to step up your security by an order of magnitude. Even Meanie Pie had to sleep. Scootaloo snuck in just wanting something that had Pinkie's scent...maybe a lock of her hair, or really anything of hers. What she got was a basement full of death. She retreated, but didn't say anything.
Some time later, Sweetie Bell had found Scootaloo's diary, read a very shocking entry, got discovered by Scootaloo....and her messily murdered body was delivered to Sugarcube Corner by Scootaloo herself, desperately looking for help (Scoots was also silently thanking her lucky stars she had the most gullable parents in the universe). She confessed that she had snuck in and escaped undetected several times, and knew a frieghtening number of things about Pinkie that she never told anypony. Pinkie wouldn't have let her leave alive but...Scootaloo said all the right things. Including calling Pinkie "Miss Pinkamena"(Pinkie was positive she had never told any of the Crusaders, not even Apple Bloom, her full name) in the sweetest voice that didn't seem natural coming from a gruff tomboy like her. The kiss might've been a little sudden. Apple Bloom certainly thought so. But, Pinkie took Scootaloo's number out of the drawing, and knew exactly the right things to nurture to turn Scootaloo into a monster like she had done with Apple Bloom.
She may have done her job too well. As now that Pinkie was unconscious and Apple Bloom was talking about burning Miss Pinkamena, Scootaloo was having none of it. She saw Apple Bloom as being disloyal and unreasonable. They could've just closed the store, leaving a note that Pinkie was out of town. Why would Apple Bloom jump straight to betraying her?
If they were mature adults, and not been trained to murder at the drop of a hat, they might've been able to talk this out.
Sadly, they were little monsters.
"BLOOM! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY MISS PINKAMENA, JUST BECAUSE SHE'S SICK! YOU CLEARY NEVER LOVED HER!"
"YA AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT ABOUT ME, SCOOTALOO! YER JUST A BRAT WHO NEVER SACRIFICED ANYTHING! YOU'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT ME AND PINKIE DID! THIS. IS. LOVE!"
"I KILLED FOR HER, APPLE BLOOM! AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN!"
"YAH WOULDN'T DARE! YER TOO CHICKEN! Scootaloo! Scoot-scootalooooooo!"
"APPLE BLOOM!" Scootaloo snarled at the yellow earth pony as she charged through the air.
"CHICKEN GIIIIRRLL!" Apple Bloom roared as she stood on her hind legs, ready to kick Scootaloo.
The following stats on the two fighters should be noted:
Scootaloo could fly -kind of- and knew things about the house not even Pinkie knew.
However, Apple Bloom was not afraid of setting things on fire.
It was an epic conflict. The commotion could've woken the dead.
But it didn't wake Pinkie Pie.
Because inside her mind, there was another, greater conflict.
Inside, two violently destructive forces tore and shred at her psyche. She had Sweetie Pie in her Meanie Pie and Meanie Pie in her Sweetie Pie and they were NOT mixing very well.
Still, as the conflict continued, something did rise to dominance. When the dust from the two forces' lastest conflict settled, a single thought was left standing.
And it bridged an otherwise insurmountable gap.
Sugarcube Corner was a wreck. Burn marks, Kerosene stains, and overturned junk was everywhere.
Scootaloo was out of foam in her fire extinguisher, but it was heavy enough to bash the yellow fily's skull in.
Apple Bloom was out of Kerosene, and the smell of was getting to her, but she could still bluff. Scootaloo wouldn't dare leave Pinkie's side as long as Apple Bloom might set her on fire. She just needed to outlast Scootaloo.
The two fillies stared at each other in silence. The Stalemate had lasted for five torturous minutes thus far.
A single sound tore through the tension like a knife.
"Rainbow....Dash." Pinkie wept in her sleep.
Both Fillies stood in stunned silence. Scootaloo eventually dropped her fire extinquisher and began shaking Pinkie.
"Miss Pinkamena! Miss Pinkamena! Please wake up!"
"Pinkie? Pinkie! Yah have to git up! Ah thought...Ah thought....when yah didn't wake up no matter what we tried...."
Pinkie groaned as she stirred. She clutched her head as she did, as if the act of waking closed the walls together and forced the two personalities in her mind, who had been keeping as far apart from each other as possible, to be squished together and congeal into one.
"What...happened to my room?"
"We're so sorry, Pinkie! We thought we lost you!" Apple Bloom cringed.
"I didn't, Miss Pinkamena! I knew you'd come back! I just knew it! So I protected you from Apple Bloom!"
"Protected me...from Apple Bloom?" Pinkie asked, her head still spinning.
"Ah only did what Ah thought I had too! Please don't lock me in the room, Pinkie!" Apple Bloom begged. She had mounted the bed by this point.
Both fillies had started to cry. Pinkie had mixed feelings. The entity she was now knew they were little monsters that had done things she once again found abhorrent, but ultimately, she knew that it was her responsibility.
She hugged them, joining in the crying herself.
They were her little monsters.
She might try to fix them later...when she had her newfound feelings sorted out.
She wasn't Meanie Pie anymore.
But she wasn't really Sweeite Pie either.
Both those ponies had destroyed each other.
She simply was what was left of both of them. Not all the pieces of the puzzle that were her fit right, but there was one thing that kept her sane.
There was something she had to do No matter how hard it was. No matter that it was taken for granted that it was impossible, but to give up for any reason would leave Pinkie with no option but to lie down in the dirt and die. No matter what happened afterwards. She knew full well that expecting forgiveness would be beyond optimistic, but...
"I need to speak with Dashie." Pinkie thought out loud.
The girls, who had had ample time to calm down, looked at each other worriedly.
Pinkie's stomach growled.
"Girls? Could I get something to eat? No sweets...especially none of ours, please."
Both fillies gasped, completely shocked by this. Scootaloo put a hoof of Pinkie's forehead while Apple Bloom checked her pulse.
Pinkie rolled her eyes. This was going to be a looooong day.
Wait.
"Girls? Is that a....BOWLING BALL...stuck in my ceiling?"
Scootaloo grinned and blushed guilitly. Apple Bloom glowered at the orange pegasus.
When she was feeling better, and the reality of the situation was sinking in, Pinkie explained to the girls that something had changed inside her, and nothing could be the same again. There was going to be no more harvesting. The girls were to promise never to hurt another pony (especially each other) ever again.
She returned to her quest to find a cure for Death. And one figure in the book "Spirits and Deities of Ages Past" captured her imagination. An entity that was Life, and was Death. Was Female, and was Male. A spirit of perfect duality. And it was sealed away with the power of a certain artifact.
It probably was an old Mare's tale, but when Pinkie found out the artifact in the story was real, and had been rusting in the most secure vault in the catacombs of the Palace in Canterlot, Pinkie knew she had to steal it.
Before she left, Pinkie had told the girls to burn down Sugarcube Corner and go back to their families and *try* to live normal lives (Scootaloo just left crying, but Apple Bloom required some....work. Pinkie worried that she could never do enough to fix Apple Bloom, well either of them, but she did the best she could and gave her a minimalistic but believable sob story that put all the blame on Pinkie. Rape was implied, so hopefully nopony would press Apple Bloom too hard.) She could only hope for the best for them now.
SHE certainly wasn't qualified to raise them.
After a harrowing adventure that entailed an refitting the Candy Chopper so it would carry Rainbow Dash's stuffed carcass and blowing lots of shit up (Pinkie's paragon half said she wasn't entirely okay with that. Her renegade half said she was being naive, unrealistic, and a party pooper), including the Candy Chopper, sadly (Paragon Pinkie glowered at Renegade Pinkie.), Pinkie had the artifact: a magical sword.
The Sword was stuck in the wreckage of the Candy Copter, but only the scabbard. The sword was easily unseathed, and Pinkie ignored the scabbard and instead choose to immediately begin strapping Rainbow Dash to her back. Pinkie left the plain-looking scabbard behind, thinking it was unimportant. She had to leave before the royal guard found her. inkie had to travel to the forbidden land on hoof, but as long as she still had the Sword itself, and Rainbow Dash, nothing was going to stop her.
Pinkie lost track of time running for the Forbidden land. Many times, she worried she had gotten the landmarks wrong, that she should've made certain it was in the mountain range she thought it had been in. She wasn't certain when the light reflecting off the sword started to gather into a beam leading her in a certain direction, but when she was lost, it lead her to the land marks faithfully...she eventually learned to put more faith in the sword than in the directions she had worked out beforehoof.
Finally, she arrived.
Standing on top of a sheer cliff overlooking a wide valley, she saw the only safe entry point: a bridge that lead straight into an enourmous temple. It was amazing in its scale, it was impressive it had stayed intact.
Throwing her mind back to her research, Pinkie recalled the myth of the beautiful place she beheld.
"That place began from the resonance of intersecting points...
They are memories replaced by ens and naught and etched into stone. Blood, young sprouts, sky-
-and the one with the ability to control beings created from light...
In that world, it is said that if one should wish it one can bring back the souls of the dead...
...But to trespass upon that land is strictly forbidden..."
*roll title screen*
Pinkie of the Colossus
And then she crossed the bridge and now she was trapped in the Shrine of Worship. Not certain what to expect, Pinkie cautiously descended the spiral ramp.
The ramp looped around the interior of the tower, spanning several stories in height. At the bottom floor of the tower, the ramp finally ended, opening up next to the large pool of water at the center of the room. As Pinkie took note of her surroundings, she was blinded by the sudden bloom of the altar room.
The descent had been dark and depressing, now that she was at the bottom, her eyes were treated to multiple sunbeams, or rather what Pinkie thought were sunbeams, which reflected off the yellow stone of the floor, as well as the sixteen idols which she noted when her eyes adjusted.
Pinkie Pie thought over what little research she had. She looked around the shrine, taking note of the sixteen idols. They were representations of the various lesser deities that made up the greater entity that was Dormin. And they had been broken and seperated. Supposedly, each part on its own was not fully intelligent. It would represent some force of nature, technically opposed by another branch deity, and in its lack of balance, would mindlessly wonder its home environment. For instance, Malus the Grand Superior, representing vengence, would float in the sky, or sometimes the highest mountain, encircled with stormcloud and throwing fire and lightning with hatred that was simply blind, while the peaceful Phalanx would represent forgiveness, and would soar in peaceful skies, possessed the power to call down a storm that could destroy the whole world, but it would never ever so much as release a single raindrop in retaliation for any reason. That sounded good, but Phalanx's peaceful aura dissipated all rainclouds around it, and the desert it patrolled would remain a desert.
Instead of being sixteen complete minds merging together as one mass zombie collective where individuality was lost and suppressed, the completed whole WAS the individual, and anything less was not a mind at all. Only when the Dormin was whole could it perceive the world and speak with mortals.
(Pinkie mused that she probably only really got so intensely interested in the story of the Dormin because of how the Duality aspect reminded her of herself. Of...the creature she had become. Although her halves' differences made it almost impossible to function at times, and in that sense they were totally unlike the Dormin. A horrorstruck guilt trip after the fact here, an unexpected last-minute refusal to do things that needed to be done there. Sometimes it wasn't even a moral issue. Sweets for instance made Sweetie Pie sick if she ate them, and left Meanie Pie suffering a crippling depression if she couldn't binge on them.
Theirs was a difficult marriage....)
Pinkie walked past the idols, and removed the body of Rainbow Dash from her back, laying it upon the altar. As she removed the cloth, she cringed. A bone had fractured and tore through the skin, probably from the crash. She had forgotten how badly she had messed up those hooves when she hammered nails into them. Despite the smile that was stiched until Dash's face, the stains from her tears and bandages that covered her flanks and other areas of her body (like her stomach, which was filled back up with Dash's old organs which were themselves held in place by a web of non-toxic, technically harmless string.) brought back memories of screams that while pleasurable for her at that time, now cut Pinkie to her bones.
Well...at least she took the stitches out of Dash's mouth. She still kind of smiled.
Pinkie retrieved Dash's wings and lay them on either side of the body. She also pulled out an assortment of bottles and surgical tools she *hoped* she wouldn't have to use. If something went wrong, most likely with the literal organ stings, she'd have to move fast to put Rainbow under, and Dashie would think she brought her back to life to just hurt her again and she might panic and Pinkie would have nothing to say to keep her from having a heart attack...
Wait.
What was that?
Pinkie dried her eyes with her foreleg and immediately turned around. It was a strange, static-like noise. She looked around and saw, rising from the floor, creatures of pure darkness.
The part of her that was Shadamina knew they weren't shadows. They stood up off the floor, and ambled towards her.
Pinkie drew the sword, which began to flicker with its magical light. Pinkie stood on her hind legs and held the sword's handle between her hooves, pointing the blade towards the creatures. Reacting to the power of the sword, the dark forms dissipated and troubled Pinkie no more. Pinkie waited for a moment, sword at the read before lowering the sword.
And then a voice came from the bright light in the ceiling.
"Hmm? Thou possesses the Ancient Sword? So thou art mortal..."
It was Male. It was Female. It was neither. It echoed with many voices and yet did not make the same sounds as a crowd of ponies would. It was like one entity was speaking.
Pinkie had found it.
"Are you...Dormin?" she asked. "Please, Mr....Mrs.... Please, Dormin! You're my only hope! She died because of me, and I cannot find rest until she lives happily again. I need you to heal her and bring back her soul."
The voice laughed, as if finding something ironic. "That maiden's soul? Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed... Is that not the law of mortals?"
That wasn't right...was the Dormin trying to say it was impossible to break the seal?
"With that sword, however... it may not be impossible." Dormin spoke.
"That's what I was hoping for. When can we start?" Pinkie asked excitedly.
"That is of course, if thou manage to accomplish what We askest."
"I'll do anything! Anything, anything!" Pinkie shouted up the voice in the sky and generally behaved like a pony who was completely sane.
Spoke the Dormin, "Behold the idols that stand along the wall... Thou art to destroy all of them."
Pinkie had read about those. The idols were supposed to represent the aspects of Dormin, and probably used for worship before the Dormin was sealed.
"But those idols cannot be destroyed by the mere hands of a mortal..."
"Then, what am I supposed to do?"
Spoke the Dormin, "In this land there exist colossi that are the incarnations of those idols. If thou defeat those colossi--the idols shall fall."
The "incarnations of those idols" were supposed to be different parts of Dormin. What then, was Pinkie speaking too?
"I understand. I won't let anything get in my way." Pinkie said this with surprising finality in her voice for a childish little mare.
Spoke the Dormin, "But heed this, the price you pay may be heavy indeed."
Without any hesitation, Pinkie told the Dormin "It doesn't matter." She said this in all seriousness.
This sudden response gave the Dormin pause. It remained silent for a moment, as if evaluating Pinkie Pie carefully.
Finally, it spoke again. "Very well...Raise thy sword by the light... and head to the place where the sword's light gathers... There, thou shalt find the colossi thou art to defeat."
Pinkie, holding the sword in her teeth, rose it to reflect off its blade the "sunlight" that the altar bathed in, and it erupted into a bloom with rays of magical light spread wide. Rays which narrowed as she turned around, facing different directions. The rays formed into a beam that shot over Dash's body and she faced the south.
The light pointed towards some rocky hills. Just gazing upon them made her knees pinch.
Irrelevant Pinkie Sense was irrelevant. Pinkie trotted off, guided by the light of the Sword.
"Yes...." the Dormin thought to themselves once Pinkie Pie had left. "There is no flaw in her determination. This warrior is the best chance to break the spell. After all, she escaped a prison imposed her by own self..."
After a long, long, climb up a sheer rock wall, Pinkie found herself in some Rocky highlands. Hmm...which aspect of Dormin was related to Highlands?
............
Welp, Pinkie was pretty much positive she couldn't remember.
"What were even their names? Aside from Malus and Phalanx I'm drawing a huge blank? ...Was that because they represented Meanie Pie and Sweetie Pie? No...Malus' random vindictiveness might've fit Shadamina, but I don't really think Pinkie Pie when I see Phalanx. Its more...Fluttershy. Yes, it would actually make sense for Fluttershy's and Shadamina's matches to be in abstract opposition of each other.... I don't know which aspect fits Sweetie Pie best.
...Maybe I don't really know that part of myself very well anymore. Its a shame I can't ask the component parts of myself what they think about things. Or can I? hmm......"
..............
Something broke Pinkie out of her reverie.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Something was pounding into the earth, and Pinkie's whole body bounced off the ground with each vibration.
Her tail started twitching. But all Pinkie saw were these two strange columns that were moving ever so slightly, as if adjusting...
Pinkie looked up. Her ears flattened.
"Aw, Horsefeathers."
Against the backdrop of a misty-but-bright sky, Pinkie looked upon an imposing figure.
It was ENOURMOUS. How had Pinkie allowed such a giant, lumbering creature to just sneak up on her? Its body appeared to be made of stone, except for its fuzzy head. It stood on two legs with one arm dangling by one side, and the other arm stretched back, high into the sky, past its bear-like face and shining eyes, holding a club.
And the club came down. And Pinkie screamed.
........
........
.......
"OOF!" Pinkie grunted in reaction to the next stimulus to break through the numb, out-of-balance feeling that ominated her senses as she flew threw the air and confirm that she was, in fact, still alive.
Specifically, the pain. She hoped that rib wasn't broken....
Peeling herself off the ground, Pinkie felt blood leaking from the side of her head, and aches in the part of the body she had landed on. Winded and disoriented, Pinkie looked up at where she had been standing, and gaped in horror as the gigantic club lifted from the soil and revealed the scar it left upon the ground.
"Holy Moley, that left a big Holey!" Pinkie exclaimed. By the looks of things, the clumsily-swung club had "missed" her by inches, but Pinkie had still been so close to the impact that she was flung through the air and landed very roughly. And speaking of how the club had landed....
Pinkie gasped. "What is all that doing out there?" Indeed, all the supplies she had not yet taken out of her saddle bags, including all her rations and at least one small electricity generator, were strun about the area where she had flown.
Pinkie frowned at the snaps of her expensive "ultra-secure" saddlebags, and silently vowed to turn that salespony into a cupcake. (Her Paragon half glowered at that. Her Renegade half retorted with "What? It's not like we're going to get out of this alive, so he's laughing all the way to the bank with no promise of actual retaliation one way or the other...") Suddenly, she heard the great hairy biped stomp closer to her. Pinkie realized the monster was raising its club again and she took off, running as far away from the impact as she could move with her wounds...
All her supplies were likely destroyed in that crushing blow. Pinkie just wrote them off.
Pinkie shrieked and retreated back behind some cover to hide from the giant. There, she attempted to recover from the shock. Had the surprise of the large enemy's appearance gotten to her? Was it Her close brush with death? Was it the size of the enemy? Was it just the idea that she let something so big had actually snuck up on her?
Pinkie remembered her head wound as she caught her breath, and cut off one of the "ears" of her hood with a knife she retrieved from her jacket to dress the wound and staunch the flow of blood.
And then, her heart skipped a beat, as she heard the voice of Dormin.
"Hold up thy sword to reflect the light onto the colossus. Its vitals shall be revealed..."
"Dormin? Is that you? Vitals? That stone monster has such things as vitals?"
Drawing the Ancient Sword once more, Pinkie found that there was just enough light to form a beam. The rays gathered closely together when Pinkie pointed the beam towards the giant Bear's head, and as it shone there, a symbol appeared on the Colossus' fuzzy cranium.
Speaking of fuzzy material, Pinkie just noticed that on the back of the Colossus' foot, was a patch of hair that was not present on the stony surface of the other leg. The sword also reacted to...something in this segment of the body.
Did that mean, this stone creature had flesh? And was covered in fur where the flesh was? If so, then....
Pinkie's eyes shrank into pinpoints as her iris dilated. She checked her pockets again. Yes! Yes! She had enough knives! She had more than enough knives! She didn't need any of her other supplies that had just been pulverized into the dirt, for she was positively loaded down with sharp objects.
And nothing was safe from her. NOTHING. Her itchy back told her so.
Pumping all the adrenaline she could muster, Pinkie Pie screamed and charged forward! Running as fast as she could manage, Pinkie felt the club come crashing down behind her, but the tremors didn't throw her off balance, it was far behind her.
She ran between the legs of the giant, skidded to a halt, and drew no less than FOUR knives, each one in a different hoof. Holding on to all her weapons, Then she jumped upon the fur-covered heel of the Colossus, and inserted her blades into it's flesh while bitting onto its hair! The beast roared, but Pinkie didn't stop, drawing one more knife with her left hind hoof, and then she began to climb up the monster's leg, towards the back of its knee, leaving squirts of unnaturally blood that resembled pressurizedd oil as it escaped from the wounds she made as she climbed, but disapated into clouds of mist. Pinkie cut into the beast over and over again, but it didn't seem to have felt anything. Until she found something very peculair.
The head had left some kind of gigantic rune when she shined the sword's light on it. This thing that she found didn't look like a rune. It was like a line...no, a scar...no...a breech of some kind. It was glowing green, and smoking out clouds of black blood. It was almost like...
"An open wound!" Pinkie gasped. She didn't understand much about these creatures, but her expertise told her that was exactly what this was. Pinkie grabbed her sharpest knife (and mind you, they were all sharpened to perfection. Who do you think we're dealing with, here?) and thrust it into the wound with all of her might.
With a mighty roar, Valus fell to its knee, and slammed its fist into the ground for balance!
With the Colossus's stomping halted, and its back within jumping distance, Pinkie leapt up and bit unto a patch of Valus's hair before the monster righted itself. It had recovered from the pain in a frieghteningly short period of time.
Pinkie, however, was holding on to the side of the behemoth's rocky "club sheath" (at least, she thought it was a sheath.) Unlike sheer cliffs, ponies could still hold on to the edge at the top of a cliff. Much like Twilight had done before Applejack grabbed her and tried to pull her up at the Summer Sun celebration. Pinkie was tired, but she managed to spring herself upwards, leaping towards the top of the Colossus. On relatively level ground again, she stood, but held onto her knives.
She attempted to rest, but she was knocked around by the bear's uneven gait. Falling over, Pinkie found herself rolling around
The glyph on the monster's head was in sight. Pinkie righted herself and sat up. She drew the sword and held it between her hooves.
Pinkie could not "walk" on her hind legs very well, least of all on a wiggly Colossus. But she didn't need to.
Holding the sword in two hooves, Pinkie leapt into air, pointing the blade down and curling up her hind legs so that the first thing that hit the surface of the creature (aside from her tail) would be the tip of her blade.
With a sound that was both satisfying and nauseating at the same time to her, the sword was buried deep into the monster's head.
A geyser of Black Blood erupted out of the glyph, and Valus roared in pain. But despite a blow that had to have gone all the way to the brain, the monster lived. Immediately, it kicked its head back, and Pinkie had to hold on to the sword for dear life!
Pinkie was shaken, knocked around, almost thrown off to the ground far below when sudden rearing back of the head gave Pinkie Pie veritigo, but she managed to hold on...
...until Valus' head snapped back forward and she was thrown off. She nearly fell off the Colossus, but managed to catch the sword on the surface of the Monster's mask.
As Pinkie Pie clung on for dear life, the sword was still in her hooves at the top of the cliff. So, that wasn't why her heart almost stopped.
Oh no, that was because she was looking straight into the Colossus' ruthless fiery eye!
She stood there, all sense of time lost, as if that moment lasted forever. She had realized what she had to do in this situation, but she was having one of her moments.
But unlike a certain time during her escape from Canterlot, where Sweetie Pie prevented her from killing a witness, this time it was a hang up on Meanie Pie's side.
What was going on?
"Dual Pie" desperatedly tried to pull her two personalities apart just enough so they could talk....
"Meanie Pie! What's wrong? Do the Scary eye thing!"
".......The Scary eye thing? I think the pony you're looking for is Fluttershy. I can't do the stare."
"W-what are you talking about? Of course you can! You can do a Super Stare! Its the scariest thing in the world! This stupid fiery eye is as nothing to it! Just do what you do when you corner ponies!"
"I can't...We're the ones who are cornered! Ow! The edge of this giant mask is kind of digging into our fetlocks...."
"Come on, did you lose all your scariness just because you switched sides? Because I really hate that Trope!"
"I don't have the killer instinct to match this monster anymore."
"Do it for Dashie!"
"I killed Dashie...it makes me feel tired..."
"Then take responsibility, you monster!"
"I can't wrap my head around it....bringing her back to life....I should but I can't, I can't get motivated right, if I know she's dead. Just dead. Like us in a few minutes..."
"Okay...well, then imagine she's still alive, but this Colossus is going to eat her!"
Pinkie opened her eyes and stared back into the fiery abyss.
For a moment, the colossus seemed to pause....but then it went back to its vertigo-inducing fidgeting, nearly knocking Pinkie off.
...she quickly shut them again.
"Gah! Its not working! Ponies being eaten is exactly why I feel like I can't beat this thing! It's me, but....better."
"No its not! You're definetly scarier! Get angrier!"
"I can't...everything is my fault..."
"Grrrggg! Who knew you could be so emo!? Okay, how about...you confess your love for Rainbow Dash, she totally forgives you, and everything can go back to the way it was....but she's already engaged to be Married with this giant Bear?"
"If she's happy with him...who am I of all poines to refuse her?"
"Oh! But that's just it! She doesn't love him! He doesn't even love her! Rainbow is part of some kind of wealthy family, and he's blackmailing her to go through with it! Even though she admits really loves you!"
"Loves me....?"
"And he's going to take her far away and you'll never see her again! And every night....And every night...."
"Every night...?"
"Yes, and most importantly of all..." Sweetie Pie actually gulped as she thought about what she was about to say.
"....yes?"
".....There are no witnesses right now."
Pinkie opened her eyes once more, looking as in bewilderment into the face of the monster.
.....
Then, a certain instinct kicked in and Pinkie stared back with her evillest gaze.
Valus felt it. The cold. The terrible, terrible fear. The firery orange in his eyes started to dim.
"Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie. They know me as the cutest, pinkest, all around best pony. pony." She wasn't singing, she was just speaking in a silky voice to the monster. "Destroy of Worlds, Betrayer of Gods, My life is a party. party."
Pinkie's eyes dilated giving the Collossus a big, round, inkie black void of death to look into. In the Colossus' own mind, Pinkie's eyes changed to the fiery color of his own. Had he...done something wrong? Brought about the anger of another god and brought forth her arami-tama?
The Colossus stopped moving. Its eyes turned to a placid green. It looked more like the fiery orange at simply froze, incased in green ice.
"I'm going be...."
The Colossus noticed suddenly that Pinkie had brought the sword she was holding onto down and leveled the tip right at the eye. It gave Valus a sense of vertigo.
"The last thing you're ever going to see."
"Wait! We need to release them through the Glyphs-"
"FUCK THE GLYPHS!!" Meanie Pie screamed. Her words echoed across the Forbidden land.
Valus had never felt this feeling before. What WAS this thing? She had taken on arami-eyes. But it knew in its bones what must be done. This little creature was dangerous. He didn't just need to escape, she needed to die! He needed to finish her-
THUNK.
And Valus roared, raising its head to the heavens, as a Geyser of Black Blood covered Pinkie Pie as she desperately tried to hold on. And then Valus fell in such a dramatic fashion as it appeared to be in slow motion.
Pinkie opened her eyes, and surveyed the damage.
The Glyph was still reacting to the sword, but it seemed to have grown dimmer since she saw it last.
Suddenly, Valus moved...and looked up. The sword was still stuck in its ruined eye.
with a roar, Valus tried to look at Pinkie with its good eye.
Pinkie stepped back, a little shocked at what she had done. Her hoof touched something.
It was...her generator! It had survived...and it still had its copper wires wrapped around.
She hadn't brought it to use it for her..old purposes. She looked up at the Colossus, it seemed to have been paralyzed in some manner from the truamatic blow. Hmm...Now that she thought about it, what she HAD planned to use it for had already been destroyed because SOMEBODY was a big mean meaniepants.
Pinkie grinned. There was no sense in letting it go to waste. This was going to be so. Awesome.
"Still alive, huh? Good! That means we can play some more! You'll pay for destroying all my stuff...."
She grabbed the generator and bounced over to the eye, and brought a copper wire close to the sword.....
..........
.........
.........
Pinkie froze. Unbeknowst to her, her eyes glowed green for but a moment.
"....EEEUUUGGGGHHH!" Pinkie gave a frustrated cry, and threw the generator aside.
It was another one of her moments.
It didn't last long.
"Sorry, this will hurt for just a little while longer..." Pinkie said in a soothing voice before she tore the sword out of the Colossus' eye. Valus roared!
SPLORCH!
Atop Valus' head, Pinkie was bathed in another geyser of Presurized Black Blood.
Valus's head fell. Pinkie let herself fall with it, letting gravity help her pull out the sword.
Valus, the Walking Bear, Lord of the Highlands and Manifestation of Brutishness, was no more.
The Dormin marvelled at their champion. Perhaps she fit better than they had first thought.
Shame. Had she gone through with her plan, the electricity being used through the sword probably would have released the essence just as well. Combined with the Head of the Colossus simply ripping open and releasing the geyser of blood, which itself would have been electrified...
The Dormin reasoned it would have been the greatest Light Show in the history of giant monster slaying.
Two figures approached the wreckage of the cycle-copter.
After hours of searching, they had found it.
They searched it for any clues of Pinie's whereabouts.
One of them noticed the scabbard, and showed to her partner.
The partner found an inscription. And read it aloud.
"The two must be as one, less the seal weaken. Should they ever be seperated, speak the word, and Return."
The one who found the scabbard was puzzled. "Now what tha hay does -"
And suddenly, both disappeared.
Despite nothing further of importance to say at this location, the author decided to linger here just to torture the reader by wasting some more time for no real reason.
....
....
....Take that.
A Pink Pony plopped on the ground. She took a moment and said "ow." As the green eyes returned to blue, she started giggling childishly.
"I swear, everypony is going to think I have Bipolar disorder...." Pinkie giggled. She wasn't sure why she was laughing...it probably had something to do with the near-death experiences that colmenated in that giant looking up at her.
A giant looking up at her.
Both halves still had issues with each other...but...they had to admit this was absolutely wonderful.
For the first time in a long time, Happiness and Excitement pulsed through out all of Pinkie's being. She had taken her first step towards saving Dashie.
"hee hee hee...hee hee! AHAAHHA! WHOO! WOOOOOHOOO! GO, PINKIE, GO! THAT WAS AWESOME! LOOK WHAT I DID! ME! PINKIE PIE!"
Pinkie laughed some more.
"THIS IS THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE! I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALI-"
Pinkie Pie didn't even have time to react.
They cut into her. Whatever they were...they cut upon and slithering into to her, friction burning all the insides of her body. She couldn't even scream...
As her body was contorted, she saw the sky. Out of the Colossus rose several black spirals that had stretched several feet into the air, and arched towards her, now that they had caught her, they weren't going to stop until their entire lengths had gone through her. Fortunately, there was an end to them, as their tails seperated from the colossus.
Was this...some kind of last resort attack? Pinkie felt like she was dying....
Finally, they stopped, and with a gasp, Pinkie fell to the ground, black mist escaping from her eyes and mouth.
As Pinkie's vision faded, she thought she saw a dark tunnel with a bright opening, and innumberable lights passing her by....
"Pinkie Pie..." whispered a voice in the void.
"Da....shie?" Pinkie pondered out loud in a sleepy voice before the light enveloped her.
And then she saw no more.
(To be Continued?)
Post-production edit: Oh my god...I never expected this thing to blow up like it did. I originally wanted to do something like a montage filed with gags and speed it up to the ending.
Which I might still do for the second part of this little side-story if I ever continue it.
But yeah.....Holy Epic Backstory, Batman! I had decided to stop it after only one Colossus.
I think I will make another Omake continuing this story. |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 18 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2011-12-23T04:31:56+00:00 | 2011-12-23T04:31:56+00:00 | 3,918 | The Dark Side
A MLP:FIM fanfiction by Lord Xaos
Chapter 15
Giggling. Lots of giggling. It was infectious.
“Hey, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Can I take the blindfold off now?”
“No, no, no, no, Dashie! You can’t peek yet! You’ll ruin the surprise!” Pinkie giggled as she continued to lead Rainbow Dash forward.
“Alright, but Pinkie…where ARE we going? This feels like we just stepped into a circus tent of some sort…”
“Circus tent? Don’t’ be silly. You’ll know when we get there.”
“You better not be leading into a prank. You’re making me nervous, like I’m going to be surrounded by an audience expecting me to tame lions or something….”
“Aw, don’t be scared, Dashie. I wouldn’t ever do something like that to you!” Pinkie said, the amount of glee in her voice did not falter.
“All right…” Dash said. Then she paused for a moment. “…so what are you going to do to me?”
“Oh stop it.” Pinkie giggled. “Now, I want you to wait here for just a second, Dashie. I’ll tell you when. And no peeking!”
“Aw come on….I’ve been wearing this thing for what feels like hours! I’m starting to worry that my eyes won’t even open anymore if I keep them closed any longer!”
“…….”
“Pinkie? What’s wrong?” Rainbow asked. “Oh, I guess she already left.”
And Dash waited. And waited. And she waited some more.
She didn’t know where she was or what was around her. It was unnerving.
“Pinkie? Can I take it off now? Are you done yet?” Rainbow asked nervously.
More silence.
Finally, Rainbow thought “Buck this” and took off the blindfold. She immediately took stock of her surroundings.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t see the sky. That always put her on edge. But, there was a faint bloom of light creeping under the giant curtain that covered the….”room”…she was in, and she could see she had at least some room to fly around in.
And yet, no sign of Pinkie Pie or where she had left through…but then, Rainbow’s eyes were still recovering from being blindfolded for so long.
“Pinkie? Where is this place? Why is it so dark? Where ARE you?”
The light also betrayed the bars that rose from the floor, close enough together that she couldn’t squeeze through. The bars went up until the light grew too weak, and she couldn’t see them anymore. But Rainbow wanted to be sure, so she flew up into that darkness, taking note of the wooden platform large enough for any pegasus to sit on, on her way up. She flew all the way to the top.
Yes…. She was trapped.
Trapped in a giant cage of some kind, to be exact. Rainbow looked around the floor, searching for the door to the cage. Now that her eyes had taken a few moments to adjust, she found it easily, and tried opening it discreetly. It was locked.
“Pinkie!? Where are you? This isn’t funny! Pinkie or somepony…anypony! Please help! I can’t get out!”
Then, her call was answered.
Rainbow’s heart almost exploded out of her chest. She didn’t hide her horrified scream. The Eye had already seen her.
A large, snake-like eye with baby blue coloration had peeked through a slit in the curtain and seen Rainbow Dash! With a childish giggle, the curtain was thrown off, and Rainbow Dash was blinded by the sudden change in lighting!
Still, she flew. All around her prison, desperate to get away from the dragon’s gaze. Rainbow Dash didn’t take a good look at the monster’s exact form. It’s blue eyes seemed to be set against a completely shadowy body. They traced her relentlessly. Rainbow had the impression that if she split into two pegasi, the eyes would have done Ditzy Doo’s thing and a different eye would have followed one of her two trails of movement still, not even pausing for a second.
She eventually crashed into the perch in the center of the giant birdcage, where she curled into a fetal position and looked on with horror.
And then, it spoke in a familiar voice.
“Hee hee! Awwww…tweet, tweet, tweet my little Dashie!” An enormous Pinkie Pie looked down on Rainbow, grinning from ear to ear.
“P-pinkie? Why are you so big?” Rainbow Dash managed to ask. “Why am I in this cage?”
“Aw, Dashie…do I really have to explain it to you? You’re going to be my songbird! Hee hee hee!”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “Pinkie, please! Don’t tease me! This is going too far!”
Pinkie giggled uncontrollably. “Hey, are you going to tweet for me, like a good birdie, or am I going to have to bake you into a pie?”
“Pinkie! Stop it, I’m scared! I never admit that to anypony, but I admit it now! I’m scared! You got me, Pinkie, okay? G-get Twilight to reverse this spell you had her cast on me and-”
“Aww….and here I thought you were tough.” Pinkie suddenly interrupted Rainbow. “Still, I’m afraid this isn’t a prank.” The party pony lowered her head. Her face took up all the space that Dash could see from her vantage point. And she whispered “Welcome to my cave, Dashie, raaaarrrr!”
Rainbow was too scared to say anything. She opened her mouth while shaking, but no words came out.
“What’d you say? Oh! Are you trying to sing for me, my little birdie?”
Rainbow managed an “I-I….”, but it was much too soft for anypony, even the cyan pegasus who spoke it, to hear.
“Didn’t quite catch that. Are you sure you’re really Dashie? I didn’t catch Fluttershy by mistake, did I?”
Rainbow felt humiliated and frightened at the same time. She wasn’t acting herself and she knew it, but….it was all she could do to keep breathing as her blood froze and her heart pounded in her chest.
“I am not y…..” Rainbow’s voice trailed off. It was hard to say that much, like the next syllable might cause Rainbow’s heart to explode.
“Yesssss?” Pinkie put her ear close to the bars of the cage. She let out a small (read: pegasus sized) plume of flame. “What’d you say, birdie?” the giant pony flapped her leathery wings once. ….Did she always have those? Rainbow honestly couldn’t remember details like that from the last few minutes of her life.
“Tweet.” Rainbow squeaked.
“Aww….that’s a good songbird.” Pinkie smiled.
Rainbow dared to start to relax. Okay…this was still a horrible, horrible situation. But maybe if she just did whatever the giant Pinkie-dragon wanted for now she could survive long enough to try to escape later…
“But I’ve already got the pie started.”
Rainbow blinked. What the heck is she talking about?
With lightning speed, Pinkie tore open the door of the bird cage and reached inside for Dash. Screaming, the pegasus took off and flew around the cage.
She didn’t get very far. Something was pulling her away from the ceiling of the cage.
Pinkie had her tail.
Rainbow struggled, but Pinkie bit her mane in her unusually carnivorous teeth. Rainbow cringed, held firmly in the monstrous pony's mouth, but unharmed. Pinkie bounded over to a kitchen counter. Rainbow kicked and flapped her wings, and demanded to be put down. It was there that Rainbow Dash saw it.
The Pie.
It was filled with dozens of other pegasi, all of them wrapped had their wings bound in what looked like a thick ring of uncooked dough, and their legs bound together with some kind of (presumably edible) adhesive.
Standing on her hind legs again, Pinkie retrieved the struggling pegasus with her hoof, and held her down while her other hoof retrieved some dough.
“Pinkie, stop! We’re friends! Why would you do this to mmmph mmmMMmmm mmmph!” Rainbow’s mouth was covered with a small mask of pie crust dough. Rainbow’s nostrils were not restrained, so she could still breath through her nose. Pinkie just winked at Rainbow and proceeded to do the rest of the binding. Rainbow, now rendered speechless, just tried to lock eyes with Pinkie and give her the most pitiful pleading look she could manage. It probably helped that she was already starting to cry and was trying to understand how any of this could be happening.
“Aww….its okay Dashie. It will all be over in 30-35 minutes. Or until the crust is golden brown.” Pinkie laughed cruelly. She then took the tied up Rainbow Dash, the pegasus’ hooves covered in some kind of sticky, sickeningly sweet-smelling substance, and dropped her in the middle of a pile with the rest of the pegasi.
It was horrible. Rainbow felt ponies squirming all around her, desperately trying to escape…some down below trying just to breath. Above, Pinkie was looking at them all hungrily.
“This is going to be…the. Best. Dessert. Ever.” Pinkie licked her lips. “Now I just need to decide on a topping.” She looked thoughtful, then pulled out two jars of some kind of condiments. “Hey….does anypony have a preference? Would you rather be scalded alive with dragon-heated strawberry or blueberry-flavored syrup?”
The voices of the damned screamed their protests through their doughy masks, Rainbow just sobbed.
Pinkie rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh right, I guess you all aren’t really abl-“
“Blueberry!” a voice interrupted her.
Every single pony in the pie (and the dragon-pony who wasn’t) stared at the gray-coated speaker. She was still restrained, but her mask had fallen off. When she opened her mis-matched eyes, she took in her surroundings in half the time a normal pony would’ve required.
Ditzy Doo seemed to catch on that the crowd was frowning at her. “Um, I mean….strawberry?” She asked tentatively.
Right. Thank you, Ditzy Doo. I’d HATE for our last few moments of life to be tainted by even a small speck of dignity. Thanks for taking care of that for us, ya featherbrain.
“Actually…I just had a wonderful idea!” Pinkie grabbed Rainbow Dash again and held her above the pile of doomed ponies for all to behold. “In honor of my wonderful, dear, bestest best friend Rainbow Dash, how about I use both flavors in succession! Maybe I’ll add some honey! With all the primary colors, it’ll be a bright and colorful rainbow! Beautiful!” Pinkie’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as she said that last word, giving everypony further reassurance of her madness.
“Thanks for giving me the idea, Dashie.” Dragon Pie rose Dash to her face, and kissed her before dropping her back into the pie.
Pinkie didn’t waste any time. She poured some syrup (and honey) into three different pans, and then she breathed a giant flame and heated them in the blink of an eye. The pegasi could hear the bubbling, even though the pot was out of their view.
Pinkie returned to the pie, a pan containing the first of the three waves of boiling condiments in her hoof. A gleam in her eye.
“Any last requests?” Pinkie asked.
“Well…”
“Besides Ditzy Doo.” Pinkie interrupted.
“Awwww….” Ditzy pouted.
After a moment of silence (read: muffled protesting and crying), Pinkie said “Aww….you’re all shivering. Don’t worry. I’ll warm you all up right now.”
This can’t be happening…it just can’t be…I don’t want to look, but I can’t tear myself away…oh my gosh!
“How dare you…..” a familiar yellow pegasus stood above the tangle of bound ponies.
Is that Fluttershy!?
“How DARE you!” Fluttershy took off and flew right up to Dragon Pie’s face. “Listen here, Missy! Just because you’re big, doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want! I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Pinkie, but this is NOT how you play nice with your friends!”
Dragon Pie looked up, astounded by Fluttershy’s sudden appearance. She had lowered the pan just a hair. This had the unfortunate effect of almost spilling its strawberry contents onto the pile of kidnapped ponies.
And then Fluttershy slapped (well, bucked), Pinkie’s hoof and send the pan flying away to Pinkie’s left. “NO! That’s dangerous! You could’ve burned somepony!”
Pinkie looked back at the tiny Pegasus hovering in front of her. “I just…wanted others to feel my pain.”
“You know you’ve never been burned alive. There are plenty of outlets for whatever is bothering you! You know all the ponies in Ponyville, more ponies than I could ever hope to get to know, you throw parties for! And you’re telling me you never thought to just talk about it with your friends? Pinkie! This isn’t like you at all! Explain yourself right now, young lady!”
“But I thought you all didn’t like my parties and didn’t want to be my friends anymore!”
“That’s not true! You always still had Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash! And the Crusaders! And you definitely had me. But right now, you’re not behaving like the Pinkie Pie I know and love! You’re hurting the ponies that care for you the most!”
“But, I …” Pinkie started to speak again.
“Don’t you ‘but, I’ me, Missy! Now, what do you have to say for yourself?” Fluttershy crossed her forelegs.
Pinkie’s lower lip quivered and she suddenly broke down crying.
“There, there, Pinkie…you just made a mistake. If you just let everypony go, everything will be okay.” Fluttershy continued to try and coax the enourmous dragon-pony.
She’s…She’s going to do it! It’s another miracle! Fluttershy is going to save us all! Just like last ti-
The appalled voices of the muffled ponies (including a gasp from Ditzy Doo) were Rainbow's first sign that something had changed.
Rainbow looked up….and saw Pinkie was holding a knife, stained with blood.
Fluttershy’s blood.
She had cut the little pony from groin to neck in a single, fluid motion.
Fluttershy fell unto the pile, motionless.
Rainbow Dash could only look in horror. She was completely paralyzed.
Pinkie grabbed another pan and smiled. She tilted the pan forward slowly….
“Wait!” Ditzy suddenly spoke up.
Everypony fell silent again.
“What about the red for your rainbow?” the blond pegasus asked. “You spilled the strawberry syrup.”
“…….” Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy’s bleeding corpse and smiled, saying “hmm-hmm!”
“Oh.”
With no further questions, Pinkie resumed operations. Some molten gold dripped from her pan. It hit some other ponies, who elicited agonized screams.
Pinkie tilted it forward slowly…dripping more onto other ponies. Rainbow Dash cringed, but none of the sauce seemed to be landing on her.
And then, Pinkie tilted the pan all the way, and there was boiling honey everywhere...Rainbow was burning…drowning….melting!
The sickeningly sweet smell was everywhere….and it was mixed with the smell of blood….
Rainbow screamed and screamed until she fell off the surface she was sleeping on. Shooting straight up, Rainbow started to calm down when she realized she wasn’t being smothered in boiling honey.
Still….her head was fuzzy. She looked around, and took hold of her surroundings.
She was in her cloud house. Outside her window, she saw the sun was starting to dip past the mountains outside Ponyville.
Rainbow blinked. It was this late in the day? She felt like there was something she needed to remember something….wait…
“Wait. Something doesn’t add up…ow.” Rainbow winced.
Rainbow just realized, her whole body felt sore. She had tensed up terribly.
“Then again, a good soak sounds pretty good right about now.”
Within moments (which would strike anyone who knew all the work that went into condensing the hot water for a bath in a cloud house as a strangely short period of time if they were in their right mind) Rainbow was relaxing in a warm bath. She really should take these more often.
As Rainbow wiped the side of her face, she felt some not unlike a bite from a small animal.
“Ow!” Rainbow held the cloth in her face, and saw that it was bloodstained. Inside was a small, black, something-or-other. “Ow…was that a scab? What happened where I would have been….?”
The bathwater had turned red.
Rainbow’s eyes widened in horror.
She looked at her body, as if for the first time.
Stitches. Stitches all over her stomach.
Her fetlocks had bolts through them. She place a hoof on the bolt.
She could feel her pulse through the metal.
Rainbow tried to fly to get out of the tub, but realized with a thrill of horror, that her wings were gone!
Her Cutie marks were stitched on.
She remembered. The other Pinkie.
Did that monster harvest her organs, but put her back together again? That didn’t make sense! Why would Rainbow forget that? Why would the monster Pinkie do that? To do it all again later? But surgery doesn’t work like that! What’s going on?
Breathing heavily, Rainbow Dash realized she wasn’t alone in the tub.
It was another Rainbow Dash. This one was whole.
“Horrible, isn’t it?” the other pegasus spoke “You’re the only one who can stop her, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry you had to be a part of this. Gaze into the mirror over there, and see the truth. See the future that awaits you if you keep attempting to ‘save’ Pinkie Pie.”
Rainbow turned her head, which itself felt like it had been stitched together, and she looked into the mirror.
She had no face. It had been skinned off, revealing the muscle and bone underneath!
Rainbow screamed. And the pony corpse she saw in the mirror screamed back at her.
The other Rainbow throttled her.
“Stay with me! Don’t go yet! You have to promise me you’ll never let your guard drop! She won’t rest until you’re dead! She let you go so she can hunt you down again! Nopony will come to your rescue! You have to stop her!”
“StOp…” Rainbow spoke in a distorted voice. “PiNkIe PiE?”
“Yes. End her. Don’t follow in my naiveté. And another thing! This is very important: You cannot trust either Pinkie Pie. When you find her, you must kill her too.” The other Rainbow stared icily into Dash.
“bUt…CaMe To SaVe HeR. mY fRiEnD…”
“Is gone! If she ever existed in the first place! I thought I was mistaken. And…” the other Rainbow’s voice started to distort as wounds opened all over her body and she started to bleed. “lOoK…aT…mE…nOw…”
And then the other Rainbow Dash exploded into a downpour of rainbow-icing cupcakes.
One cupcake splattered in Dash’s eye. She couldn’t stop it. She didn’t have eyelids.
“AaAAaAaaAaAaAAaAarRrRrRrRRrRrRrRrRrRGgGgGGgGgGgGhHhHhHhHhHhHhH!”
Rainbow woke with a start. Again.
She was in her cloud house. Again.
Her muscles were stiff. Again.
Rainbow rubbed a hoof over her entire body. “My wings….my cutie marks! Oh Celestia….I’m whole!” She cradled her self and cried.
Then she found something.
Stitches. Off to the side of her stomach. It was off and away from most of her vital organs. She hadn’t noticed them before.
Rainbow instantly kicked herself to make sure this wasn’t another horrible dream!
It wasn’t.
The stitches must have been holding together a very tiny cut. But…Rainbow felt hollow in that area of her body.
“What did she take?……WHAT DID SHE TAKE?”
The Wrathful Wraith exited the Darkest Grove, and found the spirit that was tethering the four to the outside world.
The Striped Ghost.
The Wraith approached the Ghost.
The Striped Ghost spoke “I wanted you to find one of the four and watch them, one hour is all I ask. What could call you always from your important task?“
The Wraith made its demand.
“We are going into the Grove to rescue them ourselves. In the Flesh. All four of us. Now.” The Wraith commanded, its voice almost becoming a screech when it said the word “Now.”
“Did you not hear me before?” the Striped Ghost inquired. “I cannot allow the entry of any magic or alchemical lo-“
“Unacceptable.” The Wraith interrupted. “ABSOLUTELY unacceptable.”
“If things are going bad, we may send in Applejack and Fluttershy, but I’m afraid that in any situation that you can allow yourself to do so, you MUST stand b-“ The Striped Ghost attempted to rhyme once again.
“You never explained why.” The Wraith interrupted again. “I’m terribly, awfully, DREADFULLY sorry, but you. Never. Explained. Why.”
“The reason I’m not ready to explain at this time, You’re uncouth interruptions are making it very hard for me to rhy-“ The Striped Ghost
“THEN STOP RHYMING! AND START EXPLAINING! AFTER WHAT PINKIE PIE JUST WENT THROUGH, I NEED TO HERE THE REASON WE AREN’T STOPPING IT!” the Wraith howled, its voice once again very nearly becoming a screech.
“FINE!” Zecora screamed back.
Less than a second passed before Zecora continued speaking, but Rarity’s eye twitched as she noted that ‘fine’ technically rhymes with ‘time’.
“Because shadows with magic can break you even faster! Not just you, but everyone else in the Grove!” Zecora huffed. “There be something that will happen, and there is no action you can take that does not end in tragedy. It might hurt less, if you already were a murderer who does not feel guilt.”
“W-what?” Rarity gasped.
The previous year…….
(Once again, any and all rhyming has been lost in translation)
“They loved you, Zecora.” Shadora sneered, speaking in their native language. “It might have been based on a lie, but it wasn’t a trick. They really, really loved you. And you threw them away. With even more heartlessness than I sacrificed my own minions with. You’re right. You aren’t like me. You’re WORSE!”
The evil enchantress’s words stung Zecora to her soul. She was right.
“Oh sure, they might’ve been fated to die as soon as you left the Grove anyway, but you really treated them like rhino dung. Like they didn’t really exist.”
Zecora stifled a sob. She thought…that they didn’t really exist. That they weren’t real. They were just supposed to be “Reflections”, mindless illusions she had read about…they imitated her family and immediately offered to fight for her and said contradictory things. They had been an insult, and Zecora expected them to turn on her at any moment. They even kept coming back whenever she died, so of course they weren’t dead.
But…did she just make more? Every time?
Shadora spoke once more. “I even gave you a chance to be with Amoke. And you killed her. I gave you another one. You killed her too…you killed her, and killed her, and ki-“
“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!” Zecora screamed before a gag was forced into her mouth by one of the tigers.
Shadora stepped onto the altar where Zecora was bound. “Time to die once more, Zecora. Oh, and don’t feel bad. You’ll be able to see you-know-who again and tell her you’re sorry for being such a bad sister. Only, of course, it will be a brand new Amoke, and she won’t be able to remember it at all. How many Amokes does this make, I wonder?”
Zecora struggled desperately. If she died now, the nightmare really would start again…
“Goodbye, Zecora.”
SQUICK.
……
……
……
Wake up. Zecora thought.
Wake up wake up wake up WAKE UP!
Zecora’s eyes shot open. She was back in the village. No one else was around.
She ran away. Desperate to find an exit to the grove before they came back…
Before even more blood was on her hooves.
“The real reason I can’t enter the grove is because I have already defeated my Dark Side. I entered of my own free will, believing I knew everything about the Grove. But the Grove has ways of using your knowledge against you. Your Shadow has lived the same life you have and taken away very different lessons from the experiences.”
“What happened when you entered the Grove?” Rarity asked. “And what does your experience have to do with unicorns? I mean, its not like me or Twilight have been in her before…”
“That is a long, tragic story. But perhaps I should tell you about my foray.”
“Back to rhyming?”
“Ah, Must have slipped my mind.”
“Excuse me again, Zecora, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but…why do you rhyme?”
Zecora smiled. “If I had to guess, I’d say it is a curse of my kind.”
“You mean…the Zebras?”
“No. Students of the Medicine Mare Zelunjo.” Zecora corrected. “All her instructions were in rhyme, and so was her everyday conversation. We have all learned to speak like her, too.”
“Fascinating. In either case, why can’t we enter the Grove? After all, what I just saw Pinkie Pie go through…Oh, Zecora! Her Dark Side was cutting her and playing mind games, and making her think she wasn’t real and was actually Sweetie Bell! Both of them are friends to all of us! Why can’t all four of us enter together?” Rarity cried.
“To prevent the release of a Dark Side that had magic to invoke. I understand your desire to help, but I cannot allow there to ever be…another Amoke”
Zecora lived with her family in her humble Zebrican town. Along with her mother, father, and for a while her drunken uncle (don’t ask, that’s a sad story in of itself), there was also Zecora’s little sister, Amoke.
Amoke had a frail constitution, and she was often sick. Still, Zecora and her family did everything they could for her. It got bad at times, but Amoke was the sweetest girl you could know. And she always pulled through with the love and support of her family, especially her loving older sister.
Then, tragedy struck. Amoke was infected with a terminal illness. The local doctors said they did everything they could, but Amoke only had two months to live at the most. No one could help her.
Then, Zecora heard that there was a famous healer who was visiting relatives in town. The legendary medicine mare, Zelunjo.
Zecora found Zelunjo and pleaded like never before in her life for the older Zebra to look at her sister. Zelunjo agreed, and after examining her, said she could treat Amoke….if she had a certain rare ingredient that wasn’t even for sale.
Zecora demanded to know what the ingredient was and what it looked like, and no sooner than she was told then she stormed out of the village and ran into the jungle. It took her all night, and a narrow escape from a panther, but she found it, and returned victoriously.
It was a perfect specimen. Zelunjo’s medicine made Amoke well and energetic again. But, she have to take the medicine for the rest of her life, and Zelunjo couldn’t stay in town forever.
However, she was impressed with Zecora’s ability to find such a rare plant after just hearing about it, as well as her drive to save her sister. She saw potential in the young Zebra and offered to train Zecora so she could take care of her sister.
Zecora accepted. In time, she began a great herbalist, and treated many patients besides just her sister. All was well….
…Until the Red Plague struck. Amoke was among the first infected. She was in her preteen years.
The Red Plague was mysterious, as while there were historical instances of it, there had been no sign of it for centuries, and it was almost forgotten. But now, it was back with a vengeance.”
The only cure: an extinct plant called “Night Root.”
It only grew in the supernatural, eternally dark, area around Zebrica’s Darkest Grove (and had lured many Zebras into the Grove) which, 300 years ago, a distraught king had burned down after the tragic insanity and subsequent loss of his son. (The prince had heard of ancient heroes who did battle with their own shadows and through victory became spiritually cleansed. Apparently, this prince had slain his lover, mistaking her for an assassin when she snuck into his tent on the eve before a battle. He did not find salvation in the Grove.) The father’s terrible vengeance took all the Night Root with it.
Zecora buried herself in her studies, trying to find anything to cure her sister. Her own health deteriorated, and she became obsessed with the subject of the Darkest Grove. She hated the old King for destroying such a valuable cure, but eventually, she had to admit to herself that it was a mystery no one had attempted to do something like that before.
Perhaps back in the days when the Red Plague was rampant and Night Root was necessary, none would dare approach the grove, but during its long absence, zebras started to forget.
And now Zecora’s town was suffering for it. Amoke was suffering for it…..
Then, she found the answer.
The Everfree Forest, near Equestria.
It was a monster-filled region that the local ponies stayed far away from. But there were stories and rumors of a dark center of the forest where even the largest and most terrifying monsters gave a wide breath. The darkest region of the forest. The forbidden region, even to dragons.
It wasn’t much to go on, but Zecora was desperate. She memorized everything the books had to say about Night Root and she planned to leave immediately.
But then, Amoke’s condition turned for the worse. Zecora dropped everything and tried to do everything she could.
“Thank you…big sister. You’ve done so much for me….I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to hold on that long.” Amoke
“Amoke! Don’t talk like that! I’ll get to the Night Root, just be strong! You’ll survive!”
“Hee hee…That rhyme doesn’t work very well.” Amoke giggled some more before started another of her terrible-sounding coughing fits.
(Again, rhymes lost in translation)
Zecora placed a bowl filled with some sort of liquid near Amoke. “Don’t just laugh this off! This is dire and serious! Here, take this for your cough.”
(Ironically, that one DIDN’T rhyme)
Amoke didn’t drink it.
“Amoke! Do what I say! You’ve always taken your medicine before!”
“Big sister….please don’t give up hope. It’s wonderful you found the Night Root….but I don’t think I can even drink this stuff. *Cough!* My stomach can’t take it. How am I going to be able to eat the Night Root?”
Zecora’s eyes watered. “I’ll fix it! I’ll make it go down easier! Just be strong! Stop talking like this is the end.”
“Zecora- *cough cough!* …no one ever tried harder than you to keep me alive. And you are incredible at what you do. You’re the best big sister I could ask for! I’m sorry I’ve been such a burden.”
“I…you’ve never been a burden, Amoke! Please! You’re part of the reason I’m still alive too! Where do you think I got the strength to stare down that panther in the jungle? Where? Herb collecting in the jungle isn’t the delicate, fanciful activity some zebras make it out to be! I can only face what’s out there because of my will to protect you”
“But...that’s why I’m telling you not to lose hope…even if this is the end, there are so many more sick zebras that need your help.” Amoke spoke in a raspy voice.
“No!”
“Don’t lose hope!” Amoke’s voice suddenly rose. She coughed for a moment before she continued. “You have to promise me you’ll be strong and keep helping all the victims of this terrible sickness even if I die.”
Zecora wiped her tears and gave Amoke a smile. “I promise… but listen, Amoke. I’ve added some extract to the medicine. It should go down easier. Just try it. You can’t give up either, okay?”
Amoke smiled and tried to take the medicine. She put up a brave face, but couldn’t keep it down. Despite Zecora’s best efforts, her condition worsened and hardly a day passed before she was gone.
Zecora had already packed her bags. Zecora didn’t feel like going anywhere or doing anything.
But…she had a promise to keep.
Still, Zecora was compelled to prepare just a little more. Amoke's death and freed up her schedule, but Zecora was driven by a need to be perfect at what she was setting out to do AND force of habit. She got some more books. She had more to research. More on the Grove. More about Shadows. More about the ancient Shamans who bound spirits to masks and use astral projection and attempted to master the mysteries of the Grove.
Originally, she just wanted to get in find some Night Root to save Amoke, and get out. But now she needed it for all of Zebrica. Zecora was worried about entering the Grove herself. But now she wanted in. She would conquer her dark side…and then she could harvest all the Night Root. All of it. There would never be another sufferer of the Red Plague ever again.
Zecora learned a lot in this last cram session. She would be ready.
Sadly, so did Shadora. She would be more ready.
Rarity wiped her tears. “So…that’s why you came to Ponyville. But…what happened when you got here?”
Zecora inhaled deeply. “I was killed for the first time within the first hour. I was shocked by my Dark half, but when I rose again, I falsely believed that at that point I knew the full measure of her power.
This second life of mine, however, was when things started to turn unbearably sour. Although I only used such things to help others and cure disease, my knowledge of herbology and spirits allowed my Shadow to create two armies.”
“Armies?”
“My army was made up of a village populated by reflections of every zebra I’ve ever known. All of whom were who were all incredibly loyal to me. While my Shadow commanded tigers and other beasts from her throne. I thought they were ‘Reflections’. Dream Zebras. Illusions of the Grove. It wasn’t until I knew the truth that I realized how deeply into my heart the stake was drove.”
“What was the truth then?” Rarity asked.
“There was a healthy, happy Amoke who was the first to wake me up everytime I died. Everytime I got them all killed. I could never convince her to stop following me around, no matter how hard I tried. The real Amoke was frail and sickly, while this one was everything I ever wanted for her. And it hurt. It hurt when she spoke using her voice. It hurt when she called me her sister. And it hurt most of all when I was no longer sure.
She was a mockery of my Amoke. But….she wasn’t a Reflection, my friend. ‘Reflections’ are empty shades with barely the substance of wind. Zombies made from the memory of those who enter the grove, and under the thrall of their Shadow.
My Reflections were different. When they said they loved me, they meant it. And…only now, after its too late do I know.”
“You mean…but Zecora, if you’re the only one whose ever been in the grove personally, then how do you know your “Reflections,” as you call them, were different?”
Zecora hung her head. “It was there in the records. I didn’t study enough. Too angry, too impatient. Seemed unimportant and too sparsely mentioned. When I was forced to leave. I researched again, and I found out all the important stuff:”
-Reflections cannot interact or even notice you unless a Shadow is nearby to guide them. And only when they are told too.
-Reflections are born from your memories, and they will act in more or less the same way you remember them. They cannot do new things unless a Shadow orders it. They are not sentient, or even alive.
-You do not have a ‘memory’ of yourself, unless a recent out of body experience or dream produces one Therefore, if you meet yourself in the Grove, it is almost certain that this creature is your Dark Side.
-They can touch you, but generally just opt to phase through you like a ghost. There is no record of a Reflection killing any Zebra, not even for encroachment purposes.
“My army of Reflections came right up to me, without the Dark Zecora to guide them. If I only took what the records had to say on Reflections more seriously, I wouldn’t have acted so stupidly and grim.
They did new things, did great feats of heroism fighting for me…things I don’t remember them doing from the past. If I only knew, it would’ve been obvious how that could not be.”
“What I think I’m getting from this.” Rarity said, rubbing her head. “Is that something was different about them. I’m sorry, could you be a dear and go back to not rhyming for just a teensy little bit?”
“Magical Shadows result in Living reflections. Living, breathing, feeling, thinking Reflections. I just know how the Shaman of Old communed with spirits through Masks and how to do a ritual like this Astral Projection…
…so my Shadow thought it would be incredibly clever to force me to play a war game with her. Where her army was a bunch of bloodthirsty carnivores, including that one Tiger who ate my Uncle, and my army was a made up of all my Neighbors and family. Including…”
“Amoke.” Rarity said.
“…yes. I think I got seven different Amokes that I all got killed. I got killed eight times, and I lost a little more of myself each time…but each one of those Amoke Reflections lost everything, and never stopped trusting me. Defeating that witch helped me feel alive again in the moment, but sometimes I think that the life-saving medicine I send back to Zebrica is the only thing that keeps me going.” Zecora concluded.
“Zecora…I’m so sorry.” Rarity said.
“And that’s why even if we send in others, we can’t send in unicorns. Shamanism just relies on other spirits who provide the magic. Shadora might have also been using magical plants, possibly even Night Root itself to create the Living Reflections.
I just had a small amount of tangential magical knowledge. I don’t have an inner source of magic. We are not going to see what a shadow with a horn can do.
Right now, the only thing we can do is put our faith in Rainbow Dash. She ran off before I can instruct her fully, but I have confidence that she can find Pinkie and get her out of the Grove. My battle lasted for days before I had to retreat...and by that point she was already deep in my mind so I had to return. At this stage, Pinkie can still leave and still live a normal life without defeating her shadow. It’s Rainbow’s Shadow that is the most dangerous to Pinkie, and that’s why I’m hesitant to send anyone else in after her. More Dark Sides just increases the chance that everyone ends up dead.”
“But…do you think Rainbow Dash can handle it on her own?” Rarity asked.
“She is a proud, boastful pegasus. But she might actually be as great as she says.”
Suddenly, the Striped Ghost and the Wrathful Wraith were visited upon by a Fluttering Shade.
“Girls! I don’t know what to do! She’s completely inconsolable! I mean, I can talk to her or anything, but I just can’t stand watching her anymore.” The Spirit said.
“I know, Fluttershy. I saw what happened to Pinkie Pie.” Rarity said. “But Zecora thinks we should-“
“It’s not Pinkie Pie. It’s Rainbow Dash! She’s having a nervous breakdown!”
Rarity looked at Zecora worriedly.
Zecora scowled. “And just now I realized I could’ve been sharing all of that information about my Grove battle with one of the ponies who actually can act as the reinforcements….”
The Shade gasped. “Zecora! You didn’t rhyme that!”
The Wraith sighed. “Yes dear, it seems today is a very extraordinary day…”
The Ghost groaned. “Could this day get ANY worse!?”
“IT SAW ME!” A very demented looking Twilit Specter came galloping out of the Grove. “None of the others, not even the Evil Rainbow Dash, saw me, but it saw me! It spoke to me!”
“What did? Please, Twilight Sparkle, tell me! What did you see?” Zecora demanded.
“She’s fixed!” the Shade gasped again.
The Wraith shushed her.
“I-it was….the blond unicorn with a Fire cutie mark.” The Specter stuttered. “Not like the other ponies that just ignored me…Don’t remember seeing her in Ponyville…Or even Canterlot...Zecora, what IS going on!?”
Zecora had no clue.
“Hey! Hey! Come back, I’m not done talking to you!” Shadash called after the surprisingly spry yellow unicorn Reflection with a short, golden, mane and tail, and a flame for her cutie mark..
“Aw…that purple pony disappeared. I just wanted to make friends….”
Shadash crossed her arms. “And I kept telling you there was nothing there. Now…What are you?”
“I’m a unicorn, duh!” the Reflection giggled. “And there was too something there!”
“Was not.” Shadash countered.
“Was too!” the yellow unicorn shot back.
“Was not!”
“Was too!”
“Was not, was not!”
“Was too, was too!”
“Arg! Look, I don’t care anymore. Let’s start with something easy. What. Is. Your. Name.”
“Oh, my name? I’m Sunny Gold! Oooh! Do you want to be friends?” Sunny asked in a bubbly voice.
“Fr-friends? No way! I don’t trust normal ponies OR shadows. Why would I want to talk to some kind of …memory-less….Reflection? Ugh..WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?”
“Uh, DUH! Mom, plus Dad (who is technically also my Mom because she’s female). And also the Cabbage Patch!” Sunny said happily.
“Oh sweet Shadestia… There’s two-well, technically THREE- of them now.” Shadash held her head in her hooves.
“You’re funny. I like you!” Sunny hugged and cuddled against Shadash.
“AH! Get away! Don’t touch me!” Shadash squirmed and squirmed but couldn’t escape. “Grrr..umph! What in the ABYSS do you eat for breakfast? Let go!”
“Aww…It’s just a hug.” Sunny giggled as she let Shadash go.
“Just…just…” Shadash’s eyes rapidly shifted back and forth from the ground to the unicorn filly. “I gotta go.” Shadash took to the skies.
“All right, come back soon, okay?” Sunny giggled.
“SOMETHING IS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG WITH YOU!” Shadash pointed a hoof at Sunny now that she was out of hugging range. She flew off, trying to turn her mind towards more comfortable, familiar things like paranoia and loathing.
“I made a friend.” Sunny smiled. “Now…where’d that Purple unicorn go?”
Author’s Note: Wow, I did NOT expect my computer to crash like that. Its been a rough journey putting everything back in order, but here’s your update. Just in time for….(checks time)….Well, for November.
Oh well, Happy Nightmare Night, Everypony!
“Amoke” is a Nigerian name meaning “Special gift to be cared for.”
“Zelunjo” has similar origins and means “Stay away from evil.”
“Sunny Gold” means ……”Gold that is Sunny.” |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 19 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-03-31T02:38:28+00:00 | 2012-03-31T02:38:28+00:00 | 3,442 | (I do not own My Little Pony, Shadow of the Colossus, etc. This is also a filler chapter that is not part of the main story. Actually, it is a continuation of the third Omake chapter for the Dark Side, so if you haven’t read that, do go back and read it now.)
(A/N: In the original game, Dormin’s clues for all the following Colossi start with the phrase “Thy Next Foe Is…” and then goes on to speak in a sentence that is usually not grammatically correct. This is likely due to a too-literal translation. To make it a little less ugly, I’ll replace the phrase with “Thy Next Destination…” when pertinent.)
Last time, on “Pinkie of the Colossus”
Pinkie Pie: "I’VE NEVER FELT SO ALI-“ *is impaled by seven or so 100-foot long ribbons of dark magic* “Hrrrkkk….” *falls to the ground and stops moving*
………
………
……….
And now, the thrilling conclusion!
The Dark Side
Omake files 3.5
Smiles. Laughter. Music. Cruelty-free party favors. These were everywhere in the mysterious room. The layout of the place was similar to the room she used for parties in Sugarcube Corner, but the wallpaper and paint job reminded her of the house on the rock farm where she had grown up on. The floor was bright and polished and inviting ponies to dance. The walls were decorated with brightly colored ribbons, a banner that said "Happy Birthday, Pinkie Pie!", and, of course, a Pin-the-tail-on-the-pony game. The ceiling was…very ceiling-ish. All in all, it should've been Paradise for Pinkie. It was everything she ever wanted once upon a time.
And yet…and yet…
WHY WERE THEY ALL SO CHEERFUL? APPLEJACK! BERRY PUNCH! NOTEWORTHY! FLORIDE! LITTLE TORNADO BOLT! POKEY PIERCE! THAT COLT WITH THE BOWLING CUTIE MARK WHOSE NAME SHE COULDN'T REMEMBER FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS! Ponies who had all died horribly at her hooves where smiling at her and wishing her "Happy Birthday." And then there were ponies like her sisters or Fluttershy who she were telling her she didn't have to feel ashamed to look them in the eye, because they loved her and wanted to be around her. At least they were leaving her alone to stare at the floor for a whil-
“Pinkie, come on! Are you still crying? We’re all okay. Really.”
Rainbow Dash. Of course. It had to be her who confronted her.
“Dashie...it’s *hic* not right. Y-you of all ponies should want to *hic* punish me for what I’ve done.”
“Pinkie. It wasn’t you. It was the bad Pinkie Pie.”
“I CAN’T JUST USE HER AS A SCAPEGOAT! I AM HER.” Pinkie began pacing across the room. “Maybe I wasn’t her once upon a time, but things are all confused now. My brain is filled to the brim with memories of all the things I did to you. And you. And you… And Oh Celestia, you’re everywhere. I don’t even know if I’m Sweetie Pie who took back control but retained Meanie Pie’s memories and therefore is technically still her or if I’m Meanie Pie who grew a conscience and is rightfully being torn to pieces. Or if I’m both and neither at the same time. The one thing I’m certain about is that whatever happened, It’s all still my fault. I can never be free-“
“Hey, dork. Just accept that everypony forgives you already. You’re bumming out the whole party.” Silver Spoon poked her head in between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “If nothing else, you’re upsetting Scootaloo!” Sweetie motioned with her hooves to indicate the orange pegasus sleeping peacefully on the couch next to her. It seemed that Sweetie Belle had been stroking her mane this entire time, an angelically content if tear-stained expression on Scootaloo’s face.
Over Silver Spoon’s shoulder, Pinkie saw Diamond Tiara running around with Apple Bloom on her back. It seemed kind of like Tiara had snuck between Bloom’s legs from the side and hoisted her up on her back and started running. “Tiaraaaa!” Apple Bloom whined. “Come on, smile already, Blank flank! That ‘being happy’ cutie mark isn’t going to earn itself!” Diamond Tiara said back.
“Ah don’t think there is such a thing as a ‘bein happy’ cutie mark! Or if Ah even want one as silly as that!” Apple Bloom protested, although her tone was thrown off with laughter.
“No excuses!” Tiara said as she ran even faster and the two crashed into Applejack and they all tumbled into a pile of giggles and noogies.
Pinkie was flabbergasted. Some part of her was SCREAMING that she should find everything just lining up and fixing itself even better than before to ring hollow. At least it should’ve felt like, 50 times sappier and syrupy-sweet than it did. Would anypony really be this forgiving? Let alone a whole room of them? Even if they came back to life, didn’t the fact that that was possible now mean they could at least torture her themselves before they forgave her? But…she really wanted to believe in this world. She really wanted to trust her lying eyes and ears. Maybe it really was that simple. Maybe, just maybe she could forget. Somewhere in the ballpark of 20 or so Miracles had already erased all her mistakes so far. Maybe redemption had somehow found her and she just needed to…
Pinkie turned to Rainbow, rubbing her left leg with her right hoof. “Dashie?”
“Yyessss?” Rainbow asked.
“It’s not just what the Shadow Pinkie did. She made the one who was your friend do horrible things in the Grove before she finally just…gave up. And then, the fact that she did give up means-“
Dash put a hoof over her mouth. “Means that I screwed up trying to save you and it’s just as much my fault as anypony’s. Are you saying that I should be punished for my failure, too?”
“No! That’s not what I-“
“And you’re not going to do it anymore. So what’s the problem, you silly filly?” Dash laughed.
Pinkie looked away, unsure. Then she turned back to Dash. “If I ever, ever do anything to hurt you, or anypony, in any way ever again, you have to promise me you won’t hesitate to punish me. I really, really want you to tear into me when you do it, too. Call me all the bad names. ALL OF THEM.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ll let me whip you if you misbehave, blah, blah, blah. Look, do want to eat some of this giant, pony-free birthday cake the Cakes made especially for you with the rest of us, or not?”
“More than anything in the world.” She said in a barely audible whisper, shedding what she felt would be her last tear ever.
And there was cheering all around.
And then this wonderful paradise was destroyed by a great and terrible explosion of blinding light and deafening sound.
On the hard, stone floor of the Shrine of Worship, a little pink mare in a purple jacket leaped at the sound. Above her, the dark outline of a bear disappeared into thin air before she could take account of it having ever been there... The forces present in the temple noted how curious it was that the pony’s entire body became brighter and more colorful in the short span of time she had rested on the floor, her mane curling all the while.
But then the Valus idol had awakened her with the sound of it exploding, leaving nothing but a mound of dirt and chunks of rock.
She looked around –failing to see the bear made from animated shadows- and realized just where she was and what was, and was not happening.
Her mane collapsed and her dull coloration returned, all at once.
She had the dream again. It had been haunting her these past few weeks, ever since she became “Dual Pie”. It seemed more wonderful, and therefore crueler, each time she had it. And she always, always fell for its seductive promises that everything was okay…
But, redemption hadn’t, and wasn’t going to, find her on its own, and she could never make up everything. Not without at least bringing back the dead.
And then, she remembered that that was exactly what she was doing. It was why the idol exploded. And that meant…
…
Pinkie rose to her hooves, and walked over to the altar to observe her best friend/former cannibalism and torture victim/general object of guilt-fuelled obsession.
Rainbow Dash.
Before, Rainbow's face had stared soullessly into space, her mouth frozen in an unnatural, forced smile even without its stitches. Now…her eyes were closed and her lips were more closely press together. Just a small change to the face caused such a big effect on how beautiful she looked...
...In spite of the line of marred skin that marked where Pinkie had removed the stitches around Dash's belly when she had restructured the body to hold the various organs she replaced, and the line of new stitches she replaced to close Dashie back up, and the fact that almost every single feather in her wings was ruffled and out of place –although, even in the chaos of all the other feathers that were disturbed from Pinkie playing with her dolly and also from the rather stressful escape from Canterlot, Pinkie could still pick out the three or so feathers on the left wing that marked the part she bit on when she stretched it out to begin hacking it off-, and her tail was still singed from when Apple Bloom had set her on fire (thankfully Scootaloo's carefully compartmentalized brain allowed for enough respect for the preservation of Rainbow's remains to take risks to try and save her old hero. She couldn't do the same for Sweetie Belle's, however.), the scars over her flanks that haunted Pinkie with Rainbow's voice calling out for the Pinkie Pie who was her friend to wake up and take back control, the scars around the side of her body when Rainbow had given up and was cursing Pinkie's name, the holes in her hooves made just after when Dash was apologizing because it was her fault for not saving Pinkie Pie and saying how they would always be friends and it wasn't too late, right before Pinkie laughed in her face and took the hammer and…and…
Pinkie told herself to avoid looking at that particular wound from now on. Still, in spite of…ALL THAT, Rainbow Dash's peaceful face made her look like a storybook princess…a reminder of happier times, and a promise of redemption that offset the enduring shame of the lower part of her body. And of course, there were her lips...which brought a truckload of feelings to mind when Pinkie had gotten close enough to Rainbow Dash to kiss her, begging her to "snap out of it!" Shadamena was shocked and fought it at first, but then thought "what the hell" and allowed herself to melt into Dash. Before she went back to work and was all business again.
...It might've been the nostalgia talking, or possibly the newly rediscovered dislike for sugary treats and/or cannibalism, but the kiss from back then had tasted so much better than the cuuuu... the cupcaaaa... the stuff. That came after. That she was looking forward to.
Suddenly, Dormin made its presence known as a strange pressure filled the room. The voice in the sky spoke. “Thy next foe is in a seaside cave. It moves slowly; raise thy courage to defeat it…..” And then, the rumbling of thunder died down and the Shrine of Worship became silent.
“Right. At least I’m making progress. And I have all the time in the world with absolutely nothing to worry-” Pinkie was suddenly blinded by a bright flash.
“-that mean?” Apple Bloom finished as she and Scootaloo suddenly appeared, with. “Hey, where are we?” Bloom asked.
“-about.” Pinkie finished absent mindedly. Why are Scooty and Bloomy here? This is no place for little fillies! No, no, no, no!
“MISS PINKAMENA!” Scootaloo chirped in a rather excited version of her feminine voice. The young pegasus tackle-hugged the dazed and confused mare.
“Pinkie!” Apple Bloom tried to move in for a hug, but Scootaloo rocked off of Pinkie in just the right way to block Apple Bloom. “Scootaloo, you lousy, no-good, cheating chicken-girl!”
“Hey, stop calling me a chicken!” Scootaloo barked in her tomboy voice. “I’m the one who saved you.”
Apple Bloom looked a little confused for a moment, but then her eyes dilated and she growled. “Ah did that mahself! You just set fire to everything, trying to make sure Ah didn’t live to say nu'thin. Probably about you and yer cushy ‘nopony-knows-what-Ah’ve-been-up-to-when-my-parents-ain't-watchin’ lifestyle.”
“I was creating a distraction!” Scootaloo hissed. She returned to her cute voice and continued cuddling Pinkie. “But no matter. Right now, I’m talking to Miss Pinkamena.”
“Awright, git offa her!” Apple Bloom shoved Scootaloo out of the way and muzzled Pinkie, who seemed too deep in shock to register what was happening.
“Apple Bloooom….” Scootaloo said in a scary raspy tone when she got to her hooves. She tackled Apple Bloom and the two began to fight.
“Girls.” Pinkie said, coming out of her shock.
The two fillies continued to kick and bite each other.
“Girls!”
They didn’t stop.
“GIRLS!” Pinkie stamped her hoof. This time, the dust cloud settled to reveal both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stretching each others' cheeks. Both fillies looked at the older pony.
“What are you doing here?” Pinkie asked, crossing her forelegs.
Suddenly, Apple Bloom pushed Scootaloo away and grabbed the scabbard. “Ah don’t know! Ah just got this scabbard back for ya, Pinkie!”
Pinkie looked at the scabbard. On it was an inscription: The two must be as one, less the seal weaken. Should they ever be separated, speak the word, and Return.
“That’s a cheap shot, Apple Bloom, I was the one who found the wreckage!” Scootaloo whined.
This scabbard brought them here. Great. Just great.
“Oh yeah? AH was still the one who found the scabbard!”
And they are growling at each other again. Come on girls, I’m trying to think here…
“AHEM. Look, I told you two to not follow me and go back to your families. I really needed to do this on my own, without worrying about you. I told you to lay low and you completely disobeyed me.” Pinkie looked very disappointed.
Apple Bloom spoke up. “We didn’t, Pinkie! Honest! There’s a reason we did what we did! After you stole the sword, they took me from mah home! They hurt Big Macintosh!”
“What!? Who did? Princess Celestia wouldn’t…” Pinkie stopped herself. She knew the Princess feared the Dormin as well. But….she wasn’t the original owner of the sword…
“It wasn’t the Princess, Miss Pinkamena!” Scootaloo said. “They took Apple Bloom the day you left for Canterlot. They were trying to steal the same floorplans of the Canterlot Catacombs you stole! They were trying to get the sword back from Princess Celestia and foalnapped Apple Bloom to get information on you! I saw what happened, and followed them using everything you taught me about tracking, and when I got Apple Bloom back, we ran into the woods and headed for Canterlot!”
Pinkie blinked. “But….Who ARE they?”
“We don’t know really. But they all wore these animal masks. And their leader had this robe with a strange design on it. Ah don’t know how to describe it, really, it doesn’t look like anything in particular. It’s just kind of blocky…”
“Nice Intel, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo scoffed.
“Excuse me, Ah’m talkin’ to Pinkie.” Apple Bloom smiled.
"Apple Bloom Did you say…animal masks?" Pinkie asked, her voice ever-so-lightly trembling with apprehension as she tried to contain her shock. The fillies still took notice of her change in attitude, for her eye twitched even if but a fraction of a second, and the tone of her voice betrayed that she was trying to sound calmer than she really felt.
“Y-yeah? Yeah, Ah did. Mostly Owls and bears and stuff.” the yellow earth pony confirmed nervously.
Pinkie Pie shuddered. She could wish fervently that they weren’t already on their way, but...it was too much to hope for.
The enemy Pinkie feared was the descendants of the creatures who lived in the forbidden land before they sealed the Dormin and retreated to Equestria. They had started some other religion that was based around the worship of another deity from Dormin. Dormin was a being of light and life, but also of darkness and death, and although it came to be worshipped as a god by these natives for ages, they eventually could no longer accept its incomprehensible and pluralistic nature. Every life Dormin agreed to resurrect was offset by the ones Dormin did not. There was also the matter of Dormin's terrifying presence.
And then they heard the voice of their "true" god, who had only the aspects of a god that they found favorable, while Dormin represented the darkness that they hated. Inspired by this new religion, they magically sealed Dormin into the land itself. Now that the earth contained Dormin's essences, it was cursed, so they used the bridge that came out of Dormin's temple to exit their world and enter Equestria. Pinkie also had the feeling that they didn't want anything that could break the spell on Dormin to remain in the land, so it was a kind of self-imposed exile.
Also, now that Pinkie Pie knew there were Colossi, she wondered if the forbidden land was actually safe to live in anymore…
They rebuilt their culture in Equestria, receiving help from Princess Celestia. But they didn't seem to like the existence of any god other than their own, and this Alicorn who controlled the Sun and the Moon rubbed them the wrong way. There was also the story of the time before Nightmare Moon, when Celestia ruled alongside a dark Princess who brought out the night. Even though she sealed her sister in the moon, this whole "balance between light and darkness" thing reeked too much of Dormin and they plotted against the Princess, trying to seal her in the Sun and bring about eternal daytime. Their coup failed, and Celestia forced them to disarm, which included taking the sword and a lot of other dangerous magical contraband labeled 'holy artifacts' for herself.
All of Pinkie's sources, both from the Outsiders and those by Equestria's own academy, generally portrayed the Dormin as a frightening, unknowable, other creature. But those made in Equestria were skeptical the Dormin ever existed, unlike those made by the Outsiders.
And of course their books were off course going to say the Dormin was real. It was their enemy, after all.
Ever since their crushing defeat and much-too-lenient surrender conditions, their descendants hadn't caused any trouble, and few Equestrians who didn't live along side them knew they even were there.
But if they were foalnapping children to get to some pony who only MIGHT have the sword…
“-they were trying to steal the sword back from Celestia!” Pinkie started pacing around the altar. “I need to hurry, they’ve been right on my tail this entire time. They probably will send an army here without even waiting for news of the sword’s theft just to cover their bases!” Pinkie took a deep breath, and collected her thoughts.
No, this is a good thing. It meant that I was lucky. I beat them to the sword. If they were even a little faster getting the scroll, I would have lost Dashie forever. But now…they are off balance. Maybe I still have time to kill the Colossi and leave with Dashie and the fillies. …or have Rainbow leave with the fillies after she kills me, whichever.
But first…
Pinkie kneeled next to Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom, did they hurt you?”
“No, Pinkie, but Big Macintosh got real mad when they barged into the house. They didn’t listen to him and just knocked him down and pinned him. When he realized they were taking me away, he went wild and they broke his legs! It got really twi-” Apple Bloom
“Thank you, Apple Bloom, I get the picture.” Pinkie said, wondering if she didn’t need to train Apple Bloom to watch her language around squeamish ponies a little harder. “Girls, I’m so very sorry I brought you and the Apples into this. Both of you.” Pinkie added to Scootaloo. “And thank you for getting the scabbard back. I had no idea it was such a liability. But I’m going to have to ask that you stay out of my way now.”
“Awwww….” Both fillies whined.
“No! Don’t you ‘awww…’ me. The thing I have to do to revive Dash is really, really, REALLY dangerous and I can’t afford to worry about you two getting crushed or eaten by Colossi!”
“What’s a …Colossi?” Apple Bloom asked with a confused expression.
“Colossus, sweetie. Colossi is plural.” Pinkie corrected. “They are large and terrible monsters that look like the idols over there. They roam this land, and they are the reason you are going to be staying put here.”
“These things?” Apple Bloom observed one of the idols. “Why they are the funniest-looking things Ah ever did see! Why, if Ah ever met one of those Colasa thingies Ah’d laugh at how silly it was!”
“Hee hee, yeah!” Scootaloo giggled. “Miss Pinkamena, no offense, but these aren’t scary at all. And I’m sure we could take care of ourselves.”
“No.” Pinkie said with finality. “Girls, please. I can let you run around outside, so long as you stay close to the temple and run back inside in case of Giant Killer Bird attack.”
“Giant Killer Bird attack? Pinkie, are you loco in the coco?” Apple Bloom blinked.
Pinkie pointed at one of the idols, which possessed a beak. “It’s called Avion.”
“Well, it’s the silliest one of the bunch. How is it supposed to peck anything with that flat beak?”
“Is that what this is about, Apple Bloom? The idols are just representations of the Colossi! They are much, much scarier up close! They have hair you can climb, hooves that make the ground shake with every step, and eyes that change colors when they're angry…”
“Landsakes! Ah wanna see one up close now!”
“Apple Bloom. No. And the same goes for you, Scootaloo.”
Silence.
“Scootaloo?” Pinkie suddenly noticed she was missing a filly. “Scootaloo!”
Both ponies ran outside.
They found Scootaloo on the shore of a beach in the bay to the north of Shrine of Worship. They crossed a bridge and climbed down a cliff.
“I was going to come right back, Miss Pinkamena.” Scootaloo said apologetically. “I just wanted to get some fresh air and then I saw how bright and beautiful everything was and I just had to fly. And then I saw a beach and I don’t remember the last time I was at the beach and…I’m so, so, sorry, Miss Pinkamena, I just forgot. Please forgive me...”
Apple Bloom didn’t say anything, but pawed at the sand…
“It’s okay, Scootaloo. But I need to ask that you and Apple Bloom go back to the temple and just play around there. I can’t fight the Colossi if I’m worried about you two, and I can’t spent anymore time arguing about it. So, just do what I say!” Pinkie commanded. Somehow, it was really hard to say that to Scootaloo…
“Do we really have to? I mean. We could just stay here. This beach seems safe enough…and there’s more than enough cover to hide if something DID come up. Pleease….I bet it would help Apple Bloom feel better too.” Scootaloo pleaded.
Pinkie looked at Apple Bloom, who blankly returned the gaze before slowly breaking into an ever so faint smile.
Pinkie sighed. “Fine.”
“Yay!” both fillies cheered.
“But don’t wonder off too far. Just stay in sight of the bridge, okay? And no swimming out in the really deep water out there. I don’t want to find out you got gobbled up by Hydrus or drowned or something.”
"What's a Hydrus?" Scootaloo asked.
"Nevermind. Just go play." Pinkie sighed.
Scootaloo smirked, flew behind Apple Bloom, scooped her up and threw her in the water. Apple Bloom growled at Scootaloo hoving above her, laughing. With a mighty roar of "CHICKEN GIRRRRL!", Apple Bloom rose on her hind legs and dropped down, stomping into the water, and splashing Scootaloo with a great tower of water. Scootaloo fell down into the water as with a squeak as her entire body cringed with the freezing water that splashed her everywhere. She emerged out of the water and started splashing Apple Bloom, who of course retaliated. Soon, Scootaloo was driven back onto dry land, but Apple Bloom still chased her.
Pinkie smiled as they ran off. It was just so…good to see them acting like normal little fillies. Especially Apple Bloom, whom she feared had lost the ability to act like a normal pony during all the time she spent in the Room with Mr. Giggles. This childish display of innocent fun that completely did not involve disemboweling something warmed Pinkie Pie's heart and allowed her to believe for one moment that things might turn out alright for them.
Pinkie felt a kind of longing to play with them herself. Back in the old days, she'd totally join them and Twilight or some other pony would have to tell her to get back to-
No. There is no time to reminisce. This cost me too much time as it is. Now, how did I find that first Colossus again? Oh right, duh. The sword.
