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Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 301 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-12T05:07:14+00:00
|
2023-01-12T06:41:18+00:00
| 243 |
Chapter 67
Someone nudged me, causing me to jolt up in a mild panic. But upon seeing Domitor’s smirking face I relaxed.
“We’re ready to go, Sleeping Beauty,” he teased as he began to walk for the door to the room.
I let out a groan as I stood up, rotating my upper body to pop my back.
“Do we know where we’re going yet?” I asked as I picked up the Watcher’s vial, putting it on around my neck.
“Apparently we’re meeting up with a guy who will take us into Denmor through some hidden tunnels,” he said as he waited for me to walk over to him before holding the door open.
I walked through and headed for the front door, still getting a few stares from the people in the club. But I just ignored them.
Once outside we regrouped with the other two.
“You snore, Shane,” Vanilla commented, causing me to throw a finger gun her way.
“Snoring means I’m strong as fuck.”
“I think it means your neck muscles are too big,” she replied.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile.
“I… don’t think I meant that as a compliment…” she muttered as she smiled awkwardly at me.
“Anyways,” Domitor interrupted, “are we sure we can trust this guy? He made us wait in that room for hours, and then just gives us directions to a meeting spot.”
“He is trustworthy,” Vanilla assured us. “At least, he has to be, otherwise no one would use his services.”
“There’s a first for everything,” Domitor countered.
“Don’t worry,” I said as I gave him a confident smile, “we have me, so anyone who tries to fuck with us loses instantly.”
They all just rolled their eyes at me as they turned and began walking down the street.
I stood there blinking, expecting them to make a comment or something.
“Oh well,” I muttered as I ran to catch up with them.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later
Scamp sat at the shop's window, watching the group of Kejtdra walking towards them, seeming to not be concerned with anything around them.
“Don’t play any games,” she warned as she cut the bindings on the large Kejtdra’s arms. He was missing his hands, but there was nothing they could do about that.
“I’ll uphold my end of the bargain,” he assured her as he put his arms into his armor, hiding his missing hands. “As long as you uphold yours.”
She gave a sharp nod and he walked outside, stepping up to the approaching group.
“Yokai ,everything good here?” the lead man asked as they stopped before the large Kejtdra.
“All good,” he replied, shrugging. “Any word from my brother?”
“Yeah, turns out they’ve already made it into the Social District. Rig wants the grandparents killed, and after that he wants everyone to return for a meeting,” the man informed him, causing Yokai to look back at the window where Scamp stood glaring at him. She was out of sight, but he knew she was there.
“Gotcha. I’ll handle the grandparents, you guys head on back and tell Rig I’m on the way,” he ordered as he turned around and began to return to the shop.
“We can wait on you,” the man offered, but Yokai just chuckled.
“Don’t, this’ll take a minute after all,” he yelled back as he stopped at the door, giving them a head nod.
The group turned and began to head back the way they’d come.
“There, just follow them,” Yokai said as he stood there staring at Scamp. “Now your turn. Let my boys go and we’ll stay out of your hair.”
“Do you not care that we’re probably going to kill your brother?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“If you knew my brother, you’d understand my indifference to him living or dying,” he said as he shifted from foot to foot.
She held his gaze for a little longer before giving a nod, “your guys are being pushed out the back. Go untie them and then get out of here,” she said sternly, causing him to grin as he began to head for the back door.
“But Yokai,” she called after him as he stopped and looked back at her. “If I see you again, I will kill you. Understood?”
“Yes,” he replied simply as he continued to the back.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“This is a shitty place for a meeting,” I said as we stood in the middle of a gym, empty bleachers on either side of the court. We were in some kind of community center right on the edge of the Social District.
No one had been here when we arrived, which is probably why they chose this place as the meeting spot.
Still super dumb though.
“I’ve walked the entire perimeter,” Domitor announced as he walked back into the gym. “We’re safe.”
“Dork,” I muttered as I sat down on the ground, doing a few stretches.
“Shane, what are you doing?” Vanilla asked as she stood there holding Creampuff.
“Stretching,” I answered as I continued what I was doing. “If we’re gonna be going into the tree here soon, I want to be as limber as possible. Never know what kinda shit we’ll get into once we’re inside.”
Floria laughed as she fidgeted with the bow around her tail, “yeah, she’s got a point. We attract all the bad shit, that’s for damn sure.”
“It’s our specialty,” Domitor added as he stepped up to join us.
“Pfft, yeah, we’ve all got some fucked up backstories,” I said with a flick of my tail, finishing up my stretching. “Especially Vanilla.”
At hearing this Vanilla squeezed Creampuff harder and walked off to sit on the nearby bleachers.
“Shayla!” Floria snapped, startling me. She went after Vanilla, flicking her tail into my face.
“What’d I say?!” I asked, causing Domitor to rub his face.
“Remember when you said you need to learn to watch what you say?” he asked, causing me to frown as I reflected on what I’d said.
It took a moment, but I eventually realized I’d brought up her trauma directly, which probably wasn’t a good move.
“I’m a fucking asshole,” I groaned as I stood up.
“You are,” he agreed as I began to walk over to sit on the bleachers near them, giving them some time.
“It’s going to be alright, Vans,” Floria said in a soothing voice as she knelt in front of Vanilla as she sat curled up on the bench before her. “Shayla is just an insensitive asshole sometimes,” she said, side-eying me hard.
“I just want to stop having breakdowns all the time…” Vanilla whimpered, holding onto Creampuff as he licked her face.
“I know,” Floria said softly as she slowly reached out and placed a hand on Vanilla’s knee. “But it’s not something that’ll just happen overnight. Which is why I’m going to be here by your side to make sure you pull through.”
“I’m not worth the effort,” Vanilla mumbled softly, “I’m broken and worthless…”
“No, if anyone is broke, it’s me, see?” Floria said as she broke off the fake piece of clay over her faceplate. “I’m the broken one here, not you, Vanilla,” she said as she moved her hand up to the other woman’s shoulder. “You are an amazing sweet and caring person, despite all the shit you’ve gone through. I look up to you, Vans.”
“You do?” she asked quietly, making eye contact with the shorter woman.
“Yeah. If I had to put up with what you did, I’d have given up long ago. You’re so damn strong, Vanilla. So let me take some of your burdens, okay?” Floria asked as she put her hand on Vanilla’s cheek.
She leaned into the hand on her cheek, seeming to relax greatly. “You… don’t want to do that…”
“Kinda too late, I’ve already decided I’m going to,” Floria countered, rubbing her thumb against her cheek.
Vanilla reached up and placed her hand over Floria’s, shaking slightly, “Just don't... leave me, please…”
A soft smile slid onto Floria’s face as she gave a nod, “cross my heart and hope to die, stick a knife in my eye.”
“So crude,” Vanilla muttered, a little smile on her face.
I felt a little tug at my heart watching the two, a dumb smile plastered on my face as Domitor sat there looking like he was trying not to cry.
“No matter what, Vanilla, I’m going to make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again. No matter what,” Floria promised in a serious tone as she leaned towards Vanilla.
“I-I…” Vanilla sputtered, blushing hard as Floria leaned in closer. She didn’t try to stop her, just waiting for the moment to happen.
“Isn’t this sickeningly sweet?” a voice suddenly called out from the doors to the gym, causing Vanilla to seize up instantly, eyes wide with fear.
My head snapped to the speaker, rage bubbling up within me the moment my eyes landed on them. I stood up, clenching my sword as Domitor sprang up as well.
Floria growled as she moved to block Vanilla from view, eyes ablaze as she stared at the woman before us.
“You’ve caused a lot of trouble, Vanny,” the woman wearing red nuns clothing called out as she began to stroll towards us, hands behind her back. “Mother is very upset with you this time. I think you’ve finally crossed the line.”
Whatever shock that held us in place ended abruptly as I dashed forward so fast I basically just appeared before her. My sword flashed as I pulled it, not even thinking as I went for a clean cut through her midsection.
My blade clanged loudly as my eyes went wide, as there was now a short armored woman before me, her hand holding my blade, keeping it from reaching the cunt before me.
“You’re a fast one,” Cocoa laughed as she took a step back. “But not fast enough. Meet Amylum, my personal Mai-”
A bang filled the air as Floria fired her rifle right at Cocoa, but the Maiden threw her hand out, somehow intercepting the bullet and sending it flying harmlessly past Cocoa.
“Feisty little friends you’ve made, Vanny,” Cocoa giggled, turning her overjoyed gaze to me as I tried to pull my sword out of the Maiden’s grip. “Especially this-”
The Maiden suddenly yanked me to the side and slammed me into Domitor as he pulled himself through the air, trying to go for Cocoa. We crashed to the ground as the short Maiden clapped her hands together and slammed them onto the ground, green lighting flashed around her hands as a pit opened beneath us. Domitor shot his tendril up at the roof and grabbed me as he pulled us up just as the ground slammed shut, almost trapping us down below.
I snarled as I broke from his grasp and landed on the ground, flexing hard enough to completely shred the clothes I was wearing. I needed my full range of motion and wings for this bitch.
Ripping the scarf from my face I pulled my wooden sword with my left hand, now wielding both at once.
Floria fired a few more times, keeping herself between them and Vanilla, who was curled up in a ball on the bleachers.
Each of her bullets were easily redirected by the Maiden as green lightning kept flashing out of her hands as she used her Alchemy Thorn to great effect. Domitor threw his shadowy tentacle at Amylum and pulled himself towards her as I used my wings to dash around them, going straight for Cocoa.
She didn’t look worried at all as I neared her, but I didn’t focus on that as I planned to slice her to pieces!
However just as I neared her that damned Maiden appeared between us, her hands flashing as she threw a punch. I came to a grinding halt as I raised my swords, taking the hit right on my block. There was a massive explosion that sent me flying backwards.
I easily used my wings to recover and dive right back at them, taking notice that my wooden sword was now broken in half and my longsword looked severely damaged.
This is not good.
“Focus on the Maiden!” Floria yelled out as she fired away with her rifle, eyes burning with rage.
Both Domitor and I shifted to attacking just the Maiden, but she seemed to be ambidextrous as she used both hands to perform different tasks, keeping us both at bay and also stopping the incoming bullets from striking her.
This woman was a beast! I desperately needed my Ego!
“My, three on one, that’s a bit unfair, don’t you think, Amylum?” Cocoa asked in the sweetest tone I’d ever heard.
The Maiden did not respond as she continued to deflect our attacks.
“Oh Vanilla,” Cocoa called out in a sing-song voice, “which of these three is your least favorite?”
Vanilla did not respond.
“Oh come on, baby sister! I’d hate to break your favorite little friend,” she laughed as she turned her gaze to me as I attacked the guard of the Maiden.
Domitor yelled with rage as he picked up his attack speed, trying to use his ability to gain the upper hand. But no matter what we tried to do, this woman just reacted almost perfectly to it. It was like fighting a wall that would not break.
“Last chance, Vanny,” Cocoa called out as her smile widened. When she didn’t get a response she just laughed. “Then I’ll do it for you. Amylum, take the Kejtdra’s eyes.”
It happened so fast I couldn’t even react as the Maiden blew Domitor away and turned her full force on me. I went on the defensive, ready to block whatever attack she threw my way. But then everything went dark as a massive pain blasted through my skull. I was then sent flying backwards by whatever had hit me in the face.
I crashed into the bleachers, and collapsed in on myself.
“Shayla!” I heard Floria scream as the fighting picked back up. I forced myself to roll over, trying to clear my eyes with my hand. But as I rubbed at them I realized something, something horrible.
“No…” I gasped as I began to shake violently. Panic rose within me as I vomited before myself, my breathing going out of control.
My eyes… were gone.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Floria’s faceplate was covered in sweat as she fired her rifle, watching as Cocoa giggled loudly while Domitor struggled against the Maiden.
“Oh baby Vanny,” Cocoa called out as she looked towards them, “you’re hurting your friends by disobeying your sister. Why don’t you just get up and come to me, like a good girl.”
There was movement behind her as she heard Vanilla getting up.
“Do not,” Floria growled as she stepped back and pushed the other woman back down, “do not listen to her, Vanilla.”
“If I go she’ll leave you all alone…” Vanilla whispered as her whole body trembled.
“That ain’t happening,” Floria snapped as she looked to the bleachers to see Shayla thrashing around in a rage. She wanted to help her, but she wasn’t going to leave Vanilla alone. Not with that monster in here.
“Just let me go, Floria,” Vanilla whimpered as she reached up and placed her hand on Floria’s back. “Please… I don’t want you to get hurt…”
“I told you,” Floria growled as Cocoa smiled right at her. “I’m not letting her take you again!”
“You are a bad sister, Vanilla. And an even worse friend,” Cocoa declared as she looked at AmyLum. “Take his right arm for me.”
The Maiden exploded into action as she very easily grabbed and ripped Domitor’s right arm off, then kicked him right into the bleachers, causing him to crash into Shayla.
“Now for you,” Cocoa giggled as she and the Maiden approached them. “The one who’s tainting my baby sister with her commoner filth.”
Floria snarled as she turned the gun towards Cocoa, but the Maiden sprang forward and grabbed it by the barrel, then before Floria could retract it back into her Vacuole, she yanked it out of her grip and pulled it into her one Vacuole.
Now without her gun she took a step back, eyes locked with Cocoa’s.
“If you want this… thing to survive, baby sister, then I suggest you come with me. Now,” Cocoa said in a smug tone, standing just behind the Maiden.
“She’s not going with you, cunt,” Floria declared, standing defiantly before the Maiden who was the same height as her.
“Amylum, I want a little keepsake of today. Give me her faceplate,” Cocoa said with a sadistic smile.
But just as the Maiden moved forward, two items appeared in Floria’s hands as she threw them at the ground. Smoke instantly filled the area, obscuring everything in a thick wall of white.
The Maiden flashed her hands a few times and clapped them together, causing the smoke to quickly suck towards her and form into a ball before her.
Once the smoke fully cleared they found themselves standing alone in the gym. The only give away were two sets of doors slamming shut, one on either side of the gym.
Cocoa took notice that the first two had run as well, but she paid them no mind.
“Follow that Kejtdra. Kill her and bring me my sister,” Cocoa demanded as the Maiden took off in the only direction they could have gone.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Fuck fuck fuck!” Floria hissed as she ran down the long hallway, carrying a sobbing Vanilla. Creampuff was running alongside them.
“Please, just let them take me!” Vanilla cried, completely useless now as she wailed loudly.
“They’re not taking you!” She growled, running as fast as she could.
But far down the hallway came a sound, causing her to groan. The Maiden was coming.
“We can’t outrun them, Cocoa always gets what she wants…” Vanilla sobbed, burying her face into Floria’s neck. “Just lay me down, go on, live, for me! I’ll… be okay.”
“Nope!” Floria answered as she turned suddenly and kicked open a door. They stepped into a laundry room, filled with dirty laundry baskets and massive dormant machines.
“We can’t hide from them, they’ll look everywhere for me,” Vanilla choked out, her face a mess with snot and tears.
“Trust me, I got this,” Floria said with a pained look on her face.
“What are you going to do?!” Vanilla asked as Floria made her stand up before her.
The sound of the Maiden stomping down the hallway caused them both to panic.
“Do you trust me?” Floria asked seriously, putting both hands on Vanilla’s shoulders.
Still crying, she gave a nod, “I do.”
With that Floria pulled her down into a passionate kiss, shocking Vanilla. She broke it and leaned back, the most pained look ever on her face. “I’m sorry, Vans…”
“For wh-” she didn’t get to finish the sentence as Floria used an item to knock her out, causing her to collapse onto the ground.
“This is the only way…” Floria muttered as the Maiden got even closer.
ooo000<^>000ooo
The Maiden kicked burst through the door, eyes locking onto Vanilla as she stood there, waiting for her.
She didn’t speak as she dashed over and latched a hand onto Vanilla’s shoulder, holding her firmly as she looked around for the other one.
“She… abandoned me,” Vanilla said softly, eyes looking down.
“Oh?” Cocoa giggled as she strolled into the room. “You stupid brat. I’ve warned you for years, to only listen to me.”
Vanilla didn’t answer her as she kept her eyes on the floor.
“Hm…” Cocoa reached over and grabbed her sister by the chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. “It’s over, Vanny. You’re mine once the family is finished with you.”
Hate flashed through Vanilla’s eyes, causing Cocoa to laugh loudly, “So! There’s still a spark in there after all!” A sinister look befell her face as she gently stroked her sister's cheek, “good. That makes the coming punishments so much more… enjoyable.”
With that she took a step back, nodding to the Maiden, “Amylum, do not let her escape. We’re heading home.”
As they dragged her out of the room, they failed to notice the little Reng peering out of a full laundry basket.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 302 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-12T19:38:15+00:00
|
2023-01-12T19:38:15+00:00
| 229 |
Chapter 68
I growled and snapped at everything around me as Domitor continued to pull me along.
“Please, just keep moving, Shay!” he yelled as I fought him every step of the way.
My fucking eyes were gone!
GONE!
I kept stumbling and slamming into things, but he kept pulling me up and encouraging me to keep moving.
“Shh, Shayla please be quiet, it’s them!” he hissed as he took me to the floor and clamped a hand over my mouth.
Despite myself I began to chew into his hand, causing him to wince and grunt in pain. He held me down till I finally stopped fighting him and just laid there.
“They got Vanilla…” he whispered, sounding pained.
He slowly removed his hand from my face.
“I-I’m sorry…” I choked out as I reached out, wanting to be held.
“It’s okay, just… we need to go find Floria, if she’s still…” he didn’t finish the sentence as he yanked me up and began to pull me along again.
Everything was so fucked now…
ooo000<^>000ooo
Domitor trembled in both fear and pain as he pulled Shayla down the hallway, desperately hoping to find Floria alive. His severed arm was attached to his belt, as he’d grabbed it as they were escaping earlier.
He scanned each doorway, looking for a sign of where they’d come from. Thankfully he saw a door up ahead that was open, meaning that had to be where they’d been.
Upon stepping into the room he saw nothing out of the ordinary, which was exactly what he didn’t want to see.
Shayla let out a whimper as she touched her face, seeming to finally be coming down from her adrenaline high. He wanted to comfort her, but they needed to make sure Floria was okay first.
“Floria?” he called out, hearing a bit of rushing coming from a laundry basket nearby. Looking over he saw Creampuff pop his head out and start meowing at them.
“Thank God!” Domitor exclaimed as he pulled Shayla over to the basket. He began to pull the laundry out of the basket, “Floria are you-”
He stopped dead as he stared down with wide eyes, not able to comprehend what he was seeing.
“Vanilla?!” he yelped as he saw her unconscious body laying at the bottom of the basket, Creampuff sitting next to her protectively.
“But I saw you with…” his heart skipped a beat. “Floria…” he shook his head as he reached down and gently pulled the unconscious Vanilla out of the basket.
Vanilla groaned as she came too, looking around confused. “Floria… Where’s Floria?!”
“She…” Domitor began as Vanilla struggled to get out of his grip, eyes wide. “She used that charm to swap places with you… Cocoa thinks she’s you.”
A horrified look flashed onto Vanilla’s face as tears streamed down her cheeks, “no…”
“We’ll go get her back, don’t worry,” Shayla said in a shaky voice, facing to the right of the others.
“Shane! Your eyes!” Vanille cried as she collapsed onto the ground, everything becoming too much for her.
Shayla sniffled a bit, but did her best to remain strong, but her trembling body gave her away.
Then Vanilla finally noticed Domitor was missing his right arm, “Domitor… we need to… reattach your arm.”
“Domitor’s missing an arm?!” Shayla suddenly yelled, reaching out trying to find him. When she did, she pulled him into herself as she ran a hand over him, finding his stump. “You fucking idiot! You should have said something?!”
“I had other priorities,” he said as he broke free of her grasp, but took her hand with his so she knew where he was.
“You two need to listen to me,” Vanilla said as she forced herself to stand up, still shaking like mad, “we need to get to Floria before they get back to the Mansion… otherwise…”
“Otherwise?” Domitor asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“They’re going to take her Thorn, and the process is… terrible. She won’t be our Floria after that…” Vanilla answered in a shaky voice. “Please… we have to save her.”
“We’re going to,” Shayla stated firmly. “Just… how do we fight that Maiden?”
“We don’t need to, we just have to get Floria back! Trade me if we have too, just get her away from my sister!” Vanilla yelled desperately, her face a mess.
Domitor shook his head, “first off, we’re not trading you. You’re not going back with them. And two, we will get her back. I promise.”
Vanilla tried her best to calm down, but she wasn’t able to.
“Now, how do I reattach my arm?” he asked, trying to get her mind off of the situation for the moment.
“Um…” she started, trying to clear her head. “You’ll need to… make some healing gel and rub it on the arm and the wound. I’ll wrap it up after that… It’ll take a few hours to fully reattach though.”
“How do I make it?” he asked as he grabbed the arm.
She smiled sheepishly. “Well…” she explained the process to him, causing him to take on a look of disgust.
“I have to vomit up sticky shit to attach my arm?!”
“That’s nasty,” Shayla muttered as she stumbled and sat down, waving her hands around. “I’m good, just need to sit down…”
“I’ll help,” Vanilla said as she took his severed arm.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“This shit stings,” I complained as both Domitor and Vanilla performed basic first aid on my eyes.
“I know,” Domitor muttered as he wiped away some disinfectant onto the wounds. “She carthilzed the wounds when she poked your eyes out, so there’s not much we can do. We need to back track and find a doctor.”
“We don’t have time,” I groaned, “we need to get Floria back first, then I’ll look into fixing my eyes.”
“I’m going to be blunt, Shay. You’re useless in your current state,” he said with a sigh as he placed a hand on my cheek.
“Nah I’m fine. We just need to hurry up and go,” I replied with false confidence.
“We do need to hurry,” Vanilla pushed, “Cocoa will more than likely take her somewhere to… punish her before taking her to the family…”
“Don’t think about that,” Domitor said as he began to wrap a strip of cloth around my head to cover my missing eyes, “we’re getting her back and killing that bitch. Okay?”
“Okay…” I heard Vanilla mutter as she walked around in front of me.
“Now Shayla,” Domitor said as he put both hands on my cheeks, “we need to go fast, are you sure you want to come?”
“I’m coming, Dom,” I said firmly. “Got that?”
“I got that,” he said softly as he suddenly kissed me. “I know you can figure out a way to fight like this.”
A smile touched my lips, “thanks, Domitor.”
“I’m going to lead you with my good arm,” he said as he helped pull me up.
I patted my chest, panicking slightly, “where’s the Watcher?!”
“Here,” Domitor said as he placed a vial in my hands. “He got knocked off when you were thrashing around earlier.”
“And you grabbed him for me?” I asked, a bit touched as I put the Watcher around my neck.
“Yeah. Despite how I feel about the whole thing, I'm not going to purposely get rid of him.”
“Please, can we go? I do not want Floria to experience even a moment of my sister…” Vanilla begged.
“Let’s go,” Domitor said as he took my hand and began to pull me along.
ooo000<^>000ooo
As I was pulled along, my mind raced. I had no idea where we were, or what was going on around us. I could hear people talking from time to time, but that just added to my confusion as I focused in on every sound.
I was a powder keg of emotions as my mind shifted through all kinds of moods. I was mad, but also terrified. How could I be useful when I had no Ego and no eyes?
Maybe… I should just hang back. I’m useless now.
“You’re not completely useless,” a new male voice suddenly said in my head, causing me to jerk in surprise. “You’re obtuse and a dunce, but you have plenty of unrealized potential.”
‘Who the fuck is this?!’ I thought harshly, not having it in me to deal with another asshole.
“You could never comprehend my true name, so you can continue to call me the Watcher,” the voice said, causing my nonexistent eyes to go wide.
I reached up and gripped the vial, ‘why are you suddenly talking to me? Now of all fucking times?”
“I’m going to admit something to you: due to being so close to you for so long, I can see your thoughts.”
Great.
‘That doesn’t answer the question.’
“I can see your thoughts, so I know you’re… ‘niceness’ towards me is genuine. So I want to help.”
‘Help?’
“Yes, help.”
I knew where this was going, ‘what do you want in return?’
“Nothing. This is the only thing I'm going to do for you as payment for being… nice.”
‘Okay, then how are you going to help me here?’
There was a pause.
“I can tell you that your Ego is very slowly trickling back into you, but it’ll be two days before it’s fully restored. And at least a day before you can talk to your mental companion.”
‘Oh, thanks for the help I guess.’
“That’s not the ‘help’ you imbecilic,” he said in such a way that I knew I’d annoyed him. “No, I’m going to teach you how to use a tiny touch of Ego to gain Virtue Sight.”
‘The fuck is Virtue sight?’
“To dumb it down for even a toddler to understand: it allows you to see Souls around you. I was once a Virtue of the Ultimate Authority Dimension, and this is a very rudimentary ability that is known by all Virtues, and those above.”
‘Uh okay, but how is seeing Souls gonna help me see?’
“My, you really are dense,” he muttered with a deep sigh. “With this sight, you will perceive the world around you in its fullest. You will be able to see Ego’s and these Thorn’s before they activate. With enough smarts and practice you will be able to predict others actions based on how their soul looks and ‘feels’. Do I need to dumb it down further?”
‘I got it… how do I learn this?’
“It takes eon’s to learn,” he said in a smug tone, causing me to frown. “Unless I give you mine.”
‘And why the fuck would you do that? What’s your endgame here?’
“You know… I’m going to be honest. I hate all current life, what it’s become. My views have never changed. However, somehow, you, a lowly wildling creature, have endured yourself to me. Amid all the filth and scum, there is you, a brash, crude, and horribly cretinous creature, and you’ve made me care.”
There is no way I’d ever know how to process what he’d just told me.
‘That’s hard to believe. You gotta have an end goal here.’
“Believe me or not, that is up to you. I’m going to offer my sight, and you will have to decide if you will take it or not.”
I stumbled along, trying to decide on what to do. On one hand, I could gain a form of sight and not be useless. But on the other hand, it’s the fucking Watcher!
What do I do?
My mind drifted to Floria and Vanilla’s memories, causing me to cringe at the thought of Floria being subjected to any of that.
That made my mind up for me.
‘I’ll accept it,’ I thought as I sighed. I’ll take the risk to save my friend.
“I know you don’t trust me, nor would I expect you to. I know who I am, what I’ve done. Yet I regret nothing.”
There was another pause.
“I need you to focus the tiny amount of Ego you’ve gotten back into my vial, I will do the rest.”
I really did not like this, and I knew Rosemary would be screaming at me to stop, but Floria needs us, needs me to be useful…
With that thought process, I slowly focused on the vial in my hand, pushing my own Ego into it. I felt it instantly, the feeling of something else entering into me, into my soul.
The Watcher was no longer in his vial… he was now within me! I knew it! I fucking knew he’d-
Then the feeling passed as I felt him move down my arm and back into his vial, causing me to feel a great deal of confusion.
“I’m just as surprised as you are,” he said with a sigh. “I had the chance to possess your body, yet here I am.”
I was at a loss. He’d chosen not to gain his freedom by taking my body over… I really do not know what to make of that.
“It’s best to not put any thought into it,” he said, “you have my sight, you just need to activate it. It’s as simple as opening your eyes. Just will it to be.”
‘I… have no idea how to do that.’
“Fine. I’ll bring it down to your level; activate it by thinking about it. If this doesn’t work for you, then I’ll want my Virtue Sight back.”
I tried to do what he said, but I honestly couldn’t figure it out. So I decided to try and do it the same way I use my Perception Field.
Almost immediately a new sense took over, revealing the world around me. Or at least, the world within six meters of me.
It wasn’t like seeing with my eyes though, as I could perceive everything around in all directions. It was like a third person view in a way. I could see the outlines Domitor and Vanilla as they walked ahead of me, pulling me along. I could clearly see their souls too, right in the center of their chest. It was just a glowing ball of light, and strangely beautiful.
Seeing Domitor’s Soul calmed me immensely, as it gave off a loving and peaceful aura towards me. Vanilla’s was a bit jumpy, like even she couldn’t figure out her own emotions.
I could easily see their movements, and even the movements of everything around me. It was exactly like my Perception Field, just so much more in-depth.
“Well there you,” the Watcher said, “maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
There was nothing more for me to say to the Watcher as I played around with this ‘Virtue Sight’. This is clearly something I should mess around with before trying to use it in combat.
So I pulled my hand from Domitor, startling him as I began to walk on my own.
“What’s wrong, Shay?” He asked, reaching out for my hand again. But I just moved my hand out of the way, avoiding him as I almost gracefully stepped around a puddle on the ground.
“… can you see?” He asked in shock as I navigated on my own.
“Kinda, but it’ll be a bitch to explain,” I replied as I gave him a smile.
I could see they were both confused, just by the feeling their Soul’s gave off.
“Just trust me, I’m good to go now,” I assured them as I jumped over a table, just because I could.
“I knew you’d figure something out,” Domitor said happily as he watched me practice my movements, getting accustomed to moving with this new sight.
“I guess nothing keeps her down for long,” Vanilla commented with a small smile.
“Yep, that’s my Shayla,” Domitor said proudly with a beaming smile.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Rig stepped out of his office, a sour look on his face. Not only had the two contract breakers gotten into the Social District, they’d also completely disappeared. His men who’d been sent to follow them lost track of them after some kind of confrontation at a security gate.
So now things were a bit more complicated.
He stepped into the main meeting room where the majority of his men awaited him.
“Tell me,” he growled as he stepped up in front of the crowd, “how a group of mismatched misfits got away from us!”
“Sir, once the security forces got involved, it was hard to-“ one of his men began to say, but Rig’s glare shut him up.
“Change of plans,” he declared as his shadowy Contract Enforcer loomed up behind him, causing everyone to fill with dread, “every single one of you will go into the Social District and find them.” His eyes shifted over all of them, landing on his right hand man, “that means you too, Talio.”
The large Halwen in question didn’t respond, which irked Rig.
“I want Floria Feit and Shayla Beltosh’s heads on my table by the end of the day, or you’re all good as dead!” He roared, causing everyone to flinch back.
Right at that moment the doors at the back of the room burst open, causing everyone to turn and watch with confusion as a Kejtdra and two strange creatures walked in. The trio casually walked down the middle of the crowd, seeming to not have a care in the world.
“And who are you?!” Rig demanded, eyes ablaze with rage at this sudden interruption.
The lead creature just chuckled as her single eye locked with his, “me? Just one very disgruntled momma.”
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 303 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-13T07:13:02+00:00
|
2023-01-13T07:13:08+00:00
| 258 |
Chapter 69
“This is so fucking cool!” I exclaimed as I easily flew over every obstacle that stood in my way, doing little tricks just for added flair.
“You’re doing great, Shay,” Domitor encouraged as he and Vanilla continued down the street and I jumped all around them.
“She’s a bit like a child,” Vanilla observed, getting a laugh out of Domitor. Then she looked at his bags that hung over his shoulder, “why are you not using your Vacuole yet?”
“Like I said, Shay and I don’t have one of those yet,” he answered.
“I assure you, you do,” she countered. “Try to put your bags away by focusing on them like you never want to lose them.”
I stopped my parkouring and landed next to them, very interested in finding out if we had them yet.
Domitor grabbed his bags and stared at them hard, followed by them slowly disappearing. By this point, seeing him instantly figure it out didn’t surprise me.
“Fuck yes!” I yelled as I grabbed my swords and focused on them. It took me longer to do, but eventually they were pulled into me. Inside my mind I could clearly see them, along with a little checklist showing their names.
“Huh,” Domitor mumbled as he pulled out Blake’s fossilized Vacuole and pulled it into himself. A few items appeared around him as they seemed to overflow out of his own Vacuole.
“Whoa!” He said in awe, “she had so much shit!”
Vanilla began to pick through all the extra stuff that didn’t fit in his Vacuole. She picked up a few items and put them away, then she let out a little gasp.
“Here, eat these,” she said as she lifted a small box and pulled out some kinda fruit looking thing. It was hard to tell since I couldn’t actually see it, just an outline.
“What is it?” I asked as I took one and ate it without hesitation, getting a very sweet yet bitter taste in my mouth.
“Fossil Fruit,” she answered as she ate one herself. “It restores Sucro to anyone who eats it. It’ll help speed up your recovery too, Domitor.”
He ate his and grabbed another, “perfect then.”
I watched as their Soul’s got a bit more vibrant, as if the fruit was directly affecting their Soul’s.
Which I guess it was.
I ate three before Vanilla stopped me.
“Three is plenty, Shane. We need to save some for Floria, she’ll need it if my…” she couldn’t finish her sentence, but we knew what she meant.
She went silent as she picked through the items before stopping and picking Creampuff back up.
We left the majority of the items on the ground, as they appeared to be mostly junk. Which definitely was going to piss someone off.
No one spoke for a little bit as Vanilla led the way.
“Are we sure we’re going the right way?” I asked, since I couldn’t actually see where we were going.
“I am sure,” Vanilla replied confidently. “I know Cocoa, she’s going to take Floria to her home first before taking her to the family Mansion.”
I was about to ask why, but I already knew the answer. “Where is her home?”
“Here in the Social District, on the residential side. She owns a stand alone home, so she can have her privacy…” she trailed off at the end there, a look of horror on her face. “… we need to hurry.”
“How far are we now?” Domitor asked.
“An hour…” she muttered, causing us to pick up our pace. The longer we took, the more shit Floria would have to endure.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Don’t slow down, baby sister,” Cocoa called out over her shoulder lovingly as she led her sister and Amylum down the street, getting a bit excited as she saw her street coming up. “I would hate for it to break before we even arrived.”
Floria, still disguised as Vanilla, grunted around the lightbulb in her mouth. She was pissed in more ways than one, with the main thing being that this is what Vanilla herself had to deal with all the time. Her blood boiled as she glared at the back of Cocoa’s head, silently promising to kill her.
“We have a full week ahead of us, Vanny,” Cocoa giggled, “as far as the family knows, you’re still out there. The longer our fun takes, the more angry they will be with you. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Of course Floria couldn’t respond to her, which for some reason angered the deranged woman.
“You will answer me when I speak to you!” She snapped , glaring back at Floria in such a way that it actually frightened her. This caused the woman to smile, “soon, my dear sister, very soon.”
This woman was clearly disturbed and insane. With clear mental issues. And a strange fixation on lightbulbs. Floria could just abide her time for the perfect moment to try and escape using her Thorn.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Welcome home, Vanny!” Cocoa exclaimed happily as they all walked into her semi large home.
Floria raised an eyebrow, as she’d expected the house of someone like Cocoa to be a lot more… Fancy.
But this house was empty, as in, fully empty. As if no one lived here. The walls and floors were empty of everything but paint. It just made this entire experience so much more… unsettling.
“Remember the last time you were here, dear sister?” Cocoa asked as she continued further into the house. Floria did not follow, but Amylum shoved her forward, making sure she followed the crazy woman.
“Your silence, baby sister, irks me,” Cocoa snarled as she stopped in the middle of a hallway, staring right into Floria’s eyes. “Speak.”
Of course, even if she wanted to, Floria could not speak. The lightbulb in her mouth prevented that. She was having trouble deciding if Cocoa knew this, or if she really was insane.
“Push her in,” Cocoa ordered, followed by Amylum shoving Floria through a door, sending her sprawling onto the floor.
The bulb in her mouth shattered the moment she hit the floor, sending an intense pain through her as the shards dug into her inner mouth and tongue. She felt the disguise start to fail, but she did her best to hold it together.
She resisted the urge to scream as she shakily began to spit the shards out, using her fingers to remove the ones she couldn’t spit out. Luckily, there wasn’t that much blood as the shards didn’t do that much damage.
“Oh you clumsy girl,” Cocoa giggled as she walked into the room and stood right behind Floria. “Looks like we’re going to have to start over.”
“You sadistic…” Floria started to say, but stopped herself, knowing she needed to stay quiet, otherwise she’d blow her disguise. If Cocoa knew she wasn’t Vanilla, then she’d go out and find her. She needed to buy them time to get away.
“What did you just say?!” Cocoa growled as both of her eyes began to twitch. Her sister had NEVER talked back to her before. “Amylum! Teach her obedience!”
The Maiden immediately moved into the room and kicked Floria in the side, knocking the wind out of her.
“Good, now back,” Cocoa ordered as she walked over to the coughing Floria and knelt down, grabbing her face and forcing her to look up at her. “Now, what did you-” she stopped, a shocked expression on her face.
Floria winced as she struggled to catch her breath, realizing the disguise had failed her, leaving her there in her normal Kejtdra body.
“You!” Cocoa screamed, digging her nails into Floria’s chin. “YOU!”
“Me,” Floria coughed, smirking up at the woman.
Cocoa stood up, staring down at the wheezing woman with absolute rage.
“You’re… stupid as fuck… you know that?” Floria laughed painfully, the pain in her midsection not going away.
“Cuff her!” Cocoa roared as Amylum pulled out a pair of special handcuffs that were used mainly to disable ones Thorn.
Floria couldn’t really do much other than laugh as her hands were cuffed behind her back and she was forced to stand up before Cocoa.
“You mad, cunt? Mad I tricked your dumbass?” Floria mocked as she spat onto Cocoa’s dress, causing her to get punched across the face by the Maiden. She didn’t go down as she stood firm, smirking.
She knew she was probably going to die here, but she’d go down throwing out as many insults as she could, just to piss this crazy bitch off.
Cocoa was shaking with rage as she stared into Floria’s eyes, “where is my sister?!”
“Nunya business,” Floria threw back, a bright smile on her face.
This caused the deranged woman to slap her, which didn’t do anything other than make Floria laugh louder.
“You hit worse than my father did, you pussy,” she mocked as she was slapped a few more times, each one followed by a frustrated yell from Cocoa.
“You worthless insolent worm!” she screamed as she kept on slapping Floria, who just laughed like a mad woman.
After a decent amount of slaps she finally turned away, clenching her fist.
“Aw what? You done already?” Floria spat out, her face only a little sore. “Geez, you’re a disappointment, that’s for sure.”
Growling loudly she turned back around, glaring into the Kejtdra’s eyes, “your life is over, Amylum, remove her-” she suddenly stopped as she stared into Floria’s smirking face. “Amylum, step back to the wall.”
The Maiden did as she was told, stepping back and pressing her back against the wall.
“What? Going to kill me yourself?” Floria asked with a cocky smile on her face. “Well bring it on, slut! Get creative!”
“I don’t see what she sees in you,” Cocoa said softly, causing Floria’s cocky smile to falter. “Sure, you don’t look unappealing, and you do have very intense eyes… but you’re so crude and rude, with a mouth so vulgar… and… and…”
“Uh…” Floria wasn’t sure what was happening as Cocoa just stared at her, face turning green with a blush.
“... oh my…” Cocoa muttered as a soft smile crept onto her face. She stepped up and reached out, placing a hand on Floria’s confused face. “I get it now…”
“Er… what the fuck is happening?” Floria asked with an awkward look on her face.
“Love,” Cocoa swooned as the blush grew on her face.
Floria blinked a few times, then forced a laugh, “yo, what the fuck?”
“I’m better than Vanilla,” she said, suddenly sounding very desperate. “Which is why you’ll be with me, right?”
“...” Floria looked over to the Maiden, who seemed unfazed by all this, “are you seeing this shit, Maiden?”
Cocoa forced her to look back at her as she smiled at the heavily confused Kejtdra, “you are mine now.”
“Like fuck I am,” Floria laughed. “You’re crazy, chicka.”
“I’ve never been with someone before,” Cocoa said as a creepy smile slid onto her face. “So you’re my first… partner.” She then placed a hand right on Floria’s hip.
“Yo! WHOA! Back up, cunt!” Floria yelled, eyes wide as she jumped back. “Are you fucked in the head or something?!”
“What will we do for a first date?” Cocoa asked in a shy voice.
“Are… you even fucking listening to me?! Or am I talking to a brick fucking wall?!” Floria yelled.
“I think a nice dinner would be a good place to start,” Cocoa suggested, swaying side to side.
“Brick fucking wall…” Floria groaned, shaking her head.
“Then maybe… if we get along… a little… cuddling?” Cocoa asked as she took a step towards Floria.
“I’d rather have another lightbulb in my mouth,” Floria deadpanned.
“Amylum, take my girlfriend to the kitchen and start the tea,” Cocoa ordered, smiling at Floria.
“When the fuck did I become the girlfriend?!” Floria asked as she was dragged out of the room and down the hallway. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Floria sat at a little table, tea set out before her as Amylum stood in the corner of the room. The Maiden had removed the handcuffs and instead tied a rope around her arms and torso. Making it nearly impossible to drink the tea, not like she wanted to anyway.
She, however, was in complete shock. This was not at all how she thought this would go.
After a moment she looked over at the silent Maiden. “Pst, hey!” she whispered, trying to get the Maiden’s attention. “Yo! Is she always like this?”
No reply came as the other woman just stood there stock still.
“Bro, come on! She’s unhinged as fuck! You can’t be-”
“I’m ready!” Cocoa announced as she entered the room and stood by the table. “I freshen up for you, do I... smell better?”
“You smell like shit,” Floria said coldly, causing Cocoa to giggle.
“It’s my most expensive body wash!” She sat down before her and took off her nun's headdress. “Do you like my hair?” she asked as she patted at her bun.
“Peepee poopoo,” Floria deadpanned, no longer here for this shit.
“I usually wear it in a bun… but if we cuddle I’ll let it down for you,” she said as she began to sip at her tea cutely. Actual little hearts began to bubble up around her and pop like balloons.
“Ugh.”
“You know,” Cocoa began, giggling a bit, “I think you’re super cute, once you look past the broken faceplate.”
“Flying pigs go oink,” Floria replied.
The clearly insane woman finished her tea and smiled sweetly across the table at Floria, “I must admit something.”
“Please don’t.”
“I’ve never… kissed anyone before,” Cocoa said with a huge blush, fidgeting with her empty tea cup.
“Oh boy, I wonder where this is going.”
“Would you… allow me my first kiss?” Cocoa asked, slowly scooting around the table, eyes locked on Floria.
“I kinda miss having that glass in my mouth, such a simpler time, ya know?”
As she got right up next to Floria, she let out a nervous giggle, “Oh I’m so nervous… are you nervous?”
“According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly,” Floria said as she leaned back as much as she could in her chair.
Cocoa leaned all the way forward, pressing her mouth against Floria’s as they engaged in an awkward makeout session, where Floria resembled a dead fish and Cocoa a eager otter.
After way too long, Cocoa sat back, breathing hard and heart racing, “that was… amazing…”
“And I thought my dad was the worst kiss I’d ever had.”
Cocoa began to fidget with her hands as she looked down, appearing very shy suddenly. “I have a question.”
“Oh I wonder what we’re about to do next.”
“Have you thought about… marrying me?” Cocoa asked with an innocent look on her face.
“... Yep, I’m in hell. Actual fucking hell,” Floria groaned, shaking her head around. “Riddle me this: are you actually fucked in the head? Or are you just fucking with me?”
“I have a ring and everything…” Cocoa replied as she pulled a ring out of her Vacuole.
“... I honestly can’t tell if you’re serious or just retarded,” Floria said as she threw her head back in frustration.
“Do you like it?” she asked sweetly as she held the ring up for Floria to see.
“Bitch, you’re not even listening to me, so why would I-” her voice caught in her throat as she saw the ring, and her mothers name engraved on the inside. “... where’d you get that…”
“I knew you’d like it,” Cocoa said with a wide smile. “It is yours after all. I’ve kept it, all these years. At first I thought it was just to mess with Vanilla, but now… I know it was destiny.”
Floria was floored, speechless. She could only stare at the little ring, emotions running high. “Okay… let’s stop this… you’ve made your point…”
“I promise you’ll always be by my side,” Cocoa said, clearly not hearing a word Floria was saying. “Do you accept me as your future wife?”
“...” Floria could just stare blankly at Cocoa, a scary realization dawning on her. “Wait… you’re not screwing with me, are you? You actually believe everything you’re saying?”
Cocoa placed a hand on Floria’s face, a loving smile on her face, “I think I love you.”
“Oh… oh no…” Floria felt the life leave her as the ring was pushed onto her finger.
“We’re going to be so happy,” Cocoa assured her as she came in for another awkward kiss.
Cringiest shit I've ever written.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 304 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-14T23:45:47+00:00
|
2023-01-14T23:45:46+00:00
| 224 |
Chapter 70
“What are they?!” Rig yelled as he ran down the hallway, his right hand man Talio casually walking after him. He’d just watched everyone of his men get demolished by those three newcomers, and he’d barely gotten away. If he could get to his office he could use the secret passage to get outside and avoid them.
Talio didn’t answer him as they neared his office.
Behind them came the sounds of a door being kicked down, causing Rig to panic. He rushed into his office, moving for the bookshelf.
“Move this!” he demanded as he struggled to push the heavy shelf to the side.
However Talio just watched him, seeming a bit amused.
“If you don’t help me, you will be violating your contract!” Rig bellowed as his shadowy Contractor appeared behind him. When Talio shrugged, he growled. “Useless!”
The shadowy figure dove for Talio, attempting to enter him. Yet nothing happened as the shadow passed through him, seeming to be unable to get into him. It tried a few more times, but for whatever reason, the Contractor could not enforce the terms of breaking the contract on this Halwen.
“What is this?!” Rig growled.
The door to the room crashed open as the three intrudes walked in.
“You must be Rig Fanden,” the disfigured one laughed, shaking her head.
“Kill them!” Rig ordered, pointing at the large Halwen.
However Talio just took a step back and observed.
Scamp raised her eyebrow at the masked Halwen, keeping an eye on him as she moved towards Rig.
“What do you want?! Money? Land?” Rig asked, backing up to his desk.
“Nah, none of that,” Scamp chuckled as she raised up and squared up with him, “Shayla Beltosh.”
Rig stared at her wide eyed as he made the connection, “you’re her mother.”
“Yep, and you fucked with my daughter,” Scamp threw back, flexing her metal claws.
Mallogory stepped up to Talio, keeping him in check as her two swords appeared in her hands, “Don’t move, big guy.”
“Of course, mademoiselle,” he said in a thick accent.
“She signed a contract, she knew what-” he did not get to finish his sentence as Scamp round housed him in the face, causing him to crash through his desk.
“Whoa!” he yelped as he jumped up, faceplate cracked, “do not go straight to violence! We can work this-”
Again, he did not get to finish what he was saying as Scamp punched him in the face with her metal fist, causing his faceplate to splinter as he flew back into his wall.
“Just wait!” he spat out, holding up his hands.
“Want to survive this” Scamp asked, getting a vigorous nod in return. “Then tell me how to find my daughter.”
Rig forced himself to stand up straight, taking on as much of an imposing stance as he could, “I do not know this. They are in the Social District, with two other groups chasing them.”
“And who are these groups?” Scamp asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to see if he’ll know more.
“The Cakehurst and their bounty hunters,” he answered, then gestured to his desk. “And a new group of strange creatures. I’ve been keeping track of them since they came into town, but I do not know what to make of them.”
He was trying to buy himself time as he inched towards his desk, eyes glancing at the gun sticking out of its hidden compartment.
“Take the file right there,” he said, nodding to a single file near Scamp. “It has all the information on your daughter and the two groups chasing her.”
She kept an eye on him as she stepped over, placing her hoof on the file.
The moment she touched it he shot forward and grabbed his pistol. He raised it, only for his head to explode as Scamp’s own large framed revolver appeared in her outstretched paw. The headless body stumbled back and fell against the wall, followed by a massive torrent of darkness flying out of it.
Scamp just let out a sigh as she put her pistol away in her Personal Dimension and grabbed the file, ignoring the body.
“They always try that trick, don’t they?” Mallogory chuckled as she kept her eyes locked with Talio’s.
“It’s like their go too,” Scamp answered as she flipped open the file, seeing a few pictures. Her entire body froze as she stared at the images.
“What is it, love?” Mallogory asked as she took notice of how her wife reacted.
“We have… a problem,” Scamp muttered as she turned the file around to show Lorenzo and his crew sitting in a church-like building, Leem clearly visible as he smirked up at the camera.
“Oh crap…” Spark muttered as he walked over and looked the file over. “Why are they here?!”
“Your daughter brought them here,” Talio suddenly said, getting all eyes on him as he seemed to be enjoying himself. “Of course, I believe they tricked her.”
Scamp’s breathing picked up as her mind began to make connections, “Kal.”
The moment she said this, the other two had a similar reaction.
“That snake…” Mallogory growled.
Spark turned his head to Talio, glaring at him, “you seem to know a lot. Mind telling us where Shayla is?”
“I wouldn’t know a thing about that,” he laughed as he reached out and used his two fingers to lower Mallogory’s swords. “Of course, someone here probably would have known where they were. Yet they’re all in pieces.”
“Help us find our daughter, or,” Mallogory threatened as she raised her swords back up, pointing the tips at his face.
“There’s no telling where young Ms. Beltosh will turn up next, the child has a tendency to do what she wants. Of course, following the path least traveled by commoners will lead you to her,” he replied casually, seeming very unaffected by her threats.
“I take my leave,” he chuckled as he turned, walking for the door.
Of course Mallogory wouldn’t just let him leave as she flickered, her swords performing a cross slice. But he just moved in a strange way, avoiding her attacks. She blinked in confusion and attempted to strike him a few more times, flickering like mad as he just simply walked away, somehow avoiding all her attacks without even looking at her.
“Stop!” Scamp demanded sternly, causing both of them to stop and look at her. “I do not know who you are, or what your goals are, but you clearly know more than you are letting on.”
“Perhaps,” he said simply with a tilt of his head.
“And you will not tell us, for whatever reason,” she continued, getting a thumbs up as a response. “So at least do this; take us to this Social District and get us in. Can you do this?”
He stood there for a long moment, seeming to think about what she’d said. “Life is too short to say no.”
“Is that a yes?” Spark asked, looking at his companions.
“Yes, Spark, that’s a yes,” Scamp said as she stared into the eyes of the man's mask. “Lead the way, Mr…”
“Talio, at your service for this little stroll,” he replied with a little bow.
Scamp narrowed her eye at him, not liking the jib of this guy, as he gave off a very strange vibe. But as he turned to walk out of the room, she sighed. They’d just have to hope he’s being honest here, otherwise they’ll have to figure something else out.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Which house is it?” Domitor asked as we walked down a street. I wasn’t sure where we were, but it was quiet.
“None of these,” Vanilla answered, sounding extremely worried, “her house is all the way on the other side of this area. We need to hurry, please!”
“We’re hurrying,” he assured her as we picked up our pace.
“My sister…” she whimpered, unable to finish the sentence. She was terrified at what they’ll see when they arrived. “Floria needs us…”
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Get your fucking hands off of me!” Floria roared as Amylum forced her into a dress, not even reacting to anything Floria hit her with. The Maiden was like a tank, affected by nothing.
Eventually the Maiden finished forcing Floria into the dress, retying her up once she was done.
“Are you seriously okay with all this?!” Floria asked as the Maiden finished tying her up. “Like this chicka is loco, right?! Why are you playing along with her shit?!”
No answer came as the Maiden began to push her out of the room and down the hallway.
Once they entered the oversized living room, Floria’s heart dropped. “Oh fucking come on, we can’t actually be doing this!” she yelled as Cocoa stood in the middle of the room, looking overjoyed as she cast her hands out.
“Isn’t this perfect?” she asked with a massive smile.
The room had been made up to look like a wedding venue, with pews and hastily set up decorations everywhere. There was even a massive cake on a table nearby, standing tall. Up near the front of the pews was an altar, covered in flowers and an arch hanging above it.
“A perfect wedding for a perfect couple,” she continued, snapping her finger as an overly elaborate wedding dress appeared on her body. “Amylum, change into the correct attire.”
The Maiden nodded as her chest armor was replaced with a simple t-shirt with a decal of a tuxedo on it.
“You know this shit is insane, right?” Floria asked, but Cocoa ignored her as she waved for the altar. “Take your place, my beloved! The wedding is starting!”
As the Maiden pushed her to the altar, Cocoa quickly ran to the other end of the room, giggling like a schoolgirl.
Floria was forced to stand before the altar as Amylum stood beside her, a firm grip on her shoulder.
She looked around, frowning as she took in the batshit insane situation she’d found herself in. This was a far cry from what she’d signed up for. Tortured by a psychopath? Sure, easy peasy…. But this shit?! This shit was so far from what she’d expected that she’d never be able to process this.
Suddenly, music began to play as Cocoa appeared at the end of the aisle, flowers in her hands.
“Oh screw this,” Floria mumbled as she began to fight against the Maiden behind her, but wasn’t making much progress as the other woman held her tightly.
The entire time she was fighting for her life, the deranged woman slowly walked down the aisle, a happy look on her face as she stared right at Floria.
Once she stepped up, taking her place on the other side of Floria, she giggled, “I see you’re just as nervous as me.”
Floria gave her a dumbfounded look as she continued to struggle to break out of the iron grip of the Maiden.
“If it makes you feel better, I’m so nervous,” Cocoa said sweetly as she clenched her flowers tightly. “But I’m happy you’re up here with me, it makes everything easier to process.”
“Bitch you ain’t processing a damn thing that is happening!” Floria yelled inches from her face as Cocoa’s eyes flickered to the Maiden, seeming to give her an order without saying a word.
Amylum yanked Floria back and slammed a fist into her gut, winding her instantly. She didn’t collapse as the Maiden just held her up.
“We’re going to be so happy after this,” Cocoa said, tears in her eyes. “Amylum, begin the ceremony.”
The Maiden moved so she was standing between them, still holding onto Floria tightly. A book appeared in her hand and then she just stood there, not speaking.
Cocoa smiled brightly at Floria as she reached over and fixed her veil, as it’d been knocked around due thrashing around. “Soon, we’ll be happily married, my love.”
“Ugh,” Floria groaned, not really having it in her to fight against this crazy shit.
The Maiden flipped the page, acting as if she was reading the words out loud, but was clearly not.
A large blush appeared on Cocoa’s face as she looked a little shy, “after the reception, we’re going to have to… do it.”
“...” Floria just stared at her blankely, not engaging.
“I’ve never… made love before,” the crazy woman muttered, face ablaze as little hearts floated up around her.
“Oh, awesome,” Floria groaned, shaking her head. “Saw that one comin’.”
The Maiden flipped to the final page and looked at Cocoa.
“I do,” Cocoa answered, body shaking as they both looked at Floria, awaiting her answer.
Floria’s response was to spit at Cocoa’s face, but Amylum just snatched it out of the air, preventing it from landing on Cocoa.
Then Cocoa began to smile brightly, as if she’d heard something amazing, “now pronounce us married, Amylum.”
The Maiden just gave a nod, sending Cocoa into a crying fit.
“I ain’t kissing this bitch again,” Floria grumbled as Cocoa tried to recover herself to finish the ceremony.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“That one!” Vanilla yelled as she took off running down a driveway.
“Stop!” Domitor yelled as he flung himself after her, stopping her. “We need to play this smart, for Floria’s sake.”
Reluctantly she nodded as Shayla walked up to them.
“Shayla, you can see into buildings with that, right?” he asked, both of them looking at the mare.
“Eh… yeah, as long as I’m close enough,” she confirmed, getting a nod from Domitor.
“Perfect, we’re going to walk the outside of the building till we locate them, then we’ll put together a plan.”
With this plan in place they all moved to the building, watching for movement. They walked along the wall, letting Shayla scan the inside of the building.
Once they neared the back of the building, she came to a stop. “Oh shit, got ‘em!” she exclaimed, pressing against the wall as she tried to make out more details. Of course, her Virtue Sight had a major weakness; she couldn’t see details outside of outlines and body shapes.
“Uh… so they’re all three together…” she raised an eyebrow, “I think… Cocoa is laughing? Erm, crying? I dunno, but Floria’s Soul is flaring super fucking hard.”
“Okay, let’s back off and-” Domitor began, but Vanilla growled.
“I’m going in, right now!” she declared as she began to walk for the front of the building.
“We need a plan, or we’re riskin-” Domitor tried to say, but Shayla cut him off.
“Vanilla, wait,” she hissed, causing the other woman to look back at her. “We’re going in, right now. Just come back over here.”
Slowly, Vanilla returned to them, trembling. “Please… we need to get in there right now.”
“Alright, follow my lead,” Shayla said with a smirk as she turned and began to focus, holding a hand against the wall.
Her Ego was still far from recovered, but she still had access to just enough to boost one thing at a time. So she focused her Ego into her right arm, slowly increasing her strength.
“Rush them the moment this wall falls!” she yelled as she slammed her fist into the wall, blowing a large chunk of it away. Domitor jumped through first, ready to rush towards them, but came to a grinding halt as he took in the scene before him.
Vanilla was next in, but the scene before them hit her so hard she stumbled and fell into Domitor, eyes wide.
“Let’s fucking rip them too-” Shayla exclaimed, but was silenced as she saw her two friends weren’t rushing forward. “What?”
They found themselves in a room decorated for a wedding, with both Cocoa and Floria standing at the front of the room wearing wedding dresses, with the Maiden just wearing a t-shirt with a tuxedo decal on it. They also took notice that Floria was tied up and held onto by the Maiden.
Vanilla was the most confused as she looked between the two, not able to make sense of what she was seeing.
“Guys!” Floria exclaimed, but was hit by the Maiden to silence her.
“Vanny!” Cocoa laughed as she wiped tears from her face, as she’d clearly been crying. “I was wondering if I’d have to come find you again.”
“L-Let her go!” Vanilla yelled, her voice shaky as she was not use to raising her voice at her sister.
“Even if I did, she’d stay by my side, we’re married after all!” Cocoa mocked, reaching over and pulling Floria into herself, forcing a kiss onto the short Kejtdra, who was still trying to fight against the Maiden.
“Are they… fucking kissing?!” Shayla asked in shock as Vanilla fell to her knees, her emotions running wild.
“You sick fuck,” Domitor growled as he looked at Vanilla. “Do not let her into your head, Vanilla. Think about this clearly; Floria is tied up and fighting, this is your sister trying to get in your head.”
Vanilla looked back to her sister and Floria, trying to work this out logically, but seeing Floria kissing Cocoa was becoming too much for her.
“Damn it, you skank!” Floria yelled around the lips of Cocoa, eyes ablaze with pure hatred. Her eyes snapped Vanilla as she sat on the ground, looking completely crushed by what she was seeing. Floria knew what was going through her head right now, and it pissed her off as she knew the person responsible for how Vanilla’s mind work was currently kissing her.
In one move she dropped her legs out from under her, causing her to fall out of the Maiden’s grip and away from Cocoa, confusing her.
“Vanilla!” she roared as the Maiden reached out for her, grabbing her by the back of her dress. “I love you!”
“I love you too!” Cocoa called out, nodding to Amylum, causing her to hit Floria in the back of the head, knocking her out. “Kill them, Amylum.”
The Maiden followed the order instant, walking around the unconscious Floria and began to advance on the others.
Vanilla’s eyes were wide in shock as the words from Floria rocked through her. The moment she’d seen Floria get hit, she’d jumped up, ready to rush forward and fight, but Domitor held her back.
“Bring me Vanilla once you kill those two,” Cocoa said firmly as she grabbed one of Floria’s legs, beginning to walk for one of the doors, dragging her behind herself. “I want her to watch me and my wife consummate our marriage.”
Vanilla tried to go after them, but Domitor held her firmly as Shayla walked past them, smirking.
“Amylum, the bitch who took my eyes, ready for a rematch?” Shayla yelled as she and the Maiden advanced on each other.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 305 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-01-15T05:22:28+00:00
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2023-01-15T05:35:08+00:00
| 227 |
Chapter 71
I walked straight at the Maiden, a confident smirk on my face. This bitch may have kicked my ass the last time we fought, but this time would be different.
“Domitor, follow my lead,” I called out as I came to a stop, letting the Maiden walk the rest of the way to me.
My longsword, my only sword left now, was tucked away in my Vacuole. I have a feeling fist will work better against her.
The Maiden continued to approach me as I watched her Soul in the middle of her body. It pulsed steadily, clearly well trained. If I paid attention, I felt I could see right when she’d use her Thorn.
As she reached me she exploded forward, her Soul slithering through her body and into her hands. Perfect.
Instead of countering or dodging, my own hands shot out, Ego in both palms, and caught hers in midair. Her face was hidden behind her visor so I couldn’t see her reaction as I interlock my fingers with hers, holding her firmly.
“Balls in my court now,” I laughed as I yanked her forward and slammed a knee into her gut. She grunted, but just gave back just as much as her own knee hit me, winding me. We held firm to each other as we began to kick at one another, using our legs and elbows to block incoming attacks.
We danced around the room, fighting hard to gain control of the other. I watched her Soul fair as she attempted to use her Thorn, but I just flashed my own Ego into my palms every time she did so. We were at a stalemate.
Thanks to the way my new vision worked, I could watch the others as well while dealing with the Maiden. Domitor finally began to move towards me as Vanilla took off after Cocoa. I couldn’t stop her, so we’d just have to finish up here as fast as possible.
As Domitor neared us, his sword aimed for the center of her back, she suddenly spun us, putting me between them. He however just zipped to the side, sword flashing.
I watched as her Soul suddenly traveled down into her foot, catching me off guard as she kicked his blade as it flew towards her side. He flinched back as his sword was kicked.
Her head turned back to me, and I could just feel her smirking at me despite not being able to actually see her face.
“Nice trick,” I complimented as my muscles rippled as I pushed the small amount of Ego I had into them. “Wanna see another cool one?”
With a bit of effort I forced her hands together as I yanked her into me, attempting to gain control of her. However she flexed and broke my grip just long enough to slip her hands out and around my waist.
“Shit!” I grunted as she had a hold of me in such a way both my arms were trapped under hers as she began to squeeze hard, applying a lot of pressure on my chest. We were face to face as she yanked me around, keeping my body between her and Domitor as he tried to get in to help.
“Damn it, Shayla!” Domitor growled as he struggled to find an angle of attack.
I pressed my face into her visor and growled. “Let. Me. Go.” I demanded, putting strong emphasis on each word. But of course she didn’t release me as she held firm, slowly squeezing the life out of me.
A scream was heard from further in the building, causing me to take drastic measures.
“Fuck!” I yelled as I tilted my head to the side and latched down on her neck, biting down so hard I ripped out a chunk of her flesh.
She threw me off of herself immediately, stumbling back and going down to a knee, holding her neck as her soul trickled into her hand, attempting to heal herself.
Domitor was on her in an instant, thrusting his sword for her. She threw a hand up and caught his blade with her palm, but he just pushed through her hand and impaled her chest, pinning her hand between her body and the hilt of his sword.
She gasped as he twisted the blade, causing her soul in her chest to start to dim. He held his blade in her as she fought against him, but her strength was weaning.
Right as her soul started to flicker, he yanked the blade out of her and took a step back, allowing her to collapse onto the ground.
I walked over and stood above her with him, both of us staring down at her as she breathed raggidly, a hand shakily coming up to try and heal the neck wound.
“I’ll finish her,” Domitor said grimly as he flicked his sword and placed the tip against the face of her visor. She weakly grabbed the blade with her hand and tried to push it away.
“No. She’s done,” I said coldly as I stepped over her.
“Leaving her alive is a really stupid idea,” Domitor warned, “she’s way too powerful.”
I glanced back, seeing her soul staying strong and firm, if not also slowly fading.
Damn it.
“Leave her, the others need us,” I said, turning from them. I was betting on her being too hurt to be a threat at this point. Her weakened Soul was a good indicator of that. “If she follows us, then you can finish her.”
Wiping blood from my face, I continued forward as Domitor reluctantly followed after me, leaving the wounded Maiden behind.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Earlier
Vanilla rushed down the hallway, heading for the only room she knew was furnished. Her sister's room.
It’d been longer than she’d have liked, which increased her anxiety to the extreme. She also wasn’t sure what she’d do once she got there. But that didn’t matter, Floria needed her to be strong, and she would be. For her.
Finally she reached the door to her room, hesitating for just a moment before forcing herself to throw open the door. The moment she stepped in she saw her sister standing by the bed, looking proud of herself, eyes locked on Vanilla.
“I knew you’d be along shortly, baby sister,” Cocoa chuckled, hands behind her back. “Now sit down,” she demanded, gesturing to a chair with rope in it right by the bed.
But Vanilla just stood there, breathing heavily as she stared at her sister. “Where is she?” she demanded in a shaky voice, eyes moving to the bed.
“My wife?” Cocoa asked in the smuggest tone. “She’s here, waiting for me,” she giggled as she pulled the blankets off, revealing Floria still tied up and laying on the bed in the wedding dress, cloth wrapped around her mouth as she laid there awake. Her eyes were still ablaze with rage and hatred as she stared at Cocoa.
“We couldn’t start without you,” she said as she placed a hand on Floria’s face. “Now sit, Vanny.”
“Get away from her,” Vanilla grumbled, clenching her fist, but not able to act.
“Either sit or stay there,” Cocoa said with a stern look as she used her Vacuole to remove her clothes, leaving just her underwear.. “Just do not interrupt your big sister on her wedding day!”
She reached out to Floria, intending to remove her clothes with her Vacuole as well, but movement caught her attention as she looked back in time to see Vanilla running right at her.
“What do you think you’re-” she was cut off as Vanilla suddenly slammed her fist into Cocoa’s face, causing a small explosion as she used her Thorn to ignite the air around her fist.
Cocoa let out a scream as she was flung backward into the wall, crashing face first into it and rebounding off, landing in a heap at Vanilla’s feet.
“You keep your hands off of her!” Vanilla roared as she pounced on the downed woman and began to repeatedly slam her fist into Cocoa’s face, screaming and crying the entire time. She let out a lifetime of pent up anger and pain right into Cocoa’s face.
The downed woman tried to defend herself, but she was powerless to stop the onslaught of punches coming for her, each one rocking her to the core. She’d never in her whole life been hurt, let alone beaten like this.
Vanilla let out a pained grunt as she hit her sister so hard once that her wrist broke, causing her to shift and start using the other hand, not letting up for even a second.
Finally, she stopped and stood up, covered in green blood. Her sister was a mess, face barely recognizable at this point. She gave her one solid kick to the side and then jumped for the bed, quickly ripping the gag out of Floria’s mouth.
“I’m so sorry!” Vanilla cried as snot and tears ran down her face, her one good hand fumbling to untie the ropes. “This is all my fault, I’m so sorry, Floria!”
“Shh,” Floria shushed her, getting an arm free and reaching up to place it on Vanilla’s cheek, “shut up you big ol’ softie.”
This caused Vanilla to cry harder as she wrapped her arms around Floria, burying her face into her neck.
Floria sat up and threw her own arms around the crying woman, trying to comfort her. “You’re a vicious little ball of fury when you want to be, Vans.”
She didn’t get a response as Vanilla just continued to cry, holding her tightly.
“Get the fuck back you-” Domitor screamed as he flew into the room, stopping as he saw the scene before him. “Oh damn.”
Shayla was next, already knowing what was going on due to her Virtue Sight. “She’s still alive guys,” she said, gesturing to the prone Cocoa.
“I got it,” Domitor said as he walked over, flipping his sword around.
As he neared her, Shayla yelped as she dashed forward and tackled Domitor, taking him to the ground.
Before he could ask why, the wall next to Cocoa exploded, with a large blade on a chain flying forward, passing over the area Domitor had just been moments before.
Acting on instinct, Shayla shot up onto the bed and grabbed the two women and threw them behind herself as the chain went taunt, pulling the blade right for her. She crossed her arms and took the hit directly, sending her flying through the new hole in the wall.
She skidded across the ground a few times before catching herself, spinning as she slid to face the new threat.
“Oh fuck me,” she groaned as she stood up, her longsword appearing in her hands.
“Found you, daughter of Scamp,” Leem chuckled as he retracted his blade to himself, eyes ablaze with hunger.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Scamp stared in confusion at the checkpoint up ahead, as it was completely destroyed. There were guards all around it, dead.
“What happened here?” Spark asked as they walked right through the checkpoint, no one was around to stop them.
“I don’t know…” Scamp mumbled, eyes scanning the bodies. She saw one that looked to be alive as they took deep breaths. “But I’m going to find out.”
The group followed her as she stepped up to the downed man. She flipped him over and checked him over.
“What happened?” she asked as he groaned.
“Captain? That you?” the man asked, his eyes burned away so he couldn’t see her.
“Yes, soldier. Now tell me what happened,” she answered, seeing that his wounds were far above what she could treat.
“A monster… just tore through us without warning… it just laughed at us as we attacked it…” the man coughed, causing blood to spurt out of a wound in his chest. “Captain, the thing just regenerated instantly… we couldn’t hurt it…”
“Did this creature look like a bulky Kejtdra without the faceplate?” Mallogory asked, causing the man to grunt.
“Yeah… now that you mention it…” he shakily reached up and grabbed Scamp’s metal hand. “Captain… are the doctors on the way?”
“Yeah, kid, they’re coming,” Scamp said as she slowly stood, letting his hand fall out of hers as he went limp. She then looked at the others, a grim look on her face. “Leem’s on the move it seems.”
The others had similar expressions on their faces, except Talio, as he just stood there casually. Just observing them.
She followed the path of destruction, seeing he went a certain direction after getting through the checkpoint. “Well, I hate to say it, but we need to follow him.”
“Wonderful,” Mallogory grunted, shaking her head as she clenched her fist.
Neither of them wanted to face Leem again. Just the thought of seeing him again caused them both to break out into a cold sweat. But they’d have to face him, if he was after Shayla.
“This way,” she said as she turned to follow the path of bodies heading into the Social District.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Domitor ran out behind me, tripping over himself as he saw Leem. “Jerry?!”
“Domitor?” Leem asked, seeming a bit surprised to see him here.
Nervously, Domitor looked around, “is-”
“No, just me,” Leem said, eyes locked on Domitor. “Why are you a bug?” But before he could answer, Leem continued. “Where is Lenrick?”
“Dead,” Domitor answered quickly, causing Leem to raise an eyebrow.
“Hmm…” he looked at me next. “How?”
“I killed him,” Domitor answered, stepping between me and Leem. “To save Shayla.”
“Lorenzo will not be pleased with that at all,” Leem roared with laughter, a wide smile on his face. “I always liked you, Domitor, such a wild little spirit. Now step aside.”
“No,” Domitor said firmly, squaring up with Leem. “I will not.”
“Oh?” the large crocodile man laughed as he began to walk towards us. “Domitor, is she worth dying over?”
“Yes,” Domitor stated as he raised his sword.
“Oh I see,” Leem said with a smirk. “You’re sleeping with this one.”
Domitor gulped as the imposing force of Leem bore down on both of us. Even I began to feel nervous as he approached. He had such an aura about him that made your fight or flight response go crazy.
“I’d rather not kill you, Domitor. It’s rare for me to like someone as much as I do you,” Leem said with an intense look in his eyes.
“You’re not touching her,” he growled back, beginning to walk right at Leem, despite the massive amount of fear he felt.
I started to walk forward as well, but Leem suddenly shot forward and slammed a foot into Domitor, sending him rocketing past me and into the building behind me, causing him to crash through the wall and disappear into the house.
“Will you be as entertaining as your parents, little one?” Leem asked as he flashed me a toothy grin.
Resisting the urge to chase after Domitor I turned to Leem, taking him in. His Soul was massive, as it seemed to fill every part of his body. I have no idea what his weakness could be, or if he even has one. But I couldn’t run from him.
“I might surprise you,” I replied, watching his movements carefully.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Leem laughed as he began to spin the chain over his head, the blade inching towards me. Without warning he snapped it, sending it flying right for me.
It wasn’t a challenge to side step it, but my heart still skipped a beat. I couldn’t telegraph his movements! His Soul obscured his body enough that I couldn’t tell when he was flexing his muscles or moving certain ways.
Oh crap.
He whipped the chain, causing it to pop me in the face unexpectedly. This sent me stumbling back as he recoiled the blade off the building behind me, sending it right for me.
Using my blade I deflected it, letting it ride up my blade and right over my head.
My entire body shook in fear as I realized this was hopeless. I could literally feel his power in each of his movements and attacks.
I now understood why my mother said Leem was the only thing she feared in all of existence.
I need to run.
Get the fuck out of here.
But, I could see Domitor thanks to my Virtue Sight, laying amid a pile of debris in the house behind me, while Floria and Vanilla seemed to be hunkered down in the bedroom, and that encouraged me to stand my ground. For them.
As I shakily squared back up with him, I raised my sword.
“Well, you are like your parents,” he chuckled as he tossed the blade into the air. “So I'm going to treat you the same way.” With that he punched the blade, sending it rocketing for me.
Staying aware of my surroundings I dashed to the left, watching as he manipulated the chain to change its direction in midair. I couldn’t help but yelp as I barely blocked it, getting sent to my knee by the force of the blow as the blade deflected off my guard and went flying straight up.
The chain shook hard as he caused it to fly right back down towards me. Rolling to the side saved me as it plummeted right into the ground, the shockwave actually hitting me a lot harder than I thought it could.
He laughed as he yanked the blade back to himself, letting it fly past him as he spun his entire body so that it ended up rocketing right back at me at an angle.
Watching carefully, I sprang up and over it as it flew under me, using my wings to propel myself to the left.
I need to do something other than defend!
As the chain snapped, sending the blade right for me yet again, I roared as I pushed Ego into my palms and down the edge of the longsword.
The moment I dodged the blade again, I sliced at the chain with my sword, easily cutting right through it as I focused all the Ego I could into a single point on my blade.
Doing a little spin, I landed on my feet, watching as the blade went flying into a nearby tree, slicing right through it and continuing on its way.
Leem let out a laugh as he dropped the chain, licking his lips. “Interesting use of your Ego,” he complimented as he opened a pocket dimension and pulled out a large halberd. “I’m going to take your right leg now.”
Normally a statement like this would make me laugh, but the way he said it, like it was a fact, caused me to let out an audible whimper.
“Do not let him get into your head,” the Watcher suddenly said calmly, “this creature is among the most dangerous in all of existence, as even I could not harm him.”
‘Wait you couldn’t even kill him?!’ I asked, taking a step back as Leem began to advance on me.
“His Ego is among the most unique,” the Watcher continued. “Fatal damage of any kind, or any that tries to harm his Ego itself just causes him to revert back to normal. If you completely erase him from existence, he just reappears at one of his many home points.”
‘How does his Ego work exactly?’ I asked, hoping I could figure something out if I knew this info.
“His Ego allows him to exist no matter what happens to him, always sending his body and Soul back to a save point.”
‘Save points?’ I asked as Leem burst towards me, using his halberd to try and wear me down. I dodged around him, barely able to keep up with his erratic movements.
“Yes, a save point. He is able to set a save point in his body, which is how his Ego knows what state to return him to each time he is hurt or killed,” he said, but noticed I was a bit confused as I dodged and deflected Leem’s very heavy attacks. “You moron. In terms even you’ll understand; he chose a specific form for his body to return to when damaged. Meaning, his Ego reverts his body back to a set point.”
“Yeah, I got it!” I snapped out loud, causing Leem to raise an eyebrow at me as the head of the halberd barely missed me.
‘None of this helps me here,’ I thought as I moved backwards, trying to keep him at bay as best as I could.
“Many have tried to think of a way to kill him, yet every attempt has failed. Even I gave up on killing him. Locking him away is the only real solution.”
‘Retarded.’
As his halberd came in from the upper right side, I pushed my Ego into the middle of my blade, using it to slice through the handle of his weapon and right into him. He just smiled as my blade tore through him and came out the other side. Of course the wounds healed instantly, so it was like I wasn’t even cutting him, just having my blade pass through him harmlessly.
An arm shot out and latched onto my right leg, squeezing hard. “Do you taste like your mothers?” he asked with a grin as he caught my arms, preventing me from attacking or moving.
My body seized up as he raised me, sniffing at my leg, eyes rolling up a bit. “I bet you do.”
Slowly he opened his mouth and lowered it towards my leg, clearly taking his time to screw with me. I jerked hard, trying to break free, but it was hopeless as his head-
Suddenly fell off of his body as a massive black colored wave of energy sliced between us, removing his arms as well.
I didn’t waste a second as I flapped my wings, shooting myself away from him as he recovered, turning to see where the attack had come from.
That’s when I saw him, Domitor standing in the hole with his hand held out before himself, breathing heavily. On his left hand I saw what could only be a stomata.
… Domitor has a Thorn?!
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 306 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-15T10:30:50+00:00
|
2023-01-15T11:02:17+00:00
| 242 |
Chapter 72
Domitor groaned as he forced himself up, pushing all kinds of debris off of himself. He grunted as he stood up, his chest feeling like it’d been hit by a train. But to be fair, it basically had, with how strong Leem is.
Looking up, he saw Shayla struggling against Leem, clearly not doing so well against his halberd.
He needed to get back out there, to help her. But a sense of uselessness over took him as he saw her dodging and weaving his attacks, something he wasn’t so sure he could do. To make matters worse, his sword was gone, lost when he got hit by Leem.
“Damn it,” he muttered as he began to walk for the hole. He may not be able to do what Shayla can, but he’d definitely do his best to help her.
But as he neared the hole, a light, like a spotlight, shone down right on the rubble in front of the hole. Followed by an altar slowly appearing before him.
He stared at it dumbfoundedly, not sure what it was. But the longer he looked at it, the more it dawned on him. He DID know what this thing was, Shayla had talked about them once.
A Scapil, the thing that gave people their Thorn’s. But they were supposed to have a high mortality rate as well.
For a moment, he thought about ignoring it, but then he saw Leem grab ahold of Shayla. This made up his mind as he rushed forward and slapped his hand down on the top of the Scapil.
A spike pierced his hand, causing him to grunt in pain as he yanked his hand away, body rocking as he was pulled into his mind.
He was confused at first, as he had no idea what the process for getting a Thorn was outside of getting your hand stabbed. Then, after a brief moment, images of him appeared, performing all kinds of attacks and techniques using… ink? Pens?
Blinking in even more confusion, it took a few more images for him to realize his Thorn had something to do with using his art skills to perform attacks.
While the images played, a few items appeared before him, namely the kinds of tools you’d use while making art. He lifted up a pen and looked back to the images, which showed him drawing in the air.
So he did just that, attempting to draw on the air before him. To his surprise he drew a squiggly line and it became solid, falling to the ground the moment he finished.
Some of the images showed him performing sword-like strikes, which sent out attacks of some kind. So he took up a sword stance and made a cut through the air, which sent a blade-like wave of what appeared to be ink flying across the room.
Performing a few slices in quick succession had the same effect, bringing a smile to his face.
He then spent some time going through all the images, trying out a few skills. Once he was satisfied, the mindscape began to fade away, bringing him back to real life.
It took him a moment to realize no time had passed as Shayla was still in the process of being grabbed by Leem. Meaning he did not have the luxury of taking his time.
As quickly as he could, he pulled out two pens from his Vacuole and jumped up into the opening of the hole. To his horror he saw Leem slowly going in for a bite on one of Shayla’s legs.
His grip tightened on his pen as he sliced it upward, sending a blade of ink flying towards them. To his great relief it cut right through the neck and limbs of Leem, allowing Shayla to get away from him.
However his relief was short lived as Leem growled and turned on him, sending four arms flying towards Domitor.
But Domitor was prepared as he performed a few moves in front of himself with both hands, creating a solid net like object. He grabbed the edge and gave it a spin, turning the net-like object into a spinning wheel of death. Then with a thrust of his hand, he sent it flying forward.
The four arms were blended away instantly as the spinning net flew right for Leem, who did not move as his upper body was basically liquified by the spinning net.
As Leem reformed, he had a smirk on his face, “now that is an interesting Thorn, Domitor.”
“Yep,” Domitor replied, not wanting to engage in conversation with him.
“Remember how I said I liked you?” Leem asked, flexing his muscles. “This is your one and only chance to leave. I’ll tell Lorenzo you were the one to kill Scamp’s daughter.”
Domitor looked over to Shayla as she readied herself, her body trembling in fear.
“The old me would have taken that offer, Jerry,” Domitor replied, turning his eyes to Leem’s, “but that’s not who I am anymore.”
“Character development,” Leem chuckled, shaking his head, “it’s ruined better men. Alright, Domitor, you want to stick by her side? Then you better be ready to face the consequences of your choices.”
With that, Leem’s body pulsed as he rocketed towards Domitor.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Leem launched himself towards Domitor, clearly going for the kill as he had no weapons in his hands. Domitor was preparing an attack of his own, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough to slow this monster down.
So I did the only thing I could in this moment, I shot forward and intercepted Leem, hitting him right in the chest with a Ego powered fist. Luckily I had enough Ego to send him off course and into a few decorative boulders.
Landing on my feet, I saw Domitor readjust his attack, sending it flying towards Leem as he pulled himself up.
The crocodile let out a roar of anger as he was impaled over and over again by spear-like rods.
“I’m not even going to ask how you got a Thorn,” I chuckled as I focused my Ego into my sword.
“It’s actually really simple,” Domitor replied as he drew a sword in the air before himself, creating a new weapon for himself. “Scapil showed up and I touched it.”
“Wicked,” I said with a nod as Leem raised a large boulder and flung it right for me. As it neared me I performed four slices, causing it to fly past me harmlessly.
“Do you even need Ego?” Domitor asked as he rushed to my side while Leem stalked towards us.
“I desperately need my Ego,” I replied, my fear clearly showing on my face and in my voice.
He reached up and touched my face, calming me down immensely. “We got this.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear as a smirk slid onto my face.
“I need you to focus on his legs, I’m going to focus on his arms,” I said as we spread out a bit.
“What’s the end goal here?” he asked, causing me to shrug. I did not have a end goal.
“Fighting without an end goal is foolhardy and will end in both your deaths,” the Watcher commented.
‘Then come on into my head and figure something out, smart ass,’ I thought as I grabbed his vial and pushed Ego into it.
“That is the most foolish thing you’ve ever done, Shayla,” he said as he stayed in his vial.
Leem was within striking distance now. ‘Just get in here!’
“Very well then,” he replied as he followed my Ego, entering into my mind where Rosemary is. Or where she is when she’s able to talk with me.
‘Figure this shit out,’ I thought as Domitor began to cut away at Leem’s legs while I focused on his upper body. Domitor was using both his new sword and his pen to perform all kinds of creative attacks, while I just flashed my sword as fast as I could.
Our team work was effective as Leem was having trouble reaching either of us, but this just caused him to get more and more furious. If he entered his rage state, we might not be able to handle him.
“Shay, catch!” Domitor called out as he tossed me a sword he drew. I caught it and smirked as it felt perfect for me.
Now with two swords again, I was able to increase my attacks against him, now making it incredibly hard for him to do anything but lose body parts.
“I hate teamwork,” Leem growled with a scowl as he locked his eyes on me. “I’m killing you first, spawn of Scamp. Then I’m dismembering you, Domitor, and taking you back to your father.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” I grunted as I poked out his eyes just to screw with him, “but you gotta win first.”
“Oh I’ll win,” he said with a nasty smirk. “I always win in the end, no matter how long it takes to get there.”
“Yeah yeah,” I replied as I sliced away a few arms.
As we fought against him, I started to notice something. Something was coming up from beneath us, as I saw what appeared to be long souls flying upwards towards us. Then I noticed Leem’s own Soul seemed to extend far into the ground…
FUCK!
I didn’t have time to warn Domitor, so I just stopped my attacks as I spun on him and kicked him as hard as I could, sending him flying away as a multitude of Leem’s arms shot up around me and grabbed hold of me.
Attempting to free myself, I swung my blades around, cutting down as many as I could, but it was hopeless as he finally fully restricted me with all his arms.
Domitor wasn’t just letting this happen as he used his sword and ink attacks to slice through the forest made of arms. But it was clear he was on the losing battle as Leem grabbed him as well and yanked him right up against me. He wrapped us up together as the majority of his arms returned to his body.
“Well, that was at least somewhat entertaining you two,” he mocked as he squeezed harder, causing us to groan in pain.
I could see that he was restricting Domitor’s hands so he couldn't use his pens to free us.
This… was not good at all.
Leem just kept adding more and more pressure, slowly starting to crush us together. I knew thanks to my body and Egonetic’s that I’d end up killing Domitor before I died, and that’s a terrifying thought.
“I’m sorry for this, Shay,” Domitor apologized as his face was twisted into a look of agony. “I hope you’ll forgive me!”
“What are you-” I started to say, but one of his hands suddenly flipped around and grabbed hold of my thigh. I felt something pulling on my chest as the ink of my tattoo was pulled out of me and began to spin around us, cutting through the arms.
They slacked just enough for me to push my Ego into my muscles and break us free. I grabbed Domitor as he used his shadowy tentacle to pull us all the way out of Leem’s grip.
He roared as he shot a few hands after us, but I just cut them away as they neared us, sticking my tongue out at Leem as we flew through the air.
“This is not going well,” Domitor muttered as we landed on the ground, turning to face Leem as he sheeted with rage.
With warning, he let out a massive roar, holding it for a good ten seconds. It had the desired effect of making me not want to go near him ever again.
“We need to run,” I said in a shaky voice.
“Agreed,” Domitor said, his voice also quivering as we both took a step back.
“Come here, children,” he yelled, going down to all fours and rushing towards us. He was moving way too fast, as there was no way we’d be able to outrun him.
Nor could we defend against him.
“Damn it, Dom,” I muttered as I took his hand.
As he neared us, we raised our swords, planning to at least go down fighting. But a blur suddenly appeared between us, catching Leem as he charged towards us, grabbing him by the head and flung him right over us.
This was such a sudden change that I wasn’t able to process it, but slowly, I began to realize who was standing before us. I couldn’t see them physically, but I could tell who they were just by seeing their Soul.
“Spark?!” I yelped as he turned to us.
“You two alright?” He asked as he began to walk past us, heading for Leem as he recovered and began to rush back towards us.
“What are you doing here?!” I asked as he chuckled.
“Your mother,” he said simply as he dashed forward, engaging with Leem. The stallion was somehow able to dodge every attack Leem threw at him, returning the favor as he slammed his hooves into Leem’s large body. It wouldn’t stop him, but damn was it slowing him down.
“Wait…” I muttered as I saw two people walk into the edge of my Virtue Sight. “My parents are here?!”
“I’m fucking kicking your little ass after this is all over,” my mother yelled, her parenting side taking over as she stomped right over to us, while my mom just trailed behind her.
As they neared, I smiled awkwardly. “Hey guys…”
“Is that Domitor?!” my mother growled as she finally got right up to us. “Why is he-” she stopped, as I could see she was looking right at my face. “Why are you wearing a blindfold?!”
“So funny story,” I said sheepishly, “Um… uh…”
She didn’t wait for my answer as she stepped up and pushed the blindfold up. Both of them let out a gasp as soon as they saw the wounds where my eyes used to be.
“What the hell happened, Shayla?!” my mother roared, grabbing my shoulder as she pulled me down to all fours.
I was at a loss here, as I had not expected to see my parents. Let alone having to explain myself to them.
“This is not a good time, we should wait till-” Domitor tried to interject, not knowing how my mother operates.
“You, take ten steps back, now,” my mother ordered, locking her eye with him. He didn’t listen, much to her annoyance. “I do not know how you lost your damn eyes, Shayla. But you are a fucking-”
“Hey!’ Domitor growled, coming to my defense.
Poor guy…
“She lost them trying to help a friend,” he stated, squaring up with my mother as Spark and Leem battled it out behind us.
My mother sized him up, then looked at me, “you do know that he is the son of Lorenzo, correct?”
“Yes, mother,” I muttered, “you’re late to the party on that one…”
“Now, step back, Domitor,” she said firmly.
“Scamp, this can wait,” my mom said, trying to get my mother to back off.
But my mother is stubborn as fuck as she stood up on two legs and stepped up to Domitor, getting face to face with him. “I do not know your end game here, kid. But if you cross my daughter,” she grabbed his shirt and pulled him in close, “I will end you.”
“Get back, mother,” I growled as I pushed them apart, getting right up between them as I put my face right in front of hers. “I’m only alive because of him, so you will BACK OFF!”
Her soul flared angrily as we stared each other down.
“Scamp,” my mom warned, causing my mother to take a step back.
“Fine, but he’s up to something, I can feel it in my gut. And my gut,” she said coldly, eyeing him now, “is never wrong.”
“Guys!” Spark called out as he clocked Leem in the jaw, “this conversation can happen at any other time!”
I took a step back and stood next to Domitor, much to my mother’s displeasure.
“Let’s go,” she said sternly as she turned to leave.
“What about Spark?” I asked as Spark almost casually just dodged everything Leem threw at him.
“Talio, can you help him?” I heard my mother ask, confusing me.
“To help would be to lessen his experience,” a voice said, clearly Talio as he had a very distinctive voice. He sounded to be not that far from me, at least a few feet. But I couldn’t see him!
My Virtue Sight was picking up no one else outside of the four of us, and the two fighting. What the fuck does this mean?
“Spark will catch up with us, he’ll be okay on his own till then,” my mother said as she began to walk away. “Now move.”
“Shayla, I think I have an idea of how to handle Leem,” the Watcher suddenly said, causing me to stay right where I was.
‘Go on,’ I said as my mother turned to look at me, annoyance clear on her face.
“Listen carefully, I will explain this so a toddler could understand it,” he said a bit harshly as he began to explain his idea to me.
As he spoke my mouth slowly began to drop open.
‘But… that is so… simple!’
“Sometimes the simplest solution is the least obvious one,” he replied, “now do it.”
“Ah geez,” I said aloud as I turned to the two fighting. “This is going to suck…”
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 307 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-16T02:27:47+00:00
|
2023-01-16T02:27:46+00:00
| 242 |
Chapter 73
“Shayla, let’s go,” my mother said sternly, but I ignored her as I watched Spark holding his own against Leem. I don’t know how he got so strong, but watching him casually move out of the way of the multiarmed attacks of Leem was amazing.
In my Virtue Sight I saw that Floria and Vanilla were watching the fight from a different room in the house, so at least they were keeping their distance.
“Shayla!” my mother snapped, causing me to sigh.
“Mama, please stop being my mother for one minute,” I said in a low voice as I prepared myself.
My mother stared at me for a long moment before waking up next to me and watching the fight as well. “Okay. Do you have a plan, honey?”
“I do,” I confirmed as I turned my head to her. “I just need you to trust me, mama.”
She sighed then gave a nod, “you’ve got my trust, Shayla. What do I need to do?”
“I need you to focus on me and keep anything from reaching me,” I said as she gave a nod.
“And what of me, sweetie?” my mom asked as she twirled her swords with a smile on her face.
“Help Spark, focus on keeping Leem’s limbs from re-growing,” I answered, getting a nod in response. “Domitor, use your new Thorn to pin him down somehow.”
Everyone gave a nod as I put my sword in its sheath.
“You must do everything exactly as I described,” the Watcher warned, “just trust our… bond.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I began to walk forward, “let’s kick this croc's ass.”
Everyone shot past me as they moved to help Spark fight Leem, while my mother stayed at my side as we strolled towards them.
My mom was the first to reach the two, sliding in and flickering rapidly as she began to remove body parts before they had a chance to even reappear. Domitor was using his ink abilities to crash large spear-like poles through the top of Leem, constantly pinning him in place, much to the crocodile's annoyance.
Leem was now fully engaged with those three, which would hopefully allow me to do what needs to be done.
My mother raised herself up to two legs as she pulled a sword out of her personal dimension, giving me a nod of encouragement.
Now I just needed to trust the Watcher.
I dashed in, watching every movement of the fight as I neared it, looking for an opening. A few attacks came for me, but my mother just agilely moved around me, slicing them away as they neared.
Thanks to my Virtue Sight, I was seeing the battle from all angles, but I was still having trouble finding a direct path to Leem’s head.
“Once we start this, we will have just a split second to act, are you fast enough?” the Watcher asked, causing me to smirk.
‘I’m fast enough,’ I answered as I prepared my Ego to enhance my body, needing as much speed as possible for this to work.
“Just don’t let him get a hold of you once in there, because any damage you take will be inflicted directly on your Soul.”
I just gave a nod.
“Mama, what I’m about to say is weird, but you just need to do it,” I said as I came to a stop close to the fighting, lowering myself into a fighting stance, my hand on my sheathed sword.
“Tell me what needs to be done,” she said, putting all of her confidence in me.
“When I say now, take this,” I said as I reached up and pulled the cable out from behind my ear, causing her to raise an eyebrow. “I know, it’s weird. Just take this and connect it to Leem’s head.”
She gave a sharp nod as she took the connector, using her mechanical hand to cut away any of the limbs still coming for me.
I watched the battle, waiting for the best path to open up for me. Finally, everything lined up as a clear and direct path to Leem opened up.
“Now!”
My mother exploded forward, flipping and weaving through all of Leem’s arms, and slammed the connector to his head.
Instantly, both the Watcher and I were pulled into Leem’s head as time seemed to stop.
I found myself in a white void, with the Watcher floating next to me.
Leem and his Ego weapon appeared before us, both looking angered and amused.
“Really?” he asked as he began to stalk around us as his Ego weapon went the other way. “Your mother already played this card, it won’t work twice.”
I just smirked at him as I moved forward, putting my trust into the Watcher as he floated above us.
“Blah blah blah,” I mocked as I saw his Memory bank appear behind him, “let’s just finish this, one way or another.”
He dashed towards me, a sinister snarl on his face. I, however, held my ground, staring him down as he ran right at me, his Ego weapon coming up from behind me.
Right as I thought I was about to die, they both were hit with a beam of light, causing them to come to a sudden halt. The Watcher began to laugh loudly from above me as he fully possessed Leem’s body and Soul.
“Shayla, the moment you’re out, do it,” he said as he began to mess with Leem’s Ego. “I’m trusting you, don’t let me die as well.”
“I won’t,” I said as I began to fade away, giving him a thumbs up.
I have to do two things at once. Strike and pull the Watcher out, and they both have to happen at the same time. I can not fail either.
The moment I felt myself back in my body, time began to resume, but I was already exploding forward, the ground beneath my feet becoming a crater from the sheer force I exerted. Using my wings, I spun through the air, holding back as I neared him, waiting for the exact moment.
As I passed him, Leem’s body began to shimmer, prompting me to slice my sword through his head, while at the same instant my sword made contact I pulled the Watcher out with my cable. My muscles strained as I cut through his head, followed by me spinning through the air and landing right behind him. I slammed my sword back into its sheath and exhaled, followed by a massive amount of pressure exploding behind me, sending out wave after wave of Ego.
All of it poured into me, causing me to grit my teeth and go down to a knee. The overwhelming pressure of so much excess Ego pouring into me caused me to almost pass out, but I held strong as it finally came to an end. But then a much larger force slammed into me, absorbing into my own Ego.
I’d just absorbed Leem’s Soul.
Slowly everything quieted down as I stayed down on one knee, body shaking from the experience I’d just endured. If I had full access to my Ego I’d check to see what just happened, so I’d just have to wait for that reveal.
“Watcher?” I asked quietly, hoping I’d pulled him out in time.
“I am here, Shayla,” he replied, causing me to sigh in relief. “I will be honest, I fully expected you to let me die with Leem.”
“Nah, I gave you my word,” I chuckled as I stood up and turned around to see everyone staring at me in complete shock, Leem’s massive body laying between all of them.
“Shayla…” my mother began, her expression causing me to smile. “What… how?!”
“It’s simple,” I said in a proud tone, “I just set his save point to the moment my blade sliced through his head. Can’t come back if your save point brings you back to the moment you died.”
Both of my parents immediately rushed forward and wrapped their arms around me, pulling me into a family hug. I just stood there awkward, letting them hug me as I patted their backs.
“That’s my fucking girl!” my mother exclaimed as she squeezed me harder.
My mom just hugged me, clearly just as proud as my mother.
Floria and Vanilla rushed towards us, causing Spark to get into a defensive stance.
“They’re my friends, Spark,” I called out, causing him to relax as they ran up to Domitor.
My parents broke the hug and stepped back, looking at my three friends.
They both had conflicted looks on their faces, mostly in regards to Domitor, but I placed a hand on their shoulders. “He’s a good guy, trust me.”
My mother turned her head to me with a raised eyebrow, “you’ve changed a lot, Shayla.”
“I have,” I said sheepishly.
She still looked conflicted, but she gave a nod as she looked around the area. “We need to go, before people start snooping around.”
“Good idea,” I replied as I looked to Floria, who was currently holding hands with Vanilla, Creampuff on the Halwen’s shoulder, “Cocoa?”
“Amylum dragged her off,” Floria replied with a sour look on her face.
I saw that one coming, but we don’t have time for that right now.
With that we all quickly took off, leaving the scene behind.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later, nighttime
We were all now in a rather large hotel room, deciding it was better to have some real privacy as we planned our next move.
My mom went out to look into getting into Denmor, since she was the only one among us who was not wanted, nor stood out. So that just left the rest of us in this room, keeping to ourselves.
Floria and Vanilla were in their own room, wanting some privacy. I don’t blame them, we just went through some shit, especially Floria.
Spark was taking a nap on the bed, while my mother just sat on the edge of the bed, thinking to herself. Talio was… somewhere in this hotel. I don’t know, I can’t see him and everyone hasn’t spoken to him since we arrived.
As for Domitor and I, we were on opposite sides of the room, feeling too awkward to show affection to each other with my mother just sitting there, looking both pissed and proud at once. It was honestly… a very strange sight.
So I just sat by myself, fidgeting with my sword.
Even so, I could still see Domitor looking at me from time to time, a little smile clear on his face. He was back in his pony form, which seemed to be the one he was most comfortable in when not fighting.
“Hm…” my mother suddenly mumbled out loud, looking right at me as she stood up and walked over, taking a seat before me.
“We need to talk,” she said firmly.
“I guess,” I said with a little shrug, not looking forward to this.
She leaned back and crossed her front legs, frowning at me, “I am heavily disappointed in you. Running off with Kal, hiding everything from us, that’s not how I raised you, Shayla.”
“I know,” I muttered back, ears down as I kept fidgeting with my sword.
“But I will admit,” she said with a little smile, “I'm hella impressed with what you’ve done since then. I listened to the tournament.”
I turned my head to her, a perplexed look on my face, “you did?”
“Mhm,” she said as she reached over and patted my knee, “you did amazingly, even if you came in second.”
“Thanks, mama,” I replied with a tiny smile.
“I’m sorry if I come off as… rough and aggressive sometimes,” she apologized, letting out a deep sigh. “I’m just… not good at being a mother sometimes.” I started to say something, but she held up her hoof. “I’m a damn good leader, and an amazing teacher. I can handle all the horrible shit life has to offer us, and I’ll just move forward with a cocky smile. But… I’ve failed as a mother.”
“You have not failed,” I said back, shaking my head. “I look up to you, mama. I just have trouble… expressing myself to you.”
She smiled a bit sadly at me, “that’s my fault, I’ve pushed you too hard. I’ve treated our relationship like I was your sensei and you were my student.”
“Mama, I’ve never seen it that way,” I assured her, putting my sword aside, “it’s just… I can’t open up to anyone very easily. Even you. I just… like keeping things to myself.” My sight focused on Domitor, as he apparently was the only one I could be myself around.
Somehow, my mother must’ve sensed I was looking at Domitor as she too turned to him, frowning.
“That boy is the son of Lorenzo, Shayla,” she said in a low tone. “I don’t know what kind of bonding you two have undergone, but nothing will change that fact. He can not be trusted.”
“I trust him with my life,” I said firmly, getting her to look back at me. “I know your history with Lorenzo, but Domitor is nothing like his father. He’s a good stallion.”
“I can sense something is up with him,” she countered, narrowing her eye. “He has clear motives towards you, I just can’t tell what they are.”
“You’re putting too much stock in your gut,” I growled, getting upset as we stared at each other. I could see her Soul fluctuating heavily as she went through all kinds of emotions.
“He saved your life?” she asked, “okay, how? How did he save your life?”
I froze.
There was no way I could tell her that…
“Well?” she asked expectantly, eyes locked on me.
“I… mama, please… I can’t tell you,” I mumbled, lowering my head.
She softened her expression as she stared at me, seeming to read me. “Shayla… what happened?”
“Please,” I said with a slight tremble to my voice, “don’t make me tell you…”
She stared at me for a long moment, then her eye went wide. “Oh…” I flinched as I realized she had an idea of what happened, which must have confirmed it for her. “Come here.”
Without hesitation I collapsed forward, falling into her arms as she wrapped me up in a hug, holding me tightly.
I held myself together, but I still let out a few soft whimpers.
“Who was it?” she asked carefully as she rubbed my back.
“... Lenrick…” I forced out, starting to shake violently.
“Who is… Lemon Tape…” she pulled me in tighter, pulling me up into her lap, which would be the first time since I was a child. She just rocked me as I began to openly sob into her neck.
We stayed like that for a while, with her just comforting me as I cried into her.
After I was able to calm down slightly, I forced myself to speak, “mama… nothing happened… thanks to Domitor…”
She turned her head to him, a discountenance look on her face.
“He saved me, mama…” I said, focusing on his soul as he tried to not say anything, just staying on his side of the room.
“Hm…” she kept staring at him. “Didn’t he come with Lorenzo to help him?”
“Yes,” I admitted in a shaky voice. “But he’s not like them…”
“Shayla, he was raised to-”
“I don’t care,” I snapped as I pushed myself out of her lap and stood up before her. “No matter what you think of him, Domitor is an amazing stallion. He is…” I looked at him as he stared right at me. “... my partner.”
This caused my mother’s eye to widen as she stood up, getting chest to chest with me, “he may have saved you, but Shayla, think of the possible ulterior motives he could have for-”
“I love him,” I stated firmly, causing both of them to recoil in shock. “Life sucks, mama, and he makes it suck just a little less. If you don’t approve of him, then fine, but he’s mine, and I’m his.”
She clenched her jaw, her Soul going absolutely crazy as she stared at me.
“I want you to accept him, mama. He’s a good stallion,” I said calmly but firmly. “If you give him a chance, then you’ll see that.”
My mother let out a deep sigh as her Soul seemed to calm slightly. “I can only promise that I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask,” I said with a sigh of relief.
“Just include me more in your life, please,” she reached up and touched my face. “And I’ll try to see things from your point of view.”
I pulled her into another hug, causing both of us to relax into one another.
Domitor stood on his side of the room, his soul pulsating quickly as he looked right at me, tears running down his face.
Breaking the hug with my mother, I quickly moved across the room, zeroing in on him. He yelped as I suddenly swept him off his hooves and held him close to me, squeezing him tightly as I buried my face into his neck.
It took him a moment before he wrapped his own legs around my neck and returned the hug, his hot tears streaming down onto my face.
“I love you, Domitor,” I whispered into his ear, feeling a bit excited to be saying those words.
“I love you too, Shayla,” he said back, his voice shaking harder than mine had been.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 308 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-16T21:00:13+00:00
|
2023-01-17T21:16:43+00:00
| 249 |
Chapter 74
Earlier
Floria and Vanilla stepped into their hotel room, both clearly exhausted after the day they’d just had to endure.
“Ah fuck yeah,” Floria exclaimed as she saw the luxury food bar set up for them. “Food!”
“Floria,” Vanilla said quietly as Floria rushed to the food and began to eat like she hadn’t eaten in years.
“This shit is amazing, you should try it, Vans!” she exclaimed, stuffing her face.
“Floria,” Vanilla said again, sitting down on the bed.
“I mean it’s not as good as your food, but fuck me is it good!”
“I’m so sorry,” Vanilla whispered, causing Floria to slump her shoulders and drop the food back to the table.
She turned to Vanilla, a pained look on her face, “there’s nothing for you to be sorry about. It's not like anything actually happened after all.”
“It’s my fault Cocoa was able to-”
“Geez, Vans, shhhh,” Floria said as she flew to her side, putting her hands on Vanilla’s shoulders. “Get that stupid idea out of your head, I’m the one who knocked you out and took your place. She just ended up being a lot more loco than I planned for.”
Vanilla reached up and placed a hand on Floria’s face, rubbing the side of her faceplate with her thumb, “I just… hate that you had to deal with her… did she put a-”
“Yeah, she used a lightbulb on me,” Floria said with a forced laugh. “It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.” She then frowned as she stared into Vanilla’s eyes, the thought that she had to live with that hurting her.
“You should’ve let me get taken, then you wouldn’t have-” she started to say, but Floria placed a finger on her mouth.
“Shh, Vans,” she said sweetly, rubbing her thumb across her lips gently, “I told you I wasn’t going to let her touch you again, and I meant that.”
Vanilla’s heart fluttered as a warm feeling overtook her, “Floria… did you mean what you said earlier? Your feelings towards me…”
“I did,” she confirmed, causing Vanilla to smile up at her cutely. At this angle she could see the scars in the other woman’s mouth. She stood up straight as she kept her hand on Vanilla’s face, giving her a confident smile, “you’re never going to suffer again, Vanilla. I promise.”
“You can’t promise that,” she replied softly as she raised her bandaged broken hand, giving a little smile. “Life is against me, no matter what I do. I’m just a fai-”
“I’m going to make your life so amazing that you will never be able to put yourself down again,” Floria interrupted her, stepping into her so that she was now standing between Vanilla’s legs.
This caused Vanilla to gasp a bit, as she wasn’t used to anything like this. She’d only read fairy tales about romance, but actually being in the middle of it was not how she’d expected it to be. But she liked it.
Floria rubbed her thumb against Vanilla’s lips again, gently using it to open her mouth so she could see the scars within. “You deserve to be happy, Vanilla. You are the sweetest, nicest, and most genuine person I know.”
A little gasp escaped Vanilla’s mouth as Floria gently held it open, their eyes locked. Her heart was going crazy, her body trembling slightly.
Acting on instinct, she scooted forward a bit so that their waists were pressed together. “I-I… I love you, Floria,” she said softly, the trembling increasing so much that it was visible now.
Floria gently pushed her backwards and climbed up on top of her, putting her face inches above Vanilla’s, “love ya too, Vanilla.” She then leaned down and began to kiss her tenderly on the lips, being careful not to push her too far.
But it was Vanilla who grabbed Floria’s hips and squeezed hard as she pushed into the kiss, filling it with passion as they noisily made out.
Eventually Floria broke the kiss and leaned back, staring down lovingly at Vanilla as they both took heavy breathes. “Whoa… I didn’t expect you to take the lead like that, Vans.”
Her blush grew as she grinded her hips up into Floria’s, “I’m going to do something, just… don’t laugh at me.”
“No promises,” Floria winked at her with a wide smile.
Taking a shaky breath, Vanilla used her Vacuole to remove her shirt, now laying beneath the other women topless.
“Oh…” Floria gasped lightly, face burning as she stared down at Vanilla’s small breast.
“Yeah,” Vanilla mumbled back, lips trembling as she stared into Floria’s eyes.
She raised a hand and cupped one, causing the other woman to jerk suddenly.
“I’m okay,” Vanilla assured her, “please… continue.”
Floria obliged her as she gave her nipple a light squeeze, “Vans, are you wanting to…”
“I think I am…” Vanilla answered as she reached up and ran her own hand down Floria’s body. “Do you want to?”
To answer her, Floria removed her own clothes, now completely nude atop Vanilla.
She let out a little whimper as she stared up at the shorter woman's nude body as her breasts were fondled. Floria began to grind herself into Vanilla’s belly, enjoying the expressions that the woman beneath her was making.
“You’re so fucking adorable, Vancilly,” she said as she got a bit to into grinding against the other woman, her tail flickering around behind herself.
Vanilla’s own pants disappeared, leaving both of them nude now. “You’re one to talk,” she said softly as she reached up and grabbed Floria by the faceplate and pulled her down roughly, connecting their lips together yet again.
This surprised Floria, as she thought she’d be the one in charge, but she wasn’t complaining as the other woman took full control, flipping them over so that she was on top.
“You’re mine,” Vanilla declared, causing Floria’s breath to catch in her throat. “And I am yours,” she said sweetly as her hand trailed down Floria’s chest and stomach, going lower as she placed her hand over it, causing a cute little gasp to escape the Kejtdra’s lips.
With a little sly smile, she entered the shorter woman with her fingers, causing her to moan loudly.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Where are you going, honey?” my mother asked as I suddenly jumped up and ran for the door to the room.
“I need air!” I yelped, face burning as I ripped the door open and took off running down the hall, away from our rooms.
I have found a down side of Virtue Sight, I can see into other rooms. And I’d just seen WAY TOO MUCH of Floria and Vanilla getting… intimate. I thought they were just messing around at first, then I could clearly see…
Pushing that thought aside as my face burned hotter, I just ran, planning to wait outside for a while. They can’t take that long, can they?
ooo000<^>000ooo
Hours later
“Shayla?” my mom asked as she returned to the hotel, seeing me just sitting in the lobby by myself.
“Oh, hey mom,” I said sheepishly as I read a random magazine. “Did you find anything out?”
“I did,” she answered as she raised an eyebrow, “why are you down here, alone?”
“Oh, just wanted some air,” I lied, not wanting to tell her that every time I try to return to the room, I can still see those two going at it. They’re just not letting up!
“Well come on, I have good news,” she said as she waved for me to follow her.
It’d been an hour since the last time I checked, so surely they were done now.
So I jumped up and followed after her.
However, as soon as we neared our room and theirs came into sight, I saw that they were in fact still going at it. Not as aggressively or passionate now, but they were still… playing around.
“Fuckin’ hell,” I muttered, taking a few steps back so that they faded out of view.
“Come on, sweetie” my mom asked as she opened the door, looking back at me.
“Eh… I’ll be along shortly,” I said, starting to head back.
“Shayla, listen to your mom and get in here,” my mother said a bit sternly as she peered out of the room.
I started to say something, but her glare forced me to listen and walk in. I’d just have to block their room out…
And I’ve realized that is impossible.
So I just stepped into the room and sat down next to Domitor, blushing as I couldn’t not focus on the actions taking place in the other room.
“Are you okay?” Domitor asked quietly as he leaned next to me.
“Uh…” I muttered, shrugging, “I’m good. I’m just seeing something I don’t want to.”
“It can’t be that bad,” he teased, poking my side.
“Oh yeah?” I said as I pulled a cable out from behind my ear and connected it to his head, forcing him to see what I was seeing. “Not so bad, huh?”
A perplexed look over took his face, “what? They’re just… oh… OH!” He tried to pull the cable out, but I grabbed him and held him firm.
“Nuh uh! If I have to endure this, so do you, fucker!” I exclaimed, getting weird looks from my parents.
As we wrestled with each other, my mom chuckled.
“I guess we should wait till morning, so the other two will be here as well.”
My mother just watched me and Domitor fight with each other, looking a bit confused and uncomfortable. “... that would probably be for the best.”
“I believe we need our own room,” my mom said, winking at my mother.
“You know, I like that idea, babe,” my mother said quietly.
I stopped fighting as I turned my head to them, mouth hanging open. They were giving each other… the look.
Oh fuck me, this shit is not happening.
“Guys wait,” I said suddenly, letting Domitor get away from me as I stood up.
Both of my parents stopped at the door, looking back at me with raised eyebrows.
“I’m just going to warn you, my new sight lets me see things through walls… so you know… keep things PG.”
“Our own daughter telling us when and where to bang?” Mallogory chuckled as she continued out the door. “We’ll get a room FAR from this one, do not fear my, sweet summer child.”
“Is that why you ran earlier?” my mother asked with a smirk, “are those other two bumping uglies?”
Spark slowly slinked out of the room upon hearing this, seeming to want to avoid the conversation completely.
“You two are so crude sometimes,” I muttered as they both laughed and left us alone in the room.
Domitor shook his head as he moved back to the table he’d been drawing at, sighing loudly. “I really did not need to see that.”
“Yeah, well I’m STILL seeing it, so consider yourself lucky,” I groaned as I flopped onto the bed, using my Vacuole to remove my clothes and slide under the covers.
But as I lay there, I realized something. How do I sleep with this shit turned on?!
“Just will it to turn off,” the Watcher said, causing me to growl a bit.
‘You could’ve said that hours ago!’
“You didn’t ask,” he replied simply, and I could swear I heard a bit of smugness to his voice.
Doing as he said, I found I could indeed turn the Virtue Sight off, rather easily actually… I could’ve avoided seeing so much shit if he’d just said this earlier!
ooo000<^>000ooo
The next morning
“Good morning, friends!” Vanilla exclaimed as she and Floria entered our room, a little pep in their steps.
I let out a groan as they woke me up, turning my vision on to see them. “What time is it?”
“Early,” was the only answer I got from Floria as she stood there in her normal clothing, a wide grin on her face.
Domitor grunted, but did not wake up as he held me firmly, his arms wrapped around my chest.
“You two look happy,” I muttered, trying to avoid giving away I knew about their actions last night.
“Oh, you know, just good things going on,” Floria chuckled, bumping Vanilla’s hip with hers.
I forced a chuckle out, giving them a thumbs up, “you two got a lot of stamina, I’ll give ya that.”
They both stared at me blankly, then Floria began to laugh.
“You can see through the wall!”
Vanilla yelped as she blushed and hid behind Floria, who was just laughing her ass off.
“No!” I yelled back, waking up Domitor. “I… eh…”
“That’s hilarious!” Floria exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Vanilla, who was still blushing like mad. “Isn’t it, Vanbelly?”
“It’s horrifying, I was so…”
“Aggressive?” I finished, causing her to groan and collapse onto the ground.
“My life is over…”
“Ah stop being so dramatic, Vancouver,” Floria chuckled as she walked past our bed and began to raid our food bar. “So what’s the plan for today?”
“Well,” I said as I jumped out of bed as Domitor rolled over, clearly wanting to stay in bed, “my mom says she has good news. So I guess we hear that, then figure out how to get into Denmor.”
“Shayla, I think we’re overlooking a certain point,” Domitor mumbled from the bed. “I talked with your mother last night when you weren’t in the room. She says there’s a lockdown on this dimension for a little while, but once it ends, she can get us out of here with her dimensional dagger.”
I blinked at him, disappointed I hadn’t thought of that. “So… do we need to climb the tree?”
“I’d say no,” he answered, covering his head with a pillow.
“So what are we doing then?” I asked aloud.
“Leaving the city, that’s what we’re doing,” my mother suddenly said from the doorway as my parents and Spark entered the room.
“Why?” I asked, confused as to why we’d need to leave.
“Because you’ve made a lot of friends who want you dead,” my mom said with a chuckle, “not to mention Lorenzo still being out there.”
I frowned, but gave a nod. “You said you had good news last night?”
“I did,” she confirmed as they walked further into the room, “we do not need to climb to the top of the tree.”
“Okay, then what are we doing?” I asked, a bit thrown for a loop since this all went against the plan I’d had since I arrived here.
“Nothing at all,” my mother said as she leaned against the wall, crossing her forelegs. “This dimension is apparently on lockdown, meaning we can’t leave even if we do go to the top of the tree and find whatever item is up there. So the best course of action is to leave this hellhole of a city and wait till the lockdown is lifted.”
“How long is that going to take?” I asked with a grimace, not liking the idea of just waiting around.
“We do not know,” she admitted with a shrug. “But we don’t have much choice in the matter. As soon as the lockdown is lifted we’ll be able to leave with this,” she held up a dimensional dagger… MY dimensional dagger.
Now is probably not the best time to ask for that back…
I looked at my friends, seeing they also looked a bit unsure about all this. We had a plan: Go to the top of the tree, leave Eris. But now we’re being told we do not need to do that.
I don’t know how to feel about that, but I do know I do not like the idea of just waiting. ADHD will eat me alive, that’s for sure.
“We just need to find a place to hunker down,” Spark added.
My brain actually made a connection that brought a smile to my face. “I actually know of a place outside of the city.”
Everyone looked at me as I stood there smiling brightly.
“Perfect then,” my mother said, giving me an approving nod. “Anywhere we need to stop first?”
“Yeah, my apartment,” Floria answered as she put away some food into her Vacuole. “That’s it, right?”
“Right,” I nodded, rubbing my chin. “What about my grandparents?”
“They’re coming too,” my mother confirmed, “we’re all leaving this place.”
“What about Talio?” I asked, not really wanting him to come, but he was kinda hanging around us.
“... I’ve tried to run him off, but that’s nearly impossible since I can’t even touch him,” my mom said, getting a groan out of my mother.
“He’s a tag along it seems,” she muttered, shaking her head as she looked at me. “So there’s nothing else you need here?”
“Nah,” I answered as I looked at my friend's Souls, a little smile on my face. “I already got everything I need from this place.”
End of Act 2
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 309 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-18T02:50:30+00:00
|
2023-01-18T02:50:30+00:00
| 261 |
Chapter 75
Act 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF_qbaWt3Q
“Here, ma’am?” the Inquisitor asked as he floated a large box into Strawell’s living room, letting out a grunt as he dropped it onto the ground.
“Yes, Jenkins, that will do nicely,” she replied as she eyed the box, her mouth in a thin line across her face.
“If you don’t mind me asking, Chief,” the stallion began, wiping sweat from his forehead, “but why did you request all the files related to the Bronies captured on the first day?”
“I have a hunch that could lead to a massive arrest,” she answered vaguely, causing him to nod. “It’s probably nothing, but we’re leaving no stone unturned.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You may head back to the station now, Jenkins,” she said as she moved around the box, waiting for him to leave before opening it.
The stallion gave her a salute and took his leave.
Once he was gone, she cracked open the large crate and stared down at all the files that filled the box. While most would see this and be filled with dread at the amount of information they’d have to shift through, she just saw a fun challenge.
Things were not adding up. What she knew of the King and his Apostles was limited, but she’d been convinced of what he was selling. But now, after the most recent encounter she had with the rebels, she wasn’t so convinced now.
She didn’t know if the answers she was seeking were within this box, but it was the best starting place for her.
Grabbing the first file, she felt a sense of dread, hoping her instincts were wrong this time around.
ooo000<^>000ooo
The Next Day
Louie jumped through the portal and spun around to wave goodbye to the Inquisitor's who were chasing him.
“Thanks for the free shit, guys!” he laughed as the portal snapped shut in their faces.
He adjusted the bag on his back and began to head for the main chamber where he knew Nova would be. A few of the others were milling about, either getting ready to head out or just getting back like him.
“Oh shit you got it?” Dude asked as Louie walked by him and Nightstreak talking outside the kitchen area.
“Oh I got it alright,” Louie laughed, giving the bag a little shake. “They practically gave it to me.”
“Right on, bro!” Nightstreak cheered.
The moment Louie stepped into the main chamber of the Enforcer’s Order Hall, he saw Nova and Roxxy going over things by the hologram projector. Nova turned to him as he entered, a wide smile over taking her face as she saw him carrying the bag.
“I presume that’s what I think it is?”
“It is indeed!” he confirmed as he placed the bag down on a table. “It wasn’t easy breaking into the Inquisitor's Evidence Compound, but damn there was some nice shit in there.”
He removed the item as the other two walked up, excited looks on their faces.
“This is a major leap forward for us,” Nova said as Louie placed the item down on the table, smiling proudly.
“It’s encrypted though,” Louie added.
“Nightstreak can break it,” Roxxy assured him, but he shook his head.
“I don’t think so, the Inquisitor's were working on it as well, but there’s a spell on it that’s locking it down. Feels like that witch’s magic.”
“Lilith,” Roxxy muttered, frowning. “That explains why this hasn’t been destroyed yet. If they knew what was on this, they wouldn’t be following Champion.”
“It does raise the question though,” Nova said as she rubbed her chin, “if this is so damning, why would Lilith, his second in command and advisor, place a spell on it? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to just destroy it?”
“Who knows?” Louie said with a shrug, patting the device. “All that matters is we got it and all we gotta do is break the spell. Then boom, goodbye love and admiration for King dickhead.”
Nova gave a nod, staring at the device. “This device holds all the CCTV footage from the city, I’m sure it caught everything that happened that day.”
“We’re basically holding the nuke that’ll win the war,” Louie chuckled.
“Take this to Twilight, she should be recovered and out of medical by now,” Nova said firmly, “and get Nightstreak as well. They can work together on this.”
Louie gave a salute and put the device back in the bag, taking his leave.
“Looks like we’re getting close to the end, huh?” Roxxy asked, getting a deep sigh out of Nova.
“It would seem that way,” she replied as she turned back to the hologram projector, “Just, is it his end, or ours?”
ooo000<^>000ooo
I sat on the bench, breathing heavily after my morning workout. My Ego wasn’t fully back yet, but I could definitely feel it now. I could at least perform the majority of my abilities now.
Using my Virtue Sight, I could see everyone around me doing their own thing. We had left the city far behind and gone to the one place I knew was safe. Raffy’s house.
To my surprise he was very welcoming of all of us after I explained what’d happened since we’d last seen one another. So now we had a safe place to just sit around and wait at. Of course, this shit was killing me.
I’d rather fight Leem again rather than just sit around for an unknown amount of time waiting for a lockdown to life. Bleh.
“Shayla,” Rosemary suddenly said as she appeared before me, startling me.
“Rosemary!” I yelped, a massive goofy smile sliding onto my face, “I’ve missed the shit out of-”
“Get him out,” she said sternly, “put the Watcher back in his vial. I will not share the same space as him.”
Well shit.
“Erm… can’t you just get along with him?” I asked lamely, causing her to scoff.
“You may be able to forgive him for his heinous crimes, but not me,” she growled as the Watcher chuckled in my mind.
“Come now, Rosey, we can get along, can’t we?” he mocked, causing her to rage even more as she clenched her fist.
“He is responsible for untold deaths, Shayla! He values life as much as a cat values a mouse! Put him back in the vial, now!”
“But,” I muttered, grimacing, “he’s the one who figured out how to kill Leem… I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“Yes, very cool,” she snapped harshly, “but that does NOT absolve him of his past sins!”
“People change,” I countered.
“Not him,” she replied coldly.
“She is right, I’m still the same being I was when I was defeated,” the Watcher chuckled. “My views have not changed.”
I rubbed my face, not wanting to deal with this, “Rosemary, he’s not going back in the vial. And Watcher, be nice.”
“Impossible,” she muttered as she crossed her arms. “He is literally telling you he’s unchanged and will not change. How can you still treat him this way?”
“Because,” I started, not actually sure myself, “he might change?”
“Very optimistic,” he commented, clearly entertained by all this.
I started to say something, but an idea hit me, “know what? We’re changing your name.”
“We are not,” he said firmly.
“Your name is now…” I began to rack my brain, thinking hard.
“If we’re changing my name, let ANYONE else name me. Not you,” he deadpanned, but I ignored him.
A lot of good names went through my head; TimTam, BillcoMop, LookyMan, or even Blinky. But I decided to fall back on something a bit more fitting for him, “you’re a lot like a cool villain from Dragon Ball Z, so from now on, you’re Buu.”
“Buu? You’re naming me after a fat blob?” he asked as Rosemary laughed.
“Yeah!” I exclaimed proudly, “he goes from being the big evil guy to being a friendly guy who loves puppies!”
“I absolutely hate puppies,” he deadpanned.
“I know you’ll come around, Buu,” I said with a wide smile.
"Existence is torture,” he muttered, much to Rosemary’s enjoyment.
I gasped as I realized something, “that would make me Mr. Satan! Fuck yeah!”
“You are Satan, I will not argue that,” he said as I stood up, pumping my fist.
“She’s not smart enough to realize that is an insult,” Rosemary commented, shaking her head.
“Now!” I began, “you two will get along, just like Buu and Goku.”
“Does she really use this ‘Dragon Ball Z’ as the main reference point for her life?” the Watcher, now Buu, asked.
“Yep, if I’m stuck with you, then you’re going to have to get used to it,” Rosemary answered, shaking her head.
Smiling proudly, I opened my menu, wanting to see what had happened while…
My eyes went wide as I saw that not only had I leveled up, I’d gained a LOT of skill points. But even more shocking was how much excess Ego I had.
Level: 18
Ego power: 6
Excess Ego: ∞
Unused Points: 245
“Fuck me…” I muttered in complete shock.
“Leem was a Milestone quest, and not only that he had more excess Ego within him than I believe anyone in existence. He was known as the Dimension Eater after all,” Rosemary explained.
“That’s… fucking badass,” I said, unsure of how to spend my points.
“But now you need to get to level twenty,” she advised, “because you’ll gain access to a part of the Gear Shop that has Egonetic upgrades in it.”
“Okay, but why does that matter?” I asked, shrugging at her.
“... because,” she said after a moment of silence, “you can get Optical Implants, which will replace your lost eyes.”
“Oh…” I said sheepishly. “Guess I just gotta wait till we get home to complete that milestone quest, huh?”
“Yes, so just relax till then,” she said, but I just smiled as I saw my mother at the edge of my vision doing her own training with Spark.
“Nah, not my style,” I said as I jumped up and began to walk towards them, planning to join their training sessions.
ooo000<^>000ooo
A low hum sounded through the large room, filled with rows of cocoons made of red energy. Each one had a pony within it, unconscious. The cocoons seemed to be slowly siphoning energy out of the ponies within them, sending it all to the center of the room where a semi-large cube sat.
It pulsated every few seconds as energy was pumped into it.
Lilith stood next to the cube, watching it intently.
There was a pop as a portal opened, followed by Richard stepping into the chamber, hands behind his back.
“Yes, Mr. Bourdages?” Lilith said with a sigh as she turned to him as he strolled towards her.
“Champion has begun to go off plan,” he said flatly as he came to a stop right before her.
“I knew he would eventually,” she said, seeming unfazed, “how exactly is he going off plan?”
“He’s stopped focusing on gathering Bronies, and instead is focusing on playing King,” he answered as he looked at the cube, feeling the power pulsating off of it.
“There was no avoiding that,” she muttered, reaching out and patting the cube. “As long as those Inquisitors keep doing their job, then it doesn’t matter. Champion can play his games, as long as he does not interfere with the gathering.”
“And if he stops playing and starts interfering?”
She looked at him, smiling as she tapped her horn, “then he’ll get to spend an eternity in a special little place, made just for him.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Champion strolled down his palace hallway, head held high as his Royal assistant struggled to keep up with him.
“Griffonstone and Yakyakistan have both declined your offer to join your glorious kingdom,” the slightly terrified pony said as he ran alongside the strong and opposing Alicorn.
“A mistake on their part, I will speak to them directly,” Champion said casually, clearly not upset with this news. He knew they’d fall in line very soon, just as everyone else will.
“Very good, my lord,” the stallion replied, flipping his notes around, “we also have a few Hippogriff dignitaries coming from Seaquestria in two days.”
“Excellent,” Champion said with a firm nod, “make sure everything is set up.”
“Yes, my lord,” the stallion said as he gave a bow, then quickly chased after the King.
Champion gave him a hard stare, stopping him in his tracks, “now.”
The stallion’s eyes went wide as he came to a stop and gave another bow, “my fault, my lord!” He then took off running for another part of the palace, leaving Champion alone.
Grumbling to himself, he continued on his way, heading for his personal chambers.
Upon stepping into the room, his beloved wife and Queen rushed to him, wrapping her legs around his neck.
“My love!” Azure Moon exclaimed, kissing at his cheek, “I hope your day has been great!”
“It just started,” he said coldly back, but she just kept hugging and kissing him.
“Do you need me to do anything, my love?” she asked, when he didn’t respond, she gave a nod. “Bed?”
“No, once a day,” he answered, stepping out of her embrace and heading to his wardrobe, planning to change into a different attire. “Stay,” he commanded as she tried to follow him.
She came to a halt, waiting patiently for him to tell her what to do next.
As he started to undress, he looked at his wife, eying her up and down. Maybe he did have time for…
He stopped as his eyes and senses picked up something within her body, causing him to stop what he was doing and turn to her fully.
“Yes, my love?” she asked excitedly.
“You’re pregnant,” he said with no emotion.
“Are we happy about that?” she asked, cocking her head. “Or are we aborting?”
He frowned at the straight forwardness of her words, but he sighed. “I am undecided. Do not mention it till I say otherwise.”
“Yes, my love!”
With that, he went back to changing, his mind focusing on the Hippogriff dignitaries and how to woo them.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-01-19T12:45:11+00:00
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2023-01-19T12:45:11+00:00
| 281 |
Chapter 76
Later
Louie and Nightstreak stepped into the house at the end of the street, being careful not to startle its owner.
“Twilight?” Nightstreak called out as they walked further into the house.
No answer came.
“Hey Twi, it’s Louie and Nightstreak,” Louie yelled, turning a corner to find Twilight laying on a couch, just staring at the wall.
“Oh, hi, Louie. Nightstreak,” she muttered, not even looking at them.
Being careful, Louie walked over and knelt down next to her, holding up the device for her to see, “we got it.”
This got her attention as she snapped her head to it, “you have it?!”
He smiled at her reaction, glad to finally see her showing emotions. She’d been depressed since Lance was taken, and her being mortally wounded did not help.
“We need your help,” he said, causing her to raise an eyebrow, “there’s a spell lock on it, and you’re the only one here who could figure it out.”
“Hmm,” she muttered as she sat up and took the Device from him with her magic, flipping open the console on its side. Her horn flared as she began to analyze the device. “Oh… oh… hmm…”
“What is it?” Nightstreak asked, stepping up to look at the console.
“This magical encryption is from Lilith, I can clearly feel her magic, but… it’s so simple,” she said, a perplexed look on her face.
“What does that mean?” the stallion asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It means,” she began, shaking her head, “that I’ll have this cracked by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Shit, really?” he exclaimed, looking at Louie with an excited smile.
“Right on time for those special guests he’s supposed to have stopping by,” Louie said with a sly grin, stroking his mustache.
Twilight tapped her chin as she looked up at them, “I think we will need a third person to help though, because the computer encryptions itself will be a lot more to handle than the spell part.”
“Trust me, I can handle this shit easily,” Nightstreak chuckled, but she shook her head at him.
“You are amazing with computer’s, Nightstreak, but a second expert will speed things up,” she countered.
He shrugged, “you’re right. But there’s no one else in this safe dimension that can help us.”
“There is one,” she said, getting a confused look in response. But after a moment, Nightstreak’s eyes widened.
“Oh come on, not her, she’s… weird,” he groaned, causing Louie to laugh.
“I’ll go get her!” Louie exclaimed as he jumped up and ran for the door, laughing loudly.
“I’d rather just struggle against this alone than work with her,” he complained, but Twilight just shrugged at him.
“You’ll be fine, Nightstreak, so play nice,” she said as she got up to take the device to another room.
“Play nice…” he muttered, sighing loudly as he followed after her.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Louie stepped back into the house, a smirk on his face as he saw Nightstreak sitting at the kitchen table. “And here we are, Babel Yarn, the new Greenfield residence.”
“Oh God…” Nightstreak groaned as the mare stepped into the house, eyes wide as she looked around.
“Wow! So this is Lance Greenfield's house?!” she asked excitedly.
“Nah, just Twilight’s, since ya know, Lance has been captured,” Louie answered, still smirking as he watched Nightstreak’s reactions.
“Still cool though!” she said as she walked further into the room, smiling right at Nightstreak. “Hi, Nightstreak! I haven’t seen you since school let out!”
“Hi, Babel,” he muttered, giving her a wave. He’d always thought she was weird, as she was massively obsessed with Lance and Scamp’s books. She annoyed him greatly, as she’s always going on and on about the books, or her own little universe she’s creating for roleplay purposes.
Her attire also annoyed him, as she wore a hoodie that had some kind of custom ‘Living the Dream’ art on it, based on Scamp’s book. She just NEVER took that off. Her glasses did not help her not look like a dork either, as she’d been bullied throughout the years for her weird obsession with ‘Living the Dream’. Also did not help she’d drop random trivia into conversations…
“I’m so excited to help with this Brony rebellion stuff!” She exclaimed excitedly, starting to bounce in place, “this is just like Scamp’s original timeline with an evil monarch trying to do away with Bronies and their kin! Which means-”
“Okay okay, welcome aboard, Babel,” Nightstreak interrupted, not up for another of her long winded spiels.
“You two have fun playing computer nerds,” Louie chuckled as he backed out the door. “Me? I got some Inquisitor ass to kick. Ciao!”
Once he was gone, Babel Yarn turned back to Nightstreak, smiling widely, “do you think Twilight will talk about Lance’s book with me?”
“... I’d say no, since you know, she’s currently depressed about him being kidnapped,” Nightstreak said, shaking his head at her.
“Ah yeah yeah! Good point!” she said, nodding her head quickly as she adjusted her glasses. “So what are we doing exactly? Louie just said you needed my help with a computer?”
Letting out another sigh, he just shrugged, “we just need someone else who’s good with computers… and you’re the only other one we got apparently.”
“Oh!” she laughed, smiling widely, “then you got the right mare! I’ve been in love with this technology since it came into existence! I’m even developing my own game! It’s based in my own world, where-”
“Babel, please, stay on track,” he said in a strained voice.
“Sorry sorry!” she chucked sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head before resuming her happy appearance, “so! What are we cracking? What’s the end goal here?!”
“We’re just trying to get into the black box for the town's CCTV system, so we can prove to the entire world that Champion is a horrible bastard,” he explained, watching as she wrote everything he said down in a notebook.
“Okay, got it. We’re breaking the encryption so we can access the CCTV footage and then release it to the world. Do we know what he’s done yet? Or will it be revealed when we see the video?” she asked, looking up from her notes.
“Eh… yeah, we have a really good idea. He’s killed a lot of innocents, and apparently… eh… took advantage of a mare,” he said, getting a bit awkward near the end.
“Ah, Champion raped a mare?” she asked, making a few notes as she clicked her tongue, “a classic LTD plot right there.” Then her eyes went wide and she gasped loudly, “wait! Will we be in a LTD book now?!”
“I can’t do this shit,” Nightstreak groaned as he rubbed his face. “You know this is a real mare we’re talking about, right? Not a character in one of your stupid books.”
Her ears folded down as she put her notebook away, “eh… yeah I’m sorry. My mind just works weirdly sometimes…”
He sighed again, “it’s fine. Just don’t mention anything like this to Twilight right now, okay?”
“I can try!” she said, giving him a sloppy salute.
“Geez, come on,” he said as he waved for her to follow him into the next room where Twilight was currently working on the device.
Babel Yarn quickly followed after him, getting a bit giddy as she realized she was getting to help the main characters from her book with a mission!
ooo000<^>000ooo
“They’ll be done by tomorrow?” Nova asked, shock clear in her voice.
“Yep,” Louie answered, leaning back in his chair. “Putting the best ponies on the job means it gets done fast.”
“Then that moves up our plans,” she muttered, making a few marks on the paper before herself. “That gives us two days to be ready to end this.”
“Sweet,” he said with a grin.
“Which means your workload just increased, Lou,” she said, giving him a sly grin.
“Ah fuck, yeah saw that one coming,” he groaned, rubbing his face. “Screw it, throw it all on me. I’ll make sure it’s all done before the deadline.”
“I know we can count on you, Louie,” she said as she slid a folder over to him. “Everything you need to know is in that folder.”
He snatched it up and flipped it open, scanning the contents. “Hmm… yeah this’ll be a doozy.”
“All resources will be funneled towards you, so do whatever you need to do,” she said as she lifted up another folder and began to walk away. “Good luck, Luke.”
“You too, Nova,” he said with a little wave as he continued to examine the folder.
“Shits about to get crazy…” he muttered, an excited smile sliding onto his face.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Chief?” the receptionist asked as Strawell stepped into the lobby of the Inquisitor's Headquarters. “I thought you were taking a few days off?”
“Change of plans,” she said sternly, walking past him as she headed for her office.
“Oh, well, you had a visitor earlier,” he called after her, causing her to turn her head to him. “It was a young stallion, but he wouldn’t tell me what he needed you for.”
“I see,” she replied, turning to continue on her way. “Send his info to my office computer.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
She made her way through the halls, getting greetings from all of her subordinates as they saw her walk past. But she did not engage outside of returning the greeting, as her mind was elsewhere.
As soon as she stepped into her office she closed the blinds and locked the door, making her way to her desk. She sat down and turned the computer on, her mouth in a straight line.
The files she’d spent the last day going over made no sense. They focus on the arrest of the Bronies, but not a single one of them include where they were taken. Officially, she’s been told they’re being taken to a special dimension to keep them in check. Which made sense to her, as putting them away in a different dimension meant they couldn’t be broken out as easily. But she does not have access to this dimension, and when she asked earlier, she was told to not ‘worry about it’.
But even more unsettling for her was looking into Champion himself. Taking a step back and looking at this situation from an outsider's perspective, it quickly became worrying. His actions went against the image he liked to be presented.
The words of Nightmare and that Brony dogman rang through her head constantly, as the more she looked into it, the less sense it all made.
Shaking her head, she clicked on her email, scrolling through all the messages she’d received. She started with the most recent one, which had just come in from the receptionist.
The contents of the message caused her to raise an eyebrow. “Hmmm, interesting…” she muttered, not knowing why one of Val’s men would be coming to her like this. She’d need to pay them a visit it seems.
“Chief!” someone yelled from outside her door, trying to enter but unable to due to the lock. “Chief!”
Sighing, she stood up and walked over to the door, opening it and staring at the young panicked Inquisitor.
“Yes, private?”
“The dogman has been sighted!” he exclaimed, causing her eyes to widen slightly.
“Thank you, private,” she said as she walked past him, heading for the front.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Whew, hell of a work out, guys,” Louie chuckled as he stretched his arms, the seven unconscious Inquisitors laying around him. He hadn’t expected to run into them this early, as he hasn’t even entered the actual building yet.
With a grunt he jumped over the prone stallions and landed right at the door to the building. Adjusting his jacket with a large smile, he raised a foot and kicked the door open.
There was no one within, as they’d probably all run away at the sight of him fighting the Inquisitor's outside. No worries, he wasn’t here for them. All he needed were the servers in the back, so the less obstacles the better.
In a carefree manner, he strolled down the hallway, whistling as he read the plaques on each door. It didn’t take him long to reach the server room, a smile appearing on his face.
“Bingo,” he said aloud as he kicked this door open as well, stepping into the empty room, eyes on the massive server towers around him.
This was just one of the many steps they’d need to complete for their plans to work.
Pulling a small computer-like device out of his pocket dimension, he stepped over to the servers, looking for an access point. Once he’d found one, he connected the little computer to the servers.
The screen flashed a few times before a dialogue box popped up.
‘Upload contents?’
He clicked yes, causing the computer to start flashing over and over again as it injected a program into the servers, courtesy of Nightstreak. This would give them unrestricted access to the ENTIRE network, which would allow them to broadcast anything they wanted, but only once. The moment they used this, the admins of the network would become aware of the program and will quickly remove it.
But that’s fine, if things went as planned, then this would all be finished in just two days.
After a few minutes the computer flashed green, turning itself off.
“A little too easy,” he chuckled as he disconnected the computer and put it away. Then just as casually as he’d entered, he began to walk out of the building, whistling loudly.
Upon stepping outside however, he found himself face to face with the head Inquisitor herself, a glare on her face.
“We meet yet again, Chief,” he laughed, tilting his head back with a smirk as he stared right at Strawell. He glanced around, seeing no one else in the area, “where’s the cavalry?”
“I’m bringing you in on my own,” she said firmly.
“Yeah, not happening, we’ve been over this, lady,” he replied, stroking his mustache.
“I’ve looked into what you told me,” she said carefully, narrowing her eyes. “I’d like for you to allow yourself to be arrested so we can do this properly.”
“If I get arrested, then I will be taken to an undisclosed location, so nah, I’m good,” he chuckled as he began to stretch, getting ready to face her yet again.
“I personally guarantee that if you turn yourself in, I will make sure you stay in my custody, no one else's,” she assured him, trying to handle this situation correctly.
But Louie did not respond this time as he just stared her down, making his stance clear.
“Answer this question then,” she began, glaring at him, “did Nova really help the Bronies kill the Princesses?”
Louie just let out an exaggerated laugh at this, “the fact you still think Bronies are responsible for the death of the Princesses tells me all I need to know. If you arrest me, then I'm as good as dead. So let’s drop the banter and get to fighting.”
“Stop,” she ordered sternly. “Tell me exactly what you-”
“Excellent work, Strawell, you’ve tracked down the dog boy,” Val exclaimed as he suddenly appeared next to her, a sinister smile on his face as Louie’s eyes went wide behind his shutter shades.
“I have this handled, Val,” Strawell stated as she looked up at him. “This arrest is Inquisitor-”
“Silence, Chief,” he said with a chuckle, eyes locked with Louie’s. “We’re not arresting him. He’s too dangerous and offensive to be left alive.”
“We are not killing anyone,” Strawell growled, heart rate picking up as she stared at the large unicorn beside her.
“Not your choice, I’m afraid,” he replied with a large smile as he began to advance on Louie.
“So you want to go toe to toe with me?” Louie asked as he began to walk towards the approaching Val, “big mistake, pal.”
“Is that so?” Val asked as his form shifted into his demon form.
The two clashed together, hitting each other with as much force as they could muster. However, neither showed signs of being affected by the hits, as Val seemed to be copying Louie’s Ego, much to his annoyance.
With a grunt, Louie latched his arms onto Val’s side and attempted to lift him up, planning to suplex him. But the moment he raised the demonic unicorn, its mouth opened all the way, spreading all the way down to its chest as it attempted to latch down on Louie.
He yelped as he instead threw the unholy creature to the left, not wanting to have those jaws attached to him at all.
Val caught himself midair and sprang back for him, clamping his massive mouth down on Louie’s arm.
“Gah you little bitch!” Louie yelled as he grabbed the top of Val’s mouth, trying to prevent him from cleaving through his entire arm. He began slamming a knee into the laughing demon’s chest, getting a bit desperate as he couldn’t break the grip.
“Val, stand down!” Strawell yelled, unsure of how to react to this, as Val was technically her superior.
Of course he didn’t listen as he continued to attempt to remove Louie’s arm, his horn flaring to life as he tried to cast a spell. Louie however head butted his horn, canceling the spell, which just annoyed Val greatly.
“Nuh uh motherfucker!” Louie laughed as he suddenly jumped into Val, sending them both to the ground. Luckily this broke the grip Val had on his arm, allowing Louie to rip his arm free and wrap it around the demon’s neck.
“Sleep fucker!” he yelled as he began to try and choke the life out of Val, struggling with the demon to keep his arms around his neck. But Val just flashed his horn, teleporting away so that he was standing next to Louie.
“You pathetic dog!” he snapped as he used his magic to lift Louie into the air.
“Uh oh,” Louie yelped as he found himself being lifted up.
“Goodbye, dog,” Val spat out, starting to apply pressure to the floating Louie.
“Val, that is enough. Allow me to arrest him so we can interrogate him,” Strawell yelled, quickly walking towards the demonic unicorn.
But Val did not acknowledge her as he focused on finishing off his target.
“This is not how we handle things here!” she yelled as she stepped right up to him, no longer caring that he was above her in rank. “If you do not stand down, I will be forced to-”
“Silence!” Val suddenly snapped, eyes twitching as he stared at Louie.
Louie let out yells of pain as the pressure was increased, “oh no! This looks like the end for ol’ Lou!” He let out a few more yells before suddenly devolving into a laughing fit. “Ah shit, I can’t keep that up for long.”
With a cyan flash, he suddenly broke out of Val’s magical hold and fell to the ground, landing on his feet and smirking right at the frustrated Val. “Gotcha, dumbass.”
This caused Val to let out a growl as he began to advance on Louie again, but Strawell suddenly dashed in front of him, eyes ablaze with anger.
“Enough! You are out of line, Val!” she bellowed.
“You foolish mare,” he said in a low voice. “Stay in your lane, unless you want to be grouped in with these Bronies,” he gave her a dangerous look.
“We are tasked with arresting and interrogating,” she countered, standing firm. “I will not stand aside and let you just murder this Brony because you want to.”
“Are you saying you’ll fight me?” he asked with an amused smile.
“If you continue, then I will be forced to declare you a threat to this kingdom,” she said as she squared up with him. “I am sure the King will understand.”
“You are one foolish and idiotic mare, Chief,” he laughed, looking past her at Louie who was currently wrapping his injured arm with a bandage. “If YOU don’t step aside, then I’ll declare you a threat and dispose of you accordingly.”
“He’s right, dumbass,” Louie said from behind her as he finished wrapping his arm. “If you go against this prick the ‘King’ will just kill you for going against him. You are so fucking out of the loop here that you’re coming off as a naive child.”
She snapped her head at him, her nostrils flaring as she glared at him, but the laughing coming from Val caused her to return her gaze to him.
“Very smart doggy,” he said with false praise. “Now step aside, Chief, before you lose your status.”
This situation was not ideal for her, as she needed to bring Louie in for questioning, yet Val was here to kill Louie. Her job was to listen to her superiors and deal with the Brony threat as needed, which was supposed to be very simple. What she knew she should do is step aside and let Val handle this, as he out ranked her. But if she did so, that’d be going against everything she stood for. This came down to two things: Duty or Justice. Which should she choose?
The choice was simple for her.
“I can not let you kill this Brony, Val,” she said sternly, holding his gaze, “I am the Chief of the Inquisitors, and it is my duty to protect and serve all of Equestria, to keep it safe from those who would do it harm. If you are willing to kill this suspect without cause, then you are an enemy of Equestria!”
“Oh, oh!” Val exclaimed, acting offended before smiling at her, “what took you so long, idiot?”
The response seemed to catch her off guard as she had no follow up for it.
“I thought with this inflated sense of justice you have that you’d have figured this out sooner,” he said as he turned his full attention to her. “I knew you’d become a problem the moment you were appointed Chief of the Inquisitors. We needed an imbecile in your role, not someone so competent and annoyingly justice oriented.”
She took a deep breath, calming herself before she spoke again, “Val, you are under arrest. Come peacefu-”
“Oh shove it,” he groaned, shaking his head. “I’m done entertaining this,” he said as he suddenly lunged for her as her anti-Ego flared to life. However he knew her Justice Ego only combat use was to power her up to face a threat that she perceived as an injustice, so he just copied it. Using her own Ego against her he slammed a hoof into her face, hitting her before she could react, and sent her flying away.
His horn flashed as he appeared above her as she flew through the air and slammed all four legs down into there, causing her to skid through the ground below them. He rode her like a makeshift snowboard as she tore through the ground, laughing like a maniac.
As they started to slow down he jumped off, letting her come to a stop in a small crater. With a flash he appeared above her yet again, this time smiling as his jaws unhinged, preparing to devour her in one go.
She growled as she forced herself to stand up, her body battered and a few bones definitely broken, but she wasn’t just going to lay down and die like this. So as he lunged forward with his jaws wide open, she rolled to the side and sent a jagged rock flying up into his face, hitting him directly in the left eye.
Val let out a roar of pain as he stumbled over himself, lashing out with his magic as he tried to grab her, but she slapped her hoof across his horn hard enough to break it, which just caused him to become enraged.
He lashed out a few times, but she just dodged all of his attacks as her anti-Ego came to life, letting her take him in in his entirety, able to see his intentions.
“Disgusting creature,” she spat out as she felt his desires and wishes, feeling heavily uncomfortable.
As she dodged around his clumsy attacks, he suddenly changed his tactics without giving any kind of pre-indicators with his desires or intentions. His body jerked hard as he lunged for her, shifting around and coming in at a weird angle that she was not expecting, his jaws opened wide.
She barely had time to react as she caught his jaws with both of her hooves, holding them away from her as he pushed closer and closer. Sweat began to run down her face as he began to win their struggle, his jaws closing in on her face with each passing second.
Just as he was about to clamp down on her, something tackled him from the side, taking him to the ground. Strawell stumbled back as she regained her footing, surprised to see Louie was now fighting with Val on the ground, the two fighting to gain control of the other.
However she didn’t think too hard on this as she rushed in and attempted to help Louie by gaining control of one of Val’s legs.
“Get his legs behind his back!” she ordered, getting a nod from Louie as he fought to get ahold of one of Val’s legs. But he wasn’t about to let them have their way, letting out a massive howl as he suddenly exploded upward, sending both of them flying away from him.
He wheeled on Louie, choosing him as his main target, and rocketed forward.
Louie just stood up, focusing hard as his Ego’s second form began to take form, letting him control his Ego to a greater extent. He raised his hands, waiting patiently for Val to reach him.
Val let out a roar as he reached Louie, going for a grapple styled attack, but Louie just calmly moved around his hooves, reaching up and grabbing the demonic unicorn by a front leg and his midsection, then with one fluid motion grabbed hold of him and slammed him straight down on his face. The cobblestone under them was blown away by the impact, but he followed it up by lifting him into the air again and continually slamming Val into the ground all around him, each hit getting harder and harder as he went.
“Back to hell with ya, demon,” Louie exclaimed as he began to spin around at a high speed, slamming Val into the ground as he went.
Strawell watched in awe as Louie began to spin so fast that even she couldn’t see anything but a blur as the ground around him was slowly whittled away as he forcibly dragged Val through it. After a good long minute, he came to a stop, only holding a leg and patch of flesh in the other hand.
“Whew! What a ride, huh?” he asked as he stumbled back a bit, clearly very dizzy. All around the spot he’d been standing was a massive amount of gore, as he’d used the ground to basically sand Val away into nothing.
After regaining his composure he turned to the stunned Strawell with a smirk, “so, still think you’re on the right side?”
She eyed him hard as she stood up tall, composing herself, “I will admit, I had a few growing doubts thanks to what you said in our first encounter. But, just because the Apostles are compromised does not mean I am. My goals remain the same; bring the killer of the Princesses to justice.”
“Yeah, that killer is Champion,” he retorted with a shake of his head.
“If that is true, then I need proof,” she said sternly, “all my evidence points to Bronies. If what you’re saying is true, I will need indisputable proof.”
“Oh we got proof alright,” he said with a chuckle, “we have video evidence of him killing innocents and possibly sexually assaulting a mare.”
“Then show me.”
At this he smiled sheepishly, “I can’t, we don’t have it ready yet.”
“You need to understand how convenient that sounds to me, right?” she asked, shaking her head at him. “You say you have the evidence, but you can’t show me because it is not ready.”
“Well it’s the truth,” he said as he threw up his hand. “Not that I expected you to believe me.”
“If you are telling the truth, let me bring you in and we can get this handled the right way,” she said as she floated up a pair of handcuffs.
“Are you serious?” he asked, unable to not laugh at this, “you were just attacked by that asshole and you’re still playing Inquisitor?”
“It is my duty,” she stated firmly, “I am still Chief of the Inquisitors, even if the Apostles are now enemies of Equestria.”
“If you go back, they’ll kill you the moment you try anything,” he warned.
“I can handle this,” she countered. “If you’re not going to let me arrest you, then share your resources with us. If what you say is true, then the Inquestors will work tirelessly to bring those who killed the Princesses to justice.”
“It’s Champion and his Apostles,” he groaned, shaking his head in annoyance, “Can’t you get that through your thick head?”
She worked her jaw, thinking hard, “I will need hard evidence of that before I can believe it.”
“Yeah, well, you’ll get it, soon,” he said as he took a step back, getting ready to dip.
She took notice of him getting ready to flee, but chose not to engage this time. “Thank you, for the help,” she suddenly said, catching him a bit off guard.
“Eh, yeah, I wasn’t just gonna let him eat you. Despite you being a hard headed idiot, you’re not a bad person. You’re just on the wrong side is all.”
“I could say the same for you,” she countered, “you seem to be a good and just person, but you’re also on the wrong side.”
“Agree to disagree,” he said with a smile, getting one in return. He then looked at the gore, “eh, if they ask that was all me, alright? No need for you to get thrown to the dogs.”
A light chuckle escaped her lips at this, “get out of here, before I arrest you.”
He gave her duel finger guns and turned to leave.
“I look forward to your evidence,” she called after him, causing him to throw back a thumbs up.
As he left, she sighed as she looked at the mess they’d made, this report would be fun to compose.
But more importantly, this interaction had changed a lot of her views, especially those of her current task of hunting down Bronies.
Before this all came about, she’d spent the last twenty years as a traveling detective, solving Brony related homicides. This gave her a unique perspective on Bronies and how they operated, which is why all of this had made sense to her. Bronies killed the Princesses? Very plausible in her mind. Champion killing his own family? Not implausible, but not likely either. To her, Bronies being the culprits made more sense, especially with all the evidence she had.
Yet, that same evidence was weird and didn’t add up completely.
Maybe her biases were affecting her more than she thought.
Nonetheless, she had a job to do, and if Louie couldn’t produce this evidence, then she’d resume her hunt for the truth.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 311 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-20T05:18:26+00:00
|
2023-05-26T06:58:45+00:00
| 263 |
Chapter 77
“You killed Val?!” Nova spat out, eyes wide as she jumped out of her chair, sending it to the floor behind her.
“Yep, quite easily might I add,” Louie replied, standing proud as he twirled his mustache.
“This changes so much,” Roxxy muttered, grabbing her head with her hooves as she leaned on the table.
“It definitely makes the coming days a lot more bearable,” Nova agreed as she began to pace around the room, mind reeling with the new possibilities.
“Other than killing literally one of the biggest threats we’re facing, did you complete the mission?” Roxxy asked, still looking to be at a loss after hearing the news.
“We’re hooked in and ready to go,” he confirmed. “And before you ask, yes, I’ve finished the folder,” he held up the folder, giving them a wink.
“All of it?” Nova asked in astonishment.
“All of it, and then some,” he laughed, tossing the folder onto the table.
“Lou, that was supposed to take you at least a full day to complete!” she exclaimed as she just kept staring at him in disbelief.
“I work fast,” he replied smoothly, getting a groan out of Roxxy.
The young mare stood up and stepped up to the board and began to move around pieces, grumbling to herself.
Nova also moved to the board, rubbing her chin, “well, that leaves just one more mission that must be completed before the Big Day.”
“Ah yeah, that one,” he said with a frown, stepping up with them. “Is it still set for tomorrow?”
“It is,” she confirmed, “we will hold off till we have the CCTV footage, then I’ll make the final call.”
He gave a nod, continuing to twirl his mustache. “Tomorrow is gonna suck.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Val is dead?!” Lilith yelped as she spun around to face Richard, her eyes wide.
This seemed to shock Richard, as he hadn’t expected her to have such an emotional reaction to this news.
“Eh, yes, the dogman did him in,” he informed her, which just caused her to do a double take.
“My son was killed by that thing?!” she snapped, red energy crackling off of her body. “That mucks up my plans!”
“Your son?!” Richard asked in shock, but she ignored him as she moved to the large cube in the room.
“With Val gone, I no longer have a vessel to hold this energy before it can be transferred to myself,” she grumbled, eyes flickering to Darkest Bleak, who sat in his own cocoon. He was awake and smirking, but unable to do much else.
She narrowed her eyes at him, but chose to not say a word to him as she turned back to Richard, “I need a powerful Unicorn to use as a vessel. Find one.”
“Does it matter who?” he asked, getting a sinister smile in return.
“No, any vessel that holds this energy in its purest form will die, so it does not matter.” Lilith then turned to the rows of cocoons, her smile growing larger as she saw a few were awake and staring daggers at her.
Even with this set back, things were progressing nicely for her.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“You damn dirty cunt!” Jun roared as Strawell stepped into her office to find him standing there, looking absolutely enraged.
“Ah, Jun, I see you’ve heard the news,” she said calmly as she walked right past him, reaching under her cabinet to grab a hidden bottle of strong liquor.
“You let Val get merc’d!” he yelled as she walked over to her desk, putting the bottle down and walking to the other side of her office.
“He was murdered by the Dogman of the Brony Rebellion,” she said flatly as she opened another cabinet and grabbed two glasses. “He died despite my attempts at intervention,” she added as she stepped back up to her desk and placed the two glasses down.
But Jun didn’t seem to care as he stomped his hooves, having a little angry tantrum, “I don’t give a flying fuck! You let my friend die!”
“You need to relax, Jun,” she said in an out of character soothing tone. She poured liquor into each glass and pushed one towards him, “have a drink.”
“Why the fuck are you being nice suddenly?!” he growled, taking the drink and chugging it in one go, slamming it down, only for her to refill it.
“Drink,” she encouraged, a very out of place smile on her face.
“Ew fuck, I don’t think a smile is supposed to be there,” he grunted as he did as he was told and drank the entire glass. Yet she just refilled it again as he put it down. “What is this shit?!”
“You know,” she began in a low voice, reaching out and stroking his muscled chest, “I’ve always thought you were the hottest Apostle since the very first moment.”
“Really?” he asked, instantly dropping his anger in favor of a cocky smile. “Yeah, I get that a LOT!” he exclaimed as he raised a leg and flexed it so hard he hurt himself, but he played it off by turning his head from her so she couldn’t see his pained expression.
Strawell grimaced as he turned away, disliking this act she was putting on, but put on her fake smile when he turned back to her.
“I bet you do,” she said with a strained laugh, “I bet you have to fight all the mares off, don’t you, hottie?”
His cocky smile faded as he took another long gulp of the liquor, “no actually… I’ve never been with a mare.”
“Oh eh,” she grimaced, but quickly recovered, “I mean, I don’t believe that one bit. Not a hottie like you!”
“Would you sleep with me?” he suddenly asked, causing her to laugh loudly.
“Sure!” she forced out, causing him to smile brightly as his tail wagged, “but I want to ask a few silly questions first.”
“Anything you want!” he basically yelled, looking overjoyed now.
“Aw you’re the best!” she giggled, then her face became serious, “where have all the Brony prisoners been taken?”
“Oh Lilith has taken them to her personal pocket dimension, so she can keep an eye on them,” he answered quickly. “Sex now?”
“Questions first,” she stated sternly, “why is she taking them there? Why not just put them away in a normal prison?”
“Because she’s stealing their Holy Energy for some reason,” he replied, licking his lips.
“Is Champion who he says he is?”
“Champion is the fucking best, he’s my bestest friend!” Jun exclaimed happily, “now sex?”
“No,” she said firmly, “did he kill the Princesses?”
“...” Jun’s happy face dropped as he stared blankly at her. “You’re… just using me aren’t you? You don’t want to actually have sex with me, do you?”
She frowned at him, choosing her next words and actions carefully. She slowly reached out and placed a hoof on his cheek, forcing herself to stroke it gently. “Oh, Jun, who has hurt you so greatly to make you this mistrusting?”
He held his blank look for a few seconds before breaking down and throwing himself into her, hugging her tightly, “everyone is so fucking mean to me! They just see me as a clone, but I”m not a fucking clone! I’m JUN. JUN JUN JUN! I ain’t a clone no moar, I’m mah own man! Stallion! Whatever! But everyone just bullies me and beats me down and tells me I ain’t gonna be nothin’ but Lance’s wannabe clone! But I ain’t! I AIN’T!”
As he began to wail into her neck, she just stood there with wide eyes, completely shocked by this outburst and admission, not really sure how to process or handle it.
“Erm… there there,” she said awkwardly as she patted the back of the crying stallion.
“You’re the first person to be nice to me for reals!” he sobbed out, squeezing tightly. “I don’t care if we don’t bang, I just want to be held and loved and told I’m a real boy!”
“What you need,” she grunted as she broke his strong grip on her, forcibly taking a step back, “is a new approach to life.”
“You think?” he asked, wiping his nose, leaving a trail of snot.
“Yes,” she answered as she readjusted her chest armor. “If your current company treats you this badly, then I suggest finding your own path in life.”
“But,” he began, his brain looking to be working in overdrive, “I can’t leave. Champion needs me. I’m his number one guy.”
“But are you happy?” she asked, using all the skills she’d learned over the years to try and push this scenario in her favor.
This question caused him to tear up again, but she made sure to take a few large steps back to avoid his attempts at hugging her again.
“I’ve never been happy,” he admitted, crying very loudly now. “I don’t wanna be the bad guy anymore, I just wanna have a family and kids. Kick the ass of anyone who messes with em and all that fun junk!”
She was very uncomfortable with his quickly changing mood shifts, but she rolled with it, “then do what makes you happy?”
“Can I?” he asked meekly.
“Are… you asking my permission?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah,” he said sheepishly.
“Then… yes?” she answered in a very unsure voice, as this entire situation was far outside her normal comfort zone.
He lit up instantly as he began to jump in place, “oh yes! THANK YOU!”
Without another word he shot into the ceiling, exploding through a few floors before hitting the open sky and flying off, all the while screaming, “I’m free!!!”
Strawell just stood there a bit shocked, this whole interaction not going at all as she planned. She was sure it’d end with him in her bed, which would have been terrible but necessary. But now? She wasn’t sure how to react to this.
At least she got a bit of information out of him, even if it wasn’t enough to formulate a plan off of.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later that night
Twilight let out a sigh as she put the device down, deciding it was time to take a small break. She’d have this spell encryption broken by morning for sure.
“Did you get it?!” Babel suddenly asked excitedly from across the room where she’d been working on some art and other assorted projects.
“Not yet, but we’re getting there,” Twilight answered with a smile as she made her way to the kitchen, Babel’s thick glasses following her as she walked across the room.
Upon entering the kitchen she found Nightstreak laying on the floor, a book over his face.
“Is she always so… spirited?” she asked as she began to prepare herself something to eat.
“Babel Yarn?” he asked as he raised the book off of his face, “oh yeah. She’s always been super weird.”
“She does not come off as weird, just a bit excitable,” Twilight commented, getting a chuckle out of young Stallion.
“Nah, Mrs. Greenfield, trust me, she’s weird. She’s been wearing that hoodie for the past six years, and all she talks about is your husbands and Scamp’s books. And trust me, she knows EVERYTHING about you and the others mentioned in those books.”
“She can’t know everything,” she chuckled as she lifted a box of food, just for Babel’s face to be right behind it.
“I do actually!” she proclaimed proudly, causing Twilight to let out a startled scream as she jumped back, holding her chest.
“Oh and she has a tendency to pop up like that,” Nightstreak said with a little smile. “Sorry, shoulda warned you.”
“Don’t do that, Babel!” Twilight said sternly as she used her magic to dust herself off.
“I’m sorry, Twilight!” she exclaimed as she walked out from behind the counter, smiling brightly. “Can I ask you some questions?!”
“Sure, ask away,” Twilight said, causing Nightstreak to make a few clicking noises with his tongue.
“Ooo, bad move, Mrs. Greenfield,” he warned as Babel took out her notebook and fell on her haunches.
“First question!” she declared as she flipped open to a page and made a few marks, “what made you fall for Lance so quickly?”
“Aw, a cute question,” Twilight giggled as she pulled a chair up and took a seat, leaning back as she reminisced, “it was a combination of his strange otherworldly looks, and this charm he had to himself. Like that one kid in class who’s clearly not smart enough to know simple math, but had a simple mind, and a heart of gold. He was just so genuine and kind.” Then she gave Babel a little knowing smirk, “plus, to be completely honest, I was young and naive, so when the bad boy stallion came knocking, I answered.”
“So adorable!” Babel said happily as she wrote everything down, causing Twilight to beam a smile at her. “Next question!”
“Let’s hear it, sweetie,” Twilight said as she leaned back, actually enjoying this little mock interview she was getting.
“What was it like having Lance stuck inside of you?” Babel asked so earnestly that it took a bit for the question to actually hit Twilight, but when it did, she sat up, face red.
“What?!”
“Follow up to that actually; the rumor is that his dingaling is colored like a candy cane, is this true?” she asked with an expectant look on her face, pen hovering above the notebook.
“There’s the weird Babel I know from school,” Nightstreak laughed as Twilight just stared slack jawed at the young mare before her.
“... why would you ask something like that?” she finally got out.
“These are major questions on the fan website I run,” she said casually, causing Twilight to do a double take.
“Fan website?!”
“Yeah!” Babel exclaimed proudly, “I run the Living the Dream fan website! Proudly serving well over a thousand Dreamers with LTD lore and content!”
Twilight just stood there super confused as Babel began to get even more excited.
“Now I prefer Scamp’s adventure over Lance’s, no offense. But you have to see the animatic I made for her book!” Babel basically yelled as she ran out of the room to retrieve her laptop.
“What have I started?” Twilight muttered, eyes still wide in shock.
“You’ve done the one thing everyone does once,” Nightstreak laughed. “You showed interest in her obsession, so good luck, because the next few hours are gonna be hella intense!”
As he finished his sentence, Babel rushed back in, balancing her laptop and all of her supplies on her back and head, “I don’t have all of my LTD stuff with me, but I got enough to give you a basic idea of just how amazing and cool you all are!”
Twilight was trapped, as she did not have it in her to stop this. She couldn’t crush this young mare’s interest, so she’d endure.
“But quick question!” Babel exclaimed as she dumped all of her stuff on the floor before Twilight, “are charts and diagrams too much for you?”
This caused Twilight to smile, “I can handle any amount of charts and diagrams you have for me.”
“Cool!” Babel laughed as she dumped out a massive amount of paper, “because I gots lots for all the relationships, connections, and even for all the events I believe lead to Lance meeting Toby!”
“Oh sweet Celestia…” Twilight muttered as she saw just how much there really was.
“OH! Are NSFW drawings okay? Because I’ve got a LOT of personal headcanon’s and I’ve drawn a LOT of art for them,” she asked as she set up the computer, turning it so Twilight could see it. Of course Twilight did not get to answer as she continued talking, “now I just made the animatic, because I don’t know anyone to voice act. BUT! There are these really cool ponies online who also read the story, and they’ve done their own personal reading of it. They call themselves the ‘Let’s Read Crew’ and BOY are they funny!”
“Here it comes,” Nightstreak laughed as Babel brought up a video.
“All I do for these guys is provide lore corrections and stuff, because I don’t like how my voice sounds in their videos. BUT! You’re gonna love this! I’m gonna show you my favorite animatic I made for them!”
And with that, she hit play.
“Hey everybody, welcome back to Let’s Read Living The Dream!” a voice yelled out as a few others screamed like maniacs behind them. “Today we got Foundfork, AR, Lightningrabbit, and me! April!”
“Welcome back! We got Chapter sixty, Dinner with the Greenfields, on our plate today!” another voice yelled out. “Are you guys excited for this?”
“Oh, for sure, I’ve heard a rumor that this is the chapter Scamp’s hellion of a baby thing terrorizes the Greenfield residence, and even that Brony dog Louie!” the first voice, April, exclaimed while laughing.
“Hey hey hey, no spoilers, come on!” a new voice exclaimed.
“If this is another Baby Shayla chapter, then I think I’ll pass, being a bunny and all makes me a prime target,” a much more refined and calm voice said.
“I think you’re safe, Lightning,” April began, “I think the Shayla character is seven right now? Is that right?”
Babel paused the video. “This is an older podcast from them, I just added the animatic later,” she explained as she hit play again.
“Yeah yeah, if you check the LTD website, Cassava has all their current ages and information posted.”
She paused the video again and looked at Twilight with a huge smile, “I’m Cassava!”
Twilight just stared at her for a moment before coming to her senses, “wait, what was that part about everyone’s info being posted?”
“And play!” Babel laughed as she hit play, resuming the animatic which showed the front of the Greenfield residence before it was destroyed, with Scamp holding baby Shayla standing by the front door.
“Oh this is weird,” Twilight muttered as the video played on, not liking that the inside of the house was drawn EXACTLY how it looked back then. Even down to the pictures on the walls.
“Told ya,” Nightstreak sang from across the room as Babel kept pausing the video to point out little details and explain things.
“This is going to be a long night…” Twilight said quietly as she sat down, watching the overly excited mare bounce around the computer, talking faster than she could keep up with.
For anyone who does not understand the final scene's reference, then have I got a treat for you:
https://www.youtube.com/@Duhad8
These guys have been the sole reason I've stuck around this story for the last 10 years, so go enjoy them making fun of old LTD. It is the best.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 312 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-22T23:41:17+00:00
|
2023-01-22T23:41:17+00:00
| 227 |
Chapter 78
The next morning
The sound of a book slamming shut woke Twilight up, causing her to let out a little yelp of surprise as she fell out of her chair.
“And that’s the entire comprehensive history of what happened to Louie’s first set of children,” Babel said loudly, a wide smile on her face as she waited for Twilight to say something.
Twilight blinked a few times, still coming to her senses after waking up, so she forced out the most she could, “that’s neat.”
“It is neat!” Babel exclaimed as she suddenly let out a yawn. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, but I’ve been awake for forty eight hours, so I need a micro nap.”
“Yeah, go for-” Twilight began to say, but Babel suddenly collapsed, snoring loudly as she laid on the floor in a position that couldn't be comfortable.
She began to use her magic to try and move her to a couch or something, but Nightstreak stopped her quickly.
“Don’t do that!” he hissed, slowly pulling Twilight back to the living room. “She does that all the time, just let her take her nap wherever she falls and she’ll be up and about here soon.”
“That can’t be healthy,” Twilight commented, getting a laugh out of Nightstreak.
“Back to work,” he said as they came to a stop before the device, “how much longer do you need?”
With a sigh she sat down, using her magic to lift the device back up, “Just a few more hours.”
“Sweet,” he said with a nod as he took a step back and sat down on a chair. “Once you’re done, it shouldn’t take me and Babel too long to break whatever encryption there is.”
Twilight gave him a nod as she began to focus her magic into the device, working her way through the magical seal.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Strawell walked confidently down the Palace hallway, her face set in her natural stern expression. Everyone she passed turned their heads from her, unable to hold her gaze even for a second.
She ignored everyone, keeping her mind focused on what she’d come here to do.
Once she reached the correct door, she pushed through it without hesitation.
“Chief Strawell?” a servant asked in surprise as she walked further into the room, “why are you in the Apostles' living quarters?”
“I am looking into something regarding Val,” she stated, barely giving the servant a glance as she walked towards the door on the other side of the large room labeled ‘Val’.
“Oh,” the servant said quietly, “Master Val’s secretary is inside cleaning, he’ll be able to help you with anything you need.”
Without any further acknowledgement, she stepped up to Val’s door and pushed it open. Inside she saw a lot of packed boxes and a red stallion in a tan turtleneck rushing around.
She didn’t say anything as she walked in, eyes scanning the room carefully.
“Chief Strawell!” the stallion yelped as he started to run past her, tripping over himself and falling onto the ground before her.
“I assume you’re the one who came to the Inquisitor's headquarters looking for me?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Erm,” he began, looking around the room, appearing very nervous. She knew why; if Champion was here, he could easily hear anything they say out loud. “Yes, Ma’am, I… had a few questions, was all…”
Strawell could clearly see he wanted to say more, but was smart enough not to speak out loud. So instead he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote on it, folding it and putting it in an envelope. She watched him closely, but remained silent.
Once he was done he handed it to her and put on a forced smile, “sorry to make you come all the way down here, Chief. But Val was the one who needed you, and within him dead…”
“I understand,” she said flatly as she did an about face and left the room without another word. She did not speak to another person as she walked through the Palace, remaining stoic all the way till she was out on the streets beyond the front gates.
She kept up her confident pace all the way back to the Inquisitor's Canterlot Headquarters, acting like everything was normal just in case she was being watched. Which she knew was a real possibility with recent events.
Once she was safely back in her office she sat down and pulled out the envelope. Carefully she ripped it open and flipped open the note within.
‘Strawell, meet me in New Ponyville at the collapsed Hero’s Monument in four hours.’
After reading the note she crumbled it up and tossed it into her metal trash can. She then threw a small charm into it, causing a little flash that instantly disintegrated all the paper within the trash can.
With that, she walked for her door yet again, heading for the Magic Department so she could be teleported to New Ponyville.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“How’s it coming along?” Nova asked as she stepped into the Dimensional Monitoring chamber of the Enforcer’s Order Hall.
“Not well,” Bronwyn answered as she ran her hands through the floating images before herself, watching as the hovering screens around her changed with each input. “Finding a different version of Lance is proving… difficult.”
“What of the one named Giro? The one who helped them all those years ago when Ponyville was originally destroyed?” Nova asked, stepping up next to the other woman.
“His dimension is dead now,” she answered grimly. “I don’t know how, but there is not a single living thing within that dimension. So I’m having to look elsewhere.”
“That does not bode well,” the mare muttered, shaking her head as she watched the other woman work.
“It does not,” she agreed solemnly. “To make matters worse, all other alternate timelines are either gone, or on lock down.”
“What does that mean exactly, on lock down?”
“Well,” Bronwyn began, still swiping through images, “it can mean a lot of things. But usually it means an outside force has come in and closed it down for whatever reason. In the past it would have been the Central Dimension, but with them gone, that kind of duty falls to the UAD. As for why they’ve gone in and locked down these specific dimensions and timelines, I’d never be able to tell you.”
Nova just rubbed her chin, shaking her head. None of this was looking good for them at this point.
“To add to the growing list of despair,” Bronwyn continued, “for our plans to work, we need an alternate Lance who is very close to our Lance in terms of progression. A.K.A. a Lance who has gone through at least most of the trials and tribulations ours has gone through. And there’s only two I’ve found. The one named Giro, who is gone now, and another who is in a locked dimension.”
“Can we break the lock?” Nova asked curiously.
Bronwyn gave a nod, “we can, but it’ll take a few hours, and almost all of the Ego Rubies we have in storage. But we need to be sure, because if this is the wrong kind of Lance, then we’ve wasted our one shot at finding the others.”
“I trust you to figure this out,” Nova said with confidence, getting a smile in return.
“Well let me check into the available info then,” Bronwyn said as she opened up a menu and began to read through everything. “Hm… so this version of Lance seems to be a lot more… dominate. They’ve cleared all the threats in their world a lot earlier than our Lance has, and not only that, they even faced a UAD being similar to the Watcher. The Observer. And it looks like,” she read a few more things quickly, “huh, they broke out of the false dimension on their own within a few months of being sent there by their version of the Watcher. The only difference is after defeating the Observer, they themselves tried to reset the Dimension to save their friends, but all they achieved was locking their dimension down.”
“Sounds like a Lance kind of move,” Nova confirmed.
“Should I focus on them?” Bronwyn asked, getting a nod from the mare.
“When you’re ready to pull them, let me know,” Nova said as she turned to leave.
“Can do,” Bronwyn said as she went back to work, “just know, we’ll have to summon them while on Equestria, otherwise it will not work.”
“That’s not ideal,” Nova muttered, not liking the idea of risking Champion finding them while they summon this Lance, but if they didn’t have a choice then she’d have to just make sure they took precautions.
“Once you’re done, we’ll summon them at night, just to be safe,” she finally said as she continued on her way.
If this worked, then this new Lance they’re bringing in will be able to be used to find the Bronies that have been taken. They just have to hope they’re all still alive.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Finished,” Twilight said as she sat back, letting out a sigh as she rubbed her forehead.
Nightstreak jumped up and started to walk over to take the device from her, but Babel suddenly jumped up and snatched it from Twilight’s magical hold.
“Ooo, our turn!” Babel exclaimed happily as she flipped open the console and began to type away like a mad mare.
“Babel, don’t just start messing with it!” Nightstreak yelped, rushing over to try and stop her, but she just turned her back to him, hooves flying across the keyboard. “We need to run a few tests and diagnostics to make sure we know what we’re dealing with here!”
“Oh it’s just a simple government encryption that they use on all their computers and networks,” she said joyfully, leaning her head backwards so she could look at him, a wide smile on her face. “I break these all the time for fun!”
This caused Nightstreak to groan as he relented and sat down next to her, “okay yeah, just don’t hog it all to yourself. I’m just as capable, if not more so, than you with computers.”
“Sure, Nighty!” she giggled, scooting so he could have access to the keyboard and screen as well.
He raised an eyebrow at what she was doing, as she was already far into the system, much further than he’d be after a few hours of working. “Eh… do your thing, Babel,” he said reluctantly.
“Okay!” she laughed as she pulled it back to herself and went back to work, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she concentrated on her work.
Twilight just smiled as she stood up and walked over to the couch, planning to get some more sleep while they worked on the computer.
“Ooo, I’ll have this done in a few hours!” Babel announced proudly as her hooves clacked crazily against the keyboard. “Maybe sooner!”
Nightstreak just watched in amazement as she navigated her way through the systems, moving much faster than he could. Her mind just worked so much differently than his it appears, giving her a clear edge.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later
Strawell approached the destroyed Hero’s Monument, which once depicted the old hero’s of this world. The Brony known as Lance Greenfield and his ragtag group of friends. The monument had been torn down after Champion revealed their sins, so now all that was left were makeshift signs denouncing Bronies and the previous heroes.
It did not take her long to see Val’s secretary standing by the ruined monument, looking extremely nervous and out of place with how they were acting.
“You need to relax,” she said sternly as she stepped up to him, startling him as he hadn’t seen her approaching.
“Yeah, I’m trying,” he said, eyes darting around the area.
“No one followed either of us, I can assure you,” she said confidently, knowing the only person who could be spying on them was Champion himself, and she knew for a fact he was in Manehattan dealing with some kind of government issue.
“Okay,” he muttered, turning to her and taking a deep breath. “Okay um, I know you’ll probably arrest me after this conversation, but you’re the only person I can turn to.”
“Start with your name,” she said when he went silent for a moment.
“Erm…” he looked around nervously, “Red Storm…”
“Hm, Red Storm, the same Red Storm who worked with Val in the past?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, that’s me,” he said with a sigh, shaking his head, “but I’m not like that anymore. I dropped that life almost twenty years ago when Val was imprisoned the last time. I’ve changed, I swear.”
“That’s irrelevant to why we are here,” she said a bit coldly, wanting him to get to the point.
“Sorry,” he muttered, “I’m just worried about my wife and daughter. Val didn’t know I’d started a family and when he came for me, he made me return to his side, so I sent my family away somewhere safe.”
Strawell nodded along, waiting for him to get to the point of this meeting.
“I’d come to you originally because I wanted to give you this,” he said as he pulled out a few folders from his saddlebags.
“And these are?” she asked as she took them, putting them away in her pocket dimension so she could view them later.
“The truth,” he said simply. “I’m not going along with any of this willingly, and I just want my daughter to be safe.”
“Why would she not be safe?” Strawell asked as she took note of the sweat starting to form on his brow.
“LIke I said, you’d arrest me after this,” he said quietly. “My wife is a Brony.”
“Okay,” Strawell replied, the thought of arresting him indeed crossed her mind. “I will not arrest you,” she suddenly stated, catching him off guard.
“Oh… I wasn’t expecting th-”
“If,” she interrupted, eyes locked with his, “you answer a few questions.”
“Erm, of course… What do you need to know?” he asked, clearly very unsure of where this was going.
Her eyes darted around the area once, confirming they were alone with no prying eyes, “were the Apostles really under Brony control from the very beginning?”
This caused him to frown, but he shook his head, “no I can personally tell you Val for sure has never been under anyone's control. I can’t be sure of the others, but I can tell you I do not think they were. Especially Nightmare…”
She gave a sharp nod before continuing, “who killed the Princesses?”
This caused Red Storm to appear very uncomfortable, and he went silent.
“Tell me, now,” she demanded sharply.
“Champion,” he finally said after a long pause, causing Strawell to close her eyes as her body tensed.
“I was afraid you’d say that,” she said calmly as she opened her eyes again. “Do you have proof of this?”
“No…” he answered quietly, “I’ve just over heard things. I know Val said Champion was a fool for how he handled the take over, saying they should’ve imprisoned the Princesses instead.”
“I’m going to need proof if I’m going to do anything about this,” she said as she stared him down.
“We can pull my memories of them talking if that’ll-”
“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head, “you know memories are dismissible in court due to them easily being manipulated by magic. I’ll need solid evidence, like what you’ve given me today in these folders.”
He shied away from her a bit, “the folders I gave you have a lot of information in them, but none of it talks about the Princesses, just that the Apostles are evil and that Lilith is keeping the captured Bronies to herself. You just need to read the folders, it’s the best I can do.”
She let out a deep sigh, “okay. Now tell me, what were you hoping to gain by giving me this?”
“I just want this all to end,” he admitted with a sigh, “my daughter deserves to grow up in a world that doesn’t hate her for what she is.”
“If this is all true, then that applies to a lot of others as well,” she stated, getting a nod from him.
“I know, but I have a simple request,” he said as he pulled out a small photo. “If something happens to me, can you let my family know I did my best to make things right?”
She stared at him for a long moment before giving a sharp nod, causing him to sigh in relief.
“Thank you, Chief Strawell,” he then handed her the photo, “this is the only picture I have of her after my house was destroyed in the fighting. A stain kind of covers my wife, but you’ll be able to find my daughter. She’ll stand out wherever she’s at, trust me.”
Strawell took the picture, raising an eyebrow as she stared at it. “I will do as you ask, if something happens to you.”
He glanced around again, “if you need me again, just try and not come to the Palace, people were asking a lot of questions about why you were there.”
“I will keep that in mind,” she said simply as she took a step back, “if that is all, I shall take my leave.”
“Thank you again, Chief,” he said as she turned to leave. “For everything you’re doing.”
“It’s my duty,” she answered simply as she walked away, leaving him alone by the ruined monument.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later that night
“Done!” Babel suddenly screamed out, scaring both Nightstreak and Twilight as they jumped up, having been asleep before this.
“You’re done?” Nightstreak asked as he stepped over, seeing that the screen now displayed the desktop with a few folders and applications.
“Mhm!” Babel said proudly, moving the cursor to an application labeled ‘New Ponyville CCTV’.
“Don’t click it,” Twilight said as she stepped over, placing a hoof on Babel’s shoulder. “Nova will want to be the one to go through everything herself.”
“Oh yeah yeah!” the young mare said as she shook her head quickly.
With that, Twilight used her magic to lift her communication device and dialed in Nova’s number.
After a short pause, there was a pop as a connection was made.
“Hello, Twilight, any news on the footage?” Nova asked, sounding a bit worked up.
“We have it,” Twilight answered.
“You do?!” Nova all but yelled, followed by her clearing her throat. “Good, good. Bring it to my house and I’ll go over it soon…”
“Is everything okay?” Twilight asked, noticing the tone of the other mare's voice.
“Yes, we’re just getting ready for a mission,” she answered, then after a short pause, “actually, can you and Nightstreak come to the command center? We’re about to head to Equestria to summon a different version of Lance, and I’m sure you’ll want to be there.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide as she heard this, “you’re summoning Giro?”
“No, I’m afraid it’s a different version of Lance,” Nova answered, not going into details.
She thought for a moment before giving an answer, “we’ll be there shortly.”
As she hung up, she realized Babel was right next to her ear, clearly listening to the conversation.
“Babel!” she said sternly as she turned on the now overly excited mare.
“You’re all bringing in a different version of Lance?! Similar to Giro, but not him?!” she asked, speaking so fast they could barely understand her. “Can I come?! Please?!”
The two looked at each other, both looking very unsure.
“It’ll be dangerous, we have to go back to Equestria apparently,” Twilight warned, but this did nothing to deter the young mare.
“I’ll be fine!” she yelled as she rushed to her supplies, starting to pack everything away as quickly as she could. “Ooo, I hope this Lance has seen some crazy stuff!” she then went wide eyed as she let out a gasp, “what if the shipping happened differently in their world?! Oh I’ll get to make a whole new list! Oh we have to hurry and get there!”
“There’s no stopping her now,” Nightstreak mumbled, getting a nod from Twilight as they watched the overly excited mare bounce around, gathering her things as she talked faster and faster.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Nova stepped through the portal first, wanting to make sure it was safe before the others followed. She scanned the area, seeing that there was not a living soul anywhere near them, as they had chosen a location far out in the forest.
Satisfied, she waved for the others to follow as she walked into the clearing.
“Oh this is so exciting!” the young tagalong Babel Yarn exclaimed as she walked out behind the members of Phantasm Troupe.
“We’re not going to have to do any running, are we?” Babel asked as Twilight and Bronwyn walked out of the portal next, allowing it to snap closed behind them. “I really can’t run that far, I have really bad stamina. Also my glasses always fall off when-”
“No, we’re not doing any running,” Roxxy sighed as she answered her. She wasn’t that fond of Babel Yarn, but she didn’t have a problem with her either. According to Nightstreak, she was the sole reason they broke the encryption so fast, so they were willing to give her a chance.
“Okay good,” Babel said with a smile as she walked over to where Nova was and sat down on the ground, pulling out a few notebooks.
Nova stared at her with a raised eyebrow, waiting for Bronwyn to get ready to perform the summoning ritual.
“What do you have there, young one?” she asked, causing Babel to look up in excitement.
“My LTD notebooks! This new Lance will have SO much lore to share, and I need to write it all down!”
Nova couldn’t help but smile at the young mare as she gave a single nod, “that is fine. All I ask is that you allow us to work first, then you can ask them what ever you want. Is that fair?”
“That’s more than fair!” Babel laughed, smiling brightly up at Nova.
With that, the Royal mare looked to Bronwyn, who was placing Ego Rubies down in a certain pattern on the ground.
“Anything we need to know here?” Dude asked as they all gathered around the woman as she worked.
“Yes,” Bronwyn answered, “when I summon this new Lance, they’ll probably be confused, so don’t crowd them.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Babel Yarn as she hummed to herself, tilting side to side as she waited for the new Lance to appear.
“We’ll try our best to contain ourselves,” Roxxy answered dryly, shaking her head.
Once Bronwyn finished placing down all the Ego Rubies, she took a step back and pulled out a new item, this one looking more like a large ceiling fan than anything else.
“Everyone,” she announced as she pulled a cord on the device, causing it to spin, “take a few steps back.”
As the group stepped back, she tossed the spinning device into the air, where it hovered above the Ego Rubies, spinning faster and faster.
The Rubies began to glow brightly as they all seemed to reach up and connect to the device, feeding their Ego directly into it. Everything sped up as the device spun so fast it looked to become just a stationary solid object.
Then, after a few moments the area around the device exploded in a bright light, causing everyone to look away. When it cleared, they all looked back, eyes going wide at what they were seeing.
“No way!” Babel exclaimed as she began to make notes in her book, “totally unexpected outcome!”
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Kickass222urmom
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851
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-01-23T07:15:12+00:00
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2023-01-23T08:05:00+00:00
| 272 |
Chapter 79
The past in a different reality
POV Change
“Aw fuck!” I yelped as I split from the fusion and slammed face first into the ground.
[We’re so fucked! The Observer’s still up!]
(We need to get up!)
<Are the others okay?!>
Forcing myself up, I spun around, seeing the few friends I had left struggling to gather themselves.
Then my eyes landed on the one who’d been in control of the fusion, and they looked rough.
“Damn it, Gregoria!” I yelled as I rushed over, grabbing her hoof and lifting her up.
“Fuck I’m sorry, Lacy,” she coughed, “I tried.”
“You fucking idiot,” I hissed, squeezing her hoof, “you took to many hits of that Soul Break, I could have taken at least one!”
“Nah, I knew we weren’t winning that, so we’re putting all our hopes in ya,” Gregoria said weakly, her green face starting to pale.
“Now that was a very close attempt, Lacy,” the Observer called out from the other side of the room, her voice cracking a bit.
I growled as I watched the life leave Gregoria’s eyes, standing up and facing the Observer. I took in her damaged face and missing rings, as Gregoria had done a real number on her in that final blast. But we didn’t have enough power to fully finish her off.
So now here we are, facing each other down yet again.
The Observer forced a chuckle as she struggled to stay floating above me as she moved towards me, “Oh no, did another of your little friends perish?”
“Shut up,” I growled as my massive Ego greatsword appeared next to me, falling against me as I stared up at the Observer.
“Are we going to do this dance yet again, Lacy?” she asked, clearly putting on a false confidence that even I could see through.
“Oh fuck yeah, we’re gonna do this shit again,” I yelled as I shifted into my Apollyon form and raised myself off the ground with my wings as I grabbed the handle of my Ego greatsword, letting my own Ego flow into the blade. “Bring it, bitch!”
[Fucking ruin her, Lacy! Cut her face off and shit on it!]
<That’s beyond crude, Rake! But I agree with her, mess this bitch up!>
[That’s it, Moon! Get pissed! Fuck this evil cunt for killing our friends!]
Behind me, I could hear my four remaining friends gathering themselves, but they were all too weak after taking all the Soul Break’s for me, despite me trying to stop them.
“Let’s go!” I roared as I flew forward, spinning through the air as I held tight to my greatsword, pushing my Ego into it as I spun hard, sending a wave of Ego flying from the blade and right at the Observer.
She raised a mechanical hand to block the hit, but instead of absorbing it like she’d done previously, my wave of Ego just sliced right through the hand and continued towards her face. As it hit her, she let out a massive roar of pain, eyes flaring to life.
“Uh oh!” I laughed as I continued swinging my blade through the air, sending wave after wave of Ego at her, “looks like you’re weak now, you stupid bitch!”
“I might be weakened,” she threw back, dodging the Ego I was sending at her, eyes locked with mine, “but I’m still strong enough to handle the likes of you!”
“Uh huh!” I mocked as I sent a wave at her, flying right behind it as I held my sword back, preparing to fuck her up real good. “Keep telling yourself that!”
“Your overconfidence is your downfall, Lacy!” she yelled as she flung her ruined hand at me, sending a beam flying right for me. But I easily weaved around it, smirking at her as I reached her and sliced my sword through the air, hitting her on the top of her dome head.
It didn’t cut through her, but the sheer weight and size of my Ego greatsword sent her flying straight down, where she slammed into the ground with a massive crash, sending debris and stone in all directions.
I followed after her, slamming the tip of my sword into the top of her face, sending her further into the ground.
“You were saying?” I asked with a smirk as I stood on top of her face, expecting her to say something snide. But instead, she just smiled at me.
“So foolish,” she said simply, confusing me as I stared at her. Then I heard an explosion behind me, causing my eyes to go wide as I jumped into the air and spun towards my friends.
My heart sank instantly as I saw that the beam she’d sent at me was not in fact aimed at me, but instead my friends.
<Oh no…>
The sight of the charred remains of my friends caused me to lose the grip on my greatsword, my eyes locked to the scene. The only sound I could hear was the horse laughing of the Observer as she lay embedded in the ground.
“You are so predictable, Lacy! For all that power you have, you don’t know how to use it to save even a single friend!” the Observed laughed, “were those the last four you had? Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to-”
“You just need to shut up,” I said softly, causing her to laugh more as I floated down, grabbing my greatsword again, my cloak blowing in the artificial wind of the Observer’s Chambers.
I stood at the top of the crater, staring crazily down at the Observer as she kept on laughing. Raising my massive sword, I began to push Ego into it yet again, but this time pushing a lot more than I ever had before.
“No matter what happens here,” she said between laughs, eyes locked with mine, “I’ve won.”
“I don’t care,” I replied as my sword began to overflow with Ego, “Just die.”
She stopped laughing as she just smirked up at me, waiting for me to end this.
Once I pushed as much Ego as possible into my greatsword, I began to rise into the air again, keeping my eyes locked on hers.
“Well, Lacy,” she called up to me as I reached the roof far above her. I pointed the tip of my sword at her and kicked off the ceiling, flying towards her at a speed far above anything I’d done before. “It’s been fun.”
With those final words, the tip of my sword hit the center of her dome and exploded with Ego as it broke through and slid all the way in till it hit the hilt. My body flexed as I caused the Ego to expand from within her head, causing it to explode like a fish bowl with a firecracker in it.
Cyan goop and shards of her dome went flying everywhere as I heard her voice laughing faintly as it faded away while her Ego swirled all around me as it slowly entered me. A bit overwhelming, but my mind was elsewhere.
My grip slipped on my sword, which was stuck in the ground, and I fell to my knees next to it.
I stared down at the ground, unable to cry as I just stared at the glowing remains of the Observer below me. My body shook as I shifted out of the Apollyon form, returning to normal.
It took a long while before I pulled myself out of the crater, feeling completely dead inside.
With that final attack by the Observer, I was now completely alone in the world.
Everyone is dead now…
I fucking knew I should have listened to Shallow Gale and Graze… They told me going after the Observer was a bad idea, but at the time I wanted payback for the friends we’d lost.
And I got it, but at the cost of my friends' lives.
<If we didn’t kill the Observer, she’d have come back later and killed everyone anyways…>
{Shut up, Moon, I don’t want to hear your logic right now.}
Holding out my hoof, I caused my Ego greatsword to return to me, fading away as I continued walking aimlessly towards my dead friends. Hoping that somehow they were still alive.
But after doing a thorough check, I was devastated to find that they were for sure dead.
I grabbed the little charm that held my cloak in place, gripping it tightly. My mind flashed to my husband and daughter, causing a tear to roll down my face as I remembered their final moments.
“Fuck it,” I grumbled, falling onto my haunches and collapsing to my side. “I give up.”
[Uh, no, we’re not just giving up, fucktard!]
<Rake is right, there must be something we can do.>
{Like what? We’re the only ones left now, everyone else is gone. What’s the fucking point now?}
[What’s the fucking point?! Bitch get your pussy ass up and dust yourself off! We don’t just give up when all the cards are on the table! We take that shitty table and flip it, because we don’t play by anyone's rules! Someone else wins the card game?! Nuh uh! Can’t win when yo cards are on the ground, slut!]
“I get it, Rake,” I groaned as I pushed myself up, turning to head for the front of the room where the Observer had entered from. “If there’s a way to fix this, then we’ll find it.”
[That’s my bitch!]
(Fuck yeah! We’ll get this shit fixed no matter what!)
<Goldfinger is right, we’ll figure this out! We’ve always come out on top in the past!>
[Yeah! We’re too fucking badass to fail!]
“Yeah!” I yelled, pumping my hoof as I took to the air and flew towards the large doors at the other end.
Upon passing through them I found myself in a large room with a massive computer-like device on one side of the room, with all kinds of devices and platforms extending out from it. That is obviously where I need to go.
However, as I stepped up to the large device that resembled a keyboard, I realized I could not read any of it.
“Ah fuck…” I muttered as I flew up and hovered above the keys, rubbing my chin. “Step one and we’ve already hit a snag.”
(Let me try! Push your Ego into this and I’ll see what I can find out!)
Raising an eyebrow I placed my hoof on the large computer and did as she asked, shoving my Ego right into it. Goldfinger moved through me and connected herself to the computer, humming as she worked.
[So? Can you figure it out?]
(Eh… not yet. I’m just taking shots in the dark and I can’t grasp this thing at all.)
{Well, anything is better than what I’d do. This shit is far beyond me.}
As she worked, I glanced around the room seeing that the Observer kept a large collection of animals in jars.
“Huh,” I mumbled, seeing all kinds of weird creatures staring at me from the jars on the shelves around the room.
After a few minutes Goldfinger finally sighed.
(I don’t know if this is it, but I MAY have a sequence we can input that’ll possibly reset that alternate dimension she locked us away in.)
<Why would we want to go back there?>
My eyes widen as a small smile slide onto my face, “because in that dimension all of our friends and family are still alive! I mean it’s not OUR friends and family, just copies, but that’s better than nothing!”
[Oh fuck yeah! Let’s do it!]
<But aren’t we going to have to redo everything we’ve done again just to see our friends again? That seems very tiring…>
[That’s the thought processes of a dumb retard, Moon! We’ll do what ever the fuck we gotta do to see them again, right Lacy?]
I gave a nod with a wide smile, “I get to see my husband again…”
[Oh I’ve missed Soarin and his fucking hot dick!]
<Jesus, Rake, just ruin the mood why don’t you…>
[And I have missed our daughter, Sora…]
<... Okay, Rake, you can NOT go from that one subject to feeling sad for our daughter. That’s not how that’s supposed to work!>
[Screw you, my mood go brrrrr!]
“Guys,” I said softly as Goldfinger worked her magic. My mind was focused on seeing everyone again, even if I’d have to play the ‘oh we just met’ game all over again.
(Okay! Yeah, I got this shit! I think! Just do as I say and we’re golden!)
“Fuck yeah, good work, Goldfinger!” I laughed as I began to slam a hoof into each key she directed me towards. I had to fly all over the keyboard, as it was massive, and hit each key, the screen flashing like crazy.
Eventually it stopped and began to display words in a strange language.
“Was that it?” I asked, watching a countdown appear.
(Yep!)
[Fucking epic shit, Goldy!]
<You’re our hero, Goldfinger!>
(Hehe! Thank you, thank you)
I fluttered in front of the screen, rubbing my hooves together in anticipation.
“Warning,” a monotone voice suddenly rang out through the room. “You have violated Ultimate Authority Dimension protocols, Observer. Prepare for divine intervention.”
“Eh… is that supposed to happen?” I asked as I just floated there confused.
“Dimensional freeze beginning in fifteen… fourteen… thirteen…” it began to slowly count down, causing me to panic.
“Fuck!” I yelped as I began to jump around the keyboard, hitting random keys.
[Oh way to fucking go, Goldy! You’ve fucked up big time!]
<You… you… cunt!>
(Aw fuck… I’m sorry guys :’( I didn’t mean too.)
[Don’t cry emoji us, you slut!]
“Fuck fuck fuck!” I exclaimed as I saw the count down reach one. “FUCK!”
“Dimensional Lock Down Initialized. Goodbye.”
My eyes went wide as everything just stopped.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Present in original reality
I suddenly crashed into the ground, getting a mouth full of dirt. Wait… dirt?! The Observer’s chamber is all stone and shit!
[Uh…]
<We’re not alone anymore…>
My eyes went wide as I jumped up, my massive sword appearing in my hooves as I spun on the group of ponies, and single human, staring at me. They didn’t seem surprised at my reaction, which did not sit well with me. One of them, some young weird looking mare, was bouncing excitedly, writing something in a book furiously.
Then I noticed the lead one, an Alicorn, was holding up a hoof.
“It is okay, we’re friends,” she said calmly as they all looked at me.
My eyes darted between each of them, unable to process what was going on.
One second I was in the Observer’s chamber, and then the next I was here. It made zero sense to me!
“I know you’re probably very confused,” she continued, getting my eyes back on her, “but we summoned you to our world because you’re an alternate version of our friend.”
I blinked a few times, processing what she said.
<So they have an alternate Lacy here too? Just like Kero that came to ours to help us on Nightmare Night all those years ago.>
[Ooo, fuck yeah! That means we’re the Kero of this world! Quick, Lacy! Strike a cool pose and say a badass one liner!]
I put on a confident smirk and spun my massive sword around and slammed it into the ground and then leaned against it, smirking at them as my cape blew in the wind like some kind of epically cool comic book protagonist, “you rang for a hero? Well your hero has answered your call, and she’s fine as hell.”
“I’m sorry, we don’t need a hero per se, just someone who can be used to track down our kidnapped friend,” the Alicorn said a bit sheepishly, causing me to deflate a bit.
“Ah… I see,” I said as I put my sword away and stood there a bit awkward.
“But,” she continued after a moment of awkward silence, “we can use all the help we can get in the coming battle.”
“Coming battle?” I asked, my interest piqued.
“That…” she said as she looked at the gathered ponies around her, “will take some explaining. If you don’t mind, I’d rather us do that somewhere… safer.”
I looked them over again, finally realizing there was a single human female in the back, causing me to raise an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m gonna need to ask a few questions before I move from this spot.”
“We don’t have time, we need to move somewhere-” she tried to say, but I cut her off by holding up a hoof.
“Nah nah, answer my questions or I stay right here forever,” I countered, causing her to sigh.
“Ask away, friend,” she said reluctantly.
I smirked as I licked my lips, “okay, where is the Lacy of this world currently?”
“Lacy?” she asked, then nodded as she realized something, “ah, yes, our friend's name is Lance, and he is currently somewhere we can not find. Hence why you’re here.”
“He?” I asked, rubbing my chin. Guess this dimension is a bit different from mine. Kero’s had been basically the exact same, so I guess I was expecting the same thing here.
“Yes,” she confirmed as she waited for me to ask something else.
“Eh…” I muttered, trying to think of another question, “... Ah! What happened to the Observer of this world? You guys defeat her?”
“She means the Watcher!” the young and weird looking mare suddenly exclaimed. “Let me answer her questions please!”
The Alicorn frowned but gave a nod, causing the strange mare to shoot forward and stand right in front of me, staring up at me with her wide glasses, a notebook held in her hooves.
“Hi!” she yelled, causing me to recoil back a bit.
“Eh, yo?” I answered, giving her a weak wave.
“So in our dimension, Lance and his friends beat the Watcher, which seems to be our version of your Observer!” she answered, smiling brightly up at me. “And to boot, it’s been thirteen years since then!”
“Huh…” I muttered, rubbing the back of my head, “thirteen years? That’s a bit of a time jump…”
“Next question?!” she asked expectantly.
[This mare looking a bit crazy… tread carefully!]
“Okay… in this dimension, where is Soarin?” I asked carefully.
“Soarin? The Wonderbolt Soarin?” she asked, to which I nodded, “ah, I don’t know why you’d ask about him, but I think he retired and got killed in the most recent battle in New Ponyville. I saw his name on the memorial website.”
“Oh yeah I see,” I muttered, a look of distress falling across my face. Looks like I was at least hoping to see him one more time here, even if he wasn’t my Soarin…
“Wait…” the young mare suddenly said, seeming to study my reaction, then she gasped, “in your dimension that is your husband, isn’t it?!”
“Eh, yeah,” I answered as she looked back at the group and pointed to the one pony I knew of, Twilight Sparkle, “See her? She’s our Lance’s wife! They have one kid together who’s twenty three right now!”
I stared at Twilight, causing her to give me a sheepish little wave, “well that’s interesting… She got with some douche in my timeline.”
This for some reason caused the mare before me to gasp again, “just like in the Dark Timeline! Oh that’s so interesting!”
She began to write in her notebook as I just stared at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Question?” she pressed, leaning towards me.
“Erm…” I muttered, suddenly losing all the questions I had. “I think I’m good now.”
“Ooo! Can I ask some questions?!” she exclaimed as she jumped up happily, “in your world, what happened during the Heat?!”
“Hehe,” I laughed nervously as I rubbed my shoulder, “eh……”
[Bro, we went on a FUCKING RAMPAGE that first Heat. Like holy shit, none where safe!]
{Rather not think of that shit, Rake.}
<Yeah, it was a bit traumatic for us.>
[Pussies.]
“Babel,” the Alicorn warned, causing her to smile sheepishly at me.
“Ah yeah yeah, sorry about that! I probably shouldn’t have asked that one right off the bat,” she said as she flipped a page, “do you have a kid?!”
My eyes just widened even further, as my mind flashed to my daughter, Sora, and her… death.
“I did…” I muttered, causing everyone to cringe a bit as they all looked everywhere but me. But not the one before me, this Babel chick.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! If I had to guess, I’d say it happened at the same time as our dimension’s Spark almost died when Evil Possessed David had him and tried to break his neck,” she said matter-of-factly, causing me to start to breath a bit heavily.
“How’d you know that?!” I asked a bit panicked, causing her expression to drop.
“Ah crabapples… I’m sorry! Nova you can take over again!” she exclaimed as she backed off quickly, leaving me there having a mini panic attack as the memory replayed against my will.
“Lacy, if you will, we need to get out of the open. I’ll explain everything to you once we’re safe, okay?” the one named Nova said, causing me to nod a bit dumbly as I took a step towards them.
“Good. Bronwyn?” she said, looking back at the human female.
The woman gave a nod and opened a portal. Everyone quickly made their way in as I kind of slowly walked behind them.
“Please, do hurry, Lacy,” Nova said as she scanned the sky.
“Yeah, sorry,” I muttered, jumping through the portal, finding myself in a completely different dimension.
I blinked a few times, a bit surprised at what I was seeing, as it looked to be a small town on an endless plain, very similar to the Eternal Plains.
“This way, Lacy,” Nova said as she waved for me to follow her. “I’ll take you to our command center so I can give you a complete rundown of the situation so far.”
“Uh… alright,” I replied as I followed after her.
[This place wack yo, I wonder if everyone is genderbent like we are. That’ll be weird as fuck!]
<Oh! That would be very cool to see!>
[We could fuck them!]
<Rake no!>
[Rake yes!]
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 314 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-23T21:41:31+00:00
|
2023-01-23T21:41:31+00:00
| 289 |
Chapter 80
Lacy POV
“Is that it?” I asked as I walked around the room, examining all the things they had laying about.
“Essentially,” Nova answered as she, Louie, and Roxxy sat at the table, watching me. “Any questions?”
“Yeah,” I said with a nod of my head, picking up a picture of a few ponies at a party, “this Champion guy, he’s literally unbeatable?”
“Very much so,” she said solemnly.
“And we’re sure of that fact?” I asked with a smirk as I put the picture down and moved to a window, looking out to see that one weird mare, Babel, leaning against the nearby building drawing in her notebook.
“Lacy,” Nova began sternly, “do not engage with Champion if you see him. You’ve watched our memories, you KNOW he’s to dangerous to challenge.”
“I mean, yeah,” I chuckled, “but it’d be cool to be the one to kick his ass, wouldn’t it?”
“Do not engage Champion,” she repeated, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Geez, can do, mom,” I muttered as I watched Babel.
Nova must’ve seen where I was looking as she let out a sigh, “I’m really sorry about Babel Yarn. She’s a good mare, she’s just a tad bit… excitable.”
“Nah don’t worry about it,” I chuckled, “I actually like her. Got that charm to her, ya know? Plus I love someone who speaks their mind and doesn’t give a flying fuck.”
As if she knew I was talking about her, Babel’s head shot up and she began waving happily at me. I just chuckled and waved back as I moved away from the window and turned my attention to the other three in the room.
“So my role tomorrow is to just be used to find Lance?”
“Correct,” Nova confirmed.
“Will I get to do any kind of fighting?” I asked hopefully.
“If everything goes to plan, no, there will be no fighting,” she said a bit proudly, causing me to frown.
“Oh yeah great, no fighting works for me…” I muttered, a bit disappointed.
[Gay bullshit. We are being misused and mistreated! We are a fighter!]
<Calm down, Rake. We just came from the battle with the Observer, we need this break.>
[Only pussies need breaks!]
“Tomorrow at noon Champion will be holding the greeting ceremony for the Hippogriff Dignitaries, and it will be broadcasted live to the entire world,” Nova began, finally telling me the full plan, “we’re going to hijack the broadcast and show the world CCTV footage of just how bad he really is.”
“Oh sweet, what kind of footage do you got?” I asked, walking over and spinning a chair around so I could sit in it and lean on the back of it.
“We don’t know just yet,” she admitted as she nodded to a device plugged into a much larger computer screen, “I haven’t gone through it yet.”
“Well I’m invested, so I’m down to go through it right now,” I said with a large smile.
Nova looked at the other two, who gave nods in return, “very well then. Just be warned, there is apparently a… sexual assault in this video. Are you able to handle that?”
“Uh yeah?” I said with a wave of my hoof, “shit don’t bother me.”
“Just making sure,” she said as she used her magic to navigate the cursor over to the CCTV app, opening it to reveal a system for going through all the CCTV footage of New Ponyville.
It took her a few moments to get it set up, but once she had the time right, the screen displayed multiple camera angles of a city being slowly destroyed.
“Okay… now I just need to find all the Champion footage…” she muttered, slowly clicking through camera’s and moving the timeline around.
“Go to the beginning, Twilight said he attacked them first,” Roxxy suggested.
Nova nodded as she set the timeline back and switched to a camera showing a few homes. After a moment a costumed stallion, which I knew was Champion thanks to their memories, landed at the front door of a building. A mare appeared next to him in a flash as he banged on the door.
From the angle we could see the door open and Lance step out, looking a bit confused, but happy. Then without warning Champion punched him, somehow destroying not only Lance’s home, but every house behind it for at least a mile.
“Fuck!” I yelped, having not seen him actually fight yet, so to see how much power he actually had was insane!
“Save that,” Louie grunted, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
“Do we know when he next appeared?” Nova asked as she sped through the footage, watching all the camera’s.
“We do not, we just know he came back at some point near the end…” Roxxy answered, rubbing her chin as she watched the little boxes of cameras.
Nova sped the footage up till near the end of the battle, switching to all the camera’s that did not include the area’s where Phantasm Troupe had been fighting. It took a little bit but eventually we saw Champion suddenly appear on one of the camera’s.
“Got him,” Roxxy exclaimed as Nova switched to that camera.
They all watched as he lowered himself down to a pile of rubble where a mare was helping another.
“That’s Azure Moon,” Louie clarified, causing everyone but me to frown. I was missing some context here it seems.
Champion was speaking with her, but she seemed to be angry with him as she was a bit animated, clearly wanting him to leave.
From the angle of the camera, we could see those two and everyone around them slowing gathering up.
Then without any warning every single person around them just… exploded.
We all lurched forward in our chairs as this happened, as it came out of nowhere.
“What the fuck?!” I yelped while everyone else stayed silent, eyes locked to the screen.
Champion flew down to Azure Moon and held his hoof out to her.
“So this is when that bitch joined his side,” Roxxy muttered.
We watched them talk for a moment, then she slapped his hoof away and began to scream. Nova zoomed in a bit so that we could clearly see what was happening.
“Do you think this is the…” Louie began, but cut himself off as we all knew what he meant.
She spat into his face, followed by him suddenly slapping her, sending her to the ground.
They watched as they continued to talk, then Champion began to remove his…
“Oh fuck…” I muttered as we watched something horrible begin to take place on the screen. None of us looked away, as this sadly was something we needed to see.
Once he finished his heinous act, he pulled out an object and pressed it to her head, causing her to go rigid. After a few moments she went limp and he picked her up, his ears perked up and he suddenly flew to the left. Changing the camera angle showed him killing a few innocent ponies who’d entered the area. He did it a bit slower this time, so you could clearly see him just killing them with a single hit each.
Then he flew off, taking Azure Moon with him.
Nova paused the footage at this point and grabbed her head, clearly distressed at what we’d just seen.
“That evil bastard…” Roxxy growled, slamming her hoof down hard and getting up to walk around the room.
Louie just clenched his fist and leaned forward, looking focused and deep in thought.
As for me, I just rubbed my face, processing what I’d just witnessed.
<Rake, do not make a joke here.>
[I’m not!]
(We can clearly tell you’re thinking of one right now!)
[I mean, I got a good one in the chamber, but I’ll keep it to myself!]
I sighed as I looked at Nova, “is that what you needed?”
She groaned, shaking her head, “yes, but I will not use that part of the footage.”
“What?!” Roxxy snapped as she ran back over, slamming her hooves onto the table. “We have to show that! It’ll paint him as the bad guy instantly!”
“I will not show an innocent mare getting assaulted on live TV just to win this,” Nova declared sternly, eye twitching.
“What if the footage of him killing innocents is not enough? What then?” Roxxy countered.
“It will be enough,” Nova assured her as she began to save the needed footage. “It has to be.”
“That’s wishful thinking we can not rely on!” Roxxy yelled, but Nova ignored her as she finished grabbing the footage and putting it on a small PDA.
“I am not discussing this further,” Nova said simply as she got up and left the room, her emotions clearly all over the place.
Once she was gone, I looked at Roxxy, who was fuming with rage.
“She’s too soft sometimes…” Roxy growled as she pulled out her own PDA and plugged it into the device.
“What are you doing?” I asked as she went back to the CCTV footage.
“I’m setting up Plan B when Plan A fails,” she answered roughly as she brought up the assault footage again so she could save it.
Once it finished she put her PDA away and glared at us, “not a word to Nova, okay?”
“You got it,” I answered as Louie just shrugged.
She gave a sharp nod and left the room.
I let out a sigh and looked at Louie, “this shit is a lot more complicated than the shit I was dealing with in my dimension.”
“Yeah, that’s common for us,” he answered with a chuckle as he stood up, “you ready for tomorrow?”
“Born ready,” I answered with a grin.
[Let’s get this shit, fuckers!]
ooo000<^>000ooo
Strawell rubbed her forehead as she read over the orders she was issuing for tomorrow's ceremonies. The Inquisitors were in charge of making sure no rebel activity occurred or disrupted the Hippogriff Dignitaries' visit to Equestria.
As she went over a few revisions, her mind drifted to the folder Red Storm had given her and its contents. She’d learned that the Apostles indeed were never under the control of anyone else. They’d been acting on their own free will. She also found out Nova herself was not even on Equestria during the battle, as she’d apparently been off traveling the Eternal Plains.
This raised a lot of questions, as the King assured everyone that she was the one behind everything, the main leader of the Bronies. According to him, she was the one who helped them kill the Princesses. But now, with this new info, she wasn’t so sure of that.
Of course, that didn’t matter right now, as she needed to make sure tomorrow went off without a hitch, as her current plans required life to continue as normal for now. If things went as planned, she’d be able to bring everything down at once, and hopefully end with Champion arrested.
The actual process of arresting him though eluded her as of now, but she’d figure something out. She had plenty of time to come up with a method of holding him.
With that, she went back to work, as she had a long night ahead of her.
ooo000<^>000ooo
The Next Day
The crowd slowly gathered up in front of the massive stage set up in the courtyard of the Palace, all excited about the upcoming ceremonies as it was rumored their King had a special announcement to make.
Inquisitors walked the outskirts of the crowd, watching everything closely, on high alert for any kind of suspicious activity.
Up on the stage stood a few important ponies, namely Strawell who stood by her seat, eyes scanning the crowd before her as she looked for any familiar faces.
As the crowd grew larger, the time began to near for everything to begin.
“All clear?” Strawell spoke into her radio, getting a few ‘affirmatives’ in response.
She knew the rebels had something planned for today, she just was not sure what it would be. But she knew this would prove to her if they really are the ‘good guys’ or not, as it depends on how this went.
If they came in violently and hurt anyone, then that’d be it, she’d dedicate her life to bringing them all to justice. If things played out differently… she’d just have to decide on her actions if that time comes.
Trumpets began to sound all around them as the sound of a sonic boom sounded above their heads. The crowd went insane as Champion began to lower himself down the platform, waving to the crowd all around him happily.
“My citizens! How I have missed you!” he bellowed, getting a massive response from the crowd as they roared his name. The huge screen behind him displayed his smiling face as he looked out at the crowd. “Yes yes, it is I!” he laughed, still waving to them all.
After a moment the crowd fell silent as he smiled at them.
He began to read a speech he’d prepared for this event as Strawell continued to scan the crowd, her eyes locking onto a single pony in the sea of ponies.
The Rebel known as Roxxy.
Her eyes narrowed, but she held off on calling this in, as she knew she needed to wait and see their plan first. She just prayed she was not making a mistake here and about to allow others to get hurt.
Champion’s grand speech continued as she took notice of a few more Rebel’s in the crowd, namely the members of the Phantasm Troupe. They were wearing disguises, but she could easily see through them.
Then her eyes caught an unexpected sight. Red Storm’s daughter, Babel Yarn, just standing in the crowd by herself, eyes locked on the stage. That is an unexpected development.
“And now,” Champion said proudly as he waved a hoof to the side, causing his Queen to walk out onto the stage and stand next to him, “before I introduce our Hippogriff visitors, I, we have an announcement to make.”
All eyes fell on him as he smiled proudly at everyone.
“Equestria,” he said with his head held high, “your beloved King and Queen are pregnant!”
The crowd went crazy as he placed a wing over his Queen, who just smiled blankly out at the crowd, waving her hoof in a circle.
After a few more words of self praise, he allowed her to walk off stage, returning to smiling out at everyone. “Now, I’d like the honor of introducing our esteemed guest from the Kingdom of Hippogriffia!”
Two Hippogriff’s stepped out onto the stage, looking very regal in their Royal attire.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Lacy’s POV
“The Hippogriff Dignitaries are out on stage with Champion now,” Roxxy’s voice said from the communicator, causing Bronwyn to nod as she began to perform a ritual to use me as some kind of beacon that’ll lead them to their friends.
“Do not move, Lacy,” she said as we stood in the clearing, far from the cities or anyone else.
“Can do,” I muttered as the ground began to glow around me, Ego flying up and attaching to me. “Yep… not moving…”
“This will tell us exactly where to go,” she explained as the Ego increased in intensity. It was just the two of us, as the others were busy with their own task. But we should be enough since all of the threats will be in Canterlot for the ceremonies.
Suddenly everything stopped, causing me to frown.
“Did it break?” I asked, causing the tall woman to laugh.
“Oh no no, it worked,” she confirmed as she twirled her Dimensional Dagger in her hand. “And I’ve got the exact coordinates as well.”
“That simple?” I asked.
“That simple,” she replied with a wide smile.
“Well let’s get in there!” I exclaimed, “maybe we’ll get done fast enough to join up with the others.”
Bronwyn gave a nod as she ripped open a portal for us, jumping in as I ran in behind her.
Now I don’t know what I was expecting when I agreed to find their friends, but a room filled with red crackling cocoons was not on the list.
“Oh this is not good,” Bronwyn muttered as we scanned the room around us, seeing all the ponies stuck inside of the red cocoons as energy seemed to pump out of them and into the floor beneath us.
“What is this shit?” I asked as I looked into a cocoon next to me, seeing an unconscious pony floating within it.
“They’re harvesting their Ego…” Bronwyn began, but then she leaned forward and touched a cocoon. Her eyes went wide instantly, “no, not their Ego… they’re siphoning the Holy Energy from them!”
“This Holy Energy bullshit again?” I mumbled, shaking my head. I’d already faced a few dipshits in the past who were all about stealing the Holy Energy within myself and the other Bronies. The shit got old real quick, as that was all anyone ever wanted from us. Sad to see the trend continues even in this different dimension.
“We need to get them out and destroy whatever is collecting the energy,” she instructed, as she looked around quickly. “We need to start with Lance, as the moment we cut one, they’ll know we’re here.”
“Oh great,” I muttered, looking into each cocoon, looking for someone who looked like me.
Of course Bronwyn found him first, waving me over.
Upon stepping up to the cocoon I was surprised to see the occupant was awake and looking at us. He indeed looked exactly like me, all the way down to the fake eye, which was only noticeable if you knew what to look for.
“Ready?” she asked as she put a hand on her sword.
“Do it,” I said as Lance watched us intently, eyes locked on mine as I saw his two consciences appear on his shoulders.
But as she went to slice the cocoon, a loud pop sounded right behind us.
“Ah, we met again,” a charming voice exclaimed as we spun around to see a fairly built man in a very nice business suit. He raised an eyebrow at me, then looked to Lance, then back to me. “Now that’s a bit odd…”
Bronwyn lowered herself into a fighting stance, “Lacy, get Lance out.”
“What about everyone else?” I asked but then the man shot straight at us, causing Bronwyn to dash into his path and draw her sword.
“Get anyone you can!” she yelled as her sword flashed as the man used his bare hands to take swipes at her, laughing confidently as he did so.
Without a moment's hesitation I summoned my Ego greatsword and sliced the cocoon, causing Lance to collapse onto the ground.
“Interlopers!” a female voice roared as all the cocoons suddenly flashed away, much to our surprise. “How DARE you enter my personal space!”
“Fuck!” I yelled as I pulled Lance up, having only saved him .
“Are you me?!” he asked in confusion.
“We don’t have time for that!” Bronwyn yelled as she was thrown backwards by a heavy hit from the smiling man.
“Right!” We both exclaimed at the same time, spinning to face the well dressed man as he turned to face us, rolling his shoulder as he prepared.
“Got a weapon?” I asked as I held my large sword up effortlessly.
“I got my hooves,” he answered, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Well that’s useless as fuck.”
“Says the lady with the massive slab of iron,” he retorted, causing me to smirk.
“Just keep up with me stripy boy,” I chuckled as I spun my sword a few times so the tip was pointed at the approaching man.
“I’m not concerned about that,” he said smugly as he shifted into his own Apollyon form, “I’m more worried you won’t be able to keep up with me is all!”
To answer him I shifted into my own Apollyon form, sticking my tongue out of the corner of my mouth at him, “I’ll try my best, sweet innocent summer child!”
[Oh this shit is so much hotter than the whole Kill and Joy situation.] Break said as he rubbed his hooves together as he looked at Rake.
[Uh oh, we got a wannabe charmer over here ladies! Too bad I can feel the small dick energy from here!] Rake retorted with a smirk.
[Small dick energy!? Bitch I’m all Big Dick Energy over here!] Break yelled back angrily.
<That’s a tad bit SDE of you, Break, she may be right.> Dawn said, getting a roar of laughter from my three consciences.
[Pussy whipped little shit…] Break muttered, crossing his hooves.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 315 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-24T01:19:29+00:00
|
2023-01-24T01:19:29+00:00
| 264 |
Chapter 81
“Bronwyn and Lacy are in, we’re clear to begin Operation: King’s fall!” Nova’s voice yelled over the radio that was in Roxxy’s ear, causing her adrenaline to spike as she looked to the stage, watching as Champion shook hooves with the two Hippogriff Dignitaries.
As he moved to shake hooves with the second on, the large screen behind his head cut to static, not alarming anyone that much at first.
She looked around, seeing all the TV’s in the area that the Newscasters had set up for their respective News channels were also showing nothing but static.
Then it all cut to Nova, sitting in her office with the camera pointed right at her as she leaned on her desk.
“Hello, everypony. Equestria,” she said solemnly, causing the entire crowd to start murmuring. Champion turned to face the screen, clearly displeased as he seemed to be telling his staff to handle it, as all the servants on the stage rushed off.
“I have been painted as the villain of recent events, slandered beyond belief by my own brother,” she said calmly, keeping her composure. “I am here to set the record straight, to prove to the world that it was not the Bronies who killed the Princesses, but my own brother! Champion! A.K.A. Star Chaser!”
The crowd exploded into yelling, clearly not buying what she was selling as they yelled for the camera to be turned off.
“I have proof,” she suddenly said as the screen changed to show CCTV footage of a destroyed street, ponies running all around as Nova continued to speak. “This is footage from the battle that destroyed New Ponyville, a terrible day that only gets worse when you know the full truth.”
Champion was not moving as he stared at the screen, his breathing heavy enough that even Roxxy could see his chest rising and lowering from here.
“Champion, the ‘hero’ of our world showed up that day, but not to save everyone,” she said as the footage then cut to Azure Moon helping a few ponies out of the rubble.
This caused a few ponies to cheer, as they loved to see their Queen helping others on that fateful day.
Then the footage showed everyone just explode around them, then cut to Champion himself just punch ponies, turning them to bloody messes.
“Champion has lied to you all,” she yelled as the screen then showed him attack Lance unprovoked and killed an untold amount of ponies in the process. “He killed the Princesses and blamed it all on myself and the Bronies. The Apostles were never under anyone's control other than his own. They are not heroes. He is not a hero. They are villains of the worst kind!”
As she exclaimed this part, the camera shifted to a live view of Champion as he stared right into the camera. Once he realized he was being recorded he spun to face the crowd, not appearing as upset as she’d have expected.
He calmed his breathing and put on his trademark smile.
“Well, the wonders of video editing, huh?” he said, causing everyone to just stare at him in disbelief. Roxxy was thrown for a loop, as this was not the expected reaction at all.
“That video is WAY out of context,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Yes, I killed the ponies you saw on the screen, but they’re leaving out the fact that those ponies were Brony supporters who were apart of the attack that day. Everything else she said was to slander me and turn all of you against me.”
Everything fell silent as he stood there smiling confidently. Then slowly, ponies began to cheer his name yet again.
“Oh you got to be fucking with me,” Roxxy growled as she pulled out her PDA and hijacked the broadcast from Nova. The screen went to static again as Champion began to laugh proudly.
“Yes, I do only what is best for-” he suddenly stopped as he heard the loudspeakers around the area blare to life again.
“You’re going to be mine,” the Champion on the screen said coldly as he stood above an angry Azure Moon. Without warning he began to remove his pants, causing the crowd to gasp all around Roxxy.
“No,” Azure Moon said firmly. “No, that is not happening.”
“Yes,” came Champion’s response as his pants fell away.
“Star Chaser, no!” she yelled, fighting to get away from him.
“Just stop,” he ordered as he lowered himself onto her, the angle making it clear what was happening.
“If you… IF YOU-” she started to yell, but was cut off as she began screaming in pain.
The crowd watched in horror as the angle changed a few times to really set in what was being shown.
And the entire thing was shown, all the way up to him using some kind of item to take control of her mind.
Not a single pony spoke in the crowd as the camera returned to Champion’s face, which was blank of all emotion now.
Finally, someone in the crowd yelled out, “monster!”
With this everyone opened up, yelling their own insults up at the emotionless Champion as he stared out at them.
As the crowd let their new found hate for their King be known.
“Roxxy?! What have you done?!” Nova yelled over the radio.
“What needed to be done,” Roxxy responded as she pulled the ear piece out.
“Murderer!”
“Rapist!”
“Pig!”
All kinds of insults were thrown his way as the ponies behind him began to leave quickly. The two Hippogriff Dignitaries stayed where they were, more out of shock than anything else.
Finally Champion showed a sign of being alive as his eye twitched.
“Excuse me, but we’re taking our leave now,” the lead Hippogriff said as the pair began to back away from the twitching stallion.
“Stay. Right where you are,” Champion said in a monotone voice as he turned his head to them, then back to the angry crowd. “So that’s the game? Taking everything from me?” he asked, looking right at Roxxy and then to each member of Phantasm Troupe, easily picking them out of the crowd. “Okay, you win. I’m no longer the beloved King of Equestria.”
A sense of dread over took Roxxy’s body as he said that, a chill running so deep that she felt like shrinking down and never being seen again.
“But,” he said as he worked his jaw, “if I can’t be the beloved King of Equestria, then I’ll just be the hated ruler of the entire world.” With that he looked back at the two dignitaries, the camera still on him. “Starting with this,” he said as his eyes glowed as two beams came out and sliced the two Hippogriff’s in half. As the crowd looked on in shock, he turned back to them, eyes still glowing, “I am Champion, Supreme God King of all life.”
The crowd reacted instantly as his eyes flashed, cutting through the front few rows with ease, killing every single pony in the front.
Strawell, who’d stayed behind him, rushed for him, but his back hoof just shot up and caught her in the chest, sending her flying back into the massive screen, bringing the entire thing down behind him as he stopped his lazers, watching as the crowd rushed away from him in a panic. All those but the members of Phantasm Troupe, who knew they couldn’t run even if they wanted to.
“I really should’ve killed you brats long ago,” he said as he jumped down into the gore below, eyes looking between each of them as he moved forward.
Roxxy looked around briefly, taking note that most of the crowd was out of the area now, but Babel was still there, off to the side hiding behind a fallen cart. Literally the WORST place to be right now. But she couldn't do anything about that now, not with Champion’s intense aura bearing down on them.
Louie and Nova suddenly appeared as they jumped out of a portal, right in the middle of Phantasm Troupe as they all slowly prepared themselves.
“Star Chaser, stop,” Nova growled as she stared her brother down, who just smiled at her.
“Sister, this was the worst possible move you could’ve made today,” he laughed with a little too much joy. “Fine, you want to end this today? Then we will,” he said as he suddenly disappeared, only to reappear right by Summer Breeze.
She yelped as his hoof flew straight for her, but a forcefield appeared around her, causing her to be sent flying away harmlessly.
“Oh! Which of you can create the force fields again?” he asked, turning to look at each of them, a crazy smile on his face.
Of course no one gave him an answer as Nova walked forward, staring him down. “Are you scared of me brother? Face me first, then them, unless you’re a coward.”
“You’re trying to provoke me,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “No baby sister, you’re the main course. I’ll kill you last.”
He suddenly appeared right next to her, tapping her hip with his hoof, “see? I could kill you now.” He then zipped right up next to Roxxy, grabbing her roughly as he yanked her towards himself. “But I want to kill your little friends first.”
Roxxy glared at him as she gave her a wink, then unexpectedly threw her down as he returned to his original spot.
“I can kill each of you when I want, I’m just trying to decide the order,” he said as he looked between each of them.
The sound of rubble falling caused him to look back to see Strawell pulling herself out of the debris of the stage, eyes locked on him.
“Ah, I’m surprised she’s still alive. No matter, to the list she goes,” he laughs, turning back to everyone else. “Now. Eenie meenie miney…” he began to point at each of them in turn, a wide smile on his face.
“Oh screw you, fuckboy,” Nightstreak muttered under his breath, causing Champion to look at him with a crooked smile.
“Mo,” and with that he appeared right before Nightstreak.
“Yo,” Nightstreak said smugly as he reached out and grabbed Champion’s hoof, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
“Nightstreak! NO!” Dude yelled as Nightstreak threw a smile his way, followed by the two of them disappearing instantly as a portal opened right on top of them, closing not a moment later.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Champion narrowed his eyes at the smirking stallion as he looked around, a bit confused on the change in destination, as it’d happened instantly.
“What is this?” Champion asked as he took a few steps away from Nightstreak, not liking the energy of this place.
“Just a little place we created for you,” Nightstreak answered smugly, taking a few steps back. “I can tell you this now, but each and everyone of us had this little amulet,” he said, tapping his wrist where a little charm rested. “We all agreed that whoever could do it would sacrifice themselves to bring you here. Just ended up being me.”
“Hm…” Champion muttered, looking at him with a crazy smile. “You think this place will hold me?”
“I know it will,” Nightstreak countered. “I’m trapped here to fucker. This place was set up to be a one time enter, so no one else will be coming in here from now on. Just the two of us, unless you kill me that is.”
Champion pulled out his Dimensional Dagger and stabbed at the air, only for nothing to happen.
“See? You’re stuck,” Nightstreak laughed as he pulled out his own Dimensional Dagger and stabbed the air, followed by nothing happening as well.
This angered Champion further as he turned to face Nightstreak.
“Here, try mine, maybe it’ll work in your much more capable hooves,” Nightstreak mocked as he tossed the Dimensional Dagger at the Royal stallion, where it landed right in front of him.
But Champion kept his eyes on the young stallion before him.
“Ah, yeah, just gonna kill me then?” Nightstreak asked, his Ego Gauntlets appearing on his hooves. “Well, I won’t die easily, fuckboy.”
“You will,” Champion answered plainly as he stomped over to Nightstreak, not in a hurry as there was nowhere to go on this endless void of a plain.
Nightstreak stood before him, in a fighting stance as he focused on Champion.
The larger stallion came to a stop right before Nightstreak, a blank look on his face. “Die,” he said simply as his hoof shot up, flying for the younger stallion's chest.
Yet he didn’t move as he held the gaze of Champion, letting the attack fly for him without moving. Then, as it touched the fur of his chest, he activated his Ego. Everything happened at once.
Champion’s hoof passed through open air as Nightstreak’s body seemed to move on its own, his own hoof flying right for Champion’s face. A loud boom filled the air as Champion was sent flying away, spinning through the air trailing flames and slamming into the ground.
“YES!” Nightstreak cheered, jumping in place as Champion slowly stood up, shaking with anger.
That hit had his own power behind it, but multiplied!
Then he felt blood pouring down his face, causing him to bring out his mirror, and what he saw caused his blood to boil. His mane was ruined! It was burned away leaving only a few patches of hair.
“You PEASANT BLOODED FAG!” He roared, losing all sense of control as he flew towards a smirking Nightstreak.
“Gotcha fucker,” Nightstreak declared proudly as he was hit by the freight train that is Champion. Blood exploded everywhere as Champion came out on the other side of the stallion, looking back to see nothing was left but parts of his legs.
“AHHH!!!!” he roared, his rage not satiated after killing the one who ruined his mane.
He used his lazers to melt the remaining bits of the stallion then zipped over, grabbing both daggers for himself, all the while still screaming.
With a roar, he began punching the ground over and over again, creating a massive crater. Then, once he reached the climax of his anger, he shot straight into the endless sky, using his Ego to keep pushing his speed faster and faster, reaching a point he was basically moving faster than anything had in all of existence.
And he kept pushing himself, screaming in rage as he flew straight up. Then as he reached the point of Godly speed, he burst through a bubble like ceiling, appearing in a dark void with blinking lights all around him.
A place he knew of thanks to Lorenzo.
The In-between.
The space between dimensions. He growled as he grabbed Nightstreak’s Dimensional Dagger and flipped it around, accessing its last few travel destinations.
Still breathing heavily, he ripped open a new portal and flew into it.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“That idiot!” Dude cried as he sat on the ground, tears flowing down his face. “I told him I’d do it! But he just always has to be the center of attention!”
“It’s okay,” Summer Breeze choked out as she sat next to him, hugging him tightly. “He… knew what was doing…”
But the two quickly divulged into messy sobs as they held each other for comfort, having lost a brother and a partner.
Roxxy and Flippy Dew weren’t doing much better either as they leaned into each other, tears running down their faces.
“This was a disaster,” Nova said solemnly as she stood above all the dead citizens, looking over to the film crews to see they were still there, pointing their cameras at them.
“Is it safe to come out now?” Babel yelled to them as she peeked over the top of the overturned cart.
Roxxy wiped her nose and turned to her, raising a hoof, “Yeah… it’s safe to-”
A portal snapped open behind them, with screams filtering out of it as Calypso jumped out, dragging a heavily injured Kelmoon after her.
“Calypso?!” Nova screamed, watching as the mare stumbled and fell, her own wounds slowing her down.
“Fucking Champion…” she muttered as she pointed behind her at the open portal.
“How?!” Nova screamed as she saw a few different portals opening inside the Safe Dimension, where a few ponies seemed to be jumping through them. Then Champion appeared at the entrance of their portal, crazy eyes staring at them. He was covered in so much blood that he didn’t look Equine anymore.
He didn’t say a word as she stepped through the portal, causing it to snap shut behind him.
“How did you-” she started to say, but then he shot towards her, her own Ego barely warning her as she dodged his attack.
“Games over,” he muttered as his eyes flashed purple.
Roxxy was the first to move as his eyes locked on her and he zipped right at her. Her eyes went wide as a forcefield appeared around her, but he just smashed through it and grabbed her by the neck.
“Copy,” he growled as he stuck a hoof into her left eye and ripped off two legs, then threw her to the side. “Now you match.”
A multitude of attacks slammed into his back as he turned, eyes locked onto his next target. This time he didn’t have any comments as he flashed up to Dude, eyes burning with hatred.
“Your bastard did this to me,” he said simply, pointing at his head. Then as casually as possible his hoof shot forward, turning the stallion to a fine mist as he turned to Summer Breeze.
“STOP!” Nova roared as she appeared between them, eyes ablaze.
“Hm,” Champion muttered, clearly not there emotionally as he took a step forward, but a forcefield appeared around him, this one much stronger than the last.
“Which of you is doing this?” he asked, eyes turning to flippy dew. “Ah, of course.”
He slammed his hoof into the ground, sending a shock wave at Flippy Dew that slammed into her and sent her flying away, unconscious.
“Resilient brats,” he said in a low voice as he scanned the remaining ones, feeling like he had all the time in the world to pick his next victim. Then his eyes settled on Louie who was squared up with him currently. “You, canine.”
As he turned to him, his senses picked up something else, followed by someone flying into the area and landed right in front of him.
“Really now?” he asked as the stallion stood up, smirking up at him.
“Well hey there, Champion ol’ pal! Guess who swapped sides!” Jun laughed, his demonic form making him appear very imposing, despite the goofy look on his face.
“I know,” was all Champion said as he stepped up to the buffed stallion.
“Bet you didn’t expect this one, huh?!” Jun laughed as he powered himself up and sent out a shock wave, attempting to remove Champion’s Ego. “Got ya now!”
“Unlikely,” Champion replied as he punched Jun in the chest, causing him to explode.
Jun’s head soared through the air and landed next to Louie, blinking in surprise.
“Ah shit… I didn’t turn his Ego off apparently…”
“Dumbass,” Louie growled, not sure what he could even do here against Champion.
“I just need a few minutes…” Jun muttered, but Louie knew none of them had even a minute at this current pace.
“Goodbye, baby sister,” he said as he flew at her, but she dodged his attack, much to his annoyance. She dodged a few more, her eyes wide as she tried to keep his attention.
“How does this Ego of your work?!” he asked, not enjoying this at all.
“Like this,” she said as she suddenly lunged forward, the tip of her sword glowing brightly with Ego as she pierced through his right eye, actually doing real damage.
He let out a scream, like a young colt, and grabbed her Ego Rapier and yanked it out of her magical grasp. Then in one movement he snapped it in half, killing the weapon instantly, and the Soulbind.
Nova yelped in pain as part of her died, then he shot forward, wrapping both hooves around her neck.
He didn’t say anything as he slowly choked the life out of her, wanting it to be slow so he could watch her struggle. But she was lasting longer than she should. Then he noticed the Ego trail coming from Summer Breeze to Nova, doing her best to keep the mare alive.
Champion growled as he used his eyes to shoot a beam right at her. She dodged to the left, but lost her back leg in the process, as it was completely disintegrated.
She screamed and kept her Ego attached to Nova, ignoring herself.
An overwhelming presence appeared behind him, causing him to look back to see Strawell, fully powered up as large Ego filled wings shot from her back.
He didn’t get time to form a sentence as Louie landed on him, wrapping his legs around the stallion’s neck and throwing him towards the furious Strawell. She sprang forward and landed a heavy hit into his face as he flew at her, causing him to crash into the ground, an unamused look on his face.
But she wasn’t done as she hit him with a series of hits to the chest and neck, causing his body to actually seize up.
This caught him off guard as Louie landed next to him and grabbed his leg. With a grunt, he began to spin around as fast as he could. Then with a yell he sent Champion’s limp body flying through the air and over the Palace wall, where the cliffs were. The fall wouldn’t hurt him, but they needed as much time as possible here.
“Everyone!” Nova choked out as she raised herself off the ground. “Use your daggers to go to random locations on the Eternal Plains!”
Calypso, who was tending to both Summer Breeze and Kelmoon gave a sharp nod as she took Summer Breeze’s Dimensional Dagger and opened a portal, pushing the two into it immediately and followed them through.
“You’re out of here, Princesses,” Louie said sternly as he opened a random portal and began to push Nova into it.
“Not till everyone else is through one!” she yelled, but he ignored her as he shoved her through and forced it closed.
“We have two injured who may need help,” Louie said, turning to look at Roxxy, who was being dragged away by Babel, and to Flippy Dew who was just recovering, but still out of it.
“I’ll get the delimbed mare,” Strawell said sternly, but a boom caused them all to freeze as Champion reappeared, landing right in the middle of Louie and Strawell.
“You two…” he growled, cracking his neck as his eyes twitched, “are my personal playthings after that little… stunt.”
Without warning he flew right at Strawell, but a forcefield appeared around her, causing him to yell with rage. His head snapped to Flippy Dew as she stood there shakily, smiling at him.
“Hey, get out of here you two,” she said weakly, putting a forcefield around Champion as well, pushing all she had into it. “I’ll hold him down…”
“Kid, use your dagger too-” Strawell began, but Flippy Dew just laughed.
“Just go, it’s the least I can do,” she growled as Champion broke through her forcefield and began to stalk towards her.
Strawell looked at Louie and gave him a nod. It took him a moment to realize what she wanted, but once he did, he returned her nod.
“I don’t know how your Ego is strong enough to hold me back a bit,” Champion said coldly as he approached the injured mare, who kept putting up forcefields between the two. But he just smashed through each one. “But I’m going to fix that.”
She finally fell onto her haunches, unable to keep up her defenses. So she just smiled up at him, accepting her fate, knowing she’d at least saved the others from-
As his hoof reached out for her, a dark blur shot past him and snatched her up.
Strawell rolled across the ground, a portal ripping open in front of her as she rolled, and she tossed the young mare through it. The portal snapped shut as she turned to face Champion, who’d shot right up to her.
“You were supposed to leave too!” Louie yelled to her, but she just smiled past Champion, holding up the Dimensional Dagger in her hoof.
“I have your dagger,” she laughed as Champion shot a hoof out, grabbing her by the throat. “I wasn’t leaving you to die here alone.”
Louie exploded forward and attempted to grab Champion, but the stallion’s hoof shot out and grabbed him by the neck. He then dragged the two right up against each other, glaring at them.
“I don’t know you,” he growled at Louie as he turned to Strawell, “but you? I never expected you to betray me.”
“You made it easy,” she spat out as he squeezed them both together roughly. “You’re a rapist and a murderer. I’m ashamed to say I was ever on your side.”
“Well in a few years, you won’t care about that,” he said coldly, a sinister smile sliding onto his face. “What you saw on that video with my wife? That’s child's play compared to what I’ll be doing to you.”
“Ha! You’re threatening me with rape?” she laughed, causing him to narrow his eyes. “Go for it, young man! It's your mistake leaving me alive today!”
“Let’s see what kind of attitude you’ll have after a few hours under me,” he laughed.
“Wow! You really are the worst, aren’t ya?” someone said from behind him, causing him to turn around.
“Who are you?!” he roared in confusion.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
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<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-01-24T05:37:34+00:00
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2023-01-24T05:37:33+00:00
| 239 |
Chapter 82
Earlier
Lacy’s POV
“This guy is annoying,” I grunted as Lance and I danced around the well dressed man, both of us doing our best to remove his limbs as he regrows them. Bronwyn had taken the distraction to attempt to locate the one known as Lilith, but I was sure she wasn’t having any luck since I kept seeing her reappear, looking frustrated.
“The annoying ones here are you two,” the man retorted, having lost his cocky attitude long ago when we just kept removing his limbs.
“I get that a lot,” both Lance and I said at once, causing both of us to start laughing.
[We should get a room! Am I right?] Break asked, flipping his shades up to wink at Rake.
[Sorry, I don’t bang weak men like yourself] Rake replied as she filed away at her fake nails, a shit eating grin on her face.
<(Ooooo!)> The other three all laughed at once, pointing at Break’s upset face.
[Man fuck all ya’ll!] Break complained, sitting down and turning away from the others.
As I spun towards the man, who I now knew was named Richard, he flipped his reforming hand, causing a gravity well to catch me and start pulling me away from the fight.
“Ah shit,” I laughed as I was pulled away, watching as Lance body checked Richard, sending him flying away.
I pushed my Ego into my sword, giving myself a spin to break the gravity type attack that was pulling me away. Once I was free I flew back towards the dueling pair, powering up my sword as I went.
So far I couldn’t figure out how to actually defeat this guy, and neither could Lance. Nothing we were doing could hurt him for long, as he seemed to be able to regenerate any damage we tossed at him.
Which didn’t leave many options for us.
The last ‘regenerating’ fucker I fought, I just had Gregoria just teleport them into deep space. Done deal. But this guy? Well I didn’t see a Unicorn anywhere nearby, and even then, I wasn’t sure if that’d actually stop him since he for sure had a Dimensional Dagger.
Yep, I got nothing.
[Just cut him into smaller pieces!] Rake suggested.
“… Let’s do it!” I exclaimed as I landed next to Lance, giving him a nod as I took over.
“Aren’t you tired yet?!” he asked, but I just answered him by powering up my sword and going absolutely ape shit, sending slices of Ego flying at him from all kinds of angles. I kept it up, watching him crumble into a little pile as I began to hit the pile with attack after attack, slicing it into even smaller pieces.
Finally I finished, leaving just a tiny pile of chunks left.
“Oh shit, did you actually get him?!” Lance asked in amazement as I turned to face him, smiling proudly.
“Hell yeah I did! The dude was a push over, I’m amazed you didn’t kill him earlier,” I laughed, flexing my arm a bit.
“Well I bow to you, oh female me,” he joked, doing a little bow.
“Yes, bow to me inferior Lacy,” I laughed as he stood up and gave me a nod.
“Seriously, good work,” he complemented.
“All in the wrist, ya know?” I said as I twirled my wrist around a bit.
“You two are idiots,” came Richard’s voice as he suddenly reformed behind us. “So close to a victory and you squander it.”
“Uh what?!” I exclaimed as I turned to face him dumbfounded.
His muscles bulged a bit as his power seemed to be increasing, “now, if you two are done-”
“We’re leaving,” Lilith suddenly said from somewhere unseen. “Champion has gone against our plans and we need to recover what we can.”
Richard sighed as he stared us down, “till next time, I suppose.”
“Nuh uh, you ain’t leaving till-” I began, but he just blinked out of existence. “... he just left before I could insult him!”
“Welcome to my life,” Lance chuckled as Bronwyn came running back towards us.
“We have a problem,” she said sharply as she ripped open a portal.
“What is it?” I asked, but she didn’t answer me as she rushed into the portal.
Lance and I looked at each other and rushed forward, as I saw the safe dimension beyond. But Lance just bounced off the portal.
“Ah yeah, I can’t leave Equestria,” he laughed sheepishly.
I frowned as I looked around the room he was in, “well that ain’t Equestria so how are you-”
But I was cut off as I heard screams behind me.
“I don’t make the rules, okay?!” he yelled, but then stopped as he heard the screams as well.
“Stay,” I said sternly as I spun around and raced towards the town, realizing it was on fire!
The sounds of breaking wood filled the area as I looked towards the end of the street, seeing who could only be Champion explode out of a house and fly towards an open portal.
What the fuck is going on?!
“Need a bit of help here!” Bronwyn called out as I neared the town. I quickly rushed over to her and saw she was holding up a support beam as a pony struggled to get out from under them.
“I got ya!” I yelped as I dove forward and yanked them out, allowing Bronwyn to drop the beam, followed by most of the house collapsing in on itself.
The pony I’d pulled free coughed a few times and pushed themselves up.
“Get to one of the exit portals, NOW!” Bronwyn ordered, causing them to nod weakly and stumble off.
“What’s happened?” I asked as we rushed to another building.
“Champion,” was all she said as we began to help a few more ponies.
We cleared a few houses as quickly as we could till a few ponies were able to take our place in helping those still alive. But sadly, it seemed there were only a handful of survivors, as most of the town was torn to pieces all around us.
From my count, only fifteen survivors out of the hundred that’d been brought here for safety.
Now free of our duty, we rushed back to Lance, who was still stuck on the other side of the portal.
“What happened?!” he asked, but I just held out my hoof, letting his consciences view a few memories really quickly. “Champion was here?!”
“Yep,” I said as we jumped through the portal.
“We need to get to the others,” Bronwyn said urgently as she held up some kind of small computer-like device, which seemed to be showing a broadcast from Equestria.
What I saw on that screen was not good. Not good at all.
“Let’s go then!” I roared, but she grabbed me. “What?!”
“I have a plan,” she said simply.
ooo000<^>000ooo
The tall cloaked pony sprang through the portal, scanning the carnage around them as they took it all in. Then their eyes landed on Champion as he held two others up in his hooves.
“Ha! You’re threatening me with rape?” the female pony said, causing Champion to stiffen a bit. “Go for it, young man! It's your mistake leaving me alive today!”
“Let’s see what kind of attitude you’ll have after a few hours under me,” he laughed in response.
“Wow! You really are the worst, aren’t ya?” the mysterious stallion called out, causing him to snap his head around to him.
“Who are you?!” he roared, clearly confused.
“Me?” the stallion laughed roughly as he pulled the cloak off, revealing a tall brown slender Alicorn body, “It is I! Your father!”
“Dad?!” he yelped, dropping the two he was holding and turning to face the newcomer fully, shock on his face. “But you.. DIED?!”
“My death was greatly exaggerated,” the stallion laughed out loud, giving Champion an award winning smile.
“No, you died!” Champion yelled back, but just got a laugh in response.
“You were lied to, son,” his father said simply, “I’ve only just figured out how to return to you.”
