• Published 19th Jul 2013
  • 1,215 Views, 82 Comments

Pony POV Series: Dark World Drabbles - Godzillawolf



The Dark World Series has been a long hard road...but what about what you didn't? These are the untold stories of Dark World.

  • ...
4
 82
 1,215

Little Sisters

Pony POV Series
Dark World Drabbles
Little Sisters

“Guillotine? Really?” I asked, looking up at my brother from the device presently restraining my arms and head. Not that I needed restrained. At least my loving family had came up with more creative methods of killing me than Nightmare Twilight ever did. Seriously, if I need to die over and over again, at least make it a different death each time!

Anarchy gave a shrug. “Why not?”

“Well I know it’s one of your favorite creations and all, but really? Isn’t it kind of outdated? I know I’m in no position to make demands, but could you at least upgrade a little? You’ve used the same design for several million years.”

Anarchy shrugged. “Why fix what ain’t broken?”

I tapped my chin as best I could, given my situation. “Well maybe replace the steel blade with a laser blade?”

Anarchy smirked. “I like your thinking, bro.” He snapped his fingers and did the proper renovations. Not that I can see them.

I let out the most over the top scream physically possible as my head is severed from my body. One Equestria, two Equestria, three Equestria, four Equestria, five Equestri-

Dang it! Lost consciousness from blood loss! I really want to count to the full ten seconds it takes for my severed head to die one of these times!

My brother wiped his brow. “I’m taking a break,” he stated. “Hey, Rancor! Want to take a turn while I go play some games?”

“Nah, I’m busy.”

I look over to my darling little sister. Presently busy molding a piece of Dad into some kind of…thing.

Anarchy leaves to take his break, letting me out of the guillotine in the process. I think Strife is busy doing something or other (something about seeing how a war between giant monsters from another dimension and ponies who built humongous mecha would end). Pandora, of course, doesn’t have the heart to torture me, sweet girl. Dad said watching Fluttercruel die so many times was worse than anything He could think of to do to me at this point. At least that’s what He said. I think for once the Old Man actually sympathizes with me…At least He took my apology for eating Destruction well…


“…Anarchy, mind waiting a minute?” I asked, looking to my brother right after impaling me repeatedly. I look up. “Dad! Can I talk to You? Please? It’s important.”

Suddenly, I was in Dad. Which of course meant I was in Hell…which, to be honest, wasn’t that bad.

Dad was presently ending His latest chariot ride and gave me a nod. “Alright, Various Doomed Souls, Mope Around In Despair While I Talk To My Son,” He called, turning to me. “Hello Son! How’s The Punishment Going?”

“Eh, about as well as can be expected…” I reply, shrugging. “Oh! Hey Valeyard!” I call, giving a wave. He waves back. Huh, you know, I think he actually seems happier for some reason.

Looking up at Fear Incarnate, I give a sigh. “…Dad…about Destruction…I’m sorry…I know that doesn’t bring him back but…I’m sorry I killed him…I really am…”

I think I did something rivaling Celly making Mom laugh; render Dad speechless for a few minutes.

“…I see…Well It Was Partly My Avatar’s Fault, Discordance, It Kind Of Went Insane You Know. Pandora Tried To Stop You, But The Avatar Stopped Her…Besides, You’ve Had To See Your Daughter Die Horrifically So Many Times That Even Gods Have Trouble Remembering (I Remember, Naturally, But It’d Make It Less Scary For The Shadows If I Gave Them An Exact Number), So Clearly You Now Know The Pain Of Losing A Child, Just As I Did, Only More So. …So Apology Accepted. That‘s Not Going To End Your Punishment Though.”

I give a smile as He puts a horrifically terrifying tentacle on my shoulder. “Thanks, Dad…”

“You’re Quite Welcome, Son! Say, Before Anarchy Has To Go Back To Killing You, Want To See The ‘Theatre Of Eternal Suffering’ I Made For Exceptionally Evil Movie Critics Who Spent Their Lives Crushing Pony’s Dreams Out Of Pure Sadism? All The Worst Films Pandora Could Ever And Will Ever Devise, All Combined Together In A Single Endless Super-Movie, Played On A Loop For Eternity!”

“Pointless, completely nonsensical random events plots with events that have little rhyme or reason to them at all?”

“Correct! And Z-Grade Actors Who Have No Idea What They‘re Doing!”

“My favorite genre!…But maybe later, I want to get through my punishment first…thanks anyway…”

“…Sooooo, what you making, sis?” I ask, having nothing better to do right now really. I mean I’m dead, and can’t really go do my job until my punishment is over with. It’s either this or make prank calls to Grogar, and he’s stopped picking up…which I’m not sure how that’s physically possible considering I’m calling his brain.

“My next Champion,” she replied, moving just enough for me to see the razor-sharp claws she’d crafted into it. Nice touch. “Dad gave me a piece of him to make into a vengeance demon! Basically, somepony summons it up to get revenge on someone who‘s wronged them! Of course, they are outright told they‘ll get a fate worse than death in exchange for summoning him, but eh, that‘s how demons work…Revenge, as well, if you allow me to consume you, but eh, can‘t change the nature of the beast.”