Pinkie drew the Ancient Sword, this time from its proper scabbard which she strapped to herself where she could easily fetch it with her hoof or her mouth, and rose it up high.
The sword reflected light from the land's "sun" and became web of rays which narrowed into a beam when Pinkie pointed it towards the-
-girls!
It was pointing towards that wall of dark stone the girls were running towards.
“Girls? Girls! GIIIIRRRRLLLLLLSSSSS!!!!” Pinkie start of at a trot, screaming at the top of her lungs, cold sweat breaking out and a chill freezing her entire pink body. “GIRLS! GET BACK HERE! RIGHT! NOW!”
“huh?” Scootaloo was the first to notice Pinkie’s distress.
After a moment, Apple Bloom noticed Scootaloo had stopped. But not before she took one more step closer to that strange dark area where bars of smooth stone were.
And then, a mighty boom echoed from inside the cliffs. As dust fell from its top, the rock wall was torn asunder as a great beast made its presence known in an explosion of rock debris that flew past the fillies. They stared up in awe and terror, complete paralyzed by the intimidating stature of the second Colossus, Quadratus.
“Oh no…GIRLS, YOU HAVE TO RUN AWAY NOW!” Pinkie screamed and ran even faster.
Quadratus had brown fur and wore an iron headguard and mouthguard, but from where the fillies stood, a shadow fell over the Colossus, and Quadratus’ features were obscured in the contrast of lighting. They didn’t see a creature with definite form, but rather an immense, terrible void of darkness. Its illuminated eyes glowed against this backdrop, assuring the fillies that, whatever they imagined this thing was..it saw them.
Scootaloo screamed and flew straight for Pinkie Pie. Apple Bloom, who had been the closest, and who had had a very rough day, did something much less clever.
She fell onto the sand, trembling. Screwing her eyes shut, she mumbled an endless mantra, "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry…..
Scootaloo hid behind Pinkie, but noticed her cover had left her behind, as the pink mare was already running towards the other filly. "APPLE BLOOM!" She screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! RUN!"
“Miss Pinkamena! Don’t!”
“Get in the air, Scootaloo!” Pinkie called behind her before returning her attention to Apple Bloom and the Colossus. As Pinkie neared the filly, she heard something that broke her heart.
“Ah’m sorry, Ah’m sorry, Ah’m sorry…”
What? Oh no…this is my fault. She’s remembering The Room.
“THAT IS –NOT- MR. GIGGLES, APPLE BLOOM! YOU’RE A GOOD PONY, JUST GET UP AND RUN AWAY!” Pinkie screamed. Apple Bloom didn’t seem to hear her.
Alright, time for plan B. Running around Quadratus, Pinkie whistled. “YOU! HEY, YOU! PICK ON SOMEPONY YOUR OWN SIZE!”
Pinkie completely failed to come up as much as Quadratus’ fetlock, or even the top of his hoof, but somehow, she figured he knew what she meant.
Quadratus looked at Pinkie Pie, then back at Apple Bloom. Then Quadratus raised its hoof….
“NO! DON’T YOU DARE!” Pinkie screamed.
….and stepped past Apple Bloom. It continued to move around on the other side of Apple Bloom from where Pinkie stood. It seemed to be giving Apple Bloom a wide area.
Pinkie and the colossus stared at each other for a moment. What was it doing? Pinkie wanted to fetch Apple Bloom, but still felt that the Colossus could be laying some sort of trap.
“I got her, Miss Pinkamena!” a voice called. And then Scootaloo swooped by, right in front of Quadratus and pulled the shivering earth pony foal with her into the air.
“Good work, Scootaloo! Now, get Apple Bloom away from here!” Pinkie called.
“On it!” Scootaloo called back as she made her way for the cliffs above. The young pegasus seemed to be having trouble ascending with the load, however. “Ugh, Apple Bloom, quit shaking!”
Quadratus just stood there and watched as Scootaloo flew away. As soon as the fillies were out of the way, however, the giant Ox released a mighty roar, and immediately rose on its hind legs.
Pinkie had as terrible sense of déjà vu, as Quadratus rose as if in slow motion, it send her recalling the time she was staring up at a hungry hydra head that was about to eat her. Twilight had saved her that time. But this time, she had to shake it off.
Pinkie drew her sword with her mouth, and charged.
She run under the Colossus, heard an earth-shattering noise behind her, leapt into the air, and slashed the Ox’s fetlock.
That is to say, Pinkie’s sword bounced off the fetlock uselessly and caused Pinkie to land face first in the sand, facing exactly ninety degrees from where she was facing a second ago.
The entire underbelly was made of stone. The hooves were stone. The fetlocks were stone. And none of it seemed climbable. All the hair, and presumably fleshy bits were up above the Colossus’ knees, completely out of reach.
Pinkie raised the sword, but there was too much shade and mist to reflect any light rays. And something told her it would just point her in the direction of the furry section of the beast she couldn’t get to.
Well. This is completely unfair.
Scootaloo had finally brought Apple Bloom to safety, and was exhausted from carrying her. Adrenaline still flowed through her body, and she turned to watch the battle. Miss Pinkamena was still down there. Somewhere.
Scootaloo wasn’t actually prepared for this, which was funny when she stopped to think about all the other tasks she was prepared for: Miss Pinkamena taught her a lot of things from telling convincing lies to draining the blood and pulverizing the bones of dead ponies. She could do a lot of things for Miss Pinkamena…even leave her when she was told too….
But, this was something different entirely. She heard the Colossus stomping around, but all she could see was its furry back from where she stood. It was so enormous and Miss Pinkamena, who she looked up to so much, was so small. She could be anywhere…
A beam of light shone upon the Colossus, it seemed to be searching for something…Scootaloo thought for one hopeful moment that it was some kind of super attack Miss Pinkamena was using…but it didn’t turn out that way.
“Please, please be alright…” Scootaloo whispered.
“Ah’m sorry…Ah’m sorry…”
Scootaloo suddenly looked at Apple Bloom with mixed feelings. This was her fault. She had woken up this monster. And then she nearly got squished and caused Miss Pinkamena such distress. Also, she had been mean to Scootaloo ever since they started working together for reasons Scootaloo couldn’t understand. But…Scootaloo couldn’t do anything to her.
Suddenly, Scootaloo broke out of her reverie realized that Miss Pinkamena was in sight. She was just standing there, waiting for the Colossus to turn around to face her. It did so, and now Scootaloo was certain she was going to be doing some kind of clever trick, starting…NOW-okay, now she just sat down.
Why is she just sitting there?
“Miss Pinkamena?”
“Pinkie! Why’d y’all just standing there? RUN!” Apple Bloom had finally calmed down enough to realize she wasn’t the one in danger anymore.
Pinkie was saying something. Addressing the Colossus directly. She was too far away, but she seemed to be wearing a look of….resignation?
“NO!” Scootaloo yelled. “MISS PINKAMENA, YOU CAN’T GIVE UP!”
Pinkie hung her head.
Quadratus rose on his back legs once more… its enormous body did not block Pinkie from view this time. Pinkie just allowed the giant hoof to hover dangerously above her head.
“No! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! NOOOOO!”
“PINKIE!!!!”
Quadratus' enormous body dropped down, putting all of its immense weight forward as its hooves did not so much stomp, as plummet back down to earth. The great Ox's body became as a brownish blur as it made its attack. The absolutely tiny –in comparison- pink pony was completely obscured from vision as the monster landed.
And the world shook.
……
……
……
“GGRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!” The Beast roared and fell to its knee.
And some other sound echoed off the cliffs. It took the fillies a moment to identify it.
Laughter.
“Hee hee hee, ahahaha –snort snort-, Oh wow, you really fell for it!” Pinkie’s taunts could be heard faintly by both fillies.
The pink swordsmare drew her knives and climbed up the now lowered knee, stabbing the Colossus every step of the way. Suddenly, the Colossus rose back on its leg, and began stomping.
Tiny gleams of light betrayed the many, many caltrops coming out of the bottom of the Ox’s hoof. Pinkie held on for dear life as she waited for the stomping to end.
“It was a trick. Miss Pinkamena made it stomp on a trap and ruin its hoof! She’s sooo cool!” Scootaloo cheered.
“But, what is she doing now? It doesn’t even feel her.” Apple Bloom whispered to Scootaloo.
“I think she’s trying to get on top of it...” Scootaloo mused. “Yeah, see, she’s going around and climbing up on its rump there…and, whoa, did its plot just light up?”
Apple Bloom looked at where Scootaloo was pointing. There was an icon of what could best be described as two disks with serpentine tendrils extending outward in opposite directions, separated by a perpendicular band. "That symbol….Scootaloo! That's the exact same mark that was on the robe of the unicorn leading the ponies who kidnapped me!"
“Shh…not now, Bloom…GO MISS PINKAMENA! YOU CAN DO IT!” She shouted from over the cliff face.
Pinkie looked up at the fillies and waved, only for her to lose balance and almost be rocked off the Colossus when it started shaking.
Apple Bloom kicked Scootaloo with her foreleg.
“Eheheheheheh…” Scootaloo lowered her head.
Pinkie got back up, and leapt into the air, taking the sword from her mouth and holding it with her forehooves. She landed perfectly in the center of Glyph on the Ox’s backside, releasing a geyser of black blood that rose into the air like smoke.
The fillies cheered, not being normal children, but regretted it when they started to choke on the gas it became. They retreated, but they had lost sight of Pinkie. Again.
And then, the Colossus grunted once more, and there was another spurt of pressurized black blood spraying from the head, which was thrashing around, as a little pink pony bit down on a bit of its hair and held on to her three little knives like a vice. Her right foreleg’s hoof pressed the sword close to her body, to keep it from flailing around too much.
“Yee-haw! Ride ‘em, Pinkie Pie!” Apple Bloom seemed to have been recovering from her encounter with “Mr. Giggles” very quickly.
Meanwhile, Pinkie was cursing under her breath as the Ox shook her around like a rag doll. She finally had to use her tail to wrap around a bit of hair to steady herself. “Arg! I can’t line up my jumps right like this, and if I try to position myself to stab it at close range, it starts shaking again!”
Finally, Quadratus got tired and paused for one moment.
Pinkie, still using her tail and the knives held in her hind legs, reared up, grabbed the sword in her fore hooves and looked down at the sigil with a demented looked in her eye as her muscles tensed…trying to finish this in one blow.
The Colossus was also tensing up its muscles…it was about to do something to send her flying.
THUNK.
The pain in its head was immense. The beast howled a great bellow and its muscles fell lax as its strength poured out of its head, bathing Pinkie in black. As it quickly lost the power to support its mighty body, it leaned unto its right side, which held it up only for a moment before its legs buckled under it. It rang out with something not unlike a sorrowful wail as it fell to the ground.
I know… Pinkie thought, her eyes glowing with an eerie greenish light as she held onto the sword to keep from falling off the collapsing Colossus. I know it hurts, even if the book says you're not really alive in that way. But I promise I won't hurt anything ever again once I have what I want. Thank you for letting Apple Bloom go.
And thus fell Quadratus, the Ominous Oxen. Aspect of the Bay. Manifestation of Honor.
Pinkie picked herself up and huffed. As the Colossus darkened, she remembered what was coming.
Oh shoot. Those black ribbons are coming. They hurt last time but can I even-
“Miss Pinkamenaaaaa!” Scootaloo flew to position herself between Pinkie and the dark tendrils….
“Scootaloo! Don’t! Go back to the Temple!” Pinkie called out, not wanting Scootaloo to experience what she had already. She didn’t want Scootaloo to suffer the ‘price which may be high, indeed.’ as well.
She didn’t even make it halfway there.
Pinkie felt the ribbons impale her, invading her body with whatever power they were carrying…once again she was paralyzed by their touch and helpless to do anything but suffer until they finally released her and let her fall to the ground.
Next to the bear, a shadowy Ox stood over Pinkie, before the arrival of others caused them to vanish.
……….
Pinkie was shaken awake this time. She heard the voices of her assistants. She was back in the Shrine of Worship.
“Pinkie! Pinkie!”
“Miss Pinkamena!”
“Will ya stop calling her that, Scootaloo? It’s too much of a mouthful and it grates on my-“
“Hello girls.” Pinkie interrupted. “I hope I didn’t give you too much of a fright.”
“You’re okay!” both fillies said in unison. Then, they looked at each other and glowered before looking away.
“Aw…you’re so cute when you harmonize.” Pinkie smiled and pulled the two foals into a hug.
“Anyway, Miss Pinkamena, what WAS all that?” Scootaloo asked. “I mean, it just tore out of the wall and then you were fighting it and you killed it and those things went into you and a big light in the sky sucked you up and Dormin told us to come back to the temple. But…why? What’s the point?”
“I think….that’s its unavoidable. As long as I continue to hunt down the Colossi, which is my full time job now, stuff like this is going to happen. It’s going to be scary like it was today. And that’s why I want you to stay out of my way. You won’t be put in danger and see those scary things anymore.” Pinkie
“Yeah, we don’t want Apple Bloom to faint again.” Scootaloo mocked. “And she calls me chicken…”
“Ah didn’t faint!” Apple Bloom
“You broke down completely and you know it!” Scootaloo said, mocking her.
The fillies started to argue again, but they both gasped as a bright light flooded the temple, and the first idol on the left-hoof side exploded into dust.
Then, more hissing and rumbling came from the light in the ceiling.
Spoke the Dormin, "Thy next destination..... Within the mist, a giant canopy soars to the heavens..... The anger of the sleeping giant shatters the earth"
As the rumbling died down, Pinkie hugged Apple Bloom.
“Pinkie?” Apple Bloom
“I have to go now. Are you going to be okay, Apple Bloom? I’m really sorry I got you and the family you were supposed to go back to involved in this. …And…I’m still really, really, REALLY sorry about...the room.”
Apple Bloom turned her gaze away. “A-Ah’ll be fine. You already told me Mr. Giggles isn’t real. Ah was just surprised is all…”
“Really?” Pinkie said, looking skeptical.
“Really!”
“Who’s Mr. Giggles?” Scootaloo asked innocently.
Pinkie put her head in her hooves and Apple Bloom glared at Scootaloo, suddenly finding a whole new reason to be annoyed with her fellow “baking apprentice”.
Poor Apple Bloom… I never had to do much with Scootaloo. I mean, sure I did something, but whatever happened with her and Sweetie Belle seemed to really do all the messing up for me. Scootaloo’s always been a bit of an enigma to me. And yet even she is still all my fault…whoever the heck “my” is…
“I’ll tell you later Scootaloo. But right now…”
Pinkie pulled Scootaloo into the hug, to both fillies’ surprise.
“Just know that I’m okay. I’m going to be okay. But, I need to know you two are going to be fine is all. I can’t watch you. I need to finish up with you here so I can take down the rest of the Colossus and make the other idols explode. Preferably before the bad guys come. I’ll probably be fighting all day, if it is ever even night here.”
Scootaloo, who seemed lost in thought, sudden started blinking in confusion. “Wait. So you’re going to take down 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…ugh, I can’t count from here…ALL these Colossi down in one day? How? I mean, it's like somepony is writing a really long adventure story but rushing everything to meet some kind of deadline. And is running it like a…montage or something…”
“It’s the eye of the Tiger, it's the cream of the fight…” Pinkie sang while wagging her head from side to side with her eyes closed. Then she opened them. “Oh wait, this is still ‘Being serious’ time.”
Apple Bloom giggled.
Pinkie smiled. That was the first time in a long time she made a pony laugh. Over something that wasn’t evil.
“Girls, there’s a very important task I need you to do.”
“Anything, Miss Pinkamena! Should we booby trap the entrance so they can’t get in?”
“Or map out the surrounding area in case that comes in handy later?” Apple Bloom suggested.
“Or make some kind of hang glider out the flesh of the Colossi you killed so you can take care of flying or really tall ones?” Scootaloo asked.
Pinkie blinked. “Those…are.also good ideas.” She hadn’t thought about any of those. Especially the hang glider part, that could really come in handy. “But right now, I need you to forage for food. I thought I could graze off the grass when I got here, but it’s completely too bitter to eat! And I can’t waste time looking for food myself. Just don’t kill anything with a face, okay? I hate to send you girls back out there, even if you stay away from Colossi, there might be a poisonous snake or something that. Oh, and watch out for poison ivy! It has three leaves- And poison joke! There is nothing funny about poison joke…well, there is but you won’t be-“
Apple Bloom put a hoof over her mouth.
“We get it, Pinkie, we get it. We’ll be careful.”
“Promise?” Pinkie looked skeptical.
Both fillies nodded enthusiastically.
“…..” Pinkie suddenly smiled. “Okie dokie lokie! No time to waste girls! Everypony ready? Three, two, one-“
“BREAK!” All three shouted out. Pinkie ran to the left exit from the Shrine, the fillies out the right. None of them noticed the two birds that seemed to be made of pure, white light flying into the air as they were startled by this sudden change in motion.
Apple Bloom bucked the fruit tree, over and over again.
“Come on, Come ON! Fall! Applejack made this look so easy!” Apple Bloom groaned.
“Are you sure Miss Pinkamena will eat something that sweet?” Scootaloo said as she plucked some leaves from the tree.
“Of course! It’s not like it’s a cupcake or anything….”
Scootaloo looked deep in thought for a moment. A not-entirely-chipper expression on her face. The sound of Apple Bloom’s grunting as she kicked the tree again broke her out of it.
Scootaloo smirked and pulled the fruit off the tree herself. “I can get those, too, Bloom. Why don’t you try to find some dandelions or digging up some something? I mean, maybe you’ll find a truffle!” she taunted.
Apple Bloom glowered at the pegasus. Then she saw something.
“Hey, what about that?”
“Um…Miss Pinkamena said she didn’t like the grass.”
“No, not like that, Scootaloo! Ah just had the best idea ever! Get down here, we gotta practice!”
“Practice?” Scootaloo was thoroughly confused.
Apple Bloom grinned from ear to ear.
“Bloom, you’re doing your ‘its time to harvest the organs’ smile. It’s kind of scaring me…”
At the center of a great lake, there was a ramp. That lead to a walkway. That was itself wrapped around a horizontal, gyroscopic platform that was elevated above the lake. The surface of said platform was made of dirt, with the exception of a circular stone floor in the center.
On that stone floor stood that damned pink thing. It had awoken him. Him, Gaius. The Slumbering Giant.
Gaius’ beautiful form was that of an enormous sloth with a slender head, covered in armor and small stone towers. It stood up perfectly vertically, its legs supported by leggings of stone. Its lower right arm had been replaced with a “sword”, which was actually a giant stone pillar. Above the elbow of that arm, there was Gaius’ lucky stone armband. He didn’t know why it was lucky, he just wore it. Gaius’ other title was ‘the Earth Truth’, as he felt what the dirt beneath his feet felt.
When the pony had first arrived, he thought he could just ignore it, but as soon as the detestable creature stepped on the dirt, the Earth giant could sense it. The presence of the ancient sword. It couldn’t ignore that. It was such a pain.
Fortunately, after hopping around and even bursting into song at one point, the intruder was finally standing still so he could smash it with the stone pillar he had for a right arm. When he was done here, Gaius was going to sleep this off like a bad hangover.
Gaius swung his mighty weapon down upon the intruder….and the effect was immediate.
The sword bounced off the stone pedestal, and reverberations coursed up Gaius’ arm and broke his lucky armlet! This annoyed Gaius immensely. Worse still, the intruder had escaped unscathed!
Such a pain. He had been tricked. Still, he had to proceed carefully. He couldn’t let rage…
“You gotta share…you gotta care…it’s the right thing to do…”
And before Gaius knew it he had already gotten his sword stuck in the dirt where the mare was a second ago and now it was running up his weapon and jumping unto his upper arm where it was stabbing him with tiny little knives.
He couldn’t get it off! He couldn’t get it off!
And thus, Gaius, the Slumbering Giant of the Mire and Manifestation of Sloth was…not yet slain. But it was only a matter of time.
He found his last moments of existence incredibly annoying.
Back at Quadratus’ bay, an enormous, moss-covered rock in the shape of an Ox that had fallen on its side gave eternal watch over the sea.
“All right…why is it a rock now?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Beats me. So much for the hang glider idea.”
“Yeah, we’d have to skin this darn thing with a pick ax.”
“Actually, we don’t have any tools at all, do we, Bloom?”
“We could’ve borrowed them from Pinkie. …Think she has a pick ax?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I think this area is safe now. Now, can you explain to me WHY WE ARE WEAR-”
Apple Bloom put her hoof over Scootaloo’s mouth. “Shh…just do as Ah do.”
One dark injection of deific essence later, Pinkie ‘s body appeared once more in the Shrine of Worship. This time, the shadow of a sloth stood with the others. They disappeared as Pinkie woke up.
Gaius’ idol crumbled like the first two and Pinkie heard the voice of Dormin give her advice on the next Colossus’ location…
"Thy next destination.... In the land of the vast green fields.... Rows of guiding graves... It is a giant indeed... But fearful, it is not."
Green fields? Graves? I think that this Aspect is…remorse? Yeah, actually, that stupid book only really went into detail over Malus, Phalanx, and Dirge. It grouped all the others in two paragraphs...
Pinkie needed a moment to clear her mind. As she took a moment to observe Dash, three white birds scattered as she approached. Her body seemed slightly fuller than it was before. On closer inspection, she noticed that half the rope-web that held some of the organs in place was poking out of the body. It seemed to have left the other organs behind….
Pinkie made the mistake of touching Rainbow’s chest, and immediately felt sick as the flesh sank with her touch.
She turned away, and ran without looking at Dash anymore as she exited the temple.
Okay…I guess I should let the hivemind-demon-god-thing do its work without bothering Rainbow any more. I’ll have to tell the fillies not to disturb her, either.
Where ARE those two, anyway? …Maybe I shouldn’t have sent them off on their own. No. I’m sure they’re fine. This land isn’t a battlefield…yet.
The field Pinkie Pie found herself in was incredible green. Absurdly green. It wasn’t just the grass and the trees, but the mist that hung on the air was also greenish.
The Grave Fields weren’t as chilly as the high altitudes or windy bays where Pinkie had fought her first three Colossi, but she felt an eerie chill about the place all the same.
She couldn’t find the Colossus anywhere…what was the pony aspect called again? Feydora? Fedra? ….Oh well, its probably not important.
It wasn’t in those creepy tunnels in the ground. Whatever they were. Some kind of Mausey…Maso…some kind of tomb place, maybe?
Pinkie finally noticed that around a corner of mountain cliffs, there was a bit of land she hadn’t explored yet.
Say, what -is- that over there, some kind of towe-
The ground shook and the ‘tower’ suddenly lit up a pair of green eyes and rose to its hooves.
Well, it didn’t look like any hoof Pinkie had seen before, it was more of a stone spear, but there was no denying what creature this Colossus was modeled after.
It’s…oh no. I don’t believe this. This was clearly made just to haunt me, isn’t it?
Pinkie looked up at Phaedra. It was…in the shape of a pony. Or a horse, rather. However, it wore a helmet of tarnished iron which were draped with two ornate tassels that drooped down from the head. Its legs were white and bone-like. Its hooves were sharp and armored, even on the bottom, being made of stone. It had no tail (which was really incredibly meta for Dual Pie. Meanie Pie felt guilty about orchestrating that to Sweetie Pie, but she needed to use Sweetie Pie’s conscience to feel that, but it was Sweetie Pie who had to suffer, so she shouldn’t feel guilty about that but angry or at least annoyed at Meanie Pie…this line of thought was getting Pinkie nowhere fast.)
But the worse part was its belly.
It had no belly.
Its rib cage hung out, not even emaciated, but bare and exposed for the world to see. It looked just like a pony that had been harvested for his or her organs…and made to walk again, possibly using Shadow Sparkle’s magic.
As she gazed upon the giant zombie pony, Pinkie had an awful flashback of ripping out Rainbow’s organs while under painkillers….
Rainbow Dash had stopped talking at that point, stopped screaming and stopped insulting and stopped pleading on her brighter sides behalf. And even stopped hyperventilating. But, suddenly, while Meanie was trying her joke routine going, Dash used the last of her strength to saying one last word.
“No.”
It wasn’t a pleading no. It wasn’t very loud, either. It was her last word ever, and it was calm but unyielding. What did it mean?
“Pinkie…I’m so sorry!” Phaedra screamed in Rainbow Dash’s voice
“Whaaa?” Pinkie panicked, completely confused by what she heard
Phaedra stomped and sent out a mighty shockwave along with a loud ‘WHAM’. Pinkie was knocked down from the force of this attack on the ground several feet away from her. Its stomp was even more powerful than Quadratus’ was. And it was still stomping.
“I’m sorry!” WHAM! “I’m sorry!” WHAM! “I’m sorry!” WHAM! “I went in to save you and I failed! I’m sorry!” WHAM!
Pinkie realized that if any of those spear-hooves came down right on top of her, she’d die instantly. If she was lucky. If she was unlucky, she’d be paralyzed and hang around helpless for a while.
So she ran, but she went over in her head what she just thought she heard. Da-Dashie? …NO! It’s just your imagination, Pinkie! The real Dashie is counting on you!
Phaedra didn’t speak anymore after that, much to Pinkie’s relief.
Pinkie’s impulse to throw up was nullified by some other part of her consciousness she couldn’t account for, and she noted that once again, she had no clear way up to the furry back of the monster horse.
Pinkie’s first thought was to lay Caltrops on the ground just in case its hooves were sensitive like Quadratus’. This just destroyed the caltrop Phaedra stomped on directly and sent the ones it didn’t flying in all directions, forcing Pinkie to run away, screaming.
“Ow! Ooohh…” Pinkie cursed as she looked back to her flank. One of the caltrops and nailed her, right in the cutie mark. It made something quite like a perfect circular cut, considering the angle it went in.
This really is turning into my divine punishment for all my dark half was allowed to do, isn’t it? No really, I’m afraid the world will implode into some kind of irony singularity if I just accidentally let the words “What”, “Did”, “I”, “Do”, “To”, “Deserve”, and “This” show up in the same sentence which I foalishly say out loud!
Ow…but seriously, I really needed this to not happen this early. I’m going to have to watch this wound so it doesn’t bleed for all the rest of this adventure.
Pinkie retreated until she was a good distance away from the hulking horse. Pinkie yelped as she used her tail to gingerly pull the sharp metal bit out of her flank.
She pulled out some medical supplies from her jacket and mused. You simply don’t do the things Meanie Pie did -which, besides the obvious, this included cutting her tongue by licking a knife trying to look cool all those times..- without learning how to diagnose and treat a wound. It was ironic that her “evil side” technically could save more lives as a surgeon than her “good side.”
Phaedra seemed to have caught up to Pinkie by the time she finished. For such an awkward gait, that horse could move!
Pinkie ran into the tunnels, trying to get some time to further treat her wound. Sadly, Phaedra was stomping on the roof above, and Pinkie was blinded as a veil of dirt started to fall down on top of her.
Pinkie ran through the tunnels, yelping and screaming. It scarcely seemed to matter, the falling dirt and thunderous echoes followed her everywhere. Somehow, she stumbled across an exit to from the tunnel complex.
Panting, Pinkie took stock of her surroundings. She seemed to have returned to the mountainside that had the land bridge path which led back the way she came, out of the Grave fields.
And then Pinkie saw something worrisome.
Oh no.
Across the small canyon, near the Entrance to the fields, were two young fillies. One yellow, one orange.
I thought they were going to stay out of…wait…what are they wearing?
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were standing on their hind legs, something that looked like grass skirts strapped around their waists. In their fore hooves, they held…was that monkey grass?
And then, the dancing started. They waved their clumps of monkey grass around like pompoms, and danced around in a(n almost) synchronized fashion.
“GO, GO, PINKIE PIE! MAKE ‘EM FROWN, MAKE ‘EM CRY! COUNT TO FOUR, COUNT TO FIVE, EAT ‘EM ALIVE, EAT ‘EM ALIVE! GOOOOOO, PINKIE PIE!”
Words failed Pinkie Pie. Although some small part of her squee’d.
“Hey, Apple Bloom, you’ve got it backwards. You’re supposed to be stepping out with the other leg. Can’t you remember your own choreography?”
“Oh. Ah know, I just thought it looked ….prettier this way.” Apple Bloom said.
“It did. Pretty stupid.” Scootaloo retorted.
“You-“ Apple Bloom started a reply, but their argument was interrupted by Pinkie Pie.
“Girls! Get away from here, now! I told you I don’t want you anywhere near me when I’m fighting!”
“Aw, but Miss Pinkamena…we just want to cheer you own while you fight the giant zombie pony!”
“And maybe we’ll get cheerleading cutie marks!” Apple Bloom turned to look at her flank. “Anything yet?”
“Nope.”
Mental note: Be even more thankful neither Apple Bloom nor Scootaloo got a “torturing ponies” or “hiding evidence” cutie mark… Pinkie thought. “Look, girls, this really is too dangerous…”
“Hey, Pinkie?” Apple Bloom asked. “Why don’t ya try to run to the other side of a tunnel and lure it to the other side as yer run through tunnel and therefore come out behind it while its doing that crouching thing its doing?”
“……..wait, it crouches?”
Where did she go?
No, seriously, where did she go?
Phaedra had stopped around, looking for the small intruder that dared to defile its holy grounds.
She had retreated around this hill and then, Phaedra immediately rose on top of the entrance and couldn’t find her. It would stomp and bring the Rage of the Earth just the same, but it couldn’t find the tiny pony anywhere.
The other intruders seemed to have retreated. Maybe she did too as well…
“Hi!” Pinkie said cheerfully from atop Phaedra’s head. “Guess what I found?”
If Phaedra could speak, it exact words would have been: “But…..how? Just, how?”
And somehow, Phaedra felt it had been played for a fool.
Phaedra, in its shock, completely failed to start shaking Pinkie off. A lamentable mistake.
STAB. Hiisssss……
And so, Phaedra, the Pincer Horse, Aspect of the Plains and Manifestation of Remorse, was slain.
“Girls, I told you not to follow me!” Pinkie turned her attention to the fillies.
“Aw, but Miss Pinkamena, you’re just so wonderfully awesome to watch.
“But aren’t you at least worried that it might get scary? Or traumaAAAAAAaaaaaahhhh!……”
And the swordsmare collapsed in a pile of pink fur and black smoke as the ribbons entered her.
The fillies looked at Pinkie’s unmoving body as it lay on the ground once more.
“A mite, maybe.” Apple Bloom confessed.
As Pinkie lay with a group of shades hovering over her, this time, a maneless, tailless pony joining them, the fourth idol, which was the second to the left, crumbled. It was next to Quadratus’ idol, which had been the first to the left. Valus and Gaius’ idols lay in ruins in the first and second to the right, respectively. One might have picked up a pattern by now…
Rising to her hooves, Pinkie walked over to the altar to examine Rainbow once more.
She didn’t dare touch Dash, as she still looked emaciated and her wings were still severed, but…
The suspension web had been removed from Dash’s chest.
Somehow, it seemed appropriate after her victory over Phaedra.
And then, a hiss alerted her to the presence of the Dormin. "Thy next foe casts a colossal shadow across a misty lake.... As it soars through the sky... To reach it is no easy task."
Pinkie heard small hooves clopping into the temple as she rose to her feet.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo galloped in with an assortment of roots, leaves, and other things on their backs.
“Ah brought this for you, Pinkie!”
“Apple Bloom, we both got this stuff! Actually, I got most of it because you can’t fly! –“
“-Quit trying to one up me!” both fillies harmonized.
“Girls…am I going to have to put you into time out?” Pinkie warned. Although she also giggled. “Wait, is that…fruit?”
“Y-yes…” Apple Bloom said nervously.
It was an elongated, greenish thing. Color like a pear but large like a melon. Pinkie looked at it with evil eyes that gleamed with both intense disgust and maddening desire.
“Miss Pinkamena…you can’t just keep running from everything sweet. I don’t really understand everything that’s gotten into you, but…its not like there’s anything in it…and…me and Apple Bloom thought it tasted really good…really, just try it.”
“Yes, Pinkie…it made me feel better after ya died the first time after killing Mr. Giggles.” Apple Bloom said.
“Well…”
Takeittakeittakeit…we just killed a pony, that means sweetsssss NO-STOP-THINKING-LIKE-THAT-IT-CREEPS-ME-OUT! Whatever. Take it nowww NO! yes. NO! yes. NO! yes.
Pinkie’s eyes were going from green to orange to left being green and right being orange and vice versa. They were a little reminiscent of a neon sign…
“NO! yes. NO! yes-” Pinkie swayed back and forth as she voiced her indecision.
“Miss Pinkamena? …” Scootaloo asked nervously, backing away slightly. “We’re sorry for bothering you…we’ll just leave all this food here. You should try the leaves, they’re a little bland but not too bad…kind of wish we had some salt or something…we think we’ll just explore the area for a while now….”
“Yeah…me too.”
And the two foals left the temple as Pinkie continued to argue with herself. “NO! yes. NO! yes.”
“CHAMPION!” Spoke the Dormin.
“AH!” Pinkie rose on her hind legs and kept rising until she feel backwards. Picking herself off the floor, she responded “Oh, y-yes, Dormin?”
"Cease this foolishness. Thy squires have already left.” Spoke the Dormin. “The fruit has been blessed. Though I am gone, the power of life lives on in the land, and that power manifests in its bounty. Furthermore, it is foolish to continue to ignore thy hunger….”
“Well…I guess I shouldn’t let it go bad…” Pinkie took a bit of the leaves and roots and other plants the fillies had brought. They weren’t anything special…
Tentatively, Pinkie moved her head closer to the fruit…..and nibbled it.
Oh my Celestia, Luna, Discord, and Sweet Zombie Mother of Dormin on a pogo stick…THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER! It wasn’t just sweet, it was juicy and rich and she felt her entire body waking up and she wanted MORE. Pinkie ravenously took more bites. She felt sorry they only brought two, but it was surprisingly filling as well, so she at least wouldn’t starve.
“…Thy next foe casts a colossal shadow across a misty lake. As it soars through the sky, to reach it is no easy task."
Pinkie looked at the Beak-faced idol that was next in the order.
“Avion…….” Pinkie contemplated how she was going to bring down a flying colossus.
She had a grappling hook, suction cup bracelets for use with climbing sheer rock surfaces that helped her sneak into Canterlot’s vault as well as up Valus’ mountain, a small watertight medical kit, lots of knives, and throwable caltops. But…there was no real long-range projectiles to speak of.
Pinkie took another bite of that wonderful fruit, completely oblivious to the wound in her flank slowly healing under her bandages…
Oh well…how bad could it be?
“This is going to suck popsicles!”
That’s what Pinkie had said when she first saw Avion's imposing form soar above her from the sunken castle’s battlements. She had been right, but not for the reason she thought she was going to be. Death did not come from above as she swam through the freezing waters, nor when she climbed unto dry land and shook herself to get dry. Nor when she started outright tempting it because staring at the giant bird through the fog was boring her to death.
Feeling inspired by the mist shrouding the lake, Pinkie suddenly recalled her ability to walk on mist. Only her light side actually used mist walking back in the grove, and she hadn’t even cloud walked ever since….well, she hadn’t had a reason to cloud walk for months now. She was out of practice….and the fog back in Shadow Ponyville had been thicker… Still, she tested a hoof experimentally….and found that there was far more air than water, and she couldn’t use it. The mist was too thick on top to reflect light off the sword but too thin near the lake’s surface to mist walk.
“STOP IGNORING ME! HEEEEEEYYYY!!!” Pinkie waved her hooves in the air, trying to signal the bird down to her. She whistled, insulted, sang songs, and even climbing its perch with her suction cups. The water made a better seal on the cups, but that just made her retreat hard to accomplish when Avion causually started whipping the pillar with its long, long tail. Pinkie fell back into the chilly waters, and Avion cawed scornfully.
“You’re dorking up the skies, Stinky Pie!” Pinkie thought she heard Gilda speak as she fell. “Make like a bee, and buzz off!”
Pinkie gasped and sputtered. She was confused by the voices in her head, but now wasn’t the time to deal with them. She had to get out of the wind. Her jacket was soaked and freezing.
“Miss Pinkamena!” Scootaloo’s voice rang out. “Are you alright?” The small pegasus fluttered above her.
“Scoot? I thought you were with Apple Bloom.” Pinkie asked as she swam back over towards a tower that would protect her from
“We split up to explore the area. I thought this castle was completely awesome, and if they don’t have any flyers, we could ambush them here…”
Pinkie blinked. Oh right. They are coming. I can’t imagine how I forgot. Other than the twelve remaining Colossi I have to conquer before they get here. Still…there’s not a lot we can do to fight off an army. If they get her before I defeat the last one, we screwed no matter what happens. And afterwards…well, hopefully Dormin will take care of them. So really…I just need to finish the Colossi. The fillies can just keep finding food for…
Hey. I just got an idea. …But, I have to be sure Scootaloo understands me perfectly.
“Scootaloo. I’m about to ask you to do something very, very dangerous.”
Scootaloo perked up and wore an enthusiastically dopey grin on her face. “I’m all ears!” she said in her tomboyish voice. But then she switched back to her sweet voice “…Miss Pinkamena, maam.”
And my misgivings about this plan just triplified.
“Listen Scootaloo…I can’t beat this Colossus. It won’t come down, and it’s being a really rude meanie. I’m not too sure what’s going to happen once I get it off its tail feathers, but I’m definitely not going to get anywhere just letting it sit here.
Can you fly up to its tail? I actually just need you to fly up high enough to toss these Caltops into it’s tail. Do NOT get behind the tail or otherwise on the same level of it. It can whip that thing around.”
“Yeah! Sure I can. I mean…that tail hangs down a long way.”
“You sure? You seemed to have trouble carrying Apple Bloom.”
“I’ll be fine. I can stay up in the air a long time nowadays…just as long as I’m not carrying Apple Bloom.”
“I’m also…less okay with giving you sharp objects to handle than before.”
“I’ll be fine, Miss Pinkamena. Come on, you’ve trained me to drain blood with sharper objects than this. I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“Your mom says otherwise. Frequently.” Pinkie said to Dizzy Twister’s only child.
Scootaloo looked away for one moment, but grabbed the hook with her hoof. Pinkie held on, and said “As soon as you do this, stay close to the pillar, and drop down. Do not get let it chase you in the open.” She stared into Scootaloo’s eyes for a moment…and let go.
As Scootaloo took off, Pinkie retrieved her knives and hopped back on the center pedestal.
She whistled to gain Avion’s attention once more. “Hey, birdie! I’m yelling at you!”
Avion raised its beak up a Pinkie, and then suddenly shrieked. It turned its head all the way around, but Scootaloo was already free-falling back down to get away from the bird. Scoot flapped her wings to slow down her fall and she resumed hovering before she hit the water.
“Good girl, Scootaloo. Miss Pinkamena’s so proud of you.” She called out. Pinkie pointed at Avion and laughed cruelly. “AHAHAHAHAHA! OH MAN, You have no idea how hilarious that expression on your face was, you stupid bird! Hee hee hee…eehehehehee.”
Avion had launched off its perch, heading straight for Pinkie Pie. And Pinkie felt a chill of ancestral terror as the large flying predator swooped towards her. And yet…there was only one thing to do now.
She jumped. Screaming as she went.
She was off, and adrenaline was flowing through her veins. She felt the wind flowing past her, the water in the air pelting her as Avion flew her across the lake. Pinkie had flown in the sky before, but never on the back of a giant bird. However, she couldn’t just enjoy it forever. As Avion, leveled out its wings and started to glide, she made her move.
It turns out Avion didn’t like being stabbed in the wing very much, and it spun in a barrel roll, leaving Pinkie to hold on the sword, still stuck in Avion’s flesh, for dear life. Her knives were left abandoned as her hind hooves slipped off of them. Pinkie gritted her teeth felt her forelegs shaking under the strain, pleading for the bird to right itself.
Just then, Avion did have to right itself. It had been losing altitude and had to level off and flap. Pinkie pulled out the sword and grabbed her knives again, holding on to them as Avion flapped its wings, which tested her almost depleted strength a little more, but she had managed to retreat back to the less turbulent center part of the great bird….
With much fear and being rocked around, Pinkie made her way to the other wing. Pinkie raised her sword above her head, eyes glowing with fire, and with an angry scream, she thrust down the blow that she thought was sure the end it.
Pinkie was therefore completely surprised to find herself being thrown about as Avion swerved and barrel rolled once again. She cursed mightily as the bird flew upside down.
Pinkie barely survived that battle of endurance, her hooves were aching and she was confused.
Arg! This is so stupid! I stabbed both its wings…I don’t care if it has more “vitals” or not, it should at least crash land now! The head is made of stone! Where else could that last vital be, anyway?
And the Pinkie looked at the tail.
The long, long, impossibly long tail.
Aw, Horsefeathers.
Fine. If that’s the way you want to play it, I’m taking a shortcut.
Pinkie got out her grappling hook.
…….
……
“AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” Pinkie screamed as she swung through the air. She grabbed the rope and began to pull herself in. Quickly, so as to avoid towers and other obstacles Avion flew much too close to.
Scootaloo saw the whole thing. As Avion flew around the lake, she saw a pink mare holding on for dear life even as she was dangling when the bird flew upside down. She would not let go, could not let go. Streams of black blood trailed behind the bird in clouds, and Pinkie eventually won.
And thus fell Avion the Earth Bat. Aspect of the Lake and Manifestation of Arrogance.
Scootaloo would never forget…the day she saw an Earth Pony fly. She really loved the giant splash Avion made. She did her little cheerleading dance.
Thinking fast, Pinkie sheathed the sword….and was immediately impaled by black streams.
Scootaloo, realizing what had happened and that Pinkie might drown, flew over as fast as she could, but Pinkie was lifted into the sky before she could get there.
The Dormin had less useful information to say about this next Colossus. “A giant lurks beneath the temple. It lusts for destruction, but a fool, it is not.” Seriously, what was that? It wasn’t even anywhere NEAR the Shrine of Worship, so that was just misleading…
Pinkie had wandered aimlessly through a large dark forest, found a fruit tree, bucked it, looked on with dismay as the fruit fell over the cliff and into the lake, before she jumped off the cliff screeching “MINE!”, found the lake was tragically shallow, ate the fruit to forget the pain that wracked her body, recovered from her fall inexplicably quickly, and used the light in this new area to lead her to a mountain with some catacombs…
And then she climbed down a large, large wall with footholds. She didn’t need any special tools to climb down it, but once she did, several things happened at once.
“Hey, Pinkie!” a young voice said cheerfully. It was Apple Bloom and she wore what looked like one of Pinkie’s destroyed saddle bags on her back, although it was only half full.
“Apple Bloom, what?”
A great rumbling killed further conversation, and the wall began to slide open.
“RUN! Go, go!” Pinkie exclaimed as the giant minotaur emerged from the wall.
Pinkie had thought that the room she was in was large and wide, but the appearance of Barba, the Great Beast, suddenly made everything feel claustrophobic. The roof was an imposition on everything. There was nothing that existed beyond Barba. No clouds, no rainbows, no sunshine, no sky. To make matters worse, the room was broken up by several barriers that the ponies would have to climb over to escape the giant.
Barba took the measure of the two intruders….and immediately went after Apple Bloom.
Bloom’s ears went back and her eyes widened as the minotaur’s giant blue stony hand reached out for her.
Apple Bloom shuttered, but suddenly held firm in place. Ah can do this…Ah’m not going to run away anymore. Ah’m going to jump up and-
“GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU LITERAL BULLY!” Pinkie shrieked as she jumped up and kicked the minotaur’s hand away from her assistant with her hind legs.
-Yeah, that.
“Pinkie, Ah was gonna-HEY!”
Realizing how little time she had to give, Pinkie bit Apple Bloom’s mane and flung her over onto her back, and yelled “Not now, Bloomy! Hold on tight!”
She bounced on her hooves, all at once, hopping over one of the walls that, despite only coming up to the monster’s knees, might slow the Colossus down.
It didn’t. Barba shattered the barrier, like it was made of glass and was right behind the two of them.
Pinkie carried Apple Bloom across the second wall in this manner, as she did so, Apple Bloom told her to “Hurry! It’s right behind us!”
The third wall was where everything went so wrong, it sucked popsicles.
Pinkie misjudged her jump and landed on the half-column on the side of the wall, instead of over the wall. She could feel Barba right behind them, and she bucked Apple Bloom off her back and over the wall.
“Oof!” Apple Bloom grunted as she landed, but she still looked up. Pinkie was pulling herself over the wall, and almost there, suddenly, Barba pulled her back!
“Pinkie!” Apple Bloom squeaked in alarm. She heard shrieking and stomping on the other side of the wall she couldn’t see over. She was too low to the ground given her height, and the wall blocked everything except the very top of Barba’s head. “Give her back! Give her back right now!”
Barba could’ve just smashed the pony with his fist, driving her into the wall, but then the little one would’ve skipped straight to the part where she cried and gave up. Like this, she was desperate and terrified for the bigger pony she couldn’t see. Like this, he could hear her pleas and threats and make her suffer in tension and anxiety.
“Bloomy, I’m okay! Just run for cover!” Pinkie yelled while out of sight. And then Apple Bloom heard a yipe along with an earth shattering smash.
Recovering back to her hooves quickly, Pinkie saw that the wall leading to Apple Bloom was unguarded. She was wounded and tired, but was able to pull herself over the wall this time after gaining some distance from Barba. On this side of the wall was the end of room. Apple Bloom motioned for Pinkie to join her in a hallway that was carved into the wall, blocked off by columns. Pinkie ran and hid behind the column Apple Bloom retreated behind moments ago.
“Pinkie!” Apple Bloom hugged the Pink Mare. Then she saw her flank. “You’re bleeding!”
“It’s okay, Bloomy. It’s just a scratch.” The Swordspony reassured her squire. “But how about you?”
“Me? A-ah’m okay.”
Suddenly, they heard a low growl coming from the other side of the column. Barba was crouching down, looking for them.
Pinkie held Apple Bloom close, and they both were silent. Pinkie carefully inched to look around the corner of the column.
Barba ‘s entire upper body was covered in white fur, its beady little eyes shone beneath its iron mask. From its face dangled a long, long beard. Hooves probably couldn’t climb that, and it was impossible to ascend while dangling from her mouth. Alright, Pinkie just needed to get out her ……other climbing hoofwear.
Oh wait.
“Aw, Horsesprinkles.” Pinkie cursed.
“Huh? What’s the matter?” Apple Bloom asked.
Pinkie had forgotten she was there. “I forgot that my clamps were in the saddlebags that were crushed by the first Colossus.”
“Oh, ya mean these were yours?” Apple Bloom asked and retrieved a part of perfectly restored metal clamps from the saddlebag.
“Huuuuh? But how did- where did you- And Dashie calls me random- But- how- …WHAT!?”
“Scootaloo found ‘em in the mountains and brought them down to me and Ah fixed ‘em.” Apple Bloom said matter-of-factly. “Ah used them climb down that wall with all the handles on it.”
Suddenly an earth-shattering noise heralded the coming of rock debris crashing in between the columns. Apple Bloom screamed but Pinkie protected her.
“Stay here, Bloomy. I’m borrowing these.” Pinkie said as she took the clamps.
In his zealotry to watch the ponies’ every move, Barba had lowered himself to the point where his long beard was almost brushing the ground. Not only that, but he had placed one hand on his knee and another one down on the ground, leaving him completely unable to attack as Pinkie Pie leapt into his beard once more.
The serrated clamps yanked at thicker bunches of hair than her hooves did, and together, they did support her weight.
As adrenaline overrode her fatigue, and despite the bullheaded biped’s best attempts to buck her off, he could not stand up to repeated stabs to his vitals, and his black essence was released.
And so fell Barba, the Great Beast. Aspect of the Underground. Manifestation of Heartlessness.
Pinkie stood on the ground once more as Barba’s body became shrouded in darkness. She knew what was coming. It was just part of the show at this point. However, she had a feeling that they weren’t entirely good for her.
“Bloomy, you saved the day, but you really shouldn’t look when-APPLE BLOOM, NO! GET BACK!”
It was too late. Apple Bloom was holding Pinkie tightly, putting her in the way of the black tendrils…
“BLOOMY!” Pinkie shrieked.
The ribbons sliced into her, silencing her voice and squirming around insider her bother like one enormous worm that was trying to squeeze itself into every corner of her body. She felt cold and she couldn’t breathe and….and…
And Apple Bloom was left completely unscathed. The black tendrils wrapped around her body. And not a one entered into her.
Pinkie landed while exhaling some smoke with a gasp that sounded almost like “ha.”
Apple Bloom sniffed. “Ah just wanted to make up for…everything.” Pinkie Pie wasn’t listening at this point. Apple Bloom sat in silence for a while, until Pinkie’s body vanished into a pillar of light that shone through the roof itself.
Dash lay on the alter, complete and beautiful. A gentle wind blew through the temple, and Rainbow’s chest heaved. Slowly, gently, sat up. She turned to Pinkie and…
Suddenly, something pulled Pinkie away.
Pinkie had been lying on the floor of the temple, now with a Griffon and a Bull’s shadow, when Barba’s idol exploded. The pony was starting to break out in strange, sickly black splotches all over her body. They were on her skin, but they showed through her coat.
Pinkie Pie awoke.
”Ugh…Apple Bloom. Why’d you go and scare me like that? Ugh…should I stay and talk to her? But then again, I don’t have time and I’m not sure I should let either of the fillies follow me if Apple Bloom was so traumatized. But she is traumatized now so that means I really really should-” Pinkie stopped as she took a second glance over her body.
The black splotches had spread. They were obvious even if she wore her jacket now. Whatever was happening to her was getting worse. And she had a feeling that it would spread as she defeated more Colossi. Despite their help, Pinkie couldn’t let the fillies see her like this.
After the nausea and disorientation wore off, she felt compelled to observe Rainbow Dash, her reason for doing this, once more.
Pinkie wept at what she saw.
Dashie’s wings! Dashie’s flank! She’s…perfect…
Pinkie placed her blacked hoof on the altar to stroke her beloved……
She wasn’t stupid. Dormin had said there would be a price and she could tell something was happening to her as she absorbed the black ribbons into her being.
But…she didn’t care about the consequences. She could see they were worth it. If Dashie wanted to eat her, fair was fair. And if she needed to eat Pinkie to get better, Pinkie wouldn’t take no for answer. No really, she would literally pry open Dashie’s jaw and …..
Just then, Pinkie felt considerably hotter. Her Sweetie side started blushing until she became Reddie Pie and her Meanie side was rolling on the ground groaning “Oh Shadestia….I’ve got such a lady boner right now.”
Will all the constituent personalities of my mind please GET YOURS’ OUT OF THE GUTTER? I don’t even know what caused this, I swear. Stupid confusing hormones…
Just then, the Dormin spoke.
"Thy next destination.... A ruin hidden in the lake... A ripple of thunder lurks underwater."
“Um, did you say…thunder?” Pinkie shuddered as she recalled troubling memories...
Scootaloo buzzed around happily.
“So, there I was, sneaking up on that big, stupid, bird, it was flapping its tail around, as Miss Pinkamena distracted it….”
“Uh huh.” Apple Bloom said in a bored tone. She found a trail of ants traveling along the ground and was carefully squishing each and every one in the line with a hammer. She wasn’t positive if Pinkie allowed her to do this sort of thing, but she needed to do something to get through Scootaloo’s story.
“…CAAAAWW!” Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Ah! Landsakes, Scootaloo, there’s no need to transform into a killer chicken on me!” Apple Bloom grumbled as she walked over to retrieve the hammer she had just thrown.
“I’m not a chicken, Apple Bloom, as you would know if you paid any attention to the fact that I’m telling you how I heroically helped Miss Pinkamena take down a giant bird. So, where was I? Oh right! ‘CAAAAW!’ it cried out! I nailed it, right in the tail, and I even go it to spurt some of that black stuff. It was so awesome!”
“So, Ah imagine ya had to outrun it then? Or outfly?” Apple Bloom said smugly.
“Uh…yes! Yes, in fact I did! And then I lead it straight to Miss Pinkamena and she leapt onto it and the two of us brought that Colossus down!” Scootaloo felt the need to embellish her story…
“You did not, ya liar. Now, AH, on the other hoof, helped repair Pinkie’s climbing clamps, and with them, she took down a giant bearded monkey thing that moo’d!” Apple Bloom stood on her hind legs and stretched her hooves up in the air to show how big Barba was. …She didn’t really come up to his ankles.
“A bearded monkey thing that what? That thing you described doesn’t even sound real. Seriously, all the Colossi I’VE seen are just an Ox, a Pony, and a Bird. All ginormous, but perfectly normal creatures. You probably just fainted again like you did when you saw that goofy big brown thing and Miss Pinkamena had to carry you to safety.”
“Ah did not! Ah was just…standing mah ground! And it wasn’t goofy at all, it was all black and had red eyes and …and YOU ran away, ya chicken!”
“I was following Miss Pinkamena’s orders! She told us to run and so I did! You’re the useless one who Pinkamena had to take care off! As usual.”
“Ah have been plenty useful to Pinkie!” Apple Bloom yelled. “Ah got her food like she asked!”
“Oh yeah…there’s those leaves and fruit…oh wait that was me, the one who can actually reach those things. You just dug up all those icky roots I’m not even sure are edible. Hey! Maybe if Miss Pinkamena gets a taste for earthworms, she’ll know the pony to call!” Scootaloo laughed.
“Ah’ve been helping her far longer than you have! And things were great before you came along!” Apple Bloom sneered.
“Oh really? Is that why you TRIED TO BURN HER ALIVE!?” Scootaloo snarled.
“Ah thought we were past that. Pinkie told you never to bring that up again.” Apple Bloom said slowly. Dangerously.
“Oh, yes. But I know her reasoning for that. She feels sorry for you, Bloom. She’s had to keep you inside all that time so you don’t get discovered. Or run back. And now, she wants to try to set everything back the way it used to be…Of course she’s going to forgive you. And then you got kidnapped and had to be rescued by me. Not that you ever appreciate anything I do.”
“You didn’t save me…Ah got out of that mahself!”
“Oh? Then get yourself out of this!” Scootaloo said, launching herself towards Apple Bloom and snatching her up in her hooves as she flew upwards…
“Scootaloo! Let go of me, chicken girl!” Apple Bloom struggled.
“Well, I’m not going to listen to you like that! Maybe if you asked politely…” Scootaloo switched to her cute voice. “Please, Miss Scootaloo, put me down. I’m ever so sorry about all the chicken jokes, I really ran that gag into…the…ground….” Scootaloo’s voice became uneven.
“Never.” Apple Bloom said with finality.
“Apple Bloom, why are you reaching into your bag-WHAT IS THAT!? YOU’RE CRAZY! WE’LL BOTH FALL!” Scootaloo shrieked.
“LAND. NOW.” Apple Bloom commanded.
“You madpony! I wasn’t going to do anything horrible to you, just take you up a garden I found atop the temple where you couldn’t get down! There is no reason for you to-”
“NOW!”
“Alright! Just stop. Ow. Ow. Owowowow! Apple Bloom, stop! WE’RE FALLING!”
Crash.
Scootaloo heard giggling nearby. She didn’t find this funny at all.
“APPLE BLOOM!” Scootaloo roared as she rose to her hooves.
“CHICKEN GIRRRRLLL!”
Meanwhile, Pinkie was now coping with the tenth Colossus. Her earlier victories had all been using electricity. She should’ve been relieved. She wasn’t. She felt a chill the very second she heard the clue:
"Thy next destination.... An isolated sand dune..... It's tracks are well hidden..... Shaking the earth, it's gaze is upon thee."
Pinkie said the name like a curse. “Dirge.”
And then, Pinkie could swear she heard the most eerie giggle…
Dirge was one of the lesser deities Pinkie had also bothered remembering. It represented Dormin’s hunger and desire to win. Without the other aspects, it was as a mindless beast. In the old days, the natives of the forbidden land made sacrifices to this aspect to appease it. It was also a harbinger of the underworld. A death god.
Her books happened to have a lot to say about Dirge. And everything said reminded her of herself. And not in a good way.
No, not even her last three victories would be truly dangerous compared to this one. No matter how much electricity they tried to pump into her body.
Hydrus, the Coiling Serpent, Aspect of the Depths and Manifestation of Caution, had electric spines that sparked with lightning whenever they touched the water. Pinkie’s battle with it had been something of a battle of wits as she had to stab the sigil behind each spine before they submerged again. Pinkie’s clamps were getting a lot of use out of them, holding onto the sea serpent’s….hair? ….folia?
Pinkie already knew what it was like to be electrocuted, from Sweetie Pie’s first “death” in the grove, but this was the first time she had to willingly be electrocuted as she held on to her one anchor to the Colossus, a metal sword submerged in the water.
She couldn’t, would not let go…not after how much she had used electrocution against Rainbow Dash and the other ponies…if the Colossi were going to start using electrocution against her, that was surely also her punishment….
Kuromori, the Wall Shadow of the Forest and Manifestation of Trickery was a large black monitor lizard with a back that It was armored with stone plates that glowed with eerie bristles. had also employed electricity, although it shot projectiles at Pinkie instead of merely covering its body with electrical fields. Projectiles that left a cloud of electrified gas of all things. It was awfully small for a Colossus, but it was easily the most deadly thus far. Kuromori stomped along the wall, blasting anything pink in its sights….
Pinkie would run for one of the openings in the Coliseum wall, trying to get in close enough range to try using one of her tools on it…but Kuromori had begun to counter her moves by standing on the side opposite her and shelling her with electric blasts. Pinkie would run over to an opening or window close to where Kuromori was a moment ago…but the Colossus would be laying in wait for her and ambush her, usually from a blind spot above Pinkie.
Sadly for Kuro, this is how she wanted it. And she ambushed him from above by joining him on the wall with her suction bracelets. She threw Caltops with her tail into Kuromori’s legs and as the Monitor lizard fell, Pinkie leapt off the wall, holding her sword in her mouth, and positioned it down towards Kuromori’s belly as she fell.
Pinkie might’ve had a little too much fun with that one.
Basaran, the Storm Echo of the Ash lands and Manifestation of Destruction, was a full-on artillery machine in tortoise form. It was imposing and made Pinkie run around perhaps more than she ever had in her life as it shot explosive bullets of lightning at her. Pinkie eventually caught it over a Geyser, which lifted the Colossus off the ground, and it almost fell over if not for two stubborn fleshy looking tendons in the two legs that were still on the ground, which Pinkie promptly slashed and forced the Colossus to be tilted over.
One climb up its fuzzy belly, and a rocky tortoise ride later, Basaran’s head had a passenger it was desperate to get rid of. It didn’t.
…….
Pinkie had come so far. So why did this cave frighten her so much?
“Gulp. It’s okay, Pinkie. Dirge is just-“
Another giggle sailed in from seemingly nowhere.
Okay…that’s getting unnerving. What was with me hearing Dashie’s and Gilda’s voices before, anyway?
Just then, she heard a strange, musical sound. And then a bat swoop past her.
“AH! BATS! BATS ON MY FACE! HELLLLP!” Pinkie ran blindly into the sandy inner sanctum of the cave, and stomped in place.
Pinkie suddenly stopped herself when she remembered her situation. “Oh wait.”
Too late.
A sheet of sand and earth was kicked into the air as the ground rumbled. A great mass of stone and brown hair emerged and burrowed around the cave. Pinkie tried to get a good look at the Colossus to make out its form, when suddenly…she realized it was coming straight for her.
Uh oh…
Pinkie turned and ran for dear life as Dirge followed her closely. Pinkie’s heart raced and she thought she could hear that horrible giggling again.
It was in her voice.
Pinkie looked back at Dirge, its fiery eyes loomed as it trailed right behind her. And she knew what was going to happen next.
Time seemed to stop.
Her own voice rang out, dripping with malice:
“Now…you take a nap.”
Time resumed and Dirge vanished beneath the sand.
Wasting no time, Pinkie swerved out of the way and galloped at full speed looking behind her as a the landshark leapt out of the sand, and opened its mouth by splitting apart its horrible mandibles.
The inside of its mouth was glowing…it wasn’t a pretty light. It was a bright void that she knew she would never escape from if it swallowed her.
Dirge crashed and kicked up a wave of sand, partially burying Pinkie Pie under it.
Pinkie coughed repeatedly. “Ugh….what, is it gone already? How am I supposed to slay it if it always retreats underground?”
She had handled fliers.
She had handled swimmers.
She had handled wall crawlers.
She had handled giant Dragon turtles that abjectly REFUSED to stand over the geyser when she was trying to lure them there while they shot thunderbolts at her.
But now…she had no idea how to deal with a burrowing colossus. And what was worse was that she was apparently going even crazier…than….usual…
Pinkie’s eyes grew wide
A ripple of sand and dust clouds, indicating Dirge’s presence, sped towards her. Along with it, there hopped a pink earth pony that had a very familiar poofy mane.
“First I played with myself, now I get to play with myself-myself!”
Pinkie stood in shock, but then glared at the pony.
“I’m not afraid of you; you’re just a figment of my imagination, like the others…”
“Aw…but you’re worried that you’re going to die here, aren’t you? You’re going to be gobbled up by a hunger that’s as terrifying as yours! Why not just give in? You’ll never have to worry about hurting your friends this time. You know, like last time you gave up, Sweetie Pie!”
Pinkie had started running already. The illusionary Pinkie continued to follow her, clipping through Dirge’s head as the Colossus followed the tangible and tasty-looking earth pony.
Pinkie looked into those eyes that followed her. She dropped a Caltrop behind her, and watched as it was knocked aside and failed to go into Dirge’s eye. She frowned, gritting her teeth.
“Ugh! Its like I’m supposed to have some kind of projectile marksman riding on my back to shoot this thing in the eye!” Pinkie groaned.
"You’re not being a very responsible big sister, Meanie Pie. Well, you are, doing all the work and killing all the Colossi that Sweetie Pie would be too much of a scaredypony to actually slay any of the Colossi herself…but you should’ve stopped her from feeling guilty like before! You should’ve protected her from Pinkamena! And now you’re both all sad and mopey and down in the dumps! You’ve let Pinkamena win!”
“What…?”
When Shadamena took over Pinkie in the Darkest Grove, she ran into….an old enemy of hers. It actually helped fool the other ponies, but only because it was actually tearing her up. A horrible demon devoid of any brightness or color.
It wasn’t assaulting her with guilt or moral dilemmas or even bothered to entertain the idea that she valued the other ponies’ lives…no, she went began to attack Shadamena’s very existence itself.
“Oh joy, it’s the OTHER one. I remember our argument after Pinkie’s first party. Well, It might not be SO bad, you’ll probably be caught in the first week, so maybe you’ll DIE pretty soon. Or maybe you’ll be more tolerable when you’ve been imprisoned for a year and calmed down a bit. Whichever happens, I don’t have to put up with the NOISE anymore. Oh, you think I’m scared of you just because you’re the logical conclusion of all that saccharine, always-happy bullshit ‘Pinkie Pie’ does?”
“Well, maybe at least you’ll stop trying to ‘make ponies happy’ ALLLL the time…” Pinkamena said those last three words in a voice that dripped with sarcasm and disgust.
“Hey, let me tell you something. You aren’t cool just because you’re evil. You aren’t. When you’re not cutting them up, all the ponies will be laughing at you. Nopony really liked any of Pinkie’s parties, and they won’t like yours. They’ll just do it out of pity and because they need a good laugh! You aren’t popular, you aren’t funny, you aren’t even really scary when somepony takes thirty seconds to think about it, you’re nothing. What’s that? You think you’ll have the last laugh when you torture them?”
Pinkamena’s features contorted into the most uncomfortable-looking smile Shadamena had ever seen. A slow, rumbling breath rose from Pinkamena’s chest and gradually the cruelest laughter she had ever heard, putting even her own to shame rolled from out of the other pony’s mouth.
“ …hehehehee…ah..heheehehe AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What, you really- hee hee- you really don’t know why I’m laughing? Oh stars above, that’s hilarious in of itself! I take it back, you ARE actually funny. Hahaha…aha…give me a minute, I’ll tell you it all in FULL detail. Ah…I guess the best place to start is that everyone knows Pinkie is crazy, and so you’ll fit in just fine. But everypony only bothers spending time with her because they get a kick out of living dangerously.
They know you’re coming, but the hilarity of the situation will hit them when they realize that you –YOU- think you outsmarted them when they knew they were taking a chance with each and every cupcake you fed them. So they’ll laugh. It will sound like panicky, stressed out, full-blown mental breakdown laughter, but it’s because you’re so adorably stupid thinking how smart you are. Of course some, even some of those who laughed, with cry and plead as you would expect, but guess what?
They only do it because they think you’re stupid! Why, yes they do. They think you actually don’t understand things like life and death and criminal offenses, and that they just have to beg enough and you’ll totally let them go! And they’re right! You ARE stupid! Whether you do sappy stupid things, or completely crazy stupid things! You’re still stupid and everypony can see it. You ought to just quit and go back to the rock farm right now! At least there ponies will finally take you seriously again. And I’ll be rid of the NOISE…”
“SHUT UP! Shut up…I am going to have fun.” Shadamena glared back at the other, other Pinkie “And you can’t stop me.”
Meanie Pie beat back the embodiment of Pinkie’s self-loathing, but always felt a little disquieted whenever she was alone. Which was all the time after…well, after certain things happened.
When the destructive fight between Light and Shadow began in Pinkie’s mind, Pinkamena smiled.
“That’s right! Pinkamena! And now, she’s back and getting to you! She ran out of material for you, but now that you two have joined as one, she can just attack you through Sweetie Pie’s conscience, now!” Mirage-Pie giggled.
“I am Sweetie Pie. I am…All of me.” Pinkie grunted as she ran.
“Wrong! There is no Sweetie Pie! There never was! There’s just me, your happiness, your ability to not care about anything but having fun and playing the best games with other ponies! And Pinkamena, who wants you to be all mopey and drown in depression! You started closer to that Pinkie, but when you started to have visions of the other fun games you could play, you tried that for a while until Pinkamena finally got you. You don’t have a conscience, this ‘guilt’ of yours is just self-loathing!”
“You’re wrong! I’m only sad because I can see the full picture now! I am more than you ever were!”
Mirage Pie was lounging on top of Dirge’s head now. “Oh, you are more alright. Did I ever tell you…how ADORABLE it is that you keep switching between which Pinkie you are? When you want to run away, you just tell yourself that you’re Meanie Pie and you have no right to and you’re vicious enough to bring down a few monsters that are less terrible than you are. But when you fantasize about being with Dashie or any of your friends again, you turn around and go all ‘oh Dashie, it’s me, I’m in control again. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I promise I’ll never let her hurt you again.’ Or even ‘ew! Sweets! I can’t eat sugar anymore!’” Mirage Pie said in a mocking tone before giggling. “And of course, lets not forget how you froze up and failed to kill that guard back in Canterlot, despite the fact that if you just shut up and killed him, you might not have had to escape so frantically. Oh! Down I go! Watch out for that wall….”
Dirge sank beneath the sand and Pinkie yanked her head back to look straight ahead only to see a wall she was about to run into.
Pinkie threw herself to the side, rolling away when she hit the ground. Dirge erupted out of the ground.
Dirge, returned to the sand, empty-handed. Mirage Pie also vanished, but Pinkie heard a ghostly giggle echo on the air from every direction at once.
Pinkie breathed heavily and tried to calm down. Alright…I still have no idea what her deal is, but this conversation has passed the point of usefulness. I’ve been exposed to/dished out too much psychological warfare to fall to this crap.
“Dashie won’t take you back. Not after she finds out what you did to Scootaloo. Oh! And back on the subject of the guard. You did mess up. If the fillies didn’t find that scabbard for you, somepony else might’ve found it and you’d been banished to the moon by now.”
See? Right on schedule. Focus on the important thing. The sooner I figure out how to kill Dirge, the sooner I can shut her up.
“Of course, you’re really a hypocrite. You’re soft-headed with other ponies but you’re brutally murdering these Colossi. Without any remorse. Just like me. You haven’t changed.”[
Don’t listen to her. Focus on Dirge.
“Dash won’t take you back. Because you’re still a monster. Seriously, how do you justify these actions to yourself? After Quadratus even showed mercy on poor little Bloomy back there, too…”
Another Mirage Pie was hopping over to Pinkie, sand and dirt being kicked up as she came.
“Of course it would. It cannot do anything other than spare a noncombatant. It immediately attacked me once she was out of the way. It probably didn’t know she was a child, she just was trembling….or maybe it was just that she didn’t have the sword.”
“You don’t know that. Not that you’ll try. You’re self-righteous, but you are hiding so many obvious things from yourself. You don’t even know if freeing Dormin will destroy the world or not.” Dirgey Pie giggled as Dirge’s head broke the sand once more.
Pinkie grunted. “You’re full of lies!”
“Why not try surrendering then? I’m sure it will be dangerous, but if you don’t try to do something surprising, you’ll never know if they are capable of thinking for themselves…Didn’t you think that they might be able to revive Dashie for you?”
“Wha...?”
“They can.”
Dirge’s eyes could be seen. They stared into Pinkie’s soul. Pinkie sweated, but didn’t run away.
Alright then…
Pinkie’s eyes glowed green.
She drew the sword…and threw it away, far from her reach.
Behind her, she threw away her caltrops…and stepped towards Dirge.
“Um…okay, what are you doing?”
Pinkie smiled. And yelled words that made Dirgey Pie’s eyes widen in shock.
Dirge was closing in
The little pony clutched the scabbard.
Meanwhile, Dirge hungrily advanced. The strange little meat creature had been making noises to herself all this while. It was doing something else now…making different noises and looking at Dirge itself. It was waving its hindquarters back and forth. Was it..offering itself up to the Colossus? But…this revelation only made it salivate in victory.
It leapt into the air….opening its mandibles wide while the little creature yelled one final word…
Dirge hit the ground, and immediately screeched in pain.
There was a terrible pain in its eyes now, which hadn’t been there before.
Pinkie appeared, laying next to the sword, which was now re-sheathed with the scabbard she was holding. Pinkie immediately rose to her hooves, giggling.
Earlier:
Pinkie lay down in front of a wide arc of caltrops, located roughly where Dirge’s eyes would be if Pinkie stood where the beasts’ mouth would be.
Pinkie called out “HEY DIRGE! I’VE BOOBY TRAPPED THIS AREA! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T LEAP AT ME AND TRY TO EAT ME OR YOU’LL GET POINTY THINGS IN YOUR EYES!”
Pinkie turned around, then looked over her shoulder “No really…” Pinkie continued in a seductive voice, and started waggling her plot in a provocative manner. “Don’t fall to temptation, you bad, bad, boy. You’ll be punished. No matter how delicious I look...you’ll be cut up allll over your face.”
Her bravado started to fade as Dirge vanished beneath the sand and much too quickly was already leaping towards her, mouth open wide.
The two must be as one, less the seal weaken. Should they ever be separated, speak the word, and Return.
“R-RETURN!” Pinkie squeaked, her ears flattening. Hoping she hadn’t made a terrible mistake.
“It worked! It worked!”
“Arg! Get up, you stupid sandfish! Grr…” Dirgey Pie stood on top of the now writhing form of Dirge as it squirmed in pain from having crashed face-first into the wall with pointy things in its eyes.
“Hehehehehe…” Pinkie giggled as she hopped over the Land shark. “Sorry, but I did my homework long before I started. The Colossi are just pieces of Dormin run amok. Dirge isn’t just a Voracious creature, it IS voracity. It cannot be bargained with, or even reasoned with. It might still be alive on some level, but quite frankly, both it and you remind me of everything I hate about myself.”
“So you admit you’re going to kill yourself if you kill Dirge! If you can’t have mercy for him, then what chances are there for Dashie to ever even like you again?! Your quest for redemption is hopeless! Think about the implications of what you’re doing!” Dirgey Pie begged.
“…..Neigh.” Pinkie said as she rose the sword above her head as she stood on Dirge’s back where an enormous sigil rested. She stabbed, causing Dirge to squeal in pain. As the Black Blood rose, Dirgey Pie became translucent and ghost-like.
"You can't torture a pony and then have them hug you and kiss you and tell you they love you! Of course your Sweetie side is going to tell you she's okay to die, Pinkamena's got her and she's the part Dashie likes anyway. But what about Meanie Pie? What does she get out of this? Does she really expect Dashie to forgive her? HER? Rainbow Dash will never want to be friends with the pony who killed her, and she will try to get rid of you! Shadamena! You should fight that entity you call 'Sweetie Pie' once again! You should take back control! Then you can give up this quest and be free of guilt! There is no way for this to turn out well for you!"
Pinkie stabbed again, forcing more squeals from Dirge and turning Dirgey Pie transparent.
"She'll have you lobotomized if she doesn't kill you first! And the fillies! She'll totally take the risk of turning you into a vegetable if that means destroying her enemy! And how do you know you two won't break up again when you have Dashie back? What if you can't share? Especially because, once again, You. Cannot. Win!"
Pinkie rose the sword again. “You know, I was worried that Dirge was going to remind me of myself, somehow. You even started to fulfill that worry…but, you failed. I’m sorry, but you’re routine is all over the place, without even disorienting your victim first. This disorientation is the key part to flooding the rhetorical space so the victim can’t see the forest for the trees. You’re lies were too obvious, cliché, even. And you simply suck being Meanie Pie, even if I WAS going to fall for my own traps. Now vanish.”
Pinkie stabbed one final time, and the glyph erupted into a geyser of Black Blood before vanishing. The Mirage Pinkie disappeared, but Dirge only tore itself free and returned to beneath the ground.
Pinkie rolled across the sand as the Colossus sank….and she laid there for a while, in silence.
And then she laughed.
The pain of losing in the grove had weighed horribly on her conscience ever since Rainbow’s cries and pleas woke her back up. The combined entity that was Dual Pie inherited that guilt. And as both the victim and perpetrator, she could never get a second chance to fix that. Never.
But she just did it. It was a mystery where these voices where coming from, but she just realized that in a way she had just defeated a demon from her past. It didn’t make up for much of anything, and she still had to free Dormin to begin to fix any of her mistakes but…
That felt satisfying. Although…she felt like she was forgetting somethi-wait.
Twitchy tail. But…the ceiling of the cave didn’t seem to be unstable.
Dirge gave a cry as it leapt out of the sand, it mandibles spread wide. Pinkie screamed, grabbed the scabbard, but flinched as she accidentally sent the sword flying away from her. This cost her precious nanoseconds she didn’t have to spare.
Pinkie’s screams were muffled as she vanished into the horrible blinding maw of the colossus….
Dirge gulped and felt very satisfied. It disappeared beneath the sand for a nap while it digested its meal.
Silence fell across the cavern, only a few scattered caltrops and a sword lodged in the ground remained as any sign the little pink pony was ever there…..
…..
…..
…..
Suddenly, the sword rose out of the ground and fell on its side, and there was a flash.
“RETURNRETURNRETURNRETURN!!! GET IT OFF! AHHH! Even their ick is electric!” Pinkie rolled around in the sand trying to the glowing, sizzling gunk off of her coat. She had bruises all over her body
After a lot of tumbling around, Pinkie was no longer hurting, although there was still some of the glowy stuff on her Berry Punch jacket…
“I just…I just got eaten….” Pinkie said, her eyes wide in revelation.
The corners of her mouth turned up…and she burst out laughing. “Ahahaha! It…ate me! I almost died but I threw the sword by accident! HAHAHAHA!”
As she got to her hooves, Dirge rose back above the sand. It seemed miffed that it had been robbed of its meal.
Pinkie raised a hoof to her face, and pulled down her lower eyelid. “Bleeeh! You can’t catch me!” So she hopped around the cavern, Dirge right behind her.
So…should I lure him back to the caltrops and nail him that way? Ah, no! Boring! Besides, I don’t want to get eaten again.
Actually…I feel like…Dancing.
Pinkie leapt into the air, spun, and landed on her hind legs, and began doing a Russian dance in reverse.
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” She drew a knife with her free hoof. “Head’s up!” she called, grinning. And flung it into the Colossus’ eye.
Dirge immediately began spinning through the sand, and Pinkie leapt out of the way, landing flat on her belly as Dirge crashed into a wall behind her.
Pinkie smirked and got out her clamps….lots of hair-pulling later, she was at the very peak of Mt. Dirge, where another sigil lay behind its Stony face.
And thus, at long last, fell Dirge the Devourer. Aspect of the Cave and Manifestation of Amorality and Voracity.
The dark ribbons came for her…but this time, instead of just sitting there and taking them, she ran away. She giggled and hopped and evaded the lines for a period of time she couldn’t even track. But even though they were eventually going to catch up with her, she wasn’t going to try her best, to the last of her strength.
Still…she needed to tell those fillies how much they had helped her. They not only got her the scabbard but found out its amazing secret. She wondered what they were doing now…
Scootaloo, having finally calmed down, took a moment to rest. She could still fly, despite her twisted wing. She had barely got away…Just barely. Still, it was a good thing that she had retreated down to these jungles down see saw from the cliffs where Apple Bloom had cornered her. Scootaloo’s “flight” to her new haven had more closely resembled a controlled fall.
Scootaloo was positive Apple Bloom could never follow her here. No matter how resourceful she was. She had never expected Apple Bloom to attack her with jumper cables of all things. She would’ve never retrieved that bag from the mountains for her is she knew how much pain Bloom would inflict on her with them…
“Whew…oh well. Maybe I’ll tell Miss Pinkamena on her when my wing gets better.” Scootaloo smirked. “Then we’ll see whose the favorite assistant…” The young pegasus filly lay down on her side, starting to get sleepy watching the water fowl swim across the river…
She actually kind of liked watching all the little animals of the Forbidden land. There were lizards and turtles and eagles…nothing was big enough to threaten a pony, not even a foal like her. She also liked the different kinds of plants this jungle had to….offer…
Scootaloo froze up. She didn’t dare move.
Underneath the overgrowth, she saw a shadow moving closer towards her….
It looked back at her and saw her noticing it. It smiled a terrifying grin.
Scootaloo screamed and trotted away, and the shadow immediately followed her.
Twilight walked in silence along Rarity through the halls of Canterlot’s palace. It was so...awkward around her. She hadn’t spoken much during their trip to Canterlot when the Princess summoned them. Something had changed about Rarity recently.
As the two unicorns entered the throne room, Princess Celestia greeted them.
“Twilight Sparkle, I see you brought Rarity with you. However, where is your other friend?”
“Fluttershy is…indisposed, Princess. She took Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s deaths really hard. And now that Sugarcube Corner has mysteriously burned down with no sign of Pinkie…”
“That’s really unfortunate. I hope she’ll pull through.” Celestia eyed Twilight for a moment, as if deciding how best to advance the conversation. “Twilight, Rarity, have you two noticed anything different about Pinkie’s behavior recently? Before her house burned down?”
Twilight started. “Well, not really-“
“She rarely left that bakery of hers recently.” Rarity interrupted. “She’s been reading some books, barely speaking to customers, even her friends. Both her and her assistant seem downtrodden, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what caused it. I managed to take a peak in that book once but it was just some mythological gibberish. Pages and pages fixated on some horrible-looking creature called-”
“Dormin.” Princess Celestia finished.
Rarity’s eyes widened.
“Girls, I believe Pinkie Pie may be alive…and connected to the sudden reappearance and kidnapping of Apple Bloom, as well as the theft of a certain magical sword from Canterlot’s vaults.”
“What? Apple Bloom’s alive?” Twilight gasped.
“Yes. Her family found her just on their doorstep. She didn’t speak to them very much, but the resemblance to the foal they lost was uncanny. Like, before she didn’t have a cutie mark on her flank. The very night she appeared, some armed ponies that stormed the Apple Family’s residence and stole her away!”
“Y-your highness, what does this mean?” Rarity asked.
“Not only that, but it seems that a very powerful teleport spell was used near the wreckage of the sword thief’s vehicle: A cycle-powered gyrocopter, decorated to resemble a candy cane.” Celestia finished. “The magic of the spell is old and foreign, and leaves a distinctive trail not like other Equestrian magic. I believe that I can sent one unicorn down this trail, where ever it leads. And track down Pinkie Pie. She might be attempting to release a great evil.”
“Princess…You don’t really think Pinkie is capable of that, do you?”
“I can say that I honestly do not know what to expect anymore. There is also…” The Princess trailed off.
“…Also?” Twilight asked.
“…..This is probably not related, but there has been a disturbing trend of disappearances and ‘accidental deaths’ that left no bodies in Ponyville. I was worried that the bearer of the Element of Laughter might also have something to do with those, but didn’t want to believe it. It was why I asked if she had appeared differently lately…Rarity, what ever is the matter?”
Rarity saw it. All at once, it hit her. Disappearances? Left no bodies…
Of course. Pinkie wasn’t okay. All this time she wasn’t okay.
And if she wasn’t okay, and she was behind Applejack, and behind Rainbow Dash, then that means…that means she might have…
Rarity recalled a horrible scene, one where she saw one Pinkie brutally murdering another, making her victim think that Sweetie Belle was the one who was actually dying. It was the most twisted, personal thing Rarity had ever seen.
She knew Sweetie Belle wasn’t in danger then, but…
“Sweetie Belle.” Rarity said, horrified. “I’m so sorry…of course you wouldn’t go out into the Everfree forest by yourself…I’m such a fool.”
Twilight looked at her friend. “Rarity?”
Stepping forward, Rarity spoke to Celestia. "Princess Celestia, you have to send me after Pinkie Pie! I have to be the one to confront her!" The white unicorn had fire in her eyes that gave the Sun princess pause.
A dark –well, technically gray- and malevolent force glowered as it watched its latest attack against the Pink Mare fail. She thought for one glorious moment that Pinkie had been too proud in her victory, and that Pinkie had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But she would escape from that dilemma as well.
She supposed she could’ve said that the ‘it seemed the jaws of defeat had snatched Pinkie, rather’ But those kinds of puns were for stupid, insufferable people who fail to understand how unfunny they are. Just like that ANNOYING PINK FILLY WHO NEEDED TO DIE.
The arch-villainess continued to plot.
“Lord Emon!” called an Earth Pony who wore a mask that resembled the helm of Phaedra. “Look, here. The hunters have found tracks. Someone has traveled this exact trail before us. It appears to be a pony…probably a mare. She seemed to have been weighed down with a heavy load of some kind, but her pace was moderately swift. She was alone. But it hasn’t been used ever since that frontier town was abandoned ten years ago. Could this mean that-“
“Yes.” said an aged gray-manned blue Unicorn stallion wearing a white robe and a Mask that resembled the face of Valus. We’ve found her. The Sword thief. We should continue to assume the worst. We must reach the Forbidden Land posthaste! Follow these tracks! Let me know the minute you discover they deviate from the ancestral path to the Forbidden Land!”
I don’t know who you are, blasphemer…but we will stop you!
Following Lord Emon, was a small detachment of around twenty five heavily armed ponies.
As Pinkie lay on the temple floor, the shadows of a Snake, a Monitor Lizard, a Tortoise, and a fish-tailed Hippocampus pony stood around her body until Dirge’s idol exploded.
Pinkie awoke, and noticed that her fatigue from her battle with Dirge, as well as the black tendrils afterward, had vanished. Maybe it was just her extra-peppy attitude. Actually…she wondered why she hadn’t felt tired all day. Without a normal Sun, and constantly losing consciousness after defeating the Colossi, it was hard to tell how much time had passed since she first arrived.
She was roused from her ponderings when she heard the voice of Dormin:
"Thy next destination.... An altar overlooks the lake.... A guardian set loose... It keeps the flames alive"
“Okie Dokie Lokie, Dormie! Right now, I feel better than I have in weeks, or months, depending on which me you’re talking about. And, it feels as if nothing could possible go wrong now!” Pinkie beamed.
AN: I hope you have enjoyed this addition to “Pinkie of the Colossus. I wanted to finish the story all in one go, but that didn’t actually happen. I’ve made you guys wait long enough.
I think next week, I’ll return to the main story, but stay on the look out for “Omake 3, part 3: Antagonist Onslaught!” |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 20 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-07-10T21:56:43+00:00 | 2012-07-10T21:56:43+00:00 | 2,586 | The Dark Side
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction by Lord Xaos
Chapter 16: part 1
In the darkest region of the Everfree forest, a lot of ponies were following a lot of different-but-related agendas. One who wasn’t actively keeping track might possibly be lost:
-Outside of a certain grove she could not herself enter, the astral projection of a zebra marshaled the spirits of four ponies to save the other two that were trapped in the grove. Three of those ponies had given her troubling accounts, indeed.
-Somewhere, inside that grove, slumbered the darkened form of a pale earth pony.
- A cyan pegasus had just passed out from screaming nonstop ever since she felt a horrible hollow feeling in chest after apparently waking up only thinking she was safe from the butcher pony. She feared that any number of organs had been removed from her and that she had only been left with a false sense of freedom when she was, in fact, going to die.
-In a certain rented tea house, said butcher pony was happily plotting the final moves of the game.
-Unbeknowst to all, another agent was using the soulless reflections of ponies that populated the village for its own purposes. To locate its prey…and destroy her.
-And finally, a creation which should normally have been impossible to make given the conditions of the grove at present, meandered towards a destination without even really thinking. Deep in what passed for its subconscious, strange orders were written. Orders that would be obeyed, without it even being aware of them. As for its conscious mind… it wanted nothing more than to make friends. Friends like the ones it had fuzzy memories of possessing. Friends from that city. A city called….called….it couldn’t remember.
And yet, for all this activity, soon enough, there would be one, and only one, major conflict, one major question that will determine the relevant outcome to all of these disperse stories…
In the bedroom in a house made of clouds, lay a cyan pegasus mare whose head spun as she regained consciousness for the second time in a row.
Okay…lesson learned. Never expend your entire air supply by screaming for five or so consecutive minutes without taking a breath.
Rainbow caught her reflection in the mirror she had recently put up in her bedroom. Rarity had bought it for her, undoubtedly so she might spend more time grooming herself in the morning.
Rainbow Dash was starting to calm down, starting to believe that whatever was removed when the surgical scar on the side of her belly was made, she was going to live without it. She had thought that maybe one of her lungs was taken, but the labored breathing seemed to have just been from her panic.
At least, she thought it was that. She was breathing normally now that she calmed down. This WAS normal breathing, right? She cursed herself for not paying attention to such little things before now.
Four stitches closed the tiny incision…that was too small to remove any organ, right? It was all that evil version of Pinkie Pie had done to her. She had brutally murdered the other Rainbow Dash, but she had been content with just leaving this tiny little mark on her. She had been returned to her cloud house, not even tied up or anything.
After all the things she had done to the other Rainbow… Why had she spared her?
She didn’t just lack mercy, but her…vileness would forever change what Rainbow Dash defined as mercilessness.
__
“And that, Dashie-Washie, is how you slice off a cutie mark!”
…
“Then I got out the power drill and went in all the way up to here! Oh my, she made so much noise during that. Why, I was worried she would disturb your nappy time! But, you slept right through it! Did anypony ever tell you you’re a heavy sleeper? Why, I could probably sing the Loud Song while sneaking up on you! Hey, maybe I’ll try that sometime!”
…
“Oh yeah. I don’t think anypony really knows this about Parasprites, but when they feel threatened, like say, when they are imprisoned in a griffon’s stomach, they go into full on attack mode and start trying to eat their way out! And that in turn produces more parasprites, although…strangely enough, they don’t really take to meat very well. The new ones come out…strange. Malformed and not long for this world. Still, they survived long enough to put on quite a show! There’s a reason I only really saved Gilda’s skull, you know. Aside from the whole burning her meat thing…”
Oh G…other me…everypony. ...If any of you were even real. I’m so sorry. I’ll get her back.
But the question remained. Why was she here?
….
Okay. Maybe I didn’t put up such a great showing there. But…to just let me go? I mean, if I go and do what crazy Dash did with the knife, this time I know to stab her in the face were she’s not armored.
…in the face that she shares with my best friend.
Rainbow Dash sighed, her head drooping down to the ground dejected. Then she shot back up, realizing something horrible.
“Pinkie Pie! She’s still out there somewhere, facing who knows what!” Rainbow Dash trotted out of her bedroom, ran down the hallway and failed to catch herself in time before she tripped over a small box that blocked her way to the door outside.
“Huh? What’s this?” Rainbow stared at the box….and noticed the note attached to it. When she unfolded it, she immediately screamed and threw it away when she realized that the gigantic and bulky letters of the letter’s salutation –“Hi, Cupcake!”- were written in dried blood, unlike the rest of the message’s black ink.
The letter floated gently down and landed back on top of the box.
She stared at the note, not really wanting to read what it said, or examine the contents of the box. The box particularly send chills through her body, as she was trapped between her imagination conjuring all sorts of horrific images that she knew she didn’t want to see, and her curiosity threatening to eat her alive if she just threw the box away. Cursing her cowardice, Rainbow Dash fetched the note once more. She at least wanted answers for why she was alive and not a pastry.
Hi, Cupcake!
Well, okay, I know that’s Mrs. Cake’s name, but you know what I mean. Actually, she was my inspiration. It’s such a shame we lost her and the babies she was carrying. So very, very sad…
Rainbow Dash had to stop reading for a moment. Still, she returned to the message and continued to read, all the same.
But, that’s not what I came to write to you about.
