Chapter 3: New World, New Threat
-MORNING OF THE FINAL DAY; 15 HOURS REMAIN-
“And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all!”
“But I-!”
“You have a lot to think about.”
“I was just-!”
The others walked out…all but the imposter…but she wasn’t even quite sure any more. It walked up to her and comforted her with a hug.
“It’s alright Twilight,” it cooed, “You’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve just been stressed, and I’m sorry.”
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was just Cadence, jittery from all the stre-
“But you were right.”
She felt a flash of heat. She backed off, as she suddenly felt a searing pain in her back legs. She began to panic.
“E-eh?”
She looked back…and her eyes went wide, with the gleaming green that met her. She screamed. She panicked. She ran. Her back legs were engulfed. Her panicked screams were only outdone by the cackling changeling.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! H-HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPP!”
She continued to gallop until she felt something smack into her face and shatter. And then the ground disappeared beneath her. Her blood was dripping around her eye, her mouth was filled with the rusty taste of it. And was soon replaced by her own stomach condense as she picked up speed. And before she knew it, she saw the ground, rushing up to meet her. She screamed, as helpless as she was, doing the only thing she could.
“Hey, Twilight! Wake up!”
Twilight woke up with a gasp, her face moist with tears. “Wha-?” she asked, unintelligibly.
“Are you alright?” she heard another familiar voice ask, from above her. Looking up, she found the doppelganger of Cadence looking down at her, Blink by her side, both of them looking down at her with the exact same expressions of concern.
She screamed in surprise, backing away from not-Cadence, getting to the other side of the bed and slipping off, landing on her back.
“Wow, easy there!” Blink’s voice ran out, as the sprite flew over to her pony companion. “Calm down Twilight! Melody here was just checking up on you!”
As Twilight groaned, the pink pony in question made her way over to the fallen mare-dragora and helped her on her feet. “Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?” she asked, worry gracing her features.
“I-I-!” Twilight could only stammer as the familiar looking face of her condemner looked back down on her, with the exact same look of care as before. Her face scrunching up, she lashed back, vines painfully erupting out of her neck, snaking around her tiny form, as she snarled, “HOW CAN I TRUST YOU AGAIN!? YOU BETRAYED ME!”
“Twilight!” Blink yelled in surprise. “What the heck is wrong with you!?”
Frowning, the newly dubbed Melody walked forward, making small, slow steps towards the young filly. “I don’t know exactly what happened,” she started, looking straight into the filly’s eyes. “But I can assure you this; I have never met you before, save for last night, when I took you to this room.” Sighing, she continued, “Now, will you please calm yourself?”
Breathing heavily as her heart pounded painfully in her little body, Twilight stared back defiantly, her vines still waving in the air threateningly. The older pink pony stared on impassively, keeping her eyes on the filly instead of the vines. Blink just sat in between them, unsure of what was going to happen next.
Eventually, after what seemed like several tense days, Twilight looked down and let her vines drop, realizing that the exact same foolish behavior was what had gotten her into this situation to begin with. “I-I’m sorry,” she mumbled quietly, feeling quite ashamed as the vines retracted into her neck.
“Its fine,” Melody said, sighing in relief herself as she made her way to the small filly. Upon closer inspection, the only similarity that this not-Cadence had with her own was that she was pink, and that was about it. Even then, Melody was several shades paler, and instead of the multicolored streaks of dark violet, light magenta and gold in her mane, it was just a solid dark violet with flecks of gold through it, held back with a rose-colored hair-tie. Finally, instead of the Cutie Mark that resembled a diamond heart, Melody’s flank sported a red crystal pineapple of all things, its green leaves stretched out over the top.
“Now then,” Melody continued, laying down next to the distraught filly, sitting close to her. “Care to tell me what happened?”
“Yeah, I’m curious about that too!” Blink said, flying up to her.
Taking a calming breath for her nerves, Twilight started her spilled everything that had happened. She started with the sudden invitations, to making preparations, and even to the final confrontation with its aftermath. Throughout it all, Blink and Melody stayed silent, not asking questions, but just listening.
“…and that’s all that happened,” Twilight finished, her head down. She looked up slightly, and saw that Melody has sat next to her, using her foreleg to pull her into a hug of so. Feeling a small tear on fall on her head, she looked up, and found the older pink mare crying.
“You poor dear,” Melody said, resting Twilight’s head against her neck right below her head. “I…I am truly at a loss for words, but…”
“Its fine,” Twilight said, cutting her off. “I-“
“Just how the hell is any of that ‘fine’!?” Blink snapped, bobbing furiously. “Your friends just abandoned you on the spot! You’d think that this Applejack or Rainbow Dash character would at least try to see your reasoning!”
“I had merely gone about it the wrong way,” Twilight sighed, sitting in the older pink mare’s hooves. “Maybe if I had merely waited until after the practice was over, it could have gone differently. But, as it stands, I was just too rash…and I paid for it.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to let them get away with that!?” Blink asked, clearly agitated.
