Ultimate Equestria

by Leo Pachino

Chapter 069: Real of Unreal

After a long journey throughout the deep desert, fighting the deathly forces of nature, and a bizarre encounter with what can only be described as an angel, Applejack deserved this. As the train pulled into the station of Ponyville, Applejack was ready to go home and go to bed, now able to sleep soundly, no matter what.

Applejack stepped out onto the station platform, and was immediately greeted by Big Mac, Applebloom, and Twilight Sparkle. The three onlookers gasped a bit when they saw the state Applejack was in. She was heavily bruised and half of her body was under bandage cloth.

“Are you okay?!” Twilight and the others exclaimed.

“I’m fine.” Applejack nonchalantly replied. “I only got a little roughed up in the wild. The doctors in Appleloosa took good care.”

“Well, welcome back, Applejack.” Twilight said.

“Howdy.” AJ replied.

“So? Did you see ‘im?” Applebloom asked.

“Nope,” Big Mac assumed.

“I’m also curious.” Twilight said. “These two told me all about the Ghost Pony. It would be really interesting if he was real. Is the Ghost Pony real or not?”

“Well…” Applejack hesitated her answer.

“Well… what?”

“I don’t necessarily have physical or eyewitness proof that he exists,” Applejack said.

“HA!” Big Mac barked in success.

Applejack immediately explained, “However, during my travels, I met this stallion who called himself the Ghost Pony. He told me that the Ghost Pony was like a force of nature, made up of several good-doing ponies. They look out for those in need in the desert and comes to their aid. So, in a sense, he is real.”

“So, does that mean I can become the Ghost Pony?” Applebloom asks with a look of confusion.

“If we’d ever let you go out there, in the barren desert, then yes.” Applejack replied.

“Yeah!” Applebloom cheered.

“Good, now run along you.” Applejack said.

Applebloom did so, and went back home.

“Hmph, sounds like a cop-out. It still doesn’t explain the flaming skeleton.” Big Mac snorted.

“Well, you don’t have to believe in the tale of the ‘original’ Ghost Pony, but you do have to admit something.” Applejack replied.

“What?” He asked.

“Seeing Applebloom wanting to follow a role model and help other ponies, even becoming a role model herself, you want that to be her future, right?” She asked.

“I guess. I guess he is ‘real’ as a role model. There I said it. Happy?”

“Very.”

Big Mac followed Applebloom back to Sweet Apple Acres, leaving Applejack and Twilight at the station.

“What even happened to give you half of those injuries?” Twilight asked.

“Ugh. Everything! Snakes, dirt, gravel, mirages, the sun, the cold, everything,” Applejack huffed, exhausted from adventuring. “Don’t tell any of my folks about this, or they’ll have a heart-attack.”

“Of course,” Twilight nodded.

“I should’ve went to the beach with you all.”

“Oh, no! Yesterday was a nightmare.”

“What happened, Twi?”

“Where do I even start? Some demon-siren ponies took Spike’s soul. Pinkie and I had to play the most impossible game of volleyball to win it back. Those two were toxic, cheating the entire time.”

“Demons?!”

“I know, crazy.”

“My adventure was nothing but crazy. I might’ve even came across a demon, and I just forgot.”

“Looks like this weekend’s been nothin’ but trouble,” Twilight said.

“Eh, maybe not,” Applejack replied.

“Hm?”

Twilight was curious. What happened to Applejack that justified all of those injuries?

Applejack said, “I finally got some resolve for some problems keeping me up at night. Twilight, I’m sorry for turning to Korsan all those months ago. I mean it this time. I take full responsibility for my actions. I have learned my lesson. I will never betray you or our friends as long as I live. But, aside of that, yeah, this weekend was trouble.”

“So, Applejack, I guess you’re not coming with us to the Megaseed Forest next weekend.” Twilight said.

“Yep, I’m well-worn from all these adventures. I’ll just be at home, healing these injuries.”

“How about the theatre the weekend after that?”

“The theatre?”

“There’s going to be a live showing of ’The Tragedy of Queen Chrysalis’. It’s a major event in Canterlot.”

“Queen Chrysalis? Our arch-nemesis?”

“Well, one of them.” Twilight clarified. “But, yeah. I’ve heard it’s really good though.”

“I may tag along.”

“Alright!” Twilight cheered.

“Well, see you.” Applejack said.

“Oh, before I go, I want to tell you something interesting I found.” Twilight said.

“What?” Applejack asked, intrigued.