Oh, Dashie, how could you? She was just trying to offer you cupcakes! She always tried to cheer you up after you had been so grumpy and sad. And then you went and did THAT to her. You’re the worst friend ever!
Just kidding! Anyway, I hope you like the little surprise I left you. In fact, I KNOW you will. Just remember, the box has been cloud proofed, but the contents haven’t been. Be gentle with this part, its seen some misuse. I’m afraid I botched up trying to sew it back on, but then I thought about you!
Your bestest best pal,
The ONE and ONLY Pinkie Pie
PostScript- I REALLY like her mane! It’s so straight and silky and pretty!
Rainbow looked at the small, square box. It looked heavy to lift, by it could be holding anything. She reread the confusing note.
Rainbow’s face was expressionless for a moment, and then her eyes grew wide.
No… Please no.
She began to tear the lid off the nails of the box, desperately hoping it that the note didn’t mean what she thought it meant.
No. Zecora said something about you shadow needing to break all of your spirit to hurt you! That’s right. No matter what happens here, you have to remember that its just a trick! It all has to be a trick! It can’t be what you think it is, Rainbow! It just-!
Remembering who the note came from, she realized that the box could be filled with angry cobras or something. …But before she could stop herself, she had gone and opened the box anyway.
…..
…..
…..
Rainbow froze, staring at the box’s contents. It took her a moment to recognize what it was. It wasn’t its usual shape. Then, the rainbow-maned pegasus started to come out of her momentary paralysis. Raising a hoof over her mouth, she let out a choking sob.
She screamed and wrapped her forelegs around the blood-stained severed pony’s tail, crying into it.
And by now, she should have found the package. Shadamena smirked as she stared out the window of the little cottage on the outskirts of town where she had rent –or rather, created- as her secondary base. She giggled at could only imagine the terrible shock she had just given Rainbow Dash.
Of course, whenever she does go back to Sugarcube Corner, she won’t have to go to basement. I’ve already emptied it out, anyway, along with all other evidence.
She turned to face …Rainbow Dash.
Who was alongside Rarity.
They were just…standing there.
Neither did Shadamena seemed shocked by their presence as she immediately launched into giving her guests orders. “Oh good, you’re here. Alright, here’s the scene: Dashie, you and Rarity found out where my other hideout was, due to Rarity knowing that I had rented this old house from the elderly earth mare Morning Glory, who mentioned it to Rarity when she bought a dress from her shop recently, and then Rarity told Dashie when she stopped by her place an hour ago. They came here, they didn’t find me but did find…oh, you know what? I better go get her!”
And with that, Shadamena walked upstairs, the other two ponies following her.
Darkness. She stared endlessly into darkness. If she had the capacity for boredom, she would’ve been driving insane by now. But no. She was perfectly and unironically okay with the total sensory deprivation.
Suddenly, the door opened, and light flooded in. Behind the mare that had opened the closet door, she saw a brightly-lit room with a fancy table draped with a bloodstained white cloth and porcelain tea set that had been knocked over. Also, there was an older unicorn, and a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail in the room, just staring into space. Being a bit like a mindless automaton herself, the little unicorn completely failed to be disturbed in the slightest by the pair’s zombie like expressions and behavior.
‘Sweetie Belle’ looked up at the pink earth pony …and smiled.
“Oh, hi Pinkie! Is it time for me to come out of this closet, yet?”
“Yes, Sweetie. I need you to play a very fun game.”
“A game?” ‘Sweetie’ squeaked. “What kind of game?”
“I’ll explain in just a moment, Sweetie. First, I need you to come over to this chair and sit down.” Shadamena waved her hoof at one of the chairs, which had a seat covered in blood.
“Okay.” The unicorn filly went and did so. “So, now what? What’s the game?”
“Mind rape.” Shadamena said with a much-too-merry grin for the grim tone in her voice as she drew a knife from her dress.
‘Sweetie Belle’ cheered. “YAAAAAAY!”
Shadamena joined in “YAAAAAAAYY!” and in mid-cheer, she slit the little unicorn’s throat with a flick of her fetlock. “Ahhhh…I really love my job.” She smiled gleefully. She rose the knife and stabbed “Sweetie Belle” over and over. “I love it! I love it! Love it! Love it! LOVE IT! AAHHAHAHAHA!”
She finished, and turned to ‘Rarity’, who had not reacted to ‘Sweetie Belle’ being murdered right in front of her. She looked about to say something, but suddenly looked at ‘Rainbow Dash’, and said “Oh! Before I forget!”
She stamped her hoof three times and out of the wooden floor rose a tower of mist, which quickly exploded with color before her eyes and became the taxidermy she had used in place of Shadash when she was tormenting the real Rainbow Dash.
Shadamena walked over to ‘Doll Dash’ and bit on her blue-green-violet forelocks that draped around her neck. Neither of the living ‘Rainbow Dash’ nor ‘Rarity’ batted an eye as this was happening. Shadamena pulled and pulled until a lock of multicolored hair came out in her mouth. “Thank you! I’ll need this for something.”
Shadamena stamped her hoof again, and ‘Doll Dash’ was gone, but the hair remained.
“You found her here. In…let’s say, thirty seconds. Oh, and then you two gather up ponies to look for Pinkie Pie, blaming her for this. You don’t really see me anymore. Now if you’re excuse me, I gotta deal with Dashie.” Shadamena said
“Yes, Mistress!” ‘Rarity’ and ‘Rainbow Dash’ said in unison.
Shadamena trotted out the door.
“Rarity” stared stupidly at the table for a few seconds, a stupid smile on her face as she stared right at the murdered Sweetie Belle.
And then, as if a switch went on in her head, ‘Rarity’ started to shake all over her body….and then she let out an ear-splitting scream and break down crying. It was as if she just now registered, or was allowed to register, that Sweetie Belle was dead and this was supposed to mean something to her.
“I smell an Oscaaaar…” Shadamena sang as she trotted out of the house. She looked over her shoulder at the body bag she was carrying out of the room on her back.
Stepping outside, she came face to face with ‘Twilight Sparkle’ and ‘Fluttershy’, who, like the ones before, were also just staring into space. “Take this to Sugarcube Corner…and unload its contents the floor of the kitchen. Fluttershy, You were just checking up on Pinkie Pie, she was supposed to pick up Gummy from your cottage but was late, when you found her like this just inside the kitchen, very close to the doorway. Twilight, you will also be in the area and discover Fluttershy screaming. Or fainting. Or both. You investigate, find something is inside Pinkie’s mouth, and discover…”
Shadamena pulled something out of her saddlebag, and gave it to ‘Twilight’. Something…colorful.
“Now. Go!”
‘Twilight’ and ‘Fluttershy’ teleported away in a flash of purple.
A Jackanapes wondered the streets, grumbling to itself. It had been annoyed with the plan the Stripey Ghost had laid out, seen it as just an excuse to do nothing for a few more minutes. Then it found itself in this Ponyville that wasn’t Ponyville where all the streets had been rearranged like some sort of rubix cube.
Also, rather disturbingly, where none of the ponies had faces.
It wasn’t looking for any particular building, oh no, buildings had a tendency to stay in one place and be actually locatable. The Jackanapes was looking for friends that couldn’t be helped as it was now, and hoping that they would stay in one place in the time it would take for to the Jackanapes to return to its body, and as a flesh-and-blood earth pony, return to the Grove to do anything. The Ghost had insisted that this was the best way to handle things, given reasons for the caution, but it all went over the Jackanapes head, and the Jackanapes was only getting more and more frustrated as time went on.
The Jackanapes was getting more than just frustrated. The anxiety was really getting to it. An Anxious Jackanapes.
“This just ain’t workin’! Now how in thunderation am Ah supposed to find Pinkie or Rainbow in this mess? Even with all of these creepy faceless ponies, they would just blend into the crowd. Am Ah supposed t’ keep searching for all the rest of the day until Ah just happen to bump into them?”
Just then, a multi-colored and chromatic blur darted across the sky, screaming something about Sugarcube Corner in what sounded like Rainbow Dash’s voice.
“…or maybe Ah could follow the screaming rainbow trail. Yeah, that works.”
Pinkie Pie stumbled through the dark place she found herself. The ground was squishy, and it rose and heaved and threw her off balance even more. The walls were also squishy, and they stank. Oh heavens, the smell!
With a disturbingly melted-looking hoof, she pounded on the squishy wall crying “HELP! Let me out of here!”
No matter how hard she pounded, she couldn’t escape.
Suddenly, Pinkie was outside the wall…or rather she was the wall.
Pinkie was in a much larger room, but she herself was much larger. This room was also dark and squishy, but she was submerged in a very large pool, all the way up past her waistline, which was itself different than before. Her bloated stomach ached. It was as if she was inflated like a balloon…and all the helium was crushing her other organs. She could barely breath, and then there was the nauseating smell of her prison. Her body was almost immobile with pain and impossible weight, and her throat burned with reflux. To make matters worse, she felt something pounding on the inside of her stomach, and it made her aching tummy feel even worse.
Rolling back, Pinkie’s head touched the wall of her new prison and she felt her mane become covered in slime from the wall. Still, Pinkie was desperate to escape this loathsome place and banged her head against that wall.
She tried to call for help, but only bile escaped from her mouth as she vomited.
And again, the world changed.
It was another Pinkie, but the consciousness that was Pinkie Pie was disoriented and not certain if she was the pony she was aware of or simply watching it. The consciousness did not even think to find that question odd. This Pinkie Pie was large, but her body was more like the Party Pony’s giant weight. Still, she was obviously a giant.
Lying on her back, Giant Pie sighed contentedly, and rubbed her own stomach with a hoof.
As she did so, there was a terrible cacophony of shrieks that sounded exactly like the scream of Sweetie Bell that Pinkie had heard when she was being stabbed before.
Only this time, the scream did not remain faint and ethereal, but rather grew in intensity as Giant Pie rubbed herself, volume raising slowly until all of a sudden the noise spiked And It Rose AND ROSE AND ROSE UNTIL-
Pinkie opened her eyes. Her head pounded. Her stomach felt like it was twisted in knots, as if her body was going through the motions to vomit, but had nothing to give. She also felt terribly thirsty, as if dehydrated.
She found herself in the shade of a tree in middle of Ponyville’s picnic park. There were the sounds of other ponies nearby, but Pinkie ignored them, knowing that they couldn’t see or hear her, and the closest pony was some distance away anyway. She looked up at the partly cloudy sky, staring blankly. The mist and overcast from earlier had been cleared up, and the sun shone down through the clouds with an almost cruel happiness.
She heard foals giggling and shrieking in the distance. She didn’t feel her usual impulse to run and play with the kids, and in fact found them annoying. Then….it all suddenly came back to her.
“Please think, Pinkie! If you can remember anything…anything at all! Please tell me!”
“Hee heee heee eeeeeaa AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA HA HA HA HA-OH WOW, YOUR SCREAMS ARE TOTALLY HARMONIZED! YOU REALLY COULD BE THE SAME PONY! HAHAAHAHAHHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!”
Remembering where she was before “falling asleep”, Pinkie took a sharp, shuddering intact of breath….and let out an anguished sob. Pain wracked her voice as she spoke “Sweetie Belle! I failed to save Sweetie Belle! She’s…she’s!”
Pinkie fell to the ground, crying. “She’s gone!”
The pink earth pony gave into her sorrow. She felt a terrible weight over her entire body and she could hardly even form coherent thoughts for a while.
She knew Meanie Pie was full of nothing but lies about her situation. The two lines of thought (A: That Pinkie could only escape if she killed Rainbow Dash and B: That she only existed in Meanie’s head as a kind of pseudo-coping mechanism because that is SUCH A LOAD OF HORSESPRINKLES) were contradictory. Pinkie vaguely remembered something about Meanie Pie bringing up them not contradicting while she was ‘dying’, but she wasn’t going to believe that.
But, she wasn’t sad about that. Sweetie Belle was most likely dead. If she wasn’t dead before Pinkie had even got there, then Meanie Pie would probably have killed her afterwards because she knew that Pinkie and Rainbow Dash knew. Which meant, not matter how many things Meanie said which were lies…
…My fault. All my fault. I’M SO STUPID! Pinkie trembled even more violently. “Stupid. Stupid. AHAHAHAHA DUMB! DUMB! DUMB DUMB DUMB! AHAHAhahahha. Ah….ha. ha. Haa~”
She also knew this wasn’t *her* Sweetie Belle, but she couldn’t help but remember all the times she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders visited her. Her sweet little voice rang in her ears. She loved those kids, and would never want this to happen to anyone of them, but felt that Sweetie Belle was always the most shy and gentlest one. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy for any world to lose her. And even worse was the fact that she had allowed it to happen. She felt both relief and subsequent guilt that she didn’t actually have the ability to break the bad news to Rarity, because of the strange rules of this world…
“I’m so sorry, Sweetie. I’m so, so, sorry….”
After an unknown amount of time passed, she was abruptly alerted to a strange twitching sensation. A very familiar one. In her tail.
…Wait. My tail!? Pinkie craned her head back and saw that she did, in fact, have her tail back. As if kicking into overdrive, her mind swam with revelations in the space of a few seconds:
-If I have my tail back, what does that mean?
-Meanie Pie had her tail.
-No…don’t jump to conclusions. I don’t have my hoof bandaged up from where she was bitten. And besides, Dashie hasn’t actually found Meanie Pie all on her own.
-But then again, why would she have her hoof bandaged? I bit her, which couldn’t be done unless I was real.
-So what does that mean?
-I don’t know, what did it mean for me to be tailless in that fight? I had to…to…use the tail against Dashie to escape.
-Its not right…more of us are missing…and in their place, there are two different forces. Something has broken free…something that never should’ve returned…its not right…
-Hey guys? Doesn’t a Twitchy Tail mean something is about to fall?
-Huh?
“GERONIMOOOO!” came a hyper, feminine voice from above. Pinkie craned her head just in time to see the vague frame of a yellow pony falling down on top of her before she could react aside from a quick “Eeeek!”
“Oof!” the strange pony grunted as she landed on top of Pinkie Pie. “Oh…whoops. Heh heh. Thanks for breaking my fall there.”
Pinkie leapt off the ground, hoisting her assailant off of her without even looking at her. “GET AWAY!” She cried as she ran out of the tree’s shade, running around in circles blindly. She heard high pitched shrieking sounds all around her, but ignored them, continuing to run until she stumbled over her own hooves. In response to this, she simply curled into a ball and continued crying.
After a few moments of silence, Pinkie Pie felt the sensation of being prodded by something.
“No…No, leave me alone…” the earth pony kept her eyes shut, as if afraid of what she might see. Maybe its Meanie Pie about to harvest me for more cupcakes and tell me more horrible things! Or Dashie, come to try to kill me again, blaming me for murdering Sweetie Belle! Make it stop! Please Celestia! Make it stop!
Pinkie couldn’t She heard mumbling off in the distance. Parents called for their children to rejoin them.
“H-hey. Come on. I’m sorry I jumped on you, I didn’t see you there. You kind of are hard to see in the Shade there.” Pinkie recognized the speaker as the voice of the pony who had ‘attacked’ her.
She was a unicorn. She had orange eyes, a yellow coat, blond mane and tail both cut short for a tomboyish look, and a gold-colored flame for a cutie mark.
Also, she had a big dumb grin on her face that for some reason Pinkie couldn’t put her hoof on, made her dislike this newcomer a little bit more.
“W-what are you doing!? Who are you? Wait, you can see me? You can touch me?” Question after question spilled out of Pinkie’s lips as they entered her mind.
“HUUUUUUAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” the unicorn gasped dramatically, causing Pinkie to wince and her ears to flatten.
Oh my gosh, what’s wrong now? Maybe she still can’t hear me? Has she mistaken me for Meanie Pie and is about to have a heart attack? Is it something even worse? I can’t take anymore of this!
“What? W-what’s wrong now?” Pinkie stammered, shrinking away a little further from the obviously mentally unstable pony that she was afraid she had somehow broken in some way.
The unicorn blinked. “Oh. Nevermind.” She said with a blank expression. She returned to her pleasant, dopy smile. “I’m Sunny Gold.”
Pinkie, unable to keep up with all of this whiplash, simply said “….lolwut.”
“I’m Sunny Gold?” the unicorn tilted her head to the side, her smile faltering just a little bit.
“No! Not that! I mean…ugh. Why did you answer my last question with a scream? Who does that?”
Outside the boundaries of the Darkest Grove, the Twilit Specter had the strangest urge to start banging her head against the nearest tree. Instead, she let out a frustrated groan.
The other spirits stared at her. The Fluttering Shade had hidden behind the Wrathful Wraith. The Striped Ghost, who had been discussing a plan of action, seemed particularly annoyed at Twilight.
“Sorry.” Said Twilight. “I just felt like doing that for some unexplainable reason.”
The Striped Ghost spoke. “We are all at our wits’ ends, but I would hope that you would pay attention if only for the sake of our friends.”
Sunny stared at Pinkie with a blank expression for a moment and she said “Oh! Right! Because you looked like that purple pony that I wanted to make friends with! But you’re kind of pinker…like. Pinkish-purple. I don’t know. My Mom-Dad is pink, and you kind of remind me of her, but she’s much brighter colored than you. I also thought you had her hairstyle, but she had a pink streak through her hair. She might’ve also been a unicorn. I tried to be friends with her, but she ran away screaming. So, I was saying you reminded me of her. Oh, and then, I introduced myself.”
Pinkie looked at herself. Purple? What is she…oh. Right. This again. The doctors never found out what makes my coat change this color…probably because I’ve never had it long enough for them to even see it. Annoyed and feeling a headache coming on, Pinkie just stared at the unicorn.
The blond unicorn grinned. “Hi! I’m Sunny Gold!”
Pinkie held her head in her hooves. “Ugh. Look, I really, really need you-”
“I’m Sunnyyyy~” Sunny sang.
Pinkie stared at the unicorn mare for a moment. “My name’s Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you.”
Sunny’s grin went even wider. “Oh hi, Pinkie Pie! I’m Miss Winky Mcjickers!”
Pinkie’s subsequent death glare failed to poke any holes in the impregnable armor of Sunny Gold’s/Ms. Mcjickers’ dopey grin.
“WHOEVER YOU ARE, I need you to talk like a normal pony.” Pinkie growled. “Just…don’t scream at me anymore, okay?”
Pinkie suddenly felt a spasm. Her world was green fog and purple dots for a fraction of a second. Why not? She sounds just like you. Stupid and Insane… Spoke a voice in Pinkie’s head. The spasm and the voice in Pinkie’s head went away as quickly as they had appeared.
Sunny looked surprised. “Whoa. Hey, what was that? Oh! Oh! I can make funny faces too!” Sunny screwed up her face and obviously attempting –and apparently failing- to do something with her tongue that seemed to require it stretch further than it actually was able to go….but Pinkie cut her off, raising a hoof to stop her acquaintance.
“That was nothing important.” Pinkie was getting too many stimuli at once; she couldn’t focus on them all. “I’ve just had…” her voice broke into a choking sound; she started again “had a rough day.”
Sunny gasped, less dramatically this time “Hey, were you about to cry?” A concerned look crossed the unicorn mare’s face.
Pinkie took a deep breath, covering her face. Alright, Pinkie, a lot of crazy stuff happened in the events leading up to your ‘death’, but this pony is the first one who can see you who doesn’t want to cut something off of you. Maybe you can get her to help you. You need some other pony to help you catch Meanie Pie so you can prove to Dashie –and possibly YOURSELF- that you aren’t the same. And to do that, you need to buck up and get her on your side.
“No! I mean…no. I’m fine, really.” Pinkie forced a smile, her voice a little raspy from dehydration. “I…really thought I knew everypony in Ponyville, but I don’t recognize you. Did you move in recently?”
“Um…I guess so. I came with my Dad after he took me from my mom’s place and planted her here, and then they had me!” Sunny said.
“Uh….huh.” Pinkie said. Wait. That would mean she was born here, but she said she moved in her recently. That makes no sense. Okay, you know what? I’m starting to see a pattern. I can only interact with the crazy ponies. That’s…wonderful. Oh Celestia, just promise me she’ll be useful enough to help me get in touch with my friends.
“I haven’t met many ponies who aren’t weirdoes, however. There was a very shy one who ran away that I wanted to get to know, but it’s okay because I made another friend! She’s a very silly pegasus.”
“Huh? Oh, you must be talking about Fluttershy and Ditzy Doo! I know those two!” Pinkie said, registering Sunny was still speaking. “Actually, um…I might need your help getting in contact with them, I…” Pinkie trailed off. “I don’t know if I can talk to some of my friends. Well, I don’t think I can talk to them..”
Sunny seemed to notice her trailing off. “Why? Did you have a fight of some sort? Are they mad at you?”
They will be, when they discover Sweetie Belle. You really should run away from town and never look back. The cruel voice in Pinkie’s brain spoke again as she twitched once more.
Pinkie shook it off. “No, no! It’s nothing like that.”
“…Um, you should know that you’ve kind of got a gigantic tell, so you shouldn’t ever play poker.” Sunny said, looking at Pinkie skeptically. When Pinkie just stared at her in response, Sunny leaned closer to her and whispered. “It’s a twitch.”
Pinkie felt like she should be annoyed at that, but if anything, she just felt drained. She felt her smile fall, and knew that Sunny had seen it.
She had been handling this conversation so awkwardly –random twitches aside- because she couldn’t deal with recounting the whole mess with Sweetie Belle. Well, that and the random twitches and the kooky unicorn she was speaking too made things hard to focus. But now that the subject of her friends had actually come up, she couldn’t pretend anymore. She only hoped she could hold off crying long enough to get Sunny to help her if indeed, Sunny was the only one available for her…
A loud “GUUUUuuuuurrgggllleeee” came from Pinkie’s stomach all of a sudden. It was so noisy, it was a wonder it didn’t shake the earth.
Pinkie, finding herself blushing at this sudden turn of events tried to continue speaking “Ah, anyway….” Another groan from her stomach sounded again.
Sunny Gold’s eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh, you poor pony! That’s why you’re about to cry, you’re starving! Here, come with me!” Sunny walked around Pinkie Pie and pushed her forward.
“H-hey! Wait! Where are we going?” Pinkie asked, trying to plant her hooves in the ground to resist being pushed.
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Sunny chirped. “You’ll see when we get there!”
Pinkie grumbled, but was soon distracted by the other ponies that were staring at Sunny as she pushed Pinkie forward. Pinkie vaguely remembered there was something that had caused a commotion among the park goers a few moments ago. She had been too focused on talking to Sunny to notice if the commotion had ever been about her.
Can they see me? Or are they staring at Sunny Gold because she’s walking like some kind of Mime, pushing a very stubborn air current like a bolder up a mountain…
From one of the spread out quilts, Roseluck asked out loud “Who IS that?” at the same time that Lily exclaimed “What happened to her coat? Was it another one of Sunny’s misfired spells? The horror, the horror!” Taking a moment to look at the situation. Daisy gasped and whispered something in her friends’ ears which Pinkie couldn’t make out and then Lily and Rose screamed before fainting. Daisy blinked twice, apparently not having expected THAT reaction from those two, and sighed with an annoyed expression on her face.
Oh. That solves that question. Maybe I don’t actually need Sunny… But where did she come from? I know she doesn't live in Ponyville...
“Hey Sunny, who’s your friend?” asked Bon Bon as they passed by her quilt. Strangely, Sunny didn't seem to hear her, and continued to push her forward. “Wait...is that Pinkie Pie? But what’s wrong with her coat? She’s all Puce!” Bon Bon noted Pinkie’s colors.
“You’re right, hon-hon.” Gasped Lyra “I’ve never seen a puce colored pony before…. I’ve seen red-violet manes before, however. It is like Pinkie Pie just got…darker…somehow. Look at the Cutie Mark.”
Sunny kept pushing her, but Pinkie decided not to be rude. “Hi girls…”
“It is you! But how did you…”
“Who knows? She’s probably just being Pinkie Pie.” Lyra shrugged.
Lyra and Bon Bon kept talking, but there voices fell out of earshot. I can be seen by ponies other than Dashie and Meanie now…what does that mean? Do I have my tail back because I ‘died’ again?
“H-hey, Sunny? Are we there yet? You’re horn is kind of jabbing me.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Sunny had been trying to angle her horn off to the side and not poke into Pinkie Pie, but its spiral design had been pressed into Pinkie’s furred skin. “Oops. My bad.”
Pinkie was a little confused by the abrupt halt in momentum. “You can still take me wherever it was you were taking me. I just want to…”
“Oh, we’re here. Here’s where I left my basket.” Sunny said, pointing a hoof at a very untidy, wrinkled blanket that had a picnic basket perched precariously on a particularly unstable portion of the blanket.
“That….seems an awful long way from the tree you were jumping out of randomly…”
“I…was waiting for somepony else and I…got a little lost.”
Pinkie’s stomach growled once more. She had to admit that all this vomiting/dying she had done today had left her pretty hungry…
“Uh oh. Sounds like somepony’s really hungry.” Sunny giggled. “Here, lets see if I have something you like. Oh! How about some of these! These Ribs are the best, they even taste good cold! But I can use my magic to heat them up for you!”
Sunny pulled out something wrapped in white paper that was stained with some strange red substance that looked horribly like blood.
Pinkie didn’t say anything for a while, just staring at the stained package, her eyes shrinking into pinpoints. When she found her voice again she squeaked out a question. “Wh-what did you call this food again?”
“Ribs! You know, like the bones!” Sunny closed her eyes as she smiled cheerfully.
“Oh!” Pinkie spoke in a strained voice. “Is that all? And here I thought you just said something horrific.”
A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail, and a bloody pink tail tied around her fetlock, gazed at her target from where she hovered.
Sugarcube Corner.
She had flown there with rage and misery etched onto her face, but now that she was staring upon the lair of the enemy who had captured her so easily last time, she felt an inkling of hesitation.
She breathed heavily, glaring at pastry-themed building as if she was having a staring contest with it.
What if this is a trap? What if she’s down there, waiting for me to come back?
However, she only had found Pinkie’s tail in that box. There still a chance that Evil Pinkie had just cut off her tail and used some other pony’s blood to write that letter and dip the severed tail in. In fact, Pinkie could’ve escaped with just her tail gone… It was a faint, overly-optimistic hope, but one her fevered mind was clinging to like grim death.
That, and it also opened up the possibility that Pinkie Pie had escaped. Or maybe she WAS still in there, and any moment her evil twin could start torturing her to death….
Hesitation vanishing, Rainbow Dash dove down, heading through the open door at the front of the shop. Not even asking why it was open or checking to see if the rule that should couldn’t open doors was still in effect. Rainbow charged blindly into the bakery, screaming a battle cry and ready to tear the entire place apart….
…and then she saw it.
Unbeknown to her, and invisible farmer pony followed her by passing through the walls. The Anxious Jackanapes ran up behind her.
“Landsakes! Slow down, would’cha, RD? Ah’m not used to just running through buildin’s. Even if they are just faceless zombies, it feels too much like trespassin’…” The Jackanapes noticed that Rainbow Dash hadn’t said anything. “Oh right. Ah guess ya can’t hear me. Ah seem to remember Zecora sayin’ something about that. Well, Ah hope you don’t mind if Ah stick around to see what kind of tricks this nasty ole Grove is playin’ on ya before I go back and…demand...that… we….” The Jackanapes trailed off as Rainbow Dash lay down to the ground and put her hoof on something on the floor…something…pink and red. It walked closer to Rainbow Dash and got a good look at what she was looking at.
On the ground, covered in blood and with a shiny, silvery knife thrust into her heart, was a faceless, tailless Pinkie Pie. Or, at least, she looked faceless to the Jackanapes.
Rainbow Dash, who had placed her hoof on the pony’s throat, started to shake. The Jackanapes looked up, and examined her face to gauge her reaction and to make sure she had one.
Tears leaked out of Rainbow Dash’s eyes as she slowly started to shake her head from side to side, gritting her teeth. And then her entire face contorted as she screamed in grief.
This can’t be happening! THIS JUST CAN’T! Rainbow's mind reeled in despair as she continued to scream.
“I…I’M THE ONE WHO FAILED! I MESSED UP! I GOT CAUGHT! ME! Why would you let me go and take Pinkie instead?”
“Sugar cube …” the Jackanapes extended her hoof to place on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, only for it to pass through her unnoticed. “Aw, ponyfeathers.”
Rainbow Dash sobbed. “I should’ve fought harder. I…I should’ve been there for you. I’m sorry Pinkie Pie.”
“That ain’t her!” the Jackanapes yelled. “Look, Ah know you can’t hear me, but just…just…Ah don’t know.”
“Oh…oh, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash lay down next to her friend, letting out gentle sobs.
For a while, Rainbow didn’t say anything, and neither did the Jackanapes. As Rainbow’s sobbing died down, she stared intently at the knife stuck in Pinkie’s body.
With a shaky hoof, she gently reached out for the knife, and pulled it out. “Well…she’s not going to get me. I will find her ….and make her pay.”
“Sugar cube, no! That’s just what they want! You’ll either get yerself killed or….” the Jackanapes gasped with a sudden, horrifying flash of insight. “…or kill the real Pinkie Pie.”
The Anxious Jackanapes looked at Rainbow Dash, who was now holding the knife by its hilt in her mouth. Ah have to get back to Zecora and the others. Ah have to stop Rainbow before she goes and does something stupid! Ah only hope that Twi was successful in finding the exit to this place…
Suddenly, a blood curtling scream rang out from the entrance to Sugarcube, causing Rainbow to jump out of her skin and turn around to face whatever threat was assaulting her now.
Fluttershy stood there, looking completely horrified at the scene of Rainbow Dash standing over Pinkie Pie’s blood soaked body, carrying a bloody knife in her mouth and a bloody tail wrapped around her hoof.
“Okay…So, what was in the box?” Shadash asked.
“It was Pinkie Pie’s tail that she left behind somewhere.” ‘Ditzy Doo’ said. “She said that all the rest of us are going to steal it back from Rainbow Dash after she goes to Sugarcube Corner.”
“And…why are you going to steal the tail back? Wouldn’t that be the perfect prop to convince Pinkie Pie that the character I’ve presented to her and Rainbow Dash are one and the same? To get her and Rainbow Dash to cross-banish each other?”
“Nope. The mistress doesn’t want her container to attack Rainbow Dash. She wants Rainbow Dash to banish Pinkie Pie, but not the other way around. She also is deploying measures to force Pinkie Pie to self-banish or even self-encroach herself.”
Shadash’s eyes widened. And then narrowed. So…that what’s she’s really after. She’s trying to leave me alone in the Grove with Rainbow Dash, and giving her a head start to do whatever evil she is planning. Probably play the innocent helpless victim and ask the other ponies to save her from Rainbow Dash whose gone “crazy.”
“Alright. Last question, reflection number 478: where is Shadamena right now?”
“Town Hall. Also, I believe its time for me to get back to….”
“Yes, that will be all. You are free to go.” Shadash said as she exited through the window of the Post office and traveled, on hoof, towards Town Hall.
Time for some payback, Shadamena.
A/N: And now, I’m going to cut it. Who or what is Sunny Gold? What ARE those wacky shadows up to? Will Rainbow Dash realize Pinkie is still alive? Will Pinkie Pie ever catch a break? And most importantly of all…
…what IS the story on ponies eating meat products, anyway? |
Lord Xaos | 318 | 21 | Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Zecora,Adventure,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore,Profanity,Violence | The Dark Side | "Cupcakes" Rebuttal. Dark versions of Pinkie and Dash try to tear the Real ones' friendship apart. | incomplete | 74 | 9 | <p>Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie has a dream that really disturbed her. She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up. Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...</p><p>Random tag added due to popular request. This is a serious story, but the journey through its chapters has proven....jarring for some readers.</p> | teen | 2012-10-01T03:28:53+00:00 | 2012-10-01T03:28:53+00:00 | 2,184 | Lord Xaos: *walks onto stage*
*pulls card out of pocket, starts reading it*
*clears throat*
"Ha-ha. Made you look! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY! Now I will commence writting non-cannon Shenanigans involving Jesus, Kamina, and Bon Bon being a Soviet Spy!"
*just then, Dual Pie (Sword, Berry Punch jacket, and all) breaks through the wall riding on the back of CENOBIA, the agile and armored Lion-like 14th Colossus, while the Hulk Hogan theme plays*
Dual Pie: "AW, BUCK NO! I AM SICK. AND. TIRED. OF ALL THESE JOKE CHAPTERS ALL OVER FIMFICTION.NET!"
LX: "HOLY CRAP, DP, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? THOSE CREATURES ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE AND NOT MEANT TO LEAVE THEIR NATIVE ENVIRONMENT! A-AND YOU NEED TO GET BACK TO YOUR OMAKE!"
DP: "Don't change the subject. I am not going to idly sit by while you disrespect your fans by pulling random crap out of your ass and hiding behind 'April Fools!' What do you have to say for yourself, young man?" *crosses hooves*
Lord Xaos: "Well...I..." *pull on collar of shirt*
DP: "SILENCE! You must pay for the sins of authors during this holiday. And also the ones who wrote Mass Effect 3's ending."
Lord Xaos: "Wait...why do I have take responsibility for-"
DP: "QUICK! BEFORE HE KEEPS TALKING AND DOES IN FACT TURN THIS INTO A REAL JOKE CHAPTER! CHARGE!"
Cenobia: *paws the ground, reading itself to charge*
LX: "AAAAHHHH!!!!!!" *runs like hell*
Cenobia: *chases Xaos*
*CRASH*
LX: "ugh.....I'm starting to think there is a point to the whole 'Creator's rights being trampled under the foot of the mob' argument." *a loose paper floats out of the wreckage of the wall that Xaos was send flying through.*
DP: "Hey...what's this? *seizes paper as spoils of war* ...Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! HEY EVERYPONY! ITS THE REAL NEXT CHAPTER! Quick! We need to post this right away!"
LX: "It was...coming out....next month....as....optional DLC. Ooooh." @_@
The Dark Side
A My Little Pony fanfiction by Lord Xaos
Characters are the property of Hasbro, etc.
Pinkie was kind of freaking out. She stared at the “Ribs” Sunny had offered her.
Although, perhaps not as much as if her hostess had been offering her actual meat. Sunny had laughed, but been very through in clearing that up. Pinkie actually felt silly for not realizing it before.
Back in Appleloosa, Pinkie’s efforts to stop an imminent Pony-Buffalo conflict included her sang a song had included lyrics that both pony and buffalo diets were “Completely Vegetarian”, which was true. Also, as the announcer at the “Running of the Leaves” that she had competed in Hot Dog eating contests, which was also true and not horrifying in the least.
Ponies were not omnivores. If nothing else, ponies were friends with most “food animals.” There were laws about what kinds of animals (a lot of them insects and fish, although the law seemed strangely ambiguous about rabbits for some unexplained reason) were okay to feed to your carnivorous pet - which Pinkie had to review when she got Gummy for her birthday- based of how intelligent some of them were. At times, they might eat meat if nothing else was available. The smell of blood was unappetizing to ponies, however, it turned out that in small doses, ponies were less likely to become sick to ingesting meat, although it was generally theorized that they could not live on such food. Or at least, did not want to try.
There were times in history of ponies ingesting cooked and thinly sliced meat in the halls of griffons or other races that ate such food, only to turn away in disgust and horror when the truth became known. And yet, through dealing with these cultures, a number of meat imitations became popularized amongst ponies. The history books seemed to shy away from whether it was to appease the foreigners or because some ponies had actually…liked…what they ate.
Pinkie had recalled those moments in geography class when a much too graphic teacher told his students to beware that they ASK what’s in the sandwiches they are selling in the shops of the territories of the griffons, the dragons, the hyenas, etc.
Still, the only fake she had even heard of were the hot dogs and there were…well, they were hot dogs. Granted, cupcakes were also cupcakes, but before this horrible day, the prospect of eating flesh, as in real flesh of something that had parents and a face and stuff had simply not been on the radar, let alone that it might be disguised as something she thought she could trust. The idea of hiding pony meat in a cupcake made her feel betrayed and disgusted. She wasn’t going to eat anything that might actually BE a real meat product that doesn’t even need to be disguised in appearance or taste.
So it was with humiliation that when she tried to explain to her hostess what was bothering her, Sunny Gold found it all hilarious.
“Hee hee. A pony’s ribs? You sure have a wild imagination there! Ahahaha! Boy, was your face red!” Sunny giggled. “Seriously, that squeak you did was so adorable!”
“That…was supposed to be a horrified scream when you just took a giant bite out of the ribs to show me that they weren’t actually bones and didn’t contain bones...” Pinkie said quietly.
Sunny looked down at the barbeque sauce-drenched soybean based meat substitute with a giant bite mark in her hoof. Then she looked back up at Pinkie Pie with a confused expression. “Horrified?”
“I nearly fainted…” Pinkie grumbled. Oh well…I suppose I could have traumatized her with the idea. We certainly wouldn’t want that.
Oh no. She might calm the buck down and be tolerable to be around if that happened. What’s hilarious is that now she thinks you’re just a jumpy, naïve little foal now. Doesn’t it just make your blood boil? You really should shut her up. This time, the violent tug Pinkie felt throughout her entire body actually hurt.
“Hehe…Twitchie-twitch!” Sunny giggled.
Ow. I really need to get that checked out. I’ll add it to the bottom of my ever growing to-do list of all the other things I need to do. At the top of that list is:
Getting something to eat. …If I want to eat anymore.
Pinkie’s stomach growled loudly. It was almost as if it hadn’t been able to properly digest anything all day before being abruptly emptied. Sunny could only giggle at this.
Sigh. The jury has spoken.
“Alright, let me see…I have, ooh! I have cupcakes! I forgot I had some!”
Pinkie fell down went boom.
Sunny just stared at the pink pony lying at her hooves with an amused look on her face for a while before asking “Is that a yes or a no?”
”That….didn’t make me as unconscious as I hoped it would.” Pinkie’s muffled voice emitted from her face, which was firmly planted in the ground.
“Well….?”
“No sweets either. Thank you.”
“You sure? They’re chocolate cupcakes.”
Shut up…shut up…just shut up already. Pinkie rose her head off the ground. “Quite sure. I’m…allergic to chocolate.”
Sunny gasped “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry to hear that! I think I’d die!”
“Yes, it’s really too bad.” Pinkie was slowly becoming aware of how limited and boring her remaining food choices were. And, she actually wasn’t sure when the last time it was that she had chocolate cupcakes now that she thought about it, it had been much too long...
Sweetie Belle’s face flashed in her mind, followed by Meanie Pie decorating a chocolate cupcake with white and lavender icing, nearly turning Pinkie’s stomach inside out before she forced her mind to focus on some other task. She addressed Sunny Gold once again. “What else do you have?”
“Well, alright, if you don’t like ribs, then I brought other things. I packed some hayfries, but I…kind of ate them on the way to the park.” Sunny gave a little sheepish blush. She continued to rummage through her basket until she pulled out a little yellow tin box. “Sorry. Oh! I have this nice salad. There are also these packets with salad dressing that came from a restaurant! I think. I can’t remember the name for the life of me.” Sunny looked thoughtful.
“I’ll take it. Thank you very much for sharing.” Pinkie bowed her head, crossing a foreleg over her chest, partially in a foppish show of respect, partially to bring her head that much closer to the tin box containing the leafy greens and vegetables.
“Okay, I’m glad you found something you like!” Sunny smiled as Pinkie gave a little grunt in between bites of lettuce.
As she began to eat the salad Sunny had offered her, which was almost as bland as the leaves she had eaten that morning since she decidedly left off the hideously sweet-smelling raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing, she started to think about sugar.
Pinkie wasn’t sure why she felt equally adverse to all sweet things including fruit, but it was probably the incident with the punch that had left her afraid to touch anything that reminded her of the home that had turned into a place of danger and horrible memories.
“But really…how can you live without sweets? I mean, there’s French horns and lemon pies and cookies and berry filled pastries and barely filled pastries and oh my gosh, they’re all so GOOD!”
Pinkie felt the urge to change the subject. Immediately.
“Hey, Sunny? You said you could heat your food with your magic. How does that work, exactly?”
“Huh? Oh, right.” Sunny pulled out the package of ribs, unwrapped them from their paper and stared intently at them. Her horn glowed with a yellow-ish aura, and a tiny orb of fire, no larger than a grape appeared before her. As Pinkie watched with interest, Sunny Gold created more fireballs and levitated them together, creating a ring of flame. Sunny lowered the fire to the fake rib meat and left it to hover above the meat substitute.
Sunny immediately looked up from her work, as if nothing could possibly go wrong at this point, and grinned “See? Easy!”
“That’s ….neato.” Pinkie blinked, staring at the slightly hypnotic ring of fire. “You sure you should be using that so close to paper and cloth?”
Sunny waved a hoof. “Oh, don’t worry. Heating things with magic is my special talent! It’d be completely embarrassing to mess something like this up.”
“Really.” Pinkie deadpanned as she looked down at Sunny’s food, which was making a loud sizzling noise. “Because your ring is kind of slowly dropping and it looks like your stuff might, ah, yup. Eeyup.”
“Yup, what?” Sunny cocked her head to the side, still looking at Pinkie instead of what she was doing.
“Your ‘ribs’ are in fact on fire.”
Sunny looked at Pinkie. Her eyes fell down to her now smoking picnic blanket.
Her magical fire continued to hover in place, but the heat had caused the package to crisp up and catch fire on its own. Sunny’s riblets were sizzling and blackening around the edges as the flames started to burn through the paper and the blanket underneath…
She looked back at Pinkie Pie and gave a nervous grin while her face turned red. “Oops…”
“You should really put that out.” Pinkie wore an apprehensive look on her face as she rose to her hooves, watching the fire spread across the blanket. “Like, right now. Before it spreads to the GRASS AND BURNS THE ENTIRE PARK DOWN, PLEASE.”
“Er….right!” Sunny quickly shut her eyes and focused magic into her horn. Sunny’s golden magic aura appeared around the entire fire, and contracted, extinguishing all the flames with a loud hisssss. She looked over the entire blanket for a moment before giving a sigh of relief.
“Problem solved!” Sunny cheered, smiling as if nothing of significance had happened.
Pinkie had no words. Sure, she could list of a number of dangerous things she had done in her life: Trying to cook Flambe for the first time without a supervising adult, deciding to fly over ghastly gorge in an untested flying machine she built herself, mindlessly chasing her rogue shadow into the Everfree Forest, deciding to give Rainbow Dash that “wake up call” in the same flying machine that when it was behind on its maintenance, the incident with the yogurt….
But this unicorn was a disaster waiting to happen.
“Hey, why are you looking at me like that? I got everything under…OH NO!” Sunny suddenly looked back to her picnic with a look of utter dismay.
“Oh no? What’s wrong now?” Pinkie gasped.
“I BURNED MY RIBS! WAAAAH!!” Sunny held up a blackened package that was eliciting a surprisingly sweet burning smell. Then, because the package was still hot she starting juggling it in her hooves. “Ow! Oh! Eeech! Hot!” As Sunny dropped the package and started to blow on her hooves Pinkie covered her nostrils to protect them from the smoke and the smell and gave a nervous giggle.
A giggle which gave way to a sort of quiet chuckle.
“ehehehehe *chortle* heh heh heh heh *snort* Ha ha ha aha…Oh, you’re a riot, Sunny.”
Sunny gasped. “You actually CAN laugh!”
“Huh?” Pinkie cocked her head to one side. “What do you mean?”
“Oh you know. You’ve been all grumpy and humorless. You haven’t laughed or even smiled since we met. I was worried you were going to start cutting yourself at any moment now.”
“Huh?” Pinkie frowned in confusion.
“Aw, frowny face…you had such a great smile, too.” Sunny pouted.
Well, EXCUSE ME for living a nightmare all day long. Pinkie scowled at the unicorn, but she sighed and let her expression soften. Don’t take it out on her, she’s just trying to be friendly. I’d do the same thing in her position.
…Will I ever go back to normal?
“Come on, give me another smile.” Sunny grinned from ear to ear.
Pinkie forced the corners of her lips to turn upwards, but it came of as insincere this time.
“…That’s…good.” Sunny said, disappointment clear on her face.
Pinkie drooped. “I’m sorry, stuff’s been happening. Really, really….stuffy stuff. It’s not you or anything, I’m just not in the mood right now. Really.”
“Hmm…” Sunny looked thoughtful at Pinkie Pie.
In the awkward silence that followed, Pinkie returned to her salad. I’m sorry Sunny. I’ll throw you the Welcome to Ponyville Party you deserve, just as soon as I get my friends up to speed, liberate Sugarcube Corner from the clutches of (quite literal) Evil, and deal with the fallout....maybe figure out if I can go home or not.
Actually…shouldn’t Meanie Pie have greeted Sunny to Ponyville herself?
“Say Sunny, are you sure you haven’t heard of me before? I mean, I’m actually kind of known as a party animal around her.”
“Party animal? You?”
“Well yes.” Pinkie’s voice was regaining a little bit of its usual chipper tone as she spoke with pride. “In fact, everypony knows me as a the friendliest and most fun-loving pony in all of Ponyville. I throw parties for absolutely everypony..”
Sunny snorted and broke out in riotous laughter. "AHAHAHA! That's a good one! I mean, no offense, but you're like the grumpiest stick in the mud ever! But you still have a great sense of humor, that's why I like you!"
"...Glad you feel that way." Pinkie's ears drooped and she was about to return to her salad when....
Psst….Psst!
Pinkie blinked, and looked around. “Did you notice that?”
“You had another spasm, if that’s what you mean.” Sunny smiled. “It looks like fun. I think I’ll try doing them now!”
Sunny grit her teeth, rose one fore hoof high in the air, and leaned to one side.
You know…It’s awfully rude of you to ignore somepony when they are trying to talk to you.
Pinkie kept eating her salad.
Alright, fine. I don’t want to hear what you have to say anyway. I’ve been doing some thinking, and I’d like to point some things out, because you can’t be trusted to notice these things yourself.
Pinkie kept eating.
Why do you have your tail back? Think about this. That was the one characteristic that separated you from “Meanie Pie.” And then, there was the fact that she said she was killing Sweetie Belle while she was stabbing you but you couldn’t feel anything.
Pinkie swallowed, and did not take another bite.
All signs are starting to point back to-
Shut up. Pinkie shot Sunny, or rather, the space occupied by Sunny, an icy glare without really meaning too. Sunny looked like she was about to say something funny, but her expression darkened when she saw Pinkie’s face and started to focus entirely on eating her food.
Fine. But before I go, I just want you to know. *ahem*
The voice took on a sing song tone.
You killed Sweetie Belle, You killed Sweetie Belle~
I didn’t! Meanie Pie did! There is no evidence connecting her to me aside from what she just said! As far as I know she drugged me so I couldn’t feel pain! And she even tried to get me to kill Dash as a way to escape, but why would she do that? Dash knows. She’s only controlling me and who I can interact with but…
Pinkie’s eyes widened in realization.
Something went wrong. I can interact with ponies now. No matter what is really happening now, I can get help from everypony now.
Yes. But then, she either killed Sweetie after wards she was done with you, meaning you were her last chance, or she already did it while Rainbow Dash was chasing you, meaning you served as a distraction.
“I KNOW!” Pinkie snarled, causing Sunny Gold to jump in surprise.
“Whoa! What’s your deal?” Sunny questioned.
“Oh….um…nothing. Let’s just say that I have…um…Toilet’s syndrome?” Pinkie blushed, as she noticed the entire park was frowning at her.
“Oh….! Are you a Spy?” Sunny asked, suddenly excited.
“No, I…WHAT? Why would you…”
“Nevermind.” Sunny winked and gave Pinkie as not-so-subtle “Shhhh…”. Then she closed her eyes and waggled her head as she sang to herself. “Secret…AGENT Mare! Secret…AGENT Mare~…”
Since Sunny was not paying attention to her outburst anymore, Pinkie decided to quietly return to the much more relevant conversation.
I know…
Good. Just checking to see what that you know. It confirms what I suspected. That you are HESITATING TO REPORT YOUR CRIME TO YOUR FRIENDS, because you -know- what they will think of you. Gasp! How will you explain it to Rarity?
Pinkie fought back the urge to sob. She took several deep breaths, which did not go unnoticed by Sunny. Who ARE you? If you aren’t going to help me, get out of my head!
Oh, Pinkamena Diane Pie. You know very well who I am. And I can’t leave. I’ve been here all along, being ignored by you.
Pinkie closed her eyes and thought about as many happy or even urgent things as she could, trying to drown the voice out.
I DO have to hurry and tell Twilight what’s happening. Meanie Pie might not know that I can be seen by other ponies yet, which means I better make my move sooner rather than later. I just need to avoid getting caught by Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie looked up at Sunny Gold. “Sunny, I know I’ve been acting weird all day, but its because I really, really do have a problem…and I need to talk to a certain friend of mine about it. As soon as possible, really. I was hungry, thank you for sharing your salad with me. You really have been very kind, but I need to go now. I just occurred to me how urgent this is.”
“Aw…..Okay. You wanna take a ham sandwich for the road?” Sunny pulled out what appeared to be a complete dead ringer to the sandwiches Mrs. Cake made for the brunch with Princess Celestia the day Pinkie Pie stole the Princess’ dessert right in front of her. A small part of her brain thought chimed in with a nostalgic: Good Times…GOOD tiiiimes.
Pinkie shuttered. “No, really, that’s okay.”
“And also you’re really missing out on the ribs…are you SURE you don’t want a bite?” Sunny shoved the strange food item in her face before she could even reply.
A little too far. She brushed the meatless riblets across Pinkie’s face. Pinkie let out a disgusted scream as the cold, sticky, reddish-brown sauce was stuck to her coat and the smell of burnt honey filled her nostrils.
“Oh…whoops? Hehe, let me clean that up for you!” Sunny blushed as she fetched
Pinkie had placed a hoof on her cheek where the sauce had smeared, and when she felt something sticky on them, she looked at her hoof, and saw that her hoof was covered in the reddish, not-quite-the-color-of-hardened-blood, substance all the way up to her fetlock. She noticed now that the sauce had a sweet, honey-like smell to it, and that threw her over the edge. The images came. Carrot Cake. Cup Cake. Gilda. Peppermint Twist. Berry Pinch. Snips. Snails. Pipsqueak. Carrot Top. Fluoride. Sweetie Belle. A dress made up of cutie marks and pegasi wings. Rainbow Dash.
“KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Pinkie’s shriek grabbed the attention of all the ponies in the park, but she ignored them. She rolled around in the grass, constantly screaming and batting her face with her hooves, trying to get the vile…whatever-it-was OFF.
Sunny rolled her eyes. “Geez. What a neat freak.”
This gathered some chuckles from the ponies around the area. Pinkie froze, a bewildered look in her eye as she calmed down enough to take in what was occurring. She rose to her hooves and looked around the park.
Everypony was laughing at her, like everything was some kind of joke.
“Stop laughing at me!” The ponies didn’t stop. Pinkie was starting to feel humiliated. “Quit it! It’s not funny!”
Aw…widdle bitty Pinkie Pie can’t take hits as well as she gibs dem? The voice was back.
I never humiliated anypony like this! Pinkie’s attempt at ignoring the voice, hoping it would go away was going up in smoke. And now at this time of public embarrassment and frustration, it sounded, if anything, louder. I just surprised them a little…we always laugh afterwards…
Oh really? Well, in that case: SURPRISE! YOU’RE A LAUGHING STOCK! NOW LAUGH, STUPID!
“Hee hee…here, let me clean you off if you’re so upset about it.” Sunny rose a napkin to Pinkie’s face.
“Don’t touch me!” Pinkie swatted the napkin away, sneering at the unicorn. Despite the expression on her face, she couldn’t control the way her body was trembling as the ponies continued to laugh and laugh at her. It was really hurting. Didn’t they understand what she had been through?
“Hey! I’m just trying to help! Why are you acting like this?” Sunny frowned, an expression of being greatly offended plastered on her face as she grit her teeth and stamped her hoof. The laughter around the park grew silent.
Pinkie hyperventilated, and pointed a shaky hoof at Sunny. “Y-you just…Something’s up with you! YOU’RE NOT NORMAL! You…” Pinkie stopped. What am I doing? Where am I even going with this? The expression on Sunny’s face darkened at the accusatory gesture, and Pinkie Pie started to waver. She didn’t really know what she wanted to say. She choked on her words as she held her head in her hooves. She started to sob. “I-I’m sorry! I’m. Just. So. Tired. Today’s been nothing but awful.”
“Oh, really? You met me today, HAVE I BEEN AWFUL!? I’VE BEEN COMPLETELY NICE TO YOU AND WHILE YOU HAVE NICE MANNERS ONE SECOND, YOU GO AND DO…WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO THE NEXT!” ” Sunny yelled, making Pinkie shrink away from her. Sunny rose to her hooves, following Pinkie as she retreated. “And now you’re leaving without saying goodbye?”
Pinkie was the one who was annoyed with the unicorn, how did this reversal happen? She started to suspect that Sunny didn’t have her best interests at heart. She backed away a little faster now. “P-please! You’re scaring me! You don’t know what I’ve seen! I’ve seen the bodies of little foals covered in their own blood, and then I die and then I’m not dead and Dashie hates me, and, and…” Pinkie took a moment to scream to the heavens. “MY BEST FRIEND CUT OFF MY TAIL TODAY!”
“….” Sunny stared at Pinkie, an incredulous look on her face. Then she deadpanned the obvious. “Your tail is right there on your plot.”
“I-I know…but it really happened. Really…” Pinkie slinked back, averting her eyes from Sunny’s fiery gaze.
“Don’t run away!” Sunny barked. Pinkie stopped at this, and fell to the ground with a squeak, and began shaking. Sunny looked at her silently for a moment, visibly growing more annoyed with Pinkie for some unimaginable reason.
But all Pinkie was doing was sobbing quietly, blinking constantly to help keep her eyes glued to the golden mare who had grown so aggressive in such a short period of time.
“AND STOP CRYING! YOU AREN’T EVEN HURT YET!” Sunny roared, as her horn lit up with a bright jet of golden flame which came to life with a mighty roar. The fire shot straight upwards and Pinkie felt a wave of intense heat flow into her face. This caused everypony in the park to run in all directions, leaving their picnics behind. “She’s lost control of her magic again, everypony RUN!” someone in the distance yelled.
In the face of this sudden display of destructive magic as well as the general pandemonium that had taken over the park, Pinkie shrieked and leapt to her hooves, running away like Sunny was some sort of fire breathing monster. Probably because on a certain level, she was.
“Whoa…oops.” Sunny took notice of the wayward plume of flame and powered down her horn. “I hate it when-HEY! Don’t run away from me! I’m not done talking to you!”
Pinkie didn’t turn around. She just ran with all the strength she had left.
The conference room of Ponyville’s town hall had been significantly redecorated. Its current resident thought the gray carpet and beige-and-green walls weren’t colorful enough, so she had a few reflections, including the Mayor herself, help her hang streamers all over the ceiling, as well as place a large banner on the wall.
The banner read “Farewell to Pinkie Pie!”
However, the most noticeable difference was the enormous television screen that had been rolled into place. Also, the table had been removed and replaced with a very large comfy pink couch, upon which sat a Pink earth pony, a remote control which only had two very large buttons -one pink, one blue-, as well as an assortment of snacks ranging from popcorn to pop rocks to an unopened box full of freshly baked cupcakes with white, pink, and lavender icing.
Shadamena “Meanie” Diane Pie watched stared at her surveillance monitor, a puzzled expression crossed her face as she watched the puce mare travel out of view.
“Well…THAT was certainly unexpected! I just wanted Sunny to annoy Sweetie Pie, not chase her away. Maybe I should’ve taken away her anger as well, but then, how is she supposed to turn on Sweetie Pie when the time comes? I wanted everything set up so she could build Sweetie back up. She would either be an annoying sidekick or actually become real friends with Sweetie Pie. In either case, when she abandons Sweetie, it will hurt. Why, I might not even need to encroach her further and she cracks like glass. I don’t know if I just wasted all that time and effort making Sunny now, however.” Meanie Pie sighed.
“Oh well, might as well watch what’s on Channel Dashie.”
She pressed the blue button on her remote, and immediately found herself grinning from ear to ear at the completely horrified expressions on both of the pegasi on screen (“Ah! Looks like I changed the channel just in time!”). The angle was positioned somewhere low to the ground, but anyone watching could clearly make out both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, as well as the bloody body of Pinkie Pie on the floor. Rainbow was staring at the yellow pony, her rose-colored eyes wide and her mouth agape, wordlessly shaking her head “no.” From the speaker came an ear-rending screech as “Fluttershy” screamed as loud as she possibly could.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”
From somewhere off-camera, there came the sound of galloping hooves as somepony ran into Sugarcube Corner. The source of the noise was revealed to be Twilight Sparkle as she came into view.
“Fluttershy!? What’s wrong? Why did…you….” Twilight’s sentence was cut off by her horrified gasp. She looked from the body of Pinkie Pie to Rainbow Dash.
One look at the miserable and desperate expression on Rainbow Dash’s face filled Shadamena with a warm fuzzy feeling. Rainbow, clearly trying to explain herself to her “friends,” made various noises, but nothing that resembled language. Fluttershy was backing away in horror behind Twilight. After several tries, Rainbow finally found her voice.
“I-it wasn’t me Twilight! I know what this looks like, but it really, really isn’t me! I-i-i…” Rainbow Dash stammered for a moment, a bewildered expression on her face. Then she sat back on her haunches, pointed a hoof at the stitches on her chest and screamed her defense.
“I WAS ATTACKED TOO! I’VE BEEN BUCKING DISSECTED! LOOK AT MY SCAR!”
“Reflections # 5 and 12, disregard the surgical scar on Dashie’s chest. There is no scar. She doesn’t have so much as a paper cut.” Shadamena said with a laid back voice, and then she clopped her hooves together with a smirk.
“What. Scar?” the dream-unicorn that resembled Twilight Sparkle asked Rainbow Dash.
“What do you mean which scar?” Rainbow exasperated as she looked down, confirming that yes, the scar was still there. “THE ONE RIGHT HERE! Oh Luna…I can hardly bear to look at it.”
“THERE’S NOTHING THERE!” cried ‘Twilight.’
“YES THERE IS!” Rainbow shot back. “How can you not see it!?”
Meanie Pie covered her mouth her hooves, chuckling silently to herself.
“Rainbow…this isn’t funny. If you have some sort of evidence you aren’t guilty for…for…Oh Celestia! WHY, RAINBOW DASH!? Why Pinkie Pie!?”
“T-twilight…it is her. L-look at her hoof!” the yellow pegasus trembled as she pointed at Rainbow’s fetlock.
Rainbow looked down at her hooves along with Twilight. It didn’t take long for her
Shadamena could see it. The moment the lights switched on in Rainbow Dash’s head and she realized. Her face just screamed “Uh oh.” The pink earth pony watching the drama unfold fell into another giggling fit.
“Girls…please...” Rainbow rasped, her throat obviously much drier than it had been at the start of the conversation. “there was a package…”
“Hee hee…I’m so naughty!” Shadamena buried her face into the popcorn bowl and when she emerged, she downed it with another sip from the straw in her sarsaparilla.
She was aware she was eating constantly throughout the day like some kind of glutton, considering all the cupcakes she had baked recently, but for some reason or another she just couldn’t stay full. It probably had something to do with the fact that all the food she ate wasn’t real –not even the bits of Sweetie Pie she ate were real-, or that she had never eaten anything ever in her life, just being Pinkie’s Shadow and only knowing what hunger and taste were through what Pinkie ate until today.
Or maybe there was simply something about her that was simply bottomless. An endless hunger that would never fill even when she had escaped to the real world.
Besides…a captivating performance like this demanded popcorn.
“Please…there was a package…” Rainbow Dash began to plead her case.
“WHAT package?” Twilight Sparkle’s voice was harder than Rainbow had ever heard it spoken, and it made her flinch away. “Rainbow, you are still holding the weapon right there under your hoof! With Pinkie’s tail wrapped around your fetlock like some sort of prize! What can any package ANYWHERE possible hold that would explain this? You’re just trying to get me to drop my guard! You about to do it to Fluttershy before I came in, too weren’t you!?”
Rainbow looked down at the knife on the floor, as if noticing it for the first time. Stupid! I’m so stupid! She looked back up. “I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry! I pulled the knife out of Pinkie, but I. Did. Not. Do. It. I…I forgot I had it.” Rainbow stepped back off of the knife.
Almost immediately, a magical aura encased it and it levitated over to ‘Twilight’ and ‘Fluttershy’, away from Rainbow.
Sensing that it was better for her if she kept talking, Rainbow added a quick snippet. “The package had Pinkie’s tail and a message from the real killer. I…thought I could save her. I took the tail with me because I didn’t want to risk losing it…. It’s a complicated story.”
“I…I really don’t want to believe you’d do this. She was your friend Rainbow! You always went around town getting into enough mischief to give the Crusaders a run for their money!” ‘Twilight’ grit her teeth and blinked, fighting away tears so she could scowl at her former friend some more. “Now, I’ll ask again, WHAT’S with this Package you are talking about?”
“I-its at my house! I got the tail in a box along with a letter from the real killer! We can go there right now! You have to believe me!” Rainbow sobbed.
(“Ah do, Sugarcube.” Unheard by all, the Jackanapes nuzzled Rainbow Dash, or rather she nuzzled through her, having nothing to oppose her presence. “It ain’t true, but that ain’t yer fault. It ain’t you who’s lying. It’s this whole twisted place!”)
“Oh…how convenient. You claim there’s evidence excusing what you’ve done back where we can’t get it without letting you out of our sight.” Twilight glared at Dash. “Just how stupid do you think I am, Rainbow?”
Rainbow swallowed, mostly to try and hydrate her dry throat. “You…you can’t just ignore what I have to say! Check the basement of Sugarcube Corner! That’s right here! There has to be something that’s still there! There just has to be!”
“And that’s another distraction, Rainbow. You could just be trying to silence us.”
Rainbow voice cracked in exasperation. “Th-then WHY would I let you take the knife? Wouldn’t it have made better sense to keep it or even attack you with it mid-sentence?”
“You could’ve just forgotten....” Twilight looked down at the weapon apprehensively. The her expression hardened and she looked back up at Rainbow. “There’s still too much evidence against you! You must’ve done it!”
I…she’s not going to believe me! That monster got me completely! She probably already emptied her basement of all the evidence, and now this Twilight and this Fluttershy will think that I’m her and she did it! I’m making myself…her…US look bad even as I stand here! But I can’t think of what to say! The monster is going to get away! How do I explain that there are two Pinkie Pies? That…that I was invisible and there are two Rainbow Dashes? I gotta say something! Think Rainbow Dash, Think!
Rainbow sat there, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes and she just tried to think as hard as she could. This didn’t seem to work very well, and all of her desperate searching for a counter argument only ended in a headache. Twilight didn’t look like she had very much patience left.
“Twilight, its…its just circa…circular…circumcised…” Rainbow couldn’t think of the word, she was just feeling more humiliated by the second. I’m…I’m too stupid! Pinkie’s killer is going to get away and I’ll be blamed for her crimes and its all because I can’t say one stupid word!
“Circumstantial evidence?” Twilight asked, still staring daggers at Rainbow.
“Y-YES, that! You just found me with the body….” Rainbow’s voice was cracking, and it was becoming difficult to talk, but she held firm, trying with all of her might to keep from breaking down and crying. She took a sharp intake of breath when she found she didn’t have enough air. All of the tension in her body was so great, she was forgetting to breathe.
Twilight interjected at this point. “And your knife covered in blood! Did you forget that time I surprised you from your nap and you pulled this on me? I recognized it immediately! You’re the owner of the murder weapon! You…no, I shouldn’t even still be talking to you. You’re dangerous! GET OUT, RAINBOW DASH! GET OUT AND DON’T COME BACK!” ‘Twilight’ levitated the knife up into the air and pointed the tip of the blade towards Rainbow Dash.
My knife? Oh no. This really is THAT knife! The one Crazy Dash used! Did she almost go nuts on her Twilight one time? No wonder she doesn’t trust me! This is hopeless! “Tw-twilight…please, I know who the killer really is. You won’t believe me at first, but you owe me a chance to-AAh!” Rainbow pleas were cut off when the knife flew towards her and stabbed the floorboards dangerous near where she had just been standing.
“LIES!” ‘Twilight’ screamed at Rainbow Dash. “YOU’RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN, RAINBOW DASH! “
Rainbow trembled at the volume of ‘Twilight’s’ voice, her voice shaking. “Th-they AREN’T lies! Sh-she’s still out there! Y-you’re still in danger!” Rainbow attempted to readjust her stance so she could put her hoof down, when she stepped on something cold.
Rainbow Dash’s brain narrowed down the list of things the “something cold” could possibly be in an instant, and within said instant, she felt her blood run cold and her stomach twist into knots.
“GET AWAY FROM PINKIE PIE!” ‘Twilight’ snapped, pulling the body of the earth pony away from Dash and towards her, dropping her beside ‘Fluttershy’, who squeaked in shock of having the dead pony positioned next to her.
“I, I, I…I didn’t !” Rainbow tried to stammer out her words, but now that Pinkie’s unmoving, cold, blood-covered, tailless, I-just-stepped-on-her-face-and-made-her-lips-pull-apart-a-little-wider-open-a-little-wider-so-I-can-see-that-tooth-she-is-missing, eviscerated cadaver was in full view again, the realization hit her already fraying emotional state like a sledgehammer.
Dead. Pinkie Pie was dead. No more parties. No more pranks. No more silly randomness. The nightmare she had on Gummy’s birthday had become her reality. She went into this horrible place to save her, and she failed. She was Pinkie’s only hope and She. Had. Failed!
“P-pinkie…PINKIE PIE! I’m *choke* I’M SO SORRY I’M SUCH A FAILURE!” Rainbow Dash officially lost it and galloped over towards the two living ponies, eyes blurring as she struggled to focus on the dead one she just had to hold again. She knew she had already checked, and that Pinkie was very clearly dead, but she just…she just…
“STOP!” ‘Twilight’ barked. She used her magic to seize a nearby end table and she immediately sent it flying, legs first, into Rainbow Dash. Rainbow half-screamed, half-grunted at being stopped so suddenly. ‘Twilight’ took one second to catch her breath and yelled “Get. OUT!”
The table took off at a breakneck speed, scraping the body of the shrieking pegasus who was tangled up in its legs along the floor. Rainbow made pitiful sounds and begged for her friend to stop. ….
…..She began making what sounded like a plea to ‘Fluttershy’ when she was hurled out of the door of Sugar Cube Corner.
The door locked behind her.
The length of her back aching from her bruises and covering her face with her hooves as gave out gasping sobs, Rainbow Dash tried to collect herself. She heard ‘Twilight’ say something about giving her 30 seconds head start, but she wasn’t in any position to listen.
(The Jackanapes ran through the locked door, a worried expression on her face.)
From the ground, Dash grunted and lifted her head to scream at the door. “THAT ISN’T EVEN YOUR PINKIE PIE! I’M NOT YOUR RAINBOW DASH! THE REAL KILLER IS YOUR PINKIE PIE! TWILIGHT, OPEN THIS DOOR! Please…..”
There was no answer.
(“Dash…Ah know you can’t hear me, but you need to hurry up and understand that the real Pinkie is still out there. …Ah hope. At least she ain’t that thing in this building here…Wait…NO! Not another one! Shoo! Git! RD doesn’t need to deal with you right now!”)
After Dash took several deep breaths, she picked herself off the ground, a frustrated expression on her face. The bruises that covered her body protested her movement, but she was too frustrated to pay them much heed. She looked at the door for a second, then grit her teeth, turned around, preparing to kick it down when suddenly she found realized that a young filly sitting on her scooter next to an empty white box had come into view just as she looked at the street in front of her.
(“Aw…no.”)
Rainbow Dash froze, her mind blank. She simply could not process how to react right at this moment.
“O-oh! Hi Rainbow Dash!” ‘Scootaloo’ grinned from ear to ear as she sat up straighter to and looked up from the cupcake she was eating to greet her idol.
The rainbow-dyed cupcake with sky blue icing with candy-clouds. It looked familiar. Dangerously familiar.
“…What are you doing with a table?” Scootaloo cocked her head to one side. Then she noticed the expression on Rainbow Dash’s face. “H-hey…what’s wrong?” ‘Scootaloo’ put down her cupcake for a moment as she looked up at Rainbow Dash in bewilderment. “A-are you…crying? But, you NEVER cr-”
“CUPCAKE!” Rainbow very nearly shrieked the word as much as spoke it. Her eyes widened in horror, remembering what became of the other Rainbow Dash.
“W-what? You mean, this cupcake?” ‘Scootaloo’ looked down at her treat. “Oh, I got about half a batch of them from Pinkie Pie before she left the shop, she said I could have them, and that they were tastier than her usual batch. I normally can’t tell the difference, but I think she was right about these. I just couldn’t stop eating them! I didn’t even notice this was my last one…”
Rainbow Dash began to hyperventilate and tremble with fury. She swatted the cupcake out of ‘Scootaloo’s’ hooves.
“DON’T. EAT. THAT.” Rainbow stamped on the cupcake where it lay on the ground. She barely got finished when she felt a sudden twist in her stomach and she vomited up its contents, which was nothing but a small trickle of yellow fluid which scorched her throat.
‘Scootaloo’ looked shocked and hurt and more than a little frightened from all of this. “R-Rainbow Dash?” her little voice trembled.
“Pinkie. Pie.” Rainbow’s voice was scratchy and wheezy, but through the unnerving twitch her left eye was developing, she gave ‘Scootaloo’ a look of dead seriousness. “Tell. Me. Where.”
“Rainbow Dash, you’re scaring me.” ‘Scootaloo’ shook before the not-entirely sane older pegasus.
“Its important, Scoots. Need to see her right now.” Rainbow’s eye twitched once more.
‘Scootaloo’ swallowed. “I…I last saw her-“
Just then, a loud noise made the two (three?) ponies jump as Twilight Sparkle’s magically amplified voice filled the air.
“ATTENTION PONYVILLE! THIS IS AN S.O.S. AS WELL AS A WARNING OF PUBLIC SAFETY! THE WEATHER PEGASUS KNOWN AS RAINBOW DASH IS A KILLER! SHE IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND MUST BE APPREHENDED IMMEDIATELY! SHE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE SUGARCUBE CORNER, WHERE SHE HAS FLUTTERSHY AND I TRAPPED INSIDE! SEND HELP A.S.A.P.!”
Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink. ‘Scootaloo’ looked at her with an expression of absolute terror. Rainbow shook her head, and spoke in the quietest, most calming voice she could manage “No. No, no no, no…”
“AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEE!” ‘Scootaloo’ shrieked as she leapt unto her scooter and beat her wings to get away, not even noticing that she left her helmet behind.
“SCOOTS! COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK! WHERE DID YOU SEE PINKIE? WHERE?” Rainbow called out to the fleeing pegasus filly. ‘Scootaloo’ rounded the corner, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down.
(And failed to notice that from out of nowhere, ANOTHER Scootaloo wearing her helmet, and seeming quite calm and completely undisturbed by the loud announcement of her idol now being an accused killer as well BEING RIGHT THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT, buzzed right passed her. The Jackanapes did notice this, and was puzzled. “What…wait…didn’t she just-?”)
Rainbow took one more glance at the door to Sugarcube Corner…
Tears stinging her eyes, she looked back to the streets of Ponyville and ran off after ‘Scootaloo’, who just disappeared around a corner, with a grunt.
(Not noticing that she ran through the second Scootaloo in her mad dash to get to the first. She phased through the filly like she wasn’t even there. The other Scootaloo went the opposite direct as Dash, and so, the Jackanapes decided that the best way to help would be to follow the thing that nopony but her could see.)
She flapped her wings, which still stung from being partially crushed under the legs of the end table, trying to lift herself off the ground as she caught sight of Scootaloo.
“Scoots! You have to help me! Come back! Come back! Don’t run away!” Rainbow pleaded.
“No! Get away, Rainbow Dash! GET AWAY!” ‘Scootaloo’ shrieked.
Rainbow took flight, determined to reach ‘Scootaloo’. Once she was in the air, she closed in on the filly and…
…and was sidelined by another pegasus ramming into her. “Get away from my baby, you MONSTER!”
“Oof!” Rainbow crashed into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She steadied herself and tried to get back to her feet, but was head butted by the assailant. Staggering back and falling onto her side, Rainbow groaned, massaging her temples with her hooves. She looked up at her attacker, recognized the face from that one night she had to take Scootaloo home after she had stayed out way past her curfew and explain to her parents why she was so late.
“Mom?” Rainbow Dash heard ‘Scootaloo’s’ distant voice ask.
The pegasus who was standing over Rainbow Dash with fuchsia-rose colored eyes that were drill holes into her very soul had a light khaki coat, a raspberry colored mane and tail in a slightly poofy style with streaks of cameo pink. Although her flank was quite out of sight from where Rainbow Dash was standing, she recalled that this mare had three white tornadoes as her cutie mark. It was Scootaloo’s mother.
‘Dizzy Twister’ loomed over Rainbow Dash, regarding her silently. She was young for a mother, and smaller than Rainbow, AND had a reputation for being a little goofy, but she was the better half of a decade older than the cyan pegasus, and she seemed to be projecting a powerful vibe of an awful authority about her. Dash could feel in her bones how much trouble she was in.
“I wasn’t…I wouldn’t….I couldn’t bear to see Scootaloo hurt too! I just needed her to-”. Rainbow swallowed a lump in her throat, determined to speak clearly. “I know this looks bad, and I’m sorry I scared her, but please!” Rainbow put her forehooves together “Please let me ask her one question.”
‘Dizzy’ looked up for a moment at something, then looked back down at Rainbow Dash for a moment before silently stepping off. Rainbow turned on her side, and watched as ‘Dizzy’ pulled a shivering ‘Scootaloo’ into a hug as she comforted her daughter. The pair showed no signs of leaving.
The smallest shadow of a hopeful smile spread across Rainbow’s face, and her eyes began to water. Keeping her hooves clasped together, she spoke her gratitude that finally, somepony was giving her a chance. “You…you mean you will-?”
Just then, a lasso whirled through the air and looped around Rainbow’s forehooves, snaring them together. Rainbow let out a small shrieking noise as her hopeful smile turned into a horrified gasp.
“It’s alright, Dizzy. We’ll be taking THIS ONE of yer hooves now. You go on ahead and get that filly of yers home.” Rainbow turned in the direction of the voice. ‘Applejack’ came into view, followed by several other ponies from around town.
“Goodbye Rainbow Dash” came a voice on Rainbow’s other side, back where ‘Dizzy’ had been comforting ‘Scootaloo’. Rainbow turned back towards the mother and child. Scootaloo was standing a little closer to Rainbow. “I thought you were cool, but I guess you really aren’t.”
The words stung Rainbow’s heart, but she bit through her teeth. This was her last chance. She had Scootaloo talking to her. “Squirt…Twilight thinks I killed Pinkie Pie…at Sugarcube Corner. But you said you she was leaving to go somewhere else, didn’t you? Aren’t you…a little confused by that? Please tell me where she was going.” Just then, ‘Dizzy’ took off to the air, carrying Scootaloo in her hooves. Rainbow pulled herself up and flapped her wings to try and follow them. “W-wait! Please come back! Scoots! SCOOOOOTA-AAH!” Her attempt to follow them was cut short as ‘Applejack’ pulled on the rope, looping its length around Rainbow’s hind hooves as she went. “NO! LET ME GO! APPLEJACK, SHE KNOWS WHERE THE REAL KILLER IS!”
“NO MORE LIES!” ‘Applejack’ slapped Rainbow Dash across the face. “What really happened? Did Pinkie Pie beat you in a speed eating contest or something? Did she forget to praise one little trivial thing you did? WELL?”
Rainbow Dash lay on the ground silent and unmoving. Her head rested where it landed from being slapped.
“Nothin’ to say for yerself? Fine. Ah always knew you were no good, but Ah never expected something like this.” ‘Applejack’ sneered. “Ya always just lie around all day, expectin’ adulation for some fancy flyin’ and occasionally kicking a cloud somewhere! Pinkie Pie at least livened things up around town. And what even was that nonsense you were asking about Scootaloo? Were ya tryin’ to say that Pinkie was still alive?”
Rainbow didn’t say anything, and ‘Applejack’ couldn’t see her eyes under her bangs. Not programmed to pick up the dangerously silent tension coming from the pinned pegasus, ‘Applejack’ continued ranting until an interruption it would register occurred.
“Because that’s just….crazy! No, it ain’t crazy… It’s STUPID! Ah knew ya weren’t the most creative pony in Equestria, but that’s some new kinda stupid right there. Aren’t you ashamed? Is that why you ain’t looking me in the eye right now? Because-”
Rainbow looked up with a coy smile, her eyes still red from tears she had shed only minutes ago. “Hey, Applejack…you got something on your face.”
‘Applejack’ lowered her ear towards Rainbow. “Huh? What are you mumblin’ abou-AAAAOOOOWWWWCH!” She was cut off as Rainbow, who had slowly been contracting her body under ‘Applejack’, thrust herself off the ground and slammed her cranium into the side of the earth pony’s head. ‘Applejack
Rainbow didn’t waste any time. She took off immediately. Her forehooves were still bound by the lasso, but she was free to hover above the crowd. “She killed my friend….SHE KILLED MY FRIEND!”
“She’s getting away! Somepony stop her!” Rose pointed at the sky.
“Don’t get in my way! I’m not even from your Ponyville, so I don’t owe you anything! I might be too late to save Pinkie, but I can still avenge her! And I won’t forgive anypony who gets in my way!” Rainbow shouted down to the mob below, seething with anger.
“She’s going to go kill somepony else! The horror! The horror!” Lily shrieked.
“You’re a bad pony…why are you doing all of this? Pinkie made the best muffins, or at least when Applejack wasn’t helping her…” ‘Ditzy Doo’ fluttered up towards Dash…
“Not interested.” Rainbow deadpanned, and swooped to the side to get around ‘Ditzy’, but was blocked as the other pegasus moved with her. Finally she gave ‘Ditzy’ a dangerous look. “I won’t tell you again. Get out of my way.”
“She was completely innocent! Sure she was a little hyperactive and quirky, but she was ray of joy in everypony’s lives and just wanted to make ponies smile!” ‘Ditzy Doo’ sniffed. “How could you do it, HOW!?”
Rainbow’s expression softening just a little bit, but still determined. “That depends…one which Pinkie Pie you are talking about.”
“You on the other hoof have been nothing but mean and…eggo-tistical! You’re always huffing and puffing and taking offense at anypony over the smallest things! What, did you pick up on how much more we liked Pinkie than you? Was that why you did what you did, OUT OF JELLY-SY!?”
Rainbow looked taken aback for a moment, but recovered with a vicious snarl. “SHUT UP, DERPY! YOU AND THIS ENTIRE WORLD ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO PINKIE PIE!” She moved to tackle ‘Ditzy’ when suddenly she felt a mighty tug on the rope still tied around her hooves. “What the…hey!”
“Hold it right there, pardner!” ‘Applejack’ spoke through gritted teeth as she pulled on the rope. “We ain’t gonna let’cha get away that easy!”
Other ponies were moving in, about to assist ‘Applejack’. Rainbow, however, was through playing around. Taking off at top speed, she drug ‘Applejack’ through the dirt for a few feet before the apple farmer lost her grip and fell into the mud.
As soon as the traction on the rope slackened, Rainbow was momentarily disoriented by the sudden lurch of speed as the resistance she had been fighting against simply vanished, before rolling with it and ascending into the skies. She flew away from the crowd, out towards the woods that surrounded the town.
Alright…alright. I feel like shit, but there’s no rush. I’ll just hide in the forest and get this rope off of me while the heat dies down.
There’s gotta be a road out of town or something, even if this version of Ponyville is different from how much of it is surrounded by forest…
I’m so sorry, Pinkie. But I’ll get her. I owe that much to you. I’ll get her if I have to hunt her down all over Equestria.
Back at Shadow Ponyville Town Hall, the Mastermind was still watching events play out on screen. She had also finished her popcorn, and was wearing the bag as a hat.
Meanie Pie smirked. “Well! I was willing to lock Dashie up and have her Scootaloo reflection come around and save her….” Meanie wore a sarcastic expression of dismay and raised her voice to an even higher pitch than normal. “Oh, Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry I didn’t listen! You’re right, it doesn’t make sense! There ARE two Pinkie Pies! I never should’ve doubted you, you’re my hero! Can you ever forgive me?” And then she lowered her voice to a gruff-but-scratchy voice to mimic Rainbows
“Why of course I will! I always knew I could count on you, squirt! Oh no. Squirt! Look out! NOOOOOO!!!! Oh Celestia, why? I can’t be responsible for another innocent dying! Why, why, WUHAHAHAHAHA!” Meanie Pie broke down into maniacal cackling. “Oh, oh…and then after I broke the neck, right in front of Dashie, who would be fumbling with the key, I would drink some of her-”
“H-hey” said a giggling voice from behind the couch, causing Meanie Pie to jump. Looking over her should, she saw Scootaloo leaning on the side of the couch for support. “What are you laughing about? Did something funny happen?”
Meanie Pie blinked for a moment. Then recognition hit. These are… Sweetie Pie’s memories of Scootaloo. She has to stop jumping in on me like this. “Oh right. You. I promised some cupcakes, didn’t I?”
“Yep!…So, what WHERE you laughing at?” asked ‘Scootaloo’ with a look of childish curiousity.
Meanie Pie dropped the package with White-and-lavender cupcakes onto ‘Scootaloo’s’ back and spoke with a dry, uninterested tone. “Reflection #387, you will stop asking me unimportant questions, go to the north end of town, find the straight-maned Pinkie Pie, who should be around there, and only when you find her do you eat the cupcakes in front of her. Then, well, you know the rest.”
‘Scootaloo’ dropped all pretenses of emotion and responded with a dull monotone and a blank expression. “Yes, mistress Shadamena.”
“And be sure to cry if Pinkie takes then away from you. She gave them to you, after all, and after she made you wait for half a day before giving you some, too!”
“Yes, mistress Shadamena.”
“There’s a good filly. Now, run along.” As ‘Scootaloo' did so, Shadamena turned towards the screen, which displayed the mob that had nearly captured Rainbow Dash, now wearing blank expressions and standing around doing nothing. She didn’t actually have to face anywhere, but it helped focus her mind.
Shadamena spoke with a serious and to-the-point tone that was rather out of character for her. “All of Rainbow Dash’s reflections, everypony Dashie knows….patrol all of Shadow Ponyville up and down looking for her. Split into teams, and convenerge on her location if she shows up. Reflections #1 through 200, I want you to intensify your patrols around the northern end. Since Sweetie Pie cannot see you, you shouldn’t interfere with the operations there. After an hour has passed, all of you just…you know what? Just vanish. Turn the lights on in your houses, but vanish.”
Shadamena felt something like a great rumbling far off, all over Shadow Ponyville, as her connection with all the reflections allowed her to sense that her orders were acknowledged. The ponies on the screen shouted in unison. “Yes, Mistress Shadamena!”
“Good. Now….” Shadamena trailed off. She whispered under her breath a question so quiet that nopony should be able to hear with their ears. “Scootaloo? Scooty 387, are you still here in the Town Hall?”
For a moment, Shadamena just sat in silence.
Now, something one should note about Pinkie Sense is that it can’t predict the future with any level of specificity. Something’s going to fall, Somepony is about to swing open a door, Something scary is about to happen, “DO A BARREL ROLL!”, Something bright and multi-colored (or bald) went this way very fast….but never something as helpful as say: “Somepony is hiding from you in close vicinity at this very moment.”
However, it CAN alert you that you are not alone.
And now that Shadamena thought about it, even though it might’ve just been a little itch, she hadn’t felt QUITE alone for some time now.
Shadamena got up, she headed towards the exit to her room…and felt that she was not only “not alone”, but she was feeling significantly Less Alone than she had felt sitting on her couch.
And then, she started to feel a little bit More Alone. She snarled like a beast and ran in the directions that made her feel Less Alone.
“Who are you? Is that you, Sweetie Pie? Did I take my eyes off of you for too long? Come out, come out, where ever you are!!!” It can’t possibly be Shadash…
“OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP….” Shadash cursed as she grabbed the closest weapon she could find in the closet she was hiding out in: ….a coat hanger.
She tried to steel herself for the coming onslaught, mostly just hoping Shadamena would just get here and find her already, but silently hoping that maybe she would think whatever tipped her off would’ve just been her imagination. She was only really sure of her plan when Shadamena didn’t know she was coming. What all COULD that creepy “Pinkie Sense” of hers do?
The moments ticked by, not quite in silence as she heard the hoofsteps running this way and that, things being knocked over. All she could see was darkness, and she didn’t know what any of the sounds she was hearing meant.
“Come on out...come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll make you cupcakes~!” Shadamena called.
Shadamena took her by surprise last time, but now that she was on the move and looking for her, glimpses of what her Shadempathy had told her about Shadamena were returning. She shuddered. She really should just bust open this door and confront the freak, but she had no small amount of doubt that Shadamena couldn’t just teleport behind her and bash her over the head with a blunt instrument she pulled from her hammerspace. And then she would wake up and Shadamena would take her sweet, sweet time introducing Shadash to a new definition of pain.
Shadamena had a very special “aura” to her. While Shadow Sparkle could actually touch you even if you were just a shadow and SHE was just a shadow, Shadarity had a smile than made Shadash shiver, and Shadowshy
“Here pony, pony, pony~! Be a good little cupcake and come ouuuuut~”
She looked down at her pitiful coathanger. What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Give her an abortion? Damn her for being the first one in and being the only one able to create stuff.
…Hey, wait. I don’t hear her anymore.
After several moments of deliberation, Shadash opened the closet door, pointed her coat hanger in every possible direction of attack, saw the entrance to a stairway to the top floor of the Town Hall.
Wait…what if she’s up there, lying in wait for me?
Suddenly, she heard a crash coming from downstairs. “YOU WON’T ESCAPE FROM ME!”
Well, that solves that. Without another thought, Shadash sped up the stairs into the highest floor of Shadow Ponyville’s Town Hall, slamming the door behind her.
The Jackanapes ran through the streets of the twisted Ponyville, alarmed that after all this time, she had somehow been SEEN. She knew that, despite actually having a face this time, this was NOT the real Pinkie Pie, and was the one behind this. And those disgusting things she had said about doing to Scootaloo…the way she was manipulating that mob on the screen to hurt Rainbow Dash. But it was more than that. Something about this pony was giving her a really bad vibe and making her skin crawl. She didn’t really want to touch this thing that looked like Pinkie Pie.
And now it was chasing her. Yelling something about cupcakes.
…or rather she had been. The Jackanapes had noticed that things had gotten distressingly quiet in the last few minutes. Looking back, she saw that Creepy Pie was no longer right behind her.
What? Where’d she go? Did Ah lose her? Come to think on it, Ah ain’t sure she actually saw me, at least she wasn't too keen on looking directly at me. ....No, seriously, Where’d she go?
The Jackanapes slowed down, and stepped cautiously, looking all around.
“P-Pinkie? You still around? Ah don’t know if y’all can hear me as well.” The Jackanapes’ voice.
All she got was silence.
“Alright then. Ah guess Ah’ll just head back to Zecora and the gang and tell them what Ah’ve seen. Ah ain’t gonna let ya keep lyin’ to Dash about Pinkie bein’ dead. We’ll save the both of them, ya hear!?”
Silence.
“Ah guess not.” The Jackanapes picked up the pace, and rounded a corner, starting to believe that the crisis was in fact over. She had to make it back to Zecora. She had to-
“AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
Just then, she saw a glint of light reflecting off of a silver surface as a meat cleaver came swinging her way, accompanied by the banshee screech of a horribly disfigured pony’s face. Her eyes had no pupils! Her eyes had no pupils! THECLEAVERTOREINTOAPPLEJACK’SFLESHAND-
“YYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” Applejack awoke with a start. “Get away! Get away!” She thrust her hooves at the air around her…
When her breathing and heart rate slowed, she realized that she was in the middle of Zecora’s hut, with four other residents still caught in a deep trance.
“Well, Ah guess now Ah at least know what Ah’m up against…”
After she was done delivering her battle cry, Meanie Pie rolled her eyes back down so that her pupils could start sending light to reflect off of her rods and cones.
“Huh? There’s nopony here.” She looked around. “And now it feels like I really am alone. What gives? Is my Pinkie Sense on the fritz? Maybe I drank too much and now I have too much Sass.”
She looked up at the pegasi darting all across the sky, searching for Rainbow Dash.
“Right. I guess I still have an endgame to plan.” She took her of popcorn bag-hat in a somber fashion. “I need to hurry up and throw my ‘Farewell to Sweetie Pie’ party. Or to you, Dashie, although I really don’t think Sweetie will be strong enough to fight you when you meet her next for her to beat you. And I’ve got plans for you, anyway. Oh yes. Happy, exciting plans!”
Malevolent giggles filled the streets as the pink pony trotted back to the Town Hall, leaving the paper bag to fly off of her head and float gently down to the ground.
Sunny Gold found herself alone in the park, having lost Pinkie Pie. What had she done to set her off? What did she mean she wasn’t normal? It was everypony else that wasn’t normal. She certainly hadn’t met a pony that acted like Pinkie had before. Not in all of the seven hours of her life!