“There’s nothing I can do to them now, Blink,” Twilight said, getting up and looking out the window, where the moon’s ever growing figure looked even more ominous as it drew closer. “For now, all I can do is just do what Muuzaji asked and hope he can change me back.”
Melody said nothing at first, watching at the small filly wear a grim look of determination more fit for a mare who had known despair. Sighing, she got up and produced a small red bell from her hair and gave surprised Twilight by tying it around her small saddlebag.
“Eh? What’s this for?” Twilight asked, prodding the bell a few times.
[Twilight obtained the Heart Bell! Ring it if you’re ever in trouble and need some quick assistance!]
“It’s a small protection charm I’ve carried around for a while,” Melody said, tying the final knot. “but my guess is that it’ll serve you better.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said, smiling, her face hidden by the flower on her head.
After a quick breakfast of some simple toast and assorted fruits, Twilight and Blink bade their goodbyes and continued to explore town, which was noticeably emptier than before. The only ones left in town were the few foals she had come across (the ‘Bombers’ if she remembered correctly) and a few of the carnival construction workers. Without its townsfolk, the town felt like a ghost town.
“Is the moon really going to fall?” she heard an older mare whisper to another.
“I’d be hard pressed to believe otherwise!” the other mare said, looking up. “Look at it! It’s been drawing closer every day now and looks as if it could fall any minute now!”
“But it’s just a fairy tale! How could it possibly be real!” the first said, now looking distressed.
“You do realize that every fairy tale had to stem from some truth, right?” the second asked, looking at her friend. “You know, in that one story?”
“You can’t possibly think that-!” the first started, her eyes widening
“Of course not! That’s why my family and I are leaving town before nightfall!” the second cut her off, picking up her saddle bags and hurrying away.
As she watched the two older mares walk away, Twilight turned to Blink and asked, “What were they talking about?”
Shrugging her tiny shoulders, Blink replied, “I couldn’t really tell you, but supposedly, the moon nearly fell on the earth before. During that time, a hero had arrived, and in a measly three days, he and his companion managed to not only free the deities of this land, but freeing the land of its curse by destroying the various demons that had cast them.”
“In just three days?” Twilight asked, amazed. “So what happened to him afterwards?”
“I don’t know,” Blink replied. At Twilight’s annoyed look, Blink continued, “Oh don’t look at me like that! The various accounts constantly switch from saying he left the land to continue his journey, to the last demon managed to corrupt him, and to him dying of his wounds from the final battle! Everypony here knows the hero’s journey to save Equis, but no one really knows how it ended.”
“Huh,” Twilight said, thinking. Then her eyes widened, as she recalled a particular memory.
“I do so hope this trip was worth it,” Twilight heard the Zebra mumble, as he pulled out a sleeping bag of some kind. “This marriage festival better sell well or else I'm done for!” Going back to his cart, he ruffled through it, before his eyes widened. “OH NOT AGAIN! WHAT BLOODY BRAT STOLE THAT MASK!?”
“Blink,” Twilight started slowly, looking up at the Moon’s constant grinning face. “You said this happened before right? How long ago? And what exactly was the demon the hero faced?”
“Huh?” Blink asked, looking confused at Twilight. “Well, according to the story, this whole thing with the moon falling happened nearly thirteen years ago. Only problem here is that nopony actually interacted, let alone spoke with said hero, so nopony really knows just what the while evil thing was in the first place.”
“Wait, what!?” Twilight yelled. “If this happened nearly thirteen years ago, then it would be nearly impossible for somepony in this town, let alone this world, to not have met this so called hero at least once! That makes no sense!”
“I know it doesn’t make any sense!” Blink snapped back. “That’s just how its told! As for what exactly this demon was, well, again, everypony has a different answer to that. Some say that it was an actual demon that was woken from its slumber, and some say it was a possessed child that wielded dark magical powers. Again, with so many conflicting stories, no one really knows for sure.”
“Could it have been a mask?” Twilight asked.
“Eh? A mask?” Blink asked back, looking at the small mare-dragora. “Well, I guess it could be, as it follows the ‘possessed child’ theory, but I don’t really know for sure. Afterall-!”
WHAM!
Before Blink could finish her thought, an older unicorn mare with ran into them, sending the two groups into a tumble, eventually crashing into a nearby pile of clay pottery.
Groaning, the older mare rubbed the side of her head, picking up a pair of black and red shades before slipping them on. Looking up, she snorted in disgust, mumbling, “Dammit...he got away from me again.” Turning to the tiny filly she had knocked over, she asked, “You okay kid? Sorry about that.”
“What the heck was that for!?” Blink yelled, flying up into the older mare's face. The older mare scratched the back of her head, looking somewhat embarrassed, as she helped Twilight get back on her hooves.
“I didn't see you there kid,” the older mare said, ignoring the sprite. “Call me Resilient Glitter, or just Glitter. I own a gem shoppe in town.”
