//------------------------------// // The Pets are Gone // Story: Martha & Skits's Adventure in Ponyville // by Zenitram Nadroj //------------------------------// In Zecora's cauldron, Twilight and the others see shadows capturing pets and other animals. “Those animals are being captured by those shadows.”, Trixie asks. “Where is this unknown world?”, Starlight asks. “Unfortunately, there is no answer for you. And there is nothing else I can do.”, Zecora says. They look again and see two dogs the most scared. Fluttershy then starts feeling nervous. “Oh, no. Those poor dogs are gonna get captured.”, she says. “Princesses, we need to help them.” “Fluttershy, we can't.”, Celestia says. “Why not?”, Pinkie asks. “We don't know where this world is or how to get there.”, Luna replies. Suddenly, thunderclouds then cover the sky and everypony starts to panic. “What's happening?”, Applejack asks. “Why are the clouds making everything darker than an overcooked chicken egg?” “The dark aura must be skyrocketing and starting to spread.”, Celestia says. “Everypony, there's no telling what is going to happen. So we need to evacuate. I repeat, we need to evacuate.” Everypony starts screaming and flee from the kingdom. “Everypony, to the train station!”, Shining shouts. Soon, all of the citizens arrive at the train station and leave the empire. “What about Cadance's birthday party?”, Pinkie asks. “I'm afraid it's going to have to be canceled this year, Pinkie.”, Rarity says. Pinkie's mane then withers. “No. It took be all year to make that special cake recipe.”, Pinkie says dejectedly. “I know how much that cake meant to you.”, Apple Bloom. “But we need to follow the princesses orders to stay safe.” “What are we gonna do now?”, Twilight asks. “I think it will be best if all of us will stay in Ponyville until the storms blow over.”, Cadance says. “How long will that take?” “I don't know. But we need to stay far away from those clouds. Who know what will happen in even one of us is close to one of them.”, Cadance lectures. Keretomatus takes Martha and Skits by their collars and drags them. “No!”, Helen shouts. She then grabs hold of her dogs and tries to pull them away from the monster. “You can't take my dogs!”, she says. “Yes I can. These dogs are coming with me.”, Keretomataus says. They play tug-of-war with the dogs and suddenly, the emperor's sons pull her away from her dogs and pulls off their collars. “No!”, she shouts. He laughs as he captures both of the dogs. Suddenly, Kitten hops on his face and starts attacking it. “Get off of me!”, he shouts as he starts shooting magic. He continues to shoot magic until the magic strikes Martha and Skits making them disappear. A shadow then pulls the kitten off the emperor's face and he heals himself with his magic. “What, where did those dogs go?”, he asks. He then faces the people and growls angrily at them. The people then flinch from his growling. The monster then stops and composes himself. “Bah. No matter. At least I have what I came here for.”, he says. “You creatures could've saved me the trouble if you had just cooperated with me. But I guess nothing is ever easy.” The shadows then disappear with the captured pets and the emperor opens a portal behind him and his sons. “Hey, wait.”, a voice calls out. The people and dog who helped him arrive and confront the emperor. “We helped you by bounding the police, don't we at least get a thank you?”, asks Weaslegraft. “Of course, where are my manners?”, Keretomatus says. “Thank you all.” “So what do we get in return?”, asks Kablooey. “Nothing.” “What?!”, the group says. “We've helped you by getting all of those police out of your way to let you into that fundraiser and we get nothing in return?”, Fildgemarker says. “Exactly. So your services will no longer be needed.”, the monster says. He uses his magic to levitate the group and flings them away. “Hey, you monster! You give back my dogs!”, Helen shouts as she runs after the monster. “Helen, no!”, her mother shouts. “Come back here!”, her father shouts. The emperor's sons enter the portal first as he looks back. “I bid you all farewell.”, he says as he enters the portal. “Stop!”, Helen shouts as she reaches the portal. The portal then vanishes before she catches it and she falls on her face. Helen's parents and brother run to her. “Helen, are you OK?”, her dad asks. Helen stands up and looks frantically for the portal. “Hey, you monster! Where are you?!”, she shouts. “Give back my dogs!” “Helen, calm down.”, her mother says. “Calm down?!”, she asks. “My dogs have been captured. How do you expect me to calm down?” “Helen, stop.”, her grandfather says. She then calms down. “Helen, they're gone now.”, her grandmother says. “Your shouting isn't going to bring them back.” She then stops and walks forward. She then falls on her knees. “Martha, Skits, they're gone.”, Helen says. She then starts sobbing. “I can't believe Nelson and Polly are gone”, Alice says as she and Ronald start sobbing as well. “He took Lilly, Dad.”, Milo says as he starts sobbing. All of the owners of the stolen pets and animals starts sobbing together. “I'm sorry, sweetheart.”, Helen's grandmother says. “There was nothing we could do about it.” In Ponyville, the citizens arrive at the train station and are about to go to their homes, until a portal appears in the sky and they notice it. “What's that?”, Flurry asks. Two figures falls and plummets to the ground. “Hit the deck!”, Twilight shouts. They clear the way. The figures the strike the ground. The citizens approach the crater carefully. “What was that?”, Sunburst asks. They look inside and are in disbelief at what they see. Inside the crater are two dogs completely bruised. “Quick, we better get these dogs some medical help!”, Sunburst shouts.