“Ah, I see,” I replied, giving a smile. I remember making my first Chaos Demon, good times. Good times. “What are you going to name him, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Rancor tapped her chin. “Not really sure…”

“Hmm…maybe Pumpkinhead?”

“…Why?”

“Sounds like a good name for a rock band. That and it kind of sounds like something you’d find in an old ponies tale. Oh, and it rhymes with the word dead.”

Rancor chuckled. “Yeah, good point. I kind of like it…Hmm, I know! I’ll have him buried in a pumpkin patch, you know, give the locals reason to come up with it!”

Eh, not big on reason, but her Champion. “Or, you know, actually give him a pumpkin for a head.”

“I‘m NOT making a scarecrow. Too easy to set them on fire.”

“Fair enough…But maybe make a poem about him or something, you know, something ponies would say as a nursery rhyme to frighten their foals?”

“Good idea bro! Hmm…lets see…Dang, can’t think of anything. I’m better at rock lyrics…”

“Let me give it a try, creepy rhymes are one of my specialties!” I announced, clearing my throat and giving it some thought.

Keep away from Pumpkinhead,
Unless you’re tired of living,
His enemies are mostly dead,
He’s mean and unforgiving,
Laugh at him and you’re undone,
In some black fashion.
Vengeance, he considers fun,
And enjoys it with a passion,
To balance innocent blood with that of the guilty
His want for revenge is always renewing,
You’ll end up resting somewhere silty
Till the end of your days, you he‘ll be pursuing,
All hope you can discard,
Dragons and Griffins prowling in the yard,
Won’t protect you in your bed,
Nothing will, from Pumpkinhead.

Rancor smirked and showed her shark teeth. Hmm, I’ll have to challenge her to a ’slasher smile’ contest some time. “Perfect! I think Dad’ll get a kick out of it too.”

“That’s the idea…Speaking of fathers…” I stated, getting a little…serious…by my standards. Yes, I know I change subjects abruptly: I’m still Chaos. “Rancor, I’m actually somewhat grateful that you killed me, considering it got me away from Nightmare Twilight and all. And I‘m proud of you for following your Concept and all…but…” I believe the term for my present state of mind was ’Papa Wolf’. “…you know as a father, I’m just a little bit absolutely livid that you did it in front of my little princess and emotionally crushed her.”

“Yeah. I’d be insulted if you weren’t.”

That’s a good Spirit of Anger. “And of course you know, I’m an expert at using things for an unintended purpose…including things that are as far from violence as physically possible…And if there‘s one thing Nightmare Twilight taught me to do, it‘s pick my spots…”

“…Hehe, paranoia gambit; nice choice.”

I give a little laugh, then walk back over to where I was to await my next brutal death.

“Oh, and bro?”

“Yes?”

“Dad turned your room into my nursery.”

“What?! Why?!”

“Because you were off doing your own thing. Plus, I kind of…went on a blood-filled, vengeful rampage when He kept me in Hell as a baby and He didn’t want to risk me accidentally freeing Morning Star. Mom’s realm was out of the question…”

“What about your realm?! You were BORN with one!”

“It’s a swirling mass of razor-sharp blades.”

“You’re immune to violence!”

“Yes, but everyequus else isn’t.

“Good point…They KEPT it as a nursery?”

“Pretty much”

“Oh…Well, I guess I could use a crib if Fluttercruel visits.”

“Eh, yeah, probably a good idea, it‘s violence proof. You know she calls herself Odyne now, right?”

“Her name is the only thing she has; I’m not taking it from her.”

“Ok, but I-”

“Oh come on!” We both turned our attention to our brother’s yell of frustration.

Anarchy was presently looking at our favorite brother-in-law; good old Death. I used to not like the guy, since he…ugh, took my ’toys’ away. Now I’m grateful he was saving them from more of my ’playtime.’ And you know, I’ve always been amazed that by putting them inside Mom, you can make even the most frightening Concepts a welcome sight.

Anarchy didn’t seem to think so, however. “Why don’t we have guards?!”

Mortis sighed. “Anarchy, I’m your brother-in-law, you know. Besides, you know better: you can only guard yourself against Death for so long”

“Yeah yeah yeah, just annoying everypony and their mother can just walk into…well, Our Mother!”

“Hey, Morty! Haven‘t really chatted with you since the wedding!” I said, waving. And what a wedding it was. Ponythulhu was so happy to be ring bearer, but we couldn’t decide on a flower girl. Too bad Cruelty wasn’t around, she’d have been so adorable.

I noticed Rancor seemed to give Mortis a wide berth. Now why would she be afraid of her brother-in-law? “Sorry about my princess tearing up one of your kids, she didn’t know any better.” Yes, I meant it, I’m not one to make light of someone’s kid getting hurt…anymore.

“I managed to recover the wings and they can be reattached…” Mortis admitted. I think I surprised him by apologizing. “But I’m not here to talk. I just have a visitor for you.”