“I didn't ask who the heck you were!” Blink yelled, agitated at being ignored. “Who the heck just runs forward without looking where they're going anyways!?”
“Blink, calm down,” Twilight said, shaking her head to shoo away the stars that were still orbiting her head. Taking a better look at the mare, she sported an icy-white coat, and a mop of electric blue hair with two streaks of a darker shade on her left for her mane. Finally, her cutie mark was an elongated amethyst heater shield with an inverted trilliant cut diamond that had two swords crossing through the gem stone.
Now that the birds in her head had finally stopped chirping, Twilight asked, “So what were you doing?”
Sighing, Glitter pointed to an overhead pony and asked, “You see that pegasus over there?” When Twilight nodded, Glitter continued, “Well, that stallion stole something important to me, and, well, I was trying to catch him, but ran into you.”
“Well it isn't our fault you didn't look where you were going!” Blink yelled.
Ignoring the still irate sprite, Twilight asked, “Well, what did he take exactly?”
Pausing for a bit, Glitter said, “He took something very important to me.”
“And that is...?” Twilight asked again.
“And its private, not really something I'd pass around,” Glitter replied, walking away.
A little guilty, Twilight trotted after her and asked, “Well, do you want me to help you catch him?”
“And just how exactly is that going to work?” Glitter replied with her own question, looking at the mare-dragora. “I appreciate the sentiment kid, but it’s just not going to work.”
“Oh come on!” Twilight said, getting into the older mare's face. “Of course it'll work! What’s the worse that can happen?”
Glitter rolled her eyes behind her glasses and said, “Oh, I don't know...perhaps I could get thrown in jail for foal endangerment?”
“No you won't!” Twilight said, leading Glitter up a set of stairs of a nearby two story restaurant, leading stopping by the ledge. Jumping on the rail, Twilight turned to the older mare, she said, “Now just throw me at him!”
Glitter paused, staring at the tiny filly in disbelief. “I'm sorry,” she said, rubbing her ear with her hoof. “But I think I misheard you. Did you just ask me to throw you at a fast moving, flying target?”
“Yeah,” Blink added, looking at Twilight oddly. “This seems pretty stupid.”
“How else are we going to catch him?” Twilight asked. “It’s a really good idea! Just throw me!”
“Yeah, not happening,” Glitter said, turning away.
“Come on!” Twilight yelled. “Just do it!”
“No!” Glitter snapped back, turning to look at her. “It’s dangerous and its stupid, therefore dangerously stupid!”
“...are you sure you're okay?” Blink asked, looking at Twilight with concern. “I may not have known you for too long, but this seems a bit idiotic, even for you.”
After a pause, Twilight turned to Blink and asked, “Are you calling me an idiot?” Before Blink could answer, she turned to Glitter and said, “Look, as long as you can throw me as far as an average unicorn using your telekinesis, I can still grab him with my vines.” She extended her vines from her neck to as a small demonstration. “I don't know their maximum range, but I can probably grab him and use the extra weight to bring him down.”
Glitter just stared at the mare-dragora in further disbelief.
“What? Twilight asked, gazing at the older mare. “It could work if you actually threw me at him!” Watching the thief's outline slowly make its way over the town walls, she sighed, “Well, not now, at any rate.”
Before Twilight could say anything else, she heard Glitter sigh as her horn shone with a soft blue light, picking the young mare-dragora from the ground and placing her on her back. “Throwing you would have been a very terrible idea,” the older mare said, making her way off the building. “I mean, maybe if you had wings, I would have probably considered it, but even then, I probably wouldn't have done it anyways.”
Twilight sighed as the older mare proceeded to lecture her about the recklessness of her behavior, and couldn’t help but feel nostalgia wash over her. She felt herself being brought back to the time where she was an actual unicorn filly, riding on her older brother's back as they returned home together. As thoughts of happier times took place in her mind, they were slowly ruined by thoughts of her current situation...of how her brother wanted nothing to do with her anymore...
“Well, here we are!” Glitter said, snapping Twilight out of her reverie. When she looked up, she found herself by the town Laundry Pool, where she had met Blink for the first time. There, three small fillies were huddled together at a nearby table, reading what looked like to be some kind of design.
“Hey there girls!” Glitter called out, getting the three fillies' attention. When they trotted up to her, Twilight recognized them as the infamous Bomber group she had met on the first day. “I brought you three a new friend to play with. Try not to set this one on fire, alright?” With that said, the older mare carefully levitated Twilight off her back and left.
“Howdy there!” the yellow pegasus of the group said, walking up to Twilight and extending a hoof. “Mah name's Apple Blast! Pleasure ta mechya!”
Twilight looked at Apple Blast's offered hoof, and took it, making the other filly smile. “I'm Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced herself.
The orange unicorn came up to her, a wide grin on her soot covered face. “I'm Scooter Burn! Pleasure!”