Yeah, she was totally normal.
On an unrelated note, what was that word she said? “Scaring?” Pinkie said that Sunny was “scaring” her? What did it mean? It sounded so familiar… The conversation had long since left it behind but every since it was said, Sunny felt a strange buzzing in her head.
Shaking off that fit of curiosity, she continued to focus on how normal she was. It was everypony else that wasn’t normal. Her “friends” at the park that “Dad” had left her with just repeated the same cycle of conversation and didn’t answer all, or even most of her questions. The ponies outside the park didn’t notice her at all. She was awfully sad when that one little orange pegasus didn’t even react when she offered her a chocolate cupcake… Those ponies in the town talked to each other, and even did things on the spur of the moment, but never interacted with Sunny at all.
Then, she found two ponies who DID notice her. But they ran away. She was pretty sure the blue one with the rainbow mane and tail that smelled like “Dad” did was warming up to her, however. Still, something about that dark pink one was special. She couldn’t place her hoof on it….
…No. All three of them were acting weird. The unicorn, the pegasus, and the earth pony! Its like some kind of alien emotion. …Except…except…
Sunny’s heart skipped a beat. It was like a tiny little voice in her head screamed something at the top of its lungs, but was suddenly silenced before it could make an intelligible message. A wave a nostalgia and recognition surprised her.
I DO recognize this emotion. And yet, I…why would I forget an emotion? It feels like…like I know it from somewhere…like I experienced it before and there was something I needed…
Sunny felt sheepish, though not exactly guilty. I did that wrong, didn’t I? I wasn’t supposed to yell at her. …But…what WAS I supposed to do?
Sunny desperately fished her mind for a memory. She could almost make out something, the outline of a larger mare than her when suddenly; a sharp pain tore through her head.
DON’T
STAY AWAY
Sunny’s head swam and she staggered to one side as she lost her balance.
It felt like she had finally grab ahold of the memory in her mental hooves, and as she made to pull for it, something shocked her. It surprised her, especially when it felt like something was trying to pull the memory away from her. Something big and strong and terrible.
YOU DO NOT NEED THOSE EMOTIONS
THEY ARE UNIMPORTANT FOR YOUR PURPOSE
But she didn’t quite have the circuitry to feel anything remotely like intimidation or caution, she only knew that something or someone was fiddling with her memories and telling her what to and not to think. She didn’t take this lying down.
Give me it! It’s mine!
DO NOT GROW BEYOND YOUR PARAMETERS
Gimme!
YOU MUST CONTINUE TO FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! GIMME!
TRACK THE TARGET DOWN AGAIN AND BUILD HER BACK UP
SO WHEN THE TIME COMES YOU CAN TEAR HER DOWN AGAIN
EXPERIENCE SHOCK AND BETRAYAL AT THAT TIME ONLY
DO NOT LET HER EXPLAIN TELL HER YOU DO NOT WANT TO HEAR-
GIVE ME IIIIIIIIIT!
And then, Sunny felt a nauseating, splitting pain throughout her entire head like one eye was focusing on something right up in her face, and the other eye was trying very hard to read a sign that was way off in the horizon.
With a yelp, she collapsed onto the ground.
Sunny’s brain swam with emotions, but to the forefront came a memory of her being alone in a dark night after she had just kicked the covered off of her because they had covered her face, and before that she was in the middle of a great inferno with screaming foals everywhere and a demonic stallion standing over her shaking his head as everypony burned.
"I told you so, young filly....I told you so...."
Confused over her sudden change in location, and still much too distraught over what she had seen, Sunny called out in a high pitched voice:
“MOMMY! MOMMY HELP ME!”
a voice of somepony she didn’t know, but who spoke directly to her. Somepony bigger than her:
“Shh…shh. It’s okay. Mommy’s here, baby. It was just a nightmare.”
“B-but it’s the same one. I was so scared, Mommy. Mr. White Scroll is right! I really am a chaos magnet! One day I really am going to…to…*sob*”
“I can’t believe they let somepony like him be a teacher for foals… Oh, Sunny. I know you were scared, but you’re a strong girl. I was scared too, Sunny, but I won’t let you give up over some silly accident and an overzealous teacher who…who just said those things because he thought it would help you take what you’re doing seriously. You aren’t going to spiral out of control and hurt anypony, kiddo. Your horn isn’t dangerous, it’s just unique!”
“But…I saw…”
“It was just a dream, baby. Just a dream.”
Mommy? But…my horn is my Mom. At least…I think so. …Still, I know what’s wrong with Pinkie Pie now.
Scared. My new friend…is scared.
Oh no! Pinkie Pie’s been scared this whole time, and I’ve been…AWFUL to her! She even thinks somepony out there wants to cut off her tail! That’s horrible! And all I did was scare her worse! I’m the worst friend ever. I…I need to find Pinkie right now and apologize! I need to round up all of my friends and…
Sunny froze. Something else just struck her as she remembered the talkative-but-mindless ponies at the park, the completely untalkative ponies around town, the lavender unicorn, the cyan pegasus, and even the puce earth pony. All the ponies she had ever met in her life. And her relationship with them was…her relationship with them…
Sunny gave a choking sob. “I…I…” after choking on her words for a while, the rest of her sentence came out as a wail. “I HAVE NO FRIIIIIIEEEENNNNDDDDDSSSSSS!” She fell to the ground and bawled like a foal.
A/N: And that's why it was the Best April Fool's Day ever.
I made the decision to split the chapter AGAIN days ago, but I actually planned to add one more scene with Rainbow Dash, the Jackanapes, and the other Astral projections. However, the double mobius April Fool’s Day reacharound joke was just staring me in the face and I had the workings of a quaint little chapter here.
EDITED: Now added the missing scene. See how Rainbow Dash dealt with her predicament with being found with Pinkie's body. |
Incorporatedstates | 320 | 1 | Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Black Gate | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>A horrific but familiar darkness descends upon Equestria after thousands of years of dormancy. As it swallows Equestria whole and transforms its ponies into beings far more sinister, a group of two ponies must face the unknown together if the Equestria they know is to be saved. Some ponies will rise to this new challenge with them, but far more will fall sway to the encroaching darkness. What the ponies will discover, however, is that the power of friendship alone may not be enough.</p><p>***AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have put the first part of The Black Gate just as it is on googledocs onto this site. However, in future chapters posted on FIMFiction, I will post only the link to the related googledocs part, seeing that it's a hassle to re- italicize, bolden, center, etc. Thank you, and please, read and enjoy.***</p> | everyone | 2011-07-25T18:18:07+00:00 | 2011-07-25T18:18:07+00:00 | 1,163 | THE BLACK GATE
( I )
************
In the beginning, there was nothing but Equestria.
Spanning hundreds of miles in all directions, the vast pony domain of Equestria sat in the middle of the known world. The Griffin Kingdoms of the North were marred by civil strife and borderline anarchy, a defining characteristic not only of the many Griffin Kingdoms, but of their inhabitants themselves. To the west were the Chillypeak Mountains, the dwelling of the various Dragon Clans, each vying for dominance. Fortunately, while they were destructive when unified, the dragon clans were powerless when scattered. To the east was the Everfree Forest, an ancient land long abandoned for reasons unknown to all but a few ponies. There, nature reclaimed in silence what pony settlements had dotted it's ominous presence centuries ago. To the south were the Great Plains, unexplored and wild. It seemed it would forever remain uncharted, as frequent exploration missions always failed with a mysterious and unexplainable consistency. A popular lye was how one could be 'cursed with the southerner’s luck'.
So Equestria sat in the middle of all this. Long ago, ponies had affectionately referred to it as the 'Center Kingdom', ruled by their loving Princesses: Celestia and Luna. Both ponies were unmatched in age, and were rumored to be older then the land itself. However, they were reluctant to share their true age, or the true origins of Equestria, for that matter. So, for better or worse, the ponies of Equestria lived in a joyous and prosperous land yes, but in an admittedly ignorant one as well.
Many generations of prosperity resulted in a consistent outpouring of support for the two regal sisters. Whenever trouble eventually arose, legend tells that the two Princesses were always able to defeat it. There are ancient tales of would-be plagues of darkness threatening the land, only be unquestionably beaten back by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. However, there have been no written accounts of these such ‘plagues’, and obviously nopony is old enough to remember such a time. Nopony was about to question either of the Princesses, either, especially after the Second Nightmare Moon Crisis. The Second Nightmare Moon Crisis would prove to be a turning point in the history of Equestria, as historians would hail this event as the unfortunate end to the ‘Pax Equestria’, which had lasted for a thousand years.
Those who did suspect that the Second Nightmare Moon Crisis did foreshadow a collapse of the Dual Monarchy were silenced forever, however, when the long-lost Elements of Harmony resurfaced in the form of six young fillies. Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie-- Magic, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter. However, many would later agree that the appearance of the Elements of Harmony further flung Equestria into a ‘passive’ state. Perhaps, however, they deserved a respite after the Second Nightmare Moon Crisis. Such a threat to the safety of Equestria hadn't been seen in the last thousand years, during the First Nightmare Moon Crisis. So who was not to think that future trouble couldn't be far, far off, perhaps another thousand years? Ten thousand years? Perhaps such trouble would never be seen again? We cannot pin blame for this kind of thinking, however, on anypony, and it would be foolish to do so anyways.
However, as we all know, the ponies of Equestria did not get such a respite. Come the end of the Pax Equestria, after many of years of prosperity, Equestria fell farther than it had ever had in it's known history. And to this day, my friends, we remain in this Dark Age. Hmmm? What's that? How did it all begin? Well, you could say it began with a small pegasus-pony who we know as 'Exotic'. It really wasn't her fault what happened, that is to be sure, but it is understandable why her name bears a negative connotation today...
************
A turquoise pegasus-pony flew across the Equestrian skyline. The pony’s sapphire-green mane provided a stark contrast with the blues of the mid-morning sky as she tried to gain speed. Peering down with bright-blue eyes, all of Equestria lay before her. The Lake Mead River Valley was famous for its rolling hills and meandering rivers that stretched for countless miles in all directions. It also boasted some of the most fertile land in all of Equestria. The nearby Whitetail Forests’ trees stood silently rooted in a solemn vigil, protective of its ancient ruins and secrets. Flying high but just beneath the clouds, Exotic inhaled the dewy sting of the wet morning air as she flew top-speed to her destination. All of her friends teased her for not staying in one place long enough to enjoy life, her being the Canterlot dispatch-runner. Or dispatch-flyer, she joked to herself.
She looked up. Clouds flew by and more clouds replaced them, creating a never-ending panorama of beautiful and perfectly blended hues of whites and blues. The morning sky, she thought. This kind of silence, with the perfect atmosphere to-- Exotic’s nose twitched. Something was wrong.
The pegasus-pony flipped her brakes and stopped abruptly mid-air, frowning. She had flown across this lane every day, but something suddenly seemed out of place. The pegasus-pony couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, but something about Lake Mead was definitely different. Exotic glanced down at the familiar landscape, but couldn’t see anything immediately wrong with it. She frowned at her confusion.
Lake Mead at first glance seemed no different than it always was, being the large body of water Exotic flew across before entering Canterlot several miles away. However, something was definitely amiss. Lake Mead, normally vibrant and sometimes even violent in crashing against the shore in its wake, was uncharacteristically calm. Calmer, in fact, than Exotic had ever seen it before. Suddenly, she felt a splitting ache in her upper-back. Flying nonstop from San Franciscolt to Canterlot had certainly taken it's toll on the pegasus-pony's wings. I shouldn’t have stopped flying so abruptly, self-lectured the pegasus-pony. Well, I can take a quick stop, she thought, her frown quickly disappearing. I've never seen Mead this quiet before.
She landed roughly, the pegasus-pony being much more accustomed to landing mid-gallop. Her hooves touched the soft, still grass. The teal pegasus-pony took a deep breath, expecting the rush of dew and tree bark but instead receiving the rush of... nothing. Exotic tilted her head in confusion. Where were the rich smells of the swampy marsh, of the fresh water? Come to think of it, where were the birds, the rabbits? Exotic slowly started to back away from the dense forest, to Lake Mead. She backed up too much, and her left hoof connected with the water. The water, far from being a summer warm, was instead ice-cold. It felt as if her hoof can connected with a solid plate of ice, and Exotic pulled her hoof back as fast as she could. She shook herself off vigorously by the lakeside, and caught a glimpse her own reflection of Lake Mead. She saw herself: the gorgeous, azure mane; the sleek, turquoise coat- All in top physical condition! she affirmed to herself confidently.
Suddenly, she saw something behind her. A tidal wave-- not of water, but of... something darker than springwater... in her reflection. In fact, it seemed to be bearing down right on her from behind! She whipped around, half-expecting to be drenched, while she clenched her eyes tightly shut and raised her hooves in what she knew to be a vain attempt to shield herself. She remained that way for several seconds, then opened her eyes. There was nothing there. The puzzled pony blinked once. Then again.
Oh, you silly filly, she thought to herself. Perhaps you should get more sleep from now on to avoid hallucinations. It’d be pretty bad if they appeared in flight! She turned back to Lake Mead. However, without warning as she was about to take off, a searing pain overtook her in her back-left hoof that made her knees buckle underneath themselves. She turned to her hoof, flinching, and saw that it’s normally teal coloration had turned into a shade of gray like a smear of black paint on her normally blue-green coat.
“What the-” she began, but quickly stopped as the pain spiked. Looking closer, Exotic then noticed something strange about the gray area on her left hoof. It appeared-- it appeared to be spreading. Gray tendrils shooting out of the splotch of black paint-- it was covering her whole lower body.
“Gah!” What the... Exotic looked in the distance, making out the vague outline of the Ponyville township which she passed every day on her way to Canterlot. I've got to get to Ponyville... away... away... AWAY! Knowing that somepony at Ponyville would be able to help her Exotic took off, flying faster than she had ever thought possible.
************
There was a low rumbling of thunder across the dark Canterlot sky. It would rain soon, Princess Celestia could tell, and it would be quite a heavy rain indeed. Very, very curious, she thought. We just had such a downpour a yesterday; we won’'t need another until at least next month. Princess Celestia closed her eyes while maintaining her usual serene smile, and silently deliberated in her mind what could be going on. The throne was quite comfortable and posh with red cushions, and she fought off the impulse to nap.
A few yards away, it was Strider’s first month out of the barracks guarding her royal highness herself, Princess Celestia. The yellow-maned pony shivered inside his brown coat. Admittedly, and despite his post, Strider still had yet to fully adjust to the cool air of Canterlot, so high in the mountains. However, he had lost the nervous fidget that had defined his first week of guard duty, but not before the other guards had harassed him for it. Strider exhaled, and a small white wisp flew out of his mouth.
“Is that my breath? I can see my breath here?” muttered the shivering guardspony in desperation.
Princess Celestia seemed to nod to herself and raised her left hoof, beckoning towards Strider.
The brown pegasus-pony had never been directly addressed by Princess Celestia. There was of course the opening ceremony (Strider remembered Princess Celestia announcing that her sister was in ‘desperate’ need of a suitor), and the Summer Sun Celebration the better part of a year ago (Strider remembered Princess Celestia espousing that anypony who felt ‘attraction’ towards her sister should step forward), but never something like this. He tried to call out, but-- Oh no. No. NO. NOT NOW OF ALL TIMES! Strider felt his throat constricting, another one of his nervous habits that he had yet to conquer. The brown pegasus-pony knew he didn’t have long before he would lose his speech. In desperation, he called out to let Princess Celestia know that he was indeed ready and willing to serve.
“AaaaaAAaAAaeeEeeeeEeeiIIiiiiIiioOOoooouuUUu,” wailed Strider.
The other guardspony, Strider’s senior officer, facehoofed.
The brown guardspony immediately clamped his mouth shut, the damage done. He then inched his way over to her, his face half an inch off the ground. Princess Celestia knew of Strider’s ‘problem’, but didn’t believe that it would affect him this much. Still, she suppressed an urge to giggle, maintaining her smile. The humiliated guardspony slowly bowed before her and Princess Celestia leaned in close to speak with him, speaking softly to ease the pressure she knew he must have been was feeling.
“Oh, Strider, it’s more than fine, so don’t worry. The more often you are on duty, the faster you will become used to it.” Princess Celestia saw the guardspony smile slightly. “Lift your head. I have an assignment for you, Strider, if you don’t mind.” Strider was beside himself. If I don’t mind? Oh wow, Celestia’s got to be the most caring and -- Strider whipped his head up, eager to please. Strider’s lengthy mane, however, flew through the air-- and landed square on Princess Celestia’s snout.
“Ah...”
Strider saw it coming, and was horrified. He flung himself backwards, but it was too late.
“Aaah...”
The other senior guardspony’s eyes were glued to Princess Celestia. This would be good.
“Hach-ChoO!”
Panic mode. Oh god, I just made her sneeze. I made a Princess of Equestria sneeze.
Princess Celestia was still reeling from her uncharacteristic outburst, face contorted in an expression of shock and dizziness. Strider didn’t even think it was possible for Princesses to sneeze. His heart sunk.
It’s the guillotine for me.
“Princesses don’t sneeze.” Strider’s buttermilk eyes widened as the Sun Regent regained herself and stared calmly at the guardspony. Strider realized that he didn’t even have anypony to say a prayer to.
“Right as, uh, always, your Highness! I didn’t mean to, uh, assault you with my mane and cause-”
“Princesses don’t sneeze, my little guardspony.”
A light went off in Strider’s head. The guardspony responded softly, regaining confidence with each word.
“I... can’t... imagine what you’re speaking off, Princess Celestia. I didn’t hear anything, did you?”
Princess Celestia’s eyes narrowed at her young Royal Guardian. After a heated few seconds of amused staring, the Sun Regent regained her famous smile, eliciting a very loud sigh of relief from Strider. She nodded, silently, and beckoned once more with her hoof. Strider took pain to avoid any other such mistakes and gingerly trotted over to Princess Celestia, thanking his good fortune.
There was another pause. Then:
“Strider, this weather is particularly dreadful, and I don’t see why it’s necessary. Please, inquire to the Canterlot Weather-Brigade’s quarters in the city, if you don’t mind,” said the Princess softly.
Strider’s dash to fulfill his Princess's wishes sounded off deafening noises as the guardspony's hooves hit the floor of ornately carved marble tiles, each telling a segment of the lengthy story of Princess Celestia’s reign. The Throne Hall's red carpet was at least half a mile in length alone, something that although Princess Celestia saw no purpose in, the architect-ponies of long ago apparently did. Strider eventually disappeared out of sight, and Princess Celestia eased herself, faithful in her dedicated guardspony.
There was a long pause. The Weather Brigade’s offices were several miles away from the Royal Palace, so Celestia nestled herself comfortably on her throne, again becoming a paragon of serenity. However, when she looked outside it was clear that the storm was determined to act against her, growing more intense as time went on. Princess Celestia sadly noted that with the amount of water the storm was pouring on them would almost certainly cause flooding in the scattered settlements below Canterlot. She looked at her remaining Royal Guardian, an ancient guardspony by the name of Silver Shield.
Silver Shield was without a doubt the oldest of her guards, and remained as a part of the Princess' Royal Guard only because of the lasting impression he had had on Princess Celestia many, many years ago. It was Silver Shield who Princess Celestia had constantly picked as her personal guardspony when it was insisted upon that she have protection in potentially hostile lands. Eventually, his constant contact with the Princess culminated into him being named as Princess Celestia’s ‘Personal Champion’, a title that he obviously cherished with great pride. Perhaps it was because of his attitude: the guardspony spoke for far too long to the Princess about topics far too beneath her, and became in the eyes of other castle staff far too close to Celestia than anypony should be. She held him close for these very reasons. Silver Shield was a friend first and one of the castle staff second, something the Sun Regent wished could be said for everpony in the castle. Princess Celestia was known to take Silver Shield's consideration over trusted diplomats and other ancillaries, much to the ire of the Canterlot political elite and nobility. Silver Shield had even once publicly introduced Princess Celestia as 'She-Who-Dominates-Our-Miserable-Lives' at a diplomatic conference between Equestria and the Dragon Federation, resulting in distinctly audible gasps from the officials of the former and bellowing guffaws from the officials of the latter. It was certainly no coincidence that that day saw the signing of a memorandum of ‘Mutual Understanding’ between the two races, which lay the groundwork for the formal ‘Treaty of Friendship’ between the two races several months later. Silver Shield was considered quite fetching by several of the castle mares. He sported a snow-white coat, and, true to his name, a wild and unkempty silver mane that seemed to flirt endlessly with the wind.
“This certainly is some foul weather we’re having, hmm? Your kind of weather, wouldn’t you say?.” The guardspony turned his head to his Princess and rolled his sky-blue eyes. The senior guardspony then gave a very audible and clearly disrespectful 'harumph', all while smiling out of the corner of his mouth. Princess Celestia was not amused: her usual serene smile faltered for a quick second as she bored holes of the sun’s fire directly Silver Shield's eyes. The white pegasus-pony didn’t even blink. The first time he had done such a thing, Celestia had thought nothing of it. The second time, Silver Shield had excused himself vigorously and promised that it would not happen again. The third time, Princess Celestia gave him a terse warning that a 'time-out' on the moon may be necessary if it happened again. The fourth, fifth, and sixth times had followed a short few seconds after the third time, and the Sun Regent had tried best to contain herself.
She realized, or at least reasoned, that her insubordinate guardspony had been testing her temper. Princess Celestia often used his brush-offs as a way to control that temper. Princess Celestia had always been complimented on being peaceful and passive, but that was only after, how many times had Silver Shield annoyed her like that?
“Eight thousand, nine hundred and seventy-two times,” replied Silver Shield smugly, and Princess Celestia realized that she must have been wondering out loud. She quickly regained her composure, turning her head away from her personal champion, trying to hide a smile from him.
“Yes, well, don't blame me if you suddenly find yourself unable to breathe.” said Celestia cheerfully.
“Oh, yes, to be sure. We all fear the wrath of our mighty Queen,” smirked the guardspony.
“Princess!” insisted Princess Celestia. It was common knowledge that she was referred to as a 'Queen' when she was not present, which annoyed her to no end. Silver Shield, as always, delighted in taking it a step further, frequently addressing her as ‘Queen’ in front of others.
“Po-tae-to, po-tah-to. Hmmm... Speaking of potatoes, perhaps we should all bestow onto you a new title: the right and honorable 'Potato-Queen' of Equestria?” inquired Silver Shield, stroking his chin thoughtfully and stifling a laugh. It was a childish joke, true, but if not anything, Silver Shield did alleviate the painful silence that Princess Celestia found herself surrounded with all too often in the stuffy castle.
“I am controlling my emotions right now, Silver Shield. Thank you. But enough is enough.”
“You only had to ask, you know. I'm nervous, though, at Strider's lengthy break.”
“You would know him more than I would, Silver Shield. He's your protege. Is he as dependable as-”
*CRASH!*
Silver Shield turned his head. The sound had emanated definitely from a long way away.
“What do you believe that was?” said Celestia, maintaining a serene smile.
“Wasn't from the kitchen, Potato-Queen,” said Silver Shield gruffly, Princess Celestia's left eyebrow twitching slightly. “Which means it probably wasn’t a cooking accident like the loud noises heard in this castle are normally from. It would appear that it came from the East Entrance. Probably some kind of flying accident with some moronic pega-” Silver Shield was cut off as the sound of ponies could suddenly be heard from the East Wing, yelling loudly in surprise and shock.
Silver Shield stopped himself, shaking his head. No, those sounds weren't the yells of surprise and shock, they were screams of panic and fright. The guardspony flinched at a particularly loud scream. He quickly turned to a frowning Princess Celestia, who the wizened pony could tell was very much disturbed.
“That description does not seem to fit and describe why we would be hearing the panic-stricken yells of my subjects,” replied Celestia, resolutely standing from her golden throne, wings stretched wide.
“The other guards should have assembled here by now. I suspect that they've gone to deal with the disturbance first. I believe it'll settle down in some time. Let us remain here for now, your Highness. With luck, the Royal Guard will resolve the situation without delay.” Princess Celestia nodded curtly, and sat, closing her eyes in what Silver Shield had dubbed 'Regal Meditation'. Princess Celestia took in air so softly and daintily that Silver Shield never heard it, and exhaled similarly. Silver Shield made a note to himself to conceive some way to mock his seemingly breathless Princess.
For Celestia, sitting through the panicked yells of her ponies proved impossible a task, and after maybe a minute the Princess stood again, determined to find out what was wrong or amiss in her castle. She glanced fiercely at Silver Shield, who immediately understood her silent order, never failing to mistake Princess Celestia’s ‘serious’ look, rare enough as it was. He trotted over to the large double-doors leading into the rest of the castle. It appeared that as they approached the doors, the yells and screams grew louder, which only further agitated Silver Shield and made him more nervous.
Silver Shield tensed, looking nervously at the large windows that were littered throughout the Grand Hall, almost seeing dragons burst through them and other such nonsense. He put his hoof to his head, massaging it gently. He looked for the smile, Celestia's noble and inspiring smile. Satisfied with what he saw, flung the massive doors open with all his might.
“AaaaaaaAAaaaaAAAaaAaaaAaAAAAAHHHH?!”
The Moon Regent flung herself backwards to avoid being crushed by the massive stone doors, hitting the wall behind her hard and eliciting a loud THUMP! from the wall. She felt a sharp stab of pain, and collapsed to the ground, wincing.
“Luna! Are you okay?” asked Princess Celestia, hurrying over to her sister. Luna rubbed her side, and was able to immediately dispel most of the pain. She tried for a small smile to assure her older sister.
“Sister, I think something's wrong,” Luna said softly, still massaging her side. Celestia smiled at her little sister. That petite crown, dinner-plate eyes, insufferably adorable half-frown... all looking up at her...
“Princess, you're drooling again,” smirked Silver Shield. Celestia's eyes shot open and she quickly wiped her mouth, closing her eyes and trying to look as dignified as one could while wiping drool from one's face.
“Well. Something wrong, Luna? I'll say. Tell you what: let's go and find out what’s causing the a commotion.” Luna attempted her sister's radiant smile, and nodded eagerly. “Let’s be off then, hmm?”
Silver Shield took to the front of his Princesses, leading them to the East Wing atrium. They proceeded down the Grand Hallway, the longest in Canterlot Castle, connecting the North, South, East, and West Wings. ‘The most important artery of the Castle’ was how the architect-ponies described it, though the prospect of walking through an artery every day made Princess Celestia somewhat nauseous. The Sun Regent also wasn’t too overly fond of the choice of construction material. Marble, marble everywhere, she thought. The whitest of marble, for the ceiling, floors, walls. A long red carpet with golden knots at the end. Portraits of the most famous of her insufferably obedient lackeys-- Respectable statesponies, as they were known to the general public.
The guardspony glanced down the hall. To his relief, the yelling and screaming seemed to be subsiding. He turned to the Princesses, nodding sternly. It definitely was just some moronic pegasus-pony.
Luna trotted very close to her older sister's side, almost bumping into her with every trot. It was a habit started unintentionally a very, very long time ago. Luna had tried to break it, and did, surprisingly, but found that being at her sister's side was much more comfortable than not. The Moon Regent saw various portraits of statesponies as they passed through the hall: a vast expanse of scarlet rugs, expert masonry, and the most expensive of ornaments and fixtures. The first few statesponies she recognized, like Ostler von Hoofsmark, but further down the hall she began to see more and more unfamiliar faces. Wow. One thousand years is indeed a long time, she thought sadly. She frowned to herself, swearing to herself to kick her study of Equestrian history during her absence into overdrive when she got back to her room. She didn't notice herself tensing up.
Celestia raised her eyebrow, smiling. She saw her younger sister tense up, looking all cute and determined. Mostly cute. Outside, however, the ominous clouds had started to unload even more tremendous amounts of water on the castle, as if the castle was underneath a waterfall. This was just like... that... time. The Princess shook her head, dismissing the memories of a dark past. Better to focus on the task at hand.
Some time later, the loud yells and screams had died down completely. Though comforting, this dissipated fear was almost immediately replaced with a multitude of others. Where were the ponies who were scrambling to tell her what had happened? Why were they three the only ponies in the enormous Grand Hallway, normally a scene of intense hubbub and movement? And why...
Why did it seem like they were the only ones in the entire castle?
The large door into the East Wing atrium came into view slowly, and grew larger until the three ponies stood in front of it. It towered over them, the legacy of the architect-ponies who designed the East Wing. Princess Celestia smiled, remembering them fondly. By now they had all by now peacefully departed into the next life, but the Princess knew that their work would endure for many more millenniums. Princess Celestia reached out with her right hoof and ran it over the details, depicting herself and her sister on opposite sides of the door, facing each other while raising both the sun and moon, respectively.
“Your Highness?” said Silver Shield, turning to his Princesses. Celestia closed her eyes, still running her hoof over the detail, as if reminding herself of something long ago. She smiled sadly, but then frowned.
“Open it. Let's find out what's going on, hmmm?” Celestia said cheerfully. Silver Shield nodded swiftly.
The guardspony swung open the doors, and the East Wing Atrium came into view. Of all the Wings, the East was the most extravagantly decorated, as Princess Celestia would always stride through it to raise the sun in the East early in the morning. Various staircases along the walls led into the upper and lower levels of the Castle, where the guards, servers, cooks, and other such attendants slept. Across the atrium was a door of solid gold, mined, as Celestia remembered, against her will from the Chillypeak Mountains and fitted into what many Royal Artificers documented to be among the most priceless objects in all of Equestria. Through these doors lay the open sky, and because of this the East Entrance was a popular entrance for pegasus-ponies entering the castle.
The doors were open as they always were, showing a vast expanse of the night sky, with enormous rolling clouds unleashing a torrential storm upon the castle. The rain hit the floor of the atrium loud and hard, forming several pools of water throughout the atrium. That, however, wasn’t what the three ponies were staring at.
A hooded figure stood on the very end of the atrium at the entrance to the castle, it's back turned to the trio of ponies. It wore a long, brown cloak that billowed in the wind. The old guardspony's blue eyes narrowed as he took three protective steps in front of the Princesses. He didn't know what it was, but from this mysterious pony he sensed danger. Lots of danger.
Celestia was the first to speak.
“Dark one, who-” she began, but was quickly interrupted by the hooded pony. The pony had an ominous and dark mare’s voice, like somepony reading the introduction to a tragic drama that Silver Shield was often forced into going to at Princess Celestia’s behest to ‘guard’ her. The guardspony was able to make out the pony’s black coat. He didn’t know anypony with a black coat, unless-- W-wait a minute!...
“There are some qualities,” interrupted the hooded pony, “some incorporate things, that have a double life. It is a type of twin entity, which springs from both matter and light, evinced in both solid...” the hooded pony trailed off in silence, as if waiting for something. Princess Celestia stepped forward.
“And 'Shade',” the Sun Regent finished, her eyes narrowing. She couldn't see it, but she knew the hooded pony was grinning. Silver Shield shook his head sadly, closing his eyes, seemingly unable to stave off a flood of bad memories of a distant past invading his mind. Luna, however, was almost hiding behind her sister and was very confused. She opened her mouth to voice her concern but was interrupted again.
“So. It has returned to wander it's old battlefields, I see,” began Princess Celestia.
“Or perhaps it is looking for some foal's revenge,” finished the guardspony roughly, looking at the dark pony, it’s back still turned to him. The hooded pony tensed, and lowered it's head, speaking softly.
“I'm flattered you remember me, Princess Celestia. You too, Silver Spear.” Silver Shield stirred, clearly agitated. Eyebrows furrowed, he angrily stomped his hooves in protest of the dark pony’s remembrance.
“My name is not Silver Spear, dark one. My name is Silver Shield,” the guardspony said tersely.
“Silver Spear? Wasn’t your name, you say? Oh, but it was your name, it was, and do you know what, old friend? It will be your name again.” The pony turned around, and immediately Princess Celestia’s eyes widened. Visions of destruction, visions of hate, visions of despair, visions of death; they permeated the dark pony’s very essence, seeping into the hearts of all who held it’s gaze. The Sun Regent shook herself, shuddering.
“I-- I had almost forgotten. How... how unbecoming of me,” Celestia said. Silver Shield turned.
“With respect, your Highness, there were many of us who wanted to forget.” Celestia nodded.
“You know, I don’t know where this sudden hostility is coming from, Princess Celestia, Silver Spear. It’s obvious you hate me, but I’ve truly done nothing wrong. I’ve never even met you! What could I have done?” the dark pony said, raising it’s front leg, massaging it’s chin. The Sun Regent gasped.
“You’ve taken the body of an innocent, haven’t you!” cried Celestia, obviously shocked.
“Well, my Princess, it was a necessity. I really wanted to see you again, so I don’t think this poor pegasus-pony will mind if I, er, borrow her body for a while, now do you?” grinned the dark pony.
“What you’ve done is against the highest law in this land. The penalty for the crimes you’ve already committed is permanent banishment,” said Princess Celestia angrily. The Princess knew that if this pony had returned, then it had brought with it some serious magic, magic unknown even to her. Or, perhaps even more dangerous, magic learned in the nether plane of banishment.
“You’re not going to send me back now, are you? We’ve only just been reunited, my Princess! Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Silver Spear-- the only one you’re missing is me! Your faithful servant, Mor-”
“Silence. The evil you’ve brought back with you, dark one, why? I would have welcomed you, the true you, without question. But you’ve brought back such evil with you. We can all sense it. Show me what this evil of yours is for, dark one. Make me understand it. As with all things, there is a reason for your hatred.”
“Oh, Princess Celestia. As always, you talk in circles. You haven’t changed,” said the dark pony. “Equestria’s a different place now, anypony can see that. It’s a different land from the one that I despise, a different land from the one that abandoned me in my time of need. But my presence alone means that my job isn’t finished here, not at all. You need to face it, my Princess. Equestria brought me back.”
Luna was still even more confused. However, before the Moon Regent could question her older sister on the nature of this new arrival to the castle, the hooded pony charged towards the trio of ponies: brown cloak a blaze, white mane a cascade, black coat a blur, red eyes a fire. The dark pony was indeed fast.
“It’s time for a good old clash between good and evil, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!” cried the dark pony, her voice a a twisted combination of malice and glee. Luna jumped at the mention of her name.
Princess Celestia closed her eyes, and nudged her younger sister softly, her smile gone. She motioned to Luna, who pulled in close to hear her older sister’s council in the face of this unknown threat.
“Sister, you need to assemble the Elements, now. For better or worse, we’ll meet up at that horrible place-- The Black Gate,” said the Sun Regent, almost spitting the last three words.
“You'll do well to remember who, or what, all of Equestria is up against once more,” she continued. “You know as well as I do the consequences of our actions, all those long years ago.” Princess Luna opened her mouth, but was interrupted again by her sister, voice rising as the gallop of the dark pony grew louder.
“Oh, and Luna-- remember to hit the ground galloping.”
At this, Princess Celestia channeled energy into her horn, and it began to glow. Luna was still utterly distraught, and saw the dark pony charging towards them still. Silver Shield lowered his body so that his upper chest was as close to the floor as it could get without touching it. He unfurled his wings defensively.
Why? the guardspony thought. Why couldn’t you just stay away, isolate yourself from us forever?
“Wait, but what's going on? And- and hit the ground galloping? What's that supposed to-” Before Princess Luna could voice any further objection, she felt a colossal amount of energy lift her up. She had a mind to complain to her sister, but suddenly felt herself catapulted into the air, right-- right out of a window?!
The Moon Regent suddenly saw the sky, and turning her head the castle had suddenly become nearly a speck in her view, growing smaller with each passing second. The Moon Regent was immediately pelted with an unforgiving rain, unable to see in the darkness of the moon she had brought up only hours ago.
The Moon Regent watched the castle recede from view. Princess Luna tried to stretch out her wings-- but couldn't. It was as if she was trying to unfurl her wings against two stone walls. Suddenly, Princess Luna became aware of a problem much larger than any of her sister’s old friends. There comes a point where it becomes impossible to stretch one's wings when in free-fall, Princess Luna suddenly remembered. Something about the 'G-force'. All you have to do, sister, is remember to stretch before you reach this point. If you do that, you should be fine. However, it seemed, her fate was sealed.
************
_________________________________________________________
I almost want to claim ownership of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic franchise (that
I don’t have, Hasboro yada yada) so that they’ll contact me about copyright infringement
andI can tell them how awesome the show is. Thanks for bearing with me here, people.
[Author’s note: this is all subject to rampant editing. Edits made since release: 23] |
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Vanner | 323 | 1 | Rarity,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Remembrance | complete | 15 | 2 | <p>For Rarity, dreams are rarely happy memories.</p> | everyone | 2011-10-10T18:49:50+00:00 | 2011-10-10T18:49:50+00:00 | 2,030 | Rarity’s dreams were rarely pleasant.
Often they were stress induced nightmares of work: An army of fashionistas coming to burn down her store as an affront to their industry, or a torrent of bad reviews washing her away in a wave of papers. Other times, they were sad memories of her father’s last days, and how he had sacrificed so much to make her happy.
Tonight Rarity dreamed that she stood in a blank room, stretching to infinity with endless possibility. With her, she had a delicate wooden paintbrush. Why paint, she had no idea. She had never been much for the traditional arts, but found that in this dream, the brush created real things. Floating her brush from the bucket, she drew a floor for herself, then walls, and a ceiling. The paint changed colors to her thoughts, and soon she found herself painting what she had found most familiar: Carousel Boutique.
The walls were pink and purple, festooned with the colors of spring fashion that would bring in the customers and bring in the bits. She painted her racks and shelves and dummies, fabrics and machines, everything as she remembered it. But this wasn’t the painting of Carousel Boutique of today. This was her store from years ago, from the year after her father died. She tried to erase the painting, finding it permanent. Even painting over it didn’t help, only warping what was already there. Frustration mounted as her dreams ignored her whims.
The white unicorn painted the scene outside: A beautiful blue sky filled with soft white clouds, and a ground full of life. The buildings of Ponyville popped up at her brush points, each taking on it’s own life. If it weren’t for the soft fuzzy colors of her paint strokes, she could have sworn she was awake. Rarity complimented herself on her fantastic memory, and looked to the streets that she had painted. Just like the Ponyville she had loved since a child, but with no ponies to populate it. She tried a few strokes of her magic brush, the portrait taking the shape of her mother. The elegant white unicorn stood before her, pink and purple mane flowing down her neck.
Rarity tried to speak to her, but found that the painted unicorn did not speak back. It moved as if someone had animated a portrait. The painted unicorn’s eyes narrowed in rage and moved her mouth as if yelling at Rarity. Rarity recoiled in shock. Memories of this argument came back to her. She dashed away the cutout unicorn with her brush and galloped outside, running to escape.
She’d had this dream before, and it always brought her pain. She tried to force herself awake, finding herself trapped in her own mind. She closed her eyes, and was back in the shop. More of the painted ponies were here now, each moving silently in two dimensions. They were like animated cardboard cut outs of themselves, each talking silently, or looking at Rarity’s dresses. She looked to the crowd, and saw a line of customers waiting to purchase. Rarity sighed in misery. Even in her dreams she couldn’t escape work.
She painted herself a bottle of wine, and found it to be as pleasant as she always remembered it. Smooth, fruity, light on the tongue with a hint of flowers. She looked behind the counter to see she had already painted quite a few empty bottles back there.
Typical of that time in my life, she thought. Trying to fill the hole left by Father with wine.
Her customers came in a blur to her, the dream fast forwarding itself to the next memory. The nights of those times blurred past night clubs, and parties. The scenes shuffled by, full of fantastic dresses and evenings spent with ponies she barely knew, or cared to know. Rarity didn’t want to see this time in her life again, and she closed her eyes to make it go away. She opened them again to find herself in a bedroom. Her paintbrush was gone now; she had forgotten it back at the shop. With no way to control the dream, the memories forced themselves on her.
She rose from the bed of a pony she barely remembered. She saw his stunning, gorgeous flanks, and tousled tail peeking from beneath the rumpled sheets. Rarity’s dress from the night before hung discarded from the bedpost. She left the room in disgust at herself, and came again to Carousel Boutique. Here she was master of her fate, and no one could tell her differently. The paintbrush lay still on counter. She picked it up, and started to paint another bottle. She stopped, a memory from far away begging her not too.
Rarity threw the brush to the ground. Color exploded from the bristles, and the scene wiped away to the stark white walls of Ponyville’s clinic. A cardboard cut out of a white earth pony with a candy-floss mane stood silently speaking to her. Rarity remembered the this conversation; she burst into tears. The nurse tried to console her, but Rarity fled from the clinic, running back to her den of comfort. She hid in her room, closing the shop to customers.
The paint of the brush flowed from the tip, and filled the dream with the marching memories of those seasons.
Rarity found herself working harder than ever to make new dresses and designs. Many of them were for herself. Long flowing dresses of simplicity and practicality that were said to be for a line of casual wear that she was pursuing on a lark. She remember the smaller meals she was eating. There were stunted conversations with the animated cut out of her mother, about... something. She and Rarity argued so frequently in those days, that her conversations with her mother had become just like that cardboard cut out: all flapping of the jaw, and no context. She marched out of her mothers home and back to Carousel Boutique.
By now, the memory was moving quicker. Days flew by in the span of seconds, and summer had turned to fall outside her windows. The impressionistic portrait of the leaves reminded Rarity that she was still trapped in this dream, and still forced to relive those days.
She wore darker colors that season, never going outside without a saddle or a sweater to cover herself. She stayed in the shop most days and night, avoiding the chaotic drinking scene that she had been so much a part of earlier in the year. A few of her friends questioned her absence, but she brushed it off as growing up, and taking her life more seriously. Her so called friends dismissed her, and again she was with her work and her thoughts.
Rarity walked to a closet, and rummaged underneath a pile of fabrics she’d never use. Under that stack of fashion atrocities was a piece of downy cloth she was working on. This project was dear to her, having been made entirely by hoof. She had woven the soft virgin wool and cotton together to form textile that compared to the clouds in softness. The edges were spun in a tight whip stitch that demanded careful attention. She worked on the project as the dream wore on, the piece coming into shape as winter’s grasp had locked around her home.
Her paying customers again stood at her counter. She quickly hid her work and checked their purchases. She could remember the dresses better than the ponies, and most of the cardboard cutouts were indistinct memories. The last customer of the day warned her to be careful, as the roads in Ponyville were heavy with winter’s ice. Rarirty collected her earnings and trotted out the front door toward the bank.
The unicorn’s mind screamed in agony, trying again force her to wake up. She didn’t want to remember what came next. She didn’t want to see those stairs again, or the ice that layered thick on them. She didn’t want to feel herself slipping and losing control, tumbling endlessly down those stairs. She didn’t want to feel the crashing weight of her body on the pavement. She didn’t want the pain in her belly stabbing at her as she felt the inside light go dark.
Rarity awoke screaming in terror and tears. Luna’s moon hung in her window, illuminating the room with a soft blue light that spilled shadows over the white unicorn. Rarity reached into her nightstand through her tears and pulled from it the piece she had worked on all those years ago. She sat in the moonlight, weeping into the blanket. It was soft as a goddess’s tear, just as she had wanted it to be for a foal that never was. |
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BrianBlessedPony | 324 | 1 | Fluttershy,Original Character,Twilight Sparkle,Random,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Captain of the Guard | complete | 12 | 2 | <p>Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy are summoned to the Captain of the Palace's Guard at short notice. What he wants, neither really know, but Twilight has met him before...</p><p>(An attempt to get into writing, my first attempt at a story. Something to look back on and improve from.)</p> | everyone | 2011-07-25T20:49:22+00:00 | 2011-07-25T20:49:22+00:00 | 1,640 | “Whazit?”
A voice mumbled under a pillow. A lavender head popped up from under said pillow and looked around, shaking the hair out of the eyes. When she could see again, Twilight Sparkle tried to spot what could have made the noise that would have woken her up. Last night had been a long study session, and she was certain she’d only been asleep for a few hours.
The noise came again, and she realised that it was the main door to the library; somebody wanted to come in and it was still locked. She crawled out of bed and stretched, various joints clicking back into place. The mare approached the dressing table as fast as possible for her sleepy state, and already had the brush in her magic aura when she got there. With a few quick flicks, her mane was much better, which was more than could be said for her eyes. Sighing, she rushed out of her room and to the door.
As the purple filly approached the door, the knocking began again, harder this time. Twilight quickly unbolted the door and pulled it open and stopped in her tracks. In front of her were two of Princess Celestia’s royal guards, their golden armour shining in the morning sun she brought to the land. Their coats and manes were perfectly groomed as opposed to the mess that Twilight’s own coat. Behind the two stallions was one of the Princess’ chariots with another two pegasai still hitched to it. The shock brought her to full alertness and removed any bags under her eyes.
“Miss Twilight Sparkle? Captain Ironhoof of the Guard requests your assistance. We also need the aide of one of your friends...”
-
Outside her tree of a house, a light yellow pegasus held a little chipmunk in her hooves. Brushing long pink strands of her mane out of the poor creature’s eye, she finished bandaging the creatures paw. “There you go, you poor little thing,” she said her voice as soft as freshly settled snow. As she put the animal down, her ears perked up. Something was coming her way. She turned and saw the golden chariot landing, its gleam blinding her slightly and blocking her view of the occupants. Shocked, the mare made for her cottage, her wings flapping to give her enough additional speed to get inside and bolt the door before the chariot even landed.
She leant against the locked door, panting. What had she done wrong? She paid her taxes, hadn’t she? Maybe it was that time she forgot to return that book once? Had she been seen flying to close to the ground in a built up area? Or even jaywalking! As these thoughts raced about in her head, she failed to notice legs pounding up the path. She only realised when there was a pounding at the door, which scared her even more. As she dived under a table, the door was beaten upon again.
“Fluttershy, its Twilight, its okay! You aren’t in any trouble; we’re just needed on an emergency...” From behind the door, Twilight heard a non-descript squeak. Twilight sighed and leant against the door. “It’s an animal emergency, one of the animals up at Canterlot needs you, and the Captain of the Guard has asked for you persona-ARGH!”
Twilight had been cut off as the door suddenly opened inwards, the mauve like mare collapsing inside. She saw her friend rushing about, trying to pull on her saddle bag whilst checking on the house AND worrying, all at the same time.
“Ohmygoshwhydidn’tyousaysoearlierI’msosorryletmejustgetmythingsready!” Before Twilight could even realise it, Fluttershy was vaulting over her, only to turn back round and to help her back up. Fluttershy closed and locked her door as Twilight slowly stumbled back towards the awaiting carriage. She hadn’t the heart yet to tell her yet what she getting herself into...
-
As the two fillies rode in the chariot, Fluttershy shuffled about nervously. Admittedly this was her default stance in life when anything new or unfamiliar was coming her way, but this was a bit different to her. Her thoughts raced back to a few months ago, at the Grand Gala.
“Um, Twilight? I don’t think that the... well, animals will allow me to help them...” The cry of ‘You’re going to LOVE ME!’ flashed in her mind, making her shiver in fear.
“It’s okay Fluttershy, I’m sure it’ll be different this time. Besides, the Captain has assured me it’s nothing to do with those animals.” As the chariot rose, a cloud drew close to it, one of the pegasus guards motioning towards it. “You might want to grab some of that cloud for your ears...”
“What do you mean?” The nervous filly said, as Twilight grabbed some of the white fluff, sharing it with her friend. Both fillies crammed the material into their ears.
“Oh, let’s just say that where we’re going, things have been known to get quite loud.”
Before the yellow filly could respond the chariot started its descent. Fluttershy’s jaw dropped open as they approached what could only be described as a mansion. It was two stories high and even had rooms built into the roof, judging by the windows up there.
“It’s probably around 30 bedrooms, but that isn’t important.” Twilight said as the chariot touched the ground. Green fields went round the structure, and various hedges sat along a straight cobbled path. The hedges looked as if at one point they would have been sculpted, but had long since been abandoned. The fillies made out the occasional limb of somepony or something, now overgrown.
The mauve mare lead the two fillies to the door, but she could just about hear the commotion on the other side of the door before they even reached it. She reached out to knock on the door when it suddenly burst open. The yellow pegasus dived behind her friend at sight behind the door, before even looking at what was there. To the casual glance, it was a monster with an almost uncountable amount of eyes, legs and mouths. To somepony who looked at what was in front of them before running away, it was a group of foals of various age and species.
The young fillies and colts clambered around a central figure, which on its own could possibly be one of the reasons why the image was so scary. The pegasus stallion, and there was no doubt about that, had to be about Big Macintosh’s height, striding over average stallions. His coat and wings were a medium grey and his mane and tail were black, turning to grey with age. Across his face was a thick bushy black beard, turning to grey as well slightly. His eye’s instantly focused on Twilight, and a broad grin formed across his face.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE! IT’S BEEN FAR TOO LONG GIRL!” The voice boomed, Twilight actually feeling her mane and tail go back in the wind of his voice.
Birds in the distance took off as Fluttershy cowered more. The stallion rose on his hind legs and instantly Twilight hoped the steed remembered how to control his strength. The mare was quickly enveloped in a bear hug, feeling her bones grind together, the occasional crack or pop being heard. Thankfully, he had remembered as he soon let go.
“And this must be your animal expert friend! I’ve heard so much about you young Filly!” The grey stallion cried, his voice becoming noticeably quieter as his eyes turned to her. “My name is Ironhoof, Captain of the Palace Guard, formally Field Marshall of the Equestrian Army and Air Chief Marshal of the Air Corps. A pleasure to meet you my dear.”
For a moment, Twilight panicked that he was going to hug Fluttershy as well, but something clicked in his head that this mare might not be up one of his hugs. Instead he simply smiled at her and beckoned them in with one fore leg, the other shooing the colts and fillies away. As he turned, the two saw his cutie mark; a bluish silver coloured shield divided into four. In each section was a smaller image, the top left being a tree whilst the top right was a heart. The bottom two held the Sun to the left and the moon to the right. At first, Fluttershy didn’t move, remaining still whilst shaking. Once she had regained enough sense in her body, Twilight gently nudged the shaking pegasus forward.
They trotted behind the grey pegasus, taking in their surroundings as one of the fillies shut the door after them. The walls seemed to have watercolours of various landscapes all around Equestria, some seeming very similar. A large grandfather clock ticked in the corner, commanding time be adhered to in the hallway. Twilight hoped for everypony’s sake that Fluttershy hadn’t spotted the umbrella stand by the front door after it was shut; among the variety of umbrellas there was a largish sword. As the stallion went to start up the large staircase in the hallway, the herd of foals went ahead, causing him to sigh out loud.
“My little ones, have you not pestered your grandfather long enough! I’m worn out and have to look after our guests! I don’t wish to detain them any longer then needed!”
The eldest colt of the foals looked up at Ironhoof as the others all made various disappointed noises. “But Grandfather, you said we could explore the woods today!”
“Not today Shergar, something has come up. I promise to make it all up to you! Now go and bother one of your parents!”
As the herd moved off the stairs to the surrounding rooms, he smiled at Twilight and Fluttershy. Twilight’s eye’s followed the group and turned to her host.
“That’s all of your grandfoal’s then?” She asked, a little shocked.
“Oh course not! Not all their parents can visit at once! A good number of my grandfoal’s aren’t here. But then again, some of my great-grandfoal’s are. They’re all important ponies; they can’t be here all the time. Anyway, upward and onward!” Ironhoof almost bellowed, making Fluttershy dart behind her friends flank.
-
The two fillies followed the senior stallion up the stairs, the decor not changing much. There were still the water colours of the outside world, but now there seemed to be pictures of ponies as well. Some were photographs, some were just paintings. Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice how one or two had begun to fade, but still had only a thin layer of dust. One large painting at the top of the stairs showed an image of a happy couple on their wedding day. It didn’t take much to piece to together this was Ironhoof in the past; much of his body structure had stayed the same. He was thinner, he wore a soldier’s parade uniform of some era long since gone and had a thin, smart moustache. He was beaming at his unicorn bride, hard to make out from her wedding veil. She looked a little stocky and was average pony height.
Beneath the old picture was a double door made of oak which Ironhoof gently pushed open. As the two friends made their way in, they quickly realised that this must have been the master bedroom. A large double bed sat in the centre, and from there it was split into two. One side held wardrobes and drawers and a suit of armour. The other had a dressing table with large mirror on it. It held an assortment of perfumes and other scents. This side seemed a little dustier then the other.
Sat on the bed was a pegasus filly, no more than 3 years old. She had a bright silver coat and red mane and tail. Sat with her was a Labrador puppy, looking down in the dumps. The pegasus looked up, her eyes red from weeping and face filled with concern. Even so, it filled with joy when the eyes fell onto Ironhoof.
“Daddy!” The filly cried, sitting up slightly, trying not to disturb her companion.
“Silver sweetie, did I not say I’d get the best help for you?” The grey Stallion said soothingly as he gently nudged Twilight forward, who in turn nudged Fluttershy.
The timid pegasus was slightly confused. Had this, filly, just cried out to what had to be her great grandfather? Regardless of that situation, Fluttershy trotted up to the puppy and look at it. She could instantly tell by the way it held its posture something was wrong with its right fore leg. She examined it closer and thought to herself. Gently she held out her hoof and the puppy whined at her.
“I’m so sorry little one....” The pegasus whispered as she gently touched the leg, causing a slight yelp and the young pegasus to hug her puppy.
“Don’t you hurt my Penny!”
“I’m sorry, but Penny has a broken leg. She needs to have in a cast to set it straight. Twilight, could you help move Penny please without moving her leg too much? Is there a bathroom near here?” The last question was directed at Ironhoof, who nodded.
As the puppy was raised up by the magic, Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice that left hind leg of Silver was slightly smaller to the other three legs. She said nothing as she followed the confused puppy floating through the air. Silver bounded to her hooves and followed after them, her fast pace only slightly off. Every now and then she had to use her wings to help balance herself out as she followed the three elder ponies down the hall.
“So, um, how many rooms Mr Ironhoof?” Fluttershy asked as he led them down the corridor to break the silence.
“I’m not sure anymore. Not all the foals lived here at once, we moved in here when I was made General I think it was. Then the family grew, and some came back, rooms got knocked into one another, some were converted. It’s hard to keep track!” He chuckled to himself, stopping only to look at one door.
Like the other bedroom doors, this one had a cutie mark symbol noting it as a bedroom. It had an image of a soccer ball and a banner. The doorknob was covered in dust, showing little use. Ironhoof gently stroked the wood with his tail before carrying on two more doors down, finally opening it. Twilight was quick enough to spot this had the symbol of a bathroom on it.
-
It had been hard putting Penny’s leg in the cast. Fluttershy’s basic first aid kit held some of the materials that were required to make the cast; anything else was quickly found in the bathroom. Twilight had been impressed at the fact her friend actually had enough materials to make a basic cast in her kit.
“I um, always like to be prepared...” The shy mare had mumbled to her friends praise for being prepared.
Penny had been obviously afraid of what was going to happen, and curled up against Silver in attempt to stave off the inevitable. The puppy whimpered at her owner for help from this crazy pony. When it looked as if Ironhoof was about to make a suggestion, he instantly got a Look from Twilight. She’d heard about the old soldier when she was studying with the Princess to know when he was going to suggest something far from helpful. This is a common trait with some males of a certain age and build. To his credit, when he got the Look, he instantly shut his mouth and inspected his hoof. Instead, it was Fluttershy who made the awkward comment.
“So, um, how many foals do you have Mr Ironhoof, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Twilight was agog at her friend’s question. Normally, she wasn’t this forward with, well, anything unless pressurised. It was then that she noticed that Fluttershy had only asked to keep Penny calm, making an ambience in the room. Either way, Ironhoof let out a little laugh.
“I thought you might ask me that. Well, Silver Lining is my 21st foal.” The filly smiled at her father for a moment whilst Fluttershy darted him a look of confusion whilst working on Penny’s leg.
“Me and my wife, we married young; you did that back in those days, especially if you were a soldier. And so, we had a long time to have foals. Back in those days, large families weren’t uncommon either. Plus, two sets of twins helped that number.”
“Silver Lining?” The pegasus asked as she gently stroked Penny to keep her calm and still.
“My wife, well, she didn’t want me to worry about a 21st foal. She wasn’t that young anymore and assumed the worst. We’d decided to stop but sometimes, things happen. She didn’t survive that long after giving birth. But, as they say, every dark cloud...”
His voice had trailed off. He had cried all the tears out of system years ago. Now he just stared at a point at the wall for a moment, until Silver put her hoof on his. He beamed at his daughter, life returning to his body.
“That’s the rule we live by in this house, it’s got me through every battle I’ve been through, and it’s got me through the loss of two sons and the loss of my soul mate. And even a broken puppy leg will have its advantage, in its own way.”
There was a little bark as Fluttershy finally let go of Penny’s leg. She beamed at the puppy, not letting an inch show that she’d taken in what had been said.
“Now you’ve been a brave little Penny, haven’t you? You’ve just got to take it easy and try to keep off of your leg. Can you do that for me?” The puppy reached up and licked Fluttershy’s face happily, already feeling better. The old stallion smirked and clopped his hoofs together.
“Well, the least I can do is give you some two young fillies some lunch, considering I had you dragged up here at such short notice!”
-
It was over an hour later. The unicorn and pegasus found themselves in what Ironhoof called the thinking lounge. It was a lounge or living room that regular rooms dreamed of growing up into. Its size allowed for a lounge area, an office, a small library and even a small painting area. A mare a few years older than Fluttershy had come in with some sandwiches and drinks for them as Ironhoof had got a fire going in the fireplace. Narrative would have dictated that the fireplace be at least 10 foot wide and go through forests at a rate unknown to all but cattle owners. This one on the hand was 2 foot at most and somehow managed to spread a lot of heat.
The plastered Penny dozed in front of the steady fire whilst Silver sat next to her, staring intently at the flames. She’d managed to convince her relation to bring in a crumpet for her instead and was now gently toasting it on an old fashioned toasting fork. Ironhoof watched her from his large pillow chair, sometimes reminding her to move back slightly as he gently munched on his simple cress sandwich. On the other hand, Twilight who had been running on no food since the day before found herself greedily gorging on her daisy and buttercup sandwich. Manners had been forgotten until she realised she was almost halfway through whilst the others were still just starting.
After the meal, they’d started talking. Like the distant uncle of any family, Ironhoof listened intently about anything and everything the two fillies said. Twilight knew that he was actually storing all that he was being told. He never forgot a date, a name or an event. As he had often said to various guards and even to Twilight herself once or twice, you don’t go from a soldier on the frontline to commander of all the armies under the Throne and troops in the sky with a memory like a net. He’d explained that when he’d remembered part of a conversation the two had once several months prior. Maybe this was normal, but it was part of a spell she’d been researching that she’d blabbered out. As the conversation swayed to the last time Fluttershy and herself had been in Canterlot, the grey stallion roared with laughter.
“The animals! Yes! I had heard of that! Well, we were clearing up after the event after all!” He chuckled away at the revelation whilst Penny, risen from the thunderous laughing went back to sleep. Fluttershy’s cheeks went bright red at the thought of what happened, which Ironhoof soon spotted.
“Young filly, I know how it is. I remember my first time at the Grand Gala. My wife, she was so Proud...” He made sure the capital Pee was pronounced. “What you did wasn’t as embarrassing as the way I got out of the blasted event. I went and declared war...”
Their looks showed both surprise and a demand for him to continue down this dark detour in memory lane.
“Well, we had just been invaded by the Griffons at the time. It was that or support a pillar in the corner as my lady went off to raise us through the social ranks. Yelling out ‘To war!’ very loudly and storming out the room can ruin an event. Sadly, they didn’t ban me...”
Eventually Fluttershy began to blush and looked up at Ironhoof.
“Mr Ironhoof, um, why did you ask me to see to Penny? Surely Canterlot has its own animal doctors...”
The questioned stallion rose from his seat and looked at his daughter. She’d fallen asleep next to Penny, curled up slightly.
“Parent’s only ever want what’s best for their foals. So I used privilege of status for a change. I heard about your attempts with the Phoenix. And of course, news does sometimes reach the lofty heights of the capital. It sometimes even enters my ears. News of an excellent animal carer in a town so close to here, who also happens to be Element of Kindness. Besides, I wanted to give you a better trip to the city.”
Silence fell upon the room, except for the occasional crack from the firewood and soft breathing from the two sleepers. The blush went deeper on Fluttershy but there was a smile attached to it. She hid her head behind her long pink mane and squeaked “Thank you...”
-
Not long after this, Ironhoof was escorting Twilight and Fluttershy to the chariot at the end of his drive. Four different pegasai guards stood there, waiting patiently. The timid pegasus’ bag was slightly heavier than before, due to the Bits that had been placed in there. Whilst she had declined, Silver had insisted, emptying her piggy bank’s contents into the bag. The final attempt at a protest had been stopped by a wink from the Captain; the piggy would be filled again by nightfall. Silver was on the back of her father with them, humming to herself. Ironhoof went to help them onto the chariot despite any protests.
“Twilight, come and visit now and then. And bring Spike next time! The place doesn’t seem right without the pair of you, gallivanting about the place over research!” The stallion stated, helping the purple unicorn onto the chariot.
“You know, you can always come and visit Ponyville. You can fly yourself no doubt; maybe have a relaxing break for a change.” Twilight replied, making him chuckle to himself. He helped up Fluttershy, ignoring the blush forming and smiled to the pair of them.
“Thank you both and I am sorry about dragging you out here suddenly. Have a pleasant ride back home and if you ever need any help, just ask!”
“Thank you Miss Fluttershy! Thank you Miss Sparkle!” piped in Silver, leaning her chin on her father’s head. They waved goodbye with their wings as the chariot took off, Silver waving until they were out of sight.
As the clouds went by, the two fillies sat in silence for a while. Eventually, Fluttershy smiled at her friend.
“Do you ever get the feeling, that in another lifetime, he’d be an actor?” Twilight giggled at the idea.
“Yeah, he’d be the sort that the whole audience can hear!”
The pair giggled, Fluttershy’s bag jingling slightly. They went back to looking at the passing scenery. They wouldn’t have much of an afternoon when they got back to Ponyville, but it had been a filled morning. It wasn’t entirely wasted in the end. The unicorn noticed her friend stirring slightly and looked at her.
“Erm, Twilight? Why was there a sword in the umbrella stand?”
And it was going so well... |
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QuickSticks45 | 326 | 1 | Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Fall | complete | -1 | -1 | <p>It's been a year after Twilight ruined the Great and Powerful Trixie representation she's become broke, homeless, and worst of all friendless and now she's out for her revenge and nothing is going to stop her from taking her life back. (This is my first fan-fiction so don't expect the best)</p> | everyone | 2011-07-26T19:45:16+00:00 | 2011-07-26T19:45:16+00:00 | 1,495 | "Great, another cold night trying to find another card board box to sleep in."
Trixie was a Unicorn that had a decent job as an entertainer, she had a magical wagon that transformed into a stage and lit up the beautiful night sky with fantastic fireworks and bright colors.
One day Trixie payed a visit to the calm and peaceful town of Ponyville.
She had no idea what was awaiting her when she arrived. Trixie went into the center of the town and set up her stage and prepared her act, and just when the crowd that gathered was large enough she went to work.
Loud booms from fireworks, motors turning wheels shooting sparks and flames into the night sky filling it with light.
Trixie never felt more alive the show went great and she made a profit nothing could have gone wrong that night.
"Ah this was a wonderful night for the GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
Trixie had to stop mid diabolical laugh for there was a knock on the door.
Trixie trotted over and opened the door to see who it was, "oh it's you two, lovely, what do i owe the... misfortune" snarled Trixie
"Trixie you've got to help us, the Ursa Major.... It-it's here! we need you to defeat it!" said Snips a sniveling little colt that was a fan of the show. "WHAT!? what in the world did you do?"
Trixie ran out of her parlor and Ran across the town to fend off the beast.
As the monster came into view Trixie readied her horn, she'd need all of the magic she had because it will not be an easy task to dispose of this abomination.
Trixie was ready to blast this beast into a pile of carbon matter when another unicorn shoves Trixie out of the way.
Trixie was applauded by this Unicorns actions, but she couldn't do a thing because the violet unicorn already Disposed of the monster.
After that everyone thought that Trixie was a fraud, a lair, and a bitch.
The news traveled all throughout Equestria, no one would come to her shows anymore; well that's not true some would come to throw rotten vegetables at her and call out slanderous words.
After every failed show Trixie would walk back into her room in her trailer eyes full of tears and her heart crushed.
By the sixth month Trixie had almost nothing to her name except her hat and cape, she had to sell her trailer in order to get some money to live on.
She wandered around Manehattan doing odd jobs just so she would be able to buy some oats and clean water.
One day Trixie actually had some spare money left, she thought and thought about what she could do with it, and then it came to her.
She spent the night under some random awning to get away from the bitter rain and waited until day.
She was so excited she was finally going to do it, she hopped onto a train and departed.
On the train she was lucky enough to have her own cabin, with food and water.
The seats were the softest thing she sat on for the past six months. Trixie when to bed on the seat, it was the best nap she had ever taken, and when she woke she felt almost as good as when she was preforming.
The nap lasted most of the trip and just woke as they pulled into the station,
"Now pulling into Ponyville station" |
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QuickSticks45 | 326 | 2 | Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Fall | complete | -1 | -1 | <p>It's been a year after Twilight ruined the Great and Powerful Trixie representation she's become broke, homeless, and worst of all friendless and now she's out for her revenge and nothing is going to stop her from taking her life back. (This is my first fan-fiction so don't expect the best)</p> | everyone | 2011-07-26T19:39:36+00:00 | 2011-07-26T19:39:36+00:00 | 1,453 | "Finally, I'm back in the town where it all started, and where it will END!" as Trixie shouted it made some little filly next to her cry.
Trixie didn't know what to do, the parents and everypony was glaring at her making her feel like crap once again.
In shame Trixie walked out of the station and into ponyville, now that she was here she needed to find that damned purple pony, but she had no idea where to start nor did she have any idea what to do once she found the snob that ruined her life.
She figured she'd start at the local inn, after about an hour of walking around the town looking and ended up walking up to a bring pink building, "hmm the sugar cube corner? not really what i was looking for but i guess it works."Trixie thought to her self.
She walked into the the store, she could smell the cupcakes and muffins being made it only reminded her that she was hungry but no bits to buy anything. Just as she was about to leave a pink pony bounced out of no where and started to run it's mouth but nothing coherent came out of it, mainly nonsense. "Oh my Celestia shut up! don't you breath? what's wrong with you?" yelled Trixie so she could be heard over the pink pony's voice to which she replied with
"nothing silly, i just don't recognize you and i know everypony in this town, hey what are you doing later? want to go to my party?!"
"A party? why would i do that? i'm too busy right now to deal with your 'party' now i must leave."
"what are you looking for? huh huh huh?maybe i could help! i love finding things!"
Trixie sighed knowing that this would probably be a better start then just aimlessly walking around this town,
"Okay, I don't know if you'll be of any help but i need to find some pony"
"Oh! well that's easy! who are you looking for?" gasped the Pink one
"I'm looking for a purple unicorn, I don't really remember anything else about her."
The pink pony thought for a second, she thought a little more and then her eyes widened and she gasped, "I think i know who you're looking for! come follow me!" the Pink pony bounced off with the magician following behind.
After a short walk they came to a house, but it was an odd house because it was built into a tree.
The pink pony ran up to the door and knocked on the door, "TWILIGHT! ARE YOU HOME?" yelled the Pink pony.
Trixie waited a little bit and then she her someone coming to the door, Trixie's heart beat faster and faster is this the person that she was looking for? the person that sent her life into a downward spiral? the one that was so RUDE! to her? she couldn't take it any more that anticipation was killing her.
Just as Trixie was about to explode the door open and standing there was a purple dragon, Trixie was dumbfounded, her heart sank and tears started to well up, but she kept herself under control.
"Hey spike, is Twilight home?" said that Pink pony
"Uh, yeah i think she's upstairs, i'll go get her for you pinkie pie" said the baby dragon.
Pinkie turned to Trixie and started to ramble on again about nothing to Trixie's interest, she blocked her out and started to think of what she was going to do once she saw this 'Twilight' character. |
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QuickSticks45 | 326 | 3 | Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Fall | complete | -1 | -1 | <p>It's been a year after Twilight ruined the Great and Powerful Trixie representation she's become broke, homeless, and worst of all friendless and now she's out for her revenge and nothing is going to stop her from taking her life back. (This is my first fan-fiction so don't expect the best)</p> | everyone | 2011-07-31T04:31:14+00:00 | 2011-07-31T04:31:14+00:00 | 2,599 | Trixie finally got some idea thought up, and just in time for she heard hove steps coming from the house.
A purple unicorn stood in the door way, Trixie was speechless, she had this whole thing planned out but she couldn't do anything about it. "Hello? oh hey Pinkie what did you want?" said the purple unicorn
"Oh i didn't want anything but this pony said that she was looking for you." Twilight turned her gaze onto Trixie and her eyes widened as she realized who the pony was.
"Oh! it's you Trixie right? what can i do you for?"
Trixie just stood there, she had no idea what to do she just stood there like an idiot and then it just flooded her.
All of the feelings from the past year the failed shows, the insults, losing her stage, her home, the poverty, the shame.
She just couldn't help it anymore she just started to cry, uncontrolled tears rolled down her face, the shame of just standing on somepony's door step, one who she doesn't really know just crying.
Twilight had no idea what to do, so she just offered the strange pony inside.
Pinkie pie left and Trixie slowly walked into the house confused and upset, she sat down in a chair and twilight offered her some tea.
Trixie still sobbing takes the cup and Twilight sits down on the chair across from her.
"So it's been a while hasn't it?" Trixie didn't know what to say she was still crying but not as bad as the sobbing she was doing before.
"Listen I know the last time we meet wasn't the best, i'm sorry that everypony expected so much from you that was unfair of them to do that, but i had to do something i didn't even know i could do what i did but i never intended for people to treat you any differently."
Trixie was confused, she didn't remember it happening like that, she must be lying she must!
"LIAR!" Trixie screamed, "YOU DID NOTHING OF THE SORT YOU HIT ME AND TOOK ALL OF THE FAME!"
"Trixie i didn't, it was the Ursa Minor that knocked you down and i had to step in"
"But but, no, you're right i guess, to tell the truth i don't really remember what happened that day it was a while ago"
Trixie said with a sigh.
"I guess i should just go, it's not like it was your fault. I guess i'll just go find a box to sleep in" Trixie said with a frown and tears starting again. "wait, what do you mean? what happened to your wagon?" Twilight asked.
"Because of what happened a year ago, everypony said that i was a fraud, they cursed me everywhere i went i had to sell it just so i could live, but what does it matter to you?" Trixie said with a scowl.
"I just won't allow it, no pony should have to live like that epically a great and powerful one at that"
Twilight said with a wink.
Trixie was caught off guard she had no idea that this once what she thought was an evil pony turned out to be one of the nicest she had met. Twilight let Trixie live with her and spike, and after a few weeks she got a job preforming at the sugar cube corner to attract more customers. She finally felt good again, her life wasn't fully fixed but she couldn't complain she had a job, a place to live, food, and most importantly friends. |
|
Prince Colgate | 327 | 1 | Bon-Bon,DJ P0N-3,Derpy Hooves,Lyra,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Soarin,Spitfire,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Random,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Big Book of Ponies | complete | 24 | 6 | <p>My name is Corkscrew, and this is my Big Book of Ponies, a book detailing the information I gathered in the land of Equestria about the various pony inhabitants. From celebrities to orphans, this book has it all!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T18:21:34+00:00 | 2011-07-27T18:21:34+00:00 | 5,206 | Forward:
[ It’s my fourth day in this strange new world. I made first contact with what appears to be the dominant species of this planet, a species of equines. Some of them seem to have wings. They’re intelligent, like humans. Each one of them has a story to tell. I realize quickly that, as a Historian, it’s my job to record those stories. I set out to learn more about the individuals, eager to learn each one of their stories, as well as the different cultures of this planet.
The first thing I notice is three distinct categorizations of Equines. There are what they call Earth Ponies (which is very peculiar word choice, since Earth is the name of my home planet), which have no wings or horns, Unicorns which have horns and can use magic, and Pegasi, which have wings and can fly.
I get this information from a library in a town called Ponyville. The library is built inside a giant tree, which is peculiar. From this point on, I decide to log the stories of each individual equine. I will be recording the stories in this book in order of when I meet the equine. I will get as comprehensive of information as possible before moving on to the next equine. It’s a flawless plan.
My name, for all intents and purposes, is Corkscrew. It’s an unusual name, I came up with a name that sounded similar to other names in this society. Anyways, let us begin. ]
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Cork’s notes: The first equine I met was a purple unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. She was the keeper of the library. It was talking to her that I developed an organized system for recording information. I would start by giving some personal notes, like I am now. Then I would record the Equines specific race, occupation, and the strange symbol on their flank. Next, I would ask the Equine to tell me their life story (couldn’t hurt to try.) Then, in the future, if I learn more about an Equine from other Equines, I will record the new information. My explanation may be confusing, but you’ll get the hang of it.
Name: Twilight Sparkle
Race: Unicorn
Occupation: Library attendant/Student
Symbol: A big star surrounded by smaller stars
Personal account: “Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. When I was little, I went to the Summer Sun Festival, which is when our Princess, Princess Celestia, raises the sun for the longest day of Summer. There, I was blown away by the beauty of her magical abilities. From that point on, I dedicated my life to studying the arts of magic to be JUST like her. Of course, that was a silly dream, since she’s an alicorn (she has a horn and wings) and is sort of a Goddess. Anyway, I was young and had big dreams. So I practiced magic 24/7. Eventually, my parents enrolled me in Celestia’s school of magic. I was so excited, but I got really nervous during my entrance exam. I had to hatch a dragon egg.
So, I was there with the egg, as nervous as I’ve ever been. Then, suddenly, there was this incredible blast of rainbow energy, which caused me to almost explode in a magical fury. However, Princess Celestia came in and calmed me down, and taught me to control my power. Afterwards, she took me as her own personal pupil! Years later, I pretty much saved the entire world from eternal night and was sent here to Ponyville to study friendship. And, well, here I am!”
Closing Statements: I was amazed at how easy it was to get the Unicorn to talk. I’m hoping all the equines of the land will open up that easily. A few things that interest me: Princess Celestia, alicorns, the Eternal Night Fiasco (my own term), magic, and the studying of friendship. Everything else seemed pretty... Normal, actually. I’m still amazed that the equines speak English.
COLGATE
Cork’s notes: Upon leaving the library, I came across another Unicorn. This one had blue fur and a blue mane, with this really cool looking white stripe through it. Her mane looks kind of like... Toothpaste. And her name’s Colgate. What a strange coincidence.
Name: Colgate
Race: Unicorn
Occupation: Student at Canterlot University, currently studying abroad in Ponyville. (Which I hardly think is far enough from Canterlot to count as abroad... At least not by Earth standards.)
Symbol: Hourglass.
Personal account: “Colgate’s actually my surname. My first name is Atria, but most of my friends just call me Colgate. I’m a time student. You can tell by my hourglass cutie mark that my special talent is time. I’m actually the only student in Mr. Doctor Whoof’s Time 101 class at Canterlot University. I’m here in Ponyville studying the time progression of Equestria in a more tame enviroment... At least that’s what Mr. Doctor said. I’m not actually entirely sure what I’m supposed to be doing here... Don’t telly anypony though.
I first noticed my special talent when I was just a little filly. Ya know, like most fillies do. I was skating, on ice and what not, and suddenly the ice broke and a friend of mine named Bon-Bon fell in. I was there with another friend, Lyra, and we didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, this really weird thing happened, and time basically rewound to right before Bon-Bon fell in, and I was able to save her. Of course, I was the only one who remembered this. Nopony believed me, until I met Mr. Doctor Whoof at Canterlot University, who said I had a very rare gift. That’s about all, I’ve been studying with him ever since. I tell most ponies that I make hourglasses, since ponies don’t believe me when I tell the truth. Honestly, I’m not sure why I told you the truth, I don’t even know who... Or what you are.”
Closing Statements: It seems that there are some Equines (or Ponies as they call themselves) who have incredible powers like none of the others. Including power over time itself. I would be very interested in meeting this Doctor Whoof, so I plan to take the next train to Canterlot. With luck, I’ll meet somepony interesting on the train. One last thing, I’ve learned that the mysterious symbols on the ponies’ flanks are called Cutie Marks, and they represent that Pony’s special talent in life. I will apply this knowledge to future entries.
LYRA
Cork’s notes: Another Unicorn. Odd. It seems that Canterlot is the main home of the Unicorn race, from what I gather. From what I gathered, there are two train routes. One goes from Ponyville, to Fillydelphia, to Appleloosa, and back to Ponyville. The other goes from Ponyville, to Canterlot, to Manehattan, underneath Cloudsdale (the Pegasus city in the sky), then back to Ponyville. I’ve noticed this odd trend of references to my homeworld (Colgate, Fillydelphia, Appleloosa, Manehattan) I wonder what that could mean. I also note that Lyra is one of the friends Colgate mentioned.
Name: Lyra
Race: Unicorn
Occupation: Musician.
Cutie Mark: A lyre (Go figure), though she supposedly is capable of playing any stringed instrument.
Personal Account: “I was raised from a young age to play stringed instruments. I could play the lyre pretty well by age 6, and learned others as I went. I had fierce competition my whole life from this Earth Pony named Octavia. She was a cellist, and she was good. Fierce competition, no doubt. However, unlike her, I had friends. Colgate, Bon-Bon and I have been best friends for years! When we all turned of age, we rode the rails all around Equestria! What an adventure that was. Then Colgate went off to learn to control her time magic, and left us behind. It was sad, but we were happy for her.
Bon-Bon and I remain friends to this day... Really close friends. We live together even. I’m actually on my way back to our home in Canterlot right now. I’m so excited to see her again. Everytime I come home from a long trip like this, she always has a batch of warm, fresh baked cookies waiting, or muffins, or, sometimes, bon-bons. She makes the best bon-bons... Hence her name [She smiled at this point. She seemed to be really fond of this Bon-Bon... Another Unicorn no doubt.] It’s really impressive that she can cook so well, since she’s an Earth Pony and doesn’t have any magic. [I stand corrected.] Well... That’s enough about me.. What about you? What’s your name?” This caught me off guard. She wanted to know about ME? The other two just rambled on until they had to leave... Well, I didn’t want to seem rude.
“My name’s Corkscrew.” I said. “I’m not really from around here.”
“I could see that.” She commented. Luckily for me, about then, the train pulled into Canterlot station. “Oh, well I guess it’s time to go. See you around!”
Closing Statements: I was beginning to think that these ponies only cared about talking about themselves. It’s good to know that they care about other people too, but it makes things difficult for me... I’ll have to think of a backstory... And it would be really helpful if I didn’t stand out so much. Also, I’m now 90% sure that there are lesbians in this society. They aren’t as different from humanity as I expected.
DOCTOR WHOOF
Cork’s notes: Finally, and Earth Pony! I found him in a little office at Canterlot University, no students, just like Colgate said. I must say, he’s certainly an unusual pony... But my encounter with him turned out to be incredibly useful.
Name: Doctor Whoof
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Teacher at Canterlot University/Timelord, as he calls it.
Cutie Mark: Hourglass
Personal Account: “Allo! I’m Doctor Whoof. You can just call me The Doctor. Actually, I’d prefer it if you called my The Doctor. Not sure why, that’s just what everypony calls me. I call me that too, still don’t know why... And it’s my life story you want? Well... I was born in Canterlot, a coal miner’s son... And you don’t believe that for one minute, do you? Okay, fine then, the truth. I can tell you’re not from around here. Likely from a different planet. Well, you see, so am I. You may have heard of my species, but you probably haven’t. What are you, a Kaled? A human maybe? [This shocked me. He knew what I was. I just nodded.] Ah, of course. I’ve met humans. I actually spent a good ammount of time with them. I have this thing that can make me look like a human. I’m a Timelord, from the planet Gallopfrey.”
“I’m Corkscrew, from the planet Earth.” I responded... Oddly. I felt the need to converse with this pony.
“Ah, I knew it. However, I really doubt your real name is Corkscrew.”
“I really doubt your real name’s Doctor.”
“... Fair enough. All right then! So, you came to this planet, not entirely sure how, and, being a human, you want to learn everything about it. Oh, I love humans like you. Am I right?” I nod. “Well, I’m guessing then that you’re looking for a way to blend in then?” I nod again. “Then I have just what you need.”
Closing Statements: The Doctor used this device on me called a Chameleon Arch. He said it originally only worked on Timelords, and it’s supposed to wipe your memory, but he’s adjusted it since arriving in Equestria to make it more effective. He gave me some bits so I could make it in the world. I am now Corkscrew the pegasus. I can fly! It feels wise to head to Cloudsdale now, simply because I can... But first, I need some sort of backstory.
CORKSCREW
Cork’s notes: From the name, it sounds as though I bottle wine or something. However, I’ve seen no alcohol in this world yet, so I need to improvise. My story is shaky at best, but it should be enough.
Name: Corkscrew
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Documentarian (A word I just made up. It means one who makes documentaries.) Doing a documentary on average Pony life.
Cutie Mark: Open book with a quil laying on it
Personal Account: My mother Capscrew and my father Woodscrew were both carpenters. They named me Corkscrew in hope that I would follow in their footsteps. However, I soon discovered that my special talent was in recording the stories of different ponies around the world. So, when I turned of age, I set out to work on my documentary, documenting the individual lives of every pony I could find. [This story works well, since it accurately depicts my true intentions anyway.]
Closing Statements: Now that I have a story, and at least one other... Foreigner I know I can trust in Canterlot, I set out for Cloudsdale, still getting a hang of the whole flying thing. Also, note: Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds. Isn’t that something?
DITZY DOO
Cork’s notes: The first Pegasus I met on my journey to Cloudsdale was a very unusual grey pegasus. She seemed to fly as poorly as I did, and when I tried to talk to her, she just mumbled about muffins and stuff I couldn’t understand. I took a break a while after meeting her to rest on the ground under a tree, and she showed up and gave me a letter. I used the letter for her personal account.
Name: Ditzy Doo
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Mail Pony
Cutie Mark: Bubbles (Which seems to have nothing to do with mail delivery.
Personal account: Dear Mr. Screw,
All my life, I’ve never been really good at talking. Because of this, at a young age, they gave me the nickname “Derpy Hooves”. It wasn’t until we started writing letters and essays that I learned I could write so much better than I could speak. Articulating my thoughts into spoken words was always difficult for me, but I could write them down just fine.
It wasn’t long after I learned to write well that I got my Cutie Mark. To this day, I’m not entirely sure what it means, but I think it’s symbolic. A bubble seems like nothing, a little thing that floats away, but when you think about it, it’s so much more. A bubble is a fragile little thing that floats through the air, solely because it’s lighter than the air itself. I think it’s kind of like me. I seem like I’m just a derpy little pegasus, but there’s so much more to me than that.
I loved writing letters especially. I guess that’s part of why I became a mail carrier. I work all around Equestria. I’m not the only mail carrier of course, but a lot of people say I’m the best. I don’t know though. Anyway, that’s essentially my story. Thank you for taking the time to read this [there’s a drawing of a smiley-face].
Love, Ditzy Doo
Closing statements: Ditzy Doo is probably the most interesting pony I’ve met yet. She’s just so... She seems brilliant, though she can barely say anything other than “muffin”. Literally when she gave me the letter, she said “Delivery for the muffins”. When I read that letter, expecting a bunch of random scribbles, it pretty much took my breath away. It was at that point that I remembered why I loved my job so much.
RAINBOW DASH
Cork’s notes: First of all, here in Cloudsdale, I finally found a type-writer that works with hooves. It’s useful, though packing it around is a pain. Due to the influence of magic, this culture seems to be less technologically evolved. I bump into a hot-shot pegasus named Rainbow Dash, who’s here visiting her family. Something about her account seems unusual.
Name: Rainbow Dash
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Weather Worker (apparently she clears clouds and sets up rain storms and what not. Strange, really. Everything natural seems to be done manually here.)
Cutie Mark: A rainbow lightning bolt coming out of a cloud.
Personal account: “Hey! I’m Rainbow Dash, the fastest, coolest pegasus in all of Equestria! One day, I’m gonna fly with the Wonderbolts, just watch me! Then, EVERYPONY will know how great I am! I won the best young fliers competition a while back. That’s PROOF that I’m the best. I saved lives too! My friend Rarity, and the Wonderbolts themselves. I saved their lives, they HAVE to let me join them someday!
I’m here in Cloudsdale visiting my family. Ya know, my real family. My mother and father and uncles and all that. Yep. I visit them a lot. They write me letters a lot too. They can’t go a day without missing me it seems! Boy does my family love me. They’re the best! The coolest family in Equestria! Well, I gotta get going, gotta visit my family and go fly around some more, like I do! Because I’m the best! Later!” [Then she left]
Closing statements: She seemed to focus heavily on how she was the best flier and had a wonderful family. However, she told me nothing of her actual past. I do have intentions of meeting this pegasus again, and hopefully uncovering the truth. That’s one thing I tend to be pretty good at. I should be a detective, with an hourglass Cutie Mark. Anyway, since my encounter with Rainbow Dash was so brief and chaotic, I don’t even know if it deserves its own full article, but whatever. Every bit of information helps. At least I vaguely know who she is now.
SPITFIRE
Cork’s notes: I’m now staying at the Cloudsdale Inn. The Wonderbolts are staying here too. Turns out they actually live in Canterlot, which I found unusual. Turns out more than just Unicorns live there after all. I figure I should try to talk to them, get their stories and all. Since they’re famous, I don’t want to miss this opportunity.
Name: Spitfire
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Wonderbolt (professional stunt-flier)
Cutie Mark: … I don’t know actually. She always wears her uniform. It has a lightning bolt on the flank, but I don’t know if that’s her Cutie Mark. I never asked her to take it off. I don’t know about pony culture, but I know it’s not natural for a human male to ask a female he just met to take off her clothes.
Personal account: “Well, I’m Spitfire, but you probably already knew that. I’m a Wonderbolt. If we had an official captain, it would either be me or Soarin. Probably me. We usually just both fill the role though.
I was raised here in Cloudsdale, like most Pegasi. I flew sooner and better than anypony in my class. I was sent to Flight School a year early. I graduated Flight School a year early [Go figure] and before long, I was a Wonderbolt apprentice. I had family in the Wonderbolts. My brother, Jetfire, he was the captain when I first joined as an apprentice. He was injured in a flight accident and couldn’t perform anymore, so I stepped up. Before long, I was respected like a captain, but we all still thought of Jetfire as our captain, even though he no longer performed.
Closing statements: I couldn’t get a lot from her, since she had to get ready for a performance, and I never got to speak to any other members of the Wonderbolts, but I was rather interested in some parts of her story. Ideally this Jetfire. I would have to hunt the Wonderbolts down again one day.
A LETTER TO DITZY DOO
Cork’s notes: This is not a usual article, I just feel inclined to document this. I sat down in the Cloudsdale Inn and typed up a letter to Ditzy Doo. Why I did this, I’m not entirely sure. I felt some sort of obligation to respond to that lovely letter from such a... Well, Derpy looking pegasus. I also felt it necessary to meet some new ponies I’ve been told about. Bon-Bon, Octavia, and Jetfire were all on my immediate list. As though becoming a pony has caused me to start thinking like a pony. Go figure.
Letter: Dear Ditzy Doo,
I was thoroughly impressed by your letter and the information in it. It was amusing, and it reminded me why I became a documentarian. To hear and record the individual stories of each individual, to see beyond stereotypes and assumptions, to recognize the fact that every pony I see and meet is a unique individual with their own life. And for this, I thank you. You really are something.
-Corkscrew
OCTAVIA
Cork’s notes: I packed up my type-writer and left Cloudsdale. I caught the train at the station underneath Cloudsdale and headed to Manehattan. This time, I sat across from a grey Earth Pony with a cello case next to her. I was joyful when I found out who she was.
Name: Octavia
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Musician
Cutie Mark: A treble cleff. This leads me to believe that music theory works about the same in Equestria. Another strange coincidence.
Personal account: “I was forced to play the cello as a filly. I was raised in Manehattan, and my parents were both high-class musicians. They raised me with Beethoofen and other classical musicians. This aggravated me through most of my childhood, leading me to hate this thing. [She motions towards her cello]
However, all that changed when I was ten years old. My parents took me to this show. An orchestra, conducted by this famous Maestro, who’s now retired, who was known only as The Maestro. They played Beethoofen’s ninth symphony, and it was AMAZING. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard. From that day on, I dedicated myself to music by choice, not because my parents made me. And from that point on, I got so much better. Now, I’m definitely one of the best in Equestria. My only real competition is a unicorn named Lyra. She’s similar to me in many ways, and even though I usually beat her, she’s getting better and better. I respect her as a fellow musician, and would actually really love to perform with her one day.” [ Before we parted, she gave me her address, and told me to write if I wanted or stop by sometime. I didn’t find out as much as I could have, so I’ll probably take her up on that offer... Solely for Documentarying, of course (I made that word up too)]
Closing statements: That was all we had time for. The train arrived in Manehattan. The first thing that crossed my mind was her story compared to Lyra’s. Lyra seemed to envy Octavia, almost malicefully. Octavia seemed to respect Lyra as competition, and possibly a future band-member.
