The mayor glared at the evil trio. "Seize them! They know where the princess is!" She shouted, pointing a hoof at them. Marik and Fawful stopped sissy fighting and the evil trio looked at her with deadpan expressions.
"Um... No. We told you flat out that we have absolutely no idea where she is. Only Nightmare Moon does." Marik said flatly.
"Oh." The mayor said. "Well um.... seize them anyway! They're working for the princess's foalnapper!" Three guards flew at the trio. Dimentio snapped his fingers and the guards were knocked down by an explosive force. The trio laughed.
"And now, my good friends, we must make our leave. Ciao!" And with that, Dimentio snapped his fingers, causing him and Marik to disappear in a puff of smoke. Fawful looked at where they disappeared wide eyed, then at the ponies. He shrugged and flew out the door at a high speed with his hovercraft. Rainbow Dash flew after him, and she was catching up.
"Come back here!" She said when she was right behind him. Fawful turned around with a grin.
"I don't have any craving to go back over there." He said. "But you seem famished. Have a sandwich of the knuckle variety!" And with that, a boxing glove popped out from behind the hovercraft, nailing Rainbow Dash right in the face.
"WHOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she was sent flying backwards, spinning uncontrolably. She crashed into a tree, flattening herself like a pancake. She flew off the tree and shook her head, then glared at the retreating Fawful as she tried to follow him. But she knew it was hopeless. Even if she had caught him, his freaky friends would probably come save him. She stopped. After he was out of sight, she looked at the ground and sighed. "Nighttime forever...." Her head snapped forward as she noticed Twilight running out of the building. "Where's she going?" Dash mused, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
Meanwhile.....
Twilight gently tucked Spike into his bed and quickly went downstairs.
"Elements, elements.... How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?!" She said, leafing through books in a panic.
"And just what ARE the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight backed up slightly as Rainbow Dash flew into her face, glaring at her. "And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a SPY?!" Suddenly, she was pulled back.
"Hey now, not cool Dash!" Joey said. "She ain't no spy!"
"Yeah! If she was she'd tell us!" Tristan added.
"Stop talking Tristan." Achmed said in annoyance.
"Okay." Tristan said.
Joey, Tristan, Krillin, Achmed, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy all approached Twilight.
"Okay, Twilight. I meant to ask earlier... what the hell is going on here?!" Krillin almost shouted. Twilight looked at the group and sighed.
"I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon." She began as the group, for some reason, formed a circle around her. "Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her. But... I don't know what they are.... where to find them.... I don't even know what they do!"
"The Elements of Harmony... a reference guide!" Pinkie Pie said as she looked at the book. Twilight ran up to the shelf so fast she accidentally knocked Pinkie into the wall.
"Where did you find that?!" Twilight almost shouted.
"It was under eeeeee!" Pinkie said cheerfully, bouncing past her. Twilight facehoofed.
"Oh." She said. She levitated the book off the shelf and opened it, as the others read behind her back.
"There are six elements of harmony... but only 5 are known. Honesty, kindness, laughter, generosity and loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the five elements is the ancient castle of the Royal Pony sisters." Twilight read. Little did they know, someone was listening.
"Hmhmhmhm.... I believe I've seen that castle before. It is old, much like O'Chunks's mother." Dimentio said to himself, grateful that O'Chunks wasn't around to hear. "I shall have a few.... surprises waiting for them." And then he snapped his fingers and vanished.
"Um... Twi? Why'd ya stop reading?" Applejack asked, tilting her head.
"Something didn't feel right.... Like we were being watched....." She turned to the window and shook her head. "I'm sure it's nothing..." And she continued reading. "It is located in what is now...." The ponies looked at the forest they were now inexplicably in front of and said, simutaneously, "The Everfree Forest!"
"Hey! We teleported!" Tristan said happily.
"The Everfree Forest? That's kinda lame." Joey said. "Why not.... Black Woods? Or Dark Jungle? Or..."
"Okay, we get it Joey." Krillin replied.
"Wheeee! Let's go!" Pinkie said.
"Hooray! It'll be just like that movie!" Tristan said.
"Which one?" Joey asked.
"The one I'm talking about right now." Tristan replied as he and Pinkie started walking into the woods.
"No!" Twilight said, causing them to freeze in their tracks. "Look... I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own."