“This is very convenient timing, father,” Champion observed, narrowing his eyes. “Prove you are my father, right now!”
The stallion looked a bit conflicted before raising a hoof and saying in an accent, “it’s me, your father, eh.”
“Daddy!” Champion exclaimed, flying across the ground and wrapping his forelegs around his fathers neck.
“Whoa there!” his father exclaimed as he was forcibly hugged. “Don’t break your old man, kiddo!”
“I have so much to tell you,” he began, but his father cut him off.
“I’m sure you do, but before that, we are needed elsewhere,” his father said, breaking the hug and taking a step back.
“What?” Champion asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes,” his father began, striking a pose, “we are needed in the Nebula Quadrant, where an epic war is being waged right now, and I am caught up in the politics. I require my son’s help to finish the war so I may return home permanently.”
“But I can’t leave here,” he began, but his father just gave him a large smile.
“We’ll be in and out, a quick ten minute adventure!” his father laughed, “with those powers of yours, you’ll end the war in minutes! What do you say, my son?!”
“I say let’s do it, dad!” Champion said with a relaxed smile.
His father slapped his hoof down on his son's shoulder and spun around, using his Dimensional Dagger to open a portal to a bedroom. “Then come along, my son!”
Champion stepped halfway into the portal but stopped, “Wait, I need to lock those two away for later.”
He turned his head, eyes going wide as he saw Lance and Bronwyn dragging them into a portal. A growl escaped his lips as he began to turn out of the portal, but the sight of a massive sword taking up his view caught him a bit off guard, sending him tumbling into the room beyond the portal.
“Father?!” he yelped as he saw his father standing there holding a massive sword and a smirk on his face.
“Nah you little retard, I ain’t yo daddy!” he laughed as he flashed, revealing a woman who looked a lot like Lance. She pulled down her eyelid and stuck her tongue out at him as the portal snapped shut, leaving him in whatever dimension this was.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Lacy’s POV
“We have like two minutes before he figures out he has to leave that house before he can use his Dimensional Dagger,” I announced as I put away my large Ego greatsword.
“Wow, you fooled him!” another Lance look alike said as he laid on the ground, slowly regenerating.
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at the demonic looking pony.
“I’m Jun!” he laughed. “I’m a good guy now!”
“Like hell you are!” Lance yelled, rushing towards him, only to be stopped by that one female pony, Strawberry I think?
“Trust me, he’s swapped sides,” she said confidently, causing Lance to frown.
“That guy will NEVER like me, so why would he-”
“Eh, I could care less about you now Lance,” Jun said as he stood up, only needing one back leg back. “I got a whole life planned out! Wife! Kids! The whole shebang!” he then smiled a bit sheepishly, “I just gotta find the wife part first, but then everything after that falls into place!”
“There’s no way,” Lance muttered, shaking his head.
“We do NOT have time,” Bronwyn yelled as she held up the item used to make Enforcer’s. “Are we bringing the Demon Lance or not?!”
“No!” Lance yelled.
“Yes!” I yelled even louder, smirking at him. “I like this fucker, got that goofy retard vibe about him.”
“Yeah I do!” Jun laughed, then frowned, “hey wait!”
“Then he’s coming!” Bronwyn yelled as she stepped up, performing the ritual on him.
“Don’t forget…” Louie began, but frowned as he looked around. “Roxxy and Babel are around here somewhere…”
“They’re probably gone now,” Bronwyn said as she put the item away. “Because we DO NOT have time, he’ll be here any second now!”
With that little push, we all rushed towards the portal that led to the Enforcer’s Order Hall, which thankfully subverted whatever hold Lance had over him, as he was apparently allowed there.
As we all jumped through the portal, I swear I heard another snap open and the roar of a VERY angry Champion. But with the portal closed, we were safe.
I looked at Louie and that Strawberry chick, grimacing, “is this all that survived?”
“No, most of us survived” Louie said solemnly, “we lost Dude and Nightstreak though…”
“Damn it…” Lance grunted as he turned and walked away, not looking to have a destination, just wanting to be alone probably. It’s what I’d want in a moment like this.
Bronwyn took off as well, moving for one of the many hallways that surrounded us.
That just left the four of us.
I looked the other mare over, raising an eyebrow as I took in her heavily damaged armor and bloody scars, “I think you need medical attention, Strawberry.”
She raised an eyebrow at me, but just put on a small smile, “I am fine. Actually, I feel a lot better than I look.”
“That’s my fault,” Louie chucked a bit nervously, “I attached my pain negating Ego to you the moment I saw you, so that’s why.”
“Oh,” she said with a little nod. “You may remove it now, I will be okay.”
“You sure?” he asked with a little smirk.
“I am very sure, Dogman, drop it now,” she replied, her own little smirk on her face.
“Very well,” he said as he removed his Ego from her, causing her eyes to bulge out immediately.
She stumbled a bit as her body began to shake violently.
“Want the Ego back now?” he asked.
She stayed silent for a moment before giving a sharp nod, “... Yes.”
He laughed as he reattached his Ego to her, causing her to sigh in relief and stand up straight.
“Ahem, where is the medical bay here?” she asked stoically.
“I’ll take you,” he said as he began to lead her away, leaving just me and the other Lance.
“So…” he began, shifting back into his normal appearance. “You’re a female Lance?”
“Bitch, you’re a male Lacy, get it right,” I countered with a large smirk on my face.
[Yeah you little betacucks! Tell us your names, now!] Rake demanded roughly, causing Jun’s two consciences to jerk back a bit.
<Oh… she’s scary… I’m Jawn.> the skinnier one said nervously, unable to look at them.
[Ooo, I’ve got a scared boner right now. Names Jreak!] The beefier one said, his shades on as he stared up at Rake and Moon.
[That’s gay! You just changed the first letters of your names!] Rake pointed out.
“Yeah, that’s lazy, bro,” I laughed, shaking my head at Jun, who just smiled weakly at me.
“Ah… yeah you’re right. Should we change them?” he asked carefully.
“Change them,” I confirmed.
[Sweet! Then I am Midnight!]
<And I’ll be sun.>
I just stared at him as my three conciseness floated around me, then we all burst out laughing.
[Fucking dorks!] Rake roared with laughter, pointing her hoof at them.
<I think it’s a bit cute, Midnight Sun would be their transformation, and that’s kinda->
[Kinda gay! Right, Goldy?]
(For sure!)
Jun’s ears flattened as he crossed his legs, causing me to snort laugh.
“Do you have a fucking hard on, my guy?!” I asked, causing him to blush.
“No!” he yelled back, face burning as he took a step back.
“Okay, I REALLY like your goofy ass,” I laughed as I walked up and messed up his mane. “Cute little fucker.”
This caused him to fall onto his haunches, covering himself.
“Stay classy, Jun,” I said with a wink as I spun away, slapping his face with my tail and began to walk away, heading for a random hallway.
[... I don’t know how to feel about this!] Midnight yelled, causing my consciences to lose their shit with laughter yet again.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Earlier
Roxxy groaned in pain as Babel struggled to drag her along the ground.
“You are REALLY heavy, Roxxy,” Babel grunted between tugs. “Even with the missing two legs.”
“Don’t remind me,” Roxxy groaned as she dug her free hoof into her pocket dimension, pulling out her Dimensional Dagger. “Babel, you gotta help me here.”
“What do you need me to do?!” she asked as she stopped dragging the heavily injured mare and ran around to the front of her.
“Sit me up,” Roxxy coughed out.
“On it!” Babel exclaimed as she tried to raise the young mare but, but was struggling.
Once she was finally up right, she sloppily opened a portal before them, leading to some random location on the Eternal Plains. “Push me through and come in behind me,” she instructed.
Babel grunted as she all but rolled Roxxy through the portal, falling in after her. The two rolled a bit, causing Roxxy to yell in pain.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Babel yelled, jumping up and bouncing from hoof to hoof as she looked around in a panic, finding that they were in some kind of abandoned looking housing district. “Oh not good! NOT GOOD!”
“Babel, calm down,” Roxxy said roughly as she rolled onto her back, staring up at the sky above. “Do you know first aid?”
“I can put a bandage on someone, and all that fun stuff!” she declared, “I learned a lot of it thanks to wanting to be like Calypso at one point! So I studied a lot of medical books and took a class! But I honestly do not remember most of it! Pony anatomy is weird and complicated, unlike LTD, which is simple and-”
“Please,” Roxxy said as she reached up and placed a hoof on the other mares mouth, “just use my first aid kit to stop the bleeding. I’m literally dying right now.”
Babel’s eyes went wide as she gave a nod, watching as Roxxy pulled a box out of her pocket dimension.
Working as fast as she could, Babel began to go through the box, picking out the items she’d need. “What should I do first?!”
“Bleedstop,” Roxxy muttered, starting to fade in and out. “Pour the powder on the stumps, make sure to apply pressure so it… stops bleeding. Then… wrap it with… bandage…”
“I’m on it!” Babel yelled as she ripped one of the Bleedstop packages open and began to pour the white powder all over one of her bleeding stumps. “This is just like when Scamp got ripped in half and had to save herself! But she didn’t have any of this stuff, she had to use that weird handicapped guy’s Ego to save herself. But she fought hard! Like SUPER hard! It had my heart beating so fast that-”
Roxxy slowly lost consciousness, listening to the rambling of the frantic mare above her as she worked to save her life.
A sharp pain brought her back as Babel squeezed a bit too hard, still ranting on about random lore from her books.
As she stared up at the slightly crazy mare, Roxxy couldn’t help but notice how the light reflected off of her. It might be the blood loss talking, but she found herself a bit comforted by the rambling of Babel as she worked.
Then her eyes fluttered as she finally passed out.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 317 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-25T03:40:58+00:00
|
2023-01-25T03:40:58+00:00
| 272 |
Chapter 83
“Ah gadzooks!” Someone exclaimed, causing Roxxy to snap awake. She sat up and looked around in a panic, eyes wide as she forgot where she was. The only thing playing through her mind was Champion, and what he’d done.
“Whoa!” Babel yelped as Roxxy hyperventilated violently on the floor. She rushed over and awkwardly stood next to the panicking mare, unsure of what to do.
Roxxy gripped her chest, eye locking onto the two bandaged stumps where her missing limbs used to be.
“I’m sorry! I don’t know what to do!” Babel yelled, jumping from hoof to hoof, “this is bad! Just like when Scamp and her friends fought Leem on the airship! He really messed them up and that’s when Scamp lost both of her legs just like you have! She was super hurt but all she cared about were her friends! But they had Doc to heal the wounds and we just have me, and I’m a terrible Doc! I did my best but-“
Roxxy just stared at her, no longer panicking, just listening to Babel ramble on and on. Her breathing slowly returned to normal as she calmed down immensely.
Babel continued on, changing topics just as quickly as she landed on them.
Instead of being annoyed by this, Roxxy found herself intrigued. Not by the topics Babel was talking about, but by Babel herself.
A slow realization over took her as a blush formed on her face.
“Oh crap…” she muttered as she stared wide eyed at the rambling mare before her.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Lacy’s POV
“So what is the plan now?” I asked as I sat at a table with Bronwyn, Lance, Louie, and Strawell. Jun was off somewhere, doing whatever it is a dum dum like him does.
“First things first” Louie began, arms crossed as he looked between all of us, “we need to get a message out to all those who survived the massacre in the Safe Dimension and get them regrouped. Then, we need to rally the ones who jumped to the Eternal Plains.”
“Why don’t they just use their Order Hall Daggers to return?” I suggested, but Bronwyn shook her head.
“We’ve deactivated all Order Hall Daggers for now, since Champion has one now,” she said with a sigh. “Meaning if we leave here, we can’t return till Luz turns them back on, which he will not do till we get the OHD back from Champion. Which will more than likely require us to kill him.”
“Well, you’ve been an Enforcer for a LONG time, how’d you guys handle threats like this in the past?” Lance asked, getting a few nods from the rest of us.
“In the past, we had the backing of the Central Dimension,” she answered, waving a hand towards the many corridors around us, “without them, we’ve lost access to the majority of our assets. That is why there are so many deadends here in the Order Hall, those used to be rooms that served specific purposes. For Champion, we’d have enacted a ‘Freeze Protocol’, which would put him in stasis. But that was something we could only do thanks to a member of the Central Dimension.”
“So basically, what you’re saying is,” I began, rubbing my chin, “is we’re shit out of luck.”
“Essentially, yes,” she answered grimly.
“Screw it, new dimension?” I asked as I leaned forward.
“We are not abandoning Equestria,” Strawell said sternly, glaring at me. Yikes, bitch has got one hell of a stare on her!
“If Champion is left to his own devices,” Bronwyn added, “then there is no telling what he will become. He has already achieved a level of power that far surpasses anything I’ve seen in the past. Our leader Wyntir was considered the strongest being to ever exist, outside of God’s, and even he would not be able to defeat Champion as he is now.”
“I dunno, we seemed to kick his ass back there,” I chuckled, but everyone just stared at me solemnly. “Eh… yeah sorry, he did kill a few of us… Which is why we should say fuck it and LEAVE HIM THE FUCK ALONE!”
“We can’t,” Lance said with a shake of his head. “Bronwyn is right, we need to figure out how to deal with Champion, or more people will suffer at his hooves.”
“Fuck me,” I groaned, sitting back hard, rubbing my face. “Fuck you, you’re right… We gotta do something about him. Fuck!”
“The only question left now is,” Bronwyn said as she looked between all of us, “how do we do it?”
At this, not a single one of us had an answer, as we all remained silent.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later
That meeting solved nothing…
[Bleh, this shit is SO much more complicated than what we were dealing with. All we had to do was fuck a bitch up and then boom! Life would be better!]
<Yes, but we beat the Observer and lost everyone. So life is NOT better, Rake.>
[Geez, Moon, don’t be such a downer!]
I shook my head as I walked down the long corridor, heading for what should be the living quarters where all the Enforcer’s rooms were. A new room apparently appears every time a new Enforcer is made, giving them their own personal space within the Order Hall.
Honestly, I think that’s pretty fucking epic.
Upon reaching the end of the hall I found myself in another long ass room. This one though looked more like a prison cell block with how the doors were set up. They ran down either side of the room in both directions.
How do I know which room is mine?
Almost as if this place was reading my mind, I saw a door further down light up, seeming to call to me. Well shit, this just gets cooler and cooler.
Stepping up to my door, I watched as it shimmered a few different shades before taking on a new form. New decorations appeared on the door, looking to be street graffiti with my name on it.
[Aw fuck yeah! This door gets us!]
“Create a passphrase,” the door suddenly said in a monotone voice.
“Uh… what?” I asked, not sure what it meant.
“Create a password,” it said, changing what it’d said the first time.
“What?” I asked again, scratching my head.
“You must create a password to gain access to this room, Lacy Greenfield,” the door said, somehow sounding a bit annoyed.
“Uh… Pickles?” I said, causing the door to flash a few times.
“Password created, welcome to your personal quarters, Enforcer Lacy.” With that the door swung open, revealing a pretty bland room. Just a bed, a few tables, and some shelves. There were three doors as well, but I had no idea where they went yet.
I explored the room a bit, finding out one door leads to a pretty nice bathroom, while the other leads to a kitchen slash dining room. But the one I really like is the third door, which was a workshop slash armory, already filled with all kinds of tools and cool stuff! Of course I have zero idea how to use any of those tools, but I’d FOR SURE be playing with them in the coming days!
As of this moment though, I have nothing to do in here. But! There is supposed to be an armory in this place, so you know what that means?
[Go get a fucking awesome gun and let’s see if we can use these tools to make a even BETTER gun!]
{Hell yeah!}
With this new plan in mind, I quickly made my way out of my room and headed for the hallway. But as I walked, I saw a door that caught my eye. One that had the name ‘Jun’ on it.
[Screw that plan, let’s fuck with those idiots instead!]
Smirking, I stepped up to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.
“Passphrase?” the door asked.
“I don’t know, just open,” I said, shaking the handle hard.
“Passphrase?” it repeated.
“I don’t know the stupid password,” I growled, punching the door a few times.
“Passphrase?”
“Open damn it!” I snapped, losing my patience.
“Passphrase correct,” the door suddenly said as the door swung open, revealing Jun at a table eating a shit ton of food, a surprised look on his face as he turned to me.
“Yo fucker!” I exclaimed as I stepped into his room, a wide smirk on my face.
“Lacy?!” he yelped, eyes wide. “How’d you know my password?!”
“Because you’re big dumb and picked a stupid password,” I answered as I walked up to his table full of food, “this for everyone?”
“I mean, it’s MY food,” he said, but at my raised eyebrow he gulped, “but you can have some.”
“Good boy,” I chuckled as I pulled a chair up and sat down right next to him, causing him to shift around a bit. I began grabbing random boxes of snacks, ripping them open and eating them noisily.
He just looked everywhere but at me, fidgeting with his hooves.
“So,” he said after a minute of watching me eat, “you’re married in your dimension like Lance is here?”
“Why? You in the market?” I asked with a wink, causing him to shift around more. But I didn’t let him suffer, too long, “I was married. But my husband passed away seven years ago thanks to an cunt named Valerie.”
“Oh, that sucks, I’m sorry,” he said lamely, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Kids?” he asked nervously.
“What is this? A job interview?” I laughed, shaking my head, “yeah, one kid. But…” I let out a deep sigh as my mood threatened to drop. “She’s dead.”
He made the smart choice of not making a comment this time around and just went back to watching me eat.
“I’ve never had a wife or kid,” he suddenly said in a sad voice. “So I don’t really know what it’s like to lose one…”
“Well trust me, if you ever do get with someone and have a kid, don’t fuck around and lose them. Got that?” I said gruffly, taking a large bite out of the sandwich I’d unwrapped.
He just stared at me for a long moment before asking the question I knew he was dying to ask.
“Are you just messing with me? Or are you actually flirting with me?”
I let out a laugh as I smirked at him, “bro what do you think?”
“Messing with me,” he said with a sharp nod. “Yeah I thought so.”
“Fucking thick headed numbskull,” I chuckled as I finished off the sandwich. “You’re not very smart, you know that?”
“Neither are you,” he countered.
“Hey fuck you. For one, I am a fucking genius. And for two…” I stared at him hard, trying to think of a second thing. “... You don’t get to hear the second thing.”
We sat in silence for a bit as I just kept eating.
“Thanks for making them bring me here,” he mumbled, “Champion would have killed me for good if he’d come back and saw me.”
“What can I say,” I grunted, “you charmed me with that goofy personality you got. I like my men to be big and dumb.”
“I thought you said you were messing with me?” he asked as he cocked his head at me.
“Did I say I was messing with you?” I countered with a wink. “God you’re so fucking dumb.”
“You’re… confusing me,” he complained as he shifted around in his chair.
“That’s not hard to do apparently,” I said as I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Wait.. so you’re flirting with me?!” he asked with a wide smile.
To answer him I reached out and flicked his forehead, causing him to look super confused.
“I’m doing what I wanna do,” I chuckled as I pushed myself back and put my hooves behind my head. “Alright, bud, ask me some questions, because I know you’re dying to do so.”
“Are we going to bang?” he asked right off the bat, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Bruh, you can’t ask that shit, it ruins the fun. Come on, get your head out of your dick and ask a real question,” I chuckled, rotating in my chair a bit.
“Oh… uh…” he mumbled as he racked his brain for a question to ask. “Erm… how many guys have you-”
“Motherfucker, no sex questions, Jesus bro!” I groaned, giving him a kick with my back hoof. “And one, by the way. Since you just had to know.”
“Okay sorry,” he muttered, “Uh… Oh! Was there a Clone you in your dimension?”
“Finally a real question!” I laughed as I nodded, “yeah, I broke her neck when she tried to sleep with my husband and steal my kid.”
“Oh that's a bit scary…” he said, rubbing his neck. “Lance just beat me up…”
“Shouldn’t go after other people’s partner’s, dumbfuck,” I reached over and slugged his shoulder. “You’re lucky it wasn’t me, I’d have ripped your dick off and made you eat it if you’d tried that with my husband.”
He covered himself with a plate as he blushed.
“Geez, that made you hard?” I asked as I started laughing. “Fuck me bro, you’re a bit pathetic, you know that?”
“I’m not pathetic…” he grumbled as he looked away.
“Don’t worry,” I said in a low soothing voice, leaning right up to him, “I like it.”
His body stiffened as his face burned hotter.
“I have a question for you,” I said a bit seductively as Rake rubbed her hooves together maniacally.
“What is it?” he asked, eyes wide as I leaned right into his face.
“Top or bottom?”
He blinked dumbly for a moment before he realized what I was asking. “ERM! UH! TOP?!”
“No you’re not, Mr. Bottom,” I winked as I shoved him out of his chair, causing him to fall to the floor.
“Oh God, is this happening?!” he asked in a panic, facing going through all kinds of emotions.
“Wanna bone?” I asked, causing him to nod his head dumbly. “Aw, too bad,” I said with a sinister smirk, “I don’t bang on the first date, boyo.”
“... I’m confused again…” he muttered, face scrunched up.
“I’mma flirt with ya dumbass, and then MAYBE one day I’ll bang the shit out of your beefy ass body. But for now,” I said as I spun around, slapping his face with my tail and walking towards his door, swaying my hips as much as I could, “I’m gonna blue ball ya, for the lawls.”
“What the fuck…” he muttered, still not grasping the sudden change.
“Ain’t I a stinker?” I asked as I ducked out of his room, slamming the door.
<That… was cruel and unusual punishment Lacy…>
[Nah that shit was golden!]
(The faces they were all making! Priceless!)
[Oh I can not WAIT to bed that fucker!]
<Isn’t this a bit weird? I mean, Jun is a male version of us. So it’s a bit->
[You’re looking too much into it, Moon! Just sit back and enjoy the show!]
Now! Back to the original plan!
[Fuck yeah! Weapons!]
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 318 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-26T04:22:42+00:00
|
2023-01-26T04:22:41+00:00
| 466 |
Chapter 84
Roxxy growled in frustration as she tried to fix her Dimensional Communicator, which had been damaged when Champion grabbed her. She wasn’t having any luck due to only having one foreleg, but she didn’t give up as she just kept fidgeting and grunting.
“Can I try?” Babel asked as she suddenly appeared next to Roxxy, leaning face first towards the communicator.
With a sigh Roxxy shook her head, “I think this is far beyond your comprehension, Babel. This is tech from the Central Dimension, and I’ve spent a good amount of time learning it and I still don’t even understand it fully.”
“But can I try?” She asked again with a large smile on her face.
Roxxy blinked at her a few times before slowly handing it over to her.
“Ooo, it feels complicated!” She exclaimed as she rushed off to her little corner and began working on the device using her own set of tiny tools.
The injured mare couldn’t help but smile at the actions of the other mare. She was a great distraction from the depression that threatened to over take her at any moment. Losing two legs and an eye all in one go was not settling well with her, but she was tough. She’d pull through, one way or another.
All she wanted to do at that moment though was sleep, but her body was still too worked up and restless to allow her to do so.
Her ears suddenly perked up as she heard something scrap the floor out in the hallway.
Babel didn’t seem to hear it as she worked.
Roxxy’s eyes narrowed as her heart rate picked up, because she could clearly hear at least a few different set of footsteps walking down the hallway.
Low whispering could be heard, causing Babel’s ears to finally perk up.
“Shh,” Roxxy shushed her as she saw her about to say something.
The footsteps came right up to their door, then everything went silent.
Roxxy tensed as she knew whoever was out there was about to enter their room.
She looked across the room to where Babel was, much closer to the door than she was. But as she began to wave her over, the door swung open and three skinny bipedal reptiles rushed in. Snake like heads all locking onto them instantly.
Her eyes went wide, as these appeared to be some kind of hunters, with pelts and skulls hanging off of their belts and clothes.
“Jovial was right, he did see two Equids enter this building,” one of them said in a hollow voice.
“For once his old eyes weren’t play tricks on ‘em,” another said as he looked right at Roxxy. “Well that one’s no good, probably filled with infections and parasites, what with those injuries and all.”
“It does have wings, so nice trophy hunt at least,” the third added as they all looked to Babel, who was standing there in shock.
“Okay that one is to skinny, barely any meat on dem bones,” the lead one said as he shook his head.
“It’s at least dinner tonight, so don’t complain, Bevevel.”
Roxxy scanned each of them, not liking their odds. Not only was she injured to the point she couldn’t stand up, Babel herself couldn’t fight a fly, let alone one of these guys.
“Kill the lame one, I’ll hogtie this one,” the lead one grunted as he pulled out a length of rope and began to advance on Babel, causing her to back up till her flank hit the wall.
Narrowing her eye, she pushed herself up painfully, locking eyes with the reptile advancing on her with a drawn short blade.
“You know I’ve never seen a living Equid with wings,” the third one in the back said. “Kinda sad this one’s all ruined, we coulda used it for supply runs.”
“Stand back,” Roxxy growled, causing the one near her to chuckle.
“Uhoh, Bevevel, they’re sentient,” it said with a smirk.
“Too bad for them then,” the one named Bevevel said as he roughly grabbed Babel, causing her to let out a shreak of fear.
Everything happened at once.
The one standing in the doorway let out a panicked yell as he saw the one advancing on Roxxy suddenly split in half, followed by the one tying up Bevel to let out a pained wheeze as he collapsed back, head falling backwards, barely attached to his neck.
The last one attempted to go for his own weapon, but Roxxy flew past him, her Scythe flashing across him, causing his upper half to slide away from the bottom half.
With the three now dead, Roxxy landed roughly next to Babel, using the tip of her Scythe to cut the rope that was barely tied around her legs.
“Are you okay, Babs?” Roxxy asked as she pulled the ropes away from the other mare.
“That was amazing, Roxxy!” Babel exclaimed, showing she was clearly unaffected by what’d just happened. “Like main protagonist level awesome!”
“Yeah,” Roxxy muttered, looking around at the bodies, “I kinda lost it there for a moment…” she wobbled and fell onto her flank, head swimming, “I’ve never killed someone before…”
This caused Babel’s eyes to go wide, “you used your first kill to protect me?! You’re super duper amazing, Roxxy! A real hero!”
“Yeah,” she mumbled as that depression threatened to evolve into something a little more sinister. “We need to go, they mentioned others, which means we’re not safe here.”
Babel gave a salute as she rushed over to her stuff and packed it away, then ran to Roxxy’s side without being asked and began to struggle to lift her up, “then let’s get a movin’!”
With a hiss of pain, Roxxy stood up, throwing a wing over Babel to help steady herself as the other mare visibly struggled to support her weight.
“Just help me to the outside and I’ll take over from there,” Roxxy said, getting a strained nod from Babel.
The two slowly limped their way through the building, having to stop every so often so Babel could readjust or take a breather.
Once they finally reached the outside, Roxxy used her wings to lift off the ground, letting Babel fall on her haunches, breathing hard.
“I don’t know how you guys do this!” She exclaimed with a light laugh. “I’m exhausted after just that! But you guys will fight for a LONG time and barely be winded!”
“Cardio,” Roxxy answered with a small smile. “Just gotta wake up every morning and run a few miles.”
“Oh I’d never be able to do that!” Babel laughed, smiling brightly up at Roxxy, causing her to blush again, “I’m okay just sitting at my computer or reading! So much more fulfilling!”
Roxxy cleared her throat as she rubbed her face, trying to reduce the burning sensation she was feeling, “well, we need to go. Can you run?”
“Honestly?” Babel asked with a little sheepish smile, “no. Not at all. I look like a baby lamb who just got their legs! It’s silly and pathetic! That’s why I always skipped gym class!”
“Then,” Roxxy began as she lowered herself, “climb on, we need to get as far from here as possible.”
“Okay!” Babel said without needing any convincing, climbing onto Roxxy’s back and throwing her forelegs around her neck. “I haven’t done anything like this since my dad took me flying when I was a filly!”
“Well I’ll be careful,” Roxxy assured her as she took to the air, not struggling at all. She was very surprised at how light Babel actually was.
They flew in mostly silence as Babel spent most of her time making comments about the dead city below them.
It was here, seeing this decaying city, where Roxxy began to recall recent events. Her body began to tremble, which was starting to affect her ability to fly.
She needed to calm down, and fast.
“Babel,” she suddenly said, getting the other mare’s full attention instantly, “tell me about that DnD world you’ve created. The one you always talked about in school.”
Babel let out a loud gasp, followed by a squeal of delight, “you actually want to hear about my own personal world I’ve built?!”
“I do,” she replied, causing the other mare to start bouncing on her back a bit.
“Ooo! I don’t even know where to start! This whole world I’ve created is for DnD AND for a video game I’m trying to make! It’s about this race of Soul based entities who crash landed on an inhabited planet! These are the player characters and they are so COOL! Their lore is super interesting too! They’re-“
Roxxy smiled as she listened to every word Babel said, enjoying how excited she was. It had the bonus effect of calming her down and focusing her mind.
Somehow Babel was the only thing that grounded her and kept her sane. She didn’t know why, but she wasn’t going to question it. So she just continued flying along, listening to the mare on her back going on and on about her worldbuilding.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later, nighttime
“We’re safe here,” Roxxy announced as she hobbled into the little room only lit by the fireplace in the corner. “I walked all six floors below us, and we’re the only ones here.”
“Awesomesauce!” Babel all but yelled as she laid by the fire, still working on the communicator. “We don’t need anymore nasty villain’s just walking up on us like that again!”
“We should be fine now,” Roxxy assured her as she gobbled over and collapsed before the fire, her body finally ready to just give in and rest.
“We’re on the Eternal Plains, so we need to find you someone who can make you some new and awesome legs! Maybe even a new eye! We might even be able to get ones like Scamp’s! Now THAT would be epic!” Babel said, speaking fast as she never stopped working on the little communicator in her hooves.
Upon hearing this Roxxy’s ears dropped, “so you see me the same way everyone else does, huh? Just a smaller version of Scamp.” She let out a deep sigh as she waved her front stump, “well I guess now I am just a knock off Scamp.”
Babel looked over at her, giving her a weird look, “I’ve never seen you as a younger Scamp. You’ve always just been Roxxy to me.” With that she went back to cheerfully working on the little device.
That one simple statement however meant the world to Roxxy as she stared at Babel, a small smile on her face.
“Thanks, Babs,” she said, getting another weird look from the mare.
“For what?” She asked, seeming a bit confused. But Roxxy just chuckled in response and turned her head to the fire before her.
It didn’t take long before she started to get tired, letting out a yawn. She opened her pocket dimension and pulled out a sleeping bag, realizing it was the only one she had.
“Ah shit,” she muttered, getting the other mare’s attention. “I only have one sleeping bag… you can have it tonight,” she said as she tossed it to Babel.
In response she just laughed, rolling her eyes, “it’s freezing! We’ll share it, silly goose! Just like a slumber party…! Which I’ve never been too, but I heard you share EVERYTHING at a slumber party!”
Roxxy blushed again at the thought of sleeping that close to the other mare, but she wasn’t opposed to the idea either.
“Okay,” was the only thing she could get out as Babel smiled proudly.
“You know this is kinda like when Lance and Peter got stuck in the wilderness when they went to that ski resort! Except there’s no snow, or any avalanches bearing down on us. But! It is freezing, so we’re halfway there!” She said as she got more and more excited. Then she suddenly became sheepish, “actually I do need to warn you, I have to sleep with a body pillow at night because I need something pressed into me to sleep. Do you have one?”
Roxxy blinked a few times and slowly shook her head no.
“Ah drat…” Babel mumbled, fixing her glasses. “Well that’s no good…”
“Uh…” Roxxy said, eye wide as she began to say something totally out of character for her, “I… uh, can be your body pillow if that’ll help?”
“Hmmm,” Babel rubbed her chin, thinking, “you are about the size of my pillow back home… okay then! Works for me!”
Roxxy’s entire face burned now, as she couldn’t believe she’d just suggested that.
“You’re a good mare, Roxxy Bleak,” Babel said cheerfully as she went back to work, humming to herself as she did so.
“I’m not,” she murmured, thinking of recent events, “but thanks.”
She didn’t dwell too long on that thought process, as she was a bit excited to get to bed now.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-01-27T02:10:33+00:00
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2023-01-27T05:42:08+00:00
| 307 |
There is a video in this chapter. I highly suggest you watch it before continuing as it’s a animatic of the scene at hand.
Chapter 85
Shayla’s POV
Late morning
A grunt escaped my lips as I landed on all fours next to Domitor, trying to move as unpredictable as possible, going for a leg sweep.
But he just jumped over my leg and landed on top of me, getting me into a headlock.
“Yield?” He laughed as we wrestled around on the ground, with me trying to break his grip and him doing his best to stay behind me.
“Eat shit!” I growled as I rolled hard to the left, attempting to throw him, but he just held on tightly. He suddenly applied a lot more pressure, dropping me to a knee.
“Come on, babe, yield!” He yelled as I just kept fighting.
“VofKai!” I roared as I exploded up, grabbing him and slinging him away from me. He skidded across the ground a few times before landing on his feet.
“Hey! Power ups are cheating!” He yelled as he stomped back towards me.
“Being in that Halwen body is cheating, dickwad!” I threw back as we got face to face, growling at each other.
We held our intense glares as our auras swirled around each other. Then I suddenly licked his face, causing him to recoil back.
“Blehg!” He yelped, wiping his face furiously as I began to roar with laughter. He wasn’t far behind as we both just stood there laughing like idiots.
“Damn it, Shay,” he said as we both slowly calmed down. “First you cheat, then you lick my face.”
“All out of love,” I said with a wink, or at least the best I could manage with a blindfold on.
He rolled his eyes, “sure, love. Definitely not because you hate losing.”
“I never lose,” I said confidently. He started to say something, raising a finger, “don’t even say it.”
He smirked at me, but remained silent.
With that said, we began to head back to the house, where my parents, Floria, and Vanilla sat around a bonfire. Talio was propped up against a nearby rock, sticking to himself as usual.
“You’ve improved a lot over the last few days,” my mother commented as we stepped up to them.
“Thanks, mama,” I said with a cocky smile.
“I was talking to Domitor,” she replied with a shit eating grin.
I grunted as I plopped down, causing the others to chuckle at my expense.
“Thank you, Mrs. Beltosh,” Domitor said politely as he sat down next to me.
“When’s Raffy and Spark supposed to get back?” I asked as I leaned into Domitor’s side.
My mom gave a shrug as she tapped away at her little video game, “they left an hour ago, so it’ll be a long while more than likely. I’m not sure how long he takes at the market, so who knows.”
Nodding I turned my Virtue Sight off, planning to take a little nap while everyone else just enjoyed the warmth of the fire.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Scamp’s ears perked up as she looked up from her book, scanning the forest's edge on the other side of the property. Her eye focused on every little detail and movement as her ears twitched.
“What is it?” Mallogory asked, taking notice of her wife’s actions.
She didn’t get an answer as Scamp dropped her book and stood up, still scanning the forest. She kicked her daughters foot, causing her to jerk awake, which also woke up Domitor, who she’d been practically laying on.
“Mama?” Shayla asked as she turned her vision on, looking mighty confused.
“Scamp, what is it?” Mallogory asked again as she stood up, also staring at the forest beyond the property.
“You two need to go indoors, right now,” Scamp suddenly said in a rough voice, nodding to Floria and Vanilla.
“What? Why?” Floria asked with a frown.
“Do it,” Scamp said back sternly.
Floria started to argue, but Vanilla just placed a hand over her mouth and pulled her up. Reluctantly the two quickly made their way into the house.
“Scamp?” Her wife asked, voice a bit strained.
“Lorenzo,” Scamp said flatly, causing everyone to jump up and spin to face the direction she was looking. There was nothing there, just the tall grass and flowers that made up the forest.
Just as everyone was about to question her again, they saw him.
In the most casual fashion possible, like he was out for a stroll, Lorenzo stepped out of the forest, whistling to himself.
He continued forward, alone. Even from where they stood they could feel his menacing presence.
The masked man came to a stop not that far from them, his whistling slowly dying down as they all stared him down.
“I have a simple question,” he said suddenly, his voice casual and calm. “Who,” he began, his voice lowering as a sinister aura over took the entire area, “killed Leem?”
The pressure coming off of him seemed to increase, causing everyone, even Scamp, to break out in a cold sweat.
His eyes snapped to Shayla, causing her to stiffen a bit, “you?”
“Yeah,” she deadpanned, a wavering smirk on her face. “I killed that overgrown lizard.”
“Well then,” he said as he raised his hands and began to clap, his intense aura never fading, “congratulations.”
Then his eyes rolled back to Scamp, a scowl easily visible on his face despite the mask, “I’m so happy you decided to come here yourself. Now the whole family is together. Not many get to pass away with their loved ones by their side. So very lucky for you three then.”
Scamp stepped forward, eye locked with his, “I should have killed you when you were parading around as Vicar.”
“You should’ve, you could’ve, but you didn’t,” he mocked playfully, “and that was your mistake. And it’s going to cost you.”
“Big talk for the man who runs when things don’t go his way,” Scamp retorted, but he’d already turned his eyes to Domitor, ignoring her now.
“I knew you’d betray me eventually, Domitor. I’m just disappointed it took you this long, you spineless child,” Lorenzo said as he tilted his head back slightly.
Domitor didn’t respond as he just clenched his fist, shaking in anger.
“I have a plan for each of you,” the man continued, looking each of them in the eyes, “especially you, Scamp.”
“Starting to sound a bit whinny, Lorenzo,” Scamp said with a smirk, causing him to chuckle.
“Ah,” he let out a content sigh as he threw his hands out wide, “I’m going to enjoy this.”
Before anyone could react, the entire area around them suddenly changed from the back of Raffy’s house to what appeared to be a stage. Curtains hung down just behind Lorenzo’s back as he stood there, arms still outstretched.
The area around them was blank with impossibly tall walls on all sides.
“Welcome,” he said grandly as the massive curtains pulled aside to reveal a completely packed opera house, with rows and rows of dark figures all staring up at them as spotlights flashed on, lighting up the stage they found themselves on, “to my domain!”
Scamp ran her eyes over everything around them, her mouth falling into a straight line.
“The perfect Thorn for a showman,” Lorenzo said proudly as he lowered his arms. “Theater.”
“Theater or whatever, we’re still kicking your ass,” Shayla growled as she cracked her knuckles. “I still owe you for shooting me,” she said as she held out her hand, a smug look on her face. However it quickly turned to confusion as she brought her hand back and stared at it.
“Ah I was waiting for this reveal,” he chuckled, “I control everything within this space, and I’ve turned off all pesky Thorns and Ego’s for all but myself. We’re dueling by my rules today.”
Both Scamp and Mallogory took a step towards him but he just spun around to face the crowd, throwing his hands up again. “Welcome to tonight’s showing of,” he spun around dramatically to face the two approaching women, “‘Scamp’s Devastating Choice’! Guest starring the Beltosh family!”
Scamp was the first to reach him as he stared wide eyed at her, arms still out. In one quick motion she sprang forward, watching his every movement as she sliced her claws towards him.
But a wall suddenly appeared right in front of him, blocking her attack. She jumped back as she heard him laughing somewhere in the area.
“Let me set the scene,” he announced as Scamp backed up to her wife. “Scamp and her family had finally arrived at the lair of the evil and dastardly Lorenzo! All their hard work and suffering was about to pay off! All they had to do was…” the lights dimmed as a few spot lights suddenly lit up the other side of the stage where Lorenzo stood, a sword in his hand, “survive.”
“Careful,” Scamp muttered to her wife as she looked over to Shayla and Domitor as they prepared themselves, “you two, stay together. Do not let him separate you.”
Shayla gave a thumbs up as tried to pull a weapon out, only to realize she could do that either.
“No powers. No weapons. Just good ol fashion fist and hooves, against my blade. I’m sure you’ll pull a victory out of thin air, just like you always do, Scamp,” Lorenzo yelled sarcastically.
The spotlights snapped off, causing everyone to go on alert as the area dimmed considerably.
No one could sense him, not even Shayla as she scanned the area with her Virtue Sight.
A few spotlights shone down around Shayla and Domitor as Lorenzo suddenly appeared before them, his sword already swinging for Domitor.
Shayla was the first to act as she dashed between the two and blocked the blade with her claws. There was so much power behind the attack that she was forced to her knees, all the while the man laughed happily.
“I love that I knew you’d do that!” He exclaimed as he flicked his sword around, watching as she skillfully blocked each attack with her claws.
Domitor came in from Lorenzo’s blind spot, attempting to get a solid hit in. But in one motion the man’s hand shot out and shoved Domitor away like he was nothing.
“Not now, son, I’m busy,” Lorenzo said in such a stern voice that Domitor was taken back to his bedroom for a moment. He shook his head, trying to get past those thoughts as he rushed back at his father.
“I said!” Lorenzo roared as he suddenly kicked Shayla, sending her flying into her approaching parents, “not now!”
He did not have time to react as his father turned on him, a sinister red glow trailing from his eye as he squared up with his son.
Domitor froze under the intense glare of his father, making him unable to react as Lorenzo slammed his fist into his son’s chest. Everything seemed to slow down as Domitor felt the punch make contact, followed by a massive pressure crashing into him.
He let out a pained yell as he was sent flying backwards, his shirt and jacket torn to shreds from the insane amount of excess power that exploded out of his body.
“Now then,” Lorenzo said as the lights flashed off, only to come back in right behind the other three as they quickly recovered from being knocked down. “On with the show,” he said as he snapped his fingers.
Chains flew in from all directions, latching onto both Mallogory and Shayla. They fought to break them, but it happened so fast, and with so many coming at once, that they couldn’t do much as they were pulled away into the darkness.
Scamp did not dwell on this as she forced herself to lunge for Lorenzo. He deflected her attacks as he used the tip of his sword to poke at her, keeping her at bay.
“Tsk tsk,” he clicked his tongue as he shook his head at her, his sword flashing as he continued to block her attacks, “you’re not much without your Ego or weapons, Scamp.”
As if to answer him she sprang forward and twisted her body at a weird angle, using her wings to hold herself up as she came in from below, barely slipping by his counter jab.
With a roar she slammed her mechanical fist into his groin, causing him to grunt in pain. Then in one quick motion she extended her claws and ripped a gash through his right thigh.
He flicked his sword at her as he sprang back, disappearing as the lights snapped off.
“Everytime I underestimate you, you pull a trick out of your hat,” he snarled from the shadows as she stood up tall, ready for him. “I think we should skip the filler arc and jump straight into the climax.”
A spotlight came on across the room, with Lorenzo standing there smugly , his leg already bandaged. She started to move towards him, but he held up a hand.
“Not so fast, Scamp. If you move too close, you’ll make the wrong choice,” he warned as two more spot lights came on on either side of the room, revealing both Mallogory and Shayla dangling above a pit of some kind of black liquid.
Scamp halted in her tracks, eye darting between the two as she took everything in. They were both hanging high above the vats of liquid, fighting to break free of the chains that were wrapped around them tightly.
“This is a classic!” Lorenzo clapped as he beamed at her across the room. “You get to make a choice: save your faithful and loving wife, or your brash yet endearing daughter. If you don’t choose, I’ll drop both. Clocks ticking, little pony.”
A growl escaped her lips as she looked to her wife, both of them making eye contact. Mallogory gave her a solemn nod, causing Scamp to clench her teeth as she turned to their daughter and launched herself straight at her.
“So predictable,” Lorenzo mocked as the chains snapped, dropping both of them.
With a grunt Scamp crashed into her daughter, catching her in midair.
“Mom!” Shayla screamed as she watched her mom drop on the other side of the room.
She yelped as her mother began spinning them around, roaring with rage as she sent Shayla’s bound body flying through the air.
Moments before Mallogory landed in the liquid, her daughter's body crashed into her and sent both flying away from the dark liquid. They skidded across the ground roughly, unable to stop themselves due to being tied up.
“Well done, Scamp! You saved both! I honestly did not think you’d be willing to risk your daughter like that, so I guess being a ruthless parent like me pays off,” he mocked as she flew over to her family and cut the chains with her claws.
“Shut the fuck up, Lorenzo,” she growled in annoyance as she pulled her wife and daughter up.
A light flashed on behind her as Shayla’s ears perked up, her own claws reaching out and yanking Scamp towards her as Lorenzo laughed like a mad man.
“So easily startled!” He exclaimed as he suddenly exploded into action, two swords in his hands as he took on all three of them at once.
Even with the three of them they were mostly on the defensive, as he was going for killing blows now.
It appeared the games were finally over, and the real fight was beginning.
Scamp used her mechanical claws to deflect his relentless attacks as she looked for an opening, but she was having no luck. Mallogory wasn’t having any luck either as she weaved around each of his strikes with ease, making herself a near impossible target to hit.
Shayla wasn’t having much trouble avoiding him either, but like the other two she wasn’t able to get an attack through. The threat of his swords was enough to deter any kind of risky attacks.
Behind him Domitor walked back into view, looking pretty bad from the single hit he’d received.
Lorenzo must’ve sensed him as he sighed, shaking his head, “kids am I right? They never listen.”
Shayla smirked as she saw the opening, her tail snapped out and caught his ankle. Before he could react she pulled her tail back, causing him to start to fall to the ground.
But as he fell his body twisted unnaturally and one of his blades rocketed towards her. She reached up and caught it with both hands, but not before it plunged into her neck.
“Got ya,” he whispered as he flicked his blade to the side, cutting through her neck.
“Shayla!” Scamp yelped as hot blood splashed onto her face as it spurted from the wound in daughters neck.
Mallogory growled as she dashed into Lorenzo, engaging him on her own as Scamp sprang on their daughter.
“Damn it, Shayla!” She yelled as she fell to the floor with her daughter as she struggled to hold the wound closed. “Listen to me! Calm you breathing!”
Shayla did as she was told, still twitching hard as she held the wound closed, using her Vacuole to try and stem the bleeding. She’d practiced this, but she was nowhere good enough to actually stop the bleeding completely. But with the help of her mother holding pressure to the wound, she was able to slow it down immensely.
Domitor was rushing towards them, eyes wide in panic. But as he neared them, Lorenzo suddenly broke from fighting Mallogory and dashed into Domitor, kicking him hard in the side.
With an explosion of energy he sent his son flying again, this time making sure to hit him hard enough to keep him down.
Mallogory moved to re-engage him, but he just threw his sword into the air and began to walk towards Scamp and her daughter.
Without warning the sword righted itself in midair and flew into Mallogory, catching her in the chest as it sent her to the ground. It buried itself deep into the floor, impaling her and trapping her there.
She hissed in pain as she grabbed the blade with both hands, but found she wasn’t able to move it, as it felt like it was actively fighting against her.
“This is the end, Scamp,” Lorenzo said solemnly as he approached them.
Scamp threw a hate filled glare at him as he came to a stop right above them, staring wide eyed down at her.
She started to lunge for him, but the moment she pulled her hooves from her daughters neck she started coughing, blood spurting up through her claws.
“Damn it!” Scamp yelled as she grabbed the wound again, unable to let go. Like Mallogory, she was trapped.
Lorenzo flipped his blade around a bit before thrusting it towards Shayla’s chest.
But Scamp’s hoof shot out and intercepted it, causing it to impale her hoof and come out the other side, only stopping as it got caught on a bone.
The man just laughed at this as he began to push against the blade, slowly inching it and her hoof closer and closer to Shayla’s chest.
Scamp fought as hard as she could to keep the blade stuck in her foreleg from reaching her daughter, but it was a losing battle as he had more leverage on her. She yelled in agony as she pushed every muscle in her body to keep her leg up and away from Shayla.
But the blade tip reached her chest and began to make shallow cuts as it jerked around violently due to the strain of Scamp’s leg wobbling around.
“Father!” Domitor roared as he ran towards them.
“I’m going to kill that kid,” Lorenzo said with a sigh, “they never listen, do they, Scamp?”
Scamp could only stare wide eyed at the blade as it slowly carved its way down. Her daughter was in no shape to do anything other than focus on not bleeding out.
Domitor neared them, aiming to tackle his father.
“Oh no,” Lorenzo said calmly as he suddenly pushed hard, sending the blade straight into Shayla's chest, causing her to jerk so hard they lost their hold on her neck, allowing blood to gush out freely.
The blade hit the floor below her, pushing deeper as Lorenzo pushed the blade through Scamp’s foreleg and her daughters chest, going till the hilt hit her leg.
He let go of the sword and spun around just in time to catch Domitor in the face with a punch as he attempted to tackle him. This sent him straight into the ground right next to Shayla and Scamp.
Lorenzo let out a sharp whistle as he looked at everyone. Mallogory was struggling to get free of the sword in her chest, grunting and snarling like a ravage animal as she stared at him with absolute hatred in her eyes. While Scamp just focused on keeping Shayla alive, both breathing violently and loudly.
“Well, time for the curtains to fall on this little play,” Lorenzo announced as the lights came back on. He stepped over the mother and daughter and grabbed his son by the leg, dragging him as he walked towards the front of the stage.
He tossed his son to the side and gave a bow to a roaring crowd, clearly enjoying himself.
The massive curtains slammed shut in front of himself as he stood up straight, his demeanor changing drastically.
“Alright, Domitor,” he said in a low voice as he turned on his son, who was just getting to his feet, “let’s get this over with.”
Domitor grunted as he stood up fully, facing down his father. His eyes snapped over to the others, his breathing picking up as he laid his eyes on Shayla and her mother. Scamp was currently trying to pull her leg free of the blade, working it up and down as she attempted to saw through her leg.
“The fact you’ve betrayed me due to that mare is the biggest slap to my face you could’ve done,” Lorenzo said with narrowed eyes.
“I didn’t betray you because of her,” Domitor said in a dangerously calm voice as he spat onto the ground next to him. “I did it because you’re an abusive monster.”
“I don’t know how you came from my seed,” he said with a massive sigh, “I gave you the perfect foundation, and you still turned out like… this.”
Domitor’s eye twitched, “I don’t think I could’ve ever reached your impossibly high expectations.”
“I picked the perfect vessel with the perfect genes,” Lorenzo continued, ignoring his son’s words, “I gave you only the best in enhancements and enchants. I spent month’s making sure you were born as the perfect specimen. And even after all that, all you’ve accomplished is proving that you were a mistake.”
This caused Domitor to close his eyes and clench his fist, “I don’t care anymore. I don’t need your approval, or your love, or your anything. I’m done with you, Lorenzo.”
“Oh? Using my first name now?” Lorenzo laughed, looking over to the mother and daughter. “I wonder how long she has before all that lost blood catches up with her.”
Domitor’s body jerked as rage pulsed through his body.
“Let’s find out, shall we?” Lorenzo asked with a sinister smirk as he cast his hand over to them, causing a light to shine down on them.
“Hmm,” he muttered as he made a show of reading the words that appeared before him. “Tsk tsk, she’s not got long, she’s-“ he stopped as he leaned forward, then devolved into a laughing fit. “Oh! That is priceless!”
Domitor’s only reaction was to start walking towards his father, not caring for his theatrics.
“Domitor, you don’t know?” Lorenzo asked, a sinister look in his eyes.
This did not slow him down as he continued his advance on his father, eyes locked with his.
“Well this just makes this all so much more satisfying,” Lorenzo said as two knives appeared in his hands. “You’ve done it, son.”
The mood shift of Lorenzo was worrying Domitor, causing him to slow slightly.
“Shayla,” Lorenzo began with a bit of a dramatic tone to his voice, “is pregnant.”
Those words caused Domitor to come to a stop, eyes going wide as his father howled with laughter.
“You didn’t know!” He exclaimed as he threw a dagger right into Shayla’s hip, causing her to suddenly let out a scream of pain.
This snapped Domitor out of his daze as he began sprinting towards his father, but he could only watch as his father sent two more knives flying at them. One embedded itself in Scamp’s right shoulder while the other impaled Shayla in the upper stomach.
“I’m going to take her womb, Domitor,” Lorenzo declared as the lights dimmed, followed by a spotlight coming on near them.
Domitor panicked as he looked over to see Lorenzo standing near them again.
“I’m going to raise your kid,” he taunted as his hand started to glow. “Maybe this one won’t be such a disappointment.”
“Get the fuck away from them,” he growled as his heart rate increased dramatically.
“Finally some life in those eyes,” Lorenzo laughed as he placed a boot on Scamp’s back and shoved her down onto her daughter roughly, causing Shayla to scream again.
His body began to tense up as he began to shake, “if you touch them-“
“You’ll what?” Lorenzo taunted as he threw a dagger straight down into Shayla’s leg.
“I said GET AWAY FROM THEM!” He roared so violently that Lorenzo actually stopped what he was doing to stare at the seething Domitor.
Domitor started to shake as the ground began to tremble under them. His breathing picked up as he felt something swelling up inside of him.
His father went silent as he watched on, a shocked look over taking his face.
https://youtu.be/cFwFmTvMj8A
Debris and pieces of the floor began to raise up all around him as he grunted and snarled. He tensed up as he felt something wash over him again, filling him with an intense pressure.
He threw his head back a bit as the feeling swelled, growling as the hatred he felt for his father continued to build up inside of him.
The ground beneath his feet began to crack as the pressure reached new heights, shattering the wood.
The pressure began to pulsate violently within him, threatening to crush him. Then he felt it. A massive surge of power rushed into his body as he began to roar with such ferocity that the ground below him was completely blown away, leaving only the foundations.
Energy swirled around him as he roared, building to a climax. Then with a massive gush of wind it came to an end, with a yellow glowing aura around him as he stood there. His hair a solid yellow color now. He turned his head to his father, an intensely focused look on his face.
Lorenzo could only stare in shock at his son as yellow energy flew up all around him.
The two stared at each other, neither saying a word.
“I was sure you hadn’t inherited that from Belle,” Lorenzo finally said, his shock slowly melting away, “but here we are.”
“Step away from them, right now,” he said firmly, eyes locked on his fathers.
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes as he raised his hand, attempting to use his Thorn to negate his son’s new form. But as Domitor suddenly appeared before him, he realized that was not a possibility.
The sound of an explosion filled the room as Domitor’s fist slammed into his father’s arm as he attempted to block. He was sent skidding back a bit, his eyes wide in shock and pain as he found himself missing an arm
Domitor didn’t relent as he appeared behind Lorenzo, a blank look on his face as he roundhoused his father, sending him flying away.
The area around them began to flicker as he zipped through the area and crashed into his father in midair, sending him straight into the ground.
With that the illusion completely faded away, leaving them in the yard before Raffy’s house.
Lorenzo coughed violently as he pulled himself out of the crater his body had created. His body was broken and one of his arms was missing. This was not good for him.
He shakily reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out his Dimensional Dagger and began stabbing at the air. But nothing happened.
The ground shook as Domitor landed right next to him, glaring down at him.
Letting out a pained sigh he rolled over and stared up at his son.
His left hand stares to raise, but Domitor just gives it a solid kick, ripping it from his body and sending it flying away.
Hissing in pain, Lorenzo’s insane eyes locked with Domitor’s, “if you want to-“
He was cut off as Domitor brought his foot down on his face, causing his head to explode.
Ego poured out of him and into Domitor, confusing him but he didn’t dwell on it too long. He zoomed across the ground till he came up beside Scamp and Shayla, who were both still conscious but clearly not doing very well.
He knelt down and placed his hands on them.
“Raffy,” Scamp gasped out, her coat a bit faded.
He gave her a solid nod as he looked up and saw Floria and Vanilla sprinting towards them.
“I’ll go get him,” Domitor said as he stood up and switched into his pony form, still flowing with yellow energy. He took off into the air, intending to follow the road till he found Raffy’s truck. They needed his healing abilities and fast.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 320 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-01-29T21:55:42+00:00
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2023-05-08T03:19:59+00:00
| 266 |
Chapter 86
Lacy’s POV
I placed the final sword down on the table, admiring the three blades I’d picked out from the armory. And I must say, they are badass. Two of them are special blades that apparently can’t be used like normal swords, but can be used to channel Ego. They also teleport back to their sheathes after being used, so that’s useful!
With my Ego, I’m sure I can find some really wicked ways to use them. The third sword is just a sword. I just wanted a smaller blade to try out some new techniques with my Ego.
So a very productive morning in my opinion!
“You raided the armory too?” Lance asked as he stepped into the little common area I was in.
I chuckled as I turned to him, taking in his new hoof gauntlets he was wearing, “bro there is so much shit in there, I spent all night just trying to figure out what I wanted!”
He smiled as he stepped up to the table, looking at the weapons I’d picked out. “I know. But it only took me a few minutes to find these babies,” he said as he held up a hoof to show it off.
“I’m just saying, all the weapons you could ask for and you put on gauntlets that make you… what, hit harder?” I asked, taking his hoof and looking the gauntlet over.
“They do that, and one more little thing,” he said with a smirk as he pulled his hoof from me and turned around, looking around the room. “Hm, see that vase over there?” he asked, pointing across the room to a single vase with flowers in it.
“Yeah?” I asked, curious as to what he was about to do.
With a twist, he spun himself and threw a punch, causing the vase across the room to explode.
“Okay that’s fucking sweet,” I said, nodding my head as he turned to smile at me.
“I can reach out and hit things up to ten feet away,” he gave one of the gauntlets a kiss.
“Hmm… I wonder if there’s a sword in there that’ll do that…” I muttered, but then shrugged. My Ego could do the same thing with any sword, so no need to worry about it.
Lance then stepped over to a fridge and opened it, pulling out some food for himself.
“So I gotta ask,” he began as he went about making his food while I sat down to play with my new swords.
“Yeah?”
“What’s the deal with you and Jun?” he asked a bit cautiously.
This caused me to laugh as I looked over to him, a smirk on my face, “why? You worried for my safety?”
“Yes, I guess,” he sighed, “he’s… Jun. He can’t be trusted.”
“Look,” I began as I put a sword down and gave him my full attention, “I appreciate the worry. But you need to know; I can handle myself. Jun is a fucking idiot, and I can see the aggression behind his eyes. But he’s harmless, at least right now he is. He just wants in my pants right now, so I don’t think you need to worry about him ‘coming after you’.”
He put his food in a heater and turned to me, “and how do you feel about him trying to get in your pants?”
“I think it’s funny,” I answered with a chuckle. “Look, Lance, I joke around ALL the time. I’m sure you do too. I like to play around and flirt with big hunky guys and watch them stumble around dumbly trying to impress me. But let me make this clear,” I said as I narrowed my eyes a bit, “I am not a slut. I’ve only been with my late husband, Soarin, and that took us months to get to that point. I do not plan to act on any of my jokes when it comes to anyone. If you see me fawning over some big sexy hunk of beef, just ignore me. Let me have my fun, yeah?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, holding eye contact with me. “I’m not trying to be so… overbearing. I guess that shit comes with age. Just, I don’t trust him and watching you get so friendly with him worries me.”
“Well, old man, don’t worry about me,” I said with a wink. “I’m a big girl after all.”
“Fair enough,” he said as he pulled his food out and walked over to the table, taking a seat across from me.
“So!” I said with a massive grin on my face. “Let’s compare stories!”
“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he began to eat.
“Like, let’s ask some questions and see how similar we really are,” I replied as I leaned on the table.
“Oh, I wrote this book you can read,” he said as he pulled a pretty large book out of his pocket dimension and slid it across the table to me.
I lifted the oversized book and frowned as I pushed it away from me, “I am NOT about to read that much shit. Let’s just do it my way, lazy asshole.”
“Okay, then how should we do this? Start with easy stuff? Or should we just dive into the traumatic shit?” he asked, finishing up his food.
“Traumatic,” I said with a firm nod.
“Grandfather’s farm, the horse,” he said simply, causing me to narrow my eyes.
“Oh so we’re starting there, huh?” I leaned back, crossing my forelegs, “alright then. What happened to you during that first heat?”
“Nothing good, I’ll say that,” he answered, “you?”
“I normally give a fake answer to that, but I’ll be honest with you. I became an apex predator, apparently. Luckily I just smashed through everyone at first and didn’t actually ‘do anything’ if you know what I mean. Soarin was able to lure me into a building and locked me away in a freezer till everything blew over.”
Lance’s eyes went wide at this, “locked you in a freezer? Couldn’t that have killed you?”
“Yeah,” I laughed, shaking my head at the memory, “he wasn’t a very smart man… but fuck did I love him.”
A smile graced his face at this, “okay, did your mom come to Equestria? Or did your dad?”
“My dad,” I answered, “he was always a bit… overprotective. And hella controlling. He tried to make me leave my house and come live with him when he finally found me. It was one hell of a fight too, and I really do not want to talk about him.”
“Wait, do you two not have a good relationship?” he asked with a shocked look on his face. “Me and my mom have a great relationship.”
“No, we did not,” I sighed, “my dad, Danny, never could let me go. He just kept trying to control my life and wanted me to do what he wanted, even after we came to Equestria.”
“Danny?” He rubbed his chin, “my mom’s name is Dana… wait, oh God. Let me guess, your mom is an FBI agent?”
“Yep, isn’t yours?”
“No, my dad is. So looks like EVERYONE in our two universes are gender swapped,” he chuckled as he pushed his empty plate away.
“Everyone but the ponies in Equestria,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, I don’t understand the rules there, but it’s still weird.”
“Next question,” I said as I moved the conversation forward, “Tree Frogs?”
“The fucking worse!” he exclaimed, causing both of us to nod.
“Good to meet a fellow ‘fuck those amphibians’ aficionado,” I said firmly.
He rubbed his chin as he thought up a question, “poison cupcake?”
“No idea what you mean,” I said, scratching my head.
“Oh, well I ate one by accident back in the very beginning and died,” he muttered, looking a bit unsure.
“Well I didn’t die from a poisoned cupcake, but I did die in the beginning when I tried to help a friend try to meet Big Mac and he accidently bucked me in the face.”
“How’d you manage that?” he asked, causing me to look a bit sheepish.
“Eh… he was bucking a tree so I thought I’d get his attention like Pinkie Pie would and I snuck up on him and jumped between him and the tree. I did not realize he could be so focused on his work…”
This just caused him to laugh loudly as I rolled my eyes.
“Alright, fucker, you walk in on your mom flicking the bean thinking you were her lover?”
He stopped laughing and stared at me, “not funny.”
“So that’s a yes,” I remarked with a smirk, “yeah, same here. Dad thought I was his marefriend, Songbird Serenade, and I saw way too much.”
“Whoa whoa WHOA! Your dad got with Songbird Serenade? THE Songbird Serenade? The popstar?!” Lance yelped, eyes wide as he leaned towards me.
“Yep!” I laughed, “I don’t know how, but he appeared in Manehattan and SOMEHOW pulled her attention when looking for me. They never told me how they met, saying it was ‘too romantic for my young ears’.”
“Damn! My mom got with the Captain of the Royal Guard, but Popstar beats that by a long shot!” He let out a whistle, “I guess now I should ask some of the fun questions. How’d giving birth to your daughter go?”
My smile faded away at this as unpleasant memories surfaced.
“Are you okay?” He asked, noticing my mood shift.
“Yeah. I love my daughter, but the memory is… unpleasant,” I answered, causing him to look a bit awkward. “Did a few of your enemies band together and attack you during Nightmare Night?”
“They did,” he replied, seeming a bit confused.
“Okay well they attacked us and killed a few of my friends. And I handed myself over to spare the rest of them,” I said slowly.
“Same here, they shoved me in a cage and stole my immortality.”
“Yep, and that’s where I suddenly went into labor,” I said, causing him to jerk hard.
“You were pregnant during that fight?!” He exclaimed in shock.
“Pregnant, cramping, and contracting. Then those assholes mocked me the entire time. Of course when they attempted to take my newborn from me I snapped and broke free, killing most of them before my friends caught up to rescue me.”
“That’s…” he shook his head, “just Jesus I can’t even begin to imagine that shit.”
“It was an experience, that’s for sure,” I muttered, then forced myself to change subjects, “so! How’d you propose to Twilight?”
A smile slid into his face, “ah, at the Grand Galloping Gala. I took her to a beautiful place out in the garden and proposed in the simplest way possible. But she loves it and the rest is history. You?”
“Mine is not as grand as the Gala, but it’s one of my favorite moments in my life,” I began, reminiscing on that day. “Soarin and I had been together for a bit by this point and I honestly wasn’t planning on marriage or any of that stuff. I was pregnant and just happy being with his goofy ass. He never brought it up either so I thought we were on the same page.
“Well a few months into my pregnancy I was having a REALLY rough week where I was in constant pain and complaining. He stayed by my side even though I was being a real BITCH to him the entire time. By the end of it I broke down thinking he’d leave me after how I was treating him. But that goof ball just gave me a little speech about how much he loved me and all that jazz, then pulled out a ring. He asked me to marry him even though I was standing there bloated and ugly as hell.”
“I never really knew Soarin,” Lance admitted, “but he sounds like he was a great guy.”
“He was the best,” I said a bit solemnly, letting out a small sigh.
“If you don’t mind, what happened to him?”
“Seven years ago,” I began, just hoping straight to it, “one of my enemies, Valerie, came back from the dead just to screw up my life.”
“Valerie? Is she a large Alicorn who you met at a place called Pleasant Fields?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You mean Val?” I asked, getting a nod. “No, different person. We’ll talk about that later,” I rubbed my face as I continued, “Valerie is a Diamond Dog who was a Brony who was angry we ‘took all the good’ stallions. I killed her after a few encounters, but some asshole brought her back to life years later and… she killed my husband as her first act, so I didn’t even have a chance to save him. One minute he was going to the store, and the next she was tossing his body through our bedroom window.”
“Fuck…” Lance muttered.
“I killed that bitch and I made damn sure she’d never come back again…” I growled, trying not to go off on another tangent like the last time I explained this story. “So that’s why I fucking flirt and joke around so much, okay?”
“Yeah, I get it,” he said slowly. “I’m sorry, Lacy.”
“It’s fine, I know you’ve probably got your share of trauma and shit,” I let out a sigh and leaned back. “For example, the cannibal?”
He shook his head at this, “yeah. You ever figured out what that was all about?”
“Nope, she came, ate me like a buffet table, and disappeared without elaborating. Weirdest shit ever,” I said as I rubbed my shoulder at the memory. That cannibal is one of the few things I never figured out.
“Huh, I’m almost afraid to ask this one, but did Luna be a bit aggressive in the beginning for you? LIke, almost raping you aggressive?” Lance asked, causing me to roll my eyes.
“No, but Blueblood tried to do that. Guy got his nuts kicked for that one, but he ended up not being that bad of a guy once all things were said and done,” I answered, shrugging.
“That sounds worse than what I went through,” he muttered, causing both of us to chuckle a bit. “Which I guess leads to this question: did you have a Brony Draconequus in your world that was the cause of all the sexual problems?”
“Yeah, a guy named Abel who went by Disarray,” I answered with a sigh. “He was a deviant and caused so much shit to happen. When we found out he was behind all the horrible shit we’d gone through, like the fucking Heat, I just straight up killed him.”
“Ours did the same shit, but we banished her to the moon,” Lance said as a sheepish look fell over his face. “But as it turns out she’s a rape victim and all that shit she did was a trauma response. So…”
“I don’t really care, not an excuse for what they did,” I answered firmly. “So fuck em. Anyways, Pleasant Fields?”
“Yeah, I got tricked and then captured. Huh… What’d Draco do to you in your dimension?” he asked cautiously.
“Draco? The gay guy? He sucked my friend's dick against his will, then I killed him when we broke out, not much to tell.”
“Wait, your friend was a guy? The one who came with me was a guy too. Does that mean you had a male Frederic?” he asked, a bit confused.
“Frederic? No, my friend was a guy named Vinny who could control plants and shit. Frederic was the guy I was pretending to be to trick Champion, right?”
“Yeah, that was him. He died when we fought the Watcher the first time. The guy was like a brother to me…”
I rubbed my chin, making a connection, “was Frederic killed on Earth like five or so years before the rapture by his mafia family?”
“Yep, his dad killed him.”
I frowned at him, “why didn’t you kill him during your first meeting with him?!”
“Because I was dumb and Frederic beat him after a short fight, so I thought we could just lock him away or something…”
“Well in my dimension he was a she and her bitch ass name was Rachel. She attacked us out of nowhere one night and was able to cut Fredia’s throat. If it wasn’t for my Moon and Rake, I wouldn’t have won that fight. You should’ve done what I did; stomp her head in.”
“Honestly I regret that decision every time he reappears, but he’s gotten to a point where he’s too hard to kill.”
“It was losing Frieda that turned me into the asshole you see before you today, Lance. Her death was… jarring to say the least.”
“Yeah…” he rubbed his chin as he thought of another question. “Did you also have a crazy person follow you to Equestria and try to kill you?”
“A crazy bitch named Kodi, yes. I killed her shortly after she surprise attacked my ass. Good riddance.”
“Well… mine is named Cody and he ended up becoming a reformed and amazing person who’s helped us overcome a few disasters in the past,” Lance said as I rolled my eyes again.
“I stand by my choices.”
“Not to be that guy, but maybe killing everyone who stood against you is the reason everyone you know is dead,” he said a bit harshly.
“What the fuck?” I snapped, “what’s with the sudden third degree?”
“Because sometimes you need someone to say the hard shit,” he retorted. “I’m not going to sit here and judge you, but I’ve only killed when necessary and things have gone relatively well for everyone I know.”
“Sounds like judging to me…” I grumbled, crossing my forelegs. “I did what I thought was right at the time, and I still stand by that…”
“That’s how I’ve always operated as well, so no, I’m not judging you,” he assured me.
“Well let me try a few questions then,” I began as I leaned forward, eyes narrowed.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Roxxy limped down the deserted street, with Babel Yarn right next to her, scanning each building they walked past. They didn’t have much of a plan, as the communicator was still broken. Which meant the only thing they could do right now was try and find a place to buy replacement parts.
There was just one major problem with that plan. The place they’d appeared in seemed to be mostly abandoned and in a constant state falling apart.
Babel, in her infinite wisdom, believed this location's gimmick was post-apocalyptic.
But Roxxy wasn’t too worried about that, as she knew that as long as they stuck together, they’d pull through this terrible shit.
Her eyes drifted over to the other mare, who was currently smiling happily and humming to herself as they walked along.
Roxxy didn’t exactly know how they’d handle the upcoming challenges, but she did know for a fact she’d never let anyone hurt this strange mare.
With that she moved closer to Babel as they walked, pressing into her side a bit. Babel, being her oblivious self, just kept walking and humming, just enjoying life.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Shayla’s POV
“You shouldn’t be alive,” Raffy muttered as he sat back, watching me slowly stand up after he healed my wounds.
“She’s resilient, like her parents,” my mother grunted as she held her own wounds, which had not been healed yet as Raffy had to focus on me at first.
Raffy quickly moved to her, but she waved him off and pointed to my mom, “no, heal Mallogory first. I’ll be fine.”
“Between the two of you, YOU are the one who needs healing first. You’re wounds are terrible and-”
“Raffy, just do it for me,” she grunted, causing him to frown.
“All of you are stubborn,” he retorted as he moved to help my mom first.
My mother just smiled a bit as she sat down hard.
Once he finished with my mom he quickly moved back to my mother, who finally let herself be healed.
As he healed her, I turned to Domitor, who was still glowing yellow.
A wide smile appeared on my face as I stared at his aura with my Virtue Sight.
“What?” he asked as I stepped up to him.
“You’re a…” I began, reaching over and rubbing his face, “a fucking Saiyan?!”
“I don’t know what that is…” he admitted, causing me to gasp loudly.
“How can you not know?! They’re the main staple of Dragon Ball Z!” I yelled, causing him to smile sheepishly.
“I’ve… never watched it, Shay.”
“But I talk about it all the time!”
“And that doesn’t mean I know what you’re talking about, dummy,” he chuckled, reaching up and placing his hoof on my face. “But did you hear what he said? Or were you too out of it?”
“What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. I kinda was wavering in and out earlier, what with all the blood loss and injuries. The only thing that pulled me together was seeing Domitor transform into a freaking Super Saiyan!
“So you didn’t hear him,” he said, seeming a bit nervous.
“Oh here we go,” my mother chuckled as all eyes landed on me suddenly.
“Uh… what’s going on?” I asked, not liking the looks I was suddenly getting.
“Okay, do not panic,” Domitor began, placing his hooves on my shoulders, “and do not overreact. Can you promise me that?”
“Uh… sure, I promise,” I said in confusion.
“Shayla,” he began, tightening his grip on my shoulders. “You’re pregnant.”
I stood there, slowly raising my eyebrows, “nah, I’m not. I’m sterile, remember?”
“Well, maybe not,” my mom said from behind me. “You may have actually gotten more pony in you than we originally thought.”
“Even then, I can’t be pregnant,” I countered with a chuckle.
“Shayla, use your sight. Do you see anything… odd about yourself?” Rosemary asked carefully.
Letting out a sigh I looked at myself using my Virtue Sight, looking over my body seeing nothing out of place.
“You’re overlooking it, Shayla,” she muttered, causing me to look again.
Reluctantly I looked myself over again, seeing my Soul radiation from my chest. Nothing out of the ordinary- okay yeah, there’s a second smaller part of my soul lower in my body. So what?
“Are you serious?” Rosemary groaned, causing Buu to start laughing. “Shayla, that second Soul is the beginning of a person being formed. That’s your womb.”
My body seized up as it finally hit me, and boy did it hit me hard.
“I’m fucking pregnant?!” I yelled, causing Domitor to squeeze harder.
“Apparently,” he confirmed as my breathing picked up. “How… are you feeling?”
To answer him I threw my hands up and broke his grip on me and spun around, heading for the house.
“Shayla?!” he called after me as I stomped away, holding a hand to my gut.
“I can’t be fucking pregnant!” I exclaimed angrily as I walked past everyone else.
He chased after me, but I ignored him as I stepped into the house and made my way to our room, slamming the door behind me and collapsing against it.
I grabbed my faceplate with my hands and began to shake as my mind raced.
What the fuck do I do?!
“Shayla, it’s going to be okay,” he said lamely from the other side of the door.
“Fuck off, Dom,” I snapped, slamming a fist into the floor next to me.
The sound of him sitting down against the door caused me to growl.
He didn’t say anything as we just sat there, our backs only separated by the door between us.
I punched myself in the face a few times out of frustration, my teeth gritted as I thought of all the shit I couldn’t do now.
“My parents told me I couldn’t get pregnant!” I finally roared, hitting myself a few more times. “I don’t want a kid, Dom! I wanna do what ever the fuck I want to do, not raise a fucking baby!”
“I know,” he said quietly.
“FUCK!” I screamed as I kicked my feet as I grabbed my faceplate again, pulling against it roughly. “What do I do?!”
“I don’t know,” he answered, not moving a lot on his side of the door.
“Dom, I really don’t want to be a mom,” I choked out as I started crying, my ruined eye sockets still somehow producing tears.
He didn’t reply to that one.
“I had plans! I wanted to explore all kinds of crazy dimensions and do all kinds of awesome shit! A kid ruins all that! And now I feel like a horrible mare because I’m considering…”
“Killing it,” Domitor finished for me, pain clear in his voice.
“Yeah…” I muttered as I pulled my legs into myself, hugging them. “I’m the fucking worst. The most selfish fucking bitch ever…”
“No, you’re not. You’re just… not sure how to process all this. I’m in the same boat, but we can get through this, together,” he tried to assure me, but I just hit the door with the back of my fist.
“Stop acting like you know how I’m feeling, you prick,” I growled, “I’m sitting here considering killing an unborn foal, you don’t know what I’m going through.”
“Whatever you chose,” he said slowly and calmly, “I’m here for you, Shayla.”
Tears and snot ran down my face upon hearing him say that, causing me to scream in frustration again. “Damn it, Dom! Be pissed! I’m sitting here talking about killing your unborn kid and you’re going to say you support whatever I do?! I’m fucking retarded, Dom! I make the wrong choices all the fucking time!”
“Shayla,” he began as he bumped against the door a bit, “I love you, with all my being. I’d love to raise a family with you, but at the same time I’m always going to support you. If you do not want this, we can figure it out. I just want you to be happy and have everything you deserve.”
“Fucking asshole,” I choked out as my nose clogged up, “just get mad at me, call me names. Please, just let me have it. I’m horrible, and I’d be an even worse mother.”
“You’d be a mess of a mother, Shayla,” he said, causing me to gag a bit as a short laugh pushed through the sobs. “But that’s okay. Because I know you’d love them no matter what, even if you’re fucking up left and right. You just have to remember, there’s two of us here, Shay. You wouldn’t be alone.”
“I don’t fucking know why you’re like this with me, Dom,” I said between sobs. “All I’ve done is hurt you and make your life a living hell. Just because we banged doesn’t mean you have to stick by my side. You deserve someone more loving and stable.”
“Oh, you’re so fucking dense, Shay,” he said a bit roughly. “I don’t feel this way because we ‘banged’, I feel this way because you are the one and only person in my life that I care about this deeply. I’ve always loved you, I just didn’t know how to process that emotion till that night. You are my everything, Shay, and I’ll stick by your side no matter how bad things get or what choices you make.”
“And I thought I was dumb,” I mumbled as I wiped my face on my pants. “Tell me what I should do, Domitor. Please…”
“I think you should take a step back and think about this longer than one day,” he said in a soothing voice. “Let your feelings form before you make a choice.”
“And if I chose to kill it?” I asked hesitantly.
“Then we’ll do it, and I will not ever hold it against you,” he assured, causing me to start crying again as I spun around and slammed my hooves through the door, grabbing him and yanking him roughly through it.
“Thank you,” I cried out as I pulled him into myself, burying my face in his neck as he wrapped his forelegs around my neck.
I don’t know what I’ll do… but having Domitor by my side made me feel like things would be okay, no matter what happens.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 321 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-30T06:16:38+00:00
|
2023-01-30T06:31:07+00:00
| 294 |
Chapter 87
A little over a week later
Shayla’s POV
I flipped the cap off of my drink and began to drink it, eyes locked on the yard before me, with the house right behind me. It was late afternoon, and I was just wasting time at this point, as I had nothing to do. Training was done, and so was all the chores, which just left me with nothing but free time.
The worst shit ever. I need to be active, otherwise I’m just suffering.
“Having fun over here?” Domitor asked as he stepped up and sat down next to me on the bench.
“Sure, tons of fun,” I muttered, getting a laugh out of him.
“If you want, we can train some more,” he offered, trying to cheer me up.
“Maybe,” I replied with a smile.
“Room for one more, fuckers?” Floria asked as she jumped over the bench and sat on my right, putting me in the middle. “We doing anything, or just sitting around?”
“Sitting around and being bored,” I answered, looking back towards the house. “Where’s Vanilla?”
Floria shrugged as she leaned back, “she’s feeling a bit sick. Something with her stomach, I’ve spent all day taking care of her, and she just fell asleep.”
“Need anything?” Domitor asked as he leaned around me to look at her.
“Nah I’m good,” she assured as she let out a yawn. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked as we all looked over to Talio, who was the only one in the area. He was just doing what he’s always doing, playing a random instrument, badly.
“They’re around here somewhere… I think they’re helping Spark with some kind of training that requires Raffy’s healing, for some reason,” I said, shrugging.
We continued talking about nothing in particular, as we were all three clearly bored and just wanting something to do.
About an hour of this passed, ending with both of them passing out and leaning against me.
I just sat there, thinking about all the new developments in my life. Mainly being pregnant. I was still undecided on how to handle that information. On one hand I liked the idea of starting a little family with Domitor, but on the other, I’m giving up ALL of my dreams and plans for the future.
I’m stuck on what to do…
The sounds of Vanilla suddenly screaming caused me to jerk hard, waking up the others, who also heard her screaming.
“Vans!” Floria yelped as she flew over the bench and took off running for the house, with me and Domitor right behind her.
We burst into the house and ran down the hallway to their room, all the while with Vanilla still screaming.
Floria smashed through the door, rushing into the room, “Vanilla?!”
She finally stopped screaming, just curled up on the bed in her blankets, eyes wide as she looked at the spot next to her.
I came in and looked to where she was looking, raising an eyebrow. “Is that an egg?”
For some reason there was a small egg laying next to her, about the size of my palm.
“What is this?” Floria asked, eyes wide as well. “Did someone-”
“I’ve only been with you,” Vanilla muttered, eyes locked on the egg next to her. “I don’t understand this…”
“What am I missing?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I walked in and went to pick up the egg.
“Don’t touch it,” Floria hissed, causing me to recoil back a bit.
“Eh… why? It’s just an egg,” I asked in confusion.
“It’s not just any egg,” Vanilla began, still looking to be in shock. “It’s my egg.”
“What?” I asked, not grasping what she meant.
“Halwen’s lay eggs instead of giving birth,” Floria muttered, slowly stepping up to the bed.
“Wait, that came from Vanilla?!” I asked, mouth falling open. “Does that mean you have a dick, Floria?!”
“Oh for sure, I got a massive ladydick,” she answered in a forced joking tone.
“Please be serious right now…” Vanilla said quietly.
“Are you okay, Vans?” Floria asked, sitting down before the other woman.
“How did I lay an egg? We’re not supposed to be compatible!” she whined, leaning into Floria as she wrapped her arms around her.
“Looks like our ass’s got Divine Interventioned,” Floria chuckled, reaching over and gently lifting the egg and pulling it to her chest as they leaned into each other. “Oh shit, we’re gonna have a kid…”
“Ha!” I laughed, pointing a finger at them. “I’m not the only one who’s screwed then!”
“Shhh,” Domitor hushed me as he pulled me back a bit.
“But we can’t have a kid yet!” Vanilla exclaimed as she gently placed her hand over Floria’s, cupping the egg. “We’re not married! We can’t have a kid out of wedlock!”
“It’ll be okay,” Floria assured her, but Vanilla just whined even more. A light chuckle escaped her lips as she reached up and placed her other hand on Vanilla’s face. “Is it really that big of a deal to you?”
“Yes!” Vanilla groaned, pouting a bit pathetically.
“Then marry me, Vanilla,” Floria said smoothly as she pulled her hand back to reveal a ring grasped in her fingers.
Vanilla’s eyes went wide as she stared dumbfoundedly at the ring, then at Floria, “but I don’t want you to marry me just because we have a-”
“Shut your cute little mouth,” Floria said sweetly as she pressed the ring to the other woman's lips. “I want to marry you because I love you, not just because of our egg. This is just the perfect excuse to propose. So what do you say? Wanna marry me?”
Vanilla’s lips quivered as she leaned into Floria, giving her a kiss. “Yes,” she whispered as she leaned back, tears running down her face. “I of course want to marry you, Floria.”
“Bleh,” I muttered, getting a slap to the back of my head from Domitor.
“Be nice,” he warned with a little smile on his face.
“We’re never doing that,” I pointed out, getting a nod from him.
“I’m okay with that, just as long as we’re together,” he said as we watched the other two start kissing again, their hands still cupping the egg.
“By the way, how long till that thing hatches?” I asked Domitor in a love voice, getting a shrug from him.
“I believe I heard it was two months or so,” he answered.
“Damn, that means it’ll be out and about very soon,” I pointed out, shaking my head, “what a nightmare, huh?”
He just grabbed my hand and gave me a smile, causing me to feel a bit funny.
“Stop that,” I muttered, causing him to just wink at me. “Stop trying to influence my decision with our baby.”
“You just said ‘our baby’ so I don’t think I need to say anything,” he said with a wide smile, causing me to groan as we stepped out of the room, leaving them alone.
“I didn’t mean anything by it! I’m still undecided on all that shit!” I hissed, causing him to roll his eyes.
“Whatever you say, Shay.”
I growled a bit as I pulled from his grasp and headed for our room, wanting to be alone for a bit.
“I love you, Shayla,” he called after me as I grabbed the door to our room and looked back at him.
“... I love you too, Domitor,” I said back as I slammed the door.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Lacy’s POV
“This list is kinda long…” Lance muttered as he looked over the list of those who died during the massacre at the Safe Dimension.
Bronwyn just gave a solemn nod as I leaned over Lance’s shoulder, seeing a few were highlighted.
“Why are those highlighted?” I asked.
“As bad as this’ll sound, those are the notable ones we lost,” she answered grimly.
I looked at the highlighted names, not sure who they all were exactly, but by the reactions of the others I knew this was bad.
The list contained the names; Aaron, Applejack, Blaze, Beans, Dali, Drax, Doc, Flashy Flash, Lightning, Rarity, Remi, Seth, Trixie, and Vinyl Scratch.
… Oh fuck.
“They’re gone, just like that…” Lance muttered, dropping the list and getting up.
“Where are you going?” I asked as he walked towards one of the hallways in the main chamber.
“Anywhere but here,” he muttered. “I’ll… be in my room.”
As he disappeared I turned to the others, seeing they were having similar reactions to Lance.
The only ones not reacting heavily to it were myself, Jun, and Strawell. The latter just put a hoof on Louie’s leg as he stoically tried not to react to the news.
“What’s the plan?” I asked as I looked to Bronwyn, who just stood up, turning to leave as well.
“I don’t know.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Three days later
“Are you sure you don’t want to do this when we can… I don’t know, set up a real ceremony?” I asked as I helped Floria adjust her suit.
“Nah, we don’t need any of that shit,” she chuckled as she smiled at me.
“I mean, I’m not sure how any of this works, but wouldn’t you two want more people here? Make it not look so,” I asked as we both looked out at the ‘crowd’ that consisted of my parents, grandparents, and Raffy, “empty?”
“Shayla, we’ve talked about it,” she replied coolly, “all we need are you and Domitor. Anything else is just extra.”
A smile graced my face at this, but then I looked at Talio, who stood right next to us. “Alright, but we could’ve done better for a priest.”
“I’m ordained,” he said simply and cheerfully.
“Best we can do,” Floria chuckled.
I frowned as I looked at the strange Halwen in his overly complicated priest outfit, “okay then…” I turned back to her with a shrug, “whatever makes you two happy I guess.”
The door at the end of the dining room opened, followed by Domitor walking in with Vanilla at his side.
“Oh…” Floria gasped as she took in Vanilla and her dress, which even caught me off guard.
It was kinda like a wedding dress, but more… gothic? With spiderwebs on it to add accents.
Behind them was Creampuff, walking proudly in his own little suit.
They walked to the front where Vanilla stepped up before Floria, a massive smile and blush on her face. Creampuff sat down beside them, acting as the best man.
“Hi…,” Floria said softly, a dumbfounded look on her face
“Hi,” Vanilla giggled as she pulled at the dress a bit. “Too much?”
“You’re perfect,” Floria answered as she took her hands.
Talio began the ceremony, getting a little into his ‘preaching’ but I mostly ignored him as I looked at my two friends, enjoying the way they were looking at each other. As corny as it sounded, I could feel their love for one another. I could see their Souls reaching out and entangling themselves together, latching onto each other and holding on tightly. They were connected in this moment, both Soul’s melding together momentarily.
So this is what love looks like in its base form…
As he reached the point for them to exchange rings, I watched with a little flutter in my chest as they put the rings on each other.
My attention lapsed for a moment, missing a few words as they suddenly leaned in to kiss each other. And the moment they did, their Soul’s flared to life, over taking everything else in the room.
Even their egg, which sat with my mother, seemed to glow a little bit more.
I found myself reaching up and placing my hand over my stomach, where I could see the little Soul within me flickering.
…
It was at this point I realized Domitor was staring at me, a happy look on his face.
I dropped my hand and went back to standing there as casually as I could, but it was pointless, he was now just smiling at me as our friends broke their kiss and began saying sweet nothings to each other.
Seeing them this happy, and seeing the way Domitor was looking at me, made me want to get back to Equestria. Back to my home and friends…
Due to real life, I'm skipping a LOT of filler arcs. No point in prolonging anything.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 322 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-01-31T06:57:42+00:00
|
2023-01-31T06:57:42+00:00
| 285 |
This chapter is a bit rough, but that's due to me forcing it out. Things should return to my normal pace and style by the next chapter.
Chapter 88
Two weeks later
Shayla’s POV
“So you are positive you’ve gotten everything?” my mother asked me as I finished putting the last of my stuff away in my Vacuole.
“I don’t have much,” I replied as I turned to her, seeing she was staring right at me.
“Not much huh? Tell me, why’d this just roll out from under your bed?” she asked, holding up… the Watcher’s old vial.
“Eh… no idea? What is it?” I asked, trying to act ignorant, but I swear she can read my thoughts or something!
“Yeah, no, this is the Watcher’s Vial. Where is he, Shayla,” she asked, a bit hostile, causing me to recoil back.
“You won’t like that answer…” I muttered, causing her eye to twitch.
“He escaped,” she said flatly, but I shook my head.
“No, not exactly…”
“What have you done?” she asked calmly.
“Mama, he's the one who figured out how to kill Leem!” I said quickly, causing her eye to go wide. “AND! He’s the one who gave me the Virtue Sight! And he’s been helping me through-”
“You allowed him into your head…” she said in a shaky voice. “You CAN’T be serious, Shayla! You… YOU…. GAH!”
She tossed the vial at me, growling loudly, “we’re going to find a way to get him out of your head, one way or-”
But she was cut off as Buu suddenly slid through me and out into the vial, staring at my mother.
This caught her off guard as they stared at each other.
“How’d you get him out so-”
“Mama, he did that himself,” I interjected, shaking a bit. I do not like being on this side of her wrath.
“Why?!” she snapped, looking right at him.
“I do not know, to be honest,” he began with a sigh. “Also, apparently, my name is now Buu. So please use that, Scamp.”
My mother clasped her hooves together, closing her eye as she groaned loudly. Then she opened her eye and looked at me, “okay. Tell me everything that has happened with… Buu.”
ooo000<^>000oo
We stepped outside just as everyone else was finishing up their preparations. I glanced at my mother as she continued to give me ‘the look’.
Even after hearing the whole story, she wasn’t happy about it, but she also didn’t make me change anything. Which is weird, as she usually is very set in her ways. Especially when it comes to the past.
This might be one of the few times I catch a lucky break, and I’m going to take it.
As we all gathered up, I looked back at the house where Raffy stood, drinking from a mug as he watched us.
“Are you sure you don't want to come?” My mother called out to him, causing him to laugh.
“Thank you for the opportunity, but my adventuring days are over,” he yelled back, raising his mug to us.
With that there wasn’t anything else for us here. We’d all spent the last day getting ready to leave and saying goodbye to Raffy. So my mom stepped to the front of the group, holding up my Dimensional Dagger.
“Ready?” she asked, getting nods from everyone else.
She stabbed the dagger into the air and pulled it down, causing a portal to open. One by one we stepped through, with me being the last one as I looked back to Raffy, giving him one last wave.
He smiled at me as he threw a salute my way.
I stepped backward through the portal, taking in Eris one last time before the portal snapped shut before me.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Scamp narrowed her eye as she stepped through the portal, taking in everything around them. They’d agreed they’d have the portal take them to their home, but the scene before them caused them all to come to a grinding halt.
“What the fuck happened to our house?!” Shayla yelled as she stepped forward, but Scamp grabbed her tail and yanked her back. “What?”
“Something’s… off,” Scamp muttered as she opened her pocket dimension and pulled out her cellphone. She held the power button, waiting for it to turn on.
The buildings around them were just… gone. As was their house, which was now just a pile of rubble, looking like an explosion had gone off right next to the building.
Spark let out a grunt, getting everyone's attention.
He stared at them wide eyed as he slowly raised a hoof, looking at it as energy began to radiate off of him.
“Oh crud…” he muttered as his eyes flashed a few different colors suddenly.
“Are you good?” Shayla asked cautiously as Scamp’s phone finally turned on, followed by it going crazy as missed text and notifications began to pour in.
“I just…” he began, looking conflicted and a bit worried, “... I just… gained access to my Archangel form.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t use that form unless you were fighting shit from that Collapse thing,” Shayla said as he just stood there growing more and more confused.
“That’s how it’s supposed to work… I can only use it against an Agent of the Collapse, whatever that means,” he mumbled as Scamp suddenly ripped open her pocket dimension again and pulled out her Dimensional Communicator, which could not connect to anything while they were on Eris.
“Mama?” Shayla asked as sweat began to coat Scamp’s face.
Scamp did not respond as she clicked through the Communicator frantically.
“What did you read?” Mallogory asked, but Scamp just kept clicking through the device.
It beeped as she raised it to her mouth and began to talk a bit frantically into it, “this is Scamp, do you read me, Bronwyn?”
There was a long pause before it blared to life.
“Scamp?! Where are you?!” Bronwyn yelled over the Communicator.
“We’re at my house,” she answered, looking at everyone else, who looked massively confused.
“Do not move!” Bronwyn ordered as the device turned off.
“What’s going on?!” Shayla asked as the group’s anxiety slowly raised with every passing second.
“We… shouldn’t talk about it right here,” she answered, looking a bit pale, which was very out of character for her.
Before anyone could ask any more questions, a portal snapped open right next to Scamp, startling everyone. Bronwyn leaned out, eyes wide as she frantically waved for them to come to her.
“We can’t leave this portal open for long!” she exclaimed in a panicked tone as she held up a strange device. “We need to grant you Enforcer Status, so please, gather around!”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Now that we were safe in the Enforcer Order Hall I turned to face my mother and Bronwyn, not enjoying how in the dark we all were.
“Mama, WHAT is going on?” I asked a bit roughly, causing her and Bronwyn to look at each other.
“Come with me,” Bronwyn said a bit grimly as she began heading for the round table in the middle of the chamber. “I’ll explain everything.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
A tense silence settled over everyone as Bronwyn explained what's been happening since we’d been gone. She’d just told us about their failed operation to take down Champion, but she didn’t go into many details. They’d apparently spent the last few weeks gathering up everyone who got scattered during the fighting.
I glanced around to see everyone around us, watching with mixed emotions. The three Lance’s were throwing me off, but that wasn’t enough to fully distract me from the news we’d just received.
“Okay, we can figure this out,” I said as I stood up, placing my hands on the table. “Let me reconnect with my friends and we’ll get to work on Champion.”
But Bronwyn looked pained as she turned her gaze to me, “no, Shayla. You will not be going near Champion. None of us will be, he’s far too dangerous.”
“So? My friends and I are the Elements now, we can-”
“Shayla,” Roxxy suddenly said, getting my attention as she stepped towards me, “something has happened.”
“What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Dude and Nightstreak,” she began, causing me even more confusion, “are dead.”
“...”
“Champion… he’s too strong, we tried to trap him, but it didn’t work. He killed both of them and did this to me,” she said, using her prosthetic to point to her eye.
“They’re…” I muttered, working my jaw as my mind got stuck on their faces.
“Yes,” Roxxy said firmly.
My neck jerked as I turned from the table and began walking for one of the hallways.
“Shayla?!” Domitor called after me, but I kept walking. I was about to break down, and the last place I wanted to do that was here. In front of everyone.
ooo000<^>000ooo
The group watched as Shayla quickly left the chamber, walking down one of the many hallways. Domitor tried to follow her, but Lacy waved him off and walked casually after Shayla.
As everyone watched the display, Spark suddenly slammed a hoof down on the table, startling everyone.
He growled, as he was still hung up on a few details that did not set well with him. “Star Chaser… he’s killed our friends and… Azure Moon… that’s unforgivable…”
“We’re looking into a way to defeat him, but we’re coming up empty in all regards,” Nova announced, trying to calm Spark down as everyone turned to her. “We just need to wait till we can-”
“We’re not waiting,” Spark said sternly. “I will deal with Star Chaser myself.”
“Spark, no, you will not be going near him,” Lance said as he stepped up to his son, giving him a hard glare. “There is not a single person in this room that can handle him.”
With a cold glare, Spark turned to his father and stared into his eyes, “I am the one and only person who can stop him.”
“No amount of training or-” Lance began, but his eyes went wide as energy began to pool around Spark.
His eyes flashed a bright yellow as stood up on his hind legs and slammed his forehooves together, causing energy to explode around him, sending everyone rolling away. His coat changed to a pure white, as did his mane and tail.
“Spark?!” Lance yelped as everyone stared in awe at him as he stood there, energy crackling around him as he stared at them all with a determined look on his face. “You’re an Angel?!”
“Archangel,” Spark answered in a serious tone.
“How?!” Lance asked, slowly moving back to his son.
“God,” was the only thing Spark said in response as he looked at everyone else. “We’re going to stop Star Chaser and the others who follow him. And we’re going to do it tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That’s not enough time to-”
“Take me to this Time Chamber you mentioned,” he demanded. “I need to prepare myself.”
“Son, we-”
“This is happening, with or without all of your help,” Spark said harshly. “Star Chaser will be stopped tomorrow. One way, or another.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Shayla’s POV
I finally came to a stop, leaning against the wall as I placed a hand over my face.
My brain was not processing any of this very well, causing me to start to hyperventilate.
“Take a breath, kid,” someone said from behind me.
My breathing only got worse as I looked back with my Virtue Sight, seeing it was that female Lance. Great, that’s the last thing I need right now…
“Come on,” she said as she came up and leaned against the opposite wall of the hallway, “take a few deep breaths and count to ten.”
“That doesn’t work,” I gasped out as my two dead friends flashed through my mind again, “my mind is shit at handling this crap!”
“Same, kid,” she replied with a light chuckle. “Try this then; raise your hand and hold it in front of your face.”
“How does that help?” I asked between gasps.
“Trust me,” she said as she stepped over to me, looking serious.
Reluctantly I held my hand up in front of my face, “What now?”
“Open your palm and turn it towards your face,” she ordered.
I did as I was told, my breathing not improving, “okay, now wh-”
She cut me off as she slapped the back of my hand, causing me to smack myself in the face.
This shocked the hell out of me as my face twisted into one of pure anger as I lurched forward and grabbed her by the neck of her cloak, slamming her against the wall.
“What the fuck was that for you bitch?!” I yelled as I shook her a bit, but she just smirked at me.
“Fixed your breathing though,” she pointed out, which just pissed me off as I realized she was right. I shoved her to the side and backed off, glaring at her.
“Fuck you,” I muttered, turning my back on her.
She chuckled a bit as I started to walk away from her, “I know what you’re going through. Losing friends and all that shit.”
“You don’t know what I’m going through,” I growled at her.
“Sixty seven,” she suddenly said, causing me to look back at her.
“Huh?”
“Sixty seven, that’s how many friends and family I’ve lost over the last ten years,” she said with a serious look on her face. “So I THINK I have a pretty good idea what you’re going through, kid.”
“Call me Shayla,” I grumbled, turning fully to her. “How the fuck are you happy and able to joke around if you’ve lost that many people?”
“Fake it till you make it,” she admitted with a sigh.
“Okay? But why do you care how I’m feeling? You don’t even know me,” I said roughly.
“Look, running off to vent and cry is okay. I’ve done that. A lot. But I don’t want to watch another person make my mistake and spiral down a dark path,” she said in a calm voice.
“Thanks for the advice, but I don’t need it,” I threw back, causing her to chuckle again.
“Stubborn,” she muttered, then shrugged, “Take the advice or not. I’m trying to help you.”
“Well you’re not,” I grunted as I turned and started to walk away, but stopped as my shoulders slumped. “How… did you process these kinds of feelings?”
“I punched shit and screamed a lot,” she answered.
I clenched my hands as I began to continue walking forward. “I’m sorry for being a bitch…”
“Don’t worry, you should see me when I don’t eat!” she called after me, getting a light smile to appear on my face.
Of course, as I continued down the hallway, my emotions began to build again.
A thought hit me that caused my breathing to catch again, starting the whole process over again.
I’m… never going to see those two goofballs again…
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 323 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-02-01T07:56:48+00:00
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2023-02-01T07:56:48+00:00
| 241 |
Chapter 89
The next day
https://youtu.be/zj3bs-5lDnM
Scamp stepped through the portal first, eyes locked on the Palace before her, a sense of nostalgia washing over her. This was not her group's target, but seeing it again in this context brought her back to a time she’d like to forget.
Her wife and daughter stepped out behind her, followed by Spark, who was in his base form.
“Spark,” she said as he stepped past her, causing his stern face to turn towards her. “Be careful.”
“I will,” he said stoically as he turned and began walking for the Palace gates, leaving them to their mission.
She turned and led her family down the street, towards the Inquisitor's HQ. They’d been disbanded by this point, as were most other forms of Government in the world.
In the few weeks he’d had to himself, Champion had brought the entire world to its knees. He was now the sole ruler of all, having killed all others who once held those positions.
Canterlot itself was in ruin, as he’d gone on a tantrum after losing his prey after the failed operation. As of now, there was not a single living being within the city, either due to him or leaving of their own volition.
The only building that was in use, outside of the mostly empty Palace, was the Inquisitor's HQ, which was now the residence of Nightmare. The reason for him using this building was simple; it was the largest building within the city.
As they neared it, she looked back, a frown appearing on her face. Talio had apparently tagged along, which was not part of the plan. But to be honest, he was left out of all the planning. The guy contributes nothing and just stands around watching everyone.
“Are you helping?” she asked a bit roughly, not slowing down as they neared their destination.
“And take all your glory? I think not,” he answered, getting a groan out of Shayla.
“If you’re coming, kill shit, damn it!” she growled, but he just pulled out Clackers and began playing with them.
Scamp ignored him, not caring that he was making so much noise. Nightmare for sure knew they were coming already.
She realized this was very similar to the first time she and Echo Team fought the Nightmare in her original Dimension. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to resort to the tactics they had to use that day to win.
The massive doors of the Inquisitor's HQ loomed up ahead, giving off a dark aura that was visible to the eye.
Scamp’s only reaction was a slight hesitation in her step, but she pushed through it as they neared the door.
“Stick together, and watch each other's backs. Do not let him possess you,” Scamp reminded them, as they’d gone over this plan at least thirty times. “Shayla, use your Virtue Sight to watch for his tendrils and cut them yourself, or warn us. We will work to create the opening you need.”
“You got it, mama,” she answered as she placed her hand on her sword.
“Mal, you ready?” Scamp asked, getting a confident nod from her wife, both of her swords held tightly in her hands.
With that she pushed open the door, sending a loud creak down the long hallway before them. It was filled with dead ponies, all in either Inquisitor's armor or civilian clothing. She grimaced, but pushed forward.
As far as they knew, the Inquisitor's tried to oppose the new ruler, but it… clearly did not end well for them.
The walls were covered in old flaking blood and gore, as it looked like a storm of blades had gone down the hallway.
“Fuck…” Shayla muttered as her sight made out all the shapes of the dead around her.
“Keep your mind focused,” Scamp advised her as they neared the door that led to the main lobby, the largest room within this massive building.
The moment they stepped into the lobby, they were hit with a wall of stench so strong it even made Scamp’s nose wrinkle up in disgust.
This room was the worst, as it was piled high with bodies, all the way to the ceiling, which was two stories high as this room had a second floor walkway that led further into the building.
“The infamous Beltosh’s family,” Nightmare called out as he sat on a throne of bodies at the other end of the room. He was in a more humanoid form, but tall and lanky as his dark tendrils waved all around him, sticking out of the massive pile of bodies he sat upon. “Ah… yes, I can feel my aura from you two. I AM within you after all. At least, a version of me.”
Scamp scanned the area, taking in all the tendrils that were around them, coming out of the piles of bodies as if they were vines growing out of piles of dirt.
Without warning Shayla slid past her mother, her Ego flaring as she slammed a fist into the ground, causing the ground around them to crack as her Ego spread below them, cutting through all of the unseen tendrils that were flying up to meet them.
“Interesting,” Nightmare muttered as he slid down the pile of bodies like a slide and began to stroll towards them, hands in fake pockets. “Looks like we’ll have to be serious here, does it not?”
Tendrils exploded out of every crack and crevice in the building, flying straight for the group. The whole room darkened immediately, all light being consumed by the incoming wall of tendrils.
As it neared, Shayla’s Perception Field spread around them as she grabbed her sword.
“VofKai,” she whispered as her power soared, causing her to move so fast her parents barely could keep track of her as her sword flashed all around them, halting the wave of death that had threatened to crash into them.
Mallogory locked her eyes on Nightmare through all of the tendrils that came down on them, ready to engage him directly.
Finally, the onslaught of tendrils halted as Shayla came to a stop, her sword glowing red hot as she’d been pushing herself and her weapon there.
The moment it all came to a stop, Mallogory dashed forward, flickering as she cut through any remaining tendrils that he sent her way.
A smile graced Nightmare’s face as his arms turned to blades, coming up to block Mallogory’s as she brought them down towards him. But her body flickered as her swords suddenly appeared on the other side of his own, slicing through him in an X.
The smile faded from his face as he reformed, attempting to strike back at her, but her flickering body prevented him from landing an attack as she kept removing his body parts.
Scamp stalked around the outside of the fight, watching every movement carefully as she flexed her claws, anticipating the moment to strike.
As for Shayla, she was standing still just out of range of the fighting, watching everything in the area with her Virtue Sight. Ever so often she’d send a disk of Ego flying through the air, where it would cut through any unseen tendrils that were trying to be sneaky.
Talio kept playing with his clackers.
Nightmare was getting a bit frustrated, as every time he attempted to possess one of them, another would cut the connection before it could take hold. They couldn’t kill him, but he knew they had a plan. Otherwise they wouldn’t have come to him in his own lair.
The sounds of slicing and dicing increased as Mallogory pushed herself, her body flickering so fast that she was starting to look like a high speed fan, leaving after images as her blades cut through the Nightmare.
He let out an annoyed yell as he grew in size, becoming more of a hulking gorilla than anything else. With a roar he attempted to swipe Mallogory away, but his fist just turned to a mist as it tried to approach her, as she was now going faster than he thought possible, becoming more of a blender than a swordsman.
Scamp’s eye shot open as she saw the moment she’d been waiting for. Moving fast and agilely, she spread her wings and shot upward, landing on his back as she sliced at the back of his neck, causing him to stiffen slightly at the sudden attack.
The moment Scamp had moved to engage him, Shayla dropped into a power stance, holding her hands together as she began to rapidly push Ego into her hands, preparing a Ego beam. This was all a part of their plan, and now it all relied on her.
Roaring like an angry beast from hell, Nightmare swiped at Mallogory as his tendrils attempted to take out the mare upon his back, but he was not able to accomplish either.
Scamp was moving around so much on his back, using her claws to keep herself attached, that he was losing his cool.
He started to shift forms, but the mare on his back suddenly grabbed his head and swung herself over him, flipping over him and slamming her hooves into his chest, causing them to embed themselves into him.
A cough erupted from his mouth, spraying her in black sludge, followed by him growling as he tried to grab her with his hands. But Mallogory just removed them in an instant with her blades.
Ripping her legs free, Scamp threw herself to the ground and clawed his leg off, causing him to collapse to his knee.
“Move!” Shayla suddenly yelled as a massive ball of Ego crackled around between her palms.
Both of her parents instantly shot to the side as she roared, throwing her hands forward and sending the massively powerful beam flying right for Nightmare, who wasn’t able to move in that moment.
His eyes went wide as the beam washed over him, causing him to disappear in the cyan blast. The beam continued past where he had stood and passed through the piles of bodies behind him and then through the wall of the building.
She let out a scream as she increased the beam, causing it to increase in both size and power. As soon as she saw her parents were now behind her, she pushed herself.
“VofKai times ten!” she roared, causing the beam to explode in power as the entire area in front of her, and for countless miles beyond, was engulfed in her Ego beam.
She held it as long as she could, but finally she let it go, ending the attack as she went to a knee, VofKai ending violently as she jerked, falling to the side.
Scamp descended on her daughter, grabbing her hand in hers as she patted her cheek.
With a groan, Shayla reached up and grabbed her mothers hand. “We get that bastard?” she asked, clearly exhausted after pushing herself far beyond her limits.
Scamp and Mallogory looked to where Nightmare had stood, seeing that there was nothing there, as Shayla’s beam had created a massive crater before them, going down at least a mile and extending further than the eye could see, clearing away all buildings and obstacles it’d passed over.
“I… think you got him,” Scamp chuckled, shaking her head at the sheer destruction her daughter had just caused.
“Fuck yeah,” Shayla muttered, doing a little fist pump as she passed out.
“She’s more impressive than I could have-” Mallogory began to say, but both her and Scamp’s heads snapped to the area where the Nightmare had once been.
A small ball of dark sludge was slowly reforming in the air, with little pieces flying up from all directions.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Scamp growled as she stood up as she and her wife stepped up to the edge of the drop off, watching the sludge grow in size.
“Immortal or not, I thought vaporizing would stop him,” Mallogory muttered as Scamp stomped her hoof.
“Damn it!” she yelled as she kicked a rock off of the cliff. “DAMN IT!”
“Very unfortunate,” Talio said as he stepped up next to them, causing Mallogory to growl.
“Keep your comments to yourself, useless tag along!” she yelled, eyes locking onto the growing ball in the air before them.
“How rude,” he said casually as he pulled out a large pair of orange scissors.
“Finally going to help?” Scamp snapped, causing him to chuckle as he broke the scissors apart, turning them into a pair of blades.
“Me? Oh no no no,” he chuckled as he flipped the blades around, holding the handles out to the two of them. “I offer you my blades, so you may have your victorious moment.”
“We have our own weapons, why don’t you just use them and HELP?!” Mallogory yelled, but he didn’t react to her.
“Your weapons are insufficient for the task at hand,” he said, giving the two blades a wiggle. “Think of mine as something akin to one of those fancy Ego weapons I’ve heard you all gushing about. A perfect counter to the vile villain you find yourself facing today. As for me helping, impossible. I forgot to do my morning stretches.”
“If they work like a Ego weapon, do they absorb parts of his Soul as we cut at him?” Mallogory asked with a raised eyebrow.
“In a way,” he answered simply.
Scamp grabbed one of the blades, eyeing him suspiciously. “I see. If that is true, then this will weaken him slowly as we fight him…”
“Preciously,” he says cheerfully as Mallogory takes his other blade, frowning as she holds it up.
“This would have been good to know BEFORE we made this plan,” she growled.
“You all seemed so confident in your plan, who was I to interject?” he asked, causing her to roll her eyes.
Scamp gritted her teeth as they turned to face the much larger ball as the sludge flying up to combine into it slowed down. Talio skipped backwards to his original position, pulling out an accord, providing them with background music. Even though it was massively out of tune, and he clearly did not know how to play the damn thing.
Finally the ball expanded as it took on a large werewolf form, eyes glowing with rage.
“Did you think you’d won?!” Nightmare growled as he floated towards them, body twitching and jerking as he neared them.
Neither of the women answered him as they backed up, giving him a place to land. He came down hard, chest heaving as he took a step towards the unconscious Shayla.
He did not get past a single step as both of her parents dashed into him, their blades flashing as they tore into him.
An unexpected pain exploded through his body each time their blades cut him, causing him to recoil away from them. They followed him as he retreated, cutting away at his body. Each of their strikes caused his flesh to disintegrate instead of regenerate. Dust like matter flew from his body as their blades cut through him.
With a large jump, he soared back, getting away from them as a new feeling swept through his body for the first time in his existence.
True unadulterated fear.
“Where did you procure these heinous blades?!” he roared, but they completely ignored him as they pushed their attacks. Each strike caused him to lose just a little bit more of himself.
His immortality was not helping him here. Instead, it was condemning him to a fate worse than death, as these blades seemed to be eating him, slice by slice. Piece by piece.
At this rate, he wouldn’t survive this encounter. And that terrified him.
With a roar, his body exploded, sending tendrils flying out in all directions. A last ditch effort to kill the two women attacking him.
But this accomplished nothing as both Scamp and Mallogory just cut away any that neared them, and even stopped all the tendrils that flew for their daughter.
With a quick dodge, Scamp suddenly sprang up, slamming her blade deep into his shoulder, pushing the blade all the way down into his chest.
Nightmare let out a pained yell as he fell to his knees, the blade inside of him seeming to absorb him from the inside out.
Mallogory did the same, coming up from behind and driving her blade deep into him, causing him to fall further down onto the ground. He no longer had it in him to send out any tendrils to ward them off.
“Stop!” he suddenly yelled out through gritted teeth as his body swapped forms rapidly, trying to dislodge the blades within him. But it was no use as the two women held tight to the blades, making sure they stayed within him.
He shrank down to a size that only one sword could stay within him, causing Mallogory to take her sword and start cutting away at him to speed up the processes.
“You need to stop!” he all but begged, but Scamp just smiled at him as he started to get smaller and smaller.
Eventually, there was nothing left, as the last of him was pulled into one of the blades.
They slowly stood up, looking around to make sure it was really over.
Mallogory raised the blade, eyeing it suspiciously, “these blades are way too strong for a clown like that to own. Why would he have these?”
“I found them in a dumpster, long ago,” Talio said with a chuckle as he stepped up, holding his hands out. “May I have my swords back?”
Scamp narrowed her eyes at him as she flipped the sword around so he could take them back. Mallogory did the same thing as he took his weapons back, putting them away in his Vacuole.
They stared at him, both clearly suspicious of him, but he just gave a bow and stepped back.
Before they could say anything else, they became aware of the sounds of explosions in the distance.
“We need to move,” Scamp said as they moved to their daughter, lifting her up and rushing for the hallway that led out of the building. They’d use their Dimensional Dagger to move to another area as soon as they got into contact with one of the other teams.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Twilight stepped through the portal right behind her husband and his two lookalikes, Lacy and Jun. Her eyes went wide as she saw all of the red cocoons around them, filled with both their friends and families, but also ponies she’d never seen before.
“Ah, round two, is it?” Richard asked with a laugh as he stepped out from behind a cocoon, smiling right at them.
“Fuck yeah, fuck boy!” Lacy laughed as she, Lance, Jun, and Bronwyn walked towards him. “I know your weakness now, fucker!”
“Knowing my weakness does not mean you’ll win,” he countered, but they didn’t seem to care as they continued to approach him.
“This way,” Nova said as she walked past Twilight, Louie and Strawell right behind her, “they can handle themselves.”
Twilight cast a glance towards the others, watching as they engaged with Richard in a heated battle. She knew they’d be okay, but there was still a sense of worry deep within her for her husband.
She quickly followed after the others, not sure she was ready for what was about to happen.
The four of them approached the center of the room, where a device laid with Lilith herself standing before it, her eyes locked on them as they approached.
No one spoke as they all approached her, a sense of dread falling over each of them as she just stared at them, unmoving and no emotions on her face.
“I do not know your game here, Lilith,” Nova yelled as they all came to a stop not far from her. “But I advise you to surrender.”
“Surrender?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes,” Nova said sternly as the fighting behind them picked up in intensity. “It is your best option.”
“My best option?” Lilith asked as she tapped her chin, a sly smile sliding onto her face. “I think I know of a better option.” Before they could ask what she meant, her horn flashed, causing all of the cocoons around them to start pulsing, causing everyone inside of them to start screaming in agony. The device next to her started to glow as it seemed to be powering up.
“Stop this!” Twilight yelled as she took a step forward, but Lilith just laughed.
“And what exactly will you do to stop me, my little pony?” she mocked as the device next to her dinged, causing all of the cocoons around them to pop open, spilling the ponies out around them. They were all unconscious and looking to be much skinnier than they should be.
The group began to move towards her, but she just laughed as she kicked the device, causing it to start to shake as energy began to pour out of it and into her.
Nova dashed forward first, attempting to impale the other mare with her new rapier, but her blade just hit an after image as she teleported away in an instant, appearing behind them.
“Coming here was a mistake,” she said with a smirk as her magic shot out towards them. Twilight and Nova used their magic to block her attack, but it still sent them skidding backwards. Strawell and Louie were not able to block the attack, being forced to take the attack head on. It caused both of them to get engulfed in cocoons similar to the ones around them, and were sent upward, out of the fight.
Twilight gritted her teeth as she planted her hooves, charging up an attack of her own as Nova teleported over and tried to attack Lilith again, but the other mare just teleported again. So Nova did the same, causing both of them to get into a chase where they teleported all over the room. Lilith just laughed the entire time, her body growing in brightness as she prepared another attack.
As she teleported her body sent out another wave of energy, catching Nova as she teleported over. She luckily saw it coming and blocked the majority of the attack with her magic, but it still sent her to her knees.
Twilight suddenly appeared right above Lilith as she sent a beam of magic straight down onto the other mare, actually catching her off guard. Once she finished the attack she teleported next to Nova, glaring at Lilith as she stood there, smoking but unhurt.
“That was almost impressive,” Lilith said as she dusted herself off with her magic, “very impressive for such an old mare.”
Before Twilight could form a response, a blue blur slammed into Lilith, sending her flying away with.
Twilight blinked in confusion as Lance stood there, smiling widely.
He looked at her and tipped his cowboy hat, “needing a little assistance, ma’am?”
This brought a smile to Twilight’s face as Nova grunted.
“Deal with Richard, we can handle-”
“Oh he’s dead,” Lance chuckled as the others rushed towards them.
“Yeah, turned his ass to dust,” Lacy laughed as they neared.
“And then I ate the dust!” Jun added proudly, his face smeared in what looked to be ash.
“Oh… wonderful,” Nova muttered as they all turned to Lilith as she slowly advanced towards them, not looking very pleased now.
“So what’s her deal now?” Lacy asked as she flipped one of her swords around her body.
“She’s filled with Holy Energy now,” Nova said as they all squared up with her.
“Ah, so she’s annoying now,” Lacy muttered, getting a nod from Nova.
Twilight looked up and sent a beam of magic up at the cocoons holding Louie and Strawell, breaking them out. She caught them with her magic and lowered them down, placing them down among the group.
“Well she can’t fight all of us at once,” Lance pointed out as he shifted into his Apolyon form.
“Do not underestimate her,” Nova warned as Lilith’s body began to glow again.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Earlier
Spark walked down the long hallway of the Palace, keeping himself calm as he neared the Throne room, knowing Champion would be there. He knew his presence was known by this point, but he didn’t care.
The halls were empty, as he had not seen a single pony since they arrived in Canterlot.
As he neared the Throne room, he heard the sound of hooves clopping against the floor up ahead.
His eyes narrowed as they grew closer. They didn’t sound like a large pony, like Champion, but more like a smaller pony.
Upon reaching the doors to the Throne room, where the sounds were coming from, he pushed them open. Stepping in, his eyes narrowed even more as he saw something had not expected.
Azure Moon was dancing by herself at the bottom of the stairs.
He walked towards her, looking around the massive room, but seeing no one else.
“Azure Moon?” He asked as he neared her, but she kept dancing.
There was no sign of Champion, which did not sit well with him.
“Where is Star Chaser?” he asked as he reached out and tried to touch her shoulder, but she just danced away from him, seeming to not be aware of her surroundings.
“I know you’re under his control,” Spark said to her, not sure if she could actually hear him or not, “but I’ll break you out. I promise.”
“Making promises you can’t keep makes you a terrible friend, Spark,” a voice said from above him, causing his eyes to twitch as he looked up, now seeing Champion standing before the Throne.
He was wearing a completely new getup, one that made him actually look opposing. A royal cape, and a strange mask with a large smile plastered across it, sat upon him as he stared down at Spark.
“Star Chaser,” Spark said calmly as he walked over to Azure Moon, grabbing her hoof to stop her.
“It is Champion, you imbecile,” he growled as he walked down the steps, approaching Spark. “It’s a pleasant surprise to see you again, Spark.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Spark growled as he suddenly ripped a portal open and tossed Azure Moon through it, turning to Champion as it snapped shut.
“So that’s your plan? Come here and save Azure Moon?” he asked, letting out a little chuckle. “No matter where you take her, I will find her. So this was a hopeless-”
“Shut up,” Spark interrupted him, turning to face the larger stallion.
“What?!” Champion growled as he began to shake. “How dare you! I will-”
“I’m going to kill you, Star Chaser,” Spark said calmly, halting Champion in his tracks.
“You…” he said as he began to laugh loudly, stomping a hoof and causing the stairs to crack under him. “You’re going to kill ME? That is rich, Spark. I believe you are out of your league here. This isn’t the Equine Championship Tournament, there are no rules keeping you safe.”
Spark just stared up at Champion as he spoke, showing no emotions on his face. “I normally would fight for you, to try and redeem you. But the things you have done, the people you have killed… Azure Moon… there is no hope for you, Star Chaser.”
“Aw, have I offended the high and mighty Spark?” Champion mocked as he reached the bottom of the steps. “Let me tell you how this will go; I’m killing you with no flair, and then I’m going to find Azure Moon and kill anyone near her.”
When Spark didn’t react, he let out a little laugh.
“No reaction?” he asked in a sinister tone. “Okay then. When I find your wife, she will spend the rest of her life beneath-”
“Provoking me will not save you, Star Chaser,” Spark said, his voice wavering a bit as he tried to not lose his temper.
“There’s the Spark I remember,” Champion laughed, “the stallion who’s too good and conceited. Goodbye, Spark.”
With that Champion zipped forward faster than anyone could possible track, attempting to turn Spark into a pink mist in an instant.
But as he came to a stop, he stood there in confusion, realizing he didn’t hit Spark. He turned around to see Spark standing off to the side, having somehow dodged his attack.
“What little trick have you learned, Sparky?” Champion asked with a sneer as he turned to face Spark.
“Enough games, Star Chaser,” Spark said as he rose up, energy exploding out of his body as he changed into his Archangel form, causing Champion to take a step back in surprise.
“An Angel?!” he asked in shock, but quickly shook his head as he stood up tall. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing you do will ever allow you to stand on the same ground as me, you dunce.”
Without a word, Spark began to approach Champion, a determined look on his face.
“You dare approach me, Spark?” he growled as he began to walk towards Spark.
But Spark did not respond as they stalked towards one another, the tension increasing as they drew closer and closer.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 324 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-02-02T04:25:37+00:00
|
2023-02-02T04:25:50+00:00
| 236 |
Chapter 90
The ground beneath Champion was demolished as he shot towards Spark, being more mindful of his attack this time. But as his hoof neared Spark, he seemed to effortlessly and casually move to the side, completely dodging the attack. With a growl, Champion threw a few more punches, but Spark just moved aside for each one.
As he dodged one of the attacks, Spark twisted his body and decked the other stallion right in the face, shattering his mask in one hit.
The hit surprised Champion, as he had not seen it coming, and was even more caught off guard by the power of the hit. He attempted to throw another punch, but Spark’s hoof just flew over his own and hit him in the face again, this time sending him rocketing backwards into the stairs that lead to the throne.
He crashed through them, sending rubble everywhere as he continued backwards till he blew out the other side and landed in the Palaces Gardens.
Spark landed before him as he stood up, his face twisted in pure hatred as he stared at the stripped stallion before him.
There was no talking as the two clashed again, with Champion yelling as he attempted to hit Spark, but found himself unable to. Ever so often Spark’s own hooves would zip forward, hitting Champion harder and harder each time. He kept himself from flying away as he focused on just landing one hit on Spark.
Out of nowhere Spark suddenly caught one of his punches, and yanked him forward and slammed a knee right into Champion’s snout. Then in one fluid motion he punched Champion right at the base of his horn, actually snapping it off and sending it flying away.
Champion roared in pain as he shot back in an instant, pulling out his mirror to look at his face, eyes wide at seeing he was now missing his horn. “You-” he began, but Spark’s hoof suddenly crashed through the mirror and caught him right in the jaw.
The sound of a thunderclap was heard as Champion shot backwards, flying through the Palace walls and crashing through a few buildings, landing out in a random street as Spark flew after him.
The royal stallion wasn’t fully ready as Spark slammed into him, pelting him with hits so strong that each one caused the area around them to get blown away, removing parts of the street and buildings with each strike.
Champion kept trying to land a hit on Spark, but the stripped stallion just kept moving around his attacks, much to his growing annoyance.
Without warning a massive cyan beam crashed through the city near where they were fighting, causing both to glance that way.
Spark caught Champion by the neck and without any effort threw the stallion right at the beam of Ego as it began to get stronger and stronger.
Champion began to use his speed to escape, but Spark just slammed into him with both back hooves, knocking the wind out of Champion and sending him straight into the beam as it reached its peak. The beam completely obliterated everything it hit as it seemed to grow larger and larger.
Once it finally came to a stop, Spark saw Champion floating there, body smoking as he glared up at the stripped stallion.
With a raised eyebrow, Spark looked over the now naked Champion, seeing something he hadn’t expected. “No cutie mark?”
“My greatness is too much for a simple cutie mark to summarize,” Champion growled as he floated up, body shaking in pure rage.
“No,” Spark said calmly as he got into a fighting stance, “you’ve rode on the coat tails of others your whole life. You’ve never once done a thing for yourself.”
“Stop acting like you know me, Spark!” Champion roared as he shot towards Spark, the two clashing yet again, but with no new results. Spark continued to dodge and deliver devastating hits to Champion while the others struggled to even scratch him.
No matter how much his Protagonist Ego powered up him to catch up to Spark, he always seemed to be just behind him in terms of power. It felt like there was no way to catch up to the stripped stallion, and that thought alone was causing him to become more and more enraged.
As for Spark, he was increasing in power with each dodge and strike he landed on Champion, but he wasn’t able to go all in, as he feared for those around them.
They floated through the city, each hit landed or missed causing untolds amounts of destruction to the environment around them.
With a roar of frustration Champion threw a punch, that was of course dodged, followed up by his eye glowing purple. A single beam shot for Spark’s face, but it only hit an after image as Spark ducked it and nailed the royal stallion in the gut, followed by a upper cut to his jaw that sent him upwards a bit before he caught himself.
Champion seethed with absolute hatred and rage as he stared at the annoyingly calm Spark.
His ears twitched as he heard the voices of those who could only be Scamp and her family. A smirk slid onto his face as he suddenly shot away, planning to kill them as a way to get to Spark.
But without warning, something caught up to him and slammed into his back, sending him straight into the ground with so much power that he created a mile wide crater instantly.
Spark flew down after him and slammed a back hoof into his head, causing the crater to almost triple in size as rocks and earth were sent flying out of the hole. The next few hits from Spark had similar results as the crater only deepened even further.
Champion dashed back away from Spark, his glowing eye the only light source for them as they were now so far below ground that the light barely reached them.
As the two stared each other down, the telepathic spell that linked him to the others blared to life.
“Spark, are you okay?!” Scamp asked, sounding a bit panicked.
‘You need to leave Equestria,’ he said back telepathically as Champion rocketed back at him, resuming their destructive dance. ‘If you can, you need to evacuate the entire planet, asap.’
“Evacuate the entire planet?! I don’t think that’s-”
‘This fight is going to get worse and worse, and I need to know everyone is safe,’ he said as he landed another hit to Champion’s snout, just seeming to anger the stallion even more.
“We’ll… look into it,” she responded as the connection ended.
Narrowing his eyes he rolled around one of Champion’s hits and elbowed him in the side of the head, sending him straight into the stone wall next to them. As the rocks exploded past him, Spark zoomed forward and crashed into Champion.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Evacuate the planet?” Mallogory asked as they moved down the street as quickly as they could, the ground beneath them shaking violently as the fighting seemed to be getting worse, just as Spark said it would.
“That’s what he said, but I’m not sure how we’ll do that,” Scamp replied, a deep frown on her face.
“I believe I can help,” Buu suddenly said as he left Shayla’s body and entered into his vial.
“No,” Scamp said simply as her eye twitched.
“Trust me or not, I can help,” Buu said calmly. “I can send the entire population of this planet to the copy dimension I created. It’s an exact copy all the way down to the seams of reality.”
“No, the last thing I’m doing is letting the Watcher-”
“Buu,” he interrupted her.
“... Why would you even want to help us?” she asked roughly.
“I’m invested in the ongoing story,” was his only response, which just annoyed both of the women.
“Take me to my domain and I will evacuate the entire dimension in an instant. Leaving those two to battle it out,” he said, staring right at Scamp.
“And then you’ll have access to all of your powers again,” Scamp countered.
Buu just sighed, “as much as I desire that, no, I will not gain my powers back. Again, you may not trust me or believe me, but I am offering you the solution to your problems.”
“I believe this strange jar being is telling the truth,” Talio pipped up from behind, but Scamp flicked her hoof back at him.
“The answer is no,” she said sternly.
“Mama,” Shayla suddenly groaned as Mallogory held her in her arms. “We can trust him, I promise.”
“Damn it, Shayla,” Scamp groaned as they continued down the street. “I am not-”
“I promise,” she interrupted, still seeming to be out of it.
Scamp grinded her teeth as she opened up a telepathic link to Nova.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Twilight grunted as she went to her knees, her horn burning after all the spells she’s had to cast in the last few minutes. She looked up to see the others engaged in battle with Lilith, not making much headway as she continued to evade them and hit them with devastating attacks of both magic and Holy Energy.
She wasn’t sure how they’d beat her, as this powerup she’d gained was far too much for them all to handle.
Lance skidded backwards, coming up next to her as he blocked an attack.
“You alright, Twi?” he asked as he held a hoof out to her.
“Mostly,” she answered as she allowed him to pull her up. “How are we going to beat her?”
“No idea,” Lance admitted as he shifted his shoulders. “Lacy and I are almost strong enough to beat her on our own, but she’s just out of our reach. Jun is close as well, with those shitty demon powers he’s got. But we’re just not enough.”
Twilight rubbed her chin, thinking hard, racking her brain for a solution.
She watched as Lacy in her Apolyon form moved in for Lilith, able to keep up with the overpowered mare as she used her swords to slice through all the magical attacks sent her way. But even then, she wasn’t able to actually get close enough to Lilith to land a blow.
The same could be said for Jun, who continued to get blown away, only to regenerate and dash back in, getting almost as close as Lacy was, but was clearly not fast enough to reach the mare.
Closing her eyes, Twilight ran through every fight they’ve had in the past, all the knowledge she’d gathered over the years, looking for a solution.
Then, like the snap of a whip, she had it. She knew what they needed to do.
“Lance, get Lacy and Jun over here, now!” she yelled, as her horn began to prepare a spell.
“On it!” he exclaimed as he spread his wings and flew towards the other two. He grabbed Lacy and Jun in one pass by and flew back to Twilight, dumping them down before her.
“Bruh!” Lacy growled as she jumped up, annoyed at being grabbed like that.
“I need you all to power up to your max’s right now!” Twilight yelled as her horn began to increase in brightness.
“Uh… okay?” Jun said in confusion as his Demonic form bulked up even more.
“Ooo, we're doing that one thing?” Lacy asked as she forced herself to enter into her Full Power Apolyon form, a transformation that she could only only hold for a few minutes max.
Lance did the same as Lacy, stepping up to them as they all looked at Twilight.
“You will have five minutes before the spell wears off,” she warned as her horn reached its max in brightness. “Lacy, you’ll be the one in charge!” she yelled, getting a frown from Lance. “I’m sorry, honey!”
With that she cast her spell on the three before her, causing them all to glow brightly as they seemed to morph together.
Once the light faded away, it revealed a new being standing before her, causing her eyes to go wide as she felt the power emitting off of them.
“Oh shit, this is weird,” Lacy muttered as she stood there, eyes wide as all of the consciences and the other two talked at once inside of her mind.
The form she took on now was much different from anything Twilight could have expected, causing her to stare in awe.
Lacy flexed, causing a burst of energy to explode out of her body, a smile gracing her lips. “Oh fuck yeah!”
With that she spun around and flew towards Lilith, who was currently teleporting around as she prepared another spell.
She barely took notice of Lacy as she flew into her, hitting her so hard it canceled out her magic momentarily. With a flash, Lacy threw two of her swords into the air as they glowed with her Ego. As they reached their peak, she swung her larger sword at the staggered mare.
Lilith threw up a Holy Shield that barely caught the incoming attack, but just barely as her shield exploded with the impact.
A smirk slid onto Lacy’s face as the two swords twirling above them sent two slices through the air, right at Lilith. She didn’t have time to react other than to teleport away, but the moment she appeared on the other side of the room she was hit with an unexpected attack from Nova, who had perfectly predicted where she’d appear.
She let out a cough as she looked down, seeing Nova’s rapier embedded into her chest.
With a grunt she teleported again, just to be met with the smirking face of Lacy as she appeared before her, her sword already flying towards her.
A Holy shield came up to stop the attack, but it suddenly fell away as Twilight cast a counterspell. Lacy’s greatsword sunk itself into Lilith’s side, causing everything to come to a stop.
Lilith grunted as she teleported to the middle of the room, staggering a bit. “Do you think this is enough?! I am Lilith! The first wife of Adam! I will not-”
But the group wasn’t going to let her speak as Twilight hit her with a spell that stunned her a bit as Lacy sent another Ego sword beam her way.
Not able to defend herself, she took the beam directly, losing part of her left side as she collapsed to the right.
As the group moved in on her, she gritted her teeth and flashed a spell, disappearing.
“Where is she?!” Lacy asked as she landed on the spot she’d just been laying.
Bronwyn frowned as she checked her little computer, shaking her head, “she’s not here anymore. She’s left the entire dimension.”
“What do we do then?” Twilight asked as everyone slowly gathered up.
“We have a problem,” Nova said grimly as she stepped into the middle of the group.
“Oh fucking great,” Lacy muttered.
“Spark has requested we evacuate the entire planet of Equestria,” Nova said as she looked around at everyone. “And Scamp is telling me the Watcher is offering to help.”
“The fucking Watcher?!” Lacy yelped, clearly having Lance speak through her.
“I’m being told Shayla is vouching for him,” Nova added, seeming a bit unsure, mirroring the reactions of the people around her. “Scamp is on board with allowing him to help. But she wants it to be put to a vote.”
“We can’t have the Watcher helping us!” Lacy/Lance yelled, but Nova sighed as she continued to listen to Scamp.
“The fighting between Spark and Champion is far more intense than we initially thought, and Scamp is asking that we hurry.”
“Fuck,” Lacy groaned as everyone looked around at all the unconscious ponies around them.
“Whatever we chose, we need to quickly get everyone in here to safety,” Nova said as she stood up tall. “Alright, let’s put it to a vote.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
‘Good work, Domitor,’ Scamp responded through her telepathic connection to Domitor. ‘Stand by for further instructions.’
She turned to her wife and gave a nod, “Domitor’s group has finished dealing with Lorenzo’s remaining men.”
“Well then,” Mallogory chuckled as the ground shook again, “with Nova’s group chasing off Lilith, that just leaves Champion.”
“Three for four,” Scamp said with a nod. “If only that meant we were almost done.”
They finally passed the gates of Canterlot, leaving the city.
As they moved quickly down the road, Nova connected to Scamp again.
“We’ve reached a decision,” Nova said solemnly.
‘And?’ Scamp asked.
“Do it,” she answered. “We will move the ponies here to the new dimension as soon as it is ready.”
Scamp closed her eyes and sighed, ‘on it.’
She turned to Shayla, who was walking with them but clearly still exhausted, and frowned, “tell ‘Buu’ that we’re allowing him to help.”
Shayla smiled at her mother and gave a nod.
Mallogory shook her head as she pulled the Dimensional Dagger out, “are you sure?”
“No,” Scamp replied truthfully, “but do it anyway. If anything, I’ll put my trust into Shayla.”
A smile appeared on Shayla’s face as Mallogory opened a portal to a place they’d all vowed to never return to.
Upon entering the Watcher’s Domain, he returned to his vial around Shayla’s neck, looking around.
“Have I missed this place…” he said with a sense of nostalgia, causing both older women to glare at him. “Take me to the console in the back room over there, I will guide one of you through the process.”
With that they quickly made their way through the massive room, heading for the only doorway in the room outside of the entrance.
“This will not take long,” Buu assured them. “It’s the simplest procedure.”
“So we’re sending everyone to my original dimension?” Scamp asked, not sure how to feel about this development.
“Yes. But it is void of life right now, as I, to put it simply, ‘turned it off’. So we will be filling it with the lifeforms of your current dimension. Of course I can’t change the dimension itself, so it’ll have all the structures and items that it did when I shut it down.”
“I see,” Scamp muttered as they entered the next room, seeing the massive console before them.
“I will relay the instructions to you, Scamp, you are the most capable one here outside of myself,” Buu said calmly, getting a grunt out of Mallogory. “Do exactly as I say.”
Scamp narrowed her eye at him as she stepped over to the large keyboard-like device attached to the console and rose up, hovering above it.
“Now, let’s begin,” he said as he began to tell her which keys to hit.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Champion yelled in frustration as he continued his pointless assault, still unable to hit the impossibly agile Spark. They were still underground, and had tunneled down so far he could feel an intense heat. But that didn’t matter to him, his Ego was able to adapt him to anything and everything that posed a threat to him. So he was not worried in the slightest.
However, the fact he still was behind in power to Spark was causing him so much inner turmoil that he was starting to lose himself in his attacks, just swinging widely. Each time he was countered just pissed him off more and more.
As they fought, a strange feeling washed over both of them, causing them to hesitate for a second.
“The dimension has been evacuated, Spark,” Scamp said solemnly as she connected to him. “Kick his ass.”
A sense of calm overtook Spark’s body as he jumped back from Champion. He reached down and broke the bracelets that had appeared on his forelegs when he transformed.
Champion stared at him in confusion, then went wide eyed as Spark’s power seemed to soar even higher.
“This ends now,” Spark declared as he shot forward, his hoof connecting with Champion’s face with so much power that the stone around them was blown away. The hit sent Champion ragdolling upwards, crashing through the earth and bursting out into the open sky above, a geyser of stone and dirt flying up around him as he soared into the sky.
He quickly righted himself as Spark suddenly appeared before him, eyes ablaze with fury as he reared back his hoof.
Champion attempted to beat him to the punch by pushing his speed to the max. But even moving in an instant, Spark dodged and countered his attack.
A massive boom of color filled the air as Spark’s hoof hit Champion in the chest and sent him careening away from the planet. He watched with narrowed eyes as Champion hit the moon for the second time in his life, shattering one of the halves into pieces.
As for Champion, he now found himself lying on a piece of broken rock, floating in space as he stared back at the planet with a blank look on his face.
‘This is impossible,’ he thought to himself as he lay there. ‘I am supposed to be unbeatable… So how is this pathetic weakling keeping up with me?!’
His Ego began to provide him with the solution, but he just growled, as that would go against everything he stood for. He was not going to let someone like Spark push him to evolve.
But his Ego pushed for him to do as it demanded, causing him to radiate hatred as he stood up.
‘Fine,’ he thought as he stared up at the distant planet. ‘If this will allow me to put him in his place, then I will accept it.’
His body began to glow as he took a deep breath and closed his eye, entering into a state of zen, only possible due to his Ego forcing itself upon him. It slowly ate away at his overly inflated ego and emotions, leaving only his pride intact. It did not take long before a controlled burst of energy erupted from his body, finishing off the rest of the moon around him, turning it to dust instantly.
‘Oh yes… this is it,’ he thought with a sense of calm as he felt his power rocketing higher and higher, reaching a point he’d never known was possible.
His Ego informed him of his new form he’d just achieved, causing him to smirk.
‘Unrivaled Ego…’ a smirk formed on his face as he saw Spark flying towards him at an incredible speed. ‘Perfection.’
He flew forward to meet Spark head on, the two approaching each other at a speed that no one outside of themselves could ever hope to follow.
As they neared each other, Spark threw a punch, only to hit an after image of Champion. His eyes snapped to the side as he saw a hoof coming straight for him. He dodged it, attempting to counter him, but a hoof suddenly caught him in the face and sent him barreling backwards at such a speed that he basically instantly moved from his current position to another.
Champion watched in glee as Spark was sent through the planet, causing the entire thing to implode and turn to nothing but rubble. Spark kept going as he disappeared into the vastness of space, causing Champion to chuckle to himself.
‘Now we’re back to normal,’ he thought as he watched the pieces of the planet rocket away in all directions.
Rolling his shoulders he shot forward, catching up to Spark in an instant and slamming his hoof into the other stallion’s gut, sending him flying away in another direction.
Spark gritted his teeth as he caught himself and came to a stop, eyes locked on the distant shine of Champion.
Something had changed, as Champion was now FAR beyond him in terms of power.
Reluctantly he reached up and broke the necklace off of his neck, unleashing even more of his powers. He’d hoped to avoid doing this, as he wasn’t sure this dimension could survive that kind of power.
But he didn’t have much choice.
Champion appeared before him, already mid attack as his fist tore through space.
Calmly Spark dodged the hit and delivered a hit right to Champion’s gut. This caused the royal stallion's eye to go wide as he returned the hit right to Spark’s face.
The two entered into a slug fest, with each hit that landed causing the space around them to waver violently. The shockwaves alone would be enough to destroy an entire planet.
It was impossible to tell who was winning or losing, as neither of them were showing signs of weakening. But it was clear that they were both steadily increasing in power with each hit.
Then Champion’s body flashed as he suddenly soared in power unexpectedly, his next hit sending Spark zooming away yet again. He basically instantly teleported across the solar system, crashing through at least one planet in the process. He finally came to a stop, finding himself inside of an asteroid field of some kind.
If he remembered his school studies, this was possibly the asteroid belt that surrounded their solar system.
‘Incredible…’ he thought to himself as he looked around, only able to see due to how his Archangel eyes worked.
Focusing his mind, he closed his eyes, running through everything he knew.
Champion’s Ego worked in a way that made sure he was the strongest one in any fight he engaged in. And it would adapt him endlessly to make sure he was never left behind. And now he’s achieved some kind of transformation that is rocketing his power up much faster than Spark could keep up with.
Which meant it was time. He’s come face to face with an unstoppable foe, so he’d have to become an unstoppable force as well.
He opened a connection to one of the others, ‘Roxxy. Are you near Shayla?’
It took her a moment to respond. “Huh, yes, we’re all gathered up in the new dimension. Why?”
‘Perfect, I need to make a bet,’ he said calmly. ‘I know she and Domitor gained a near infinite amount of Ego when they defeated Leem and Lorenzo, and I want them to give it to me. Right now. Does your Ego work over great distances?’
“... I’ve never tried, but we can give it a shot,” she answered. “Alright, we’re ready. They bet they can beat you in a game of Coin Toss. If you win you get all of their Excess Ego. So, heads or tails, Spark?”
‘Tails,’ he replied, eyes locked on a distant light approaching him.
“First try,” she chuckled, “Tell me if you notice anything.”
He floated there for a moment before he suddenly felt an overwhelming amount of power enter his body, causing him to grunt. He may not have an Ego, but excess Ego could still be very useful to him.
For example, unlocking a transformation.
Gritting his teeth, he began to tense up as his muscles expanded violently, followed by a massive flash of light erupting out of his body, casting a light that could be seen from the other side of the solar system.
Champion appeared, taking in the new form of Spark, but ignored it as he continued forward, crashing his hoof into the face of the striped stallion. The hit caused a massive light to flash as the asteroids around them were cleared away for hundreds of thousands of miles in all directions.
But Spark did not move.
His eyes slowly opened, locking with Champion’s in an instant as a sense of dread washed over the royal stallion for the first time in a long time.
Spark raised his hoof and brushed Champion’s hoof aside and floated past him.
“Die,” he said simply, his voice lost to the vacuum of space.
Champion blinked in confusion as he was suddenly hit with an untold amount of hits to his entire body as Spark simply floated away from him.
As the almost endless assault ended, Champion just floated there, twitching as his body for the first time seemed to want to give up on him.
But he wasn’t going to let it as he forced himself to turn and zoom towards Spark’s back. As he neared, Spark moved aside, allowing Champion to fly past him.
He didn’t have time to react as he was hit yet again with an unseen attack right to the throat and stomach, causing him to curl in on himself.
His Ego was going into overdrive as it tried to catch up to Spark, but it seemed hopeless.
With absolute calmness, Spark flew forward and threw what appeared to be a simple punch, hitting Champion in the side.
What followed could only be described as a Supernova to anyone who saw it from a distance, as the entire solar system was destroyed in an instant. All planets, debris, and even the sun, were wiped out in one hit.
The force of the hit caused Champion to almost instantly appear in a completely different galaxy, destroying anything and everything he passed by.
Spark was right on his tail, following him almost casually.
Champion forced himself to come to a stop, the momentum he carried continuing onward and completely obliterating a distant star.
He grunted in pain as he grabbed his side, finding he was actually really hurt suddenly.
Spark came to a stop near him, calm eyes locked with him.
Champion growled as his body flashed like crazy as his Ego desperately tried to get to the level that Spark was currently at. Using the power of that hit as a basis.
Watching Champion’s body flash, Spark just shrugged as his own body began to shine as he pushed his power to rise as well, much to Champion’s horror.
The two just stared at each other, both powering up. Champion in desperation, and Spark just to finally end this.
“Take this, Champion,” Lilith’s strained voice suddenly said into Champion’s mind, causing him to furrow his eyebrows. Then a portal snapped open before him as red and Holy Energy poured through, entering into him.
The portal snapped shut as Champion doubled over, clenching his teeth as the new power entered his body and intertwined with his Protagonist Ego. He was pissed, as he knew what she’d just done.
She’d not only given him all the Holy Energy she’d stolen, but she’d also forced her devilish powers into him.
He threw his head back as he roared, the vibrates of his voice breaking through the space around them and causing Spark to narrow his eyes as his calm demeanor slipped away.
Champion’s Protagonist Ego mixed with the devilish powers of the First Woman, causing him to transform yet again, reaching a level akin to a God.
Spark could feel this happening and he forced himself to gain power faster, not sure if he’d have enough for what was about to happen.
With a burst of energy, Champion slumped back forward, body heaving as a smile appeared on his face.
“I,” he began, his voice now clear despite them being in the vacuum of space, “am a God.”
Not allowing Spark to power up any more, Champion smiled widely and instantly appeared in front of Spark. The two threw a punch for each other at the same time, their hooves colliding.
The resulting collision collapsed the entire universe right at the point of impact, right between their hooves, causing a second Big Bang to occur.
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Kickass222urmom
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
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<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-02-02T07:35:22+00:00
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2023-02-02T07:35:22+00:00
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Chapter 91
July 11th, 4 A.B.
“Move your flank, Spark!” Star Chaser called out as he flew ahead of Spark as he struggled to keep up with him as they flew down the forest path.
“I’m hurrying!” Spark yelled as he slowly fell behind.
The two colts flew down the path, with the lead colt mocking the slower one as they went.
As Star Chaser reached the end of the path, he came to a stop, landing and spinning around to watch as Spark slowly caught up.
“You’re slow,” Star Chaser mocked as Spark landed before him.
Spark just smiled as he looked at his friend, “well you’re just faster than me is all, Star Chaser.”
“And don’t forget it,” the royal colt laughed as he turned and began to trot down a side path. “Come on.”
The two trotted down a dark path covered by trees and vines, heading for the other side where a light could be seen.
Upon stepping out of the path, they were greeted by a humongous waterfall, with clouds all around the peak as multiple streams of water flowed over the cliffs, combining into one massive waterfall.
“Whoa…” Spark muttered as they both looked up at the miles high waterfall.
“Right?” Star Chaser said with a smirk. “I found this place, and I plan to bring girls here when I get into highschool.”
“That’s some long term planning,” Spark chuckled, causing Star Chaser to roll his eyes.
“Come on, you gotta see the bottom of this thing,” he said as he spread his wings and flew over the cliff, heading for the beach far below them.
Spark wasn’t far behind as they reached the beach, landing on the wet sand.
“This place is so beautiful,” Spark said as he stared up at the breathtaking sight above them, the sounds of the water crashing out in the lake almost drowning out all other sounds.
The two walked around for a bit, taking in everything. They played in the water for a while, but eventually they ended up sitting on a rock out in the middle of the lake, laying on their backs as they stared up at the falling water that crashed around them.
“Do you ever think about the future?” Spark asked suddenly, causing Star Chaser to snort.
“Of course,” he laughed as a smirk appeared on his face. “I’m going to take over as the sole ruler and let my family take a step back and enjoy life. Let me handle all the tough situations for once.”
“I don’t think your dad will ever step down,” Spark chuckled, getting a shrug out of Star Chaser.
“He keeps talking about how he can’t wait for us to grow up and take over the throne, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be more than happy for me to take over.”
“What about Nova?”
“She doesn’t want the Throne, so I’m not worried about her,” he said with a sly grin on his face. “What about you? What are you planning to do? Can’t be as cool as being the Ruler of Equestria.”
Spark just smiled as he stared up at the beautiful sight above him, “I honestly do not know. But I do know I want to help others and make sure everyone is safe. Just like my dad.”
“That’s a stupid goal,” Star Chaser mocked, shaking his head.
“Maybe,” Spark said with a chuckle. “But it’s what I want to do. I want to be able to stand up to anything that tries to hurt those I love.”
“You say that,” the other colt began with a mocking tone to his voice, “but we both know that if a threat appears in the future that it will be ME who stops it. You can’t even keep up with me in a race, so there's no way you’ll be able to handle a real threat.”
“I’ll get stronger,” Spark declared, holding up a hoof. “I’ll get so strong that nothing will hurt anyone ever again.”
“But first you’ll have to get stronger than me,” Star Chaser said as he sat up, placing a hoof to his chest proudly. “And that will never happen. You’ll never surpass me, Spark. So just sit back and enjoy life, let me, the real hero, stand up to the evil bad guys of the future!”
“You can help me,” Spark added as he rolled to his side to look at his friend. “We can get stronger together, that way nothing can beat us.”
“No offense, but I don’t want a weakling like you as a sidekick,” Star Chaser laughed. “I can handle anything the world has to throw at me, that way you can just play house with Starlight or whoever you’re with in the future.”
“I hope so, Star Chaser,” Spark replied as he laid back on the rock and stared upward. “But still, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make sure everyone is safe. No matter how big the threat is.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Present day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2TE0DjdNqI&ab_channel=PorterRobinsonVEVO
Spark floated on his back, staring up into the endlessly empty space before him.
His body crackled with energy as he let himself soar backwards, not stopping himself. He wasn’t quite sure what exactly happened after they made contact, but he was sure of one thing. They weren’t in the same universe anymore. Same dimension, but definitely not the same universe.
He also was not sure where Champion was, as he couldn’t sense him anymore. This could mean a lot of things, but he was almost certain that Champion was still alive. He just had the feeling that that had not been enough to finally end the other stallion.
As if to answer him, Champion suddenly appeared next to him, following along with him on his back as they both stared straight up.
“I knew you’d survived that,” Spark said telepathically.
“You’re going to need to get a lot stronger to beat me, Spark,” Champion said in a calm yet mocking voice. “I want you to know the next time we clash, you’re going to die.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” Spark said with a sly grin as he rolled himself around to face Champion.
“Oh?” Champion laughed as he slammed his hooves together, sending out a shockwave that pushed Spark back a great distance. “I’m afraid not.”
Spark calmed himself as he stared at his opponent, forcing all of the excess Ego within him to be devoted to increasing his power even further. Champion seemed to be doing the same as red energy crackled around him as a Holy aura began to spread around him, with a sense of absolute evil spreading out beyond the Holy Aura. He was an amalgamation of Pure and Evil, something that should not exist, yet here he floated.
A sense of worry seeped into Spark’s mind, but he pushed it aside, knowing he must be completely devoted to the idea of beating Champion, otherwise he wouldn’t stand a chance.
He used up the last of the excess Ego, which meant the access to a free power boost had ended. He’d have to rely on his own abilities from here on out.
Yet Champion seemed to be nowhere near his peak as he continued to soar higher and higher in terms of raw power.
But Spark wasn’t worried just yet, as he felt they were close to each other at this moment, so he’d have to end this quickly.
The two flashed out of existence momentarily as they clashed together. The very first punch Champion landed seemed to warp reality as the Dimension around them seemed to shudder.
And the moment Spark landed a hit on Champion, the entire dimension shattered, falling away as they now found themselves in the In-Between. The Space between dimensions.
They didn’t slow down as they continued to attack each other, their hits causing untold destruction as they flew past what appeared to be other dimensions floating in empty space. The shockwaves from their hits sent the little dimensions flying away, some of them just straight up exploding as they were hit directly by the two as they fought.
They both continued to climb in power, but it was never enough to overcome the other as they flashed all over the place, destroying countless dimensions as they did so.
At this point, Spark wasn’t able to hold back, so he had to push through the thought of how many countless lives they were ending in their fighting. If he stopped now, Champion would just continue his killing spree, as he had reached a point that no one else could handle.
They continued to flash all over the area, each time they reappeared countless dimensions would be destroyed.
Spark knew they couldn’t continue fighting here, but he couldn’t think of anywhere that could handle them.
But one place came to mind.
He suddenly disengaged from Champion, catching him off guard, and ripped open a portal.
Champion slammed into him, sending both of them through the portal, were they crashed into the ground on the other side.
The two jumped apart as their royal stallion looked around, raising an eyebrow.
“The Eternal Plains?”
“Yeah,” Spark answered as he rose off the ground, eyes locked with Champion’s. “I think this place can handle our battle.”
To answer him, Champion shot forward, causing the two of them to hit each other at the same time, their hooves crossing over one another. The resulting collision caused all of reality to collapse into them yet again.
Spark growled as they found themselves back in the In-Between, having destroyed yet another dimension in one hit. He had been SURE that that place could withstand them.
“I guess not,” Champion mocked as they resumed their battle, hitting each other with increasingly stronger attacks.
Dimensions were obliterated left and right as they continued flashing around the area.
Then without warning they were both teleported away from the In-Between and into an absolutely MASSIVE arena like room with strange beings sitting in the stands all around them.
The two of them finally broke apart and stared up at the assembly above them, seeing all the angry beings glaring down at them.
One of them that sat upon what appeared to be a Throne stood up, their bowl like head shaking as they pointed an accusatory finger at the two of them.
“Do you Wildlings understand the magnitude of the actions you have taken?!” it demanded, the incredible power of the being overwhelming the two of them instantly, causing them to go to their knees. “The Eternal Plains, our masterpiece, has been erased from reality! To recover it goes against all rules of the Ultimate Authority Dimension!”
Spark shook a bit in fear, as these were clearly much stronger beings than the two of them, and he did in fact understand the magnitude of their actions. His only solace in this moment was that it was over, and Champion would be stopped. Even if that meant he had to go down with him.
“There’s so much power here…” Champion suddenly said as a crazy look fell across his face.
This caused Spark’s eyes to go wide as he realized all of the beings around them pouring their auras down on them to oppress them was having the opposite effect with Champion.
“You need to stop!” Spark suddenly yelled, forcing himself to stand up and look up at what appeared to be the Ruler of the UAD. “Send us away, kill us! Just-”
“Silence!” the imposing UAD God bellowed, causing Spark to drop to his knees again as Champion giggled to himself, his Ego starting to adapt him to this new threat. “You two will be punished for your transgressions against Reality!”
“Then do it faster!” Spark all but screamed as Champion began to twitch wildly, slowly standing up.
“Kneel!” the UAD God demanded as he cast a finger at Champion, but nothing happened as Champion’s body flashed cyan.
His injuries healed themselves as he regained his eye and horn, along with the scars fading away. His coat was suddenly covered in cyan colored lines as they extended down his body, glowing brightly. Even his tail and mane gained the cyan lines, flowing in an unseen wind. Cyan colored smoke seemed to be pouring out of his eyes as he smiled upward at the assembly above them.
“Well well, thank you for the power up!” he stood up on his back legs, spreading his legs and wings, no longer affected by the aura pressing down on them. “Welcome to my final form; Full Authority!”
The UAD God seemed to register what was about to happen, but Champion simply shot through them, blowing out their back and continuing on as he tore through the entire assembly of UAD beings.
Spark watched in horror as he realized there was nothing he could do now.
“Wildling,” the downed massive UAD God choked out as they lay on the ground on the other side of the arena. “Come…”
Not hesitating, Spark flew over and landed before the drowned God, eyes wide as he watched as trails of Ego poured out of the UAD God, going straight up to Champion as he continued his rampage. He was absorbing them!
“You are an Angel of The One Who Sits Above All, yes?” the UAD God asked as they grew weaker and weaker.
“Yes,” Spark confirmed.
“Then you have to stop this… thing,” they said as they reached out with their hand and placed a large finger against Spark’s head. “Ask Him… to save us.”
With that Spark flashed away, and reappeared in a much different place. This one giving off a sense of… peace and love. The Holy Energy he felt was intense, causing his body to relax instantly.
“Things getting out of hand, my child?” a man asked, causing Spark to turn around to see a bearded man. This one was clearly not the one who’d turned him into an Archangel, but gave off a similar aura.
“We need to stop him, please, can you-” Spark began frantically, but the man just smiled at him, causing him to stop mid-sentence as he felt absolute peace wash over him.
“We know what has transpired. The Agent of the Collapse has reached a level we only feared he would reach. Thus leaving you behind in your current form,” the man said as he sat down on a bench. “But do not fear, for we will not let him continue down his current path.”
“What are you going to do?” Spark asked, breathing heavily.
“You are going to go back and finish this, Spark,” the man said simply.
“But… he’s too strong for me now!” Spark protested, but this didn’t faze the other man.
“Nothing is stronger than the love I have for you, Spark,” the man stated as he held his hand out. “Now take my hand, my child.”
Spark stepped forward and took the man's hand, not hesitating for a second. The moment he took the soft hand of the other man, he felt the feeling of Pureness entering into him, filling every corner of his being. All of his worry and doubts melted away as he relaxed completely, holding tightly to the other man's hand.
His body flashed and morphed, returning him to a more normalized pony shape. His coat and mane remained the same colors, but he no longer felt anger or hatred for Champion. Instead he felt remorse for what he’d become.
“My eternal love is now within you, Spark,” the man said calmly as he took his hand back. “Stand tall Eternal Archangel Spark, and bask in our everlasting love.”
Spark stood up, feeling like he could handle anything now. He smiled at the man before him and gave a nod, “thank you. Will you save the UAD as well?”
“What needs to be done, will be done,” was all he said as Spark slowly faded away.
He faded back into existence, finding himself back in the massive chamber of the UAD. All of the beings around him were now dead, even the UAD God who had sent him up above.
“I was starting to think you’d run away, Sparky,” Champion laughed as he laid upon the body of the UAD God, smiling brightly at Spark. “Hm… this new form of yours looks less impressive than your previous ones.”
“It’s over, Star Chaser,” Spark said with a sense of finality in his voice. “Come to me so we can finish this.”
“How about you come to me,” Champion said as he stood up and stomped his hoof into the back of the UAD God.
“Very well,” Spark said smoothly as he suddenly appeared next to Champion, hitting him with an elbow right to the ribs. The hit actually caught Champion off guard as the Ultimate Authority Dimension threatened to collapse in on them just like all the others.
Champion roared as the lines running over his body began to flash as his power shot up instantly to meet Spark’s new power. But when he threw a punch for Spark, he simply caught it, negating all the power of the hit as if he caught the fist of a small child.
This caused Champion’s eyes to go wide as his Ego continued to raise his power at an increasingly rapid pace, but it didn’t seem to be enough as Spark tightened his grip on Champion’s hoof.
“I’m sorry, Star Chaser,” Spark said as a sad look fell over his face. “I wish we could have saved you from yourself.”
In response, Champion threw a punch for Spark’s face. The hoof connected, causing the entire UAD to collapse instantly, leaving them back in the In-Between. But Spark’s facial expression never changed as he continued to stare into Champion’s eyes with absolute sadness.
“Let me go!” Champion roared as he continued to hit Spark over and over again. However, the shockwaves from his hits were no longer destroying the dimensions around them, as there seemed to be a shield around them, coming from the halo that had appeared behind Spark.
There would be no more death, as declared by Spark himself. There would only be one more death today, and he felt incomprehensible remorse for what had to be done.
“Even when you were at your worst, mistreating me and your other friends,” Spark began, letting Champion beat on his face with his free hoof, but was not affected by it as he continued speaking, “I still loved you like a brother. I saw the good within you, and I fought to make sure you saw it too.”
Champion just screamed into his face as he fired two beams directly into Spark’s eyes, pushing them past the point that they started to damage even him. But Spark just held his gaze, still seeming unaffected.
“But the things you’ve done, the countless lives you… we have ended today. There is no fixing that, there is no redemption for either of us. You are lost, Champion. And I am so sorry I couldn’t save you.”
“I don’t need saving!” Champion bellowed as he continued to try and break free, his Ego panicking as it just kept soaring higher and higher, but never reaching the top.
“Goodbye, Star Chaser,” Spark said as tears ran down his face. He pulled back his hoof, holding Champion’s hate filled gaze.
“My name is Champ-”
All of reality shook at that moment, even the heavens above all else threatened to come down.
As everything calmed down, the only sound that could be heard was the sobbing of a single stallion.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 326 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-05-15T06:13:04+00:00
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2023-05-15T06:13:04+00:00
| 227 |
Epilogue
“What do you mean he’s not coming back?!” Twilight yelled as my Mother stood before her, a frown on her face
“He told me he needed to wrap things up to make sure something like this never happened again,” my Mother answered her, watching as Twilight began to grow even more angry. “He will be back as soon as he fixes some of the damage from their battle.”
“He should come back right now,” Twilight growled, stomping away, leaving everyone behind as she joined Lance in helping those who were hurt during the final battle.
I stepped up to her, watching her carefully as she stood there, looking absolutely exhausted. “Are you okay, mama?” I asked carefully.
She turned to me, a tired smile on her face. “I'll be okay, honey. I just need to make sure everyone is okay, then we can get to work on everything else.”
“Okay,” I said as she placed a hoof on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze before stepping away, walking for the crowd of ponies.
Now that I was free, I turned to look for Domitor, who I hadn’t seen since the others joined us here.
It was not hard to spot him as he was standing next to Belle, who was in her human form now, no longer disguised. From what I know, his group wiped out Lorenzo’s remaining men with ease, but spared her. I don’t know how I feel about that, but she was his mom, so I guess it made sense.
I chose not to engage with them, as he seemed to be trying to talk to her. But neither of them were very good at that, since it looked like they were spending most of the time just staring at everyone around them. It would probably take a long time for them to start having a real relationship.
Which left me unsure of what to do next. We defeated all the bad guys, stopped Champion, and were now in a new dimension. I couldn’t just go back to my normal life either, not after everything I had done.
My hand reached up to my belly, a frown appearing on my face. I’m still on the fence about this baby business. I both loved the idea of being a family with Domitor, and at the same time I wanted to forget the whole thing and do whatever I wanted.
Shit was complicated. That’s for damn sure.
The most pressing issue I had right now was getting my eyes fixed. But Rosemary assured me the Shop in my Ego had an answer to that, so I would just need to wait till I had the time to dedicate to it.
But before anything else, I should check on my friends. Especially Floria and Vanilla, they’ll need help getting set up here in Equestria… shit, I need to figure out my own living situation.
“Ah fuck me,” I groaned, shaking my head as I trudged towards the gathered ponies, not looking forward to the coming days.
This Epilogue sat unfinished for months, while I wrote other parts for this story. So we're just saying screw it and doing a quick chapter to get it done with.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 327 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-05-15T06:13:38+00:00
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2023-05-15T06:26:33+00:00
| 239 |
Before Part 6 begins, we will have 1-3 side stories taking place. I would make a separate story for each of them, but really there's no point.
Chapter 1
The portal crackled open as Lilith fell out of it, landing on the floor of her lair. Blood and energy poured out of her wounds as she forced herself up, eyes ablaze with fury as she stumbled across the mostly bare room to a lone door. Her missing right leg made it a challenge to move forward.
Champion had failed, just as she knew he would. That was part of the plan. But her losing to the ‘heroes’ was not part of the plan. She had expected herself to be able to handle a few ponies, but Lance’s wife, Twilight Sparkle, had proved to be more of a threat than Lilith had thought she could be. That counterspell she cast changed everything.
Pushing through the pain, she used her magic to throw open the door and stumbled through it. The room was filled with a light blue glow as a tank filled with Ego infused liquid sat in the middle of the room. It was currently unoccupied, as its occupant was elsewhere.
“Soon,” she grunted as she moved past the tank labeled ‘Kimaris’.This was just one of her projects she had put aside in favor of using Champion. It would appear she was going to need this project after all, but it wasn’t ready.
Instead she moved a large computer and began to type away at it with her magic. A hatch in the floor opened as a second, smaller, tank rose up, this one housing a mare’s body within it. Perfectly identical to her in every way. A husk.
“I detest this act,” she mumbled as she hit a button, draining the tank of its cyan colored liquid. The tank opened as she cast a spell on herself. Her body collapsed onto the floor, lifeless, as the one in the tank opened its eyes.
Lilith stepped out of the tank, checking her motor functions carefully. Once she was satisfied, she walked past her old body and used her magic to open a vent. The destroyed body was cast into the dark hole, followed by it slamming shut.
“Now then,” she said, her voice sounding much calmer now, as she moved to a large artifact in the room. Placing her hoof on it, it began to glow a light yellow.
“Holy Spirit Energy at ninety eight percent,” a faint voice said from the relic as she stepped back, satisfied. She’d only given Champion a small dose of the energy she’d stolen, leaving her with plenty for herself. Of course, she’d need a few more things before she could finally enact her grand plan.
But that’d come in time. For now, she just needed to make sure everything else went according to plan, at least somewhat.
With her other project not ready, she only had a few she could enact right at that moment.
One option stuck out to her, as she knew the person it involved had been wanting to make their move for a very long time.
A bit reluctantly, she moved to another ancient relic and interacted with it, causing a portal to open near her. She couldn’t leave through it, as she was restricted to this one and a few others, but she knew the person in question would know what its appearance meant.
It did not take long before a figure stepped through, covered in rags and armor. They seemed to take in the whole room before looking at Lilith, their face wrapped in cloth with a helmet atop their head. Only their eyes were visible as they stared at her.
“Finally calling me home?” he asked, resting a hand on one of his two blades. “Does that mean something has happened?”
“You could say that,” she answered, not giving him any further details. “Have you had your fill of dimension hopping?”
“I had my fill years ago,” he replied gruffly. “I’ve been wanting to return for quite a while now. It’s because of your insistence that I’ve stayed away this long.”
“Should I remind you,” she began, raising an eyebrow at him, “that it was your plan to involve the Watcher, despite my warnings.”
“He played his part,” the man countered. He looked her over, taking note of the Holy Spirit radiating off of her. “It was thanks to my plan that you have suddenly gained all of this Holy Energy.”
“The Watcher is a turncoat. He helped them during the most recent altercation, and now I do not know what his motives are.”
“It doesn’t matter,” the man said with a shrug. “As I said, he played his part. He was out as soon as he was defeated. I can handle him if need be.”
She narrowed her eyes as she held his gaze before shaking her head. “Richard and Champion are dead, if that matters to you.”
“It’s unfortunate,” the man said, seeming to not care. “Those two were just pawns in the grand scheme of things.”
“Nightmare as well.”
This seemed to cause him to pause for a moment. “How?”
“A newcomer provided support during the battle, and somehow brought an end to him.”
“That is a… tragic loss. But no matter, we can go forward without him.” The man walked past her and stopped before the tank, staring up at it. “And this one, is she ready yet?”
“Not yet,” Lilith answered as she stepped up next to him. “I have her in a training dimension at the moment, getting her used to her abilities.”
“How long till I can use her?”
“Depends on if you want her at her full potential or not,” Lilith said as she shook her head. “I fear we’ll have to scrap her though, her mind is… a bit broken.”
“A broken mind is easier to manipulate,” the man countered as he moved away from the tank, walking for the other tank in the room where Lilith’s new body had been stored. “I see you had to resort to swapping bodies.”
“There’s three Lance’s now,” Lilith said, causing him to laugh. “The one named Twilight Sparkle is a problem.”
“I warned you,” he said with another chuckle. “Alright. I’m assuming the plan is the same as it’s always been?”
“It is,” she assured him.
“Good,” he said with a nod, turning his attention to the computer as he seemed lost in thought.
She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue, but he remained silent. “Yes?”
“Ah, sorry,” he mumbled, snapping out of it. “I haven’t been back to Equestria in a long time. Just got lost in thought.”
“Did you at least accomplish all your tasks?”
“I did,” he replied with a sharp nod. “It was worth it, in the end. A convoluted plan, but it was the best course of action.”
“Then you know what you have to do next,” she said firmly, getting a nod from him.
“I do. They’re all dumb and gullible, they’ll take me back without a single thought. I’ll be able to get the final items I need and I’ll finish them all off myself.”
“There are a few fresh faces you’ll need to be weary of,” she warned. “I’ll transfer you the knowledge once you’re ready.”
He gave a nod as he tapped a finger against one of his sword handles. “Is my one lackey still around?”
“She is,” Lilith confirmed. “However, she’s been depowered and has swapped sides as well.”
“Oh has she now?” he asked with a sinister tone. “I’ll have to do something about that. Has she told anyone anything?”
“I’ve kept tabs on her. She remained silent, due to her broken mind.”
“Ah, you just gotta love a broken mind,” he laughed. “So easily manipulated. It’s unfortunate she’s swapped sides, but I’ll deal with her. I should have done so a long time ago, anyway.”
“Finally, the elements have new bearers,” she continued. “But two of them have died recently.”
“Perfect!” he exclaimed. “That makes it so much easier. Any other developments?”
“Plenty,” she said with a nod. “However, the only important fact you need to know right now is that Champion killed the two Princesses.”
“He did? Both of them?” he asked, seeming a bit surprised. He wavered for a moment before shrugging. “Now that is VERY unfortunate. Complicates things for sure.”
“That’s your only reaction to that?” she asked, a sly smile on her face. “Cold.”
“Can we turn off Ego’s and Ego weapons?” he asked, moving to the next topic of discussion.
“Only for a short time,” she answered. “And only once. The artifact is cracked and only has one use left in it.”
“Better make it count then,” he mumbled, raising a hand to start undoing the cloth around his face, slowly unwrapping it.
“If we perform this next act, I need to know, are you able to deliver?”
The cloth hit the floor as he turned to her, giving her a smile, his face scarred from years of travel. “Haven’t I always delivered in the past? I kept everyone in check and made sure everything went as you wanted. The only hitch in the plan was a certain someone getting caught and getting banished. But as I said, I’ll deal with her when I can.”
“How much do you know of the one known as Scamp? Did you do the research like I asked?”
“She’s a problem, yes,” he said with a nod. “But only when she has access to powers. Right now, she shouldn’t be a problem.”
“The woman is my granddaughter, so I want her alive.”
“That’ll be easy, trust me,” he assured her. “She may be hard to fool, but I’m already an established member of their group. She won’t suspect a thing.”
“If she does become suspicious, even for a moment, your cover would be blown. You understand that, correct?”
“You worry too much,” he chuckled, removing his helmet, letting his long hair fall behind himself.
“You’ve been gone a long time. You will not be able to-”
“I’ve got it covered,” he interrupted her. “Lance alone is the most gullible. He’ll vouch for me even if the others don’t.”
“You are too sure of yourself.”
“Well of course,” he said with a smirk. “I am their Prince after all."
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Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 328 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
|
2023-05-15T06:16:09+00:00
|
2023-05-15T06:27:42+00:00
| 220 |
Chapter 2
1 weak after the Fall of Champion
“Why are we here?” Annabel asked Shayla quietly as she looked around the room at all the gathered Bronies and their friends.
“Beats the fuck outta me,” Shayla answered gruffly as she chewed on a stick of jerky. “Pinkie Pie wanted everyone to meet at the Mellowed Pie for a ‘surprise’.” She snorted grossly, getting a few stares from the others around them. “Honestly I’m only here because you asked for me to come.”
“Thank you,” the meek mare said, looking around at all the others. The Bronies were giving her side glances, but none were saying anything to her. “I didn’t want to be here alone…”
“I got ya,” the large mare assured her, giving her a rough shake with her tail.
“Oooo! You’re all here!” Pinkie exclaimed as she appeared from the kitchen, her fading pink mane bouncing around her. “None of you are going to believe who I found! So go on! Guess!”
“Pinkie, just show us who it is,” Lance called out as he laid his head on a table, appearing exhausted.
“Oh come on! Just throw out some guesses! It’s an old friend of ours!”
“That can be anyone,” Cody said, rubbing his forehead.
“Second hint! Lance will be the happiest to see them!” she exclaimed, bouncing in place.
“Don’t tell me it's that prick Razor Graze,” Lance groaned, slamming his head on the table.
“Nope! Try again!”
“Pinkie, just tell us!” Shayla yelled out, startling a few people.
“Guess!” the up beat mare countered, causing everyone to groan.
“They’re not going to play your game, Mrs. Pie,” a voice said from the back as someone stepped out of the kitchen.
Most didn’t react, as they didn’t recognize this new arrival. But those who did jumped up, eyes wide.
Lance was the first to react as he sprang up and flew across the room, tackling the man to the ground. “Bro! Long time no fucking see!”
“Jesus, Lance!” Mark yelped as he was taken to the ground. “You’re a fucking heavy horse! Don’t tackle me like this!”
“Well you should have stayed in your pony form, then you wouldn’t have to worry about that!” Lance laughed as he jumped up, offering a hoof to his brother. “Now where the fuck have you been?”
“Everywhere,” Mark answered as he took Lance’s hoof and was pulled up. “I heard my nephew took down that asshat Champion and I decided it was time to come home.”
“You should have come back sooner, I’ve missed ya,” Lance said with a wide smile.
Shayla leaned down to Annabel, a confused look on her face. “Is that Lance’s real brother? Or just another ‘brother’?”
“That’s his real brother,” she answered quietly. “He left the dimension a long time ago with Omnious, so I think this is the first time they’ve seen each other in maybe twenty years? I wasn’t here for a long time, since I was, you know, banished to the moon.”
“Good to know,” Shayla muttered back as the two brothers continued talking. “Can we bounce?”
“Yeah, we can,” she nodded. “I didn’t know Mark very well back then, and I don’t feel like-”
“Mark Lyon Greenfield!” came the loud and angry yell of another woman as the doors to the restaurant blew open. Everyone turned to see Dana walking in, her eyes ablaze. Behind her was her husband and third son, Jeff.”
“Oh shit,” Mark cursed as he stood up and waved to his mother as everyone else backed away, even Lance. “Hi mom.”
“Don’t you ‘Hi mom’ me, sir! It’s been,” she looked at her bare hoof. “Fifteen long years since I last saw you! Explain yourself!”
“I…” he began, looking at the people around him. None offered him any help as they all took a few more steps back. “... I love you?”
Dana’s eyes narrowed as she stood up on her hind legs and put her hooves on her hips. “You do, huh?”
Annabel saw two ponies backing out of the crowd and slipping out the back door, seeming to want to avoid notice. “I think we should follow Lacy and Jun, Shayla.”
“Nah, I gotta see this,” Shayla said with a wide smile, clearly enjoying the show.
“If you loved me,” Dana continued, face to face with her oldest son. “Then you would have at least called.”
“Ma, you can’t call across dimensions,” Mark countered, causing her to glare even harder at him.
“Don’t give me that,” she said as a sly smile took over her face. “I’m not as ‘out of touch’ as you think. I’ve been learning how all this hoopla around dimensional stuff from Bronwyn, and I KNOW you can easily travel wherever you want. AND make calls.”
“Why are people teaching you new things like this?” Mark complained, causing his mother to smile proudly. “Would you believe me if I told you I personally do not know how any of that works?”
“Not for a second.”
“Drat. Okay, I’m sorry for not calling,” he said, holding his arms open to her. “Hug it out?”
The older mare narrowed her eyes at him before grabbing him roughly and pulling him into a hug. “You’re staying with me while you’re here. That’s final. Got it?”
The groan that escaped the man could be heard all the way in the back of the room, but he threw his hands up as she hugged him.
“That’s fair! I guess.”
“Good,” Dana said as she broke the hug and stepped aside. “Now talk to your baby brother, he hasn’t seen you since he was six.”
Jeff just stood there awkwardly as he and Mark stared at each other. “Eh, yo, big bro?”
“Yeah, yo, little bro,” Mark said back as they hesitantly bumped fist to hoof. “Yeah, brother power and all that.”
“Yeah…” Jeff muttered as they continued to stare at each other.
Shayla snickered to herself, “and I thought I was bad with social shit.”
Dana’s head snapped towards them, glaring right at Shayla.
“Ah shit she heard me,” Shayla yelped as she lowered herself behind the ponies ahead of them. “What’s with that woman?”
“It’s best to just… not talk about her, yeah?” Annabel offered as she hunkered down as well.
“Good call.”
“Lance,” Dana said as Mark and Barehoof had an just as awkward interaction. “Where is Twilight? I want a family dinner, pronto.”
“She’s at home,” Lance answered carefully. “I don’t think she’ll be up for anything, not till Spark returns from wherever he is.”
“I’ll talk to her then,” Dana declared, spinning in place and walking for the door. “Be at my house in three hours. Both of you.”
“Yes, mom,” both Lance and Mark said at the same time.
Once she was gone, Mark turned to Lance as the people around them slowly relaxed. “Speaking of your kids, where’s my niece?”
Lance blinked at him for a few moments before his eyes went wide. “Oh Fawn! Yeah, she’s off in the big city, I think.”
“You think?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
“Well yeah, she left like ten or so years ago. Didn’t say anything, just went on her way.”
“... You didn’t… check on her?”
“She’s an adult, bro. She’s alright,” Lance said, waving him off.
“She’s not in ‘the big city’,” Scamp suddenly muttered from beside Shayla, scaring both of the two mares.
“Geez, mama!” Shayla hissed, as she stood back up fully. “Why’d you sneak up on us like that?”
“I’ve been here the entire time,” Scamp answered, shaking her head.
“What did you mean she’s not in the city?” Annabel asked with a cocked head.
Scamp turned her head to the two of them, a frown on her face. “I’m going to tell you two something, but you can’t go off and tell anyone else. Okay?”
“Pfft, I promise, mama,” Shayla chuckled, rolling her eyes.
Annabel only nodded in response.
With a sigh, Scamp lowered her head as the other two leaned in. “Lance’s daughter, Fawn, ran away to another dimension almost twelve years ago. Lance and Twilight, for all the good they’ve done, weren’t the best parents to her. Kind of… ignorantly neglectful towards her.”
“Get fucked, I guess,” Shayla chuckles, getting a deadpan stare from her mother. “Ah… I’m sorry.”
“Where’d she go?” Annabel asked.
“Twelve years ago we were attacked by one of Lance’s old enemies, a clone of Greg. He teamed up with some character from another dimension and the pair laid waste to this town. However two creatures from that same dimension came along as well and helped us defeat the pair. One of them saved Fawn after Lance and Twilight… accidentally forgot about her.” Scamp sighed as she shook her head. “Once it was over, Fawn jumped through the portal with them, and her parents didn’t notice for a few months. And when they did, they assumed she ran off ‘to the big city’.”
“Are they really that stupid?” Shayla asked.
“No,” Scamp answered, then frowned. “I hope not at least. Lance is just…” She went quiet as she seemed to be at a loss for words. “... I can’t defend him here. This is just his major flaw.”
“I guess,” Shayla mumbled, seeming to not really care one way or another.
“Is Fawn okay though?” Annabel asked. She may not have paid any attention to the kid back then, but she still didn’t like the idea of her being abandoned.
“She’s okay,” Scamp replied with a nod. “I went in after her a few months after she left and helped her deal with a few problems. When I left, she was happier than I’d ever seen her before.”
Shayla just gave a thumbs up to that. “Good for her then.”
Scamp turned her attention back to the front where Lance and Mark were still talking, seeming to have moved on to a different subject. “I love Lance, but damn is he an idiot.”
“I-” Annabel started to say something, but the sound of a pop was heard, causing everyone to tense up.
A few more pops were heard as a portal began to form in the center of the room, causing everyone to move away.
“What now?!” Lance exclaimed as he and a few others took up positions around the forming portal.
“Great,” Scamp muttered as she sprang forward to join the others around the portal.
“Aw hell yeah!” Shayla laughed excitedly as she rushed forward. “Some action!”
Annabel, however, hung back as she moved around the back of the crowd, keeping away from anything that was about to happen.
The portal crackled with energy as it flickered violently.
“Get ready, guys!” Lance called out. “Anything could step through this thing!”
As if on cue, a large stallion fell out of the portal and crashed into the floor, startling everyone. A strange eldritch creature followed after him, its many tentacles grabbing at the fallen stallion.
“Oh shit!” Mark yelped as Scamp dashed forward and kicked the creature back into the portal, just as it snapped shut.
“What the fuck was that thing?!” Lance yelped as Scamp knelt down to check on the stallion.
“Uh… Lance?” she asked as everyone turned their attention to her. “Is this… who I think it is?”
“What do you mean?” Lance asked as he stepped forward, his eyes widening as he slowly came to a realization. “It… can’t be…”
“No fucking way…” Cody mumbled as he fell on his haunches, looking dazed.
The stallion on the ground coughed violently as he rolled onto his back, his wings spread out as he smiled up at the ponies around him. “Oh… I made it! I made it!”
“Frederic?!” Lance exclaimed in shock as the stallion turned to him.
“Lance! Brother!” the stallion yelled as he seemed to find his strength and jumped up and hugged Lance tightly.
“But!” Lance bega, eyes wide as he was hugged. “You DIED!”
“I thought so too!” Frederic laughed, tears running down his face. “I’ve been stuck in a weird place all these years, trying to get back to you all!”
Lance’s face went through many emotions before he finally settled on crying, wrapping his forelegs around the other stallion. “You fucker! I’ve thought you were dead all these years!”
As the pair had their reunion, everyone stared on in mixtures of confusion and happiness. All those except one mare, who sat at the back with wide eyes, her breathing increasing rapidly.
Annabel’s mind was going crazy as she stared through the crowd at the pair, her eyes locked on the side of Frederic’s face. Her chest tightened as tried her best not to have a panic attack.
Frederic turned his gaze to her, locking eyes with her as a smile appeared on his face. His eyes pierced her as he winked at her, causing her to lose it. Her body gave out on her as she collapsed, unconscious.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 329 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-15T06:59:41+00:00
|
2023-05-15T07:00:40+00:00
| 211 |
Chapter 3
Twilight took a step back as her spell ended, a look of relief on her face. “He’s the real Frederic,” she declared, having confirmed his identity with magic.
“Thank you, Twi,” he said with a wide smile.
“I just can’t believe you’re alive!” Lance exclaimed for the tenth time as he stood among the only ones who stuck around. Most of the others had left while waiting for Twilight, as they had little investment in this reunion.
“How are you alive?” Scamp asked as she continued to look him over.
“I’m sorry, but we haven’t met,” Frederic said as he held a hoof out to her. “I’m-”
“Prince Frederic, long time friend of Lance and the others. You died fighting the Watcher, or so we thought,” she interrupted as she shook his hoof. “Scamp.”
“It’s good to meet you then,” he chuckled. “To answer your question, he didn’t kill me or the others, just teleported us to a different location.”
“Peter and the others are alive?!” Lance exclaimed.
A pained look over took Frederic’s face. “I’m sorry, Lance… they died in that dimension with the strange creatures I just escaped from.”
“How did you escape?” Scamp pressed.
“Years of work,” Frederic said proudly. “I’m an inventor after all, so I spent all my time trying to build a way to get home. And I just recently finished it, but I was attacked as I tried to leave. As you all saw.”
“We’re just happy you’re back,” Lance said as he hugged the other stallion again.
“As am I!” Frederic laughed. “I’ve missed so much, so I need a refresher on what’s happened.”
“Oh, I got you there!” Lance said as he pulled out three books. “We’ve published our adventures in these books.”
“Oh, nifty!” Frederic said with a smile as he levitated the books to himself. “I’ll give these a read through later then.” He put them away in a pocket dimension as he turned to everyone else. “Now, I’m sorry but I would like to see my family now.”
At this everyone cringed, averting their eyes.
“What?” he asked.
“Sit down,” Scamp said firmly, causing him to slowly lower his flank to the floor.
“Why?”
“Frederic,” she began bluntly, letting out a sigh. “Luna and most of our friends were killed by your son, Star Chaser.”
A wave of emotions washed over Frederic’s face as he sat there, finally settling on confusion. “My son would never do that.”
“He did,” Scamp said firmly. “And much worse as well.”
“Scamp maybe we shouldn’t tell-” Lance began, but she held up a hoof.
“He needs to hear this now rather than later,” she countered, keeping her eye on Frederic.
The stallion sat there in stunned silence as tears began to run down his face. “But I just got back… I wanted to see them…”
“I’m sorry,” Lance said as he and Twilight hugged him. He pulled them into himself and began to cry loudly into them.
A few others left at this, also becoming emotional, leaving only the Beltosh’s, Greenfields, and the still unconscious Annabel.
The trio continued their embrace, letting the larger stallion cry out his sorrow.
As this happened, the doors blew open as a mare rushed in, dropping writing supplies and books as she went. “Is it true?! THE Frederic is back?!”
“Babel, wait up!” Roxxy yelled as she rushed in after the excited mare.
The pair came to a stop a few feet away from the emotional scene, both looking a bit surprised.
“Oh!” Babel exclaimed as everyone looked at them with looks of confusion. “Did you just tell him his family is dead?”
“Babel!” Roxxy yelped as she pulled her back.
“What?” she asked with a look of surprise on her face.
“Remember what we talked about?” Roxxy said quietly. “You need to not approach sensitive topics with that much energy.”
“Ah! Yeah yeah! My bad guys!” she laughed as she dropped all of her supplies and fell on her flank. “Give me a minute to get ready!”
“Ready for what?” Frederic asked as he wiped his face, releasing Lance and Twilight.
“I’m out,” Shayla announced as she spun on her heels and left the room abruptly.
“What’s about to happen?” he asked again, looking around at everyone.
“I’m sorry, pal,” Lance whispered as he backed away. “That one is kind of… our biggest fan?”
“We have fans?”
“Oh you’ve missed a lot…”
“SO!” Babel suddenly yelled out, scooting across the ground on her flank to sit before Frederic. “Why did you bring Luna’s wedding dress to Pleasant Fields?”
“... What?” he asked, blinking rapidly in surprise.
“It’s one of the biggest questions my fellow Dreamers ask all the time on the fan website!” She answered, holding up her notebook. “So? The answer?”
“Huh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, seeming to be at a loss. “It was so long ago-”
“Yes, but it’s important lore. Think HARD please!”
Frederic looked at those around him, getting a few looks of sympathy in return. “Eh…”
“Tell her, Freddy,” Lance snickered.
“Oh fine, just don’t post this anywhere, off the record, alright?” he said, getting a smile from Babel. “I liked to wear the dress, okay?”
“Noted!” she said as she wrote that down.
“Hey I said off the record!”
“Mhm! And I didn’t agree!” she said with a happy smile. “Next question! I’ve read Lance’s old notes, he mentioned your mother. What happened with that?”
“My mother?” Frederic asked, glancing at Lance.
“Oh, yeah, I may have put one of our private conversations in my notes… that she got her hooves on,” Lance said sheepishly.
“Of course,” he said with a sigh before regarding the small mare before him. “There’s not much to tell. She appeared in Equestria and we banished her to some pocket dimension.”
“Was she straight evil?”
“Eh… yes?” Frederic muttered.
“Babel, let’s change that topic,” Lance said, knowing this was a sore topic for his friend.
A frown appeared on her face as she adjusted her glasses. “But this is a very important line of questions. The Frederic mom theory’s are-”
“Babel,” Roxxy said from behind her, causing her to sigh loudly.
“Fine, next question,” she groaned, chewing on her pencil as she thought to herself. “Ah yes! I read a line in Lance’s notes about Pleasant Fields, and an off hand comment you made that didn’t make it into the actual book!”
“Oh shit,” Lance snickered, trying to hide his smile.
“Lance, you didn’t write that down!” Frederic growled.
“Did you in fact say,” Babel began, checking her notes. “I’m a bit miffed that he chose you over me. Am I not good looking as well?” she quoted, looking up at him expectantly.
“Why’d you record that comment, Lance? I was drunk when I made it!”
“It was funny,” Lance countered with a laugh.
“So you DID say it,” Babel mumbled as she made some notes. “The shippers will love that one.”
“We have SHIPPERS?!” he exclaimed, causing the others to laugh again.
“That is a large portion of the fandom actually,” she answered. “What are your thoughts on-”
“Babs, can you hold back on any more questions till after he’s settled in?” Roxxy asked, patting her back.
“But we need to know all this! The fans on the new website are already asking for more lore updates!” she whined, slapping her hoof against her notebook. But Roxxy’s raised eyebrow got her to let out a loud exasperated sigh. “Can I ask ONE more?”
“Yes,” Roxxy said as she took a step back.
“Awesomesauce,” she said as she looked Frederic right in the eyes. “Hard hitting question, one that’s bugged me for YEARS!”
“Go for it,” he said, a bit nervous.
“Anarchy, aka Annabel, turned out to be the one behind EVERYTHING the early Bronies dealt with, especially all the sexual junk. And then it was recently revealed she actually has a butt load of trauma that caused all that. My question is: did you know?”
“About?” he asked, looking very uncomfortable.
“Any of it.”
He shook his head slowly, “no… I did not know any of the stuff she was up to. Especially that she was behind all the… sexual stuff.”
“But how?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve gone over EVERYTHING. You two were very close on Earth, from when you two were kids. If I’m correct, you met her when you were twelve and she was seven, correct?”
“... yes?” he answered, his discomfort increasing visibility. “Family friends, it’s not weird.”
“I didn’t say it was,” Babel chuckled, then became serious again. “With everything I know, you were there for the Lakeside Stalker incident, yet you NEVER brought it up during your time in Equestria. That information would have saved Annabel all those years ago. So why did you keep that to yourself?”
This question actually caused everyone to look at Frederic, which caused him to start sweating.
“I…” he stuttered. With a deep breath, he composed himself. “It wasn’t my place. She made me promise to never tell anyone.”
“Yes, while that could be true, why didn’t you break that promise to save her from banishment?” Then her eyes went wide, “wait, if you knew of the Lakeside Stalker incident, why didn’t you put two and two together when all the sexual things were happening? Like the Heats?”
“That’s a good question,” Lance muttered, looking at his friend with a frown.
Frederic looked between Babel and Lance, a tear rolling down his face. “I… didn’t want to tell you all this… because despite everything, I still care about Annabel. But… she used mind magic on me to keep me in line.”
This caused a few glances to be cast back at the still unconscious mare.
“So, let me get this straight,” Babel mumbled, making a few notes. “Annabel used her chaos magic to force you to comply, and it even persisted well after she was banished?”
“That’s the gist of it,” Frederic replied, looking a bit shameful. “It faded away after a little while, but by that point, I couldn’t bring myself to talk about her. It… hurt too much.”
“I understand that, Fred,” Lance said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I think that’s enough, Babel.”
Babel frowned, but stood up, still making notes. “I still have a lot of questions about you and Annabel, but I GUESS I can wait till later to ask them.”
“I’ll await you then,” Frederic said with a bow. “But I do have one question.”
“Sure, ask it!” Babel exclaimed, excited as she held up her notebook again.
“How did you learn all this?” he asked with a smile.
“Oh, I spoke with Annabel a few times and she told me,” she answered as she smiled up at him. “I have a book filled with questions if you want to-”
“Babel,” Roxxy interjected, causing the excitable mare to deflate.
“I plan to talk with you more later, young lady,” Frederic said, giving her a nod.
“Perfect then!” Babel said as she began to gather up all her supplies.
As she and Roxxy left, Frederic turned to the others. “No one has mentioned my daughter. Is she…?”
“Nova is alive,” Lance confirmed, causing him to let out a sigh of relief.
“Where is she right now?”
“The Palace, she’s been very busy lately,” Lance answered. “Do you want to go see her?”
“Of course,” Frederic answered with a smile. “Alone, of course. I’ve missed her deeply over these past few years.”
Scamp raised an eyebrow at him, seeming to sense something as he spoke, causing him to feel a bit nervous.
“Uh… Scamp? Are you okay?” he asked directly.
“I am, why do you ask?” she said, her eyebrow raising even more.
“Sorry, I guess I’ve just been out of social interactions for too long,” he said with a forced laugh.
“Hm,” she said with a nod.
With that he walked past everyone and knelt next to Annabel. “I’m going to bring her with me, I need to apologize for… everything I guess.”
“She’s going to be excited to see you,” Lance chuckled. “I mean, seeing you caused her to pass out, so at least she seems to have missed you just as much.”
“Childhood friends,” Frederic said with a smile as he put a hoof on her. “I’ll be seeing you guys soon, after my family reunion.”
“Good luck, Freddy,” Lance said with a nod. “Just don’t overwhelm Nova. She’s been having a rough time due to…”
“I know how to approach my daughter,” Frederic assured him with a wink. He gave them a salute as his horn flashed, causing both him and Annabel to disappear.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 330 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-15T17:44:45+00:00
|
2023-05-15T17:44:44+00:00
| 211 |
Chapter 4
The door to the study opened, causing Nova to groan as she continued going over the paperwork before her. She didn’t even look up to see who had entered, assuming it was one of her assistants. “Yes?”
“Hey, sweetie,” a familiar voice said, causing her to freeze.
Her head snapped up, her eyes going wide as she saw her father standing in the doorway, a bright smile on his face. A bright light flashed as she cast a spell on the stallion, shock overtaking her as she confirmed it was indeed her father and not a trick.
“D-dad?” she stuttered as he walked further into the room. “But… you…”
“I know,” he said as he walked around the table and pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been here for you guys. I was fighting so hard to get back to you all.”
The shock she felt kept her from having a strong initial reaction, but as she was hugged by her father, she finally let it all out as she wrapped her forelegs around him. Burying her face into his neck she finally let all the stress out as she cried into him.
“Shh, it’s alright,” he said in a soothing voice, patting her back. “I’m here now.”
They held the embrace for a long moment before she finally pushed herself back, staring at him with a tear stained face.
“We needed you! Mom needed you!” she yelled, all of her emotions finally showing after years of hiding them.
“I know, I didn’t choose to leave you all like that,” he said calmly, his own tears running down his face.
“Star Chaser needed you!” she all but roared as she shoved him back roughly. “Why did you have to play hero and go fight the Watcher?! Lance was the only one who should have gone!”
“Mistakes were made, all I can say is I’m sorry,” he said just as calmly.
“Mistakes?!” She snapped, walking away from him to stare out the window. “Mom and Star Chaser is dead, and you say ‘mistakes were made’?”
“I’m… having trouble processing everything that has happened,” he admitted, stepping up next to her. “I’ve spent the last thirteen years alone fighting monsters, my emotions are… dulled.”
She just scoffed at him, shaking her head. “I looked for you,” she suddenly said, staring out the window. “As soon as we gained access to Dimensional travel I left to see if I could find you. Because I just had this feeling you were alive.”
He did not answer as he stared at her, letting her speak.
“Know what I found?” she asked, turning her head to him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Yeah. You already know,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought that was a fake you, or an alternative. I guess it was you after all.”
“Why didn’t you contact me then?”
“Because I was so sure you, the real you, were dead. Because there was no way you would be alive and not come back to us. So that HAD to be a different version of you.” She turned to him fully, her own eyes narrow as they stared at each other. “So you’ve lied to me, saying you were trapped in a dimension fighting monsters. You were out adventuring and doing whatever you wanted, without a care in the world.” She took a heavy step up to him, getting face to face with him. “I KNOW you knew what was happening here. So tell me, why?”
“Nothing I say will appease you,” he said with a sigh. “Can I explain myself?”
“No need,” she said bluntly. “Get out. I’m done with you. You abandoned this family, willingly, for whatever reason, and let Star Chaser go down a very dark path. If you’d been here… he would not have gotten to that point.”
“Star Chaser did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Frederic suddenly said, catching her off guard. “You’re the one who strayed from the path.”
“What… are you saying?” she asked, her eyes twitching.
“There’s no need explaining it,” he said with a sigh as his horn flashed and an object appeared next to her. “At least Star wasn’t a disappointment,” he said coldly as the object flashed, causing her to collapse. Once she hit the ground, he turned around and kicked the table in anger. “Fucking damn it. Why’d she have to get my smarts?!”
A groan behind him caused him to turn around and take on a more caring expression.
“What?” she muttered as she slowly pushed herself up, looking a bit dazed. “What happened? Dad?”
“You passed out when you saw me, you were so excited to finally have your dad back in your life that you overloaded,” he said calmly.
“I did?” she mumbled, still out of it.
The object flashed a few more times as her eyes took on the same color as the flashes. “Yes. You also told me about an alternate me you saw, but you realized it was a different me. I’ve been stuck in a different dimension this entire time, and you believe me.”
“I of course believe you, dad,” she replied.
“Good, and you’ll always believe me, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good good,” he said as he tossed the object back into his pocket dimension.
After a few moments she blinked and smiled as she stared up at him. “Dad!”
“Hey, sweetie!” he laughed as they hugged again. “You okay? You fell kinda hard just now.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him as he pulled her up to her hooves. “I’m more worried about you! You just got back from fighting monsters?”
“Yes, fighting monsters,” he confirmed.
“Come on, Dad, let’s get you looked over first before we do anything else, okay?” she said, waving for him to follow.
“No,” he said firmly, causing her to turn to look at him. “I’m okay. But I do need something, if you can help me, honey.”
“Of course, dad,” she replied, turning to him. “What are you needing?”
A smirk took his face. “The Elements of Harmony.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
A groan escaped Annabel’s throat as she slowly came to, her eyes opening to reveal nothing. Confusion overtook her as she tried to look around, but realized she was in a dark room, on a hard floor. She moved her hoof to her face and heard the sounds of chains on a metal floor, causing her entire body to seize up. Her breathing caught as she sat there, not moving.
“How much did you tell them?” a voice echoed around the room, startling her.
“F-Fred?” she all but whimpered, her eyes darting around in the darkness.
“How much did you tell them?” the voice repeated, less patient this time.
“Freddy I’m sorry! I promise I didn’t tell anyone anything!” she screamed, her panic taking over as she began to hyperventilate.
“That annoying mare seems to know a lot about me,” he growled, seeming to be close to her.
“I told them about my stuff, not yours!” she yelled. “I didn’t tell anyone you were directing me!”
“Shut up,” he hissed with a stomp. “Why would you reveal anything to them? They’re not your friends. They hate you.”
“I-I know! But a few of them are trying to help me-”
“Out of pity, they feel sorry for you. Unlike me, they don’t care about you at all. If it wasn’t for me, you’d have died all those years ago when you tried to OD,” he said as he stepped up to her in the darkness. “Do you really think they’ll ever accept you? Did you think pushing the blame on me would make them like you?”
“I swear, I wasn’t going to tell anyone about you! I kept it out of my diaries and-”
“You kept diaries?” he growled. “Great, what do they know about me?”
“Nothing! They still love you, Fred! I promise!”
“Not my Daughter,” he muttered as he flicked on a light, revealing they were in a shipping container, with her chained to the floor. Very similar to the situation she’d been in all those years ago.
“No no no no,” she began to mutter as she curled in on herself. “Not here, please, Fred…”
“I wouldn’t have had to do this if you’d stayed loyal to me,” he said coldly. He used this as a punishment to keep her in line, as it always worked in the past. It had become his go to after she was rescued from the Lakeside Stalker all those years ago.
“I… swear I didn’t betray you… You’re my only friend, I wouldn’t do that…” she mumbled, eyes wide as she laid there in the fetal position.
“Lies, if you really considered me your only friend, you wouldn’t have done this to me,” he snapped, punching the wall and shaking the whole container.
“Fred…” she winced as she shut down and began to mumble to herself.
“Maybe a night down memory lane will fix your loyalty issues,” he said as he spun around and walked for the other end, leaving her there. He glanced back, watching her have one of her break downs, and rolled his eyes. “Drama queen,” he spat out as he shut off the light, plunging the room into darkness yet again.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“So, Fred’s back?” Jun asked aloud as he piled more food onto his plate. “That’s neat I guess.”
He spun around and walked back to his table, dropping his food onto it and sitting down.
“I wonder where he’s been,” he said, nodding to his companion. “Probably fucking off doing who knows what,” he mused. “That guy was always up his own ass anyways. No idea what they all see in him.”
Letting out a loud burp he glanced around before leaning across the table, “what do you think? You think he’s up to something?”
His companion, his body pillow of the late Queen Twilight, did not provide an answer to him. He’d ‘found’ it in an abandoned store a few days ago.
Despite the body pillow not responding, he nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I also never trusted him. I may have been the ‘villain’, but he always made me uncomfortable when I was in the same room as him. Weird ass guy.”
Laughing to himself, he leaned back, looking around his messy trailer. A moment of sadness flashed over him, but he quickly recovered and went back to being cheerful.
“Oh well, at least I’m not alone, right, Queenie?” he chuckled, playfully slugging the side of the pillow. This caused it to slump over and hit the floor, leaving him sitting there with a blank look on his face. “... fuck I’m pathetic.”
“Pathetic and a traitor,” a cold voice said from behind him.
“Shit,” Jun cursed as he tried to jump forward, away from whoever was behind him, but he found himself caught in a strong magical grasp and was thrown through the wall of his trailer. His body bounced across the ground a few times before crashing through a tree, bringing it down onto his trailer, finishing it off.
“Oh come on, I JUST got that place set up!” he groaned as he pushed himself up, just in time for his assailant to appear before him. His eyes went wide as he looked up at the stallion before him, a sheepish smile appearing on his face. “Fred! You gotta know I was just talking out my ass, trying to impress my lady friend.”
Frederic only raised an eyebrow as he stared down at the smaller Pegasus.
Then his earlier words hit him as he stood up fully before the Alicorn. “Wait, traitor? I haven't betrayed Lance and them. I mean they’re ignoring me and treating me like trash, again, but I haven’t done anything against them for it.”
“I’m not talking about them,” Frederic said calmly. He then leaned down to the confused stallion, putting his mouth next to his ear. “You betrayed Lilith.”
“Fuck,” Jun hissed as he transformed into his Demon form just in time to take a direct hit to the face. The trees behind him were demolished as he crashed through them as the Alicorn followed after him.
Jun landed on his hooves, spinning to face the incoming threat. The next hit landed on his face, but his body didn’t move this time as he held his ground, muscles rippling.
The two locked eyes as Frederic sprang back, seeming to rethink his approach.
“What the hell, bro? When did you switch to Lilith’s side?” Jun asked, heavily confused by this new development.
“Day one,” Frederic answered.
“That figures, you always were kinda gay,” Jun countered with a chuckle. “Guess your dad was right about you.”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hold your tongue,” Frederic growled, two swords appearing next to him, held in his magical grasp.
“Nah, fuck you,” Jun laughed, flexing at Frederic. “Yo daddy said you cried when he caught you sexually harassing your mom.”
“Lies from a spiteful old man,” Frederic yelled, seeming to lose his cool.
“I saw the memories, you inncest freaky boy. Your dad killed your dumb ass for fucking your mom,” Jun threw back, still flexing on him. “So come on, hit me with your best shot.”
“I have a better idea,” Frederic said with a sinister smile as he teleported them closer to town.
“Why are we-” Jun began, but Frederic dashed into him and jammed both blades into his chest, which only caused Jun to laugh as he grabbed the hilts and held them in place. “Bruh, come on, you know that won’t kill me, right?”
“Guys! Help!” Frederic suddenly yelled out, surprising Jun. “Jun’s gone crazy and is trying to kill me! HELP!”
“Bro, what are you doing?” Jun asked, raising an eyebrow as he continued to hold onto the blades.
“What the fuck, Jun?!” Lance’s voice called out from behind him, startling Jun even more.
“Lance?” he asked, starting to turn, which allowed Frederic to pull his blades free and slice across Jun’s throat, cutting his voice off. This of course wouldn’t kill him, but that wasn’t his plan here.
“What’s going on?!” Lance demanded as he, Lacy, and Twilight rushed towards the pair.
“I don’t know!” Frederic exclaimed, dashing back. “I ran into him and he asked how I got out of the Watcher’s trap, and then started spouting nonsense about some woman named Lilith and how I’m too great of a threat to keep around!”
His words seemed to hit each of them differently as they looked at Jun as he struggled to reform his injured throat, but the wounds seemed to be healing much slower than normal.
“He also said something about me getting in the way of their plans, whatever that means!” Frederic added, which seemed to be enough to get Lance’s mind working.
“Explain yourself, Jun,” Lance declared as all eyes fell on the Demonized Jun.
He turned to Lance, coughing as he struggled to heal the wounds, locking eyes with the other man. He started to approach them, but a strange feeling overcame his body. Without warning he launched forward against his will and his hoof struck out for Lance.
“Jun?!” Lance yelped as Lacy intercepted and kicked the incoming stallion aside, sending him crashing through some brush.
“I told you!” Frederic yelled to them as he spun his swords in the air.
“Is he possessed by something?” Lacy asked, glancing around suspiciously.
“Possibly,” Twilight mused, a grim look on her face. “But I think our fears have come true. He may not have ever truly been on our side.”
“Yes, exactly!” Frederic added as he rushed past them. “I’ll handle him, go get the others!”
“I’m coming,” Lacy stated as she dashed after him, much to the Alicorn’s displeasure.
“I can handle him on my-”
“Don’t care, I need to speak to this dumb ass,” she growled as she cut him off.
“Very well,” Frederic relented as they burst through the foliage to find Jun sitting there with his hooves up.
“What the fuck is up with you?!” Lacy screamed in anger as she landed a few feet away from him.
“It’s… not me,” Jun choked out, his voice still gravely from the damage he’d received.
“You attacked Lance, looked like you to me,” she snapped, bonking him on the head with her hoof. “You possessed or some shit?”
“Yes!” he forced out.
“By who?”
“Frederic!” he yelled, pointing past her at the stationary Alicorn just watching them.
She narrowed her eyes, locking them with Jun’s as she read his reactions. A long moment passed before she gave a nod to him. In a flash her large sword appeared next to her and she spun to confront the Alicorn behind her. But as she turned she found herself face to face with some kind of floating orb.
“You Lance’s are always a troublesome bunch,” Frederic said as the orb flashed and she collapsed.
“What the fuck?!” Jun growled as he forced himself.
“You’re done, clone,” Frederic said calmly as he moved closer, kneeling next to the slowly recovering Lacy. He whispered something in her ear, causing her to ridge and jump up, her eyes locking with Jun’s.
“Uh… you good, Lacy?” Jun asked as complete rage took over her face.
“You tried to…” she began, her sword flashing to her side as she squared up with the worried looking Jun. “... I thought we were becoming friends.”
“We are?” he said, turning to the smiling Frederic.
“What have you done?”
“Me?” Frederic asked, feigning shock. “You’re the one who tried to take advantage of her after you knocked her out.”
“What?” Jun deadpanned with an amused look on his face.
“You’re fucking dead,” Lacy said in a low voice as she took hold of her weapon.
He looked between the pair, a look of defeat and pain on his face. “... fuck this shit. Fuck all of you,” he said as his wings flared and he shot backwards, disappearing into the forest.
Lacy started to go after him, but Frederic stopped her. “No, you need to go get looked at, he hit you rather hard after all.”
She spat onto the ground as she took a step back, turning to the sounds of someone coming their way.
Scamp burst through the foliage, landing before them as she stood up straight, a pissed off look on her face as she glared at Frederic, then to Lacy. “What happened? They said Jun attacked you guys?”
“Guys lost his shit,” Lacy hissed, kicking a rock into the forest. “He fuckign tried to… fuck, he tried to do shit to me when he knocked me out!”
“...” Scamp looked to Frederic, who only sighed and nodded his head. “How could he knock you out?”
“I-”
“She tried to talk to him and he hit her unexpectedly,” Frederic interjected, getting a slow nod from Lacy.
“Yeah, I guess I fucked up big time or something,” she grumbled as she rubbed her head. “I’mma kill him for… trying that shit on me.”
“Get to Calypso,” Scamp ordered as she walked past them. “I’ll go after him and figure this out.”
“I’ll come as well,” Frederic offered.
“Yes, you will,” Scamp said firmly, giving him a side eye. “Lead the way.”
“Can do, Mrs. Scamp,” he said with a bow, taking the lead as Lacy stood there, seeming confused.
“Lacy,” Scamp said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Go get looked at.”
“I’m… going,” she said, seeming to be trying to work something out in her mind.
Scamp gave her a reassuring nod as she followed Frederic, her eye narrowing at his back side. Things weren’t adding up in his favor.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 331 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-15T19:12:29+00:00
|
2023-05-15T19:12:29+00:00
| 216 |
Chapter 5
The pair moved along in silence, following the trail of broken branches and disturbed bushes, slowly catching up on the fleeing Jun. Scamp was watching him closely, gauging him and his actions. She wasn’t enjoying the vibe he was giving off, but she was trying to give him at least the benefit of the doubt. This courtesy was only due to his connection to Lance and the original book, as most others she would have put under the lamp by this point.
“We’re getting close,” Frederic announced as they heard the sounds of distant crashing. Jun seems.
“Question,” Scamp suddenly said, causing him to slow momentarily.
“Yes?” he asked, quickly recovering and moving forward at a steady pace.
“The dimension you were trapped in,” she began carefully. “Why did the Watcher put you there?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” he admitted with a sigh. “I never even got to see the guy after he sent us there.”
“It’s just a bit strange he sent you and the others to a different dimension, instead of adding you to his collection,” she pressed, a nonchalant tone to her voice. “Just not his M.O.”
“I really don’t have an answer here. He wanted Lance, not us.”
“Then he’d have killed you,” she added, stepping over a fallen tree. “He wasn’t the kind of foe to mess around.”
“You don’t trust me, do you?” Frederic asked, not slowing down.
“I do not,” she confirmed plainly.
“What can I do to gain your trust?” he said as he turned his gaze to her.
“Want the quick way? Let me into your head to view your memories,” she replied, side eying him hard.
He frowned, but gave a nod. “Okay. We can have Twilight do the spell when we get-”
“Can’t you do the spell?” she asked, her lip curling into a sly smile. “If I remember correctly, Lance has said you could cast it with ease.”
“I don’t think we should do it out here while hunting for a murderous clone,” he countered, but she just shrugged.
“I’ll risk it.”
He clicked his tongue as he started to say something, but an angry yell from up ahead drew his attention. “Hold that thought!” he exclaimed as he rushed down the newly created path.
Scamp narrowed her eyes as she ran after him, his responses not helping his case at all.
They came into a clearing to find Jun punching a lone tree, seeming to be taking his frustrations out.
“Jun!” Scamp called out to him, causing him to stop and turn to them.
His angry expression melted when he saw her, but reignited when he looked at Frederic.
“Scamp, you gotta listen to me, he’s not-” he started to say but he suddenly rocketed towards her and attempted to attack her with an outstretched hoof.
With practiced ease she deflected his attack and allowed him to sail past her, not attacking him. “Hm,” she turned to face him, squaring up with him. “Jun. Tell me exactly what this is about.”
He started to talk, but he launched for her yet again. This time Frederic jumped between them and made a few slices as he flew past, removing one of his front legs and cutting his throat again.
Jun hit the ground and rolled a few times before catching himself, seeming extremely frustrated.
“I got you, Scamp,” Frederic declared, giving her a wink.
“How about you stop ‘helping’ and let me handle this,” she said with a hint of anger in her voice as she dashed towards Jun, who remained where he was and held his remaining foreleg up.
Coming to a stop before him, she grabbed his foreleg and held it firmly. “Now’s your chance, Jun. Speak.”
A gurgling sound escaped his lips as he used a wing to point at his throat.
“Okay. Take your time recovering,” she said, not letting him go and turning them so she could watch Frederic as well.
“Scamp,” Frederic called out.
“What?” she asked, keeping her eyes on both of them.
“I think the best course of action would be to finish him off right here and now. He’s always been a major threat to us in the past, he’ll-”
“Let me handle this,” she interrupted him, watching as the wounds slowly healed, taking note that they were taking longer than they normally did.
“I am, but I’m offering you the best solution to this new threat. Jun will never-”
“Frederic, if you want me to trust you,” she snapped, turning her attention to him. “Then you need to let me handle this the way-” a sharp pain caused her to stop talking as she grunted loudly, turning her eye back to a shocked Jun, his suddenly fully regenerated foreleg outstretched and gripping her now broken wing.
She reacted on instinct as she punched him in the face, sending him skidding back as she sprang back, trying to access her damage.
Jun jumped up and started to move back towards her, but she stopped him with a glare. “Do not move! No one move!” she bellowed, her anger bursting forth as she grimaced at the feeling of her left wing hanging loosely at her side.
“Scamp! Are you-” Frederic started to say, stepping towards her, but she pointed her good wing at him, her eye ablaze with fury.
“I said do not move!” she roared, stopping him in his tracks. “I do not know what the fuck is going on here, but we’re not moving till I figure it out!”
Coughing violently, Jun looked at her, “S-Scamp, I didn’t-”
“Silence for one minute!” she demanded, trying to reel in the situation. This situation had taken a turn and she needed a moment to regain her composure. She’d let her guard down, and now she wasn’t so sure what was going on. Jun seemed to be under some kind of outside influence, but she wasn’t sure if it was from Frederic or Lilith.
“I’m always the fucking bad guy!” Jun exclaimed as he suddenly spun around and took off running into the forest again.
“Jun, freeze!” she yelled, but he continued forward. “Damn it!”
“I got him,” Frederic declared as he took off after him.
“No, you freeze as well!” she ordered, but he just threw a salute towards her and continued after the fleeing Jun.
Gritting her teeth, she knew she needed to chase after them to make sure neither of them killed the other. There were questions she needed answered, and having either of them dead would not help her in the slightest.
Jun led them on a chase through the forest, staying just ahead of them Frederic didn’t seem to be trying to catch up, as he kept pace with Scamp. She kept her attention on him, as her suspicions of him had increased dramatically at this point.
They began to go uphill as Jun tore through anything in his past.
“What is your plan?” Frederic asked as they continued upward.
“My plan?” she hissed. “When we catch up to him both of you are calming down and we are teleporting back to town, then we’ll figure this out with the others.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said with a nod. “I’m sorry if I’ve been difficult, I just do not like being attacked like this. Jun is an old enemy of mine and there’s a lot of history between us.”
“Mhm,” she mumbled back, keeping her eye on him.
Finally they reached the top, where Jun came to a halt right at the edge of a cliff, with a steep fall before him with nothing but forest below.
“Jun, stop,” Scamp ordered as they neared him.
“Scamp, Frederic is the bad guy here, not me!” he yelled as he backed up to the ledge. “I’m being framed.”
“If that’s true,” Scamp said firmly, watching Frederic’s reaction. He remained stoic. “Then lay down and let us take you back to town. We’ll sort everything out then.”
“No one will believe me!”
“If what you say is true, I’m willing to hear you out,” Scamp assured him. “I’ll have them check your memories.”
“You promise?” he asked, his shoulders slumping slightly.
“I promise,” she replied, causing him to start to smile. Then without warning he seemed to spring backward and rocket away into the forest below.
“Damn it!” she cursed as she took a few steps forward, watching him disappear into the trees below. Then she cursed again as she realized she’d taken her eyes off of Frederic.
Spinning around, she found herself face to face with a floating orb.
“So close, Scamp,” Frederic chuckled as the orb began to flash. “Biggest threat my ass.” His smirk slowly faded however as Scamp remained standing, her furious eye locked with his. The orb flashed a few more times as he tried to use it against her, but nothing seemed to happen as she suddenly hit it with her metal hoof, causing it to shatter into tiny shards of glass. A yelp escaped him as he stumbled back.
“So that’s what you did? Mind controlled Lacy?” she snarled, stepping towards him. “I knew there was something up with you.”
“Now, Scamp,” he began, but she pounced on him, taking him to the ground in an instant. Despite his larger size, she was much more skilled than him and she quickly subdued him, holding his hooves behind his back as she pressed his face into the dirt.
“Fuck me, you’re a strong one,” she grunted as he fought against her. “Stop resisting!” she yelled as she elbowed the back of his head. His horn began to glow as a few items appeared around them, but she instantly grabbed his horn with her metal hand and jerked it violently, breaking it at the base.
A loud scream filled the air as Frederic began to thrash about violently, the items dropping around them.
“If you don’t stop, I’m not liable for-” she began, but she suddenly stopped talking as she froze in place.
“You bitch!” Frederic yelled as she shoved her frozen form to the side and rolled to his hooves, grabbing at his stub of a horn. “My horn?!” he roared, his wing holding a runed item in its grasp.
Scamp’s eye was locked on him, confusion mixed in with the anger.
“Fuck!” he yelled out again as he paced around. He then held up the item in his wings grasp. “I bet you’re wondering what the hell just happened, huh?!” he asked angrily as he stepped up to her, waving the item in front of her face. “Well you just made me waste the only one I had! Say hello to being paralyzed for the next five hours!”
He then began to hit her repeatedly, cursing loudly as he did so. “Not that it matters!” he yelled as he continued his ruthless attack. “You won't be alive for it anyways!”
Once he was satisfied, he hefted her up with his hooves and threw her over the cliff's edge.
“For good fucking measure,” he growled as he grabbed one of the items on the ground and twisted it, causing it to glow. He pointed it downward, causing a massive ball of energy to shoot straight down after her.
He couldn’t see if it hit her, so he kept firing it, destroying the entire forest below him. Once he was sure she and possibly Jun were dealt with, he grabbed a second item and tossed it over the ledge. He then teleported away, and moments later a massive explosion destroyed the forest below, and the cliff they’d been on.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 332 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-15T23:22:50+00:00
|
2023-05-15T23:22:49+00:00
| 202 |
Chapter 6
A massive mushroom cloud formed in the distance as an explosion rocked the town, causing everyone to begin to panic.
“What the hell just happened?!” Lance said as he ran to the edge of the town, staring at the distant cloud of debris and dirt that were thrown into the air.
“Is that from them fighting Jun?” Shayla asked as she and Domitor stood off to the side, having been getting ready to go after her mother and Frederic.
“I don’t think Jun had an attack like that,” Lacy muttered, her mood still sour.
“We need to get moving then, they clearly need our help!” Lance yelled as he spread his wings, preparing to take off.
Just as he was about to take flight, a portal opened near them, and a wounded Frederic flopped out of it, hitting the ground with a groan.
“Fred!” Lance yelled as he rushed over and lifted his friend. “Someone get Calypso!”
Domitor dashed off as Shayla stepped forward, eying the portal as it lingered for a moment. When it snapped shut she worked her jaw, glancing to the heavily wounded Alicorn.
“Where’s my mother?” she asked roughly.
Frederic winced as he forced himself up into a sitting position, holding his side where a shallow cut sat. “Jun got a power up from that woman he called Lilith and he almost killed me,” he groaned. “I got the upper hand and was about to beat him, but then he decided to self-destruct… he…”
“What?” Shayla asked roughly.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a wince.
“Why are you fucking apologizing?!” she demanded. “Where is my fucking mother?!”
“She… saved me,” he finally said, going limp as seemed to pass out from his injuries.
“No…” Lance muttered, turning his gaze towards the slowly dissipating cloud in the distance.
“There’s no fucking way Jun would be able to take her out,” Lacy said in disbelief.
“What the fuck do you mean?” Shayla asked with a snarl, not catching the hint.
“Scamp, she…” Lance began, but he hesitated.
“Frederic is saying she died,” Lacy deadpanned, causing Shayla to seize up.
“No, he’s fucking wrong. Guys a fucking failure, can’t even fight Jun. My mother wouldn’t get taken out like that,” she said with a growl, her muscles twitching as she clenched her fist.
“I agree with you,” Lacy said, nodding her head towards the cloud in the distance. “Let’s go see if Scamp needs our help, yeah?”
“Let’s go,” Shayla said as she flared her wings. The two of them took off, leaving Lance and Frederic alone.
As soon as they were gone, Frederic gasped out, seeming to just be waking up. He started to get up, but Lance held him down.
“Stay down, buddy,” he warned. “You need to wait for Calypso to check on you before you move around.”
“I’m sorry,” he whimpered. “I’ve only made things worse since I came back.”
“No you haven’t,” Lance assured him. “You exposed Jun while the rest of us were fooled by him. If you hadn’t been here, he would have done who knows what.”
“But Scamp…”
A pained look overtook Lance’s face. “Are you sure she…”
“I’m sure,” he replied, tears running down his face. “She saved me, Lance.”
Lance could only nod as tears ran down his own face.
“We need to take down this Lilith character, as soon as possible,” Frederic said with a determined look on his face.
“Don’t worry,” Lance said. “We’re going to get her.”
“If you don’t mind,” Frederic began with a pained smile. “I actually have an idea on how to handle her.”
“I’m all ears,” Lance said, eyes narrowing. “Tell me what you need and I’ll make it happen.”
“Thanks, Lance,” he said with a smile. “There is something you can do for me…”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Frederic stepped out of the portal into the vacant dimension that used to be his old home dimension, before the Rapture emptied it of all life. The perfect place to hide things he wanted out of sight. As he strolled away from the flickering portal, eyes locked on the container ahead, he failed to notice someone else slipped through behind him.
A loud metallic grinding sound was heard as the doors to the shipping container were pulled open, casting light onto the curled up form of Annabel. She let out a whimper as Frederic stepped into view, walking towards her.
“It’s been six hours, do we need to do the full twenty four?” he asked as he knelt down next to her.
“No no, please,” Annabel mumbled, staring up at him desperately. “I-I-I never betrayed y-you, I promise!”
“Hm,” he hummed, tapping his hoof against the floor as he pretended to be considering something. “If I let you out right now, what would you do?”
“What e-ever you wanted!”
“Good, so you’re willing to go back to how things were?”
“Yes!”
“You’re not going to try and spill any secrets you think you know about me?”
“I swear I won’t! I’d never do that to you!”
“Hm…” he hummed again. “Maybe we should finish out the full twenty four hours…”
“Fred please…” she begged as she began to cry again. “I’ll do whatever you want, just stop this, please!”
“We’ll see,” he chuckled as he stood up. “Tomorrow.”
“Fred!” she screeched as he turned around, eyes going wide as he saw someone peeking in at them. They pulled away as he dashed forward.
Upon exiting the crate he saw a portal sitting open as someone, a woman with black hair, jumped through it. He vaguely recognized her from Lilith’s memories, which meant she was a problem.
“Fuck,” he growled as he rushed back in and stood above Annabel. “You want to prove yourself and never come back here?”
“Yes!” she cried out.
“Then you’re coming with me, and you’re going to do as I say, got that?!” he roared as he began to undo her chains.
She could only frantically nod her head yes as he hauled her to her hooves.
“Good,” he snapped as he pulled out a rune and touched it to her, removing all the dirt and grime from her, making her appear like she’d just woken up from a refreshing nap. “If you so much as act out of character even once, I will leave you here for the rest of eternity, do you hear me?!”
“Yes, Fred!” she said a bit eagerly, trembling as she desperately wanted out of this place.
“I swear if you betray me,” he snarled, but left the threat in the air as he dragged her out of the container and opened a portal. “Now, the story we’re going with is-”
ooo000<^>000ooo
Annabel and Frederic appeared outside the Mellowed Pie and casually walked inside. Frederic was tense as he expected to see the woman in question, but she was nowhere to be seen, just Lance and the other Bronies. Plus a few others who apparently had Holy Energy within them as well.
“Ah there you are,” Lance said as he quickly made his way over to Frederic and Annabel. “I got most of the Bronies, plus a few of the others who have been near God as well. Was there anything else you needed for this plan?”
“Yes,” Frederic said, still looking around a bit nervously. “Nova should be bringing the rest by soon.”
“So what is this plan you have for dealing with Lilith?” Cody asked as he stepped over to them, his signature scowl on his face.
“I’ll explain it once my daughter gets here,” Frederic assured him as he walked further into the room. “First, however, I need to discuss something I’ve just found out with all of you.”
He looked at each person, making note of the ones he needed to deal with, as requested by Lilith. Twilight Sparkle being at the top of that list, however she was not here, even though he had requested for her to be.
“What’s up?” Greg asked as he wheeled around the room lazily.
“I’ve found another agent of this Lilith here in this town, or rather, Annabel found them for me,” he said, getting a few solemn looks from those around him.
“Great,” Lance muttered. “Who is it this time?”
“Annabel, go ahead and tell them,” Frederic said, causing everyone to look at the meek mare.
Her body trembled as she tried to recall what she’d been told to say, forcing herself to do as she’s told. “I-It’s… Erm… Belle…”
Lance clicked his tongue in annoyance as the others showed their own displeasure in different ways. “I fucking knew she’d be a problem,” he growled.
“I told you we should have locked her ass up!” Louie exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. “Strawell told all of you as well that she shouldn’t be allowed to do whatever she wanted!”
“We didn’t touch her out of courtesy to Domitor,” Cody interjected.
“Well now look where we are?! Scamp’s dead and Lilith has her little agents among us, unchecked!” Louie roared as everyone else began to yell as well.
“Everyone!” Frederic boomed in his Royal Canterlot voice. “Cease this bickering. We just need to proceed with my plan and she won’t be a problem for much longer.”
As if on cue, the doors opened as Domitor stepped in, flanked by his mother in her human form.
“Speak of the devil,” Cody muttered as everyone got up and advanced on the pair who’d just entered.
“Guys,” Domitor began, taking note of the hostility they’d walked in on. “I know how we feel about her, but my mother just told me-”
“Step away from her, Domitor,” Lance ordered as everyone flanked them. “She’s working for Lilith.”
“No?” he said, a bit dumbfounded. “She just told me Frederic has Annabel trapped in another dimension as a prisoner.”
“Oh is that so?” Frederic said as he stepped aside to reveal Annabel. “Annabel, are you trapped as a prisoner anywhere?”
“N-No…” she muttered, averting her eyes from everyone else.
“Clever…” Belle said under her breath, her baggy eyes and tired expression never changing. “Should have come here first.”
“Domitor, for your own good,” Lance said carefully. “Step over here with me. She’s not on our side.”
Domitor looked at Annabel, then to his mother, a conflicted look on his face. He’d told her he’d give her a chance to prove to him she cared, and then she pulled something like this. And now he was being told she was working with Lilith.
“Damn it,” he hissed as he stepped away from her. “Is that true?”
“Would you even believe me?” she asked in an almost whisper, her slumped posture still unchanging.
“I honestly wish I could,” he said after a few moments. With that he joined the others, leaving her alone and surrounded.
“You tried,” Frederic said a bit smugly. “And you failed. Working against the people who took you in? That’s low.”
“You’re a piece of work, aren’t ya?” Belle asked as she looked around at the ponies around her. “This man is a manipulator. I don't know what he did to her, but she’s scared of him. Just open your eyes and really look at him.”
“If you tell us all you know about Lilith, we’ll let you leave the dimension,” Lance said, seeming to not care for her words. “That’s the only deal you’re getting right now.”
A sigh escaped her lips as she lowered her head. “I’m just ‘that one lackey of Lorenzo’ to all of you. That’s all you see when you look at me. You look past everything else about me and hyper focus on that… okay.” She looked to the smiling face of Frederic, “this will end badly for you.”
“It won’t,” he said with a growing smirk. “Because with my friends, nothing can stop me.”
“Ugh,” she groaned as she suddenly exploded with energy, pushing everyone back as she transformed into a Super Sayian and shot through the roof.
“Oh shit!” Lance yelped as he spread his wings. “Don’t let her-”
“No, let her go,” Frederic said, stopping everyone in their tracks. “She’s just a lackey, we’re going after Lilith herself. No need to split up now when we’re so close.”
Reluctantly, Lance lowered his wings, chewing on his lip. “... You’re right, Fred.”
“I know,” he chuckled as a flash behind him caused him to smile widely. “Perfect timing!”
“I’m sorry everyone,” Nova announced as she levitated a box up onto a table. “It took me longer than I thought it would to get the Elements gathered up. Shayla’s room was a mess and she had hers buried under a pile of clothes and trash.”
“You did good, sweetie,” Frederic praised her as he stepped over to the table and flipped the box open, his eyes gleaming as he looked upon the familiar Elements. He pulled an item out of his pocket dimension and smiled at it. An item he spent years trying to find. “You performed perfectly, honey.”
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 333 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-15T23:36:54+00:00
|
2023-05-15T23:36:54+00:00
| 256 |
Chapter 7
“What is that thing?” Lance asked as Frederic held up the item in his wing.
“This?” Frederic asked, holding up a horn from some kind of beast. “Nothing special, just the single most important item to exist that will help us achieve our goals.”
“Rad,” Greg chuckled. “Whats it do?”
“I’ll show you soon,” Frederic assured him.
“Also what’s the plan, dude?” Louie asked.
“It’s simple,” he began cheerfully. “I will use this item to empower the Elements, while all of you willingly give me all your Holy Energy. That way I can temporarily become strong enough to track down and kill this Lilith.”
“Didn’t she take all of our Holy Energy, though?” Greg questioned.
“I don’t think so,” Lance replied. “From what I know there is only so much someone can take against your will, which is why she apparently tried to make deals with everyone in the past. Like she did with Malbatorus.”
“That’s basically it,” Frederic confirmed. “If you willingly give it to me, I can take it all at once.”
“How do you know that?” Louie asked with a cocked head.
“Because I’m smart, Lou,” Frederic answered smugly.
“Hm, fair…” Louie muttered, rubbing his chin.
“So when do we begin?” Lance asked.
“Now’s good,” Frederic answered as he put on a necklace. “If everyone will form a circle around me, we can get this ball rolling.”
The group quickly did as he asked and surrounded him while he placed the horn on top of the Elements. A glow began to emit from the box as the six Elements of Harmony began to float into the air, along with the horn. They circled the dark horn and began to slowly spin around it as lights flashed from each of them.
“Fucking awesome,” Greg commented as a few dark wisp of almost transparent smoke poured from them and connected to Frederic.
“Alright guys,” he announced as he posed in the middle of them. “Hold out your hooves and open yourselves to me. I’ll take all the Holy Energy you got.”
Without hesitation the group held up their hooves and paw. Yellowish trails of energy began to pour from them and enter Frederic, causing the necklace to begin to glow brightly.
“There we go guys,” he praised as he began to float into the air. A smirk appeared on his face as he watched Annabel shrink back and try to hide under a table.
However the door to the Mellowed Pie being kicked open roughly wiped the smirk from his face as he saw an unexpected sight walk in.
“Everyone stop what you’re doing!” Scamp bellowed, her body covered in so many cuts and bruises that it was hard to understand how she was still standing.
“Scamp?!” Lance exclaimed happily as Shayla and Lacy walked in behind her, followed by a just as angry Jun. “Jun?!” Lance hissed as the energy continued to pour out of him and the others.
“Stop giving him your energy, now!” Scamp roared, her swollen eye emitting so much fury that everyone before her cowarded.
“Why?” Cody asked, deeply confused.
“Why is Jun here after he tried to kill you?!” Lance demanded.
Scamp locked eyes with the smirking Frederic. “It wasn’t Jun. Frederic tried to kill me after his mind control failed to manipulate me.”
“What?!” Everyone yelped at once.
“So fucking stop giving him energy, you dumbasses!” Lacy screamed, her anger almost rivaling Scamps.
“Oops too late,” Frederic laughed as he slammed his front hooves together, causing light to burst out of each Brony around him, dropping them to the floor instantly. A bright glow over took his body, blinding everyone momentarily.
Once it vanished, they found themselves looking at a completely restored Frederic, his horn back along with all the wounds on his body healed.
“Whew!” He laughed out, still floating. “Thank you all for being just as retarded as I remember you being.”
“What the fuck is going on, Freddy?!” Lance yelled up to him as he struggled to push himself up, but seemed to have no strength left in his body.
Frederic just rolled his eyes as he seemed to disregard Lance. “I’m not lowering myself anymore to speak to you.”
“Shayla,” Scamp said calmly, eye still locked on Frederic. “Cook his ass.”
A devilish smirk overtook Shayla’s face as she lowered herself into a practiced stance and held her hands low next to herself. Her Ego began to gather in her palms as she prepared to finish this fight before it even started.
“Cute,” Frederic said coolly as an item appeared next to him and shattered. Everything dimmed slightly as the Ego forming in Shayla’s hands faded away.
This left her staring stupidly at the floating Alicorn as he just smiled back at them.
“Fuck,” Scamp hissed, realizing immediately what must have happened.
“There is no point trying to fight me,” he said with a smug smirk. The Elements behind him changed into twisted versions of themselves, taking on a red hue that pulsed sinisterly. Yet they still seemed to be changing.
“Frederic, are you being possessed?!” Lance called out, getting a snarky laugh in return. “Because this isn’t you! You’re all about doing good!”
“You’re seeing the real me, Lance,” he said happily. “I’ve always been like this. Better than you all in every way. It just took selling you out to the Watcher to finally start getting what I deserved.”
“I refuse to believe it,” Lance growled as he continued to try to get up. “You’re like a brother to me! You’re a good man, Frederic! Just fucking tell me you’re under a spell or something and we’ll fix it!”
“I could play around and pretend I am under a spell, but I’m done waiting around to get what is owed to me.” He puffed up his chest as he beamed a smile at everyone around him. “I am a God who only lacked the power, but now,” he said as the Elements continued to spin behind him, now glowing with crackling crimson energy. “I have the means to gain my destined Godhood.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re such a faggot,” Greg spat out as he glared up at Frederic.
His words seemed to strike a nerve as the Alicorn spun to face him. “Greg fucking Campbell. You’ve been the biggest bane to my existence. I was so happy to hear that you became a cripple fighting that pretender.”
“I might be a cripple but at least I’m not you,” Greg countered with a smile.
“You wish you could be me,” Frederic said coldly. “A God unmatched.”
“Frederic, please,” Lance said, getting him to turn back to him. “We can still fix this. Lilith is the-“
“Lilith is nothing,” Frederic declared proudly. “The short sighted ‘First Woman’ is just a pawn in MY game. She thought she was the one in charge, but she’s not. I AM!”
“You didn’t let me finish,” Lance growled as he finally found his footing, wobbling as he stared up at Frederic.
“Then finish.”
“Lilith is the real threat here. She’s influencing you to-“
“Shut up!” Frederic bellowed as his temper flared. “You do not understand! I AM the one in control, not her! All of my actions are my own and everything is going the way I want them to go! Every single thing that has happened to you pathetic fuckers was be causing of me! The Heats?! Me! I made Annabel do them! She’s my bitch dog and she does EXACTLY what I say, when I say it! Every villain we’ve fought?! I made sure they would be a threat and I made damn sure they did what I wanted! All the rapes?! You all fucking deserved it, so I made them happen as payback for what you’ve done to me! None of you are my friends, just pawns in my grand scheme to get what I am owed! I could have had all this DECADES ago, but you all are selfish and narcissistic monsters! Keeping me from my destined Godhood! I should kill all of you right now, just for how you treated me all those years! I am the victim here! ME! I am the good guy! Do you not fucking get that?! You all think you’re ‘heroes’ but you're just monsters! Every single one of you! We’ll I’m done being your victim! I’m done letting you walk all over me! I have corrupted the Elements with the Horn of Satan and I am going to ascend so far that none of you will be able to touch me! You’re all the worst! The fucking worst! Always prancing around saying ‘we need to save the world!’ and ‘oh the power of friendship will save the day!’! It’s annoying! You’re all annoying and retarded! I can’t stand knowing you’re all still alive all the damn time!”
“Oh my god he’s fucking losing it,” Louie muttered as everyone stared on in uncomfortable silence as the Alicorn seemed to be having a mental break down.
“Me! I am the hero! Not all of you! I hate all of you! I HATE YOU ALL! You all had unlimited choices of what to be and you all chose fucking Pegasai! Fucking Pegasai! The ONLY good one of you was Graze, and then you all banished him for NOTHING! No more! I am done! Fuck you!” The Corrupted Elements began to spin around him as he seethed with unending rage. “I am THE God now! And you all will fucking respect ME and WORSHIP ME! Do you fucking hear me?! Now get out of my sight till I summon you!”
With that final scream of rage the six Corrupted Elements slammed into his body, causing him to shoot up through the roof and into the sky above.
“That guy has gone bat shit crazy,” Shayla exclaimed as everyone slowly recovered from the shock they’d just received.
“All of you stay down,” Scamp ordered as the ones who’d been affected by Frederic continued to try and get up.
“You’ll need our help,” Domitor grunted as he almost got himself up, but failed as he collapsed. “Ugh, he took a lot more than just Holy Energy.”
“Dom you dumbass,” Shayla growled as she stepped towards him.
“No, we need to deal with Mr. Tantrum first before anything else,” Scamp said as she rushed out the door followed by Jun, Lacy, and Shayla.
Upon stepping outside they found themselves face to face with Babel and Roxxy, who were both staring straight up into the sky.
“I don’t get what’s going on,” Babel remarked as everyone joined them in looking into the sky where Frederic was still floating and apparently still ranting. “Is Frederic evil now?”
“Mhm,” Scamp grunted. “Always has been.”
A frown appeared on Babel’s face, “oh, this is going to really affect my shipping charts…”
“What’s the plan here?” Lacy asked. “We don’t have Ego or our weapons, and he’s all hopped up on powers and shit!”
Scamp kept her gaze on the Alicorn above, her mind running through their options. With Ego gone, and Lance and Domitor down, they didn’t really have that many heavy hitters left. She was not only depowered, but also injured, so she wasn’t sure what she could do against something like this.
The same for her daughter. Without her Ego, she was still a formidable fighter. Yet she wasn’t comfortable letting Shayla try her luck against this level of a threat. If her wife was here, she’d be able to do something, at least. But she wasn’t sure where Mallogory was at that moment, probably out looking for her in the forest.
“This is a fucking mess,” Scamp growled as she settled on a course of action. “Jun, Lacy, go ahead and power up.”
The pair nodded as they transformed.
“Shayla,” Scamp began, sounding a bit reluctant. “I’m too hurt to do anything, and you’re not smart enough to do something like this on your own.”
“Gee, thanks, mama,” Shayla grumbled.
“So I’m going to need you to trust me and… fuse with me,” she said as she pulled out two earrings from her pocket dimension.
“No way! Are those Potara Earrings from Dragon Ball Z?!” Shayla said as excitement took over her and she bounced in place.
“Yes,” she deadpanned. “One of the only useful things I picked up from that show you like. With my experience and your… strength. We should be able to handle this.”
“Give me give me!” she begged, holding out her hands for one of the earrings.
“I’m going to regret this,” Scamp groaned as she dropped one in her daughter's outstretched hand.
Shayla immediately began to put hers on, still jumping from foot to foot. “Ooo! Put yours on! Put it on!”
“Calm down, Shay,” Scamp said firmly as she looked at Babel and Roxxy. “You two, get to safety.”
“But I need to see this!” Babel insisted. “This is historical! The new cast is fighting the old!”
“Fine, Roxxy keep her contained,” Scamp sighed, getting a nod from the younger mare. “You two, get up there and see what you can do about him.”
As Lacy and Jun took to the air she held up the earring, seeing her daughter's excited face out of the corner of her eye. “This is a one time thing,” she stated. “These come back to me after this is over.”
“Just put it on, mama!”
“Hmpf,” Scamp shook her head as she put the earring on.
The moment it was on the pair of earrings began to pulsate, getting brighter and brighter with each passing second. Then it yanked them towards each other.
“This is just like the show!” Shayla exclaimed as they hit each other, the flashes increasing in intensity, fully enveloping them.
As the lights dimmed, both Babel and Roxxy stood there dumbfounded.
“Oh this is a new one!” Babel said excitedly as she brought a camera up and took a picture. “Straight to the scrap book and fan website!”
“Huh,” the fusion muttered, looking at its two clawed hands, one flesh one metal. “This feels… weird.” A smirk over took their face, “but awesome!”
“Ooo! Name it!” Babel yelled, holding up her notebook.
“Name?” the fusion asked, its wide shark-like grin spreading across its face. “Call me… Shrimp.”
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 334 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-16T01:51:48+00:00
|
2023-05-28T02:48:29+00:00
| 213 |
Chapter 8
“Shrimp?” Roxxy asked.
“Names recorded, and I’ll add it to their profiles when I get access to the internet,” Babel announced happily.
“AH fuck!” Jun yelped as he hit the ground next to them, spraying all three of them in blood.
“Wonderful…” Roxxy sighed as she wiped her face clean.
“Gadzooks!” Babel exclaimed with a wide smile on her blood covered face. “My first blood bath!”
“Congratulations,” Roxxy said as she used her hoof to wipe Babel’s face clean.
“You good, Junny?” Shrimp asked as she walked over to the slowly reforming Jun as he pulled himself off the ground.
“No,” he groaned. “He just swept me away like I was nothin’.”
“Probably because you’re weak and shit,” Shrimp teased, slugging shoulder.
“... I don’t know how I feel about this fusion,” Jun moaned as he fully reformed.
“Fucking help me, you assholes!” Lacy yelled from above as she flew down to them, covered in wounds from her short bout with Frederic.
“Yep, on it,” Shrimp said with a toothy grin as she shot upward, followed by Jun.
The trio approached Frederic as he just kept on ranting to himself, the energy and lights emitting from him only growing stronger with each passing moment.
“Alright, you two hit the sides, I’m going up the middle!” Shrimp ordered in an overly excited voice.
“Who’s in charge here, Scamp or Shayla?” Lacy asked with a touch of worry. “Because that really affects how I react to her orders.”
“That’s the cool part!” Shrimp laughed. “Potara Earrings make a whole new person! I’m both of them in one! I’m cooler and more badass than either of them!”
“... I like her,” Lacy said with a smile as she and Jun split, flying for either side of Frederic.
“... fucking all of you just don’t know! You just don’t KNOW how hard it is being me!” Frederic yelled as he thrashed around, having a full on tantrum in the air.
“Oh wah! Cry me a river, Fredick!” Shrimp laughed as she neared him, just as Lacy and Jun reached him.
“You Lance wannabes are so damn annoying!” Frederic roared as he dodged both of them at once and caught them by the throats. “I just want to be done with you all!”
“You bitch a lot for a man,” Lacy choked out.
“This guy? A man?” Jun forced out, causing both of them to laugh.
Frederic growled, but then realized he didn’t see the third one anymore. “Where’s the incest fusion?”
“At your back!” Shrimp suddenly yelled as she put Frederic in a headlock, yanking back hard enough to cause him to let go of the other two. “All this power and you can’t even defend against a highschool level wrestling move!”
“What are you calling yourself?” Frederic asked, his voice suddenly a lot calmer than it had been.
“Shrimp, ya fuck,” she laughed. “Now let’s get serious, yeah?”
“You don’t want that,” Frederic said with a smirk as he reared back and kicked Jun away as he attempted to get in close, turning him to a bloody mist. Lacy dodged the kick that came her way and backed off momentarily. “One minute.”
“Till what?” Shrimp asked as he broke free from her grasp and spun on her. His hoof flew for her, but her speed kept her safe as she ducked it, returning her own punch to his face. Yet he was unaffected as he just stared at her.
“My destined Godhood, of course,” he answered as he suddenly jerked, his hoof seeming to teleport as it slammed into her, sending her spinning away with a spray of blood.
“Ah fuck me,” Shrimp muttered as she stopped herself and saw she was now missing her mechanical arm. “That thing was kinda irreplaceable.”
“Want me to go all out?” he asked. “You would die instantly. I’m above you. I’m above ALL of you! And I’m not even at full power!”
“Fucking just kill me then,” she groaned, making a talking motion with her hand. “You talk so fucking much. So much fuckin’ whining, bro.”
“I am not ‘whining’, I am telling you-”
“Wah wah, I’m Frederic and I’m sad my daddy didn’t like me,” Shrimp mocked, making a fake crying face at him. “Boo woo, either kill me or kill yourself, ya prick.”
He just stared at her with a cold rage behind his expression. “I think I can live with killing just you. You’ve overstayed your usefulness in my new world.”
“Fuck, you really are Star Chaser’s fuckin’ father,” Shrimp groaned.
Frederic sneered as he flashed out of sight, only to reappear with his hooves already around her neck.
“You’re fast, I’ll give ya that at much,” she choked out as Lacy flew in from the side.
“I’m more than fast,” he said as his wing whipped out, catching Lacy in the face. “I’m God.”
“Fuck, you keep saying that shit,” Shrimp whinned, patting his foreleg. “I’m a God! I’m a God! I’m a God! That’s you! A fucking broken record!” Her eyes flicked to the side, seeing that Lacy was falling away, clearly unconscious. “Ah that’s not good.”
“I’m not A God,” he said with a holier than thou smile. “I am GOD!”
“Ugh, fine, just kill me,” she said, throwing her hand up.
“No,” he said as he began to glow even brighter, his eyes becoming black orbs. “I think you should see the future before you die.”
“Sounds kind of gay,” she grunted.
“Insult me all you-” he was suddenly cut off as a fist seemed to materialize right next to his face, sending him flying away from them.
“You came back?” Shrimp coughed out as she rubbed her throat.
“Yeah,” Belle muttered, her energy flaring as she watched Frederic right himself, holding his jaw.
“You’re one bad chick, ya know?” Shrimp complemented, getting a grunt from Belle.
“I guess,” she replied as the two of them squared up with Frederic.
“Women,” Frederic growled. “You hit hard, but fuck, are you bad with the follow through.”
“Damn, how’d you make being sexist lame?” Shrimp asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said as the light coming from his body suddenly cut out. “Times up. Welcome,” he said as he held his hooves out to the side. “To your new God.”
Before either of them could react, a bright light exploded from Frederic’s body, sending both of them flying away.
“I got ya!” Jun yelled as he caught both of them at once, but instead of stopping them, he found himself flying backwards with them. “Oh shit, never mind!”
“Nice try,” Shrimp grunted as she and Belle caught themselves, coming to a stop as Jun continued backwards. “How are we going to deal with-” she started to say, but her voice caught in her throat as they both stared back towards Frederic. “Oh…”
Belle’s expression finally changed as her eyes widened slightly.
“What the fuck?! He’s a fucking dragon thing now?!” Jun yelled as he flew up next to them.
“More like an overgrown lizard with daddy issues,” Shrimp commented. “What’d ya think, Belle?”
“It’s an odd sight,” she said in a low voice.
A roar caused the air around them to vibrate as a massive dragon shaped creature floated where Frederic had once been. Energy of all colors flickered off of its body as its metallic plated arms and wings flexed out. It rotated its head around on its long neck as it seemed to be adjusting to its new form.
“Ah yes!” an overly loud, guttural voice rang out as the dragon flexed, sending out a shock wave that pushed them back even further. “This! THIS is the power of your new GOD!”
“Great, he’s even more up his own ass,” Shrimp groaned.
The oversized dragon pointed its hand towards a distant mountain, causing it to explode. “Not impressive enough!” it roared as it looked up, then pointed towards the moon that was faintly in the sky. Just like the mountain, it also exploded, disappearing from the sky. “I can do better!”
“We just got that fuckin’ moon,” Shrimp muttered, rubbing her face.
“Guess we can’t have nice things, huh?” Jun joked, looking to her for a laugh, but she just shrugged.
“So he’s a big fuckin’ dragon now, probably a lot stronger to boot. What are we doing about it?” she asked, glancing between her two companions.
“I got nothing,” Jun muttered. “Lacy would say something smart, like going up its ass or something.”
“Let’s just wing it,” Shrimp offered, then hissed. “No, that's a retarded plan.”
“Or you could accept your fates,” the dragonized Frederic roared at them.