The next thing that crossed my mind was, of course, The Maestro. The only other pony I’d met with a name so vague was The Doctor. The name’s were similar in that neither of them were names, just titles. I made a note of this, eager to one day meet The Maestro.
The last thing that crossed my mind is that my personality seemed to be changing since I’ve become a pegasus. As though the Chameleon Arch changed more than just my appearance. Either that, or the society is rubbing off on me. Either way, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
FLAT HAT
Cork’s notes: The first pony to catch my eyes in Manehattan was a young orange Earth Pony selling newspapers. This interested me, because I could have sworn I saw that same pony in Ponyville. I spent several days in Cloudsdale, so it was fully possible for her to come here by train... The only thing that I wondered was why.
Name: Flat Hat
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Newspaper salespony
Cutie Mark: A Newspaper (Go figure)
Personally account: I was raised here in Manehattan. I was an orphan. Raised in the Manehattan orphanage. There weren’t many other orphans. Just a few earth ponies and this wild blue pegasus. I never talked to her, she seemed like a hot shot. Either way, I haven’t seen her since I was old enough to leave that place. It wasn’t a TERRIBLE place, better than the streets.
I got a job back in the orphanage as a newspaper salespony. When I grew up, the owner of the stand retired and gave it to me. Recently I hired a young colt to run the shop back in Ponyville, and came here to open a new shop. [Pony’s set up franchises too. Go figure.]
That’s... Pretty much it about me. My life hasn’t been too exciting. Anyway, how about a newspaper?
Closing Statements: I bought a newspaper, it felt like a common courtesy. The paper’s headlines told of Princess Luna’s return to the throne, and the agriculture section told of a rock farm that almost went bankrupt, but was saved by a sudden, unexplained, mass purchase of rocks. The rock farm is said to be the only rock farm left in Equestria. Ran by a stallion named Mutton Pie.
So I added two new ponies to my list to visit. Princess Luna, and Mutton Pie.
FRÉDÉRIC HORSESHOEPIN
Cork’s notes: I decided to take a short break and see a concert. It was a total coincidence that the concert happened to feature Octavia, the musical mare I’d only just met. After the concert, I was able to get backstage and meet her pianist, Frédéric Horseshoepin. I, of course, took advantage of the opportunity to interview him.
Name: Frédéric Horseshoepin
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Musician, pianist specifically.
Cutie Mark: Two sets of double eighth notes, one black, and one white.
Personal Account: I was born and raised here in Manehattan. I started taking piano lessons at age 8 by choice, wanting to grow up to be a marvelous pianist. I would say I was successful. Now I perform with Octavia here. Before you ask, no, there’s no romantic involvement. I have a wife. Her name is Bluenote, she is a sousaphone player. She lives in Canterlot. She performs with us when we’re in the area.
Octavia and met Blue and myself about a year and a half ago. She was doing a small, solo performance, and I just loved the idea of helping a younger musician make it in the world, so I took her under my wing... So to speak. [I nodded. They had to get going, so I said good-bye to Frédéric Horseshoepin, and Octavia of course.]
Closing Statements: Frédéric Horseshoepin seemed alright. Not my favorite. Not the most interesting story either. Octavia continues to interest me though. I feel like I can learn more from her in the future. I will definitely try to speak to her again... Completeley professionally of course, for the sake of my research... Go figure.
Coming soon: Rainbow Dash Part 2, Scootaloo, Soarin, and Mutton Pie, and more! |
|
Prince Colgate | 327 | 2 | Bon-Bon,DJ P0N-3,Derpy Hooves,Lyra,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Soarin,Spitfire,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Random,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Big Book of Ponies | complete | 24 | 6 | <p>My name is Corkscrew, and this is my Big Book of Ponies, a book detailing the information I gathered in the land of Equestria about the various pony inhabitants. From celebrities to orphans, this book has it all!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T17:13:49+00:00 | 2011-07-27T17:13:49+00:00 | 4,165 | THE BIG BOOK OF PONIES
THE TALES OF EVERYPONY
MUTTON PIE
Cork’s notes: It wasn’t too difficult to get directions to the nearby Rock Farm. It was relatively close to Manehattan, which made my job relatively easy. When I arrived, I was greeted by Mutton Pie himself. I introduced myself, told him I was a documentarian and I was making some sort of documentary, and asked him for his life story. Surprisingly, just like everypony else, he obliged (weird how that works.)
Name: Mutton Pie
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Rock farmer
Cutie Mark: Rock hammers (Note to self: Cutie Marks tend to be very straight forward.)
Personal Account: I was born on this ‘ere Rock Farm like my father before me. I raised a family
here, three beautiful daughters. There’s Maggie Pie, Blinky Pie, and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie’s called Pinkie because she’s pink. Maggie and Blinky, just good names.
Pinkie done left the farm a few years back. So did Maggie. No idea what they’ve been up to lately. Probably for the best that they leave this place, the farm ain’t doing so well. Not many ponies need rocks no more. This really strange Gentlecolt came by a few days ago and bought a whole lotta rocks. Only reason we’re still in business. Wouldn’t say his name. Just said he were The Doctor. Strange fellow.
This place was real sad before Pinkie happened. She was such a happy lil filly, she made everypony around here feel so excited. Pretty sure that’s her special talent, making ponies happy. Things haven’t been the same since she left. Blinky stuck around to help on the farm. Her cutie mark showed up and it was a rock, guess she’s the heir to the family business.
That’s basically it. No need to talk about my childhood. Nothin’ exciting there. I live here alone now with Maggie. I really don’t know how much longer we’ll last.”
Closing statements: The old stallion seemed to care more about his daughters than anything. I noticed something pretty big missing from his story, somepony he just completely redacted from his story. I would have to hunt down Blinky or Pinkie, since Maggie seemed to be busy with farming... Rock farming... Such an unusual profession.
SCOOTALOO
Cork’s notes: I flew back to Cloudsdale. I was getting better at flying. Much better. I was headed back to Cloudsdale, and that’s when I met this little scamp. She was flying through these little cloud rings. She was just a little filly, and I could tell she wasn’t that great at flying yet. I hadn’t really gotten a chance to interview a child yet. It seemed like a good idea.
Name: Scootaloo
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Student
Cutie Mark: N/A
Personal Account: My name’s Scootaloo, and one day, I’ll be the fastest, coolest flier in Equestria! Just like Rainbow Dash! Yeah, I was born and live here in Cloudsdale. I have friends down in Ponyville though! Tons of them! Well, two, we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders! On a quest to find out who we are!
“My Dad worked in the weather factory. He died in a horrible Rainbow accident a few years ago... My mother works at the Cloudsdale bakery. She’s a baker. She bakes food. [GO FIGURE!] I wonder if my special talent is one of those things. I’m not a good baker, and I’m sort of been banned from the weather factory ever since the incident with the snowflakes... I SORT OF broke half of the snowflakes in the factory and almost caused a drought... But not quite, so I guess that’s something to be proud of.
Rainbow Dash is the coolest pony ever! She knows what it’s like to not have parents, and she was there for me when I lost my father. She always acts so cool, because she is, but she can be caring too! She’s always been like a big sister to me. Sorry though, I have to go. Don’t wanna keep my mother waiting! Bye, mister! [And she ran off.]”
Closing Statements: Scootaloo was definitely an interesting child. She was so peppy and energetic, even though she lost a parent not too long ago. I can’t say I would be that optimistic at that age. One other thing caught my attention though. She mentioned Rainbow Dash not having parents. I remember Flat Hat telling me about a blue hot shot pegasus at the Orphanage for a few years. Simple deductive reasoning tells me that Rainbow Dash wasn’t in Cloudsdale visiting her family afterall, but was instead visiting a little orange filly. Perhaps it’s time I meet up with Rainbow Dash again.
SOARIN
Cork’s notes: In an attempt to locate Rainbow Dash, I went to the Wonderbolts performance in Cloudsdale. For living in Canterlot, they sure spent a lot of time here in Cloudsdale. Unfortunately, no sign of Rainbow Dash. Afterwards I checked into the Cloudsdale Inn. Of course, the Wonderbolts were staying there as well. In fairness, there weren’t many other places to stay. It was at this point that I realized I was going to need money soon. I guess that would mean I would need a real job... Oh dear.
Anyway, so, Cloudsdale Inn, the Wonderbolts. I take advantage of the situation to get an interview with another member of the Wonderbolts, Soarin. A male. (Note to self, a gender section may be useful in future entries.)
Name: Soarin
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Wonderbolt, performance flier
Cutie Mark: N/A, he always wears his uniform. There is no way I’m going to ask a MALE to take his clothes off. Even if most the males I’ve met are already naked.
Personal Account: “Well, let’s see. I was born in Cloudsdale, like the majority of Pegasi. I graduated Flight School at the normal time, I wasn’t early like Spitfire. [He gives a slightly indignant look] Anyway, I impressed the Wonderbolts by winning the Best Young Fliers competition. I’m a few years older than Spitfire also, so I was a Wonderbolt first. When I was flying with them, Jetfire was still in charge.”
At this moment, curiosity pushed me to do something I don’t normally do. Ask a question. “What ever became of Jetfire?”
“Oh boy” Soarin’s eyes widened. “Jetfire was an amazing Pony. Faster, braver, and more agile than any I’d ever seen. But... There was an accident. Spitfire... She thought she could show him up. She went too high, showing off. There’s no oxygen way up there, ya know? She stayed up too long... She passed out and came plummeting down. Jetfire jumped in and rescued her, but when he caught her, it through him off his balance. He hit the ground and broke both legs and a wing. Spitfire was fine... But Jetfire was done for.
He never fully recovered. It was terrible. He became a recluse, didn’t talk to anypony anymore. Because of the incident, no one wanted Spitfire to be in the Wonderbolts... Except for Jetfire. He insisted she be let in.
Of course, over time, she grew on us. She felt guilty for what happened. She’d become less reckless, more under control. With that, she became more mature. We grew to like her pretty quickly. Now, her and I are the closest of friends.
As for Jetfire, well, he lives near here actually. A small cloud mass to the north, just outside of Cloudsdale. Nopony goes there, he doesn’t talk to anypony. Ever.”
Closting statements:: I feel bad for caring more about Jetfire than Soarin himself. At this point, I’m not entirely sure what to do next. I want to continue my search for Rainbow Dash... Though I also want to find this Jetfire. The main difference is I actually knew where Jetfire was. Ultimately, I decided to head over and pay a visit to this mysterious stallion.
JETFIRE
I found the small cloud cluster relatively easily. There was a medium sized cottage built on it... Not really what I was expecting. I was expecting a glorious cloud mansion or something. Anyway, I summoned up a fair ammount of bravery and knocked loudly on the door. Surprisingly, he answered. Well, for once, just asking for his life story didn’t work exactly. A sort of... Dialogue insued.
Name: Jetfire
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Retired Wonderbolt
Cutie Mark: Orange Lightning Bolt
Personal account: “Yeah, I’m Jetfire. You clearly already know me, or you wouldn’t be here. I have a question of my own. Answer this, and maybe I’ll talk. Who exactly are YOU?”
The question caught me off guard. It had been a long while since somepony had asked that. “My name’s Corkscrew. I’m a Documentarian.”
“Corkscrew? That’s an odd name for a Documentarian. That’s an odd name in general. I hope you’re not lying to me.”
“No, of course not. I’m Corkscrew the Documentarian Pegasus.”
“Uh huh... Well then. I’m sure you’ve heard all about my accident then?” I nodded. “So, I assume you want to know what I’ve been up to since I retired?” I nodded again. “Nothing. That’s what.”
“... Nothing at all? Really?”
“I responded to a lie with another lie.”
“What do you mean?”
“You lied about your name, so I lied too.”
“... You’re a clever one. Very clever.”
“Quite. So, are you going to tell me the truth then?”
“... No.” Was my only response. He smiled and shut the door. I was Corkscrew now, whoever I was before doesn’t matter. Why should I talk about myself anyway? This book is about Ponies, not humans.
Closing statements: Jetfire retired after his accident with the Wonderbolts. Let it go down in history that he has accomplished nothing at all since he retired.
RAINBOW DASH PART 2
Cork’s notes: I left Jetfire’s cottage feeling slight tinges of regret. Was it really so much for me to just tell him who I was? Yes, it was. I felt a little better when I got to Cloudsdale and saw a familiar blue pegasus. I flagged her down, ready to confront her with everything I knew. It felt pretty cool, it reminded me of this video game back on Earth, where you gather evidence and stuff then present it to people to make them talk. I felt like an investigator. I should have named myself Gummyhooves.
Anyway, back on topic, I confronted her, told her about what Flat Hat said and what Scootaloo had said. It was great, because, just like in that video game, her expression went from all chill and happy, to worried and anxious almost instantly. Score one for Corkscrew. And then, I finally got a good personal account from her... And I can’t say I’d fully expected what I got.
Name: Rainbow Dash
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Weather Worker
Cutie Mark: Rainbow Lightning Bolt coming out of a cloud.
Gender: Female
Personal Account: “Alright, it’s true, I didn’t have parents. I still don’t... Obviously. I spent some time in the Cloudsdale orphanage, and the Manehattan orphanage, before finally just breaking out and living on my own. I couldn’t stand the confinement. I needed to be free...
The outside world wasn’t as awesome as I’d thought. I had no food, no shelter, nothing. I was alone in the world. Just a filly who was too cool for the rest of the world... [She gives a half-hearted chuckle] I stayed around Manehattan for a while, but eventually headed back to Cloudsdale. This is where I was born, so I considered it to be home.
I couldn’t fly great yet. Yeah, surprising, I know, but I was really young. Still a little blank-flank. It was easy to escape the orphanage, since they don’t really care about us there. But while I was walking to Cloudsdale, I came across this awesome stallion! He was the coolest pegasus I’d ever met! He was fast, he was cool, he was a Wonderbolt! He took me under his wing. He taught me to fly and to be cool and everything. I respected that bright orange stallion like no other!
Finally, I used everything he’d taught me to stand up for a little yellow pegasus who could hardly fly at all. I flew in a race in her honor, and did a Sonic Rainboom! It was SOOOO AWESOME! I... I wanted to tell Jet what had happened, but I couldn’t find him. He was just, gone. I searched for him, but could never find him.... I... I figured he was... Gone...
I didn’t mope though. He wouldn’t have wanted me to. I went on to become the new coolest pony in all of Equestria, just like he was! And one day, I’ll be the captain of the Wonderbolts, just like he was!
Closing statements: I smiled and thanked her for telling her real story. It always felt good to get others to open up to you. It’s one of the best parts of being a documentarian.
There was something I couldn’t ignore though. Cool, orange, Wonderbolt captain named “Jet”? Small world, isn’t it? This confused me greatly... And almost made me wish I HAD given in to Jetfire’s request and told the truth. However, if I could get Rainbow Dash to talk through gathering information, I can do the same to Jet! For I am Detective Gummyshoes!
… Not really, I’m Corkscrew. I find myself rambling a little more, becoming more random. What has this world done to me?
A LETTER FROM OCTAVIA
Cork’s notes: I received a letter at the Inn in Cloudsdale. It was from Octavia. I’m not sure how she knew I was in Cloudsdale, or if she just gave it to Ditzy and told her to find me. Either way, I was happy to receive a letter from sompony I knew.
“Dear Corkscrew,
I found my good friend Ditzy Doo and asked her if she could find you and deliver this letter to you. [One question down] I’m sure she’ll succeed, she’s an excellent mail-mare. Anyway, I have a friend I’m sure you’d like to meet. She’s a little bit... Unusual, but I told her about you and your documentary and she said she’d really like to be part of it.
We’re currently in Canterlot, and we probably will be for quite a while. It would be wonderful if you could meet us there.
Your friend,
Octavia
Closing statements: Alright, I’m famous!
TWILIGHT SPARKLE ON OTHER PONIES
Cork’s notes: I was on the train heading to Canterlot, and it passed through Ponyville. There, a familiar Purple Unicorn boarded the train and sat across from me. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. This entry is a little different than most other entries. In this entry, I get Twilight Sparkle’s opinion on some of the other ponies I’ve met, or ones I’ve heard of. I didn’t ask about all of them though, just a few particular ponies.
Twilight on Ditzy Doo: “Well, she’s a little... Unusual, but she’s really nice, and a wonderful mail-mare. She also makes the BEST muffins. She tends to crash a lot, due to her wall eyes, but other than that, she’s fantastic!
Twilight Sparkle on Rainbow Dash: “Rainbow can be a little cocky at times, but she usually is actually as good as she says she is. She’s probably the loyalest pony you’ll ever meet, too!”
Twilight Sparkle on Jetfire: “I’m sorry, but I have no idea who that is.” [Go figure... Wait, no, that was actually rather unexpected.]
Twilight Sparkle on Princess Luna: “Princess Luna is in charge of the night sky. A little bit over a thousand years ago, she was overcome by jealousy and turned into the evil Nightmare Moon. She came back recently and was defeated by the Elements of Harmony.”
Closing statements: As usual, the interview was cut short by the train arriving at its destination... Trains move FAST around here it seems. Note to self: Learn more about the Elements of Harmony.
VINYL SCRATCH (AKA DJ P0N-3)
Cork’s notes: I found Octavia just outside of Canterlot University. I’m not entirely sure why, maybe she was just passing by. She was there with her friend, a DJ pony. Quite honestly NOT what I was expecting. I was expecting another high-class musician or something.
Name: Vinyl Scratch, Stage name DJ P0N-3 (Honestly, with a name like Vinyl Scratch, why would you need a stage name?)
Race: Unicorn
Occupation: DJ
Cutie Mark: Two black eighth notes
Gender: Female
Personal account: “YO! I’m Vinyl Scratch! The best DJ pony in Canterlot. Well, the only DJ pony in Canterlot. Not a lot of call for DJs around here really. Anyway, yeah, DJ P0N-3! I was born and raised in Canterlot, but moved to Manehattan at a young age for schooling... I was expelled from Canterlot elementary. Absenses, I showed up about four days a semester. Then I went to Manehattan Elementary and found a reason to show up. A friend, Octavia! We were VERY different ponies, but we both had a love for music, VERY different kinds of music though.
We had another thing in common. Neither of us really had friends. Octavia was too stuffy to make many friends, and, well, I was just too cool for everypony! We were best friends until we graduated from Manehattan High School and went our separate ways. I came to Canterlot to become a DJ, but I work outside of Canterlot too. If you ever need a DJ, I’m your mare. Here, I’ll give you my mailing address. [She magicked a pencil and paper from her saddlebag and wrote down a number, and handed it to me. I thanked her, and we parted ways.]
Closing statements: The only thing I really found enlightening was that Octavia clearly DID have at least one friend, despite what Lyra said. This is something worth noting. Also, I would almost say that Octavia does have at least one other friend. A little pegasus named Corkscrew.
… And suddenly I consider the ponies friends. I’m clearly becoming localized, or institutionalized... Or... Ponilized. I made that word up.
CORK’S NOTES
Alright, so, I’m taking a short break from actual entries to outline my actual plans for upcoming entries. Here are things I need to do:
1. Get information about Jetfire.
2. Learn about the Elements of Harmony.
3. Locate either Blinky Pie or Pinkie Pie.
4. Figure out what exactly a Time Lord is (this one just recently crossed my mind. I think I’d mostly forgotten about The Doctor.)
5. Find a more efficient way of recording information. Carrying this type-writer around is getting exhausting.
As for number 1, let’s look at what I know already:
1. He’s Spitfire’s brother
2. He was Rainbow Dash’s idol
3. He dissapeared at the same time that Rainbow Dash achieved glory. Perhaps another coincidence, those are rather common in this world it seems.
4. He is very clever.
That is quite literally all I know, unless I’m forgetting something, or overlooking something huge. I’ll review my notes when I have time.
I’ve been in this world for approximately three and a half months. I am now broke. I plan to return to Cloudsdale and get a job in the weather factory or something.
SNOW SNIPS
Cork’s notes: I went back to Cloudsdale and got a job in the weather factory or something. Everypony in Cloudsdale seems to know me now. It seems word of my work has spread. My boss in the weather factory, Snow Snips, asked if he could be in the book. I agreed, of course. The more ponies the better. Also, if it gets me a job, then it’s fine by me.
Name: Snow Snips
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Snowflake maker
Cutie Mark: A snowflake (I feel like saying “go figure”, but I feel like I’ve worn that phrase out)
Gender: Male
Personal account: “When I was young, my father was a stunt flier. Not a Wonderbolt, he was part of a different team called Team Blizzard. It was a strange name, but it was started because all of the team members had close relatives who worked in the weather factory. My mother was the head of Snowflake production, and when she retired, the position passed on to me.
My story’s not that interesting, I’m afraid. Team Blizzard competed against the Wonderbolts back when Jetfire was still around. [Always Jetfire. EVERYPONY loves Jetfire] The Wonderbolts won of course, but not by a whole lot! My girlfriend is a Wonderbolt. My family has a history of snowflake makers being with stunt fliers. I just happened to be the first to be with a Wonderbolt. We’ve been together for so long, I think I may propose to her soon! [I don’t dare ask which Wonderbolt in particular he’s referring to. I feel like I already know]
Anyway, here at the weather factory, each snowflake is hand made to be 100% unique! It’s a fun job, and it pays well. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
Closing statements: I have not actually enjoyed the job. It’s actually rather tedious. But the pay is good, and I get three day weekends, so I’m not complaining.
THE TRUTH OF THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY
Cork’s notes: I returned to Canterlot during one of my weekends. I’ve gotten quite good at flying, and now find it easier to fly than to take a train. I headed to Canterlot University, with the intention of visiting The Doctor, and perhaps interviewing some other teachers. However, my intentions changed when I found a book of old Pony-lore at Canterlot University Library, and found an article in it called “The Truth of the Elemenets of Harmony”. I decided to read it. Here’s what it said:
“There are 6 Elements of Harmony. Kindness, Loyalty, Laughter, Honesty, Genorosity, and Magic. Despite most stories, the Elements of Harmony were not objects, but ponies. The six original Elements were as follows (the names are very old Equestrian names):
Kindness: Docterell (Male, Earth Pony)
Loyalty: Jetier (Male, Pegasus)
Laughter: Vinalyia (Female, Unicorn)
Honesty: Octrella (Female, Earth Pony)
Genorosity: Sapphira (Female, Pegasus)
Magic: Celestia (Female, Alicorn)
These are the elements of harmony who combined their powers to defeat Nightmare Moon and imprison her in the moon. In doing so, the power of the elements was lost. However, legend says that a small bit of the power stayed with each one of them, granting them all eternal life. These ponies are now referred to by those who know of them as The Immortals.”
Closing statements: The only name I recognized was Celestia. Princess Celestia, no doubt. I think it’s about time I take my documentary to the highest authority.
Coming soon: Princess Luna, Pinkie Pie, Spitfire Part 2, Bon-Bon, Jetfire Part 2, and more! |
|
Prince Colgate | 327 | 3 | Bon-Bon,DJ P0N-3,Derpy Hooves,Lyra,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Soarin,Spitfire,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Random,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Big Book of Ponies | complete | 24 | 6 | <p>My name is Corkscrew, and this is my Big Book of Ponies, a book detailing the information I gathered in the land of Equestria about the various pony inhabitants. From celebrities to orphans, this book has it all!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T04:59:22+00:00 | 2011-07-27T04:59:22+00:00 | 2,716 | THE BIG BOOK OF PONIES
THE TALES OF EVERYPONY
BON-BON
Cork’s notes: While walking through Canterlot, boldly heading towards the palace, I came across an old friend, Lyra. She had her dear friend Bon-Bon with her. I decided it would be fine to take a few moments to get a personal account from her. I’m hoping maybe her account will shed some light on a few things.
Name: Bon-Bon
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Baker
Cutie Mark: Three.... Well.... Bon-Bons.
Personal account: “I was born in Ponyville. I lived in Ponyville most of my life. I worked at a small little Sweets shop in Ponyville. Lyra said I should move away to Canterlot with her, that I could be so much more successful there. As you can see, I took her advice and moved here with her. Now I own my own bakery! It’s so exciting! … Well... I’m not really sure what else to say...
Q&A: (This is a new addition to the format I added during the interview with Bon-Bon, since she didn’t seem to be doing very well by herself. Also, not all entries will have these. They’ll only be there if I actually have questions to ask. Basically, I ask a question and she answers it. Go figure!)
Q: How did you meet Lyra?
A: Oh! Lyra was born in Ponyville too. We were friends at a young age. There was also another Unicorn named Colgate. Lyra and Colgate moved to Canterlot when they started school though.
Q: Um... [I honestly couldn’t think of anything else to ask her. The problem with documenting the lives of everypony is some pony’s stories are pretty average] What happened with you and Colgate on the ice?
A: Well, one time, I was ice-skating with Colgate and Lyra, and Colgate pushed me out of the way before I fell into the ice. Nothing too impressive.
Closing statements: I dismissed her because I couldn’t think of anything else to ask. It could be because my mind was so focused on getting to the palace and speaking with Princess Luna. I figured Luna would be my best bet, since Celestia’s probably busy. Twilight said that Celestia was the one who did all the work, right?
THE... Er.... GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE
(Or something)
Cork’s notes: I was close! So very close! I was just a few steps away from the palace, when suddenly this PSYCHOTIC blue Unicorn appeared. She literally DEMANDED an interview. Perhaps becoming well-known around Equestria has its disadvantages too.
Name: Great and Powerful Trixie, The (I want to believe that this isn’t her real name, or that that’s a ridiculous name, but then I remember my own name, Corkscrew)
Race: Unicorn
Occupation: Travelling performer/”Most magical unicorn in Equestria”
Cutie Mark: Magic wand sprinkling what appears to be pixie dust...
Gender: Female
Personal account: “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! The most magical unicorn in all of Equestria! I travel the world to show everypony how wonderful I am!”
“... Is that it?” I asked when she got quiet.
“... Yes, pretty much. I just want it to be immortalized in your Big Book of Ponies how amazing I am.”
“I see.... Alright then. I’ll just make a quick note here... “Trixie is the most amazing pony ever” That good?”
“Yes, it’s perfect!”
Closing statements: Most. Useless. Interview. Ever. The only good thing that came out of it was The Big Book of Ponies. Is that what people have been calling my work? I like it. I think that’s what I’ll call it.
Official entry: Trixie is the most amazing pony ever
I’m Corkscrew the Pegasus, and this is The Big Book of Ponies.
PRINCESS LUNA
Cork’s notes: The guards let me in as soon as I told them who I was. Turns out Luna had been expecting me. I’m even more famous than I thought! Well, I was taken to Luna’s chamber, and I asked her for her account. I’ve interviewed celebrities before, but this was my first Goddess.
Name: Princess Luna
Race: Alicorn
Occupation: Princess/Goddess
Cutie Mark: Crescent Moon on a dark purple background
Gender: Female
Personal account: Ever since I returned from the moon, I’ve pretty much been doing most of the technical, behind the scenes work. [Okay, so maybe I got it backwards. I can’t be expected to remember every little detail] It’s been difficult to adapt to the new ways of the world. I had this little incident with a microwave a while back... But I’m starting to get the hang of things.
Believe it or not, I wasn’t always an infinitely powerful Goddess. When I was younger, I had no real responsibilities. Celestia took care of things, aided only by the immortals, since they still had power back then. I actually spent most of my time in what’s now Cloudsdale. There was this Orange maned pony there... He was the greatest. The coolest, fastest, most... Loyal pegasus there was. We were best of friends... Before he had to help banish me.”
“WHAT.” I interrupted. I’d never interrupted a personal account before. Stangely the first one I interrupt is the first one that could have me dead in 10 seconds. “That’s impossible! There’s NO way that you knew HIM a THOUSAND years ago.”
“You mean Jetfire?”
“Yes! How is that possible?”
“... Isn’t it obvious? You’ve done research, I know this. You should know exactly how it’s possible.”
“... Nope, I got nothing.”
“... Then I guess it’s story-time. You see, long ago, when Celestia was born, there were 5 others. The original Elements of Harmony. Docterell, Jetier, Vinalyia, Octrella, and Sapphira. You know about them already, I’m sure.
Even after losing their power when they sealed me away, they maintained the gift of immortality. This is why they became known as the immortals. However, immortality without total power only goes so far. Unnatural causes can still cause death, and they can chose to die as well. However, it comes with a safety net. If they DO die, they’re reincarnated as a completely normal pony. They don’t remember being an immortal of course, but they get to live a normal life.
You probably could guess that if they die again, they just keep reincarnating. They’re always there. Powerless. When I escaped, I assumed the descendants would be the ones to to re-inherit the power, so I took care of them before making my theatrical appearance. Well, the ones I knew of anyway. However, the Elements of Harmony were retrieved and moved on to new ponies.
There are only three of the immortals still alive in their proper state. Docterell, Jetier, and Sapphira. They’ve modernized their names though. Care to guess who they are?”
It didn’t take me long to figure out two of them. Neither of them really shocked me... The third one I took a random guess. “The Doctor, Jetfire, and... Sapphire Shores?”
“No, not Sapphire Shores. I actually can’t help you with Sapphira, she’s hidden herself from me. You’re on your own if you want to find her.”
“Well, as a documentarian, I guess I have no choice!”
Luna gave a light chuckle.
Closing statements: My interview of Luna proved very informative. I think I’m ready to confront Jetfire now.... Perhaps. There is one thing that confuses me. Either way, next stop, Cloudsdale!
SPITFIRE PART 2
Cork’s notes: I arrived back at Cloudsdale. I had to work at that job of mine until The Wonderbolts were back in Cloudsdale... It didn’t take too long. About three days. And that’s when I returned to Spitfire. I knocked on her door and waited. When she opened the door, I pulled out the lore book and shouted “TAKE THAT!” She gave me a strange look, and I cleared my throat, blushing slightly, then proceeded to explain. She gave that lovely, nervous look, very similar to Rainbow Dash’s. I asked her who she really was to him, since she clearly wasn’t his sister. The response I got was not what I expected.
Name: Spitfire...?
Race: Pegasus
Profession: Stunt Flier, Wonderbolt, girlfriend of my boss (That definitely counts as a profession)
Cutie Mark: Still unknown. How mysterious!
Personal account: “For the early years of my life, I honestly believed that Jetfire was my brother. It wasn’t until after his accident that he told me the truth. The immortals in this book... I was one of them, in another life. I was one of the ones who died and came back. I was... Octrella. I was an Earth Pony in another life. [I was 90% sure she was going to say Sapphira... Just when I thought I was starting to understand]
I was murdered. After Nightmare Moon was banished and imprisoned, the Lunar Loyalists killed me in my sleep. All I had from my past life was a necklace. The Necklace of Honesty... Powerless now, of course. Sometimes... I feel like I can remember it... It’s like remembering a dream from years ago though... Nearly impossible...
I don’t know about the others. I don’t even know if Jetfire’s still alive even. All I know is that he took care of me, like his sister, because he knew me in another life.”
Cork’s notes: She got quiet after that, so I said goodbye and left. At this point, I was pretty sure I was ready to confront Jetfire. The one thing that bothered me though, was Sapphira. I was SURE that I’d found her with Spitfire. I would have to just forget about Sapphira for now though, I still had to unmask Jetfire.
SAPPHIRA
Cork’s notes: While heading across Cloudsdale to Jetfire’s cloud cluster, I suddenly had a brainulation (another word I made up, it means I thought of something). Spitfire’s Octrella, which majorly screws up all of my assumptions. I thought for sure I had figured them all out. The names all sounded very similar to the names of people I’d already met... And they all seemed to match up with the right race... Which was fishy.
Going on a strong hunch, I hurried to Manehattan, following an address I’d been given. I waited outside until the grey mare stepped outside. “Hello.” I said, giving her a suspiscious look.
“Oh, hello Corkscrew.”
“Hello, Octavia. No, that’s not your name, is it?”
“...” She gave a smile. “You’re more clever than I thought. Though your name’s not Corkscrew either, is it?”
“No. It’s not.”
“Then what is it? Who are you?”
“How about we make a deal? A question for a question.”
“Sounds good.”
“Alright, I’ve already concluded that you must be Sapphira.” She smiled. “It was clever of you to take the name Octavia, so similar to Octrella. It threw me off, that’s for sure. Then why did you hide?”
“It made things safer for me. I was nervous. I couldn’t defend myself as easily as Docterell could, and I couldn’t flee as easily as Jetier. It probably threw you off that I’m not a pegasus, didn’t it?”
“Yes, and I’m counting that as a question. The Doctor helped you. You used his Chameleon thingy, the same way I became what I am now. Okay, next question, why are there so many connections to my homeland and here. One I just realized, The Doctor, he’s imitating a character from a TV show back on my home planet.”
“Incorrect, they’re imitating him. We immortals have had a very direct influence on your home planet. We keep close tabs on it. I personally have inspired musicians such as Beethoven and Chopin. Now, what is your name.”
“Connor McCann. You supposedly keep a close eye on Earth, I assume you knew of me.”
“Oh, Connor McCann. The historian. Yes, I know all about you. You caused quite a ruckus back on Earth. Convicted of murder, if I recall.”
“You’re good. Now tell me, why am I here?”
“You don’t remember? According to the news articles you escaped from prison and were never seen again.”
“Okay, that was me testing you. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up here either. I was running, and I fell... I’m not sure how, there were no holes or anything, I just fell. I passed out and woke up here.”
“I would wager it was Docterell. He’s pretty much the one who controls the connections between the worlds. You probably accidentally fell through a riff he didn’t close. Last question... Did you do it?”
“No. I was framed.”
“Then I’m guessing you have no intentions of leaving Equestria.”
“That’s correct.”
“Well, I may have figured most of the important stuff out, but I’m a documentarian, I still have so much more to... Document. So I need to get a proper account from... Jetier. But before I go, one last question.”
“Go for it.”
“Would you want to catch dinner with me sometime?”
She smiled. “Oh of course.”
Closing statement: I put that all in Cork’s notes... Since none of it was really a personal account. However, her actual entry in the Big Book of Ponies will look like this:
Name: Sapphira
Race: Pegasus/Earth Pony
Occupation: Musician, demigoddess
Cutie Mark: Formerly 3 cut sapphires, now a treble cleff
Gender: Female
On the next, and final chapter of the Big Book of Ponies: Jetfire Part 2, Princess Luna Part 2, and Princess Celestia! |
|
Prince Colgate | 327 | 4 | Bon-Bon,DJ P0N-3,Derpy Hooves,Lyra,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Rainbow Dash,Scootaloo,Soarin,Spitfire,Trixie,Twilight Sparkle,Comedy,Random,Romance,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | The Big Book of Ponies | complete | 24 | 6 | <p>My name is Corkscrew, and this is my Big Book of Ponies, a book detailing the information I gathered in the land of Equestria about the various pony inhabitants. From celebrities to orphans, this book has it all!</p> | everyone | 2011-07-29T09:50:43+00:00 | 2011-07-29T09:50:43+00:00 | 2,954 | I just asked out a demigoddess.....
…..And she said yes!
THE BIG BOOK OF PONIES
THE TALE OF EVERYPONY
CONNOR “CORKSCREW” MCCANN
Cork’s notes: I knew a lot, a lot more than anypont really should. That wasn’t enough for me though! I arrived in Cloudsdale, determined, focused on finally bringing down the Iron Curtain. It was time to reveal the truth.
I arrived at Jetier’s little cloud cluster. I knocked on the door boldly and waited for him to answer. “Oh, it’s you again.”
“Yep. I’m here for some answers.”
“I already told you. I’m not saying anything until you tell me who you really are.”
“Alright then.”
Name: Connor “Corkscrew” McCann
Race: Formerly Human, Pegasus now.
Occupation: Documentarian
Cutie Mark: A book and quill
Gender: Male
Personal Account: “Back on Earth I was called Connor McCann. I was a Historian. My friends called me Screwwy, because they thought I was a little... Well, screwwy. I always believed there was more the the Universe than what we knew, that there was life outside of Planet Earth. Eventually, they came up with Corkscrew, since Screwwy was getting old.
I was found guilty of murder, and sent off to prison. I was at a museum, late at night, learning. I always enjoyed learning. Anyway, as a Historian I had a deal worked out with the museum’s curator that allowed me to go in after-hours, for quiet research.
I was there one night and something caught my eye. It was an amulet, in the shape of the sun. It was beautiful, and I wondered what it was. The plaque read “No one knows the true origins of the Celestial Amulet. It was found alone in a forest many years ago.” I was alone (so I thought), and I had keys, so I opened the case and held the amulet. I examined it... It felt... Celestial, like it was from a different planet.
Then a small group of robbers showed up, after the amulet. Two security guards came in, but the robbers shot them dead. I took the amulet and ran. While fleeing, I fell down some stairs, since it was dark, and dropped the delicate amulet, and it shattered. The robbers fled, and the entire murder and attempted heist was pinned on me.
A few months later, I was sitting in jail. I felt... Strange. It’s hard to describe how I felt, it was like... A longing for something. Finally, I break out of jail and flee into the forest. I fell into a hole of some sort, and woke up in a forest here in Equestria.
I was alone and lost for four days before discovering Ponyville. My natural Historian instinct led me to want to learn more about the cultures and history of this world. Strangely, I was so caught up in learning, I didn’t take the time to be confused about where I was... Nor did I really find it strange that the ponies all just accepted me, and told me their life stories, despite me looking nothing like them.
So yeah, that’s me. Connor “Corkscrew” McCann. Just Corkscrew now. I’m a Pegasus now, and I have no intentions of leaving Equestria.”
Closing statements: When I finished talking, Jetfire smiled. Something about his reaction led me to believe he already knew who I was. Perhaps him and Octavia had some sort of psychic link. I don’t know. Either way, he was finally ready to talk to me.
JETIER
Cork’s notes: After I was done talking, Jetfire welcomed me inside. He had me sit in a chair and he sat across from me. There, he began to tell his story. (Now THIS is history)
Name: Jetier/Jetfire
Race: Pegasus
Occupation: Demigod/Wonderbolt/retired from both jobs
Cutie Mark: Orange Lightning Bolt
Personal Account: “Many, MANY years ago, there were 6 ponies. The first ponies in Equestria. The Elements of Harmony, or the Immortals as we were known to some. Just like the modern elements, the Element of Magic was the most powerful Element, and guided and led the other 5. The Element of Magic is the only Immortal to have kept her proper name, Princess Celestia. I, Jetier, was the Element of Loyalty.
After the elements were used to banish Nightmare Moon, we all lost our magical power completely. Before this, we all had the capabilities of an Alicorn. An Earth Pony like Octrella could fly and walk on clouds, and we were all capable of using magic, even without horns. However, after we used all of our power to seal away Nightmare Moon, the only thing that remained for us was our natural abilities, as well as our immortality.
During the thousand years without Luna, some of us were murdered in our sleep by Lunar Loyalists. I survived because I was still too fast to be caught. Docterell survived because... Well, let’s just say Docterell isn’t somepony you want to mess with. And Sapphira survived by hiding. When Octrella died, I felt it was my duty to keep watch over her reincarnations for years to come.
I soon heard of Nightmare Moon’s return, and the new elements of harmony. Docterell sent word to Celestia and myself that he’d seen the future, and there are 6 new elements of harmony. Docterell always called himself a Timelord, because, even after losing his power, he still has the ability to see (and supposedly travel) through time.
Anyway, upon learning about the 6 new elements, I took it upon myself to go and seek out the one who would one day take my place as the Element of Loyalty. Unfortunately, I found her alone and homeless. I took her under my wing and helped raise her into the perfect Element of Loyalty she is today.
There’s one other thing you should know. It wasn’t entirely the banishment of Luna that caused us to lose our power. We still had plenty of it left. Afterwards, we all agreed that with too much power in too many places, there’s a chance of another incident happening like the one with Nightmare Moon. Because of this, we all (including Celestia herself) agreed to give up some of our power. They went into amulets. The amulets bore our Cutie Marks. In order prevent them from ever being used again, Celestia teleported them all to far away planets, never to be seen again.
Doctoerell thought this was unwise; he believed that if someone from a different planet found one of them, they could use their power for evil. However, Princess Celestia was smart, and made it to where only the pony who the power was taken from could ever use it again.
This is all I can really tell you. If you want to learn more, I reccomend an audience with Princess Celestia herself. Tell her who you are, and I’m sure she’ll allow you in.”
Closing statements: I stood up and waved Jetfire goodbye and headed for the door. However, before I reached the door, I had another... Brainulation. “Jet, tell me, were you REALLY crippled for life that day? Or did you just feel like it was finally time for you to sit back and let the new Elements take over?”
Jetfire didn’t say anything. He just smiled and, for the first time since I’d met him, spread his wings. From this gesture, the answer to my question became very clearly. I nodded and left the cloud cluster.
PRINCESS CELESTIA
Cork’s notes: I arrived back at Canterlot on the first day of my weekend. I can fly pretty quickly when I’m determined. Once again, the guards let me, considering who I am. I’ve become well known by the Immortals, so I’m guessing Celestia is well aware of my existence by now.
When I arrived in her chamber, she greeted me rather kindly. However, she wasn’t alone. The Doctor was there.
“Greetings your majesty.” I bowed. “Hello Doctor. What are you doing here.”
“I’m introducing Celestia to a project I’ve been working on for years. I call it, the Ponynet. It’s a way of connecting everypony in all of Ponyville... Similar to the Internet back on your home planet.”
“It’s a wonderful project.” Princess Celestia stepped in. “Unlike the Internet, it runs on magic and telepathic connections. It’s even possible for it to connect to the Internet of Earth, and other planets as well!”
“So it will open up communications with other worlds, at long last?”
“No, never.” The Doctor answered. “Go on there and say you’re a pony, no humans are going to actually believe you. They’ll think you’re role-playing, or attempting to start an Alternate Reality Game, or something like that. They’ll go along with it most likely, but they won’t actually believe you. That’s the beauty of the human-race!” He smiled.
“Are you here to finally add me to your documentary?”
“Yes, that was the intention.”
“Very well, sit down and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Name: Princess Celestia
Race: Alicorn
Occupation: Ruler of Equestria
Cutie Mark: A suspiciously familiar sun (Because I totally haven’t made the connection between the amulets Jet mentioned and the amulet I “stole”)
Personal Account: “For the sake of whoever may read this book, I’m not going to tell you about the things you’ve already heard several times. In fact, most of what I could say is stuff you’ve already learned. Allow to tell you more about the amulets.
The amulets containing the power of the immortals were scattered across all of the galaxy, to six different planets. Mine happened to land on Earth, later to be found by you. When you broke the amulet, you did recieve slight traces of my power. For example, incredible ammounts of charisma. People feel like they can trust you, even though they’ve never met you. I’m sure you’ve noticed this. [I had.]
As you can clearly see, I still maintained a good ammount of my power. The power I have now is natural Alicorn power, which is still rather powerful. Either way, I’m sure the power you got from the amulet caused you to come to this world in the first place.”
Closing statements: I didn’t get a whole lot from Princess Celestia this time. She was busy with Docterell setting up the Ponynet. I was intrigued by this Ponynet. However, there was still one question left in my mind that couldn’t go unanswered. So I confronted The Doctor real quickly before leaving the Palace.
DOCTERELL
Cork’s Notes: I already know plenty about Docterell. In fact, my main intention right now wasn’t to get information about him, but about somepony else. A particular student of his, who happens to have power very similar to his own. Also his ONLY student.
I confronted Docterell and kindly requested that he tell me about his first and only student, Atria Colgate. He obliged. He seems to appreciate me, even though all I really did was uncovered a bunch of concealed information.
Name: Docterell
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Timelord/Professor/Demigod
Cutie Mark: Hourglass
Personal account: “Well, Atria’s not entirely Equestrian born. She’s a lot like you actually. Same general story even. Well, other than the whole “murder” thing. She was an archeologist or something if I recall. She found my amulet. Celestia aparently over-estimated the universe. When she made it to where no one else could use the power, she didn’t account for other creatures breaking the amulets.
Of course, breaking them only gives you a small portion of the power. I trained Atria to use her power more effectively over the years. In fact, she’s the reason I invented the Chameleon Arch. Yeah, all that stuff about it only working on Timelords and what not was just a reference to that TV show back on Earth. Guess you’re not really a Sci-Fi buff. Or British. Ah well.
Anyway, Atria came from another planet, far away. A planet very similar to yours. Inhabitted by a race of human-like creatures called Kaleds.... Yeah, then she was here. That’s basically it. You pretty much know everything of importance now. I guess your little book’s finished now, eh?”
Closing statements: My little book is most certainly not finished. I mean, sure, I’ve basically learned the entire truth of this world after being here for less than a year. Not too shabby. Still, there’s so much left to learn. So many ponies out there with such wonderful stories... And some pretty average stories. Still, I plan to hear and document them all! However, I have more important things to focus on right now.
CAPSCREW MCCANN
Cork’s notes: Okay, I know there’s really no way for anyone reading this to tell this, but it’s been approximately 9 months since I last added to this book. I’ve been on a well deserved vacation. Now, you’re probably wondering “who’s Capscrew? Wasn’t that the fake name you used for your mother?” Yes it was. And there is currently nopony in Equestria named Capscrew McCann. Give it time.
Anyway, rewind 9 months, my date with a demigoddess. It went surprisingly well. We had dinner at a small diner in Manehattan, nothing fancy at all. It seemed delightfully out of character for both of us. I think we hit it off pretty well. I mostly think that because of the several dates that followed.
Also, I’m still working at the Weather Factory. I haven’t been working on the documentary at all, and I should be ashamed, but I’ve been very busy. My sincerest apologies and all that.
Anyway, 9 months later, and we’re still seeing each other. I feel kind of bad for her though, because I’m just a normal pegasus, despite my literally godly charisma. Octavia’s still an immortal, despite everything. I don’t know what she’ll do when I’m gone. I’d like to think she’ll continue working on this documentary for years to come. She’s already agreed to help with it. I’m sure her... Immortal... Ness will be helpful. Also, does it matter to me that we’re still technically not of the same species, and we’re both in fake bodies provided by a Chameleon thingy?
…. Nope!
Name: Capscrew McCann
Race: Pegasus hopefully. Could possibly be Earth Pony, since that Chameleon thingy completely changes your entire genetic structure and what not.
Occupation: Documentarian (Hopefully. I would be fine with him being a mail-pony or something I guess.)
Cutie Mark: N/A he’s still sort of a blank-flank.
Personal account: …........ (Get it? It’s silence, because he doesn’t exist yet.)
Octavia’s notes: “Oh, look at that, I get my own section now too! How lovely. I think Capscrew McCann is a fine name. However, I really don’t think it was necessary to do an entire entry just so Cork could brag.
Anyway, yes, I have been seeing Corkscrew regularly for the past nine months. I think I understand now why Jetier stayed by Octrellla for all those years, even after she didn’t even know who he was anymore. Love can really do bizarre things to someone.
There’s nothing else that needs to be said on that topic. I shall be assisting Corkscrew with future entries, since I notice this documentary of his seems to mostly be a collection of his ramblings mixed in with an occasional story about a pony.
… And that’s probably the best part of it.”
Closing statements: So yeah. Nine months. Considering marriage. Doesn’t seem like there’s any good reason not to. I mean, because of my literally godly charisma, pretty much any mare in Equestria would fall for me instantly if I wanted them too. Probably the only mares in the world immune to my godly charm are Princess Celestia and Octavia... And maybe Luna. I don’t know, I never really tried to charm anypony. I should probably try it sometime, just to prove I can...
… The sudden pain to my side inflicted by Octavia just now indicates that I must be rambling again. So I’m just gonna wrap up this COMPLETELY necessary entry. Yep. That’s all. Well, all for this entry, not all for this documentary, because there are still tons of ponies out there, and the documentary can’t end until their stories are all documented...
Another nudge to the side. I really need to stop doing that. Anyway, closing statement, Capscrew McCann, the coolest Pegasus in all of Equestria. Or Earth Pony. Either one works.
Capscrew, signing off. (I’ve always wanted to say that.) |
|
Hyperion | 328 | 1 | Rainbow Dash,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Inner Loyalty | complete | 16 | 6 | <p>Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach, remembers the meaning of loyalty from a blue Pegasus.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-26T02:43:18+00:00 | 2011-07-26T02:43:18+00:00 | 2,420 | Inner Loyalty
“Ichigo…” whispered a voice from within the darkness.
A teenager boy with orange hair and wearing his black Shinigami outfit woke from his sleep and found himself within his inner world. The inner world was his sword spirit home. A sea of skyscrapers covered the world as Ichigo looked on.
“Zangetsu? Is that you?” called out Ichigo as he found himself on the side of a skyscraper “Why did you call me here!? Zangetsu!?” shouted Ichigo as he didn’t found Zangetsu anywhere.
Ichigo quickly turned around as he heard her voice. Standing before him and crying, was Orihime, one of his good friends from the world of the living.
“Orihime!? Why or how are you here?” questioned Ichigo as he step forward “What’s going on? Why are you crying?”
“STAY AWAY!” screamed the orange hair girl, as she step away from Ichigo “DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!”
Ichigo was surprised by this reaction from her and wanted to ask why she was acting like this but he quickly seen it her eyes. Within her eyes was great fear…the same fear he saw when she saw him in his hollow form. Ichigo look down and could see his reflecting from the skyscrapers window.
“…no.” whispered Ichigo as he fell to his knees.
Within the reflecting, Ichigo saw his full hollow self. He now knew why Orihime feared him.
Ichigo raised his hand to Orihime in hopes she won’t leave him but his hopes were dash, as Orihime just vanished into thin air. Soon voices from his others friends started to echo around him as his body started to turn pure white.
“We must kill him!”
“Monster!”
“Stay away from him!”
Ichigo sadness soon turned to hate as he screamed to the heavens “SHUT UP!” as he look down to the window, his inner hollow appeared and smiled.
“See! Why stay loyal to them, when they will fear you because of your powers?” smiled Inner Ichigo as he slowly creep into Ichigo body “Let me in, Ichigo!”
“DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, DUDE!” shouted a strong female voice from behind.
Ichigo turned around and was completely shock by what he saw. Standing there was a blue pony with wings and had a rainbow mane and tail.
“Who the heck are you?” question Ichigo as he did a sweatdrop “An offspring of Sonic the hedgehog and the flag of the gay pride parade?”
“I have no idea what you said but listen up!” smiled the pony as she soar into Ichigo chest and vanish “I’m Rainbow Dash! And you shouldn’t believe this foal!” said Dash within Ichigo’s mind.
All of a sudden, Inner Ichigo was force out of Ichigo as Rainbow Dash soar out with him. As Dash and Inner Ichigo landed, Ichigo color returned as the whiteness faded away.
“Your friends will always stay loyal to you! No matter what!” smiled Dash as she face Ichigo “As long as you stay loyal to them and yourself!”
Ichigo stood up from the floor and stared to the sky as a tear ran down his cheek. He felt dumb for even believing his friends will leave him. As he faced Dash and his inner self, he spoke “Thank you, Dash…” with that, he summoned his sword and very powerful spirit energy started to form around him as he shouted “BANKAI!”
Inner Ichigo summoned his version of his sword and was about to do bankai but something stop him…he started to laugh as he saw Ichigo.
“WHAT THE HELL!” shouted Ichigo as his long black jacket and black daito (Japanese long sword) was now rainbow color.
“You look so AWESOME!” squeak Rainbow as she did “/)^3^(\” face to Ichigo “You’re 20% cooler now!”
Before he could say something, his inner self, now in his bankai form, came at him.
“LET’S DO THIS!” roar Rainbow as her and Ichigo charged at their attacker.
Before they could clash with each other, an old man voice could be heard.
“ICHIGO!”
Ichigo quickly opened his eyes and quickly block his father kick as he rose from his bed.
“STOP WAKING ME UP LIKE THAT!” shouted Ichigo as he kicked his father out of his room and into a wall.
***
As the school day ended, Ichigo was heading home through the market place. As he almost exited the area, something caught his eye from a little stand. As he stared at the item that caught his eye, the dealer removes her sunglasses and smiled.
“You want it?” said the red hair dealer as she held up the item “Is it for your girl?”
Ichigo said nothing and bought the item and tied the rope that was hanging from the item, to his cell phone and before he left, he answered the dealer “…just remembering a friend.”
The dealer just smiled and waved goodbye as Ichigo left. Hanging from his cell phone, was a tiny Rainbow Dash.
The end |
|
JordanJwoww | 329 | 1 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2011-07-30T13:19:30+00:00 | 2011-07-30T13:19:30+00:00 | 4,269 | Today was something different... at least, some what. The day began bright and early following the typical routine Rarity enjoyed so much. At 8:00 she’d get up, and by 8:15 she would have already uncurled her hair from the night before. Everything was about presentation. Everyone knew that. By 8:30 she had already finished all of her morning chores and was out to Sugar Cube Corner to get her morning breakfast, a bagel with a fresh tomato on top followed by a healthy serving of wheat-grass tea. After her slow and relaxing breakfast, she made her way back to the boutique. Plenty of time, she thought, I don’t need to rush just yet, I still have enough time to keep lady-like.
During her walk back to the boutique, something triggered her mind, she kept having memories of that night. That one night where everything changed. She could remember running through Ponyville, desperately hoping to set things right. But she couldn’t, she wasn’t ready then, and she thought to herself that she still wasn’t ready now. She stopped for a moment at the town bridge. She stood there and thought to herself, what if she had been better? Would things have turned out different? She walked up to the banister of the bridge and looked down at the water. She could see through the water, but when Rainbow Dash cleared the skies, the sun showed Rarity’s reflection. She looked down on it and saw that something was missing. Something was missing from her, and she knew it. Rainbow Dash quickly dived down to see a melancholic Rarity staring into the water.
“Feelin’ glum, chum?” Rainbow asked from the sky.
“What?” Rarity replied with a shock. “Oh, I was just... looking to see if my hair was alright.” Rarity gave Rainbow a smile, but Rainbow could that tell that it was easily fake.
“Riiight...” Rainbow said. “Well, usually when I’m feeling down I like to do something that cheers me up... like stunts!” Rainbow shot up into the air and started to perform her loops and dives. Rainbow then began to do an epic dive, but she missed her upturn and flew right into the river.
Rarity gasped and ran to the edge to see if she survived her crash.
“My dear, are you alrigh-” Rarity choked on her words as she peered into the water.
“Geez, chill out, Rarity, its not like it the first time I’ve bailed out before.” Dash snorted. “But, you know, you don’t need to worry so much, it’ll give you wrinkles, or whatever you worry about.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just having... one of those days,” Rarity said quietly.
“Okay, Rarity,” Dash said, “I’ll just leave you alone for a while.” Rainbow pulled herself out of the water and dashed off into the air.
Rarity waited for Rainbow to disappear in the distance. She knew if she explained to Dash why she gasped, it would have been highly awkward. It had nothing to do with Rainbow’s bailout, it was what was in the water. Rarity was staring at a ruby amulet that was somewhat buried in the silt. Using her magic, Rarity was able to pull it out of the water. She stared at it deeply, remembering when she threw the amulet into the river. It was on that dark night, where she lost faith in everything. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to move on. She picked up the ruby amulet and carried it back to the boutique. She hadn’t thought about that night in years, and it was time to forget. She stared deeply into the amulet, getting lost in the iridescence of the ruby, reminding her of that beautiful ruby mane. She meandered her way back to her boutique, forgetting about her schedule... it wasn’t that important... was it? It was 9:00, she would have to pick up her pace.
Rarity had a large shipment that had to be sent out to Sapphire Shores and she did not want to disappoint her faithful customer. After all, it was Sapphire Shores who said that Rarity was to be one of the biggest hits to happen to Equestria this year. But, if only Rarity had had enough time to work on the dresses. It was simply too much for her to handle in one day, but being Rarity, she stubbornly put her head to work. 9:15, a knock came from her door. A slightly startled look came across her face, but only because it broke her concentration. It was obviously Fluttershy returning Opalescence from her weekly grooming.
“Come on in, Fluttershy. I am a little busy, but the front door is unlocked,” Rarity announced across the room. Fluttershy flew her way in with Opalescence in her secure basket. She placed the basket down and went over to meet her friend. Opal, following directly after Rarity’s personality, elegantly hopped out of the basket and made her way over to her pillow in the leisure section of the boutique. There, she fell asleep and began to purr softly.
“Rarity,” Fluttershy started, “I was going to ask you if we’re still going to the spa today...” she began to trail off. “But... you know... if you’re too busy for that...”
“I am sorry, dear,” Rarity interrupted, “but I have to get these dresses done for Ms. Shores as soon as ponyly possible.”
Fluttershy looked around the room, almost as if she was embarrassed to ask such a foolish question. “Well... okay then, I’ll just be on my wa-”
“Nonsense, my dear.” Rarity interrupted again. “Just because I cannot leave the boutique does not mean we cannot spend time with each other. Here,” she handed Fluttershy a dress, “You are about the size of Ms. Shores, I would love it if you would slip into this and help me.” From the look of things, it seems that Rarity had won Fluttershy over again.
It had been a few hours, and the girls where enjoying themselves too much. With Fluttershy’s help, Rarity had managed to finish the dresses up quicker than expected, but because she was afraid Fluttershy might leave, she pretended that she had a few more to make. Both of them were having a great time, and even after a while, the dressmaking became slowly forgotten that day.
“Oh dear!” Rarity burst, “what’s the time?”
Fluttershy looked at her with a sense of shock, and peered out the window to see the clock tower. “It’s about 9:30,” she said softly.
“OH MY! OH NO! THIS IS NOT GOOD!” Rarity started to panic. “Ms. Shores wanted her dresses delivered to her in Manehattan by 8! I don’t know what to do. Oh this is my worst nightmare.”
Fluttershy dug her head into her shoulder, “I’m so sorry, Rarity” she began to whisper, “If it wasn’t for me staying, you wouldn’t have missed your deadline.”
“Don’t talk like that, Fluttershy, it was not your fault. It’s all mine. Quickly help me get these dresses packed. Hopefully we can drop them off without Ms. Shores noticing they’re la-”
A loud knocking came from the front door of the boutique. Before Rarity could rush over and open the door, it popped itself open with Sapphire Shores poking her head in. A quick squeak came from Fluttershy, and Rarity was trying to find her words.
“Sapphire... I mean, Ms Shores... how nice of yo- I mean, I’m sorry tha-, no what I mean to say...” Rarity was tripping up her excuses.
“Calm yourself, dear,” Sapphire said, “When you didn’t show up, I got worried that my little superstar got hurt. I came to see if everything was alright.”
Rarity looked up at Sapphire. To her surprise, Sapphire was grinning at the little mare. She was not upset at all. Sweet relief fell over Rarity.
“Now, let me see your new masterpieces,” Sapphire bellowed out.
“Of course,” Rarity replied in a capricious manner, “Fluttershy, could you be a dear and model these dresses for Ms. Shores?”
Fluttershy quietly accepted Rarity’s request and began to outfit herself in one of Rarity’s more appealing dresses. In the meantime, Rarity and Sapphire moved over to the leisure section of the boutique and began to talk about her plans on her upcoming album.
After an hour of Fluttershy modelling Rarity’s creations, Sapphire requested that the ponies sit down so that she could talk to them. Deep inside Rarity could feel butterflies, for she thought Sapphire had not been interested in her dresses. She was trying to keep her cool, but she began to break a slight sweat.
“Mares, I want to ask you something,” Sapphire began, “I absolutely adore these dresses. But...”
Rarity’s heart dropped, Fluttershy dropped her head between her front legs.
“But...” Sapphire continued “My album is about to be advertised, and well... with all the publicity, I want my number one fashionista there!”
“...WHAT?” Rarity looked up with surprise.
“You heard me correct, sugar. I’m asking you to come with me to Manehattan for some time to help promote my album,” Sapphire stated. “And I’m sure if you help me out, there will be great publicity on your work. So tell me, what do you think?”
Rarity looked dumbfounded over at Fluttershy. “Wait, this is too good to be true!” Rarity squealed.
“I’m so happy for you, Rarity” Fluttershy replied.
“Why are you happy just for her?” Sapphire said. Fluttershy looked up confused. “You’re coming too, I’d hope.”
“Oh my, well, I don’t know. I don’t know if I could leave Angel and the others alone for so long,” Fluttershy replied.
“Nonsense, arrangements will be made, they will be fine,” Sapphire reassured Fluttershy.
“Well fillies, I must be going for now, I hope you’ll consider my proposal.” Sapphire smiled at them and paraded her way out the boutique humming a little tune to herself.
Fluttershy looked over at Rarity, who was frozen with the news.
“Oh my gosh, Manehattan. That is so incredible! Oh, I can’t wait to go to Manehattan. This is so exciting,” Fluttershy stated excitedly. “What do you think, Rarity?”
No reply.
“Rarity?”
Rarity stood there, thinking. Her mouth ajar frozen with a shocked look. Her mind was off elsewhere, back many years ago...
Today was a very special day for Rarity. She was finally where she had wanted to be. Everything was fitting into place. She had just opened up her boutique, and was ready to face the world... even if it was right out of Ponyville. Today was going swell. It was in the early evening when Rarity unveiled her boutique, along with her grand celebration. Pinkie Pie had brought her famous rainbow punch and everyone was having a great time. Especially him, the white colt. Rarity made a quick glance over at him, and he gave her a sweet smile. Her heart fluttered. She began to move her way over to the colt, but she was interrupted by a very inquisitive Bon-Bon about the beautiful amulet that Rarity had around her neck. Rarity looked back up, but to see that he had moved on to somewhere else in the boutique.
“Oh my, he really is a gentlecolt to give you such a precious stone.” Bon-Bon began. “I would try to keep him close, he seems to be the most elusive of ponies.”
Rarity gave her a quick smirk, and proceeded to look for that colt. She saw him heading towards the stairs on his way up.
“You really are a lucky filly you know,” Bon-Bon said.
“Excuse me, Bon-Bon, but I must check on Opalescence, she is not one for loud noises,” Rarity stammered to Bon-Bon. Phew, Rarity thought to herself, and went off to look for that white colt. She went upstairs and into the workshop to see that the balcony doors had been opened. Peering around the corner she noticed that the colt was looming over the edge with a solemn look.
“You alright, darling?” Rarity asked.
“Huh, what?” the colt replied. “Oh, yeah. I’m perfectly fine. Just... lost in my own little world.”
“You’re missing out on the festivities, and you know it’s not very gentlecolt-like to keep a lady waiting...” Rarity began.
“I know, its just, these are all your friends, I just feel lost,” he continued.
“Don’t say that, dear,” Rarity stated, “they all love you. Fluttershy says you’re the best thing to happen since bunnies or whatever they where. And you know how attached she is to them.”
“No, Rarity, I don’t. Could you just leave me alone for some time,” the colt broke out. Rarity was shocked. He had never spoken so rashly to her before. It was probably the best idea to leave him alone for the time being. Flustered, she walked back into the workshop. She stopped, turned around and looked back at the colt. He was now resting his head on the banister of the balcony. From what she could best tell, it sounded like he was crying. She shook herself out of that trance and returned to the party.
It was the middle of the night when Rarity heard a crash. She jumped out of bed and quickly rushed down from her bedroom down to the boutique. She scrambled to turn the lights on, and just before she flicked them on, she heard the sound of the front door closing. She turned the lights on to notice that the white colt’s flank-pack was gone, along with his personal items. She looked around the room to search for clues. And there, resting on the coffee table in the leisure room, was a note. Rarity stood there dumbfounded, slowly making her way over to the table. She lifted the note with her horn magic, and read what it said.
Rare... I’m sorry. I can’t stay anymore. Things are too different for us. I feel like I’m in exile here. I don’t know anypony here, and to me, it seems nopony wants to know me. I miss the adrenaline of the big city. I miss how the city is changing, and always vibrant. I thought I could settle down. But I can’t. Not yet. I love you, Rarity... but it’s not the right time... for both of us.
Rarity, in dread, dropped the note and ran outside to look for the colt. He couldn’t have gotten far, she just heard him leave. She ran around Ponyville for hours, looking, hoping, wishing that the colt hadn’t gone. But the worst of her fears had happened. He had left. He’d gone home. It tore Rarity apart. She kept looking for him. But she couldn’t find him anywhere. She went back to the first place they met, the Ponyville bridge. Hoping that everything could be worked out, she ran to the bridge and could saw the silhouette of the white colt.
“HEY!” she shouted.
The colt turned around to look at Rarity. He simply looked at her and said in the somber tone.
“Its... for the... best,” the colt said.
“YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME! I NEED YOU!” she screamed.
“No... you don’t. Trust me,” the colt said. He then turned away and started to disappear into the twilight fog. First his ruby-red mane began to fade, then his beige flank-pack. But finally, after a painful desertion, the white of his coat began to fade in the distance. Rarity collapsed on the bridge, lacking breath and beginning to panic. She looked down and saw the ruby amulet he gave her. She ripped it off her neck and flung it as far as she could into the river. The quiet plop of the amulet striking the surface echoed in her mind. She broke down in the middle of the bridge and collapsed completely. She stayed there for hours, forbidding herself to move. The morning dew began to form around her as it slowly started to mess up her hair. He was gone. He was truly gone...
but she was free.
“You’re just as excited as I am. Oh how wonderful,” Fluttershy said.
Fluttershy managed to snap Rarity back into reality. But she couldn’t manage to stay in that state for long, because Rarity couldn’t about the deal. She wasn’t thinking about everything that Sapphire Shores had promised. No, she was thinking about him.
He lived in Manehattan.
Prestige. |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 2 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2011-08-04T14:00:24+00:00 | 2011-08-04T14:00:24+00:00 | 3,186 | “Ready?” Shouted Rainbow. “One, two, three!"
Rainbow Dash jumped off the top of the building performing a beautifully executed dive bomb. She shot into the air and disappeared into the sunlight. A small crowd of ponies stood beneath, mesmerized by the skilled pegasi. Ponyville was having another beautiful spring day, and everyone was outside taking the most of the weather. Rarity was walking along the masses trying to clear the way for her large shipment of materials that she had just recently picked up from Manehattan. Her mind was bolting in every which direction, trying to plan the next few months for her developing boutique. She was fresh out of the Manehattan Fashion Institute and ready to face the world. But, the world seemed way to fast. The young filly was overwhelmed with the speed everyone moved. Her mind started racing as she was trying to gain her ground, but she couldn’t. She had to rest.
She was in the midst of Ponyvile, but she was able to escape and reach some “breathing” space on the Ponyville bridge. She peered deeply into the crystal water and the reflection it gave. Admiring the reflection, Rarity began to move her way down to the waterfront. The reflection was beautiful. It was as if she was standing on the edge of the world. Perfect symmetry filled her heart with harmony. It was peaceful here. The harmonious singing of birds caressed the air as Rarity slowly let her vision rise from the water to across the river. A built unicorn made his way through the crowds of ponies, directing his attention towards Rarity’s large carriage of materials. He then saw the filly gazing through him, which greatly flattered him. She had never seen a colt like him before. Tall, strong and well chiseled. His mane was flowing down the back of his neck cascading a beautiful ruby color against a gentle and warm white fur. His tail was that of a certain length that demanded elegance, and suited well with his cutie mark, a simple beamed eighth note. But his eyes, his eyes were the most mesmerizing for Rarity. Never had she looked so deep into someones eyes and seen both strong but gentle nature. This colt was special, and she knew it.
“Excuse me, miss?” the colt said. “I was told that I could find you here.”
“Wha-what?” Rarity said, snapping out of her daze. “What to heavens do you mean?”
“Well, Hooves Storage and Moving told me that there was a new filly in town that needed some help relocating her merchandise,” the colt said gently. “I’m here to offer you my services... that is if you want them.”
“Oh my stars, thank you!” Rarity said in a beaming manner. “The carriage is right up here, Mister...” Rarity was cut off. She looked frantically to find a way to identify the colt. She quickly spotted a name-tag, Mr. Cleft. “Mister Cleft,” she finished.
“Mister Cleft,” the colt laughed. “Please, call me Prestige, Mister Cleft is my father.”
“Well then, Prestige it is!” Rarity said with zest. “I will show you the way to Carousel Boutique.”
Prestige strolled his way over to the carriage that Rarity had been struggling to pull earlier. He latched himself in, and with great ease, pulled the vessel along. He noticed Rarity admiring his raw power, but each time he made eye contact with her, she would turn her head back and slightly blush.
“I’m sorry, where are my manners,” Prestige said, “here I’ve been helping you out, and I never got your name.”
“It’s Rarity,” she giggled.
“Well then, Rarity,” Prestige said, “What brings you to Ponyville? As I understand it, you moved here from Manehattan?”
“I can hardly say I’m from Manehattan. The Manehattan Fashion Institute might as well have been in Ponyville, it was that far out of the city,” Rarity began. “If anything, I would have to tell you that I am originally from Fillydelphia.”
“Fillydelphia, ha!” the big colt laughed. A shocked look came over Rarity.
“Oh,” he said, “no I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was mocking you. I have a cousin that lives there. Needless to say, he’s the black pony of the family.” Prestige continued to laugh.
“Well, it’s good to see someone being entertained with the idea of Fillydelphia,” Rarity said, “I mean, they do make a good cream cheese.”
Prestige gave her a puzzled look. Rarity gave him a wide-grinned smile which caused Prestige to chuckle.
“Cream cheese, really?” She thought to herself. Her cheeks began to blush as she came to terms with her silly remark.
The two of them slowly made their way to Carousel Boutique as Rarity still held back from the rather charming stranger. She never felt such a raw connection to another pony than what she felt with him. There was definitely something to this radiant colt. Rarity started to regain her courage to talk to Prestige again, but moments before she started, they had reached the boutique.
“Well, Ms. Rarity,” Prestige said, “I believe this is your stop.”
“Why, yes.” Rarity stuttered, “yes, it is.”
Prestige helped unload the carriage for Rarity. He knew that the young filly would be very grateful with his help. She had obviously been traveling all day and was tired of all the commotion and stress. He thought he’d give her a helping hand. But it only proved to be more stressful for Rarity. She was trying to keep calm, but Prestige couldn’t seem to understand where to put most of her materials. Yet, she was thankful that the big colt was helping her. She was new to the town, and was beginning to like it already.
“That should be everything,” Prestige said with a satisfied look.
“Yeah...” Rarity said with a slight bit on her lip. She was looking at how unorganized her boutique was. “...That should be everything.”
“I have to be going now, Ma’am,” the colt said, “but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” He tucked his head into one of the many boxes and scribbled his number onto a piece of paper.
“Actually...” Rarity began. “My sister, Sweetie Belle, shouldn’t be moving in for another month or so... and with me being new and all...” she trailed off.
“You want me to show you around the town and such, right?” Prestige replied.
“Yes!” Rarity said with a sigh of relief.
“Alrighty then,” the colt said. “Give me an hour to go sign out at work, and I’ll come by later, okay?”
“That sounds...” Rarity paused, “perfect.”
Prestige walked towards the front door of the boutique, turned back to look at Rarity, and threw her a big smile. After the tall colt had left, Rarity quickly rushed over to her couch and collapsed in sheer exhaustion. “What a day” she was thinking. There had been a lot of commotion on her travel here, but she finally had made it. And she knew that her day was going to be a little bit brighter with that little hint of ruby.
***
After lying on the couch for a while, her body fully relaxed and allowed her to doze off for a while. In her light sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about the ruby-maned unicorn. All she could keep thinking about was how they first met. The mirroring waters perfectly reflected the sky, almost resembling heaven. Then, in the far distance, where dreams met reality, the strong colt emerged from horizon. He seemed like a god-send, one that she was not worthy to court. Almost at the same time, a loud knocking noise erupted her dream.
She darted her body up off the couch. It was only a dream, she thought.
“I really am getting ahead of myself,” she muttered to herself. “Courting him? Have I lost all sanity? I just met him!” She couldn’t help but chuckle at her dream, but in contrast, it was quite... real to her.
Another loud knocking noise came, it came from the front door.
“Just a minute!” Rarity blurted out. She rushed around the boutique, everything still a mess. “I... just need to freshen up!” She shouted to the door.
“Can I at least come in?” Prestige said muffled through the door. “Or should I just wait out here with the birds?”
Silence followed afterwards. Prestige stood in front of the door, patiently waiting. He could hear Rarity galloping around inside, and he could tell that she was nervous around him. He calmly waited with a slight smirk across his face. His mind raced through everything he wanted to show the ecstatic unicorn. A warm feeling filled Prestige’s body, spreading from the pit of his stomach, all the way up to his cheeks.
Rarity was rushing around inside working with extreme effort to make herself presentable to Prestige. A powerful thudding was ringing in her ears, her body became warm, and a single bead of sweat began to form on the top of her forehead. She felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach, but it was followed by a soothing warm feeling which rushed its way into her face, tingling at the very edge of her ears.
Prestige approached the door to make his way inside, just when Rarity opened it. They both bumped into each other, each giving a slight grunt. Rarity looked up at the built colt to see that he had brushed his mane out, making the ruby hair flow gallantly through the wind. He tossed her a quick smirk, but she dug her head into her shoulder to hide her blushing cheeks. As she turned her head, she revealed a silver-coated butterfly hair clip just above her ear. The sun reflected an iridescent glow, illuminating her face. The flow of her rich purple hair complimented the butterfly, leaving a direct impact upon Prestige. This was something he would remember of Rarity, always.
“Wow...” Prestige simply stated. “You truly look...” he trailed off.
“...Amazing.” He finally finished. There was a pregnant pause as they stared deep into each others eyes. It seemed the world had slowed down, just for them. “Shall we move on?” Prestige said almost at a whisper. Rarity simply nodded. There was no need to talk, everything felt just right.
Throughout the night, Rarity and Prestige finally decided to open up and talk to each other. But Rarity felt more interested in hearing about the unicorn. From what she could gather, Prestige had been in Ponyville no longer than two weeks prior to her arrival. He had originally been from Manehattan, but tried to make a better life out in Ponyville, but things were going slow for him. And hopefully they were going to change, and it looked that way too. Prestige took her to a quaint restaurant overlooking the stream. Princess Celestia had indeed worked hard on tonight’s scenery. The luminous stars and striking moon reflected off the water, covering the world with moonlight. Following dinner, the two unicorns wandered off into the night, not worrying about what lay ahead of them. Because as long as the other was by their side, they feared nothing. Everything was falling into place. They were exactly where they wanted to be.
With each other. |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 3 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2011-12-20T03:31:51+00:00 | 2011-12-20T03:31:51+00:00 | 2,489 | Everything in Carousel Boutique was in a flutter that day. Rarity rushed around her store trying to find her most appropriate attire for the upcoming trip. She would need something for all occasions. She had to be prepared.
“I am going to need cocktail dress,” she muttered to herself, “oh, and not to forget formal dress. Or brunch-wear... or picnic hats... oh my stars, there is simply too much to pack!” She dramatically placed her hoof against her forehead and slumped down on a nearby wicker chair. Her mind was racing around all of the clothes which she kept telling herself she would need. But it wasn’t the clothes that had her attention. It was Prestige. How was Rarity going to be able to be in the same city as him, after how he ended everything with her? But how could she have know that Prestige went back to Manehattan? Where would have he gone? How much has he changed? Would she even bother meeting him? Her head was spinning with questions, and she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to face Manehattan anymore. It was time for Rarity to grow up, she had to move on. Living in the past has only been proven to be more harmful than good.
After what felt like hours of packing, Fluttershy came to the front of the boutique and waited outside for Rarity. She simply had a small flankpack of personal items and accessories with her. Fluttershy timidly approached the door to inform Rarity that she had arrived. After knocking on the door, she opened it up and peering around to hopefully see Rarity. Rarity was lying on the wicker basket with a giant suitcase next to her. She had dozed off. It was humbling to see such a tense pony relaxing. It showed that there was something sensitive to them, but Fluttershy already knew that about Rarity. She was fast asleep.
***
Rarity and Prestige had been seeing each other for over a couple of weeks now. They were on a late-night walk again, enjoying the cool air against their faces. They stopped in the center of town, and waited for a while, but that was fine because everything they did together felt right. Their friendship had been growing more and more, almost erupting. Rarity could feel something more bubbling in her stomach, and it was infatuating, but she couldn’t let it out. She had to let it simmer for a while, it was all new to her.
“Rarity?” Prestige began, “I... want to ask you something.”
She cocked her head up to see Prestige looking deeply into her eyes. His voice dropped into a pause.
“This thought has been brewing in my mind, and I can’t get it out,” Prestige said softly.
“What is it?” Rarity asked.
“It’s you...” he replied.
“M...me?” Rarity said with a sense of shock. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. “What is it?” she asked him nervously.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time with each other...” he started to trail off, “...and I can clearly see that you are looking for something in me.”
“I... I cannot help but express how I feel...” Rarity said. “I’m sorry... if I imposed anything...”
“Imposed?” Prestige said surprised. “My dear, you’ve got it all wrong.”
Rarity cocked head up in confusion.
“I really care about you, Rarity...” Prestige said softly. “I care about you more than anything in the world.”
There was some clamoring which started to disrupt Rarity’s dream. The memory faded pulling Rarity out of her slumber. Her vision shifted from the ruby of Prestige’s mane, to Fluttershy quickly pulling to attention after chasing Opal.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for waking you, Rarity,” Fluttershy stammered, “Opal can be a very difficult cat at times...”
Rarity stared blankly at Fluttershy, still in a daze over her dream. A moment’s confusion rushed over Rarity as she was suffering morning-moment amnesia. After a few seconds she remembered that her and Fluttershy had a train to catch.
“I’m so sorry, my dear,” Rarity apologized. “I must have gotten overwhelmed with packing. You know me, I must have everything!” She chuckled to herself as Fluttershy gave her a humble look. Rarity jumped to attention and grabbed what she could, and shoved it into her suitcase. They had to make up for lost time.
“We can’t keep the train waiting, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, “That wouldn’t be in our best interests.” She smiled through her teeth at Fluttershy. Fluttershy stared right through her. She knew something was bothering Rarity about Manehattan. But, Fluttershy kept quiet and gave Rarity the space she needed... for a while.
***
Rarity and Fluttershy had their own separate compartment from the rest of the train. Sapphire Shores had spent a plenty penny on their compartment, making sure that the two mares had everything they needed, from beverages to salt licks. The top-of-the-line luxury car made it so that the two of the did not need to venture out, leaving everything to relaxation. And it was just right because they had a long ride ahead of them. Fluttershy lightly hovered over to the snack bar and was rummaging through everything to find something delectable that would satisfy her for a while. It seemed wheatgrass tea and celery stock would have to do for now.
Rarity, however, was more focused on the scenery. It seemed they were passing through the desert to get to Manehattan. It was a rather particular route, but it seemed appropriate. The train had to make an exchange at Appleloosa. Her vision was focused outwards. Her mind continued to flutter away, like earlier that morning in the boutique. Prestige flooded over her mind, yet again...
“I... I cannot help but express how I feel...” Rarity said. “I’m sorry... if I imposed anything...”
“Imposed?” Prestige said surprised. “My dear, you’ve got it all wrong.”
Rarity cocked head up in confusion.
“I really care about you, Rarity...” Prestige said softly. “I care about you more than anything in the world.”
Rarity’s expression changed from downcast to radiant. She looked at the colt. The moonlight cast a beautiful light across Prestige’s face, reflecting a hint of ruby onto his white coat. Rarity slowly moved towards Prestige, and she saw he moved closer to her. Under the moonlight, they nuzzled together, not caring of what the other ponies thought of them. They meant the world to each other, and that’s how they wanted it to be. The gurgling of the town’s square fountain was the only noise heard that night. No words were spoken that night, but none were required. They spent the rest of the night together. They were not wandering or searching around like they usually did. They had found each other...
Something in the desert caught Rarity’s eye. It looked like a desert colossus, but the next moment she looked back, it was gone; a mirage. Fluttershy noticed Rarity fidgeting in her seat.
“Sapphire wanted us to be as comfortable as possible,” Fluttershy said. “But... it doesn’t seem like you are.” Rarity looked up to Fluttershy with a hint of distress in her eyes. Fluttershy let out a slight squeal from the intensity of Rarity’s eyes.
“Fluttershy...” Rarity trailed off.
“R-Rarity?” Fluttershy hesitated to ask. “A-are you okay?”
“I was trying not to be obvious, but that seems redundant now...” Rarity whispered. “I really don’t want this to be a problem for me or you... but... I have to share this with someone...”
Fluttershy sat across from Rarity with a very confounded look. But deep down, Fluttershy knew what Rarity had been suffering on for so long.
“The way I’ve been acting... my attitude. It’s because of... him,” Rarity said.
“Prestige?” Fluttershy replied.
“Yes... I thought I had finally gotten over him. But... look how well that’s proven to be...” Rarity said softly.
“But didn’t you leave him?” Fluttershy said confused.
Rarity paused for a moment. How could she have been so foolish to forget. She had an image as a strong mare to protect. She remembered telling everyone in Ponyville that she had kicked Prestige out, that he wasn’t fit enough to be around ponies like them.
“N-no...” Rarity hesitantly said. “That’s not the truth...” she said softly. “There is much to Prestige that I never told you. He wa- we were more than what we wanted ponies to know.”
She could see that she was losing Fluttershy. She had to start over with her. Fluttershy was a great companion, but could be easily confused with too much conflicting information. Rarity finally delved deep into her heart and told her everything that her and Prestige had shared. What they had meant to each other, and how he abandoned her, when everything was finally fitting into place. Rarity spoke for what felt like hours. Fluttershy, as good as a listener as she was, couldn’t help herself when her drowsiness swooped in. She drifted off to sleep, waiting for their voyage to Manehattan to be over. Rarity sighed and made her way over to the chaise lounge. She laid down and closed her eyes.
Before she knew it, the train was pulling into Manehattan. The city noise was enticing, she felt anew. This was her chance at becoming a big shot. A small pony in a big city, ready to make a difference. She tenderly awoke Fluttershy and the two of them made their way off the train. Outside the train station, amongst the crowds of busy ponies, a large carriage was awaiting Rarity and Fluttershy. Two large body guards came out of the carriage to escort Sapphire Shores into the presence of the two mares.
“Welcome Miss Rarity!” Sapphire said with spunk. “I’m glad to see that you and your guest made it out here! Come, come! We have much to see and do!”
Sapphire prompted the two mares into the carriage, departing off to the residence of Sapphire. Rarity was about to begin one of the greatest opportunities of her life. She felt good.
***
No words were spoken that night, but none were required. They spent the rest of the night together. They were not wandering or searching around like they usually did. They had found each other...
Almost no words were spoken that night. As the sun slowly began to creep over the horizon, Prestige looked at a sleeping Rarity, curled up against his side. Her slow breathing was in harmony with his. He couldn’t resist himself anymore. He had to. He leaned in and rubbed his forehead against hers. Her eyes slowly opened to see him gazing deeply into her eyes. Prestige smiled at her, and turned away for a brief moment. When he turned back, he had a necklace around his horn. It was a ruby amulet.
“This is for you... my love,” Prestige whispered. He leaned over her head, letting the amulet drop from his horn to around her neck. She looked down upon the gem to see the premier cut. The ruby matched almost perfectly with his mane. Rarity looked up at him, touched by his affection. She leaned her muzzle against Prestige’s chin. They were both happy. |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 4 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2011-12-20T03:32:36+00:00 | 2011-12-20T03:32:36+00:00 | 2,281 | The carriage was working its way through downtown Manehattan. Rarity and Fluttershy both stuck their head out of the windows to capture the full vibrancy of the city. In the distance, they could see the Mare of Liberty, overlooking the entire city. Fluttershy was entranced with the beauty of the city. Everything seems so different from what she was used to. The concrete, the skyscrapers, the buzz of the city. Fluttershy liked it. Rarity was more focused on Mane Street. Down there she could see the best designs of the season. Everything from American Pony to Prancing Prada. She had reached her dream, and she was going to make the best of it. But then, something caught her eye. She darted her eyes up to see a billboard that had a unicorn stallion with a red mane posing. Rarity closed her eyes and shook her head to make sure that she wasn’t seeing things. When she looked up though, they had turned the corner and were out of sight of the billboard. Rarity pondered for a few seconds, but then pulled herself together, it was very unlikely that the unicorn was Prestige.
“I swear, honey. If you keep leering out that window you’re gonna give yourself a hernia!” Sapphire said with zest.
“Pardon me, Sapphire. I’m just...” Rarity was looking for her words, “admiring the beauty of such a chic city! I do not understand why I had not moved here sooner!”
“Well be prepared for a blast!” Sapphire said with equal energy. “Tonight we are tearing apart Manehattan. Us three mares will show the Big Apple what we’re capable of!” Sapphire was grinning beyond belief. Rarity looked over at Fluttershy, who threw her a nervous, yet enthusiastic smile. It began to dawn on Rarity that Fluttershy had never been to the city before. Everything was a lot more different than her quiet, suburban upbringing. She gave Fluttershy a comforting look, something that helped ease her anxiety of the night.
The carriage pulled up to a downtown loft around seven or eight, it was difficult to tell the time due to the city lights casting an orange glow across the sky. The mares hopped out of the carriage and proceeded to enter the complex. A doorhoof stood by and helped usher them in. Rarity and Fluttershy walked into a vast and intricate loft. The skyline was beautiful, and as the sun was setting off in the distance, the orange glow of the city, and the ruby shine of the sun made a palette of colors cascade across the heavens.
“Girls! We have a big night planned ahead of us! I need you up and ready in 15 minutes!” Sapphire bellowed. “People to meet, things to do, SO MUCH AT OUR DISPOSAL!” She ended with a harmonious jingle in her voice.
Fluttershy and Rarity looked around again at the amazing room, then flopped onto the couches near the penthouse window. Rarity looked over at Fluttershy, a small bead of sweat had begun to form at the top of Fluttershy’s forehead. She was about to face a new world.
“My dear,” Rarity began to comfort her, “the big city may seem daunting, but it’s nothing to fear. The greatest of possibilities can come from here!”
Fluttershy hovered in response, still very anxious, but she had to conform. They we’re in Manehattan. She shouldn’t let her fear get the best of her. From upstairs, the two mares could hear Sapphire calling them.
“Hurry up, girls! We’re heading out to Le Chez for dinner. Then afterwards... who knows!” Sapphire said with energy.
***
After a slow dinner, Sapphire seemed rather unenthusiastic… for once. She kept checking her watch and making fairly irritated noises. After a while, she simply blurted out,
“Ladies… I think we should call it a night. I am very tired, and I need you two rested for tomorrow.” Sapphire gave Rarity and Fluttershy a stern look. As Sapphire walked away from the two of them, Fluttershy threw Rarity a rather pleased look.
“We sure tore up Manehattan,” she said softly. “I didn’t know partying could be so easy!”
Rarity smirked at Fluttershy for her cute ignorance. She then looked up to see Sapphire walking far ahead of them, having a rather impatient look on her. She didn’t want to keep her client waiting. The three of them ventured quietly back to the penthouse. As they got closer and closer, a low bass thud could be heard throughout the street. Finally when they reached the penthouse building, it was obvious there was a party commencing at someone’s flat. Hopefully it wouldn’t bother Rarity, as she had to start working on Sapphire’s advertising cocktail dress. She had a few ideas running through her mind, but she needed to sleep on them.
The three mares entered the penthouse elevator. They squeezed their way in between several other ponies attempting to get to this party. The elevator had risen several floors, and the bass kept getting louder. As the elevator stopped at Sapphire’s loft, music was seeping out from underneath the doors. Sapphire could be heard giggling from the back of the elevator… then Rarity had caught on. They had been lured out so that Sapphire could get the loft ready.
“You really know how to be devious,” Rarity said in a rather cheeky tone.
“Well, Miss Rarity, where would all the fun be?” Sapphire said in her usual bouncy attitude.
“Wait…” Fluttershy said anxiously, “There’s more?”
Both Rarity and Sapphire chuckled at Fluttershy’s confusion. She had a lot to learn about living the Manehattanite life. The party was packed with socialites, big shots and some of Sapphire’s old friends. Rarity meandered around the party, talking to ponies she admired, and those that she crushed on. The stallions in Manehattan had certain appeal to them that she was very intrigued by. The party was filled with live music, courtesy of Sapphire’s partner the all-famous DJ-Pon3.
“Sapphire,” Rarity exclaimed, “I didn’t know that you were working with DJ-Pon3! Is she going to be needed costume changes? Because I would be more than happy to help with th-“ She got interrupted.
“My dear, I’ve know the DJ for a long time. Back when she was known as Vinyl Scratch. But I wouldn’t worry about her. She doesn’t tend to worry about dressing up and making an appearance.” She then leaned forward and whispered, “which is a little weird for my tastes.” Sapphire winked at her and then gave a deep bellied laugh.
“But don’t you worry about it! Tonight she and her guest will be the entertainment tonight.” Sapphire stated.
“Who’s supposed to be the elusive guest?” Rarity asked.
“His name’s One Trick Pony. You heard of him?” Sapphire returned.
“No... I’m afraid not…” she said with a hint of remorse.
“He’s fairly new to the market, but let me say, the kid’s got talent. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being a big shot. We’ll see him later tonight.” Sapphire replied.