"Yeah, that's not happenin, Twilight." Joey said as he walked into the forest.
"That's right sugarcube." Applejack added. "We ain't letting any friend of ours go in there alone."
"Yeah." Achmed added. "We're sticking to you like that bomb I put on Walter's bed." Everybody stopped and stared at him. "..... I used superglue so he can't take it off. ..... It probably won't even go off...." At this point everyone decided to ignore him and keep walking. Twilight watched them, then sighed in defeat and followed them.
10 minutes later...
"So... have any of you been here before?" Twilight asked nervously.
"Everyone who's not a pony." Joey replied.
"Yeah, it sucked..." Krillin muttered.
"Oh, you poor things!" Said Fluttershy. "What happened?" Achmed answered.
"Well, first Krillin got stepped on by a giant bear, and then...."
45 minutes later...
"......and that's when we finally came out of the forest." Achmed finished telling to the story to his highly disturbed comrades in an extremely upbeat and cheery tone. Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared in shock, Fluttershy looked like she was about to faint, Joey had actually broken down in tears and was being comforted by Rarity, and Krillin sagged his shoulders, used to horrific experiences. The only ones who were unaffected were Pinkie and Tristan, who actually applauded Achmed's story. Achmed bowed. Joey calmed down after about five minutes, and they continued walking.
"So no ponies have been in here?" Krillin asked.
"Heavens no!" Rarity answered. "Just look at it! It's dreadful..."
"We know from experience!" Achmed exclaimed. "Especially what that manticore did to Joey.."
"I've been trying to forget about it thank you!" Joey snapped. Rarity put a hoof on his shoulder.
"Relax darling..." She said softly. Joey smiled.
"And it just ain't natural!' Applejack said. "Folks say that this place don't work the same as Equestria."
"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked nervously.
"Nopony knows!" Rainbow Dash said in an eerie voice. "Y'know why?"
"Rainbow, quit it!" Applejack snapped. Joey leaned down and whispered something in Achmed's nonexistent ear. Achmed grinned and nodded.
"Because everypony who's ever come in... has never.... come.... OUT!" Rainbow Dash concluded.
"Wait, what about us?" Krillin asked.
"She said everyPONY, Krillin." Joey said in an eerie voice. "Besides.... I think she's right. There's a bone right HERE!" And with that, he whipped out an object, causing Rarity, Fluttershy and Krillin to reel back screaming. Ironically, the most high pitched scream came from Krillin. Dash, Joey and Achmed laughed.
"Oh man, sorry about that, but that was just perfect!" Joey said between breaths.
"Yeah, sorry." Dash said.
"Can I have my arm back?" Achmed asked. Joey put Achmed's arm back into its socket.
Meanwhile, while all this was going on...
[Dimentio's theme plays]
"Ah yes, the first obstacle of my little doom course." Dimentio said happily to himself. "O'Chunks, my good friend. Are you ready to inflict hazardous chaos upon these fools?"
[O'Chunk's theme plays]
"Ya bet yer mask I am!" O'Chunks replied as he approached the cliffside. He and Dimentio looked up in confusion. "Oi. where's that music coming from?"
"Oh, it's probably Fawful playing his records in inappropriate places again." Dimentio replied. "Now then, my chunky friend, do away with this cliffside and we shall leave." O'Chunks nodded and punched the cliffside as hard as he could. The rumbling was all the sign Dimentio needed to snap his fingers and take the two of them back to the castle.
Meanwhile, back with our heroes....
Everyone stumbled as they felt the ground they were standing on tremor.
"Tristan, please tell me that was your stomach." Joey said nervously.
"Nope! I'm not hungry!" Tristan replied happily.
"Then what made the ground-" Twilight was cut off as the cliffside crumbled, causing everyone but Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to fall off the cliff. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash gasped.
"Fluttershy, quick!" Dash shouted before she flew down to save them.
"Oh my goodness... Oh my goodness...." Fluttershy panicked as she flew down after them. Rainbow Dash managed to get a hold of Rarity and Joey, while Fluttershy saved Pinkie and Tristan. Applejack grabbed onto a tree branch with her mouth. Achmed slid by and grabbed her tail. Twilight and Krillin slid all the way down, hanging by the edge of the cliff. Applejack noticed this and motioned for Achmed to climb onto her back. Achmed nodded and did just that.