“Shut up, Frederic,” Shrimp shot back, flipping him off.
“I am no longer just Frederic!” he roared back at them. “From this point forward, I am THE God of Good! Of justice! Of STEEL! I am Omnius!”
“... did he just steal Nathan’s name?” Jun asked, dumbfounded.
“If I didn’t already hate the fucker, that’d do it,” Shrimp grunted, hocking a loogie to the side.
“Narcissistic,” Belle added.
“Say what you will, your words no longer affect me,” Frederic called out as a massive portal began to form behind him. “I am a forgiving God. All your past sins against me have been forgiven.”
“Get bent, you wannabe God,” Shrimp called out to him, her eyes running over the portal, planning their next move.
“Words from mortals can not hurt a God,” he laughed.
“Fag! Retard! Slut incest fag!” Jun began calling out.
“Jun, I forgive you for-”
“Your hairdo is gay!”
“You don’t- Don’t you ever fucking say that to me again! I will fucking end you!” Frederic bellowed, energy exploding out of his body more violently than the last time.
“Struck a nerve,” Belle muttered, a smile gracing her face.
“That’s it!” he roared as he began to float backwards into the portal. “I was going to be a BENEVOLENT GOD! But now I’m going to be the God you all deserve!” He continued to yell, but was cut off as his head entered the portal. The moment he was fully through, the enormous portal began to slowly close.
“Oh shit, do we go after him?!” Jun asked.
“We-” Shrimp began, but was cut off as they saw someone fly up from the ground and enter the portal. “... looks like we’re going in.”
“Who was that?!” Jun asked as the three of them flew towards the portal.
“Beats the fuck outta me!” Shrimp answered. “I just hope it was someone useful and not weak!”
The trio barely made it through the portal as it snapped shut behind them.
“What the fuck is this place?” Shrimp asked as they found themselves floating in a dark void.
“A blank dimension,” Belle answered simply.
Despite there being no light, they could still see each other as if they were under a lamp. They could even see Frederic in the distance as he floated in place, limbs outstretched as he laughed like a maniac. Between them and the oversized dragon was the person they saw enter before them.
The person appeared to be a costumed Alicorn, most of their features hidden beneath all of their clothes. A mask was pulled over their face and their hair was also concealed in cloth, completely hiding their identity.
“And who the fuck are you?” Shrimp asked roughly as they flew up to the mysterious newcomer.
“Someone looking for vengeance,” they answered in a feminine voice, turning to face them and revealing a broken heart across the front of their mask.
“Ew,” Shrimp said with a fake gag. “More edge, just what we needed.”
“Are you playing superhero or something?” Jun asked as they all observed Frederic finally stop his maniacal laughter.
“I’m here for him,” the costumed Alicorn grunted, nodding to the dragon. “For personal reasons.”
“Whatever your reasons are,” Shrimp began. “Can you pull your weight in a fight? Against someone like him?”
“Easily,” they answered as their eyes narrowed at Frederic.
“Then let’s get this fucker,” Shrimp said with a wide toothy smirk. Then her face became serious, “Jun, distract him. Belle, I’ll create an opening for you. Costume girl, try to hit him from behind after I make contact.”
They all gave an affirmative as they took off, spreading out as they rocketed towards Frederic.
His massive form turned to face them, a look of amusement on his large face. “You all will be the first to witness the birth of my Heaven!” He roared as he squared his body up with them as they approached. “And you shall be the first of many to become my personal servants!”
Unlike before, none of them acknowledged his ranting as Jun pulled ahead and propelled himself towards Frederic’s smiling face.
“You can not hurt me anymore,” Frederic laughed as he swiped Jun away with a clawed hand. “I have ASCENDED!”
As Shrimp neared him, his tail whipped towards her. To his surprise she easily deflected it and continued towards him. He didn’t get a chance to process this impossible feat as the costumed Alicorn elegantly evaded his claws and hit him with a glowing hoof. The hit, empowered by some form of magic, caused Frederic to flicker momentarily. His eyes went wide as he grabbed his chest, his claws digging into himself as he clenched it tightly.
“What have you inflicted upon me?!” He roared. “My heart feels like-“
Belle crashed into his back with an explosion of Ki energy, cutting him off and sending him rocketing past the others.
“Nice hit,” Shrimp complimented with a thumbs up.
“Thanks,” Belle muttered as she slammed her fist together, her power rising even more.
“He seems a lot fuckin’ weaker now, doesn’t he?” Shrimp asked as they regrouped quickly.
“Yeah, he hit me a lot harder earlier!”Jun added as he worked his neck. “What the fucks up with that?”
“Simple,” the Alicorn answered. “This power he’s playing with is too much for him. He overestimated his capabilities.”
“His mental state seems to be degrading,” Belle observed as Frederic began ranting again, screaming into the void.
“I think that’s just him being a baby,” Shrimp chuckled. “I think we can finish him off before he can do anything actually destructive.”
“Oh, we’re actually just gonna kill him?” Jun asked with a smile. “No stupid mercy and hope he learns his lesson?”
A conflicted look fell across Shrimp’s face as her two halves found themselves in conflict over the idea of killing Frederic.
“He dies today,” the Alicorn said sternly. “One way or another.”
“I would like him to be dead,” Belle added.
“Well fuck yeah then!” Jun exclaimed happily.
“You’re not killing me!” Frederic roared as he finally returned his attention to them. “You got lucky! I was holding back for your sake! But no more! NO MORE!”
“Geez, wah wah am I right?” Shrimp said with a snort.
“Careful,” Belle warned. “He’s still a threat.”
“Yes I am!” Frederic bellowed as he blinked out of sight, only to reappear right on top of four of them. His massive form dwarfed them as the level of energy pouring from him increased drastically.
With a flurry of motions he attacked all of them at the same time, causing them to go on the defensive momentarily.
“The fact you all think you will win sickens me!” He roared as Shrimp took a hard hit, sending her flying into Belle. “I!” He continued, whipping them away with his tail. “Am!” Energy exploded out of his eyes and hit Jun, causing him to scream in agony. “GOD!” His large head suddenly snapped forward and caught the Alicorn in his mouth. He attempted to crush her, but she fought against him as she strained to keep his mouth from closing.
Belle and Shrimp flew back in to attempt to help, but Frederic’s attacks continued as he fired a beam from his eyes, barely missing Belle as she was forced to change course. Shrimp, however, continued forward and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Frederic’s jaw.
But that didn’t free the Alicorn as he laughed and head butted her, sending her flying backwards.
Frederic just continued to laugh as he snatched the still withering Jun and crushed him in his fist.
Fortunately for Shrimp she was caught by Belle, saving her from being sent into the void.
“Fuck,” she groaned as they floated there. “That was like getting hit by a fuckin’ mountain.”
“He’s going to kill them,” Belle stated, her facial expression both awake and filled with determination.
Shrimp stared at the other woman, both halves of her fighting against one another. Finally they seemed to get on the same page as a sigh escaped her lips.
“Belle,” Shrimp said, getting the full attention of the woman. “I know we’re not on good terms, but I need you to do something for me.”
The other woman looked at her, her thought’s impossible to read.
“This is asking a lot, but I need you to push yourself past your limits and throw me.”
“Hm,” she looked towards Frederic, then back to Shrimp. “For Domitor, I’ll do it.”
With a firm nod she held her hands out to the woman.
Belle gripped them firmly, and with practiced ease began to power up. Her power level quickly surpassed her own limits as a look of pain flashed across her face. Yet she kept pushing herself, clearly giving it her all.
“End this,” she said through clenched teeth as energy violently crackled around them. With that she began to spin, almost instantly becoming a blur to anyone watching. Soon they were leaving after images as she hit her peak. Just as her body and mind gave out she released Shrimp, sending her towards Frederic as she fell to her base form. Unconscious.
“Oh fuck yeah!” Shrimp exclaimed as she barely was able to register what was happening as she almost instantly reached Frederic.
She was moving so fast that he didn’t even notice her as she hit his chest, arm outstretched before her.
His eyes went wide as everything slowed down. He could feel her tearing her way through his chest at a speed he could barely comprehend. The moment she exploded out his back, all the force caught up with her and hit him, causing the hole she made to expand even further. His muscles spasmed, which allowed both Jun and the Alicorn to break free of him.
Even more force hit him, causing him to lose control and get swept away in a tornado like effect, spinning him wildly after the still rocketing away Shrimp.
It took her longer than she would have liked, but she finally caught herself and came to a grinding halt. Frederic, however, wasn’t able to replicate her success as he spun past her. It took him much longer to bring himself to a halt.
“Not looking so good there, Fredick,” she mocked as she caught up with him as he floated in place, breathing heavily as parts of his body dropped off of him.
“These are mere wounds of the flesh,” he hissed out, clearly barely holding himself together. “This means nothing good for you!”
“Nah, this is it, Freddy,” she laughed. “You’re done.”
“I am far from done!” He screamed as he shot a beam at her, but she evaded it with ease. “I am Omnious the God of Good and life! I will not be mocked by bugs!”
Two more beams flew past her as she continued to laugh, enjoying herself as she pissed him off even more.
“Laugh at this!” He roared as time seemed to speed up momentarily.
“Oh wow, you’re fast forwarding us. So scary-“ her eyes went wide as she realized what he was doing. “Oh fuck!”
She started to fly towards him, but her body began flashing as the fusion ended. Both Scamp and Shayla fell away from each other, flapping their wings as they tried to right themselves.
“Shit,” Scamp hissed as she caught herself, turning to Frederic just in time to see him snap his claws. There was a tiny explosion next to both of their heads as the earrings were destroyed.
“Gah!” Shayla hissed in pain as she swatted at her blackened ear. “How the fuck did he break the fusion?!”
“They have a thirty minute time limit,” Scamp answered with a frown as she extended her mechanical arm, relieved it came back after the fusion ended.
“Since when?!” Shayla exclaimed loudly as she gestured angrily with her hands.
“They’ve always had that limit according to Goku,” Scamp said with a grunt.
“Not according to… wait, have you fucking met Goku?!”
“That’s not important at this moment, Shayla,” Scamp sighed as she watched Frederic jerk a few times as he tried to use his powers to fix himself. But everything he fixed would immediately start falling off again.
“It is very important, mama!”
“Shayla, priorities,” Scamp snapped, getting a groan from her daughter.
“I shouldn’t have played along with your delusions,” Frederic grunted out, his body still falling apart. “I’m just going to need to try again.”
The mother and daughter prepared themselves as Frederic sluggishly moved his body, trying to move despite the state he found himself in.
“I don’t think you’re gonna get a second chance here,” Shayla said with a smirk.
He just growled as his hand shakily came up. “Oh, I’ll get more than a second chance. You two just won’t be around to see it.”
“We’ll see,” Scamp said as her pocket dimension appeared next to her. As her hoof reached up to retrieve a particular item it came to a halt just outside the opening. Her muscles strained as she tried to reach in, but she quickly realized she couldn’t move her foreleg. Nor could she move at all.
“We’re not playing anymore,” Frederic growled as his left arm sagged and fell off of his body. “You two are going to either die here, or serve me. There is no third-”
“You enjoy speaking, don’t you, Frederic Bourdages,” Lilith said from behind him as she floated around him.
“Lilith,” he growled. “How’d you enter my domain?”
“Your domain?” she asked as she came to a stop before the frozen mother and daughter. “Hm, granddaughter. Great granddaughter. We finally met.”
Neither of them could speak, so no response was given, but the glares were enough to get their feelings across.
“Betrayal, Mr. Bourdages?” Lilith asked calmly as she turned to face the melting Frederic. “I expected more from the son of Richard.”
“What is that supposed to mean?!” he roared, causing her to scoff with a smile.
“Disappointing,” she muttered.
A deep guttural growl escaped his throat as he fired a beam at her. Lilith remained still, watching as the beam neared her without any reaction. Instead of hitting her, it bent around her, missing her completely.
“Despite the betrayal, you’ve done exactly as you were supposed to,” she said as she raised her hoof.
“Lilith, I think it's time I dropped the act,” Frederic said in a forced formal tone. “I’m stronger than you now.”
A little smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as he said this.
“I’ve been using you since day one,” he admitted proudly. “I used you to get everything I deserved, and you never even realized it.” His tail twitched and fell off of him. “Do you know what your problem is, Lilith?” he asked with a smirk. “You think you’re smart. You think you’re the most brilliant person in any room you walk into. All these plans you’ve made have failed, while all of mine have succeeded. And look where we are now. I’m the God and you’re the little witch who has to have others do her bidding.”
The entire time Frederic was speaking Lilith was just humming to herself, letting out little laughs whenever he insulted her. “Are you done?” she asked once he finished speaking.
“No,” he said as his body began to glow as he powered himself up. “But you are.”
“Okay, Mr. Bourdages,” she said with a smile as he grew in strength.
“Goodbye, Lilith the failed Witch,” Frederic growled as parts crumbled off of him.
“Yes, goodbye, lackey,” she said calmly as she waved her hoof, causing the power building up within Frederic to instantly snap off.
He blinked, surprise finding its way onto his face as his mind tried to comprehend what had just happened.
“Amazing,” she said in awe as she looked at her hoof, watching as it began to glow with the same energy that Frederic had been emanating. “You lasted longer than I thought you would with this much power flowing through you. Surprisingly, I’m impressed by you. Somewhat.”
“What did you just do?!” he roared as he began to fall apart at a much faster rate.
“Thank you, minion,” she said with a mocking smirk. “For warming it up for me.”
“Give it back!” he screamed as he moved forward, his legs shattering from his body as he tried to float towards her.
Instead of responding to him, she spun back to face her two family members. “Scamp,” she said while floating close to the clearly seething mare. “You and I aren’t that much different. If things had gone the way I had intended, you would have had a much better life than the one you were settled with. Regardless, you have two options going forward. One leads you and your little family to safety and happiness. And the other…” she let a laugh escape her lips. “Well, I don’t think we need to explore that second option.”
“Lilith! Give it back!” Frederic cried from behind her, but she ignored him.
“A time will come very soon where you will ask for my help,” Lilith said calmly. “And that is when you will choose.” She then waved her hoof. “You may speak now.”
The moment the magic restraining her vocal cords ceased, Scamp let out a hoarse laugh. “I’m not going to ever need to ask you for help, so take your ‘offer’ and shove it up your ass.”
“Damn, mama!” Shayla laughed.
Lilith waved her hoof at Shayla, silencing her again. “Okay then. We’ll see each other again, very soon, granddaughter,” she said as she turned and began to casually float away.
“Next time we see each other, things will go a lot differently for you,” Scamp assured her.
“I know,” Lilith said as she floated past Frederic as he lay in a pile, barely able to move.
“If you do not give back my Godhood, I will-”
“Hush now, Frederic,” she said in a firm tone as she waved a hoof, causing him to return to his original pony form, just a simple Unicorn. “There is no resentment from me to you,” she said as she side eyed him. “Because this is exactly how I knew our time together would end.”
“Bullshit!” he hissed as he struggled to right himself, but failed as he began to cough violently.
“I’m not one to gloat,” she said, still not fully looking at him. “But everything that has happened up to this point? All a part of my vision. You’ve played your part, and it's now time for you to exit the stage.”
“You can’t kill me,” he growled.
“I’m not going to,” she said with a small smirk. “But you will wish I had.” With that, she faded away as a portal opened near Scamp and Shayla.
“Get back here!” Frederic screamed as he glared after her, watching her disappear. The moment she was gone, he began to thrash his hooves around as he started having another tantrum.
The two mares found they were able to move again as they looked at each other, both sharing a smile.
“Mama, you’re still a badass,” Shayla said proudly.
“Still?” Scamp laughed. “Did I ever stop?”
Shayla beamed a smile at her as they both turned to face the now crying Frederic. “So… what are we doing with him?”
“I know what I want to do with him,” Scamp said coldly, but saw the look her daughter was giving her, causing her to sigh. “But we’ll decide it as a group.”
“Thank you, mama,” Shayla said with a relieved sigh.
Right at that moment Jun and the mysterious Alicorn arrived, having finally caught up with them.
“Did we miss all the fun?” Jun asked as he shifted the still unconscious Belle around on his back.
“Pretty much,” Scamp chuckled as the Alicorn moved towards him. “Hey, Miss Costumed Mare, we’re not touching him right here and now. We’re going to drag him back and deal with him as a group.”
“He’s not yours,” the mare said coldly as she walked towards the adult Unicorn having a full blown toddler tantrum.
“Hey!” Scamp yelled as she flew in front of the larger mare, halting her in her tracks. “He’s going to get what he deserves, but just killing him, right here right now, is letting him off easy. Do you want that?”
“I’m not going to let him slip away,” the Alicorn growled.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Scamp assured her.
“He has magic, he can-”
“Oh for the love of,” Scamp groaned as she kicked back with her hindleg, expertly kicking Frederic at the base of his horn and shattering it. He began to scream in agony as his tantrum turned into thrashes of pain. “Happy?”
“Very,” she said, appearing a bit stunned at what had just happened.
“Fuck,” Shayla whispered, nodding her head as she watched her mother turn and haul Frederic up.
“I’m going to kill you… all of you…” Frederic whimpered as blood covered his face from the jagged stump where his horn once sat. “I am your… Prince…”
“I didn’t vote for you,” Scamp said with a smile as she forced him to move towards the portal.
“Are we just going to trust this random portal that Lilith left for us?” Shayla asked nervously.
“Do you have your Dimensional dagger in your Vacuole?” Scamp asked her.
“... I let Domitor hold onto it,” Shayla muttered.
“And I left mine with your mom,” Scamp said as she shoved Frederic through the portal, then pulled him back out, checking him over. “Well, he didn’t die so we’re just going to have to trust it.” Before anyone could protest, Scamp walked through the portal, dragging the crying Frederic after her. A few moments passed before she stuck her head back through. “We’re good, come on.”
The rest of the group quickly moved forward and entered the portal, leaving the blank dimension behind.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 335 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-05-16T14:25:34+00:00
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2023-05-16T14:25:34+00:00
| 277 |
Chapter 9
“Give me that bastard!” Louie yelled as he and the others stomped towards Scamp as she held onto Frederic. “I’m going to fucking kill him!”
The others yelled their own threats as they neared.
“Back,” Scamp ordered as she jerked Frederic around as he continued to cry.
“He said he was behind all the rapes!” Cody snapped, his eyes ablaze.
“He did,” Scamp confirmed as she yanked the crying Frederic back behind her. “And we will deal with him,” she said as she got between him and Louie. “The right way.”
“The right way?” Louie growled. “He deserves to-”
Frederic suddenly twisted and broke from Scamp, taking off at a dead sprint away from the group.
“Fucking idiot,” Scamp muttered as everyone ran around her, chasing down the fleeing man child.
“Get back here!” Zorrow yelled as they gained on Frederic.
Suddenly, Lance flashed into existence right in front of him, Twilight’s magic flickering around him as he stared down the approaching Frederic.
“Lance!” Frederic cried out, running straight for him. “It wasn’t me! I swear! Lilith made me do-”
He was cut off as Lance suddenly launched forward, hitting him right in the face with a burning hoof. Frederic was sent flying backwards, getting caught by Louie. With a roar, the dogman lifted the panicking pony into the air and slammed him into the ground, then with a yell of anger flung him into the air.
Lacy was there to meet him, flying right into him and kicking him straight back to the ground.
“I got ya fucker!” Zorrow yelled as he jumped up and performed a perfect flying roundhouse, catching Frederic in the side and sending him skidding across the ground.
Before he could come to a stop, Jun rocketed into him, hitting him so hard Jun broke his own hoof. This caused Frederic to fly upward in an arch, landing hard on the ground. He coughed as he tried to stand, but Cody tackled him. He laid into Frederic, hitting him over and over again in the face. Finally he stood up, spitting on the coughing and crying stallion.
Frederic rolled over and began to crawl away, hiccuping loudly as he sobbed. But the wheel of a wheelchair rolled up in front of him, blocking his path. He looked up to see Greg glaring down at him.
Without a word, Greg let out a grunt as he stood up, turning to Frederic. Despite being weak, he jumped into the air and brought his back hoof down onto Frederic’s groin, causing everyone in the area to wince.
As for Frederic, he let out a silent scream as he curled into himself, finally out of the fight.
With that task done, Greg fell back into his wheelchair and casually rolled away from the sobbing wreck of a ‘God’.
Scamp walked over, shaking her head. “Shouldn’t have run, you were safer with me.” She got no response as she grabbed his tail and began to drag him across the ground. “Nova,” she said as she neared the Mellowed Pie, where Nova and a few others had been, watching the entire thing take place. “Are you able to be the judge for a little trial?”
“For him?” she asked with a frown. “Gladly.”
“Fuck you, you monster!” Jero yelled as he ran out of the crowd and punched Frederic while he was down.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Scamp said as the man stood up and gave one more kick before backing up into the crowd. “We need to do this the right way. No vigilante justice.”
“A trial?” the costumed Alicorn asked with a growl. “It happens today, or not at all.”
“Are you able to set it up now?” Scamp asked, getting a nod from Nova.
“I don’t think anyone will object,” Nova said, casting a disgusted look at the downed stallion. “I wouldn’t want to wait anyways. This needs to end. Today.”
“Nova, please,” Frederic choked out, his jaw clearly broken.
“Drag him to the courthouse, I’ll prepare everything,” Nova said as she spun around and walked away, not giving her father any more attention.
ooo000<^>000ooo
Later that night
“Do we really need to do a whole court thing?” Lance asked as he watched Scamp go over her notes.
“It’s the best way to handle this,” she answered.
“And the TV crew are necessary?” he asked, looking into the gallery where a few ponies were finishing setting up their cameras.
“Nova wants the world to know what he did,” Scamp said as she finished sorting her paperwork.
“Okay, sure sure,” he said, glancing at Frederic. “But is that necessary?”
Scamp turned her head to the front where Frederic was set up, strapped to a chair with a metal mask secured to his face. “... I think it's appropriate.”
“And it’s a funny reference,” Greg added as he leaned on the railing behind their table.
“I just think we should skip all this and just go straight to punishment,” Lance said with a sigh.
“Lance,” Scamp said, turning to face him. “Once you hear everything I discovered when going through his memories, you’ll understand why we need to do it this way.” He frowned at this, but didn’t protest anymore. “Now, get into the audience. And try not to have too big of a reaction to anything you hear. Okay?”
“I can't promise anything, you know that,” he said as he hopped the railing and joined Greg and the others.
Now that she was alone, Scamp took a moment to look around the courtroom. Nova sat at the front, in the Judge’s seat, looking stressed as she read over some notes. Next to her, standing stock still was the masked Alicorn, their eyes locked onto Frederic, who was sitting on the opposite side of the Judge’s seat. He had been healed, for the only purpose of having him presentable to the public. And so he could be mentally present for the trial ahead.
Her attention drifted back to her table, a frown on her face. She’d gone through his memories and compiled a list of evidence. But at this point they were more just talking points, since the only thing left to do was reveal everything Frederic had done. He’d basically already admitted to everything during his outburst.
Finally, after a long wait, Nova slammed her gavel a few times, getting everyone's attention.
“If everyone is ready, we may begin,” she said in a formal tone, turning her gaze to Scamp. “Has all evidence been compiled?”
“It has, Princess,” she confirmed, staying professional and using Nova’s title.
“News crews?” she asked, looking into the camera as it pointed directly at her.
The Griffin working it gave a thumbs up to her.
“Very well then,” she said as she sat up straighter. “It is very unfortunate that this trial must happen,” she said in a practiced regal tone, he’s locked on the camera. “But it has come to light recently that one of our own, of the Royal Family, has committed atrocities so grim that I hesitate to allow them to be broadcasted on Live Television.
“Yet, I feel this is necessary,” she said as her eyes flickered momentarily to the disgraced Frederic, who was looking at her with pleading eyes. “The former Prince of Equestria, once thought to be deceased, has returned. We once thought of him as a hero, due to his many acts of bravery and selfish sacrifices.” Her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward in her seat, “and it has come to light that all of it was fake. Manufactured by him and the Witch Lilith.”
“Your Highness,” Scamp suddenly interrupted. “If I may add something to that last part.”
“You may.”
Scamp cleared her throat as the camera shifted to her. “After going through his memories, I have determined that the Witch Lilith only provided him with the means, not the motivation. Everything I will show today was done by Frederic, and only Frederic. Lilith herself was not involved in any of his actions.”
“I see,” Nova said with a shake of her head. “The Prince we all mourned and loved was false. An act. Today, we are going to reveal all of his deeds, and then we will sentence him appropriately.” Leaning back in her seat, she looked back to Scamp, “you may begin when ready.”
“I have thought of the best way to handle this,” Scamp announced as she walked into the middle of the room, all eyes on her. “Starting from the beginning would be the best way to handle this. For that, I require my first victim to take the stand.”
The moment she finished speaking, the door behind the Judge’s seat opened and an aged stallion stepped out. He hobbled over to the Witness Stand and took a seat.
Scamp stepped up to him and gave him a nod. “Mr. Tinker, tell the court your relation to Frederic.”
The gray stallion cleared his throat and glanced at Frederic, seeing his furious eyes staring back. “I… was the first pony to find him. Or I at least believed I was. I was his assistant when he became the Royal Blacksmith, then his personal servant when he became the Prince.”
“I’ve gone through his memories, but would you like to tell the court about the ‘incident’?”
“I’d… rather not,” he said in a quiet voice.
“That’s okay,” she assured him as she turned to face the camera across the room. “Tinker here thought of Frederic as his best friend after he first found him, and the two formed a close bond. Or at least he believed they did.”
“I’ll tell it,” Tinker suddenly said from behind her. She gave him a nod as she went silent. “I took Frederic in and made it my life mission to help him achieve his goal of marrying Princess Luna. He spoke about her often, and I was a sucker for true love back then. But one day he told me his plans to get her into his bed… he wanted to find a form of Love Magic that would force her to love him. I told him that that was wrong and he…” he went silent.
“Take your time.”
“He…” Tinker shuddered, not looking at Frederic anymore. “... He punished me. He was furious that I’d speak ill of his glorious plans. Or him in general.”
“What did he do to punish you?” Scamp asked carefully, already knowing the answer.
“He… branded me,” Tinker muttered quietly.
“Where?”
“... He told me if I was to speak badly of him and his plans for ‘true love’ then I’d never have that chance…” Tinker said, his lip trembling. “He branded his cutie mark… onto my groin.”
Everyone in the court let out gasp and shouts of disgust, all directed at the bound Frederic.
“Order!” Nova yelled, slamming her gavel till everyone fell silent again.
“Why didn’t you say anything after this incident?” Scamp asked.
“He used a spell on me to keep me loyal to him,” Tinker answered. “I tried to warn others, but anyone I told he manipulated with magic to believe him.”
“Can you tell the court about the day the Rapture happened? What was Frederic’s reaction?”
“He was angry,” Tinker answered. “But then he became overjoyed when he realized his friend had come as well, and he made her-”
“Let’s not speak about her, she’ll give her testimony next,” Scamp interrupted. “Tell me what he did after learning the Bronies had arrived?”
“He used his friends' magic to manipulate the Princesses to think of him whenever they wanted something done. This caused Princess Celestia to have Princess Luna take him with her to meet the Bronies.”
“What was his reaction to finding out Lance Greenfield had gotten Twilight Sparkle pregnant?”
“He laughed and said ‘deserves her right!’”
“And why did he say that?”
“He hated Twilight Sparkle.”
“And why did he hate her?”
“Can I say this on Live TV?”
“You need to.”
“... He hated that she stopped him from raping a mare two years before the Rapture.”
The entire room gasped at this.
“Why didn’t anyone mention this? And why would Mrs. Sparkle considered him family if she knew of this?” Scamp asked.
“He used an artifact given to him by the Witch Lilith to manipulate her mind and change her opinion of him.”
“How often did he use this artifact?”
“It felt like everyday,” Tinker admitted with a frown. “He used it to do whatever he wanted. I know for a fact he used it on Lance and his family to-”
“That’s enough,” Scamp stopped him, glancing back at Lance and Twilight, seeing their horrified expressions. They didn’t need to know that part. “Thank you, Mr. Tinker, you may step down.”
He gave a nod and quickly climbed down from the stand, moving for the gallery as fast as he could. His eyes never returned to Frederic, as it was clear he didn’t want to make eye contact with the stallion.
“The next victim to take the stand will be able to tell us all of Frederic’s heinous acts,” Scamp announced as she walked along the Judges Bench, stopping before Frederic. The two of them made eye contact, with his eyes filled with hatred and hers bored content. “I’d like Annabel Fletcher to come to the Stand.”
All eyes turned to the back of the room where said mare stood, hiding behind Shayla. Upon having her name called, she nervously stepped out and walked down the aisle, head down. Stepping past the gate, she glanced at Frederic. The moment they made eye contact he began to thrash against his binds, yelling into his gag.
This caused the pink mare to rush forward and get behind the Witness Stand, just out of view of the raging stallion.
“Bailiff,” Nova said, causing the costumed mare to stomp over and press a hoof to Frederic’s chest. A wave of magic washed over him, causing him to go still as he was forced into a calm state.
“Miss Fletcher,” Scamp said as she stepped up in front of her. Would you mind giving the court your full name and previous alias?”
“Um, yes,” Annabel mumbled.
“But you’ll need to speak up,” Scamp added.
“Sorry,” Annabel said in a slightly louder voice. “My name is Annabel Tamara Fletcher. But I used to be known as Anarchy, the Queen of L-Lust while I was under his control.”
“Tell the court about your reunion with Frederic after the Rapture,” Scamp said, standing between Annabel and Frederic so she didn’t have to look at him. “And a little bit about your past.”
“I-I…” she began, but she froze, eyes wide as she began to tremble. “C-can you tell it?”
“I can,” Scamp said in a reassuring voice. She turned to the court and cleared her throat. In as much detail as she could, she recounted the events that had taken place years before the Rapture, telling how Annabel was kidnapped and tormented by a sick individual known as the Lakeside Stalker. She would stop ever so often to allow Annabel to recover, but she was able to retell the entire event.
“After being rescued,” Scamp continued, finishing recounting the horrific events. “Annabel was alone, as she could not bear to be around her friends or family. All except for one person.” Her gaze landed on Frederic, a fury behind her eyes that caused him to shrink. “She placed her trust in Frederic, because he was someone she thought she could trust. Instead, he used her trauma against her and forced her to do things for him. They started small, like stealing things. But eventually he was forcing her to manipulate others for his own gain.” Turning from him she looked back to Annabel. “Would you like to tell the next part?”
“I think I can,” she muttered as she took a deep breath.
“Okay. Can you tell us about your first day in Equestria?”
“My first day…” she repeated. “After the Rapture, I was so excited to be getting a second chance at life. God told me I could be anything, and I chose a Draconequus because the idea sounded fun and comforting. No one could hurt me if I had that much power…” her body shook as she shrank back a bit. “At least I thought so. I chose Equestria because it was the only thing back on Earth that calmed me down. Watching the happy and safe world of MLP brought me so much comfort and made me forget about…
“But then, not even an hour after arriving, Frederic found me. He just seemed to know where I was…” she said, her voice getting quieter as she spoke.
“What did he make you do?”
“He… was overjoyed to see me. But not for the reasons you’d think… He wanted to use my powers to push his agenda, and to get payback for things that had happened since he’d arrived.” She took a deep breath, collecting herself. “The first thing he made me do was affect all the ponies' minds to make them more… susceptible to sexual thoughts. Then he wanted me to make it so their mental wills were… dampened.”
“Can you explain that a bit more?”
Her eyes flickered to the ponies in the stand, shame on her face. “He wanted all of the ponies to be attracted to the Bronies, so I made it so they couldn’t resist them.”
Murmurs filled the room at this.
“So,” Scamp began, knowing this part was going to be a big shock to those present. “You are saying you are the reason for all of the relationships between the ponies and the Bronies?”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “F-Fre… He picked out who got with who, and I made it happen.” Her eyes flickered to Lance and Twilight. “I’m so s-sorry…”
“Every couple was picked out by Frederic himself?”
“All but one,” she confirmed. “He wanted Greg Campbell to be with Berry Punch… but Greg and Pinkie were unaffected by my magic.”
“How did Frederic react to this?”
“He… hurt me. When I failed to get those two together, he began forcing me to do things… Please don’t make me repeat them.”
Scamp nodded at her. “It’s okay. Tell the court about Frederic’s love life. How did he get Princess Luna to fall in love with him?”
“I-I manipulated her mind so that she wanted to be with him,” she answered, shame falling across her face. “Luna was… the nicest mare I’ve ever met… she didn’t deserve the things he did to her.”
“Let’s go back to the beginning. Tell the court about Frederic’s original plan for Lance and Twilight.”
“He wanted to punish Twilight…” she muttered. “I manipulated Rainbow Dash into wanting to harm Twilight by taking her magic, but when Lance ate the cupcake instead, he was overjoyed. Said it was a much better outcome. But when Lance returned to life… He decided he needed to get involved personally…”
“Now, the one thing everyone already knows. The Heats. Why did you make those happen?” Scamp asked, getting a few more murmurs from the gallery.
“H-He is obsessed with r-rape…” she answered, causing Frederic to start to yell into his gag again. “He wanted to force the mares to… violate themselves. And he… wanted a… t-threesome with Princess Celestia and Luna…”
The crowd beyond the railings began to yell, everyone jumping up and throwing insults towards Frederic. The cops who were on standby ran forward to try and calm the crowd, but the revelation that the Heats were caused by the Prince was too much for some of the gathered ponies as they jumped the railing and rushed for Frederic.
Reluctantly, Scamp got between the raging ponies and Frederic, holding them back.
“EVERYONE STOP, NOW!” Nova roared, her voice rocking the entire building and causing everyone to stop in their tracks. “Return to your seats or this trial will become private!”
With the raging glare of the current Princess, the crowd slowly pulled back, returning to their seats.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Nova nodded to Scamp. “Proceed.”
“Thank you,” Scamp said with a bow, sweat dripping down her face as her adrenaline came down. “Annabel,” she said, returning to the business at hand. “We’re now at the part about Richard,” she said, casting a little smirk at Frederic. “Tell the court the REAL reason Frederic was murdered by his father on Earth.”
“Gladly,” Annabel began, a determined look overcoming her face as she sat up straight. This was a topic she clearly wanted to get out in the open. “His original story about his father killing him for going against the family is a lie. On Earth, Richard was a mafia boss, but he was also the only person who was nice to me outside of Frederic. He used his connections to kill the man who hurt me. But Frederic, he misused his family's resources to do whatever he wanted.” She then looked right at Frederic, “but that’s not why he was killed. No. He forced himself on his own mother one night and tried to flee the city when his father found out. The best day of my life was hearing the news that he had been killed. Dying like a crying baby begging for forgiveness.”
“Okay,” Scamp interrupted her, not wanting her to go into too much detail about her hatred for Frederic. “That leads to this next question. If this is true, why did Lance not mention any of this in his book? Surely Richard would have said something referencing this event when he met back up with Frederic.”
“He did,” Annabel confirmed. “But Frederic used my magic and his artifact to change everyone's memories to forget that piece of info.”
More outbursts were heard, but Nova slamming the gavel repeatedly brought order before it got out of hand again.
“Moving forward,” Scamp said as she paced in front of the Witness Stand. “Tell the court about Pleasant Fields.”
“That,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Frederic was working with Val to bring back Nightmare, while pretending to be a victim like everyone else. He was the one who helped them form the town and lure in Bronies. As far as I am aware, only Val and Draco knew of Frederic’s involvement. Most of the town just knew he was a frequent visitor.”
“I can confirm that,” Scamp said as she stopped before the Witness Stand. “Why did he want Nightmare released?”
“He wanted a real villain to fight, to make the world love him even more,” she answered.
“Thank you,” Scamp said with a nod. “In regards to Lance’s book, the first one he wrote during his time in the alternate timeline, how much of it is true?”
“Well,” she began, thinking to herself. “I’ve read it, and it’s mostly spot on. The only problems are anything involving Frederic himself. Or any of the other points of views he tossed in for the villains. All of those were given to him by Frederic, and I can at least confirm a lot of info was changed.”
“Moving to his family life,” Scamp began. “We all know of Star Chaser and how he ended up. Did Frederic have anything to do with that at all?”
“That poor colt,” Annabel muttered. “Frederic was two types of father. To Nova, he ignored her and treated her normally. But to his son, Star Chaser… he wanted his son to be just like him. He forced him from a young age to endure all kinds of mental hardships. He made him watch… horrible things. He forcibly changed his mental state constantly… trying to shape him into the stallion he wanted him to be.
“Even worse,” she continued. “Was the…”
“You can say it,” Scamp said, a frown on her face.
“... he made Star Chaser watch him when he’d go to other countries to… sample the culture.”
“That’s enough,” Nova said sternly, her body shaking in rage. “Move on from my late brother.”
“Yes, Princess,” Scamp said with a bow, turning back to Annabel. “On family affairs. Tell the court about the control Frederic enacted over his wife, Princess Luna.”
“Ah,” she mumbled, shrinking back again. “He forced her to link minds with him so he could see and hear everything she did. He never let her do anything he did not approve of. When she tried to rule, he’d make her take a step back and do it himself. He wanted her to stay in his shadow…”
Nova made a sound, causing Scamp to cough. “Is there anything else you’d like to add before I ask the final question?”
Annabel thought for a moment, before giving a sharp nod. “Yes,” she turned her attention to Lance and Twilight. “Frederic was obsessed with his children marrying Lance’s.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a creep and wanted to see them together. He talked about the kids they’d make… all the time.” A look overtook her face as she looked away from everyone and looked right at Frederic. “There is one thing that needs to be said. Something he tried to do that was so horrible… it caused him to finally start abusing me to the point he finally had me banished.”
This seemed to surprise Scamp, as she did not know what she was referencing.
“Star Chaser showed zero interest in Fawn, which angered Frederic. But then he… took an interest in Lance’s daughter and tried to make something happen between Star Chaser and her anyway.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Frederic used a spell to turn into a colt and started dating Fawn to try and get her with his son.”
“You fucking-!” Lance roared as he tried to rush forward, but was stopped by his friends.
“But Fawn didn’t like him and the relationship lasted only a week. So he used my magic and his artifact to make Lance and Twilight… neglect their daughter. He put blocks in their minds so they wouldn’t care about her as much as they really did.” She lowered her head, “I spoke out against this and tried to fix it, but he became enraged and locked me away for a while. Then when I started to try and break away from him, he used his artifact on me and forced me to reveal everything we’d done. But made me say it was all my doing…”
Scamp did not have a response to this as she tried to process it. She had somehow not seen this when going through Frederic’s memories, but she did skip around so it was possible she missed it. His mind was a mess and hard to navigate.
“... Okay then. I have one last question,” Scamp said, forcing herself to continue. “When he came back and took you away, what happened?”
Annabel took a shaky breath. “He… His favorite way to punish me has always been to make me relieve my… ordeal. He gets off to it… He locked me away in another dimension and left me in a… shipping container while he tortured me mentally to join his side again…” She began to cry at this point, tears pouring down her face. “I’m so sorry everyone, I broke and let him use me again. I’m so-”
“It’s okay,” Scamp said, putting a hoof on hers. “No one blames you.”
“Yes they do,” Annabel mumbled. “May I go?”
Scamp seemed reluctant, but she gave a nod. “You’re free to go, Miss Fletcher.”
Without a word, Annabel climbed down from the Witness Stand and rushed out of the courtroom. Shayla stood up to follow, but Scamp stopped her.
“Shayla,” she called out, causing the mare to stop. “Come to the stand, please.”
“What why?” she asked with a frown. “I’m not a part of this shit.”
“Shayla,” Scamp said firmly, causing her daughter to sigh.
“Fine,” she grunted as she walked to the front and sat down roughly behind the Witness Stand.
Stepping up to the Stand, Scamp placed a jar on the table. “Bring out the Watcher.”
“Oh,” Shayla said with a sheepish smile. “I can do that.” Placing her hand on the jar, everyone watched as it slowly filled with a cyan, followed by the face of the Watcher appearing. A displeased look on his face.
“Hello, Watcher,” Scamp said with a hint of disdain.
“It’s Buu,” he corrected her, causing her to narrow her eyes.
“Are you willing to answer the questions I have?” Scamp asked, ignoring him.
“Depends on the questions' contents,” he answered a bit smugly.
“Hm.” Scamp came to a stop before the jar, glaring at the Watcher. “Explain to the court your relationship to Frederic.”
“Relationship?” the Watcher asked with a chuckle. “My only connection to this specimen of a life form is a transactional partnership that ended thirteen years ago.”
“Explain that,” Scamp ordered, getting a smirk from the jarred Watcher.
“I think my current explanation is enough,” he said with a smirk. “Unless I need to dumb it down for you.”
“I ask, as nicely as I can, for you to be cooperative, Buu,” she said, forcing herself to use his new name.
“Better,” he said smugly. “The partnership I once had with this child was brief, and only involved him informing me of the location of someone with an exceedingly high amount of Holy Energy within them. Is that simple enough for you?”
“So, to clarify, Frederic is the one who brought you to Lance?” Scamp asked, remaining as professional as she could.
“I guess it wasn’t simple enough for you,” the Watcher mocked.
“Buu,” Shayla scolded, slapping the back of the jar.
“... Yes. It was the one called Frederic who brought me to Lance,” the Watcher confirmed with a displeased look on his face.
“What happened when Lance and the others attacked you on your ship?” Scamp asked. “It was written that you killed them, and sent Lance to an alternate timeline. How accurate is that?”
“I didn’t kill any of them,” the Watcher admitted. “I only stunned them. It was your Prince who killed them once he recovered.”
All eyes turned to Frederic as people began to get riled up again. HOwever this time, it was the costumed Alicorn who lost her temper as she suddenly slammed a hoof into Frederic’s face. The bound stallion began to squeal in agony as she began to stomp on him, not saying a word.
“Hey, control yourself!” Scamp yelled as she fought to get the Alicorn off of the screaming Frederic.
On her own, the mare stopped her assault of the restrained stallion and took a step back, breathing heavily.
“I need you to leave the courtroom,” Nova said calmly, not seeming upset about what had just happened.
“Yeah, I think that’s best,” the Alicorn grunted as she did an about-face and stalked through the courtroom. Everyone watched her go, not one person surprised by her reaction, just not sure why she had it.
Using her hoof, Scamp stomped on the end of the dolly, causing Frederic to shoot up and return to his upright position.
“Continuing on to my next question,” Scamp said as she returned to the Witness Stand, everyone ignoring the groans coming from Frederic. “Why did he feel the need to kill those you’d stunned?”
“Tying up loose ends, of course,” the Watcher replied with a laugh. “Should I explain every little detail for you? Would that help you follow the course of events?”
“Tell me,” Scamp said as she came down hard on the Witness Stand, scaring her daughter. “If you knew all this, why didn’t you warn any of us when he returned? Why didn’t you speak up, seeing as you’ve had a change of heart and all.”
“He was hibernating, mama,” Shayla answered for him, getting a raised eyebrow from Scamp.
“And when did he start this, ‘hibernating’?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“... Uh,” Shayla began to look a bit sheepish as she forced a smile. “The moment Frederic appeared…”
“Uh-huh,” Scamp said, snatching the Jar and stepping away from her daughter. “Sounds kind of… suspicious, don’t you think, Buu?”
“More bad timing than anything else,” he laughed.
“Sure,” Scamp said as she opened her pocket dimension and tossed him in.
“Mama!” Shayla yelled, standing up in her chair.
“Shayla, go check on Annabel,” Scamp ordered, keeping her tone even.
“You can’t just take him like-”
“Now,” Scamp interrupted her, staring her daughter down.
Her daughter growled as she seemed to contemplate what to do, but looking around, she saw all the eyes on her. Reluctantly, she stepped down and stomped towards the exit. “This isn’t over,” Shayla said as she passed her mother.
Scamp remained silent as she watched her daughter kick open the doors and step out of the courtroom. A few more loud slams were heard as she made her way through the building.
“Now then,” Scamp said after everything went silent. “That concludes my victims and speakers,” she said as she walked up to the Bench, turning to the gathered ponies. “I planned to list off his remaining crimes, but I was given a different course of action. Will Babel Yarn take the stand.”
A squeal was heard from the back as a mare suddenly barreled through the crowd and jumped over the railing. She quickly ran to the Witness Stand and slammed herself into the chair, causing everyone to cringe.
“Can I just say,” Babel suddenly said, a wide smile on her face. “That it is a HONOR to speak to you Scamp outside of life or death scenarios!”
“Uh, yes, likewise?” Scamp said, a bit taken aback by the energy of the mare. She coughed as she regained her composure. “I understand you have questions compiled from the public?”
“Oh yes yes!” Babel exclaimed as she threw her bag onto the table and dumped it out, covering it and the floor beneath her in paper and other junk. “I asked for questions on the fan site, and went through them for all the best ones!”
Scamp gave a nod as she stepped over to Frederic. “For this next part, we’ve prepared a spell that will force the former Prince to answer any question we ask him truthfully, and nothing more.”
His eyes went wide as Mr. Bleak stepped up behind Nova, handing her a runed object.
“Princess, if you would,” Scamp said, taking a step back.
“Certainly,” she said as she crushed the object, causing her horn to ignite as a spell transferred itself to her. Tilting her head down, she shot a beam of magic at Frederic, causing him to squeal in panic.
Once she finished, the stallion went limp in his restraints, a distant look on his face.
“Perfect,” Scamp said as she stepped back up to him and unclasped the mask from his face, removing the gag from his mouth. “Now then,” she began, locking eyes with the dazed stallion. “What is your full name?”
“Frederic Darlington Bourdages,” he answered in a clear voice.
“Good. Has everything said here today been true in regards to your actions?”
“Yes.”
“We’re ready,” Scamp said as she walked over to Babel and gave her a nod. “You may begin.”
“Awesomesauce!” she exclaimed as she dug around in her empty bag. “Eh… lost my phone again… But no worries! I memorized everything!” she said as she grabbed a notebook and began to write very rapidly onto it. “Alrighty then! First question! Frederic, the fans of LTD must know: How did you become an Alicorn when you married Princess Luna? Because as we all have seen, you’re the only one to do it! No other has ever become an Alicorn in the same way!”
“I used magic to make the transformation happen, but it’s forbidden so I made the world believe true love was behind the transformation,” Frederic answered, his face twisting as he tried to not speak, but the magic easily overpowered him and kept him talking.
“Interesting!” Babel said excitedly as she continued to write. “What about Princess Luna’s pregnancy? Not only did she have twins, but she had them months earlier than she should have! Did you use even more magic to make that happen?”
“I wanted twins, but her first pregnancy was just a single foal. So we tried again and again till we got it right. Then I used a spell to speed it up because I wanted them to be born before Lance’s kid,” Frederic answered, foam forming in the corners of his mouth as he struggled to not speak.
“Wait,” Scamp interrupted, a hard look on her face. “You forced Luna to abort her pregnancies till you got what you wanted?”
“Yes,” he answered simply.
“How… many?” Scamp asked.
“I did not keep count. It took a full week to get the twins. I used Magic to speed up her pregnancies so we could see if it was twins or not. When it wasn’t what I wanted, I used forbidden magic to kill the fetus and started over.”
Scamp seethed with rage as she struggled to keep her composure.
“Scamp, do you need to step out?” Nova asked, but Scamp took a deep breath and shook her head.
“Continue, Babel,” she said as she held eye contact with Frederic.
“Okay!” Babel said as she looked over her fresh notes. “Ah! Fun one next! Where were you during the Violent Inferno fight?”
“I was watching from a distance, waiting to see if Inferno could do what I needed him to do.”
“What was he supposed to do?” Babel asked.
“Kill one of the bronies,” Frederic answered.
“So does that mean you are behind Violent Inferno?!” Babel asked with an excited expression.
“He was my creation, yes,” Frederic confirmed, causing her to squeal in delight. “I used Lilith’s magic to bring it out of him, just like she did for me with Darksteel Edge, but it was a failed experiment. Violent Inferno was useless, and died too easily.”
“Ooo, I have a lot of questions about that then!” Babel said, but Scamp held up a hoof.
“Move to the next question, please.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Babel said with a salute, turning her attention back to her notes. “So! Another major lore question the fans want to know involves Omnious! How did you fool him?”
“It was simple,” Frederic began. “When he arrived, I used Princess Celestia to call him to the Palace, then I used Annabel and my artifact to bring him under my control. He was too trusting and didn’t even try to stop me. After that I never had to worry about him again.”
“Interesting!” Babel said with a wide smile. “Ooo, can you tell me about your father? Richard?!”
“What do you want to know?”
“Babel, keep the questions to Frederic,” Nova said sternly.
“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, flipping through her notes. “Hmm…. AH! So, why didn’t you just clap your father? You had no qualms with killing Cody, but you just wanted to imprison him instead?”
“I wanted him dead, but Lilith was very insistent on him being alive. So I had to do things her way, because I was scared of her.” His eyes went wide as he admitted that.
“Babel, move to a different line of questions,” Scamp ordered.
“Okay, because I do got some fun ones lined up!” she said happily. “According to Nova, you were on the Eternal Plains for the last thirteen or so years. What were you doing?”
“I was hunting down all the alternate Frederic’s,” he said. “There can only be one of me, and I am the Frederic Prime.”
“Jesus,” Greg groaned from the gallery.
“Did you get them all?” she asked.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
“Good,” Lance growled, causing Nova to hit her gavel twice.
“Now for the fun questions!” Babel said as she began to shake in excitement. “These are ones I came up with! First question! Keeping it safe for work, what happened to the Elements of Harmony?!”
“I used a horn from the Biblical Devil to corrupt them to change them into something completely different. But now they’re in the hands of Lilith, and I do not know what her plans are.”
“Well that’s not good at all,” she mumbled, making a note. “Guess that will be handled by Scamp, won’t it?”
Scamp raised an eyebrow at the excited mare, giving her a shrug.
“She’s got this!” Babel chuckled. Then an overly excited look appeared on her face, “OOOO! Frederic, for my shipping charts, how big are you?!”
“In human form or Alicorn? Because I am rather tall.”
“No! Not height! I mean your hog!”
“Hell yeah! Answer it, fag!” Jun yelled out, causing everyone to laugh as Nova slammed her gavel over and over again.
“Which form?” he asked as Nova continued to slam her gavel.
“Do not continue this line of questioning!” she demanded, but Babel didn’t seem to hear her, or just didn’t care.
“Both forms! I need to confirm if my fan art is accurate!”
“Human form two inches. Alicorn form, I made myself have a twenty eight inch one.”
“I was way off!” Babel laughed as everyone joined her, but Nova slammed the gavel so hard the Bench shattered, silencing everyone.
“Enough,” she said simply, standing up. “We’re moving to sentencing.”
“Wait!” Babel yelled, flipping through her notes. “EH! UH! Why are you so homophobic?!”
“Because gay men disgust me and I wish they were all dead. Lesbians are fine, because they’re hot and I enjoy the concept of them getting together. Plus I like the idea of fucking them straight.”
“SILENCE!” Nova bellowed.
“Why do you-” Babel tried to continue, but her mouth was suddenly zipped shut with magic as she was lifted and forcibly carried across the room by Nova’s magic.
“We are done here,” Nova declared, plopping Babel down next to Roxxy and the others. “Scamp, begin the sentencing process.”
“Very well,” Scamp said as she cleared her throat, moving for her table. She’d spoken with the others and come up with the perfect plan. Bronwyn and Balgore had come up with a punishment, one that none of the others would have thought possible. One that Scamp was not looking forward to carrying out.
Turning back to the Bench and Frederic, she looked to Nova. “If you want, we can allow him to have a moment to share his thoughts, unaffected by magic.”
Nova leaned over the Bench to stare at Frederic, a hard look on her face, devoid of emotion. “I’m interested in hearing what he could possibly say after all this. You have the floor. But I will cut you off when I deem you unworthy of being allowed to speak.” With that, her horn flashed as she leaned back, an annoyed look on her face. “Speak.”
Frederic remained silent for a long moment, just looking around at the ponies gathered in the room. He seemed to be picking his words carefully, working his swollen jaw.
“Well,” he began in a calm voice. “I heard I am going to have a grandchild. So I am excited for that, because he will be just like his father, and me, and my father.” A few murmurs filled the room, but he continued, “speaking of sons. Greg, how well did you know your boy?”
“Don’t you fucking talk about Dude,” Greg growled as people moved to hold him down.
“Did you know,” Frederic began, a smug smirk on his face. “That your beloved son was a fag? A dick sucker if you will.”
“Fuck you, Fred,” Greg roared, fighting against his friends. “I knew everything about my son! YOu think that’s news to me?! You think that would upset me?! I’m not like you! I’m not scared of the gays, you retarded faggot!”
“Oh,” Frederic muttered, taken aback by that reaction, as it was not what he had expected.
“Yeah! OH!” Greg yelled as Pinkie grabbed his chair and quickly moved him out of the courtroom as he continued to yell insults back at Frederic.
“Guess I win!” Frederic called after him. “My son killed your little fag. I’m proud of my son!”
“Oh fuck this!” Greg said as he jumped up and sprinted across the room, diving over anyone who tried to stop him, even getting around Scamp, and tackled Frederic. People moved to stop him, but the screams of Frederic echoed through the room. Scamp quickly pulled Greg off of him and threw him to the side, trying to prevent anything from happening. But as she looked down at Frederic, she couldn’t help but cringe.
“Oh fuck,” Lance gasped as he looked at Greg.
“Holy orchiectomy!” Babel exclaimed, eyes wide. “Now that REALLY messes with my fanart!”
“Damn it, Greg,” Scamp groaned as she stepped away from the screaming Frederic and grabbed the bloody parts from Greg. “Did you have to do this?”
“He deserves it and worse,” Greg spat out.
“Can someone heal this dumbass before he bleeds out,” Scamp ordered as she helped Greg get back to his wheelchair, leaving the genitals of Frederic on the floor.
“Greg,” Nova groaned, an exhausted look on her face.
“Get him home,” Scamp said to Pinkie, turning back to the chaos behind her. “Great…” she muttered as she moved back in, seeing Calypso using some items to heal the wounds on Frederic.
“Scamp,” Nova said over everyone. “Finish this.”
“Yes, Princess,” she said with a bow, turning back to the camera that was currently pointed at the crying Frederic. “Put that thing on me, now,” she ordered sternly. The camera quickly moved back to her as she stood up tall. “We have already decided on the punishment for the former Prince, Frederic Darlington Bourdages.”
Everyone not involved in handling Frederic turned their attention to Scamp, taking an interest in her next words.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Please!” Frederic screamed as he was wheeled down a long walkway with Louie pushing him and Scamp walking next to him. “This… THIS IS EVIL!”
“Sometimes the only way to deal with evil is to take a step above it,” Scamp said back, using her wing to push the gag back into his mouth.
“No!” he roared, getting the gag out of his mouth. “Listen to me! Just listen! Just do anything else to me! ANYTHING!”
But Scamp ignored him as she checked her Dimensional Dagger, seeing that it was glowing red. This made her very uncomfortable, as it had been doing that ever since they’d arrived in this… realm.
“I have a lot of money and items buried in Equestria! Just take me back and I’ll show you!” he continued to beg.
“Even if I was tempted,” Scamp said with a smirk. “We’re not on the same Equestria that you were in.”
“I know things! About Lilith! I can tell you-”
“I already got all your information about Lilith from your memories,” Scamp interrupted. “None of it was useful, you spend too much time thinking about yourself and not paying attention to the world around you. No wonder you were so blind to her using you.”
“But my grandchild! He’ll benefit from having me around!”
“Yeah, not happening,” Scamp laughed as the path began to get narrow, seeming to shrink the further they went.
“Okay, but what if-”
“If you don’t shut the fuck up, I will tear that tongue out of your mouth and heal you so you can only scream from now on,” she said coldly, her eye twitching.
“I don’t think he’ll be doing anything else other than screaming going forward,” Louie mocked, giving Frederic a hard shake.
“Please, you two are supposed to be heroes! HEROES DO NOT DO THINGS LIKE THIS!”
“I ain’t a hero,” Scamp chuckled. “I do good shit for the sake of it, but I don’t play the ‘can only do good’ hero, like Lance used to be like. I do whatever needs to be done.”
“Scamp, you’re a good mare, you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself!”
“You clearly do not know me,” she said with a smirk. “Or my body count.”
“Louie! You’d never be able to-”
“I personally think this is the funniest shit ever, Freddy, so I’d be quiet if I were you. I’m not as… reserved as Scamp is.”
“If you let me go, Louie, I’ll make sure you-”
“Shut it,” Louie growled, reaching around and clamping his large paw over Frederic’s snout. “It’s your fault my girlfriend's father died, because you wanted to be the hero at the last second. You’re so damn LUCKY I don’t take a few moments to thank you for your actions.”
As he released his snout, Frederic let out a whimper. “Luke please…”
“Let’s speed this up,” Louie said as he began to push the dolly faster, the ground around them starting to glow red.
Frederic continued to beg for his life as they continued forward, a bright light ahead showing the end of the tunnel they were walking down.
“Are… we good to be here?” Louie asked. “Because this is risky, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Scamp said as she stood on her hindlegs and grabbed the dolly’s handles from Louie. “Which is why you are going back. Now.”
“I’m not letting you do this alone,” he said as the sounds of distant screams began to reach their ears. “... are you sure you can do this alone?”
She chuckled at this, giving him a nod, “I’ll be fine. I can mentally handle this better than you can. Go back, I’ll be done soon.”
Louie looked conflicted, but the wailing in the distance unsettled him, causing him to take a step back. “Good luck, Scamp.”
Pushing forward, Frederic began to sob loudly, causing her to roll her eyes. Soon they walked through the opening in the tunnel and found themselves in a massive cavern, with a large door on the other side. To her surprise, a forest stood all around them, with a path leading towards the doors ahead
“Please please please,” Frederic began to repeat, fighting against his restraints.
Continuing to ignore him she pushed forward, a heavy pressure coming down on her mind. She shook her head, barely able to shake it off. But Frederic wasn’t as resilient as he began to scream in horror.
The sounds of birds singing could be heard as they pushed forward, which just felt unsettling with the current setting. Whispers were mixed in with the birds, as well as some kind of low droning sound.
“Scamp please, take me back,” Frederic cried, no longer fighting as he trembled in his restraints.
Scamp pressed forward, her ears perking up as she was assaulted with all kinds of voices, all repeating the same warning over and over again. They were all in a language she did not understand, but the moment they reached the large door, everything went silent.
“Scamp…” Frederic begged as she looked around, glancing back the way they’d come. An unsettling feeling washed over her as she saw many emaciated people staring back at them, all sitting among the rocks and trees. She hadn’t seen them as they’d approached, and this caused her heart rate to increase.
Then a single voice spoke up, in perfect english, causing her fur to stand on ends. It seemed to be repeating the same warning that all the other voices had been whispering.
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”
“Turn us back, please!” Frederic yelled, but she ignored him as she pushed forward, using the Dolly to open the gates, which despite their size, opened with ease. The wails they’d heard previously increased in volume as distant drum-like sounds could be heard, but she just gritted her teeth and pushed through the entrance. The item Balgore had given her humming faintly as it hung around her neck.
The pressure around them only increased as they entered a completely dark area, with no sounds but the distant dripping of water. Each drop echoing around them, acting as if they were in another massive cavern.
“It’s not to late, we can-”
“If you say another word, I’m going to silence you myself,” Scamp hissed, her heart rate increasing even more as she carefully moved forward. The ground was becoming uneven, making it hard to move the dolly’s wheels without having to use all her strength to keep it upright.
A distant lantern flared to life, seeming to be over a lake of some kind as its light was reflected in the water below it.
“What the fuck is that?!” Frederic yelped, but Scamp lifted the gag and forced it into his mouth, tightening it down till he was squealing in pain.
The lantern was slowly coming towards them as she kept moving forward. Suddenly the wheels hit water and fell forward. She barely caught a hold of the handle as the dolly sank all the way up to Frederic’s chest. His screams of horror did not help as she struggled to pull him back up.
Luckily for him, she got him back up and onto the stone floor. She didn’t say a word to him as she sat him back up and turned her attention to the slowly approaching light. As it drew closer, she saw that it was attached to a boat, with a single person within it.
She set her jaw, not sure what to expect as the boat neared. Silently, it came to a stop right along the edge of the water, the figure within turning their cloaked head towards the two of them.
“You’re not my normal passengers,” the man said in an old gravely voice. “More lively than I’m used to seeing.” The figure turned his attention to Frederic, a toothy smile barely visible inside the dark hood. “We were expecting you at some point, Mr. Bourdages. Just not like this.”
“I need to take him to the end,” Scamp said firmly, getting a rough chuckle from the man.
“There were easier ways to get him here,” the man said in an amused tone.
“We want him here. Alive,” Scamp said, narrowing her eye. “He doesn’t deserve the easy way out.”
“Very well,” the man said as he waved a hand for the boat. “But I must warn you. He’ll never leave here, and there’s a chance you won’t either, if you fail to listen to me.”
“I’ll take the risk,” Scamp grunted as she pushed the dolly over, sending Frederic tumbling into the boat with a scream. She jumped in after him, taking a seat on the other side of the boat from the man.
“I’m afraid I do not know your name,” the man said with a smile, the light revealing some of his decrepit face. “We don’t make it a habit of learning the names of those we’ll never see, after all.”
“Scamp,” she answered, keeping her last name out of it.
“Well, I am Virgil, your guide,” he answered as the boat took off, heading into the darkness.
“How long till we get to the end?” Scamp asked, a feeling of uneasiness passing over her as she saw faces in the water staring back at her.
“Depends,” he said, his eyes on Frederic. “Sometimes it’s a few minutes. Sometimes it’s a few millennia.”
“I can’t be here that long,” Scamp said with a frown.
“Then it is best to hope he deems it so,” Virgil answered, reaching up and running a hand over the lantern. It brightened slightly, pushing away the darkness. All this did was reveal even more faces in the water, all of them watching them as they went.
Scamp had questions, but decided to keep them to herself as she forced her eyes to rest on the man ahead of her.
Hours passed in silence, with just the sounds of the water hitting the boat filling the air. Scamp remained patient, staring at the smiling man ahead of her. No one spoke, except for Frederic who just sobbed into his gag.
After even more time passed, Virgil moved a bit. “Is this worth it?” he asked suddenly. “This journey could take the rest of your life to complete.”
“I’m immortal,” Scamp answered gruffly. “But I don’t plan to be here that long.”
“Ah an immortal,” he laughed. “This place is not for you then. Getting stuck here… there are no worse fates.”
“I know, that’s why he’s here, alive,” she said, kicking Frederic’s hoof.
“We’re currently in Limbo,” he said, looking over the edge of the boat. “Tossing him overboard here would be a terrible fate in of itself.”
“Not good enough,” Scamp muttered, seeing the panic on Frederic’s face. “Straight to the bottom.”
“Very well,” he said as the boat suddenly jerked and rocketed down a tunnel that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The boat navigated the many twists and turns as Scamp held on tightly to the side of the boat, dread washing over her as she heard the sounds of voices calling out all kinds of names.
They violently exploded out into an open sea of sorts, with sharp rocks all around them and a blank sky above. But what really caught her eye was the massive man with serpents body wrapped around himself, his massive eyes locked onto them.
“Confess your sins for judgment,” the large man bellowed, causing Scamp to flatten her ears to her head.
“These two will not be judged by you, Minos,” Virgil said sharply, moving the boat towards the massive man. “Now aside, let us pass.”
A loud snort of hot air was blown onto them as he moved aside, water pouring off of him as he did so. His eyes remained locked on Frederic, a sinister smile sliding onto his face. “I was looking forward to your confessions. I knew exactly where you would have gone.”
Virgil moved them forward, entering into a rough sea with people screaming for help as they were tossed around by the waves.
“Hold tight,” he warned as the boat rocked with the waves. “Falling out here is not ideal.”
Scamp did as she was told as she watched people and creatures of all kinds trying to grab onto the boat, but were unable to get a grip on it as they were ripped away by the currents. The boat pushed forward, seeming to take hours to reach the end of the rough seas.
Her biological foreleg was sore from holding onto the boat for so long, but she remained strong as they finally broke from the endless storm and began to enter another tunnel.
“Scamp!” a voice suddenly called out from the open sea, but looking back she couldn't see the owner of the voice, but it was vaguely familiar. Then an object flew from a distant wave and landed in the boat. It was a simple necklace, but she didn’t recognize it from anywhere.
“What is that?” she asked, but Virgil just shrugged at her.
Carefully, she picked it up, not seeing anything abnormal about it. It was a simple chain with a heart pendant attached to it.
“Careful taking anything from here,” he warned as they entered the tunnel.
“What should I do with this?” she asked, staring at the little pendant.
“Anything you’d like,” he answered. “Someone wanted you to have it. Risked everything to get it to you as well. Toss it over board, or keep it. The choice is yours.”
“How much further?” she asked, opening her pocket dimension and tossing the pendant into it.
“We’re progressing much faster than I’d expected,” Virgil said cheerfully. “You must be a welcome guest after all.”
“Great,” Scamp muttered, not liking the sound of that.
As they moved along, the water began to turn to a foul smelling sludge, causing her to gag and vomit over the edge. Frederic did the same, but she didn’t bother removing his gag.
“I would avert your eyes for this one,” Virgil warned. “This circle is… putrid.”
She took his advice and hunkered down in the boat, her nostrils getting assaulted with all kinds of smells. Thankfully, they were not in this area long as they entered a tunnel. However she stayed down, not wanting to see any more than she had too. They pushed into a new area, one that was filled with the sounds of grunting and the sounds of coins giggling in sacks.
Yet she stayed down, and was very thankful when they passed through this area much quicker than the last one. The next area they entered was filled with the shouts of angry voices, and the sounds of fighting.
Pushing herself up, she saw they were in a swamp, with people fighting on top of the sludge, stepping on the bodies of those who seemed to just be laying in the mud. No one paid them any mind as they continued to violently attack each other, endlessly.
“I have a feeling if you were to come here,” Virgil began with a smirk. “That this is where you would be sent to, Lady Scamp.”
“Eh…” she muttered, not sure how to feel about that as she watched the raging people around them.
In the distance, she saw a few high towers, but Virgil turned the boat from them, heading in a different direction.
“Pray you never earn this fate,” he said as they carried on.
Like before, they made their way through this area in only an hour, much to her relief. But upon entering into the next area, she was met with the smell of burning flesh. A scent she knew all too well due to her time served in the military.
She sat back down in the boat, staring down at Frederic as they passed by tombs filled with flames and screams.
At the end of this area, the boat came to a stop next to some rocks.
“Now we walk,” Virgil said as he climbed from the boat.
“Oh great,” she complained as she hefted Frederic up and out of the boat. Before them was a massive cliff side. With a frown she opened her pocket dimension and pulled out a syringe.
Frederic began to panic as she injected it into his side, causing him to go limp. She removed his restraints and threw him over her back, a look of displeasure on her face as she began to follow Virgil up the rocky cliff.
“You can dump him anywhere and his fate would be sealed,” Virgil commented as they moved upward.
“I want him to get exactly what he deserves,” she answered simply.
“You’ve gone far above most who have walked a similar path.”
“It has to be done.”
He cackled as they reached the top of the cliff and entered the next layer. But then he stopped, turning his gaze upward. “I must leave you here,” he suddenly said.
“Why?” she asked with an annoyed grunt.
Virgil turned and walked past her, moving faster than he had before.
“Hey, Virgil!” she called after him as he basically ran away from her. “What am I supposed to do?!”
The sound of a thousand screams behind her caused her to freeze. The sounds increased in volume as she started to make out individual voices among the cacophony of chaos.
Sweat began to run down her body as a different pressure began to beat down on her, one she’d never experienced before and could not even begin to understand. Without warning, she blinked and found herself in a completely different area, no longer on the top of a cliff.
A deep chill ran down her spin as the atmosphere changed from muggy to impossibly cold. The sounds of crying people could be heard all around them as she slowly turned, seeing people embedded in the ice, their features impossible to make sense of.
“Those who make the journey to see me usually bring gifts,” a large man said as he leaned against an icy pillar, a wide smile on his face. His massive and naked body caused great discomfort in Scamp, but she ignored it as she flipped Frederic over her shoulder and onto the ground.
“You the devil?” she asked, glaring at the imposing man.
“Satan, Lucifer,” he said with a laugh, shaking his hands. “The devil. All the fun little names mortals have given me.”
“Good,” she said flatly, kicking Frederic’s side and causing him to groan as the sedatives seemed to be wearing off much faster than they were supposed to. “I brought you this guy, as a gift.”
“By gift,” he said as he strolled towards her, towering above her, “I meant your soul.”
“Too bad,” Scamp said with a smirk. “You’re gonna have to settle with this guys.”
The man stood stalk still, just staring at her. A grin slowly spread across his face. But then it was wiped from his face as he saw the item around her neck, a sour look overtaking his features. “Someone came prepared.”
With that he grabbed Frederic by the hindleg and lifted him up, looking him over. “You could have killed him. He’d have come here on his own.”
“Yes, but I know him being here while still alive is much worse for him,” she countered, getting a genuine grin from the beast of a man.
“That it is,” he laughed as he shook Frederic, causing him to wake up. He looked around in a daze, then when his eyes met the man holding him, he began to scream. “Ah, music.”
“Scamp! SCAMP!” Frederic screamed, jerking his head to her. “Please, do something!”
“So you're going to deal with him?” Scamp asked, ignoring Frederic.
“There are few in life who get the pleasure of being with me,” the man said in a sinister voice. “And Freddy boy, you are among those rare few.”
“W-What’s that mean?” Frederic asked, getting a large smile in return.
“It means very good things,” the man assured him as a groan was heard behind him.
Looking behind him, Scamp saw a man drag himself out from behind a pillar, his body looking absolutely wrecked.
“Oh, mein arschloch,” the man exclaimed in a German accent, pulling himself along the ground. He came to a stop near the man and Frederic, tilting his head up to look at them.
“... oh fuck…” Frederic muttered, his eyes wide.
“Remove that necklace,” the large man said with a smile, locking eyes with Scamp. “It’s the only way you’ll be able to leave here.”
“Yeah, not falling for that,” Scamp said as she flipped her dimensional dagger around her claws.
“Worth a try,” he laughed as Frederic suddenly turned back into a human, completely nude.
“Whoa whoa WHOA!” Frederic screamed, fighting against the man's grip. “This is NOT going to happen.”
“Perfect,” the massive man laughed as Scamp watched in disgust as a large and barbed penis rose from between his legs. Screams filled the air as Frederic was violated, his screams almost being drowned out by the laughs of those around them.
The man on the ground was laughing like a maniac, clapping his hands as the massive man went feral.
“Eh…” Scamp said, raising an eyebrow as she tore open a portal between her and the scene before her and stepped through it. The screams of Frederic were cut off as the portal snapped shut, leaving him there for the rest of eternity.
A horrified look sat on her face as she stood there, processing the scene she’d just witnessed. After a few moments, she shook her head, putting those memories away in her vault and forced herself to move forward. Just like she’d done with all her past trauma.
“Scamp?! You’re back!” Lance exclaimed as he rushed towards her, pulling her into a hug.
“Yeah, I am,” she said, still slightly dazed.
“Why are you back already?!” he asked, leaning back as a few others ran towards them, as they were standing in the middle of the street.
“... How long have I been gone?” she asked, a confused look on her face.
“Barely ten minutes!” he exclaimed, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
“That’s weird,” she muttered, not sure how only ten minutes had passed for them, but decided to not think about it. For her own sake.
“Did you…” he started to ask, but she gave him a sharp nod.
“He’s where he deserves to be,” Scamp confirmed. “Without going into details, he’s going to have a very bad time there.”
“Good,” Lance said with a shake of his head. “I still can’t believe…”
“I know,” she said, patting his back.
“Mama!” Shayla yelled in the distance as she and Mallogory rushed towards her.
“Scamp!” Mallogory yelled, clearly upset.
“Oh, Mallo is pissed you left without telling her, and that you sent Louie back,” Lance warned as Scamp put on a brave smile.
“Oh, wonderful,” she turned to face her family, holding up a hoof to wave to them. “Hey you two…”
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Kickass222urmom
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851
| 336 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-05-17T12:23:04+00:00
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2023-09-28T12:48:57+00:00
| 245 |
Epilogue
“That’s heavily fucked up and disturbing,” Lacy commented as Scamp finished retelling the events of delivering Frederic to Satan.
“Are you good, Scamp?” Lance asked as all eyes turned to the mare in question.
She let out a laugh and waved him off. “I’m fine, not like I haven’t seen some fucked up shit in the past.”
Everyone in the Mellowed Pie just exchanged looks, but no one said anything else as Scamp sat back down with her wife.
Lance stood up and walked into the middle of the room next, a solemn look upon his face. “Well guys, I honestly don’t know what to say about all of this.”
“What is there to say?” Greg commented as he sat with Pinkie Pie.
“Does this mean all of our relationships were… meaningless?” Rainbow Dash asked, a hurt expression on her face.
This caused those gathered to lower their heads.
Scamp glanced around, seeing everyone’s forlorn faces and sighed. “You idiots,” she announced, startling everyone. “Who cares if Frederic meddled in your love lives and picked who you fell in love with.” Her gaze turned to Lance. “What about you, Lance? Do you love Twilight?”
“I-I do,” he answered with a slow nod.
“Do you wish you’d gotten with someone else?” she challenged.
“Of course not.”
“Then there you go,” she said with a smirk. “At this point it doesn’t matter why you all got together, just that you love each other. That goes for all of you.”
Her words seemed to help those who had doubts, letting everyone relax.
“That brings me to this then,” Lance continued, turning and looking to the back of the room where both Belle and Jun stood. “We all owe both of you an apology. For not believing you when you tried to warn us about Frederic.”
The pair shared a look after hearing this, frowns on both of their faces. Without a word they both walked to the middle of the room with Lance.
Jun was the first to speak. “I swapped sides because you all offered me the chance to do better, to not follow the shitty path I stumbled onto.” He ran his eyes over everyone. “But you all only care about me when there’s fighting that needs to be done, and the moment it’s over, you ignore me. Treat me like a nuisance.”
“That’s not true, Jun,” Lance countered, but this just caused Jun to look even more upset.
“It is though!” He snapped. “The moment we got back after defeating Richard and Lilith, you all ignored me. I tried to help or spend time with any of you, but I was told over and over again I wasn’t welcome.” His eyes landed on Lacy, “and one of you thinks it’s funny to flirt with me and then laugh at me behind my back for it.”
Lacy shrank back in her seat, not even attempting to defend herself, because it was true.
“I can handle that,” he said with a crack in his voice. “But what I can’t handle is how you all treated me when Frederic attacked me. None of you even tried to get to the bottom of it, you all instantly treated me like I was the bad guy. You didn’t even question it, you acted like you were just waiting for me to go back to being a villain.” Then he looked at Scamp, his expression lightening. “Only Scamp was willing to hear my side, unlike the rest of you.”
“Jun…” Lance began, but Belle cut him off as she started speaking, her tone low but filled with emotion.
“I know no one trusts me,” she began. “I’ve always been passive. I let Lorenzo use me and I did nothing to stop him. But I tried to be useful after my gut told me there was something going on. I tried to warn everyone.” She went silent for a few moments. “You all turned on me so easily. Even my son. That’s too painful, too much.”
The assembled group didn’t seem to know how to respond to this.
“We’re just ‘the bad guys’ to all of you,” Jun said bitterly. “No matter what we do.”
“That’s not true,” Lance countered.
“Till I see it, I don’t believe you,” Jun said as he and Belle turned and walked for the exit. Even after all that was said, no one tried to stop them.
“They’re right,” Scamp announced just before the pair reached the door. “You’re all your worst enemies sometimes.”
Belle stopped and looked back to Scamp, giving her a small smile before she and Jun left the building.
Everyone remained silent as they contemplated all that they’d heard. Finally, Twilight cleared her throat and stepped up next to her husband.
“Frederic hurt all of us, some more than others. But we can move forward, and continue being happy. That is the best way to spite him now.”
“You said it, Twi,” Greg said as he raised his drink into the air.
“Yeah,” Cody said with a firm nod. “Despite his attempts, we all ended up in happy situations. If anything, we can thank him for our children.”
At this both Lance and Twilight’s eyes went wide as they turned to each other. “Fawn!” They both yelped at once.
“That monster!” Twilight hissed angrily. “I never even realized we were neglecting her!”
“We’ll fix it!” Lance said in a desperate tone. “We’ll figure out what city she moved to and we’ll make things right!”
“Lance, it's been twelve years since she left!” Twilight exclaimed. “We haven’t spoken to her once in all that time!”
Tears ran down both of their faces as they started to move for the exit.
“She’s not in another city,” Scamp suddenly said, stopping both of them.
“You know where she’s at?!” Lance asked with a look of relief on his face.
“Yes,” Scamp confirmed as they rushed towards her. “Do you both remember the events that unfolded twelve years ago when Greg’s evil clone returned and attacked us with the help of another dimension?”
“Oh yeah, that mess,” Lance said with a nod. “What about it?”
“Fawn was saved by one of those creatures that helped us, after you two left her behind,” Scamp continued.
They both appeared sheepish at this, as they remembered leaving their daughter behind to check on their son.
“Wait…” Lance began as a realization came over him. “You’re not telling us that Fawn is…”
“Oh no,” Twilight muttered.
“She went back with Sonic and Shadow?!” Lance yelled, disbelief on his face.
“Yes,” Scamp deadpanned.
“Oh that’s just great,” he muttered, rubbing his face.
“Open a portal, now,” Twilight demanded.
Not having it in her to argue, Scamp flicked out her Dimensional Dagger and stabbed it into the air. A portal flickered to life but then faded instantly. Trying again yielded the same results.
“Uhhhh… that’s new,” she mumbled as she tried yet again, only to get met with no portal this time.
“What’s that mean?!” Twilight yelled in a panic, looking at everyone around them. “What’s it mean?!”
“Don’t panic,” Scamp said calmly as she ran over the options in her mind, landing on one that made her frown. Opening her pocket dimension she removed the Watcher in his jar, holding him up. “Okay, tell me, what does this mean?”
She stabbed the air, causing only a flicker this time.
An amused look appeared on his face as he looked at her. “You steal me from my companion, throw me in a very stodgy place, then pull me out to ask a question about a simple to understand concept?”
“Just answer the question,” she grunted in annoyance.
“Hmm,” he hummed with a smug expression. “It’s simple, that dimension is either locked down, or it was erased.”
“Erased?!” Twilight cried out. “Lance, what if her dimension was one of the ones destroyed during the fighting?!”
“Is there any way to know for sure?” Scamp asked, doing her best to be ‘nice’ to the Watcher.
“No,” he answered with a growing smile. “At least not normally. From my domain, I can check its status and maybe unlock it if there is a lock over it.”
“We’re not going back to your domain,” Scamp started firmly.
“Scamp,” Twilight began, wiping her face. “We already let him use his domain to get us here, and he did nothing malicious. If he can get Fawn back to us, I’m willing to trust him.”
“I don’t know,” Scamp mumbled.
“I can also remove that pesky dimensional lock on Lance,” the Watcher added. “With the UAD gone, there’s no one left to enforce their rules.”
“All the more reason to not let him near his domain,” Scamp pointed out.
“We’ve already ruined our relationships with Belle and Jun,” Lance stated with a sigh. “Let’s not keep up that pattern and ruin another one. We have to extend our trust to him and not hold his past over him.”
“Lance, this is the guy who killed your daughter in front of you,” Scamp said flatly.
“… yes, but he’s changed,” Lance countered.
“He really has, mama,” Shayla added from the back.
“We should not trust him, it’s as simple as that,” Scamp said, opening her pocket dimension.
“Scamp wait,” Lance said as he and Twilight shared a look.
“There is no discussion,” Scamp said with a shake of her head. “We’re not entertaining his plan. We’ll wait for Bronwyn to get back and ask her.”
“That could be months from now,” Twilight said as she and Lance stepped closer. “I’m sorry, Scamp.”
Before she could ask why, Twilight’s horn flashed, causing both her and Lance to disappear. But not only them, but also the Watcher’s jar and her Dimensional Dagger.
She stood there in stunned silence before her face lit up with pure rage. “Shayla! Give me your dagger!”
But the sound of a portal opening and closing revealed that her daughter had already left the room, possibly following Lance and Twilight.
“Someone bring me a fucking Dimensional Dagger, NOW!” she yelled, causing everyone to shrink back.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Interesting change in direction,” Lilith muttered to herself as she watched Scamp angrily move around the Mellowed Pie. With a flick of her hoof she changed the scrying orbs view to another area in Ponyville.
It now showed Bella and Jun walking together, both of them silent as they walked towards the edge of town.
“Those two will be a problem,” she observed, not liking the idea of them joining forces. The orb shifted over to another figure, this one standing on the roof of the Mellowed Pie. The costumed Alicorn. “This one is also worrying.”
Ending her self musing, she stepped away from her scrying orb and moved across the room. Her eyes lingered on the Corrupted Elements of Harmony that floated above another of her relics, a smile dancing on her face. Her mind ran through a few options before she settled on her next course of action.
With a flick of her head, she caused a portal to appear before herself. Stepping through she found herself in the training dimension she set up for her experiment to practice in. The sounds of distant yelling, followed by manic laughter, drew her towards the experiment in question.
Coming to the edge of a crater, she saw her latest project fighting against a seemingly endless wave of Combat Dolls, life-like dummies used for training purposes.
Lilith watched the display, watching as the Kejtdra woman below laughed crazily, jumping from Combat Doll to Combat Doll, seeming to be enjoying herself as she used her claws to rip everything she touched to shreds.
“Kimaris,” Lilith called out, but the Kejtdra didn’t react to her, just continuing on with her destruction. “Kimaris!” Lilith yelled as she began to walk further into the crater.
The woman’s crazy eyes snapped to her, a wide smile appearing on her face. “Lil! What’s up?!”
“Has your training had any effect?” Lilith asked, an annoyed look on her face.
“Maybe,” Kimaris laughed as she performed a headstand and began to walk circles around Lilith. “I’m ready for some payback now.”
“Soon,” Lilith promised. “Tell me, one more time, why are you here?”
“This again?” the Kejtdra groaned, flipping and landing on her feet. “Last time I’m saying this. I wanted to get stronger so I could kick ass, and I found you. Then boom, power ups and all that fun jazz, and here I am! Better than ever!”
“And what drives you to get stronger?” Lilith asked, a smile tugging at her mouth.
A large toothy grin spread across the woman's face. “To get payback against the chick who ruined my life.”
“Good,” Lilith said with a pleased nod. “Name her.”
Kimaris stood up straight as she cracked her joints, a devilish look on her face. “Scamp.”
This entire arc was inspired by the real Frederic/Iron Clad. A lot happened behind the scenes back in 2012, and he ended up not being who he said he was. I will not air old laundry here, though.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 337 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-05-28T20:34:44+00:00
|
2023-05-28T20:34:44+00:00
| 240 |
Black Heart
During the trial of Frederic
Twilight Sparkle watched the scene before with a shocked expression on her face. The costumed Alicorn was currently stalking through the courtroom, having just attacked Frederic at the latest reveal that he personally killed their friends who attacked the Watcher. This included her brother.
She tore her eyes from Frederic as a pained look flashed across her face.. “I need to step out,” she said, getting a nod from her husband.
“Do you want me to come?” Lance asked, placing a hoof on hers.
“No,” she replied as she stood up. “One of us needs to be here for this.”
He gave a nod as she moved down the row, moving past their family and friends.
“You good, Twi?” Greg asked as she moved past him. She gave him a reassuring smile and nod as she entered the aisle and left the courtroom.
Upon stepping outside, she took a deep breath, looking straight up into the sky above. She stood there for a long moment, calming her nerves.
She’d long ago come to terms with her brother's death at the hands of the Watcher. But to find out he was killed by Frederic, someone she once considered as a brother, it tore open those old wounds. No tears came forward though, as she just did not have it in her.
As she stood there, she took notice of the unmoving form of the costumed Alicorn standing a few feet away, also staring up at the sky.
“I hate being right,” the mare suddenly said in a gruff voice, seeming to know Twilight was staring at her.
Twilight blinked a few times before stepping closer to the costumed mare, her interest piqued. “Did you know about Frederic before all of this?”
The mare turned to her, her heart shaped mask hiding her expression. “I had a hunch,” she said, turning her gaze back to the sky. “Twelve years of searching, and the answer to my questions suddenly shows up in my home dimension.”
“Who are you?” Twilight asked.
“Black Heart,” the mare answered simply.
Twilight racked her brain, but she couldn’t recall anyone in her past with a name like that. Let alone an Alicorn. “Are you a brony?”
“Hmpf,” Black Heart grunted, shaking her head. “I don’t answer prying questions.”
Before Twilight could say anything, the door to the courthouse burst open as Shayla stomped out, an enraged look on her face. She looked at Twilight and Black Heart, huffed loudly and then took to the air, leaving them without a word.
“This is a rough day for everyone,” Twilight finally said. “Frederic… this level of betrayal isn’t something I’ve seen before.”
“He’s hurt countless people,” Black Heart began. “Despite my level of hate for him, he’s not the real threat.”
“Lilith,” Twilight muttered, getting a single nod out of the mare.
“She’s the mastermind,” Black Heart said with a nod. “She’s trapped in the Equestrian Dimension’s, but I’ve seen her influence in places it shouldn’t be.”
Twilight looked the costumed mare over, questions still swirling around in her head. “What’s your connection to all of this?”
The Alicorn remained silent, mask to the sky. “They killed someone close to me,” she suddenly said.
“Who?” Twilight asked, but the mare only grunted in response. “I lost my brother and a few friends to Lilith and Frederic,” Twilight continued after she realized the other mare wasn’t going to elaborate. “To hear him admit all he has done… it’s opened a few old wounds.”
“I look forward to his punishment,” Black Heart said, her voice unwavering.
“I’m sorry for the questions, but,” Twilight began, looking the mare over once again. “But why the costume?”
“It’s who I am,” the mare replied. “I am Black Heart.”
“Who are you under the costume?” Twilight asked, causing the mare to turn her masked face back to her.
“Black Heart,” was the only answer she received.
“Who were you before the costume?”
“No one.”
Twilight frowned at this, as the urge to know the answer was tugging at her mind. “There’s no reason to hide your identity. At least not around us.”
“Drop the subject,” Black Heart said in a stern but calm voice. “There is no one under this mask, just vengeance.”
This caused Twilight to cringed slightly, as this sounded like something her husband would say if he was dressing like that one bat superhero he liked. The other mare clearly saw her reaction, but said nothing.
“I have my reasons,” Black Heart added.
“Okay,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin. “What will you do now?”
“Lilith,” the mare answered. “I’m going to find her and kill her.”
“I’ve fought her,” Twilight said. “And from what else I know of her, stopping her will not be so simple. We thought we beat her after our battle with her, but now I’m thinking we only played her game.”
“She’s cunning and incredibly smart,” Black Heart commented. “But that’ll be her downfall. Her narcissism causes her to believe she’ll come out on top in any encounter, and she’ll eventually make a mistake. And when she does,” she turned her head back to the sky. “I’ll be there.”
“With you helping us, we should be able to-”
“I work alone,” Black Heart interrupted her.
“You can get more done with others helping you,” Twilight countered.
“Working with others only leaves you open to manipulation. Lilith thrives on turning people against one another and using them for her own gain.”
“Well, fighting her alone is both dangerous and stupid,” Twilight said bluntly. “If you work with my friends, you’ll have access to more-”
“I will continue forward alone,” Black Heart said as she began to trot forward. “As I always have.”
“I advise against that,” Twilight said after her.
But she didn’t get a response as the mare continued forward.
The sounds of a commotion from within the Courthouse drew Twilight’s attention, causing her to let the mare walk away and return inside.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 338 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-09-28T11:49:55+00:00
|
2023-09-28T12:49:29+00:00
| 187 |
This arc took months to complete, mainly due to it instantly killing my desire to write. It has gone through many changes, as I had trouble even getting motivated to even write it.
So it has been condensed into 3 chapters. It’s needed for the story going forward, so it had to be finished.
Don’t worry, after all the reworks, it’s no longer Sonic focused like it was originally intended to be.
https://youtu.be/Brd4wd0S3LMPrologue
August 10th, 12 A.D
The distant explosions were finally becoming less frequent as I sprinted through the town, my eyes locked on the largest ship still in the sky. A swarm of black dots flew around it, engaged in a fierce dogfight. Ever so often one would explode as a few of the dots zipped through them.
I had no idea what was happening or who was attacking us, nor did I know who that mysterious creature from earlier was. He saved me after my parents… left me behind. So that was all I needed to know at that moment. Everyone seemed to be fighting in a ferocious battle and I was stuck in the back just trying to get close enough to figure out what was going on. As usual.
“Fawn!” someone yelled from behind me. I did not look back as they caught up to me. “Are you okay?” Shadow Breeze asked as he galloped alongside me in his pony form.
“Yep,” I responded, eyes forward. “Just trying to catch up with everyone.”
“You should stay back here, it’s not safe,” he warned as he flared his wings. “I’ll let your parents know you’re safe.” With that he took to the sky, heading for the fighting.
“Gee, thanks, I’m sure they’ll be happy to know,” I muttered to myself as I continued forward. I genuinely did not think they would care one way or the other. This wasn’t the first time they’d done something like this to me.
They left me, by accident, in the mountains a few years ago during a family vacation. I spent a month alone trying to find my way back, if it hadn’t been for Scamp tracking me down, I’m sure I would have died. Parents didn’t even notice I was gone, it was Spark who raised the alarm. Then there was the time I got kidnapped as a young filly and the kidnappers demanded money for my return. After a few weeks of no response, they felt bad for me and let me go. So that was a massive hit to my emotional state.
Dad thought I was camping that entire time. I don’t even understand the logic of that one.
All in all, I don’t know why they even adopted me. They act like I don’t exist half the time. And some days I wish they had left me in that orphanage. Spark is the only reason I haven’t left, he’s my brother and I love him. He always checks on me, even when he’s not doing so well himself.
The ship ahead suddenly splitting in half in a fiery explosion pulled me out of my own head. I watched as the swarm of dots around it suddenly started dropping, as if they lost the will to keep flying.
I picked up my speed and raced forward, not wanting to miss everything.
Finally after a few minutes I reached the part of town where the heaviest fighting seemed to have taken place. Weird robots, like the one that attacked me, lay everywhere, most laying in pieces. I saw a few of the Bronies and Scamp’s friends standing around a destroyed mech of some kind. Above them I saw my dad just hovering, looking proud of himself.
A frown touched my face as I made it to the group, only a few taking notice of me.
“I’m not done yet!” a pony yelled. After squeezing through the crowd I saw it was Greg. Or I guess his evil clone Professor Dank Kush.
I thought this guy had been banished a long time ago? He had turned against Greg when I was a kid and went on a rampage. The Princesses and Frederic had cast a spell on him that was supposed to have locked him away. Looked like he had gotten out.
What really confused me though was the large round shaped man next to him, with a large mustache and a sinister grin on his face.
“It’s over, bro,” my dad laughed as he landed before them. “You and Egg guy here failed.”
“On the contrary,” the egg-shaped man said in a joyful tone. “It is you all who have failed.”
“We destroyed your Egg Fleet, Eggman,” a blue creature, similar to the one who saved me earlier, said as he stood atop the destroyed mech. “Unless you have another trick up your sleeves, I think we’re done here.”
“This was not the real plan, idiots!” Professor Dank yelled, looking to be very worked up. “All you have done is-“
“Spoilers,” Eggman laughed as he interrupted the green unicorn. “Okay, Sonic and friends. You’ve beaten us. Fair and square. Lock us up and throw away the key.”
“What?! No!” Professor Dank yelled in surprise. “We can still-“
Without warning Eggman withdrew a device and shot Professor Dank with some kind of beam, causing him to collapse.
“Hey!” my dad yelled as he rushed forward.
“He’s just incapacitated,” Eggman chuckled as he held up his hands. “I surrender.”
“No you don’t,” the blue creature said as he jumped down and landed next to Eggman. “What’s your game here?”
“No games, Sonic. You have beaten me. Fair and square.”
“He’s lying,” came a voice from the right. I looked over to see the same dark creature who had saved me earlier. He was glaring at the round man, his arms crossed. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him, a strange feeling washing over me.
“I know,” the blue one, Sonic, said as he began to tap his foot rapidly.
“Doesn’t matter, he’s surrendered so that’s it. It’s over,” my dad said as he stepped up to the larger man.
“Lance,” Scamp warned as she walked towards them, covered in cuts and bruises. “Let me handle this.”
“I got it,” my dad laughed as he stopped before the large man. “Ready to go to jail, pal?”
“Indeed I am!” Eggman said with a hearty laugh as his hand suddenly shot forward and grabbed my dad by the face. The gauntlet on his hand began to glow the same color as holy energy. Everyone rushed forward as the man let out a joyous sinister laugh. “Toodles!” he said as Sonic went to grab his hand. In a flash, the egg shaped man was gone, leaving everyone, myself included, confused.
“Lance!” my mom screamed as she rushed to my dad. But my dad was still standing, looking perfectly okay. Just a bit confused.
“I’m okay,” he assured us as he turned to face the group. “I just… huh, I don’t know what he just did but nothing feels off.”
“What’d he just do though?” someone in the group asked.
“Nothing good,” Sonic pointed out.
“Well, he’s no longer in this dimension,” Bronwyn said as she stared at a device in her hands. “It looks like he’s returned to his original dimension.”
“I don’t like this,” the dark creature said as he turned to leave.
“Hey, Shadow, we don’t have to leave just yet. We can take some time to enjoy our win and get to know these guys,” Sonic called after him.
“Eggman is up to something,” the dark one, Shadow, replied, still walking away. “We do not have time to play around.”
“Oh come on!” Sonic said as he suddenly zoomed up in front of Shadow. “Loosen up and just enjoy yourself!”
“Never,” Shadow said as he pushed past him. “You can do whatever you want. I’m going back to stop Eggman.”
“We have plenty of time for that later,” Sonic said with a wave of his hand.
“No, we don’t,” Shadow countered as he continued on.
Sonic looked back towards us and gave a shrug. “Well, I’d love to stick around and mingle, but I can’t miss my ride outta here.”
“It’s alright, Sonic,” Scamp called after him. “Thank you for helping us.”
“Don’t mention it. Where ever Eggy goes to cause trouble, I’ll always be there to stop him. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to come back and we can have that feast you were talking about.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” she said, giving a nod and returning to the group. It was at that moment I realized I had been so absorbed in watching Shadow and Sonic that I had not noticed everyone else leaving, taking Professor Dank with them.
Sonic gave a two finger salute before dashing off, heading in the direction Shadow was walking.
As Scamp walked past me, she stopped, regarding me with a raised eyebrow.
“I didn’t see you during that whole debacle,” she commented.
“Yeah, I was trying to get here but I can only run so fast, Sensei,” I said, giving her a weak smile.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her expression softening.
“Nothing,” I muttered, glancing around her at the two creatures walking away.
“Fawn,” she said calmly.
“They left me behind again,” I admitted, causing her eye to twitch. “If Shadow hadn’t shown up, I think I’d be dead.”
“Fawn I’m so sorry,” she said as she put a hoof on my shoulder. “I’ll talk to them.”
“No, it won’t matter. They didn’t change the last few times you spoke to them,” I said with a sigh. “Besides, I’m already eighteen. I’m way too old to worry about what they think of me.”
“They love you, Fawn,” she assured me.
The memory of the Watcher killing me in front of my dad because I was ‘the least favorite kid’ flashed through my mind. “I guess.”
“They do,” she said as she squeezed my shoulder. “Come by my house tonight. Mallo and I will take you out for dinner while Spark watches Shayla.”
“I might,” I said with a small smile. “Thank you, Sensei.”
“We got your back, kid,” she said with a smile. “See you tonight,” she said as she walked past me. “Just keep your chin up, things always get better. Even when they don’t look like they will.”
I stood there thinking to myself, trying to decide how I felt about the whole situation. My gaze shifted up to see the pair of creatures enter the forest, disappearing from sight.
A thought hit me: I still hadn’t fully thanked Shadow for earlier. He ran off so fast I barely got a word out.
With a small smile I took off after them.
After entering the forest, I continued down the path, keeping my eyes open for them. I was afraid I’d lose them out here, as there were so many branching patches they could have taken. However I stayed on the main one, hoping they were heading for the large clearing at the end of it.
As I walked, I felt my phone vibrate. Pulling it out I was happy to see it was a message from my dad. But my happiness dwindled a bit as I realized it was just a mass text he sent to everyone. It was just a picture of him posing next to the destroyed mech with the caption ‘you guys see me take this fucker down???’.
I opened up our private text conversation and sent him a text. ‘Cool picture dad. I love you.’
A long two minutes passed as I walked in silence, waiting for a reply. He’d read it instantly but had not replied. My chest tightened as I looked back up through our past conversations, seeing it was mostly one sided. Which was okay, he’s very busy most of the time.
Finally, as I neared the clearing, my phone dinged, a large smile appeared on my face as I opened it.
‘Can you buy milk? We’re out. Thanks honey.’
I stared at the message for a long moment, feeling nothing at all.
“I’m just saying, we’re being very rude just kicking butt and dashing like this,” I heard the voice of Sonic say from up ahead.
“I don’t care, I’m leaving,” Shadow’s gruff voice responded.
The pair were standing in the middle of the clearing, a large portal open before them. Shadow was already moving for the portal, while Sonic still seemed on the fence. With him leaving my chance to thank him was slipping away, so I took off sprinting straight for them.
“Whoa, hey there!” Sonic called out with a wave as I approached. Shadow turned his head, coming to a stop as he saw me. “What’s up?” Sonic asked cheerfully.
“I just, uh…” I began, finding myself suddenly at a loss for words as Shadow turned to face me, crossing his arms. “Erm, I wanted to thank you again, for saving me back there.”
Sonic’s smile grew upon hearing this. “Shad, you went out of your way to save an innocent bystander? I’m proud of you buddy!”
Shadow grunted in response. “It was in my way.”
“You do have a heart!” Sonic teased, causing Shadow to glare with a large frown.
He shifted his gaze to me and gave a nod. “You’re welcome. Have a nice life,” he said as he turned and walked through the portal.
“Wait! I-“ I started to say, but he was already gone. I deflated a bit as I stared at the portal.
“Hey, don’t let him get you down,” Sonic said with a reassuring smile. “He saved you because he wanted to, he just can’t admit that.”
“Thanks,” I muttered in response.
“What’s your name?”
“Fawn Greenfield.”
The portal began to slowly shrink behind him, causing him to shrug. “Wish I could hang around and check out your world, but I gotta dash.”
I only nodded in response.
Sonic stepped up to the portal and turned his head to me, giving a two finger salute. “Sayonara, Fawn Greenfield.”
Then he was gone, with the portal still closing.
I just sat there, unsure of how to feel. I didn’t get to properly thank Shadow, or get to even talk to him. And now they’re gone. Unlike the others I can’t freely travel through dimensions, so I couldn’t even follow them. If Betty was here I’d finally take her up on her offer to leave.
My phone buzzed again, prompting me to check it. It was another mass text sent by my dad with a picture of him, mom, and Spark at the Mellowed Pie with a massive amount of food on the table before them. It was captioned ‘The Greenfield victory feast!’.
… they didn’t tell me they were celebrating.
A tear rolled down my face as I stared at the image. Another ‘family’ event I wasn’t told about.
My eyes lifted to the portal, seeing that it was now barely bigger than me. Anger and pain filled me as I threw my phone to the side, and on impulse, stepped through the portal.
|
Kickass222urmom
|
851
| 339 |
Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
|
Living The Dream
|
When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
|
incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
|
mature
|
2023-09-28T15:38:41+00:00
|
2023-09-28T15:44:13+00:00
| 186 |
Chapter 1
One year later
“We’ll be entering Eggman Airspace any minute now, ma’am,” one of the crew members of the airship called out.
“Thank you,” Amy Rose replied as she stood at the front of the bridge, staring out the window at the massive fort ahead. Egg Base Omega. “Make the announcement that we’ll be making contact in two minutes,” she ordered, causing one of the Restoration members near her to salute and rush off. Her gaze then shifted to me as I stood a few feet away, my eyes locked on the base ahead. “Are you still feeling up to this?”
I did not answer her right away as I stared straight ahead. The past year had not exactly been the most relaxing time of my life. I followed Shadow and Sonic to this world to get away from my terrible parents, and while I had achieved that, I also found myself in the middle of an intense conflict.
Eggman, who I have come to absolutely hate, has been on the warpath. That is not uncommon for him as I have learned, but apparently this new approach he has been taking is much worse than in the past. Coming to my world seemed to have affected him, according to Sonic and the others.
He went silent a few months ago without warning, which caused a panic among the members of the Restoration. He only reappeared a few days ago, announcing his plans were finally about to be put into action.
Which brings us to today, where every single member of the Restoration has come together for a large-scale assault on Eggman’s newest base.
As for me, I have been doing my best to help. But I have never been much of a fighter, so the best I’ve been able to do is provide information about Holy Energy. Luckily, the friends I’ve made have been able to pick up where I had been lacking. Nowadays I’m much more capable, thankfully.
Plus being a hedgehog now has its advantages.
“Yeah, I can handle it,” I answered, getting a nod from her in response.
“I don’t know what Eggman is planning, and no one has heard from Sonic yet, so this whole situation is very nerve racking,” Amy said with a sigh. “Go ahead and head below, the moment we enter his airspace we’re going to be on a timer.”
With a two finger salute I spun around and walked for the exit of the bridge. I quickly made my way through the airship, watching as everyone else rushed around, preparing for the upcoming battle.
This wasn’t going to be my first time fighting Eggman, but no matter how many times I face him, the feeling of intense dread never goes away. Sonic might think he’s a joke, but to the rest of us Eggman is a terrifying monster.
Pushing those thoughts away, I entered the large bay where the majority of the Restoration’s troops were massed. I quickly located my two friends among the crowd and made my way over to them.
“Finally! I was starting to worry you saw Shadow and tried chasing after him, again,” my friend, Scratch the Ferrark, said, a frown on her face.
“I’m focused today,” I assured her, watching as she crossed her arms, a toothy smile slowly forming.
“We’ll see about that,” she said.
“At least her degeneracy isn’t showing today,” my other friend, B the Tasmanian Devil, joked, a lazy smile on her face. Her Ivory Wisp, Tapper, flew around me a few times, chirping away. This caused B to snicker, “Tapper is pretty sure you’ll try and hump Shadow again if you see him.”
“That was one time you assholes,” I groaned as they both laughed. “I was clearly-“
The sound of an explosion, followed by the entire airship rocking to the side, cut me off as everyone in the bay was thrown to the floor.
“Everyone deploy now!” Yelled a voice from the airship's speakers.
Every single person in the bay quickly pulled themselves up and began heading for their designated positions.
“You two alright?” B asked as she held her hand out to me and Scratch.
I let out a grunt as she hauled me to my feet, “For now.”
“I hate that you two talked me into this,” Scratch complained as the three of us quickly made our way to the exit ramp as the ship shook even more.
The moment we made it to the large doors, we were greeted with the open sky, and the intense air battle that was taking place all around us. Robots zoomed around as the Restoration’s fighters attempted to keep them from attacking the airship and the other smaller ships in the air.
A nearby dropship was hit and began to plummet towards the ground. Two other ships flew after it, presumably to help.
Scratch let out a groan as B let out a laugh.
“Just like the war all over again,” she commented as Tapper floated next to her. “Ready?”
“Nope,” Scratch said.
“Let’s go,” I said as I took her by the hand, causing her to groan yet again.
B tossed Tapper up, causing him to fly around her and bond with her, turning her into a lightning bolt. She then zipped past us, grabbing both of us and zoomed out into the open sky.
I held on tight as we angled for the ground and began to rocket straight down, heading right for a specific building in the compound.
“I hate this crud!” Scratch yelled out over the wind.
Right before we slammed into the building, B tilted up and deposited us safely on the roof. She zipped around a bit before landing in front of us, now back in her normal form.
“I think we slipped past all the Badnik’s,” she reported.
“Nice, let’s get off this roof then,” I said as we moved for the door that must have led to the stairs.
“I really don’t like this plan. Only one of us is a real fighter and we’re supposed to break into Eggman’s workshop and sabotage whatever it is he’s building. Why can’t the Diamond Cutters do that?”
“Because they’re going after Eggman’s Mobile Lab to try and stop whatever his new plan is. We’re doing the easy part,” I answered as we began to descend into the building. “Besides, from what Amy said, his latest project has been in the works for months. Meaning we’re just breaking his new and unfinished toy. Easy peasy.”
“But Eggman-“
“Isn’t in this part of the base,” I interrupted her. “We may be in the workshop, but we’re far from the actual battle now. The most we’ll see is badniks.”
“This is such a stupid plan,” Scratch muttered as we reached a door labeled ‘Main Lab’. Again, she let out a groan. “This is a lab, not a workshop, guys.”
“It’s Eggman, everything is a lab to him,” I said as we entered the door. The room we entered was indeed the workshop, with plenty of badniks to boot. The robots all turned towards us, their eyes flashing red as they entered their combat modes. “B.”
“Oh yeah, I got it,” B said with a smile as Tapper fused with her again.
As she zoomed through the room, smashing her way through all the threats around us, Scratch and I walked forward. We ran our eyes over all the disassembled robots and parts that lay on the tables.
I wasn’t too sure what we were looking for, as no one had actually seen what he had been working on. But Amy said we’d probably know when we saw it.
We came to the main terminal in the room, which displayed so much information that I felt dizzy looking at it. “You’re up, Scratch.”
Without much complaint she stepped up to the computer and began shifting through the system. “I hate Egg tech, it’s so random and out of place ninety percent of the time.”
“Take your time,” I said as I watched B finish off the last of the badniks. She flashed towards us and landed before me, giving me a thumbs up. I nodded in response as I continued running my eyes over the room. Nothing stuck out to me, so our only hope was Scratch finding something in the system.
But after ten minutes she let out a groan and slapped the keyboard. “I can’t find a dang thing! It’s like Eggman is actually trying to-“
“Ah! I knew someone was snooping in my systems!” came the distinctive voice of Eggman from behind us.
With wide eyes, we all turned around to see the large man not that far away from us, his wide smile causing us to take a step back.
“But you’re supposed to be in the mobile lab!” I yelped despite myself.
“I make my own rules, little dimension hopper,” he said with a hearty laugh. Then he composed himself and resumed smiling at us. “Things aren’t looking up for you three,” he commented as he held up a controller. “But there is a silver lining: you get to witness my newest creation first hand.” His eyes flickered to me. “You in particular will find this most entertaining.”
None of us moved to stop him as he hit the button, causing the floor next to him to open up, followed by a tube slowly rising. We all took a step back as it hissed open, a cloud of white smoking pouring out, obscuring what lay inside.
Something stepped out, still hidden within the smoke. But a silhouette appeared for a split second.
“Metal Sonic!” Scratch exclaimed, causing B and Tapper to get ready to fight.
But something felt off to me.
“That’s not Metal,” I said as the smoke cleared. “Oh you gotta be kidding me.”
“Heyo, what is up my cranky crew!” A mechanical version of my shitty ‘dad’ said, causing me to groan.
“Ohohohoho!” Eggman bellowed with laughter as he saw my displeased face. “I knew you’d appreciate my creation,” he said as he cast a hand towards the robotic nightmare as it rotated its appendages. “A full year of work and all the combat data gathered from your dimension and that blue karate mare, have gone into my new pride and joy.” His smile widened, “powered by both chaos energy AND that ‘Holy Energy’ you all seemed fond of. This is the ultimate creation. Meet Chaos Lance!”
“Howdy ho!” Chaos Lance said as he spun around and struck a pose, the red strips covering his body flashing in a rhythmic pattern. “I can not wait to roll over you guys and set up my marketing team!” He lurched forward, appearing a few feet away from us, tapping his chin. “I’m thinking of branding myself as a fashion guy, or maybe some kind of foodie.” He shrugged, the digital visor that made up his face switched to two question marks, “I’ll figure it out.”
While B and Scratch looked to be on edge, I just stood there annoyed. “You could have picked anyone, ANYONE else to base this things design on, and you chose that deadbeat?”
“What can I say, he had a memorable appearance,” Eggman chuckled. “Now while you help Chaos test his systems, I have more important work to attend to.”
He spun and began to stroll for the exit, hands behind his back as he whistled to himself.
“B,” I said, getting a nod from her. In a flash she shot forward, but a loud bang was heard as she was suddenly flung across the room, knocking over a few tables in the process.
“That’s some nice speed you got,” Chaos laughed as he appeared on top of a table, lounging like a cat. “But you’re not fast enough for me to really test myself.”
We clearly could not beat him, so I did the only thing I could. I lifted my wrist, attempting to hit the panic button on my wrist mounted pda. But the metallic wing of Chaos wrapped around my arm, causing my eyes to go wide. I hadn’t seen nor heard him move!
“Whatcha tryin to do there?” He asked, a digital smile on his visor.
Before I could react, he twisted his body and threw me into Scratch as she attempted to get her Wispon into action. We were sent scattering across the floor as Chaos laughed to himself.
“Alrighty, speed and strength looking awesome! Now to test out-“ he went silent as he spun around and caught B as she zipped towards him. “Reflexes!” He exclaimed with so much joy that I forgot he was a robot for a moment. With no effort he slammed her into the ground, causing her and Tapper to unfuse.
With B momentarily out of the fight, he did a few back flips away, laughing the entire time.
“Haha! I think I’m going to need to rethink my branding concept! Go bigger!” He said as he landed on a table, the thrusters on his body seemed to flex as he looked at us. Then he turned his visor to me. “Hm, according to my files you’re the adopted daughter of the guy I’m based on. How is it to be fighting and losing to your own father? Pretty bad or are you having fun?”
I pulled Scratch up as I gave the mechanical asshole the side eye, “he’s not my father.”
“That’s not what my files say,” he responded in a sing-song voice.
“Your files can say whatever they want, the guys not my father. Just an asshole who decided he wanted to adopt the poor orphan kid and then not care about her.”
“That sounds like the attitude of a loser,” he mocked, causing my eye to twitch. The fact he resembled Lance made me want to just say screw it and go home, let Eggman win this one.
“Only losers call others losers,” Scratch pointed out, causing Chaos’s visor to dim slightly.
“You’re calling me a loser?” He said in a low voice as he suddenly appeared in front of her. “I’m not the one laying on the ground unable to breathe.”
“What are you-“ Scratch began to say, but a swift hit to her gut from Chaos sent her to the floor gasping for breath.
“I’m not a loser,” he declared as he turned to me as I advanced on him, my anger pushing me forward. “I’m a winner.”
“You sound just like Lance,” I said as I neared. “Just somehow you’re more of a dipshit than he is.”
This set him off as he shot towards me. A yellow flash intercepted him, sending him flying into a wall.
“Great timing as always, B,” I praised as I hit the panic button on my pda.
“I try,” B said, her normally relaxed face now twisted in anger. “You alright, Scratchy?”
“I should have stayed home,” Scratch groaned as she stayed on the ground holding her stomach.
“What’s the plan?” B asked as Chaos stood back up, his digital eyes flaring with actual anger.
“The plan is you three are going bye bye,” he said as he flashed out of view.
Without a word B did the same. The shock waves of them clashing around us caused me to fall to my knees.
“Great,” Scratch muttered as she rolled herself over to the computer again.
I stayed where I was, holding firmly onto the table next to me as I was tossed side to side by the fighting.
The doors all around us began to open as the lights seemed to brighten. I glanced over to see that Scratch was responsible for it as she clicked away at the computer.
“Whoops!” Chaos yelled as he sent B flying with a heavy hit. “Caught you there!”
Using what speed I had I zoomed across the room and caught B in midair, landing safely behind an overturned workbench.
“So,” she began as she rolled out of my grasp. “I can’t beat him.”
“I noticed,” I said with a half laugh.
“Guess you’re lucky,” she began with a smirk. “You’re gonna get another chance to hump Shadow when he comes to save us.”
“I’ll hump him good, just for you,” I joked.
“Gross,” Chaos said from above us, his visor showing a puking animation. “The ‘degenerate’ label on your file is accurate.”
“Damn right,” I laughed as I stood up, getting face to face with the striped robot. A smirk overtook my face as I noticed something. “Welp, goodbye, knock off.”
Before he could react, a blue blur crashed into him and dragged him through the entire workshop in an instant.
“Sorry I’m late to the party,” Sonic said with a wide smile as he held onto the now limp form of Chaos. “But traffic was a killer today.”
“Right on time, Sonic,” I said as B stood up next to me holding her side.
“Would have been better if you’d been here from the start,” Scratch muttered as she walked towards us.
Sonic just chuckled as he held up Chaos. “So is this Eggman’s grand plan?”
“No, he left to do his plan, whatever it is,” I answered.
“What is this anyways?” Sonic asked as he looked Chaos over. “Looks like that guy back in your dimension.”
“Yeah, just a knock off of Lance,” I said.
Chaos’s body flashed to life as his visor lit up. He spun out of Sonic’s grasp and sprang away, landing with a heavy thud.
“I am not a knock off. From my data, I’m an improvement if anything. I am Chaos Lance, I am the ultimate creation of Dr. Egg-“ he was cut off as a dark blur slammed into him, sending him flying through a wall and out into the open air beyond.
“There’s only one ultimate anything,” Shadow said as he stood cooly in the middle of the room. “Me.”
I couldn’t help but swoon a bit as I stared at him. Even after a year I still got butterflies whenever he appeared.
“Shadow, long time no see!” Sonic exclaimed as he walked over to the brooding hedgehog. “Did you get their distress signal too?”
“No,” he answered simply. “I was already coming this way.” He then looked towards us, “where’s Eggman?”
I wiggled my eyebrows at him, causing his frown to deepen. “He went through those doors,” I said as I pointed to the other side of the room.
Without a word he began to head that way, followed by Sonic.
“Hey, you restrained yourself, for once,” B teased, poking the side of my head. “Proud of you.”
“I’ll get him after this is over,” I said with a wink. “When he least expects it.”
“Whatever you try, make it funny this time,” Scratch said as we began to follow the pair.
Tapper flew around me a few times chirping.
“Taps says to respect his boundaries and take no for an answer,” B said, causing me to snicker.
“He’s never said no,” I pointed out. “Grunts and running away is not saying no.”
“She has a point,” Scratch said, causing Tapper to roll his eyes.
B smiled, then went back to her normal expression. “So,” she began. “Feelings on the lookalike?”
“It was stupid,” I admitted. “Just the universe's way of screwing with me even more.”
“I think he looked cool,” Scratch admitted, getting a deadpan stare from me. “What? The color scheme was pretty awesome.”
“Yeah, I guess getting neglected and abused by someone with that exact color scheme just kinda ruins it for me,” I said, causing her mood to drop. With a sigh I reached out and patted her shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a dick.”
“Nah you’re good,” she said, giving me a toothy smile. “You can make it up to me by cooking for us tonight.”
“Done deal,” I said. “I can make-“
The sound of a loud bang ahead caused all of us to wince as we picked up our pace. Sonic and Shadow had pulled ahead, so we couldn’t see them anymore. Which meant they probably caught up to Eggman.
Upon reaching the next doorway, we found ourselves in a large room with more computer equipment than I’ve ever seen in my life. Badniks littered the floors as both Sonic and Shadow stood staring up at a platform above them.
Eggman himself stood on the platform, looking very pleased with himself. “Go ahead, hedgehogs, try to reach me again! My new shield can stop even you, Sonic!” He let out a hearty laugh as the pair attempted to reach him again, but we’re thrown back by a mostly invisible force shield.
“Now then!” Eggman exclaimed as he turned back to his computer. “We can begin! Watch Sonic as I open a portal and gain access to power beyond your understanding!”
“I don’t know what you’re doing,” Sonic called out as he repeatedly slammed himself into the shield, trying to break through. “But we both know nothing good happens when you play with things beyond your control.”
“That’s the thing, hedgehog,” Eggman countered. “I’m always in control!”
“Negative on that,” I called out, causing him to laugh even more.
“Good, we’re all here. Well we’re missing your other friends, but this will do!” he called out as a portal began to flicker next to him.
“We need to get in there,” Shadow growled as he pounded on the shield.
“Working on it!” Sonic yelled as he spun against the barrier.
“Scratch, try working your magic,” I said.
“Yeah yeah,” she muttered as she stepped over to a computer and began to try and lower the shields.
The portal flickered even more as it began to form. But just as it looked like it was about to fully appear, everything stopped. The machines and computers around us suddenly went dark, causing a strange silence to fall over the area.
The shields dropped, allowing Sonic and Shadow to advance towards a very confused Eggman.
“Warning,” a monotone voice suddenly called out, causing everyone to freeze in place. “You have violated Ultimate Authority Dimension protocols, Wild Lifeform. Prepare for divine intervention.”
“What have you done?!” Shadow yelled as he sprang up and landed on the platform.
“This is not the outcome I expected,” Eggman admitted as he looked a bit startled, which worried me greatly.
“Dimensional freeze beginning in fifteen… fourteen… thirteen…” the voice began counting g down, causing everyone to look panicked.
“What do we do?” B asked as she and Scratch turned to me, looking for guidance.
But I had nothing. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just stood there like a deer in the headlights.
“Three… two…”
“Guys, I-“ I began, but then everything came to a stop.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2023-09-28T18:37:51+00:00
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2023-09-28T18:37:50+00:00
| 186 |
Chapter 2
Present day
A jolt went through my body as I found myself suddenly falling forward. But before I slammed face first into the ground, something caught me and set me back up gently. The faint simmer of purple magic was present around me, causing me to feel sick at the memories they brought up. It looked just like Twilight’s.
I fell back on my ass and looked over to B, or where she was supposed to be. She was no longer next to me, and neither was Scratch. Looking around I realized I wasn’t in Eggman’s base anymore, as the walls were now made of stone instead of metal. Not to mention the ceiling was now impossibly high.
Reaching up to my face, I was shocked to see a hoof instead of a hand. How had I reverted back to my crappy pony form?
Without warning, two pairs of forelegs were thrown around me from behind, squeezing me tightly.
My eyes went wide as I saw both lavender and red stripped cyan legs holding onto me.
“Oh, Fawn!” Came the one voice I did not want to hear as my ‘mom’ buried her face in my mane.
“Thank God you’re alright,” Lance said from the other side of me, squeezing me harder.
“Uhhh,” I mumbled in shock as I sat there. I didn’t know how to react to this situation. After a year of being away from them I’d finally grown a backbone, but now I felt like I was a kid again. I froze. “Yeah…”
“Honey we’re so sorry,” Twilight said, clearly crying. “There was a spell over us, we did not mean to treat you so…”
“It wasn’t our fault for neglecting you and acting like we didn’t care,” Lance finished for her, speaking very quickly like he’d been thinking of that line for hours. “It was all Frederic. He was screwing with us, all of us.”
They’re words didn’t mean much to me, as I was used to their excuses. As for Frederic being behind their actions, it was believable. I’d warned them for years about that guy but they always ignored me. It still didn’t fix me or make me feel any better.
“We’re so sorry,” Twilight continued. ”We came for you as soon as we became aware of the spell! I’m so sorry it took us so long!”
“Yeah, only took a year,” I mumbled, trying to stick up for myself at least somewhat.
“A year?” Lance asked as he and Twilight finally broke the hug and moved in front of me, causing me to frown as I saw their faces. “Oh the dimensional lock must have happened a year after you left,” he said with a laugh, like this was a light hearted family moment and I’d forgiven them of everything. “Sweety, it’s been twelve years for us since you left.”
My mind came to a halt upon hearing this. Twelve years? I was gone twelve years and they JUST now came for me? I don’t care if they were under a spell, twelve years is insane to forget about someone you like to call your daughter.
“Twelve years,” I muttered quietly, my eye twitching.
“Yep, Fred’s spell was a doozy apparently, we thought you moved to Manehatten or something. Which is kinda hilarious, since you’re not a city person,” Lance said, chuckling to himself.
“We’re just happy you’re back,” Twilight began, reaching out and rubbing my shoulder. “We’re going to make it all up to you.”
Despite everything I’d gone through this past year, I just could not get the words out I wanted to say. I wanted to rip into them and berate them for all they’d put me through. To finally speak my mind. But instead all I managed to get out was a single, defeated word. “Yeah…”
“Your room is just as you left it,” Lance said happily but Twilight let out a light laugh.
“No, we used it as storage, remember?” She turned to me with a big smile. “But we left all of your stuff in the room, so it’ll be like you never left.”
“Okay,” was all I said as I started looking around for an exit. But as I looked the massive room over, a sickening feeling washed over me. We were back in the Watcher’s domain. The place where I was trapped with the others and then killed right in front of Lance.
‘Which of your children is your least favorite’ echoed through my mind as I remembered that day. Those were the words that had finally broken me.
“Why are we in-“ I was cut off as I turned and saw the Watcher’s face on a massive computer screen, just staring at us. “-why is the Watcher free?”
“He’s the one who got you out of that locked dimension,” Lance said cheerfully.
I glared at the Watcher’s face.
“I prefer Buu now,” he suddenly said, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
I honestly did not have a response to any of this. My parents being friends with the Watcher did not surprise me at all. Lance would forgive anyone of anything. I realized that when he stayed friends with the guy who killed my real parents.
“I want to go home,” I muttered, not wanting to be near the Watcher or them any longer.
“Of course, honey,” Twilight said as she put a hoof on my back. “Once we get you back to Equestria you can-“
“No I want to go home, back to the dimension you just pulled me out of,” I said, making myself be a bit more forceful.
“But that’s not your home,” Lance said, his tone seeming to imply I was crazy for saying that. “You were only there a year after all.”
“I was happy,” I muttered as I dropped my gaze to the floor.
“You’ll be happier once you’re back home with us and we show you how sorry we are for how we treated you all these years,” he countered as he forced me into a tight hug.
Anger swelled up in me as I shoved him away and took a few steps back. “Send me back.”
“That would be impossible,” the Watcher suddenly said from across the room. “The method I used to retrieve you put a lock on you. You are now bound to the Equestrian dimension.” His screen flickered as he seemed to be thinking, “the dimension from which I pulled you from is under a UAD lock, there is nothing I can do.”
I took another step back and then fell to my haunches as my head began to swim. I’d finally found a place I could call home with people who actually cared for me, and just like that it’d been taken from me.
“Fawn are you-“ Twilight started to say as she reached out to touch me, but I slapped her hoof away as I glared angrily at the both of them.
“Don’t touch me,” I growled, tears running down my face. “You… you two…” I turned away from them, as I couldn’t get the words out. They’d ruined my life yet again by taking everything from me. “You selfish monsters…” I said under my breath, not able to say it loud enough for them to hear.
“Fawn-“ Lance began, but I just scooted further away from them, wanting to just leave. To go anywhere but here.
“I just want my friends back…” I said, my voice catching in my throat.
Lance frowned as he looked at me, then let out a deep sigh as he turned to the Watcher. “Can you bring her friends to Equestria?”
“I can not,” he said simply, with no emotion on his face.
“Why not?” He asked with a frown.
“Because it is locked. All I can do is pull beings out of it, but I can not undo the UAD’s locks,” he answered, a slight smile on his face.
“I feel a ‘but’ in there,” Twilight said as she stepped up next to Lance.
“There is a way to reunite her with her friends,” he said as the smile grew. “It would involve making a copy of that world and moving the inhabitants to that one.”
“Sweet, do it,” Lance said happily, looking back at me. I just stared blankly back at him.
“It is not that simple,” he began, now with a very wide smile. “Someone other than me will need to grant me access to the UAD’s systems, as I am fully blocked from their realm. Once I’m given access, I will be able to do what needs to be done.”
“Sounds like you’re just wanting to take over for them,” Twilight pointed out.
“That is exactly what I am planning to do,” he admitted. “But the benefit for you is your daughter gets to be with her friends again, and you two get to prove your love to her.”
I couldn’t help but frown at this. No matter how upset I got, I knew giving this murderer any more power would be a bad idea. Despite how they act, I knew Lance and Twilight would be smart enough to-
“He has changed a lot over the years,” Lance said to Twlight, getting a nod from her.
… oh fuck they’re considering it. “You two can’t be serious.”
Lance looked back at me and gave a reassuring smile. “Will having your new friends here make you happy?”
“Yes, but not if-“ I began but he turned away from me, cutting me off. I let out an annoyed growl as I slammed a hoof into my face.
“What do I need to do to get her friends out of the locked dimension?”
Looking back, I saw the Watcher’s smile fall a bit. “Oh Lance, still the same,” he said with a sigh. “I will open a portal to the UAD and you will need to follow my instructions exactly.”
“Let’s go then,” Lance said cheerfully.
“Hey!” I yelled as I finally found my voice. “What are you doing?! Don’t just-!”
Lance turned to me as a portal opened behind him. “I love you, Fawn. I’m getting your friends.”
“You brain dead mother-“ I yelled as I started to rush towards him, but he sprang back through the portal, followed by it closing. I came to a stop, seething in anger.
“He’s going to get your little friends, don’t worry, honey,” Twilight said in a sweet voice, which just pushed me over the edge.
“I’m done,” I said in a defeated and exhausted tone. “You two never listen to me.”
“Because of Frederic’s spell,” she pointed out matter-of-factly. “Things will be much better going forward.”
“Doubt it,” I grumbled as I started to turn to walk away. I couldn’t go anywhere but I didn’t want to be near her or the Watcher right now.
“Where are you-“
“No one fucking move!” The stern and commanding voice of Scamp rang out, causing me to stand at attention.
Looking to my right I saw Sensei Scamp stomping towards us, a look of pure rage on her face.
“Where is Lance?” She demanded as she stopped between us, her eyes drilling into Twilight.
Twilight glanced at me then back to Scamp, “he’s helping Fawn get her friends back.”
Scamp looked at me, her gaze softened slightly. She looked me over and gave a nod before shaking her head and turning back to Twilight. “How exactly is he helping?”
“He has gone to the UAD to give me full access to their realm,” the Watcher said, causing veins to bulge on Scamps neck.
“I knew we couldn’t trust you,” she growled, stomping past us and up to his computer screen.
“I never lied,” he pointed out. “I have been up front since the beginning.”
“He really has been, momma!” a mare yelled as she suddenly appeared between Scamp and the Watcher. She looked familiar but I couldn’t place where I knew her from. “He’s changed!”
“Shayla,” Scamp said calmly. “He has not changed. He’s playing you to get what he wants.”
That’s Shayla?! Damn, last I saw her she was a tiny filly. Now she’s a fully grown mare… a very masculine mare at that. Jeez.
“I know my words are meaningless to your ears,” the Watcher began as the sound of a massive bell being rung sounded through the room. His screen seemed to brighten as he stared at Scamp. “But I have changed in a few unexpected ways. Observe.”
Scamp seemed to flash forward as she smashed the console, clearly not playing any of his games. The screen went dark, and for a moment I thought she’d done what Lance should have done long ago.
But then the Watcher appeared next to the destroyed computer, now back in his original, massive form.
“Shit,” Scamp hissed as she pulled something from her pocket dimension and tried to throw it at the Watcher, but a simple wave of his mechanical hand caused it to disappear midair.
The Watcher floated away from us casually, not seeming to be concerned with us anymore.
“Right at this moment, I could do anything I want,” he stated as a portal opened next to him, followed by Lance walking out proudly.
Scamp’s eye snapped to him, causing him to trip a bit as he made eye contact.
“However, I always keep my word,” he continued. He came to a stop in the middle of the room and turned to face us. Two holograms of Equis and Mobius appeared on either side of him. With a flick of his finger small dots appeared all over the two planets. “I’ve connected both dimensions with permanent portals set up in major cities. That fulfills my promise.”
“How kind of you,” Scamp growled as she pulled out a small vial and rolled it towards him. “Now get back in the jar.”
He just chuckled at this, “I must decline that.” Scamp attempted to move forward, but a barrier appeared between her and the Watcher. “Out of respect to my unusual friendship to Shayla, I have chosen to let go of all past grudges and to allow you all free rein of your lives.”
“Damn it, Shayla,” Scamp muttered. “I warned you this would happen.”
Shayla just appeared confused as she looked between her mother and the Watcher. “Wait, are you actually betraying us, Buu?”
“In a sense, I am,” he admitted. “I have regained most of my powers thanks to Lance. However, I do not plan to harm you or anyone from your world.” He waved his fingers, causing many small orbs to form around him, “with the UAD no longer in control, there is no one to govern life. To uphold order.”
“Let me guess,” Scamp deadpanned. “You want to be the one to take their place.”
“Precisely,” he confirmed. “Despite your feelings towards me, there is nothing you can do to stop me. Soon I will be as powerful as the former head of the UAD.” He waved his hand again, “and I have just erased all items from existence that could have allowed you, or anyone, to challenge me.”
Scamp growled as she looked towards Lance, then to her daughter. I could clearly tell she was beyond pissed at the situation.
Looking at Shayla, I saw that her ears were folded down, a hurt expression on her face.
“But I trusted you, Buu,” she said.
“You’re the only one foolish enough to fully trust me,” he said as he looked towards her. “You are the only reason I was able to achieve this.” His face flickered as his gaze seemed to soften. “Somehow you’ve influenced my actions, thus, I plan to take over the UAD’s role. To continue their goals, rather than my own.”
“Sure,” Scamp said as she smacked her metal hoof against the barrier. “I don’t buy that for a second.”
“Ask yourself this,” he said as he looked at her. “Why, in this moment, would I lie? I have achieved the ultimate status, with no equal on this plain of existence. I could, with but a thought, erase all of you. Or change your mind to do whatever I pleased. Instead, I am explaining myself and leaving your free will intact.”
Scamp grinded her teeth as she listened to him.
“I think we can trust him,” Shayla said as she slowly approached her mother.
“Shayla, you would trust a meth head,” Scamp deadpanned.
“I wouldn’t,” she said defensively.
“It matters not,” the Watcher said as he floated towards his large computer. “It’s time for you all to return home. I have work to do.”
Scamp started to say something, but she and her daughter disappeared.
I blinked a few times, waiting for something else to happen, but nothing did.
Lance began to walk towards me again, a massive smile on his face. “You can see your friends again now, Fawn. That should make you feel better, right?”
“Just leave me alone,” I said, looking everywhere but at him.
“But I made it to where you can see your new friends again, so why are you still upset?” He asked with a slight frown.
“You just don’t get it,” I mumbled, turning my back on them.
“Fawn, things will be different now. We aren’t under Frederic’s spell anymore,” Twilight said. “We can finally give you all the love and attention you deserve.”
“Yeah,” I deadpanned, my eyes to the floor as I began to walk away.
“Things will get better, I promise,” she continued, but I kept walking away from them.
“Don’t be like that, Fawn,” Lance said in a frustrated tone.
I came to a stop and looked upward at the ceiling. “Nothings changed.”
With that I felt myself getting teleported away.
In the next instance I found myself standing in the one place I’d hoped to never see again. Ponyville.
“Great,” I said as I glanced around, seeing no one was out and about for some reason. “Now what?”
ooo000<^>000ooo
The next day
I stepped up to the small trailer with the words “Main Office” written across a makeshift sign leaning against the porch. A frown touched my face as I looked around at all the trailers in different states of disrepair.
“Always knew I’d end up living in a trailer park,” I joked aloud to no one.
After spending the night at Sensei Scamp’s house, I very quickly decided I needed a place of my own. Luckily for me she’d known of a place I could get a cheap place to live. Only downside was that it was a trailer park, and the new owner apparently was an uptight killjoy.
Mallogory’s words, not mine.
But honestly anything was better than being near Lance or Twilight, who were both constantly trying to contact me.
That’s going to be an annoyance going forward.
With the money given to me by Scamp, I walked up to the office's doors and knocked on them.
“It’s open!” An annoyed yet proper voice yelled from somewhere inside.
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as I pushed the door open. At least things would be interesting going forward.
END OF PART 5
There it is, the arc that almost killed my creativity.
Now we can continue the story in earnest. Things are about to get interestingly dumb.
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Kickass222urmom
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851
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Discord,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Human,Adventure,Comedy,Drama,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Death,Gore,Profanity,Sex,Violence
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Living The Dream
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When the world ends, a young man gets a chance to relive his life in the world of Equestria.
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incomplete
| 1,022 | 569 |
<p>The world has ended for humans, but people get a choice; heaven, hell, or a world of their choice. A young man chooses to go to the land of Equestria where he becomes a pony himself.</p><br/><br/><p>Part 1: Jovial timeline<br/>Part 2: In the end, nothing matters<br/>Part 3: The dark timeline<br/>Part 4: Eternal Plains<br/>Part 5: Sins of the past</p><p>Credit for cover art: <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/plantrune/art/We-are-reliving-the-dream-2023-962006670" rel="nofollow">Plantrune/Yamston</a></p>
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mature
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2024-01-09T11:18:24+00:00
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2024-01-09T11:20:10+00:00
| 115 |
This is mega late, but oh well.
Christmas special
3 A.B.
“This is a really really bad idea, Lance,” Peter muttered as he and the striped stallion finished decorating the room in human styled Christmas decorations, just like the kind they’d had back on earth.
“Hey, I brought you in on this because you’re always down to clown. Don’t start putting negativity into this, bro,” Lance warned as he twirled a candy cane in his hoof, a smirk sliding onto his face as he tossed it into the air and caught it between his lips. “Besides, what about this could be bad? This is a SOLID plan with ZERO drawbacks.”
“I mean, for one, what if he comes out evil? Greg’s track record for this kinda stuff is pretty… eh?” Peter said, taking a step back to make sure everything was in place.
“Evil?” Lance said with a dismissive laugh. “Ain’t no WAY he’d come out evil. And if he does, we’ll just try again and again till we get it right. Right, Greg?”
They both looked over to Greg as he lay sprawled out on an office chair, slowly spinning in a circle as he stared at the ceiling.
“It’s piss easy,” Greg mumbled, seeming to be drunk on the nog. Something Lance had encouraged as a way to set the mood.
“See? Nothing to worry about,” Lance chuckled, stepping over to the table where some clothing sat. He’d had Rarity working for weeks to produce everything he requested, as it was completely necessary.
“I still don’t know why we have to do this,” Peter began, still not fully on board even after weeks of Lance pestering him.
“Because,” Lance said, glancing at him. “I want Spark to experience the real Christmas, not this pony Hearth’s warming stuff. That’s a fake holiday. I want Christmas, and the kids of this world will want it as well once they fully understand it. Since only us three and Rarity know what we’re doing, it’ll be just like on earth.”
“True, but-”
“No buts about it, Christmas is probably the only important holiday to ever exist, and we can’t have it without the big man himself.” Lance stepped over to Greg and nudged him. “It’s time, Greg.”
“Yippie,” Greg said in a tired voice as he stumbled to his hooves, looking barely conscious.
“Let’s say it all works out,” Peter began. “He comes out not evil, no flaws. How will we know he’ll do what he’s supposed to do?”
“Well duh, we’re literally just making a copy of our world's Santa and porting him here. Stupid simple,” Lance said, rolling his eyes.
“Wait, what? That’s the plan?” Peter asked dumbfounded. “There’s nothing to copy, Santa’s not a real dude, bro.”
“We got a non-believer over here, huh Greg?” Lance said with a smile, giving Greg a shoulder nudge.
“Hehe, what a dumbass,” Greg snickered, shaking his head at Peter.
Peter looked between them even more shocked. “You two… still believe in Santa?”
“Hell yeah, I saw him with my own eyes,” Lance said proudly. “I sat on his lap at the mall once. Dudes real.”
Mouth open, Peter shifted his gaze to Greg, who only nodded lazily.
“I saw his sleigh once fly across the sky while I was smoking a new brew,” Greg said as he looked off dreamily.
“Oh my God…” Peter mumbled, rubbing his face. “Okay sure, yeah. Let’s just get this over with.”
“You heard the man,” Lance said as he poked at Greg. “Work your magic, bro!”
“Hehe, yeah man. Just let me…” Greg said, suddenly grabbing his spiked eggnog and drinking the entire carton. Once he was done he threw it aside and stumbled to the side, his horn already starting to light up.
“Oh this is for sure the brightest idea we’ve ever had,” Peter said as he stepped back, picking up his ballistic shield he’d brought just in case.
The room began to fill with a bright light as the sound of bells could be heard from somewhere in the distance.
“Yes…” Lance muttered, eyes wide in glee as he watched the center of the room expectantly. The light grew brighter as a deep jolly laugh could now be heard. “YES! Come to us Santa! COME!”
He couldn’t help himself as he stood on his hindlegs, forelegs spread wide. A figure began to form before them. “SANTA!”
A sudden boom sent all of them flying backwards, crashing into walls and random decor.
With a groan, Peter crawled out from under the couch he’d slammed into, rubbing his head. As he looked to the center of the room, his jaw dropped.
Before them, looking very confused, was a naked, fat, old man with a large gray beard and shocked eyes.
“Holy fucking-” Peter began, but was cut off as Lance exploded from the debris, landing before the large man.
“Santa! You’re here!” Lance exclaimed, jumping before the man. He didn’t seem to realize his right foreleg was broken, a result of the explosion.
The man just stared wide eyed at Lance, then at the room around them. He said not a word.
“Greg, are you seeing this?! It’s Santa!” Lance yelled, looking back for his green friend. But all he saw was Greg’s leg sticking out of some of the trash and furniture that’d been thrown with him. At this Lance just shifted his attention back to the man. “Alright! I know you’re probably really confused, but just know, you’re the man!”
Peter slowly walked up behind the excited Lance, eyes locked on the man. “He’s…. Actually real?”
“Duh, weren’t you paying attention?” Lance said with a shake of his head before looking back at the man. “Now for you- ouch, what happened to my leg?” He finally noticed his leg hanging loosely. “Ah Twi’s gonna kill me.”
The large nude man blinked a few times as he shifted his gaze to Lance’s leg. Without a word he reached out and pointed a pudgy finger at Lance’s leg. Yellowish sparkling magic flowed forward and swirled around the broken leg. Moments later it dissipated.
“Oh my holy fucking night,” Lance exclaimed, flexing his now fixed leg. “Christmas Magic!! He’s not evil!”
“He’s real… like real even on earth…?” Peter muttered, still unable to grasp the situation. “I… this doesn’t make sense.”
Excitedly, Lance rushed to pick up the clothing and brought it over the large man. “Here’s all your cloths!”
“Clothes…” Peter corrected, mind slowly turning.
Peter wasn’t the only one who was confused. The large man, Santa Clause himself, looked completely lost. Yet he still put on the clothing, just to not be nude before them. Lance squealed like a girl when he saw the man in the suit, now fully resembling Santa Clause.
Yellow magic swirled around the man, seeming to enchant the clothing and causing it to form fit to him. A large red sack even appeared in his hands.
“Oh this is the coolest thing ever…” Lance muttered, watching everything with excitement in his eyes.
Without warning, the wall near them exploded inward as an entire sleigh suddenly crashed through it, with a whole team of reindeer leading it. Scaring Peter and causing Lance to giggle like a crazed man.
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out two boxes, wrapped in beautiful wrapping. He gave one to Lance and tossed the other to Greg, where it landed next to his hoof that was still sticking out of the rubble. The hoof fell on the box and began to pat it, followed by the sound of muffled laughter.
Then Santa turned to Peter and shook his head. He pulled something out and tossed it to Peter.
Peter caught it and stared dumbly at the lump of coal in his hoof.
Lance just laughed as he hugged his present, looking like a happy child as he kept his eyes on the jolly old man.
Santa stepped away and climbed into his Sleigh, giving them all a wave as he grabbed the reins. And just like that, he gave them a mighty whip, causing the reindeer to surge forward, crashing through the other wall and taking to the sky.
The pair watched him leave, one with pure joy on his face, and the other just looking lost.
“But…” Peter began, trying to compose himself. “Where’d the bag come from? And where the fuck did that whole ass Sleigh and team of reindeer come from?! Why is Santa packing a massive hog… AND WHY’D I GET COAL?!”
To answer him, Lance just turned to him, a tear in his eye. “Bro… Christmas Magic.” With that he began to walk away, like in a trance.
Watching him leave, Peter blinked before stomping his hoof. “That didn’t answer any of my questions!”
But Lance ignored him. He’d just witnessed Christmas coming to Equestria, and there was nothing else on his mind.
15 A.B. Christmas Eve
“Thirteen more hours till Christmas morning!” Shayla, age 3, yelled as she rushed around the living room, stopping randomly to stare at the TV that was playing a random episode of DBZ, only to immediately go back to running around the room. Her parents sat on the couch cozied up together, drinking their eggnog.
“I love her excitement,” Mallogory commented, a content smile on her face.
“Makes me wish this Christmas stuff was around when I was a kid,” Scamp replied, sipping her beverage as Shayla zoomed around the room, knocking stuff over in the process. “Shayla, calm down,” she warned.
“Do you think Santa got my list?!” Shayla asked as she jumped on the coffee table in front of the couch, giddy with excitement as she danced before her parents.
“Which one?” Mallogory teased. “You’ve sent…. Seventy?”
“A hundred and fifty four,” Scamp corrected.
“I’m sure he got at least one,” Mallogory confirmed, causing their daughter to let out a squeal as she zoomed back to the TV, coming to a stop as she stared blankly at the screen.
Leaning into her wife, Mallogory asked in a hushed tone. “Did you get everything on her list?”
“Yeah, everything but two things,” Scamp whispered. “I couldn’t find a life sized Goku doll. And I was not going to give our daughter any kind of superpowers. No matter how many times she begged in those letters for her to learn how to do a… I’m not even going to try and say that word.”
“She’ll be alright,” Mallogory said as she pulled her wife into her. They both stared at their daughters back as she watched her TV show. “We made that.”
“Unfortunately,” Scamp jokes, getting a playful slap on the shoulder from her wife.
Suddenly Shayla let out a gasp and turned around, eyes wide. “What if he doesn’t know where we live?! Last year we were on vacation, so what if he doesn’t know I exist?!”
“He knows, honey,” Scamp assured her.
“But how do you know?!”
“Because she’s your mother, she knows everything,” Mallogory pointed out, getting a confident nod from Scamp.
“Exactly. Don’t worry, sweetie. Santa isn’t going to miss our house.”
“Promise?!” Shayla asked as she zoomed up to the coffee table, staring at them with intense eyes as she seemed to be panicking. “Because if he misses us, I won’t get any presents!”
“Breath, baby,” Scamp said calmly, reaching out with a bag leg to shake the table, causing her to wobble about. “He’s not going to miss us. I’ve spoken with him personally, he said he knows where you live.”
“You’ve talked to Santa?!” Shayla asked in astonishment.
“Yep,” Scamp said with a sly smile. “But he did say that if you didn’t take a bath and brush your teeth before bed that he’d skip the house.”
“What?! NO!” Shayla shrieked as she barreled through the table, sending it flying as she flew down the hallway, followed by the bathroom door slamming shut.
“Don’t lie to our daughter,” Mallogory said, trying not to laugh.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Scamp snickered, getting up and taking their cups to the kitchen.
As she refilled the cups, she heard her wife let out a laugh.
“What?” Scamp asked, a smile on her face.
“Nothing. I just miss feeling like she does on Christmas Eve, and being able to believe in something like Santa Clause,” Mallogory said as she stepped into the kitchen as well.
“Eh, I enjoy playing along,” Scamp admitted. “Pretending there’s a fat jolly human man flying around delivering presents to all the kids in the world is actually pretty fun. Absurd as hell, but fun.”
“She loves it,” Mallogory said as she began to prepare some food for everyone. “Absurdity is fun for children her age.”
“Honestly she’ll believe anything we tell her,” Scamp chuckled. Then a look flashed across her face. “Oh boy, we could really fuck her up couldn’t we?”
“Oh for sure,” Mallogory agreed. “But there’s nothing wrong with her thinking Santa is real. Right?”
“I mean…” Scamp began, tapping her hoof. “She did create an altar to him last week.”
“Ah yeah, she was praying to him like he was a God. We might need to figure out how to fix that at some point.”
“She’ll probably forget about him after Christmas, or at least till next year. So I say we let it play out.”
The two women shared a look before breaking down into laughter.
This was cut short as their daughter rushed into the kitchen, soaking wet with soap spuds still clinging to her body.
“GUYS!” she screamed, looking to be in a panic again. “What if he forgets my life sized official Goku action figure?!”
“Yikes…” Scamp muttered as she and her wife moved to try and control their daughter. Again.
Later that night
Scamp slowly creaked the door open, peeking her head into her daughter's room. She was pleased to see Shayla was sound asleep under her large pile of covers and pillows. Slowly she pulled out and closed the door, then moved across the hall to her and Mallogory’s room.
Upon entering the room, she saw her wife laying in bed, playing a video game on the TV that sat at the front of the bed.
“She down?” She asked as Scamp slid into bed next to her.
“Out like a light,” Scamp confirmed, lifting up her book she’d been reading.
“When are you going to go put her presents under the tree?”
“I’ll give it an hour, after I read a few chapters,” Scamp answered. “That way she doesn’t hear me and walk in on me.”
“Good call,” Mallogory said as she focused on her game.
Later, 12 in the morning
Scamp jerked awake, sitting forward breathing heavily. Her book, which she’d fallen asleep reading, was sent flying as she looked around the dark room. Mallogory was asleep next to her, with not another sound to be heard in the house.
The moment she saw the time she sprang out of bed, rushing for the door. “Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck!” she muttered, worried that her daughter might have woken up early in her excitement. But to her relief, she found Shayla still passed out in her bed.
Relieved, she moved into the living room and opened her personal dimension, slowly pulling out all the presents they’d gotten for Shayla. She carefully laid them out below the tree, making sure they all said ‘From: Santa’.
Taking a step back, she admired her handy work. A nice little pile of presents, just waiting for the little monster known as Shayla to come and tear into them.
The thought brought a smile to her face as she moved to the kitchen to pour her some more eggnog. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of some of her alcohol.
“Don’t mind if I do,” she muttered to herself as she took it and poured a bit into her nog.
She just stood there, eyes closed as she slowly sipped at her drink, just enjoying the moment.
But a sound made her ear twitch. Something strange seemed to pass through her mind, seeming to make her tired, but her mind resisted the sudden urge to just fall asleep. Blinking, she caught the slightest glimpse of swirling golden magic trailing away from her and into the living room.
Her eye narrowed as she gently put her cup down, stealthily moving towards the door to the living room. Something felt off to her, but she pressed forward.
As she reached the door and peeked in, she saw a large figure standing before the lit up Christmas tree, seeming to be going through a bag.
Her eye narrowed, as anger filled her at the thought someone had the audacity to not only enter her house, but also to seemingly be trying to steal her shit.
Without a sound, moving so swiftly she didn’t even disturb the clutter on the floor, she moved on the figure.
The figure spun on her just as she reached them, landing a powerful kick to its midsection. The powerful hit sent the figure flying through the living room and through the window, sending them into the darkness outside.
The sound of Shayla letting out a panicked yelp was heard, but Scamp didn’t care as she jumped through the window, prepared to continue the fight. But instead she found the intruder buried in the snow, only their red suit visible with their limbs being the only thing sticking up.
“What the fuck?” she muttered, realizing it was someone dressed as Santa Clause. “Hey, fucker, you alive?” she asked, giving his boot a kick. But she didn’t get a response. “Ah shit,” she said, shaking her head. She may have hit them a bit too hard.
“Whoa!” came the voice of her daughter from the window. “Is that Santa?!”
“Stay inside, Shayla,” Scamp ordered, but her daughter ignored her, jumping out and landing beside her.
“You killed him?!” she shrieked, eyes wide.
“I didn’t kill him,” Scamp said as she grabbed his boot and began to shake it. “Come on, buddy. Up and attem.”
“You killed Santa Clause!!” Shayla exclaimed.
“No, I killed someone DRESSED like Santa,” Scamp reasoned, but at the look on her daughter's face, she added. “But I didn’t kill him. He’s just… sleeping.”
“But he looks dead to me…” Shayla mumbled, reaching out and touching the boot.
“Well he’s not. Now head back inside so I-” Scamp began, but her head snapped up as she heard something on the roof. She and Shayla moved around the house to get a better view.
“What the…” Scamp began, confusion on her face as she was faced with a strange sight.
“It is Santa!” Shayla cried out. “You killed Santa!”
“No I didn’t!” Scamp yelled, eye locked to the full team of reindeer attached to a sleigh on her roof. This didn’t make sense to her rational thinking mind.
Shayla took off running back around the house to the downed intruder, followed by Scamp. But when they returned, they found nothing but the man’s clothing laying in the snow. As if he’d just faded away leaving them there.
“Where’d he go?” Shayla asked, poking at the clothing.
Scamp looked around, her gaze narrowed. “This freak is running around here naked somewhere…”
“Momma, look!” Shayla said, pointing at an envelope with Scamp’s name on it.
Slowly, Scamp lifted the envelope and opened it to reveal a letter.
“What’s it say?!” Shayla asked.
“You’ve done a naughty act tonight, Scamp,” she began, reading the note with a skeptical tone. “To fix your mistake, you must finish my duty before the day's break, or Christmas will be finished forevermore. Don the suit, and the reindeer will do the rest.”
“What’s that mean, momma?”
“It means we’re calling the police. There’s a naked creep running around,” Scamp said, grabbing her daughter to take her inside.
“But the note!” Shayla whined, but Scamp ignored her.
However, before she could drag her daughter inside, a bag fell from above and landed in front of her.
Shayla gasped. “Santa’s bag!”
“No, a burglar's bag,” Scamp corrected, but her daughter ignored her as she lunged for the bag, pulling it open and stuffing her head in. She began to pull out all kinds of boxes of different shapes. The more she pulled out, the more Scamp realized something was up.
“Look momma! It’s magical!” Shayla exclaimed happily, still pulling out boxes as the bag remained the same size.
“No, it’s probably got dimensional tech built into it,” Scamp pointed out, but this didn’t sway her daughter’s excitement. “Now go inside before I-”
She was cut off as her daughter jumped up and flew to the roof, leaving behind the pile of boxes.
“Great,” Scamp muttered, turning around and picking up the discarded clothes. “Just what we needed.” Once she’d gathered the clothes, she jumped up to the roof, watching her Daughter run around the docile reindeer.
“This is amazing, momma!” Shayla yelled, eyes wide with glee as she ran under the large beast.
“Get away from them,” Scamp warned. “They could be dangerous, and I don’t want to have to kill them to protect your dumbass.”
Almost to mock her, one of the reindeer leaned down and licked Shayla’s head, leaving a large cowlick.
“You just bathed,” Scamp groaned, dropping the clothes and moving towards her daughter. “Now, go inside.” But instead of listening, Shayla jumped into the sleigh itself. “Shayla Beltosh,” Scamp said in a stern tone.
“But momma!” Shayla whined. “It’s Santa’s sleigh!”
“No it’s just a cheap replica,” Scamp said, stepping up and seeing the fine workmanship of the wood itself. “Or someone just has too much money.”
“Look!” Shayla said, lifting a scroll. “It’s the list! THE LIST!”
“The list,” Scamp repeated, her patience wearing thin.
Shayla opened it, causing a light to shine from it as it listed her name and all her deeds. “Whoa! I’m on the nice list!”
“Shocker,” Scamp muttered. “I don’t know how when you don’t listen. Now, inside!”
“But-”
“Shayla Parker Beltosh!” Scamp said sternly, causing her daughter to finally listen. Head hung low, the young filly jumped down from the sleigh. She slowly walked past her mother, eyes down.
“I’m sorry, mother…” she said quietly, trying to hide her sniffles as tears began to flow.
Scamp watched her slowly walk to the edge of the roof, letting out a deep sigh as she looked to the sky. “Fuck,” she muttered before looking back to her daughter. “Stop, honey.”
Shayla looked back, sadness still on her little face.
“If I put on the damn suit, would you feel better?”
This brightened her daughter's face instantly. “Does that mean you’ll listen to the letter?!”
“No,” Scamp stated. “Just the suit. Take it or leave it.”
“Put it on!” Shayla exclaimed, her sadness seeming to be completely gone now.
Reluctantly, Scamp picked up the red jacket with white puffy trim. “I mean this shit is for a human, it won’t fit a- I’ll be fucking damned,” she said in surprise as she put it on, finding it to somehow fit her exactly. The same thing could be said for the pants and boots. “This shit is fucking stupid…”
“It’s Christmas magic, momma!” Shayla pointed out, jumping with glee.
The moment she put the hat on, the bag from below shot up to the roof and landed next to her, as did the scroll Shayla had found. The scroll floated before her and opened, revealing a few locations. The words “Nice List” were written at the top.
Her daughter flew up and landed on her back, peering at the scroll over her head. “Are those the houses you have to deliver presents to?!”
“No, because that’s not happening,” Scamp said, swatting the list away. But it came back, now displaying a new message.
‘If you fail, Christmas is over. Forever.’
“Momma no!” Shayla cried out. “Don’t kill Santa AND Christmas! Please!”
“Shayla, there’s no way I’m-”
The list changed again to say, ‘Yes, if you do not do this, you will have killed Christmas.’
“Sassy fucking scroll, aren’t ya?” Scamp mumbled, taking a deep breath.
“Please momma?” Shayla begged, hugging her mother. “Don’t kill Christmas.”
“Fucking hell,” Scamp groaned as she spun around and grabbed the bag. “Guess we’re doing this.”
“Yay!” Shayla yelled, jumping from her mothers back and rushing for the sleigh.
As she tossed the bag into the sleigh and climbed in, she had the thought of letting Mallogory know what was going on. But then she realized she’d have to be seen wearing these clothes, and that was enough for her to forget that thought.
“Where are we going first?!” Shayla asked as she bounced around the seats of the sleigh.
Grumbling, Scamp looked at the floating scroll. “Well?”
Instead of answering her, the reindeer lurched forward, taking to the sky without warning. While Shayla let out a joyous scream of delight, Scamp just sat there, looking more like the grinch than a Santa Claus.
It wasn’t long before they landed on a house, coming in faster than Scamp would have thought possible. Yet they had no trouble as the sleigh came to a stop.
“Now what, oh magical scroll?” Scamp asked, glaring at the floating paper. To answer her, the bag lifted up, seeming to wait for her to grab it. “Alright,” Scamp sighed, looking at her daughter. “Just stay here and do not leave. Okay?”
“But I want to come with you!” Shayla protested.
“Maybe at the next house, just let me figure out how this works,” Scamp said as she grabbed the floating bag.
Golden magic flowed around her as she lifted up and began to hover towards the tiny chimney. Upon seeing the tiny hole, she sighed. “This’ll either hurt, or look really stupid.”
Shayla only clapped excitedly as her mother was suddenly sucked into the hole, leaving nothing but a puff of yellow particles.
Moments later Scamp found herself in the middle of a dimly lit living room, a large Christmas on the other side of the room. She grumbled to herself as she trudged towards the decorated tree, kicking any object in her way. As she reached the tree she grabbed the bag and reached into it, finding a box readily available.
Without a care she pulled it out and threw it under the tree, sending the other presents already there scattering across the floor. Turning to leave, she felt the bag tug her back to the tree. This just annoyed her as she rounded on the bag, glaring at it.
“What? What else do I need to do?!”
To answer her, the bag opened, revealing a few more presents.
In frustration, she grabbed the bottom of the bag and dumped the presents all over the floor, using her hoof to kick them under the tree. As she turned to leave, the bag got caught on the tree, causing it to fall towards her.
“Yeah, of course that happens,” she growled as she began to kick and punch the tree, taking her frustrations out on it. She flung it back against the wall and began laying into it, sending ornaments and pine needles everywhere.
“Santa?” came a small voice behind her, causing her to stop her assault on the poor pine.
Cursing under her breath, she turned to see a small colt standing in the doorway to the living room, a confused look on his face. He looked from her to the tree, which was missing the majority of its branches and decorations at this point.
“What happened to our tree, Mr. Santa?” he asked innocently. Before she could respond, the colt flicked on the light, fully revealing the room. “Wait, Santa isn’t a girl…”
“Er, you’re right, kiddo,” she said quickly, using her back hoof to stand the tree back up fully. “I’m his number one helper, I step in to help when he’s busy. And he’s VERY busy tonight,” she lied, fully turning to face him.
“What’s wrong with your face?” The colt’s expression suddenly changed from confusion to horror. “You don’t work for Santa! You’re the Grinch!” He began to scream like a siren, causing Scamp to panic.
She moved to stop the kid by giving him a present or something, but the sudden appearance of two adults coming up behind him stopped her.
“Lil’Jambal, what’s wro- WHO ARE YOU?!” the stallion yelled as he and the woman pulled the kid back and got in front of him.
“How’d you get in our house?!” The mare yelled, both fear and anger on her face.
“It’s the Grinch, it broke in and is stealing Christmas!” the colt yelled from the back, trying to push past his parents.
“A burglar?! ON CHRISTMAS?!” the stallion roared as he stepped towards Scamp, who was currently standing there awkwardly.
“I’ll ring the police!” the mare yelled as she whipped out her phone.
“Now don’t do that, let’s talk this out, reasonably,” Scamp said, holding up a hoof.
“The only talking you’re doing is to the cops!” the father yelled as he moved towards her.
“I’m literally Santa right now,” Scamp reasoned, but the moment she said it she cringed, as it was probably the stupidest thing she’d ever said.
“And I’m the Queen of Equestria! Get on the ground!” the stallion ordered as he picked up a bat that’d been by the couch.
“Okay I’m done,” Scamp mumbled as she reached into her pocket dimension and withdrew a gun. “You get on the ground.”
This caused everyone to freeze, eyes wide as she pointed the gun at them.
“Yeah, I didn’t want it to come to this. Drop the bat, old man,” she ordered, causing him to throw the bat to the side and jump back to grab his family. “Phone too, lady.” The mare tossed the phone to Scamp, who just crushed it with her mechanical hoof. “Alright, get on the couch. Move.”
Once she had them on the couch, she restrained them. With that done, she moved back to the tree. The terrified family watched her set it back up fully and put the presents under the tree properly.
With that done she walked to the table that held the milk and cookies, picking one up to eat it.
“Hey, those are for Santa!” the colt yelled.
“I am Santa, tard monkey!” she snapped back, tossing the cookie at the family, causing them to flinch away. Chugging the milk, she moved to the chimney, turning to face them one last time. “Merry Christmas.”
With that, she tugged on the bag, sending her flying back up the chimney, landing before an excited Shayla.
“What was it like, Momma?!”
Scamp rolled her eyes, moving her daughter towards the sleigh. “It’s dumb, honey.”
“Being Santa can’t be dumb though!” she protested, getting a chuckle out of Scamp.
“You’d be surprised,” she said as she lifted the scroll. “Where to next?”
The list showed a location, causing the reindeer to take to the sky.
2 hour later
Scamp let out an annoyed groan as they took off again, heading for the next house. Every single house she’d gone to was the same thing.
She’d at least figured out how to actually use the scroll to pick the next person on the list. But that didn’t really help her, as she could care less who she went to next.
However, unlike the last few hours, the list wasn’t showing her the next house.
“Are we done? Can we go home now?” Scamp asked, shaking the list, waking up Shayla who’d fallen asleep next to her on the sleigh.
“What?! No! I haven’t gotten to see you do Santa stuff yet!” Shayla protested, looking mildly panicked.
To answer them, the scroll changed to red, with the words at the top changing to ‘Naughty List’. New names and locations appeared on the list.
“This was not part of the deal,” Scamp deadpanned, shaking the list. But the list did not change, causing her to groan. “Fine.”
“Yay!” Shayla exclaimed happily. “Can I PLEASE come with you this time?!”
Scamp closed her eye, taking a deep breath before nodding.
“You’re the best momma ever!” Shayla screamed, jumping in to hug her mother.
“Remember that the next time I need you to clean the house,” Scamp said with a small smile as the sleigh came down on the house.
The list displayed the name ‘Alvin Nebcake’, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. The name was familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d seen it before.
“Alright, come on,” she said as she jumped from the sleigh, followed closely by her excited daughter. The pair made their way to the chimney, and in the usual flair were lifted up and taken down into the house below.
Coming into the living room, Scamp saw a dirty room filled with beer cans and old food. Clearly the home of a slob.
“A kid lives in this shit?” she hissed. Looking around she didn't even see a tree. Reaching into the bag she pulled out a tiny christmas tree and a lump of coal. “Well that’s fitting at least,” she commented as she gave the two items to her daughter. “Go put those in the corner.”
“On it, momma!” Shayla said with a cute salute as she took the items and flew to the corner where she began clearing trash to set up the tree.
While she did that Scamp moved around the room, shaking her head at the state of everything. “Who could live like-” she stopped as she saw a picture of a stallion hanging on the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized them as someone she’d seen on the news. “Alvin fuckin’ Nebcake,” she growled. “Shayla, take your time, mommy needs to do something.”
“Santa stuff?” Shayla asked as she continued her work.
“No, mommy stuff,” she said as she entered the hall and walked towards the one room that had sound coming from it.
Pushing the door open she saw a stallion laid out on the bed, beer cans all around him as he snored. Eye narrowed, she stepped up to the bed and yanked the stallion onto the floor roughly, causing him to yell and flail around on the ground.
Once he recovered, he jumped up to stand face to face with Scamp. “What the fuck?! How’d you get in my fucking house?!”
“Alvin Nebcake, convicted rapist and child abuser,” Scamp said coldly as her hoof shot out, sending him flying back into his TV, shattering it and his back legs in the process. “Bonded out and disappeared without a trace.”
The only response she received was his screams of pain as he held his broken legs.
She lifted the list, seeing his name and all his misdeeds. Her frown deepened as she read. “You’ve… been busy,” she growled. Slamming the scroll shut.
As she advanced on him, he held up a hoof, eyes wide in horror, “wait wait wait! I got money!”
“Cool,” she said as she grabbed his head in her hooves. Moments later her suit became a bit redder.
A few minutes later
Scamp returned to the living room to see her daughter finishing up her task.
“Look!” Shayla yelled, proudly showing off the tree and lump of coal under it. “I got it just right!”
“Good work, honey,” Scamp praised as she waved for her daughter to come to her.
“Can I do the next one, too?” Shayla asked as they moved for the chimney.
Scamp thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure, honey. In fact, you can help on all the following houses.”
“Really?!” Shayla yelled as they shot up onto the roof. “Thank you, momma!!”
Scamp only nodded as she pulled out the list, inspecting each of the names on the naughty list, noticing they all seemed to be just as bad, if not worse, than the guy below.
“Oh, this is going to be great,” Scamp muttered, a devilish idea hitting her as the sleigh took to the sky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7HGl_xXAcQ
The moment they landed at the next house, she took her daughter down with her, sending her to do the same as the last house. This one was not as dirty, but Scamp didn’t care as she made her way to the bedroom.
Kicking the door open, she caused the stallion on the bed to let out a scream of terror.
“Like touching kids, eh?” she yelled as she lifted a small christmas tree. “Guess where this is going!”
His screams were barely heard by little Shayla as she worked, putting the tree up and placing the lump of coal beneath it. She stepped back and admired her work, moving forward to fix a few of the branches till she had it right.
Soon, her mother returned and they returned to the sleigh. She took notice that her mother seemed to be in a much better mood now, which made her happy.
At the next house, Shayla was given the little tree and the coal as her mother picked up a fire poker, heading for the back of the house. Shayla didn’t know what she was doing, but she had her own job to do.
With her job done, she heard her mother laughing as she returned to the living room.
“What’s funny, momma?” Shayla asked.
“I just made a really good joke is all,” she answered, still giggling to herself.
“What’s the joke?” Shayla asked innocently.
“You’re not old enough for that one,” Scamp chuckled as she scooped her daughter up and flew out the window instead of taking the chimney. They returned to the sleigh and Scamp all but forced the reindeer to take to the sky, looking very happy.
Shayla was not used to seeing her mother this excited about anything not related to her or the dojo, but she liked it.
“Best Christmas ever,” Shayla mumbled as she leaned against her mother as they flew for the next house.
Hours later, almost sunrise
“Aw… no more names?” Scamp asked dejectedly as the list now showed no more names on the naughty list. “Come on, there has to be more.”
“I dunno, momma. We did like what, a hundred houses with naughty ponies in them. That has to be all of them, right?” Shayla asked, her tired eyes barely staying open.
“1,302 actually,” Scamp muttered, having kept track of each one. Turning the list over, she sighed, realizing the fun was over. She’d really cleaned up that night, but she knew there had to be more ‘naughty ponies’ out there. Either she got them all or the list was holding out on her.
The sleigh came down again, and she was disappointed to see they were back home.
“So we’re done?” Scamp asked, shaking the list. “You give me the best night ever and then you dump me? Typical magical scroll behavior.”
She tossed it over her shoulder, letting it land in the back of the sleigh she picked up her daughter and jumped down.
“Tonight was amazing, momma,” Shayla mumbled, already giving in to the sleep.
“Oh, it was the best,” Scamp agreed, a smile on her face. As she reached the edge of the roof, she looked back to see the sleigh was gone. Seeming to have just disappeared, leaving only a few traces of golden magic in the air.
“Hm.” She continued inside, going through the shattered window and taking her daughter back to her room. Carefully she laid Shayla in her bed and left her room, returning to her own.
Mallogory stirred the moment she opened the door, sitting up and raising an eyebrow at Scamp.
“Why are you dressed as Santa Clause?” she asked.
“Long story,” Scamp chuckled as she took a seat on the bed.
“Next question,” Mallogory began, looking her over. “Why are you covered in gore?”
“You’ll love the answer to that one,” Scamp assured her with a wide smile.
“Worrying, but let’s hear it,” Mallogory chuckled.
“Starting this off, apparently Santa is real and I was him tonight,” Scamp said.
“Huh, you’d make a terrible Santa,” Mallogory teased. “But wait, WHY were you Santa tonight?”
“Oh,” Scamp said, waving her hoof at her wife. “I think because I killed Santa I became him? I’m not really sure on the rules there.”
“Scamp…” Mallogory whined, shaking her head. “You’re not supposed to kill Santa. What would Shayla say if she knew?”
“Oh, she was there for it,” Scamp laughed, getting a deadpanned look from her wife. “Oh she loved it! Best time of her life!”
Mallogory stared at her for a few moments before sighing, trying to hide her smile. “And you left me out of this apparent adventure.”
“Eh, yeah,” Scamp said sheepishly as she rubbed her neck.
“So, where’d the blood and guts come from?”
At this, Scamp smirked. “Now THAT is the fun part.”
Later
“The police are calling last night's massacres an act of vigilantism,” the news reporter said, reading from their notes. “Reports of a crazed mare breaking and entering dressed as Santa Clause are thought to be connected to the murders. Multiple families are traumatized as they say they were terrorized by a mare some are describing as ‘a ghoul from the pits of hell’, while some are calling her the ‘worse than the Grinch’ as she stole Christmas from many tonight. She left presents addressed ‘from Santa’ but in the process she left mental scars on all those she encountered.”
Mallogory raised her eyebrow at Scamp as they sat on the couch in Lance’s living room as the kids ran around before them, opening presents. Scamp just smiled innocently at her as everyone else kept their eyes on the TV.
“What kind of sick fuck would do this,” Lance growled. “On Christmas of all days! No offense, Cody.”
“Why would I take offense to that?” Cody asked from his seat.
“And they murdered over a THOUSAND ponies on top of that!” Lance continued.
“Eh, maybe the ones who actually died deserved it,” Scamp pointed out, getting a sour look from Lance.
“No one should die on Christmas,” he grumbled, sitting back down and going back to staring at the TV.
“Momma!” Shayla whined as she and Dude ran up to her and Mallogory. “Dude doesn’t believe me when I tell him you were Santa last night!”
Scamp’s eye widened as she leaned towards her daughter. “Now, honey, you can’t tell anyone about last night.”
“What?! WHY?” Shayla yelled, getting everyone's attention.
“Because,” Scamp said, pulling her close to whisper in her ear. “If you do, you’ll never get any more presents on Christmas OR your birthday.”
“No…” Shayla whimpered. “You can’t do this to me…”
“Sorry, kid. Santa rules, we can’t go against them,” Scamp said as she sat back, causing everyone else to go back to watching the TV.
“Fineeeeeeee,” Shayla groaned, turning and leaving with Dude who began teasing her about what she’d said.
“Close call,” Mallogory said, getting a nod from Scamp.
“It’s better if we for-” Scamp began, but looking past her wife she saw Santa himself standing outside the window, waving at her.
“Son of a bitch,” she mumbled, looking at her wife. “Cover for me.”
“What do you-” Mallogory began, but Scamp had already dove over the back of the couch and was sprinting for the front door.
“... she has to take a dump?” Mallogory said as everyone looked at her.
“Ah, yeah, I get it,” Greg said, nodding his head in understanding.
Outside, Scamp rounded the house to come face to face with the jolly fat man.
“Mind explaining something to me?” She asked in an angry tone. When he didn’t respond, she continued. “You have a list with all the really bad ponies on it, yet you just give them coal? Every single one on your naughty list was some of the worst ponies in Equestria, most of them on the run from the police. And you do NOTHING with that info?!”
Santa just smiled at her as he held up his list, showing both the nice list and naughty list. The nice list was filled with names, while the other was now devoid of any names.
“That didn’t answer- Wait you’re not dead!” Scamp yelled, pointing an accusatory hoof at him.
This caused him to let out a hearty laugh, which only angered her further.
“What the fuck was the point then?” She asked.
To answer her, he just tapped the side of the scroll with the naughty list, a wide smile on his face.
Realization dawned on her. “No fucking way… did you just use me to do what you couldn’t do?” At his wink, she laughed. “You sly dog. You didn’t have to do the whole show, I’d have gladly done it without all the extra work.”
Santa just closed his list and pulled a box out, tossing it to her.
She caught it as she kept her focus on him. “What’s this?” she asked, flipping the top off the box to reveal a piece of cloth. Pulling it out, she realized it was the new headband she’d wanted, one with her Dojo’s logo. The idea of this being her reward for her actions that night caused her to start laughing loudly, tears falling from her eyes as she laughed harder than she had in a while.
“Scamp, are you okay?!” Lance asked as he ran up behind her.
“Yeah I’m-” she began, looking up to see Santa was gone now. “I’m good. Just thought of a funny joke.”
“Oh cool, mind telling me?” he asked, but she stood up and walked past him, patting his shoulder as she passed.
“Merry Christmas, Lance,” she said, heading back inside.
“Okay, but what was the joke??” he asked, appearing confused.
As she reached the front door, she saw Santa standing next to it.
“Same time next year?” she asked.
He just smiled and faded away in a puff of golden magic.
“Scamp, what was the joke??” Lance asked as he caught up, but she ignored him as she entered the house, closing the door behind her. “Come on,” he groaned as he looked to the ground. But the sight of a box with his name on it brightened his day.
Like a child he grabbed it and ripped it open, happiness on his face. But a frown appeared as he looked into the box. Tipping it over a lump of coal fell out.
He fell to his knees before the coal and threw his hooves to the sky. “I brought you into this world! STOP GIVING ME COAL EVERY YEAR YOU FAT FUCK!”
In the distance jolly laughter could be heard as Lance roared at the sky in anger.
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Some Person
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853
| 1 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-03-02T22:27:52+00:00
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2012-03-02T22:27:52+00:00
| 2,758 |
London, England, August 24, 2009
In the early hours of the morning, Horzine Industries was beginning to stir. The first person to arrive was CEO and founder, Kevin Clamely, a toned man in his late thirties. His brown hair shone in the sunlight as he scratched his neatly trimmed mustache. The sounds of his footsteps echoed throughout the establishment as his alligator shoes clicked with each step on the linoleum floor. After traversing through several spacious hallways, he stopped at room 408. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Clamely sat in the swivel chair at his desk, re-reading Horzine’s latest weaponry reports. Half an hour passed when a rap at the door brought his attention forward. “Come in.” The door slowly creaked open, a noise Kevin deemed equivalent to someone smashing plates.
A husky woman peeked her head into the room before quickly bringing the rest of her body in. “You, um, you wanted these reports... sir?”
Kevin glanced at the front of the cream colored folder before him. “Oh yes,” he said as a small smile curled onto his face, “I’ll take that.” He snatched the folder from her hands and pulled out several documents. He began to skim them, but stopped as he looked past the papers. He noticed the woman was still standing in his office with a look of anxiety and enthusiasm etched on her face. It was obvious that there was going to be an unnecessary discussion, and he already had enough reasons to hate this woman; he hated those yellow, crooked teeth. That repulsive mole above her lips. That idiotic, blond, nineteen-forties hairstyle. He especially hated those gawking green eyes of hers. He placed the papers to his side and rested his head onto his intertwined hands. “Can I help you with something?” he asked with a subtly bitter tone.
“Well, sir, I was wondering,” she hesitantly began. “The rumors about Horzine’s latest technology; are they... true?”
Kevin gave the woman a cold stare. “Tell me something, Miss... ?”
“Gweneth Rutherford, sir.”
“Right, tell me, Miss Rutherford,” The CEO removed his black glasses and polished them as he continued, “what exactly is your job here?”
“I manage the specimen reports, sir,” she stated as she rubbed the back of her left hand.
Kevin placed his glasses back on. “Yes, yes, of course. See, I was a bit confused.” He began to tap his index finger on the desk. “I’m trying to remember exactly why someone with a responsibility like yours is more concerned about idle gossip than the lifeblood of this company.” The color on his employee’s face began to drain as she slowly slunk towards the door. “No seriously, can you tell me why?”
Gweneth anxiously gulped and stammered, “I... I was just c-curious.”
“Exactly! You were just curious, and curiosity killed the cat, you know.” He began to drag his index finger across his neck as he made a gurgling noise.
“F-f-forgive me, sir. I-I just—”
“Oh, never mind any of that, Miss Rutherford,” Kevin said as he waved her away. “Just try to remember that you shouldn’t concern yourself with baseless rumors. You’re not being paid to snoop around, you’re being paid to help craft the future. Now get back to work.” Gwenyth quickly let herself out the room. “Women...” Kevin muttered as he unknowingly began to rub the golden ring on his left ring finger.
For anyone who overheard gossip about Horzine Industries, he or she would hear a wide range of gossipy subjects. Only so much of this gab was true. While Horzine Industries was publicly known as an arms company, the truth of the matter was kept under wraps by Horzine’s employees. The British government had funded Horzine to begin cloning and experimentation on what were simply called “specimens.” Kevin began to browse the updates on each of the specimens in production.
In total, there were nine types of specimens under production: the clot, the gorefast, the bloat, the crawler, the husk, the stalker, the siren, the scrake, and the fleshpound. Each specimen was grouped off into three-inch thick, plexiglass containers with their respective clones and kept under constant surveillance with a camera placed in every corner of the room. Every three hours, a misty spray breezed through each of the containers, which effectively sedated the specimens. Should an accident occur, specimen laboratories had a door installed with an airtight lock; these locks were activated by red alarm buttons planted on the walls, ensuring the safety of any and all remaining staff members. Should this fail, the final safety measure was something only Kevin and the security staff were aware of: a firestorm would engulf the entire facility, leaving only smolders to their name.
The staff had been paid handsomely to manufacture these clones, so no one complained. Of course, even with all precautions taken, such experiments had their share of fatalities. Some specimens didn’t survive the conditions of the outside world for more than five minutes, and a small number of staff members were victims of workplace accidents. When it came to Horzine, working for them could be easy, the work itself was anything but.
“What the fuck is this?!” Kevin shouted, resisting the urge to tear the document into pieces. “The scrakes, why is their vitality so god damn low?” His eyes quickly skimmed the paper, searching for the guilty party. “Biotics, huh?” He placed the envelope in his desk drawer and walked out of his office, the scrake report gripped tightly in his hand. “I’m going to wring their necks.”
**********
Deep in the facility lay the biotic division. In here the blood, sweat and tears of every employee went into molding the specimens so they could become both deadly and obedient. The long halls were lined with nothing but metallic walls, echoing any and all sounds throughout the center. Usually there would be nothing but the sounds of machinery throughout the building, but today was different. If anyone were to listen hard enough, they could faintly make out a conversation near the back of the lab.
“For God's sake, Gary, will you stop pacing around for just one second?” said Dr. Victor Ingrahm as his giddy cohort couldn't hide his enthusiasm. Victor was a slim, thirty-four year old man who had short black hair and wore red glasses. He was the kind of person who would keep to his work and deliver results whenever they were needed. He kept quiet about his personal life, but occasionally he would open up to those whom he found to be trustworthy.
Dr. Gary Glover, however, couldn't listen to his fellow scientist’s request, and continued rambling about the week's planned events. Gary was almost as tall as Victor, shorter by a few centimeters. He rustled his flat, brown hair in the middle of his excitement. “I mean, can you just imagine for one second what this means? If we can master cloning, well... we'd be on the verge of being gods! I get giddy just thinking of what this could mean for the world. Can you believe it? Why, with that kind of power we ca—”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Victor finally chimed in, “however we don't get paid to imagine, we get paid to work. Now go to your station and do your bloody job before Mr. Clamely waltzes in here and decides to bring the hammer down on us.”
“Piss off, everyone knows that yank never leaves his office. It's not that big of a deal.”
Victor simply looked up, glared and said, “Back to work, now!”
Gary didn't object to Victor's command, he simply rolled his eyes and did as he was told.
After a half an hour's worth of silence passed, Gary couldn't help but strike up another conversation. “You have to wonder though, what’s this big plan Clamely’s got going on?”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, you know,” Gary said, as he moved away from his compuiter screen to get a good look at his fellow scientist. “Clamely’s been going on about this big secret unveiling at the end of the week.”
Victor glanced in Gary’s direction. “Oh right, that. Well, I’ve actually heard a little rumor.”
“I’m listening.”
Victor got out of his seat and looked around the room for any eavesdroppers. When he knew there was no one around, he whispered, “Portal technology.”
Gary’s look shifted from curious to incredulous. “I thought we stopped working on that.”
“Apparantly not.”
“Is this still for the government?”
“I don’t know that much, but I wouldn’t doubt it.”
Gary leaned back in his chair, reflecting on this new information. “What do you think the government will use portal technology for?” he asked, “I mean sure we'd be the first to do it and all, but then what? What could they possibly need a portal for?”
To this, Victor said, “First of all, I’d imagine the plan is to use the portals for combat advantages. That way we can make pre-emptive strikes, stop bombings, and the like. Secondly, we weren't the first, Aperture managed to pull a fast one on us remember?”
Gary recalled the uproar that caused. When word reached Horzine Industries about this discovery, it was as if a witch hunt was called. Several scientists had been questioned or fired. “Hey, wait,” he said, “Aperture’s portals already do so much, how would these be any different?”
Victor tapped his chin as he tried to come up with an idea. Upon glancing at the door, his eyes shot wide, and he snapped himself back to working on his computer.
Gary looked at the door and saw a shadow looming behind it. Following Victor’s example, he paid attention to his computer once more.
The door opened and in walked Kevin. He approached the two scientists, with his arms folded behind his back. “Gentlemen.”
“Mr. Clamely,” Gary and Victor said in unison.
“I understand that you two oversee scrake productivity, correct?”
“Yes sir, we are,” Gary chimed in.
“Then I trust you’re fully aware that their vitality is near zero?”
Gary shot a nervous glance at his partner.
“It’s a regrettable fact, sir,” Victor said without skipping a beat. “But we think we’ve found the cause of that, and a temporary solution to those problems.”
Kevin’s eyebrows were slightly raised. “Really? What did you find out?”
“After running a series of tests,” Victor said, “we’ve concluded that the scrakes seem to have a poor immune system. So we’ve decided to add surgical masks onto each clone to increase productivity.”
“Surgical masks?” Kevin said in disbelief, “You two are working in a biotics... and you decide to add surgical masks and call that progress?”
“Survivability rates have climbed up from forty-three percent to sixty-five percent... sir,” Gary stated.
Kevin looked at both of his employees. “Are these numbers accurate?”
“We’ve triple-checked them, sir.” Or rather, I triple-checked them, Victor thought to himself.
Kevin looked as if he were torn between being in awe over their results, or in awe over how lazy an idea the masks seemed. “It’s... satisfactory at best. But I expect to see a more professional-looking specimen the next time I come down here. We’re scientists, here. You two can do better than slap a mask on them and call it a day.”
Victor said, “We’ll make them as best as we can, sir.”
“No,” Kevin sharply retorted, “you won’t make them better... you’ll make them perfect, understand?”
Both of the scientists simultaneously replied, “Yes sir.”
Nothing else was said as Kevin walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
The room was in complete silence until Gary uttered, “What a git.”
Victor gave his cohort a disapproving look.
“Oh, come on,” Gary said defensively, “I mean, the man just barges in here and insults us like that. We’re the ones that do all the real work anyway.”
Victor sighed. “Yes, but he’s also the one who signs our paychecks.”
“Part of me thinks the man is mad.”
“Gary...”
“I’m serious,” Gary stressed, “You heard how he said that those specimens had to be ‘perfect’. He looked like he was going to start slobbering all over the place. Why, just the other day, I had to deliver a package to Sector B. He was right next to those specimen chambers, rubbing those cases just like this,” he said as he moved his hand in a circular motion. “It looked like he was whispering something to them. And I don’t mean just like any whisper, I mean a whisper you utter in someone’s ear when you really fancy them.”
Victor appeared surprised. “That is a bit... odd, to say the least.”
“And this kind of man is working with the government?” Gary shook his head in disbelief. “Anyways... did you hear anything else about those portals?”
Victor glanced at the door before saying, “I really don’t think this is the best place to discuss that.”
“Fine. Besides that, what do you think the government plans on doing with those specimens? Surely we’re not going to sell them off as auction, right?”
Victor impatiently replied, “The super-soldiers are the future of the British military. They are our allies in our darkest of times and our protectors in times of peace. With these super soldiers at our disposal, London will become—”
“Will become the safest nation for the queen and its people. I know. That's the same rubbish they tell us every day!” Gary exclaimed. “But what do you think?”
Victor simply stared at his computer, typing away, every click-clack of the keyboard getting louder. Victor’s typing served as his way of telling Gary to get back to work.
Gary just rolled his eyes and sat back down, checking the internal temperatures of the latest batch of sirens.
It wasn't too long, however, until Dr. Ingrahm finally spoke up. “Off the record, I think something is wrong with all of this. Scientific advancements are one thing, but we're advancing way too fast for our own good. I mean, look at this facility. We've managed to create living, breathing creatures in mere months. They can think, they can act out, and they even can communicate. Fast forward to today. Suddenly we can make portals? Something just isn't adding up here, not to mention the precautions in this place aren't very thought out.”
Gary leaned back in chair. He asked, “What do you mean?”
Victor continued, “You see those fleshpounds in Sector C? Those metal prods could stop them from moving around but imagine if they broke out of those things! They'd be a bunch of running human tenderizers!
“Granted, this is all speculation so I'm not exactly looking to head for the hills just yet. We might as well wait and see.”
Gary didn't think his friend had it in him to speak his mind, what with the rumors floating around of scientists suddenly going missing once they spoke out against Horzine's intentions. “Yeah, you have a very good point, but at least we get paid well enough for this, right?”
Victor simply shook his head and said, “It's always about the dosh, isn't it?”
Gary looked surprised. “Are you kidding? Of course it is! Why else would I work in this hell-hole? The pay sure beats working at some pub every night, dragging the latest nonce out of the building before closing time.”
“That's exactly why we work all day, everyday,” Victor said nonchalantly, “to get those pounds.” His computer gave a small chirp, an Email notification. He read the message and stopped, his expression shifting from uninterested to curious. He uttered, “This can’t be...”
“Can’t be what?” Gary asked. There was no response. “Are you alright, Victor?” More silence. Gary stood up and walked over to Victor’s computer. He briefly saw a medley of images and numbers that were immediately minimized.
“What are you doing?” Victor barked.
“Sorry, you were just in your own world. What was that, anyway?”
“It’s... it’s nothing,” Victor coyly said. “Just sit back down and get to work.”
“Nothing, eh?” Gary said, raising an eyebrow. “It sure doesn’t look like ‘nothing’.”
Victor snapped his head towards Gary and growled, “Do you want Clamely to come back in here and see you yakking your gob?”
“Alright, fine, I’ll sit back down!” He walked away, shaking his head in annoyance. With his colleague behaving, under protest, Victor perused his message once more.
August 29, 2009
In the early hours of the morning, janitors scurried around the conference room. Chairs were being lined up, beverages and snacks had been prepared for press members, and reporters were placing their microphones on the podium nearby. There were even people that hung up banners which read, “The Horzine way is the safe way”. From a nearby window, Kevin gazed into the room. A proud smile formed on his face as he thought, This is it. Today, Horzine will show its dominance in the field of science. As more reporters began to trickle into the room, growing restless as time passed, he felt it would be rude to keep them waiting any longer.
The murmurs of the audience quieted down as he walked onto the stage. The rapid flashes of cameras from nearby photographers seemed to have no effect on his demeanour. He walked up to the podium and placed both hands on it before beginning his monologue. “I thank you all for arriving here today. This is truly a great day not only for science, but for the world. We here, at Horzine Industries, have prepared quite a treat for all of you. You shall all bear witness to what can only be summed up as the most important scientific advancement in history.”
A giant device covered in a white tarp was brought before the crowd. Everyone appeared very intrigued and wondered what was brought before them. Kevin took the center stage to unveil this device. “Now, ladies and gentlemen. What you’re about to see is Horzine’s gift to the world. I give you... portals!” With those words, the tarp was torn off the device. It was a metallic ring roughly two meters tall and one and a half meters wide with a conductor at the top and bottom of the ring. He looked towards the reporters, expecting to see many people in awe over this machine. However, despite the barrage of camera flashes, he saw deadpanned and lackluster expressions across the room.
“Portals, Mr. Clamely?” a reporter piped up. “This is your great unveiling? Hasn’t Aperture Science already done something like this?”
“You’d think so,” Kevin retorted behind a cheeky grin, “but if they actually put some thought into their design, then maybe their toys would be half as good as our technology.”
“So tell us, Mr Clamely. How do these portals work?”
“Well, as you’re all aware,” Kevin began, “Aperture’s portals can allow someone to instantly travel from one part of the world to another, they might have even made it possible to travel across the universe . While this sort of design would intrigue feeble minds, we here at Horzine Industries felt that if you’re going to send someone through a portal, why restrict a traveler to the confines of just a universe?” He walked towards the machine on stage. “Our portals have these capabilities, and so much more. I am proud to announce that we have created inter-dimensional portals.” This revelation caused the press to stand up as one; some people demanded an explanation, while others scoffed the very idea.
“With this device,” he continued, trying to quiet down the crowd, “not only can you travel to worlds beyond your wildest dreams, but you don’t even need to leave the planet. All that’s necessary is to enter your destination’s coordinates, and the machine will take care of the rest. Of course, if you’d prefer to stay on Earth, all it takes is the flip of a switch, and you’re traveling from country to country in seconds. Now, I bet that some of you are saying to yourselves, ‘This is impossible!’ However, I must stress that what we’ve got here is going to redefine what is and isn’t possible.”
“What a load of bollocks!” One reporter shouted.
Kevin gave the crowd a forced smile as he scanned the room for the source of the outburst. “I see that some of you hold your doubts about this machine,” he said as he gingerly patted the portal device. “Fine, I suppose I’ll have to prove it to you.”
At that moment, he flipped a nearby switch, which caused the machinery started to glow with a white hue. It began to emit a low hum, then built its way to a constant rumble. The CEO picked up where he left off. “I have Dr. Clara Neeman here.” A petite scientist with bulbous, red hair walked onto the stage, waving once for the photographers before standing on Kevin’s left. “Previously, we have sent mobile units into a parallel universe, and they have brought back objects from the worlds beyond our own.” As he spoke, he signaled for a nearby attendant to remove the cover from a nearby stand. Three enlarged photographs were revealed. One picture showed an expansive forest with trees that were colored many shades of purple. Another showed a world of fire and magma jets soaring into the sky. The last picture showed illuminated landscapes and brilliantly vibrant sunsets. Some members of the press seemed enthralled in these sights, while others were not moved. “Pictures are one thing,” he continued, “but nothing beats a first-hand experience. For this reason, Dr. Neeman has volunteered to be the first live test subject to enter another dimension.”
While the woman was being prepared for her departure, he said, “Now, this world we’re sending her to has been previously used as a test destination. There hasn’t been any signs of danger, so this would be the best choice for a test run. For safety reasons, we're having her wear a hazmat suit, should there be any sort of disease in this new world. Also, we’re equipping her with a belt that acts like a transceiver. It will relay her heart rate, temperature, and oxygen levels. If she’s in any danger, all she has to do is press the button on her belt, and a portal will open before her. This machine has a homing beacon installed, so the transceiver will lock onto its signal when the time comes. Should we deem her condition too unsafe, we will open a portal for her.”
“Wait just a tick, Mr. Clamely,” a different reporter stated. “Telling us that alternate dimensions exist and you’ve found a way to access them is one thing; but now you plan on sending a human being through your portal, and you don’t give her a camera or a microphone. Call me a skeptic, but without any definitive proof that your device actually works, the press is not buying this rubbish for one second.”
Kevin rubbed his hands together and calmly stated, “I’m glad you brought that up, because I was just about to get to that.” You stupid fuck. He paced around the stage and said, “Inside of her suit, we’ve established a tactical comm system, and an camera inside of her suit. The suit will give us a constant stream of what she sees and says, but cross-universe travel is a very tricky process, so we might not have a perfect connection. These are tests, after all.” Feeling shown up, the reporter yielded any further objections. “Now Dr. Neeman, your job is to go into that world and find something from the universe that can be brought back here. Nothing too fancy, but credible enough to prove to the crowd that this is all real, understand?”
Clara nodded her head and said, “Should be simple, sir.”
“That’s my girl,” Kevin said as he patted the scientist on the back. “Now then, are you ready, doctor?”
“Ready, sir.”
The device’s technician, Mark Jameson, pressed a series of buttons on the control panel before him. The device then began to rumble, and the floor began to tremor. A loud crack caused an elliptical, white portal to appear before the scientists on stage. The once-skeptical members of the press were in awe of the spectacle before them.
Mark got to work, as he got the video and audio feed to appear on screen.
“Good luck out there,” Kevin said as Clara was sent through the portal.
The nearby staff members immediately got to work as they began to establish a connection to the transceiver. The sound of static began to fill the room as the video feed was struggling to appear on screen.
“Dr. Neeman,” Mark said into his microphone, “this is Horzine. If you can hear us, please respond.” After what seemed like an eternity, a reply struggled to break through from the other end.
“I c——ar yo——n y—— hear me?”
“Repeat that, Dr. Neeman, you’re breaking up.”
“I sa—— I can hear you, can you hear me?” Shortly after the static subsided, the video feed made its way on screen. The frame-rate was choppy, but images of a murky swamp became the focus of everyone’s attention.
Kevin began to grin like a madman as he moved to the microphone and said, “We hear you loud and clear, Doctor. How do you feel right now?”
“I feel great! My word, this is amazing! It almost makes me not want to come back home,” Dr. Clara said with a laugh. “Wait a minute, what’s that over th—” Static took over the audio feed, and the video was replaced once again by a blue screen.
While Mark attempted to get the connections to work, Kevin said, “It seems that making a decent connection is harder than we thought. Don’t worry, we’ll have her back online in just a minute.”
One minute in, her heart rate began to decline.
Two minutes in, her heart continued to climb.
Five minutes in, her heart rate was at a considerably high level. A look of concern grew across Kevin’s face. The murmurs among the audience grew louder as the impending urgency of the situation grew.
“Think we should pull her out of there?” asked Mark.
“No, she’ll be fine, let's wait a little longer.”
Ten minutes in, her heart rate shows no signs of slowing down. After noticing the reporters becoming more and more rambunctious, Kevin said, “Alright, bring her back.”
The homing beacon was activated... but nothing happened. Mark deactivated and re-acitvated the device several times expecting to see the scientist appear before them. “Mr. Clamely!” he shouted, “There’s interference with the receiver on the subject’s end! The frequency isn't strong enough to get her back!”
“Then increase the fucking frequency!!!” Kevin snapped at the tech, holding no regard of the media watching his every move. The room began to overflow with the sounds of beeps and chimes coming from the machines, and the ever so restless mob of reporters. After many repeated attempts, the beacon finally did its job. The became silent for an instant. Dr. Clara had returned, but everything above her waistline was gone.
All eyes were focused on the sight before them. Most reporters were too stunned to react until her lifeless legs had fallen to the floor, spraying a small jet of blood towards the front row or reporters. The entire room was in an uproar. Some reporters screamed in horror while others made their way to the stage demanding an explanation. Without a hint of control in his voice, Kevin shouted, “Get them out of here!” and took this as his chance to leave. A slew of Horzine’s security members rushed onto the stage and shooed any and all reporters away as he stormed off the stage, hearing nothing but the press’ questions flying left and right.
While he marched down the hall, Dr. Rutherford approached from the opposite end. Before the woman had a chance to utter a syllable, she was swiftly shoved to the side as Kevin said, “I don’t have time for your stupid questions, you fatass!” Paying no more attention to others, he entered his office and slammed the door shut. He paced around the room, both hands on his head. “Damn it,” he growled. “God fucking damn it!” He slammed his fist into the wall and shouted, “Can’t any one of these shitheads do anything right?! We’ll be lucky if we get off with only a slap on the wrist. Now it’s my fucking neck on the chopping block!” Seeing the state he was in, he began to reassure himself that everything was okay.
“Calm down now. It's not like it didn't even work. We DID send a human to another world, didn't we?” A vile grin formed on his face as he let out an ominous chuckle. “No one can deny this company’s superiority now! And who does the world have to thank? Me... yes me. Without me, these idiots would be out there flipping burgers, wasting their lives away. I’m the god damn founder, for fuck's sake. They shouldn’t judge me, they should award me! I should get the Nobel Prize for this. Hell, why don't they just give me all of the awards while they're at it, since I'm just that fucking good!” He erupted into a laughing fit that slowly died down. He approached a nearby window and moved the curtain, revealing row upon row of specimens. “Besides...” he solemnly said, “I have yet to unveil my greatest triumph. Soon, my children, you will be unleashed onto the world! You will clean this world of all undesirables, and I shall become the most unstoppable force on the planet!” It was that moment when he received a phone call. He fished his phone out of his pocket and sharply answered, “What is it?”
“Oh, I hope I’m not interrupting something, Mr. Clamely,” came a voice from a meek scientist, “but I couldn’t help but notice all the commotion in the press room. Did something happen down there?”
“Don’t worry about that, just tell me you have something important to talk about.”
There was silence for a few seconds, then the scientist finally responded, “Oh yes, we have the test results back from our latest experiment.”
“Good, what happened?”
A rustling of papers and some murmurs later, the scientist stated, “Well, after looking the results over, we’ve confirmed that Project Thorne is a success. I repeat, Project Thorne is a success.”
August 31, 2009
In the early morning, a security guard walked through the halls, anxious to end his graveyard shift and sleep the day away. He yawned as he turned the corner, unable to hear the footsteps behind him. Before he knew what was happening, he was struck from behind, knocking him out cold.
Gwenyth rolled the guard’s limp body over and rummaged through his pockets. “A thousand pardons,” she said as she pulled out a key ring and a security clearance card. Once his unconscious body was placed in a nearby supply closet, the faux scientist made her way down to the biotics labs. She traveled down several floors until she found her desired location: the Sector B Observatory Labs. Pulling out the keyring, she fitted several keys until one of them finally unlocked the door.
She pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. After a small wait, she said, “It’s me. I’m in Horzine’s facility, proceeding with reconnaissance... yes, I’ll confirm that after this is done... understood.” Gwenyth snapped the phone shut and placed it back in her pocket, switching it for a camera. She moved to the far end of the room where canisters of specimens were kept. The camera flashed again and again as its memory began to fill with pictures. Once satisfied, she placed a plug into the camera and attached it to her phone. The pictures began to transfer into the phone’s memory before it was swiftly sent to Gwenyth’s contact.
“That’s the last of that,” she said with a sigh of relief, “now to check on the—” She was interrupted as the door opened from behind her, revealing an amused Kevin.
“You know,” he began, “I could’ve sworn that I specifically warned you not to go digging around.” Kevin closed the door behind him. “Now you’ve gone and stuck your nose where it doesn’t belong. That’s a very un-Gwenyth thing to do. Or rather, it would be, if Gwenyth Rutherford actually existed.
Gwenyth swallowed hard as she bluffed, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about Mr. Clamely. I just got lost, that’s all.”
“Oh, cut your bullshit. We both know why you’re here.” The CEO began to walk closer. “So, who sent you? The government? America? Someone else? Please stop me if I’m right.”
She took a small, defensive stance. “I’m not revealing information like that. On top of that, you have nothing to threaten me with.”
“That’s because I have no need to. Now be a good little girl and tell daddy what you’re doing here.”
“You’re demented.”
A small smirk worked its way onto his face. “I try, but seriously, I saw that you were taking pictures. Just give them to me, and I’m sure we can arrange some sort of deal.”
Gwenyth put on a scowl. “You’re nothing but a coy old man, and it’s too late for you and your company,” she said as Kevin’s smile quickly morphed into a bitter glare. “I’ve already sent the pictures to my employer. It’s over.”
Kevin took a breath through his nose and said, “That’s just a damn shame.” He turned away from the woman and repeated himself quietly before whipping around with a silenced pistol in his hand, aiming it as the spy before him. “Now I have to kill you. We could’ve been such good friends, you and I.”
Gwenyth scoffed his threat. “So what? You’re going to sho—”
Without a second’s hesitation, Clamely aimed the pistol at her hip and pulled the trigger.
She let out an agonizing groan as she gripped her side while slowly balling up on the floor.
“No,” Kevin mused, “I’m just going to wave this gun around and talk to you for ten minutes. Of course I’m going to shoot you, you stupid cunt! Seriously, why can’t there be one smart woman on this earth.” He approached the huddled woman and knelt next to her. “See, I never really wanted to do any of this. Seriously, all I was going to do was use these handcuffs,” he pulled out said object, “then just fasten them onto you and send you out of here. Then you had to go and act like you’re the bitch with the pants on. Too bad, missy, you lose.”
In a vain act of defiance, Gwenyth spit onto his face.
Kevin slowly turned back to her and gave a small smile. “You’ve just reminded me of something. I wasn’t going to do this either!” He proceeded to shoot both of her knees, leaving her writhing in agony. “Now you’re just making a mess. I’m gonna have to take you to a more suitable location.” He grabbed her hair and dragged her through the halls.
She tried to muster the strength to break free, but her body wouldn’t respond. After what felt like an hour of being dragged, they arrived at a door on a lower floor.
He proceeded to enter in a button combination on a padlock. When a green light turned on, he turned to his prisoner and said, “You wanted to see them so badly? Well, I’m going to give you an up close and personal experience!” After he tossed her into the room, the door was locked shut and he walked away, ignoring the sounds of screaming and flesh being ripped from bones. “They already know, huh? Whoever ‘they’ are, they seem really eager to to ruin everything. They want to destroy all that I’ve worked for. They want to kill... my children. I won’t let that happen.” Eventually, he made it to his office. He saw several of his employees begin to enter the facility, unaware of Clamely’s murderous drive. Once he locked himself in his office, the lunatic began to talk to himself. “If she’s in on it, I can’t trust anyone.” He sported an evil smile as he said, “They’re so eager to ruin the surprise... so I’d better beat them to the punch!”
**********
It was only moments ago when Gary received an urgent call in the lab from Victor. “Gary! Listen to me!” he shouted, “You need to get to the Control Station, immediately!”
“Calm down for a second, will you? What’s got you all worked up?”
“The specimens are loose, that’s what!”
Gary was so shocked, he almost dropped the phone, “L-l-l-loose?!” Gary shouted, “What the bloody hell do you mean loose?! What happened?!”
Aiming to be louder than the screams of death in the background, Victor yelled, “While some of the scientists were working on the specimens, the doors just opened, and the specimens began to go berserk! The locks won’t work, and the alarm buttons are unresponsive. You need to get out of the lab and head to the control station. The specimens are working their way up from the lower floors, so you have some time. I managed to get a few scientists in here with me, but they’re going to find us soon. We'll be barricading the door when they do, so you need to haul ass! Get mo—” The line went dead.
Gary was frozen in fear for a few seconds, his phone slowly slipping out of his hand. The increasing sounds of fear and bloodshed began to trickle their way into Gary’s room. It wasn’t until the phone hit the floor that Gary made a mad dash to Victor’s office. He hadn’t even had enough time to get out of his yellow hazmat suit. As if it weren't difficult enough to run in a suit, the oxygen mask he had on made it awkward to move his head, and his wobbly green shoes made running from the specimens all the more difficult. He hadn’t run too far before he was face-to-face with a clot. This one was called a clot. It had pale-white skin, four sockets on his head, sported piercing, yellow eyes, and bore sharpened teeth. The most menacing aspect was its vice-like grip. A clot would never let go of its victim when it grabbed on.
“Oh god, no! Stay away from me!” Gary shouted in vain, quivering in fear as the clot continued to advance. He backed up until he hit a wall. Time seemed to stand still as the monstrosity walked closer and closer towards the doctor. Its gnashing fangs and menacing demeanor petrified him. He looked around frantically for something, anything to help defend himself, when by chance he saw it: a fire-axe in its box on the wall. With no time to think, Gary slammed his elbow into the safety box, breaking the glass. He grabbed the axe and took a swing, shouting, “Stitch this, you arsehole!” The axe almost sliced perfectly into the top of the clot's head. Its body twitched for a couple of seconds before falling limp. Gary was shocked at himself for a moment, taking a long look at the clot he just killed. After the initial shock of taking a life had passed, he yanked the axe out of the creature’s skull and took off again.
He heard horrifying sounds all over the laboratories as he ran farther and farther down. He heard bones crunching, flesh ripping apart from live bodies, chainsaws cutting through flesh, bodies being hurled against the walls, people being gutted alive, all surrounded by the groans and yells of the clone specimens. Only three hours ago, this place was fine. Now it's like I'm running through hell itself. Gary held onto the now-bloodied axe for dear life.
The scientist had been sprinting for ten minutes, forced to take many detours in order to avoid wasting strength on any unnecessary conflicts. Just a little longer, don’t leave me out here! Sure enough, Gary was rounding the corner and saw their office.
He heard Victor yell, “Run, Gary! Run for your fucking life!!!” These words spurred Gary on, because he was running faster than anyone could have anticipated. However, an air duct panel broke through above him and a different specimen fell to the floor, grinding Gary’s sprint to a halt.
The appearance of the clot petrified Gary, but this specimen chilled him to the bone. It was a gorefast, and it had no skin; its bare muscles were exposed for the world to see. It was missing its lower jaw, leaving its tongue hanging freely. There was a bandaged stub where its left arm used to be, while its right forearm was replaced with a blade that was almost a meter long. It slowly started to approach Victor and the other survivors, swinging its blade with every step it took. Gary started to approach the gorefast, planning on giving it a lethal blow to its spine.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t taken into account the noises his suit would make, and one squeak was all it took for the gorefast to immediately spin around and charge towards Gary. A million thoughts went through his mind as the gorefast closed in. It took a swing, but Gary ducked in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding decapitation. As if acting on instinct, he used the end of the ax to deliver a swift blow to the gorefast's temple, stunning it for just a second. Then, with deadly precision, he sliced the gorefast's head clean off. The creature began to stumble about, wildly swinging its sword-arm, before falling to the floor. Not a moment later, a stampede of footsteps could be heard from down the hallway.
“Wait for us!” a voice cried from the stairwell. Two exasperated security guards ran past Gary, a mob of clots followed close behind. He moved post-haste towards the office where his cohorts were waiting.
Once Gary made it to the door, he lost control of his pace and crashed into the wall, collapsing on the floor as he gasped for breath. With Gary inside, the guards worked to hold the door shut while the remaining scientists began piling objects against the door. When a suitable barricade was established, the groans and cries from the attacking specimens slowly moved away from the room.
“Has anyone tried calling the police?” one scientist asked aloud.
“It’s no use,” a security guard, James Wilkes, replied as he held a cell phone in the air. He turned on the speaker phone, and a message began to play.
“...riencing an unusually high number of emergency calls, and our operators are currently busy. Please wait on the line or try ca—”
The officer hung up the phone and leaned against the wall and let out a defeated sigh as silence set in the room.
One of the scientists, Steven Harrt, began to look through the nearby cabinets, quickly browsing each shelf until he stopped. “I knew we still kept one of these!” he said with a grin on his face. The man gingerly pulled out an old, brown radio and extended the antennae. He said, “If we can find the police, then not all is lost, eh?” Through trial and error, the desired broadcast finally got through.
“…blockade has been established.”
“Good, keep those civvies away from here. We can’t risk anyone knowing about this.”
“They’re here already?” Victor asked. “That’s a bit too fast.”
**********
Outside of Horzine Industries, several squads of police officers hugged the wall as they slowly made their way towards the front gate of the establishment. They shuffled in their riot gear as a voice came over their comm system.
“Now remember, everyone,” Police Commissioner Matthew Hansen said to his officers, “your primary goal is to gather evidence of any unethical experimentation within. If that anonymous tip we received plays out to be true, then you are to change your focus towards finding and arresting Kevin Clamely. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir!” cried all police members.
“Good, move in.”
Two police officers carried a battering ram and bashed down the door. Several other officers began to file into the facility while Matthew took out a cigarette. His lighter barely began to work when several piercing screams came over the intercom.
“The bloody hell was that?!” He shouted.
The only noises that could then be heard over the radio were deathly howls, incomprehensible sputtering, and one officer who cried, “It’s got a bloody chainsaw!!!”
The next thing he knew, indescribable monstrosities ran out of the entrance and towards the remaining officers. Wasting no time, he shouted, “Open fire!”
**********
The scientists and security guards sat blankly as the sounds of gunfire and slaughter filled the airwaves. When the familiar sound of static was left, a security guard glumly switched off the radio.
Not even the police can stop those things… Gary thought to himself as he lied on the floor. He took a look around the room. The scientists he had worked with for years, the people he imagined were stoic beyond words, had fear and sorrow in their eyes. Their bloodied lab coats spelt out the ordeals that each scientist had encountered on their way to their temporary safety. He noted how similar the security guards appeared, when a thought crossed his mind. “Oi, you two,” He spoke, still out of breath, “what are you doing here?”
James gave the man a peculiar glance and said, “What do you mean, ‘what are we doing here?’ We had to get away from those things, just like you lot.”
“That’s the problem,” Gary said with anger brewing in his tone. “You wankers are security guards, yet you’re running away like school-children!”
James grimaced as he scratched his dirty-blond hair. “Listen, we did our job,” he countered, “but the only thing Mr. Clamely ever gives us is pepper spray and a bloody taser. When you’re up against that many buggers with shit weapons, the odds aren’t in your favor.”
“Pepper spray?! Tasers?!” Gary asked incredulously, “You mean you people didn’t have any sort of contingency plans for something like this?”
“We—” he hesitated before going on. “We do, but it won’t work.”
“And what exactly won’t work?” Victor asked.
James looked at Victor and said, “You see, we do have a plan... one that only security and Mr. Clamely know about.”
“So what is it?” Gary raggedly asked.
James crossed his arms. “It’s simple, we have two buttons that need to be pressed... and then the entire building is rigged to set the place ablaze.”
“What?!” a scientist exclaimed. “Are you mad???”
James held out his arms defensively and said, “Yes, I know it sounds extreme, but I think we’re running out of options.”
The scientists protested this notion as Victor moved forward. “Calm down everyone, please.” He faced James and said, “You say this plan won’t work. Why’s that?”
“Long story short,” James explained, “There are two stations that need activating. One is in security, and the other is in Mr. Clamely’s office. Once both stations are active, we clear out of here as fast as possible.”
“So the problem is...”
The second security guard, Maxwell Clarkson, chimed in, “The stations require security clearances to activate. The one in security requires several passwords, but Mr. Clamely’s station is much more complex. His station require fingerprints, a retina scan, and voice clarification. Naturally, only Mr. Clamely can activate the procedure from his end, and we haven’t caught sight of him today.
“So yes,” James said as he turned to Gary,” we ran... because there was nothing we could bloody do.”
Gary slowly stood up and placed himself in a chair. “Come on, there has to be some sort of plan.” Everyone in the room stayed silent, whether it be from the shock, or trying to come up with a workable solution.
“There is one option.” Victor said, attracting everyone’s attention. He walked over to a table, pulling his laptop out of its case and placing it on the tabletop.
James piped up, “I highly doubt we’re going to get any service while underground, mate.”
“I know that, but there’s a file I’m going to need.” After logging in, he said, “About a week ago, I received an Email with several files inside that caught my attention. I thought it was just a virus message, but I scanned it, and there was nothing to worry about. Inside, I found this.” He turned his computer around to reveal diagrams and charts, all stamped with Horzine’s seal. “You remember the portal machine they used at the presentation? These are the blueprints to it, and they’re our ticket out of here.”
Victor turned the computer back towards himself and continued, “I’ll admit, At first, I couldn’t make heads or tails of the blueprints, but whoever this guy is, he attached a text document that explains what each part does, and how to turn this machine on and off. However, these are incredibly complex schematics. I can only make out so much of this, even with these notes, but I understand enough to get the machine up and running. Not only that, but he even included a list of coordinates to major military bases and government facilities around the world. If I can make it to the machine, I can transport myself to a major military base and try to get some help. Now comes the hard part: getting to the device.”
“Leave that to us,” spoke Maxwell, “We can get you there, wouldn’t you say, Wilkes?”
James quickly turned around, saying, “What?”
“We have to; we know the ins and outs of this place, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know where the device is stored, isn’t that right?” the guard said, peering over James’ shoulder to look at Victor.
“It’s true,” Victor replied, “and that would alleviate the problem.”
“What about the rest of us?” another scientist asked.
Victor shook his head and said, “Absolutely not. We need to keep our numbers small.” Before anyone could voice their disapproval, he continued, “Think about it, have you wondered why those specimens are gone? It’s because they’re following noise. Right now, the loudest noise is the gunfire and screams from above; relatively speaking, we’re as quiet as a mouse. If we want to keep it that way, we can’t travel in large groups. A small party is easier to maintain.”
“Actually,” Maxwell said, “I was planning of escorting him myself.”
“Don’t be sodding stupid,” James interjected, “he’d need both of us if this plan is to work.”
“And what of the scientists here?” he countered, “It’s our job to protect them.”
“Are you really concerned with your job description at a time like this?”
Maxwell stepped up to James and said, “No, I’m concerned about the lives that are at stake.”
James’ face scrunched at the notion of this plan, yet he reluctantly said, “If we’re going to do this, then we need to do it right. I’ll be his only escort.”
“What are yo—”
“No more back-talk, understand? This way, you get to still watch over these scientists,” he paused to turn to Victor, “and you’ll still be able to get to the device. Am I wrong?” Maxwell begrudgingly complied.
Gary leaned back in his chair. “One little question, you were just going on about how shoddy your ‘weapons’ are. Did you plan on just blindly running into the fray?”
Steven said, “Oh, that’s right!” and immediately turned to the lockers and opened them. He muttered, “If I remember correctly, there should be... aha!” He grabbed several meter-long, metal poles and brought them to the guards. “I know it’s not much, but these should be able to crack a skull or two.”
While Victor began to copy down the list of coordinates, and security members gently moved parts of the barricade away from the door, Gary tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Here, you’ll need this,” as he offered his friend the axe.
Victor shook his head and said, “No. Without it, you’re left defenseless. And I’m not going to let you write your own death wish.”
“Look, it’s one thing for me to stay behind, but you at least need some efficient weaponry.”
Victor placed down his pen, turning to his friend, and said, “This isn’t open for discussion. It’s safest this way.”
Gary, with a look of uncertainty in his eyes, looked at the axe before shifting his gaze back to Victor. “Are you sure?”
With a reassuring smile, Victor said, “Don’t worry. I’ll come back here, you can count on it,” as he patted his worried friend on the shoulder. Once his list was complete, he placed it in his lab-coat pocket and turned to the awaiting security guards. “Are we ready to go?” he asked with a slight tone of uneasiness in his voice.
The guard nodded as he handed Victor a metal rod. “Now,” James began, “if we go quickly, it can take us about five to ten minutes to reach the device. That’s not including any of the buggers that we might run into along the way. If we’re lucky, we can avoid them completely, but I wouldn’t bet on it. So just keep an eye out for those things, and we should be able to make it.”
Victor asked, “What do you think our chances are of pulling this off, honestly?”
“Do you really want to know?”
After a moment of consideration, Victor shook his head.
“My thoughts exactly,” James said. “I’m going to take a listen to the hall. If I don’t hear those specimens, then we leave. Get ready to move.” He placed an ear to the door, waited for five seconds, then said, “I can’t hear anything, open it!” Without a moment’s hesitation, Victor and James quickly exited the room and made their way outside.
Gary whispered, “Good luck,” as the door was closed again.
The two men walked up an adjacent staircase. They passed by a faulty generator gated off by chain link fences. Sparks flew off and enshrouded the room in a yellow glow. Victor tried his best to not pay attention to the fresh blood splatters on the walls and floor, instead focusing on the upcoming room. James quickly held his hand in the air, stopping the scientist in his steps. Taking light steps, he intently checked each corner for signs of danger. When he deemed there was no threat present, the security guard signaled Victor towards him. “Okay, here’s the plan,” he whispered. “We need to head up these stairs. Once we do that, there’ll be a hall behind us. From there, it should be a straight shot towards the device.
“You stay put. Keep your eyes peeled while I check things out,” he insisted. The lone officer trudged up the stairs, paying close attention to his surroundings as he peeked his head into view. There was nothing to note besides the broken lights, the toppled racks, and scattered debris on the floor. Before he could say that the room was clear, he heard a strange hiss. He quickly checked the corners again, while the hissing grew louder.
Victor walked forward, intrigued by the noise, and quietly asked, “What’s going on up there?”
“There’s something over he—” James was interrupted as Victor yanked his shirt collar and pulled him away from the stairs. He was about to chastise Victor for his actions, when a crawler landed where he previously stood. The black-colored, spider-like creature crawled on the floor before it lunged at the two men, its claw-like hands eager to grasp a piece of flesh. James took a swing, hitting the specimen as it careened into the nearby wall. The crawler was seemingly unfazed as it crawled towards its prey. Another jump led to another strike, only this time, James pursued the stunned specimen and jumped onto it. During this one moment, Victor ran up and began to repeatedly strike the crawler until he felt a hand grab the pole.
“I think you got it, boss.” James said in a slightly surprised manner.
Victor looked at his work as he caught his breath. His weapon was dripping with a black ooze, the same substance that began to puddle around the creature’s corpse. The growths on its back were mangled beyond repair, its six eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and its antennae occasionally twitched.
James patted Victor on the shoulder and said, “Let’s be glad there was just that one.” As if fate listened in on their conversation, several crawlers and clots began to descend the stairs towards the two men. “Oh, good job me, run for it!”
James led Victor down the hallway behind them and rounded the first corner on the right, knowing that a staircase at the end of the hall would lead to their destination. However, a crawler and a gorefast burst through an office to the right, raring themselves for an attack as the two men came into view. “Don’t take the time to fight them!” James advised, “You’ll just get swarmed. Just whack ‘em, then run!”
The gorefast charged at James, swinging its blade-like arm wildly. The guard blocked the strike and kicked it into the wall on his left.
Victor had been attacked by the crawler. He narrowly avoided injury, but a portion of his coat was ripped off in the process. Taking the pre-emptive approach, Victor swung at the crawler, making it fly like a golf ball into a group of oncoming specimens.
Picking up the pace, they ran up a flight of stairs and to a room dipped in a red glow. “The room we’re looking for is down this hall.” James said as he opened up a double door. When Victor went through, James closed the doors and pulled out his key ring to lock the door shut. One clack of a door later, and both men let out a sigh of relief, only to be startled when specimens began to attack the door. “That door will hold for a bit, but not long. Let’s go, we’re almost there.” A quick walk led to a metallic door at the corner: their destination.
“So you’re positive it’s here?” Victor asked as he pushed past the black barrel beside the
door.
As James flipped through numerous keys, he replied, “Hasn’t been moved since we did
damage control. Just keep an eye on the door.” James quickly found the key and unlocked the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Come on, you bloody door, open up!” Victor noticed the double door at the end of the hall was beginning to show signs of wear and tear. James began to pull harder and harder, cursing the door as their danger became more evident. Just as specimens could start to reach their arms through the weakened door, James finally got the room opened. “Hurry!” he shouted to Victor. The scientist went inside the room; a flip of a nearby light switch left the lights inside flickering until they powered up. When he turned around, he saw James staring at the wave of specimens that tried to break through the locked door.
“What are you doing?! Get inside!” Victor yelled.
James turned to the scientist and said, “Don’t come out.” Quickly locking the door. Victor rushed for the door and unlocked it, only to face the same problem James had earlier. “Listen very carefully! That door isn’t going to last long, and neither will this one. As I understand, the device will take time to charge up. I’m going to buy you some time!”
“You don’t have to do this, please! Don’t throw your life away!”
“Why are you still gawking at me? You need to hurry up and start up that bloody machine! If you make it back, head straight for the offices, I’ll be waiting there!” Right after those words were uttered, Victor heard a door crash onto the floor, followed by several specimens heading towards the security guard.
James shouted, “Come on, you bastards!” as he banged the poles together, attracting a crowd. Victor could hear the noise travel down the hallway until it was drowned out by groans and cries. Not wasting another moment, he pushed himself past several filing cabinets and bookshelves; the desired device laid before him. He started to power up the machine as he removed the tarp that covered the device.
He recalled each step described to him in the message. Ok, that should do it, Victor thought as the device began to warm up. Now, let’s see that list of coordi— He froze as he reached his hand into his pocket and felt nothing. He slowly looked at his hand to see the hole previously made by the crawler’s attack. How could I be so stupid? Just as soon as a wave of hopelessness set in, it was quickly pushed out. No! I can’t give up! I just need to remember the coordinates to one place, just one! He racked his mind for any familiar numbers and attempted to input coordinates as accurately as he could. Once he felt confident about his choice, he ensured that the device would take him to a location on Earth. He put on the belt and waited for the portal to appear. Looking at the device it would be a minute until the portal was ready.
As he waited, he heard a dull thud from above. His hair stood on end as he quickly turned around. His breathing started to get faster as the thud began to increase in volume. He could also hear groans coming from the door, coupled with pounds and thuds that threatened to break down his only line of security. “Not now! Hurry up, you god damn machine!” At that moment, a clot broke through the ventilation shaft and fell onto the floor, its main focus on Victor. The scientist took a few steps back as he kept shifting his gaze between the portal and the specimen. The only weapons were the poles across the room, and he feared the door would break if he tried to make a run for it. When the clot was almost within attacking distance, Victor decided to kick the specimen with all his might. The clot stumbled over and fell into the portal device. As he readied for another attack, the portal appeared. The door was knocked down as more specimens began to file into the room. Victor quickly turned around and blindly ran into the portal.
Victor’s eyes were clenched shut as a flurry of sensations hit him at once. He’d feel itchiness one moment, then dehydration the next. Soon he felt sleepy, energetic, erratic, and twitchy at the same time. Once the sensations had hit their peak, they stopped, and Victor hit the ground hard. The scientist was tumbling and rolling on the ground until he came to a stop. He immediately felt a little woozy, but quickly regained his senses as he reached for the button on his belt, severing connection with Horzine. As he sat there, trying to catch his breath, he heard a familiar sound: a bird’s call.
He took note of his surroundings. Everything looked normal, completely normal: trees everywhere, animals running rampant, rivers and mountains decorated the landscape. He started chuckling; it was slow at first, but built up as he began laughing hysterically, having survived the entire ordeal. “I did it!” he cried. He put on his glasses; the lenses were cracked, but he could still make out most of his surroundings. Victor said, “Let’s get started,” as he began to walk out of the grove of trees, but something was wrong. He hadn’t taken five steps when it started becoming difficult to keep his eyes open. Shortly after, he was losing his balance, his head began to throb, and he was losing consciousness. “No... not now... I can’t... where the bloody hell... am... I?” was all Victor could say before he fell to the floor.
**********
Meanwhile, the rest of the hidden scientists had to once again play the waiting game. Gary noticed the laptop was still on, and began to walk towards it. I may die here, he thought, but if I can tell someone, anyone how to beat them, it will all be worth it. With a heavy heart, he began what he thought to be his final memoir.
“To anyone out there, anyone at all. If you're hearing this message, we’re probably all dead. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll run somewhere far away from this place. You see, there are nightmarish creatures here. These... things, they can’t be stopped. I don’t know how London is faring right now, but it can’t be good. You need to leave while you can. The things that have happened in these halls... my god, I can still hear the screams coming down the corridor. God knows how much time we ha—”
Steven quickly shushed everyone in the room and whispered, “I hear something!” Everyone stayed silent as the dull sound of footsteps could be heard patrolling the halls. Another scientist slowly crept away from the door, unknowingly backing himself into a table and knocking over a glass beaker. The resulting crash left everyone frozen in place. After a moment passed, Maxwell slowly crept to the barricade and pressed his ear against the stacked materials to listen for any other specimens.
“Is anyone out there?” Gary murmured.
“It sounds li—”
The blade of a chainsaw burst through the barricade, piercing the guard’s head and sending a shower of blood and brain particles on the wall. One scientist shrieked as Maxwell’s lifeless body slid onto the floor.
“Oh no, they're breaking through! Quick, bring that Twilight over here!”
What?
“Jesus Christ, that Twilight isn't going to last long, reinforce it with more Twilight!”
What's going on?
“No, They’re breaking down the Twilight, someone help us!!!”
Who's that, who's talking?
For Twilight's sake, calm down and grab some Twilight!”
Why are they...
Ponyville, Equestria
“Wake up, Twilight!!!”
Twilight Sparkle, the purple unicorn, jolted upright in her bed, breathing heavily. Her purple mane was shaken up with hairs frayed every which way, blending into the magenta and violet stripes of her hair. She wiped the sleepiness out of her purple eyes as she looked for the source of the voice. Next to her was Spike, a purple baby dragon with green spikes extending from his back. Twilight could see how worried he was just by the look in his dark green eyes.
“Jeez, Twilight, you were mumbling and twitching in your sleep. What was that all about?”
Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Okay, it was just a dream, she thought as a small smile formed on her face. “Oh it’s nothing, Spike,” she said, consoling her friend, “just a nightmare is all.” She placed a hoof to her chin and said, “It was frightening... yet fascinating. I should really write it down sometime. Do you want me to tell you about it?”
Spike replied, “Considering how you acted in your sleep, I don't think I wanna know...”
Twilight got out of bed and worked the kinks out of her legs. “Alright, time to begin the day,” she said to herself. The purple mare walked down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen, only stopping to organize any wayward books on the floor; such is life when one lives in the town’s library. Her home was actually a hollowed out tree, complete with its very own balcony and telescope, which she used to occasionally observe the many stars in the sky. It was the ideal home for a bookworm like Twilight, filled with information on anything and everything one would ever want to know.
Being a unicorn, her horn glowed as she used her magic to levitate a rolled-up paper and her breakfast, a crisp daffodil daisy sandwich and milk, towards the table she sat at. She unfurled the scroll, reading its contents. “Well, looks like we've got our whole day planned out, Spike,” she said in-between bites. “Once we check on everypony else’s preparations, we can begin to spruce up the library for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“I know,” Spike said, “all the ponies in town keep talking about it, and how it's going to be so much better than last year's. Like as if we don't know that already.”
Twilight giggled at Spike's smart-alecky comment and said, “It'll definitely be a sight to see. I can just picture it now: everypony cheering as the princess effortlessly brings about the new season. Won't it be spectacular?”
Twilight's enthusiasm was met with a “Meh...” from Spike, as he shrugged and went about his business.
The celebration in question was strikingly similar to a New Years Day celebration on Earth, save the fact that this event marked the summer solstice. Twilight’s enthusiasm wasn’t baseless, as it was a time that brought about nostalgic memories from her fillyhood. It was during a previous celebration that she first saw Equestria’s elegant ruler, Princess Celestia, raise the sun. Every instance of that moment was burned into her memory. From the way the alicorn’s white coat and enormous wings complimenting her golden tiara, pink eyes, and bronze necklace fashioned with multicolored gemstones, to how the sun made her hair glisten in layers of blue, green, purple, and pink respectively. Even the radiance of her horn became an embedded memory in the young unicorn’s mind.
From that moment on, Twilight poured every waking moment of her free time into studying magic. Through a strange twist of fate, an entrance exam into one of the most prestigious schools in Canterlot, Twilight’s at-the-time home town, led her to meet both Spike and the princess. Her magical prowess was so impressive, she was immediately appointed afterwards as the princess’ protegé.
As Twilight kept reading the scroll, she realized something. Each word she read went right through her head, pre-occupied with a much more compelling matter. “You know,” she said, “I can't stop thinking about that dream. There’s something about it, but it just doesn’t make any sense. Is there something to that I’m missing?” She sighed as she rested her head on her hooves.
Spike faced his unicorn friend and said, “Oh, don’t worry about it, Twilight. You had a bad dream about some weird-looking creatures, just like anypony else could. That's all there is to it.”
Twilight shook her head and said, “Somehow, Spike, I doubt that’s the case. Maybe it’s my subconscious trying to tell me something.”
“Sub-what?”
“Subconscious: the part to anypony’s personality that lies in the deepest regions of one’s mind,” she explained. “It usually has to deal with dormant desires and the like.” Twilight’s eyes went wide for a moment. “If my dream dealt with a lot of creatures getting hurt, what if that’s what this is about? You don’t... you don’t think this means I’m a violent pony deep down inside, do you?”
Spike let out a laugh and said, “Come on, Twilight. You? Violent? I think we both know the answer to that one.” Twilight gave the dragon a half-hearted glare. “Sorry, Twilight,” he apologized, “I just don’t see any reason to get so worked up over it.”
A defeated Twilight rested her head on the table, blowing a puff of air into her hair. “It’s not like I want to dwell on this.”
“Well, is there anything you could remotely link to your nightmare?” Spike queried. “Like, I don’t know, an old friend? A promise from a while ago? Your cutie mark? Maybe a—”
“My cutie mark?” Twilight asked as she glanced at the mark on her flank: a six-pointed magenta star with five smaller white stars surrounding it. “I don’t know how in Equestria those two could be related.”
“I’m just throwing out ideas, that’s all.”
These marks were something that ponies could only get when they realized what made him or her special. In Twilight's case, her special talent was magic itself.
As Spike was about to add more ideas, a knock came at the door. “I'll get it.” As he opened the door, he was startled as he was greeted by a flurry of confetti and noise makers.
Twilight smiled and thought to herself, There's only one pony I know who could make such an entrance. Standing at the door was the the most energetic earth pony in Equestria: Pinkie Pie. Her hyperactivity and party skills were second to none, complimenting her bouncy personality. “Hello, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said as she greeted her friend.
Pinkie returned the greeting, “Hi, Twilight! Hi, Spike! Are you both ready for the big celebration? Huh, huh, huh?” Her curly pink hair bobbed up and down as the earth pony jumped in place. “I just know its going to be the most super fantabulous, amazingly spectacular celebration ever!” She stopped bouncing and shot a beaming smile at Twilight, her blue eyes appearing to stare right into the unicorn’s inner filly.
Twilight chuckled and said, “Well, Pinkie, you do know the celebration isn't really until the end of the week, right?”
“Oh, I know. but that’s why I'm holding a pre-Summer Sun Celebration celebration, and you're invited! You know you can never start the party too early!” Pinkie Pie’s fondness of parties was the very skill to get her a cutie mark, which consisted of three balloons: two blue, and one yellow.
“Well, I'd love to go, but I still have a lot of things to do before Princess Celestia’s arrival. Maybe next time?” Twilight said with an apologetic smile.
“Okie dokie lokie, you do what you need to do. If you change your mind, the party will be in the plains. Byeeee!” Pinkie Pie hopped away, and Twilight shut the door.
Spike piped up, with a hint of annoyance, “Come on, Twilight. We have a whole week before the celebration, and there’s nothing that couldn’t be put off for a day or two. Can’t we just go to the party?”
“No, Spike. We can’t afford to waste any time. As a student of the princess, I need to be sure everything goes off without a hitch.”
He rolled his eyes and said, “Okay, fine. Where do we start?”
Twilight opened her mouth and was about to answer his question, but at that moment, an ominous feeling set in. What... what’s happening? Something doesn’t feel right about this. It’s as if I really shouldn’t stay here... but why? Before she could comprehend this feeling, a purple hand waved itself in front of her face.
Spike asked, “Are you really okay? First you have a crazy nightmare, and now you’re in your own little world... you’re starting to worry me.”
Twilight shook off the dreadful feeling and said, “I’m fine, Spike, don’t worry. I just spaced out for a bit.”
“Are you sure, Twilight?”
“Yep, don’t you worry.” She said as she patted her friend on the head. “Also, you might be right about those preparations. It IS a week until the celebration.”
The baby dragon looked up at Twilight. “Really? You mean we can go?”
“Why not?”
Spike became ecstatic and cried, “Alright! Come on, Twilight! Let's go! We gotta catch up with Pinkie Pie!” He opened the door and shouted, “Hey, Pinkie Pie, wait up!” Spike ran out of the house and Twilight started to follow him.
She still didn’t have a clue what all of this meant, but she didn’t want to worry her friend. I hope I’m right about this. Maybe going to this party will clear my mind. First her nightmare, and now this premonition of hers. As she exited the house, she stopped and took another look at her home with a bit of worry in her heart.
The purple unicorn thought to herself, Please let this just be a bad case of paranoia. Wait, what am I saying? This is nothing to worry about. I bet one of Pinkie Pie’s parties will be just what I need! So one day passes without checking on the preparations; I think I've earned the right to do so. After all, today looks like it’s going to be such a nice day.
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Some Person
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853
| 2 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-03-02T22:22:31+00:00
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2012-03-02T22:22:31+00:00
| 2,046 |
Twilight Sparkle caught up with Pinkie Pie and Spike as the three friends made their way towards the party, striking up many conversations to pass the time. They traversed through their hometown, Ponyville. It wasn’t a glorious borough, just the cozy kind of place that welcomed any and all ponies that walked through; whether it be a unicorn, a pegasus pony, or an earth pony. Specialty shops lined the streets, making it a great place to begin one’s business without the fear of any major competition.
“... and the colt didn’t realize until the next morning that his mane was dyed blue!” Pinkie Pie said aloud as she recalled one of her elaborate pranks. Spike chuckled while Twilight gave an uneasy smile.
“That’s... that’s pretty funny, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said with a forced giggle. Pull yourself together, Twilight! she chastised to herself, It was just a nightmare, a figment of your imagination. For pete’s sake, it’s nothing to panic about! She continued to criticize herself, unaware that she was under Pinkie’s watchful eye.
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” she said, snapping the purple unicorn’s attention forward. “You look like you’ve eaten some baked bads.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry,” Twilight reassured.
Spike piped up, “Are you still worried about that nightmare, Twilight? I don’t get why you’re so worked up over this.”
Twilight was about to refute his comment when Pinkie let out a gasp. “A nightmare!?” she exclaimed, “Oh, that's not a good thing to keep bottled up. You can’t have any fun at a party if you’re scared! Tell me all about it, and you’ll feel better in no time at all!”
Twilight had a reluctant look in her eye, but the pink pony’s insistent face started to work its magic. I suppose that if there’s anypony that could help, it would have to be Pinkie Pie. “Well, okay,” she began. “There were these creatures in this laboratory, I think they were called... humans... or something. Some looked pale and others were very dark. They kind of acted like us, to be honest. They were busy with some kind of project, working on these things they called ‘specimens’. Everything looked like it was going fine until... until...” In that instant, time seemed to stand still. Slowly, she was brought back into Horzine’s laboratories. The smell of blood and rotting flesh filled her nostrils as she saw several clots, gorefasts, and crawlers eating the creatures on the floor. Frozen with fear, she gulped and took a step back. Immediately, the specimens froze and lifted their heads up. They slowly turned until their eyes met Twilight’s fearful gaze. With fresh trails of blood dripping from their jaws, the specimens began to run towards the purple unicorn. She almost let out a scream, but felt a hoof on her shoulder. Ponyville’s peaceful plains rushed back into view and she saw Pinkie and Spike have looks of concern on their faces. “I’m sorry,” Twilight apologized, “don’t worry about me. Like you said, Spike, it’s... it’s just a nightmare.”
Pinkie Pie shook her head. “No, Twilight, only a triple deluxe chocolate chip cake should do this!” She showed Twilight her own hoof, it was trembling. “This must be a super class nightmare, one of the meanest and nastiest nightmares known to ponykind!” she said with a slightly serious tone in her voice. “I know just what you need! Come on, we gotta go to Sugarcube Corner!” Without another word, Pinkie Pie started to hop towards their new destination.
Spike scratched the back of his head and said, “I... uh... guess it’s not just a nightmare, is it?”
“I don’t know, Spike, but I’ve got to stop worrying about it. Now come on, Pinkie doesn’t look like she’ll stop anytime soon.” Pinkie Pie’s friends ran to catch up to the bouncing pink pony. Within a few minutes time, Sugarcube Corner came into view. From a distance, the building looked like a gingerbread house with a roof resembling a decadent layer of frosting and icing. A cupcake shaped attic rested on top, complete with a yellow sleeve, and topped with pink icing and candles coming out of it. It was truly a sweet tooth’s fantasy.
When the trio entered, a bell rang as they walked in. Pinkie Pie proceeded upstairs, but stopped to turn towards her friends. “I need you both to wait here for juuust a teensy weency bit, ok? I have to get what I need from my room.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Wait a minute, Pinkie. Why isn’t the party here? Isn’t this where you always host parties?” Such was Sugarcube Corner’s reputation. Whether it was welcoming a new citizen to Ponyville, a filly’s cute-ciñera, or even a visit from Princess Celestia herself, Sugarcube Corner was the ideal party spot.
“Well,” Pinkie Pie began, “this place is just a teeny bit too small for a pre-Summer Sun Celebration celebration. You remember how big last year’s was, right? This party is even bigger than that!”
“Actually, I wasn’t here for that. I only showed up the day before last year’s celebration.”
“Oh, right! Must’a slipped out of my ol’ noggin,” she said with a giggle. “At least you’ll be here this time! Now don’t you move a muscle, I’ll be right back, okay?” With that, Pinkie Pie turned and hopped up the stairs. Twilight took a look around the store’s interior while she waited. Candy cane designed posts complimented the various designs of lollipops, peppermints, and gingerbread colts that lined the walls. The craftsponyship of the store never ceased to amaze her.
The bell rang once more, bringing Twilight back to reality. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a colt walk in with a canvas bag strapped to his side. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said to the customer, “the owners of this shop stepped out fo—”
“Twilight! Oh, am I ever so glad I found you!” the colt interrupted. “Oh, and Spike too! This is brilliant! It didn’t even take more than two tries!” A big smile plastered itself onto the colt’s face.
She couldn’t return the colt’s elated feelings. “Excuse me? What are you talking about, and who are you?”
“Yeah,” Spike stated, “and how do you know us?”
A blank look slowly appeared on the colt’s face. “You mean... you don’t know who I am? Neither of you know me?”
“Why should we?” Twilight began, “Unless you’re a very old friend of ours, I’m quite certain we’ve never met before.”
He hesitated before opening up his bag and pulling out a rolled up piece of paper in his mouth. He spit it onto the floor. “Do you know what this is?” he eagerly asked.
Twilight lifted the paper in front of her, reading its inscriptions. Her eyes lit up as she said, “Oh, yes. I know of these.”
“You do? Are you absolutely sure about that?”
“Yes,” Twilight replied, “I help run the library, so I can help you find these bo—
“No no no,” he insisted, “forget the books. The list, Twilight, do you know what that is for?”
Twilight took another look over the paper, her face slowly scrunching up in confusion. “No, can’t say I do. Seriously though, who are you?”
The mysterious colt shifted his gaze to the windows before saying, “Uh... you can call me The Doctor.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she said, “The Doctor, really?” I doubt he’s a real doctor, there’s gotta be more to him than just that. She continued, “That’s quite a vague name for somepony I supposedly know.”
The Doctor studied the area outside the windows before answering, “Well, that’s just what I prefer to go by.”
“Sounds awfully shady to me,” Spike said with a hint of distrust in his tone.
“What’s wrong with ‘The Doctor’, really?” the colt muttered to himself. He then spoke up, “Ugh, what am I doing, listen very carefully to me Twilight, you need... to...” it seemed as if an obvious fact was coming to light. The Doctor began talking to himself once more. “This place... it’s not supposed to happen here... nnn, not at all. Besides that, this isn’t the right time. Am I too early, or am I not early enough? I’ve got to figure this out. Now, considering this situation, we can use this moment as the starting point and that leaves me with...”
As he continued muttering to himself, Twilight took a moment to look over The Doctor; His blue eyes scanned the floor as he kept muttering to himself, his black mane and tail flipping back and forth as he paced about. She then noticed his cutie mark: an hourglass. “Huh, a pony named ‘The Doctor’ with an hourglass cutie mark. Do you fix time or something?” she joked.
The Doctor’s ears perked up and he began to nervously laugh. “That’s a good one. I mean really, fix time? Come on, no way.” He proceeded to move backwards for the door and escape this conversation as soon as possible. “Obviously, this seems like a bad time to talk to you, so I think we should pick up this conversation when we meet again. I’ve got places to go, things to do, ponies to meet. You know how it is.” The Doctor turned around and walked towards the door.
“Wait, Doctor!” Twilight said, not ready to let him leave. “You seem like there’s an impending disaster of some sort. Is there more to this than you’re letting on?”
“As I said before, Twilight, I need to leave. We can talk later.”
The Doctor reached for the door when Twilight blurted one last question. “Have you ever heard of humans?”
He froze in place, slowly turning around to face Twilight. The look in his eyes spelled surprise to the unicorn. “What... what did you say?”
A small smirk formed on Twilight’s face. “You heard me,” she said in a stern tone. Spike nudged her side and gave a very confused look as if to ask why she did that. Twilight said, “First my dream, then that terrible feeling in my house, and now you show up. You know what’s going on, don’t you?” As The Doctor wracked his brain for an answer, a pegasus pony crashed through the window and rolled into the wall with a loud thud.
“Oh my goodness! Ditzy,” Twilight said, ignoring the bewildered colt, “are you okay?” It was Ditzy Doo, Ponyville’s most iconic mailpony. Both Spike and Twilight lifted the mare onto her hooves, brushing glass and debris out of her grey coat and light, blond hair. She winced when Spike brushed against a fresh cut on her cutie mark: seven bubbles, two big bubbles with five smaller bubbles in-between. “We should patch that up,” Twilight said as the mail pony rubbed some dust out of her crossed, golden-brown eyes. Her eyes were naturally this way, often marking her as a target for ridicule, but she felt thankful enough to meet ponies like Twilight that could look past such characteristics. “A bit of a dramatic entrance, Ditzy,” She said to the mailpony. “How did you manage to crash into the window?”
“That was not one of my best ideas,” Ditzy groaned as she rubbed her head, “I should’ve knocked.”
“Ditzy, why come crashing through the window like that? You could have been seriously hurt!” The Doctor said as he chastised the pegasus pony.
Ditzy shook the fuzziness out of her vision. “I know. I’m sorry, Doctor, but you were taking so long and I panicked. We can’t afford to waste another minute,” She said with worry in her voice.
Twilight switched glances between between both ponies. “Wait, Ditzy, you know this colt? Who is he? I’ve never met him, but he apparantly knows me. What’s going on around here?”
Ditzy gave The Doctor a worried look, then turned to Twilight and said, “I’d love to tell you, Twilight, but I can’t. This is something you can’t know about yet.”
“What do you mean ‘yet’?” an annoyed Spike asked, “Can you guys see the future or something? Then again, how can you even do that? Neither of you are unicorns!”
Twilight turned her attention towards Ditzy. “Listen,” she began, “if you know what’s going on, why can’t either of you tell me?”
Ditzy shifted her gaze away while The Doctor said, “There’s only so much I can tell you, Twilight Sparkle. I tell you too much and something could go terribly wrong. That’s why we’re staying silent. it’s of the utmost importance that you don’t know, and we need to leave... now.”
Twilight took a minute to reflect on his words. She couldn’t exactly trust the words of a colt she’d just met, but she could believe a friend. She shifted her gaze and said, “Ditzy, you know this Doctor, right?” To which the mailpony quickly nodded. Twilight looked back at The Doctor, “So you agree with him? Neither of you two can tell me anything?”
Ditzy looked at The Doctor, and The Doctor looked back at her. His eyes were filled with an unrelenting resolve. Ditzy then nodded her head, sadness in her eyes, and said, “I’m sorry, Twilight, I really am. This is just how it has to happen.”
The tension in the room kept everything at a standstill. Not a single object could move without anypony noticing. Twilight became lost in her thoughts. Too many bad things are happening at once, and now I have even more questions than I did this morning! Should I believe these two? I know I can trust Ditzy... but what of The Doctor? He could have manipulated her into believing him. Then again, she seems like she genuinely wants to help me, but can’t. Maybe I should just listen to The Doctor... I’m not sure if I should take his word for granted, but perhaps this really is best for everypony. Better safe than sorry. She nodded slightly and said, “Alright, I’m going to believe you, but if I find out this is all a lie—”
“No need to worry about that, Twilight. We have no reason to deceive you.” The Doctor shifted back into a casual demeanor as the tension subsided from the room. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for believing me. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ll be taking our leave.” The Doctor turned around and trotted out the door.
Before Ditzy could leave Twilight asked one last question. “Wait, Ditzy. I know you can’t talk to me about what’s going on, but how did you get here? I thought you were off delivering packages to Fillydelphia today.”
Ditzy put her hoof to her chin. She looked out the door to the awaiting Doctor, then turned back to Twilight with a smile and said, “Spoilers.” Before Twilight could inquire further, the grey pegasus flew off.
Spike turned to Twilight and said, “Are you sure you we should let them leave? I still don’t trust that ‘Doctor.’” Spike shook his head in disapproval.
A torn Twilight said, “I understand, Spike, but until we learn more about what’s going on, there shouldn’t be much to wo—” Suddenly, Twilight realized something. During this whole confrontation, between all the noises, broken glass, and lengthy conversations that went on, she hadn’t noticed the one thing out of place. She looked at Spike and said, “Where’s Pinkie Pie? It couldn’t have taken her this long to find what she needed. Let's go check up on her.” They made their way up the stairs. “Pinkie Pie?” Twilight said as she gave a few knocks on the pink pony’s door. “Are you okay in there? You’ve been gone an awfully long time!” She heard little murmurs coming from behind the door, but no real response.
Spike said, “Pinkie, come on, say something!” There was still no response. They then heard what sounded like a spark from her room.
Twilight exclaimed, “Pinkie? I’m opening the door!” However, just as the doorknob was illuminated by her magic, the door swung open, revealing a flustered party pony.
“Oh, hey Twilight!” she said, “I-uh finally found what I was looking for! What you need right now are these incense candles!” Pinkie then shoved the candles onto Twilight and exited her room, shutting the door behind her. “They can help you really relax when your brain is full of jumping beans!”
“Uh... thank you... ?”
“Alright, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to the party!” She said as she began to bounce towards the front door.
Twilight arched her brow. Pinkie’s acting strange... more than usual. Where was she this whole time? Twilight deemed this a matter of great importance. “Pinkie, did you hear any kind of noises down here at all?”
Pinkie nearly stumbled, but immediately resumed her prance. “Oh, uh, I didn’t hear anything at all. Nopey lopey, I was too busy looking for those streamers, and all my digging and diving made it super difficult to hear a thing!”
“Streamers?” Spike inquired, “You gave her candles, where did you get streamers from?”
“Oh duh, that’s right!” She let out a laugh as she continued, “I must have-uh forgotten about that,” Pinkie said with a hint of nervousness.
Twilight considered pressing on, but thought to herself, Well, this IS Pinkie Pie we’re talking about, I don’t think it could be anything more serious than what The Doctor told me. Let's just get to the party. She kept up the conversation saying, “Kind of funny you’d mix those two up,” as she laughed.
“Yeah, completely crazy!” She said through a very stressed laugh.
While the trio made their way down the street, Twilight felt a rush of wind hit her side. It came from a narrow alleyway; the same direction as a whirring noise. She trotted towards the source of both oddities. As she got closer, the wind and noise started to fade away. She picked up the pace, completely entranced by her desire to find more. As she reached the end of the alley, there were only trees filled with healthy leaves, birds and other creatures running around, and other ponies going about their daily business.
Spike and Pinkie Pie soon caught up with the wayward pony.
“Is something down there, Twilight?” the baby dragon asked, “You kind of took off without saying a word.”
After scanning the area to no avail, Twilight said, “Where do you think that noise and wind came from? Things like that just aren’t natural.”
Pinkie started to laugh a bit and said, “Oh you silly filly, it's always windy over here!”
“Even so, what do you think of those noises, Spike?”
Spike gave Twilight a confused look of his own, “That could be anything, Twilight. Not everything is out to get you. Don’t you think you should try to relax?”
Twilight rubbed her eyes and checked her ears for anything in them, but nothing was wrong with her. She knew that she heard those noises and felt the wind, so why was everypony else acting like it was nothing? “But I—there were—you—I... forget it. Let's go to the party.” Twilight just hung her head in defeat before turning around to slowly walk with her friends. You know, maybe I’m just going crazy, she thought to herself, I really hope that’s the case. At least then all of this would all have a valid explanation.
*********
“Ugh, how much further do we need to go, Pinkie Pie? We’ve been walking for a good half hour, at least,” Spike said, sitting atop Twilight’s back.
Twilight looked at Spike with a dumbfounded look on her face. “Really now, Spike? You’ve been lounging this whole time while WE’VE been doing the walking, you really don’t have any room to complain.”
Spike sprawled himself out on her back and replied, “Okay, fine, but it's been so long since we left the house, and there’s no party in sight!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “If you’re so anxious to get to the party, why don’t you just run on ahead? I’m sure that it can’t be much farther now,” she said while being both sarcastic and serious.
“I can’t do that, Twilight, what kind of a friend would I be if I just ran off like that?”
Spike’s response earned him a glare from Twilight. She just sighed and said, “You’re an inspiration to us all, Spike. We should follow your example on how to be a true friend.” The purple unicorn gagged in disgust.