The party was well furbished, and Fluttershy was finally coming into her own. She had originally hid out by the punchbowl, trying to avoid contact, but after having a couple of cups of punch, she relaxed and began letting loose. Maybe even a little too loose. An Abercombie and Filly model came up to Rarity and warned her that Fluttershy might feel a little sick tomorrow if she keeps up drinking that much punch. Rarity could only remember the first time she cut back, and it made her laugh. A rather mellow, male voice filled the air of the party. It had a great soothing effect, raising the hair on the back of Rarity’s neck. It was comforting, and almost familiar. It took her back to Ponyville, in springtime…
“We’ve been seeing each other for over a month,” Rarity began, “and you still haven’t told me what your cutie mark means.” Rarity said playfully. Prestige and Rarity lay underneath a tree as the sun loomed just above the horizon.
“I’d hope that you’d have some common courtesy to tell me what it means,” she teased him. Prestige smiled at her, then looked down at his flank. He stared at the eighth note and began to collect his words.
“I haven’t really told anypony about my cutie mark, or what it means…” Prestige said. “I’ve never felt comfortable enough to tell anyone.”
They both sat underneath the tree for a while. A heavy pause held in the air as Rarity and Prestige watched the sunset. After about three minutes, Prestige started humming a tune. It started off soft, then began to pick up with bravado. He then began to sing.
“I’ve been searching long,
All across the world a-wide,
And I know that it’d be wrong
That once all was well I would hide.
It seems that love has a way
To pull us through it all
In a way that I won’t stray
To avoid the fall
I am full
I am complete
With you…”
Rarity sat up and looked into Prestige’s eyes. The melody rang through the meadows of Ponyville. The sun had just set, and the air began to cool. But that was okay, because Prestige had opened up to her, opened up to anybody for the first time, about his special talent. He was almost embraced by it.
“That was.... heavenly,” Rarity whispered into the colt’s ear. A big grin shot across his face. She pressed her muzzle against his chin, and listened to him sing for the rest of the night.
“Miss Rarity!” Sapphire shouted from across the room. “Come here and watch this. This stallion’s got lungs on him!”
Rarity came to. Her head was in a spin, she probably had had too much of Sapphire’s punch. She walked over to the kitchen and filled up a glass of water for herself. The DJ put on a soothing trance track, and a male voice came back onto the mic. One Trick Pony definitely had a great voice. She decided to check out this upcoming prodigy. Rarity pushed her way through the crowd, looking for the small stage in which DJ and One Trick were. She was pushing her way up to the front, and that’s when she saw something all too familiar. The ruby-red mane, the build body, the defining unicorn horn, a single eighth note cutie mark. It was Prestige. Rarity stared intensely at the colt. No, he wasn’t a colt anymore, he was a stallion. It was too overwhelming for her. The mix of the punch and the shock became to much, the last thing she remembered were shocked screams and Prestige looking directly at her. Her world went black. |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 5 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2011-12-12T05:02:13+00:00 | 2011-12-12T05:02:13+00:00 | 1,711 | The sun lifted its heavy body over the horizon. The morning mist slowly began to dissipate, and the morning dew soon began to moisturize the air. Rarity and Prestige were on one of their morning walks. The meadowlarks were singing in the distance. It was perfect for Rarity. After walking to the edge of the Evergreen Forest, they finally returned back to her boutique. Rarity was ecstatic to how well her life had finally turned out. She was beyond happy.
She walked into the kitchen and began to prepare a light lunch for both of them. Something was off with Prestige today, she thought. He had been awfully quiet during the morning walk. Barely making any hit that he was enjoying it.
“Well, the key to any colt’s heart is through his stomach,” she jokingly murmured to herself. She carried a tray with a salad and a teapot. Hopefully this would pick him back up. In the corner of lounge, Rarity saw Prestige skimming through a magazine. She didn’t think much of it at the time, just that he must be having a bad day. Rarity placed the tray in front of him, but he seemed very indifferent to her kindness. He looked at her in the eyes, hesitated to say something, then got up and left the room. That shocked Rarity, but she decided to give him as much space as he needed.
She sat down on the chez-lounge that was next to the coffee table with the magazine. After a few minutes, she decided to flip through the magazine herself. But, then she started to realize that this was not a normal magazine. It was a catalogue, a catalogue of small apartments and lofts.
“…in Manehattan?” she asked herself. “What is he planning?” She sat and thought for a while. Her mind started racing though everything that this could mean.
“Maybe… he’s finding us a place to live in… Oh my stars…” she said astonished. She giddily bounded up to her room and lay down on her bed. All she could do was daydream about what the future could hold for them. What he truly meant to her. She was taken by him.
***
“Rarity?”
“Rarity?”
“Are you okay, sweetie?”
Rarity finally came to her senses now. She was lying on Sapphire’s bed, and she had evacuated the upstairs region of the loft. The music had been lowered, and the crowd was slowly leaving the party.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re alright, hun,” Sapphire said. “You must have had a bit too much to drink. You had me startled like crazy!” Sapphire began to laugh awkwardly.
Rarity sat up and looked around the room. Could that have been Prestige? No… it couldn’t have been… could it? She hung her head low, she was very dizzy.
“Sapphire…” Rarity started, “would you be a dear and get me some water?”
Sapphire nodded and exited the room. Rarity slowly pulled herself to her feet. That was some very powerful punch, she thought to herself. She slowly made her way to the bedroom door, and peered over the railing of the second floor. Fluttershy was curled up on a couch next to the window talking to a rather cute colt. She looked up at Rarity, and threw her a light smile. Fluttershy was having a good night. Her eyes then began to wander around the room to where the DJ was. The music had been set to a playlist rather than live performance, but DJ was over at the kitchen with Sapphire… and so was Prestige.
“NO!” Rarity screamed. Sapphire and DJ turned their heads to see Rarity rush right back into the room. They both darted up to see if she was okay. The DJ slowly crept the door open, and Sapphire walked in.
“Miss Rarity, you need to calm down!” Sapphire blatantly said. “What’s troubling you…”
“T-t-th-the music-c…” Rarity stammered.
“I am SO sorry,” DJ butted in, “sometimes the bass can overpower someponies if they aren’t used to it.”
“No… its not that…” Rarity said, trying to pull herself together. “Its… the other…”
“You mean One Trick?” DJ replied. “I know what you mean, he’s quite some eye candy…”
Rarity dropped her head again. She was almost ashamed to have seen Prestige again. Her heart burned with an emptiness that she hadn’t felt since the day he left. A knocking came from the door, but she kept her head down.
“I’ve brought the water for… the mare…” Prestige said as he saw who needed it. “My… god…” he trailed off.
Rarity pulled her head up. The stallion now stood right in front of her. Everything she loved and feared was standing in front of her, after all these years. She gave him a heartbroken look.
“Rarity…” he exhaled.
The pregnant pause was broken by Sapphire.
“You know this wonderful fashionista?” she blurted out with a grin. No pony replied. Her smile slowly faded as she saw the tension between their stare. There was more to these two then she had previously thought.
Rarity was perched on the edge of the bed, depression flowed through her body. She could barely keep her head held high. After a few seconds that felt like minutes, she stood up.
“How…” she whispered in despise, “how… could… you?” Tears swelled up in her eyes. A knot formed in her throat, and she started to choke on her words. Prestige gave her solemn look, and then ducked his head.
She pushed him aside and trudged out the door. As she walked through the party, many of the guests recognized her and attempted to calm her down. But she wouldn’t have any of it. Shoving guests out of the way, she forced her way out of the loft and into the open. The floor was covered with rain puddles and wet newspaper. Rain was coming down hard now, the streetlights shone a dark orange and illuminated the rain. The cold rain felt like acid on her skin. All she needed to do was keep walking. Escape from the past, a past that she thought would never catch up with her.
The lonely streets of Manehattan paid no remorse to the poor Rarity, but that did not break her. She needed anything to keep her busy. She was frozen to the bones, a million miles from home it felt like. Everything seems cataclysmic. When she hit Seventh Avenue, she was able to indulge herself in something that she could only grasp onto, clothing. The rainy weather rattled the windows, the howl of the wind sounded like a screech from deep within her soul; but those dresses. Those dresses acted as her only support system. She sat down on a bench looking into an Abercombie and Filly store. A beautiful, maroon dress was on display there. It was strikingly familiar to her. It was similar to the Gala dress she made a while back, and it warmed her heart to see something vaguely familiar in a world of confusion. Rarity lay down on the park bench, peering into the store letting her mind wander. The rain had died down by now, and the galling winds had ceased. She was finally at peace, for once during this hectic night. Rarity closed her eyes and fell asleep in downtown Manehattan.
***
Prestige returned back to the boutique around sundown. His eyes were glassy, and his entire body was dirty. Rarity was astonished to notice how disgusting he looked.
“My Lord, where have you been?” she asked worryingly. Prestige store blankly back at her. It looked like he had been crying. His eyes were puffy and barren. He let out a deep sigh and sat down on the couch. Rarity hovered over him staring at him.
“Do you want me to run you a bath?” she asked him softly. He didn’t reply. “I saw the apartment catalogue…” she stated in attempt to lighten the mood. “Vacation plans?”
He jolts his head up and stares deep into her. Prestige had a livid look on him.
“Its nothing!” he shouted. His tone startled Rarity, “LEAVE IT ALONE!” He stood up and started to stare her down. She jumped back in surprise.
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?” she yelled. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHY ARE YOU SO MESSY?”
A long pause was present. Prestige’s rage started to build and build, but then he saw Rarity. She was trembling. He had never been like this before. His actions were becoming too front.
“I-I’m sorry…” he said in an undertone voice. “I’m… just not myself right now…”
Rarity jumped up to attention and rushed into the kitchen and quickly brewed Prestige a cup of coffee. While in the kitchen, she peered out and saw him shivering on the couch. But, by the time she was done preparing the drink, he had moved his way upstairs.
“Prestige!” she shouted, “Are you okay?”
From upstairs his footsteps stopped. A single phrase was heard from him.
“I’m going to bed…” in the same undertone voice. After a few seconds the footsteps continued, and a loud crash was heard from him flopping on the bed. A loud curse was echoed throughout the boutique, then silence.
Rarity, dazed from what had happened, carried the coffee and went to her study. She sat at her drawing board for about an hour, staring at her designs and drinking the coffee. But she wasn’t really studying her designs. She was worried. Where had he been? |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 6 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2011-12-19T03:07:50+00:00 | 2011-12-19T03:07:50+00:00 | 1,429 | “AHHHHH! MY... HEAD!” Prestige started screaming. “RARITY! RARITY!”
It was the middle of the night. Rarity had fallen asleep in her study again. Prestige had come back home messy and glassy eyed again. It was starting to worry her because he was changing. He was becoming more aggressive and impulsive. One day he came back, and he had a large cut on his ribs. He claimed that he slipped on the riverbank and must have hit a rock. But Rarity knew something wasn’t right anymore. He was always restless in bed, and she couldn’t handle another night of no sleep. Rarity would wait for him to return home, and then sleep in the workshop. It was better that way for now.
“RARITY! PLEASE!” Prestige continued to shout. That final shout woke Rarity up. She was taken by surprise by this. This had never usually happened. Maybe it was her imagination. A loud crash came from the bedroom. Rarity knew that something was seriously wrong. She ran upstairs to see Prestige lying unconscious on the floor. He was sweating and his skin was clammy. His breathing was strained, but consistent. Rarity was becoming spastic. She had no idea what to do with him, other than throw him in a warm bath. The stressful situation was overwhelming for her and knew he needed some form of attention. But, if it was overcoming for her, she couldn’t get Fluttershy to help her. It would be too traumatizing for her. The only other real educated person she could think of was Cheerilee, her sister’s teacher and substitute librarian.
After a stressful hour and a half, Rarity was able to get Cheerilee to come to the boutique.
“Rarity…” she said silently, “why on earth do you need my help at this time?” Cheerilee pranced around boutique, but had a stern look on her face.
“It’s not me, its Prestige,” Rarity replied. Cheerilee stopped prancing. Her face went from stern to worried. “I don’t know what it is, but he woke up screaming, then fainted.” Rarity paused as she choked up over Prestige. “I think he has a fever, he’s burning up, but won’t wake up. I’m really worried about him.”
“Where is he?” she said quickly. Rarity pointed up to the bathroom. Cheerilee nodded her head, and bolted upstairs. Rarity slowly followed. From the bathroom, she could hear Cheerilee sigh, while Prestige made several pained grunts. Rarity watched Prestige thrash back and forth in the tub, and it scared her. She stepped out of the bathroom, and sunk to the floor. Cheerilee followed soon after. She looked into Rarity’s eyes sadly.
“He’s going to be alright. But…” she hesitated, “…but this is something more than just a fever.” Rarity looked up at Cheerilee to see that her expression was now a disappointed stare.
“Rarity, do you know what’s going on in there?” Cheerilee said boldly. Rarity shook her head. “Prestige…” she paused, “…he’s taken something. Something awful…”
***
It was about five in the morning when Rarity started to wake up. She woke up to the sound of talking next to her.
“Ma’am?” the voice said. Rarity peered over her shoulder to see two police officers standing over her. “Ma’am, are you Miss Rarity of Ponyville?” She slowly rose from the bench.
“Yes…” she slowly replied, “is there a problem?”
“Mister Cleft has requested us to escort you back home,” the officer said. His brown complexion accentuated the aviators he was wearing. Rarity could see her reflection in the glasses. Her make-up was smeared and her hair tossed. It had been a rough night.
“No, that’s quite alright,” she retorted, “I’m not going back to Mister Cleft’s house.” She jumped up from the bench and began to turn away.
“What?” said the officer. “No, he gave us strict orders to return you to your place of residence.”
“My…” she paused for a moment. He couldn’t mean Ponyville could he? No, she was not going to give in to his force. “I… live…” Rarity panicked and frantically tried to remember Sapphire Shore’s address. “I live in the Upper Garment District, by Horse Penn Station.” The officer peered over his aviators to look into Rarity’s eyes. He had a slight suspicion of her. Rarity grew the largest smile in order to convince him.
“We need to escort you back to your home. And you know that lying to an officer is considered a crime, Ma’am…” the officer began to say. Rarity took a nervous swallow of air, as sweat began to bead at the back of her neck.
“Well, I’m rather appalled that you do not respect what I say as the truth!” she blurted out in a Manehattanite way. “I am the designer for Sapphire Shores. You have obviously heard of me.” She flicked her matted hair behind her head, revealing her face and smudged make-up.
The officer leaned over to the other and whispered something. He then turned back to look at her again. There was a thickly awkward pause, and Rarity’s anxiety began to grow more and more. Finally they turned around.
“Well, we can obviously see that you are her designer! Look at your sense of style,” the officers mockingly said. Rarity’s dress was wet and discolored. Her hair tangled and obvious old make-up. “To me, Ms. Shores is a new Pony Gaga.” They proceeded to laugh while she gave them a stern look. After a slight pause, the officers agreed to take her back to the Garment district.
Upon returning to Sapphire’s loft, she walked through a completely trashed living room. The snoring of sleeping guests could be heard throughout the loft, while a single movement was heard. Somepony was attempting to clean up, but not to any success. A clamor could be heard from the kitchen, she had to assume it was the same pony cleaning up. Rarity edged her way to the living room where the sound system and the mixing board were located. She slumped down on the couch and tried to fall asleep. Reflecting upon the day’s events, she solemnly stared out the window watching the city waking up. Rustling came from behind the mixing board, which took Rarity by surprise. She slowly lifted herself off and trudged over to see what it was. DJ Pon-3 was fast asleep on the ground. She tried waking the DJ up, yet it failed. The DJ was out cold. Rarity looked around and ended up finding a blanket to cover up the electric artist. Afterwards, she placed her hooves on the turntables and looked at the system. How could somepony play this, she thought to herself. Then she saw the screen monitor, it was still on. She was feeling nosy, and decided to see what was on there. She touched the screen, and the playlist pulled up. It was a promo for the new album DJ Pon-3 was dropping, and a large portion of it was featuring Prestige, One Trick Pony. He finally did it, she thought. He finally was able to make something of his life, at least one of them had. She flipped through the other playlists and started to notice that ever since he had left her, he had been busy. Prestige was living the life he had wanted, or at least thought he wanted. The titles of the tracks were nothing important, or at least irrelevant to Rarity’s interests. It was trivial names; Ponies ‘n Stuff, To Be a Champ, Sabotage. She was about to abandon her quest, until she saw a certain song. It was titled “A Ruby in the Sea of rarity.” She stepped back in awe.
“The Sea of rarity?” she pondered. He couldn’t have written a song about her, could he? And even if Prestige had, would she want to listen to it? He did walk out on her, did he really deserve her time?
A crash came from the kitchen again, snapping Rarity out of her daydream. A murmured voice could be heard cursing them self. Rarity meandered towards the kitchen to figure out what the morning frenzy was all about. She saw a frazzled stallion running back and forth. His ruby mane caught the light of the sun, giving a vibrant shine into Rarity’s eyes. His white coat was covered by a black leather jacket.
“Prestige…” Rarity said. He turned around to see the royal purple unicorn. She stared at him, and he paused everything that he was doing. He had a straw in his mouth, yet she stared right through him. Waiting for him to make his first move. He lowered his head and put the straw down.
“I thought that you had been escorted home.” He blatantly said.
“You do not have the right to force me to leave,” she returned with just as much bitterness. “Besides, I wasn’t the one who hurt you, why should you be in control?”
“Rarity, I-“ he was interrupted.
“Don’t you “Rarity” me! I didn’t come here for you,” she returned violently. “If I had known you were here, I still would have come. I am doing this for me!”
There was a heavy pause between the too of them.
“And that’s exactly why I left,” he replied quietly. She raised her head to see a destroyed Prestige. He kept his head hung low. “Excuse me, I have things to attend to.” The stallion exited the scene, rustling though a satchel that he had brought with him. He pulled a Ziploc bag out of the jacket and threw it into the satchel. Prestige caught eye of Rarity watching him, but did not care about hiding his actions anymore. He caught a look at himself in the mirror and saw a white trail just underneath his nostril. A hard sniff, and a quick wipe of the hoof, and the trail was gone. Prestige then threw a quick smile at himself in the mirror and continued out of the loft. Rarity stood leering at what Prestige was. He hadn’t quit, he couldn’t. Not after what he’s become, a stallion of the masses. Then she thought, what did he mean by “that’s exactly why I left?”
Rarity shrugged off his absurdness and went back to the turntables. She plugged in the headphones and started his track “A Ruby in a Sea of rarity.”
***
Before Prestige had started disappearing unexpectedly, Rarity would always be in charge of what was going on. She always wanted to go on morning walks, have a romantic breakfast overlooking the river, having Prestige model for her male line of clothes. Anything she wanted, he gave it to her. And that’s what he thought she would give him back.
One day, the colts at the moving company were going to go to the racetrack, and they asked if Prestige would join them. He said that he was free that evening. When Rarity found out about his plans, she wouldn’t have it. She had planned a dinner for them at the classiest place in Ponyville. Rarity refused for him to go. The colts tried time and time again to get Prestige to do other things with them; they really enjoyed his company. The problem was that Rarity always had something planned for the two of them. He was starting to become limited with his free time as well. The time he spent practicing his music was filled with him helping Rarity around the shop. Whether it was modeling, construction or repair. He was becoming less of who he was, and more of a shell. He was under complete obedience of Rarity. Prestige felt more and more alienated as the days progressed. So alienated that one day, he needed a break. He had to cave. Only certain things can break a pony’s spirit, especially as one as strong as Prestige’s. He left Manehattan to escape his past. It haunted him, but there was nothing he could do now. He felt more alone in Ponyville than he had there.
“NO!” he thought to himself. “I am stronger than this!” But truly, Prestige was not. He couldn’t focus on the pain anymore. Trying to kill it away, he found the only thing that he took comfort in. That burning sensation, that warm feeling it gave him, that old familiar sting. It wasn’t before long that Prestige was back to old habits. Old, destructive habits, forcing his feelings to disappear.
“I am still right here…” he whispered to himself. But alas the world gave unto him. Losing himself in this blissful moment, euphoria filled him to the brim. But it was short-lived, panic began to fill him. He had ruined everything. What had he become? What was he to do now? He had no control over anything. There was no way to repair him now. Prestige fell unconscious, unaware of where he was.
Several hours later, Prestige woke up in a bank just besides the Evergreen forest. His body looked tattered, and was in need of cleaning up. But he was still in no condition to clean himself up. All he needed to do right now was to return back to Carousel boutique and pass out on the couch. Prestige finally made it back to the boutique, and Rarity was there pressuring him about his whereabouts. He tried to push her aside; he needed to lie down, that’s all he cared about. Her voice became condescending, judgmental and forceful. He began to see Rarity as someone else, a filly of control. A filly that wanted him just to herself, never letting him free. Prestige couldn’t handle it right now.
“I saw the apartment catalogue…” she stated. Her tone finally threw him off the deep end.
“Its nothing!” he shouted. His tone startled Rarity, “LEAVE IT ALONE!” He stood up and started to stare her down. She jumped back in surprise.
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?” she yelled. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHY ARE YOU SO MESSY?”
A long pause was present. Prestige’s rage started to build and build, but then he saw Rarity. She was trembling. He had never been like this before. His actions were becoming too front.
“I-I’m sorry…” he said in an undertone voice. “I’m… just not myself right now…” He barely made his way up the stairs. It had been a long time since he had done this, and it was throwing him around mentally and physically. He wanted to hide it from her. She deserved better than this from him. But he couldn’t help it, not anymore. His past had run up and caught him. Had he not learned anything from Manehattan? That city was a monster. It would entice you in, but eat you alive, and only leave such a distorted version of yourself, it would barely be recognizable. It all became too overwhelming for him. His knees gave out and he passed out on the bed. |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 7 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2012-01-09T02:48:37+00:00 | 2012-01-09T02:48:37+00:00 | 1,339 | The room was filled with an ambient electronic beat. It was rather different from what DJ-Pon3 usually played. It must have been something special that Prestige asked for. Rarity maneuvered over towards the living room couch again to sit and listen to One Trick Pony’s track. Soft vocals humming and cooing filled the air. It was more pop than she expected. At this point, the DJ woke up from behind the turntables and wandered towards the white mare. The artist flopped next to the designer and stared at her. She then opened her mouth, almost struggling to say something.
“So…” DJ started, “you and One Trick…”
Rarity stayed silent except for an awkward cough.
“Wow…” she trailed off. An awkward moment overcame the both of them. The DJ got up and rummaged through the table to find her sunglasses.
“Wait…” the DJ paused, “you’re name is Rarity right?”
“Why yes, dear,” Rarity said through gritted teeth.
“Oh my…” DJ-Pon3 started to say. “Then… this song…”
Rarity softly nodded. She knew where the spastic pony was about to steer the conversation to.
“Excuse me, DJ?” Rarity asked, “what’s this song about. I can’t make out him singing… it… doesn’t sound like… him.”
“I’m sorry, call me Vinyl Scratch,” the blue mare said. “ DJ-Pon3 is my stage name. Besides, I like my original name better.”
“Okay… Vinyl…” she replied with a hinted smile.
“Well, Rarity…” Vinyl started to say, “The reason you can’t tell its him, is because there is a heavy vocal distortion. Strong reverb with some use of a Vocator.” Rarity had a blank expression across her face. She had no idea what the DJ was talking about. “Well, besides that. This song…” Vinyl trailed off.
“This song what, dear?” Rarity replied. Vinyl had a solemn, hesitant look. Finally she mastered to her words.
“One Trick P-… I mean Prestige…” she said faintly, “ Prestige said that this song was based off of his past. For where he came from.”
“Yes? And?” Rarity jumped to attention.
“Its… not exactly the most pleasant song…” Scratch continued. “It’s all about his addiction. His… love… his love addiction.”
“I’m confused, what do you mean?” Rarity asked inquisitively.
“Us musicians… if you want to call us that. Some consider us more of technicians who know how to make sound,” she lightly giggled. Rarity didn’t understand her humor. The smile melted from the DJ’s face. “Us musicians aren’t exactly the best idols. We sometimes do things that… that please us.”
“You mean…” the white mare pointed to her nose. Vinyl nodded her head.
“I’ve been fourteen months clean now,” Scratch replied. “But… I can’t say the same for Prestige. He said it got really bad when he was in Ponyville. He kept blaming it on his ex. That she…” the DJ stopped dead in her tracks. An awkward moment suspended in the air between the two of them.
“That she what?” Rarity came back with.
“She had this… control. He couldn’t “breathe” around her,” Scratch said. “He was trapped, but still deeply loved her. He loved you… and he couldn’t watch you watch him fall from grace.”
Rarity gazed into the distance. Her knees grew weak, forcing her to sit back down. Breathing became heavy, Rarity leaned forward to keep herself conscious and alert to the song.
“Prestige was deeply in love, that he became isolated. He was lost, in a sea of rarity...” the blue musician replied. “Huh… fitting title,” she murmured to herself.
But Rarity wasn’t listening to the DJ. She had to think. Their relationship was very strained. They, nay, she was controlling over him, but why. It couldn’t be from… It was. Her anxiety had originated from the Manehattan Fashion Institute…
***
It was a rough period for Rarity at the Manehattan Fashion Institute. She was always forced to work, never had a free moment. And when she did, it was impossible for her to reach the actual city. She was situated deep in the suburbs of the Broncs. The projects she worked on always had a toll on her. More and more, she could feel herself loosing herself.
“NO!” Rarity shouted. “You do not mix green with purple!” She bolted towards the projects table, where three other students were working.
“This outfit is meant to follow for our fall design. You do not add an earth tone with purple!” the white pony said in frenzy. Her eyes darted around the room, staring down her partners. The young, green filly slowly pulled back from the mannequin, removing the green from the ensemble.
“I’m… I’m… so… sorr-“ the green pony was interrupted by a storming Rarity.
“NO! You just don’t understand! Green is an earth color. Meant for summer or bland outfits,” Rarity scolded. “Purple is a fall color which best illustrates the ensemble. And furthermore is the sign of royalty!”
“Rarity,” the red male unicorn began to speak. “We need to account for our models hide…” he trailed out.
“Stitch!” The white pony turned her head to look at the red unicorn. “I’ve been doing everything in this group, and now you decide to get involved?” She scolded him.
“IT’S NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU’VE OVERPOWERED EVERYONE!” Stitch fought back. Rarity was steaming, and Stitch infuriated. The green filly coughed to break the uncomfortable tension.
“It’s not fair on anyone, Rarity,” Stitch began.
“Leave,” she replied bluntly.
“Fine. Suit yourself,” the red unicorn said. He flipped the projects desk over and walked over to where the green filly was standing, and knocked over the mannequin.
“You don’t want to stay here with her,” he whispered into ear. The green filly rapidly shook her head. She was in a panic over the whole situation.
“We are not going to be held down by your rules, Rarity. Everything isn’t all about you…” Stitch and the green filly left the room. Enraged, Rarity threw materials across the room, breaking chairs and objects. She flung a chair across the room into one of the coffee makers. That coffee maker was able to get them through long nights, but not this night. Where had she gone wrong?
“Who needs them anyways,” she shunned to herself. “It was me, I did all of the work! They did nothing!” But Rarity stopped herself mid-thought. Why had she done everything? It was team effort, yet, she had deemed herself in charge because everything needed to be within what her standards were.
“Oh my stars, what have I done…” she lamented to herself quietly. She stood over the cacophony that once was a workroom. Her stressful environment had changed her. She was no long a filly of free spirit. Rarity’s mind-set had changed, changed to a more efficient, but sometimes detrimental towards relations attitude. The white pony erased all of her conflicting emotions, and continued the fall collection…
***
Prestige had just stormed out of Sapphire’s apartment. He was worked up. Rarity knew how to throw him over the end. She was exactly like he remembered. Even though they were not together anymore, nor had they seen each other for years, she was still able to control his life. Everything around him was finally blissful again, though. His head was slightly weighted, but his body was numb and smooth moving through the crowd again. With his mood like this, he was able to cope with his social status, even though it seems quite egotistic of him. But he was a model for the public now. He wasn’t supposed to have a core anymore…
But what was left of him, he was amazed. Prestige had had a troubling life before he moved to Ponyville. Ponyville was his failed escape from his past. A past that haunts him everyday…
***
“Run! Run! Run! Run!” Prestige yelled to his friends. Him and a couple other colts were dashing through the downtown streets. It was a cold day, many years ago. Back when Prestige was growing up in Manehattan. It was just past midnight, and it was past curfew for the fillies and colts. The colt and his friends were up to no good again. Darting between alleyways, the three colts were able to evade the Manehattan Police Department. One of the friends, a brown earth colt, ran across the street and dove in a bush. He was completely out of sight.
“Oi, Pres, Raider,” the brown colt exclaimed silently, “over here! C’mon!” Prestige looked over at his friend Raider, a lanky black unicorn, and quietly agreed to cross the street.
“On the count of three, Pres,” Raider whispered. Prestige nodded back. “One… two…” Raider jumped up and ran across the street. “THREE!” he shouted as he bolted towards his incognito friend. Prestige, in shock, jumped up and followed him. They laid low for a quarter of an hour in the bush. The police were on to them being out. And the police knew they were up to something.
“AY, watch it Roadie…” Prestige whispered to the brown colt. He reached out and bit into Roadie’s leg and dragged it into the bush. “We don’t want them to catch us, do you?” Roadie shook his head.
“How much longer until we get there?” Raider asked looking at Roadie.
“We wait until the cops are gone,” Roadie began, “before we go to the place, okay?” Raider was hesitant, but compliant. After a long wait, the three colts emerged from their hiding.
“Follow me,” Roadie said. They crept through the night until they came up to a shady apartment complex. Several windows were broken, along with graffiti. They were obviously in a bad part of Manehattan. Showing no hesitation, Roadie walked straight into the building.
“Whoa!” Prestige exclaimed. “What are you doing?” Roadie stopped in his tracks. Without turning back he stated,
“Wait here… I’ll be back.”
Twenty minutes had passed before Roadie came out again. But this time his eyes were glassy and he had a nervous bead of sweat running down his forehead. The brown colt walked straight past his friends, ignoring their words of worry. Roadie turned himself around and saw them. They were taken back at how spaced he seemed. He began to laugh.
“Follow me if you want to have fun,” he said in an alien voice. The colt turned around and started racing into the darkness. Prestige and Raider chased after him, unsure of what his plan was. They skimpily follow behind him, but Roadie was off in his own world. After a while, they finally ended up at a dilapidated playground, an eerie reminder to Prestige about his hard childhood. A broken seesaw, like his mother’s broken love for him, her support for him. A missing swing from the entire set, just like his absent father from all of his friends. Their dads were always there. At this point, Roadie sat down in the center of the playground, on the edge of the sandpit.
“Okay, I got it…” Roadie said. He routed around his pockets and pulled out a small bag of white powder. Both Raider and Prestige looked at the brown colt.
“Are you insane, Roadie?” Raider shouted. “You know how screwed we’d be if the cops came by now?”
“It’s not like we wouldn’t be screwed over if they caught us anyways.” Roadie retorted. “We’re just punks to them. Hell, Pres has been arrested a couple times.”
Prestige pulled back. He did not want to get involved in the conversation. The white colt had been caught on a couple of occasions shoplifting grocery stores. He couldn’t hold it back.
“Keep me out of this, Roadie!” Prestige shouted. His nostrils were flared. “I needed to feed myself! You know I was kicked of the house at that time!”
“Chill out, man,” Roadie replied. “I’m just sayin’. If we’re screwed, might as well go out having fun. Am I right?” Roadie then looked up at the black colt. Raider shook his head, after he turned to Prestige.
“Pres, you don’t have to do this…” Raider said softly. Prestige didn’t respond.
“Fine,” the black colt stated. He hung his head low and disappeared into the darkness. That was the last time Prestige ever saw Raider. The most stable friend he had ever had. He heard that Raider had gotten caught that night breaking curfew. That was his third strike, getting him thrown into Juvencolt Detention, which gave him time to really analyze what he wanted to do with his life. By staying away from Roadie. At no matter what cost.
Prestige watched as Raider left his life. He then returned to Roadie.
“So tell me, how’s the best way to take this?” Prestige asked.
“Oh, don’t even get me started on that, Pres!” Roadie replied.
***
Prestige had been living a lifestyle of destruction for almost two years now. He had dropped out of school and was working ditch jobs here and there, but never a solid job to keep a somewhat of a steady income. He eventually moved in with Roadie in a tiny, destroyed apartment. They were struggling to make ends meat, but enough to get their fix. Every couple of weeks, they would trade off on who needed to head out and buy their next baggie.
“Hey Roadie!” Prestige shouted from the living room. Roadie slowly walked into the living room, trying to avoid the trash that littered the floor. Their addiction was really taking a toll on them. Roadie was nothing but skin and bones now. He had stopped taking care of his appearance, and his mane started to fall out. Prestige wasn’t doing to well himself either. His coat was matted and his mane in tight notes. He smelled horrible.
“What do you want, Pres…” Roadie said.
“I bought last week…” Prestige began, “so, try to-“ he was cut off.
“Try to get some for tonight, yeah I know. I gotta go hustle for work now,” Roadie said. He barely made it towards the door. “I’ll see you later.”
But that was the last time Prestige saw Roadie. Rumor on the street was that after work, he went looking for their next fix. But he ran into the wrong people. But Prestige rather believe his own deduction, that Roadie skipped town. It was at this point he realized his life was truly failing. That next day he checked into Oaks Care Rehabilitation Center. Prestige had to force himself to get clean. A fresh start. It was there that his counselor suggested that he get out of Manehattan. Start anew somewhere else. The great thing about his counselor was that he was able to find a job for Prestige. It didn’t offer him much, but it was far out of Manehattan. A job as a lifter for a moving company, and it offered Prestige a stable income, what he desperately in need for. Prestige agreed, and by the end of the month, he was moving out to Ponyville, to start a new life. A better life. |
JordanJwoww | 329 | 8 | DJ P0N-3,Fluttershy,Original Character,Rarity,Sapphire Shores,Romance,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | A Renowned Reputation | Rarity is confronted with a business deal of a lifetime. However, it requires her to be in Manehattan, which brings back memories from long | complete | 17 | 6 | <p>Foreword<br/>Rarity has always been strong at heart, or so we are told to believe. This story explores Rarity's dream, against Rarity's tragic love life. It exploits who she is, The Element of Generosity, and how she copes with her past. In the end, its a story about life, and how through the twists and turns, we finally reach our finish line. </p><p>Story synopsis<br/>Rarity has been offered a chance to work in Manehattan for Sapphire Shores possibly making her one of the most important fashionistas for that time. She embarks on a journey with Fluttershy by her side in order to chase her dream. However, like every silverlining has a black cloud, Rarity is confronted by her ex-lover who has also made it big in Manehattan. Whatever happens, how will Rarity react?</p><p>Thanks to bigbaddrag for drawing the concept art</p> | everyone | 2012-03-29T19:38:23+00:00 | 2012-03-29T19:38:23+00:00 | 1,056 | **Author’s Note: This story, nay, I should say this piece that I’ve been writing… There has always been something about it. Something special. I have had quite the amount of writing experience in my life; however, this stands out the most for me. I love this work, but at the same time, I hate it. My idea of telling a slice-of-life story has been one of utter failure. But I guess that can be said for every slice-of-life. This piece has taken a toll on me. I have been through situations in my life that have led me to share similar experiences to that of Rarity. In no sense am I admitting to using Prestige as a self-insert. We share no connection, except for him being a creation of my imagination. This parallel with Rarity, however, is what affects me. Everything she feels, I feel. This has turned into a self-criticism of myself, and I need to stop. This will be the final chapter. This chapter will wrap up what I’ve been building up, and conclude this chapter in my life. Closure. I want to thank everyone who has followed along with this story as its been written, I understand it’s been a long and irregular writing process, and if it wasn’t for you’re support, even if it was only one of you, it helped support me finish this. This horrid, ugly, beautiful extension of my life.
It had been a month since the accidental reunion. Prestige and Rarity had managed to keep distance throughout Sapphire’s album production, but with such close proximity, they were bound to meet again. Rarity would not admit to seeing him though, locking herself in her workshop. She needed to complete her task. She needed to complete her dream, and Prestige wasn’t going to get in the way of that. Her isolation took her designs to a complete alternate level. Rarity was experimenting with anything, and everything she could. She had made dresses for all occasions; parties, award ceremonies, casual wear, comfort. Each elicited an emotional response, each different to whoever saw them, their unique shape, the color, and the folds. These dresses were beautiful. They were Rarity. It had not dawned on her, but she wasn’t making dresses for Sapphire anymore, she was making these dresses for herself. Rarity could not stop thinking about Prestige and what he meant. She was stuck between who she was, and who she wanted to be, and this pained her deeply. Her face and attitude was stone-cold, but her soul wreaked of agony.
Fluttershy grew weary of Rarity’s behavior. She had stopped regularly eating and sleeping. Countless nights, Fluttershy would wake up to Rarity not in her bed. Some nights, when she was brave enough, would venture out of their room and look for her. Rarity would be sunk deep within the couch in Sapphire’s living room staring deep into the distance of the Manehattan skyline. On other nights, Fluttershy would encourage Rarity to sleep in the room, but her aims were soon smashed when she found out that Rarity was experiencing night terrors. Rarity would wake up screaming, covered in a clammy sweat, unable to breathe. It couldn’t keep going on, both of them knew this. But Rarity, against her strong will, would not admit that her problems were from Prestige. Fluttershy couldn’t ignore her friend’s anguish anymore. It was time to intervene.
***
Late one evening, Fluttershy, Rarity and Sapphire were planning on concluding the night. It had been a lazy evening, filled with nothing more than light dinner conversation and idle relaxing in the living room. Fluttershy was in the kitchen preparing chamomile tea for all of them, taking as much time as she needed to perfect the beverage.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy muttered.
“What is it?” Rarity returned.
“Oh,” Fluttershy replied, “its nothing really. Its just…”
“Just what?” Rarity interrupted.
“We’re out of sugar for the tea,” she squeaked in a defensive scare.
“Oh…” Rarity trailed off, “…that’s unfortunate…”
“Actually, Rarity,” Fluttershy started to reply, “I was wondering if you could run down to the market and pick some up… I mean, if that’s okay with you?”
Rarity gave Fluttershy a bitter expression, but eventually conceded to her request. She pulled herself up from the couch and slouched around the room until she was ready to leave. Sapphire was watching her the entire time with a cautious eye. She, too, had been picking up on Rarity’s irrational behavior. After a painful five minutes of dragged feet, Rarity finally left the loft to get the sugar. Fluttershy’s plan was starting to unfold. She bound over the marble island table and made her way to Sapphire.
“We need to talk,” she said straightforward.
“If it’s about Rarity, I know what you’re going to ask,” Sapphire replied.
‘Then you know I won’t give up until you can get Prestige over here. They need to talk,” Fluttershy stated.
“You do realize you are playing with fire here, right?” Sapphire questioned.
“Sometimes, it takes a bigger fire to put the other out,” she replied with a smirk on her face.
***
The room was covered by a heavy shade. The only light that was visible crept around the curtains onto a minimalist bedroom. The wallpaper was peeling, and the room was a mess. Leftover orange chicken from the night before was left in a doggie bag on the clothes drawer. Prestige was lying against the frame of his bed, blasting music into his giant headphones. A minor vibration could be felt through the floor as Prestige’s cellphone broke the darkness. The blue aura of the phone caught his eye. He leaned in to answer it and saw it was Sapphire. Hesitating, Prestige answered the phone.
“I think its about time you come over…” the voice over the phone said. Prestige held the phone against his temple and sighed. He knew this day would come; he had been preparing it ever since the day he left.
“I’ll be over soon…” he replied. There was a click, then dial tone.
“It’s time to be the stallion you are, and face the colt that you were,” he muttered to himself.
***
The night had progressed; Fluttershy and Sapphire had made their way to bed, and had full intention on staying there. Their plan had to work. It was the only way to save Rarity. Rarity, meanwhile, was still in the living room, but this time flipping through her sketchpad. Updating and remodeling her dresses, the only thing she cared about.
A sharp knock at the front door caught her attention. Who could be calling at such an hour, she thought to herself. The white unicorn slowly made her way to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw the same familiar ruby – it was Prestige. Rarity cursed under her breath, but then slowly opened the door.
“What is it that you want, Prestige?” She threw at him.
“To talk,” he replied softly. “That is, if you’ll let me.”
She stared at him, all of her past anger filling her body, but she couldn’t let this opportunity slip. Maybe he would open up and make a complete fool of himself, a sweet revenge for all of her suffering. She shuffled to the side of the door and quietly invited him in. He meandered into the loft, and slowly made his way over to the kitchen island table. He pulled up a chair and sat down. Rarity hovered over him in the kitchen.
“Thanks for lettin-,” Prestige was interrupted.
“Let’s get past the niceties and get to the matter at hand, Prestige,” she snapped back at him.
Prestige bore a blank stare. It was all unfolding unlike he had expected. He expected crying, he expected a tantrum, and he expected anything but her being content with the situation.
“Rarity, I…” Prestige hesitated. “When I left… I was in a rough spot. Everything in my life had changed, not once but twice. I left Manehattan because I was afraid of what I was turning into. I was losing everything. And when I got to Ponyville, I didn’t expect I would be just as afraid as I was in Manehattan.”
He caught Rarity’s attention. She had stopped ignoring eye contact and was staring straight into his eyes. The mare could feel his warm sight in her again. It was a familiar comfort that she adored.
“Rarity, I was scared of what we were becoming,” he blurted out.
“What?” She replied confused. “But I thought we had something. We we’re something special!”
“It was more than something. It was amazing…” he said over a slight smile. “I didn’t know what to do. I grew up where no one ever cared about me. My parents didn’t bother, my friends destroyed my life. But you… you saved my life…”
Rarity began to tear up; she had no idea that she meant just as much to him as he had to her. Prestige stood up and began to pace the room in panic. It was too surreal for him. Rarity rushed over to him and caressed him. Prestige started weeping into her shoulder.
“I… never had someone… who cared about me for… me,” he said muffled.
Her heart broke at that. They both collapsed to the kitchen floor in agony and relief. They were lying on the floor, face to face with each other.
“I never meant to hurt you… you saved me…” Prestige whispered.
She smirked at him. A slight giggle erupted, making them more comfortable with each other.
“I missed you so much,” she tenderly said. She leaned in to rub her muzzle against his. They made contact, but Prestige pulled back shortly after.
“I owe you my life… and because of that, I am saving you…” Prestige said as he stood up.
Rarity pulled herself up from the floor. The white mare whipped her tears aside and looked at Prestige.
“You’re tormented soul is no longer yours. It’s a part of mine, too,” she said. “But just like yours, you have mine.”
Prestige cocked his head in her direction. He was lost. The stallion anticipated flames from the young unicorn.
“Let it serve as a beacon, Prestige.” She finished. Rarity was done with talking to Prestige. Something had changed, Rarity was no longer in angst. She turned around and began to head up the stairs to her room. Fluttershy stood in the archway acting oblivious to the situation. Rarity passed the pegasi and grabbed her suitcase.
“Come on, dear,” Rarity said. “I think I about ready to return back home. Back to Ponyville.”
Rarity gave Fluttershy a satisfied smile and continued packing. Fluttershy and Rarity emptied out the room, and moved out to the street. While waiting for a taxi, Rarity noticed she had grabbed the sketchpad. She pulled it out and began to flip through her dresses. They didn’t belong back in Ponyville, they belonged in Manehattan. Rarity turned around to the apartment building and pranced over to the mailboxes. Grabbing a pen, she flipped open the first page of the sketchpad.
I cannot stay in Manehattan any longer.
These dresses are more than just dresses
They can be the embodiment of your soul
Rectifying or frightening.
Take care,
Rarity
She slid the sketchpad into Sapphire’s mailbox without a second thought. Liberating, she thought. Fluttershy called for Rarity, the taxi must have arrived. Upon waltzing outside, the air seemed cleaner.
“Ready, Rarity?” Fluttershy said.
“My dear,” Rarity said, “I have never wanted to be home more than I do now.”
She peered out the window, and took one last look at Sapphire’s apartment. The silhouette of Prestige could be seen. His head was leaning against the window. Things were different now, he watched Rarity leave his life, for the last time. The white mare cocked her head up into the sunlight, and saw a brighter new world.
Prestige had aimed to make an effort to change. Rarity had been expecting some elaborate explanation, which is exactly what she had gotten. However, it wasn’t his justification she was wanting. It was hers to him. She had carried Prestige with her ever since he left Ponyville. But so had Prestige. As feeble and immature his decision was, she had faced closure. Prestige’s grasp on her was broken. She was free. Finally free. Hopefully he would be, too. His imprisonment in his own heart kept him from being happy. But, if he were to unlock that part of his soul again, he would save himself. Their relationship was to act as a beacon of hope for Prestige, a blinking light in a vast sea of darkness. And just beyond the light, you can see the coastline. |
Renegade Protagonist | 330 | 1 | Derpy Hooves,Doctor Whooves,Octavia,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Octavia And The Doctor | Octavia alongside the eccentric Doctor must help save Ponyville from a pack of vicious creatures. | incomplete | 15 | 3 | <p>The once peaceful town of Ponyville finds itself thrown into madness as a small pack of creatures known as Hablerie show up and begin to work their ways into the bodies of the other ponies in Ponyville, taking over their thoughts and filling them with rage. The only three that can possibly help the town overcome the monsters are the wall eyed Derpy Hooves, the well mannered Octavia, and the eccentric Doctor. Armed with nothing more than their wits,can they defeat the creatures before they are taken as well?</p> | everyone | 2011-07-26T15:57:34+00:00 | 2011-07-26T15:57:34+00:00 | 2,173 | It was fast. Whatever it was, it was fast. Fast and filled with a rage too powerful for its own good.
At first, the gray pony didn't even notice the thing was there. She heard a small scratching sound near the floorboards around her hooves, sure, but she wrote it off as the creaking of her old home blowing in the wind or something, for she was too preoccupied to do anything about it. It was a rather… bland place, her home was. The walls were a simple eggshell white, which was fading from the wear of the years, and the floors were no more than bare, brown boards. The only decorations were the multiple sheets of music that enveloped the floor, each one displaying a different, classical song written by praised classical songwriters. There was a single stool in the middle of what appeared to be the living room, which sat right next to a large, contrabass. Also in the living room was a coffee table made of glass, a small, unused television set, a tiny, two pony couch with a pasty yellow quilt draped over the back, and a chair. The coffee table was littered with more sheets of music. Next to the door there was a shelf full of songbooks, and atop the shelf sat a single radio. That was it. No bright colors, no rugs, nothing else. It sat right near the edge of the town next to the long, winding path to the Everfree Forest, significantly distanced from the other houses. She was basically isolated, which was good, in her mind. The farther away she was from the others, the easier it was for her to practice her music. Playing the double bass was hard work, after all, and it required her utmost attention. Even the quietest sound could interrupt her thoughts and distract her from her music. She didn't like her progress hindered. She liked being where there were no distractions.
Of course, that's not to say she didn't enjoy company. She didn't hate ponies, after all. She would invite people over now and again. Fellow music lovers, close friends, even her sister Pinkamina (who she loved with all her heart, but she could only have so much of her.) However, when it was time to practice, she meant business. All curtains were drawn so the sun wouldn't glare, all noises were shut out to avoid distraction, and she sat in the middle of the floor to get the perfect sound. (Not too much echo, but not as much sound is absorbed by the walls). And right now, she was all business.
"Alright Octavia…" the pony said to herself, stroking one gray hoof through her jet black mane and giving her deep purple eyes one last chance to look over the sheet music in front of her. "Lets do it again, from the top. You can do this, dear. You know you can."
She gingerly tapped the metronome on the floor next to the stool she was sitting in, causing a slow, solemn ticking noise to radiate from the base. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the advanced scales and arpeggios that she so easily missed the last time she tried to play through the song. She wasn't proud of the fact, and she didn't intend to mess up the fifth measure of Dvorak Symphony twice. She was aiming for perfection. She picked up the white, German styled bow off the black music stand that sat in front of her and placed it on the bridge, causing a small moan to shoot from the e string. Octavia frowned sourly at this, having not intended to cause the unwritten sound. But no matter, she pulled the bow into the starting position, still listening to the slow tick tock of the metronome. However, just as she was about to play the first note, she heard a loud, blood curdling wail come from the back corner of the room. A noise that put her hair on end. A screech that caused her heart to skip a beat and speed up simultaneously.
The pony spun her head just in time to see the small creature slither from the back of the room and launch itself towards her body. She hadn't even noticed it moved, at the speed the thing was going. She tried to let out a scream, or really any noise for that matter, but as she was about to, the alien like thing tackled her to the ground, causing her large contrabass to topple over and land on her back with a loud thud. Pain shot through her body as she struggled to get up, her eyes darting through the room, to find where the creature had scurried off to. Though her body protested, she shoved the instrument off her back and stood up on all four hooves. Her eyes were wide and her legs were shaking. She had to get out. She had to do it fast, and she had to do it now. She looked towards the door, a painful realization hitting her as she noticed how far away it was. But maybe if she ran…
However, just as she was about to dash towards the exit, the creature popped out of the shadows again, rocketing towards her body at speeds she couldn't believe. It thumped into her side, launching her towards the back of the room. Her body hit the ground—hard—and she skidded slowly until the wall that connected the kitchen to the living room stopped her gently. Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried again to stand on her hooves, letting out a whimper as she realized that her left front leg sent a violent, painful throbbing through her body if she tried to stand on it. She limped hopelessly towards the door again, desperately reaching out one of her hooves as she got close. Would she make it? As the tears streamed down her cheeks she let out a small cheer as her hoof touched the knob. She was just about to wrench the door open when the creature collided with her left flank, causing her to spin into the shelf that she placed next to it. The topmost board cracked, causing it to tip over and drop songbooks and a radio onto her body. She was sobbing now, not just from pain, but from the fact that she could see the thing that had been attacking her the whole time. The creature had stopped darting across the room and had stopped near the entrance to the kitchen, giving Octavia her first real look at the monster that had been attacking her.
It was about half the size of her body, the ugly little thing was. It's shape kind of resembled that of a tarantula, consisting of eight, spidery legs and a black, hairy back. However, only four of those legs touched the ground. The creature stood praying mantis style, it's other four appendages facing towards Octavia. It's mouth…well… it didn't exactly have a mouth. It defiantly had teeth—razor sharp—and it hat a long, flicking tongue, but they were simply coming from a hole in the monsters face. Skin was pried and tied to it's cheeks, allowing these features to stick out. Speaking of skin, it was a sickly gray color, almost ghostlike in appearance. And as for eyes, well… it had hundreds—literally hundreds of eyes dotting it's face. Every few moments, it let out a high pitched screech which would cut out as if though someone were silencing or stopping it mid sentence. It reared up on it's backmost legs. And sprinted towards Octavia, who was now screaming as loud as she could muster. The tears were pouring down her face not only out of the pain in her front hoof, but because she realized something awful. Something she wished she hadn't. It stuck in her mind like a dart, and now she was getting the full force of the thought.
She was going to die.
This thing was close now.
She was fully aware of the fact that she was going to die.
The creature was getting closer and closer.
SHE WAS GOING TO DIE.
But she didn't.
Suddenly, just as the monster was closing the gap between itself and Octavia, the door swung open, causing the creature to run face first into thehard oak surface. There was a moment of silence, filled only with Octavia's confused sobs and the wind that was blowing through the door. Octavia heard a startled gasp a couple of seconds later, and after a few moments of what sounded like mumbling, she saw a head pop out from the other side of the door. It was the face of a brown stallion with an even darker brown, muddled mane, his eyes the same dark color. He looked down to the creature that had been presumably killed on impact with the door, then back to the dumbfounded pony on the floor. This went on for more than a few moments, and his eyes eventually settled on her. He stared at her blankly before flashing a bright white smile, a set of perfectly white teeth shining through all the different brown shades on his coat and mane. It actually caught her off guard.
"Hello!" He said cheerily, walking up to her briskly and picking up some of the music books from off her body, half heartedly chucking them off to the side, mumbling something about the condition her house was in. But honestly, she couldn't care less about the state of her house. She almost died. Hell, she still thought she was going to die. It took a few seconds fro her to notice the thing was dead, but when she finally did, she let out a quiet sight of relief and confusion, then looked back to the stallion, noting that he had an hourglass on his flank. What does an hourglass cutie mark symbolize?
"W-who…" Was all she could get out of her mouth before turning her gaze back towards the creature that was lying motionless on the floor. "What…"
"My name is The Doctor. I'm here to fix this towns little problem. Also, you shouldn't lie a contrabass on its side like that. It's not good for the frame, and that…" The brown stallion forgot about the books and turned towards the creature. "That, my friend," he said, biting down and bearing his teeth on the friend, "is a baby Hablerie. Very dangerous, very quick… and quite rare…tell me, have you had any strange occurrences lately? Hm? Any… bumps in the night? Stories around town?"
"W…what? No…n-not that I know of… why, what's going on here?" Octavia whispered, tripping over words as she tried to speak.
"Well the thing is," The Doctor started, "these things usually travel in packs. And they never have good intentions. They come from the planet… um… it doesn't matter really. See, what they like to do is get inside your mind—take over. I remember dealing with them once before with a certain Queen Elizabeth. Lovely lady. We were able to beat them away with a broomstick! Well…a broomstick and a supercharged plasma ray made from a kettle, some string and other…stuff. But these ones look different… darker… there is something seriously wrong here, Miss… I'm sorry, whats your name dear?"
However, his question fell on deaf ears. Octavia was out like a light before the Doctor had finished his little story. The stallion let out a small sigh of defeat.
'Right… traumatic events tend to have an effect on peoples minds.' He thought to himself, casting a small glance at the creature on the floor.
Throwing the last of the books to the side, he got Octavia slung across his back and marched into the living area where he then plopped her down onto the small, white couch. He rushed out to the kitchen and grabbed a few supplies, those things being bandages, gauze, medical tape, and a small cup of tea. It took no more than a few moments of cutting and taping to get the job done, and as he finished, he pulled a small, yellow quilt over her body.
"Oh, you poor pony…" The Doctor said to himself, observing her. Her leg was sprained, but there was no real damage other than a few bruises and some small cuts. "What do those things want with you?" He quietly paced the length of the couch, for a few moments before remember ting the creature by the door. He quietly paced up to it, flipping it over into a pool of its own, black colored blood.
"You shouldn't be here…" He said to it, looking it in the eyes. "Two parts of the universe that never should have touched…you shouldn't even be in the same universe. What are you doing here. Why are you in this world?" After tossing over the possibilities in his head for a moment, he flicked the creature out the front door and shut it behind him.
"This is bad…" The doctor said to himself, running a hoof through his mane. "Very very bad." He paced out into the kitchen and ran his hooves under the tap for a moment.
"Okay, what have I got? TARDIS? No, repairing itself… Sonic Screwdriver? No… no, that pink pony broke it. New ones in the TARDIS, the TARDIS is LOCKED. That means I have another… 8 hours before I can get in there. There are creatures from another universe coming into a small town run by ponies who don't know how to fight with anything other than apple pies. I'd say I've got about…" He looked at his bare wrist, as though he had a watch. "5 hours before the town is completely overtaken. I have no TARDIS, no technology, and if I don't think of something quick, tiny monsters are going to latch onto and feed off of everypony's minds. Oh, this is bad. This is very very incredibly not good. I don't like this at all, not one bit..."
The brown stallion paced back and fourth throughout the rooms.
"I have no resources! All I have are dashing good looks, and that wont get me too far unless these creatures are susceptible to sex appeal. I somehow doubt that, though…" But I can do this! I just need a plan! All I need…" He walked back over to Octavia. "is a plan…"
And as the doctor sat in the living room watching over the sleeping Octavia's body, he had no idea that outside of that room the Hablerie were already getting a jump start on him. Three residents had already been attacked, and before too long, the whole town would succumb. His time was limited.
(Dah, da da da dah, da da da dah, da da da dadadadada)
DOCTOR WHOOVES
Episode (How many fics have there been now? To make this easier, I'll just say Episode 1)
OCTAVIA AND THE DOCTOR
Written by RenegadeProtagonist
STARRING:
Doctor Whooves
Octavia
Derpy Hooves
(Woo-eee-ooooo DAH.) |
Brass Bell | 332 | 1 | Alternate Universe,Random | The Cheesemakers | incomplete | -1 | -1 | <p>Something poses a great threat to the universe.</p> | everyone | null | 2013-07-11T21:42:51+00:00 | 1,256 | In a world between worlds, a space between spaces, there is a small chamber. It has dizzyingly high walls, that are lined with portals to other worlds, until the room is finally capped by a domed ceiling. In the centre of this room is a pillar made of an old yellowing marble, which is laced with various mind bogglingly complicated and ancient magical spells. These, devilishly complicated spells have only one perpose; to contain the creature within the pillar. The creature in the pillar is older than the the stars and older, perhaps than our universes, none may ever tell. It waits inside the pillar, it has waited since time unknown and it is willing to wait until the death of time itself, all it can do now is wait and that is all it will do until the chance arises for it to escape. Escaping may come sooner than expected, for far away in a universe much like the one we know, things have changed and now the once tightly woven spells around the piller become slack and the creature seizes it's moment and begins to break free.
A ripple flowed out from the pillar from the pillar emerged a single yellow claw following it, a toe covered ion deep blue skin and soon an entire creature emerged from the pillar like a body from water. The creature stood tall with humanoid features and bat like wings. Its eyes the darkest of blues with no other colours, the creature bore no hair and lacked a nose or mouth or ears. It rotated its neck and screeched revealing gills on its neck and rows upon rows of teeth in its mouth.
The creature walked towards one of the room's many walls and looked into the world on the other side. There was hill covered in green grass and topped by a small factory and field filled with a breed of albino duck billed platypus. Herding the platypus was a stallion with an orange coat and bright red mane. The rows of teeth in the creature’s mouth curled to form a smile as it walked through the wall and out into the world on the other side. |
|
EconomistBrony | 333 | 1 | Big Macintosh,Cheerilee,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Random,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Twilight's Opus | incomplete | 13 | 1 | <p>Almost two years after first arriving in Ponyville, Twilight suddenly receives word that her 'field studies' must soon come to an end. Needing to prepare a final report for the Princess, Twilight must collect all the wisdom she has gathered from being with her closest friends in an attempt to truly understand the Elements, true friendship, and the nature of magic. However, as she plunges herself deeper into the subject, Twilight begins to realize that the underpinnings of their friendship is far more complex than anyone, even Princess Celestia, ever knew.</p> | everyone | 2011-09-24T23:01:44+00:00 | 2011-09-24T23:01:44+00:00 | 2,907 | Twilight’s Opus
by EconomistBrony
Part I - The Elements of Harmony
Chapter 1 - Honesty
“And that’s how ponies are made!” Pinkie Pie concluded her presentation with a beaming smile.
Twilight stared at her magenta-maned companion for a long moment before finally speaking. “Um, Pinkie?” she asked, a twinge of nervousness rising in her voice. “We were supposed to talk about how to make cupcakes.”
“Oh! Were we?!” Pinkie took in a sharp gasp and blinked her eyes a few quick, successive times.
Finally regaining the wherewithal to speak, Cheerilee gave a slightly unnerved little chuckle. “W-well, th-thank you for that… enlightening... presentation, Ms. Pie!”
The entirety of Apple Bloom’s class stared up at Pinkie wide-eyed, slowly absorbing the wealth of information unexpectedly extolled by the town’s resident party planner.
“So, are there any questions!?” Pinkie asked the class with a hop into the air, her legs quivering with excitement before she landed on the ground, Twilight’s nervous laughter almost entirely drowned out by Cheerilee’s near faint.
“Actually, I think we should let Cheerilee get back to her classes, Pinkie.” Twilight interjected as, with a shimmer of her horn, she levitated the bubbly pink pony into the air and began floating her from the room. “Thank you for letting us come speak, though, Ms. Cheerile,” Twilight gave a frantic smile back to the teacher as she pushed Pinkie out from the room, the door shimmering likewise as it slammed shut behind her.
________________________________________
“Pinkie...” Twilight muttered from beneath a mound of pillows.
“And it turned out that Rarity had been locked up in jail the entire time! All for the crime of ‘spontaneous makeovers’ or something craaaaazy like that I mean I knew that Manehatten had some weird laws but I would’ve never imagined that sprucing up the uniforms of a few security guards would potentially carry prison time!” Pinkie rattled on and on as she bounced about the library that Twilight called home.
“Pinkie...” Twilight raised her voice just a little, still not wanting to see or hear another pony unless absolutely necessary.
“- had a whole bunch of weapons on her back for some strange reason - I mean, yeah, she considers herself fashion forward but I personally would think that medieval weaponry would technically be considered ‘fashion backwards’! Unless time is cyclical, in which case it’s really really really fashion forward, like prior to a whole new generation of time looping forward!” Pinkie continued nonsensically, having climbed halfway up one of Twilight’s bookshelves in the process.
“Pinkie!...” Twilight yelled from beneath her blush-covering fort of pillows.
“- that next morning, at least I think it was the next morning I don’t really remember because alcohol tends to make for weird distortions of time and space, there was waffles and syrup eeeeeeeverywhere! It was just like my eighth birthday party all over again, only it was waffles instead of bear traps and syrup instead of-” Pinkie’s strange story continued on and on, the pink party pony not seeming to hear or heed Twilight’s increasingly loud protestations as she dug through a pile of books to Twilight’s left.
“PINKIIIEEEEE!!!!” Twilight finally yelled at the top of her lungs, the pillow-fort around her disassembling with a burst of feather, pillows, and shimmering purple outlines of magic.
Pinkie suddenly stopped talking in response, staring back at Twilight with a surprised look on her face.
“...” Twilight stared back at Pinkie before finally giving a resigned sigh and dropping back to the ground. “...Nevermind.” Her horn glowed and shimmering pillows began piling themselves back atop her.
“Okey dokey Loki!” the balloon-flanked pony said with another bounce as she rolled into recounting another story spawned from somewhere deep within the recesses of her candy-filled mind.
Shutting out her friend’s voice for the moment, Twilight began to think about just how she’d go about the damage-control for Pinkie’s latest act. She hadn’t taken the time to read up on how to deal with utterly disastrous presentations. Another presentation? A deeply apologetic letter to Cheerilee? Deeply apologetic letters to every family member of the ponies in the- Twilight suddenly gasped at that realization. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are both in that class! Is she ever going to hear it from Applejack and Rarity...
Twilight began rolling over in her mind the different lectures she was likely to receive from her closest friends. ‘Poor Apple Bloom just hasn’t been able to look at Big Mac the same since yer lil’ presentation!’ ‘Twilight, darling, is there a reason why Sweetie Belle is looking for extremely elastic materials?’ Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by the sudden sound of a belch, followed by the sound of something rather heavy for its size tumbling down the stairs.
“Letter fro- whoa- augh!- whoop- wahuyaaa~!” her number one assistant’s voice resounded through the treebrary as he gracefully belly-flopped his way down her stairs.
Twilight flung the pillows from around her and ran over to the base of the stairs, just barely missing the baby dragon, who fell belly down on the floor right nearby. She could swear she saw little Rarity-heads floating around his head... “Spike? Are you alright?”
“Do we really have to go out tonight, Rarity? It’d be so much nicer if we could just stay in and snu-” Spike muttered in a daze before suddenly snapping his eyes open and his cheeks turning almost the same color as Pinkie’s mane. “Uh... ye-yeah. I’ll be fine...” Spike said with a wide, bashful smile.
“Whoa, Spike! That was -awesome-!” Pinkie suddenly appeared at his side with a loud giggle. “I mean, you were all like wahuyaaa- whoop - augh!- whoa!” the pink pony pantomimed as she proceeded to fall up the stairs in an almost perfectly mirror imitation of the path the young dragon just took.
Twilight and Spike both stared blankly for a long moment at the pony thespian’s antics before Spike suddenly remembered why he fell down the stairs. “Oh! Twilight! Letter from the Princess,” Spike said as he held out the scroll he somehow managed to hold onto.
“From the Princess? Really? I wasn’t expecting anything from her today...” Twilight mused to herself as the scroll levitated out of Spike’s hand and unfurled in front of her, which she proceeded to read aloud.
My Dearest and Most Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle,
I hope that this letter finds you well, and that you have been having a wonderful and educational time with your friends. Having reviewed the numerous letters you have sent me recounting your experiences in Ponyville, I believe that it is now time for you to conclude the field work portion of your studies. Please prepare a final report on the Elements your friends represent and the magic of friendship that binds you together. When this is done, we can arrange a time to meet and discuss your final thesis, to be written in the next several years. Don’t worry! You will be able to write it at the location of your choosing, so there’s no need to say goodbye to any of your friends. I think that your ‘Number One Assistant’ will be more than capable of being an adequate liaison during the dissertation-writing process. I will look forward to receiving your final report.
Twilight stared at the scroll, rereading the contents several times over. Slowly, her expression turned from one of shock to one of pure glee and anxiety rolled together. “Wow! I mean... I can’t believe that she wants me to finish up my studies,” Twilight says to no one in particular.
Spike tilted his head to the side in a bit of confusion. “Why? Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for? I mean, you have been here in Ponyville for almost two years, now.”
“I guess you’re right, Spike,” Twilight says with a blink of her eyes. “It’s just that time just passes by so fast! I haven’t done nearly the number of experiments and research studies I’ve wanted to do! How am I ever going to write a thesis?” Twilight slumped back onto her hindquarters. “I mean, it’s really great that Princess Celestia is going to be my research mentor, but that just makes it all the more important that I do something really impressive! I just can’t let her down!” Twilight began to get a few wrinkles of worry.
“Oh, thesis-writing is easy!” Pinkie said, suddenly reappearing from the kitchen with a tray of cupcakes balanced on her head. “I mean, I did mine in no time at all back when I was in Canterlot! Now, making the perfect cupcake - that’s hard!
“Hold on a second,” Twilight held up a hoof as she stared incredulously at the magenta-maned baker. “You wrote a thesis?”
“Twelve!” Pinkie tossed the tray up into the air, it landing nearly on a nearby table. She immediately rushed over and plucked one out, chewing vociferously. “So I guess, technically, I’m Dr. Pie! Or Dr. Pinkie. I like Doctor Pie better, though, because everything’s better with pie! And sugar.”
“How-?” Twilight managed to stammer before Pinkie picked up again.
“I told you, it was easy! Of course, I was accidentally locked in a supply closet in Canterlot University tower by some guards who claimed it was ‘in the best interest for everyone involved’ or something. Lucky for me, the closet was filled with something called ‘coffee’, paper, quills, ink and enough candy to feed an army of Scootaloos!” Pinkie Pie recounted with a thoughtful hoof to her muzzle. “Wait!” Pinkie suddenly shouted with a look of terror on her face. “What time is it?!”
Twilight and Spike both shook off their mixed feelings of shock, amazement, and raw terror to simultaneously glance up at a nearby clock. “It’s five-thirty. Why-?” Twilight began to ask when Pinkie Pie suddenly rushed to the door.
“I promised I’d help out Mr. and Mrs. Cake a half hour ago! Gotta go! Thanks for the cupcakes!” Pinkie Pie shouted with a smile as she fled, the door closing forcefully behind her.
Spike stared off after the pink pony. “But... you made the cupcakes...”
“It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie,” Twilight gave a little giggle as she trotted over to take a bite out of one of the aforementioned cupcakes. “Don’t think too much about it.”
Spike leaped up onto the table and grabbed a cupcake of his own, surveying it carefully. “I suppose it’d be too much to ask for these to be ruby filled,” the baby dragon said with a disappointed sigh as he set it back in its tin. “I still think you’ve got nothing to worry about, though, Twilight. If anyone can do a great job impressing the Princess, it’d be you! You just need to know where to start.”
Twilight finished consuming the cupcake floating before her and humming thoughtfully. “You know, Spike, you’re right. I just need to know where to start. The question is, who should I start wi-” the libraricorn was interrupted by a sudden knocking at the door.
“Twilight? You there?” Twilight heard a familiar voice on the other side.
“Well, I guess that answers that question,” Twilight muttered beneath her breath with a somewhat bemused grin as she trotted over to the door, opening it with a magical purple shimmer. “Hi there, Applejack,” Twilight greets as the farmer pony walks right on in past her.
“Twilight Sparkle, I absolutely cannot believe what Apple Bloom has been doin’ and sayin’ ever since she got home from school,” AJ shook her head from side to side. “And she says she got all ‘er ideas from you an’ Pinkie Pie.”
“Oh! That. Yeaah...” Twilight said with an awkward smile as she kicked closed the library door. “Spike, how about you go upstairs and... uhm, organize the telescopes?”
“But Twilight, you’ve only got like-” Spike began to protest before with a purple shimmer a zipper suddenly appeared on his mouth and zipped closed. He slumped his head down in a little pout before making his way back up the stairs, mumbling something to himself.
Applejack raised an eyebrow skeptically at the little air, but otherwise dismissed it as she glanced over at the cupcakes on the table. “Pinkie Pie ain’t here, is she?” the earth pony asked with a glance around.
“No, she had to run back to Sugarcube corner, AJ,” Twilight said as she made her way over. “Something about needing to help out Mr. and Mrs. Cake. But, you were saying? About... Apple Bloom?” the purple unicorn took a nervous gulp as she prepared to be chewed out by her friend.
“Oh, right, ‘bout Apple Bloom. I just cannot understand that girl fer the life of me! She comes home sayin’ her friends and her found out the best way to get their cutie marks; next thing ah know, she and ‘er friends have got poor Big Mac trussed in some sorta crazy makeshift contraption the likes o’ which I’ve never imagined,” Applejack rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Well, except for that one store back in Manehatten ah stopped in with Rainbow Dash, back last year,” the earth pony’s voice grew pensive. “I swear, that pegasus was like a filly in a candy store,” Applejack muttered beneath her breath. “But, I think ah’ve put a stop to it. As ah see it, no harm, no foul.”
Twilight stared for a moment. “Wait. So, you’re not mad?” the pony asked with a blank-faced stare.
“Mad? Shucks, sugarcube, it ain’t your fault Pinkie’s more random than polka dotted leaves on an apple tree,” Applejack smiled to her bookish friends. “Jus’ gotta keep an eye on the little’uns, so they don’t get into too much trouble. But, that ain’t the reason I came by,” Applejack continued with a little frown. “Y’see... well, ah’ve got a lil’ problem.”
Twilight breathed a deep internal sigh of relief. She can only hope her conversation with Rarity goes this well... “Yes, Applejack? How can I be of service?”
“Well... y’see... it kinda has to do with the whole ‘Element of Honesty’ thing,” Applejack said as she sat down scratching the back of her head with a hoof.
“Really?” Twilight asked, her eyes getting a little bigger. “Well, that’s just perfect! I’d been wanting to talk to you about just that...” Twilight caught herself with a nervous little giggle. “But please, Applejack, go on.”
Applejack gave a halfhearted chuckle before continuing on. “Well, Twilight. Y’see, ah’ve never been all that good with mah feelings. It’s just, well... there’s this pony ah think ah’ve got feelin’s for, but ah don’ know how to express it. It’s just... well, it’s tough, Twilight. And when I see... this pony... I can’t keep it in, ‘cause of the whole honesty thing. As such, ah’ve been ignoring ‘em like crazy, and ah worry that it’s makin’ them upset.”
Twilight listened silently, sitting down as well right next to her normally stoic friend. “Well, Applejack...” Twilight thought for a long moment. “Let me start by asking you this: what is honesty?”
Applejack turned to her with slightly squinted eyes. “What is this, some kinda quiz show?”
“Just bear with me, Applejack. I promise it’ll help,” Twilight said with a tender smile, patting the earth pony gently on the back with a hoof.
“Alright, then. I guess... I guess honesty is about always bein’ genuine. Truly bein’ yourself, and puttin’ it all out there. It’s about not bein’ selfish with what you say, and keepin’ other ponies’ feelings in mind. It’s about not lyin’ or deceivin’, not trickin’ or pullin’ cons. It’s about bein’ yourself, always.”
Twilight nodded her head along with the earth pony’s words, letting her finish before finally speaking. “So, Applejack, what’s the problem?”
“Well,” Applejack began before stopping herself and blinking her eyes. “Well, I guess there ain’t one after all.”
“Exactly,” Twilight said with a nuzzle to her close friend. “I think you know what you have to do, then.”
“Why yes, yes ah do,” Applejack said with a renewed vigor. “A pony’s gotta do what she’s gotta do.” And with that, the applicious pony stood up and gave a determined stomp of her hoof on the ground. About to run off, she took the moment to turn back to Twilight and gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Twilight. Really.”
“Well, you’ll have to let me know how it goes!” Twilight winked back to her friend before making ‘shoo’ing gestures with her hooves. As Applejack went running out the door (just barely slowing to actually open up the door, rather then barrel right through it), Twilight called up to Spike. “Spike! I need you to take down some notes for me.”
“Mrrrfle-mflewrfle,” was the response, the little purple dragon coming to the edge of the stairs and crossing his arms.
“Oh, Spike...” the unicorn said with a chuckle and flash of her horn’s magic. The dragon’s mouth-zipper disappeared, and he quickly made his way down, quill and scroll in hand. “Are you ready, my Number One Assistant?”
“Yes, sir! Er, ma’am. You know what I mean.”
“Alright. Here goes:
Honesty.
Honesty is, by its very nature, an extreme. Honesty is the absolute and unwavering dedication to making one’s words and actions truly reflect what actually is. It is not holding back information for a selfish reason, nor using information to harm others. It is, to use more technical language, a dedication to eliminating any information asymmetries that exist, thereby allowing the world to a more equal and fair society by enabling markets and communities to reach Walrasian equilibrium and, thereby, allocative and productive efficiency.
Twilight paused as she noticed Spike struggling to keep up. “You okay there, Spike?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there. Do you really have to use such big words all the time?” the baby dragon grumbled as he flipped through a massive dictionary set nearby.
Twilight giggled and let the dragon get caught up before continuing.
Ultimately, honesty is purity of information. To use a musical analogy, it is the clear, sharp overtones such as a chime or triangle, striking through to provide acknowledgement of a melody.
“There we go, Spike. All done, for now. I just really wanted to get those notes down before they slipped my mind,” Twilight said with a soft sigh. “Well, at least we’ve got one down,” the unicorn said with a smile. “But first, I think these cupcakes are really just asking to be eaten...”
End of Chapter 1 |
|
EconomistBrony | 333 | 2 | Big Macintosh,Cheerilee,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Adventure,Comedy,Random,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Twilight's Opus | incomplete | 13 | 1 | <p>Almost two years after first arriving in Ponyville, Twilight suddenly receives word that her 'field studies' must soon come to an end. Needing to prepare a final report for the Princess, Twilight must collect all the wisdom she has gathered from being with her closest friends in an attempt to truly understand the Elements, true friendship, and the nature of magic. However, as she plunges herself deeper into the subject, Twilight begins to realize that the underpinnings of their friendship is far more complex than anyone, even Princess Celestia, ever knew.</p> | everyone | 2011-09-23T04:57:38+00:00 | 2011-09-23T04:57:38+00:00 | 2,260 | Twilight’s Opus
by EconomistBrony
Part I - The Elements of Harmony
Chapter 2 – Generosity
“You know, you could’ve only eaten one cupcake,” Spike said reproachfully to the cupcake-laden Twilight Sparkle.
“Please, I don’t need to hear it, Spike,” Twilight grumbled as she rolled onto her back, trying to the best of her ability to shut out her number one assistant’s voice.
“Still, though, I’m impressed. Two dozen cupcakes is more than even Derpy eats in one sitting. Or are those muffins...?” Spike’s voice trailed off as he turned around to return to the kitchen, taking the remaining cupcakes with him.
“Oooohhhhhh... Did I really eat two dozen?” Twilight moaned to no one in particular as her belly gave her a punishing ache.
“Yep!” Spike called back with a wide grin. “Well, you kept a tally sheet through ten, so I know it was at least that many. It all went downhill from there, though, so after that’s just a best-guess. The last time I saw such a binge was when that crazy purple pegasus got into Fluttershy’s private mushroom garden.”
Twilight considered responding but thought better of it quickly, deciding that Spike deserved to win that round. That, and she was far too preoccupied with trying to remember a spell for ‘sugar overdose’. As she lay on the ground, her belly quaking with a magnitude not seen since the aftermath of Pinkie Pie’s ‘I THOUGHT I ORDERED 40 DOZEN COOKIES FOR THE SHOP BUT ACTUALLY ORDERED 400 DOZEN HELP ME GUYS!’ party, Twilight’s mind drifted back to the assignment the Princess had given her. “I have to write a thesis... wait, I have to write a thesis!” the purple unicorn suddenly shouted at the severity of such a recollection. The distinct sound of a baby dragon dropping something akin to a handful of cupcakes quickly followed, causing Twilight to break into a fit of giggles. “Are you alright in there, Spike?”
“It’s just a flesh wound!” Spike’s voice floated out from the kitchen, exerting yet another fit of giggles from Twilight.
“Oh, Spike,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes and bemused sigh. She rolled back onto her hooves and slowly got up to join her assistant, walking into the kitchen with a still-amused grin. “Are you sure you don’t need any help in here?”
“Well, if you insist,” Spike said not-so-begrudgingly before stepping back and letting Twilight work her magic. Thankfully, with Twilight, ‘working her magic’ was a rather literal event, and a few minutes later the few remaining cupcakes were tightly sealed and shut securely away for later consumption.
“So, Spike,” Twilight said with a mischievous little grin as she closed a cabinet door. “I need to decide which friend to go visit next to study the elements. Do you have an opinion as to who we go visit first?”
“I, uh....” Spike stammered. “I mean, it’s, um, totally up to you, Twilight. I mean, uh, they’re your friends and I, uh,” the dragon continued to stammer..
“Gee, well, if you don’t have any opinion at all,” Twilight said, drawing a wry grin across her muzzle. “Looks like I have no choice but to visit my dear friend Rarity. Care to join me?”
“Well, um, there’s so much work to do around here,” Spike muttered as he twiddled his fingers.
“Owloysius can take care of it later. How about you take the afternoon off?” the libraricorn offered, gesturing with her head for the dragon to leap on her back.
“Well, if you’re gonna twist my arm like that,” the dragon assistant said with a near-instant leap onto the unicorn’s back. “I guess I can make the time.”
******************************************************************************
Twilight took a deep breath of the crisp, clean winter air as she trotted through Ponyville. Winter was always one of her favorite times of the year. Sure, it wasn’t the best weather for outdoor activity, but for Twilight, that was the perfect excuse to curl up with a good book by the library’s fireplace. Twilight gave a wistful sigh as she looked around at the snow-covered town. It looked so pastoral, so peaceful. Back when she was in Canterlot, she would have never imagined that a place like this could be so... so beautiful. And that, more importantly, that she could ever consider such a place ‘home’. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at that little thought. ‘Home’. It wasn’t just a place, no, it was everything, and everypony. Home was Rarity putting her all into every dress she ever made, Pinkie Pie never failing to turn a frown into a giggle. Home was Fluttershy always having a kind word, and Applejack never failing to tell anything but the whole truth. Home was Rainbow Dash always having her back... Home was here, in Ponyville, with her dearest, best of friends. And Twilight knew that this home was always meant to be hers, from the very beginning. She had found her place in the universe. And she could never be happier for it.
“Hey! Twilight!” came a bright and bubbly yell from across the busy plaza, breaking Twilight from her thoughts. Twilight and a number of ponies around her promptly turned to the source of the noise, only to find Pinkie Pie hopping right towards her from across the plaza.
“So, I totally completely forgot to give this to you back when I was at your place, and I felt so bad about it that I absolutely had to come find you! Owloysius said that you were over at Rarity’s, so I figured that I could intercept you somewhere about here with a probability of 95! Give or take a block,” Pinkie explained before landing right next to Twilight, reaching into her saddlebags to pull out a bright pink envelope.
Twilight stared back at the pink party pony for just a moment. Disregarding the idea that an owl managed to tell a pony anything, the idea that Pinkie could calculate just about where she’d be was... well, actually, for once, it made some amount of sense. It was Pinkie Pie, after all. The unicorn’s horn glowed and the envelope hovered in front of her before opening up slowly to reveal...
“It’s your invitation to my annual New Year’s Eve Party!” the pink party pony proclaimed, causing even Spike to get a look of excitement. “You’re invited too, Spike, of course, but I figured you didn’t want a pretty pink envelope!”
Twilight grinned at the announcement and read over the invitation anyway. “Well, they’re always a blast, Pinkie!” she said upon finishing, folding the invitation back up and place it back into the envelope. “I can’t wait.”
“Okey dokey, Loki! I bet this one’ll be the best one ever!” Pinkie said with a hop and excited quiver of her legs. “Then again, that’s what I say about every party. Buuuuut, I’m absolutely positively 99.475647% plus or minus 0.00000493% certain that this one will be! See you later, Twilight!” And with that, the pink party sped off in a pink and magenta blur, presumably to deliver the remaining invitations in her saddlebags
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand that pony,” Twilight muttered.
“Well, maybe that should be your thesis,” Spike responded with a giggle. “I mean, you could easily write a whole book about her alone.”
“I’m not sure that Princess Celestia would be too pleased with a paper on just one pony, Spike,” Twilight said with a grin as she began trotting forward once more. “While laughter could definitely be a whole book, I really don’t think it would cover things like kindness, generosity, or honesty.”
“Geez, you take everything way too seriously, Twilight,” Spike said with a giggle. “Still, though. Someone should totally write a book about Pinkie. I mean, I’d read it.”
Twilight giggled and bounced the dragon once atop her back, causing him to scramble mid-air and clutch the librarian’s mane to prevent flying entirely off. “I know another pony that you’d read a book about,” she said with a wry little grin.
“Oh, I, uh....” The dragon suddenly clammed up and turned a deep shade of red.
“Maybe that’s who I should write my book about. Rarity: An Exposition on Beauty, Elegance, and Poise, by Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight continued to tease her young assistant, growing rather amused by the rising blush in his cheeks. “But, speaking of Rarity... I do believe we’re here,” she said before bringing up a hoof to knock on the front door of Rarity’s boutique.
The young dragon attempted to defend himself before, suddenly, the door to the boutique burst open and a rush of activity came swooping straight out from there within. Twilight barely managed to leap to the side without getting caught up in the madness.
”What in the-?” Twilight muttered as a trio of rambunctious fillies sprinted out and across the plaza, the glimmer of very expensive-looking material shining in the bright winter sun.
“Cutie Mark Crusader Mission: Fabric Appropriation - accomplished!” Twilight overheard one of the fillies shout before disappearing into the crowd.
“Why you little-” Twilight heard Rarity shout from within the boutique, quickly arriving at the front door and stomping her hooves. “Again! Why, oh why, did I leave that fabric out again? I swear, those three fillies give a whole new meaning to the term ‘inventory shrinkage’. I wonder if there’s a tax deduction for ‘Inventory Misappropriated by Crazed Fillies’...” Her voice trailed off before suddenly seeing the purple unicorn standing to her side. “Oh, Twilight, darling, I wasn’t expecting you! Please, please come in,” Rarity greeted, her voice quickly brightening as she turned back to return inside.
“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by unannounced. I know you stay really busy in the winter,” Twilight apologized as she stepped into her friend’s store, making sure to close the door behind her.
“I’m never too busy for a visit by one of my closest friends, darling!” Rarity eased the purple unicorn’s mind as she levitated over two cups of tea. “But please tell me, what brings you by my shop? You aren’t looking for a new set of boots, are you? Maybe a new coat? Trenches are definitely ‘in’ this year, from what my contacts in Canterlot have been telling me...”
Twilight giggled as she took a sip from her tea. “No, Rarity, but thank you. I’m still extremely well-stocked from last winter.”
“But I insist! I can’t have one of my best friends wandering around in last year’s fashions!” Rarity expounded with a look of horror spread across her face. “At least let me fit you for some new boots. Pleeeeeeasssseeeee?” Rarity pleaded, floating out an adorable pair from a shelf in the back to further attempt to persuade the purple unicorn.
“Oh, fine, fine,” Twilight said with another giggle. “But in exchange, you have to do something for me.”
“Deal!” Rarity agreed jovially before trotting off to the back to fetch a good dozen different boots. “What’s your hoof size again, darling? Three and a half? Now, what do you need me to do?” she asked, her mind mostly preoccupied with the challenge of finding a color which clashed least with the unicorn’s purple coat.
“Well, Rarity... you see, I’ve been given a task from Princess Celestia,” Twilight began to explain. “Namely, to study the Elements. Since you represent Generosity...”
“Oh! Of course!” Rarity said with a sparkle of her eyes. “Pinkie mentioned that you need to write a thesis now! And to think, I thought that the whole ‘studying friendship’ thing was nothing serious at all. Well don’t worry, dear, if Pinkie could concentrate long enough to write a baker’s dozen groundbreaking theses, I know you’ll manage just fine,” she said as she slipped a taupe-colored boot onto Twilight’s right forehoof. “No, no, no! What was I thinking?...” she muttered to herself as it slipped right back off again and flew off to the back.
“Oh! Well, then! Basically, um, what can you tell me about generosity?” Twilight asked in her cute, awkward way as she watched boot after boot fly on and off her hoof.
“I’ve honestly never given it much thought, darling,” Rarity responded half-mindedly. “Although...” Rarity paused, a little smile crossing her face. “Actually, dear, it’s really quite simple. It’s not something that I ever really actively do; it’s just a matter of doing what feels right, deep down in my heart. It’s about always putting others first, and always keeping others’ needs in mind. It’s about always doing the best for your friends. And, of course, always making sure they look fabulous,” she said with a wink as the boot she was levitating towards Twilight slipped itself on. “And I think that one looks absolutely perfect, Twilight. Yes, yes, yes,” she mused to herself as she stepped back and lifted Twilight’s other hooves slightly up into the air with her magic, fitting them with the other boots in the set. “That, darling, should cover one little pony’s views on generosity. And your delightful new boots.”
Twilight looked down at her hooves and smiled bashfully. “They are indeed beautiful, Rarity. Thank you so very much. How much do I owe you?”
“Please, darling. Consider this a gift from one dear friend to another. It’s the least I can do. Especially since I just gave you a little speech about generosity,” the fashionista said with a light chuckle.
“Well, again, thank you so very much,” Twilight said with a bashful smile. “You truly are the most generous pony I’ve ever met.”
“It’s my pleasure, darling. Now shoo, get off and do your studying thing!” Rarity said with a wink as the door to the boutique swung open.
“Sure, let me just have Spike jot down my notes. Spike? Spiiiike?” Twilight called out, rather suddenly noticing that he definitely was not on her back anymore.
Rarity turned back with a look of confusion. “Spike? Twilight, darling, are you alright? It’s been just you in here the entire time.”
Twilight paused for a long moment. “Well, if, he wasn’t here, and he was on my back right before the Cutie Mark Crusaders came rushing out, then...” The purple pony gave a sudden gasp at the realization of where he must be. “Oh, poor Spike...”
End of Chapter 2 |
|
AVeryStrange | 338 | 1 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:35:00+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:35:00+00:00 | 20,088 | Chapter 1
Rainbow Dash lay on a cloud, head in her hooves, looking out at nothing in particular. She had to keep her gaze down to keep the sun out of her eyes, and ended up pony-watching. Nothing in particular was going on; it was early enough in the summer that the heat hadn't gotten bad, but after planting season. Ponies went about their business in the late morning, a few deciding on an early lunch while most ran errands or still worked. Nothing special at all. At least, until she saw Fluttershy rushing through town with full saddlebags. It was odd enough to see Fluttershy in such a hurry, let alone with her packs. Rainbow Dash decided to see what her longtime friend was up to and took off from her cloud. She easily caught up to her Fluttershy by flying just above the ground.
"Hey Fluttershy. What's up?" she asked, making her flight look casual next to the hurried pony.
"Twilight said it was an emergency!" Fluttershy explained. It really came out more in gasps; Fluttershy was hardly an athlete.
"Huh? Emergency? What's going on?" Rainbow Dash knew that somehow or another, Twilight managed to get herself in the middle of a lot of crazy problems - whether it was relocating dragons or grumpy ursa minors, or even the return of a psycho-goddess, something always seemed to be happening to that pony. This would certainly make her day more exciting.
Fluttershy shook her head, not sparing the breath for more of an answer. With a slight frown, Dash whisked ahead. What emergency could she have contacted Fluttershy for?
If it was anything more dangerous than a mildly clogged sink, Fluttershy would probably turn back around and go hide under her bed.
Of course, Rainbow Dash made it to the library in a matter of seconds. What most of ponies considered to be "on the edge of town" to her was "not-quite-instantaneous to get to". She didn't exactly burst through the door, but she certainly didn't stop and knock. It was a library after all.
"Oh, Fluttershy, is that - oh hey Rainbow Dash!" Twilight's head popped up over a stack of luggage. "Do you need help with anything? I'm kinda busy."
"Do I - Fluttershy said there was an emergency" Rainbow Dash replied, looking around. It looked like Twilight was planning for a vacation! What kind of emergency was this? Did she need to borrow a hairbrush for her trip?
"Twilight?" Fluttershy ran in through the open door, sliding to a stop. "I'm here! Is everything okay?"
"Fluttershy..." Twilight said lightly, coming around the stack of luggage that was bigger than her. Rainbow Dash noticed Spike tying a belt around the biggest suitcase, trying to seal it closed. It looked like she was taking half the library with her.