A visitor? Now who could…what?

I see a pink pony with a yellow mane, sunglasses cutie mark…Mom? Oh! No no! Don’t call her that out loud yet…uh…let’s see.

“Um…o-one moment,” I ask, turning towards the sea of chaos. “Hey Mom! Do you mind if I refer to the mortal that gave birth to me in Ponyland as my ‘mother‘?”

“I DON’T CARE! DO WHAT YOU WANT!”

“Thanks Mom!” I called, turning back to my mother. “Sorry, we have to be careful with Her…Try to pretend She’s not there. Hopefully, she‘ll do the same.”

Mom shook her head with a somewhat annoyed sigh. “I’m not mom,” she said. She shrunk down to the size of a filly. “I’m your little sister.”

My jaw dropped to the floor. “Oh…hello…little sis…” That explains the fewer sunglasses in the Cutie Mark…

“Weeeellll,” Rancor interjected. “This just got really awkward…” she looked to my mortal sister. “You here to take revenge on Big Bro?”

“No,” was the reply.

“Well, then I’m going to go finish my vengeance demon in Dad, toodles,” Rancor said, going through a portal into Dad.

And she’s gone, leaving me staring awkwardly at my mortal sibling, in the silent, barren, arctic wasteland that is My Mother.

While I was at a loss for words, I looked her over. She looked a lot more muscular than mom was. Mom was never active really, except for…well, when she was my second in command for that thousand years. She also looks a bit more confident, I’m good at reading body language, kind of HAVE to be to be as manipulative as I am…was…
---

My name is Shady, technically Shady the Second. I am the daughter of Shady the First, a hero of Paradise Estate…as well as an enemy. After that my life gets weird. And considering my mom was an immortal pony who helped save the world repeatedly, that’s saying a lot.

Ponies say I’m the opposite of my mother. Mom’s not athletic, and has less self-esteem than Posey, I was ticked off having to stay inside and not play outside and generally confident the majority of the time…But I’ll give mom credit where it’s due; I could have come with her to try to talk my…brother into redeeming himself, but I chickened out…Mom didn’t. In fact she told Mortis she was going and that was final even if he tried to stop her. Yes, Shady the First wouldn’t take no for an answer from Death himself.

“…Sooooo…You’re Baby Shady -- I mean Shady the Second -- I mean-”

“Shady will be fine, let’s just call mom mom,” I replied with a groan. I hadn’t been called Baby Shady since I was a filly, and Shady the Second sounded way too formal -- something you’d put on a birth certificate or a tombstone. Especially when the whole point of this was to try and get to know my ‘brother.’

“Okay, little sister…and kind of big sister if I hadn‘t screwed up reality…Sorry about the whole…time displacing thing my birth caused…” He said, rubbing his head. And here I thought the Spirit of Chaos would be a bit more confident. Not that I had room to talk, considering this was every bit as awkward for me.

“It’s okay…I kind of remember two lives, actually…” Okay, that was kind of a lie. It wasn’t ok so much as ‘I let go of my animosity towards him to get into Heaven.’

“Ah…yes, I think Nightmare Twilight said something about Rota installing crumple zones so you could exist, despite my birth.” I remember Mortis saying Rota had stopped by shortly before I decided to drop by and slapped Discord in the face for causing that mess for her in the first place…and then kicked him where the sun doesn’t shine for tearing off her wing.

I sighed, sitting down next to the big lug. “I remember spending all that time raising that giant dog, but I remember helping rebuild things after you were a statue…It was confusing but I kind of just accepted it…”

Yeah, it was confusing sometimes. Imagine going back and forth between two different lives and not being able to tell when the switch would happen. Sure, I got used to it, but still…

Discord gave me a nod. “I can kind of sympathize with it, considering I have several hundred million life times in my brain…”

Admittedly, that actually came across as a bit sweet of him. Somehow.

“…The funny thing? It was just like…life? You know? For the longest time I thought everyone went about two lifetimes like I did, I got used to some ponies only being there in a certain life, that ponies would give me weird looks if I talked about the other life they weren‘t in…But mom was there in both…”

It probably helped that the world had just finished an Age of Chaos and were rebuilding from it in my second life and my first one was filled with ponies who were several hundred year old immortals who’d seen everything from reality warping squid things to Grogar…

“Oh…well, it sounds like you had a good life…er…lives…”

Ok, I can tell he’s trying to be supportive of me, but he’s got a lot to learn…

“Kind of…During my fillyhood this wolf…thing kept coming after me until the whole ‘living two lives’ thing kicked in and it left me alone saying ‘staY ouT oF history‘S waY.’” Judging by what I’ve been told and the relief on his face when I said it left me alone, I know I was flat out lucky to still exist. I know most ponies that thing goes after have a snowball’s chance in Pony Hell of surviving. Still…feels good to see some concern on his face for me…

“…And…well…mom may not have become a pariah since she saved the world…but she’d already gave birth to one ‘devil,’ no offense.”