Pinkie turned to Spike and said, “No need to fret! We’re almost there, just gotta head over that hill and we’re at the party! Oooh, I can already hear the music!” She continued to hop along the path without the slightest sign of losing any energy.
Upon finally reaching the top of the hill, the festivities were abundant. It was a grassy field with ponies prancing and trotting throughout the field. There were balloons, streamers, and party tents set up every which way. Assortments of food and drinks were put throughout the plain for the convenience of all the party-goers. There had even been a picnic area set up for other ponies to simply sit and have their lunch while a dance floor was placed for other ponies to dance along with the music. It was quite the way to hold a Pre-Summer Sun Celebration celebration... if there was a standard way to do so.
“Woohoo! Everypony looks like they’re having a great time! I’m so happy!” Pinkie said out loud.
Twilight started to return to her usual cheery self. “So, where are the others, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie turned around and said, “That’s right! Rarity said that she’d be going over to the plains to find us a place to eat! I’m pretty sure the others are with her.”
“If that’s the case, then let’s go meet up with them.”
**********
There were several ponies that relaxed as they ate their lunch. Some were with friends, others with family members. Picnic blankets were strewn about the area. A few food stands outlined the area, hoping to attract customers. In the midst of all this, a lone pony walked around the area. She was known as Rarity. The white unicorn scanned the area for a place that called to her. Her eyes darted back and forth between potential candidates. She noticed other ponies taking notice of her, which she ignored, as she usually could stand out in a crowd with little to no effort. Whether it was her perfectly-curled indigo mane, the demeanor of her royal blue colored eyes, or the three, blue diamonds which made up her cutie mark, Rarity was sure to make a scene... in a good way.
Hmmm, too small... too rocky... too wet... too much of a slant. It’s going to take eons before I can find the perfect spot! Now, any other pony would take those rejected spots. They could easily cope with an imperfect area. However, this was Rarity, and she wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best. It was in her nature, what with being a revered fashion designer. In fact, she even ran her own boutique, located right in the middle of Ponyville. Perhaps that was the defining factor in the attention she’d garner when going on with her daily business.
After what felt like twenty minutes of searching across the grounds, Rarity cried, “Aha, perfect!” as she leapt to her ideal spot and threw a blanket on the ground, claiming it for herself. The ground was nice and even, was graced with pleasant gusts of air, and had the optimum amount of shading. She praised herself, “Oh, this spot is simply perfect! I just know the girls will enjoy this! Now, where could they be...” Thankfully for her, she only needed to look to her right. “Well, hello there Twilight, Pinkie Pie. You have certainly saved me the trouble of finding you two.”
“Hiya, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie said as she pranced over to the picnic area. “Ooooh, it's got the best view ever! You sure picked a great place to relax, Rarity!”
“Of course!” Spike said, as he jumped off Twilight’s back when Rarity’s name was mentioned. “Only a unicorn as talented as Rarity can find the perfect spot in the middle of all these ponies!”
Rarity chuckled at the young dragon’s reaction. “Hello to you too, Spike. I didn’t know you’d be attending the day’s festivities as well.”
He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. “Oh, you know, we had some free time, so we figured, ‘what better way to spend it than with friends?’”
Twilight noticed the many groups of ponies around them. “I’ve got to say, Rarity, it must have taken a while to find this spot.”
“Oh, it wasn’t that big of a deal,” Rarity began, “I just had to make sure wherever we sit would be perfect for our friends! Speaking of friends, where are the others, exactly?”
“You mean they weren’t with you?” Pinkie asked with a cocked brow.
Twilight said, “Any idea where they could be?”
Rarity shook her head. “I remember Fluttershy mentioning she accidentally left the food at her cottage, and she went with Angel to go get it. However, Rainbow Dash and Applejack have yet to show up, and I can only imagine what would be keeping those two from arriving on time.”
“Well, we’ve got a lot of spare time, why don’t we look for them?” Twilight asked both Rarity and Pinkie Pie, “It wouldn’t be any fun unless all of us are here, and there can’t be too many places they’d have gone off to.”
Pinkie started to enthusiastically hop up and down, “Is this like hide and seek? I love playing hide and seek! Let’s go seek the hidden!” Pinkie Pie immediately ran off.
Twilight objected, “Wait, Pinkie Pie!” but it was too late. “Ugh, there’s just no stopping her, is there? Well, let's go, Rarity.”
“I think it’d be better if I stayed here, Twilight,” she declined. “What if nopony is here when Fluttershy comes back? She might decide to go looking for us. Next thing you know, we’ll have wasted the entire day trying to find each other. If Fluttershy comes back, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for you.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Twilight said to her friend. “If you want, Spike can keep you company until we get back.”
Rarity thought about that a moment, and replied, “I don’t see why not. Just try not to take too long looking for those two. For all we know, they’re busy doing something inane like ball juggling or applebucking... again.” Spike sat on the blanket as Twilight ran to catch up with Pinkie Pie.
Spike and Rarity sat on the picnic blanket in silence. The white unicorn was content with observing the skyline and taking in the atmosphere of the celebration itself. On the other hand, Spike was busy muttering to herself, inaudible to Rarity. “Come on, Spike, you can’t let an opportunity like this pass you by! Just tell her that her mane looks nice, ask her about her day, just say something!” Spike lightly smacked his reddening cheeks as he cleared his throat and broke the ice. “So... uh, how has the world of fashion been treating ya, Rarity? You get any new designs out there?”
Rarity glanced down at Spike and said, “Well, I’ve gotten some new designs lined up for Hoity Toity. He told me that he’s going to have a new fashion show lined up to commemorate the Summer Sun Celebration, and my vision would be perfect for such an occasion, can you believe it? All the dresses are...”
Spike focused on the elegant unicorn that sat before him. He was enthralled by her glistening eyes, her perfectly, tended mane, and her serene voice. Spike didn’t feel anything except happiness over spending some quality time with the unicorn of his dreams.
“...and if they use that for an idea, they told me it could be huge. So, what do you think, Spike?”
Thinking on his toes, Spike said, “Don't worry, Rarity. You’d have to be crazy NOT to do it!” He gave her a thumbs up, as if to seal the deal.
“Really? In that case... you wouldn’t mind being a volunteer?” she said while batting her eyelashes.
“I’d be more than willing to do so, my lady.”
Rarity clopped her hooves together and giggled with glee, smile brimming from cheek to cheek. “Oh how wonderful! Thank you so much for this, Spike. Oh, and don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll only hurt after the first ten minutes!”
Spike mentally patted himself on the back before he ran that last statement through his head again. “Wait, hurt for ten minutes? What do you mean, Rarity?”
“Oh, you know, I doubt it would be painless to remove a dragon’s scales. Though I’m certain the pain will go away after some time.” Rarity sat and stared at Spike, his face slowly losing its color. Before long, Rarity couldn’t hold back and let out a laugh. “Oh Spike,” she said as a sly smile formed on her face, “you haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”
Spike’s face flushed with embarrassment as he looked at the floor in shame.
“Oh, don’t let it get to you, Spike,” she said as she patted his head, “I do that to all the colts that stare at me for too long. Just my way of making sure they’re paying attention.” Spike looked up at Rarity for a brief moment before gazing back at the floor. I guess that was a tad uncalled for. “Well, I suppose you don’t deserve such treatment, so I apologize for that. Just try listening a little more, okay?” she said with a forgiving smile.
“Okay! Now what was that about your dresses?” Spike replied, almost as if nothing had ever happened.
Rarity couldn’t help but smile. He’s really such a nice dragon, it’s a shame he’s not a colt. She began her discussion with Spike anew.
**********
Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle wandered the plains, looking for their missing friends. “Where could they have gone off to?” Twilight asked Pinkie Pie, “You’d think Applejack and Rainbow Dash would’ve been here by now.”
Pinkie hopped along the path. “Hmmm, they must be really good at hide and seek. Maybe we should check in the bushes.”
“No, Pinkie. Even if they were hiding, I doubt they would be hiding out here. Perhaps they’re at Applejack’s place.”
“Great idea Twilight! Where better to hide than in a ba—” Pinkie suddenly stopped and her eyes grew wide. She turned around to see that her tail was twitching wildly. She cried, “My tail’s a-twitchin’!” while holding her violently shaking tail.
Twilight knew the significance of her twitching tail, it was one unexplainable aspect of Pinkie Pie’s very own ‘Pinkie Sense’. The pink pony’s body seemed to react to future events, and her sense never failed. When her tail twitched, it indicated that something was about to fall. “Where’s it coming from?” she asked while frantically looking in the sky. “I don't see any—”
“Heads up!!!” came a voice from afar.
Twilight looked in the direction of the voice to see a ball hurtling towards her, barely managing to dodge the oncoming object in time. She looked around and saw a crowd of ponies looking in her direction. In the center of this group were two uneasy looking ponies: the blue pegasus pony, Rainbow Dash, and the orange earth pony, Applejack.
Rainbow Dash flew over to Twilight and Pinkie Pie, laughing nervously. “Sorry about that, Twilight,” she said as she brushed aside part of her rainbow-colored mane. “Didn’t think the ball was going to go that far off course.” A sheepish smile slowly grew on her face as her pink eyes shifted towards Applejack, looking for backup.
“We had everythin’ under control,” Applejack said in her southern drawl, while adjusting the light-brown Stetson hat she wore, “but then it’s like that ball grew a mind of its own and flew off faster than a chicken to the coop.” Her disheveled, blond mane lightly glistened as beads of sweat traveled down her face, moving past the three white freckles under both of her eyes. “Are y’all alright? Hope ya didn’t get hurt none,” she said with a look of concern in her green eyes.
“We’re all fine and dandy, Applejack!” piped up Pinkie Pie.
“So why, pray tell, were you two were bouncing a ball in the first place?” asked a slightly agitated Twilight.
“The two of us were tryin’ ta break the record fer tha most consekitive ball bounces between two ponies,” Applejack answered.
“Did you break it?”
Rainbow Dash stopped hovering and set herself on the floor. “Well, like AJ said, the ball flew in the wrong direction. We were so close, too! It would’ve only taken another fifty or so bouces,” she said, obviously disappointed.
Applejack patted her on the back, “Oh, don’t let it get t’ ya, sugarcube. Ah reckon’ we can obliterate that record next time, fer sure.” She moved over to Twilight and Pinkie Pie. “Now, ah don't suppose anypony found us a place to eat our fill? ‘Cuz ah know we worked up quite an appetite.”
Twilight chimed in, “Rarity found us the perfect spot to eat. She’s waiting at the plains with Spike right now.”
“They’re just waiting up there?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Well what the hay are we waiting for? Let's go eat!” Rainbow sped off, returning back towards the group of ponies after a few seconds. “Uh... it would probably help to know where the picnic is, wouldn’t it?”
Twilight nodded and said, “This way, everypony.”
**********
Rarity and Spike sat on the blanket in silence. The other ponies had taken so long that there was virtually nothing left to talk about. Spike would occasionally take a quick scan of the area for any sign of their friends, and Rarity would lie relaxed on the blanket, occasionally playing with her hair due to sheer boredom. She sat up with an agitated groan and said, “What in Equestria could be taking them so long? Did they get distracted by somepony? Come to think of it, the only ponies that could distract them would have to be Rainbow Dash and Applejack. They had better not be in another one of their silly little challenges again.” Rarity sighed at that comment, since it was the most likely of possibilities.
She turned her head towards the sky and noticed the clouds above. It could’ve been boredom, or it might’ve been a faint interest, but Rarity began to envision what they looked like. “Spike, do tell me,” she said, attracting the dragon’s attention, “what do you suppose that cloud up there looks like?”
Spike walked towards where Rarity sat and looked at the cloud in question. “I see... uh... a cat.”
“You see a cat, huh? Interesting, I see a phoenix,”
“A phoenix?” Spike replied, “How do you see that? I don’t see where the wings could be.” Spike studied the cloud for a bit longer to try to see what Rarity could see, but he just couldn’t do it.
Rarity noticed Spike’s struggle to see as she saw, so she decided to assist the dragon. “See, look at the arc right there... yes, now look at the lighting and the shading of the right side. See how it could look like a wing? Also, take a look at the bottom, don’t you think those looks like talons? The more Rarity pointed out the phoenix, the less confused Spike became.
“Wow, I never would’ve seen that.”
Rarity just smiled and continued to look at the clouds. “Isn’t it funny how perception works, Spike? How two different ponies can look at the same object, yet both of them see something completely unique? Some can only see what’s in front of them. Others can perceive an object other than how it was intended and turn it into something different. Then there are those few who can look past what’s in front of them and see how they can make that object into whatever their vision sees. I find it simply fascinating.”
She turned to Spike. “I tend to think of myself as one of the few. When I take a look at fabric, or materials, or even a pony, my mind just wanders off towards how I can change what I see before me. Sometimes I immediately act on that vision, and other times I play with the idea in my head before trying it. It’s actually been like this since school.” She looked up once more, letting out a wistful sigh. “Everypony would take a look at a drawing of some scribbles and yell out usual thoughts, like ‘It’s a ball’, ‘It’s a puppy’, and the ever popular ‘It’s a dragon’. However, I looked at those scribbles and I could see so much more than them. I would see an island with a beautiful sunset, luscious trees and huts, and birds flying just over the horizon. I would see nebulae and other spacial masses moving through space, stars going supernova and even black holes. I would even see into the eye of a hurricane, destruction surrounding the chaos, yet a calm setting within.” She let out a small chuckle and continued, “ The teacher was impressed by my vision, as any teacher would react towards out-of-the-box thinking at such a young age, but the other fillies and foals wouldn’t even acknowledge what I saw. In a sense, I suppose seeing what they couldn’t see is what truly made me special.”
Rarity hadn’t truly discovered this fact until she was a young filly. She had been in charge of making the outfits for a school play. However, she could never get the dresses to look right. When all hope seemed lost, something unexpected happened. Her horn began to glow and literally started dragging her away. After much time passed, she ended up being led to a giant rock. The young filly was quite outraged that she was led to a rock of all things, but a boom in the sky ended up breaking the rock into many pieces, revealing a bounty of jewels inside. She used these gems to perfect her dresses, and the play was a huge success. It wasn’t too long after that she realized she could use her magic to find gems and valuables buried in the ground, which resulted in her earning a cutie mark.
After the wave of nostalgia had passed, Rarity said to herself, “You would think they’d be back by now.”
“I know. It really shouldn’t be that hard to find Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Spike,” Rarity apologized. “I was talking about Fluttershy and Angel. It shouldn’t be that far of a walk to the cottage from here.”
“Well, everypony will be back sooner or later. It shouldn’t be long now.”
Another bout of silence set in. Spike took a look at Rarity, who was busy lazily observing other ponies in their vicinity. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. “Hey... Rarity?” he said, attracting her attention. He almost got locked into her eyes, but managed to persevere. “I was wondering... You wouldn’t happen to be super busy during the Summer Sun Celebration, would you?”
“Well, it usually gets busy the few days before the big day, but I close the boutique during the celebrations.”
“Oh, really?” Spike said as he lightly clasped his hands and rubbed his thumbs. “Because... I was thinking that maybe w—”
“We’re back!” Pinkie Pie cried as she burst out of the top of a nearby tree, startling her two friends.
A frazzled Rarity said, “Well... here you are.” She and Spike took a moment to calm down. “Must you always do that?”
“Do what?” Pinkie Pie asked with an innocent look in her eyes.
“Where you... never mind.” She shook her head before noticing Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight approaching. “We’ll talk later,” she whispered to Spike.
He tried his best to smile through his glum mindset as he nodded and said, “Okay... later.”
**********
Near the outskirts of Ponyville, there was a wooden cottage that had vegetation growing around and on the humble abode. It played host to a wide variety of animals, as evident by the different sorts of bird feeders and houses in the trees, the many burrows and tunnels around the cottage, and the pony that cared for all of these animals.
“Oh, Angel. Thank you so much for helping me with these lunches,” said a yellow pegasus. “How could I forget to bring them? I hope nopony’s too hungry.” It was Fluttershy and her pet bunny, Angel, who rested atop her head. She took a quick glance at her inventory, her blue-green eyes scanning for innacuracies, before strapping the meals to her side. “If only I had fed the animals sooner, then I wouldn’t have forgotten about the food,” she said to herself.
Fluttershy felt Angel tap on her head, through her long, pink mane. She looked up to see the white bunny give her a look which could’ve meant, “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’m sure they’ll live. If they’re that hungry, that crazy one will get them food. She always has food.”
Fluttershy giggled at the overtly, “Maybe you’re right, Angel. Still, let's hope we get there soon.” She took to the sky, but she was quickly becoming exhausted as her wings worked harder than ever to keep her airborne. Carefully, she herself down onto the path below her. All of this food is heavier than I thought, I guess I’ll have stick with walking. She made sure to position her equally long, pink tail so it wouldn’t drag in the dirt, and began the trek towards her friends. Angel allowed himself to relax, lying down on her head, when he noticed a little carrot on the floor next to a batch of trees. He jumped off her head to take it, off-putting Fluttershy’s balance. After the yellow pegasus regained her stance, she turned to her friend and said, “Oh, Angel. You know you shouldn’t eat carrots off the floor; they might give you a tummy ache.”
Angel picked up the carrot piece and noticed another not too far from it. As he went to collect this piece, he found another not too far from it, and another after that. Angel thought nothing of this and proceeded to follow the trail of snacks. When Fluttershy noticed Angel disappear into the vegetation, she gently unbuckled the lunches and followed him.
“Angel?” she called out, “Angel! Where are you? There’s no telling what’s out here, so please come back!” Fluttershy started to fly in-between trees, growing increasingly anxious as the minutes dragged on. After what felt like an eternity, she spotted Angel in a clearing. “There you are, Angel! Please come this way!”
He stood there with his back turned to her, completely motionless. “Angel?” Fluttershy called out, concern starting to take over her voice. The illusions of what awaited in the trees made her apprehensive, but she knew it would have to be for Angel’s sake. The timid nurturer took a deep breath and flew into the area. She found it increasingly difficult to fly, as the fear of the unknown tightened its grip on her. With every last ounce of her free will, she made it to Angel’s location, lightly panting as she allowed he beating heart to rest. “Angel, what’s wro—” she stopped when she noticed what Angel stood by.
It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It was a strange creature with odd looking legs, but it had arms similar to that of a dragon, minus the claws. She looked over the creature’s browned body. “It has... clothes? Is this even an animal?” While some of its features were completely foreign to her, she was able to recognize one other item on it: red glasses. “I thought only ponies wore glasses,” she said to herself. “Does this creature need them too?” Fluttershy picked up the object, examining them as she noticed how badly damaged they were. She placed the glasses on the floor when she noticed something odd about her hoof. It looked like she simply got some dirt smudged onto it, but she realized the color was darker than any dirt around them. The only logical answer hit her like a ton of bricks: blood. “B-b-blood?” she stammered. “Why... why does it have blood on it?” She felt her breath grow short as she noticed more blood stains on its clothes. As the yellow pegasus grew queasy, she gave herself some distance from the creature.
Angel decided to run up and check the creature for himself. Fluttershy yelled, “No, Angel! Don’t touch it!” It was too late, however, and Angel had hopped onto it. Nothing happened, but Fluttershy still kept a watchful eye on the white bunny. As he moved on the body, he gave it a kick to the stomach. Given his size, Angel’s kick wasn’t strong, but it was enough to cause a slight stir. At that moment, Fluttershy’s nurturing instincts took over and she flew towards Victor.
As she tried her best to ignore the blood, the yellow pegasus braced herself and grabbed a hold of the creature. “I don't know what this thing is, but we can’t just leave it here. We need to bring it to the cottage.” Fluttershy dragged Victor towards her abode. “I’ll take this one inside. You tell the girls that they need to see this, and I’ll make sure it’s okay.”
Angel gave a nod and began to hop towards the grounds, remembering the path from earlier that day. As he hopped towards the party, he knew it would be a simple task. Suddenly, a realization came to light, stopping him in his tracks. He remembered that being a bunny would make it difficult to communicate with ponies. He facepawed at that realization, but figured that there should be a way to make himself understood.
**********
“So you two were trying to get a ball bouncing record?” a disbelieving Rarity asked Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know how you two enjoy things like that. What with getting so sweaty and dirty afterwards.”
Applejack just rolled her eyes and said, “Fer the same reasons you like yer fancy-schmansy dresses, Rarity. It’s what you enjoy, and ain’t nopony gunna stop ya, right?”
“I suppose you have a point, though I still don't see the appeal.”
Spike piped up, “So, how much longer is Fluttershy going to take? I mean, I can handle waiting as much as the next guy, but I’m getting pretty hungry.”
Twilight was about to tell Spike that he should keep being patient, but a grumble from her stomach said more than enough. She chuckled as she said, “Oh, I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”
Applejack said, “Even so, ah’ve gotta agree with Spike. Did somethin’ happen in her cottage?”
Pinkie Pie added, “Is she hiding too? Maybe we should go look for her.”
Rainbow proclaimed, “If she is, I’ll go find her.”
“Good idea,” Rarity agreed, “Would you like any help, Rainbow Dash?”
“Nah, it’s ok. If she’s not at her place, I know where she’d be otherwise. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Before anything else could be said, the pegasus pony took to the sky. First stop, the cottage! As she flew, she sped right past a white bunny that hopped along the path towards the party. “Hmm... I wonder...” She flew down to the animal, who looked visibly exhausted. “Angel?”
He turned around and looked overjoyed. He made a face that looked like, “Colorful, speedy pony! You need to take me to Fluttershy’s friends. She needs your help!”
Angel continued his game of charades, further confusing the speedster. All she could understand was how Angel would point in one direction for a second or two, then hop up and down frantically while waving his arms. “Uh... are you constipated? I’m sure there’s something Fluttershy can get you for that.”
The white bunny glared long and hard at Rainbow. Deciding this wasn’t worth his time, he ignored her and ran towards the party, hoping to find a pony that would understand him. The white bunny didn’t get too far, though. Rainbow Dash had flown up and landed right in front of him.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Rainbow Dash queried. “If you’re looking for the others, I can take you right to them.”
He nodded very fast at her question, making another face which said something similar to, “Yes, colored pony, you’re not as brain-dead as you look!” Angel got on Rainbow Dash’s back and prepared for take-off.
“You’re gonna wanna hold onto something,” Rainbow advised the white rabbit. When she felt him take a grip of her mane, she took off towards the other ponies.
When they landed, Angel was greeted by all the other ponies. Spike asked, “Where’s Fluttershy, wasn’t she with you?”
Angel had no time to waste. He pointed in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage and tried mimicking the creature’s unconscious body, all of which could be seen as “We found this living, breathing thing in between a bunch of trees, and Fluttershy is trying to take care of it. She needs us to go help it!”
The ponies crossed glances with eachother as they tried to interpret what Angel was trying to say.
First was Applejack, “Is there some sorta crisis in the Everfree Forest?” Incorrect.
Then Twilight, “Did a bunch of animals get sick?” Negative.
Spike was next to try, “Did... uh... did her cottage get infested with grubs?” Not even close.
Finally, Pinkie Pie, “Did somepony fall down a well?” She received confused looks from her friends. “What?” she said, defending herself, “It can happen!” Unfortunately, it didn’t.
They tried more and more guesses, but couldn’t figure out what Angel was saying, all the while making him frustrated. However, Rarity could faintly make out what he was trying to tell them. “Does Fluttershy need us for something?”, she asked.
Angel started jumping up and down with a big grin on his face, which could’ve meant, “Right! Fancy pony gets me!”
With that out of the way, everypony followed the prancing bunny towards Fluttershy’s cottage, wondering what they could possibly be needed for.
**********
Fluttershy quietly closed the door to her room, making sure not to disturb the creature that slept within. “This is very strange,” she said to herself as she walked down the stairs, “I don’t think there’s ever been a creature I haven’t recognized. Does he have any friends? What if he’s all alone?”
She took the time to open a window, feeling that the house was slightly stuffy. As she took a look out said window, she smiled with glee. She saw Angel run up the road, her friends following close behind. She went out the front door to greet them. “Oh, hello everypony! I'm so glad you could come down here so fast!”
Spike said, “Angel was acting really frantic about something. What's happening, anyway?”
Fluttershy looked a bit surprised. “You mean... Angel didn't tell you?” She replied incredulously as she took another look at Angel, who looked like he was trying hard to forget his bout of charades.
“Sorry, dear,” Rarity answered, “We could only understand so much of what he was trying to tell us.”
Rainbow piped up, “Did something bad happen around here? Like really, really bad?”
Fluttershy looked down for a bit before she stammered, “Well... um.... you see... it's nothing really bad, per se. It’s just... we found a strange creature unconscious in a clearing around some trees... It had some blood stains on it, but it wasn't hurt... The thing is, I've never seen anything like this before, and I don't know what to do.”
Everypony looked at each other in shock. “A strange creature, ya say?” Applejack asked. “Are we talkin' Manticore strange or outta this world strange? Cuz what's strange fer you might be perty normal t’ the rest of us.”
Fluttershy backed up a little and said, “I... uh... I have to show you,” As she walked into the cottage. Her friends took that as their cue and they proceeded to walk into the cottage.
Twilight turned around to see Spike staring at the arrangement of trees. “Spike, are you coming in?” He didn’t respond to her question, so she waved a hoof in front of his face, as she inquired, “Spike? Hello, anypony in there?”
The baby dragon snapped back to reality and said, “Huh? Oh, right... uh, you guys go do that, there's something I need to check out.” Before Twilight could protest, Spike ran towards the trees and was out of sight.
What was that all about? She deduced that the matter wasn’t worth looking into, so she walked into the cottage. She noticed that nopony was in the living room, but she heard her friends chattering away upstairs. As she followed the sounds of their comments, she started to make out what was being said.
“Woah, it really does look weird!”
“It looks so... tacky.”
“Y’know, it looks kinda funny!”
“I ain't seen nothin' like this before.”
As she got close to the door, she heard Fluttershy say, “You see why I had to tell you girls? This creature might not even be local to Equestria. Before it wakes up, we should find out what it is.”
Twilight finally made it to the room, and she started to ask, “So what does this thing look li—” but stopped her speech cold after seeing the sleeping creature. She couldn’t forget something that looked like this, it was Victor. Every memory of her nightmare began to flood her mind in less than a second, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. She fell backwards and backed herself up against the wall as adrenaline began pumping throughout her body. Her pupils shrank and she started breathing heavily, all while beginning to tremble. “No no no no no, that thing can't be real, it just can't!” she pleaded to herself, “It was only in my dream, how can this be here now?! If this thing is real, then that means... that means...” She clenched her eyes shut and hid her face in her hoofs, wishing to block out possible visions of the future that appeared in her head.
“Twilight, dear, what's wrong?”
There has to be an explanation for all of this!
“Twilight, yer scarin' us, whattsa matter?”
Oh please let this all be fake, a dream within a dream, maybe?
“T-T-Twilight, what's wrong? Why are you shaking?”
Please let that be it! At least then I can laugh about it later...
“Twilight, if this is a prank, it's not very funny!”
But what if it's not a dream... Oh no, I can't let it get to me, I just can't. Please let this all be a terrible, terrible nightmare!
“Snap out of it, Twilight!!!”
A sharp pain to her cheek brought Twilight back into Fluttershy’s bedroom. She slowly turned to face Rainbow Dash, who looked regretful for her previous action.
“Uh... I-I'm sorry, Twilight, but you were really acting crazy. What’s going on?”
Twilight stood frozen for a few seconds. She slowly slid onto the floor, as she tried to recuperate. Okay, this confirms two things. One, that was no dream; Rainbow helped prove that. Two... I think it’s safe to assume that everything I saw was real, but I’ll need to talk to this Victor human first. “It's okay, Rainbow,” she cooed, “I must've scared you all. I'm so sorry.”
Pinkie Pie was the first to respond. “You really did scare us, Twilight! We should really do something about that nightmare.”
“Woah woah woah, you had a nightmare... and you’re this freaked out about it?” Rainbow Dash asserted. “If it’s bugging you this badly, you should’ve said something.”
Twilight looked away from her friends and didn't say anything. “It was only a nightmare, I didn’t bother any of you about it.”
Applejack walked up and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s okay, girl,” she assured, “we're yer friends. If something’ buggin’ you, there ain’t no harm in tellin’ any of us.”
Twilight reluctantly looked up and stuttered, “I-I would've told you all what happened, but... you might've thought it was just nothing.”
Rarity exclaimed, “Nothing?! Darling, we wouldn't judge you like that! Applejack is right, we're your friends. Talking about something as nerve-wracking as this would be beneficial.”
“So, is it related to this?” Applejack said as she pointed a hoof towards Victor.
Twilight nodded her head.
The farm pony continued, “Whatever it is, it’s sure as sugar a heavy sleeper. Yer hollerin’ didn’t even snap it awake.”
Fluttershy informed, “Whatever happened to it must’ve been exhausting. He didn’t even stir as I dragged him into my home. Just give him some time; he’ll come around.” She turned to Twilight and said, “It’s okay to tell us, Twilight. I know I might not be the bravest of ponies, but I'll still hear what you have to say, um... even if it is scary.”
Rainbow commented, “Let's hear it.”
Seeing the backs of confidence from her friends slowly got her back onto her feet. She took a deep breath and said, “Okay, I'll do it. I'll tell you what I saw. First, let's go into the living room.”
As everypony filed downstairs, more of Twilight’s concerns plagued her brain. They won’t think I'm crazy, but will they understand it all? She shook the doubt from her mind. Calm down, Twilight, everything's going to be alright, you'll see. She turned to face her friends. “I don't know if this is all the truth or not, but a lot of bizarre instances occurred in my nightmare. It all started on...” Twilight then went into exact detail over what happened in her dream. The scientists, the laboratories, the soldiers, the security and agents, Dr. Clamely, and finally the chaos that broke out on the last day. “...then this... blade-thing pierced through the barricade, killing another human... and that's all that I remember.” As she finished, there was nothing but shock and terror written on everypony’s faces.
Rainbow Dash shook her wings out of their frozen state. “Jeez, Twilight, you have some crazy dreams.”
Applejack chastised, “Now Rainbow, Twilight went through sumthin’ fierce, the least y’all could do is show some sympathy.”
“Well, I get it, but come on. If you had a dream like that, would you call think any different?
Before an unnecessary argument could break out, Twilight intervened, “It’s okay, Applejack. All that matters is tha—” Suddenly, she remembered her assistant. “Wait, where’s Spike? He told me that he was going to check something out in the trees, but...”
Fluttershy stuttered, “W-w-w-what if one of those things got him?”
Twilight didn’t want to think about that. I’m sure that nothing followed Victor into the portal... but who’s to say none of those other creatures found a different way in? “Come on, everypony, we need to go find him!” They rushed out the front door and began to search the area for any sign of their dragon companion.
“Spike! Where are you? Please, just say something!” Twilight frantically called out. The ponies looked high and low for their dragon friend. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash took to the skies while Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rarity looked through all the trees and bushes.
Rarity was taking a few looks around by herself, but to no avail. “Where could he be?” She asked herself as she scanned the forest.
Applejack walked over to Rarity and asked, “Any luck?”
Rarity shook her head. As she took note of the many trees surrounding them, the gears in her head began to turn. “Maybe... maybe I can find him with my gem finding spell.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Would that even work?”
“Probably not, but I cannot think of a better plan.” Rarity then closed her eyes and her horn began to glow a light blue color as she focused on Spike.
“Do ya see anythin’?”
Rarity did just as she would when making a dress, she stayed silent and blocked out all outside distractions. She envisioned all of Spike’s physical characteristics, but there was no luck. Everything is so hazy. I have to concentrate. This time, she focused on both his looks and personality. Her face began to scrunch as she put more power into her spell. “It’s no use,” she admitted to the orange mare. However, the instant before powering down her spell, a small figure shimmered through the trees. She muttered, “Did I... did I just...”
“Somethin’ happen, Rarity?”
“I have to try again. Let's hope the third time’s the charm.” Rarity emptied everything from her mind, save Spike. With complete concentration, she could see Spike’s outline as plain as day. “I found him! He’s over there!” she exclaimed while pointing her hoof in the young dragon’s direction.
Applejack flinched in surprise. “Well I’ll be, that spell a’ yers can sure come in handy.” She called the rest of her friends towards their location.
Twilight nearly crashed into Spike as he stood there, staring blankly at the trees. “Spike? Why are you still out here in the forest? Next time you need to... Spike?” His expression didn’t change.
Rarity tapped Spike on the head, “Are you alright, Spike?”
The dragon jolted himself back into reality, as he quickly turned around and saw everypony staring at him. “What happened? Did I... uh... miss something?” Spike had seem a bit flustered, but nopony paid any attention to it.
Twilight motioned for him to walk with them. As they walked back to the cottage, everypony filled Spike in on what Twilight had seen in her nightmare and the creature that slumbered in Fluttershy’s cottage.
“Yeesh,” he said, “and I thought nightmares never got that bad.” As the cottage came into view, Spike said, “Where did this thing come from, anyway? Maybe if we find that out we can send it back. I doubt anypony would be willing to look after that thing.”
Pinkie Pie got the door opened for her friends and said, “Oh, I’m sure we can find it a place to live!”
Applejack was the first to walk in, as she said “Well, it should still be out fer quite some time, I’m sure we’ve got plenty a’ time ta fi—” She froze once she entered the door. As the other ponies walked in, they followed suit. Victor was awake and pressing himself against the walls.
As he perused the house, he muttered, “Wish I could find those shoddy glasses. Can’t see a damn thing, but I know I can feel these walls. However, what if this is still a dream? What if I’m still in bed and this is all a sham? Oh, Gary is going to love hearing about this.” As he knocked on the walls, the group of ponies stayed silent, relying on facial expressions for communication. In his delirious state, Victor called out, “Hello? Is anybody home?”
“You’re right Fluttershy, he does need glasses!” Pinkie Pie chimed in, with little to no concern about the volume of her voice.
“So you are here? Do you have my gla—” Victor turned around, only able to see techni-colored blobs. “Is this some sort of game to you?” He asked as he tried to identify the source of the voice. “I really don’t have time for games, and I’ve got to go. Can I please have my glasses?”
Fluttershy gasped, “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, creature! Wait right there, let me get them for you!” Fluttershy flew up the stairs.
Victor vainly rubbed his eyes. “That... that yellow thing just... flew. Did it speak too? That’s not possible. It couldn’t have talked unless... oh no. Are any of you things human? Please say yes.”
Twilight honed in on that keyword, human. This thing knows what humans are. It must have the answers I’m looking for!
Rainbow interrupted Twilight’s train of thought and whispered, “Not only does that thing look weird, but it talks weird too.”
Fluttershy had returned with the glasses, “Ok, now hold still. I’m going to put your glasses on.”
Victor stood petrified in shock at the sight slowly coming into focus. He didn’t know what was more unbelievable: the fact that he was talking to a living, breathing pegasus, or the group of additional horses to his right. He began to lightly hit himself in the face, followed by a series of dream-proof tests. After every test pointed to reality, Victor resumed his side conversation. “I am dead, there’s no question about it. I died when going through that portal, and this is... heaven? Or is this hell? Considering this looks like my niece’s dream come true, it has to be hell. What did I do to deserve this punishment?” As he finished those words, he felt an apple hit his head. “Ow!” he exclaimed, “The bloody hell was that for?”
Applejack pushed her hat back and said, “Ya done talkin' to yerself, partner?”
Victor tried to process this massive influx of information, but he began to see spots. “No... not now... bollocks, that portal really did a number on me.”
Fluttershy flew forward, “Oh dear, you haven’t had enough rest, you really should go lie down... um, if you don’t mind.” She started to lead him by the arm towards his bed, but Victor instinctively shook himself out of her grip.
Victor quickly apologized, “Oh no, a thousand pardons, my lady... mare... what exactly would I call you?”
“You know, for a creature with such an eloquent accent, it really has no class,” Rarity whispered to Twilight.
The purple unicorn stepped forward. “Excuse me... are you alright?”
Victor attempted to steady himself and said, “Yes, quite alright... In fact... I’ve never felt better!” It wasn’t even a second later that Victor blacked out and fell flat on his face.
|
Some Person
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853
| 3 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-03-02T22:21:38+00:00
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2012-03-02T22:21:38+00:00
| 1,893 |
What... what happened? Victor asked himself as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt instant relief when he noticed both the blue bedsheets which enveloped him, and the plush pillow underneath his head. Just a dream, thank god. He instinctively reached for his glasses on the stand to his right, only for his hand to bump into a figure that let out a small yelp. Victor jolted upright in his bed, only to gingerly lay himself back down when a sharp pain rang through his head.
“O-oh, y-you're awake!” Fluttershy stuttered as she reached for the scientist’s glasses. “Now hold still, I’m going to place your glasses back onto you.”
Victor’s world slowly came into focus. Despite the damaged lenses, he took a look at Fluttershy and said, “You’re the same horse from earlier, right?”
“Well, pony, but yes. The others are downstairs if you’d like me to get them.”
He placed the pillow against the wall behind the bed and rested his head against it. “Go for it, I’m sure you’ve all got as many questions as I do.” Fluttershy fluttered out of the room while Victor locked himself within his thoughts. I started up the machine correctly, didn’t I? Was there something I missed? No, I recalled those instructions properly. It suddenly dawned on the perplexed Englishman. Perhaps when I—
“Hi!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she poked her head into the room. Victor flinched, allowing a new wave of throbbing pain to cripple him.
“Pinkie! Fluttershy said to be quiet!” Rainbow Dash yelled, adding more to Victor’s world of pain.
Rarity ran between the two ponies and hushed them. “Honestly, keeping quiet must be a weakness for the two of you,” she whispered as she approached Victor. “Oh dear,” the fashionista muttered as she noticed his glasses, “let me get that for you.” The red glasses floated off Victor’s face as Rarity began to seamlessly repair the damage. “There,” she said quietly, “That should be better.”
Victor opened his eyes once the ringing in his ears stopped. He looked at the now-unfragmented world before him. He turned to the white unicorn and asked, “How did you do that?”
“Oh, I have a pair of glasses as well, keeping them in prime condition is no challenge at all.”
“No, I mean, what did you just do? How did you fix my glasses?”
“With magic o’ course,” Applejack said, Twilight right behind her, as she entered the room.
Victor let out a small chortle. “Right, magic. That’s impossible.”
“How is that impossible?” Twilight queried.
“Magic isn’t real, that’s why.”
Everypony shared the same bewildered expression as silence filled the room. Eventually, Rainbow Dash couldn’t control herself and burst into laughter. “This thing is such a crackup! Seriously, you guys, this is comedic gold right here!” As she rolled on the floor, she teased, “Magic isn’t real, that’s why,” trying her impersonation of the scientist’s accent.
“Rainbow!” Twilight barked, causing the blue pegasus’ laughter to slowly dwindle.
She noticed the dead-pan expressions in the room. “Wait, you’re serious?” she asked perplexedly.
Twilight replied, “Yes, it’s serious. Victor’s world didn’t seem like it used any magic, from what I could tell.”
“Wait just a minute!” he exclaimed. “You, unicorn, you just said my name... and something about ‘my world’. Just what’s going on here, and who are you?”
Everypony looked at each other for a second, then turned to Twilight, who walked up to Victor. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. These are my friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. Now, I don't know how, but... I saw you in a dream of mine.”
“A dream, you say,” Victor noted as he crossed his arms. “Care to prove it?”
Spike argued, “Why should she have to prove it, huh? If anything, we should be asking who or what in Equestria you are!”
The scientist shook his head and said, “I’m not saying a word until I know just what the bloody hell is going on.”
Twilight turned to her assistant and said, “It’s okay, Spike.” The purple unicorn took a breath to clear her mind as she explained, “There were these laboratories that you worked in. Not only you, but a lot of other humans too. I believe you were running experiments on other humans. You called them... oh, what were they called?”
“Specimens?”
“Yes, that’s right. Then there was a—”
Victor held up his hand. “I’ve heard enough. If you know that much, then it’s safe to assume you’re telling the truth. Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d much prefer to talk to the other humans around here.”
Rarity cocked her head back as she raised an eyebrow. “Other... humans? What are you talking about, dear?”
“I mean ‘other humans’,” he said while he shrugged his shoulders. “You know, like the ones that built this cottage.”
Rainbow hovered in the air, and said, “Look, pal, we don't know what a human is, and we'd really like to know,” she said with slight venom in her tone. “Besides,” she started up again, “every building in this town it made by ponies, for ponies. There have been a lot of different ponies that come through here, but nothing like you.”
Now it was Victor’s turn to put on a confused expression. “You’re kidding, right? You mean to tell me that an entire city full of animals without hands created houses like this? You must color me daft if I'm going to buy that rubbish.”
“You callin’ me a liar, punk?”
Applejack intervened, “Rainbow, hush!” She faced Victor, “Partner, I 'unno what in tarnation yah think we know, but we ain't never heard of a... hyuu-menn before.”
“So ponies built all of this,” he said incredulously, “that’s what you’re telling me?”
Pinkie Pie jumped forward. “Yeppers! Every home made in Equestria is built by full fledged ponies! Unless you’re talking about animal homes. Those homes are surely built by the animals. They’d be too small for anypony to even fit into. Come to think of it, there are also homes like caves that a pony could easily live in. Then again, I can’t think of anypony who would live somewhere like that; unless they wished they could be animals. Wait! What if there were pony-animals? Then I guess some homes would be—”
Twilight let out a groan, stopping the slowly-derailing conversation. “We don't have time for this! Victor, you’re the only human in Equestria. That’s not a guess, it’s a fact. Now, what I’d like to know is...” she stopped as she saw the pink pony raise her hoof, waving it frantically in the air. “Yes... Pinkie?”
She leapt into the bed and said, “So are you a boy or a girl?”
Victor sat there, staring blankly at Pinkie Pie. He face-palmed as he muttered, “Shouldn’t something like that be obvious to you ponies?”
Fluttershy replied, “Um... none of us have seen a human before, so we wouldn’t know about something like that.”
He peeked through his hand and said, “I’m a boy.”
Before Twilight could prepare another question, Rarity intervened, “How, pray-tell, did you even end up in this world of ours? Twilight mentioned something about portals, but I'm sure you could give us a greater insight into this matter.”
Victor cleared his throat and said, “Well, the portals we have at our institution are set to take someone, or something, to a different location. However, you need coordinates for the system to work. Such a system has its risks, if you enter the wrong destination, you could end up in a universe that’s even worse off than my world. Now, I had set up the device to take me to another location on my world. However, I’m here, and I think I know why. Twilight, you saw me fight off a specimen right before I jumped, right?” The purple unicorn nodded. “Well, when I kicked that nonce, it was knocked into the device. If I didn’t know any better, that must’ve flipped the switch on the side and changed the device’s setting to interdimensional.”
“You’re not stuck here, are you?” Twilight asked.
He shook his head. “No, not as long as I’ve got this.” The scientist pulled away the covers to reveal the belt he attached before leaving earth.
“Oh right, that. It still works, doesn’t it?”
“Is that some sort of belt?” Rarity asked, her interest suddenly rising.
“Yes, to both of you” Victor answered. “It’s coupled with the device, back home. I’ve just got to press this button in the center, and the machine takes care of the rest.”
“Now then, Mr. Victor,” Twilight hesitated. “In my dream... I saw that you were all under attack by those... things. What were they? Are they a different breed of humans?”
Victor's look grew quite tense. “You saw those bloodthirsty bastards rampaging throughout the halls? Well, where do I even begin?” He crossed his arms as he prepared his answer, with the pondering gaze of everypony in the room focused on him. “I work for what's called a pharmaceutical company, they're places that specialize in medical and biological advancements. Mine in particular is named Horzine Industries, and we were tasked by Britain to create what they call, super-soldiers. As you no doubt saw, they suddenly went berserk and started ripping everyone to pieces. It all happened so fast, so many poor scientists lost their lives in there.”
Twilight tried again to shake the images out of her head. “Is there any way to stop those things?”
Victor massaged his forehead before continuing, “Unfortunately, these soldiers were made to be formidable in a war, so it would take a hell of an offensive to stop every last one of them. Which makes what I'm going to ask seem bloody insane...”
Rainbow Dash piped up, “ Well? What is it? What do you need?”
Victor answered almost immediately, “I need you lot to find the most powerful... ponies you can to help fight these things... I'd take them to my wo--”
“Woah, woah, woah there, Victor,” Spike sharply interrupted. “You mean you want us to send some of our good friends to your world and get them killed? Are you crazy?”
The human shot a glare at Spike. “Do I look like I have much other choice? Surely there's some sort of being here that's powerful enough to help, right?”
Everypony exchanged glances with each other, unsure of how to proceed.
Applejack mentioned to her friends, “Ah reckon we should discuss this in private, considerin’ these are our ponies we’re talkin’ about.”
Twilight murmured back, “What would we even need to talk about, Applejack? All of the facts are laid out in front of us.”
“Think about it, Twi’,” Applejack softly retorted, “if we’re sendin’ ponies out there, some of them could be kin. We need t’ be sure that it’d be worth it ta help this fella.”
After a moment of consideration, Twilight turned towards the scientist. “Please excuse us, Victor,” Twilight stated. “We need to talk about this, privately. I know you understand. Spike, you stay here with Victor, keep him company until we’ve come to a decision.” With that, Spike focused his attention on Victor, and Twilight motioned for the other ponies to follow her.
**********
Twilight led everypony into the living room, cutting right to the chase. “First things first,” she began, “does anypony think we should help Victor and the other humans?” Twilight was expecting a swift response from her friends... but there was nothing. Her friends shifted their gaze, unsure of what to give for an answer. “None of you? Nopony wants to help them at all?!”
Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up, “It’s not like that, Twilight! It’s just... well... how do I even say it?”
“What Rainbow’s tryin’ to say,” Applejack carried on, “is that this seems like a heap’a sumthin’ to ask somepony. Ah wanna help the fella, ah really do, but we can’t jus’ throw ponies to slaughter like that!”
“But... um...” Fluttershy spoke up, “We... we can’t just leave him like this! He needs our help!”
“Fluttershy is right,” Pinkie Pie began, “they need our help!”
Rarity stepped forward, “I agree with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. There has to be a way we can assist those poor fellows.”
“But how?” Rainbow began, “It’s not like we’ve got an armada of strong ponies lying around! The Royal Guard can’t leave the princess, and the only pony around here that I can see handling themselves is Big Macintosh.”
“An’ ain’t no way Ahm lettin’ Big Mac go to Lunndann an’ fight those things!
Twilight picked up from where she left off. “Okay, I think it’s safe to say that we all want to help,” she stated, “but we just have to figure out how. Anypony have any ideas?”
Brainstorms occurred in everypony’s heads, but coming up with a good idea proved to be a difficult task. After some thought, the idea hit Twilight. There’s really no other choice, is there? She thought to herself, I guess I’ll have to be the one to say it.
“I got it,” Twilight and Rarity both said at once.
Twilight and Rarity looked at eachother in surprise before the purple unicorn conceded, “Oh, you go ahead, Rarity.”
“Oh no, dear, you’re the one that knows the most about their world, you go first.”
“No, it’s ok, really, you go first.” Rarity’s got the same kind of logical mind as I do, she reasoned with herself. I guess she’ll be the one to spill the beans... as much as I dread the idea.
“Well, ok then... I’ve thought up a safe idea for all of us,” Rarity began.
Twilight lightly jerked her head back in shock. Safe? Twilight thought, What does she mean, safe? What is Rarity planning?
Rarity continued, “Honestly, I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this idea sooner. I think it would make the most sense to ask if the princess, herself, would be willing to assist!”
Twilight shot Rarity an incredibly disbelieving look. Ask the princess? But... we...
Rainbow Dash facehoofed, “Oh, duh! Why didn’t I think of that? Sure, there’s hardly anypony in Ponyville that can go out there, but the Princess can probably take care of that London place in no time at all!”
Fluttershy seemed to perk up a little at this solution, but she still held some doubts. “Would the Princess really want to go out there? I mean... those creatures sound so... scary.”
“Ah wouldn’ worry about that, Fluttershy,” Applejack said to the timid pegasus, “before we came along, the Princess has been the one pony to save the day.” Applejack tilted her hat back, “Ah don’ see the harm in askin’ her.”
Pinkie Pie hopped up and down at the idea. “Yeah! And then when she gets back, we can throw a celebration for her!”
“You really don’t think of much else other than parties, do you, Pinkie?” Rarity joked with her friend.
Rainbow walked up to the bouncy earth pony, “Besides, Pinks, I think the Summer Sun Celebration is more than enough of a party for anypony.”
“Of course!” Pinkie Pie said. “That’s why we hold it after the celebration! We don’t wanna go crazy on everypony!”
“Ah think it’s a might bit late fer that, Pinkie,” Applejack said, while stifling a laugh.
Fluttershy spoke up, “Well... asking her first is better than doing nothing at all.”
Rarity nodded her head in agreement. “Then it’s settled,” she began, “ We’ll write a letter to the Princess asking if she’ll he—”
Rarity’s declaration was cut short by Twilight. “No. We can’t do that!”
The ponies stared at the princess’ student in bewilderment, with Pinkie Pie being the first to spit out a reply.
“No?” she began, “But... but...”
“But why not, Twilight?” Rarity objected, “What’s the harm, really?”
“We can’t just go and demand for the princess to risk her life all willy-nilly,” Twilight declared. “Besides, It’s a week until the Summer Sun Celebration. Princess Celestia needs to stay here until then!”
“Twilight,” Applejack began her retort, “Ah think the princess can afford to help them hyumens out.”
Twilight faced her friend, “Don’t you see, Applejack? If the princess is gone for even a day, the sun won’t come up. No sun means a bad batch of apples for the Apple family.” Twilight paused for a moment to let this thought set in. “Is that what you want, Applejack?”
Applejack spat out a weak, “No... but...” and continued to have a disgruntled look on her face.
“Then what do you have in mind, Twilight?” said an annoyed Rainbow Dash. She started to hover, “Let’s hear your idea.”
Twilight gulped before going any further, “Well...” she began, “I think that we need to go to London, ourselves.”
Twilight’s idea was met with a collective, “WHAT?!” from everypony in the room.
**********
Spike and Victor sat in complete silence, twiddling their thumbs as they waited for the deliberations to end. The shout from the ponies attracted both their attention. The two looked in the direction of the noise, and Spike pressed his ear against the door in hopes of hearing what caused such a ruckus.
“It’s not polite to eavesdrop, you know,” Victor chastised as he sat himself upright.
Spike turned to face the scientist. “Eave what?”
Victor rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, “It’s not polite to listen in on other people’s conversations, you know.” He stared at the ceiling. “So, Spears,” Victor began.
“Spike!”
“Right, right, Spike,” Victor said in an apologetic tone, “we just have to sit on our thumbs over here while your friends decide whether or not to lend a helping hand?”
Spike gave a glance at Victor and said, “That pretty much sums it up. What did you expect? I mean, you kinda popped up out of nowhere... never seen the likes of you... yada yada yada.” Spike turned in the direction of the door. “All I know,” he stated as he listened through the door, “is that whatever happens, Twilight will know what to do.”
“Twilight...” Victor said, resting his head on the wall. “That... eh... purple unicorn, right? She sure seems like she knows a lot about my world.”
Spike let out a small chuckle and said, “Well, this IS Twilight we’re talking about, the most powerful unicorn in Ponyville— no, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria! Not to mention she’s incredibly smart. I’m sure she’s got your situation figured out by now.” Spike’s confident grin beamed as he addressed Victor’s assumption.
Victor couldn’t help but laugh. “You know,” he struggled to say in between laughs, “your friend hasn’t the faintest idea what my world is like.”
Spike’s grin slowly melted away, “What do you mean hasn’t the faintest? She saw your experiences in your dream, so I’d say she knows more than enough!”
Victor put on a dead serious look, glaring daggers at the baby dragon. “Let me tell you something, mate. There’s a vast difference between seeing something and living it.” His tone grew more and more cross as he continued, “What Ms. Sparkle saw was a essentially a video, a snippet of what’s out there. She’s seen what I’ve gone through, but hasn’t come close to living it. She hasn’t turned the corner of a dank, narrow hallway and seen flesh being ripped from bones, blood spewing onto the walls, or entrails strewn throughout the floor... And the noise, my god, the noise! The screams of fellow scientists who can only watch as their organs get torn from their bodies! The howls and screeches of those monstrosities that roam the facility, looking for their next, unlucky victim! Carnage and death as far as the eye can see!” Victor collected himself, as he paused while Spike struggled to remain confident and not lose his composure. “Twilight doesn’t know shit about what it’s like in my world, Spike, and that’s why I need to find the strongest bloody beings in the land to help.”
Spike shook off the rigid feeling out of his scales. “W-well, she’ll figure out the best thing to do. I promise you that!”
Victor listened to Spike’s retort and nonchalantly laid back in bed. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, lad,” he retorted, “because if you can’t keep this one... humanity is dead.”
**********
“You think... you think that we should go?” Rarity echoed, being taken back by this proposal.
Twilight turned to the white unicorn. “We don’t have any other options, Rarity.”
Rainbow hovered over to Twilight and remarked, “No other options? Twilight, we have a lot of options!” She tried her best to hide her nervous expression. “We could go to Cloudsdale, Manehattan, or Canterlot and ask for help! Hay, there are ponies all over Equestria that could help!”
The pegasus pony’s plea had fallen upon deaf ears, as Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, Rainbow,” she began, “but in the time it would take to amass a rag-tag group of mercenaries and prepare them for London, it could already be too late. Time is of the essence here, and the six of us going is the most efficient solution. We’re ready right here, right now. Plus, we won’t have to endanger anypony else that we truly care about.” Twilight still saw the uncertainty in her friends' eyes, so she gave one last reason to hopefully change their minds. “Besides, I don’t think there are truly any stronger ponies in Ponyville than the six of us.” She stopped herself before continuing, letting her friends fully grasp the severity of the situation. “So... what do you say, girls?”
Silence filled the room once more, not to Twilight’s surprise. Quick glances were shot between each other, unsure of how to proceed.
Pinkie let out a subtle snort, and said, “I’ll do it.” She said, not a hint of fear in her voice. “If this is how we can help somepony in need, then I’m all for it,” she said as her charismatic grin started to form.
Rainbow appeared enlightened as she added, “Me too, you guys know you’d be hopeless without good ol’ Rainbow Dash backing you up.” She nudged Twilight on the shoulder. The smug look on her face helped lighten the mood in the room.
Rarity piped up, “So... no matter what we say, you still think we’re the only ones that can fight those soldiers?”
“That’s our best bet,” Twilight replied.
An insecure Applejack responded, “This ain’t right, Twi. Yer askin’ us to leave everythin’ behind fer who knows how long.” The farm pony’s usually bold look was replaced with a look of beseechment.
“I understand your concern, Applejack,” Twilight sympathized, “and I know this is a lot to ask of you all. I’m not going to force anypony to go if they really don’t want to.”
Fluttershy asked, “Twilight, do you... do you really think we can do this?”
Twilight donned a smile of confidence. “I think so, Fluttershy.” As she started to pace around her friends, she continued to try motivating them. “We’ve gone against a manticore, a dragon, a hydra, Nightmare Moon, and even Discord himself. As long as we keep our cool, I’m sure we can handle it.” Her words seemed to slow the yellow pegasus’ jitters.
“What about you, dear?” Rarity observed, “Not too long ago, you nearly had a nervous breakdown when you just looked at Victor, and he was completely harmless. We’re talking about barbaric creatures that would like nothing more than to tear us limb from limb. Are you sure you’ll be alright for this?”
Twilight gulped before continuing, “I admit... I’m still a bit scared of what lies out there, but with my friends by my side, It shouldn’t be a problem.” Twilight wanted to believe what she said, but the fear of the unknown still ate at her heart. I hope you’re listening, Twilight, she notioned to herself.
As the ponies continued to contemplate the situation, Applejack had been lost in thought. Suddenly, Applejack’s eyes shot wide open as an ultimatum appeared before her. “Hey, wait a minute, Twilight,” Applejack spoke up, “Y’all have to ask the princess first!”
Twilight let out a small groan as she thought to herself, She’s still going on about this? She asked, “Okay then, Applejack, explain why I need to ask the Princess first.”
“Because,” Applejack retorted, “yer the princess’ very own student. Don’cha think she’d wanna know if a student o’ hers is goin’ to a world fulla death an peril?”
Twilight was caught off guard and stammered, “Well... I... uh... um...”
Pinkie Pie became increasingly curious about this behavior. “You know, Twilight,” she declared, “you seem really determined not to ask the princess. Do you... not want her finding out about this?”
Twilight cocked her head back in shock and quickly defended herself. “N-n-no! That’s... t-that’s not it, I just... well...” Twilight took a deep breath and a moment to collect her thoughts. “I don’t want it to look like I’m completely dependent on the Princess.” Shame seemed to cloud her eyes. The next thing she heard was something unexpected: laughter. She looked up to see Rainbow Dash guffaw as she hovered in the air.
“Oh, that’s priceless, Twilight!” As she opened her eyes, she received sharp glares from Rarity and Applejack. The boastful pegasus cleared her throat and rebounded, “Uh, Twilight, in case you missed it, you kinda went over a list of all the creatures we’ve defeated without the princess’ help.”
Rarity cooled off her glare and directed her attention towards Twilight. “Rainbow Dash has a point, my dear,” she affirmed, “I’m sure the princess has the utmost confidence in you, let alone our combined abilities. Besides, the princess just might give us her blessing to go to London. A back of confidence like that might be just what you need to get rid of your jitters.”
A small smile of relief appeared on Twilight’s face. “So,” she began, “if the princess says we can, you’ll come with us to London?”
Rarity gave a simple nod in return.
Twilight turned to Fluttershy, “Well, how about you? Will you come with us?”
Fluttershy was hesitant, but gave her a confident nod and said, “I... I’ll go, as long as all of you are there with me.”
Last was Applejack, who still showed signs of concern. She closed her eyes as she let out a sigh and said, “Only if the princess says so, otherwise, I ain’t budgin’.”
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. This isn’t exactly what I had hoped for, but it’s better than doing nothing. “Then it’s settled. We let the princess know about this first, then we make the necessary preparations, understood?”
Everypony nodded.
“All right then, let’s go tell Spike and Victor what’s going on.”
**********
“...and sometimes a man will really fancy a woman. When he does, he gets something that we on earth like to call—” Victor’s risque explanation was cut off by Twilight opening the door. “Well, you lot took a while,” he said as the ponies filed into the room, “what’s the decision?”
Twilight stepped before Victor and said, “We’ve decided that we’re going to ask the princess for her thoughts on our plan before we do anything.”
Victor raised an eyebrow. “A plan? What sort of plan do you have in mind?”
“We’re all going with you to help deal with the situation in your world,” Twilight swiftly responded.
Victor’s look shifted from curiosity to incredulity. “Are you mad? Do you realize where you’re going?” Victor shook his head and rested it in his palm, groaning in frustration. “I mean, this isn’t exactly a land filled with singing birds and dancing bunnies,you know. This is a world filled with chaos and destruction. do you honestly thi—”
His tirade was cut short when Rainbow Dash flew up to his face and angrily shouted, “Listen here, buddy! You’re telling us that you need the strongest ponies to help you out. So here we are, telling you that we’re ready to help, and yet you doubt us? Either you can take our help, or you can get out of Equestria, and go back to wherever the hay you came from!” Her wings flapped furiously as she tried to contain herself.
Feeling an impending sense of idiocy, Victor slumped and let out a sigh. What am I doing? He thought to himself, I should be glad I even have six allies in this mess. He took a look at Twilight and said, “I apologize for that, I’ve just been a little on edge since this whole mess started. So all of you will help, eh? Better than nothing. Of course, the question is, how powerful are you?”
“We can be pretty, super-duper powerful, Victor!” Pinkie Pie chimed in, “You’ve got the fastest, strongest, kindest, smartest, neatiest, and partyingist ponies you could ever need!”
Pinkie Pie grinned an oddly stupid grin, which unexpectedly made Victor start to giggle. Even in times of chaos, this one can make me laugh, he thought as he took a look at the ponies around the room. “Well,” he casually began, “let’s just hope that kind, neat, and partying ponies will do the trick. When do we start?”
Twilight turned to Spike and asked, “Do you still have any quills or paper on you?”
Spike reached into what could vaguely be called his pockets and pulled out a special paper, a quill, and some ink. “I’m always ready to write whenever, Twilight!”
“Good,” Twilight began, “Take a note, please... to the princess.”
**********
Up in the mountains beyond Ponyville laid the city known as Canterlot, which played host to unicorns. The town appeared to be quite literally embedded in the mountains, as a series of spires and towers seemed to sprout from its rocky slope. Once a visitor crossed the moat into the city, they were greeted with exquisite architecture from every angle, a decent balance of astrological themed buildings combined with a respect for nature. From the most elegant of music shops to the simplest of donut shops, no expense was wasted in giving Canterlot its exemplary status.
The elegance of the city was made to suit the very reason Canterlot thrived as it did. It was the home of Princess Celestia. Her castle was as immeasurable as it was astonishing. Its exterior was lavishly decorated with many pillars and structures, etched with many ponies from even the oldest collection of mythology. The interior of the castle was just as beautiful, various arcs guided ponies along corridor after corridor, working through the entire castle. A set of stairs led to the upper level of the castle, the residence of Princess Celestia.
The princess walked through her chambers as she discussed her plans with the leader of the Royal Guard. “I presume the preparations are well under way, General?” she said to the guard on her left.
Walking with the princess was General Cruiser, a dark-grey unicorn with brown eyes and a white mane. “Indeed, Princess,” the guard confirmed. “Preparations across Equestria are proceeding as planned.” He took a moment to shoot a cold glance at a group of ponies that stared at the scar on his right foreleg.
“Are there any issues to report?”
“There have been minor requests from Appleloosa for more rain to help their new apple crops grow. Seems the rainfall has been steadily decreasing for the past to months.”
“Has this concern been addressed?” the Princess inquired as they continued their walk, skimming various bills and approval forms that were given to her.
“Swiftly and efficiently,” he briskly replied, “Fillydelphia has been reporting an excess amount of rain flooding some of their streets. It was as simple as redirecting a portion of the rainclouds to the desert.”
Celestia glanced at Cruiser, “Good, very good. Now, how are things looking around Canterlot?” she asked as she took a look out the stained glass window on her right, observing her subjects in the city streets below.
“All events are being prepared as scheduled. No reports of any inadequacies.”
“Excellent,”
They approached the door to the princess’ room, where a pegasus pony stood diligently as it guarded the entrance. “I have some important matters to attend to, General,” the alicorn said as she turned to Cruiser, “we’ll continue this discussion later.”
Cruiser bowed his head and said, “It’s always a pleasure, your highness.”
Princess Celestia flashed an approving smile as she nodded to the other stationed guard, which the pegasus returned the acknowledgement. She walked into her room, letting the door quietly shut behind her.
Cruiser turned around, returning to his emotionless demeanor. As he started to walk away, he heard his subordinate chatter, “The Princess is sure on top of things, isn’t she?”
The unicorn glanced over his shoulder, turning his attention towards the additional guard.
Standing on the right side of the door was Captain Aeriel Ace, a white, pegasus pony with a blue mane and blue eyes. Like the general, every guard was decorated in golden tinted armor, covering their back and chest, attached by a blue saddle. On the very front of the armor was a blue, five pointed star. Along with this, all guards were given a golden helmet with a different colored frill of hair, blue for the pegasi, white for the unicorns, and orange for the earth ponies.
“Would you expect anything less?” Cruiser mechanically spat out in response.
Ace slightly shifted. “No, sir, just observing out how efficiently she performs her daily tasks.”
“Well, Captain, the next time I need your observations, I’ll let you know.”
“... Noted, sir.”
The General proceeded down the hall, but stopped. He turned around and looked at the door, noticing a blatantly obvious problem. “Where’s the major?” he demanded. “It’s not like him to miss his post.”
Ace informed, “He sent a message that he accidentally crossed a patch of Poison Joke while taking the new recruits on patrol. He’s physically unable to make it in today, but a specialist was called in to prepare a remedy. He should be back in top condition tomorrow.”
“I always tell that colt to avoid those trails,” the stallion muttered to himself. “He should be lucky he didn’t endanger his platoon. If that’s the case, who has been assigned to this post? By the looks of it, they’re late... they’d better hope I don’t see them.”
Ace looked over Cruiser’s shoulder. “Well, sir, your answer is racing down the hall right now.”
Cruiser looked back and saw a black pegasus pony fly around the corner and approach the door at high speed. She made a hard stop and landed right before the two guards.
Despite her being out of breath, The black pegasus tried to keep an adept demeanor as she approached the guards. Her eyes flickered with panic as she recognized the commanding officer before her, which the general immediately noticed. “Please excuse me, sirs, I have an important message for the princess.”
Cruiser took note of the disheveled black mane which blocked part of her yellow eyes. “Name and rank, soldier,” he said to the antsy pegasus.
“Second Lieutenant Burst Shine, sir.”
“Well, Second Lieutenant, I shall be the judge of what is and isn’t important. Considering you’re late to guard the princess’ royal chambers, this had better be good. Now out with it, what do you have to report?”
Burst Shine swallowed the lump in her throat, but responded, “There have been reports of unusual activity in Froggy Bottom Bog, sir.”
“Reports of... unusual activity?” Cruiser nearly grimaced at his subordinate’s words. “Tell me something, Second Lieutenant, when was the last time there was any normal activity occurring in that cesspool?”
“Sir?”
He let out a disgruntled sigh and continued, “Froggy Bottom Bog has fluctuating activity almost every week. You might want to clarify as to what is so unusual, and be adamant about it.”
“Well, sir, there’s... well...” She started looking around the floor , as if searching for an answer.
“Eyes front when speaking to a superior officer, Lieutenant!” Cruiser snapped at the flaking pegasus before him.
She hastily barked out, “There are no specific reports as to what is occurring in Froggy Bottom Bog, sir! Just a few notices that have gathered after a week’s time.”
The dark-grey unicorn’s brow furrowed, “You mean to tell me that you felt you were authorized to barge into the Princess’ private quarters and relay meaningless gossip to her?”
The black pegasus slightly lowered her head and defended, “It’s not that, sir! it’s just...” she couldn’t help but feel herself slightly quiver in front of the general.
The general closed his eyes and shook his head, tutting the sad display of weakness in front of him. “A few words, and you’re already starting to crack. How in Equestria did you manage to become a Second Lieutenant, let alone get enlisted into the guard?”
Burst Shine sat there in silence, unable to utter a word under the weight of her humiliation.
"I’m requesting you for an evaluation, the psych ward will judge whether or not you’re fit for duty.”
She snapped out of her frozen state and protested, “But... sir! I-”
“Until then,” he interrupted, “attend your post and await further orders. Maybe you can be capable of standing in front of a door.”
Burst let out a stifled plea, “I know I can do this, sir!”
“That. Is. An order! To your post... private.”
The defeated pegasus meekly reply, “Yes, sir.” She walked to the left side of the door, ears folded back as she bit her lower lip.
Cruiser shook his head and walked off, a scowl growing on his face. “Fillies these days,” he murmured. “Not a single clue as to how the world works.”
Aerial Ace wisely judged that it wasn’t his place to intervene at any time, so after observing the altercation, he reflected on the matter. Threatening her rank for not knowing what the problem was? That’s cold, General, even for you. He shifted his gaze towards the Burst. “Hey, try not to let what he says get to you,” he consoled, “The general can be a real hardflank sometimes. Just... well,” Ace scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say. “Try to show some backbone next time, he hates weakness in guards.” His words were met with a half-hearted glance from the mare, who then returned to facing the halls. The poor mare is probably in the pits right now, and I just made it worse, didn’t I? Horseapples.
**********
“My, what a ruckus out there,” Princess Celestia remarked. “At least it’s quieting down. Now, where was I?” The Princess returned to the many scrolls and propositions that needed her approval. She often completed her tasks within her room, as it was the one place that could truly put her at ease. Its walls were a light shade of purple, with a cloud and shooting star design stretching across the room. Complimented with the thistle colored floor, elegant fireplace, and padded mat she had placed in the middle, it had quite a relaxing setting.
Hmmm, this can’t be right, the princess eventually thought to herself, shortly after looking over another scroll, Did I... look through everything already? There’s usually a mountain of approval forms waiting for me when the Celebration is this close. “Well, maybe I should get a jump on tomorrow’s objectives,” she said with a hint of glee. “Who knows, I could actually have time for myself on the day of the celebration!” She giggled at the thought of such a proposition.
As the princess began to take a look at tomorrow’s agenda, she noticed a trail of smoke trickling its way into her room. The smoke flew before her face and curled up into a ball , transforming into a scroll. It was wrapped in a red band and closed shut with a golden seal of a horseshoe. Celestia’s horn glowed as she picked up and opened the scroll. “Another letter from Twilight. Let’s see what she has to say this time.” As Twilight stayed in Ponyville, the only way she could send letters to the princess was to set them on fire. Unlike any other sort of paper, these scrolls were enchanted with a special kind of magic that would instantly send letters to Princess Celestia once ignited.
These letters to the princess would usually contain a message of what Twilight and her friends have learned about friendship. However, today’s letter was of a dark and important matter. As Celestia read on, her mood shifted from pleasant to troubled.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I wish I could be writing this letter under better circumstances. However, time is short, and we can’t cut corners. Last night, I had a dream, and it involved this world called “Earth” and it had a city called London. The creatures of this world are called humans, and they act very similar to us. One particular group of humans were involved with making this sub-species called “super-soldiers”. However, something went terribly wrong, and the humans were being attacked and devoured by these soldiers. One particular human named Victor had been escorted towards a portal device and jumped through it in order to search for help.
I had merely passed this off as a bad dream. Maybe the result of one too many late night reading sessions, I thought. However, recent incidents incline me to believe otherwise. Fluttershy had found a mysterious creature lying unconscious on a trail near her cottage, and it looked exactly like Victor! Not only that, but he recalled living through the same situation that played out in my dream. This leads me to conclude that my dream was not just a dream, but a vision. At this very moment, Victor has asked us to gather any help we can find to defeat these soldiers.
Now, a plan has recently come to light that seems to work best for everypony. With your permission, I humbly request that my friends and I go to London and take care of the problem in your stead. We have assessed the dangers in the human’s world, and considering how we’ve dealt with other threats in Ponyville, we feel we’re prepared for this. It’s unknown how long a task like this will take, but if it takes months to save an alternate world, then so be it. We will await your timely response.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
P.S. Pinkie Pie says hi
Upon reading the letter, Celestia muttered to herself, “A parallel world... full of ravenous, blood-thirsty creatures? Twilight Sparkle, what are you thinking?” She sat and stared at the scroll, contemplating how to approach such a request.
**********
Meanwhile, in Fluttershy’s cottage, a war of logic took place. “So what you’re trying to tell me,” a baffled Victor began, “is that even though Spike clearly set that scroll on fire, turning it into an illegible pile of ash, your princess is reading that same letter at this precise moment?”
A mentally exhausted Twilight retorted, “Yes, Victor! It’s magic, that’s all there is to it! I can’t explain it any clearer than I already have.”
The scientist looked to his right and shook his head. “If that’s true, how long do we have to wait to hear a response?”
“Shouldn’t be too long,” Spike piped up. “You’ll know when you see it.”
“In the meantime,” said Rarity, “I am slightly intrigued as to how your world works, Victor. You seem so familiar with ponies, animals, houses, and all sorts of objects in our world.”
Twilight put her hoof to her chin and added, “I... guess this would be a valuable opportunity to learn about your species, at least until the princess gets back to us.” I’ll admit, even I am dying to know more about this London place.
Rainbow Dash murmured, “Here we go...” rolling her eyes as she waited for Twilight to indulge her curiosity.
Spike piped up, “Yeah, and you can tell me more about those birds and bees or whatever that's all about.”
Pinkie Pie cut in, “Birds and bees? Are they different in London?”
The baby dragon shook his head, “No, Pinkie, it's a me... meta...”
“Metaphor,” Victor assisted.
“Yeah, that. Humans in London use that in order to explain where babies come from.”
Everypony froze.
“Uh... what was that last part, Spike?” Applejack said as a nervous expression spread onto her face.
“You know, where babies come from. I asked Twilight about it once, and she just said that I should 'wait until I'm older' before I know about that,” he said while crossing his arms in contempt. “So Victor here was telling me all about it.”
Victor noticed everypony staring at him, to which he replied with a nonchalant, “What?”
Rainbow Dash flew to Victor and sat next to him, saying, “We've kinda got a lot on our plate as it is, and we really don't need to pile on something like this.”
“Exactly,” said an uncomfortable Rarity, “we really... really don't need that right now.”
The purple dragon threw his arms in the air, “Oh, come on, what’s the harm in just telling me?”
“Y-you see, Spike,” A flustered Fluttershy explained, “Um... you r-really shouldn’t find out wh... wh... things like that until y-you’re older.” Her cheeks reddened as the conversation dragged on.
“Yes, Spike,” an agitated Twilight said, “It would be better if we told you when... you’re... older.” Her deathly glare shot daggers into Victor.
The scientist was quick to defend himself. “Oy, don’t blame me!” he replied. “All of you were off yakking your gobs for so long, so Spike and I had a nice chat. Eventually he starts to wonder where babies come from, and I figured, who better to explain conception than a biologist?”
Applejack scratched her head, “Con-what now?”
Twilight looked at the orange pony and raised her eyebrows twice.
“Oh, right.”
Rainbow Dash hovered off of the bed, saying, “Ugh, why are we even talking about this?!”
“Well, duh!” Pinkie Pie said, while bouncing up to Rainbow’s altitude, “We’re waiting fo—”
Suddenly, Spike began to gag. Shortly after, he belched a stream of green fire which turned into a scroll.
Victor nearly fell out of his bed. He managed to stammer, “W-w-what was that?”
“Aw, it was nothin’, jus’ Spike gittin’ a letter from the Princess,” said Applejack, amused at the spectacle before her.
The scientist cleared his throat in embarrassment. “So,” he began, “does this sort of thing happen very often? I can’t imagine it being very good on the body.”
Twilight levitated the scroll in the air and said, “To answer your first question, this only happens every once in a while. The princess doesn’t generally send me too many messages unless it’s important. Secondly, dragons are fireproof on the inside, and he has never mentioned a letter hurting him. Unless, of course, the princess sends a lot of letters at once... hoo boy, I remember how that turned out.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me, Twilight,” Spike said, gripping his stomach. “Even thinking about it makes my stomach turn inside out,” he said while sticking out his tongue.
“So this is how you talk to your princess?” Victor said as he scratched his chin. “You just throw letters into a fire and they appear on the other end?”
“Well,” Twilight began with a smile, “This is what happens when you’re the princess’ personal protege.”
“So, your princess burns letters and sends them to you?”
Twilight nodded her head. “See, Victor? It’s simple to understand.”
“Does this mean your princess breathes fire?”
“Yes, she— Wait... what? No. She just puts the letters into the fireplace in her room.”
“Ah, alright.”
Spike began to open the scroll before them and read the princess’ decree out loud.
My faithful student, Twilight,
I must say that reading a letter such as yours in the midst of this week’s preparations is rather... unsettling. The very notion that such a world exists puts me ill at ease. On top of that, you and your friends wish to travel to such a world and help end its problem yourselves? You sure know how to worry an old mare, my student.
However, I admit that your points aren’t ill contrived. You and your friends have skillfully mastered the magic of friendship, and proven yourselves in situations of great peril. While I still have my concerns about your destination, I have the utmost faith in you, Twilight Sparkle. I give you and your friends my blessing to go to London and ease its pain.
Granted, I’m hoping you hadn’t planned on entering such a world empty-hoofed. I shall be sending you the Elements of Harmony. Entering such a hostile world means you should be prepared for anything and everything, so a little bit of extra help shouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, I can’t risk sending them with this scroll, Spike might not be able to handle so many powerful objects passing through his system at once. I’ve sent for the fastest mailpony in the service to get the elements to you as soon as possible, but even so, it may take upwards of an hour for them to reach you.
In the meantime, I suggest you and your friends take this time to prepare yourselves. Take anything you deem necessary for this trip, you may very well need it. May the winds of fortune guide you, my student. Above all else, stay safe. You are irreplaceable.
Your mentor,
Princess Celestia
“That settles it,” said a stern Rarity, “we’re going to London.”
Twilight turned to Applejack, who appeared a little more than displeased with the results, and said, “You’re still with us, right, Applejack?”
The orange mare looked at her friend and gave a confident nod. “If we’re gonna do this, then let’s do it,” she said as she walked towards the door.
“Applejack, wait!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “We still need the Elements of Harmony!”
“Ah know that,” Applejack sharply replied. “Y’all heard the princess, we’re gonna need supplies an whatnot... A-ah’ll be back in an hour.” Not waiting for any further protests, Applejack let herself out.
Twilight asked, “Is she really going to be okay?”
Rainbow Dash took a look out the door, then turned back to Twilight. “I’ll go talk to her. My house is in the same direction, anyways,” she said as she took off.
“So,” Victor broke in, “is anyone going to tell me what these ‘Elements of Harmony’ do?”
Twilight’s eyes shot open. “Oh, right,” she said with a sheepish grin, “it’s a bit of a lengthy explanation. The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful objects in our universe. They can seal evil entities away and bring peace to everypony. As my friends and I have recently discovered, each of us represents a different element.” Twilight began to pace around the room as she explained, “Rarity represents the element of generosity, Pinkie Pie represents the element of laughter, Fluttershy represents the element of kindness, Applejack represents the element of honesty, Rainbow Dash represents the element of loyalty, and I represent the element of magic. When all of us are together, the power of the elements are harnessed in order to defeat whoever wishes harm onto ponies.”
Victor played with the idea in his head. “They can defeat anypo— anyone?”
“There hasn’t been a creature left standing once we’ve used them.”
Victor rubbed his hands together. “Well,” he began, “I’d say my coming here was the best bout of dumb luck ever.” A smile grew on his face, only to fade into a melancholy look. “And we have to wait a whole, bloody hour for these to arrive?” Victor asked.
Everypony nodded.
“I’m sorry, Victor,” Twilight cooed, “just please be patient. Once the elements arrive, we can help.”
Victor gave a fake chuckle. “Okay then, I guess we’ll have to wait an hour while more of my friends get gutted and eaten back on earth.” The ponies looked away from the scientist. He let out a sigh and said, “I’m sorry, I know you’re doing what you can. It’s just... every minute that passes is another minute where someone is dying in my world. I just don’t want to go back to London and find out that everyone’s dead when I know I could’ve prevented it.”
Fluttershy hovered right next to Victor, rubbing his back, and said, “Please don’t worry, Victor. Um... if it makes any difference, I’d say you’re doing more than anypony back in London could,” she said while offering a comforting smile.
He let out a deep sigh and said, “You know, I’m tired of sitting around. I think my head’s feeling better.” With Fluttershy ready to help, Victor slowly but surely lifted himself from the bed and tried to keep his balance. He took three steps before he began to wobble, but quickly regained his posture. As soon as he could jump without any significant pain, the scientist questioned, “So, what happens now?”
Twilight looked back at her friends. “Well, we have time until the elements arrive, so we should go get our supplies as well. Who knows how long we’ll be in London.”
Rarity and Pinkie Pie gave a simultaneous, “Alright,” and both headed off to their respective houses.
Fluttershy looked at Twilight, “I need to get ready, but, um... who would help care for the animals while we’re gone?”
Twilight shuffled a hoof on the floor before a smile lit up on her face. She began, “Don’t worry, I know the perfect pony for the job. If I’m lucky, they’ll be here before I get back. Come on, Spike, we don’t have any time to lose.” The baby dragon hopped onto Twilight’s back and they made their way back to the library.
Victor turned to Fluttershy and said, “I guess that just leaves you and me.”
Fluttershy hovered in the air and said, “Well, I can get you something to drink while you wait here, that is... um... if you don’t mind.”
He crossed his arms, “Depends, what do you have to drink?”
Fluttershy put her hoof to her chin, “I... can get you milk, water, tea, ju--”
“Wait,” Victor interrupted, “you have... tea?” Fluttershy gave a nod. He let out a sigh of relief. “After the day I’ve had, tea would be lovely.”
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Some Person
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853
| 4 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-03-02T22:12:10+00:00
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2012-03-02T22:12:10+00:00
| 1,695 |
Applejack galloped towards her home as a million thoughts crossed her mind. I have so much to do, so much to say, she thought to herself, and I ain’t got no time to get it done! She was so focused on getting to her destination, she could barely hear Rainbow Dash flying behind her.
“Hey, Applejack!” The blue pegasus cried, “Hold on a second!” Her request went unheard as the orange mare continued to gallop at a high speed. “C’mon, Applejack,” she said to herself, “It’s not that hard to hear me. I’m yelling pretty loud, aren’t I?” Rainbow increased her speed so she could overtake Applejack with ease. Once her friend was fully aware of Rainbow Dash’s presence, she slowed for a second, but quickly resumed galloping.
I don’t need distractions right now, Rainbow, Applejack thought, as she tried to block the pegasus out of her mind.
Rainbow felt slightly insulted at Applejack’s dismissal. She flew right next to Applejack, yelling into her ear, “Equestria to AJ! Come in AJ... That means you, Applejack!!!”
She tilted her head down and continued running, even quickening her pace in an effort to avoid any conversation.
The pegasus pony was in utter disbelief at her friend’s behavior. However, she got an idea. Rainbow yelled at Applejack, “If that’s how it’s going to be, then fine!” and took to the sky.
Shortly after Rainbow Dash left, Applejack took a look around her, noticing her friend was nowhere to be seen. She brought herself to a stop, taking a moment to catch her breath. “Ahm sorry, Rainbow,” she said to herself, “but this ain’t the best time.” She resumed trotting towards her home. It wasn’t long until she heard a faint voice on her left.
“Hey, Applejack!”
Applejack shot a glance to the left, expecting to see her friend, but nothing was there. Her immediate confusion brought her to a stop. I... I could’a sworn I hear— Suddenly, Rainbow Dash tackled her from the right, causing the two ponies to bounce and roll on the ground until they landed in a nearby pond.
Both ponies sat up, coughing and spitting out water. Applejack yelled, “Rainbow Dash! Whaddja do that for?!”
“What did I do that for? What about you?!” Rainbow accused, forelegs stretched in the air. “I’ve been trying to get your attention this whole time, yet you’ve been ignoring me. What gives, Applejack?”
The earth pony made her way back on land, shaking off the excess water in her mane and tail, and put her hat back on. “In case y’all weren’t listenin’ back there, we’re gonna be gone fer a while, and we ain’t got much time in Ponyville before headin’ out.”
“Yeah, I got that,” Rainbow Dash replied, “and I also got the part where you were so against this idea.”
Applejack sighed as she rolled her eyes, “RD, ah got some business that needs ‘tendin’ to, and you ain’t helpin’ none. Now leave me be.”
“Don’t just play this off like nothing is wrong, Applejack!” Rainbow angrily said, “What’s this all about?”
“Ah don’t see how that’s any o’ yer business.”
Rainbow let out a disgruntled groan and said, “Seriously, Applejack! Here I am, trying my best to help you, but you’re just telling me to buzz off!”
“Listen, Dash,” Applejack began, “ah know what’cher tryin’ to do, but ahll say it again. Ah ain’t got no time to talk.” Applejack started to trot off, but not before she was cut off when Rainbow Dash ran in front of her.
“Well, you gotta make time, Applejack!” Rainbow exclaimed, “You’re obviously not okay with all of this, so spill!”
Applejack took a good look at Rainbow. Neither one dropped their gaze, as if their intensities locked them in place. After a few seconds, Applejack looked to the floor and shook her head. “No,” she began, “y’all wouldn’t understand.” She walked past a frustrated Rainbow Dash and kept on her trail.
“Then help me understand, Applejack... please.”
At first, Applejack was ready to keep walking, but something about Rainbow’s question made her slowly come to a stop. Applejack had never heard the pegasus pony ask for something in this manner, making her think twice about her actions. What am I doing? Won’t be helping nopony if I’m all shelled up like this. She gazed at the sky for a bit, sighed, and looked over her shoulder. “Walk with me,” was all she said.
Rainbow caught up with Applejack, as the two of them walked along the path. She expected to immediately talk about what Applejack had on her mind, but the earth pony kept silent. As much as she wanted to spur the conversation on, the blue pegasus was afraid of completely deterring her friend from speaking her mind.
“Ya know,” Applejack eventually began, “ah don’t mean to put on the cold shoulder or nothin’. It’s just... mah family is still here on the farm, an’ they depend on me. What if they need me while ahm gone? Ah don’t think ah could take it if somethin’ bad were to happen when ah could’a been here ta prevent it.” Applejack’s head hung low once more. She slowed as her woes held a firm grip on her pace.
Rainbow extended a wing over Applejack’s back. “I know you’re a hard worker and all, AJ, but you really need to understand that the Apple family doesn’t depend solely on you to function. You’re one of many ponies who contribute towards your family business. Sure, you’ve all got your specialties, but one pony can’t run a farm. They’ll be fine, trust me.”
Applejack gave a small smile. However, her happiness was short-lived, quickly replaced by another issue. “But, there’s still Granny Smith ah gotta worry ‘bout. She’s gettin’ on up there in her years, and...”
“C’mon now, you know something like that isn’t in your control, Applejack.”
“Yeah, but ah don’t wanna regret not bein’ there f’r her.”
When another bout of silence took place, Rainbow took this as her opportunity. “You know, Applejack, you seem really concerned about what may or may not happen. If you don’t want regrets, then I say you just do what you gotta do and say what you gotta say before we leave. Then at least you can go to London, with everything off your chest. I’m pretty sure everypony else is going to do the same thing.” Much to her relief, Applejack’s smile returned once more, and she picked herself up and out of her slump.
“Alright, Rainbow. It’ll be hard... but it’s better than doin’ nothin’.” Applejack turned her head up and looked at her pegasus companion, “Ah guess ah really did need somepony to talk to.”
“Aww, it’s no prob, AJ, I’ll always be there for my friends.”
“It’s a bit funny, though,” the orange mare pointed out, “ah would’a expected this kinda pep talk from Twilight or Rarity, maybe even Fluttershy, but not you.” She gave her friend a light nudge on the shoulder, “Guess ah still got a thing ‘r two to learn about’cha.”
Rainbow chuckled lightly, “Yeah, I guess being the element of loyalty comes with it,” she said as she gave a sheepish grin. “I never thought I was any good with these psychology horseapples.” They both shared a good laugh.
The two ponies had been locked in their discussion for so long, neither one of them noticed the farm coming into view before them.
“Well,” Rainbow Dash began,” I guess I better go to my place. I’ll see ya later, Applejack... and... I hope you feel better.” She hugged her friend before flying off.
“Bye, Rainbow!” Applejack said as she waved goodbye. Feeling a new sense of determination, Applejack headed to her family’s farm, Sweet Apple Acres. It was the typical sort of farm that anypony would see in a filly’s storybook. A classical, red colored barn with vines hugging each wall, coupled with two fields of vegetables on the right. To the left of the farm, there was a chicken coop and various sheds which held many supplies needed for any odd jobs on the establishment. Beyond the farm lay acres upon acres of apple trees, showing off a luscious collection of red and green apples throughout. The Apple family had owned the spot of land for several generations now, and the orange mare was next in line to inherit the business. She learned this fact at a young age, earning her a cutie mark in the form of three red apples. Applejack trotted towards the farm, heading under an awning decorated with shrubbery and the family’s staple crop, and past a well and various bales of hay scattered about.
As she walked, she came across different members of the Apple Family. Oh, that’s right. The Apple Family Reunion is comin’ up... I hope I’ll be back for it. As she walked, she greeted the many different relatives that were busy getting themselves settled. The farm pony moved through the land until she noticed the owners of Sugarcube Corner, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. “Howdy, y’all!” she called out to the couple.
Mrs. Cake turned to see the orange mare approaching. “Oh, hello there, Applejack,” the pudgy, blue mare delightfully greeted.
Mr. Cake piped up, “I didn’t think we’d be seeing you here. Is the party going smoothly?”
“It’s goin’ better than Big Macintosh’s harvest on a good day. Nothin’ to worry ‘bout a’tall,” Applejack reassured. Suddenly, Applejack’s face snapped into confusion. “Hold on a second. Are yer youngun’s somewhere ‘round here?”
“No need to worry, Applejack. Miss Cheerilee offered to watch over the kids while we gathered our ingredients,” Mrs. Cake replied.
“Y’all aren’t still waitin’ on yer batch’a apples, are ya?”
“Oh, no no no. We already got those, Applejack,” the slender, yellow colt said as he shook his head. “Your family looked like they needed some extra help, so we decided to help them stock the inventory.”
“Well, that’s mighty kind of ya!”
All three of the ponies shared a smile, until Applejack realized what she was doing. I ain’t got no time for small talk, I need to hurry! “Ahm mighty sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cake,” Applejack apologized, “but ah gotta skedaddle, ah’ll be sure to talk to y’all later!” I hope...
“Wait, Applejack!” Mrs. Cake objected, “Before you go, we have something we’d like you to give Pinkie Pie.” She reached into a sack on her left and pulled out a plastic bag. “Pinkie Pie mentioned she’d be needing streamers for another one of her parties, so we thought we’d go get her a bundle from the gift shop. Would it be too much trouble for you to give these to her?”
“Uh... a-alright,” Applejack stammered, her mind too preoccupied with getting to her home. “Ah’ll be sure to do that.” She grabbed the bag with her mouth, and gave the Cakes a parting nod before trotting off. She moved past the barn and made her way towards her house, taking the time to appreciate where she had been born and raised. She loved everything about it: from the yellow, tiled walls, to the rickety, wooden porch out front. She walked up the steps and towards the screen door. When she opened it, she was welcomed with the smell of fresh, home-made cooking. She always looked forward to this scent after a long day’s work. It seemed to be the perfect way to wind down. I’m gonna miss all this. As she walked into the house, she heard a rapid succession of footsteps rounding the corner.
It was Winona, Applejack’s pet dog, running to greet her master. She was a toffee-brown border collie with patches of white on her chest, tail, feet, and snout. A golden dog tag clinked as it flailed about on her red collar. The dog immediately started jumping around Applejack, excited to see the earth pony again.
“C’mon now, Winona, easy!” Applejack lovingly commanded, as she tried to fend off her dog’s affection. Once Winona had calmed down, Applejack gently petted her head.
The farm pony made her way up the stairs, Winona following close behind, as she made her way to the bedroom. Before she reached her door, she noticed the closet door to the left was open. She peered in to see her older brother, Big Macintosh, grabbing a set of bags and hoisting them onto his back. Big Macintosh - or Big Mac, as some preferred to call him - was a tall, red earth pony with a cutie mark in the shape of half a green apple. As he picked up more bags, some fell on his head, bringing a patch of dust down with it. He shook it out of of his long, orange mane.
Applejack took another step and a board creaked, perking up Big Mac’s ears. He turned around and his green eyes locked onto his sister standing in the doorway. “Well, howdy, sis. Ya work so hard in the field last week, and ya spend yer day off back here?” he scoffed with a smug grin on his face.
“Ah know, ah know, Big Macintosh. Ah just came here ta get a few things.” She left her brother to his work and entered her room. Its turquoise-colored walls matched the carpeted, green floor. Not quite spacious, but she never asked for much. She walked over to her bed, white covers sloppily thrown on, and lifted her pillow. She grabbed a faded picture of her family, something she hoped would motivate her on the perilous journey ahead of her. It was a taken in her fillyhood, when she had earned her Cutie Mark. She reminisced over that time, remembering how her brother was so scrawny back then, her grandmother had a bit more of a spring in her step, and before her sister had even been born. There were two other ponies in the background, but they had been ripped out of the picture. These ponies were her parents, whom she very rarely saw due to the work they did around Equestria. She couldn’t remember why she ripped them out of the picture. It must’ve been out of anger, when she was too young to understand how hard they worked. During all of her nostalgia, she hadn’t noticed the red colt walk into the room and peer over her shoulder.
“Goin’ somewhere, sis?”
Applejack jumped and spun around. “Big Mac, ya startled me!”
“Sorry, AJ, but really, why do ya have the picture? Ya only get that photo when yer headin’ off somewhere,” he said, quizzically staring at her.
Try as she might, she couldn’t possibly lie to her brother... but she could try to spare him of some details. “Ya see, Big Macintosh,” she began, “There’s this predicament that the princess wants us to solve, and we gotta go help some folk in a far away place.”
Big Mac looked confused. “Ya mean... like the time y’all fought that dragon?”
“Somethin’ like that, but that’s why ahm home. We’re gunna need some supplies fer the trip.”
“Want me ta help ya pack, sis?”
“Nah, it’s fine, ah can do it.” Applejack turned around and looked through cabinets and put anything she’d need in a satchel. “By the way,” she continued without turning around, “where are Granny Smith and Applebloom? Ah got some things ah need ta say to ‘em.”
Big Mac leaned against the door. “Sorry, sis, but Granny Smith is off in the Town Square running errands, and Applebloom is off with her friends.”
Applejack dropped the few objects she was holding. Those words made her heart sink. I... can’t see them before I go? Can’t tell them that I love them? Are they just gonna think I walked out on them? Applejack gritted her teeth, as her lips started to quiver. She could feel a lump in her throat and her eyes misting over, but would have none of it. “Not now, consarn it, not now!” she whispered to herself. She managed to suck up her tears and keep herself steady. She asked over her shoulder, “Then... can ya leave a message fer them?”
“... Like what?”
“Oh, well... jus’... tell ‘em that ah’ll be back soon, and not to worry ‘bout me... and that ah love ‘em,” Applejack blankly told her brother.
The red stallion’s look changed to concern, “Ya sound like we ain’t gonna see you again, AJ. How long will ya be gone?”
She could feel her grief returning again, but quickly shut it out. “Ah don’t know, Big Mac... but, a-ah jus’ don’t wanna leave without sayin’ goodbye to everypony. Heh, guess ah can’t even do that, huh?” she said with a shaky smile.
“This is soundin’ more and more like it’s not just ‘some predicament’. What sorta predicament is this?”
Acting completely unfased, Applejack coldly said, “It ain’t mah place ta say.”
Big Macintosh sighed and shook his head, “Sis, ah hate seein’ ya like this. If ya really wanna talk to the two of ‘em, then can’t ya jus’ wait here? Ahm pretty su—”
“That’s just it, Big Macintosh,” Applejack said, half-heartedly looking for valuable possessions to bring for the trip, “we ain’t got much time to git ready fer this trip. Folks are in a heap’a trouble, and ah told mah friends ah’d only go if Princess Celestia said so.”
“Ah take it she did?”
Applejack nodded her head in response. Her back was still turned, but Big Mac wouldn’t sit idly by. He walked over to his sister and rubbed her back, freezing the mare in place. “Don’t worry, AJ. Ah’ll tell ‘em ya left on official business. Ah dunno what yer gonna be doin’ out there, but... don’t take too long, ‘kay? An’ keep yerself safe, ah don’t wanna be deliverin’ empty promises.”
Applejack sat there motionless until she turned around and gave her brother a hug. “Thank you, Big Macintosh... thank you...” The two siblings sat in a silent embrace. A lone tear squeezed its way out of Applejack’s eye, and traveled down her cheek. After stealthily wiping it away, Applejack pulled away from their embrace and said “Well, ah... ah gotta keep packin’.”
“Let me help ya, sis,” Big Macintosh said with a benevolent smile.
**********
Soon, the front door opened. Applejack stepped out, satchels filled with anything and everything she could potentially need. Both she and Big Mac moved to the edge of the porch. No words were shared as Applejack stared at the daunting steps before her.
She turned to face her brother, “Thanks fer talkin’ to me, Big Macintosh. It... kinda helped.”
“It was the least I could do, sis. Ah am family, after all.” The siblings shared one last hug before Applejack proceeded down the porch stairs. Before she could reach the lowest step, she heard Winona running towards her. Big Mac closed the screen door, leaving the dog inside. Winona barked and whimpered, trying frantically to go to her master.
With a comforting smile, Applejack said, “Ahll be back soon, Winona, don’cha worry! Jus’ make sure this big lug doesn’t do anythin’ stupid while ahm gone.” Big Mac just shook his head at her light-hearted joke. She took one more look at her brother, and said, with a confident smile, “Goodbye, and thanks fer everythin’... yer really the best brother ah could’a asked for. Ah love you, Big Macintosh.”
“Ah love you too, AJ.”
With that, she stepped off of the porch and headed towards the farm’s entrance. As she walked, Winona’s pleas grew quieter and quieter until they were inaudible. Once she made her way through the farm, she saw the trail back to Fluttershy’s cottage. She started to look over her shoulder, just to take one last look at her home. However, she stopped and refocused her attention on the road ahead. No, my friends need me now, she reflected as she began to gallop with a heavy heart and a firm resolve.
**********
Shortly after Rainbow Dash had finished consoling Applejack, she flew towards her home on the outskirts of Ponyville. Being a pegasus pony, she was granted with the ability to walk on clouds. Because of this, her home resided in the sky. It was quite elegant, considering her brass nature. It was completely comprised of clouds, measured at three stories high, and pillars reminiscent of the Roman era held the establishment together. Two rainbow-colored waterfalls flowed freely to the left and right of the house, complete with a rainbow shooting out of the roof. If the excessive amount of rainbows weren’t enough of a hint as to whose house it was, the engraved replica of Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark atop the door was enough of an indication.
The pegasus pony touched down and walked along the winding, blue pathway that led into her house. She walked up a flight of stairs to her room, colored with a light shade of blue, and illuminated with sunlight coming through the windows. She flopped herself onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. “What should I even bring for this?” she said to herself.
As the pegasus laid on her left side, she noticed the many awards she previously earned for her athletic feats. Her eyes traveled along the many commendations until her eyes fixed themselves on the poster she hung on her wall. It was a picture of her idols, the Wonderbolts. She had two chances in the past to impress them, one on the day she saved three of the Wonderbolts and Rarity from certain death, and another when she had an exclusive, albeit short, chance to talk to this group of ponies at the Grand Galloping Gala. Both instances never made much progress, but being one of the fastest flyers in Equestria was sure to get her noticed... someday. Her mind started to wander. She glanced down to her cutie mark, a cloud with a lightning bolt colored red, yellow, and blue, remembering how she earned it in one of her many races as a filly. When we get back, I’m trying out for the Wonderbolts. No more waiting around.
**********
Later, she flew outside of her home, looking through her bags once more. Man, this stuff is heavy, she thought, I hope I don’t need anything else.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” cried a voice from below.
Rainbow looked to the ground for the source, only to see an orange filly with a slightly spiked, pink-purple mane and tail looking eagerly in her direction. Hmm, didn’t think I’d see her before I left. She flew downwards and gently landed. “Hey, Pipsqueak, what’s up?”
The filly before her was none other than Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash’s first, if not biggest, fan. “Oh, I was just on my way to meet up with the other crusaders. Then I saw you flying by, and I wanted to ask you something.” Her purple eyes showed a cross of anticipation and excitement.
“I’m listening.”
“Well, I was thinking about going into flight school soon, and I was wondering...”
“Yeeeessss?”
Scootaloo gently scratched the floor before answering. “Do you think that you can teach me how to fly? I thought I could get a headstart on the other ponies.” She grew more and more bashful as she asked - what she felt was - so much of her idol.
Rainbow was taken aback. “You want... me to teach you?”
Scootaloo lightly nodded her head.
Rainbow placed a hoof on her chin as she looked elsewhere, getting lost in her thoughts. I’ve never given much thought to teaching anypony flying. It could be more annoying than fun. She looked back at Scootaloo, who still looked as humble as before. Then again, taking on an apprentice has its perks. Kinda like what Spike and Twilight have got going on. Having an assistant might not be so bad. She gave a smile and said, “Alright, Pipsqueak, I’ll teach you.”
Scootaloo’s face lit up. She said, “Yes!” as she jumped for joy-
“But...”
-and, just as quickly, flopped onto the floor. Scootaloo gave the rainbow pony a confused look. “But what, Rainbow Dash?”
“It’s gonna have to wait until I get back.”
“Get back from where?”
“See these?” the blue pegasus said while motioning to the saddlebags strapped onto her waist, “I’m on a top secret mission from the princess, herself! My friends and I got a letter not too long ago saying that there’s a land in need of our help.” She began to crawl on the floor, commando style, saying, “There’ll be tons of danger and misfortune; certain death is a given, but it’s nothing ol’ Rainbow Dash can’t handle!”
The prospect of her idol dying seemed to go in one ear and out the other, as Scootaloo’s eyes shined with astonishment. She awed, “Where are you being sent?”
“It’s... a faraway place. I can’t tell you much, other than the fact that the princess is sending us to go help hu— ponies in need. It’s top secret stuff, you know, like in books. I could tell ya, but then I’d have to kill ya.” Rainbow had started to smile nervously, unsure whether or not the little filly bought her story.
Scootaloo sat and blinked a few times, processing this new information. Shortly after, a smile grew on her face. “Alright, Rainbow Dash. If it’s a mission from the princess, then they made the right choice to bring you along! No way can anything hurt the future leader of the Wonderbolts!”
Rainbow gave a faulty chuckle, “Woah, Pipsqueak. I know I won the Best Young Flyer’s Competition, but... I don’t think I’m quite set to be their leader, yet.” Her retort was met with a perplexed look from Scootaloo. Rainbow thought about her answer for a moment, and hastily replied, “Ah, who am I kidding, I probably am good enough to be their leader. I’m sure they’ll be begging for me to join them before I even try out!” Both of the ponies shared a good laugh.
“This is going to be so awesome!” Scootaloo said as she pranced around Rainbow Dash. “I can’t wait until you get back! Then we can talk all about your mission, AND you can teach me how to fly!”
“Yep, it’s a promise, Pipsqueak! With me by your side, you’ll do fine going through Flight School.”
“I just hope I can be as good as you, Rainbow Dash. I bet you were the best flyer through all of your years in school.”
Rainbow’s face showed dismay for a split second, before being covered by her brass nature. “Y-yeah! I was the top of my class and everything! Nopony did better than me... nopony...” She couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth to the filly before her, it would have to be a story she’d share another day. “Well, I should really get going. I don’t want my friends to think I’m stalling or anything.”
“I’ll wait for you, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said as she sat on her haunches, and gave a salute with a smile.
Rainbow took a good look at the young filly. I remember when I used to be like that, those were good times. “I’ll see ya later, Pipsqueak.” She felt her heart tug, ever so slightly, begging her not to leave the filly alone. However, she ignored it and flew off.
Scootaloo was left there, waving goodbye to her idol. Once Rainbow was out of sight, she pranced around in excitement. “I’m gonna tell the crusaders all about thi—”
Her idol’s words echoed through her head, It’s top secret stuff.
“That’s right, I can’t tell anypony about this! It could be bad news for her.” She walked over to a scooter leaning against a nearby tree. Once the orange filly hopped onto it, she snapped on her white striped, purple helmet, and began to quickly flap her wings, giving her scooter momentum.
Not too long after Scootaloo gained speed, she brought herself to a stop. She took another good look at her scooter, noticing how badly it needed repair. It had seen better days, as evident by the scratched up, blue board and the worn and squeaky red wheels underneath. “If I’m trying to be an amazing flyer like Rainbow Dash,” she reasoned, “then maybe I shouldn’t be rolling around on wheels.” She got off of her scooter, leaving it to fall on its side in the middle of the dirt path, removed her helmet and placed it right next to the rejected object. She turned around, ignoring them, and prepped her young wings. She found herself only able to flutter a foot off the ground. The young flyer didn’t get too far before becoming exhausted. She ran back to the scooter and hopped on. “Maybe just one more time, at least until I meet up with the other crusaders.” With that said, Scootaloo scooted towards her next destination.
**********
Pinkie Pie was inside her room at Sugarcube Corner. Various party apparel flew to and fro as she continued her search. She giggled as she placed more items into her satchel. “Oh my gosh, this is going to be so exciting!” she chirped, speaking at the speed of a freight train. “We’re gonna go to a new world, and we’re gonna make new friends, and we’re gonna... do whatever else they do in London! This reminds me of the time I first met Twilight; when I went,” she paused as she let out a huge gasp, then continued, “and I thought, ‘Really, what can top that?’ Maybe this will be that top!” As the party pony continued to gather items, she happened to notice something move. It was green and crawled about on her floor. She trotted over to the spot and picked up a baby alligator. “Hey, Gummy! How’s the bestest, cutest, funnest gator doing today?” The alligator blinked his oblong, purple eyes in response.
She giggled and said, “Oh Gummy, you are so crazy!” She smiled as she looked at her pet, but her smile slowly faded as another thought came to mind. I’m not coming back for a while... am I? She pulled Gummy in for a hug, and said, “My friends and I have to leave really soon, Gummy.” She looked at Gummy once more, displaying bittersweet eyes and a reassuring smile. “We’re going to this place called London, and these things called humans need our help over there. I don’t know how long it’ll be, but I promise that I’ll come back as fast as I can. When I come back, we’ll have a ton of fun to make up for lost time! We’ll go to carnivals, go sightseeing around Equestria, maybe... Oh! We’ll go looking for the best cupcake and cookie recipes and throw a gigantic jamboree in celebration fo—”
Her rambling was cut short when Gummy licked Pinkie Pie’s cheek. The pink mare hadn’t noticed it at first, but she was crying this entire time. She wiped her tears away and stared at her little alligator, giving him a warm, comforting smile. “Thank you, Gummy,” she softly said as she nuzzled Gummy before setting him on the floor. She looked to her left at her bookcase, seeing pictures of her many adventures around Ponyville. Memories flashed through her mind, making her chuckle a bit. We’ve had so many good times together. I suppose it was pretty silly to think they wanted to stop being friends...
She took one look back at Gummy, who was preoccupied with a toy doll that fell on the floor. She left the door slightly ajar, saying, “Goodbye... Gummy.” As she made her way down the stairs, she dug through a cabinet and found a pencil and a piece of paper. She wrote out a note explaining her sudden absence to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, leaving it neatly folded and under the bell on the counter. Without wasting another moment, she hopped out of the building, and headed back to Fluttershy’s cottage.
*********
Rarity walked towards her home, her mind abuzz with ideas. I’ll need to bring something worthwhile. What would I bring? For that matter, what would I wear? Does it get hot or cold in London? I’d never expose one of my dresses to such an environment, I doubt one could even fit in my knapsack. I’ll bring my scarf, and this time I won’t forget the tiara. Maybe a pair of sunglasses to match, nothing too bulky, though. Oh, I just hope they don’t get dirty over there. Come to think of it, what about me? This beautiful mane can only look perfect for so long. Even more than that, what about the boutique? Who can I trust to watch the store in my absence? What do I do? Rarity was so caught up in her thoughts, that she bumped right into another pony in the market.
“Oh, my sincerest apo—”
“Hi, Rarity,” the mare interrupted in a friendly tone.
Rarity looked up to see Bon Bon standing before her, an earth pony with a light-yellow coat and a cutie mark resembling three pieces of candy. Her mane and tail were poofy bunches of dull-blue hair, with a fuchsia section streaming through both areas.
“Bon Bon! I’m so terribly sorry for bumping into you,” Rarity said.
“It’s no big deal, Rarity,” the light-yellow earth pony mentioned. “What brings you to these parts? Seemed like you’d be at Pinkie Pie’s party today.”
“Oh, I was but... uh... plans came up! Yes, that’s it!”
“Huh, okay then.” There was an awkward silence cast as the conversation screeched to a halt. “Well...” Bon Bon began, “I’ll see you later.”
The earth pony began trotting off when Rarity realized the solution to her problems. “Wait, Bon Bon! Can I speak with you for a moment?”
Bon Bon turned around with a puzzled look in her turquoise colored eyes. She asked, “What do you need?”
“You remember those plans I mentioned?”
“It’d be pretty hard to miss something you mentioned a few seconds ago.”
The white unicorn let out a nervous giggle as she said, “Yes, well, it’s just come to my attention that I need to head off on a... business trip of sorts. I could be gone for a quite a while, and I need somepony to watch Carousel Boutique while I’m gone. Would you, by any chance, be willing to run the store for me?”
“Oh... uh... I don’t know, Rarity. Are you sure I’m the best pony for the job?” Bon Bon said with a sheepish grin.
Rarity nodded her head. “Considering the circumstances, I’d say so. I was literally told I’d be leaving no more than fifteen minutes ago, and I only have an hour to prepare. I don’t have many other options. Besides, you have an interest in fashion, don’t you?”
“How do you know that?” Bon Bon asked, unaware of Rarity’s perception.
“Do you remember Fluttershy’s last show as a model?”
Bon Bon nodded.
“Well, I happened to spot you in the stands right before I defended Fluttershy’s... unique display. Not only that, but I’ve seen you look into the store on occasion. It seemed as if there was a sort of longing written on your face, yet you would always stop yourself from coming in. I just put two and two together, that’s all.” Rarity just smiled at an astonished Bon Bon as she finished her observation.
“You managed to figure out all of that?”
“My dear,” the observant pony began, “a fashionista would be useless without an eye for detail.”
Bon Bon scratched the floor a little, as she considered her offer. “Well,” she modestly said, “since you’re offering, I’ll do it. I happen to have some free time, so I don’t see why not.”
Rarity’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you so much! You don’t mind walking with me to the boutique, do you?”
The modest mare shook her head.
“Wonderful! While we’re at it, we can find you something to touch up that mane of yours. It’s becoming rather droopy, if you ask me.”
Bon Bon patted her dark-blue and fuchsia hair. “I suppose I could use something new.”
As they traveled to the boutique, Rarity tried to get Bon Bon up to speed for how to run the shop. When nearly everything had been covered, they had arrived at their destination. The boutique was quite an appetite for the eyes. It resembled a sort of carnival tent, with a pink canopy shading its blue walls. Extrinsic designs were plastered throughout, giving more of a taste to the exterior. Atop this was, true to its a name, a carousel with two pony figurines placed in. Rarity and Bon Bon walked up to the purple door, as Rarity continued her lesson. “Now, what’s the slogan for Carousel Boutique?”
Bon Bon cleared her throat. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and... magnifique?”
“Yes! Perfect! I think you’re going to do just fine, Bon Bon.” Rarity opened the door and let the earth pony inside. “I must say,” she commented, “you really know more about fashion than you let on. Why would you keep such knowledge under wraps?”
Bon Bon lowered her ears and had a look of shame on her face. “You see, some of the ponies I talk to act like anypony who’s into fashion is poofy or an airhead. If I told them... they might not even talk to me anymore.” She noticed Rarity shaking her head slightly, a mix between disappointment and understanding. “I know it sounds like something a schoolfilly would say, but they’re really good friends, and I don’t want to lose them.”
Rarity turned around and looked for her saddlebag. “Ask yourself this, Bon Bon; would you prefer to be yourself and risk losing your friends, or keep lying to yourself just to hold onto these ‘so-called’ friends? If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a friend’s opinions may matter, but following them to a ‘T’ can leave you completely worn out.” She found her bag inside of a nearby cupboard. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some things together. I won’t be lo—” The sound of a crash upstairs interrupted Rarity.
“What was that?” Bon Bon asked.
Rarity’s look shifted to an unpleasant one. “I think I know exactly what that was. Just take a look around the store, familiarize yourself with some of the products whilst I take care of this problem.” Rarity walked up the stairs as Bon Bon did as she was suggested. The walls were pink, sharing the same designs seen outside. Several mannequins were spread with dresses on them, some were made for upcoming fashion shows, and others were just made for fun. Pink curtains sectioned off other works that Rarity wouldn’t want exposed to the public just yet. Next to each curtained off area was a mirror stand and a washbasin. Looking around the store, it finally began to set in that she would be around all of these dresses and have the chance to meet so many fashionable ponies. She couldn’t help but let out a tiny squeal of glee as she began to peruse the store. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door.
**********
Rarity reached the top floor, and noticed the door to her sewing room was slightly ajar. I have a bad feeling about this, she thought as she gingerly pushed the door open. She stood there, mouth agape, as she processed the current state of the room. Papers were spread all across the floor. Balls of yarn and spools of fabric were stretched across the room, leaving trails which criss-crossed over the floor. Even rolls of fabric had been tossed about. Her eye started to twitch as she surveyed more damaged goods from knocked over mannequins, to a damaged sewing machine.
She saw movement underneath a pile of fabric. Out popped a filly’s curly, light-purple and pink locks of hair, who began to say, “Now look at what you did, Opal! Sis is going to freak when she gets home!” This was Rarity’s younger sister, Sweetie Belle, a white unicorn. Right next to the young unicorn, a cat’s head rose from the pile of fabric. It was Opalesence: a white, chubby persian with beady, green eyes and a light-gray tail. A purple bow was placed atop the hair on her head. On her neck lay a purple collar, fashioned with crystal-clear beads and a multi-colored orb in the center, showcasing a purple flower border around it. As the pet got out of the pile of cloth, she dusted herself off and walked over to her master, purring innocently as she rubbed herself against Rarity’s foreleg. Sweetie Belle turned around and froze. The pupils in her light-green eyes shrank at the sight of a disgruntled Rarity. She meekly chuckled and said, “Hi, sis... back so soon?”
Rarity was doing all that she could to suppress her anger, choosing her words very carefully. “Sweetie Belle, what have I told you about playing in the sewing room?”
“It’s not my fault, sis!” Sweetie Belle protested. “I saw Opal running in here, and she was walking around with this ball of yarn. I tried to get it from her, but she wouldn’t stop running. Next thing I know, she makes me run into a cabinet. The cabinet knocked over something else, and then—”
“Regardless,” Rarity interrupted as she shot a quick glance at her cat, “you should know better than to run around the sewing room.” Sweetie Belle drooped her head in shame, but her sister continued, “One unwound ball of thread is much easier to clean up than all of... this,” she said as she pointed her hoof at the piles scattered around the room.
“I’m really sorry, sis, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Sweetie Belle stared at the floor, unable to look her sister in the eye.
The elder unicorn quickly realized what she was doing. I can’t leave on a note like this. “Sweetie Belle, come here.” She ushered her sister over.
The younger unicorn slowly raised her head and asked, “Are you going to yell at me?”
“Just please,” Rarity insisted, “come here.”
Sweetie Belle sluggishly made her way over to her sister. Before she could say anything, Rarity held her in a tight embrace. “Sis, why are you—”
“It’s okay, Sweetie, just... just wait here for a bit.”
Sweetie Belle did as she was told and sat there, confused, while she returned her sister’s hug.
Rarity whispered, “I don’t have much time...” piquing Sweetie Belle’s attention.
She stepped back and looked at her sister. “You don’t have time? Time for what, sis?”
Rarity let out a sigh and uttered, “I... I have to go for a while, Sweetie. There’s some business I must attend to. These clients are far away, so... I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“It all depends on how long it takes to cut a deal with these clients of mine,” she said as her mind raced to create a fib. “They have a... unique taste in fashion.” Rarity opened up a curtain, allowing a ray of sunshine into the room. “If the deal is quick, I could be back in a few days. Otherwise it could be quite a while. I wish I could have told you sooner, Sweetie Belle, but there was just no time.”
“Well,” Sweetie Belle began, “maybe I could go with you! I can help yo—”
“No, absolutely not!” Rarity quickly shot out.
Her sister’s ears fell flat, and her eyes grew watery, as she weakly replied, “Okay...”
Rarity walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that. I just— I need to do this by myself. I can’t drag you all over the place. There would be no time for visiting, not to mention you would be bored stiff.” The true reason rang through Rarity’s head. You mean the world to me, Sweetie Belle, and I can’t even bear the thought of losing you. Please stay safe in this world.
Sweetie let out a petite, “Okay,” as she walked away from her sister, a shroud of gloom encompassing her.
Rarity felt a pang of guilt when an idea struck. “How about this, Sweetie Belle? If you stay good for me while I’m gone, I’ll teach you how to sew when I get back.”
The little unicorn’s face light up. “You mean it, Rarity?”
Rarity nodded her head, and added, “Just make sure you stay out of trouble, okay? I don’t want to come back and find out you’ve driven ponies up the wall.” Both of the ponies shared a small laugh before quieting down again. She doesn’t look too thrilled with this, but I’ll be sure to make it up to her if— when I make it back.
“Okay,” Sweetie Belle agreed, “Just come back soon, alright, sis?”
“I promise.”
The two sisters shared a hug, one Rarity dared not forget. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. “Come to think of it, Sweetie Belle, why are you here? Did our parents send you to get something?”
Sweetie Belle’s backed away to face her sister. “Actually, I came here to ask you fo—”
Her answer was interrupted by a pitter-patter of hoofsteps rapidly approaching their location. As the sound bounced around in Rarity’s head, the gears started turning. It can’t be...
The door to the sewing room burst open, as two fillies dashed through the doorway. “Hi Rarity!!! Hi Sweetie Belle!!!” they shouted in unison. Standing right next to Scootaloo was Applejack’s younger sister, Applebloom: a yellow earth pony who had a red-orange mane and golden-orange eyes. The filly spoke like her sister, and kept her mane tied up with a pink bow.
“Didja get the yarn we need, Sweetie Belle?” Applebloom asked, as she jumped up and down.
“I was just about to ask.” Sweetie Belle’s wide grin resurfaced. “Sis... ?”
Rarity gave the three fillies a nonchalant look, but soon smiled and asked, “What color do you need?”
“Red!”
“Blue!”
“Green!”
“All of those?” Rarity asked. The three fillies nodded. Rarity’s ear slightly twitched at the mis-match of colors, but she still supplied her sister with what she needed. “Now, what do you three plan on doing this time?”
Scootaloo piped up, “We’re going to set up a tent at Pinkie Pie’s party and see if anypony wants a knitted sweater!”
“But... it’s summer.”
“Exactly!” said Sweetie Belle. “If we start making ponies sweaters now, ponies will be prepared for the winter!”
“‘N maybe it’ll git us our cutie marks!”
All three fillies cried at once, “Cutie Mark Crusader Seamstresses, Yay!!!” The three fillies were a part of their own club they called “The Cutie Mark Crusaders”. After discovering there was more than one “blank flank” in their class, the three fillies struck up a conversation, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were born. Their goal: finding their cutie marks.
The deafening pitch of the three fillies put Rarity’s wits on end, but she controlled herself, gently saying, “I think that’s a wonderful idea! You’ll do great, I’m sure of it!”
“Thanks, sis!”
Bon Bon entered the room. “Sorry about that, Rarity. I thought those two were still downstairs with me, then I heard all this commotion.”
Rarity looked back at the crusaders and said, “Do you three have somepony to help you out?”
The smiles on the three fillies soon faded, and they looked at each other.
Applebloom began, “We didn’ think’a that.”
Rarity was about to lecture on how they needed a supervisor for such a task, but Bon Bon spoke up, “I can watch over them for the day.”
The Crusaders looked at Bon Bon, smiles ablaze, while Rarity’s face showed nothing but concern. “Are you sure about that? I mean, I’m sure there are others who would love to watch over these three.”
“It’s really no problem, Rarity.”
“It’ll be hard enough running the store, but watching over the crusaders as well? I’m worried you’ll be biting off more than you can chew.”
Bon Bon shook her head. “No need to worry. I watch over some of the foals and fillies whenever Cheerilee is sick, especially these three.” She looked at the crusaders, giving them a sly smile.
Rarity was surprised. “You mean, the girls have never been a problem before?”
“Well, there have been some issues in the past,” Bon Bon said as she rolled her eyes, “but I’ve gotten better at watching over them.”
Rarity turned her attention back to the crusaders, who tried looking as innocent as possible. Well, this does take care of two problems at once. “If you’re one-hundred percent okay with this, then I don’t see why not.”
The crusaders cheered and yelled, “Thanks, Bon Bon!!!” With no other obstacles about, they began to discuss how they’d go about setting up their new business.
Rarity walked over to Bon Bon and commented, “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re willing to do all of this, and on such short notice, too!”
“There’s not much else I’ve got going on,” Bon Bon clarified. “Besides, those three make babysitting a really fun task.”
Fun... that’s what she calls it... fun. Without any other worries, Rarity took a saddlebag and started to put various necessities in it. Upon completion, she took another look at Sweetie Belle. She was laughing it up with her friends as they tried to show a confused Bon Bon their first idea for a sweater design. A gentle smile curled on Rarity’s face as she quietly left the room, gently shutting the door behind her. “This is for the best,” she muttered to herself. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the door open again. The unicorn turned around to see Sweetie Belle running down the stairs.
“Wait up, Rarity!” The filly nearly leapt into her sister, giving her a hug as she said, “I’ll miss you, sis!”
Rarity could nearly feel her eyes misting over as she uttered, “I’ll miss you too.” The two siblings sat for what felt like an eternity, not wanting to let go.
Scootaloo called from the stairs, “Sweetie Belle! Bon Bon is going to let us take her measurements, c’mon!”
“Okay! Be there in a minute!” Sweetie Belle replied. She looked at her sister, unsure of what to say.
Rarity just nudged her sister to the stairs, saying, “It’s alright, you go on ahead.”
“Goodbye, Rarity.”
“Goodbye... Sweetie Belle.”
The filly trotted up the stairs and joined the crusaders.
Rarity’s heart sunk when the door shut with a definitive thud. She headed to the front door when a glint of sunlight from a nearby table caught her eye. As she got closer to the reflection, the source came into focus. It was a card Sweetie Belle had made for her. It showed a crudely drawn rendition of the two sisters, surrounded by radiant, azure gems in the shape of a heart. The first time she saw this image, it nearly gave her a heart attack, as the gems were required in order to make a very important dress. Now it gave her a sense of comfort. She carefully folded the image and placed it into her bag. I’ll come back for you, Sweetie Belle. I promise. She gracefully walked out of the Boutique with her head held high.
**********
Twilight Sparkle trotted through town with Spike on her back. “I don’t care what Victor says, Spike,” the unicorn insisted, “I’m not going to discuss that with you until you’re older!”
“I’m going to find out eventually, Twilight,” Spike replied. “You can just get it out of the way and tell me now.”
“No, Spike! This discussion is over!”
The baby dragon slumped on her back. “Fiiine,” he said in defeat, “remind me what we’re doing again.”
Twilight looked back at her companion. “If we’re going to another world, we need to gather a lot of supplies. Books aren’t so much of an issue. I already have an idea of what to bring in that category. However, we’re going to need an ample amount of durable tools. If we’re going to be in London for a long time, we’d better be ready for it.”
“What about food and water, Twilight?”
The unicorn rolled her eyes. “Of course we’ll get those, Spike, but right now we need to focus on getting things that we won’t be eating. Besides, if London is anything like how I saw it, there will be plenty of food and water available.”
“But these are zombies, Twilight!” the dragon pleaded, “food and water are never easy to find! It happens all the time in the comics!”
“They’re not zombies, Spike,” Twilight stated matter-of-factly, “they’re specimens. Victor said as much.”
Spike sat atop Twilight’s head. “Didn’t you say that those ‘specimens’ were eating other humans?” he said, enacting air quotes.
Twilight stopped as she blinked twice with a widened expression. “Well, yes... but—”
“Then they’re zombies!”
Twilight just gave him an agitated glare. After a few seconds of saying nothing, she refocused her attention on the path ahead and let out an exasperated sigh. There’s just no convincing him, is there? Before long, the duo were back in front of the library. Twilight walked into her home, grabbing a bag from a nearby cupboard. “Okay, Spike. I’m going to arrange that list of books that I might need. In the meantime, you go get anything that’s essential for this trip.”
Spike piped up, “Anything?”
“Yep.” Just before the baby dragon went out of sight, she piped up, “But that doesn’t mean getting a bunch of toys or comics. I mean things that I really, really need!”
Spike rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. Jeez, I understand that much.” He walked into the hallway leading to the basement, leaving Twilight to herself. She levitated a piece of paper to her desk, and began to write out her list of essential books. By the time she had written down three books, a spark went off behind her, startling the unicorn. She turned around and saw The Doctor. However, something was amiss; his cheery demeanour was replaced with a distant, unfamiliar void. Not only that, but his coat had splotches of ash throughout, he now wore a leather arm band, and he held what looked like a metal wand in his mouth.
What’s The Doctor doing here? Twilight thought, And HOW did he get here anyways?
He placed the metal object on the floor and sternly said, “Hello, are you Twilight Sparkle?”
Confusedly, she answered, “Yes I am, but...”
“Good,” The Doctor interrupted. “First thing’s first, Miss Sparkle. I am The Doctor, and I—”
“I already know that.”
The Doctor’s head cocked back in shock. “You know who I am? Have we met before?”
Twilight nodded her head. “We met earlier this morning.”
The colt averted his gaze from Twilight, contemplating how to proceed. “This morning?” he muttered to himself, “Hmmm, I’ll need to remember that.” He looked back at the purple unicorn, and said, “On to business. I need to borrow a few books from your library.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor,” the mare replied, “I can’t do that. I don’t have enough time.”
The Doctor assured, “It’ll be quick. I have a list of all the books I need right here.” He grasped a sheet of paper that was attached to his arm band and held it in his mouth.
Twilight shook her head. “Doctor, please don’t make me repeat myself.”
“I have the book locations listed as well. You can focus on what you’re doing, and I can get what I need.”
Twilight looked outside. A little more than a half an hour had passed, as evident by the sun’s change in position. “Fine, Doctor, but if you need any help, you’re out of luck.” Not wasting any more time, she focused on compiling her list of books.
Fifteen minutes passed while The Doctor assembled his collection and Twilight took note of her itinerary. While she focused on her list, she heard some odd, whirring noises. She looked over her shoulder to see The Doctor perusing the books, using the metallic wand to search through the shelves. He held it in his mouth as the device emitted a distinctly blue glow. The unicorn’s interest was piqued, but she quickly brought herself back to the task at hoof. It’s probably nothing.
Meanwhile, Spike made his way back up from the lower levels, dragging two bags filled with various necessities. “I got everything you need, Twili—” He stopped himself when he saw the colt in the library. “You again? What do you want?”
The Doctor appeared annoyed. He sarcastically said, “Well, aren’t you as pleasant as before.”
Before? Twilight set down her quill and trotted over to the baby dragon, stopping him before he could retort. She whispered, “Spike, I don’t know why, but he’s completely forgotten about me.”
Spike uttered, “How? He sure acted like he knew us earlier.”
“I know, but keep an eye on him, he seems different from this morning.”
Upon saying that, the two individuals heard The Doctor say, “All done.”
Twilight turned around and saw six books stacked together. Reverting to her librarian mind-set, she asked, “Did you find everything okay?”
The tan colt nodded and said, “If there’s nothing else to say here, I’m gone.” As he was about to press a button on his armband, he heard Twilight ask another question.
“Wait,” she asked, “what is that metal wand, right there?”
The Doctor raised his hoof, and opened his mouth as he was about to answer, but hesitated as he shut his mouth, taking a quick glance around the room. “Spoilers,” he said, as he pressed his armband and zapped himself and the books out of the room, leaving no trace of his existence behind.
Twilight and Spike were left dumbfounded, jaws dropped on the floor after what they just witnessed.
The purple unicorn remarked, “Doctor... who or what are you?” She walked back over to her desk, leaving Spike to collect himself, and picked up her list of books. “Enough about that colt. There’s no more time to waste, Spike. I’ll take a look at what you’ve got and see what I can afford to take. In the meantime, I need you to look for these books,” she said while giving him the list.
“You got it.” While he searched for the first book, Twilight sorted objects into a need and a don’t need pile. She had sorted through half of the objects when Spike piped up, “Twilight, we have a bit of a problem.”
“What’s wrong, Spike?” Twilight said, without taking her attention off her itinerary.
“I was looking through your list, and your first book, The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Herbs and Remedies, it’s not on the shelf.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure it’s not somewhere else?”
The purple dragon nodded his head. “I looked on the shelves nearby, no dice.”
“It’s not?” Twilight asked with a hint of disbelief. “Darn it, I could’ve really used that one. Other than that, did you get the other books together?”
“That’s just it, Twilight. It’s not just your herbs book, all of the books on your list are missing.”
“All of them?!” she exclaimed, sharply turning around. “That’s not possible, they were all here... earlier...” Twilight started to put the pieces together. “Spike, let me see my list, please.” He handed it to Twilight. After reading what she wrote, she noticed there were six books on the list. She asked aloud, “Doctor, what are you doing?”
“What’s wrong, Twilight?”
The purple unicorn turned to her assistant. “None of the books I need are here, and The Doctor just made off with six books, my list has six books on it. I’m certain he took the books I need.”
“Huh.” Spike crossed his arms. “I knew he was weird, but this? How did he know what to get?”
That very question had been racking around Twilight’s head. This doesn’t make any sense; for those specific books to be gone, it would have to mean... no. It’s not possible, there’s just no way. Or is there? Twilight’s ignorance was short lived, as she asked, “Are there any other books missing?”
Spike shook his head. “Besides books checked out to ponies in Ponyville, those are the only ones that are gone.”
Twilight came about to her answer. “Well, the only explanation I can see here is... time travel.”
“Ah, time travel. Wait, what?”
“I don’t want to believe it, but think about it, Spike. The Doctor shows up one minute knowing who we are when we don’t know him. Then he shows up later not having a clue who I am, yet he knows you. Not to mention he happens to have a list of books and coincidentally those exact books are gone when I need them. He probably got his hooves on my list, somehow.”
Spike tried to digest this theory, as he gave Twilight a smart-alecky glance, saying, “Do you still think we should trust him?”
Twilight looked at Spike, then back to The Doctor’s previous location. “I don’t know, Spike, but I don’t think we can afford not to.”
Not wanting to waste another minute with idle chatter, Twilight quickly sorted through her belongings and placed any necessities into her bag. Various books, memorabilia, and notes went in until the bag was filled to the brim. With a small struggle, the bag was snapped shut. “Alright,” she said, “that’s the last of it. It’s time to head out.”
“I’m right behind ya, Twilight!” Spike said as he grabbed a bag of his own.
Twilight stopped in her steps, causing Spike to run into her hind legs. “Where do you think you’re going, Spike?”
With a slight sense of shock in his eyes, the baby dragon said, “I’m going with you... right?”
“No, Spike, you have to stay here.”
“What??? Here?! But why?”
“Because, Spike,” Twilight said, as she walked closer to the baby dragon, “London is a very dangerous place. There are horrors in that world that nopony should ever see. On top of all that, I can’t risk anything happening to you.”
Spike's face dropped. "But Twilight, I have to go! I-I'll make myself useful! I swear!"
Twilight sadly shook her head as she said, “I'm sorry, Spike. It's too dangerous.” I don’t even want to think of what those creatures could do to you.
“But—”
“No ‘buts’, Spike,” Twilight interrupted. “This isn’t open for discussion. You’re staying here, and that’s final!” She stamped her hoof down for emphasis.
Spike tried to stay calm as spoke, but he was quickly becoming upset. “I can't stay here, Twilight. Please take me! How am I supposed to know if something bad happens to you?”
She flinched, trying not to think about that. “We'll be okay, Spike. I promise—”
“You can't promise that,” he replied, tears gleaming in his eyes. “What if... What if I never see you again?”
Finally, it hit Twilight. This would be the last time in a long while that she’d ever see Spike. She’d be leaving near everything behind in order to help Victor and the humans. Not only that, but there was a slim chance that she might not make it out of this, leaving the baby dragon alone in the world. She could feel a lump in her throat, as she tried to answer Spike. “Oh, d-don’t worry about us, Spike. We’ll be back before you know it.” She felt as if she were about to lose her composure under the weight of her emotions.
“That’s just it, Twilight, I don’t know when you’re coming back!” Spike said with tears welling in his eyes. “What if you guys get hurt out there? What if something goes wrong? What if... if...” Spike let his tears flow, feeling too helpless to do anything else.
Twilight couldn’t take seeing her assistant in a state like this, and hugged him. There was a slight struggle on Spike’s part, but he eventually yielded to her comforting embrace. “Spike, you need to understand. This is something we have to do.”
Spike grumbled, “Anypony else could do it.”
She pulled away and shook her head, a somber expression on her face. “It has to be us, you know that.” The baby dragon looked away. Twilight could feel her chest swell at Spike’s display. Good one, Twilight... What do I do now?
“Promise me one thing,” Spike said as looked Twilight in the eye. “Promise me that you’ll keep everypony safe.”
Twilight laid a reassuring hoof on his shoulder as a weak smile attempted to resurface. “I promise, Spike. I’ll protect everypony.”
“Pinkie Pie Swear?”
Twilight blinked twice at the little dragon’s request. She found herself giggling for a moment. The Pinkie Pie Swear was an oath made by the pink pony, herself. It was a declaration of trust, and should it be broken, it was the quickest way to lose a friend forever. “Cross my heart... hope to fly... stick a cupcake in my eye,” the purple unicorn said as she mimicked the oath’s actions. She and Spike stood there, relishing in this moment. Ultimately, Twilight said, “Well... I should get going. The Elements could arrive any minute now.”
Spike felt slightly reassured, and hugged Twilight. “Come back soon, okay?”
Twilight said, “I will,” as she laid her head atop his. She gently pulled away from her assistant, and walked out the door, saying, “Goodbye.” Every step she took from the library made her legs feel like lead. She wanted to cry, but no tears would come. It wasn’t clear why, or how, but not a single tear would escape those anguish-filled eyes. One look, she thought to herself, Just one look, you owe him that much. She stopped and turned around, seeing a teary-eyed Spike looking down at her through one of the windows. She waved goodbye, despite how difficult it felt to do so. When Spike moved away from the window, Twilight knew it was time. She began the long trek back to the cottage.
**********
Victor sat back in one of the chairs in Fluttershy’s den. “Ponies control the weather, too? I’m telling you, the more I hear about this place, the more it sounds completely bonkers.”
“You can say that about Ponyville,” Fluttershy said as she placed a few objects in a bag, “but everypony I know would think it’s strange to see the weather change on its own.”
“Well then,” Victor mused, as he picked up his cup of tea, “let’s agree that both of our worlds are a tad screwed up.” Fluttershy giggled to herself as the biologist took another swig. The taste of the tea left him in mind-numbing ecstasy. He placed a teacup on the table, and let out a sigh of relief. “I have to tell you, Fluttershy,” he said, as the pegasus pony flew back and forth between rooms, “this tea is... well, it’s amazing! I can’t put it any other way!” It’s actually better than my mum’s.
“Oh, I’m glad you like it. I was given the recipe from Zecora.”
“I’m sorry, who?”
“That’s right, you don’t know her,” Fluttershy said as she floated right next to Victor. “Zecora is a zebra who li—”
“There are zebras in this world?” Victor interrupted.
“Um, yes, there are.”
“I see, hmm, not too surprising when you think about it. Anyways, I’m sorry, continue.”
“Well,” Fluttershy began, “she’s a zebra who lives out in the Everfree Forest. We used to be so scared of her, but then we got to know her, and she turned out to be very friendly. She‘s very knowledgeable in potions and brews, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that she was also good at making tea.”
“I see,” Victor reflected, as he drank more tea. There was a little squeak that both Victor and Fluttershy could hear to their right. A baby mouse was on the floor, crawling aimlessly.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy cried, “What are you doing out here? Your parents must be so worried.” She set herself onto the floor and let the tiny mouse crawl into her open hooves. Using the utmost care, she lifted the mouse over to a nearby mouse hole, where two larger mice were eagerly awaiting their baby’s arrival. She said, “Now, try not to wander off next time, alright?” as she gently placed the mouse on the floor once more.
Angel hopped on top of Victor’s head, nearly making him spill his tea. The biologist said, “Your friend here seems... nice.”
“Oh, yes, Angel likes nearly everypony he meets.”
Angel lowered his head enough to be in Victor’s line of sight. He gave the scientist a glare which said, “I’m watching you, buddy. You hurt her, and I hurt you. Don’t think I can’t make it look like an accident.”
Fluttershy smiled. “That’s his way of warming up to you.”
“Oh, I’m feeling the love, alright.” Victor watched as the bunny hopped off his head and onto the table in front of him. He placed the now empty cup down. “I still can’t believe you handle watching every single animal. I hardly imagine it being easy work.”
“It was hard at first,” Fluttershy explained, “but the animals are just such a joy to be around. It’s the perfect job for me, and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t think I’d be too good a weather pony.”
While Fluttershy was happily chatting with another animal, Victor began to think to himself. I know she’s a part of these Elements of Harmony and whatnot, but Fluttershy really concerns me. I doubt she’s the type that can handle violence very well, let alone gratuitous amounts of blood and gore. Will she really be okay? Victor instinctively went to drink some tea, then remembered the teacup’s current state. “Would it be too much trouble for another cup?” he requested.
Fluttershy quickly responded, “Not a problem at all!” and left the room, returning shortly after with a now-full glass.
Right away, there was a knock at the door. “Are they back already?”
The pegasus pony peeked through a nearby window and saw a turquoise unicorn with yellow-orange eyes standing at her door. Fluttershy gasped and said, “Oh my goodness, you have to hide, quickly!”
Victor nearly fumbled his tea cup upon Fluttershy’s demands. “What are you talking about? Who’s there?”
“I don’t know, but you need to hide; go upstairs, quick!”
Victor hastily made his way up the flight of stairs as Fluttershy went to the door. She gently opened it and quickly asked, “Hello? Who are you?”
The unicorn held an object wrapped in cloth in the air, and said, “Hi! Are you Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy nodded and weakly said, “Yes, that’s... that’s me.”
The unicorn brushed some of the white highlights in her dull-green hair to the side, and said, “Well, hello there. My name’s Lyra. Twilight told me that I needed to head over here as soon as I could. Something about a bunch of animals, right?”
“Oh!” Fluttershy said in surprise. “Twilight did tell me she’d find ‘the perfect pony for the job’. Please, come in.”
Lyra remarked, “‘Perfect pony’, huh? I like that.” She walked into the house, trying not to brush anything with her tail, which shared the same color scheme as her mane. She placed her wrapped object on the table and said, “So, where are these animals?”
“Oh, the indoor animals are pretty shy around new ponies. They’ll come out on their own. For now, I’ll take you to see the outdoor ones.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Fluttershy led Lyra outside, walking past wooden chairs, tables, and beds of flowers. They came across a chicken coop, multiple hens walking to and fro, pecking at the dirt for whatever tasty seeds lay below them.
“Is this all of them?” Lyra asked, sounding slightly disappointed.
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, no, no, there are many more animals than this. They’re beyond these borders.”
The turquoise unicorn said, “Alright! Let’s go see the little guys!” as they both moved on. Along the way, Lyra nearly walked into a tortoise.
“Oh! Please be careful around Tank, Lyra!” Fluttershy said, as she placed the shelled animal elsewhere. “This one belongs to Rainbow Dash. She wouldn’t be too happy if something happened to him.”
“Chickens, tortoises, rabbits, there really are all kinds of animals out here, huh?”
“Oh, this is just the beginning,” Fluttershy emphasized, “There are plenty more, up ahead.”
The two ponies walked towards the forest, as Fluttershy piped up, “Um, if you don’t mind my asking, how do you know Twilight?”
“Oh, me and her?” the turquoise unicorn began. “We go waaay, way back. We were good friends, back in Canterlot. Okay, maybe not so much friends, more like acquaintences. It was rare to talk to her. She was pretty anti-social up until she moved out here.”
Fluttershy inquired, “Wait, Canterlot? What brings you out here?”
“Well, up until recently, I had a music shop set up in the Royal Plaza. Things were great, but the place tanked in light of the more ‘professional’ music shops nearby, so I happened to notice a vacant shop in Ponyville. One day after moving in, I met Pinkie Pie, who was demanding a pair of maracas. Shortly after, she introduced me to ponies all around Ponyville, reintroducing me to Twilight in the process. She’s really opened up since I last saw her, and now we’re great friends.”
“Oh, I see. We—” Fluttershy was interrupted by a loud ruckus of growls, roars, and snarls. “Oh dear! What’s going on?” The caretaker flew towards the source of the noise, with Lyra following close behind. As they got closer, they saw many animals having what looked like a heated argument.
Lyra looked at the situation before her, and said, “Okay, just wait here for a minute.” Before Fluttershy could react, The unicorn ran back towards the cottage.
**********
Victor sat in his chair, being ignored for the umpteenth time today. As he was looking out a window, the sound of a door bursting open startled him. Without much time to think, he hid himself behind the chair, as Lyra entered the room. She said, “Welp, guess I gotta show her the main reason why Twilight called me out here.”
Victor slowly peeked his eye around the corner to see Lyra unwrap a golden lyre, which looked exactly like her cutie mark. Are you telling me ponies can... you know what, nevermind. I think I’ll go mad if I ask any more questions. Lyra ran out the door as fast as she came in, slamming it shut behind her.
**********
Lyra ran towards Fluttershy’s location, lyre floating by her side. One quick serenade should do the trick. As soon as she saw Fluttershy hovering near a tree, Lyra triumphantly jumped to her side and said, “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, I’ll calm these animals down faster than you can say...” She stopped herself as she saw the scene before her. There was no more arguing, no more growling or snarling. “What... what happened?”
Fluttershy set herself on the ground and said, “Oh, you took off so fast that I didn’t have a chance to stop you. The animals sometimes get angry at each other, but it’s very easy to calm them down.”
Lyra drooped her ears at her own uselessness and said, “Really...”
Fluttershy focused her attention to Lyra’s instrument. “Um... why do you have that harp with you?”
Lyra looked at her instument and said, “Well, first, it’s not a harp, it’s a lyre. Second, I was planning on playing a song for the animals. You know, just to see if they’d calm down. It’s worked before, so I thought it might happen again.”
“Oh! Some of the animals might enjoy that kind of music. I’d love to hear you play when I get back.”
Lyra shyly chuckled, and said, “Well, I guess I can do that.”
As the two ponies made their way back to the cottage, Fluttershy instructed Lyra on the necessary procedures for taking care of the animals: feeding, grooming, healthcare, the works. When all was said and done, Fluttershy asked, “Does this all make sense to you?”
The lyre player scratched the back of her head. “Kinda. I’m sure I’ll get it down in no time. Oh, that reminds me; what do you have for medical supplies? You know, in case an animal gets sick?”
“Actually, I have a first-aid kit upstairs. I’ll go get it.” Fluttershy traveled to the top floor, where she saw Victor hold the kit in front of her. She whispered, “How did you find it?”
Victor muttered, “It was on a nearby shelf. Wasn’t too hard to get.”
“Oh, well, thank you.” Fluttershy took the kit and floated back downstairs. She sat down next to Lyra and opened the case. Much to her dismay, the contents of the case were in low supply. I don’t have time to get any more of these medicines! What should I—
“Oh, that’s no good. Want me to get some more of those?” Lyra piped up.
Fluttershy turned to the unicorn, “Oh, would you?”
“Absolutely!”
“Well, thank you very much, Lyra!”
**********
Lyra soon left, promising to be back in a relative amount of time. Victor came out of hiding once more, and left Fluttershy to pack her bags. When the pegasus pony had nearly finished, there was another knock at the door.
Victor said, “Is she back already?”
Fluttershy took another peek, this time with a more delighted face. “No need for that,” she said, as she opened the door. Rainbow Dash walked into the house, looking like she was ready to take on anything.
“Hope we’re all ready to kick some flank!” Rainbow said, as she positioned herself similar to a bull that was ready to charge.
“Actually,” Victor stated, “you’re the first one here. We’ve still got to wait for a bit.”
Rainbow Dash groaned, “Fine.” The pegasus pony sat in place as she crossed a few glances with Victor. “So,” she said, watching Fluttershy skitter back and forth through the cottage, “think I could come up with some plans for London?”
Victor shrugged, “I don’t see why not.”
“Really? ‘Cuz I’ve got this awesome idea which would need a chainsaw, a blowtorch, and—”
“I don’t think so.”
Rainbow shot a glare at the scientist, who pretended not to notice the daggers she was throwing his way. She slumped down again, fidgeting in her seat. “So boring,” she muttered as she slipped onto the floor. Eventually, there was another knock at the door; this time, Pinkie Pie had hopped into the room.
“Pinkie! Finally, somepony else to talk to.” Rainbow Dash said in relief as she picked herself off the floor. “We should make some awesome battle plans, don’t you think?”
Pinkie Pie tilted her head, and said, “For what, Dashie?”
“You know, for London.”
“Oooh! That’s right!”
As the two ponies planned and planned, Rarity walked in. She got into the conversation as she heard Rainbow Dash say, “... And when those things get close enough, the cake will explode!”
“Turning it into twenty different cakes!”
“Then those twenty cakes will explode again and turn into fire!”
“We’ll call it ‘The Chipotle Frosting Surprise’!”
“I am LOVING this plan!”
The fashionista walked up to Rainbow Dash, shaking her head as she jokingly criticized, “And how exactly do you plan on making such a treat, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow’s expression went blank; she turned to Victor, and said, “Hey, Victor, you guys have things that explode in London, right?”
Victor’s following expression was a cross of horror and pessimism. “Yes, we do have explosive materials in London; no, I don’t plan on giving you any of them.
The speedster pouted. “Oh, come on, it can’t be that complicated to use.”
“It’s nothing about how complicated they are, it’s just the fact that these materials won’t be so easy to find.” Not to mention the very idea of Pinkie Pie harboring explosives... well... it downright frightens me.
Rarity joined in the discussion, along with Victor and Fluttershy. After a few more minutes passed, Applejack walked in.
Rarity noticed the orange mare walk in and approached her. “Hello, Applejack.”
“Heya, Rarity. What in tarnation are those fillies doin’?”
“Oh, they’ve been busy making ‘battle plans’ of some sort.” Rarity turned around and looked at the group, saying, “You’d almost forget we’re heading to one of the most dangerous places anypony could imagine.”
“Yeah, true,” Applejack said as she tried to put on a happy face.
Rarity looked back at the farm pony and said, “By the way, I’m a bit surprised at how well Applebloom took the news.”
The orange mare quickly turned her head to look at Rarity, saying, “News? W-whaddya mean?”
“Oh, well, I saw her at Carousel Boutique with the Crusaders, and—”
“She was at yer Boutique?”
Rarity nodded. “Yes, I presumed she was...” She stopped herself as Applejack fell into a glum mindset. “You never saw her, did you?” Applejack just shook her head. “Darling, I’m so sorry. If I had known, I would’ve told her to go to directly to the farm.”
“Y’all don’t need ta apologize, Rarity,” she assured. “It ain’t yer fault. ‘Sides, Big Macintosh said he’d tell ‘er in place a’ me.”
Rarity placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “As long as you’re sure you’re alright, Applejack.”
She nodded at the gesture and joined the others as they waited for Twilight to arrive. Seeing Pinkie Pie triggered the memory at the barn. “Hey, Pinkie Pie. Ah saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake at mah farm, and they wanted me ta give ya these here streamers.” She dug through her bag and pulled out the package. Pinkie Pie looked over the streamers, almost unsure what to think of them. “Ah dunno if you’d still need ‘em, what with us goin’ ta Lundun and all, but ah still figu—”
Pinkie Pie’s face lit up instantly, and she excitedly said, “Oh, right! These are perfect, Applejack! Thank you very much!” as she hugged the orange mare.
Applejack responded, “No problem.” She looked towards her other friends when everyone heard a cabinet door shut. They looked up and saw Pinkie Pie standing with her trademark smile, only this time, the streamers were gone.
Fluttershy asked, “Uh, Pinkie, what was that noise?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Then Applejack asked, “Where’r yer streamers?”
“I put them in my bag,” Pinkie said without a moment’s hesitation.
Rarity said, “Dear, why are you so—”
Pinkie Pie started to laugh, and said, “Oh you silly fillies, you’ve got so many questions going on, my little ol’ brain is getting kerbobbled!” She stuck out her tongue as she put both of her hooves on her head.
Victor said to Rainbow Dash, “Is she always like this?”
The pegasus pony blankly responded, “You have no idea...” After a bout of awkward silence, she said, “Whatever, it’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. Let’s get back to these plans.”
Eventually, Twilight made it to the cottage. She heard Pinkie Pie say, “So, Victor, what do you think of this plan?” as she shoved a paper in his face. Victor’s face then seemed to have a bit of an episode. First it was dread, then surprise, then astonishment, and finally, relief.
He pointed at a section of the paper and said, “You know, this is actually the most sane plan you’ve figured out.”
“Awww yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, as she did a flip in the air. “Of course, it’s not as awesome as ‘The Chipotle Frosting Surprise’, but it’s almost there.”
Twilight’s lingering curiosity got the better of her, as she said, “What’s going on?”
Victor handed the paper towards her. “Your friends have been hard at work trying to make a batch of plans for this venture.”
Twilight used her magic to lift the outline in front of her. The purple unicorn’s face scrunched out an objection. “Uh, you guys do know we only need the Elements of Harmony, right?”
Rainbow Dash whispered, “Fun breaker.”
Victor stepped forward. “So, how much longer will it be until those Elements get here, anyway?”
“It shouldn’t be long now,” Twilight answered. “If anything, we just need to wait for a few more minutes when the Elements are delivered... to... oh no.”
“Oh no?” Victor asked with a cocked eyebrow, “What’s ‘oh no’?”
Twilight facehoofed. “The princess said she’d send a mailpony to deliver the Elements, but I don’t think she knows we’re at Fluttershy’s cottage, and not at the library.”
Everyone groaned. Victor slumped as he said, “So this means more waiting around?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’ll just teleport to the library and wait for the delivery. Then I’ll come back, post haste. It shouldn’t take long.” Just as Twilight’s horn began to glow, she heard a pounding come from the door. Victor hid himself in an instant asTwilight went to open the door. Just then, a very large treasure chest was shoved in her face.
Ditzy appeared from behind the chest, raggedly saying, “Special delivery!” She placed the chest on the floor. “Oh... hi, Twilight!” the mailpony said in between ragged breaths, “This package comes... straight from Canterlot... priority rush!”
Twilight was puzzled. “How did you know we were here, Ditzy?”
Ditzy began to catch her breath as she said, “Oh... you know... when I had to deliver these... to the library... you weren’t there... but Spike told me... you were at Sugarcube Corner.” She dragged the box into the middle of the room, when Twilight picked it up.
“Here, let me get that for you.”
“Thanks, Twilight.” As the chest was placed on the floor, Ditzy limped as she set herself down and walked into the room. “Come to think of it, Spike looked a bit sad when I came to the door. What happened between you two?”
Everyponys faces flickered as this fact came to light.
“Well...” Twilight began, “we six are heading off somewhere, and Spike got upset when I told him this was for grown ponies only. You know how kids are.” she smiled as she lightly nudged the mailpony, trying to force the look on Spike’s face out of her mind. The playful gesture caused Ditzy to wince upon impact.
Pinkie Pie jumped right next to the mailpony. “Oh my gosh! Ditzy, are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. This just happens when you deliver a heavy package to the next town over. I just gotta stretch, and I’ll be good.” Before anypony else could say a word, Ditzy crouched on her forelegs, then immediately jerked herself into the air, releasing a succession of pops coming from her back. She stood there with gritted teeth, then let out a sigh of relief as she lowered herself onto the floor. “Much better. Just give me a sec to collect myself.” In a short span of time, she flipped herself into the air and landed. “Now then,” she began, “back to business.”
“I must say,” Rarity piped up, “The mail ponies seem to be working you really hard, don’t they?”
Ditzy just shook her head. “Oh no, they don’t. I mean, it’s a lot of work, but it’s still a decent job.”
“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash said, as she flew over to Ditzy’s side. “Speaking as another work pony, you just gotta take whatever gets dished out at ya, right Derp-d-Ditzy?”
Ditzy’s smile faded and was replaced with an emotionless guise. “Yeah... it sure is...” She then inaudibly muttered, “Rainbow Crash.”
Twilight coughed, as to clear the awkward air in the room. “So, thank you very much for delivering this so quickly.”
“My pleasure, Twilight.”
As the ponies spoke with Ditzy, Fluttershy walked to Rainbow Dash. She whispered, “Rainbow, you know she hates that name.”
“I know, I’m sorry. It just... kinda slipped out.”
“Well, please try to be more considerate next time,” Fluttershy said, moving towards the mailpony.
Considering the state of her eyes, and her clumsy nature, Ditzy was a target for bullying, earning her the nickname, Derpy Hooves. Ponies rarely called her by that name nowadays, but the name’s undertone still recalled dark memories for the grey pegasus.
Fluttershy said, “Would you like to rest here? It must’ve been awfully tiring to get this chest over here.”
Ditzy looked back. “No thanks, the mail doesn’t take a break, and neither can I.”
“Are you sure, Ditzy?” Twilight insisted, “I mean, being at Sugarcube Corner this morning, then off to Fillydelphia for most of the day, and finally coming back here can’t be an easy task.”
“Honestly, I appreciate the fact that you all care about my well-being, but I—” Ditzy stopped and raised an eyebrow. “What was that about Sugarcube Corner?”
“When you were there earlier today.”
“I... was never there, Twilight. Are you sure you mean me and not somepony else?”
“Yes, I mean you. You were there with the Doctor.”
“The Doctor?” Ditzy raised a hoof to her chin. “If you’re talking about yesterday, I was picking out treats for the fillies at Sugarcube Corner with Nurse Redheart. You do know she’s not a doctor yet, right?”
“No. I mean. The Doctor.”
“Doctor who?”
“That’s just it, he’s called The Doctor.”
Ditzy felt slightly agitated. “Okay then, Twilight. If you’re so sure, what exactly happened at Sugarcube Corner, today?”
“You were talking to me about—” Twilight immediately stopped herself, as the gears in her head began to turn. Her eyes began darting back and forth, as she tried to sort through several realizations at once. Not wanting to appear crazy, she centered her gaze towards Ditzy and said, “Uh... spoilers?” A very bad smile crept onto the unicorn’s face.
This peculiar answer earned her odd looks from everypony in the room. The mailpony said, “Ooookay then, Twilight... if you say so. In that case, I just need your signature, and we’re good to go.”
Not wanting to make the situation any more awkward, Twilight did as she was asked. One quick signature later, Ditzy had rolled up the signature sheet. “I’ll just open this up for you.”
Twilight stopped the mailpony. “No need to open it, yourself. You can get back to your job, and we’ll take care of this.”
“But I—”
“Really, Ditzy, it’s okay. I’ll just open this and... and...” Twilight’s face contorted as she worked her magic on the container. Despite the purple glow surrounding it, the lid wouldn’t budge, causing the purple unicorn to grow increasingly flustered at this predicament. She felt a hoof on her shoulder, dropping the chest in the process.
Ditzy walked in front of the purple unicorn, taking a key encased in a white glow out of her hair. “The princess enchanted the case so only this key would open it. She didn’t want to risk anything bad happening. I don’t know what’s in here, but it must be serious business for her to go so far to protect these goods.” She placed the key in the keyhole and used her mouth to unlock the chest. With her job done, she headed out the door, but not before she said, “See ya later, everypony! I hope to see you all at the Summer Sun Celebration!” Everypony else bade farewell as Ditzy took to the air. As she flew along, she murmured, “Spoilers...”
**********
Twilight levitated six objects out of the chest, the Elements of Harmony. Five of them were golden necklaces, each with a different gemstone for each pony: a pink butterfly for Fluttershy, an orange apple for Applejack, a red lightning bolt for Rainbow Dash, a blue balloon for Pinkie Pie, and a purple diamond for Rarity. The last element was in the form of a golden tiara. Several blue gemstones lined the metal, along with a pink, six-pointed star on top.
Victor came out of hiding and noticed the jewelry before him. So these are your elements, eh? I’m guessing they’re more powerful than they look. Once everypony grabbed their element, Victor took another look at his companions. I’m entrusting my life, the lives of everyone in London, Europe, maybe even the world, to these ponies. I just hope this is enough. “Now then,” Victor began, “if there’s nothing left to say, then it’s high time we head out.”
Twilight faced her friends. “Well, everypony. Are we ready?” Her friends nodded.
Victor clasped his hands together. “Alright. This belt is supposed keeps track of the most recent coordinates entered as input. Fluttershy, I need you to take us to wherever you found me. The entrance will appear there, and at the same time it’ll the exit in my world.”
“Um, well...” Fluttershy meeped, “It was actually Angel who found you, I just got you inside the house and helped you rest until you were okay. He would know better than anypony where you were.”
Angel hopped forward and looked like he was saying, “Stand back, ponies. I’ve got this.”
He was hopping towards the outdoors when Twilight shouted, “Stop, Angel! Don’t go out there!”
The white bunny skidded to a stop and gave Twilight a look that said, “What do you want, book-pony?”
“We need to be sure nopony is on the road before we go out.”
“That’s right,” Victor mused. “We don’t want anyone having a heart attack out there, seeing me and all.”
“Oooh, oooh!” Pinkie Pie shouted, “I know the perfect way to sneak Victor outside!”
**********
Outside, the front door to Fluttershy’s cottage opened. Fluttershy and Angel checked the road, and there was nopony for miles. “Okay, Angel. Lead the way,” Fluttershy said to her pet. First, Angel hopped across the road, towards the forest. Fluttershy followed close behind. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were next, as they quickly zipped across the road towards the forest. Rainbow Dash got high in the sky and took another look along the road, took another look along the road, noting that it was still bare. She signaled for the other two ponies to move. Applejack followed closely behind a nervous Twilight, who was holding a bundled up ball of blankets in the air. Once everypony was in the forest, Twilight said, “Okay, Victor, we’re in.”
The scientist escaped from the pile of cloth and said, “You know, I don’t know how that worked, nor am I going to question it. Let’s just get out of here.”
Angel hopped through the forest, weaving in and out of any vegetation along the way. The group followed his trail, watching for any extra obstacles that Angel could’ve easily outmaneuvered. Eventually, the white bunny came to a stop.
As everyone gathered together, Victor took note of his surroundings. “This spot... I remember seeing this before becoming knackered. We’re definitely in the right place. Thank you, Angel.”
The white bunny seemed to give a thumbs up, and went back to Fluttershy’s cottage.
Fluttershy said, “Oh, Angel, wait!”
“It’s better this way,” Twilight said, “he should stay at your cottage.”
Fluttershy looked on, as she was slowly losing sight of her pet, and said, “Oh... okay...”
With the ponies gathered near Victor, it was time. “All I need to do is get this set up. It shouldn’t take long.” He took a moment from his tinkering to say, “In the meantime, I suggest you all cherish this moment. This could be the last peaceful time we all have for a very, very long time.”
As Victor worked the many buttons on his belt, the ponies sat silently, enjoying the bounties nature had to offer them. The wind in their manes, the grass beneath their feet, the sun beaming onto their faces, and the ambiance of many animals that chattered away.
It’s funny, Twilight thought to herself, I used to not care for trivial matters like this. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to the sky. I want to come back to this... and help all of those in London achieve this sort of peace.
“It’s ready,” Victor said, breaking the ponies out of their trance. “I don’t want this portal open for too long, so you should prepare yourselves.”
“Let’s do this,” Applejack said, “show them monsters what’s what.” She stepped next to Victor, an aura of determination surrounding her body.
“I’m with ya, AJ,” Rainbow Dash commented to the orange mare.
“Yes, let’s make this quick, shall we?” Rarity added.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy moved closer. “Let’s go!” the pink pony exclaimed, as Fluttershy gave a complacent nod.
Twilight looked at the scientist. “We’re ready, Victor.”
He returned a nod, and said, “I’m activating this on the count of three. When it opens, you need to haul ass.”
Pinkie Pie gave him and odd look and asked, “What’s ass, and why would we need to haul it?”
Victor was again dumbfounded. “Ass is... is... you know what. It’s really not important right now. I’ll explain later. Just know that you all need to get ready to run really, really fast, alright?”
Applejack got into a starting position, as Rainbow Dash hovered in the air.
“One...”
Rarity and Twilight brushed some dirt away, as they took their places.
“Two...”
Pinkie Pie nudged the yellow pegasus, and whispered, “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. It’ll be fine.”
“Three!” Victor pressed the button on his belt buckle, making an entrance appear in front of them. Rainbow Dash was the first to enter, as she gusted between her friends. Next, Applejack and Rarity ran into the portal. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle followed close behind. Lastly, Victor ran headfirst after the others. The portal stayed in place for two seconds before closing up, leaving no trace of anypony having been in the forest.
|
Some Person
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853
| 5 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
|
Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-05-06T17:51:20+00:00
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2012-05-06T17:51:20+00:00
| 1,199 |
It had been three hours since Victor first entered the portal to Equestria, and Horzine Industries was in shambles. Several sections of the laboratories were destroyed, and mangled bodies littered the floor. Word quickly got out about the chaos within the establishment, and more police units were sent in. They were only told to “contain the situation”. Within minutes of arriving at the establishment, the police forces had been literally torn to pieces. With the country’s safety at stake, the army was eventually called in. Unfortunately, even Britain’s finest men and women were no match against the continuous waves of specimens, and suffered the same fate as the police. The brigades of soldiers began to falter as panic set in; deserters ran about the streets, some soldiers even committed suicide in the wake of their impending demise. With nothing left to stop them, the specimens made their way to London, destroying anything in their path.
One lone soldier, Corporal Lewis, ran with all his might. He didn’t know where he would go, or how long it would take, so long as his legs took him somewhere safe. He turned a street corner and slipped on blood and entrails spilt from a nearby corpse. He stumbled several times in a panicky state as he tried regaining his stance. His army uniform seemed to have turned against him: the combined weight of his pocketed equipment made it a struggle to get up, the blood and fat on his gloves and combat boots made the surface incredibly slick, his army-camouflage styled helmet made him sweat like a pig, and the visor in his gas mask fogged up as he tried to catch his breath. Get up, goddamn it, get up! he thought as he cursed himself.
Suddenly, there was a snarl. The Corporal quickly turned around to see a clot reach for him. Sped up on adrenaline, Lewis grabbed the clot’s hands. The resulting momentum forced the soldier onto his back, and it became a struggle between the two for dominance. The clot’s hands were slowly breaking free from Lewis’ grip as its arms thrashed wildly. As soon as Lewis was certain he couldn’t hold on any longer, several gunshots rang through the air. The clot collapsed on top of him. He immediately shoved the carcass off and sat up, looking around to see a young soldier standing before him.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he extended a hand toward Lewis.
“Yes, I’m... I’m fine. Thanks to you,” Lewis said as he caught his breath and was hoisted onto his feet.
“Private Schnieder, and you are... ?”
Lewis hesitated before answering. Of all people, a Private had to save my ass. Pull yourself together! “Corporal Lewis.” He took a look over his savior. The young man wore the same uniform as Lewis, minus the gas mask, but didn’t show any signs of panic or inexperience that came with bearing the lowest army title. A Bullpup assault rifle rested in his right hand, and two additional weapons were holstered at his sides.
“I don’t mean to insinuate anything, sir, but what exactly are you doing alone out here?” Schnieder inquired. “I thought all squads were supposed to maintain the perimeter around Horzine.”
Rather than explaining how he had been frantically running for his life, he replied, “I was ordered to head into West London and lead any survivors to safety. What of your squad?”
Schnieder’s face scrunched for a brief second before he muttered, “Dead... sir.”
“Dead? How are you still alive?”
“My squad was swarmed, sir. We all fought our hardest and... I was the only one to make it out.”
“I see,” Lewis said. “I’m sorry.” He gave his subordinate a sympathetic nod.
“Don’t be.” At that moment, more gunshots broke the silence. “Well, sounds like there are more survivors, sir.” Without hesitation, Schnieder ran towards the source of the noise, with Lewis following close behind. They eventually came across two police officers fighting off a swarm of specimens. Blood coated their blue police jumpsuits and black police vests.
The first of these two was Police Sergeant Davin, who was busy using an AK-47 to defend himself. He wore a gas mask just like Lewis, but not once did he bother to wipe the blood showering his visor. “Two on your left!” he shouted.
“Got it!” his fellow officer replied as he gave a crowd of gorefasts a lethal dose of shotgun pellets. The other officer was Police Constable Briar. The mask he wore previously belonged to, a riot officer, which revealed a pair of eager-looking brown eyes. “That makes forty-nine for me!” he shouted.
“You’ve got to step up your game, Briar. I’ve got fifty-seven!”
“Switch sides, Davin?”
“You got it, mate!”
“One...”
“Two...”
“Three!!!” The officers unanimously shouted, as they rotated to face a new crowd of enemies.
Briar noticed the two soldiers standing from afar with blank faces. After he turned a clot’s head into a bloody pulp, he yelled, “Oi! You poncies gonna stand there all day or help us?!”
Lewis quietly mentioned, “I need a bloody shooter.”
The Private gave his superior the Bullpup. “You take it. I’ve got these.” He un-holstered the two weapons, revealing a pair of polished 50 cailber AE handguns. “Nothing like a couple of handcannons, eh?” The two soldiers ran towards the officers and began eliminating the crowd of enemies before them. Many bullets later, the four gunmen stood aside the pile of corpses. Schnieder re-holstered one of his handguns and said, “It’s good to see some living mates, my name is—”
“That’s great,” Briar interrupted, “but we don’t care. Especially about two soldiers who were too bloody spooked to even help.”
“My apologies, sir,” Schnieder calmly said, “it’s just... you two looked like you didn’t need our help.”
“‘Didn’t need our help,’ he says”
“What a plonker!” Both of the officers laughed for the moment.
“Well, excuse us for not making this entire event look like a primary school field trip!” Lewis defended.
The police officers looked at each other, then back to the soldiers. Davin pointed out, “Briar and I are a bit busy celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?” Lewis asked incredulously.
“The end of the world.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” rang a voice from afar. The four men turned to see Lieutenant Masterson approach them. He wore the same uniform as his fellow soldiers and carried a lever action rifle. “Name and ranks, all of you,” he ordered.
“Corporal Lewis, sir.”
“Private Schnieder, sir.”
Masterson was silent, then cleared his throat as he looked at the two police officers.
Briar sighed and shook his head. “Police Constable Briar...”
Davin apathetically said, “Police Sergeant Davin.”
“Alright, you lot. I am Lieutenant Masterson. Right now, we need to find a way to shut down this hell hole that Horzine has managed to open. Now let’s move.”
“Wait just a tick!” Davin objected, “Who the bloody hell died and made you leader. For that matter, who said that we’re even going near that loony bin?”
Masterson slowly approached the officers and stressed, “Take a look around, do you see anyone else around here? No, you don’t. Because they’re dead.
“In case you’re not aware, you’re police officers, sworn to protect London’s civilians. Right now, the only good it looks like you tossers have done is just create a royal mess of things. All that gunfire is going to attract every one of those zombies, and they’ll be coming here.
“I never said I’d be the leader. I’m just the only one who seems to have any good ideas, unless you two have got a great plan that doesn’t involve alerting more of those things.”
As the men bickered about what would happen, Schnieder took a look to his left. His eyes grew bigger at the sight before him. He tapped Lewis on the shoulder, turning his attention to the street. A bloat was marching towards the group. The tall, bald, and morbidly obese specimen sluggishly walked while sunlight gleamed off the butchers knife in its hand. It hoarsely groaned, “I am so hungry.” focusing the entire group’s attention on the jaundice-plagued creature.
“He’s mine,” Briar said as he readied his shotgun. However, as soon as his iron sights were aligned, the officer was startled by the crack of a rifle. The bloat flopped onto the floor, fragments of its head scattered onto the street.
Masterson coolly lowered his weapon, a small trail of smoke coming from the barrel. “That’s just the beginning, Constable. They’re are drawn to sound and keep coming out of Horzine by the dozens. Something down there keeps churning them out, so we need to head into the facility, find out where they keep coming from, and destroy the place. If you don’t want to help, that’s on you. Just be aware that you’re going to have one hell of a fight on your hands, and the odds won’t be in your favor.”
The two men engaged each other into a stare. Davin tapped his comrade on the shoulder, noting that neither of the men were likely to budge without any intervention. “Think of it this way, mate. More of those smegheads will be lining themselves up for a one way ticket to hell. Might as well oblige them, don’t you think?”
After a moment of consideration, Briar hoisted his shotgun over his shoulder. “Fine,” he reluctantly agreed. “I still think you’re crazy.”
“Better crazy than deranged,” the Lieutenant mused. He faced his subordinates. “I trust you two are coming along?”
“Sir, yes sir!” Schnieder and Lewis chirped, snapping themselves to attention.
Masterson turned towards their destination. “Let’s move out. Make sure to check for any signs of movement. If it isn’t human, don’t hesitate to shoot.” He marched towards Horzine Industries, his newly formed squadron following close behind.
As the group kept their wits about them, Schnieder pondered, “How did we never notice anything like this? One day, everything is sunshine and daisies, now this place is a killing floor.”
Davin scoffed, “Perhaps if you soldiers thought for yourselves, you’d see that the answer’s right in front of you. It’s a government cover-up.”
Lewis rolled his eyes. “Right. That explains everything, doesn’t it? Please, I doubt the government would actua—”
“It’s true,” Masterson blankly stated.
“Wh... what?! You can’t be serious!”
He inferred, “Parliament funded Horzine to create those zombies. They were meant to be soldiers, and I suppose you could argue they did a damn good job. Problem is, some idiot released them in the wrong city.”
Schnieder rubbed his forehead. “So... this is our own damn fault. Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s the harsh truth of things, private,” he said as he looked back at his subordinate.
“Fascinating,” Briar mentioned callously. “Mind telling us how you know all of this?”
A look of insecurity flashed on Masterson’s face for an instant before he replied, “Let’s just say Horzine and I have a bit of history together.”
“Well,” Davin broke in, “we’ve got some time before we get there, I’d say it’s a lovely opportunity for a story, wouldn’t you agree, Briar?”
“Oh, yes,” he mocked, “I find story-time simply smashing! Perhaps when you’re done with that, we can talk about... the... what the bloody hell is he doing?”
The soldiers turned back to see Briar and Davin staring down an alleyway. As they moved behind the police officers, they noticed what left the officers dumbstruck.
Another soldier was whistling a tune while huddled in the alley. He also wore a gas mask and fashioned the same attire as the soldiers who observed him from afar. He brought down a machete to sever fingers from the corpses of slain specimens, placing the appendages in his pockets.
Eventually, Masterson cleared his throat and stated, “Name and rank, soldier.” This directing the soldier’s attention towards the five men who were quizzically staring at him. He stared at the group for three seconds before resuming his work, opting to cease his tune. “I said-”
“Powers.”
“Excuse me?”
He snapped a stubborn finger off another corpse’s hand before repeating himself. “Sergeant Powers. That’s who I am. I’m busy, so leave.”
The five men exchanged looks before Schnieder spoke up. “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you cutting off their fingers?”
Powers responded, “It feels good, now go,” without skipping a beat.
Briar whispered, “I, for one, think we should listen to the lunatic and get moving.”
“We’re going to need all the manpower we can get,” Masterson countered.
“Are you sure you’re not deranged?” he quietly jabbed. “Look at him! He’s collecting their bloody fingers, for christ’s sake!”
An unsettling smile grew onto the ringleader’s face. “And isn’t that the kind of person you’d want on your side?” Feeling the looks of disbelief prod into the back of his head, Masterson explained, “We’ll keep an eye on him, but those specimens would be much easier to neutralize with more of us, wouldn’t you agree?”
Before anyone else could put in their two cents, the Lieutenant approached Powers. “I have a proposition for you, if you’re int—”
“Go fuck yourself.”
Masterson faltered as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Davin, who said, “Let me handle this.” He stepped in front of his fellow fighter and knelt before the Sergeant. “Please excuse my friend, he’s a bit of a prat and doesn’t understand people and their needs.” He ushered his superior out of the alley as he continued, “We’ll be leaving now. So sorry for disturbing you.” Just before heading back onto the street, Davin spoke up again. “Oh, wait. There’s just one more thing I feel I should mention. We’re heading to Horzine Industries.”
Powers elicited no response.
“We’re going to kill every single one of those bastards, too.”
There was a slight hesitation on the butcher’s part, then resumed his collecting duties.
“Just think of all the bodies littering the ground when we’re done. All those heads... arms and legs... fingers.”
Davin now had the soldier’s full attention.
“If you come with us, we’ll give you time to collect as many fingers as your little heart desires. What do you say?”
He looked back at the now-fingerless hand he held, then he looked at the bodies behind him, all fingerless. “Okay.”
Davin smirked underneath his gas mask. “Right-o! Welcome aboard, Sergeant. I can tell we’re going to be the best of friends!” He turned to see looks of disbelief staring back at him. “That, my friends, is how you get a psychopath to join your group.”
Powers wiped the blood off of his weapon as he stood up. “Lead the way.”
The squadron advanced through the streets, efficiently taking down any wayward specimens who were unlucky enough to leave themselves in the open. Three street corners later, the building in question came into view. Horzine’s name was illuminated by a blue light underneath each letter. Flaming debris was scattered around the building’s entrance, along with toppled police cars that exhibited splotches of blood on their exterior.
Schnieder plugged his nose shut. “What a horrid smell.”
“Ah yes, such a terrible aroma. How will we ever survive?” Davin toyed as he tapped on his mask. “I suppose we’ll have to endure it for now.”
Masterson piped up, “He’s right. The smell should be the least of our concerns. Let’s find a way down.”
Everyone navigated through the cement blocks, door frames, and bodies that rested on the floor.
The lieutenant asked, “Anyone have a torch?”
Briar fiddled with his shotgun until the light holstered on its chamber illuminated the room. The scarce entryway showed nothing but a vacant desk. A staircase was on their left, and a hallway off to the right. “What do you make of this?” the Constable asked as he lit up a nearby wall. Coats of red clashed with the pastel colored wall, coupled with the phrase “Look at us” smudged several times onto it.
“Nothing good, that’s for sure,” Lewis commented.
Powers shrugged and remarked, “Doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”
“So, which way?” Briar said as he pointed his light towards both options. The noise of shuffling feet down the corridor gave them their answer. With weapons drawn, the squadron neither moved nor blinked as they waited for movement.
Masterson called out, “We know you’re there. If you’re not one of them, come out, or we’ll assume you’re a threat and open fire.”
Reluctantly, a man crept into their line of sight, his hands trembling as he held an axe above his head. He pleaded, “Please... don’t shoot!”
“What’s your name?”
“G-G-Gary Glover, sir!”
“Do you know where you are?”
“I-I’m in Horzine Industries, sir.”
After a moment of reflection, he lowered his rifle. “Boy’s got his head on straight. Stand down.”
Without the many weapons in his face, Gary let out a trembling sigh as he approached the group of men. “Thank you. Y-you must be the—”
“Stay where you are!” Davin barked as he fixed his weapon onto the scientist.
“I said stand down, Sergeant,” Masterson hissed.
“Not until we know who he is. What’s your story, and what’s the bloody axe for?”
Gary looked at his weapon and dropped it on the floor. “I needed something to defend myself from those... things,” he stated. “I worked in the biotics division of Horzine, and—”
“You work for Horzine?” Schnieder loudly repeated. “You mean you helped make those zombies?”
When the hazmat-suit-donning scientist softly nodded his head, Briar stepped up and shoved the barrel of the shotgun into his face. Everyone except Powers shouted at Briar to restrain himself, but the officer heard nothing. “Then give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blow your head off!” He then felt an object prod into the back of his head.
“How’s this for a reason?” the Private asked as he gripped the trigger of his Handcannon. “We’re here to stop this catastrophe, not murder civvies in cold blood.”
“Have you got the brass to pull the trigger, Cyril?”
“Don’t try me.”
“That’s enough!” Masterson roared. “We’re not going to get anywhere if we start killing each other! We’re in this together, you two should act like it.” He walked towards Briar and pulled the shotgun’s barrel away from Gary, looking right into the other man’s eyes. “If you pull a stunt like this again, I’m killing you myself. Are we clear?”
Briar slowly took two steps back. “... Fine.”
“Fine what?”
His eyes narrowed. “Fine... sir.”
“I’m glad you see it my way.” He moved the officer aside and stepped before Gary. “I’m terribly sorry for his behavior. You said your name was Gary, right?”
Gary shied away as he sputtered, “Y-yes.”
“I’m Lieutenant Masterson, and we need you to come with us.”
He shot a bewildered look. “With you? The bastard pulls a gun in my face, and you want me to tag along? How do I know something like that, or worse, isn’t going to happen to me?”
Masterson patted the trembling man on the shoulder. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t step out of line again. You have my word. Right now, however, you’re the only Horzine employee we’ve found alive. We’ve got to shut down whatever it is that’s creating those things. You know this place better than any of us, and I know you want to fix this mess. Help us help you.” He extended a hand towards the troubled scientist.
After a moment of consideration, Gary wearily accepted the hand shake. “Where do you want to go?”
**********
In the top level of Horzine’s biotics department, the portal device spun rapidly as a gateway opened. Shortly after, Twilight, along with her friends and Victor, tumbled on the floor. The purple unicorn held a hoof to her forehead as she groaned, “Is everypony okay?”
“Define ‘okay’,” Rainbow Dash replied. “My head’s a little fuzzy, but I’m fine.”
Applejack shook the dust out of her coat. “Ah reckon ahm right n’ dandy.”
“I wish we could say the same,” Rarity grumbled as she held both herself and a weakened Fluttershy.
Twilight asked concernedly, “Will you two be alright?”
“My ears won’t stop ringing, but I am fine otherwise. What about you, Fluttershy?”
The yellow pegasus silently nodded her head as she tried to keep herself on all fours.
Pinkie Pie bounced as she said, “I’m right-a-roony, but Victor’s not. Look!” as she pointed her hoof to the corner of the room.
Victor was busy vomiting the tea he drank before arriving. “Bloody hell...” he moaned before he started to stumble once again. Twilight’s horn glowed, enveloping the scientist in a magenta-colored aura. Fatigue and weariness slowly retreated from his features until the scientist looked like his former self. She gently set him on the ground. “Thanks for that. Saves us a load of time.” He proceeded to shut down the portal device. “I knew it,” he whispered, “it’s set to inter-dimensional.”
Rarity let out a gag. “I can handle the incessant ringing in my ears, but what is that awful smell?” She plugged her nose and continued, “It’s even worse than a diamond dog’s cave!”
“It’s coming from...” Twilight stopped herself. There’s no putting this lightly, is there? “... From the bodies of the dead humans.”
Rarity’s eyes slowly grew wide with this grim realization. “I... see.”
“The smell is only going to get worse for every second that we stand here,” Victor remarked. “We need to head to the lower levels.”
“Wait a sec,” Rainbow objected. “We’re trying to save London, right? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go there?”
He crossed his arms. “There’s a friend who is waiting for me on the lowest level.”
“You mean the human named Gary, right?” Twilight pondered.
“Yes. I didn’t think you saw him. Then you know why we’re heading back?”
She nodded once.
With a slight smile, Victor said, “Good. A promise is a promise, after all. Now, once Gary has been found, we move to the cloning station. Then to the streets of London, and hopefully we find some help out there.”
Victor headed towards the hole where the door previously was. “Let’s go, everyone. And remember: be quiet,” he said as he waved his companions into the halls.
As everypony made their way out of the room, they came to grips with the bitter reality of their situation. Bodies littered the floor, most of them disfigured beyond recognition. Fluttershy squeaked as she noticed the puddle of blood she stepped in. She latched herself onto Pinkie Pie, who tried her best to console her shaking friend. Rainbow Dash went a shade pale as Rarity tried moving herself away from the mess. Applejack walked over to Twilight. “Y’all saw this in yer dream?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat before replying, “Yes, but it wasn’t this bad...”
As he took note of their reactions, Victor mentioned, “I know this is a lot to process, but we have to keep moving. The door at the end of the hall is the quickest way to where my friend is holed up.”
Everypony filed behind the scientist, being wary of any unsettling substances that littered their path.
They were halfway down the hall when Victor spoke aloud once more. “Now, when it comes to your Elements of... whatever, should I stand back when you use them?”
Twilight’s ears perked up. “That would be best. We wouldn’t want you caught in the crossfire.”
“Of course, of course. First bugger we see is going to be in for a nasty surprise.”
“First?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “You mean we’re only using the Elements on one enemy?”
“We’d have to start playing the lottery if we only ran into one of them,” he scoffed. “I’m just saying that if we run into them, I’d just step back and let you lot use your Elements on it, right?” He kept walking until he noticed the lack of a response behind him. The expression on his face slowly shifted to anticipated disappointment when he saw Twilight’s ears fold back and her eyes shift away. “Please tell me there isn’t something else I’m not aware of.”
The purple unicorn swallowed a lump as she mumbled, “I’m sorry... There was so much going on that it slipped my mind.”
“Stop the excuses and just tell me what’s going on.”
Twilight slowly met Victor’s furrowed brow. “While it is true that the Elements of Harmony can defeat anything in their path, using this power immensely drains all of us. If we do need them...”
“Then it will take a while to recharge, is that correct?” he finished abruptly.
“I’m so, so sorry,” She apologized profusely. “I was just—”
Victor held up his right hand, stopping any further explanations. “Just tell me we at least have a means to defend ourselves.”
“A’course we do!” Applejack chimed in, “We’ve all got some fight in us, with r’ without them Elements.”
Rainbow Dash nodded her head. “Y-yeah,” she quietly added, “Applejack’s right! Nopony’s gonna take us down that easily, am I right?” She earned nods from each of her friends.
The scientist let out a sigh. “As comforting as your bravado is, you’re still going to need... some...” he trailed off as his mind got to work. “Change of plans. We need to hurry!”
Fluttershy murmured, “W-w-why? What are we doing?”
“When I made a break for this room, there was another man with me. He worked for the security team here, so he’d know if Horzine is packing any heat!”
Pinkie Pie asked, “How does a ginormous building—”
“He’d know if this place has any weapons,” he interrupted. “Now hurry! That bastard had better still be alive.”
As Victor Marched off, the pink pony quietly exclaimed, “I feel a combo coming on!” Everypony turned their attention to their friend, but he quickly brushed it off. “I’ll go check up ahead while you... do whatever it is that you’re doing.”
“What’s yer Pinkie Sense tellin’ ya now?” Applejack asked as her friend prepared herself for the incoming, uncontrollable reflexes.
“I don’t know, but here it comes!”
Victor was fifteen steps away from the door.
The first reaction came, her ears flopped.
Twelve steps.
Next, her eyes fluttered.
Nine steps.
Finally, her knees twitched.
Five steps.
That combo. Watch out for opening... Twilight’s eyes shot wide as she whipped around to see Victor reach for the door handle. She shouted, “No, Victor! Don’t—”
As the scientist opened the door, he turned towards Twilight, ready to chastise her for not keeping quiet. He was quickly silenced after seeing everypony’s eyes shrink with fear. Victor turned around in time to see a bloat standing before him. He quickly slammed the door shut as the obese specimen vomited a shower of brown sludge in his direction. It began to repeatedly slam against the door.
“We gotta help him!” Rainbow Dash cried as she rushed forward to keep the door closed. Applejack joined the blue pegasus as they pushed with all their might. Eventually, the banging stopped. They backed themselves away from the door, one by one, breathing a sigh of relief as the danger passed
“What was that thing?” Applejack asked.
“That was a bloat. Nasty bugger. Spits corrosive acid at anyone in front of it. No one got hit, did they?”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight supplied. She looked to each of her friends, who shook their heads accordingly. “Is there another way to find Gary?”
Victor tapped his forehead before saying, “Yes, There’s a stairway at the end of the hall. Then it’s just a quick run towards the control center.”
“Look!” Rarity exclaimed as she pointed her hoof behind everyone. The door’s surface began to bubble as the bloat’s bile began to seep through their only line of defense. To make matters worse, the sounds of more specimens could be heard closing in on the group.
He yelled, “Get the hell out of here!” as everypony ran along their new route. A clot dropped from the ceiling, wandering towards the group. Everyone skidded to a halt, but Rainbow Dash swooped forward, kicking the specimen square in the chest and sending it into the wall.
“Keep going!” she shouted as the door gave way behind them and more specimens began to pick up on their trail.
As they traveled down a long stairway, Victor cried, “We’re almost there, let’s hu—”
“Look out!” Twilight interrupted as she pointed to another bloat at the bottom of the staircase. Victor held the group of equines back as it let out a spew of bile. They were just outside of the specimen’s range to receive any injury.
Victor shouted, “Everyone, run around it, quickly!” While the bloat was preparing to strike with its weapon, Victor knocked the specimen off balance. The cleaver skidded across the floor as the bloat picked itself off the floor, only to receive a sharp kick in the nose from Rarity. The creature let out a cry of pain as it rolled on its back.
Victor and Rarity retreated from the creature. “Let’s make this quick,” the scientist began, “I’m sure Gary would want an explan... ation.” His heart sank as he saw the current state of his previous sanctuary: the barricade was destroyed, and several of the scientists had been mutilated. He trudged into the room, staring at the massacre in disbelief. “No, no, no, no! It wasn’t supposed to happen this way!”
Fluttershy let out a startled cry as the bloat from before waddled towards the group. “What are we going to do?” She squealed as everyone stuck to the corner behind them.
Twilight’s horn glowed as she sent a wave of magic into the specimen, knocking it backwards. “We’ve got to come up with a plan! Your friend isn’t here, Victor. What’s the quickest way out?” The bloat got back onto its feet, only to be knocked down by a much more powerful burst of energy.
“That bastard’s blocking our exit,” he explained. “We’ve just got to slip past him and keep heading up from there.”
Rainbow Dash commented, “What are we waiting for? It’s on its back, right? Let’s get out of here!”
“But what about the puke?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“It’s nothing that we can’t get around,” Victor added. “Now is as good a time as ever!”
The group evaded the specimen while it struggled onto its feet. As they headed up the staircase, Applejack stopped and looked back at the bloat. It was already up and walking. “Only one thing t’ do,” she said to herself.
“Applejack, what are you doing?” Victor cried out. “Get out of there!”
She looked over her shoulder. “This thing’ll just keep comin’ and comin’ unless we put a stop to it now!” She ran right at the bloat, positioning herself to attack.
“No, stop!” Victor yelled as he shoved himself past the onlooking ponies.
Applejack whipped herself around and delivered a swift kick to the bloat’s stomach. This attack, combined with the constant magical attacks from Twilight, were enough to put the bloat out of commission, but not before it exploded in a shower of bile. The orange mare’s heart sunk as her impending doom approached at an unavoidable speed. Suddenly, she felt a tug at her tail as Victor threw her into the safety of her friends, leaving the scientist showered in the aftermath of the specimen’s death.
He screamed as he writhed on the floor. On instinct, he tried rubbing the bile off of his body, only to unintentionally start ripping off his damaged skin. Brown and red liquids intertwined as Victor created his own personal misery. Mercifully, his suffering was cut short. Twilight’s horn glowed as she attempted to remedy his pain, but a nearby gorefast’s blade sliced into his neck. A jet of blood spewed once from the orifice before he stumbled onto the floor below. The specimen knelt down to feast on the scientist’s corpse.
The air seemed to turn cold as the reality of death set in for everypony. With all prior restraints ripped away, Rarity let out a scream.
**********
The elevator door opened as all seven men stepped out. “So parliament paid all of you to do this?” Schnieder asked Gary.
“Specifically they paid Mr. Clamely, but yes.”
“Well, isn’t that comforting,” Briar chided. “And just how much shit did you get all of us into?”
Before the ex-employee could speak, Masterson retorted, “Not enough for you to learn to shut your yapper.” Everyone silenced up as he continued, “The cloning facility is down below, correct?”
Gary said, “That’s right. We have to shut down the incubators in order to stop more of them from coming out.”
“Wait,” Davin chimed in, “We saw at least four different buggers on the way here. Just how many zombies did you lot make?”
“... There are nine types in total.”
Lewis face-palmed. “This just gets better and better. What exactly do we have waiting for us, anyway?”
Gary cleared his throat. “It seems you’ve already seen the clot, gorefast, bloat, and crawler. Those are the more docile ones... There’s also the stalker. Runs around invisible, and guts you when she gets close with her claws.
“Invisible bitch,” Powers bellowed.
“Then you’ve got the husk. It’s a bit bulky, but nothing too terrorizing. However, you’ve got to watch the weapon on its arm. It shoots fireballs that explode upon contact with anything it touches.”
“Fireballs?” Schnieder asked.
The scientist nodded, “We were focused on making the next line of soldiers. Some of us figured a wad of fire would be most effective. Didn’t imagine our technology would be used on us. Anyways, you’ve got the siren that—”
A high pitched wail echoed through the hall.
Masterson declared, “Someone’s still alive, let’s go!” as he charged down the hall. The remaining soldiers and officers followed suit, leaving Gary in the dust.
“W-wait! That could be...” he let out a groan of frustration as he chased his bodyguards.
As the Lieutenant ran, he could make out multiple voices. A group of survivors? We’ve got to hurry! After ducking in and out of more halls, he stopped as a group of specimens were seen trying to get into the Sector B Observatories, seemingly stuck at the entrance. Barricaded, he assumed. Very good, but it won’t last. He turned to see the rest of his squad follow in behind. “We’ve got us a bit of a fight ahead.”
**********
“What are we gonna do?” Pinkie Pie cried as she and her friends stared at the group of specimens held back by a barrier Twilight produced.
“What can we do?” Rarity amended. “If anything, we can only hold off those horrible creatures for so long! We’ll be walking blind out there!”
“Now ain’t the time fer that kinda talk, Rarity!” Applejack scolded. “There’s gotta be somethin’ we kin do!”
Twilight glanced over her shoulder and said, “I’m sorry, everypony. This is all my fault.”
Rainbow Dash stood next to the purple unicorn. “Don’t start talking like that. We all knew this was going to be dangerous... just... not like this.”
The barrier faltered for a slight instant, bringing some specimens closer. Tears began to stream from Fluttershy’s eyes as she held her hooves over her head. “Somepony make them leave! Make them go away!”
Twilight looked away from the menacing glares that bore into her psyche. Focus, Twilight! she told herself. You’re a student of the princess! Just calm down, there’s definitely something here, just... focus. Her body trembled as she drew in a large breath. As she exhaled, the gears in her brain got to work. Her eyes darted all throughout the room to see what could be used at their disposal. A plan hatched in her head as she said over her shoulder, “I have an idea, everypony!”
Her friends looked towards the unicorn as she continued, “It’s going to take all of us in order to pull this off, but it should work. We don’t have any room for error, so listen up!”
**********
“First, I’ll be tossing a grenade,” Masterson told his squad. “That should take care of most of the buggers while attracting the others towards us. Briar, you take point, and use that shooter of yours to take care of any incoming zombies. Next, Schnieder and Lewis will...”
**********
“... kick the other bloat thing as hard as you can. I’ll cover the acid it sprays with magic and shower the other specimens with it. While they’re stunned, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy will...”
**********
“...shoot every last bastard that comes down this hallway. Make sure you get your shots down properly, we can’t waste ammo at a time like this. Powers and Gary, you two will...”
**********
“...use my magic in order to see if any of them are still alive. Understand?”
“Gotcha!”
“Ahm ready!”
“Right!”
“O-o-okay!”
“Let’s do this!”
**********
“Alright, prepare yourselves. The element of surprise will only last us for so long.” Masterson then removed the pin from his grenade and gave it a good toss.
**********
“One last thing, everypony,” Twilight added. “No matter what happens here, I want all of you to know... you’re all my very best friends, and I love you all very much.”
Rainbow Dash cried, “You can tell us again when we make it out of this mess!”
Twilight gave a slight smile. “Alright then, on my count. One... two... th—”
An explosion interrupted her train of thought, followed by many loud cracks and booms that deafened everypony. The chaos continued for fifteen seconds before quieting down. The room was filled with a dusty haze as two figures walked into the room, attacking bodies on the floor. “They’re all dead, sir!” one voice called out. As more figures made their way into the room, Twilight slowly powered down her barrier. Nopony said a word.
Another voice echoed, “Do a thorough search of the place, one of them could be squirming in all this dust.” As everypony stayed motionless, a figure became more defined as it approached the ponies. Soon, they all stared right into the mask it wore, revealing a pair of shocked eyes.
Acting on instinct, Twilight immediately created another barrier in time to deflect a blast of metal pellets from hitting Pinkie Pie. “What the bloo—” was all it could yell before the purple unicorn cast a powerful burst of magic that sent the figure flying into the wall.
“In the corner!” A voice shouted as more figures could be made out from the obstruction. In Twilight’s state of panic, her horn glowed brilliantly as she teleported herself and her friends out of danger.
“What just happened?” Schnieder exclaimed as he entered the room.
“Those things looked like a bunch of bloody ponies!” Briar exclaimed as he got to his feet. “Were humans not enough?” he accused Gary. “Did you have to start cloning horses too?”
“Hold on,” Gary said, defending himself, “what the devil are you talking about?”
“There were a bunch of fucking horses over there, that’s what!”
“But we’ve never worked with horses!”
“... Never?”
He shook his head. “All Mr. Clamely ever focused on was trying to create the perfect batches of people. If there actually are horses here, then they’re not ours.”
“It’s yellow,” Powers uttered as he lazily pointed his hand toward a dissipating dust cloud. Everyone’s attention turned to the object of the Sergeant’s interest.
Masterson asked, “What the bloody hell is that?”
**********
One purple flash later, the group of ponies landed on a checker-patterned floor in their current destination. Everypony scanned the room with puzzled expressions. Ransacked cabinets and shelves were on their left, piles of shattered plates lying below. A shattered window and broken door lay waiting on their right. “Where are we?” Pinkie Pie asked as she broke the silence.
“I...” Twilight began as she backed into a water cooler, “I don’t know.”
“Nevermin’ that, what the hay happened back there?” Applejack asked nopony in particular. “Were those things other hyuumans r’ some other kinda creature?”
Rainbow Dash unnoticedly said, “Uh... guys?”
“They had to be other humans,” Rarity declared. “That thing spoke, and not like that obscenely fat specimen either. Perhaps the rest of those things were humans too.”
“Guys?”
“But why did they attack us?” Pinkie Pie queried. “I thought humans were nice.”
“Guys...”
Twilight let out a sigh. “Well, it seems that not everypony is as nice as... as... Victor.” Almost everypony looked away at the mention of their dead navigator.
“Guys!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted during the moment of silence, startling everypony in the room.
“What?” they shouted back.
With a fearful expression, the blue pegasus asked, “Where’s Fluttershy?”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Fluttershy? She’s right he—” Her eyes grew large as she turned around. The timid flier was nowhere to be seen. “Fluttershy? Where are you? Fluttershy!” She ran to the cabinets and yanked each door open, becoming increasingly frantic as each cabinet revealed nothing.
Rainbow Dash checked the upper cabinets while Rarity and Applejack checked the brown sofa at the end of the room. Pinkie Pie started to dig through the potted plant that sat in the corner of the room. Despite their best efforts, their friend was nowhere to be seen.
Twilight paced around the room. She couldn’t have gone far, she reasoned. Where are you, Fluttershy?
“She couldn’t have gone far,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “but why would she leave?”
Twilight replayed the entire chain of events in her mind as she paced in a circle. Suddenly, she stopped in place as she realized the only practical answer. “Maybe... maybe she wasn’t the one to leave.” She blankly treaded towards the opposite end of the room and sat on her haunches, facing away from her friends as her shoulders began to shake. “I screwed up,” she muttered. “I screwed up big time.” As the purple unicorn tried to control her sobs, her friends looked at each other. Rarity stepped next to her friend and laid a hoof on her shoulder. Twilight ignored her touch and continued, “I told her it would be okay...”
“Dear,” Rarity consoled, “this isn’t... you need to calm down.”
Twilight sniffled, “Calm down?” She harshly batted her friend’s hoof away. “Calm down?! How can any of you be calm right now???” Tears streamed from her enraged eyes. “I acted too hastily, and now Fluttershy is all alone in who-knows-where! If not that, she’s... she’s...” Her eyes clenched shut as she tried not to finish the thought. “Spike made me promise that I’d keep everypony safe!” She looked back at Rarity. “He had tears in his eyes when I told him that he couldn’t come, did you know that? Just look at us now! We haven’t even been in this world for half an hour and Fluttershy is...”
Before anything else could be said, Rarity reached forward and embraced her friend. Within seconds, the purple unicorn melted and cried into her friend’s coat. Everypony gathered around their friend and joined in the comforting gesture. “Listen to me, Twilight,” Rarity whispered, “we can still go find Fluttershy, it’s not too late!”
She rubbed her nose before answering, “How? We don’t even know where she could be.”
Rarity pulled away from Twilight. “With this,” she said as she nudged her necklace.
“That’s right!” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Rarity has her gem finding spell!”
Applejack tapped her hoof against her chin. “That necklace is a gemstone too! Ahm perty sure she’s still wearin’ it.”
“Then we can find Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie finished.
Twilight countered, “But... what if we find her and she—”
Rarity placed her hoof on her fellow unicorn’s mouth. “Don’t say that,” Rarity pleaded. “We can’t give up now. Fluttershy’s waiting for us!”
Twilight wiped her tears away and smiled. “Thank you... all of you. You’re right. We don’t have any time to waste. Rarity, can you find her?”
The white unicorn’s horn began to glow as she closed her eyes. Slowly, Rarity could make out many surfaces glowing with a light-blue aura. She turned towards her friends and startled herself; while she couldn’t exactly see anypony, there was a bright colored glow where each of her friends stood.
“Wow, Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said, “Your necklace is really bright!”
“My what?” She opened her eyes and noticed the purple glow that slowly died down from her jewelry. “That’s never happened before... Nevermind that.” Rarity resumed her search, muttering to herself, “If everypony glowed the same color as their coat...” She proceeded to wander aimlessly until she found what she was looking for: a yellow colored glow, and it was surrounded by several white glowing spheres far below them. “I found her!” she cried as her eyes shot open. “She’s far below all of us, but I think Fluttershy’s safe!”
With a sigh of relief, Twilight said, “Lead the way, Rarity!”
With Rarity at the front, everypony ran into the hallway and down a flight of stairs, unaware of another pair of footsteps following close behind.
**********
Fluttershy lay trembling in the corner as she hid her face from the six humans in front of her.
“So we’re in agreement, yes?” Lewis said confusedly. “That’s a real pegasus, right?”
Powers piped up, “Seems that way.”
Where is everypony? The timid pegasus asked herself. What happened my friends? What are these things going to do to me? She could feel tears welling in her eyes as time dragged on.
“Give it some air, will you?” Gary said as he moved in front of the soldiers. “It’s scared, for christ’s sake, and huddling up around it won’t help!”
Briar disdainfully said, “You’re kidding, right?” He received a glare in response. “Alright, fine. We’ll give you your personal space.”
With his six cohorts backed away, Gary knelt on the floor as he cooed, “Hey, it’s alright. We’re not going to hurt you.” He extended his hand, hoping to coerce Fluttershy towards him. The pegasus’ noted the gesture, slightly poking her head out, but she wouldn’t budge.
Masterson spoke up, “We really don’t have time for this, Gary. We’ve got things to do.”
Wait... that name...
“I’m not just going to leave it here,” the scientist replied. “It won’t la—”
“You’re Gary?” Fluttershy interrupted, only to hide herself when seven pairs of bewildered eyes fell onto her.
Gary slowly turned to the soldiers behind him. “Please tell me I’m not the only one who heard that.”
“You aren’t,” Schnieder responded, shaking his head. “That pegasus just... spoke.”
Davin asked, “Is it too late to plead insanity?”
“Yes,” Powers answered sharply.
Gary got back into his previous position. He asked, “You can understand us?”
She slightly nodded.
“Do you have a name?”
“F-F-Fluttershy.”
“Alright, Fluttershy. I have a question for you: How did you get here?”
As more of her head moved past her mane, she muttered, “I-it was the human that brought us here.”
Gary flinched. “‘Us’? You mean there are more of you?” The equine nodded. “I see. Where are they now?”
Fluttershy started to tremble as she replied, “W-we were all together when we arrived, then... I don’t know... I was just left all alone.”
Gary stayed silent for a moment, processing this information. “How did you all get here?”
“We went through a... a portal that he made.”
His eyes shot wide. “And... what was this human’s name?”
The yellow pegasus swallowed the lump in her throat as she said, “Victor.”
Gary froze as he stared into Fluttershy’s eyes. He slightly inched closer to the pegasus. “Where...” he began, “where is he? Where is Victor now?
“He’s...” Fluttershy trailed off as her recent memories came into view. She shied away, subtly giving the human before her a hint of what happened.
He slowly leaned back. “Is he... dead?”
Without making eye contact, she nodded.
Gary slowly sat on the floor, his gaze slowly shifting to the floor. Masterson slowly approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I know this is tough,” he consoled, “but we have to move. There could be more zombies at any moment, and every second we sit here is another second those things are running around London.
“There’ll only be more grief if this facility isn’t shut down. We can pay your friend his respects later. Right now, we’ve got a job to do.”
Gary wouldn’t move. Fluttershy took a deep breath and slowly advanced towards the mourning scientist. She looked right into his eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”
Without warning, he reached a hand out and placed it on her head. Fluttershy let out a small squeak and winced upon contact, but she slowly opened her eyes when she recognized his intention. “Thank you,” he solemnly stated. Gary stood back up, dusting himself off. “You’re right. Best to stop these things now... for Victor’s sake.”
Taking this as their cue, Briar and Davin checked the nearby hallways for any signs of movement. “It’s all clear,” the Constable affirmed, “now let’s get a move on.”
“We’ve just got to head down the stairs,” Gary said.
“More stairs?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
With a dissatisfied grumble, The police officers headed the front as the entire group walked to the third sub-level.
Davin let out a disgusted groan. “Watch out, boys. Someone got covered in that brown shit down here.”
“Are they still alive?” Masterson asked as the body came into view.
“No, his throat’s cut” Powers replied.
Briar prodded the body with his weapon. “Oooh! That’s just nasty! Is this really what that fat bastard can do to people?”
Gary moved in front of the soldiers to examine the body before him. “If you really get covered in it, yes,” he answered while examining the fleshy mass before him. “See how the skin’s just gone? That was Mr. Clamely’s idea... sick bastard. Completely disfigured.”
Fluttershy gasped and started to tremble. That’s... that’s..!
Gary noticed the Control Station room next to him. He wandered inside. “We originally held our ground here. He said he’d be back... guess it was too much to hope for...”
“You held out here?” Lewis chimed in. “How did you manage that?”
“That’s a story for another time. Right now,” he paused as he grabbed a nearby lab coat hanging from the wall, “he or she shouldn’t be seen like this.”
Fluttershy squeaked, “B-but, that’s—” she felt her throat constrict as more tears welled in her eyes.
As he covered the body with the coat, Gary said, “It’s alright. I’m not sure how you respect your dead, but this is just something customary for us humans.” With the body covered, he continued, “Let’s shut down this place. Too many people have died because of our mistake,” he commented as he moved towards a double-door. “That body is just a prime example.”
Fluttershy wanted to tell Gary that the corpse was more than just a John Doe, but the words refused to leave her mouth.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he mumbled as he lightly knocked his head against the door.
Schnieder walked to Gary. “What’s wrong?”
“In case of an emergency, the doors around here are supposed to lock tight and keep all specimens in. During the catastrophe, that didn’t happen, and they got loose.” He stepped away from the door, shaking his head. “As it so happens, one door in the complex just happened to actually lock. Any guesses as to which door that is?”
Masterson asked, “How would we unlock it?”
“You’ve got to get the keys from security.”
“And security is...”
“Back up in the offices.”
Everyone let out a collective groan.
Briar exhaustedly asked, “Will that be it then? No more wandering up and down an endless amount of stairs?”
The scientist let out a sigh as he answered, “If we do this right, then yes. No more stairs.”
“Alright then, back up we go. I’m getting sick of this place already.” Briar headed up the staircase at the end of the hall, shortly after by the other soldiers and Gary.
Powers almost walked up, but turned around to notice Fluttershy sulk next to the corpse. He walked to the pony and said, “Let’s go.”
She looked into his mask, seeing nothing but the vague reflection of her timid self. “This human... this human is...”
“Dead. It happens.”
“This is Gary’s friend, Victor...”
Powers didn’t seem phased by the news, and proceeded to grip a hand from the lifeless body. He held a finger steady as he readied his machete to strike.
“No!” Fluttershy yelped as she lunged at the Sergeant, gripping his arm. “Please! D-don’t hurt him!”
He reasoned, “He’s dead. It doesn’t matter.”
“He... he was still our f-friend! L-l-leave him alone!”
“Again, he’s—”
“I’m begging you... don’t do it!” she whimpered as tears made their way down her cheeks.
They both sat there in silence, neither being willing to budge. After some time, Powers inaudibly muttered, “She’s just like you.” He stood back up, making Fluttershy release her grip. “Fine.” He blankly walked back to the staircase before hearing any sort of response from the timid pegasus.
“Thank you...”
He didn’t know whether she was talking to him, or what remained of the scientist’s body, nor did he care. Powers peered over his shoulder and signaled for Fluttershy to move along.
She trotted to the soldier, but paused to take one more look at Victor’s remains. One shaky sigh later, the area was deserted.
**********
“It shouldn’t be much longer now!” Rarity cheered, horn and necklace aglow, as she navigated the search party through their current location. “She’s moving with those other creatures, and they seem to be heading back now.”
Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “Alright! The sooner we find Fluttershy, the sooner we ca—”
“Wait!” The white unicorn skidded to a halt, scooching every bit as her friends slid into her. She powered down her spell and whispered, “There’s something coming down the hall!”
Pinkie Pie gasped, only to have Applejack’s hoof prevent her from making any noise.
Twilight asked, “Can you tell what it is?”
“No. The shape is too vague to make out anything.”
The orange mare asked, “Can we git ‘round it?”
“Running into the open would be foolhardy, and there’s no telling what could happen.”
Twilight touched her chin to her hoof and murmured, “Does everypony remember our plan from earlier? Performing it on one specimen is much simpler than an entire group.”
“It’s coming closer,” Rarity anxiously noted.
“Alright,” Rainbow Dash said as she cracked her neck, “let’s make this quick.”
Applejack reached into her saddlebag and pulled out her trusty tool: a long rope. “Ahm with ya.”
Rarity added, “It’s almost here!”
The dull thud of footsteps grew louder by the second. When Twilight saw the defined shadow of the being, she immediately whipped around the corner and used a powerful charge of magic to knock the creature off its feet. As it rolled on the floor, Twilight’s ears drooped. Wait...
“Charge!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she and Applejack rushed towards their target. The pegasus was within bucking distance, while the orange mare twirled her rope in the air, when both ponies felt a harsh tug at their tails, dragging them back to the corner. “What did you do that for, Twilight?”
The purple unicorn released her magical grip from both ponies and said, “That’s not a specimen!”
“Really?” She took a look at the creature before her. It didn’t appear to be another ravenous being, but a human who wore sturdy looking clothes that reflected the dim lights in their vicinity. It gripped its head in a mix of confusion and pain.
“What... what happened?” it groaned. As the world came into focus, the human jumped up and pointed the object in his hands towards everypony. However, he stopped and slowly straightened out his posture, lowering the item. “You’re not one of ours,” it breathed through the mask it wore.
“A specimen, no,” Twilight stated as she walked towards the human. “You’re not a specimen either, correct?”
Wilkes craned his neck back. “Y-you just—”
Twilight held a hoof towards him. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and we can explain them later. Right now, I have something to ask you: are you friendly?”
“Am I... friendly?”
“Yes, Twilight reiterated, “are you friendly?” Her horn began to glow, as if giving a warning.
Wilkes hesitated before saying, “Yes, I’m friendly.”
Her horn lost its shine as she sighed. “Good. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She stopped to wave her friends away from their location. “These are... most of my friends from our world. What’s your name?”
The human crossed his arms as he said, “Call me James.”
“The security guard?”
He paused before saying, “Yes... how did you— nevermind.”
Pinkie Pie jumped up and said, “I can see a million mes in your clothes!” as she moved closer to gawk at her reflections.
“They’re not really clothes,” James corrected. “It’s armor.” He knocked on the sturdy surface that covered every surface of his body. “Saved my life earlier, it’s a bloody brilliant thing!”
Twilight shook her head. “Okay, I have to ask. You humans keep saying ‘bloody’, is that some sort of slang or something?”
“Well, it’s...”
As the security guard explained english diction, Rarity’s necklace glowed once more as she checked up on Fluttershy, catching Applejack’s attention.
The orange mare whispered, “Is Fluttershy still okay?”
“Still safe, thank goo—” she cut herself off and let out a gasp. “Something else is coming, and it’s moving fast!” Springing into action, everyone backed away from the corner and waited in the middle of the hall. Wilkes hoisted the item from before and aimed it down the hall.
“What the hay is that?” Rainbow asked after glancing in his direction.
“It’s called the AA-12. A very powerful shotgun.”
“What’s a shotgun?”
He turned to look at the pegasus. “It’s a weapon. One you definitely don’t want to stand in front of.”
“Will you two be quiet?” Rarity supressedly barked. “It’s almost here!” With everyone focused, they waited. After another moment, the white unicorn pointed her hoof. “There!” she exclaimed, “whatever that weapon of yours does, use it on that... thing!”
Everyone crossed confused glances with eachother.
“What are you waiting for?! It’s getting closer!”
“Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said, “what are you talking about?”
“Are you blind? It’s coming towards us as we speak!”
“There’s nothing there, Rarity,” Twilight pointed out.
The fashionista frustratedly groaned as she stressed. “What do you mean ‘nothing’?”
James quickly asked, “Rarity, where is it?”
“It’s a few feet in front of us, bu—” Without warning, he pulled the trigger on his weapon. A female body suddenly appeared and fell lifeless to the floor, bullet holes draining blood from its body.
Everypony stood shocked while Rarity asked, “Was I seriously the only one to see that horrid creature?”
James stepped forward and said, “Indeed you were.”
The white unicorn shifted away. “But... how? What was that thing?”
“That is what we call a stalker,” he supplied as he approached the pale, blood-stained specimen. Its blue eyes, nearly obstructed by the black hair on the right side of its head, stayed motionless as they stared directly at the ceiling. “I remember having to watch over these things in security. They’d run around all invisible like, taunt us as we walk by, only show themselves when they’re ready to tear our organs out with those nasty claws.” He turned towards Rarity. “And you saw this stalker from the end of the hall?”
“Somepony please explain to me,” she began, “how in Equestria you wouldn’t see something like this. Just look at those scars its got all over! Such a sight chills me to the bone!”
Twilight placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Rarity, None of us are quite sure, but you’re really the only pony to see that thing.”
“But... but none of this makes any sense...”
“Regardless, if you hadn’t seen that specimen, things could’ve ended badly.” She cleared her throat. “Now, James, was it? I was wondering if... well... if you’d be willing to come with us.”
The security guard leaned against the wall. “Seems pretty risky, why would you need me?”
“There were originally seven of us that came to your universe, one being a human.”
“A human?” James interrupted.
“Yes.”
“The bastard actually did it...” he muttered. “I’m sorry, you were saying?”
“We were all together, but then... an accident happened. Now the human is dead, She’s on the lower floors, and appears to be traveling with other humans.”
“Others?” James asked as he craned his neck back. “Bloody hell, I was beginning to think there wasn’t a soul left in this place.”
The purple unicorn nodded. “Yes, there are others, and... well... the way you defeated that specimen was just—”
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash curtly added. “I mean seriously, that thing was coming up fast, and you were all—”
Twilight looked up and shot the blue pegasus a look that ended the sudden outburst. “Well, aside from what Rainbow Dash mentioned, we could really use offensive power like yours. What do you say?”
James scratched the back of his head. “Oh, alright. This isn’t the most insane thing I’ve seen today. Assuming I haven’t gone completely bonkers, I’d better get some answers when we’re done.”
“Thank you, and absolutely!”
Everyone followed Rarity towards their friend’s location. Before they rounded the corner, James asked, “So, how did you all get here?”
“Ooh, ooh! I know this one!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced next to the human.
Applejack quietly groaned, “This is gonna be one long walk...”
|
Some Person
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853
| 6 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-06-21T03:16:24+00:00
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2012-06-21T03:16:24+00:00
| 981 |
“Reloading, cover me!” Schnieder shouted after having disposed of a group of crawlers. He ducked in time for Lewis to unload a barrage of bullets into an approaching gorefast. “There’s just no end to these bastards!”
“Means we’ve got to hurry!” Masterson yelled over the sound of gunfire. He asked Gary, “How much farther up?”
The ex-employee pulled his axe out of a clot’s abdomen. “Another floor or so, I’d say.”
Briar’s shotgun cleared out a wave of assorted specimens. “It’s always another bloody floor!”
“And whose bright idea was it to fight on the stairs?” Davin yelled.
“We got pushed back, there was no choice!” Masterson countered as he used the butt of his rifle to knock a crawler aside.
Fluttershy kept herself huddled in one spot between the combatants, rendered immobilized by the ensuing carnage. She could only stare as she thought, I want to go home!
“Come on, give us a kiss!” a voice hissed, causing Fluttershy to spin around in time to see a stalker closing in. She yelped and hid her face as the invisible specimen lunged towards her. The yellow mare then felt a jet of warm liquid hit her head, followed by a cry of agony. She cracked open her eyes enough to see the stalker stopped in its tracks, a machete piercing its chest.
The Sergeant yanked his weapon upward, nearly splitting the monster as it fell to the floor. He gave a quick glance to the equine and motioned for her to stay put.
After what felt like an eternity, the onslaught of enemies eventually slowed down until only a select few remained.
As everyone fought, Briar could hear another stalker approaching. He shot a few rounds before him, producing no results. “Don’t waste your ammo!” Lewis chastised.
“Shut up! I’ve got this bitch!” By the time the stalker dropped its cloak, the Constable couldn’t react in time. A pair of claws sank deep into his stomach. He let out a bloody cough as he kicked the specimen aside, leaving it to be torn apart by an array of bullets. The cloth covering most of his face began to seep with blood as he crumpled into a ball on the floor.
As the other men rushed to his aid, the officer gurgled, “I told you this was a shit idea.” He chuckled for a moment before coughing up more blood.
Masterson checked over the man’s injuries. “Where’s the nearest first-aid station?” He questioned as he turned to face Gary.
“...It’s in the offices above this facility.”
With a dejected look on his face, the Lieutenant faced the dying man and reported, “It’ll take too long to get there and back... I’m sorry.”
Briar tried his best to laugh. “Don’t be... I’m the bleeding idiot who decided to follow you lot. Just... get moving.” Another fit of coughing interrupted him. “Don’t let this be... for nothing.”
Fluttershy moved towards Briar, eyes brimming with tears.
“Are you... crying?” he asked as he turned towards the ceiling. “Don’t cry over me... I don’t need... any sympathies.”
Her body started to shake as she looked down. No more...
“Go on... get out of... here.”
I don’t...
Lewis ducked down to Fluttershy’s level. “He’s right. We have to move, Fluttershy.” He placed a hand on her back, unnoticed by the timid pony. “Then we can find those friends of yours and get you out of here.”
I don’t want to see anypony else die! Suddenly, Fluttershy’s necklace glowed a shade of bright pink as both herself and Briar were encased in a pink aura. To everyone’s amazement, the Constable’s gaping wounds started to repair themselves. Soon, there were no visible signs of any trauma. The glow faded away as the group of men dumbfoundedly stared at their pony companion, who shared the same expression.
Slowly, Briar got onto his feet. “I... I feel... amazing! What the hell did you do?”
“I-I-I’m sorry, I just panicked and... and I didn’t... want...” She began to stumble as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Powers quickly rushed to Fluttershy’s side and caught her before she hit the ground.
Davin noted, “Whatever she did, I’m thinking maybe sending her back isn’t the smartest of ideas.”
“Completely healed...” Briar stated, still in disbelief. “It feels like nothing even happened.” He began to prod his stomach, trying to ensure that everything felt alright.
Schneider said, “Let’s hope we don’t need that ability again. Is she out cold?”
Powers nodded in response, hoisting the pony in question onto his shoulder.
Masterson checked the ammunition of his rifle. “Best get out of here before anything else shows up. It’s not much farther, right?” Gary nodded.
Masterson’s men filed behind him as they moved out of the staircase.
Unnoticed by everyone, save Powers, Fluttershy began to stir.
“Wh... what happened?” she groggily asked.
“You fixed him, then collapsed.”
The mare looked around to see that Briar was on his feet, defiantly arguing with the extra soldiers. A single tear of joy escaped her eye. I’m... glad.
“Rest,” the Sergeant urged as the men worked their way towards the upper floors.
Suddenly, a loud crash disrupted the entire complex.
“Please don’t tell me that was out way out,” Lewis asked.
Masterson opened a door to his left, revealing a dilapidated dormitory. “Only one way to find out. Let’s go.”
**********
Wilkes slowly opened his eyes. Much to his amazement, he was still very much alive. The security guard, along with his five companions, were held afloat in a magenta colored bubble. Twilight’s horn slowly lost its glow as the travelers were gently set onto the ground. “And so,” he began after dusting himself off, “you now know why taking an elevator during an apocalyptic event is a very bad idea.
“It seemed like it would be better to take that thing than run down more stairs!” Rainbow Dash defended.
Applejack gently patted her mane. “Are these doohickeys generally so... deadly?”
“Not particularly.” He pushed the collapsed doors to the cabin open. “Alright everyone, this is our stop.”
Everypony filed into the green hallway. “We’re... right back where we started,” Twilight disappointedly noted.
“That may be so,” Rarity added, “but Fluttershy is close! We just need to—”
“Who’s that guy?” Pinkie Pie asked, bringing everyone’s attention to their left. Standing nearly as tall as their human companion, there was a being with reddish-brown skin slowly advancing towards the group. It wheezed through the metallic gas mask it wore and raised its right arm to reveal a cylinder in place of its hand.
“Consume...” it mechanically spat while pointing the cylinder towards the ponies. The device began to whir as a bright ball began to form within the chamber.
Wilkes shouted, “Look out!” as everypony dropped to the floor. A fireball shot forth at a high velocity, exploding when it came into contact with the wall at the far end of the walkway.
“What in Equestria is that?” Rainbow Dash yelled.
The security guard raised his shotgun. “It’s a husk, and it’s bad news!” Several rounds of ammunition hit their mark, but the specimen wouldn’t falter. As he began to backpedal, he slipped on a spot of blood. His momentary daze was long enough for the specimen to fire another fireball towards him.
Twilight had jumped into the line of fire. She focused all of her magic into the projectile, stopping it mere centimeters in front of her. After shaking off the intense heat, she lobbed the fire back at the husk. Despite her best effort, the specimen trudged onward, flesh searing with each step. Why won’t this thing go down?
This moment gave Wilkes the time he needed to get back onto his feet. He rushed forward and knocked the attacker into the wall. With a swift motion, he forced the chamber of his shotgun into its mouth and pulled the trigger. He walked back towards the group of ponies. “Thanks for the save,” he said to Twilight.
“Wowie-zowie, that was something!” Pinkie Pie noted as the group converged towards one point.
Applejack adjusted her hat. “Should be glad it was only one fella. Are we any closer ta Fluttershy?” she asked, turning to the fashionista.
“I think—” Rarity turned to her right, freezing in place as her eyes grew large. Everyone turned towards the adjacent hallway to see a group of men slowly filing out of the room near the end of the hall, each in either a police or military uniform.
“Oh thank god!” Wilkes proclaimed as he stepped forward. “Please tell me you’re really officers.”
Briar said, “Do we look like some costume wearing yobbos?”
“True, true.”
Masterson asked, “Who are you?”
Placing his weapon on the floor, the security guard replied, “My name is James Wilkes, and I work... worked with security before all of this.”
Schneider pointed towards the equines behind. “And... those...?”
“They’re not ours, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Lewis clapped his hands together. “This actually works perfectly! You see, we...” he trailed off after noticing one soldier was missing.
Davin looked into the room they previously exited. He said, “I think you have enough fingers, you creepy bastard! Now get over here, Butterscotch will want to see this.”
Twilight cocked a brow. “Butterscotch?” she quietly said to Applejack, who merely shrugged. As the sixth soldier made himself visible, everypony gasped when they saw Fluttershy unconscious on his shoulder.
Rainbow Dash was the first to react. Quickly shouting, “Give Fluttershy back to us, or you’ll be sorry!”
Fluttershy soon stirred from her sleep. Her eyes groggily scanned the room until she could faintly make the forms of her friends. “G-girls?” she whimpered as she tried to move herself off of Powers’ shoulder. He plucked the yellow pony off his person and placed her on the floor.
“Fluttershy!” Everypony shouted, after seeing their friend in one piece. Fluttershy, on the verge of tears, ran towards her friends, who rushed to meet her. They were no closer than two meters apart when a gorefast crashed through the wall on Wilkes’ right and lay groaning as it attempted to get to its feet. Everyone backed away and readied themselves to attack when a burlesque figure with seared, damaged skin walked through the newly made hole. The specimen swung its arm towards the human, but he grabbed its blade in his hand and slowly bent it. He then planted his foot into the gorefast’s right shoulder and gave the blade a quick yank, ripping the appendage from its host.
“Now you listen to me...” the unknown man growled through his non-existent lips as he gripped the specimen by its throat, holding it in the air. “If there’s one thing you’ll ever learn, it’s this.” He repeatedly began to smash its head against the brick wall as he shouted, “You. Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me!” He emphasised the last word by effectively crushing its skull, sending a coating of brain fragments and blood onto the putrid-smelling green fragments of armor on his body.. As the gorefast slumped to the floor, he brushed off his soiled, black gloves and gave a sigh of relief. “That was a good one.” Suddenly, he froze in place, sniffing the air several times. He whipped his head towards his right, looking at Masterson. “Your smell...” he began to walk towards the lieutenant, ignoring the ponies entirely. The Lieutenant’s fellow soldiers stepped forward and trained their weapons at the man.
“That’s far enough!” Schneider commanded, Attempting to stare the odd man in the eye. Deep down, however, the Private was struggling not to gag at his appearance. Everything about this person set him on edge. What mostly did the job were his eyes. One eye was brown, the other white. Schneider noticed himself swallow a dry lump as his firearms began to shake.
“You’re frightened,” the deformed man mentioned with a quick look over the soldier. “Why does a little man like you hold those toys when you’re so close to pulling the gun on yourself?”
Wilkes slowly reached for his weapon up and was planned to aim it at what he considered a lunatic worth dealing with.
“Don’t,” Rarity whispered. “There’s something unusual about that one.”
“I think everything about that freak spells unusual,” he quietly replied.
“So I’m a freak, eh?” the man said as he slowly turned around. “Calling me things like that isn’t so ni—” He craned his neck as he slowly inched towards the security guard. “That voice... Wilkes?”
“Thorne?”
The man let out a hearty chuckle as he walked back towards the security guard, again ignoring the batch of equines. “You crazy bastard, you’re alive!” Thorne embraced Wilkes and lifted him off the floor with relative ease. “Didn’t even recognize you with all that shit you’ve got on.”
“...L-likewise,” Wilkes replied as he half-heartedly returned the gesture.
“What the hell just happened?” Briar said aloud as he walked in the middle of the hallway. “Who is this git?”
After setting his fellow man down, Thorne turned and said, “Just call me Thorne. Makes things easier. Used to work security, but then all this happened.” He pointed towards the damage done to his skin. Taking another whiff of the air, he recalled his original train of thought. “The better question here is, who are you?” he said, pointing an accusatory finger towards Masterson. “You smell just like that science guy... why is that?”
The Lieutenant twitched for an instant before saying, “You’ve got me. Everything seems to smell like science around these parts.”
“No!” Thorne bellowed. “You’re different. That smell, I wouldn’t forget it anywhere...”
Wilkes cleared his throat, pulling Thorne’s attention away from the soldiers. “What happened to you, Thorne?”
“What do you mean?”
“You bent that gorefast’s blade in half and smashed its head into the wall with your bare hands.”
The battered guard snapped his fingers. “Ah, right. You weren’t around for that. You remember that raise they offered me? Turns out they had other plans they neglected to put in the fine print.”
“So like a true prat, you signed away your life for a quick cash grab?” Briar commented. A quick glance from Thorne was all it took to shut the officer up.
“Yes I did,” he answered, “and I have to say.” He walked against a nearby wall and punched another hole into it. “One of the best decisions I could’ve made, am I right?” Thorne walked away from the rubble, shaking the dust off his gloves. “Course, they must’ve done something to me before all hell broke loose. Probably slipped some hallucinogens into my holding cell.”
“What are you talking about?” Gary asked.
“It’s probably nothing, but I can see a bunch of tiny horses running around. Either I’ve gone mad, or I’m just hallucinating. Either way, I’ll probably remember not to kill any of you.”
“Do all humans think we’re fake or something?” Rainbow Dash asked no one in particular.
Wilkes shrugged. “It’s not like talking horses are commonplace.”
“They got you too?” Thorne questioned his friend. “Damn it, Horzine is a crafty bunch of bastards.”
The rainbow-maned pegasus let out an annoyed groan.
“While I’m sure the BPS would argue this, you’re not mad,” Davin corrected. “Those horses are actually real.”
“Ponies!” Everypony yelled at once.
“Right, fine, ponies! Sheesh,” he cried, throwing his arms in the air, “as if anyone even gives a shit.”
Thorne took a moment to eye the equines. “So... they’re real?” He loudly sniffed the air several times before turning to Fluttershy. With a wry smile and a lick of his lips, he asked, “Has anyone ever told you that you smell delicious?” He took one step towards the yellow mare.
As if acting on instinct, Powers lunged forward and pinned Thorne against the wall, his machete prodding the guard’s throat.
Thorne grimaced as he snarled, “It was a joke, you idiot! So you have a hard on for a pony, I’m not one to judge. Just get your filthy mitts off me before I rip them off!”
The air grew tense in that moment, neither of the outside parties dared to move, lest entice either of the two men to kill each other.
With a fluid motion, Powers eased off and took a great step back, not once averting his gaze.
Thorne dusted off his armor. “So rude,” he remarked while rolling his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes shot open as he turned to the ceiling. He sniffed the air several more times before grinning devilishly. “Dinner time,” he remarked as he cracked his knuckles.
Suddenly, more groans and footsteps could be heard from the surrounding area. Everyone slowly converged into one spot, weapons drawn, as they patiently waited. “More of those things?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked around. “How many of those specimen things are there?”
“More than you can believe,” Masterson added. When several clots dropped from the ceiling, bullets began to fly.
**********
Kevin Clamely nonchalantly walked towards his office, whistling a tune as he stepped over the chunks of flesh that littered the floor. He reached for the door handle when the sound of multiple gunshots stopped him. After taking a quick glance around the area, he quickly shut himself inside his quarters, locking the door behind him. Kevin quickly advanced to his computer, turning it on as his mind got to work. “How is anyone else still alive after all this?” he asked himself. “Just what’s going on down there?” Once the monitor came to life, he dug around some menus before finding what he needed: access to the security feeds.
He flipped through various cameras before one shot in particular caught his eye. The longer he stared, the more he grew slack-jawed. The live video before him showed that his children were being assaulted by soldiers, security guards, police officers, and...
“...The fuck?”
Miniature horses.
The CEO found himself staring until the reality of the situation flashed in his mind. Those bastards are killing my children! He opened the center drawer of his office desk and pulled out a Beretta M9A1 pistol. He opened the clip: twelve bullets. “Don’t want them spoiling all the fun,” he reasoned as he stood up and walked out.
**********
Shortly after the onslaught subsided, everyone aside from Pinkie Pie and Thorne found themselves worn out.
“That was almost too much,” Schneider admitted between breaths.
“Ah’ll say,” Applejack added. “Y’all been fightin’ them things this whole time?”
Masterson wiped the sweat from his brow. “We have to. It’s our job. Which is why we’re going to need everyone we can get.” He said as he approached the security staff. “What do you two say?”
Lewis said, “Wait a minute, you said you work with security. That means you have keys on you, right?”
Wilkes responded, “Of course I do.”
“Perfect! We needed to find a key to open up those doors back there. You can unlock them for us, can’t you?”
Thorne and Wilkes looked at each other. “Do you at least have a plan?” Wilkes asked.
“That’s a good question,” Twilight commented as she moved forward. “What is your plan?”
“Well...” The Lieutenant explained his campaign, stating it as plainly as possible so as to avoid a staggering amount of questions afterwards.
“So... why can’t we just blow this place up?” Rainbow Dash asked, hovering in the air once more. “At least that way you’d be done with your job sooner.”
Rarity let out a sigh. “We can’t do that, Rainbow Dash. Blowing up the facility means blowing up our only way home.”
“Right, bad idea,” the pegasus stated, crossing her arms.
Thorne rubbed his chin. “Science guy will be down there, won’t he?”
“Who’s ‘science guy’?” Lewis asked.
“The sack of shit I’m gonna destroy, that’s who.” He began to grind his teeth as he paced back and forth, clenching both hands as he went on. “When they turned me into this, he was always there... Always smiling as they fed me rats, always looking on in amazement as they picked apart my face. Gonna pluck those brown eyes out of his fucking head before I kill him! Probably rip off that mustache too. Bet he wouldn’t like that.”
“Wait a minute,” Gary said as he put the pieces together. “Are you talking about Mr. Clamely? Did he do this to you?”
“Yes he did, and I’m looking to thank him personally.”
“You will do no such thing,” Masterson added. “When we bring him in, I’m seeing to it that he’s given his due process.”
“Sorry, mate, but the law won’t do any good here. Everyone’s dying, right? The courts will die out with them.” Thorne countered.
“No matter how long it takes, he’s going to receive his just punishment.”
“Right, his just punishment, couldn’t agree more. Which is why I’ll be the executioner.”
“If you kill him, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Thorne interrupted, making himself mere centimeters away from the Lieutenant. Their eyes deadlocked. “I’m curious... what will you do?” he continued, unaware of the four weapons aimed at his person.
“I’ll kill you.”
Thorne’s eyes shot wide in mocked awe. “You’ll kill me, really?” he said while chuckling. “What makes you so sure?”
It was Masterson’s turn to smile. “Because you don’t pay attention to everything.”
A gentle prod to his chest caused Thorne to look down. An eighteen centimeter long blade was positioned right before his heart. The smile on his face quickly melted away as it shaped into a scowl. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked as he gave Masterson his personal space. Thorne walked around the soldier. “You’re not scared, and you think you can fight me.” He sniffed the air as he eyed the lieutenant like a python eyes its prey. “Why are you so different?”
“We all have our secrets,” Masterson nonchalantly replied.
Before anything else was said, Twilight broke in. “This isn’t getting any of us anywhere. We’d really like to get out of this place as soon as possible, and you two aren’t helping. So would it be too much to ask that we just get along already?”
Masterson turned to Thorne. “Well, what do you say?”
Thorne let out a defiant snort before saying, “I’m not making any promises.”
“Then I’ll keep an eye on you.”
“Likewise.”
Masterson yanked his head back down the corridor, ushering the new travelers along to their new destination.
As the humans began to head out, the six ponies officially reunited themselves.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight cried out as she embraced the yellow mare. “I’m so, so sorry! I had to think fast and I just panicked and—”
Fluttershy shushed her friend. “It’s okay. I’m fine, and that’s all that matters.”
“What happened down there?” Rainbow Dash asked concernedly.
“Well, um, there was a lot of fighting, and—”
“We’re not waiting for you!” Briar shouted as he insistantly urged everypony towards the humans.
Twilight turned to her friends. “Come on, girls.” As the equines walked out the corridor and down a flight of stairs, Fluttershy explained what happened during her leave of absence. At one point, Twilight had to stop the story. “Wait. You mean that human was about to die, but you healed them?”
“Well, I can’t think of how to explain it,” Fluttershy answered, “but I just know that my necklace glowed brightly, and then it was all better.”
“Did y’all use magic? Can pegasi even do that?” Applejack asked.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Not that I can think of.”
The purple unicorn continued, “Aside from cloud-walking abilities, and the many weather-related feats pegasi exhibit, I can’t think of a single pegasus that has the magical prowess of a unicorn.”
“Seems a downright shame when you think about it,” Rarity intervened, looking back to talk to her friends. “Sometimes I wonder what things would be like if everypony could use magic like Twilight and myself.” The white unicorn suddenly bumped into Briar and Davin. “I am terribly sorry about that,” she apologized to the officers, who merely glanced down at Rarity before turning their attention forward again.
Wilkes walked towards the two metal doors on the left wall, pulling a keyring off his belt. “Now lets see here.” He flipped through the many keys on the ring. “It’s got to be around here somewhere.” Before he could find the desired object, Thorne walked forward and kicked the metal doors off their hinges.
“Look at that, door’s open!” he commented as he let himself in.
Wilkes let out a dejected sigh before putting his keys back in place.
Everyone walked onwards, but Gary took a look back to see the ponies silently observing the corpse on the floor. “Come on. We have to go.”
“Can’t we do something for him?” Twilight asked.
The scientist walked towards everypony and knelt to their level. “I’m afraid there’s nothing that can be done now. Whoever this was is long gone.”
“But he helped bring us here, can’t you—”
“What did you say?” he interrupted.
“This is the human that brought us here.”
Gary stared into the unicorn’s eyes, slowly averting his gaze to the body before him. He then turned to Fluttershy. “Did you know about this?”
The yellow pegasus’ ears drooped. “I... I tried to say something, but...”
“Did it occur at any time to let me know about this?” he snapped.
“I’m sorry, I-I—”
“So you’re Gary then?” Pinkie Pie asked.
He slightly cocked his head back. “Did all of you know? Is there anything else you’re hiding from me?”
“Hey! It’s not like that!” Rainbow Dash interjected. “We didn’t know you were Victor’s friend until just now. There’s no need to be getting in our faces about it.”
“Are you sure?” Gary countered. “So you’re telling me I’m wrong to be upset over not knowing that I’m quite literally walking all over my best friend’s body while you all watch?”
“If there’s anypony y’all should be mad at, it’s me,” Applejack admitted.
“Really? And why’s that?”
“Because...” Applejack bit her lip and looked away. “Because it’s mah fault that it happened.” She glanced up to see the perplexed look on his face, egging her to continue. “We were runnin’ from them things fer a bit. As we ran past a fat one, ah thought t’would be a better idea to try takin’ it outta commission. Figured a quick buck oughta do the trick...” Applejack removed her hat and held it before her chest, looking Gary in the eye. “Before ah knew it, the thing popped and Victor yanked me outta there. He died tryin’ ta save me.”
Gary did nothing as this information processed. He looked back at Victor’s body and, after a moment, stood up and turned around. “Let’s go.”
Twilight hesitantly said, “Are you—”
“I said let’s go. The others are probably at the incubation centers by now.” He walked at a brisk pace, not once looking back.
Applejack placed her stetson back on her head. “Maybe ah shouldn’t a said that.”
Rarity nudged the orange mare. “No, Gary deserved to know that much.”
Everypony soon left to regroup with the humans, who were already examining the two-story clone center. The room shared the lower Biotic laboratory’s green hue as many metallic machines hissed and whirred, creating batches of specimens and setting them to rest in individual pods. Davin looked back to see Twilight and her friends enter. “Well, you all took your sweet bleeding time, now didn’t you?”
Rainbow Dash shot a glare. “Can it, you feather brain!”
“Feather brain? Now you’ve gone and hurt my poor little feelings.”
“I’ll do more than that if you keep it up!”
“Oh I’m shaking in my boots!”
“Will you two shut up?” Briar shouted. “It’s like a lovers spat, ridiculous.”
Masterson approached from the center of the room. “Perfect, I was looking for you two,” he said while addressing Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. “You see the balcony up there?” He pointed above to the railing at the opposite side of the room. “We’re about to unlock the door, but we could use you two for some recon. Can you two find a way in there and make sure it’s clear for us to proceed?”
Rainbow crossed her arms. “What if there’s a specimen up there?”
“Then you can lure it out and we’ll deal with it accordingly.”
As the Lieutenant explained to the pegasi what would happen, Pinkie Pie’s eyes darted around the room, stopping as her gaze came into contact with another specimen’s pod. “What’s that?” she asked as she zipped to the pod and pressed her nose against the glass. Within lay a slender, sleeping specimen with a head of aloof, black hair. Its arms bound tightly with black leather straps around its malnourished body.
“That’s a siren,” Wilkes answered as he walked to the pink pony. “Be very careful of those buggers,” he advised, “never stand close to one.”
“Why not?”
“She lets out a shrill scream that’ll pop your eardrums if you’re not careful.”
As Pinkie looked more over the siren, she stopped and stared. “Where are its eyes?”
The security guard looked at the specimen’s visible eye sockets. “The idea was that without its eyes, the siren would use their hearing to know when to scream.”
“It looks so... sad.”
Wilkes looked down at the earth pony. “I know what you’re thinking, but just remember one thing: It’s not human. It will try to kill any of us at a moment’s notice, and they’re nothing like us, so don’t feel bad if you have to kill one of them.”
She looked up and said, “But we’re not humans. What does that mean for me and my friends?”
“It’s... it’s different.”
“How? Even if it’s not a human, I bet it still has feelings.”
Taken aback by the party pony’s sudden serious attitude, Wilkes crossed his arms and said, “I’m afraid that’s something you’d have to experience first-hand. Pray you never have to do so.”
“So that makes sense, yes?” Masterson asked as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash nodded their heads. “Good. Make it quick then.”
“C’mon, Fluttershy. Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash said to her friend.
Suddenly, the doors behind them slammed shut and a loud clunk followed after. The noise attracted everyone’s attention as they moved to the front of the facility. “What happened?” Schnieder asked as he drew his weapons.
Masterson began to pull the door handles repeatedly, but there was no success. “The bloody doors are stuck!”
Thorne walked before everyone and kicked the door. However, he only made a dent. “What the fuck is this?”
“I thought a former security guard would be more familiar with Horzine’s security system,” a voice said from afar. Everyone turned to see Kevin standing on the balcony, smiling as he looked on.
“You’re mine!” Thorne bellowed as he sprinted full force and jumped incredibly high. He sailed towards the CEO, but his route was cut short. The instant the security guard jumped, Kevin pulled the pistol out of his coat pocket and pulled the trigger. The only bullet he fired hit its mark: just above Thorne’s left eye. Momentum brought Thorne crashing into the rail before falling into a heap in the floor.
Everyone immediately aimed their weapons at the CEO, but he aimed his weapon towards the crowd and held a switch in the air. “Not so fast! See this button here? Anything happens to me, you fuckers even make a move against me, and I press it. Then one minute is the only time you get before all of my children wake up and come to save their father. And I’m sure they’d just be dying to meet you. Especially you six. I hear that horse meat tastes delicious.”
Masterson asked, “Why are you doing this, Clamely?”
“Ah! Masterson! So good to see you again! I hear you climbed the ranks quite nicely.”
Everyone exchanged confused looks as the Lieutenant replied, “No thanks to you.”
“Shame that it just might end for you right now, if you’re stupid enough to not take me up on my offer.”
“Offer?” Gary said. “What do you mean?”
Kevin’s grin grew. “You have one of two options. One: you can be a bunch of dumb-shits and fight for your hollow law enforcement institutions, and get ripped to shreds by my specimens in the process—”
Lewis said, “What happened to ‘if we make a move’?”
“Well no shit, I’m going to have a backup plan, but lets face it. I’m not letting any of you out of this place alive. However, that’s what option number two is for. You’ve all proven yourselves to be some of the best humanity has to offer, so I’m extending you all a chance to shine atop the new age of humanity with me! Just drop your weapons on the floor, and join me above. Rise to the level of a god, and watch as others grovel at your feet, begging for a chance to live! It’s your choice.” He looked at the six ponies. “Humans only. Sorry, but I can have a bunch of fucking horses pissing and shitting all over my home.”
Schnieder said, “Count me out.” Powers walked in front of the group of ponies, not budging one bit.
Soon, Wilkes said, “I’d rather fight every last one of these bastards than join someone as fucked up as you.” Shortly after, Gary and the remaining soldiers voiced their opposition.
“Screw these stupid fucks. I’m in,” Briar said as he tossed his shotgun to the floor and walked away.
“Me too,” Davin added as he dropped his assault rifle.
Everyone stared in pure shock at this display. Rainbow Dash tried to fly after the officers, but Applejack held her in place. “Just wait ‘til I get my hooves on you, you traitor!” the pegasus cried.
“How can you betray your friends like this?” Rarity yelled.
The officers turned around and began to laugh. “Friends?” Davin scoffed. “You seriously thought we were friends?”
Briar shrugged. “We’re just sticking this out until the end of the world. Only reason we got here is because it would help us live just a bit longer. Just doing the smart thing, see ya around!”
“Or... maybe not.” Both officers laughed as they walked away and joined Kevin on the floor above, Briar standing to his right, Davin to the left.
“So the rest of you are going to let yourselves get killed? Fine by me,” Kevin remarked as he eased his aim towards the survivors. “Just remember one thing as you see your blood plastered all over the walls: I gave you a chance.”
Unbeknownst to the CEO, Briar and Davin glanced at eachother, subtly nodding to eachother. Without wasting another moment, the Constable slapped the control out of Kevin’s hand. Before he could react, Davin delivered an elbow strike to the jaw. From there, Briar landed a right hook, leaving Kevin stunned long enough for the Police Sergeant to serve a drop kick into his chest. As he lay on the floor, reeling from the joint attack, Briar turned him onto his back before binding him with handcuffs.
“I can’t believe that worked,” Davin mentioned, slightly out of breath.
Briar stood up, keeping one foot firmly planted onto his prisoner. “Just goes to show that even the fat cats can be complete idiots.”
Kevin spat blood onto the floor. “What the fuck?!” he exclaimed. “I promised you so much, and you do this to me as thanks?!”
“That about sums it up,” Davin said as he crouched on the floor. “See, it’s true that we want to live to see the end of the world. However, you didn’t count on one little thing. Today was our day off, and you made it the shittiest day off ever.”
“I’ll say,” Briar added. “I’m sitting at home, watching some football, and then I have to get suited up for some bloody rioters!”
“Only to find out they’re the furthest thing from rioters.”
“And that everyone’s dying.”
“So fuck you, you sack of shit.” The three men turned their attention towards the sound of many footsteps making their way up the stairs. Davin walked forward to meet Masterson, Schneider, Gary, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity at the top. “You’re free to thank us now or later.”
Masterson testily shouted, “What was the point of all that?”
Davin flinched before slowly turning to the bound Kevin Clamely on the floor. He dumbfoundedly gestured at the prisoner. “Have you lot never heard of the phrase ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer?’”
“You could’ve put everyone’s lives in danger!”
“But we didn’t, we saved them.” He turned to walk back over to Briar, who was busy taunting Kevin. “Unless you would’ve preferred to have fought through all of those zombies. Either way, we did what would’ve taken you prats far too long to do.”
When the officers were out of earshot, Rarity remarked, “You have to admit, they have a point.” Masterson stared back at the white unicorn. “It was a clever idea. Risky, but clever nonetheless.”
“If there are any other clever ideas, I’d better be informed of them next time.” The Lieutenant picked up the switch that now lay on the floor. “Keep this safe,” he said as he handed the item to Schneider, who placed it into a pouch on his right side.
Briar looked up, taking a quick head count. “Where are the others?”
“They’re down below,” Pinkie Pie answered as she hopped about.
“Doing what?”
********
Lewis rolled Thorne onto his back before examining the damage. He lifted the head and examined the rear end. “No exit wound,” he said while gently setting the head onto the floor.
“What does that mean?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly irked at the body before her.
“Means the bullet’s still inside of him.” Wilkes added as he crossed his arms.
As the Corporal continued his examination, he lifted Thorne’s arm and held his wrist. He waited patiently before saying, “There’s no pulse.”
Twilight hung her head in defeat. That’s two now... “Is there anything we can do for them?”
“He’s too far gone for any help.” Lewis’ eyes grew and he turned to Fluttershy. “However, you just might be able to save him.”
“M-m-me?” the yellow pegasus stammered. “But... I don’t—”
Powers knelt to the equine’s level. “Try it,” he suggested.
“How? I don’t even know how I healed that human last time.”
Twilight moved next to Fluttershy. “What went through your mind when you helped him? Maybe thinking about that will trigger whatever happened last time.”
“Regardless of what you do, I doubt we have long,” Lewis added.
The yellow mare took one look at Thorne’s body. She gulped before saying, “Okay... I-I’ll try.” Everyone backed away from Fluttershy as she closed her eyes and sat on her haunches.
Wilkes said, “So what’s she going to do?”
Lewis looked onward. “Just wait and see.”
Everyone stayed silent and watched. After a short time, a pink aura began to engulf Fluttershy and Thorne.
Twilight observed the scene in amazement. I see, so the necklace glows when she heals that human. Just like when Rarity tried to find Fluttershy. She glanced down to her own penchant. Does that mean all of us have some individual ability?
Rainbow Dash’s mouth went agape at the scene before her. The pegasus she’d known since fillyhood was practicing magic. However, something felt amiss; the yellow pegasus began to tremble ever so slightly. Rainbow walked to Fluttershy. “Hey, you alri—” Rainbow’s sentence went unfinished as her eyes shot wide in horror. The color was draining from Fluttershy’s face, and a trail of blood began to flow from both of her nostrils. “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?!” Her friend remained unresponsive. “Fluttershy!” the blue pegasus cried as she began to shake Fluttershy.
The healer’s eyes shot open as she looked to her worried friend. “W-w-what? What happened?” Fluttershy asked in between shaky breaths. She soon noticed everyone looking at her with varying looks of concern.
Twilight held her hoof over her mouth. “Oh my goodness. Fluttershy, you’re bleeding!”
She rubbed her snout with a foreleg to reveal red smears trailing along its surface. “I don’t understand... why is this happening?”
Wilkes looked to Lewis. “You said she healed one of your friends, right?”
“That’s correct.”
The security guard crossed his arms. “So she healed someone before, and now she’s having problems doing it again. It’s possible—”
“That Fluttershy exerted too much energy, right?” Twilight finished.
“Exactly. Guess we should expect limits to these things.” He knelt next to Fluttershy. “In the meantime, you’ve done all you can. Just take a step back and relax.”
“But I—”
Wilkes held up a hand before she could continue. “There’s no point in helping Thorne if you’re just going to end up like him.”
After a small pause, Fluttershy quietly stepped away from the body.
Twilight stepped towards what was left of Thorne. She craned her neck over his head, trying to listen for any signs of life. A moment passed before the purple unicorn’s ears drooped. “I don’t thi—”
In that instant, Thorne sprang to life with a deep inhale, causing Twilight to fall onto her back and yelp in fear. Everyone remained deathly quiet as Thorne came to grips with his surroundings. “What the bloody hell just happened?”
Lewis answered, “You were dead for a bit, mate. Then that pony over there saved your life.”
The revived security guard looked at his hands, clenching them and unclenching them as he stared quizically. He then reached into his mouth and gripped one of his back molars. Before anyone knew it, Thorne pulled the tooth straight out of its socket.
“What was the point of that?” Rainbow Dash shouted in a disgusted manner.