“After our little bout with those demon-sirens, I read up on some history to see if we knew anything about ‘demons’. I came across a book about the magic art of necromancy and it talked about something called Hades’ Breathe.”

“What about it?”

“Well, although most of it is based upon loose theories and ancient mythological recordings, there is a solid basis on what Hades’ Breathe most likely is. It is, and I quote, ‘Whenever a massive creature of great magic power dies, as their soul depart from their body, a large pulse of powerful magic, often of chaotic properties or of remnants of the creature’s most prominent usage of their magic powers, is spread throughout a vast area. This magic pulse is known as Hades’ Breathe.’”

“What does that all mean?” Applejack asked.

“If this Hades’ Breathe is real, and if a powerful magical creature with a heavy usage of fire magic were to die a long time ago, then the Hades’ Breathe created could have created the Ghost Pony.”

“Do you think that it’s possible?”

“I’m not too sure. I may have to do some more research due to the poor amount of corroboration backing up this concept, let alone that necromancy is an often disregarded topic in the common knowledge of magic. I have many reasons to doubt this theory.”

“…Uh… …Simplify it please?”

“Hehehe…”

“Nah, it’s fine. I know what you’re saying.”

“Okay, bye, Applejack!”

“Goodbye, Twilight!”

With that, Applejack went to bed. She slept for a solid 12 hours without disturbance or disruption. It was a good rest, fated to result in peak freshness.

---

“I can’t believe they beat us.” Ira growled.

“We’ll get ‘em next time.” Libidine replied.

“There is no next time!” Ira exclaimed before crossing her hooves and turned to the corner.

The boiling bath water lapped onto the two mares as they relaxed in their impromptu spa. The red light of lava-coated stalagmites and stalactites danced across their bodies and the walls of their cavern home. Drips of water and occasional magma echoed throughout the caves, keeping out any silence. It was damp, warm, and hidden, a perfect lair for any abominable creature.

Ira looked over to one of the alcoves visible from the hot tub. It was brimming with gold and treasures, all sparkling under the red light of molten rock. It was their other sister’s, Cupiditas’s, treasure. She always enjoyed riches, couldn’t get her hooves off of them.

“Has Cupiditas counted her treasure, yet?” Ira asked, staring at the golden coins just a tad away from the riches pile.

“No. Thinking about stealing some?” Libidine asked.

“I need some victory from this weekend. I can’t see myself going forward after losing to those two pests.”

“Look on the bright side.”

“What bright side? We’re in a subterranean lair just above Tartarus. There is no bright side to our situation.”

Libidine slowly waded over behind Ira. She placed her hooves and Ira’s hips and pressed her head against her neck.

“There’s always something to look forward to when I’m here.” Libidine slowly whispered suggestively.

“I said no favours, Libi.” Ira coldly replied.

“But, Ira-!”

“No buts. You lost the game for us.”

“Me?! I wasn’t the one who threw a temper tantrum!” Libidine shouted.

“I wasn’t the one who was too busy satisfying her endless need for pleasure!” Ira retorted.

“Go punch a demon!” Libidine yelled.

“Go inhale some lava fumes!” Ira yelled.

“I’m back!” A mare’s voice echoed throughout the cave.

“Oh, no…” Ira groaned.

“It’s Superbia…” Libidine moaned.

A red portal opened on the roof of the cave and a tentacle-claw dropped down from it. It opened its claws and revealed Ira and Libidine’s fourth sister, Superbia. Superbia whipped her large, silver highlights to the side and joined her partners in the hot tub.

“I am such a great demon. You won’t believe how many souls I snagged over the weekend.” Superbia announced.

“Let me guess, you made a bunch of ponies convinced they could jump off a cliff and live.” Ira said, rolling her eyes at Superbia’s pulsating ego.

“Come on, I’m not that predictable.” Superbia replied.

“No, it’s just the one thing you can do.” Libidine said. “Can’t even entertain me for five minutes…”

“Both of you are just jealous. Check this one I caught.” Superbia said.

Ira and Libidine looked over as Superbia summoned one of her souls. The ghostly figure of a stallion burst from Superbia’s chest, the bodiless soul of a pony. Ira and Libidine were unamused.

“He looks like an idiot. A pretty idiot, but still an idiot,” Libidine commented.

“Definitely the cliff trick.” Ira said.

Superbia replied, “I’ve been doing this successfully for over 600 years…”

“So have we.” Ira and Libidine whispered.

“…And by now, I’ve snagged about 6000 souls. I’m the best out of all of us.”

“7500.” Ira replied.