“It’s a fair statement…” I never thought I’d see Discord look so downright guilt-ridden…

“Most of the ponies didn‘t recognize her, but some of the other foals ‘mistook‘ mom for ‘Discord‘s Mother‘ from the stories they‘d heard about her…So in my…second life so to speak…some foals called me the ‘sister of Discord’ and stuff like that…It probably would’ve been a heck of a lot harder on me if I hadn’t had my friends back in my first life to support me. It did make me sympathize more with Woe-Be-Gone from my first life…”

He taps his chin thoughtfully. “Woe-Be-Gone…I don’t seem to remember him…”

“He was this little guy who got cursed with bad luck. It nearly got me killed in a mudslide before we finally helped him break it,” I explained, remember the little hobo. He was a nice guy, but I do remember being a bit scared of him.

“Oh yeah, I remember him now! I wasn’t really involved much when he showed up, I mainly just stuck with mom…Anyway, continue.”

“Eventually it stopped, ponies had better things to do than keep harping on a little girl given the state of the world and most of them realized they‘d been ‘mistaken‘ about mom and me, but…it still hurt…”

He puts his lion paw on my shoulder. “…I’m sorry…I was a monster and I deserved to be hated…but you didn’t and neither did mom…”

I actually gave him a little bit of a smile…“…Thanks…Should I keep going?”

“…Sure, if you want to…”

“So I kept living my lives, not really understanding that I was different, it was just how my life was…I met a stallion in my second life, wonderful guy, still with me in Pony Heaven, and had a kid, Diamond and Golden’s ancestor…”

“Who?”

I gave a sigh. “Mad Tiara and Screwball…” I HATE those names. After spending part of my life thinking I was crazy, I’m not…sorry, getting ahead of myself…

I see him cringe a bit, then rub the back of his head. “Oh…yeah, sorry about…you know…”

“The ’your existence leaving my descendants with mental instability’ part or the ‘corrupting my descendants into your minions’ part?” I asked, admittedly a little ticked off.

“…That first one might have been a lie, I can’t remember anymore. All the Groundhog Day Loops have scrambled my brain a bit…But both…”

“…It’s ok…no, it’s not ok…but I’ve stopped hating you for it…”

Considering who I was raised by, you can guess my attitude about truly repentant villains. Still doesn’t change the fact it bucking clopped me off to find it out though. Thinking about paying a visit to Diamond Tiara and Golden Tiara and trying to get through to them (no, before you ask I’m NOT calling them Mad Tiara and Screwball, they’re my descendants for the Father’s sake!).

“Anyway…I eventually figured out something was wrong…I started thinking I was crazy, that there was something wrong with me…but given the state of the world in the second life, ponies with mental issues were kind of normal.”

“The Elements of Harmony don‘t cure mental trauma,” my brother noted, lowering his head a bit.

“Yeah, unfortunately,” I said, “So it wasn’t as crushing a thought as it would have been, but you know, it was always kind of painful to think I might have been insane and not know it…that half of my existence was just a lie fabricated by my mind…and that others started to see me that way. When you’re little, they think it’s a cute little game to talk about two lives, but as you grow up…At least mom and my husband never thought less of me in either timeline, even if I did scare mom in the first timeline a couple of times….I ended up dying protecting my daughter from a rockslide in the second life. I just kept living on in the other, thinking maybe that it‘d all been my insanity talking. I just…lived life as best I could until I left Paradise Estate. I ended up having a daughter there too, different husband, same daughter. I loved them both and both versions of our daughter, still love them…Eventually I died of old age in that world too and…”

Here it is…the hard part…it’s okay, be strong, Shady, you can do this… “I…I almost broke finding out how…wrong I was when I got there, that I wasn‘t insane but some kind of…kind of freak…someone who only existed because a Goddess made a special exception for me…” I muttered, my voice cracking a bit…keep it together Shady… “It took mom coming to me and talking me through it when…when those things came after me!” The Shadows are still watching me, looking so hungry…They still want me…


I didn’t really know what I should do…So I did what mom would have done and hugged my sister close. “It’s ok…They can’t hurt you now…I won‘t let them…” She…she let me hug her. A Shadow tries to get a little too close…and ends up sent flying with a whip of my tail.

Yeah yeah, I have a heart. I grew one somewhere in the last several hundred million years. If I could go back in time and beat the crud out of myself, I would…well, technically I can, but it wouldn’t change anything…hehe, ironic, isn’t it? The one who never once thought I could have good in me was the one who gave me the chance to grow a heart…

We just sat there, hugging for a few moments. “…She…She talked about you…” she finally said, looking up at me with those big eyes fillies tend to have.

I sighed. “I figured…”

“…In my…second life, I guess…when I asked about your statue…she said you were sick…that I should still love you because there was still a good Draconequus in you…And I do…”

I blink and look down at her. She gives me a big smile in return. “…I was sick…I’d been sick from the day the Mother-we’re-trying-our-best-not-to-acknowledge laid my egg. My first act was to bite one of Dad’s fingers off after He said He might ‘throw me back‘…Which admittedly my siblings thought was awesome, though Dad was probably joking, or being sarcastic, it‘s hard to tell with Him…But…I won’t lie, I can’t say ‘I wish I hadn’t eaten my good side,’ because Gods don’t feel regret, we just don’t…But I would love more than anything to have my life there back…That was the first time I was really happy I think…I get it now…mom loved me…that’s why she helped stop me…”

“…You’re better now though…right?”