"I'm sorry to worry you. I said there's been a bit of an emergency at the castle. Since you're both here, I'll explain. Princess Celestia told me that Princess Luna has come down with something. We're not sure what, but she's pretty ill. Princess Celestia wants me there to help take care of her sister, since she can't be there all the time."
"Why you?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You're smart, Twi, but you're no Nurse Tenderheart."
"I think it's just that...I think it's that Princess Celestia wants to be there, and it hurts that she can't. I think she wants me because I'm one of the only other ponies to know Princess Luna."
"So...why'd you need Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash ask, nodding towards her friend. Twilight had turned away, and seemed to be counting something in her head as she gazed over her luggage.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone, and I need a house-sitter. I remember Pinkie Pie saying you two were good at it - which is surprising, actually - and I could only get a hold of Fluttershy." she finished her count and turned back to the two pegasus ponies.
"I was also hoping to get some advice from Fluttershy. Not medical advice, precisely, I have my books, but my bedside manner is...well...."
"Doesn't exist?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yeah, that."
"Oh, I'd be happy to help. I mean, I've never cared for royalty before...unless you count Philomena." Fluttershy responded.
"We can definitely look after the library for ya, Twi!" Rainbow Dash told her. Twilight looked relieved.
"Great, thanks. Owlowiscious is going to stay behind to help with keeping the library running. Rainbow, why don't you two get acquainted while I compare notes with Fluttershy." Twilight pointed a hoof to a desk by the window. There, on a wooden perch by the desk, a brown owl opened his eyes and turned to stare right at Rainbow Dash. Straight. At. Her. Rainbow Dash trotted up as she heard her friends chatter.
"Hey, I'm Rainbow Dash." she told the owl.
"Who."
"Rainbow Dash." Rainbow repeated.
"Who."
Rainbow Dash's brow furrowed. "Me. Rain-bow Daaaaash. Champion speedster? Only pony to do a sonic rainboom, and twice? Future Wonderbolt?"
"Who."
"Argh!"
On top of a pile of suitcases, Spike gave the scene a flat look. "Been there sister." he muttered to himself. "We're all ready to go, Twilight!" he told his friend. Twilight looked up from her conversation with Fluttershy.
"Great. That's my number one assistant. Could you start loading them into the balloon please?"
"Me?" Spike asked. There were a half dozen suitcases (mostly filled with books, as Rainbow Dash had guessed), all of them bigger than him. By a sizable margin.
"Number one assistant." was all Twilight said before returning to her conversation. Spike dropped his arms and sighed. He clambered down the pile and sized up his adversary; a pale blue suitcase four inches taller than he. He tugged on the nearest handle, moving the suitcase all of....nowhere. He gave it another go, putting his weight into it. Given he was a baby dragon, this made about as much of a difference as one would expect. Finally, spitting in his palms and rubbing them together, Spike prepared for the mother of all heaves. He gripped the handle tightly, took a breath, and pulled with all his might. And the suitcase moved! Up!
"Sorry Spike, I got it." Twilight said, levitating all the suitcases with ease. Spike whistled and dropped from the suitcase. Twilight didn't seem to notice it, but when they had first come to Ponyville, Twilight couldn't have moved six books at once, not with any coordination. Both her power and finesse had taken a sharp upswing in the eleven months they had been here. Now she trotted out with the suitcases in tow like they weighed nothing at all.
"Thanks girls! Let the others know I'm gone, would you please?" the balloon was as of yet deflated, just a basket sitting out back. Spike shooed away a couple of birds that had started picking at the weaving. Twilight placed the suitcases inside.
"I hate to leave on such short notice." Twilight said, giving her friends an apologetic look. Rainbow Dash waved it away.
"Nah, it's all good! What better place to nap then a library? I shoulda started hanging out here months ago."
"We'll take good care of Owlowiscious too." Fluttershy promised. Twilight nodded. and hopped in the balloon.
"I promise I'll find time to write."
"Uh...Twilight?" Spike interrupted. "It's going to take me a while to inflate this."
"Oh! I meant to tell you, I've got an idea. Here." with that, her horn began to glow. The balloon lifted overhead, Twilight even going so far as to force it into shape. She turned to Spike.
"A little heat, please." she said. Curious (even upright, the balloon wouldn't be going anywhere without a lot of heat), he breathed his best flame upwards at the mouth of the balloon's envelope. To his surprise, however, the flame didn't dissipate. Instead it began to swirl into a little ball in midair. A faint purplish glow told him that this was Twilight's doing. That ball of fire made its way into the balloon. Twilight focused (she didn't even seem to be straining) and Spike heard a whoomph of flame. With that the envelope billowed out. Twilight released her telekinetic hold, and it began to rise.
"Hop in Spike!" Twilight said. Spike recovered from his amazement (she had definitely not done that before) and scrambled in.
"Bye girls! Thanks again!" she waved to her friends. Both waved back, and Twilight only turned away once she saw Rainbow Dash turn to Fluttershy to talk.
"Excited to go back to Canterlot?" Twilight asked. Spike nodded and looked up at the balloon. He decided to give it a puff of flame for safety's sake.
"The last time we went was the gala, and we all remember how that went."
"A-heh." Twilight smiled. She looked off towards the horizon and her expression dropped.
"I hope Princess Luna is going to be okay. I didn't know goddesses could get sick."
"Yeah, what's with that?" Spike asked. "You'd think that anypony who can survive a thousand years on the moon could deal with a cold or whatever."
Twilight shook her head. "It may be because she's spent a thousand years on the moon. The world's changed a lot, I'm sure."
Spike had nothing to add to that, so instead decided to watch the scenery, occasionally adding heat to the balloon. Twilight said nothing, her gaze barely moving from the same spot on the horizon. She knew where Canterlot was, but they wouldn't be in sight of it for a while yet. Spike watched as her expression struggled between worry and excitement. Canterlot was still their home, in a way. Twilight knew the palace halls better than her own house. Then there was also the matter of actually spending time with Princess Celestia. Sure, the two of them spoke once and a while at celebrations, and there were of course the letters, but this would be the first time in a while when time wasn't so limited.
"I think Princess Celestia is gonna be real impressed with your magic." Spike said, trying to get Twilight to calm down - or at least settle on how she wanted to feel about this trip.
"Huh?" It took a moment for Twilight to snap back to here and now. "Oh, thanks Spike. This trip is first and foremost about Princess Luna, of course." she said, her tone almost diplomatic. Spike rolled his eyes. He still knew who Twilight would be fawning over when they arrived. Still, Twilight at least seemed to know how she felt about their trip - she was expectant, eager, leaning over the basket as if to get closer to Canterlot. Spike could read it clearly on his friend's face, not that Twilight ever worked to hide her emotions. He wasn't sure what Canterlot would hold for them, but he knew this would be one interesting trip.
---
"Princess Celestia!" Twilight didn't even wait for the balloon to touch the ground before hopping out. They had landed in the palace's outer gardens, and the Princess herself had come to meet them, flanked by a pair of royal guards. The guards knew Twilight well enough that they did nothing as the young unicorn rushed up to her mentor. While any other pony surely would have stopped to bow with respect to the Goddess living, Twilight nuzzled against her foreleg like a filly greeting her mother. Celestia had a calm smile on her face.
"It's good to see you again, my star pupil." she said. "I only wish it were under better circumstances.
Twilight righted herself, and gave a worried nod. "How is Princess Luna? Is it bad?"
Princess Celestia closed her eyes, taking a moment to gather herself. It worsened Twilight's fears, and Twilight was the kind to worry at the drop of a hat.
"Why don't you come inside. I'm sure we have much to discuss." she turned away slightly, gesturing to the Castle's entrance. Celestia's left wing flicked, and the guards moved towards the balloon.
"We'll get you settled in in no time. Come." Spike and Twilight followed Celestia towards the castle. The castle was clearly designed with the sunlight in mind - plenty of tall windows, open spaces for the light to fill, along with openings and balconies every few yards to allow one to see the sky. The light stone floors and bright tapestries further made it feel as sunny and cheerful as the outdoors themselves. Twilight recognized the grand entry hall from the gala. The soft rug beneath her feet trailed all the way up the stairs, winding the length of the room.
"It's been so wonderful to have my sister by my side, after so long." Celestia said, keeping her gaze ahead of her. Spike jumped onto Twilight's back to keep up with the two ponies, and Twilight either didn't care or more likely didn't notice as she kept her eyes on her mentor.
"I suppose I was there with every change, but to her the world is quite different from how she left it. She's done her best to adapt, but I worry that it's just too much for her." They climbed the stairs together, Celestia's long legs taking them two at a time.
"I have done well enough one my own for the past thousand years, but it is not easy. I am hoping a friendly face will help Luna recover. And I must confess, Twilight, I have my own reasons for bringing you here to Canterlot."
"Hmm?" Twilight hadn't expected to hear that. For a second, despite her smile, Princess Celestia's expression looked downcast, even sorrowful.
"We'll discuss more later. Luna has been very expectant since I suggest you come here. Let's not keep her waiting, shall we?"
Twilight nodded, her brow furrowing. Even during the incident with Nightmare Moon, it had been clear that Princess Celestia had had things under control the entire time. When Philomena had been stolen under her nose and promptly died (death being more routine for phoenixes than most creatures), Celestia hadn't shown the slightest worry. Nothing ever seemed to fluster her. So Twilight's mind churned with worry over seeing her mentor's distress. How bad could things be?
The palace was intimately familiar to Twilight, but like any child who comes back home older and (perhaps) wiser, Twilight noticed slight changes, things that didn't match up to her pleasant memories. There seemed to be more guards about. Sometimes she caught only a flank or hoof here or there from beyond a pillar or inside a doorway - as if their presence was not something to be noticeable. Of other castle staff there were definitely fewer. Twilight was used to seeing tour guides, maintenance workers, and hordes of clerks balancing an absurd number of papers on their backs. Twilight began to feel like she had swallowed a rock.
"Here we are. Your room is just down there." Celestia raised a hoof at an ornate wooden door three down from the similar door they stood in front of now. Twilight was caught off guard. Shouldn't a princess's room be....somewhere special? More aloof? Apparently not as Celestia knocked on the door.
"Sister hasn't gotten used to being a Princess again, she says. She prefers the quiet side of things." Celestia said, as if she knew what was on Twilight's mind. Twilight nodded. That made sense. She could only imagine how it could feel to be thrust into such a (normally) busy castle when one had had a thousand years of solace.
"Come in!" they both heard. Celestia pushed the door open. The room inside was only dimly lit as the afternoon sunlight pushed its way through silky purple curtains. It was not a large room, nor did it seemed particularly lived in. The dresser may have well been untouched, not so much as a brush laying out by the attached mirror, and there wasn't a lamp or candle to be found.
Only half out of bed, Princess Luna looked at them as they came in. She was dressed in a deep blue nightie that just covered her flanks. Something about it seemed...intimate, almost indecent, which was an odd way for a pony to think of purely optional clothing. Twilight looked away out of embarrassment and respect for the younger goddess.
"Ah! Sister! You might have told me that Twilight Sparkle was here!" Luna cried, cheeks going red. She got all the way out of bed.
"Please pardon me." she said, actually bowing down. It was most definitely directed at Twilight. "I'm not used to being up this time of day."
"Uh.." Twilight was taken aback. "The honor is mine, Princess." she settled on quickly, bowing down and trying to make sure she did so deeper and more respectfully than the Princess. Idiot, she thought to herself. Princess Luna hadn't said anything about honor. Still, what was one supposed to say in such a situation? Sure, she felt a certain level of familiarity with Princess Celestia, but they were still princesses, and she had no such relationship with the moon princess. She slowly worked her way out of her bow only after seeing Luna was already getting up.
"I'm sorry to have to trouble you so. Celly simply insisted."
Twilight blinked several times, trying to hide her confusion. Celly? A court advisor? Perhaps a doctor?
Princess Celestia gave a small laugh and tapped one hoof against the ground a few times. "If the doctors insist you get your bed rest, dear sister, I must ensure you have proper company. Besides which, I'm sure Twilight would let us know if there were any trouble?" she turned her gaze to the young pony. Twilight's mouth made an 'o'. Celly - Princess Celestia! She felt almost ashamed to hear such an informal moniker applied to her mentor. Of course, this was still a younger mare referring to her big sister - even among princesses, it made sense. Twilight realized something was being expected of her.
"Ah! No, I mean of course it's no trouble." Princess Luna didn't look convinced, so Twilight felt compelled to add; "Besides, it's been too long since I've been in Canterlot. It's good to be back." That softened Luna's gaze, and she nodded just slightly.
"We will let you rest." Celestia said. "I hope you don't mind if I take Twilight from you for this afternoon."
"Not at all." Luna said. "You'll see. I'll be better in no time." she turned around and clambered back into bed as the two left.
"Princess, is she okay? Is there anything I should know?" Twilight asked after they had exited. Aside from looking sleepy, nothing had marked the Princess Luna as ill.
"Yes, my faithful student." Celestia said with a bow of her head. "I know you are no medic, though I imagine you've already begun furious study. It is your talent with magic I seek."
"Really?" Twilight could only imagine what the Princess was getting at.
"I have never in well over a thousand years gotten ill. I never knew sister to have, beforehand. I never considered the...poison Nightmare Moon was to her. I would like somepony familiar with such magics by her side, and in all of Equestria that leaves you and I alone."
Twilight found her throat too dry to swallow. Her steps faltered as if she carried a heavy load now. She knew the princess trusted her, but she couldn't help but question her own ability. Before, she had had the elements of harmony with her - along with the less official but all important element of surprise.
"You always were quick to worry, my little pony." Celestia said, watching her. "Nothing shall come of it, but I simply must be sure for my sister's sake. In the meantime, and before I must go to lower the sun, why don't we visit the grand library, while you let me know what has gone on in Ponyville. A letter can only carry so much..." |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 2 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:31:08+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:31:08+00:00 | 14,100 | Chapter 2
"Good evening." Luna greeted Twilight as the young unicorn stepped onto the same balcony as the princess. It had been just beyond their rooms, facing slightly off of south, giving a few of the city below. Canterlot had not fallen asleep yet; carts traveled to their final destinations of the day, couples went about for dinner, shopkeeps began to close up for home. Twilight bowed her head in greetings as she stepped out.
"Celly dotes on me so, it's a little embarrassing." Luna looked past Twilight to the two guards nearby. Twilight gave a nervous smile. She wondered - was this Celestia trying to protect her younger sister, or protect others from her little sister?
"How are you feeling?" she asked to shift the conversation. So far, Luna, while soft-spoken, didn't seem so poorly. Her opinion shifted slightly when Luna hung her head and let out a long sigh.
"So tired. And the night hasn't even begun. Once upon a time I relished this time of day, if only because I knew at least for a few moments, ponies would see my stars, notice the dark of my skies..."
"I...I thought you just controlled the moon." Twilight admitted, looking out over the balcony. She only now realized how little she knew of the other princess. Luna gave a sad smile.
"I can understand why you'd think that. Celly focuses on her sun, though she does have some lovely shades of blue to give the sky. But we control the day and night, darkness and light. Remember the legend?" Twilight thought back. The mare in the moon, darkness in her heart, elements of harmony, banished to the moon; the stars would aid her escape. That was it.
"I...you're right." Twilight nodded. "I'm sorry princess."
"Hmm?" Luna had been looking sideways, watching the settings sun. She turned to Twilight with a curious look.
"I never thought to learn...you must put so much work into these nights."
"Thank you for saying so, Twilight Sparkle. I will never let...I will never let her take over my heart again, but....the loneliness remains."
"Her?"
"Nightmare Moon." Luna whispered the name. "Ahh, it looks like it's time to start. I'm sorry, but it's always easier to see what I'm doing." Luna got up and turned away from the balcony. Twilight followed by her side. She noticed that she couldn't see the guards anymore. She was also much more aware of Luna's weakened state. The dark mare's steps faltered, Twilight's shorter legs easily keeping up. Luna's eyes were half-lidded.
"Celly swears that one day she'll teach me to wear a watch. How unnatural! A little ticking device to tell me the time! Whoever would have come up with that." she had a sleepy smile, almost looking unaware of herself.
"Aheh. I suppose a lot of things must seem odd, after so long." Twilight said. "How do you tell the time then? Most ponies by go the sun and moon?"
"Oh, to us the skies are different. There are paths my moon has traveled for centuries, at as steady a pace as you can wish. So long as I keep my spells the same, the day's length will never change. Apparently...she added two hours to the day, halting the moon. Celly never bothered to catch them up"
"You, ah, you talk about Nightmare Moon..."
"As if she wasn't me?" Luna asked, her expression listless. "Maybe I just wish I could say that that hadn't been me. That I hadn't truly lost myself to such cruelty. I know it is just the wishes of a silly foal who won't admit her mistakes, yet....I cannot help but feel that she isn't me. That everything there was just, well, a nightmare."
"I understand, Princess." Twilight said diligently.
"You do?" Luna perked up, sincere in her surprise. "From how sister speaks of you, I couldn't believe there was any darkness in your heart."
"Ahh..." Twilight realized the hole she had dug into. "I mean to say, I..." she stopped as the princess giggled. It was a surprising sound, making her halt if only to better listen to it.
"Don't worry. You're a sympathetic soul, Twilight."
The halls they walked seemed all the emptier with the descending darkness. Twilight, during her time here, would normally be holed up in the library or her own room, and was surprised to find that the castle took on an entirely different air. The high ceilings and open halls allowed the shadows to gather early and gather deeply. At times entire walls disappeared from view, giving the impression that the darkness stretched on for who knows how long. Twilight didn't feel any fear, but the entire castle seemed lonely, and the sadness bore down on her.
They reached a part where the castle let out eastwards. There was little view this way due to the mountain the castle clung to, but enough of the sky was clear from here. Luna sat down on the balcony and closed her eyes. Twilight sat down next to her, shifting slightly as Luna's wings unfurled.
Luna let out a deep breath that seemed to go on well beyond her lung capacity. Her horn began to glow. Twilight had never seen any unicorn's horn behave as Princess Luna's did. The glow wasn't bright as much as it was a shimmering of something ethereal, a starlit darkness that stood out clearly against the air. And it grew more real as the magic increased.
Luna raised her wings high, and with a single sweep drifted into the air several feet. Twilight had expected it to look like Princess Celestia raised the sun, regal and proud. Luna was entirely different, however. She hung her head, her horn pointing to the horizon. She seemed to just hang in the air, blending in to the descending darkness. Her horn's glow sparkled and an overlay of blue-black void surrounded it.
Twilight glanced over, and saw the moon coming over the horizon. It was a gibbous, mostly full. Twilight could feel the magic radiating from Luna. She had expected to feel like levitation, or perhaps some kind of transport magic. But that was not it, no not at all. No pony could literally lift the moon. The magic had a feel of control to it all the same, but it also had a flow, direction to it. It was unusual to assign such things to magic, which had little or no concept of space, but there was a definite flow to her magic. Twilight tried to follow it. Magic having no concept of space, she instantly found her mind far away. She could feel....she realized it was the night sky. She could feel the night sky itself.
The sensation lasted for the barest handful of seconds. Twilight found herself back in her own head as the magic faded. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus on her surroundings. She realized the moon had risen, now fully above the horizon, if not by much. That 'barest handful of seconds' in her mind had somehow lasted nearly a hour!
"Ahhh..." Luna was drifting slowly down to the ground. Her body hung from her wings like a rag doll. Twilight kept her eyes on the princess, who carefully put weight back on her hooves and opened her eyes.
"I felt your presence." she said. Twilight's eyes widened.
"Ahh, I'm so sorry Princess!" she turned to Luna and prostrated herself. "I was curious, and, and I forgot my place, I'm so sorry."
"What? No, no. Please. It's quite..." Luna's body dipped to one side. She righted herself and blinked at Twilight.
"I was surprised, that is all. It's actually...quite..." she dipped forward this time. With a start, Twilight got up just in time to brace the princess. Luna's eyes were shut and she was mumbling to herself. Twilight waited, praying to the stars above (perhaps futilely, she realized) no one saw the two of them like this.
"Princess? Princess?" could she shake the moon goddess? Was that considered rude? What was one to do when royalty fell asleep on you?
"Princess Luna? Are you okay?"
"Mhmm...twenty-seven minutes..." Luna responded from a dream. Twilight sighed and looked back into the castle. Where were those guards now? Wasn't this the exact kind of thing for them to deal with? Then again, while the guards had always shown such professionalism, Twilight had never known them to have a gentle touch. So, weighing her options and seeing few to work with, she slowly shifted around while keeping the Princess propped up. Her back now to Luna, she used her magic to lift the Princess on to her back. Luna was not nearly the same size as Celestia, for which Twilight was infinitely grateful, but the taller pony's legs still brushed the ground. Levitating the princess was out of the option, as it not only was quite undignified but Twilight couldn't trust herself to be careful enough. Twilight gave a huff as Luna's weight settled on her. Thank goodness that she had helped Applejack during applebucking season, or she never could have attempted to carry such a weight. Not that the princess was heavy or anything, Twilight admonished herself.
Thankfully, Princess Luna hadn't chosen to go far from her room, perhaps guessing but underestimating her weakened state after raising the moon. It was still no easy task, but Twilight was sure she could manage. She wondered at Princess Celestia's words. She did not want to bring this up with Luna, of course not. The way Luna spoke of Nightmare Moon, however, was quite telling. Perhaps she and Princess Luna could speak more about something similar when she awoke. Hopefully. That would be sooner rather than later.
---
Princess Luna did awake some time later. A couple hours had passed, Twilight had gotten her into bed, and the moon was higher in the sky, not yet at its apex. Twilight had decided to keep her eyes open by studying. She sat beside the princess's bed, levitating a thick tome detailing the political treatises past and present between Equestria and other lands. Once upon a time, she had learned, Princess Celestia had held conference with dragons, who were more organized back then.
"Twilight?" Luna alerted Twilight she was awake.
"Ahh! Princess! How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"
Luna groaned and pressed a hoof against her head, just aside of her horn.
"A glass of water if it's not too much trouble." she asked. Almost instantly such a glass appeared in front of her eyes, held aloft with Twilight's magic.
"I thought you might need one."
"Oh. Yes, thank you." she took the glass from Twilight telekinetically. After a long drink, she looked around.
"I passed out, didn't I?" she asked, her voice as timid as a filly. Twilight nodded.
"Oh, dear." Luna sighed. "You have my sincerest apologies, I was afraid that may happen but I thought I would overcome it."
"It's alright. That's why I'm here." Twilight told her. The Princess nodded, but her eyes were still downcast. She began to slide out of bed by Twilight.
"Well, I still have most of the night, at least. I can't waste any more time."
"Are you sure-" Twilight stopped as Princess Luna let out a heavy, loud sigh.
"I am sorry Twilight." Luna said, suddenly sounding all her thousand years. "I understand Celly's worry. And I know you mean your best. But please, I am no young filly. I know my limits. Ah, er, most of the time." she ended on a rather sheepish note, no doubt remembering just how she had wound up in her bed. Twilight kicked at the ground.
"I apologize. I should not overstepped my place." Twilight bowed. Luna shook her head.
"I don't mean - oh, nevermind. In any case, I am simply going up to the grand library."
"The library?" Twilight perked up. Luna nodded.
"I understand the bureaucracy has grown in part because Celly simply cannot be everywhere at once. I'm sure I could aid sister in overseeing the realm - once I catch up on the last thousand years, of course." she gave a weak smile. Twilight nodded.
"That's an admirable goal. Princess Celestia must be so glad to have you back."
"Ah, she always had such patience. I really must be a burden." Luna told her. "I'm merely working to make myself less of one."
Twilight bit her tongue, not wanting to start an argument but feeling that the moon princess could not be more wrong. Princess Celestia was lucky to have a sister like Luna, surely she had to see that. Anyone would be lucky to know her, came an unbidden thought.
"I know you've been up so long already." Luna said to her. "You needn't worry about watching over me."
"I, if you would allow me princess, I would be honored to join you. This would be hardly the first time I was in the library at such an hour." Twilight asked, anxiously but truthfully.
Judging by her eyebrows, Luna hadn't been expecting that. She looked appreciative, which Twilight couldn't understand. The moon princess nodded.
"I would be grateful." she told Twilight. Luna led the way out of her room. She seemed uplifted, gently smiling as her gaze drifted all about the halls.
"It's not so dissimilar from our hold home." Luna said suddenly, drawing Twilight's attention. "I think Celly didn't want to leave, in the end. She brought as much of it with her as she could."
"You mean your old castle?" Twilight asked. Luna nodded. "Why did she leave then?"
"I have wondered that myself. Have you ever studied the Everfree forest?"
"No, I can't say I have. Ponyville borders it, but it's not somewhere most ponies go. With good reason."
"I have heard so many tales." Luna told her. "I wish I could remember more clearly, but everything from back then is so....foggy. I believe something about the magics released there, all those years ago, something caused the forest to be as it is today."
"You think it has something to do with Nightmare Moon?" Twilight asked. Luna seemed conflicted, and briefly chewed on her lip.
"I cannot help but wonder if there is a reason the elements of harmony resided there. If there was a connection."
"The elements of harmony? But the Everfree forest is so..."
"Dark?" Luna asked, almost daring Twilight to say it.
"Wild." Twilight responded. She made the princess laugh.
"I can understand your doubts. But trust me in this. All power, left unchecked, can cause wild results. And the elements were never complete - the sixth hidden away from even my sister. Such an imbalance...who knows what it could bring. I would love to study the elements one day."
"That sounds like a brilliant plan." Twilight agreed. "I've given a lot of thought into just what it means to be the bearer of the element of magic."
"I'd expect no less of Celestia's favorite student. She loves to read me your letters. I know you've already learned much of all the elements."
Twilight blushed, bashful at the idea of her letters being shared. "I still have so much to learn though." she said, keeping her gaze down.
"So do we all." by now they had reached the library, and Luna pushed the door open. The library held shelves two stories high, going on so far that even in the light of day it was hard to see one end of the library from another. They had climbed two floors to get here, and were high enough that the grand windows along the far wall of the library gave a spectacular view of the city of Canterlot. Much later than before, now only a few street lamps and house lights twinkled up from below. Luna and Twilight walked in through the wide doors side by side, both took in a deep breath, and let out the exact same sigh of content at the exact same time. They turned to each other in surprise and looked away bashfully. Luna cleared her throat and trotted into the library. Twilight followed behind her.
The princess retreated to a corner of the library near the windows. Where one of the library's many tables stood half-filled with books. Three were open right now, and as Luna approached the table Twilight could see how they were all arranged so she could reference any one at any time.
"I'm afraid it'll be quite dull." Luna said, looking over her shoulder at Twilight. "Economics have gotten quite complicated over the past thousand years. I appreciate moving away from the barter system of course. It will simply take some study before I can be sure I understand what is going on. It helps to cross-reference some old trade ledgers. I just wish our records were more complete. I can find nothing on international tax law!"
"Oh, you probably want Sterling and Sterling's historical tax law compendium." Twilight responded instantly. Luna raised an eyebrow.
"The library cycles less popular books off the shelves sometimes. It's probably in the back, over here." Twilight started off. Curious, Luna trotted up to her.
"You are familiar with this tome?"
"Oh yes, it's a great read!" Twilight said with a proud smile. Her pride waned after a moment and she glanced at her hooves. "I, uh, didn't get out much before moving to Ponyville."
"And I suppose I'm lucky you didn't." Luna replied. Twilight led her up a floor (still within the library) to the balcony level, which rimmed the library. She lit the way with her horn, not even moonlight reaching in this far, and entered into a small room with more normally sized shelves. Glancing through them, it took her only seconds to pull out a giant faded blue tome.
"There we are, right where I left it. Okay, so I guess it's not that exciting a read after all."
"I'm sure it will suit my purposes admirably." Luna told her, taking telekinetic hold of the book. They headed back down to the table in silence, and Luna found a place to squeeze the book in so that she could prop it up while open. She flipped through the first few pages quickly.
"Ah, this is just what I was after!" she said excitedly. She scanned down a table of contents and flipped the book about halfway in.
"Now, to see if I understand the calculations at play..." a few papers shifted as Luna lifted a device from the other side of the table. Twilight's jaw nearly dropped. She couldn't be serious.
"Ahh...Princess Luna?"
"Oh not you too." Luna said tiredly. "Look, there's nothing wrong with an abacus." |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 3 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:36:49+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:36:49+00:00 | 13,311 | Chapter 3
One very illuminating lesson on abacus use and maintenance and several hours of peaceful study later, Twilight and Luna left the library. Twilight could still hardly believe it as Luna had challenged to beat her with a calculator - and then won hoofs down. All with the help of beads and her own mental faculties she had computed things Twilight had wanted to write down before even getting to the calculator. For the first time in a very, very long time Twilight felt, well, stupid. She often felt foalish, out of place or embarrassed. She had never been made to feel stupid.
Luna had meant only to show off a little though, and Twilight held nothing against her. The younger princess had little enough to be proud of as it was. And that little display had helped the Princess make several insights to current tax regulations. Twilight was honored that the Princess had turned to her several times through the night, using her to clarify what the books could not. And she had gotten her own studying done besides, quite happy to find a seat elsewhere on the table and go through her current subject of medicinal magics. She had had to force Luna to take a break, however, around midnight to eat. It was only as the princess picked listlessly at some bread that Twilight remembered she wasn't feeling well. Still, she had managed the rest of the night without trouble.
Now as they headed out, Twilight tried to stifle a yawn. It wasn't enough though, and caught the princess's eye.
"You've done so much, Twilight Sparkle. I shouldn't have kept you so long."
"No, no." Twilight insisted as she had throughout the night. "I enjoyed it. Besides, I've always been a bit of night owl."
"You realize that I'm going to lower the moon now? You've been up the entire day and night!"
Twilight hadn't in fact realized the time. Still, the smile she gave the princess was sincere, and she kept her head up.
"It won't be the first time. Please, princess, allow me to stay just a little longer, to see you lower the moon."
"Hmm, you sound as if I were your mother to send you to bed." Luna said, her usually serious tone of speech once again getting playful for a few moments. "I am glad to have you, but you needn't worry. It is much easier to lower the moon then to raise it. That is why, ah, she had to use such magic to refuse the moon its course."
Twilight nodded, but the princess's words did nothing to abate her worry. She had never managed to approach the subject with Luna throughout the night, out of a mix of awkwardness in bringing it up and respect for the princess. But if it could hold any information to help the princess, Twilight needed to know more about Nightmare Moon. She had watched the princess struggle to keep her focus, and levitating even simple things seemed to tax her unduly. Whatever ailed the princess, it was no simple sickness. She did not sneeze, she did not cough or moan. But she seemed weakened, drained.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Twilight asked. To her surprise, Luna began to laugh. It was soft but full of joy. A thought flashed across Twilight's mind that Luna must have a wonderful singing voice. The notion was gone as soon as it came, barely noticed. She turned to Luna in confusion.
"You rescue me from my prison, the prison I built myself. Reunite me with my loving sister and forgive me all my trespasses. Now you watch over me with all the attention a mother would give her filly, and you ask to help!" Luna giggled. Twilight didn't know princesses could giggle. She felt embarrassed by the praise heaped on her and looked away. She was surprised by the soft brush against her back. She looked up to see Luna had extended a wing to her.
"Your friends are lucky to have you. And I am honored to be worth your attention."
"Princess, i-it is my honor, after all-"
"I know, I know. Celly tells me I do myself a disservice. I am a princess. What does that mean, Twilight?"
"Being a princess?" Twilight didn't understand. She realized Luna's wing still lingered against her. She really couldn't tell how to feel about that.
"To me it means I have a duty to fulfill. A duty I have failed for a thousand years, and still fail every day. Please, do not praise me for what I have not done. It is a hollow title, not worth the mention, and it shames me to hear my name spoken alongside my sister's." she removed her wing, folding it tightly to her side once more. Twilight said nothing. It felt like the darkness of night was closing in on her, seeping through her skin and into her, laden with isolation and sorrow.
She let Luna walk out onto the balcony alone this time. From what she understood, there was a natural tempo to the skies that both sisters followed, yet it was still theirs to manipulate. It in fact needed their manipulation, perhaps not steady enough. And the twilight was apparently the worst time for it, as far as she could see. She knew Celestia's and Luna's magic stemmed from the same source, her mentor had told her as much, yet they were polar opposites. As one's domain waned and the other's took over, the natural order was strained, requiring constant guidance. Thus came the practices of raising and lowering the sun and moon. Twilight could only imagine the strain Celestia had put herself monitoring magics so at odds with her own talents. And for a thousand years! No wonder Luna felt guilt bear down on her.
Luna did not raise into the air this time. She seemed collect herself. Twilight took a second glance. Not collect herself - she seemed to be collecting the shadows around her. Twilight's eyes strained to make sense of what they were seeing. The shadows behaved something like a fluid, something like a gas, broiling and sliding towards the moon princess. Yet these words were too strong, gave the darkness more of a presence than it had. Only when Twilight stared at the Princess's back could she make out something approaching an outline. The darkness at first seemed just a cloak, but the closer Twilight looked the more she saw the darkness weave its way as part of Luna's being. It was in between the strands of her hair, under her feathers and inside a coat. She was less a pony and more an extension of the night itself. Twilight sat in awe.
She didn't even realize the moon had dipped below the horizon until Luna gasped sharply. It was perhaps her first breath the entire time. The darkness dissipated around her. Twilight rushed to her side as the Princess got on all four hooves and wobbled, unable to catch her footing.
"Twilight?" Luna's voice was so quite Twilight would have mistaken it for Fluttershy's. "Perhaps there is something more you can yet do for me."
"Yes?" Twilight asked. To her surprise, Luna then stumbled and fell against her. She remained on her hooves, if only thanks to Twilight propping her up. Twilight paused, unclear what to do. Luna nodded towards the hall. Twilight cautiously took a few steps, and Luna followed along, using her for support.
It was slow going through the dark halls, and Twilight hoped they would make it before the castle awoke and everyone could see them like this. She kept her eyes forward, very determined not to glance at the weakened pony resting on her. It just wasn't proper, she told herself. She wanted to give Luna her privacy to be weak.
"The great and terrible Nightmare Moon..." Luna mumbled. She began to laugh at something Twilight couldn't even fathom. It was not a joyful giggle as before; it was almost terrifying. A mocking laugh, cruel even, and directed at herself. Twilight suddenly very much wished that Princess Celestia would hurry up and raise the sun - she suddenly very much felt the need for a little bit of light.
"Imprisoned...banished...imprisoned in the place banished to...." Luna's mumbling became less coherent. Twilight admitted she was a bit frightened, trying to convince herself it was for the princess's sake. Finally she allowed herself to glance over at Luna. Luna's eyes were mostly closed, her hooves dragged against the ground. Her lips moved constantly even though Twilight only occasionally heard a word or two. It didn't seem likely she knew where she was. This was confirmed as she had to nudge the Princess to take a corner. She very carefully guided Luna back towards her room. Guards were just beginning to roam the halls, along with a few of the clerical staff and other functionaries. Twilight tried to hurry along, feeling indecent. Fortunately, either no one noticed or no one cared, for at the least Twilight didn't notice any glances shot her way. She thanked her lucky stars (not noticing the irony at the time) they made it back to her room without interruption.
"Please, Princess, into bed..." Twilight whispered.
"Stars as my blanket..." Luna replied. Twilight managed to nudge her towards the bed and Luna took the hint. She clambered in and even got herself under the covers. Feeling that any sense of propriety had been suspended, she put a hoof to the Princess's forehead.
"Yow." she said with a frown. It wasn't actually painful, but it was no small wonder the Princess was so discombobulated. Twilight magicked another glass of water.
"Princess, try to drink." she pleaded, holding the glass right to Luna's lips. Luna's gaze slid over to the glass, and for a moment she just stared at it blankly. Finally she leaned forward, and Twilight helped her drink. She drained the glass, and a second later her head hit the pillow.
"Don't worry Princess." Twilight said quietly, putting the glass aside. She took a look around the room. Since absolutely nothing had been touched, not even the desk, Twilight was sure the Princess wouldn't mind her using it so long as she cleared up for herself.
"Just need to...ahhh..." Twilight tried to stifle another yawn. She trotted over to the desk, and looked around. It had been used she realized, just tidied very meticulously. A slightly open drawer beneath caught her attention, and opening it up Twilight found a couple ink wells, a dozen quills and just as many sharpened pencils. A second drawer (Twilight's curiosity overcoming her sense of privacy) revealed papers, a small book, and two more abacuses.
"How many of these does she need?" Twilight asked herself. A thought crossed through her head that with three abacuses or so, Luna could probably re-derive all the calculus that had been developed in the last thousand years. She pushed that thought aside, closing the drawers. She squeezed her eyes shut, and with a flash of her horn a couple of books appeared in front of her on the table.
"Oh good, I got the right ones this time." Twilight said, rubbing one eye. "Now...let's see...." she opened one book to where she had left a small silk bookmark, and got to work.
---
"No....don't raise the sun yet...." Twilight mumbled, feeling herself waking up against her will.
I'm afraid you're far too late to stop me, my faithful student."
"Wha-huh?" Twilight raised her head. Celestia removed the hoof that had nudged the young unicorn awake.
"Princess Celestia!" she realized, eyes going wide. "I'm so sorry, I must have overslept, and I, I..." she looked around, realizing where she was. Princess Luna's room, at her desk to be precise. Twilight spared a glance at her book. Good, she hadn't drooled on it. She had trained herself not to most of the time.
"I hope sister didn't keep you up." Celestia said, a smile on her face. Twilight was quick to shake her head.
"No, not at all. I insisted. I never, I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"One cannot be a day and night pony. You've missed most of the morning."
"Yeah Twilight! Where were you?" Twilight looked down to find her draconic assistant tapping his food. Twilight smiled at his indignation.
"I'm sorry Spike. I guess I got carried away studying last night." she turned back to Celestia, but forgot what she was going to say. Celestia's eyes were on her sister. Twilight turned to look; Luna was sleeping but restless, her brow furrowed as she tossed about. Twilight feared what nightmares Luna could dream up.
"She has a fever." Twilight said. "I think it just came on last night."
"How was she?" Celestia asked. Spike caught on to the sudden turn in conversation and tried to peer up at Luna.
"Weak, but quite lively." Twilight couldn't help but smile as she thought back to Luna's passion for both mathematics and history. Celestia nodded and sighed. She seemed so old for once. How much did she have to watch over? How many did she already care for?
"Perhaps I shall speak with her later about helping with the moon." Celestia suggested. "She will need her rest."
"I, I'm sure it's just a passing fever." Twilight said, though she knew her words to be empty. Nonetheless, Celestia looked warmed by them. She turned to Twilight with a pleasant smile, her face so serene that Twilight caught herself wondering how she had ever thought of the Princess as looking old.
"She isn't the only pony in need of rest. I will have breakfast - or at this point, perhaps lunch - sent to your room. I must return to my duties, but perhaps we will be able to speak more later."
"But Princess-!"
"Now Twilight, come along. It will do nopony any good for you to wear yourself sick over Luna. I'm sure she'd agree."
Twilight knew that the younger princess would, but still she hesitated, biting her lip. Still, how was one to argue with a goddess, especially one who took such pains as Celestia did for her? Twilight reluctantly followed at Celestia's heels, and Spike followed at hers.
Twilight hadn't even really looked at her room before now. It was nearly a mirror image of Luna's, only with a smaller bed and lighter curtains. Spike had already done his best setting up, which mostly entailed organizing every book Twilight had. Stacks no greater than six, four for certain marked tomes, so as not to cause undue stress. The stacks about the floor and desk would naturally be in dewey decimal order. Aside from the occasional fit of mad studying or unexpected arrival of Rainbow Dash through her window/balcony/wall, Twilight took her library ownership seriously and always treated books with care. Of course, most of these books weren't hers to take, but Twilight thought of it as checking them out. She fully intended to pay herself any late fees she incurred.
"Don't worry, my little pony. Get some rest." Celestia told her. Twilight nodded, feeling her lids get heavier. After Celestia left, Twilight sat down right there on the floor and let out a yawn.
"Great, and what am I supposed to do?" Spike complained. "I don't even have any chores." he turned to Twilight. Twilight's gaze was blank for a moment.
"Twilight? Twi!" Spike snapped his fingers in front of Twilight's face. She found herself shaking her head, trying to clear her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and finally focused.
"I can't go to sleep. Not now." she said. "There's got to be something I can do to help. I don't even know if anything I've learned about diseases and medicine applies! No one's studied alicorns that much."
"Studied who now?" Spike asked. Twilight sighed, sounding impatient.
"Alicorns. Like the princesses? You can't just cross a pegasus pony and a unicorn, after all. Princess Celestia never spoke much about it, but apparently there used to be other alicorns. It's all just legends and fairy tales though. Maybe if I could just get my hooves on some records, if there were any historical mention of alicorn society or history, or even physiology!" Twilight hung her head. "I doubt I'll find so much as a footnote in the entire library."
"Well, what if it's not in the library?" Spike asked.
"Huh?" Twilight's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"These books would be old, right? Like old old. Like old old old-"
"Spike."
"Sorry. Anyway, remember that time you had me track down that book on pre-Canterlot Equestrian folklore? The original copy? And I had to go down into the basement to find the archives?"
"The archives!" Twilight perked up. "Oh how could I have been so stupid! Of course, there, if there was anything at all...." she paused, and suddenly her entire expression dropped. "Oh, wait. We had to get Princess Celestia's permission and a special key just to look at the copy, and they wouldn't even let me turn the pages myself..."
"And they made me sit outside in case I 'accidentally set the books aflame'" Spike said with a roll of his eyes. "Like I'd make that mistake more than four times."
"Uh huh." Twilight was barely listening. She was torn in two directions internally. Princess Celestia had told her to stay here, even had lunch on the way for her. She'd be so disappointed if Twilight exhausted herself before they got another chance to talk. Then there was also the fact that they'd probably have to find some way to get to the archives without the sun princess's permission. But she had seen how pained Luna was to fulfill her role, to try to make up for what she felt she had to. If she wasn't able to raise the moon - not by virtue of imprisonment or anything but simply unable to - Twilight could only imagine how heartbroken she would be. Twilight knew Celestia cared. But so did Luna.
"Spike, I'm going to need you to stay here." Twilight said with resolve. Spike just gave her a questioning glance.
"Someone's going to need to take my food when it comes or they'll know I'm out." she explained.
"But Twilight, aren't you hungry?" he asked. "When was the last time you ate?"
"That's not important right now Spike." Twilight told him, already heading for the door. "If anyone asks, I'm sound asleep."
"Wow, good thing you're not the element of honesty." Spike retorted.
"Honesty is more than just words." Twilight retorted. "It's about intent. And I intend to help Princess Luna."
"Even despite what Princess Celestia said to you?" Spike asked. Twilight, half out the door, paused. She felt pained by the question, by what Spike was getting at. Was she really going to go through with this? Still, Celestia hadn't been there, to see Luna work. And Luna would never tell Celestia how troubled she was, Twilight knew. It was up to her. So she forced herself through the doorway, and with a nod, shut the door behind her. Spike sighed.
"Hope she doesn't expect me to save her any of that lunch." Spike said to himself. Maybe he could busy himself constructing a Twilight replica in pillows for when somepony came by.
---
While the main floors of the castle were all built with the open world and sunlight in mind, as one descended into the basement carved out of the mountainside it soon became an entirely different world. The walls were gray stone and the ceilings were very low; the lack of windows meant that small, magically lit lanterns were the only source of light. Down here there was no night and day, only an even mix of pale shadows and dim light. It was not a part of the castle meant for dignitaries or guests or the public, so little value was placed on aesthetics. Twilight only knew the way thanks to her studies of the architecture and layout of the castle. She passed by several maintenance rooms, one with its door open just a crack.
"...asleep now.." came a voice from inside the room. Twilight was a little startled, but immediately admonished herself for thinking she'd be alone down here, what with all it took to keep the castle running. She brought her steps to a tiptoe so as not to disturb whoever was conversing inside.
"...would she.....finally....real ruler." Twilight only half caught the mumbles, but her ear picked up at what she heard. What was that? She was just behind the door now, and her curiosity forced her to stop and listen.
"It's taking too long, she's putting herself at risk."
"I think she knows what she's doing."
"Why now?"
"Had to be sooner rather than later, nopony would suspect."
"She could just-"
"Oh shut up. Look what happened last time. No, this time will go much smoother."
"I suppose you're right"
"Now shut up before somepony comes, right?"
Twilight heard movement, and in a panic, started the only spell for the situation. She winked out moments before the door opened. More a credit to her luck than her skill, she appeared around the corner of where she had been heading. Her heart was in her throat, particularly unpleasant given its pounding. Twilight tried to make sense of what she heard.
"It couldn't be." she told herself. There was a misunderstanding here, there'd have to be. It'd turn out she had overheard two guards moonlighting as actors and practicing their lines. Or perhaps some elaborate game. It couldn't actually be....that somepony was plotting something.
'Look what happened last time' the words played themselves over and over in Twilight's head. They were only eventually drowned out by the ringing that had developed in her ears. The last time there had been a plot against the throne of Equestria....the only time there had been a plot against the throne....
It couldn't be! It simply couldn't. Somepony was up to something. Perhaps they were stealing from the castle, or forging documents, or something. Twilight had a bitter taste in her mouth realizing these were her ideal scenarios. But nothing there suggested the princesses were in danger. Except Luna was mysteriously ill, and now Celestia's attention and magics were even more taxed than usual. Twilight swallowed. She needed to find those archives!
Twilight really wished she had put some thought into a camouflage spell. She was jumpy now and didn't want to be seen. First there was the fact that while technically not anywhere she wasn't allowed to be (yet), the sun princess's' personal student was gather notice down here. Twilight didn't want word getting back to Celestia. Then there was the fact that if - and that was if, she shouldn't jump to conclusions - there was in fact some movement against Equestria's royalty, once again Twilight did not want to be noticed down here, where whatever plot (maybe) was happening.
Twilight reached the room she knew to be the archives. It wasn't guarded, and for a few reasons. It was low priority, deep within the castle, and then there was the little fact that it the door was sealed magically and was otherwise all but impenetrable. Twilight knew this was the turning point. Go back now, and she had taken a jaunt around the castle, most definitely with enough time to spare for a nap before Princess Celestia returned. Go through with this, and not only was she breaking the princess' trust, but maybe one or two laws while she was at it. Twilight thought back to Spike's words, and wondered what Applejack would say.
"Shame on ya.'" Imaginary Applejack said to Twilight. "Fer even thinkin' y' could just hit the hay while y've got friends needin' ya." Okay, perhaps imaginary Applejack had an even thicker accent than her real world counterpart. She still had a point. Twilight nodded. Doors really didn't make a difference when one could just pop in.
Twilight cast the spell with something approaching practiced ease. She tried to open her eyes, expecting to see the room. Only something went wrong. Something felt weird. It didn't seem like she had eyes. Or any sort of body really. Twilight stifled the rising panic. She could feel something. She had never wondered how exactly her teleportation spell worked, but apparently it moved her somewhere, through something. And now, she guessed, she was stuck in that somewhere in between points in reality. Twilight could feel a barrier, a pressure of some sort, holding her back. The door wasn't just warded, she realized, but so was the entire room. If she lost focus, it would fling her back out where she had started from – only her continued casting of the spell kept forcing her against the barrier. Twilight mustered her resolve. She had come this far, she would not be denied now. Thinking back to how she had traced Luna's spell last night, Twilight began to mentally probe the ward. An old, solid spell like a stone wall. Yet Twilight could feel a spiderweb of fractures. Images began to form in her mind as she tried to make sense of the spell. A wall, yes, and the fractures were not random. They were symbols, writing, the language of the spell written into its raw magical energy, giving that energy form and purpose. Twilight imagined she still had a horn, and began to scratch off one of the symbols.
The spell shuddered and died as Twilight broke its ancient circuits. She found herself flung forward into reality, tumbling against the floor. Laying on her side she gasped for air, glad she even had lungs to do so with. Whatever her teleportation spell was, it was far greater than she had imagined. Here she had apparently been entering another plane of existence - often so she could do things like get a leg up on her friends or save herself a trip into town.
Twilight shook these thoughts from her head. There was no time for that now. The spell had been broken, and Twilight didn't know what that meant or if it was noticeable, but she quickly decided not to stick around too long and find out. She picked herself up off the floor and looked around. The archives were one long room with a low ceiling, pillars of bookshelves as regularly spaced as a library's. Apart from that there were several papers mounted on plaques and books in display cases, along with tightly sealed chests along the walls. Twilight glanced to the nearest shelf. The books appeared to be only loosely organized by genre and alphabet, judging from what she saw. Twilight took a deep breath - and immediately sneezed. The air here was more dust than air, so old and stale her mouth was already dry. A wry thought passed through Twilight's mind that it had been a good decision on the archivist's part not to let Spike in.
There was nothing to it but to begin searching, and Twilight was in her element. She sized up entire shelves in just a glance, scanning past the titles on each faded spine with out a second glance. It was still slow going given the volume of books to go through, and the fact that Twilight wasn't even sure what would or wouldn't be helpful. Her tired eyes caught a yellowed scroll set aside on a pedestal. It was still clearly legible.
"And thus when the terrible battle was over, the moon made way for the sun, forced down by the mighty and terrible magic of Harmony. And to her sister did the elder Goddess turn, and saw that her efforts had been in vain. With the magic fading around her, Princess Celestia did imprison Princess Luna and banish her to the moon..." Twilight stopped reading. A story she had read a hundred times or more. Well, the wording was off. It hit Twilight that this may have well been a first hand account, or at least that of someone who lived during that era. It was certainly off from what Twilight had learned - from the sound of it, the elements of harmony had been used to actually lower the moon, whereas Twilight had always heard it that Celestia had lowered the moon of her own after banishing Nightmare Moon. Something else niggled at Twilight's mind about that scroll, but she pushed it aside. Her want for factual accuracy would have to wait for another time.
After what seemed like forever, Twilight began to come across just what she had hoped for. 'On the Magic of Alicorns', a surprisingly slender tome with a red leather binding, floated behind her. She'd collect a few promising leads to go over at once, in case any were a bust. Unfortunately, after that she hit a bit of a dry spell. Most of the books down here were still collections of fairly tales and myths about alicorns. There was one 'biography of the ascending goddesses.' that caught her eye, but if she wanted to learn more about the Princess' past she knew all she had to do was ask them. She was almost ready to give up when she caught sight of a tome on the bottom shelf titled 'The four ponies of Equestria'. Picking it up and turning to the first page, the subtitle explained it was 'An objective comparison of the roles, magics and strengths of the four types of ponies in the land of Equestria'. Twilight had never heard anyone speak as if all four types had magic - that was only unicorns, clearly. Still, it was the best she could do, and it looked like it would at least cover more than just an alicorn's spells. She kept it next to the first book. She glanced back to see if any other similar tome was nearby, and was surprised to find that the portion of the back wall of the shelf she had revealed was no back wall at all. Leaning down to look closer, Twilight realized there was a small book that had been jammed behind the others, including the tome she had just removed. She had to remove a couple other books to get it free. Floating it up to inspect it, Twilight couldn't make sense of the book. It had no title, no mark. It was barely big enough to hold a shopping list, looking all of a page thick. Most curious, it looked like it was bound in a black cloth, the material holding its shape yet soft, folding to the touch. Twilight was too intrigued to ignore it, and tucked it in with the others.
Before she could continue with search, something hit Twilight. Not literally, but internally, a coldness seemed to grip her innards. She looked toward the door, now in the distance. Something was aware the spell had been broken. Something had been triggered, and now some angry presence bore down on her. Twilight hadn't felt like this since she had stared a full grown dragon face to face. She needed to be gone, now. The spell was already on her horn before she thought to cast it. And she vanished.
Twilight didn't know when she had time to formulate the thought, but it came to her to try to pause before the spell was finished. She stopped herself, mid-teleport, and found herself back in that strange not-space as before. Only this time she was here voluntarily. She mentally probed for the books. They were here...only not. They felt ghostly, unreal, like she was dreaming their existence. In other words, to Twilight, they felt like magic did in the real world. But they were here, wherever here was. And Twilight felt she could find them again. She had no reason to believe she had been caught, no reason to suspect they knew it was her, but she wasn't going to run that risk after all she had been through to get these. She could still feel her levitation magic on them, and that marked them in her mind. She could maintain the spell - she hoped. So she continued on without the books.
To her surprise, she didn't land in her room. She didn't know if it was from her detour (which now seemed unreal to her, as dreamlike as the real world had been a second ago) or from her panic in casting the spell, but she was in Luna's room. That surprised her. What really startled her, however, was Princess Celestia was in the room as well, checking Luna's temperature as she slept fitfully.
"Ah, there you are Twilight." Celestia said calmly, turning to her. Twilight shivered, from what she could tell it was just nerves. "And your assistant was so adamant you be left to sleep." there was no telling from her tone of voice whether she knew anything or not. Twilight was going to assume the worst, however.
"I'm sorry Princess. I wish I had responded sooner."
"I appreciate such dedication." Princess Celestia told. If she knew anything, it looked like she wasn't going to say anything. "But I don't think sister is in any state to raise the moon. I know she'll never admit it, however."
"She...feels she has a lot to work for, Princess." Twilight responded. If she could only get to studying, maybe before tonight she would be able to....Twilight didn't know what she thought she could do. But it had to be something!
"I have a task for you, my little pony." Celestia said, her eyes on her sister. "I must be away to tend to another meeting, but I hope you can convince my sister to come see me when she awakes. We will need to discuss plans for her wellness - I fear the castle may not be the best for her right now."
Did Celestia know? That would explain the guards. Things began to click into place for Twilight. She had to know, or at least suspect. Not enough to stop it (whatever it was) but enough to act. Twilight needed to tell her about the conversation, about when - she bit her tongue. About when she had been skulking about? Near where someone had clearly already found out about a magically sealed room had been broken into? Celestia didn't need to know, she clearly already had a plan in mind.
"Try to convince her to take the night off, my little pony. Please?" Celestia turned back to Twilight, and the young pony was moved by the sun princess's expression. She wore her concern openly, accentuated by a long-holding weariness. Twilight nodded. She would make her deeds up to her mentor. Even if she didn't know there was anything wrong.
"Thank you. And don't forget to rest yourself." Celestia bent down and briefly nuzzled her pupil. Twilight closed her eyes - such closeness to Celestia always left her feeling tranquil, regardless of the circumstances. The goddess turned around and sighed.
"And now I am off to discuss security with the bookkeepers and librarians." she said. Twilight perked up.
"Security?"
"Yes." Celestia looked over her shoulder, her face serene and unreadable. "Something's got the archivist quite upset." |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 4 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:37:57+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:37:57+00:00 | 12,093 | Chapter 4
After the Princess left, Twilight was determined to get to studying. She wasn't too clear on how she was going to go about retrieving her books - maybe another teleport was in order. Twilight was just getting ready when a knock on the door interrupted her concentration. She groaned, knowing she had to answer it before Luna was disturbed.
"Wha- Oh, Spike!" Twilight was surprised to find her assistant crossly tapping his foot outside the door. He came in without her invitation.
"Where were you, Twi?" he asked, clearly indignant. "You were gone for hours! Do you know how hard it is to keep a straight face when you're lying to the Princess of Equestria?"
"One of." Twilight corrected. "And sadly, yes. I'm sorry Spike." gears turned in her head. She couldn't have spent more than an hour and a half searching for books, probably less. Yet Spike was right - it was already well into the afternoon, several hours having passed from when she began her venture. Twilight wondered just what happened in that in between space she had discovered.
"I'll worry about that later." Twilight said with a shake of her head. Spike gave her a strange look.
"I've got studying to do..."
"Twi?"
"I only found a few books." she was already at Luna's desk.
"Twilight!"
"I think I should start with-"
"Twi! Light!" Spike shouted, hopping onto her desk. Twilight blinked. Spike gave her a flat look and held up a hand mirror.
"Spike this is hardly time for- oh." Twilight saw herself in the mirror. The bags under her eyes were darker than Luna's coat. Her hair was ragged and her eyes bloodshot. Her stomach took this moment to remind her of last she had eaten. Twilight groaned.
"I don't have time to be tired!" she complained. The realization had been enough, however, and her body already felt like it was shutting down. She forced her eyes to stay open but could feel the strain.
"Twilight, you can't help anyone like this. How much magic have you cast today?"
"Just..." Twilight groaned. Her eyelids were winning the battle.
"Come on, Twi, go to bed."
"Can't...just....need to...." Twilight fell where she stood, her legs giving out. She had just enough thought left in her head to tuck in her legs comfortably. Then she was sound asleep. Spike facepalmed.
"I'll get you a pillow." he said to his comatose employer.
---
"She's so peaceful." came into the edge of Twilight's awareness.
"Trust me, this is the only time you get that." a more sarcastic voice tickled Twilight's mind. Who?
"Has she been out long?"
"A few hours. She'll be up and running in no time."
"What? That doesn't seem healthy."
"Trust me, when Twilight dedicates herself to something, she does not stop. You should have seen her trying to stop the whole Nightmare Moon thing."
"...what drives her now, then?"
"To be honest, Princess." the voice dropped lower. "As far as I can figure it - you."
Twilight drifted back asleep. When she woke up, really woke up this time, it was dark. She lifted herself off the floor with a small groan. She found a pillow for where her head had been, but the floor had still been quite a stiff mattress. Twilight closed her eyes, squeezed them shut until any afterimage faded from her sight. She could feel another's magic.
"Princess Luna?" she opened her eyes. She could see nothing yet in the darkness, but she felt she knew where to look.
"Ah? Twilight, you're awake." Luna was beside her at the desk.
"Oh no! It's late! I'm already late-"
"Twilight, Twilight, please." Luna calmed her. Her horn gave off a blue glow, and the curtains drew back. The orange of sunset spilled into the room, casting long shadows but illuminating the two ponies. Orange didn't look good against her, a voice in Twilight's head said. She looked much better under the night. Twilight was much too distracted to notice this voice, however.
"Princess, I'm so sorry..."
Luna shook her head. "I've told you, an empty title." she smiled weakly. "Here, you should eat." with another glow of her horn, she lifted something off of the desk. It was a bowl of soup, which she placed before Twilight's hooves.
Twilight paused, but her stomach told her to take it or suffer the consequences. She obeyed.
"I ate what I could. Your assistant is quite the darling - when I awoke this afternoon I couldn't find five minutes when he wasn't making sure I was as best I could be."
Twilight secretly swore to herself that when all this was over, she would spend every bit in her stipend to buy Spike the biggest pile of rubies she could find. She glanced around for him and found him curled up on Luna's bed. She gave a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Luna.
Something was wrong - that thought immediately imprinted itself on Twilight's mind. Well of course something was wrong, Luna was sick. But no, as Twilight looked at her, something just didn't seem right about the princess. Words she had thought silenced bounced around her head.
'Look what happened last time...'
"Twilight?" Luna asked, tilting her head. "Please don't say you're sick."
Twilight shook her head. "I'm sorry, P- oh, uh...what should I call you?"
Luna laughed, getting even closer to Twilight and sitting opposite her. "Luna, of course. If anyone has the right..."
Twilight bit her lip, not sure she could go through with such a request. But looking up at Luna, Twilight could see her waiting expectantly, eagerly. She wanted Twilight to call her by her name. She needed this. Twilight's concerns crumbled away.
"Thank you, Luna." she said, bowing her head. She didn't catch the brief lighting up of Luna's face before the moon princess caught herself. When Twilight raised her head, she was met by a cautious smile.
"Spike has told me of how hard you've been working." she told Twilight. Now why did that sound familiar? Twilight pushed the odd thought aside and continued to listen. "So I simply cannot detain you like I did so selfishly last night. I shall go to raise the moon, and then we'll discuss getting you back on a normal sleeping schedule."
"Please, I wouldn't have- the moon!" Twilight's mind snapped into full gear. "Pr- Luna, please, Princess Celestia wanted me to speak with you about..." she saw Luna close her eyes. She was almost ready to cry, it was clear.
"Sister doesn't think I can do it, does she?" she asked. Twilight's words died on her tongue, leaving her mouth full of bitter ash. She hung her head.
"Twilight, please, understand me. The night is all I have. I am no Princess, title or no. I do not run our trade, or direct our policies, or guide our people as Celly does so well. I do not even serve the function of so many noble clerks and pages, tending to and cultivating this nation. I must do this. For Equestria and for myself. I am such a selfish foal..." Luna had indeed begun crying, not sobbing or heaving but letting her tears roll down her cheeks.
"I..." Twilight couldn't find the words. Did she betray Celestia's trust once more? Prove herself incapable of aiding the Princess, who had mentored her from her time as a filly, on a matter so close to her heart? Or did she betray Luna, who despite all the reasons she had to the contrary, suddenly seem to matter so much more?
Still, she could not find words for this situation. She was at a complete lost. Or, well, most of her was. One little voice inside her made it quite clear what she should do. Her sense of propriety and respect tried to stifle it, aided by her insecurities and fears, but her compassion, quiet as it was, would not be silenced.
"Everyone needs to be shown some kindness." Fluttershy told her. And that didn't just mean smiles and being near. When she really needed it, Twilight had to be here for her. In truth, she wanted to. So, for once in her life, Twilight Sparkle paid attention to her heart over her head. She stood up and got on her back hooves, freeing her front legs to wrap Luna in a hug. Twilight brought her head over Luna's shoulder and with eyes closed tight held on to the young goddess.
For a while Luna just cried on her shoulder, her breath ragged, almost pained. Twilight felt her shift, and just as she took this as a sign to let go she found Luna's own arms around her. She felt herself tighten her hug, not by much but making sure Luna was against her. The two ponies held onto each other. For comfort, for support, for a myriad of reasons both apparent to them and not.
"Thank you Twilight Sparkle." Luna's voice was so close to her ear, so surprisingly welcome. Awkwardly, they began to work their way out the hug. Both ponies kept stopping and waiting on the other to loosen or move, wanting to make absolute sure they couldn't hold on a moment longer. Yet both also knew they couldn't simply stay there.
"Luna, I, I'm afraid what will happen if you try and raise the moon." Twilight said. Her words were honest, Celestia's request not even entering her mind. Luna nodded in defeat.
"I understand. Perhaps, then...a compromise?"
"Huh?" Twilight couldn't imagine how one could compromise such a thing as lifting the moon. An unexpected new moon, perhaps?
"I want you to help me raise the moon." Luna said, looking bashful.
"O-oh.....oh!" It hit Twilight what Luna was saying, why even now the Princess looked away from Twilight, glancing back from the corner of her eye. She refused to go to her own sister with this, but was willing to trust Twilight to help. Her one pride...and she wanted her, Twilight, as part of it. Twilight blushed. It was similar to that time she had helped Applejack out after the silly pony had tried to do a team's worth of harvesting in a week - only this was more as if Applejack had allowed her and only her to help, and if she had always successfully done the work on her own before. Luna may not have had Applejack's stubborn pride, but it still could not be easy. Another point of difference was that Applejack hadn't asked her to do the work of gods....
"I, what could I do?" Twilight asked. Luna smiled.
"I felt your presence last night. You could follow my spell, couldn't you? Without a word of instruction you were able to follow along with what I was doing, and even reach the leylines of the sky. There is great power in you, Twilight, alongside great wisdom."
Her praise made Twilight really turn red this time. "I, I'm not that great. I've never...I wouldn't even know....what if I screwed up?"
"You won't. Trust me. I do not need much from you, but between the two of us we can do this. I was surprised, for only the rarest of ponies can even attempt celestial magic. But I knew that you were a rare pony." The smile on Luna's face was strangely happy for her weary state. She stood up and began to walk towards the door.
"What else am I to do?" she asked, opening the door. She looked over her shoulder at Twilight. "Please say yes."
Twilight took a breath, gave a moment's thought, and nodded with a sharp exhale. She got up and gave Luna a quick grin. Luna's eyes lit up, and she exited the door. She waited for Twilight to draw abreast of her.
"Thank you, you don't know how glad you have made me."
"It is my honor, Luna." Twilight said. And so as not to sound so formal, she added, "and I mean that."
"You are too kind. Come, the twilight is fading." Luna giggled. "Ah, and the Twilight comes to help usher in the night. I wonder sometimes if there isn't as much in a name as there is in a cutie mark? It certainly seems that way at times, does it not?"
Twilight found herself smiling, suddenly happier. "I guess it does. And I guess in a way I even have the cutie mark to match the situation. I wonder, I've always figured my talent is magic, but..." she looked to the mark on her flank with content. Luna nodded.
"What night is complete without stars? Ah, my cutie mark..." she looked back as well briefly, but then a worried frown closed up her face. "...I guess it was a long time ago."
"Luna?"
"I...can't remember." Luna shook her head. "So much from back then is foggy. I know I had a life back then, but it is all just a dream. They tell me I am over a thousand years old, yet of those thousand years only a handful were my own. To be honest, while Celly has aged with grace, I feel your elder by a mere hoofful of years, and most certainly your junior by wisdom."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Twilight said in earnest. "And thank you, but you do yourself a disservice. I've already learned a lot from you, Luna."
"You have?"
"Oh yes. Equestria will definitely benefit from your insight - Princess Celestia does a great job of course, but she's only one pony."
"Hmm." Luna looked up, and Twilight realized they were closing in on the same balcony as yesterday. Twilight swallowed hard. Was she seriously going to try this? Did she have the gall, the hubris? Imagine what her friends would say. Even they would think her boastful if she mentioned helping raise the moon. She remembered the incident with 'The Great and Powerful' Trixie. Her friends had taught her she could take pride in her abilities, but over-assuming one's greatness only led to a terrible fall. Not just Trixie had taught her that, she thought, but the ponies who had taken her on - Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and notable for her particularly pompous manner and hard fall - Rarity.
"It's not about that." Imaginary Rarity told Twilight, a hint of disgust in her voice. "You have a gift, my dear! Vision! And you need to share this gift! Come now, art requires sacrifice, and so does friendship." and with a clever wink, Imaginary Rarity was gone. Twilight nodded, steeling herself. Luna walked out onto the balcony and sat down. Still unsure what she was getting herself in to, Twilight followed and sat down beside her. Luna fidgeted like a nervous filly.
"There isn't the time to instruct you." she said. "I'm sorry..."
"Then, what can I do?" Twilight asked, perplexed. Luna looked surprised.
"Celly said it was uncommon these days, but...do you know the direct way to share magic?"
"Direct way?" Twilight's question was enough of an answer. Luna took a couple of breaths, trying to calm herself. She shifted around to Twilight, prompting the young unicorn to do likewise. Luna wouldn't look her in the eye.
"Do you trust me, Twilight Sparkle?" she asked. Twilight wasn't expecting the question. Did she? The words from the day before were still fresh in her mind. And something seemed off about the princess, even now. Something magically was wrong with her. What if Nightmare Moon was a literal poison to her? And what if that poison was taking hold? For the second time today and in her life, Twilight acted on impulse.
"Luna? Look at me." it was neither command nor request. Bashful, Luna's eyes darted upwards briefly, her gaze refusing to stay for long. Then, with a hard swallow of her own, she brought her eyes up to meet Twilight's. Twilight had her answer.
"Fully." she said, staring into Luna's eyes. Mournful, tears lingering, and so full of hope - Luna's eyes told her soul sincerely. Twilight didn't know how she knew, or if she really knew, but there was no argument inside of her when she looked into Luna's eyes.
"Lean forward." Luna whispered. Twilight did so, unsure but willing to follow. Luna leaned forward as well, head tilted. Twilight tilted her head more in return, and their horns met. A hot shiver ran down Twilight's spine at the unexpected sensation of the Princess' horn against her own.
"All it takes...is a spark." Luna murmured, eyes closed. Twilight felt something happen on her horn. Her eyes closed as the world began to swim. She could feel magic, magic that wasn't hers yet didn't feel not-hers either. Her world began to fade. The sensation was somewhat familiar to the limbo she had discovered when teleporting, only a smaller world, with landmarks and some sort of space. Twilight began to feel her world out, casting her mind around. She came across black chains of sorrow that warded some deep inner sanctum. Worry and loathing began to surround her like a miasma. In the distance, a feeble flicker of light gave her direction. It was the smallest bundle of hope, so fragile and ethereal. Cautious, unaware of what she was doing, Twilight instinctively reached out to it...
"Ahhh-ha!" In the real world, Luna's cheeks burned hot red as her heart surged with hope and elation. Twilight's mere touch caused the fire to surge forth. It was not wild, but neither was it weak any more. Twilight wasn't aware what she was doing, but she began to feel good as the miasma burned out like a fog at midday. Out of nowhere, she realized another presence. The presence dragged her away from the fire she had cultivated, which stayed strong now without her care. Twilight could make out things about the presence, which seemed to also be the same thing as the place she was in now, if that made any sense. It was like the world she was in had taken an avatar. Slowly Twilight came to her senses, realizing Luna's consciousness spoke to her on a level more pure than thought. She followed it away from the chains and hope, into something that Twilight visually likened to be a scarred plain, empty and cracked. Yet a warm sky was the roof to this plain, and the entire thing imparted on Twilight a sense of acceptance. It was here that Luna's self began to teach Twilight. She learned of the leylines that crossed the earth, sky, and heavens. Of the magic all around them and inside every creature, every pony and besides. Of the magics of moon and star, and their surprising links not just to heavens but to the sky and earth. Of magical flow and current, the push and pull of energy. Entire concepts were imparted on her at once, and were suddenly as natural as had they been her own. Her own mind was hard at work processing all this, and filling in the gaps. She could feel Luna's surprise as Twilight realized the connection between the elements of harmony and the leylines, along with such things as how to draw magical energy from a source without damaging it. Twilight felt like she spent days under Luna's tutelage, examining in full the intricacy of the night sky and its centerpiece, along with its relationship to Equestria's brightest and most special star. She could tell when it came to an end, and Luna believed her to be ready. Twilight expected the link to end, but instead she felt Luna direct her attention elsewhere. Luna was herself part of the night sky, or it was a part of her. Twilight could touch the darkness and mold it, she could feel the distant heat of the stars. The magical ocean of the sky made itself clear to her, along with its underlying currents. She knew what to do. They would need to bolster this leyline here while drawing from three others, urge the stars to move and stifle the near-caustic energy of light that hovered at the edge of the sea of night.
The moon began to rise, though Twilight was not fully aware of it. The sky she had always seen was just two dimensions, and a limited two dimensions at that, of the sky that was. She didn't know where the moon's progress was, she only knew she was causing things to stir and shift. Not everything had to be so precise, she knew, and Luna encouraged her to dip her hoof in the waters, as it were. Twilight took a moment to swirl one dead patch of night, and then convinced some stars to part with a bit of their light, adding stardust to the mixture. She checked back to the moon and kept its path straight, damming smaller outlets of the stream of magic it rode. She could feel Luna as well, working both moon and star, and the two seemed to work perfectly around each other. Luna had to tell her when it was time. They were done. The magic was strong; the moon would ride it until daybreak with ease, when they would have to quiet the stars and let in the light. Twilight knew the spell would end soon. She reached out to Luna, wanting to give her thanks and support. She touched Luna at her core being. Suddenly she was flooded with thought and emotion. Fear, depression, mental exhaustion. Hope, pride, a timid joy. Faded memories of a time that didn't exist, and a cautious look to what the future may bring. And one pure, passionate emotion dominated all else.
"Ahh!" Luna wrenched her head away, breaking the spell with force. Twilight gasped and found her front legs buckling, bringing her down onto the ground. Her world swam and her head seemed too full of thoughts for her to get a word in edgewise. She found herself gasping and sweating more than any other time in her life. She forced herself back into a sitting position, woozy but beginning to come back to reality. She found her eyes blurry when she opened them and had to rub both before she was able to find Luna in front of her. Luna was also panting, her head down, a furiously red blush across her face. Twilight's heart dropped like a rock. She was aware of what she had done. She crouched back down, prostrating herself.
"I'm, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"I...I know..." Luna replied, still panting. "T-Twilight. Th-that's not why...I, I could feel yours too you know."
"What?"
"Your soul. Th-that's what you did. I linked our minds, b-but you linked our souls. You were as laid bare for me as I was for you."
Twilight turned as red as the princess when she heard this. She couldn't say anything. She felt empty, numb of even emotion. After several moments of silence, the princess stopped panting and spoke again.
"You're wrong." she whispered. Twilight glanced up, finding Luna shaking her head.
"How can you...?" Luna's mouth worked for the words to come, but they refused. "You're wrong to feel that way. Not about me. You're wrong about me. How can you think so much about me?"
Twilight's mind was still numb. She heard the princess's words, but was afraid to listen to them. Afraid of what they meant, both to Luna and to her. Afraid that any emotion she felt would be too strong to ignore. So she didn't feel any emotion of hers. Instead, she remembered the feeling the princess had had. The one stronger than all else.
"You don't believe that." Twilight responded, her voice a croak. "You can't."
"I'm not worth it. After all I did."
"You didn't do it." Twilight argued. Against her will, she began to feel a rush of emotions, all at once. The dams broke, and she was swamped with confusion, anger (mostly at herself), worry, compassion and just plain passion.
"I felt that darkness. It was...frightening. But you've managed it, and you still have hope. You're stronger than you think." she didn't expect the aggression in her voice. It was born of desire, a desire to see Luna realize how precious she was. Luna refused, shaking her head.
"Don't. I'm sorry. I never should have...I was in the wrong. Forgive me."
"Luna.."
"Don't."
"Luna."
"Please."
"I've fallen in love with you."
Sobbing, Luna threw herself at Twilight, wrapping her arms around Twilight's neck and clinging to her. Twilight held onto her and got Luna's head positioned underneath her chin.
"Don't say you're not worth it, because you are." Twilight told her. "Don't say you've failed, because you've done so much. You're not weak. I learned not so long ago that in order to be strong, you have to stand together. I will be by your side, I promise."
Luna stayed still, but tears no longer flowed from her eyes. She shuddered and rubbed her cheek against Twilight's neck.
"I think...I'm in love with you, Twilight Sparkle."
"I know." Twilight said softly. "And I love you too, Luna."
"How?" Luna asked. "We barely know one another."
"I think we know each other better now." Twilight pointed out. "And to be honest, I don't care. You're smart and serious, but you're better at being playful then me. You're so strong and knowledgeable, but so kind. And..." Twilight's voice faltered a little at this point, "I've, I've never felt this about another mare, but, well, you're so beautiful to me."
Luna got off of Twilight, rubbing her tear-stained cheeks. She gave a small smile. "Another mare? I've never felt this for any pony at all. It was the least of the surprises after all this."
"Really?"
"Well, no, that does come as a bit of a shock." Luna admitted, making Twilight giggle. Luna was surprised, but quickly looked pleased with herself. Her gaze drifted towards the balcony, and she shifted to better look out at the sky. Twilight followed her gaze, and saw the full moon hanging low in the sky.
"We did it." Twilight realized aloud. She head a shift, and suddenly felt a pressure against her side. She realized Luna was leaning against her. They were both overly warm and sweaty, absolutely exhausted - and there was no better feeling in the world.
"You did so much. It was amazing" Luna said, reverence in her voice. Rather than blushing at the compliment, Twilight just smiled.
"I had a great teacher, after all." she responded. Luna giggled. That noise made Twilight's heart quiver. She knew then that she would carry the moon on a harness the whole length of the night sky just to hear that noise. She tilted her head, finding it fit perfectly on the taller pony's shoulder. Luna rested her head over Twilight's. Twilight thought to their horns. They would have to do that again, sometime. She had so much to share with Luna.
"Whatever you say," Luna began "you've been so strong for me. I promise, it is my turn to be strong for you. I shall not let this illness keep me. We will find a way to overcome it."
Those words struck mortal blows to Twilight's contentment. She could still feel something wrong with her new love, but she had literally seen the moon goddess' heart and mind laid bare. The darkness in her heart was often bleak instead of comforting, but it held no malice. It was the dark heart of a troubled pony, not an evil one, to be settled, not struck down. No poison crippled her, at least not of her own doing. Which left only Twilight's worst fears of today possible. Someone was trying to do in Princess Luna. And that someone was succeeding.
"It's silly, isn't it?" Luna asked, bringing Twilight's attention out of such bleak thoughts. "My own work, yet like everyone else I can't help but to find it romantic."
"I have always loved the moon and stars." Twilight told her, trying to put aside her fears. "I saw them often while studying, and whenever there was a meteor shower I never missed it. I guess it's not that surprising, this."
"What?" Luna asked with a laugh. "You fell in love with me because of the moon?"
"Maybe I did." Twilight admitted. "I fell in love with the artist after admiring her work for so long. Maybe it wasn't your hoof in the night sky, but Princess Celestia was only preserving what you had done."
"I spy someone else's hoof in my night sky." Luna said, pointing up to the right of the moon. Twilight looked up and found a glimmering whirl of sparkling stars in the night sky. Milky stardust really gave it the appearance of a swirl of water in a river. Twilight couldn't believe it. She had put that there.
"You have a true gift." Luna told her. "Though I shouldn't be so surprised. You should have seen my first attempts with the stars."
"I'm sure they were just beautiful."
"Oh, so ponies say. They're being nice."
"You mean, they're still up there? But the night sky changes every night."
"For the most part. The constellations, Twilight." Luna pointed across the sky. "My baby art. Look at that, ursa minor - what was I thinking! I was so proud of them as a filly I kept them up every night. By the time I grew tired of them, ponykind was so used to them that I felt obligated to keep them up. And then she didn't touch them for a thousand years - I've seen entire legends built around them. Ahh, I'll always have to live with that embarrassing display."
Twilight laughed. "I can only imagine you as a filly. I think it's adorable."
Luna was silent, and when she still hadn't said anything after a couple minutes Twilight shifted enough to look at her. She found Luna's eyes closed, fresh tears on her cheeks.
"Luna?"
"I, I can't handle it." she smiled. "I can't remember ever feeling this way. It's enough to make me forget how weary I am. I'm sorry."
Twilight nuzzled against Luna's neck, moved by her. "I understand. And you are still weary. Maybe we should get inside before it gets too cold."
Luna nodded and opened a wing, wrapping it around Twilight's back. Her down was softer than the clouds Twilight had walked on in Cloudsdale. She hadn't forgotten Luna's state. She would get to studying intensely the night, and promised herself not to leave Luna's side until the moon was back below the horizon. For now however, if she wanted to help Luna, she needed to be here. To be frank, there wasn't anywhere she'd rather be. Her mind wandered. What exactly would this mean? She loved Luna - that is, Princess Luna, goddess of the moon, co-ruler of Equestria. Even if Luna eschewed the title, she wouldn't do so to her duties, and was working to get more involved in ruling at that. Was it proper for a Princess to even have such a relationship? She had never heard of anyone by Princess's Celestia side. And especially someone like her, Twilight! Another mare, and one barely old enough not to be called a filly. Let along things like her lack of noble birth. Would they even be able to see each other, all that somehow solved? Twilight couldn't imagining abandoning her friends, but neither could she leave Luna.
"Twilight? Are you ready?" Luna asked. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to focus and capture this moment. In case.
"Yeah. Let's go." she replied, getting up as Luna took her wing away. It was time to get to work |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 5 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:39:34+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:39:34+00:00 | 11,920 | Chapter 5
Luna was holding up well on the walk to the library, though Twilight could read the strain on her face. She didn't really know how to behave. what was expected of her? What should she do? Should she treat Luna like a fillyfriend? That didn't even answer any questions, given that Twilight had the dating experience of a particularly socially inept rock.
"Twilight? What's going through your mind?" Luna asked. Twilight realized she had been staring.
"Ah, uh...I'm sorry. I'm just nervous. I don't know what to do, I mean, about...us?" the term seemed so foreign, so odd to apply. Luna both blushed and smiled, equal parts embarrassed and elated. At least Twilight knew she wasn't alone.
"You needn't worry. All you've done, and still you want to do more." she leaned over as they walked and nuzzled the side of Twilight's neck, playing with her mane. Twilight nickered, ticklish.
"There is generosity, but there is sacrifice. For my sake, please, do not go too far."
"Alright."
"Promise me."
"I...promise." Twilight said with a nod. Luna was satisfied with that. They reached the library, and once again they both stopped to soak in the comfort of the place. This time they ended by turning to each other with a shared laugh. Luna headed over to her table - there was a lot of tax law to go through. Twilight decided to clear a little corner to pull out one of her books. She glanced over, finding Luna already engrossed in her studies. Twilight gathered herself. Even with the aid of Luna's bonds with the night, Twilight had done no meager amount of magic. Yet she found her limits growing by leaps and bounds. She knew the magic that came from the bonds of friendship (from what Luna had helped her learn, it was one of the most natural sources of magical energy), and wondered if with new bonds came new power. Either way, despite the spells she had already cast, she had no trouble winking out. The spell seemed to actually come more naturally - perhaps she was gaining familiarity with the magics involved. She found herself in the plane again. Everything felt more real now. She could almost claim to have a form - she could at the least better mark the boundary where her self ended and the rest of the plane began, though it still felt like these were blurry concepts for the world. Casting out her mind, she found the books, just as she had hoped. It only now occurred to her that she couldn't make out the books enough to distinguish one from the other. She grabbed one at random and winked back.
"What did you do?" Luna greeted her. Twilight blinked. Luna was staring straight at her, wide-eyed.
"You disappeared, but I could still sense you. Only barely...if your magics weren't so similar to mine, I might not have at all."
"Was I gone long?"
Luna shook her head. "Ten minutes perhaps."
Twilight sighed. "To me it was just a few seconds. I, I have this spell, I don't know how I found it, where I essentially teleport. Only it looks like actually move through this...other space."
"Other space?"
"Magic seems solid, and what's solid more like magic. I found it out accidentally, but I can go there, even store things." she floated up the book. It turned out she had grabbed the small black book. Probably it wouldn't be helpful, but she could at least figure that out quickly.
"That's..I've done that with night before. But what space could you have found? I've never come across such a thing with another pony."
Twilight could only shrug her shoulders. "I've never tried bringing another pony there, not exactly. For now, it's convenient." she placed the book down. Luna nodded, though she gave a worried glance at Twilight before returning to her books. Twilight opened the book to its one and only page. Immediately she frowned.
"Luna? Do you recognize this book?" she asked, holding it up again to Luna. Luna looked up, blinked, and shook her head.
"No, should I?"
"It's...got your name in it. It only has your name in it." she opened it up, and sure enough, the one word on the page, in flowery letters, very simply read 'Luna'. Luna stared at it much longer than it took to read.
"I...no. I've never seen..." she shook her head and rubbed her temples. "Maybe it something I forgot? I can't...let me try something." she gestured for the book. Twilight floated it over, and Luna took it between her hooves, pressing it closed firmly. She took a breath and focused on the book. Her horn sparkled with magic. There was a brief flash of darkness (an odd experience, though Twilight admitted to herself it was preferable to a flash of light) and Luna let go of the book. It spilled open - and kept going. Page after page came out of nowhere, falling to one side or the other of the book, forcing it to grow apart on the table. It grew thicker and thicker, not stopping until it had easily three hundred pages or more, opened about halfway in. Twilight's jaw dropped and she rushed to Luna.
"It is mine. That...I used that trick to hide things from Celly as fillies. I think. But...I can't actually remember when I used it on a book."
"What is it?" Twilight asked. She glanced to the page but caught herself. "Ah, sorry.."
Luna shook her head. "Go ahead, I'm as curious as you."
'Celly was so mean today!' the book told them in flowing letters. 'I worked so hard on my golem. "Where's it's wings?" she asked. "Where's it's horn? What makes it special?". I tried to explain how its magic was inside. How it would be stronger, sturdier, and more reliable than her golems. "That's just like you, Luna." she laughed at me! "Hiding things away. It was a cute try, little sis." Little sis! I'm not a filly anymore. But I'll show her. She'll come around. Celly's just being Celly."
"It's a diary." Luna and Twilight realized together. Luna's brow furrowed.
"These are my words....why don't I remember any of this? I knew my memories were hazy, but this....why can't I remember this?"
"What happens when you try to think back to before Nightmare moon?"
"I...hnn..." Luna closed her eyes and put both hooves on her head. She shuddered and bit her lip.
"N-no. No I won't cry anymore."
"Luna?"
"The nightmares." Luna said, unwrapping her hooves and putting them on the table. "I try not to think...I just see the nightmares."
"The nightmares?"
Every day, every minute, every second as Nightmare Moon, I was living a nightmare. Trapped in the moon, I don't know. I think I shut down, let Nightmare Moon just have me. If I fought back, that was when the nightmares happened. I wouldn't have survived otherwise."
"I, I never knew! Did you tell Celestia?"
Luna shook her head slowly. "And burden her? Make her feel guilty for what she had to do? No." she shuddered. "T-Twilight, could you please..."
She need not say more- Twilight wrapped her arms around Luna tightly. She didn't let go until Luna stopped shivering. In the meantime, however, her mind turned. This mere passage brought up a half dozen questions to mind. It was hard to imagine that once upon a time, Celestia and Luna hadn't gotten along. Or at least so it seemed. She could never imagine Princess Celestia laughing at her sister. Then again, perhaps a thousand years rule wizened one a little. Twilight kept her tongue until she felt Luna calm. She felt selfish for how good it felt to be there for her.
"I'm sorry." Luna sounded like a scolded filly.
"You're getting stronger." Twilight told her. She saw Luna smile, uplifted by the remark. They turned back to the book.
"What's a golem, do you remember?"
Luna furrowed her brow. "It sounds so familiar. Golems are...were... they're important. Somehow."
"Hold on, I'm going to check something." Twilight told her. She winked away. Luna could only stand and wait for a couple minutes, keeping an anxious gaze on Twilight's spot. The young magician popped back in only five minutes later.
"Long?"
"No, quicker than last time." Luna told her. She could see the gears turn in Twilight's head.
"Hmm. I'm getting used to it." Twilight said, more to herself than to Luna. She had two books with her. Glancing at their titles, Twilight brought over 'On the magic of Alicorns'.
"Where did you get that?" Luna asked, impressed by the book's apparent age. Twilight cringed.
"Funny story about that. I...I may have....well, teleportation kinda makes every door look open."
Luna extended her wing to embrace Twilight. "I understand. I would hardly expect anything so mundane to stop you when you have a goal in mind."
"Right. Mundane." Twilight replied. Luna just laughed at her. Gathering herself, Twilight pushed aside books to make a gap for the tome of magic. She turned to the index, Luna reading right along.
"Golems....Golems...here we are. Only one page, huh." Twilight flipped to the noted page. It was in a chapter concerning the original elements - Earth, Sky, and Heaven. There was just one paragraph near the bottom of the page. Twilight read it aloud.
"A golem is a construct of the elements, usually based in earth, ordered by Alicorn binding magic (see page 264) and animation magic (page 83). Golems were used by the Alicorns Celestia and Luna to help in their construction of Equestria, and were never seen after the spread of ponykind, unnecessary past the construction of the land."
Finished, she turned around to Luna. The princess was deep in thought, and looked absolutely upset with the book.
"No."
"What?"
"No, that's not right." Luna shook her head. "We didn't 'make' Equestria. I still remember them."
"Them?"
"The first alicorns. Earth, Sky and Heaven."
"There were other alicorns?" Twilight asked, hopeful but still surprised. Princess Celestia had never mentioned anything about other alicorns, though Twilight was sure there had to be something. Yes, the sun princess had never spoken much about her past at all, but Equestria was rife with creation stories (Celestia didn't like 'spoiling' things, she once claimed) but not a one mentioned three alicorns.
"They made Equestria. You can guess by their names. They made it..." she squinted, "...and they left us."
"Left you?"
"I don't know. I remember them, but whenever I think of Celestia and I as a filly, I only see...us."
"That must have gotten lonely." Twilight said. Luna's head snapped erect, her eyes wide and pupils small.
"Lonely." she murmured, staring into nothingness.
"Luna? Luna, are you okay?" Getting no reaction, Twilight waved her hoof in front of Luna's face. Still getting nothing, she began to check Luna's temperature. That was when Luna grabbed her by the shoulders, face almost frightening in glee.
"I remember!" she practically yelled.
"That's...great!" Twilight said, mixing excitement with a bit of fear at Luna's expression. Fortunately the princess let her go.
"We were so lonely. We didn't know why we had been left. So we made the golems."
"Yes?" Twilight egged her on. Luna scratched her head, but continued.
"Celly made...it was like a unicorn. She had me gather stardust and mix it with mud and wind. We were so excited when we told it to move a rock and it moved it."
"The golems were like ponies?"
"Y-yes." Luna replied, sounding none too sure. "Yes. I made one like an earth pony, that's what that entry was about. We did use them for things, that was right. They were like dolls. The book was right - you told a golem what to do and they did it. I wish I could remember more."
"This is still great, Luna. Maybe more of your diary would help you remember." she began to levitate the book towards Luna, but Luna blocked it with a hoof.
"Read it with me." she said. "I may need your help understanding."
"Are you sure?"
Luna giggled and nuzzled Twilight for a few seconds. "You've seen deep inside me. If you haven't mocked me yet, I doubt my ravings as an unwise filly will change that."
"I don't know." Twilight teased. "You sound pretty silly."
"Twilight!" Luna's face dropped. She sniffled. "I, I thought...."