As Twilight nodded to her, the last of the trio, a silver-ish white earth pony, smiled at her bowed her head slightly, saying. “And I'm Sweet Ignition. It’s nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight turned to all of them, looking at the alternate versions of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Not only were the races of the Crusaders somewhat mismatched in this world, but they also had their cutie marks! Apple Blasts was an apple but with a lit fuse, Scooter Burn was wheel that was on fire, and Sweet Ignition was, oddly, a musical score with its edges on fire.
“So,” Twilight started, feeling very nervous, seeing as she didn't know if she was extremely flammable in this mare-dragora form, and not very willing to test it. “All of your talents have something to do with flames and explosives?”
“Yeah!” Apple Blast said, her tiny wings fluttering with excitement. Grabbing the other two in her forelegs, she continued, “Together, the three of us make the Bomber Squadron! We help other ponies in need whenever it’s called for...with explosions!”
“And today we were thinking of charming everypony up today by building a giant firework for them to enjoy!” Scooter Burn said. After a few seconds, she just looked down and said, “Well, we would if we could get this thing to work...:”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, head cocked to the side in confusion.
“Well, we managed to get lift off in our various test subjects,” Sweet Ignition said, cuffing the ground. “But they've mostly been duds who didn’t go as far as we wanted, nor did it even give us the explosion.”
“I know a fair bit of chemistry,” Twilight said, looking thoughtful. “Would you mind if I helped you girls out?”
“That'd be wonderful!” Sweet Ignition said, doing a little hop with glee.
“Yeah!” Scooter Burn agreed.
“Waitaminnit!” Apple Blast said, stopping the two other fillies and turning to the plant like filly. “Ain't you mare-dragoras super flammable or something? Ah don't wanna accidentally set you on fire or nothing.”
“Oh, that?” Twilight asked, looking surprised and looking at her own hoof. “Well, as long as I don't come into direct contact with the ingredients, I should be fine, right?”
“If'n you say so,” Apple Blast said, sounding worried. After a few seconds, she sighed and said, “Well, let’s get to work girls! We've only got a few hours left before the carnival starts!”
“Bomber Squadron Fire-work Makers, Go!” the three fillies cheered, giving each other a three-way highhoof. Twilight could only wonder just what she had gotten herself into...
(One Practical Application of Chemistry Later)
“We did it!” Apple Blast cheered, rubbing the sweat off her soot covered brow. Looking up at the large red rocket she and her friends had made, they all cheered once more.
“And by the looks of it,” Twilight said, looking up. “We're just in time too.”
Turning back to the group, she noticed the pegasus and the unicorn continued their happy dance around their latest creation, but the only earth pony looked somewhat apprehensive, staring at the face of the moon.
“...are you afraid of the moon?” Twilight asked her, sounding concerned.
“Oh, that?” Apple Blast asked, trotting over to them. “That’s just an old mare's tale! It ain't really gonna fall!” Her wings twitched slightly, as she turned her gaze to the stone satellite, but she kept her happy expression.
“But how do you explain why the moon is so close?” Twilight countered. “Look at it. It looks like it’s been getting closer.”
“Yeah, but then this is about the same set up when the hero is supposed to appear!” Scooter Burn replied. “So even if the moon were to fall, the hero would appear and set it back in its place, just like in the story!” Like her pegasus friend, she was also smiling, but her eyes were glued to the moon.
Frowning, Twilight turned to her and asked, “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
The unicorn turned to her, looking annoyed, retorting, “And what’s that supposed to mean!?”
“Nothing, nothing!” Twilight defended her self. “It’s just that you look worried, that’s all!”
“Well I'm not!” Scooter Burn snapped back.
“Neither ahm ah!” Apple Blast said, her accent dipping into the country like speech she was so accustomed to hearing back in Ponyville. Her feathers ruffled and her wings held out, she continued, “Like ah said, it’s just some old mare's tale! It ain't gonna fall!”
Before her two friends could say more, Sweet Ignition spoke up softly, “I'm afraid.”
Turning to her, taking note of the other two's shocked expressions, she asked, “Then why haven't you or your family left town?”
Sweet Ignition sighed, looking down. “My mom and dad just think it’s some silly superstition. Heck, my Grandpa Roshan, the Head of the Worker's Guild, even wanted us to stay with him...”
Before Twilight could even ask, Big Mac came around, calling out, “You fillies over here? The carnival’s startin' and yer parents are askin' for ya!”
“Coming Mac!” Apple Blast replied back to the source. Turning back to Twilight, she said. “Look, Ah don’care if that piece o’ rock falls or not! Ahm gonna go spend the night with mah big brother and mah granny, and be happy ah did! If that thing does decide to come down, ah'd rather be happy with mah family, than running around scared, ya hear?”
“Yeah!” Scooter Burn said, getting on her two hind legs and kicking the air slightly. “That’s the Bomber way! Going out with a bang!” Sweet only sighed at her friend's antics, but slowly nodded with them.