I give a chuckle and rub her mane. “Yeah, I guess…I think it was a combination of getting nailed with the Elements so many times and getting the chance to see what a monster I was…There was even that one timeline where an Alicorn named Trixie somehow managed to restore the Element of Trust (I still have no idea how that happened) and used the complete set of Elements to cure my sociopathy…It didn’t stick next loop, but it let me see things a new way I guess…You can’t just be given a conscience and it not effect you somehow…I think all those things together are what did it…that and my daughter…Sorry if I’m boring you.”

Shady gave me a smile. “No, it’s actually kind of cool to listen to…Mom, even after we died, just kept talking about how much she hoped you’d get better…it’s kind of awesome to see it finally happen…”

I chuckle. “Thanks…it feels good too…I love my daughter…Have you met her yet?”

“No…what’s she like?”

“Well…now that Fluttershy’s gotten through to her, she should be shaping up to be a good little girl…you could help with that maybe…”

“Sure, I guess I could…Hey, speaking of parent child relations…how were things with you and mom?”

Wow…I have to admit, I haven’t thought about that in a long time. “Well…at first, before, you know, I became an evil overlord…it was nice. If I got scared, she was there for me…if I got hurt, she’d kiss it and make it better. Even though I was the only Draconequus she’d ever seen, she never thought I was a monster…even when the monsters I created began bowing down to me. To her, I wasn’t a spirit, I was just…her son…”

I give a sigh. “Unfortunately, you know what happened then…I turned into a monster, and used how much she loved me to make her one too. I think I tried to have things both ways; my kingdom of chaos and the mother who’d loved me so much…And she still loved me. Enough to help Celly and Lulu kick my tail because to save me from myself…”

I feel her hoof on my paw. She smiles to me. “She never stopped loving you, believe me.”


I hear hoof steps approaching my statue. Looking out, I see mother looking at me. Traitor! You weren’t supposed to be like Mother! You weren’t supposed to betray me!

“…Dissy…I’m sorry it had to end like this,” she says…she’s crying. “…But know that no matter what anyone else thinks of you…no matter how much they hate you…even if I can’t argue with them, I could never hate you…I love you and I always will…Never forget that…”


I give a chuckle. “Yeah, I know…So, how about you and mom?”


I actually smile. “Hehe, you know for a bit I was ashamed of her being so…well, you know, cowardly…but she always was there for me. That’s one of the only things that wasn’t different at all between my lives; mom was always there for me. She was there when I was sad or hurt…I had friends in both lives. Baby Moondancer, Baby Surprise, Baby Applejack, and the other Baby Ponies in the original timeline. Hehe, they were a blast. We were our own little group of friends too…In the other timeline, I was friends with Baby Twilight…whatever number she was, I can’t remember, and I think Spike the Sixth. But when they couldn’t comfort me, when they couldn’t cheer me up…mom always did…That was what was the same between the lives. After that it gets really, really confusing.”

I’m not joking. Imagine having two mothers raising you two different ways and you have my childhood. Though thankfully, since at first I didn’t realize it was weird, I just learned from them both. It helped mom was still a good person in both worlds…still, it was confusing having to remember one version of her didn’t remember what the other did. But eh, when that’s how it’s been most of your life, you kind of just get used to it.

I thought back. “Mom in my first life was probably more how you remember her. She was scared easy, but responsible. She was protective of me, but we gave me a good bit of freedom. And I had a lot of fun with her, she made sure I did. Hehe, like this one time we were supposed to go swimming and it started snowing (thought it was me wishing it to snow). Mom got her snow clothes on and we started skating instead…However, the second life was a bit more complicated…”

“Uh, yeah, I apologize in advance for the influence I may have had on mom.”

“Actually, I want to thank you for that…sort of. Mom in that life…she was strict, she was a bit overprotective. I always loved her, I really did and knew she loved me. It’s just it always seemed so restrained compared to my first life…But she still had that fearful side to her. She seemed afraid of everything but it felt…different than in the first life. Mom’s always seemed scared, and I always thought she was getting worried about nothing.”

He gives a chuckle. “Even in my childhood with her, she was a bit like that. I know how you feel…But you know, she was a lot braver than she seemed…She saw how powerful I was when I started my reign…but she still stood up to me telling me to stop.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I know…I didn’t find that out until she saved my flank…”

He blinked, then gave a smirk. “Oh, I have got to hear this. Do tell.”

“Alright…it was when I was a teen. In the first life? Not really a problem. I had enough freedom I didn’t feel restrained. In the second? Teenaged hormones plus overprotective and strict mother equals Baby Shady becoming Rebellious Teen Shady.” I can only imagine if the Shadows Who Rule had seen enough of that to make toys of it.