"Hold on! We're comin!" Applejack said as she slid down.
"Jesus Christ, my arm's about to fall off!' Achmed said in annoyance. The two finally reached the bottom, where Twilight and Krillin were hanging. Applejack grabbed Twilight's hooves and Achmed grabbed Krillin's hands.
"OH GOD! WHAT DO WE DO?!" Krillin shouted as he kicked at the air in panic. Applejack looked up, then looked down at the two.
"Let go." She said simply.
"Are you CRAZY?!" Twilight said, looking at her wide-eyed.
"No I ain't." Applejack replied. "Let go, and I promise you'll be safe."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Krillin shouted. "THAT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF TRUE!"
"Now listen here." Applejack said gently. "What I'm telling you is the honest truth. Let go and you'll be safe." Twilight and Krillin exchanged nervous glances.... and let go. They screamed as they fell. Suddenly, Twilight felt something holding her up. She looked over to see Rainbow Dash holding her up. She sighed with relief... then gasped.
"What about Krillin?!" She said loudly.
"Relax." Dash said. "Fluttershy's got it."
"Okay... I just have to catch him...." Fluttershy stuck out her forelegs to catch Krillin.... but she was off by a few inches. Krillin screamed as he saw the approaching ledges. He hit a ledge and started bouncing down them, grunting in pain each time.
"Oh no! Snakes!" Krillin shouted just before he landed on a ledge full of rattlesnakes. BOUNCE!
"Oh no! Porcupines!" BOUNCE!
"Oh no! Scorpions!" BOUNCE!
"Oh no! Stairs!" BOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCEBOUNCE!
"Oh no! A campfire! AHH-Oh hey, there's Jimmy from Science class." BOUNCE!
"Oh no! Landmines!" Krillin landed on the landmines that were there just to screw with him, and he went flying into a tree at the bottom of the cliff. Fluttershy was by his side in an instant, her face fraught with worry.
Krillin Owned Count: 8
"I'm SOOOOOOOO sorry Krillin! Are you okay?! Do you need medical attention?! I can help you! I can make you all better! I can-" Krillin gently put a hand over Fluttershy's mouth.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm always fine for some odd reason... Well, except that one time where I died...." The rest of the group ran up. Applejack ran up to Krillin and helped him to his feet.
"I'm mighty sorry about that, sugarcube! You okay?" She asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Krillin replied with a shrug. "So uh... What's next?"
"We have to keep moving." Twilight said. The group nodded.
Meanwhile.....
Bowser trembled with not just rage, but actual fear. He was all alone in this forest, no minions, lost, tired, hungry and sick of fighting off monsters. Suddenly, another manticore appeared in his path. Bowser growled viciously.
"I... AM SICK.... OF YOU UGLY..... THINGS!" Bowser snarled through clenched teeth. The manticore tried to make a swipe at him, but Bowser ducked and punched the manticore in the face, causing it to reel back slightly. It roared again and tried to pounce Bowser, but he ducked, and the manticore landed on his spiked shell. It roared in pain and jumped about 50 feet in the air. When it came back down, Bowser approached it and punched it in the gut 3 times before picking it up by the back legs and spinning it around at top speed eventually throwing it over the horizon. It landed headfirst in a mud puddle. Bowser panted and proceeded walking. Suddenly, he heard a gasp. He turned around and growled. Standing there was 6 ponies, three humans and a skeleton, all looking at him nervously.
"What the hell is that?" Achmed asked. "It looks like Walter's wife!"
"SHUT UP!!!" Bowser roared, causing them all to step back nervously. "Ugh! NOW THE SMALLER ONES ARE GANGING UP ON ME! THIS ISN'T FAIR! GRAAAAAAH!" He started hitting his head against a tree. "I WANNA GO HOME! I WANNA GO HOME! I WANNA GO HOME!" He stopped hitting the tree and panted heavily. "But first... I'm gonna have to take these darn creatures out of the picture!" He turned and glared at the group viciously. "I'M GONNA TAKE ALL OF YOU DOWN! THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO MESS WITH ME!!!" Everyone but Fluttershy got into a defensive stance.... and then they charged.
"No...wait..." Fluttershy said softly... But she went unheard, as the fight began.