“Bye Twilight! We'll catch you at the carnival, alright?” Scooter Burn said with a smile. After a few thoughtful seconds, she asked, “Actually, do you think you could set it off when the time comes? You seemed to know a lot more of how to safely set this thing off than we do, so maybe you should have the honors.”
“Apple Blast, doesn't she need some-” Sweet Ignition started to say.
“Oh yeah, Ah nearly fergot!” the pegasus said, extending her left wing and pulling out a circular shaped shiny blue pin in the shape of a bomb. “Here, this is our emblem, making you one of us! Look for us again when the carnival's over, okay?”
Twilight could only watch the three of them run off, and sighing as she turned her gaze back to the moon. Before she could get anywhere, she felt an odd sensation on the back of her head, where the flower had grown. After a few seconds, Blink emerged from the small hole, shaking herself off of any dust pollen she accumulated while in there.
“That's where you've been the entire time?” Twilight asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Blink said slowly, a little uncertain. “I went in there when that older mare carried you on her back, remember?” When Twilight shook her head, she sighed and said, “Well, anyways...those are some crazy foals, don’t you think?”
Looking down and allowing herself a small smile, Twilight replied, “I have a feeling they'll make it big someday.”
“Right, about that,” Blink replied, looking unsure. The two continued to watch the moon in total silence, waiting for the right time. Soon, fireworks began to fire through the night sky, but there were barely any cheers in celebration.
“I guess that's our cue,” Twilight said, trotting over to the rocket and jumping on it, using her vines to bring herself a piece of fling and steel and then tethering herself to the rocket.
“What are you doing?” Blink asked after an uncomfortable pause.
“What, this?” Twilight asked back, looking down. “Oh, I figured the fastest way to get to the clock tower is to just take this thing up there, seeing as I really didn't find see any doorways going up or anything like that.”
“But this thing is untested!” Blink protested. “And, just so you know, mare-dragorae are, in fact, HIGHLY flammable! This thing could exploded at any time during the flight and you'd be dead! Then what!?”
“But it won't,” Twilight said, allowing a smug grin on her face. “I made it, so I know exactly where it'll burn out!”
Blink's tiny eyes twitched at the logic behind her reasoning, but said nothing as she watched the mare-dragora filly fail numerous times at trying to light the use. After about fifteen attempts, Twilight finally got the spark she needed, and held her vines tightly around the rocket's base.
'Wait a minute,' Twilight thought, recognition slowly creeping onto her face. 'I just lit a rocket...and rockets explode!' As her mind finally finished wrapping itself around that little fact, the rocket took off, with Twilight holding onto dear life as Blink shouted something unintelligible and most likely vulgar in her own native tongue as she the two of them took off across the night sky, unaware of the stares they were getting down below.
Seeing her stop coming up fast, Twilight slowly eased up on her grip, and, once her positioning was right, let go and let herself drop, landing on a large circular clock like platform, bouncing a few times before hitting the a small wall.
“Ow,” Twilight groaned, getting up as the birds in her head stopped chirping. “Blink, are you there?”
“For the record,” Blink said, as she emerged from Twilight's flower bud and floating right besides her. “that was pretty awesome! However,” she continued, floating beside Twilight and cuffing her lightly. “We are never doing that again!”
“Oh come on, its not like we had any other option!” Twilight replied, getting up.
Before Blink could retort, a chilling laughter filled the air around them, as a flash of purple fire caught their attention. Still giggling, the masked filly assumed a relaxed position and said, “You actually made it! I was worried that you would forget our play date, so I made sure to get this big reminder for you. Pretty smart, huh?”
“Yes, smart,” Twilight replied rather snarkily, glaring at the masked filly while scuffing the floor. “Why are you doing this? What do you have against me or these ponies that you'd threaten to drop the moon on them!?”
“Huh? Oh, I have nothing against you,” the masked filly said, circling Twilight and Blink in a lazy fashion. “Actually, you seem like you'd be really fun to play with!” Giggling, she reoriented herself and through her forelegs and hindlegs out, saying, “And as for these ponies? It should be obvious! This world is just too boring, too plain for my liking! I just want to liven it up a little, you know? Disrupt their precious established order, introduce a little anarchy into their lives! Doesn't that seem much more fun?”
“And threatening them with mass extinction is your way of doing it!?” Twilight asked back in disbelief, unable to believe her ears. Even Discord, despite his odd machinations and tendency to destroy friendships with a snap of his claws, never went this far!
“Why not?” the masked filled cackled, gesturing to the town below the tower. “To hear the world cry out in pain and suffering is the symphony of wonders! To watch their world burn is the very paragon of art!” Calming down slightly, her tone became increasingly darker and menacing as she continued, “Besides, they all deserve it.”
“What?” Twilight asked, again not believing what she was hearing.