He gives a laugh. “That stage, huh? You should have seen Celly’s rebellious stage, either time.”

I gave a chuckle. “Mom told me about the second time. I never expected Princess Celestia had gone Goth at one point…”

“I know! I didn’t see that coming either! Oh, but she had nothing on Anarchy’s rebellious stage…”

“Hey hey hey! I said to never talk about that again!” the other Draconequus, Anarchy, yelled. Is he my brother too? Half brother? I don’t know. My existence is confusing enough.

I raised an eyebrow and gave a smirk. “The Spirit of Rebellion had a rebellious stage?”

“Fine, I just won’t speak of it.” My brother said, producing a picture of Anarchy in a stuffy looking business suit with a perfectly orderly mane. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Anarchy grumbled. “We’re Nature’s Fury! How ELSE was I supposed to be rebellious?!”

“Oh, and just ask one of the Alicorns which one of them he ended up dating at the time!”

“Alright, alright! Get back to the sibling bonding stuff before you give me incentive to end my break!”

We finally stopped laughing. “Oh, alright. I did what a lot of rebellious teens do; be somewhere that my mom had specifically told me not to be. In this case, in the area around an old abandoned opera house. I had gotten an invite to a party there, mom said the place was too dangerous…”

“Wait, sorry to interrupt, but which life did this happen in?”

“Second. Not sure where the abandoned opera house came from…”

“I think I had a few built to annoy people who hated opera…I‘m a troll, I do that sometimes.”

I give a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Point is, I wasn’t supposed to be there and that just made me want to be there more…”


“Hello?!” I called, walking into the dark opera house. I didn’t see anyone. It was just a pitch black abandoned opera house. Yuck! It reeked too!

I gave an annoyed sigh. “This better not have bogus or I am going to be clopped off!” Seriously, I risked getting grounded for this! Where’s the part-”

“Surprise!”

The lights came on and I was back at Paradise Estate. At first, I thought I’d just switched lives again…but…

“T-Twilight?” I asked, my friend Twilight standing right in front of me. But the others, Moondance II, Surprise II, all the rest! They were ALL here. “You…you’re all together? But…but…”

“Silly!” said Surprise, the original, flying over. “Of course we’re together!”

“Yeah, sorry we didn’t believe you about my descendent,” Twilight I said, smiling to my Twilight. “This party is to celebrate us all finally being together.”

They…they’re together…They’re actually together…All of us…I-I’m not crazy! This is real! Had it always been real?

“But mom said-”

“I was wrong,” said mom, dressed like herself in my first life. “Enjoy the party, it’s all for you.”

I smirked and hugged her. “Thanks mom! I will!”

“Now come on, lets party!” Surprise I shouted as my favorite song started playing in the background.

And we started dancing, partying. All my favorite games! I…I don’t think I’ve EVER been this happy!

Then…then why did I start feeling so tired? Why are my joints starting to ache? Oh who cares?! I’m having the time of my life, that’s all that matters!

---

How long have I been partying? I don’t know. We’ve played all my favorite games, listened to all my favorite songs. We even got my favorite band to perform live. I’m having the time of my life but…why do I feel so tired? So weak? Like my body is just going to give out on me?

“Hey, Shady!” called Moondancer II, coming over. “Look what I’ve got!”

She hands me a new pair of shades, these are rose colored. I put them on. What was I thinking about? Who cares, all that matters is-

Suddenly, I hear a shattering noise and everything just…stops…I’m not in Paradise Estate anymore, I’m back at the opera house. Only now fires burn in the torches around me.

“Ugh…what the…” I put a hoof to my head and feel wrinkles. Wrinkles?!

I take out my pocket mirror. Sweet Celestia! I look older Twilight’s grandmother! I’m an old mare! This…this can’t be happening!

W-what? I’m getting younger…I’m myself again.

“What…what’s going on?”

I hear someone scream in complete rage. I look over to see a…a human? But…they’re gone, that’s impossible!

She’s wearing a red cloak, I can’t see her face. But I can see her hands are human and she’s shaped like one…

But I do see my mom, standing between her and me. “M-mom?”

“Thank goodness you’re alright,” mom cries, but doesn’t take her eyes off of the human.

“What happened? Who’s that? What the Pony Hell is going on?!”

“Her name is Somnambula, she’s a witch that traps ponies in their dreams, then steals their youth and magic to make herself stronger,” mom explained, glaring daggers at Somnambula. “The Big Brother Ponies defeated her thousands of years ago and I thought she would be long dead by now, but I was wrong.”

“You ponies made it a lot harder, but I still was able to stay alive!” yelled the witch. “It was just a lot harder since you little ponies let my songbird loose!”

“How can you do this to ponies?” I ask, it finally hitting me what had just happened to me. She…she would’ve just kept sucking me dry! And I wouldn’t have ever known what was happening till it was too late! And no one would’ve known…And she…she used what I wanted most to do it…I…I feel like my heart’s been ripped out…Why couldn’t it have been real?