“Can’t feel anything,” he casually replied. A vile grin formed on his face as he said, “Perfect.” He smelled the air before exclaiming, “Science guy’s still here!” He marched off towards the stairs, unaware of Lewis’ and Wilkes’ insistence he stay put.
**********
“Now what are we going to do with this sod?” Davin asked as everyone looked down on the bludgeoned Kevin whom sat on the floor.
“First, he’s going to tell us exactly how we shut this place down,” Masterson answered. “Then we get the word out on what’s happening. We’re going to need all the support we can get if we want to wipe every bloody specimen off the face of the earth. And finally we bring him in so he can answer for all the people his ‘children’ have killed.”
Kevin let out a disapproving sigh as he shook his head. “Really now, Masterson. I thought that after all the fun times we had that you’d be above turning me in like this.”
Masterson ignored the questioning glances from everyone nearby as he answered, “It’s because of those ‘fun times’ that you’re still alive right now.”
“Whatever,” he replied, glancing to his left to see down the barrel of Corporal Lewis’ Bullpup. “Can you at least tell your lackey to get that gun out of my face? It’s not like he’d even do anything with it.” He remained ignored as he let out a sigh of discontent.
Briar suddenly clapped his hands. “Davin, we should probably get our weapons.”
The Police Sergeant stayed silent before saying, “Right. We need those.” The officers walked away, Davin waving as he turned around and said, “We’ll be back shortly.” Once out of earshot, he said to his cohort, “You don’t really think anyone’s going to do anything about that sick son of a bitch, do you?”
“I’m not counting on it,” Briar responded. “Should we take care of it?”
“If we’re lucky, we might not even have to do anything.”
When they neared the bottom-most step, the two men froze when a not-dead Thorne stopped before them. “Where’s science guy?” he demanded.
Briar and Davin glanced at each other before hesitantly pointing to the top of the stairs. Without another word, Thorne pushed past them and stormed his way to the second floor.
“Let’s hurry up and grab those guns,” Briar remarked, “I’m not missing this for the world.”
Thorne followed the familiar scent as he reached the second floor. He darted his head to the left and the right before spotting his target. “Found you!” he bellowed as he approached Kevin with a dastardly smile.
Schneider stepped in front of the guard’s path. “Listen, you need to—” His nag was cut short as Thorne pushed him to the side with minimal effort.
The CEO tried desperately to scoot himself away from Thorne, but it was no use, as the distance between the two quickly disappeared. Just when Thorne reached for Kevin, Masterson ran up behind him. Jumping onto his back, the Lieutenant wrapped his right arm around the man’s neck, using his left arm to apply a firm grip. “I thought I told you,” he grunted, “I can’t let you do that.”
“And I thought I told you,” Thorne wheezed, “that I don’t fucking care!” He reached behind his head and gripped Masterson by the head, quickly throwing him directly in front of his feet. He then delivered an elbow drop onto his chest, leaving the Lieutenant groaning in agony as he gripped the affected area.
Schneider shouted, “Sir!” as he un-holstered his Handcannons. In a flash, Thorne ran in front of the Private and punched him in the stomach. He remained frozen before curling into a ball as he gagged and coughed on the floor.
The security guard turned to Lewis and Gary, who quickly held up their hands as a pacifistic gesture. He gave them a quick scoff before walking back over to Kevin. He grabbed Kevin by his coat and picked him off the floor. “Now where were we?” he asked as he brought his right arm back, fully prepared to punch him. As he propelled his arm forward, he noticed it stop suddenly. He turned back to see his fist held back by a rope that Applejack held firmly in her teeth, shooting daggers as she vehemently held her ground.
“You too?” he said with a grin before dropping Kevin on the ground. “Suit yourself.” Thorne slowly pulled his arm forward. Dragging the orange mare ever so slightly on the floor. After their small tug of war, he let his forearm go back again, but not before grabbing a good length of the rope in his hand. He whipped the rope forward, throwing Applejack into the air as she stubbornly held onto it. When her momentum almost brought her to the floor, he snapped the rope forward, bringing the orange mare back to the security guard. The whiplash only caused her to shut her eyes and clench her jaws tighter than before. She had re-opened her eyes in time for Thorne to backhand the oncoming pony. Applejack tumbled in the air before skidding to a halt on the floor, laying perfectly still.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. He turned around to see Schneider shakily aiming his pistol at him. The soldier cursed himself as he tried firing again, only to be met with the unholy sound of an empty chamber. Thorne patted the side of his head and saw a fresh splotch of red on his glove. “Now you’re all just becoming a pain in my ass!” Enraged, he stormed towards Schneider and pulled him onto his feet. He yelled, “Stay out of this!” shortly before punching him in his right side and throwing him over the rail.
Schneider could do nothing but brace for impact. He felt his momentum stop before cautiously opening his eyes, becoming aware of the magenta aura that covered him.
After being gently set on the floor, Twilight asked, “What’s going on up there?”
“It’s... it’s Thorne,” he managed to say. “He’s gone mad! First he wanted to kill Kevin, then he started attacking the others... even your friends!”
Everypony gasped and a large scowl appeared on Rainbow Dash’s face. “I’ll stop him!” the confident flier said before zipping to the second floor. When she arrived, she saw Thorne kneeling in front of Rarity, who was trembling before him. “You stay away from her!” she barked as she readied herself to attack. “You even think of hurting my friends, and I’ll make you wish you were never born, buddy!”
Thorne crossed his arms and smirked. “You’ll make me regret it, will you?” He stepped in front of Rarity, who was still too petrified to get away. “I’d like to see you try!” he dared as he brought his leg forward and kicked backwards, striking Rarity in her lower jaw.
This pushed the blue pegasus over the edge, who shouted, “You asked for it!” as she flew full force towards Thorne. Unfortunately, the guard easily dodged her predictable attack, delivering a punch to her face in the process. The impact sent her careening to the opposite end of the area, right in front of the stairs.
“All bark and no bite,” he taunted as he spit onto the floor and returned to his business.
“You... you call that a punch?”
Thorne perplexedly stopped in his tracks, slowly turning around to see Rainbow Dash struggle to stand on her hooves, breathing heavily while her head pointed to the floor. “You’re still up? Color me impressed.”
She began to laugh. “Please. I’ve had grannies hit me with their purses harder than that!” She lifted up her head and looked him in the eyes. “Your punches mean horse-apples to me!” Soon the guard, and everyone else observing the standoff, looked on in awe. Rainbow Dash’s necklace began to shine and her body slowly turned from blue into silver. Being completely oblivious to this transformation, she said, “My turn!”
Thorne readied himself for another attack, but it was useless. At an unbelievable speed, Rainbow Dash rocketed towards Thorne, crashing right into his chest and sending him flying right over Kevin and into the wall behind him. He fell onto the floor, weakly looking up at the metallic pegasus before blacking out. She gently set herself onto the floor, nearly out of breath, as she turned to Rarity, who was gripping her snout while remaining amazed. “Are you alright?”
The fashionista stared as she uttered, “I’ll be fine, but what about you?”
“Like I said, I’ve felt worse. His punch was really weak anyways.” She rubbed her nose as she said, “I bet I’m not even blee—” She stopped herself and stared at her foreleg, completely entranced not only in the new color, but the feel of her limb. It felt not only stronger than before, but denser as well. She sat on her haunches as she observed her body. “What is all this?” she asked as she hit her hoof onto the floor, which made a loud clang upon contact. Shortly after this, however, her necklace’s shimmer faded and her silver exterior began to disappear before being replaced with its usual shade of blue. The ponies were snapped out of their confusion when a small fit of coughs came from behind them.
Applejack struggled to her feet as blood dripped from her mouth. She began to stumble, but Pinkie Pie rushed to her side and helped the orange mare regain her balance. “T-thanks” she said through gritted teeth.
Rainbow Dash fluttered before setting herself next to her friend. “What did that guy do to you?”
Before she could answer, the downstairs party had arrived. Twilight began to tremble upon seeing the damage to her friends and allies. “Oh Celestia...” she murmured before rushing to Applejack’s side. “Hold still, okay?” Her horn began to glow, wrapping her friend in a magenta hue. Soon, everyone tended to the injured.
As Rainbow Dash looked on, she heard Kevin say, “I guess I should thank you.” She turned around, casting an accusatory glare. “If it weren’t for you, that crazy fuck would’ve killed me.” He paused to allow himself to chuckle.
The blue pegasus walked to the CEO. “Look, pal. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know what you’ve done, but everything about you just rubs me the wrong way. So don’t thank me for what I did. I did it for my friends, not for you.”
A loud hiss directed everyone’s attention to the ground floor. Everyone assembled their weapons as Masterson got to his feet. “What was that?”
Gary walked to the railing and scanned the below area. Soon enough, another hiss rang out, then another, and it continued as the noise carried itself across the room. Upon closer inspection, the scientist noticed the various incubation pods began to move. “They’re waking up...” he uttered as he slowly backed away from the edge.
“Say that again?” Twilight asked.
“They’re waking up! The specimens, all of them!”
Everyone’s look turned grim while the Lieutenant quickly turned to Schneider. “Private! The control!”
He fumbled through his pouch and pulled out the device. The impact from Thorne’s attack had destroyed the remote and, unknowingly, activated its primary function.
Kevin began to laugh uproariously. “This is too good! You guys just fucked yourselves over!” He rolled onto his side as his laughter increased.
Davin said, “You shut up before I—” He only walked one step forward before being blocked off by Masterson.
“You’ll do nothing, so long as I can help it.” Masterson edged away slowly, not once removing his gaze. “Fighting here is suicide. We need to evacuate immediately.”
“You’re going to turn tail just like that?!”
Masterson gave Davin the most serious look on his face. “If we want to survive, yes! Several people in our group are injured, our one way out has been blocked off, we have two men, one unconscious and one bound up, that we have to watch over, there are a lot of zombies coming our way, and I’m quite certain a lot of us are almost out of ammo! Mr. Wilkes, is there an emergency exit?”
“It’s past that door and through the corridor,” he answered as he pointed to a door at the east end of the balcony.
“Good! Sergeant Powers, Corporal Lewis, grab Thorne and bring him with us.”
Rainbow Dash interrupted, “Wait! Twilight, you know teleportation spells. Why don’t you just use one to get us out of here?”
“I-I... um...” she dragged a foreleg back as she looked away. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?”
“There are a lot of us here, Rainbow. To use a spell that can carry so many beings, it would take a lot of magic. Magic that I don’t have after all the fighting we went through today.”
“Can’t you try?”
“I’m not going to risk us getting separated from anypony else, Dash!”
“Then what do we do?”
The groans of several specimens came from the adjacent staircase. Briar shouted, “Hey! Exit. Right there. Let’s go!”
Rarity’s horn glowed as she picked up Thorne and Kevin and held them in the air. “I have them,” she assured with a strained face. The white unicorn only took a few steps before she almost dropped them.
Twilight moved alongside her friend and helped keep their cargo afloat. “I’ll focus on the Thorne human, you worry about the other one, alright?” With a nod of approval, it was time to go.
The group moved as one towards their destination. Wilkes shoved the door open, setting off an alarm. “Keep it moving!” he assured, “if we worry about the noise, we’re done for!” After leading them through the few twists and turns that awaited the humans and ponies, the security guard reached an entrance with a path to the left, and a path to the right. “To the right!” he shouted. Everypony stayed behind the human travelers. During the run to the right, Rarity, who was behind her friends, lost her footing and took a spill. This break in her concentration let Kevin free, who landed on his feet.
In this small window of opportunity, the CEO sprinted as fast as he could down the left hall. Before Rarity could react, he had disappeared out of sight and down another corridor. “No! Come back here!” she demanded. She nearly took off after Kevin when she felt her tail get tugged in the opposite direction.
The white unicorn turned around to see Twilight spit the mare’s tail out. “There’s no time, Rarity! We have to go!”
“But he’s getting away!” Their argument was interrupted as specimens came into sight. Rarity yelped and helped keep the unconscious Thorne in the air. The two ponies ran, dodging fireballs that had been shot in their direction. As they ran, they accidentally plowed right into their fellow ponies, who had run off to go find the two remaining friends, dropping the unconscious security guard. “Keep running!” Rarity shouted as she and Twilight picked up the guard and continued their brisk pace. Their friends turned tail upon seeing the legion of specimens come into view. Wilkes was holding a door open as he waved them outside.
“Almost there!” Applejack shouted as more specimens moved around the corner. They dodged more projectiles as they leapt out of the hall and fell onto the ground outside, panting heavily. The humans assembled many objects together and placed them against the door. Much to their relief, there was nothing but many slams against the barricade.
“That should hold us over for a bit,” Masterson said. He took a quick headcount as he looked around, then stopped. “Where’s Kevin?” he asked as he walked towards Rarity.
She admitted, “I... I tripped when we ran through those halls... He got away.”
The Lieutenant let out a disgruntled sigh as he looked away. “Well, so long as we’re safe, I suppose that’s what matters. But damn it, we had him!”
“I’m sorry,”
“Is it... really this bad?” Everyone looked up to see Gary stare in amazement. Many of the nearby buildings were either destroyed or on fire, leaving billowing trails of smoke dancing in the sky. Many bodies lined the streets, some of them children, all strewn about in a gruesome fashion.
As everypony got to their hooves, they also found themselves awestruck by the sights of the city. “This weren’t as bad as ah imagined it,” Applejack said, taking in the view.
“Wh— where are we?” Fluttershy asked.
Powers stepped forward and said, “Welcome to West London.”
|
Some Person
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853
| 7 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-08-13T15:10:36+00:00
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2012-08-13T15:10:36+00:00
| 966 |
((Due to computer issues, the chapter image shall be uploaded at another time))
“This... is London?” Rainbow Dash asked bewilderedly.
“That can't be right,” Fluttershy said. “The way Victor described the area, it sounded nothing like this.”
Schneider walked towards the ponies. “I'm sure he described this city perfectly, but a lot can change in a few hours.”
Twilight's eyes grew in shock. “A... a few hours? But that... that's impossible! There's no way that... it can't...”
“You've seen what those freaks can do,” Briar replied. “It's a wonder how the whole damn city hasn't burned down.”
“Then what will we do?” Rarity asked.
“Right now we need to find somewhere to rest,” Masterson answered as he dusted off his gloves. “We’d have to be a bunch of bleeding idiots to rush into a fight in our state. Besides...” He looked at the still-unconscious Thorne. “We still have that one to worry about.”
“So we just need a place to stay, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I'll get airborne and take a look for any safe spots around town.”
The Lieutenant rubbed his chin. “Might be risky, if those zombies see you and follow you back here, we're not going to last very long.”
“Then I'll just fly high enough that I won't be noticed.”
“Will you be able to see anything from that height?”
“I can if any of you humans have binoculars or something.”
After a moment’s consideration, Masterson dug through his top-most pouch to pull out a pair of binoculars. He almost handed them out, then stopped. “How, um... how exactly will you be able to hold this?”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “With my hooves, duh.”
There was an awkward moment of silence between the two before Rainbow urged the object towards her. “If you insist,” Masterson replied. He handed it to the blue pegasus, who surprisingly could grasp the binoculars.
“Told ya,” she replied before taking to the sky.
The very second Schneider opened his mouth, Applejack said, “Y'all can pick things up with them digits o' yours, works the same.”
Lewis said, “Then I guess we'll just have to wait here until he gets back.”
Rarity's ears perked up. “I'm sorry, dear. Did you say ‘he’?”
“Yes. That friend of yours, when he gets back we'll–”
Pinkie Pie laughed. “You silly filly, Rainbow Dash isn't a boy.”
Briar added, “He's not?” Everypony exchanged odd glances.
“Well,” Twilight awkwardly began, “I suppose that since we couldn't tell your human genders apart it only makes sense that–” A loud crack interrupted Twilight's train of thought. Everyone turned around to see a pair of damaged binoculars on the floor. “What the...”
Fluttershy looked up and gasped. “Rainbow Dash!” Everyone looked up to see the blue pegasus hurtling towards the ground in a free fall. The care-taker quickly took to the sky and caught her unresponsive friend in the air. Her wings flapped desperately in an attempt to slow their descent, but their momentum was too great. When they almost hit the ground, the two pegasi stopped suddenly. Twilight released the magical field she cast around her friends, setting them free. Fluttershy laid Rainbow Dash on the floor as the four remaining ponies crowded around her.
“What in tarnation just happened?” Applejack asked.
Twilight looked over Rainbow Dash. “She was fine just a minute ago, how did this happen?”
The downed pegasus' eyes slowly opened. “Rainbow Dash! You're okay!” Pinkie Pie cried as she hugged her friend.
Rainbow let out a yelp of discomfort. “Easy, Pinks, easy!” When the party pony released her death-grip, Rainbow Dash slowly sat up. “What just happened?”
“That's what we'd like to know, darling,” Rarity replied.
“You just dropped straight out of the sky” Twilight added.
Rainbow rubbed the back of her head as she processed this information. She looked over to the shattered lenses of the binoculars. “Sorry about those,” she apologized. “I’ll just get back into the sky.”
Masterson crossed his arms. “Are you sure you're alright?”
“Yeah, that won't happen again,” she said as she took to the air once more. “What was that?” she wondered aloud as she gained altitude. “I've flown enough times to know when I... I...” Her world went black.
Thankfully, Fluttershy took the initiative to follow her rainbow-maned friend, catching her just as her descent began anew. “Rainbow! What's wrong, Rainbow?” she asked as she held her friend in the air. The yellow pegasus gently shook Rainbow Dash, but to no effect. She thought back to when Briar was first incapacitated. “No! It might not be safe.” She gently lowered both herself and her friend to the floor.
“What happened this time?” Twilight asked.
“I take it this isn’t normal?” Wilkes asked as he knelt next to everypony.
“This shouldn't even be happenin'. She ain't never fallen outta the sky like that,” Applejack said as she shook her head.
“Is she okay?” Pinkie asked frantically.
Rainbow Dash answered that question by opening her eyes once more. She looked at all of the concerned faces around her. “Did I fall again?” The nods of confirmation from her friends caused the blue pegasus to face-hoof. “I just don't get it. Why is this happening?”
Twilight hummed to herself and asked, “Did anything unusual happen to you today?”
“You mean besides all of this?”
“Yes.”
Rainbow shrugged. “I can't think of anythi— wait...” She brought a hoof to her chin. “My skin turned into metal earlier.”
“Metal?!” the purple unicorn replied. “You mean real metal?”
“Yeah. It ha–”
“It was amazing!” Pinkie Pie interrupted. “First that meanie-pants hurt Applejack really bad! Then Rainbow Dash showed up and puffed her chest up, because that's how you know she means business!” she continued as she acted the events her story. “But then that human kicked Rarity in the face, for shame! So Rainbow got really really mad and flew right towards him at super top speeds! But the human turns around and punches Rainbow in the face! Just when everypony thought she was down for the count, Equestria’s top flyer stands right back up and laughs defiantly in the face of danger!”
“Pinkie...”
“So then she goes into her super-hardcore-mode and her necklace started to shine really bright as she turned into metal! Not like the metal that is wrapped around those super-fantastically-delicious chocolates at Mr. and Mrs. Cake's shop, but the metal that ponies use to build the trains!”
“Pinkie.”
“In the blink of an eye, she zooms forward at top speed, slamming right into that meanie-grumpy-pants human. He’s out cold, and the crowd goes wild! Rainbow Dash smiles and waves to the crowd in the face of an overwhemling victory!”
“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash finally yelled.
“Yes, Rainbow?” the party pony asked while innocently batting her eyes.
Rainbow sighed. “Pinkie, you didn't... well... actually, that's almost exactly what happened,” she admitted.
Twilight sat on her haunches, looking away while in thought. Her necklace glowed too? If it’s happened to half of us, then it's safe to say something's going on with the Elements. I'll have to look into this later. “That's cleared up a few things for me, actually. But I can explain that another time. We need to find somewhere safe, right?” she asked as she turned to Masterson.
“Indeed,” he replied. “Then we've got several things to think about. One, a new course of action, if necessary. Two, how you lot figure into this equation. Three, most importantly, restock for the next fight.”
“One problem,” Briar objected, “where are we going to find any bloody ammo?”
“I can take care of that,” a filtered, female voice answered. Everyone spun around in alert, looking for the noise's source. “No need to be so frightened, my dears. For the time being we're on the same side.”
Lewis proclaimed, “Up there!” as he pointed to a loudspeaker in the wall.
“There are plenty more of those around the city, darling,” the voice pointed out. “However, what I have to tell you is much more important, but you'll have to come to me first.”
Masterson asked, “Where can we find you?”
“There's an old cafe on the corner of Devinshire and 58th. I'll prepare a few tables for you. Don't keep me waiting.” There was a click before all was quiet.
Eventually, Schneider asked, “Should we trust her?”
“That creature did say they were on the same side, right?” Twilight asked. “Why don't we go find them?”
“Would it be safe?” Fluttershy cautiously asked.
“She's offering us some help in this mess, and help is something we desperately need,” Wilkes advised. “I say we find her and see what she wants. The intersection she mentioned isn't too far from here.”
Masterson paced around for a small moment. “Can either of you keep Thorne afloat?” he asked the unicorns, which Twilight nodded in response. “We'll find her.” He turned to his fellow humans. “Keep your eyes peeled for any other zombies, but do not engage any of them. We can't afford a fight right now. Schneider, Davin, you two take point. The rest of you, follow in close behind. Remember, eyes peeled.”
Rarity said, “I can help with keeping an eye out. When Fluttershy went missing, I tried finding her with a spell of mine. Somehow the spell has grown just before coming here and I can now see where other creatures are in the surrounding area.”
“Like a living sonar... can you do it again?”
“I can try.” The white unicorn's eyes closed while her horn glowed. “Come on,” she quietly said to herself. Slowly, her necklace took on the same shine. “There,” she replied, keeping her eyes closed. “Now would somepony be so kind as to lead the way? I will let you know what lies ahead.”
The group moved, as instructed, through a few streets and alleyways. Rarity would spot the occasional enemy and reroute everyone with a safer alternative. A short time later everyone was in front of the café, as instructed. Damaged tables and umbrellas littered the floor of the brick-built structure. A lone security camera rested above the metal door out front, slowly rotating towards the left and the right as Schneider walked towards the establishment’s entrance, weapons drawn. As he pressed his hand against the door, it slowly opened on its own. He aimed his pistols, but there were no enemies to greet him. The café's inside fared no better than its exterior. Tables and chairs were flipped or destroyed, decorated with various paintings of blood and entrails.
“I was beginning to think you'd never show up,” the female voice piped up. Schneider looked towards the back to see a tall, dark-skinned woman illuminated by a single light above her. “It's never proper etiquette to keep a lady waiting, you know,” she said as she dusted off her left shoulder on her green sweater.
“Clear,” Schneider said as he signaled his allies. Everyone filed evenly into the cafe.
“So who are ya, and whaddya want from us?” Applejack asked.
The woman’s face looked shocked for a split-second before she put on a smile. “Truth be told, I was only expecting to see a group of trained soldiers. I suppose I should be shocked, but you’re honestly not the most remarkable things I’ve seen today.”
“It’s nice to meet a friendly face,” Twilight began, “My name is—”
“Let me stop you right there, sweetie,” the woman interrupted. “Names aren’t too important in my line of work, so there’s no need to waste your breath. I’m sure I’ll tell you all apart in time. You can call me 'The Trader’, and I have something I believe you're all in desperate need of.” She flipped a switch, which lit up the entire room, causing everyone to nearly gasp in surprise. Behind The Trader was a vast quantity of weapons. Guns, explosives, and melee weapons lay there, as if taunting the men, behind a barbed-wire fence established between the two parties. No way in except for the slot at the bottom of the divider. “I believe we can help each other out.”
“Are those the things you guys have?” Rainbow Dash asked Bewilderedly.
“All that and more,” The Trader answered. She dragged her hand along the counter as she walked back and forth through her personal space. “My employers are very concerned about this zombie outbreak and what it will do to the country's economy. They've seen you all in action and are willing to come to an agreement. You agree finish off every last specimen out there, and we'll supply the firepower as necessary.”
“You are? This is going to be awesome!”
The Lieutenant asked, “And what do we do for these weapons?”
The Trader seemed offended. “Honestly, darling, it's no fun if you're going to try spoiling the catch ahead of time.”
“The catch?” Rarity specified.
“What do you mean?” Schneider asked.
“This is how it's going to be. See, my employers aren't exactly eager to give up such wares without compensation, so you'd have to pay for them. Full price, in cash.” There were cries of outrage from everyone in the room. “She patiently waited for the complaints to die down before she continued. “I had more to say, if you hadn’t so rudely interrupted me. Seeing as how the value of the pound is going down the shitter, my employers have come up with an alternate solution.
“It's quite simple. Each specimen out there will be marked as worth a different value in pounds. For each one killed, you'll earn money in a credit line that will be shared amongst all of you. The more you kill, the more weapons there will be at your disposal. The same goes for ammunition, which also is supplied in exchange for money.”
Pinkie Pie asked, “So it’s like a game?”
After a moment of thought, The Trader replied, “Yes... that’s probably the best way to put it.”
“Is that what this is to you?” Twilight asked with a hint of anger and perplexion in her tone. “We’re risking our lives out here to keep everypony safe, and you’re going to treat it like it’s sport?”
After a sigh, she explained, “My employers have to get their money’s worth somehow. It’s either this, or you’re left with a bunch of pea shooters.”
Fluttershy managed to ask, “What if we... um... don’t want to... um...”
Predicting the yellow pegasus’ question, The Trader said, “It’s fine to be a pacifist. Not exactly the most effective method, but any specimen killed by your group’s hands will add to the collective sum; regardless of who kills it.”
“Then give us all your weapons,” Briar demanded proudly. “We slaughtered the lot of the bastards in Horzine, so we’ve probably got a good few thousand pounds saved up. Hand them over.”
The Trader tutted. “So sorry, love, but the only specimens we're allowing are those who are killed after you leave this store. Otherwise that would just be cheating.
Briar stared at The Trader. “You mean to tell me that because your fuck-wit employers didn't think of this little system until now, all those specimens we killed off count for shit now?”
“Those are the rules, sweetheart.”
The Constable threw his arms into the air. “Well thanks for being such a big fucking help.”
“What a ripoff!” Rainbow Dash added.
“That's what we're willing to offer,” she said while looking to Masterson, acting as if Briar's and Rainbow’s outbursts never happened. “Do we have a deal?”
The Lieutenant thought hard about this offer. Ultimately, he shook his head. “We're not going to put our lives on the line to be pawns for your little game.”
With a shrug, The Trader said, “Shame, darling. We could've had a great business going.”
“Ya got a real dirty way of conductin’ business, sugarcube,” Applejack commented with a slight glare.
“Let's go, everyone. We're done here,” Masterson said as he made his way toward the door.
“Wait!” The Trader pleaded, “I want you to have this.” He turned around to see a small device in her hand. She placed it in slot and stepped back. “This is a GPS my employers have created. It's used so people in my line of work can find one another. I move frequently, so this will guide all of you to me, should you change your mind.”
Twilight said. “Why are you doing all of this for us?”
With a chuckle, she replied, “I'm just following orders, nothing more.” Her upbeat mood slowly died off. “However,” she continued, “As of late, I've got my own reasons. If it were up to me, I'd give you these right away, but guns don't grow on trees, sweetheart.”
Masterson reluctantly walked over and picked up the navigator.
“Good move. I'm sure I'll be doing business with you lot again very soon.” Everyone moved outside of the café, the door slamming shut behind them.
“So what do we do now?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Find shelter,” Powers answered.
“Precisely,” Masterson added, “Fluttershy, it's up to you to take a look from the sky for anywhere we can hide for the night.”
“What about me?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “I can fly too, you know.”
“Oh we know,” Davin remarked. “And from what we’ve seen you can fall just as spectacularly.”
The athlete nearly scowled. “Nopony asked you, anyway!”
“He’s right though,” Lewis commented. “How do we know you won’t just fall back down again?”
“It’s been a while since that happened. It’s not going to be a problem now.”
The Lieutenant shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m not taking that risk. You’re staying down here, and that’s that.”
“But... I...” A frustrated look grew on the pegasus’ face. With a groan, she lightly shook her head and said, “Fine. I’ll stay here.”
The yellow pegasus began to jitter. “Are... are there any specimens in the sky?
“As far as I know,” Gary answered, “there is nothing of the sort.”
With one deep breath, she said, “I– I'll try...” She gently took to the air. “You can do this, Fluttershy,” the yellow pegasus told herself. “Just go up real quick, take one look, and then go right back down to the others.” When she reached the optimum altitude, she took a look, but was distraught by something much more worrisome than the unknown. Seeing the massive fires and pillars of smoke billowing into the sky struck a chord within Fluttershy. “All of these humans could be... no. Don't think like that, Fluttershy. If you want to help them, you've got to do your part.”
She quickly scanned the area below. After minutes of searching, she finally found a relatively together house not too far away from everyone's current location. She quickly flew back to her friends and let them know of her discovery. Moving as efficiently and carefully as possible. The group eventually found their way towards the desired location. It was a one story building, complete with a battered living room, ransacked bedroom, defunct bathroom, destroyed closet, and a dilapidated dining room. Various living-ware was damaged beyond repair, and some windows had been smashed. However, the house was still suitable to rest in.
After a quick look around, Briar exclaimed, “We hit the jackpot!” Everyone was caught off-guard, seeing as the Police Constable had removed his helmet to reveal a head of red hair and a shaggy moustache. “What?” he asked before everyone decided to follow him towards his discovery at the back of the house.
Before them was Davin, who also removed his mask to reveal a man of asian descent with a buzz-cut, and a rusted trap-door. “You know how there are those paranoid sons-of-bitches who are prepared for the end of the world?” He and Briar pulled the door upward. “We happened to find the house of one such person!” Below the door was a dimly lit set of stairs that descended into the darkness.
Aside from Fluttershy, Sergeant Powers, and Rarity staying behind, everyone walked down the corridor to find a room stocked with a plethora of canned food and sealed water. Not only that, but the room contained an electric torch, several flashlights, lighters, and several other necessary equipment for survival. After a brief celebration, the supplies were carried up and into the den. With stacks sorted into the various categories of canned food and beverages, aptly stored in an easy-access location nearby, Masterson began giving his people tasks for their current stay. After seeing the Lieutenant go to work, Twilight felt she had to speak up.
“Before we do anything else, perhaps we should sit down and get to know each other a little bit more?” The confused stares from the humans made her face turn red. “I mean... if we're going to work together, then we'd have better teamwork and coordination if we at least know everypony's names.”
Lewis followed the officers’ notion and removed his mask as well, revealing his dark skin and curled black hair. “Okay, seriously, what's with 'everypony' and those other words you ponies say?”
“Another reason to get to know us, wouldn't you agree?”
Private Schneider rubbed the back of his head. “Well, it’s a bit quiet out, so perhaps now would be a good time to rest up before we get into another struggle. The sun will be going down soon.”
“Do you have a princess that lowers the sun too?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“What are you talking about? The sun and moon move on their own,” Gary replied.
“They do?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Sitting down, Gary said, “Seems we really do have a bit to talk about.”
**********
Kevin kept running through the corridor, visibly out of breath as he trudged onward. He eventually stopped and slumped against a wall as he gathered his bearings. “This... should be it,” he told himself between breaths. He looked at a protrusion in the wall and kicked it, revealing a number pad. He instinctively reached for the grid before his bind reminded him of the current predicament. “...Fuck,” he muttered. Kevin turned himself around and shifted his back against the wall until his fingers could touch the numbered buttons. Slowly and methodically, he pressed a series of numbers until the sound of air pressure escaped from a hidden door. A patch of wall slid aside and showed an additional wing to the laboratories.
As Kevin casually strolled inside, a pudgey scientist peered around the corner, inspecting the noise. “M-Mr. Clamely, sir! When we didn’t hear anything from you, a lot of us had... oh my god, what happened to you?” he said in a reverent tone, pointing to the blemishes on his head.
“Just some stupid shit, but it doesn’t matter anymore,” Kevin regarded as he brushed past the jittery man. “Just help get these things off of me.” He turned around to reveal the pair of handcuffs forced onto his person. With a hurried mindset, the scientist looked around the immediate area before coming back with a sturdy pair of pliers. With a dash of effort, the bind was severed. Kevin gleefully moved his arms. One pain in the ass out of the way. I’ll get the cuffs removed later. “Now tell me you got something done while I was busy.”
“Oh yes, sir! Quite a bit has been accomplished since you last checked in.” The CEO let his employee drag on as he inspected the hidden facility. The area wasn’t as spacious as an entire floor of laboratory equipment, but it was still large enough to house several specimen stations. His most faithful scientists scurried back and forth, comparing notes and results. Occasionally he would catch an employee’s gaze. For the briefest of moments they were frozen; he could see tangs of respect and fear in their eyes. Kevin would just give a subtle nod, a sign for the worker to resume their duties. “... and if these results stay accurate, then we should have our opportunity to take control of London. Then there’s the—”
Kevin rolled his eyes and said, “Stop for a second.” He clasped his hands together. “You know me very well, right, Lance?”
“I... I’d like to think so, and It’s Drew, sir.”
“Same shit. Anyways. You know me well... so you know that everything you’ve been talking about is on a list I call ‘Shit I Do Not Care About’, right?”
Drew stood surprised before finally sputtering, “Y-yes... sir.”
“Good,” Kevin replied as he turned away and walked onward. “Because I can’t begin to give two fucks about something that’s painfully obvious.” He stood in front of a sealed-off room. “This, on the other hand, I’d like to get an update on right now.”
“Right away, sir.” Without another word, Kevin unlocked the additional area while his subordinate flipped through his notes. The lights inside flickered until they illuminated the room within. It was designed to be just like the area outside, but served an additional purpose. A lone specimen, this one called a scrake, was kept asleep in an enclosed space. “We think we’ve attained pristine conditions with the scrakes, sir.”
“Is that so.” He moved to the control panel before him and turned on the lights within the scrake’s confinement. After a few seconds, it roused itself and examined its area. This specimen was much taller than any other specimen before it, standing nearly three meters tall. Its skin appeared pale and it sluggishly walked around in its bloodied medical scrubs and sleeveless shirt. Kevin whistled once, making the scrake stop in its tracks. The specimen clenched its left hand, making the rubber glove it wore squeak, as the sound of an engine grew. It faced the CEO and revealed a chainsaw in place of its right hand. The specimen took two steps forward, studying the two humans who stood outside of its prison. It swung its chainsaw-arm once, only for the wall to harshly repel the attack. “Bulletproof glass, very good.” The Scrake stood mindlessly as it wandered around its space. “Tell me, how do these ones fare in combat?” Kevin asked as he turned to face Drew.
“We haven’t had a proper opportunity since the first prototypes first escaped the complex. Even then, they didn't last long enough to get any proper statistics.”
“Is that so?” The CEO rubbed his chin. “Prepare this one for deployment.”
“Where to, sir?”
A vile smile cracked onto Kevin's visage. “I know just the place.”
**********
“Let's see if I've got this right,” Corporal Lewis began as the humans sat on one side and the ponies across from them. “Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash–”
The blue pegasus cleared her throat while she gave the soldier a stern look.
“Who is definitely not a boy.” Her smile and nod was his signal to continue. “Applejack, and Fluttershy.”
“That's all of us,” Twilight confirmed. “Now let's see if–”
Pinkie Pie jumped up. “Me! Me! Let me try!”
The purple unicorn chuckled. “Okay, Pinkie Pie, you can go ahead.”
The party pony took a deep breath. “Corporal Lewis, Lieutenant Masterson, Private Schneider, Police Constable Briar, Police Sergeant Davin, Sergeant Powers, Gary Glover, Wilkes...” She pointed to the still-unconscious man on the ground. “And Thorne!”
Wilkes said, “That sounds about right.”
“So,” Twilight began, “Your uniforms, what do they mean, exactly?”
Schneider spoke up, “We're in what we call an army. Brave men and women who are sworn into service to protect their country.”
“Is that similar to the Royal Guard?” Rarity asked.
“The what?”
“The Royal Guard,” Twilight reprated. “Based off what you've described, they sound similar. I have a brother who's captain of the Guard.”
Davin started to laugh. “A bloody pony outranks all of you!”
Schneider pointed out, “He outranks you too.”
“I'm in the police force, you git. There’s a slight difference.” Suddenly, a light went off in his head. “Since we're all here. I think a certain-someone's got a story they've been neglecting to share with us,” he said as he turned to the Lieutenant.
“What are you going on about?” Masterson asked.
He pointed to Thorne. “That crazy bugger says you 'smell like science guy', and Clamely goes and says that you're 'the best experiment that never was'. Next thing we hear is you two getting real chummy with each other. There's something you're not telling us.”
“This isn't the time.”
Twilight said, “Actually, even I've been somewhat curious as to that connection.”
“Keepin' secrets ain't exactly the best way to earn trust, sugarcube,” Applejack reprimanded.
“Listen,” Masterson began to explain, “I'm sure you've all got some pressing questions you'd like answered, but it's really not important right now. When we're in a more secure location, sure, I'll tell you what you need to know. As for now, let's just focus on making sure we're safe for now.” Everyone's look began to bore into his person. “Please?”
After a moment, Briar said, “Fine. But if you're keeping your secrets, don't expect to hear my life story any time soon.” The Lieutenant conceded.
“Moving on,” Gary said, “I've got something I'm curious about, myself. How are you two able to use magic?”
Rarity answered, “It's a skill that comes with being a unicorn, my dear.”
“Yes, but I mean how Fluttershy was able to fully heal Davin, and how Dash was able to knock that Thorne fellow out cold.”
Everypony turned to Twilight, who put a hoof to her chin. “That kind of magic isn’t normal, and I've been thinking about that for a while now.” She removed her tiara with her magic and placed it before her as she laid down. “While we were in Equestria, the Elements of Harmony were used together to bring peace to the land. Now it's like they can act on their own and give each of us some sort of spell. If I had to take a guess, I’d say that travelling between dimensions, or even this world’s energy itself, has something to do with this. It’s the only hope for a logical explanation over our newfound powers taking root.
“The bigger issue right now, however, is the after effects of using these powers. Rarity seemed fine when she uses her ability, but Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's side-effects hampered their well-being. If we hadn't noticed... I don't even want to think about it.”
“Ya think we've all got somethin' like that, Twilight?” Applejack asked.
“There's enough evidence to suggest just that. As for what they are and how exactly they even became a reality, I’m stumped.” Twilight lightly tapped her free hoof on the floor as she studied the jewelry.
Rainbow Dash spoke up, “So what do we do now?”
Masterson stood up. “It's getting late. If we're going to be staying here for the night, we need to establish who's going to be on night watch. First, however, we need the area scouted for anywhere those zombie might use to get in here. Whoever’s going will use these.” He stopped to pull out two two-way radios from the pile of supplies.
“How do we decide who goes first?” Rarity asked.
“Well, the easiest way first. Do we have any volunteers?”
After a moment, Twilight raised her hoof. “I volunteer.” She noticed the shared concern among her friends. “Don't worry, I'll be fine, girls.”
“O’course you’ll be fine,” Applejack said, “cause I’m comin’ with ya.”
Rainbow Dash nodded, “Me too!”
“As will I,” Rarity affirmed.
“Stop, just stop,” Masterson insisted while holding out his hands. “I can see where this is going, and I’ll tell you right now. You’re not all going out at once.”
“Why not?” the purple unicorn asked.
“Because the point of these scouting groups is to not send the entire platoon at once. At the most, I’d suggest one pony and one human.”
“Why are we being dragged into this?” Davin queried.
“We humans have the experience with guns, weapons, equipment, and most important, hands. Besides, I doubt that any of you ponies have been in London long enough to know your way around. Since Twilight volunteered, she’s going first. As for who’s going with you...” He looked at the other humans, some showing slight insistence that they not be picked. “Sergeant Powers,” he decided.
The Sergeant, who had never removed his mask, looked to Fluttershy. “Don’t worry, we’ll protect your little pet while you’re gone,” Briar chided. After staring for an uncomfortable moment, Powers stood up and nodded.
“Alright. If you see anything dangerous, let us know with the radio. Otherwise, use your own discretion on how to handle the situation. You can take this assault–” The Sergeant silently plucked the axe off the floor, took the device, and walked outside, waving his hand for Twilight to follow. “...rifle.”
“Are you sure you'll be alright, dear?” Rarity asked before Twilight could leave.
“If something bad happens, I'll come right back here. Don't you worry,” the purple unicorn assured. After a quick embrace from each of her friends, Twilight left to catch up with her companion for the night. It hadn't taken long for her to get back to Powers. “I'll keep an eye on the left, you keep yours on the right. If you see anything, let me know, alright?”
He didn't say a word.
“You know, anything at all, give me a holler, alright?”
No response.
Feeling slightly frustrated, Twilight said, “You're not much of one for words, are you?”
After being ignored for the third time, she kept her mouth shut and looked out for anything worth mentioning. The duo found a network of streets and alleys, but, aside from the blocked paths, they all eventually merged into one main route towards their current residence.
“This is Powers. Area is clear,” the Sergeant reported into his radio.
“Good work.” Masterson replied. “Report back to base immediately, we’re sending the first stake-out team once you get back.”
She groaned as she started walking back. On the way, however, something she noticed made her stop. There appeared to be slight movement in a nearby house. “Mr. Powers!” she called out, “I think somepony’s inside of this area!”
The Sergeant peered over his shoulder. “It’s not important. Keep moving.”
“But... there could—”
“It’s not important. Keep moving,” he repeated while only ushering the unicorn towards him once. Powers turned around and walked like there was never an issue.
Twilight grumbled to herself before trudging on. She hadn’t gotten more than seven steps away before she stopped. She stared at Powers retreating backside, then to the house behind her. With a huff of breath, she walked back towards the house, ready to investigate. She cautiously approached the residence, horn aglow. After a silent countdown, she went inside and looked around. The burned debris cracked underneath her hooves as she passed under a broken arch in the doorway. Inside was nothing but destroyed walls, damaged furniture, and several piles of indiscernible objects. After navigating her way through rubble and possessions, she noticed a human lying underneath several beams of wood on the floor. Working hastily, she lifted the wood off its body. The sight before her made her breath shallow.
Aside from the red shirt and blue pants it wore, Most if its hair and skin was badly burnt and several of its limbs were severely damaged, bent and gouged in ways she’d never thought possible. Oh my... Twilight looked over the body to see it slightly stir once more with slight breaths. She's alive! But this doesn't look good. No! Focus, Twilight. You can save this... female, she reasoned as she examined the human thoroughly. If pony vitality is anything like a human's, then she needs help now! Her horn glowed as the woman was wrapped in the unicorn's magic. Wait... I’ve never healed a human’s limbs before. Can I do this? The unicorn shook her head. I have to try. It’s better than doing nothing. She immediately got to work, closing her eyes while she focused on her attempt to patch the skin and repair the muscle in the woman’s wounds.
As the seconds dragged on, Twilight felt more and more of her magic ooze out of her body. She soon stopped applying her healing spells as she tried to catch her breath. “That... should do it,” she raggedly told herself as she looked over her work. However, she quickly became distraught. While some of the damage had been repaired, the woman's limbs still appeared to be in complete disarray. Twilight’s heart jumped into her throat. “No no no, this is bad!” she hurriedly muttered to herself as she futilely struggled to apply more magic.
The human started to stir, groaning in pain as she came to her senses. “What happened?”
“Please stay still!” Twilight told her.
Seeing a talking horse startled the human, who accidentally jolted her right arm. Feeling the searing pain, she wearily lifted it and saw several lacerations traveling up her arm, fresh blood dripping from the orifices. Panic and agony quickly set in as she observed the rest of her limbs which either shared her right arm’s state, or were broken and overloaded her sense with searing pain. She started to scream incoherently, frightening Twilight in the process.
“I can help! Just... just give me a second to–” The purple unicorn was shoved out of the way by Powers, who took a quick look over the writhing woman. Twilight noticed him slightly grip the axe tighter than before. “No...” He raised the axe over his head. “Stop!” Powers swiftly brought down the weapon onto the woman's throat. She gurgled blood and seemed to reach out to the purple unicorn as he brought the axe down once more to finish the job.
Twilight sat and stared at the body before her. She slowly looked at her own hooves and noticed spots of blood that were splattered onto her. Then and there, she realized that her sandwich from the party had returned as she rushed to the corner behind her to vomit. After her stomach's contents left her, she weakly turned around to see Powers walk out the door, bloodied axe in hand. Before exiting, he said, “Don't do that again.” The purple unicorn looked at the woman's body once more. Her emotions had shifted from grief to rage. She ran outside and yelled, “Hey!” Powers didn't stop. Being fed up with his attitude, she used her magic and hastily pulled him back to her. “I'm talking to you!” she yelled as she started to cry out of pure anger. “Why...” she shakily asked, releasing her magical grip, “why would you do something like that?”
“She was screaming,” he reasoned. “In pain. Did her a favor.”
“I could've saved her!”
“How?”
“I...” she shied away. “I don't know, but I would've come up with something. I just needed time!”
“She was better off without your help. It's called a mercy-kill.”
“There's nothing merciful about what you did!”
Powers quickly brought his face directly in front of Twilight's. She inched away, seeing nothing but her own helpless form in the reflection of his mask. “Listen well, Twilight Sparkle,” he grimly advised. “Don't. Be. A hero.” He stood up and stepped away. “Let's go,” the Sergeant ordered as he walked off.
Twilight stared at the floor, tears now freely flowing. What have I gotten myself into?
“Let's go.”
She slowly got to her hooves. This time, Powers watched Twilight until she walked in front of him. Not once did Twilight look at the soldier or say a word during the entire walk back.
**********
“Ahm just sayin' that ah coulda sworn ah heard somethin' odd,” Applejack said as she looked out the window.
Rainbow Dash looked out the same view. “It's probably nothing, AJ.”
Gary said, “Let's hope it's just nothing. If it’s a siren, then we're in some deep trouble.”
“I'm sure those ponies can handle it,” Briar mentioned as he laid on the floor. He lazily waved his hand while he said, “Just use some of that crazy magic of theirs and that bitch is a goner.”
Rarity looked dejected. “We're not some tool for you humans to use, Constable Briar.”
“Just Briar. I hate using those bloody titles.”
“Regardless, Briar, we can't just use our magic so frivolously. There are limits, you know.”
Briar looked up. “Is that so?”
The white unicorn nodded her head. “If any unicorn uses all of their magic or expels too much too quickly, then their body has quite the... adverse... reaction.” Her eyes lit up. “Wait a minute...” She started to murmer to herself as she paced in a small circle. “Somepony tell me when Twilight arrives. I have much to discuss with her.”
Wilkes looked outside. “You won't have to wait long, here they come now.”
“Guess we'd best be ready to go,” Applejack said as she stretched her joints.
“Ya sure you've got everything you need?” Rainbow Dash asked while the orange mare put on her saddlebags.
“Ahll be fine. Between mah legwork and Mister Wilkes’ fancy thingamajig, them zombies won't be no problem.”
Wilkes picked up his AA-12 shotgun and filled a backpack with food and beverages. “You need to know the basics of night watch?”
Applejack chuckled. “If it's anythin' like scoutin' the apple orchard fer critters, then ahm sure ah'll get the jist of it.” She waved goodbye as she went outside to greet the purple unicorn after Powers went to talk with Wilkes. “Howdy, Twilight. Anythin' we need... ta...” Twilight silently passed by the farm pony while her head hung low. “Twilight?”
“You ready, Applejack?” the security guard called.
“Y-yeah, ahm ready.” As she left to catch up to Wilkes, who was busy receiving the radio and learning the layout of the area from Powers, Applejack peered over her shoulder and saw her friend's state remain unchanged.
As Powers entered the abandoned house, Masterson immediately met with him and asked what he saw. Twilight slowly entered afterwards.
“Hey, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash greeted. “Oh, Rarity wanted to talk to you about something, right?” she said as she looked at the white unicorn.
Rarity trotted forward. “I've been thinking about what you mentioned about the Elements and what happened with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Frankly, it is quite simple when you think about it. I'd like to discuss a theory I have on–”
“That's... great,” Twilight interrupted, not making eye contact with her fellow unicorn, “but... I really don't want to talk about that or much of anything right now.”
Rarity's jaw dropped. “B-but, Twilight. You said this has been bugging you ever since we arrived. Is something the matter?”
“I'm fine,” the librarian half-heartedly replied. “I'm just want to go to sleep now.”
“Are you sure you're alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
“Again, I'm fine. Just... drop it, alright?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I'm not buying it for one second that–”
Being fed up, the purple unicorn turned around and said, “What part of drop it do you not understand?!” The household fell silent. Her face reddened as she turned away and sighed. “Look, you're concerned about me. I get that, and I appreciate it, but I just want to be left alone.” She walked to a corner and curled up into a ball on the floor. “Goodnight, everypony.”
The remaining ponies looked at each other, unsure of anything besides respecting Twilight’s wishes. From afar, Masterson said, “Perhaps we should all get some sleep while we can. We'll be needing it for the road ahead.”
As everyone settled in for what little rest they could muster, a select few words repeated themselves through the purple unicorn's head. Don't. Be. A hero.
**********
“So I try telling him,” Wilkes discussed as both himself and Applejack left for night-watch, “that we can’t allow such devices in the facility. It’s signal is so strong that it would interrupt all communications on the complex if it were turned on. He, evidently, doesn’t like being told what to do, so he starts yelling in my face. At this point I’m very much sick of the bastard, so I kindly escort him off the premises. Next thing I know, Horzine is breathing down my neck because the stupid git turned out to be a pretty big deal. Well, excuse me for considering the company’s well-being over some fat-cat’s arrogance! Bloody Horzine.”
The security guard looked down at the orange mare, who looked lost in thought. He sighed. “Alright, what’s going on?”
Applejack snapped herself out of her stupor. “Huh, wha’?”
“You’ve been looking out of it ever since we left to keep watch. I can’t have you spacing out on me if we’re going to do this.”
“Oh, sorry. I just... ya saw Twilight back there, right?”
“Briefly, yes,” Wilkes answered as he moved his arms behind his back.
“Ya saw her then, didnt’cha? She looked like her whole world collapsed.” Her ears drooped. “That girl really worries me sometimes.”
He shrugged. “Just give her some time. We all have our issues.”
“Whaddya mean issues?” Applejack asked as she raised an eyebrow, sounding slightly offended.
“You know, just... issues,” Wilkes reasoned. “I’m not trying to insult your friend. But really, everyone has those little things that bring them down. Don’t tell me that’s never happened to you.”
The farm pony slightly shifted her gaze. “Well... yes, it has. But this don’t look like no ‘little thang’ ta me. Dont y’all humans care ‘bout a friend’s feelings?”
“Of course we do,” the guard answered, returning that slightly offended tone. “Some humans care for anything and everything, but others really just keep to themselves. They say that whatever’s happening to one person is ‘none of their business’.”
“Don’t sound like no friend t’ me.”
“Welcome to Earth.” Wilkes stopped and examined his surroundings. “This looks like the place.” He sat down and placed his pack in front of him, pulling out a select few items to eat and drink, and a small electric lantern. He turned on the device, illuminating the immediate area. The orange mare could make out the shapes of several destroyed buildings around her; remnants strewn clear across the open space. She noticed a select few bodies remained seared from the famished fires that plagued their immediate area. Being unsettled, Applejack sat herself next to her human companion. For a good portion of time, the two sat in silence, listening intently for anything out of the ordinary.
Eventually, Applejack’s senses led her mind astray. She’d occasionally glance towards the sky, spotting a star or two peeking in through the smoke-filled portrait above. It brought the orange mare back to a recent night sitting on her front porch. The night’s cool air would bring the faint scent of apples while it delicately brushed against her cheeks and run its fingers through her mane. Chatters of the nightlife filled her ears while the bright moon shone down onto the farm. Her sister had tried to chase fireflies, both her brother and grandmother watching in shared amusement. She closed her eyes, sighing contently and cracking a small smile. I wonder. If I fell asleep here, would I wake up back home? Could this just be one bad dream?
“You’re not zoning out on me, are you?” Wilkes asked, snapping her back to reality.
In an instant the calming facade of her family’s presence had vanished, the scent of apples replaced with burning buildings, the sounds of insects and animals drowned out by the crack of a dying fire, the cool air substituted with the smoldering heat of a nearby complex. Her mood declined. Course it wouldn’t be that easy. “Ahm still here,” she flatly answered. “Just... thinkin’ ‘bout home.”
Wilkes sat back. “What’s it like where you’re from?”
Applejack’s grin resurfaced. “Nicest place ya ever did see. Mah family would run the biggest apple orchard in Ponyville.”
“So your name’s not just for show, eh?” he mused.
“Nope.” She paused to chuckle. “Ah’d wake up early to help mah big brother begin pluckin’ the ripest apples off them trees. Sometimes we’d compete ta see who’d pick the most before the sun came up. Ah feel no shame in admittin’ we’ve got the same amount’a victories. Ain’t seen nopony work as hard as Big Macintosh.
“We’d always be listenin’ fer mah granny ta ring the ol’ triangle, meant breakfast was hot n’ ready. Mah lil’ sis would come down eventually. If it weren’t the ringin’, it sure was the smell of the full spread on the table. Then we’d just... eat our fill n’ talk fer a while. Ah always liked those times.”
Wilkes offered Applejack a bottle of water, who gratefully accepted. “You’re a family pony, huh?”
“Eyyyup,” she replied after a gulp of water. “Ah hold ‘em close ta mah heart every day.”
After staying silent for a bit, the security guard asked, “What about your mother and father?”
Her mood visibly dipped as she swallowed a lump in her throat.
“I-I’m sorry. Was that too personal of a question?”
“No, it’s... it’s fine.” She quieted herself and looked to the sky. “We reckon they’ve passed on.”
The security guard shifted his position. “You’re not sure?”
Applejack explained, “It’s like this. My ma and pa were salesponies, back when ah was jus’ a filly. They’d always leave fer a spell, then come back n’ settle down fer a while. Sure, it’d be lonely sometimes, but they’d always come back. Then one night, not long after mah sister was born, they had to leave again. It was the usual routine: Mah parents would wake up early in the mornin’, they’d pack what they could carry, and then they’d give us hugs and kisses before headin’ on out. As usual we waited... but this time we never heard back from ‘em.
“The Royal Guard got involved, but that didn’t turn up much. Just a bunch’a old mare’s tales that led to dead ends.” She paused to search through her saddlebag. “There weren’t any fancy cameras around until a little before they left. Even then, there was only time fer one picture,” she said as she pulled out her photograph, “and ahm the stupid filly who ripped ‘em out of it.”
“What made you do that?” Wilkes asked in a slightly surprised manner.
The orange mare had a melancholy expression on her face. “Ain’t that the worst of it? Ah can’t remember. It could’a been anger or somethin’, but ah just don’t know.”
There was a shared moment of silence before the security guard said, “My parents are gone too.” Applejack looked somewhat shocked. “Gone as in dead,” he elaborated, “not gone like your parents, that is. Happened only a year or two ago, at that. My mum was the first to go, and I guess my dad couldn’t handle being so far apart.”
With an understanding look in her eye, Applejack said, “Ya know, ah thought humans were complete opposites from us ponies. Maybe we’re not so different after all.”
“I think that once you get to know us, you’ll see we’re not too bad.” The next three hours dragged on. The conversation traveled through many different topics to pass the time. Applejack eventually yawned loudly before smacking her lips. “Not going to be much longer, try to stay awake,” Wilkes enouraged. He looked at the watch underneath his right sleeve. “Only half an hour, then we can get a few winks in.” The farm pony looked dazed and confused. “It’s an expression.” He pulled out a thermos, twisting off the top and pouring into it the canister’s contents. “Here,” he offered, “you probably could use some coffee more than me.”
“What’s coffee?”
Wilkes explained, “It’s a drink that most of us humans need to keep ourselves awake at night, or to just wake up, period. Hope you don’t mind if it’s not hot.”
“Thank ya kindly.” She reached out to grab the beverage, noticing its dark complexion. A slight doubt wavered, but she soon lifted the cup with her mouth and took a sip. Her eyes immediately shot open as she gently set the coffee back down. Applejack shuddered as she asked, “Is coffee usually so... bitter?”
“I probably should’ve guessed that you wouldn’t like your coffee black.” When the orange mare shook her head, he rummaged through his bag for another bottle of water. “This should help,” he said while he unscrewed the cap. She gladly took the water and began to drink as Wilkes finished off his caffeine.
Applejack snuck a look at the security guard to see him remove his helmet. Just like mine. She thought as she took note of his hair color.
He noticed the farm pony stare and asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Oh, uh, nothin’.”
The two remained silent, observing the nearby buildings for any movement. “Half an hour... I can hardly wait,” he said as he set his now-empty cup on the floor.
**********
Pinkie Pie lazily opened her eyes. She sat up as she noticed the moonlight shining directly into her eyes. After adjusting her position to avoid the glare, she heard her stomach growl. The pink mare quickly looked around to make sure that no one’s slumber was disturbed. When the coast was clear, she navigated her way towards her saddlebag. I just knew I’d need this! She reached into her bag and pulled out a chocolate cupcake. She sniffed the raspberry frosting on top before licking her lips.
Just as she was about to invite the delicacy into her maw, she heard a noise. The party pony froze as she looked around. After hearing nothing, she cautiously re-attempted to eat before again being interrupted by the same noise. It sounds like somepony’s sniffling outside. She placed the treat onto her back as she walked towards the window. As she peered outdoors, she saw a figure sitting in the dirt, mumbling to itself. Pinkie Pie could only pick up a few key words, like “idiot” and “egg-head” and several other condescending adjectives. Upon closer inspection, she realised that this Negative Nancy was actually Twilight Sparkle.
Is she talking about herself? After a moment's thought, Pinkie Pie grabbed the cupcake off her back and looked at it, then back to Twilight. I think somepony needs this more than me. She quietly tip-hooved her way outside and made it a few steps before the purple unicorn quickly turned to see her oncoming friend.
Twilight hid her eyes before asking, “Pinkie? W-what are you doing up at this hour?”
“Well, my tummy was rumbling, and so I went to go get a cupcake that I brought from Ponyville for a midnight snack. Just as I was about to eat it, I heard a noise outside, and it turned out to be you. So... why are you still awake?”
Twilight bit her lower lip before replying, “I couldn’t sleep.”
Pinkie’s head cocked slightly to the left. “Is it because of what happened before we went to sleep?”
“No, Pinkie, I told you that I’m fine.”
“Are you super-duper sure?”
“Yes, Pinkie, I...” The librarian’s jittering jaw betrayed her. “Oh, what’s the use. No... I’m not fine,” she answered, sitting on her haunches and revealing a pair of misted eyes to her friend.
Moving the cupcake onto her shoulder, Pinkie Pie moved over to sit next to the distressed equine while she asked, “What happened, Twilight?”
Despite the trial that it was, the purple unicorn recalled the event the took place when she and Sergeant Powers left to scout the surrounding area. As the details dragged on, Twilight’s composure began slipping. Just when she felt like opening the floodgates, Pinkie Pie quickly laid a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. “Do you know what the worst part of this is?” Twilight said with a defeated demeanor. “I think he’s right.”
With a slightly agitated look, Pinkie Pie commented, “You know that’s not true.”
“But it is!” she countered. “Think about it. Everypony was so set on asking the Princess to help, but who had to say it’s a bad idea? Me.” Twilight started to quietly chuckle as a tear squeezed its way out. “Me and my big mouth. I’m the one who said that we should go help the humans. All because I... wanted to be the hero.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do, Pinkie. And even if it’s not true, what have we done so far? We’ve ran around like scared little fillies and watched as humans die right in front of us. I willingly offered our lives like they were nothing. Oh, let’s not forget how I almost got Fluttershy killed. We’re just doing so—” Twilight’s rambling was cut short when Pinkie Pie embraced her.
She gently rubbed the back of the unicorn’s head and cooed, “Please don’t say things like that, Twilight. We still agreed with you, and you have helped save humans so far.”
Twilight pulled away and cocked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
The party pony reassuredly smiled. “Don’t you remember when we wound up next to the portal room again? Wilkes fell on the floor and almost got hit by that fireball, but you jumped in front of it and saved him! Not only that, but you later carried Thorne out as we escaped. Aside from that, Fluttershy saved Briar’s life, Applejack and Rainbow Dash helped bring down Thorne before he could really hurt somepony, and Rarity spotted that stalker before it could hurt us.”
Twilight was slightly taken aback and looked away as this information washed over her. “I... guess you’re right.” A small smile started to surface on her face.
Just a little more. “What I’m trying to say is this,” Pinkie Pie began. “We have to do what we can for now. There will be other times for us to help more humans, and even if we can’t save them all, we’ll do what we can, alright?”
After a moment of reflection, Twilight wiped her tears away while she nodded. “Okay,” she conceded, “I’ll try to keep my chin up about this. I’m sorry for snapping at you and everypony else earlier. Thank you, Pinkie.”
“Twilight, I need you to do something for me.”
“Go for it.”
Pinkie Pie scooted herself a short distance away. “I want you to Pinkie Pie Swear that you won’t become sad like this again, okay?”
After Twilight agreed and performed the accompanying ritual, Pinkie Pie reached for the treat on her back and handed it to the unicorn. “Oh no, I couldn’t,” Twilight stated. “You brought that from home. I don’t have any right to eat your food.”
“It’s okay,” the pink pony insisted. “It’ll make you feel better. Please take it.”
Once she’d finished toying with the idea in her head, the librarian reached out and took the cupcake. “Thank you very much,” she said before taking a small bite. Her eyes immediately shot open as a fireworks display ignited within her mouth. She let out a brief, quiet moan as she touched her cheek. “So... sweet,” she commented as a full grin appeared.
“I told you it would make you feel better!” Just as Twilight neared a second bite, Pinkie Pie’s ears perked up as she looked down the lone road behind them. Her eyes squinted as she scanned the area. “Isn’t that Applejack?”
The unicorn looked towards the area in question. Sure enough, the farm pony was galloping fairly fast towards their location. “It is. And she’s... alone? What’s going on?”
The orange mare scooched to a halt as she approached her friends. While slightly out of breath, she asked, “Twilight? Pinkie Pie? What're y'all... oh nevermind. That ain't important right now.” She ran inside the house to yell, “Everypony up an at 'em! Time ta wake up! Git yer gear together n' come out to the entryway on the double!” There were a few disgruntled replies as Applejack eventually gathered everyone in the entryway.
“What's so bleeding important that you had to wake us up at this hour?” Davin asked as he attached his mask.
“Wilkes and ah were watchin' the area real careful like. Then he hears a noise and got nervous, tellin' me ta gallop here as fast as ah can n' git y’all.”
“Why didn’t he use the radio?” Private Schneider asked.
“‘Parently it ran outta juice. That’s why he told me ta run. Ah think he’s fightin’ off whatever it is that’s over there. Said it was somethin' about a... what was it... a chainsaw?”
Dr. Glover's eyes grew wide. “You're certain that's what he said?” he grimly asked. A short nod from Applejack reaffirmed his fears. As he looked at Lieutenant Masterson, he said, “I don't know if what we have is enough for this.”
“We'd better hope it's enough,” the Lieutenant replied, sharing the scientist's worried expression. “Everyone, grab your weapons or Elements; Wilkes is going to need our help right now! Let's move!”
The ensemble moved as quickly as possible outside and towards the stake-out location. Their old residence was almost out of sight when Twilight suddenly stopped. “We forgot Thorne!”
They slowed down as Masterson ran the possible scenarios through his head. “Twilight, Corporal Lewis, both of you grab him and bring him over to our new location. Everyone else, carry on!” The soldier and the unicorn ran as quickly as they could back into the house.
The soldier said, “You get him with your magic and I'll cover you on the way back. There's no telling what might—” Twilight and Corporal Lewis stood slack-jawed at the sight before them. The security guard was nowhere to be seen. He left no trace behind aside from a few tattered pieces of rope. “This could be bad...”
“Where could he have gone?” Twilight asked as she looked around.
Lewis armed his weapon. “I don’t know. I had a feeling he was out for too long. Maybe he was just biding his time until we were all asleep. Personally, I think we're better off without the lunatic.”
“Do you think he has anything to do with what we’re going up against?”
“I don’t know, but if it’s something that can get even Lieutenant Masterson spooked... it can’t be good. We'd better get back to the others.” Without another moment’s hesitation, the two individuals quickly ran from the house and towards their comrades.
|
Some Person
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853
| 8 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2012-10-31T09:23:15+00:00
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2012-10-31T09:23:15+00:00
| 937 |
Wilkes ran away from his initial lookout spot, weaving through a demolished area of town as he fired off two shells before vaulting over a large chunk of an old brick wall. He sat behind his cover, adrenaline keeping his senses on high alert as he listened to the ambience. The sound of a chainsaw grew louder with each passing second. God damn it, the bastard just won’t go down! The security guard tried to control his breathing as he waited patiently. When the chainsaw’s engine sounded a comfortable distance away, he slowly peered his head over the cover to get a look at his predator. Thanks to the moonlight, he saw the silhouette of a scrake examine piles of bricks and wood. Fresh blood seeped from the few bullet holes on the specimen’s right side, though it continued the search for its prey unabated.
He brought his head back under cover as he examined his shotgun. Wilkes applied slight pressure to the weapon’s magazine, allowing it to slip off without making a sound. He looked into the canister and saw a lone bullet resting within. One bullet. Just my bleeding luck. Almost immediately, the gears began to turn in his head as a plan came together. It’s risky, but it just might be the ticket. After snapping the weapon back together, he looked around and saw a sizeable rock near him. He reached out and grasped the object before tossing it in front of him. The rock landed loudly, and the chainsaw sounded higher in intensity as it grew closer.
Wilkes slowly pointed the shotgun’s barrel upward, making sure he still kept out of sight. Just a little more... He dared not blink or breathe as he could now smell the exhaust from the blade. The scrake’s head was finally in sight, peering over the wall as its gaze slowly lowered to Wilkes’ position. Say goodnight! he thought as he squeezed the trigger.
Unknown to both the hunter and its prey, Applejack was the first being to come around the street corner. She looked at the smashed houses along the sides and eventually saw Wilkes hidden behind a chunk of rubble. She also noticed the lumbering specimen standing over him. “Look out!” she yelled. This shout attracted the specimen’s attention, and it quickly turned to face her. As a result, Wilkes’ final shell missed its target and went directly into the specimen’s left shoulder, nearly severing its arm. Both Applejack and Wilkes stood frozen while the scrake stared momentarily at its dangling limb. Blood began to quickly escape its body, pooling into a crimson puddle at its feet. The scrake immediately ignored the hanging limb and turned its attention to the human cowering behind the debris. It swung its chainsaw, just missing Wilkes as he dove to safety.
The security guard pulled himself onto his feet as his comrades rushed into sight. “W-what the hay is that!?” Rainbow stammered as everyone looked on in shock.
“A scrake!” Gary replied as the creature stared at the newcomers.
The specimen began to advance, its left arm dangling freely. “Open fire!” Masterson ordered. Each soldier used what was left of their ammunition, keeping the scrake in place by sheer force of the barrage. When the dust settled, the specimen stood still as examined its surroundings, seemingly unfazed by the damage done to its body. Nobody dared move, both out of fear and anticipation.
Without warning, the scrake sprinted towards the soldiers and ponies. “Look out!” Rarity yelled.
Everyone dispersed across the debris covered street, dodging the specimen’s slash by a hair’s breadth. It charged again, this time grazing Pinkie Pie’s mane. As it readied for another attack, the sound of incoming footsteps made the scrake to turn around. Twilight and Corporal Lewis arrived on the street, and the scrake wasted no time in closing the distance between itself and its new targets.
“Twilight! Get out of there!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Her necklace glowed its red glow, but before she could do anything, Twilight had instinctively lifted the specimen into the air and threw it into a brick wall on her right. Lewis wasted no time and unloaded the last of his ammunition. Everyone stayed silent, listening intently for any signs of life. The scrake’s bloodied body lay slumped over, lightly coated with chunks of red brick, but the chainsaw’s engine stayed alive.
Rainbow Dash took initiative and slowly walked towards the scrake. “Rainbow, don’t!” Pinkie Pie protested.
“I’m going to check if that thing’s still alive,” the flyer reasoned.
“By yourself?” Twilight asked.
“I’ll approach slowly and get out if that thing moves.”
“I’ll go with you,” Schneider offered. He and the blue pegasus crawled towards the scrake, hesitating every so often.
Rainbow Dash was mere centimeters away from the body when her breathing became increasingly shallow. Her heart drummed in her throat, and her body tremored as she slowly moved to touch the scrake. After a quick prod to the head with her hoof, she leapt into the air, breathing heavily as she anticipated any retaliation. When she saw no reaction, Rainbow set herself back down and, still cautiously, attempted to touch the specimen again. When another tap produced no result, she let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t think it’s getting up,” she declared as she turned her attention to the Private.
Schneider knelt down and closely inspected the scrake. After a quick look, he nodded in agreement. “Its dead.” He turned around. “Nice work, Twilight and Wilkes!”
In that instant, Rainbow Dash’s left ear twitched. She snapped her head towards the scrake, whose eyes were now focused on the distracted soldier. “Look out!” she yelled as she dove into Schneider. Her actions helped the Private narrowly escape death, but she wasn’t fast enough. The scrake’s blade sliced a chunk of flesh off the speedster’s right hind-leg, leaving her to shriek in agony as she gripped her oozing wound.
Thinking quickly, Schneider grabbed Rainbow Dash and carried her as they ran from the scrake, which was now rising to its feet. It limped as it still menacingly swung its chainsaw at whatever was closest.
“How is that thing still standing?” Twilight demanded as she avoided another swing.
“Ah don’t know,” Applejack replied, “but we’re takin’ this thing down!”
“We’re open to suggestions!” Briar yelled as he stayed on his toes.
Powers rushed right towards the scrake and swung his axe into the back of the its neck, but its thick skin prevented the blade from doing much damage. He ripped the machete off of his back and swung again, but the weapon was deflected away from the chainsaw.
Rainbow Dash struggled to keep her eyes open as her injured leg turned a shade of purple. She shook herself out of the Private’s grip and hovered in the air, shaking her head to distract herself long enough from the pain.
“What are you doing?!” Schneider asked.
Rainbow panted as she replied, “I can still move, and we have to think of something! Powers is buying us time for a reason.” As the specimen still dueled with Powers, Rainbow noticed the axe embedded in the specimen. “Twilight, hold that thing still with your magic!” She flew a distance away from the specimen before staying in the air. Her vision began to sway, but she lightly hit her cheeks to stay awake. Stay awake, Rainbow. You’re only going to get one shot at this!
At that moment, Powers tripped backwards over empty bullet casings. Twilight then did as she was told and froze the scrake in place. Twilight grunted as she stood her ground. I’ve never felt resistance like this before! Whatever you’ve got planned, Rainbow, do it fast!
The Sergeant jumped right up and ran to grab his axe, but stopped. He looked to the distance to see Rainbow Dash covered in silver once again. He stepped away in time to avoid Rainbow barreling towards the scrake. She connected to the axe with a loud crack, sending the blade into the back of its head. The specimen was sent careening along the floor until it finally came to rest several meters away. The chainsaw’s engine slowed until its engine was silent.
Rainbow set herself down as her body returned to its usual blue color. She looked at her friends with a weary smile and a chuckle before collapsing on the floor.
“Rainbow Dash!” everypony shouted as they ran to their friend.
The speedster’s eyes slowly opened as she looked at each of her worried friend’s faces. “Wow... I didn’t think that would work,” she huffed.
“Don’t talk, save your energy!” Twilight chastised as she attempted to heal her friend.
“S... sorry about that,” Rainbow replied with a pained smile. “How bad is it?”
Masterson shined a small light onto her leg. “It’s not too deep, but we need to patch you up quick. You’re losing quite a lot of blood.”
Twilight’s magical glow covered Rainbow’s leg, but something was amiss. She sighed hard. “I don’t know if I can stop the bleeding. I’ve never dealt with open wounds before!”
Masterson looked around until he locked his gaze onto Fluttershy. “You. Are you fit to heal your friend?”
“I... I can try,” she responded.
“But what if something goes wrong again?” Twilight asked as she made her way into the conversation. “You started to bleed profusely when you attempted to heal Thorne. What if something worse happens this time?”
The distant sound of a wailing specimen interrupted all train of thought. “Of course,” Davin muttered, “those bastards are probably coming right for us.”
The Lieutenant walked into Twilight’s line of sight. “Listen, Twilight. We can either take a risk with the spot of time it takes to patch up your friend, or we can risk everything by running out into the middle of a horde. They might follow the blood trail back to wherever we go.”
“If you’re going to make a decision, make it really bleeding quick,” Briar added as he started to inch away. Pinkie Pie snickered, which went unnoticed.
Applejack scanned the surrounding area. “Ah don like how this is lookin’, Twilight. We might not have a choice.”
Twilight Sparkle looked at her injured friend, then back to Fluttershy. “Do it, but be careful.”
The caretaker knelt next to her injured friend, but Rainbow Dash stopped her. “If it starts to hurt, just... just stop, okay?” Rainbow insisted. “I... I don’t want you messing yourself up for my sake.”
Fluttershy hesitated before nodding. She then closed her eyes as a pink field of energy illuminated the area, engulfing the two pegasi. One uneasy minute later, the light dissipated. Fluttershy opened her eyes and wobbled before steadying herself back on all fours. “Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow looked over her injured leg, noticing the new patch of flesh and fur. “Looks good as new!” She stood up, but suddenly winced. “Okay, kinda stings, but I can shake it off.”
“Brilliant, you’re fixed,” Briar congratulated, “now let’s get the fuck out of here!” When another cry ran through the air, everyone gathered their possessions and quickly got the fuck out of there.
*********
Kevin Clamely scratched his chin as he re-watched the footage from the camera he previously implanted within the scrake. “Looks like there’s still some work to do,” He said to an antsy Drew as he turned around and walked out the door, his subordinate following behind him.
“I must say, sir,” he added, “the improvements to the scrake model were quite apparant in that footage. It took a barrage of bullets and still ran out swinging!”
“They’ve got to become stronger.”
“We’ll work on it right away, sir.” Drew continued to blindly follow Kevin, but had too many questions to keep quiet, especially the most prevalent one. “So... were those actual horses back there?”
“Doesn’t matter, Steve, they’ll all be dead soon enough,” the CEO answered as he began to walk at a slightly faster pace.
“Well, that purple one seemed to have tossed the scrake with ease.” Drew quickly caught on to the implications of what he’d just said. “N-not to say t-that the scrake is inferior, but perhaps we should have a plan for if any of our specimens encounter that group again.”
Kevin suddenly stopped, his subordinate narrowly missing a collision. “Let’s get one thing clear,” he hissed. “These are not our specimens, they’re my children. Never forget that.” Before Drew could answer, Kevin continued. “Furthermore, how soon until those are ready?” he asked as he pointed to a barred off door at the end of the hall.
Drew nearly broke into a cold sweat as he uttered, “A-are you sure that’s wise, sir?”
“I didn’t say I was gonna let them loose, I just want to know how soon until they’re ready.”
The husky scientist swallowed the lump in his throat. “W-well... they need some time to adjust to their surroundings, but the flesh pounds should be fully independent within a day’s time.”
Kevin looked back at his subordinate. “A day, huh? Make it less than that, and maybe there’ll be something extra for you.”
Drew stood dumbfounded as his boss walked away without another word. “I’ll do my best, sir!” he added before scurrying away. He took off so quickly that he didn’t hear Kevin snicker as he continued down the hall.
**********
The makeshift brigade slumped against their home base as most of them gasped for breath. “Anyone...” Gary huffed, “anyone see if we were followed?”
“Ah don’t think so,” Applejack added. “We got outta there purty darn fast.”
“F-Fluttershy,” Twilight gasped, “are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine,” she replied. “I... I was just a little dizzy.”
Lewis walked into the house. “What do we do now?” he asked as he moved to lie down on the floor.
“What can we do?” Briar said. “We used every last bullet on that thing back there. We’re easy pickings!”
Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “I have an idea! I have an idea!”
“Yes, yes, go on,” Masterson said. “What’s this idea of yours?”
The party pony inhaled. “Well, I was remembering when we first landed here. Do you remember that, because I sure remember it! Then we fought the specimens and zombies and met all you super spectacular humans and almost lost Fluttershy and found her again and fought our way out of the labs to safety and—”
“Is there a fucking point to this?” Davin interrupted.
She nodded. “Why don’t we go visit that other human who offered us those things you humans liked so much? She seemed like a nice person!”
“Pinkie Pie actually has a point,” Wilkes added. “That scrake is sure to have gotten us a nice bonus.”
“So we resort to killing for sport?” Rarity countered. “How can you speak so casually of such a vile act? When is it going to stop?”
“If you haven’t noticed, we don’t have powers like you ponies do,” Davin replied. “We just might have to commit a ‘vile act’ if we want to survive.”
“I agree,” Rainbow said. “Besides, if we want to help the humans, then we should at least help them protect themselves.”
“This is all wrong!” Schneider said. “If we join that woman’s interest group, we’ll be playing into their game and forced to depend on them for survival.”
“What other choice is there?” Applejack remarked.
Twilight turned to Masterson. “That’s right. Are there any other options?”
The Lieutenant crossed his arms and sighed. After a moment, he said, “Oi, Trader, I know you can hear us, speak up!”
Shortly after, a sound of static came on, followed by a familiar voice. “Hello, darlings,” the Trader responded over the loudspeaker. “Seems to me that you’re in a tizzy. Have you all come to your senses?”
“Depends, are you open for business?”
“Only for so long. I’ve updated your GPS to my new location. Come get me.” The loudspeaker clicked again, and then silence.
Masterson reached into his top-front pocket and pulled out the small device. It turned on with a beep before showing an arrow and a timer counting down from ten minutes on screen.
“New location?” Twilight asked. “What is she talking about?”
“The Trader has likely set up shop elsewhere, and I’m guessing we’ve only got ten minutes to find her,” Masterson informed the group.
“Ten minutes?! Then what are we doing here? We’ve gotta go now!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“Quickly,” Masterson commanded, “gather as much food, water, and supplies as you can carry, we might not be coming back here. Double time it, everyone!”
Everybody ran towards the pantry and gathered a fine quantity of various food, drinks, and survival gear. All items were checked for their integrity and condition before being tossed into whatever storage the soldiers and ponies could muster. When everyone was fully packed, Masterson took another look at his GPS. Six minutes and twenty seconds remained.
The Lieutenant took point. “According to this GPS, we’re seventy-six meters away. Rarity, you’re going to have to look out for anything that could be coming our way.” With this command given, the brigade moved as a unit towards The Trader. Luckily, they only had to reroute once during their run. Masterson slowed as he approached an abandoned bookstore on the street corner, making everyone else stop as well. The navigator pointed directly past the boarded up windows, demolished chairs, and ill-prepared wooden barricade towards a metal door. The front door opened. “This must be the place,” he said while catching his breath. Everyone filed in.
“Four minutes, forty-eight seconds. You sure know how to keep a lady waiting,” the Trader smugly replied. “I must say, that was a rather shameful display back there, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I’d like to have seen you do better,” Davin remarked.
She looked at the policeman, giving him a critical glance. “You’ve got a quick mouth, yet the only one of you to score any profits is a pony. A pony, for crying out loud. And at that, in a fashion that puts you all to shame.”
Rainbow slightly blushed and looked to the side as she whispered, “Just doing what anypony else would’ve done.”
Masterson ignored The Trader as he stressed, “Let me make one thing absolutely clear. We’re not doing this because we like the sound of your little game. We’re doing this because we have no other choice.”
“My employers completely understand, but time is money, and you’re wasting a lot of it right now. Four minutes thirty-three seconds.”
Briar stepped to The Trader. “Just tell us how this works.”
“At this point,” she began as she typed away on her calculator, “You’ve officially killed a whopping one specimen. Granted, my employers hadn’t heard of the specimen you defeated, so they’ve established a fair price of sixty-three quid per kill on those... scrakes, I believe you called them.”
“Is that a lot?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“It depends,” Lewis answered.
“At this moment, that’s all you’ve got for credit: sixty-three quid. Honestly, you really should’ve tried to kill at least one other specimen before coming here.”
“What will that get us?” Schneider queried.
“A few clips of ammunition, nothing major.”
“That sure don’t sound like much,” Applejack commented.
Twilight stepped forward. “Can’t you lower the price just a little? We’re working towards the same goal, right?”
The Trader shook her head. “No can do. These prices are non-negotiable, darling, and you’d better hurry it up. You’ve only got a little over three minutes now.”
As others tried to convince The Trader to allow some leeway, Sergeant Powers removed the machete strapped to his back and scanned the weapon. He gave himself a small nod before walking to the gated window and placing the smaller blade on the counter. “How much?”
She hesitated before reaching through the lower slot and taking the weapon. The Trader looked at the weapon thoroughly as she replied, “Since the blade shows plenty of wear and tear, and not being the best quality weapon right now, I’ll buy it from you for seventy five.”
Rarity looked shocked. “You mean to tell us that a dead specimen is worth almost as much as that blade? How in Equestria is that even a reasonable trade?”
“Are you really going to make me repeat the obvious, dear?”
After a small moment’s silence, Powers murmured, “Deal.”
The Trader stocked the machete in the cabinets behind her. “That brings your total to one hundred thirty-eight quid. If you’re going to make a decision, make it fast.”
Masterson scratched his chin. “How much for a clip of ammunition for all my men?”
She noted each weapon all men had before adding up the prices. “One hundred thirty.”
“Then give each of us one mag.”
She quickly dispensed the ammunition, allowing each soldier time to load their weapons anew. “One and a half minutes left. If there’s anything else you’d like to sell for a quick buck, now’s the time.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Schneider walked to The Trader and placed one of his Handcannons on the counter. “How much for this?”
Her face flashed for a moment with surprise before she inspected the pistol. “Now this is a very nice piece. I’ll buy it for... three hundred seventy-five quid.”
“Done.”
Schneider took initiative and quickly ordered another round for each of the men.
Fluttershy asked, “Should we be going now?”
“Not yet,” the Lieutenant responded. He turned to The Trader. “Give me a nine-millimeter and two clips for it.” With his order fulfilled, he walked to Gary and handed the weapon to him. “You’re going to need this sooner or later.”
The scientist held up his hands in protest. “Woah now, I’ve never even used a gun before.”
Davin remarked, “Shit-for-brains has a point. You’re really going to give him a gun?”
Ignoring the scathing remark, Masterson pressed the matter. “The more of us that are trained with firearms, the better.”
“This is probably your shittiest idea yet. You realize that, right?”
Masterson smiled. “Well, since you’re so concerned about Mr. Glover’s experience, you get to teach him!”
The Police Sergeant’s head drooped slightly. “You’re kidding.”
“While it’s entertaining to watch you all squabble,” The Trader interrupted, “there’s one last thing you need.” She reached into a drawer before her and placed several ear pieces into the slot below. “We’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other, so I figured this is a much more subtle way for you to find me.” Each human walked up to the counter and took an earpiece.
“What are those for?” Rarity asked.
“I can broadcast my voice to their ear pieces. In this case, I’ll be giving you boys general updates as the lot of you continue to clean up the streets; Such as when I’ve changed locations, when I’m open for business, et cetera.”
“What about us?” Rainbow Dash asked.
The Trader opened her mouth to speak, but several beeps interrupted her. She snapped her head to a spot nobody else could see, eyes widening for a moment. She turned her head back to the brigade and sternly said, “Time to ship out, all of you.”
Everyone traded confused looks before Masterson said, “Alright, lads. Let’s get going.”
“Just like that?” Briar asked incredulously.
The Lieutenant turned to face the Constable. “Just like that.” He then kept walking outside, his fellow soldiers following suit.
Briar and Davin looked at each other before sighing as they reluctantly left.
As everypony followed the humans out the door, Fluttershy remained. “Ex-excuse me,” she quietly said, getting the woman’s attention. “I just... um... I wanted to thank you... for helping us.”
The Trader stared before her lips cracked into a slight smile as she gave one nod.
When Fluttershy exited the small area, she looked back to see a metal door slam shut in her face, making her yelp before heading to the security of her friends.
As Twilight helped steady her friend onto her hooves, she felt a nudge in her side.
“Hey,” Applejack asked, “shouldn’t we have gotten some stuff ta protect ourselves?”
Twilight shook her head. “I thought about it, but the humans need those weapons much more than we do. We can still fight on our own, but they need those things to survive. Besides, I don’t think any of us can even use their weapons.”
“Even so,” Applejack pressed, “y’all either got unicorn magic or the elements t’ help ya. What about me n’ Pinkie? We dunno what our Elements can do yet, and we just got the skin o’ our hide to fall back on. Hay, Pinkie ain’t got a violent bone in her body. what’re we supposed ta do?”
Twilight looked away, as if stuck in thought.
“Ahm sorry. Here ah am, throwin’ all these questions at you, and ya probably don’t even know the answers yerself.”
Rainbow Dash moved next to Applejack. “Don’t sweat it, AJ. We’ll figure something out.”
Everypony walked into the street, seeing Masterson lead a huddled discussion amongst his soldiers.
“What’s going on?” Twilight asked Wilkes.
“Sounds like we’re heading back to Horzine,” he replied.
Fluttershy quietly gasped. “W-w-we’re going b-back there?”
“I suppose it was only a matter of time,” Rarity remarked, ears slightly drooping.
Gary moved into the conversation. “It looks like it’ll be morning soon, but it’s going to be hard finding our way through the debris.” He looked at the fashionista. “Can we count on you to navigate us past trouble?”
“You don’t even have to ask, darling.” She walked to where Masterson stood. “I understand we’re heading back underground?”
The Lieutenant stopped his conversation to meet her gaze. “Not quite. We no longer have the element of surprise on our side. Clamely’s not stupid, I’d bet he’s got a plan in store for us, should we go back anytime soon. We’d be overwhelmed in a matter of minutes, unprepared as we are.
“What we’ve got to do first is inspect the offices above ground. There’s no telling how big a scheme Horzine’s got planned for England, let alone the world. We can’t head back in there blind as bats. There might be something hidden away that can tell us just what Clamely’s plotting.”
“And what if we find nothing?” Briar spoke up. “What if we walk right into a trap? You said it yourself, ‘Clamely’s not stupid’. What if Horzine is just one big ambush and we’re killed the second we set foot in there? What do we do then, huh?”
For the first time that day, Masterson looked away in thought. “I... I don’t know. But it’s our only sure fire bet to get a grasp of what’s going on.”
The Constable tutted as he turned around. “You bark like you’re the supposed ‘leader’ of this group of shit heads, yet you can’t even think up one decent idea.”
“And all I hear from you is a bunch of complaining!” Rainbow Dash interjected. “I sure as hay don’t see you coming up with a good idea.”
“I actually do have an idea,” Briar answered. “We all get the fuck out of England, and go our separate ways from here.”
“We’re not leaving!” Rarity said. “Our only way back home is in there, and there are still plenty of humans around the city that need our help. You can’t just abandon fellow humans like that!”
Davin cocked his head back. “You really have no bleeding clue how we humans work, do you?”
“Maybe we don’t,” Applejack intervened, “but where we’re from, everypony helps out anypo-”
“Pony, pony, pony,” the Police Sergeant cut in. “That’s all I hear from the lot of you. News flash, this is Earth! A place where humans are the dominant life form, and the law of the land is survival of the fittest! To everyone else here, you ponies are just a bunch of worthless animals.”
“You take that back!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
The two groups soon broke out into aimless bickering, instigators and negotiators trying to get their point across.
Eventually, Twilight Sparkle yelled “Everypony be quiet!” silencing both parties. “Senseless arguing like this isn’t going to get any of us anywhere. We’ve need to work together if we want to make it through this alive.” She turned to Masterson. “You’re certain that we’ve got to get into the offices to make any progress?”
He nodded. “It’s the only place that would make sense to look into.”
The purple unicorn turned to Briar. “And your gut tells you there’s a trap waiting for us?”
He shrugged. “It’s what I would do.”
“And this Clamely is a very smart person?”
“Smart isn’t the word I’d use, exactly.”
“You’re sure he’s thought of everything?”
“For the thousandth time, yes.”
“Everything... humanly possible?”
Briar hesitated before answering. “What are you getting at?”
A small smile cracked on Twilight’s face. “You were right about what you said before. We’re not in Equestria, we’re on Earth. Humans are the dominant species, and ponies are, to you, dumb animals. That Clamely human might be prepared for you humans to come back, but things are different where we’re from, and I can guarantee you that we’ve got a trump card he’ll never see coming.” Twilight paused, waiting to see if the humans would catch on. She then lit her horn. “Magic.”
Lewis pointed at Twilight. “Of course. You’ve probably got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, don’t you?”
The mage nodded. “Get us to the facility, and I’m sure I’ve got enough magic in me to teleport all of us in and out without incident.”
Briar stood still, arms crossed. He glanced at Davin, who seemed as contemplative as his fellow officer. He looked back at Twilight. “I’ll admit, he probably wouldn’t expect that. Still doesn’t change the fact that we’re walking into the giant’s maw.”
“It could be tough, but we have the capability to do this, if we work together.”
Masterson spoke up. “Tell you what. You help us in the offices, and then you and officer Davin can go on your merry way. We won’t stop you.”
The policemen looked at each other. Eventually they broke their seemingly telepathic communication. “Just this task, then we see where we stand from there.”
Pinkie Pie jumped in the air as she let out a small cheer. “Let’s go on an adventure!”
Applejack chuckled. “I wouldn’t call it that, sugarcube.”
Davin moved next to Briar and murmured, “We’ve just signed our death warrants.”
“Agreed,” the Constable replied.
“Now,” Masterson began, “our only issue at this point is to find our way back to Horzine.”
Fluttershy quietly peeped, “Um... excuse me,” but went unnoticed.
Rarity pointed out, “I can still help keep an eye out for any specimens.”
“And Twilight can help light the way, right, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Excuse me...”
“Sorry, Rainbow,” Twilight replied. “I’m going to have to conserve as much magic as possible in order to get in and out safely.”
“No worries, we’ve got our own lights.” Schneider replied, holding several torches in his hands.
“I think I can-”
“‘Course, this still doesn’t help us if we get lost,” Davin pointed out.
“But... I...”
Masterson turned on his GPS. “Damn thing won’t point us anywhere right now. Guess it’s locked on wherever The Trader opens up shop. Does anyone remember the exact route to the laboratories?”
“I can faintly remember the way,” Wilkes added, “but I can’t say I’m absolutely certain.”
“Oi!” Powers bellowed, immediately silencing everyone. He slowly pointed directly across from him to Fluttershy. “She’s got something to say.”
The yellow pegasus unfroze herself from the direct spotlight and said, “I know how to get to Horzine from here.”
Masterson tilted his head. “You do?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re certain of it?”
She nodded.
The Lieutenant rubbed his chin. “How do you know?”
Twilight spoke up. “Allow me to explain. Pegasi have a natural sense of direction in a given area. They only need to visit an area once from the sky before the location becomes pin-pointed in a pegasus pony’s memory.”
“Not all pegasi are good with it though,” Rainbow Dash added. “N-not that I’d know any ponies who are like that, but Fluttershy here’s a real pro with directions, aren’t ya?” She nudged the other pegasus’ side, causing her face to redden under the praise.
“I can help guide everypony back, i-if that’s okay with you, that is.”
Masterson huffed. “You’re our best bet, Fluttershy. Lead on and we’ll follow.”
Fluttershy took point, Rainbow Dash and Powers following close behind for protection. Behind them was Rarity, who was actively using her Element to search for trouble. The remaining humans formed an outer shell for the remaining three ponies who stood within. Everyone stood attentively as Fluttershy guided everyone through a series of twists and turns. “We’re almost there,” the navigator eventually called out. “It won’t be farther now.”
“Wait, stop!” Rarity exclaimed. “There’s something approaching in front of us, something big!”
Everyone hid near chunks of rubble or anything they could use for protection, readying their weapons.
“When you say big,” Gary nervously asked, “Is it something bulky as well?”
“Whatever this thing is,” she answered, eyes still closed, “I would argue that it is the definition of bulk.”
The scientist’s hands started shaking. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
Masterson held his hand out, keeping his men in place. The footsteps began to grow louder and louder as they slowly approached.
Just when the sound neared the corner, Rarity whispered, “Don’t hurt it! I know what that is!”
As she said that, a tall masculine figure stepped around the corner, adjusting his gloves as he trodded on. Suddenly, the figure stopped, eyes growing wide. He sniffed the air several times, rolling his eyes when he finished. “You should really do a better job at hiding. I could smell all of you from a mile away.”
Carefully, Masterson stepped out from his space. He shined a flashlight onto the figure, revealing a dusty, blood-stained figure. His eyes locked with the man standing before him. “Thorne...”
Thorne only gave a slight nod. Everyone slowly crept out of cover to get a glimpse of the scene before them, keeping their eyes on the sadistic madman before them.
“I figured you’d be long gone by now. What brings you here?” Masterson asked.
Thorne pointed backwards with his thumb. “Horzine. Looked for Clamely. Ended up killing a lot of those shit-headed zombies.”
“Did you find Clamely?” The resulting scowl and growl told the Lieutenant enough. “What about the facility?”
Thorne refocused his gaze on Masterson. “What about it?”
“Did you destroy it?”
“No.”
Wilkes said, “What do you mean ‘no’?”
“Do I really have to explain it to you? If it’s not Clamely, I don’t care.”
“What about those zombies you killed?” Schneider asked.
Thorne shrugged. “They got in my way. Wouldn’t have cared otherwise.”
Twilight hazarded a thought. “You mean you’re willing to completely ignore the suffering of hundreds, maybe thousands of humans, just so you can find Clamely?”
Thorne immediately said, “Yes.”
The sudden response left Twilight dumbstruck.
With the conversation at a standstill, Thorne resumed walking away.
“What will you do now?” Masterson asked without looking at the guard.
“Killing Clamely is all there is to do.” Not once did Thorne turn to look back as he advanced further away from the brigade. When he was out of sight, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Lewis held his chest. “Does this mean we’re not convincing him join us anymore?”
Masterson massaged his forehead. “I don’t know, but it looks like we’re on our own for now. Let’s keep moving.”
Everyone lined back into formation and moved on. Several alleys and corners later, the group finally stood outside of Horzine’s front gate.
“I don’t believe it,” Lewis said. “You’ve got quite some memory, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, uh, thank you,” she meekly replied.
Masterson said, “Now that we’re here, let’s get to work. Rarity, can you scan the building for hostile forces?”
She nodded, her hair slumping out of place. “I’m a tad worn out from scanning the area to and fro, but I think I can manage a look at the building.”
“How about in the laboratories?”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Underground as well? I can try, but I’m not guaranteeing anything.”
“If you think you can do it, then try.”
Rarity reflected on this request. “I can,” she said with a nod, “but I need full concentration.” Everyone stepped back as she got to work. As her Element came to life, her brow furrowed, her eyes clamped shut, and her teeth clenched tightly as the seconds dragged on. In her intensified state of focus, Rarity saw the faint glow of the underground complex and the enemies who lay in wait. “There don’t seem to be many specimens in the offices,” she explained between shaky breaths. “Underground, however, I’m seeing quite a lot of movement. Possibly from Thorne’s rampage, but I’m not sure.” She gasped. “No, no, no! It’s fading!” Rarity struggled to keep her gaze active on the laboratories, but dejectedly sighed as she hung her head. “It’s gone... I’m sor-” She turned her head up as she opened her eyes, but froze. She looked around, dazed and confused. “Please... please tell me the lights are out.” Her lower lip quivered and her breathing picked up its pace.
Everyone exchanged concerned glances.
“Rarity, there ain’t no light’s out,” Applejack informed.
The white unicorn’s began to tremble as she raised a hoof in front of her face, waving it between her eyes.
Twilight asked, “Rarity, what’s wrong?”
Her breathing quickened. “I... I think I’m... blind!”
Everypony gasped.
“B-b-blind? But how?” Fluttershy queried.
Rarity held her hooves against her head. “I don’t know, I just... I can’t see anything!”
Applejack brushed herself against Rarity’s side, who jumped and yelped upon contact. “It’s okay, Rarity. We’re here, ya jus’ gotta calm down, y’hear?”
Twilight attempted to put the pieces together as everypony else moved in to console their distressed friend. Okay, this is important. Think, Rarity has been around us this entire time, and hasn’t been attacked once by any wayward specimens. She brought a hoof to her forehead and closed her eyes. She’s been using her power ever since that scrake was defeated, and now she’s become blind. This could be an over-exertion of magic, but that doesn’t make any sense! I’ve only heard of unicorns becoming too exhausted to stand, not complete blindness. Her eyes shot open. Wait a second...
Twilight turned around. “Fluttershy, when you first discovered your power, did anything happen to you?”
The yellow pegasus was caught off guard by the sudden question, but replied, “I think I fainted afterwards.”
So when I saw her condition after using her healing ability, that must’ve drawn her power in excess. “Rainbow. You said that you used your new ability just moments before falling out of the sky, right?” Twilight questioned.
“Well... yeah,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“And that was the first time you used it?”
“Uh huh.”
“What about the second time, when you assaulted the scrake?”
Rainbow crossed her forelegs. “I passed out, but that might’ve just been from blood loss.”
Twilight slightly averted her gaze as she nodded her head. “I know what happened,” she said to everyone else. “It’s actually quite simple when you really think about it. I can’t explain how we received our powers, but—”
“I’m all for a scientific lecture,” Gary interrupted, “but perhaps we could pick this up when we’re not in the open?”
“Oh, r-right,” Twilight bashfully replied. “I almost got carried away there.” She cleared her throat. “Alright, everypony, gather closely around me. I’ve only got enough for one trip in and out, so there’s no room for error.”
As everyone did as they were told, Twilight’s horn glowed. It shone brighter and brighter as the seconds dragged on. Suddenly, a spark shot out of her horn, briefly enveloping everyone in a magenta light before they vanished, leaving a scorched area where they once stood. Then everyone appeared on the top floor of the building, trying to gather their bearings.
Briar examined his surroundings in disbelief. “Did that just happen?”
“Yes... yes it did,” Davin added.
Rainbow hovered next to the officers. “What was that again about us ponies being a bunch of worthless animals?” she spat with a dose of venom.
Both officers just ignored the pegasus, who smirked before heading to her fellow equines. “Cocky bitch,” they both wheezed.
“Well, look at that,” Wilkes noted as he scanned the room they were in, “they really were doing renovations.” The top floor’s red and white colored walls had been clad in transparent tarp, spreading across the eight rooms spanned across the area. Ladders and paint buckets could be seen across the hall, right next to what could possibly be considered a final coat of paint. “Course, it means nothing now with all these specimens running around.” He noted the many overturned desks and broken windows in the few rooms along the floor. He also saw the now-familiar smears of blood on the wall and floor. “Poor bastards probably never stood a chance.”
As Twilight described the surrounding area to Rarity, Pinkie Pie asked, “What happens now?”
“Now we search these rooms for documents,” Masterson answered. “There’s no telling what could be up here.”
“Actually,” Wilkes said, “It’s pretty likely that there’s nothing important up here.”
“Nothing?”
He shook his head. “Unless you’re looking to microwave or refrigerate some food in the lounge. There are only a few rooms up here, and most of them were for storing chemistry materials. Even then, these rooms had been cleared of any important materials just before renovations happened. I’m not suggesting we ignore everything up here completely, but if we’re looking for efficiency...”
The Lieutenant nodded. “Understood. In that case, where’s the best place to look?”
“That’d be the floor underneath us. If there’s a document you need, it’s probably in the cubicles below. Unless, of course, you want to go back into the laboratories, which I understand isn’t an option.”
Masterson scratched his cheek. “Right. Here’s the plan: Gary, you’re going with Davin, Schneider, and Powers to inspect the second floor. You worked here, so you can discern what’s important and what’s not. Make sure you look through everything. We can’t afford to miss anything vital. Wilkes, you’re going to take Lewis, Briar and myself through every inch of these rooms. As for the rest of you,” he continued as he turned to the bunch of ponies, “I don’t know if or how you want to split up, but you’ve got to make a quick decision.”
Twilight looked at her friends, who appeared just as lost as she was. “Any thoughts, girls?”
“Ah think maybe we should split up too,” Applejack answered.
Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “You think so?”
“We wanna help the humans too, right? Ah think it’d be better fer all of us if we worked more with ‘em. It’d jus’ be three n’ three.”
“How would we go about this?” Rarity asked. “I still can’t see, so I feel I’d just be in the way.”
Twilight sat down. “If we’re splitting up...” she began as her mind got to work. “Applejack, Fluttershy, are you two comfortable looking after Rarity?”
“As if ya even need ta ask,” Applejack replied with a nod and a smile. Fluttershy also nodded her response.
“In that case, how about you three go to the second floor? The rest of us will stay here with the other humans. How does that sound?” Twilight asked, looking at Masterson.
“As long as we’re all sorted, it shouldn’t be a problem,” he answered.
“Good. Then we-”
“Wait a tick, Twilight,” Gary interrupted. “Just in case one of you ponies pass out again, you mind letting us in on this explanation you have for your Elements?”
“Oh, right!” she said, ears slightly folding back. “Well, after giving it some thought, I believe the Elements are acting as an amplifier for the magic within each of us. I still don’t know how these powers came to be, but that’s just one of many questions left unanswered. As for what we know, the key is noting how Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s bodies react to this magic compared to Rarity,” she continued. “Rarity was arguably the first one of us to discover her ability that the Element of Generosity bestowed upon her. She’s been using her power for quite some time, and is only now feeling the effects. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt the backlash almost immediately after finding their powers.”
“Get to the point,” Briar remarked, earning him a slight glare from the scholar.
“My point is that Rarity is a unicorn, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are pegasi. A unicorn’s body is regulated and structured to handle magic usage, but pegasi and earth ponies don’t have that luxury. The magic they use is second nature, so for either race to actively channel magic like a spell would throw their system into disarray. Their bodies don’t know how to conserve magic, so it ends up being dumped at an alarming rate. I’d bet that when the magic is gone, the Element resorts to drawing life force from its user. This explains why Fluttershy began to bleed excessively, and why Rainbow Dash was rendered unconscious in the air.
“As for Rarity, she’s been fine, but that’s only because she’s used to controlling magic.” She stood in front of her blinded friend. “You know your limits, Rarity, so you know how to control how much magic goes into a spell. However, you’ve been keeping at your spell for all this time, and this recent push just seems to have been too much. The Elements are not only more powerful than I could’ve imagined, but they’re dangerous if used improperly.” She placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “If what happened with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash is any indication, then your sight should return in time. Just try to keep calm for now, okay?”
Rarity reached out her hoof and said, “Thank you, Twilight. I’ll try.” She moved it around a bit until Twilight guided it to her own shoulder.
“What happens now?” Pinkie Pie asked.
Masterson stepped forward. “Now we get to work. Everyone knows where they’re going, and the sooner we leave, the better.” Everyone exited the storage room, some splitting off to venture down the stairway to their right.
Rainbow asked Twilight, “You think they’ll be okay?”
She nodded. “I think they’ll be fine.”
“Well, it’s time to get searching!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she ran off to begin inspection.
“Wait, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash called out. “You can’t just run off like that!” She flew away to catch up to her friend.
Twilight wistfully shook her head. Some things just never change. She started to walk towards a room at the end of the hall when she stopped herself. She noticed the faint outline of her shadow on the wall before her. Twilight turned around to see a dim light shine through the broken window in the room everyone appeared in. She stepped closer until she could see the skyline above the chaos and destruction below. Memories soon raced into her mind as a sad smile formed on her face.
“Something wrong, Twilight?”
She jumped and quickly turned around to see Lewis peering into the room. “Oh, I-I’m sorry. I was just getting a good look at London, that’s all.”
The Corporal moved to the window, also taking in the scenery around him. He dryly chuckled. “To think so much has happened already.” He noticed that he caught Twilight’s attention and continued. “We’ve been sent into battle against creatures the likes of which we’ve never seen, fought... valiantly against them, banded together with the most unlikely of allies, watched some of those allies nearly die several times over, escaped death by a hair’s breath... and it’s only day one.” He crossed his arms. “Whatever it is that Lieutenant Masterson’s looking for, I can only hope that we find it soon and end this.”
Twilight nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Come on, then. It’s time we helped out.”
As they walked out of the room once more, Twilight took another look over her shoulder. I wonder if it’s morning in Ponyville now. I hope you’re doing alright, Spike. I’ll be back soon, I promise.
Ponyville, Equestria, September 1, 2009
Spike slowly opened his eyes as he started to sit up in his bed. He shielded his eyes from the morning’s sunlight that crept inside through the window and he laid himself back into bed. He looked at the larger bed next to him, hoping to see the sleeping form of a purple unicorn huddled under the covers. Unfortunately, the bed lay as vacant as it was when Spike managed to finally go to sleep last night. What did you expect? he asked himself. Twilight left you here, remember? He pulled the covers over his head, hoping the world would ignore him for now.
They’re gone. They’re all gone... and who knows if or when I’ll see any of them again. Spike continued to lay there, slowly becoming engrossed in self-pity. A tear nearly squeezed its way out of an eye when both of Spike’s eyes shot open. He sat himself up. What would Rarity think right now, seeing me like this? He could picture it now: the unicorn of his dreams would walk into the house and happen upon a sniveling, pathetic shell of a dragon. He’d reach out to her with a hand, only for it to be batted away. She’d likely be disgusted at the mere sight of him and leave Spike with nothing but the quick lash of her tail as she stormed outside, ignoring any pleas for her to stay.
“No,” he told himself as he ripped the covers off his bed and stood up. “I can’t just sit here all day long. Twilight and the others are risking their lives out there to save the humans. What good would I be if I did nothing?” He walked downstairs as he continued his self-support. “Everypony will be back before I know it. I’ve gotta have faith in each of them!” He stopped before the kitchen cupboard and reached inside, pulling out a handful of rubies that he ate in a hurry. “I’ve gotta get on my morning chores, then I’ll... think of something else to do.”
Spike scurried around the house while completing remedial tasks, such as organizing each book in the library, updating the check-in/check-out list for any inaccuracies, and cleaning up the rooms within the house. When his tasks were finished, he looked outside and saw the sun was nearly in the middle of the sky. It’s almost noon. I should go pick up some food for later. He grabbed a bag and headed to the front door. As he opened it, however, he saw a familiar grey pegasus standing before him with a bag full of letters on her back.
“Oh, hi, Spike!” Ditzy said as she greeted the little assistant. “I was just about to leave your mail here.”
“Hi, Ditzy,” he paused as he looked at the area around her.
This caught her attention. “Uh... is something the matter?”
“No, it’s just... you’re alone.”
Ditzy perked an eyebrow before reaching into her mailbag. “Yes, I am... should I not be alone?”
Spike shook his head. “Nah, I just thought The Doctor would be hanging out with you or something.”
She stopped suddenly and looked into Spike’s eyes. “Say that again...”
“What?”
“That name you mentioned, say it again, Spike.”
He hesitated before he repeated, “The Doctor.”
Ditzy shook her head and looked away, sitting on her haunches as she crossed her arms. “Who is this Doctor, Spike?”
He shrugged.
“Is there something going on that nopony’s telling me?” Ditzy accused. “First Twilight mentioned some Doctor when I dropped off that package yesterday, and-”
“You gave Twilight a package?” Spike interrupted.
The mailmare’s attitude immediately brightened. “Oh, yes! It was an emergency package to deliver, but it was really really heavy. My wings almost couldn’t hold out long enough to- hey, wait a minute! You can’t change the conversation just like that! Are you sure you don’t know anything about The Doctor?”
“Yes, I’m sure!” Spike insisted. “He randomly appeared at Sugarcube Corner for a bit, and it looked like he was really eager to leave, then you suddenly crashed through the window and talked up a storm with him. The Doctor wouldn’t tell us anything, said that if he said too much, something would ‘go terribly wrong’ or whatever it was he was talking about. Then you both left really quick before saying something about spoilers. He showed in Twilight’s library later and took some books, but that’s all I know, honest!”
Ditzy’s eyes widened as her mouth hung slightly open. “Did you say... spoilers?”
He nodded his head.
“Twilight told me that when I asked her about The Doctor...” She laid her head in her hooves and groaned. “So there is something going on that I don’t know about!” Ditzy glared at Spike. “And what do you mean I crashed into Sugarcube Corner yesterday morning? I gave everypony a notice that I’d be in Phillydelphia for most of the day! If this is some prank you two are pulling, it’s not funny.”
“I swear, that’s exactly what happened!”
“Do you pinkie pie swear?”
“Yes, cross my heart, hope to fly, that’s exactly what happened!”
Ditzy snorted as her gaze cut right into Spike’s psyche. “I’ll believe you... for now. But something’s going on around here, and I’m going to find out what. Anyways, I’ve got some letters for you.” She reached back into her bag and placed a bundle of envelopes into Spike’s awaiting hands. “You’ve got quite a few this time. Looks like somepony’s becoming Mr. Popular over here.”
Spike blew a raspberry. “Nah, they’re probably just a bunch of letters to Twi-” He stopped as he read the face of the first letter, eyes growing wide. “Hey, I’ve gotta get back to work. I’ll talk to you later, Ditzy.”
She tilted her head to the side and said, “If you say so. I’ll see you the next time you get mail!” She lifted herself into the air, flying towards his next destination.
Spike quickly shut the door, inspecting the envelope’s face once more. There was no postage stamp or return address, but what was written is what caught Spike’s attention most:
To Spike
From Twilight
Open Immediately
He did as he was told and took off the small rubber band binding the letters together pulling out the first envelope within. As he opened the parcel and read what was written inside he slowly sat himself down, trembling gently.
Spike,
If my calculations are correct, you should be receiving this letter the morning after we left for London. You probably have a million questions, and I wish I could answer them, I really do, but I’m afraid I don’t have such a luxury. All I can ask of you right now is to follow my instructions carefully. The fate of Equestria is riding on this.
You should’ve received several letters along with this one. Each envelope is marked with a date and time on it. Do not open these letters out of order or before their assigned time, there’s no telling what could happen if you do. On each letter, I’ve written a task you need to complete before that day’s end. Some of these tasks will seem trivial; hell, I don’t even know why I need to write what I’ve written, but each job is as equally important as the last.
You will come across several ponies in the time to come. Some of them you know, some you don’t, but each of you will play a vital role in what happens next. You should’ve heard The Doctor go on about how wrong it is for me to write this, but he reluctantly agreed to it once he realized this is a fixed point. You probably don’t even know what that means, but I’ll explain it to you later. To be honest, I’m surprised how fast you’ve grown since we last met, but I suppose anybody would, given the circumstances.
I’m going to level with you, Spike. We’re not going to see each other for a long time, and things aren’t going to be the same when we do. There will be tough times ahead, and you might feel like giving up is the only way out, but you need to stay strong. I wish I could tell you what’s going to happen, how to prepare for it, or maybe even how to prevent it. If I had, then maybe nopony would be in this mess right now. But I can’t. For some reason, all I ever wrote were these few tasks. I don’t know my reasons yet, or if I ever will, but this is the way it has to be.
It looks like I’m almost out of time, so I’ll leave you with this. I have the utmost faith in you. I know that you can do this, because you’re the best assistant I could’ve ever asked for. Never give up, no matter how bleak things look. I’ll be waiting for you.
Twilight
When he finished reading, he gently set the letter on the floor. Spike quickly looked at the rest of the letters. He spread them apart, noting nine envelopes arranged with different days and times, as promised. He looked over Twilight’s first letter again. This is definitely her hoofwriting, no mistaking that. He slowly walked to the window on the door’s left. Spike stared longingly at the clear sky above, gently resting a hand on the glass.
“Everypony’s going to be okay... right?”
|
Some Person
|
853
| 9 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
|
Just Over the Horzine
|
A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
|
cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
|
mature
|
2013-04-30T07:55:21+00:00
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2013-06-03T03:58:04+00:00
| 650 |
Gary’s group walked down the stairs before reaching the hallway that led to the offices on the second floor. Davin, Schneider, and Powers kept their weapons drawn and at the ready. Applejack stayed alert, and Fluttershy helped Rarity walk underneath the dim lighting. To their left were three large broken windows, showing a view of the destroyed environment below.
“Any idea what we’ll find on this floor?” Schneider asked.
Gary shrugged. “I’m not too sure, never came up here much. Sometimes I’d head to the cubicles to hand off research notes, so that’s a good place to start.”
“That so,” Applejack added with a yawn. “Well hey, what ‘bout that?” She pointed to a knocked-over cabinet next to the broken window at the end of the hall. She started to walk towards it when Fluttershy flew in front of her.
“Wait!” she said before taking the time to use her tail in order to dust away the many glass shards on the floor. Fluttershy touched down next to Rarity. “We don’t want you hurting yourselves now.”
The soldiers walked on, spare glass shards crunching beneath their boots, while Applejack took a second to understand as she slowly blinked her eyes. “Oh, yeah. Thanks, Fluttershy.” She walked towards the cabinet, where the humans were already getting to work digging through the files. “Where should we start lookin’?”
Davin looked at the ponies. “This isn’t a job for you. You three can go somewhere else. Wouldn’t want you chewing up any important papers,” he said while shooing them away.
Rarity huffed in frustration. “He probably wouldn’t tell us that if I could see,” she whispered. “Can we even sit anywhere? All of this running has been torture on my hooves.”
“We can sit against the wall fer a bit,” Applejack replied.
“But... shouldn’t we find some way to help?” Fluttershy asked.
“As much as ah’d love to, sugarcube,” the farmpony stated as she helped guide Rarity to an open spot near the cabinet, “it ain’t gonna do us much good if we wander off n’ some specimen catches us unawares.” Applejack and Rarity leaned against the wall, Fluttershy sitting in front of both ponies.
“Oh, you’re right. But shouldn’t we still think of something?” Fluttershy queried.
“I don’t know if there’s much we can do,” Rarity answered. “Perhaps we should take a moment to rest until we’re needed.”
“What about the others? Do you think they’ll be fine?”
Rarity stifled a giggle. “With Twilight’s persistence, Rainbow Dash’s tenacity, and Pinkie Pie’s... being Pinkie Pie, I’m sure they’ve got things handled up above.”
“Well, okay. I guess taking a minute to rest would be good for all of us. What about you, Applej-” Fluttershy stopped as she saw the farm pony’s eyes closed and heard a small snore. She leaned in close and gently poked her sleeping friend, which made Applejack shoot awake with a sharp gasp.
“Wh-what? What happened?” she asked frantically. “Is somethin’ comin’?”
Fluttershy tilted her head. “Were you sleeping just now, Applejack?”
The pony in question’s face began to redden. “Well, uh... it’s not like I was tryin’ to or anythin’, I just, uh...”
“That’s right,” Rarity responded. “You haven’t slept at all, have you?”
Applejack hung her head as she let out a sigh. “Not a wink.”
Fluttershy worriedly looked at both of her friends before she said, “You know, I could try healing you two.”
Rarity and Applejack quickly brought their attention to their friend.
“Ah dunno,” Applejack replied. “Didn’t Twilight say somethin’ ‘bout it bein’ awfully risky to use that power o’ yours?”
“Well, I...,” Fluttershy’s ears folded back. “I just... thought I could help...”
All three ponies were silent before Rarity spoke up. “She should try, Applejack. If Fluttershy’s able to help us, we’ll be of much more use to everypony. I don’t enjoy feeling helpless, you know. Also, think about it. If an emergency happens, you and I are not in fit condition.”
Applejack hummed. “Ya have a point there.” She turned to her winged friend. “Do ya think you can control it?”
Fluttershy looked off to the distance. “I’m not sure, but I can’t just sit while you’re both like this. I’ll just stop if it starts to hurt, I promise!”
Applejack looked at the humans, who were still busily examining each document. “If they’re gonna be here a bit, ah s’pose tryin’ just once couldn’t hurt. Ah gotta ask ya somethin’ first. Both of y’all. How d’ya do it? Yer powers, ah mean.” Fluttershy tilted her head, enticing Applejack to continue. “How did y’all come around to findin’ out ya had these powers? Ah figure that maybe if ah know how y’all did it, ah can find some way to get my power sooner than later.”
Rarity rested her chin on her hoof. “I discovered my power when we were looking for you, Fluttershy. I remember that we all were very worried and wanted to find you as soon as possible, so I used my gem finding spell, wishing that it would help us find your necklace. I hadn’t realized it then, but that was my Element reacting to my thoughts. I guess you could say it granted my wish.”
“That’s like what happened to me,” Fluttershy added. “When Mr. Briar was hurt really bad, I was sad and thought that I didn’t want anypony else to die, then my Element glowed and he was all better.”
Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s ironic, don’t you think? Your Element granted you the ability to heal, but healing too much could cost you your life.” The sullen smile on her face slowly disappeared as a look of realization dawned on her face. “That’s right. I was going to mention that to Twilight earlier.” She turned in what she hoped was the direction of her friends. “Think back to when Rainbow Dash used her Element. She became faster than anything I’ve ever seen, and appeared indestructible, but later kept dropping out of the sky for no obvious reason. Then there’s myself. I pushed myself to my limit to try seeing what lay in wait for us, but doing so resulted in my going blind.” She looked to the ground. “While these Elements can aid us in ways we never thought possible, they can lead to our demise if improperly used.” Rarity lightly brushed her hoof against her necklace. “It’s no wonder why the Princess insisted on the Elements being locked away. They’re a danger even to those with noble purposes.”
Applejack swallowed the lump in her throat. “The Elements are doin’ this to us? Maybe... maybe rushin’ to get mah Element’s power ain’t the smartest thing to do.” She shook herself out of her daze and turned to Fluttershy. “Oh, ah’m sorry. You’ve been waitin’ fer us to finish talkin’, haven’t ya?”
Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “N-no, it’s no trouble. It’s a little scary to think about, but still something we need to know.” She sat closer to her friends. “I’ll try to heal you two. If it’s okay, that is.” Neither of her friends objected. She quieted herself before activating her Element, ensnaring all three ponies in her healing field. Applejack and Rarity visibly tensed up during the process. When it was over, Fluttershy looked at both of her friends, who had their eyes clamped shut. “All done.”
Applejack was the first to relax, peeking out of one eye before opening both eyes up. She flexed her legs before standing up. “Shoot, ah feel like ah got a good days’ rest. What about you, Rarity?”
The pony in question also slowly opened one eye before both were open. However, her expression took a sour turn as she sighed. “I still can’t see.”
Fluttershy’s ears drooped. “I’m so sorry, Rarity.”
“It’s okay, really,” the fashionista replied, trying her best to appear happy. “I do feel much better, so it’s not like your effort went to waste. But enough about us, are you alright?”
“I feel-” Fluttershy stopped herself and looked at her forelegs. She raised them before her eyes, showing two trembling limbs. She and Applejack looked at each other, staying silent.
“What’s going on?” Rarity asked. “Are you alright, Fluttershy?”
“Her forelegs are shakin’,” Applejack replied. “Do ya feel weird or anythin’?” Fluttershy shook her head, enticing a sigh of relief from the farm pony. “Well, ah’m sure the others could use a pick me up, but that outta wait ‘til we know ya won’t get hurt from usin’ yer power.”
A cabinet drawer slammed shut, bringing everypony’s attention forward to their human companions. “Nothing,” Powers remarked.
Gary crossed his arms. “It was a bit of a stretch to think there’d be anything we’d need in this one drawer.” He turned to the end of the hall, facing a wooden double-door. “We’ll have better luck in the actual office itself.”
“Are we going to be digging through much?” Schneider asked.
After a moment’s thought, he answered, “I’d guess maybe twelve other desks and cabinets.”
“Great,” Davin added. “It was boring enough going through one cabinet.”
“Ya know,” Applejack chimed in, “it might go a bit quicker if ya let us help. Just sayin’.” She couldn’t help the smug grin on her face.
The Police Sergeant rested his face in his palm while he quietly groaned. “Fine, whatever. Just don’t rip anything up.”
“You act as if we’ve never dealt with holding papers in our mouths,” Rarity stated.
Briar just shook his head. “Hurry up and lead the way,” he commanded as he lightly pushed Gary forward. As the ponies got up to merge with the group of humans, Fluttershy noticed a giant picture on the wall to her right and froze. Rarity felt her guide stop. “Is something wrong?” she asked, earning Applejack’s attention. She caught on and saw what kept Fluttershy in place. On the wall was a large portrait of Kevin Clamely, and next to it were the words ‘You killed’ sloppily smeared on the wall in blood.
“Just somethin’ unsightly.” Applejack rested her hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, which startled the timid pegasus. “It’s okay, Fluttershy,” she cooed. “It’s dry. It ain’t worth lookin’ at.”
As Fluttershy took several deep breaths to calm down, Davin sneered, “Are you done now?” earning him a glare from Applejack. “We can’t keep babysitting you lot if you’re just going to freeze up all the time.”
Gary turned back to the doors and pushed them open, revealing several trashed cubicles and many overturned filing cabinets along the floor. “Would you like to start from the left, or the right?”
**********
A loud thud was heard on the third floor. “God damn it, Pinkie Pie!” Agent Wilkes shouted. “What the hell was that for?!”
The party pony tilted her head to the side. “You said looking looking at file after file was boring, so I thought it would be more fun if all the files you needed were right in front of you!”
“I never told you to dump all of them on the floor! Help me pick them up!”
“But if I pick them up, you’ll be bored again, silly filly!”
The two continued to argue until Twilight walked into the room both beings were in. “What’s going on here?”
Wilkes turned to her. “Your brain-dead friend here decided to throw all of the files I was sorting through on the floor!”
Pinkie Pie began snickering. “How could I be brain dead? My noggin’s working fine!”
“Have you found any important files yet?” Twilight asked before another argument could break out.
Wilkes shrugged. “Unless stock reports and company picnics are code for secret experiments, no. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he turned to Pinkie Pie,” and if you’ll leave, I’ve got to get all these papers sorted out, no thanks to you.”
When both ponies were outside of the room, Twilight commented, “You know, Pinkie. You really should’ve asked him before throwing all of those papers on the ground.”
Pinkie’s eyes grew wide. “But, Twilight! You should’ve seen him standing there. He looked so bored, and I couldn’t stand to see him stand so boredly! Besides, now all of the papers will be out at once and he can look over all of them faster!”
Twilight sighed. “Pinkie, you really can’t just go and assume somepony wants you to do something to make their job more fun. It could make things even more bothersome.”
“I’m sorry, Twilight, I just can’t help it,” Pinkie Pie replied as her ears drooped. “Seeing anypony bored just makes me antsy.”
“Well, why don’t you try finding Rainbow and help her? I’m sure she could use some help.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Pinkie quickly zipped away.
As Twilight was about to head for another area, she spotted Briar in the corner, intently studying the papers within a file. Her curiosity piqued, she approached the officer. “Did you find somethi-”
Briar immediately shifted his attention to Twilight as he promptly closed the file, placing it back within the drawer. “No. Go away.” He then ignored the magician, resuming his file examinations. She tried not to think much of this instance and did her part to look around. When she was out of sight, Briar dug back into the cabinet and pulled out the file he was looking at. After a moment’s contemplation, he hid the file underneath his uniform and resumed his search.
Rainbow Dash flew around the area, scanning it until she found—
“Twilight!” The speedster flew to her friend before touching down. “Schneider and I found Clamely’s office!”
“You did?” Twilight queried.
“Yeah! Pretty sweet, huh?”
Twilight had a nagging feeling. “Have you looked inside it yet?”
Rainbow shook her head. “Schneider said we should get everypony to the room before we bust down the door.”
“Bust it down?”
“Yeah. It’s locked, and I was all ready to knock it over, but Schneider was telling me that it would be better to get everypony here first.”
With that point established, Twilight and Rainbow Dash set about gathering everyone from the second and third floors. When together, they walked down a long, daunting hallway towards his office. Only a small wooden door with the words ‘Kevin Clamely: CEO, Founder of Horzine Laboratories’ printed on it in gold eloquent lettering separated everyone from what they hoped would be the answers to this catastrophe.
“Stand back, everypony,” Rainbow said as she hovered in the air.
“Wait,” Twilight commanded. “We don’t know what’s inside. You could really hurt yourself.”
“That’s not all,” Gary added. “For as long as I’ve worked here, I can’t remember Clamely ever having an office up here.”
“Perhaps he got another office for himself in the renovations?” Wilkes answered. “God knows the bastard was becoming a regular narcissist.”
“True, but I don’t like this.”
Twilight looked around until she saw Rarity, who was still relying on Fluttershy as a guide. She called to her and asked, “Has your eyesight improved?”
Rarity shook her head and sighed. “I still can’t see a thing. Fluttershy even tried her hoof at sprucing us up, but it-”
“Wait. ‘Spruce you up’? What are you-” It clicked. The librarian looked at Fluttershy. “Did you use your Element?”
The accused pony nodded.
Twilight opened her mouth to chastise Fluttershy, but Applejack spoke first. “Ah know ya said otherwise, Twilight, but we figured it was fer the best. Rarity can’t see, Fluttershy ain’t exactly fightin’ material, and ah was near tuckered out from not gettin’ a wink of sleep. If somethin’ showed up and caught us off guard, we might not’ve been prepared.”
Twilight sternly looked at Fluttershy, who tried hiding behind her mane. “Okay, you have a point, but what you did was still reckless! Didn’t you listen to what I said about these powers? What if Fluttershy’s body reacted violently and none of us could do a thing about it?”
“We talked ‘bout that, Twilight, but Fluttershy was insistin’ that she could handle it. And she did, that’s all that matters.”
“That’s not the point, Applejack,” Twilight argued. “Until Rarity and I teach the four of you how to control magic, using your powers is too dangerous! You should’ve let me know before you even tried something like this. Did anything happen to Fluttershy after healing the three of you?”
Applejack momentarily looked away. “W-well, her front legs were shakin’, but that’s it!”
“You see? It’s her forelegs now, but it could’ve been so much worse!”
“But she-”
“You know, you guys,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, “Fluttershy is sitting right next to you two, if you wanna stop talking like she isn’t.” She looked at Twilight. “Yeah, I get that you don’t want to see anything happen to Fluttershy again. I don’t want that either, but getting on her and Applejack’s case like this won’t help anypony.” Then she looked at Applejack. “Still, Twilight’s right. One of us is blind and two of us have nearly kicked it because of the Elements. We could try to wait a bit before using them again.”
“Says the one who turned herself into metal twice,” Davin quipped.
Rainbow nearly turned around to argue, but decided against it and continued. “I get that it’s so you can be more alert and all, but we can’t go and turn Fluttershy into some sort of quick fix for us all.” Applejack and Twilight remained quiet as they took Rainbow Dash’s words to heart.
Twilight was the first to speak. “You’re right, Rainbow. Applejack, Fluttershy, I’m sorry. I know you had good intentions, but I just...”
Applejack held up her hoof. “Ya don’t need to say anythin’ else, Twilight. Ah’m sorry too.”
Fluttershy intervened. “But you don’t need to apologize for that, Applejack. You were the one who thought me healing the three of us was a bad idea in the first place.”
“Let’s not make this any more complicated than it is,” Rarity chimed in. “We’re all sorry for not completely seeing the other pony’s point of view, but we understand that now. We could sit here apologizing all day, but nopony would be getting anywhere.”
With a chuckle, Twilight added, “You’re right about that.”
“Okay!” Briar interjected. “If we’re done with melodrama hour, we’d like to open this door and get the hell out of here. How does that sound?” He looked at all of the ponies, who either paid him no attention or gave another glare. “No objections? Good. I nominate Wilkes to go inspect the office first.”
The security guard flinched. “What? Why me?”
Briar pointed to Gary. “Shit-For-Brains over here was saying he didn’t like how this was looking, right? So if we’re going to inspect this room, wouldn’t it make more sense to first send in the fellow who’s wearing the most armor?”
Wilkes hesitated for a moment. “Okay, fine, I’ll go in.” He grabbed the AA12 off of his back. “Get ready, everyone.” He gingerly reached for the door handle, slowly turning it until he could feel the door open. He opened the door a hair’s width, but couldn’t see anything inside. Using the muzzle of his weapon, he slowly pushed the door more open until he had a perfect view of the office’s interior. Only a sliver of light shined in, so he turned on his weapon’s torch. He checked the two corners visible to him and saw no signs of imminent danger. He slid his feet along the floor as he checked the doorframe for any signs of tampering.
With nothing dangerous present, he made his way inside. The room was quite spacious for one person, but still seemed that it would be a bit small for eight humans and six ponies. Papers were littered all over the floor, some of which had the word ‘classified’ stamped on them in the usual red ink. Several of what appeared to be Kevin’s possessions were left on the floor, some of which were in shambles. Wilkes used his light to scan the walls until he came across the light switch. With the utmost caution, he flipped the switch on, illuminating the room. Another quick look later showed that nothing dangerous resided on the carpet floor, the auburn colored walls, or the white, plastered ceiling above. The only other object in the room was Kevin’s wooden desk, furnished with a shining coat of sealant. Nothing on the desk seemed to have been disturbed. “All clear,” Wilkes announced.
Everyone squeezed their way into the room, leaving only a minimum amount of breathing room between each of the occupants. “Careful not to step on anything too important,” Masterson pointed out. Everyone gathered as many papers as they could off the floor and assorted them on top of the desk. At least everyone except for Twilight, who was busy observing her surroundings.
“Something wrong?” Corporal Lewis asked, snapping Twilight out of her trance.
“Oh, I’m fine,” Twilight quickly replied, “but... something just doesn’t seem right about all of this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Kevin Clamely is the human behind all of this, so why isn’t he here?” Twilight looked around the office. “The only part of this room that stands out is the mess on the floor. Otherwise everything else looks like nothing happened.”
Lewis rested his head in his hand. “That is true. Don’t know where he could be, but-”
“What’s this shit?” Davin’s outburst attracted Twilight and Lewis’ attention towards the desk. “Were you trying to kill us all?!”
“As I’ve explained, they were prototype designs, they never came to fruition.” Gary explained at the opposite side of the desk from the Police Sergeant.
Davin waved a piece of paper in his hands. “Prototype my ass! Who in their right fucking mind gives a zombie a chain-gun?”
“They’re not zombies, they’re-”
“Fuck you and your specifics!” Davin fired back. “You’re off your rocker if you think you’re sane enough to listen to. Especially for these...” he paused to read over another paper on the desk, “these bleeding RPG zombies. Rockets?! Are you kidding me?”
Gary sighed hard. “We wanted to make the best soldiers for England’s military.”
“And a bloody good job you did there!”
Briar put his hand on his fellow officer’s shoulder. “Oi, ease off. The lackey’s not worth your breath.”
“Like hell he is!” Davin retorted, brushing Briar’s hand away. He lifted his mask and placed it above his face. “Shit-for-brains over here thinks tha-”
Gary yelled. “And stop calling me that! I have a name, you know. It’s-”
“I know what your sodding name is, you fuck!” Davin yelled back. “I just figured a better name for someone like you! For all we know, you’re one of the bastards that started this whole mess and wanted to kill everyone!”
Gary clenched his fists as Masterson bellowed, “That’s bollocks! Both of you sto-”
“No! I’m not one of your military sheep! Fuck off!” Davin’s response caught nearly everyone off guard. “I know we’re all thinking it! Who’s to say he’s not in league with Clamely? You expect me to stick to someone who’d throw his friends into the fire, you can-”
Davin never saw it coming, as Gary leapt across the table and delivered a solid punch to the officer’s face, knocking him off his feet and into the wall behind. As Davin shakily got onto his feet, he attempted to lunge towards the scientist, but was held back by Schneider and Lewis. Gary was also being held back, but by Masterson and Wilkes. Powers and Briar looked at each other, silently agreeing that this debacle wasn’t worth their time. “You don’t know a fucking thing about me!” Gary cursed. “A lot of my friends died here, don’t you ever accuse me of sending them to their deaths!”
Davin attempted to wrestle himself free. “What happened, did he pay you to do all of this? I wouldn’t be surprised!”
Masterson decided this had gone on long enough. “Both of you-”
“Quiet!” a piercing voice shouted. Everyone looked in shock at Fluttershy, who looked unusually angry. “You both should be ashamed of yourselves! Arguing and fighting like this. How is this going to help anypony?” She turned to Davin. “Whatever mean thing it is you’re calling Gary, he obviously doesn’t like it, so stop calling him that! Accusing him of setting his friends up for death, too? I can’t believe you’d be so mean! He’s been through so much lately, been nothing but nice to us, and you’re being nothing but a big bully to him!” Then she looked at Gary. “And you, I’m disappointed in you! It’s okay to be angry at somepony, but that doesn’t give you the right to hit them! If Davin makes you angry, you talk to somepony who can deal with the problem, not make things worse for the two of you!” She paused to take a breath. “Now I want you both to apologize for your behavior.”
Gary protested, “But-”
“Don’t you ‘but’ me, mister! Now apologize!”
Everyone stared in shock at Fluttershy’s new attitude. All except Powers, who also stood back and nodded in silent support. Pinkie Pie began to hop without notice.
Reluctantly, Gary was the first to speak. “I’m sorry for hitting you.”
Davin looked off to the side, staring at the wall. That was when Fluttershy said, “Now it’s your turn.”
With a sigh, Davin looked at Gary and mumbled something nopony could pick up.
“We can’t hear you,” Rainbow Dash taunted as she appeared before Davin’s line of sight with a small grin on her face.
“I’m sorry for calling you shit-for-brains... on numerous occasions.”
“And?”
“... and for saying you killed your friends.”
Both men looked at each other for an uncomfortable moment. “Can we go now?” they both asked at the same time.
Fluttershy looked at Gary and Davin. “Yes, but I’ll be keeping an eye on you two. Please try to be friendlier, for everypony’s sake.” She then accepted a high hoof from Rainbow Dash.
Davin shook himself free from both soldiers, while Gary was released from Wilkes’ and Masterson’s grasp. Briar walked next to his fellow officer, but before he could say anything, Davin uttered, “Not. A. Word.” His attention was then caught by Pinkie Pie, who was still hopping in place. “Why... why are you jumping?” he asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” the party pony replied.
“No, not really.”
“Maybe she’s got tourettes,” Briar suggested.
Pinkie Pie laughed. “No, silly! I thought that the beeping noise was pretty cool, and then I started to come up with a jam to go along with-”
“‘Beeping noise’?” Twilight asked with a piqued interest, bringing Rarity along. “What are you talking about?”
“The one that started up just a few seconds ago!”
The immediate group quieted down before Rarity spoke up. “Wait... she’s right. I hear that beep too.”
Twilight looked around to see everyone in their own separate discussions. “Everypony, please be quiet for a second!” Soon, the room was quiet, and only then could she hear it. Just as Pinkie said, it was a collection of beeps spaced a little more than a second from each other. “That noise, it’s coming from that corner. What’s over there?” she asked, pointing her hoof to the back-right section of the office.
Wilkes was closest to the noise, so he looked around and listened intently until he tracked the noise to the trash bin. He picked the object up and noticed it was rather heavy for the few papers within. Then it hit him. He hoped that it was just a coincidence. He started to dig through the trash while he hoped that it was a watch or a timer and certainly not that. As he got closer to the bottom, he started to wonder how he didn’t catch it sooner. The way the room was perfectly set up. All the information they needed was practically handed to them on a silver platter. But maybe this time would be different. Maybe he would find something trivial at the bottom and everyone would have a good laugh about this. Then he found the pipe bomb strapped to the bottom of the bin. Judging from the automated timer, everyone had about eleven seconds left.
He turned the bin upside down and slammed it on the floor. “Bomb! Get out now!” Nearly everyone stood frozen in shock for an instant before bolting out of the room. Masterson, Wilkes, and Rainbow Dash worked to usher everyone safely outside, lest they get crammed in the doorway and die. When everyone was outside of the office and away from immediate danger, the three remaining squad members retreated. Wilkes was at the rear of the three and once he was outside, stopped to shut the door. The door slammed shut when the bomb detonated, sending debris into Wilkes and launching him backwards.
Everyone stopped running and turned around. They saw the security guard lying on the floor with debris covering his body. “Wilkes!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew back to check on him. “Are you okay? C’mon, say something!” The group ran back to their downed comrade and started to clear the door fragments off his body when be began coughing. The speedster heaved a sigh of relief. “He’s alive, thank Celestia!”
Wilkes blearily looked at the people and ponies standing in a rough semicircle around him. “Is... is everyone alright?”
“We all got away in time, but what about you?” Rainbow had then moved every large door chunk away, revealing no visible harm to the security guard. “You look fine, but...”
“The armor took most of the blow,” Wilkes grunted. He slowly sat up. “My right side’s a bit sore, but that’s hopefully the worst of it.”
“That’s a relief,” Twilight sighed. “Good job, Pinkie Pie.”
This made Pinkie stop hopping in place. “Why me?”
“If you hadn’t first heard that ticking noise, we’d all be done for.”
Nearly everyone was silent, letting that fact sink in. Davin eventually spoke up. “If Clamely’s got any other traps lying around, there’s no telling how prepared he is for us. Let’s just get out of here and teleport back.”
Twilight shook her head. “It won’t be that easy; I’ll need a few minutes to gather the magic I need. Teleporting all of us here took a good amount of my magic to pull off. I need to make sure nopony gets left behind this time.”
Briar threw his arms in the air. “Well, this would’ve been good to tell us before we walked into the dragon’s den!”
“It’s not going to take us that long!”
Rarity loudly cleared her throat, getting everyone’s attention. “If Twilight says we need to leave, then we need to leave. There’s no point in debating the matter.”
“Then are we just going to keep coming back here again and again?” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Nothing’s gonna change unless we shut this place down. How are we gonna do anything if this place is still up and running?”
“She’s got a point,” Schneider agreed. “We leave now and nothing will have been accomplished.”
“Not true, we have the specimen documents. That’s at least a start and can give us some insight on Horzine’s next move,” Masterson countered.
“All that aside, we’re going to be busy for quite some time,” Briar added as he turned to look at Gary, “isn’t that right?”
“Why are you looking at me?” the scientist asked.
“Because I know what you’re keeping from us.” Everyone looked at Briar in confusion. “If you’re not going to say it, then I will.”
Schneider turned around, shaking his head and mentally groaning as he expected another pointless argument to take place. At that moment, he saw it. A shadow. It was creeping along the floor, and it couldn’t have been a meter or two away from Rarity. His instinct took over as he un-holstered his Handcannon and fired. Rarity and Fluttershy shrieked as everyone whipped around to see a stalker stumble before falling to the floor.
“W-what just happened?!” Rarity stuttered. “What is this?!” she quaked as she rubbed her hooves over the blood splattered onto her coat.
The ponies immediately went to calm their friends, except for Twilight, who turned to the Private. “How did you know that specimen was there?”
“I... I saw the shadow move on the floor, and I just...” he stammered. “I had to do something.”
Twilight looked back at her friends. That was too close. We’re lucky Private Schneider happened to see that shadow, otherwise we’d—” Her eyes grew wide and she turned to the remains of Clamely’s office. “We need to leave... now!”
“We know that already,” Davin replied. “What’s the rush?”
“The explosion! It shook this entire complex, and I wouldn’t be surprised if every specimen in the immediate area heard it. We’ll be completely overwhelmed if we don’t hurry!”
Lewis started to step towards the end of the hall. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here!” The Corporal led the pack as everyone ran out of the hall. As soon as everyone was out, however, three clots and two Gorefasts were there to greet them. Lewis quickly un-holstered his Bullpup and fired, but his aim was rushed, and missed nearly every shot. Behind him was Briar, who readied his shotgun and decapitated two clots with one shell. One of the Gorefasts swung its blade at Applejack, but she dodged the blade and kicked the specimen into the wall, giving Schneider enough time to approach and fire his Handcannon from point blank range, painting the wall with the clot’s brains.
A clot nearly caught the Private off guard, but Rainbow Dash barreled into the specimen, making it roll on the floor several times before trying to stand back up. It never did, however, as Powers rushed forward and stomped his boot onto the clot’s head, caving in its skull with minimal effort. The last Gorefast attacked Gary, who fumbled his pistol as he fired off three shots, only one of which did any damage. He began to backpedal, but felt his back hit the wall. As Gary put up his arms to instinctively protect himself, several bullets from Davin’s AK-47 rang out and grated the specimen before it fell to the floor.
“Keep moving!” Masterson yelled. Everyone was nearing the office they arrived in when Schneider ran to the left. “What are you doing, Private?” the Lieutenant yelled.
“Twilight’s magic will take time to charge, right?” Schneider asked. “If we get to the first floor before any other zombies reach us, we might have a chance of making it out of here!”
Masterson stated, “Negative. If we run downstairs and find ourselves face to face with a horde of those things, we’ll have wasted time that could’ve been used getting us out of here! We’ll have to hold this position while Twilight gets ready, understand?”
Though there was a tint of dissent itching to leave the Private’s mouth, Schneider swallowed it down and barked, “Yes sir.”
Being back in the office, Twilight got another look out the window. To her relief, the outside yard had yet to become crawling with specimens. “If I get started now, I should be able to gather enough magic before it’s too late.”
“Then get to it!” Masterson replied as he began to set up a defensive perimeter.
In the meantime, Applejack moved to the window and looked out front, then to Twilight, then to the everyone else, who was ready for battle. She suddenly began to piece together an idea that quickly formed in her head. “Twilight, wait!” she chirped as she gently shook her friend out of her trance. “Ah’ve got an idea! Ya said ya need time ta zap us all outta here, right?” Twilight, though appearing agitated, nodded, which dragged a small smile out of the farmpony. “What about a way out that don’t need no teleportin’?”
Twilight raised a brow. “What are you talking about?”
“A slide! You make one of ‘em, we can git everypony on outta here, and ya don’t need to blow all’a yer magic fer it!”
This made the librarian’s eyes light up. “Of course! It’s such a practical solution.” After a moment’s concentration, she used her magic to create a transparent slide that was clamped onto the window frame. “Everypony gather in here! We’re heading out!”
The news attracted everyone inside the shambled office space, while Briar, Wilkes, and Powers attentively stood watch outside the door, taking down any approaching threats. “I can’t keep the slide up if I go on it,” Twilight informed everyone, “so I’ll head out last; everypony else, go!”
One by one, the humans began to slide their way to safety. During a pause in the gunfire, Wilkes got away from the action and took his turn. Briar and Powers stepped back into the office, standing a toppled bookcase before pushing it in front of the door. The Police Constable took his turn sliding down first. Powers silently urged Fluttershy to go first, who helped Rarity along as they both went down. Powers then took off after them. There was suddenly pounding at the barricade. Twilight began to sweat, but wouldn’t allow herself to falter. “You girls go next,” she stated to her remaining friends. Pinkie Pie and Applejack looked at each other before nodding and sliding towards the awaiting group. “Rainbow, get going!” the librarian groaned.
“No,” Rainbow Dash responded. “You look exhausted, Twi. Your magic’s nearly shot, right? I’ll carry you down.”
Twilight stared at the distance from the floor to the ground, her breathing slightly quickening. “A-are you sure you can?” There was a loud slam against the bookcase, momentarily interrupting both ponies.
“I’ve carried Rarity and the Wonderbolts on my back before, Twilight, don’t worry.”
“I’m talking about your Element!” Twilight clarified. “If you black out and we’re in the air...”
Rainbow looked down to everyone then back to Twilight. She took a deep breath and said, “I know I can. I only used my Element once, early this morning.”
“Are you—”
“I don’t care how we do it, but we’re both going back down together!” She lowered herself into takeoff position. “Do you trust me?”
There was another loud slam, forcing out any doubts forming in Twilight’s mind. She cooled off her horn. “Yes, I do.”
“Climb on, quick!” Rainbow commanded. If her friend’s grip around her neck become vice-like, it wasn’t made apparent. As Rainbow took several steps back to prepare her launch, she could feel Twilight trembling on her back. “Are you ready?” When she noticed the librarian nod quickly, she galloped before taking off into the sky. With the added weight their descent was faster than Rainbow had anticipated, but it was nothing she couldn’t correct, as she gently touched down on the ground. “Okay, you can let go now,” Rainbow croaked.
When Twilight finally opened her eyes, she noticed Rainbow’s face turning a darker shade of blue than usual. Upon realization, she quickly let go and got off of the speedster, who started coughing as air re-filled her lungs. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that...” Twilight continued to apologize, but Rainbow chuckled and shrugged.
“Don’t worry, we’re all fine and that’s what matters.”
Suddenly, the sound of smashed wood came from above. Masterson insisted, “Won’t mean a thing if we stay here. Time to get running!” Everybody quickly ran away.
Rainbow flew right next to the Lieutenant. “So where do we go now? Should we head back to the house from before?”
“Negative. Rarity’s blind, so navigation’s useless. We’ve got to find shelter elsewhere. Besides, Clamely could be waiting for us at the house.”
“Waiting for us? What makes you say that?”
“I’ll talk about it later, but let’s focus on getting out of here for now.”
There was no clear idea where anyone was headed. They continued to run through the alleys and streets, hoping for some sort of sign when Masterson stopped dead in his tracks, causing everyone behind him to skid to a halt.
“What’s... what’s wrong?” Lewis gasped.
“Here,” was all that Masterson replied as he started walking towards a relatively intact multi-story car park before them.
“Are you’re sure about this?” Gary asked.
Masterson nodded his head. “If we stay here, there aren’t many ways the zombies can follow us, and we’ll be at a high enough elevation to see any danger coming.”
“Unless there are stalkers,” Twilight added.
“... Right, that too. Well, no use standing about. Thin red line, right here.” While the humans began walking in, the ponies looked at each other, perplexed expressions on all of their faces. Masterson quickly caught on. “It means we’re taking shelter here.”
Everypony gave a unanimous, “Oh,” and followed the humans inside the structure. The car park had concrete support beams scattered throughout the level. Cars were scattered about the blacktop area, some totalled, others ransacked and abandoned. The structure itself, however, seemed to have suffered no damage, which pleased Masterson greatly. After finding a stairwell at the back end of the lot, everyone traveled their way up to the third level, scanning the area for any undesirables. No threats were found, leaving the group more at ease.
Wilkes asked, “Oi, Twilight. Think you can whip up a barricade at the entrance so nothing comes up here?”
“We’d need a few barricades, actually,” Masterson piped up. “These sorts of parks have more than one way up and down. If we’re staying here, we’re going to need something to block the doors.”
Though nearly inaudible, the Lieutenant heard Davin mutter, “Just box us in, why don’t you?”
“That reminds me, before we go any further, I need to know where you two stand,” Masterson stated, looking at both of the officers.
“What are you going on about?” Briar asked.
“Before we went into the offices, I told you two that if you went along with us, you could decide after if you wanted to stay or not,” Masterson reminded them. “If I’m going to trust you two, I need to know you’re supporting us, one-hundred percent.”
Davin started to chuckle. “Trust, eh? That’s rich, coming from you.”
“What are you talking about?”
The Police Sergeant pulled out a file from underneath his coat. “Know what this is?”
Masterson started to pale.
“What is that?” Twilight asked.
Davin stared at Masterson. “Cat got your tongue?” After several eyes darted back and forth, Davin revealed, “This is all the information gathered from your stay at Horzine.”
"Wait, what? What the hay are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Exactly what I said. If you don't believe me, then read these files," Davin responded, holding out the folder to any curious eyes.
For a moment, nothing happened, but Wilkes was the first to accept the folder. He leisurely scanned the folders contents until something seemed to catch his eye, then it happened again and again. "Impossible," he uttered. "Project: Archangel was you?!"
"Archangel?" Gary repeated. "I thought that was just a rumor."
"Not for security, Clamely wouldn't tell us what exactly what we were dealing with, but he'd only say that it was a classified experiment to be guarded it with our lives."
"So... you're really not human?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Then what are you?"
"Yes, please, tell us what you are," Davin sneered. "If you're going to talk about trust so much, then it's time you came clean."
As all eyes began to bore into Masterson's perception, he let out a sigh. "I'd hoped we could've avoided this, but... it's true. I'm human in sense of appearance, but I wasn't born the way everyone else was. I was created in... in the Horzine laboratories."
Rarity gasped. "So... you're a..."
"Yes... I'm a Horzine specimen. One of those zombies."
Applejack started to shake her head. "No... but how? Ya don't look anythin' like those things!"
"I was created after the line of specimens you see now. I should've looked more like those things, but I guess Horzine got lucky when they made me."
"So spill it," Briar demanded. "Tell us why we shouldn't off you like the hundreds of other specimens running around town."
"Because you need me," Masterson flatly replied. "If I really worked for Horzine, I'd have killed you all before you even knew what was going on."
After gulping, Rainbow Dash asked, "I don't get it. If you're a Horzine specimen, what's your story?"
Masterson took a seat, subtly insisting that everyone else do the same. "The earliest thing I remember is Clamely looking down on me as I tried to move on an operating table. Seems I have an advanced rate of learning, so I breezed through a vast majority of my general education. When I was deemed 'ready', they fed me information: my name, where I went to school, my high school crushes, everything. I was taught the information so much that I could repeat it forwards and backwards.
"Then military life began; Every day was the same: become blindfolded on the way from the lab to the army base, train relentlessly for hours, then get shipped back to the laboratories so Horzine could assess what I learned that day. I quickly rose through the ranks, both thanks to my natural talent and some of Horzine's influence, I suspect."
"Why would anypony want to listen to an organization as terrible as Horzine?" Twilight asked.
"Parliament contracted our laboratories to conduct these experiments," Gary answered. "It's not unlikely that Horzine could have had some influence over Masterson's stay in the army."
"Parley-what now?" Applejack asked.
"Like a government." He received confused looks in response. "Oh, right, you don’t know the lingo. It's the sort of organization we use to establish law and order here."
After the brief political lesson, Masterson continued. "Things progressed as smoothly for me as they could, I suppose. I was forbidden from speaking to any of the other soldiers unless spoken to first, so as to avoid confusion with my lack of social skills. The people under my command listened to my commands without question, so things kept moving smoothly."
"So what changed all of that?" Schneider asked. "You could’ve been a General. What happened?"
Masterson started to rub his hands together. "One day I came back from my training and started to hear talk of how I was next in line to be cloned. It was my reward, they told me. I had no idea what was in store, so the procedure began. I was stuck with needles, probes, and scanners. Then they flipped a switch, and the procedure began. The pain was... indescribable. I began to writhe around, struggling against the straps I was restrained with. When it was over, I struggled to breathe for quite some time. When I regained control of my senses, I looked to my left, expecting to see a replica of myself, but instead saw the shell of a man. It looked so outlandish, so fragile; it was as if this twin of mine had been ripped straight from the womb."
“What happened next?” Fluttershy cautiously asked.
Just as the Lieutenant was about to answer, all soldiers held their ears in pain as a booming voice came out of their headsets. “As entertaining as your backstory is,” The Trader remarked, “my employers aren’t supplying you with our weapons so you can gob on all day.”
Briar yelled, “Fucking bitch nearly blew my ears out! Can’t you give us a warning before you do that?”
After recovering, Lewis looked to his right to see the concerned looks of each pony staring in worry at the soldiers. “Be glad you don’t have to suffer through this.”
“I’ll think about that warning,” The Trader answered, “but there are more pressing matters to attend to. Tell me, how many of you, aside from Mr. Glover, are familiar with Saint Filth’s General Hospital?”
A few of the soldiers took a quick moment to look at Gary, who flinched on sight. “I’m... somewhat aware of the place,” Schneider stated.
“The name certainly speaks for itself, believe me,” Davin added with a chuckle.
“What of it?” Masterson flatly asked.
“There’s a survivor complex not too far from the hospital,” The Trader informed them. “Some military folk are holed up there. However, the specimens seem to be converging on that location, so they’re getting hit pretty hard. You lot mentioned you wanted to help the people, and here’s your golden opportunity. It’s not too far from the Offices, so heading back shouldn’t be a problem.”
“A survivor complex?” Lewis repeated, attracting everypony’s attention.
“Does somepony need our help?” Twilight asked.
“You can explain to them later,” The Trader intervened. “I know you lot have gone through hell while achieving close to nothing, so I’ll give you a chance for a breather. Go on ahead and ask those questions you’ve all been itching to ask.”
Briar asked, “Such as?”
“Oh, you know. Asking Mr. Glover for the reason as to why nearly all of the specimens are going to Saint Filth’s Hospital, and asking Mr. Davin about the second file he took from the office.” There was a click before communication ended.
The humans slowly turned to look at the two men in question, causing the ponies to look around aimlessly. “So who’s going to go first?” Masterson stated.
“What about you?” Davin inquired. “We still don’t know your full story!”
The Trader interrupted the men once again, but this time there was a chime that rang once through everyone’s headset. “There’s your warning, hopefully you’ll stop whining now. And no, there’s no time for your story. Now make with the small talk, you’ve got places to be, people.” Another chime later, and her voice was cut off again.
Davin and Gary looked at each other for a moment. The Police Sergeant jerked his head towards everyone else, causing Gary to shake his head. “You first,” Davin insisted.
“Why me?”
“Because... just fucking go!”
After shaking his head, Gary crossed his arms and began to pace. “Well, you see... um... The science team rationalized that in order to get the specimens we need, we’d require human DNA, which isn’t exactly easy to find. This whole operation was supposed to be under the rug... and... well... Saint Filth’s was a short walk from Horzine, so-” His explanation was interrupted by groans of disappointment.
Schneider yelled, “Are you kidding me? Did those people even know that their DNA was being swiped?”
“It-it’s not that bad!” Gary defended as he inched away and held up his arms. “Besides... they were terminal!”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Briar responded. “You’re seriously one of the worst people I’ve had the misfortune of meeting, do you know that? Those people don’t even know they’re zombie farms, do they?”
Gary huffed. “First of all, I don’t know how you all got the idea they’re zombies. They’re just specimens. The two aren’t even remotely alike!”
“Do the specimens eat human flesh?”
“W-well, yes.”
“Then they’re zombies! Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to.”
Gary threw his arms up. “Okay, fine, moving on! What do you have to say for yourself, hm?” he demanded, looking at Davin.
The officer put his hands in his pockets. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“What are you talking about?”
He paused to remove the second folder from underneath his vest. “Tell me something... oh, and this question is posed to everyone, by the way.” Davin waited until he had everyone’s attention. “Tell me... what’s worse than one Horzine facility?”
Immediately, Twilight’s eyes grew wide as her ears drooped. Her lips trembled as she weakly answered, “T... two facilities?”
Davin shook his head. “So close... try three.” Looks of shock registered all around. “Best part is where they’re all located. We’ve had the pleasure of visiting the first facility here in London. The second facility is hidden away in the Wyre Forest in Shropshire. Then the third... Plymouth.”
“Is that... far away?” Applejack managed to ask.
Masterson answered, “It’ll take at least a week or so to travel to Shropshire on foot, if we’re lucky. Even longer from there to Plymouth. Then an even longer time back here.”
Davin looked at Gary, who kept his shocked expression as he read the files. Eventually, he asked, “You really didn’t know, did you?”
Rarity seemed to slump. “We’re not going back home for a long time, are we?”
Everyone’s mood visibly dipped, except for Rainbow Dash, who looked at everyone. Her teeth gritted as she stomped a hoof and shouted, “No! We’re not doing this!”
“Rainbow?!” Twilight exclaimed in shock. “But we can’t just leave the humans like this!”
The speedster tilted her head to the side before making her realization. “Oh! Uh, well yeah, of course we’re going to help fight and all that. I’m talking about this whole moping thing, that’s not going to happen!” She began to walk around as she continued. “Sure, we all hoped that this would be over in a jiffy, but we can’t give up just because of it. Those humans at the hospital? They’re counting on us; all of us! If for nopony else, we have to do this for them!”
“Rainbow’s right!” Applejack added. “Better we take this in stride than think o’ what could’a been.”
Within moments, the rest of the ponies agreed and banded together under their new resolve.
At that instant, the humans heard another chime in their earpieces. “Now why can’t any of you get along that well, huh?” The Trader sneered. “All I hear is pissing and moaning, get your act together!”
Briar groaned. “Do you want something?”
“Now that everything’s on the table, it’s time that you get moving. Same rules as last time, boys. I’ll be expecting you.”
After one more chime, Masterson could hear beeping in his vest pocket. He pulled out the navigator to see another arrow on the screen. Above that was a timer actively counting down from twenty minutes. “Alright, everyone, we’re on a time crunch. Let’s gather ourselves up and-”
“Wait!” Rarity exclaimed. “What am I supposed to do? I still can’t see!”
Masterson began to quickly rub his chin. He brought his hands to his face as he grew lost in thought. Suddenly, he clapped his hands. “Got it. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Powers, Schneider, you’re all with me. Everyone else, hold the fort here, got it?”
“What are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash shouted. “There’s no way in Tartarus I’m leaving my friends behind. We were all in the same place earlier, but now you just expect me to up and run off, leaving Rarity behind?”
“We really don’t have the time for this, Rainbow! She’s not being left behind, she’s in good hands.”
“But-”
Schneider chimed in, “What about when Applejack and Wilkes went on guard duty? It was just the two of them being the only line of defense. How is this any different?”
Rainbow was at a loss for words, simply looking away as she grimaced.
“It’s okay, Rainbow,” Twilight commented. “Truth be told, I don’t think I’m in any condition to go fight right now. I’m not exactly an athlete, and using so much of my magic is really putting a strain on me.”
“Please listen, Rainbow,” Masterson pleaded. “Your skill makes you a heavy contender against the specimens. Where we’re going, we’ll need all the offense we can get.” Just as Rainbow opened her mouth to object, the Lieutenant continued. “Applejack’s as much of a heavy hitter as you are, but we’ll need some proper defense if we’re leaving anyone here. I can’t afford to spread ourselves too thin, which is why this is the best we can do.”
“So why are Briar and I getting stiffed?” Davin asked. “Eager to get rid of us, now that I exposed you?”
“It has nothing to do with that!” Masterson quickly parried. “I still haven’t heard an answer from either of you, and I’m not about to run into battle with two men who continue to doubt my integrity. I can’t leave you two alone either, in case you run off, and Wilkes hasn’t slept a wink, which is why I’m leaving Lewis and Gary here.”
“And you honestly think Gary is capable?”
“He survived in the heart of Horzine for nearly eight hours on his own, and all he had on him was an axe. I think he’s more than capable.”
Davin shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head before walking a few paces away.
Masterson turned back to Rainbow Dash. “I’m sorry, but I need you to accept this as how things are. Your loyalty is commendable, Rainbow, but there comes a time when you’re going to have to let go of your friends. Now are you in or out? We’re running out of time!”
After a moment’s contemplation, Rainbow nodded her head.
Masterson’s group quickly assembled themselves, saying goodbye to each other before heading to the stairwell at the back of the park. Every able bodied member followed after, beginning construction of the barricades. Applejack walked over to Twilight, who seemed distressed. “Ya okay, sugarcube?”
Twilight sighed. “Do... do you think they’ll really be alright?” she muttered.
With a snort, Applejack tilted her hat back as she flashed a confident grin. “Rainbow’s as hot-headed as a bull in Chineigh, and ah doubt she’d let anypony near those she holds close to her heart. They’ll be fine.”
“But... that’s a common misconception. Bulls don’t hate the color red, they—”
“What ah’m tryin’ t’say, Twilight, is don’t worry. Believe in ‘em. Ah’m sure they’ll come back pleased as punch!”
The librarian got up and stood at the floor’s edge, seeing the small forms of her friends run alongside the humans as they left for the hospital. She took a deep breath, allowing a small smile to surface. “You’re right, Applejack, They’ll be okay.”
|
Some Person
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853
| 10 |
Main 6,Original Character,Crossover,Human,Adventure,Dark,Romance,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
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Just Over the Horzine
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A crossover story involving My Little Pony and Killing Floor. My first attempt at fanfiction.
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cancelled
| 115 | 7 |
<p>A government-funded science experiment has gone horribly wrong, and London is now infested with zombies that are slaughtering and devouring anything in their path. As a last resort, a lone scientist jumps into a portal in search of help. What he finds, however, is nothing he'd ever expected.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Summer Sun Celebration is just around the corner, and Twilight Sparkle hopes that this year's festivities go off without a hitch. If she only knew of the grotesque future that lay in wait for her.</p><p>Feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated/encouraged!</p>
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mature
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2014-02-19T17:34:24+00:00
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2014-02-19T17:34:22+00:00
| 634 |
“We getting any closer?” Rainbow Dash yelled as everyone was led through a labyrinth of alleyways and streets.
Lieutenant Masterson quickly glanced at the navigator in his left hand. “One point five kilometers,” he huffed. “And we’ve got twelve minutes to make that distance.”
“Is that far?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Not really. We can make that!” Private Schneider yelled.
“Let’s... hope so,” Fluttershy wheezed. It was becoming obvious that the constant flying had started taking its toll on her. As the caretaker began falling behind, she nearly called for the others to wait when she felt a hulking arm wrap around her waist.
Rainbow instantly looked back when she heard her fellow pegasus yelp, but quickly relaxed as she saw Sergeant Powers carrying Fluttershy on his shoulders, his speed seemingly unaffected.
Fluttershy managed a quick word of thanks as she began catching her breath.
Masterson started slowing down, prompting the others to do the same. “The hospital’s just around the corner. Keep your voices down and stay alert.”
A few minutes later, everyone found themselves at a wide stone road. Once on the path, the remains of a chain link fence lay scattered on the floor to the right, seemingly built around two army supply trucks.
The humans loaded their weapons while the ponies kept a watchful eye of their surrounding area.
Rainbow Dash began sniffing the air. “Is that... smoke?”
“With all the fires going on around here, I’d assume so,” Schneider replied with a shrug.
“Hang on a sec,” Pinkie Pie stated as she smelled the air. “Dashie’s right. Sometimes the ovens get smokey back at Sugarcube Corner, but this burn smells different.”
“Then what could it be?” Fluttershy asked.
Schneider bit his lower lip. “It could, erm,” he began. “Could be, uh...”
“Burning flesh,” Powers finished, his stride unabated.
Rainbow Dash gulped. “I really, really, hope you’re wrong about that...”
As Masterson approached the gate, he moved past a flimsy barricade and looked down the street. “If only he was wrong.”
Everyone else approaching Masterson’s position soon understood what the Lieutenant was talking about. Fluttershy gasped and Rainbow slightly gagged over what lay in wait for them. The building before them was everything left of Saint Filth’s General Hospital. A vertical driveway welcomed the group to the desolate building, where no signs of life could be seen from their position. Solid concrete two-meter walls lined the walkway, and in the middle of the road leading in was an abandoned ambulance. What made the ponies react, however, was the bodies of several EMTs sloppily strewn about the scene, one of which was on fire.
They took a few steps closer to the two-story building when Powers stopped in place, his attention focused to the left. Rainbow looked at him, then towards the spot he was focused on when she saw it: a soldier’s cold corpse slumped against the wall. Fragments of his brain were stuck on the surface behind him, courtesy of the shotgun aimed into his mouth.
Powers casually approached the body. He stood before it as he squatted to its eye level, almost like he was studying the pair of lifeless eyes. His attention was then directed to the shotgun. He picked the weapon up, looking down its sights and inspecting its ammunition.
“You’re just taking it?” Rainbow Dash asked, attracting everyone’s attention to the body.
Powers only nodded once before holstering the weapon onto his back, pulling his axe out once more before walking ahead.
“Perhaps that’s just how it is,” Schneider commented. “Either we might need another weapon, or eventually we’re going to need more money for ammunition. We don’t know what’s coming around every corner.”
Everyone moved past the ambulance and walked closer to the hospital’s entrance when Masterson suddenly stopped and held his fist in the air. At first the ponies didn’t understand, but they quickly caught on when the other humans stopped in their tracks. The Lieutenant then held his hand to his ear. The quiet grew deafening as everybody stood in place. Suddenly, they heard it.
“C’mon you stupid door!”
Masterson immediately held two fingers in the air and moved his forearm back and forth. Powers and Schneider quietly lined up behind the Lieutenant, enticing the ponies to line up close behind. Masterson led a single file line to the edge of the wall and stopped. He peered his line of sight past the corner of the wall. Not far from the wall’s edge was a metal shed. Masterson couldn’t tell how long the shed was from his current position, but it was no taller than the driveway’s walls. He pulled out his navigator, which showed an arrow pointing at the shed and read ten minutes, twelve seconds.
Behind the shed was a man in a green uniformed Paramedic shirt, pants, and hat. He seemed to have many medical tools on several belts he was wearing, ranging from syringes to scissors. As if to make his costume authentic, he even wore a green surgical mask. Completely unaware of the pair of eyes watching him, the man began ramming into what Masterson could only assume was the door. “Of all the times for it to jam, why now?”
“What’s going on?” Rainbow murmured.
“There’s a medic over there,” Masterson whispered back. “We could use someone like him. Probably knows where we can find first aid or medicine around here.” He opened the straps on his holsters. “But we don’t know if he’s all there. I’ll move in first, make sure he’s not bonkers, and then we’ll proceed. It’s important for him to know we’re friendly.”
While still looking forward, Rainbow leaned her head back. “Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie. You guys get that?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy whispered.
There was no follow up noise. The speedster waited before turning around. “Pinkie Pie?” Unfortunately, the party pony was nowhere to be seen. Rainbow began frantically looking around. “Where did Pinkie Pie go?” she said slightly louder than before.
Just before anyone else could add to that, the paramedic yelped, a sound which was soon followed by a trademark giggle and snort.
“I didn’t mean to scare ya, human!” Pinkie Pie giggled from atop the shed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing, but...” Her words were lost as she started laughing and rolling on the roof.
The paramedic got to his feet and pulled out a scalpel, . “S-s-stay back! I’m warning you, I’ll... I’ll slice you open if you come near me!”
Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “Why would you wanna do that? I just wanna be your friend!”
“No you don’t! You’re just a hallucination!” He looked at his knife and then back to Pinkie Pie, rolling his eyes as he slumped his shoulders. “Good lord, I’m going insane and it hasn’t even been two days!”
Pinkie Pie hopped off the roof of the small shed and began walking towards the paramedic. “But you’re not going crazy! I’ve seen crazy, and you aren’t close to crazy!”
The man jumped back, still swinging the blade. “I-I’m warning you! Take another step and I’ll show you what your kidneys look like!”
“That’s it! Nopony threatens my friends!” Rainbow Dash whispered as she nearly flew towards the paramedic.
Masterson stopped her before that could happen. “Let me handle this!” he murmured back. The Lieutenant finally emerged from around the wall. “Now, now. Let’s not get hasty.”
The medic then frantically alternated pointing the knife at Masterson and Pinkie Pie. “Who are you people... animals... whatever! What do you want?!”
“It’s okay,” the Lieutenant cooed as he held up his arms defensively. “We mean you no harm. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and we can answer them for you, but you’ve got to put your knife away.”
“...How do I know you’re really a soldier?”
“I don’t have the time to prove it to you. You’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
As the paramedic thought this over, his arms started to relax. “Can you at least tell me your name?”
Masterson bowed his head. “Fair enough. I am Lieutenant Masterson. These are...” he paused to hold his left arm up at a ninety degree angle, motioning his forearm forward a few times. The remaining soldiers and ponies emerged, much to the paramedic’s surprise. “These are my allies: Sergeant Powers, Private Schneider, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and you’ve already met Pinkie Pie.”
The paramedic looked at each pair of eyes staring at him. “There’s... quite a few of you...”
Rainbow crossed her arms. “Yeah, so threatening any of us isn’t exactly a good idea,” she added with a glare. “What’s your name?”
The medic swallowed the lump in his throat, but continued.“Alfred Anderson.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Alfred.” Masterson commented.
As Alfred put his scalpel onto his belt of medical tools, he breathed a heavy sigh. “It’s nice to see some friendly faces, but how in the world did you people come across a bunch of talking horses?”
Rainbow Dash groaned as she dragged her hooves down her face. “For the last time; we’re not horses, we’re ponies! How can it be this hard to tell?”
“Oh, it’s okay, Rainbow,” Fluttershy assured as she patted her friend on the shoulder. “Some humans must not know any better.”
“It’s a bit of a story,” Masterson replied, ignoring the pony banter. “But right now, we have some business with what’s in there.” The Lieutenant pointed at the metal shed.
“Good luck with that,” Alfred replied as he shook his head. “I’ve been trying to get this open for the past ten minutes now.” He walked up to the door. “If you can open this door,” he said as he gripped the handle, “then be my—” the door effortlessly opened as he gave a slight tug. “...Guest.”
Masterson crossed his arms as he walked inside the shed. “Was this your doing?”
“I couldn’t let just anyone in, Lieutenant,” the Trader replied. “What would a poor, defenseless woman like myself do if any robbers barged their way in?”
“She said, standing behind a counter full of weapons,” Schneider quipped as he followed his commanding officer.
The rest of the group made their way inside, leaving a confused Alfred standing outside. He snapped himself out of his stupor and barged his way in. “What the- where are all the meds? Where are our supplies? What happened here?”
“Oh, we got rid of all that. It was in the way,” the Trader answered as she inspected her fingernails.
“Well, where is it all now?”
“I told you. We got rid of it.”
Alfred stared in shock at The Trader. “That was hundred of thousands of pounds worth of medical supplies. how could you just get rid of it all?!”
“We have our ways. Now are you done talking? I have no business with you. Only these fine ladies and gentlemen are worth my time.”
“Then how can you have business with me?”
The Trader started laughing, then stopped once she noticed Alfred’s flat expression. “Oh, you’re serious?” She shook her head. “You’re not in our system, darling, and we can’t afford to waste our money on saps with no promise. That’s just the way this deal works.” As Alfred began to retaliate, the trader suddenly put her left hand to the headset in left ear and looked away, holding her right index finger in the air, as if to silence the paramedic. “Understood,” she eventually stated.
A printer automatically turned on from behind the counter, prompting the Trader to retrieve several papers which came to rest the machine’s paper tray. She grabbed the papers and read them over, eyes growing wider as she read on. When she stopped, she looked at Alfred. “I’m going to ask you a question and you’re going to answer it quickly and honestly. your usefulness is at stake. Our records indicate that St. Filth’s has been working on an experimental regenerative serum for the past few months. One that could revolutionize modern medicine as we know it. Does such a thing exist, yes or no?”
Alfred seemed to choke. “Th-th-I uh, serum? W-w-what are you talking about? I-I don’t know of any—”
“Too bad,” the Trader sighed, “then you’re of no use to us. Soldiers, ponies, please escort this fool away from my shop,” she nonchalantly commanded with a wave of her hand.
“B-but I-”
“Enjoy surviving the apocalypse with that shoddy scalpel of yours. If you’re lucky, I’m sure you’ll last long enough to see the sun set.”
“Okay, fine!” Alfred conceded as he held up his arms. “It’s true... W-we were conducting research on a new medical serum. The chemists were on the verge of a breakthrough when those things attacked. It’s incubated in the surgery ward.”
The Trader cracked a sly grin. “Was that so hard? Now you’re useful, and we’re going to commence an escort mission.”
“A what now?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Masterson shook his head. “This really is a game to you people, isn’t it?”
“Oh come now, Lieutenant. This is the system where everyone wins!”
“W-well,” Fluttershy murmured, “what do we have to do?”
The Trader began pacing back and forth. “The mission is simple. Escort Mr. Anderson to the surgery ward on the second floor so he can retrieve the serum. Then bring it to the roof, undamaged, for your reward.”
“Is this so-called reward also on the roof?” Schneider asked.
“That it is.”
Pinkie Pie poked her head up. “Why there?”
“You’ll want to fight tooth and nail, or... hoof in your case, for what’s up there.”
“So what’s on the roof?” Rainbow inquired.
The Trader leaned back and crossed her arms. “There’s no point in telling you if you die anyway. Just get up there, and everything will become clear.”
“All things considered,” Masterson added, “I still don’t trust you or your company’s intentions.”
“I suggest you start trusting us, darling,” the Trader replied as she tutted. “In case you’ve forgotten, my employers’ generosity is the sole reason any of you are still breathing. You’d be wise to show some gratitude.”
“By being your lap dogs?”
“Your words, not mine.”
The Lieutenant rested his face in his palm. “First things first, we’re going to that outpost you mentioned and help reinforce the defenses.That serum will still be there when we get back. ”
Alfred’s head perked up, “The... what?”
Schneider turned to the paramedic. “The survivor outpost, the one in this hospital.”
“Who told you that?” Alfred said as everyone shifted their gaze towards him. “As far as I know, you’re looking at the one survivor here.”
Everyone slowly turned to look at the Trader, who seemed rather disinterested.
“Did you lie to us?” Fluttershy asked bewilderedly.
“It wasn’t a lie, I just stretched the truth a bit.” She slouched on the countertop, unfazed by the various glares she received. “There is an outpost, but it’s far east of here. Moderately defended, but they can hold out on their own.”
Masterson stepped to the front. “Moderately doesn’t guarantee they’ll last forever out there.”
“Those humans are going to need us,” Rainbow Dash asserted. “We’ve gotta go help them.”
“That won’t be necessary,” the Trader replied. “Your primary objective is to retrieve the serum. As soon as you have what we need, you’re to proceed to the rooftop.”
“I’m sorry,” Schneider hissed, “but when were you in any authority to tell us what we can and can’t do?”
Masterson shook his head as he moved in to pull back his subordinate. “We don’t have time for this,” he muttered.
The Trader shook her head. “I’ll say it again, my—”
“Yes, ‘your employer’s generosity is the sole reason any of us are still breathing’,” Schneider repeated mockingly. “But here’s the problem. You lied to all of us. As soldiers, our main job is to protect the public, and you don’t trick a soldier when he’s doing his job.
“And furthermore,” the Private continued, “this serum you keep going on about. From the sound of it, I’d guess your employers are quite interested in it. I can only assume that since they’re not here, they aren’t the type to get their hands dirty.” He gave the Trader a smug smile. “You need us. We’re your only hope of finding what St. Filth’s has. Mr. Anderson, do you know how close to completion the experiment was?”
Alfred tapped his forehead three times. “I believe... it was almost complete, but it just needed some slight adjustments. T-though I could be wrong, I don’t know for sure.”
Schneider smiled. “Slight adjustments, eh?” He turned back to the Trader. “Adjustments your employers could complete?”
The Trader’s eyes slightly narrowed and her upper lip twitched as she remained silent.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He took a turn leaning on the countertop. “So here’s the deal. We’ll go into the hospital and retrieve your precious serum, and you’re going to supply that outpost with weapons, ammunition, and first aid. And if you don’t, we’re walking.”
The room was silent as Schneider and The Trader stared at each other. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath when The Trader broke her gaze. She pressed the earpiece again, listening to the instructions fed to her. Eventually she muttered, “Understood,” as she turned back to the group of survivors. She crossed her arms as she bit her lower lip. “Very impressive, Private. You certainly have a way with words. Very well, my employers have agreed to your terms; but nothing happens if you fail. Agreed?”
The Private turned around, looking at his squadmates and their dumbfounded expressions. He began to nod, knocking the others out of their stupor.
“Agreed,” Masterson finally replied.
With the deal established, business carried on, as the team of soldiers looked to restock their weapons. The Trader informed them that their recent kills left them with a total of six hundred twenty-four pounds. Refilling ammunition for the three men had cost one hundred seventy-five pounds. Powers decided to keep his newly-acquired shotgun and replenish his ammunition, which cost sixty additional pounds, leaving the group with three hundred eighty-nine pounds. Rather than spend money on additional weapons, Masterson decided to save the rest, anticipating that the soldiers back at the parking lot might need the money later.
“One last thing,” The Trader stated with a minute and thirteen seconds left. “For the ponies, my employers have created special earpieces for the lot of you.” She reached under the counter and retrieved six wide, metallic headsets, placing them on the counter. “We would’ve gotten these to you sooner, but it took us quite a while to create working communications for them.”
Lewis shook his head. “‘Quite a while?’ You created headphones for us humans just yesterday. How could you possibly create working radios for horses in under a day? Were you expecting this?”
“We just work fast is all.”
Rainbow Dash eagerly swiped the headsets, giving one to her two fellow equines, and handing the remaining three sets to Masterson for safe keeping. “Now it’s like we really are secret agents!”
“Secret Agents?” Pinkie Pie parroted.
“Ah, nothing. I’ll tell you about that later.” Rainbow hovered to the countertop and sat on it, looking at the woman standing behind the screen. “So what’re ya gonna make this medicine do anyway?”
The Trader leaned her head to the right. “Sorry, dear. Won’t do you any good if I tell you now. I wouldn’t want to get your hopes up.”
“But why?” Fluttershy piped up.
“Because if I told you, you’d all undoubtedly be filled with hope. Hope leads to bravery. Bravery leads to recklessness. And recklessness leads to death. We have too much invested in you to let you literally lose your heads. Now be on your way, it’s time to close up shop.”
Without any further questions, the group made their way out the door. Before The Trader could close the door. Pinkie Pie poked her head back in and said, “Bye bye, Trader! Thanks for the neat walkie talkies!”
The Trader smiled and shook her head as she waved. After the door closed, Masterson took out his navigator and saw it counting down from thirty seconds. He turned to Private Schneider. “That was a good job back there, Private. But the next time I tell you to hold back, you hold back, got it?”
Schneider seemed surprised. “I... yes, sir.”
“I need you to understand that we were lucky she listened to you. Imagine if she didn’t listen, or if she’d thrown us out, or worse. We have no idea who she’s in league with.”
The Private gulped before lowering his head. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“See to it.” The Lieutenant looked at his navigator again, counting down the last ten seconds. As soon as the time was up, Master put the device away and loaded his rifle. “Ready up, everyone.”
Rainbow tapped Alfred on the shoulder. “So I guess you’re leading the way, right?”
“Do I really have to?” the paramedic replied.
“I’m not seeing anypony else around here.”
“Any-what?”
“Nevermind,” the speedster groaned as she facehoofed. “Deal is, you’re probably going to be showing us the way, so let’s get a move on.”
Masterson nodded. “Indeed. You’re the tour guide here. If we get stuck, you’re the only one who knows this hospital’s layout. We all need to stay close. Anyone falls behind and it could spell disaster. Understand?” Everyone nodded. “Good, then let’s go.”
As they entered the hospital, things continued to look worse. The hospital’s main lobby was trashed beyond recognition. Body parts littered the floor, blood trails stretched across all surfaces, and there was even a small fire in the back corner.
Rainbow looked to her right and saw Fluttershy cringe and whimper as her body froze. “Hey, hold on a sec,” she whispered, stopping everyone in place. She gently unfolded her left wing and covered Fluttershy’s back. “It’s okay,” she cooed, “we’re here with you. Just... try to focus on other things. We’ll be out of here before you know it.”
Fluttershy looked into her friend’s eyes, eyes filled with confidence and reassurance. The timid pony nodded her head a few times.
Rainbow turned back to Masterson and nodded as well, resuming the group’s pace.
“Your call now, Mr. Anderson,” the Lieutenant murmured. Past the tiled floor laid three paths: a staircase to the left, a hallway to the right, and another hallway directly ahead.
Alfred began scratching his chin, trying to estimate which way was the quickest to their objective. He raised his hand and readied his answer when he stopped and began looking around. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Schneider asked.
“Just listen.”
It was faint, but the more they concentrated, the clearer it became. It was the sound of a sobbing woman, far down the hall to the right.
“Who’s that?” Pinkie Pie queried.
“I don’t know,” Alfred answered. “I thought everyone in this hospital was... well...”
Masterson commented, “That crying is bound to attract some attention, sooner or later, but we can’t just leave her. Let’s check it out, but be prepared for anything.”
Moving cautiously, the group headed right. Everyone’s senses were on high alert, eyes shifting all around for any suspicious movement. The lighting in the hall was dim at best. Lights along the ceiling flickered every so often, which didn’t help them much as they navigated the area.
As the crying came closer, Alfred decided to quietly say, “Hello?”
Everyone stopped right away. Not because the paramedic called out, but because there was a response.
“Get me out of this... jacket!”
While the request sounded ordinary, it seemed too benign, given their situation.
Rainbow Dash looked towards Masterson. “What do we do?”
“Shouldn’t we help her?” Fluttershy added.
The Lieutenant rolled his shoulders, raising his weapon again. “I don’t like this. Keep your eyes peeled.” As everyone moved further down the hall, there were more requests made, which became more and more peculiar.
“Everything’s black... everything...”
As they neared the end of the hallway, no one seemed to breathe.
“Why did they have to take my eyes?”
Masterson took a peek around the corner once he was close enough. By then, however, his mind nearly blanked. No more than a meter away, a female-looking specimen was seen walking staggering towards him. Despite its clearly empty eye sockets, the specimen acted like it noticed the Lieutenant.
“I’m going to sing, they love it when I sing!”
Any chance at maintaining formation was lost as he shouted, “Fall back, now!”
Everyone scrambled away at his command as the Siren seemed to bow its head. The group managed to get out the front door when a glass-shattering scream erupted. Everyone held their head as the noise passed.
“Wh- what was that?!” Rainbow Dash yelled through the ringing in her ears.
“Is that what a Siren’s like?” Pinkie Pie added.
“How do you know what that specimen?” Masterson asked.
“Back at Horzine, I found one stuck in a box and Wilkes told me what it was. I didn’t think they could scream like that though!”
“So what the hell’s a Siren?” Schneider snapped.
Masterson answered, “They’re slow, but they’re tough to kill. Their scream can kill you if you’re too close. We have to take them down from a distance.” He pulled out his rifle and headed back inside, the others following close behind. “No one fire but me! We need to save as much ammunition as possible!” The Lieutenant fired five shots, each one hitting its mark, before the Siren finally fell to the floor, letting out a final last yelp that wasn’t as loud as its previous scream.
Masterson peered over his shoulder to see some scared expressions. “If you hear anything unusual, be prepared to kill, got it?” As soon as everyone agreed, several thumps were heard from the ceiling.
“More of them,” Powers uttered as he tightened the grip around his axe.
“We can’t waste any more time here,” Schneider added.
Masterson asked, “Quickly, where to from here, Mr. Anderson?”
The paramedic frantically looked at his possible pathways before pointing to the stairwell. “That way!”
Without even needing to command it, everyone took off up the stairs, readying their senses and weapons for whatever might lay in wait for them.
**********
Applejack’s jaws were lightly shaking. “S-so... when ah heard that yellin’ yesterday...”
Twilight solemnly nodded her head. “That was when Powers came around the corner and... and killed the human.”
Rarity swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. Going through that must have been harrowing.”
“And That’s why I was upset and subsequently lashed out at all of you,” the librarian admitted. “I’m so sorry for that.”
“S’okay, sugarcube,” Applejack replied while giving her friend a gentle nudge. “Ah can’t even begin to imagine what was goin’ through yer head at the time. Least ya got it off yer chest now.”
Twilight smiled warmly. “Thank you. Both of you.”
“Right now ah’m more concerned ‘bout Fluttershy. Leavin’ her in the care o’ somepony like Powers ain’t exactly the most settlin’ thought.”
“I wouldn’t be so worried,” Rarity stated. “Powers was carrying Fluttershy on his back when we found her again. If anything, I would say that Powers might have been the one protecting her.”
“Ya really think so?” Applejack inquired.
“He has a frightening personality, but his... I suppose you can say his ‘energy’ gave off the feeling as if he were a guardian for Fluttershy.”
“Energy?” Twilight repeated. “What do you mean?”
Rarity shrugged. “I cannot say for certain, as I am still trying to understand my Element’s power.”
Suddenly, Police Constable Briar groaned, “If you’re going to keep yabbering, can you do it at the other end of the lot? Some of us are trying to get some sleep!”
“Honestly, just rude,” Police Sergeant Davin added.
Twilight rolled her eyes as she shook her head. “I didn’t know that you were allowed to sleep while keeping an active eye out for specimens.”
“He’s sleeping,” Briar replied, pointing at Wilkes, who was indeed fast asleep on the floor.
“That’s because he hasn’t rested for a whole day, if not longer!” Rarity remarked.
“Twilight ‘n ah dunno what our Elements do yet, if we gotta fight, then we all gotta be ready,” Applejack added.
“Don’t care,” Davin countered as he yawned. “That’s what those prats are for.” He pointed to Corporal Lewis and Gary. “If a zombie shows up—”
“Specimen,” Twilight interrupted.
“Whatever. If one of those things show up, they’ll holler like a bunch of crazed chickens. Then we can easily kill it either now, or when it tries to get past all the rubble you used to block the stairwell. Minimal effort needed.”
Twilight’s expression went deadpan. “More importantly,” she resumed while turning back to her friends, “I don’t suppose your vision has improved, Rarity?”
The fashionista shook her head. “Nothing yet. I’m actually starting to get worried.”
“It’ll be alright, Rarity,” Applejack stated, laying a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Ah’m sure yer sight’ll come back before ya know it!”
Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Still, I’ve never seen a unicorn’s sight shut down like this. I wish I had a way to write your perspective down.”
Applejack couldn’t help but smirk. “Ya know ya can remember by usin’ yer brain, right?”
“I know that!” Twilight replied with a giggle. “I’d just prefer to write Rarity’s account down word for word so I don’t...” she trailed off, her expression growing more serious as she looked off to the right. “...Forget anything.” Suddenly her eyes grew wide. “Brain... of course! Applejack, you’re a genius!”
“Uh... what now?”
“The brain, Applejack! I think I know how to get Rarity’s sight back!”
“You... you what?” Rarity stammered.
Twilight sat herself in front of her blind friend. “Do you remember what a ‘Magic Break’ is?”
“Of course, it’s...” Rarity found herself trailing off as well. “You think that has something to do with this? Even so, how would that tell you how to restore my eyesight?”
“Well—”
Applejack cleared her throat. “Before y’all get too carried away, maybe one of ya could explain what’s goin’ on?”
Twilight rubbed her hoof awkwardly. “Oh, right. Sorry. A ‘Magic Break’ is a condition that used to happen to unicorns frequently during less peaceful times, Specifically during Discord’s Reign of Chaos. Many battles were fought and unicorns couldn’t afford to abide by their limits. For earth ponies and pegasi, this would just be exhaustion, but for unicorns, it would be what we call a ‘Magic Break’. When all possible magic has been exhausted from a unicorn, their body goes into a state of shock.
“The effects of the ‘Magic Break’ are unpredictable, but can range from disorientation to death. Which is why once Equestria entered the Era of Peace, the Princess made it mandatory for unicorns to learn the signs of excessive magic use. Thanks to this, ‘Magic Breaks’ have reached an all-time-low and are now extremely rare, which is probably why most earth ponies and pegasi have never heard of the term before.”
“So what does all of this mean?” Gary asked, sitting himself near the ponies.
“Despite the many precautions set in place today, some unicorns still become afflicted with a ‘Magic Break’. There’s only one known spell salvaged from the Reign of Chaos which was used to combat a magic break. A spell only taught to those deemed trustworthy by the Princess, herself.”
“Ooh, so ominous!” Davin murmured.
Applejack tilted her head. “Are... are ya sayin’ you know how to do that?”
Twilight nodded. “Rarity. The Princess taught me the spell after I discovered its existence. I ordinarily would spring for waiting, but we might need you, and we don’t have much choice.”
“Wait, Twilight.” Rarity held a hoof up. “I thought this was caused by my Element. How do we know that this is the same as a ‘Magic Break’?”
The librarian bit her lower lip. “We don’t,” she admitted, “but it might still work. The question now is: do you trust me?”
“What exactly are you planning?”
“Long story short, I’ll have to go inside your head.”
There was absolute silence all around.
“Excuse me. You what?” Gary asked.
“Not literally, of course,” Twilight specified. “What I have to do is essentially create a magic channel between the two of us. At that time, our consciousnesses will become linked, but only for as long as my magic holds out. If this is anything like a ‘Magic Break’, the nerves working your senses are separated, and I’ll have to try connecting them.”
Rarity turned to the floor. “You asked if I trust you... you should know the answer to that, but... I assume there’s a reason you’d need to ask?”
Twilight nodded her head. “For this to work, I need the utmost concentration and attention to detail. It’s essentially like threading needles, only if I miss, I could alter your senses forever. Not only that, but my consciousness will be treated like an intruder, and your subconscious will do everything in its power to kick me out. If that happens, then your mind will be prepared for me next time and I might not be able to even establish a connection. As if that wasn’t enough, we cannot be disturbed until the process is over. If anypony were to touch either of us, the energy from the third entity would throw our connection out of balance. Even I could be harshly affected by the disturbance. I can’t even begin to imagine what might happen then.”
“So what you’re saying,” Gary intervened as he crossed his arms, “is that this method is chock full of things that could go wrong and yet it’s our quickest bet to restoring Rarity’s sight?”
“Exactly.”
“How much of your magic has been restored?” Rarity asked.
Twilight’s ears went flat. “Not much...”
Rarity looked away, then started shaking her head. “No.”
“N-no?”
The fashionista shook her head again. “Taking the risks into consideration, it won’t help anypony if you suffer a magic break while attempting to repair mine. I admit it, the fact that I don’t know when my eyesight will return frightens me. But if you can help me, I only want your help when you’re at your best. Who knows, maybe my eyesight will return in time and you won’t need to take any risks.” She smiled as she held her hoof out, which made Twilight slowly reach out her own hoof to make contact. “And yes, I do trust you. I trusted you when we decided to travel to this world, and I’ll trust you even after the end of our journey. We’re friends after all.”
“Rarity,” Twilight beamed.
“Get a room, you two!” Briar interrupted, resulting in a swift lash to his arm from Twilight’s tail. “Jeez, not one of you has a sense of humor, you know that?”
“Anyways, I’ll take you up on your suggestion, Rarity. You should keep me updated on how you feel, but we’ll find a time later to try this out if your problem still persists.”
“You know,” Lewis piped up, “how long has it been since you’ve had a bite? Perhaps your magic will come back sooner if you eat something?” He held a bag of supplies gathered from the house in his hand.
As if on cue, Twilight’s stomach growled. She giggled nervously as she said, “That would probably help.”
Lewis dug into the bag for a bit before pulling out a few red apples in his hand. “How about these apples?”
“As if ya even need to ask,” Applejack answered, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.
The Corporal handed the farmer three apples, which she evenly distributed to each of her friends before blissfully eating the fruits.
The librarian could already notice her stomach already becoming satisfied by the fuel within. I’ve got to get enough magic back as soon as possible. With an odd sense of determination, she took another bite.
**********
“Is it going to be much further?” Fluttershy stammered as she eagerly tried to rub any traces of blood off her hooves.
“Shouldn’t be,” Alfred replied. “Surgery Ward’s just a few minutes away now.”
“I hope so, I’m getting worried...”
“What do you mean, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked at a breakneck speed. “What’s going on? Why are you worried? Is something up? You hear something? I bet it’s those specimens! Let’s go take them on!” She was about to take off towards the noises she heard when Powers grabbed her by the tail.
The Sergeant didn’t even react when Rainbow began to struggle frantically in an attempt to break free.
“I’ve never seen her like this before,” Fluttershy stated.
“I have!” Pinkie Pie added.
Schneider sighed. “An injury’s one thing, but your first instinct as a medic is to give a bite victim morphine?!”
“That Crawler came out of nowhere and bit deep into her leg,” Masterson replied. “She’d have likely gone into shock if we didn’t give her anything.”
Alfred sighed. “W-well, I did say that administering morphine on a horse would be—”
“Pony! We’re ponies!” Rainbow yelled. She suddenly felt a huge hand grip her snout shut.
The speedster was brought right before Powers’ face. “Shut. Up,” he hissed before letting her go. “Control her,” he commanded Fluttershy as the group began walking to wherever Alfred was directing them.
“Come on, Rainbow,” The caretaker requested as she checked the fresh bandages on her friend’s left foreleg. “Just take it easy for a bit, okay?”
“You know, I-I don’t get why he has to act like a flank all the time,” Rainbow Dash stated, resuming her erratic speech. “Can’t he calmly tell somepony these things without acting like a lunatic? How can you stand him, Fluttershy? He’s a basket case! How? Tell me! How?” As she said this, she unintentionally slammed her bandaged hoof on the floor, causing her to wince before limping along.
“Rainbow, please, let me help you. You’re hurt!” Fluttershy pleaded as she held her friend’s injured hoof.
“No!” her friend belted as she pulled her hoof away. “I’ll live! It’s okay! Don’t hurt yourself for my sake!”
“Wh-what!?”
“You should... you...” Rainbow groaned and held her left hoof against her head. “What... what’s happening?”
Instinctively, Fluttershy pressed her foreleg against Rainbow Dash’s forehead before quickly pulling it away. “Rainbow! You’re burning up!”
“Y-yeah, I know, It’s cuz I’m too hot to handle, right?” No one seemed to laugh. “Okay, bad joke... I...” She couldn’t get in another word before falling to the floor, breathing quickly.
Without being told to do so, Alfred pushed Fluttershy away and started to look over Rainbow Dash. First he opened her mouth and placed a thermometer under her tongue. Then he placed his hand underneath her jaw and looked at his watch. After a few seconds passed, he started shaking his head. When the thermometer gave a few beeps, he took it out. “Hundred and four...” He then looked inside Rainbow’s mouth, noting her dry, cracked tongue. “I’m no vet, but she’s showing all the symptoms of hyperthermia. When was the last time she had any water?”
Fluttershy’s eyes went to the floor as she began racking her brain for the answer. “I think it was sometime yesterday, before we arrived on Earth.”
This made Alfred pause. “A day?! She’d only be mildly dehydrated by this point. How could—” That’s when it all became clear. “The morphine... is she reacting so strongly because of that?”
“What do we do?” Pinkie Pie quaked.
“First thing we need to do is lower her body temperature, but the only ice we have on hand would be in the cafeteria, and who knows if that’s even ice anymore. We’ve got to bring down her fever and fast!”
Schneider stated, “What about you, Fluttershy? Can’t you heal her?”
“W-well, I can, but...” The caretaker’s ears folded flat.
“We don’t have time for ‘but’s!” Masterson insisted. “Your friend’s life could be on the line, Fluttershy!”
The pony in question looked at Rainbow Dash, seeing her in her current state. After taking a deep breath, Fluttershy closed her eyes. Her element started to glow, surrounding Rainbow with a pink aura. After some time, the magic subsided, leaving Rainbow Dash groaning as her eyes started to open. “What just—” she stopped as she looked at her bandaged hoof, a hoof that she could now press onto the floor with no trouble. She frantically removed the bandages to reveal a perfectly healed hoof. “Fluttershy... did you...?”
Fluttershy looked away. “We... we didn’t have a choice. It was looking really bad for you, and—”
“And we decided to save your life,” Schneider completed.
Rainbow looked all the eyes on her before bowing her head. “Yeah, I... I get it. Let’s just get what we need and get out of here.”
Alfred and Masterson looked at each other until the Lieutenant motioned to start moving. Everyone else took the hint and followed, but stopped when Fluttershy suddenly gasped. They turned around and saw the caretaker wincing as she gently lifted her hoof off the floor.
Her face flushed red as she noticed the many pairs of eyes on her. “I-I’m okay! I just misstepped!” She started walking forward, a forcibly normal expression on her face with every step she took.
Everyone resumed walking towards their destination, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash keeping a close watch over their friend.
Checking each corner, the group kept on their path for some time until Alfred pointed out a sign with the word ‘Surgery’ and an arrow directed towards a pair of doors below it. “We’re here,” he stated with a sigh of relief.
Powers gripped the door handle and pulled it open. As what was quickly becoming the norm, blood and body parts were strewn across the linoleum walls. Inside the room, however, were several curtains forming a box around the center of the surgical ward. A bright light shone from within, somewhat illuminating the otherwise dark room.
Masterson checked both sides of the room, noticing a small row of lockers to the left and metal cabinets to the right.
“In those incubation cabinets,” Alfred said, pointing to the opposite end of the room. “That’s where we’ll find our serum.” He began walking forward, but stopped as he happened to peer into the blocked-off area in the center. He covered his mouth and stifled a cough upon noticing a severed torso on the operating table. “You don’t want to look in there,” he informed everyone as Powers casually strolled towards the area within, moving the curtains aside.
Schneider decided to follow the paramedic’s advice and head towards the incubators. On one cabinet shelf was an amber vial. He gently opened the door. “Oi, this it?” he called out, getting Alfred’s attention.
The paramedic gently reached his hand in and picked up the vial. He gently rotated it in his hands, studying every detail. “Yes, I’m positive.”
Suddenly, everyone except Alfred nearly jumped as a chime sounded off within their headsets.
“Well done, all of you!” The Trader exclaimed. “You may have had a spill or two on the way, but you’ve got what we need. Now shove off to the roof, all of you. I’ll be waiting.”
As everyone exchanged looks, Alfred cleared his throat. “I take it your friend wants all of you?”
Masterson nodded once. “No use waiting around. Move out. Eyes peeled, everyone.”
The squadron began moving forward. Rainbow Dash followed close behind.
“Rainbow...”
The speedster looked to her left and saw Fluttershy, keeping pace next to her.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” the caretaker requested.
Rainbow and Fluttershy kept a stayed a small distance behind so as to try keeping their discussion private.
Fluttershy looked at the floor. “Are you mad at me?”
This caused Rainbow Dash to raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“After I healed you earlier, you looked so... disappointed. I wanted to respect your wishes and let you heal naturally, but... the way you were acting made me panic, and everypony started yelling, so I just—”
“Let me stop you there, Fluttershy.” Rainbow sighed before she continued. “Guess I should explain a bit on my part, huh?” She shook her head. “ I wasn’t disappointed or anything, I was just... worried.”
Fluttershy brought her gaze back up. “About what?”
Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat. “When you healed Thorne back at Horzine, I was the first pony to notice you bleeding like you were. It... it really scared me, Fluttershy. I don’t know how far it could’ve gone if I didn’t stop you. Then when my leg got cut up, you offered to heal me. I thought about how you looked before, and I-I just got scared. What if you ended up in worse shape because of me? What if... you...” She bit her lower lip as she clenched her eyes shut.
Fluttershy nuzzled the side of her friend’s head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Rainbow sniffed and cleared her throat. “I can’t ask you to not heal anypony. It’s going to happen, and I need to get that through my thick head. But... can you promise me something?” She looked away from Fluttershy. “Sooner or later, you’re probably going to come across somepony who’s in really bad shape. There might not be much hope for them, but I know you’d be the type to try fixing them anyway.” She stayed quiet for a moment, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I need you to promise me that you won’t heal them.”
Fluttershy stopped in her tracks. “You what?” she murmured.
Rainbow Dash stopped as well, giving her friend a pleading look. “You’re my oldest friend, Fluttershy. You know me better than anypony else, and I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Both ponies spent a moment staring at each other. Eventually, Rainbow turned away. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything. I could never ask you to—”
“Okay.”
The speedster’s head perked up and she looked at her friend. “You... you mean that?”
Fluttershy nodded. “You’re right. I... I won’t be able to save everypony, and I need to be ready for that.” She gave a forced nod of assurance.
A smile slowly creeped onto Rainbow Dash’s face. “Thanks, Flutters.”
This caused Fluttershy to chuckle. “It’s been awhile since you’ve called me that.”
Rainbow found herself chuckling as well. “It has, hasn’t it?”
“Are you two done?” Both ponies turned to the front to see Masterson impatiently waving his hand towards the rest of the group. They trotted ahead to catch up to the soldiers and Pinkie Pie, who were waiting in front of a staircase.
With Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash rejoining the group. Alfred pointed up the flight of stairs. “The roof’s this way. Then we can find that Trader and see what she wants with this serum.”
Schneider stretched his arms as the group began walking up. “Whatever it is The Trader’s got waiting for us, it had better have been worth the trip. Who knows if she’ll—” He stopped, dumbfounded, at what was waiting on the roof. “Keep her word...” Stationed in the center of the rooftop was a Chinook HC2. He cautiously approached the green, tandem-rotor helicopter. “This looks... perfect. Does it actually work?” He raised his hand up to touch its army-green surface when another chime went off in his ear.
“Not so fast, you lot,” The Trader commanded. “You’re forgetting your part of the bargain.”
A door loudly opened behind everyone. They turned to see an elongated metal shack established behind them.
“Don’t be shy now!”
Everybody filed into the small shack, where The Trader again waited behind her usual chain link fence.
Alfred was busy doing a double take. “Wh- how did you get up here so fast?”
The Trader ignored his question, focusing on the vial he held in his hands. She pressed a button and an incubator appeared from beneath the countertop. “Place the serum in the slot, and the heli’s all yours.”
Masterson turned to The Trader. “You promise to help the survivor outpost?”
“As agreed, my employers shall supply the eastern outpost with weapons, ammunition, and first aid.”
Masterson stared at The Trader for an uncomfortably long time before motioning Alfred to carry out their part of the deal. When the serum was inserted, a glass screen slid down, followed by the sound of pressurized locks sealing the container.
The Trader looked at a handheld device in her hand. It gave three beeps, which made her smile. “It’s the real deal. We allow you and your group complete usage of the Chinook outside. And wherever you choose to go, we shall be waiting when you arrive.” She pressed a button on top of the counter.
“What does that do?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Oh, nothing special. It just calls off the rocket strike we had locked on the plane in case any of you felt like running off with it.” Ignoring the looks of concern around her, she changed her focus to Alfred. “It was nice knowing you, now be on your way.”
“M-me?” the paramedic stuttered.
“Now that we have what we need, your usefulness has run out. We can’t afford to waste good money on dead weight.”
“I-I’m... I’m not dead weight! I can too be of help!”
The Trader shook her head. “If you want to be of help, you’re going to have to help fight the specimens. And judging from how you’re practically pissing your pants from just talking to me, you seem to be too much of a liability to even keep around.”
Rainbow Dash jumped up and hovered in front of the Trader. “Hang on a second! You tell him that he can’t come along cuz he’s scared, but Fluttershy’s been scared plenty of times! You’ve let her come along, so why not him?”
“You and all your friends are worth some valuable research. The funds to create headsets were a small price to pay for the information we’ve gathered, and we’re very eager to see what else you can do. Mr. Anderson, on the other hand, doesn’t exhibit any signs of a person worth keeping alive. He’s jittery, insecure, and takes the moral highroad. It’s a rather terrible decision to keep him with you.”
Alfred began shaking, looking at everyone, expecting someone to speak up for him.
“Actually, he’s very much worth keeping around,” Masterson stated. “He’s a skilled paramedic, so his medical tasks are carried out swiftly and efficiently. He knows a vast array of medical knowledge, and he’s quick to work on the task at hand. I have a very good feeling about him, and that’s all I need. He’ll become a valuable asset in time, I’m sure of it.”
The Trader looked at the other soldiers and ponies. “And the rest of you think the same?” Everyone nodded. She gave Alfred a cold look and began speaking slowly, almost giving each word coming out of her mouth an icy edge. “You understand what you’re agreeing to? You’re going to fight things worse than what you’ve seen in your nightmares. You’ll be pushed to your limits and then pushed some more. You will very likely die, surrounded by nothing except a mob of flesh-craving abominations who’d tear open your abdomen and fight over which one of them gets the first bite of your liver. You will experience a new definition of fear. Now I want to hear it from your mouth, and say it with confidence. Say, ‘I will fight the specimens until my very last breath.’”
Alfred failed to look the part of confidence. His teeth were chattering, he shook so much that even his tools began shaking, his breathing became unusually fast, and he started to break out into a cold sweat. Just as he could feel his stomach making an emergency dump, he felt a nudge at his left leg. He looked down to see Pinkie Pie give him an unusually serious look. “It’s okay. We’ll be here for you!”
Alfred then looked at everyone, who seemed to be radiating assurance. He gulped and clenched his fists, turning towards the Trader. “I will fight the specimens until my very last breath!”
The Trader rub her chin, giving the paramedic a long look. “Wait here,” she requested as she turned around and began talking on her headset. After a brief moment, she turned back around. “My employers have decided to give you a chance. You’ll have to wait until we meet again before being given your own weapon. Surely you understand.”
Alfred gave a few hesitant nods. “Y-yes, yes!”
She slid another headset through the slot underneath the divider. “This was originally meant for Mr. Thorne, but seeing as he’s too far gone to be worth the money, you shall take his earpiece instead. Now it’s time to shove off. We’ll meet again soon.” The group filed out of The Trader’s lair, its door slamming shut when everyone was gone. “Oh, one last thing, boys and girls,” she mentioned over the radio. “You’ll be pleased to discover that there’s a button on the back of your earpieces that will now establish a radio connection between all of you. My employers have created a special frequency that only you lot can access. However, the range is limited to about half of a kilometer, so make sure you’re not too far away. Enjoy!” One chime later, and there was silence.
Rainbow felt the back of the headset she wore and noticed a bump, which she pressed. “So what does this do?” she asked before hearing herself in her own headset. This caused her to jump.
Alfred raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never heard of these before?”
Schneider rested his hand on the paramedic’s shoulder. “There’s a lot we need to catch you up on.”
“So what’s a Chinook?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“I was actually about to ask the same thing,” Fluttershy added.
Schneider patted the exterior of the helicopter. “This baby is a sort of machine that can carry a bunch of people across long distances without needing to be on the ground.”
“So it’s like a hot air balloon?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Better.”
“Better than a balloon?” Pinkie Pie inquired.
“You don’t even know the half of it.”
Alfred clapped his hands. “So...” he started as he rubbed both hands together. “Who knows how to fly this thing?”
**********
Twilight lay on her back near the edge of the parking lot level, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. The occasional flurry of noises would bring her out of her daze, but she’d quickly go back to her thoughts.
“Ya doin’ alright, Twilight?” Applejack asked as she approached the librarian.
“Oh, hello, Applejack. I’m fine, I was just sitting here thinking.”
“‘Bout what?”
“Well,” she began as she opted onto her haunches, which caused Applejack to sit as well, “I’ve been thinking. It’s about Lieutenant Masterson’s story. Something about it just doesn’t make sense to me.”
Applejack cocked her head to the side. “Whaddya mean?”
“He said that he was a Horzine specimen, right? He appears completely human, but the specimens we’ve seen up until now have been horrific versions of normal humans. I just don’t understand...”
“Ah’m afraid yer gonna have to be a mite bit clearer.”
“Masterson excels in nearly everything he does. Why would Horzine choose to create inferior versions of humans? You don’t reach a successful result in an experiment and then ignore it without good reason.” Twilight looked away. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. They seemed to be on the right track. Why wouldn’t they want to create more specimens like the Lieutenant?”
Applejack rested her head on her hoof. “Yer right, Twi. That really don’t make much sense.”
Twilight nodded. “I’m still curious about the rest of his story, but I’ll wait until he gets back before I ask about it.” Suddenly, Twilight perked her head up. “How come Rarity isn’t with you?” She looked behind the farmer and saw Rarity sitting alone.
“Ah told her ya looked a bit spaced out, so she suggested ah ask ya what’s up.”
“Will she be okay on her own?”
The moment Twilight asked that, Davin began to tip toe behind Rarity. Just when he was within an arm’s length of her, the fashionista lifted a rock in the air with her magic and effortlessly crushed the rock into dust. “Just because I cannot see does not mean I cannot hear you. You would be wise to remember that, Police Sergeant Davin.”
Davin retreated, muttering to himself.
“Ah think she’ll be fine,” Applejack answered with a chuckle. “That reminds me. How come that Magic Breakin’ fixer upper of yours is so risky?”
Twilight’s attention was refocused on Applejack. Her ears folded back as she turned away. “When two unicorns merge consciousnesses like how I described, it essentially gives one party access to the other’s existence.” She started to rub her hooves. “However, some unicorns discovered a way to manipulate the spell and use it on those who hadn’t even been affected by a Magic Break, or even how to use it on pegasi and earth ponies. When it was discovered, the Princess ruled the method forbidden for public use, replacing it with safer alternatives and public announcements regarding the warning signs of exhaustion.” Her eyes locked onto Applejack. “But what if I hated Rarity with every fibre of my being? I could use the the old method to take control of her. I could make her forget her foalhood... I could make her forget how to talk... how to eat... how to breathe.”
Applejack’s eyes went wide. “And you could do that?”
Twilight hesitated before nodding her head. “The... the Princess mentioned the possibilities, and... I was young, naive, curious... and had access to an entire archive of old documents. Truth be told, I’m terrified of the fact that I know these things. The spell’s so dangerous in the wrong hooves, and I know I’d never intend on using the spell. But I’ve never been in that situation before, and it scares me that I could possibly use it to dig up secrets somepony could have.”
Applejack sighed. “Seems we’re dealin’ with a lotta dangerous things these days, ain’t we?” Twilight didn’t react, so the farm pony scooched next to her friend. “Listen, ah’ve known ya fer a while now, and the Twilight Sparkle ah know wouldn’t go around usin’ dark magic all willy nilly. Your just overthinkin’ this is all. If ya don’t wanna do this, then Rarity’ll probably understand. It’s your choice, Twi. Nopony’ll blame you, and you’ll be okay.”
This made the librarian’s expression brighten. “Thanks, Applejack.”
Suddenly, Wilkes jolted upright. “Wh-what? What was that?” he mumbled as he tried to shake the sleep away.
“What was what?” Applejack queried.
The humans began looking around in confusion until Gary brought a finger to the back of his ear. “Hello?” He immediately turned to his fellow squad mates. Everyone seemed focused on their headsets until Gary said, “Got it... we’ll head up there.”
“Who did she kill to get her hands on a radio?” Briar asked.
“Can somepony please explain what’s going on?” Twilight finally asked.
“We’ve got to gather up everything and go to the roof,” Lewis explained. “Rainbow Dash was just talking to us. Said they’re in some ‘insanely awesome thing’.”
“Ah’ll get Rarity,” Applejack stated as she walked away.
Everybody grabbed their belongings before Twilight cleared out the blocked stairwell to the top. The group made their way into the midday sun as they waited.
“This had better not take long,” Davin fumed. “It’s hot as shit in this suit!”
Rarity’s ears suddenly perked up. “Does anypony else hear that?”
“Hear what?” Wilkes asked.
“There’s some sort of noise in the sky. I’ve never heard anything like it before.”
“Is it a specimen?” Twilight inquired.
“I don’t think so. It almost sounds like a train, but... something’s off...”
Gary looked to the sky. “Or it... could be that helicopter.”
Everyone looked to where the scientist was looking. Sure enough, a large helicopter was slowly coming into view. The large chopper eventually hovered over their location before slowly lowering onto the roof below. As soon as the machine landed, Rainbow flew out of the vehicle to be reunited with her friends, followed shortly by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.
Before her friends could try to say anything over the deafening noise of the propellers, Rainbow was already placing a headset on the ear of the three remaining ponies. She then tapped the back of her headset. “Can you guys hear me?” she yelled. When her friends nodded, she continued. “I’m really glad to see you guys again, and we have a lot of things to explain, but we gotta get moving! Masterson’s using this thing to fly us up north. It’ll save us a lot of time, but we gotta hurry before the specimens show up!” She waved her at the other humans. “Come on! We’re getting out of here!”
Without much of a discussion, everyone piled into the helicopter, which began its ascension into the air once more. “Get settled, everyone,” Masterson broadcasted. “Private Schneider reminded me on the way here that Recon Point Omega is to the north. Omega also happens to be relatively close to Shropshire, where we’ll find the second Horzine facility. When we get to Omega, we can relay our information to the soldiers there and hopefully amass enough forces to take those laboratories out. It’ll be a while until we land, so rest up. We’re going to need all the energy we can get for the next few days.”
As the helicopter continued to fly out of the city, Twilight decided to peer into the view of the landscape below, giving her the first view she’d come to remember of West London. Pillars of smoke billowed into the air and signs of chaos were visible below, ranging from uncontrollable fires to destroyed buildings on nearly every street. As she remembered their route from the entire day, her eyes trailed the city until she came across the offices of Horzine. Looks like I’ll be longer than I thought, Spike. She looked at her fellow ponies, who seemed to be settling in for sleep or began chatting away on the radio. Don’t worry about me though. I’ll be back soon, and I’m going to keep my promise!
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Im_not_sue
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854
| 1 |
Applejack,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Trixie,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie
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Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.
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cancelled
| 194 | 3 |
<p>Sweetie Belle, alone and dejected, comes across The Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ostracized for her prior misdeeds involving the Ursa Minor. Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, giving Sweetie (and perhaps herself as well) both the guidance and companionship she needs.</p><p>This is a S1 fic. Events take place before 'The Return of Harmony, pt 1'.<br/>Writing for this fic began before Season 2, so events do not match canon storylines.</p><p>This fic was featured on Equestria Daily on Oct 18th, 2011</p><p>Title art by:<br/><a href="http://acesential.deviantart.com" rel="nofollow">http://acesential.deviantart.com</a></p><p>Fan art:<br/><a href="http://fav.me/d4ghb33" rel="nofollow">http://fav.me/d4ghb33</a></p>
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teen
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2012-02-04T10:42:01+00:00
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2012-02-04T10:42:01+00:00
| 6,806 |
Three young fillies, two mares, and one stallion waited near the only train platform in Hoofington. The train sat idle on the track, its many operators checking over the vehicle and preparing it for its regular cross-Equestria journey to the frontier town of Appleoosa. A myriad of other ponies waited for the train to be ready along with the aforementioned six, but they all kept clear of the three rambunctious blank-flanked fillies of the group.
Having thoroughly explored the train station and platform within a few minutes of arrival, the three fillies had dedicated the next two hours to attempting to find their special talents via the most creative havoc possible, much to the dismay of their guardians. The list of talents they had tested had included numerous things ranging from luggage inspectors, train track renovators, roadside shoe-shiners, flagpole operators, flagpole repairponies, and lost change finders. Only the last had yielded any return, in the form of 5 copper bits being exchanged for one bag of barbecue carrot chips at the concessions stand, but to the great disappointment of the three, still no cutie marks.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS!! YAY!!”
“Take that, evil empty chip bag! You will not pollute the ground today with your non-biodegradable foil wrapping!”
“Excuse me ma’am? Ah’d like to take jus’ a moment of your time this fine afternoon to discuss your carbon hoofprint... what size horseshoes are those anyhow?”
“...I guess this is kind of like a crusade, but this isn’t gonna get me any closer to Rainbow Dash.”
“Okay girls! Ah think it’s ‘bout time y’all got yourselves over here an’ said your goodbyes! Th’ trains about to leave and I think it’s best you be getting you on it, little missy.”
“I told you sis, stop calling me that already! I -am- a big pony!”
“What--? But Rainbow Dash! We haven’t tried getting a cutie mark for ticket scalping yet!”
“C’mon pipsqueak, there's gonna be plenty of opportunities for you to earn a REAL cutie mark with me once we get to flight camp okay? And besides, I think Applebloom and Big Mac need those tickets, right big guy?”
“Ee-yup.”
“You too Sweetie Belle, say g’bye and the like to your fellow crusaders so they can all get movin’ along. We shouldn’t keep ‘em waitin’, you know.”
The young unicorn walked forward with her head hung low and ears folded as her two close friends turned back towards her, but she said nothing.
“C’mon Sweetie Belle, don’t be like that. I know yah can’t come with us... but we need one crusader to stay behind and protect Ponyville. Besides, Appleoosa is like the most borin’ place to try to earn your cutie mark in. It’s all dirt ‘n cactus.”
“Yeah, we need you stay behind and tell us if anything cool happened while we were gone! It’s too bad Rarity wouldn’t tell you how to cast that super radical spell that gives you wings, then you could come to flight camp with me and Rainbow Dash and earn a super awesome cutie mark for being like... the first unicorn to fly!”
“Uh... Scootaloo, if Rarity had wings then she already WOULD be the first unicorn tah fly, ya’know.”
“Oh... right.”
The young unicorn opened her mouth as if to talk, but still did not respond. She stood there quietly, sniffling as she tried to hold back tears that threatened break free. The toot of the train whistle signaled that their time was coming to an end.
“I just don’t want... and without you t-two I’m alone and--”
“Sweetie Belle... when we come back we’ll all be crusaders again, ah promise! Even if we somehow get our cutie marks, we’ll make it th’ crusader mission to find yours.”
“Yeah! And crusaders never break a promise!”
“*sniffle* ...thanks girls. I’ll try my best.”
“APPLEBLOOM!! Git your rump on over here and hop into the caboose with your big brother! Train’s a-leavin’!”
The three fillies pulled each other close. hugging into the neck of the next before the friends finally parted. One went to the train, one to her pegasus idol waiting in the sky, and the last waited behind on the platform.
“Big Mac?”
“Yes, AJ?
“I shouldn’t need to warn you like last time. You. Behave. Yourself. You got that?”
“E-... ee-yup.”
“And Applebloom? Keep an eye on your big brother for me, make sure he gets into no trouble.”
“...yes, sis.”
“Good, now get on the train and have fun in Appleoosa, and say howdy to your cousin Braeburn for me.”
The young unicorn filly waved one hoof goodbye to her closest friends as they began to grow distant across land and sky, a small stream of tears running off her cheeks as they vanished into the horizon. She was the only one left, alone.
“It’ll be okay sugarcube. They’ll only be gone for a month, ya’know.”
“... I know, Miss Applejack.”
“Good. Now dry those tears and let’s run on home to Ponyville. Rarity said she’s gonna be busy all night, so I’ll take care of dinner for ya. C’mon, I’ll make ah nice big apple pie for ya when we get there.”
“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”
Chapter 1
An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Im_not_sue (aka Lounge_lizard)
(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)
(Revision v1.2 -- 10/11/2011)
Sweetie Belle sighed, her mind slowly drawing itself back from dreamland as she woke from her nap inside the clubhouse on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. The unicorn filly sleepily opened her emerald eyes and glanced across her back towards her flank before letting them close again, the pink and purple curls of her mane unmoved in the warm stale air as she lay where she was.
“I guess taking naps every day isn’t my special talent either...” she muttered apathetically to herself. She didn’t want to wake up, or even open her eyes. She hadn’t needed to today or after any of her naps she had taken in the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse over the six days that had passed since returning from the Hoofington train station. With the other crusaders gone, Sweetie Belle found the days she had once filled with their adventures to be empty and lonely.
Eventually the stale air and rising heat inside the clubhouse became too much for the young unicorn to rest anymore. With a quiet groan she rose from the tall pile of pillows and cushions she had collected in the corner of clubhouse for just such a function, knocking a few aside onto the bare floor. She blinked away the fuzziness in her eyes as she nudged the door open with her chin and stepped out into the warm late summer air.
It was a bit past noon, and the heat always made it impossible for Sweetie Belle to sleep much later than this on most days. The few other fillies and colts in Sweetie’s class usually went right home after school ended in the late morning. Foal-sitting would be a more appropriate term, however, as school was technically out for summer. Many families took the chance to take vacations or send their children off to summer camps, leaving Ponyville much quieter this time of year.
Sweetie Belle carefully hopped down from the ramp that extended the yellow clubhouse before continuing her walk down the slope of the hill to the small creek that ran through this part of the apple orchard. The cool water and breeze made it a much better location than the inside of the clubhouse at this time of day. Finding her usual spot under the shade, Sweetie Belle flopped down hard on the grass with a grunt.
Sweetie Belle sighed as she let herself fall to the side, the grass rustling under her as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky through the branches . The young unicorn held up her front hoof, looking past it into the air. The minutes passed as she gestured meaninglessly at clouds passing by. Eventually her leg began to tingle, numbness creeping into the limb held out before her. Sweetie grimaced bitterly, letting her hoof drop limply back to her side.
“I hate you, sis...”
“For the last time, NO! I’m not sending you to Unicorn Camp! You’re far too young!” The white unicorn shouted in frustration. her normally prim and pampered purple curls a disheveled wreck. Carousel Boutique’s interior had been turned into a chaotic and ugly mess, indicative of the nature of the hours-long fight between the two sisters.
“But this isn’t FAIR!! I want to learn how to use magic so I can be like you, sis! I just want to try to help for once, to be somepony important! Why won’t you LET ME!!” The other unicorn shrieked back, anger and frustration coloring her tear-stained cheeks as she stood in the center of the wreckage she had caused. Her breathing grew ragged between her clenched teeth as an angry scream built in her throat. Taking an overturned stool in her teeth, the fully hurled it across the room at her sister with as much strength as her young body could muster. The stool crashed into a glass-windowed cabinet a few feet from Rarity, shattering the fragile barrier and sending its contents spilling out onto the floor to join the rest of the growing swath of destruction. Dye from broken bottles leaked out onto torn fabric bolts, a sewing machine lay smashed on the floor where it had fallen, and dress-forums lay toppled from where the older unicorn had tried and failed to physically restrain the younger from the ongoing tantrum.
The older unicorn flipped her mane back and did her best to ignore the outburst, long since past her earlier shrieking hysterics at the reckless vandalism of her younger sister. “I’m sorry your friends are all leaving for the summer without you, but this isn’t about fairness, Sweetie. I simply cannot let you go if you can’t cast a single spell or even turn a page! You don’t even know what your special talent is, and nopony can hope to teach you anything if even you don’t know yourself what it is you are meant to do with your magic! I’m not going to fight with you any more, dearie. You’re just not ready for this, and THAT. IS. FINAL.”
The small filly’s expression began to change almost instantaneously, the defiance and anger that once colored her face melting into despair and hurt. Her body began to shudder as she broke down, tears streaming from her pleading eyes. “W-why..? It’s n-not my fault I can’t cast any stupid magic! I just want you to see th-that I’m not s-stupid! Why don’t you ever SEE THAT?! I’m n-never going to be good enough for you just b-b-because I don’t have-- because... because I don’t have my c-cutie mark! I’m not good enough for ANYPONY! Because I-I’m just a STUPID BLANK FLANK!!”
“Sweetie, no! I didn’t mean--!”
“I HATE YOU!!”
“Why does it have to be like that...” Sweetie Belle muttered half-heartedly to herself as she reminisced. It was too long ago for her to still feel as hurt as she had been that evening, but Sweetie and Rarity hadn’t exchanged more than few words since the fight. There had been no apologies, no sisterly love to make up for the pain, nothing. Just a wall of silence between the two unicorn sisters. Sweetie Belle felt numb, apathetic.
Still, not being able to go to Unicorn Camp like most of the other fillies with their cutie marks had hurt too. Sweetie had tried many times to do something with her magic, but she could never do more than make her horn glow no matter how much she strained. Sweetie Belle’s pleading in the weeks leading up to summer vacation had convinced her sister Rarity to ask around for anypony who could possibly teach her sister or find out if something was wrong. Even Twilight Sparkle had tried working with Sweetie Belle, but nothing had helped. Twilight had suggested that if she was having trouble doing even simple magic, like picking up small objects or making a light with her horn, then her special talent was probably something very subtle or different in some way than most ponies... or maybe she was just a slow learner. Going to Unicorn Camp wouldn’t help unless she could already show some magical aptitude.
After the fight in the boutique, Rarity had talked to Applejack and asked her to watch over Sweetie Belle for a while so they both had some space apart from each other to calm down. Applejack understood, and after taking the three crusaders to the Hoofington train station she had brought Sweetie back to stay on the farm. Sweetie had asked to stay at the clubhouse on the outskirts of the Apple family orchards instead of in the Apple family home, and Applejack understood and respected that. She came by a few times a day to see how Sweetie was doing, and let her know that if she needed anything she could always come to her. Otherwise she let Sweetie Belle have her privacy while she stayed at the clubhouse.
Sweetie Belle shuffled uncomfortably, her hip growing steadily sore the longer she lay by the bank. With a feminine grunt the filly rolled off her back and slowly stood up on all hooves again, taking a moment to shake out the loose grass that had gathered in her coat. She couldn’t stay inactive for that many hours of napping and introspection without becoming restless, even if she had nothing better to do. Stretching the soreness out of each leg, the filly hopped down from the bank into the shallow stream for a quick drink.
She had only just begun to get a mouthful of water before she heard a far off shriek and the sound of splashing coming somewhere farther up the creek. The noise made her jump; Applejack wouldn’t have been working on this edge of the orchard without letting Sweetie Belle know, and it wasn’t yet time for the apple harvest for there to be any hired help around. She waited to hear if there was any other noise, but after listening for a few moments heard nothing.
“What was that?” Sweetie Belle wondered out loud. “Maybe... somepony is in trouble at the creek? Maybe somepony dropped something important in the water... or doesn’t know how to swim and started drowning!” She began to charge off in the direction of the shriek, only to skid to a halt a few seconds later. “Oops, I forgot!” Sweetie Belle said as she turned around and run back into the clubhouse.
Emerging with her signature Cutie Mark Crusader cape tied around her neck, Sweetie struck a pose with her front hoof in the air and a confident heroic smile on her face.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple-family orchard creek-drowning victim rescue tea--! Oh, forget it. It’s just me anyway...” She said, her enthusiasm in announcing the latest Crusader mission lessened by the absence of her two friends.
Sweetie Belle galloped as fast as her little legs could carry her, following the creek in the direction of the cry she had heard just a few moments earlier. At a bend in the creek Sweetie came upon one of the most unusual things had seen, which was saying a lot considering she lived in the same town as Pinkie Pie.
A unicorn mare with an azure coat and light grey-blue mane stood unmoving in the center of the small stream, head submerged into one of the few deep sections of running water. On her flank was a wand with a star at the tip and a swirl of sparkling dust trailing down. Air bubbles surfaced as the other pony made some sort of odd gargling noise under the water.
Sweetie Belle approached carefully, glancing momentarily at the flowing purple cape adorned with a star pattern and wizard’s hat laying discarded on the grass nearby, looking quite worn and dirty as if they hadn’t seen care in a long time. Clearing her throat, Sweetie Belle reared up on her small back legs and struck as tall a pose as she could for a filly of her size and announced herself.
“Have no fear! I am Sweetie Belle of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I am here to rescue you!”
The other unicorn did not respond, her head still held under the water, leaving Sweetie Belle to glance around awkwardly. Shaking off the slight wave of embarrassment, Sweetie coughed loudly to draw the other pony’s attention and resumed her pose.
“I said, I am Sweetie Belle! I am here to save... um... ? Miss... ? Are you drowning?”
Suddenly the blue unicorn’s ears twitched and she shot up out of the water, gasping for breath. The sudden motion flung a spray of droplets at Sweetie Belle who barely had time to give a shout of surprise at being splashed before the other unicorn began speaking.
“UGH, finally washed that dis-GUSTING taste out of my mouth! What pony in their--”
“So... you’re not drown--”
“--right mind would operate an apple orchard whose crop is INFESTED with WORMS? Maybe these common rural ponies can stand eating such VILE and polluted produce but those of us raised in more... civilized environs are more discriminating than to just stick ANYTHING in our mouths.” The other unicorn continued with a scowl as if Sweetie Belle didn’t exist at all, purple eyes flashing wildly and face dripping. “Can you imagine ME, the Great and Powerful Trixie, eating a WORM?” the unicorn said, rounding on the young foal suddenly and looming over her with an expectant glare.
“Um... yes?” Sweetie Belle responded, tilting her head quizzically.
“EXACTLY. The owners of this property should be given a HEFTY citation for-- ”
The blue unicorn froze mid-sentence, her front leg raised in midair from her prior indignation and her mouth hanging open as she suddenly recognized that she was in the presence of another pony. She backed away a few steps from the small white filly in front of her, hooves splashing in the water as she glanced around nervously as if worried that others might be nearby. “Wha... h-how long have you been here! The Great and Powerful TRIXIE is not granting autographs at this time! You’ll just have to wait until my next appeara-- I mean... err, Trixie... Trixie isn’t even here! I am definitely not--”
“Hi Trixie! My name’s Sweetie Belle, one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders! Did we save you from drowning? Do we need to perform, um, CPR?” Sweetie Belle interrupted excitedly, the purple and pink curls of her mane bouncing as she hopped in place a few times before lifter her back leg up to inspect her flank for the possible appearance of her new cutie mark.
“Drowning? Crusaders...? The Great-- I mean Tri... uh... I was NOT drowning. The Great and Powerful Trixie would never perish in such a boorish and unspectacular manner.” Trixie responded, whipping her still-damp head to the side with a disdainful scowl before snapping it back in shock. “Wait.. we? Crusaders?? I don’t see any other ponies around here... there are no other ponies around, right?”
“Oh... no, it’s just me...” Sweetie Belle mumbled back, harshly reigning in her enthusiasm at remembering she didn’t have Applebloom and Scootaloo with her this time. I guess I got carried away again... just like Rarity says I always do...
“Just you then... hmm...” Trixie rubbed her chin with one hoof thoughtfully, smiling down at Sweetie Belle as she examined the filly before her. “I suppose The Great and Powerful Trixie could entertain just one young adoring admirer, even in her unfortunate exile...”
“The great and what-who?” Sweetie said skeptically, glancing over at the purple cape and hat on the grass then back at Trixie. “...are you a wizard?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow, blinking in amused disbelief at the caped filly in front of her. “You mean to tell me you’ve never heard of The Great and Powerful Trixie? Renowned for her AMAZING, show-stopping feats of magic? The greatest unicorn in ALL of--”
Sweetie Belle perked up, a little hope creeping back into her eyes as she gazed up at the azure unicorn. “So... you’re good at magic? Does that mean you could teach another pony how to use magic?”
Trixie scoffed, her horn emanating a delicate pinkish light as she levitated her ragged cape and hat off the grass and donned them with expert finesse. “There is absolutely NOTHING Trixie cannot do with her endless talents. She is, after all, the greatest Unicorn in all of Equestria!”
Sweetie Belle’s mouth widened into an ecstatic smile before bowing down before Trixie, pressing her head to the ground before the newcomer who had suddenly become her Celestia-sent savior. “Then you... you could teach me magic! And maybe help me earn my cutie mark! I’ll do anything! Please, please, please teach me!”
Trixie’s face took on a worried expression as she slowly backed away from the younger unicorn and began chuckling anxiously. “Me? You want... but... I-I mean, The Great and Powerful Trixie does not have the time to personally entertain every request that comes her way. She has more... important matters to deal with than a young blank-flanked unicorn filly such as yourself, matters that take her to many faraway places. Now run along and play with your friends, and don’t tell anypony you saw me. Trixie needs her privacy.” Trixie said, gesturing dismissively at Sweetie Belle as she turned away from the young filly. Dealing with Sweetie Belle was starting to look like more trouble than she had intended.
Sweetie’s face had slowly progressed from a hopeful smile into a deep frown as Trixie spoke, frustration building up in her. She could tell what Trixie was trying to do; Rarity had done the same thing many times each time she tried to get her big sister’s attention. Bringing up her friends when she was without them had only added insult to injury. “What?? My sis and Twilight said that nopony can teach another pony magic, that it’s just impossible! But you said you could! That you were the greatest unicorn in Equestria! I don’t believe you! You lied to me!”
“Did you say Twilight? You know Twilight Sparkle? That upstaging, insignificant, smug piece of TRASH!?” Trixie shook her head, clearing the reviled thought of the purple unicorn from her mind before turning around to face Sweetie Belle. Stomping her hooves on the soft ground, Trixie angrily strode up the smaller unicorn, her horn beginning to glow as she tried to control her temper. “You accuse ME of being a liar?! The Great and... Trixie is NOT... I just... Rrrgh!! Who are YOU to talk anyway?! I will be the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria! Anything YOU can do, I can do BETTER! I don’t have to listen to a THING you say!” Trixie shouted, thrusting her face directly in front of Sweetie Belle as she verbally lashed out.
Sweetie Belle cringed away at this outburst, Trixie’s harsh words stinging deep enough to make her eyes tear up. “Of course you don’t have to listen to me. Nopony ever listens to me. I’m just a dumb blank-flank filly. There’s no way I could be as good as you...” Sweetie responded bitterly, sniffling as she turned away and tried not to cry, unable to stare down the older unicorn in front of her no more than she could her older sister Rarity. “You’re just as mean as my big sis...”
Trixie stood there speechless with mixed indignation and shame at being shown up by the younger unicorn, the threatening glow from her horn fading in an instant. She tried to come up with some response to counter the smaller unicorn but couldn’t form the words. Turning away with a frustrated shriek through her clenched teeth and a flash of her cape, she began inwardly cursing herself for her immaturity. I got myself worked up over a little filly wanting to be a grown-up, and now I’m screaming at her? What are you even DOING, Trixie? Maybe I wasn’t being entirely honest about being good at teaching magic, but that’s none of her business! And Twilight... as much as I hate her, it’s not this filly’s fault... Trixie is many things but she is NOT mean to children! I have to save face somehow... but I don’t want to admit I was being boastful either. What do I do?
Sweetie Belle stared hesitantly at the back of Trixie’s cape, waiting for the other unicorn to speak again but dreading it all the same. The once inspiring presence of the azure unicorn felt transformed into one of a more uncaring and hostile creature. She’s just going to yell at me again... but... maybe she won’t...maybe... After waiting for a few moments Trixie still did not shift from her silent, dismissive stance. Lowering her head and sighing, Sweetie Belle turned around and started to walk back towards the clubhouse as she mumbled to herself “At least I’m better at being nice than you are.” ...not that anypony ever got a cutie mark for being nice.
Trixie’s eye twitched involuntarily as Sweetie’s words reached her ears. Oh she did NOT... ! Okay, FINE, buck the consequences! What could possibly happen, I get kicked out of Ponyville again? It can’t be worse than last time. Being a noble patron of... ‘lesser’ ponies is an important part of greatness... right? Trixie is a paragon of greatness, and she is not going to let some filly tell her otherwise. And maybe I can get a decent meal out of this too, I’m tired of apples.
Turning back around, Trixie called out to Sweetie Belle’s retreating form. “Wait! The Great and Powerful Trixie is NOT lacking in generosity, she just... er... has many concerns she must attend to! And she must carefully balance which concerns... need her personal attention.”
Sweetie Belle looked back over her shoulder with furrowed eyebrows at Trixie, still skeptical of the other unicorn’s claims and unsure if she should risk trusting her again after the outburst she had just been subject to. “So? What do you want with me then?”
“Well... it just so happens that The Great and Powerful Trixie is in need of a reprieve from her usual duties. Some of the ponies at her last performance were not... satisfied with the result. Despite Trixie’s superior judgement about how it should have been handled, she decided to remove herself from the public eye for the time being so that--”
“Is that why you’re out here stealing apples?” Sweetie interrupted bluntly. “You shouldn’t eat the ones with the holes in them. Those have worms and caterpillars, you know.”
“Trixie DOES N--” Trixie retorted furiously before catching herself, taking a few deep breaths to calm down before continuing. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will accept your request to become her student during her brief respite here in Ponyville, but only on a few conditions.”
Sweetie Belle turned around completely, sitting her rump down on the grass next to the stream facing Trixie as she listened, wanting to hear what Trixie had to say but still not entirely trusting of the older unicorn. “Okay... like what?”
Trixie glanced upward, rubbing her chin with one hoof thoughtfully. “Well... I will need someplace comfortable and secluded to stay as well as regular meals, and as my student you must fulfill any other need I might have. And in return I will teach you a fraction of the infinite, amazing skill and talent that Trixie possesses.” This won’t be too hard, right? Just get her to levitate a few rocks, maybe show her the really simple tricks and let her struggle with them while I relax... yeah...
Sweetie Belle nodded, hope rising again inside her. “I can get food from Applejack... and I guess you can stay in the clubhouse. But... you’ll really teach me magic?”
Trixie thumped one hoof on her chest, her face becoming stern. “The Great and Powerful Trixie NEVER breaks a promise. NEVER. Such things are a matter of honor. And speaking of promises, under no circumstances are you to EVER tell anypony that The Great and Powerful Trixie is in Ponyville, understood?”
“But why n--”
“PROMISE!”
“I promise, I promise!”
Trixie smiled and nodded her head in satisfaction, her eyes starting to glaze over as she became lost in thought. “Good. Now let’s inspect Trixie’s new dwelling and get settled in. Trixie is tired after her long and arduous travels, and a long hot water bath would be most appealing... then perhaps a nice dinner of fresh seasoned greens and pear wine... followed by a long sleep on cozy satin sheets...”
Sweetie Belle started wondering if maybe the other unicorn was going to be more of a hassle than she was worth as she led the way back to the clubhouse. “Um...hot water? Applejack said not to play with fire on the farm after the last time we...” Sweetie let her voice trail off as Trixie continued talking over her. This is gonna be a long month without you, sis...
-To Be Continued-
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Im_not_sue
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854
| 2 |
Applejack,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Trixie,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie
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Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.
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cancelled
| 194 | 3 |
<p>Sweetie Belle, alone and dejected, comes across The Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ostracized for her prior misdeeds involving the Ursa Minor. Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, giving Sweetie (and perhaps herself as well) both the guidance and companionship she needs.</p><p>This is a S1 fic. Events take place before 'The Return of Harmony, pt 1'.<br/>Writing for this fic began before Season 2, so events do not match canon storylines.</p><p>This fic was featured on Equestria Daily on Oct 18th, 2011</p><p>Title art by:<br/><a href="http://acesential.deviantart.com" rel="nofollow">http://acesential.deviantart.com</a></p><p>Fan art:<br/><a href="http://fav.me/d4ghb33" rel="nofollow">http://fav.me/d4ghb33</a></p>
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teen
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2012-02-04T10:42:24+00:00
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2012-02-04T10:42:24+00:00
| 5,599 |
“There ya go Sweetie, a nice toasty fritter with plenty of glaze an’ some applesauce to cool you down later.” Applejack said as she stepped out from the Apple family kitchen and placed a basket into Sweetie Belle’s wagon. The sun hadn’t yet risen above the hills behind Ponyville, but Applejack was already awake to cook breakfast for the Apple family as she always did. “It’s always nice to see ya bright and early. Are ya sure ya won’t come by for lunch this afternoon with me n’ Granny?”
Sweetie Belle shifted nervously at the question, attaching the the hook of the simple rope harness around her flank to the handle of the wagon holding her breakfast. “Sorry Miss Applejack, I’m not feeling like it today either. Thank you for the food, though.”
Applejack sighed, a worried frown forming on her face. “Sweetie Belle, I’m real worried about ‘cha. When you’re out at the clubhouse day after day all by yourself, I... “
The wheels of the wagon squeaked as Sweetie took a few steps away from the door, hoping to slowly break away before Applejack got the chance to question her too much. Every time Applejack tried to talk to her about her fight with Rarity, she always had to struggle to keep her feelings inside. “I’ll be okay.Miss Applejack. There’s nothing out there to get me in trouble or hurt or anything. You don’t have to worry about me.” she said in a dull tone, avoiding eye contact with the amber earth pony.
“That’s not what I mean, sugarcube...” Applejack said, folding her ears and following after Sweetie Belle in the dim light. “I know I’m not your big sis but... I just want ta help. I don’t like seein’ you like this, no more than I would if you were my little Applebloom... I don’t like seein’ anypony having to suffer hurt all alone.”
Sweetie Belle hung her head, trying to ignore the pangs of guilt in her heart Applejack’s words had caused. “I’m sorry Miss Applejack... I don’t want to talk about it yet.”
Applejack watched helplessly as Sweetie Belle walked away towards the clubhouse, staring at the young filly’s back as she tried to think of what she could possibly do or say. “Well... alrighty then. If you need anythin’ I... I’m always here if you need me Sweetie. Yup. Right here...” she called after Sweetie, sitting back on her rump in somber defeat.
“Um... well actually...” Sweetie said, stopping and looking back at the wagon thoughtfully. Trixie has been complaining about that... maybe I should...
“Yes, sugarcube?”
“Could I get another fritter, maybe? And do you have any other food that’s... well... not apples?” Sweetie asked, making the best innocent smile she could.
Applejack blinked. “...whaddya mean ‘not apples?’ ”
“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”
Chapter 2
An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Im_not_sue (aka Lounge_lizard)
(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)
(Revision v1.0 - 10/16/11)
Sweetie Belle approached the clubhouse on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres that had been her home for the past nine days, and Trixie’s for three. The summer sun was just beginning to shine over the horizon and a light breeze was keeping the morning air cool, much to Sweetie’s satisfaction. Raising her head up and taking a deep breath, she slowed as she came near the clubhouse ramp and tried to make as little noise as possible.
Slipping free of the harness, Sweetie circled around and lifted the covered basket of food from Applejack’s kitchen in her mouth, still warm from the heat of two freshly baked apple fritters and a small stack of apple-free cinnamon flapjacks. Sweetie Belle glanced down at the small ceramic bowl of applesauce that still remained in the wagon and then back up at the clubhouse, knowing she couldn’t take all the food up in one trip.
“Maybe if I could just...” Sweetie Belle mumbled to herself around the handle of the basket, closing her eyes and concentrating on the mental image of the bowl in her head, just as Trixie had told her. The unicorn’s small horn began to faintly glow with a warm pink light as she increased her focus, willing the small container to rise with all her might. “Please...”
Trixie made a noise that could have expressed nothing other than disgust as she sat back from the table, shoving the small plate of barely-eaten apple and almond muffins away from her. “The Great and... whatever. This sickens Trixie. She refuses to eat this... garbage.” she grumbled in annoyance, hair in disarray and deep bags under her eyes attesting to the restless sleep she had woken from.
“What? Why? You said they were okay yesterday, I thought--”
Trixie stood up from her stool, turning her back and walking over to the pile of pillows and cushions that had once belonged to Sweetie Belle, cape fluttering behind her . Wordlessly, she flopped down on the makeshift bed and with a glow of her horn, levitated her hat off the corner of the pile and over her face, the wide brim shielding her eyes from the morning light.
“But... what about today? You said you’d teach me--”
The blue unicorn snorted, dismissively flicking her tail at Sweetie Belle.
“I’m sorry...”
Sweetie Belle sighed, letting her focus slip away with the memory from the previous morning. Turning away from the wagon, she hefted the food basket in her mouth as she trotted up the ramp to the clubhouse. She didn’t need to look to know the bowl hadn’t moved from its location in the small wagon.
With a brush of her front hoof, Sweetie opened the door. The inside of the clubhouse was dark and quiet, the only sounds coming from the fabric of the window drapes rustling in the breeze and the slow, deep breathing of the sleeping unicorn nestled in the pile of cushions against the wall. Taking care not to make any noise, Sweetie Belle lifted the basket up onto the table near the open window, nudging open a corner of the cloth cover with her snout to let the food inside cool. The warm scents of cinnamon-sugar, sweet apples, and fresh dough made Sweetie’s stomach churn uneasily. Leaving the food in the basket, the unicorn filly stepped silently out of the clubhouse and shut the door.
Walking back down the ramp to the wagon, Sweetie Belle grasped the bowl of applesauce in her teeth as she continued down the slope of the hill to the creek, flopping down in her usual spot in the grass under the trees. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she leaned her head down into the bowl and began to reluctantly lap up the applesauce with her small tongue. The simple mush did much better at not upsetting her stomach, and despite her lack of appetite she forced herself to eat all of it, licking every last inch of the bowl clean.
Sweetie Belle lay there for awhile longer, listening to the babbling of the creek and the morning breeze whispering through the leaves. The meaningless noise was a small comfort, enough that she could let her mind drift empty and calm. She could remember a time from when she was still just a foal where she had felt the same as this.
Back before the Carousel Boutique had earned the minor fame it now carried, Rarity would occasionally close the shop and put an old record on the phonograph while she isolated herself in the boutique to work on new designs. Sweetie Belle had long since learned that when Rarity put on music that it meant she wanted silence, a strange habit for a pony who usually talked to herself while she worked. Sweetie Belle remembered spending many evenings after school on a cushion in the corner of her sister’s room watching her big sister silently sketch, snip, and sew together new designs while the mellow piano chords and voices of long-retired mares sang from the cone of the record player.
Sweetie Belle was never particularly rambunctious as a child, always content to just watch what others were doing. Rarity would give her winks and little waves every now and then to let her know she was still there for her, and when Sweetie Belle began to learn to hum along with the songs Rarity would often stop just to listen, never discouraging her younger sister. When the time came for sleep, she would pick up the young foal and carry her off to bed on her back. She could still remember the fragrant scent of the mane shampoo Rarity used back then, as well as the steady sound of her big sister’s heart beating in her chest as she fell asleep, held tightly between Rarity’s forelegs.
Those days never came anymore though. Sweetie Belle had grown old enough that Rarity no longer let her sleep in the same bed with her, and Rarity was always too busy overworking herself to spend much time with sister anymore. That happiness Sweetie used to find with her big sister she now found with Applebloom and Scootaloo. It wasn’t exactly the same since the three were always getting into trouble and going on adventures, but the closeness was there. The other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had always been there for her when she needed it.
“Almost always...” Sweetie muttered as she turned to look back up the hill. She could hear the sounds of movement in the clubhouse, Trixie likely now awake and eating her breakfast.
Trixie stands, but she isn’t anywhere.
It is dark. Trixie looks down, holding up one hoof in front of her face, but she cannot see it. She can feel grass at her feet, but it isn’t alive. A breeze moves past her, but the air it brings is the same as what drifted away. It’s colder, but it isn’t different. It’s the same. Stale.
Trixie tilts her head up. The sky is black. She can see the stars, but they aren’t stars. She can only see the ones daddy put in the sky, so they can’t be stars. The moon is full, but there is no light. It stings her eyes to look up at the sky for so long, so she looks away. The horizon glows with the orange color of twilight from every direction, silhouetting trees that exist an infinite distance away. The light grows ever closer as time passes, but it is hard to tell. It is the only light Trixie can see.
“Trixie!”
Something is wrong. It hurts to be here. Her chest feels tighter every second, like she can’t breathe, like there isn’t air for her to breathe at all. Trixie doesn’t want to be here anymore, but there is nowhere to run. Trixie lifts her foreleg and tries to take a step, but she can’t move. She feels something brush her side. The touch is paralyzing. It scares her, makes her doubt herself, doubt if she can really do it.
Why? What am I afraid of? What am I going to do?
Trixie turns to see what it is. A pair of green eyes looks up at her. The eyes are innocent, but they seem afraid. When they close to blink, Trixie’s heart lurches in her chest because she might not see them ever open again. This isn’t right. None of this is right. The eyes are supposed to be yellow. She is supposed to look up at them, not the other way around. She knows these eyes, though. They are Trixie’s eyes.
But... they can’t be my eyes. My eyes aren’t green...
It’s getting so hard to breathe. There’s not much time left, she has to hurry. That’s not right either. She’s supposed to feel safe, not terrified. The orange light in the sky is getting closer.
The pony with the green eyes brushes her side again, insistently. Its eyes are filled with so much fear, so much pleading. The pony says something to her, but it’s Trixie’s voice that speaks.
“Please don’t leave me alone.”
Trixie can’t breathe at all anymore. Her body panics as she starts choking. The ground suddenly begins to crumble away beneath her. Trixie loses her footing, scattering all sense of balance as she plummets headfirst into an abyss. Grey chains attached to manacles on her hooves and neck stream down with her into the darkness as she falls, the only tether to the vanishing world above. She can see the orange glow consume it like fire, each star in the sky melting as they are devoured by the hideous light.