Her very form coated with purple fire, the masked filly continued, “This world is full of cruelty, the liars, the backstabbers, the thieves, all of them will burn! They think, just because they were called, they can just leave me!? Just because they were chosen, they think they're better than me!?” With the flames pulsing around her, she turned to the moon and cackled, “Well guess what!? They aren't! I'm the best one here! Me! ME! ME! I CURSE THEM! I CURSE THIS WORLD! I CURSE IT ALL!”
Twilight and Blink could only stare, dumbstruck at the masked filly's declaration. “What,” Twilight started, walking to her. “What happened to you?”
Taking a deep breath, the masked filly turned to her and said, “Oh that? Ah, it was nothing! Nothing happened! At all!” At Twilight's unconvinced stare, she continued, “Nothing happened! Really! Nothing at-!” Before she could continue, the mask's piercing yellow eyes and the mask's vibrant colors suddenly dulled, as the little filly's body just hung there, limp and unmoving. Just as Twilight was about to pull the body down, it suddenly came back to life, but its little forearms reached for her non-moving head and pushed against the wood of the mask. A sickening 'squelching' sound was made, as some sort of black, tar like substance stretched from behind the mask to the actual filly's face. The filly had actually managed to pull the mask far enough that Twilight could just barely make out a mouth, but could definitely see a single violet eye looking fearfully down at them.
“What?” Blink asked, looking as confused as she sounded.
“Help,” the little filly behind the masked begged, her eyes teary as she struggled to keep the wood off of her face.
“How? How can I help?” Twilight asked, concentrating as she extended her vines. Just as she was about to grab the mask, it flared back to life, its yellow eyes shining as it released a burst of purple flames, forcing Twilight to retract them as it tried to force itself back on the filly's face.
The little filly struggled, as the gooey substance tried to cover her face, but she was just barely able to keep it off for a few seconds longer. “Help my friends,” she said weakly, as the liquid started to glow, overpowering her. “Go to the Forest, the Mountains, the Oceans, the Canyon,” she continued, as the mask started to regain its color. “Go to the Fields, the Skies...find them,” she begged, as the masked suddenly flared and forced itself onto her face. Twilight could only stare in mute shock as the mask's eyes blinked in confusion, before turning back to the mare-dragora.
“Sorry about that!” the masked filly said, sounding completely different from the pleading voice before.
“Dear Faust,” Twilight said, realization striking her. “That mask is just controlling her!”
“Huh?” the masked filly said, sounding confused. “Oh that? That’s just another of my psychotic breakdowns, don't mind it.” Flying up directly under the moon, she continued, “Anyways, let’s start the fun, shall we?” Without warning, she let out an ear piercing shriek, her cries echoing throughout the land as the mask released waves of purple energy. The moon, as if picking up on her cries, suddenly started to move forward, as flames started to surround its circular body.
As Twilight released her ears, Twilight turned her gaze upwards, noticing the small rocks actually levitating off the structure. “I won't let you!” she shouted, eyes shut as she focused the Blessing of Light the Great Fairy had granted her, taking in the light that was reflected off the moon and collecting with the flower on her head. With a cry, she released the collected energy, but narrowly missed her target.
“Oi, watch it!” the masked filly snapped, turning to her. You could hurt somepony with that thing!”
“That’s the point!” Twilight snapped back, focusing as she collected more light and fired again.
The masked filly could only yelp in surprise as she dodged the beam again and again, crying out “, I’m starting to get the impression that you don't like me very much!”
“Stop the moon from falling then!” Twilight shouted, shooting another beam.
“I don’t wanna!” the masked filly retorted, turning to her. “I just wanna watch this world burn!” With a gesture to the moon, her masked glowed again, this time causing the eyes of the moon to release tear shaped stones, very similar to the one that she had picked up when she had attempted to save Granny Smith from the thief two nights ago. An idea coming to her, she dodged the rest of the falling tears and grabbed the one that hadn't immediately dissolved into dust.
[Twilight obtained a second Moon's Tear! These enchanted stones apparently have the ability to enhance Twilight's current forms permanently, but disappear after each use.]
“Why the heck did you grab another one!?” Blink yelled, following her.
“The first one I grabbed gave me these,” Twilight said, extending her fines as she held the glowing stone in her hooves. As it dissolved into dust and swirled around her, she continued, “Maybe I'll get something better from this!” As the shining blue dust swirled around her, it shifted into a light green color, flying into her flower bud leaving her feeling somewhat light-headed as the plant started to grow even larger, up to the point where it could pass as an ornate looking hat. Without even realizing what she was doing, her plant like tail latched onto the ground beneath her, keeping her two balance as her two neck vines did the same. Grimacing, she felt the flower shift its position from the top of her head to a bit more in front of her eyes, just as a small vine extends from the flower and forms a circle over her right eye.
“What the heck?” Blink mumbled after a pause, looking at the results of taking in a second moon's tear. “What are you even supposed to be!? You look...I dunno, stupid!”