“9001.” Libidine replied.

“Over 9000?!” Superbia gasped before immediately restoring her form. “Well, I do it with consistency and strategy.”

“You want to impress us?” Ira asked. “Beat Invidia’s score: 750,000.”

“That’s impossible. I’d need at least 600 centuries to catch up.” Superbia replied.

“If it makes you feel easier, Invidia ain’t doing anything nowadays. She just keeps trying and failing to copy our tactics.” Libidine explained.

“How did Invidia even rack up that kind of soul count?” Superbia asked.

“She overthrew three kingdoms in a night. It was a fluke, pretty much.” Ira answered.

“I’m back!”

“Superbia, we heard you the first time.” Ira hissed.

“That wasn’t me!” Superbia replied.

Another red portal opened and a second Superbia descended from it. The three others glanced at each other for a moment before casually calling out the second Superbia.

“Invidia, we know it’s you.” Ira said.

The second Superbia lowered its head in guilt before her entire body burst in a green light. Her body slowly reformed and shrunk. At the end of the transformation, Invidia’s true form was revealed. Her black bangs and green highlight slowly moved forward and covered her eyes.

“Tried Superbia’s cliff-trick?” Ira asked.

“Yep,” Invidia replied, defeated, but not too deterred.

“Failed?”

“Yep,”

“How did you overthrow three kingdoms at once?” Superbia asked.

“I just did. Nothing too special,” Invidia replied.

“Always that vague response,” Ira noted.

Ira went back to her own business and dived into the hot tub.

“Seen where the others went?” Invidia asked.

“No clue.” Superbia replied.

“Try looking where they’d usually be. Castles, shipwrecks, resorts, places with a lot of food or money, Tartarus, places like that.”

“Th-that’s what I was going to say.” Superbia lied.

“You’re right. If only I had your intellect.” Invidia said.

“No sweat it, seriously.” Libidine replied.

“I’m going back up.” Invidia said.

With a flick of her horn, a portal opened above Invidia’s head. A tentacle claw dropped down and picked up the mare.

Libidine crawled from the tub and left from sight. She went off to her private alcove in the deeper reaches of the cavern lair.

“Where are you going?” Superbia asked.

“I’m getting into something comfy. I have an appointment with my souls.” Libidine’s voice echoed.

“’Appointment’, how clever,” Superbia told herself.

She looked down to see Ira, resting at the bottom of the tub. Just below Ira and the rock floor of the tub was one of Tartarus’s many magma streams. Even where Superbia was at, the heat was intense. It was a miracle that the tub had enough water in it to have it classed as a pool. The only reason Ira didn’t mind the heat was because she had the magic power to burst into flames, both figuratively and literally.

This gave Superbia an idea.

“Hey! Ira!” Superbia yelled into the water.

“What?” Ira’s voice bubbled to the surface.

“I know how to beat Invidia’s soul count.”

Ira immediately burst to the surface.

“How?” She asked, intrigued.

“We use Libidine’s magic of mind control and my magic of mass-communication to brainwash an entire town and create an army of slaves. Then, we’ll use your flame magic to ignite all of Equestria on fire! And with our combined ability to inspire the vices in ponies around us, we’ll be untouchable! It’s genius! I am the greatest mi-”

SLAP!

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Ira replied.

“What?! Why? The slap also really hurt.”

“Several problems with your plan: One: the maximum number of ponies you can do is maybe a hundred. Two: Libidine only controls one pony because splitting it across two ponies cuts her control in two. Three: My fire is not a tool.”

“Ouch.”

“Which? Your cheek, or your ego?”

“Well, come on, Ira. We could totally top Invidia if we-”

Ira coldly interrupted Superbia, saying, “Impossible. It’s just best we go about our casual days. Me, having my vengeance and creating complicated winning strategies. Libidine, playing with her souls and luring souls. You, luring ponies off of cliffs and bragging about it. Even if we all worked together, there are too many heroes out there.”

“Perhaps you need more villains!” A final voice echoed throughout.

“...What…?”

Author's Note:

TO BE CONTINUED

Thank you for reading and following this series for so long. As of August 25, there will be a one-to-two month hiatus.

---

COMING UP

• The Demons of Pulchra make a return, bigger and badder.
• A new villain rises, much stronger than Korsan.
• Some familiar faces return alongside new ones in a brand new adventure.

Comments

[Indigo Tornado]

“Over 9000?!” Superbia gasped before immediately restoring her form. “Well, I do it with consistency and strategy.”

this never gets old