She has been torn away from the green eyes. It feels like her heart has been torn out of her chest instead. Trixie tries to scream, it hurts so much.
Black bleeds into lavender, ocean, sky, pure white--
Trixie’s eyes shot open, her mind springing out the nightmare a fraction of a second before her falling body struck the wooden floor of the clubhouse. Landing hard on her side, Trixie groaned out a few choice curses, kicking her hind legs to push herself away from the hill of cushions she had toppled from as well as the dream visions she had seen while resting there.
Lifting herself up from the floor, Trixie glanced around groggily as she rubbed her sore ribs with one hoof. “Okay... that ending was different. Why am I always dreaming that stupid dream though... ugh... And where’s my hat...” The unicorn muttered to herself.
She had spent the first two days since meeting Sweetie Belle in the clubhouse sleeping, having not had a proper home of her own to sleep in the two months that had passed after the Ursa Minor incident. Word had quickly spread since that mishap that Trixie’s reputation was a complete fabrication, and that the Ursa’s attack had caused major damage and threatened the lives of many ponies. Every town she had tried to visit between Ponyville and the outskirts of Manehattan had made it clear that she was not welcome. Sleeping in the wilderness between towns for so long had made Trixie an uneasy sleeper, and it had taken some time to re-adapt.
A little anxiety began to stir in her upon finding her signature headpiece slightly crumpled from her fall -- She must have landed on top of it. Lifting the purple wizard’s hat with her magic, Trixie furrowed her eyes in concentration and began to smooth out the creases and wrinkles. Satisfied, Trixie tilted the hat and peered inside. Tucked into the inner rim at the front was a rectangle of glossy paper, the sepia-tone photo worn at the top corner where months of rubbing from a unicorn’s horn had erased all color. Trixie sighed a little relief at finding the photograph undamaged, taking a moment to gently slip it out of its hideaway.
On the photograph were two unicorns, a middle-aged stallion with three comets adorning his flank and a very young filly still without her cutie mark. Both father and daughter smiled happily as they posed on a hilltop for the photographer. Trixie always tried to remember that day, but somehow it was one that had never made it into her precious trove of memories. She couldn’t even remember where it was.
“Dad...” Trixie whispered to herself as stared at the photo for a long moment. Her father had always been there when she was woken by nightmares, or monsters under the bed, or anything her little filly mind had feared in their Manehattan apartment those many years ago. She felt safe, tucked between his strong forelegs in his bed when the shadows made it too scary to return to her room. When he whispered in her tiny ears that he would protect her, nothing could have convinced her otherwise. He was her hero, and nopony in the world was greater than he was.
Trixie tried to choke back a sob as she tucked the photograph back into its safe place inside her hat. Taking a deep breath, she lifted one hoof to her cheek as she wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to force a happy smile on her face. Those were happy times, Trixie. He made you happy. Happy ponies don’t cry... and neither does the Great and Powerful Trixie. She’ll be the greatest unicorn in Equestria. Just like you, dad.
Levitating the hat back onto her head, Trixie took a moment to compose herself before trotting over to the table near the window. Small tendrils of steam rose from the basket resting there, the smell of apples and dough intensifying as Trixie brushed the cloth aside. Two apple fritters and a stack of four flapjacks rested inside -- too much food for one pony. A careful inspection of the flapjacks by the discerning mare identified them as apple-free
“Because of yesterday, huh...” Trixie said, tapping her lips thoughtfully with one hoof, her frown turning into a smug smile. Maybe I let my morning moodiness go a little far but hey, I got what I wanted right? Three whole days of rest, regular meals, maybe the sponge bath was mediocre but at least it was bath. All for just giving that foal some little magic-training exercises you did in your first year and sending her off to practice on her own. You really outdid yourself this time Trixie. Anyway...
A few minutes later Trixie flopped back on the bed of cushions with a satisfied sigh and a full stomach. She had devoured most of both fritters and the entire stack of flapjacks, gluttony winning over her aversion to the continued consumption of apples. Satiation felt wonderful. Good food was one of the things Trixie missed about her short stint of fame. Before it ended, before Twilight Sparkle had...
Trixie sat forward again, her mood instantly dampened by the thought. Always Twilight, ruining everything. My fame, my reputation... my life. Even my breakfast. Twilight, twilight... why is that familiar.? Oh yeah, the dream... was that pony her? Or... maybe me? Twilight’s eyes aren’t green either though, not that I could ever forget her face. Then who? Was it even the same dream? It felt so different. Dad wasn’t even there...
The unicorn’s lavender eyes drifted to the table and the scattered crumbs from her morning meal. Too much food for one pony. Where is Sweetie Belle...? She had every meal with me the last three days, except yesterday when I... Trixie winced as a spasm of guilt lanced through her. She probably can’t even figure out that exercise I gave her if she can’t cast magic yet... and meanwhile I make her my slave and brush her off when she comes begging for help. I might’ve done it on my third try, but I had way more talent at that age than she does. Way to go Trixie, showing off how great you are by abusing a kid. I should’ve at least tried. Dad would be ashamed. He never gave up on me...
Closing her eyes with a sigh, Trixie’s horn began to glow as she focused on the mental image of the room in front of her. A brush levitated from the saddlebag of vanities Sweetie had fetched for her on the second day and began to run its teeth through the unicorn’s hair. The remaining half of the apple fritter lifted itself back into the basket with the used dishes. The windows slid fully open to catch the end of the cool morning breeze before the temperature rose. Finally, the bed of cushions sorted itself back into an orderly stack... with a few more floating over to the opposite corner of the room to join the two small cushions that had been Sweetie Belle’s new sleeping spot after Trixie had taken her old one.
Her work complete, Trixie strode confidently to the door, scooping up the basket in her mouth along the way. Okay Trixie, lets just play this confidently. No need to apologize or anything. You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie. You promised you’d help her so it’s time to pony up, but you’re still the one in control. Just walk out there and... teach her some magic. And try not to intimidate her too much. Dear Celestia, please make this easy...
Sweetie Belle watched intently as Trixie stepped out from the clubhouse and walked down the slope of the hill toward her resting place by the creek, the blue unicorn’s expression devoid of anything resembling happiness. She shifted uneasily in the grass, a knot forming in her stomach as she waited for Trixie to reach her. Did I wake her up? Is she angry because of the food? What did I do wrong? Please don’t be mad again, I’m trying...
Trixie sat down on her haunches a few feet to Sweetie Bell’s side, dropping the basket between them and looking straight ahead across the creek. Sweetie waited for the older unicorn to speak, worried of what she might say. She said nothing. A minute passed quietly.
“Are you... mad at me?” Sweetie asked meekly, unable to endure the continued silence. “Did I do something wrong?”
The older unicorn slid the basket with the remaining food across the grass towards Sweetie Belle. “Eat.”
Sweetie blinked in confusion. “But... what?”
“You can’t expect the Great and Powerful Trixie to have enough patience to teach you anything if you’re going to waste her time being distracted by hunger. So eat up.”
“O-okay...” Sweetie Belle responded, reaching into the basket with her mouth and scarfing down the rest of the half-eaten fritter inside. She’s not mad? She’s actually going to teach me something today?
Trixie shook her hat off onto the grass as stood up and walked down to the creek, returning a few seconds later with wet hooves and a few stones in her mouth. Sweetie Belle sat up in surprise as the older unicorn dropped the stones on the ground in front of her.
“What are these for? I thought you were supposed--”
“Have you been practicing those exercises I taught you?” Trixie said sternly, giving the filly an expectant glare.
Sweetie Belle winced. “I... I’ve tried but--”
“Show me. Lift the rock.” Trixie sat down and brushed one of the smooth stones in front of Sweetie with her hoof.
The unicorn filly backed away from the rock slowly, panic filling her at the thought of disappointing the pony that held her hopes. “I can’t... ”
Trixie stamped on hoof on the soft ground insistently, her voice stern as she reprimanded the younger unicorn. “If you refuse to show what you have learned then Trixie can teach you nothing. Either do as Trixie says or stop wasting her time.”
Sweetie nodded nervously, looking down at the rock in front of her, the small thing so intimidating it might as well have been Mount Celestia itself. Closing her eyes, Sweetie pictured the rock lying in the grass in front of her, focusing intently on the image in her mind as Trixie had instructed her on the first day. She had said that it was an exercise most unicorn learned early on to improve their focus, but...
“Sweetie, you are trying my patience. You are coming with me out of this rain and we are going home, NOW!”
“NO! I’m running away, and you can’t stop me! I don’t need you sis, I don’t need ANYPONY! I’ll pr--”
The summer thunderstorm muffled the sound of the older unicorn slapping her sister across the face.
“No, no, no, please--!” Sweetie Belle whimpered as the memory invaded her thoughts. Her eyes shot open, the soft pink glow of magic on her horn and the rock flickering and fading and she lost hold on her concentration. Panic built inside her again as she looked up at the unicorn looming over her. She’s going to tell me I should give up, that I’m too young, that I’m not meant to do magic. And then she’ll leave because I’m not important to her either. She’ll leave and I’ll be alone again. Not again, please not again!
Trixie had been watching intently from start to finish, an unmistakable feeling of deja vu creeping over her. She felt the hum of Sweetie Belle’s magic in her horn as the rock glowed and felt it fade when the filly lost her focus. When Sweetie’s gaze met her own, Trixie recoiled in shock. Wait... why is... her eye color, it’s... why didn’t I see it before? And that fear, she’s terrified... of me? It’s just like my dream. I was dreaming about her?
Sweetie Belle took this as a sign of rejection, and could no longer contain herself. She began to cry, tears running down her cheeks as she sunk to the ground, eyes still locked on her teacher. “I-I-I’m sorry... every t-time I try I get these h-h-horrible thoughts and they w-won’t go away... j-just please, don’t go... I w-wa-wanna learn, it’s just so hard... please d-don’t leave me alone!”
Trixie blushed, stunned and unsure of why Sweetie Belle had reacted so strongly, but feeling guilt for being focus of the filly’s distress all the same. “Wh-what? I’m not going anywhere. I... why would you even think that?”
“B-because everypony does! Nopony thinks I-I’m important, so they all leave! Mom and dad, my big sis, even my... even my f-friends! I hate being alone, I hate it so much! E-every time I try to use m-magic, it’s all I can think about. I hate it....” Sweetie stuttered between sobs, her head sinking into the grass as she lost her voice to her crying.
“But I never said I was going to leave...” Trixie objected, extending one hoof. The distressed filly continued crying, oblivious to her mentor’s protests. Glancing at her wizard’s hat where it lay on the grass, Trixie’s mind drifted to the photo inside. I remember her mentioning her sister before, but her parents... was she abandoned? Did she run away? Either way she’s alone out here. She must really care what I think of her, and now she’s clinging to me because she doesn’t have anypony else. I promised to help her, and she’s terrified I’m going to abandon her because she failed just now. I have to do something...
Trixie stepped uncertainly through the grass and sat down in front of Sweetie Belle, startling her as she wrapped her neck behind the small filly in a gentle embrace. Sweetie could do little more than stammer a few syllables of an objection before Trixie shushed her to silence, stroking the terrified filly’s mane with her chin. Sweetie Belle burst out into fresh tears, clinging to the older unicorn as she let out her her pent up emotions.
I know what it’s like to feel abandoned, I was kind of the same after dad... went away. Nopony should have to suffer that kind of loneliness.
Gradually Sweetie’s sobbing slowed as she began to calm down. Without lifting her head free from stroking Sweetie’s mane, Trixie began to speak softly. “Trixie has-- No, I have a story I think you should hear. It’s a story my father told me when I was about as old as you are now. Would you like to listen?”
Sweetie Belle nodded, shivering and wiping her tears on Trixie’s neck.
“The story begins like this...
Once upon a time there were two unicorn, a father and his daughter. The mother had passed away when the filly was born, leaving the two ponies very sad. They both felt very alone, but they knew they still had each other. So the two unicorn decided that they would strive to be the best unicorn that ever lived, so they would always be together. The father worked hard every day to take care of his daughter. He was strong, proud, and brave. No matter what, he always knew how to make her happy. When she cried or was afraid, he was there for her. They didn’t have the nicest house or fancy food, but his daughter didn’t care. To her, he became the best unicorn in all of Equestria.
The little filly worked hard every day too, learning in school and trying so hard to grow up as fast as she could. But no matter what she did, she always wasn’t good enough. Her letters and numbers were poor and she couldn’t make any friends. She couldn’t use magic very well, even though she had her cutie mark. More than anything this little filly wanted to become good at using her magic so she could make her dad smile. She looked around and saw that every other pony was better than she was, and that hurt her more than anything. She began to cry because she felt like she would never be able to keep her promise to her dad and become the best just like he was.
The father saw his daughter and asked her, ‘Sweetheart, why are you crying?’
‘Because,’ she said, ‘No matter what, I always fail. Nothing I do is good enough, everypony is better than me. I’ll never be able to be the best for you.’
The father hugged his daughter and whispered in her ear, ‘It doesn’t matter if everypony else is better at letters or numbers, or has more friends, or even that they are better at magic. What matters is that what you do is important to someone special, no matter how big or small. You are the only thing that is truly special to me, and that is why you will always be the best unicorn in the world. Because you are my daughter, and I love you.’
“...and that’s the end." Trixie whispered. She held the small filly against her as a few minutes passed in silence. I wonder if this is what you felt like every time you comforted me in your arms and told me that story. It’s been years since I felt that way... I hope I told it right, dad.
“I understand, I think.” Sweetie Belle said, quietly. She had stopped shaking and her crying had diminished to only the occasional sniffle, but she still clung to the older unicorn tightly. “But I don’t know if--”
“I said I was going to teach you how to use magic, and I will. I’m not going to abandon you. When Trixie makes a promise, she always keeps it. No matter what. Okay?” Trixie said, her voice kind yet determined as she released Sweetie from the hug.
“Okay.” Sweetie responded, rubbing her eyes with one hoof. She took a shuddering breath and looked up at the other unicorn, a small smile breaking through the sadness. “Thank you... Trixie.”
“D-don’t mention it. Trixie would do the same for anypony.” Trixie replied, shifting uncomfortably and looking away. “Now, Trixie would like to see you try your magic again. Don’t worry about lifting the rock this time, just try ‘holding’ it as long as you can. If your concentration stays then you can try, but it doesn’t matter if you succeed or not, just... show me. I’ll use my magic to see if I can help.”
“I don’t think I’ll do any better but okay. I will.” Sweetie said, a little spirit returning to her eyes. “Just do the same as last time?”
Trixie nodded, moving the rock into to place once again. “Yes, just as last time.”
“Okay... here goes.” Sweetie closed her eyes and tried to bring forth her magic for the third time that day. Small lines formed on her face as she frowned in concentration, imagining holding the rock still like hold a pencil in her mouth, her horn beginning to glow with magic. “O-okay, I’m holding it. I think.”
Trixie nodded wordlessly and leaned her head down, her horn hovering inches above the pink glow surrounding the rock. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her own magical senses. Okay, gently Trixie. Let’s not startle her or make her nervous. Hmm... well, this feels right. Her magic is all over this rock even if it’s not very strong, so it’s not that she can’t use magic. It feels like... still water.
“Trixie... I can’t see, y-your horn is in the way.” Sweetie Belle grunted, her hooves shuffling in the grass as steadied herself and struggled to concentrate.
“What do you mean? Trixie thought she told you to keep your eyes closed, you shouldn’t be able to see--” Trixie said, looking up. They were closed. “Sweetie, I’m going to try some things. Just keep concentrating on the rock as normal. Don’t say anything back, just focus.” Sweetie grunted in response.
Taking her hoof, Trixie nudged the rock as if to roll it over. Her hoof made almost no noise as the two came in contact, and the rock barely moved at all. It’s like the rock doesn’t want to move. She’s definitely doing some sort of magic here, but what kind of magic is it? It’s obvious that levitation is not in her repertoire, but even then holding an object still could be one of hundeds of kinds of magic. I can see why most don’t even try to teach magic to unicorn this young... what am I going to do?
“I’m losing it again... nnnggh...!” Sweetie Belle said with a grunt as the magic glow faded. Reaching up with her font hooves, Sweetie winced as she prodded at her horn and temples. “Ow, ow, ow. My horn hurts, my whole head hurts. It’s like Scootaloo crashed into my face with her scooter. Owww....”
Trixie giggled a little at the filly’s condition, despite herself. “I assume you haven’t usually done this much magic in one day? It’s normal to feel that way when unicorn over-exert themselves casting magic. I’m not surprised, you are still a filly after all.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head slowly, trying not to give herself more of a headache. “I always failed whenever I tried so I usually gave up. I tried once this morning too. Wait... magic? But the rock didn’t move, I didn’t use any--”
“But you did,” Trixie interrupted, smiling confidently down at the hope-filled filly. “I cannot tell what kind, but you were definitely using magic. Whatever your talent is, using your magic to move things isn’t part of it, at least not easily.”
“You mean it? I really was-- Applejack!” Sweetie Belle’s body stiffened like a board, her eyes wide as she looked past Trixie’s shoulder. Standing at the top of the slope leading to the clubhouse stood the orange-tan earth pony, not more than few yards behind Trixie.
“I don’t know what the hay you think yer doin’ back in Ponyville, but you’d best step away from Sweetie Belle. If you’ve even touched a hair on her head, I will buck you outta here so hard you’ll regret you ever crawled outta whatever snake-hole you’ve been hidin’ in.”
Trixie’s heart froze in dread. It was bad enough that she had been discovered, but for it to be the one pony who cared for her the least of any Trixie had ever met did not bode well.
Sweetie Belle walked forward, the earth pony’s reaction to Trixie’s presence frightening her. “Applejack, I-I can explain! This is my new friend, Trixie! She was just--”
“And you, little missy, I don’t want to hear a word of it!” Applejack snapped as she turned to Sweetie Belle, her face conflicting between anger and disappointment. “I thought I could trust you and you’ve been hidin’ things from me! Cheerilee says you haven’t shown up to summer daycare for three days and then I have to hear it from your sister, who thinks I’ve gone an’ left you starving in a ditch somewhere! Then I come ‘round to see what yer up to and SHE is here?”
“Why, is that a problem?” Trixie snapped derisively as she spun around. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is allowed to go where she pleases. She has not broken any laws of trespass, nor is she in the town proper, so--”
“That’s a load of horseapples. You’re not allowed’ta be in Ponyville anymore, and you know it! And sure as I am a citizen of this town you’cn believe that means my property as well. You better git before I exercise my lawful rights to remove you from it by force. And I said not a word from you, Sweetie!” Applejack interrupted before the filly could speak, point down at Sweetie with one hoof. “You’re staying with me at the house from now on an’ I am not lettin’ you outta my sight! No buts!”
“...as if some peon like you could make Trixie do anything.” Trixie muttered under her breath as she sneered, turning her back on the earth pony again disdainfully. Sweetie Belle was looking up at her, clearly distressed by the direction the confrontation was going.
Applejack stomped her hoof on the ground and lowered her head menacingly at the challenge, but then began to smirk. “Oh yeah? Well maybe I should jus’ call Twilight over and she can take care of you jus’ like the last time you decided to come back. And fer what, a silly hat an’ cape? I wasn’t there but I heard you got flank whipped pretty darn badly in that fight. It’s too bad, I’dve liked to see you get yer comeuppance.”
Trixie looked ready to burst from anger, and only Sweetie Belle’s intervening hooves on her chest prevented her from charging Applejack right then and there. “Twilight? TWILIGHT?! Is that all you can do, hide behind her like a coward? She had things of mine that she had NO right to look at! I was getting back what was mine, but she decided that wasn’t good enough! She dug up my life like it was some plaything for her to toy with and study! And then she presumed to lecture ME on the ‘kind of mare I had grown up to be’ and tell ME how I should live my life! I’ll never forgive her for as long as I live!”
“I’m sure whatever the spat with her was about, she had the right thing in mind. Unlike SOME ponies, we can actually trust 'er when she expects us to believe somethin’! If Twi wasn’t around when you were spinnin’ your tales about the Ursa, we mighta not even had a Ponyville to kick ya out of the second time. It’s liars like you that get ponies hurt, not that lyin’ had anythin’ to do with the mess you made then.” Applejack taunted, continuing the verbal antagonism.
Sweetie Belle could sense the rage peaking inside of Trixie as she struggled to hold the older unicorn back. “Please, Applejack, stop! She’s not here to do anything mean, I promise! She’s going to teach me magic! She’s alread--”
“Sweetie, you listen here, I--” Applejack began.
Sweetie Belle’s horn began to flare brightly with magic, her words piercing as she shrieked at Applejack. The sound of her voice reverberated through the area louder than would ever be possible for a filly her size, making the other ponies wince back in surprise and pain. “No! You listen! Trixie never did anything to hurt me, and I won’t let you hurt her either! So just... stop... just STOP IT! She’s my friend, and I... I...”
Sweetie Belle stumbled dizzily for moment. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she lost her balance and collapsed, the glow on her horn winking out as quickly as it had appeared. Trixie caught the filly with her front legs and carefully lowered her down onto the grass.
Applejack galloped down the slope, glaring venomously at Trixie. “If this is yer doin’ or if she’s hurt any way else I swear I’ll... just...”
“She just fainted. She’ll be fine when she wakes up.” Trixie said, brushing the hair from Sweetie’s eyes. “She’s had a tiring morning, physically and emotionally. I don’t think our fighting helped.”
“And when she started shoutin’, did you--”
“I have no idea, I certainly didn’t teach her that. I don’t care if you believe me or not, she wasn’t lying about me teaching her. I never did anything to hurt her. I swear it.” Trixie responded, staring Applejack dead in the eye.
Applejack recoiled slightly at Trixie’s glare. “E-even if that’s true, what she said about you two bein’ friends... I’ve never seen Sweetie act so defensive like that before. She can’t really think of you as her...” Applejack looked away and sighed in frustration, all the vitriol of the earlier fight gone from her voice. “Why are’ya even here, Trixie?”
“I was-- I... I don’t know! I was just passing through, but I met this little filly. I was just going to use her to get some shelter at first but she wanted my help and I... I... didn’t like how she seemed alone. I just wanted to help her.” Trixie said as looking down at the sleeping Sweetie Belle, her voice fading. I'm standing here worrying about some filly I barely know. Is she really why I’m still here now? Not because I’m still bitter over everything? Because I want revenge on these ponies, on Twilight? I thought that’s what I wanted, more than anything... why am I not so sure anymore?
“You wanted... ta help her?” Applejack said, her mouth hanging open slightly in disbelief. “But why? That’s not like you at all. You’re the ‘Great and Powerful Trixie,’ best unicorn in all of Equestria an’ all that. You don’t care about anypony but yerself.”
“I-I just... I care about her.” Trixie stammered, her voice choking up as she looked up at Applejack. ...because she reminds me of myself when I was her age. I haven’t cared about anypony but myself in a long time. But Sweetie Belle, she makes me feel... different. I shouldn’t care, it would be easier not to care. But when she looks at me like that... my heart just can’t take it. I don’t want to remember feeling alone like that again.
Applejack turned her head away and sighed, closing her eyes as she spoke. “Yeah... ah know. I overheard the story... the one ya said yer dad told. I knew Sweetie wasn’t lyin’ either. I jus’... had to hear you say it, that’s all.”
Trixie looked up at the earth pony in surprise. “Story? You were watching when--?”
“Yes... I saw enough of it anyway. I didn’t want’ta believe that you could be kind. Sweetie Belle wouldn’t ever open up ta me like that no matter how much I tried. She was always jus’ cold as a stone.” Applejack paused, finding it her own turn to hang her head in shame. “I just wanted you to be the storybook villain I thought of you as. The one who didn’t care about how her lyin’ hurt other ponies, and who got in a fight with Twilight because she’s just a mean ‘ol mare who hates good ponies like us, and would only make friends with Sweetie Belle to hurt her so ya could get back at us somehow. But you weren’t lyin’ when you were comfortin’ Sweetie, and honest to apples I can tell you haven’t been lyin’ to me now. I wanted to ignore it. I tried but... I can’t. I’m not the kind of pony that can do that, much as it would be a mite convenient.”
Trixie stared wordlessly back at Applejack, then down at Sweetie Belle’s sleeping form, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. But... aren’t I just like that? My whole life since I lost dad, I didn't care about what I did to anypony else. I had to be the best even if I lied or hurt other ponies. But with Sweetie Belle... I can’t do it. Why not? I’ve done it all my life, but now it just feels wrong. Everything feels wrong...
“Look, I-- ugh.” Applejack grimaced, falling back on her hind legs. “Why did you have to come back Trixie? You’ve made it all a big ol’ mess again like you always do. I could care less what somepony decides to do with their life, you most of all. Sure, maybe yer turnin’ over a new leaf in your life. I don’t know, even with this you’ve done a lot of bad things that I have a hard time forgivin’. Twi always said we should’a given you another chance, that you weren’t the pony we thought you were. Maybe Sweetie Belle's willin' to give you that chance, but she ain't the best judge of character, and she's young besides. She just wants a friend, and I'm afraid to see what happens when she finds out what kinda friend you might turn out’ta can be. She doesn’t deserve that kinda pain.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come back.” Trixie said softly, her voice distant as if was replying to someone other than Applejack. Her mane fell over her eyes as she hung her head. She’s right. Why am I bringing Sweetie Belle into this? I can’t decide if I want revenge or if everything has been a mistake. I don’t want to just abandon her either now, I can’t. She’s the only pony other than dad that’s ever made me feel like... like I was actually important to somepony. When I saw her in my dream and then this morning, it felt like she really needed me. But-- No, she’s not my dad, she’ll never be my dad. Its not the same. All I’m doing is teaching her magic. Is this all because of a stupid dream? Dear Celestia, I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore...
Applejack blinked in surprise at Trixie’s unexpected reaction. Biting her lip, Applejack thought for a moment and then continued. “But at the same time... horsefeathers, I can’t believe I’m even sayin’ this... if somepony’d told me a week ago that I’d find The Great and Powerful Trixie squattin’ on my property, bonding with my friend’s sister, apologizin’ to me and carin’ about anypony other than herself... I’dda told her she was the worst fortune-teller in Equestria. But plain as day, here I am.”
“Trixie, I don’t know if I can trust you just yet. You did a lot of bad things before. But Sweetie Belle... it seems like you help her when other ponies can’t, and I can’t ignore that. I don’t care if ya plan on teachin’ her magic or just bein’ her friend or whatever, just promise me one thing.” Applejack said, looking Trixie dead in the eye. “Promise that no matter what, you will not break Sweetie Belle’s heart with this. I don’t care if you hate me or Twilight or any of the rest of us ponyfolk. Just don’t make Sweetie Belle suffer for whatever you’re goin’ through. Nopony deserves to be hurt just ‘cause some other pony is trying to escape from what they’ve made of their own life... her least of all.” Applejack paused, looking to the side as if the thought reminded her of someone else before turning back to Trixie. “Promise me that.”
Trixie was still unsure of what to make of the confusion in her head, but nodded with solemn honesty. “I swear... I won’t.”
Applejack nodded back. Straightening her hat with one hoof, she turned and started walking back up the hill. “Alrighty then. Ah don’t know what I’m gonna tell Miss Cheerilee or Rarity, but I’ll think’a somethin’. And I’ll be back every now and then to keep ‘an eye on you. Don’t think I’m not watchin’.”
“Applejack?”
“Yes?” Applejack stopped and looked back.
“Is Rarity...?”
Applejack nodded. “Sweetie Belle’s older sister, the one whose hair you fussed up when you first came here. She practically Sweetie’s mom but they... had a fight, so I’m watchin’ her fer now. They haven’t talked in a while. Any other questions ‘fore I go?”
Trixie turned away from Applejack as she spoke. “Just one more thing. If you could, please don’t say... her name anymore. I don’t like what it reminds me of.”
“Alrighty, I understand. And I won’t tell her yer here neither. As long as you show me I can trust you, I won’t tell nopony. I need some time to think this through ‘fore I decide.”
“Thank you...”
“Take care of Sweetie Belle. If she wakes up in time, you both are free to come by for supper.”
“I will. I promise”
-To Be Continued-
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Im_not_sue
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854
| 3 |
Applejack,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Trixie,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie
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Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.
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cancelled
| 194 | 3 |
<p>Sweetie Belle, alone and dejected, comes across The Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ostracized for her prior misdeeds involving the Ursa Minor. Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, giving Sweetie (and perhaps herself as well) both the guidance and companionship she needs.</p><p>This is a S1 fic. Events take place before 'The Return of Harmony, pt 1'.<br/>Writing for this fic began before Season 2, so events do not match canon storylines.</p><p>This fic was featured on Equestria Daily on Oct 18th, 2011</p><p>Title art by:<br/><a href="http://acesential.deviantart.com" rel="nofollow">http://acesential.deviantart.com</a></p><p>Fan art:<br/><a href="http://fav.me/d4ghb33" rel="nofollow">http://fav.me/d4ghb33</a></p>
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teen
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2012-02-04T10:42:48+00:00
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2012-02-04T10:42:48+00:00
| 6,070 |
“I’ll move my royal guard here, capturing your other pegasus. And um... checkmate.”
“When did... this isn’t possible! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t lose this many times in a row, especially not to a kid!” Trixie groaned, bringing her hoof down on the game board, shaking the pieces and knocking some into the grass by the stream.
“So...” Sweetie Belle said expectantly.
“Fine. Here, just have them all. I’ve lost enough already.” Trixie sighed as she rubbed her head with one hoof, levitating the bowl of wrapped apple candies Applejack had given the two and upending it into Sweetie’s matching bowl in defeat.
“And later tonight you’ll...?”
“Yes, I’ll brush and comb your mane as I promised.”
“And I can...?”
“Yes, yes, alright! You can have all the pillows you want from my bed tonight, and the blankets too.. Just don’t rub it in anymore.”
“Yes! Sweetie Belle is once again the chess playing champion of Ponyville! Undefeated of the east orchard! Master of the-- ” Sweetie froze mid-sentence, turning to see Trixie giving her a very unamused stare. Taking a moment to glance at her flank but finding no new cutie mark for her success, she smiled back sheepishly at the older unicorn. ”Um... sorry.”
Trixie rolled her eyes, resting her chin glumly on the tree stump between the two ponies as she levitated the game pieces back into their box, followed by the board, and finally sealing it with the lid before setting it to the side with a a stack of other boxes. “I do believe that exhausts all our boardgames to defeat Trixie at? It would appear that they are not your special talent either, although she finds your skill uncanny.”
“There’s a pony in my class at school named Snails who I used to play with a lot. He’s really good at them ‘cause he takes a long time to think about his moves. I almost never win against him... although he forgets which color he’s playing sometimes.” Sweetie Belle replied. “But we still had fun, right? It looked like you were having fun!”
Trixie shifted uncomfortably in the grass, looking away from Sweetie Belle with an upturned snout. “Trixie... may enjoy these mental diversions from time to time, and assisting you in finding your special talent is not without its merits as well. But enough of this, we have been playing all morning and it is time for your practice.”
Sweetie Belle’s expectant smile faded, quickly replaced by a pout. “Can’t you teach me something more magical instead of making me practice all the time? I’m tired of just ‘holding’ rocks or whatever you say I’m doing. It doesn’t even feel like magic!”
“Practice is what separates the masters of unicorn magic, such as The Great and Powerful Trixie, from the dabblers and braggarts! Trixie became as good as she is now only through unwavering devotion to her skills.” Trixie said, waving her hoof for emphasis. “There has not been a single day in her life that she did not strive for the greatness she now possesses. Understandably not every pony can be as great as Trixie, but if you wish to be the student of such a brilliant unicorn you should show some modicum of devotion yourself.”
“Okaaaay.” Sweetie responded with disappointment. Standing up, she trotted back up to the clubhouse to retrieve the bucket of small rocks, marbles, and other objects Trixie had designated for practice. Pausing midway, she turned and looked back at the other unicorn, chewing at her lip in hesitation before speaking. “Um... Trixie?
“Yes?” Trixie responded, looked up from the tree stump.
“I’m glad you’re my friend.” Sweetie Belle said, smiling softly.
“I... I’m glad too.”
“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”
Chapter 3
An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Im_not_sue (aka Lounge_lizard)
(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)
(Revision v1.1 -- 11/16/2011)
A knock came at the door of Ponyville’s fashion-famous Carousel Boutique one day at the end of summer. A heavy overcast had begun to fill the sky, the weather patrol having brought together many clouds to increase the chance of rain and begin the seasonal change to cooler weather. It was just past noon, but the sign in the dimly lit window of the boutique had already been turned over to show the words ‘Please come again’ in elegant cursive script. Sounds of music echoing out of a record player could be heard inside, notes of a lone piano echoing elegant and melancholy inside.
Seconds passed as the request from the front door of boutique went unanswered, the whole of the building quiet aside from the music. In the back room of the shop Rarity stood in front of her worktable, unmoving and silent, her mouth hanging open in a small but sad frown. Front hooves rested limply upon a half-stitched cut of fabric as it in front of her, the cloth frozen in its journey through the sewing machine. Her eyes stared off into space past her work to a small worn pillow
resting on the floor under the window, the few early afternoon sunbeams cast through the glass giving it a delicate beauty. It had been by no means been Rarity’s finest creation, but the pony that had received it had loved it all the same. The pillow was empty now, though, and had been for a long time.
The knock came again, a little stronger this time, accompanied by some murmur that sounded familiar. Rarity looked down at the sewing machine in front of her and blinked slowly, her eyes stinging from dryness. Reaching up with a hoof to rub at her tired eyes, she found a small damp trail running down her cheek, making her pause. What have I been doing ? Was I... crying?
Her mind began to slowly wake back up as the knock came for a third time, startling her off her worktable. Shaking her head to clear the mental fog, she trotted over to the inner door separating the front and back rooms of the boutique, holding it open for her to call though. "I'm sorry, we're closed," Rarity responded to the visitor at her door, her voice croaking as she broke into a dry, rattling cough. "The new hours are on the sign or by appointment only, please come back tomorrow!”
“Rarity, its me AJ, open up! We need’ta talk about Sweetie Belle.” The brown earth pony’s voice was muffled as she continued to pound on the door with her hoof.
“A... Applejack? I’m sort of busy right now dearie, can’t this wait till some other day? I... I’m sure whatever it is can wait till then. How about tomorrow at...” The white unicorn nervously glanced over her shoulder and into the workroom to the shelf where her scheduler lay open to the current month. Every single entry on the page had been scribbled out, erased, or canceled. “...ten-thirty in the morning? I’m just too busy to do it any other time with all my orders and appointments. Its my only opening and you have to catch me right before I close or I’ll --”
Appearing at one of the windows at the back of the shop, Applejack pressed her face against the glass, smudging it as she glared inside at the unsuspecting unicorn. “Nuh-uh, missy. Right here, right now.”
Rarity jumped in surprise, turning to face the pony that had appeared behind her with one hoof tucked against her chest. She blinked hard and squinted, her eyes heavy and swollen from lack of sleep. “Applejack! Don’t you know better than to peep in on a... lady...” Rarity said, her voice trailing off as her gaze fell to the pillow resting below the window, her thoughts drifting back to her earlier reminiscence.
“Now, Rarity! I’ll buck down your door if I have to!” Applejack shouted back through the glass, clenching her jaw impatiently. Her heavy breathing began fogging up the window. Raising an eyebrow in alarm at Applejack’s threat, the other pony cantered off to unlock the front door.
Rarity could feel the animosity radiating from the cowpony as she walked past into the boutique. Furrowing her brows in anticipation, she shut the door with her hoof before turning to face her visitor with a courteous smile. “What brings you visit today, Applejack? Do you need me to re-size that dress I gave you for Sweetie Belle’s school festival? Or did she forget something else here that she needs at the clubhouse? I thought I sent her with enough mane-wash but after you said she needed more last week I started worrying if I sent her with enough beauty supplies.”
Applejack tensed, the corners of her mouth turned down in a scowl as she turned around to face her unicorn friend. “Ya know exactly why I’m here Rarity, so stop actin’ like ya don’t! You’ve been avoidin’ this talk with me since Sweetie started missin’ school. I’m not hearin’ another excuse of ‘urgent order this’ or ‘emergency adjustment that’, you are gonna tell me now -- Why is Sweetie Belle still on my farm?”
“Oh, I... I see. I am terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you, Applejack.” Rarity apologized meekly. “If Sweetie Belle is being a burden, I’m certain I can find some other foalsitter for her. Fluttershy would probably be able to accommodate for a little while while I find somepony, I’m sure. I could probably hire Roseluck or Daisy, they still owe me a fair number of bits for their last festival dresses.”
Applejack’s face immediately contorted into an mixture of anger and disbelief. Lifting one leg up, she slammed her hoof down on the floor of the boutique. “What in the hay is wrong with you, Rarity?! How long are ya gonna leave your little sis sufferin’ out on my farm while you twiddle yer horn in here makin’ fru-fru dresses to impress rich ponies! Its been just over two weeks since I took her in, and you haven’t even so much as tried to talk to her once! Two weeks, Rarity! I took her in so you two could cool off, not so you could ignore her!”
Rarity’s face flushed red with shame from the stinging accusation “Well excuse me for not being the model ‘big sister’ you are to Applebloom. Some ponies don’t have the luxury of raising our sisters with a Granny Smith, a Big Macintosh, and a ballroom of other relatives to help out. I don’t have a business that keeps food on the table year round and is needed by everypony. I don’t have a convenient answer for every problem like you do!”
“That’s not the point Rarity! Yer makin’ excuses! If you needed help with Sweetie Belle you coulda asked me or Twilight or any of us! And its not like the farm hasn’t fallen on hard times some years!” Applejack shouted as she advanced on Rarity, making the unicorn shrink away. “And saying ‘you don’t have all the answers’ doesn’t excuse you none either! Spike was kind enough to inform me you haven’t left the boutique at all this last week, sendin’ customers away an’ limitin’ yer hours, an that’cha even missed yer weekly appointment with Fluttershy at the spa. You have no right to jus’ lock yerself away in here at Sweetie’s expense! She needs you!”
“I’m trying, Applejack! This isn’t as easy for me as you think!” Rarity yelled back, her voice lacking conviction. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes as she retreated from her friend’s menacing words.
“You jus’ don’t get it do you? Tryin’ ain’t good enough, and Sweetie Belle ain’t just some problem you can try to ignore ‘till she goes away!" Applejack continued, looming over the cowering unicorn.
“No! You don’t get it! I’m trying to take care of her, and I can’t even do that! It’s ME! I’M THE ONE WHO’S THE PROBLEM!” Rarity screamed suddenly, her face twisting up in emotional agony as she lunged forward.
Applejack stumbled back in surprise at the outburst, bumping into the small table that held the record player. The building was cast into sudden silence as the needle jumped from its track, dislodged by the jolt. “Rarity, wait a minute! I--”
“It wasn’t supposed to be me! Mom and dad were supposed to take care of us both! You had the rest of your whole family to take care of you and Applebloom, but after my parents died I was the one left all alone! I was the one who had to suffer!” Rarity shrieked, jabbing at herself with one hoof as tears welled in her eyes. “I didn’t have our mother, but at least Sweetie Belle had me! But it’s not good enough, nothing I do is ever good enough! I’m trying to protect Sweetie Belle and do what’s best for her but it just keeps getting worse! Everything I do makes it worse!”
“Rarity, calm down! I didn’t mean it like that!” Applejack said in alarm, her friend’s behavior distressing her more with every word.
“She was barely two months old, Applejack! I wasn’t old enough to know how to raise a foal, but I had to do it anyway! I’ve given up my life so that she didn’t have to suffer alone like I did! Everything I’ve ever done was for her!” Rarity continued, her voice cracking from her hysteria. “I thought if I worked hard enough, my creations would become famous and I could sell the boutique and my designer’s rights, and then Sweetie and I would never need to worry again! Or if that stuck-up nephew of the Princess had been anything but a horror then she could have been adopted into the royal family! I don’t care about money or being married to some prince! I’ve never cared about anything more than her! I’d sacrifice everything if it meant she could be happy!”
“Please, stop! I just wanted’ta help Sweetie Belle, I said didn’t mean anythin’ like this!” Applejack shouted back, desperate at seeing her words not reaching through to the other pony at all.
“I want to be her big sister, to make her laugh and listen to her dreams and wishes and be the one pony who will always be her friend! The one pony she can always trust to make her happy! But I’m supposed to take care of her, Applejack! I don’t get what I want! I don’t get to be loved by my little sister!” Rarity cried in pained despair, the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I have to be the one to make her angry when I say no, and make her sad when I can’t play with her! I’m the one who has to make her cry herself to sleep when I say she’s too old to stay in my bed every time she has nightmares! And I have to because I have to replace the mother she doesn’t have anymore! Every day I try I have to stop being her big sister a little more, and every day, she hates me a little more!”
“Rarity, Sweetie doesn’t hate you! She loves you!” The orange earth pony pleaded as she reached out to put one hoof on Rarity’s shoulder.. “Please, jus’ calm down!”
“She even tried to run away from me Applejack! And you know what I did? I hit her! I HIT HER!!” Rarity wailed, sinking down onto the floor and holding her head between her hooves, covering her face. Her whole body shook as she tried to hold back in front of the other pony.
“You hit... But...” Applejack let go of the cowering unicorn as she sunk to the ground in front of her, stunned disbelief coloring her voice. “Why... why would you... jus’ because she tried to run doesn’t mean she don’t love--”
“I wish I had died instead of mom and dad.” Rarity sobbed from behind her hooves. “I wish it could’ve been me...”
“No, Rarity please! Don’t ever say that! Sweetie--”
“Leave me alone, Applejack.”
Applejack stood there with her mouth hanging open, not wanting to give up but feeling powerless to fix what had unfolded in front of her.
“Please, go away. Just... go away.”
“Rarity, can I jus’... can I come back, later tonight or somethin’, jus’ to be sure you’re okay? Please... it don’t feel right, leaving you like this.”
Rarity nodded her assent without looking up.
Applejack walked quietly to the door, opening and shutting it behind her as she stepped out into the humid air with a sigh. “ ‘Just go talk to Rarity and give her a piece of my mind,’ huh? Nothin’s ever that simple, Applejack.” The earth pony muttered half-heartedly to herself, the sound of Rarity’s mournful wailing becoming more and more distant as she walked back toward the farm. A few sparse raindrops pattered against Applejack’s face from the dark clouds above.
She was in the mood for rain.
- - - - - - - - - -
“I guess the rest of my afternoon practice will have to wait, huh.” Sweetie Belle said , looking out the window of the clubhouse at the bucket of practice knick-knacks Trixie had picked out, slowly filling with rainwater from the ongoing downpour. It had been forgotten in the rush to bring in the items more likely to be damaged by the rain, such as the many board games now stacked tall in the corner of the room next to the the crates containing each of the Crusader’s personal possessions.
“In light of current events Trixie is willing to grant you this reprieve from your studies. She has no desire to go out in that cold torrent again this evening.” Trixie grumbled from the doorway, her mane and coat sopping wet from doing the bulk of the game-rescuing work with her magic. Her cape and hat had been evacuated inside first, leaving the pony to run about in the rain un-protected. “It boggles me that one child needs all these toys and games.”
“They’re not all mine! Scootaloo got at a lot ‘em from Pinkie Pie, but she isn’t very good. My big sis got me the chess set a long time ago but... you know.” Sweetie Belle’s voice drifted off as her head sank down, her curls shadowing her face in the dim candlelight.
Trixie could tell the direction of the younger unicorn’s thoughts, and quickly changed the subject. “Perhaps Trixie can... er.... teach you something new to do with magic, if this rain continues tomorrow. Or why not right after dinner! I wonder what delicious things Applejack brought for us. And where is that towel..."
“Applejack never showed up today. She’s always come by to watch us in the morning since she met you. I wonder what happened.” Sweetie mused, lowering her front hooves from the windowsill.. “But... I don’t think I want to learn any more magic today. Trixie.”
Trixie raised her eyebrows, a bit taken aback by the filly’s lack of enthusiasm. She’s not usually like this. I didn’t do something to upset her again, did I? I don’t think I did... No, she probably just misses Applejack’s company, or she’s down from thinking about her sister, or perhaps she just doesn’t like the rain. Maybe I can cheer her up, though.
“Well... we have leftovers from lunch right? Lets eat those and then I can brush your mane as promised. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Trixie offered, smiling as she dried herself off.
“Okay.” Sweetie Belle responded gloomily, walking over to the door and picking up the basket of food, a few slices of apple torte and daisy-and-olive sandwiches still left from lunch.
The two unicorns ate in silence, the rain against the roof and windows of the clubhouse continuing unabated. A few minutes later, Trixie stared through her damp mane at an uneaten olive about on her plate, frowning as she rolled it around with one hoof and waited anxiously for the smaller pony to finish her meal. Something’s bothering her and she’s not telling me. Why not? How am I supposed to help her if I don’t know what’s wrong? And what if it’s my fault.? I’m no good at this!
Trixie looked up at Sweetie Belle. She was still busy making a crumbly mess of her torte. Another bat of the blue hoof, and the olive wobbled around the rim of the plate again. This is stupid. The 'Great and Powerful' Trixie wouldn't feel like this. She wouldn’t care. Let her take care of their own problems. She’ll get over it. Besides, its not like I’m obligated to help her or anything. I don’t even have a clue what’s wrong or how to fix it, how am I supposed to make things better?
The olive was interrupted in its tiny path around the world of the dinner plate as Trixie’s hoof stopped it from above, the pressure slowly increasing as her frown grew deeper.
That would be just like me. Some pony I grew up to be. What made me think I could be anything like dad...
“Trixie? Are you... playing with your food?” Sweetie said quizzically, raising an eyebrow.
The blue unicorn blinked as she stared down at the plate, then looked up at Sweetie Belle standing across the room, and then back down to her plate. Lifting her hoof, she found the remains of the olive, smashed into an oily paste on her plate. Quickly retrieving her napkin with her magic, she waved her other hoof dismissively, forcing a smile onto her face. “No, no! Trixie is fine, just fine. She just... doesn’t like olives.”
“Oh... well save them for me next time!” Sweetie Belle said, before turning nudging the basket of brushes and combs away from the wall with her snout. “Is it okay if we brush my mane now?
“Sure.” Trixie said, relieved she had not tipped off Sweetie Belle to her negative thoughts.. “Get a few pillows for us, okay? The floor’s getting a little chilly.”
Sweetie went over to the pile of cushions that was Trixie’s bed and pulled a few down. Using her front hooves, she kicked the cushions in front of her as she crossed the room back to Trixie, who was sorting out a few brushes. A small vanity mirror was set on the floor a short distance away.
“Just put them here and sit down in front of the mirror, okay?” Trixie said, standing and gesturing at the ground in front of her. “I’ll do your tail first. We’ll have to put curlers in some other time too, the only bath you could get right now would be a cold drench in the rain.”
After positioning a pillow for Trixie and two between her, Sweetie eased down on her side onto the pillows facing away from the older unicorn. Glancing down, she flicked her tail out to straighten it. “Is this okay?”
Trixie concentrated briefly, adjusting the mirror with her magic till she could see Sweetie’s face reflected in it. Levitating a broad-tooth comb, Trixie began to brush it through the hair of the filly’s tail, freeing loose bits of leaves and burrs that had accumulated in its curls.
Trixie continued for several minutes, making broad strokes through the pony’s fine hair, working her way up to the base and back down again until the tail lay straight and smooth. The filly’s chest rose and fell as Sweetie took a deep breath and let it out. Glancing in the mirror, she could see Sweetie’s eyes were closed. I closed my eyes too, when dad brushed me before bed. It felt good. I wonder if...
Trixie cleared her throat nervously, setting aside the comb and slipping a broad, flat coat-brush over her hoof. Her heart pounded in her chest as she smoothed the short pale hair of Sweetie’s coat, slowly trying to build up courage.
“Okay, other side now.” she said, tapping the filly gently on the side with her hoof. Sweetie Belle obediently rolled onto her stomach and turned around to lay down again on her other side. As Trixie worked the teeth of the brush across Sweetie Belle’s body she began to hum softly, her voice wavering on each note.
Sweetie Belle’s ear flicked up as it caught the sounds of Trixie’s voice, but she remained still. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and glanced at Trixie in the mirror. “Is that a song?”
Trixie’s brush-holding hoof paused over the filly’s shoulder, her foreleg shaking. “Y-yes...”
“Would you sing it for me?”
Trixie swallowed, trying to clear the tightness in her throat. “I-I... I’m not very...”
“Please?”
“Okay.... I’ll try.”
Trixie took a few deep breath, her whole body shuddering as she tried to let her anxiety dissipate. Gradually, she felt her heartbeat slow and her shaking ceased. Putting her right hoof back on the smaller unicorn’s coat, she closed her eyes, letting her sense of touch guide the brush as she sang, her voice quiet and delicate.
Down from my night sky, bright stars shine
They shine on my face through a hole in the roof
Behind the dark clouds here, there’s a moon
And when I sing to them, I close my eyes.
Inside my room here, I catch the stars
And inside a jar I keep them for you
Safe in your bed, fall asleep
And when I sing, my stars will shine
Just for you.
Down from my night sky, bright stars shine
They shine on my face through a hole in the roof
Behind the dark clouds here, there’s a moon
And when I sing for you, tonight,
I close my eyes.
Trixie’s voice trailed off, the unicorn falling silent and looking down at the filly laying at her feet. Sweetie did not speak, her chest continued to rise and fall slowly and steadily. Trixie lifted her hoof and continued to groom the young filly.
Sweetie lay there patiently until she felt the brush lift from her coat. When it did not return, she opened her eyes and looked looked in the mirror again to see Trixie holding her hoof to her face, eyes closed and frowning sadly. Pushing her small legs out, she lifted herself off the cushions.
As Sweetie sat up, Trixie quickly opened her eyes and turned to the side, her face hidden behind her hair while she slipped the flat brush off her hoof and levitated a fine tooth comb over to her. “Your mane will have to be straight for awhile until we can curl it again.” she said, using her hooves to pull Sweetie Belle right in front of her.
“Are you leaving, Trixie?” Sweetie asked quietly.
The brush dropped from the air, clattering on the ground next to the two ponies.
“I...why... why would you think that?” Trixie responded.
“Applejack said you had done bad things a long time ago, and that when my friends came back that you probably wouldn’t be able to stay here anymore.”
“When?”
“At the end of the month.”
Trixie sat wordlessly behind Sweetie Belle, a few minutes passing with only the sound of rain falling on the clubhouse.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn’t... she wouldn’t abandon her student. Of course she is staying.”
“But... what if you do have to leave? I don’t... I don’t want...” Sweetie Belle did not need to finish her sentence. I don’t want you to go away.
“Trixie will do everything in her power to stay. She promised, and Trixie always keeps her promises.” Her voice was flat and emotionless.
“Are you sure?”
Trixie levitated the hairbrush back up to the mane in front of her and resumed her work, the pink and purple curls slowly unraveling as the teeth of the brush passed through them. “Of course.”
“Okay.” Sweetie said, her voice sounding a little more spirited as she looked away from the mirror and closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of the brush through her hair. All she could see were her own legs anyway. “I liked your song. And... I’m really glad I met you Trixie.”
Sweetie Belle did not see the older unicorn clench her jaw and close her eyes tight to keep herself from crying, nor sense the tightness in her chest that made it so difficult to reply.
“...I am too.”
-To Be Continued-
Comet Cloud’s Lullaby is a lyrical rewrite of “Green Grass of Tunnel” by Mum, one of many songs that inspired my writing of this fiction.
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Im_not_sue
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854
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Applejack,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Trixie,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie
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Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.
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cancelled
| 194 | 3 |
<p>Sweetie Belle, alone and dejected, comes across The Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ostracized for her prior misdeeds involving the Ursa Minor. Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, giving Sweetie (and perhaps herself as well) both the guidance and companionship she needs.</p><p>This is a S1 fic. Events take place before 'The Return of Harmony, pt 1'.<br/>Writing for this fic began before Season 2, so events do not match canon storylines.</p><p>This fic was featured on Equestria Daily on Oct 18th, 2011</p><p>Title art by:<br/><a href="http://acesential.deviantart.com" rel="nofollow">http://acesential.deviantart.com</a></p><p>Fan art:<br/><a href="http://fav.me/d4ghb33" rel="nofollow">http://fav.me/d4ghb33</a></p>
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teen
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2012-03-03T10:38:43+00:00
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2012-03-03T10:38:43+00:00
| 5,251 |
“Nnn... “ Sweetie Belle groaned as she rolled over, kicking the myriad pillows about underneath her with her hind hooves. Her hips ached, her body unused to resting on the cushiony bed she had won in the chess game the previous day. Unable to find a good position, Sweetie sighed and let her body go limp, using her nose to brush the pillows off her face and wiggle her head out from the pile she had buried herself under. No light greeted her tired eyes on the other side. Sweetie Belle blinked a few times as she turned her head to look about the almost perfectly dark room, a distant peal of thunder bringing the sound of the rain that she had tuned out many hours ago back into focus.
“Still nighttime... dumb pillows. Too stifling, too cushy...” Sweetie grumbled, languidly kicking a few of the offending cushions off the pile and onto the floor beneath her. Cold air rushed in once her insulation had been removed, shocking Sweetie Belle fully awake and making her groan again in frustration as she tucked her legs close for warmth. “Just want my old bed back...”
Digging down next to her, the disgruntled filly pulled out a large, rough-hewn quartz crystal from deep beneath the pile with her teeth and breathing warmly on it like Trixie had instructed. The crystal began to glow, illuminating the room with its soft, refracted light. Sweetie held the magical nightlight tightly in her mouth as she slid tail-end first off the tall pile of pillows to the floor, landing on her rump with a soft grunt. Creeping forward on the tips of her hooves between the fallen pillows, she slowly made her way to the other corner of the room where Trixie lay in the bed earned from her own loss in the chess game.
Sweetie slowed, approaching the older unicorn's sleeping form. There were barely enough pillows for the mare to raise herself off the floor. Sweetie’s too-small blanket was tightly wrapped around her curled and trembling form, her sole insulation from the cold. All Sweetie could see was the tip of Trixie’s horn and her long, icy-blue mane splayed out brilliantly in the dim light.
A pang of guilt ran through Sweetie Belle’s heart, her earlier displeasure over being woken forgotten. Setting the crystal nightlight on the floor, she lifted one small hoof and prodded the pony sleeping under the blanket.
“Trixie... wake up. You can have your bed back. I don’t want it anymore.”
The mare tensed, her her body pulling in and shrinking away from the touch, forming deep creases in the blanket covering her. Sweetie recoiled and stumbled back, almost tripping over the nightlight. She stared at the curved shell of the blanket under which Trixie slept, waiting for some movement or sign, but the other pony did not stir. She brushed worriedly at the blanket again, trying to ease it away from her friend’s face.
“Trixie? Are you okay?”
“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”
Chapter 4 -- Interlude
An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Im_not_sue (aka Lounge_lizard)
(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)
(Revision v1.1.1 - 03/03/12)
“Wow Trixie, you’re amazing! I didn’t know you could do that with your magic!”
“Of course! I’m great and when I grow up I’ll be the best unicorn! I’ll make the cooks serve us cake every day, and Hole Punch and Paper Push won’t get any ‘cause they’re mean and I said so! And when I’m old enough to leave this dumb house I’ll go to Canterlot and prove I’m better than the bestest best unicorns! I’ll use my magic and turn the palace wizards upside down and shake them until they’re dizzy and then make fireworks for the Princess and then everypony will say I’m the greatest!”
“Wow... I... I wanna go with you! Can I go with you to Canterlot? I wanna be your... your... assistant! And like... do magic with you and stuff!”
“Summer, you’re an earth pony. Earth ponies can’t do magic, stupid! And you’re too weak ‘cause you’re sick all the time! Mama Pincushion won’t even let you out of the gates to play outside the orphanage.”
“I know but I wanna go too! Please? I’ll pull your wagon of magic stuff and throw confetti when you get to the palace and everything. I’ll even color a big watercolor of you so they can put it in the palace and the princes can look at it and want to marry you!”
“Ugh, Summer! Why are you always talking about boys! I don’t wanna marry an icky prince! But okay... you can come with me when I become famous. You can be my uh... troubabdoor... thingy... whatever Mama Pincushion was tellin’ us about in history class. You can come with me me and tell ponies about how great I am!”
“Really? You promise?”
“I promise!”
…I promise...
“...cuse me, Miss Cloud? Hello?”
The voice of the attendant tugged Trixie out of her reminiscence as she turned from the window to face the white-coated earth pony with a wreath cutie mark.
“Her number is J-22. Please respect any other guests while you’re visiting, and remember to sign out at the desk before you leave. Here’s the key.”
~*~*~
Trixe trudged along the dirt path through the grove of flowering peach trees, the gate key tucked carefully into the pocket of her purple robe. Just ahead of her was the hill she had been seeking. At the edge of the incline rested a flat rectangle of cut and delicately engraved granite; a warm stone bed overlooking a stream passing through the rest of the grove and facing west into the golden setting sun. Summer Sky lay there, sleeping.
You always did like peaches...
Trixie slowed, scanning the lengths of the grove. A few evening birds resting in trees were her only companions in the clearing. Satisfied she was alone, she moved quietly up the hill to where the pony she was looking for awaited her. Keeping her eyes averted, Trixie set a bouquet of flowers by her friend’s feet before setting herself down among the grass and fallen peach blossoms beside the stone bed. Clearing her throat nervously, she began to whisper.
“Hi Summer. It’s me, Trixie.”
The mare did not stir from her tranquil repose.
“I know we haven’t talked in a long time, but... I wanted to see you. I... I heard from Ms. Pincushion that you finally got swept off your hooves by a prince like you wanted. I guess the old fart couldn’t believe it when it happened. I’m... I’m really happy for you! You must have been really been happy too. I was so worried with you... you know, getting sick all the time, that you wouldn’t make it to ever have your dream come true like that! Heh...”
Trixie’s chuckle trailed off, her slight smile fading away in the silence. Several minutes passed, the breeze stirring the blue-tinted hair that hung in front of the unicorn’s closed eyes. Even without looking, she could imagine Summer Sky’s amber curls dancing in the same breeze as she watched the sunset next to Trixie.
“Summer, I... I really screwed up.” Trixie started, her voice cracking as she choked back a sob. She lifted her head and gazed up past the blossoming peach trees, blinking away the tears forming in her eyes. The sky was lonely, cloudless, and empty. Using one hoof to wipe her eyes, she took another deep breath and continued. “I did something bad, and now everything’s just a mess... I don’t know what to do. I was going to ask you for help but... I guess now I can’t.”
Trixie began to sniffle as tears trickled down her cheeks despite her attempts to rub them away. “And... I know you probably can’t hear me, but... I...”
Trixie finally looked up at the stone bed upon which an epitaph for her friend was written. They were words that in all her life, Trixie wished she never needed to read.
Summer Sky lies here
Loving wife and mother
Taken from us young
We will miss you always.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.”
Trixie glanced nervously about the lobby of The Cozy Cushion as she entered through its finely wrought brass-plated double door. The finely dressed businessponies, equestrian nobility, and other ponies of high social stature greeted her with a cold aloofness she had come to expect. The only eyes deigning to turn her way were those of ponies without enough self control to resist staring at the dusty, cloaked stranger whose appearance was altogether more unkempt than any patron of such a higher class establishment ought to look.
Trixie felt her face burn in shame as she trotted towards the reception desk that dominated the back of the lobby. She could almost feel every pony in the room examining her. Even though they neither looked at her nor once skipped a beat in their verbal dances, she knew they were aware of her. With the barest hint of magic she tugged the draped fabric around herself tighter, taking care to ensure her flanks were both covered. It had not been raining that day; It hadn’t rained since early spring and it was the middle of summer. The heavy garb was useless at protecting her from attention, but it had been the only way to conceal her appearance.
She shifted the hood back on head as she approached the desk, revealing her face a little more. She hated wearing it, but she didn’t want anypony to see her face. She hated wearing anything other than that present her dad had given her. The present she din’t have anymore.
The receptionist was a tall and slender grey earth pony, sporting a finely trimmed pencil mustache and goatee that accented his short black mane and snappy uniform. He eyed the new arrival suspiciously through his monocle, more so than the other employees behind the counter who knew better than to stare at guests. The grey pony dropped the pencil from his mouth and pushed aside his paperwork with one hoof as Trixie approached, raising one eyebrow as he spoke.
“May I help you ma’am?”
“The Great... I mean, I’d like a room please.” Trixie said softly, keeping her head down. Yeah just keep staring, you pretentious snob. It’s not like I want to be here, to be at the mercy of some pony who doesn’t care about me. It’s not like I have a choice. I--
“I’m sorry, The Cozy Cushion does not offer open booking this close to the Summer Sun Celebration.” The receptionist said with a sigh, pointing at the festive calendar at the wall. It was the start of June and the festival was three weeks away. “If you have a reservation we can look it up and check you in right now, or reschedule your existing reservation to another day for a modest fee if necessary.”
Trixie blinked in surprise. “I don’t remember this hotel ever doing that. Can’t you just... check to see if there’s an opening? Maybe before another guest needs their room. It would just be for a day or so. I can come back after the festival for the rest of my stay.”
“We apologize for the inconvenience, but this is our standing policy.” The receptionist responded, sighing disdainfully. “I can only give you a room if you have a reservation to claim, or help you reschedule or book a new reservation. You may use the facilities briefly, or visit the hotel restaurant. Otherwise I will have to ask you to leave. This is not a rest-stop for loiterers, and we have a business to run.”
As the grey pony turned to go, Trixie began to tense, her sought-for sanctuary slipping away. I can’t do it. I can’t live on the streets anymore. I don’t want to be alone and hungry and afraid anymore. I don’t want to live like that anymore! I can’t!!
“Wait, please! I... I have a reservation!” Trixie yelled, reaching out with one hoof to stop the colt.
The grey pony stopped as he felt the blue mare’s hoof on his shoulder. The whole lobby fell silent, muted by Trixie’s outburst. His eye darted back to squint at Trixie doubtfully, but nonetheless he reopened the massive reservation book he had been writing in before Trixie’s entrance.
“Name?”
“My... it’s not under my name. It’s under my dad’s name.” Trixie muttered quietly, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the eyes of the many ponies in the room on her now, not just the sideways looks and feigned ignorance to her presence. Even the other employees behind the large desk were staring, their accounting and mail sorting temporarily halted to observe the unfolding spectacle.
“...and his name is?” The receptionist asked impatiently.
“Comet Cloud.”
The receptionist snapped the book closed without even looking, startling Trixie and causing her to flinch back involuntarily.
“We have nopony by that name in our reservations.” He said. His voice held no uncertainty.
“Wha... you-- you didn’t even look!” Trixie protested.
“I don’t need to, this book is for record keeping. I have every reservation in this book memorized, and I‘m quite sure we have no pony by that name.”
“But... my dad’s name is on the special list! You have to know that!” Trixie said, panic creeping back into her words. “Maybe... maybe there’s some misunderstanding. His name should still be there. If you could just--”
“I don’t have any idea what ‘special list’ you’re talking about, miss. Unless you have a reservation under another name, I’m going to have to kindly ask you to remove your hooves from my uniform and leave.” The colt’s eyes fluttered as he nodded to the two bellhops at the door. They dropped the luggage they were unpacking from a carriage at the door and began to advance towards Trixie.
Trixie glanced behind her. seeing the approach of the two ponies who were clearly ready to remove her from the building by force if necessary. She stepped back away from the counter, slipping the hood of her cloak off her head as she continued to plead. “Wait, please! Just ask the owner! He was good friends with my dad before he d-- I mean, before he st-stopped coming here. Maybe it got erased by accident, or he stopped telling employees about it! I know it was some years ago, but back then he always let my dad stay for free a few times a year. He left my dad’s name on the special list so the other employees would know! He said he would help out if I ever needed a place to stay! I’m Comet’s daughter, the owner would recognize me from when I was just a filly!”
The pony behind the desk scoffed. “Ma’am, I am the owner.”
The words struck Trixie like a lead weight. Realization began to sink in, even as she raised a trembling hoof to point at the colt before her.
“No, you’re lying you’re not... you’re too young, he was--”
“I bought this establishment from the previous owner’s wife three years ago, ma’am. He was quite old and was getting too senile to run the business, and he passed away shortly thereafter. I don’t know what sort of arrangement you or your kin may have had with him, but I’m afraid I cannot honor them. Now if you would, I have guests waiting.”
Trixie couldn’t move.
This is it. I’m going to be homeless. I don’t have any money. Nopony who knows my name will take me after what I did. Mr. Cushion, Summer Sky, Dad... all gone. This was the only hope I had left...
Tears formed at the corners of Trixie’s eyes as her hoof sank back to the floor in defeat, her lip quivering as she stammered so softly she could barely be heard. “No... please, I-I’m his daughter... dad’s supposed to be on the list...”
The hotel owner nodded wordlessly to the two ponies waiting behind the blue unicorn on the other side of his desk, and then turned and walked away. The two colts took hold of Trixie’s sides and lifted her on their shoulders as they carried her towards the door. She didn’t have the will to resist.
Trixie felt her hindquarters sink onto the hot sidewalk outside the hotel, the two burly bellhop ponies leaving with their duty complete. Her cloak was in disarray, leaving her visage dangerously exposed to public scrutiny, but she couldn’t muster the strength to cover her face again. She sat there staring into the empty and lonely cloudless sky, her tears drying in the dusty breeze before they could even trickle down her cheeks.
I... I can’t do this. I don’t know what to do.
Dad... help me...
“Whats the meaning of this!? Trixie didn’t ask you to come back with some stupid letter, you numskulls!” Trixie shouted, throwing the unfurled parchment to the ground in front of her and grinding it into the dirt with her hoof. “Ugh, I can’t believe I trusted you two after what happened last time.”
“I-I-It’s not our fault! Really!” Replied Snips, cowering in front of the blue unicorn. “Tell her Snails, c’mon!”
“Uh, yeah! Sheeee just gave us this letter and uh, told us to take it back. Honest!” The taller of the two colts said, nodding his head enthusiastically.
Trixie groaned, turning her back on the two and striking her forehead with one hoof . “Fine, fine! Just get out of my sight, and don’t you dare tell anypony that Trixie is here here, or you and your cutie marks will be trading places. You understand?”
The plump-cheeked colt jumped a foot in the air, his eyes going wide in shock. “Y... you can’t do that... you couldn’t beat the Ursa so there’s no way you could turn us into--”
Trixie rounded on the two, an angry fire burning in her eyes as she loomed over the cowering unicorn. “Are you sure you wish Trixie to test that theory?”
Snips began to back away slowly behind his taller friend. Snails was lost in thought, a dopey grin coming across his face. “Actually, being a snail would be kinda cool, dont’cha think Sni--”
“Snails, c’mon!!”
Trixie snorted as the two colts raced out of the clearing at the edge of Whitetail Woods and back towards Ponyville. She glanced back down at the note on the ground, reading the hastily written words one more time with a resigned sigh.
Trixie,
Please meet me at the Ponyville Library at midnight. There is something I wish to discuss with you..
Signed,
Twilight Sparkle.
~*~*~
“Hey Twilight, I found that copy of ‘Frilly Fern’s Guide to Finding Forest Fauna’ that you wanted to take with you to Zecora’s last week? And boy you won’t believe where it was hiding.”
“Thanks Spike, you’re always a big help. Just leave it on the podium. You can go ahead and get to bed early if you like, I’ll be finishing up here soon.”
“Huh...? Bed? But it’s not even midnight yet! You never go to bed this early. What gives?”
“I just want some quiet while I finish writing some notes up on this astronomy manual, and I thought you could use a break, that’s all.”
“Oh c’mon, I’m not that noisy! And you don’t need to baby me all the time either! You know I’m ready to pull an all-nighter at the drop of a hat, just say the word!”
“It’s alright, Spike, really! Just leave the rest of the reshelving for tomorrow and get in bed. Besides, Rarity told me this afternoon that she needed help cleaning her boutique again. She said something or other about Sweetie Belle and Applebloom trying to bake mud in the oven to get a cutie mark for pottery... anyway, I volunteered you for the job. You can finish the rest of the work here after you get back tomorrow.”
“Fiiiiine, sheesh... Yes! I get to help Rarity again! That's the third time this week!”
“What was that, Spike?”
“Nothing, nothing!”
Trixie waited patiently outside the door of the Ponyville Community Library listening to the muffled banter of the occupants inside, the moon shining brightly in the clear night sky. She recognized their voices, from the fateful day that turned her life upside down. One had been cajoling, pleading, and whiny back then; but the other... the other was a voice Trixie would not soon forget.
The noises inside the library quieted down, the windows becoming dark as the lights inside were snuffed out. Her heart picked up a little in her chest, the hair on her neck standing in nervous anticipation. Trixie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the cool night breeze moving through her mane and across her coat.
It’s mine, not hers. I won’t let her keep it. No matter what she says.
Many minutes passed until finally she heard the click of the door unlatching behind her, followed by creaking as the heavy door swung open. The moonlight shining through the door revealed the face of the library’s occupant, Twilight Sparkle.
“It’s safe now, you can come in.”
Trixie stepped over the threshold and followed the other unicorn into the library, taking careful note of her surroundings. A few candles provided flickering light, casting long shadows from the two ponies across the many bookshelves that lined the walls. An owl sat perched on the windowsill by the door, its eyes staring unblinkingly at Trixie as she walked past. Twilight shooed it out the door before she could question its presence, the purple unicorn calling a soft apology after it as she closed the door.
“Sorry about that, I forgot about Owloysius. Anyway, I’m glad you decided to come.” Twilight said, turning back to her guest.
Trixie sat down on her haunches, averting her eyes from the other unicorn. “Skip the formalities. I’m here for one thing and one thing only, and I’ll not listen to some incessant babble about ‘the destruction I caused’ or ‘what a horrible pony I am to lie to so many’ or whatever else you have planned. You have something of mine that doesn’t belong to you, and I want it back.”
Twilight frowned, her brows furrowing. “It’s not like that. As hard as it may be to believe, I didn’t ask you here so I could lecture you about what happened with the Ursa. Yes I have your hat and I will give it back, but I want to talk first.”
“Fine. What do you want to talk about? I’ll tell you whatever you want to hear.” Trixie sneered. “You want me to praise you? Tell you how I’m so grateful that The Great and Powerful Twilight Sparkle is willing to return my hat and not turn me over to the citizens of Ponyville?”
“No, Trixie. I would never do something demeaning like that to anypony.” Twilight replied, shaking her head. “I’m not out to get you, I’m concerned for you. I want to talk because I want to help!”
Spike’s voice suddenly cut into the conversation, the baby dragon peeking out from behind the bedroom door. “T...Twilight? Is everything alright? Isn’t that-- why is she here?”
“Stay in the bedroom, Spike. This doesn’t concern you.” Twilight responded coldly. She summoned her magic and pulled the door tightly shut, cutting off Spike’s muffled protest. Her gaze remained focused on Trixie the entire time.
“You? Want to help me?” Trixie had not even so much as acknowledged the interruption, and began pacing angrily in front of Twilight as she spoke. “You’re the reason I get spit on if I walk down the street without covering my face; why I can’t find anywhere to sleep at night that isn’t a back-alley trash heap or a ditch on the side of the road; why every time I scrape up enough money to buy myself something to eat, I have to pray to Celestia that the pony I buy it from doesn’t recognize me so I can sleep in that ditch without an empty stomach!”
Twilight flinched, Trixie’s accusation stinging her conscience. “I didn’t have a choice. I had to do something to stop the Ursa or somepony could have gotten hurt. Not because I wanted to hurt you!” The purple unicorn replied, struggling to keep her voice calm and controlled.
“So you expect me to just forget it? To let you drown me in your ‘mercy’ because you think I’m helpless and need somepony to save me? I’m not going to lay down at your or anypony else’s hooves with my face in the dirt and beg for forgiveness!” Trixie continued, her anger rising with every word. “You can’t just give me a hug and say you’re sorry like that fixes everything! I don’t want your damn pity! My life was ruined because of you!”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all! Will you stop fighting me for just one second and listen? I know its my fault and that's why I want to help you! I want to make things right!” Twilight shouted in frustration, stamping her hoof on the ground and inwardly cursing at herself. She realized she was quickly losing her composure as the calm, thoughtful discussion she had planned began to turn into something much more unpleasant. “I know this isn’t the first time life has been cruel to you, but it doesn't have to be that way anymore if you let me fix it!”
“Shut up! You know nothing about my life, about the suffering I’ve been through! NOTHING!” Trixie spat, beginning to pace about the library again. “I’m not going to listen to another word! Give me my hat back now, or I’ll tear this place apart to find it!”
Twilight let the other unicorn circle around her menacingly, mentally steeling herself for what she knew was about to come. “I know your father’s name is Comet Cloud. I know he worked at the Canterlot Royal Observatory before he moved with you to Manehattan, and that he d--”
Trixie spun about, glaring at the other mare resentment and disbelief “NO! Don’t you dare talk about my dad! You don’t know anything about the kind of pony he was, you weren’t his daughter! You have no right to even speak his name!”
“That photo in your hat? I found it.” Twilight said, standing her ground. “I tracked down the photographer who took it, and he told me who your father was. I already knew his name, Trixie. Comet Cloud wrote ‘Change in Solar Bodies Since the Time of Legend.’ I’d know that book better than anyone.”
Trixie stopped in her tracks, her head sinking down until Twilight could no longer see her eyes. She began to tremble as Twilight continued, each word making it that much more difficult to keep her rising anger bottled up inside her.
“Stop it...” She whispered, her voice so quiet that Twilight could not hear it over her ongoing speech.
“Nobody believed him when he first published it, but your father was one of the few ponies who noticed that the sun and stars were behaving differently after Nightmare Moon was imprisoned a thousand years ago. But last year I was the one that petitioned the Canterlot Royal Observatory to have the book re-added to their catalog. I went to Canterlot myself to talk to the astronomers there, and they all remembered you and your father. They told me what happened to your apartment, and how you were sent to the orphanage. They spoke very highly of him, Trixie. They could tell how much he cared for you.”
“No... stop it...!” Trixie said, her voice building dangerously. She sunk down to her knees, holding her head in both hooves as she struggled to contain the rage bubbling up inside her like magma.
“A few years after the accident, you ran away from the orphanage and disappeared. Then one day you show up in Ponyville and... well, we know what happened next.” Twilight said, stomping her hoof on the ground decisively. “I don't know why you started going around lying about yourself to other ponies, and I may not have known your father, but I don't think Comet Cloud would have wanted you to have ended up this way.”
“Stop! Stop! STOP IT!!” Trixie’s head shot up, her horn glowing and sparking with jagged arcs of arcane energy as her magenta eyes bored into her antagonist’s violet ones. Twilight’s last sentence was the final straw, and she could no longer contain herself. The searing, bitter anger boiled up from her gut and spilled out through her voice, every word dripping with animus.
“You shut your mouth! Who are you to tell me what he would have wanted! You’re NOTHING like the pony he was! If you say another word about my father I’ll kill you, Twilight Sparkle!! Now give me my hat back!”
“No Trixie, I’m not giving it back! Not until--”
“NO!! GIVE IT BACK! GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK!” Trixie screamed. Her horn surged with light, and Twilight had only seconds to react to the jagged and terrible bolt of of electric energy that exploded from the tip of Trixie’s horn and cut through the air towards her.
~*~*~
The resounding echoes from the clash of magical power finally faded into silence. Trixie lay still and unmoving in the settling dust and rubble that had once been the east outer wall of Twilight Sparkle’s library, demolished by the battle between the two unicorns. Thick splinters and broken furniture lay scattered out into the street, many burned and singed. Pages from tomes almost as old as the tree itself rustled amongst the debris, or blew away in the wind.
Twilight stood panting and gasping for breath inside what remained of her home, no more than a half-dozen feet away from her fallen opponent. She stared intently at the pile of rubble that Trixie lay against, a glowing nine-tailed lash formed from her magic floating above her head in readiness. Minute lines of electricity sparked from Twilight’s horn, running across her face and through her hair, crackling and smoking with dispersing energy that stung her cheeks.
The door leading to her bedroom creaked open behind Twilight, breaking the silence. A pair of green eyes peeked out from inside, their owner shivering in terror as he surveyed the destruction. One hand, purple, scaled, and trembling slid through the door and began to pull it wider before the voice of the one unicorn still left standing stopped it in its tracks.
“Spike.”
The purple dragon yelped and leapt back from the door, landing on his back. Even in that one word, he had never heard Twilight speak with such force of presence before. He had also never seen Twilight actually fight another unicorn before, but somehow her calm, deadly determination terrified him much, much more.
“Y-y-yes, Twilight?”
“Get Fluttershy. Tell her that me and another pony are hurt badly. Hurry.”
“F... Fluttershy? But what about--”
“Now, Spike!”
Spike threw open the door, stepping out into the wreckage of the library next to Twilight. She stood completely still, her stance one of a predator ready to strike. Burn marks and bruises adorned her body despite the thousands of fragments of magical glass that lay evaporating at her feet, a testament to her skill at shielding herself during the fight. Only one attack had made its mark; a splintered spear of wood jutted from her left hind leg, just above the knee. The bloody spar stuck out the other side, piercing completely through the flesh of her thigh. The wound glowed with a weak purple light as she magically kept pressure on the area, but blood was still slowly leaking out and trickling its way down her leg. Spike stomach turned, and he gulped to keep his dinner from leaving him right then and there. Closing his eyes to block out the sight, he leapt out into the street and ran. He dared not think of what would happen if he did not make it back in time.
Twilight shuddered and closed her eyes and let her head sink down, the glowing lash above her head fading from existence once she let go of the spell binding it together. She took a deep, pained breath and let it back out between clenched teeth, her sigh sinking into a whimper. Her leg burned like fire, the pain greater than any she had felt in her entire life. Nothing in her medical texts had prepared her for this. It had taken all her willpower to not break down screaming in front of Spike.
Glancing up, she could see Trixie still laying on her side just a few feet away amongst pieces of the sundered library. With great effort, Twilight pulled herself closer, her wounded leg dragging limply behind her. Craning her neck down along the way, she plucked the precious hat that Trixie had come so far to retrieve from the floor and carried it over to the fallen unicorn. Dozens of shallow lacerations crisscrossed the blue unicorn’s flesh. Shoulder, flank, and chest all bled from where the lash had stuck. They had been attacks meant to impair and debilitate, not kill, but it hadn’t quite been enough to stop her. Trixie’s chest still rose and fell with breath. A huge electrical burn marked her belly, a bloody mess of melted hair and cooked flesh where Twilight’s final spell had struck her down.
Twilight finally limped close enough to see Trixie’s face. Between the scattered strands of ice-blue hair, Twilight could see Trixie’s eyes glaring back up at her, the same burning anger still present in those eyes even now. Twilight opened her mouth, panting from her exertion as she let the star-covered hat fall from between her teeth to the ground next to Trixie’s face.
“Here. It’s yours. Take it. It was wrong of me to... to...” Twilight’s paused, her voice trailing off as she grasped for the right words. “...to treat your past like one of my history books. I’m sorry.”
The blue mare’s eyes flicked up. Sure enough, tucked away inside the rim of the hat was the precious photograph of a young filly and the pony she had loved more than any other in the world. Trixie looked back up at Twilight, grimacing and shaking her head wordlessly. Still, she closed her eyes and reached out with her front hooves, pulling the hat close to her chest.
“When Fluttershy gets here... she’ll... she’ll treat you. But you’ll have to... rrgh!” Twilight said, interrupted from a wave of vertigo that unbalanced her and threw too much weight onto her hind leg. Her muscles seized up around the splintered wooden stake causing it to twist cruelly in the wound. Twilight screamed out in pain and doubled over. Looking back over her shoulder she could see she had left a heavy trail of blood along the floor. Her wound was bleeding more profusely despite her efforts to staunch it. The amount of blood she had lost already was starting to frighten her. She could feel herself becoming more light headed and dizzy with every passing moment.
Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and turned back, concentrating on her words through the haze and pain. “You’ll h-have to leave. Right after. Get out of Ponyville. I’m... not going to be awake for much longer, and the others, they... they won’t understand.”
“Why?” Trixie croaked, her voice hoarse and weak.
“W... what?” Twilight replied, confused. The magic holding her wound closed began to flicker and fade. She tried to focus, to stay awake, but the world was already becoming incoherent.
“Why am I never good enough?”
“I... I don’t know. I’m... sorry...” Twilight said, her voice trailing off. The purple unicorn finally ran out of strength, her mind slipping into unconsciousness. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled to the floor with a muffled thud.
Trixie lay there in silence, once again alone. The numbness in her limbs was fading, replaced by aching soreness. Her skin still burned where her own ball lightning had stuck her, but the pain was not as great as it should have been. It had not been deflected back with full force.
Trixie struggled to her feet, favoring her wounded side as she lingered for just a few moments longer besides the limp body of her nemesis. The distant sound of pegasus wings accompanied by the wailing of the little baby dragon echoed in her ears, both growing steadily louder. Lights appeared in the windows of nearby houses as well as other ponies began to rouse from the commotion. Lifting her hat back into place on her head, Trixie gazed down upon Twilight’s face.
You knew you were better than me, didn’t you. That’s why you didn’t challenge me when I first came to Ponyville. Why you didn’t try to kill me even though I would’ve killed you. Why you’re letting me run away again, just like you did before. You always knew...
“I hate you, Twilight Sparkle.” Trixie whispered as she turned away, limping out into the empty streets and away from the town of Ponyville.
“Let go of me! You have no right to even TOUCH me! I’ll make you regret--”
The blue unicorn mare’s furious shrieking was cut short as she struck the wet cobblestones behind the The Haystack Diner, the blow to her ribs knocking all the breath out of her. Muck and decomposing food scraps from the piled garbage bags smeared into the homeless pony’s already filthy coat as she curled up on her side, pulling her legs in to protect her sore chest.
“I have every right ta toss you out, you good fer nothin’ scumbag!” The mare’s escort out of the diner retorted as he wiped his hoof off on his apron. His two other companions appeared behind him in the back door of the diner, tossing a saddlebag and torn star-adorned purple robe into the trash heap with the mare as their boss turned away. “Thanks for helpin’ me take out the trash boys. Dumb broad, wouldn’t think she’d weigh so much being that scrawny.”
One of the assistants, a shorter pegasus with a pale olive coat, a fan-blade cutie mark, and a condiment-stained apron, stepped out into the yard. “Do you need to be that rough with her, boss? I mean, she just said she wanted some food. You didn’t have to cuss her out in front of the customers like that. Couldn’t we just given her somethin’ and sent her on her way?”
The taller earth pony turned his head and sneered at his subordinate. “Chopper, you’re new here so I’ll cut you some slack, but you best shut your trap when you’re talkin’ bout things you haven’t the slightest clue about. I wouldn’t serve this mare if my own momma came back from the great beyond and begged me to. I said I was only gonna tell her once, and she ignored me, and I will not have her in my diner. Now you get inside and get back to work, we have paying customers with good reputations to take care of. Not scumbags like her.”
The pegasus took a step back from the mare lying prone in the cold muck, her breath steaming as she clutched her chest, coughing heavily. “Wow boss... is she really that bad? I mean she just looks like every other homeless pony who hasn’t eaten in a week. What did she do to... uh...”
The pegasus’ sentence trailed off as his attention was drawn by movement from the unicorn mare. Her voice slowly built from a ragged groan in a strained shriek as she push herself up from the ground on shaky hooves. For a moment she stumbled, but then her horn began to glow, her magic flickering weakly as she used it to help lift herself from the ground. She turned around to face the three earth ponies who worked the diner, peering past the strands of her long-unwashed mane as she caught the gaze of the one who had just spoke.
Chopper stood there dumbfounded as the mare crossed the few feet between them, spinning in place just before him and bucking out with both rear hooves. The blow caught the unsuspecting colt right in the face. His nose broke with the ugly crunch of cartilage under the impact, his head colliding with the wall of the diner and knocking him out cold. Blood trickled from his nostrils as he slumped down to the ground, tongue hanging out from his open mouth. Trembling as she turned back around, the mare glared at the other two ponies, her eyes seething with anger and resentment. The other two diner ponies stared back incredulously.
“Trixie d--doesn’t need... rrgh... T-Trixie...” The mare shouted, overexertion amplifying the pain in her bruised ribs. Her voice became more halting and strained with every word, her legs trembling as she struggled to speak. “Trixie doesn’t NEED your worthless PITY! I’m... better than any of you! I’m the... the-- greatest --!”
The unicorn’s voice broke into whimper, and then an agonized shriek through her clenched teeth as she sunk face-first to the ground. Her horn dug into the dirt as she clutched at her body, every strained breath making her whimper from the searing pain in her chest.
The boss reacted to the blue mare’s outbust and sudden seizure first, roaring out loud and charging straight into the unicorn, knocking her down with the force of his tackle. His other assistant was not long behind him, kicking her back legs out from under her and knocking her onto her side before savagely beating into her exposed stomach and chest.
“You little piece of trash! Who do you think you are? You think you can just walk into my diner like you own the place and then start a fight? If Chopper’s hurt bad I swear you’re dead, mare! You hear me!?” The boss of the diner yelled, rearing up in front of the blue mare and smashing his feet down on her front ankles, grinding his hoof in with increasing pressure.
The mare screamed as the two ponies struck her over and over, the pain intensifying with each blow. She felt her front left ankle bend the wrong way before dislocating under the hooves of the earth pony in front of her. A kick to the face came next, bludgeoning her cheek just below the eye, followed by a crack as one of her already bruised ribs was fractured. All thought fled her mind, the vision of her own dirt-smeared blue snout in front of her fading away as she lost consciousness.
...
“Trixie, what’s wrong?”
The voice is unmistakable.
“D...dad?” Trixie says in a ragged voice, her heart contracting painfully with hope as she turns her head to look up. She’s on the ground, laying on her side. The world is hazy, difficult to see. She’s outside a red and white building that seems familiar somehow, under a cloudy sky that sprinkles a light rain she cannot feel. Her body aches, but it is a distant ache, as if the pain came from something she had suffered a long time ago in a place far away from the world she is in now.
In front of her stands a cerulean unicorn, his grey-brown mane brushed away from his yellow eyes in an old-fashioned haircut that he has worn every day of his life. His eyes are framed by a pair of worn, green rectangle glasses, and draped across his back is familiar purple cape adorned with shining stars of many shapes and sizes. On his flank rest a trio of blue comets, their tails stretched long across a night sky. Trixie begins to cry out loud as she looks up at him from the ground, her lip quivering. She struggles to lift herself from the ground on weak legs, to pull herself closer to the pony in front of her, but there is no strength left in her. Just the distant ache that doesn’t fade.
The familiar pony bends down in front of Trixie and twines his head under her neck, lifting her up from the cold hard ground into a hug. His body feels warm against Trixie’s cold one. His touch is strong and gentle like she remembers. His coat is smooth and soft like she remembers. He even smells faintly of old cologne just like she remembers.
It’s him. Comet Cloud. Her father.
Every pain and anguish she has every felt from being without him wells up in her tired heart, the chains of hubris and disdain she had tried to wrap around it to keep the pain locked away disintegrating in an instant. Trixie leans deep into her father’s shoulder, closing her eyes tightly as she cries into his blue-green coat.
Comet Cloud shushes her softly and affectionately, curling one hoof over her back to pull himself closer to his daughter.
“Shh... it’s alright. I’m here.”
“Why did you have to leave me, dad? Everything’s gone wrong since you... since...”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Trixie sobs, clinging tightly to him as best she can with her weak body. Comet Cloud looks up at the sky and continues to stroke his daughter’s neck. The rain continues to fall from the grey clouds above, but it does not reach him. Only Trixie is soaked by the rain.
He holds her there for a long time.
Trixie’s tears slow, and so Comet Cloud eases himself back. He reaches back with his mouth and tugs the cape off his back, draping it around his daughter’s shoulders. He smiles and reaches up to brush away the wet spots under her eyes with his wrist. She sniffles and smiles back, but his smile isn’t the same. It’s melancholy and sad.
“I’m sorry... but I can’t stay here with you, Trixie. You have to be strong, and keep going.“
Trixie shakes her head from side to side. “I-I can’t anymore dad. I tried, I really did. It’s too hard, and I s-sc-screwed everything up. I can’t make it right again.”
“You have to.”
“Why?” She yells angrily, her tear-stained face twisting into a pained and bitter grimace.
“Because one day you’re going to be the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria, remember?”
“I can’t... I’m not like you dad! I’m nothing without you! I can’t do it on my own, I don’t know how. Without you it... it hurts too much.” Trixie responds, staring pleadingly into her father’s yellow eyes.
Trixie’s father smiles sadly again, tilting his head in next to her ear to whisper in it as he hugs his daughter close one last time.
“It doesn’t matter if everypony else is better at letters or numbers, or has more friends, or even that they are better at magic. What matters is that what you do is important to someone special, no matter how big or small. You were the only thing that was truly special to me, and that is why you will always be the best unicorn in the world. Because you were my daughter, and I always loved you.”
Comet Cloud steps back, leaving Trixie sitting on the ground alone. She looks up at him, confused and worried by those familiar words that strike deep in her heart. The ache in her body feels stronger and not so far away anymore. Her eyes grow wide as she realizes what is about to happen.
“No... dad, please don’t go...” Trixie pleads, feebly reaching out to her father with one hoof that doesn’t seem to bend quite right. She can hear a peal of thunder somewhere far away. Her skin begins to tingle from the drops of rain falling from the sky, rain that she is no longer numb to.
“Wake up, Trixie.”
“I can’t do it! I need you!” She shouts desperately. She frantically tries to pull herself closer to him, but her body won’t listen to her. The dim sunlight shining through the clouds is growing stronger with every second, casting the world in a glow that is washing everything away, not so different from the one that consumed her life so long ago.
“Wake up, Trixie.”
“Don’t leave me alone again!!”
Despite the burning white light, Trixie can still see her father’s yellow eyes glisten, a single tear running down his cheek before falling to the wet ground below.
“Wake up, Trixie.”
...
“Dad... “ Trixie whispered under her breath, her mind dragged painfully back into consciousness. She tried to open her eyes but she couldn’t see, couldn’t feel anything but wracking pain and numbness. Her chest felt like it was flimsy fabric being torn apart every time she took more than the slightest breath. Her face was battered and swollen like a lump of meat. Her limbs didn’t seem to want to move where she wanted them to and her front left leg refused to move at all, like she was a marionette whose strings weren’t quite attached properly. The rest of her body she couldn’t feel at all.
She lifted her head and tried to focus on her mangled left foreleg, tried to lift it an inch, even a centimeter. It felt like trying to lift a boulder. She.tried wiggling it back and forth, to break the feeling like it was stuck the wrong way. Nothing.
Trixie let her head fall back. She could barely make out some light now coming in past her swollen eyelids. She stared at it for some time, unable to do anything but let the gentle raindrops fall against her bruised face.
The light was suddenly blocked out by a shadow looming over her, the silhouette of a pony looking down at her slowly coming into focus. His lips were moving, but Trixie’s mind was having trouble following what he was saying, something about staying still until help arrived. He seemed worried. Trixie blinked as she looked back up in hope, trying to focus on the pony’s face, but it wasn’t him.
Trixie closed her eyes once more, blotting out the cruel reality she had returned to. A small sob wracked her chest, despite the pain it caused her. She would’ve cried if she could, but her eyes didn’t have any tears left. She knew deep down that he was gone forever.
Dad... come back... I didn’t get to say I love you too...
Trixie wakes up in her own bed.
It is dark. Trixie looks down, holding one hoof in front her face, but there is no light underneath the covers because it is still night. She pulls herself out of bed, hooves brushing across the rough carpet on the floor, carpet so rough it feels like dead grass. A wisp of cool breeze drifts past her face from the window, but it feels stagnant, stale, dusty. The room is stifling.
Trixie tilts her head and looks up. The ceiling is black like the night sky. Daddy painted it that way, and he put little plastic stars that glow in the dark so she wouldn’t be scared of the night. He even painted a moon. But tonight there’s weird dark clouds near on the ceiling too, making it hard to see. It stings Trixie’s eyes, so she looks away. She can see an orange light flickering under the door, casting an eerie glow against the mural on her wall. It’s the forest next to the house where daddy first met mom, he said. He’d painted it when they first moved in. The light is growing brighter as time passes, but it’s hard to tell. It is the only light Trixie can see.
“Trixie!”
Something is wrong. It hurts to be here. Trixie’s chest feels tighter every second, like she can’t breathe, like there isn’t any air for her to breathe at all. Trixie doesn’t want to be here anymore. She’s terrified, but there’s nowhere to run. She tries to lift her foreleg and take a step towards the door, but she can’t move. She’s too afraid. She feels something brush her side, holding her back. The touch is paralyzing. It makes her scared, scared that something is terrible is going to happen.
Trixie turns to see what it is. A pair of yellow eyes looks down at her. They are her dad’s eyes, but they seem afraid. When they blink, Trixie’s heart lurches in her chest because they look sad, like they do when daddy tells her he has to go away on a trip for a long time. Trixie begins to cry. That’s not fair. Daddy can’t leave when she’s scared.
It’s getting so hard to breathe. Daddy’s telling her to do something but Trixie doesn’t understand. She just woke up and it’s hard to do what daddy says when she’s so scared. Someone outside the window is telling daddy that he has to hurry, that there’s not much time left. Trixie can see the orange light is getting ever brighter.
Daddy yells and tugs at her insistently before reaching down and picking her up. His eyes are filled with so much fear, so much pleading. He carries her to the window and lifts her out into the arms of a pegasus who is waiting there. She sees the orange light surge up behind her father as her bedroom door falls down, as part of her wall crumbles away and falls through the floor. The light is filling the hallway, those dark clouds that stopped her from seeing the stars billowing out into the room. The pegasus starts to fly up and away from the building with Trixie in his arms.
Why is daddy staying behind? Why isn’t he coming with her? Daddy’s supposed to stay with her! Trixie opens her mouth. It’s the voice of a child only a few years old that speaks.
“Please don’t leave me alone!!”
Her father smiles. It’s a sad smile.
Trixie can’t breathe at all anymore. She begins to panic as she watches the floor of their upper-story Manehattan apartment crumble away beneath her father as the fire consumes it. Trixie sees him lose his footing, slipping backwards and plummeting headfirst into a roaring orange abyss. The arms of the grey pegasus hold the filly tightly like chains as she struggles to escape from his grasp, to try and reach her father, but they are her only tether saving her from falling into the vanishing world below. She can only watch as the orange glow consumes him, the sparkling stars of his yellow eyes winking out as they are devoured by the hideous light.
She has been torn away from her father. It feels like her heart has been torn out instead.
Trixie screams, it hurts so much.
“NOOOOOO!!!”
“Trixie, wake up! It’s just a bad dream!” Sweetie Belle yelled, fighting to keep her hooves on top of Trixie’s chest despite her friend’s desperate flailing.
Trixie’s eyes shot open wide as she struggled against the filly’s tiny hooves holding her down, the words reaching her from deep within her nightmare. Her pupils were contracted down to tiny points that stared unseeing through the pony on top of her.
“No, no, no no! Don’t die, please don’t die! I can’t, I can’t! Not again!!’
“I’m not going to die, so please wake up! You’re scaring me!” Sweetie yelled, desperately shaking the pony underneath her.
Trixie’s struggling suddenly slowed and stopped. She turned her head, eyes focusing on Sweetie Belle past limp strands of her disheveled mane, her face a mixture of terrified uncertainty and despair. Slowly she lifted one trembling hoof up to Sweetie’s small face, placing it on her pale white cheek. Sweetie held still, nodding her head at Trixie’s touch and smiling reassuringly.
“It’s me, Sweetie Belle.”
“Please, no more... Can’t take it. It hurts too much.” Trixie whimpered, her face contorting in sorrow and tears leaking from the corners of her tired and pleading eyes. “Should have died too... I wish I had...”
Sweetie Belle’s smile faded into a hurt frown. She lifted her hooves and brought them back down on Trixie’s chest, hitting her friend weakly in protest. “No Trixie! Don’t say that! I don’t want you to die! I need you!”
“Can’t save him. Can’t ever save him.” The blue mare slowly shook her head from side to side, letting her hoof slide off the filly’s face. She sunk back down to the floor, her tortured eyes drifting away from Sweetie’s and staring off into the distance.
“Who?” Sweetie Belle asked, hesitantly.
“Dad.” the other unicorn whispered, her voice cracking. “I’m sorry... I’m just... not good enough.” Trixie pulled her legs inward and buried her face behind her hooves, gradually curling into a feeble shell just like when Sweetie Belle first found her. She began to sob, each cry wretched and weak as she shivered in the cold night air.
“Y-your...” Sweetie Belle stammered. stepping back and falling on her rump. The filly frowned, rubbing her chin with one hoof thoughtfully as she pondered what to do.
She had a nightmare about her dad and now she’s crying. She’s never talked about her dad... is he okay? Rarity wouldn’t ever talk about mom and dad either but... she’s always been like other pony’s moms are, to me I hate having dreams about Rarity getting hurt. They always made me cry too.
Sweetie trotted over to the crystal nightlight where it had been knocked away by Trixie’s panicked struggling and carried it back over to the bed of pillows, dropping it on the floor again. With a grunt she jumped up onto the pile and began to dig with her small hooves, kicking pillows off as she gradually made an indent in the mass. Satisfied, she hopped back down to the floor and picked the small nightlight back up once again, walking back to where Trixie still lay curled on the floor. The small filly’s chest swelled as she took a deep breath and let it back out again.
I hope this helps...
Sweetie extended her hoof once more and brushed it softly at the blue mare’s exposed side. Across Trixie’s chest and belly she could feel a scarred swath of skin that she hadn’t been able to see before under the mare’s thin blue coat. Trixie flinched inward at the touch, making Sweetie cringe in sympathy.
“Trixie...”
For a few moments the other unicorn lay still, but then slowly her forelegs parted, the glow of the nightlight revealing her face. She stared up at Sweetie Belle, her eyes no longer focused in panic but lonely and afraid all the same.
“Come sleep with me.” Sweetie whispered, offering her hoof for Trixie to take.
Trixie look away, glancing about the floor uncertainly.
“Please... I don't like being alone.”
Trixie chewed at her trembling lip for a few moments before looking back up at the small filly in front of her, nodding her head slowly. She reached out and took Sweetie Belle’s hoof in one foreleg, rolling onto her stomach and shakily lifting herself from the ground on her three other hooves.
Sweetie Belle guided Trixie across the room, kicking the dimming nightlight across the floor ahead of her as she made her way to the bed of pillows. Once there, she tugged Trixie over to the front of the pile and gently pushed her down into it.
“Is everything okay? Are you comfortable?” Sweetie asked.
“Cold...” Trixie replied, shivering in the night air as she pulled her legs up off the floor and tucked them into the pile with her.
Sweetie Belle looked around for a moment, running back and retrieving the blanket that Trixie had wrapped herself in and dragging it over to her friend. She draped it over Trixie’s shivering form and then started picking pillows up off the floor, placing them over the blanket until Trixie was lightly buried in the pile with only her head sticking out.
“Better?”
Trixie nodded, watching as Sweetie Belle jumped up onto the pile next to her and dug her face into it, her back legs kicking out awkwardly as she wiggled her way into the cushions.
Sweetie Belle snuggled underneath the blanket and pressed her warm body against Trixie’s colder one. She felt the older mare startle and try to pull away. Quickly she reached out with her legs and clung to Trixie tightly, burying her face in the soft coat of Trixie’s chest.
“Don’t go. Stay with me.”
A few seconds passed in silence, until Sweetie Belle felt Trixie’s legs circle around her and rest against her back, holding the filly close to her. Sweetie lay still in the shared embrace, the minutes slowly passing.
“Trixie?” Sweetie Belle asked, hesitantly.
The unicorn looked down, her hooves brushing across Sweetie’s back.
“Can... I sing that song to you?”
Trixie remained silent for a few moments before nodding her head in assent.
“...okay.”
Sweetie Belle cleared her throat nervously just as Trixie had, and began to hum the notes of Trixie’s lullaby. She wanted to sing her friend to sleep, but old habits kept the words inside. The song was muffled underneath the blanket, but Trixie could feel Sweetie’s soft voice resonating in her chest.
The rise and fall of Trixie’s chest began to gradually slow as Sweetie neared the end of the song, her long legs resting limply against the filly’s back. Sweetie looked up through the cushions and saw that Trixie’s tired eyes had closed, the mare fast asleep once more. Sweetie Belle scooted up through the pillows, careful not to wake the sleeping mare. She placed her lips against Trixie’s forehead beside her horn and gave her a gentle kiss. Slipping back down under the blanket, she rested her head back against Trixie’s chest, her own eyes drooping as she quietly sung the last words of the lullaby.
"And when I’m singing to them, tonight
I shut my eyes."
-To Be Continued-
You can find me and my other work at --
FiM Fiction, Fanfiction.net, FurAffinity, DeviantArt, GoogleDocs, and Tumblr.
I would like to thank BrokenHero, aka Mahogany, for all the help with this chapter. Without his assistance with editing and many suggestions this chapter would not be nearly so polished, nor would it have been completed nearly so quickly. Thank you.
You can find his work at Tumblr and DeviantArt.
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Im_not_sue
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854
| 5 |
Applejack,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Trixie,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie
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Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.
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cancelled
| 194 | 3 |
<p>Sweetie Belle, alone and dejected, comes across The Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ostracized for her prior misdeeds involving the Ursa Minor. Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, giving Sweetie (and perhaps herself as well) both the guidance and companionship she needs.</p><p>This is a S1 fic. Events take place before 'The Return of Harmony, pt 1'.<br/>Writing for this fic began before Season 2, so events do not match canon storylines.</p><p>This fic was featured on Equestria Daily on Oct 18th, 2011</p><p>Title art by:<br/><a href="http://acesential.deviantart.com" rel="nofollow">http://acesential.deviantart.com</a></p><p>Fan art:<br/><a href="http://fav.me/d4ghb33" rel="nofollow">http://fav.me/d4ghb33</a></p>
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teen
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2012-10-29T21:28:20+00:00
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2012-10-29T21:28:20+00:00
| 2,383 |
Sweetie Belle let out another trembling yawn and fell back on her haunches before the front door of Breezy Family Fan Fixing and Fine Furnishings. Droplets of water fell from the eaves of the store onto the hood of the filly’s yellow poncho. Pressed up against the locked door was her wagon, covered with a green tarp to protect its contents from getting wet.
I sure hope Mister Breezy comes soon...
The streets of Ponyville were empty at that early hour, save for the large puddles left from the previous night’s downpour. The rain had stopped sometime earlier that morning as Sweetie Belle had made ready to leave the Crusader clubhouse in Sweet Apple Acres, but the thick layer of clouds still blocked out the sun’s pre-dawn glow.
Sweetie Belle eased herself down next to her wagon, tucking in her chin and tugging the hood down over her head until only a few strands of her pink and purple mane were visible underneath. Settled as best she could be next to her wagon, Sweetie Belle closed her droopy eyes and waited for the town clocktower to announce the first hour of the morning. The stone stoop was uncomfortably cold even through the insulation of her poncho, but her mind was elsewhere -- on a blue unicorn she had left fast asleep in her bed of pillows.
I hope Trixie‘s dad is okay and that it was just a bad dream. She was really upset though. I get really upset too when I have bad dreams like that, but... maybe something actually happened to him. She said she couldn’t save him... what if he got hurt in an accident, and she feels like it’s her fault? Or maybe he got sick and now he’s gone, like what happened to Cheerilee’s grandpa last year when she took the day off to go to the funeral. She told the whole class that she missed him a lot. She even cried a little. I really hope he’s okay and gets better so Trixie can go see him again. I don’t think Trixie’s family lives near Ponyville though. She probably misses them. I wonder if she has a big sister just like like I do? Or if she even has a sister at all...
Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up at the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Peeking under the rim of her hood, she watched a yellow earth pony with orange hair trotting slowly down the street, a pair of covered baskets slung over her back. The other pony glanced in her direction as she passed, but kept on walking. Sweetie stared at the travelling mare until she turned at a distant intersection and trotted out of sight, leaving the filly alone once again.
If Trixie could go see her dad that would be really nice, so she could be sure he’s okay. Applejack doesn’t let her leave the clubhouse at all though. She probably misses visiting her friends and her mom and dad. I’ve told her about Applebloom and Scootaloo, but... she never talks about anypony. She hardly talks about anything at all. What if she’s like me before I met Scootaloo and Applebloom, and she doesn’t have any friends? I had Rarity, but if her dad... if he’s... I... I’d hate to not have anypony as my friend...
Sweetie Belle sat up straight as a shiver tingled down her spine. She took a few deep breaths, the tightness in her stomach dissipating as she let go of that line of thought. She didn’t like where it was taking her.
Sweetie’s eyes drifted to the cart resting beside the door, its contents still safely hidden under the protective tarp. She nudged the edge back and revealed the crystal nightlight Trixie had made for her a few days before. Sweetie lifted the crystal out with her teeth before slumping against the wall once more, letting the nightlight fall against her chest and into the soft crevice of her forelegs. With a deep sigh Sweetie Belle rested her head on her hooves and closed her eyes.
I wish I could make her happy again...
“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”
Chapter 5
An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Lounge_Lizard, aka Im_Not_Sue
(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)
(v1.0.0 - 10/29/12)
“Sweetie Belle? Is that you?”
“Huh... what?” Sweetie mumbled. She lifted her head from the ground and struggled open her heavy eyelids. The pony that loomed over her only partially blocked the bright morning light shining down on her face. Sweetie squinted and raised one hoof in front of her eyes, trying to make out the pony’s identity through the glare.
“It is you! I’m so used to seeing your hair in curls I thought you were some other filly.” The pony said, his cheery voice familiar through Sweetie’s mental haze. “But why are you sleeping in front of my store? I’m not open on the weekends. Did Rarity send you for something?”
“Oh... hi Mister Breezy. I came to return your fan. I think I fell asleep though. What... what time is it?” Sweetie Belle replied groggily as she pushed herself up from the ground. She rubbed her eyes with one foreleg to clear the blurriness from her vision. Sure enough, the snappily-dressed pony Sneezy Breezy stood before her in his trademark suit and hat he always wore.
The tan earth pony glanced down the street at the tall clock tower that stood at the edge of town. The weather had cleared up slightly, letting sunlight and blue sky through the holes in the clouds.
“Well, the bells just tolled for the hour so... only a bit after 10 o’clock I think.”
“Ten... ten o’clock?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. Her eyes flew wide open and she jumped a foot in the air in shock. “Can I return the fan, Mister Breezy? Please, I’ve got to get back to the clubhouse! Applejack is gonna be furious!”
“Well, normally I’d say no since it’s my day off but...” Breezy began, but the sight of the small unicorn filly, now very much awake and adorably bouncing up and down on her hooftips in distress, brought an amused yet sympathetic smile to his face. “Well, I was already coming in to pick up something anyway. I don’t see why I can’t take a return too.”
“Oh thank goodness.” Sweetie Belle said with a relieved sigh. “Scootaloo would never let me forget if I lost even one bit of our deposit. She’s been wanting a new scooter for ages.”
“Well just be sure to return your rentals on time in the future so you don't risk disappointing your filly friends.” Breezy chuckled as he retrieved a key from his saddlebag and unlocked the door. He nudged the door open with his hoof and gestured inside. “Just leave the wagon and your coat here. I’ll carry the fan inside. Don’t want any mud getting in the store after all.”
Sweetie Belle nodded eagerly in agreement and slipped out of her poncho and rain boots while Breezy hoisted the filly’s fan up onto his back.
The interior of the shop was, as its name suggested, full of fans of various shapes and sizes. From the long wall of run-of-mill pedal-powered standing fans anypony could use, to the dozen crank-and-pulley operated ceiling fans installed in every upper-class Manehattan loft, and even the pricey modern models with new-age style made to be driven by unicorn-enchanted crystal batteries, the Breezy Family store had whatever a pony in need of a cooling draft of air might need. There was even a sign against one wall which read ‘Need industrial-strength? We special order!’ The remaining space in the shop held a modest miscellany of decorative home goods that made up the other half of the store’s namesake.
Once the two ponies reached the back of the shop, Breezy set his cargo on the countertop and pulled out a clipboard and quill from underneath the register. Sweetie Belle waited patiently as the older pony began to fill out the form attached to the clipboard.
“Alright then... table fan number 14, rented to... Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. HoneyWings model PWM-3... Alright. Just sign the top part and put the date here. I need to inspect the fan to be sure it’s still working and in good condition before I can return your deposit.” Breezy said, setting the clipboard on the counter near Sweetie Belle. He shouldered the fan once more and pushed open the door to the back room.
“Um... okay.” Sweetie replied. She took the clipboard and quill from the counter and quickly signed her name. She heard the older pony jostling around the contents of a toolbox as she placed the clipboard back up on the counter. “Anything else?”
“Nope! You can just stick around the shop. Shouldn’t take more than...” Breezy called back through the door, his voice cutting off mid-sentence as the noise inside suddenly stopped. A moment later the earth pony stuck his head back out, a worried expression coloring his face. “On second thought, maybe you could just come back later, Sweetie. We uh... wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened that one time, would we?”
“Mister Breezyyyy! I wasn’t even old enough to be in pre-school when that happened!” Sweetie Belle protested. Her face flushed a deep shade of red as she stomped her hooves on the ground. “And besides, I’m not a little foal anymore! I can be responsible!”
“I know, I know. But the missus... she’d kill me if she knew I even let you in the door without Rarity here. You know it’s store policy now.” With a sheepish grin on his face Breezy pointed to the large sign on the counter that read ‘Absolutely No Children Allowed Without Supervision.’
“I said I won’t do anything! I promise! You can trust me!” Sweetie Belle insisted.
“Oh, I don’t know if...” Breezy replied uneasily, trying to weigh just how much unintentional devastation one filly was capable of.
The smoldering wreckage of Breezy Family Fan Fixing and Fine Furnishings had finally been contained. The Ponyville Community Fire Brigade had been quick to respond, and thanks to their diligence only four other nearby buildings had been consumed by the fire and nopony had been hurt. Some ponies might not have called that a true success, but those with experience fighting such disasters knew that they were lucky the whole block wasn’t burned to the ground.
The newspapers would later report that an investigation had shown the fire was likely accidental, and appeared to have been caused by a freak mishap involving one and a half dozen barrels of lamp oil in the attic of Lanterns and Loufas that had somehow been ignited by large pieces of metal shrapnel. Eyewitnesses reported that the sound of a loud explosion had been heard minutes before, emanating from the vicinity of the Breezy Family property, but due to damage from the fire it is likely the true cause will never be determined...
Breezy snapped from his nightmarish reverie with a shudder and looked back down at the pink-and-purple haired filly in front of him.
“Well, okay, but just be careful and don’t... don’t touch anything. Please?” Breezy implored.
“I said I won’t!” Sweetie Belle repeated.
“Promise?”
“Mister Breeezeeeeyyyyy!!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Breezy said, before finally retreating back into the workshop.
“Ugh... you’d think there’d be somepony in this town that didn’t treat me like a baby!” Sweetie Belle fumed. She turn turned away from the counter and briefly considered where in Ponyville such a pony might be found, but she already knew that the two fillies most willing to give her a peer’s respect were still far away on their own adventures.
I wonder how Scootaloo is doing at flight camp. Maybe she’ll even get her cutie mark there. Applebloom didn’t want to spend a whole month in Appleoosa, but maybe she’ll get her mark too. I really miss them... I wish they hadn’t left. I wish I could play board games and draw and go looking for our special talents again. It’s no fun being all by myself.
Sweetie Belle sighed and leaned against the side of the counter. The smooth sanded wood paneling felt nice against her coat. Sweetie tilted her head and languidly stroked her cheek along the surface as she continued to muse.
They probably miss me too, but they both have somepony to keep them company. Now that Trixie is here I guess I do too. I wonder if they’ll want to meet Trixie when they come back? Although on second thought, I don’t know if Scootaloo would get along with Trixie very well. Applejack sure doesn’t. Rarity wouldn’t either...
Sweetie Belle frowned, the urge to escape her unpleasant thoughts rising as she stared out the open door into the drippy, dreary day. She stood up straight and started towards the door, but made it only a few steps before her mind reigned in her hooves. She didn’t have anywhere to go. Wandering the town would be no better than staying right where she was, and she couldn’t go back to the clubhouse before she was done returning the fan. With a sigh the filly slowed and stopped midway down the aisles. There was nothing to do but wait.
Applejack said Trixie will have to leave when Scootaloo and Applebloom come back, but Trixie promised she wasn’t going to leave. What’s going to happen? If only I could ask somepony like Cheerilee or Mister Breezy if there’s somepony she could stay with... but... Applejack said I can’t tell anypony or they’ll get mad because she’s not supposed to be in Ponyville.
Sweetie hung her head and sighed. She began to wander aimlessly through the store aisles, browsing for some distraction, but the flower pots and fancy dishes failed to capture her interest. On a different day with two other fillies by her side, then perhaps she could have found some wondrous treasure or an enticing opportunity to find a cutie mark. Alone, the shop’s wares were nothing more than mundane adult things, for grown-up ponies who wanted to decorate their patios and dinner tables.
Sweetie Belle continued to browse until her eyes lighted upon on a tall rotating stand adorned with wind chimes on display at the front of the store. Almost a dozen chimes hung from the stand’s thin metal arms for shoppers to peruse. Curious, she ambled closer to examine them. Some were made from lines of dangling shells, others from ceramic tiles or wooden tubes. Some were simple, a few even sported extravagantly etched glass. None of them moved, though; the air inside the shop was too still to stir any of the chimes from their silence.
“I guess stuff like this is kind of nice...” Sweetie Belle muttered to herself. She reached up to sound the closest chime, a circle of thin metal tubes hung from a wooden disc with a dangling ball at the center, but the noise of Breezy’s toolwork in the back room froze her hoof an inch from the chime. Sweetie lowered her hoof and looked away, morose and resigned to her inability to sate her curiosity.
They’re going to fight again, I know it. They’re going to yell and scream at each other, just like when Applejack found her here. Applejack’s going to say she has to leave Ponyville anyway. She doesn’t let Trixie go anywhere or do anything, and she’s always treating Trixie like she did something bad, and now she’s going to make her leave! Why does she have to be so mean to Trixie? She’s my friend! If Trixie was a bad pony, she’d... she wouldn’t...
Sweetie Belle closed her eyes tightly shut as a wave of frustration and anger washed over her. Her small body tensed as she held back the urge to scream out her growing frustration.
She’s just like Rarity when she gets mad at me for dumb things when I’m trying to do something nice for her or just help out! Trixie shouldn’t have to leave; it's not fair! She’s always been nice to me, and she’s helping me with magic when nopony else cares! I mean, she gets upset sometimes, but she’s never mean! Applejack told me she did bad things before, but Trixie’s never been mean to me or Applejack or anypony, never ever! Applejack should be mad at Rarity instead! Rarity doesn’t let me do anything and doesn’t ever listen to me and left me all alone! She’s the mean one! Trixie cares way more about me than my big sister does! And she’s my friend, and she shouldn’t have to be sad all the time! She made me happy, and I’m trying hard to make her happy too! I don’t want her to go away! Why can’t Applejack tell Rarity to go away instead? Trixie would... Trixie would be a better big sister than Rarity ever was!
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes again and glared past the strands of pink and purple hair at the rack of wind chimes hanging mutely in front of her, their mocking stillness just another piece of her life out of her reach to change. Sweetie Belle clenched her jaw and let out a long, frustrated shriek between her teeth. Her cry rose with her anger in both pitch and intensity, building until she could not contain herself any longer.
“I HATE STUPID ADULTS!!”
The young filly lashed out with the full force of her anger at the chimes. Her hooves cascaded through dozens of noise making bits before they smashed into the frame and sent the whole thing spinning in a harsh cacophony of sound. Sweetie Belle winced and let out a sharp cry as stinging pain shot up through her legs. She hopped a few short steps back and cradled her tingling hooves against her chest, the blow shaking her out of her emotional outburst.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Sweetie apprehensively looked back up. The looming beast of metal rods and carved wood teetered back and forth on its tiny legs in front of her, its balance dangerously upset by the filly’s attack. Its tinkling voice echoed in the empty shop, harsh and discordant, like a wounded animal crying out in pain before its own inevitable demise. The stand spun in a slow wobbling circle once, twice, fighting gravity...
“Sweetie Belle, is everything alright? I thought I heard something. I’ll be right there, let me just get these straps off...”
Uh oh...
Sweetie’s eyes grew wide as the looming display she had promised not to touch finally began to tip over into the aisle, the stand and all its fragile adornments descending towards the filly with inescapable speed.
“Oh, Cutie marks--”
“...nto town to drop it off. I’ll be right back okay?”
Somepony was whispering. It sounded like a filly’s voice, a familiar voice.
“Suh... Summer? Where am I?” Trixie mumbled tiredly. Everything around her was dark and murky, and the air was stuffy. She struggled to lift her head, but a heavy weight on her chest held her down, keeping her from sitting up straight. A blurry pale... something, moved at the bottom of her vision. She could feel it shuffling and shifting around on top of the layer of dark shapes covering her. The pressure on her chest grew heavier, making it difficult to breathe, before a small round face peered in through a crack of light. It smiled.
“You can go back to sleep, Trixie. I’ll be back in time for breakfast.”
“Oh... okay.” Trixie mumbled, silhouette of the white pony with the familiar voice slipping away as she let her head fall back. The weight on top of her suddenly vanished, and Trixie sighed in relief and closed her eyes once more. The sounds of rustling fabric, a creaking door, and hoofsteps in the mud outside slowly faded away as Trixie fell back into a peaceful sleep.
Hoofsteps. Outside. Coming closer.
Trixie’s eyes shot open, her mind startling out of drowsiness and into panic almost instantly. The rhythmic splashing of hooves trudging through rain puddles drew close, but there were no warning calls from Applejack, no sweet melodies from Sweetie Belle echoing through the trees. The hooves outside belonged to somepony else. Trixie scrambled to push herself out of bed, the pillows spilling aside as she forced herself out from underneath them. She had to hurry before--
The sound of the hoofsteps starting up the wooden stairs made her blood run cold. Trixie gulped, her heart pounding in her chest as she stepped carefully away from the bed on trembling hooves. She expected the door to fly open at any moment, for the pony outside to discover that the hated villain had returned, and to quickly gather a mob to drive her away... or to punish her like so many had before. At any moment the door could open and she would be discovered. She hoped with all her heart that the stranger outside wouldn’t hear the floorboards creaking underneath her over the sound of their own hoofsteps. She crept as fast as she dared past the scattered pillows to the corner of the room.
The hoofsteps paused outside the clubhouse door just as Trixie reached the dubious safety of the corner of the room. Wasting no time, she huddled in as close to the wall as she could, tucked her head down, and stared at a crack in the floor as she began to cast her spell.
Don’t blink. Don’t blink. Don’t blink. Don’t blink.
The faint glow emanating from the blue unicorn’s horn wavered with every trembling exhalation she made. She had performed her Vanishing Spell dozens of times while onstage and more than once used it to save herself from discovery while off, but this time her trademark bravado and smug confidence had quickly evaporated. The pony wouldn’t be able to see or hear her, but only as long as she didn’t look at the other pony either and didn’t close her eyes. Unlike her wagon’s stage with its nearby curtains and the convenient placement of her audience, in the tight confines of the clubhouse she had nowhere to escape. She was trapped, and all it would take was an accidental bump from the curious pony, a sneeze she couldn't hold back, or her exhausted eyes screaming at her to blink for the spell to break and bring everything to an end. She would be caught. The pony would run away before Trixie could do anything. Everypony in town would know, and then...
The seconds dragged on as Trixie waited anxiously for the door to open, but nothing happened. The clubhouse was silent, save for the sound of her own ragged, shallow breathing. Sweat she dared not wipe away ran down her snout and dripped onto the floorboards below.
I couldn’t have been hearing things. Somepony was climbing the steps. Did they hear me moving? If they did, then why haven’t they come in yet? What are you waiting for? What do you want?! Just go away, I’m not here. Nopony’s h--
“Sweetie... are you there?”
Applejack paused her survey of the mystery novels on the shelf before her and glanced at the purple unicorn quietly reading on the other side of the library.
This is stupid, AJ. You know what you need to do. This is between you and her. You don’t need to bother Twi. But... ugh, consarn it girl, just get it over with.
Applejack bit her lip and looked down at her hooves. A dust bunny lay at the foot of the shelf. She teased it with her hoof for a few moments before speaking.
“Hey... Twilight.”
The other pony perked her ears at the sound of her name, but her eyes remained intently focused on the open pages of last year’s Semi-Annual Astronomer’s Almanac laying on the floor before her. “Yes, Applejack? Need me to find something?”
“No, I uh... I had a question.” Applejack muttered, her voice growing quiet.
Twilight looked up from her book. Applejack had come by the library on her usual quest for new reading material for Granny Smith, but today the earth pony’s casual search had dragged on quite a bit longer than it usually did. The somber tone of Applejack’s voice sent up a warning flare in Twilight’s mind. The apple farmer always was terrible at hiding her feelings, and something was troubling her. Twilight folded her hooves and nosed her book to the side, tasseled bookmark tucked firmly between its pages.
“Sure thing, Applejack! Ask away. I’m here to help.” Twilight said eagerly, hiding her concern beneath bubbly cheer.
“You remember Trixie, right?” Applejack asked slowly, picking each word carefully. “You know, from the time with the stage and you taking care of the wild Ursa.”
Twilight shifted her left hind leg underneath her, a faint smile forming across her lips. “Of course. How could I forget? It’s not everyday you have to take care of a Minor problem in Ponyville.”
“What do you think of her?” Applejack asked flatly.
“...what do I think of her?” Twilight echoed quizzically, surprised that Applejack hadn’t reacted to her little pun.
“Yeah. About the kind of pony she is, I mean.” Applejack mumbled, shifting about on her feet awkwardly. She kept her back turned on the unicorn across the library.
“It’s... kind of hard to say. I don’t think she’s a bad pony, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Twilight said hesitantly while rubbing her chin with one hoof, her mind spinning in circles trying to guess at her friend’s troubles.
“Why?”
“She’s not the kind of pony who does mean things on purpose.” Twilight responded simply.
“ ‘Course not. She just ended up doing them anyway.” Applejack retorted.
Twilight recoiled, more than a bit taken aback by the coldness of her friend’s reply. She stood up and circled around the other pony. From the side she could see the apple farmer’s clenched jaw and stern gaze focused far beyond the works fiction she seemed to be browsing. Applejack glanced behind her and met eyes with with Twilight briefly before turning her back to the unicorn again and hiding her face in another bookshelf. Neighriam-Troststers Dictionaries. Something was definitely wrong.
“Applejack, what’s bothering you?” Twilight asked as she circled closer once more, her concern no longer hidden by her earlier pleasant facade.
“No. It’s nothing. I-I just... I have...” Applejack started, her voice cracking midway through. She shook her head as if to clear it and took a deep breath before continuing. “I know a unicorn. And she’s done some bad things before, but now... I don’t know what to think about her.“
“You didn’t see Trixie recently, did you? Or, no...” Twilight chewed her lip thoughtfully as she pieced together the connections in her mind. “...this is about Rarity and Sweetie Belle, isn’t it.”
Twilight knew right away she’d made a mistake. Applejack tensed up, her legs and shoulders going completely stiff. Twilight took a few steps back from the earth pony and waited apprehensively, hoping she was just misinterpreting the signals. Applejack did not respond.
“Sorry... I shouldn’t be prying,” Twilight said after a few moments. The other pony still did not break from her impassive, stone-faced stance. Twilight lifted one hoof to rub at her chin, realizing she would have to pick her words carefully if she wanted to be of help. “Um... well, about Trixie, I don’t think she was trying to be mean because she... she... I don’t know. She wasn’t trying to hurt anypony.”
“How can you believe that even after she came and attacked you?” The earth pony’s voice was low but harsh and bitter, and her words were spat out through clenched teeth. “The Ursa might’ve wrecked the town or hurt some ponies, but you could’ve actually DIED Twilight! I could’ve lost one of my best friends because of her.”
“I know, but I understand why she... tried to hurt me. It wasn’t because she wanted to be mean, it’s... it’s...” Twilight sighed and looked away before continuing quietly. “I’m not going to say how I know, but she hasn’t had the best life, Applejack. She’s been hurt a lot and she’s had to suffer a lot more than anypony should.”
“So that just makes everything okay? That excuses what she did?” Applejack replied cynically, shaking her head.
“I don’t know, but I don’t blame her.”
Twilight sat down on her haunches and waited again as the earth pony stared silently down at her hooves.
“Right. I’m headin’ off. Need to check up on Sweetie Belle.” Applejack said as she raised her head back up, regaining her stolid composure in a snap. She turned and began to walk toward the front door.
“Applejack, wait! I want to say one more thing.” Twilight called after her.
The earth pony paused at the door and waited.
“I think things could have been a lot different if Trixie...” Twilight paused, a wistful frown coming over her face. “...if she had somepony who could have helped her out. Somepony to be her friend, to be there for her when she really needed it. She might not have ended up like... like she is now.”
“...alright.” Applejack muttered weakly, her voice drained of all the venom it held just moments before. With a nudge of her hoof she opened the front door of the library and walked out into the morning light.
Sweetie Belle stood in front of the white-and-purple entrance to Carousel Boutique, yellow poncho draped over her head. It was almost noon, and yet the building was silent, and no lights were on inside.
The filly’s stomach growled in protest of the lack of food the filly had eaten that day, but still she didn’t move. She stood on the stoop, her eyes fixed to the ground, struggling to collect the words buried under the turmoil of emotions inside her. An open cardboard box lay in the wagon behind her, its precious contents concealed by a layer of white tissue paper.
“Rarity... I can... I...”
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes.
The fallen stand lay in the aisle inches from the small filly it had almost struck. Its thin metal arms were bent from the impact with the ground, the fragile chimes that once hung from those arms now destroyed. Shards of broken ceramic and slivers of broken glass were scattered everywhere. The small filly that had created the terrible mess was unharmed, but none of the chimes on the display had managed to avoid destruction.
Save one.
Sweetie Belle stared up in awe. Floating in the air above her was the simple dangling-rods windchime that she had refrained from touching just moments earlier, now caught and held in an almost perfect stillness by a muted pink glow of magic. Her magic.
“I did it...” Sweetie Belle whispered, shivering as the words left her mouth.
The windchime stirred as if moved by the filly’s voice. The small wooden ball dangling in the center of the metal rods swayed, and gently struck three of them.
Sweetie Belle reeled as a deluge of sound overwhelmed her senses. The chime made only the faintest noise in the air of the shop, and yet she could feel the power of the notes resonating clean and pure from her horn. Sweetie quickly felt her face grow numb and tingly, and began to wobble as her sense of balance slipped. The resonation cascaded through her head and down through her body, diminishing in intensity as it spread out to the tips of her hooves and echoed back up through her legs. She could feel each of the notes inside her, streaming back and forth and overlapping and blending and--
Sweetie’s gaze spun wildly around the room that somehow felt a thousand miles away in every direction. She couldn’t feel her own body; the sound was drowning out everything. The filly teetered dangerously in the center of the minefield of sharp fragments, spots of light and color clouding her vision as she stared down at her feet. Some sort of tension began to grow inside her chest, somehow breaking through the maelstrom of sound and growing ever more insistent... until she realized it was her body telling her she needed to breathe. Now. NOW!
Expending all her strength, Sweetie forced her mouth open and gasped for air. In that instant the notes of the chime vanished, washed away by the rush of air into her lungs. The feeling of occupying her own body rushed back to her as all the world suddenly snapped back into place. A sudden wave of dizziness and nausea followed her reclaimed senses, far too much for the small filly to bear. Her shaky legs gave out underneath her and she fell to the ground with a moan. The shimmering glow holding the chime in place began to fade away, and the delicate treasure drifted slowly down to the ground to rest beside the filly.
The workroom door at the back of the shop flew open as Breezy tumbled through it, falling against the counter in a tangled mess of limbs and toolbelts. With a few kicks of his hind legs he shucked most of the entangling straps and stood up to scan the room.
“Sweetie, is everything--” Breezy’s eyes grew wide as they alighted on the destruction the filly had wrought. “Oh sweet Celestia, not again! My wife is going to kill me!”
Sweetie Belle coughed and sputtered weakly on the floor but managed to lift her head up a few inches to glance back across her body, desperate hope rising above all the other feelings inside her.
Still blank.
“I can’t do it...”
Sweetie Belle let her hoof fall soundless against the door, her body trembling as it slid along the wood and back to the ground. The filly let out a single sniffle, and lifted her hoof from the door to wipe at her wet eyes. The tension in her gut settled to a dull ache as she turned away from Carousel Boutique and slipped back into the loop of the tow rope attached to her wagon. With her head hung low, the dejected filly began the long walk back through town to the clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres.
“I know, but today was the last day to return it. You weren’t home and I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be gone that long.” Sweetie Belle mumbled meekly as she walked beside the larger earth pony, ears folded back against her head.
“It’s alright sugarcube, but next time you need to go out you need to let me know! It’s hard enough keeping my eye on you on the farm as is.” Applejack said with an exasperated sigh. The concerned frown on her face had not lessened since she had found the filly on the road back to the farm. “If you got something that’s gonna be a problem like this, you just leave it for me to handle. I could’ve talked to Mr. Breezy for you.”
“Okay...”
The two ponies continued the rest of their walk down the country road in silence, accompanied by the squeaking axle of Sweetie Belle’s wagon as it rolled along behind the orange earth pony. As they came to the front gate of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack stopped and turned to face Sweetie Belle.
“Why’d we stop?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking up at Applejack.
“Sweetie, I’ve been thinking...” Applejack began, a concerned frown still on her face. She shimmied out of the wagon’s harness and sat down on her haunches in the damp grass next to the filly. “I’ve been talking to Rarity, and... well, she misses you, darlin’. I know you’re mad at her but she loves you dearly, even if she ain’t the best at expressing it. Not only that, she’s your only family. You need to give her a chance, sugarcube.”
“I know...” Sweetie Belle said, head hung low and face turned in a guilty frown.
“Would you be okay spending some time with Rarity, then?” Applejack said. She reached down with one hoof and stroked Sweetie Belle’s back encouragingly, easing the filly into sitting down beside her.
Sweetie looked from the older pony back to the ground again, chewing her lip nervously. She took a deep breath and gathered the courage to tell Applejack the entirety of what had transpired at the Breezy Family store.
“I tried to visit... w-what??” The small filly stopped before she had barely begun, her eyes wide in panic as they locked on the last thing she wanted to see. Sweetie shot to her hooves and scrambled away from Applejack. She shook her head in desperate protest as she shrunk back against her wagon. “No! This isn’t fair, Applejack! I don’t want to right now! I don’t want to!”
“Sweetie Belle, what in tarnation--” Applejack said, standing up in surprise at Sweetie’s reaction. The sound of dainty hoofsteps in the yard behind her and the hesitant yet graceful voice that accompanied them left no doubt as to the cause of Sweetie’s panic. Applejack glanced over her shoulder, a grimace already forming on her face.
Sure enough, Rarity walked through the open gate on tentative hooves toward the two ponies. She wore a gem-trimmed raincoat with the hood pulled down over her face, but the puffiness around her eyes and her less-than-prim mane betrayed her fatigue. Seeing that her approach had been noticed, Rarity smiled meekly and bowed her head.
“Ah... hello Applejack, Sweetie Belle. How are you both doing?”
“I don’t want to...” Sweetie Belle pleaded quietly, staring up at Applejack with terror-filled eyes.
“I know sugarcube, just wait a moment.” Applejack whispered back to Sweetie before turning to address the frightened filly’s older sister. She raised a suspicious eyebrow at the empty saddlebags hanging from the unicorn’s side, but nonetheless smiled and tried to force her usual chipper attitude back into her reply. ”Morning Rarity, what brings you by?”
“I was... I was thinking about what you said, Applejack and you were right. I shouldn’t have left everything to you. So I thought... I was thinking I’d try come by and...” Rarity began to explain timidly. Her voice drifted off at the sight of Sweetie Belle cowering behind her small wagon, clinging to its tarp-covered contents as her only protection from her older sister. Rarity winced and looked away from the unpleasant sight, tightness coursing through her chest.
Applejack slapped a hoof against her forehead and groaned. “I thought I said to wait until after I got the chance to talk to Sweetie Belle about it before you came by, Rarity.”
“I know, but I thought... I didn’t know you and Sweetie would be here! I...” Rarity stammered, becoming flustered by the unexpected reaction. “It... it just occurred to me that Sweetie Belle might be running low on her beauty products! I put a little basket together this morning and stopped at the house first like you said, but you weren’t there! I was just going to leave them, but it seemed like it would be kind of a waste. I thought since it would only be for a second or two that it would be okay, so I went by the clubhouse and--”
“You did WHAT?!” Applejack roared, lunging a few feet toward her unicorn friend in anger and disbelief.
Rarity startled backwards at Applejack’s sudden outburst, her rear hooves splashing in a puddle by the open gate. “W-what? I didn’t do anything! I just left Sweetie’s shampoos and things by the clubhouse! I was just on my way back now when I ran into you both here.”
Applejack glared back at the posh unicorn absently scraping mud off her hind-hoof, the conversation lapsing into a momentary awkward silence as the earth pony tried to think up a response to cover her outburst.
Consarn it, I can’t believe she came this close to finding out! I thought I did enough to make her stay away! What if she noticed something? She couldn’t have seen Trixie there or she’d be screaming her lungs out at me, but now I can’t back down now after I blew my top or she’ll suspect something for sure. If didn’t see anything then maybe... no, I can’t even risk it. I gotta distract her.
Applejack took a deep breath, her panic-stricken heart pounding in her chest as she grit her teeth and prepared for the worst.
“Have you spit your bit, Rarity? I told you to not go to the clubhouse or try to visit Sweetie without telling me first, and I meant FIRST!” Applejack shouted, leaning in to point an accusing hoof.
Rarity huffed as she raised one foreleg in front of herself defensively. “You told me I needed to do better and that’s what I’m trying to do! I don’t see what I did wrong! And you shouting isn’t helping any!”
“Well maybe you need to get your ears checked since you certainly didn’t pay attention to what I said NOT to do! You’re not making it any easier for me to take care of Sweetie!” Applejack said with a scornful tilt of her head.
“For you to take care of Sweetie Belle? She is my sister and I’m supposed to be raising her! If I choose to visit her that is my prerogative!” Rarity replied, sticking her nose up in the air.
Dagnabbit, this isn’t working. I gotta make it worse. I really wish I didn’t have to do this. I’m sorry, Rarity...
“I don’t care Rarity, I don’t need you making a mess of things with Sweetie again, and I don’t need you violating her private space when she ain’t ready to talk either! She doesn’t need another month of this pig-slop parenting from you, and you should know better!” Applejack retorted with added vehemence, forcing anger to overcome the shakiness creeping into her voice.
Rarity winced; her friend’s comment had stung. “Make a mess? Pig-slop? I wasn’t going to do anything malevolent! I would have at most asked if she was doing alright, and she wasn’t even there! I can’t believe you would think of me as some heartless nag of a mare to torment my own sister!”
“Sure, of course you wouldn’t! You would’ve done just great! Just like the fine job you’ve done taking care of Sweetie up until now, what with abandoning her to be all alone. I wonder whose side of the family you take after with your parenting style? Sure is loads better than what I learned from my Granny Smith, but I guess she ain’t even dead yet!” Even before the words left her mouth Applejack felt the stab in her gut, feelings of disgust and shame for allowing herself to ever say those words churning painfully inside her. She struggled to keep her eyes locked with Rarity, but as she watched the unicorn’s expression turn from shocked to betrayed she could no longer bear to look. Applejack tore her eyes away and stared at the muddy ground by the front gate as she waited for her friend’s reply.
Rarity’s brows furrowed and her lip raised into a snarl, her voice seething with more utter revulsion and hate than Applejack had ever heard escape the lips of the white unicorn.
“You... how... how dare you!! My parents were nothing like that! After what you and I have been through, I... I thought you were my friend, Applejack! I respected you! And now you... you... I should never have listened to you about Sweetie Belle!!”
Applejack screwed her eyes tightly closed, letting the horrible guilt and regret she had so rightly earned wash over her. Her stomach heaved, and she fought down the urge to puke even as she made ready her retort.
I wish I kept a bucket by that gate, ‘cause I could really use five minutes alone right now. That and a good buck in the gut. I’m sure Granny would be happy to do it if she overheard the disrespect I just gave Rarity... I’m sorry, ma, pa. I know you said its wrong, but I’m just trying to do the right thing.
“How dare I nothin’! Everything up ‘til now has been your own damn fault! You shouldn’t have let this happen in the first place, and you’ve got nopony to blame but yourself! If you’d--”
“Stop it! Just STOP!!”
Applejack flinched in shock and looked up, Sweetie’s voice slicing right through the words she was about to speak. The filly lay on all fours behind the wagon with only the back of her head visible over the tarp, her forelegs pressed tightly against her ears to block out the painful words being flung around her.
“Just stop... I want to go back to the clubhouse...” Sweetie pleaded, her voice trembling as her head slowly sunk back down, disappearing behind the wagon once more with a muffled sob.
Applejack gulped as she turned her head to face Rarity, the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Rarity stared back, her mouth hanging open slightly but no words escaped her lips. The tightness in Applejack’s gut evaporated, leaving behind only the feelings of self-loathing that had been so tangled moments before. With a slow shuffle of her hooves she turned her back on the purple-haired unicorn, her mind sinking in dismay at what she had just done.
“That’s enough. I’m done. We’re done. Just... go home.” Applejack muttered as she shook her head, her voice hollow and tired.
Rarity blinked, the apple farmer’s words sinking in and rousing her from her reverie.
“Wh-- No! We are not done! I am taking my sister back, and I will not--”
“Rarity, I said something I should never, ever have said, and I’m sorry. But right now, for Sweetie’s sake, I need you to get off my property or I will buck you out.” Applejack said, her back still turned. She brought one hoof up to her forehead and rubbed it over her eyes.
Boy you messed everything up bad, didn’t you Applejack? Right from the start when Trixie showed up and all the way to now, and you should’ve known better. Just like what mom always used to say. Why do you never listen...
Rarity reluctantly closed her still-open mouth, and nodded her head. With deliberate steps she circled past the menacing earth pony, snout upturned and eyes averted in silent and angry scorn. As she passed the small wagon she turned her gaze towards the pony behind it.
Sweetie Belle lay shivering on the damp grass, her head now resting on the ground between her forelegs. The filly looked up to meet her sister’s gaze, the filly’s fear-filled eyes wet with tears.
Rarity’s hooves scraped along the muddy road as her gait faltered. Her angry sneer faded to a despondent, regretful frown as the two stared quietly at each other for a long moment.
“Sweetie, I--”
Applejack stomped one rear hoof into the ground with a powerful thud. “Out. Now.”
Rarity sighed and looked away from her sister. The mare took a few seconds to shift her raincoat back into its proper place and brush the hair from her eyes. Her head reassumed its composed yet disdainful upward tilt, but the regretful frown lingered. Finally, with eyes squarely fixed to the road in front of her, she began the walk down the country lane and back to her home in Ponyville.
Applejack sat down in the grass beside Sweetie Belle. The small filly lay shivering in the cold grass, her gaze following her older sister as she passed down the road, through the rows of trees and curves of the hills, and finally out of sight. After giving Sweetie a few minutes in silence, Applejack leaned down and gently nuzzled the back of the filly’s head.
“You gonna be okay, Sweetie?”
The filly did not answer. Her lip trembled and she and kept her eyes fixed on the ground, but she nodded her head silently.
“I’m real sorry about that, sugarcube.” Applejack mumbled softly as she stood up. She stepped over to the wagon and shrugged the tow rope back over her shoulders, letting her characteristic determination creep back in to dull the terrible pain in her gut.
Just keep going Applejack. Even if you insult one of your best friends right in front of her little sister and make a shame of yourself and your family, you just keep on going . You know how to do that, right? Yeah, of course you do...
Applejack sighed regretfully and looked back at Sweetie Belle. She hadn’t moved at all from her spot in the grass. Applejack walked back to the filly, wagon in tow.
“I’ll... go talk to her tomorrow, and apologize. I promise.” Applejack said, leaning down and tugging the hood of the filly’s raincoat back over her head.
“Okay...” Sweetie Belle croaked back.
“C’mon, let’s get you some food and then take you back to the clubhouse. Tomorrow you can come by the house and fix up your hair with some of the stuff Rarity brought, okay?” Applejack said before nudging her nose under the filly’s shoulder and lifting her up from the ground.
Sweetie Belle stood up with the help of the older mare and shuffled numbly over to the wagon. With one hoof she rubbed away the dryness in her eyes and sniffled, before nodding meekly to Applejack once more.
“Good. Let’s go back before it starts raining again.”
“Hello! Is anypony out there?” Applejack called out through the apple trees as she and Sweetie Belle breached the treeline of the back orchard and approached the remote hideaway of the Crusader clubhouse.
The clearing was quiet and still, but nonetheless Applejack glanced around suspiciously. The door of the clubhouse was shut tightly and the windows shuttered. A small wicker basket containing a bouquet of tiny multi-hued bottles rested at the top of the ramp. Many puddles and muddy patches still remained from the previous night’s downpour. Aside from the two sets of tracks already accounted for, one with a small wagon in tow and the other weaving meticulously wove around the worst of the muddy patches, no errant hoofprints marked the ground.
“You can come out now, Trixie.” Applejack said, satisfied they were alone.
The door of the clubhouse slowly creaked open as the blue unicorn mare stepped out onto the balcony of the clubhouse. Dark circles lined her eyes, and her unbrushed hair spilled out from underneath her star-speckled hat.
“There was a visitor. Trixie was not discovered.”
“I know. I took care of it.” Applejack replied sardonically. She nudged Sweetie Belle on ahead and pulled the wagon safely under the clubhouse herself.
Trixie smiled and whispered a quiet ‘hi’ down to her little apprentice. Sweetie Belle smiled back half-heartedly, but waited at the foot of the ramp. Applejack soon appeared with two boxes wrapped in checkered blankets in her teeth and the folded tarp from the wagon across her back. She set the packages next to the filly and turned to scrape the mud off her hooves on the trunk of the tree.
“Tarp got a little dirty so I’ll take it back to the barn to clean later. You take these up, it’s almost noon and I’ve got work to to do.” Applejack called over her shoulder, keeping her words short and to the point. “You’re free to come by tomorrow with Sweetie before say nine o’clock if you want a hot bath. Granny’s got a chi-ro-practic appointment and I got farmer’s market. You miss it, well tough luck.”
Trixie nodded back and levitated the two boxes up to the clubhouse door. Sweetie Belle followed up the ramp and began to push the two boxes into the clubhouse while Trixie held the door open for her. When Trixie looked back, she caught the apple farmer glaring out of the corner of her eye. The contact lasted for only a second before Applejack’s eyes quickly returned to inspecting her mud-encrusted front hoof. Trixie coughed politely to get the other pony’s attention.
“Trixie would like a word with--”
“Right then. I’m off. Stay out of trouble.” Applejack said, curtly cutting off the unicorn as she lowered her hoof and turned to go.
Trixie’s eyebrow shot up angrily at the snub. She let go of the open door and strode to the balcony, her hooves striking heavily on the wooden boards.
“Trixie said she would like a word with you.”
“And I ain’t in the mood to talk to Trixie right now.” Applejack snipped. She heard Trixie’s hooves follow her down the ramp and onto the grass. Applejack ignored the unicorn and continued to walk away. When the hoofsteps stopped she fully expected the stage magician to hurl some disrespectful taunt or snarky insistence at her back, but no insult came. Applejack stopped, feeling the itch of Trixie’s gaze upon her back. The cowpony growled in frustration and turned around.
Trixie stood at the bottom of the ramp, staring at Applejack with the same expression of solemn determination on her face as when the two ponies had met for the second time only a few weeks ago. Applejack shifted uneasily and scowled, the unicorn’s visage wedging as uncomfortably in her conscience now as it had then.
“Trixie, Applejack made some breakfast. Do you want to eat? I want to tell you about my...” Sweetie Belle called as she pushed open the door to the clubhouse, her voice drifting off once she saw the two ponies staring mutely at each other.
“Sweetie, Trixie and I need to talk for a little while. Go wait inside. She’ll be right with you.” Applejack said firmly.
Sweetie Belle didn’t move.
“Sweetie? Trixie and I need some privacy. Go on inside.” Applejack repeated.
“No! I... I don’t want you to fight again!”
Applejack looked up. Sweetie Belle stood stiffly with her head held high and legs spread in echo of the defiant pose Rarity always adopted when arguments between the farmer and the fashionista became heated. Sweetie was not nearly so headstrong as her older sister; once Applejack’s stern gaze fell upon her she visibly flinched and shrank back.
Applejack sighed and softened her expression to a more gentle, reassuring smile. “No more fights today, sugarcube. I promise.”
Sweetie glanced down at Trixie, her eyes lingered desperately on the unicorn’s back before darting back up to Applejack. She bit her lip, doubt clearly written on her face. After a few moments of further defiance the filly reluctantly nodded her head.
“Okay...” Sweetie muttered, shrinking down pathetically as she turned and retreated inside the clubhouse.
Applejack waited until Sweetie Belle had closed the door behind her before turning her attention back to Trixie. Not trusting that the filly might still be listening, Applejack gestured back towards the apple orchard with her head. Trixie nodded, and followed the earth pony out of the clearing and away from the clubhouse.
Applejack led Trixie back along the dirt path until the two emerged at the edge of the east apple orchard. The earth pony took another cautionary look around the orchard’s blooming trees, and then as an afterthought scanned the sky above her. The gaps in the overcast had begun to close again thanks to the efforts of some local pegasus weather team readying another bout of rain. The skies above Sweet Apple Acres were pegasi free for the moment, of the lazy blue variety or otherwise.
“Alright, I’m listening.” Applejack said as she turned her stony gaze away from the clouds and towards the pony pacing uneasily behind her.
“Why did you tell her I had to leave?” Trixie said, her words flat. It was more statement than question.
“Because you don’t belong here.” Applejack replied, emphasizing her cold words with a nod. Her voice held neither contempt nor compassion for the unicorn in front of her. “Never have. Never will.”
Trixie’s eyebrows furrowed as she glared back at the other pony, recalling many times past when she had heard those unpleasant words spoken by other, less forgiving ponies. Trixie swallowed, pushing down the resentment and bitterness from those times that had begun to rise in her throat.
“You don’t like me.”
Applejack let out an ironic snort and turned her head away. “You’re darn right. I don't.”
“So... why let me stay at all?” Trixie asked, the question that had been plaguing her mind since the beginning finally spoken out loud. When the other pony remained silent, Trixie’s heart began to race anxiously.
You’re too honest for it to be false pity, and it’s not revenge either. You could've turned me in whenever you wanted, and never asked me to do anything. You could’ve found anypony else to take care of Sweetie Belle; you don’t need me. So what is it? Why won’t you just tell me?
Applejack reached up with one hoof and slid her cowpony hat from the top of her head. She examined it for a moment, her eyes moistening as they traced around the wide inner brim. The material there was worn and sweat-stained from many years of use shading ponies’ heads from the sun. Applejack tilted her wrist and let the old stetson fall to the grass at her feet.
Trixie shifted uncomfortably as she watched the earth pony’s musings, becoming acutely aware of her own sentimental attachments. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly through her nose.
You don’t want to think about that right now, Trixie. Just ignore it.
“That I had to think about a lot myself.” Applejack said slow. She eased down onto her haunches, her eyes firmly affixed to the hat at her feet. “And I think... it’s because I pity Sweetie Belle.”
Trixie thought for a second. “...because of her sister?”
Applejack nodded solemnly. “Children shouldn’t be made to suffer because of their parents. They... parents are supposed to be there for them. To teach them right from wrong. To make sure they grow up happy. To make ‘em ready for... when they aren’t gonna be around any more. They’re supposed to do the right thing.” Applejack tilted her head and flicked her hoof limply at the stetson lying in the grass. “Not hurt them.”
Trixie shuddered and faltered in her nervous pacing. She could feel her jaw trembling involuntarily as she opened her mouth to speak, forcing her to concentrate and regain her focus.
No. She doesn’t understand. I’m the only one that understands. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Her life is nothing like mine. She didn’t have to go through what I did. Nopony has had to suffer like I have. Nopony.
“So you let me stay because I’m making her happy.”
Applejack nodded once more. “With you around, even if just for a little while and even if I don’t like it... Sweetie Belle is hurting a little less. And that’s...”
“...and that’s what?” Trixie prompted when the earth pony did not continue.
She doesn’t understand. She’s nothing like you.
Applejack scooped the fallen stetson off the damp grass and set it firmly back in place on her head.
“...and that’s more than some children get to have.”
Trixie reached up and adjusted her own starred headwear, shielding her eyes for a moment as she took another shuddering breath. She took a moment to collect herself, and gulped down the lump in her throat to get her words out.
“And yet you say I have to leave, even though I make her happy. Even though I’m doing the right thing.”
Applejack turned to face Trixie again, the earth pony’s earlier melancholy now replaced with the cold stoicism Trixie had come to expect.
“I admit, you did do something good. Sweetie seems like she isn’t so sad. She even told me today that she did magic for the first time, thanks to you. She was worried ‘cause it was something she wanted to share with her big sis first, but I could tell she was really happy about it and wanted to share it with you. I’m no unicorn. That’s something I can’t do for her, and you can.” Applejack said, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement.
Trixie grimaced and furrowed her eyebrows as she waited for the inevitable continuation, her heart heavy with dread.
“But.”
“But this is not your place, Trixie. You don’t belong here. It should be Rarity there sharing these moments with Sweetie. Not you.”
Trixie stomped her hoof on the ground and loomed in towards Applejack, anger creeping into her voice. “But you said I’m making her happy! I’m her friend just as much as anypony else! And if her sister isn’t--”
Applejack immediately cut Trixie off with a swipe of her hoof, raising her voice to drown out Trixie’s spluttered protests.
“Rarity ain’t some horrible mother like that, and even if she was you ain’t the pony to replace her! She doesn’t always do the best, but Rarity loves Sweetie Belle to the bottom of her heart. She would rather die than hurt Sweetie, and them being apart like this is harder on her than you’ll ever know! I don’t care what you think of your friendship with her, but you won’t ever replace Rarity. Right now, you just happened to be at the right place at the right time to make Sweetie’s life a little brighter, and that, Trixie is why you are still here.”
“So... nothing I’ve done matters? My feelings don’t matter? What about me?” Trixie snarled, her words dripping with resentment as she jabbed at her own chest with one hoof. “Just because I don’t replace her doesn’t mean I don’t exist! I’m not some nanny to be let go when you don't need me anymore! I care about her!”
“You shut your mouth, Trixie! You may be a boon to Sweetie Belle right now but you are as self-centered as you ever were! You can’t stay in Ponyville and you always knew that! It doesn’t change just because you don’t like it anymore!” Applejack shouted, and spat on the ground between them in utter disgust. “Did you ever stop to think what would happen if Rarity found out about you like she almost did today? If Rarity did anything to take you away Sweetie would never forgive her! It would drive them apart forever, and I will not let that happen! So no, you don’t get to live in some fantasy world where everything revolves around you and you get to make a mess of everypony’s lives for your own fun again!”
“NO! I’m not like that! You told me you didn’t think of me that way! I didn’t... I wouldn’t be here if I only cared about myself!” Trixie yelled back in desperate defiance. “You made me promise not to break her heart! I’m not the one doing this, you are! I don’t care what you want! I don’t care what any of you want! I promised her I wasn’t going to leave, and I won’t let you make me !”
“That’s right, I did make you promise. But you made the choice a long time ago; when you lied and brought the Ursa on us, and when you tried to kill one of my best friends, and nothing you say will make that any different. If you’d acted differently back then, then maybe you could have stayed now, but I will not let your feelings come before Sweetie Belle, and you will see me burn down every last tree on my orchard before I ever let you hurt her with your stupid selfishness. You will never belong here in Ponyville, Trixie. Never.” Applejack said remorselessly, her voice carrying a grim finality as she gazed down at the unicorn with merciless eyes. “At the end of the month Sweetie’s friends are gonna be back, and I won’t be able to keep you a secret anymore. Sweetie will have to return home eventually, once Rarity remembers what being family actually means. After that, there’s no place for you in Ponyville, and it would be best for everypony if you were to just disappear forever.”
“No... I won’t... I...” Trixie stammered, her resolve melting away. She wanted to scream back, to decry the harsh condemnation just like she had done to every other pony who cursed her name, but she couldn’t; she knew the other pony was right, and there was nothing she could do.
Why? Why does it have to be this way? I wanted her to be happy, more than anything! I didn’t want to hurt her. But... I tried every night, and I couldn’t find an answer. I tried, so hard... I always told myself I would find a way, but... I... its my fault. I’m going to lose everything again. I don’t want this to happen. I don’t want to disappear. I don’t want her to disappear! I don’t want this!
Trixie let out a long, tortured shriek into the open air, her voice echoing from the far through the orchard. Her head sunk down low as her voice slowly faded away and died, her heart aching painfully in her chest as she gave in to tortured sobbing. She heard Applejack’s hooves moving through in the grass moving past her, the sound of the earth pony walking away so casually making her clench her jaw in anger.
“So thats just it? Everypony gets their happy ending but me?!”
Applejack’s stride faltered.
“Yeah, I guess that’s right.” The earth pony replied softly.
“I... I won’t let you take her away from me!” Trixie screeched hysterically after the earth pony behind her, her voice cracking in despair. “If you do I’ll... I’ll just...”
“You’ll do what? Run away with her? Take her away from me, her sister, her two filly friends, from everyone she ever knew and loved in Ponyville.” Applejack finished for the other pony, her words void of all their earlier animosity and cynicism. “That would be just like you, wouldn’t it. Destroy a dozen ponies’ lives, just to make yourself happy. Just like you almost did both times before.”
“No!! I didn’t! I...” Trixie cried back. Trixie squeezed her eyes tightly shut and bent over, tears leaking down her cheeks even as she struggled desperately to hold back her anguish and anger. “Just... don’t... don’t take her away from me! It’s not fair!”
Applejack sighed and shook her head as she began to walk away once more. Her voice was calm yet sad, as if the words were ones she had known for a long time that she would have to eventually speak.
“Pain is the only reward you get for lying, Trixie. I would think you of all ponies would understand that by now.”
“And what about you!? You lied for me so I could stay here, and you hate me!” Trixie shrieked at the ground in front of her. “You’ll all get to go on with your happy lives and I’m the only one who suffers! Where’s your pain? You’re nothing but a hypocrite!!”
“You think its all smiles for me knowing I’m going to break somepony’s heart when I tell her that her friend is leaving forever.” Applejack called back, her voice growing distant. “Grow up, Trixie.”
Sweetie Belle chewed thoughtfully on the pencil between her teeth and squinted at the list on the floor in front of her.
Maybe... crème brûlée? It’s one of my favorites, so Trixie maybe Trixie will like it too. Applejack probably doesn’t know how to make it though...
Sweetie’s ears perked up as she heard hooves climbing the ramp outside. The filly scrambled to her feet and made for the door, but pulled back and skidded to a halt just before she reached it.
“Oh shoot! I--” Sweetie Belle began. The pencil fell from her mouth at the first word and clattered on the floor. The filly chased the errant writing implement across the room, but it rolled into a crack between two of the floorboards and became stuck. The filly frowned and pawed at it ineffectively with one hoof, but the continuing hoofsteps outside quickly returned her focus. “Um... Just wait, please! Don’t come in yet! I uh...”
Sweetie Belle darted back over to the center of the room and scooped the sheet of paper off the ground with her mouth as she passed by on her way to the hoard of board games stacked in the corner of the clubhouse. Once at the cardboard mountain, she nosed up the lid of one of the boxes and slipped the sheet inside.
Heaving a sigh of relief Sweetie trotted over the door and pushed it open to greet the blue unicorn waiting--
The ramp and the yard in front of her was empty.
“Hello? Anyone there? Trixie...?” Sweetie called hesitantly as she peeked her head out. The filly blinked in surprise as a drop of water landed on her nose, causing her to look up. The cloudcover had closed up and raindrops had begun to fall from the sky again, sprinkling the ground below.
“Here...”
Standing to the filly’s right on the balcony was Trixie, staring down into the orchard at a tree stump and a small bucket of rocks.
“Trixie, you’re back! Did your talk with Applejack go alright? Do you want to have some lunch?” Sweetie asked, a little tinge of excitement creeping back into her voice. She circled around the unicorn and looked up.
Trixie’s face was wet.
“Trixie? Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Did... did Applejack say something mean again?”
“I...” Trixie murmured, her lip quivering.
Pain is the only reward you get for lying, Trixie. I would think you of all ponies would understand that by now...
Sweetie Belle frowned and looked out into the yard, her eyes alighting on the bucket for a moment before looking back to her mentor. She reached up with one hoof and tugged at the unicorn’s rain-speckled cape.
“Trixie, c’mon inside, you’re gonna get wet.”
Trixie finally looked back at the small filly by her side and forced a smile onto her face.
“Sorry. Just thinking about silly things. Lets go.”
You can find me and my other work posted at --
Tumblr, DeviantArt, FiM Fiction, GoogleDocs, Fanfiction.net, and FurAffinity.
Special thanks to BrokenHero once again, for letting me guilt trip him into helping out.
RTStephens from FiMFiction for proofreading. Its realy a painto do it it by yourself!
And you for sitting on the edge of your seat for nine months without falling off. I don’t know how you still are interested, but thanks for caring enough to keep reading. It means a lot.
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Im_not_sue
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854
| 6 |
Applejack,Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Trixie,Sad,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie
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Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.
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cancelled
| 194 | 3 |
<p>Sweetie Belle, alone and dejected, comes across The Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ostracized for her prior misdeeds involving the Ursa Minor. Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, giving Sweetie (and perhaps herself as well) both the guidance and companionship she needs.</p><p>This is a S1 fic. Events take place before 'The Return of Harmony, pt 1'.<br/>Writing for this fic began before Season 2, so events do not match canon storylines.</p><p>This fic was featured on Equestria Daily on Oct 18th, 2011</p><p>Title art by:<br/><a href="http://acesential.deviantart.com" rel="nofollow">http://acesential.deviantart.com</a></p><p>Fan art:<br/><a href="http://fav.me/d4ghb33" rel="nofollow">http://fav.me/d4ghb33</a></p>
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teen
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2013-03-13T23:26:39+00:00
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2013-03-14T01:19:25+00:00
| 1,943 |
Rain poured down on Ponyville in sheets, harder than any other day that week. According to the pegasi forecasts it was the last day of rain for the next month, so almost everypony was content to wait out the storm from the comfort of their homes.
In an apple orchard far out on the edge of town, a pony in a raincoat and boots trudged through the dark and downpour. The rain soaked every exposed part of the pony’s body, running down her sides and into the rubber boots that squelched with every fall of her mud-caked legs.
A small rough-built treehouse came into sight just past the last row of apple trees. The dim golden glow of lantern light shone through the structure’s curtained windows. The mare had been there yesterday, for just a few brief moments.
The pony approached with slow, methodical care. Her hooves descended gently into the puddles and mud patches, the quiet splashes and squelches drowned out by the patter of thousands of raindrops. The sound of voices in the clubhouse grew louder as the mare crept around the back of the clubhouse and ducked silently underneath its floorboards.
The mare stood still under the shelter of the treehouse, her ears perked in attention under her hood and straining to detect any sign that the ponies above had detected her approach. The seconds ticked by as she waited, but the gentle drone of voices above continued undisturbed. The mare turned and nested herself between the branching roots at the base of the tree trunk. The pony slid her front hooves out of her rain boots and picked up the rubber footwear in her mouth. She glanced around for a safe nook in the roots or an even patch of ground to rest them on. Her searching eyes slowed as they passed over a toy wagon on her side just around the curve of the tree trunk. The metal wagon had been left barely inside the edge of the treehouse’s protective umbrella. Not daring to roll the wagon closer, the mare instead craned her neck out and let her boots slide from between her clenched teeth and into the dry bed of the wagon.
Finally situated, the pony sat back against the tree trunk. She tilted her head up and let the hood of her coat slide off. Small lines of golden light falling against the pony’s face and long mane through the cracks in the floor. The pony lifted her front hooves beside her head and cupped her wet ankles around her ears, making the sounds filtering down through the floorboards a little clearer. Just clear enough to make out the words.
She closed her eyes, and listened.
“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”
Chapter 6
An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Lounge_Lizard, aka Im_Not_Sue
(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)
(v1.0.1 - 03/13/13)
Trixie relaxed her telekinetic hold on the grooming brush and let it sink back to the ground. With one hoof she dragged the corner of the pillow her client rested on and turned it until Sweetie was facing her. She rubbed her chin with one hoof as she considered the results of her work. A small smile crept on her face, despite herself.
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow suspiciously, looking back over her shoulder at the mirror but found nothing amiss about her reflection. Turning back she glared at the older unicorn and started feeling at her scalp with her small hooves “Why are you smiling? Did you make me look silly?”
“No, its just... hehee.” Trixie giggled, levitating the tips of Sweetie’s mane up into a curve resembling her own preferred hairstyle. “You’re no ‘Great and Powerful Sweetie Belle.’ You look much better with curls.”
Sweetie giggled back and picked up the discarded brush from the floor with both hooves and waved it menacingly at the older unicorn. “Maybe you’d look good with curls like me!”
“Celestia forbid it! Trixie’s reputation would be ruined!” Trixie said, laughing as she batted away the offending grooming implement and ruffled Sweetie’s mane with her other hoof. “Now go brush your teeth, it's bedtime for us.”
“Aww... but I wanted to do something with you before bed.” Sweetie Belle protested, pouting cutely.
Trixie sighed in amused exasperation and shook her head. “Alright, tell Trixie what you desire.”
“Well... whenever my big sis brushed me, I’d be drawing with crayons. And sometimes she’d draw with me.” Sweetie said, her face flushing red with embarrassment. “And um... I kinda wanted you to draw with me too.”
“I haven’t drawn since I was a young filly. I’m probably no good at it anymore. Maybe something else would be better...” Trixie said nervously. She glanced at some of the pictures the Crusaders had pinned to the walls of the clubhouse, finding solace in the absence of any true artistic mastery amongst the stick figures and scribbled landscapes. “But as you wish. Just for a little while.”
Sweetie Belle let out a squeal of delight and skipped over to the corner of the clubhouse where the Crusaders’ collection of toys and games were kept. Digging around for a bit, she emerged with a flat case in her mouth and began pushing a box filled with various colors of paper across the floor.
Trixie levitated the box up onto the table for Sweetie and watched as the young filly slid the lid off the case of crayons and set it between them. Several dozen crayons from many different collections lay in the box, a wide variety of shapes and hues all jumbled together without care for order or reason.
“So... where should we start?” Trixie asked as she sat down at the table, trying to force eagerness into her voice to mask her uncertain hesitation.
“Just draw whatever you want! But after you finish your first one, you have to draw something together with me, okay?” Sweetie said, still grinning with excitement. She leaned over to the box and pulled out a sheet of grey construction paper with her teeth and centered it in front of her. She then picked out a red crayon and began to draw wavy lines across the top.
Trixie looked at the box of paper and the open case of crayons, and tentatively pulled out a pale green page and levitated a black crayon over to her, her mind completely blank on what to draw. She stared at the page for a few minutes. Glancing up at Sweetie’s page, she saw the filly scribbling out a scene that appeared to be her and two other ponies struggling to raise a red flag emblazoned with the same symbol as the ones on the capes hanging by the clubhouse door.
Trixie lifted the black crayon uncertainly and began to draw, using her magic to guide her strokes as she focused on the page. She switched colors a few times, exchanging her black for brown, then blue, purple, and more. Before long, a blob resembling a certain blue unicorn in a purple cape could be seen standing on a stage with sparks of magic flying around her.
“Hey!” Sweetie yelled suddenly, the crayon falling from her mouth. “I can’t do that with my magic so that’s not fair! You have to draw like me!”
Trixie jumped in surprise at Sweetie’s sudden shout. Her magic winked out and her own crayon dropped from the air to clatter against to table. Trixie looked up to find Sweetie Belle glaring at her from across the table. In her concentration, Trixie forgot that the filly had started insisting the older mare not use her magic when they played together, and Trixie had tried to be empathetic to when the use of her magic might make the younger pony feel jealous or inadequate.
“Sorry! I... I forgot!” Trixie said, bowing her head in embarrassment. She leaned over and awkwardly picked the crayon up in her mouth. She flicked her tongue across the butt of the coloring tool, watching the tip move about clumsily. She frowned, remembering why she always disliked mouth drawing. “Like thtith?”
“Uh-huh, just like that! No magic!” Sweetie said, as she pointed one hoof at Trixie approvingly. She leaned over the table and looked at the green paper Trixie had drawn on. She tilted her head at an awkward angle, trying to get a better look. “What did you draw? Is that you?”
Trixie looked down at the drawing she had made.
It is me, but... ugh, this looks awful. And why did I draw myself on a stage, and why am I smiling? I... I don’t want to be like I was then anymore. Why did I have to be so stupid back then? I wish I could go back and change it... I wish...
Trixie dropped the crayon again and crumpled up the paper with her hooves, her face flushed red as she threw the ball to the floor. “No, it was nothing. Just a scribble.”
Sweetie folded her ears and drew back until her face was half hidden under the table. “I’m sorry...”
Trixie shook her head, looking over at the cowering filly and forcing a half-smile onto her face. “No, it’s alright. It’s not your fault. Maybe you can show me what you’ve drawn instead?”
Sweetie sat back up and nodded, hesitation in her voice as she held up her drawing to explain it. “Well... first I drew this, it’s me and Applebloom and Scootaloo. We’re putting the Cutie Mark Crusader flag in the sandbox in the playground at school after we got rid of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and made it safe for other ponies without their cutie marks to play without being bullied. Scootaloo used to talk about it doing stuff like this a lot before we met Applebloom, but we don't really care about it anymore since we formed the Crusaders. So... I guess this is kinda stupid too.”
Sweetie Belle started crumpling up her own drawing, but Trixie quickly reached out with her hoof and set it atop Sweetie Belle’s. “No, don’t. Please, it’s... a fine drawing. Your friend Scootaloo might like it. You should save it for her.”
Sweetie stared down at the paper and thought it over for a moment, then nodded her head and took her hooves away from the picture. “You’re right. She probably would wanna see it.”
Sweetie Belle carefully folded the picture and walked across the room, placing it in a crate next to the door with a folded up scooter and helmet in it.
Trixie waited until the filly sat back down on her cushion before lifting another piece of paper out from the box and setting it down between them.
“So... um... You said you wanted me to draw something special with you?”
“Oh, yeah. I wanted to draw us when we first met so I can put it on the wall! Me and Applebloom and Scootaloo do that every time we do something we want to remember together. We put all our special pictures up there.” Sweetie said. The filly turned and pointed at the drawings hanging on the wall one by one. “That one’s when we first met at Diamond Tiara’s cuteceañera party, and that one is when we won awards at the Ponyville talent show. And that... that’s just a map of Ponyville that Scootaloo made. It’s too hard to read when you keep crossing out places to try get a cutie mark at, but she won’t let us take it down.”
“And you want one of you and me?” Trixie said, her gaze flowing over each of the pieces Sweetie had gestured at. She lifted one hoof up and held it against her chest, a strange tension rising inside her. Her heart fluttered inside its cage like a bird, feeling as if it was rising up in her throat. Tense, but at the same time light and free.
“Yeah! Meeting you made me really happy! I want to put it on the wall too so I won't forget how it happened!”
“Okay, I’ll try. Just... tell me what to do.” Trixie said.
Many minutes later, Trixie lifted her crayon from last lines on the sheet of white paper laid out before her.
“Okay. I’m done, I think. I’m sorry I took so long on my part. You can look now.”
“Finally! I’ve been waiting!” Sweetie exclaimed happily as she stood up from the floor, leaving behind another picture she had drawn while waiting for the other unicorn to finish. She quickly trotted over to Trixie to inspect the mare’s creation.
“Is this really okay? I didn’t really make your mane look curly, and your legs are just stumps. I could’ve done better. I’m just really bad at drawing with my mouth...” Trixie said while anxiously rolling a crayon between her hooves.
“It’s great! I look perfect!” Sweetie said, breaking into a wide smile and hopping on the tips of her hooves a few times. “But what about me, did I make you look good too? Did I?”
“I’m not sure what you drew around my head, and my cape isn’t that color, and it’s missing the stars but... yes, I look alright.” Trixie responded hesitantly, feeling awkward at being complimented for her simple drawing.
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “It’s your magic! You’re great and powerful and amazing with magic so I had to draw that somehow. And Applebloom lost our last violet crayon months ago, so I had to use blue on your cape!”
“Well... okay then. Blue is close enough.” Trixie responded with a smirk and a slight blush. She turned and pointed over Sweetie’s back to the drawing laying on the ground behind them. “Now show me what you have there.”
Sweetie Belle hopped down and retrieved the paper from the ground and held it open against her chest for Trixie to see.
“I drew my big sis, Rarity. She told me she loved my drawings of her and kept them in a drawer at home so she could look at them sometimes. I miss drawing for her too...” Sweetie Belle said, her voice falling. She put the drawing up on the table next to the box of crayons. “Do you have a big sis, Trixie?”
Trixie shook her head. “No, I was an only foal.”
“Well... did you have somepony else who you liked to draw with? A friend, or your parents?”
“Yeah... my dad.” Trixie mumbled. Her smile faded and her gaze drifted away into a corner of the room.
“You should draw him then! I’m sure he’d like to see it.” Sweetie said cheerfully.
“Maybe some other time,” Trixie said, her voice flat and emotionless. “I’ll pin this on the wall while you brush your teeth and get ready for bed. I’ll clean up for you.”
Sweetie Belle cocked her head in puzzlement at the mare’s sudden shift in mood.
“Aww, why can’t I stay up with you? I can puh--” Sweetie began, her mouth stretching wide as she was interrupted by a large yawn. “Huaeeehhh... We... um... shoot, what was I saying...?”
“We’ve stayed up late enough as it is. There will be plenty of time for things tomorrow,” Trixie said, nudging the filly off her cushion. “I’ll clean up, now off you go.”
Trixie waited until Sweetie Belle had taken her cup and brush to the door of the clubhouse and set it out to collect rainwater before she started to pack things up. She first put away the brushes left out from Sweetie’s grooming, and then set about collecting the loose crayons that the filly had dug out and left on the floor. She was just about to finish putting the last of them away and close the lid when a color caught her eye: cerulean. Trixie levitated the crayon out of the box and held it in front of her.
It’s kinda the same color...
Trixie looked back in the crayon case. There was grey, and brown too. All the right colors. She levitated those out as well, along with a blank sheet of paper from the box on the floor.
Sweetie said it made her sister feel special. Did I make you feel that way too, dad? You told me I was... I was your ‘little shooting star.’ Is that how I make Sweetie feel? She even liked your song...
Trixie sniffled. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she picked up the cerulean crayon in her mouth and began to draw. The wax stick wobbled between her lips as she traced it over the page. She switched colors, dropping one crayon and scooping up the next even as small droplets fell from her eyes onto the page. Many colors emerged from the box. Cobalt blue, Canterlot yellow, dark grey, sunny green, and finally black each given a few careful strokes across the page.
Trixie dropped the last crayon and stepped back, her work complete. Her lips trembled as she gazed upon the picture before her. Slowly, the corners of her cheeks rose into a sad smile. Trixie sniffled and wiped her eyes, a choked laugh escaping her upturned corners of her lips.
I think I finally understand what you meant, dad...
“Trixie?” Sweetie Belle said hesitantly, the sound of her hooves on the wooden floor growing close as she approached from behind. “Are you okay...?”
The mare turned and nodded her head as she looked down at her treasured friend, tears running freely down her cheeks.
“I’m okay.” Trixie muttered shakily, the sad smile still on her lips.
Sweetie Belle frowned, looking from the mare to the drawing on the table, her ears folded back against her head in confusion. On the paper laying before her, drawn in a few simple colors, was a blue-green pony with a grey and brown mane and a yellow dot for his eye. The pony stood on a green grassy hill beneath scattered golden stars. In front of him on the hill sat a telescope, standing on two legs, tilted up to view the sky above.
“Who is this?” Sweetie Belle said softly, turning to look back at her mentor as she lifted the drawing in her hooves with delicate care.
Trixie sniffled and nodded again, her face contorting as she struggled in vain to hold back her tears in front of the filly.
“Dad.”
“Is he okay? You never said anything, and then the other night when you had bad dreams and I woke you up, you said he was...” Sweetie babbled, a pang of worry shooting through her chest.
Trixie slowly shook her head, her smile breaking as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and lifted a hoof to her face. Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Dead.”
“Oh no, Trixie...” Sweetie whimpered. She let the paper slip from her hooves as she ran over to the blue unicorn and threw herself against Trixie, hugging her just as the mare choked back a sob. Sweetie tugged at Trixie’s sides, guiding her down to the floor so she could rest the older pony’s head against her small chest.
Trixie and reached out with her forelegs, drawing the filly close against her and squeezing tightly as she stammered through her sorrow.
“I-it’s ok-kay, I h-h-have y-you to take c-care of now. Y-You’re my little sh-shooting star.”
“I love you.” Sweetie Belle whispered softly as she buried her face into Trixie’s mane and squeezed back, blushing from the words of affection even as an empathetic tear ran from her own cheek.
“I l-love you too.” Trixie whispered back. The two held each other for a few moments, the mare taking slow shuddering breaths to calm herself while Sweetie held her close, letting the pain in her beleaguered heart ease.
She’s here with me, for now, and that’s more than enough. Thank you so much, dad...
Trixie’s sniffling eventually slowed, and she gently eased herself back from the close hug.
“Would you like me to tell you about my dad?” Trixie asked.
Sweetie Belle eagerly nodded her head, but her worried and uncertain frown still remained.
Trixie smiled and stood up, and nudged the filly to follow her.
“Ok. C’mon, I’ll tell you before bed. We’ll clean everything up tomorrow.”
The two made their way over to the bed of pillows. Trixie began to restore the bed to order with her magic, lifting cast away cushions back into place to recreate the perfect filly-size indent just as she had done the last few nights.
Before the mare could finish, Sweetie hopped up into the bed Trixie had made and nosed some of the pillows off to the side and back onto the floor. Trixie giggled as she watched the filly continue to fuss around the bed and undo her hard work.
“You’re making the dip huge again. I thought you liked having it small and tidy,” Trixie said. She picked up a pillow from the floor in her teeth and playfully tossed it back into the pile.
“I’m making room for you too.” Sweetie insisted as she looked back to Trixe while tapping her hoof commandingly on the newly widened bed. “I don’t want you to have another bad nightmare, so you’re going to sleep with me again.”
“Okay, okay.” Trixie relented with a chuckle, finding the filly’s concern touching. She undid the clasp of her cloak with her magic and slid her hat from her head, setting both safely on top of the stacked game boxes in the corner. “All ready?”
Sweetie scooted to the side of the dip she had made, leaving plenty of room for her bigger friend.
“Ready.”
Trixie snuffed the lamp from across the room with her magic and eased herself down onto the bed next to Sweetie Belle. The glow from Trixie’s horn illuminated the two for another few seconds as Trixie pulled the blanket up over them, and then all was dark.
Sweetie Belle snuggled up against Trixie and wrapped her hooves around the older mare’s chest, just as she had a few nights before, and this time Trixie did not pull away. Sweetie felt the other unicorn’s forelegs slide underneath the blanket and across her back, returned the hug. Sweetie sighed happily, her warm breath ruffling the hair of the magician’s coat.
“What’s it like, having a dad?” Sweetie asked, her words buzzing in her ear as they reverberated through the older pony’s chest.
Trixie chewed her lip and stared out into the empty darkness of the clubhouse.
“I... I don’t know how to say it. It’s a lot of things, all at once,” she replied. She stroked her hoof along the back of the filly’s neck as she thought of how to answer. “I think it’s... maybe it’s kind of like having a big sister.”
“Huh...” Sweetie mumbled, her voice drifting off. She absently nuzzled her cheek against Trixie’s soft coat as she turned the new idea over in her mind for a few moments, before tucking it away to ponder later. “What did he do? What was his name?”
“His name was Comet Cloud,” Trixie said softly. She laid her head back on the pillows and closed her eyes, a faint smile forming on her face as she reminisced. “And to me, he was the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria...”
Applejack shut the door to the Apple family house behind her, shutting out the cold night air and the rain. She tugged off her yellow raincoat and boots with her teeth and let them fall to the floor in a dripping wet heap.
“I’m home...” Applejack croaked hoarsely to the empty house. She stood there quietly for a minute in the entryway, her legs trembling as she stared at the ground. She could hear Granny Smith snoring loudly in her rocking chair in front of the sitting room fireplace, the mare having fallen into a deep slumber many hours ago. Without a word, Applejack picked her lantern back up and limply shuffled into the foyer and up the stairs to the second story of the house.
The old boards under Applejack’s hooves creaked as she walked down the second floor hall to her room. Many photos hung on the wall to her side, one for every year that had passed for the Apple family since before Applejack could remember. Applejack kept her head down as she walked past the photos toward her own door, but her hooves slowed with every step. She stopped in front of a closed door, a large harness hanging by a railroad spike on it with the initials ‘BM’ stitched into the padding. It was one outgrown many years ago by the stallion that had used it.
“No, no, no...” Applejack mumbled she slumped against the door, her lip trembling. The lantern fell from from her mouth as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and curled up on the floor, trying to hold back her tears.
Why... why does it all have to be so stupid? Rarity and Trixie and Sweetie and everything... Why am I just... so goddamned stupid? I should’ve listened to Twilight. Just listened or not cared at all, and none of this would’ve happened. And now I... I’ve gone and mucked it all to hell, and I can’t fix it! I just messed everything up and made it worse...
Applejack sniffled and looked up at the photos hanging from the wall: pictures of Big Macintosh going off to his first day of school; of Applejack after she bucked her first apple tree; of little Applebloom a few days after she had been born. In many of the photos one could see a pair of earth ponies, a mare or stallion, smiling happily with their children, but after a certain year they no longer appeared. The Apple family reunion photo that year showed every pony dressed in black. After that, Granny Smith was the one seen holding Applebloom as she washed the young foal in the sink, or measuring Big Mac against the kitchen wall as he continued to grow taller year after year.
“Big Mac, please open up. I’m not feelin’ right. I... I... I need your help,” Applejack stammered, her head falling against the door next to her. “I need you to tell me everythin’ll be okay...”
She waited for several moments, but hearing no response from inside Applejack placed one hoof on the handle and gently pushed. The unlocked door slowly creaked open, the flickering orange light from the fallen lantern streaming into Big Macintosh’s empty room.
“Right... crabapples, why are you always so stupid...” Applejack cursed, her heart sinking as she remembered then that her siblings had gone away to Appleoosa.
Applejack glanced through the cracked open door, her usual respect for her elder brother’s privacy somewhat subdued by her curiosity. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been inside her brother’s room, not since she was a little filly.
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt...” Applejack mumbled to herself. Taking a deep shuddering breath, she pushed herself up off the ground and stepped inside.
The room was sparsely decorated, almost spartanly bare. A few shelves in the closet held his formal attire, a desk with the family record books sat against the far wall, a brush lay on the nightstand, and a thin mirror hung on the back of the door. His extra-large bed was tucked underneath the east-facing window so the sun would wake the hard working earth pony in the mornings.
“That’s it...? Nothing?” Applejack asked aloud, unease at her invasion of her brother’s domain mixing with disappointment at her lack of discovery. As she neared her brother’s bed she noticed a posterboard tacked to the side of the desk facing away from the door and circled around to take a look. A few pictures hung from the board in easy sight from the bed. One of Big Macintosh carrying Applebloom asleep on his back at one the Apple family reunions, one of him, Applejack, and Granny Smith together after an apple harvest several years back, and another their cousin Braeburn had sent of himself the first few months after he had settled in Appleloosa. One of Applebloom’s old hair ribbons hung between all three photos, pinned to the board in the shape of a heart.
Applejack climbed up onto her older brother’s bed and laid down, pushing back the sheets with her hind hooves. She stared at the wall of mementoes before her, her heart aching painfully as tears leaked from her eyes. She crossed her front hooves limp over her chest, and closed her eyes tight as she made a wish.
Big Mac... Applebloom... please come home safe. I’m so lucky I still have you, so very lucky.
Applejack rolled over on the earthy-scented bed and sighed, feeling exhaustion creeping in.
“I hope you don’t mind me using your bed like this, Mac...” the earth pony murmured as she shifted around to find a comfortable position. She glanced over the edge of the bed by the window, hoping to find an extra pillow to cushion herself with. Resting below the windowsill beside the bed was a large plush earth pony, almost half as large as Applejack was herself. She had seen it one day at a carnival in Hoofington when she was young, and Big Macintosh had insisted on buying it for her even though she had said she was too old for such things. Despite her trying to be more grown up, she had spent more nights with that toy than her filly-self would have ever admitted. She hadn’t realized he had held onto it, even when she had outgrown the desire to play with toys.
Applejack let out a choked sob. She tugged on a corner of the plush pony toy with her teeth and pulled it up onto the bed with her. It was just as soft she had remembered it, even though many years had passed since she’d held it last. The plush was even still wearing the vest Big Mac had made to cover up the stiches Granny had sewn when the back-seams had torn. Pulling her hind legs up to curl around it, she began crying into the neck of the toy, letting out her bottled up feelings that she’d had to endure for many years, and knew would never go away for as long as she lived.
“Mom... dad... I miss you so much...”
You can find me and my other work posted at --
Tumblr, DeviantArt, FiM Fiction, GoogleDocs, Fanfiction.net, and FurAffinity.
Thanks again to BrokenHero, RTStephens, VideoG, and Strangemodule for proofreading, and to you for still wanting me to finish this.
|
BigMacAttack
|
856
| 1 |
Big Macintosh,Rainbow Dash,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Internal Reflections
|
A short peek into the minds of the ponies of Ponyville.
|
complete
| 13 | 1 |
<p>A Closer look at Ponyville's residents.</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-11-25T03:02:28+00:00
|
2011-11-25T03:02:28+00:00
| 3,402 |
The clouds were lazily moving across the deep blue sky above the watchful eye of Ponyville’s resident red workhorse. The day was warm and Big Macintosh was exhausted from a hard morning’s applebucking in the orchard that served as his small family’s meagre income. The sweat on his flank had turned his coat a darker than usual shade of red and his muscles were twanging from the strain of the repeated motions of his trademark applebucking style. The day was a fine one and he had no intention of moving from the shade provided by the trees he so lovingly cared for, so lay down against the tree and let his own thoughts roam free.
His deep red flank rises and falls with each relaxed breath, his mind wandering to the events of the day. For a pony of few words he could be quite eloquent when the mood caught him, but he much preferred to answer all the speedy questions of his sister and her friends with a simple “Eeyup”, saving his pearls of wisdom for when they were truly needed. Why did everypony always seek to hurry through life? He was content to sit and watch the world pass him by, and it showed in his peaceful continence, his eyes were often half-hooded and the emerald green pupils often carried a look of boredom...as if he didn’t really care about anything around him but his own thoughts.
And they weren’t really that wrong... Big Mac cared for his family, his trees and the land he worked on, but not much else. He took his days as they came, needing for little and caring for the land that he worked. He cast his eyes skyward again after his bout of internal reflection and saw a small cyan dot moving across the sky at considerable speed, “Ah swear, I ha’ no idea where she gets all that energy from” he chuckles to himself, his ever-present stalk of hay bobbing up and down in time with his deep laugh as he ponders raising himself up and returning to the task he had set himself that day, “well if miss Dash ca’ find the energy to fly around the sky like that, ah reckon ah can still buck a few apples before dinner” .
He stands and moves towards the nearest set of buckets that was placed under one of his prized apple trees and pivoted, striking the wood of the tree a practised blow, causing a small storm of apples to fall from the overladen branches of the orchard’s tree. Picking up the remainder of the apples that had missed the safety of the wooden buckets he bends and stretches, his muscles now relaxed from his rest under the shade of his beloved trees he dedicates himself to the application of his long practised career and the heritage passed down from his grand pappy to his pappy to him.
But every now and then he stole a glance at the sky, his silhouette against the now falling light marking him as a massive sentinel to the hill he stood on, the light of the evening causing all to turn golden around him as he loaded the last of the bucked apples onto the cart to return to the barn for the evening. Hooking hiself up to the harness he dragged himself back towards the homestead. The last tendrils of light guiding him down the well worn paths to the house and he smiled......
|
BigMacAttack
|
857
| 1 |
Apple Bloom,Applejack,Big Macintosh,Fluttershy,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Winona,Zecora,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Failure has Its Own Price
|
Flutter x Mac not Dash x Mac as the name suggests. =P
|
incomplete
| 46 | 9 |
<p>Rainbow Dash's signature move doesn't work so well when she tries it amongst the Apple Family's orchard and hurts herself badly, with Applejack and Applebloom away in Appleoosa and the town Nurse away at a convention who will Big Mac turn to to help him care for the wounded pegasus?</p><p>Ah am looking for anyone with experience to review this and point out any obvious flaws with the spelling. grammar or story! So help me if y'all can!</p><p>Cover pic was graciously provided by the wonderful 0r0ch1, who can be found on his furaffinity site here:<a href="http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/" rel="nofollow">http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/</a></p>
|
teen
|
2011-09-25T08:22:40+00:00
|
2011-09-25T08:22:40+00:00
| 6,032 |
The dawn rose beautifully that day, peeking out from behind the hills in the distance to gently touch the curtains of Big Mac’s bedroom as the roosters started their usual morning chorus. Not that they really had much of an effect as the only remaining member of the Apple family had already risen a good hour beforehand.
Big Mac stood outside the door of the house surveying the beauty of dawn’s first light and the receding of the night as Princess Celestia provided them again with the promise of a beautiful morning. He looked back at the house and felt a pang of loneliness, he missed Applejack and Applebloom. He sighed and looked back towards the hills, he knew they would be back soon, but that didn’t make the pain any easier to bear. Heaven knows he loved them and he sure as hay wanted them to come back. He knew that they would be having a good time visiting cousin Braeburn up in Appleloosa, but all he felt was an empty feeling of sadness. He missed the friendly banter with his sister, and dang it if he didn’t miss Applebloom’s huge puppy dog eyes that could make her do anything the cunning little filly wanted.
“Aw hay, I guess ah gotta start on tha day...sure don’t feel like it tho...” he muttered to himself as he surveyed the new day that was breaking over his family’s orchard. “Hmm? What’s that?” a slight whistling sound had started off in the distance above the rising sun at the far end of the orchard. Bigmac squinted against the brightness of the sun and saw a blue streak diving straight towards the ground from a great height. The blue streak sped towards the ground as a thin white cone started to surround the diving Pegasus pony. “Ah guess Rainbow must be practicing early today” Mac mused, watching as Dash built up speed as she dived towards the ground, the white cone around her stretching and threatening to snap her back into the orange rays of the sunrise she was diving into. The cone of air rippled and exploded outwards shimmering as it caught the rays of the sunrise and bursting into a myriad of rainbow colours as the cyan Pegasus suddenly accelerated towards the ground, her mane a rainbow trail billowing out behind her as she sped downwards. Seconds before she hits the ground she pulls out of her dive and speeds between the trees of the orchard, the trees bending in the direction of her path from the draft of her flight.
“Ah wonder how the hay she pulls that off ev’ry time?” Big Mac chuckles as the rainbow weaves its way through the paths of the orchard, “At least she stays away from the un-harvested trees, Celestia knows what she do ta those apples!” he laughs turning back towards the house to make a start on the day.
*CRACK* *CRASH* *SNAP* a series of sickening sounds rang out over the orchard shattering the peaceful mood instantly.
“Wha the hay?” Big Mac span around at the sound of the sickening crunch from the east orchard, and was confused as he saw...nothing? “Ah must be imagining thangs again”
Wait...didn’t Miss Dash’s Rainbooms leave rainbow trails? Why wasn’t there one past the east orchard? He didn’t need a degree in fancy mathematics to figure that one out.
“Aw Horsefeathers!” he poured all of his energy into his muscled legs praying it was enough to propel him to the eastern orchard in time!
As he bolted towards the orchard he could feel his heart thumping as his mind raced, taking in the scene of destruction all around his as he neared the crash site. a tree had fallen along Dash's flight path and the poor filly had collided with it at full speed, the ground directly in front had been gouged out as she had collided with the ground and bounced into the sturdy trunk of a nearby tree.
"Celestia help me." he breathed, his flanks shaking from the exertion of his all out sprint, she looked like death.
Her hind legs were clearly broken and one of her wings was hanging limp from her side, blood poured from several lacerations to her body and head and tainted the light blue fur that coated her beautiful frame, her eyes were open and her pupils were tiny as the shock and pain nearly broken her mind. Her chest moved only slightly, struggling to keep herself conscious Big Mac could see the raw animal panic that was racing through her eyes as he rapidly cleared the distance between himself and her.
"Miss Dash! Now don't ya go fainting on me!" but he was too late, her eyes closed and her head dropped as her body slid from the tree branch. he leapt forward catching her broken body before it landed upon the soil once more.
"MISS DASH!" He bellowed trying to awake her, but she was out cold, "AW HAY WHAT DO AH DO NOW!" his mind raced as he thought of the only options left to him, he needed to get help, he could fix cuts and scrapes, but nothing of this magnitude. If he didn't get help soon she would die, of that he was certain.
"SOMEPONY HELP ME! HELP HER!" he roared to the sky praying that his outburst would be heard by someone...anyone...
And somepony did.
"Umm... excuse me?", Big Mac snapped around at the sound of the tiny voice in the glade behind him, "I heard you yell...and i started running...but then i heard you cry for help" the small voice almost brought tears to Big Mac's eyes as he observed the tiny yellow pegasus before him. he had never seen her before but whoever she was she could help.
"Ah need your help, she's hurt real bad. Ah can't fix anything like this." he moved aside as he said so and the yellow pegasus was able to finally see what it was he had been yelling about.
"RAINBOW!"
|
BigMacAttack
|
857
| 2 |
Apple Bloom,Applejack,Big Macintosh,Fluttershy,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Winona,Zecora,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Failure has Its Own Price
|
Flutter x Mac not Dash x Mac as the name suggests. =P
|
incomplete
| 46 | 9 |
<p>Rainbow Dash's signature move doesn't work so well when she tries it amongst the Apple Family's orchard and hurts herself badly, with Applejack and Applebloom away in Appleoosa and the town Nurse away at a convention who will Big Mac turn to to help him care for the wounded pegasus?</p><p>Ah am looking for anyone with experience to review this and point out any obvious flaws with the spelling. grammar or story! So help me if y'all can!</p><p>Cover pic was graciously provided by the wonderful 0r0ch1, who can be found on his furaffinity site here:<a href="http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/" rel="nofollow">http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/</a></p>
|
teen
|
2011-11-12T09:15:13+00:00
|
2011-11-12T09:15:13+00:00
| 3,396 |
"RAINBOW!" the yellow pegasus screamed as she gazed on the broken body of her closest childhood friend. Tears pouring down her face as she saw the blood and the odd angles of Rainbow's hind legs as she lay in the bloody dirt. Her head turned to Big Mac and he felt true fear at the anger he saw in her eyes. "Who did this!"
"N-n-no-pony, she crashed during on oh her tricks just now." Why was he afraid of this tiny pegasus? Her eyes threatened a greater pain than anything he could imagine, but that quickly faded as she saw how upset she had made him.
"Oh...i'm so sorry..." She withdrew within herself as she cried over the bloodied body of her closest childhood friend.Huge sobs racked her frame as Big Macintosh Shook his head to clear the fear that had spiked from the pegasus's fearsome eyes to his own.
"We need ta get her ta tha nurse, ah can carry her but ah need ya ta fly ahead oh me ta tell them ah am coming. Can ya do that? Miss..." he paused as he realised he had no-idea who this pegasus was.
"Um...i'm fluttershy..." She immediately clammed up as she seemed to collapse within herself. Falling to the ground beside Rainbow Dash. Placing her hoof gently on Dash's Stomach as the tears fell to form rivers down her friends side. "A-and i'm afraid...the nurse..the nurse i-isn't here..."
"WHA?! HOW ARE WE GUNNA SAVE HER!" The explosion of noise from Big Macintosh caused Fluttershy to recoil in fear from the sound. She looked towards her friend and something seemed to click in her head.
"Ummm...i think that m-maybe...I-i...could do it...N-no...I can do it!" she straightened herself up from her friend's side turning to stare Big Mac dead in the eyes. "Um...do you have anything like a first aid kit? Bandages and salves?
"Now tha ah can get ya, but ah think it would be better if'n we can move her back ta tha homestead, we always need things like tha' on tha farm." His expression brightened considerably as he realise that she just might have a chance. "But, ahhh...pardon ma askin'. But how da ya know all tha? Are ya a nurse or somethang?"
"N-no...I care for my animal friends back home...and I needed to know how to heal them when they were hurt...so I learnt to heal others..." At this her chest swelled with pride, her friend had always helped her in the past and now she would be able to save her! "We need to get her to the house right now! But we have to be careful..." Fluttershy gently nosed Rainbow Dash to roll her onto her stomach, her legs were bent out at odd angles and the broken filly didn't respond to the touch. It was worst then Fluttershy had originally thought...
"Ah don't think ya can carry her...ya ah too small, no offense Miss Flutershy." Fluttershy cast her eyes up at the Massive stallion, his large broad back would be much better and safer for transporting the injured Pegasus...
"Ah'm gonna need ya help ta get ma harness off. Ah can do it by maself, but it would take too long. ah just need ya ta undo tha clip under tha front" he reared his head back to give Fluttershy a clear view of the clip. as she lent forwards to undo the clasp, she noticed just how powerfully build the stallion was. As it was he didn't really need to lean back, he was already much larger than she was, undoing the clasp she took a step back as the stallion shook off the harness with a significant crash.
With a little effort from Fluttershy they placed the injured Pegasus onto Big Macintosh's back, his broad expanse of a back easily held the Pegasus and he turned towards his home, eager to return to help the injured Dash. "Lets get going, ah don't think she's gonna make it if we wait around much longer." he stated casting a worried glance up at the unconscious, broken bundle on his back.
"Umm, what about your harness?" Fluttershy's voice was more certain now, for the presence of the massive stallion had calmed her nerves and she was slowly getting into her element. For now she had to focus on tending to an injured animal and friend.
"Don't worry about it, ah come an pick it up afta we finish with miss Dash, beside ah think it might be a bit heavy for ya ta carry miss Shy." He started towards the house, this focus remaining of providing a stable transport for the injure patient. As he looked back he saw the pale yellow Pegasus attempting to lift the heavy harness, and succeeding. Big Macintosh was quite impressed by this display, Miss Shy was going out of her way to carry something so heavy even though she had no reason to. It seemed she was stronger then he had given her credit for.
They completed the journey back the house without incident, however there was no time for a break, as Rainbow's breathing had become shallower. The two ponies worked in tandem, Fluttershy quickly got to work, binding and dressing the wounds on Dash's body, while Big Macintosh acted as a assistant nurse and provide all the materials necessary for the healing.
At the end of the day both ponies were run ragged and Rainbow Dash's condition had only stabilised minutely, it would all depend if she lasted the night, but Fluttershy had faith in her friends strength. But that didn't stop the panic that settled itself in both the ponies hearts.
As they sat at the Apple family table eating a simple hay and apple sandwich that Big Mac had whipped up, the both were practically drooping over their plates, the day had taken a huge toll on both of them. Realising that she was probably too tired to make it back home by herself, Big Macintosh suggested that Fluttershy stay the night. "Ah don't know rightly where ya live but the lease ah can do is offer ya a berth for tha night, plus ah'm ashamed ta admit tha ah don't know tha first thing about caring for a sick pony." this had always been a sore point with Big Mac as it was Granny smith who had always dispensed the right information about caring for each other, and with her no-longer living on the farm and the girls away for the next week, there was zero medical talent left on the farm.
"Umm...i-if you...i-i mean...yes, I would love that thank you." the thought of spending the night away from her house was a little frightening for Fluttershy, but for some reason she couldn't be afraid around Big Macintosh, even when she had started to doubt herself during the operation his steady presence had helped her though it. plus she was still worried about her friend, it was still too soon to say she would be alright. "But umm...where will you sleep? There is only two beds..."
"Now don't'cha worry about tha miss Shy, ah will sleep down here on tha couch, y'all can take ma bed. It's not tha most comfy and it may be a tad too big for ya, but ah'm sure you will be alright." Fluttershy found herself too tired to put up much of a resistance, and indeed Big Macintosh almost carried her up to his room. She didn't even remember falling asleep.
As he returned to to couch to sleep for the night Big Mac's thoughts began to wander, he had never met this yellow Pegasus before. But her hidden strength had impressed him, the anguish she must have undergone to operate on her best friend would have been astounding and her kindness astonished even him. She had voluntarily carried his harness even thought it was much too heavy for her so that he wouldn't have to collect it the next day. Her medical talent had also impressed him by a large margin, he would ask her for a few tips over the next few days provided that miss Dash made it through the night.
The worry began to gnaw at his mind and he struggled to push himself up from the couch. he trotted up the stairs to check on the patient one last time, her breathing had gotten deeper and more regular. He kept watch over the Pegasus until the moon had risen to the highest peak in the sky until sleep finally overcame him.
The morning would reveal the fruits of their labours, or the sadness of a great loss.
|
BigMacAttack
|
857
| 3 |
Apple Bloom,Applejack,Big Macintosh,Fluttershy,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Winona,Zecora,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Failure has Its Own Price
|
Flutter x Mac not Dash x Mac as the name suggests. =P
|
incomplete
| 46 | 9 |
<p>Rainbow Dash's signature move doesn't work so well when she tries it amongst the Apple Family's orchard and hurts herself badly, with Applejack and Applebloom away in Appleoosa and the town Nurse away at a convention who will Big Mac turn to to help him care for the wounded pegasus?</p><p>Ah am looking for anyone with experience to review this and point out any obvious flaws with the spelling. grammar or story! So help me if y'all can!</p><p>Cover pic was graciously provided by the wonderful 0r0ch1, who can be found on his furaffinity site here:<a href="http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/" rel="nofollow">http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/</a></p>
|
teen
|
2011-11-16T09:21:22+00:00
|
2011-11-16T09:21:22+00:00
| 3,841 |
Big Macintosh was woken by the stream of sunlight cascading through the open window in his sister's bedroom, and the series of heavy thumps on the door of the house. Panic set in as he snapped his attention to the bed, expecting the worst.
She was still laying there, her eyes were closed to the world and so was her mind. She just lay there, barely breathing, barely holding onto her own life. But she was still alive, she had survived the night at least.
The massive thumps on the door to the house persisted. With a groan Big Macintosh heaved himself off the floor and set off down the stair to find the source of the commotion. "Give me ah sec, will ya!" he muttered, stumbling down the rest of the stairs. he passed the couch he had told Fluttershy he would be sleeping on for that night, so much for that idea. "Ah wouldn't have properly fit on the blooming thing anyway" he chuckled as he opened the front door to greet his persistent guest. "Now what can ah-"
He was interrupted mid-sentence by a carrot to his left eye. "OW! WHAT IN TARNATION!" Another carrot hit him in the muzzle and a small white form streaked by his field of vision. "COME BACK HERE YA LITTLE-" snapping a hoof out he pinned the small white blur to the wall. Snapping his head around, he focused his remaining eye on the creature he had now trapped.
"Now care ta tell me why yah almost cost me ma left eye, ya tiny varmint?!" he had trapped a small, enraged and adorably cute white rabbit. the rabbit responded by biting him on the hoof, hard. "Now what tha hay do you expect that to do? Big Macintosh was huge, the rabbit couldn't reach past the hardened hoof to bite anything that would have cause the massive stallion any pain. While his left eye still smarted, and his nose did hurt a little, Big Macintosh wasn't the type to get angry without any good reason. The rabbit sighed, he couldn't win in this instance, so he resorted to a comical attempt at sign language.
"Hmm, lets see. Seeing? Looking? ah you are looking fer something? Oh...Ya wouldn't be looking for Miss Fluttershy would ya? The rabbit's jaw hit the floor, no-pony had ever understood his hand signs on the first attempt. Big Macintosh just chuckled, he had spent his whole life listening rather than talking. A simple game of Charades was nothing for him. " Ah, guess ya tracked her scent here,huh?" A nod confirming his suspicions. "And ah'm guessing ya smelt tha blood too?" Another nod. "Well ah can't blame ya for acting like that now can I? Truth be told ah probably would have done tha same." Big Macintosh chuckled as he let the rabbit drop to the floor.
"Now miss Shy is still asleep upstairs, one o our friends was mighty hurt yesterday so we had to taker her back here and fix her up. She isn't doing so well right now, so ah reckon that Miss Shy is gonna need all tha help she can get. And her sleep. So ah can make ya a bite to eat if'n ya want till she wakes up. What do ya say, partner?" he held his hoof out to the small rabbit. The rabbit leant back a little, still shaken from the previous encounter, but he placed his tiny paw in the massive stallion's hoof. Big Macintosh just smiled.
"Now lets get some breakfast inter ya, ya know ya really did give me a solid hit back there." Big Macintosh chuckled, rubbing his swollen eye. "Ah never knew that rabbits could throw that hard." At this the Rabbit's chest swelled with pride. "Ah guess ya might just be strong enough ta protect her when that time comes, right? Oh take a seat on that stool by tha table." Big Macintosh pointed with his nose at the stool that Applebloom used to reach the high table, while he busied himself around the kitchen, making breakfast for the two of them.
After a nice breakfast of apple pancakes, the two creatures stared at one another across the table. Big Macintosh broke the silence just before it started getting to the awkward stage. "Ah was thinking, ya use sign language ta talk right?" the little rabbit nodded. "Why don't ya try talking or writing down ya thoughts?" the rabbit's ears drooped at this remark, and he sadly pointed to his own throat. "Something wrong with ya throat?" The rabbit pulled up the fur around his chin and Big Macintosh almost fell off of his chair. There was a massive pink scar running the length of the rabbits neck, his thick fur had hidden the majority of it but it was clearly an old scar. the size and shape had indicated theat the rabbit's neck had been slit at one time or another by a ragged implement.
Big Macinstosh just shook his head. "Ahm guessing that Miss Shy found ya like that and healed ya? Make sense that ya care for her so much then." the rabbit then made the gestures for drawing and made the thumbs-up sign. "So ya can write then at least?" The rabbit nodded, "Well wait right here then, ah have something ya might be able ta use" Big Macintosh headed out towards the living room and left the rabbit by himself.
Angel still couldn't believe that all this had happened. After Fluttershy hadn't returned that night or the following morning he had begun to worry and had decide to track her down, he had followed her scent all the way to the farm and had come across the wreckage of what looked to be a major struggle. He had followed the trail of blood in a panic, fearing the worst. And now all this had happened. he tilted his head downwards and stroked his scar, why had he let this strange pony know about his scar? why did he believe him when he said that Fluttershy was just asleep upstairs? The smell of blood was so strong about the house, but he could make out the smells of three distinct ponies, one was the smell of the huge pony, another was the smell of Fluttershy, but the third smell was so familiar. The smell of sweat and a distinct lack of bathing.
His curiosity got the better of him and he jumped down off the stool and followed the scent up the stairs and into the bedroom. Seeing a form inside ht ebed he hopped up onto the stool next to the bed and got a good look at the pony in the bed. And promptly fell off the stool, he had recognised the hair colour and the slight bits of fur visible through all the blood-soaked bandages. He leapt back onto the stool and stared at the broken Pegasus.
This pony was Fluttershy's closest friend! He had met the Pony often when she had visited Fluttershy in her cottage, and Angle had begrudgedly taken a liking to her. Tears started forming in the corners of his eyes, the horror of what he saw before him shook him the the very core of his tiny body.
"She is doing well ta be alive at the moment, she hit a tree at her maximum speed. We did all we could, but the nurse is away for the next two weeks. Fluttershy fixed her up as best she could, but in the end there is little we can do. It's up to her right now." Tears had formed in the eyes of the stallion that had silently snuck up behind Angel. "And the worst thing is, ah'm buckin' useless ta them both right now. Ah can't heal others and ah can't do ah thing!" the stallion's head was almost touching the floor as tears fell freely from his face. The feeling of uselessness was completely overwhelming him to his very soul. The knowledge that he could do nothing was painful.
*Cough* *Splat* Big Macintsoh felt something warm and liquid splash against his chest, at first he couldn't see anything because of the tears in his eyes and the fact that the liquid blended right into his bright, red coat. The body of Rainbow Dash was convulsing and coughing as blood began to trickle down the corner of her mouth.
"NO!" Big Macintosh screamed. He rushed to the bed as Dash began to whimper and her eyes slowly cracked open. "Wha-?" she muttered as her eye rolled back into her head and she passed out, the continuing to ooze out of the corner of her mouth. Big Macintosh couldn't do a thing, he just stood there as his mind registered the fact that she was dying...
"NO! NOT NOW!" He snatched the towel next to the bed and began to wipe away the blood from her mouth. "FLUTTERSHY! HELP! YA CAN'T DIE YET MISS DASH!" but no matter what he did the blood wouldn't stop. Fear gripped his heart as the cloth in his hoof stained the bed-sheets red.
"Move aside" the voice was small but it commanded the force of a thousand orders, Fluttershy stepped up to the convulsing Pegasus and placed a small herb bundle in Dash's mouth. Fluttershy massaged Dash's throat and force the Pegasus to swallow the bundle. almost immediately the herbs began to take effect and the convulsing stopped. "Get me a cloth and a bowl of water. Quickly." Big Macintosh sprang to attention, bolting down the hallways to the bathroom and procuring the required items.
Her returned and Fluttershy took the items from him and set to work. it was a tense few minutes but finally Dash's body eased it's tension and she relaxed once again. they descended the staircase and made their way outside, leaving Angel as a capable guard at Rainbow Dash's bedside. "She is fine now, until the next time. We need better equipment. Or somepony with more medical talent then myself." Fluttershy was still talking to Macintosh in that quiet soothing voice that she had used earlier.
"Ah'm so sorry...A-ah guess a am u-useless after all." Big Macintosh's normally stoic demeanour had shattered completely. and he openly wept in front of the yellow Pegasus. He was surprise when he felt her forelegs wrap softly around his head, her wings beating a gently tempo behind him as she hovered above his head and rested her head on top of his.
"Shhhh. It's ok, not everypony is meant to tend to others. But everypony should care for others, and as far as I can see, you are one of the most caring ponies I have ever met Mr Macintosh." Her voice broke through his depression and warmed his heart. Soothing the raging emotions inside his body.
*Sniff* "Ah'm sorry about tha Miss Shy, ah guess we need ta take a time inter town ta get some medicine?" he wiped the tears from his eyes and straightened himself up, Fluttershy still on his back. "The least ah can do is carry ya down to the town." He fortified himself and drew strength from her weight on his back.
"Thank you Mister Macintosh, I would like that greatly." she blushed as she relaxed into his back and closed her eyes, exhaustion claiming her as she slept the whole way into town.
|
BigMacAttack
|
857
| 4 |
Apple Bloom,Applejack,Big Macintosh,Fluttershy,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Winona,Zecora,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Failure has Its Own Price
|
Flutter x Mac not Dash x Mac as the name suggests. =P
|
incomplete
| 46 | 9 |
<p>Rainbow Dash's signature move doesn't work so well when she tries it amongst the Apple Family's orchard and hurts herself badly, with Applejack and Applebloom away in Appleoosa and the town Nurse away at a convention who will Big Mac turn to to help him care for the wounded pegasus?</p><p>Ah am looking for anyone with experience to review this and point out any obvious flaws with the spelling. grammar or story! So help me if y'all can!</p><p>Cover pic was graciously provided by the wonderful 0r0ch1, who can be found on his furaffinity site here:<a href="http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/" rel="nofollow">http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/</a></p>
|
teen
|
2011-12-20T09:18:26+00:00
|
2011-12-20T09:18:26+00:00
| 3,058 |
If he could have traded his entire farm for the moment of peace to last a little longer, he would have seriously considered it. That brief moment of peace that they shared during the walk to town was a welcome respite from the hectic events of the past day. Fluttershy slept all the way into town on Big Macintosh's back as he trotted gently into town, the sight of the two gathering a few surprised glances from the local ponies of the town.
"Now where am ah gonna go to get some medical supplies? Usually we just send Applejack to the town for supplies..." he cast his eyes around the town looking for the best place to start his enquiries. But something pink blurred right past his line of sight and zipped right past him. "Now what the hay was that?" he cocked his head in the direction that the pink streak vanished off to.
"OHMYGOSHANEWPONYI'VENEVERSEENYOUAROUNDHEREBEFORE! *Inhale* HII'MPINKIEWHATSYOURNAME!" A bouncing pink pony was proceeding to circle him at astonishing speed while bouncing higher than his head.
"Ah...excuse me? Who are you?" The look of puzzlement on his face set Pinkie Pie off laughing and rolling on the ground.
"AHAHAHAHA! Sorry, you just looked so...BWAHAHAHAHA! Hahahahaaa...sorry about that, my name is Pinkie Pie! Ponyville's Resident Party Pony! Are you new here? I've never seen you around the town before! OHMYGOSH! I need to make you a party! Hang on a sec-" with that Pinkie Pie began to dash off again, straight into another pony that was walking down the main road of Ponyville.
"OHMYGOSHIAMSOSORRY!" the torrent of words was stopped by a prompt hoof being shoved into Pinkie Pie's mouth.
*Sigh* "First Pinkie, this is Applejack's brother Big Macintosh. Second, you gave him a party on his birthday last season. Third, you are meant to be helping with the search party for Rainbow Dash. Fourth, you missed the fact that Fluttershy is clearly sound asleep on his back. Why is that by the way?" the purple unicorn turned to Big Macintosh and pursed her lips in a manner that Big Mac found more adorable than frightening. Meanwhile Pinkie, seemingly satisfied with the unicorn's explanation, proceeded to bounce in the same spot while she too turned her attention back to Big Macintosh.
"Ah...I think ah can help you with the last two points there, but ah'm afraid ah have no idea how ya know my name. Cause ah have no idea who y'all are." The look of continued puzzlement on his face sent Pinkie Pie into another fit of giggles, which was promptly silenced by a stern look from the purple unicorn.
"Well as it seems that you may be of some assistance at the moment. I am Twilight Sparkle, Resident Librarian of Ponyville's Public Library." At this Twilight proceeded to place her hoof on her chest and exuded a look of complete pride.
"Well now, ah right glad to meet you Miss Sparkle. I will attempt to make this as clear as possible. First, miss Rainbow Dash is back at the farm. Second, Miss Shy here is dead tired from taking care of Miss Dash for the past day. Third, we need medical supplies or somepony with extensive medical knowledge. Was ah clear enough miss Twilight?" he inclined his head at Twilight as her jaw promptly dropped from his succinct description.
"BAHAHAHAHAHA! Twilight! You look like he did a second ago! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Twilight shook her head as Pinkie Pie's explosion of laughter nearly rocked her off her hooves.
"Ok, give me a second here to understand all that. So, Rainbow is at the Apple Farm? Why? Is something wrong?" she inclined her head at Big Macintosh.
"Ah...she...isn't doing too well. She hit one o tha biggest and hardest trees on ma farm. At top speed..." His face fell as he described Rainbow's predicament to Twilight.
"Wait, her top speed is about mach 10 when she performs the sonic-rainboo... Oh no! At that speed the forces on her would have reached-" at this twilight drew a piece of paper out of her saddlebag and proceeded to start a series of complex formulas all over the sheet.
"Silly Twilight!" Pinkie Pie grabbed and tore up Twilight's calculations while she proceed to question Big Macintosh. "How bad is the injury? Will she be alright?"
"Pinkie! You pick now of all times to start making sense!?" Twilight was busily trying to gather up her torn sheets with her magic. *Sigh* "Well the nurse would be the best place to go to if Rainbow is injured, but she is away for the next two weeks on a convention at Canterlot. Guess that leaves...Zecora!"
"Uhhh...would that be that Zebra from the Everfree Forest?" Big Macintosh started to shift his weight from hoof to hoof; a look of anxiousness began to pass across his face.
"Oh Celestia! Don't tell me you still believe those evil enchantress rumours!" Twilight began to look exasperated
"NO! Ah never believed those rumours in tha first place! Ah, just...don't like that forest..." Big Macintosh clammed up and his head lowered to the ground. Twilight wisely decided not to question the matter further.
*Yawn* "Oh! Good morning Twilight...Eep!" Fluttershy leapt into the air off Big Macintosh's back, a huge blush spreading across her face as she realised what she had just been doing.
"Morning Fluttershy, sleep well?" Twilight grinned, "Big Macintosh has filled us in on the details of Rainbow's accident. What do you need to heal her?"
"Umm...I need some more herbs, bandages, painkillers and I need somepony to mind the animals at my house for me for the next few days." Her voice was muffled from behind her mane as she hid behind it, her embarrassment still clearly showing through.
"Hmm, I suggested it to Macintosh, but I think we might need Zecora's help in this. Can you and he make it to her hut by yourselves? I can perform a few magic touch-ups on Rainbow while you two can gain her help. She should also have a large supply of bandages and herbs as well!" Twilight began to get that glint in her eye, the same one she got whenever she began to take charge of the group.
"Umm...I don't know if I really know the way there..." Fluttershy seemed to withdraw further into herself as the prospect of venturing into the forest brought her fear levels to new heights.
"Oh don't worry silly! I know the way there! I will show you the way! Come-on!" Pinkie pie leapt behind Fluttershy and started pushing her from behind; Fluttershy had meanwhile locked up her limbs and was forming a small dirt pile in front of each hoof as they dug into the ground.
"Umm...Pinkie! No! Wait! Oh..."
*Sigh* "PINKIE! THE FOREST IS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!" Twilight bellowed at the retreating figures. Pinkie stopped, looked around and started giggling.
"Oh, right! Whoops! Teehee!" She promptly turned around, grabbed Fluttershy's tail and began dragging her in the opposite direction, towards the forest. Big Macintosh made to follow then when a purple hoof prodded him in the side
"Mr Macintosh. May I have a word with you first?" Twilight was beginning to smile and dang if it didn't look creepy. The smile only got creepier when she put her hoof around his neck.
"Uhh...sure? Ah guess?" He was beginning to sweat now. Twilight's horn began to glow and the air about the two visibly darkened.
"If. You. Ever, EVER. Do anything to hurt her. I WILL find you. And neither you, Applejack or Celestia will stop me. Understand?" The look in her eyes was promise enough of the results of her threats should he come ever harm Fluttershy.
*Gulp* "Ah understand perfectly ma'am. Ah'll just be going now. Bye!" With that he turned tail and bolted towards the retreating figures of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Putting on a turn of speed that would have shamed Rainbow Dash on a good day.
*Sigh* The air around Twilight lightened and her expression returned to normal. "I guess the Grin has a little way to go till it's as powerful as the Stare. Hahahaaa...She chose well. Spike!" Her purple dragon assistant promptly appeared at her side, she had never figured out how he always managed to do that. Maybe he had been taking lessons from Pinkie?
"You called Twi? What do you need?" The Small dragon already had his paper and quill at the ready, he knew her too well.
"I need you to take care of Fluttershy’s animals for the next few days and two letters to be sent out, one to the Princesses and one to Applejack in Appleloosa. Now let’s begin with the one to the princesses..."
_____________________________________________________________________________
As the trio of Ponies approached the forest, only one of them seemed eager to enter the forsaken dark depths of the Everfree Forest.
"Come on! Let’s go!" Pinkie was practically bouncing off the trees as she speed into the forest, quickly outpacing the other two.
"PINKIE! WAIT!" Fluttershy cried out as Pinkie appeared to disappear into the forest ahead of them. "Oh no! Which way do we go? She quickly flicked her eyes side to side searching for the right road to take. "Macintosh, where do you-?" She suddenly stopped as she noticed just how frightened Big Macintosh was.
"A-a-ah have n-n-no idea Shy." he was visibly shaking and his head was only a few centimetres off the ground.
"Hey, I just noticed something!" Fluttershy beginning to smile a little, "That's the first time you have actually used my Nickname."
"Oh! Ah'm sorry miss Fluttershy! Ah shouldn't have called ya that!" He brought his head up and stared into Fluttershy's eyes. The fear in her eyes gave him strength, after all, he had promised Miss Sparkle. "Ah'm sorry, I just...have a few bad memories of this place."
"Oh! I didn't realise! And we forced you to come here! I am so sor-" her apology was stopped by a gentle hoof on her lips.
"No don'tcha apologise fer nothing miss Fluttershy. Ah'm tha one who should be sorry for not being the strong one here. now let’s go, miss Pie shouldn't be too far ahead...I think." At this he lowered his hoof and took his place at Fluttershy's side, moving forward into the undergrowth in the direction that Pinkie had disappeared.
As he began to walk forward he felt a nudge on his side. "Umm...if you could just do something for me? C-could you just c-call me Fluttershy o-or Shy? I don't w-want to be a s-s-stranger to y-you." Her smile broke straight through Big Macintosh's defences.
"O-f course miss Shy, I-I Mean Shy." An awkward smile graced his face as the two ponies smiled at each other. "But y'all can't keep calling me by ma full name then. Ya cal call me Mac if'n ya like."
"I-I would like that very much Mac." She smiled the sweetest smile that he had ever seen. "Thank you by the way, for supporting me and helping both me and Dash."
"B-but ah didn't do that much...I-I couldn't!" he stammered as he tripped over a small vine on the path.
"Nonsense, you provided us with shelter, food and assistance, without your help on the first night I would never have been able to help rainbow. You helped more than you could ever know." They locked eyes and smiled at each other as they broke through to a large clearing, the trees had formed a large circle and the bright light of the sky was visible as the trees parted.
"Uhhh...Ah don't see any hut. Maybe we went tha wrong way?"
"Umm...Let’s see if we can find Pinkie. Pinkie! Pinkie!" her voice was way too soft to attract any sort of attention so Big Mac decided to lend a small hand.
"MISS PIE WHERE ARE YA!" his bellow resounded through-out the forest as Fluttershy leapt bolt upright.
"Eek!" She bolted into a nearby bush as Big Mac stared at the dust after-image of her.
"Uhhh...Too loud? Sorry about tha." he rubbed the back of his head with a hoof.
*Gulp* "That was...um... loud." Fluttershy was shakily climbing out of the bush. Her embarrassed blush was way too cute Big Mac decided, and those pretty eyes of her that were shining with...Fear?
"LOOK OUT MAC!" Big Macintosh was still rubbing the back of his head when he was smashed by a huge paw, the force was enough to send him flying over the clearing into the truck of a massive tree. Three huge claw gashes were now on his side and blood ran freely down his face.
*ROAR* The source of the claw smashed through the tree as a emerald green dragon broke into the clearing. The beast stood up and towered over the trees and the two ponies. "GRAAAHHHHH" his roar was accompanied by a great gout of flame that caused the tree's behind Fluttershy to burst into flames.
Fluttershy stood petrified, pure fear had locked her legs as the dragon glare down at her. "Who DARES wake me?! I was having a nice little NAP! And someone dares to waken me with some stupid babble about PIES!"
Fluttershy tried to say something but her jaw had locked rigid and her tears freely poured down her face.
"Well it HAS been a while since I last tasted ponymeat. You aren’t very big, but your friend here will make a fine meal. Maybe you could be the appetiser? HAHAHAHAHA!" He brought his snout close to the trembling mass that was Fluttershy and looked directly into her eyes. "Now how should I have you? Raw? Fried? Or extra crispy? HAHAHAHA!" He open his maw and Fluttershy saw her death painted all over those long fangs as his head darted forward.
*Crack* *CRASH* "GRAAAAHHH! THAT HURT!" A tree trunk half as thick as a house had fallen and pinned the dragon's neck. "WHO DARES HURT ME?!" He struggled against the trunk but he couldn't lift it off himself.
"I will never let you hurt her." The dragon snapped his eyes to the massive pony limping towards him. A look of pure hatred glinting in the stallion’s eyes. "You...ah remember you dragon. You took something from me once; Ah will never let tha happen again."
"You. I recognise you now. The little colt that couldn't do a thing as I slaughtered his parents in front of him. HAHAHA! you may have grown a little, but nothing has changed from then till now. You are still WEAK! As was that stupid pony who sacrificed himself for his dead wife and his snivelling BRAT!" The dragon slashed his claws at Big Mac and cut three new gashes along his chest. The blood flowed freely down Big Mac’s chest but he never flinched or moved.
"You are so right. Ah am weak, Ma parents were weak too. But both me and my father had something that makes made us much stronger than y'all could ever have been." Big Mac grinned as he moved closer to the dragons head.
"And pray tell me my little morsel, what is that?" the dragon began to inhale. "Before I turn you and your little fillyfriend there into ashes?"
"Something ta protect." Big Mac dashed forward onto the dragon's nose and pivoted, lifting his back hooves as he balanced on his front hooves. And bucked the dragon straight between the eyes. He put the full force of his body behind the blow, shattering his cracked ribs and causing him to cough up a muzzle-full of blood. He fell to his knees as the pain racked his body.
But the dragon had fared worse.
When he turned towards the dragon he saw a gruesome sight, his kick had caved in the skull of the dragon. A quick, painless death. “Sorry, ah guess ah couldn’t hold back after all.”
The limped towards Fluttershy who just stood and stared, tears streaming down her face at the death of the Dragon and the injuries on Big Mac. "You killed him..."
"Ah did and ah'm sorry. But ah promised your friends ah wouldn't let anything bad happen ta you. Ah'm sorry, ah truly am. Taking a life is something no-pony should ever have ta do or see." He stopped in front of her and placed his head on top of hers. "Never forget that kindness of yours. It is the true source of who ya are. And it's what ah think made me fall for ya."
"Wha? F-fall for me?"
*Cough* "Eeyup. Now can ya do me a favour?" His vision was beginning to darken and he knew he didn't have very long before he passed out. He probably wouldn't be coming back from this one.
"S-sure."
*Cough* *Cough* His blood now flowed down Fluttershy's face, mixing with her tears."Tell AJ and Applebloom...that ah love them... and ah'm sorry that ah...couldn't meet them...at tha...station..." He slumped forwards and slipped off of Fluttershy as he fell to the ground.
He could hardly hear her screams as he began to lose consciousness. As the darkness descended he wondered if this was how his Father had felt as he had died, bringing his son and dead wife back from the forest. It felt good he decided, at least she was safe. It was a shame but at least he had kept his promise.
As he turned his eyes towards her, his last thought was that her colour looked a little off. Wasn't she yellow? Not black and white? But the darkness overcame him and he fell down, into the black void of unconsciousness.
|
BigMacAttack
|
857
| 5 |
Apple Bloom,Applejack,Big Macintosh,Fluttershy,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Winona,Zecora,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Failure has Its Own Price
|
Flutter x Mac not Dash x Mac as the name suggests. =P
|
incomplete
| 46 | 9 |
<p>Rainbow Dash's signature move doesn't work so well when she tries it amongst the Apple Family's orchard and hurts herself badly, with Applejack and Applebloom away in Appleoosa and the town Nurse away at a convention who will Big Mac turn to to help him care for the wounded pegasus?</p><p>Ah am looking for anyone with experience to review this and point out any obvious flaws with the spelling. grammar or story! So help me if y'all can!</p><p>Cover pic was graciously provided by the wonderful 0r0ch1, who can be found on his furaffinity site here:<a href="http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/" rel="nofollow">http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/</a></p>
|
teen
|
2011-11-29T12:26:50+00:00
|
2011-11-29T12:26:50+00:00
| 3,225 |
When he awoke, his entire chest and flank were on fire, the pain lanced through his side and sent him screaming back into unconsciousness. The second waking was slightly more peaceful, his chest still hurt but his ribs no longer felt like they were red hot irons under his skin. He tried to shift but a black and white striped hoof pushed him back into the bed.
"Injured you were quite severely today, for you to move yet there is no way. Lie still and rest your head, and stay put within that bed." The sing-song voice belonged to the Zebra Zecora. Big Macintosh had never personally met the Zebra, but Applejack's description of her had been adequate enough. He rested his head back into the bed as she lifted her hoof off of his chest.
"How tha hay am ah still alive? Where is Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie? How long was ah out?" His questions were stopped by a gentle hoof upon his head.
"It's true that you lost a lot of blood, me and Pinkie found you face down in the mud. I am a healer and by trade, so Miss Fluttershy requested my aide. Though you defeated a dragon it is true, it was very nearly the end of you." With this she turned a stern eye his way. "If I had not chanced upon Pinkie amongst the trees, you would have been in quite a squeeze. Though in Fluttershy you should take some pride, not once has she left your side."
Big Macintosh looked beside the bed and he saw that Zecora had indeed told the truth. Fluttershy was asleep with her head on the bed. But something wasn't quite right with the scene around them. Then it hit him, it was night time outside. "Aww Hay! What time is it?"
"Worry not my large red friend, for it is only just the day's end. In truth I believed you would sleep till dawn, but it appears a wrong conclusion I have drawn. Your body is fit and strong, and that has helped your healing along." She began to mix a series of ingredients that he couldn't place in a large pot in the middle of the hut.
"Did Fluttershy tell you tha reason we came to tha forest? We were looking for you in particular." He lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. How the hay had he come back from death in the space of one day?
"Of your friends plight I have been told, by our friend so pink and bold. Help has already been discussed, but we decided that your healing was a must."
"Now how did you come to that conclusion? Ah though ah was dead. How did you heal me so fast? Ah was pretty sure I broke most of ma ribs when ah bucked that dragon." He looked at his side where the bandages were clean and crisp and he no longer felt any pain from the wounds.
"A unicorn is not the only one, through who magic can be done. My magic comes from plants and roots, leaves, nuts, buds and shoots. The magic of the earth is pure, and often the better cure." she finished with the cauldron and ladled a small amount of the potion into a small bowl.
"Let me guess, ah have ta drink that...Looks kind of...green..."
"Oh my goodness this is not for thee, have you never heard of 'Tea'?"
"...Well I guess ah need to be a little more open minded then! Hahaha...oww." He grimaced, it hurt to laugh.
"Well my magic can do many a thing, but I cannot fix everything. You must now rest and heal, and for it the better you will feel." she sipped the tea and leaned against the wall of her house.
Big Macintosh looked at the sleeping pony next to him and a blush spread across his face. Had he really confessed to her after all that, he chuckled and immediately regretted it. "Ah guess losing that much blood can do some strange things to a pony. But ah'm glad ah said it at least, cause ah meant every word." he lay his head down next to hers and let sleep overtake him once again.
"Spirits of love, peace and rest, make sure that their love is blessed. Watch over them from now till the end, as an offering of peace I send." the rest of the potion in her bowl evaporated into a cloud of green mist and resolved itself into a symbol of a heart.
"Perfect." She placed the bowl on her table and eased herself onto the ground; she would need her rest, and tomorrow would be a big day.
________________________________________________________________________________
The Next day Big Macintosh woke feeling much better, he still couldn't believe that yesterday he had been dying. He rubbed his chest experimentally but there was no pain, only three pink scars running down his chest and side. He cast his eyes over to a mirror he saw in the corner of the hut. A Red scar ran over his left eye and halfway down his muzzle. It didn't look all that bad.
"Umm...it kinda suits you..." The voice startled him; he still wasn't used to Fluttershy's quiet movement. "It makes you look...strong."
"Ah'm not that strong, ah just had something ta protect. Ah pony can do a great number of things when something they love is threatened. From what ah heard from ma sister, you're no weakling yerself. Ah pretty sure ah couldn't stare down one ah those things if ah tried. Hehe."
"Oh you mean...the Stare...it’s not that useful, I can't control it very well and I can't use it if I'm scared..." A small tear began to roll down her face. "Which is most of the time...I couldn't do anything when it attacked you...I just stood t-there l-l-like a-a s-statue...*Sniff* I almost let you die. You nearly died! And I couldn't do a thing!" She slithered to the floor and began to cry her eyes out, two small rivers forming down her cheeks and dripping to the floor.
"It's alright, ah didn't die and you're alright, besides if ah get hurt. You can just fix me up again, right?" He lifted her chin with his hoof, catching her eyes as he brushed her pink mane out of her eyes. "And you know what? Ah don't mind sacrificing myself for ya. Ah don't care if a dragon, a Ursa Major or Celestia herself was after ya. That wouldn't stop me throwing maself in front of ya to protect ya."
*Sniff* "R-r-really? You'd d-do t-t-that for m-me?" She looked him dead in the eyes and he saw disbelief in her eyes and...Hope?
"What did I tell you before ah fell?" he moved his nose closer to her and stared into her eyes.
"Y-you told m-me that...you had fallen for me..."
"And have any of tha Apple family ever lied to ya?"
"W-well, there was one time..."
"That doesn't count...Point is ah told the truth then and ah'm telling ya the truth now. Ah love ya Fluttershy." He gently moved forwards and planted a kiss right on the end of her nose. She immediately recoiled and he pulled his head back. "A-ah'm sorry...ah shouldn't have done tha-"
She silenced him by locking her lips with his and kissing him full on. He leant into the kiss and broke the kiss with a short breath.
*Cough* "While I am glad for you both of you, I find your flanks blocking my view."
"O-oh! I'm sorry Zecora! Did you need to need the mirror?"
"My mane is not always is like this, sometimes a new style is bliss." She walked to the mirror and began to brush her mane styling it into a different look.
"Ah’m Miss Zecora? Will these scars be permanent? Or will they fade?" he placed his head next to hers in the mirror and blew his mane off the scar running down his face.
"If your head you do not remove, upon it I will improve." She whacked him on the snout with the hairbrush and he recoiled sharply.
"OWW! Ah guess ah can live with them. Kinda make me look dangerous, huh?" he rubbed his snout as Fluttershy began to giggle. Big Macintosh couldn't help but join in and even Zecora began to titter a little.
"HAhahaha! Guess you shouldn't come between a Filly and her looks Mac! Teheehee." They both began to laugh until they were both on the ground gasping for air.
"Oh, sweet Celestia ah needed that. Guess we should head out soon tho. Miss Rainbow might not be doing so well." This notion sobered up the mood somewhat.
"Well all the things I need to cure, are prepared for sure. We can leave as soon as both of you are done, and finished with your 'fun'." she smirked at this because she had enticed blushes from the pair that would have heated her cauldron for days.
"W-well ah think ah'm ready ta go. Ah wonder how tha townsponies are gonna go seeing these?" He looked at the scars running down his chest.
"I think they are going to think that you are one of the bravest p-p-ponies a-a-around. *Yawn* Oh my goodness I am sorry, how rude of me *Yawn*." She looked smashed, she must have stayed up the majority of the night.
"Would ya like a lift back to the town Shy? Ah can take ya on my back again if ya wish?"
"*Yawn* B-but aren’t you still injured?"
"You're a Pegasus Shy. You don't weight a thing, besides you are tired and ah am fully rested, let me take tha weight for a bit." he crouched next to her and she beat her wings and settled on his back. "Now ya get some sleep miss, ah don't want ta hear a peep out of ya till we hit the edge of tha forest, ok?"
*Giggle* "Yes dad." She snuggled into his mane and closed her eyes, meanwhile Zecora came out of the huts carrying two saddlebags full of herbs.
"You heal faster than should be normal, your health is quite abnormal." she tilted her head at the pair and shrugged.
"Ah keep ma body in top condition working on ma farm. Now let’s go back to tha town. We have a friend to save.
As they set off through the forest Big Macintosh felt a small whisper in his ear.
"Thanks, Mac." Fluttershy moved her head forward and gave him a peck on his cheek.
"Ya welcome shy." He smiled and continued down the path after the Zebra.
____________________________________________________________________________________
As they neared the town whispers and cheers rang out, it appeared that Pinkie Pie had already informed the whole town of the event. Everypony knew the danger surrounding dragons and the story had been a hard one to swallow. But when everypony saw the scars running down Big Mac's body they knew there was solid truth behind the stories and they cheered for the brave stallion and his Fillyfriend.
The two were blushing and grinning from ear to ear as they trotted through the crowd, Fluttershy stayed on Big Mac's back to avoid the majority of the crowd and Big Mac was paused by more than a few ponies wanting to see the scars or hear the story from him, but he waved most of them away. It was only when he had pushed his way through the crowd that they realised that Zecora had disappeared.
"Now where did she go? Did we lose her?"
"No, I just think she is worse with crowds than I am...She's probably watching us from the distance."
"Well ya sure seemed to be ok with them up there. Speaking of which are ya getting comfortable up there miss?" he smirked and nudged he with his snout.
"I think I am Mr Macintosh." She poked her tongue out at him and put her head down in his mane again as he continued towards the Apple Family Farm.
As he turned down the road towards the farm he was stopped by four mares standing in the middle of the road. He recognised two of them as Pinkie and Twilight and he raised a hoof in greeting.
The four mares immediately surrounded and welcomed the pair. "Fluttershy darling! What happened to your Hair!" A white unicorn was fussing about Fluttershy trying to fix Fluttershy's mane.
"Oh! I haven't brushed it for a while, so much has happened that I just forgot about it Rarity." Fluttershy flapped her wings and jumped off of Big Mac's back onto the ground and was immediately seized in a massive group hug.
"I have some good news you two, while you two were being paraded through the town I met up with Zecora, she is tending to Rainbow Dash right now. She says that thanks to your Intervention and my magic. She should be just fine." The two breathed a visible sigh of relief at this news. It was then that Big Mac noticed that the fourth mare was actually Applejack.
"When did ya get back sis? Ah thought ya weren’t due till next week at tha earliest." Big Mac trotted up to his sister and nuzzled her on the cheek.
"Now don't you start any of that mushy stuff on me big brother! Save that for your Marefriend over there." She spluttered and pushed him away.
"Now that sounds like an invitation to me sis, what do ya all think girls?"
"Totally darling"
"Sorta?"
"Yep"
"Ah think we should get her girls, Tickle time?" With that the five ponies leap on Applejack and began to tickle her mercilessly, with Big Macintosh causing the most damage by far. You didn't live with someone that long without knowing a few tricks.
'AH Hahaha SWEAR Heehee AH'M *Gasp* GONNA GET YA FOR THIS! Hahahaha!" She was totally helpless before the five before everyone collapsed into one big laughing group.
"Ahahaha, Now what’s the real reason ya came back sis. Would it have anything with Miss Dash being in danger and all." Big Macintosh smirked when he saw the slight blush spreading across her face.
"N-no, I was just worried that you would forget about the farm! And N-nothing else." He eyes started to wander and the blush became more pronounced.
"See what ah told ya about my family and lying Shy? Just plain can't do it." Everypony cracked up laughing again.
"Now how's about you tell us how ya got those fancy scars there. Ah reckon that's gonna be a story and a half."
"Oh yes dear! They suit you quite well might I add! Gives you an air of...Danger I suppose? Gives me an idea for a new fashion line."
"Well why don't we return to the Library and you can tell us the story. I have more than enough food for dinner for everypony, why don't we turn it into a sleepover? It would give Zecora the time she needs to heal Rainbow Dash and You two can get some rest for once." She turned and the rest followed her towards the Library.
"All I want to hear about is how you two got together."
"Rarity!"
"Hahahaha! Ya have ta ask Shy for that one Miss Rarity. Ah'm not at liberty ta say. Nor do I want repeat the lead-up any-time soon." *Shudders*
"Now I really want to hear about that part!" Rarity was practically skipping with joy, "Oh I can imagine it now..." As she continued with her wild fantasy Big Mac and Fluttershy laughed and walked down the road to the Library side-by-side.
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BigMacAttack
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857
| 6 |
Apple Bloom,Applejack,Big Macintosh,Fluttershy,Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash,Twilight Sparkle,Winona,Zecora,Romance,Sad,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Failure has Its Own Price
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Flutter x Mac not Dash x Mac as the name suggests. =P
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incomplete
| 46 | 9 |
<p>Rainbow Dash's signature move doesn't work so well when she tries it amongst the Apple Family's orchard and hurts herself badly, with Applejack and Applebloom away in Appleoosa and the town Nurse away at a convention who will Big Mac turn to to help him care for the wounded pegasus?</p><p>Ah am looking for anyone with experience to review this and point out any obvious flaws with the spelling. grammar or story! So help me if y'all can!</p><p>Cover pic was graciously provided by the wonderful 0r0ch1, who can be found on his furaffinity site here:<a href="http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/" rel="nofollow">http://www.furaffinity.net/user/shin0r0z/</a></p>
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teen
|
2011-12-23T23:45:29+00:00
|
2011-12-23T23:45:29+00:00
| 3,375 |
"And that pretty much the whole story right up till ah fainted, not much else ta say really. Ah woke up at Miss Zecora's house and we travelled back to town after that." Big Mac put down his drink and cast his eyes around the room. The other ponies all had varied emotions written over their faces.
"So ya telling me ya killed a dragon, brother? Ah would find tha hard ta believe but ah reckon the scars tell tha whole tale. Wow, ah knew we didn't let ya do any applebucking because tha trees couldn't take it, but ah didn't know ya had that kind of strength!" Applejack shook her head and continued drinking as Rarity piped up.
"So what happened after that? I mean you look like you nearly lost your life there dear. Those are some very impressive scars." She gently poked them with her hoof, eliciting a slight wince from Big Mac. "Oops." she smiled gingerly while Big Mac had a weird sense of Déjà-vu.
"Ah don't rightly know. Tha whole dying thing made it kinda hard to remember." He chuckled as the rest of the group cautiously smiled; he noticed their discomfort and chuckled again. "Ah...Poor taste?"
"How can you be so...so blasé? You died! D-do ya h-have any idea..." she sniffled "...how m-m-miserable poor Ap-Aplebloom a-and ah would have b-been?" At this Applejack pulled her hat down so that the others wouldn't see the tears running down her face.
Big Mac raised himself to his feet then limped over to his sister, lifting her face so he could gaze at her directly. "Dry ya tears sis, ah wasn't dead then and ah ain't gonna die while ah have ma family and friends ta protect." He wrapped her in a massive hug and he let her cry her tears out.
"A-ah'm sorry Mac, I just keep feeling like yer gonna slip away, when ah arrived after hearing about rainbow, all we heard was that you were lost in tha forest. T-then when we heard about the dragon attack, ah nearly lost it right there and then. Please don't ever do anything that stupid again...P-please?" She raised her head and looked him in the eyes and his heart nearly broke. How could he have been such a stupid idiot?
"Ah'm afraid ah can't do that sis, as long as ah have you, Applebloom and Fluttershy close to my heart ah will never stop protecting you three." he kissed his sister on the nose and went back to his cushion and nuzzled Fluttershy. She smiled and cuddled close to his side.
"D'awwww! You two are so CUTE together!" Pinkie's massive cry sent Fluttershy cowering behind Big Mac in surprise. He turned his head to look at her as she gave him a slightly rattled smile.
"Pinkie! You know you shouldn't use that volume around Fluttershy!" Twilight magically rolled up the scroll she was writing and smacked Pinkie Pie across the rump.
"Hehe, Oops?" And small orange object flew out of the shadows of the doorway and hit Pinkie. "Owww! A carrot?" Pinkie bent her head down and picked up the half-eaten carrot that had slammed into her head.
"Yer getting better at launching those, Little Buddy." Big Mac chuckled, remembering the force which the bunny could put behind the shots.
"Angel!" Fluttershy scooped angel into her arms and cuddled him to her face, he joined in until he realised what he was doing and began to struggle against her grip, in an attempt to save face. Which just made everypony in the room roar with laugher.
"Good it is to see, the laughter of so many." Zecora had entered the room unseen and proceeded to wearily trot towards the circle of ponies. There were some heavy bags under her eyes but she had a radiant smile adorning her face.
"Zecora! Is Rainbow ok? Where is she?!" Applejack had leapt to her hooves and was practically yelling at Zecora.
"Quieten your voice my dear, you have no reason to fear. Your friend is sound asleep; her life is now hers to keep." Zecora trotted to a free cushion in the circle and was given a mug of hot chocolate by Twilight. "Thank you Twilight my dear, but I have some news that everypony must hear. Healed her I have indeed, but a final cure she will need. Her body is as healed as I can, but on her wings I have not began."
"Why not? Is there something wrong with them?" Twilight looked up from her scroll and waved her quill at Zecora. "Do you need my help with some medical research?"
"Not to discourage you my dear, but with this you cannot help, I fear. More ingredients I need; Cloud Root, Filly Feathers and Sky Seed. From here I cannot make a cure, but with those her healing I can assure." Zecora paused to take a sip of her drink as Spike grabbed a few books from the shelves. He flicked through a couple of pages until he found what he was looking for.
"Look at this, girls! We can find the first and second ingredient in the same place! They both grow in Cloudsdale!" He showed them two pictures of the two plants. One was a root that had a distinct cloud shape and the other was a tiny seed that was the colour of the rainbow. "But the second one? What did you say it was? Filly feathers?”
"From a time in her past, in those feathers the memory of flight should last. Correct me if I err, but don't Pegasi keep every feather?" Zecora turned her head to look at Fluttershy who had taken up residence at Big Mac's side once again.
"Oh indeed, it’s a sort of tradition. We Pegasi only loose our feathers when we grow up so our parents often keep them for us. My mother still has them back at Cloudsdale." She squeaked.
"Then fetch me a few of Rainbow's you must, you know the location of her parents I trust?"
"Unfortunately, we don't, Rainbow hasn't spoken much about her life in Cloudsdale before she came here to Ponyville. We might need to ask her herself about their location. Either way an expedition to Cloudsdale is a must for now. Spike can you send this letter for me?" Twilight rolled up the letter she had been writing and passed to spike who breathed an emerald green flame on it and it disappeared.
"What was that Twilight? Did you send a letter to Princess Celestia again?” Spike questioned Twilight.
"Not quite, you will see later on. Now who can we send to Cloudsdale? Unfortunately the only one who can fly here is Fluttershy. Rarity, you have been discouraged from visiting Cloudsdale after that last fiasco." Twilight grinned at Rarity.
"I thought we said that we would not be discussing that ever again, Twilight dear?" Rarity began to smile while the shadows around her began to grow and her horn started glowing.
Twilight grinned again and continued "As I was saying, Applejack, you can't go because you have to take care of your farm and we need someone at the farm for Rainbow. She won't be able to go home with her wings injured."
"Ah there is ah slight problem, we don't have enough beds back at tha farms for Applebloom, Mac, Rainbow and maself." Applejack placed her hoof under her chin as she thought about other alternatives.
"Is there any way for me to go up to Cloudsdale? Ah always did want to have a go at flying." Big Mac lazily took a drink from his cup and finding it empty placed it beside him.
"Not with you as you are now, it would be impossible. You are too heavy for both the Walking on Clouds spell and the Faux Wings spell. You would need to literally become a Pegasus to even consid..." Twilight stopped mid-sentence and brought her hoof up to her chin.
"What is it Twilight? Oh is this a guessing game?! I pick muffins! Was I right? Huh? Huh?" Another hit with the scroll. "Oww! Why is it always the head with you ponies?!"
"PINKIE! BE QUIET!” Twilight sighed, unrolled the scroll and continued writing. “I did just think of something, but it’s going to be rather dangerous." Twilight looked at Big Mac and he felt a tingle of apprehension.
"What did y'all think of Twilight? And just what did you mean by 'dangerous'?" AJ prodded Twilight in the side.
"Well it's not really dangerous per-se...Just I will need some help and a major part of it depends on how much you value your status as an Earth Pony, Macintosh." She stared at Mac and he felt that sense of apprehension double inside his gut.
"What do ya mean Twilight? Are ya talking about making me a Pegasus? Ya can do that?" His jaw fell open at the pure audacity of the idea and in awe at the idea that this unicorn could wield that much power.
"Yes, the idea is simple in essence. But the amount of power required would be extraordinary. It might be easier if only Fluttershy goes by herself."
"Um. B-by myself? But I haven't flown there by myself before. I-I-I just couldn't..." She looked like she would burst into tears again and this set Big Mac's mind in stone. Macintosh hugged her close until she stopped and began to settle down.
Big Mac turned towards the purple unicorn and looked her straight in the eyes. "Twilight?"
She gulped, he was frightening, his stare actually unsettled her to the point where she was tempted to look away. "Yes?"
"Ah'll do it. Make the preparations for the spell. “He turned back to Fluttershy to find her staring into his eyes. He smiled and kissed her nose, causing her to squeak and smile from ear to ear.
"A-are you sure? Once you become a Pegasus, there is a high chance you won't be able to return to your original appearance. And I cannot confirm whether the spell will alter anything else besides your physical makeup. But if you are still sure I will enlist the help of the pony I just summoned to Ponyville and we can begin at first light with the spell. Think long and hard today and tonight about your decision and make up your mind before tomorrow morning." Twilight placed her hooves together under her chin and presented Big Mac with a stare that would have made him think twice about this, if he hadn't made his mind so resolute.
"Ah, will. And thank you Twilight. Ah know you can do it." He smiled and Twilight began to smile as well.
"Your plan is daring I am sure, I will prepare drawings of the plants to take on this tour. Your friend Rainbow dash should awaken soon, shall we visit her in her room?" Zecora broke the silence and immediately the whole atmosphere changed completely.
Almost in unison the other six cried out "Yes!"
They cleaned up the cushions and everypony bolted for the farm, eager to see their dear friend.
___________________________________________________________________________________
The Farm was quiet and they all crept up the stairs as quietly as possible, following the zebra who lead them into the darkened bedroom. The closed curtains blocked out the last rays of the sun and a heavy scent of herbs and potions lingered in the air. Twilight used her magic to ignite the candles and lamps around the room and the ponies got their first good look at their friend. She looked peaceful as she lay there, the bandages around her face and body were no-longer the colour of seeping blood.
"How? How is this even possible? She looks like she was never even hurt!" Big Mac's exclamation caused Rainbow Dash to stir but not wake and he immediately lowered his voice. "Did you do the same thing ta me? How?"
"As I told you once before, my natural cures are simply more. Medical treatments are often diluted and weak; healing sometimes needs something not quite as meek." Zecora nudged Rainbow Dash in an attempt to wake her and she simply grunted before rolling over, muttering something about 'Wonderbolts' and a giant trophy.