Somnambula growled. “I’m the last living human in Ponyland! After me, there will be none left. The Rainbow Bridge was destroyed, the others are all dead. So I’ve taken the youth of ponies. Those ponies were all necessary sacrifices to keep humanity in this world from going extinct! I am the last human; I have to live on to keep my race alive in Ponyland! And what better legacy to leave than giving ponies lost in a world of suffering and chaos their perfect world for the rest of their lives, however short that may be?!”

Mom snarled. “Don’t kid yourself, you’ve been doing this since Megan was still in Ponyland. All you care about is yourself.” Mom turned to me. “Come on, lets get out of here. She’s powerless without her crystal.”

I look down at mom’s hooves to see a shattered crystal. Mom…if she hadn’t come along Somnambula would have…

“Oh but you can’t.”

I felt something cold around my neck. I look to see I’m chained to the floor with a shackle around my neck. I look to mom and find her the same way. My blood ran cold.

Somnambula takes her hood off to reveal a young face with black hair. “And I’m not.”

Mom’s eyes go wide with shock. “But…how?”

Somnambula gave a laugh. “Silly pony, what I’ve stolen can’t return to ponies who are already dead,” she stated, waving her hand and making the opera house turn into a carnival, then to an amusement park, then back to what it looked like in its heyday, before finally back to its present state. “And with all the pain and suffering that devil child of yours caused; ponies willing to live out the rest of their lives in their perfect world were easy to find. Some even came to ME to trade a long life in his kingdom for a short life in my paradise. I’m even stronger now than I was when we last met.”

I started shaking. Is this how we’re going to die? Here? In an abandoned opera house at the hands of some witch? I…I don’t want to die! I instinctively tried to get to mom…only for a dagger to hit the ground right in front of me. I looked from it to the glowing hand of the smirking sorceress. The red, molded carpet beneath my flank suddenly became wet. Please don’t let us die here! I’m sorry! This was all my fault! I snuck out!

Somnambula narrowed her eyes at my mother. “You know, Shady, I don’t understand you. Your son gave you power beyond imagination, immortality, and a place by his side. He made you the second strongest being in the world…And you threw all of that away!” Somnambula seemed somewhere between enraged and baffled. “Tell me, why did you leave him, little pony? Wasn’t the eternal life he gave you enough for you?”

Mom seemed almost sad. “Somnambula, there’s no such thing as eternal life for those like you and me. To be honest, I feel sorry for those that actually have what you desire more than anything.”

Somnambula snarled and held out her hand. A cloud of magic materialized in front of mother. I peaked inside…I saw myself and…and my brother, back when he was a kid…we’re playing together with mom.

Mom simply sighs and closes her eyes without a moment‘s hesitation. I finally notice one of her hooves putting some kind of liquid from a vial on her chain.

Somnambula looked dumbstruck. “What?!” The witch then snarled in fury. “You HAVE no heart’s desire!…Well, I was going to let the two of you two enjoy a fantasy world while I made a new crystal, but I have no use for a worthless empty hearted freak!”

Mother suddenly took a pouch of green powder and blew it into the air. For a moment it’s pitch black as it blots out the lights. When I can see again, mom’s gone, her chain rusted clean through.

Our host doesn’t seem the least bit happy. “What sorcery is this?!” she asked, taking a step back.

I can’t help but smirk. Not sorcery; alchemy. Mom’s a wiz at it. Kick her butt.

“You made a mistake capturing MY daughter, Somnambula,” mom’s voice calls.

The witch spins around and manifests swords in the air to stab into a row of seats. Nothing’s there. “Where are you?!”

“I’ve already lost one child, do you think I’m going to let you take the other one from me?”

I gave a small gasp. My brother…Discord…the one who’s a lawn ornament now…That…that’s why she’s always so protective of me in this life…because…because she’s scared of losing me too…I’ve been such a fool…

Somnambula created a safe in the air to crush another row of seats. As she goes to check, I feel something wet land on my neck. I look up to see mom up in a balcony high above me, dropping more of that potion from the vial down on me. I just manage to catch the shackle as it falls off. Looking down at my hooves, I see the metal had completely rusted to dust. I set it down quietly as Somnambula lets out another roar of anger. I hid myself as quickly and quietly as I could at the back of the theatre while Somnambula was looking the opposite direction. Huh, all those late nights I snuck out of the house finally paid off.

“I’ll give you a head start, Somnambula. Get out of here now and the Princesses won‘t hea-”

Mom had to duck another magically hurled sword. “There you are you little nag!” the witch yelled, manifesting more swords and throwing them at mom, then manifesting axes to slash at her, forcing her to dodge like mad and run back into the exit way.

“Oh know you don’t!” Somnambula runs up the other way, snapping her fingers and I heard mom give a sudden grunt. Thankfully, a few minutes later, the witch comes out on the same balcony, carrying another rusted metal chain that she angrily threw to the ground. “Where are you?!”

The image of a stallion with a bandana around his neck suddenly manifested on the balcony with Somnambula . He even had a Cutie Mark, a baseball bat and glove. I think I remember him from mom’s stories…Slugger?