Twilight could only huff, but her eyes widened when realized she couldn't move that much with her tail and her vines keeping her rooted. The masked filly above them stared, but suddenly howled with laughter, creating a purple fireball in her left hoof. “Thanks for making this easy for me!” she said, making the fireball bigger as time went on.
Twilight started panicking, trying to stop whatever the she had started, when Blink suddenly landed on her flower bud, at the spot right before the flower opened up. “This is gonna feel a bit weird,” Blink said, “But this just might work!” Grabbing two flower stalks, she tugged on them, making two smaller flowers emerge from the large center piece. Before Twilight could even process or protest at how strange his felt, the small pony fairy grabbed a third stalk and gave it a hard tug, causing all three flowers to suddenly come to life and shoot seeds, causing the mask filly to yelp in surprise and cancel her fireball, dodging the sudden burst of projectiles.
“What the heck are you doing!?” Twilight screamed at small fairy.
“Calm down!” Blink yelled back, grabbing another stalk. “I've seen some mare-dragora do this before! Just don’t make any sudden movements!” She continued to fire burst after burst of seeds, all while the masked filly continued to dodge, dancing and laughing as she did so.
“Wow, you're really bad at this!” she crowed, flipping as she dodged yet another burst. “Keep it up though! You might just hit me yet!”
Growling in frustration, Blink let up on the pressure on Twilight's flower, giving her time to breath while the small pony fairy dived into her bag. When Twilight looked up again, she found her face being stuffed with the Spark Nuts she had obtained on her first day here. Before Twilight could even protest, Blink flew back to her starting position and grabbed a red stalk, triggering a gag reflex that forced Twilight to swallow them all. As Twilight motioned frantically that she was choking, the small fairy grabbed a second red stalk and both of them a hard pull, which forced the nuts down Twilight's throat and into her stomach, where she could feel them crackling and
building up pressure. Just as Twilight was about to question just what that was all for, Blink grabbed a third stalk on her flower, creating immense pressure Twilight's body, up to the point where she felt as if she would explode at a moment’s notice. After a few seconds of painful pressure, Blink released all three stalks, causing the flower on her head to glow blue as it released a burst of electrified seeds at the masked filly. She shrieked in pain as the sudden blast took her by surprise, causing her to drop an ornate wooden pan flute.
That last burst also took its toll on Twilight, as her tail and head flower shifted back into their original positions, and the vines returned to her neck. Panting and coughing, Twilight crushed Blink under her hoof, screaming, “JUST WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?”
Blink, unharmed but squished under hoof, squeaked out, “What!? It worked, didn't it? We got her!”
Twilight looked up, but only saw the masked filly up and about, flying around as the moon continued to fall. Spying the pan flute, she used her vines to grab it and bring it to her, but only stared at it, feeling the power just emanating off of it. “Wow,” she breathed. “This thing is just overflowing with magic!”
“Hey! That's my pan flute!” Blink said, getting up. “So...do something!”
“Like what?” Twilight asked back.
“I don’t know!” the pony fairy snapped back. “Just play it or something!”
Stammering, Twilight played the most basic song she knew could think of, only to get whacked on the back of the head by her fairy companion. As the moon drew ever closer, Twilight could smell the smoke and fire of the burning oxygen above them.
“What do I do with this thing!?” she shouted to no one in particular, crying to night sky “I don't know what to do! Somepony! Anypony! Help me!”
“And because you have called,” a soothing voice replied in her mind, making her stiffen. “I shall answer.”
Twilight could only gasp as a sudden flash of white light obscured her vision, and a feeling of warmth overcoming her. When she could see once more, Twilight blinked in confusion.
She was no longer at the tower, fighting off the masked filly and her control of the moon. Her companion, blink, was nowhere to be seen, and Twilight found herself in a land filled with a bright white and rather thick mist, and the whole area covered with a soft white light. Grimacing, she rubbed her eyes, but noticed something with her hoof.
It was purple again! Sitting down, she took a look at herself, and found herself as her old unicorn self once more!
Before she could let a celebratory cheer, she heard a flute playing a calming, but somewhat forlorn melody. Her ears twitched as she trotted to the source with her eyes closed, using only her hearing to guide her, feeling somewhat comforted as the melody softly grew louder and louder, before it stopped all together.
When she opened her eyes, Twilight found herself before standing before a pony larger than herself, but not by too much. This new mare stood around somewhere around Cadence's height, but taller and much leaner. She wore an ornate purple and white gown, flecks of gold adorning the joints and wings, but the most noticeable where the golden triangles that covered her flanks and a golden pendant around her neck. Finally, there was the golden crown that rested on her head, letting her horn be shown. Finally, this mare was the source of the music, holding an ornate blue and gold potato shaped instrument in her fore hooves.
Twilight immediately bowed, not knowing this particular princess. “Hello,” she said softly, not lifting her eyes.
“Raise your head, Twilight Sparkle,” the alicorn princess said, getting to her hooves. “I have been waiting for you to reach out to me.” As Twilight looked up at her in confusion, she continued explaining as she cantered away, “The light within you had been smothered in darkness, the very same curse that struck this land nearly thirteen years ago.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, following her. “What is this? Where am I? Am I back to normal?”