Twilight began to giggle and she moved towards the front of the bed and braced her hooves against the ground. "She's back to normal alright. Let me see if I can wake her." Twilight's horn glowed and she levitated the bed slightly and rocked it side-to-side...nothing. If anything Rainbow began to snore. "Well that didn't work..." She lowered the bed to the ground and stepped back.
"Hmm, Oh I know! How about we do this!" With that Pinkie grabbed the back of Applejack's head and forced her to kiss Rainbow Dash. Applejack recoiled and threw Pinkie Pie across the room, but not before locking lips with the pegasus for a few seconds.
She spluttered and pretended to wipe her mouth with her hooves. “PINKIE PIE! AH SWEAR AH'M GONNA BUCK YOU THROUGH THAT WINDOW!" She grabbed Pinkie Pie and was about to make good on her promise but a small sound from behind her made her slowly turn around.
"A-AJ? W-wha?" Applejack threw Pinkie out the window and turned back to the bed, a huge grin plastered over her face as sounds of crashing came from outside the window. "W-was that Pinkie?"
"Oh sugarcube! You're all right!" Applejack leapt onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Rainbow and hugged her close, tears falling from her eyes as she squeezed the rainbow pegasus so tight she nearly crushed poor Dash in the process.
"OWCH! AJ! I'm alright! You’re killing me!" Applejack loosed her grip and stepped back from the bed, everypony chuckling at the sudden display of affection from the normally stoic pony. "How am I still alive? I thought I hit that thing dead on?"
"You must thank your friends Macintosh and Fluttershy for your life; they removed you from the worst of your strife. I simply finished what they began, and now I must leave once again." Zecora turned to the door and was about to leave when Fluttershy stepped in her way and barred her exit.
"P-please stay Zecora! You of all ponies deserve the credit for this! I couldn't really heal her...I'm not good enough at that sort of thing. You shoul-"
She was silenced by a striped hoof on her nose. Zecora leaned in close and whispered in her ear. Zecora dropped her rhyming tone and spoke with the full force of her voice. "I did only minor things to her condition; YOU did most of the work. Stay strong and I will teach you all that I know when you return from this trip. Now go and receive the praise you deserve my dear. When this is over and done, return to me and I will pass on to you the secrets of my craft. Till that time you are needed by their side."
"Y-yes...thank you Zecora. For making me feel better." Fluttershy allowed her to pass and trotted back to her friends as they were explaining the past few days’ events to Rainbow. Zecora looked at Fluttershy's retreating figure and chuckled to herself.
"She will see that I am quite honest indeed, for me to lie there was no need." Zecora smiled and turned towards the door, vanishing into the hallway as the others wrapped up the story of the past few days.
"Ok so let me get this straight...You killed a freaking DRAGON?! And now you and Fluttershy? Go Flutters!" Rainbow winked at Fluttershy and the timid pony blushed from ear to ear and shyly smiled.
"Hehe, yeah the scars still hurt but yes ah did kill a dragon. I guess ah got a little too mad. Ah'm surprised that ya taking the whole wings thing so well." He tilted his head towards her side where her wings were still tightly bound.
"Well duh! I mean if they can't be healed I can't fly at full speed! Besides they can be healed...right?"
"Well, yes. But there is a small problem, we need some ingredients from Cloudsdale and Fluttershy has never flown there by herself before. So we will be performing a Class Alteration Spell on Macintosh here and he will be accompanying her along with a guide for the visit. However, we need to contact your parents. We need some of your old feathers from your youth. Something about the soul or memory of flight stored in them can be used to restore your wings." Twilight's explanation left Rainbow Dash with a bored expression on her face.
"Sooo, basically you are going to get something from Cloudsdale and you need my Dad's address? And did you say something about making Macintosh a Pegasus? Is that even possible?" She gave Twilight a look that the unicorn knew all too well
Twilight sighed and placed her hoof on her face, rubbing her eyes. "Yes Rainbow, that is the general gist of it all. And yes it’s possible, just not entirely reversible. There is a huge chance he will be stuck as a Pegasus forever."
"Eh? That's a bad thing? Being a Pegasus is awesome! I mean come on! We can FLY! How could you not want to be a Pegasus?!" Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders, as if the very idea of someone passing up this chance was ludicrous.
"Well ah have pretty much made up ma mind right now. If'n this needs ta be done, so be it." Big Mac shrugged and turned towards the doorway. "Ah'm going outside fer a bit. Rest up and we will bring ya back tha things ya need to heal. Count on it." Leaving his words to linger in the air, Big Mac stepped outside, and continued down the stairs to the kitchen. He was starving, so he grabbed an apple and was about to go outside when he noticed a small white form following him.
"Now what are ya doing following me? Why don't you go say hi ta your friend up there?" Then Big Mac remembered that he had promised something to Angel before they had left earlier. "Wait a dang minute, ah forgot ya present! Can ya follow me fer a sec little guy?" Angel nodded and leapt up onto Big Mac's back.
"Or ya can hitch a lift if ya want" he chuckled and trotted out the door and into the barn. They wandered over to a small sack next to an old broken dog-basket. Angel hoped off and sniffed at the basket. He knew who it had belonged to and the story of its current state. No pet had lived at Sweet Apple Acres for a while now. Winona lived now with Granny Smith at the Retirement Villa in Canterlot after a falling tree branch had crippled her. The toll had been hard on the family and while Winona lived; she couldn’t stay on the farm in her current condition. So Granny Smith had taken the chance to retire to Canterlot and had taken the poor dog with her. AJ and Big Mac had never had the heart to get another pet as it hadn’t felt right replacing such a critical member of the family. Angel looked as Big Mac brought out a simple piece of slate set into a wooden frame with a small bag that could be slung over the shoulder.
"Applebloom made this for when Winona was first injured, as a way fer her to communicate without moving too much. But her paws were too damaged to use tha chalk properly. Ah reckon y'all have more luck with it." Big Mac passed it and it fitted the little rabbit almost perfectly. "Now ah'm guessing ya down know how ta write, huh? Ah can show ya a thing or two when ah get back, but until then see if'n Twilight and Spike can teach ya anything. She strikes me as a very smart pony. Now go, visit your friends in the house and leave me alone fer a bit, ok?"
Angel just nodded and left Big Mac alone in the barn. Big Mac sighed and left the barn, trotting to his favourite spot under the apple trees. "Ah'm ah doing tha right thing? If ah go through with this ah'll be able ta help everypony. But ah'm an Earth Pony...Ah was born one and ah was supposed ta stay one..." He glanced up at the stars that were beginning to shine in the dark night sky. He looked to the moon that was beginning to rise over the Saddleback Mountains and he thought of the Princess of the night. He had always wondered what their new princess was like as they had never really met before. He had fortunately avoided the fiasco of Nightmare Night those few years ago.
He figured it was worth a shot anyway. "Dear Princess Luna, ah sorry that ah missed the past few days of talking to yer. Things got a little crazy around here and ah haven't had tha time to sit and make ma prayers of tha night. But ah have no idea what ah'm supposed ta do...Could ya give me any sort of hint? Anything at all?" He sighed, Mac knew that the princesses couldn't actually hear his prayers, or if they could, how many other ponies needed help more than he?
"Well if thou want'st our opinion, we would do that which need'th to be done. Thy friends are surely worth more to thee than something as unimportant as thy class?" Big Mac leapt to his feet and was greeted by a large pony wearing a hooded cloak that hid her face.
"Who tha hay are you? And what are ya doing on my farm?!" He turned to face the attacker and stood at his full height, but even then the figure was only a touch smaller than himself.
"Peace. We mean thee no harm. We merely heard thy prayer to the Princess of the Night. Remember, thy prayers are all heard and thou art as important as all her subjects. We shall take our leave as we have our own agenda this evening, but remember what it is that we have said. The morning will hold many changes for thee and thy friends will have need of thee. How thou may help them is entire up to thyself. Fare thee well, Macintosh." With that the figure turned and vanished into the night with a swirl of black magic. Leaving a very confused pony alone under the trees.
"Oookay...Not the weirdest thing ta happen ta me... But, defiantly up there with cheating death and that incident with the doll." He shook his head and settled back under the tree. "Guess ya did answer my question in a way Princess, Thanks. Ah think ah know what ah'm meant to do now." He lay his head down and slept under the trees. Tomorrow would be a morning of many changes. And he needed his rest.
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Vanner
|
860
| 1 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:14:24+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:14:24+00:00
| 5,307 |
Prologue: The War to End All Wars
If you hadn’t been born five years ago, the rising of the sun seemed routine. Fillies and colts took for granted that the sun would come up every morning, and that the moon would come out every evening. If they had been there to watch the sun falter, or if they had seen the moon hang in the sky for weeks on end, they too would have praised the miracle of the sunrise every morning.
Everypony had seen the cost of the Lunar Rebellion: A tyrant banished to the moon, a goddess left in tears at what she had been forced to do, and a populace that had been left broken in the wake. As it was, no pony had seen Celestia in those five years following the banishment of Nightmare Moon. So shaken by what she had done, the goddess went into exile, and walled herself in her castle at Canterlot.
When the armies of the night marched on the palace, they thought they brought with them the ideal of a republic headed by Nightmare Moon. What they failed to understand was that the Lunar Republic was just another despotism hiding under the guise of freedom. It was often said that Luna herself would have never approved of marching on the palace, but Nightmare Moon had pushed aside the quiet alicorn’s desires to replace them her own. Honeyed words whispered into the ears of the Princess, along with her own loneliness and some unknown force from beyond had taken away the love between the sisters, and created the monster that ascended to power.
The followers of Nightmare Moon had called themselves the Lunar Republic, and at the low levels they operated as such. Elections were held, representatives chosen, and issues were voted upon. The biggest supporters of the Lunar Republic had come from the ranks of the so called lesser equines, that is, the donkeys and mules. Maligned by their pony-centric world, the voices of the rebellion urged them to join the struggle for the Lunar Republic, and throw off their shackles of slavery.
It was all a farce. The flaws in the system began to reveal themselves as the lesser equines realized that power didn’t flow from the ponies, but was instead wielded as a hammer from the top of the heap. The ponies tried to make slaves of the mules and donkeys again as Nightmare Moon would make slaves of them all. The equines left the fold, and searched for a way to bring their Luna back from Nightmare Moon’s grasp.
Through the fighting and revolutions, ponies had come to revel in the art of war. Before the Lunar Rebellion, Equestria had come to symbolize peace and harmony throughout the world. After the Lunar Rebellion, ponies had forgotten what peace was like, and like a mother who leaves her children home alone for too long, the ponies of Equestria began fight amongst themselves. They came to expect violence against each other, and they reveled in cruelty toward their fellow ponies. They sought to divide up their country, and make their own fiefdoms. A dark time had swept over Equestria since Celestia’s exile. It had only been five years. How could Equestria stand for even five more?
Many ponies did little more than complain about their failing empire. Others moved on into the Zebra territories to start a new life. Some simply found the highest cliff to throw themselves from and dashed themselves against the jagged rocks. Still others sought to take advantage of the creeping anarchy, and made their own greedy bids for power.
Power wasn’t hard to come by in those days. You simply told ponies you were in charge, and if they argued, you beat them until they complied. It wasn’t quite slavery, but it was the sort of brutal anarchy that comes without a functioning government. True, there was a charter of sorts for the Princesses to follow, but no pony had seen either one for five years. Without the monarchy to guide them, Equestria had descended into squabbling fiefdoms that routinely fought for land and power. Combined with the threats from the outside world, and the growing blight that had become the Everfree forest, the future of Equestria was grimmer than ponies were willing to admit.
A few brave souls weren’t willing to let the glory of Equestria fade that easily. Remnants of Celestia’s Knights sought to keep order where they could, but their heavy handed tactics of interrogation and inquisition during the time of the rebellion had left a bitter taste in the mouths of most ponies. Celestia’s Knights sought to redeem themselves for their crimes of the past by bringing hope of a new future, but without the support of the citizens, they were powerless to stop the flood of despair that threatened to drown Equestria.
Even those most devoted to Celestia had taken to zealous worship outside of the summer palace at Canterlot. Hundreds of monks chanted and prayed everyday at her walls. Every day they begged for a sign from her, and every day they were greeted only by sunrise and sun set. The palace square had become a little more than an echo chamber for hundreds of prostrate ponies begging for their ruler to return.
Still, even in the darkest night, there are the star lights of hope that emerge from the most unlikely of places. Some ponies had decided to make their world a better place; normal ponies with normal lives that were willing stand up for the common folk. This is the story of four heroes who, in finding each other, found that Equestria was worth saving after all.
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Vanner
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860
| 2 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
|
2011-10-03T12:35:11+00:00
|
2011-10-03T12:35:11+00:00
| 3,925 |
Chapter One: Down on the Farm
Our tale begins in Bridleburg, an unassuming mining town on the edge of the buffalo territories. Bridleburg was many things. It was prosperous. It was thriving. It was safe. At the same time, Bridleburg was also a difficult place to live, as everything about it stemmed from the great mines that burrowed beneath the surface of the city. The city had been founded a hundred years before the rebellion, and had prospered from the wealth of gems and minerals that flowed from its mines.
Because of the unique landscape of the region, there was little topsoil in the surrounding area, and the limestone bedrock started at three feet. When earth ponies came to the area to settle, they were fortunate to have brought with them unicorns who knew how to blast rock. The earth ponies hauled away the rocks, and used them to create houses. From that relationship grew Bridleburg. Water came from the Dame River, gems and minerals came from the earth, and the farmers worked the fields.
The few farmer ponies that inhabited the region had always had a difficult time making every harvest count. The thin topsoil became depleted quickly, and they were always scrambling to find new ways to renew the soil. Each year brought forth the simple question: Will we produce enough to feed eveypony?
One such farmer was Heart Chase. Had she not been taught from an early age the lessons of discipline and honesty, she probably would have succumbed to desires for power that infected Equestria. As it was, she only held dominion over her family’s farm, and guided it with a gentle hoof toward newer and greater heights every year. Again and again, she proved to be a savvy business mare with a keen sense for value.
In her eyes, everything had worth. It was her special talent to seek out that value and nurture it to fruition. She cared little for the world outside of Bridleburg, and indeed for the world outside her farm. Still, she knew the world around her was headed down a dark path, and there seemed to be no way for her to stop it. She was a practical pony after all, and saving Equestria was the stuff of heroes, not farmers.
The pony’s practical wisdom, combined with her vicious business acumen and the overwhelming politics of the region, made for strange bed fellows. She often found herself invited to soirees and dinners where she was wooed by those with money and power. She was, of course, not interested in the gifts offered by ponies with silver tongues and black hearts. Still, she turned the meetings to her advantage, and helped her family’s farm proposer behind all expectation. Her family became wealthy, though not near as wealthy as the Picks.
The Picks were a ruthless bunch of ponies and unicorns that were less related by blood than they were a simple desire for power and wealth. The Picks had started the mines in the first years of the town, and had made a killing supplying the rest of Equestria with gems, minerals, and cut stone. Because of their vast wealth, the Picks had held influence in palace before it had been decimated during the rebellion. Since no pony held the ear of the princess now, the Picks were left to squabble among the others vying for power in Equestria. While largely unsuccessful in Canterlot, the Picks held court over the Bridleburg region, and ushered the area into newfound heights of prosperity through clever deals and shady tradings.
None of this mattered to Heart Chase. She wasn’t interested in power, and she wasn’t interested the Picks. Her largest concern at the moment was the addition of apple trees to the farms.
Trees were nonexistent in this region with good reason; the soil simply wasn’t deep enough to hold them. Still, investment requires innovation, and if Heart Chase was good at anything, it was innovation. After a minor skirmish between the Kin of Luna and the Picks had broken out, she noticed that the unicorns had blasted large craters into the bedrock with their magic. That gave Heart Chase the idea to fill those holes with dirt, and plant apple trees. Certainly they wouldn’t grow tall, but they could grow wide, and apples would be a welcome addition to a diet high in carrots and wheat.
Heart Chase was supervising a cavalcade of earth ponies as they shoveled dirt into the craters blasted by the unicorns. The ponies here were part of her extend family. Many had farms elsewhere that had either failed or been taken over during the revolution. It turned out they liked Bridleburg so much, they decided to stay and live as a commune on Chase Family Farms. Heart Chase was happy to have family surrounding her, though it could get claustrophobic at times.
“Alright!” she yelled to the earth ponies. “Bring down that next load; I wanna see these holes filled before nightfall. Plantin’ season ain’t that far off, and I want these patches of dirt fertilized and ready for spring. We got a hot house full of apple saplings that need to get in the ground before it starts raining.” She spotted an orange earth pony who was watching other ponies do all the heavy lifting. “Carrot Muffin! I see you over there! Pick up your shovel, and get diggin’! Don’t make me come over there, young lady.”
Heart Chase never felt bad about yelling at the ponies; some of the children needed the disciple that came from hard work. She had no children of her own, but she was more than happy to enforce her own work ethic on her extended family. All the ponies were working now, and the tilling was going as planned. Chase walked away from the new fields, and into the barn where lunch was being prepared.
The barn was as typical as you could get: a squat, single story stone building that housed tables and a kitchen. Instead of each family making their own food, Heart Chase had come up with the idea of serving every pony the same thing at the same time. It turned out to be more efficient, and it allowed the extended family time to bond over meals. The mares and stallions who were either too old or unwilling to work the field came together morning, noon, and night to prepare food for the army of ponies that lived and worked on Chase Family Farms. Heart Chase was happy to see that her sister kept things running smoothly in here.
“Apple Chase, how’s lunch coming?” she asked.
“Seriously?” she asked. Apple pulled a pot from the fire. “Every day you ask the same stupid questions: ‘How’s lunch coming? How’s dinner going? How are the fillies?’” The yellow mare dumped the contents of the pot into another bowl, and began stirring. “Don’t you have anything better to do then to boss ponies around?”
“I’m askin’ cause it’s my job, Apple,” said Chase. “Things gotta run smoothly around here; that’s what I do.” Apple huffed and turned away from her sister.
“What you should be doing is raising a family like the rest of us,” said Apple Chase. “Father would lose his mind if he were still alive. Why if he knew that you prefer the company of...” Heart Chase glared at her sister. The look said in no uncertain terms that if she finished that sentence, Heart Chase would put her head through the wall. “Anyway,” continued Apple Chase, “it’s not like the farm is going to fall apart without your constant care. It’s not Equestria, after all, and you are certainly not Celestia.”
Heart Chase sighed at her sister. There were many things that she didn’t understand and the handling of business was one of them. She didn’t seem to understand that Equestria was falling apart, not because Celestia was gone, but because everypony else that wanted to fill her role was unsuited for the job.
The farm seemed like that in a microcosm. Everypony wanted her job, but they didn’t know how to bargain. They didn’t know how to secure loans, or deal with Bridleburg’s nightmarish banking system. They weren’t prepared to face the onslaught of poisoned kindness that came from the miners and the Picks. The only pony that seemed to understand was her niece, Red Chase.
Red Chase was a bright young mare who had gotten her grandfather’s business sense and her aunt’s training. She studied at the hooves of her Auntie Heart in hopes that to one day surpass Heart in capacity as manger of the farm. Chase only hoped that Red was as clever as she seemed because as it stood, Equestria forced ponies in her position to grow up fast. As if to illustrate the point, Red Chase came running to Heart.
“Aunt Heart,” panted the filly, “there’s a stallion here to see you.” Chase looked down at the young mare and prepared to dispense wisdom to her.
“Red, you go back there and you find out what he wants,” said Chase. “If he’s lookin’ to make a deal, you deal with him. If he’s lookin’ fer a pony, you help him find them. If he’s a traveler, you welcome him in. If he’s lookin’ fer a fight, well, you let the stallions handle him.” Chase tousled her niece’s mane. “You gotta start takin’ responsibility if you wanna run the farm.”
“He’s lookin’ for you,” said Red Chase. “I tried to tell him you were busy, but he wasn’t havin’ any of that. It’s that old pegasus,” said Red. “He started goin’ on and on about Celestia before I got away. Darn near talked my ears off.” Heart Chase groaned in despair; she knew it was Sound Cloud. She took a deep breath and started for the gates. The day was going to prove to be just as arduous as she had feared. As she walked for the field gates, she admired the job her family had done with the Winter Wrap up.
The grounds had been cleared of winter’s snow for the seasons of rain that stood just a few weeks away. The winter this year hadn’t been anything to speak of, but with all the fillies and colts that were due this spring a good harvest was essential. More mouths to feed also meant more workers and a new crop of Chases to learn the trades of the farm. It brought a smile to Heart’s face to know that life continued no matter what. She totted past the gates and into the presence of Sound Cloud.
Sound Cloud was an interesting pegasus. Certainly he was nothing to look at: a green coat that had grayed around the edges, a blue mane that had done the same, and yellow eyes that had been lined with the years of sorrow and frustration of living in such times. His cutie mark was of a cloud with ripples behind it. He had always said that it was his lot in life to speak, and Sound Cloud was one of those ponies who never stopped talking. Getting him started on any topic was an invitation to waste a few hours of your time no matter what else needed to be done.
Heart Chase walked through the gates of the fields to see the old pegasus talking to several of the fillies and colts that had come out to see him. He was droning on about the miracle of the sun and how we as ponies should pray to Celestia for her return. Sound Cloud turned to see Heart Chase as she came from the fields.
“Oh, my dear Heart Chase!” he said. “It is always such a pleasure to see you. I was walking out of town, for you see at my age, walking is the key to good health, and I passed by your farm. I was thinking about how much I enjoy coming out here every week to teach your fillies and colts about the miracle of the sun rise, and of the great bounty that our goddess gives to us each day. About how we can all pray to her that she return to our lives and…”
“Sound Cloud, what do yah want?” interrupted Heart Chase. “If yah want money, yah ain’t gettin’ it; I already gave to the church at the beginning of the month. If yah want a meal, yah can join us fer lunch; there’s always plenty to go around.” She pushed a lock of her orange hair back behind her bonnet. “And if yer just here to yammer, yah can save it. I ain’t got time today, Reverend.” The pegasus glared at her with a disapproving eye.
“If your father were alive to hear you speak to your elders like that…”
“Well, he ain’t here,” said Heart Chase. “I run the farm now. Mah homestead, mah rules. I know you served together durin’ the war, but that don’t make you Celestia’s gift to Chase Family Farms. Yah ain’t family, and yah ain’t gonna be less you marry in, and I don’t see that happenin.” The fillies and colts who had gathered to hear him speak tittered at the remark. Heart Chase turned to them.
“Ain’t you got chores to do, youngins?” she demanded. The fillies and colts bolted away from Heart Chase as if she were a manticore. She turned back to Sound Cloud. “Ah like yah just fine, Reverend, but your long winded sermons put me so far behind sometimes I gotta work through the night just to make up for them.” She paused a moment. “Now, I ask again, what do yah want?” Sound Cloud sighed, and recomposed himself.
“I’ll try to make it quick, since your time is apparently more valuable than mine,” huffed Sound Cloud. “Never mind I haven’t much time left or that I’ve been preaching for going on thirty years now. No, I’m sure whatever it is that you’re doing is much more important that saving Equestria from the growing hordes of mongrels that threaten it.” Heart Chase stared at the preacher. She was unimpressed by his typical martyr routine. “I am assembling a pilgrimage,” he continued, “a band of the most devout followers of Celestia to go to her palace in Canterlot and pray that she grace Equestria again with her presence.”
“Yah do realize there are literally hundreds of ponies who do that every day, right?” asked Heart Chase. “I’ve been to Canterlot once. The whole square was filled with them, what do yah call it, zealots? Just bowin’ and prayin’ over and over again. Kinda creepy, if you ask me.” Sound Cloud stomped an aging hoof into the dirt.
“Those damned zealots don’t know the first thing of prayer!” shrieked Sound Cloud. “That is not what Celestia wants from ponies at all, and it never has been. Those ponies are only there to assuage the guilt of their own sins, not bring back the Goddess that we have missed so dearly all these years.” Anger flashed through his yellow eyes and for a moment Heart Chase was concerned he might have a heart attack right then and there. “No, what Celestia wants from us is to love and tolerate each other. She doesn’t want us at war with our neighbors. She doesn’t want use killing each other over petty land disputes. She certainly doesn’t want Equestria falling to pieces around her! We have got to stop it!”
“And how do yah propose we do that?” asked Heart Chase. “I’m a farmer; you’re an old preacher. Together we can do exactly nothin’ fer Equestria but keep our families fed.” She pointed out into Bridleburg. “Why don’t you let ponies like the Picks handle all that big picture nonsense? I ain’t leavin’ this farm and mah family to go one some kinda half baked expedition to Canterlot so we can stare at a bricked up wall.” Heart Chase pulled a flask from her bonnet and took a swig. Arguing with Sound Cloud was always exasperating business, and he was already giving her a headache.
“Can’t you spare any pony?” asked Sound Cloud. “I am but an old pegasus, and I fear that making the journey alone will make me a target for bandits and the Lunar Remnants.”
“I can’t do it,” said Heart Chase. “Plantin’ season is comin’ and I can’t spare the ponies. There’s a bumper crop of foals waitin’ to be born this year, and we need every last hand in the fields to make sure this plantin’ is perfect. I’m sorry, Sound Cloud, but I can’t help yah. I’m sure there are plenty of other ponies in Bridleburg who are willing to travel with yah.”
“I’ve posted notices at the taverns and inns looking for help,” said Sound Cloud. “If you change your mind…”
“I’m not gonna,” said Heart Chase. “Now come on in and have lunch, yah old fool. I’ll even let yah say grace.”
They walked together along the dirt paths of the farm toward the barn kitchen. The smells of breads and fruits filled the country air with the tastes of a good old fashioned family feast. Of course, nearly every meal here was a feast by necessity. The addition of one more guest wouldn’t matter, nor several, as it turned out. As the ponies approached the barn, Red Chase was greeting two other ponies who had stopped by the farm on business. Their flanks were adorned with picks and quills.
“Good afternoon,” said Heart Chase. “What can I do fer the Picks today?”
“Ah, Miss Heart Chase,” said the blue earth pony. “We are here this afternoon at the behest of Count Iron Pick to extend to you an invitation to dinner tomorrow evening.” Heart Chase looked from one pony to the other. Between the two ponies, there didn’t seem like there was an ounce of decent hard work between them and she fantasized briefly about putting them under the yoke for her own amusement. She snapped back to the topic at hand
“Come again?” she asked. “Dinner? With Count Iron Pick?”
“Well that sounds fantastic,” said Sound Cloud. “I’ll be sure to wear my finest robes to deliver the blessings of Celestia for the meal. Have I ever told you of the time I met her highness? You would be amazed at how beautiful she is in person, I assure you.” The two Pick ponies turned to each other with a look of distress.
“Uh, Reverend?” asked Heart Chase. “Why don’t yah go gather up every pony for grace while I entertain my guests here?”
“Fantastic idea,” said Sound Cloud. He trotted over to gather up the ponies for prayer. Heart Chase turned back to her other guests.
“Well I never,” said the blue unicorn. “A stallion of the cloth should know better that to just invite himself to such events.”
“Don't go getting yer collars in a twist,” said Heart Chase. “The Reverand might be long winded but he's a great pony to have at dinners. You can always sic him on other talkers and let them duke it out.” She took off her bonnet and let the braided hair drop down her shoulders. “At any rate, I thank yah kindly fer the invitation. If there's nothin else, I'd like to invite yah folks to lunch.”
“Actually,” said the earth pony, “there were several other things we needed to discuss with you. Privately, if you please.” Heart Chase looked at the two ponies with suspicion. She had no reason to distrust them, but the need for secrecy worried her more than she was willing to let on. She gestured for them to follow.
The sounds of the reverend’s prayer echoed in the background as the trio walked away from the barn. They pushed against the tide of ponies coming in for lunch, and made their way into a small room in the basement of the stone house across the way from the barn. As they walked down the stairs, the earth pony shut the door behind him and began closing the windows. With the windows closed, the basement office became dark. The unicorn set a spark with his horn and lit the candles along the wall. Heart Chase walked behind her desk, awaiting some sort of explanation.
“You may be asking yourself why we’re being so secretive,” said the unicorn.
“That’s not what I’m askin’ myself right, now,” said Heart Chase. “I’m askin’ myself why yah haven’t introduced yerselves yet.” The ponies exchanged a sideways glance before they continued.
“I am Silk Pick,” said the blue unicorn.
“And I am Quill Pick,” said the blue earth pony. “We have come here today as emissaries to our father, Count Iron Pick.”
“And what, besides dinner, does the Count want with me?” asked Heart Chase. She could already guess the direction this conversation was going to take.
“He wishes to unite the Chase family and the Pick family together at their heads,” said Silk Pick. “He has plans of proposing to you tomorrow at dinner. It would be most embarrassing if you were to refuse, which is why we are here to discuss the matter before hand.” Heart Chase wasn’t in the least bit surprised at the revelation and the look of disdain on her face must have been obvious to the two ponies.
“I understand if this all seems a bit sudden,” said Quill Pick. “But the time has come for the Bridleburg region to spread its wings and become the power that is meant to be. We have everything here: water ways for trade, bountiful soil, minerals galore. The fact that we were passed over as the new capital city is a travesty of justice.”
“That’s real idealistic of yah,” said Heart Chase, “but what in the name of Celestia does that got to do with me marryin’ yer dad? Fer one, we ain’t even close in age. He was Pa’s commandin’ officer after all. Fer two, I’ve only ever met him three or four times, so I don’t know him.” She scratched her mane with a hoof trying to come up with other reasons why she shouldn’t marry Iron Pick. “Three, there’s you two to contend with. I know he’s probably lonely and all after losin’ yer mom, but he’s already got his heirs. He doesn’t need a mare like me to keep him company.”
“Your reasons are all valid, Miss Chase,” said Silk Pick. “You are correct in your assessments, but this is not a marriage of love or companionship we’re talking about here.”
“This is a political marriage,” said Quill Pick. “With the two most powerful families in the region united, others will flock to our flag. We will become the legitimate rulers of the Bridleburg region, and not be subject to the wills and whims of our absent empress.” Heart Chase put up her hooves in protest.
“Yer talkin’ treason here,” said Heart Chase. “Celestia is still our princess, and yer daddy would do well to remember that she aint’ gonna be gone forever.”
“How long are you going to pray to a goddess you no longer know even exists?” asked Silk Pick. “How long do you think the ponies of Bridleburg can stand divided against those who seek power by force? Do you think those damned Lunar Rebels just disappeared? Mark my words, Miss Chase: without Celestia, another civil war is coming. With our families combined, we could become rulers of this region. Would you not want to be a queen, Miss Chase?”
Heart Chase thought about it for a moment. Queen Heart Chase had an excellent ring to it, and it would mean a great deal more land and power for the Chase family. With the support of the ponies not just at the farm, but those in the surrounding regions, combined with the Pick families already vast wealth and numbers would mean a real standing army, and a very real chance of success at such a bold plan.
Still, there was the matter of what to do if Celestia came out of her self-imposed exile, and what would happen to the fledgling nation of Bridleburg if she did. That might be a problem for another generation though. Heart Chase needed time to think.
“I’ll have to think about it,” she said. “There’s a lot to consider here. We’re talking about starting a nation here. Canterlot’s going to be none to pleased because I’m guessin’ we’re not the only region thinkin’ of such a thing. Stalliongrad’s gotta be thinkin’ the same thing. Do we ally with them?”
“Then we’ll expect you at dinner tomorrow evening,” said Quill Pick. “We’ll relay your concerns to our father, and delay the engagement until the details are hammered out. We would appreciate your… discretion in this matter.”
Heart Chase nodded. It was treason she was talking about, but it was for the benefit of all of Bridleburg, and most of all, an opportunity to give the Chase family the prosperity it deserved. If the Chases and the Picks became one family, they could work together to become an unstoppable power that could take the Bridleburg region as their own. Rather than fighting and feuding for power, the two families would become royalty instead of rivals.
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Vanner
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860
| 3 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Children of the Sun
|
What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
|
complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
|
2011-10-03T13:35:44+00:00
|
2011-10-03T13:35:44+00:00
| 3,555 |
Chapter Two: How It All Ends
To those who didn’t know, the whirlwind romance between Heart Chase and Iron Pick seemed like something out of a fairy tale. They met one night at a fancy dinner party, fell madly in love, and were to be married in the fall. For months, all the town of Bridleburg could talk about was the love that had blossomed between the two ponies, and how the union of the two most powerful families in the region would be nothing but a boon. Congratulations poured in from all corners of Equestria on their impending marriage, and political deals were struck long before vows were ever made.
For those who did know, the reality of the situation was far less fairy tale, and far more horror story. The two ponies knew at once that any relationship between them would be a farce: Heart Chase preferred the company of mares, and Iron Pick was a curmudgeon who had few interests in any pony but his family. Still, they were both family ponies at heart, and they knew that their union, despite being a lie, would bring both of their families the prosperity they deserved. They could agree to disagree on most things, and spend as little time together as was publicly acceptable.
The planning of the ceremony had become a boondoggle all its own. Heart Chase found herself talking with ponies that had jobs she hadn’t known existed. Florists and planners and servants of the Pick house would ask her questions she simply had no idea how to answer. Calligraphers and scribes would ask about invitations and things Heart Chase had never even remotely cared about. She was happy that Red Chase was by her side to help deal with some of this nightmare that her life had become.
Red had taken to the upper crust lifestyle with the same practical efficiency she approached business of the farm. She quickly became accustomed to the ways of the city ponies, and found herself thrust into the plans and dealings of the ruling class. The filly had even garnered herself the attentions of a Quill for her shrewd dealings with the silver tongued snakes that resided at the top of the political heap. Despite their age difference, a fast friendship had emerged between them, and both Iron Pick and Heart Chase found themselves wishing that they could put those two together rather than themselves.
Still, the politics of the region dictated that there was no escaping their union. They were to be married, and the bond forged between them would unite the Bridleburg Valley into its own state. Everypony in the valley stood to benefit from the declaration, but Canterlot would not let them go peacefully. Already an army was being raised to fight the inevitable civil war. Canterlot’s tattered forces would attempt to move into the area and restore their Equestrian rule. Bridleburg, rich in pony power and resources, would easily crush the forces, and start their own sovereignty. And it all started with this wedding.
Heart Chase stood and stared into the mirror before her. She hadn’t ever expected to see herself in the whites of a bride, but it looked good on her. Her orange mane had been braided and adorned with white flowers, then wrapped in a crown of hair around her head. New sandals made from polished steel adorned her yellow fetlocks, and a veil of finest gossamer hung before her blue eyes. Today was the day it all happened. Today was the day she became a traitor to Equestria, and a hero to those who would be her subjects. She looked back at her bridal party with a concerned glance. Red Chase was there, as was Apple Chase, both wearing the subtle pink of a bridesmaid.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Apple Chase. “I know you don’t love him, and that you’re doing this so we can all live better. I know you’re doing the right thing, but you’re putting yourself in terrible danger.” She looked around with an apprehensive glance. “I’ve heard that war will come to us if we secede from Equestria and that our biggest threat won’t be Celestia’s knights, but the Lunar Republic.”
“That‘s not for yah to worry about,” said Heart Chase. She nuzzled her sister with a smile. “Yer job is to take care of your children, run the farm, and keep every pony happy as best yah can. Yah let me handle the big picture, Apple. I’ll take care of us all, just like I promised Daddy.”
“I certainly hope so,” said Apple Chase. “I never thought that I’d see you married, let alone to a Pick.”
“It’s a sham, and you know it,” said Red Chase. Her pretty red mane had been done up in a bouffant that irritated the young mare to no end. “Quill and I can just get married. That’ll solve everything, and you won’t have to crawl in bed with that old stallion. I don’t mind Quill, he’s a real nice pony. I might even grow to love him some day.” Heart Chase had to snicker at her niece. She put a hoof around Red’s shoulder.
“You go ahead and do that if you still feel that way next year,” said Heart Chase. “But this is what needs to be done here and now to assert our independence from Equestria. Iron Pick isn’t a young stallion and his line of succession goes right through Quill. If that’s what you want, then you’ll make a wonderful queen someday.” Heart Chase kissed her niece’s cheek with a smile. “But it’s on my shoulders to be start this revolution, my dear Red. You’ll just have to wait your turn.” Music floated in through the open windows to signal the start of the wedding. Heart Chase looked out of the rectory and toward the chapel. It was now or never.
Along the shores of the Dame River, the preparations continued for the reception. Tents had been set up to house the hundreds of guests that were arriving from all of Equestria, and tables had been lined with the bounty of harvest from the year. Dozens of members of both the Pick and Chase families worked together to ensure the arriving guests from both near and far would have the spectacular food and accommodations they had come to expect.
Ponies had begun to arrive earlier in the day from as far as Stalliongrad bearing gifts and tiding of joy from their far away locales. Others were coming in from far less distant places, though their journey had been hampered by the creeping progression of the Everfree Forest. Still, the mood at the reception festival was that of peace and joy. Though the undercurrent of worry was still present, ponies were willing to put aside their feelings of unease to celebrate the union of two ponies who would bring to each other a life of joy and completion.
Back at the chapel, Heart Chase, flanked by her sister and niece, walked toward the chapel amidst the melodic chords of the pipe organ. It was a beautiful day for a fall wedding; the last hints of summer heat nipped at the heels of autumn chill. Celestia’s sun shone in the sky as if to offer it’s blessings to the union of two families, though Heart Chase was sure that did not.
As Apple Chase and Red Chase sauntered up the aisle toward the altar, Heart thought she heard what sounded like the clanking of metal scales. Metal scales on chain. She perked her head up and looked around. None of the stallions that stood guard at the entrance seemed to have heard it. It might have just been a figment of her imagination. Heart Chase had to chuckle to herself. Here she was, so worked up about her wedding that she was hearing ghosts. Familiar chords began blaring from the pipe organ, signaling to Heart Chase that it was time to make her own journey down the aisle. She took a deep breath, and stepped into the chapel.
The chapel was a magnificent fusion of form and style that Bridleburg construction had become famous for. Carved from solid sheets of limestone, the walls towered two stories into the air and inlaid on the stone were filigree edgings that spiraled up the walls to the edges of the ceiling. The ceiling itself was half covered in a fresco of Celestia raising the sun while the other half was conspicuously blank. Dustings of purple plaster hinted at what may have once been there. Stained glass windows that depicted ponies working in the mines and fields lit the chapel as the morning sun rose over Bridleburg Valley and the far wall was covered in a stained glass rendition of Celestia raising the sun as ponies bowed before her.
Heart Chase found it ironic that a ceremony that was such an insult to the Princess’s reign should be held in such a place that glorified her name and visage. It almost made her reconsider the whole thing, until she reminded herself that this was all for the greater good. Everypony would benefit, including herself. She came at last to the altar where Iron Pick stood waiting for her.
Iron Pick was an imposing unicorn, and not just physically. He stood nearly a full head taller that Heart Chase, and though his charcoal coat had grayed around the edges, he stood in command of the entire room without saying a word. His grey mane fell around his horn in a short styling the meant business, and the unadorned pick on his flank was a symbol of his pure power. He was clearly not a pony to be trifled with.
In front of the two ponies stood Sound Cloud. As the pastor of this cathedral, he was obligated, despite his protests, to conduct the ceremony. He only hoped that his worst fears were unfounded and that the union of these two unlikely ponies was the product of true love and admiration rather than some shady political dealing. He briefly remembered a conversation shared with a traveling monk about the union, and how the monk had assured him that such a relationship wouldn’t last. Since Sound Cloud was the only pony in Bridleburg able to grant a divorce, they were stuck with each other whether they loved each other or not.
“Dearly beloved,” began Sound Cloud. “We are gathered here today in the sight of our princess and goddess Celestia to request these two ponies be joined in the sacred and unbreakable vows of matrimony. Take not this journey lightly, ponies, for what Celestia may put together, no pony but Death shall tear apart.”
The ceremony and homily continued in the same heavy hoofed style for nearly an hour. It wasn’t that Sound Cloud truly believed that the marriage of these two ponies was the harbinger of destruction for the kingdom; he had always preached that way. Still, by the time the service had wrapped up, every pony in attendance was desperate for a drink. As they got into their carriage, Heart Chase was kind enough to share the flask concealed in her garter with her new husband.
“Well that was certainly an interesting hour,” said Iron Pick, as he took a swig from the flask. “I don’t seem to remember the last wedding being quite that preachy.”
“Well, you know ol’ Sound Cloud,” said Heart Chase. “Can’t help but hear himself talk.” She put her head out the window to breathe deep the crisp fall air. The scent of leaves and sap filled the perfect day with cheer of harvest that was soon to come.
The sounds of the carriage were drowned out the noise of celebration as it drove through the city of Bridleburg. Throngs of ponies threw rice and flowers at the couple as they passed. Ponies of all stripes cheered the new couple, and the dawning of a new era for the region. Ponies in armor stood at every corner to clear the way for the carriage, and already ponies were beginning to bow. The reality of it all began to sink in as they crested the hill overlooking Chase Family Farms.
In the valley below was a city of tents. A massive tent had been erected in the southern field to house the festivities; clearly the barn kitchen wasn’t going to cut it for the hundreds of guests. Surrounding it were other tents made for drinking, relaxing, reception, and whatever else it was that one did at a wedding of this magnitude. Heart Chase was a bit flummoxed at the size of it all, and found a small part of her wishing that this entire wedding hadn’t just been a scheme to better the lives of every pony in the region.
The carriage came to a halt outside of a small white tent. The driver opened the door for the newlyweds, and ushered them to the booth where a unicorn wearing a smock awaited them. The unicorn arranged the couple a moment before he levitated a piece of charcoal.
“Perfect!” he announced. “Please hold still, this will take a few moments.”
Ten minutes later, the sketch of the couple had been completed, and they were allowed to relax. With great flourish he began to paint, pausing occasionally to gaze out at the happy couple. Only they didn’t seem too happy; they seemed nervous. Wedding night jitters, perhaps? The unicorn chuckled to himself. A nervous couple on their wedding day was always the sure sign of a happy marriage in the making. The artist finished his portrait in the span of an hour, and presented it to the new couple with a bow.
“For you, Mr. and Mrs. Pick,” he said. “May it hang in your home for years to come.”
The two ponies left the tent under the escort of several armored stallions. They had been nervous earlier as they both heard the rustle of metal scales on the wind. Despite Iron Pick’s age, his senses were still sharp enough to pick out a threat from a mile away, and there was definitely trouble afoot. Still, it was to be a happy occasion, and there was no reason to cause panic among the guests. Pick set his ponies out to patrol the edges of the festivities, and to raise alarm should they find anything.
By this time, the afternoon of cheer had faded into an evening of celebration. It seemed as if a thousand ponies had gathered here on the Chase Family Farms to congratulate the happy couple. Many were there simply to deliver well wishes, while others were there simply to be seen at the social event of the year. Heart Chase barely recognized most of them, and inexplicably wished to be back in the fields. She looked at her steel clad hooves and realized that she was in her fields.
This was her life now. No more digging; no more planting. There were politics to be played for the betterment of all those who were willing to work for it. As the sun set on the reception, so rose the moon of the new regime. It would take months to draft the papers, to play the politics, and truly become that which the ponies had come to expect of her, but it all started here. Heart Chase looked to the rising moon and smiled as she and Iron Pick walked toward into the grand tent. Spread before them were the happy faces of family and friends, dignitaries and diplomats, all eager to applaud the dawn of a new era. Sound Cloud stepped forward ahead of the couple, and cleared his throat.
“Announcing for the first time,” called Sound Cloud, “Mr and Mrs. Iron Pick.” The ground rumbled with the thundering stomps of a hundred approving ponies as cheers and well wishes sprang forth from the gathered crowd. Iron Pick and Heart Chase could only smile as they moved toward their tables. Quill, Silk, Apple, and Red were already awaiting them. The brothers greeted their father with a bow and their new stepmother with a kiss on the cheek. They sat at last to enjoy the meal that the families had prepared for them.
Dinner itself was filled with the joyous conversation and the thoughts of the romance that had blossomed between the happy couple. The clanging of horns of glasses forced the two to kiss far more often than they would have liked, but they were here to give to the dignitaries and their families a reason to celebrate. The true political posturing would come after the honeymoon.
In the Dame River, a ship awaited to take the happy couple to out to sea and around the coast to the lands of the zebras. There, they were to meet with others who would begin the revolution, and scatter the already tattered remnants of the Canterlot forces. Within the year, Stalliongrad, Bridleburg, and Equestria would all be their separate countries with their own separate destinies. It was a brave new world out there; they simply had to make it through the night to be the catalyst that the world needed to change. But lurking in the shadows were those who sought an entirely different change.
Just up the river, a barge floated toward the reception in darkened silence. A hundred soldiers were aboard, earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn alike, all dressed in the blue leather plates of the Lunar Rebellion. There was no discussion, no prayers for battle; only the grim silence of focus. As the barge rounded a bend in the river, the unicorn standing atop the bow waved his horn, and filled the river banks with a fog. A pony cloaked in the shadows of evening saw the signal and ordered his score of troops forward.
In the fields outside the reception lie the bodies of the guards that had gone out to investigate the noises that Iron Pick and Heart Chase had heard. Their armor had been stripped and taken as disguise from the creeping forces of the Lunar Rebels while their bodies were left to rot in the fields of wheat beyond. Now, as the evening of celebration wore on and the free flowing wine clouded the judgment of every pony, the forces of opposition placed themselves among the crowd, and waited for a signal. Those in the tent had only vaguely been aware that guards had moved up to surround them; they were instead focused on the speech of Quill.
“And finally to Heart Chase,” said Quill. “I don’t know you as well as I should and I’m sorry for that. I’m glad to have met you, and I believe that this marriage is the herald of a great new era for our families. I’m proud to call you my step-mother, and I welcome to chance for us to grow as family and as friends.” The audience stamped their feet, and filled the tent with applause. Heart Chase walked over to Quill, and hugged her step-son.
“Thank you, Quill,” she said. “I glad that you’re family now.” She hugged Silk as well, and kissed both their cheeks.
“And now,” announced Iron Pick, “If my wonderful wife will join me for our first dance?” Heart Chase trotted from the platform to meet her husband on the soft earth floor of the tent. They stood face to face as the band behind them struck up a slow waltz.
A dance between ponies was always a thing to behold and the dance between two lovers even more so. Quill Pick and Heart Chase were both excellent dancers and they moved with the grace of the winds as they waltzed around the dance floor. They stepped together in perfect harmony, as if they were made to be together. It made Heart Chase sad that she could never love Iron Pick the way he deserved. He may have been gruff and seemingly cold hearted, but underneath it all was a soul that wanted the best for his family. In that way, Heart Chase and Iron Pick were perfect for each other. Were they closer in age, or indeed even if Heart Chase could give her love to a stallion, this wedding would have been more than a show. It would have been real love. Iron Pick stepped forwards a moment and whispered into his wife’s ear.
“We’re going to be attacked,” he said. As if one of the false guards saw him whisper, the tent descended into chaos.
Explosions rocked the tent as the false guards struck first with magic. The tent began to burn as one of the earth ponies took torch to the fabric and in a moment, the tent became a wall of flame. Iron Pick dashed in front of Heart Chase and shot a bolt of magic from his horn that blasted aside the false guard ponies from the exit. Quill and Silk were at their father’s side in a second, ready to defend.
“Get Red and Apple!” demanded Iron Pick. “Meet us at the ship. Let no one stand in your way!” Heart Chase and Iron Pick dashed for the opening made by Iron’s magic as the tent burned around them. Outside the main tent, fires burned throughout the farm and from the river came the charging herd of soldiers clad in the night blue armor of the Lunar Rebellion. Heart Chase’s eyes went wide with shock.
The field had become a slaughterhouse. Ponies lay in the dirt, killed by the magic and bladed hooves of the army that advanced on them. Some guests struggled valiantly with the creeping army, but found themselves stabbed in the back by those ponies who were supposed to be protecting them.
Iron Pick and Heart Chase galloped through the fields and over the bodies of their friends and relatives. There was no time to mourn their loss; now there was only survival. Iron Pick blasted his way through a group of soldiers with another explosive spell when a face among the soldiers caught his eye.
Standing at the rear of the herd of soldiers was a towering stallion of sky blue. His white mane had been cropped close, and his body was covered in steel blue plates of the Lunar Rebellion. Emblazoned upon the rear of his armor was a pole axe. The stallion turned to stare directly at Iron Pick.
Iron Pick nearly froze in terror. How that pony managed to survive the Rebellion was a question best left unanswered. He shook off his fear and turned to see Quill, Silk, Red, and Apple charging through the line toward the boat. He slowed to let them catch up.
“Dear goddess, get them out of here,” said Iron Pick. “There is no saving our family now; Death has come to us, and his name is Glaive.” As if his name were taboo, the stallion turned to face the herd of fleeing ponies. He simply nodded, and charged for them.
With the squad of ten armored stallions bearing down on them, the bridal party doubled their speed. The closer they came to the boat, the closer the chasing squad closed on them. Iron Pick turned and lobbed a bolt of magic at the onrushing squad. The horn of a Glaive flared and captured the bolt in a slow spin around his horn. The bolt of magic flared with a massive light and fired back at Iron Pick.
The bolt of magic struck the ground in front of Iron Pick, and hurled the bridal party through the air. Most of them landed in the river; Heart Chase crashed through the deck of the ship. From his vantage in the sky, Iron Pick saw where every pony landed and prayed they would be safe.
He fell to the ground with a sickening crunch of bone before the on rushing stallions. They slowed to a halt and encircled the broken pony. Glaive stepped forward with a grin. His smile was filled with pointed teeth.
“You didn’t send me an invitation, old friend,” said Glaive. He kicked Iron Pick in the stomach. The charcoal unicorn could only gag and sputter. “I helped you get where you are today and you didn’t even think to invite me to your wedding? Without me, you’d have just been part of the nameless rabble of the war. Bad form, Commander Pick. Bad form.” Several of the other armored stallions dragged Iron to his feet so that Glaive could look his ‘friend’ in the eyes. “You think that just because the Rebellion failed that we disappeared? You’re not as dumb as that, Commander. You could have come to me; I would have supported your bid for royalty.”
“I would sooner die than have a traitor like you by my side,” spat Iron Pick.
“Oh, but you too are a traitor,” said Glaive. “I saw through your plan; every pony in Canterlot did. Not very clever marrying a girl like her. You just couldn’t make it less obvious could you? Had to go for the spectacle; had to have everything now. You always were a brash pony.” Glaive chuckled and waved over another pony. “The forces of Celestia are coming here now to put an end to your little coup. It would be a shame were they to simply march through unopposed. I want you to be alive to witness the magnitude of your failure. Your pretty wife, well, maybe not so much.” Glaive pointed his horn at the boat and fired a blast at the mooring lines. The side of the ship caught fire as it pin wheeled downstream.
The pony that Glaive had gestured to came forth. His coat was white, but spattered with blood. In his mane were tangled the instruments of a doctor, but with him, they looked to be horrible implements of torture. The maniacal grin plastered across his face said more about the pony’s mental health than any pony would care to admit.
“Bonestitch,” said Glaive. “See that Iron Pick is well taken care of. He will be useful to me shortly.” Glaive stopped, and looked out onto the slaughter that had beset the field. An idea struck him, one that required Iron Pick be alive and well. “Shadow Box, call back our forces.”
“Sir?” asked the dark coated earth pony. Glaive turned to his lieutenant and smiled with his pointed teeth.
“The Lunar Republic shall rise after all,” said Glaive, “and with it, the return of our queen. Hail Nightmare Moon, children of the night. Today begins a new era, and we have Iron Pick to thank for it.”
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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2011-10-04T13:21:59+00:00
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Chapter Three: Out to Sea
It was the rhythmic pounding of waves on the side of the boat that finally awoke Heart Chase. She opened her eyes to discover the interior of a ship. How she had gotten here was a mystery, though the hole in the ceiling was a decent clue. The last thing she remembered was running for the ship, Iron Pick turned to defend and…
Oh goddess, she thought, where are Red and Apple?
Heart Chase pushed herself to her feet and stumbled out of the door. The beauty of open water was spread before her in a blanket of shimmering night. Rain showered the vessel and the surrounding ocean with its blessings and filled the sea air with the spray of salt. There was only a gentle breeze that bobbed the ship in the open water.
The boat was empty and the rear of it had been scorched by fire. Heart Chase stared out at the open water with a sickening realization. Everything had gone wrong. She hadn’t seen what happened to her sister and niece or her new step sons. She didn’t even know what had happened to her husband. She was simply here, wherever here might be. In the middle of open water. Churning. Rocking. Bobbing.
Heart Chase dashed to the side of the ship and immediately threw up everything she had eaten at the wedding. She had never been on a ship before and the churning beneath her feet combined with a head injury was making her completely nauseated. Heart Chase tried to steady herself and think of a course of action. She needed to take stock. She had herself. Sure, she was a bit dizzy, a bit sea sick, and a bit banged up, but she was otherwise unharmed and ready for action. She had the vessel, though that too was banged up. She looked up to the sky and thanked Celestia for the rain. It had probably saved her ship. Did she have food? Maps? A way to steer this boat? Could she figure out how to use any of it? She looked back to the room she had landed in. That was as good a place to start as any.
The cabin she had crashed through was the quarters that she and Iron Pick were supposed to share. Her bags had been brought aboard earlier that day, so she at least had a few bits and a few changes of clothes. Clothes.
Heart Chase looked at her tattered wedding dress. The lace edges had been scorched by the blast and blood stained the white fabric where splinters had pierced her coat. The dress was ruined. Such a pity too; it had been so beautiful. Her mane had been scorched as well, and her flowers were long gone. At least she still had her shoes. Heart Chase had to give the situation a defeated laugh. Here she was, adrift in the ocean, and she was worried about how her mane looked. She tore off the dress and tossed it aside.
She found other things: ledgers, letters of introduction, some bits and gems. It was all mostly paperwork, scrolls, and materials for making more scrolls. There was nothing here that would help her in her current predicament. She set the bits and gems aside on a table.
Heart Chase walked back across the deck to the… front of the boat? Starboard? Was that what it was called? She cursed herself for never having learned anything about the operations of a boat until she remembered that she had never expected to set sail in her life. Never mind that she was alone on a ship that she had no idea how to operate; who could have seen that coming? She opened the door to the front cabin and found what she was looking for.
Maps. Charts. A globe. A spy glass. A really fancy thing made of metal and glass that she knew had a name, but had no idea what it was. A foggy stone that started glowing as soon as she picked it up. The only thing that was missing was a book on sailing and, quite frankly, that was the only thing she actually needed at the moment. She glared at the captains quarter’s for a second before spotting an oil cloth cloak. She tossed it over her head and shoulders before heading back out into the rain. There was no time like the present to start learning a new skill.
…
It had been a week since the ship carrying Ridgeline home had been hit by pirates. For a week, he had fought with, bit, kicked, and on one occasion, killed any creature who had come close to his cell. He wasn’t a clever pony, but if he was anything, he was a warrior. And he would not be held much longer. He again bucked and kicked at his cell door. The buck rocked the boat.
“Will you knock it off?” asked the pony in the cell beside him. The sky blue unicorn looked up at his fellow prisoner.
“I am a Knight of Celestia,” said the copper coated stallion. “It is my life to serve her, and to defeat the enemies of our goddess.”
“Your goddess,” corrected the unicorn. Ridgeline put his face through the bars and tried to bite at the unicorn.
“Luna is a traitor to Equestria!” boomed Ridgeline. “You Lunar Rebels should be burned at the stake for your crimes!”
“I left that life when they started enslaving other equines!” shot back the other pony. “I freed those who were enslaved. I sought to defeat Nightmare Moon the same as you, you pompous jack hole!” He brought a hoof down on the muzzle of Ridgeline with a loud thump. It didn’t even phase the massive equine, and it hurt his hoof. Bard shook his forelock. “My goddess that stings; is your head made of rocks?”
“Better my head is filled with rocks than filled with lies,” said Ridgeline.
“So that’s a yes,” said Bard. Ridgeline ignored the pony, and kicked the bars again. A crimson coated boar walked down the stairs. He was holding a spear between his tusks.
“I swear, if you kick those bars again, I will run you through,” he said. “Why can’t you just settle down and wait to be ransomed back like your friend over there?”
“That swine is not my friend,” said Ridgeline. “He is an enemy and a traitor, just as all of you are. When I get free…”
“Ah, shut up,” said the boar. He walked back up the stairs. Ridgeline sat defeated in his cell; Bard walked back to the bars separating the two ponies.
“Another game of Tic-Tac-Toe?” he asked. With a weary sigh, Ridgeline scratched an X into the floor next to Ridgeline’s bars. Bard looked down at the grid. “Good opener.”
Above deck, creatures of all stripes worked the rigging. They sang sea shanties about mer-ponies, and told the same bawdy jokes they had all heard a hundred times before. Given the light breeze and the light rain, the sails were still at full rigging as they headed north for the mouth of the Dame River and the infamous pirate haven of Hackney Cove. There they would ransom off their prisoners, or sell them into slavery. Really, whoever offered the better price would get the two; they were too much trouble to try to sell apart.
Captain Einhorn stood above the band of pirates who worked the decks. Like most pirate crews, it was quite the assortment: a griffon staffed the crow’s nests, earth ponies crewed the ballista, and Hamites hauled line. The Hamites, fearsome pig warriors from the jungles near Stalliongrad, were treated as equals aboard Flotsam, as were all non-pony crew. Einhorn himself was a massive white stag who had lost an antler in the years past. Aboard his ship, every crew member was considered equally worthless scum. He stood glaring at his crew as his consort, a rose colored pegasus, covered them both with a parasol.
“Oh, Captain,” she cooed. “I do love this weather.”
“Shut it, Constance” barked Einhorn. “I’m not paying you for your wit.” Constance frowned at the captain. Two weeks without a decent haul had left him in a funk that not even her salacious ways could break. Since her continued employment, and in fact, her well being, were directly tied to the happiness of the captain, she opted for a different approach.
“Why not bring the prisoners on deck?” she asked. “Make them fight it out a bit for the amusement of the crew? If one kills the other, that’s one less mouth to feed.” The stag turned to his consort.
“Are you insane?” asked Einhorn. “That Knight of Celestia is worth a fortune to the right buyer, and he’ll easily slaughter that idiot Kin of Luna.”
“So?” said Constance. “He’s a mouthy pain in the flank who has not only insulted everyone who has been down there, but has also managed to start vicious rumors about your mother. I was most impressed by how he rhymed ‘glistening shore’ with ‘massive whore.’”
“Did I not forbid the mention that song?” snarled Einhorn. “And may I remind you of your chosen profession, Constance?” Constance put on her pouty face.
“It’ll do the crew some good to see him get his comeuppance,” said the pegasus. “Imagine the look on his face when that Knight puts a hoof through it.” Einhorn had to laugh at the thought, and he hadn’t had a good laugh in weeks.
The prisoners were brought to the deck amid the jeers and taunts from the crew. A brave boar had managed to clamp manacles on the two ponies and several other crew armed with spears ushered them up to the main deck. Einhorn stood on the forecastle above the two manacled ponies and the hooting crew of pirates. He raised his hooves for silence, and the crew fell quiet.
“My little ponies,” Einhorn announced. “You are warriors by heart, not prisoners.”
“I’m not technically a soldier,” Bard said. One of the Hamites kicked him in the ribs for speaking while the captain was addressing the crew.
“I grow weary of your constant bickering, Bard,” continued the stag, “and I grow tired of your violence against my crew, Ridgeline. This ends today. You two are to fight to the death, here and now. The winner may join my crew, or they may choose to return to their cage.” Bard and Ridgeline looked at each other with an unsure glance. “Your manacles will be released when one of you is dead. May our dear lord Cervidae have mercy on your pathetic souls.” With that, the crew cheered and surrounded the two ponies in a circle around deck.
Ridgeline looked with apprehension at Bard. It wasn’t a half an hour ago that he was threatening to kill him, but now with the prospect of actually murdering the unicorn in cold blood, he balked. It was enough of a distraction for Bard to start casting a spell.
This is Bard. I am speaking to you in your mind now, said a voice inside Ridgeline’s head. If we work together, we can get off this ship. Now take a swing at me. Ridgeline paused a moment before throwing a massive left hoof at the unicorn. Good, now keep at it. Can you swim? Don’t speak, I can read your thoughts. The copper coated earth pony shook his head as if he were brushing off a fly. He bit at Bard; the unicorn easily dodged the swinging teeth.
The crew behind them cheered as the two ponies feinted then attacked. Because they were manacled together, the much larger and far stronger Ridgeline controlled the fight. The earth pony dragged the unicorn across the deck by the forelock as Bard kept ahead of the raining blows by mere inches. His own ineffective attacks were simply shrugged off by the powerful Knight, just as expected. Bard was doing his best to keep the crowd entertained as he thought of a plan to whisper into Ridgeline’s head.
Constance looked down on the spectacle with regret. She hadn’t wanted them to kill each other; just wanted to see Bard get slapped around a bit. Constance looked to the captain. When she saw the bloodlust in his eyes as the ponies circled each other, she thought perhaps, when they got to port, she wouldn’t continue her contract with him. She looked away from the blood sport for a moment when she thought she spotted another vessel in the fog. Constance stepped back from the captain. He was far to engrossed in the fight to notice his consort had just flown off the forecastle.
The fog seemed to thicken more as Constance approached the other ship. It was almost as if something was obscuring it on purpose. She landed on the deck of the single masted ship with a gentle thump. The oil cloaked pony on deck turned from her tangle of rigging with a start.
“Who are yah?” asked Heart Chase. The yellow earth pony looked at the pegasus for a moment. She wore gold bangles in her ears and her auburn mane was tied in braids beneath a bandana. Her cutie mark was that of a broken heart. Heart Chase dropped into a defensive stance. “Oh damn it, yer a pirate scout aren’t yah?”
“Well, not really,” said Constance. “Let’s just say I’ve decided to terminate my contract early.” Constance looked around the ship a moment. “Where’s your crew?”
“I don’t have one,” said Heart Chase. “I ain’t even sure how I wound up on this ship, and I don’t know to steer it. Yah know anything about sailing?” Constance shrugged her shoulders.
“I know enough that you need more than two ponies to pilot a vessel of this size,” said Constance. There was a loud splash off to port followed by yelling. The fog had thickened so much in the past five minutes that Heart Chase couldn’t see what it was. “That would probably be the Flotsam throwing poor Bard’s body overboard. Pity; he was such a lithe young stallion.” Heart Chase regarded the pegasus with a wary eye.
“So, yer telling me there’s another ship close enough that they can hear us?” whispered Heart Chase.
“Oh yes,” said Constance. “Pirates; I’d steer away from them if I were you.” Heart Chase stared with a dumbfounded expression at the pegasus for a moment. “You have no idea how to do that, do you?”
“If yah wanna stay on this ship and away from them,” said Heart Chase. “I’d suggest yah start by givin’ me a helpin’ hoof.”
Constance, while not a sailor by trade, had spent enough time aboard ships to direct Heart Chase in how to draw up the sail, and steer away from the Flotsam. As Constance worked the wheel, Heart Chase struggled with the rigging. A loud thud, followed by cursing broke their concentration.
“There’s another ship out here?” said a voice. “Hold onto it!”
“I can’t!” bellowed another.
“Damn it so much.” There was a burst of dark light from the water line, then a splash. The thunk of something piercing the side of the boat was what really worried the ponies onboard. Constance dashed to look over the side of the vessel.
Embedded in the side of the boat was Bard. Somehow, he had managed to rear up out of the water and jam his horn into the side of the boat. He hung just above the water line as Ridgeline dangled from his legs. Bard looked up at the pegasus with friendly yellow eyes.
“Permission to come aboard?” he asked. “Because this hurts a lot more than you might expect.” Heart Chase joined Constance in staring over the side of the boat. The mares looked at each other.
“Yah did say it took more than two ponies to run a ship this size, didn’t yah?” asked Heart Chase. Constance nodded, and Heart Chase threw a rope overboard to the two ponies. The copper coated earth pony caught the rope in his teeth, and began dragging himself up. Ridgeline grabbed hold of Bard’s head with his back feet, and pried it from the side of the boat. The two ponies were dragged onto the deck moments later. Ridgeline was the first to his feet, and he bowed to Heart Chase.
“As a Knight of Celestia, I thank you, my fair lady,” he said with a bow. “Without you, this… Kin’s half baked plan surely would have failed.” He gestured to Bard with the manacled forelock. Bard’s forelock puppeted his movement for a moment.
“Uh, ya’ll aren’t pirates are yah?” said Heart Chase. “‘Cause if yah are, I’m gonna have to throw yah back overboard.” The two ponies looked to each other, then shook their heads. “Then ya’ll wouldn’t know how to sail would yah?”
“I do,” volunteered Bard. “But I’m not going to be able to do much with this lummox on my fetlock.” He pointed his horn at the manacles, and they fell open.
“Why didn’t you do that sooner?” asked Ridgeline.
“Because I couldn’t concentrate with my head stuck in a plank!” shot back Bard. Ridgeline took another swing at the unicorn. He easily dodged and weaved out of the crashing hoof of the Knight. “Knock it off.” The earth pony only growled at Bard. The unicorn turned back to the mares. “I assume that you are the captain of this vessel, Miss…”
“Missus,” she corrected. It stung a bit to think that she may actually be a widow rather than a missus. “Missus Heart Chase. And I don’t claim to be Captain; I don’t even know how I got here on open water. I just want to get home to my family.”
“Fair enough,” said Bard. “Ridgeline! On those lines. Miss Constance, if you would please, let out some of that sail, and then give us a scouting report. Captain, I’ll need you on the wheel.” The ponies broke and made for their stations. Heart Chase stood behind the wheel of the vessel, and took the handles in her teeth. “So where’s home?”
“Bridleburg,” said Heart Chase. “But I have no idea where we are, so I don’t know how we’re gonna get back.” Bard looked out to the fog for a moment. “Sorry, I didn’t catch yer name?”
“The name is Bard,” he replied. “With this all this fog, we’ve got to be close to shore.” He looked to the boat, and noticed the scorch marks that took up much of the rear of the vessel. “Have those always been there?” Heart Chase shrugged.
“They were there when I woke up,” she said. Constance fluttered back down to the deck.
“It’s foggy,” she reported. “I can’t see anything at all, and it’s like that for miles. The air started getting thin before I broke through the fog bank, that’s how bad it is.” Constance looked over her shoulder. “I’ve never seen anything like it, that’s for sure.”
“Well then,” said Bard. “I guess we’ll have to go by compass.”
“I didn’t see one in the captain’s quarters,” said Heart Chase. “Yah can steer this tub while I go look.” Heart Chase walked from the sterncastle, and down to the captain’s quarters. She again searched through the room, and sure enough, there was no compass to be found. There was the glowing stone; it seemed to be pulsing now. She paused a moment to consider the new ponies on board. Could she trust them?
The copper coated earth pony had said that he was a Knight of Celestia, and he seemed the type: quick to anger, but polite to those at his station or above. He certainly had the build for it; he was as large as Iron Pick. She could probably trust him. The sky blue unicorn named Bard seemed to know what he was doing too and between him and Constance, it looked like they could get them at least back to land.
The ship swayed again as the winds began to pick up. Heart Chase was finally getting used to the rocking; she steadied herself by spreading her hooves wide and moving with the vessel. She walked from the Captain’s quarters toward the other door she hadn’t yet been able to explore. It opened to a set of stairs that led to a hull filled with a month’s worth of food. Heart Chase breathed a sigh of relief. Even if they were lost, they wouldn’t starve to death. She came back on deck.
The fog had abated only slightly; they could now see for dozens of yards instead of just a few. The sail was full of wind, and it dragged them through the churning waters of… whatever bay they were supposed be in. Heart Chase wasn’t really up on her geography, and she worried for a moment that her supposed crew might not take her where she wanted to go. It wasn’t like they could sail up river. Or could they? How had Iron Pick expected to get home?
The word stuck in her mind like a thorn. What would be there waiting for her once she got back there? What happened to her niece and sister? She had seen so many Picks and Chases lying upon the ground as the Lunar Rebels destroyed her reception. Who would work the fields? There was so much fire; would there even be a farm to return to? Heart Chase paced the deck unconsciously. There were so many things to worry about: her family, her home, her new husband. She had no idea what was left of her life. She didn’t even know what day it was. She could have been out for a week. Heart Chase turned to the copper coated earth pony.
“What day is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know, m’lady,” said Ridgeline. “I’ve been stuck in a cage for a week, I think. You might try asking the Lady Constance. She had booked passage with the pirates for some reason.” Heart Chase left the pony to his work and walked to the forecastle where the pegasus was standing.
“Lady Constance, was it?” asked Heart Chase. Constance looked at her with an expression of pure confusion. “Yah happen to know what day it is?”
“Lady?” asked Constance. “I’m about as far removed from nobility as one gets.”
“Sorry,” said Heart Chase.
“Did that dear Knight tell you that?” she asked. “That poor colt. If we hadn’t had all this silly nonsense with Nightmare Moon, he probably would have never left whatever bumpkin town he came from. He would have found himself a nice filly, settled down, and had a score of foals. Now he’s a soldier who thinks only of destroying the enemies of the Goddess.” Constance sighed, and looked out into the fog. “That war made monsters of us all.” She looked back to Heart Chase. “But that’s not what you asked, is it? It’s Sunday afternoon. Or at least I think it is; it’s too foggy to tell.”
Sunday afternoon. That meant it had only been a day and a half since her wedding. That was a good sign. It gave her hope that she might be able to sail back up the river, and be back in Bridleburg within the next day or so. Now if the damn fog would just let up they’d…
“HARD TO PORT!” yelled Constance. “HARD TO PORT! WE’RE GOING TO CRASH!”
The crush of timber along the rocks was the most horrible sound any of the ponies had heard in a long time. The ship listed hard to starboard as the rocks punched through the hull. Ridgeline and Heart Chase we tossed across the deck by the violent lurching of their vessel. Ridgeline managed to grab Heart Chase in his arm, then catch a line in his teeth as they skidded across the deck. The copper coated stallion pushed Heart Chase back onto the deck before pulling himself up. Below deck, the two ponies heard the rush of water as it poured into the hull. Constance hovered above the two earth ponies.
“Where’s Bard?” asked Heart Chase. “I don’t see him!”
“I’ll check the water,” said Constance. “You two swim for shore. It’s only about a quarter of a mile, I think. Follow the waves and watch out for rocks.” Heart Chase and Ridgeline gave each other worried looks.
“But I can’t swim!” protested Heart Chase. Ridgeline looked out at the rocky coast line. The boat was sinking and there really wasn’t another option at the moment.
“Don’t worry, m’lady,” said Ridgeline. “I dragged that Kin through the water, I can certainly carry a dainty thing like you. Get on my back, and hold on.” Heart Chase looked at the earth pony for a moment. The ship listed to the side with the snapping of timbers. Heart Chase grabbed his heck, and held on for dear life. They dove into the water and started swimming for shore.
Constance swooped low over the water, but saw no signs of Bard. Where was the mouthy git? The fog wasn’t helping anything. Had he gone under? Was he still aboard the boat? She heard cursing from the ship, and flew back toward it. Bard had busied himself with tossing maps and equipment into a satchel. Constance set down as the ship began to splinter.
“What are you doing?” demanded Constance. “Get off the boat and swim!”
“You never let a ship go down with its rudder!” shouted Bard. He tossed the astrolabe and the glowing stone in the bag, and then dashed across the tilted deck. Constance chased after him into the forecastle. Bard grabbed up the sacks of bits and gems that Heart Chase had taken out earlier. He shoved the satchel at Constance, and locked eyes with her.
“Take this to shore,” he ordered Constance. “I can’t concentrate on swimming while floating that bag, so I’m counting on you. Make sure she gets it; this might be all she has left in the world. Don’t fly off with it.” Constance took the satchel in her teeth with an insulted look. “Don’t give me that. Make sure that Heart Chase makes it to shore. I’ll meet you on all on land.”
Bard galloped out of forecastle. The deck began to splinter beneath him, and threatened to take him to the depths with it. With a running leap, he dove into the water as the ship shuddered to pieces behind him.
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Vanner
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860
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:24:12+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:24:12+00:00
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Chapter 4: On the Return
Red Chase awoke to the smoky scent of campfire and the sounds of autumn crickets. She had been wrapped in a blanket, and placed next to the fire to warm. The last thing she remembered was landing in the river; somepony had been kind enough to drag her out, apparently. She could hear the Dame River flowing behind her, perhaps a hundred yards away. Why she was here, and not back on the farm was anypony’s guess. She got to her feet and looked around the campsite a moment. There was no pony here but herself.
The rush of the river water brought her back to the events right before she lost consciousness. That pony had hit them with a spell that tossed her and Quill into the river. She hadn’t seen what had happened to either one of her aunts. Perhaps there would be answers on the river. She untangled herself from the blanket, and walked for the shores.
She was surrounded by trees, which meant she was at least twenty five miles away from Bridleburg. Probably south, if she had been fished from the river. Red listened carefully for the clank of scaled armor. She was far from the farm, but the attackers might still be nearby.
Red thought about the attack with some worry. What had happened in the aftermath? Was her family okay? What happened to Quill? And why was she worried about him? He was family, now, sort of, so it was okay to worry about him. But what of every pony else? She looked up the banks of the river for answer, and found none.
“Red Chase!” hissed a voice from the trees. “Get back in the woods! They were still sweeping the river as of this morning.” Red looked to the trees and saw Sound Cloud gesturing her back into the woods. Red followed back to the camp site.
“What happened?” she asked. “Did you find Heart?”
“I haven’t seen her,” said Sound Cloud. “They haven’t found her body, so she may have gotten away. I can’t say the same for Silk though.” Red steadied herself at the news. She had only known Silk Pick for a few weeks, but the fact that he was dead struck her harder than she had thought it would. She looked back to Sound Cloud. “As for Apple, well…”
“Well what?” asked Red. “She’s dead too? Come out and say it, Reverend. I want to know how much trouble we’re really in here. I’m not a foal; I knew what was goin’ on. “
“She’s… in Bridleburg with Iron Pick,” said Sound Cloud. “You’ve been out cold for a day and half, and so much has happened since then.” He motioned for her to sit down. “Right after the bridal party was attacked, the attackers just vanished. Gone. Maybe two dozen ponies were killed, but they could have slaughtered everyone there. They found the guard ponies strangled in the fields. There was a traitor among Pick’s house. I don’t know if it was a servant, or what, but the simple fact of it is, someone set up Iron Pick and Heart Chase to be killed. They didn’t succeed. Iron Pick is back at his home resting up, and Apple Chase is with him.”
“Well that’s great,” said Red Chase. “Why aren’t we there too?”
“Because they’re not alone,” said Sound Cloud. “There’s some pony else pulling the strings now. I thought that your aunt’s marriage was just a political thing, and it turns out I was right.”
“Well, yeah,” said Red Chase. “You really think anyone could love a cranky old stallion like Iron Pick?”
“That’s my father you’re talking about,” said Quill. He dumped a load of firewood by the shelter. Red Chase sprang to her feet and wrapped her arms around the blue earth pony. She smiled a moment before pulling away in awkward silence.
“I, um, I’m glad to see your okay,” she sputtered.
“Nice to see you too,” said Quill, barely hiding a smile. “You catching her up, Reverand?”
“Just getting to the heart of the matter,” said Sound Cloud. “The thing is, since Heart Chase is considered dead…”
“She’s not dead,” said Red Chase. “I know she isn’t; I can just tell. She’s not goin’ to get killed by some stupid river.”
“I know dear,” replied Sound Cloud. “But Iron Pick has already proposed to Apple Chase. I’m positive the pony behind all this is forcing the marriage to again solidify the political dealings.”
“Apple Chase may be the head of the family if Heart’s out of the way,” said Red. “But she’s already marr…” She stopped midsentence. Sound Cloud nodded quietly. “Damnit!” The red maned filly stamped a hoof in the dirt. “What are we doin’ out here then? Hidin’ like a bunch of scared bunnies? We’re goin’ to march back into Bridleburg and take back our city from that Glaive bastard and…”
“It’s not that easy,” said Quill. “The entire city is on alert for us. The city is under siege from the Lunar Rebels. You, me, and Heart Chase, we’re to be killed on sight. I don’t know exactly what Glaive is planning but I can take a guess.”
“Care to share?” asked Red Chase.
“With my father and your aunt as puppets, he can use the attack as reason to unite the families,” Quill explained. “He marries Apple Chase to secure the deal. The families support Pick as ruler, Bridleburg secedes, and Glaive’s got control of the army. The deals with Stalliongrad are already struck, and so long as the families are united in cause, it doesn’t matter who’s married to whom. Civil war comes, we win, Glaive’s got his Lunar Republic.”
Red Chase had to sit a moment to wrap her head around this. She had just started to enjoy politics too, and now she was in the middle of not just a revolution, but a false flag revolution. She really wasn’t sure what to do next. She looked out the river, and asked herself what Heart Chase would do. She wouldn’t sit cowering out in the woods, that’s for sure. She got to her feet.
“Alright,” said Red Chase. “We’ve got to get to the farm, and get the family to storm the Pick homestead. Then, we need to get Apple Chase and Iron Pick out from underneath Glaive. If we can do that, well, there’s a lot more of us then there are of them. It’s not like an army wasn’t being raised anyway. Ponies just need a leader.” She looked to her two companions. “Might as well be us. It doesn’t sound like any other pony is stepping up.” Sound Cloud shook his head.
“I can’t help you in this endeavor,” said Sound Cloud. “I’m one of only a half a dozen pegasi in Bridleburg, not counting what forces Glaive brought. We’re all supposed to be out here looking for you and I’ve got to get back into town before they get suspicious.”
“I understand, Reverend,” said Red Chase. “We never saw you; you never saw us. We’ll think of a way to get take back our city, I promise.” The pegasus nodded, and took to the sky. Red Chase turned to Quill Pick. “Well, now what?” she asked.
“We need a plan,’ said Quill. “We need ponies, we need weapons, and we need them within the week. Dad said that we should expect Celestia’s Knights shortly after the wedding so we’ve been raising the army in the mountains.”
Red Chase blinked in amazement. That was at least fifty miles from where they were. That meant at least two days of walking, three if they were going to sneaky about it. She looked around the campsite for any supplies or gear.
“Well, looks like we better start hoofin’ it,” said Red. “We got any food? Gear? Anything?”
“Only some hard tack and rope,” said Quill. “Not much to go on, I know.”
“Well, I’m no slouch when it comes to living off the land,” said Red Chase. “I’ll see if I can scare us up some lunch. We can probably make it to the farm by tomorrow morning, and resupply.” She looked at Quill for a moment. He was obviously thinking, and Red Chase could see the wheels turning in his head. “I remember when I got my cutie mark, it didn’t make much sense.” She looked back at her flank. Two horse shoe tied with ribbon adorned her yellow coat. “I was always good at bringin’ things together, but I can’t believe it’s all come to this. It’s up to us, Quill. If this is gonna happen, it’s got to be us.”
Shivers traced down Red’s spine. Now more than ever, the fate of Bridleburg rested in the hooves of two ponies. Succeed or fail, whatever she and Quill did would change the world. She looked to the blue earth pony for reassurance. He nodded, and gathered up what few supplies they had.
“Let’s do this.”
…
“I really wish this fog would let up,” said Constance. “It’s doing a number on my mane.” Bard rolled his yellow eyes. They were lost, without food or supplies, and here this mare was complaining about her mane. He checked the tree line again to try to get a sense of direction.
They had been walking for two hours in the direction they guessed was west. Bard and Heart Chase had come to this conclusion by sending Constance far enough above the fog line that she could see the sun. Unfortunately, the pegasus had zero sense of direction, so what they were actually headed was any ponies guess. Still, by using some reasonable guesses, they had determined they were along the southern coast line of Equestria, directly south of the Everfree Forest, and about a hundred miles south-east of Bridleburg. That meant at least four days of walking, if they didn’t find a boat.
Still, the company was at least tolerable. Ridgeline marched in the rear of the small herd, and kept alert for any threats coming from the Everfree Forest. Bard occasionally checked the map to pinpoint land marks. Every hour, Constance would fly upward to garner a sense of direction, and Heart Chase led the pack. They walked in relative silence, as the unnatural fog seemed to follow them wherever they went. They tried walking further inland, but walking through the forest and the fog at the same time proved impossible. They instead hugged the coast line, knowing that if they kept Saddle Bay to their left, they would eventually come to the Dame River. It also might add another twenty miles onto their trip, but that was a small price to pay for knowing you were headed the right direction.
The herd of ponies stopped for the evening as the fog grew darker. With not much food, and next to no supplies, Heart Chase and Ridgeline set off into the forest to gather what they could for the hungry ponies. Being earth ponies, they had a certain sense of the land. That, combined with the practical knowledge that comes from farming and soldiering, Heart Chase and Ridgeline were easily able to scare up some berries and starchy tubers to feed their traveling companions.
Heart Chase was skeptical of calling them her friends. After all, she had just met these ponies, and she was, as it stood, an attempted traitor to the crown. In her talks with Ridgeline, she had discovered that the pony was simply a farm colt that had gotten drafted into the war. He took to ideas quickly, and made them part of himself. To him, everything was black and white. Heart Chase almost admired his simplistic view of the world. The shades of gray that had come to overshadow Heart Chase’s life in the past few months would have surely painted her as evil in his eyes.
So she let him talk. She let him talk about his home, about the destruction of his him that had forced him to defend Celestia, and about his simple thoughts on the state of the world. He was, in many ways, still just a colt. He was enormous, yes, and brutally strong. He had killed ponies in battle and in defense, but there was still a colt like innocence in the way he sought approval from his superiors. Every berry bush or tuber he found was offered as if a gift to a queen. Heart Chase offered her heartfelt thanks as they gathered the last of the tubers.
The ponies walked back to the camp site. Bard was holding a hollow log steady for Constance as she squeezed water out the fog clouds. Heart Chase had to approve of the pegasus’s clever use of her goddess given gifts. A fire burned behind them; damp tinder apparently didn’t matter to a pony with magic.
“We found food,” said Heart Chase. “Berries and tubers mostly, though we found a couple a late bloomin’ apple trees. Ridgeline here is quite the apple bucker.”
“Why thank you, m’lday,” said Ridgeline. “I haven’t bucked apples in years, but I suppose it’s one of those things you don’t forget.”
“We also brought a bunch of downed branches from the forest,” continued Heart Chase. “I figure we’re gonna need some sort of shelter. With all this damp, it’s gonna be real cold tonight.” Bard nodded in agreement.
With food and water handled, the ponies set to making a shelter for the evening. Ridgeline’s immense strength, combined with Bard’s magic soon resulted in a well constructed lean-to that was big enough for four ponies to sleep. It was going to be cramped, and Ridgeline felt compelled to complain.
“I spent a week in a cage beside that… Kin,” he protested. “I refuse to sleep beside him another night longer.”
“You do realize you snore, right?” asked Bard. “You snore like… I have no idea. I’ve never heard anything that loud in my life. I simply cannot believe such unholy noises come from a pony.”
“You’re one to talk about unholy,” snorted Ridgeline. “You and all your rebellious friends…”
“Now just hold on a second,” interrupted Heart Chase. “Whatever sides of the war yah might have been on, it doesn’t matter now. We’re all in the together, so don’t talk politics while we’re still out here. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes m’lady,” replied Ridgeline. Bard only nodded.
“Now come get some supper,” said Head Chase. “And I don’t wanna hear yew two fightin’ any.”
The two earth ponies had found plenty for their rag-tag herd. The apples, tubers, and berries were enough for the evening’s meal, and most of tomorrow’s as well. The ponies sat around the fire after dinner and tried to think of safe topics to discuss. Constance wanted to discuss fashion trends, but it was clear that not even the other mare in their group had any idea what she was talking about. Heart Chase wasn’t about to discuss the circumstances leading to her marooning and Ridgeline only want to talk about Celestia. It was up to Bard to get a conversation rolling, and he only had one idea.
“Well, since we’re apparently stuck together for the next few days,” said Bard, “perhaps we should exchange cutie mark tales?”
“Well that’s a nice idea,” said Heart Chase. “You want to go first Constance?” Constance looked back on her rose colored flank, and at the broken heart that was displayed there.
“Well,” she began, “I was raised in a gypsy caravan. We traveled from place to place in the Stalliongrad providence looking for work, or just putting on shows wherever we went. Even when I was a filly, ponies young and old would flock to me. They just loved my auburn mane, and would spend hours just fawning over me. Not that I could blame them really. I mean, I am gorgeous.” She pulled the bandana from her head and tossed her mane. Even after being tied up all day, her mane was still looked as if it she had spent an hour perfecting it. She fluttered her violet eyes at the ponies.
“My father was always worried that someone would try to foal-nap me, and he told me never to accept gifts from strangers.” She swished her tail underneath Heart Chase’s chin with a coy smile. Heart Chase found herself trying to hide her uncomfortable blushing. “I never did, of course, but then again, once you know a pony, they’re not a stranger now are they?” She pouted her lips, and winked at Heart Chase. “I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to my cutie mark though,” she said. “Every colt in the caravan had a crush on me. They would bring gems or flowers to my wagon, in hopes that I would notice them even for a moment. I did my best to let them know that daddy wouldn’t like them coming around, but they just kept coming back. It seemed I was cat nip for ponies, and when I rejected the last one, that’s when my cutie mark appeared.” She displayed her flank to the three ponies. Ridgeline was staring into space, trying not to stare at the mare and Heart Chase was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Bard was seemingly unphased her sultry display.
“Seems kind of young to know about all that,” said Bard.
“The gypsies aren’t exactly known for their patience,” Constance replied. “We live hard, love harder, breed early, and die young. Those of us who live to forty are invariably old crones who throw curses as if they were parties.” She smiled at the unicorn. “And how about you, darling?” she asked Bard. “How did you come about your cutie mark?” Bard stood and looked back as his sky blue flank.
“As you can see, my cutie mark is a crescent moon,” began Bard. “My parents were minor nobility who had great aspirations for my brother and I. They had planned to send us to the finest schools to nurture our special talents, whatever they may have been. I was much like a lot of young colts. I tried a great deal of things to try to make my cutie mark appear. I tried horn fighting with my brother,” he grimaced a bit. “I nearly lost an eye doing that; Luna be praised he was strong. I tried gardening, and nearly burned down our manor.” Heart Chase started to ask how he had managed that before Bard interrupted. “Let’s just say that Fire Lilies grow far too quickly in a hot box and leave it at that, shall we? Anyway, I had about given up, when my parents took us to see Luna raise the moon for the Winter Solstice. When I saw how sad she looked, I asked my parents why she was upset. They said it was because so few ponies loved her beautiful night.” He gazed far into the distance as he remembered that day from so many years ago. There was a long pause before he shook his head.
“So I set my mind on a way to make Luna happy again,” he continued. “I learned magic, parlor tricks, some slight of hoof. Things that would entertain the young princess; things that would make her happy. I never did get the chance to try…” He paused again, and stared out into the bay with a blank expression. He snapped back to his story. “I earned my cutie mark when I learned this little number.”
Barde pointed a glowing horn at Ridgeline. The copper stallion felt something force him his feet. He began dancing a little jig against his own will, as if he were a puppet on strings.
“Hi there!” Ridgeline found himself saying. “I love Celestia! She’s so pretty! I want to brush her fluffy pink mane! Brushie, brushie, brushie!” Ridgeline fell to the ground with a thump. The earth pony jumped to his feet, and snarled at Bard. “Why you little…”
“Sorry, sorry,” said Bard. “It was unfair of me to demonstrate on you, but I thought it improper to control one of the mares.” He put up his hooves in a defensive apology. “Plus I’ve already been inside of your head, and there’s not all that much there. That trick really only works on ponies who aren’t expecting it and who lack the will power to resist it.” Ridgeline only growled. “Regardless, when I found that I could read minds and control pony’s actions, I got my cutie mark.”
“That seems terribly dangerous,” said Constance. “What’s to keep you from abusing that sort of power?” Bard simply shook his head.
“Only a good sense of judgment,” he said. “I know that such a spell is misused by another pony all the time. That was the reason I left the Lunar Rebellion to side with the Kin of Luna. I can enslave ponies with my powers; Equestria didn’t need any more of that sort of thing.” He turned to Ridgeline. “How about you? How did you come by your cutie mark, solider boy?” Ridgeline looked to his copper flanks. A pile of rocks adorned his hip.
“It’s kind of silly,” he said. “I’ve always been a big pony, much bigger than any pony else. I grew up on a rock farm way in the north of Equestria; right on the border of the Griffin Kingdoms, as a matter of fact. I had a bunch of sisters and brothers and we all worked the rocks. I guess you down here call it a quarry.”
“Wait, you’re from Hoofswell?” asked Heart Chase. “That’s literally a thousand miles from here. How in the name of Celestia did you wind up all the way down here?” Ridgewell thought for a minute. How did he wind up here? “Sorry,” said Heart Chase. “Please, continue with your cutie mark story.”
“Uh, right,” said Ridgewell. “Anyway, a bunch of griffons started harassing me and my brothers one day. Got in a bit of a scrap with them; there was no harm done. Then one started picking on my little sister. He picked her up off the ground, and tried to carry her away. I don’t know about you, m’lady, but where I’m from, earth ponies are really afraid of heights.” Heart Chase nodded. Like most earth ponies, she too suffered from a crippling fear of heights.
“Anyway, I saw this griffin trying to take away my sister,” he stood and picked up an apple sized rock from the stony beach. “I said ‘You let go of my sister or I’m going to split your head, you feathered bastard!’ I remember that too, because it was the first time I was mad enough to swear. That griffon just flipped me the bird.” The ponies shared a confused look. It clicked for Ridgeline a second later. “Oh, it’s a rude gesture among the griffons. It looks uh…” He looked at the hoof holding the rock, then at the other. He was at loss. “Well, ponies don’t have anything similar. So he was trying to get away with my sister. I toss the rock in the air, and then…”
Ridgeline spun in place and bucked the rock. The sound of hoof on rock snapped like thunder in the foggy sky, and the rock screamed through the air. It smashed into a tree. The rock punched through the trunk and out the other side. The tip of the tree groaned for a moment before falling into the forest amid the shrieks and caws of woodland creatures.
“I got my cutie mark for rock bucking, I guess,” said Ridgeline. “Griffons didn’t bother us after that. I joined the war after the Hoofswell attack. And now here I am.” He looked to Heart Chase. “How about you, m’lady?” Heart Chase looked back on her own yellow flanks to the three hearts that were emblazed there.
“I was the first of that crop of foals to get my cutie mark,” said Heart Chase. “I guess I was lucky that my Daddy had the same talent I did. He could see the value in things, and bring them to light. I was always able to do that too. I took what other ponies cast aside, and made it work.” She scratched her head with a hoof. “What’s funny is I wasn’t doin’ anything special when I got my cutie mark; just plantin’ seeds. Plantin’ seeds, and walkin’ along the seed rows. I still don’t know why it’s three hearts. It’s got nothin’ to do with anything.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Out of every pony I’ve ever met, I’ve got the least interestin’ cutie mark story.” She looked around to her travel companions. “That includes you lot too, I guess.”
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Vanner
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860
| 6 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:25:03+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:25:03+00:00
| 2,845 |
Chapter Five: Where Loyalties Lie
Red Chase was right to assume that it would take a day to make their way north to the farms. Patrols of Lunar Rebels were covering the hills that lead into the forest with some frequency, and the only marked path was heavily guarded. What was more disheartening that some local ponies seemed to have joined the fight against their own region and were actually helping the patrols. Quill dismissed them as a bunch of cowards who were only loyal to whomever seemed to be strongest at the moment.
Still, the fact that the locals were offering support to these invaders meant that the Picks and the Chases were both losing support in light of the incident at the wedding. No matter. A few ponies supporting a failed group of rebels would mean little in the big picture. Quill had to guess that there weren’t too many Lunar Rebels left, and that this particular operation was a sort of last ditch effort for them. He felt guilty for wishing the entire incident on another family.
It took the two ponies a few hours to creep past the wood line and into the Bridleburg Valley. Red Chase had the genius idea of cutting reeds from the river banks, and using them as breathing pipes as they swam up river. By the time they got out of the water, the two ponies were freezing and sopping wet. The last of the summer’s warmth had left and the chill of the river did nothing for the mood of the ponies. They had made it past the patrols, but they were wet, freezing, and still ten miles from where they needed to be.
As night began to fall, the soggy ponies knew they weren’t going to be able to get back to the farm that night. Not without drastic measures, at least. Cold, tired, and hungry, Quill Pick and Red Chase were in no mood for heroics, and instead searched for a place to spend the evening.
They managed to find a fishing shack on the edge of a calm spot in the river. It wasn’t much, as there was little room for two ponies. Still, they were exhausted, and there wasn’t really anywhere else for the two to rest.
The shed was unlocked, and the inside stripped bare of everything but a tattered blanket. It was enough to cover the two earth ponies, if they slept close together. Quill said something about impropriety. Red reminded him that survival trumped manners any day of the week. The two ponies huddled together under the ratty blanket for a few minutes before Quill drifted off into the near sleep of exhaustion. Tired as she was, Red couldn’t fall asleep. She was worried about her future, and about the world around her.
“Quill?” asked Red Chase. The blue earth pony woke up enough to turn the young mare lying at his side. “Do you think we’re going to be okay?”
“I really don’t know,” said Quill. “A lot of nasty things have happened in just the two days we’ve been gone. I know between you and Apple Chase, you’ll be able to manage your farms just fine.” He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “I wish I had your confidence, Red. If something were to happen to my father, I don’t know if I’d be ready to take the reins of the business. I mean, I can do paperwork, sure, but Silk was the brains of the family.” He sighed, and laid his head back down on Red. “I miss him already.”
“He might still be out there, Quill,” said Red with a reassuring smile. “Maybe we’ll find him, and he can help us. Don’t give up hope. It’s like Auntie Heart always said ‘You can find strength in anything.’ Sometimes life is all just a test to see how strong you are.” Red looked around the tiny shack bleakly for a moment. “I guess we’re pretty darn strong if you ask me.”
“You’re right,” said Quill. “I’m sure it’ll all turn out for the best.” Quill and Red closed their eyes, and finally drifted to sleep. Red really hoped that Aunt Heart was faring better than her.
…
“It is highly improper,” said Ridgeline. “The ladies may take this shelter, I will make my own.”
“You do realize that ponies are herd animals right?” asked Bard.
“Quit yer fussing, and lay down,” said Heart Chase. “Ain’t no one gonna try and take yer virtue in the night. And if yah start comin’ on to me, I’ll wallop yah.” Ridgeline grunted in disapproval.
“M’lady, I insist,” said Ridgeline. “Bard and I will construct our own shelter. You mares have a good night’s rest.”
Heart Chase shrugged her shoulders and laid upon the leaves that she and Constance had piled together. The pegasus trotted over a few minutes later and laid nearly on top of her. Constance cuddled up close to Heart Chase, insisting that they keep warm together. Heart had a hard time ignoring the mares strong scent. Even after a say of walking and fleeing from ships, she still smelled of licorice. It was distracting, to say the least.
“So, uh…” stammered Heart Chase. “Yah sure smell nice…”
“Ancient family recipe for perfume,” said Constance, and she rubbed against Heart Chase. “Mmm… you’re soft,” she purred. “I wouldn’t expect a working pony to have such a soft coat. How do you do it?
“Uh… nothin’ special,” stuttered Heart Chase. “Must be all that swimmin’. Heh.”
“My dear you’re shivering,” said Constance. The pegasus wrapped a wing around the earth pony. “There, that’ll keep you warm.”
Constance laid her head on Heart Chase’s shoulder and immediately fell asleep. Heart Chase found herself trapped in a velvety hell of licorice scent and downy wings. There was no way she was getting any sleep this evening. On the other side of the campfire, the two stallions were erecting their own shelter amid Bard’s annoyed protests.
“You’re really a dunce, you know that?” asked Bard. “We could be warm and asleep right now, huddled up with other ponies, just like nature intended. Instead, we’re over here, making our own shelter where we’re going to be cold and miserable, and still tired when morning comes around.” Bard floated the last of the branches into place, and began weaving them with his magic. “I realize you’ve got this whole ‘Celestia’s Code’ thing you’ve got to keep to about chastity and purity and all that happy nonsense, but would it kill you to just relax for a moment?”
“A commoner such as myself should never share a bed with ladies such as them,” said Ridgeline. He bucked a tree, and rained leaves upon the shelter. “To do so would be improper, and I would risk my knighthood.”
Bard only sighed. His part was done, so he lay beneath the shelter in the leaves that Ridgeline had kicked down. He looked across the fire to see Constance draped over Heart Chase like a blanket. Heart Chase was lying perfectly still, with her eyes open wide in what looked like terror. What could possibly be wrong with her? Was the poor mare in some sort of trouble? He let his magic wander to read Heart’s surface thoughts. He snapped back a moment later.
“Luna’s mercy!” whispered Bard. “No wonder she’s so wound up.” He found himself chuckling at Heart’s pseudo misfortune as he laid his head down to sleep. Ridgeline joined him a moment later, and sat as far away from Bard as possible.
“You do realize the point of shelter was so that we could sleep close and conserve heat, right?” asked Bard. “It’s like you don’t know anything about survival.”
“Shut up,” muttered Ridgeline. “You do nothing but talk.”
“It’s part of what I’m good at,” said Bard, as he moved to Ridgeline’s side. “You sleep on my flank, I’ll sleep on yours. It’s like having a warm pillow.” Ridgeline only grunted. Bard settled down and put his head on the earth pony’s hip. It was like sleeping on a rock. Still, they were both warm enough, and that’s what really mattered at the moment. Bard felt himself drifting off to sleep when Ridgeline spoke up again.
“I should stand guard,” he said. Bard picked up his head and turned to look at the earth pony. His horn sparkled with a soft blue glow and a cloud of shimmering light surrounded Ridgeline’s face. The earth pony collapsed into slumber, and a moment later, he began snoring. Bard buried his head in the leaves and tried to sleep. These ponies would drive him crazy if he let them.
…
“Thank you,” said Iron Pick. “We’ll lay his body to rest in the morning. Have the quartermaster ready the new armor for myself and the troops. We shall leave for the mountains as soon as my son is buried.” The pony bowed to Iron Pick, and walked down the hall. Iron watched for a minute, and then closed the door behind him.
Iron Pick smiled as door clanked shut. His face hurt, but the good doctor had taken excellent care of him. So much to do, so little time to do it in. He would have to leave ponies here to watch for others, but it was of little concern. If they were still alive, by the time they made it back here he and the army would be long gone, having taken the fight to Celestia’s meager forces.
They would descend from the hills with the thundering of Hell at their hooves. The army of Bridleburg was a thousand ponies strong, new armed, armored, and ready for battle. Though they faced veterans of the Lunar Rebellion, Iron Pick wasn’t concerned. He outnumbered them three to one, and with the reinforcements he had secured, the fight would be brutal and short. He turned round to face Apple Chase, who had sprawled upon his bed in a seductive pose.
“Well, my dear,” he said. “It seems everything has gone according to plan.”
“Pity about Silk,” said Apple Chase. “If it weren’t for him, the Remnants wouldn’t have gotten the best of ‘your’ guards.” Iron Pick had to chuckle as he curled next to Apple Chase.
“A lucky accident,” said Iron Pick. “It’s not like I was aiming for him. Still, it’s just one less way to split the prize.” He smiled at Apple Chase and wrapped his arms around her. “And that worthless husband of yours…”
“Wasn’t even smart enough to run the farm,” said Apple Chase. “I’m glad he’s dead. Now he can’t instill his lessons of failure on my children.” Iron Pick chuckled again.
“I do apologize for having to use this body,” he said. “Once we crush Celestia’s Knights, poor Iron Pick will have to meet with some sort of painful tragedy.” He put a hoof to chin to contemplate. “I’m thinking a landslide. Maybe a cave in where he can smother and consider the error of his way.”
“Prolonged,” said Apple Chase with an approving nod. “Really gives you time to contemplate your failures.” She tossed her arms around Iron Pick. “I’m so glad I met you, Glaive. You’re everything a mare could wish for.”
“And I thank Nightmare Moon for guiding me to you from her prison,” replied Glaive. “Our queen couldn’t let such an apple of opportunity go unpicked. Your ambition and ruthlessness will make you a princess, my dear.” He kissed Apple Chase. “And until our queen returns, we shall rule over Equestria in her stead.”
…
It was morning before too long. The fog had dissipated quite a bit, but still hung in the early morning air as if to keep away those who would seek out the ponies. Heart Chase was dead set on staying in bed for as long as possible, considering how long it took for her to fall asleep the previous evening. Constance took the opportunity to take an early morning flight above the fog bank, and verify their location. Luckily, they were a lot closer than they had previously guessed, and it knocked a full day off their expected trip.
Bard had floated Heart Chase’s satchel away from her, and was busy shuffling through what gear they had: a couple dozen bits, some gems of various grades, a rudder, a log, an astrolabe, and a glowing stone. It was all a bit disappointing, though it was the stone that interested him most. It had some sort of magic to it, obviously, and the spell attached to it had something to do with the weather. Bard was completely baffled by it, as weather magic was something so far out of the scope of his talents as to be impossible. Still, it might be useful, if they could figure out what the heck it was for. He floated the satchel back next to Heart Chase when she snapped awake.
“And what the heck do yah think yer doin’ goin’ through my stuff?” she asked.
“I needed to see what we had,” said Bard. “If it weren’t for me, you’d have none of that anyway.” Heart Chase glared at the unicorn for a minute before throwing the satchel over her shoulders.
“Don’t go rootin’ through my things,” said Heart Chase. “And don’t’ go rootin’ through my head neither. I got a right to privacy, yah know.” She pointed to the still sleeping Ridgeline. “I saw what yah did to him last night. You pull that sort of stunt again, I’m gonna lay yah out, yah hear me?” Bard only raised an eyebrow at the yellow earth pony.
“Missus Chase, if you so much as look at me the wrong way I’ll have you dancing a jig,” said Bard. “I’m not a pony to be trifled with, and I am here at my own behest. If you want to start getting snippy with me, I’ll simply teleport home and be done with your merry band.” Heart Chase just shook her head.
“If you can teleport, then why didn’t yah mention it last night?” asked Heart Chase. “Take me home, and I’ll make sure yer rewarded fer yer trouble.” She nudged Ridgeline with a hoof. The copper coated pony shot to his feet.
“SIR, YES, SIR,” he barked. He blinked, then looked around. Heart Chase stared at him a moment with a slack jaw. She looked back to Bard, who only shrugged. “Sorry about that, m’lday,” said Ridgeline. “Old habits and all.”
“So, about that teleport?” asked Heart Chase.
“Oh, he can’t do that,” said Ridgeline. “He always said he could just pop off the ship anytime he wanted, but he never did.” It was Bard’s turn to growl at Ridgeline. “Turns out he can’t really do that sort of magic without candles and circles and a whole bunch of other things. Bard isn’t half the magician he boasts that he is.”
“Will you shut up?” demanded Bard. His horn sparkled for a second and the cloud of sleep rolled around Ridgeline’s head. A yellow hoof knocked Bard to the ground with a meteoric punch. After a moment, Bard’s eyes stopped rolling long enough to see Heart Chase standing over him.
“I told yah,” said Heart Chase. “One more spot of magic out of yah against any one of us, and I’ll have Ridgeline buck yah through a tree. Now, if yer gonna come with us, yer gonna play by my rules.” Bard rubbed his jaw in pain.
“Who died and made you Princess?” asked Bard.
“You want this little party to be a democracy?” asked Heart Chase. “Tough. I’m callin’ the shots here, and if yah don’t want any part of it, then yah can just git.” Bard only glared at Heart Chase.
“Fine,” said Bard, as he got to his feet. He started reading Heart Chase’s mind to expose her deepest secrets, but her mind was busy humming a catchy and irritating song that immediately got stuck in Bard’s head instead. She apparently knew more about psychological warfare then she let on. Constance fluttered back to the camp site as the morning fog continued to burn off.
“We’re only about ten miles away from the river,” she said. “Once we hit that, we can try to either book passage upstream, or hike north until we hit a different settlement.” Bard levitated the regional maps from the satchel and looked them over. The nearest settlement on this side of the river was Hackney Cove. They might be able to find river pirates willing to take them that far, or they might all wind up shanghaied again. Either scenario was likely, but with no choice other than walking, they set out toward the cove.
The fog finally lifted as the ponies set out that morning. Heart Chase led the herd with her commanding presence, as Constance flew above checking for landmarks and threats. Bard walked in silence beside Heart Chase, and Ridgeline took up the rear. He was carrying much of the food that they had gathered the previous evening in a makeshift basket that Bard had created from the woven shelter roof. Hopefully, they could spend the evening in a hotel, or even just a stable. Anything was better than sleeping on the ground.
Heart Chase took the time walking to examine what she had with her. She had enough funds to book passage back to Bridleburg, the maps, and other sundries and she could probably sell the brass instrument for a good price as well. They could be back in Bridleburg by tomorrow afternoon. the clouded quartz stone is what concerned her the most. It was obviously magical, but it wasn’t glowing anymore, and when she started to look at it, Bard wouldn’t shut up about it.
Heart Chase almost looked forward to getting rid of Bard; his mouthy arrogance really began to grate on her nerves after the third hour of walking. After shedding his sullen pouting from that morning’s rebuke, Bard was endlessly chatty about the coast, the pirate cove, and anything else he felt he could expound upon at length. As it turned out, he had been sailing since the end of the Lunar Rebellion, and he had visited nearly everything along the southern coast of Equestria. His ability to read minds and implant thoughts had come in handy getting him the easiest jobs aboard ships, and out of any real work. It wasn’t until he had run into Einhorn that his inability to show any sort of respect to authority got him in trouble. As it turned out, his power didn’t work on those who weren’t ponies.
The morning of walking came to a halt a mile or so outside of Hackney Cove. Heart Chase decided it was best to eat lunch out of town so that they could make a quick break for it if trouble arose. Ridgeline passed out the berries and apples they had saved from that morning’s breakfast, and the ponies ate in silence. It was a nice change from Bard’s endless prattling. Constance finished her lunch first and walked to a small puddle that had been left from the high tide. She was fixing her hair.
“I’ve got to look my best,” she said with a wink. “Hackney Cove is where I work, and my friends will all be dying to hear my latest tale of adventure.”
“Miss Constance is a landless noble,” said Ridgeline. “She’s raising an army in this… disreputable city to retake her home.” Ridgeline rolled his eyes. “Really, she should have just asked Celestia’s Knights to help her, but I can see how her noble pride prevents her from doing that.” Heart Chase shot a questioning look at Constance. She flashed a sly smile.
“Oh, Ridgeline,” she said. “You are truly the only pony who understands me. Be a dear, and head into town to announce my arrival at the Swan’s Head.” Ridgeline bowed to the pegasus, and started walking toward the city. Heart Chase only shook her head.
“And what do you really do?” she asked.
“I bring the dance of my people to the areas outside of Stalliongrad,” she said. “I’m a steward of the message of peace and grace from the Gypsies to those who would otherwise never know it.”
“She’s a prostitute,” said Bard with a flippant wave. “She may dance, sure, but it’s for money, and often in the private rooms of those who pay for her company.”
“Consort!” protested Constance. “And what I do for a living is at least honest work, unlike you, you charlatan. If it weren’t for your spells and puppeteering, you’d have blisters on your hooves like the rest of us.” Bard was chastised into silence at the remark.
The trio walked in silence toward the town of Hackney Cove. In the loosest sense of the word it was a town. It had hard packed dirt streets, homes, and ponies living there. It even had shops and businesses. What it lacked was any sort of real government. Weather there just did whatever it pleased, or whatever the pegasi felt it should do that day. Leaves stayed on the few trees that were there, and if there had been snow, it would have melted whenever the sun got around to it. Still, it was full of ponies, a wide variety of other species inhabited the town as well. Ponies walked from place to place, hawking their wares, and. Griffons nested on rooftops, and Hamites roamed the streets looking for things to do. Zebras speckled the crowds, as did donkeys and mules.
Heart Chase was taken aback by such a sight; she had never seen such variety of creatures in her life. At most, she had seen a donkey or two, but they were such pariahs in Bridleburg that no pony ever actually approached them. It was dizzying to realize that she had thus far lived such a sheltered life. Perhaps this trip out of her comfort zone would do her a world of good, especially if she were going to try to rule over creatures that she knew nothing about. She drank in the experience and tried to smile. She began to take in the details, and watched how these non-ponies lived.
They were pretty much like ponies: they worked, they played, and they relaxed. She was sure they wanted the same things that ponies did too: a place to live, food to fill their bellies, and some bits in their pocket. It was what anyone wanted. How they got to that point was what started to cross her mind as they arrived at the Swan’s Head. Ridgeline stood at the door, and opened it for the mares. He walked in behind them, and let the door slam in Bard’s face.
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Vanner
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860
| 7 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
|
What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
|
complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
|
2011-10-03T00:25:55+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:25:55+00:00
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Chapter Six: Cracks in the Foundation
The Swan’s Head was the sort of place where high society would gather if the highest society you had was lower middle class. Rather than tapestries and quiet music, it was filled with tattered window dressings and the sort of quiet despair that comes from equines asking “What have I done with my life?” It was quite charming if you liked melancholy and sort of sad if you didn’t.
Truthfully, it was the nicest place in Hackney Cove. The furniture may have been run down, but it was all whole. The window dressings may have been ratty, but there were windows. The drinks weren’t watered down, and the food wasn’t full of maggots. The owner of the establishment kept things quiet and patrons knew better than to start any nonsense.
There was gaggle of working girls that were standing at a table when the four ponies walked in. Ridgeline had announced the presences of Her Lady Constance of Stalliongrad, and bowed to her as she passed through the door. The girls tittered in amusement at the stallion that would treat a prostitute as nobility. They approached Constansce, all smiles and grins.
“Got a live one did yah?” asked a griffin. She was draped in a tartan that exposed more than it concealed to tantalizing effect. “And lookit him! All strong and fulla muscle he is!” She gave Ridgeline the once over. “Wouldn’t think a farm boy like ‘im be able to afford to travel with the likes of you.”
“Looks like you’ve brought an entire crew,” said a zebra. She was wearing a sarong, and had bangles around both hooves. “Are these ponies really loyal to you?”
“I am sworn to protect the innocent, and uphold the codes of Celestia,” said Ridgeline. “I will faithful protect the Lady Constance and Lady Heart Chase until I am no longer needed, or I receive other orders.” The girls giggled in reply.
“Frugal!” squawked the griffon. “You best roll out the red carpet; we got us nobility ‘ere!” The donkey behind the bar looked up from his scroll at the incoming ponies, snorted, and immediately went back to writing. The griffon turned back to Ridgeline, and ran a tail under his chin with a purr. “Why don’t you let Gina take you upstairs and reward you for your ‘service’ to our lady Constance?”
“D…duty is reward enough,” stammered Ridgeline. “And if I s…should leave her, who would p…protect her then?” The girls shared an uproarious laugh at the blushing pony. Constance only shook her head with a giggle.
“Now, now, girls,” she chided. “Ridgeline is off limits to you. He is my noble protector, and I won’t have you breaking his vows.”
“Break more than that he would,” said the zebra. “I bet a pony his size has got to be good.” Ridgeline was completely baffled by the zebra’s remark, though it caused the girls to again descend into fits of laughter. Heart Chase stepped up to speak.
“Ladies,” she said. “I need to get back to Bridleburg. Do you know of any ships that are headed that direction?” The girls turned to look at the yellow pony. She wasn’t dressed as one of them, and she carried herself with a certain authority that suggested that she might be more than just common stock. They fell quiet for a moment before Gina spoke up.
“Not much traffic goin’ up river, dearie,” said the griffon. “Your best bet is Ricoh; he’s the best barge captain this side of Equestria. He can get you there in a day’s time, if that’s where you’re headed.” Heart Chase nodded her thanks to the griffon.
“Thank you, Miss,” said Heart Chase. She turned back to her group of ponies. “And thank you all for your help; especially you, Constance. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“No trouble at all love,” said Constance. “But please, allow me to escort you to the docks. I’d hate to leave you in trouble so close to your goal.” The ponies said their goodbyes to the working girls. They replied with blown kisses and coy waves as the herd walked back out into the streets of Hackney Cove.
The streets had begun to spread out a bit. Ponies had gone back to work at their shops or ships. The southern docks bustled with the loading of cargo as Equines, Hamites, and deer all worked together to ready ships for their next great adventure. Further into the city, the streets began to funnel into the eastern docks where shallow drafted riverboats made ready to head upstream for trade, smuggling, or whatever else they needed to do. It was breeze to find Ricoh’s ship, as it was the only triple masted barge on the river.
A crimson coated pig who had covered himself in nautical tattoos was barking orders to the mixed crew aboard the deck of the barge. His colorful language made Ridgeline blush with embarrassment, whereas Bard had to chuckle at the way he turned phrases. Constance tapped him on the shoulder with a polite hemming.
“And just what in the bleeding horn of… Constance!” The pig replaced his surly stare with a lecherous smile. “And what can Richo do for you today? I really don’t have time if you’re working right now, though I do always enjoy your company. I’m ready to set sail up river to Bridleburg; got a load of catapults for them. Why they’d need that sort of firepower is beyond me.” The pig looked over her companions, paying special attention to Heart Chase. “And who are your companions?”
“My name is Heart Chase,” said the yellow mare. “I’d like to book passage to Bridleburg, if you’re headed there.”
“What, all of you?” asked Ricoh. He pointed to Ridgeline. “I’ll take that lummox there; he looks like he could haul the barge there himself. Of course Miss Constance is always welcome aboard the Boar’s Head, but Bard can stay here. I’ve lost too much money to him at cards to allow him anywhere near my wallet.
“Nice to see you again too,” said Bard. “You still owe me money, if I remember correctly. But, no, we’re not headed North, we’re just here to…” Bard paused a second. “Wait, did you say catapults? You mean…” He scanned the docks for someone. His eyes wet wide as he caught site of what he was looking for. “Onboard!” he shrieked. “Onboard, onboard, onboard!” Bard galloped up the gang plank, and hid among the boxes. The other three ponies looked at each other with expressions of pure confusion. It wasn’t till a gravelly voice behind them spoke up that they realized the reason for Bard’s unrelenting terror.
“I wasn’t done with either of you yet,” said Einhorn. “You owe me another day,” he said as he pointed to Constance. “And you, Knight; you owe me blood.” Ridgeline moved with the swiftness of the breeze, and took a defensive position in front of the mares.
“I suggest you move along, Einhorn,” growled Ridgeline. “The Lady Constance is her own mare, and The Lady Heart Chase is none of your concern.” Einhorn only chuckled as he lowered his head to charge.
“I think I’ll take them both then,” he said. “I’ve never had two ponies at once.”
The stallion and the stag crashed into each other with the force of a tidal wave. Einhorn towered over Ridgeline by at least a head, but the earth pony was far more solid, and was at least twice Einhorn’s weight. Ridgeline reared back on his back hooves and lashed out with a crashing right hook to Einhon’s sides. The stag winced as the blow connected and sent him staggering. Einhorn came back with a swipe of antler that filled the pony’s mouth with blood. It was that taste of salty iron that seemed to lower the temperature of the docks by ten degrees.
Shouting came from other places on the docks as more of Einhorn’s crew joined the fray. Heart Chase and Constance ran aboard the Boar’s Head in a panic. As the crew franticly struggled to unmoor the boat, they ponies looked back in horror at the unfolding carnage.
Ridgeline’s soft grey eyes had gone nearly black. Einhorn swung again at the stallion only to have his horn caught in the pony’s teeth. The last thing the stag ever heard was the crunch of his own vertebra. Einhorn was lucky to be dead so he couldn’t feel what happened next. Ridgeline shattered through the other attackers, wielding Einhorn’s broken body as a club. Zebras and Hamites were tossed aside under the weight to the stag before Ridgeline slammed the corpse to the ground and charged at the other attackers.
The stallion crushed under hoof every single creature that stood in his path. Hamites were sent careening across the docks and into the waters by bone-snapping hooves. Ponies who tried to stab at him with cutlasses or spears had their throats bitten out as if by a lion. Necks snapped as if they were reeds in the wind beneath his bucks. Ridgeline threw entire crates of cargo atop creatures that weren’t even involved in the fight, and plowed through the docks as if he were the vengeance of a forgotten god. In the short minute since the fight started, a dozen bodies lay broken beneath his hooves in a display of unquenchable rage that made a slaughterhouse look like field of daisies. Creatures of every stripe ran in terror from the harbinger of death.
Bard stood up and wrapped his magic around Ridgeline’s mind. What he found there was an all consuming bloodlust that he couldn’t read past. All he heard was the unholy scream of fury that threatened to consume his sanity. The blacked eyes of the earth pony turned toward the unicorn. He charged at the fleeing boat and lept across the widening gap between the boat and the charnel house of the docks. He landed on the deck with a braying that sent everypony scrambling in terror. Sparkles of magic wrapped around Ridgeline’s head, and he fell asleep. The ponies stood staring in horror at the blood soaked pony that slept upon the deck.
“What the hell was that?” asked Heart Chase. “He just… murdered all those creatures! That wasn’t defense; that was a slaughter! My goddess, what happened back there?”
“Berserker,” said Bard. He shook his head it fits and spasms. “I’ve seen it once before, but never in a pony so powerful.” He gritted his teeth, and twitched his head again. “It’s… the voice of a demon that takes….” He closed an eye, and ground his teeth. “Takes over… and…” He cried out in pain before he dropped to the deck. Heart Chase galloped to Bard; he was panting in pain.
“I’m fine!” he said, pushing her away. “I’m fine. Just… that voice inside his head… It’s like something that bores into your soul, and you have to force out.” He panted for a moment more before coming to rest. “Poor Ridgeline,” he said at last.
“Poor Ridgeline?” asked Constance. “Poor Einhorn! That stag wasn’t a kind creature by any stretch of the imagination, but that monster nearly ripped his head off. No pony should be that powerful! He’s dangerous. We can’t travel with him.”
Bard looked at the copper coated pony as he snored on the deck. He was completely caked in blood, and he had not a scratch on him. Bard only shook his head; it was no wonder Ridgeline’s mind seemed simple. There was a demon in there that prevented him from reaching his full potential. Ridgeline wouldn’t have been terribly clever anyway, but that… thing inside his head had stunted his growth, and turned him into a monster. Bard only felt pity for the earth pony.
As the river boat sailed north, the deck hands worked around the sleeping pony. After the display on the docks, none wanted to come near him, lest everyone on board wind up dead. The stiff autumn winds propelled the barge through the calmed river as the navigator tacked back and forth across its width. Ricoh spoke on deck with the herd of ponies.
“You’ll get that monster off my ship when we hit Bridleburg,” said Ricoh. “Else I’ll cut his throat as he sleeps, and throw him overboard.”
“Ridgeline is harmless unless he gets a taste of blood,” said Bard. “He is a simple pony, who only lives to make others happy. It’s not his fault he’s cursed, and I won’t have you trying to kill him for it.”
“Fine,” said Richo. “You are responsible for him. If he so much steps a hoof out of line, he dies. Understood?” Bard nodded. “Now as to passage…”
“Take if off what you owe me,” said Bard. “That covers me and Ridgeline.” Heart Chase fished out a small sapphire, and presented it to the crimson boar.
“This should cover Constance and me,” said Heart Chase. “When can we expect to dock in Bridleburg?”
“Sometime tomorrow afternoon,” said Ricoh. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a ship to run.” He trotted away, leaving the ponies carry their unconscious companion below deck.
…
It was almost mid day when Red Chase and Quill Pick awoke. The fishing shack was not only warm, but incredibly dark, and the ponies curled up within happily slept their fill. Quill looked outside to see no traces of the pony patrols that had vexed them earlier the previous day. At least something was going their way.
The duo made their way north along the river’s edge toward the Chase Family Farms. It was only another five miles and with the patrols gone, it would only take another hour of hiking to make it there. Though their stomachs rumbled, Quill and Red pressed on. They’d find food at the farm, as well as help and other supplies. They only hoped that the farms were still there to greet them.
They walked with quiet chatter along the river banks, talking about their lives, and how they had spent their childhoods. Quill had spent most of his youth in the mines as all young Picks did. He picked up the business end of things by showing a propensity for math and accounting, and he earned his cutie mark by balancing the books in time for tax season. That was only a year or two before the war started, if he remembered correctly. So much else of his youth had been wrapped up in providing for the war effort. As their father left for the fields of battle, Quill and Silk had stayed behind to run the mines. Every day they shipped ore and gems in great wagon trains to the old capital, and they waited for news from the front. When it was all over, Iron Pick had come home from the castle’s last stand, but never spoke of what happened there.
Red Chase took in Quill’s history with fascination. Much like herself, he had been forced to grow up in the middle of a war, and take on responsibility one wouldn’t expect of fillies and colts of their age. Here they were, the youth of two different wars, separated only by four years time. Quill and his late brother had been forced into adulthood by the coming of the Lunar Rebellion and Red had been catapulted into responsibility by ponies’ reaction to the aftermath of that war. They stood at a crossroads now, both figuratively, and literally. Red led Quill north to the hills that surrounded the farm.
Looking down into the valley of the Chase Family farms, they saw graves marked with simple stone placards. In the fields were the ponies who had survived the attack two days before, moving on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Red had been a part of the Chase family long enough to know that when tragedy struck, you simply grit your teeth, and worked through the pain. Work heals all wounds, and if you’re exhausted at the end of the day, when are you going to find time to cry? Sentimentality was a right reserved for the elders, of which Red was not.
Red and Quill descended the hills and onto the farm. They ran first in Harvest Moon, a palomino filly who was Red’s cousin several times removed. She dropped her scythe and ran into Red’s arms.
“My goddess, you’re alive!” she said “Sweet, merciful Celestia, be praised! Every pony thought you were dead!” She let go of Red and stepped back. “And Master Quill! I’m so happy to see you alive and well. Oh, it could only be happier if your Aunt Heart were here.”
“Don’t worry about her,” said Red. “She’s fine. There’s no way she’s dead, I know it in my heart. You just keep watchin’ the river for her to come back.” Harvest Moon nodded, and wiped the tears of joy from her eyes.
“Oh, but we must get you back to the barn!” said Harvest. “A celebration is order, not to mention supper!” Red only shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Cousin Harvest, but we can’t,” said Red. “We’ve got to get into town to find Apple Chase and Iron Pick.” Harvest Moon looked at them with a skeptical eye for a moment.
“Oh, that’s right,” said harvest. “You wouldn’t have heard. Apple Chase and Iron Pick were married yesterday, and left for the mountains this very morning. Something about bringing home our troops. I only know what rumors go around the tables.”
Red cursed under her breath. Glaive was pulling strings faster than she and Quill could gather them. She thanked her cousin and bolted for the dining barn. Quill hurried to keep pace with her, and they were soon greeted by the sweet scents of supper. Red dashed into the kitchen just as the food was finished. Ponies greeted her with shocked gasps and hugs of joy. Red shook off the attention, and grabbed a spare saddle bag.
“I ain’t got time,” she said as she stuffed tubers and apples into the bags. “I’ll explain later, but Quill and I got a war to stop.” Quill grabbed up rope and some other bits that other ponies were carrying. They didn’t protest as he snatched up gear they would need for the road ahead. “I love you all, and if I don’t make it back, tell Heart Chase I love her. Watch the river; she is comin’, I can just feel it!” With that, the two ponies galloped away from the dining hall, and toward the city of Bridleburg.
…
The moon hung in low in the sky as the body of Glaive lay silent in the dungeon. His head had been wrapped in a massive iron helm to prevent him from casting spells, and he had been manacled to the wall. The screws in his cuffs had been turned tight to make him suffer. Behind that iron mask was only pain, and a pony that didn’t deserve to be there.
Iron Pick had no idea that a pony could be powerful enough to change bodies, but if it was any pony, it would have been Glaive. That soulless bastard had been there at the Castle’s when Celestia had banished Nightmare Moon and he had even tried to kill the princess as she wept for her sister. Had it not been for Soul Chase and Star Heart, he might have even succeeded. Iron Pick had been in another room fighting for his life when that happened.
Trapped with only his memories, Iron Pick remembered that night with horror. His detachments of soldiers were the last line of defense against the Lunar Rebels. Nightmare Moon simply shoved the mortal ponies aside to attack her sister, and left the Rebels and Celestia’s knights to fight it out amongst themselves. They fought to stand still for felt like an hour as sister clashed with sister behind them. It was Glaive who had broke the line by making one of the shield bearers a puppet. The fight spilled into the throne room. Glaive ran for the sisters but was too late. A rainbow colored burst of magic had vanquished the younger sister to the moon, and left Celestia weeping. Star Heart and Soul Chase broke ranks to save their princess. Iron Pick held the throne room from the onslaught of Lunar Rebels.
There was a cry of pain from the balcony and Celestia’s sobbing voice was downed out by the sounds of battle behind her. Glaive came charging away from Celestia. Iron Pick remembered the fear in his eyes as he sounded the retreat. The Lunar Rebels had been beaten, and Celestia was safe once more. Iron Pick still remembered the last words she spoke to any pony. Some ponies swore that she had said something else to Glaive, Star Heart, and Soul Chase, but to the rest of the ponies in Equestria there was only a simple message. Celestia’s final words had been spoken with such dark ferocity that Iron Pick and his soldiers thought the world might split at her hooves. Eight words forever changed how ponies saw their princess.
“I don’t know if I love you anymore.”
No pony had heard from her since. She simply flew away to Canterlot, and sealed herself inside the summer palace. The old capital was abandoned less than a month later. Ponies simply struck out elsewhere. They didn’t want to remember the tragedy that had befallen the two sisters, or the pain that they had caused at the split. The Everfree forest grew from the magic that flowed from the city, and soon it covered Equestria like a disfiguring and cruel scar.
Iron Pick thought back on that night, and how Glaive was sure to try again. No force in Equestria could get through those pearlescent walls. The ponies who had heard Celestia’s muffled words said that she had given the three ponies instructions on how to bring her back. Iron Pick believed it only because Glaive had returned to finish the job. Of the five ponies that were on that balcony, one had been banished to the moon, one has exiled herself, one was dead, one was insane, and the last one hadn’t spoke a word in five years.
Star Heart was the only pony in Equestria who knew how to stop Glaive. Iron Pick as the only pony who knew that and no pony would listen him so long as he was in Glaive’s body.
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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2011-10-03T00:27:01+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:27:01+00:00
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Chapter 7: Evening of Change
Ridgeline awoke later that evening surrounded by wooden walls. The floor swayed with gentle ease beneath him, and the moist air told him he was aboard a ship of some sort. He had no idea how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was taking an antler to the mouth and everything just going dark. He looked down at his coat; it was still stained with the blood of those who had stood in his path. He closed his eyes, and began to weep.
A thump from below deck perked the ears of the crew of the Boar’s Head. It was followed by another, then another. It was steady, like the pounding of a mallet on stone. Bard went below deck to investigate; the sound was coming from the room they had stuck Ridgeline in.
Bard trotted down the stairs into the main cargo hold of the barge. At the aft of the ship was a small room, no larger than four ponies wide that was meant as a private quarters of sorts. From that room came the steady pounding that had echoed through the ship’s hold. Bard waved open the door to see Ridgeline pounding his head against the hull of the barge. His eyes were closed, and his face was stained with tears.
“What are you doing?” asked Bard.
“How many was it this time?” sobbed Ridgeline. He continued to pound his head on the wall. “How many ponies am I going murder before someone puts me down?” Bard didn’t have an answer for that. He only closed the door, and left Ridgeline to his misery. He walked back up the stairs to the inquisitive looks of his traveling companions.
“Ridgeline’s awake,” he said without bothering to elaborate.
Above deck, the three traveling ponies spoke quietly about what to do once they got to Bridleburg. Given the incident at the docks, it was probably for the best if they stayed away from hackney Cove for a bit. Heart Chase would have offered them a place to stay at her home, but she wasn’t certain anything was left of the farm, or of Iron Pick’s manor. She wasn’t even certain she belonged at either one right now.
Truthfully, Heart Chase wasn’t terribly worried about what the other ponies decided to do with themselves once they reached Bridleburg. She was far more concerned with finding out what happened to her family. It was nerve wracking to think that everything she had worked her entire life could have been destroyed in just a few days’ times. Most importantly, she needed to find out what happened to Red. She knew in her heart that Red was still alive, and that the young mare was out there fighting to make things right. Heart Chase only prayed that she’d be able to help her niece in some way.
…
Red Chase and Quill galloped through the city of Bridleburg toward Pick Manor. A few ponies tried to stop them as they ran, but the two galloped past them as if they were on fire. If Glaive was still with Iron Pick and Apple Chase, then he was still manipulating them from the shadows, and he needed to be stopped. Quill needed to gather his barding from home before they set north. There was a fight coming, and he wanted to be prepared.
The two ponies galloped through the main gate of the manor and along the cobbled walkways that led to the living quarters. Quill and Red blew past a guard who called out for them to wait. They skidded to a halt, and turned to face the guard.
“What is it?” demanded Quill. “My father is in danger.”
“Begging your pardon, young master Quill,” apologized the earth pony with a bow. “But your father has left for the mountains. He went to go retrieve the army.”
“I know that,” said Quill. “But he’s being controlled by the unicorn that attacked his wedding. Why else would he have married again two days after his wife disappears?”
“What, you mean Glaive?” asked the guard pony. He shook his head with a wry smile. “That bastard’s locked up in the dungeon. Would you like to take a poke at him? You can’t kill him; Iron Pick’s orders. But he said we could make him as miserable as possible, so long as we didn’t do any permanent damage. “
Quill breathed a sigh of relief. Iron Pick knew that the families had to be joined, and since he didn’t know that Heart Chase was still alive, he took Apple Chase instead. The second marriage wasn’t valid, but it was still a symbol to other ponies that Bridleburg was ready for secession. Quill smiled at their fortune. Somehow, everything had turned out for the best. He turned to his traveling companion.
“Red, I want to thank you,” said Quill. “I’m going to go ‘talk’ to the bastard who killed my brother, and then you and I are going to have a wonderful dinner.” He kissed the young mare’s cheek. “You’ve been a rock throughout this entire ordeal, and I want to thank you properly for being there for me.”
Red’s normally yellow cheeks flushed orange at the kiss. She had enjoyed their time together in the woods, and it seemed like the perfect start to a wonderful relationship. The guard led Red to a guest room where she could freshen up while Quill made his way into the catacombs of the manor.
The rattle of keys awoke Iron Pick. He looked up through the iron mask to see the regal silhouette of Quill standing before the bars. On either side, he was flanked by a guard pony that he knew to be loyal to the house. Iron Pick felt his heart leap with joy. That his eldest son was alive brought him all the hope and joy in the world. He stood to greet his son with a smile, though it was hidden behind iron.
It wasn’t until his son’s hoof crushed his larynx that he realized he was still in Glaive’s body. Iron Pick choked and sputtered as he fell to the ground. Quill kicked the sky blue pony in the stomach; the iron mask muffled Iron Pick’s strangled cries of protest.
“How does it feel, Glaive?” snarled Quill. “How does it feel to be beaten? To be helpless and frightened like those ponies you murdered my father’s wedding?” Quill picked up Glaive from the stone floor of the prison, and slammed him into the wall.
“I would give anything to kill you here and now. My brother deserves vengeance for what you’ve done.” Quill threw Glaive to the ground; the iron helm clattered against the floor like the ringing of a church bell. “But it’s not my place. No, I shall give that pleasure to my father, for it was his son that you murdered.” Quill spit on the coughing pony; the spittle landed on his crescent moon cutie mark. “I’ll see you hang, you miserable piece of filth.”
Quill left the cage to the guard ponies that had been standing by. They again manacled the beaten pony to the wall to let him to suffer in silence. Iron Pick had to smile despite the pain in his throat and ribs. His son had returned, alive and unharmed. He only prayed that he would be able to speak before he left and warn him of the Glaive’s treachery.
…
Ridgeline eventually made his way onto the deck of the barge after beating his head into a wall for an hour. True to Bard’s previous observation, the only marks on his face were a bruise, and weary sadness. The earth pony looked over the side of the barge, and considered throwing himself over it. At the bottom of the Dame River, he couldn’t hurt any pony. He couldn’t lose control and murder anyone who dared be in his presence. It was the voice of Bard that brought him back from his thoughts of despair.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m not really a knight,” said Ridgeline. Bard looked at him with a confused expression. Had he heard right? “I was in the army for a while, and I even made it halfway through the knight’s training until I lost control one day. I killed thirteen of Celestia’s best warriors. After that, they sent me in a cage to the front lines of every battle, hoping that some pony would eventually put me down.” He shook his head. “Two years of fighting later, the war was over, and there was no place for a pony like me in Equestria.” He looked back to the sky blue unicorn. “They dumped me in the Everfree forest to live with the rest of the monsters. I guess I should have stayed there.” He looked back down at the deck. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
“I heard the voice of the demon in your head,” said Bard. “It nearly drove me mad; I can’t even imagine what it’s done to you over the years.” Bard put a hoof to Ridgeline’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a prick to you. What you’ve had to deal with is so far beyond what any pony should have to endure.” Bard’s caught sight of Ridgeline’s eyes. They had returned from black to their normal sad grey, but they were still lined with the regret of failure.
“I want to help you, Ridgeline,” said Bard. “I haven’t helped any pony but myself since the war’s end, and I think it’s time to change that. We can work together to save you from yourself. Once we make it to Bridleburg, we’ll travel together. See the world. Leave Equestria and its madness behind. I know some hot to trot mares in the Zebra lands that would just love to get their hooves on you. You ever been with a zebra mare? You have no idea what you’re missing, my friend.” Ridgeline only shook his head sadly.
“I can’t be trusted,” he said. “What if…”
“Don’t worry about the ‘what ifs’,” said Bard. “You’re talking to one of the best mages in Equestria. The Great and Powerful Bardiche doesn’t let bullshit like demons get in his way, and you shouldn’t either.” He clapped a hoof on Bard’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. We can’t have you go waltzing into town looking like a charnel house.”
In the cargo hold below, Heart Chase had just laid her head to rest on a fresh pile of straw when she felt the soft, feathery embrace of a pegasus wing wrap around her. She looked up to see that Constance had plopped down beside her. The familiar and tantalizing scent of licorice brought Heart Chase from tired back to completely awake.
“T… there are other places to sleep,” she stammered. “Yah don’t have to keep me warm tonight.”
“Oh, but I want to.” Constance purred and nuzzled Heart Chase with a wistful sigh. “It’s so infrequent that I get to spend any time with mares. The female companionship at Hackney Cove leaves much to be desired. It’s just so pleasant to spend time with an actual pony, rather than boars, or zebras.” She smiled at the yellow earth pony. “I’m sure you know the feeling. It’s so sad how we’re moving away from families sharing the same pile for warmth. Why, soon, we’ll all have our own rooms, and where will that leave us?”
“Yah… just like bein’ close to other mares?” asked Heart Chase. She worried that she sounded too hopeful.
“Why of course dear,” said the rose coated pegasus. “Who doesn’t? Mares won’t wake you up in the middle of the night for a roll in the hay, so to speak. And it’s just so nice to be able share the warmth and comfort of a bed without being on the clock.” Constance turned to Heart Chase with a concerned smile. “Oh, dear; I’m not making you uncomfortable am I?” Heart Chase completely failed to hide her flush embarrassment.
“No, yer fine,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Just… like you said, nothin’ like spendin’ time with ponies who don’t expect nothin’ outta yah.” Constance laid her head on Heart Chase’s shoulder, and fell into a peaceful sleep. Heart Chase made the best of it, and wrapped an arm around Constance. She might as well enjoy the company while it was around.
…
“Children of Bridleburg, hear me!” called the Iron Pick. The troops of the camp came to a quiet, and turned to face their commander. “For nearly a century, the Bridleburg Valley has been ignored! Maligned! Mistreated under the oppressive hooves of our tyrant princess Celestia. This ends tonight!”
Cheers and stomping of a thousand armored hooves filled the grassy mountain valley. As far as the eye could see, ponies stood in the glimmering steel armor of the Bridleburg valley. The shipments of iron that had been flowing from Bridleburg to the mountains had been forged into plates of rebellion that adorned the flanks of each and every pony that had come here. They had come as farmers and miners, and they would leave this valley as soldiers. They stood in rapt attention as Iron Pick orated to them the importance of family, and their reasons for secession.
“Do we do this because we want power?” asked Iron Hoof. “Do we do this because we are greedy? Because we are vain? No, my children, I say to you that we do this because we deserve it! How long have we shipped our gems and minerals to into the uncaring hooves of the old capital and now to Canterlot? How long will we wait for an absent goddess to deign to speak to us once more? The ponies of the capital seek to rest power from her hooves, and give it to themselves. Should we allow the lazy bureaucrats of Canterlot to siphon off the blood and sweat of the hardworking ponies of Bridleburg? I SAY NEIGH!”
Wild clopping echoed again through the valley, as the ponies threw their hooves into the air and called for revolution. Glaive looked down on his crowd of soldiers with a wide smile. His father’s maddess had sparked the Lunar Rebellion; now it was his duty to end the reign of Celestia. Five years ago, he had run in terror from the Princess’s words. Now, he would forge those words into a sword and pierce her heart with them. After that, it was a matter of waiting for the stars to aid in the true queen’s escape, but that was a problem for another generation.
Glaive left crowd of cheering soldiers to return to his tent. Waiting for him was an orange earth mare wearing the armor of Celestia’s Knights. Glaive nodded to her, and the pony followed into the tent. Waiting for him in the canvas tent was pegaus adorned in the blue plates of the Lunar Rebels, another earth pony clad in the shimmering steel of Bridleburg, and Apple Chase. To ponies that saw it, they would have guessed it was a peace conference.
“I apologize for my unseemly appearance,” said Glaive. “This body is old, yet powerful in the respect that it commands. Once we are finished with Celestia’s army, I shall be free to be myself again.” He looked around the table at the gathered conspirators. “For those of you who do not know, this is my new wife, Apple Chase. Without her, none of this would have been possible.” Apple Chase bowed to the gathered ponies, and they bowed back. “On to business then. Fillies and gentlecolts, your reports, please.” The blue clad pegasus stepped forward.
“The remnants are positioned in the Everfree forest, ready to join the Bridleburg army on their march to Canterlot,” said the Pegasus. “Scouts report that the army is near the old capital now. If Daisy Lane will confirm?”
“I’m happy to report that Hoof Beats is correct,” said the mare Knight. “The goal was to reach the old capital by this evening, and make camp there. I have a messenger dragon waiting there with an ally to relay positions to General Carmel Snack.”
“We will target the officers of the Celestian Knights to break moral, and incite panic,” said the other earth Pony. “Bridleburg’s troops have been trained to identify their distinct armor, and to seek them out in battle. Because they expect troops to fight troop, and officers to fight officers, they won’t see it coming. Once their moral is broken, we can expect to follow retreat to Canterlot.”
“They will set up ambushes through the forest,” said Daily Lane. “But between Hoof Beat’s scouts and my contacts, we should be able to keep ahead of them, and minimize losses to Bridleburg troops.”
“After that,” said Hoof Beats, “It will be a simple matter to take Canterlot. Stalliongrad forces are enroute to the capital as we speak. Both armies should converge on the city in six days.” The pegasus paused a moment, as he tried to careful word his next question. “Sir, if I may be so bold…”
“You’re wondering about Celestia,” said Glaive. “Don’t worry about her. Nightmare Moon told me how to defeat her five years ago. It’s quite the bit of poetic justice, I have to say. Have our troops found Star Heart?”
“No, sir,” replied Daisy Lane. “The Celestian Knights haven’t seen or heard from him since the banishment. When he left the castle, it’s like he disappeared from the face of Equestria.”
“Well if we can’t find him, then he’s no threat,” said Glaive. “Who would dare to stand in our way now? No, my friends, tonight we stand at the precipice of a new world order; a New Lunar Republic for our goddess. Praise to Nightmare Moon.”
“Praise to Nightmare Moon,” echoed the ponies with bowed heads.
…
A strong headwind had brought the Boar’s Head to the Bridleburg docks far ahead of schedule. It was early the next morning when the sounds of crew mooring the ship along the banks of Bridleburg awoke the four passenger ponies. Heart Chase and the others walked up stairs to find Ricoh arguing with one of the Pick family guard ponies. Apparently the plan had changed, and the catapults needed to be delivered further up river. Ricoh protested until he was offered further compensation for his time. He saw the ponies coming up the stairs.
“Well, this is where you get off,” said the crimson boar. “Apparently, they need these catapults further north than they said. Luckily, they’re paying me double to deliver them, so what the heck, eh?”
“Thank yah, Captain,” said Heart Chase. “It’s been good sailing with you.”
“Eh, you’re welcome,” replied the boar with a flippant wave. “No trouble at all; pleasure to meet you, Missus Chase.” He turned to the other ponies. “Bard, you keep that beast of yours under control, and Miss Constance…” He only smiled at the pegasus.
“Next time, captain,” she said with a wink. “Thank you so much.”
The ponies walked from the barge to the dock. Aside from the guard, who had wandered off, there was no pony there. Heart Chase looked to the city, then back to her farm. Torn between two equally important destinations, she fished into her satchel for a bit. She flipped the gold coin into the air, and watched it spin. It landed in the grass, and Luna’s face smiled back from the grass.
“Luna,” she said. “That means we go to Bridleburg first.” She looked back down at the coin for a moment before putting it back in her satchel. “Funny, I thought all those old bits got melted down.”
The four ponies walked in tired silence toward the Pick manor. From there, Heart Chase would be able to determine who was still missing, and what had happened in the three days since she had been swept out to sea. Hopefully it was as simple as a raiding party, but a feeling of unease told her that it had probably been something far more insidious. Constance noticed a chill running up the yellow mare’s spine.
“Cold again dear?” asked the pegasus. “It’s always warm under my wings, if you need.”
“Thank yah, no,” said Heart Chase. “I’m not cold, just worried that everything’s gone all pear shaped on me while I was gone. I dunno, maybe I’m just paranoid.”
“Never attribute to malice that which can be attributed to basic inadequacy,” said Bard. “I’m sure even Ridgeline could tell you that.”
“What does malice mean?” asked the copper coated stallion. Bard only shook his head.
“At any rate, what happened that you wound up on that ship anyway?” he asked. “You never have told us.” Heart Chase looked back at her traveling companions a moment.
“The truth is a bit hard to explain,” she said. “And I don’t mean to sound like a prickly pear, but I don’t know if I can trust you just yet. Yah see; I got attacked on my wedding day by some Lunar Rebels.” Bard’s face went white, and his normally boisterous voice went timid.
“L…lunar Rebels?” he said. “Here?”
“Well it sure doesn’t look like they stayed around,” said Heart Chase. “I imagine if they did, we’d be forelock deep in ‘em by now.” She looked around the city. “And I don’t see any.”
They walked deeper into the city, coming off the dirt paths outside the town to the cut stone cobbles of Bridleburg proper. Were it not four in the morning, the streets would be bustling with ponies plying their trades, or making deals to export the vast wealth of Bridleburg elsewhere. As it was, the streets were empty and the single story stone buildings of Bridleburg sat as silent monuments to the great industry that lay beneath their hooves. They came at last to Pick manor, where Heart Chase paused to catch her breath. She had been coming here regularly for months now, but every time she came, she had to marvel at manor.
The manor took up most of the northern end of Bridleburg. With its high limestone walls, and fields of green, it felt more like a castle than a manor. Every pony who had believed in the dream of an independent Bridleburg thought it was befitting of future royalty. Marble statues of past Picks adorned the walkways toward the main manor, and small stone monuments to those less important were scattered along the path. Even the cobblestone had been etched with names of remembrance, and of those ponies that had died in mine accidents. The grounds were a memorial to excellence and the importance of family, but they also served as a reminder to press on no matter the circumstances. The four ponies were halfway to the manor house before they were stopped by a guard.
“Lady Heart Chase!” said the guard pony. “Celestia be praised, you’re alive!”
“Well, I’m sorry to have worried everypony,” she said with a guilty smile. “How is everypony else? Where is Iron Pick? What happened to Apple Chase? Or Red? Or Quill?” The guard pony looked away with a nervous glance.
“Um, begging your pardon, M’lady,” reaplied the guard. “I don’t think I’m the pony to tell you. Perhaps Master Quill should explain?”
“Thank you,” said Heart Chase. “I’ll find his room, thank yah. Please send a runner to Chase Family Farms and let them know I’m alive and well.” She looked back to her companions. “And prepare rooms for my guests. I wouldn’t be here without them.” The guard pony bowed.
“Yes, m’lady,” he said, and galloped off toward the manor house. Constance looked at Heart Chase with an eye of suspicion.
“I thought you said you were a farmer?” she said. Heart Chase replied with a smile.
“I married up.”
The four travelers walked around the side of the manor house to the private quarters of the Pick family. At the end of the hall was Iron Pick and Heart Chase’s rooms, but the door she was interested in was right in center of the limestone hallway. Heart Chase gently knocked on the door. There was a groan of complaint, and the shuffling of hooves before the door opened to reveal an extraordinarily tired and worn out Quill Pick. He blinked a few times at Heart Chase’s smiling face before he parsed together just who was standing in front of him. His eyes snapped open.
“Heart Chase!” he cried, and wrapped his hooves around her. ‘My goddess, I’m so happy to see you alive.”
“I’m glad to see you’re alive as well,” said Heart Chase as she returned the hug. “What of everypony else? Have yah heard from Red?”
“Red?” he asked nervously. “Uh, yeah, she’s… uh... good and I… uh…”
“Who is that?” ask Red Chase. Quill’s smile shifted from that of exuberance to unbridled terror in a single moment as Red emerged from the bedroom. She rubbed her eyes a moment before realizing her aunt stood before her, alive and in one piece. Red dashed to her aunt, and threw her arms around her. “I knew you were alive! I just knew it!” she cried. “I hadn’t even dared hope that I’d see you again so soon. Oh my goddess, there’s so much to tell you!”
“Such as why you’re sharing a bedroom with a stallion four years your elder?” asked Heart Chase in the sort of tone one would use to deliver a death sentence. “And you, Quill.” She stared down the much larger stallion with a glare that would shatter stone. “I expected better of yah then to take advantage of my neice.”
“I…it’s not like that at all!” stammered Quill, as he tried to back away. “We haven’t done anything! I swear!” He covered his face with his hooves. “Pleasedon’tkillme.”
“Auntie Heart!” scolded Red. “I’m a grown mare! I can make my own decisions about who I spend the night with.” She huffed at her aunt. “And beside, he’s asked me to marry him.
“Where is your sense of honor, sir?” asked Ridgeline. “Have you no code?”
“I’m sorry, who are you?” asked Quill. He looked at the massive stallion, then to the other ponies behind Heart Chase. The rose colored pegasus smiled at him. The sky blue unicorn with the crescent moon cutie mark only blinked. Quills expression shifted from fear to rage in a split second as he launched himself at Bard.
The ponies toppled to the lawn as Quill rained blows upon Bard. The unicorn was too stunned to do anything but cover his face. Ridgeline grabbed Quill in his teeth and threw him back into the room. Heart Chase got between the two before Quill could jump back up to attack.
“How the hell did you get out of the dungeon?” snarled Quill. “And why is Glaive following you, Heart Chase?” The mare only blinked.
“Glaive?” asked Bard. “Mother of Luna, you have Glaive in a dungeon?”
“That bastard murdered my brother,” spat Quill. “Who are you? Why are you following Heart?” Bard only stared at the ponies in terror.
“My name is Bard,” he replied. “And I sincerely doubt you have my brother in your captivity.”
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Vanner
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860
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:27:57+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:27:57+00:00
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Chapter Eight: Understanding the Monster
The door of Iron Pick’s cell clattered open again. He looked up through his iron mask to see a mirror image of the body he was currently occupying. The unicorn was flanked by his son, his new wife, and two other ponies he had never seen before. The unicorn stepped in, and Quill closed the door behind him.
Bard approached his brother’s body with caution. If it was really him, and he took off that mask, then he was in just as much danger as he could ever be. But if his suspicions were correct, an innocent pony was being punished in his stead. It wouldn’t have been the first time Glaive had done that. Bard unlocked the hinges with a wave of his horn, and the helm clattered to the ground.
Behind the mask was the beaten face of a unicorn. Bruises and cuts lined his face where the mask had chaffed. He shared the face of a monster, but the yellow eyes were full of worry, and not malice. This wasn’t Glaive; this was another pony.
“Where is Glaive?” asked Bard.
“He has my body,” said Iron Pick. “Quill! My son! It’s me, your father. Please, let me see you.” Bard read the unicorn’s thoughts as he called out to his son.
“He’s telling the truth,” said Bard. He looked out at the moon from the cell. “Damn him, what has he done this time? What’s he after?” With another wave of his horn, he released the manacles from Iron Pick, and opened the door. Quill watched the scene unfold with a skeptical eye.
“Prove it,” said Quill. “What’s something only my father would know?”
“I know your cutie mark is for writing,” said Iron Pick. “I can still remember every single letter you wrote to me while I was away at war. You always ended them the same: ‘Stay safe, Dad.’ ”
Quill cringed at the words. He had written them every time he had sent a letter. Of the four ponies that had seen those letters, two of them had since passed. Quill fell to a knee and bowed before his father.
“I’m sorry, father,” he said. “I didn’t know.” Iron Pick only shook his head, and put a hoof on Quill’s shoulder.
“Your devotion to your brother is admirable,” he said. “And you showed far more restraint then I would have. It is forgotten, son.” He turned to Heart Chase. “And as for you, my lovely wife…”
“How…?” she stammered. “How did this Glaive pony take your body?” Iron Pick only shook his head. He was too exhausted to even think straight. Quill supported his father as they left the cell.
“I don’t know,” said Iron Pick. “He supposedly went north to the…” Iron Pick paused, and looked at the ponies surrounding him. “Is it safe to take with these ponies here?” Heart Chase looked at Ridgeline, Constance, and Bard. She honestly didn’t know how they would react. Better to play it safe.
“Allow me to put my guests up before we start speaking,” said Heart Chase. She leaned in to whisper into Iron Pick’s ear. “And start thinking of something else. Perhaps a child’s song. The unicorn can read thoughts.”
Quill escorted his father away as Heart Chase escorted the other ponies to a large guest suite. The inside had been prepared by the servants to the exacting standards of dignitaries, or visiting nobility. The common ponies were nearly overwhelmed by the display of fine fruits, soft linens, and classical sculptures. A personal servant had been assigned to the three for their stay. The earth pony bowed to her guests.
“Allow me to draw baths for you all,” she said. “I’m certain you can use them after a hard day’s travel. And I want to thank you for bringing back Lady Heart Chase. You have no idea what she means to the Bridleburg valley.”As the servant pony catered to the needs of the travelers, Red, Iron Pick, Heart Chase, and Quill convened in Iron Pick’s office.
The office was a masterwork of granite walls and statues. The pick symbol that had graced the flank of generation after generation had been etched into the stone as a reminder to all who passed through here that they were the heirs to a legacy of service to family. It made Heart Chase think of her own family, and how much she desperately missed them. As Quill explained what he had learned, it dawned on Heart Chase that her sister was in the hooves of a maniac. Apple Chase didn’t know Iron Pick as well perhaps she should have, and any uncharacteristic behavior would go unnoticed. Heart Chase pushed the thoughts of worry out of her head. Apple Chase was a smart mare and she’d know how to escape a pony like Glaive if it came to that.
Something else bothered her though. While Apple Chase belittled her husband, she always assumed that they loved each other. If he was dead, then she would have mourned him for at least a little while before getting married, right? I mean, they all knew what was at stake, but it was highly improper, and obvious that the marriage was political. It lacked the subtlety of the Heart Chase’s and Iron Pick’s union. Something wasn’t adding up, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it.
“So Glaive is taking the army,” said Iron Pick. “Instead of bringing them to Bridleburg to defend the city, he takes them east into the forest to fight Celestia’s Knights head on.” He tapped his head with a hoof as he tried to think. “If he’s on the same quest he was five years ago, then we know he’s going to try to take Canterlot. He’s not interested in an independent Bridleburg; he wants all of Equestria for Nightmare Moon.” Iron Pick started pacing as he thought aloud. “But he can’t take Canterlot with just our forces. He’s planning something else, and I think it’s to assassinate Celestia.”
“And how would be go about doing that?” asked Heart Chase. “No pony has seen her in five years, and nothing can get though the walls.” Iron Pick turned to look at the orange maned mare.
“There’s something,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, but Celestia gave instructions on how to call her when the fighting had ended. I was there when Nightmare Moon was banished, but I didn’t hear what she said. There are only two ponies alive who know what she said and one of them is Glaive.”
“Who’s the other?” asked Red Chase.
“His name is Star Heart,” said Iron Pick. “He used to live in Hoofswell, but he hasn’t spoken to any pony since hearing Celestia’s message. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.” Iron Pick looked at his desk in despair. “I’m really at a loss here. We can’t possibly get there in time; it’s nearly nine hundred miles away.”
Heart Chase thought back to the coastline and how Bard had bragged endlessly about his magical prowess. What had he said about teleportation? No, it wasn’t Bard, it was Ridgeline who had said that it was a full on ceremonial magic. She pounded a hoof on the desk.
“Bard can teleport us,” she said at last. “At least, he said he could. I don’t know if he really can, but it ‘s worth a shot.”
“Can this Bard be trusted?” asked Quill. “I mean, Glaive is his brother after all. Who knows if they’re working together?” Heart Chase thought for a minute. What else had he said? Something about slavery.
“No, he said he was Kin of Luna,” said Heart Chase. “I can’t imagine pretending to be one of them if you’re not. He seemed so proud of it, as if it were something special to belong to a group of mules and…” She paused a moment to consider what she was saying. She hadn’t known any mules or donkeys; why was she passing judgment on them so quickly? “At any rate, he doesn’t seem like his brother at all. He’s a loud mouth, and a bit of a show off, but he’s not evil, and he doesn’t want to hurt anypony.” Iron Pick considered all this for a minute. There really wasn’t another option, though he hated to draw a third party into this affair.
“We’ll discuss it after dawn,” said Iron Pick. The four ponies turned to see the sun creeping over the horizon. Iron Pick sighed, and hung his head. “Alright, after breakfast then.”
…
“There’s no way under Luna’s merciful moon that I am chasing after my brother,” said Bard. “When last we saw each other, he told me he’d kill if he saw me again. Glaive is a stallion of his word, and I’d prefer to remain alive, thank you.” Bard pushed aside his bowl of fruit; he had lost his appetite.
“Don’t you care at all about Celestia?” asked Red Chase. “Glaive’s gonna kill her, and you won’t lift a hoof to stop him?”
“I don’t care about her. I look after me, myself, and I,” said Bard. He looked to the copper coated earth pony who stood beside him. “And Ridgeline. Somepony’s got to look out for that lummox.” Ridgeline shot an annoyed expression at the unicorn.
“We don’t need yah to face down Glaive,” said Heart Chase “We need yah to take us to Hoofswell so we can find Star Heart.”
“And then where?” asked Bard. “Maybe to Canterlot? Or Stalliongrad? Maybe we can all go to the Zebra territories!” He put up his hooves in a gesture of defeat. “The point is, Equestria’s become a dangerous place in the past few years. Too dangerous for a coward like me.” He pointed a hoof at Ridgeline. “Bottom line, I’m going with him. He’s a scary berserker. I’m the second best mage in Equestria, and one of the only ponies who can help him. It’s like a match made in heaven.”
“I will accompany you, m’lady,” said Ridgeline. “I am honor bound to uphold the will of our goddess, even if she no longer wishes to see us.”
“Celestia is gone! Forget about her!” shrieked Bard. “Worry about yourself for a change; you’re not even really a Knight! There’s a whole world of mares and booze and experiences out there, and you’re willing to just ignore it for a goddess who doesn’t care anymore?”
“I know she still cares,” said Constance. Everypony turned to look at the pegasus, who had otherwise been silent then entire meal. “Look at what’s happened in the past seven years. We went from peace loving ponies to war mongers. It used to be you could travel the breadth of Equestria and be greeted with friendly smiles and open arms at every turn.” She looked down at her breakfast, and pushed it away.
“When I was a filly, I used to ride in the caravans and make friends everywhere we went. I shared friendship with ponies I’d never see again just because we made each other smile. I remember all their names, their faces, and their cutie marks. Before the war, friendship was everywhere. We had an army, sure, but it they served ponies in times of disaster, they didn’t go around killing ponies like they do now.” She looked back up at the gathered ponies. “She does care; she just doesn’t want us to fight anymore.”
The table fell silent at the pegasus’s words, as they considered their lives before the war.
Iron Pick had served for twenty years in Knights reserves before he ever saw combat.
Heart Chase, Constance, and Quill had all spent a decade in carefree innocence before the war had come.
Bard had spent his entire teen years entertaining before joining the Lunar Rebellion.
Red Chase almost didn’t remember a world without war.
Ridgeline couldn’t remember when he had ever stopped fighting.
The stinging realization of just how much every pony in Equestria had failed to live up to the expectations of their goddess hung over the breakfast table like a cloud. The sisters had represented everything that ponies were supposed to be: brave and strong as the earth ponies, wise and magical as the unicorns, and as swift and clever as the pegasi. Though they were day and night, they loved each other, and they loved their subjects. Until Nightmare Moon came along, the sisters were the shining examples of harmony that Equestria looked up to. Now that they were gone, there was nothing to guide them. Ponies had lost their way without their goddess, and descended into madness. It was Bard who finally broke the silence.
“You can’t believe that stopping Glaive will end the violence in Equestria,” he said. “There’s always ponies out there looking for power; those who are willing to go to war for a bigger piece of the pie.” He looked up at Iron Pick and Heart Chase with a cold glare, as if he knew their secret. “I’ll take you to Hoofswell. I’ll help you find your pony, and I’ll bring you home. But I expected to be paid. Handsomely. If I do this, it’s not for you. It’s for the Luna that I loved before she became the monster that I feared.” Bard walked away from the table. “I need to gather my things. I’ll meet you in the courtyard at noon.”
The meal ended with that statement, and the guest ponies wandered off to gather their possessions. The family gathered back in Iron Pick’s office and stood in silent contemplation for a while. After a minute, Heart Chase spoke up.
“I don’t want this anymore,” she said. “I don’t want to fight. I don’t want war. I just want peace. Look at the world that Red has grown up in. It’s been one war after another. My goddess, we really have lost our way, haven’t we?”
“It’s already done,” said Iron Pick. “We can’t stop Glaive from marching on Canterlot, but we can prevent him from winning. Star Heart will know how to bring Celestia back.” He looked at the globe on his desk a moment. Equestria spanned a great portion of their continent, and was home to ponies of all stripes. “I think once Equestria sees her again, the fighting will stop. Ponies won’t want to secede anymore. Isn’t that why we started this revolution? Because we lost our faith?”
Those were the words that struck home for everypony. Nightmare Moon’s curse hadn’t just torn apart a family of goddesses; it had torn apart the very souls of the ponies. No longer carefree and happy, the years of war and their lack of goddess had caused them to lose their faith, not only in Celestia and Luna, but it each other. Without at least one of them to guide them, Equestria had fallen to pieces.
“That’s it then,” said Heart Chase. “If we want Equestria back, we have to bring back Celestia. We started a war, and we helped that monster along the way. It’s gotta be us that stops him.”
“There’s a problem with that,” said Iron Pick. “I can’t go like this. Star Heart will kill me on sight if he sees me in this body. The face of an enemy like Glaive is one you don’t forget.” He pounded a hoof on his desk in frustration. “Damnit! I can’t send you out there.”
“Not just you,” said Constance. The ponies turned to look at the pegasus as she entered the office. “We’re going with you.”
“What do you mean we?” asked Heart Chase.
“I mean the four of us,” said Constance. “Ridgeline, Bard, you, me. This isn’t the sort of thing you take on alone. You’re going to need help.”
“I don’t even know you ponies!” said Heart Chase. “Yah been followin’ me around for three days now, and I still don’t know if I can trust yah. The only reason I’d take Bard anywhere is cause he’s the one with the magic. Ridgeline is an accident waitin’ to happen, and you…” her tone softened, and she blushed. “Well, yah sure are nice to spend time with, I’ll give yah that, but this ain’t none of yer concern, and I won’t have yah riskin’ yer pretty feathers cleanin’ up my mess.” Constance shook her head.
“Have you ever been to Hoofswell?” asked Constance. “It’s a very different place than Bridleburg. They’re not too trusting of strangers there, and you’d stick out like a sore thumb. You need a guide and who better than a pony that was born there? You need Ridgeline for that. And if he goes, I go. Bard’s not going to leave him behind, and someone’s got to be a good influence on him.”
Heart Chase blinked a moment at the revelation. Constance was right. Heart Chase hadn’t spent much time outside of Bridleburg, and as far as she was concerned, Hoofswell might as well been another planet. She hadn’t considered that the rest of Equestria might be different from home.
“What about us?” asked Quill.
“You’re stayin’ here,” said Heart Chase. “Our families need yah. They ain’t gonna trust some pony who says he’s Iron Pick, but looks like a terrorist. And with Apple Chase gone, some pony’s gonna have to run the farm.” Heart Chase looked at the two ponies. “We’re headed into a war zone, and there’s a good chance none of us are gonna come back. Some pony’s got be in charge around here, and you two are the only ones we can trust.” She looked finally to Iron Pick. “This is what I gotta do if I’m gonna keep my family safe. I got the chance to stop Glaive and make Equestria safer for everypony. I can’t let that pass.”
Iron Pick looked at Heart Chase for a moment before speaking. Something was clearly going through his head, and everypony knew it was important. They waited in silence for him to speak.
“May I have a word alone with my wife?” he asked.
The ponies nodded, and shuffled from the office. Behind them, the door closed with a click. Iron Pick stared at Heart Chase a moment before hanging his head.
“I want you to know that I think the world of you,” said Iron Pick. “And I know that our marriage was never about anything other than a bid for power. But I admire you, Heart Chase. You share your father’s dedication to your family.”
Iron Pick levitated a scroll from his desk, and began writing. Heart Chase stood quiet as he wrote, trying to read his sloppy handwriting. He dipped his quill again, and with a flourish, he signed the letter. The scroll was placed in a metal tube, and sealed with magic.
“If you do manage to bring our princess back, give her this,” said Iron Pick. “I’m not going to pretend to have authority over you, nor am I the sort of pony who makes demands of my wife, but the only thing I will ever ask of you is that you do not allow anyone but the princess to open this case. Don’t worry about what’s inside; just don’t try to open it.”
Heart Chase nodded quietly and looked into Iron Pick’s eyes. Inside of them was a calm resignation that worried Heart Chase for reasons she couldn’t quite understand. Though the stallion that stood before her had a different body, inside he was still Iron Pick. She leaned across the desk and kissed his cheek.
“A mare could really fall for yah,” she said with a sad smile. “You’ve always put your family ahead of yerself, and I’m just glad to be part of it now.” She picked up the scroll case, and put it in her satchel. “I’ll come back, I promise. Maybe we can make this work after all.”
“Maybe we can,” said Iron Pick. “We’ll see.”
The next few hours were filled with packing and preparation. Ridgeline had been fitted with the bronze barding of Celestia’s Knights to protect him from a blood rage. Constance had gathered blankets and cold weather gear for the herd, and Heart Chase secured to other supplies they would need for a long trip north.
Bard stood atop the compass rose that adorned the courtyard’s walkway. Candles carved with glyphs had been placed at points of the compass, and charcoal runes had been drawn in a circle around the center. Bard stepped back and looked at his handiwork for a moment. At any other time, he would have been pleased as punch at such an opportunity to show off his magic. Now, he was just getting paid to be a ferry. He put away his tools, and looked to the noon sky. It was time to get moving.
The ponies made their way into the courtyard. They marveled at Bard’s work, and asked questions about the various glyphs and runes he had drawn upon. He ignored the questions for the most part.
“So who’s coming?” asked Bard.
“Looks like it’s the four of us,” said Heart Chase. “What do we need to do?” Bard looked over the four ponies a moment, and paused to think.
“Constance, you’re from Stalliongrad, right?” The rose coated pegasus nodded. “Please stand on the East point. Ridgeline, since you’re from Hoofswell, and that’s where we’re headed, stand on the N.”
“The what?” asked the copper coated stallion.
“The ‘N’!” said Bard. “’N! Can’t you rea… uh… right there at the top. Yeah.” He turned to Heart Chase. “You’re from Bridleburg right?”
“Born and raised,” she said. “I guess that makes me the west.”
“And I’ll take the south,” said Bard. “Alright everypony, I need you to relax. Clear your minds of thoughts. The only poniy who needs to be thinking right now is Ridgeline.” He looked across the compass at the armored stallion. “Alright Ridgeline; think of a place in Hoofswell that you know really well.” Ridgeline furrowed his brow and concentrated as hard as he could. “Got it? Now imagine that place around you. Close your eyes and feel it. The smells, the sounds, everything about it you can remember.”
Ridlgeline remembered his family’s home. He remembered the low ceilings, and sloping walls; how the unfinished stone floor felt beneath his hooves as he grew up. The scent of his home came back to him: turnips and greens. For a moment, he was lost in a memory of home he had been taken away from all those years ago. Bard read the thought, and finished his spell. The world swirled around him. Equestria tilted away as if moving a hoof on a map and with a flash of purest white light, the four ponies disappeared from Bridleburg.
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Vanner
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860
| 10 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
|
What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
|
2011-10-03T00:28:50+00:00
|
2011-10-03T00:28:50+00:00
| 2,476 |
Chapter Nine: Northern Lights
With a flash of white light, four ponies appeared in the shell of the home. The walls had been scorched black by the heat of flames and an outline of the compass that had brought them here traced itself in the ciders upon the floor. Ash stirred in swirls as the air around them changed pressures, and swept through the snow.
Outside the shattered windows of the home, snow piled upon the ground that lay only inches below their head. Because the building had been dug into the earth, the stone and dirt roof remained, though it did so with the black of ashes. Ridgeline looked around for a moment and hung his head. He had remembered his home as it used to be, not as how it was when he had left it. Where the front door should have been there was only a melted hinge. Ridgeline walked outside the remnants of his house to greet what remained of his home town.
The chill of the northern winds blew through the ponies as if it were it were a malevolent spirit waiting to drag them to an icy grave. Constance unpacked the winter cloaks she had taken from Pick's home, and passed them among the ponies. Ridgeline only stared out at his city; he didn't even react to the offered clothing. Memories of the tragedy of Hoofswell played back in his mind. He remembered looking to the sky, and asking Celestia why she had let this happen. He always wondered if he’d return; now he remembered why he never had. As if instinct was leading him to where he needed to go, Ridgeline started walking along the snow covered paths. In truth there was nothing in Hoofswell but the old ponies that refused to leave, and that waited to die.
All around the herd were the shells of a once beautiful city. Stained glass depictions of the goddesses hung half-shattered in frames in of windows that had once sang with life. The homes, like the rest of the city, were now silent, save for the howling of the winds that ripped through the streets like a pack of coyotes. Scorched walls thrust out in black spikes from the perfect white piles of snow as if to guide the ponies along a path to nowhere.
The ponies walked in silence through the snow filled streets. It seemed more than a ruin, it felt more like a graveyard of unquiet dead that would rise up in wrath for daring to disturb them. Everywhere there were signs of the life that had been abandoned in an instant: Carts lay toppled and frozen to the ground; merchandise sat rusting in shop windows, skeletons of those fallen griffins lay covered in ice and snow.
A foal’s toy lay buried in a shop window. It had been protected from the ravages of time by a piece of broken glass that lay atop it. Ridgeline stopped to pick it up; it was a rabbit. The stuffed toy was covered in ice, but it held together as if it wanted to be found again. Its stitched smile had come frayed long ago, and a single button eye hung from its face. Ridgeline looked at the toy rabbit in his hooves, then back out to the city.
“I was born here,” said Ridgeline. “That was fifteen years ago, but it might as well been never for all that’s left of it.” Sitting in the snow, the massive stallion cradled the stuffed bunny in his arms as if it were real. He pet the toy as the memories of that day came back. “All this destruction happened when I was about six. Griffons swept in from the north and dropped balls of fire from the sky. Every pony here fought, but we weren’t warriors back then. We were just rock farmers. There never were that many pegasi in the city, and they couldn't hold the skies against so many griffons.” Ridlgeline was staring into the distance as the events of those days played back in his head. “They killed so many. No one knew why. They just came, destroyed our city, and left. They didn’t loot. They didn’t take prisoners. They bombed the city with fire, and took away ponies as if they were stocking up for winter. Some said it was revenge because some pony killed a griffin. Others figured they wanted the city gone so they could use it for themselves. But what does a griffin want with the land when they own the skies?” He looked down at the stuffed rabbit that he held in his hooves for a moment. “After that, every pony became a soldier. I became a soldier.”
“You were six!” said Heart Chase. “How could they turn a child into a soldier?”
“I don’t really know. Training, I think” said Ridgeline. “I have a hard time remembering a lot of things from those years. It’s all kind of fuzzy, and it makes my head hurt to remember it. I'm not the only one though. There were a bunch of us that age that all started training at the same time, but I don't know what happened to the others. I think they all died in the war.” He held out the stuffed rabbit to Heart Chase. “Can I keep this? It reminds me of a toy my sister had.”
“Why are you asking me?” said Heart Chase.
Ridgeline put it aside with a guilty look and walked away. Heart Chase picked up the toy. She put it in her satchel, and followed as he walked away.
Along the southern portion of the ruins, a new city began to thrive. Smaller, certainly, and built as a fortress rather than a true city, but it was there, and it housed ponies. Ballistae had been mounted along the city walls that aimed for the sky. Ponies walked the streets in thick winter coats as they watched the tundra. Smiles were nowhere to be found as the herd approached the city of New Hoofswell, and a pony wearing a woolen hat stopped the herd as they arrived at the gates.
“What’s your business?” he asked, looking over the ponies.
“We’re lookin’ fer a pony named Star Heart,” said Heart Chase. “You know if he’s still around?” The pony at the gate just shrugged.
“Never heard of him,” he said.
The ponies waited expectantly for an offer of help or suggestion as to where to go next, but they were instead met with an indifferent stare. The ponies simply walked off, leaving the wool capped pony by the city entrance to do… whatever it was he did. Instead of being greeted by other friendly faces, they were greeted by the slush covered streets of New Hoofswell. Constance fluttered above the mess with some disdain.
“Doesn’t any pony here control the weather?” asked the pegasus. “I mean, really. Bridleburg is populated almost entirely by earth ponies, and you don’t see this kind of lousy winter weather. It’s September for Celestia’s sake, and there’s a foot of snow on the ground.”
“Probably the griffons,” said Ridgeline, looking up to the clouds. “It snows until April around here. Some pony once told me that the griffins are trying to freeze out the remaining ponies here.” He looked out to the miserable, bundled masses of New Hoofswell. “But we’re tougher stuff than that, I guess. Or maybe we’re just stubborn.”
With no real direction, the ponies wandered the streets for a while and made occasional inquiries with whatever ponies seemed friendly enough to talk to. There weren’t many and after a few hours of wandering, they had returned to the entrance of the New Hoofswell. A few of the guard ponies wandering the town had hassled them, but upon seeing Ridgeline in his Knight's armor, and hearing his Hoofswell accent, they left the herd alone.
By the time they had made the circuit around the city, the sun had begun to set. Heart Chase could have sworn it was only mid-afternoon. Bard pointed out how far north they were, and tried to explain a bit about axial tilt. Most of it went over Heart Chase’s head, but she understood from the explanation that days this far north were really short in the fall and winter.
Lacking a plan, the ponies decided to find a room at an inn for the evening and start fresh tomorrow. Part of the problem they were facing was they didn’t know when the army of Bridleburg was going to reach Canterlot. They assumed they had less than a week till Glaive marched on the capital, but they had no idea where he was, or what he was planning. Educated guesses were all they had, and Heart Chase prayed that her sister would be clever enough to realize that the Iron Pick she was traveling with wasn't who he claimed to be.
…
Glaive stood above the body of one of Celestia’s Knights. The white earth pony put up his hooves to beg for mercy, but his pleas were met with the fetlock blade that pierced his chest. His dying breath was that of a simple question. Why?
Glaive looked upon the battlefield with a sense of pride. Dozens of bodies from either side lay upon the field of battle, and the sounds of a full retreat were music to the ears of their future ruler. He was close now to the conditions set forth by the princess those five years ago, though not in the spirit she had intended. He turned to find Apple Chase beside him, decked out in her own armor.
“I can see why you reveal in this,” she said. “It’s so… exhilarating. Where would you have ever learned a skill like this?”
“Have you ever met a griffon?” asked Glaive. “Fascinating creatures, really. My parents were diplomats of sorts, and they frequently would bring other dignitaries home to meet the family. When I was about ten, I met the griffon ambassador from their territories. He had come to try to understand pony magic. My useless brother and I taught his family simple magic tricks, and in return he taught me how to fight with the heart of the griffons.”
“You have a brother?” asked Apple Chase. Glaive huffed with disapproval.
“He’s spineless, and twice over a traitor,” said Glaive. “He rebelled against Celestia, then against the Lunar Republic. I swear, when I see him again, I will cut off his horn and wear it as a trophy.” He spat upon the ground. “Death’s too good for him.” Apple Chase thought for a moment before speaking again.
“Didn’t the griffons burn Hoofswell to the ground?” she asked.
“That was hysterical,” giggled Glaive. “I laughed for an hour when I first heard about that. Apparently, those rock bucking bumpkins tried to negotiate sky rights or something equally stupid with the griffons. Griffons do as they please, and trying to make a contract with them is like trying to raise the dead.” He pushed aside the body of the pony he had just killed. “Impossible, unless you’re willing to delve into madness.”
They walked back from the field of battle to where the generals had gathered again. Daisy Lane had returned to the ranks of the Knights during the fight to put in a good appearance. They would welcome her back from her imprisonment and congratulate her on her daring escape. With so many officers slain, the Knights would give her command of a legion. Then, when the time was right, she’d surrender, and open the gates of Canterlot for the invading forces. Her only worry was getting back through the Everfree Forest.
The forest itself was a dangerous place. From the ruins of the old castle, it had grown in leaps and bounds over the past five years. As if fueled by a desire to overtake civilization, the trees grew like weeds, and the weeds practically shot from the ground. No matter how much any pony slashed and burned, it grew back stronger and hardier than ever. It seemed to reflect the heart of Equestria: afraid for its own future.
Still, the future of Equestria lie in the hooves of those who were willing to fight for it, and every pony that had followed the message of Glaive was willing to put their troops into the fight. With Canterlot’s forces battered and on the run, the march through the forest would be a swift. At the end of the march lay one last fight, and from there, the kingdom of Equestria. Glaive smiled at his princess.
“Tell me, Apple Chase,” said Glaive. “Where do you think we should make our court?”
…
The inn the ponies had found looked remarkably like the one in Bridleburg, albeit with no windows, and tapestries lining the walls in a vain attempt to insulate the room. The building was a single story of stone that was divided into a commons area and a series of private rooms along a rear hallway. Heart Chase paid for a room for the ponies, and ordered dinner. They had made a lot less progress then they had hoped, and they sat in quiet commiseration.
For an hour they listened instead of talking. The chill air sapped their spirits, and drained the conversation from their lips. Heart Chase could easily see why the ponies this far north were so miserable; it was hard to make friends when you were shivering all the time. Even after listening to conversations, they still had no idea where to begin looking. Heart Chase finally snapped after an hour.
“How the heck are we supposed to find an old pony in a town of old ponies?” she asked. “We got a description, and a city. Ain’t much to go off of there.”
“Excuse me,” asked a pink filly. “But who are you looking for?”
The table turned to look at the filly. Her hair was the color of strawberries, and her coat was shaggy from head to toe. She smiled with the eagerness of a child that hadn’t learned that everypony wasn’t a friend yet. Wrapped around midsection was a thin cloak of wool that couldn’t possibly be keeping her warm. Heart Chase couldn’t help but want to hug the fuzzy little pony.
“Muffins!” shouted a grey stallion. “Leave those strangers alone.” The pink filly cringed at her father’s admonishment. “I’m sorry, she won’t bother you again.” Heart Chase noticed the pick cutie mark on the father.
“Hey, ya’ll wouldn’t happen to be Picks, would yah?” she asked.
“Ah, hell, not this again,” sighed the Stallion. “My family came here years ago to work the rock farms. We’re just as native as anypony else and if you think I’m going to put up with any sort of…”
“No, no,” said Heart Chase. “It ain’t like that. I’m a Pick too; by marriage at least.” The stallion gave her a quizzical look. He looked to Ridgeline, then to the other ponies in the party.
“So?” asked the grey stallion.
“I’m sayin’ we’re kin, and kin ain’t strangers.” She extended a hoof. “The name’s Heart Chase. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The stallion shook her hoof with hesitation.
“Limestone Quarry,” introduced the Stallion. “This is my daughter, Muffins.”
“So you’re a rock farmer?” asked Ridgeline. “Good profession. My family did that until… well, all that happened.” He looked down at Muffins with a sad glance.
“Mine too,” said Limestone. “I still work the quarries when the weather lets up. If it weren’t for all these damn griffons, Hoofswell might actually be a decent place to live.”
“What’s the problem with griffons?” asked Constance. Limestone blinked in amazement at the pegasus. He looked as if he’d seen an angel.
“Oh my goddess, you have wings,” he said. He pointed the wings out to his daughter. “Look at the pegasus! I bet she can fly, honey. Isn’t that amazing?” His expression changed from dour to inexplicably happy. “We haven’t seen a pegasus around these parts for years. The griffons keep killing them all.” Constance jaw dropped in shock. How was that a happy thing? “They figure if they can freeze us out, they can move into to claim the area and all the gem mines.”
“What do griffons want with gems?” asked Heart Chase.
“Same as any pony,” said Ridgeline. “Only problem is, they can’t dig like ponies, so they have to find others to do it for them.” Ridgeline shrugged. “I don’t know who would dig for those basta…” Ridgeline remembered the filly, and checked his speech mid sentence. “Anyway, they were always trying to muscle in on our land, and we just kept pushing them back.”
“Didn’t you ever try to negotiate with them?” asked Heart Chase. The entire inn fell silent at her remark. Heart Chase turned to the room with a half frown. “Mind yer own business.” She turned back to Ridgeline and Limestone. “So, have yah?”
“Griffins have a nasty habit of eating ponies that get too close,” said Limestone. “That’s why there aren’t any pegasi in Hoofswell. Well, there is one.” He looked down at his daughter. She smiled back at the ponies.
“You’re keeping her wings bound?” gasped Constance. “Don’t you know how much that hurts?”
“I got used to it,” said Muffins. The fuzzy little pegasus’s voice was tinged with resignment. “It only hurts a little bit now and then. Daddy says it keeps me safe.” Limestone sighed with defeat.
“I don’t want to, believe me,” protested Limestone. “I want my little Muffins to be able to soar like her mommy used to. But with the griffons always go after pegasi first.” He sighed and slumped to the table in defeat. “There’s nothing we can do about it.” He looked up from the table at the ponies. “You said you were looking for somepony?” Heart Chase nodded.
“His name is Star Heart,” she said. “Supposedly he’s an old lavender unicorn with a heart and star cutie mark. He came home this way after the war, but that’s the last anypony’s ever heard of him.” The inn had again fallen silent as the listen to Heart Chase’s western accent. She looked back at the crowd for a moment. “Well if ya’ll are listenin’ anyway, anyone of yah ponies seen Star Heart?” Murmurs filled the room, but no answers came from the crowd. “Ain’t anypony got an answer fer me? If he’s dead, I’d like to know, so I can just go home.” She stared at the crowd a moment. “Anypony? No?” Silence. “Buncha mules,” she muttered.
“Star Heart is that nice old pony who lives near the griffons!” said Muffins.
“Muffins!” scolded Limestone. “Sorry, she’s prone to flights of fancy,” he nervously giggled. “Part of being a pegasus, I think. All heads in the clouds even when they’re stuck on land.”
“What was that, Muffins?” asked Heart Chase. Limestone spoke up to protest, but was frightened into silence by a single glare from the yellow Mare.
“Mister Star Heart lives up in the mountains,” said Muffins. “You have to sneak through the old city. That’s easy. The griffons don’t come out until it’s dark, and with all the old buildings over there, they can’t see you.” Muffins beamed with pride as she explained how she snuck around the ruins of Hoofswell. “I go up to his house all the time. He tells me all kinds of stories, and he has the best candies. I don’t know how he gets back into his house, cause I have to fly up the…” She stopped and bit her tongue. “Uh oh.”
“You’ve been flying?” demanded Limestone. “Muffins, what have I told you about that? Griffons will eat you if you fly!”
“Now Limestone,” admonished Constance. “If you don’t allow a child to spread her wings and fly, you wind up creating another miserable pony. And from what I can see, this town has enough miserable ponies.” Limestone again started to protest. “No buts!” scolded Constance. “It’s bad enough you’re binding your filly’s wings, but to deny her the flight? Inexcusable!” She turned her hateful glare to a pleasant smile, and looked back to Muffins. “Miss Muffins, would you be kind enough to show us where Mister Star Heart lives?” The fuzzy little pegasus grinned with a smile that lit up dreary the room.
“I get to help a big pegasus with something?” she squealed. Muffins started bouncing around Constance and cheering. “Best day ever!”
“Why do you even need to see that crackpot?” asked Limestone. “He only comes to town once a year, and hasn’t spoken to anypony in the entire time he’s lived here. What makes you think he’ll talk to you?”
“Because we’re here to save Equestria from itself,” said Heart Chase. “He’s gonna want to hear what we have to say.”
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Vanner
|
860
| 11 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Children of the Sun
|
What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
|
complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
|
2011-10-07T12:18:18+00:00
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2011-10-07T12:18:18+00:00
| 2,308 |
Chapter Ten: Disappointment Carries All My Dreams
Once again, the ponies found themselves huddled together for warmth during the night. Bard and Ridgeline again shared a bed, though Bard had managed to spell himself asleep before the massive stallion began snoring. Constance and Heart Chase shared the next room over in a pile of downy blankets, though Constance was inexplicably nervous about something. Rather than her normal routine of falling asleep immediately, she kept getting up and walking around the tiny, windowless room.
“What’s troublin’ yah?” ask Heart Chase. With a rather embarrassed look, Constance finally sat down next Heart Chase.
“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” asked Constance. She sounded meek and pitiable, rather than her normal sultry and confident. Heart Chase of course nodded. “I’m quite a bit claustrophobic,” she said. “Normally, there’s a window so I can at least see outside, but this just too close for me.” She started looking around in a panic. “I just feel like I need some room to breathe.” She got up again, and paced the room. She spread her wings and touched both walls with the tips. “It’s just too small. Too small in here.”
“Hey, settle down now,” said Heart Chase. “No need to get all concerned; ain’t nothin’ bad gonna happen to yah as long as I’m around. Yah think I’m gonna let my favorite blanket get all nervous and upset?” Constance composed herself again and sat back down next to Heart Chase.
“Yes, of course, you’re right,” said Constance. “Even when I’m in a room like this I’m usually working, so there’s that to distract me.” She chuckled nervously. “Funny thing that. I try not to talk about my work, and here I am gabbing to you about my job like you’re the sister I never had.”
Heart Chase winced at the word sister. Here she thought she’d found another mare with similar tastes, but apparently that ship had sailed. Still, there was always a chance and if nothing else, she could always just enjoy Constance’s company as a feathery blanket.
“So, uh, how’d yah even get into that sort of thing?” asked Heart Chase.
“Oh, the same way any gal does, I suppose,” said Constance with a flip of her auburn mane. “Somepony offered me some money for my time, and I found it to be exhilarating, really. I get to choose my clients and I’ve obviously got the body to be picky.” She stood up and struck a pose for Heart Chase. The earth pony looked away far too quickly from the pegasus feathered wings and silky tail to be simply polite. It wasn’t until Constance saw the blush of Heart Chase’s yellow cheeks did she put two and two together.
“Oh dear,” she said with an embarrassed gasp. “I didn’t… I thought you were just… oh my, I’m so sorry. Here I’ve been prancing and strutting my stuff to annoy Bard and embarrass Ridgeline, and then I’ve been spending the night all over you like a cheap saddle.” She sat back down next to Heart Chase. “The last few nights must have been an absolute hell for you.”
“If yah think hell is full of licorice scents and downy feathers, then you’d be right,” said Heart Chase. “I didn’t mind one bit. I mean, I don’t mind havin’ another pony to sleep with whether they’re mare or a stallion. Used to be my family would all sleep in a big pile on winter’s nights to keep warm. Now we’re all grown up. Every other pony is married and has kids. There’s just me in my lonely bed.” She laughed with kind of a half defeated chuckle. “It’s funny. I got married for political reasons. Iron Pick’s a swell stallion, but what I was really lookin’ forward to most was sharin’ a bed with another pony, even if it meant… well, you know.” Constance smiled at her traveling companion, before standing up again.
“Did you not want to share a bed this evening?” she asked. “I completely understand if you’re hesitant about it. I’ll send Bard in here and share a bed with Ridgeline instead. That big stallion could probably heat an entire room.”
“If you think for a moment I’m gonna share a bed with the mouthy pain in the flank, then you gotta another thing comin’ Constance,” said Heart Chase. “Yah just come lay down here. I promise to keep my hooves to myself.” She gave a half hearted smile. “If yah want me too, that is.” Constance returned the smile with a coy giggle.
The ponies rose the next morning at what would be their normal time to discover that it was still completely dark outside. The ponies made their way to the home of Limestone Quarry where they found Muffins positively vibrating with elation about going on an adventure with her new friends.
The walk through the ruins of Hoofswell in the pre-dawn hours was an unsettling experience for most of the ponies. Bard’s light shone through the darkness like a ray of sunshine, but the narrow beam wasn’t good for much more than a spot light. He eventually stopped to let his eyes acclimate to the dark instead; it didn’t help much.
Just above the ground, Muffins fluttered along with Constance, while Ridgeline marched alongside the pegasus filly as if to keep the darkness away. Heart Chase followed behind the herd, keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of trouble. She kept glancing at the cloudy sky and jumping at the shadows.
What scared her most about this place was that it could have just as easily been Bridleburg. The few pegasi, combined with the relative proximity to hostile creatures set her teeth on edge. They did have the advantage of the Dame River separating them from the Buffalo lands, but what is a river to a determined foe? Luckily, the buffalo never seemed to care about ponies, so long as they stayed on the Equestria side of the river. Still, it amazed her at just how hostile the outside world actually was sometimes. She couldn’t help but worry about two pegasi that traveled with her.
They passed through the ruined city in silence and began climbing the icy foothills that lead into the mountains. How the fuzzy young pegasus had routinely made this journey was any pony’s guess and how she had avoided notice by the griffins was nothing short of a miracle. They came at last to a sheer granite cliff face that marked the borders of Equestria. It was easy to imagine that the world ended here and that beyond was only the howling chaos of space. The pegasus urged them onward along the sheer rock face, and they turned to the east. It was another three miles before they came to a patch of unusually low hanging clouds.
“He lives right up there!” said Muffins. “You just fly up, and…” She looked at the ponies for a moment. “Oh. Well, I guess not.”
The ponies stared up at the rock face. A least a hundred feet above the ground, there was massive fissure that looked as if it had been hollowed out of the solid stone. Below that was an overhang that could have easily been a balcony. Heart Chase stared in amazement for a moment before shaking her head.
“How in the name of Celestia does an old unicorn get all the way up there?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” said Muffins. “I never asked. But he’s always up there, so at least Miss Constance and I can go see him.”
Heart Chase looked up the cliff, and shivered. The idea of having to be that high off the ground chilled her more than the arctic air that whipped along the cliff face. She was actually glad she didn’t have to go up there after all.
The two pegasi took to the air and danced around the low hanging clouds as if choreographing a ballet. They landed atop the clouds and danced upon them as if they were solid ground. Such was the pleasure of all the pegasi, and it was so rare that young Muffin actually had time to frolic. Heart Chase looked up at the playing pegasi and smiled. Of course she would want to show the fuzzy filly a good time; Constance was all about enjoying herself. Never mind that they were on a deadline, or that there might be griffins around. There was fun to be had, and darn it, everything had been way too serious in the city.
The two pegasi finally landed atop the jutting rock near the top of the cliff face. As they touched down, Constance noticed that it was at least twenty degrees warmer here then at the ground. She looked around a for moment before she spotted daylight spilling from underneath the door. She tapped on the door with a cautious knock.
The door burst open and from behind it came a near blinding light that silhouetted the shape of a unicorn. Constance shielded her eyes with a wing as they adjusted to the brilliance. A purple unicorn wearing a set of smoked goggles looked his unexpected guests. He stared at Constance for a moment. She’d seen that looked before and she cocked her hips to accentuate his view of her cutie mark. He turned to the fuzzy filly after a moment.
“Who’s your friend?” asked the unicorn.
“Mister Star Heart, this is Miss Constance,” said Muffins. “She’s here with a bunch of her friends. They’re all the way down there at the bottom ‘cause they can’t get up here like we can.” She flashed her heartwarming smile and the unicorn found a smile within him for the filly.
“Well thanks for coming to visit,” said Star Heart. “But I’m afraid I can’t tell you any stories today. I’m in the middle of an important experiment.”
“Mister Star Heart, please,” said Constance. He held up a hoof.
“I know what you’re here for,” he said. “You want to know the last thing Celestia said to me before she went into exile.” He slammed a hoof into the stone floor so hard it sounded like thunder. “THAT WILL DIE WITH ME. If you really want to know, there’s a pony named Glaive out there who will happily tell you. Or maybe he’ll tear out your heart. Either way, a young mare such as yourself shouldn’t be seeking the great mysteries of life from old unicorns. You shouldn’t even be in Hoofswell. Now, if you’ll excuse me I…”
“Hey!” yelled Heart Chase. Her voice echoed along the shear stone. “How’s it going up there? What’s with all the light? Y’all okay?
“We’re fine, Heart Chase,” she yelled back. “Mister Star Heart seems a bit upset that we’ve interrupted his experiments.” The unicorn perked up at the name.
“Sorry, did you say, Heart Chase?” he asked. “As in, the daughter of Soul Chase?”
“I don’t know,” said Constance. “I guess I never asked.”
“You’re supposedly a friend, and you never asked about her parents?” asked Star Heart. “That’s what’s wrong with Equestria these days, no pony makes friends.” Muffins pouted at the unicorn. He furiously backpedaled on his statement. “Except for Miss Muffins here. She’s a friend to every pony she meets.” He pointed a hoof at Constance. “And that’s how Equestria used to be. Strangers were just friends you hadn’t met yet.” Star Heart walked to the edge of the cliff face, and then continued walking off it.
Constance was so shocked that she didn’t react for almost a full second. When her brain finally put together what had just happened, she rocketed over the edge of the cliff to try to catch up with the unicorn. Constance passed him at full speed; he was standing on a sinking cloud. The rose colored pegasus screeched to a hover to stare in disbelief. Muffins peered over the edge with an impressed grin.
The cloud sank to the ground and Star Heart stepped off. It seemed as if the warmth followed him. He looked over Heart Chase for a moment, and nodded. She was the spitting image of her father. Same orange hair, same yellow coat, same blue eyes, and the same bewildered stare. She was definitely a Chase. He turned his gaze to the armored stallion. He hasn’t seen a pony that big since leaving the Knights. He finally looked at the sky blue unicorn and stared for a moment before shaking his head.
“If I didn’t know better,” said Star Heart. “I’d have sworn you were…”
“I get that a lot,” replied Bard. “That’s an impressive spell you’ve got there,” he said as he tried to shift the conversation away from himself.
“Cloud walking?” he scoffed. “Foal’s play. Any pegasus can do it, why shouldn’t a unicorn be able to do the same?” He looked to Heart Chase. “Your father always talked about you,” he said. “Always went on and on about his clever little filly. Now you’re all grown up and out in the big scary world.” He looked to the four ponies that stood before him. “Why are you out here and not at home?”
“I made a mistake,” said Heart Chase. “And Iron Pick is told me yah were about the only pony who could help fix it.” Star Heart Pushed his goggles away to reveal a pair of turquoise eyes that sparkled as if the sun shined from his head.
“Well then, if that old goat told you to come bother me, he must have had a good reason,” said Star Heart. With a wave of his horn, the pony’s hooves sparkled. He walked to the cloud and stomped it flat enough for the rest of the ponies to stand on. He motioned to them to join. The ponies stepped on the cloud with trepidation; it certainly seemed solid enough. Heart Chase stood in the exact center of the platform and clamped her eyes shut. The other ponies boarded the platform and surrounded the mare.
The cloud began to rise back along the cliff face. Heart Chase stood still, taking deep breathes, and focusing on anything else but the fact she was rising into the air. Birds. Trees. How cold it was. Her family. She hummed along to a children’s song as the cloud lifted into the sky. She didn’t dare open her eyes, less she see how far off the ground they were. Ridgeline guided her onto the outcropping balcony, and inside the cliff face before she opened her eyes again.
The inside of Star Heart’s Home was not cave, per say, but more of an apartment that had been carved from solid rock. The walls had been perfectly flattened, and there were at least a dozen separate doors that spilled into other rooms. Most were closed, but a few housed rooms full of clouds. At the rear of the apartment sat a ball of light that gave off enough heat to make the apartment feel like the tropics. The ponies shed their winter coats at the door, and were glad to feel warmth after a bitter cold night in Hoofswell.
Star Heart opened another door that inexplicably lead outside. From it, he pulled a jar that had been chilling in the bank of snow. He passed around drinks to the ponies gathered in front him before sitting on a pillow made from clouds.
“So why are you here?” asked Star Heart.
“Iron Pick said yah were the only pony who knew what Celestia’s last instructions were,” said Heart Chase. She fished through her satchel to retrieve the letter of introduction that Iron Pick had given her, and passed it to Star Heart. He quickly looked it over, and tossed it to the side.
“So I’m just supposed give you instructions for saving the world, eh?” asked Star Heart. “You’d be surprised at how simple a thing it is to bring her back, and yet you bunch of ponies aren’t going to be the ones to do it.”
“We didn’t’ come all the way from Bridleburg to be told that we ain’t gonna be able to do somethin’,” said Heart Chase. “We gotta war to stop, and the only other pony who knows how to stop it is the one who’s causin’ it. Now what did Celestia say before she went into exile?” Star Heart cocked a half smile
“You’re not going to like it,” said Star Heart. “The last thing that Celestia said was ‘I just want the fighting to stop.’”
The ponies sat for there for a minute, expecting to take in a deep and pondering message that would guide them along the path of Equestria’s salvation. That had expected something profound and heartfelt, something that would shake them to their core. What they got instead was something they already knew.
“Are you bucking kidding me?” asked Bard.
“Sorry,” said Star Heart. “That’s what she said.”
“That’s about the least helpful thing I’ve ever heard,” said Heart Chase. “How are those instructions for bringing Celestia out of exile? That ain’t nothin’ we didn’t already know. Everypony wants the fightin’ to stop, but that ain’t told us how to do it.”
“Do you know what the Elements of Harmony are?” asked Star Heart. The ponies looked at each other for a moment, before shaking their heads. “They were what Celestia used to seal Nightmare Moon away. I don’t know where Celestia got them, or what their original purpose was, but the long and the short of it is: she used them, then lost control of them. They were supposedly what kept Equestria harmonious but Celestia used them as a weapon against Nightmare Moon.” He held out his hooves. “Now they’re pretty much inert.”
“So, what, we gotta find these Elements of Harmony?” asked Heart Chase. Star Heart shook his head.
“No, they’re powerless now and they won’t be able to help you any way. You’re not connected to them; the sisters were. I don’t think any pony is ever going to be able to use them again.” he said. “If you’d care to hear my theory?”
“Why not?” said Bard. “Not like we have anything else to go on.”
“I think once ponies stop fighting,” said Star Heart, “Celestia will reveal herself again and retake her throne.”
The ponies looked at each other, then back to Star Heart. Was this unicorn out of his mind? There was only one war going on right now, two if you counted the griffins attacking Hoofswell. How could any group of ponies stop two wars, let alone one? Star Heart got up from his cloud and began tweaking the sun orb at the back of his apartment.
“That’s all the advice I have to give you,” said Star Heart. “Stay as long as you’d like, but when you do leave, please take Miss Muffins back to her father. I don’t want anything happening to my little friend.”
“So that’s it?” asked Heart Chase. “Yah ain’t gonna help us? No big poof of magic and a sword to strike down the evil? Just stop the fightin’?”
“I don’t know what you came here expecting,” said Star Heart. “I’m a weather pony; it’s what I do. I take the essence of the wind and sky and bring it down for earth ponies to use.” Bard perked up at the mention of that. He probably knew what Heart’s stone was all about then. He levitated the stone from Heart’s satchel.
“Then what is this?” asked Bard.
“Hey, what did I tell you about goin’ through my things?” demanded Heart Chase. Star Heart looked at the stone for a moment, and then nodded.
“It’s a fog stone,” said Star Heart. He levitated the stone, and pressed it to his ear. “And it’s empty. You can recharge it by siphoning clouds.” He tossed it into the room full of clouds, and shut the door. Bard blinked in amazement. That explained all the fog back in the bay. Star Heart turned back to his work. “Here's something I want you to think carefully about. Especially you, Miss Chase."
“Missus,” corrected Heart Chase. “I got married a few days ago.”
“Oh well, congratulations,” said Star Heart. “Why aren’t you enjoying your honeymoon with your new groom? The world could use more Chases.”
“Cause Iron Pick already has two kids and it was our marriage that started this nonsense in the first place.” Star Chase stopped what he was doing and turned around to face Heart Chase. She could see the wheels in his head turning as he put the pieces together and when it finally clicked, his jaw dropped in disgust.
“No wonder,” he said. “Chases and Picks together at last. Making a bid for an independent Bridleburg are you?” The other ponies turned to stare at her in shock.
“Independent Bridleburg?” asked Ridgeline. “That’s…” he searched for the word.
“Treason!” said Constance. “That’s out and out treason! Here I thought you wanted to save Equestria, but you’re out here to break it up. How long do you think you could hide such a thing? And Bard, how could you have not put that together sooner?”
“I did,” said Bard. “But you know what? I don’t care.”
“What do you mean, you don’t care?” asked Ridgeline. “How can you not care about Equestria?”
“Equestria is dead!” said Bard. “Celestia’s gone, and she’s not coming back. Even if by some miracle, we did stop the fighting, how long would it last? A week? A month? Would she notice? Would she care? The only thing that Celestia does that matters is raise the sun and the moon. Past that, no pony cares about her anymore.”
“I still care,” said Muffins. The ponies looked at the fuzzy pegasus as if she had just appeared. They had been so busy fighting with each other, they had forgotten that there was a child in their midst. “I still care about Celestia. Back when my mom was still alive, she cleared away the clouds so that we could see the sun all the time. Mom told me that Princess Celestia raised the sun every morning, and that we should give her thanks every day for the hard work she does.” She looked up at the ponies. “So some ponies do care about Celestia, you mean old unicorn. Even if you don’t like her, there’s lots of ponies who do.” She stuck her tongue out at Bard.
The wisdom of a child struck at them like a hoof to the temple. Ponies still cared. They proved they cared by working together to make Equestria the place it was now. Certainly it was a shell of its former self, but the basic tenants of harmony were still there under the ash and debris of endless war. Ponies really did need each other more than they were willing to admit, and they needed Celestia to be an example to them all.
“So how do we stop the fighting?” asked Heart Chase.
“As I was trying to say, I want all of you to think carefully,” said Star Heart. “There’s something that will help you understand why it’s important that Equestria stay together. Think of every pony you know who was a solider during that horrible war. What was the common thing about them all?”
The ponies thought for a moment, and considered the question. Of all the soldiers they had known, both from their own time in the military, and from having met other ponies who had fought, there wasn’t anything at all in common between them. There had been nobility on both sides of the war, and common pony folk in the trenches. Pegasi, unicorn, mules, donkeys, and earth ponies had all fought on either side of the conflict. They even differed on their beliefs for Equestria. Nothing was common between them. It finally dawned on Heart Chase when she looked back at Ridgeline.
“No pony was a solider by trade,” she said at last. “Every pony was farmer, or a business pony, or a preacher, or anything else. Ain’t no pony ever just been fer fightin’, except maybe fer Ridgeline.” Star Heart nodded.
“And there you have it,” said Star Heart. “No pony has ever been born to kill, not even your armored friend here. There are plenty who can fight, and plenty who are exceptional. But you’ll never see a cutie mark of a sword. Ponies are supposed to be at peace. That’s what Celestia wants to see before she makes her return.”
The ponies all considered what the meant. If they were going to bring back Celestia, they needed the fighting to stop. They needed to end the war between the griffons, and they needed to the end the war between Bridleburg and Equestria. The unspoken question between them was: how in Equestria did they accomplish that?
The ponies sat talking for a few hours as they mulled over ideas for peace. No pony had spoken to a griffin in a least ten years, so they didn’t even know where to start negotiations. And to stop the war for Equestria, well, they’d have to take out Glaive. Neither prospect seemed possible at the moment, and they found themselves talking in circles. Frustrated, and finally tired of the sauna like conditions of Star Heart’s apartment, the ponies bundled themselves in their winter coats, and stepped out onto the ledge. Waiting for the ponies on the ridge was a griffin who sat waiting for them with his arms crossed.
“It’s about time,” he said. “Hand over the pegasi, or you all die.”
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Vanner
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860
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2012-04-05T03:10:18+00:00
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2012-04-05T03:10:18+00:00
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Chapter Eleven: Truth and Fear
What happened next was a bit of unbridled chaos.
Ridgeline leaped over the ponies and tackled the griffon off the side of the cliff. Without any regard for his own safety, he choked the griffon as they plummeted for the ground. Bard went to cast a spell but caught a paw to the teeth instead as two other griffons swooped in from the ridge. Knocked backward into the cliff side by the force of the blow, the unicorn went down in a heap of hooves and horn. The other griffon grabbed the pegasus filly from the ledge. Heart Chased bucked and smashed the griffon into the wall. The winged lion didn’t even see the hooves coming and dropped the fuzzy filly. Heart Chase caught Muffins in her hooves, and tossed her to Constance.
Constance grabbed up Muffins and sped toward the door. Before she could get back inside, a griffon larger than Ridgeline thundered up from below the outcropping, and grabbed both her wings. The griffon’s massive wings buffeted Heart Chase and nearly blew her off the cliff side. She skid across the smooth stone, and lost her footing. Barely able to grab the edge, Heart Chase could only watch helplessly as the griffons made off with the two pegasi. It wasn’t until she looked down that she really began to panic.
It may have only been a hundred feet, but it seemed like a mile drop through low hanging clouds. She forgot about her quest, about the ponies she was traveling with, about Muffins. All she knew in that moment was that she was going to die. She scrabbled along the edge of the outcropping, pawing for purchase along the smooth rock. Below her was nothing but open sky, and fear had taken over her every thought.
Star Heart galloped out of his apartment to witness the aftermath of the attack. He had seen Bard go down, and Ridgeline jump off the cliff. Heart Chase shrieked for help, barely hanging on. Star Hear levitated the mare off the edge, and put her back on the ledge. She bolted for the apartment. In a single moment, she was curled up in a ball in the corner with tears of terror streamed down her face.
In less than a minute, her party had been decimated. Bard lay in a quiet heap against the cliff face, Constance had been carried off holding Muffin in her hooves, and Ridgeline had plummeted off the edge while strangling a griffon. What the hell had just happened?
“What happened?” asked Star Chase, as he dragged Bard inside. “Where is everypony?”
“G-g-g-griffons,” she stammered. “Just at-t-t-tacked out of n-n-nowhere. Swooped in. T-t-t-took M-m-muffins.”
“They took Muffins?” asked Star Chase. “Damn it all! I should have known they’d have seen all five of you.” He started throwing aside boxes of gems and trinkets, searching through his apartment for something. “It’s my fault, I should have protected her. She was the only friend I had here; you have to get her back.”
Heart Chase was rocking in the corner. Her bravery had failed her as she dangled on the edge of the cliff. She was uneasy with the height when she had her eyes closed, but to get dangled from the edge of a cliff was just too much. She had no idea how she was going to get out of here now. She couldn’t go back on that cliff face. Nothing in Equestria could get her back out there; not even the chance to save that poor filly. Star Heart put his face against hers.
“I’m talking to you, Heart Chase,” he said. “You have to get Muffins back. You have to go after the griffons before they kill them both!”
“N-n-no. No. No.” Heart Chase shook her head in protest. She was never leaving that corner. It’d take a team of wild Hamites to drag her away, and even then she’d fight them tooth and hoof. The screeching of a griffon outside the front door sent her into back into tears of hysterics. Star Heart ran for the door to see what was going on.
The griffon that Ridgeline had tackled rose over the edge of the balcony as he struggled against the pony’s impossible strength. Ridgeline had wrapped an elbow around the griffons neck; the griffon fell to the platform as he choked for air. Talons clattered across the surface of Ridgeline’s armor like hail on a tin roof in a vain attempt to struggle free. His eyes rolled back into his head, and the griffon slumped in the pony’s arms. Ridgeline dropped the lion bird to smooth stone, and then looked inside the apartment.
Bard was lying in a heap just outside the door, while Heart Chase was crying in the corner. Star Heart stood at his door, dumbfounded by what he had just seen. The only ponies missing were Muffins and Lady Constance.
“Is every pony okay?” he asked.
“How did you do that?” asked Star Heart.
“What?” asked Ridgeline. “Oh, the griffon? If you choke anything long enough, they stop moving.”
“I meant how did you not die when you plummeted off the cliff?” asked Start Heart. Ridgeline looked at the unicorn as if the answer should be obvious.
“I hit the clouds on the way down,” he said. “The griffon tried to take off again, which is how I got back up here. Any pony would have done the same. Just like the heroes of the stories grandma used to read me. You fight evil; you win.” He looked around for a moment. “Where’s Muffins and Constance?”
“They got carried off,” said Star Heart. “You have to go after them. I’m far too old to make the journey myself, but I can help you and your friends. Please; she’s the only friend I have.”
“They took Muffins?” demanded Ridgeline. He spit the mouth guard from his teeth. “They took my fair Lady Constance? How DARE they?” The copper coated stallion snorted as the flames of fury burned behind his eyes. “I watched my sister get murdered by those goddess damned griffons, and I will not let it happen again. No pegasus dies today. I swear by the light of Celestia that I will bring them back.” Star Heart backed away from the enraged stallion.
“I’ll give you some tools you’ll need to get to the rookery, but you may need your friend’s help,” he said. He turned to look at Heart Chase; she was busy draining her flask. Bard was just standing up with an unsteady wobble. He leaned against the wall for support.
“Grabbl, umma bleh…” he mumbled.
“Good, you’re awake,” said Ridgeline. “We’ve got no time to lose. Constance and Muffins got carried off, and it’s up to us to rescue them.”
“S’okay, mom, I’m not goin’ to school today,” muttered Bard. “I’m gonna be an aggable…” The unicorn propped his head against the wall and tried to focus his rolling yellow eyes. Ridgeline picked up a bucket of rain in his teeth, and splashed the unicorn in the face. What he responded with sounded like a combination of a strangled scream and a drowning gurgle. The unicorn shook out his mane and blinked a few times. “What happened?”
“You took a paw to the head,” said Star Chase. “I saw that much at least. Muffins and Constance have been abducted.” Bard snapped to his feet at that.
“Shit,” he said. “Do we know where they went?”
“No,” said Ridgeline, as he dragged in the griffon. “But I’m betting he does. Read his mind and find out where they took them.” Bard looked uneasily at his copper coated friend.
“I can’t,” said Bard. “I can’t read minds that don’t belong to ponies. All I get are pictures, fuzzy noises, and primal instincts.” He paused a moment. “Not entirely unlike what I get when I read your mind actually.”
“We don’t have time for your jokes,” said Ridgeline. ‘We need answers, and quick.”
“I’m not being funny,” said Bard. “I’m serious, and that kind of concerns me. But we don’t have time for that. Wake him up; I’ll get answers from him the old fashioned way.” Ridgeline doused the griffon with the remainder of the bucket.
With a bellowing screech; the griffon came too. He was inside a cramped cave, with a massive stallion standing on his wings, and two unicorns standing in front of him. He struggled under the weight of the copper coated stallion for a minute before he realized just how trapped he was. He snapped at the hooves of the unicorn for a moment before giving up.
“Are you going to torture me?” asked the griffon.
“No, I’m not going to torture you,” said Bard. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, and you’re going to answer them.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll take control of your body and have you kill yourself,” said Bard. The griffon’s face was lined with doubt. He knew that unicorns had magic, but that kind of magic? He shook his head.
“No one can do that,” spat the griffon.
“Oh really?” asked Bard. He looked at Star Chase a moment and his horn glowed with an eerie purple light. Star Heart felt himself losing control of his body as danced a jig about his apartment. He spun in lazy circles around the griffon as Bard made him dance. He stopped in front of the griffon and drew a hoof across his throat. “And Star Heart is my friend. Imagine what I could do to someone who was pissing me off.” Bard’s grin was that of a madman, and the peals of insidious laughter he followed with did more to frighten the griffon than any display of magic could have.
For the next ten minutes, the griffon related the location of the rookery, its defenses, and everything else the ponies needed to know about finding exactly where they took the two pegasi. When they were finally done with the question, they bound the griffon in chains, and locked him in an empty room. When they had returned, they’d let him go, but there was too much at stake to just let him run back to the rookery. Star Heart provided the ponies with boots that renewed his cloud walking spell, as well as the charged fog stone they could use as a bridge.
In the mean time, Heart Chase had gone near catatonic. Bard and Ridgeline only shook their heads in disappointment at the mare; apparently the near death experience had been too much for her. It was odd; she seemed like such a determined pony otherwise. Still, the two stallions had a job to do, and they weren’t going to let a frightened mare slow them down. Bard used the fog stone, and created a bridge to the top of the cliff face.
Atop the cliff, a world of mountains spread before them like a surface of another world. From where they stood, the cliff top spread out like a desert until it became the foothills, and finally mountains that spiraled into the sky. Maybe twenty miles away in the distance, a spire jutted into the heavens like a spear. There was the Rookery in all of its malevolent glory, and that was where the ponies were headed next. The stallions turned to each other, and with a nod, they galloped off to save their friends.
…
With the events of the last few days, there had been no time to mourn the loss of a sibling. Now in the chill September evening, there was time to remember the fallen. There was time at last for tears for those lost.
Sound Cloud had arranged a memorial for those lost in the attacks. Instead of his usual bluster and bravado about the love of Celestia, and the importance of charity, he only read a list of names of those killed. Family, friends, dignitaries, foals; all those lives cut down by the work of a single mad-pony. Glaive had taken away their innocence, and replaced it with terror. Iron Pick didn’t attend. To be presented with the face of that which they hated would be too much.
Quill Pick opened the door to his late brother’s room with a sad sigh. It was a tragedy that such a promising life would be cut short by a cruel twist of fate. He didn’t expect to find answers within his brother’s effects, just comfort in the artifacts of a life gone by. There were hats adorning the walls, some with feathers as long as his mane. Quill had to smile; his brother did enjoy good headwear.
In his dressers, he found only the few clothes that Silk had taken a liking too. They would be given to those less fortunate, as was Silk’s way of generosity. In a night stand, there was a tattered copy of the Book of Celestia: annotated, and dog eared at every turn. His brother really did have faith. Quill came at last to his brother’s desk. It was locked. Quill blinked in amazement. Silk was always the most open of ponies; why would he have locked his desk?
After a minute of searching for the key hidden among the hats, Quill opened the desk to discover a hooffull of scrolls that had been sealed at one time with a red wax. Some of the seals were that of the Chase family: rakes set across the background of the sun. But the one that set Quill on edge was the midnight purple wax that had been sealed with a crescent moon. It was the seal of the Lunar Rebellion. Quill picked up the scroll with dread, and read the contents.
I am glad you have chosen the path of the victorious, Silk Pick. Keep up your appearances, and keep to the plan. Do not forget that Barondom of Bridleburg lies at the end of the road ahead, and that only together can we succeed.
When the attack begins, corral Iron Pick toward the river. I need him alive to take his place. Make sure that my Apple Chase is unharmed. I will try to dispose of your brother, but you may have to do that on your own. I wish you well, Silk Pick, and I will see you after the wedding.
Burn this scroll after reading. Praise to Nightmare Moon.
Quill dropped the letter in horror. This couldn’t possibly have been the brother he loved. Silk Pick would never have conspired with the embodiment of evil that was Glaive. The scroll knocked over a brass seal as it clattered to the desk. The seal rolled across the desk, and dropped to the floor. Quill looked at the design work, and the truth of it all became terrifyingly real. The stamp was that of a pick across the background of a crescent moon.
It suddenly made sense to him. The attack wasn’t a raiding party, nor was the wedding something that Glaive had just heard about. Silk Pick had a hoof in the slaughter of his own family. It wasn’t enough that he would benefit indirectly from an independent Bridleburg; he apparently wanted a bigger slice of the pie. So many dead, and for what? Quill read the letter again, searching for answers to his brother’s treachery. He saw an important piece he missed on the first read through.
My Apple Chase.
“Oh my goddess.”
Iron Pick sat in his office, spinning the globe on his desk. He hadn’t slept at all last night, and he was going on his fourth straight day of worry. Here he was, trapped in a body that wasn’t his own, simply waiting for others. This wasn’t the Iron Pick that had led the Pick family to greatness; this was the Iron Pick who had been defeated by a monster. The clatter of hoofs from the stone hall perked his ears. Quill came skidding into office, and threw a scroll onto his desk.
Iron Hoof levitated the scroll, and began to read over the letter. He stopped halfway through and started re reading it. He turned the scroll over, then checked the wax seal. He stared in disbelief at his son.
“Where did you find this?” asked Iron Pick.
“In Silk’s desk,” said Quill. “I don’t want to believe this. I don’t want think that my brother….” Iron Pick held up a hoof, stopping Quill mid sentence. He put the scroll down, and put his hooves on the desk.
“I knew there had to be a traitor in the family,” said Iron Hoof. “I knew that this wasn’t just some plan that Glaive had cooked up at the last minute. He had help.” Iron Pick levitated the scroll, and looked at it again. Tears had formed at the corners of his eyes. “I thought I raised you boys with loyalty to family above all others. This just proves I’m a failure as a father.” He held the end of the scroll to a candle, and dropped it in a stone bin. “Your brother is dead now; let us speak ill of him no more. What’s done is done, and nothing can change that. What matters now is that we stop Glaive. Apple Chase has been in on it the whole time, and if she has designs to be queen, nothing will stop her.” He looked at the globe to where Hoofswell lay. “My biggest fear is that Heart Chase won’t be able to figure it out in time.” He snapped his head away from the globe. “I’m going to Canterlot.”
“What?” asked Quill. “You can’t, there’s two armies out there in your path. You’ll never make it!”
“What good am I here?” demanded Iron Pick. “I can sit here and do nothing, or I can warn my wife of her sister’s betrayal. What do you think I’m going to do, son?” Quill thought for a minute, and nodded.
“I will take care of the family in your absence,” said Quill. “What else do you need from me?” Iron Pick thought for a moment.
“Fetch me my will, son.”
…
Heart Chase shivered awake. She looked around the apartment to see that Star Heart was still tinkering with his ball of light, and that all the other ponies had gone on without her. Had she fallen asleep? The apartment was warm and inviting, and she could easily have taken a nap there, but that didn’t seem likely given how tired she felt. Where was everypony? Had they left her when they found out she was a traitor? She couldn’t blame them. Heart Chase stood, and started toward the exit.
“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Star Heart.
“Back to Hoofswell,” said Heart Chase. “I assume that’s where every pony else went. Bard still needs to teleport us to Canterlot, even if he does hate me.”
“Bard and Ridgeline went after Constance,” said Star Heart. “They couldn’t wait for you to get over being insane, so they left.’
“What do you mean?” asked Heart Chase. “Wasn’t I just taking a nap?” Star Heart turned around, and looked at Heart Chase with a cocked eyebrow.
“You were catatonic for an hour,” said Star Heart. “That spill off the cliff turned you into a whimpering foal. I can’t blame them for taking off without you; they didn’t seem like they were your friends at all.” He leaned against a wall. “I always thought the Chases were so quick to make friends.”
“I just didn’t know if I could trust them,” said Heart Chase. Star Heart only chuckled.
“Funny thing about trust, dearie,” said Star Heart. “They seemed to trust you enough to follow you into a warzone, and you couldn’t trust them with the truth behind this whole mess?” He tsked at the mare. “It’s a two way street, and you’ve completely failed to hold up your end of the deal. You might want to talk to Muffins, if she still alive. She knows all about friends.” Heart Chase shook her head. What had happened to Muffins? It all came back to her in a paralyzing flash. The cliff face, the griffons, Constance. Muffins.
“If you want to go after them, then you’ll need a few things,” said Star Heart. “You four are friends who haven’t met yet, I think. But the fires of trial forge friendships that not even nightmares can break. You have to face your fears, Heart Chase, and you have to help your friends.” He dug another pair of boots from the boxes that littered his apartments, and then overturned a crate that contained his old Knight’s armor. He looked at the plates for a moment, then back at Heart Chase.
“Two ponies versus an army of griffons aren’t going to cut it. They need you.” He levitated the armor around Heart Chase. “There are two wars on,” said Star Heart. “The Griffon’s War, and the war you helped start. Right now, you have the chance to end one of those wars, and without Bard, you won’t be able to make it to Canterlot in time to stop the second. There are nightmares out there that can’t be conquered by flashy tricks, brute force, and seductive wiles. Some pony needs to lead those three.”
Heart Chase was the spitting image of her father in that armor. She remembered how proud Soul Chase was of being part of Celestia’s guard, and how much it meant to him when she promised to take care of everything in his stead. She looked into a mirror, and saw the legacy of duty reflected back at her. In that moment, she forgot her fears. She had been wrong so many times in the past few months about everything. Now it was time to set things right.
“I’m ready,” she said. “It’s up to me now. I can’t let them down. I can’t fail father. I can’t fail Celestia. I will lead them, and I will save Equestria from my mistakes.” Star Heart nodded.
“If you’re half the pony your father was, you’ll be able to lead them into the mouth of hell and back,” said Star Heart. “Good luck Heart Chase; you’re going to need it.”
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Vanner
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860
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:32:37+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:32:37+00:00
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Chapter Twelve: Fire in the Mountain
It was extraordinarily strange to gallop on a road of clouds. It didn’t move like the ground did, and stallions worried constantly about outpacing the bank of fog that stretched like a rainbow underneath their hooves. To anyone who might have been watching, it was sort of absurd to watch two ponies running at breakneck speeds atop the insubstantial wisps of clouds that served as a road across the foothills and valleys of the griffon territories. Still, it was a thing of beauty to watch a coward and a hero gallop across the sky, even if no one was watching.
The gifts of the weather unicorn had proven to be valuable assets. Even if time wasn’t of the essence, the shoes and fog stone made travel infinitely easier. It was easy to see why pegasi never stayed in the same place for long; it was easy to lose yourself to the elation of open sky and unlimited freedoms. Bard himself had a hard time not turning around and running the other direction from the tower full of griffons.
Truth be told, he was terrified. He kept telling himself that he was doing the right thing, that saving his friend and child was more important than letting fear take hold of him. But he knew in his heart that if Ridgeline weren’t galloping beside him like a crusade of vengeance, he wouldn’t be out here. If anything happened to him, there was a very real chance he’d just cut his losses and run. Bard wasn’t ashamed to be a coward, but he would have been if he abandoned a pony he vowed to help. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t; he’d just feel terrible about it.
In Ridgeline’s mind, there was no doubt. As the two stallions thundered across the fog bank, he thought of them as the righteous sword of Celestia. Even if he wasn’t really a knight, even if Bard didn’t worship his goddess, they were doing the right thing, and that’s all that mattered. It didn’t matter that there might be a thousand griffons in that tower; it didn’t matter that they were only two ponies. They had the fury of righteousness at their hooves, and that was all they needed.
For an hour the ponies galloped toward the griffon spire, and for an hour the fog stone created a road for them over the foothills and valleys of the griffon’s territories. As they came close, Bard urged the stone to pour forth its clouds to mask their entrance. The fog rolled in around the base of the tower, and there the ponies rested for a moment. Soaked in sweat, the stallions again went over the plan, and prepared their route.
The only entrances to the rookery lay at the top of the spire, several hundred feet off the ground. The ponies would fill the valley in which the spire sat with fog, then walk up to the entrance level. The captured griffon had told them that every entrance was guarded by two griffons, and that if anything went wrong, they would raise an alarm that would bring an entire wing of griffons down on their location. The plan was to take out the two griffons there, then work their way to the upper level where Constance and Muffins would be held in wait for the griffon king, Phantasm.
With a grim determination, Bard turned the fog stone over in his hooves, and let it pour forth. Without the stone, they had only the overland route to get back to Hoofswell. Bard left it on the ground to make sure that he couldn’t simply run away at the first sign of danger. He may have been a coward, but he also knew how to force himself to act. Clouds billowed from the stone, and joined the fog that already rested in the valley. After a few minutes, the spire became wrapped in a blanket of clouds so thick that none could see through it, and the shouting of griffons above echoed into the valley. The stallions took to the clouds and began to climb the tower.
Twenty miles away, Heart Chase had crested the ridge into the Griffon Kingdom, and watched as a pillar of cloud enveloped the rookery. Star Heart had told her it was twenty miles as the pegasus flies, but she was still to shaken to take to the sky along a bridge of clouds. Instead she cantered out upon the hills and valleys of the ground, and made her way to the tower. She only prayed to Celestia that the stallions would be able to hold their own until she arrived.
…
Constance’s wings hurt. She wasn’t sure she could fly yet, and that scared her more than she thought possible. He she was, trapped in a cell with a scared young filly, and she couldn’t even fly to safety. Not that she would have been able to anyway; these cells were designed to hold pegasi for… whatever it was they did to them. She didn’t even want to think about it. What she did want to think of was a way out of this nightmare. If she could get free, then she knew she could outrun the griffins long enough to get out.
After that, she wasn’t so sure. She knew she couldn’t count on Bard; he was such a massive coward that he would run from the slightest sign of danger. Ridgeline had toppled over the edge of balcony, so he wasn’t coming to save them either. Heart Chase… well, considering she couldn’t be trusted, there was no reason to expect she’d come either. It was up to her to get herself and Muffins out of here.
Constance took an assessment of what she had going for her. She was alive, but had nothing on her. The griffons had taken her golden earrings, the bangles around her fetlock, and her scarves. She felt naked without them, though they were kind enough to leave her winter cloak. The fuzzy little pegasus didn’t seem to mind the cold too much; she was too frightened by the unknown to worry about something silly like the cold. Still, what Constance needed most of all was a plan. She couldn’t muscle her way out like Ridgeline could, nor could she use fancy magic like Bard. She did have something that none of her companions had though. All of the guards she had seen were males, and she knew thing or two about what griffons wanted.
She spent a few minutes preening her wings. Gina had once told her about what griffons liked, and a small part of her had filed that information away for a cloudy day. Today was that day, literally and figuratively. Clouds began to roll past the cell windows, and soon the air outside was thick as soup. Constance pulled out her braid, and with a shake of her head, let out her mane out to wave. She whistled at the guarding griffon, and he padded over to the cell to see what she wanted.
He was clearly younger than the massive griffin that had carried her and Muffins here; of a much lower rank too. Instead of the silver armor of the raiding party, he wore wooden vambraces around his front legs, and a wide brass collar that covered his torso. Still, he was attractive, and just the sort of client that Constance loved: young, naïve, and easily manipulated.
“Why hello there, handsome,” purred Constance. “What’s your name?” The griffon raised a suspicious eyebrow at the rose coated pegasus. Was she really coming on to him?
“Talos,” said the griffon. Constance put a hoof to her muzzle and giggled with a coy smile.
“Such a masculine name,” she said. “I bet all the gals love a strapping young thing like yourself.” She turned her hips to let the griffon get a better look at her curves. The griffin tried, and failed to not look. His eyes traced her curves, as she ran the tip of her tail underneath his chin. “Why I bet you’ve got a dozen griffinesses downstairs just lining up to get their claws on you.” She traced his height with her eyes, letting them linger on his flanks and feathered chest. “Mmm… I wouldn’t mind a piece myself.”
“N…no ma’am…” he stammered. She was coming on him! He shook his head; mustn’t fraternize with prisoners. “I mean… you stop that!” Constance only smiled and lowered her eyelashes.
“Oh Talos,” she purred. “You couldn’t be more obvious if you were wearing a sign. You don’t have to be shy, I can tell you’ve never been with a lady before. Come and let Miss Constance tell you a thing or two. I won’t bite.” She smiled a bit. “Not unless you want me too.” She leaned through the bars, and whispered in the griffin’s ear. He blushed enough that his red cheeks could be seen through his white feathers. The griffin fumbled with the keys as he went to unlock the cage.
“Ah, ah,” said Constance with a smile. “Don’t you think we should go into the next cell? I prefer privacy.” The griffin only nodded dumbly and opened the other cell door. As Constance walked from her cell, she traced her tail along the griffin’s chest. “I’m going to enjoy you for a while,” she said. The pegasus winked back at Muffins.
Muffins only blinked in confusion. She wasn’t really paying attention, but she did catch snippets of Constance’s whispering. The filly had heard a lot of those words before, just never put together like that. The ones she didn’t know sounded weird, and she wasn’t sure if she liked the sound of them.
For perhaps longer than was necessary, the next cell over was awash with muffled giggles, ruffled feathers, and the occasional squawk. There was a jingle and Constance’s tail wrapped round the corner. The jailer’s keys spun across the floor to Muffin’s hooves. So that nice griffin was going to let them go after all! She picked up the keys in her teeth, and unlocked her cell.
Muffins went to the other cell to get Miss Constance, but she looked busy doing grownup stuff. She wandered down the hallway, looking for a way out instead.
…
There were certain advantages to having a younger pony’s body. While Glaive wasn’t exactly a spring chicken, that sixteen years of age difference made Iron Pick feel like a brand new pony. He only hoped that his arthritis riddled joints were killing Glaive. It would serve him right for taking his body in the first place. If it weren’t for the fact that he was currently occupying the form of one of the most hated stallions in Equestria, he’d consider keeping it.
As Iron Pick cantered through the Everfree forest, he thought long and hard about what he was planning to do one he actually reached Canterlot. By himself, and especially with this younger body, he could easily reach Canterlot ahead of the Bridleburg army. However, getting anypony to listen to him was going to be a nightmare all its own. Unless he was able to find Lunar Rebellion sympathizers in Canterlot that didn’t know of the body swap, he was going to be alone in a hostile city dressed in conspicuous armor. At least it fit well.
Iron Pick had been cantering through the forest for the past eight hours, and finally stopped to rest underneath a tree. His coat was drenched with sweat, but he wasn’t sore like he expected. Iron Pick was glad that Glaive had managed to take care of his body; there was no way he could have done this in his own. He looked around the forest, and took in the unnatural landscape for a moment. When he was a colt, this forest was a wooded area outside the old capital. There was the occasional wild animal, and a tribe of Hamites that lived in the plains, but nothing like the untamed growth that had sprung up in the past few years
Ponies had a theory that as unrest grew in Equestria, so grew the Everfree forest. Somehow, the trees were connected to the state of mental health of Equestria. If that had been true, it was easy to see why it had gone mad in the past five years. Endless wars had raged through a country that had known only peace since time immemorial. Only now had the wars almost stopped. If it weren’t for the Griffin wars up north, and the civil war he had sparked, Equestria might have been at peace long enough to remember what peace was like. Iron Pick hoped that he lived long enough to see Equestria united in harmony again.
A rustle of bushes not too far off set Iron Pick on high alert. Something or someone was approaching. Taking advantage of his dark armor, he hid among the shadows, and waited. From the bushes came a small herd of mules and donkeys. They were all universally grey, though some of the mules had cutie marks. Iron Pick watched them for a moment as they gathered firewood, and berries. What were they doing this far out in the Everfree forest?
Iron Pick remembered the fall of the capital, and how the Lunar Rebellion forces had a split a few days before the invasion. Mules and donkeys were being forced back into slavery by those driving the rebellion. The problem was that they had already given the lesser equines weapons and armor, and they weren’t about to be put back under the yoke of slavery. They called themselves the Kin of Luna, and dedicated their lives to the goddess they had known before Nightmare Moon. Ponies had joined their ranks in the years since, and they kept to themselves in nomadic tribes. Except when they raided farms for food, they were harmless.
One of the mules stopped gathering firewood for a moment and stared in Iron Pick’s direction. He held up a hoof to warn the others of danger, and pointed right at the unicorn.
“You there,” he said. His voice was stately, and smooth as glass. He sounded as if he had been orating his entire life. “Come out of the bushes, traveler. We mean you no harm.”
Iron Pick considered for a moment. Would they recognize him? Would they attack? He removed his helm, and appeared from the brush. The fillies and colts scrambled behind the adults as Iron Pick stepped out. Glaive’s dark armor, with its scaled plates and menacing helm, gave Iron Pick the appearance of a warrior that had never seen peace. The mule took a step back from the armored unicorn.
“Glaive?” asked the mule. His eyes went wide with terror. H dropped into a defensive stance, and backed toward the woods. “D…don’t come near me! I’ll kill you if I have to! Get out of our forest! We will not be slaves again!”
“My name is Iron Pick, though that’s not the form I’m occupying,” replied the unicorn. “Glaive has stolen my body and is taking it to Canterlot at the head of an army. I’m going to try to stop him.” Iron Pick looked over the cowering equines; was this really how Glaive had intended to rule Equestria? “I am just passing through; I mean you no harm.”
“What army?” asked the mule. “There was a company of siege engines that rolled through the forest just north of here yesterday. They’re probably only ten miles away, given how slow they are.”
“Siege engines? Where the hell did…”
The answer hit him like apple dropped from a tree. Those were his siege ballista and catapults, and they were supposed to be for the defense of Bridleburg, not assaulting Canterlot. Once again, Iron Pick’s foresight and planning, the two things that had made him successful, were coming back to bite him in the flanks. Iron Pick let out a heavy sigh.
“Can you take me there?” asked Iron Pick. The mule looked at him skeptically.
“What’s in it for me?” he asked. Iron Pick raised an eyebrow. What sort of question was that? “Unicorns have been trying to enslave mules and donkeys for generations. Why should I help you? Why shouldn’t I put you in chains instead?”
“I’ve never…”
“Maybe you haven’t, but your grandfather, or your great grandfather has,” said the mule. “Why do you think so many of us live in the forests? Or on the plains? It’s to keep away from ponies so they don’t slap us in irons and chain us to the plows. I ask again, why should I help you?”
Iron Pick really didn’t have an answer to that. This mule was out here in the forests trying to provide for his family, and here he was, asking him for help. He hadn’t intended to give the mule anything for his help, he had just expected it. Yet if the same mule had come asking him for assistance, he would have ignored him. The mule was right; he had no reason to help a unicorn. Iron Pick had nothing he could offer him anyway.
He put his helm back on and cantered north to try to catch up with the siege company. Without the awesome firepower of the zebra weapons, Glaive would never be able to breech the palace walls, and he wouldn’t be able to get to Celestia. How he intended to defeat an entire company of soldiers armed with catapults was something he’d have to consider on the way there.
…
Heart Chase cantered along the hills and valleys of the griffin territories as she raced for the fog bound spire of the griffins. She knew she was getting close as crested another hill, and found herself enveloped in the low hanging clouds. The tower lay somewhere in the distance, visible only as a shadow among the clouds. She plunged into the fog, and galloped for the tower.
Thick as the clouds were, Heart Chase seemed to know exactly where she was going. She hadn’t worked up the nerve to start walking on the clouds yet, but she could get close to the spire base and search for a way up. Given that it was a griffin structure, the chances of it having such an entrance were slim. What griffin worth his feathers wouldn’t want to fly? Heart Chase shuddered at the thought.
Around the base of the tower, she found the smoky quartz stone that had accompanied her along every step of this journey. Why had they dropped it? Were Bard and Ridgeline captured? She put the stone in her satchel, and looked around. From as far as she could see, there was nothing to indicate that an entrance existed anywhere below the skyline of this miserable place. Even if there were, she wouldn’t be able to find it in all this fog. Out of options, Heart Chase looked to the sky and gulped. She’d have to climb the clouds upward.
Nearly a quarter mile above her, Bard was busy trussing up the two griffons that Ridgeline had incapacitated. Bard’s illusions had caused a distraction long enough for Ridgeline to get the drop on the beasts. Ridgeline had come in from overhead and clapped their heads together like rocks grinding grain. They moved into the rookery, and slinked along the walls.
Despite the elevation and the climate, the rookery wasn’t actually too unpleasant. Sure, it was chilly, but it was nothing like the blistering cold outside. The stallions looked around a moment as they tried to best gauge the way up to where the cages were supposed to be. Because the griffons were creatures of flight, stairs were almost nonexistent in this structure, but since they often captured ponies who didn’t have wings, there was one set of stairs that led to the prisoner levels. It was guarded by two bored looking griffons, who were chatting about some of the fine chicks that were coming up into the ranks this year.
Distracted by the talks of gorgeous flanks and silky feathers, they failed to notice the ponies moving into position around them. Ridgeline put his griffon in a headlock, and held the beak with the other hoof. Bard’s rope snaked from his pack, and spun like a tornado around the claws and beak of the other. The griffin struggled for moment or two against the earth pony’s impossible strength before losing consciousness and slumping to the stone floor. Bard trussed the second griffon, and tied their wings together. It would be painful, certainly, but it wouldn’t kill them. As silent as church mice, the stallions made their way up the stairs.
At the top the spiraling stair case, another griffin stood watching the hallway that led to the cells. With two pegasi in the cages, Phantasm would be making an appearance shortly. The griffin shuddered to think of what would happen to the poor mare. Still, it was either pegasi or griffins, and there had been too many griffins sacrificed to their dark king recently.
Maybe there was some other place he could go without that psychopath reigning over them. He didn’t want his chicks growing up under this madness; there had to be other griffin rookeries. Those three dark griffins that the king kept couldn’t be everywhere in the kingdoms, could they? The griffin snapped up from his thoughts to see the fuzzy little pegasus walking toward him with a big smile.
“How did you get out of that cell?” asked the griffin.
“Miss Constance let me out,” said Muffins. “Mister Talos gave her the keys, and I walked over here.” She sat down on the stone, and smiled up at the griffin. “Can you show me the way out? My daddy’s going to be scared if I don’t come home.”
The griffin only stared in amazement at the pegasus filly. This child should have been terrified of a griffin, yet here she was, smiling and talking to him as if he were her best friend. The fuzzy strawberry pony hadn’t learned fear yet. He thought for a moment about teaching her, but to scare the smile off her fuzzy cheeks would make him into the same sort of monster that ruled the griffins. He couldn’t help but think of his chicks. They weren’t much older than this filly; how could he sacrifice such an innocent soul to Phantasm?
“What’s your name, little filly?” he asked.
“My name is Muffins,” she said. “What’s yours?”
“You can call me Manus,” said the Griffin. Constance came trotting around the corner; Talos was following her like a puppy. Manus looked up at his friend’s silly grin, and the pegasus sultry smile. He blinked in disbelief. That certainly explained how she had gotten the keys off him. Muffins fluttered up to Constance with a happy grin.
“Mister Manus is going to show us a way out!” said Muffins. “He’s my new best friend just because he’s so nice.” Constance only smiled. Perhaps griffins weren’t so bad after all.
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Vanner
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860
| 14 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:33:33+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:33:33+00:00
| 2,104 |
Chapter Thirteen: That Which Lies Beneath
Constance and Muffins walked with their two new griffon friends down the staircase of the rookery. Manus walked in front, and kept a look out for other griffins, while Talos walked behind the two pegasi. Constance’s wings were still hurt, and she wouldn’t be able to fly until she got some sort of medical attention. Fortunately, Manus’s wife was a nurse, and once they visited the infirmary, they’d be able to get mares out of the rookery.
It wasn’t until they ran nearly head first into Ridgeline and Bard that they actually had seen another soul. Ridgeline snapped into action, and tackled Manus before Constance had a chance to explain. Bard disappeared in a puff of smoke, and reappeared behind Talos to pop a bag over his head. Manus Tried to throw the stallion off him before Constance started yelling.
“Hold it!” screamed Constance. The males stopped fighting for a moment to stare at the mare. “Ridgeline, will you please stop strangling Manus? He’s helping us.” Ridgeline dropped the griffin with an unceremonious thud. “And Bard, take that bag off Talos’s head.” The unicorn took the bag off the griffin with an apologetic smile. Talos looked annoyed, but unharmed. Bard thought he smelled licorice on the bird, but he must have been mistaken.
“These two nice griffins are letting us go,” said Muffins. “Mister Manus said that his little girls are my age and would love to play with a pegasus while their mommy fixes Miss Constance’s wings.” The pegasus bounced in place. “This is the best adventure ever!” Bard looked at Constance. She only smiled back at him.
“Well, sorry for all that,” said Bard. “You’re really helping her?” Manus adjusted his collar, and nodded.
“I can’t do this anymore,” said the griffin. “I’ve got a chick about her age, and if the situations were reversed, I’d hope that some pony would have enough kindness in their heart to let them go. I’ve had enough of Phantasm and his birdshit. There’s enough misery in this world without him…” he shuddered in disgust at the thought. Ridgeline only shook his head.
“Griffins killed my entire family,” said Ridgeline. “You destroyed everything I ever had, and because of what you did, I have become a monster.” He poked the griffin in the chest with a hoof. “I don’t like you. I don’t trust you. If you make even one false move, I’ll snap your neck like a twig.” Muffins backed away in fright from the copper coated stallion. “You may be friends with Muffins, but you will never be anything but the enemy to me. Let’s go.” Talos moved to the front of flock while the two stallions took up the rear. After a few minutes of walking, they came to the housing level where the infirmary was located, and slipped inside.
Bard looked out at Rookery. The inside of it was a sort of grand dome that housed hundreds of holes, each presumably leading to a living area for each griffin family. Many families had decorated their entrances with gems or bits of precious metals, and each one seemed to reflect the families personality. What struck Bard as odd was the fact that so many of the homes didn’t seem to have anything indicating that anyone lived there except a pile of molted feathers. Something about the whole affair was unsettling, and he couldn’t put his hoof on it. He walked inside the infirmary, to find Manus’s wife yelling at the griffon for bringing the pegasus prisoner down to her.
“You’re going to get us killed!” she shouted. “You seen what Phantasm does, how could you?” She began weeping. “You’re going to kill us all and for what? To help some pegasus?” Manus shook his feathered head, and pushed Muffins in front of his wife.
“Gladus, this is Muffins,” he said. The filly hugged the despondent griffiness.
“You’re really soft Miss Gladus!” she said, as she rubbed her head against the griffiness’s feathers. “You’re all feathery and fuzzy, just like mommy used to be.” She looked up with a smile. “You smell nice too. We can be friends!” Gladus looked down on the fuzzy filly for a moment, before scooping Muffins up in her arms.
“Oh my god,” she said. “You’re just the most adorable little bundle of happiness.” She turned back to Manus with a look of serious concern. “You’re right. We can’t do this anymore. I’ll get the girls and we’ll leave. We’ll go anywhere but here.” She looked over Constance. “But we have to get your wings fixed first. Come on; get in here before anyone sees you.”
No one had seen ponies enter the infirmary, just as no griffin had seen Heart Chase ascend to the top of the spire. She had to keep reminding herself that the shoes she wore were magic, and magic never failed. It never failed and left you to plummet a thousand feet into the ground where you might die on impact, or might just cripple you so that you lay there and suffer till some creature finds you and…
She shook the thoughts out of her head. She couldn’t even see the ground, so it didn’t matter. She came at last to a pair of trussed griffons who were struggling against a silk rope. Upon seeing Heart Chase walk up the clouds to their balcony, they tried to signal to her to let them go. Heart Chase only shook her head, and sauntered past them. At least she knew she was on the right path.
The entrance led to a massive dome that was covered in holes. It looked like an apartment complex of sorts. It actually made sense. Since griffins could fly, they could easily visit friends and family who lived just across the dome. It just seemed so… empty. There weren’t any griffins flying around the inside the dome, and that worried Heart Chase. Not that she knew much about griffins, but they seemed sociable, and the lack of griffins in their home was unsettling to say the least.
The bottom of the dome was a massive circular flat section, around hundred and fifty yards wide and chiseled perfectly smooth. There was a fifty foot cylinder of stone in the center of the dome. From where she was standing, it looked like it had been covered in blood. She stepped toward it, when she heard something odd. Heart Chase tapped on the floor with a hoof. It echoed back with the hollow thump of stone. The entire base of the rookery was hollow. How the hell was this thing being supported?
“Not important,” said Heart Chase to herself. “Gotta find those ponies and get goin’ outta here. Celestia only knows what nightmares are lurkin’ in a place like this.” She trotted across the courtyard for a while before finding another pair of trussed up griffons hanging from a peg. They looked more annoyed than injured, and Heart Chase smiled to hem as she passed. Behind them was the stairs, and Heart Chase happily ascended them.
Below, the shuffling of stone drew the attention of the two trussed griffins. They stopped struggling for a moment, and turned to the center of the dome. The riser had slid to the side, and from it crept inky black tentacles of smoke. The griffons looked to each other in panic as they struggled against their bonds. Hard as they fought, the remained bound as the black tendrils rose up around them. If their beaks hadn’t been bound, every creature in the dome would have heard their shrieks of agony as the smoke billowed around them.
…
Quill paced around his room in worry. If his brother and his sister in law had been traitors, then who else couldn’t be trusted? Could he trust the guards who were there to keep him safe? Or the workers in the mines? Could he trust Red Chase? As if to answer his question, there was a knock on his door. He slipped a bladed boot onto his hoof before answering; it was only Red Chase.
“I got your message,” she said. “And I came as fast as I could. What’s wrong?” Quill couldn’t think of a way to be polite about the subject. He took a deep breath, and spoke as plainly as he could.
“Where do your loyalties lie?” he asked. “If you care for me at all, you won’t lie to me. Just tell me, who do you want to win this war?” Red looked confused at the question, then noticed the blade adorning Quill’s fetlock. She backed away in fear.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “You’re scaring me, Quill. Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“Answer the question,” said Quill. “Just please answer the question. Where do your loyalties lie?”
“They’re with Heart Chase,” she said. “They’ve always been to her and the family. I’m loyal to you because of how much we’ve grown together during these past few months. Why are you asking me this? Put down the blade so we can talk, Quill. Please.”
Quill looked at the bladed boot on his fetlock a moment before tossing it in the corner. He wrapped his arms around Red Chase with a relieved sigh. Red Chase only held her fiancée, and waited for an explanation. He let her go a minute later, and escorted her inside his room.
“Your Aunt Apple is a traitor,” he said at last.
“I know that,” said Red Chase. “We all are.”
“Not to Celestia,” said Quill. “To us. She and Silk had planned to have us killed at the wedding so they could take over with Glaive and the Lunar Rebels. Our own family, Red. How could they do this to us?” Red shook her head in disbelief. That couldn’t possibly be true.
“No,” she said. “I don’t believe it. That’s not something Aunt Apple would do at all. You’re lying. Why are you lying to me Quill? Why would you say things like that?” Quill passed the brass seal to Red Chase, along with a letter from Apple Chase. Red looked over the letter for a moment before she looked at the wax seal. It was a pick in front of a crescent moon.
She threw the letter to the ground amid the piles of ash that had gathered around Quill’s trash can. It was then that she noticed the smell of smoke, and the familiar scent of burnt paper. Quill only hung his head.
“I didn’t want to believe it either,” he said. “This pile of ash is what remains of my brother’s papers. I don’t want to remember him as a traitor, so everything burns. I’ve kept that last letter to show to those who need to know, but everything else is gone. I’m sorry I frightened you, my dear Red. I don’t feel like I can trust anypony anymore.”
Red put her arms around Quill, and held him for a long time. If it had been a simple play for power, everything could have been forgiven, but their own family had tried to kill them. With Silk buried and gone, that left Apple Chase alone with the pony that had started this all. Red stepped away from Quill, and looked into his big green eyes.
“You’re still loyal to me, right?” asked Red. Quill only kissed his fiancée in the moonlight. They could at least count on each other.
…
Iron Pick strode into the camp with his head held high, and his eyes narrowed in anger. A few ponies saw him, and recoiled in terror. A turquoise earth pony came from a tent, and upon seeing Iron Pick, tried to duck back into it. Iron Pick reached out with his magic, and grabbed the earth pony. The earth pony struggled against the telekinesis, as he hung in the air ahead of Iron Pick.
“Solider,” he growled. “Get me the commanding officer of this company before I remove your intestines.” He dropped the pony to the ground with an unceremonious thud. The pony scrambled to his feet and dashed across the camp site to another tent. Iron Pick looked around at the ponies who stared. He snapped at them and began screaming.
“What kind of bullshit operation do you think we’re running here?” bellowed Iron Pick. “Are you sleeping? Get the hell up! I want every last one of you lazy bastards on your feet! Now!”
The camp became a flutter of activity as the company of ponies fell into formation. Armor had been hastily donned, and ponies scrambled to find their positions in line. A line of donkeys had formed at the back, cowering at the pony issuing commands like an enraged lion. The commander was a white pegasus that strode bleary eyed from his tent with some floozy unicorn by his side. He scrabbled backward in terror at the sight of Glaive in full armor, and full anger.
“S-s-sir!” said the pegasus. “We weren’t expecting to see you till Canterlot!”
“Then you are a failure and a fool!” bellowed Iron Pick. “Ready your ponies for inspection; then I will see if you’re fit to even make it to Canterlot.” He looked to the row of cowering donkeys. They had been beaten, and fairly recently. By Iron Pick’s guess, they were the ones hauling the cart filled with the siege engines, which meant he could count on them to help bring the weapons to Canterlot to aid in its defense. It made him think to the family of equines he had met in the forest a few hours ago. Yet another unicorn enforcing his will on others. He could take the hint that perhaps he should reexamine his life if he ever made it back to Bridleburg.