Somnambula definitely recognized him. “YOU!” she yelled at the top of her lungs and proceeded form more swords from the air and tried to impale Slugger, only to be dodged repeatedly. “I’m going to make you pay for what you’ve done to me!” In a rage, she finally formed swords from all sides and brought them down…only for the image to shatter into powder on contact. In the dim light, it’d looked like a solid pony.

Somnambula looked around her in panic almost. I knew what mom was doing; trying to get Somnambula so worked up that she forgot how strong she actually was. But I couldn’t help being terrified mom’s luck would run out.

That’s when I saw mom finally sneak out from behind a curtain on the same balcony.

“There you are!”

Suddenly, the balcony seemed to come to life around mom, turning into some sort of nightmarish mouth!

“MOM!”

Before I could blindly run to her aid, chains formed on all four of my legs and my neck. Even my TAIL was chained to the floor!

No! Don’t let this happen! It was my fault! I did this! I snuck out! Don’t let her die for me! Please!

“Don’t worry, little pony, this will all be a bad dream in a little bit,” Somnambula sneered. The jaws came down! It was like watching everything happen in slow motion as the teeth closed on mom…

…Or rather, a powder replica of mom as it turned out.

My REAL mom suddenly came charging out from behind a curtain faster than I’d ever seen her move. Huge bat-like wings stuck out from her back and a horn on her head, a cloak around her body. At the sight of Nightmare Shadow right in front of her, the witch froze in shock long enough for mom to get close. “My heart, is NOT empty!” yelled mother, slamming head first into Somnambula’s jaw. Her wings, horn, and cloak shattered into powder on impact.

I think mom may have just wanted to, and did, knock her unconscious (…or maybe she was trying to snap her neck), but instead, the witch was sent backwards through the rotten railing.

I turned my head and closed my eyes. A few seconds later I heard a loud thud and rotten floorboards shattering from the impact.

---

I couldn’t see where Somnambula landed from where I was chained to the floor (Dang it! Why didn’t killing the witch put an end to her magic?!)…but mom was with me as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Thank goodness,” mom said, giving me a hug. “Don’t ever sneak out like that again! You had me worried sick!”

I tear up. I snuck out…I disobeyed her…but she saved me… “I-I’m sorry…H-how did you know?”

“Mother’s know…Lets get these chains off, huh?”

As mom got the chains rusted off me, I looked her over. She wasn’t the bad flank who’d kicked a witch’s flan-er, butt to save mine…she was just mom…worried about her daughter like a good mom always is…She’s been worried about me this entire time…she’s just scared of losing me…

“Mom…thanks for saving me…I love you.”

She gave me a smile as the chain around my throat fell off, then hugged me. “I love you too.”

“…I’m still grounded, aren’t I?”

“Oh big time.”


“So yeah, mom kicked a witch’s butt to save me,” I told him, giving a smile. “Made me realize she wasn‘t trying to restrain me, she was just trying to protect me because she was scared of losing me like she lost you…” I noticed him looking a bit nervous. “What?”


Yipe! Ok…just break it to her gently. “Well I may have…I kinda…I sorta gave…”

“-Somnambula her crystal in the first place?”

Excuse me while I pick my jaw off the floor. “You knew?”

“Dissy, Celestia was a friend of mine, she knew which monsters you were responsible for.”

“…And you’re not angry?”

“I was when I’d found out, but well, I’m still a Paradise Pony you know.”

I blush and gave a nod. “Yes…I should probably have remembered that…Anyway, sorry about that.”

“Apology accepted, plus I got to see mom kick flank because of it, so there’s that.”

“Looks like all that alchemy training paid off,” I reply. Mom never stopped learning alchemy, even after becoming Psuedonightmare Shadow. I’m glad to see it came in handy.

“Yeah, we’d both have died with out it…Came in handy fighting Grogar too…” Shady gave a groan. “Had to deal with that jerk in both lives! Geeze. And it was confusing too, only guy to show up in both. Though it was kind of funny to be able to predict his lines the second time since I knew him but he didn’t know me.”

We share a laugh at that one. I can only imagine how annoying that must have been for old goat face!

And once the laughter died down, the awkward silence came again. “…So…what now?”

I tapped my chin. “Well…Anarchy’s still on break…Hey, Anarchy, what game yah playing?!”

“Half-Life 2!”

“One of the old classics! Well, he’ll probably be at it for awhile, he is Rebellion after all…What do you like to do?” Yes, surprise surprise, Discord asked someone what she wants to do. I’m not the same Draconequus I was a thousand years ago.”

My sister blinked then looked thoughtful. “…Well, I kind of like to race and stuff like that…”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

She cocked her head at me. “You sure? You don’t seem like the athletic type.”

I chuckle. “But I am Chaos, and if it doing what it seems like I shouldn’t be the type, all the more reason to do it!”

She actually chuckled a bit. “Alright, just don’t throw a tantrum when you lose.”

We both take a running stance. “Same goes for you.”

“Alright, ready…set…Go!”

Author's Note:

This one was requested by Alexwarlorn. He and Louis helped edit it.