Sighing, the alicorn princess could only shake her head, as she said, “This place is the Astral Plane, a place where the soul is laid bare, whether it be pure or corrupted. I brought you here, to weaken the dark curse that had been smothering your inner light...and to make one selfish request.” Seeing Twilight's ears perk up, she continued, “As I have said, the same curse that afflicted you has been cast on the land and her citizens. Another hero before you had tried to free the land, but he had succumbed to his own curse, sending his soul into oblivion.” Turning to her, a look of sadness gracing her features, she said, “I ask of you, will you rid the land of this curse? Will you take arms and fight back in my name, as my Knight?”
“Wait, you want me to be your Knight?” Twilight asked, not believing what she was hearing. “But, but you just met me! I just met you! I don't know anything about you, and vice versa!” Seeing the alicorn princess' neutral expression, she continued, “I mean, I have nothing against you. I am actually very grateful that you've managed to weaken the curse's power over me, but I can't just go into a commitment THIS big without having any information!”
Much to her surprise, the alicorn princess was actually giggling behind her hoof. “It does my heart well that you do not blindly run without thought,” she said. “As for who I am, you may call me Zelda, of the Royal House of Hyrule.”
“So then, Princess Zelda,” Twilight said, looking at the alicorn. “Why did you choose me over the other ponies in that town? There were loads of poniesbetter than me! I'm just a simple unicorn!”
“You are more than a simple unicorn,” Zelda explained, looking down at her potential Knight. “You have endured many trials and tribulations, and you have succeeded in overcoming them. No doubt, this quest will be filled with peril beyond your wildest nightmares, but,” she paused, nodding her head so that their horns were nearly touching. “I have faith that you will overcome, with a courage burning brighter than the stars in the sky. It is for this reason why I have chosen you, Twilight Sparkle.” Pulling her head back, she looked back into Twilight's eyes and extended a hoof, asking, “I ask you once more, Twilight Sparkle, will you accept my selfish request, and become my Knight?”
Twilight could only stare blankly at the offered hoof, trying to wrap her mind around what she was just told. Taking a deep breath, she matched the alicorn's gaze and extended her own hoof, taking the princess' hoof into her own. Almost immediately, she felt a warmth like never before explode from her very core, burning away the doubts and insecurities she once held. “I accept, Princess Zelda,” Twilight said with conviction.
A warm smile gracing her features, Zelda slowly pulled her own hoof back and brought out the flute she was playing earlier. “Thank you, my Knight,” she said, bringing the flute to her lips. “As a token of our new pact, take this melody, and keep it close to your heart. When you play it, I will be there to guide you.” As Twilight suddenly produced her pan flute, Zelda proclaimed, “Learn my Song of Time, and keep its music in your soul!” With that, she started to play.
The tune was hypnotic and powerful, despite it being so short. Twilight watched her new Princess play the tune, lightly swaying from side to side. As Twilight brought her own instrument to her lips, a sense of nostalgia struck her, guiding her lips as she blew from flute to flute, matching her new lady's tune perfectly.
Looking down at her instrument in amazement, she asked, “What...what was that?”
Smiling softly, Zelda replied, “The Lingering Will of the previous hero...he and I will be guiding you along your quest.”
“I'm afraid I don't understand,” Twilight said, frowning.
“Do not worry,” the alicorn replied, closing her eyes. “You will. In Time.” The mist suddenly became thicker, as the she was suddenly obstructed from Twilight's view. “Until we meet again, my little knight.”
Twilight's own eyes closed as the mist washed over, the feeling of warmth slowly fading but still remaining within her. When she opened them again, she found herself as a mare-dragora once more, holding the pan flute in her tiny hooves, as if no time had passed whatsoever.
“Snap out of it already!” Blink screeched. “Do something!”
Twilight looked up at the moon, and at the cackling masked filly. Closing her eyes, she brought the pan flute to her lips, only for hers to shoot wide open in surprise as it suddenly morphed into a wooden saxophone, forcing her to stand on her hind legs to even play it. Not even listening to Blink's cries, she played the royal melody once more, letting it echo through the night sky. As the final note left with utmost ease, everything froze in place.
Blink, who had grabbed onto Twilight during the time she was playing, looked around, confused. But before she could say anything, a white clock like portal formed underneath the two of them, its hands spinning backwards. Just as she was about to speak up, gravity suddenly kicked in, dropping the two in the portal, sending them falling through a real of pure white, the sound of ticking clocks and melody of the song Twilight had just played echoing all around them
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Twilight found herself in a familiar dark and grubby looking, the sounds of rushing water and a ticking clock echoing all around them.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around.
A chilling giggle was her only response, as she turned around to see the grinning face of Muuzaji, the mask sales-zebra, stepping out of the shadows and into the light.
“Welcome back.”