After a hasty few minutes, the troops had assembled for inspection in three rows of twenty. Iron Pick marched down the lines a few times before tearing into the three officers with a verbal tirade that made enlisted men flush with panic. He proceeded to move down the ranks, and berate every single pony for some fault or another with their uniform, their attitude, their hygiene, whatever he could find. He spent a full hour berating sixty ponies, having dedicated exactly a minute to each and every one of them. By the time he was finished, the ponies looked as if they had been through a warzone.
“Now,” said Iron Pick at last. “Since you are the most useless bunch of ponies I have ever seen in my entire life, I give you a choice. I can hang half of you for running such a lousy operation, and let the rest of you watch as a reminder what happens to failure.” The ponies cringed at the thought. “Or, instead of wasting pony power, you can gather your worthless flanks and double time it north to rendezvous with the main force. I will take the siege engines there myself, so as not to taint them with your goddess damned failure!” He stared daggers into the herd. “I’m feeling generous. So you’ve got ten minutes to move out before I kill every last one of you.” The ponies exchanged looked for a moment. “I SAID MOVE!”
The ponies nearly tripped over each other to start breaking camp. Tents were hastily thrown down and gear collected in ramshackle piles as the ponies threw everything together to move out. In eight minutes the ponies were gone, leaving only fire rings and tent stakes. After another ten minutes, Iron Pick turned to the cowering donkeys.
“As for you lot,” said Iron Pick. “I’m not really Glaive. My name is Iron Pick, and that son of a bitch stole my body. I need to get to Canterlot with these siege weapons, and put them up in defense of the city. It’s going to be rough, and I apologize for that. But if you’re willing to serve Equestria for the next few days, I will guarantee your own land in Bridleburg. You don’t have to follow me, and you are free to go. I’ll burn whatever we can’t carry, but I need your help, and so does Equestria.” Iron Pick looked upon the donkeys who had stopped cowering for the time being.
“I realize that you’re suspicious of a unicorn, and with good reason,” said Iron Pick. “We have a habit of not keeping our promises, and forgetting what’s really important. But let me tell you, we are all equines here. Our country is not called Ponystan, it’s called Equestria. I realize it’s not perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than the Lunar Republic would be. So, I lay it at your hooves. Will you help me?”
Two of the donkeys looked to each other, and fled into the forests. The rest just stood there and consider the unicorn’s words. He was right; they had no reason to trust him. But there was something in his speech that made them believe in what he had to say. And he was right about the Lunar Republic; they would be slaves under Glaive’s rule. One of the donkeys stood and spoke for the group.
“We’ll follow you,” said the donkey. “But if you stab us in the back, Celestia help you, I will dedicate my soul to revenge.” Iron Pick nodded.
“And I would deserve it,” he replied. “Come my brothers; lend me a yoke. We’ve got to get to Canterlot.
…
Muffins and the two griffin chicks were playing hide and go seek in the back rooms of the infirmary. Each was a spitting image of their mother: fuzzy and feathery, with bright blue eyes and orange beaks. The children dashed around the halls of the clinic, and filled the rooms beyond with the echoes of carefree laughter. In the front room, Gladus applied a poultice to Constance’s wings. She winced as the griffon pulled a few damaged feathers.
She wasn’t in that bad of shape, and she’d probably be able to fly sometime tomorrow. Until then, they’d have to travel along the ground. When Bard explained how they’d gotten up the spire, she was even more impressed by Star Heart’s magic then she had been previously. That unicorn could apparently work wonders. When she asked about Heart Chase, she was only met with shrugs of indifference.
“She’s a traitor,” said Bard. “We can’t trust her to help us, and we can’t imagine that she’ll come to help us either.”
“Aren’t you a traitor too?” asked Ridgeline. “You were part of the Lunar Rebellion, weren’t you?” Bard fell silent in his admonishment of Heart Chase. The stallion had a point. Still, the prospect of stranding her in Hoofswell had crossed his mind. Bard may have been a traitor, but he had been on the losing side of that conflict, which made it sort of alright years later. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.
A thump and shuffle from the hall outside set the room on high alert. Gladus huddled the children in the back while Talos went out to investigate the noise. The griffin peered down the aisle of holes along the balcony of the dome. From the level above came the sound of metal on stone. Something heavy was headed for the prison levels.
“I think we should leave now,” said Talos. “If you ponies can cloud walk, there’s an exit one level below us. We should be okay, so long as whatever is up there doesn’t make a u-turn.”
The herd fluttered and shuffled out of the clinic and down the stairs to an open door. The ponies stared out into the dissipating fog bank for a moment. It seemed spongy, and not nearly as solid as it had on the journey here. Not only that, it was beginning to get dark. Bard cursed these short northern days, and the chill weather that was sapping the cloud’s density. The ponies moved out into the clouds, and immediately began to descend. The clouds just weren’t dense enough to hold the magic of the boots very well, and Bard cursed himself for leaving the fog stone running. It was probably depleted by now, and they’d have a hell of a time navigating to the bottom if they were sliding around like a foal on ice skates.
After about twenty seconds of sliding down, the clouds stopped supporting their weight entirely. The earth pony and unicorn dropped ten feet onto the bottom platforms of the dome. Constance glided to the bottom platform, and Muffins fluttered down to the herd with a grin.
“Silly,” she said. “That’s not how you cloud walk.”
As the griffins began to take flight, another noise, this one a shuffling and windy whisper, echoed from the level below the exit. Talos nodded to Manus. As the rest of the griffons left, Talos crept down the stairs to investigate the noise. He reached the platform for the next level, and glanced into the dome. Nothing there. He was about to head back up the stairs, when he felt the air inside the dome chill from balmy to icy. The griffin froze in place as the black tendrils closed in around his claws.
It was the blood curdling screams that alerted Heart Chase to the presence of someone else in the dome. She had made it to the empty detention levels, and was getting ready to turn around when the cries of anguish echoed through the dome. They weren’t the screams of a pony; they were something else entirely. She galloped down the stairs to investigate, praying that whoever was in pain wasn’t her friends.
The ponies had walked back inside the dome to avoid outside detection. The clouds were settling down into the valley, though they were about fifty feet of open air between them and the clouds. They’d have to wait for the griffons to lower them. The ponies heard the scream coming from the stairs, and immediately surrounded Muffins. Muffins hugged the leg of the pegasus as the sounds of a hundred pairs of beating wings filled the skies outside, and the sounds of hundreds of marching hooves echoed from the center of the dome.
From the center of the dome, tendrils of black smoke snaked from the massive hole in the floor. Hundreds of ponies, each darkened and emaciated as if they had been consumed by fire and resurrected, shuffled from the hole in the ground. A wisp of black smoke drifted in from the stairs to join the miasma of black fog that began to take shape upon the floor of the dome.
Before their eyes, the shape of a massive black griffin formed, and coalesced into being. His form was gaunt, skeletal almost, and his wings were a menagerie of multicolored feathers that had once belonged to pegasi. Across his chest were massive scars where feathers no longer grew, and adorning his flank were thousands of cuts that dripped with ichor. Plates of a familiar silver armor had fused with the griffon’s body along his arms and back like some macabre body modification. His voice was little more than a harsh breeze filtered through a fan, but it boomed and echoed through the dome as if delivered by a beast ten times his size.
“I am the Phantasm,” said the creature “I will come to Canterlot and take the sun, as I took the moon. All share fear, and all shall obey.”
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Vanner
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860
| 15 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
|
complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:35:52+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:35:52+00:00
| 2,419 |
Chapter Fourteen: The Battle of Nightmares
Bard really tried to keep it together, but behind the bravado he was a coward at heart. Despite his friendship to the ponies that stood with him, the unicorn turned tail and fled. He dove off the side of the spire, and hoped for the best among the clouds below. The other ponies were about to follow suit when the deafening flap of a hundreds of wings filled the foggy sky. Hundreds more emaciated griffins emerged from the fog like a swarm of hornets. The ponies backed away from the exit as they descended upon the spire to block every single exit. Manus’s family dropped to the platform and scampered inside with the ponies as the shrieks and squawks of the black swarm drowned out every other thought. They five adults corralled the children to the center of them, and prepared to fight.
Ridgeline assessed the situation. With the hundreds of ponies that had taken formation behind Phantasm, and the hundreds of griffins outside, there was no chance for them. Even if he lost control, he maybe could take out a few dozen, but even he would fall eventually. Still it might be enough if he could clear a path for the rest of his herd.
“They’re not attacking,” said Constance. Ridgeline glanced at the griffins that blocked the exits. They were unmoving, except for the screeching of terror. The blackened ponies also stood unmoving, as if waiting for Phantasm to give them the word to destroy. The emaciated griffin unfurled his multicolored wings and chuckled at the ponies.
“Come ponies,” he whispered. “Join my army. There is a place in the court of Phantasm for you all. I will take your princess, and I will remember those who have helped me.” Ridgeline pushed the herd behind him as he approached the nightmare griffin.
“I don’t know who you are,” he said, “and I don’t care where you’ve come from. The griffins are my enemies; they’ve killed everyone I’ve ever loved. So if you think I’m going to join you, you’ve got another thing coming.” He stomped a hoof. “I swear on Celestia’s horn that you will not lay a talon on my friends.”
Phantasm chuckled at the bravado of the stallion, and let a cloud of black tendrils roll from the smoke around his feet. The tendrils crept across the floor, and wrapped in an oily mist around Ridgeline’s fetlocks.
“Stupid pony,” snickered the nightmare. “You will join me whether you want to or not. I am the Phantasm, and all will obey.”
The smoke rose in an oily cloud to overtake Ridgeline. Gladus gasped in horror while Manus covered his children’s eyes. They knew what was coming, and even if they couldn’t stop it from happening to them, they could at least shield their child from the horror for another moment.
As the cloud dissipated around Ridgeline, the armored stallion stood unphased by the dark magics. His grey eyes only stared into the bright glow of Phantasm’s eyes. For a moment, he swore Phantasm looked shocked.
The griffins stared in amazement. There should have been screaming as Phantasm took his soul. The copper coated stallion should resembled the charred husks of ponies that stood as a legion behind the nightmare griffin. Instead he stood defiant of the nightmare griffin. The demon Phantasm had been unable to take control of Ridgeline.
“Is that the best you’ve got?” asked Ridgeline.
Phantasm’s scream sent the ponies and griffins to the ground, holding their ears. The deafening scream shook the very walls of the dome, and rattled debris from the ceiling of the chamber. Ridgeline only stood in defiance of the beast and his roar. An unchivalrous thought passed through his head that told him to attack while the beast was trying to scare him. He thought it was a damn good idea. Ridgeline barreled at the nightmare griffin with the cry of Celestia on his lips.
The blades adorning Ridgeline’s fetlocks swiped through the feathers of Phantasm as a colt ploughs through a piñata. The impossible strength of Ridgeline took the creature by surprise, and knocked him off balance. Phantasm stumbled backwards and fell down the open hole where he had emerged. There wasn’t enough room for him to spread his wings, and the shadow griffin plummeted into the spire. Ridgeline only scoffed. So much for Phantasm. He turned his attention the shrieking griffons outside when a rush of oily smoke shot past him and toward his friends.
Ridgeline jumped atop the cloud. His magic boot s found purchase in the smoky demon and shoved it to the floor inches away from his companions.
“Run, damn it!” yelled Ridgeline.
The griffins and ponies bolted for the stair case and began winding their way upstairs as the griffin again coalesced into form. Ridgeline brought down both hooves in an overhead smash that drove the demon’s head into the floor. The silver helm of the demon staved under the attack and Ridgeline pressed the advantage. He turned and bucked the shadow griffin in the beak, sending shattered pieces of it flying.
“Not so tough are you?” taunted Ridgeline. “I recognize your armor, fiend. You’re no Nightmare Moon. Your demon is trapped on the moon and it left your body to rot here.”
“Nightmare Moon was a part of me before she left for that bitch goddess of yours!” shrieked Phantasm. “I will again have the body of a goddess, and I will kill all those who stand in my way!”
The griffin swiped at Ridgeline with talons that caught in his armor. The creature drug Ridgeline across the floor with his massive size, and threw the pony into the lines of the ponies that waited behind him. Ridgeline flattened a unicorn that didn’t so much as squeak in protest. They simple stood there, as if nothing around them mattered at all. Ridgeline shook off the beating, and stood again.
Phantasm plowed through the line of ponies as if they were a field of bowling pins. Ridgeline ducked under the snapping beak, and bucked the griffon in the chest. His hooves caught in the breastplate of the beast, and sent it spiraling out of the crowd of charred ponies. Ridgeline leapt over the crowd to deliver the final blow to the griffin when it again dispersed into a cloud of oily smoke. Ridgeline snorted and spun to face the cloud
From that cloud of smoke, a talon raked across the front of his barding, and scratched the chest plate. The claws were sharp, but they had no force behind them. Ridgeline almost chuckled; sure he couldn’t do much to a cloud of smoke, but it also couldn’t hurt him. This fight was already over and Phantasm had lost. It wasn’t until the cloud took form again that the stallion realized how wrong he had been.
The cloud weaved around Ridgeline as if it were a humming bird. It paused to take shape again, and battered the stallion with furious kicks, or a scything talon. It moved with the nimbleness of a butterfly, dodging and weaving away from Ridgeline’s thundering hooves, and struck with the force of a wrecking ball, denting his armor, and sending him skidding across the floor. The smoke flitted in front of Ridgeline for a final time, and took on the full griffin form to deliver a two-taloned uppercut that sent Ridgeline down in a heap among the lines of ponies.
Ridgeline tried to stand again. He steadied himself on the flank of a pony that stood there, and readied himself for another beating. He felt weakened by the assaulted, as if each hit had taken from him a part of his being. Maybe it had, but he knew one thing: the griffin was panting. All those fancy tricks with the smoke and claws had worn him out, and it gave Ridgeline a much needed second to breathe. Something caught his eye on the flank of the filly in front of him.
Beneath the char and ash that covered the ponies there were cutie marks. Every pony here had one. They hadn’t been burned. They weren’t dead. They had just been taken over. These ponies were still alive under there. The cutie mark he saw on the flank of the filly in front of him was unmistakable which is why it caught his eye. It was a simple patch of fabric lined along the edges with stitching.
It was his sister. She had been frozen in time as a filly, but it was unmistakably Patches. His family wasn’t dead and the griffins hadn’t killed them. They’d been enslaved for ten years, and it was the doing of this thing that stood before him. Ridgeline narrowed his eyes at the charging Phantasm. In all the years he had been fighting, he had never really hated his enemy, not even the griffins. The demon in his head had always provided whatever anger he felt, but now as unbridled rage filled the stallion, he spit out his mouth guard and bit down on his tongue. As the maddening taste of blood filled his mouth, the demon inside demanded control. For the first time in his life, he welcomed the demon to his mind, and gave him control.
The baying of a nightmare echoed from the dome as the ponies and griffins climbed the stairs to get away from Phantasm. They came at last to a balcony overhanging the dome where they stopped to look down on Ridgeline. He appeared to be battering Phantasm into submission with vicious blow and bites that stained the dome floor with black ichor. So entranced by the copper stallion’s combat, the flock barely heard the approaching shriek of griffins.
A dark griffin nearly twice the size of Ridgeline battered through the throngs of smaller griffins guarding the exits. On either side was another griffin that shared the same burnt feathers and blacked fur of their larger captain. Gladus, Constance, and Manus put themselves between the dark griffins and the children. There was no banter; only the soulless hatred that hung behind glowing black eyes of the griffins. They moved in for the kill and the flock charged in to meet them.
Gladus dodged and weaved around the talon swipes and rear claws of the dark griffin. She ducked under a claw and came up with a talon full of powder from her bag of medicine. Whatever it was, it stuck to the glowing eyes of the dark griffin and sent it shrieking backwards in pain. Gladus charged the beast and tore through its feathers protecting its neck with a single swipe. The dark griffin swatted with a useless talon as the griffoness clamped her beak across its neck. In a spray of black ichor, the griffin thrashed and squawked in terror. Gladus swiped a talon across the griffin’s throat and tore it from his body.
Constance ducked under the talons of the smallest dark griffon. She pivoted with the grace of a dancer and bucked the creature in the beak. Stunned, the griffin stumbled backwards as Constance reared up. A right hoof across the temple sent the beast tumbling to the floor in a heap and Constance assured that it would stay down with another vicious stomp to the head. For as much of a lady as she appeared to be, the rose coated pegasus was certainly unrelenting when pressed. She moved to help Manus with the massive griffin.
Manus had not fared as well against his opponent, and his white feathers had been stained red with his own blood. He stood defiant as the massive griffon battered and clawed at him in a vain attempt to get at the chicks and filly. Manus struck back when he could but the sheer size and strength of the dark griffin was taking its toll, and he wouldn’t be able to stand much longer. The dark griffin raised a talon to strike the final blow when a buck from a rose colored hoof sent him flying.
Heart Chase had heard the baying of terror from far below, and it set her fur standing. She had heard that sound before, and she knew that Ridgeline had lost control. She only hoped that Bard’s trick worked again, and that she would be able to save her friends. The word didn’t even seem contrived anymore. These ponies were her friends. Even if she had lied to them, even if she hadn’t trusted them in the past, they were her friends and she was going to save them all. She barreled out of the stairwell and onto the platform with Constance and some griffin were locked in battle with a massive black griffin. Neither one looked to be doing too well. She continued her gallop across platform and leaped atop the beast.
With a pony on his back, a griffin on each side, and pegasus bucking him the face, the griffin finally began to realize he was losing. He swatted the pegasus away and charged for the children instead. Heart Chase wrapped her arms around the griffin’s giant neck and heaved to the side. Like an out of control bull, he listed to the right, and smashed into the platform in an explosion of feathers. Heart Chase rolled away from the beast, and slid next to Constance. The children scurried into the air behind the griffins.
Among the flying species, attacking the wings was considered poor form and the sign of dirty fight. Heart Chase didn’t know this at all, and had no compunctions about latching her teeth onto the dark griffon’s wing, then breaking it with a vicious kick. The snapping of hollow bones was met with a universal cringe from those with wings and as the beast bellowed in pain, Heart Chase swung herself around to break the other wing. The screeching reached deafening levels as Heart Chase rolled from his back and onto the platform. With the snap of teeth, the armored earth pony grabbed the creature’s broken wing and rolled backward off the platform with him.
Without even thinking, Constance dove off the edge platform after her. Heart Chase kicked free of the beast and into the gliding hooves of the pegasus. She couldn’t fly, especially with the added weight of an armored pony, but she managed to slow their descent. The dark griffon didn’t fare near as well and plummeted to the ground, then through the thin stone floor. Gladus tried to grab Muffins as she barreled over the side after the mares, but the griffin couldn’t lay a talon on the fuzzy filly.
In the mean time, Bard had gathered what nerve he had, and began building a staircase of clouds back to the spire entrance. He prayed to Luna that his friends were still alive, and they wouldn’t hate him for what he’d done. As he jumped to the entrance platform, the massive griffin punched through the floor of the dome, and continued screeching as he fell to his demise. A moment later the two mares floated to the floor, followed by Muffins. They all appeared to be safe and sound.
Behind them, Ridgeline had become a copper blur of blades and teeth. Ichor sprayed the room as the bladed fetlocks of the berserk pony carved through the multicolored wings of Phantasm. The armored plates that had fused with the beast were shattered by the hammer blows of Ridgeline’s hooves, and the creature was barely maintaining a sense of coherence. Ridgeline reared up and stomped the griffin’s head to the ground with both hooves. He raised a bladed fetlock above his head, and brought it down on the feathered neck of the nightmare creature with a sickening crunch of bone and feathers.
From the shattered remains of the creature rolled a cloud of black mist, and the air filled with the screams of souls that left the shattered form of the griffin. Each soul took the form of a pale cloud as it flitted back to its body, and the char began to fall away from every pony and griffin who had suffered under Phantasm’s cruelty. Life filled the dome as the colors returned to those who been taken. Ridgeline looked at the masses of ponies gathered before him, and saw only victims.
There are more now. Kill them all. Let the blood flow. Fill this house with the screams of pain. Those ponies will fight, Kill them first, and then slaughter those who stand there uselessly. Do as I command. I control you.
Bard reached out with his magic and touched upon the mind of his berserk friend. The demon was louder than ever before and the howling insanity forced Bard out of the stallions mind. The shriek that filled his mind sent him to the floor in agony. Ridgeline turned to the unicorn that had tried to shut him down, and charged. The mares moved to defend Bard, knowing they couldn’t stand against the monster that had taken control.
It was Muffins who shot out from behind the mares and slammed into Ridgeline. The fuzzy little pegasus moved with such speed and at just such an angle that she knocked Ridgeline off his hooves and onto his back. She stood atop his chest with a smile.
“You beat him!” she said. “You beat the mean ol’ griffin!”
Kill her. She is the enemy. No one is your friend, kill them all. Start with her, and let the blood flow. She is not your friend.
“SHE IS TOO MY FRIEND!” shrieked Ridgeline. He raised his hooves above the pegasus, and pulled her into an embrace. His eyes drained from black to their sad grey as the demon lost control of his body and let Ridgeline back in. He sobbed as he held the pegasus in his arms. There was something that could beat the demon, so it seemed.
Muffin’s unrelenting gift of friendship had saved them all.
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Vanner
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860
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:35:15+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:35:15+00:00
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Chapter Fifteen: Reunion
For the almost a decade, Ridgeline believed that his surviving the firebombing of Hoofswell had been some sort of cruel punishment for the sins he would later commit in life. In a lot of ways, it would have been easier to have been an orphan from birth than to have your family turned to ash in front of you.
Some ponies had been here since the beginning, while others were here from as recently as a few weeks ago. It was as if the time had stopped for them when the cloud took their souls. Their bodies and minds remained preserved by the dark magic of Phantasm’s demon, just as they had left the world. Ridgeline sat with his pony friends, and stared out at the crowd.
“He told me some things,” said Ridgeline. “He said that Nightmare Moon had been in him until he found Princess Luna. That he was going to march on Canterlot with his army.” He looked to the hundreds of ponies who wandered the dome. “I guess that’s not happening.”
“You could have been killed,” said Heart Chase. “Yah didn’t know how strong Phantasm was, and yah didn’t know that killing him would free all those ponies. Why did you do it?” Ridgeline looked confused at the question.
“You mean you wouldn’t have?” he asked. “Ponies like me are a bit a dozen. We fight, we die, we’re sometimes remembered. I was born to fight.” Heart Chase only shook her head.
“No pony is born to fight,” said Bard. “Something made you the way you are now, but whatever it was, it’s not who yah were meant to be.”
“If I’m not born to fight then who am I?” asked Ridgeline. “Killing’s all I’ve ever been good at. I got my cutie mark for killing a griffin, for Celestia’s sake.”
“So you’ve had a rough time,” said Heart Chase. “Ain’t no one’s life easy, specially not these ponies.” Ridgeline looked out to the crowds. So many faces were indistinct memories from nearly a decade ago, yet here they all stood, as if only their location had changed.
“Do you think we should tell them what’s going on?” asked Ridgeline. “They’ve been enslaved for a decade by that monster. How do you tell a pony something like that?”
“Well, you start with the truth,” said Heart Chase. “Come on, these are yer ponies aren’t they? We can tell them together.” She stood atop the stone cap, and cleared her throat. “If y’all would bring it in here for a minute so we can explain what’s goin’ on here?” bellowed Heart Chase. The ponies stopped wandering in a daze for a moment to look upon the two Celestian Knights who seemed to take charge.
“Now, I know y’all are wonderin’ how you got up here, and what’s goin’ on with all this nonsense,” said Heart Chase. “I ain’t got an explanation fer yah, but it had somethin’ to do with that griffin Phantasm. Ya’ll seemed to wake up when he died, so I’m thinkin’ that’s what happened.”
“Phantasm had taken your souls to try to fill the hole where his should have been,” said Manus. The ponies recoiled at the griffin who stood beside Heart Chase, but she didn’t seem in the least bit worried about him. “For years we brought ponies to him so that he wouldn’t take us instead.” He gestured out to the bewildered griffins behind him. “As you can see, it didn’t work. We let a monster take over our lives, and you have all paid the price for out failure. I’m sorry that we weren’t strong enough to stand up to him, and that it took ponies to show us how much we had failed.” He ceded the floor to Heart Chase.
“Well thank yah,” said Heart Chase. “So that’s what happened, I guess. Now, my friend here says he knew some of yah, and that yah been under that demon’s spell for the past ten years. Equestria has changed a lot since then, and well, it ain’t for the better.” She looked to Ridgeline, who only nodded. “I guess I’m gonna start at the beginning, so if ya’all wanna know, bring it in close cause it’s gonna be a long story.”
For an hour, Heart Chase explained what had happened in the time since their imprisonment. She explained how Luna became tainted by Nightmare Moon, and how two years of the Lunar Rebellion and five years of the goddesses’ absence had left Equestria in tatters. She explained how Hoofswell had become a bitter wasteland of a city, and how the ponies of New Hoofswell had nothing but hate in their hearts.
Heart Chase looked out to the crowd of ponies with a heavy heart. Tears of sorrow filled the eyes of ponies as she explained Celestia’s absence. Others quaked with the fear of the unknown, and still other trembled with rage at what Equestria had become. She took questions from the ponies, and offered what information she could. In a way, she was happy to serve these ponies. Much like foals, the world around them was new and unforgiving. Certainly some of them had decades of experience to help them, but the world outside the spire was a different place from the one they knew, and awaiting them in Hoofswell was hard work and sacrifice to rebuild the world they left behind.
Sitting in a close huddle were five ponies. The two colts had boulder cutie marks and bore muted tan coats, much like their father. The mother bore a scarlet coat, and had a cutie mark of a needle and thread. The youngest child, a copper coated filly, wore a sewn patch on her flank. They were looking for someone among the ponies, but had no luck finding who they were looking for. Ridgeline only watched them with a sad eye. Constance put a hoof on his shoulder, and looked at the family.
“They’re looking for you,” said Constance.
“I know,” replied Ridgeline.
“So go talk to them,” said Constance. “They’ll want to know what’s happened. Everypony here will want to know what’s happened.”
“I can’t,” said Ridgeline. “I’ve become a monster; it’s best they remember me for who I was, rather than what I’ve become.” Constance only shook her head.
“You freed them, Ridgeline,” she said. “Even if you didn’t know what you were fighting for, you saved an city from an eternity of bondage under… whatever that thing was. Look around you. Griffins are apologizing for what happened. Ponies are finding loved ones they thought died years ago. Muffins even found her mother. Everypony here gets a reunion. Why not you too?”
“I’m not worthy,” said Ridgeline. “The only reason I was able to beat that thing was because I’m cursed. My family are rock farmers; I’m a possessed solider. We have nothing in common now, even if we are flesh and blood.” Constance only shook her head, and went to check on Bard.
The unicorn still had an unbelievable headache from the demon’s screech. Blood had matted around his ears, and he had a hard time hearing what Constance was trying to tell him. He thought it weird when she hugged him and said thank you.
“Why?” said Bard. “I ran away like the coward I am. I’ve done absolutely nothing helpful in the past few hours.”
“You came back, that’s why,” said Constance. “You were scared and you ran, sure, but you came back. You wouldn’t abandon your friends, even if you were terrified.” She looked back to Heart Chase. “And I think we both owe her an apology.” Bard nodded, and got to his feet.
Because she wore the armor of a knight and spoke like a politician, many ponies thought that the two knight ponies had been sent to free them by Celestia. She had to explain that again and again that nopony had seen their beloved princess in years. Heart Chase was busy fielding question from the ponies about the state of the world when her friends walked up to her.
“Can we talk?” asked Constance.
“Certainly, citizen,” said Heart Chase. She coughed, and corrected herself. “Sorry ‘bout that. What can I do fer yah?”
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for not believing in you,” said Constance. “When I was captured, I thought Bard would come to my rescue or that Ridgeline would storm the spire to save us.” She looked at the ground. “And they did, but it was you who came for us after all. I didn’t trust you and I didn’t have faith. I’m sorry Heart Chase. I should have known you were a friend.” Heart Chase only shook her head.
“No, I should apologize to you,” she said. “I wasn’t honest with yah about what happened because I didn’t trust you. And I didn’t trust yah because that’s just what ponies do these days. That happens too much, and I let things get the better of me. I’m proud to call you folks my friends, and I’m glad that yer all okay.”
They shared a hug and as they embraced, Muffins came fluttering over to join them. Trailing behind her was a strawberry coated pegasus who was just as fuzzy as her daughter. She approached the three ponies with a bow.
“I understand I have you to thank for rescuing me and my daughter,” said the pegasus. “Is there anything I can do to repay you for what you’ve done?” Constance only shook her head.
“What Muffins has given us is far greater than anything you could possibly reward us with,” said Constance. “Without her, I don’t think we could have stopped Ridgeline. Her relentless friendship is magic in the way it affects ponies. If you would do anything for us, it’d be to make sure she never loses that spirit.” Constance hugged the fuzzy filly. “And maybe get her a coat clipping once spring comes around.”
Bard looked back to Ridgeline as he sat alone near the wall. He was lying with his head in his hooves as he watched a family in the crowd. He looked to them, then back at the stallion. The resemblance was uncanny. Why hadn’t he gone over there? Bard trotted to the family with a smile.
“How are you doing?” asked Bard. “I’m sure this is all kinds of traumatic.”
“We’re fine,” said the stallion. “You didn’t happen to see a copper coated colt with a pile of rocks as his cutie mark, did you?” he asked. “I mean, the rest of us are here, I thought…” his voice trailed off. “Well I don’t know what I thought.”
“You’re looking for Ridgeline, right?”
“Do know what happened to him?” asked the stallion.
“Well, he wasn’t with you when Hoofswell burned,” said Bard. “He survived the firebombing, and he’s spent the past decade being a soldier.” He glanced back at the armored stallion that was fielding questions from some other ponies. “He’s not your little colt anymore. It’s been a rough life for him, and he’s endured things that no pony should have to. What’s happened to him over the past few years has been nothing short of a nightmare, and he thinks he’s a monster for it.” Bard shook his head, and took a deep breath. “Underneath that armor plating is a scared colt who just wants his family back.”
“What’s happened to my little colt?” asked the mare.
“The stuff of nightmares,” said Bard. “He needs a family now. Even if he thinks he’s unworthy, he needs you.”
…
Iron Pick pulled as hard as any of the donkeys that hauled the carts through the woods. He’d occasionally stop to blast a path for them with a swipe of his horn, but he pulled his own weight and more, as if he was trying to prove that he wasn’t just full of lies and broken promises. They didn’t complain.
The wagon train of war machines crested a final hill and came to the edge of the treeline. They had cleared the Everfree forest in a single night by destroying half the cargo, and taking shifts. Below them was the tiny hamlet of Ponyville, and few hours walk beyond that, the city of Canterlot. The donkies gasped in amazement at the castle’s moonlit silhouette. Most have never come this far east, and they certainly had never seen the castle on such a beautiful fall evening. If it weren’t for the visage of Nightmare Moon glaring upon them from the heavens, they’d almost say it was peaceful. Iron Pick slowed to a stop and unhitched his cart.
“I’m going to head into town, and see if I can scare up some food for us all,” said Iron Pick. “Stay here, and wait for me, but if you hear trouble start heading for Canterlot. I shouldn’t be more than an hour.” With that, the unicorn trotted down the hill, and into the hamlet.
Ponyville was a quiet and unassuming settlement on the edge of the Everfree forest. It used to be that it sat on an endless plain, just another insignificant speck on the map of Equestria. But with the expansion of the Everfree forest, and the new capital of Canterlot, the town began to grow as an important stopping point for ponies on their way anywhere. Iron Pick came to the door of an inn, and stepped inside.
It was quiet here. There were two mules sitting in silent misery at corner table. Iron Pick ignored them, and rapped a hoof on the counter. A purple unicorn stallion poked his head up from beneath the bar, and blinked the sleep from his eyes. Iron Pick only cocked an eyebrow and sighed.
“I need a day’s food and water for a dozen donkeys,” said Iron Pick.
“That’s a lot of supplies for one pony,” yawned the unicorn. “You gonna carry that yourself?”Iron Pick cursed himself for not bringing the cart. Then again, all of the carts were full of siege engine parts, so perhaps it’s best that he didn’t. He looked to the mules a moment, and walked over to them.
“Are you gentlecolts interested in making a few bits?” asked Iron Pick. The mule looked over the armored unicorn with a skeptical eye.
“What do you need?” asked the mule.
“I need supplies carried about a half mile out of town to my wagon train,” said Iron Pick. “I’ll pay you both ten bits.”
“Why should we trust a unicorn?” said the other mule.
“Because I’m just passing through,” said Iron Pick. “It’s an easy ten bits; do you want the money or not?” The mules shrugged and collected the supplies the inn keep brought up from the basement. Iron Pick tossed a few bits at the unicorn and was headed for the door when the inn keep spoke up again.
“Anypony tell you that look like a demon in that armor?” he asked.
“That’s probably because the owner of it is a demon,” said Iron Pick.
He left the inn with the two mules at his sides. Though it was a short walk, the mules pestered him about why he was carrying so many supplies out to the edge of the forest. Their tone worried Iron Pick, as it was one of fear rather than curiosity. Had unicorns become such a boogie-pony among other equines that they couldn’t be trusted at all? The fact that mules and donkeys thought he was a monster just because of his horn made him fearful for the future. If the equines couldn’t trust each other, then what hope was there for Equestria even if Heart Chase and the other ponies managed to figure out how to bring Celestia back?
They arrived at the wagon train and unloaded the supplies they had brought. The mules questioned why an armored unicorn was leading a wagon train made entirely of donkeys toward Canterlot. Iron pick shrugged and offered an explanation.
“Things are going to get ugly in the next day or two,” said Iron Pick. “I only hope I can put a stop to this madness before it gets out of control and destroys Equestria.”
“What does that mean?” asked the mule.
“It means that war is coming,” said Iron Pick. “A battle for Canterlot is coming through the forest, and without equines fighting as one, Canterlot will fall. If you value Equestria at all, you’ll gather anyone willing to fight, and join us.” Iron Pick levitated his yoke over his head. “If not, then I suggest you find a nice basement to cower in, because an army is headed this way. We’ll see you in Canterlot. Move out!”
The wagons rolled again as the herd of donkeys marched toward the castle. The mules looked at each other a moment, then back to Iron Pick as he led the train away from Ponyville into the mountains of Canterlot. The grey mule turned and started galloping for home.
“Where are you going?” asked the brown mule.
“That pony was right; Equestria needs everyone,” said the grey mule. “You saw the knights coming back through here. You know as well as I do that war is coming.”
“What if those donkeys were slaves?” asked the brown mule.
“When’s that last time you saw a unicorn in a yoke?” asked the grey mule.
…
Glaive stared at the bodies of the ponies that hung from the tree with maddening rage. These four so called officers had been duped so easily by Iron Pick that they gave up the siege weapons they were hauling and just walked straight north to meet the rest of the army. He had personally choked the life out of the commander pegasus, but had the body hung with the other officers from the company to demonstrate to everypony in his army the price of failure. As for the rest of the company, they had followed orders like obedient soldiers, and obedience was all he asked of his grunts. He turned away from the hanging ponies as they struggled for life.
“Now we see the price of failure,” said Glaive to his assembled army. “These ponies have let the enemy escape with support that would have aided us in victory. Because of the actions of these four ponies, more of our lives will be lost.” He shook his head and raised a hoof to the sky. “I urge you to examine your ranks. Look upon your squads and companies for signs of failure, and ferret out those who are weak. Push them to the front so that they may die first, and let those ponies who know what it means to be free stand victorious at the end of the day!”
The crowd cheered at the unicorn’s words. Glaive simply stared out at the crowd. It wasn’t the loss of the siege weapons that bothered him so much as it was Iron Pick was running around with his body. It meant that he had either escaped or that the ponies of Bridleburg knew of the switch. Either way, there was no turning back. It was either victory now, or utter annihilation. With so many ponies at his disposal and with his network of conspirators in place, victory was all but assured. Daisy Lane would still open the gates, and the army of Bridleburg would lay waste to meager forces of Celestia’s Knights.
After that, the fighting would stop, just as Celestia had asked. There may have been a few fires to put out in the mean time, but Glaive was patient pony. The Griffin War would be settled by welcoming Phantasm to the capital, and killing him once he got there. He’d need a berserker, but there was sure to be a pony among his ranks that would take a demon seed. Maybe he’d create a dozen, and use them as hammers of destruction to enforce his will across Equestria. Regardless, once that war was over, Celestia would show herself again, and that’s when Glaive could truly claim the throne for his queen. He smiled, and looked back to the crowd.
“Soliders!” he said. “We stand united against the tyranny and oppression of the bureaucrats of Canterlot. But because of these ponies that hang behind me, Canterlot knows now that we are coming, and every hour we give them to prepare is another dozen lives lost. I know you are tired, and that you yearn for rest, but we must march through the night. We will rest in the towns we come upon, and recruit their populations to our cause. Those who are not with us are against us, and will be used as fodder against those who stand against freedom. Gather your tents, brothers and sisters, we march on the hour!”
The army dispersed to gather their belongings as Glaive marched to his own tent. Crews of ponies were busy gathering his things while Apple Chase yelled orders. She smiled as Glaive walked into the tent.
“On the bright side,” said Apple Chase, “If he’s out here alone, that means that everypony else is dead.” Glaive raised a suspicious eyebrow to the earth pony.
“Why would you think that?” asked Glaive. “It’s equally possible that your brat niece is fully aware the situation, and let him out in the first place. It could have been any one of them.” He looked out to the woods with a disgusted sigh. “There are a lot of ponies I regret not killing, but this one really takes the cake. Then again, if I had killed him, I’d be stuck in the decrepit body until I could find another one. Ah, well, such is life.” He put an arm around Apple Chase and waved out at the forest. “I really hope once we’re at peace that this damnable forest stops growing. I’d hate to have set fire to an entire region of Equestria.”
“Peace is only a few days away, my dear,” replied the mare. “Personally, I can’t wait to be fitted for a crown. I’m thinking platinum.”
Glaive only smiled at his princess. What waited ahead was the salvation of Equestira. In his hooves, the country would rise to new heights as they awaited the return of Nightmare Moon.
…
Morning light broke upon the tundra of the Griffon Kingdom, and from the spire flew the griffins that returned ponies to the ground. Each and every pony wondered at how the world would see them after all those of enslavement under Phantasm. It was an entire population that had been lost in time; would they be able to survive in the turbulent times that awaited them in Hoofswell?
The griffins had made peace with ponies of Hoofswell, and vowed to return in the spring to help with the weather. Heart Chase had made the negotiations, and created a contract with Manus and Gladus to seal the deal. She had never had a non-pony friend before, and found that the griffins weren’t as bad as the legends had made them out to be. Much like ponies, all they sought was a family to love, and a place to call their own. With the rookery restored, and families brought back together, they could be happy again, and they could help Hoofswell to be happy too.
Ridgeline had spent the night with his family, regaling them with story of the world as it was, and of his place in it. The listened for hours as he described the aftermath of the firebombing, and how years of memories were missing from his childhood. His mother didn’t care that he barely remembered her; she only wanted to hold her child, and weep for his pain. They had begged him to come with them back to Hoofswell so they could be a family again, even if they had lost ten years of time.
“I can’t,” said Ridgeline. “Our goddess needs us, and much as I want to stay here with all of you, I have to do my part to keep every family safe. There’s a war coming to Equestria, and it’s up to us to stop it.” Patches hugged her brother as the tears rolled down her face.
“I don’t want you to go,” she said. “You’re my big brother, I don’t want you to get hurt.” Ridgeline hugged his sister back, and let her cry.
“I promise I’ll come back,” said Ridgeline. “There’s nothing in Equestria that can keep me away.”
Heart Chase watched the family reunion with a tear. It made her think of her own family, and how much she missed her sisters. If they lived through this, she vowed to make every moment with her family count, and to not take them for granted ever again. She remembered the stuffed rabbit in her satchel, and brought it to Patches. The filly looked at the stuffed bunny cautiously.
“Your big brother had this,” she said. “He told me it remind him of you. You should keep it safe for him until he gets back.” The filly took the toy and held it against her chest. She smiled at Heart Chase and ducked back behind her family.
The ponies made their way to the stone riser where Bard was busy carving the compass they needed to teleport away. With a wave of his horn, the stone powdered away in long lines and curves as his magic weaved around the stone. Muffins and her mother fluttered up to them.
“Muffins wanted to say goodbye to you before you left,” said the strawberry pegasus. The fuzzy filly fluttered up to Constance, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Mommy said you should kiss the ponies you love,” said Muffins. “And I love you because you kept me safe even when things were really scary.” She fluttered to Ridgeline, and kissed his forehead. “And I love you too, because you saved Mommy from the griffin. When I grow up, I’m going to be as brave as you,” she said. “Maybe I won’t fight monsters like you do, but I’ll still be brave.” She hugged Bard, who tried to act annoyed but ultimately smiled. “And you’re a big meanie but you still came back for us. That makes you okay.” She came at last to Heart Chase. She wrapped her fuzzy little arms around the armored mare, and smiled.
“I hope you get to go home safe, Miss Heart Chase,” said Muffins. “Come back and visit sometime if you can.”
“We will,” said Heart Chase. “We all will.”
With that, the ponies took their places on the platform as Bard began to weave his spell. In his mind, he pictured the basement of a place he hadn’t been in seventeen years. He remember the musty smells, and the weeping walls of his childhood basement where he and his brother would play. Memories of happier times filled his head as the world tilted away, and in a flash of light, the four ponies disappeared.
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Vanner
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860
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Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
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<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:36:58+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:36:58+00:00
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Chapter Sixteen: Brother Against Brother
As the caravan walked into the sun rise, Iron Pick stopped to doff his helm and really look at the city of Canterlot. Untouched by the Lunar Rebellion, it stood as a glorious monument to the arts and architecture of ponies from all over Equestria. From the Hoofswell marble spires, to the Bridleburg granite walls, the city seemed to sing with the harmony of a united Equestria.
Underneath the glamour and beauty of the city were the dark undercurrents of political dealings that had brought Iron Pick and indeed the entire civil war to its doorstep. Inside the city’s walls were the ponies that decided that path of Equestria. Ponies who wanted to be Celestia, and rule the country in their vision. Iron Pick used to be one of those ponies; now he just wanted the fighting to stop.
Surrounding the outside gates of Canterlot were half a dozen Knight of Celestia, each armored in the crested bronze helms of the sun goddess. As the donkeys approached, they formed a barrier into the city. Iron Pick stepped forward, and bowed to the soldiers.
Upon seeing the distinctive armor of Glaive, the ponies immediately surrounded Iron Pick and called for reinforcements. Within seconds, a dozen more ponies of all races had arrived and stood threatening the donkeys with their bladed boots. Iron Pick only held up his hooves in surrender.
“I come bearing news of grave importance,” said Iron Pick. “The army of Bridleburg marches toward Canterlot as we speak. As a sign of good faith, I have brought weapons stolen from Bridleburg in order to defend Canterlot. I will speak to General Cherry Snap about what I know, and I will speak only to him.”
“General Cherry Snap is dead,” spat one of the ponies. “And I know who you are; I’d recognize that armor anywhere. You’re Glaive, the butcher of the Everfree Castle.”A murmur ran through the guards ponies that sounded a lot a suggestion to just kill him where he stood. He raised his hooves in surrender again.
“I am not who I appear to be,” said Iron Pick. “If you’ll just…”
A hoof to the back of the head sent Iron Pick to the ground in a heap. A massive grey earth pony slung the unconscious unicorn over his back, and marched off into the city with his prisoner. The remainder of the Knights secured the donkeys in irons, and marched them toward the city prision for questioning and processing. The few that were left lifted the tarps on the wagons to reveal pieces of siege engines, and ammunition.
“You think he was telling the truth?” asked one of the knights.
“Hell of a thing to lie about, don’t you think?” asked the other.
…
The basement sighed with a rush of arctic air as the four ponies popped into being. Bard sparked his horn to shed light on the basement. He looked around a moment at the cobwebbed walls of the root cellar; they had grown thick with roots, and spiders as large as a hoof scurried away from the appearing ponies. Bard walked up the stone staircase to the rotten door
The house was nothing like he remembered it. Long gone were the fineries of the home that once he knew, only to be replaced with the incursion of the Everfree Forest. What little sun there was filtering through the trees shone through the shattered glass of the north windows. Covering the floors and stone furniture were a fine layer of moss that deadened every sound the ponies made as they came into the home. Bard looked around for a moment, and walked outside.
Around the home were the depths of the Everfree forest. Tree that had been saplings but a year ago stood full size, and dared anyone to try to encroach on their territory. Vines grew about the outside of the house, and roots pushed up the stone walk that lead to a small path through the forest. The sounds of the forest echoed around the ponies as they began to walk.
“I grew up here,” said Bard. “Just outside of a tiny town called Ponyville. We’ll be passing through it in about an hour, but there’s really nothing there of interest. Unless you count my mother.”
“I thought your dad was a diplomat?” asked Constance. “Why didn’t you live in Everfree City?”
“Because this was halfway between Canterlot and the Everfree Castle,” said Bard. “Now it’s inside the Everfree forest, and soon to be reclaimed by the land.” He looked back to the home as a swath of shingles fell from the roof. “Going to have to find a new spot to teleport to.”
The ponies walked in silence for a half an hour till they came to the edge of the woods, and into the clearing above the village of Ponyville. Below them were the dozen or so houses that made up the town, including one that Bard said he needed to visit before going on to Canterlot. The ponies agreed, and they trotted into the town.
Ponyville was a simple village, really. Dirt roads, simple farms, a single inn that served as a general store for the ponies of the village were all that occupied the hamlet. The town had no claim to fame other than its annual Winter Wrap up event. That a pony from the outside world could be from here was surprise enough, but that ponies like Bard and Glaive came from such humble beginnings seemed impossible. The herd walked through the streets till they came at last to a tiny house along the road to Canterlot. Bard knocked, and let himself inside.
Curled napping in a rocking chair was a mare who’s sky blue coat and grey mane were distinctly familiar. To anyone looking at the two unicorns, it was obvious who the elderly mare was. Bard again knocked on the doorframe to awaken the mare. She sat up and blinked at the ponies.
“Huh? Who is…” she squinted a bit as her eyes came to focus. What she saw was a sky blue unicorn flanked by a pegasus and two Celestian Knights. She jumped to her feet as every loose object in the room levitated off the floor. “I knew this day would come! Equestria’s falling apart and all you have time for is harassing an old mare for being a cook?”
“Mom, no!” said Bard. “Put that stuff down. These are my friends. They’re not really Knights; they just borrowed the armor. Heart Chase, Constance, Ridgeline; this is Glittershine, my mother.” The elderly mare glared at Ridgeline and Heart Chase for a moment before setting the room back in place.
“Friends, eh?” asked the Mare. “Well, come on in then. Have you dears had lunch yet?” With the stiffness of arthritis slowing her walk to just short of a shuffle, she walked into the kitchen to prepare carrots and tubers for the ponies.
“I’m afraid we can’t really stay,” said Bard. “I just wanted to stop by and say hello since I was in the area.”
“And what are you doing here?” asked the mare. “Picking up the act again? Your brother will be so happy to hear that. I think I still have your cape and hat in storage. Oh, it’ll be so wonderful to see you two together again performing for ponies the world over.” She beamed with delight as she filled plates with food. “And these ponies are part of your troupe?” She spotted Constance’s bandanna and distinctive earrings. “And a gyspy! Oh my stars and garters, I haven’t seen a gypsy in almost twenty years. I thought your kind was all but gone from Equestria.”
“No, ma’am,” said Constance. “We’ve taken to the seas and the tropics since the war, but we’re still around.”
Bard’s mother ushered the ponies into the kitchen against their will and heaped food in front of them. She peppered them with questions about how their travels were going, and what sort of act they were putting together. For the most part she ignored their insistence that they weren’t a troupe, and told them at length how wonderful it was that her sons were getting the show back together. She regaled the ponies with embarrassing stories of the brother’s misdeeds, and of Bard’s accident prone childhood. The unicorn stood there in angry silence as she talked for nearly an hour about how much the brothers loved each other, and how, even though they always roughhoused, they still made a great act together.
Bard eventually excused himself from the table, and walked outside to his mother’s garden. When he didn’t come back after a few minutes, Constance followed him outside to find the unicorn pulling weeds with his teeth. Constance blinked a few times at seeing Bard do anything by hoof. She trotted up to him with a reassuring smile.
“It’s not that bad,” said Constance. “We’ve all got embarrassing parents. Did I ever tell you the time…”
“It’s not about that,” snapped Bard. “She’s just so blind sometimes. Every one of those funny stories, every tidbit about Glaive and I getting into trouble? Nine times out of ten Glaive was trying to kill me. He always got away with it because Dad was too busy trying to make ends meet, and Mom is just… well she’s Mom. She doesn’t want to see that her sons has become a murderer.” He tore another weed from the garden. “You know she was with us in the early days of the Rebellion? She cooked for the troops. Not because she believed in Nightmare Moon’s message, but because she wanted to make sure every pony to have a warm bed and a hot meal. I sent her home once the fighting started because I knew that the war was going to change us all. I didn’t want that for her. She loves everyone, no matter what they believe, or who they are, or even what they’ve done.” He grabbed at another weed and tore it from the ground. “I love my mom, but that she can just gloss over what’s Glaive’s done with his life…”
“That’s what a mother’s supposed to do,” said Constance. “That’s actually what all ponies are supposed to do. You said it yourself: we’re herd creatures, we need each other to survive. It’s kind of sad that our generation has lost sight of that and we revel in killing each other instead of being friends.” Bard stopped pulling weeds and listened to what Constance was saying. “I don’t know how this is going to end, and I know Heart Chase and Quill and Iron Pick all want to see Glaive dead for what he’s done, but there’s always a chance you can save him.” Bard shook his head with a defeated sigh.
“I don’t know,” said Bard. “He and I traveled together for years, but I couldn’t tell you what happened to change everything. We got along when we were kids, but he just started hating me after a while. Sure, we were a good act together, and so long as we stayed away from each other outside the shows, we were fine.” He shook his head. “But when we learned of the Lunar Rebellion, he jumped at the chance to fight. He seemed so proud that he was going do something other than being a stage magician.” Bard just sighed. “I just don’t know. Maybe he had something to prove. Maybe he thought dad wasn’t proud of us. Maybe my brother really is a lunatic. Whatever it is, I’ve got to stop him.”
“You mean we’ve got to stop him,” said Constance. “Didn’t Muffins teach you anything? We’re friends, and friends stick together.” She ruffled his mane with a wing. “Besides you still owe me money.”
“I suppose you’re right,” said Bard as he looked into the sky. The sun was just past noon, and the chill of September was picking up in the winds. “We’d better get going if we want to make Canterlot by dusk. There’s no telling how far away Glaive’s army is, and that’s about the last thing I want to run into on the road.”
They left Glittershine’s cottage after thanking the mare for the lunch and stories. With Canterlot in sight, the ponies cantered along the mountain roads that lead from Ponyville to the capital. They were about halfway there when they came upon another group of travelers headed to the capital. The ranks of that herd were made of two dozen mules and donkeys that had gathered up their farm tools, and donned whatever protection they could find in order to march to the capital. Bard slowed to a walk, and approached the mule leading the herd. His name was Cabrera.
“Where are you going with this herd?” asked Bard.
“There’s an army approaching,” said Cabrera. “I met a unicorn last night that told me about it. Come to think of it, he looked a lot like you, but he was wearing this dark armor. Looked like a Rebel if you ask me. He could have been your brother, actually.”
“It probably was,” said Bard. “Where was he headed?”
“Same place we are, but he had a dozen donkeys hauling carts,” said Cabrera. “I gathered up who was willing to fight and assembled a militia. Ponyville’s not going to be a target, so I figured we might as well aide the capital while it’s still standing.” Bard only nodded, and the ponies joined the herd of militia headed to the capital.
The city of Canterlot came into view as the herd rounded a mountain pass. The city had been built along the edge of a cliff of marble and stone from all over Equestria. The high city walls stood as a barrier to the world as the knights lining the parapets stared into the valley below. Behind the walls were the spires and towers of the city, all teeming with the life and commerce that made Canterlot the spectacle of unicorn engineering praised the world over. Further still at the edge of the cliff lay the palace where Celestia had locked herself away from the world. The herd slowed to a halt as the city gate closed, and a rank of Knights approached the herd.
“What is the meaning of this?” asked the unicorn. “You there, Knights. Why are you traveling with this rabble?” Ridgeline and Heart Chase turned to look at each other. Was he talking to them? He was, and they both fumbled for answers a moment before Heart Chase took charge.
“These here irregulars have volunteered to fight against the invadin’ army coming in from the east,” said Heart Chase. “They’re from Ponyville and the surroundin’ areas, and they ain’t willin’ to let Canterlot to fall.”
“This is the second report of an army approaching from the east,” said the Knight. “I thought Bridleburg forces had stopped at Everfree City, but apparently they mean to take the capital.” He looked up at the troops, and spotted Bard among their ranks. He pointed a hoof at him. “Who is that unicorn?”
“His name is Bard,” said Heart Chase. “Used to be a magician, now he’s travelin’ with me. Why?” The knight looked again at Heart Chase, this time with a far more skeptical eye. After a moment, he looked at Ridgeline.
“Wait a minute, I know you,” said the Knight. “You’re that berserker. Who’d you kill to get that armor?”
“I didn’t kill anypony,” said Ridgeline. “I was loaned the armor by…”
“A likely story,” said the Knight. “Seize these ponies. Take the irregulars and integrate them with the milita and the donkeys that were taken into custody last night.” The knights moved in to surround the four ponies. “Put them with Glaive. We’ll have to bring in the Inquisitor.”
…
The army of Bridleburg rolled through the Everfree forest like a boulder down a hill, cutting through the dense forest in a massive swath fueled by fire and unicorn magic. Every pony was tired of marching, but as the sun began to set, they came at last to the edge of the forest. Glaive signaled a halt, and the troops happily came to a stop inside the woods.
As he looked out into the sloping plains of Ponyville, Glaive caught sight of Canterlot Castle in the atop the mountain in the distance, and smiled. Ahead lie the prize of a nation, just as Nightmare Moon promised all those years ago. Tonight they would rest. Tomorrow the city would fall beneath the hooves of the Lunar Rebellion.
Truthfully, he was looking forward to being done once and for all with the fighting. So many wars over the years had drained Equestria’s spirit and ponies everywhere were at each other’s throats for the most petty of things. With the rise of the Lunar Republic and a strong leader like Glaive, the fighting would end. With no more fighting. Celestia would return from her exile. Then would come the hard part. Glaive felt a shudder of terror roll down his spine as he thought about what awaited him.
Even if he was the most powerful mage in Equestria, taking on Celestia head to head would be dangerous, and there was no guarantee of success if she was prepared. What Glaive really needed was his body back. This old stallion’s frame wasn’t really up for such a draining task, and he was growing tired of waking up every morning in pain. He stared out of woods and into the city of Canterlot.
If he knew Iron Pick at all, he’d be there, though if he’d been dumb enough to go in like the diplomat he was, he was probably under arrest. Glaive had to chuckle. Even with all the aggravation of this old form, at least this body wasn’t a wanted criminal. Not yet anyway. He almost didn’t hear the pony coming up behind him.
“Sir,” said the caramel coated earth pony. “I’ve received a message from Daisy Lane.” Glaive floated the scroll to up to his face, and read it quickly. He smiled, and began to laugh. Just as expected, Iron Pick had gone in like a hero and tried to save Equestria. Glaive sighed with joy at the message, then turned to the earth pony.
“I am headed to Canterlot to change things up, if you know what I mean,” said Glaive. “You have full control of the army, Caramel. If Stalliongrad forces are on time, they should be ready to converge with our troops at dusk tomorrow.”
“Understood,” said Carmel Snack. “What shall I ask to make sure it’s you?” Glaive thought for a moment as he stared out at the hamlet of Ponyville below. A glimpse of a small cottage caught his eye.
For a moment, it was twenty years ago. Two brothers stood atop this same hill staring into the valley below. They had stayed out late to watch the meteor shower, and catch flakes of the falling stars that fell upon them like snow. All seemed at peace for the brothers as they fell asleep together on the hillside. In the morning, Bard had awoken his brother, and together, hoof over shoulder, they watched the sun rise over the mountains. Mother had been angry at them for not coming home, but even after all the added chores, it had been worth it to see it all. It was right before Father had become a diplomat, and everything changed. It was the last time he remembered being happy with his family. He still carried with him those flakes of star metal that had fallen from the heavens. Glaive shook his head to drive out the memories.
“Sir?” asked Carmel Snack.
“Oh, right, the question,” said Glaive. “Ask me ‘Who is your mother?’”
“And the answer, sir?” asked Carmel Snack.
“Her name is Glittershine.”
…
The rough cut limestone walls glistened with moisture as the early morning sun poured in through the slits that could generously be called windows. The basement of city hall had been hollowed out into a dungeon of sorts to hold the criminal scum of Canterlot, but since ponies weren’t given to criminal tendencies, the jail was empty save for its five recent guests. The ponies sat in two cells across from each other, the mares in one, the stallions in the other, and Iron Pick occupying his own cell. Heart Chase punched at the wall in frustration.
“This is a buncha horse apples!” she complained. “Here we are tryin’ to save Equestria, and they throw us in jail? Where’s the justice?”
“No good deed goes unpunished,” sighed Bard. “I wonder what their plan is here.” Iron Pick only groaned. Again, he’d suffered a beating at the hands of his captors, and again, he lay upon the floor of his cell. He had never really thought about how terrible it was to be a wanted criminal, and he was glad that he’d lived his life on a fairly straight and narrow path. He rolled into the sunlight and tried to keep warm. Heart Chase continued her tirade about the Knights until the rattle of keys sent her into silence. The clopping of two sets of hooves came down the stairs at the far end of the hallway. Bard reached out with his magic to see who was coming. His mind touched the mare first. She was thinking about how old Glaive looked in that old body he had borrowed.
Bard nearly jumped out of his skin. He waved his horn and with a shimmer of sunlight, he and Heart Chase faded from view. Daisy Lane and Glaive, still in Iron Pick’s body, walked past the cells. Glaive gave them a cursory glance but he saw only Constance and Ridgeline. He paid them no mind as he walked past them and to the cell of Iron Pick.
Heart Chase, don’t move. It’s Glaive. I’ve made us invisible, but it only works if you don’t move. Just stay still, no matter what happens.
“You just couldn’t stay where you were put?” asked Glaive. “This all would have been so much easier if you had just stayed home. Now I’ve got a whole bunch of your loose ends to clean up, in addition to all the other things I have to do to bring peace to Equestria.” He nodded to Daisy Lane, who unlocked the cell door.
Glaive and Daisy Lane stepped inside the cell. With a wave of his horn, Glaive lifted Iron Pick from the floor, and pried open his eyes. They locked eyes for a moment as Glaive began muttering in what seemed like nonsense. Iron Pick felt himself slipping away, and suddenly he was looking at Glaive’s body again. He blinked in surprise. Sure he was old again, but he was back in his body and that’s what really mattered. A hoof to the back of the head sent him to the ground.
“Ugh…” groaned Glaive. “I thought I told you to keep this body in good shape.”
“Sorry, sir,” replied the earth pony. “I’m guessing some of the veterans got wind that you were down here and gave him a working over.”
“No matter,” said Glaive. “Bonesaw will fix me up as he always has. As for this piece of filth…” Glaive again lifted Iron Pick, and slammed him against the wall. “I’m thinking I should kill him before he causes any more problems. Blame it on that massive stallion in the next cell. What do you think?” He turned to Daisy Lane who was staring into space. “I said what do you think?”
Without replying, she lashed out with a jerky but powerful swing that knocked the unicorn off his feet. A kick to the head later, and Glaive lay unconcious on the floor of the dungeon cell. Daisy Lane walked as if on puppet strings to the other cells and unlocked them.
“Ridgeline, I know you’re loathe to hit a woman,” she said to the copper coated stallion. “But if you’d make an exception for this one?” Ridgeline nodded and clobbered the mare with a right hoof that sent her to the ground. Bard stepped from his shroud of invisibility, and shook his head.
“Well that went better than planned,” said Bard. He levitated her keys, and unlocked the mare’s cell. Heart Chase pushed open the door, and shoved her way past everypony to see Iron Pick getting to his feet.
“Iron Pick?” she asked. The charcoal unicorn turned to look at his wife.
“I’m glad to be back in this body,” he said. Glaive groaned on the floor as he tried to get up. Iron Pick wrapped him in a blanket of telekinesis, and slammed him against the wall. “As for this asshole…”
The clatter of a door slamming open broke Iron Pick’s concentration long enough for Glaive to push away with his own magic. He dropped to the floor, and in a flash of white, he disappeared from the cell. Bard cursed loudly as the tromping of hooves filled the corridor. With no time for a plan, Bard reached out and puppeted Daisy Lane from the floor of the cell. She stepped into the hall to confront the four knights that had come barreling down the stairs.
“What is the meaning of this?” asked Daisy Lane.
“We want Glaive,” said a pegasus Knight. “Give us that bastard so we can string him from the city walls. I want his head mounted on a pike.”
“You just missed him,” said Daisy Lane as she rubbed the side of her head. “He clocked me and teleported out of here when I tried to question him. He couldn’t have gotten far. Sound the alarm and notify the guards. I want him found.”
“Yes, Captain Lane,” replied the knight. “You heard the mare, move out! Find that unicorn before he gets out of the city.”
As the knights clattered back up the stairs, Bard stuck his head out to check on the situation. He spun Daisy Lane around, and marched the mare back to the cells the other ponies were hiding in. He let go of his magic, and she snapped into a fighting stance.
“What in the name of the moon was that?” she demanded. Heart Chase tackled the mare to the floor, and pinned her head to the ground with a hoof.
“You traitor!” snapped Heart Chase. “How could a Knight of all ponies work for some pony like Glaive?”
“Like you’re so loyal,” shot back Daisy Lane. “It’s thanks to your army that the Lunar Republic will rise again. You two are far more guilty than I could ever be.”
“Well that’s one more for the gallows,” said Iron Pick. “But we need her to get out of here. We’re not going to be able to just walk past the guards without her.” He looked to Bard. The unicorn nodded and took control of the mare again.
Daisy Lane lurched out of the cell as Bard took control of her again. The herd gathered their belongings, and marched up the stairs to find a knight staring intently at the wall. Rather than ask questions, they walked past the guard, and through the granite lined hallways of the city hall. Everywhere they looked there was evidence of erasures and reliefs that had been chiseled off the walls. It was a sad reminder of the events that plagued the memories of the ponies to this day. Putting the war behind them all would again put the world at peace, but for right now, there was an army to stop. The herd marched out of the city hall and into the alley beside it. They emerged from it a minute later, fully armored again, with a large sack slung over Ridgeline’s back. Daisy Lane was nowhere to be seen; Bard shifted uncomfortably under the mare’s armor.
“I feel like an idiot wearing this,” said Bard. “You sure you don’t want this get up, Constance?”
“It won’t fit my wings,” she said. “Besides, why do you even need that? With Iron Pick back in his body, he can stop his troops. Sure Glaive got away, but that’s it. We’re done; no more fighting.” The realization filled her face with a smile. “We did it. We stopped the war.”
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Vanner
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860
| 18 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
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Children of the Sun
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What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
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complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
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teen
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2011-10-03T00:38:39+00:00
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2011-10-03T00:38:39+00:00
| 2,398 |
Chapter 17: Parabellum
A hay wagon pulled by a massive orange stallion rolled from the city of Canterlot and into the mountain roads below. Adorning the flank of the stallion was the cutie mark of a sheaf of wheat. He was probably a farmer and the knights at the gate ignored him as if he were nothing. As he rounded the mountain along the path, the stallion’s coat drained from orange to copper and the cutie mark of wheat was replaced by a pile stones.
As he watched Ridgeline disappear from view, Bard slid back behind the doorframe he was hiding behind and shook his head. His ears were ringing and his hooves were tingling, both of which told him to cool it with the magic for a while. He took a deep breath and turned to the mares.
“Alright,” he said. “Iron Pick and Ridgeline should make it back to wherever the army is by mid afternoon. If I know Glaive, he ordered them to attack at dusk. That gives us a few hours to find him, and stop him from getting out of the city.”
“How’d he teleport like that?” asked Constance. “I’ve never seen a pony that could just pop from one place to another.”
“He probably didn’t,” said Bard. “Unless he’s learned a new spell or two, then he probably just combined the spells that make him invisible and intangible. Those were two of his big tricks on the stage, and they’re easy to pull off.” He looked out to the streets as if searching the crowds for a familiar face. “Where would I go if I were my brother?”
“What’s he gonna do?” asked Heart Chase. “Ridgeline’s not gonna let Glaive get near Iron Pick again. The war’s over; we can all go home now. Heck, as soon as the troops start headin’ back, we might even see Celestia again.” He face lit up with joy. “We might get to see Celestia again! Come on, y’all; let’s head down to the palace.”
Heart Chase trotted away from the building where they were hiding in and through the streets of Canterlot toward the majestic castle. The spires of the summer castle rose into the air like great flowers that had lost their petals, each one dedicated to one purpose or another. Atop the domed roofs were a myriad of weather vanes that signaled to inbound pegasi local wind conditions. Below the domes were the spiraling white towers of the castle; each one had been bricked up by Celestia to seal off the outside world.
As the herd approached the Palace gates, the low hum of hundreds of ponies chanting filled the air. It sounded as if a giant cloud of bees had descended upon the courtyard, and sought to drain the gardens of nectar with their numbers. Instead, hundreds of ponies draped in sack cloth bowed in front of the castle walls and chanted. Each one chanted their own prayer in a low and quiet hum, but the combined voice of the ponies turned the bare walls of the palace into an echo chamber of humming. Heart Chase cringed as sounds gathered around her. It was worse than getting your head caught in a hive of bees. At the front of the rows, there was a pegasus who walked among the ponies with a basket of apples. He greeted the ponies with a bow.
“Have you come to worship?” he asked. “Please, find yourself a spot, and give praise to our goddess Celestia that she might return to grace us with her presence once more.” Constance raised an eyebrow at the white pegasus and shook her head.
“You know this isn’t want she wants, right?” asked Constance. The pegaus chuckled, and passed Constance an apple.
“My dear young lady, you’ve forgotten the last words our goddesss spoke to us,” said the pegasus. “‘I don’t know if I love you anymore’ is what she told us. Ponies had lost their faith in their goddess, and for that, she stopped loving us. We are all here to prove that we believe in her, and that we love her. What better way to show love then absolute devotion?”
“It’s kind of stupid,” said Bard. A few heads turned to look at him before returning to their worship. “I mean, look at the Kin of Luna. They’re out there searching for a way to bring Luna back from Nightmare Moon, not baying at the sky trying to bring her back.” The white pegasus narrowed his eyes at the Unicorn.
“I will thank you not to mention the traitor in the presence of the true goddess,” he growled. “I think you should leave before some pony does something you’ll regret.”
“Don’t you mean…”
“I did not misspeak,” said the pegasus.
“Well, we’re not leavin’,” said Heart Chase. “We came here to see Celestia return, cause what yah know is wrong. Celestia’s last instructions to ponies was ‘I just want the fightin’ to end.’ Worshipin’ at her doorstep like a reed blowin’ in the wind ain’t gonna do nothin’ to bring her back.”
The pegasus threw down his basket of apples, and started screeching at the ponies. He flared out his wings and reared back. The pegasus lashed at them, driving them back from the garden and into the street. He slammed the iron gate in their faces, and snorted with the fury of burning hatred.
“Do not presume to know what the goddess wants!” shrieked the pegasus. “We are the true believers, and neigh-sayers like you are the reason Equestria has been forsaken!” He walked away with a huff, leaving the ponies staring in amazement at the lunatic pegasus.
“That’s the second high strung pegasus preacher I’ve ever met,” said Heart Chase. “Gotta be somethin’ in the clouds that makes ya’ll nuttier than a bag of squirrels.” Constance blinked in amazement at the analogy, and was rendered speechless by the sheer absurdity of it.
They walked away from the palace in quiet reflection. It would probably be another few hours before Iron Pick made it back to troops, and probably another hour of speaking before he convinced them to abandon their plans of conquest. Heart Chase had faith that the ponies of Bridleburg would see reason and that they would understand Celestia’s final instructions.
…
Glaive stepped out from the wall of the prison with a growl. He should have seen it sooner, but he didn’t. Why he’d been there or where his brother had been hiding, he didn’t know. What was worse, he had Daisy Lane, and could easily extract all the details of her part in the plot. He cursed to himself as he opened the locker containing his armor. He hastily donned the blue scales, then went immaterial as he walked through the walls of the prison. With Iron Pick out in the world, he would probably send the troops back to Bridleburg. His revolution had failed. Or had it?
There was still the army of Stalliongrad approaching from the west, and there were more than enough of them to take on the meager contingent of knights that guarded Canterlot. Certainly there would be concessions, but after a few quick take-overs, and he’d be back atop the pile and first in line for Celestia’s return. Celestia had to come back for the plan to work. It would work. It would all work.
Glaive emerged on the streets of Canterlot after walking upward through the dirt. He let reality come to him again as he made for the western city walls. There was no use pretending to play nice now. He had to make contact with General Ferns and lead the army to victory. Once he had taken Canterlot, the war could end, and Celestia would return. It was too bad about Apple Chase; she’d probably be taken away in irons along with the rest of the top brass. Glaive put it out of his mind. Such was the price of failure.
A half a dozen miles away, Ridgeline and Iron Pick strode into the center of the Bridleburg encampment with struggling sack over Ridgeline’s back. They had switched armors, and now Iron Pick wore the bronze armor of the Celestian Knights. It was symbolic, mostly, but if things got ugly, he really wanted Ridgeline to be better protected. He called for the troops to surround him. General Caramel Snack and Apple Chase pushed through the throngs of ponies to get close to the two, but Iron Pick began speaking before they could make their way to him.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” boomed Iron Pick. “The pony that was leading your charge with fiery rhetoric and chants of loyalty was not the pony you see before you now. My name is Iron Pick, and I am here to tell you that you have all been duped.” Caramel Snack and Apple Chase pushed through to Iron pick as a murmur ran through the ranks. He trutn to the earth ponies as they emerged from the crowd.
“Under the authority of the Celestian Knights, I arrest you and all your officers for treason against Equestria,” said Iron Pick. “Troops, seize your officers and place them in irons. There will be no war today, only punishment for those who have led the faithful astray.”
The officers struggled against the troops as they were brought down and placed in irons but for the most part, they went down without a fight. Surrounded and outnumbered, the officers were drug to center of the troops and placed before Iron Pick. Each of the officers was escorted by at least one nervous pony, with two holding down Caramel Snack.
“You bastard!” snarled Caramel Snack. “How dare you thwart the plans of Nightmare Moon? She will have your soul for this!”
“I trusted you Caramel Snack,” said Iron Pick. “I trusted you to keep these ponies home to defend against the crown should they choose to contest our secession. In throwing your lot in with the Lunar Rebels, you have failed not only me, but every single pony that has died on the way to Canterlot. You have thrown away their lives and their time in a bid for power orchestrated by a mad pony. I thought better of you, and I was wrong.” He looked to the nervous earth ponies that held Caramel Snack to the ground. “What are you names, soldiers?”
“I’m corporal Butter Bean,” said the tan stallion.
“Private Blossom Stitch,” replied the red mare.
“You two are my new generals,” said Iron Pick. “To all of you who who have arrested an officer, take the ranks of those you have seized.” The ponies stripped the officers of their distinctive helms, and replaced their own with the ones they had take.
“As for the rest of you,” said Iron Pick, “go back to Bridleburg and tend to your families. You are guilty only of following rhetoric and of losing faith in the princess. I know it’s hard to keep the faith while she’s away, but with the end of war in Equestria, she will return to us, I promise.”
“You’re just as much a traitor as the rest of us, Iron Pick,” spat Apple Chase. She struggled against the two mares that held her down. “Are you going to arrest yourself, you hypocrite?” Iron pick nodded to Ridgeline, who dumped the sack to the ground. Daisy Lane, still bound in rope wriggled free of the sack.
“If I might have another volunteer for Captain Daisy?” asked Iron Pick. Two mares stepped up to take her ropes. “My troops, the ponies you see bound before your are traitors to the crown, and traitors to Equestria. Look upon their faces and remember their disloyalty. The seeds of dissention have been sown deep and like a weed, we must pull it from the root if we are to eradicate it. Ridgeline, if you would please.” The copper coated stallion nodded. He walked to the cart, and produced irons that clattered shut around Iron Pick’s neck.
“For treason against the crown, and in the name of Celestia’s Knights, I arrest you,” said Ridgeline. “You and your officers will be tried in the court at Canterlot and if found guilty, you will be executed by hanging. Thus is the price of treason. May our goddess have mercy on your souls.” Ridgeline turned to the newly commissioned officers who sat with stunned looks upon their faces. “Bind the prisoners together, and grant me a squadron of you finest to take them to Canterlot. Then do as you have been ordered, and go home. Hail Celestia.”
The ponies stared in disbelief as Ridgeline loaded Iron Pick into the cart, and ushered the rest of the former officers in as well. A squadron of armored ponies took up positions around the cart as Ridgeline hitched himself to it and without a word, Ridgeline began the slow march to Canterlot. Amid the protests of the officers, Iron Pick stood silent at the head of the cart as he accepted his fate.
A dozen miles away, the three ponies aimlessly wandered the city of Canterlot. They had no money, so they couldn’t get a hotel, and they couldn’t really leave without attracting the attention of the Knights. They had seen the statute gardens, and were impressed by the realistic sculptures of fantastic creatures that they never knew existed, and from there, they simply walked around the various parks and gardens that were open to the public. Without a plan and with no sign of Glaive, the ponies sat near the entrance and waited for Ridgeline and Iron Pick to return.
It was nearing dusk when they did return. Ridgeline was hauling a hay wagon full of bound ponies, and surrounding that wagon were a dozen troops clad in the steel armor of Bridleburg. Ridgeline stopped at the gate as the rank of knights approached.
“Didn’t I arrest you earlier?” asked the Knight.
“Yes,” said Ridgeline. “But since you didn’t listen before, I left to take care the invading army myself.” He looked back to Iron Pick. “Well, I had some help.” Iron Pick stepped down from the cart, his manacles clanking around his fetlocks as he stepped.
“My name is Iron Pick, commander of the army of Bridleburg,” he said. “The ponies bound behind me are my officers. In the past week, I have learned the error of my ways, and I seek to mend the pain that I have caused Equestria. I request a speedy trial for my crimes, and the crimes of my officers. The troops who have escorted us here are guilty of no crime but following orders, and I request that they be free to return to their homes.”
The knight blinked in amazement. Was this some kind of joke? Iron Pick was a respected business pony from Bridleburg, not the leader of an army of ponies that sought to destroy Equestria. Was what he said true? Were these ponies conspirators against the crown? The knight shook his head in disbelief.
“Alright then,” he said at last. “Then we’ll get you before the magistrate in the next hour. You’re all under arrest, then, I guess. You, earth pony; carry them to the holding cells. I’m sure you know the way.”
True to his word, the herd of officers were brought before a judge within the hour, and a jury was selected from ponies on the street outside the courthouse. With a bang of his gavel, the unicorn presiding over the hearing asked for a plea to which he received two dozen haggard and miserable replies of not guilty. A lawyer that had been assigned to the officers entered twenty four please of not guilty, and one plea of guilty for Iron Pick. He waited in silence for trial to actually begin, knowing that he was the only witness to the treasonous actions of these ponies.
For an hour, Iron Pick told the tale of his plan. He spoke about he funneled money and resources from the mines into financing the raising of an army, and how he had planned to unite the families of Bridleburg into supporting his bid for the crown. He named his wife as a coconspirator from the beginning, and made particular mention of Apple Chase’s involvement. Heart Chase was conspicuously omitted from being mentioned.
Iron Pick spoke at length about Glaive’s involvement with the entire ordeal, and how he had taken his plan of secession and turned it into revolution instead. He named the officers and their roles in the conspiracy, and then brought to light the depth of all of their treason. At last, as he came to the final day of the plan, he apologized to the ponies of Equestria for having brought such misery upon the lands.
The officers only glared at Iron Pick. He had given up everything, and asked not even leniency in return. With the entire conspiracy of Bridleburg laid before him, the judge turned to the officers and asked if any of them wished to take the stand. The ponies nearly stampeded to the witness stand, biting and pushing their way to the box.
For hours more, the ponies either denied their involvement in the plan, or downplayed their role in it. Each spoke of how they were the true victim, and how they had been just following orders from Iron Pick. They painted the charcoal unicorn as a heartless monster that ruled with an iron hoof, and slaughtered any pony who stood in his way. Every pony told a similar tale, though the details rarely overlapped, and at the end of it, Iron Pick stood accused of every crime under Celestia’s sun. The judge ordered Iron Pick to be brought forward to face him.
“You have pleaded guilty to treason, Iron Pick,” said the Judge. “These ponies behind you have labeled you a monster and murderer among other things. They would have me believe you have unfairly rounded up your friends to bring them down with you. However, given the defeat of Celestia’s Knights a few days ago in the Everfree forest, and the eyewitness accounts that put not only you, but also your coconspirators there, I then put the question to jury.”
The judge nodded to the ponies in the jury box that had spent the past few hours listening to the tales of both Iron Pick and the officers. As the bailiffs ushered the officers into the holding cells below the jury shuffled from the box and into a back room to deliberate,. Iron Pick stared out at the setting sun, where he thought he saw pegasi flying for the city of Canterlot. The sky was otherwise clear, and rain wasn’t scheduled for anytime soon. Why were there so many…
The first wing of pegasi released their deadly cargo over the walls of the city. Of course their first target had been the air cavalry barracks. The spire lit up lit a torch in the night, and filled the city with the hideous orange glow of hellish fire and chaos. Iron Pick stared out into the city in a panic. Had the troops disobeyed him? Were they attacking instead of going home?
It wasn’t until the window exploded in a shower of glass that he realized what was going on. Of course Glaive would have a backup plan. It wasn’t enough to use the superior numbers of Bridleburg to take the city; he would have brought every pony he could to fight. Ponies that Iron Pick himself had made deals with, and supported in their bid for independence.
The army of Stalliongrad was marching on Canterlot, and there was nothing any pony could do about it.
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Vanner
|
860
| 19 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Children of the Sun
|
What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
|
complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-03T00:39:32+00:00
|
2011-10-03T00:39:32+00:00
| 2,698 |
Chapter 18: The Battle for Canterlot
Butter Bean and Blossom Stitch stood in a meeting with the herd of newly officers discussing the hows and whys of their return. The force march from the previous day had left the army exhausted, and they decided to leave the next morning rather than immediately. True, that wasn’t exactly as Iron Pick had ordered, but it was now the duty of these two ponies to see that every soldier was taken care of. Iron Pick had been right; they had gotten caught up in the rhetoric. Instead of being a credit to Bridleburg, they were almost the downfall of Equestria.
“Everypony? Can I have your attention please?” asked General Butter Bean. His officers settled down and turned to face the earth ponies. “Thank you. Um… Cloud Drop was it? Weather report?
“The pegasus squadron is reporting unusual activity in the upper atmosphere with winds in excess of a hundred and fifty miles an hour blowing directly south,” said the purple pegasus. “Reports are that they’ve been going on for at least the past ten hours, and that something up north is causing the disturbance. It shouldn’t be a problem, but there is a massive, unpredicted cloud bank about ten miles off that’s moving with the system. Doesn’t look like it’s carrying rain though, so no pony knows what’s to make of it. We should be fine to move out tomorrow morning.” Butter Bean nodded to the pegasus, and turned to one of the unicorns.
“Minty Rest was it?” asked Butter Bean. “How’s the troops morale?”
“Well sir,” said the magenta earth pony. “They’re all sort of melancholy. Here they had been psyching themselves up for the good fight, only to find out that they were being manipulated all along. A lot of the ponies are feeling ashamed for buying into the rhetoric. Some have even offered to surrender themselves for treason as our former officers did.”
“And your suggestions?” asked Blossom Stitch.
“Well…” said the mare. “Ah… perhaps some morale building activities? Maybe have them do some physical work to take their minds off the whole situation?”
“How about building?” asked another earth pony. “We could build a road from Bridleburg to Canterlot, and say it was community service.”
The ponies began murmuring in agreement. It seemed like a worthwhile pursuit, and it would keep the minds of the ponies off the thoughts of war. If it wasn’t for the echoes of explosions coming from the miles off that wouldn’t have given Canterlot a second thought. The army moved to the edge of the Everfree forest to stare in horror as the city of Canterlot burned in the distance. Butter Bean and Blossom Stitch looked to each other, then back to their troops.
“Saddle up!” yelled Blossom Stitch. “Cloud Drop, take your pegasi and give Canterlot air support. Minty Rest, ready the troops to move out immediately. Officers, take charge of your platoons! Our princess is under attack! We ride to defend Canterlot!”
A few miles away, Heart Chase, Bard, and Constance had taken shelter from the incoming aerial attack underneath a slab of granite that had been blasted off the side of a building in the first strike. Constance was in a near panic from the claustrophobic conditions, but Heart Chase stoked her mane to keep the pegasus calm. Bard watched as the city burned around them in unrelenting horror.
“What the hell happened?” he asked. “I thought we won. That was the plan. Iron Pick calls off his troops, we expose Glaive, and we’re done. We ended the wars, damnit! It’s not supposed to be like this!”
“Could it be the Lunar Rebels?” asked Heart Chase.
“There’s not this many of them,” said Bard. “There’s not this many pegasi anywhere in Equestria except…” They both looked to Constance. “Son of a nag, I should have known it. Glaive doesn’t do anything half assed; that’s the army of Stalliongrad outside of those walls.”
The herd cringed as rocks began to rain upon their position, smashing into the slab of granite above, and shattering the cobblestone walks outside. From where the hid, they watched as the city hall burned, and as ponies evacuated the building only to be met with the horrors of raining boulders and flaming debris. Even during the Lunar Rebellion things hadn’t been this bad. Normally pegasi dueled in the air, and provided recon to the troops on the ground. What was happening here was malice, pure and simple. This wasn’t a bid for independence; it was a grudge match, and Canterlot was losing.
Heart Chase stared out into the city as it burned around her. Where was Canterlot’s pegasi? How could the capital city be unprepared for something like this? Had they been taken out in the first wave? Did they just never expect something like this to happen? The questions took a back seat to her comforting of Constance. They were pretty much safe for now, and worrying about what they couldn’t control would do none of them any good.
Across the street, Iron Pick stood from the pile of tables that had buried him in the first wave of bombings. His ears were ringing, and his head swam. It took him a moment to regain his bearings, but he realized the building was on fire, and that he should probably just get out. Ridgeline bucked through the remainder of the debris to join him.
“You’re still under arrest you know,” said Ridgeline. Iron Pick only chuckled at the absurdity of it all. With a wave of his horn, he blasted a hole in the wall beneath the window and stepped through. Outside, it was as bad as he had feared.
All around the city of Canterlot burned, fueled by the alchemical concoctions of the Stalliongrad Army. Ponies lie injured or killed in the streets, and entire buildings had been reduced to little more that leaning piles of rubble. For the moment, there were no more pegasi dropping things into the city, but that wasn’t going to last. As the castrophony of war swelled around him, he looked out into the city and wondered what he could do to help. There was nothing to do but wait. The army of Stalliongrad would batter down the gates of Canterlot to take the city and with it, Equestria. Since time immemorial, Equestria had prospered under the guiding hooves of the princesses. Iron Pick had managed to bring it all crashing down within a year.
“Iron Pick! Ridgeline!” yelled Heart Chase. “Get over here!” The bewildered unicorn and the banged up earth stallion trotted to the downed granite slab and ducked into basement the ponies had taken shelter in. Heart Chase greeted them with a hug. “So much for that trial.”
“I expected to be hanging by now,” said Iron Pick. “Every minute past this one is a gift from Celestia herself. I should probably use them wisely.” Another boulder clattered into the streets in front of them. “Though I’ll admit, what to do now is a bit of a mystery.”
“Well, we can’t leave the city,” said Bard. “And you can’t win a war through air power alone. They’re going to have to take the city by force. I suppose we could just hide here until it’s all over.”
“What a cowardly thing to say,” said Iron Pick.
“Well, I am a coward,” admitted Bard. “My friends are safe here, and that’s all I care about now.”
He looked to the motley herd that sat sheltered beneath the granite slab. Here they were safe, and that’s all that mattered. Soon enough the forces of Stalliongrad would come charging through the city and Canterlot would fall beneath their hooves. Bard was sure he could smooth talk and puppeteer their way to freedom. Where they would go next really didn’t matter. These ponies had become trusted friends in such a short time that it amazed Bard; he was willing to put his own fear aside for their safety. Bard began scratching a circle into the floor.
“What are doing?” asked Constance.
“I’m getting us out of here,” said Bard. “I think I’ve got enough magic left in me to take us somewhere other than here. I want to keep you all safe.”
“We can’t just abandon Canterlot!” said Ridgeline. “If we abandon the city, then Glaive’s won and everything we’ve done has been for nothing.”
“I don’t care,” said Bard. “I don’t care about my brother or about Equestria or any of that nonsense. I care about you ponies. You, Ridgeline, Constance; you’re all my friends and if I can keep you safe, then by Luna I will do everything I can to make sure that you are.”
“What about my family?” asked Heart Chase. Bard stopped drawing for a moment, and looked up at Heart Chase. “What about Red Chase, and Quill Pick, and all the fillies that were born this year? What about Bridleburg? Do yah think Glaive is going to let Bridleburg go unpunished for what’s happened? Iron’s already an admitted traitor; it would take nothin’ to convince the armies of the Lunar Republic to march to war again. If yer brother seizes power, then Bridleburg will be razed. We’ve all know what kind of pony he is, Bard, and yah know I’m right.”
Bard looked down to his circle a moment. With a few more scratches into the stone, it would be ready to take these ponies to wherever would be safe. Heart Chase was right though; Glaive would seek retribution. He didn’t know Heart Chase’s family, but if they were anything like her, then they were worth saving. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Okay then,” said Bard. “What do we do?” Heart Chase looked out to the city. She saw other ponies cowering in fear beneath rubble or caring for those injured in the bombing. She walked from the shelter of the basement and into the streets of Canterlot.
“Come on,” she said. “It’s time to show Celestia what we’re really made of.”
The aerial assault abated as the army of Stalliongrad marched to the gates of the Canterlot. Behind the gates stood the remains of the Knights, two hundred strong against an army of two thousand or more. Steadfast, they waited for the breech, exchanging looks of resignation, rather than determination. Ridgeline trotted to the front line of the army to find the same guard that had repeatedly hassled him at the gate.
“What are you doing here?” asked the Knight. “Shouldn’t you be hiding with the rest of the civilians?”
“I’m not a civilian,” said Ridgeline. “I may not be a knight, but I am a soldier, and I adhere to the Code. We will not let Canterlot fall.”
“Who’s we?” asked the knight. Ridgeline nodded behind him.
Behind the rows of Knights stood nearly two hundred more citizens of Canterlot from all walks of life. Bureaucrats stood shoulder to shoulder with merchants and farmers. Unicorns stood proud next to mules and donkeys. In the front lines stood Bard, Constance, Iron Pick, and leading the herd was Heart Chase. She trotted to the knight commander and bowed.
“Canterlot Irregulars reporting for duty sir.”
“These are civilians!” said the knight. “They can’t fight.”
“Why not?” asked Heart Chase. “Isn’t this their city too? Yah ain’t gotta be some hardened veteran to know the difference between right and wrong, and what’s happenin’ to Canterlot is just wrong. All this started cause a couple ponies lost faith in the their princess, and thought they could do a better job that their goddess. We’re all guilty of losin’ our faith sometimes, but these ponies right here believe in Celestia, and they believe in Equestria. What’s outside those gates is what happens when ponies lose sight of what makes us ponies to start with.”
As the harvest moon loomed in the sky, the mare in the moon seemed to have a cruel smile for everypony in Equestria. The gate began to splinter under the crashing of the ram and the walls reverberated with the cries of two thousand screaming ponies. Heart Chase stood tall as a massive cloud bank rolled across the sky and into the city.
“What makes us ponies is that we’re willin’ to believe in each other, and that we’re willin’ to work together to overcome anything. Ponies need other ponies to live, and it took a war for me to learn that.” She pointed a hoof to the splintering gate. “Canterlot can’t fall to the Nightmare in us all. I won’t allow it, and neither should you. All of us may just be ordinary ponies, but we’re willin’ to defend Canterlot to our last breath. Not because we’re heroes, but because we believe in Equestria. Celestia’s final message to ponies was that she’d return when the fightin’ stopped. Well guess what ponies?” She lowered her helm and turned to face the shattering gate. “The fightin’ ends here and now. We will be the ponies Celestia wants us to be.”
The gate exploded in splinters of wood and steel as the battering rams began to plough through the final planks. The Knights stood ready to charge at the army coming through the gates, as the citizens of Canterlot stood ready to stop anypony from making their way into the city. This was it. In a moment, the gates of Canterlot would fall, and the war would come barreling through it. Heart Chase offered a prayer to Celestia.
If I die here, she prayed, let it be penance for the horrors I caused, and let this war end here.
“For Equestria and Princess Celestia!” cheered a voice from the cloud bank. Heart Chase looked up to see a swarm of pegasi and griffins rolling over the edge of the cloud bank to take back the skies from the Stalliongrad pegasi. A griffin landed in front of Constance.
“I heard about your war,” said Manus. “And your friend Star Heart said he could get us here in day. A thousand miles in a day! Who would have guessed?”
Bard looked up to see Star Heart at the head of the cloud, horn sparkling as the ponies atop the cloud disembarked to the ground. Constance smiled at the griffin. She was glad to have the support. Manus turned to the gate with a nod, and lowered his head for battle.
The gate finally gave way just as the last of the ponies from Hoofswell made ground. The knights charged horn first into the army of Stalliongrad with a cry of Celestia on their lips and the dreams of Equestria in the hearts. As the two sides clashed, the citizen ponies joined with the Hoofswell ponies to form a deep column that would hold back the advancing army. They were still outnumbered, but they stood united as Equestrians against the armies of Stalliongrad.
For twenty minutes, the knights fought the army of Stalliongrad to a standstill, nearly blocking the front gates with the bodies of the fallen. The Stalliongrad pegasi tried to outflank the citizens but were thwarted by the air support of hundreds of griffins. Pegasi began to fall on the city with broken wings; the citizen ponies moved in to restrain them and treat their wounds.
The Knights had managed to hold their own long enough to think they had a chance when the Knight line suddenly broke. The knight commander felt himself go limp as if some pony had cut his strings, and the army of Stalliongrad poured through the breech around him. Hundreds of armored ponies barreled through the front lines of the knights and crashed like a wave against the citizens of Equestria. The unicorns of the city blasted away as many soldiers as they could, but were soon overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. The citizens began to fall back into the city when the trump of a horn came from the road behind the Stalliongrad army.
Leading the charge up the mountain road were Butter Bean and Blossom Stitch in full gallop. The thundering herd of the army of Bridleburg slammed into the flank of the Stalliongrad army, and began carving through it with the zeal of the righteous. Emboldened by the unexpected support, the citizens of Equestria began to push back the tide of soldiers that threatened their city. The lines of the Knights reformed as the citizens advanced, and the army of Stalliongrad’s invincible charge slowed to a halt. Heart Chase felt a chill; she swore she felt a ghost walk right through her.
For another hour, the battle raged on both fronts as the ponies of Stalliongrad were cut down by the army of Bridleburg on their flank and the Knights of Celestia at their head. The citizens dragged downed ponies from the fight to bind them and start treating their wounds. Behind the columns of citizens, a growing number of ponies retreated from the fight to treat the injured, and the streets became a hospital only yards away from the fighting. The citizens of Canterlot didn’t want to kill the ponies of Stalliongrad, they just wanted them to stop fighting.
Finally caught between the hammer of the army of Bridleburg and the anvil of the citizens of Equestria, the army of Stalliongrad began to surrender after an agonizing hour of fighting Officers tore off their helms and bowed in defeat to the remaining Knights.
It was hours before the officers of Stalliongrad were taken into custody, and some of them had surely gotten way, but with the citizens of Canterlot acting like brothers to their so called enemies, the cycle of violence had been broken in Equestria. Citizens began to treat their wounded and soldiers offered no resistance as the ponies of Canterlot tried to help everyone that had been injured. Whether they had been the invading force or simply a pony that had stood up to fight for their city, every pony helped tend to the wounded, and move the dead from the streets to the fields. Everypony realized that the bloodshed had to stop, and that in order for Equestria to be strong again, they had to work together as nature intended. They had to be the ponies that Celestia had wanted them to be so she would come back to lead them once more.
The city itself was in shambles, having been blasted to pieces by the aerial bombardment of Stalliongrad’s pegasi. Fire still burned in the city for hours as the griffins and Hoofswell pegasi moved in clouds from far off to bring the rain. Debris littered the streets as the ponies tried to make sense of what they’d become.
For the most part ponies stared blankly into the devastation that war brought to their doorstep. Some prayed in silence, while others wandered around aimlessly trying to find something to hold on to. Others had started to take charge to search for survivors among the ruins of Canterlot as they waited for the rains.
Heart Chase walked among the ranks of the injured soldiers and citizens searching for her friends. She eventually found them among the wreckage of the battle site, standing around a fire made from broken spears. Bard was missing part of his ear. Constance was miraculously untouched by the fighting. Iron Pick was nowhere to be found, and Heart Chase had taken hoof to jaw, but it was Ridgeline who had suffered the worst.
Ridgeline had taken a blade to the face, and now sported a roguish patch where once he had an eye. One of the unicorn medics had sealed the wound across his face, but he was left with a scar that now ran down his face as a sad reminder of the horror that he fought to dispel. Heart Chase wondered silently if he had lost control during the battle.
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Ridgeline. “And no, I didn’t lose control. I wanted too. I could have killed a hundred ponies before anyone stopped me, but I found something to hold onto that the demon can’t break.” He smiled at his friends. “It’s you three. You’ve taught me that friendship is all we need to keep going. I may have lost an eye, but I gained everything in return.” He looked out the destroyed city with a smile. “I think everypony here learned that lesson as well.”
“It’s too bad so many had to die to learn that lesson,” said Constance. Her ears perked up as the sound of humming drifted upon the wind. “Do you hear that?” she asked. “It’s coming from the palace. Come on; let’s go see what’s going on.”
The ponies cantered through the destroyed city streets of Canterlot. It would take years before everything was repaired, and the scars that it would leave on the hearts and minds of the ponies would last for generations. Still, everypony seemed to realize how far they had fallen from grace, and how much of a struggle it would be to return to the favor of their goddess. Through the blasted homes, and shattered sidewalks, the lesson in humility had not fallen upon deaf ears.
They came to the gardens of the palace after a short walk to find that all of the ponies that had prostrated themselves before its walls had fled once the bombing began. As for the palace, it still shone as if made of diamonds. The battle had not touched upon the beauty of Celestia’s home. More importantly, where there had been only a stone wall, there was now a front door. Heart Chase looked to her friends for reassurance that what she was seeing was real. They too stared in disbelief and found themselves walking toward the door. Heart Chase pushed it open, and the ponies stepped inside.
|
Vanner
|
860
| 20 |
Original Character,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Children of the Sun
|
What happened to Equestria after Nightmare Moon is banished and Celestia is nowhere to be found?
|
complete
| 98 | 2 |
<p>The Lunar Rebellion sought to bring Nightmare Moon to power over Equestria, and for two long years, a war was fought for that very purpose. In the end, Nightmare Moon was defeated, but Celestia had become broken. She lost her faith in the ponies that once only knew love, and she walled herself inside her castle at Canterlot.</p><p>For five years, no pony had seen or heard from the goddess. In her absence, Equestria falls apart at the seams. Endless skirmishes are fought over petty land disputes. Love and tolerance are gone from the land. Ponies begin to revel in the art of war. When a dangerous threat emerges from the ashes of the Lunar Rebellion, all hope seems gone from the world. But some ponies aren't willing to let Equestria fall. </p><p>Four unlikely ponies step up to correct the mistakes of the past. In their quest to restore Equestria, they will learn that through the magic of friendship, all things are possible.</p><p>This story is presented as part of the Pony Fiction Writer's Month for September 2011. Enjoy.</p>
|
teen
|
2011-10-03T00:40:06+00:00
|
2011-10-03T00:40:06+00:00
| 3,348 |
Chapter 19: The Journey Home
The inside of the palace was more beautiful than any of the ponies could have imagined.
Seemingly untouched by time, the high white walls of solid marble met at the ceiling in grand arches that housed stained glass renditions of important events in the history of Equestria. The windows were filled with the tales of legends of ponies past who had done great things for Equestria, and of those who had given everything in sacrifice to their princesses. Reminders of the dual monarchy were still everywhere here, and depictions of Luna equaled the number depictions of Celestia. The windows told the storied history of Equestria in glass that shimmered in the light of the rising sun. The ponies passed the windows, and ascended the marble stair case toward the throne room.
As a monument to the goddesses, the throne room was a housed two massive stained glass windows. A depiction of Luna raising the moon graced the western window and was mirrored on the east wall by a depiction of Celestia raising the sun. Along the edges were marble columns to support the painted ceiling, and in the center of the room ran a carpet of burgundy that led to a rider. Atop the riser there were two thrones. In one, there was a goddess.
With wings that shimmered like silver, and a horn magnificent as any Equestria had ever seen, the goddess rose from her throne, and descended the stairs. Her pink mane flowed behind her as if blown by a gentle breeze. The ponies stopped in place, and bowed to their princess. The ponies saw that Celestia’s violet eyes had been stained by tears, as if she had seen the horrors of war that lay outside. She waved her horn, and the door sealed behind the ponies.
“I have you to thank,” said Celestia with a far off whisper. Her voice was filled with sadness, and her eyes had again filled with tears. “You did it. You ended the wars, which is exactly what I asked of my ponies. I just wanted the fighting to stop, and you did just that.” She looked down at the ponies as she started to cry again. “I only wish you could have done it without killing so many of my children.” Celestia turned away from the ponies, as she tried to compose herself. The herd simply remained prostrate before their goddess, not daring to look up.
“I’m sorry,” continued Celestia. “I realize you did everything you could. I can’t expect you to have fixed everything the way I would have wanted it. I’ve been selfish these past few years, and Equestria has suffered for it. Without some pony to look up to, they lost their way and started following the dark paths that wind through the hearts of every pony.” She again looked down to the ponies. “Please rise.”
The ponies stood to gaze upon their goddess in awe. She had returned to them, and even if she sent them away, it was proof enough that she loved Equestria, and all those who lived there. She approached the four ponies with sad smile.
“I’ve been following you four for a while now,” she said. “And what I discovered about all of you is that, you’re not perfect. It’s actually taught me something about myself. I’m not perfect either. You’ve fought and complained and whined your way through this ordeal to reach your goal in only the way that friends can. That’s why I was able to start seeing you in the first place; you were all destined to become friends. Friendship is the most powerful magic in all of the land, and with it, you can see everything Equestria has to offer. Without it, ponies become like a piece onyx in a field of snow: Dark, cold, and easy to spot.” She paused, and narrowed her eyes at a spot behind the ponies. “Just like you, Glaive.”
The ponies felt themselves jerked as if on puppet strings, and they fell to the tiled floor as Glaive appeared behind them. He was sweating, but he wore a smile that displayed his sharpened teeth. He stood before the alicorn, ready to finish what he had started all those years ago. He only chuckled.
“Oh, Celestia,” he said. “I knew my brother would lead me right to you. I should have guessed that any pony he hung around with had to be a good soul. I’m just glad that you were too busy weeping over your lost little ponies to notice me strolling through your front door.”
He snapped his head and flung the ponies to the side with a wave of his horn. Ridgeline and Bard smashed into a column and fell still. Constance caught her head on the stairs and went down for the count. Heart Chase slammed back first into the wall, but the Knight’s armor she had borrowed absorbed most of the impact. She struggled to her hooves as Glaive’s horn flared with light. Celestia found herself unexpectedly trapped by his powerful telekinesis.
“I didn’t understand what you wanted then, and I don’t know what you want now,” said Celestia. “The only thing I see in your heart is malice. You used to be a good pony, Glaive. What happened to you? Am I really that offensive?”
“You banished my goddess to the moon because you refused to let her rule,” said Glaive. “Nightmare Moon is ten times the goddess you are. She didn’t let something as pathetic as friendships determine her power. She sought power within herself, and became everything you’re not.” He stared into the violet eyes of the princess. “Funny thing about that; she gave me a fragment of her power before we stormed the castle. Just a sliver of the demon mind attached to a piece of star metal to act as insurance if something went wrong. And thanks to your silly little elements, it all did.” His smug smile drained into an angry glare. “I will take your body, and with it, I will rule Equestria until she returns to me. It may be a thousand years, but to see her again, it will be worth the wait.”
He began to chant, filling the room with dark words that echoed along the marble walls and seeped into the ponies’ minds. His horn flared with an olive light that washed all it touched in a sickly green glow. Heart Chase was on her hooves as Glaive stared down the princess. Nightmare Moon’s fragment of power had made the Glaive insanely powerful. Celestia stood riveted to the spot as she felt herself fading away from her body and into Glaive’s.
A crashing hoof sent the stallion reeling across the marble floor. His concentration broken, the spell failed, and the room fell quiet except for the cursing of the sky blue unicorn. He got to his hooves, and stood beneath the massive stained glass depiction of Luna.
“You BITCH,” spat Glaive. His horn flared again as Heart Chase found herself pulled along by puppet strings. Her own bladed feltlock rose to her throat. “You little nag, I should have made sure you were dead the first time.” He turned to the princess with a grin. “It looks like the magic of friendship isn’t that powerful after all.” Glaive turned his focus back to Heart Chase. The yellow earth mare was now standing in front him. With a swipe of her bladed fetlock, she took Glaive’s horn in a shower of blood that stained the marble walls crimson. As the unicorn reeled backward in pain, she pivoted on the spot and bucked. Her back hooves caught Glaive in the chin, and sent him through the stained glass window behind him.
The stained glass window of Luna shattered as Glaive fell through it. Shards of dark glass rained into the gardens of Canterlot palace where ponies had begun to gather upon seeing the palace door for the first time in five years. With a silent scream, Glaive reached for Heart Chase to take his hoof as he fell into the garden below. Heart Chase only watched as the unicorn toppled through the air.
With nary a sound, Glaive plunged to the ground amid the splinter of bones and the cracking of armor plate. As his vision filled with red, the unicorn looked at those gathered in the garden with his weary yellow eyes. What he saw were not looks of satisfaction, or triumph, but shock and horror, even sadness. There had been so much blood had been spilled today; why were they upset at one more fallen pony? What was another body on the pile? Glaive saw Iron Pick coming from the crowd and kneeling at his side. The unicorn rolled him over and called for a medic.
“W…why…” gurgled Glaive.
“Because we’re ponies,” said Iron Pick. A white coated unicorn waved her horn over Glaive as another wrapped a collar around his neck. “We help each other; even the worst of us. You’re a pony too, Glaive. Even if I hate you, even if I think you’re a monster, Celestia wants us to love you just the same as everypony else.”
Glaive stared into the old unicorn’s dark eyes for a moment. If he still had his horn, he could have easily taken Iron Pick’s body again, but he wouldn’t. He had failed his queen, he had failed the Lunar Rebellion, and most of all, he had failed himself. Glaive closed his eyes, and let the world fade to black around him. The unicorn looked up at pick and shook her head. The butcher of Everfree Castle was gone, never to haunt the nightmares of ponies again.
Above the gardens, Celestia joined Heart Chase as she looked down on the scene below. Heart Chase only shook her head and stepped back to her friends. The other ponies were staggering to their feet; Ridgeline steadied himself on the column.
“How did you do that?” asked Bard as he held his head. “I’ve never seen anyone be able to resist a puppetering like that. That should be impossible.”
“Yah told me how to beat it the first day we met,” said Heart Chase. “Yah said it only works on ponies with a weak will or who weren’t expectin’ it. Well, I was expectin’ it and the Chases are stubborn as they come.”
She looked around a moment, and realized that they were done. They had set off on a quest to restore the princess to her rightful place at the head of Equestria and here she was in all of her royal glory. Despite the madness, the bickering, and the insanity of it all, their journey had come to a successful end. Four ponies that had been strangers a week ago had banded together as friends to save their princess from the dark heart of Nightmare Moon’s minions.
“Well ponies,” said Heart Chase with a toss of her mane. “I guess we win. Aint’ nothin’ fer us to do but go home now, and let Celestia rule Equestria again.” She looked up to the alicorn. “Yah will take over again, right, yer majesty?”
“I think it’s been too long since I’ve held court,” said Celestia. “You’ve all learned a lesson in friendship here that I couldn’t teach you. Despite all that’s happened, I have my doubts, but I think ponies everywhere need me to be a good example to them. Thank you all for what you’ve done. I think Equestria will be a better place for it.”
Heart Chase remembered something clattering around in satchel. She pulled the sealed tube from her bag, and passed it to Celestia.
“Iron Pick said to give this to you,” she said. “I don’t know what it is, but he said it was important.” Celestia unrolled the scroll and read it a moment before nodding quietly.
“If you will all escort me outside?” she asked the ponies.
Constance, Ridgeline, Bard and heart Chase opened the doors to the garden and stepped out onto the mezzanine ahead of their princess. As the door fluttered open, the ponies that had gathered in the courtyard turned to look upon their princess. Every pony dropped into a bow, and fell silent at the sight of their goddess.
“Ponies of Equestria, hear me,” said Celestia. “On this day in late September, ponies have fought and died for what they believed was right. They fought at the behest of those who wanted power, or those who wanted to take my place; ponies who thought that they knew what was best for Equestria, or at least their own small parts of it. I’m here to tell you that, it’s over. There is to be no more fighting. I think you all realize this now, but I want to make it clear that I am returning on the condition that you realize all ponies are one. Wherever we’re from, whatever race we might be, from alicorns to zebras, we are all ponies, and we need each other to survive. Do not hate your neighbor because he’s different; love him because he has so many things to share with you. I’m asking that you all become better ponies, which is all anyone can ask of you.” She turned to the four pones that stood in front of her.
“These four ponies are from as different worlds as you can find in Equestria. Yet here they stand united as friends, and do you know why?” She smiled at the four ponies. “Because they are all my children, just as you are. I love all of my little ponies, and I want you to love each other as well.”
The crowd stared in awe at princess as she delivered her message to the ponies. Her speech was exact, the way you might speak to a child. She wasn’t angry with the ponies, just disappointed that it took so long for them to stop hating each other. She turned to the four ponies that stood with her, and asked them to kneel.
“For your dedication to Equestria, and the courage to find friendship even in the heart of darkness, I salute you ponies.” She tapped her horn on each of their shoulders. “I ask you to travel the world to spread the message of love and tolerance that you have learned from each other. You have kneeled as ponies, and now you will rise as my Knights of Friendship.”
The ponies rose to their hooves amid the clopping of a thousand hooves upon the grounds of the gardens. They looked to each other with smiles, though Ridgeline looked as if he were about to cry with joy. Celsetia looked out to cheering crowd for a moment before speaking again.
“Iron Pick, will you please step forward?”
The ponies all froze as Iron Pick slowly walked toward his princess. He stood for a moment before the alicorn before coming to a bow before her. Heart Chase immediately knew something was wrong when he took off his helm and pushed aside his mane.
“I want you all to look upon Iron Pick,” said Celestia. “This pony thought himself a king because he owned land, and wealth, and resources. Because of his actions, we are all here today to mourn those we have lost in the fighting. All of what has happened can be laid at his hooves. Rightfully, he should be hanged as a traitor, but more bloodshed is not the answer. Please rise.” The unicorn stood, and closed his eyes as he awaited Celestia’s sentence.
“Iron Pick, you and all of your conspirators are hereby banished from Equestria,” she said. “Because you have cause so much pain to so many, you are to leave your families and friends behind, and you may not return to our lands until you have made friends with each and every pony that has plotted against Equestria. You will be taken by boat to the zebra lands where you may start life anew as free ponies. I warn you that if any of you die before you fulfill the conditions of your punishment, your exile will be permanent. I do this to make sure that no pony gets any funny ideas about the terms of exile.”
“I understand,” said Iron Pick. “I thank you for your kindness, your majesty.” Iron Pick turned to surrender himself to the knights that came to take him away. Heart Chase pushed through them to get to her husband.
“What did you say?” she demanded. “What was in that letter?”
“It was a confession,” said Iron Pick. “Everything was my idea, and you were but a pawn in my scheme. You’re free to live your life now; consider it one last gift from me to you.” He kissed the mare’s cheek, and then smiled sadly. “I do love you Heart Chase. You’re such a wonderful mare. I hope I live long enough to see you again.”
…
What would have normally been cause for celebration was instead met with somber tones and hard work. Princess Celestia’s return had meant that ponies everywhere could believe in her again, but it had come at the cost of thousands of pony lives, and millions upon millions of bits worth of damage to the city of Canterlot. The army of Stalliongrad and the army of Bridleburg had both been put to work repairing homes, building spires, and repaving the streets that had been destroyed in the fighting. Pegasi had been dispatched to Bridleburg to place orders for more stone, and the surrounding areas were abuzz with the industry that comes along with city building. In a manner of weeks, Canterlot would go from a ruined city on the edge of destruction to the thriving capital that once it was. Under Celestia’s watchful eye, the city again rose from the cliff sides and into the clouds.
Miles away, Heart Chase, Ridgeline, Bard, and Constance walked along the path through the Everfree forest that had been blazed by the army of Bridleburg. Instead of growing back immediately as it had done in the past few years, the forest instead acted as it should, and stayed cleared. All along the trail to Bridleburg they were met with friendly smiles and heartfelt gifts. Everypony they met thanked them for making Equestria whole again, and everypony brightened their day a little bit more.
They arrived in Bridleburg after days of travel, and found their way to Chase family farms along the roads worn flat by so many generations of Chases. Though it was nearly November, the warmth of the greeting from her family was enough to make it feel like a summer day. The Chases greeted the Knights of Friendship as family, and toasted the return of their prize sister with the fanfare of nobility. In the barn where the Chase family gathered for meals, everypony felt at home again.
With the events of the secession debacle behind them, Red and Quill finally announced their engagement to their families, and in doing so, gave hope to a new era of prosperity not just for Bridleburg, but for Equestria at large. Heart Chase gave her blessings to the union, and assured them that Iron Pick would have done the same. The announcement was met with the same fanfare and joy as Heart’s return home and the celebration expanded to include all the blessings and joy that came from the joining of two souls. Constance’s congratulations to Red included a whispered conversation that left her blushing from the professional’s wedding night tips.
Heart Chase slipped out of the celebration after introducing Bard and Ridgeline to a few of her eligible cousins. She walked across the lawn, and back to her office where it had all began only a month and a half ago. As she shuffled through the papers of accounts old and new, she came upon a thumbnail portrait of her father in a locket that she had forgotten about. Staring back from the locket were those familiar blue eyes, and the same confused expression he had always worn. She smiled at the picture, and remembered her days as a child on the farm. There was no political intrigue, no conspiracy. They all got along, and the sisters all loved each other.
There was the click of a closet door behind Heart Chase, and she turned around to find herself face to face with the sad face of her sister. Her mane had been nearly burned off, and her coat was covered in half healed scars from her escape from the burning city hall. Heart Chase expected a world of anger and hatred from the mare, but instead, there was only infinite sadness in her eyes. Apple Chase threw her arms around her sister, and began sobbing.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “Everything that’s happened is my fault. All of our family, our friends, all the ponies in Canterlot. If it hadn’t been for my greed, Glaive wouldn’t have been able to do anything he did, and we might be royalty now.” She continued to bawl in her sisters arms. “I wanted so badly to be a princess that I was willing to sacrifice you to him. I don’t know why I thought it would work; he probably would have killed me as soon as I stopped being useful. Please forgive me, Heart Chase. I know I don’t deserve it, but I beg of you to take me back as your sister. I won’t even stay; I’ll just go with the other ponies into exile. Just tell me that you can forgive me, or even try. That’s all I want.”
Heart Chase looked down at the crying heap that was her sister. True, she nearly killed her, and she had stolen the body of her husband. She had aided the enemy in a bid for power that, if it had succeeded, would have murdered the goddess that most ponies prayed to every day. Yet despite it all, Apple Chase was her sister, and she was a pony. Heart Chase smiled at her sister.
“I forgive yah,” said Heart Chase. “Celestia told us all that she wants us to forget the past and learn to love each other again. I do love yah, and I forgive yah, but yah can’t stay here. You know us Chases. We ain’t too quick to forgive or forget, and I don’t think some of the family would want yah around.” She pushed away her sister’s singed mane. “Yah can’t say you’d really blame them.”
“I really can’t,” said Apple Chase. “But where will I go from here?”
“Yah can come with me and Knights,” said Heart Chase. “We’re supposed to be shippin’ out at the end of the week from Hackney Cove to Hoofswell. Yah can come with us if yah want.” Apple Chase smiled at her sister.
“You really are the best, Heart Chase,” she sniffed. “You’re a much better pony than I could ever be.”
Heart Chase left her sister in the office to return to the celebration. She walked along the side of the barn, quietly thinking about how she would tell her friends that Apple Chase was coming with them when she came to the wide open door. Inside the barn was the happy laughter of family and friends who had come together to celebrate life and the joys of being together. Ridgeline laughed and danced with one of her cousins, while Constance flirted with the stallions, and Bard performed magic tricks for the fillies and colts.
It was in that moment, she finally realized what her cutie mark meant, and how it applied to her special talent. She could see the value in all things. Instead of seeing a prostitute, a coward, and a berserker, she had found instead a caring soul, a dedicated friend, and a true warrior. The three hearts were for the three ponies that would become more that friends; they had become family.
And if Heart Chase knew anything, it was how to love her family.
|
Ganymede
|
861
| 1 |
Applejack,Derpy Hooves,Fluttershy,Lyra,Rarity,Snips,Comedy,Random,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
|
Snipping for Love
|
Snips explores dating
|
complete
| 18 | 6 |
<p>I felt like writing something short, stupid and cute, so I wrote about Snips searching for love. Enjoy!</p>
|
everyone
|
2011-09-15T22:48:24+00:00
|
2011-09-15T22:48:24+00:00
| 2,228 |
Snips was walking down the town square, taking in the curious vibe. It was a bright sunny day, colorful and busy as the ponies assembled outside to talk and play, eat and drink, sit and stand.
But Snips was most interested in the strange behavior of a few of the ponies getting very close to each other. Some were holding hooves, while others rested their hooves lovingly around their backs. Every so often, a few would peck each other on the cheeks, or even lock lips for a few seconds with a small *smack*. Why did they do this?
And this is was why he was here! It was a quest! A quest to find out why!
The mighty hunter Snips sought out a victim to satisfy his curiosity. He spotted one! A green unicorn sitting alone, leaning back into a comfy wooden chair at a dining table, sipping noisily on a straw. Snips approached her, readying a line she couldn't resist.
"Hey!" he shouted out, getting her attention as she choked a bit on her drink. For a moment she looked at him, staring at his dorky smile. Snips looked into her repulsed eyes, trying to see love and attraction. Was he doing this right?
"So, uh...you wanna go make love or something later? I'm free at 3:00!"
The unicorn's eyes went wide as her lip twitched, utterly horrified. A moment later she was gone, blasting away into the distance.
Snips stood there curiously. Perhaps this was normal? Maybe she would come back and answer his question later.
"CALL ME!" he shouted.
He looked around some more and noticed a pair of pegasus ponies rolling around on the ground. Wrestling? Perhaps. It looked like fun! Maybe he should try again, just in case that nice unicorn never got back to him.
Searching again, his eyes seeking out another potential lover, he found one. A lone yellow pegasus lying peacefully in the grass on her stomach. She looked like she would be nice to roll around with! Snips trotted up, putting on his biggest most alluring smile and got her attention.
"Hello, miss pegasus lady!" he said, watching as she turned her head and see who was speaking to her. "I notice you're just lying here on the grass! Wouldn't it be more fun to have someone else on the grass with you? We could roll around together and hold hooves, and I think that would be very nice!"
The pegasus pony frowned slightly. Was this a sexy frown? Was she being seductive? He couldn't tell.
"Oh...um...I really don't think..." she started.
She must have been playing with him now. This must have been that "playful banter" Snails had talked about. What a pickup line!
"Yeah", he said, trying to respond in an equally playful way, "I really don't think either. In fact, I hardly think at all, most of the time"
He put on his biggest smile again, staring at her as he awaited the next fun line of banter.
"Oh, um..."
She was curling up now, pulling her head down towards her hooves. A readying position of passion, perhaps? She wasn't saying anything now. She must really like him! This must be how love works! Say a few lines of banter, and see if they retreat and let you in!
"Oh, boy!" he said. "I'm so excited! This is going to be so much fun! We're going to go holding hooves, and rolling around together, and putting our mouths on our faces, and...and..."
The pegasus pony was now inching away from him on the grass, letting small squeeks are she went. Then, turning rapidly, she ran off, jumping a bit with her wings spread as she went, as if trying and failing to fly.
"Huh..." Snips said to himself, his smile faltering. "Was that supposed to happen?"
Perhaps he needed a different approach. Maybe he wasn't being straight forward enough. He was confusing his potential mates. They must not have known what he wanted.
He found another unicorn, white with brilliantly flowing purple hair. She was sitting at a table busy talking to a brown pony wearing a leather cowboy hat. They weren't touching, so they must just be friends. He trotted through the grass, preparing his lines.
"Hello, miss beautiful!" he said.
Neither pony moved, apparently entranced with their own conversation. Perhaps he wasn't loud enough?
He cleared his throat and tried again.
"HELLO, MISS BEAUTIFUL!!!" he screamed at the table.
He must have done something right this time, because both of the ponies were giving him their full undivided attention. A feeling of accomplishment flowed through him for a moment before he turned toward the white unicorn.
"Hello again, and may I introduce myself. My name is Snips, and I am looking for a girlfriend! Would you like to be my girlfriend? You look like you would be a nice girlfriend!"
Why did every pony he asked have to have that strained repulsed look on their face? Was is something they ate? Maybe something smelled bad...
"Well, congratulations Rarity!" said the brown earth pony sitting across from her. "You've found yourself a mate! A fine...er...pig?"
She put her hooves to her to mouth as she suppressed an outburst of whooping laughter. The white pony continued watching him with that same horrified face. Snips smiled widely, hoping that this time he was being very clear about what he wanted!
Seconds passed, and Snips started to find himself getting confused again. Was it still his turn to talk? Did he need to follow through with another line?
"Uh..." he thought, "...I think this is the part where you give me your number", he said, just in case she had forgotten what to do next.
Rarity turned back toward the other pony, who had given up trying to stifle her laughter, and was now leaning into the table slamming her hoof down as if trying to break it. Snips watched as the white pony lowered her head onto the table, sinking her face into her hooves. The part of her face Snips could still see was going very red.
Wasn't she going to say something? He couldn't possibly have been more clear! He waited a few more seconds, but both ponies simply kept their heads buried in the surface of the table. Snips finally gave up, turning in utter confusion now.
"This dating thing is hard!" he thought out loud. "Maybe I need some advice! I think I'll go ask some pony!"
Looking around he spotted a nice-looking gray pegasus with yellow hair. She was alone, and for a moment he considered hitting on her. But then he remembered his failed attempts, and simply asked a question.
"Hey", he said walking up to her. "Can I ask you a question?"
The gray pony looked around, spotting him with...wait, could she see him with those eyes? They were pointing off into space in strange directions...
"Hey!", she said crazily, her mouth now wide with excitement. "Pony!"
Snips was so happy that some pony finally responded in to him in a nice way.
"Hey pony", he said again, wording his question right, "Do you know how to ask someone for love?"
The gray pony stuck her tongue out and to the side for a moment, apparently pondering very hard.
"Love?" she said, repeating his question.
"Yeah!" Snipe said, feeling much better. Finally he was getting a response he understood!
"Oh!" she said, smiling big. "I know love! It's like this!"
And next thing he knew, she was bolting into his face, slopping her lips onto his and licking his own tongue with hers. It tasted...good? He couldn't really think of a food it tasted like. Did ponies really have flavors?
She parted from him and giggled, tongue still dangling out, eyes swiveling slightly in their sockets.
"That was fuuuuuun!" she said, trying and failing to focus her eyes on him. "I like you! You're cute!"
Snips was shocked! Had he done it? Had he finally gotten the right pickup line? Maybe he should have just asked how to ask for love in the first place!
"Hey" he asked her, almost giggling himself. "Wanna roll in the grass together?"
She pondered for a moment, her mouth getting wider from excitement as she thought.
"WOULD I!" she shouted, toppling over onto her back.
Snips watched as she started rolling onto her stomach and continued onto her back again. Snips followed suit, rolling around with her. He ran into her a few times, and each time she would glance at him with a wide goofy smile.
Snips looked up at the sky, starting to realize how great this was. He finally had someone to explore love with!
The last thing he remembered from that day was her hoof touching his as they lay on the grass together. Their hooves never parted for the rest of that day.
|
HipsterKitty
|
862
| 1 |
Cheerilee,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Rarity,Twist,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
|
Canterlot
|
The Cutie Mark Crusaders find themselves stranded with no food during a field trip gone awry.
|
complete
| 9 | 11 |
<p>During a class field trip, the Cutie Mark Crusaders end up trapped and starving. With three fillies and no food, a simple observation may bring an end to their friendship irreversibly. But how does this all play out?</p>
|
mature
|
2011-09-24T15:05:32+00:00
|
2011-09-24T15:05:32+00:00
| 2,007 |
Canterlot
Not for the easily disturbed.
“Good morning, everypony! Today’s the big day!” Cheerilee was right to be enthusiastic about this day. After all, it was the day of her class’s big field trip to Canterlot. “Now, get into your groups and follow me. Remember to ride in your assigned balloon. We don’t want anypony causing trouble before we’re even there.” Twist trotted her way over to Apple Bloom’s balloon, but was abruptly stopped by none other than Scootaloo.
“There’s only room for three of us in here, and those spots are reserved for Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and me. Go back to your own group!”
“But I hate my group, Scootaloo! Can’t I squeeze in there with you? Can’t I just try?”
By this point, Cheerilee intervened. “Now, Twist, you’ll see your friends when we get there. Go to your assigned balloon.”
Twist sheepishly and slowly walked to her balloon to join Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara on their journey to Canterlot.
One by one, the balloons landed and the little ponies got off. Cheerilee counted them all to make sure they had all arrived safely. Once she was sure that the flight was a success, she started the tour. First, the class paid a visit to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Cheerilee explained, “This is the most prestigious academy in all of Equestria, and Ponyville’s very own Twilight Sparkle is currently enrolled here! This is a place that ensures that the most magically inclined unicorns can succeed with their talent. In fact, if any of you young unicorns here today want to pursue a life of magic, you can apply to transfer here any time you want. I will miss you, but I want what’s best for you all.” Sweetie Belle was intrigued. She now wanted to concentrate on magic, just like Twilight. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom did not care for this school much at all.
The next stop was the Wonderbolts’ practice field. This caught Scootaloo’s attention. Cheerilee did not give an explanation at all. Instead, the Wonderbolts themselves appeared over the horizon and proceeded to give a lengthy demonstration for the students, who were all mesmerized. But only Scootaloo was truly inspired. She decided, for now at least, that she wanted to join the Wonderbolts someday. And the tour moved on.
“Cheerilee?” Apple Bloom asked, “Is there anything here for earth ponies?”
“Uhhh… Well, you see… I… I guess there’s not. Not really.”
“So now my friends will get their cutie marks before me, won’t they?”
“Well, Apple Bloom, there’s no guarantee that they even will. And for all we know, you could still discover your talent before they do.”
“I guess so. Thank you anyway. This has been fun!”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it!” Then Cheerilee turned around to face the whole group.
“Alright, everypony! Get in the same balloon you arrived in. It’s time to go home.” The crowd of young ponies let out a collective sigh of disappointment, but then obeyed their teacher and got into their assigned balloons. All of them except Twist, that is. She attempted once again to join Apple Bloom and her friends, and once again, Scootaloo interrupted.
“Hey! Twist! What did we tell you back in Ponyville?!”
“Please, Scootaloo, just let me in. I can’t ride with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon again! I just can’t!”
“I’m sorry, but there’s no room! Go away!”
“You just don’t understand! There is nothing worse than those two! Even if it’s crowded, it’s impossible that your ride could ever be any worse than mine with them!”
“Ugh, fine. You can try to fit.”
“GIRLS!” Cheerilee interjected, “Please just get into your own balloons!” And, again, Twist obliged.
The balloons took off again, one by one. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were last. Their balloon seemed abnormally slow, but it got them there just fine, so they didn’t think much of it. Ten minutes later, however, all the others were out of sight. Still no need to panic… But when the balloon stopped moving altogether, the fear finally set in to all three fillies. Back in Ponyville, Cheerilee was also terrified. How could she have lost three students when she saw them all leaving?
The fillies were silent at first. It took fifteen minutes for Sweetie Belle to finally speak up. “What if we never go home?” “Sweetie,” Scootaloo replied, “I’m going to make it absolutely certain that we do. You’ll see Rarity again. Apple Bloom, I promise you will see Applejack again, too. I will never let you down. We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders! If this is a test… If this is our destiny… If this is how we’re meant to find out who we are, I will not rest until we do!” This raised hope for the three scared little fillies. Even Scootaloo was caught off guard by her own speech. But minutes became hours. “Scootaloo? Sweetie belle?” Apple Bloom announced, “I just want you two to know that no matter how this ends, I’m happy that I get to wait it out with you two. You’re the best friends a pony could hope for. Now, it’s getting late. Let’s just call it a night and figure something out in the morning.” And hours became days. The three little ponies had been in the same spot in the sky for two days. The feeling of hope Scootaloo had created was rapidly deteriorating, and the feeling of pain from thirst, hunger, and overall fatigue was taking its place. And then their balloon started to move again, directly downward.
The balloon accelerated up to a speed high enough that the fillies felt weightless. Then, all of that force caught up to them as their basket smashed directly onto a rock, scattering the three ponies all over the place. Sweetie Belle was quick to notice the bright side of the situation. “A rock! A rock! I’m going to be just like my sister! Scootaloo, I think you were right! This is our destiny! No, this is my destiny!” But this wasn’t just any rock. It was a small plateau with such massive cliffs on every side that not even a Pegasus like Scootaloo could possibly survive jumping down. As Sweetie Belle excitedly looked for a way to turn the crash site into her destiny, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could only wait and hope that she was right, hope that she would save them, and just hope that if she was wrong, they would still get down somehow. And now, as they were beginning to feel dehydrated and malnourished, their waiting had brought them nothing but darkness. The Cutie Mark Crusaders made a blanket from the wrecked balloon and, for the first time ever, fell asleep truly worried that they may never wake up in the morning.
The third day brought rain, and the ponies collected it in every way they possibly could, drinking as much as they needed and attempting to create pouches out of the rest of the balloon, then holding those out to gather what the unnoticing weather Pegasuses had brought them. This inspired Apple Bloom to think, and then yell, “Cutie Mark Crusaders survivalists!” Neither of her friends were interested in this idea, though. They were going to study magic, or become a Wonderbolt. They already knew just what they wanted to try to be, leaving the young earth pony even more worried that she would be the last to get her cutie mark.
Sweetie Belle had a sudden realization: “If I’m going to try magic, maybe I could help us out! We all just had water, but we still need food! I’ll try to make a spell that gives us food!” She tried and tried, but everything she thought up was either not a real spell or had nothing to do with food. She froze all of their water, turned part of the rock into diamond, and temporarily made Scootaloo’s tail completely green, among other useless spells, before finally giving up. The fillies were in excruciating pain due to their hunger by nightfall. They all lied down and passed out immediately due to their minimal remaining energy.
The fourth day was dry and hot. The collected water evaporated and there was still no food. The fillies’ mouths and eyes were so dangerously dry that they had to keep them mostly closed throughout the day. Scootaloo complained, “I think… I think I’m literally starving.” Apple Bloom said, “You’re right. We are. I’ve never been this hungry. I could eat every single apple back home right now.” Sweetie Belle added, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!”
This gave Apple Bloom an idea.
“Okay! I pulled out three hairs from my mane. One is tiny and the others are big. You two each take one.”
“Why?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Just do it!”
“Okay, okay. Is this one big? It looks big.”
“Well mine is longer!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“And I guess the one I’m left with is long, too.” confirmed Apple Bloom, “Sorry, Sweetie. You lost.”
Apple Bloom explained the whole situation to Scootaloo in the night while Sweetie Belle slept, thinking she had only lost a silly game the others had made up to pass the time. “There are animals out there that eat other animals instead of plants. I think we can be like them so the two of us can live. Sweetie Belle lost fair and square. We will miss her, but we need to do this.” Scootaloo crept over to Sweetie Belle and tied a gag made from the wrecked balloon around her head. This woke her up, and she attempted to scream but could barely let out a sound. As Scootaloo pulled her legs behind her back, tying them together, she looked away just in time to see Apple Bloom swing a rock directly into her forehead.
She woke up to find the balloon’s basket on fire. Scootaloo had used friction from her flapping wings to ignite the dry wood. Under that little horn, behind those little eyes was Sweetie Belle’s mind, and in that mind were so many thoughts just wishing that the gag would be gone to let them free. “Why am I tied up? What is that fire for? Why won’t you two look at me? Am I… are you… Oh, no. No, no, no. NO! Stop! Apple Bloom! Scootaloo! Stop! Stop! NO!” but all of those things became muffled, hardly audible noises as they became caught in the thick cloth of the balloon.
“Oh no, she woke up!” Apple Bloom yelled, “I didn’t want this to hurt her! And I already got rid of that rock, so we can’t knock her out again!” Scootaloo gave Sweetie Belle an apologetic frown, but then told Apple Bloom that she needed to choose between one filly’s comfort and two fillies’ lives. Apple Bloom agreed, and the two lifted up the helpless little unicorn. Sweetie Belle again only wanted to talk, to scream, and to cry. But again, the gag prevented her mouth from forming words and all she could do was cry. And then, the heat of the day proved to be nothing as the filly became five times hotter having been dropped into the burning basket.
Sweetie Belle’s eyes were as wide as ever, as the tears they were forcing out evaporated away immediately. Those same eyes began to shrivel up as their moisture was forced into the atmosphere. Sweetie Belle’s mane was a smoldering orange and black mess as little flames and embers danced around in it from hair to hair. The rest of her coat wasn’t holding up well, either, as the skin it was attached to blistered, boiled, melted, and tore free from the muscle underneath. Those muscles became stiffer and stiffer as the searing heat burned and dried them all from wet and pink to crunchy and brown. Sweetie Belle’s heart rate had increased to a horribly unsafe level, just as her gag burned free from its grip. The young unicorn gave out a final, gruesome, bloody scream as her blackened silhouette collapsed among the flames.
As the fire died out, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom came to find their friend burned and hurt, but very much still alive. Sweetie Belle was writhing in the ashes and embers in immense pain. Every time she moved, it felt like she was scraping across rusty nails and broken glass. Every time she was still, it felt as if the fire was still burning around her. The pain was unavoidable and there was nothing she could do to make the situation more bearable. Most of her meat was cooked, however, and Apple bloom knew this. She took hold of one leg, sending a sharp, throbbing pain through every vein in Sweetie Belle’s body. She snapped the bone, proving to the little unicorn that it actually was possible to feel more pain than she had throughout the rest of the ordeal. Apple Bloom then tore the flesh to remove the leg, and in response, Sweetie Belle let out a dry, gravelly, quiet scream. She then tried to speak. “Apple Blo-… Ap-… Ki-… Me…” was all she could get out before she suddenly stopped making any noise at all. Apple Bloom pretended not to hear her and bit into the burnt leg once. Her eyes became wider and her mouth turned up into a smile. This was the tastiest thing she had ever eaten in her young life. She bit into it again, and then a third time, before finally motioning silently to Scootaloo that her meal was ready. Scootaloo took another leg, and Sweetie Belle tried to let out another scream. The filly had not gotten used to the throbbing pain of that event and it was exactly as unbearable as the first time.
Two more legs and two hours later, the Pegasus and the earth pony were full, while the burnt, now legless, dying unicorn continued to twitch and shake in the ashes of the basket that just days before was supposed to take her to her town, her home, and her sister. Her sister… In what was left of Sweetie Belle’s mind, there was nothing but Rarity, and how worried she must be back in Ponyville. Or worse, how she was probably hopeful that Sweetie Belle was okay. How she must lie awake every night, just like Applejack, holding onto nothing but the hope that she would be reunited with her little sister. Unlike Applejack’s, Sweetie Belle thought, Rarity’s hope was doomed to be for nothing. While Sweetie Belle could now accept and understand the fact that she would never see Rarity again, she knew that Rarity had no idea of her tragic circumstance, and she wished more than anything that her big sister could somehow find out and learn to cope with her loss earlier. But there was no way that could happen, and the young unicorn filly didn’t sleep at all that night knowing how much pain would inevitably be inflicted upon her big sister, and just wishing it could be gotten over with.
Scootaloo woke Apple Bloom up in the morning to point out that someone had taken a bite out of Sweetie Belle’s chest. This was baffling, as both of them knew that they were asleep all night long. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle twitched again, and Apple Bloom immediately put two and two together to see that she must have taken a bite of her own flesh in an effort to survive just a few hours longer. Scootaloo saw something completely different, though.
“Apple Bloom, look! Your cutie mark!”
It was true. Apple Bloom had finally gotten her cutie mark, before either of her friends, just as Cheerilee had suggested. She was so happy that it took her a few minutes to realize what it was. And when she did, she was proud of her new unicorn skull.
Sweetie Belle lasted an incredible two days on her own flesh, tearing off piece after piece and using the thought of Rarity to overcome the excruciating pain, before the three fillies collectively consumed just too much for her to hold on any longer. The pain from the burns never went away. The pain from the bites was always sharp and new, especially the few times when one of the ponies got a hold of some fresh, uncooked tissue that tugged at other living muscle and organ, increasing the intolerable pain exponentially to the point where Sweetie Belle’s entire body took some of the impact. If her vocal cords hadn’t dried up and shattered as she tried to ask to be put out of her misery, her friends might have heard her attempted screams. They might have gone easy on her. They might have put her down, as she was actually attempting to do as she gnawed at her own chest, desperately trying to reach her heart. But they didn’t. She lived for two days after being burned, dismembered, and eaten, and it never got even a small bit more bearable.
Three more days passed as the meat on the pile of unicorn bones became rotten and inedible. Apple Bloom was hungry again. She glanced over at Scootaloo and then at her rock. Her rock! She had thrown it over the edge to prevent this exact thing from happening. She wanted herself and Scootaloo not to experience the same pain that Sweetie Belle would go through. But she was still hungry anyway, even though she knew very well that she wasn’t starving. She simply could not wait for her next fix of pony meat. She looked around and eventually her gaze caught on to the little unicorn skull in the pile of ashes ten feet from her. “Maybe this is what my cutie mark is telling me. Maybe it’s not only symbolic of my skills, but it’s also a clue! This is what I have to do now! This is it!” she thought as she ran to the skull, but Scootaloo had had the same idea and beat her to it.
“Lay down, Apple Bloom. This will all be over before you know it.”
“No! This is my special talent! If anyone should get down and give up, it’s you!”
Scootaloo lunged at Apple Bloom and the fillies immediately found enough energy to fight. Scootaloo got the first hit: a swift kick into the earth pony’s mouth. Apple Bloom, fueled by rage and the pain of some of her teeth cracking and coming loose from her gums, retaliated by biting one of Scootaloo’s wings with her bloody teeth and pulling it to the point where it popped out of its socket. Scootaloo collapsed to the ground in a momentary seizure brought on by what felt like a railroad spike had been driven into her back. When she stood back up to take her next shot, Apple Bloom stopped suddenly in her tracks. A hot air balloon was rising up just behind Scootaloo. But before the earth pony could say anything, the Pegasus jammed Sweetie Belle’s horn directly into her gut. And the balloon’s basket set down on the rock face, just in time for a horrified Cheerilee and her search party to witness the attempted murder of one filly using part of the corpse of another.
Scootaloo was back in class the next day as her wing was undamaged and only sore, but Apple Bloom spent a week in the hospital recovering from her stab wound. The whole town gathered for Sweetie Belle’s funeral as soon as Apple Bloom was well enough to attend. Rarity managed to hold back tears for quite some time, but when Apple Bloom found and stood next to Applejack, the lonely white unicorn broke down so hard that the entire service had to come to a halt as no one could hear the speaker over her crying. This brought on an increase in the emotion of the rest of the crowd, and soon the entire town was in tears as well. All except Apple Bloom, who could not see what the big deal was. After the burial was finished and the older ponies had moved on to comfort Rarity, Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo to come to a private place with her to reminisce about their lost friend. Understanding and still crying, Scootaloo followed. Apple Bloom led her to a dark, empty room in her family’s barn. Scootaloo turned on the lights, which flickered for only a split second. That was long enough to see Apple Bloom standing on the other side of the room with a huge, insane grin on her face and a butcher knife between her teeth.
“Oh, Scootaloo. You really hurt me back there. And you meant to do it... I don’t think you’re my friend anymore... It’s time you get what you deserve.”
Scootaloo’s heart stopped in its tracks. She heard footsteps, and turned to open the door and run. But without the light, and having been ironically blinded by the flash that happened when she attempted to turn that light on, she could not find the door. Her only option was to scream for help as she kept looking. The footsteps continued until the fillies finally made contact. It wasn’t the knife that hit Scootaloo first, but Apple Bloom’s newly fixed teeth. They closed around a section of skin on Scootaloo’s neck, tearing it off and pulling plenty more of her skin, fur, and muscle along with it. The shock and the pain caused the Pegasus filly to seize again, as Apple Bloom swallowed the chunk of her neck that had been torn off seconds before. “Mmm. Scootaloo, I have to admit, Pegasus meat might just be better than unicorn meat. If you weren’t so darn tasty, I think I would just let you go now.” Scootaloo resumed her screams as Apple Bloom resumed her feast. Big Macintosh and Applejack were the first to the scene, but by the time they arrived, their little sister had left Scootaloo irreparably disfigured with only one wind, two legs, and a gaping hole in her side, and she was left in some sort of trance as all of her muscles disabled themselves and her breathing increased to an unimaginable speed. Little Apple Bloom’s pupils were dilated unevenly and her face was splattered with blood. She had a massive grin as she went in for another bite. This caused Scootaloo’s breathing to cease entirely. The older Apple siblings were frozen in a horrified shock as Apple Bloom looked up at them and, in her sweet, innocent voice, said, “Want some?”
There was a second funeral the next day. The only resident not in attendance this time was Apple Bloom. She was far away in the bad part of Canterlot, in a massive stone building full of padded rooms. She spent the remainder of her days in one of those rooms, wearing a straight jacket and a muzzle, hallucinating other ponies and eating them in her mind. Applejack and the rest of the Apple family couldn’t bear to visit her. The only pony who ever did was Rarity. Still distraught by the murder of her little sister, the bigger, stronger unicorn used her more controlled magic to tighten Apple Bloom’s straight jacket. It got smaller and smaller, redder and redder, until the young filly was constricted enough that she just had to let go. She was found in a puddle of blood after Rarity left, but the prison guards chose not to speak of the unicorn’s deadly assault. After all, this just meant one less lunatic to care for.
And Rarity got some lovely yellow and red fur to work with.
|
HipsterKitty
|
862
| 2 |
Cheerilee,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Rarity,Twist,Dark,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore
|
Canterlot
|
The Cutie Mark Crusaders find themselves stranded with no food during a field trip gone awry.
|
complete
| 9 | 11 |
<p>During a class field trip, the Cutie Mark Crusaders end up trapped and starving. With three fillies and no food, a simple observation may bring an end to their friendship irreversibly. But how does this all play out?</p>
|
mature
|
2012-01-22T03:41:04+00:00
|
2012-01-22T03:41:04+00:00
| 821 |
Rarity carried Apple Bloom's flesh all the way back to the Carousel Boutique, wondering what she could possibly make with it. Maybe it was enough to make a full dress for another filly. Maybe it could be used to make a scarf or another part of a full-sized outfit. Maybe it could be cut up and used to detail several different things. But she eventually came to realize that any pony could immediately realize what it is, and that, she thought, would instantly destroy her entire business and, ultimately, her dreams. She would have to get rid of it before anyone could see it.
"Hi, Rarity!" shouted Fluttershy softly, as she appeared over the crest of a hill at just the wrong time, "What do you have there?"
"NOTHING! It's... uh... nothing, Fluttershy."
"Oh. Um. Okay. I thought it was something, but I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Yes. You were wrong. It's nothing! Do not tell anypony that it's something! Understand?!"
"Yes. It's nothing. I understand."
"And you won't tell anypony about it?!"
"Please stop yelling..."
"Will you or will you not!? ANSWER ME!"
"I won't! I promise."
"Good!"
Rarity trotted away, furious at herself for offending her friend like that. Horrified by the chance of encountering another of her friends and making another scene like that, she took off running as fast as she could, the pelt of the dead filly hanging from her mouth. She just had to get rid of it; nothing was more important. She could only hope that none of her friends would see her before the fur was finally gone. And, just as she had hoped, none of her friends saw her before she left town. Instead, Big Macintosh did.
Knowing enough about Rarity through his sister, Big Macintosh was immediately suspicious of her worried, cautious behavior. He approached his neighbor, though mostly apathetically, with some caution.
"Rarity, right? Just what is that you have in your mouth, there?"
Rarity froze. She started sweating. She dropped the fur at Big Macintosh's feet, unintentionally and without noticing. He took one look at it, then his eyes widened and met the beady, distant ones of Rarity. Her mind void of other thoughts, Rarity noticed that something was missing. Her tongue had slowly grown accustomed to the flavor of the fur as she carried. She looked analytically at Big Macintosh now, thinking to herself that the members of the Apple family must be similar in ways yet unknown.
"Hey there, Big Mac," she finally said, "You wouldn't want to cause me any trouble, now would you? Come on home with me and we can forget all about this."
Doomed by his own desire, Big Macintosh excitedly followed Rarity into her bedroom. She told him to close his eyes and he's get his surprise. Just after his hopeful thoughts of an intimate evening, the last thing to go through Big Macintosh's head was a ten-inch steak knife.
Rarity's red dresses were a smashing hit the following week.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 1 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-21T17:24:12+00:00
| 22,303 |
It was another bright and sunny day in Ponyville, and Rarity was just finishing up the latest of her dress designs. Oh sure she had commissions from popular ponies, as well as national exposure. But, the citizens of Ponyville themselves never really frequented the shop, which in a way disappointed her.
Rarity was a social pony, as well as very generous, and often wondered why she chose to set up shop here, of all places. She would get the same commissions and exposure no matter where her shop was located. She only remained because of her friends, and even they didn't shop here as often as they should. That was something that needed to be rectified, she thought as she began to straighten up some bolts of errant fabric.
Then she remembered that the place was called Carousel Boutique, after all. Perhaps it was time to put that last part of the name to work. Yes! She could sell other items besides dresses, and get to know the other ponies around town, much like Pinkie Pie's parties.
But what to sell? she tapped a hoof to her chin in thought.
“Ideaaaa!” she sang out. If you want to get to know ponies on a personal level, sell personal items. That was a given, but just what kind of personal items? She already sold jewelry, which was worn just about as much as her dresses. She stared at her reflection for a moment, her mind mulling over the types of objects she could sell, when she realized that a lot of the ponies in Ponyville found her very attractive. Putting two and two together, she figured that she would be generous enough to sell items that would bestow pleasure onto her friends and the other ponies. That way, those leering stallions could have their wish fulfilled without Rarity sacrificing her body to them.
She wondered how it would go over, the town being full of usually upright ponies. Then again, her own friends shown that they had quirks and kinks. Everypony was far from perfect, especially when that time of the month came around.
Soon, she began making a list of items to carry for such a purpose, humming to herself as the quill floated over the scroll. In the back of her mind, she felt that not only was she being generous enough to do such a risky thing to make the ponies happy, but this also would provide her a window into the minds of the ponies she barely paid attention to on the street. She bit her lip, wondering if this would be right. The guilt was maddening, but the prospect of spreading joy was greater. There was absolutely nothing wrong with nature.
She was amazed at the selection of stock there was to order from. Rubber toys shaped like the anatomy of other animals besides ponies. Chains....bridles...blinders....whips....even harnesses and saddles made for such “games”. The unicorn knew very well how perverse this simple act of nature could become, but that just made it more fun for them she supposed. She certainly wouldn't be subjected to saddles and whips like she was a common mule. That was the mindest of those dreadful Diamond Dogs.
Shaking her head, Rarity's mind wandered to another problem. She had to be sure to keep Sweetie Bell out of the room they would be kept in, as well as be discreet about her having such things without the other children in town seeing or knowing about them. She couldn't put flyers up all over town, that would be wrong.
Of course, there was also the matter of Pinkie Pie's big mouth. She smirked as her eyes fell on a selection of ball gags. No, she shook her head, that wouldn't be right. Besides, word of mouth would be good for business after all. Pinkie was smart enough to not say such things around children, she hoped.
So her new business venture began with a simple order form, filled to the brim with normal and kink alike. Rarity frowned at the list of depravity before her, but resigned to the thought that she didn't have to experience any of this, and it would probably be best if her clientele didn't relay the experiences to her afterwards. She did respect privacy after all, unlike SOME ponies.
Twilight Sparkle was trotting through town, having just finished shopping for food and magic supplies. The saddlebags draped across her back were filled with various fruits and vegetables, as well as some more esoteric items that she had to order from Canterlot. She doubted Ponyville would sell hazardous chemicals or dragon scales. If a pony didn't know better, they would think she was concocting a witches brew instead of magic spells.
She kept her eyes peeled for Rainbow Dash, who said she had a message for her. Soon she saw the rainbow maned Pegasus kicking clouds away, moving faster than normal as if she couldn't wait to get the job done.
“Hey, Dash!” she called. “What did you want to tell me?”
The sky blue Pegasus swooped down in front of the unicorn, her smile beaming as she stood upright in the air, her wings flapping faster than usual in anticipation.
“I just saw a buncha delivery ponies bringing a bunch of boxes into Carousel Boutique! I bet Rarity's planning something big. We should go check it out!” she threw her hooves into the air as she blurted out this news.
“I don't know. We really don't wear dresses all the time.” Twilight glanced away in thought.
Dash shook her head. “No, these didn't look like dressmaking supplies. Some of them were marked with weird labels and warnings. Maybe she's building a secret lab or something.”
“Don't be ridiculous.” Twilight replied dryly, shoving Dash off with a playful hoof. After the whole incident with Zecora, Twilight thought her friends learned not to jump to conclusions like that, especially insane ones. “Besides, if anypony is going to have a secret lab, it's me.” she sighed, placing the hoof she pointed to herself with back on the ground. “But I guess we can go check it out.”
Dash flipped in the air and was already heading there. Twilight rolled her eyes and followed, hoping that this wasn't more trouble than she needed right now. When she arrived, Dash landed in front of the door and gave a loud knock. Rarity quickly answered.
“Darlings, what is it?” she asked, glancing back and forth at the two confused faces at her door.
“What'cha got goin on in there, Rarity?” Dash asked, trying to glance over the unicorn's shoulders into the shop, but was obscured by Rarity's head at every turn, nearly culminating in her getting a horn in the eye.
“Oh nothing dear. Just renewing my inventory.” she glanced around to make sure no other pony could hear, then leaned in close, her blue eyes narrowing suspiciously as she whispered. “You're my friends, so you're the first to know. I'm starting an actual 'boutique' business now.”
“But you sell dresses.” Twilight observed. “Isn't that was a boutique is for?”
“Yes, darling, but they can also be so much more.” Rarity waved a hoof. “But how many ponies here actually WEAR my designs? No, darlings, I'm going into the novelty business!”
“Well, Pinkie Pie would like that. Buying all her pranks and stuff.” Dash nodded.
“No no no! ADULT novelties!”
Rainbow Dash gasped as if Rarity had said some horrible word or insult. “Can you do that?” she asked, her voice cracking with surprise.
“What are adult novelties?” Twilight asked, eliciting stares and uncomfortable silence from the other two, the only sounds now were Dash's beating wings and the blood rushing to Twilight's face as she blushed under the scrutiny.
“Seriously?” Dash asked, turning to face the purple unicorn, who was now staring at the floor.
“Shall I explain it to her, dear?” Rarity volunteered.
“Nah, I'll do it.” Dash waved a passive hoof then flew over next to Twilight, whispering in her ear. After a few long minuets of hearing nothing but feathers rustling and muffled whispers, Twilight's gaze snapped up from the floor as she gasped in surprise, her blush growing a deeper shade of red. “You want to sell, THAT?” she finally asked, now understanding what 'adult novelties' meant.
“Well, of course. Is that wrong?”
“Well, no...but, it doesn't seem right either.” Twilight explained.
“Oh, you two just don't understand yet.” Rarity shook her mane and tail elegantly as she spoke. “Someday you two will find colts of your own, then it will all make perfect sense.”
“Yeah...colts...” Dash managed a weak chuckle as it was her turn to blush and glance away in embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her head.
“Until then, I would appreciate the word of mouth advertising you could provide for me. I can't very well hang up such advertisements with children around.” Rarity continued, poking at her coiffed mane with a hoof absentmindedly.
“Well, okay...” Twilight reluctantly agreed, not that this was something you would go telling everypony anyway.
`“Excellent! See you then!” she ushered the two out of her shop and slammed the door, eager to get to work.
Twilight and Dash exchanged worried glances. “Well, what could go wrong?” Twilight sighed, glancing up at Dash hovering beside her wearing an expression more of confusion than fear.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 2 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-22T03:39:23+00:00
| 16,177 |
Sweetie Belle stood looking in confusion at the newest addition to the boutique. It was a large black curtain, obviously sewn by Rarity herself, hanging in front of what she assumed to be a room. Her innate curiosity began to get the better of her, and she inched forward, wondering what was back there. Part of her felt like she was doing something wrong, which made it all the more thrilling to peek. Was it a surprise for her? After what seemed like eternity, she was finally close enough to grab the curtain string in her teeth and pull it. Just as she was about to tug, she felt herself being lifted off of the ground by a gentle touch of magic.
“No, no, darling! You're not allowed back there.” Rarity explained, though she didn't sound mad as she gently sat the unicorn filly back onto the ground.
“Awww, why not?” Sweetie complained, forcing her big green eyes to water somewhat in one of her precision guilt trips. She should know by now that it doesn't work on her big sister.
“Because....well, I'll explain it when you're older.” Rarity waved a hoof, hoping that her abrupt dropping of the subject didn't' pique the little filly even more. The last thing she needed was her little sister robbing herself of her innocence because she couldn't take no for an answer.
“Is it a surprise for me?” the filly asked, her green eyes lighting up with hopefulness.
“Heavens no!” Rarity snapped. “In fact, if I had my way, you'd never get involved with that stuff! You are my little sister after all, and I have to protect you. Now go play with your friends.” With that, Rarity planted her hooves on Sweetie Belles rear and scooted her gently out the door.
When the door shut behind her Sweetie Belle found she was even more curious than before.
Maybe I can get my friends to help me! her eyes lit up at the thought as a smile played across her face. With that, she galloped off towards the clubhouse.
A few moments later, the bell over the door rang, signaling a new customer. Rarity emerged from behind the counter to see none other than Lyra. The aqua green unicorn bearing a harp as a cutie mark, looked nervous about asking her question.
“How can I help you dear?” Rarity asked, turning on the old salespony charm.
“Well,” Lyra rubbed her front hoof against her other foreleg as she glanced at the floor. “Bonbon said that you were selling....um.....things. She said she wanted to try something new....”. This poor girl was obviously worried about being judged, and she subconsciously brushed her white mane from her eyes and smiled weakly.
Rarity tried to hide her surprise. Here she thought those two were just really good friends. Perhaps this business venture would reveal more about the complex lives of the ponies she barely even gave a nod to on the street. This worried her. Such a responsibility was not to be taken lightly, especially when the customers violated the privacy rule.
“Well, was does she like?” Rarity asked, placing a hoof on her chest as if to calm her suddenly sped up heart rate. She then brushed her own curls out of her eyes, blinking innocently as she hoped that question didn't come off as too intrusive.
“She....she likes it rough....you know....” Lyra began to blush. For a pony who didn't wear clothes, it sure felt strange airing dirty laundry.
“Oh, well I have just the thing for that! Follow me!” Rarity's tail bounced as she trotted elegantly to the black cutain that moments ago thwarted Sweetie Belle and her curious nature. Even her cat Opalescence wasn't that nosy.
Meanwhile in the little ramshackle tree fort the Cutie Mark Crusaders spent most of their time in, Sweetie Belle was giving the other crusaders the low down on what was going on.
“So Rarity's got this room now, and she says I'm not old enough to see what's inside of it.” the unicorn filly explained as she tried to keep her balance draped over the multicolored ball.
“Won't grown ups ever learn?” Scootaloo asked through a mouthful of crayon as she looked up from her latest drawing, this one possibly more unsettling than the last batch she did for Cheerilee's art class. Scootaloo never seen the teacher so worried, and she could only smile. “The more you say we're not allowed to see something, the more we want to see it!”
“Ah don't know.” Apple Bloom replied, her face displaying nervousness. “Last time Applejack told me that about somethin' and I looked anyway, I got a switch to the flank.” she rubbed her flank with a hoof as if the memory brought the pain back in all it's stinging glory. She swore she could still feel the welt on her skin.
“Rarity would never do that!” Sweetie Belle's eyes widened, her shock causing her to roll off the ball and land hard on the wooden floor.
“I heard Rainbow Dash telling Twilight that Rarity had toys back there!” Scootaloo remembered, a smile crossing her face. She was walking by to the clubhouse when she saw Dash and Twilight engaged in a discussion. She didn't know it was a continuation of Twilight's education from when they were in the boutique, all she heard was toys.
“What kind of toys?” Apple Bloom asked, raising a brow in suspicion.
“I don't know! But maybe they she has those new robot pony toys that transform into things! Those are so awesome!” Scootaloo began to ramble now.
“That doesn't seem like something sis would be into.” Sweetie Bell replied, shaking her head. She rubbed a hoof through her pink and purple mane, checking to make sure she didn't hurt herself too bad when hiting the floor.
“Well, there's only one way for us to know for sure.” Apple Bloom spoke up. The three placed their hooves in the middle of the huddle and recited their mantra once more.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BACK ROOM EXPLORERS!”
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 3 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-10-03T03:06:12+00:00
| 16,181 |
“Bonbon, I'm home!” Lyra called, walking into the modest sized cottage and shutting the door gently behind her. She looked at the off-white pony with the pink and blue mane and tail, laying on the couch lost in a good book.
“Oh! How was your day, dear?” Bonbon asked happily, closing her book as she glanced over her shoulder. She saw the small bag hanging from Lyra's mouth, and read it. “Carousel Boutique? What did you buy there?”
“Something we can try later.” Lyra smiled as she sat it down.
“Is it a type of candy?” Bonbon asked, displaying that tiny obsession/hobby that her cutie mark represented.
“No.” Lyra replied.
“Wine?”
“Too expensive.” Lyra waved a hoof as she sat on the couch in that sitting position that so annoyed Bonbon.
“What is it then?” Bonbon forced herself into the same position and draped a hoof across Lyra's chest, nuzzling her nose into the crook of the unicorn's neck as she murred in pleasure.
“A game.” Lyra's smile suddenly had a mischievous undertone to it.
“A game?” Bonbon repeated, jerking back slightly from her actions. Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh! You want to do that now?” she blushed.
“No, later tonight, when we're in the mood.” Lyra replied, somewhat nervous that this wasn't going to work.
Bonbon nodded as she headed off to the kitchen. Lyra noticed she seemed a bit more in a hurry than usual, obviously curious about tonight's festivities. She just hoped the earth pony liked it.
“Want me to help with that?” Lyra called into the kitchen.
“No, no! You save your energy for tonight! I'm going to make us a special dinner as my gift to you.” Bonbon replied before her head disappeared behind the door once more.
Lyra slumped back onto the couch and sighed. The anticipation was killing her, not to mention the stage fright and everything else. She just hoped she would be in the mood when the time came. Her eyes fell on the bag, and a smile crept across her lips. Her eyes then glanced over to the book Bonbon was reading. She picked it up and hoofed through it. Another one of those trashy novels with the big, burly stallion on the cover. The unicorn glanced up as a thought crossed her mind. Did Bonbon really prefer males? Shaking her head at such a silly notion, she tossed the well worn book aside and waited for dinner.
Soon the smell of dinner was upon her, and she got up and trotted over to the table to see a delicious spread of steamed vegetables, corn on the cob, salads, and even a bottle of wine.
“All of this for me?” Lyra asked, blushing slightly.
“Of course, dear.” Bonbon replied, nodding happily. “Anything for you! I even have desert, courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres.”
“You know me too well.” Lyra smirked, glancing up from the table.
So the two began to enjoy their dinner, and soon, Lyra was levitating the empty wine bottle with her magic, shaking it for any last drop of the nectar that soothed her nerves. The closer the moment got, the more she began to doubt herself. Bonbon would never reject her, but she can be disappointed.
“You drank almost that whole bottle!” Bonbon observed. “It something the matter?”
“What?” Lyra jerked her head towards the voice, which was a bad idea. The room spun and she broke concentration, her magic shutting off and sending the empty bottle crashing to the floor. “No...I'm fine.”
“I've never seen you so out of it before. Maybe we should just rest tonight.” the earth pony frowned. She cared more about her friend's health than any old 'game'.
“No, no...it's fine. Just, a bit of stage fright is all.”
“Stage fright?” Bonbon asked, her brow raising in confusion. Her eyes widened suddenly at what that phrase meant. “Dear, if you're worried about....well....'under-performing'.....it's perfectly alright.”
“NO!” Lyra shook her head violently, much to her own chargin. “It's not that. Just, I want you to be satisfied. I don't know if this will work...” the alcohol finally made the truth come out, which relieved a lot of tension in the room.
“Oh...well. I'm willing to try anything once.” Bonbon shrugged.
Lyra glanced over at her lover, hoping that didn't mean she would fake it for her sake. “Alright, let's go then.”
The two walked into the bedroom, and Bonbon lie upon the bed and sighed. “That was a good dinner, wasn't it?”
Lyra nodded. “You outdid yourself as always. Now it's my turn to repay you.”
“So what is it that you got? It seems awful small for a game.” the earth pony asked as she rolled over to peer over the edge of the bed. Lyra ignored the question as her head rustled inside the bag, then emerged wearing what appeared to be some sort of silk covering on her horn, a small piece of padding at the tip.
“What in Equestria is that for?” Bonbon asked, trying not to laugh.
“Well, unicorn horns are sharp, so this is to protect you from the point.” Lyra explained.
“Can you feel it?”
“No, but I feel stupid.” Lyra glanced up at her horn, which did look kind of ridiculous.
“You've never poked me with your horn before....at least....not by accident.” Bonbon chuckled.
“I'm doing a different kind of poking tonight....” the unicorn replied. I hope...
Lyra climbed up onto the bed and settled down next to Bonbon, back in that subconscious sitting position of hers.
“Must you always sit like that, dear? It's bad for your back.”
“Somepony doesn't want to play tonight.” Lyra smirked, her eyes narrowing.
“Well then, by all means! Sit how you want.” Bonbon gave a slight bow in defeat, sending them both into a laughing fit. Once they finally calmed down, they locked eyes. Lyra was lost in those aqua blue eyes of hers, and found her mind wondering if all her other female fans would be jealous they weren't about to spend this time with their idol. Bonbon was more than just a fan though, she was a good friend and lover as well.
Bonbon leaned forward and they locked lips, their tongues sloppily exploring each others mouths as hooves stroked manes, Bonbon's swishing tail almost knocking off the lamp nearby as she almost always does. The taste of the wine made the experience all the more enjoyable, and Bonbon felt the effects of the residual alcohol on her sensitive system.
Lyra broke the kiss, gasping for breath. “You ready for the game?”
Bonbon glanced at the covering on Lyra's horn, and tried not to snicker again. She nodded, unable to respond without a laugh. The poor girl was trying, and she didn't want to break her heart, especially in her current condition.
Lyra positioned herself so her face was now hovering between Bonbon's flanks. The earth pony could feel the hot breath on her, and sighed slightly. It had been a while since Lyra had done this, as she didn't really care for the taste, no offense to Bonbon of course. After a few moments of waiting, mainly to keep the room from spinning, Bonbon opened her eyes and glanced down to see what was going on.
“You don't have to if you don't want to, dear. It's okay.”
“No it's not that.” Lyra sighed, her breath sending a chill through Bonbon's spine. The unicorn nodded to herself, finding new resolve as she slowly inched her head lower.
“What are you.....OH!” Bonbon was cut off by the sudden sensation of a horn entering her. This was certainly a new experience, and now she knew why Lyra needed the 'protection'. The faint energy of magic coursing through her sent electricity up her spine, causing her tail to twitch uncontrollably.
Lyra smiled at the fact that Bonbon was enjoying this, and picked up the pace. She had to remember to thank that unicorn at the boutique for this wonderful idea. Rough, but not too rough, and certainly pleasurable to both parties, if her soaked mane was any indication. She never would've thought using her horn in this way for fear of hurting her, but now this was going to be a common thing. Now that she knew Bonbon enjoyed it, she forgone all her nervousness and began to increase the pace.
Bonbon couldn't hold out any longer, the energy sending more powerful jolts with each thrust, her own need acting as a conductor of sorts, sending energy directly to her brain. Lyra could feel her shaking and hear the moans. Her hooves futilely grasped at the air, Lyra's head too low to grab and push deeper. She eventually gave up and resorted to rubbing her nipples, her body locking up as the magic made her feel numb yet extremely sensitive at the same time.
Lyra heard her neck crack as forelocks suddenly snapped closed behind her head and she was hoisted up with the spasaming pony, having to close her eyes at the sudden downpour upon her forehead. Bonbon felt kind of guilty about enjoying this, as she didn't have a horn to return the favor. Perhaps she should pay a visit to this 'boutique' and surprise her? After all, this was better than wine and candy.
After the pleasure had passed, Bonbon collapsed on the bed, her eyes half closed and her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Lyra slid up beside her, her mane soaked as she had been in a grueling iron pony event. Both reeked of the smell of wine that came with their sweat, which sent them over even further.
“Need a towel....” Bonbon managed to pant.
“No, I'll take a shower. Did you enjoy it?”
“Of course. Now I'm going to have to repay you!”
“Oh, don't be silly. Your love is enough for me. I'm glad I could make you feel good.” She draped a hoof across the earth pony's chest as she rolled to the side and cuddled up to her. “Besides, all that wine has given me a headache. If it's alright with you, you can repay me tomorrow night.”
Bonbon nodded, herself feeling a bit dizzy from the combined stupor and the immense pleasure that still lingered throughout her nerves.
After a moment of silence in the afterglow, reality started to come back to play.
“So, how much did that cost...?”
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 4 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-21T17:16:44+00:00
| 15,330 |
“Ah don't know. This feels wrong.” Apple Bloom said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. She glanced at the other two fillies with her, all now standing before the black curtain that swayed in a taunting manner, as if they'll never know what's inside.
“You're kidding, right? That's the best kind of feeling!” Scootaloo did a small flip in the air, her tiny wings straining to hold the weight. “Besides, the grown ups telling us not to go back there makes it all the more exciting!”
Sweetie Belle only nodded in approval, curious what her sister was hiding from her. But once again, as she had gotten hold of the curtain cord, magic intervened.
“Am I going to have to ban you from the shop?” Rarity asked, sounding a bit angrier than last time.
“No, Miss Rarity.” Apple Bloom glanced at the floor. Scootaloo could only stifle a chuckle.
“If I must, I'll have you sleep in the tree house with your friends! I don't want any of you going back there! Understand?”
The three nodded, defeat on their faces.
“Good.” Rarity sighed, running a hoof through her frazzled mane. “Now then, off you go!” she shooed them out the door once more. What was going on here? Sweetie Belle thought.
“I don't think Rarity's being very generous.” Scootaloo remarked, sitting on her rump and crossing her hooves.
Apple Bloom glanced around in thought, before her eyes widened. “Maybe we don't have to go back there!”
“Huh?” the other two asked in unison.
“We just wait until somepony goes in, and gets something from back there. Then we'll follow them and see what it is!”
“That's a great idea!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, leaping up into the air.
“Aw, I coulda thought of that.” Scootaloo waved a hoof.
“But who do we follow first....” Apple Bloom thought to herself, tapping a hoof on her chin. She looked up to see Twilight Sparkle cantering up to the shop.
“Quick! Hide!” Apple Bloom whispered, and the three dove in the bushes. They watched as Twilight approached the door and knocked. Rarity opened up.
“Darling, what brings you here?”
“Well, I've been reading some books about, your items and.....well...” she glanced away, her blush returning with a vengeance now as she nervously tapped her hooves on the ground.
Rarity nodded. “An experiment, no doubt.”
“YEAH!” Twilight replied with enthusiasm, snapping her gaze back to Rarity. “Uh, I mean....yeah...” she tried to remain calm.
The white unicorn smiled knowingly, but didn't say anything. “Right this way, dear. I got just the thing.”
Twilight swallowed her butterflies as she followed Rarity into the shop. Even though she had been in here a million times before, for some reason the weight of the situation made it seem like this was her first time, and she was about to make a terrible impression. She snapped from her thoughts when she saw Rarity stop before a deep black curtain, and with a small, graceful yank on the rope with her teeth, it drew back to reveal what three little fillies sought so long to observe.
It was a modest sized room, no bigger than a closet, and had several shelves filled with various objects and toys, illuminated by a few candles in elaborate holders. Twilight followed Rarity into the small space, and looked around at some of the items, wondering how a mind as well read as hers could overlook such perverse uses for mundane tools.
“Is that a....” she asked, pointing a hoof to a selection of colorful toys, all resembling parts of male anatomy, though not all were pony based.
“Yes dear. I've got pony, dragon, griffon, Diamond Dog, and others. You'd be surprised the sensations they can cause!”
“You've tried them?” Twilight recoiled in disgust, though not really meaning to.
“Heavens no, darling! Just from what I've read.” Rarity stuck her nose in the air at such an accusation.
“Well, which one should I....experiment on.” Twilight bit her lip as she tried to keep her lie in check, but looking at Rarity's smile met that she knew anyway, so she just sighed and gave up. “Should I try, I mean.”
Rarity tapped her chin in thought, glancing around the shelf. “Ah! Here we go!” she used her magic to levitate a small, pony shaped toy down to Twilight. “I know you're probably saving yourself for somepony special, so this one will ensure pleasure without taking away what you prize most.”
Twilight knew what she meant, but that didn't make it feel any better. Why do I feel so nervous? This is a natural process! she told herself. Maybe it was the unspoken feeling that Celestia would find out and be disappointed. Perhaps more, it was the fact that someone like her felt she would never find a colt to settle down with.
That was it! This whole process made her depressed. She felt pathetic at having to result to simulation because nopony would take the time to get to know her. Such was the life of an asocial bookworm, she supposed.
“Now will that be cash or credit, dear?” Rarity snapped Twilight from her depressing thoughts, and only got a weak smile in reply. She knew what was going through Twilight's head and it was perfectly natural for a poor girl like her. Maybe she could do something to make her feel better, or at least, show her other possibilities.
“We'll follow Twilight!” Apple Bloom finally spoke when the coast was clear.
“I don't know. It doesn't seem right to spy on our friends like this.” It was Sweetie Belle's turn to have reservations.
“You two worry too much! We'll just....” Scootaloo was cut off when she was rudely shoved back into the bush. The door to the boutique opened and Twilight stepped out, glancing around nervously as the large bag in her mouth swayed back and forth. Figuring that she didn't have to explain anything, she headed back home.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders! Private Detectives!”
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 5 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-21T23:33:43+00:00
| 16,731 |
“Can you see anything?” Apple Bloom asked, struggling to keep the little makeshift Cutie Mark Crusaders Totem Pole in check. She was always at the bottom, being the strongest due to her apple-bucking skills.
“OW! Get your hoof out of my eye!” Scootaloo protested to the unicorn above her. Sweetie Belle struggled to try and reach the window sill to hold stable, but it was obviously too high, being on the second floor.
“I can't reach! We need to get some stuff to stack up to stand on!” the unicorn called down, her weight shifting even more.
“HEY! QUIT IT!” Scootaloo whined, getting a hoof to the back of the head, a white blur consuming everything for a brief moment in her vision.
“Quit squirming, you dodo!” Sweetie Bell frowned, looking down at the Pegasus below her. Whatever reservations she had about spying on her friends earlier had quickly disappeared when she was overtaken by the butterflies in her stomach about seeing something potentially forbidden.
“I told you not to call me things I don't know what they mean! You're pulling my wing!” Scootaloo shouted back, ready to bite the leg hanging in front of her face.
“OH NO! We're gonna....” Apple Bloom tried to exclaim, feeling all their weight shift forward.
Twilight Sparkle lie on her bed and sighed. She glanced at the bag on the floor, waiting for the contents to be put to use, and bit her lip. Why did this feel so wrong? she thought. Perhaps it was her upbringing. Maybe it was because she felt that she probably WOULDN'T find a stallion to settle down with, being the dork she was and all. She wanted to save herself for somepony special. Rarity assured her that this wouldn't ruin that, which talked her into buying the object. But it still gave a strange twinge of butterflies in her stomach.
The loud crash outside snapped her from her thoughts. She glanced at the window, wanting to see what was going on, but decided against it. Any excuse to get out of her dedicated task would be ignored in favor of overcoming her nervousness. Using her magic, she levitated the item from the shopping bag and slowly turned it in the air. It was made of rubber, and resembled a stallion's part almost perfectly, except for the unrealistic coloration of course. Twilight sighed as her over analysis was part of what she felt drove guys away from her. Why can't I just enjoy things as they are? Perhaps, this would be the first step to that moment.
Of course she knew all about the act of mating. The parts, positions, optimum times for insemination. It was one of her quirks, diving into her books about anything and everything and absorbing it like a sponge. Now, here was the moment of truth, putting all the knowledge to use. Rarity was right in calling it another 'experiment'. Her magic brought the item closer, and Twilight admired the little details in the craft before chiding herself for over analyzing again. Slowly, she stuck out her tongue and tasted the tip. It didn't really have a flavor at all, but it felt...right to her somehow.
“I got some boxes!” Scootaloo called out.
“Ah found some apple crates!” Apple Bloom added her stuff to the pile.
“I got some pillows!” Sweetie Belle added, tossing the pillows into the collection.
“Pillows?!” the others asked in unison.
“If we fall again.”
“OH!”
“What if she sees us?” Apple Bloom asked, growing worried.
“Relax! She'll be to busy to see us.” Scootaloo explained.
“What about Spike?” the earth pony asked. “What if he sees us?”
“We're wasting time, you guys! Come on!” Sweetie Belle called, already scaling the pile.
Twilight's eyes widened at the strange feeling in her most private of areas. She knew to get the toy good and wet before attempting anything so as to avoid friction. Only Twilight could make the act of lovemaking boring by making it all sound....textbook. She could feel the faint twitching below, signaling that her body wanted this more than her mind could understand. For once in her life, she had lost control of her own senses. Magic was one thing, but that experience was never pleasurable, especially in overload. But this feeling was different, as if there was a heat spreading through her body, all emanating from the source between her flanks. Her forelock brushed against a wet spot on the sheets and she blushed slightly.
The toy slid in and out of her muzzle with ease now, drool hanging from the corners of her mouth as the silence was broken by the occasional sounds of slurping and gagging. The whole thing felt awkward and somewhat pathetic on her part, but at the same time, these feelings now nullified all of that. She felt wanted and loved, even if was just from herself, and this renewed her passion to find a stallion and experience it the right way. She wasn't old enough to be in heat yet, but she knew it would come sooner than she thought.
Subconsciously, her horn began to faintly glow, producing eerily appropriate mood lighting while at the same time, moving the needle on the old phonograph downstairs, causing the library to be filled with soothing music. She noticed all of this, but didn't really mind. Unicorn magic was controlled by emotions after all. Feeling that the toy was wet enough, she rolled onto her back and sighed at the sudden breeze she felt against the furnace between her flanks. If she got this worked up over a toy, she could only imagine how she would react to the real thing. But that was for another time. Any sense of doubt or embarrassment was gone in favor of a body that was now riled up and craving fulfillment, no matter the means. She used her magic to levitate the toy from her hooves, and slowly, teasingly, lowered it between her flanks. Closing her eyes, she guided the toy to its destination, and gasped at the sudden jolt that shot up her spine when it made contact with the sensitive flesh. After trying and failing to keep herself flat on the bed, as her back instinctively arched up every time a bit more slid in, Twilight finally managed to get it all the way inside.
The way the rubber device spread herself around it, the odd feeling of being filled. She felt herself growing wetter than before, spilling out onto the sheets, and her mind began the task of picking everything apart once more, trying to condense these primal urges into words and mental charts she could process. She closed her eyes, ignoring those intruding thoughts, and focused only on using her magic to thrust the device in and out. It was just short enough to avoid taking her....'innocence', as Rarity put it. Twilight knew what she meant, but didn't really care. At least she would lose it to something. She began a slow rhythm, enjoying these strange feelings that coursed through her body with each thrust. She felt light headed, and found herself imagining a studly stallion taking her hard and rough in a scene projected onto the backs of her eyelids. She smiled at how much it resembled those trashy novels Rarity let her borrow out of curiosity, which taught her that not all books are meant to be read by innocent minds. Rarity could only laugh at the perceived trauma, but in reality, it only made Twilight feel more lonely.
Her breathing became short as she sped up the pace, her mind racing with her fantasies and magic, tongue lolling out of her mouth in a humorous display of raw passion. If she would've opened her eyes, she would've seen that her immense magical ability had manifested a ghostly stallion over the toy, in effect, making her dream come true. She had no idea she was capable of such a feat, but apparently in the heat of the moment, anything is possible. She was too lost in pleasure to care about this potentially horrifying sight, however, as she began to moan in deep, low rumbles. The bookworm Twilight was lost to the instinctive Twilight, ravaged by this ghostly stallion of her imagination and magic. These feelings brought out a side nopony knew she had.
“See anything?” Apple Bloom asked, her shoulders buckling at the weight of her friends as her back hooves struggled to find footing on the pile of debris. Her ears twitched at the faint music she could hear from inside. "I hear music!"
“It looks like somepony is in there with her! And stabbing her!” Sweetie Bell exclaimed, her eyes wide in terror.
“Stabbing?!” Scootaloo asked, sounding disturbingly excited. “Can I see?”
“You're a sick pony!” Apple Bloom frowned, thinking of her own encounter with a dead body in the Everfree Forest.
“It looks like its Big....” Before Sweetie Belle could see anything more, the crates under Apple Bloom's hooves slipped, and the three landed hard on the pillows.
Twilight's eyes shot open at the noise, the ghostly stallion vanishing as soon as her concentration was broken. She frowned, figuring she wouldn't get back into the mood now, and put the toy back in the bag and under her bed. Sighing, she pulled herself up and opened the window to see three fillies among a pile of garbage and pillows.
“WHAT do you three think you're doing?” the unicorn asked, anger in her voice. Did they see anything? She didn't know. But she hid her worry with a stone scowl.
“We were jus' tryin' to build a fort.” Apple Bloom quickly lied.
“You've got a clubhouse.” Twilight grew bitter, narrowing her eyes while at the same time holding her breath.
“But we wanted to be close to the library, in case we needed blueprints!” Sweetie Belle spoke up.
Twilight lingered her stare at the three, a long akward silence making them glance around uncomfortably. “Well, why didn't you say so!” she finally spoke up.
The three fillies sighed in relief.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 6 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-21T21:35:00+00:00
| 14,742 |
Rarity backed out of her new room, smiling at the business she had been getting lately because of it. She had way more customers than before, and she was also learning some secrets about the locals that put her romance novels to shame. But she also felt guilt about the whole sorrid affair really. Not that she wasn't trustworthy with such knowledge, but that something could happen to a poor innocent pony. She shook those negative thoughts out of her head and chuckled to herself. Nothing like that would ever happen, not on Celestia's watch anyway. She turned around and recoiled in fright at the blob of pink before her. Realizing it was Pinkie Pie, she settled down and sighed. “What brings you here today, darling?”
“Oh, I was just looking for some more of your taffy!” Pinkie explained, glancing around the shop in her continued quest.
“Taffy?” Rarity raised a brow. Was that some kind of slang? She didn't know.
“Yeah! I found some of these little square packages that looked like those napkin thingys, and they had your name on them! I never had fruit flavored taffy before, but it was kind of hard to chew.”
Rarity's eyes darted around as she processed what she just heard. Her face then screwed up in disgust when she realized what was going on.
“Pinkie....that wasn't taffy...”
“Then what was it?” the earth pony asked, just as innocent as ever.
Face firmly in hoof, the unicorn resisted the urge to strangle the pink pony before her, and only let out a frustrated grunt. “You ARE aware of the new items I'm selling now, right?”
Pinkie nodded, her face now a serious expression as she listened intently.
“And I hope that you know what they are for?” Rarity narrowed her eyes in an accusing manner.
Pinkie nodded again. “I'm not a filly anymore, ya know.”
“Then how could you think those were.....taffy?”
“They weren't?” the party pony titled her head to the side like a confused puppy. “Darn! My bestest best friend Minty is coming over and I was hoping to give her some of that taffy!”
Rarity thought for a moment, then smiled. “Pinkie, darling. Is your friend Minty as open minded as you?”
“I guess.” Pinkie sat on the floor and placed a forehoof to her chin in thought. “Why?”
“Follow me, dear.” the unicorn led the party pony into the room containing her new stock.
Pinkie looked around in wide eyed awe at the strange sights before her. She wasn't so clueless as to not know what sex was, but she didn't know that all of this was involved as well. It was like a party, only for grownups, with colorful toys and fun pary games. It was the strangest analogy one could come up with, and that is why only Pinkie Pie could.
“What are these?” the pink pony asked, pointing to a strange leather device that looked like it tied onto somepony's head.
“Those are blinders, dear. Very kinky. Perhaps to kinky for you and Minty. Let's see,” Rarity placed a hoof to her chin as she glanced around the stock. “Ah! Here we go!” she pulled down a box that had a picture of a pony on it with something in his mouth.
“What's that?” Pinkie asked, her face a look of confusion and disgust.
“This is a gag, dear. It keeps ponies quiet.” Rarity explained, hoping she wasn't being to blunt about the party pony's penchant for pestering and persisting.
“I don't know, that sounds kind of mean.” Pinkie poked at the box with a hoof like it was going to explode.
“Nonsense!” Rarity waved a hoof. “If Minty trusts you, then there's no problem. Besides, you don't have to use it.” she used her magic to place it into a bag. “That'll be 50 bits please.”
Pinkie's eyes widened at the price. “Really? Well, okay. You take checks?”
“Checks?”
“Well I don't have any pockets to carry bits, so do you take a check?”
“If you don't have pockets for bits, how are you carrying a check?” Rarity caught herself before this conversation went any further. Only Pinkie Pie could be so strange. She glanced at the bag now hanging from Pinkie's mouth, and wondered if giving something like that to somepony like her, to be used on an unsuspecting pony was a good idea. “Never mind, darling. I'll bill you later.” She managed an uneasy smile.
“Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie sang, and hopped out the door with her new potential for terrible things to happen. Rarity could only sigh. Pinkie was such a free spirit. She was, what the proper term was, 'Equicurious', and felt equal attraction to both genders. Ponyville severely lacked in male populous, which Twilight had said something about needing plenty of mares to produce offspring as opposed to having more stallions than mares and leading to disputes when that time of the month came. It was all very scientific and the balance of nature, but Rarity didn't hear a word. She just thought it was an excuse for the males to become more amorous.
Meanwhile, after spending most of their day cleaning up their mess by Twilight's home, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were at a loss. Who could they follow to spy on next?
“Ah still don't feel right about this.” Apple Bloom continued to object. “Ah got in big trouble that one time Big Mac saw ah found his magazines.”
“What were they about?” Scootaloo asked, her interest piqued.
Apple Bloom shrugged. “Ah don't know. All it had was pictures of ponies in them. Big Mac said it was because they were for adults, but nopony here wears clothes anyway!”
“Look! There's Pinkie Pie!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, pointing to the pink ball of fluff that was happily skipping down the road with a bag in her teeth. “Let's follow her!”
“How are we gonna get up there to see in her window?” Scootaloo frowned, rubbing her rear from the fall they took earlier.
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “We'll think of something! Come on!”
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 7 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-22T03:14:24+00:00
| 14,819 |
There! Everything is ready! Pinkie Pie thought to herself, standing in the empty Sugarcube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had left her in charge once again, as she had proven herself more than capable of running the place, and she was good at baking when she didn't have sleep deprived ponies or rambunctious fillies helping her. The place was quiet for now, because she wanted to ensure that the party she was throwing for Minty remained a surprise. Minty was a fillyhood friend of Pinkie's and to hear that she was coming to Ponyville for a visit all the way from Fillydelphia. After Pinkie was sent off to Granny Pie's for adoption after her family couldn't support her anymore due to the Parasprites leaving them nothing but rocks to harvest, she met Minty in town and they became fast friends. The most peculiar thing about her, was her affection for socks.
Pinkie Pie darted around, making last minuet checks on everything and ensuring all was right for the little 'party game' she had planed for her best friend. As she took the last batch of cookies out of the oven, a knock on the door sent her dashing to open it. Standing before her, a lot bigger than she remembered, was Minty. Her peppermint green coat seemed to glow in the setting sunlight, her bright pink mane and tail bounced with the rest of her as she bounded in excitement. “Pinkie Pie! It's been forever!” she exclaimed.
“Yes it has.” Pinkie sighed. “I made all sorts of new friends here too! We should go meet them sometime!”
“Why not now?”
Pinkie shook her head. “No, I got plans for us tonight.”
“What kind of plans?” Minty asked, confused.
“You'll see.” Pinkie gave a knowing wink and led her friend into the kitchen. “Until then, enjoy the party!”
“Wow, Pinkie Pie! This is your best one yet!” Minty looked around in amazement at the balloons and streamers, as well as the big welcome banner with her name on it in bright, colorful letters. The pile of cookies on the table smelled delicious, and Minty couldn't wait to dig in. Pinkie walked up behind her and eyed the filly.
“New socks?” Pinkie asked, nodding towards Minty's rear hooves.
“Yep! Pink just like you! Like 'em?” Minty raised her left rear hoof to show off the sock, which was somewhat dirty on the bottom from the ground outside.
“You should wash those.” Pinkie nodded at her sage advice. Minty hesitated at first, as removing her socks would be like removing a unicorn's horn. She nodded, then nervously slid them off her hooves, handing them over to the pink pony.
“What's wrong?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head.
“I just, feel naked without my socks....” Minty mumbled, rubbing her forelegs together nervously.
“Silly filly, we're naked anyway!” Pinkie bounded out of the kitchen to depost the socks into the laundry hamper, Gummy sitting on a shelf staring at her absentmindedly. She smiled at the little gator, then gently clasped her teeth on the patch of thick scales on the back of his neck, lifting him off his perch and carrying him to show Minty.
When Pinkie emerged in the kitchen, Minty was halfway through the plate of cookies and showed no sign of stopping. “You really like those, huh?”
Minty nodded, a bit embarrassed at making such a pig of herself.
“This is Gummy!” Pinkie broke the silence, pointing her hoof to the gator now resting on the cool tile floor. Minty trotted up to get a closer look.
“Aww! He's so cute” Minty gushed as she looked over the tiny reptile. His eyes staring off at nothing while blinking out of synch. “Why doesn't he have any teeth?”
Pinkie shrugged. “I don't know, I just found him that way. I figured he wouldn't survive on his own, but instead of taking him to Fluttershy's, I decided to keep him since he reminded me of my own problems.”
“That's so sad.” Minty pouted. “I'm sure Pinkie is taking good care of you.” she rubbed a hoof gently on Gummy's head.
Pinkie's eyes glanced over to the bag she got from Rarity's, trying to resist the urge to spring the surprise now.
“So what do we do now?” Minty asked, finally giving Gummy some relief.
Pinkie thought for a moment. “How about we watch a movie?” she asked. Yeah! That'll kill plenty of time!
Minty smiled. “Okay, that sounds good.” She followed the pink party pony into the lobby and up the stairs to her room.
“You sure this is safe?” Apple Bloom asked, glancing at the wooden platform she was sitting on, then turning to look at the opposite end elevated in the air, waiting for an occupant.
“Yeah! I've seen Rainbow Dash use this trick for some of her flying moves! It'll get you high enough to see what's going on.” Scootaloo called down from the plank she was standing on. “Ready?”
“Ah guess so....” Apple Bloom began having second thoughts.
Scootaloo took a running leap and dropped like a stone, landing hard on the opposite end of the catapult, sending Apple Bloom careening up into the air. She could feel her lips pulling back in the wind as she continued her accession, then when gravity finally got a hold back on her, she plummeted and landed hard on the roof of Sugar Cube corner. Contrary to popular legend, the building was NOT made out of real gingerbread and candy, but hard wood and stone.
“Ow....”
“You okay?” Sweetie Belle called up.
“Ah guess so...” Apple Bloom wiggled all four legs to make sure they wern't broken, then rubbed her head to check for any bleeding. She cracked a few bones as she stood, and shook the spinning from her vision. Stumbling over to the skylight she peered down to see Pinkie Pie and Minty absorbed in whatever movie they were watching, both sitting on the impossibly plush bed.
“All they're doin' is watchin' a movie!” Apple Bloom called down, leaning over the edge of the room.
“Well that's no fun! Keep lookin!” Scootaloo commanded.
“Why don't you come up here?” Apple Bloom snapped.
“Fine! I will!” Scootaloo sat on the end of the catapult and pointed at Sweetie Belle then to the platform.
“I'm not going up there!” the unicorn filly recoiled.
“Yes you are!” Scootaloo snapped. “Dodo!”
“You don't even know what that means!” Sweetie Belle protested, trotting to the platform. She scrabbled up the ladder and took a running leap, if only to shut the Pegasus up.
She landed hard on the other end, but her weight wasn't enough, so Scootaloo didn't go as high up, ramming her head into a tree branch and falling to the ground like a rotten apple.
“You did that on purpose!” the Pegasus snapped, rubbing the lump on her head.
Apple Bloom could only snicker at the scene.
“Did you hear something?” Minty shot up, unaware Pinkie had her hoof draped around her neck.
“No.” Pinkie shrugged. “This movie is boring anyway. Why don't we try that game now?” she asked, locking eyes with the green pony.
“Okay.” Minty agreed, smiling.
“It's downstairs, come on!” Pinkie led her back down to the lobby. Neither of them seen Apple Bloom banging her head against the glass as now her effort was for nothing. One more hit released the latch, and she fell into the soft carpet of Pinkie's room. She was in! Now she had to hide.
Pinkie had led Minty to the kitchen and grabbed the bag, then winked and went to the fridge, retrieving a long carrot.
“What's that for?” Minty asked, pointing at the vegetable.
“You ate all those cookies, you need something healthy!” Pinkie explained. She placed it in the bag, then cantered back upstairs.
Apple Bloom had taken shelter under the bed, and saw eight hooves approach then disappear, the bed sagging onto her head slightly.
Pinkie Pie produced the box from the bag and Minty looked at the image on it. It was strange to be sure.
“What's this?” she asked.
“A ball gag! My friend Rarity said it would be tons of fun!” Pinkie explained, ripping the package open and producing the brightly colored red ball held by a leather strap. She picked up the box lid and squinted at it. “Now, I'll have to put it on you.”
“I don't know about this...” Minty shrank slightly, rubbing her hooves together. “It sounds weird.”
Pinkie slid up next to her friend and ran a hoof along her cheek. “Minty, you can trust me. I won't do anything to hurt you. Okay?”
Minty nodded and bowed her head to allow Pinkie to fasten the strap. With the gag in her mouth, the pepermint pony stared with wide eyed confusion as Pinkie produced the carrot.
“I've done this before! It feels really good.” the party pony explained as she began licking the carrot to get it nice and wet. Minty could only watch in a daze and partial fear. When she was done, Pinkie pulled the carrot from her mouth with a soggy 'pop'. She looked into Minty's wide eyes, and smiled a comforting smile. “You can trust me.” she whispered.
Minty nodded weakly, and allowed her hind legs to be spread apart. Pinkie brought the carrot down to between her flanks and began to slide it in. Her body squirmed in pain as something sharp tore through her body. Tears formed in her eyes, but her cries were muffled by the gag. Pinkie was too focused on her work, tongue sticking out in a comical manner, to notice Minty's pain.
Apple Bloom could hear the bed squeaking above her, as well as muffled whimpers. Was Minty crying? That didn't sound like fun at all. She shook her head when she realized Pinkie would never do such a thing, and sighed, straining to try and hear more.
Pinkie continued her rhythm, taking the muffled cries as signals she was doing it right. After a few more thrusts, Pinkie felt left out, and straddled Minty, her gaze still focused on the carrot as she guided the other end into her own need. Her head wrenched back in pure pleasure as instinct took over, completely drowning out any cries of terror from the subdued pony.
Minty tried to kick and fail to the best of her ability, but found her body and mind at a conflict. Her brain said no, but her body wanted more. Between whimpers and gagged sobs came the occasional moan of pleasure as the pain subsided. The sharpness she felt when they started was all but gone, but this whole ordeal was a foreign concept to her, and the sudden straddling and violation made Minty rethink her best friend's intentions. Pinkie, however, was lost in bliss. It felt even better with another mare on the other side. The heat, the friction, it sent unknown waves of pleasure though her very being, shaking her to her bones with lust.
Apple Bloom was confused, and somewhat horrified at what she was hearing. Pinkie WAS hurting that poor pony, and probably knew it too! She wanted to scream, but slapped a hoof over her mouth to keep from getting caught. The bed began to shake violently as Pinkie started to slam herself up and down on the carrot, grunting as the breath was knocked out of her with each thrust. Her body tingled with excitement as her need spilled all over her thighs, and Minty's, making the violated pony whimper even more. Her eyes were filled with tears, but Pinkie's remained screwed shut in pure bliss, oblivious to the psychological torment she was putting her friend through. With a final thrust down, the party pony froze, her body shuddering with pleasure as more of that strange heat flared through her, up her spine and to her spinning head.
She collapsed on top of Minty, panting from the effort and covered in sweat. She felt wetness on Minty's face and thought it was sweat as well.
“Did you enjoy it?” she asked, opening her eyes. She immediately shot upright and shoved herself away when she saw hollow, tear filled eyes staring at her. Pinkie's mind reeled at the prospect of hurting her best friend, and even more that she didn't notice it. How could I be so selfish? She was in pain this whole time, and I didn't even bother to look!. “Minty....” she whispered hoarsely, “I'm...I'm sorry....” She reached forward to remove the gag, but Minty only recoiled in fright as if she was going to be struck. “Minty....please....”
Minty calmed down enough for Pinkie to remove the gag. Before she could apologize any further, Minty shot upright, shoving her way past her, and bolted out of the room crying. Pinkie began crying herself and Apple Bloom saw her take off down the stairs as well. She was unnerved by the sudden weight in the air, and felt that she was somehow responisible for this mess as well, as she should've done something.
Once she was sure the coast was clear, Apple Bloom slid out from under the bed, and crept down the stairs to leave, her mind trying to process what just happened and if she should say anything.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 8 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-22T17:17:22+00:00
| 13,984 |
“Crying?!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, falling off of the ball she was draped over once more.
Apple Bloom nodded, her face one of concern. “Ah don't think she meant it, but it was still wrong.”
“Did you get to see any of it?” Scootaloo asked, grabbing another crayon.
“No! I was under the bed! Ah don't think ah wanted ta see it anyways.” Apple Bloom crossed her front legs across her chest.
“We should tell Rarity that her toys make ponies cry!” Sweetie Belle spoke up, climbing back onto thinking spot on top of the ball.
“And risk getting in trouble? No thanks!” Scootaloo shook her head.
“How can you be so insensitive?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide in surprize.
“Every time we do something wrong, we get punished. It's about time the adults get punished too!”
“But Pinkie is our friend!” Sweetie Belle protested, falling off her ball again.
Apple Bloom sighed. “But she did do somethin' wrong. But if we tell anypony, ah'll get in trouble too! Keepin' this secret is making me feel sick.”
“Maybe we should quit spying. We're not meant to know what's back there.” Sweetie Belle sighed, her eyes drooping in defeat.
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, staring at the scratches on her forelegs from the roof of Sugarcube Corner.
“Well then, that leaves only me I guess.” Scootaloo sighed. “Have fun without me.” the filly stood and left without another word, leaving her two friends confused.
“Rarity...” Pinkie Pie called out, her voice cracking. She glanced around the shop, looking at all the things the unicorn normally sold, and began thinking to herself why she drifted away from such nice things in favor of stuff that hurts ponies.
“Yes, dear?” Rarity emerged from the room and saw the forlorn pony before her. “Oh my! What happened?”
“I.....I.....”
“Yes dear, spit it out!”
“I....think I...hurt my friend...” Pinkie managed to croak out.
“Oh. Did you misuse the toy?”
Pinkie Pie nodded. “I think so...”
“What did you do, exactly?” Rarity found herself anxious to know, which made the voice in the back of her mind scold herself for being so nosy and such a gossip. The other voice tried to justify the question by passing it off as typical sales fashion to ask how the product was misused.
Pinkie struggled to find the confidence to speak, displaying an uncharacteristic silence. Then she turned and sulked out the door without any further words. Rarity could only stare after her friend, her mouth agape as her mind tried to make sense of this situation. She glanced down to see Pinkie had somehow left the offending object on the floor, right at her hooves. She recoiled slightly, wondering if it was sanitary to take returns on such things, then sighed.
“Spike, ah got a problem.” Apple Bloom confessed to the dragon standing dangerously on the edge of a ladder, attempting to place a book twice his size back on its proper shelf. Twilight was out with the others, so he was left to pick up the mess, as always. Not that he minded the job.
“What's wrong?” he finally asked, clambering down from the ladder, obviously winded from the weight of the book.
“Ah think I heard somethin' that ah wasn't supposed to. I shouldn't have been spyin'.” Apple Bloom stared at the floor. Spike could only blink in confusion.
“What are you talking about?”
“Sweetie Belle said Rarity had a new room full of stuff that she won't let her see, so she came and got us to help and we was tryin to spy on ponies to see what was coming from back there and....”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Spike held up his claws in defense. “That's what this is all about? I can tell you what's back there.”
“Really? What? What? What?!”
“Settle down!” Spike warned, waving his hands to signal the pony to sit down and listen. He glanced around to make sure nopony was around, then whispered. “I found something from there under Twilight's bed.”
“REALLY?!” Apple Bloom sat upright, her feelings of guilt gone now. “What was it?”
“Don't know.” Spike shrugged. “It looked like a...well....a boys.....”
“Willy?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head.
“Uh...yeah...I guess....” Spike glanced around, blushing suddenly. “I didn't touch it or anything, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was supposed to be.”
“Well ponies don't wear clothes, so we see those all the time!” Apple Bloom replied, standing back up to venture upstairs.
“I suppose...but this is different.” Spike was beginning to regret saying anything, his face blushing a deep crimson now. “Maybe we shouldn't play with it.”
“It would be too big for me anyway.” Apple Bloom smirked, her eyes narrowing at Spike.
The dragon was caught off guard by this. Is she hitting on me?! He started glancing around more franticaly now, as if trying to find an escape. “Wha...wha...are you suggesting?” he stammered, finding himself being backed against the wall by a slowly approaching filly that had a mischievous smile on her face.
“That you go in there and get somethin' for us.” Apple Bloom replied coolly, as if it were the most casual conversation in the world.
“No way...I'm not getting in trouble!” Spike protested, shaking his head violently.
“If'n ya don't, ah'll tell Twilight you was under her bed.” Apple Bloom's smile grew wider.
Spike hung his head, defeated, and sighed. “Alright,” he stomped off towards the entrance of the library, “but you owe me!” he pointed threateningly in her direction.
“Ah'll pay you back, in spades!” Apple Bloom replied, confident that this was going to work out perfectly. She was finally going to learn what was in the back room, be the hero to her friends, AND net Spike for herself all at once. This was becoming a very good day.
Apple Bloom smiled to herself, her head and tail high in the air as she cantered out of the library, her head filled with thoughts of the coming night.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 9 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-27T00:54:59+00:00
| 20,609 |
Please note that the following pairing was done upon request. There are many ponies that like this stuff, and if you are not one of them then I apologize. I'm writing this fic for everypony, not just you. So if you feel offended that is fine, just don't be a homophobic douche about the whole affair.
Thank you.
Rarity couldn't believe of all ponies to walk into her boutique door to buy one of her new items, it had to have been Big Macintosh. She never figured that he was into these kinds of things, but the more her eyes looked over the studly stallion, a draft horse if there ever was one, she began to realize that maybe he was a sire about town after all. Of course his honest nature and kind heart shot that theory down real quick. He wasn't the love 'em and leave 'em type, after all.
“Big Mac, darling! What in Equestria brings you here?” the unicorn asked, a hoof to her chest as she tried to catch her fleeting breath, a natural instinct of her's whenever she saw a stud. She knew such a relationship wouldn't work, given Applejack and all. But that didn't mean she couldn't 'window shop' as she put it more than once when gossiping with Fluttershy at the spa.
“Well, I was hopin' that you maybe had somethin' to help keep out nosy little fillies.” Big Mac pawed at the floor nervously with a hoof. “Apple Bloom's gonna stick her snout in a mess of trouble one of these days,” he shook his head slowly as he lamented that thought.
“Oh, well I do have a lovely selection of decorative keepsake boxes, but those are more for jewlery really,” Rarity explained, glancing over at the golden, gem encrusted boxes displayed in the picture window. She turned her head back to look at the stallion, who was still staring at the floor, blushing madly. “But, that's not why you're really here? Is it?”
“Ah was just curious.” Big Mac raised his head, a goofy smile on his face. “An' maybe ah can get Applejack somethin' as kind of a joke. Ah hear how she's always muttering Rainbow Dash's name in her sleep, but ah ain't never said anything.”
Rarity blinked, her face expressionless as she soaked this in. Not that it wasn't obvious to her, far from it. The way those two fought like an old married couple, constantly at each others throats in whatever they do. But to hear the normally reserved Big Mac say it served to drive the point home. “Well, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate you airing her, um, 'dirty laundry', as it were.”
Big Mac nodded. “She thought ya'll would've figured it out by now anyways, she was just to proud to say anything to find out. Of course, ah think that it's jus' strictly platonic and nutthin' else. She's to honest to lie about feelings like that.”
The unicorn could only nod, her mind focused on how she was going to cope with knowing this, and keeping it bottled up inside and not tell anypony else. She'll probably have a bloody lip at the spa tomorrow, biting it just to keep from telling Fluttershy anything. Her mane slowly began to fray at the edges with this thought. “Well,” she cleared her throat, “Why not step this way with me.”
Little did they know, they were being watched by a certain orange Pegasus filly, with a wicked smile on her face.
Back at the library, Twilight Sparkle was busy in her books as always. She had noticed that the bag under her bed was slightly moved, but thought nothing of it. Spike wouldn't be the kind to invade privacy, especially in his 'big sister's' room. There was even more incentive not to because this big sister had a canon loaded with magic on her forehead. A faint knock at the door snapped her from her stupor, realizing that her eyes had been staring at the book for so long the print was a blur. She blinked a few time, shaking the cobwebs out of her head, and trotted over to the door. Standing before her, was a mint green earth pony, a bright pink mane and tail, and eyes full of tears. Minty really didn't know where she was going, her mind still a blur of the events she had experienced. As a virgin, she felt as if she had experienced a murder, or worse. She blindly stumbled around the town, completely unaware she forgot her socks, and her vision was blurred by the constant tears. Before she knew it, she was tripping over the stairs to the library door.
“Who are you? Are you okay?” Twilight began to use her horn out of habit to scan her vital signs, noticing an increased heart rate and nothing else. “My name's Twilight...and...” the pony glanced away from her, shrinking like a violet as if she was going to be punished. This confused the unicorn even more, and her darting eyes searched for any scars or other injuries that could be visible. Then she saw the dried blood on her inner thigh, and gasped in horror. She knew what had happened. “Oh my gosh! We've got to get you to Nurse Redheart!”
Big Macintosh strolled into the barn, stashing his gift for Applejack behind a few piles of hay, taking a nibble for himself before turning to head out to the orchards to help his sisters with their apple bucking duties. After a few minutes of searching around, he finally found the orange earth pony, doing what she did best as she kicked a tree right in the sweet spot, sending it's lead dropping into the well placed baskets.
“Hey ya sis!” he called out, walking up beside her. “You seem distracted today.”
“Ah'm tryin to get all this apple buckin' done afore tonight! Braeburn is coming over all the way from Appleloosa, and ah want to be able to have the whole day to treat him right tomorrow. He should be on his way from the Ponyville train station soon. Got him a bed set up in the barn and everythin'!”
“Why would he want to come here?” Big Mac blinked, “It isn't time for another Apple Clan Reunion, is it?”
“No!” Applejack gave a playful punch to Big Mac's leg. “He said he was curious what Ponyville was like after hearin' all about it when we were there delieverin' Bloomberg,” she stopped her bucking to remove her hat and wipe the sweat from her forehead.
“Hey there, cuz!” a familiar voice drawled, making the two ponies turn their heads to see Braeburn coming up the path. “Ya'll didn't tell me this place was so far away!”
“Hey, Brae! Ah got Granny Smith cookin up her famous Apple Pie, then we can wash it down with some of our famous hard cider.” Applejack ran through the rest of the itinerary for the night when Braeburn interrupted with a loud yawn.
“Actually, Ah'm kinda' tired from the trip. Don't see how ya'll can sleep on those trains like that,” he explained as he cracked his back audibly.
“Well, ya bed's in the barn if'n ya wanna hit the hay,” Applejack snickered at her own bad pun, but quickly regained composure. “Ah'll have Big Mac bring ya some pie and cider, then ya'll can get some rest. We've got a big day showin' ya around town tomorrow.”
“Ah would like that very much, ma'm,” Braeburn nodded, a smile on his face. Applejack led him to the barn while Big Mac went to get the pie and cider.
“Hey, Brae. You still awake?” Big Mac whispered, opening the door to the barn quietly.
“Shure am! What's up?” Braeburn asked, his eyes bright and wide smile. His hat and vest were off and he was already getting into bed when Big Mac walked in. The big red stallion walked in, a plate with a slice of pie held tightly in his teeth, and a six pack of cold cider on his back, making him trot in with urgency as the chill went down his spine. He sat them down on the floor of the barn. “Hows about ya'll have a drink with me? Like old times!”
Big mac nodded, a smile on his face. “How's life been in Appleloosa lately? Heard ya'll had a big land dispute not to long ago.”
Braeburn took a swig of cider and waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah. We got it all worked out. Them buffalo folk are right nice when ya get to know em.”
Big Mac nodded in agreement, taking a swig of his own cider, his teeth clenched hard and his eyes screwed shut when the bitter taste hit his tongue. This cider was extra fermented, and could probably be used in one of Twilight's spell concoctions, if only for its explosive properties. “Most folks are if ya take the time to talk to em.” He noticed Braeburn had already finished his pie and was working on his second bottle of cider. Feeling that he should keep up, Big Mac polished off his first one, and grabbed another one in his teeth, twisting the cap off with ease.
After the last two were gone, the room was spinning now. Applejack was going to get a good talking too about this. Selling cider this hard could get them in trouble. Big Mac held his head as if that would stop his spinning vision. After that failed, he shook his head, sending his already sweaty mane flying about and clinging to his forehead. He heard Braeburn snicker, and shot a dirty look at the pony, who seemed to be a bit excited at the prospect of being locked in a barn with the studliest pony in town. The alcohol was in full effect, as Braebun's inhibition was tossed away, causing him to open his mouth. “Ah always wuz a bit jealous that you got all the muscles of the family,” he crossed his hooves across his chest.
Big Mac smiled, his own addled mind taking this as foreplay. “Well, whut do ya plan to do about it?” he asked in a fake smug tone, looking up as Rarity would at a commoner.
“A'll wrassel ya! To show ya you ain't all that!” Braeburn snapped, leaping onto the draft pony without warning, sending them both tumbling to the floor. Big Mac grunted in frustration, ready to buck and toss the pony off his back, when he felt something strange poking at the base of his tail. He immediately knew what it was, and blushed slightly.
“Now, Brae. We don't want to do nutthin' we'll regret.” Big Mac calmly replied, not that he'd probably remember tonight anyway as that cider seemed to eat away brain cells every minuet.
It was too late. Braeburn was already getting into the zone, and Big Mac felt the offending object working its way lower as the pony slid his way down his back. Soon it found its destination, and was all to eager to proceed. Big Mac's eyes shot open in horror at what was going on, but bucking him off now would be painful for all ponies involved. Soon, however, the fright subsided for a strange feeling up his spine, and the hot breath on the nape of his neck. The smell of the cider poured out with their sweat as Braeburn began his ministrations, sliding in slowly and moaning like an animal as the warmth embraced him.
Big Mac began snorting in passion as well, confused yet enjoying this feeling at the same time. An odd combination of forbidden actions and unexplored lands made for a butterfly samba in his stomach as he felt Braeburn try to force himself deeper, his back hoof scraping against his cutie mark as he thrust awkwardly. His own need was pressed painfully against the floor, and the thrusting made this position worse. Reaching behind him with his forehooves, he used his massive strength to lift Braeburn up and out, and placed him on the ground next to him. He then quickly rolled over to relieve the pressure.
“Well, looks like ya'll got excited too!” Braeburn got to wobbly hooves, and after a few misplaced steps to find the real floor among many, he made his way over to the blushing stallion and climbed back on top, positioning himself for the next phase of their game. Big Mac was too confused, embarrassed, and drunk to provide any resistance as his thickness slid into Braeburn, not being able to fit all the way, much to his dismay. He planted his forehooves on Mac's chest and attempted to move up and down, gritting his teeth as he adjusted to the size. After getting a good rhythm going, Braeburn began sweating even more, filling Big Mac's flaring nostrils with the smell of cider and musk. Big Mac's head jerked back as a sudden sensation built between his flanks, and soon, erupted upwards and into the waiting pony above him. This caused Braeburn's own climax, covering his partner's face with his own excitement.
Braeburn collapsed on top of the stallion, sticky mess in between them as they drifted off to sleep, hoping that the morning wouldn't be too terribly awkward.
Unbeknownst to them, however, was the curious orange Pegasus peering through a knothole in the barn door, a look of horror and curiosity on her face. It wasn't what she was looking for, but it was different that's for sure.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 10 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-28T19:09:28+00:00
| 16,028 |
Spike had found himself standing outside the currently closed Carousel Boutique, wondering how exactly he got into this situation. All he knew was that the guilt of being a curious little dragon hung over his head, and he allowed himself to be roped in by Apple Bloom's devious charms. How she did it, he didn't know. He was used to being the one blindly chasing ponies that ignored his every advance and heartfelt service. Now, in a strange twist, a pony he never gave much thought is fawning over him. Though he enjoyed the possibility of exploring this new relationship further in the future, he wished it had been under different, and less incriminating, circumstances. His thoughts dissipated as he focused on the task as hand, using the ever versatile tip of his tail to pick the elaborate yet practical lock on the boutique door. With a quiet click, his eyes lit up that he was in.
Slinking into the darkness, hearing the faint and very unladylike snoring of the unicorn that used to dominate his dreams coming from upstairs, he proceed with extreme caution. His eyes allowed him to see in the dark. Lucky for him, Opalescence was asleep, or she would've saw him too. Spike paused, a devious smile on his face as he briefly thought of sneaking upstairs to sneak a peak at Rarity. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and one that would more than make up for the sin he was about to commit in the name of Apple Bloom. A final goodbye to those memories of the elusive unicorn that even a virgin as pure as him couldn't catch. He nodded that this was a good idea, and began to creep up the creaking stairs, stopping with every tiny groan to make sure nopony heard him. He finally reached the top after a few unnerving minutes, and followed the increasing volume of the light, but still uncivilized, snoring. He reached the bedroom door, open just a crack to allow air to circulate, and peered inside.
There, in repose on her side on her plush rounded bed, was Rarity. Her pink robe made of what he guessed was very fine silk, hung loosely and open on her shoulders, somehow making the normally nude pony look very risque and attractive. Guess clothes really do make the pony Spike mused to himself as he took in the site, noticing that he also had a clear view of her firm flanks, and the unexpected surprise of the bonus just below them. Something that was always there, but hardly seen under normal circumstances, much like the myth of the unicorn itself.
It was then he felt the cool draft from the room brush up against a certain part of himself, and he blushed wildly. How did he get himself into these things? He reached down with a trembling hand, careful of his claws as he began to ease the pain in his strangely hemi-structured self. The squirming and rolling unicorn in front of him only served to keep him going longer, forcing him to look away to finally end his self induced passion. Once that torture was over, he sighed and ventured back downstairs, finding that black curtain that had so eluded the Crusaders, and pulled it aside.
This is what they were so worked up over?! It's just a room! Spike rolled his eyes as he ventured inside, looking at all the toys and devices sat out neatly. He smiled as a thought crossed his mind, Rarity in one of those gags or blinders, and a purple dragon on her back riding to the rescue. He shook his head, trying to get rid of his daydreams. He finally had a pony that saw him for the gentle soul he was, and he was being unfaithful before the first date. He made a note to himself to make up for that, rather Apple Bloom knew why or not. He knew exactly what the filly wanted, so took caution In making his selection for something that would be enjoyable to the both of them. His eyes widened when he saw what he was looking for, and he smiled that maybe he would enjoy having a new girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle was singing to herself as she went about clearing out the dead leaves from the CMC Clubhouse. Rarity insisted she stay there in order to prevent any sneaking around into the adults only room at night while she was sleeping. Pinkie Pie was tasked to watch over them, as she needed a bit of cheering up. She was feeling better, but her thoughts kept drifting back to what she did to her friend, and how she could be so thoughtless.
“Hurry up and finish clearing the leaves, Sweetie Belle,” Pinkie spoke, her voice lacking the character it normally had. “It's almost time for bed.”
“I still don't know why Rarity kicked me out like that! It's like she doesn't trust me.” Sweetie Belle protested, kicking the last of the leaves away and pausing to pull some errant ones from her fluffy tail. All of her work was for neigh however, as the pile of leaves she just created exploded in a blur of orange. Scootaloo skidded to halt on her scooter, shaking the leaves from her wings and hair.
“You'll never guess what I just saw!” she exclaimed, then saw Pinkie Pie staring at her with a mix of confusion and surprise. “Never mind, not while she's here.” the filly whispered, leaning over to the unicorn as she continued to watch Pinkie to make sure she didn't overhear. It was a bad idea to talk about such things around her after what Apple Bloom had told them had happened.
Pinkie was about to ask if Scootaloo ever had a home to go to, but decided against such a mean spirited jibe in favor of enforcing bed time. Maybe babysitting was just what she needed to get her mind off things. She glanced over her shoulder, half expecting Apple Bloom to appear just as randomly, but to no avail. She was probably back at home with her sister and the rest of the family.
Apple Bloom was safe at home, but far from asleep. Pacing around in frustration in the south field where the corn was grown, she didn't notice the passage of time, nor did she notice a certain filly fleeing the scene of a highly unexplainable situation. She was happy to see cousin Braeburn as he made his way to the barn, wondering what they were going to do tomorrow. But right now her thoughts were focused on the young dragon and why she had a thing for him. Maybe it was because he was cute. His naive yet intelligent personality, loyalty, and his humor made a winning combination. While Applejack might think it strange to go outside the pony species, she knew Spike well enough that her sister was in good claws. After all, it wasn't like he'd grow into a savage, mindless beast like the wild dragons that dwell in the forest. He was domesticated, and didn't have a single malicious bone in his body unlike the more educated dragons that lived alone in the dark caves. She glanced up, about ready to leave and go to bed, when she saw in the distance the dragon himself coming up the patch, carrying a bag. HE DID IT! she thought as she began leaping around in a circle, trying not to make too much noise as she didn't want to seem desperate.
“Okay, where's my payment?” Spike asked, quirking a brow at he filly's amorous expression. Not that he already didn't know the answer, that's why he came prepared after all.
“Ah said ah'd pay ya back in spades. So here it is,” she smiled as she leaned forward, her warm lips meeting the cold scales of Spike's own. They held like that for a few moments until Apple Bloom began sliding her tongue into Spike's mouth, causing the dragon to go wide eyed and push her back.
“What was THAT?! he gasped, wiping his mouth.
“Aww, I was jus' doin' what ah saw in those movies.” Apple Bloom frowned. Already she was doing it wrong. Spike saw her watering eyes and blushed, feeling like a complete mule.
“Well, it...felt good.” he stammered.
Apple Bloom's gaze shot up from the ground, her tears now ones of happiness. “Well I learned a bit more, if ya wanna...ya know...”
“Well, I kinda figured...” Spike glanced away, a smile on his face as he held the bag up, blushing. “So I got something that should make it even more fun.” His stomach began to knot. Not only was this his first time, they were both what you would call an 'unacceptable' age for these sorts of activities. But true love had no boundaries within age or species if both parties were passionate about their feelings.
The filly nodded, and led the dragon to a small clearing.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 11 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-29T19:20:51+00:00
| 15,054 |
This chapter contains consensual minors. If this offends you, please feel free to tell me all about it in the comments section below. But at least take comfort that one of them is a girl.
Sitting in the eerie silence of the Ponyville infirmary, the moon shining through the floor to ceiling windows of the simple structure with the curtain door, Twilight Sparkle stared at the floor as she awaited the verdict about Minty. She had managed to at least get the troubled pony to tell her name, but that was as far as she could hope to get. There was no need to go into details, as it was pretty obvious what had happened. Her eyes glanced around as the gears in her mind turned. Who would do such a thing in a place like this? Was there some predator on the loose? Would the fillies be safe? All of these overwhelming thoughts were to much, and the gravity of the situation began to press painfully on her temples, causing her to rub her eyes with her hooves. Now that her logical thinking was on, she thought back to her own adventure the night before, and soon it all fell into place. Rarity said that toy wouldn't take my virginity....but...that's not possible, she glanced up to see if Minty was fine, seeing her shaking visibly at being intruded once again, but this time for a good reason. Why would Rarity care about such things anyway, unless she felt her friends were saving themselves much like she was for a Mr. Right. That wasn't the case, however, she just couldn't find anybody. But it obviously didn't do it, so how did.... Twilight facehoofed as it dawned on her. She was so lost in the moment, and distracted by three certain fillies outside, that her emotionally charged magic had put the toy in the wrong opening.
She blushed at this rookie mistake, hoping that Minty or Nurse Redheart didn't see this display of guilt and ignorance. Quickly she turned her eyes back to the floor. But that would mean Rarity doesn't know exactly how to use those things, or what they do, which was a bad thing if she had given something to somepony without proper instruction.
“Well, the good news is, Minty is fine. She doesn't have to worry about any...surprises...” Nurse Redheart explained, trying to put it mildly. The white earth pony had to be professional about this after all, privacy and self esteem was at stake. “But the strange thing is, was I found traces of...” she looked at her clipboard once again, almost as she didn't believe it herself, “carrot?”
Twilight quirked an eyebrow at this revelation. Who in Equestria would misuse a carrot in such a horrific manner? It was just so...so....
Random Twilight grimaced as the word crossed her mind. No, it couldn't be!
“So....what did those ponies do in those movies you were talking about?” Spike asked, trying to play it cool but at the same time feeling kind of nervous. His mind was buzzing with all the possible ways he could mess this up, scare her off, or both.
“Well, they was all kissin' an' stuff. They didn't really do much else.” Apple Bloom confessed. Of course she wouldn't be allowed to watch anything to extreme, even if she knew it existed. Spike took this opportunity to help educate the filly on something that he was sure wouldn't be brought up in Cheerilee's class anytime soon. Of course all he knew of it was from Twilight's books, which he had to read in secret, because she always conveniently never asked for them or acknowledged their existence while he was on duty.
“What you were doing before...Spike was cut off by the filly being suddenly closer to him.
“Ya want me to do it again?” she asked, her eyes pleading.
Spike nodded, blushing once more as they locked lips again, her forehooves over his shoulders. Apple Bloom wasted no time sliding her tongue into the dragon's mouth now, as he was ready for it. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he found his own tongue sliding out, vying for dominance. Apple Bloom began feeling hot, like she was melting, and there was a curious yet slightly painful burning between her flanks. Then she felt something poking her thigh, and knew what it was. The kiss broke and she got back down on all four hooves to see it. Her face instantly twisted in confusion. She had seen her brother's on accident once, but never said anything. She just assumed all of them looked the same, but then again, Spike wasn't a pony.
“Ya got two of 'im?!” she asked, louder than Spike would've liked as he glanced around to make sure there was nothing to catch them.
“Well, not exactly...” his whole face was red now from embarrassment and exertion as he scratched the back of his head nervously.
Apple Bloom continued to stare at this foreign object, making Spike feel as if he was being scrutinized , or at least was going to be laughed at or terrified of. But the sight also made her feel strange in her most private of areas too. She was hardly on the cusp of being a mare yet, but she had begun going through the changes. Biological needs dictated the future of ponykind, and since there was a surprising lack of males in Ponyville, she had heard her sister talking a few times about the 'time of the month' and how hard it was to stave off those feelings if you hadn't found somepony. Her mind equated that perhaps these were the feelings Applejack was talking about. But why would you want to get rid of them? she smiled as she leaned forward, her hot breath against his sensitive pride making Spike grimace as he bit back the urge to act on the primal instincts that began to surface. Dragons were always very rough when mating, but he didn't want to hurt the filly in his wild passion, not with claws, fangs, and fire anyway. He would never forgive himself. After a few seconds of teasing, he felt warmth and wetness envelope him, and he almost fainted as a goofy smile spread across his face.
Apple Bloom really didn't know how to handle two at once, but she was doing an admiral job, as the dragon's wobbly knees could attest. It also helped that he wasn't fully grown yet, meaning that right now she could easily navigate them without too much trouble. The taste was odd, yet sweet, like nothing she had ever tasted before. As her mind tried to find a comparison that she could relate to her friends later, she felt the heat between her flanks increase, a smoldering fire waiting to reignite. Sweat formed on her brow as the pain became almost unbearable to her, and now she knew why Applejack wanted to get rid of these feelings. Spike snapped back to reality when he was released, and glanced down to see Apple Bloom collapse to the ground with tears in her eyes.
“What's wrong? Did I hurt you?!” Spike began frantically trying to find anything that could help with the problem he never bothered asking about.
Apple Bloom could only shake her head, tears in her eyes. Her back legs were open in a vain hope that the cool air would end her misery. Spike finally calmed down when he saw what was going on. She was bright red and he could see faint twitching. He knew of this from when Twilight was going through her own time of the month, choosing to lock herself in the library bathroom than go out and try to actually date. He saw what was wrong if only for a brief moment before Twilight disappeared in her porcelain fortress of solitude. But Apple Bloom wasn't old enough for that, so it must've been his doing. He immediately came to her side, trying to offer penance for bringing this pain upon her, but she only shook her head. She whispered in his ear a way to make the pain stop, and he flushed again, looking at the redness once more. He crawled down to between her flanks, and could feel the heat rising from the area, a desert among an oasis. He slowly leaned forward and flicked out his forked tongue. The instant the tip came in contact with the engorged flesh, Apple Bloom's hips thrust forward violently, knocking him backwards. Looks like he figured out how to make her feel good as well.
With a satisfied smile that everything was alright again, he reached into the bag and produced a small tube. Removing the lid, the air filled with the smell of cinnamon, and he glanced around to make sure that no pink ponies would spring from nowhere wanting a bite. Once he decided the coast was clear, he squeezed some into his hand and began working it over like the instructions said. He then got into position, swallowing hard as he began to put all his forbidden knowledge to practice, and slowly entered her. The coolness of the gel extinguishing the fire immediately, but at the same time, making a different kind of pain as the cinnamon burned in an oddly enjoyable way on the sensitive areas. There was no resistance to his machinations, which would've been odd if he knew what to look for. Once at least one was inside, he paused for a moment to let the squirming filly catch her breath, the blush now extending to almost her stomach. Spike was out of his mind, the lizard brain trying to take dominance as dragon mating rituals ingrained in his DNA began to awaken early. He gritted his teeth, taking care not to sink his claws into Apple Bloom's fetlocks that he held delicately in his hands. The cinnamon burn, the heat, the tight grip, it was all too much, and after a few thrusts, Spike wrenched his head back as he felt a wave of pleasure wash through him and burst from the dam below. The sudden rush made Apple Bloom shudder, partially out of fright, as strange feelings made themselves known, and her body froze against her will, her innocence leaving her for the rest of her life as her tongue lolled out of her mouth.
Spike collapsed on top if the filly, feeling the heat and sweat on her stomach and chest as she panted heavily. “Did....did I get my....Cutie Mark....” but Spike was already fast asleep, as it was past his bedtime anyway. Apple Bloom figured that she had better get him home before Twilight thought something was up, but was to tired to do anything. She'd come up with a lie tomorrow. She rolled over, letting Spike fall off of her and land on the ground with a dull thud, his sleeping undisturbed. Gripping the tip of his tail in her teeth, she began to drag him across the ground gently, back to the barn, where she could come up with the excuse that Spike wanted to spend the night. Her mind contemplated this new feeling of maturity she now had, and it felt better than getting a Cutie Mark. She looked down at the sleeping dragon, and blinked a few times to get rid of any tears.
“Thank you, Spike...” she whispered into his ear, giving a light kiss on his cheek.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 12 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-09-30T04:16:21+00:00
| 14,012 |
The kitchen of Sweet Apple Acres was engulfed in an awkward silence as Braeburn and Big Macintosh sat and waited for their apple fritter breakfast. They occasionally glanced at each other, both blushing at the events that unfolded last night, and silently hoped that nopony knew. Braeburn felt the most guilt of the two. He always did feel he was kind of a colt cuddler, but tried to play it off, if only to keep the others in Appleloosa from looking down upon him. But alcohol always brought out those latent tendecies, and now he had revealed them to a family member! Not that he didn't think other ponies thought of the Apple Clan as a bunch of inbreeds anyway. But it didn't make him feel any better to prove those arguments right. But the strangest thing was, out of all the times he had done the same thing to other colts back in Appleloosa, he never really felt anything special towards them. They were just tossed away, never to be seen again. But now that he had done this with a family member, his own cousin, things were different. Not only could he bring himself to throw Big Mac away, he also felt a rush of guilt complied out of all the other times his conscience should've ate at him. His midnight cowpony routine finally netted a catch that he couldn't release.
Big Mac saw as his cousin rolled his eyes at his own terrible pun, but didn't know that's what it was about. The normally reserved stallion didn't really remember as much about last night as Braeburn did, not being as accustomed to the paint thinning levels of alcohol that Braeburn was because of his lack of exposure to Apploosian Moonshine. All he knew was he woke up with a headache and covered in a sticky substance. When he saw Braburn still partially impaled upon him, his mind registered that this was terribly wrong, and he quickly removed the passed out pony from on top of him, wondering if at all possible if he was the one who initiated that event.
“Eat up you two, Applejack can't wait to take Braeburn out on the town today!” Granny Smith placed the plates of apple fritters before the two, who could only weakly chuckle and mutter a thank you before returning to the uncomfortable silence of before. The thickness of the air was cut by the sound of the door opening, and both turned to see Apple Bloom come cantering inside, her head held high, eyes closed, and a smile on her face.
“You look in a good mood this mornin'!” Applejack commented, “Ya must've slept like a baby.” She didn't notice her sister frown at those words as she took her seat next to Big Mac and Braeburn. “An where was you last night, big guy?” she teasingly nudged Bic Mac with a hoof, causing the stallion to slightly choke on his fritter as his eyes scrabbled around for an explanation.
“He was drinkin' with me and we kind of passed out.” Braeburn hung his head in shame. It was the truth, but not the whole truth. Just enough to slip under the Element of Honesty's radar. Applejack thought this over when she saw her brother nod in agreement.
“That cider ya gave me was too potent! Ah still got a headache!” he placed a hoof to his still sore head, eyes spinning slightly.
“Oops, heh, sorry bout that. Sometimes ah forget those are down there and they sit a while.” Applejack lowered her head so her hat hid her blushing. She glanced up to see Apple Bloom giggling at her sister, and smiled. “An where was you, last night?” The filly stopped laughing, her eyes widened in terror.
Does she know?! “Spike was helpin' me study last night. Got a big test in Ms. Cheerilee's class comin up.” To her relief, Applejack nodded. Though she wasn't much into public education, she knew the importance of it. She may not have finished school, but she wasn't dumb.
Big Mac waited a few moments before producing the bag he obtained from Rarity's handing it to Applejack, a grin on his face as he hoped this would change the subject. Applejack recognized the bag, and looked inside, her face blushing as she shot an angry stare at her brother. “An' what in the hay am I gonna use this for?” she asked, trying to sound upset but failing as she batted her brother's shoulder with a hoof.
“Well, ah figured ya would know what to do.” Big Mac nodded, causing his sister to blush further. Of course HE knows, he's my brother, she thought, rolling her eyes as her mind began to picture a certain rainbow maned Pegasus.
“What is it? Can I see?” Apple Bloom asked, playing off that she kind of already knew. She strained to try and see inside the bag but Applejack snatched it off the table and sat it on the floor.
“Sorry, sugarcube. Ya'll ain't old enough yet,” she shook her head, something Apple Bloom was all to familiar with hearing.
“Ah'm not a baby!” she protested, hoping that her common phrase didn't sound too different now that it was cold, hard truth. For once in her life, she was glad the adults ignored her like they always did when she said that. After those few strange moments, the Apple Family kitchen returned to normal with conversation about the day ahead.
No, no, no! This can't be right! I refuse to believe it! Twilight was pacing the floor of the library, desperately trying to convince herself that a certain pink pony didn't commit a horrible act of rape. At least, not on purpose anyway. The only way she was going to know for sure, was to ask Minty what exactly happened. She sighed as she looked over at the green earth pony, staring silently into her cup of tea as it began to cool. “Minty...” she looked up at her name being called, her pink mane hanging in her eyes slightly. “I know it still hurts, and that you don't want to think about it anymore. But I need to know.....who did this to you.” Minty looked back at her tea, saying nothing. Twilight gritted her teeth in a vain attempt to muffle her groan of frustration. Ever since the mayor had made her the somewhat 'official private investigator' of Ponyville, all she had to do was deal with easy things like lost pets or missing items. Now there was a serious crime ahoof, and all roads pointed to Pinkie Pie. How things spiraled out of control so quickly she had no idea, but she knew she had to hear it straight from the horses mouth, so to speak.
Glancing back at Minty, she could see the tears in her eyes. It pained Twilight to be so helpless, especially in a situation like this, and that drove her all the more to find answers. But first things first, she needed to find Spike. “Spiiiike?” she called, waiting for her special assistant to come downstairs and begin his daily duties. “Spiiiiiike?!” she huffed in frustration when there was still no response. What is going on here? First Minty, now Spike is missing. her eyes widened at the brief thought that maybe Spike was the one behind this crime, but she immediately shook her head at how stupid that notion was. Spike would never do something like that! He probably doesn't even know what sex is all about. Minty began to sob once again, making Twilight's stomach knot that maybe the mention of Spike's name was the one that triggered it. But, then again, if Pinkie was the one behind this, it would be a bad idea to bring her along because of the emotional trauma it could cause. She needed somepony that could keep a watchful eye over her, and provide a level of comfort that a bookish pony like her had no idea about.
She needed Fluttershy...
A rainbow maned Pegasus peered from over the edge of the cloud she was resting on, smiling at the fortune brought upon her when she saw Applejack and Braeburn walking through Ponyville Square, Braebrun taking in the sights of the elaborately structured buildings especially the one that looked like it was made of candy. Oh, how Rainbow Dash enjoyed raining on that earth pony and her parade. It was all in good fun, and it wasn't her fault that Applejack didn't keep tabs on the weather. Giggling to herself, she got into position and licked her lips, her hooves sinking into the soft cloud material. Ever since Celestia had ordered Pegasi to control the weather to avert natural disasters and to help prevent droughts and flooding, Dash had began to appreciate the weather that used to ruin her childhood days of flying practice. Now she was about to ruin Applejack's day. Once she felt they were close enough, Dash began leaping up and down on the cloud, water seeping around her hooves as if she was stomping on a sponge. Soon, the cloud released its contents onto the two hapless ponies, and she could hear them reacting to the sudden rush of cold.
“GOSHDANGIT, RAINBOW DASH! AH'M GONNA GET YOU FER THAT!” Applejack shouted up at the cloud. Braeburn looked over at his cousin, confused why she was shouting at the cloud, when he followed her gaze up to see a small bit of rainbow fringe over the edge, moving wildly as Dash held her sides in laughter. Soon her wide eyed face appeared, and Braeburn recognized her.
“Sorry, I just couldn't resist!” Dash chuckled, trying to catch her breath. She flapped her wings arrogantly as she lept off the cloud and glided down to land before the two soggy ponies, enjoying the feel of the rain through her feathers as she got herself soaked to make amends.
Applejack laughed at this gesture, then frowned. Dash began to worry as the earth pony approached her then whispered in her ear. “I got something for us, later.” she pulled away in time to see Dash turn her head to face her, confusion in her violet eyes.
Does she know? Dash bit her lip. She had been having strange feelings around Applejack lately, as well as Pinkie Pie of all ponies. She also had a few butterflies around Twilight Sparkle. Now the one that she thought she would never accept, was dropping hints? She shook her head in disbelief until a reassuring wink from the earth pony confirmed her suspicions. This matter would have to be explored later as Dash began crafting a long list of questions to ask. She blinked as she watched Applejack walk away, her head high and a smug smile on her face, eyes closed in a cool manner. Braeburn tipped his hat and gave a formal bow. “Nice to meet ya again ma'm.” then replaced his Stetson and hurried to join his cousin. A smile splayed across Dash's face. This was going to be fun.
Twilight stood in silence as she watched Fluttershy look over the mint green pony, her cyan eyes ensuring that there was nothing physically wrong. She nodded in satisfaction then looked at Twilight. “She just needs some time to heal. I can take care of her for you,” she nodded, eyes closed in confidence.
“If anypony can help her recover, it's you.” Twilight smiled. Fluttershy noticed the smile fade and her eyes drift over to nothing of importance. There was something on her mind, but she didn't want to be rude and encroach. The unicorn finally sighed and looked back at the yellow Pegasus, hanging her head. “Have you seen Pinkie Pie anywhere?”
Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Well, she did say she was babysitting Sweetie Belle since Rarity kicked her out of the boutique.”
“Rarity did what?!” Twilight gasped, her forehooves leaving the ground as she jolted back. “You're kidding?”
“Oh...no....” Fluttershy replied, hiding her face behind her pink mane in fear that she upset her friend. “She said it was only temporary until Rarirty put in a door with a lock on that room she has,” she paused and glanced up at her friend. “What is back there anyway?”
Twilight blushed, now wasn't the time to be talking about such things, especially not with a mentally scarred pony standing between them, her tail pressed firmly against her hindquarters in natural defense mode. Fluttershy's scanning eyes, as well as those of Nurse Redheart, only made her more uncomfortable as she felt she had done something wrong. “Just....things.....” the unicorn finally replied, hoping her frantic glancing at the mint pony would give Fluttershy the hint to drop the subject. To her relief, the Pegasus nodded, deciding instead to offer Minty some lunch. Satisfied that she was in good hooves, Twilight set off to find Pinkie Pie and get to the bottom of this.
|
Ponyman
|
864
| 13 |
Comedy,Romance,Slice of Life
|
The Back Room
|
Rarirty decides to put the "boutique" part of her stores name to use, with strange results.
|
hiatus
| 261 | 31 |
<p>Everyone knows Rarity sells dresses. But in a town where ponies go naked 95% of the time, just how DOES she stay in business? Well, it's called Carousel BOUTIQUE for a reason, darling.<br /><br />The long awaited Season 2 finale holiday special is here!</p>
|
mature
| null |
2011-10-03T00:13:20+00:00
| 12,327 |
“Twilight means well, Minty. She just wants what's best for you, that's all.” Fluttershy sighed, looking at her reflection in her teacup. She glanced up at the green pony, who was still silent and staring off into space. “Are you okay?” No response. Fluttershy was worried now. Her kindness only stretched so far, but Minty was so distant that none of her charms worked. Her eyes perked up as a thought crossed her mind. She remembered how calm she felt when her mother groomed her, and Minty certainly could use a bit of grooming. Guiding Minty to lie down on the floor, the yellow Pegasus took a position next to her and got close. “Now don't worry, Minty. I'm not going to hurt you,” she mustered her best motherly voice.
Minty's eyes went wide when she felt a tongue lap at the tip of her ear. She flinched, and Fluttershy paused. After a few seconds, Fluttershy determined the earth pony was okay, and resumed her grooming, trying to remember if she was doing it right. Minty's ear twitched in reaction to the licks and nips, and soon the Pegasus was working her way down to the mane, curious if she really was tasting peppermint as she performed her duty. The green pony flinched and squirmed at the strange sensations down her spine as she felt gentle teeth nipping at her neck. She wanted to break away and run, but part of her found this oddly comforting. Soon she realized that Fluttershy was only being motherly and nothing more. All of her thoughts about Pinkie and her horrible act faded as Minty closed her eyes and lost herself in memories of her own mother grooming her.
A rainbow blur streaked through the night, heading towards it's goal. The barn that stood as a landmark that ponies were entering Sweet Apple Acres as it had for generations, shown a faint light from it's windows that acted as a beacon to the sweeping colors approach. Landing with a bravado to rival that of the Wonderbolts, the Pegasus opened the door to see somepony had been busy.
“You said you got something for us?” Rainbow Dash asked, a confident smirk on her face as she strolled into the barn, kicking a hind leg to slam the door shut. Applejack nodded, pushing some bales of hay over to free up some floorspace. Little did she know the event that happened here the night before.
“Well, Dash....ah got ta thinkin' and I figured that maybe....ah was a filly fooler too.” Applejack confessed, adjusting her hat. She began to blush at this situation. She was all for trying it, but felt a little guilty that she turned to Dash automatically. Just because she liked other mares didn't make her an expert.
“You knew?” Dash was surprised. “I never told anypony!” She shook her head as if trying to wake up. “Plausible denial!”
“It wasn't hard to figure it out,” Applejack smirked. “The way you kept tryin' to one up me, the way we were fightin'. Truth be told, after a while....ah started to feel the same way about you. But ah had to know for sure.” She turned her green eyed stare away and blushed brighter than before.
“So you called me here to find out? Well, I'm game!” Dash smirked, lying down on the newly cleared floor in a casual manner. Applejack nodded in satisfaction and joined her, snuggling up close into a comfortable position and removing her hat. “And if you're not, I can probably make you one!”
“Is that a challenge, sugarcube?” Applejack eyed the Pegasus. “What do ya even know about doin this stuff anyway?”
“I read...things....” Dash blushed. “Besides, some of the moves look like flight moves anyway.”
“Flight moves?! Dash ya'll better not be tryin' any funny stuff.” Applejack warned.
The Pegasus took the jibing in stride as she awaited the first move. Applejack started nuzzling her head under Dash's chin, enjoying the feeling of warmth and the faint sound of the heartbeat in her ear. “Well then, if yer such an expert, why don't you make the first move?” she glanced up, her green eyes meeting violet just above her.
Dash smirked and began nibbling at Applejack's ear, unsure of where this was going to go, or even if the orange pony would go any further than cuddling at best. But she was up for the challenge of making her want more. A few well placed tugs elicited a moan from Applejack she hadn't heard before, and this spurred her on to continue.
“OW! Dang it, Dash! Yer doin' it all wrong!” Applejack pulled her head up and stared at the Pegasus, rubbing her ear with a hoof.
“Sorry! I did say I just read about this stuff!” Dash replied, shrugging a bit. Way to go, Dash. Blew it before it even began.
“Well, ah wouldn't reckon a Pegasus to know about how an earth pony does it.” Applejack smirked. “But ah can show ya.” She began to lick and nibble on Dash's ear, getting a few moans and murrs in response as she tugged gently on the tip. “Like that, understand...”
Dash could only nod slowly, her eyes closed as she was lost in the sudden feeling. She felt her wings begin to rise up on their own, until they were fully spread. This made her blush and she opened her eyes to see Applejack looking at the impressive display.
“Well, ah'll be. So what they say about the wings is true!” she gasped, rubbing a hoof gently over the feathers.
“Who says what about wings?” Dash asked, looking over her shoulder.
“About how they're a tell that a Pegasus is excited. I read about it in Cosmoponitan.” she returned to nibbling at Dash's ear, adding a few licks for good measure.
“Mmmmh, you read that junk?” Dash muttered, a blissful smile on her face. This was working out better than she had hoped.
“Nah. I just remembered the way your wings shot up when you saw Pinkie in that showmare outfit in Appleloosa.” Applejack whispered into the Pegasi's ear, causing Dash to blush again and shoot her a dirty glare.
“Yeah well, I might not know about how an earth pony does it, but I know you don't know how to handle my wings!” Dash replied, a grin across her face. She was playing right into her hooves Applejack accepted the challenge, and began running her muzzle through the soft feathers, taking in the faint sent of sweat from her speedy flight to this point. She didn't know the first thing about preening, but she did know of a few sweet spots. She lowered her head though the feathery barrier until her muzzle met the joint where the wing connected to the shoulder, and gave a playful nip at the taught muscle, causing Dash to yelp. That's one... she smiled as she worked her way across Dash's back and to the nerves that rested in between the wings. Another nip, and this time, Dash's wings jerked with an electrical shock as she let out an uncharacteristic moan. “I stand corrected,” the Pegasus admitted defeat.
“It ain't right you getting all the fun now!” Applejack stopped her loving nips, annoying Dash who shot her an angry scowl. “Ya'll still got to get me all worked up. Now remember what I showed ya!”
“Oh, I got a better idea...” Dash stood and turned around, laying down facing the opposite of Applejack. “I bet I can clop you off faster than you can do me!”
“Well, it ain't no fun if ya rush through it, Dash. What say we take it nice and slow, and whoever does win, loser has to wear the thing I wanted to show ya?” Applejack gave a confident smirk. Even in this, Dash was competitive, and it made the whole event more exciting than it should be. The earth pony was sure in her abilities as she lowered her head, a rainbow tail brushing over her face as it swayed in impatience.
“Are you ready....yet.....” Dash's voice trailed off when she felt a warm tongue against her, and a shudder escaped her body. “No....fair....” she frowned, quickly getting her head into the game, so to speak. Applejack's eyes went wide as she set about her work, trying hard not to let up her assault as she noticed Dash had to pause every now and again to let out a squeak or a moan. When she was in action, however, she was very good. She found herself wondering if Dash had done this before when a long lick sent her eyes rolling, and she finally had to stop to breathe.
Dash smirked as she felt the flagging tail banging upon her withers, and knew Applejack was close rather she wanted to admit it or not. She bent her head down to resume her explorations, noticing that her rival's steady diet of apples had somehow lent a flavor of warm cider, which spurred Dash on even more. Her hungry tongue wanted all the nectar from this stubborn oak.
Applejack began nipping at the soft flesh on her end, hoping that she could outlast the Pegasus. She glanced back to see Dash's wings were attempting to rise even higher now, almost as if they were going to pop from her shoulders and fly off on their own. She wondered how Pegasi dealt with that kind of social faux paux, and then her mind drifted to wonder if unicorn horns had the same effect. Another involuntary shudder through her body snapped her back to reality, as Dash was closing in on her goal. A few more minuets of treatment like that and I'd be a puddle on the floor! she mused, swishing her golden tail from off of Dash's withers and down over her eyes, a few strands getting into her nostrils.
“Hey!” Dash cried out. She sent her own rainbow appendage down over the earth pony's eyes, attempting a perversion of the usual competitive activities. Applejack fought back a sneeze and continued her duty, enjoying the kaleidoscope of color swishing before her. Without warning her tongue seized the fleshy nub that reminded her of how neglected her own had been. She rolled her eyes at the notion that Dash was in it to win it and therefore forgot the most important rule. A rule she quickly taught the Pegasus as her tongue swirled around. She felt her tail yank violently as Dash's head shot up, eyes wide and her muzzle glistening. She shot an angry scowl over to the earth pony, who glanced over her shoulder to give a wink. Dash looked so adorable with a blonde wig over her own rainbow locks and a sticky smirk, like a little filly who just got caught eating an Ursa Major's porridge.
“Oh it's ON! Dash proclaimed, diving back into the unknown and seizing the enemy fort. Applejack gasped as fire raced up her spine, and her hind legs began to kick, sending a hoof colliding with Dash's head. The Pegasus was undeterred however, and Applejack smirked at the notion that Dash did have a thick skull after all.
“There, there...it's okay...” Fluttershy cooed as she continued her grooming. Her expertise in anatomy, first aid, and her own memories guided her hooves as she kneaded them into the muscles around Minty's cutie mark. She looked at the three peppermints and smiled, wondering what her interests were. After building up the courage, she decided to ask. “So...um...how did you get your cutie mark?”
Minty opened her eyes slightly and glanced around, her mind trying to make sense of why something that felt so wrong before felt so right now. “I...I used to sell candy back in Fillydelphia....peppermints were my favorite...”
Fluttershy smiled widely. She's talking! That's good!, she paused her massaging for a moment to think about the next question to ask. She had to take this slow. “What was it like....?” then she quickly added “In Fillydelphia I mean...”
Minty shrugged, still in a bit of a haze but at the same time, opening up more. “It wasn't anything like this. Big cities are full of noise and carriages and trains. Here it's so.....”
“Peaceful?” Fluttershy finished, biting her lip thinking that she just ruined any chance she had.
Minty nodded. “Yes. Peaceful....” she glanced at the floor and gave a sad sigh.
“What's on your mind?” the Pegasus asked, laying back down next to the green pony. She raised a hoof and began to stroke Minty's pink mane. “I love your hair.” Minty blushed slightly, but regained composure. She gave a casual glace to her naked rear hooves, prompting Fluttershy to follow. “Is something wrong with your hooves?”
“Socks....” Minty replied, tears in her eyes. Fluttershy blinked in confusion at this scene, then registered an idea. She dashed off over to her knitting basket then bounded back with a pair of socks in her mouth. Minty gave the generous soul an odd stare.
“I made these for the winter, but you can have them...if you want to.” Fluttershy used her nose to gently push the items across the floor.
Minty finally smiled for the first time. “Thank you...”
Rainbow Dash lie on her back, her sides heaving and her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Applejack stood proudly over her new prize, glancing down at her worthy opponent. “A bet's a bet...” she nodded, licking her own sticky lips.
“You....cheated.....” Dash panted, rubbing the spot where the earth pony's powerful hoof collided with her cranium. “You're lucky you didn't knock a tooth loose!”
Applejack had already walked off and was just returning with a bag in her teeth. She placed it on the floor and gave a grin. She produced a leather collar and a riding crop, lying them gently on the floor.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Dash began to back away. “Don't you think you're getting a little carried away? I do have my dignity!” She spread her wings proudly and held her head high.
“Dash, ya'll lost yer dignity when ya came to mah door.” Applejack smirked. This made the Pegasus frown and droop her wings. “Sides, I ain't the one who got this, Big Mac did.”
“Really? How rough does he think you are?” Dash recoiled, her mind trying not to think of how Applejack could possibly answer that.
“Dunno,” she shrugged. “But it seems a right shame to waste his hospitality” Applejack placed the collar around Dash's neck and fastened it tightly. “Now then...” she picked up the riding crop and gave a swift whack across the flank, making Dash yelp. Big Mac knew that she would enjoy this. “You will address me as Master, and do as ah say.” Dash could only cringe in mock terror, waiting for the right moment. Applejack bent down and gripped the other end of the leash in her teeth. Dash's brow perked up and she seized the opportunity, taking off into the air while jerking the earth pony up with her. Applejack hung by her teeth, flailing her hooves in anger. Dash smirked and turned over, reaching down and pulling her up. Now safely in hooves, Applejack spat out the collar. “What in the hay you think yer doin?!”
“You didn't give me a chance to show you how we Pegasi do it!” Dash grinned, lowering herself until she was a few inches above the ground. She didn't want a long fall in case this didn't work. Showing surprising strength, she turned and brought Applejack around so the orange pony was sitting on top of her. She glanced down to see they were still in the air and looked a bit ill. “I won't drop you, trust me!” After a bit of repositioning, Applejack gasped when she rubbed up against Dash, both blushing.
“Ya'll do it in the air?” she gasped, trying to hold on until the anxiety fully subsided.
“Not all the time, but it's awesome!” Dash smiled, urging Applejack to continue her grinding against her need, trying to keep her wings flapping amidst being lost in pleasure. The earth pony complied, and began to grind with more vigor, trusting Dash wouldn't let her fall, if only for a few inches. It didn't take long for her to reach her peak, as she had been left hanging by Dash earlier in their contest. An embarrassing whinny escaped her lips as she threw her head back, her golden tail wagging frantically. Dash still hadn't fully come down from her last one, and this didn't help matters. Soon her whole body was shuddering, twisting wildly in the air until her wings locked up and she hit the floor. She had only a few seconds to ensure she took the brunt of the fall, Applejack snickering at this turn of events. “It works...better with....two sets of wings....” Dash panted, eliciting a weak laugh from Applejack as she rolled off. “So...” she rolled over to face the earth pony. “Did I convince you?”
“Ah'll admit it was fun an all, but...” Applejack bit her lip, looking for the right words to say. “Ah still don't know....” she saw Dash's eyes glance to the ground, and she could feel the hurt in them. “Don't take it the wrong way, Dash. Ah don't want ya'll to think ah just used ya or anythin'.”
That was Dash's first thought. But this was the Element of Honesty she was talking too. Applejack would never use her friends, not in this capacity anyway. Her hoof fumbled with the collar until it released and hit the floor. “Well then,” she mustered a smile. “Call me if you want some more.”
Applejack smiled and nodded. “Sure thing. Be safe out there.”
Dash nodded and walked out of the barn. Applejack knew what she was thinking, but didn't know what to say.
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