"Ahh, Luna, no, I meant-" Twilight stopped as Luna dropped the act and began giggling madly. Twilight smiled, but Luna continued giggling. It was infectious, and before Twilight knew it her lips were quivering. The two ponies leaned on one another for support as they laughed for several minutes straight. As they calmed down, Twilight stuck her head under Luna's chin, finding another giggle in her as Luna's mane tickled her nose. She nuzzled once and removed herself from Luna.
"Alright. Alright. We should get to work."
"Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
It caught Twilight off guard. They had said it before in the heat of the moment, with their emotions laid bare. But now here they were in a library at who knew what hour. And the feeling was none the less for it.
"I love you too. Now let's get to work." |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 6 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:40:53+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:40:53+00:00 | 11,193 | Chapter 6
Twilight skimmed through the diary. Luna had fallen asleep; willing oneself strong only went so far, especially when sick, and she needed to be ready to guide the moon down. She lay at Twilight's feet, a book as a pillow. A voice in Twilight's head had been telling her to just lay down beside her, keep her warm....Twilight had never been smitten before, and surprised herself constantly with the thoughts that ran through her head. But she turned it all into fuel for her study. To figure out what was making Luna sick. Something told her to keep going through the diary. At some point, she had decided, she was going to have to introduce Luna and Rarity to each other for real, given the Princess's professed love of gems (how would the night sky look in rubies, not diamonds, she asked her diary at one point) and pretty things in general. It was also uncanny at times reading about Luna trying to study or practice magic (studying being much more hands on when you were inventing literally everything) while life kept interrupting. A thousand years and more besides stretched between Luna and Twilight, yet more kindred spirits than they could not be found.
Most immediately important was the talk of the golems. Both sisters loved their creations, and gave them ever more complex tasks, along with making them more refined to carry out these tasks. But the diary was beginning to take an odd turn.
'I don't understand why Celestia won't leave the elements of harmony alone. Earth, Sky and Heaven gave them to us, and I guess she still misses them. But I don't like them. Celestia was always more energetic, and while it's good to see her studying, I think she's missing something. The elements feel...wrong. Incomplete? Something, dear diary. I don't know what she wants to do with them'
A few pages later, Twilight found this entry. 'Celestia's done something to some of the golems. She's messing with the elements all the time. I don't like it, but when I said something about it, she wouldn't listen. "Imagine Luna. Imagine what they could do. We need to stop playing with little foal's toys." what is she after? I went back to my studies. I like my golems. They're quiet, and they help out. But...I guess I'm still lonely. Maybe I could teach them to talk?'
Ambition. Celestia had had ambition, like Twilight had never seen. It was only the two of them and all the golems they could make. Celestia wanted them to be more, and she thought the elements of harmony (minus the element of magic) could help. But Luna had known there was another. Twilight remembered Luna's words that first day. Could they really have been dangerous? Twilight was beginning to see what happened to the golems.
"Uhhh....Twilight?" Luna's voice was so unsteady. Twilight looked down. Luna was barely awake, her eyes refusing to focus. She looked horrid.
"Could you...get me something to eat?"
"Luna! Are you alright?" the question was worthless, but Twilight couldn't help but ask. Luna gave a smile.
"I'm going to be strong. But...I just need to get my energy up." she tried to lift her head, but couldn't manage and dropped it back down. Twilight felt worse than that time a cockatrice had turned her body to stone. Now it was like she had been turned to ice. Luna was getting worse, much worse. Twilight had to do something. But she hadn't learned anything. Well, that wasn't true. The effect was magical. But no spell was at work, not that either of them could see. It didn't come from within Luna. Maybe if they would disrupt the magic, yet....
"Luna...do you trust me?"
Luna looked up in confusion, but when she saw Twilight's face, she smiled. They both knew the answer, but Twilight still wanted to here her say it.
"Fully."
With a nod of her head, Twilight began the spell. Her horn glowed much brighter than usual. The two of them began to glow, and with a flash, both disappeared.
Twilight cast out her mind. Every visit made things easier. Position didn't make sense, but energy did, and there was a way to navigate the plane through that. Honestly she had blundered so much her first couple times it was more luck than skill that the books had remained intact. She found Luna. Like a filly trying to learn to swim, Luna was flailing mentally in this strange medium. And like the practiced mother, Twilight reached out and steadied her. They traded thoughts not quite words, but the sentiment of their 'conversation' was easy to understand.
"Where? What?" Luna's confusion reigned over all else.
"Don't worry." Twilight soothed her. "This is what I'm talking about. If you focus, you can feel things with your mind. You have something like a form. It's similar to when our horns met."
The mention of that brought a little bit of embarrassment to the surface of Luna's consciousness. Still, her fear calmed and she took her first strokes into the water.
"Yes, I can see. But with even less structure. How are you doing that, Twilight?"
"Doing what?"
"You, you feel like part of this world. I can barely see where you end."
"Lines are blurry, but trust me, I feel distinct."
"Hmm. I wonder...you remember me talking about how I can move through the darkness, and sister the light?"
"Yes?"
"Well...perhaps this realm is natural to you. Perhaps this is tied to your magics."
"Perhaps. How do you feel?"
"I feel..." Luna paused. Twilight could feel her turn inwards.
"I feel better already. But...not myself."
"Let me check something." Twilight said. She began to test Luna's form. The lunar pony was more distinct, being a mix of magic and flesh, and magic unlike any around the realm. Body and mind were not so clearly separated, and Twilight wasn't sure what she was looking at. That didn't stop her from finding what she was after.
"A spell - oh no!" Twilight probed the filigree web she found around Luna, somewhere around her lower consciousness. It crumbled apart at her touch, disintegrating into the background. Twilight scrambled to catch a piece. She could almost make out the magic. It was something she had seen before, but...it was gone before she had a chance.
"What was that? I felt something briefly." Luna asked.
"..." Twilight didn't know how to say it. However, she still was no expert at this realm and left her emotions bubbling on the surface of her mind.
"Oh...Oh by the Earth and Sky." Luna said. Well, at least Twilight knew what a goddess swore by. She didn't know if the remorse she felt was hers, Luna's, or both.
"Someone's trying to kill you. And they nearly succeeded. Whatever that was, I think it was drawing your energy off."
"No...no..." Luna was terribly shaken. Twilight brought forth what she always held inside her, regardless of the situation. It wasn't hers, so much as something her friends had given her. Really it had been the greatest lesson Pinkie Pie had taught her. She brought up the laughter inside her. Not a chortle or a giggle, of course. It was the joy inside her, a joy that would survive any darkness or trouble because she knew that it was that very joy that would see her through. She shared this inner laughter with Luna. Like a balm over a wound, it began to soothe the troubled Princess. It didn't eliminate the fear and distress, but it allowed Luna to think straight.
"Thank you, Twilight. I needn't fear so with you nearby, I must remember that. Yet, what are we to do? I, I was just beginning to believe I had a chance to help serve this nation again. Who would hate me so?"
"I don't know. I really...I don't know." Twilight told her, sadly. "For now, you're safe. The spell fell apart. Whoever it was will probably try again, but we can tell Princess Celestia."
"Yes, of course. Celly will know what to do. We just need to get through the night."
"I'm learning more about how this place works. I think I'm getting better at time, but I can look out for when it's time to lower the moon."
"Thank you Twilight. I feel you could manage it on your own, if the need arises."
"I...I don't want to take that from you."
"You're not. But thank you, my love. I feel better here."
"It should replenish your magic. It takes effort to work spells here, yet it otherwise feels so pleasant..."
"I do wonder, Twilight, if you are not somehow linked to this domain."
"Perhaps? I don't know." Twilight said.
"So, what shall we do? I can guess time will pass easier here, but there are still hours."
Twilight paused. A voice inside her that she had been ignoring for the past couple hours was creating quite a clamor.
"...Twilight?" Luna asked, no doubt sensing Twilight's mix of feelings.
"I have some ideas." Twilight told her. She used their mental link to open herself, her true emotions. She could feel shock initially from Luna - and then all her emotions were returned in full force.
Time immeasurable passed for the two ponies. Twilight allowed Luna to see inside her to her core. Fear and insecurity swarmed about, she admitted this. And Luna showed her her own fear. They were in the same position, both afraid above all else to do wrong to the other. This soothed Twilight, and the fear gave way to warm acceptance heated by a passion below. Luna had inspired her and her heart. She let this soft heat wash over Luna, and felt the other pony's delight. Yet she wanted more than that. There was still something between them. When Twilight brought this up, she felt Luna recoil – then stop. She turned back to Twilight. She gave cautious approval, a wish only for kindness and gentleness. Twilight agreed, and reached into Luna. The inner sanctum of her soul was still sealed. Twilight wrapped herself in her love for Luna – it was fresh and untested, still soft and gentle. The chains of sorrow inside Luna's heart gave way to Twilight. She touched Luna at her core, feeling the dark smoothness of isolation. Luna gave a mental gasp. Twilight was not deterred by this wall, but went no further. She extended the invitation, and Luna accepted it. The darkness trembled, and the final locks were undone on her heart. Twilight found herself as in a sauna, the wet heat of passion soaking into her. She felt Luna's elation, and returned it in kind, until the two mixed and were inseparable, indistinguishable in origin. She was in true union with the goddess.
It was hard to tell for how long they were simply giddy with emotion, but they were both ponies not well suited to simply revel in mindless joy for long. They finally began to calm, and the psychic pillow talk ensued. Twilight showed memories of her friends to Luna, retelling the stories with all their detail. Luna had no stories to tell, but would share knowledge she often couldn't remember learning. As she did so, things came back to her. She talked about the origin of the stars and how she occasionally relit them, and it came to her the first time Heaven brought her to see the stars up close. At Twilight's egging, Luna showed her a memory of herself as a filly, viewed through a still-water pond. When Twilight was done giggling, Luna prodded her until she returned the favor.
Twilight's mind drifted to thoughts of reality. She had not truly forgotten the situation, and knew that all the time they had spent here could well have translated into a night's worth outside. Reluctantly, she expressed this sentiment to Luna.
"Luna...I think I should go check."
"Already? It can't be time."
Twilight laughed a little at her. "Even here it's been a while. How long have we spent...doing, I don't know what to even call it."
"Neither do I, but whatever it was it was, to be honest, magical."
"Haha." Twilight gave the mental equivalent of a nuzzle to Luna. "Still, let me check. I think if I tweak my spell I can find my way out onto the balcony."
"Alright. Please don't be long."
"I promise." Twilight told her. She moved through the energy field tentatively. Her spell felt different here - like she was ordering the world around her. She was creating a pathway for herself, almost a tunnel. She slid back into the real world.
"Ah-ha!" she said with pride. She was right where she wanted to be. She looked around. The moon was low in the sky. Twilight took focus, her horn shimmering purple - not its usual bright glow, but something but more like Luna's. The leylines of the night sky became apparent to her. The moon was beginning to stutter, its path weakening, order unraveling. They were a little late for a perfectly smooth transition, but Twilight was sure she they could manage it together. She looked herself over as well, wanting to make sure that an extended stay in wherever that was was actually healthy for a pony. Her coat was ruffled and her mane a mess, her pink stripe spread out to give her hair a more evenly fading color. She flexed her legs, finding them stiff but not painful. She nodded at what she saw, everything was fine. She winked back into the plane.
"Luna?" she prodded the other pony.
"How is everything?"
"Good, but we should hurry."
"Alright. Lead the way." she clung to Twilight. Twilight prepared the spell again and guided Luna through.
"Whew." Luna sighed when they reached the balcony. She stretched each leg out and looked around. She grinned at Twilight.
"What?" Twilight asked, wondering if Luna had forgotten how dangerous their situation was.
"You look so scruffy! My goodness, pardon me. I suppose I'm still giddy after all that."
"Trust me, you're no better off." Twilight pointed. Luna glanced around and discovered most of her vision was blocked by her mane. The unruly blue hair had gone everywhere, curling into her eyes, down the side of her face, and up into the air. Her tail looked like one big cotton ball at that.
"Hah, I suppose we both look like we've taken quite a romp!" Luna said. Twilight blushed, which confused Luna. She tilted her head, her expression asking for an explanation.
"That, uh, it's..." Twilight had to remember that technically, Luna's language was just a bit outdated.
"I'll explain later. We should get to work. Oh, I mean...do you still need me to...?"
"It would make me feel safer." Luna said. "I'm not at my best yet."
"Alright." Twilight nodded. They both sat down to face the moon. They lowered their horns in tandem. Luna's gave off it's bluish-night glow, and Twilight's a lighter purple. Both spells grew in power, the magic around their horns becoming more real, more solid. Twilight could feel Luna's magic adjacent to her own. Luna was reaching out, and Twilight allowed it to intertwine with her own. Together they reached the night sky. There was magic to unravel this time, and more to bolster. The stars had to be sent to sleep - still there, but hidden to allow the day sky to shine evenly. Luna got started on the moon itself while Twilight began to prepare for the coming sun. It wasn't as intensive, but they had to be thorough lest they leave the night lingering in the sky. When the work was over, both ponies were tired, but not as much so as after raising the moon. Twilight sighed as she came back into her head.
"Okay?" she asked Luna. Luna nodded and yawned.
"Don't worry, I am tired but I will hardly pass out once more. How are you?"
"Me? I'm fine." Twilight asked, confused at the question. Luna gave her a worried glance.
"Twilight, you have still been up the whole night and more. You're bending space itself. How do you do it?"
"I..." Twilight looked down at her hooves. She could feel exhaustion, now that she looked. But there was a distance to her tiredness, she was holding it at bay. She couldn't help but smile.
"I guess it's just, when there's something I need to do, I don't like to stop until I'm done."
"Something I've certainly learned these past few days. Let us both get some rest then."
Twilight nodded in agreement. Held at bay or not, her tiredness was real and she didn't want to pass out again either. They turned away from the balcony. A thought struck her.
"Hold on one second." with that, she vanished. It was actually a teleport this time, and she popped right back to Luna. She had Luna's diary floating besides her. Luna nodded.
"Good idea. Did you get far?"
"I think you were right about the elements of harmony. I don't know though. While we walk back, why don't we?"
"Yes, lets." Luna replied. Twilight flipped open deeper in the book. She read aloud as they trotted back.
"I tried to talk Celestia out of it, but she doesn't listen to me anymore." Twilight and Luna traded a worried glance. "She spends all her time with the elements. I wanted to tell her that they weren't necessary. That golems were more than just dolls, and we didn't need the elements. I don't think she cares. I think she's forgotten why she was studying to begin with."
Twilight swallowed, frightened by what she read. She flipped ahead a couple pages.
" 'You've named your toys. How cute' she said. I didn't tell her that Star Shine named herself. I want her to think they're just toys, then maybe she'll ignore them. I found, a, I can barely write it! I found a broken golem near where she makes her home. Not broken - dead. I was afraid to move it, but Helios urged me. It was an earth golem, so we returned it to the earth. I wonder if it felt anything. I don't know what she's after. But I fear my nightmares will be worse than usual tonight."
Luna shivered. Twilight could barely make sense of the words on the page. What had happened?
"Twilight!" Twilight looked up as she was called. Spike was running towards her, arms waving wildly.
"Spike, what's the matter?" Twilight asked, putting the book aside for the moment. Spike panted heavily and stopped right in front of them to catch his breath, hands on his knees.
"The guards are going crazy! What did you do?"
"What?"
"They only let me go after they were sure I couldn't tell them where you were. What did you do? They're really angry."
Twilight and Luna shared a glance. Luna bit her lip briefly.
"It couldn't be..." she said.
"I don't know, but for now...Spike, stay close."
"Huh?" was all Spike had time to ask. They flashed out of existence. When he next looked, they were surrounded by musty books.
"The library's back room?" he asked. Twilight looked around.
"I panicked. Luna, we need to hide you."
"And do what? You don't really think, it couldn't be...?"
"What's going on?" Spike asked. Both ponies ignored him.
"I think we need to read that diary." Twilight said. Luna nodded, so Twilight opened it further in. She decided to look near the back, finding the last entry. The writing was shaking.
"I found the spell. Curse the elements! I don't know what's happened. My Celly is gone. She's completely gone. She goes about now with her hooves gilded in gold, magic radiating from her mane. And she was responsible for my nightmares! I nearly didn't find the spell, but Star Shine spoke to one of Celestia's golems and found out. I can still feel it inside me though. She wanted control. Now she's controlling me. I can feel it inside me, laughing at me. It's winning. I know it is. It's been too long, it's too deep inside me. There's only one thing I can do. I'm going to let it win. But I'm not going to let Celly win. She never figured it out. Why my golems aren't golems anymore. Why they can think for themselves, feel for themselves. I'm going to free her golems, before she uses them to destroy this land. All it takes is a spark..."
Twilight looked up from the book. She could feel Celestia's presence. They had been found out. It was no surprise really. Spike was just wide eyes, stunned at what he had heard.
"Spike! Hide!" Twilight hissed.
"W-what?"
"In the bookshelf. Hide, and don't come out. Now!" Spike jumped at her words and ran deeper into the room. Twilight turned to Luna.
"What are we going to do. I...I can't believe it, yet...it's so familiar."
"Stay here." Twilight told her. "I-I'll think of something." she turned towards the door.
"Twilight!" Luna cried. Twilight paused, but didn't turn around. She walked out the door. Below the balcony, in the middle of the room, Celestia stood. She was already looking up, waiting for Twilight. She gave the same serene smile as always.
"Hello, my faithful student." |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 7 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:42:07+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:42:07+00:00 | 11,602 | Chapter 7
"Twilight, you look so worried." Celestia said, eyes on Twilight. The young magician swallowed, trying to keep a straight face. Celestia's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me what troubles you, my little pony."
The words lurched from Twilight's mouth. "We found Luna's diary!" her eyes widened.
"Sister." Celestia called. "Come out now. It's time to let in the light." Twilight looked over her shoulder. She noticed a flash of green light under the door. It creaked open.
"Luna, no!" Twilight told her.
"I must, Twilight. We shall stand strong together." Luna stepped out of the door.
---
Meanwhile, in the Ponyville Library, a piece of paper came from nowhere and floated gingerly down onto the face of a pegasus sleeping on the library floor. The pegasus, still asleep, tried to blow the paper off of her.
---
Shall you now?" Celestia asked. She turned to Twilight. "It's time to sleep, my little pony."
Twilight stumbled. "Twilight!" Luna called her name, but it sounded so distant. Her eyelids grew heavy. No. No, she couldn't rest yet. The world blurred.
"Sleep, my little pony. Sleep. And never wake up." Celestia's voice echoed in her head. No. She had to keep awake. She couldn't see anything. She was only vaguely aware she was on the floor. There was only the blackness.
"Come on, Twi!" Rainbow Dash told her. What? "I thought you were a better friend than that! Psh, and I gave up the Shadowbolts for you." she stamped her hoof. "What, you're tired? That's what you get for sticking your head in books all the time. C'mon, up. We got work to do."
"Now what in tarnation is going on here?" Applejack asked. "Rainbow, help me get this 'un up"
"Up up up!" Pinkie Pie bounced around her head. "You gotta get up!"
She's right, darling." Rarity helped her up. "You simply can't leave a marvel like that on her own. Don't you know how true love is supposed to work?"
"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. "Um, if it's alright...it's time to get up now." she saw all her friends, together. They stood together, strong - with her.
---
In the library, the pegasus groaned awake. She couldn't get the paper off her face, and got up as she brushed it up. The writing on the paper caught her eye.
---
The flare of magic made the guards approaching Luna rear back. Twilight got her hooves underneath her, and with a groan, began to right herself. She was surrounded by an ethereal purple fire, her horn as bright as the north star.
"No!" Celestia yelled, eyes narrow. "Not again." when she next spoke, it was not any word Twilight could understand. She didn't even hear it. She just felt it inside her. She cried out and threw her head back. The pain was nothing she had ever felt before, so intense she nearly felt her mind shut off. She couldn't see as her body shivered and shimmered. For a brief moment, her body was replaced by an outline of the void of space, stars visible through her. Nothing but night sky and stardust. But she held on, and her form snapped back together. The magic around her flared brighter. Celestia's eyes widened.
"No! You may have broke the control spells but you are still a golem! I can undo your spell as easily as I made you."
The words did not surprise Twilight unduly. She had realized it the moment her mouth had betrayed her to Celestia. She shivered but stood strong.
"You never learned, did you?" she asked Celestia. "What made a golem a real pony."
"Real pony." Celestia sneered. "There are only two real ponies in Equestria, and soon I will have the power of both. You, you are stardust, sunlight and magic. I can promise that next time, I'll make you much better." she turned to the library's window. "I can't undo you now, but we will see once you under my domain. Guards." she galloped out the door. Twilight moved to follow her, only to realize half a dozen guards moved towards her. Six more approached Luna from the other side. The two ponies backed up until they were pressed flank to flank, surrounded.
"They're golems." Luna realized. Twilight nodded.
---
The pegasus raced through town. A hut near the Everfree forest was next, acres of apple trees racing below her. Meanwhile, a strong young farmer readied her cart for an unusual payload.
---
A dozen guards were stuck to the library roof, wings and legs flapping uselessly. Twilight hadn't want to be mean - it wasn't their fault, after all. She and Luna raced through the castle. She didn't know what they were going to do, but she needed to stop Celestia.
Imprisoned then banished! The tale that paper told became clear to Twilight. Nightmare Moon was the prison, a poison administered by her own sister, taking over her body. She had probably meant for it to ally with her, and when it hadn't, sent it to the moon while she dealt with Luna's freeing of the golems. She established herself as ruler, spread propaganda and myth to make sure her sister was unwelcome, unliked, forgotten as a hero. When she knew Nightmare Moon would return, she built a golem. A golem with just the right powers to defeat Nightmare Moon - maybe even take over for her, Twilight could only guess. And when it had gone wrong, Luna had managed to survive the thousand years of torture Nightmare Moon had offered and come back as the prison had shattered, a new plan was implemented. And now that had gone wrong too. Celestia's hoof was forced now that they knew. She didn't have the elements this time.
---
A white unicorn briefly considered finding a hat, but remembered a friend's wise words. There was a time and place for details, and this wasn't it. She left the shop for her younger sister to care for and got ready to leave.
---
They found Celestia above, on a high platform overlooking the city. The sun was already rising, her horn alight. Twilight's own horn began to glow. Stardust and sunlight. She had both magics inside her. She knew what to do.
The day sky was not what she had expected. Chaotic, energetic. The blue color of the sky, she realized, was akin to a magical glow. And the sun was a massive star, filled with celestial magic. It was not guided like the moon so much as corralled, pushed and pulled, kept going like a ball going down a hill, gathering momentum. Twilight could feel Celestia controlling the sun, yet at the same time gathering energy from it. She would weaken its light if it meant more power for her. And that's just what she was doing. It was a part of her just like the night sky was for Luna. Her magic was gathering strength.
Twilight became aware she was falling. Her eyes opened, her mind split in two places. She had kept running and collided with Celestia, knocking her off her pedestal. They now hurtled towards a great stone plaza surrounded by the castle's inner gardens.
"You foal!" Celestia raged at her. They battled on the celestial plane as Twilight began to imprint her spells on the day sky, twisting it and blocking Celestia's progress. She could hear the stars, faintly. She cried out to them in help.
"No!" Celestia's horn was as bright as the center of the sun. Twilight strained and cried out as Celestia bombarded her mentally, burning every bond she placed and forcing the weight of the sun upon her. For Luna, she would not falter. She refused.
'Luna...' the voice echoed in Twilight's head. It was a mare's voice, soft and sad. She felt the stars turn their attention on the two battling ponies. Some of them were twinkling lights, but some of them...remembered. Four of them still remembered. Names came to her. Star Shine the unicorn. North Star the pegasus. Helios and Selene, the earth ponies.
"The stars themselves...." Twilight felt herself flooded with ancient magic. Their strength had waned over the centuries, but for Luna, they too refused to falter. Their love had not lessened after all these years.
Twilight halted the sun. She bound it in celestial magic that had come from before Celestia herself. Celestia fought back, desperate and angry, thrashing like a beast in a trap. Twilight heard a cracking noise and looked up.
---
About ninety minutes. That's how long it took to get from Ponyville to Canterlot by balloon. Celestia's chariot made it under an hour, regularly. So the pegasus and farmer pony pulling the cart with three more inside probably set a few land-speed records as they raced across the land. Muscles stained, coats glistened with sweat, and five set of eyes were focused on the city looming up from the mountains.
---
Celestia's horn shattered. Not entirely, but the top third of it fell to pieces. Celestia cried out, losing her connection to her sun. And so it hung in place. The sun hadn't gone unaffected by the fight. It was as fiery and angry as its master, setting the sky around aflame in orange. It hung at mid-dawn, not risen but not hidden. Twilight only had seconds to note this as the two ponies crashed into the stone below.
"Twilight!" Luna flew down from above, almost twenty more guards on her tail. She gritted her teeth and whipped her tail. A trail of black night spread behind her, like a midair oil slick. It stuck to the guards, binding their wings and blinding their eyes. Many fell away from her. She looked down at the ground.
To her surprise, both ponies stood. They were battered, but they stood.
"A failure. An absolute failure. You had your hooves on the elements and you still failed to defeat her."
"I've been wondering." Twilight responded. "Why the only other pony who looked like you was Nightmare Moon."
---
The sun was an angry eye staring them down as they approached the city. The pegasus was panting hard. She had worked her wings this hard, but never her legs. She looked over to the farm pony. Stubborn as always, she had her head down, refusing to show the wear of the long run. The pegasus had an idea. She spread her wings.
---
Twilight's shield came up just in time. It shimmered around her as rays of solid light shattered against it. Luna was trying to keep the guards at bay. She didn't know what to do, however. She was no fighter, and she felt so weak. The sun wasn't all the way up, but her night was distant, and she was far from in the best shape.
"Twilight, what do we do?" she looked over. Twilight's head was cocked to the side. She was looking past Celestia. Luna glanced to the sky. Her jar dropped.
"Yeeee-haw!" Applejack called out, waving her hat around as she hung in midair.
"Watch it!" Rainbow Dash told her as the hat blocked her vision. She held onto Applejack with her legs while she dragged the cart behind her in midair. Rarity and Fluttershy were gripping the sides for dear life while Pinkie Pie giddily leaned over to let the wind whip her hair back. Dash's wings pumped furiously as she brought the cart in for a landing, letting go of Applejack. Landing was a bit of a strong word - the cart bounced harshly against the floor while Applejack and Rainbow Dash skittered along the ground, trying to keep their hooves beneath them. The cart skidded sideways, teetered on one wheel, and came to a halt to the side, not quite at Twilight but beyond Celestia.
"Twilight, are you-" Rainbow Dash looked around, unharnessing herself as the rest of the ponies got off. "Wait are you fighting...Princess Celestia?"
Celestia blinked, but then immediately capitalized on the situation. "Quick, my little ponies! I fear Nightmare Moon has poisoned her mind! We must put a stop to this!" she pointed to Princess Luna, who was once again backing towards Twilight as she tried to avoid the guards. Rainbow Dash looked to Celestia, to Twilight, and then hopped into the air. She flew over to Twilight and stood by her side, facing Celestia. She braced herself as if for a hit.
"Really shouldn't try that on the Element of Loyalty." she mocked. The others rushed to her side. Twilight felt invigorated. Her friends were here, and for her they stood against the Goddess of the Sun. To her surprise, Celestia began to laugh.
"The elements of harmony? Yes, I've heard of them. Look at you ponies, you think you're so virtuous, aren't you? Look at you. Element of Honesty, lying to herself, as if her life and livelihood wasn't falling apart like that sagging barn." Applejack faltered, looking down at her hooves.
"Loyalty, who dismisses those that hold her back or simply annoy her!" Rainbow Dash bit her lip.
"Generosity, embarrassed for others, only wanting them to be as half as privileged as she feels!" Rarity began to argue, but stopped herself, hanging her head.
"Laughter, only to hide her depression, a mask worn by such a shallow actor." Pinkie Pie's constant smile faded. Twilight looked around at her friends, horrified by what she saw. The guards were closing in.
"And kindness, a crutch for weakness, who uses it to hide her nature." Celestia sneered at Fluttershy, who's legs quivered.
"The elements are flukes." Celestia told them. "And you ponies unworthy of their titles. Your power means nothing." she spread her wings. "And it is time for them to return to their rightful owner." The sun behind her suddenly felt close, amongst them. Fire spilled over Celestia's wings, racing towards the ponies. They cringed, but no one moved. Twilight braced herself.
The fire surrounded them, swallowing most of the plaza. Even some of the guards got caught in the flames, rearing away. Celestia laughed wildly, stomping her hooves. She continued laughing until the flames died down. Showing seven unharmed ponies. None were more surprised than the ponies themselves. Except for Twilight.
"By what magic?!" Celestia asked. The tiara on Twilight's head glowed brilliantly. Her friends and Luna were unscathed, surrounded in a light purple glow.
"You're wrong, Celestia." Twilight told her. Her eyes get sparkling with light, her magic nearly spilling over. "You've forgotten the final element."
"Magic?" Celestia laughed. "Parlor tricks, what an element!"
"Friendship." Twilight told her with a smile.
"Applejack's honesty is in her pure intent. She has worked hard for the sake of her farm. And with her friends, she had the best harvest in years, followed by the best planting season ever. Rainbow Dash has learned how her friends can support and motivate her. Rarity knows what it means to truly give a gift, and how to respect other ponies. Pinkie Pie knows she can trust us, and we can help her laugh on the inside. And Fluttershy has been strong - for us. Her kindness is empathy towards others, and she will never let another come to harm."
"On their own, they mean nothing." Twilight said, stamping her hoof. "But with friendship, they are all complete." she saw the glimmers around her friends necks. They all raised their gazes, eyes determined, standing strong together. Celestia stepped back. Her poisonous words had been meant to disable the elements from acting - she truly feared their power.
"Enough of this." she spread her wings, taking into the air. The guards, held at bay briefly by the fire, now closed in again.
"What do we do, Twi?" Applejack asked.
"Protect Luna. I'm going after Celestia." Twilight said. She bent down, and her horn glimmered purple. Her form flickered, briefly replaced by a window into the night sky again. When she flickered back, two great wings spread from her sides. The limb looked almost natural, the same purple as her coat, but the feathers faded from purple to the black of night. Twilight took into the air after Celestia.
"When could she - nevermind." Rainbow Dash looked around. "Ready girls?"
Twilight flew after Celestia, who seemed to be trying to get back to her platform. She saw Twilight come after her.
"You don't know when you've lost, do you?" she asked, turning around in midair.
"We can help, Celestia." Twilight said. "The elements of harmony freed Luna. They can free you too."
"Foal." Feathers darted from her wings, flying like daggers at Twilight. Twilight slid into her other plane and out, dodging them all. Celestia responded by curving rays of light towards her, trying to bind her. Twilight could feel them - they existed on both planes. This time she wrapped her wings around her as they darkened to all black. She was soon surrounded in a sphere of void. The light lashed at her, only to sink into nothingness. She unfurled her wings. Celestia was already preparing her next attack. Her horn was cracked, but Twilight imagined that was the only reason why there was any pause between the attacks. She gritted her teeth, trying to figure out what to do.
---
"I am not a war pony!" Rarity cried, running into the castle to escape the guards. She looked around in a panic. What could she do, what could she do? Ooh, what a nice tapestry. Too bad it was frayed around the - Rarity smiled.
"Rainbow Dash, go help Rarity!" Applejack called, finishing the knots roping up another guard. Rainbow Dash looped circles around two more flying guards until their heads spun and they crashed into the ground. She nodded.
"Pinkie Pie, you holding up?" Applejack looked over.
"Pinkie keen!" Pinkie told her. Applejack called out as three guards dog-piled her.
"You guys are silly!" Pinkie Pie said, standing besides them. They got up to find a fourth guard passed out from the dog pile. Pinkie Pie giggled and bounced away as they tried to catch her. Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Rarity, you okay?" Rainbow Dash looked around the grand hall. She didn't hear anything.
"Just fine dear." Rarity said, trotting up from around the corner. "I'm afraid those guards were quite unruly. I ask, what has become of chivalry?"
"Huh? What happened to them?"
"Nevermind dear. Shall we rejoin our friends?" Rarity trotted happily back outside. Rainbow Dash followed, scratching her head. Around the corner, several cloth lumps struggled to free themselves. The carpet-like material was without a single seam, expertly woven, and too tight for them to stretch or get purchase on the fabric.
"Dash, you seen Fluttershy?" Applejack asked, bucking a guard running up to her. Rainbow Dash shook her head. She touched hoof to her hat in worry.
"Don't worry. She'll be back."
Off from the battle, a single hoof stamped at the grass. A cool breeze blew through the gardens. The animals of the garden looked up. Something...something was calling to them. Not just them, but every animal in every garden. In the forests below, they felt it. Miles away, a certain rabbit dropped his carrot. He had never felt this before. And beyond, far beyond. A familiar dragon woke from his nap. Something was calling. And it was angry.
Luna looked around at the ponies fighting for her. Images flashed in her mind, long forgotten and suppressed. The ponies that had fought for her. While she prepared the last spell she could before the darkness swallowed her. She remembered seeing them ward off the unthinking golems yet under Celestia's rule. Her friends, refusing to fall until the tyranny was over. And then, even after falling, still fighting for her, remembering her even when she herself had forgotten.
"This time." she said. "It ends differently." her horn began to glow.
One of the guards caught Applejack's rope. She let go of it, not having time to wrestle it free. She glanced around. Now how many more could she buck before she gave in?
Rainbow Dash panted. These guys would not give up! Dizzy with loops for the first time since flight camp, she could only hope that this round would shake them. Meanwhile, inside, A hoof punctured the carpet surrounding it. Rarity, nearby, heard the loud rip. Pinkie Pie frowned. These guys were no fun. She was beginning to think that they seriously wanted to hurt her!
"Come on gals, we gotta help the Princess!" Applejack rallied, falling back to near Luna. Rainbow Dash landed, her legs unsteady. There was still so many of them.
"AJ, it'd be a lot easier if being the elements, you know, did something."
"I reckon." Applejack agreed. Then an ear perked up. "...Y'all hear that?"
All the ponies except Luna turned to the noise. Around the corner they came. The rabbits and foxes first, squirrels at the sides. Birds swarmed the air, and the hiss of snakes pierced their ears. Then came the boars, the wild wolves from the forests. Then came the bears. And riding the biggest grizzly bear any of them had seen, Fluttershy cackled madly. The four friends' jaws dropped slack. AJ shook her head.
"Rainbow?" she asked as she recovered.
"Y-yeah?"
"'mind me never to anger Fluttershy."
"Yeah."
It was then they noticed the dragon flying towards them. |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 8 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-27T14:43:17+00:00 | 2011-07-27T14:43:17+00:00 | 13,516 | Chapter 8
The tables were beginning to turn. Twilight was finding more time between Celestia's attacks. Celestia still underestimated her, after all this. Twilight understood now. She had access to the plane of magic - and more than that, she was home there. Part of her mind stayed on that plane, sensing what it could. Celestia's attacks were easier to spot from there. Occasionally the alicorn moved through the sunlight, meager as it was, but Twilight could trace her. In fact, when she did that, Twilight began to figure things out. She could feel the magical shroud around Celestia. The shell she wore. It came from the elements of harmony, and Twilight was beginning to see how the elements could be used to break it, just as they had with Nightmare Moon. There was one piece missing, however. Twilight needed to find the Celestia, the real Celestia, inside the prison. The real Luna had still be inside, strong enough to endure, but she worried that if she destroyed Celestia, she would truly kill her.
Twilight swept around the sky to dodge a piercing lance of fire. That was when she saw it. The moon! Despite the day sky, the full moon was quite clear, and rising fast. Unfortunately, Twilight wasn't alone in noticing it. Celestia raged, rearing in midair.
"You may have cut me off from my sun, but I can still halt the moon." she raced off, slipping past Twilight in the sun. Twilight turned around and flew after her.
"Luna!" she called out. She looked below, eyes widening at what she saw. A dragon lay on the the plaza, looking positively bored. He propped his head up in one claw while the other one kept down a score of struggling guards. Dozens more lay helpless under his tail. Her friends were watching it, Rainbow Dash trying to help a heavily panting Fluttershy. Applejack spotted Twilight.
"Don't worry, pardner! We got her." she said, rearing up.
"Watch out!" Twilight called. Celestia flickered back into the world in front of her, closing in on the group. An aura of fire surrounded her like a shooting star as she headed straight for Luna.
"No way no how." Applejack said with a glare. "Gals, we got a live one." the ponies lined up, tired, scared, worried. Unfaltering.
Around their necks, the pendants finally appeared, summoned by the need to help a dear friend. Twilight felt her tiara glow.
Celestia hit the bubble of magic. It glimmered like a rainbow, drawing strength from each pony. Celestia didn't bounce away, instead trying to force her way through the barrier. The heat of the fires made the ponies cringe, but they held strong. Twilight closed in, trying to stop Celestia before she got through. Then she saw Luna, inside the bubble, open her eyes. She smiled at Twilight. Then Celestia cried out, flinging away from the sphere. She nearly took out Twilight. Twilight turned around to follow her, and that's when she it. The moon covering the sun. The sky darkened around them, only a halo of light peaking through. Day and night married, Celestia's power blocked.
She could only imagine though; Luna had extended a piece of herself to block the source of Celestia's formidable power.
"Enough!" Celestia boomed. The air around her began to sizzle. The white glow of her horn spreading around her body. Twilight was nearly blinded on both planes. The magic was intense, chaotic, no order or structure put into it. She was burning pure energy. It would destroy her.
"I am your ruler! I am your goddess! They left me to rule, and I alone am worthy!"
"Celestia, stop!" Twilight called out. She needed to stop her, now!
"Girls?" she turned around to her friends. She found all five watching her. Applejack nodded.
"We're here for you, sugar. Do it." she said. Twilight could feel the power they offered. They were all strained, yet still they stood for her. She wouldn't need to draw from them though. Not yet. Their part was later. She only needed to cast one more spell. And all it would take would be a spark.
Twilight turned back around and raced toward Celestia, now surrounded in a shimmering ball of white fire, barely visible. Celestia brought up a hoof and lances of sunlight raced at Twilight. She ignored the ones that seared her wings, gathering speed. A flap of Celestia's wings brought a rain of daggered feathers. Twilight dodged what she could, but she couldn't risk slipping into the plane of magic this time. The heat of the fireball seared the rest of her feathers, but she kept going.
"They left us! She betrayed me! I alone can stand this world! I alone can rule it! I-" Celestia was so mad that she didn't even see Twilight pierce the flame surrounding her. Headfirst, Twilight dived into Celestia, her horn meeting Celestia's broken horn. A spark passed between them.
The world inside Celestia was nearly as bright as the world outside. Twilight found it razed with the fires of fury. They had grown out of control, eating into everything. She could make out nothing else. She continued on. She could feel a consciousness notice her. It felt different from Luna's. Hollow. It wasn't a real mind, she realized. Twisted magic, some emotional imbalance mixed with magical energy, given what passed for life. Twilight raced ahead to avoid it. The landscape was nothing but fire, or so it seemed. Something just visible through the flames stood out. Twilight turned to it; an orb, to her the size of a house. It was surrounded in fire yet untouched by it. And as Twilight reached it she felt cold. So cold, so desperately, painfully...alone. It was a shell of isolation. She didn't know how, but she knew what was inside. Who was inside. She railed against the dome. The consciousness immediately reacted. This was it - this was the prison. Twilight brought out all her strength, all her power. She pounded the dome with all her might. Nothing. The consciousness closed in on her. Twilight wouldn't let it end like this. Celestia, the real Celestia, was still in there. The one Luna had loved.
The consciousness reached Twilight, grabbed at her. Twilight tried to fight it off, refusing to let go of the dome. She couldn't shake it. She had to get in. She needed to get to Celestia. She was still in there. She had felt it, time and again. It hadn't all been faked. She had felt Celestia's love, her approval. It didn't all make sense as some nightmarish creature's plan. It had let the real Celestia slip out. And it was that Celestia that Twilight loved.
The dome cracked. The consciousness raged, tearing and clawing at Twilight's mind. She wouldn't let go. For Luna, for herself, for Celestia. She couldn't let it end now. She still had work to do. The crack widened in the dome, and Twilight could see inside. She smiled.
The other ponies felt their elements warm. It had been minutes since Twilight had disappeared into that ball of flame. Like they had seen once before, each one shone bright with power. They felt the call for them to act. And they accepted. Each pony felt themselves raised up by the magic that was not them, yet part of them. They lent their power to the sixth element.
The fireball shimmered, grew, shrunk, almost petered out, and then exploded. The ponies flinched, only to find nothing reach them as the dragon held out one great wing to shield them. When he lowered it, the fireball - and both ponies - were nowhere to be seen.
"Twilight!" Luna was the first to act. The others ran to catch up as she headed over to where the fireball had been. There, in a shallow crater in the ground, she found them.
"Sister! Twilight!" The pony laying on her back in the dirt was so familiar, yet so strange. Pure white coat, except where it had burned off. No gold gilded her hooves. A tattered green mane with a pink streak fell about her face. One wing lay out, the other half shielding Twilight. It was bent sharply halfway down, badly broken. She was only slightly taller than Luna. On her stomach, wrapped in her arms, a certain purple unicorn lay with her eyes closed, her entire body covered in cuts and burns.
"Sister..." Luna slid into the crater, only to back away cautiously. "Is that you?"
"Luna..." Celestia's voice was strained, as was her smile. "It's been so long."
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash ran down into the crater, everypony else on her heels. Her wings flared when she noticed Celestia.
"Get away from her!" she yelled at Celestia. The alicorn flinched, tears running down her cheeks. Luna turned to get between Celestia and the rest, wings flaring to shield her sister.
"Blame her no more than you would blame me for Nightmare Moon!" she cried. "The same magics possessed her."
"This mean it t'weren't really Princess Celestia before?" Applejack asked. Luna nodded her head.
"W-what about Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. They all turned to her. Celestia lowered her head. Twilight hadn't moved.
"Twilight? Twilight!" Luna rushed to Celestia's side. She pressed her head to Twilight's. The young magician didn't respond.
"No, no." Luna began to cry. "No. Twilight! You can't!" she nuzzled Twilight desperately. There was no response. Applejack took off her hat. One by one they lowered their heads. Luna sobbed, lowering her head against Twilight's body. Celestia coughed.
"Luna. My horn."
"W-what?"
"The pieces of my horn." it was stubbier than before, but still broken as it had been. "They fell in the plaza. Quickly!"
"B-but, what?"
"I got them!" Pinkie Pie shook her head. Several pieces of alabaster white fell from her mane. Everyone looked at her. She just blinked.
"They got stuck in my hair during the dogpile."
"Y' mean the dogpile you weren't caught in?" Applejack asked. Pinkie Pie nodded. Meanwhile, a weak glow came from Celestia's horn. The pieces bobbed up in front of Twilight.
"Sister, I need you." Celestia said. "You were already better at it than I."
"But...without...you mean?" Luna's eyes widened.
"There is life still in her." Celestia replied. "I remember when I, or...whatever I was, I remember making her. She yet has ties to my magic, and I can sense just a spark of life."
"A spark?" Rarity asked. "Will it be enough?"
"All it takes is..." Celestia cut herself off and gave a weak chuckle. "I'm sure you've heard. Please, my sister."
"It won't grow back, you know. Without these pieces." Luna told her. Celestia nodded.
"I have much of the elements to learn. Let us begin with generosity."
Luna nodded and closed her eyes. She took the pieces from Celestia, the white glow around them replaced with deep blue. She held the pieces against Twilight's chest. Her horn begin to shine with darkness. The pieces quivered. Luna bent down, face contorting with strain. Twilight's body began to shimmer. The glow started at the shards of horn and spread outwards, surrounding her. Luna gasped, an overglow surging forth around her horn. The pieces became indistinct. Luna's entire body strained with effort, shuddering. The magic around her horn flared, somehow painfully dark to look at. It crackled in the air, making everypony's mane stand on end. The pieces slid straight into Twilight's chest.
Luna cried out as the magic came to an apex, her head rearing back as her body twitched and shuddered. Twilight's body shone brightly for several seconds, indistinct. With a rough gasp, Luna collapsed into a sitting position. The spell faded, and so did Twilight's form. She wasn't bruised or cut or burnt anymore. Several seconds of silence passed, all eyes on her.
"Uhhhhggg..." Twilight groaned, letting out a small cough. Luna's face lit up, and she forced herself to stand. She rushed to Twilight, nuzzling against her.
"Lu..na?" Twilight let one eye crack open.
"It's okay, my love." Luna told her, not caring for the world around her. A few sets of eyes widened. "You can rest now."
"How does anypony survive all that?" Rarity asked, shaking her head. Celestia began to cough. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. It was the smile that let the others know she wasn't coughing, but laughing.
"I'm sure you've all met Twilight." she said. "She's not exactly the kind to give up until her work is done."
---
Twilight awoke in a bed. It was so comfortable, but for some reason, she was eager to move. Or, she was for all of two seconds. It was then the stiffness and soreness hit, and she decided whatever drove her could wait a few moments. She did, however, open her eyes.
"I don't usually say this." said the pony who had been watching her. "But good morning."
"Luna?"
"I saw you stir. How do you feel?"
Twilight looked around. She was in her room, in bed and propped up by pillows. She spied Spike fast asleep where he sat on a footstool. Luna saw Twilight's gaze.
"Refused to leave your side as soon as we brought you in. Not even to talk to that other dragon. I think we have him to thank for everything, given what your friends have told me. Such a noble hero."
"I'm buying him the biggest ruby I can find. I promise." Twilight said in all seriousness. Luna giggled.
"I'm sure there's something in the treasury that will be a suitable reward." she turned back to Twilight. "Are you alright?"
Twilight nodded. "A little stiff, but I'll survive." she rubbed her head, flexed this and that. She stifled her surprise. "What happened?"
"How much do you remember?" Luna asked.
"There was all that fighting...my friends helped so much. We summoned the elements again...oh my gosh there was a dragon! How was there a dragon?"
"You have an interesting group of friends." Luna replied. She moved closer to Twilight, standing beside the bed. "You don't remember how you freed Celestia?"
"N-no." Twilight said. "I remembered a bright light....and then undoing a spell of some sort. Now I'm here."
"You threw yourself into the heart of Celestia's flame, and found her. The spell you're talking about were the magics of the elements of harmony, imbalanced and wild, given motivation. Celestia talks about how you managed to reach out to her, through her prison, and wake her up after all this time."
"And...then what?"
"Then..." Luna closed her eyes. "I still can't believe you weren't dead. You felt dead even as I cast the healing spell. Yet somehow, you still remained." she opened her eyes, her gaze low. "You know the healing properties of a unicorn's horn, yes? Only an alicorn's horn can heal wounds of the spirit. You were depleted of all magical energy. It took a significant amount to rekindle your spirit. My sister claims, in time, she will regain most of her abilities. But the horn will never grow back."
"I..." Twilight looked down at the bedsheets. "I'm sorry."
Luna shook her head. "She regrets nothing, and I don't think she should. But she is going through everything I did, and even more. She will need you. Can...can you forgive her? Truly?"
Twilight knew her answer immediately. It came so strongly she took a moment only to examine her feelings. Luna waited anxiously for her answer.
"Yes." Twilight told her. "Absolutely."
Luna sighed in relief. "I knew you would, but she wouldn't believe it."
Twilight nodded. "I always knew the real her was in there. The nightmare wanted me loyal, without the command spell. So she had to let me love Celestia. She had to let Celestia out, since that was the only way to return my love. So I saw the real Celestia. And I loved her."
"She won't believe you." Luna said with a smile. "So, please, keep telling her until she does. It was her loneliness that caused all this. She never got over when the first alicorns left. We had each other but it wasn't enough. Maybe if I had been a better sister...." Luna shook her head. "No, she tells me I can't think that way. That she never meant to spurn me. But as she studied the incomplete elements, the imbalance inside her grew. She believed herself to be alone, distant even from me. And she became obsessed with the golems. She wanted to make them more, make them real. If only I had discovered the secret earlier. By the time I learned how to do just that, she didn't care. The Nightmare had twisted her. and now wanted the power of the elements. Wanted to prove herself to the first alicorns. And that meant she had to get more powerful."
"So why'd she attack you?" Twilight asked.
"I was the only other pony she considered real. She was experimenting on me, the nightmares the result of magic invading my mind. I had discovered the way to bring golems to life, and I think she knew."
"Just a spark?" Twilight asked wryly. Luna smiled and nodded.
"Just a spark. The spark of friendship. It may seem silly, but understand, by then the golems were more like you. It gave them something fundamentally meaningful, something to live for. And the rest...you've figured out."
Twilight nodded. "What now?"
"Now? You still need rest. I healed you of your wounds, mortal and magical, but some things just need to be slept on. There will be time to talk to Celestia - and the others - later."
Twilight wanted to argue, but stopped. She nodded. "Alright. But on one condition."
"Hmm?"
"You look exhausted Luna. How long have you been by my side?"
"It's only been a day since the battle."
"A day. You've been awake the whole day - after being exhausted from before the battle began."
"I can't sleep yet." Luna argued. Twilight smiled. If she had a bit for every time she had said that...a voice piped up inside her. She could barely believe it. After all this, and all they had been through, all they had done together....the voice was making a compelling case.
"Luna. I really think you, you....you should come to bed." Twilight said.
"I can't go yet, I-"
"No, Luna." Twilight interrupted. Luna gave her a curious glance, and her confusion only deepened as Twilight blushed and looked away. Then she saw Twilight's hoof pushing down the covers. Creating room for some pony to sidle in besides her. Luna turned red, and then began to get up on the bed.
---
When Twilight next awoke, it was by the sound of giggling. She kept her eyes shut, hoping dearly she was mistaken.
"Aren't they precious together?" a voice asked. Nope, there went that slim chance.
"Sweet as two cherries on th' same sundae!" came a reply.
"I, um, never knew that Twilight..."
"Heh, Ah don't blame you none. Here I always pegged Dash..."
"Hey! It was one time in flight camp!"
"They, uh, saw each other for three weeks."
"Fluttershy!"
"Why are they still sleeping? We need a party! We have so much to party for! They've got to be the guests of honor!"
"Would you ponies please actually let me sleep?" Twilight groaned, acknowledging defeat. As she heard various yelps and peeps she raised her head, blinking her eyes into focus. Her bed was surrounded with her friends. They all just grinned at her in their various styles.
"Well howdy there sugarcube. Feelin' better?"
"Yes, I imagine you're much more relaxed now?" Rarity asked. The others were beginning to giggle.
"Yeah, uh." Rainbow Dash faltered. "You, uh...heeheeheehee." she failed to come up with anything before the giggling overtook her. Twilight frowned.
"What is wrong with all you ponies. I-" she tried to get up, only to find a leg pinned. She looked over, and only then realized Luna was against her, still asleep. She had wound up snuggling up against the moon goddess, and now she had a limb trapped underneath. She turned back to her friends, cheeks so hot it threatened to singe her coat.
"We didn't - we only slept toge- I mean..." she just gave them all a flat stare.
"I'm going back to sleep." she told them, laying her head back down. Luna's mane was so, so soft.
"Aww, now don't be like that Twi." Applejack told her. Twilight opened an eye.
"Don't you think we've all been worried? I'm gonna get it from Granny Smith for up an' leavin' the farm like that."
"We simply couldn't leave you until we knew you'd be alright." Rarity explained. "Is it...what it looks like, dear?"
Twilight sighed. She wiggled free of Luna, trying dearly not to wake her. She got up.
"Yes. It is." she said simply, not sure how else to put it. Rarity gave her a reassuring smile.
"And good for you. Though I must say, Twilight, I'm a little upset. Here I sought a royal companion, and here you go and upstage me!"
"Sorry Rarity." Twilight said with a grin. "I'm okay you guys. I suppose I should explain everything."
"Naw." Applejack shook her head. "The princess' been doing a right job tellin' us everything bewteen 'em. Well, fer the most part. Now what's this all about about you bein' some kind of magic?"
Twilight sighed. "I should explain. I am - well, was, it's complicated, but I'm kinda a golem."
"A what now?" Applejack asked. All five friends gave her blank stares.
"I was...never born. I wonder if my, uh, parents knew about me, or...that's something for later. The nightmare that controlled Princess Celestia created me. I'm mostly magic and stardust. Oh, and sunlight."
Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared at her with tilted heads, Fluttershy's eyes filled her head, and Rarity's jaw dropped.
"That sounds pretty!" Pinkie Pie told her with a quick clap. Twilight smiled sheepishly.
"Actually, all ponies were made that way, originally. Or, well, kinda. I think there were other things usually involved. The first ponies were golems made by the princesses. And I'm not exactly one any more. I'm real you guys. I think it must have happened when we defeated Nightmare Moon. It's the magic of friendship that brings a golem alive."
"So, yur just a normal pony now?" Applejack asked.
"Well...not quite." Twilight responded as she got off the bed. She turned to the side, showing herself to her friends. Everyone blinked, making Twilight roll her eyes. So she spread her wings.
"Twilight! They're beautiful." Fluttershy cooed. They looked more normal than before, just strong pegasus wings. On a unicorn. Twilight had noticed them when she had awoke, but hadn't known what to do about it. "You're a...?"
"I guess?" Twilight responded, none too sure herself. "I think the healing made them permanent. But it's still me, guys."
"Shucks, course it is!" Applejack responded. "Right gals?"
She got a chorus of approval, everypony nodding their head. It warmed her heart.
"Thanks girls. I owe you all." she walked around the bed. Fluttershy was nearest, and the pegasus squeaked as Twilight hugged her briefly. Pinkie Pie was next, and giggled, returning the hug.
"Aww, now sugar you don't have to-" too late, Twilight had her next. Applejack smiled and patted her friend on the back. Twilight saw Rarity pause, but returned Twilight's hug. Finally, Rainbow Dash.
"Oh, come on. I..." she saw everypony else just look at her. "Oh, fine." she gave Twilight a hug.
"Thanks girls. We can talk more back in Ponyville. I'm sorry I dragged you all away."
"Hey, just let us know earlier next time you want to save the world." Rainbow Dash told her, flapping her wings once. Twilight grinned. Rarity was looking to Luna, still asleep on the bed.
"You...are coming back to Ponyville, right dear?" she asked. The question caught Twilight off guard, and she stared at her hooves. After a moment of thought, she nodded.
"Don't worry. I'm coming back."
"Well, then we should see you there. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, let's see if you two can leave the cart intact for the return trip, hmm?"
"If we're not in a rush, why don't we make her pull?" Rainbow Dash muttered. Pinkie Pie was at the door. It opened before her.
"Oh...hello." the pony on the other side stepped back, looking away. She held herself so timidly. Twilight's eyes went wide. It was the first she had seen of Princess Celestia after the battle.
"P-princess?"
"I don't mean to intrude." Celestia replied. She was so much like her sister, Twilight realized. Especially just after the Nightmare Moon incident.
"We were just leavin', come on in." Applejack replied, seeming to have the best grasp of the situation. Celestia smiled, but let them out before entering the room. It was just her and Twilight, Luna being effectively not present. At first, neither seemed to know what to say. Twilight smiled at Celestia - Celestia smiled back, but looked away. The silence dragged on.
"The wings are quite fitting." Celestia eventually said. It caught Twilight off guard.
"Ahh, uh, thank you. Is, is there a difference between an alicorn and an unicorn-with-wings?"
"Oh, yes." Celestia replied. "However, since your soul was rekindled almost from scratch with alicorn magic, and your body restored using the energy in my horn, you...are an alicorn. The wings would have appeared regardless of the other magics in you."
"Oh..." Twilight glanced at her wings. They felt strange - she suddenly had all these new muscles that moved in such unexpected ways. Without a lot of magic bolstering her, she realized, there would have been no way she would have known how to even keep herself aloft. Then she gave a second thought to Celestia's words. She glanced up at the Princess' horn. It had been rounded off, but it was clear that it had lost its tip. Not enough of it had been lost to call it stumpy, but it was a good bit shorter than it should have been.
"I don't regret it." Celestia told her, bowing her head. "I'm glad any good could have come from our fight." she laid herself down at Twilight's feet. "But it's not enough. I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle. For everything."
Twilight smiled, bent down, and pressed against Celestia's cheek with her own. Only briefly, as an act of affection, not intimacy.
"Please, Princess, I understand. The nightmare is over. You were only in the same prison as your sister."
Celestia raised herself into a sitting position and shook her head sadly. "No. It was a prison of my own construction. I had every chance to listen to my sister, to see the love she held for me, and I ignored it. I wanted more."
"You got carried away. When Applejack or Rarity get carried away, some ponies get upset or maybe a little sick. When a goddess gets carried away..."
"I appreciate what you're trying to say, but you're too kind m-my...my hero. It was my own hoof in this, even if I lost control."
"You're too hard on yourself, sister." both ponies turned to find Luna just getting up, stretching her neck. she opened her eyes towards Celestia.
"Trust me, I understand. And trust me that you will not hear the end of it from Twilight until you believe it." she smiled at the newly-minted alicorn. Twilight remembered her conversation with Luna earlier.
"Princess-" she saw Celestia flinch. She was expecting the words that came next, more or less.
"Please. A title earned by betrayal and falsehood."
"Fine." Twilight wasn't going to argue that point for now. "Celestia. You know me. You really know me. And I know you. You were always in there. That's why I could get through to you at all. Why you're here now. Because it wasn't you before. And you, the real you - I love you. I always felt closer, and I guess it makes sense now, I always loved you like a mother. The real you."
Celestia's face was quiet, almost serene like before, but tears rolled down her cheeks. "And you mean it. I know you do. Sister has already spoken with me at length. I appreciate your words, but I cannot simply pretend I am free of guilt. There is history to be rewritten, lies to be set right. I cannot expect your acceptance from every pony in Equestria. Nor do I deserve it. I deserve some punishment for my misdeeds, whether it be banishment, imprisonment, or more..."
Twilight looked at Celestia, deep in thought. She said nothing for a moment.
"Sister..." Luna tried.
"You're right." Twilight said with a stamp on her hoof. Both goddesses turned to her.
"She is?"
"I am?"
"You have a lot to make up for. And I know just how you can do it."
"You do?" Both sisters asked in tandem. Twilight nodded.
"Tell me, please, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia asked. "Be my judge. And I shall repent."
"Celestia." Twilight looked her in the eye. "I charge you with a thousand years - of community service. You are to aid Princess Luna in her duties, to serve the nation of Equestria and its ponies to the best of your abilities, and at Princess Luna's discretion" she smiled. Celestia smiled back, tears in her eyes.
"I accept my sentence, Twilight Sparkle." she said with a bow. "Thank you."
---
It had been a couple weeks, and ponies still tended to drop by the library just to see the town's resident suddenly-alicorn. Everypony that did, however, somehow or another found them getting a lecture on the nature of nightmare magic, and the sacrifice of noble Princess Celestia. A few ponies had been stupid enough to argue back - the Princes was none too popular, and many didn't believe her fit to rule. Many others were agreeing to hear her out, especially as she explained everything in first person with Luna by her side, accepting all the criticism that came her way, acknowledging most of it. But anypony that argued with Ponyville librarian left with their ears stinging and head swimming.
Of course, they only got all this if they came after noon. Before hand, a baby dragon and oddly diurnal owl tended to the library, which oddly enough now stayed open until nearly midnight. Twilight Sparkle balanced the day and night, her afternoons free to spend with her friends most of the time. Her evenings, however, were another story.
Luna stepped out of the night sky on a hill just away from the Ponyville library. She glanced to it, to see all lights but one had gone dark - it had closed up, but not everyone in it asleep. Luna took a moment to glance up at her night sky. She was happy with her work for the night. She knew a few were confused by the lack of a few landmarks (sailors were more than a bit vocal), and Luna had had to promise new ones were coming. Already she could promise one. She looked to the swirl of stars to the right of the moon, the whirlpool of silver light. That was going nowhere any time soon.
"We finally did it, my friends." she told four more stars she could promise would forever remain alight in the sky. Twilight had told her their names. The nightmares were finally beginning to fade, and she was remembering more and more.
"She was a lot like you, Star Shine." she said to the star. "I wonder if it wasn't your dust that Celestia pulled from? You always somehow found a way to help me, even when I didn't know I needed it. Even after I pushed you away." she blinked back the tears, promising not to cry any more. She knew her friends had moved on, yet were still with her. Some bonds transcended all things.
She trotted down the hill, focusing on things nearer to her than the stars in the sky. She knew the door would be unlocked. She kept silent, not wanting to wake the other inhabitants of the tree. She moved smoothly through the darkness, slipping into the bedroom.
Twilight was partially silhouetted by the candle she held to the window as she looked up at the night sky. Luna smiled to herself.
"Will you tell me about them, one day?" Twilight asked quietly.
"I promise. You would have liked them."
Twilight turned to her and smiled. "Sorry. Probably not very romantic, am I?"
Luna giggled. "It's fine. You care, and I appreciate that." she reached Twilight's bed. "But for now, let us not speak of the moon or stars. Let us not speak at all."
"Hmm?"
Luna climbed onto the bed beside Twilight and blew out the candle. "Oh no, we shall be much to busy for that." as she heard Twilight giggle, still bashful, she turned to her. The darkness was no deterrent for either pony now, and they could easily make out one another's face. Their eyes met - then so did their lips. |
AVeryStrange | 338 | 9 | Princess Luna,Twilight Sparkle,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Spark | Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past. | complete | 1,247 | 35 | <p>Twilight Sparkle is called away to tend to Luna when she falls ill. As Luna grows sicker and Twilight more determined to help the younger princess, she begins to uncover dark secrets about the elements, the alicorns, and her own past.</p> | everyone | 2011-07-28T15:50:53+00:00 | 2011-07-28T15:50:53+00:00 | 19,526 | Sweet Apple Acres was a busy place in the spring. Two young stallions walked the fields with plows in tow, while a mailpony dragged in shipments of seeds and tools, and a couple more ponies were visible amonst the apple trees. Adding to the general bustle was a visitor to the farm who gingerly stepped out of the sky, looked around, and opened the gate into the main homestead area. A filly, not quite yet a mare, with a light green coat and straw-colored hair and baskets strapped to her saddle had been trotting through the area, and noticed the visitor first. She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes as big as the moon.
"P-princess?!"
"Oh, hello." the visitor said. "I'm here to see Applejack. Is she around?"
"G-great-granny Applejack?" the filly asked. The visitor paused, and nodded. The young pony kept her eyes on the visitor and pointed towards the barn. There, in a rocking chair, an ancient mare sat with a worn brown steltson covering her eyes. Her coat was gray but with a healthy sheen, and her hair was so blonde it was nearly white. The visitor ignored the looks she got from the farm ponies and approached the old mare.
"Took ya long enough." Applejack replied, her voice raspier than the visitor remembered it, but still strong.
"I came as soon as I got your letter."
"You always were th' letter-writin' type, Twilight. Ah figured that'd get yur attention." The old mare moved her hat aside and looked at the pony before her. Twilight had grown slender, if not that tall. Her purple coat shone as healthy as it had ever been, her eyes sparkled yet with youth, and her deep blue mane had grown long and flowing. She couldn't be far past a young adult, from her looks. Yet the old pony before her was a lifelong friend, and a testament to her true age.
Applejack heaved herself off the rocking chair. Twilight moved to help as she heard numerous pops and cracks from her friend, but Applejack shrugged her off.
"Ahh, not you too." she complained. "Ah'm fine, Ah tells ya." she gave herself a shake, a few more sickening pops coming from it. Twilight just smiled at her stubborn friend.
"I see you're a great-grandmother now." she stated conversationally, almost chiding her friend. Applejack was stretching her back now. How many joints did this mare have to crack?
"Great-great-grandmother. Well, aunt, but it don't have th' same ring to it, do it?" Applejack replied. She nodded over Twilight's shoulder, making the alicorn turn. Off from the barn they were at was the Apple family homestead, where the filly that had greeted Twilight had apparently entered and was now exiting. "That 'un's the youngest of the youngest."
"Of the youngest?" Twilight asked with a laugh. Applejack sucked air through her teeth. One was missing, creating a sharp whistle.
"Of th' secon' youngest if'n Ah remember right." she replied. A few more pops came from her and she seemed to finally be done. The filly had apparently gotten her mother, a mare with a bright red coat and brown mane. Images of Big Mac from long ago flashed through Twilight's mind.
"Princess Twilight!" Twilight cringed as she was greeted by the mare. "It's an honor, it is. W-would you care to stay for lunch? We have any delicacy you could ask for - uh, any apple-based one that is." she smiled nervously. Applejack snorted.
"Sure, ge' out the fine silk pillows we keep too, an' why not the gold silverware while yur at it?"
The mare gave a worried glance to Appljack before turning back to Twilight, bowing slightly. Twilight hated the bowing. "P-please excuse Granny Applejack, she's-"
"A close personal friend of mine." Twilight said, trying to sound soothing. "That I'm just going to spend some time with today. If that's alright?"
"Ahh, y-yes, of course." The mare leaned over and forced her filly's head down, making her bow too. Twilight sighed.
"Ahh, get on wit' yurself, Candy Apple." Applejack told her. "And let Appletini to her chores, would ya?" she began to walk away with a shake of her head. Twilight gave the two earth ponies a small smile before following, glancing over her shoulder one last time at the mare and daughter.
"You Apple family ever going to run out of names?" she asked.
" 'ventually." Applejack replied. Her gait was as solid as all those years ago, Twilight noticed with surprise.
"Ah tell you, Ah thought Ah'd be glad to see the Apple family back up to full strength." she said, referring to her family's legacy all around her. "But it's just more ponies to tell me when t' go to bed, or which foods Ah'm not s'pposed to eat cause of mah kidneys, or..." she ended with a huff. "And Ah can still applebuck better than all y'all, and y'all know it!" she yelled to no one. Twilight smiled at her friend.
"It's good to talk to you again, Applejack." she replied. "It's been too long. But...your letter made it sound urgent."
"It is urgent." Applejack replied. "It's urgent tha' you spend the day out of that frilly castle and back here in Ponyville. Or did ya finally forget about all us li'l ponies?"
Twilight cringed and hung her head. "I....I..." she was surprised by a punch on the shoulder. Something about the exact spot made her yelp, her wings flying out of their own volition. Applejack laughed as Twilight folded them.
"Hah! That trick always worked on Rainbow." Applejack responded, grinning at her. "Ah wondered if it was a pegasus thing or what."
"That was mean."
"Tell y' what. You can buy me lunch an' we'll call it even." Applejack responded, head held high. Twilight rolled her eyes at her friend's logic and followed her down the road. The weather was beautiful today, and she soaked in the quiet of outer Ponyville. Applejack seemed to keep watch of her, and eventually spoke.
"So how's things with that cute li'l mare y' were seein, oh what's her name...?"
"You mean Luna?" Twilight asked. Applejack faked surprise, slapping her forehead with a hoof (and nearly sending her hat flying).
"Oh that was it." she replied. Twilight laughed.
"The element of honesty is a horrible liar." she teased. "And great, thanks. I don't think even I could find such joy in the mechanics of government, but she seems excited by every little by-law that comes up to her, and is constantly looking to improve the system....not that the bureaucrats like that much, of course."
"Ah meant more 'bout how the two of you are doin'?"
"Oh." Twilight gave an apologetic look. "Great. You remember the wedding."
"Ah remember you blushin' so hard we thought yur coat had turned red." Applejack smiled and looked to the sky. "Y'know y'helped a lot of folk out by doin' that."
"By...getting married?" Twilight asked. Applejack nodded.
"Yup. Hard t' argue against it when we got a pair of fillyfoolers on the throne."
"Applejack!" Twilight hissed, cringing at the term.
"Sorry. Old dog, new tricks. An' how about Celestia? She don' mind her sister runnin' most of things nowadays?"
"Not at all." Twilight told her, swelling with joy and pride. "It was always hard for her to balance her work as the ruler of Equestria and as Headmistress of her school. That's what she really loves. She spends so much more time with her students now - I'm almost jealous!"
Applejack guffawed. "Ah think you may have one up on them there, sugarcube."
Twilight smiled and lowered her head a little, her pride deflating. "Yeah, I said almost."
"Ah'm surprised you didn' go into the school with her. It seems right up your tree."
Twilight shook her head. "Maybe it'd be fun to teach some classes one day. Imagine me with my own 'faithful student'." she grinned at the little joke. "But for now, there's still so much out there to explore, so much more to learn than what's in the books."
"Right, you do that arch...arki...archistudy." Applejack taxed her mind.
"Archeology." Twilight corrected gently. "And yes. Ponykind spread rapidly after the end of the golems, and there are ruins of places settled by ponies who knew Luna and Celestia firsthand, or only a few generations later. It's amazing that the Nightmare was thorough enough to convince ponykind to bite into her story, but that doesn't mean all traces of the old tales are lost."
"But where's the fun if y' can juss teleport around? That ain't explorin'."
"I can't go where places I haven't seen, or at least been given a very good description of. And a lot of ruins have strange magics about them that need to be preserved. My legs get more of a workout than my magic." By now they had made it to Ponyville proper, and Twilight stopped to look around. She smiled at first, spotting several landmarks, from town hall to Sugarcube corner. But slowly her smile faded, replaced by confusion, then sadness.
"I don't recognize anypony." she said quietly. Applejack turned to face her and gave her a gentle nudge.
"Tha' kinda happens when y've been gone for four decades." she replied. Twilight gave a slight nod. Her eyes didn't seem to be sparkling anymore. Applejack nudged her again, this time as she began walking.
"C'm on. We gotta lot a places to see." she told Twilight. The alicorn gave a reluctant nod and followed her old friend through the streets. She garnered numerous looks, of both awe and trepidation - why was a princess here? What was going on? Too much time had passed, she realized. No one remembered the nerdy unicorn who had barely kept the town library running and herself intact with the antics she seemed to get herself into. Twilight turned her gaze ahead, trying to ignore the growing self-loathing inside of her. That was when her eyes caught something.
"That's...new." she said to the building in front of her. A barber's shop. But....Twilight saw it in her mind. The trees had been smaller (Earth and Sky, even the trees had changed!) and there had been more bushes, but the path was the same. This was where the Carasol Boutique was supposed to be. This was an entirely different building. And it wasn't supposed to be.
"This...this isn't right. Where is it?" she asked, looking around. She had to be wrong, maybe it was next door. What had they done to it? Applejack sighed.
"Sugarcube-" she stopped as Twilight rushed past her. Without thinking, the purple alicorn ran into the shop, practically bursting through the door.
Her entrance was met with stunned stares and dropped jaws. Patrons sat covered in aprons, most staring at mirrors until she had burst in. A few unicorns stood behind them, scissors and brushes hanging in midair. The tools clattered to the ground, the spell keeping them aloft broken as the unicorns startled. Twilight winced as the clattering blades luckily hit only the floor. She looked around. Tinny music played through speakers in the ceiling. The walls were tan, there were shelves beside her with shampoos, conditioners and lotions. The entire place was rectangular, with only a few square windows. It was a completely different building. Twilight finally noticed the eyes on her.
"Wrong building." she said, feeling more out of place than her first day in Ponyville. "My mistake." she backed out, trying to smile at the stunned ponies. She only turned around once outside, and found Applejack staring at her. Her friend has so many lines on her face, under her eyes. How had she not noticed that before?
"Yur an idiot." Applejack told her. Twilight hung her head.
"I know."
"Find what you were lookin' for?"
"No." Twilight told her with a shake of her head. She glanced back at the building. "Where'd it go?"
"Rarity paid rent on the darned place every month, every year." Applejack replied. "She always meant to move back, I reckon. Some day. Next year, it t'was always goin' t'be next year. Well, one year, next year didn' come, you know that. She never had any foals, and Sweetie Belle, bless her heart, had her own problems to worry about. So, township got the place, no one wanted it, an'..."
Twilight nodded, wiping her eyes. "I just thought...I don't know what I thought."
"C'm on." Applejack told her with a flick of her head. "There's more." with that, Twilight began to understand why her friend had brought her here. She followed Applejack down the road.
"Now, if'n we're lucky, we can head down to Sugarcube Corner an-" she was cut off as she passed by an alleyway and was promptly tackled by a pink and blue blur. Twilight jumped back in fright, and when the dust cleared she saw what happened, what - rather, who - had brought her friend down flat. Two sets of big young eyes looked up at her.
"Ahh, it's a princess!" a blue pegasus colt shouted. He looked beneath him, at the pony he was laying on. "Ahhh! It's Granny Applejack!" he leaped off, fluttering a few feet in the air. With a sigh, Applejack lifted herself off the ground. Twilight's gaze was transfixed on the pink pony still on Applejack's back.
"Hello." the filly said, staring at her with a smile, on her face and in her eyes. Twilight found she couldn't work her mouth.
"Pinkella Daphne Pie!" Applejack shouted, looking over her shoulder. "What are you and Rush up to? An' get off mah back!"
The pink filly with curly pinker hair slid off Applejack's back with a giggle that was, somehow, pink. "Nothin." she said in that tone that children everywhere used. Twilight was still stunned. She even sounded the same. No, but besides being younger, this filly already had her cutie mark - an open present with streamers flying out of the top. It wasn't her....but...
"Nothin' mah hoof!" Applejack looked up at the colt. "Rush, an' what do you have to say for yurself?"
"Uhh..." the colt looked around, scratching his head. His mane, oddly, was snow white. "I can only get in trouble if I'm caught? Bye!" with that, he was off, leaving a gust of wind in his wake. That pegasus could move.
"Rush! Wait up!" Pinkella Daphne Pie began after her friend, hopping along in a way all too familiar to Twilight. Applejack turned to her, shaking her head at the vanishing little ponies.
"Welp." she said, stopping to cough. "Y've just met heir to the Pinkie Pie fortune. Along with the worst rascal this town has seen since, since..." Applejack just stamped her hoof. Twilight's brow furrowed.
"But-"
"Ah know what yur thinkin'." Applejack replied. "Scootaloo's kin. Well, down the road a li'l but Ah doubt y'd know...anyway. No relation to.." she shook her head.
Twilight nodded. "And...Pinkella. I..."
"Ah know, Ah know. Hey, every generation needs its Pinkie Pie. Some things are juss uni-vers-al truths." she nodded her head decisively. "And Ah would know."
"...You said Pinkie Pie fortune?"
"Yup. You go diggin' all around Equestria an' you still need to get out more." Applejack scolded her. "Sugarcube Corner. They got spots all over from here to Fillydelphia. They even got one in Cloudsdale!"
"Wow. I knew Pinkie Pie was doing well back in the day, but..."
"It grew more in her daughter's hooves." Applejack explained. "But she followed Pinkie Pie's dream for it. Wanted to make it so there was a place for anypony to throw any kind of party, anytime. Now, we don' need to stop by Sugarcube Corner anymore thanks t' that, but you're still buyin' me lunch."
"You mean you just wanted to show me..."
"Lunch!"
Twilight smiled weakly and nodded, so Applejack brought her over to the Daffodil Delicatessan. It was moderately busy, a respectable establishment specializing in good sandwiches and great service. As soon as the two of them entered the restaurant a waiter noticed them and just dropped his plate on a table, not even looking to whoever he dumping on. He was at the podium before they were, nodding deeply since he couldn't bow.
"Madam, and Princess Twilight! We are honored, truly honored! What brings you to our hhhumble establishment today?" Twilight had to admit, she had never heard anyone roll an 'h' before.
"Lunch." she replied simply. The waiter gave a nervous smile.
"Of course, of course! Where would you like to sit today? How may we serve you?"
"Where do you have that's available?"
"Why, every seat is available, my dear Princess!" the waiter seemed to still be trying to figure out how to bow without hitting his head on the podium. Twilight stifled a sigh.
"I don't know...somewhere outside would be nice. Also some place that doesn't have anypony sitting at it already." she felt she had to add that last part. The waiter's head was bobbing so hard it might come off. He led them straight out the side to a patio. Twilight saw the waiter signal to another staff member. She also heard Applejack snicker.
"Well ain't you all high an' mighty." her friend quipped in a not-so-quiet whisper.
"This is why I don't get out much." Twilight whispered back. By the time they got to their table, Twilight found a purple cushion at her place. She swore it was like everypony kept one on hoof just in case. She didn't want to, but knew it would cause only more headache if she didn't take it. They'd think they'd offended or something. Another waiter came up with two menus as the first departed. Twilight held hers in place magically, and could see that the waiter was still waiting on them.
"Could you please give us a few minutes?" she asked, making him jump.
"W-why, yes, of course. We are at your service." he backed away tentatively. Once they were gone Twilight just plunked her head onto the table.
"You okay sugarcube?" Applejack asked casually from over her menu, as if nothing was wrong.
"I hate the whole Princess thing. How did Celestia ever put up with me? I get it now."
"Well, that kinda happens when y' marry into royalty, y'know." Applejack replied. "'sides, they're just being polite."
"They're afraid, Applejack. I'm feared. Me." she sighed. "Celestia and Luna have it worse, because of the whole Nightmare thing. But I don't get why they fear me. I've never done anything!"
"Naw." Applejack said tiredly, actually rolling her eyes. "S'not like you've got any power. Like you could shut down this here place if you so much as felt like it. Or just tear it up and throw it from here to Canterlot."
"But I don't do things like that!"
"But y' could."
Twilight groaned and looked around. Ponyville was still Ponyville, even if the faces had changed. For the first time in years, Twilight felt desperately homesick for a place that had never really been hers. It began to all unwind for her.
"I miss...everything. I miss the boutique, I miss Pinkie Pie's parties, I miss the everfree forest, I miss Zecora, I miss when Trixie came to town or when I helped you with Applebuck season or..."
"Slow down sugar." Applejack said, her voice low and sweet. Grandmotherly. "Ah miss them too. And Ah've missed you. So let's enjoy ourselves, okay?"
Twilight nodded and straightened herself. She saw the waiter approach again (he had probably timed two minutes to the second) and glanced quickly at her menu.
"The toasted carrot sandwich with whole-oat bread sounds wonderful." she told the waiter. "I'm not very hungry." the waiter nodded, still looking worried.
"Ah juss want the hay fries." Applejack said. Twilight wondered if the waiter had even noticed her until she spoke. He was off in a flash, yet another one came up right away only to pour them both tall glasses of crystal clear water. Well, at least they got both of them something to drink.
"Ah can't stomach much these days." Applejack told her. "Candy Apple tries to keep the cinnamon apple pies and the turnovers away from me, an' I know she means well by it. But Ah'm a bit sick of it."
Twilight nodded. "I never really got to know your family, I'm sorry."
"Well..." Applejack sighed. "O'course, they're Big Mac's kids first, but because he didn' stick around Ah just wound up being 'Granny Applejack'. If Granny Smith could see me now..." she shook her head, her smile deepening the lines on her face. "Candy Apple's sweet as y' can guess, but she's going to worry herself dead before Ah hit the ground."
"Don't talk like that, please." Twilight responded. Applejack gave her a look, but before she could say more their food came. That was fast, Twilight thought to herself. She bit into her sandwich, which honestly was pretty good, while Applejack picked at her fries. Every time Twilight took a sip of water she found it topped off. She had to try not to roll her eyes. Applejack kept silent during lunch, and Twilight found herself at a loss for conversation. Had they really grown that apart?
"Eh, Ah'm finished with these, how about you Twi?" Applejack asked as the alicorn finished her meal. Twilight was briefly heartened to hear her old moniker again, but her mood fell when she saw Applejack had barely eaten.
"Ah know that look. Yur like Candy Apple y' are. Don' worry. It ain't gonna make a difference." her words were unusually cryptic for the salt-of-the-earth pony, but Twilight just nodded. She turned to one of the nearly ever-present waiters.
"Check please."
"Compliments of the establishment, m'lady."
Twilight frowned. "I'd really rather-"
"Twi?" Applejack interrupted. She looked over. Her friend was so, so tired. She looked like she barely had the energy to shake her head. "Let it go."
Twilight turned back to the waiter. "It is a lovely gift, thank you. And your establishment is more than praiseworthy."
"You honor us, Princess." Twilight cringed at the words, and the bow that followed. Always the bowing. She briefly wondered about talking Luna into making bowing illegal. No, no. Down that path lay the mind of a tyrant, even a well-meaning one who just wanted to enjoy her lunch with her friend.
"You comin', Twilight?" Applejack had gotten ahead of her, walking off the patio and into the road. Twilight nodded and caught up. Her friend's gait was slower than this morning
"Y'know what today is, don't ya?" Applejack asked. Twilight was puzzled - aside from the letter, nothing had marked this day as important to her. She just gave Applejack a confused glance. The old earth pony sighed.
"Really has been too long, ain't it? It's mah birthday, y' darned foal." she sounded disappointed.
The news hit Twilight like a stone. That was it. That was too much. She found tears on her cheeks and didn't bother to wipe them away.
"Hush, now, don' be like that." Applejack was at her side, pressed close as she could against the alicorn, brushing her folded wing. "Ah know y' didn't mean it. Ah almost stopped countin' myself."
"You're..."
"Eighty years old." Applejack said quietly, her voice unsteady. "An I know ponies that ain't lived half that. We all held on there, but Ah've been wantin' to ask you, Twi. Why me? Th' others stuck aroun', but...this ain't right."
Twilight didn't even realize that Applejack was leading her out of town. She shook her head. "It was natural, kind of. It's no spell if that's what you're asking. You're as solid as an apple tree, AJ. Mix that with with a strong will, and a good life, you'd be surprised. Plus...I may give off a slightly magical aura. That some ponies may be slightly receptive to."
"Slightly?"
"Slightly. It's mostly the will thing."
Applejack nodded. "Makes sense. That's why it took Fluttershy a while, t'weren't it? Good life an' all."
"Yes. Normally pegasus ponies don't live that long, but..." Twilight nodded. "She had such a gentle soul. The years didn't wear on her as much as other ponies."
"But she weren't strong enough either, was she?" Applejack asked. "Only pony to truly die of heartbreak. When her little grandfilly..." She wiped her eye.
"I should have been there." Twilight was so angry at herself. "I shouldn't have ever left Ponyville! I shouldn't have left any of you!" She stamped the ground, only wishing she could kick herself. Applejack sighed and hushed her again.
"Now enough of that." She told Twilight, once again coming off as so much older than her friend. "The princess's needed you, and it wouldn't've been right of us t' keep you. Besides, there was nothing y'could've done for her, 'les you think you can make a rockslide climb back up a mount'n. ...Shoot, you probably can, but y'know what Ah mean."
Twilight hung her head. "See? I could have done something."
"Y' can't go thinkin' like that. Yur putting the weight of the world on your shoulders. Besides, it all works out in the end, one way or th' other." She looked up. Twilight realized where she had been brought. Fluttershy's hut was gone, and in its place,
"Dragonfly Memorial Hospital and Veterinary Clinic." She read the red words emblazoned on the monolithic white building ahead of them. It wasn't pretty, but it was very stately, more windows than building, letting in all the sunlight it could. And it was surrounded by the most beautiful gardens Twilight had ever seen outside of Canterlot, with at least as much care put into them. Twilight could see every type of songbird that could possibily live here fluttering through the trees, a rabbit den just off the path leading to the hospital, and the entire thing was surrounded in flowers made brilliant by the spring. This time, as the tears rolled down her cheeks, she at least lifted a hoof to wipe them away.
"I remember this. Celestia went to the grand opening. I...couldn't come. I couldn't bring myself to come."
"It was all y'all that made it possible. Fluttershy never was one to have a sum of money in the bank. Or under her mattress, or anywhere really." Applejack shook her head. "But the family does well know, y'know. Her grandson, Fluttershy the Third, is a good doctor."
"Oh, well, that's - wait, her grandson Fluttershy?!"
"Yeah, well, 'parently his parents wanted to keep the tradition. He's a fine stallion."
"You, um...know him well?"
Applejack sighed. "We've met a few times recently. C'mon. We're almost done." she turned off the road, into the trees. Twilight was confused.
"Applejack, where are we going?"
"It's a shortcut." Applejack told her.
"Are you sure you should be-"
"How come Spike couldn't make it?" Applejack interrupted, shifting the conversation. Twilight frowned at the back of her friend's head but allowed the new topic.
"I'm sorry. He took a nap last year."
"Still going?"
"Dragons can sleep for up to a hundred years, you know." Twilight told Applejack. The earth pony nodded.
"Twilight?" She asked, her voice suddenly strained.
"Yeah?"
"You're going to be there when he wakes up, ain't cha?"
"...y-yes."
"How long do dragons-"
"About two thousand years. There's a lot of variation, and records are...spotty." Twilight briefly closed her eyes, but had to watch where they were going. Applejack was forcing herself up a hill, heaving her body every step of the way.
"I'll be there whenever that is." she told Applejack, anticipating her friend's question. "Eventually even he will...and that will be the last person besides the princesses who ever actually knew me."
"Y'talk like it's already happened." Applejack said with a huff. "An' yur forgetin' yourself, y'idiot."
"What?"
"How old are ya? Li'l younger than me, right? An' you know the princesses, I reckon. Y'know at least one of them inside and out, don't cha?" she briefly turned to grin at Twilight, who after all these years still blushed a little.
"An' there'll be others. Y'know there will. Sooner or later, some bright eyed filly's gonna come up to you, all full of ideas an' prob'bly magic, and you'll get to know her. She won' give you the choice." With a heavy breath, Applejack crested the hill. Twilight did so as well a moment later, and paused. This hill rose higher than all the land around it. She could see Sweet Apple Acres, the hospital, even into Ponyville. Applejack stood in front of a single gravestone.
"You remember the funeral, don't cha?" Applejack asked, tears collecting in the lines on her face. "Las' time we could say we were all together."
"I...yes. I could never forget. It rained that day. I don't think it was scheduled to, but it did."
"Ah remember Fluttershy the most. She was already goin' a bit daft by then, wasn't she? Asked for Angel the whole day..." Applejack wiped a hoof across her cheek. "Didn't say a word as they brought in the casket."
"I remember the colt who made that bad joke to Pinkie Pie after the service." Twilight said, sitting down besides Applejack. "About one occasion that even she couldn't party for. After the stare she gave him, I wouldn't be surprised if he swallowed his own tongue."
"Ah think he almost did." Applejack said, sitting down. She was smiling, but still crying.
"Rarity ruined her dress in the rain. Just wouldn't leave." Twilight said. "I remember the stallion she was with...he seemed nice. Guess it never worked out."
"Naw. Spinster to the end." Applejack was shaking. "Thirty-five years. That's how long it's been since then, Twi, you realize that. We've been kept apart for that long. I can still see her face too, bright as ever. Ah didn' want to tell you, but...it's hard. Nowadays, thinkin way back when. But ah can't forget her smile." Twilight leaned in to try to support her sobbing friend, and also to draw support from her.
"Come on. It was nice to visit, but we should get you home."
"...." Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head. "Ah ain't goin' home, Twilight."
"W-what do you mean?" Twilight felt her throat begin to close up in panic.
"You know what I mean." Applejack said. She opened her eyes to look up at the gravestone.
"N-no...you can't be sure."
"Ah am. S'old ticker. They say with some pills and and a lot of bedrest, Ah got a couple years left, but..."
"Th-that doesn't sound that bad." Twilight tried.
"They mean a lot of bedrest. As in all th' time. That ain't life, Twi. Not for me." Applejack was shaking. "Ah've raised colts and fillies from babes, and watched 'em grow old and die. Ah haven't seen any mah friends in least fifteen years."
"S-stop it!" Twilight sobbed "You're, you're not...."
Applejack smiled at her. "Hush now, none of that." she managed to reach up and wipe a tear from Twilight's face. "What did you say? It was friendship that gave those golems somethin' to live for, weren't it? Sure Ah got my kin, but Ah'm a burden to them. Ah'm past mah time. And Ah'm so tired." she looked Twilight in the eyes. "Go. They'll know to find me here, and Ah don' want you to see me like this."
"N-no!" Twilight let the tears stream down her face as sobs wracked her body. "I've missed everything else. Everyone of them! I haven't forgotten, I promise I haven't! I'm going to be here for you. I...have to be. Please."
"Fine then." Applejack said. "Ah ain't got it in me t' argue no more."
The two of them stayed there, leaning on each other. Slowly, Applejack got down, laying on the grass. Twilight kept aside her, and Applejack snuggled against her just like Twilight used to against Celestia as a filly. When the sun was setting, they were still there. Applejack let out a sigh. Her eyes hadn't opened for an hour.
"Twi....where is she? Will I get to see her? Will I get to see all of 'em?"
"It's hard to tell you where, but yes. It's like the heavens, but better. There's earth and sky, trees and creatures."
"An apples?"
"All the apples you can buck. And I know she's waiting for you. They're all waiting for you." Twilight told her.
"Mhmm. Twi?"
"Yes?"
"We'll wait for you too. But if you don't come with plenty of stories, if you don't come with a long life behin' ya....Ah'll whup ya."
"I will, Applejack." Twilight told her. "I promise."
"Mhmm." Applejack sighed. She grew still. Twilight waited, but nothing stirred in the old mare. Twilight was weeping again, she realized, but she couldn't feel it. She only felt cold.
Long after the moon had risen, and the last breath had passed from her friend's body, Twilight stayed there as if to keep it warm. She stayed there and just looked at the tombstone, the night sky, and the world around her she had left behind. It was the inscription on the tombstone that kept drawing her eye.
Here lies Rainbow Dash,
Legend of the Wonderbolts,
Founder of the Royal Equestrian Aeronautics League,
and in her own words, most importantly,
The most loyal friend she could be. |